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A new book about Hillary Clinton's last campaign for president -- "Shattered," by journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes -- has gotten a lot of publicity since it appeared two weeks ago. But major media have ignored a revealing passage near the end of the book.

Soon after Clinton's defeat, top strategists decided where to place the blame. "Within 24 hours of her concession speech," the authors report, campaign manager Robby Mook and campaign chair John Podesta "assembled her communications team at the Brooklyn headquarters to engineer the case that the election wasn't entirely on the up-and-up. For a couple of hours, with Shake Shack containers littering the room, they went over the script they would pitch to the press and the public. Already, Russian hacking was the centerpiece of the argument."

Six months later, that centerpiece of the argument is rampant -- with claims often lurching from unsubstantiated overreach to outright demagoguery.

A lavishly-funded example is the "Moscow Project," a mega-spin effort that surfaced in midwinter as a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. It's led by Neera Tanden, a self-described "loyal solider" for Clinton who also runs the Center for American Progress (where she succeeded Podesta as president). The Center's board includes several billionaires.

The "Moscow Project" is expressly inclined to go over the top, aiming to help normalize ultra-partisan conjectures as supposedly factual. And so, the homepage of the "Moscow Project" prominently declares: "Given Trump's obedience to Vladimir Putin and the deep ties between his advisers and the Kremlin, Russia's actions are a significant and ongoing cause for concern."

Let's freeze-frame how that sentence begins: "Given Trump's obedience to Vladimir Putin." It's a jaw-dropping claim; a preposterous smear.

Echoes of such tactics can be heard from many Democrats in Congress and from allied media. Along the way, no outlet has been more in sync than MSNBC, and no one on the network has been more promotional of the Russia-runs-Trump meme than Rachel Maddow, tirelessly promoting the line and sometimes connecting dots in Glenn Beck fashion to the point of journalistic malpractice.

Yet last year, notably without success, the Clinton campaign devoted plenty of its messaging to the Trump-Russia theme. As the "Shattered" book notes, "Hillary would raise the issue herself repeatedly in debates" with Trump. For example, in one of those debates she said: "We have 17 -- 17 -- intelligence agencies, civilian and military, who have all concluded that these espionage attacks, these cyber attacks, come from the highest levels of the Kremlin and they are designed to influence our election."

After Trump's election triumph, the top tier of Clinton strategists quickly moved to seize as much of the narrative as they could, surely mindful of what George Orwell observed: "Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past." After all, they hardly wanted the public discourse to dwell on Clinton's lack of voter appeal because of her deep ties to Wall Street. Political recriminations would be much better focused on the Russian government.

In early spring, the former communications director of the 2016 Clinton presidential campaign, Jennifer Palmieri, summed up the post-election approach neatly in a Washington Post opinion article: "If we make plain that what Russia has done is nothing less than an attack on our republic, the public will be with us. And the more we talk about it, the more they'll be with us."

The inability of top Clinton operatives to identify with the non-wealthy is so tenacious that they still want to assume "the public will be with us" the more they talk about Russia Russia Russia. Imagine sitting at a kitchen table with average-income voters who are worried sick about their financial futures -- and explaining to them that the biggest threat they face is from the Kremlin rather than from U.S. government policies that benefit the rich and corporate America at their expense.

Tone deaf hardly describes the severe political impairment of those who insist that denouncing Russia will be key to the Democratic Party's political fortunes in 2018 and 2020. But the top-down pressure for conformity among elected Democrats is enormous and effective.

One of the most promising progressives to arrive in Congress this year, Rep. Jamie Raskin from the Maryland suburbs of D.C., promptly drank what might be called the "Klinton Kremlin Kool-Aid." His official website features an article about a town-hall meeting that quotes him describing Trump as a "hoax perpetrated by the Russians on the United States of America."

Like hundreds of other Democrats on Capitol Hill, Raskin is on message with talking points from the party leadership. That came across in an email that he recently sent to supporters for a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser. It said: "We pull the curtain back further each day on the Russian Connection, forcing National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to resign, Attorney General Sessions to recuse, and America to reflect on who's calling the shots in Washington."

You might think that Wall Street, big banks, hugely funded lobbyists, fat-check campaign contributors, the fossil fuel industry, insurance companies, military contractors and the like are calling the shots in Washington. Maybe you didn't get the memo.
President Trump speaking in Saudi Arabia, May 21, 2017

I Just endured reading Trump's full speech [1] (sorry I couldn't bear to watch it), particularly his reference to Iran having "fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror". It's absolutely stunning in its flight from reality considering "official" Washington's role being the primary perpetrator-along with his host Saudi Arabia- responsible for "fueling the sectarian conflict and terror" in the world.

In case you didn't take the time to see or read it here's a few choice excerpts from the "Donald's" speech-with a few rejoinders in parenthesis.

"Above all, America seeks peace-not war" (This is simply contradicted by US policies and actions precipitating unnecessary, unending wars while avoiding peace at all cost. Real peace would be a mortal wound to the existing military/industrial/political complex. So peace is the last thing America, as represented by "official" Washington wants anywhere in the world).

"our vision is one of peace, security and prosperity-in the region and in the world" (the truth is America seeks war, not peace for all the reasons in the rejoinder above).

"partnership" with all the heads of state in attendance (That's shorthand for accepting Washington's hegemony over you. Shut up and do as you're told).

"Peace in the Middle East" (Stop initiating wars in the Middle East. Stop supporting Israel's apartheid policies in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel's illegal settlement policy in the Palestinian West Bank and negotiate with Hamas, the legitimately elected entity of Palestinian's in Gaza).

Locating the "Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology" and "defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it" (Incredibly to be located in Saudi Arabia, the center of "Wahhabism", Sharia Law and the country that helped spawn ISIS in Syria and Iraq).

Linking "ISIS, al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas" ( Linking them all is absurd. As if they're allies and working in joint operations. ISIS is Sunni but separate from Sunni al Qaeda terrorists who are often in conflict with each other. Hezbollah is Lebanese Shiite that came into existence fighting against the Israeli invasion in 2006 and now has its fighters in Syria opposing the US backed proxy insurgents. Hamas is Sunni came to existence in Gaza winning those elections there in 2006. It is not recognized by the Israeli's or the US because of its opposition to Israeli apartheid policies in Gaza and the West Bank. This lack of recognition is proof the Israeli's don't want peace in Gaza or the West Bank with the Palestinian's).

In light of reality and those rejoinders mentioned above here's a short thumbnail sketch of recent history, just going back to the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003 revealing it was "official" Washington's policies and actions as the primary catalysts "fueling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror".

Along with "Dubya" Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 his viceroy in charge Paul Bremer in one fell swoop summarily dismissed Saddam Hussein's 400,000 Sunni dominated army along with the country's civil servants- who were required to take an oath to Saddam's Baath Party in order to get these jobs- immediately creating the Sunni insurgency against the American occupation.

Then with US sponsored Iraqi elections bringing majority Shiite control of the government, the Sunni Arab Iraqi minority, some 25% of the Iraqi population found itself under Iraqi Shiite domination and persecution sparking the "sectarian conflict" which barely existed under Saddam's regime with many Sunni and Shiite Arabs intermarrying.

And what was Shiite Iran's role in all the sectarian divisions convulsing in Iraq? Counseling non violence, trying and eventually succeeding in toning down Shiite Imam Muqtada al Sadr's fiery rhetoric against the American occupation and getting his Shiite militia's to stop attacking Iraqi Sunni citizens.

So Iran had essentially no role in creating the Sunni-Shiite sectarian divide in Iraq- although it did support the Shiite dominated government hoping it could bring some stability to the war torn country.

As for Syria, Washington in 2011 using the CIA in concert with Saudi Arabia, the Gulf monarchies and Turkey trained, equipped and funded proxy, jihadist militant mercenaries to enter Syria from Turkey who easily co-opted whatever indigenous Syrian resistance existed in its opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad to fight against Assad's Syrian Arab army. Assad is an Alawite, an offshoot of Shiite Islam and a close ally with Iran.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
President Donald Trump kept his promise. He said he'd "drain the swamp" in Washington. He has. What he didn't tell us was that he would then fill his administration with the creatures that crawled out.



The news media and late night shows have reveled in their good fortune. Trump has provided them a daily flow of stories both entertaining and terrifying to move their audiences between tears and laughter.



But as a result, that 99 percent-plus of the federal government that's not in the White House is mostly ignored by the media.



Farmers worry over the loss of overseas markets from Trump trade agreements. Public schools must deal with the loss of revenue from school vouchers. The oil and gas industry cheers a removal of regulations that rivals the Teapot Dome scandal that sent one of President Warren Harding's cabinet members to prison.





can
Think of a tomato.

Round, bulbous, straining the vine with its weight. Red as lipstick and fire engines. Testing the limits of its thin skin, sun-baked juices threatening to bust the membrane, taut with readiness.

Yeah, we dont have those in Minnesota.

Well, rather, we do, but harvest season starts in mid-July and ends in September. Blink, and youll miss it. Ive often missed the entirety of Minnesota tomato season thanks to a late summer vacation or other minor distraction. Its not an overstatement to say that Minnesotans fantasize about tomatoes.

In 1999, when Lynne Rossetto Kasper published the Italian Country Table, there was no internet for sharing recipes. A tried and true family recipe was like gold, a good cookbook something to covet. Newly married with a grown-up kitchen, Suddenly Salad and a chicken breast no longer seemed like an appropriate dinner for two adults. Id have to learn to cook. I wanted to learn to cook. This $35 cookbook, which seemed like a fortune at the time, and a small fortune even now, fell into my hands as an incentive for Minnesota Public Radio membership, something of a right of passage for good Minnesotans.

Rossetto Kasper was of course the longtime host of the long-running public radio show The Splendid Table, having recently retired after more than 20 years of bringing us The show for people who love to eat.

The gravity of this show cannot be overstated. There were no podcasts. Want to know how to save your holiday from disaster? Better tune into her Thanksgiving Day Turkey Confidential, the airwave equivalent of a benevolent mother-figure entering your kitchen to gently slide the baster from your white-knuckled hand, and pour you a stiff drink.

A food personality almost before that was a thing, Rossetto Kasper was and is far more than a radio personality and a cookbook author. Tall, gracious, Italian, grandmotherly warm and whip-smart, the word superhero comes to mind.

The fact that she can make ripe tomatoes happen in February is not the least of her powers. The recipe for Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes, or more romantically, Pelati al Forno, is inextricably bookmarked in my copy.

Page 29 is wrinkled, stained and dog-eared. It looks abused, but really its love. Passionate, devoted, somewhat delirious love. Ive come to refer to these tomatoes as oven-candied, which they are, and the inadequacy of oven-roasted might be the only misstep in this book. Because here is the thing: this recipe renders canned tomatoes so outrageously ruby, sweet and complex, that the summer ripe fruits allure no longer looms so large. In other words, we Minnesotans get to have what more fertile places have, and we might even be able to have something better, thanks to ingenuity.

Ingenuity in the kitchen being what brings us things like soul food, preservation and beer. The best things.

Armed with little more than a can opener, a few dollars worth of canned tomatoes and this book, my life changed.

Of course, the world prior to the World Wide Web felt like a much bigger place. Today, it seems almost absurd to imagine that a country as familiar to the American imagination as Italy could feel like a far away and exotic land, but it did. In the 90s, Tuscan farmhouse fantasies reigned supreme as the ideal cover spread for culinary and travel magazines. If you were a person with any means, you were meticulously restoring your Tuscan farmhouse. If you were not, you were fetishizing one.

Naturally, food was at the center of the fantasy. Rossetto Kasper went one further than Tuscany with The Italian Country Table. Actually, she went many times further, by taking us into the farmhouse homes of not only Tuscany, but also Emilia-Romagna, Naples and Sicily. From the cover jacket:

... you only have to turn its pages to be transported to a rustic Italy that few of us know, but all of us long for.

And in most frigid Minnesota, it wasnt terrazzo and grape arbors we were longing for. It was the miracle of fresh herbs, it was fat pancetta, it was composed salads of individual bitter greens, hard cheeses, cured meats and white beans awash in balsamic. It was tomatoes.

The photos pop with reds and greens, two colors we go roughly half the year without in our far northern place. It gets so bad that a stop sign in March can be a revelatory experience for the eye.

But in this book, lurid roasted red peppers glisten atop crusty bread. Sun dried tomatoes, still exotic at the time, lay like feathers on a fluffy coverlet of sheeps milk ricotta. Flecks of rosemary, basil and mint poke out of every protein and pasta like spring shoots from the ground.

I dont know if this book would have made such an impression on me if the author wasnt also a Minnesotan. Its like a subtle love letter into our psyche. I know what you dream of, she seemed to be cooing with her honeyed, made-for-radio voice. And I have just the thing that will change your life.

Want candy tomatoes in February? Better get the book.

Photo by Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA 2.0
Before we begin here we need to stress that this yarn doesnt have a particularly happy or triumphant ending to it, and it still contains some fairly horrific details of hunting and animal cruelty. If that kinda thing turns your stomach a little too much, you might wanna back out now.

A 51-year-old professional big game hunter was reportedly crushed to death by the elephant he was hunting in Zimbabwe on Friday, according to a report from South African news outlet News24.

Theunis Botha owned and operated a professional hunting company that took rich clients into the African wilds to hunt and kill large wild animals. Primarily, the company targeted leopards and lions and used specially trained hunting hounds to help track and bring down the animals.

On Friday Botha was leading a hunt through the Gwai region of the country, when the group encountered a herd of mating elephants.

Three elephants cows reportedly stormed the hunting group, leading Botha to shoot at them. A fourth cow then attacked the pack from the side, lifting Botha into the air with her trunk. Another member of the hunting party fatally shot the cow, which then fell on top of Botha, crushing him to death.

Botha was known to frequently travel to the US to court and recruit wealthy clients for his hunting trips in Zimbabwe, and was a specialist in Monteira hunts; large packs of dogs are used to herd deer and boar towards hunters, who then open fire on the animals.

Adult African elephants are classified as having no natural predators, largely due to their size. The biggest threat to their survival in the wild remains human hunters and poachers.

Source: News24.

Photo: Frank Bienewald/Getty.
Why You Shouldn't Continuation Bet So Much

May 22, 2017 PokerNews Staff

The continuation bet or "c-bet" is perhaps the first postflop "move" new no-limit hold'em players become accustomed to employing.

Having raised before the flop, a player will bet again on the flop and "continue" to keep the betting initiative. In many cases if a player raises preflop and has an opportunity to bet again after the flop, the player is almost expected to do so. And truth be told, c-betting is often a profitable play since more often than not the flop will not improve the hand of the player who called.

That said, if you always c-bet every time you've been the preflop raiser, you are c-betting too much and setting yourself up to be exploited by attentive opponents.

This weekend 888 Ambassador Dominik Nitsche addressed this very situation for us in a hand analysis he provided during the ongoing 888Live Barcelona series.

Nitsche played the hand versus Catalin Pop in the 888Live Barcelona 2,200 High Roller that just completed a few days ago. Pop went on to win that event, following up his victory in the 888Live Rozvadov Main Event in February.

As those results suggest, Pop is a talented player and Nitsche points out at the start of this hand analysis that Pop is on the aggressive side. It wasn't a surprise, then, when a hand arose during the 4,000/8,000/1,000 level that saw Pop open-raise to 18,000 from the button.

Catalin Pop

Nitsche was the in big blind with a stack of about 240,000, and after being dealt he defended with a call.

The board came , and Nitsche talks about how that board more likely hits the range of his BB-calling hand than that of Pop's button-raising hand. He also mentions how he anticipated Pop would make a continuation bet.

"I expect him to be c-betting way too many hands here," says Nitsche. "He seems to be the kind of guy that maybe just bets every single time on this board."

Nitsche notes how Pop might check behind with ace-high hands (that beat his king-trey), but if he bets and Nitsche check-raises, "there's not going to be many hands he can continue with."

Nitsche checked and Pop did indeed bet. Take a look and hear what happens in the hand, and listen as well to Nitsche's explanation of the action and how the hand illustrates the dangers of c-betting too often.

Stay with PokerNews for continuing coverage from the 888Live Poker Festival Barcelona, including live updates, chip counts, photos and more from the Main Event.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-22 14:30:01

A.M. Best to Host Reinsurance Market BriefingZurich

A.M. Best

Charlotte Jackson, +44 20 7626 6264

charlotte.jackson@ambest.com

A.M. Best will host its inaugural Reinsurance Market Briefing in Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday, 7 June 2017. The guest speaker, Niklaus Hilti, chief executive officer, Credit Suisse Insurance Linked Strategies Ltd, will present on the topic, ILS Market Update and Developments.

In addition, leading A.M. Best analysts will present industry insights, including an overview of the current state of the global reinsurance market and cedant reinsurance purchasing trends. A.M. Best also will deliver a briefing covering ongoing updates to its Bests Credit Rating Methodology and Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio model.

There is no cost to attend the briefing. Registration and further details can be found at the Reinsurance Market BriefingZurich event registration page. Enquiries can be emailed to events@ambest.com.

A.M. Best is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2017 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201705220056
PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-22 15:32:01

Axiom Announces Appointment of Dr. Matthias Schwenke to Head the Companys Newly-Launched Operations in Germany

For Axiom

Carrie Kalish, 917-657-3155

carrie@gkcomms.com

Axiom, the leading alternative legal services provider, is entering the next phase of its ambitious growth strategy across Europe as Dr. Matthias Schwenke joins to head the companys operations in Germany.

Axiom now provides access to high-quality legal services for large enterprises across Germany, which join a long list of Axioms current global clients, including more than half the Fortune/FTSE100. Axioms talented lawyers provide clients with flexible capacity and specialized knowledge, offering in-house legal teams an alternative to traditional external law firms. In addition to experience working at top law firms, most Axiom lawyers also have spent several years at in-house legal departments. This profile allows them to effectively integrate into clients in-house legal departments much faster and bring immediate practical value.

Axioms global offerings also include a full range of technology-enabled legal services, ranging from support for corporate transactions like mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory events such as the EUs Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), as well as various mandates affecting large financial services organizations.

Dr. Matthias Schwenke, LL.M., was appointed as Axioms country lead and General Manager for Germany on May 1, heading Axioms Frankfurt central office. Matthias brings a unique perspective to Germany and to Axiom, said Sandra L. Devine, Axioms head of operations in Continental Europe. Many of our clients are rethinking how legal services are resourced, seeking new ways to enhance flexibility and cost-efficiency while supporting rapidly-changing areas of expertise. Combining his experience both as a classically trained German lawyer as well as a former management consultant, Matthias is well-equipped to help GCs address these challenges with practical solutions.

Most recently, Dr. Matthias Schwenke served in several executive positions for Deutsche Telekom, including Head of Top Clients for the companys wholesale customers. Previously, Schwenke served as a strategy consultant for The Boston Consulting Group where he specialized in reorganization and operations. After completing a classic law education in Germany as a fully qualified lawyer, he earned a Masters degree in International Business Transactions at the University of San Francisco. He wrote his doctorate on data protection and technology law at the Technical University of Darmstadt in cooperation with the University of Kassel.

The time is right for Axioms entry into the German market, said Schwenke. Axiom created a new category of alternative legal services providers 17 years ago, and continues to lead innovation in this exciting area. For lawyers, Axiom provides an alternative means of career development and access to a wide range of challenging engagements at top international companies. Axiom combines methods and techniques from other disciplines such as strategy consulting, project management and IT with the legal talent of its lawyers in order provide a unique approach to problem solving for our clients. The combination of these diverse competencies distinguishes Axiom and is something the German market desperately needs. Axioms global scale creates excellent development possibilities with flexible working models and strong investment in career training.

Following the successful launch of Axiom in Switzerland in 2014 and strong growth across Axioms locations in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Wroclaw, Poland, this further expansion confirms the company's path in Europe. With over 2,000 employees, Axiom has a strong history of geographic expansion, serving clients from 15 global offices and three Centers of Excellence.

I look forward to creating something new in Germany, building on the foundation of a prestigious company that is already successful globally. We are looking for unconventional thinkers and passionate lawyers who support our work and our model. Nowhere else you will be able to think as much outside the box as here at Axiom, yet provide practical solutions with immediate value, Schwenke says.

About Axiom

Axiom, a recognized leader in the business of law, provides tech-enabled legal, contracts, and compliance solutions for large enterprises. Axioms solutions combine legal experience, technology, and data analytics to deliver work in a way that dramatically reduces risk, cost and cycle-time. The firm comprises 2,000-plus lawyers, professionals, process engineers and technologists who serve over half the Fortune 100 across 15 regions and 3 centers of excellence globally. www.axiomlaw.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201705220057
PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-22 15:23:01

Waiward Steel Wins COAA 2017 Safety Leadership Award in Recognition of its Commitment to Safety and Worker Competence

Washington, May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Waiward Steel LP, a leading steel fabrication and industrial construction firm in Edmonton and Iron Workers (IW) contractor, was recognized for its commitment to safety and workforce competency at the Construction Owners Association of Alberta's (COAA) Best Practices Conference in Edmonton on May 9th. COAA 2017 Safety Leadership Award was presented to Waiward Steel's Chief Operations Officer Jim Kanerva in recognition of his contribution to the success of MODOS competency program - the main contributing factor to Waiward's recent monumental achievement of over 4 million work hours free of lost time incidents. The COAA conference honors outstanding contributions and accomplishments in several construction industry related roles and responsibilities every year.

"It's a career honor to be recognized by our customers and peers on something so important," said Jim Kanerva. "It is a team award for Waiward Steel, my colleagues and our ironworkers because the success of MODOS wouldn't be possible without them".

Waiward believes in the professional development of its workers and tracking competency to ensure that they are the most efficient, safe and capable workers in the industry. MODOS is a real-time tracking system that matches workers with tasks and performance plans, identifying their strengths and areas for improvement - all of which lead to a safer and more profitable workplace. It positions ironworkers in suitable positions to reach their true potential, whether it's an apprentice or a journeyman.

Since implementation of MODOS in 2013, Waiward saw a significant improvement in its safety record and worker competency - more than 800 percent decrease in the number of lost time claims over historical averages. Waiward is now at 4.6 million hours free of lost time claims.

"We wanted to go beyond the rules," said President of Waiward Steel Terry Degner. "When binders full of rules and regulations didn't help prevent injuries, it was obvious that it took more than just following the rules to achieve millions of work hours without an incident and maintain a higher level of productivity."

Waiward Steel has raised the bar high with its MODOS competency program and safety records. It has set an example and a standard for the Canadian construction industry to follow.

###

Waiward Steel LP is one of Canada's largest providers of engineering, drafting, fabrication and construction services. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, Waiward serves multiple sectors in the construction industry across Western Canada and around the world.

IMPACT is an ironworker-contractor partnership designed to provide a forum for ironworkers and their contractors to address mutual concerns and encourage reasonable balanced solutions and created job opportunities for participant contractors and ironworkers.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad7d9886-5672-4933-9167-aad743c88dd1

Sara Schuttloffel

Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust

2023834885

SSchuttloffel@impact-net.org
PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-22 01:03:02

FTSE 100 Companies Could Face Up to 5 Billion a Year in Fines When GDPR Tsunami Hits Our Shores

Oliver Wyman:

Gregor Ridley, +44 7342 053449

Gregor.ridley@oliverwyman.com

or

Lucy Chapple or Millie Daly, 0203 696 5800

oliverwyman@standagency.com

FTSE 100 companies could face fines of up to 5 billion a year if they dont comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), according to analysis by global management consultancy Oliver Wyman. The EU regulation, which will overhaul the way companies acquire, retain and use personal data, will come into effect on 25th May 2018; just 12 months away.

GDPR will allow EU consumers to ask why personal data is collected, how it is being used and how long it is retained for and to request that companies erase and stop processing their personal data, with at least ninety million gigabytes of data being taken back, estimates Oliver Wyman. It will also allow companies to poach data from rivals, if they can obtain customers permission.

Most businesses are not fully prepared to deliver this, or to adapt to the business consequences of losing their data bank. For serious breaches, firms will have to pay fines of up to four percent of their global annual turnover, or 20 million, whichever is the greater.

Had GDPR been in place for the past five years, the consultancys analysis shows that FTSE 100 companies could owe up to 25 billion in fines to EU regulators.

Chris McMillan, a Partner in the data and technology arm of Oliver Wyman, said: In the tug-of-war between companies and their customers over personal data, GDPR falls firmly in the consumers favour. With fines of up to four percent of global turnover, or 20 million on the table, non-compliance is simply not an option.

Companies must prioritise data security with strong engagement from the top down. Experienced Chief Data Protection Offices and Data Engineers, already in short supply, will be in even shorter supply this time next year.

As well as meeting the basic requirements, and building a defensive moat around their data, savvy companies will use GDPR to their own advantage by poaching data from rivals and even players from outside their industry. With consumer permission, there is nothing to stop a financial services company, from requesting data from a technology company or vice versa. Companies that dont use GDPR to improve their customer value proposition will be left behind, and are likely to have their own data pillaged by their competitors, added McMillan.

All UK companies will be subject to GDPR until at least March 2019. Post-Brexit, companies dealing with EU citizens will still be subject to GDPR.

About the research

Oliver Wyman identified FTSE 100 companies, with significant customer interactions, that have incurred a known data breach in the past five years. Using 2015 financial reporting figures, Oliver Wyman applied the fine (four percent of annual global turnover) to reach the total of 25 billion, or 5 billion per year.

About Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in 50+ cities across nearly 30 countries, Oliver Wyman combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The firm has more than 4,500 professionals around the world who help clients optimize their business, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies [NYSE:MMC]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201705210050
PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-22 04:02:02

Global Tech Industries Group, Inc. to Attempt to Enforce Rights in Contract Dispute with Hong Kong Partner

Princeton Research Inc. for GLOBAL TECH

Mike King, 702-650-3000

mike@princetonresearch.com

GLOBAL TECH INDUSTRIES GROUP, INC. (OTC: PINK), a Nevada Corporation Inc., and its subsidiary G T International Group, Inc., having previously executed a binding Stock Purchase Agreement on December 30, 2016 to acquire 100% of Go F & B Holdings, Ltd., a Hong Kong SAR Corporation and a subsidiary of GoFun Group, Ltd. Corporation, (a BVI Corporation), have been forced by the actions of the management of Go F & B Holdings Ltd to file suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, case # 17-CV-03727, (https://goo.gl/Js7HYa) in regard to the contract entered into on December 30, 2016. GTIIs suit specifically addresses the issues of contract breach, specific performance, indemnification and fraud.

At the time of entering the contract, Go F & B Holdings Ltd., purported to own and operate three restaurants, and a Central Kitchen for an Online-to-Offline food delivery business. Cheung Yee Man, Elaine a/k/a Elaine Cheng and, Tam Yiu Chuen a/k/a Sam Tam on behalf of unnamed unit shareholders, executed and signed the Agreement on December 30, 2016 at their corporate offices in the Austin Tower in Hong Kong SAR. A senior member of their staff, Fong Yat Sing, Vitus, a/k/a Victor Fong, also signed the agreement, as did the Chairman of Global Tech, Mr. David Reichman. Fong Yiu Yuen, Joseph a/k/a Joseph Fong, the project leader throughout the acquisition & negotiation was also present, as well as Angie Liu, executive assistant to Sam Tam, and witnessed the execution of the agreement, but was not a signatory.

Go F&B ceased making payments under the agreement in February, 2017 and has not been heard from since that time, at which time several demands were made by GTII relating to the matter. Go F&Bs failures include not complying with document and corporate material production, failing to provide consolidated financial information, and not complying with the payment schedule laid out in the agreement. Finally, Go F & B did not submit for inclusion in GTII's filings the 2016 PCAOB compliant audit as stipulated, which resulted in GTII having to file its annual report Form, 10-K without Go F & Bs numbers.

GTIIs counsel, Warren R. Markowitz, Esq at The Markowitz Law Firm intends to aggressively pursue all remedies available to it, and at its disposal in this matter. http://www.WarrenMarkowitzEsq.com

GLOBAL TECH INDUSTRIES GROUP, INC. is a publicly traded holding company, with subsidiaries and affiliates that hold intellectual properties, proprietary systems, and trade secrets in the bioscience, clean tech, and global health technologies, as well as previous interests in the Oil & Gas businesses. For more information on GLOBAL TECH contact Mr. Mike King of Princeton Research Inc. at 702.650.3000.

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes", "belief", "expects", "intends", "anticipates", "will", or "plans" to be uncertain and forward looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201705210050
PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-22 14:02:01

Teneobio, Inc. and Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that they have entered a commercial license agreement for the use of Teneobio's UniDabs(TM), single-domain, human heavy chain only antibodies in Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Under the terms of the agreement Poseida has commercial rights to UniDabs(TM) against a cancer specific antigen for its proprietary CAR T-cell therapy programs. Teneobio will receive an upfront payment, potential clinical milestones and royalties on commercial sales world-wide. Financial terms were not disclosed.

According to Wim van Schooten, CSO of Teneobio, "This agreement further validates the utility of UniDabs(TM) in CAR T-cell therapy. In the last year, we have made excellent progress in identifying and advancing UniAbs(TM), best-in-class human heavy chain only antibodies from our proprietary UniRat transgenic platform, for bi- and multi-specific antibody therapeutics with great manufacturability. Ultimately, the greater specificity of bi- and multivalent CARs will enable the pursuit of solid tumor CAR T-cell therapy."

Eric Ostertag, CEO of Poseida added "We are looking forward to working with Teneobio's UniDab(TM) technology, which shares many of the advantages with and will complement the Centyrin(TM) technology that we previously licensed from Janssen. When combined with our industry-leading piggyBac(TM) Gene Delivery System and NextGEN(TM) CRISPR technology, UniDabs(TM) may become a key component of our wholly-owned allogeneic CAR-T program, which has shown exceptional results in preclinical studies. About Teneobio, Inc. Teneobio, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing a new class of biologics, Human Heavy Chain Antibodies (UniAbs(TM)), for the treatments of cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious diseases. Teneobio's discovery platform, TeneoSeek, comprises genetically engineered animals (UniRat and OmniFlic), next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics and high-throughput vector assembly technologies. TeneoSeek rapidly identifies large numbers of unique binding molecules specific for therapeutic targets of interest. Versatile antibody variable domains (UniDabs(TM)) derived from UniAbs(TM) can be assembled into multi-specific and multivalent therapeutic proteins, surpassing limitations of conventional antibody therapeutics. Teneobio's "plug-and-play" T-cell engaging platform includes a diverse set of anti-CD3 antibodies for therapeutics with optimal efficacy and reduced toxicity. For more information, contact Omid Vafa at ovafa@teneobio.com or visit www.teneobio.com About Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. Poseida Therapeutics is translating best-in-class gene editing technologies into lifesaving treatments. The company is developing CAR T-cell immunotherapies for multiple myeloma and other cancer types, as well as gene therapies for orphan diseases. Poseida has assembled a suite of industry-leading gene editing technologies, including the piggyBac(TM) DNA Modification System, XTN(TM) TALEN and NextGEN(TM) CRISPR site-specific nucleases, and Footprint-Free(TM) Gene Editing. For more information, visit www.poseida.com.

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: TeneoBio, Inc. via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2017-05-22 15:12:02

CINCINNATI, May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2017 Datalliance Forum, the world's largest annual cross-industry gathering focused entirely on the subject of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and related collaborative replenishment processes, attracted attendees from North America and Europe across a wide range of consumer and industrial markets. Attendees included representatives from suppliers, wholesale distributors and retailers. Held May 8-10 in Cincinnati, Ohio, it focused on best practices and successes, as well as innovations across many aspects of VMI. This year's event was the 12th annual Forum hosted by Datalliance.

With a theme of 'bridge to success', the Forum's program featured speakers from companies ranging from industrial and consumer goods manufacturers to leading wholesale and retail distributors all talking about various aspects of their VMI programs and relationships. Attendees included professionals in customer service, supply chain, inventory, e-commerce, purchasing and sales roles. Manufacturers of consumer products found in numerous aisles of grocery, drug, dollar and auto parts stores were in attendance along with some of the world's leading manufacturers of electrical, plumbing, power transmission and heavy duty vehicle products. It was a very diverse group, but one that shared a common interest in the operational, financial and strategic benefits of VMI.

Datalliance President and CEO Carl Hall summarized results from a study of 822 distributor/retailer locations showing that they had, on average, reduced out-of-stocks 24%, increased turns 22%, increased items carried 25% and increased sales 22% in their first year of supplier VMI programs. He also stated that Datalliance customers had added 568 new VMI-managed locations in 27 countries since January 2015. In a later presentation, speakers from Rockwell and SKF further emphasized the globalization of VMI by describing their respective world-wide growth - especially in Latin America and Asia/Pacific. In a separate survey, 97% of companies attending the Forum said that they planned to expand their VMI programs over the coming year.

The agenda included many breakouts covering new and planned capabilities of the Datalliance VMI platform, as well as introduction of a new Executive Dashboard designed to provide never before available insights into downstream sales and inventory trends based on innovative use of the data already being collected from tens of thousands of locations by Datalliance.

The Forum also included an engaging and thought-provoking keynote presentation by author and F-500 consultant Ira Blumenthal on the importance of strategic alliances in today's world, as well as key attributes of successful collaboration. Datalliance 'how-to' tutorial sessions, structured and unstructured networking opportunities and evening social events rounded out the program.

About Datalliance

Datalliance is the world's largest provider of technology and services to support collaborative replenishment programs such as Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and related approaches. Delivered as a cloud-based platform backed by extensive customer care, Datalliance makes it easy for trading partners to establish inventory management relationships that increase sales and profits by fully aligning business objectives, increasing on-shelf availability, optimizing turns, and reducing supply chain costs. Datalliance manages billions of dollars in orders, millions of SKUs, and tens of thousands of locations worldwide for leading companies in consumer and industrial markets. For more information about Datalliance, visit www.datalliance.com.

Contact: Brian Lindner, Datalliance

513-791-7272

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Datalliance via Globenewswire


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.




By: PR-BS Inc.

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-- 3-WAYA Benefit for the Connor Moran Cancer FoundationCelebrating the Third Anniversary ofGET OUT! South FloridaLGBT Radio Show & PodcastSumptuous Dinner Event will be held at Lilly's Table in Lake Park on June 17 at 5:30 pm(Delray Beach, FL  May 19, 2017) Tom Hantzarides, host and producer of GET OUT! South Florida, today announced that America's only terrestrial-radio LGBTQ talk show and podcast is hosting 3-WAY, a delightful and delicious fundraiser on behalf of the Connor Moran Cancer Foundation. It will be held on Saturday, June 17, starting at 5:30 pm, at Lilly's Table, located at 748-A Park Avenue in Lake Park, FL."We're calling this fun fundraiser 3-WAY not only because this is the third anniversary of GET OUT! South Florida, but because of the three important services that the show provides to the LGBTQ community: as a reliable and consistent source of news and information;as a place where local political, cultural and religious leaders can connect to our listeners and one another; and as a way to introduce gay-friendly advertisers to an upscale and active consumer base," says Hantzarides.3-WAY will offer a wonderful buffet dinner, a variety of local celebrities and podcast personalities, prize drawings, a live broadcast and more. The cost to attend is only $18.95, with all proceeds going to benefit the Connor Moran Cancer Foundation, as did our successful Cancer's A Drag event last year. Tickets and reservations can be made by e-mailing tomh@getoutsouthflorida.com or by calling (561) 827-6468."I hope the LGBTQ community  and many of our straight friends and family members -- will come out and support this fun and worthy event," Hantzarides adds.About the Connor Moran Cancer Foundation:The Connor Moran Cancer Foundation is the longest-thriving nonprofit organization serving South Florida families affected by cancer. In 1992, this charitable organization was founded as a legacy to two-year-old Connor Moran who lost his battle with cancer. Connor Moran pioneered pediatric cancer support and continues to develop unique patient programs addressing the needs of pediatric and adult cancer patients. The Connor Moran Cancer Foundation collaborated with medical facilities, psychosocial support agencies, and other area nonprofits to further ensure that every cancer patient's needs are met and that no individual or family faces their diagnosis alone. Connor Moran is governed by a board of directors comprised of patients, parents and professionals who have been personally affected by cancer. For more information, please visit www.connormoran.org.About GET OUT! South Florida LQBTQ Radio:Heard every Saturday evening on 850WFTL, GET OUT! South Florida is Florida's LGBTQ radio show and podcast. Widely received by both listeners and advertisers, it is smart, relevant and entertaining. The show is a mix of current news and topics, important interviews, cultural updates, movie and restaurant reviews, as well as intelligent opinion and discussions. GET OUT! South Florida aims to inform, entertain, empower and activate our diverse South Florida community as well as show what a positive impact the LGBTQ community has made. For more information, please visit Facebook.com/getoutsouthflorida.Available for Interview:Tom HantzaridesGET OUT! South Florida LGBTQ Radio561.271.1482TomG@GetOutSouthFlorida.comTeri MoranConnor Moran Cancer Foundation561.741.1144connnormoran@aol.comMedia Contact:Gary SchweikhartPR-BS, Inc.561.756.4298gary@pr-bs.net
Contact

Buyer Assistants

***@buyerassistants.com Buyer Assistants

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-- Housing in Queensland may be taking a positive turn for potential home buyers as local Brisbane startup Buyer Assistants vows to 'make dream homes affordable'. The Property Negotiation company has been creating record savings for its customers and gaining interest from real estate agencies as a possible threat to their profits.The negotiation firm vows to save its customers money - or they don't charge for their service. Like a no-win no-fee in the legal industry, Buyer Assistants (http://www.buyerassistants.com)only charge their customers a percentage of how much they save their customers, giving homebuyers peace of mind that Buyer Assistants are always working in their best interest. This launch comes as great news for Australian property buyers who are faced with an escalating housing affordability crisis.Over the last 45 years, personal incomes have increased 10 times yet property prices have increased more than 30 times. This uneven growth explains why last year 40-year-olds were the largest age demographic of first home buyers and property is virtually unattainable for those in their 20s and 30s.Fortunately, with any problem big enough comes a profound solution and Buyer Assistants might be just that. When founder Will A. Turner was asked how they were able to achieve such reliable savings for their customers, he stated it was all about "having a deep expertise in the industry, having access to property information and trends that aren't available to the public, and having tried-and-true negotiation strategies."The company also offers an auction representation service to people who are either uncomfortable bidding at an auction or who recognise the amount of strategy required to achieve a great result at an auction.While some real estate agents are claiming that Buyer Assistants are no different to a normal buyer's agency that has been around for years, Buyer Assistants state that their fees are roughly 60-70% cheaper than a standard Buyer's Agent. "Having affordable fees is very important to us because we know from personal experience that buying a property can be a financially tough time in our lives with lots of other expenses such as Stamp Duty, property inspections, conveyancing fees, and the list goes on" said Mr Turner. While most buyer agencies charge upward of $10,000-20,000 (based on the property's value), Buyer Assistants fees are closer to $2000-$5000 depending on how much they were able to save their customer."In the end," says Mr Turner, "we offer a great service at an exceptional price, and that's what excites people. They know that we will do everything we can to save them their hard earned dollars."To know more about Buyer Assistants you can visit the official website at http://www.buyerassistants.com or contact them below
By: USOH

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-- Upset Hindus are urging Carlsbad (California)based online retailer Scarlet's Lounge for immediate withdrawal of various leggings carrying images of Hindu deities Vishnu-Shiva-Brahma-Ganesha-Krishna-Kali;calling it highly inappropriate.Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, Lord Ganesha, Lord Krishna and Goddess Kali were highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to adorn one's legs, crotch and hips. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees.Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, also urged Scarlet's Lounge and its CEO to offer a formal apology.Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Rajan Zed noted.Zed further said that such trivialization of Hindu deities was disturbing to the Hindus world over. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Zed added.Scarlet's Lounge; whose tagline is "unique clothing & accessories";sells clothing (tops, hoodies, pants, leggings, dresses) and jewelry (bracelets, rings) online. Founded in 2015, it believes that "fashion is a right, not a luxury". Above-mentioned leggings sell for $58 each and the company suggests: "Wear them to hot yoga or a casual night on the town."There are about three million Hindus in USA.
Online platform allows people to plot treasured journeys on a digital map and upload their pictures and films as part of the Series Land Rover and Defender legacy

Contact

***@landrover.com

043098901 043098901

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-- For 68 years, Series Land Rovers and Defenders have taken people to the far reaches of the globe. Whether for expeditions, exploration, conservation or just vacations, more than two-million vehicles have each clocked-up thousands of miles, creating unique memories along the way.Until now, these accounts have been consigned to family photo albums, or simply passed down through generations. Now that production of the current Defender has ended, and as Land Rover continues to develop the New Defender, it is embarking on an ambitious project: to digitally archive the most memorable journeys ever undertaken in a Series Land Rover or Defender.Defender Journeys (http://www.landrover-me.com/en/vehicles/defender/defender-journeys/index.html), which launched in January to coincide with the end of current Defender production, has already had almost 400 journeys uploaded to the site, from family ski trips through the French Alps, to intense expeditions through Africa covering thousands of miles.Alec and Jan Forman from the UK have uploaded details of their 1977 journey in a Land Rover Series II from their home in Brentwood, Essex to Batkhela in Pakistan, covering 26 countries, navigated with only a map and compass.John Lucas travelled more than 1,000 miles through the great waterfalls in Zambia in a Series III when he was studying, after reading an intriguing email from a fellow student simply entitled 'In Our Father's Footsteps.' After meeting, the duo travelled to the Zambezi River Lodge, where the Series III was built from the ground up with guidance from the other student's father, after which they travelled to the Bangweulu Wetlands and Lake Tanganyika. In 2008, John undertook an even more special journey when he proposed to his girlfriend under the stars in the heart of the Kalahari in Namibia.South African explorer Kingsley Holgate  who for decades has used his Land Rover as part of his humanitarian efforts in Africa  has also recorded his journeys, including an 18-month expedition from Durban, South Africa, to Tropic of Capricorn, Botswana.These memories and many more are recorded on the online Defender Journeys ( http://www.landrover- me.com/en/vehicles/ defender/defender... ) platform. Users can either browse other people's journeys or become a part of Land Rover's official history by uploading their own.Speaking about the Defender stories compilation, Jaguar Land Rover Managing Director for the MENA region Bruce Robertson said: "Since the launch of the Series I in 1948, the Land Rover Defender and the Middle East region have walked hand in hand with the Defender providing an essential mode of transport when few roads existed. As the only vehicle that could handle the harsh environment, for many people the Defender was the first car they ever saw.As these heartening stories from around the world demonstrate, the Land Rover Defender has been a loyal companion to people as they endeavour to go above and beyond their limitations. It has been a constant companion for this region for nearly 70 years and one which truly 'belongs' in the Middle East. We are looking forward to seeing more stories from this region."For more information about Defender Journeys please visit www.landrover-me.com
Women are making an invaluable contribution to the power and water industries as reflected by the many ladies amongst the winners of the 2017 African Utility Week Industry Awards that were announced at the CTICC in Cape Town last week

By: African Utility Week

750+ top power and water professionals gather to honour achievers

Media Contact

African Utility Week

annemarie.roodbol@ spintelligent.com

+27217003500 African Utility Week+27217003500

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-- Women are making an invaluable contribution to the power and water industries as reflected by the many ladies amongst the winners of the 2017that were announced at the CTICC in Cape Town last week. Three of the awards, namely Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Contribution to Power as well as Young Energy Leader Award, were won by women.More than 750 top level power and water professionals attended the fourth edition of thegala dinner which honour pioneering utilities, projects and people in the energy and water industry on the continent.Former South African President Nelson Mandela's personal assistant, Zelda la Grange, delivered an inspiring guest keynote address with charming anecdotes of working with and for the legendary anti-apartheid activist and politician.The complete list of winners of theHelen Tarnoy, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Aldwych International Ltd, United Kingdom, an engineering company that has been involved in some of the most successful independent power projects on the African continent."I first went to Africa in 1998 and I have never left; so I have almost 20 years of working in the independent power sector in Africa," Helen said in a pre-recorded video acceptance speech. "I won't say that it wasn't a struggle in the beginning, it was. There was a lot of education to be done about how private companies could contribute to the economies of the countries in which they were working by providing sustainable power at an affordable price. That is still what we aim to do today. The difference today is that we are seeing more and more people coming into the market."Outstanding Woman of the Year in Power/WaterWinner:Rose Kaggwa, Director: Business and Scientific Services, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda"Women must aim to be the best they can be, because at the end of the day, the best multi-tasker is a woman," Rose Kaggwa said after receiving her award, adding "in order for us to create change, when we say 'water for all' and we say 'sanitation is a right' it cannot be done without women. So women must rise up and begin to speak."Outstanding Contribution Award: PowerWinner:Charlotte Aubin-Kalaidjian, Founding Partner, GreenWish Partners, France, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire & NigeriaYoung Energy LeaderWinner:Fatima Oyiza Ademoh, Founder & CEO, Ajima Youth Empowerment Foundation, NigeriaTechnology of the YearWinner:Solar Turtle, South Africa"What is really unique about Solar Turtle are the safety features for women working in high crime rate areas such as informal settlements, rural communities or war-torn countries of the world. That is what we are really hoping to achieve. Not just making examples for the next generation of women to follow, but doing it safely." So said James van der Walt, CEO of Solar Turtle, who accepted the award at the gala dinner on Wednesday night.Deal of the YearWinner:100MW Kathu Solar Park Project, Engie, South AfricaPower Utility of the YearWinner:Ethiopian Electric Power, EthiopiaOutstanding contribution award: WaterWinner:Philip Gichuki, Managing Director, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, KenyaWater Utility of the YearWinner:Lilongwe Water Board, MalawiLarge Scale Renewable Energy Project (10MW+)Winner:Bokpoort CSP Power Plant, ACWA Power, ACWA POWER, South AfricaSmall-Scale Sustainable Energy Project (under 5MW)Winner:Stortemelk Hydro, Renewable Energy Holdings, South AfricaFor more information about the people, projects and companies that were winners this year, go to: http://www.african- utility-week.com/ AUWAwardsPR- winners Industry supportMore than 170 entries were received for the African Utility Week Industry Awards. Huawei, the well-known global information and telecommunication giant, was the lead sponsor this year while other supporting partners were Aberdare, Eaton, Enel, ESI Africa, KPMG, Lucy Electric, SBS Tanks, Standard Bank, Steinmuller Africa.Leading water and energy platformAfrican Utility Week is organised by Spintelligent, a multi-award-winning exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, real estate, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include Agritech Expo Tanzania, CBM-TEC, Kenya Mining Forum, Future Energy East Africa (formerly EAPIC), Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy Central Africa (formerly iPAD Cameroon), iPAD Nigeria Mining Forum, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group.Websites: http://www.african- utility-week.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfricaUtilitiesLinkedin: African Power ForumContact:Senior communications manager: Annemarie RoodbolTelephone: +27 21 700 3558Mobile: +27 82 562 7844Email: annemarie.roodbol@spintelligent.com
Mumbai, May 22 (IBNS): Tata Sons on Monday announced the appointment of Saurabh Agrawal as the Group Chief Financial Officer of the company, an official release stated.

"Agrawal, among Indias most successful investment bankers, brings with him over two decades of rich experience in capital markets to the Tata group," the release read.

He will join the company with effect from July 2017.

Starting his career in 1995, Agrawal has a good record in both strategy and execution, covering a wide range of industries.

He joins Tata Sons from the Aditya Birla Group, where he was Head of Strategy.

Before that, he has been Head of the Corporate Finance Unit of Standard Chartered Bank in India and South Asia, and the Head of the Investment Banking Division in DSP Merrill Lynch.

Welcoming Agrawal, the Chairman of Tata Sons, N. Chandrasekaran, said: He brings deep capital markets knowledge and valuable cross-industry experience to this critical leadership role in the Tata group. His expertise will help us in driving rigour and synergy in capital allocation decisions, investment management as well as consolidation and optimisation of the groups business portfolio. We look forward to his contribution in driving financial performance of the group.

Agrawal said: I am honoured to join the Tata group. It is an exciting time for the group under the leadership of Mr. Chandrasekaran, and I look forward to contributing to the groups profitable growth with my experience in corporate finance.

Agrawal is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and has a post-graduate management degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.
Fleewinter has just launched the latest programme of its concierge-style, tailor-made holidays: Brazil!

By: Fleewinter

Statue of Christ The Redeemer

Contact

Mick Thompson, Travel Dog PR, 01256 357696

***@traveldogpr.co.uk Mick Thompson, Travel Dog PR, 01256 357696

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-- Fleewinter has declared itself a genuine global tour operator with its first venture into South America with the launch of a new and exciting programme to Brazil.The largest country in South America and fifth largest in the world, Brazil is one of the most diverse tourist destinations on earth, brimming with rivers, mountains, lakes, sand-dunes, islands, forests, wetlands, canyons and more. It is also a year-round destination, when even in the 'winter' it is warm enough to take a dip.No trip to Brazil is complete without a visit to Rio  famous for its annual carnival, Christ the Redeemer statue, Copacabana Beach and more recently host to the Olympics  but it should also act as a spring board to the multitude of wonders that this colourful country offers visitors.The ultimate two-week introduction to this colourful destination, highlights of the Classic Brazil itinerary include a tour of Rio, the Iguazu Falls and the National Park, the Amazonia Rainforest at Manaus (with optional activities including canoe safaris, piranha fishing and jungle treks) and the city of Salvador. The trip ends with three days relaxing at a beach resort where you can simply chill, or choose to be active by indulging in watersports, or learning about local conservation projects along the Bahian coast where you can learn about turtles, sea horses, whales and dolphins.Route of Emotions ( http://www.fleewinter.com/ brazil/the-route- of-emotions/ The top part of the north-east of Brazil is filled with outstanding natural beauty. Nestled between Lencois Maranhenses and Jericoacoara, this has famously been coined the 'Route of Emotions'. The region offers a combination of rustic and luxury accommodation, complimented by some of the most sensational scenery. There is an airport at each end of the route, one in Sao Luis and one in Fortaleza  so the trip can be enjoyed either way around.Waterfalls & Architecture ( http://www.fleewinter.com/ brazil/waterfalls- and-architect... Whilst Iguazu Falls in the South of Brazil are world famous, the lesser-known (and visited) 'The Land of Waterfalls', otherwise known as the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, is well worth discovering. It is conveniently located close to Brasilia (the capital city), yet feels rustic and untouched. The 10-day Waterfalls & Architecture tour is also a great option for those who are interested in meeting indigenous communities, learning about architecture, and natural spectacles.All Fleewinter trip prices are based on two people sharing a room and include boutique accommodation, some meals (as per each itinerary), private transfers, all entrance fees with service of English speaking guide for excursions. Flights extra (bookable, fully bonded through Fleewinter).To see Fleewinter's complete Brazil programme in detail, click here (http://www.fleewinter.com/brazil/).For further information, call 020 7112 0019 (www.fleewinter.com)
Community is invited to tour the new dialysis center on Wednesday, June 14th, from 5-7 p.m.

By: Dialysis Clinic, Inc.

DCI Indiana, PA

Contact

Jessica Emler

***@dciinc.org Jessica Emler

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-- Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI) is hosting an open house at its new facility, located at 870 Hospital Road, Indiana, on Wednesday, June 14th, from 5-7 p.m., to celebrate 16 years of service.The general public is invited to tour the facility and enjoy refreshments while meeting the clinic staff."DCI has been in the community for years and we're excited to offer this new building to our patients. The layout of this facility is easy to navigate and offers upgrades to improve the patients' experience,"said Anna Boland, RN, nurse manager for DCI Indiana.The recently built facility began serving patients on March 20th. It provides patients a flat entrance for easy access to the building, a covered portico, and a bright and airy atmosphere with lots of windows. Each patient station has a flat screen TV, free Wi-Fi access, and a new heated dialysis chair."I'm proud to work for a company that lives their mission, 'the care of the patient is our reason for existence.' We have seasoned staff who have been with the clinic for ten or more years. If their tenure doesn't showcase the quality of the company, I don't know what does," said Boland.The open house is an opportunity for the community to meet the staff and nurses. Medical director, Ashok Chaddah, MD, and Brian Spar, MD will be in attendance, along with the local staff and representatives from DCI.This is the first event at the new facility and the DCI staff is excited to show it to the community."We've come a long way in 16 years," Rick Kelly, DCI administrator, said. "I hope the community will join us on June 14 to see for themselves how wonderful the new facility really is."The 21-station facility offers in-center hemodialysis, along with home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis training. The clinic hours are Monday through Saturday from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. DCI Indiana is accepting new patients and also welcomes patients traveling to the area who may need dialysis.For more information, please call DCI Indiana at (724) 465-7010 or visit http://www.dciinc.org/ indiana/
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-- Muslims for Progressive Values stands in support of California State Senator Jerry Hill's Senate Bill 273, which requires the written consent of the Family Court Services for marriages under 18 years of age in an effort to control the number of child marriages and/or forced marriages between adults and minors in the state of California.Senator Hill's bill will close loopholes, requiring the Judicial Council to track and post the number of underaged marriages granted and denied. Closing those loopholes would align California closer to International Standards. According to Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF, "Child marriage is not only wrong, it is dangerous." Our nation's State Department considers marriage before age eighteen to be a "human rights abuse."As a faith-based human rights organization, our stance is based on a clear Islamic mandate that marriage is between two consenting adults of sound mind. The Quran gives women the last say on who and when they marry and, yet, some Muslim parents have utilized this loophole forcing their child into marriages from a twisted cultural and tribal spin in the name of Islam,As a Muslim organization, we are appalled that a progressive State such as California and a developed country like the United States could be negligent in protecting the human rights of children.According to a recent Pew study, California is ranked sixth in the nation per capita of 15-17 year old marriages. Every 5.5 teenagers, ages 15-17 is married out of 1,000 resulting in desperate situations for many. Child marriage is proven to lead to increased dropout rates, teen pregnancies, and, in too many cases, lifelong poverty. With minimal access to police services, domestic violence shelters, and lawyers, the minor is automatically at a disadvantage if the contract signed with an adult goes wrong, as often happens. The majority of such marriages occur between an adult male and an underage girl and approximately 70-80% end in divorce, often leaving the child of the marriage at an educational and societal disadvantage.Although this Senate Bill does not go far enough in protecting underaged children into forced marriage, it is a start. The bill will go under review by the CA Senate Appropriations Committee on May 22. MPV encourages all supporters of children's' rights and opponents of child and forced marriage to contact the members of this committee, either by phone or in writing. (They are listed below, for your convenience.)The time to act is now. The state of California needs to do more to protect girls and boys from the harms of underage marriage.We invite you to read MPV's position on women and girls' rights ( http://www.mpvusa.org/ womens-rights/ ) in Islam and follow our global initiative #ImamsForShe at http://www.mpvusa.org/imamsforshe/###SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERSState Capitol, Room 5050  Senate District 33Phone number: (916) 651-4033Sacramento, CA 95814Website: http://sd33.senate.ca.gov/ contact State Capitol, Room 305  Senate District 36Sacramento, California 95814Phone: (916) 651-4036Fax: (916) 651-4936Website: http://district36.cssrc.us/content/contactState Capitol, Room 2082  Senate District 15Sacramento, CA 95814Phone: (916) 651-4015Fax:(916) 651-4915Website: http://sd15.senate.ca.gov/contact-usState Capitol, Room 2062  Senate District 35Sacramento, CA 95814Phone: (916) 651-4035Fax: (916) 651-4935Website: http://sd35.senate.ca.gov/contactState Capitol, Room 5035  Senate District 13Sacramento, CA 95814Phone: (916) 651-4013Fax: (916) 651-4913Website: http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/contactState Capitol, Room 2068  Senate District 4Sacramento, CA 95814Phone: (916) 651-4004Fax: (916) 651-4904Email: http://nielsen.cssrc.us/content/my-officesState CapitolSenate District 11Room 4066Sacramento, CA 95814-4900(916) 651-4011website: http://sd11.senate.ca.gov/contact
'Maximized for Girl Use,' New Home at G2 Allows Girl Scouts to Use Resources Wisely

By: JLL

Contact

Nancy Amaral

***@gallen.com Nancy Amaral

End

-- Tech companies aren't the only organizations with their eye on 'cool space' in Seattle. Even long established, community focused organizations need to maximize and use their real estate wisely and creatively. Just ask the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, which recently moved their headquarters to G2  formerly The Design Center in Georgetown at 5601 6Avenue South, Suite 150 in Seattle.The Girl Scouts' home for the last 17 years was in burgeoning lower Queen Anne, smack dab between a community church and high-rise apartment building. But, when community mapping showed how demographics had changed and they needed to be in a part of Seattle closer to the population of girls they were trying to reach, as well as a place more accessible to all of their King County members on strong public transportation routes, they moved into action.On May 24, they will officially open their new headquarters at G2. Among the innovative features in the cool "girl-maximized"space are: A future multipurpose room "Maker Space" and a state of the art boardroom. The Maker Space was designed for the purpose of STEM Education, which focuses on science technology, engineering and mathematics, including computer programming, textiles, robotics, 3D printing, laser cutters and sewing machines for conductive thread. Additionally, troop meetings will be held in this space and for many girls this will be their first trip to an office setting where they will explore different types of transportation to the building and how to conduct themselves in and navigate around a professional environment.The Boardroom is set up with the latest technology to allow for the Western Washington Chapter, comprised of roughly 25,000 members, to connect virtually. The Boardroom includes glass walls to allow natural light to fill the space with an applied Casper Cloaking film for privacy, obscuringdigital screens to outside view."What's happening at G2 literally lets us embody our Girl Scout motto of using resources wisely," says Megan Ferland, CEO of Girl Scouts of Western Washington.Beyond giving expert real estate insight and advice, says Ferland, brokers from JLL and Colliers were helpful in negotiating the lease. JLL's Project and Development Services team also managed the fit out of the new office, working with Nelson Architects and Venture General Contracting."We're so excited to have girls and volunteers come in to use this special, customized space in a new and exciting neighborhood,"says Ferland. "The new office is configured and maximized forwith girls' needs in mind. I truly believe our new space carries out the vision we had for a collaborative, fun, warm and supportive community that really how special it is to be a Girl Scout," she added."As a local center of youth education this space represented an opportunity for us to contribute to the greater Georgetown community; to surpass the schedule expectations for this mission was very gratifying,"said Tyler Christen, Project Manager, Venture General Contracting, Seattle."In recent years Georgetown has become a new refuge for companies looking for creative space in Seattle with easy access to the downtown core, local cultural sites, restaurants, as well as numerous coffee houses and more. The Girl Scouts of Western Washington's new space will hopefully serve as a collaborative workplace environment which fosters the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of the organization for years to come," said Sonja Mirsky, Project Manager, Nelson.JLL's Project and Development Services team of Kelly Monteiro and Piper Luhrs managed the tenant improvement project for the Girl Scouts. "JLL is proud to have been involved. The Girl Scouts are an integral part of the social fabric of the community and we are honored they chose us to oversee the build out of their new headquarters,"said Monteiro. Joe Gowan and Lloyd Low, of JLL, handled leasing on behalf of the landlord and Greg Inglin and Charlie Farra, of Colliers, represented the Girl Scouts. JLL's Steve Mace and Jodi Prentice are responsible for G2's property managment.On May 24 at 4:00 pm, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate their new homecomplete with Girl Scout cookies and milk and a color guard flag ceremony. Media are invited to attend: 5601 6Avenue South, Suite 150, Seattle, WA. Join us for a first-hand peek at the use of creative space, repurposing and some great photo opps with the Girl Scouts & their opening ceremonies!DO NOT DELETE THIS TEXTJLL is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. AFortune 500 company, JLL helps real estate owners, occupiers and investors achieve their business ambitions. In 2016, JLL had revenue of $6.8 billion and fee revenue of $5.8 billion and, on behalf of clients, managed 4.4 billion square feet, or 409 million square meters, and completed sales acquisitions and finance transactions of approximately $136 billion. At the end of the first quarter of 2017, JLL had nearly 300 corporate offices, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 78,000. As of March 31, 2017, LaSalle Investment Management had $58.0 billion of real estate under asset management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.
All Passengers Can Enjoy Continuous Internet Streaming of Movies, Music, Videos and More When Flying to Icelandair's More than 40 Destinations

By: ViaSat UK

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-- Icelandair, in operation since 1937, has a long history of bridging North America and mainland Europe through Iceland. Today, the Airline announced it will bring the fastest, most powerful in-flight connectivity and internet streaming service to passengers  across this transatlantic bridge  through a new partnership with global broadband services and technology company, ViaSat Inc. (http://www.viasat.com/)To deliver ultimate internet experiences at 35,000 feet, Icelandair will tap into ViaSat-2, expected to be the most powerful, highest capacity satellite communications system at launch, and will leverage ViaSat's latest generation (Gen-2) in-flight internet system. By using the latest advancements in ViaSat's in-flight internet portfolio, Icelandair will be able to offer full internet and streaming services at scale."Icelandair continues to expand its global network with additional flights, aircraft and service capabilities across the Atlantic  our investment in new technology, from ViaSat, will deliver one of the best internet experiences in the skies," said, Gumundur Oskarsson, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Icelandair. "In partnering with ViaSat we continue our strong reputation of putting our passengers first by giving them the opportunity to use the internet the way they want to  by providing internet with fast web browsing speeds and video streaming."Icelandair will integrate ViaSat's in-flight internet system across its fleet of 16 Boeing 737MAX aircraft through post-delivery modifications. ViaSat plans to deliver continuous, reliable high-speed connectivity from Icelandair's 18 North American gateways across the Atlantic Ocean to Iceland and more than 25 destinations in Europe. By using ViaSat's Gen-2 equipment, which is optimized to take full advantage of the highly-anticipated massive amounts of capacity offered by the ViaSat-2 satellite, Icelandair can offer passengers even faster and higher-quality in-flight internet connections, as well as keep pace with the growing broadband demands of the fully connected aircraft."This is a watershed moment for ViaSat  as this is the first time an airline will use our technology to offer full internet connectivity and internet streaming to passengers over the Atlantic Ocean," said Don Buchman, vice president and general manager, Commercial Mobility at ViaSat. "This boldly speaks to Icelandair's commitment to ensuring passenger comfort and loyalty while showing how far ViaSat has taken the in-flight internet industry in just a matter of years."Highest-quality internet connections are made possible by connecting passenger devices directly to ViaSat's ViaSat-2 Ka-band satellite network (over North America and the Atlantic Ocean), and then switching these passenger connections over to the European KA-SAT network, a high-capacity Ka-band satellite system part owned by ViaSat through its European joint venture with Eutelsat.The installation of the ViaSat in-flight internet equipment is expected to begin in March 2018 and continue through 2020.
Contact

Brandon Jarke

My Dallas in a Box

***@mydallasinabox.com Brandon JarkeMy Dallas in a Box

End

-- If you're struggling to come up with a creative or original gift idea, My Dallas in a Box may be able to help. Just launched this month, My Dallas in a Box offers the customer the ability to customize a gift box with 5 or 10 items of various products that are iconic to the Dallas and Texas area (e.g. local coffee from White Rock Coffee, chocolate from Kate Weisman Chocolate, pint glasses from Deep Ellum Brewery, etc) Instead of having to pick just one gift for someone, you have the ability to create a mixed bag (or box). They also offer free shipping to anywhere in the U.S as well to any military bases for those who want to send a reminder of home to loved ones over seas.My Dallas in a Box makes for a great gift idea for anyone from the Dallas or Texas area or may be new to Dallas. Also great for wedding gifts and corporate events.The list of products that can be included in the box are constantly expanding and they also have a link on the website for gift item suggestions.To find out more information about the company, visit http://www.MyDallasinaBox.com
An office building will be built in Debrecen. The 22,000 sq m Class A office building will be constructed using the latest technical and eco-friendly solutions. The building, set to be completed in the 3rd quarter of 2018, is designed by Bord Architect Studio.

The planned project demonstrates the pr...

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Diamona & Harnisch has been granted the planning consent for the Genthiner40 construction project at Genthiner Strae 40 in Berlins Tiergarten district. The company intends to raise a total of 113 high-end apartments and one large commercial unit on the premises. The construction project divides into three distinct structural units.

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Palmers, represented by CBRE, enters into the Central and Eastern European market. Palmers, an Austrian textile brand which offers underwear and swimwear for both men and women, is known mostly in Western Europe. Palmers chose the Czech Republic as the destination for expanding into the new market and is located

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Noamundi, May 22 (IBNS): The Ore, Mines & Quarries (OMQ) Division of Tata Steel celebrated 'World Biodiversity Day' under this year's theme of 'Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism' at the Noamundi Recreation Club on Monday.

S K Gupta, Regional Chief Conservator of Forest, Jamshedpur, was present the event as the Chief Guest.

Joining him were Ashutosh Kumar, IFS, District Forest Officer, Chaibasa, Vishwanath Shah, IFS, Conservator of Forest, Chaibasa, Pankaj Satija, General Manager (OMQ), Tata Steel.



Aimed at sensitising communities, especially children, about the importance of preserving and protecting biodiversity, the OMQ Division organised events at Noamundi, Joda and Khondbond.

Key highlights of the events included expert knowledge sessions, and painting and elocution competitions as well as a quiz for school children on the subject of biodiversity.



Addressing the gathering, Gupta lauded the efforts of Tata Steel towards promoting conservation of biodiversity. He also urged children to plant at least one tree in their names before the monsoon season in order to increase the green cover.



Reinforcing Tata Steels commitment towards conservation, enhancement and restoration of biodiversity, Satija said, We are sensitising all sections of society towards conservation and values of biodiversity by organising awareness sessions, competitions and other engagement activities. We are reaching out to local communities for strengthening and protecting their traditional knowledge bank on biodiversity. This is a step towards meeting the National Biodiversity targets.
Fifty years ago, when Charlotte Rampling made her first appearance on the cover of Harpers Bazaar, she was described as a highly cultivated English rose.... A golden brown girl, dashingly freckled, she gives a sense of freedom as her idea of happiness. The girl is now a woman of 71, and her memoir, Who I Am, written with Christopher Bataille, is out this month from Icon Books.

When we meet in her magnificent Paris duplex (a grand building in the 16th Arrondissement), Rampling still has the captivating jade gaze, as Dirk Bogarde put it. Though her beauty and style were a throwback to Hepburn and Bacall, she was (in the parlance of the time) a 60s chick, a fixture on the scene Time magazine dubbed Swinging London, a baby boomer par excellenceone of the first generations of women unshackled from twin sets and pearls.

It was too cool to be true, the way we looked, and the music was amazing, Rampling says. There was this huge group feelingeveryone was doing their own thing and then coming together. When acid arrived, that was a bit of a bore. I tried it and it really freaked me out. Dope was all right, but the LSD was pretty spooky.

This wariness meant she was less alluring to many of musics jeunesse doree, including the Beatles, but she did get to know Jimi Hendrix. My boyfriend of the time, Tom Weber, was making a documentary, so I spent a lot of time with Jimi, Rampling says. He was a fantastic guitarist and a wonderful man. In retrospect you can see that he couldnt survive.

Rampling did survive, and survival, in the wake of unimaginable family tragedy, is the subject of Who I Am. The books slenderness is at odds with the weight of its content, which tells, in a series of vignettes and photos, the story of Ramplings peripatetic childhood and her close relationship with Sarah, my big little sister, a frail child three years older than her. They did everything together, happily lost in the imagined worlds they created to stave off the loneliness that comes with the endless uprootings of life in a military family. She was my life, Rampling writes.

Who I Am chronicles a death foretold: at the age of 23, a world away on an Argentine cattle ranch, Sarah shot herself, leaving behind a husband and a tiny baby. Both Rampling and her mother, Isabel, had suffered weird premonitions at almost the exact time of Sarahs death, which was, her father lied, the result of a brain hemorrhage. Three years later, Rampling discovered the truth from her brother-in-law and confronted her father. By that time, her mother had been incapacitated by a stroke from which she never recovered.

Rampling and her fatherGodfrey Rampling, a member of Britains gold-medal-winning relay team at the 1936 Olympics, captured in Leni Riefenstahls Olympiaagreed that her mother must never know the truth of Sarahs death, which meant Sarahs suicide remained their secret until Isabels death more than 30 years later.

It was only in the last decade of her fathers life, Rampling says, that they were able to talk about what had happened in their shared past. Were they able finally to grieve? I dont know, she says, but at least we talked.

Rampling reflected on all of this in the writing of Who I Am. Around 10 years ago, she began to cowrite a more conventional biography with Barbara Victor, but, unhappy with what she saw, she proceeded elegantly and correctly to curtail the project. Not because Barbara was going to reveal anything, Rampling says. Im not a shy person in terms of not wanting to be found out. It was the tone.

Bataille then approached her, and they spent a good deal of time together before something started to emerge. Rampling adds, I wanted to explore what writing was. The result is an impressionistic view of aspects of Ramplings life, because thats how she herself sees it, in part because of the serious depression, the darkness she suffered in her 40s.

The book, however, is not all dark: there are scenes from a happy childhood, spent in various parts of Britain, in Gibraltar, and in Fontainebleau, France, where, at ages nine and 12, the sisters were sent to a local school. That was the best time, Rampling says, although it was also quite an isolated life because at the outset neither of them spoke French.

The street where we lived opened up onto this massive forest, she notes. We went with our dog for miles and had this incredible fantasy world.

The idyll came to an end when Godfrey was posted back to England. It was terribly dull, Rampling notes. France had been very exotic for me. The smell, the streets, the markets, the people, how they dressed...

But then the 60s arrived, and Rampling found herself in movies: a waterskier in The Knack and then a lead in Rotten to the Core. In 1966, Georgy Girl made her a star. By the end of the decade she was in Italy, embarking on a series of high-profile films with Bogarde, including The Damned and The Night Porter, which cemented her reputation. At 30 she settled in France, made arthouse movies, married Jean-Michel Jarre and had a child.

But at 40, the depression began. Rampling slipped beneath the radar for the next 10 years. Recovery was a very slow process, she says. She declines to say what got her through, but observes that enormous numbers of people are on antidepressant pills, and they help get them through their anxietiesbut theyre not in depression.

With depression, Rampling says, youve got to get up every morning and tell yourself, Im going to get through this day, Im going to get through my life.  She always felt responsible to her parents and cognizant of how Sarahs death had devastated them. I would think, Sarah... Well, I cant do that, can I? Ive got to come through another way. 

These last 15 years or so have seen a remarkable turnaround for Rampling, personally and professionally. She divorced Jarre and found romantic fulfillment with Jean-Noel Tassez, who, sadly, died two years ago. But she was able to grieve for him, as she did eventually for Sarah. I was determined, she says, to survive and to live.

Liz Thomson is a journalist, broadcaster, and author in London.
A key copyright case involving the right of consumers to resell their legally acquired digital media is poised to go forward on appeal after the Second Circuit late last week granted a motion to expedite oral arguments in Capitol Records vs. ReDigi. At press time a hearing date had not been announced.

The order comes just three weeks after ReDigi lawyers, on May 1, argued that Capitol attorneys were attempting to sabotage ReDigis ability to litigate its appeal by asking a bankruptcy court to convert the company from a Chapter 11 reorganization to a Chapter 7 liquidation.

In a filing last week, ReDigi attorneys, citing the Second Circuit's order to expedite, asked the bankruptcy court to delay a hearing on Capitols Motion to Convert because oral arguments on the underlying copyright case could now happen "as early as this summer."

The Second Circuit's order was issued by a judge well known to the publishing industryDenny Chin, the judge who presided over the litigation arising from Googles library book scanning program.

The ReDigi case involves a thorny copyright question for the digital age: should consumers have the right to resell their lawfully acquired digital media, as they are entitled to do with physical media, under a section of the Copyright Act known as the doctrine of first sale? In a 2013 ruling, federal judge Richard Sullivan said no, concluding that the first sale defense is limited to material items, like records, that the copyright owner put into the stream of commerce.

The case has been closely watched by the publishing industry, as ReDigi (and other players including Amazon) have expressed interest in creating a resale market for e-books.

In an amicus brief filed earlier this month, the Association of American Publishers urged the court to uphold Sullivans decision. AAP argues that legalizing services like ReDigi would be "catastrophic for the publishing industry, as it would enable a secondary market for cheaper, yet indistinguishable "used" e-books to swamp the industry's primary market.
Spanish satellite operator Hispasat and its Brazilian joint venture with Oi, Hispamar, have completed their rebranding.





The two companies have renewed their corporate image to unify both brands and update their logos, joining forces to address the Latin American market.According to Hispasat, the new brand, designed by Madrid-based studio Azento de Diseno, represents the recent changes both companies have recently gone through, including launching in new markets and renovating services and technologies.It seeks to update the corporate image of both companies as well as reflect the growing internationalisation of the company, adopting greater homogeneity and forming a single Spanish-Brazilian identity, said the Spanish operator With an increasing presence in Latin America, Hispamar is Hispasats largest operation in the region, through which it controls most of its assets across LATAM The rebranding coincides with the Eutelsat-Abertis agreement , through which the French operator will sell its stake in Hispasat and Abertis will own over 90% of the Spanish operator.
Indonesian film Marlina The Murderer in Four Parts, which was co-produced by Singapore-based video streaming service HOOQ, is set to screen during the Directors Fortnight at Cannes.





The movie is directed by Mouly Surya, who made 2013s What They Dont Talk About When They Talk About Love. It will premiere on 24 May 2017 during the Directors Fortnight, which runs alongside the Cannes Film Festival.It is a big honour to be included in the Directors Fortnight line-up, an event to seek the worlds famous auteurs with more edgy works. This is a good event for Marlina and I hope the film will get the opportunity for a wider distribution after this screening, said Mouly Surya.The films story concerns a widow on her journey to look for justice after a band of robbers assaults her. Marlina is written by Mouly Surya and Rama Adi is based on an idea by Garin Nugroho. Produced by Rama Adi and Fauzan Zidni, it stars Marsha Timothy, Dea Panendra, Yoga Pratama and Egi Fedly.HOOQ is very proud that Marlina will be screening at Cannes Directors Fortnight this year. We look forward to many more successful HOOQ original productions that will gain recognition in the international film industry, but more importantly will keep our customers HOOQd month after month! said Peter Bithos, CEO, HOOQ.Our continued commitment to the Asian film industry will see us investing in more original productions with the goal to give new and established talents an avenue to tell their stories in multiple formats  be it a feature film or a ten-part series.Marlina is a co-production between Cinesurya, Kaninga Pictures (Indonesia), Sasha & Co Production (France), Astro Shaw (Malaysia), HOOQ Originals (Singapore) and Purin Pictures (Thailand).In addition to Marlina The Murderer in Four Parts, HOOQ recently announced other original productions  Critical Eleven and Sweet 20  which are set for a theatrical release in May and June 2017 respectively. Another, called On the Job, will debut in cinemas in August, followed by a five part series that will launch exclusive on HOOQ in September. Another, with the working title The T Party will hit the service later this year.The Southeast Asian subscription video-on-demand ( SVOD ) service, backed by Sony Pictures, Warner Bros and Singtel has also recently unveiled a new initiative called the HOOQ Filmmakers Guild to search for Asian film talents to turn their ideas into reality.
Afghanistan's Interior Ministry says an air strike in the country's north has killed eight Taliban members, including a local militant chief.

In a statement on May 22, the ministry said an air strike late on May 21 killed Dost Mohammad, the Talibans shadow district chief of Qala-i-Zal in the northern province of Kunduz.

Four other Taliban fighters were wounded in the air strike, the statement said.

There was no comment from the Taliban, which captured the district of Qala-i-Zal two weeks ago, only for Afghan security forces to regain control following a counteroffensive.

On May 6, Taliban militants seized Qala-i-Zal district, west of the provincial capital, Kunduz, as they stepped up pressure on the city at the start of their annual spring offensive.

Kunduz is in government hands, while the Taliban controls most of the surrounding districts.

Over the past 18 months, Taliban fighters have twice succeeded in seizing the city center for brief periods.

Based on reporting by Khaama and AP
In the Bosnian town of Jajce, local authorities want to create Muslim-only classes. The ethnically charged move is not unique in the country. But Bosniak and Croat students have long spoken out against the divisive decision to RFE/RL's Balkan Service, including these Jajce students decrying the plan in July 2016.
On May 17, 2017, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two Neo-Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB) terrorists, Selim and Pranta, at village Chuadanga in Jhenaidah District. During the operation, RAB recovered 186 PVC circuit boards, 18 units of explosive-making gel, four drums of liquid chemicals, one anti-mine device, two suicidal vests, as well as some other explosive-making materials and electronics devices.

On May 11, 2017, five suspected terrorists were killed in a terrorist hideout in Benipur village of Rajshahi District. Police disclosed that they had asked the terrorists to surrender, but, they blew themselves up while coming out of the house. Fire-fighter Abdul Motin, who was injured in the explosion, died later at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Locals claimed the militants were all involved with Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) politics.

On May 7, 2017, two Neo-JMB terrorists were killed and two Policemen were injured during an operation in Jhenidah District's Maheshpur area. The terrorists, later identified as Tuhin and Abdullah, were killed in suicide bomb explosion.

On April 27, 2017, four Neo-JMB terrorists holed up at a den in Shibnagar Trimohoni of Chapainawabganj District were killed in suicide bomb explosions. Rafiqul Islam aka Abu was among the dead. The other three, believed to be Abu's accomplices, were not identified. Abu's pregnant wife Sumaiya Begum and their six-year-old daughter Khadiza were rescued from the den. Police recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), bombs and pistols from the den.

On April 21, 2017, a Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit neutralized a Neo-JMB den in a house at Porahati village in Jhenidah District. Three suicide vests, one pressure cooker bomb, 20 plastic containers of bomb-making chemicals, IEDs, detonators and a 9mm pistol was recovered from the house. Later, CTTC disclosed that the location was a bomb-making factory from where explosives were supplied to other cells of the terrorist group. This was the largest bomb-making facility neutralized.

Significantly, Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.K.M. Shahidul Hoque, while addressing a community policing gathering in Lalbagh area in Dhaka city on May 13, 2017, disclosed that at least 65 terrorists had been killed in 15 recent anti-terrorism drives across the country. The IGP further stated that Police officials were working hard to identify and neutralize terrorist hideouts, and a 'good number' of terrorists had been arrested in the anti-militancy drive, he added.

Since the Gulshan Cafe attack on July 1, 2016, according to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), 92 Islamist terrorists have been killed and another 1,050 arrested across Bangladesh. Prominent among those killed were the Neo-JMB leader and mastermind of the Gulshan Cafe attack, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury aka Shaykh Abu Ibrahim Al Hanif aka Amir (30); the JMB 'military commander' for the northern region Khaled Hasan aka Badar Mama (30); Neo-JMB 'military commander' Murad aka Jahangir Alam aka Omar; JMB 'regional commander' Tulu Mollah (33); JMB 'regional coordinator' Abu Musa aka Abujar; Neo-JMB 'military chief' Aminur Islam aka Alam (23); Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) 'chief' Mufti Abdul Hannan; and HUJI-B 'regional commander' Tajul Islam Mahmud aka Mama Hujur (46) (data till May 21, 2017).

However, warning that the terrorists were now shifting their hideouts outside the capital city, Dhaka, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia noted, April 29, 2017, "Now, we all are conscious enough about the militancy in Dhaka as a result terrorists are shifting their dens outside the capital." Further, to combat militancy and terrorism anywhere in the country, CTTC officials stated, on April 30, 2017, that Police was going to get a full-fledged unit with jurisdiction to operate across the country. Currently, the CTTC unit of DMP is the only specialized Police counterterrorism unit. The unit has to step in to launch anti-militancy raids in areas even outside its jurisdiction, requiring special permission from the Police Headquarters for each such operation. Jurisdictional issues also arose in the investigation of terrorism-related crimes outside DMP areas. CTTC officials asserted that the new "Police Anti-Terrorism Unit" would enhance their capacity manifold in the fight against extremists.

A disturbing trend in Bangladesh has been the regrouping, to stage fresh attacks, by terrorists released on bail. An intelligence report submitted to the Home Ministry in August, 2016, revealed that, between February and June 2016, at least 28 terrorists had been released from jail, prominently including: Sikandar Naki, a JMB terrorist accused in a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) at the Turag Police Station, who was released from jail after securing bail from the court on June 2, 2016; Omar Sharif and Abu Bakkar, two terrorists of Hizb-ut-Tahrir accused in separate cases under the ATA filed with the Adabor and Hazaribagh Police stations, who obtained bail on May 2, 2016; Ashish, a terrorist of Hizb ut-Tahrir accused in a case filed with the Sobujbagh Police Station under ATA, who secured bail on April 16, 2016; Mominur Rahman, also a Hizb-ut-Tahrir terrorist accused in a case filed with Khilgaon Police Station under the ATA, who secured bail on April 15, 2016; another Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist Sunny, accused in a case filed against him with Sabujbagh Police Station, obtained bail on April 14, 2016; JMB terrorist Shafiqul Islam, accused in several cases filed against him with Hazaribagh and Rampura Police Stations, secured bail on April 9, 2016; Raufur Rashid, a terrorist of Hizb-ut-Tahrir accused in a case filed against him with the capital's Mohammmadpur Police Station, obtained bail on April 7, 2016; Shafayet Jamil, a JMB terrorist accused in a case under ATA filed with the Kalabagan Police Station, secured bail on March 31, 2016; Nurul Amin, another JMB terrorist accused in a case filed with the Paltan Police Station, obtained bail on March 29, 2016; Sadik Shajib, a Hizb-ut-Tahrir terrorist accused in a case filed against him with the Uttara Police Station, got bail on March 29, 2016; and HUJI-B terrorist Lipi, accused in a case against her with the Cantonment Police Station, obtained bail on February 9, 2016.

Warning that legal action would be taken against guarantors who gave their bond for terrorists to secure bail, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, after the 6th meeting of the Committee on Combating Militancy at the Secretariat in Dhaka city on April 12, 2017, stated, "We have decided to take legal action against the guarantors upon whose bond the terrorists were released on bails, if they fail to place the culprits in the court. There was an intelligence report that many of the terrorists have already left the country for which they could not appear before the court ignoring repeated summons." Separately, suggesting immediate steps for de-radicalization of arrested terrorists, Aminul Islam, Joint Commissioner of the CTTC unit of DMP, in his presentation at the Quarterly Crime Conference of Police on April 24, 2017, observed, "The country lacks any mechanism for de-radicalization and counter-narratives for terrorists. After arrest, terrorists usually behave tough (sic), but slowly they become normal."

Meanwhile, promising that the Government would help terrorists get back to normal lives after surrender, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed stated, at the RAB Headquarters on the elite force's anniversary on April 26, 2017, "Terrorists and extremists, who want to get back to normal life shunning extremism, should be given support so that they can reintegrate into the society. The Government had made a list of all the terrorists who had laid down arms. We will provide them financial aid and assist them to jobs they want so that they can get back to normal lives." Further, reiterating her Government's zero tolerance policy against militancy and terrorism on May 3, 2017, Prime Minister Hasina declared, "We'll root out militancy and terrorism from Bangladesh to ensure peace and security in public life."

Dhaka has demonstrated the efficacy of determined and relentless action against terrorist formations. However, the weapons and resources recovered during recent raids suggest that the significant flows to these groups persist. Moreover, the involvement of women as combatants also has grave implications for the country. Bangladesh has taken giant strides against terrorism and Islamist extremism, but the latent threat persists.
One of the Kremlin's favorite talking points is that the West somehow humiliated Russia in the aftermath of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Everything from NATO enlargement, to the intervention in the Balkan wars, to criticism of Moscow's military campaign in Chechnya is now described as an attempt to degrade, diminish, and insult Russia.

And if the West had just been nicer to Russia then, we wouldn't be having the problems we are having now.

This narrative is so pervasive, even among many Western commentators, that it's practically become conventional wisdom.

So let's have a little reality check, shall we.

After the Soviet breakup, the West pressured Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus into giving up the nuclear weapons they inherited and transferring them where?



To Russia, that's where.

Ukraine alone had 5,000 nuclear weapons when it became independent, and had it kept them it would have had the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world.



I was in Kyiv at the time, and believe me, giving up those nukes was not a popular move.



In fact, if anybody was humiliated here it was Ukraine.

And it wasn't only the nukes. With the West's support, Russia was also allowed to inherit the Soviet Union's seat on the UN Security Council.



The United States continued holding superpower summits with Russia, even though Russia was no longer a superpower.



When NATO invited Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary to join the alliance in 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton held a special summit with Boris Yeltsin to win his approval.



This all sure doesn't look like humiliation to me. And it's long past time to challenge the narrative that it was.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
WASHINGTON -- Michael Flynn, the U.S. national security adviser who was fired for misleading the White House about his ties to the Russian government, has refused to turn over documents to a congressional committee investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The decision by Flynn, announced in a May 22 letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee, adds to the mystery surrounding both the alleged Russian meddling but also the ongoing FBI investigations of Trump associates.

The Senate committee, which is the lead congressional panel looking into the issue, issued a subpoena to Flynn seeking e-mails and other documents related to any interactions with Russians.

Flynn's lawyer, however, told the committee his client would not do so, citing his legal right against self-incrimination, a bedrock legal protection written into the U.S. Constitution.

That puts him at risk of being held in contempt of Congress, which could result in criminal charges.

Leading members of the Senate committee on May 22 issued a statement saying they were disappointed that Flynn declined to cooperate with the investigation.

"We will vigorously pursue General Flynn's testimony and his production of any and all pertinent materials pursuant to the committees authorities," the statement said.

It was signed by the committee's chairman, Republican Richard Burr, and Mark Warner, the top Democrat.

Flynn is also under scrutiny by federal law enforcement officials and the inspector-general of the Defense Department for his ties to both Russia and Turkey.

The FBI probe into ties between Trump associates and Russian officials, meanwhile, was roiled this month when Trump abruptly fired FBI Director James Comey. News reports later said Trump had sought to pressure Comey into dropping the investigation of Flynn.

After an uproar in Congress, the Justice Department named a former FBI director, Robert Mueller, as special counsel to take up the Russia-related investigations.

The Senate committee last week announced that Comey had agreed to testify in an open session as early as May 30.

With reporting by AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin is to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in France on May 29, Western media cited French officials as saying.

The French news agency AFP cited an unnamed official as saying on May 22 that Macron is to host Putin at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

Reuters cited an official in Macron's office as saying the visit would include the inauguration of an exhibition at Versailles marking 300 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Macron won the presidency in a May 7 runoff against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who has expressed admiration for Putin and opposed sanctions against Russia over its aggression in Ukraine.

The French election was held amid concern over meddling by Russia following U.S. intelligence officials' conclusion that Putin ordered a hacking and propaganda campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

An Internet security firm said in a report last month that Macron's campaign was targeted in cyberattacks bearing the hallmarks of a hacking outfit that intelligence officials say is a branch of Russia's espionage apparatus.

Putin and Macron discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria in a phone call last week.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
NASA says two U.S. crewmembers of the International Space Station (ISS) will make a "contingency" spacewalk on May 23 to replace a computer system that failed on May 20.

The space agency on May 21 said ISS managers gave the approval for two U.S. astronauts make the spacewalk, which is expected to last two hours.

NASA said the multiplexer-demultiplexer (MDM) data-relay box that failed was one of two fully redundant systems that control radiators, solar arrays, cooling loops and other hardware.

The cause of the MDM failure was not yet known, NASA said.

Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Jack Fischer, both of NASA, will conduct the mission, the sixth spacewalk this year from the ISS, it said. Fischer will also install a pair of wireless communications antenna.

The current ISS contingent has five-member crewmembers, two from the United States, two from Russia, and one from France.

Crewmembers carry out biology, life science, materials science, and physics experiments, along with astronomical observations and Earth remote sensing.

The station is jointly owned by 15 nations and has been continuously staffed since 2000.

With reporting by Reuters and Global News
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.
On his trip to the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump said he sees a "path to friendship" between Israel and Arab countries. Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on May 22, Trump said "tremendous progress" was made at a meeting of 50 regional leaders in Saudi Arabia a day earlier. (Reuters)
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered Russian troops to withdraw from the west bank of the Dnieper River in the partially occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, another retreat amid a number of setbacks for Moscow on battlefields in Ukraine's east and southeast.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

"Begin to pull out troops," Shoigu said at a televised meeting with the commander of Russian troops in Ukraine, Army General Sergei Surovikin, on November 9, adding that the withdrawal must be implemented in "the nearest future."



"The lives of the Russian military personnel are always a priority for us. We must also take into account threats imposed on the civilian population and make sure that all civilians who chose to leave can do so," Shoigu said. "We also need to start withdrawing the troops and undertake all necessary measures to secure the move of military personnel, arms, and equipment to the other side of the Dnieper."



Kherson was the first city fully captured by Russia during what Moscow calls a "special military operation" and the only regional capital controlled by the Russians since the offensive began on February 24.



Ukraine's forces for weeks have been capturing villages as they advance toward the city, and Kremlin-installed leaders in Kherson have been evacuating civilians.

Earlier on November 9, the Moscow-installed deputy head of the Kherson region, Kirill Stremousov, died in a car crash.



Shoigu's order came after Surovikin said it was impossible to deliver supplies to the city of Kherson and other areas on the western bank of the Dnieper River.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were strengthening their positions "step by step" in the south.



"There is a lot of joy in the information space today, and it is clear why, but...the enemy will make no gifts to us," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.



Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelenskiy, said earlier on Twitter that the Ukrainian side sees "no signs that Russia is leaving Kherson without a fight."



Part of the Russian group remains in Kherson city, he said, adding that additional reserves are being sent to the region. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, are "liberating territories based on intelligence data, not staged TV statements," he said.



Zelenskiy has suggested that the Russians could fake a retreat in order to lure the Ukrainian Army into an entrenched battle in Kherson city.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden said Moscow's order to withdraw from Kherson was "evidence of the fact that they have some real problems with the Russian military."

Moscow and Russian-installed officials in Kherson have said for weeks that they are evacuating residents of Kherson -- both the city and the region -- to "other parts of the Russian Federation" for their safety. Ukraine has said the Russian move amounted to their forced deportation.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the withdrawal announced by Shoigu is "part of an overall pattern or picture we have seen over the last month that Russia has absolutely lost the momentum."



But Stoltenberg also cautioned against underestimating Russia.



"They still have capabilities," he said in an interview with Sky News during a visit to London. "We have seen the drones. We have seen the missile attacks. It shows that Russia can still inflict a lot of damage."

Kherson is considered by many military analysts as the most important of the four partially occupied Ukrainian regions that Russia announced as annexed in September.



It controls both the only land route to Ukraine's Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper River that bisects Ukraine.



Earlier on November 9, Russia launched multiple suicide drones on Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, wounding people and damaging civilian facilities, the head of the regional military administration said, as fierce battles were under way in the eastern Donetsk region and in the south.



"The occupiers attacked the area massively with kamikaze drones, said Governor Valentyn Reznichenko. Ukrainian air defense destroyed some of the drones, but others hit targets. The Russian forces also used drones in an attack on the city of Dnipro, targeting a logistics enterprise. Reznichenko said four employees were wounded, and three of them are in serious condition in hospital.



Russian forces also bombarded the Nikopol district in the region with Grad missiles and heavy artillery. Reznichenko said the shelling damaged private houses, a factory, and a power line, but people were not injured.



Zelenskiy vowed Ukraine will not surrender a single centimeter of our land in Donetsk, where heavy fighting has been under way, and he thanked Ukrainian troops who are holding positions in the Donbas region.



The epicenter of the battle for the industrial region of Donetsk is around the towns of Bakhmut, Soledar, and Avdiyivka.



"The activity of the occupiers remains at an extremely high level -- dozens of attacks every day," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address late on November 8.



"They are suffering extraordinarily high losses. But the order remains the same -- to advance on the administrative boundary of the Donetsk region. We will not yield a single centimeter of our land," he said.

Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions Russia said it annexed in September following referendums deemed as sham by Kyiv and its Western allies.



Fighting had been going on there between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatist forces since 2014, the same year Russia illegally annexed Crimea.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and CNN
Six Pakistani police officers were killed by gunmen in two separate attacks, police officials said on May 21.

Police official Arif Khan said gunmen shot and killed four officers, including the area police chief, who were returning from a patrol about 90 kilometers south of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Also killed were the chief's second-in-command and two constables, the official said.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is the group that claimed responsibility for the December 2014 terrorist attack on a Peshawar school that killed 147 people, most of them children.

In the other attack, two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a parked police van in Karachi. Two officers were killed and two others were wounded.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an extremist group linked to Islamic State (IS) militants, claimed responsibility.

Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities detained nearly 20 people on May 21 over accusations that they posted "antistate" content on social media.

Officials who asked not to be identified said the men were detained under Pakistan's cybercrimes law, which prohibits anyone from criticizing or ridiculing the state or its institutions, such as the military.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP


Tamil Nadu medical college suspends 7 students over video of sexual harassment | Bengal: Mamata eyes Matua votes as BJP relaunches CAA narrative | Bengal teachers' recruitment scam: 2014 TET aspirants hit streets, scuffle with Kolkata Police | Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut released from jail after over 3 months in money laundering case | US midterm polls: Tight race in Senate with Democrats' projected Pennsylvania win, Republicans lead in House
At least five people including a soldier were killed in northwestern Pakistan on May 22 when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, officials say.

The incident occurred in Tirah Valley, in the Khyber tribal district near the Afghan border, local administration official Manzoor Bukhari said.

The vehicle was totally destroyed by the device, and there were no survivors, Bukhari added.

Besides the soldier, the dead included four members of a local militia, an RFE/RL correspondent reported.

At least four Pakistani police officers were killed in a shootout with suspected Taliban insurgents over the weekend in the same region.

Tirah once served as a hideout for Islamist militants before they were chased out in a military offensive.

The Pakistani military has pushed Islamist militants back from their mountainous hideouts near the Afghan border in a series of offensives launched from mid-2014.

With additional reporting by dpa
ON MY MIND

Vladimir Putin's attempt to establish an anti-West is on full display today with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Moscow.

In an interview on the eve of the visit, Duterte told RT that his "foreign policy has shifted" and that he wants to "deal with China and Russia. Because in the Western world, it's double talk."

Duterte added that "Russia sells weapons [with] no conditions. With the U.S. its a different story. They make conditions. But I'm not gonna stand on bended knees."

Putin is happy to encourage this sentiment. He has been playing this courtship game with a series of Western allies, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The Kremlin leader is trying to establish an axis of illiberal regimes to challenge the West's dominance of international affairs and to drive wedges into the West itself.

But how much of it is simply trolling, and how much of it will actually translate into geopolitical gains is still unclear.

IN THE NEWS

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Russia on May 22 to meet President Vladimir Putin and strengthen ties, part of an apparent effort to steer his nation's foreign policy course further away from the United States, Manila's longtime ally.

Mexican authorities say an angry mob has attacked a Russian man in the resort city of Cancun, and the Russian is accused of fatally stabbing a man during the incident.

James Comey, the former FBI director whose firing by U.S. President Donald Trump last week triggered an uproar, will testify about his experiences with Trump and the FBI's investigation into Russia-Trump ties, lawmakers have said.

The Washington Post is reporting that a senior White House adviser is a significant "person of interest" in the investigation of possible ties between Donald Trump's election campaign and Russia.

Russia is pledging to send 60,000 tons of wheat to Venezuela each month, helping alleviate a food crisis in the troubled South American country.

Ukrainian officials have announced a criminal investigation into Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and his secret police chief, Lavrenty Beria, for the mass deportation of Muslim Tatars from the Crimean Peninsula during World War II, which killed tens of thousands.

A protest march organized by Moldova's LGBT community on May 21 in the capital, Chisinau, was halted after just several hundred meters as police sought to avert a confrontation with participants in a counterprotest made up of "Orthodox priests and believers."

LATEST POWER VERTICAL PODCAST

In case you missed it, the latest Power Vertical Podcast asked: What are the real goals of "Putin's Perpetual War" on the West?

NEW POWER VERTICAL BRIEFING

On the new Power Vertical Briefing, we look ahead to a week of diplomacy, including Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Moscow, the NATO meeting in Brussels, and a G7 summit in Italy.

WHAT I'M READING

Church And State

Republic.ru has an interview with religious scholar Nikolai Mitrokhin about the rising influence of the Russian Orthodox Church and the true nature of Russians' religious beliefs.

Riga's Ethnic Russian Mayor

Meduza has a profile of Nils Usakovs, the ethnic-Russian mayor of Riga, who will seek a third term in office in June.

Investigating Russia's Energy Weapon

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that U.S. investigators are looking into growing Russian leverage over the Citgo Petroleum Company amid fears that Moscow will use energy as a weapon against the United States.

Patrushev Speaks

Rossiiskaya Gazeta interviews National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev about hacking, the war in Ukraine, and the threat from Islamic State. As always, it gives useful insight into the Kremlin's thinking.

Why Putin Is Laughing

In his column for Bloomberg, political commentator Leonid Bershidsky writes that "Russians are laughing at the U.S., not just at Trump."

What Putin Wants

In Quartz, Max de Haldevang interviews MIkhail Zygar, author of the book All The Kremlin's Men, about what Russia really wants.

And in a video for The Atlantic, Julia Ioffe explains what she thinks Putin wants.

Putin And Kadyrov

Amy Knight, author of the forthcoming book Orders From Above: The Putin Regime And Political Murder, has a piece in The New York Review Of Books explaining why Ramzan Kadyrov is "Putin's Monster."

Pinpoint Propaganda In The Donbas

The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab has a piece on how Russia-backed separatists in the Donbas use electronic warfare and "pinpoint propaganda."

Putin To France?

Kommersant is reporting that Putin may make an unannounced visit to France on May 29.


23 Members of the Russian Young Pioneers attend a ceremony organized by the Communist Party welcoming new members to the organization in Red Square in Moscow. The organization, a relic of the Soviet era, was an element of communist education and propaganda at school. Russian schools are currently reviving and promoting the moral values of the pioneer organizations. (epa/Sergei Ilnitsky)
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U.S. President Donald Trump slammed a "terrible" nuclear deal signed with Iran and said the country must stop supporting "terrorists and militia" and must "never ever" acquire nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 22, Trump said the 2015 international nuclear accord made Iran feel "invulnerable" and that its support of violent groups in the Middle East created an opening for Israel to move toward countries in the Gulf, even those which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

"We gave [Iran] a lifeline, we gave them wealth and prosperity, and the ability to continue with terror," Trump told reporters as he headed into a meeting with the Israeli prime minister just hours after he arrived in Israel and delivered an upbeat message about the prospects for progress toward peace in the Middle East.

"During my travels, I have seen many hopeful signs that lead me to believe that we can truly achieve a more peaceful future for this region and for people of all faiths and all beliefs, and frankly all over the world," he said.

Trump, on his first trip abroad since taking office in January, arrived from Saudi Arabia earlier in the day for a two-day visit to Israel and said there is a "rare opportunity" to bring peace to the Middle East.

At a welcoming ceremony on the tarmac shortly after arriving in Tel Aviv, Trump said he wanted to "reaffirm the unshakable bond" between the United States and Israel.

In a meeting earlier in the day with his Israeli counterpart, Reuven Rivlin, Trump suggested that Iran's actions had sparked concern among other countries in the region, which are eager curb Tehran's influence, and made them more sympathetic toward Israel.

"Most importantly the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said.

"And it must cease immediately  Now we must work together to build a future where the nations of the region are at peace," Trump said, adding he had "found new reasons for hope" during his trip, which began in Saudi Arabia on May 20.

WATCH: Trump Arrives In Israel, Sees "Rare Opportunity" For Peace

Netanyahu thanked Trump for what he called a "powerful expression" of support for Israel, noting that he is the first U.S. president to make Israel a stop on his first trip abroad.

"May your first trip to our region prove to be a historic milestone on the path towards reconciliation and peace," Netanyahu said, later praising Trump for his "reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East."

Iranian President Hassan Rohani, who led Tehran's delegation that signed the deal with six major powers to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, said the U.S. administration lacked knowledge about the Middle East and that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help.

"Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran?" Rohani, who won last week's presidential election, told a news conference.

"Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all. ... We are waiting for the new U.S. administration to find stability and continuity in its policies.

Trump also became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Jerusalem's Old City -- first stopping at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, considered the holiest Christian site in the world.

Wearing a black kippah -- a Jewish skullcap -- he visited the Western Wall, touching the ancient wall that is considered one of Judaism's holiest sites in a part of Jerusalem that Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. It considers all of Jerusalem its indivisible capital, a status that is not recognized internationally.

The president was joined on the visit by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew who went to the wall shortly after Trump and said prayers.

Trump is seeking progress toward what he has called the "ultimate deal" -- a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Peace talks have been stalled since 2014.

Shortly before landing on Air Force One with Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: "We have the opportunity to advance the peace discussions between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

In Riyadh on May 21, Trump attended a summit of leaders of mainly Muslim counties and called for a "coalition of nations" in the Middle East to come together with the aim of "stamping out extremism."

Trump told the leaders that a "better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive them out. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of the holy land."

WATCH: Trump Visits Jerusalem's Western Wall

Trump is to hold talks with Netanyahu later on May 22 and meet with Abbas in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, on May 23.

Trumps aides have played down expectations for a major breakthrough, however, saying the visit should be seen more as a symbolic gesture.

Tillerson told reporters en route to Tel Aviv that any three-way meeting between Trump, Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was for "a later date."

In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman said Trump's goal for now is simply "to begin a discussion that would hopefully lead to peace."

Before Trump arrived, Israeli authorities approved some economic concessions to the Palestinians that the U.S. president had requested.

"The security cabinet has approved economic measures that will ease daily civilian life in the Palestinian Authority after [Trump], who arrives tomorrow, asked to see some confidence-building steps," a cabinet statement said on May 21.

The concessions included construction permits for Palestinians in sections of the West Bank that are under Israeli control, areas where Palestinians have previously been barred, officials said.

Israeli media reported the concessions also included keeping a border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan open 24 hours a day.

Israel is a longtime staunch U.S. ally, but Trump is still likely to have some tough discussions.

He may be asked for explanations following media reports that he disclosed highly classified intelligence that Israel obtained about the Islamic State (IS) militant group to top Russian officials without Israel's permission.

Israel also expressed concern about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Trump announced on May 20 in Riyadh, with one official saying it was "definitely something that should trouble us."

Trump has also backed off of a vow made during his presidential campaign to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Palestinians regard Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War, annexed It, and declared all of the city as its capital, a move never recognized by the international community.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
Turkey has begun the trial of more than 220 suspects accused of being among the ringleaders of the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2016.

Twenty-six former generals are among the defendants in the trial, which started in May 22 at a vast courtroom at a prison outside Ankara.

Erdogan's government claims that the July 15 coup attempt was orchestrated by the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a claim he strongly denies.

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, is one of the 221 suspects named in the indictment. He is one of nine who are not in custody, with the others appearing in court.

The case is being heard in Turkey's largest courtroom, which was purpose-built on the premises of a prison complex in Sincan, outside the capital, for trials connected to the coup attempt. It has space for more than 1,500 people.

The suspects were brought into the courtroom by security forces in front of television cameras. Security was tight, with a drone flying overhead and armored vehicles at the site.

Dozens of demonstrators holding Turkish flags booed at the suspects, shouting "we want the death penalty" and holding placards saying: "For the martyrs and veterans of July 15, we want the death penalty."

The former generals charged include former Air Force chief Akin Ozturk and Mehmet Disli, the brother of senior ruling party lawmaker Saban Disli.

Also on trial is Colonel Ali Yazici, Erdogan's former military aide.

Erdogan's office says 248 people were killed in the failed coup -- a figure that does not include 24 alleged coup plotters who were killed during the violence.

The trial is one of many being held across the country to judge Turks accused of involvement in the coup attempt, in what is the biggest legal process of Turkey's modern history.

In February, the Sincan courtroom hosted the opening of the trial of 330 suspects accused of murder or attempted murder on the night of July 15.

State Of Emergency

More than 47,000 people have been arrested on suspicion of links to the Gulen movement in an unprecedented crackdown under a state of emergency that was imposed in the wake of the coup attempt.

The state of emergency has been renewed three times and is due to expire on July 19. But Erdogan said on May 21 it would remain in place until there is "peace and welfare," and asserted that it had not affected civil rights.

The trial started on the same day Amnesty International published a report accusing Turkey of implementing "arbitrary dismissals" of public sector workers in a series of purges since the failed coup.

In the report titled No End In Sight, the rights group criticized the dismissals, which it said were "carried out arbitrarily on the basis of vague and generalized grounds of 'connection to terrorist organizations.'"

More than 100,000 people from the public sector, including members of the judiciary and the military, have been fired since the attempted coup.

The Amnesty report says that more than 33,000 of those dismissed are teachers and other employees of the Education Ministry, while more than 24,000 are police officers and others from the Interior Ministry.

More than 8,000 are members of the military, at least 5,000 are academics, and some 4,000 are judges, prosecutors, and Justice Ministry officials, it says.

The rights group said that all those who lost their jobs were dismissed by decree under the state of emergency put into force several days after the failed plot.

Amnesty urged Ankara to put in place a "prompt and effective appeal mechanism for those already dismissed."

With reporting by AP and AFP
Russia and Turkey took another step toward normalizing ties on May 22, signing a memorandum that lifts trade restrictions.

Relations between Russia and Turkey, which support opposing sides in the Syrian war, have been strained since a Turkish fighter jet shot down a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border in late 2015.

The May 22 memorandum follows a meeting earlier this month between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where the two pledged to restore ties.

"Decisions will follow immediately in accordance with government regulations. Colleagues will prepare changes to certain government acts, and I will sign them. Of course, as we agreed with the Turkish side, this will be reciprocated," Interfax quoted Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev as saying.

It was not immediately clear which goods would be included in the lifting of the sanctions. Turkey recently imposed what amounts to an effective 130 percent import tax on Russian products, including wheat, in a bid to help its importers.

Turkey is the largest importer of Russian wheat after Egypt.

Based on reporting by Interfax, Reuters, and Sputnik
BRUSSELS -- The European Union's decision granting visa liberalization for Ukraine has been published in the EU's official journal, paving the way for the visa-free regime to enter into force on 11 June, 20 days after its publication on May 22.

The document was signed on May 17 in Strasbourg by EU Parliament and European Council representatives.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who attended the signing ceremony, called it a historic day for the nation.

"It is an absolutely historic day for Ukraine, for my 45-million nation, and I am absolutely confident that this is a historic day for the European Union," Poroshenko said at the time,adding that "Ukraine returns to the European family. Ukraine says a final farewell to the Soviet and Russian Empire."

Ukrainian citizens who have biometric passports will be able to enter all EU member states other than Ireland and the United Kingdom without a visa and stay for up to 90 days during any 180-day period.

The visa-free regime also applies to four Schengen Area countries that are not in the EU: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels
Ahmedabad, May 22 (IBNS) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in Gujarat on a two-day visit.

According to reports, the Prime minister will inaugurate certain developmental projects and attend the annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

He is also scheduled to launch some projects at the Kandla Port and in Bhachau, both in the Kutch district and address two public meetings.

Tomorrow I will begin a two-day Gujarat visit, during which I will join programmes in Kutch and Gandhinagar, the PM had tweeted on Sunday.

I shall inaugurate & lay the foundation stone for various projects of the Kandla Port and address a public meeting at Gandhidham, Modi said in another tweet.

The prime minister further added that a pumping station would be inaugurated in Bhachau.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley visited a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, saying U.S. funding for such facilities will continue.

Haley, visiting the Zaatari refugee camp near the Syrian border, on May 21 said the United States is "the No. 1 donor here through this crisis.

That's not going to stop, she added. We're not going to stop funding this. The fact that I'm here shows we want to see what else needs to be done."

Haley said the United States had spent $6.5 billion to aid people upended by Syrias six-year civil war.

The Zaatari camp houses some 80,000 refugees, about half of them children.

She inspected a truck parked at the Ramtha border crossing less than a kilometer from Syria, examining boxes of peas, tuna, and canned meat.

The truck was scheduled to travel to opposition-held territory in Syria in a 20-vehicle convoy carrying supplies from U.N. agencies and other groups, many of them funded by the United States.

This is all in the name of our Syrian brothers and sisters," Haley told aid workers. "We want you to feel like the U.S. is behind you.

Haleys comments have often seemed to contradict President Donald Trump, who is pushing for large cuts in U.S. foreign aid and taken a hard line on admitting refugees to the United States. He has also called on the United States to reduce its funding of UN activities.

Based on reporting by AP, The Post and Courier, and Petra
In an interview, Executive Director of Bajaj Auto, Mr Rakesh Sharma has revealed that they are all set to launch Husqvarna motorcycles in India. Launch of Husqvarna India will take place in the first week of December.

Considering that KTM India is launching the 390 Adventure at the India Bike Week 2019 in Goa on 6th Dec, we expect the same event to be the stage for the launch of Husqvarna motorcycles in India. Bajaj will launch two Husqvarna motorcycles. These are Svartpilen 401 and Vitpilen 401.

Both motorcycles are based on the new KTM Duke 390, and have already been spied on test in India. Unofficial bookings have also commenced at select dealerships, for a token amount of Rs,5,000.

Husqvarna motorcycles will be sold / retailed via KTM India dealers. Production of the two motorcycles has already started at the company plant in Pune. Bajaj will also export these two Husqvarna motorcycles. Production target is set at 2 lakh units annually. Deliveries of Husqvarna motorcycles will start from Jan 2020 in India.

Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 spied in India, sported alloy wheels wrapped in MRF tyres. The international spec models are seen with spoke wheels. The Husqvarna twins in India will also see a BS VI compliant engine lineup. The two motorcycles will share the same 373.2cc single cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve, liquid cooled engine delivering 44 PS of maximum output and 37 Nm of peak torque as seen powering the KTM 390 Duke.

The engine will get mated to a 6 speed gearbox with PASC slipper clutch and dual cartridge USD forks in the front and adjustable WP monoshock at the rear. Braking will be via 320mm disc in the front and 230mm disc at the rear with dual channel ABS from Bosch. As its names suggest, the Vitpilen 401 will be sold in a White colour as its name means White Arrow, while Svartpilen, which means Black Arrow will be offered only in a black colour.

No price details have been announced as on date but the Husqvarna duo could retail at a price range from Rs.2.8-3 lakhs, priced above the KTM 390 Duke.

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An Asian employee who was transferred to another position after she complained about racial harassment by a Spanish-speaking employee was entitled to an award of $200,000 in compensatory damages for retaliation in violation of California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the California Court of Appeal ruled.

After complaining to two supervisors and to a company hotline, the worker was reassigned to a job she had formerly held. Although the position change did not affect her job title or compensation, it was sufficient to constitute an "adverse employment action" and to form the basis of a finding of illegal retaliation, the court concluded.

Muyleng Bardon was born in Cambodia and came to the United States in 1981. In August 2006, Microvention Inc., which manufactures catheters and related medical technology used for treating cerebral aneurysms and preventing strokes, hired Bardon as a quality care technician to work in its Tustin facility.

Prior to her hire, Bardon had 29 years of experience working in quality control. She interviewed for the position in English.

Bardon started in the "clean room," inspecting finished goods. Three years after she was hired, she was moved to the receiving inspection area outside the clean room. Both jobs required her to create written records in English. During her time working for Microvention, Bardon attended three classes held in English and received a certificate of completion in each.

Bardon's performance reviews in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 show that she received yearly merit increases and discretionary bonuses. There were never any complaints about her job duties or performance as a quality control inspector.

In 2011, Bardon complained to her supervisor that Spanish-speaking employees were mocking hermaking fun of her Englishand talking about her behind her back. She claimed that one particular employee, Margarita Guzman, treated Asian employees differently than she treated Spanish-speaking employees. While Guzman was not Bardon's supervisor, she was a lead person in quality control and so had some impact on Bardon's working conditions. Bardon later complained about Guzman to another supervisor, and, in August 2011, she made a complaint to Microvention's global hotline that Guzman was discriminating against Asian workers.

In September 2011, Bardon was asked to perform a test commonly conducted in the receiving inspection department, which required reasonably good English comprehension. Bardon failed to perform the test correctly. She claimed she had not received adequate training, but Guzman claimed Bardon's failure resulted from her subpar English skills. Guzman recommended to Bardon's supervisor that she be transferred back to the clean room where less reading was required. Bardon was told that the position change would not change her title or compensation.

In October 2011, Bardon requested a two-month medical leave of absence for "stress due to bullying and discriminatory conduct by co-workers, lead and manager." The company approved the medical leave of absence and later approved an extension for her leave. Bardon requested to return to work in March 2012, but Microvention did not have a position available for her and her leave had expired.

In 2013, Bardon sued Microvention for racial harassment and retaliation in violation of FEHA, among other claims.

[SHRM members-only toolkit: Preventing Unlawful Workplace Discrimination in California]

The case was tried by a jury, which ruled in Bardon's favor and awarded her $200,000 in compensatory damages. The trial court, however, entered a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, concluding that there was not enough evidence to support the jury's conclusion and ruling instead in favor of the company. Bardon appealed.

FEHA's Retaliation Protections

To prove retaliation under FEHA, an employee must show that:



He or she engaged in conduct protected by the anti-bias law.

The employer subjected the employee to an adverse employment action.

A causal link existed between the protected activity and the employer's action.

The employer may then defend by showing that it had a legitimate nonretaliatory reason for its adverse employment action.

There is no question, the court said, that Bardon engaged in protected activity when she made informal complaints to two supervisors and when she made a formal complaint to the global hotline. She believed she was treated differently by Spanish-speaking employees because she is of Asian descent.

The court further concluded that Bardon's transfer back to a job she had previously held, which resulted in decreased responsibilities, was an adverse employment action, even though Bardon suffered no loss in compensation.

The court also found a causal link between Bardon's complaints and her transfer based on the fact that she was transferred back to the clean room one month after her complaint to the global hotline.

The court noted that the jury had rejected the company's nondiscriminatory explanation for its conductthat Bardon was moved back to the clean room because of her inability to adequately read and write Englishand concluded that there was sufficient evidence to support this rejection. Bardon's language skills had not become an issue until after she made her complaints, the court noted.

The appellate court said that it did not need to decide whether Bardon had proved her racial harassment claim because she was entitled to the damages on her claim of retaliation alone. The court therefore reversed the trial court's order and reinstated the jury's verdict.

Bardon v. Microvention Inc., Calif. Ct. App., No. G052670 (May 9, 2017).

Professional Pointer: A worker is protected against retaliation if the employee reasonably and in good faith believed that what he or she was opposing constituted unlawful employer conduct such as harassment or discrimination. The employee need not prove that harassment or discrimination actually occurred. It is not uncommon for an employee to prevail on a retaliation claim even when the underlying harassment or discrimination claim fails.

Joanne Deschenaux, J.D., is a freelance writer in Annapolis, Md.



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On May 12th 2017 there was a rare bit of Internet based criminal activity that made headlines worldwide for reasons that are still not quite clear, both to the general public and Internet security professionals. Note that all the hacker terms are described at the end of this piece in plain English.

The incident began with the activation of ransomware malware called WannaCry. What made WannaCry so dangerous was that it made use of several capabilities including a hidden (but findable) backdoor program that tried to spread WannaCry to Microsoft Windows computers that had a known vulnerability but were not updated to remove the vulnerability. This automatic spread of malware is called a worm and it depends on other computers being vulnerable to allowing malware to be automatically installed. With WannaCry local PC networks run by Microsoft server software were vulnerable it the latest patches were not installed.

What made this newsworthy was that the worm depended on information stolen from the NSA (American National Security Agency) and made public by Wikileaks in March. The NSA tool was called EternalBlue and it used a ZDE (Zero Day Exploit) stockpiled by the NSA for possible Cyber War operations. This particular ZDE exploited a flaw in Windows network software allowing the EternalBlue program to quietly insert itself into other PCs on the same network as the PC infected (probably via a spear fishing attack) with WannaCry.

All this was news for several reasons. First, the attack could have been a lot more effective than it was except for a hidden flaw (a kill switch) that was soon discovered and activated by the work of an international network of White Hat hackers. Then the incident became even more mysterious. While at least a quarter million PCs in 150 countries were infected with Wannacry and had their hard drive contents encrypted, only about one in a thousand of these PCs paid the $300 (in bitcoin) ransom. But those who paid the ransom did not receive the decryption information and the bitcoin payments (worth nearly $100,000) were sent to three bitcoin wallets that have not been used and are apparently still being monitored.

Meanwhile the White Hats and intel agencies were scrutinizing WannaCry in detail. The computer code and other evidence indicated that this attack was the work of North Korean government hackers. The North Koreans do it mainly for the money because North Korea is broke and run by a ruthless dictator. It did not make any sense for North Korea to unleash Wannacry because most of the victims were in the few countries (China and Russia) that still supported North Korea. These two countries were hard hit because both depend heavily on illegal copies of Windows and other software. Most users of the illegal Windows software dont bother to pay for security and other software updates provided by other hackers who supply these updates for a fee. Microsoft will not upgrade illegal copies of its software. Worse, even though Microsoft regularly releases free updates via the Internet many users do not immediately apply those updates (because updates sometimes break something else).

Wannacry is one of those mysteries that will take a while to solve and may never be solved because there so many black hat hackers involved, operating at different skill levels and with different objectives. It later turned out that WannaCry was first used in late April and perhaps ever earlier. Based on past experience with malware we can expect numerous WannaCry variants to show up, for a few months at least, until enough users are made aware of the threat and enough Internet security software is updated to recognize and defeat the various tools WannaCry employs.

Glossary of Computer Terms

Backdoor  A secret command that will enable anyone with it to use a computer program.

Bitcoin- A cryptocurrency or currency based on software, not physical (paper and coins) media. Bitcoin is one of the first and most widely used. There are online markets for buying and selling bitcoins. Anyone can establish an online account (a bitcoin wallet) that others can sent bitcoin to without knowing who controls (has the password) for the bitcoin wallet. It takes a lot of effort to find out who owns a bitcoin wallet and even governments dont (yet) have the resources to monitor all bitcoin wallets. Apparently bitcoin wallet owners can be discovered if the owner is not very careful.

Black hat hacker- Someone who uses their programming skills to create or modify software for criminal purposes.

Computer code- Software, a computer application the user (or the computer itself) employs to perform a task. What most users encounter is executable code. The execuatables makes no sense if you look it because in a word processor it is seemingly random digits, letters and symbols. But the source code (that a programmer writes) is in something that is readable and makes sense depending on how much you know about programming.

Cyber War  Attacking someone else (or defending) via computers (usually via the Internet). In peacetime Cyber War is usually about espionage or, in the case of North Korea, financing a failed dictatorship.

Decryption  The process by which special software turns encrypted (not usable) computer data back into its original form. The user sometime employs a password (decryption key) to make decryption happen.

Encryption- The process by which special software turns computer data from its original form into something unusable until converted back (decrypted). The user sometime employs a password (encryption key) to make encrypt a file or program.

EternalBlue  A bit of malware developed by the NSA that exploits a ZDE in Microsoft local network software. EternalBlue was stolen and distributed by Wikileaks.

Fishing- Sending a message (usually email) to someone that has a file attacked which, if opened secretly installs malware on your computer.

Hackers- Programmers who are particularly skilled and eager to create new code or improve existing stuff. The term hack has been used for centuries for tinkering with something.

Illegal software- Software that is protected (games, major applications, operating systems) but has those protections disabled and then sold, or distributed for free.

Kill switch  A capability (usually kept secret) built into software that enables anyone to turn the program off (usually via the Internet).

Malware  Software created to do something harmful (usually illegal and secretly.)

NSA (American National Security Agency) a post-World War II U.S. government agency for creating new secret codes (encryption) and better methods to decrypting encryption used by others. NSA became the lead agency for Internet matters.

Phishing- See Fishing.

Programmer- Someone who can create an app (application). For most it is a job, do some (hackers) it is a passion.

Source code  The readable software that is turned into unreadable but useful executables that users refer to as apps. Programmers create, modify and, when investigating malware, scrutinize source code.

Ransomware  Malware that secretly encrypts a hard drive and then offers the user the decryption key for $300 to $600 (or more). The relatively low ($300) demand was found the most profitable (for the black hat) ransom because most victims would rather pay that amount, or less, than permanently lose access to their data.

Security software- Programs that usually run automatically on your PC to detect malware and deal with it. Black hats must continually update their malware to cope with constantly updated security software.

Social Engineering- Exploiting human nature to get malware onto a system. This is what fishing and spear fishing attacks depend on.

Spear fishing- a fishing operation where targets are carefully chosen and researched before putting together the attack. Despite having software and user rules in place to block spear fishing attacks there are so many email accounts to attack and you only have to get one victim to respond to a bogus email with a vital attachment that must be opened immediately. Among the favored targets for these attacks are anyone providing access to something worth stealing via an Internet connection. This often means business executives as well as senior civilian officials in the government and the Internet security industry.

Updates- Modifications to apps and operating systems that are usually sent out and installed automatically these days.

WannaCry- A ransomware app recently distributed using fishing and a ZDE stolen from the NSA.

White Hat hacker- Someone who uses their programming skills to create or modify software for to protect it from Black Hats (criminal programmers).

Wikileaks- An organization that accepts stolen documents and distributes them on the Internet. This organization is doing a public service or a criminal act depending on who is being hurt by the leaked software. Most nations consider Wikileaks a criminal group.

ZDE (Zero Day Exploit)  A previously unknown flaw in software that allows the first user to get into other networks and PCs secretly. ZDEs have become very expensive because in the right hands these vulnerabilities/flaws can enable criminals to pull off a large online heist or simply maintain secret control over thousands of computers. ZDEs have also become the very expensive and highly perishable ammunition for any future Cyber War. The most successful hackers use high-quality ZDEs. Not surprisingly ZDEs are difficult to find and can be sold on the black (or legitimate) market for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Their value declines when the publisher becomes aware of the flaw and patches it. But not every user applies the patch right away, if ever.
Since 2007 the United States has created and expanded AFRICOM (Africa Command) to manage all the increasingly numerous American military operations in Africa. Since most of these operations involved special operations forces rather than conventional military forces AFRICOM released little detail on what was where. But in the last few years more of these details have emerged. As suspected most of the 40-50 AFRICOM bases detected are not bases in the traditional sense but merely temporary agreements to use existing civilian or military airbases or other facilities in African nations. These are usually countries where AFRICOM is providing assistance in dealing with Islamic terrorist activity or other security threats. As of 2016 there were about 46 of these AFRICOM facilities located in 24 African countries. About two-thirds of these facilities are considered temporary or contingent (there are arrangements to use an airbase or port facility if needed and on short notice). The permanent operations are bases or FOS (Forward Operating Sites) while the temporary sites are CSLs (cooperative security locations) where American and local forces operate together or CLs (contingency locations) where arrangements have been made for use if needed. About half the AFRICOM sites are CLs and not used by Americans on a regular basis.

AFRICOM is similar in organization to other commands (CENTCOM, for the Middle East, and SOUTHCOM, for Latin America, etc). Before AFRICOM was created those operations were coordinated between two other commands (the one covering Europe and the one covering Latin America). The establishment of AFRICOM means more money for counter-terror operations in Africa and more long range projects. No country in Africa had sufficient infrastructure for AFRICOM headquarters and few wanted to risk the political blowback from hosting a major American military headquarters.

In late 2016 construction began on a new AFRICOM base in Agadez, Niger, 730 kilometers northeast of the capital (Niamey). The U.S. had received permission from Niger for such a base in 2014, a year after American UAVs began operation from a Niger military base next to the Niamey airport. The new Agadez base is built largely from scratch because, unlike Niamey, Agadez does not have a large airport or much in the way of support for lots of aircraft operations. Agadez is closer to Chad, southern Libya and Nigeria, where American aerial surveillance is more in demand by the local governments. Agadez will also apparently support armed UAVs as well. The U.S. will continue to supply intelligence obtained by the Niger-based UAVs with Niger and other nations in the area that have intelligence sharing agreements.

Agadez will be the second American airbase in Africa and, like the first one, shared with France and other allies. The first U.S. base was established in 2002 when the United States began sharing an old French base in Djibouti (the northwestern neighbor of Somalia). Since then Djibouti has hosted the one official U.S. military base (Camp Lemonnier) in Africa. France and the United States SOCOM (Special Operations Command) have had special operations forces (commandos and special aircraft) outside the Djibouti capital since 2002. In 2014 the U.S. signed another ten year lease for that base. U.S. forces in Djibouti were increased after resistance collapsed in Iraq in 2008 and the base became the command post for a network of American operations through the region. Most of the effort is directed at monitoring what is going on in the region (mainly Somalia and Yemen but also Eritrea, Nigeria, Mali, Libya, Kenya, and Ethiopia) not at interfering with the local terrorists. Not much, anyway. The Djibouti base also supports operations throughout the Sahel (the semi-desert strip between the North African desert and the Central African jungles, which stretches from the Atlantic to Somalia).

By 2013 Camp Lemonnier and nearby airfields supported fourteen large UAVs (ten MQ-9 Reapers and four MQ-1 Predators), six manned U-28 aircraft and eight F-15E fighter bombers. The two seat F-15Es carried surveillance gear and could fly long distances, find a target and destroy it with a GPS or laser guided weapon. In addition U.S. Navy ships off the African coast sometimes had MQ-8 and ScanEagle UAVs operated from ships to search inland. The U.S. Navy also had two P-3C maritime patrol aircraft stationed near Camp Lemonnier. More aircraft arrived after 2014, when ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and al Qaeda became more active in North Africa and Yemen. The number and composition of foreign aircraft varies according to local needs.
In total 71,900 more migrants arrived in New Zealand than left in the year to April 2017, according to latest figures released by Statistics New Zealand this week.

Annual net migration remained at the same level as March 2017, with migrant arrivals numbering 129,800 in the April 2017 year - a new annual record - while migrant departures were 57,900.

Stats NZ population statistics senior manager Peter Dolan says in the April 2017 year, 52,600 people arrived in New Zealand on student visas, and of these, 23,900 were student migrants intending to stay for 12 months or more.

Almost one in five migrant arrivals for the last 12 months were people coming to New Zealand to study.

Student arrivals from Asia dominated the overall student migrant arrivals, contributing almost three-quarters of the total.

By country of last permanent residence, the largest sources of student migrants were India (25 per cent), China (23 per cent), Philippines (6 per cent), and South Africa (5 per cent).

The number of student migrants arriving in New Zealand fell 3800 (down 14 per cent) in the April 2017 year. This reflected a drop in student arrivals from India (down 3800). This was the second consecutive year of decreasing student migrant arrivals from this country.

Of all the student migrants who stated their address on arrival in New Zealand, most settle in the Auckland region (57 per cent), followed by Canterbury (11 per cent), Wellington (8 per cent), and Waikato (7 per cent) regions.

While Visitor arrivals for the April 2017 year numbered 3.6 million, setting a new annual record. The April 2017 annual total was up 10 per cent from the April 2016 year.

Visitor arrivals numbered 311,900 in the April 2017 month, up 55,200 (21 per cent) from April 2016. Easter holidays, which fell in April this year but in March in 2016, likely contributed to the increase.

Almost 35,000 more holiday-makers arrived in New Zealand in April 2017 than in April 2016, which was the main contributor to the strong overall increase in visitor arrivals in April, says Peter.

New Zealand residents also took a record 2.7 million overseas trips in the April 2017 year, up 11 per cent from the April 2016 year.

In April 2017, New Zealand residents left on 244,200 overseas trips, up 12 per cent from April 2016.

International migration statistics rely on the information provided on passenger cards at the time of travel. The reported length of intended stay in New Zealand, or time away from New Zealand, largely determines whether the passenger is a visitor or a migrant.

Generally, visitors are those intending to stay or be away for less than one year; migrants are those intending to stay or be away for more than one year.

For more information, visit www.stats.govt.nz
Kolkata, May 22 (IBNS): Several media persons, who were covering Left parties' march to state secretariat Nabanna, were injured when policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel lathicharged them in Kolkata's downtown Esplanade area on Monday afternoon.

According to reports, after being assaulted by cops while covering Left parties' march to state secretariat Nabanna, a large number of Kolkata-based scribes blocked a nearby road, demanding an immediate action against the policemen who manhandled them.

A large police force along with RAF and combat force rushed to the scene and after getting direction from senior IPS official Murali Dhar Sharma, security personnel suddenly attacked the peaceful gathering of journalists.

Few senior and junior media persons, including IBNS correspondent Deepayan Sinha, were beaten up by the police force here.

Later police dispersed the agitating reporters from the area.

Hours ago, police restored to lathicharge when Lefts protest march to Nabanna went violent.

Several protesters and at least 12 media persons were seriously injured in the skirmish.
5 Ways Technology Has Changed Banking

The banking industry has been around for a very long time. Although it started in the 14th century in Italy, the concept was already practiced during the ancient times of the Babylonian civilization in which farmers used to borrow grains from merchants, so they could trade goods in other towns. However, banking as we know today actually began in 1472. This was the year the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the oldest bank today, was established.

In recent decades, technology was only accessible for banks themselves. It means that banking customers had no control over electronic transactions that usually took place among the banks themselves. The ATM machines and debit/credits cards are some of the significant inventions in recent decades that revolutionized the banking industry, but their impact is less significant compared with the technology we have today.

Today, we will show you five ways technology has changed banking. Lets get started!

Five Revolutions in Banking Technology

1. Competition Reveals Hidden Features

In the past, you might have noticed mergers and acquisitions among the biggest banks. Most of these big banks intended to monopolize the industry, and some other banks followed this same strategy. However, all such moves had little effect on bank customers.

Competition today is different because even non-banks can compete with banks in specific ways. For instance, remittance and money transfer companies offer cheaper and more convenient services than banks. Before, transferring money from one place to another electronically was only done through banks, and the charges or fees were high.

Hidden features only banks could offer in the past have been revealed by competition. Thanks to technology more and more features are becoming readily available to the public.

2. Characters of Bank Customers Have Changed

Most bank customers in the past were loyal and patient staying with a particular branded bank for the majority of their lives. These banks would launch campaigns offering free tokens off appreciation to lure in and keep existing customers.

On the other hand, bank customers today can be impatient, and part of this is due to peoples short attention span. When they dont like a certain feature or service, they can go to another bank. Standard bank promotions are also no longer applicable to most people as customers today would rather have the best available package as banks compete against one another for peoples business.

3. Banking Anywhere

The rise of smartphones and mobile apps has made banking more convenient and accessible. Today, anyone can easily create a mobile app using Zapable mobile app design and make it available for the public to use. As a result, banks and other companies take advantage of this technology to reach out to these mobile users as mobile banking is also now on the rise.

4. Fewer Visitors to Local Bank Locations

The rise of online and mobile banking has reduced on-site bank visitors because most bank customers prefer to transact online at their own convenience.

5. More Data Protection

Banking a few decades ago used to depend on manual and erroneous methods for securing bank data. Today, sophisticated technology is being used to protect and manage this sensitive information.

Conclusion

It is amazing how technology has changed the world we live in today. In banking, technology provides benefits not only to banks themselves but also to their customers.

Gone are the days when bank customers solely relied on ATM machines. Today, banking is no longer about building a structure that protects money deposits; instead, its now a system that exists right within your fingertips.
Marcus Hutchins: The Accidental Hero Who Saved The World From The WannaCry Ransomware

The world last week witnessed one of the most widespread cyberattacks in history that brought more than 2,30,000 computers running Windows operating system in 150 countries to a standstill. The biggest unprecedented ransomware attack could have got even worse had it not been for the timely intervention of a 22-year-old British security researcher with the blog name MalwareTech who discovered an effective kill switch shortly after the attack.

However, the cyberattack has slowed down drastically over the week with Microsoft urging its unaffected users to update their systems with the patches released, latest antivirus and anti-virus malware. Also, independent security researchers going by the names Adrien Guinet and Benjamin Delpy have released WannaCry decryption tools named WannaKey and WanaKiwi respectively to counter the attack.

In this article, we will find out more about the 22-year-old self-taught cyber analyst who helped slowing down the spread of WannaCry virus. Identified as Marcus Hutchins, the white hat hacker and surfer who was hailed as an accidental hero works for Kryptos logic, a Los Angeles-based threat-intelligence company and lives with his parents in an English seaside town on the north Devon coast.

I was out having lunch with a friend and got back about 3 p.m. and saw an influx of news articles about the NHS and various UK organizations being hit, he told The Guardian. I had a bit of a look into that and then I found a sample of the malware behind it, and saw that it was connecting out to a specific domain, which was not registered. So I picked it up not knowing what it did at the time.

Apparently, the malwares creators had hardcoded a kill switch into it, in case they ever needed to quickly deactivate the infection. Thats why each time WannaCry infected a new computer, it kept on checking the fake URL. Basically, the infection would continue as long as the URL wasnt a live page.

I was quickly able to get a sample of the malware with the help of Kafeine, a good friend and fellow researcher, Hutchins wrote on his website, Malware Tech, in a post called How to Accidentally Stop a Global Cyber Attacks (sic). Upon running the sample in my analysis environment I instantly noticed it queried an unregistered domain, which i promptly registered.

Curious to analyse the attack, Hutchins went on to register domain name for $10 hidden in the malware code to track the virus. He then pointed it to a sinkhole, which is a server designed to capture malicious traffic.

While he did not realise what he was doing, this simple act had unknowingly killed the malware with suggestions the domain had become a kill switch to prevent the virus spreading further.

We prevented the spread of the ransomware and prevented it ransoming any new computer since the registration of the domain (I initially kept quiet about this while i reverse engineered the code myself to triple check this was the case, but by now Dariens tweet had gotten a lot of traction).

Kurtis Baron, founder of London-based Fidus Information Security, who travelled with Hutchins to Las Vegas last year to attend Defcon, a convention for internet hackers, said his friend was just doing his job when he stopped the attack.

He is a really nice friend and also a business colleague. He was just doing his job, he told The Daily Telegraph.

So @Hacker0x01 have awarded me a $10,000 bounty for the "kill-switch". I plan on splitting it between to-be-decided charities and education.  MalwareTech (@MalwareTechBlog) May 15, 2017

If we could make him work for us, then we would employ him in a heartbeat, but he wont move. He added: It is not a job to him, more a passion that he happens to get paid for.

Andrew Mabbitt, the co-founder of Fidus, said that Hutchins is one of the most intelligent and talented people I know. Explaining further, he said, He gets paid to do his hobby which is most peoples dream in life.

Hutchins, who has not attended university, had tweeted a 30-second clip in January this year displaying his room filled with half-a-dozen computer screens, cables, and gadgetry. He wrote, After three years of effort, I finally have a malware lab Im happy with.

Hutchins has been flooded with communications from the media, the cybersecurity world and more ever since his identity has been revealed. HackerOne, a platform for cybersecurity professionals to report potential security flaws in exchange for bounty rewards, has offered Hutchins a reward of $10,000 for his efforts. While, Hutchins says that he doesnt want to take the money, he instead plans to donate the amount to charity.

I plan on holding a vote to decide which charities will get the majority of the money, he wrote on Twitter.
Try Out The Newly Updated Translation App Reverso Version 6.0 with New Language Learning Tools

Already at five million downloads, the popular European translation app updates its technology which now includes an improved UI and educational resources for language learners

Chances are, if youve ever spoken to someone whose native language differs from yours, youve had a misunderstanding while communicating with them. Whether or not you misunderstood them, or if it was yourself who was misunderstood, you have to wonder: What led to it?

There are dozens of barriers to communication that might lead to a misunderstanding, things like accents, ones interpretation of language, faulty definitions, or everyday colloquialisms that can create a slippery slope once translated into a different language.

One app hopes to rid the world of such miscommunications through its use of machine learning and artificial intelligence that gives context to words and phrases with double meanings. Reverso recently launched Reverso Context 6.0, which has an improved UI, more accurate speak-to-translate technology, and pronunciation from native speakers in 12 languages.

The apps best feature, and the reason the company calls it Reverso Context, is the translation setting itself. Reverso gives users in context translations through popular film, television quotes, and official documents. Version 6.0 also lets users save/annotate and share translations with friends, and includes a host of other educational resources like flashcards, language-related quizzes and statistics/charts to track progress.

So, putting things into context, (yes, pun intended) Reversos technology is simple at its core and saves words to the users history allowing them to return to previously searched and annotated words for further practice.

Diving deeper into the platform, my goal was to understand just how the technology could take words and phrases that didnt even make sense to me, and make sense of them for non-native speakers. I soon discovered that Reverso context was not your mothers translation app.

I first searched case and point, a phrase that even for a native English speaker, leaves room for misinterpretation, and next looked for honed in on. Here are the results from my attempt at using Reverso to clear up the phrases murky meanings:

Theres a saying, Every man is put on Earth condemned to die, time and method of execution unknown. Perhaps this is as it should be. Case in point: Walter Bedeker, lately deceased, a little man with such a yen to live. Beaten by the Devil, by his own boredom, and by the scheme of things in this  quoted from a 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone.

I then searched honed in on, and got the following result:

Hippies with a finely honed sense of irony, again, yet another way of Reversos technology utilizing popular film and television shows, with this clarifying example coming from Greek.

What Reverso does is nothing short amazing, and what its capable of doing is no simple feat. There are however a few disadvantages of the platform. Currently, the app only supports Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian and Russian, whereas other, more popular translation apps and websites like Google, support more than 90 languages. Where the app truly excels is in its namesake  providing contextualized support for words and phrases through palatable, understandable sentences.
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Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,555 customers in parts of Manhattan. The company also supplies electricity to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey; and gas to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York. In addition, it operates 533 circuit miles of transmission lines; 15 transmission substations; 64 distribution substations; 87,564 in-service line transformers; 3,924 pole miles of overhead distribution lines; and 2,291 miles of underground distribution lines, as well as 4,350 miles of mains and 377,971 service lines for natural gas distribution. Further, the company owns, operates, and develops renewable and energy infrastructure projects; and provides energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, as well as invests in electric and gas transmission projects. It primarily sells electricity to industrial, commercial, residential, and government customers. The company was founded in 1823 and is based in New York, New York.
Kolkata, May 22 (IBNS): Several Left Front workers, who took part in a march to state secretariat Nabanna, were injured when policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel lathicharged them in Kolkata's downtown Esplanade and Maidan area on Monday afternoon.

The Left workers also clashed with the police as they attempted to break barricades in Kolkata and neighbouring Howrah.

Security arrangements were tightened in Nabanna and several part of the city since Monday for the protest march where several top Left leaders participated.

Several Left leaders were reportedly detained by the police.

Left leader Sujan Chankraborty tweeted: "Lefts in WB on street. Red waves. Fight on people's issues. Prepared for march to Nabanna.Madam CM Fleed away from kolkata @MamataOfficial ?."

"Bengal burning. Kolkata ceased by red. Innumerable attacked, hospitalised & arrested. Height of police brutality. Fascistic @MamataOfficial," he said.

The Left parties were protesting against several issues and to draw state government's attention towards their demands.

CPI-M state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra earlier told IBNS, "Our rallies will hit the door of Nabanna today with our demands. We have directed our comrades to be prepared for any situation."

Meanwhile, several media persons, who were covering Left parties' march to state secretariat Nabanna, were injured when policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel lathicharged them in Esplanade area on Monday afternoon.

According to reports, after being assaulted by cops while covering Left parties' march to state secretariat Nabanna, a large number of Kolkata-based scribes blocked a nearby road, demanding an immediate action against the policemen who manhandled them.

A large police force along with RAF and combat force rushed to the scene and after getting direction from senior IPS official Murali Dhar Sharma, security personnel suddenly attacked the peaceful gathering of journalists.

Later police dispersed the agitating reporters from the area.

Hours ago, police restored to lathicharge when Lefts protest march to Nabanna went violent.

Several protesters and at least 12 media persons were seriously injured in the skirmish.

(Image: Subhodeep Sardar)
First BanCorp. operates as a bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico that provides various financial services for retail, commercial, and institutional clients. The company operates through six segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Mortgage Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment offers commercial loans, including commercial real estate and construction loans and floor plan financings; and other products, such as cash management and business management services. The Mortgage Banking segment engages in the origination, sale, and servicing of various residential mortgage loans; acquisition and sale of mortgages in the secondary markets; and purchase of mortgage loans from other local banks and mortgage bankers. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment provides auto, boat, credit card, and personal loans; lines of credit; deposit products comprising interest bearing and non-interest bearing checking and savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and retail certificates of deposit (CDs); and finance leasing and insurance agency services. The Treasury and Investments segment offers funding and liquidity management services. The United States Operations segment provides checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as retail CDs; traditional commercial and industrial, and commercial real estate loans; and internet banking, cash management, remote deposit capture, and automated clearing house, and transactions services. The Virgin Islands Operations segment is involved in consumer, commercial lending, and deposit-taking activities. The company operates 64 branches in Puerto Rico, 8 branches in the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands, and 11 branches in the state of Florida. First BanCorp. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
New Delhi, May 22 (IBNS): Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Arun Jailtey said that the African Development Bankas (AfDB) Annual Meeting organized in India this year is a new chapter in India - Africa relationship.

India-Africa together can shape the future of the world, he added.

Jaitley was speaking at the Opening Session of Annual meeting of African Development Bank themed on 'Africa-India Cooperation on enhancing the High 5 Strategy' at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat today.

Jaitley said, "Our commitment is reflected in high level engagement with Africa on a scale never seen before. He further added that ''India-Africa partnership model is unique; the cornerstone is voluntary partnership without any imposition on partner and the partner is free to decide what is best for them.

Talking about the 'High 5' Agenda of the AfDB, the Finance Minister said that the High 5 Agenda is not different from Indian policy.

If India is a bright spot, then Africa is not very far away, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance called Africa a continent of immense opportunities and said that there are opportunities for India and Africa to revive global growth.

Daniel Kablan Duncan, Vice President, Republic of Cote dlvoire, Akinwumi Adesina, President, African development Bank, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, President designate, CII, Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
Guwahati, May 22 (IBNS): A special court of National Investigating Agency (NIA) in Guwahati on Monday pronounced all 15 accused including former militants, government officials, elected representatives and contractors as guilty in the first two cases registered by the anti-terror probe agency, which relates to siphoning off the multi-crore rupees government funds and diverting it to the coffers of the now disbanded militant group Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel).

Special judge of the NIA court Rabin Phukan pronounced 13 accused in the first case and two being guilty of the all charges in the second one.

The court would decide on the quantum punishment of both cases on May 23.

According to the reports, one accused of the first case was died during the hearing process.

NIA registered two cases (RC-01/2009 and RC-02/2009) at its Delhi headquarter in Jun 2009 following directives by the Union Home Ministry.

The anti-terror probe agency registered its first case in the country on June 5, 2009 following took over the investigation of FIR no 170/2009 of Basistha police station in Guwahati and registered its second case on same day after took over the investigation of FIR no 03/2009 of Diyungmukh police station in Dima Hasao district.

The investigation agency already filed chargesheets in both cases and there were a total of 15 accused in the first case of whom 10 are in judicial custody, three out on bail and one had released after serving sentence.

In the second case, two are in judicial custody out of 16 accused persons.

The anti-terror probe agency had registered the first case after the Assam police apprehended two persons namely Phojendra Hojai and Babul Kemprai and recovered cash amount of Rs 1 crore along with two pistols and letter from their possession.

The money had been siphoned from the development funds alloted to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council in connivance with the contractors and other government servants and was being sent to militant group DHD (J) for procurement of arms and ammunition for waging war against the state. During investigation, eight numbers of M-16 rifle made in Singapore, one 9 mms pistol baretta, 12 walkie-talkie sets with chargers and one telescope Bushnell were also recovered.

In the second case, the anti-terror probe agency said in their chargesheet that, some persons, workers of NC Hills Autonomous Council were going hand over huge amount of money to DHD (J) militants somewhere between Haflong to Diyungmukh for the purpose of procuring arms and ammunition and for promoting terrorist activities with a view to wage war against the state, Assam police stopped and checked a Scorpio vehicle bearing registration number AS-08-5133 in which Golon Daulagpu, Jibangshu Paul were traveling and recovered cash amounting of Rs 32.11 lakh from their possession. During investigation, five numbers of M-16 rifle, three numbers of SLR rifle and other weapons were also recovered.

The NIA had already submitted chargesheets in both cases and included former DHD (J) leaders and present members of the Council Jewel Garlosa alias Mihir Barman, Niranjan Hojai, Redaul Hussain Khan, Mohit Hojai, Babul Kemprai, Phojendra Hojai, Partho Warisa, Vanlalchhana, Malsawmkimi, Debasish Bhattacharya, Sandip Kumar Ghosh, Karuna Saikia, Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, George Lawmthang, Golon Daulagupu, Jibangshu Paul, Samir Ahmed as accused persons.

Among the accused, George Lawmthang died during the hearing process, while Samir Ahmed was released after serving sentence.

Following pronouncement by the court in the terror related cases, former DHD (J) leader and present BJP leader Niranjan Hojai, Jewel Garlosa and contractor Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, those were earlier granted interim bail were sent to the judicial custody.

On the other hand, BJPs Assam unit leader and lawyer Bijon Mahajan on Monday said that, they will move to the high court against the NIAs special court pronouncement against Niranjan Hojai.



(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, May 22 (IBNS): The Assam police on Monday arrested an illegal Bangladeshi migrant in Guwahati.

Acting on a specific input, Guwahati city police raided a house owned by a lawyer at Sundarpur area in the city and arrested the Bangladeshi national, who took shelter at the house since last year.

The arrested Bangladeshi national was identified as Abrihimi Nurula.

During police interrogation, the Bangladeshi national revealed that he was intruded into India in 2005 through the Tripura side and returned to Bangladesh.

He again intruded into India in 2015.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
New Delhi, May 22 (BNS): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued a notice to Director General of Police (DGP) in Jharkhand and demanded detailed report on the alleged killing of seven people by an angry mob.

The NHRC siad in a statement: "The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that in Jharkhand, seven persons were lynched by mob suspecting them to be child kidnappers. Out of the seven persons, four were killed in the Seraikela Kharsawan district and three in Nagadih area of East Singhbhum district."

It said : "Expressing serious concern over the incidents, the Commission has issued a notice to the Director General of Police of Jharkhand, calling for a detailed report in the matter, within four weeks. The Commission also expects comments on the preventive measure taken/proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur."

"The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, carried on the 21st May, 2017, are unpleasant. A civilized society cannot allow such heinous crimes to occur where human lives are taken by angry mob merely on suspicion of them being anti-social elements. The incidents amount to violation of right to life of the innocent victims targeted by the perpetrators. The law enforcing agencies of the state have certainly failed to perform their lawful duty," the NHRC said.

At least seven people have been lynched in a chain of group violence between two communities in Jharkhand since Thursday last over WhatsApp rumours about child lifters being on prowl.

According to media reports, no fresh incident was reported on Sunday and the situation is now under control.

The curfew imposed in four police station areas has also been lifted.

Two of the 17 people named in the FIR were arrested on Sunday afternoon and a hunt is on for the rest.

Image: Internet Grab
Srinagar, May 22 (IBNS): Major Leetul Gogoi, an officer who had tied a protester to the jeep as a 'human shield', received an honor by the Army chief during elections in Srinagar, according to media reports on Monday.

In a recent clash in Kashmir, the Major was seen to tie a protester to the jeep which halted the stone pelting so that the Army could easily pass through the area.

According to reports, Major Gogoi was awarded COAS Commendation Card for his efforts in Counter-insurgency operations, though an inquiry is still in process for his action of tying up a protester on the jeep bonnet.


Mumbai, May 22 (IBNS): Actress Ratna Pathak Shah has just won the Best Achievement in Acting Award at the first Ottawa Indian Film Awards, Canada for her dynamic portrayal of a mid-50s woman in Lipstick Under My Burkha.

Earlier in March Ratna Pathak Shah won the top acting award at the London Asian Film Festival.

This makes it her second acting honour for the film.



Ratna Pathak Shah says, I am happy to hear that the film is being received well wherever its been shown in the world. My part is a really unusual one and so Im not surprised that Usha (my character in the film) is winning awards. I just got a luck chance to embody her! Now lets see how audiences in India react.



Director Alankrita Shrivastava, I am so proud and so happy that all the performances in Lipstick Under My Burkha are being appreciated. The actors really gave the film their all. Ratna has done a fantastic job in the film. And I cant wait for people in India to watch the film.

This award makes this award the 9th Award that Lipstick Under My Burkha has won. Most recently Konkona Sensharma won Best Actress at the New York Indian Film Festival. The film has also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Films de Femmes Festival in France, the Best Film Award at the Glasgow Film Festival, the Best Film Award at the London Asian Film Festival, the Best Film Audience Award at Cinemasia Amsterdam, the Spirit of Asia Prize at The Tokyo International Film Festival, and the Oxfam Award for the Best film on Gender equality.



Lipstick Under My Burkha, produced by Prakash Jha, is the story of four small town women chasing their secret dreams.

The film has already screened at more than 25 film festivals across the world, and will be releasing in India soon.
NORTHAMPTON, MASS.Oprah Winfrey advised Smith College graduates to seek fulfilment by serving others and live with intention during the schools commencement Sunday.

The author, actress and former talk show host addressed more than 600 graduates at the ceremony in Northampton, Massachusetts. She was among five women who received an honorary degree from the womens liberal arts school.

Winfrey told the graduates to shift the paradigm to service and the rewards will come.

This understanding that there is an alignment between who you are and what you do is the real, true empowerment, Winfrey said.

One of Smiths graduating students, Morgan Mpungose, attended the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, a boarding school that the media mogul opened in 2007 for poor girls in South Africa.

Winfrey mentioned Mpungose in her speech, referring to her as Winfreys academy daughter. Winfrey spoke of Mpungoses transformation during her time at the school, and said the hope of seeing such transformations in other women is what led her to found the academy.

When you educate a girl, you are not just educating her, Winfrey said. You are educating her to create opportunities (for others).

Winfrey spoke Saturday at Skidmore Colleges commencement in Saratoga Springs, New York. Skidmores graduating class included a student who had also attended Winfreys Leadership Academy.

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This is how one woman described the terrifying ordeal she endured, recounting it at a preliminary hearing last December.

A prostitute, she was working her usual Carlton St. corner when a man pulled up in his car. When she leaned into the open passenger door he pulled a knife, ordering her to get in. Panicked, she complied. He drove them to his apartment, instructing her to remove her clothing. She tried convincing him not to hurt her. He threatened to stab her in the eye.

The man choked her into unconsciousness. When she came to, she was in the bathtub, the man running a knife down her neck and chest. He told her he was going to drain all her blood and then throw her body into a garbage bag. Clad only in a towel, she was then forced at knifepoint back into the car.

He drove them to a remote area, raping her at the side of a field, she told the court. Then he sodomized her. At that point, he said he would have to kill her because he wasnt going to jail for the abduction and sexual assault.

Instead, after she pleaded with him, he told her to get out of the car. As she began walking away, she heard a gunshot. She dropped to her knees and vomited. The man then caught up to her again, gun in hand, ordering her back into the vehicle. He raped her again, the prostitute pretending to enjoy it in the hope hed let her go. She promised not to go to police.

He drove back to the motel where the woman had been living, shoved $100 into her purse and gave her his phone number after setting up a lunch date for the following day.

Immediately, the 22-year-old went to hospital and called police. An investigation was begun. The man was arrested and released on bail, though he afterwards failed to report.

Two months later, another young woman, same man.

This female was a 17-year-old high school student living on welfare, also working as a prostitute. She did not know the previous alleged victim. She too testified at the preliminary hearing five months ago.

The teenager had two sexual encounters with this man. The first time, they did their business in a parking lot, he paid up, no problem. On the second occasion, he picked her up again, driving his Mercedes. This time he headed straight for the highway, telling the girl he wanted to dominate her and didnt intend to pay for the sex. When she hotly objected, he pulled off to a side road, drew a knife and threatened to kill her, she told the court.

After the teenager removed her clothes, he repeatedly whipped her across the back, legs and stomach with his belt. Then he raped her.

Again, he said shed have to die. He drove them to a parking lot, transferring the girl into the back of an 18-wheeler truck, tying her up with the scarf shed been wearing. After driving for a while, he stopped, got in the back with her and fell asleep. The girl was too afraid to attempt escape because she would have to climb over him to get out.

Upon awakening, he drove to a field. Using her scarf, he tied her to a tree, then whipped her savagely before forcing her to perform oral sex on him, she recalled.

Eventually, the man drove them back towards the city. Believing he intended to murder her, the girl jumped out of the moving car, rolling onto the gravel, breaking her ankle. He motored on and she flagged down a truck. That driver took her to a restaurant and police were called. An investigation was begun.

Imagine all those horrors.

A Canada-wide warrant was issued for the arrest of Raymond Lawrence Burke. By that point, hed already fled to the U.S. where he bought a new identity.

Last week, Burke waltzed out of court in Toronto, a free man.

Justice Julie Thorburn ruled that too much time had passed  31 years  since the allegations, a great deal of evidence had since gone missing or been purged, and Canadian police never attempted to extradite Burke. The judge granted a stay of prosecution brought by Burkes lawyer, agreeing that his Charter rights to a trial within a reasonable time had been violated.

The charges  including kidnapping, choking, sexual assault with a weapon (knife), sexual assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement and uttering threats  disappeared. The trial which had been scheduled for July disappeared. And Burke, now 64, can enjoy life outside prison walls for the first time in more than three decades.

How could this happen? Because Burke had spent 27 of those years in a Colorado prison, convicted of kidnapping, aggravated robbery and assault against a woman five months after crossing the border. He was sentenced to 52 years but paroled in September 2015, held on immigration paperwork and deported to Toronto on Oct. 26, of that year. No extradition request was required, Colorado officials said.

Burke was arrested by Toronto police immediately upon arrival at Pearson and had been in custody awaiting trial ever since. Until last Wednesday.

The preliminary hearing publication ban is no longer in effect because the charges no longer exist.

What a shemozzle.

In her application to stay the proceedings, Burkes lawyer Alison Craig  two previous lawyers had themselves removed  wrote that, despite a Toronto officer telling Colorado officials back in 1987 that extradition would be sought when the American proceeding was concluded, there is no evidence the extradition process was ever initiated.

The view on this end, as Crown attorney Christine Jenkins stated in the respondents factum, was that Burke would live the rest of his natural life imprisoned in the United States.

The charges related to the first complainant were withdrawn by the Crown in 2005, for reasons not made clear in the documents. Those charges were reinstated last July, after police tracked the woman down.

Most of the evidence in relation to the case has since been lost, Burkes lawyer, Alison Craig, wrote in her application.

All the original documents from that case were destroyed when the charges were dropped. In the second case, medical records no longer exist and the clothing the woman was wearing, seized by police, couldnt be located.

No witness statements remain from 1986 and the witnesses memories are now extremely faded, Craig argued.

The Crown countered that there were no witnesses to the crimes, other than the alleged victims, and they were both prepared to testify at trial.

Crucial to the judicial conundrum, however, is all the years that had passed, and a 2016 Supreme Court of Canada ruling which rewrote the framework for what constitutes an unreasonable, and therefore unconstitutional, trial delay. For cases prosecuted in superior court, the presumptive ceiling  barring exceptional circumstances the Crown must establish  was set at 30 months.

Burkes lawyer calculated the net delay, taking into consideration periods attributed to the conduct of the defence at 29 years and 11 months.

The Crown argued Burke had avoided prosecution by fleeing and his subsequent incarceration amounted to a self-inflicted delay. By the Crowns calculation, the clock started ticking at his airport arrest and set the delay at 19 months.

All those factors  no extradition attempted, masses of lost and destroyed evidence, Burkes constitutional right to trial within a reasonable time frame  combined to convince Thorburn on the merits of tossing out the charges.

Its a knotty legal thing, you see  or maybe you dont  the circumstances apparently insufficiently exceptional.

The Crown is reviewing whether to seek an appeal.

Otherwise, Burke will never have to face his accusers at trial and they will never get a shot at justice.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

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Three proposed condo buildings in the Distillery District are rankling residents and raising questions about what kind of development is appropriate for the national historic site.

Some locals say the proposals will increase congestion and hide the districts marquee squares in shadow.

But the architects for Cityscape, the developer on two of the projects, say the development is needed to continue revitalizing and preserving some of the citys most important heritage resources.

The proposals will add around 1,000 new condo units to the district, pushing the density above the target set by the official plan, according to Gooderham and Worts Neighbourhood Association president Michael Brewer.

It brings a lot of density to the neighbourhood that isnt needed and cant really be supported, Brewer said.

That extra density means more people in the districts public spaces, especially during high-traffic periods like the Christmas Market. In 2015 market organizers started charging a $5 admission fee in an attempt to curb the crowds that were cramming into the districts narrow Victorian laneways.

The other major concern residents have is the shadows that would be cast by the proposed towers. As Brewer points out, one of the big draws to the Distillery District is the sunlight the areas squares and laneways get in the summer.

Adding a 49-storey tower at 31a Parliament will drastically reduce that sunlight, Brewer said.

It would shade Trinity Square which is the main feature at this national historic site, he said.

A shadow study presented at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing on May 15th showed that at 2 p.m. on June 21, the tower will cast a shadow over about half of Trinity Square. At that time on that day of the year, the sun is near its highest in the sky  the further from that day the calendar gets, the longer the shadow cast will be.

But aside from these issues, the developments raise questions about how to balance heritage preservation with density in Toronto.

Were not doing a good job of it, says architect Catherine Nasmith.

Nasmith specializes in heritage rehabilitation and urban planning, and is a frequent commenter on the citys development issues.

When it becomes a forest of towers, its just not a place people will want to be. Im not sure we have an intelligent idea about when enough is enough, Nasmith said.

The Distillery District is already a national historic site, and is subject to the Ontario Heritage Act. The City of Toronto also has a heritage designation study underway, which could result in the area getting a Heritage Conservation District designation. That would add more protections for the site and require city approval for any alterations, additions or demolitions within the site.

But Nasmith worries that with all the condo development taking place in the area right now, the horse may already be out of the barn before the city even finishes its assessment.

The city cant seem to keep up with the development industry.  she said.

In 2015 Nasmith delivered a lecture in Hamilton called Main Street as Old Growth Forest. The idea was to apply analogies from the environmental conservation movement to city planning and urban design.

Her argument was that you need a mix of new and old buildings for the ecology of a healthy neighbourhood to thrive.

Nasmith said an area like the Distillery District, with its deep historical roots, deserves to be protected from the kind of intense condo development thats happened in places like Liberty Village or Humber Bay Shores.

Were losing that kind of interesting fine-grained stuff that makes the city so unique, she said.

Condos are coarse-grained, its big money. What were creating is a monoculture, Nasmith said.

On the other hand, the Distillery District is almost by definition an old growth neighbourhood. And it likely wouldnt have survived at all if it werent for the development and revitalization thats already taken place, thanks largely to the district owner and developer Cityscape, argues Urban Toronto publisher Edward Skira.

I remember when it was a factory, and it was empty and there was nothing down there, Skira said.

They took strong bones, and they fixed up a lot of those old buildings and put new life to them. From that perspective its great, he said.

But doing so cost money, and for the Distillery District, that money came from condos, Skira said.

Skira lives in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, just west of the Distillery District. He said he sees the same kind of not-in-my-back yard resistance to development there as well, but figures that without it the communities wouldnt be as vibrant as theyve become.

Frankly its two blocks from the subway. Its three blocks from the tallest building in Canada. To pretend that youre living in Orangeville or some place like that is rather silly, he said. If youre going to live downtown, thats part of what you get downtown.

Updated proposals for a 13-storey condo at 60 Mill St., a heritage building also called Rack House D, and a 49-storey tower at 31a Parliament St. were heard at the Ontario Municipal Board this week.

Part of the 31a Parliament proposal includes a four- and five-storey ribbon building that runs along the southern edge of the Distillery District all the way to Cherry St. The north side of that building will include retail and office space, as well as a redesigned Cherry Square with a new cafe space.

A third proposal, for a 47-storey tower at 31 Parliament, has also been appealed to the OMB, but a hearing date hasnt yet been set.

Gilles Saucier is the architect behind the Rack House D redevelopment. As he told the OMB hearing on May 15, he and Cityscape see the project as a chance to breathe new life into an important heritage building thats currently sitting empty and unused.

It will contribute to the neighbourhood in so many ways, including saving that building, Saucier said.

Architect Bruce Kuwabara has worked on the proposal for 31a Parliament since 2012. At the OMB hearings he said that the new designs for that condo tower and ribbon building will help improve the district.

There are very few places where people go and just walk around, actually get out of their cars, Kuwabara said.

The goal of the ribbon building is to enhance that walkability, Kuwabara said, by adding street-level retail along the southern edge of the district, which is currently a parking lot. That parking will be taken underground into the ribbon buildings basement, he said, freeing up space in both Trinity and Cherry Squares. He compared the vision for the redesigned spaces to that of a European piazza where there is a cafe on the ground floor and an apartment above it.

Its convivial. Thats why people go to Europe, Kuwabara said.

But local residents disagree.

Its way too high, said Kristin Scythes, a resident-owner in the existing condo tower at 70 Distillery Lane. Its blocking off the view from the water. Its a whole city block of concrete from Cherry to Parliament that will be an eyesore, Scythes said.

Scythes said the increased density and traffic is a concern both for safety at night and more traffic and crowding during the day. The planned cafe in Cherry Square is steps from her front door, she said.

Its my front lawn, she said. Would you want a cafe on your front lawn?

Residents at 70 Mill St. worry that the new condo floors at 60 Mill St. will encroach on their privacy because the buildings are separated by a laneway thats a scant 6.5 metres wide.

Brewer said the Gooderham and Worts Neighbourhood Association isnt against all development. The plans for the ribbon building attached to 31a Parliament are great, he said, and will help improve the neighbourhood. The problem, he says, is that theyve been down this road before.

The ribbon building was first proposed as part of the existing towers at 70 Distillery Lane, where Scythes lives, and 370 Cherry St.

Those towers were finished in 2013, but the ribbon building was never built.

They just built the two towers but none of the shops or amenities that would go along with them, Brewer said.

The original proposals put forward by developer Cityscape called for a 34-storey tower at 60 Mill St. and 57 storey tower at 31a Parliament. Through mediation with city staff, Cityscape reduced 60 Mill St. to 13 storeys and 31a Parliament to 49. The Goldberg Group is behind the pitch for 31 Parliament.

All three of the projects require amendments to the Distillery Districts Official Plan and zoning bylaws. All three were originally rejected by the city planning staff before the developers appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. A written decision on 60 Mill St. and 31a Parliament is expected sometime this spring.

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The Cape Sable Lighthouse stands on a small piece of land, composed of shifting sand dunes, just off the southern tip of Cape Sable Island. At 30 metres, its the tallest lighthouse in Nova Scotia. Its a key navigational aid, known to anyone who takes to the surrounding water. Says one local fisherman: You know where that lighthouse is at all times.

By 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12  about 90 minutes after leaving West Head wharf  Katlin Nickerson and the crew are south of Cape Sable Island. Katlin has the Miss Ally steaming east. In the distance, off the port side, is the Cape Sable Lighthouse. Its beam is likely visible to Katlin in the wheelhouse, and perhaps to Cole Nickerson, Joel Hopkins, Tyson Townsend and Billy Jack Hatfield. More likely the light goes unnoticed by Katlin and his crew; theyve spotted the Cape Sable light plenty of times before. Tonight theyre probably focused solely on the trip ahead: the weather, where theyll fish and, most importantly, getting some sleep before they start.

As promised, Katlin calls Sandy Stoddard, aboard the Logan & Morgan, for advice on fishing spots. Over the satellite phone, Sandy passes along some co-ordinates and water depths he thinks will be fruitful this time of year. Sandy is happy to offer guidance to Katlin. He also feels the need to, once again, emphasize caution.

As a young skipper Sandy felt invincible. He ventured into bad storms with little doubt that hed emerge unscathed and with a full hold of fish. Three different times Sandy was written off in storms  everyone on shore assumed he wouldnt make it back. One day, early in his career, Sandy was at the wharf preparing to head out on the Debbie & Jamie. His Uncle Alfie strolled down the wharf.

What are you doing? Alfie asked.

Im going out.

Did you see that sundog today?

Sandy paused. Whats a sundog?

Alfie said nothing. He turned and walked back up the wharf.

Out at sea, Sandy got caught in a huge storm. He lost 26 tubs of brand-new gear and was fortunate to get back to shore at all. Sandy was tying up at the wharf after the trip when Alfie reappeared.

Now you know what a sundog is, his uncle said.

A sundog  when bright spots or coloured rays appear to come off the sun at certain angles  is now one of the many signs that warn Sandy of poor weather.

Now on the satellite phone with Katlin, Sandy has taken on the role of his Uncle Alfie.

Be careful, he tells Katlin. Dont take no unnecessary chances.

Katlin and the crew begin setting their gear on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Katlin remains in regular contact with Sandy as their crews set and haul gear. The two men are far apart on the cold Atlantic but they share information and keep one another updated on their progress, chatting every day and night by satellite phone.

Sandy is roughly 100 kilometres east of Canso, N.S., up near Cape Breton. Katlin and his crew are closer to Woods Harbour, nearly 200 kilometres offshore.

The first reports of bad weather arrive on Thursday afternoon, broadcast over each captains very high frequency radio. By early Friday morning, the forecast has worsened: west winds of 90 kilometres an hour are coming on Sunday afternoon.

Chrisjon Stoddard, Sandys son, arrives at the fishing grounds near his father at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. Chrisjon, helming the Benji & Sisters, started fishing with his father at age 6. At 19, a year after graduating high school, he became a captain. He started out skippering his fathers boat and spent a summer on the Grand Banks. Though similar in age to Katlin when he took the wheel, Chrisjon estimates he had three times as much experience at sea. He credits his dad with teaching him how to handle a boat in a storm. I learnt by him and going by his lead and learning from his actions, he says.

In the early morning darkness of Saturday, Feb. 16, Chrisjons crew fires out their longlining gear. Shortly after they begin, Chrisjon receives the latest Environment Canada forecast. Its not good. A low-pressure system is expected to develop near Cape Hatteras, N.C., and intensify as it tracks north. By Sunday night, the system will be lying directly over Nova Scotia, creating gale-force winds. A storm warning is now in effect for the waters from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Breton and beyond. Any boats still out when this storm arrives will have to face snow, whipping winds of more than 90 kilometres an hour, and waves up to seven metres tall. Chrisjon has just set his first string of gear, but he wont be staying long. He picks up his radio and calls his father.

You listening to the weather? Chrisjon asks.

No, not really, Sandy responds, unconcerned.

Its giving quite a bad storm.

Is it?

Take a look at it.

Sandy checks the forecast. Yeah, that dont look good, Sandy tells Chrisjon.

The father-son pair decides theyll head for Cape Breton once their gear is pulled in. Chrisjon knows Katlin is also at sea, and hes fished with every guy currently aboard the Miss Ally.

You better call Katlin and let him know, Chrisjon says.

Yeah, Ill call him, Sandy assures him.

Katlin is more than 300 kilometres to the west of Sandy and Chrisjon. The storm will be thrashing through his area many hours before it hits Sandy and Chrisjon. Katlin must also retreat, and soon. Sandy calls Katlin on his satellite phone.

Did you look at the weather forecast? Sandy asks.

Katlin hasnt.

Its not giving very good weather, Sandy notes.

The weather aint that bad here, Katlin responds.

Not right now, because it aint got there yet.

Sandy explains the situation: theres an approaching low-pressure system that will bring wind and big waves.

You gotta get your gear and get outta there, Sandy advises.

What are you and Chrisjon doing?

Were gettin our gear back and were gone. Were going into Cape Breton.

Ill get my gear and Im gonna go too, Katlin says.

But it will be another 36 hours before Katlin finally has his gear onboard and begins steering the Miss Ally toward shore.

Its nearly dark on Saturday when Sandys crew hauls in its final piece of gear. Sandy and his son, Chrisjon, promptly turn their boats toward Petit-de-Grat, an Acadian fishing village on the southern tip of Cape Breton. Sandy calls Katlin to confirm hes also on his way in. Aboard the Miss Ally, its Joel who answers the satellite phone.

Whats going on? Sandy asks.

Katlins laying down, Joel responds.

Laying down? Whats he doing laying down?

We couldnt find our gear.

Joel tells Sandy that the boats inverter isnt working. Without it, they cant power the bright overhead light the crew uses when working at night. The lighting is essential. High flyers  the pieces of longlining gear that stick above the water  are topped with radar reflectors, making them traceable by radar. But in rough weather it can be hard to detect them because they dip behind waves and are rolled by the wind. The hunt for your gear is made easier if you have an overhead light, typically mounted high above the wheelhouse. During bad weather, the lights are running constantly so you can find your gear  and see whats coming at you.

Katlin is essentially driving the Miss Ally blindfolded. And with the high flyers hiding between waves, its becoming increasingly difficult to locate the gear. Joel tells Sandy the plan: theyll stay the night, find and haul the gear at first light Sunday morning, and then gun for shore to outrun the storm.

Sandy knows no fisherman wants to leave gear behind. And Katlin borrowed about half of the gear for this trip from John Symonds. John has helped Katlin extensively  first giving him a deckhand job and, more recently, aiding Katlin as he worked to get his own boat shipshape. The idea of returning with little or none of Johns gear must be influencing Katlins thought process, at least to some degree. But sometimes you must abandon your lines, buoys, anchors and high flyers and simply hope to retrieve it all later.

You fellas cant stay there, Sandy tells Joel. You gotta get out of there.

For now, though, the Miss Ally will stay offshore. It is not, however, a unanimous decision. Cole calls his girlfriend, Shelby, on Saturday night. Tyson and I arent happy. Were upset, Cole tells her. We want to go in. Were done.

Shelby knows Cole isnt reckless like he used to be. A younger version of Cole may have voted to stay out, might have even been excited to remain at sea and ride the rough waves. But hes matured in recent years and tonight Cole wants to steam for shore. Not that votes matter  fishing boats are not run as democracies. A captain always has final say, and that decision is to be respected. Cole and Tyson have been outranked.

Later that night, as Cole and the rest of the crew lie in their bunks waiting for daylight, a massive storm is building and barrelling toward them. At 3 a.m. Sunday, Environment Canada issues a worsening forecast, calling for waves to reach 10 metres.

On Sunday morning, Sandy Stoddard calls Katlin again.

How ya making out? he asks.

The crew has located the gear  about 25 tubs worth  and is starting to haul it in, Katlin reports.

Its not bad here right now. We aint got no wind, Katlin tells Sandy.

Youre going to have wind before nightfall. You got to get your gear and get going.

As soon as we get it well be on our way, Katlin assures him calmly.

Katlin gives a similar report to Terry Zinck at Xsealent Seafood. Katlin is fishing for Terrys quota. Although he used to be a fisherman himself, Terry doesnt tell those who fish for him how to conduct their affairs at sea. Its a business arrangement and each man is free to do his own thing. Today, however, the forecast is menacing. Terry suggests Katlin race for shore; they can always get the gear later. But Katlin is confident they can haul the gear aboard and get underway in time to outrun the approaching system. Katlin tells Terry hell call later to set up a time on Monday to unload the boat.

The call never comes.

Hours pass, yet the Miss Ally is no closer to shore. Its not until late Sunday afternoon that the crew finally gets the gear in. The positive news is that theyve made a good haul. Via satellite phone, Katlin tells his grandfather Ronnie that they have about 20,000 pounds of halibut in the hold, including a 250-pounder. Katlin wants his grandfather to come see the big fish when they reach land.

Terry Zinck is paying $8 per pound at the wharf. Its a good price for halibut. Katlin can do the rough calculations in his head: he is potentially sitting on $160,000 worth of fish. After paying quota charges, including $57,000 to Terry, hell be left with about $93,000  enough to cover expenses and ensure a nice payday for himself, Joel, Tyson, Cole, and Billy Jack. And Terry has quota left. Theyll be able to return for more fish.

But first they must outrun a ferocious winter storm. Tied up in Cape Breton, Sandy Stoddard is confused. Why did it take so long to pull in 25 tubs of gear? By now, however, its a moot point. With the gear stowed, Katlin is finally steaming for shore. Yet the storm Katlin was hoping to escape has descended.

The wind has just struck here, Katlin tells Sandy over the satellite phone. Its blowing hard.

Well, be very careful, Sandy warns him.

The water around the Miss Ally is now full of large lurking waves. As daylight disappears, Katlin  without his overhead light  cant see any of them.

An edited excerpt, reprinted with permission from Nimbus Publishing 2017, Quentin Casey

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SOUTH BEND, IND.Dozens of graduates and family members silently stood and walked out Sunday as Vice-President Mike Pence began his address at Notre Dames commencement ceremony.

Pence, the former governor of Indiana, was invited to speak after Notre Dame students and faculty protested the prospect of President Donald Trump being invited to become the seventh U.S. president to give the commencement address.

Pence spoke briefly of Trump, praising his speech to the leaders of 50 Arab and Muslim nations earlier in the day in Saudi Arabia. Pence said the president spoke out against religious persecution of all people of all faiths and on the world stage he condemned, in his words, the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews and the slaughter of Christians.

Read more: Trump urges Arab leaders to fight crisis of Islamic terrorism in major speech

Trump has faced harsh criticism for his anti-Islamic rhetoric during the campaign, as well as his administrations legal battle to impose a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.

Earlier in the ceremony, valedictorian Caleb Joshua Pine urged a stand against the scapegoating of Muslims and criticized Trumps push to build a wall along the Mexican border.

Cassandra Dimaro and her parents were among those who walked out. Dimaro told the South Bend Tribune that it was a show of solidarity for those of us impacted by the policies of the Trump administration.

Pence didnt comment on the walkout, which was expected, but he did allude to clashes at campuses elsewhere that have derailed appearances by controversial speakers, such as conservative firebrand Ann Coulter at the University of California at Berkeley.

This university (Notre Dame) is a vanguard of the freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas at a time, sadly, when free speech and civility are waning on campuses across America, he said.

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A man told police he killed his two roommates because they were neo-Nazis who disrespected his recent conversion to Islam, and investigators found bomb-making materials and Nazi propaganda after he led them to the bodies.

Devon Arthurs, 18, told police he had until recently shared his roommates neo-Nazi beliefs, but that he converted to Islam, according to court documents and a statement the Tampa Police Department released Monday.

Arthurs is being charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and three counts of armed kidnapping. Court records did not list an attorney for him.

In the apartment with the victims bodies on Friday, investigators found Nazi and white supremacist propaganda; a framed picture of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh; and explosives and radioactive substances, according to the court documents.

They also found a fourth roommate, Brandon Russell, crying and standing outside the apartments front door in his U.S. Army uniform.

Thats my roommate (Russell). He doesnt know whats going on and just found them like you guys did, Arthurs told the police officers, according to the report.

Federal agents arrested Russell, 21, on Saturday on charges related to the explosives.

The FBI said Russell admitted to his neo-Nazi beliefs and said he was a member of a group called Atomwaffen, which is German for atomic weapon.

Major Caitlin Brown, spokesperson for the Florida National Guard, confirmed Russell was a current member of the Florida National Guard. But she couldnt immediately provide any other information.

Arthurs started the chain of events on Friday when he held two customers and an employee hostage at gunpoint at a Tampa smoke shop, police said. He was complaining about the treatment of Muslims.

He further informed all three victims that he was upset due to America bombing his Muslim countries, police Detective Kenneth Nightlinger wrote in his report.

Officers talked Arthurs into letting the hostages go and dropping his weapon, and took him into custody.

While in custody, police said Arthurs started talking about killing two people, and then he directed them to a condominium complex where the four roommates shared an apartment.

I had to do it, Arthurs told police. This wouldnt have had to happen if your country didnt bomb my country.

Inside the apartment, the officers found the bodies of 22-year-old Jeremy Himmelman and 18-year-old Andrew Oneschuk. Both had been shot.

Police called in the FBI and a bomb squad, which found enough explosives to constitute a bomb, according to federal agents.

At first, Russell told agents he kept the explosives from his days in an engineering club at the University of South Florida in 2013, and that he used the substances to boost homemade rockets. The agents wrote that the substance found was too energetic and volatile for these types of uses.

Russell has been charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device and unlawful storage of explosive material. Court records did not list an attorney for him.

Andrew Auernheimer, a notorious computer hacker and Internet troll, wrote a post about the killings for The Daily Stormer, a leading neo-Nazi website.

Auernheimer, known online as weev, said in Sundays post that he knew the shooting suspect and both of the shooting victims. He said he banned Arthurs from The Daily Stormers Discord server, an online forum, for posting Muslim terrorist propaganda earlier this year.

He came in to convert people to Islam, Auernheimer said during a telephone interview Monday. It didnt work out very well for him.

Auernheimer described Himmelman and Oneschuk as friends of friends and said they belonged to the Atomwaffen group.

Atomwaffen are a bunch of good dudes. Theyve posted tons of fliers with absolutely killer graphics at tons of universities over the years. They generally have a lot of fun and party, he wrote.

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JAKARTA, INDONESIAIndonesian police detained dozens of men including several foreigners in a weekend raid on a gay sauna in the capital, another sign of growing hostility to homosexuality in the worlds most populous Muslim nation.

Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono said 141 men were detained for questioning in the raid Sunday evening on the gym and sauna in north Jakarta. Police say the sauna was the venue for a sex party promoted as The Wild One.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, but police said the countrys pornography laws had been violated. Ten people will be charged, police said, including the saunas owner, several staff including strippers, a gym trainer, receptionist and security guard, and two visitors to the club who allegedly performed oral sex. If found guilty, they face penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines.

Read more: Indonesian Shariah court sentences gay couple to 85 lashes in public caning

As media waited for a police news conference on Monday afternoon, some of the arrested men were put on display, their faces covered by black ski masks. Last month, police in Surabaya, Indonesias second-largest city, arrested 14 men at what they alleged was a sex party and forced them to have HIV tests.

A coalition of legal aid and criminal justice reform groups condemned the raid and arbitrary arrests. It said police further violated the rights of those arrested by photographing them naked and facilitating the spread of those images on social media.

The group, which is providing legal representation, said in a statement that some of the men were brought to a police station in north Jakarta naked, and that others were stripped at the station.

North Jakarta chief police detective Nasriadi, who goes by one name, said four foreigners were caught in the raid  two men from Malaysia, one Singaporean and one UK man. They are still being questioned as witnesses, he said.

Indonesias low-profile LGBT community has been increasingly under siege in the past year. Prejudice has been fanned by stridently anti-gay comments from Cabinet ministers and other high-profile Indonesians.

Last week, a Shariah court in the conservative province of Aceh sentenced two men to public caning for gay sex. Vigilantes broke into the couples rented accommodation to film them having sex and handed them over to Shariah police. The court sentenced the men, aged 20 and 23, to 85 lashes each, sparking condemnation from rights groups.

Aceh is the only province in Indonesia to practice Shariah law, though some areas have adopted Shariah-style bylaws.

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TOKYONorth Korea said Monday it is ready to start mass-producing a new medium-range missile after a weekend test-launch confirmed its combat readiness.

It called the missile, capable of reaching Japan and major U.S. military bases there, an answer to U.S. President Donald Trumps policies.

The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 500 kilometres and reached a height of 560 kilometres on Sunday before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. North Koreas media said more missiles will be launched in the future.

Trump, travelling in Saudi Arabia and Israel, had no immediate public comment.

Read more:

North Korea calls most recent missile test a success

Why does North Korea hate the U. S.? Lets go back to the Korean War

Newest missile could carry nuclear warhead, more tests coming: North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday. The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its adaptability under various battle conditions before it is deployed to military units.

Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, approved the deployment of this weapon system for action and said that it should be rapidly mass-produced.

North Korea has significantly speeded up its missile tests over the past year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that poses a threat to South Korea and Japan  which together host about 80,000 U.S. troops  and developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

Its moving ahead with its nuclear weapons program as well.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year. It claims one was a hydrogen bomb and the other device created a more powerful explosion than any it has previously tested. Satellite imagery suggests it could be ready to conduct its next test  which would be its sixth  at virtually any time.

North Koreas often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington or other U.S. cities.

Its state media, meanwhile, have stepped up their calls for even more missile launches because of what the government says is an increasingly hostile policy from President Trump.

The Trump administration would be well advised to lend an ear to the voices of concern that are heard from the U.S. and the international community, North Koreas Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Sunday. Many more Juche weapons capable of striking the U.S. will be launched from this land. This is the DARKs answer to the Trump administration.

Juche, in this usage, refers to domestically produced and DARK is short for the Norths official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is disappointing and disturbing.

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting after the launch, which its Foreign Ministry said throws cold water on efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

At the request of diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea, urgent United Nations Security Council consultations on the missile test are to take place Tuesday.

Frances U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said he hopes the council will move ahead on a strong new resolution that imposes tougher new sanctions against North Korea and requires better implementation of existing sanctions.

He said a new resolution is being negotiated and council members are expected to discuss it during Tuesdays closed consultations.

Britains U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said the United Kingdom supports a statement condemning the latest outrageous provocation and urgent work to bring the council together to impose additional measures.

North Korea a week earlier successfully tested a new mid-range missile  the Hwasong 12  that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea and represents another big advance toward a viable ICBM.

David Wright, an expert on North Koreas missiles and nuclear program with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the latest missile could have flown farther but was fired on a lofted trajectory, which sends the missile high up so that it will land in the open seas rather than flying over or splashing down near neighbouring countries.

He noted the Pukguksong-2s solid fuel is of particular concern.

Solid-fuel missiles have their fuel loaded before being moved into place, allowing them to be launched faster and with more secrecy. Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, are generally fuelled at the launch site in a process that can last an hour and requires fuelling and other vehicles. That makes them easier to spot and easier to destroy.

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JERUSALEMPresident Donald Trump on Monday defended himself against allegations he divulged classified information in a recent meeting with Russian diplomats, saying alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he never identified Israel in his Oval Office conversation.

At the end of his appearance with Netanyahu, Trump said that he never mentioned the word or the name Israel in his conversation with Russias foreign minister and ambassador. So you have another story wrong, he said.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

Various reports, quoting anonymous officials, have said Trump did share classified information with Russian diplomats about the threat posed by Daesh, also known as the Islamic State group, and several have said that information came from Israeli intelligence. But news accounts have not accused Trump of naming Israel as a source of the information.

Netanyahu said that U.S.-Israeli intelligence co-operation is terrific, attempting to dismiss concerns that the incident violated the confidentiality of an agreement with Israel.

Earlier Monday, on Trumps first visit to Israel as president, he said he sees a growing recognition among Muslim nations that they share a common cause with Israel in their determination to counter threats posed by Iran.

Read more:

Emboldened by Rouhani win, Iranians seek further reforms

U.S. congressional committees pledged to aggressively investigate Trump-Russia connection

Arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump expressed his hope for co-operation among U.S. allies in the Middle East. Israel was his second stop on a nine-day tour aimed to test the waters for reviving the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Trump, who had previously suggested that it would be easier than anticipated to solve the conflict that has vexed his predecessors for decades, said that conditions were right in both Israel and the Arab world to strike what he has called the ultimate deal.

We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, Trump said upon his arrival in Tel Aviv.

Trumps first stop was a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. In a statement following the meeting, Trump addressed his meetings the previous day with Arab and Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, and said that there is growing realization that they share a goal with Israel in their determination to defeat extremism and deter the threat posed by Iran.

Netanyahu called Trump a true friend to Israel and expressed optimism about the presidents role in the Middle East peace process. But obstacles have emerged that may complicate the relationship between the White House and the Israel.

Trump, wearing a black skullcap, on Monday became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall. Trump touched it in prayer and, adhering to tradition, placed a note in a deep crevice. He also toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which by Christian tradition is where Jesus was crucified and the location of his tomb. On Tuesday, he is set to meet with Palestinian lead Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and deliver a speech at the Israeli Museum.

But Trump may face concerns from Israelis over the new $110 billion arms deal he announced during his stop in Saudi Arabia as well as questions from Israeli officials about the revelations that he disclosed sensitive Israeli intelligence to Russian officials. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, said the U.S. could provide clarifications to Israel about the disclosure but said, I dont know that theres anything to apologize for.

White House aides have also tried to play down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trumps stop, casting the visit as symbolic. Tillerson referred to the visit as a moment in time and suggested that the U.S. would take a more active role in the future in brokering a deal if both sides make serious commitments.

Trump, whose unorthodox approach has spurred some hope on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has done no such managing of expectations. He boldly stated that achieving peace is something that I think is, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years. in March during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

But we need two willing parties, he said then. We believe Israel is willing. We believe youre willing. And if you both are willing, were going to make a deal.

And Trump made one symbolic gesture Monday in bridging the gap between Israel and the Arab world. His flight on Air Force One was believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel, nations that have limited diplomatic relations. Even the White House press corps making the trip on a separate plane from Riyadh to Tel Aviv had to make a technical stop in Cyprus before proceeding to Israel.

Netanyahu said he hoped an Israeli prime minister could soon make the same flight.

Gulf Arab countries long have been suspicious about Iran, whether thats the United Arab Emirates long-running dispute over Iran seizing several Persian Gulf islands from it in 1971 to Bahrains simmering anger over a 1981 coup attempt it blamed on the newly formed Islamic Republic.

The Obama administrations nuclear negotiations further fuelled Gulf nations worries about Irans regional intentions, especially as it backs Shiite militias fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and supported the government of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad that many had opposed through supporting rebel groups there.

Trump is seeking to ease concerns that his policies wouldnt be as beneficial to Israel as once believed. He has taken a tougher line on settlements than Israeli officials had expected, urging restraint but though not calling for a full halt to construction. Trump has also retreated from a campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other presidents who have made similar promises.

Palestinians, who viewed Trumps victory with some trepidation, are said to have been pleasantly surprised by Trumps openness during a recent meeting with Abbas in Washington.

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Like many writers I know, Ive done a lot of soul-searching recently about questions of freedom of speech and cultural appropriation.

To me, its not a simple issue. While Im sick to my stomach that white editors in positions of considerable power would jokingly tweet about funding a cultural appropriation prize, it also nauseates me that Hal Niedzviecki would lose his job as editor of Write (the magazine of the Writers Union of Canada) for penning a controversial opinion piece.

Its been a bad week for intercultural respect. And for freedom of speech.

Niedzvieckis opinion piece, Winning the Appropriation Prize, which appeared in an issue of Write dedicated to Indigenous writers, was ham-fisted and offensive  in parts. In other parts, it was a timely plea for writers to step outside the box of their own ethnicity and culture, learn about other people, and write about them.

Having read the entire article, I dont think that Niedzviecki meant to suggest that Indigenous cultures had never been exploited by imperial colonizers, nor that it was OK to do so. But his article could legitimately be read and interpreted in that way. And it was  which led to the fallout weve witnessed.

I dont know Niedzviecki. But I do know that over the past few years, he transformed Write from a boring union newsletter to a vibrant publication with more diverse contributors than before his tenure. And I know enough about how small magazines work, (IE. on a shoestring) that Id lay money on a bet that Niedzviecki either originated, or strongly backed, the idea of an issue dedicated to Indigenous writers, and worked hard to solicit contributions and get them into print.

The feelings of anger and betrayal expressed by Indigenous writers who were blindsided by Niedzvieckis article are completely understandable and we, as fellow writers, must take them to heart. But I also believe that the List of Demands published by The Writers Unions Equity Task Force in reaction to Niedzvieckis article went completely beyond the pale.

Not only did the list call for a retraction and an apology, it also demanded (No. 6) that the next editor of Write must not only be an Indigenous writer or writer of colour, but also, active and respected in Indigenous sovereignty or anti-racist cultural movements for at least three years; and (No. 7) that all future Writers Union office staff be active and respected in anti-oppression cultural movements for at least three years with priority given to Indigenous writers, racialized writers, writers with disabilities and trans writers.

Further, the Task Force demanded (No. 4) Protocols for editing all issues of Write that build in accountability to issues of race and colonialism. Accountability, it seems, would be monitored by (No. 9) a new in-house Equity Officer active and respected in Indigenous sovereignty or anti-racist cultural movements for at least three years.

Im sorry if people are offended by what Im about to say, but to demand that all staff of the Writers Union must hew to a certain political line  and that all content of Write must be vetted in accordance with that line  smacks of totalitarianism.

Just as cultural appropriation evokes a strong reaction in Indigenous people, political totalitarianism evokes a strong reaction in many people of European descent  people sometimes labelled by the anti-racist cultural movement as simply white.

Many Canadians of European origin have experienced  or have parents or grandparents who experienced  repression for their political or artistic beliefs under 20th century totalitarian regimes. People were imprisoned for expressing opinions deemed politically unacceptable. Some lost their lives.

Freedom of speech is not just a megaphone used by the powerful to shout down their voiceless opponents (though it can be misused this way). Freedom of speech is a fundamental principle that we, as writers, must defend.

I believe more Indigenous journalists should be hired in Canadian newsrooms. I believe journalists who are not Indigenous should strive to learn about Indigenous issues and cover them with fairness, accuracy, and empathy. I believe more books, poems, plays and films by Indigenous creators should be published and distributed. I believe novelists who are not Indigenous should, respectfully, include Indigenous characters in their works; because leaving Indigenous people out of stories can be as racist as falsely portraying Indigenous people within stories. I believe that people shouldnt lose their jobs for expressing their opinions.

I want to believe that I can believe in both: intercultural respect, and freedom of expression. I hope thats possible in Canada today.

Kate Jaimet is an Ottawa-based writer and journalist.

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Los Angeles, May 22 (IBNS): After his powerful performances in Avatar, Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans, Sam Worthington will be seen as an assassin in Hunteras Prayer.

Interestingly, Sam is also one of the producers of the film and chiefly responsible for bringing The Hunters Prayer to life.

This high octane action thriller is director by Jonathan Mostow of Terminator 3- Rise of the Machines fame.

Hunter's Prayer focuses on a solitary assassin, hired to kill a young woman. When he can't bring himself to pull the trigger the plan falls apart, setting in motion a twisted game of cat and mouse. Speaking about the film Worthington says, Action movies are normally stand there, blow shit up, shoot the gun, run. It's never about would you really want to pull your gun out at this point? What's the emotional state you're in? I've never experienced that in any action movie I've done. When all the bombs and the bells and whistles are going off, what's going on in these two peoples hearts?

Director Jonathan Mostows further adds, In my opinion, the best thrillers are the ones where the audience is thinking, no matter what the character does, yeah, I could do that, in that situation, Id do that. They seem to be doing the smartest thing every step of the way. With its subversive take on the genre, The Hunters Prayer is a modern action thriller, driven more by character development than derivative set pieces. 

The film also has Allen Leech, Amy Landecker, Martin Compston and Veronica Echegui as part of the cast of the film. It is written by John Brancato, Michael Ferris, Paul Leyden and Oren Moverman and based on the novel by Kevin Wignall.

The action thriller is all set to release in India on June 16 by PVR Pictures.
Perhaps to warn readers not to expect much when President Trump arrives in Israel today, The Times of Israel has reported the findings of the American Psychological Association about an unprecedented level of stress, sadness and other negative feelings among the clients of its members after the election of Donald Trump. The headline reads: Feeling sad is new normal in Trumps America, therapists say.

Americans propensity to think positively has given way, at least in some quarters, to depression. Clients of psychologists are said to cite the political climate as a very or somewhat significant source of stress. President Obamas famous, yes, we can is giving way to something like, no, he wont let us.

The naive belief that every problem must have a solution is being replaced by mature realism. Despite Trumps assurances that his experience as a deal maker will make America great again, something very different is being felt after his first few months in office.

Soon after his swearing in, The New York Times published an article by Karen Stohr, a philosophy teacher at Georgetown University, suggesting that the election has replaced hope with despair because of the kind of contempt for people the president has often displayed during his campaign and afterwards. The effect has been depressing and dehumanizing, particularly when expressed by someone in power, and nobody has more power in the world just now than Donald Trump.

As an illustration, Karen Stohr points to how Trump mocked the physical appearance of Serge Kovaleski, a New York Times reporter who is disabled. Therere many other instances of that ilk, often directed at women. Any citizen who dares to question the presidents ways may be targeted and ridiculed.

Josefin Dolstein, the author of the Times of Israel report, writes that, mercifully, there have also been different responses to the Trump presidency. She cites three: introspection aimed at a deeper understanding of oneself, heightened desire to co-operate with others, and believing in God.

With introspection in mind, she quotes a social worker in Florida who, despite her shocked and disappointed clients, wouldnt allow them to despair but looked for finding ways to cope and survive and eventually thrive. She believes that this is, indeed, possible even in the Trump era. Perhaps, we speculate, depression can be mitigated by mature introspection.

A second effective coping mechanism is social engagement. The same social worker, were told, encourages people to become involved in causes important to them as a way of dealing with their anger and their anxiety. Perhaps, to speculate again, caring for the most vulnerable in society will be the most effective way of resistance to what the Trump administration may inflict on the American people.

In addition to introspection and co-operation, the new American reality may make more people turn to religion, not just as civic embellishment but as genuine faith. Dolstein quotes a young woman: I definitely feel like its pushed me to have more faith in God  which has never been my thing  but I feel like its become like a lifeline at this point, if I dont have that I feel very overwhelmed.

Many Israelis, particularly on the political right, greeted with euphoria Donald Trump words after his meeting with their prime minister soon after taking office. Some wanted to believe that during his visit hell acknowledge Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and move the U.S. embassy there. Perhaps hell also facilitate peace with the Palestinians.

But they may have reason to think again. Individual reflection, co-operation with others to support the most vulnerable, and faith in God may help them too to deal with the stark reality.

Dow Marmur is rabbi emeritus of Torontos Holy Blossom Temple. His column appears every four weeks.

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"We need a transformational leader," Ford (F) - Get Free Report executive chairman Bill Ford Jr. declared at a news conference on Monday morning announcing the company's surprising decision to replace Mark Fields as CEO with Jim Hackett. Hackett, the former CEO of Steelcase (SCS) - Get Free Report, had been leading Ford's all-important Smart Mobility unit, which was experimenting with self-driving cars and car-sharing programs. Ford's stock price had fallen about 30% over the three years with Fields at the helm; they were rising 1.5% on Monday on news of his dismissal and Hackett's elevation.

Ford is far from the only Fortune 500 company whose businesses are being upended by technology and could use an experienced tech visionary as its leader. Here are a few other major companies that come to mind.

1. Target

Target CEO Brian Cornell

It might be time for Target's (TGT) - Get Free Report executive vice president and chief information and digital officer, Michael McNamara, to take the reins away from current CEO Brian Cornell, whose cautious tactics have caused the retailer to fall behind competitors such as Walmart (WMT) - Get Free Report. Top executives, including Target's former chief digital officer, Jason Goldberger, have fled the retailer as it sees traffic dwindle at its outdated stores.

In the first quarter, Target saw its same-store sales slide 1.3% and its transactions decline 0.8%. Meanwhile, under McNamara's guidance, Target's digital sales spiked an eye-popping 22%. Last month, Target fired its chief innovation and strategy officer, Casey Carl, who once proposed that the company create a "store of the future," similar to the one Walmart is testing. But, Cornell shut the idea down, stating it was too far out of the retailer's reach.

While Cornell has approached innovation with hesitance, McNamara has taken it head on, continually launching new online capabilities, like Target Restock, to make the retailer's digital experience faster and more convenient. McNamara came to Target in 2015 after overseeing the technology efforts at British grocery and general merchandise retailer Tesco, a leading pioneer in omni-channel retail, for more than 15 years.

--Lindsay Rittenhouse

This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.
President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia has heralded billions of dollars of deal announcements, including from those with White House ties.

Private equity giant Blackstone (BX) - Get Free Report on Saturday announced that Saudi Arabia would invest $20 billion in a new $40 billion infrastructure fund for projects mainly in the United States. On Sunday, Boeing (BA) - Get Free Report said it had signed several defense and commercial deals with Saudi Arabia. Trump was referenced in both deal announcements.

Blackstone, whose CEO Stephen Schwarzman is a close adviser to Trump and heads the president's business council, said Saturday's announcement is the culmination of "a year's discussions" between it and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.

"There is broad agreement that the United States urgently needs to invest in its rapidly aging infrastructure," said Blackston president Hamilton James in a statement, thanking Saudi Arabia for its "vote of confidence" in Blackstone and the United States.

"This potential investment reflects our positive views around the ambitious infrastructure initiatives being undertaken in the United States as announced by President Trump," said H.E. Yasir Al Rumayyan, managing director of the Saudi Arabia fund, in a statement.

Boeing said that President Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabian leaders took part in a signing ceremony that included Boeing products and services.

"These announcements reaffirm our commitment to the economic growth, prosperity and national security of both Saudi Arabia and the United States, helping to create or sustain thousands of jobs in our two countries," said Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg in a statement.

Muilenburg has met with Trump on several occasions since the president's election. He reportedly listened in on a phone call Trump had with the CEO of rival Lockheed Martin (LMT) - Get Free Report . He also reportedly convinced the president to support the Export-Import Bank.

Billions of dollars in deals between U.S. and Saudi companies have been announced since Trump arrived in Riyadh on Saturday, marking his first stop on his first trip abroad since his inauguration.

General Electric (GE) - Get Free Report , Exxon (XOM) - Get Free Report and Honeywell (HON) - Get Free Report are among those to have announced or re-announced agreements. The Wall Street Journal estimates Saudi Arabia and the U.S are expected to agree to business deals and potential investments worth $300 billion over the course of Trump's visit. The White House reached a more than $100 billion arms deal with the Saudis ahead of the trip.

"Tremendous investments in the United States," Trump said on Saturday, the first day of his two-day trip to Saudi Arabia, where on Sunday he delivered a speech on Islam. "Hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs."

The president heads to Tel Aviv next.

Action Alerts PLUS, which Cramer manages as a charitable trust, is long GE.
Clariant AG (CLZNY) shares surged to a record high Monday after the Swiss chemicals group said it had agreed to an all-share "merge of equals" with U.S.-based Huntsman Corp. (HUN) - Get Free Report that will be worth around $20 billion.

HuntsmanClariant will have sales of around $13.2 billion, the companies said in a statement, based on pro-forma 2016 sales and adjusted operating profit of $2.3 billion. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year, the companies said in a statement.

"This is the perfect deal at the right time," said Clariant CEO Hariolf Kottmann. "This is in the best interest of all our stakeholders. Peter Huntsman and I share the same strategic vision and I look forward to working with him."

Clariant shares leaped more than 9.3% in Switzerland Monday to change hands at 22.78 each, an all-time high, giving it a market cap of around 7.5 billion ($8.37 billion).

"Together we will create a global leader in specialty chemicals with a combined balance sheet providing substantial financial strength and flexibility," said Huntsman CEO Peter Huntsman.

Clariant shareholders will swap their existing stake for a single HuntsmanClariant share and will ultimate own 52% of the combined entity. Huntsman shareholders will receive 1.2196 in HuntsmanClariant stocks.

The combined group will be headquartered in Pratteln, Switzerland and will have a global operational hub in The Woodlands, Texas, a suburb of Houston and will have a dual listing on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the NYSE.

Huntsmann shares closed at $26.71 each in New York and a market capitalization of $6.6 billion,
'Buy on the rumor, sell the news' is an old investment adage that seems tailored to the recent spike in oil prices ahead of OPEC's meeting on Thursday.

Brent Crude futures gained 0.7% Monday morning, extending a two-week rally that has now added just over 10% to take the international oil benchmark to $54 per barrel.

The oil price rally has coincided with leaks and statements from OPEC members, that have served to confirm expectations that the oil producing cartel is ready to extend production caps - and not only for the rest of 2017 but also into 2018.

OPEC's biggest producer Saudi Arabia and Russia, which is outside of OPEC but participating in coordinated caps, last week said they were both willing to extend the bulk of their production cuts for nine-months. Iraq and Iran, which trail only Saudi Arabia in terms of output amongst OPEC members, have also pledged their support for an extension of the six-month-old agreement that lopped 1.8 million barrels per day off production at the start of the year.

All those positive murmurings mean that extension of the production cap is now effectively priced into the market, largely robbing Thursday's meeting in Vienna of the impetus to extend oil prices gains.

Indeed, the risk now appears to be that a simple extension of the current cuts could be met with a fall back in prices. That possibility has grown with expectations that the cuts might be deepened, possibly to about 2 million barrels per day, in a bid to speed OPEC's stated target of draining supplies and rebalancing oil markets.

And there is always the chance that the deal could unravel. Saudi Arabia and Iran have little in common except a reliance on oil revenues and even less love for each other. President Trump roiled those tensions this week on his trip to Saudi Arabia, when he accused Iran of fomenting regional instability by supporting militias that "spread destruction and chaos".

News out of the US oil fields, where the rig count continues to grow, is also likely to continue to weigh on oil prices. The number US rigs operating in shale fields rose by 8 in the week ending May 19, increasing the total number of rigs to 404, up about 130% from their low point in May 2016.

"Assuming the US oil rig count stays at the current level, we estimate...annual average US production would increase by 290kb/d year-on-year on average in 2017," Goldman Sachs noted last week. "The y-o-y production would rise by 440 kb/d in 2017 if we account for the impact of the estimated remaining county-level well backlog being gradually brought back online between 1Q17 and 2Q17."

US shale producers could boost production further if OPEC and Russian production cuts succeed in keeping oil prices above $52 a barrel for an extended period. Shale producers took advantage of prices of between $52 and $54, in January and February, to massively hedge future production allowing for the growth in rigs that we are still witnessing today.
Rio Tinto plc (RIO) - Get Free Report shares led the mining sector higher in London Monday after unveiling a plan to shrink its balance sheet through a buyback of its own bonds.

The miner will spend up to $2.5 billion buying back its own notes, focusing on those that fall due over the course of 2019 and 2020, the company said in a statement.

There are around $1.7 billion of notes due for redemption in 2019 and 2020, which will be bought back, while the commodities powerhouse will spend the remaining $780 million buying back bonds that fall due over a longer time frame.

Rio Tinto stock rose more than 1.5% in response to the announcement, amid modest gains for the broader sector, to change hands at 3,214 pence, the highest since April 11.

The world's third largest miner by revenue, Rio Tinto reported net debt of $9.6 billion on its balance sheet for the year ending Dec 31 2016, down from more than $13.78 billion at the end of 2015.

The Anglo-Australian firm has led the way in the restructuring and deleveraging undergone by miners in recent years, pledging to shareholders that it will reign in its balance sheet and balance shareholder returns with future expansion plans.

"We expect the stock to re-rate over the next 12 months when Rio steps up returns to shareholders, and as volatility in commodities/mining stocks moderates," said Miles Allsop, an analyst at UBS, in a note to clients on Monday.

Allsop has a buy rating and a price target of 3,750 pence assigned to Rio Tinto stock, which implies upside of around 15% from current levels.
Brazil's President Michel Temer is not going to step down from his position despite growing calls for his resignation as recordings have surfaced that allege the president condoned the payment of hush money to an imprisoned lawmaker.

"I will not resign. Oust me if you want, but if I stepped down, I would be admitting guilt," Temer said in an interview with the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper, Reuters reports. Temer maintains that the recordings have been manipulated to make him look guilty.

Temer succeeded ousted Brazilian President Dilma who was removed from office in 2016 on corruption and bribery charges.

Jim Cramer and Real Money columnists discuss the latest from President Donald Trump and the GOP efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. See which stocks they are discussing and get his insights or analysis with a free trial subscription to Real Money.
New York, May 22(Just Earth News): With United Nations peace operations being carried out in highly complex environments and facing multiple challenges, Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres recently stressed the need to adapt peacekeeping to aour changing world.a

Peace operations are at a crossroads. Our task is to keep them relevant with clear and achievable mandates, and the right strategies and support, the Secretary-General told a Security Council meeting last month on the subject of peacekeeping. He also called on the 193-member General Assembly for political support and on the troop- and police-contributing countries for professional and committed personnel.

It is in this context that Jean-Pierre Lacroix took up his post as the new Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations at the beginning of April. The French national, who has more than 25 years of political and diplomatic experience, currently oversees 16 UN peacekeeping operations deployed on four continents.

UN peacekeeping missions are called on not only to maintain peace and security, but also to facilitate the political process, protect civilians, assist in disarmament, support the holding of elections, protect and promote human rights, and assist in restoring the rule of law.

UN peacekeepers go to the most physically and politically difficult environments, some making the ultimate sacrifice  as evidenced by the more than 3,500 peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the service of peace since UN deployments began in 1948.

Lacroix witnessed this first-hand when he recently visited the UNs operations in the Central African Republic and Mali, which lost seven peacekeepers between them this month alone. In an interview with UN News, the peacekeeping chief discusses a number of issues, including the challenges facing peace operations, his plans to make them more efficient and tackling sexual exploitation and abuse. The interview has been edited for content and clarity.

UN News: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said recently that UN peace operations were at a crossroads and facing multiple challenges. Could you tell us more about these challenges?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix: Yes, we are facing challenges in our operations. At the same time, we should not forget that our peacekeepers  civilian, police, men and women, military personnel  are saving lives every day. They are protecting civilians and they are helping peace processes be implemented It is [also] important to recognize the added value of peacekeeping and what we bring to the societies and nations that are destabilized. I think this has been recognized by the members of the Security Council when we had the debate on peacekeeping on the 6th of April.

Challenges, yes, we do have many of them. I think the most important challenges are when we have operations on the ground doing their best but the political processes are not there for us to support  and to support our operation We need everyone  the UN, the Secretary-General, who is very much committed to supporting these political processes  to be very determined to try to make them move forward. We need the support of the Security Council as well to basically make sure that we get the right kind of support and that these political processes get the right kind of support.

In some cases, we dont have the kind of support we would be expecting from host governments. Our operations are quite often operating and deployed in very challenging security environments. Therefore, we need to make sure we can cope with these challenging security environments. Its a question of posture; its a question of equipment; its a question of organizing ourselves so that we can both protect our peacekeepers better, civilian as well as uniformed, and better protect the populations we are serving.

UN News: The Secretary-General mentioned nine areas of reform for UN peacekeeping. What are your plans in the coming months to make peacekeeping operations more efficient?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix: One of the things that the Secretary-General said, and beyond the importance of pursuing political solutions which is really key, is that we have to make sure that we always have on the ground the right kind of deployment, that we optimize our resources and that the mandates are at any given moment the most adequate for the situation which we are dealing with on the ground.

We have to make sure that our mandates are evolving consistent with the needs on the ground. They have to be prioritized. We have to make sure that whenever we can we terminate peacekeeping operations or we downsize them and this is what we have been doing, and what we will be doing in some cases. And we have to make sure we continue this ongoing process of modernizing the peacekeeping operations. It has to do with a lot of things on which we are working. It has to do with training. It has to do with making sure that we have more contributions from troop-contributing countries and also those countries who contribute civilian personnel and police, more contributions that are ready to deploy. It has to do with modernizing equipment, resorting to new technologies.

One very important issue is to increase the number of female personnel  civilian, police and military. It is a question of gender parity, although parity has a long way to go, especially when we talk about military and police. But it is especially a question of efficiency because as peacekeepers we have to engage with the population and we are in a much better place to do that when we can rely on female personnel. So this is something we will be pursuing with very strong determination.

I should also say a few words on partnership. This is an area which the Secretary-General has been pushing with very strong determination. We had a summit recently in April with the AU leadership and there is a lot more that we can do with both the African Union, the sub-regional organizations, and I will add the European Union as well, to basically make sure we go hand in hand when we try to find solutions to the many crises which we are dealing with.

And there are important areas where we can develop our cooperation, especially in the area of trying to find political solutions in a very concerted way, which is the right thing to do, especially when we try to deal with crises in Africa. But also, how can we support operations that are deployed by either the African Union or sub-regional organizations? We intend to very supportive of these operations.

UN News: What support do you expect from Member States to help UN peacekeeping operations deliver on the ground?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix: First of all, we need their political support their continuous political support to peacekeeping operations  from them individually, from the Security Council, from the General Assembly. This is absolutely key if we want to succeed.

And obviously, we need their support in terms of resources. We need the finances from Member States and we need to have the right kind of resources for our operations, even though we are making a very strong and determined effort to optimize our resources, as well as to downsize and terminate peacekeeping operations whenever it is possible.

We also need the contributions of Member States. We depend on Member States contributions of troops, equipment, and so on and so forth. And here, a lot has been done. We have had since 2015 more contributions forthcoming, more contributions that will be deployable in less time, so we need to continue this effort. We still have some shortfalls in critical capabilities in some of our operations. We are working very hard to convince Member States, and especially those who can come up with some sort of specific capabilities, to help us.

UN News: The UN has a new system-wide strategy to tackle sexual exploitation and abuse. What is UN peacekeeping doing for its part to prevent this kind of abuse?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix: We have to be extremely firm and well organized. The Secretary-General has made the fight against sexual abuse one of his top priorities and the policies and the decisions that have been made are very clear in the sense that we will really do our best to both prevent and also deal with allegations in a way that makes it clear that this determination is there. We have to be organized as well with the help of the Special Coordinator [on improving the United Nations response to sexual exploitation and abuse], Jane Holl Lute, and with the participation of not only DPKO but other departments.

We have organized ourselves in a way that we are more responsive and troop-contributing countries also are more responsive and much more aware of the importance of dealing with sexual abuse and exploitation. I can really see that the determination of troop-contributing countries is much stronger. So we have to make sure that we have the right kind of response on the ground. We also need to make sure we address the plight of victims and we have put in place mechanisms whereby in the field victims have within our operations someone who will be in charge of making sure that their concerns will be properly addressed.

UN News: The United Nations will celebrate the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on 29 May. What is your message to peacekeepers who sacrifice so much?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix: Its a message of immense gratitude. They are doing a work that is extremely difficult and yet indispensable for the population they are protecting and they are serving. And they do it at immense risk.

Many of our peacekeepers have paid the highest price for that. We have had in 2016, 99 of our peacekeepers who lost their lives as the result of their courageous engagement in serving the populations. We have had recently the murder of four peacekeepers in the Central African Republic [the number later rose to six], and 10 peacekeepers wounded. And that comes after a number of other incidents. I would also mention one recent [death] in Mali, in Timbuktu.

Its gratitude, and not only gratitude but we owe them all the support that we can give them. I think there is a sense of responsibility that we all have within the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. I can feel that very vividly. The team is very much committed, is very much aware of the conditions in which our people, our colleagues, operate on the ground and very dedicated to do their best to serve them and this is also my approach to that.

UN News: And what is your message to the communities?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix: We will continue to do everything we can to help the communities, the civilian populations whom we are there to help and to serve. Sometimes, it is extremely difficult and sometimes we dont have enough resources to do everything we would like to do. But they can rest assured that our commitment, our determination is very strong, even when we are facing the kinds of challenges that make it difficult and sometimes its very challenging to protect the populations. Protection of civilians, protection of the communities in the areas where we are deployed is really our central mission. We never forget that.

Photo MINUSMA/Sylvain Liechti

Source: www.justearthnews.com
A bill forcing diabetes drug makers to shed light on their insulin pricing, profits and costs passed the Nevada Senate. The bill would also force insulin drug makers like Sanofi (SNY) - Get Free Report , Novo (NVO) - Get Free Report and Eli Lilly (LLY) - Get Free Report to pre announce when they will raise prices.

The Nevada Senate passed the legislation with a 19-2 vote Friday, but the bill still needs to be signed into law by Governor Brian Sandoval (R).

Industry lobbying group PhRMA came out in opposition to the bill. "We are continuing to educate lawmakers and Nevadans about the dangers of this legislation and the fact that it will not do anything to help Nevada patients access or afford their medicines," a group spokesperson said in a statement.

Jim Cramer and Real Money columnists discuss the latest from President Donald Trump and the GOP efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. See which stocks they are discussing and get his insights or analysis with a free trial subscription to Real Money.
The Huntsman-Clariant deal has the makings of an inversion -- and it may be a sign of hopes the Trump administration will ease regulations on such cross-border deals.

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) - Get Free Report and Clariant AG on Monday announced a $20 billion "merger of equals" that will see the combined company, HuntsmanClariant, headquartered in Pratteln, Switzerland. The transaction has the qualities of a corporate inversion aimed at avoiding taxes in the United States, experts say, and signals optimism Trump will roll back Obama-era rules curbing such transactions.

"It's the first large-scale combination designed to side-step statutory and regulatory inversion rules," said Steve Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

"It's clearly an inversion," said Bob Willens, New York-based tax analyst and former managing director at Lehman Brothers. "The ownership pattern is consistent with an inversion in the sense that a U.S. company is being acquired by a foreign company, the U.S. company will become a subsidiary of the foreign company, and that is what an inversion is in the colloquial sense."

A corporate inversion is a strategy employed by companies to reduce their tax burden by having a foreign company buy its operations to then reincorporate abroad.

The Treasury Department considers a transaction an inversion if U.S. shareholders of the old company end up owning at least 60% of the new company. The Huntsman-Clariant deal doesn't meet those standards -- Huntsman shareholders will have 48% ownership of HuntsmanClariant, and Clariant shareholders 52% -- a setup that is likely intentional.

Huntsman is planning to separate its pigments and additives business in an IPO of a newly-created U.K. subsidiary. Company CFO J. Kimo Esplin called a "natural inversion" on a Goldman Sachs webcast last week. The IPO, which is expected to take place this summer, will allow the company to lower its ownership in the combined HuntsmanClariant and "facilitate the new combination," Rosenthal said.

Interestingly, it will also allow Huntsman shareholders to avoid taxes on the combination. Under IRS rules, when a company moves abroad, the buyer's shareholders have to pay capital gains if they hold 50% or more shares.

While the deal doesn't meet the ownership thresholds that technically define inversions, its goal is certainly inversion-esque.

"It would position the companies to achieve tax savings, which is obviously what an inversion has as one of its objectives," Willens said.

The press release announcing the deal includes mention of "cash-tax savings."

A Huntsman representative did not immediately return request for comment.

The Huntsman-Clariant merger also signals hopes that the Trump administration will roll back Obama-era rules to curb inversions -- specifically, those barring earnings stripping.

President Trump in April signed an executive order instructing Treasury to review tax regulations since the beginning of 2016, which many read as a way to set the stage for the repeal of rules issued by the Obama administration in October to prevent earnings stripping in inversions.

Earnings stripping is a technique inverted and multinational companies use to convert U.S. income into foreign income, thus benefiting from lower tax rates abroad. Corporations make inter-company loans where the debtor is the U.S. company and the creditor a foreign parent. The U.S. subsidiary pays interest on those loans (and uses those payments to reduce taxable income), and the interest income received by the foreign creditor isn't taxed or is taxed at a lower rate.

"I think they hope Trump will repeal the Obama earnings stripping rules, which would add a lot of juice to the new combination," said Rosenthal. "This is directed at Trump."

"I think the betting is that those regulations will be withdrawn, and if so, that will make the transaction really attractive," Willens said.

The White House has said its proposal to reduce the corporate tax rate and cut red tape for business will reduce the temptation for companies to invert or go abroad in the first place. The Huntsman deal, which marks the first big-ticket such transaction in quite some time, could be an indicator that companies are losing faith in the prospect of tax reform on the horizon.

Huntsman had $390 million in unrepatriated earnings at the end of 2016, Rosenthal noted, and may plan to bring back that money to the U.S. after its combination with Clariant. "Huntsman may have given up on another repatriation holiday soon, in light of the tax reform stalemate in the U.S.," Rosenthal said.

"If Trump had his way, there presumably wouldn't be a need for inversions because U.S tax rates would be going down dramatically to be competitive with foreign tax rates," Willens said. "But I think people are starting to feel like tax reform is not such a sure thing anymore, so maybe they better take matters into their own hands."

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A 4 ft by 4 ft. sinkhole appeared near a water main in front of President Trump's Florida getaway Mar-a-Lago on Monday. Utility crews from West Palm Beach were working on the hole and were expected to do some exploratory excavations in the area, according to reports.

President Trump is currently in Israel as part of his first trip outside of the U.S. since becoming President. The town of Palm Beach issued a travel warning following the appearance of the sink hole.

Comments on social media began pouring in following news of the development.

Over on Real Money Jim Cramer give advice to investors looking at how to play the Trump Trade. Get his insights or analysis with a free trial subscription to Real Money.
Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis said today that Britain will not accept "one-sided" jurisdiction by the European Court of Justice as part of a deal to leave the EU, Reuters reports.

Davis went on to criticize the EU saying it had an "ideological obsession" with the court in Brussels.

"The deal we reach will need independent and impartial enforcement," Davis said. "But an ideological obsession in Brussels with one-sided jurisdiction by the European Court of Justice, in the UK, after we have left the EU, is not acceptable and will not work."

Over on Real Money Jim Cramer gives advice to investors looking at how to play the Trump Trade. Get his insights or analysis with a free trial subscription to Real Money.
Donald Trump gave Wall Street a burst of relief on Monday after causing worry on markets for the previous two weeks.

Defense stocks lifted markets on Monday after a series of deals with Saudi Arabia. The S&P 500 was up 0.51%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.44%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.82%.

Shares of Lockheed Martin (LMT) - Get Free Reportand Dow component Boeing (BA) - Get Free Report rose Monday, each by about 1.5%, after both companies were seen walking away as winners from the weekend's Saudi deals bonanza, which saw Trump and representatives for American companies inking more than $350 billion of deals. Lockheed won contracts worth around $28 billion during the state visit, which will see Saudi Arabia buying air and missile defense equipment from it, along with navy ships, aircraft and helicopters. Boeing was also another big winner after it said that the Saudis have agreed to buy a series of new aircraft, weapons systems and helicopters.

Trump is in the middle of a nine-day trip, his first abroad since assuming office in January. Trump has arrived in Israel and will also visit Vatican City during this trip. The trip comes at an inopportune time for the president after two weeks of bombshells tied to his campaign's relations with Russia during the election.

The chances of tax reform this year have grown more remote as the Trump administration wrestles with the negative headlines and leaks. Gains since the November election have largely been tied to high hopes over tax cuts and rollbacks of regulations.

"The likelihood of President Trump's pro-growth agenda getting signed into law is fading as the Administration and Congress fends off and sorts out the constant barrage of headlines," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Wealth Management. "Investors are growing skeptical."

Crude oil prices climbed to their highest level in a month on Monday ahead of a meeting among some of the world's largest oil producers later this week. An extension to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries deal will be the main point of conversation when the 13 member countries meet in Vienna on May 25. The current agreement, established last November, is set to expire at the end of June.

Saudi Arabia has said all countries are united in the agreeing to extend cuts by nine months. Reports also indicate some are pushing for even larger productions cuts.

"This has already driven up expectations of the meeting to such an extent that there is now potential for disappointment," Commerzbank analysts wrote in a note. "If the cuts are merely to be extended, this is likely to be met at best with a neutral reception, if not even with disappointment."

West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.8% to settle at $50.73 a barrel on Monday, its highest settlement in a month.

Jim Cramer recommends holding onto oil stocks for now, but to be prepared to pull the trigger if crude reaches $53. Get his insights with a free trial subscription to our premium site for investors, Real Money.

Qualcomm (QCOM) - Get Free Report led tech stocks after JPMorgan raised its rating to overweight from neutral. The firm has high hopes for its pending $47 billion acquisition of NXP Semiconductor (NXPI) - Get Free Report . That deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

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Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report moved slightly higher on Monday after RBC Capital analyst Amit Daryanani forecast that its market capitalization will eclipse the $1 trillion mark in the next 12 to 18 months. He reiterated his outperform rating on the shares and hiked his price target to $168 from $157. Catalysts include a "premium-priced" iPhone 8 and extended share buybacks.

Ford (F) - Get Free Report confirmed on Monday that CEO Mark Fields is choosing to retire on Monday amid pressure due to a share price that has fallen more than 10% year to date and more than 17% over the past 12 months. Ford will promote current Ford Smart Mobility Chairman Jim Hackett to the top position. Monday's announcement ends Fields' three-year run as CEO with the company as well as his 28-year career at the automaker based in Dearborn, Mich.

The stock of the U.S. automaker has declined almost 40% since Fields took over the company. Fields' ousting come just weeks after Dearborn-based Ford delivered a dire set of first-quarter results, which brought about yet more share price weakness.

"Fields took a long-term approach to making Ford a mobility company," Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book, wrote in a note. "However, investors -- which include the super-voting shares the Ford family owns and just confirmed again at the annual meeting May 11 -- were not so patient... The reality was he couldn't rally the troops internally and pacify investors and the Ford family externally."

Ford shares closed up 2% on the news.

Over on our premium site for investors, Real Money, Brian Sozzi said what happened to Ford's CEO should be a call to action for the auto industry. Read his insights with a free trial subscription to Real Money.

Health care stocks were on watch after the White House requested another 90-day delay in a lawsuit over Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies, according to Politico. The Trump administration will continue to pay insurers those cost-sharing reductions. The payments subsidize insurers for plans for low-income earners who access insurance through the Obamacare exchanges. The White House has asked for a delay in the case while it determines its position on the original 2014 lawsuit and subsequent appeal.

Clariant (CLZNY) shares rose 3.3% after the Swiss chemicals group said it agreed to an all-share "merger of equals" with U.S.-based Huntsman (HUN) - Get Free Report that would create a company valued at about $20 billion. A merged HuntsmanClariant would have annual revenue of about $13.2 billion, the companies said in a statement, based on pro-forma 2016 sales and adjusted operating profit of $2.3 billion. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.

Nutraceutical International (NUTR) rocketed 50% higher after agreeing to be acquired by private-equity firm HGGC. The firm will purchase Nutraceutical stock for $41.80 in cash, a 49% premium to its close on Friday.

Barclays upgraded its rating on Mylan (MYL) - Get Free Report to 'overweight' from 'equal weight' and increased its price target by $3 to $50. The firm is optimistic of the approval of its generic version of a multiple sclerosis treatment.

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New York, May 22(Just Earth News): Tourism must not undermine the nature that attracts tourists in the first place, said the head of the United Nations-backed treaty on biological diversity, marking International Day for Biological Diversity.

Tourism grows, so does the risk of harming the environment [] It will be important therefore such developments do not undermine the very natural beauty that draws tourists in the first place, said Cristiana Pasca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in her message for the Day, which this year is celebrated under the theme Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism.

Many natural areas with rich biodiversity, such as beaches, coasts and islands, mountains, rivers and lakes, are popular tourism destinations. Roughly half of the leisure trips taken globally are to natural areas, she noted.

It is therefore important to understand that the way tourism is managed will impact biodiversity and conversely, the way ecosystems are managed will impact the sustainability of tourism, as tourists will not come to polluted or degraded destinations.

The Convention was adopted on 22 May 1992 as the international legal instrument for the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources that has since been ratified by 196 nations.

In 2010, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 22 May as the International Day for Biological Diversity.

In his message for the Day, UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Taleb Rifai said: Together we can make tourism an ally in fighting loss of biodiversity and achieving the Global Goals for a better world.

In that regard, UNWTO is encouraging more destinations to set up sustainable tourism observatories, he said.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has also been working with all its partners to explore pathways for ensuring the long-term sustainability of tourism while also ensuring that it contributes positively to biodiversity.

Biodiversity is as necessary for nature and humankind as cultural diversity, to build stronger, more resilient societies, equipped with the tools they need to respond to the challenges of today and tomorrow, said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in her message for the Day.

UN Photo/EFP

Source: www.justearthnews.com
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking segments. The company offers personal deposits, such as checking, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,061 branches and 3,381 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada, and 1,148 stores and 2,701 ATMs in the United States, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, and international news to media organizations, professional, and news consumers through news agency and industry events. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.
International luxury fashion accessory brand Mai Visti recently made its debut in Bahrain at a recently held exhibition at the Yateem House.

Brought to Bahrain through an exclusive collaboration with Hana Kanoo, the Mai Visti collection titled The City inspired by art, history and culture of the island, is a limited edition of hand-crafted scarves which are unique works of art and effortlessly elegant, said a statement.

The UK-based accessories label, Mai Visti which means 'never seen before' in Italian is the creative brainchild of friends Davide Di Curzio and Juliano Matos, who believe fashion is an extension of art which should be explored with no limits. The brands design philosophy draws inspiration from wildlife, landscape, culture and art and crafts woven into stunning artworks and fabricated using the finest Italian silk and craftsmanship.

Each collection is bespoke, creative and stylish with designs that imbibe the true essence of culture or craft it represents.

For Mai Vistis debut in Bahrain, the designer-duo were commissioned by Hana Kanoo to illustrate a unique collection that represented the middle eastern City architectural designs and heritage of the kingdom, brought to live with a vibrant colour palette  yellow, green, purple and blue. Moreover, the islands rich heritage of world-renowned pearls has been beautifully depicted in Mai Visti scarves adorned with amazing textures of Bahrain pearl shells in vivid sea colours.

Each scarf is designed as fine art, fabricated in high-quality cashmere yarns and silk and printed using a special process to maintain softness and longevity of designs and colours for years.

Versatile as a perfect fashion accessory for any occasion  worn as a head scarf or neck wrapped, the Mai Visti 100% light-weight silk scarves also make for a great framed piece of art much to the delight of art enthusiasts. Available in size 140 cm x 140 cm and priced individually at BD80, the limited 20-piece Mai Visti collection representing each design, was showcased at an exclusive event, wherein 20 per cent of sale proceeds will be donated to a local charity.

Commenting on the exhibition, Hana Kanoo said: Mai Visti, as a brand believes in exploring the cultural heritage and natural beauties, and creates them into unique fashion accessories for modern individuals. Each collection is different, designed with lot of detail and embodies a cultural narrative on its own.

We are delighted to have introduced Bahrain to this innovative brand, which has received great response from fashion and art enthusiasts, she continued.  TradeArabia News Service


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Kabul, May 22 (IBNS): In an effort to curb terrorism, at least 14 militants belonging to the Taliban and ISIS have been killed in separate counter-terrorism drives by the Afghan forces in the country's Nangarhar province, local Khaama Press reported.

The operations were conducted in Achin and Kuz Kunar districts of the province, the state run agency quoted the provincial government officials as saying.

The drive also left eight other militants injured, while several weapons and ammunition were confiscated.

The Afghan forces conduct counter-terrorism activities frequently to keep the country safe from militants, which otherwise is plagued by terrorists and terror related issues.
Eight employees of the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services have been referred
The Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine raised $1 billion in budget funds and $500 million in loans from the World Bank and the EBRD for the development of the domestic road infrastructure over a year.

Deputy Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Viktor Dovhan said this at the press conference on May 22, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We managed to raise a billion dollars in budget funds and half a billion dollars in loans from the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the road infrastructure development," Dovhan said.

He added that Ukraine would also receive a $400 million loan from the Chinese Eximbank for the construction of a bridge between towns Kremenchug and Horishni plavni and construction of the Shulyavsky overpass in Kyiv.

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President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Minsk process, as well as the Ukraine-EU relations.

This has been reported by the press service of the Head of State after the meeting of the President of Ukraine and the Chancellor of Germany on Saturday.

During the meeting, significant attention was paid to the improvement of the efficiency of the Minsk agreements implementation - fulfillment of the ceasefire requirement, withdrawal of heavy artillery, liberation of hostages and implementation of the entire security complex necessary for the achievement of peace in Donbas.

The German Chancellor emphasized that sustainable truce hasnt been established yet and the Minsk agreements are not implemented in full. She noted that the parties discussed future work within the Minsk agreements and the Normandy format.

The parties also discussed the agenda of the reforms in Ukraine. The President expressed gratitude to Germany and the EU for their active support in the internal reforms. The Chancellor of Germany praised the progress in this issue and emphasized the need for continuing the process of reforms in Ukraine.

Petro Poroshenko also thanked the German Chancellor and other European leaders for their support in the introduction of the visa-free regime

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Riyadh, May 22 (IBNS): Giving a strong message, US President Donald Trump on Sunday asked the Muslim nations to drive out terrorists and extremists.

Trump said terrorists worship devil.

"Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death," the US president said in Saudi Arabia.

"If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorisms devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered," he said.

Speaking on the fight against terrorism, Trump said: "This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations."

"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.This is a battle between Good and Evil," he said.

He said :"When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims  we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy."

He urged all nations to remain united in the fight against terror.

"But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong  and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden," he said.

"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists," he said.

Trump said America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts.

The full text of Donald Trumps' speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit is given below:

"Thank You.

I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting todays summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived.

You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader  American President Franklin Roosevelt  King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. King Salman: your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy  and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens.

Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey here today. You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send the warmest regards from my country to yours. I know that our time together will bring many blessings to both your people and mine.

I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith.

In my inaugural address to the American People, I pledged to strengthen Americas oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.

Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperityin this region, and in the world.

Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.

And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leadersunique in the history of nationsis a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect. To the leaders and citizens of every country assembled here today, I want you to know that the United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce.

For Americans, this is an exciting time. A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country: in just a few months, we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies  many of whom are here today.

Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation.

Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.

This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase  and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations.

We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond.

Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology  located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combatting radicalization, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership.

I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the leaders present today to the White House, and I look forward to working with all of you.

America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecturewe are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all.

Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet historys great testto conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism.

Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred.

And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples.

Gods help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practice terror and spread its vile creed. At the same time, we pray this special gathering may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East  and maybe, even all over the world.

But this future can only be achieved through defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it.

Few nations have been spared its violent reach.

America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks  from the atrocities of September 11th to the devastation of the Boston Bombing, to the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.

The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims.

But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence.

Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.

We now face a humanitarian and security disaster in this region that is spreading across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering and depravity can begin to capture its full measure.

The true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams.

The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures. It should increasingly become one of the great global centers of commerce and opportunity.

This region should not be a place from which refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.

Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the worlds great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern onesincluding soaring achievements in architecture.

Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage.

All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty. And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art.

The entire region is at the center of the key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz.

The potential of this region has never been greater. 65 percent of its population is under the age of 30. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home.

But this untapped potential, this tremendous cause for optimism, is held at bay by bloodshed and terror. There can be no coexistence with this violence.

There can be no tolerating it, no accepting it, no excusing it, and no ignoring it.

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith.

Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorisms devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killingthen not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

This is a battle between Good and Evil.

When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims  we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy.

But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong  and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden.

Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.

America is prepared to stand with you  in pursuit of shared interests and common security.

But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children.

It is a choice between two futures  and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

For our part, America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts. We will discard those strategies that have not workedand will apply new approaches informed by experience and judgment. We are adopting a Principled Realism, rooted in common values and shared interests.

Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption. We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes  not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms  not sudden intervention.

We must seek partners, not perfectionand to make allies of all who share our goals.

Above all, America seeks peace  not war.

Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion.

The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.

Many are already making significant contributions to regional security: Jordanian pilots are crucial partners against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition have taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Lebanese Army is hunting ISIS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory. Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners. In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland. Qatar, which hosts the U.S. Central Command, is a crucial strategic partner. Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue to enhance security in the region. And courageous Afghan soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices in the fight against the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country.

As we deny terrorist organizations control of territory and populations, we must also strip them of their access to funds. We must cut off the financial channels that let ISIS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.

I am proud to announce that the nations here today will be signing an agreement to prevent the financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center  co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another historic step in a day that will be long remembered.

I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council for blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization last year. Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing sanctions on one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah.

Of course, there is still much work to do.

That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians.

Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory  piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED.

And political leaders must speak out to affirm the same idea: heroes dont kill innocents; they save them. Many nations here today have taken important steps to raise up that message. Saudi Arabias Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development.

The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the battle for hearts and soulsand with the U.S., launched a center to counter the online spread of hate. Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment and radicalism.

I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees. The surge of migrants and refugees leaving the Middle East depletes the human capital needed to build stable societies and economies. Instead of depriving this region of so much human potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young people hope for a brighter future in their home nations and regions.

That means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better life  including women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities.

For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once againand make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.

In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican  visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible  including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them.

But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all threesafe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

Among Irans most tragic and destabilizing interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime  launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.

Responsible nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate ISIS, and restore stability to the region.

The Iranian regimes longest-suffering victims are its own people. Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.

Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.

The decisions we make will affect countless lives.

King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this great moment in history, and for your massive investment in America, its industry and its jobs. I also thank you for investing in the future of this part of the world.

This fertile region has all the ingredients for extraordinary success  a rich history and culture, a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit of enterprise. But you can only unlock this future if the citizens of the Middle East are freed from extremism, terror and violence.

We in this room are the leaders of our peoples. They look to us for answers, and for action. And when we look back at their faces, behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice.

Today, billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great question of our time.

Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil? Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology? Will we let its venom spread through our societies? Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?

If we do not confront this deadly terror, we know what the future will bringmore suffering and despair.

But if we actif we leave this magnificent room unified and determined to do what it takes to destroy the terror that threatens the worldthen there is no limit to the great future our citizens will have.

The birthplace of civilization is waiting to begin a new renaissance. Just imagine what tomorrow could bring.

Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine and commerce to inspire humankind. Great cities built on the ruins of shattered towns. New jobs and industries that will lift up millions of people. Parents who no longer worry for their children, families who no longer mourn for their loved ones, and the faithful who finally worship without fear.

These are the blessings of prosperity and peace. These are the desires that burn with a righteous flame in every human heart. And these are the just demands of our beloved peoples.

I ask you to join me, to join together, to work together, and to FIGHT together BECAUSE UNITED, WE WILL NOT FAIL.

Thank you. God Bless You. God Bless Your Countries. And God Bless the United States of America."

Image: Donald Trump Facebook page
The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has submitted to the Pecherskyi District Court in Kyiv the motion to allow convicting in absentia former prime minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov and former fuel and energy minister of Ukraine Eduard Stavytsky.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuri Lutsenko said this during the international workshop on assets recovery, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have completed the investigation and submitted a motion to the Pecherskyi District Court in Kyiv to allow conducting proceedings in absentia against Azarov and Stavytsky. We are waiting for the relevant permission from the court for conviction in absentia," Lutsenko said.

At the same time, he forecasted the investigation into the case against former vice-prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov would be completed next month and the Prosecutor General's Office would send a motion to the court to allow convicting him in absentia.

In addition, Lutsenko stressed that the investigation into criminal proceedings against oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko and ex-minister of income and taxes Oleksandr Klymenko would also be completed.

The Prosecutor General expressed hope that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, in its turn, would submit to the court the case against former ecology and natural resources minister of Ukraine Mykola Zlochevsky.

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The Arbitration Tribunal instituted by Ukraine against Russia on violations by the Russian Federation of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea approved the procedural framework, including the calendar for oral and written pleadings.

This has been said in the statement of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

"On May 12, 2017, the Tribunal in an arbitration instituted by Ukraine against the Russian Federation in respect of a dispute concerning coastal state rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait held its first procedural meeting. During the meeting, the Tribunal consulted the Parties in respect of the procedural framework for the arbitration, including the calendar for oral and written pleadings," the report reads.

On May 18, 2017, the Tribunal adopted Rules of Procedure for the arbitration in light of the discussion at the first procedural meeting. The Tribunals Rules of Procedure and press photographs of the meeting are available for download on the PCA website.

The arbitral proceedings were instituted on September 16, 2016 when Ukraine served on the Russian Federation a Notification and Statement of Claim1 under Annex VII to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Notification and Statement of Claim refers to a dispute concerning coastal state rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait.

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The international kite festival "One Sky  One World!" was held in the village of Tryhutty in Mykolayiv region on the bank of the Southern Bug River.

A few thousand spectators attended the event, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Today, we are hosting the International Kite Festival 2017 for the first time in Ukraine. Whereas such festivals are held abroad permanently, this movement is still in its infancy in Ukraine. Why can't we be as good as them? Therefore, we decided to organize such a festival here, in Mykolayiv region. After all, there are beautiful steppes, landscapes, much wind," said one of the festivals organizers, activist Tetiana Bezmoshchu.

The festival was attended by participants from eight world countries: France, Vietnam, Italy, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Poland, as well as Ukrainians from Kherson, Skadovsk, Nikopol and, of course, Mykolayiv.

The hundreds of flying animals  fish, birds, insects, other characters and huge figures in 3D format  could be seen in the sky above Tryhutty village.

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Aboriginal peoples of Canada south of the Arctic and known as the First Nations. They include Inuit and the MAtis,the latter being an ethnicity that developed after European contact and relations primarily between First Nations people and Europeans. There are currently 634 recognized First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. In an exclusive interview to IBNS CANADA, Ontario Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation David Zimmer highlighted how his ministry works with First Nation partners to revitalize the treaty relationship and how it protects Aboriginal and treaty rights of the First Nations. Excerpts:

Explain with examples how you solve longstanding treaty-related disputes.

It was in August of 2015, Premier Kathleen Wynne and Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day of the Chiefs of Ontario signed a historic Political Accord to provide a platform for First Nations and the province to work together on common priorities.I want to bring to your notice that Ontario is committed to working in partnership with the 133 First Nations communities in Ontario. It also works with other Indigenous partners to ensure that our treaty relationship is a modern and mutually beneficial one. Through respectful and meaningful dialogue, we continue to work with First Nation partners to revitalize our treaty relationship.

Three-year Treaty Strategy, discussions and initiatives to focus on the improvement of Indigenous peoples in Ontario was formed in November 2016. It is through this three-year Treaty Strategy, that our government tires to create treaty awareness and understanding of the indigenous population. In November of 2016, a series of three forums were hosted with First Nations across the province as an integral engagement piece of the Treaty Strategy. The forums were designed to surface diverse Indigenous perspectives on treaties while exploring the concept of the Treaty Relationship in a modern context.

What measures have you taken to resolve critical social emergencies in remote First Nation communities?

In the case of occurrence of social emergencies, our ministry works in coordination with federal, provincial and regional authorities to identify any gaps, short-term resource and needs. In March 2016, we held a summit in Thunder Bay with First Nations and the federal government on social emergencies in remote First Nations communities with participation from Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Grand Council Treaty #3, four remote independent First Nations, and the federal government. This upholds a key commitment made in The Journey Together: Ontarios Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, our governments action plan for reconciliation.

Our government will also continue to work with the federal government, service delivery agencies and First Nation leaders to do its part in addressing medium and long-term needs related to the current crisis.

How do you propose to empower Indigenous Women now and in the future? What have you done and doing to end violence against Indigenous women?



We believe that active and decisive steps are needed to confront and eliminate the root causes of violence and ensure future generations of Indigenous women and girls are safe to live their lives free of violence. Ending violence against Indigenous women and girls is a priority for this government. Thats why in February 2016, we launched Walking Together: Ontarios Long-Term Strategy to End Violence against Indigenous Women. The strategy outlines actions to prevent violence against Indigenous women and reduce its impact on children, youth, families and communities.

The legacies of colonialism, systemic discrimination, and institutional racism perpetuate behaviours and norms that lead to violence against Indigenous women and girls. With this Strategy, Ontario and Indigenous communities are coming together to end the cycle of violence and ensure future generations of Indigenous women and girls can live the way they deserve  with safety and respect.

Ontario is proud to be the first Canadian jurisdiction to launch a dedicated strategy focused on ending violence against Indigenous women developed in collaboration with Indigenous partners.



How are you helping to support local economic growth, culture, and tourism and infrastructure development for First Nation communities?

Ontario is working with Indigenous partners in a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect to improve the quality of life, develop partnerships and expand opportunities to create prosperous, healthy and strong communities. Through programs such as the, Indigenous Economic Development Fund, and Metis Voyageur Development Fund, among others initiatives, we are supporting opportunities for economic development and growth in Indigenous communities to ensure that Indigenous people have the opportunity to succeed and fully participate in the economy.

We recognize the importance of economic development to Indigenous communities and want to see meaningful employment and business development opportunities for Indigenous people across a broad range of sectors.

What have you done so far in your commitment of investing in Infrastructure and Skills Training in Northeastern Ontario?

Through our governments Indigenous Economic Development Fund, we are supporting Indigenous communities by addressing some of the key barriers to economic development, including access to financing and skills training. Since its launch in 2014, we have provided through the Fund $25 million over three years to support promising projects that contribute to employment, training and business opportunities for Indigenous people.

In June 2016, we announced that the Fund would be extended for an additional seven years starting in 2017/18 with an annual budget of $10 million. This extension brings the total provincial investment in the Fund over ten years to $95 million.

This is in recognition of the importance of economic development and skills training to Indigenous communities, which is why we want to see meaningful employment and business development opportunities for Indigenous people across a broad range of sectors.

What is the progress made by First Nations Trade School at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School in Thunder Bay to support Skills Training for Indigenous Students?

Last February, thanks to investments from our government through the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council (NNEC), Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School in Thunder Bay celebrated the grand opening of three newly renovated classrooms to provide students with hands-on training and prepare them for jobs in hospitality and the skilled trades.

Renovations included: A new state-of-the-art manufacturing technology shop that will give students the tools they need to gain experience in welding; Improved ventilation, lighting and electrical systems for the school's transportation technology shop; a new kitchen for the hospitality and tourism classroom to support expanded course offerings in food and nutrition; Increasing learning opportunities for Indigenous students is one of many steps on Ontario's journey of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. It reflects the government's commitment to work with Indigenous partners, creating a better future for everyone in the province.

This is part of our governments commitment to build trust, prosperity and hope by expanding opportunities for Indigenous children and youth in this province.



We had learnt about your investment in Entrepreneurship Training for Indigenous Artisans. Can you highlight the progress? Is it cost-effective or more needs to done in terms of training to make it cost-effective?

Ontario is moving forward on a number of fronts to improve economic opportunities and to promote economic sustainability for Indigenous people in Ontario, including introducing initiatives that aim to increase the participation of First Nation and Metis communities in a broad range of sectors.Entrepreneurship Training helps promote well-being in Indigenous communities by funding infrastructure projects that provide community, training, and business facilities.



Tell us a little more about Environmental Assessments.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is committed to protecting the environment by considering the benefits of projects alongside the possible impacts to Ontarios environment.Through our governments broad definition of environment, Environmental Assessment in Ontario balances engineering, economic, social, cultural, and natural environmental effects so that projects benefit Ontarians.

How do you ensure the protection of Aboriginal and treaty rights of the First Nations?

Aboriginal and treaty rights are constitutionally protected rights. My Ministry works to promote awareness and respect for these rights through a number of initiatives including, creating and operationalizing Ontarios Treaty Strategy, a centre piece of which is Treaties Recognition Week, and working with Indigenous partners and partner ministers to explore options to enhance current consultation processes. The Ministry also leads negotiations of claims that involve Aboriginal and treaty rights, including for example, the current negotiations to achieve legal certainty regarding the rights of the Algonquins of Ontario.

(Interview by Suman Das and Asha Bajaj)

Image: Amnesty.ca
Boston, MA (UroToday.com) With the recent advent of 68-Ga prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT, robot-assisted salvage node dissection (RASND) is offering prostate cancer (PC) patients with subsequent biochemical recurrence (BCR) a potential for curative treatment. On behalf of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Mr. Anton Kalsbeek presents a retrospective cohort analysis of patients undergoing RASND for oligometastatic node-only disease recurrence post-primary treatment with indication by 68-Ga PSMA PET/CT.Two institutions in Brisbane, Australia contributed a total of 35 patients from February 2014 to April 2016. Treatment was analyzed with primary endpoints of safety and oncological effectiveness based on PSA response to RASND defined per primary treatment: primary prostatectomy patients required a 6-week post-operative PSA less than 0.2 ng/mL or first PSA less than 0.03 ng/mL; those who underwent primary radiotherapy were included only if they had a 6-week PSA less than post-RT nadir.Consistent with previous published reports from the center, median PSA at the time of 68-Ga PSMA PET/CT was 2.2 ng/mL at a median time from primary treatment of 61.3 months. Of the 35 patients undergoing RASND, 14 patients had targeted dissection to 68-Ga PSMA PET/CT identified lesions, 19 patients underwent extended template dissections, and 2 with a combination of both. Interestingly, while a total of only 58 lesions were detected with PSMA imaging, 87 lymph node metastases were excised (out of 372 lymph nodes removed in total) at a median of 2 metastases per patient confirmed with positive histopathology in 91% of the patients undergoing RASND.At a median follow-up of 12 months, a treatment response via PSA was seen in 42.9% of patients with PSA < 0.2 ng/mL and 31.4% of patients had an undetectable PSA. Confirmed clinical progression occurred in 12 patients (34.3%), of which two had an initial treatment response.Overall, RASND per indication by 68-Ga PSMA PET/CT presents with low complication rate and the potential for curative salvage treatment. However, over a third of the patients in this series did experience treatment failure and, thus, represent the need for maturation of data on RASNDs attendant impact on long-term BCR-free survival and prostate cancer specific mortality.Presented By: Anton Kalsbeek, MSc, Garvan Institute of Medical ResearchAuthors: Amila Siriwardana, James Thompson, Shaela Doig, Pim van Leeuwen, Anton Kalsbeek, Louise Emmett, Warick Delprado, Hemamali Samaratunga, Anne-Maree HaynWritten By: Linda Huynh (BS), an assistant research specialist from the University of California, Irvine, on behalf of UroToday.comat the 2017 AUA Annual Meeting - May 12 - 16, 2017  Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Developments over the weekend concerning President Donald Trump include his speech to Arab and Muslim leaders, which called for unity in fighting terrorism, his schedule for visiting Israel on Monday, his firing of FBI Director James Comey continues to draw fire in Washington, and some students at Notre Dame University walk out on a commencement speech by Vice President Mike Pence:

Many Muslims Hopeful, Some Wary About Trumps Saudi Speech  Many Muslims around the world reacted positively to U.S. President Donald Trump's speech Sunday to dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at the Arab Islamic American Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh. There, Trump called for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S. But Sunday he outlined his vision for U.S.-Muslim relations and the need for Muslim countries to jointly combat terrorism, saying the fight against terrorism was "a battle between good and evil."

Trump Calls for Muslim Unity in Fight Against Terrorism  Trump called Sunday for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism, telling dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at a regional summit in Riyadh it was "a battle between good and evil." Trump, in his first overseas trip as president, said the U.S. wants a coalition of nations "who share the aim of stamping out extremism.

WATCH: Trump speech at Arab Islamic American Summit

Transcript of President Trump's Speech in Riyadh  A transcript, as delivered, of President Trumps speech to Muslim leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia.

Trump Making First Official Visit to Israel  Trump on Monday makes his first official visit to Israel, where he is determined to broker a long elusive peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Trump's schedule includes talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust remembrance center.

In Israel, Trump to Pursue 'Ultimate Deal'  President Trump has cast the elusive pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians as the ultimate deal. But he will step foot in Israel having offered few indications of how he plans to achieve what so many of his predecessors could not.

Trump in Saudi Arabia, But Back Home Focus Still on Comey Firing  Trump focused Sunday on a major address to Muslim leaders at a summit in Riyadh, but back home the day's news shows were dominated by talk of his firing of FBI chief James Comey and investigations into the Trump campaign's links to Russia.

Dozens Walk Out on Pence at Notre Dame Graduation  More than 100 graduating students at the University of Notre Dame walked out Sunday as Vice President Mike Pence began his address at their commencement ceremony. Pence was chosen to give the commencement address at the nations most prominent Catholic university - even though the school ordinarily invites newly inaugurated presidents to give the address in their first year of office. Thousands of students and faculty members had signed a petition asking Notre Dames president, the Rev. John Jenkins, not to invite Trump.

Tillerson: US Expressed 'Dismay' Over Violence at Turkish Embassy  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the U.S. has expressed its "dismay" to Turkish officials about last week's clash in which Turkish security personnel apparently attacked demonstrators in Washington. Tillerson told Fox News Sunday that Turkey's ambassador to the U.S. has been told that last Tuesday's violence was "simply unacceptable."

Trump Budget Outline Reflects Support for Charter Schools  President Trump is proposing drastic cuts in many education programs but expansion of programs that favor charter schools, according to The Washington Post, which published a story earlier this week based on a leaked document. Chad Miller, a former congressional staff member and current director of education policy for the American Action Forum, told VOA that Trump's proposed cuts to the Department of Education were no surprise, given the president's public statements.

McMaster: Trump's FBI Comments to Russians Were Aimed at Cooperation  Trump raised the firing of his FBI director in a meeting with Russia's foreign minister to explain why he had been unable to find areas of cooperation with Moscow, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said on Sunday. "The gist of the conversation was that the president feels as if he is hamstrung in his ability to work with Russia to find areas of cooperation because this has been obviously so much in the news," he said in an interview on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

At Refugee Camp, Trump Envoy Haley Vows More Aid for Syrians  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley met on Sunday with Syrian refugee students in Amman, Jordan. Yet as Haley pledged that the U.S. would increase support, her message was diluted by Trump's own vow to put America First, his planned budget cuts and hardline position on admitting refugees.

In Saudi Arabia, Melania Trump Opts to Keep Her Head Bare  Ignoring President Donald Trump's past admonition, U.S. first lady Melania Trump did not cover her head Saturday when they arrived in Saudi Arabia. Two years ago, then-citizen Trump criticized then-first lady Michelle Obama's decision to go bare-headed on a January 2015 visit with her husband.

Once Wary of Trump, Montana GOP Candidate is All In  When candidate Trump visited Montana last year ahead of the states Republican presidential primary, technology entrepreneur Greg Gianforte was running on the GOP ticket for governor and made it a point to avoid his partys likely presidential nominee. Now, the multimillionaire technology entrepreneur is trying to win an open seat in Congress and has gone all in on Trump.

Centerpiece of Trumps Second Day in Saudi Arabia: Address to 50 Leaders  Trump was to deliver an address Sunday in Riyadh to dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at a regional summit focusing on combating extremism.

Trump, Saudi King Sign Defense Deals Worth Hundreds of Billions of Dollars  Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz and U.S. President Trump signed a nearly $110 billion agreement Saturday to bolster the military capabilities of Saudi Arabia.

Tillerson: Saudi Arms Deal Meant to Counter Iranian Influence  An arms deal worth nearly $110 billion that Saudi Arabia and the United States signed Saturday is meant to counter Irans malign influence in the region, said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who held a joint briefing in Riyadh with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.

Trump Lands in Saudi Arabia, First Stop on First Foreign Trip  Early Saturday, President Trump opened his first trip abroad since taking office, touching down in Saudi Arabia after an overnight flight from Washington.
His skull and jaw wrapped in bandages, the young Syrian refugee stared nonchalantly into a small black box at a supermarket in this sprawling, dust-swept refugee camp. The box scanned his iris to identify him, charged his account and sent him on his way.



If the boy noticed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley watching intently from just a few feet away, he didn't show it. But Haley would later tout the iris-scanners as a fraud-cutting tool boosting efficiency for the more than $6.5 billion the U.S. has spent helping those whose lives have been upended by Syria's harrowing civil war.



Yet as Haley pledged Sunday that the U.S. would increase support, her message was diluted by Trump's own vow to put America First, his planned budget cuts and hardline position on admitting refugees.



We're the No. 1 donor here through this crisis. That's not going to stop. We're not going to stop funding this, Haley said. The fact that I'm here shows we want to see what else needs to be done.

It was a theme the outspoken ambassador returned to over and over in Jordan at the start of her first trip abroad since taking office. In her stops here and in Turkey - another Syria neighbor - Haley is witnessing first-hand the strains placed on countries absorbing the more than 5 million Syrians who have fled the Islamic State group, President Bashar Assad's government, or both.



She climbed into the trailer of an 18-wheeler staged at the Ramtha border crossing less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) from Syria, inspecting boxes of peas, tuna and canned meat stacked shoulder-high. The truck was to join 19 others in a convoy into opposition-held territory in Syria, carrying supplies from U.N. agencies and other groups, many U.S.-funded.



This is all in the name of our Syrian brothers and sisters, Haley told aid workers in a nearby tent, swatting away flies in the summer heat. We want you to feel like the U.S. is behind you.



Different rhetoric

The U.S. president's message to Syrians couldn't be more different.

Trump, who was in Saudi Arabia on his first overseas trip, once called his predecessor insane for letting in Syrian refugees. As president, he tried to bar them from the U.S., describing them as a national security threat. A court blocked that move, but the number of Syrian refugees admitted has nonetheless dropped, from 5,422 in the four months before Trump's inauguration to 1,566 in the four months since, U.S. statistics show.



And Trump has called for drastic cuts to U.S. funding for the United Nations and its affiliated agencies - such as those aiding people still in Syria and those who've fled. Trump plans to release his budget blueprint Tuesday, but his initial proposal in March called for a one-third cut to diplomatic and overseas programming while boosting the U.S. military by $54 billion.



Haley told reporters accompanying her to Jordan that the U.S. was not pulling back and was in fact engaging more. She cited Trump's stepped-up action to try to hasten a political solution to the war, including a strike punishing Assad's forces for using chemical weapons that the Syrian opposition and its backers have enthusiastically applauded.



She echoed Trump's defense of his plan to temporarily halt refugee admissions from all countries - which was also blocked in court - by saying the U.S. needed to protect Americans by first improving its refugee-vetting capabilities. And she pointed to a group of women in the camp who'd overwhelmingly told her their hope was to return to Syria, not relocate to the U.S.



So our goal is how do we get these people back home to a safe place? Haley said.



Still, the situation in Zaatari Refugee Camp - like in others in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq - tell the story of Syrians who see no quick resolution to their plight.



In Zaatari, half of the 80,000 refugees are children, and a dozen babies are born here per day, according to UNICEF, the U.N.'s child welfare agency. Thirty-five percent of marriages involve a child under 18, a reflection of the economic hardships families in the camp face.

Many of the younger children wander unsupervised through the camp, where gusts of dust occasionally reduced visibility to just a few feet as Haley's motorcade rolled through the streets, passing sparse, white-corrugated buildings accorded a bit of cheer by colorful murals painted on their walls.



As ambassador, Haley plays a key but only partial role in the Trump administration's decision-making on Syria, refugees and humanitarian aid. But her role at the U.N. puts her at the center of the debate about how the global community takes on the crisis. After all, it's successive U.N. Security Council resolutions that created the legal framework for aid groups to send aid into Syria, with or without Assad's consent.



At the Marka military airport in Amman, Haley went aboard a cargo plane to get a rare look at high-risk operations to airdrop wheat, lentils and cooking oil into Assad-controlled territory in Deir el-Zour, which is completely surrounded by the Islamic State group. In a sign of Moscow's outsize influence in the Syria conflict, both the aircraft and the company that flies it on behalf of the World Food Program are Russian.



It's smiles, and tears, said David Beasley, WFP's executive director. It really is.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived Monday in Israel, making his first visit there as a president who wants to revive the effort to achieve a long-sought peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

Trump's travel from Riyadh to Tel Aviv was historic, with Air Force One completing the first direct flight between the two countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin were among those gathered for a welcome ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport.

Trump's schedule Monday includes meetings with both leaders, as well as a visit to the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site. On Tuesday, Trump has talks scheduled with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Trump said in March that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is "maybe not as difficult as people have thought," though he has not given any indication of how he might approach the issue differently. He has tasked his son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner with leading the effort for the White House.

Trump said during his campaign for president that the best way to negotiate an agreement is taking what he called an "objective" approach to the serious and extremely emotional issues keeping both sides apart. But he has said continued Israeli settlements do not help the peace process, and has backed off his promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The last peace negotiations broke down in 2014.

Trump's first overseas stop as president was in Saudi Arabia, where on Sunday he called for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism and called it "a battle between good and evil."

He spoke at a gathering of dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at a regional summit in Riyadh, telling them the U.S. wants a coalition of nations "who share the aim of stamping out extremism.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations," Trump said. "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it."

Trump, who is seeking to impose a travel ban for people from six majority-Muslim countries, did not use the contentious phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" as he frequently has in speeches at home. Instead, he called on the Muslim leaders to honestly confront "the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires."

Trump singled out Iran, a rival of U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, accusing Tehran of contributing to instability in the region.

"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said.

Trump said battling terrorism "means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians. Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory  piety to evil will bring you no dignity."

The speech drew polite applause for about 20 seconds but there was no standing ovation except from the U.S. official delegation.

Jocelyne Cesari, who focuses on Islam and world politics at Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, said the language used by Trump in his speech was a "clear departure from his domestic" remarks on Islam.

"He has never made this difference that he made in this speech between Islamist radical ideology and Islam as such...but what it will mean in terms of policy and implementation is not clear," she said.

Trump's speech was a surprising turn for the president in the wake of his America First rhetoric and campaign statements calling for a total Muslim travel ban, which he then softened to call for a more limited travel ban from the six Muslim-majority countries. His effort has been blocked by U.S. courts, although Trump is appealing the ruling.

Saudi Arabia is an unprecedented destination for an initial overseas visit by any U.S. president, but the oil-rich nation, which has deep, long-standing energy and defense ties to the United States, was not included in Trump's travel ban edict.

On Saturday, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Trump signed a nearly $110 billion agreement to bolster the military capabilities of Saudi Arabia.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is hopeful the United States can help forge peace between Israel and the Palestinians, adding that he believes such an agreement would "begin a process of peace all throughout the Middle East."

Speaking alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, Trump said he is committed to doing everything he can to achieve a deal.

"President Abbas assures me he is ready to work toward that goal in good faith, and Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu has promised the same. I look forward to working with these leaders toward a lasting peace," Trump said.

Abbas said he also has hopes for a peace deal, and is ready to be a partner in what he called a "noble" mission.

The last Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in 2014.

Trump's schedule Tuesday also includes a visit to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and a speech.

He met Monday with Netanyahu, and drew quick approval as he assailed Iranian aggression and military ambitions.

Trump also attacked the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama for agreeing to the 2015 international deal restraining Iran's nuclear weapons program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against Tehran, a pact the Jewish state adamantly, but unsuccessfully, opposed.

"I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran," Netanyahu told Trump at the end of a day of meetings and ceremony. "I want want to tell you also how much we appreciate the reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East."

Trump attacked Iran throughout the day, saying, "Instead of being thankful, saying thank you" for the nuclear deal, Iranians "now feel emboldened," with signs of Tehran's fighters, money and weapons in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. "We not only gave them a lifeline, we gave them wealth and prosperity. It was a terrible thing for the United States to enter into that deal."

WATCH: Trump's comment about Iran during remarks in Jerusalem



Before private talks with the Israeli leader, Trump also took the occasion to deny that when he was meeting with top Russian diplomats in Washington earlier this month he had unmasked Israel as the U.S.'s clandestine source for highly classified information about a potential Islamic State airplane terrorist attack.

"Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or the name Israel, never mentioned it in that conversation," Trump said. "They were all saying I did, so you had another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel. News accounts of the White House conversation said that Trump had mentioned enough information that Russia would be able to figure out the source for the covert information, which later was revealed as coming from Israel.

Earlier, Trump said, "This moment in history calls us to strengthen our cooperation as both Israel and America face common threats from ISIS and other terrorist groups to countries like Iran that sponsor terrorism and fund and foment terrible violence - not only here - but all over the world.

"Most importantly," he added, "the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon - never ever - and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias. And it must cease -- immediately."

Trump met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin ahead of his talks with Netanyahu and visited important symbols of both the Jewish and Christian faiths.

The U.S. president arrived in Israel after a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where Trump said King Salman assured him the Saudis want peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and roadblocks imposed against Iranian threats.

"There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran and it is indeed a threat. There is no question about that," Trump told Rivlin.

In Tehran, newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran wants terrorism uprooted in the Middle East and says it is ready for interaction with its neighbors to restore peace in the region.

In his remarks, Rivlin, referring to the prospects of peace in the Middle East, yet fears about Iran, said, "We must be sure we don't go to sleep with a dream and wake up with a nightmare."

At a welcoming ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport Tel Aviv, Trump said there is now a "rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace" to the Middle East.

Netanyahu referenced Trump's speech to Muslim leaders in Riyadh on Sunday on the need for a united fight against terrorism. The Israeli leader said his country shares the same commitment to peace and has its hand "extended in peace to all our neighbors, including the Palestinians."

Trump has indicated a desire to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations that broke down in 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters traveling with the president that Trump "feels like there is a moment in time here" and an opportunity to advance the process.

"I think the president has indicated he's willing to put his own personal efforts into this, if the Israelis and the Palestinian leadership are ready to be serious about engaging as well," Tillerson said.

Trump's schedule Monday included a visit to the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site, and a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where tradition says Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb. On Tuesday, Trump has talks scheduled with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

WATCH: Visit to Church of Holy Sepulchre

Trump said in March that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is "maybe not as difficult as people have thought," though he has not given any indication of how he might approach the issue differently. He has tasked his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner with leading the effort for the White House.

Trump said during his campaign for president that the best way to negotiate an agreement is taking what he called an "objective" approach to the serious and extremely emotional issues keeping both sides apart. But he has said continued Israeli settlements in the West Bank that Israel seized in the Six-Day War in 1967 do not help the peace process, and has backed off his promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia was his first overseas stop as president.

He spoke at a gathering of dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at a regional summit in Riyadh Sunday, telling them the U.S. wants a coalition of nations "who share the aim of stamping out extremism."
The U.S. State Department has again condemned the actions of Turkish security personnel during last week's visit to Washington by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as Turkey summoned the U.S. ambassador to Ankara over the incident.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "As we noted previously, the conduct of Turkish security personnel last week was deeply disturbing. The State Department has raised its concerns about those events at the highest levels."

She confirmed that the U.S. ambassador to Turkey was summoned to Ankara to discuss what she called "the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish security personnel."

Turkey said it summoned the ambassador to protest what it called the "aggressive" treatment of Turkish security.

The Turkish move appears to be in response to the strong U.S. criticism of the Turkish security personnel who apparently attacked demonstrators in Washington last week. The U.S. had summoned the Turkish ambassador to the following the violence.

John Cornyn, the second-highest ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, criticized Turkey's decision to summon the U.S. ambassador. Cornyn told VOA, "I don't think it's our [U.S.] ambassador who ought to be answering questions. I think the Turkish Embassy needs to be answering some questions."

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Fox News Sunday that Turkey's ambassador has been told last Tuesday's violence was "simply unacceptable."

"There is an ongoing investigation," he said, adding that he will wait on the outcome of that probe before deciding on a more formal response.

The clash broke out between Turkish security personnel and protesters outside the Turkish ambassador's residence during Erdogan's visit to Washington.

WATCH: Turkish security guards clash with protesters in Washington

Protesters say they were attacked by Turkish security forces as they demonstrated peacefully. Turkey blamed the clash on the demonstrators, claiming they aggressively provoked people who had gathered to see Erdogan.

VOA's Turkish service recorded video at the scene that indicated the Turkish security detail suddenly turned on the demonstrators, knocking them to the ground and kicking them until police pushed the Turks away. The video showed Erdogan standing beside his limousine, watching the brawl.

U.S. officials briefly detained two members of Erdogans security detail, but they were soon released, under customary diplomatic protocols granting immunity to aides accompanying a visiting dignitary.

Some U.S. lawmakers have demanded the United States take stronger action, including Republican Senator John McCain, who called for the Turkish ambassador to be expelled.



The top U.S. senators who oversee the U.S. foreign aid budget warned Turkey in a letter that there could be financial consequences if Turkey fails to punish the bodyguards responsible for the violence. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Patrick Leahy said in a letter to Turkey's ambassador written last week, but released on Monday, that there could be "potential implications for assistance to Turkey" if Ankara does not take the incident seriously.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday announced it has extended Haitian immigrants access to a program of humanitarian protection for six months.

At least 50,000 Haitian immigrants are registered for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which permits them to live and work in the United States. TPS, offered in the wake of a deadly 2010 earthquake in Haiti, was set to expire July 23. It has been extended through January 22  though some U.S. lawmakers, Haitian authorities and immigration advocates who'd sought a longer term expressed disappointment.

"Haiti has made progress across several fronts since the devastating earthquake," DHS Secretary John Kelly said in a statement, adding that he was "proud of the role the United States has played during this time in helping Haitian friends."

Kelly said the extension "should allow Haitian TPS recipients living in the United States time to attain travel documents and make other necessary arrangements for their ultimate departure from the United States, and should also provide the Haitian government with the time it needs to prepare for the future repatriation of all current TPS recipients."

Haiti sought 1-year minimum

Haitis government had urged the United States to extend TPS "for at least another year," its ambassador to the United States, Paul Altidor, told VOA earlier this month.

Altidor said the Caribbean country, while glad to welcome back "our brothers and sisters," was not ready to absorb tens of thousands of returnees "overnight."

Haiti "has not recovered entirely from the earthquake," the ambassador said, noting that not all of the financial aid pledged by "many friends and countries around the world" had materialized. He also pointed out that his country had endured additional setbacks, such as a cholera epidemic and a crippling hurricane last October.

Nascent planning

Ambassador Altidor said some people in his country, displaced by the quake and subsequent hurricanes, still are living in camps. He said the administration of President Jovenel Moise, who took office in February, is just beginning to put together reconstruction and development plans.

The ambassador also noted that some Haitian nationals have given birth to children while in the United States, and those children are U.S. citizens. Mixed-status families could be torn apart. Altidor added that those living in the United States "for the most part ... have been quite productive members of society for the past few years."

Haitian immigrant communities primarily are in South Florida, New York, New Jersey and eastern Massachusetts.

Urging reconsideration

U.S. Representative Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart, a Republican whose district includes Miami, issued a statement Monday thanking "President [Donald] Trump and DHS Secretary Kelly for this TPS extension and I support the people of Haiti as they continue to rebuild."

Some other U.S. lawmakers and immigration advocates had urged DHS to extend Haiti's TPS status for 18 months.

"We will inevitably need a longer and more traditional extension of TPS to give Haiti sufficient breathing room to implement reforms, grow their economy, and recover from the series of natural disasters," U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said in a statement Monday.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, ranking member of a subcommittee on immigration, refugees and border security, promised in a Twitter post to "fight for extensions until Haiti is fully recovered."

U.S. Representative Frederica Wilson, whose South Florida district includes Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood, encouraged DHS officials "to join me on a trip to Haiti so they can view firsthand exactly what Haitian natives living in the U.S. with Temporary Protected Status would be returning to.

"It is one thing to read facts and figures about the effects of a series of natural disasters that have wreaked havoc there," the Democrat said in a statement, "but it is impossible to accurately assess the tumultuous conditions without actually seeing it up close and in person."

Ninaj Raoul, executive director of New York-based Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, noted that last October's hurricane "wiped out" crops in southwestern Haiti, "where a lot of the food for the entire country comes from."

Tiffany Wheatland-Disu, community outreach manager at the New York Immigration Coalition, said an assessment of conditions in December supports a full 18-month extension." She added, "Anything less would be irresponsible and reckless."

Emails raised questions

Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported it had obtained internal emails from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services showing the agency sought information on criminal activity by Haitians temporarily in the United States. Immigration advocates had worried that DHS might be treating Haitian nationals unfairly and perhaps even trying to set new TPS criteria.

DHS denied that, telling VOA in an email at the time that "the secretary's decision will be based on a thorough assessment of the conditions in the country."

TPS is designated for countries caught up in war, environmental disasters or other "extraordinary and temporary conditions," according to the DHS website, which lists 13 foreign countries. They include Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, hardest hit by an Ebola crisis several years ago. The trios status expired Sunday.

VOA's Ramon Taylor, Serge Rodriguez and Jean-Pierre Leroy contributed to this report.
Jared Kushner managed his familys New York real estate company and owns millions in real estate and other assets. He sold some of his assets when he joined his father-in-laws administration.

But, he still owns stakes in numerous limited liability companies that often do not have any employees, offices, web sites or operations that would make their purpose readily apparent. Some are owned through generic registered-agent offices in Dover, Delaware, and function as holding companies for other assets. Kushners representatives have said his divestiture strategy was crafted to reduce potential conflicts of interests, and that he has followed guidance from White House counsel and the Office of Government Ethics. His lawyers have said that he may sell more assets.





What his assets are worth

The companies, properties and other assets that Kushner still owns are worth between $167.5 million and $569.5 million. Kushners 54-page financial disclosure reveals little information about how  or why  he decided to keep certain holdings. It is not clear whether those personal business interests might benefit from his influential place in the White House.

There were some omissions in Kushners original form, which his lawyers say will be added in an upcoming revision. He did not disclose his specific stake in a real estate trading platform and his position with a Delaware shell company. Kushners lawyers say he kept many widely traded and diversified financial investments that federal ethics rules classify as excepted investment funds. He also held on to 14 federal bonds.





Who is managing the assets he sold

Some of Kushners holdings were placed into a trust managed by his mother. He has sold assets to third-party buyers and other family members, but his lawyers have declined to provide details on the purchases.





Where his properties are located

Kushner still owns 124 real estate properties, mostly residential units in the New Jersey suburbs of New York. His U.S. holdings are located as far west as Kansas City and as far south as Prince Georges County, and also include commercial and industrial buildings. His disclosure form lists one property in Argentina that he sold.





About this story

The Washington Post reviewed Jared Kushners public financial disclosure report, known as a Form 278e, for his role as a senior adviser to President Trump. The report was filed on March 31, 2017, and includes 54 pages of financial information on assets and income for Kushner and his spouse, Ivanka. Post reporters analyzed the form by categorizing which assets had been kept, sold or were in the process of being sold. Additionally, reporters classified assets by their type: including real estate, bank accounts, financial investments or other companies, to try to identify trends related to what he had sold or kept. The map was created by using geographical information given for real estate that Kushner identified on his form. Kushners lawyers have said that his form will be revised in the future, and that he may decide to sell additional assets. Family member photos are from the Associated Press.
Resistance, Rebellion, Life: 50 Poems Now, by Amit Majmudar (Knopf)

Resistance, Rebellion, Life: 50 Poems Now (Knopf) conveys the shock and dismay many esteemed poets  like many Americans  have felt since the presidential election. The slim volume, which includes work by Robert Pinsky, Christian Wiman, Ada Limon, Sharon Olds, Kevin Young and Lucie Brock-Broido, questions how we reached this point in history, rails against fake news and explores the meaning of truth in the Trump era. As editor Amit Majmudar writes in the prologue, We poets are the absolute antitheses of Trump. We are at the other end of the spectrum: we are his negative image. Much of the work reminds readers that we are responsible for our choices and, through them, can help determine the future of the nation. In the opening poem, Let Them Not Say, Jane Hirshfield declares , Let them not say:/ we did not see it./ We saw./ Let them not say:/we did not hear it./ We heard. Other pieces urge readers to challenge divisive rhetoric and to reaffirm the importance of diversity and inclusion. In Weve Come a Long Way Toward Getting Nowhere, for example, Bob Hicok addresses anti-Semitism in America. Why, he wonders, would anyone feel threatened by Jews, such as the beloved he describes, a woman who, like many/ of the people you know or are,/ is ticklish, wrinkly, sexy, scarred. The final piece, by Majmudar, contains lines or phrases from each of the previous poems, as if to demonstrate the power of many voices when they come together.

[The secret delight of poetry]

Said Not Said, by Fred Marchant (Graywolf)

Said Not Said (Graywolf) by Fred Marchant demonstrates how poetry provides a crucial outlet  and perhaps some catharsis  in response to the inequities or cruelties of life. Early poems focus on Marchants sister, who suffered from mental illness until her madness descended/ or rose up beneath her, took her beyond known islands. The speaker recalls those memories with compassion before turning his thoughts outward to the murder of a political activist in a Palestinian refugee camp, a man in Benghazi washing a corpse, and then to Vietnam, where, he confesses, I am pretty sure that I would have died . . . I am pretty sure I would have killed. Marchant, who was one of the first Marine officers to be honorably discharged as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, captures peoples humanity in despair or during troubling moments. The inventiveness of his writing  which makes use of various forms and some brilliant wordplay  contributes to its power. So does Marchants honesty as he travels great distances, geographically and psychologically, seeking to understand the human soul. What he finds are poignant glimpses and a deeper recognition of how our flimsy white truths make it difficult to articulate all that cannot be said.

The Half-Finished Heaven, by Tomas Transtromer and Robert Bly (Graywolf)

The Half-Finished Heaven (Graywolf) provides a wonderful respite for world-weary readers as well as a lovely introduction to the work of Nobel Prize-winning poet Tomas Transtromer (1931-2015). This expanded edition of his 2001 book of the same title presents the best of Transtromers work from 1954 to 2004, as well as 14 additional poems. Translator Robert Bly, who won the National Book Award in 1968 for The Light Around the Body, masterfully renders Transtromers work. A psychologist who worked with troubled young people for decades, Transtromer knew how to strip away excess verbiage to reveal the truth. He also understood that the inner and outer worlds intersect, and he beautifully captured that tension and mystery, as in these lines from the title poem in this collection: Every person is a half-open door/ leading to a room for everyone./ The endless field under us. Water glitters between the trees./ The lake is a window into the earth. Transtromers perspective is refreshing, the verbal equivalent of a brisk wind or a cold stream on a hot day. Even when he considers technology, modern life in his native land, or personal losses, he shows how hidden forces undergird reality and will continue to do so, just as they always have.

Elizabeth Lund writes about poetry every month for The Washington Post.
A few years back, Southern California rock band Linkin Park contacted Harvard Business School. They were concerned: The record industry was in a meltdown. Rock radio, a vital promotional engine for the band, was dead. Old revenue streams, such as album sales, were drying up. The new ones were unreliable.

After a semester of independent study, a team from the school came up with some ideas. Linkin Park needed to diversify. Music would now be just one not-particularly-consequential element of their brand. To be clear, we are still in the music business, Kiel Berry, an executive at the groups relaunched innovation company, Machine Shop, wrote in a post on the schools blog, but creating and selling music now plays more of a supporting role in our overall business mix.

Linkin Park set about enacting the teams suggestions, mostly to great success: They reached out to influencers, expanded their brands merchandising opportunities and set up a venture capital firm similar to Bonos Elevation Partners. (They were early investors in Lyft  Linkin Park will be fine.)

And now they have released One More Light, the bands first album since the Harvard overhaul. As an artistic work, its fine, a subtle and contemplative pop album from a band not known to be any of those things. As an exercise in branding, its a disaster roughly akin to Linkin Park dragging their entire fan base, kicking and screaming, off an overbooked United flight.

One More Light fits uneasily into the bands omnivorous catalogue. Linkin Parks official 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory, is the most consequential rap-metal album ever released, and one of the most successful rock albums of all time. The group has spent the last 16 years copying it (2003s Meteora), ignoring it (2010s A Thousand Suns, a lightly experimental concept album about nuclear war), and trying to outrun it (2007s arena-rock-goes-electro Minutes to Midnight).

They returned to their early work with their 2014 album, The Hunting Party, only to find Twenty One Pilots working the same patch of land. One More Light is a goodbye to all that, in a way that feels foreign and final. Its a beyond-fervid embrace of the pop sonics the band has flirted with for years. It contains little rap and even less metal. There are thoughtful acoustic songs and rote electro-pop songs. At times, it sounds as though the Chainsmokers and Simon and Garfunkel had a really terrifying baby.

In their early days, every Linkin Park song was like a wounded animal, an authentic expression of young punk angst that was bro-centric but effective. They werent always geniuses, but you knew that they meant it. But, with most of the bands members now on the other side of 40, theyre fumbling with the uncertainties common to many artists in the late middle age of their careers.

One More Light offers no answers to questions that may be unanswerable: How does a band, built for the efficient expression of a very specific kind of youthful misery, stay relevant now that they are rock stars and husbands and fathers? Do they play to the audience that grew up with them, and presumably has many of the same concerns, or do they peddle an increasingly unconvincing version of teen alienation to a new generation of Twenty One Pilots spillover fans? What would the team at Harvard Business School say?

This is what they shouldnt have done: hire a gaggle of professional songwriters previously employed by Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. They dont know the answers, either. For Linkin Park, who seldom used outside writers, its a way to split things down the middle. One More Light is peppered with vague, meme-able niceties about perseverance and missing home and the beauty of the stars that could mean anything, that will appeal to anyone, or no one.

Its virtually unrecognizable as a Linkin Park album. The bands guitars are muted, its usual volcanic rage downgraded to a mild pique, its co-frontman, rapper Mike Shinoda, mostly absent. Vocals are often manipulated to the point of ridiculousness  the electro-poppy Talking to Myself sounds like the work of a 90s boy band. The lumbering first single Heavy emulates, in feel if not in sound, the Chainsmokers Closer, with Kiiara standing in for Halsey.

One More Light isnt awful. Its acoustic title track is wistful and warm; the gauzy Battle Symphony and the electro-rap Good Goodbye are both solid, even if guests Pusha T and grime artist Stormzy do most of the heavy lifting on the latter. But sincerity is the only real currency Linkin Park has, and this is the first album theyve ever made that feels false. Theres nothing here worth capsizing a brand over.


Mourners hold a candlelight vigil after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in June 2016. (Melissa Lyttle/For The Washington Post)

A few weeks ago, my editor asked what I planned to write about for this, my last Civilities column. Without hesitation I replied: Fear  and the large vein of it that runs through our country today.

Let me start with a personal story. Since January, Ive suffered a troika of destabilizing losses: the deaths of both my parents and the end of my marriage. At times Ive been overwhelmed by fear  of losing my family, of financial insecurity, and even of dating again. This all-encompassing anxiety has not made me my best self, and as much as Ive tried to mitigate it, I know that Ive often been too brittle, too angry and too self-absorbed.

Im not the only one who feels short-circuited by fear and anxiety in these unpredictable political times. In fact, the American Psychological Association reported recently that its annual Stress in America: Coping with Change survey hit a record high this year because of concerns about the political climate and the countrys future. The fear of uncertainty is a constant, whether its political or otherwise, Ron Samarian, chief of the department of psychiatry at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., told USA Today.

In looking back at my columns and readers comments, Im struck by just how prevalent this state of insecurity has been, both among those who identify as LGBT and those who dont. In a word cloud of my columns, fear, anxiety, suspicion and distrust would probably dominate.

Within the LGBT community, there are many reasons to be nervous. In the 28 states where gay people can be fired simply because of their sexual orientation, there is the fear of coming out at work. LGBT tweens and teens live with the fear of being bullied at school. And many in my community fear being disowned or disavowed by family members simply because of whom they love.

Last June, the day after 49 people  most of them LGBT  were murdered at Orlandos Pulse nightclub, I wrote, For gay men and lesbians of a certain age, both the fear of violence  not to mention the real thing  has long been part of our consciousness. . . . Weve long known that violence can erupt on a sidewalk, in a park, a diner or a restroom, whether were alone, with a partner, even with our families  anywhere we are identified as LGBT in front of the wrong person. . . . This shooting reinforces the deep-seated fear that, for us, nowhere is really safe.

[For LGBT community, Orlando shootings reinforce the fear that nowhere is safe]

My generations collective memory is stained by the assassination of gay rights leader Harvey Milk in 1978, and Im certain that the Pulse murders provide the same kind of awful touchstone for younger LGBT people. Jacob Tobia, 25, a genderqueer writer and advocate, told me last year: I expect violence walking alone late at night. . . . I expect random acts of hate violence on the street. But Tobia, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, still thought theyd be in a safe space in a queer club.

More pervasive though, is the everyday anxiety that comes from being routinely insulted and diminished. After I wrote a column profiling Liz Hadfield, a 21-year-old transgender college student, I published some readers responses. Youre mentally defective, thats all, posted one. Whats with the She krap? wrote another. The proper pronoun is HE. HE is a man dressed up to believe hes a she, but hes still a man. End of story. For Hadfield, this was painful at every level, and not at all the end of the story.

[This transgender person wants to help you understand her experience]

LGBT people, however, are not the only ones who wrote to me about their fears. In the months before and after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in June 2015, I heard from many readers who feared the breakdown of opposite-sex marriage and the imminent destruction of the family as they defined it. Some parents expressed fear about their daughters being assaulted in gender-neutral restrooms, or their sons being damaged by transgender male Boy Scouts. These fears have proved to be unfounded, according to government and law enforcement officials, but they are no less real to those held in their grip.

I believe our state of insecurity is the result of changes we dont understand, circumstances we cant control and concepts alien to our individual worldviews. Whichever side of todays great divide you occupy, the question is the same: How do we overcome these fears?

Katie Couric, the host and executive producer of National Geographics powerful documentary Gender Revolution, suggested one approach to me. When I interviewed Couric, she told me that she intentionally brought a respectful curiosity to this project and admitted that she didnt have all the answers, which I found enormously refreshing. And she offered wise advice for our current climate:

I cant think of a better time for people to open their hearts and minds and learn about those who may be different than them, she said. There seems to be a movement to other-ize a variety of groups, and diversity seems to have become a dirty word for some. Couric spoke directly to those who identify as straight or cisgender (those whose gender identity matches their birth sex) but her words should have resonance for those of us who are LGBT as well. Respect, after all, is a two-way street. And when we have more respect for others  and they for us  we will all have less to fear.

At least thats my hope.

Endnote

It has been a great privilege to be a member of the Post family these past three years, and Im indebted to my colleagues, especially Liz Seymour, Mitch Rubin, Zofia Smardz, Veronica Toney, Ryan Weber, Ryan Carey-Mahoney, Lena Sun, Pooh Shapiro, Paul Farhi, Molly Gannon, Tracy Grant, Margaret Sullivan and the copy editors. Id be remiss not to mention Executive Editor Martin Baron, whose leadership is unparalleled, and whose kindness and consideration are just as great. And then, to my readers  sincere, heartfelt thanks for your questions, comments, interrogations and more. Ill be appearing in the Posts pages again soon enough, but not as your regular arbiter of civility. Until then.

Agree or disagree with my perspective? Let me know in the comments section below.

You can reach the author on Facebook at facebook.com/stevenpetrow and on Twitter @stevenpetrow.


Frames from the infamous April 9 video of David Dao being dragged off a United Airlines flight at Chicago OHare International Airport. (Jayse D. Anspach/via Reuters)

Chicago aviation police drag a bloodied man down the aisle of a United plane. A mother clutching her baby weeps after a scuffle with an American Airlines flight attendant. A Transportation Safety Administration officer prods a teenage boy during a security patdown at Dallas/Fort Worth. Fists fly at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood after Spirit cancels dozens of flights.

Since the start of the year, the collection of videos documenting altercations between airline personnel and customers has surpassed the number of movies in the Rocky franchise. The most recent addition: Navang Ozas 13-minute reel of his spat with a United ticketing agent in New Orleans.

Chicago-area Asian community organizations protest Daos forcible removal from the flight in April. (Chris Sweda/AP)

Were in the midst of a social revolution driven by the fact that everyone has a camera phone in their pocket, said Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union. People are challenging authority in new ways.

Not so long ago, only immediate bystanders would have witnessed these alarming events. Today, millions of eyes are watching the incidents up close and on repeat. The critical question: Should you press the record button or duck behind the in-flight magazine? Many experts say press.

[Air rage incidents are on the rise. First-class sections arent helping.]

Amitai Etzioni, a sociology professor at George Washington University, says the public has a moral obligation to document injustices.

You cannot look away or ignore, he said. At least record it and share it.

Several recent passenger videos have spurred change. After the bumping incident, United and other carriers added consumer-friendly provisions to their overbooking policies. American suspended its belligerent crew member. The TSA worked with the mother of the teenager to update its online materials on traveling with children.

Technology is the new checks and balances against authority, Stanley said. It can improve the situation.

If you are worried about breaking the law by filming without permission, dont worry: If you are on public property, the Founding Fathers have your back.

(The Washington Post)

On its website, the ACLU explains the right to record: Taking photographs and video of things that are plainly visible in public spaces is a constitutional right  and that includes transportation facilities.

Publicly owned airports fall under this purview, though Stanley added that the courts have not fully tested the constitutionality of this rule, especially in relation to airports operated by public-private partnerships. On private property, the proprietor can prohibit photography and ask you to leave. The owner can also call the cops to escort you, the trespasser, off the premises.

[United and man dragged from flight reach amicable settlement]

Planes are trickier beasts. The airlines own the aircraft, but Stanley explains that planes are common carrier conveyances and otherwise highly regulated spaces. He said that he cant imagine the airlines prohibiting passengers from using their cellphones; administering such a ban, he said, would be a fruitless exercise.

The carriers publish their guidelines on personal electronics in their in-flight magazines or on their websites. The language varies little between carriers.

Southwest: Want to photograph and/or record Southwest Airlines Customers or Employees? Let them know first! The use of cameras and mobile devices is permitted onboard to capture personal events but can never interfere with the safety of a flight and should always respect others privacy.

United: The use of small cameras or mobile devices for photography and video is permitted on board, provided that the purpose is capturing personal events. Photographing or recording other customers or airline personnel without their express consent is prohibited.

[What all the recent United Airlines headlines may mean for travelers]

Since the recent spate of high-profile videos, the airlines have started to reexamine their guidelines. An American spokesman, for instance, said that the airline could loosen its stance on video. In addition, he said that the carrier expects passengers will share their experiences on social media, even ones that may ding the companys armor.

The rules are being reviewed in light of the fact that everyone has a camera, he said, and they really cant be enforced.

(Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

Stanley reminds would-be documentarians that neither an employee nor a law-enforcement officer can confiscate your device. An officer can only take your gadget with a warrant. And no one for any reason can delete your images. To safeguard your material, the ACLU created the free Mobile Justice app, which streams the footage from your phone to the nonprofit organizations servers.

If you happen to find yourself in the vicinity of a troubling situation, proceed with caution, experts advise: You do not want to escalate the situation or jeopardize your safety or the well-being of others.

Use the tool after careful consideration of the circumstances, said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. You could become a target of the violence.

[United and man dragged from flight reach amicable settlement]

Witness.org, which trains citizens to use video to ignite change, offers an array of pointers and downloadable guides on its website, such as a blog post about obscuring identifiable features and the tip sheet, Using Video for Human Rights Documentation.

Filming an incident of violence can put both the victim and the filmer at risk by exposing their location, identities and sensitive personal information, said Jackie Zammuto, U.S. program manager at the site. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what it might feel like to have this incident witnessed not only by people on the plane but by millions more online.

In short, think before you share.

Were all publishers now and we have ethical responsibilities, Jaffer said, even on social media.

More from Travel:

How to plan an eco-friendly vacation from start to finish

Can I bring a Viking helmet on the plane? AskTSA is here to help.

Why you should visit Columbus, Ohio

How many states have you been to?
Greg Greenstein, a used-record dealer from southwest Virginia, shows some of the records he was selling at the monthly Arbutus Record & CD Show in Baltimore County on April 23, 2017. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

Half the used albums on Greg Greensteins table at the Arbutus Record & CD Show are marked with little price-tag stickers that say Meat and the other half are marked with little stickers that say Produce.

Greg, a dealer from Moneta, Va., southwest of Lynchburg, gets the price tags free from a friend in the grocery business. Who is he to look a price-tag gift horse in the mouth?

But whats even odder about Gregs price tags is whats printed on them. The price of just about every record  Molly Hatchet, Todd Rundgren, Al Wilson, Jules and the Polar Bears  ends in 23 cents: $5.23, $10.23, $18.23 . . .

There are 23 pairs of chromosomes that make up your DNA, Greg explains. Two plus three is five. Five is the pentagon.

Theres more: The next time you see a movie with a scene set in a hotel corridor, watch what room number pops up. Dont pay attention to it, just plant it in the back of your mind, Greg says. You will see exactly what Im talking about. Theyre walking down the motel hallway. They stop and the camera pans left to the door. Oh, its Room 23. It happens all the time.

Tim Harris, a dealer from Lynchburg, Va., says he specializes in weird records aimed at Christian children. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

The Arbutus Record & CD Show happens monthly in the volunteer fire department hall in Arbutus, Md. On the third Sunday of the month  usually; this months show is the fourth Sunday, May 28  dozens of dealers haul in LPs, singles, box sets, CDs, posters and other music-related ephemera. (Visit arbutusrecordshow.net for info.)

Some of the records are new pressings  examples of the vinyl resurgence weve all heard about  but the vast majority are old. Once, someone wanted them. Then someone didnt  their owners outgrew Rush or the Monkees; they converted their records to MP3s; they died  and now these dealers hope someone wants them again.

Me, I am consumed by a newfound appreciation for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and want to own Damn the Torpedoes on vinyl, a record I was too cool to buy in my new-wave-obsessed 20s. Its proving harder to find than Id thought.

Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd  their albums sell quickly, Greg says. Theyre snapped up not by nostalgic 50-year-olds but by inquisitive millennials.

Theyre all albums that you should have in your collection because theyre standards, Greg says. Pink Floyds The Wall will probably sell from now to the end of time because theres always going to be that 16-year-old kid whos discovering it for the first time.

Arbutus is close to Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport, a location that makes it attractive to international buyers. Dealers there still talk about the Japanese customer who would fly in, pay top dollar for rare Blue Note jazz titles, and then jet back to Tokyo and sell them in his store.

This particular Sunday doesnt seem to have attracted any deep-pocketed Japanese dealers, but there is a Greek guy whos been buying up entire collections. It is unclear whether he is from Greece or just of Greek extraction. He breezes past, followed by a smiling dealer wheeling a hand truck stacked with milk crates full of LPs.

Dealers are here to sell, of course, but most have their own interests. Before the show opens to the public, they peruse one anothers booths.

Im a closet Jerry Falwell and Jimmy Swaggart collector, Greg says. I probably have 15 Jerry Falwell records. I probably have 30 Jimmy Swaggart records.

This news catches the ear of the dealer one table over, Tim Harris of Lynchburg, Va.

One of my specialties is weird Christian childrens records, Tim says, explaining that these are not records by weird Christian children, but weird records aimed at Christian children.

Like Christian pirate records, Tim says. This genre was created by a hard-drinking motorcyclist who lost an arm and a leg in a crash, found religion, and refashioned himself as a Christian entertainer named Captain Hook.

Theres a market for that, Tim says. Its not to be confused with the childrens Christian ventriloquist records, which theres a big demand for. And theres a lot more of those than the pirate records.

Tim also seeks Christian rock bands, which use the devils music to spread the Lords word.

My Christian rock mentor told me the rule of thumb is, the ones where theyre smiling always suck, Tim says of album cover band photos. Buy them when they look sullen, when theyre looking away, when they look angry or sad. The happy-faced ones never pay off.

As Im leaving, a bright-red album cover on one dealers table catches my eye. Its Damn the Torpedoes. Tom Petty is sporting a knowing grin. And, $12 later, so am I.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
Jonathan Lee of New York attaches a sticker to his laptop on May 11 as he works on his final project at Revature, which runs a school for coding in Reston, Va. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Right around this time last year, Edward Young was donning a cap and gown for graduation at St. Johns University in New York. He figured his bachelors degree in computer science would open doors to all sorts of tech jobs, but a few rounds of interviews proved otherwise.

Scrolling through an employment website months later, Young stumbled across a listing for Revature, a Northern Virginia company offering 12 weeks of computer programming classes. Instead of asking students to hand over upward of $10,000  the going rate for similar coding boot camps  Revature pays them minimum wage during the training. And upon graduation, the company sends its software engineers out on two-year assignments at federal agencies and banks and other corporations.

[Why students are throwing money at a program that wont give them a degree]

This place sold me on the idea that in a few weeks you get the equivalent of two years of industry experience, said Young, who is finishing up the immersion course at Revature. Just the amount of knowledge that employers expect is outside the scope of what they actually teach you in school. My degree gave me a foundation and the right mind-set, but it wasnt exactly enough.

Landing a job fresh out of college can be daunting, even for those with a degree in what is perceived as a hot field. About 49,000 bachelors degrees were awarded in computer science in 2015, federal data shows, a total that has risen sharply in recent years. While economists say there are more openings and greater demand for young graduates than in years past, degree-holders often find themselves shut out of entry-level jobs that require more experience than college classes and internships have afforded. Thats where Revature comes in, with a hybrid model that blends elements of a traditional apprenticeship and coding courses, with the aim of bridging the skills gap.

We want to create a pathway between college graduates, who struggle finding a job because every job requires experience, and companies who say I cant find people who have the skills they need, said Joe Vacca, chief marketing officer for Reston-based Revature. Businesses used to have three- or six-month training programs for entry-level positions, but those have gone away. Companies just arent investing in that early-stage training, so were filling that gap.

[Graduating from college? Employers are hiring. Well, sort of.]

At its core, Revature is a staffing agency, and until three years ago staffing was its primary business. But that changed as the firm found it difficult to find people with the skills that employers required. The price structure is still a bit similar to an employment agency: Employers pay Revature while graduates are under contract, and Revature keeps a percentage and then pays workers. Salaries range from $50,000 to $65,000 a year.

Unlike a traditional staffing firm, Revature uses its own money to train software engineers, hoping to recoup the investment on the back end.

The company in the past year has launched paid training programs at 10 colleges, including University of Maryland University College, George Mason University and the City University of New York. The schools have to provide only a space, with Revature covering all other expenses.

As for the students, they must make it through several rounds of interviews and show an aptitude for learning to code. Vacca said Revature prefers a mix of majors and has welcomed people with degrees in biology, business and English, among others.

But on a recent visit to Revatures campus in Reston, the vast majority of trainees held degrees in computer science or other tech-related fields. That raises the question of why people with a formal education in software development would need any more training.

[Want college to pay off? These are the 50 majors with the highest earnings.]

In school, you dont really learn about making coding applications. Its more running scripts to analyze equations and model data, said Danni Tang, 25, who holds a masters degree in electrical engineering from New York University. This training elevated my experience and put me at an intermediate level.

Through Revature, Tang will start working at Capital One this spring. She and her classmates with tech degrees, including Young, said their college coursework focused primarily on theory and less on the technical skills needed to get a job. That disconnect became apparent as they started looking for work.

Were not trying to replace universities, Vacca said. Were just saying: Whats in demand now? Let us teach you those skills. 

Coding boot camps have proved more nimble than universities at preparing students for the ever-changing field of programming, but some in the industry have questioned the long-term employment prospects of graduates who sometimes struggle to find work.

Revature has sidestepped that problem with its two-year employment contract. But tech recruiter Dave Fecak, an independent consultant in New York, wonders whether students are locking themselves into an agreement that might stunt their earning potential.

If someone in this field took a job upon graduation and worked for a year, they could easily see a 10 percent to 15 percent bump the next year and get $75,000, he said. There is an opportunity cost here.

Fecak also wonders what happens if Revature graduates want out of the contract to pursue a higher-paying job or fail to get placed with a client. Would they have to repay the money the company invested in their training?

Vacca said that if Revature was unable to place a candidate that person would be let out of the contract. So far, he said, the company has more jobs than candidates, so the prospects of graduates not finding work are slim.

Vacca said what Revature does best is give people who might otherwise be ignored a foot in the door.

Tom Greiner of Accenture Federal Services, a government contractor in Arlington, is working more these days with Revature graduates. That is a change for a company that previously recruited almost exclusively from Virginia Tech or the University of Virginia.

Revatures graduates have industry-recognized certifications that we know are hard to achieve . . . so theyve proven that they have the skills and competence, he said. They just wouldnt have come through the normal recruiting path for us, but they hit the ground running.

Get updates on your area delivered via email
A Louisiana private investigator tried to exploit a loophole in an online student financial aid tool to illegally obtain Donald Trumps tax records during last years presidential campaign, federal prosecutors allege in court records.

Jordan Hamlett, 31, was unsuccessful in his attempts to get Trumps tax information and has been charged with false impersonation of a Social Security number.

Hamlett allegedly tried to get Trumps tax records on Sept. 13, according to records filed in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Louisiana  two months before the Republican businessman won the presidency in a stunning upset. Trump refused to share his tax returns during the campaign, contrary to the standard practice of presidents and major-party presidential nominees for the past four decades, and he has shown no sign that he intends to release them as president.

The website Hamlett allegedly attempted to exploit allowed students filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid  the form that colleges and the government use to determine grants and loans  to upload tax information by submitting a Social Security number and other data.

The data-retrieval tool, an initiative of the U.S. Education Department and the Internal Revenue Service, was designed to make financial aid applications simpler for millions of students. But the government shut it down in March amid security concerns.

Someone pretending to be a student could start the financial aid process, provide a false Social Security number and give permission for the IRS to automatically populate the FAFSA form with tax information.

[Identity thieves may have hacked files of up to 100,000 financial aid applicants]

According to a federal indictment dated Nov. 10, Hamlett is accused of using a Social Security number that was not his. The number ended in four digits that hackers have claimed correspond to Trumps.

During an October 2016 interview with law enforcement agents in a public atrium at the Embassy Suites in Baton Rouge, Hamlett immediately volunteered that he had committed the crime, according to a motion that a federal prosecutor filed last week. He even sounded proud of what he had done.

Hamlett has asked the court to prohibit his statements during that interview from being used as evidence, arguing that he was never advised of his Miranda rights and didnt have a lawyer present. Prosecutors object, arguing that Hamlett spoke voluntarily, was never in custody and therefore had no right to a Miranda warning.

Hamlett has worked as a private investigator for nine years, according to court records, and has been released from custody under a set of conditions  including that he not use any Internet-connected devices until the court decides otherwise.

He did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Monday afternoon. His lawyer, Michael Fiser, said he could not speak to the specifics of Hamletts case while he is under indictment.

Mr. Hamlett does maintain that he intended to commit no crime, and he looks forward to presenting all the facts to a jury regarding what he actually did and why he did it, Fiser wrote in an email.

The accusations against Hamlett were first reported by the publication Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told Congress this spring that hackers may have exploited the FAFSA website to steal information from up to 100,000 taxpayers  and that identity thieves had used the information to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns.

Koskinen also told Congress that security concerns about the data-retrieval tool had first emerged in September  the same month Hamlett allegedly tried to access Trumps records. But federal officials decided to monitor the site rather than shutting it down immediately, as they didnt want to disrupt the financial aid application process for millions of students.

Read the court documents:

Indictment of Jordan Hamlett

Hamletts motion to suppress his statements

Prosecutors say Hamlett admitted to allegations
The Texas House of Representatives approved legislation Monday that would require transgender schoolchildren to use bathrooms that correspond to their biological sex, putting the state on the verge of enacting a bathroom bill similar to one that drew controversy in North Carolina.

The bathroom measure moving in Austin was attached as an amendment to an unrelated school hazard preparedness bill Sunday night, and that bill then won final approval from the Republican-led House early Monday on a 94-51 vote. It is considered likely that a version of the measure will pass the Republican-led Senate.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has in the past expressed support for bathroom restrictions and is expected to sign a measure if it reaches desk. If it becomes law, Texas would be the only state with a statute restricting bathrooms for transgender schoolchildren.

Gov. Abbotts hope is that the House and the Senate will agree on a measure that, at a minimum, protects the privacy of students in locker rooms and restrooms, and he will continue to work with members of both chambers to achieve that goal, said John Wittman, a spokesman for the governor.

The bill would require schools to provide alternate, single-occupancy accommodations for students uncomfortable with using bathrooms that dont align with their biological sex. It also would require the states attorney general to defend school districts that face legal challenges.

(Texas Impact)

I think its absolutely about school safety, state Rep. Chris Paddie (R) said Sunday night.

Opponents called the bill discriminatory and dangerous for transgender youth. Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D) said the restrictions were akin to Jim Crow-era segregation.

I happened to be a part of this society during a period of time in this state and in this country when we had separate but equal and I remember those days. You remember? Bathrooms: white, colored, said Thompson, who is African American. Bathrooms divided us then and it divides us now and America has long recognized that separate but equal is not equal at all.

Texas was one of 16 states to consider legislation that would restrict bathroom usage for transgender people this year, after North Carolina in 2016 became the first state to enact a bathroom bill. That measure required people to use bathrooms in all state-owned buildings according to the sex on their birth certificates and preempted localities from passing nondiscrimination ordinances that included gender identity. Companies and entertainers boycotted the state, leading it to lose $3.67 billion in business, according to an Associated Press analysis. State lawmakers this year repealed that bill, replacing it with a less restrictive measure.

[North Carolina governor signs bill repealing and replacing transgender bathroom law amid criticism]

Texas this year considered two other bills that would have required people to use bathrooms according to their biological sex in all publicly owned buildings, not just schools. Both bills failed in the House after lawmakers faced pressure from the business community  which feared economic fallout  and LGBT advocates.

When the Obama administration last year issued guidance that required public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that matched their gender identity, Texas was one of the first states to sue the federal government. This year, the Trump administration rescinded the guidance.

[Trump administration rolls back protections for transgender students]

Advocates for transgender children and their parents were distraught as they watched the state House vote for the amendment. They said the restrictions imperil transgender youth, who are often vulnerable to harassment and bullying. Transgender children say using the bathroom that matches the gender they identify with is critical for their transition.

Rachel Adams Gonzalez, whose 7-year-old daughter Libby is transgender and attends a Dallas elementary school, watched the House action from her home as she washed dishes after dinner Sunday evening.

The second that gavel dropped, I just burst into tears, said Gonzalez, getting choked up again as she recalled traveling to Austin to speak out against the bathroom bills. I dont know how Im going explain to her that people in Austin, our legislators, people who are in charge of keeping us safe, have intentionally put her and her friends in danger now.

Gonzalez said Libby, who transitioned before she started elementary school, has always been able to use the girls bathroom. She was uncertain what the bill, if it became law, would mean for Libby next year, but said it would be deeply unsettling to force her to use the boys bathroom when all her classmates know her as a girl.

The 1,200 school districts in Texas have taken a variety of approaches to accommodating transgender students. Many have nondiscrimination policies that include transgender students and have allowed them to use bathrooms of their choice. Others have directed them to use separate facilities  an arrangement that transgender rights advocates say is discriminatory and stigmatizing.

The ACLU of Texas said it is prepared to file a legal challenge if the bill becomes law. Rebecca L. Robertson, the legal and policy director for the ACLU in Texas, said she believes it would violate Title IX, the federal law that bars sex discrimination in schools that get public funding.

The organization has fought for other transgender students in court, including a transgender teen from Virginia, Gavin Grimm, who sued his school board after it barred him from the boys bathroom. That U.S. Supreme Court recently sent that case back to a lower court.

[Gavin Grimm just wanted to use the bathroom. He didnt think the nation would debate it.]

Paddie, the lawmaker who authored the amendment, said he does not believe the restrictions are discriminatory. He said the goal is to protect students and treat all equally.

There is absolutely there is no intent  and I would argue, nothing in this language  discriminates against anyone, Paddie said on the floor of the House Sunday evening. In fact it makes sure there are reasonable accommodations for all children.
THE DISTRICT

Gunmen fail to rob

medical pot dispensary

Gunshots were fired but no one was injured Sunday in an attempted robbery of a D.C. medical marijuana dispensary, police said.

D.C. police responded to the sound of gunfire in the 6900 block of Blair Road Northwest at about 10:30 a.m.

Wil Manlapaz, commander of the police departments Fourth District, wrote to neighbors early Sunday afternoon, announcing on a community email group that the commotion was an attempted robbery of the Takoma Wellness Center.

The center is one of only three authorized medical marijuana dispensaries in the District. It was started by Jeffrey Kahn, a rabbi, who said the incident occurred about an hour before the dispensary was to open.

Two men wearing masks approached the entrance and said something like, we want weed, Kahn said. When they were refused entry, one pulled out a gun and fired at the dispensarys security guard. The guard was not struck.

Bullets damaged the entrance, but Kahn and others eventually opened the dispensary later Sunday. It was the first robbery attempt since the center opened almost four years ago, Kahn said. An employee triggered a panic button and police arrived quickly, he added.

 Aaron Davis

VIRGINIA

Man is arrested for

attempted abduction

A Woodbridge man was arrested Saturday for allegedly attempting to abduct a woman near his home earlier in the day, police said Sunday.

Prince William County police said Keith Richard Griffin, 43, was being held without bond in the incident.

According to police, a 33-year-old woman had been walking in the neighborhood about 5:10 a.m. Saturday when Griffin approached her and tried to pull her away.

A struggle ensued and the suspect assaulted the victim, causing minor injuries, police said in a news release.

Shortly thereafter, the woman broke free and called police. The incident occurred near Griffins residence, at Castile Court and Oakwood Drive in Woodbridge, police said.

Griffin was charged with abduction and malicious wounding, police said. He is due in court on July 11.

 Faiz Siddiqui
(Bowie State University)

Over the weekend, a dashing and successful 23-year-old was at a college campus, waiting for an Uber with a few friends.

This guy had everything going for him. He was an Army ROTC student about to graduate this week. He was airborne-certified and already commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Armys intelligence branch. A true patriot who posted Facebook photos of himself in uniform, selfies of himself goofing around with his diverse group of friends, as well as props to President Trump for his handling of domestic policy.

But his life ended Sunday morning after another student, one who publicly identified with a group that posts racist material, allegedly approached him and, unprovoked, stabbed him in the chest.

Now imagine that the dead student is white and the guy behind bars is black.

Uh-huh.

Wed hear how a thug, obviously no angel, took the life of an All-American hero.

But Richard W. Collins III, the promising young student from Bowie State University killed on the University of Marylands College Park campus, was black.

Bowie State University student Richard W. Collins III was fatally stabbed at the University of Maryland on Sunday morning. (Family photo)

The 22-year-old U-Md. student arrested for his murder, Sean Christopher Urbanski, is white.

The FBI is investigating whether this was a hate crime.

Urbanski, of Severna Park, Md., belonged to an online Facebook group called Alt-Reich, which posts racist material, U-Md. Police Chief David B. Mitchell said.

When I looked at the information thats contained on that website . . . its despicable, Mitchell said.

It shows extreme bias against women, Latinos, members of the Jewish faith and especially African Americans, which brings up questions as to the motive of this case, he said.

So is there a connection between that group and the murder?

Urbanskis attorney has said alcohol or drugs may have played a role in the crime. But I dont want to hear that Urbanski was drunk, high or mentally ill when he allegedly killed that lovely young man.

Thats what you hear when white guys shoot up offices and schools and theaters. Not terrorism, even though people were certainly terrorized. And seldom racism.

This double standard is the kind of cul-de-sac racism America struggles most with.

Diverse, happy U-Md. was one of the American campuses plastered three times in recent months with fliers from Vanguard America, a group associated with white supremacy.

Most of the fliers said that America is a white nation. One poster whined: We have a right to exist.

We hear it every day: Whiteness is evil, and must be destroyed, the group said in a statement on its website. Our religion, our traditions, and our identity are dragged through the mud by the globalist establishment while millions of nonwhites flood our nation every year.

Nope. Sorry, white snowflakes. No one is telling you or me or anyone else that white is evil. Thats what youre hearing, and thats a little sad.

Diversity, unity, that American melting pot that is the foundation of our nation can only happen when the country does a better job confronting Americas original sin. And were failing miserably at that.

We see it all across the country.

Too many folks want to believe that the Confederate flag and monuments are about Southern heritage and history and not acknowledge them as symbols that glorify a time when human slavery was the norm.

Too many folks want to believe that housing inequity, generational poverty and unequal employment are about personal flaws, rather than the ugly residue of a systematic disenfranchisement of a particular group.

And too many folks will want to talk about all the other reasons that a young white man from a nice suburb with hard-working parents allegedly could have killed another young man in cold blood.

Racism. Say it with me  racism. The more we say it, the more we acknowledge it, the weaker it becomes.

Twitter: @petulad
Public invited to forum on county scenic trails

The Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Board will host a public meeting to discuss recreational trails in the county.

The meeting will be 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Senior Center of Leesburg, 102 North St. NW.

The agenda will include a presentation by the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Association and a panel discussion with representatives from the Loudoun parks board, NOVA Parks and the Leesburg Parks and Recreation Department.

For information, email prcs@loudoun.gov.

Opening ceremony for Leesburg skate plaza

Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk will dedicate the Eric Brown Skate Plaza with an opening-day ribbon-cutting Saturday at 9 a.m. at Catoctin Park, 141 Catoctin Cir. SE, Leesburg.

Skating enthusiast and park supporter Eric Brown was instrumental in the creation of Catoctin SkatePark, which opened in 1998.

The new, all-concrete skate plaza is about 12,000 square feet and features a bowl, vertical wall and street elements.

The plaza will be open from dawn until dusk daily. It will be self-monitored by users. Helmets are required, and bike pegs are not allowed.

For information on the skate plaza, call 703-777-1368.

Aquatic center to open for summer Saturday

Leesburgs A.V. Symington Aquatic Center at Ida Lee Park will be open for Memorial Day weekend, Saturday through Monday. The pool will be open Saturdays and Sundays only through June 8. Beginning June 9, it will be open daily. Pool hours are noon to 8 p.m. daily; town residents will be admitted at 11 a.m.

Admission passes will be sold at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center through Friday. Starting on Saturday, they will be sold at the window of the center, which will open at 11 a.m. all season.

For information, go to leesburgva.gov or call 703-779-5390.

New principal named at Fauquier Countys Kettle Run High

Meaghan Brill, assistant principal at Kettle Run High School in Nokesville, has been named principal, succeeding Major Warner, who became an associate superintendent in February. Kettle Run is part of the Fauquier County public school system.

Brill joined Kettle Run in 2008 and became assistant principal in 2011. She was previously an agricultural education teacher at Fauquier High School.

Brill received an associates degree in agricultural business, a bachelors in agricultural education, and a masters in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech.

 Compiled by Ria Manglapus
THE DISTRICT

Man, 35, fatally shot

in SE residence

A man was shot and killed inside a residence early Monday near Fort Davis Park in Southeast Washington, according to D.C. police.

The shooting occurred about 4:50 a.m. in the 3900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, along a stretch of homes and businesses near Alabama Avenue.

Police identified the victim as Antonio Bassett, 35, of Southeast. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

 Peter Hermann

Police: No sex assault

at Holocaust Museum

A report of an alleged sexual assault at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that had the popular tourist site on an hour-long lockdown Sunday was false, authorities said.

U.S. Park Police found no evidence that an assault had occurred, said Sgt. Anna Rose, an agency spokeswoman.

Police said they received a call about 3:20 p.m. Sunday regarding an alleged sexual assault in a restroom. Officials placed the museum on a lockdown.

Rose said authorities got a description of the alleged suspect, reviewed video footage and found that there was no evidence and no witnesses to corroborate the story.

 Dana Hedgpeth

Jail inmate who died

was awaiting trial

A D.C. jail inmate who was found dead in his cell Thursday was awaiting trial in the near-fatal shooting of a 9-year-old boy in Northeast Washington in 2014, according to authorities and police and court records.

Kenneth Parker, 28, had been charged with assault with intent to kill and other offenses in the Oct. 3, 2014, shooting of Jaydan Stancil, who was caught in crossfire outside his Mayfair Mansions apartment complex.

Jaydan befriended then-D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and was there when three police officers who saved his life were awarded medals during a ceremony. He had been shot in the head and suffered severe brain damage.

Parker was arrested in March 2016, the first break police had in the case. Other people are still being sought. Parkers attorney did not return calls seeking comment.

D.C. police and jail officials are investigating the death and said Parker had been in the general population at the jail. After discovering Parker, officers attempted to revive him before emergency workers took him to George Washington University Hospital.

He was later pronounced dead. Officials did not release a cause or manner of death.

Parker had been scheduled for trial in October.

VIRGINIA

Police say man fled

upskirting incident

A man fled a Walmart store in the Fairfax area after being accused of trying to record images under the dresses of a 10-year-old girl and her mother, police said.

The upskirting incident happened about 11 a.m. May 14 at the store on Burke Commons Road in Burke. Police said the man used a recording device to unlawfully record up the dresses of a 10-year-old girl and a 36-year-old woman.

When the childs mother confronted the man, he left the store before law enforcement arrived. He fled the parking lot in a silver or gray Honda Crosstour or similar vehicle.

The man was wearing a black hat with an Adidas logo, black pants, a black, polo-style shirt and dark shoes at the time of the incident. He is white, about 40 years old, about 6 feet tall and weighs roughly 175 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call 571-641-7779.

 Dana Hedgpeth
Sunday, MAY 21

Dale City farmers market 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Dale City Commuter Lot (behind Center Plaza Shopping Center), Dale Boulevard, Dale City. 703-670-7112 ext. 227. pwcparks.org.

Minnieville buffer cleanup Wear long pants and sturdy shoes to clean up the area at the intersection of Minnieville Road and Colby Drive, adjacent to the dog park. Sponsored by the Prince William Conservation Alliance. 1-3 p.m. Dog Park, 13251 Sturbridge Rd., Woodbridge. 703-490-5200. Free.

Author Dan Verner A discussion of his book Diamond Duty. 1:30 p.m. Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St., Manassas. 703-257-8453. Free.

Ninth annual band festival Hosted by Prince William Community Band, the concert features Mount Vernon Concert Band, Clark County Concert Band, Front Royal American Legion Community Band and Prince William Community Band. 2-6 p.m. Loy E. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St., Manassas. pwcb.org. 703-361-9800. Free.

Bingo Proceeds support local veterans. Doors open noon Sunday with games beginning at 2 p.m. Doors open 5:15 p.m. Monday with games beginning at 7:15 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. $15 minimum.

Romeo and Juliet Manassas Ballet Theatre performs Sergei Prokofievs ballet adaptation of Shakespeares play. 3 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. hyltoncenter.org. $25-$65.

Sunday ballroom dance A swing lesson followed by music and dancing. 3:30-6 p.m. Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory, Kellar Theater, 9419 Battle St., Manassas. 703-330-2787. center-for-the-arts.org. Lesson and dance $15; open dance $10.

More Than A Whim Paintings by Lynn Martin. Through June 4. The Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-490-1117. Free.

Within the im/balance An exhibit of photographs by Rahshia Sawyer. Through June 3. Caton Merchant Family Gallery, Center for the Arts, 9419 Battle St., Manassas. 703-330-2787. Free.

Monday, MAY 22

Park West Lions Club bingo Proceeds support local sight, hearing, community and youth projects. Doors open 4 p.m. Games begin 7 p.m. Mondays at 4 p.m. Park West Lions Club, 8620 Sunnygate Dr., Manassas. 703-392-0077. pwlions@aol.com. $10.

Prince William Conservation Alliance open house Kevin Rose of the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries discusses local wildlife and habitats. Prince William Conservation Alliance, 2241F Tacketts Mill Dr., Woodbridge. 703-499-4954. Free.

Bingo Proceeds support Dale City Knights of Columbus activities and charities. Doors open 6 p.m. Games begin 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-491-2378. $9 minimum.

Lake Jackson Mid County Lions Club meeting 6:30 p.m. Great American Steak and Buffet, 8365 Sudley Rd., Manassas. 703-369-6791. Free.

Cabin Branch Quilters guild meeting 7 p.m., Lake Ridge Baptist Church, 12450 Clipper Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-994-8702 or cabinbranchquilters.org. Free.

Prince William Art Society A business meeting followed by the awarding of the Jewell Pratt Burns Art Scholarship. 7:30 p.m. Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-490-5363. princewilliamartsociety.org. Free.

Ignacio Alperin: Visual Jazz An exhibit of vibrant abstracts by the Argentine artist. Through May 31. Colgan Gallery, Northern Virginia Community College, 10950 Campus Dr., Manassas. 703-323-3000. Free.

Tuesday, MAY 23

Bingo Proceeds support Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary programs and community activities. Tuesday and Thursday. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Games begin 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-670-4124. $10 minimum.

Wednesday, MAY 24

Lake Ridge Toastmasters Club Members 18 and older develop their public speaking and leadership skills. 7:30-9:15 p.m. Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-491-3020. contact-8913@toastmastersclubs.org. lakeridge.toastmastersclubs.org. $34-$64 membership fee.

Thursday, MAY 25

Manassas farmers market 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Loy E. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St. Also on Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Prince William Lot, Prince William Street, Manassas. 703-361-6599. visitmanassas.org.

Serve Our Willing Warriors volunteer orientation Learn more about the nonprofit organization. Thursday at 6 p.m. and May 31 at 11 a.m. Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, 16013 Waterfall Rd., Haymarket. 703-220-2213. volunteer@willingwarriors.org. Free, registration required.

Books on Tap A new book club hosted by BadWolf Brewing Co. and the Prince William County Public Library System. This months book is A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. 7 p.m. BadWolf Brewing Co., 8420 Kao Cir., Manassas. 703-367-7872. Free.

Friday, MAY 26

American Legion dinner The public is invited to dinner with a different special every week. Proceeds support local veterans and the community. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. vapost364.org. $5-$15.

Saturday, MAY 27

Yoga on the Lawn Vinyasa yoga taught by certified yoga instructor Christopher Glowacki. 9 a.m. Rippon Lodge Historic Site, 15520 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge. 703-499-9812. pwcgov.org/ripponlodge. $5.

Canoe tour A ranger leads a guided tour on Powells Creek. 9:30 a.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. $9, registration required.

Woodbridge Beer Fest The inaugural event includes local breweries, food vendors, live music, childrens activities and more. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, 15201 Potomac Town Pl., Woodbridge. 703-594-7950. $5-$79.

Movie Under the Stars Bring a blanket or lawn chair for Jaws. 7 p.m. Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, 15201 Potomac Town Pl., Woodbridge. stonebridgeptc.com. Free.

Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra Rhapsody in Blue, a concert of American symphonic masterpieces. 7:30 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. hyltoncenter.org. Free to $20.

 Compiled by Sarah Lane

TO SUBMIT AN EVENT

Email: pwliving@washpost.com

Details: Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.
Police to step up seat-belt enforcement

Prince William County police will kick off the Click It or Ticket seat-belt enforcement campaign Monday with high-visibility patrols throughout the county.

Police are reminding drivers that seat belts are mandatory for anyone riding in the front seat. Virginia law also states that:

 Children 7 and younger must ride in a secured, federally approved safety seat.

 Children 8 to 15 must use a safety seat, booster seat or seat belt.

 It is the drivers responsibility to make sure passengers 15 and younger are properly secured in the vehicle.

 Police may cite the driver if passengers 15 and younger are not using seat belts or are not secured in child-safety seats.

The national Click It or Ticket campaign runs through June 4.

Ceremony honors armed forces

County officials, staff members and residents gathered Tuesday at the War Memorial in Freedom Park near the McCoart Government Center for a brief ceremony commemorating Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day, both of which fall in May.

The names of county residents who died while deployed are etched on the granite memorial.

This year, the name of Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton was added to the memorial. Dayton died Nov. 24 while serving in Syria.

Dayton, 42, graduated from Potomac Senior High School in 1992. He was a 23-year veteran and received multiple military awards, including two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart Medal. He is survived by his wife, Kristin, and two children.

3 county programs receive national award

The National Association of Counties recently announced the winners of its 2017 Achievement Awards, including three Prince William County Government programs.

The Prince William County Police Department received an award for its Wellness and Resiliency Program; the countys Human Resources Departments Training and Development Division won an award for its Supervisor Equivalency Credit Program; and the Prince William Public Library System received an achievement award for its Customer Service Program.

The association gives 18 awards in categories to reflect the vast, comprehensive services counties provide, a news release said. This year, the group recognized 605 entries from 108 counties in 29 states, according to its website.
SUNDAY, MAY 14

Manassas woman dies in shooting on I-95

Danielle Nichole Holland, 26, of Manassas was shot and killed early May 14 when a gunman opened fire on the vehicle she was driving on Interstate 95 in Richmond, according to Virginia State Police.

Holland, Tanna D. Gardner, 23, of Richmond and an unidentified man were struck by bullets as their 2017 Nissan traveled north on I-95 about 3:40 a.m., police said. Gardner was pronounced dead at the scene.

Seven people were riding in the victims vehicle when a newer-model, white four-door sedan pulled along the drivers side and fired multiple shots into the car. Police think the victims were targeted.

FRIDAY, MAY 19

Police wound man, 18, after trafc stop chase

An 18-year-old man was shot and wounded by Manassas City police Friday along Bristow Road near Hellwig Park after a pursuit, officials said.

It started about 12:40 a.m., when Manassas City police responded to a report of gunfire. Police attempted to stop a vehicle that was thought to be involved in the incident.

When the vehicle did not stop, a pursuit began, and two police cruisers were struck. The vehicle stopped inside the park. During a confrontation, officers fired shots, wounding the driver.

A 15-year-old girl was also inside the vehicle.
Two neighbors had long disagreed about the property line between their homes in Virginia.

On Sunday, that disagreement turned deadly, when an 80-year-old man fatally shot his 65-year-old neighbor, authorities said. Louise Hubert Guy PrudHomme, president and chief executive of a Northwest Washington development company, died in the driveway of his Spotsylvania County home, officials said.

Deputies arrested Larry Keith Johnston, who was charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, said Lt. C.A. Carey, a county sheriffs office spokesman.

The shooting happened in Spotsylvania County along Young Lane, about 20 minutes outside Fredericksburg.

The two had disagreed for several years about the boundary between their properties, Carey said.

Larry Keith Johnston, 80, has been charged in the fatal shooting of his 65-year-old neighbor in Spotsylvania County, Va. (Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office)

On Sunday, PrudHomme had a landscaping crew working on his property, officials said. The crew was cutting grass, tending to plants and planting flowers, Carey said.

At some point, the two homeowners got into a verbal argument. It escalated and ended with Johnston shooting PrudHomme once in the chest. Johnston left the victim lying in the driveway.

PrudHomme, owner of Columbia Property Capital, was pronounced dead on the scene, authorities said. Johnston went back to his own home, said the sheriffs office, and thats where deputies found him a short time later.

Landscape workers who witnessed the shooting identified Johnston as the shooter, investigators said.

Johnston was taken into custody and arrested without incident. He is being held without bond at a local jail.
A woman in Greenbelt, Md., was sexually assaulted over the weekend. Police said the assailant got in through a partially opened window. (iStock) (iStock/iStock)

A woman was sexually assaulted in Maryland over the weekend by a man who got into her home through a partially open window, authorities said.

The window was in a first floor bedroom on Edmonston Road in Greenbelt, the Greenbelt police said.The attack occurred about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The

Police said the attacker implied he had a handgun before attacking the woman.

He was described as black, about 19 years old, and 5 feet 7 with a heavy build. He

wore a black and white long sleeved jacket, gray shorts and white socks.
A D.C. jail inmate who was found dead in his cell Thursday afternoon was awaiting trial in the near-fatal shooting of a 9-year-old boy in Northeast Washington in 2014, according to authorities and police and court records.

Kenneth Parker, 28, had been charged with assault with intent to kill and other offenses in the Oct. 3, 2014, shooting of Jaydan Stancil, who was caught in a crossfire outside his Mayfair Mansions apartment complex.

[Police arrest suspect in shooting of boy in Northeast]

Jaydan befriended then-D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and was there when three police officers who saved his life were awarded medals during a ceremony. He was shot in the head and suffered severe brain damage.

Parker was arrested in March 2016, the first break police had in the case. Other people are still being sought. Parkers attorney did not return calls seeking comment.

D.C. police and jail officials are investigating the death and said Parker had been in the general population. After discovering Parker, officers attempted to revive him before emergency workers took him to George Washington University Hospital.

He was later pronounced dead. Officials did not release a cause or manner of death.

Parker had been scheduled for trial in October.
The U.S. attorneys office said Monday that prosecutors will not file charges against a Metro transit officer who fatally shot a man armed with a handgun near the Deanwood Metro station in Northeast Washington last year.

Prosecutors said the transit officer, whose name was not released, was acting in self-defense when the officer fatally shot Sidney Washington Jr., 21, of Northeast Washington.

[Metro transit officer fatally shoots suspect near Deanwood Metro station]

Prosecutors said officers were deployed to the Metro station about 10:30 p.m. July 4 for a call about two rival gangs in the area setting off fireworks at each other.

According to an investigation, the detective, sitting in an unmarked police car, watched Washington, armed with a silver-colored handgun, shoot at a large crowd of people about 50 to 75 feet away. The detective, behind the wheel of the vehicle, pulled the car up next to Washington and yelled police. Instead of surrendering, prosecutors say, Washington turned toward the detective and shot at the vehicle, striking the drivers side of the car door at least twice.

The detective then returned fire, striking Washington and knocking him to the ground. Prosecutors said that while on the ground, Washington fired additional rounds at the officer. The officer returned fire again.

A .45-caliber pistol was found near Washingtons body. Authorities also recovered nine .45-caliber cartridge casings from where Washington was seen firing the weapon. An autopsy revealed Washington was shot nine times.

Washington had worked at Reagan National Airport, where he refueled planes, his father has said.

Peter Hermann contributed to this report.
A sexual assault was reported Sunday at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and visitors were locked in for a time. (Max Reid/United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

(Update: Sex assault allegation at U.S. Holocaust Museum is false, police say)

A sexual assault was reported Sunday at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the building was placed on lockdown, authorities said.

The assault was reported at 3:20 p.m., according to Sgt. Anna Rose, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Park Police.

She said that as the investigation got underway, the museum was placed on lockdown for less than an hour.

Several people expressed discontent in messages posted on Twitter.

They will not let me out, one man said with indignation. No information was given him as to why, he Tweeted. They will not say.

So theres an assault in the @Holocaust Museum bathroom, and the police response is to illegally hold all men in the building while searching read a Tweet from Daniel Golan, who was visiting from Tennessee and was in the museum.

It appeared that the lockdown was part of an effort to determine whether a suspect was still in the museum.

Just before those inside were released, Golan said, an officer told them that police were looking for a suspect.

One video posted on Twitter showed both men and women inside. However, at least one Tweet indicated that women and children were being allowed out.

Detectives were still at the scene Sunday evening, Sgt. Rose said.


A lawyer for a University of Maryland student accused of fatally stabbing a Bowie State University student said alcohol and substance abuse may have been factors in a case that also is being investigated as a hate crime.

The attack on Richard W. Collins III unnerved students and administrators at both universities, which are in the middle of spring commencement celebrations. What should have been a joyous occasion turned into mourning for friends and family of Collins, 23, who was slain two days after being commissioned in the U.S. Army and days before he was to graduate from Bowie State.

Collins, an African American, was visiting two friends on the U-Md. campus Saturday when police say he was attacked by Sean Urbanski, 22, a white U-Md. student.

Urbanski, of Severna Park, Md., was charged with first- and second-degree murder and first-

degree assault in what police said was a totally unprovoked attack.

Prince Georges County District Court Judge Patrice E. Lewis said Monday that there was clear and convincing evidence that Urbanski is an absolute danger to the community before ordering that he remain in jail pending trial. But the judge said he could be considered for GPS-monitored release at a later date.

BOWIE, MD - MAY 22: A student carries balloons to a memorial service for Richard Collins III at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland on May 22, 2017. Collins, a student who was set to graduate this year, was stabbed to death in what authorities are calling a hate crime early Saturday morning. (Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Urbanskis attorney, William C. Brennan, told the judge that alcohol and substance abuse may have played a significant role in all of this.

Brennan had asked the judge to order GPS monitoring and other release conditions. Brennan said his client has no criminal record and deep ties to the Maryland community.

On Sunday, University of Maryland police announced the FBIs work in the case to determine whether the attack was a hate crime. Urbanski appeared to have been involved in an online Facebook group that posts racist material, police and FBI officials said.

[Authorities investigating whether U.-Md. stabbing death was a hate crime]

The hate-crime aspect remains under review, but any charges along those lines would not be filed until the homicide investigation concludes, law enforcement officials said.

We want to be careful that we do not speculate in any way, shape, form or fashion, Prince Georges States Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks said Monday. This is an investigation that we cannot afford to get wrong.

Students and faculty at Bowie State held a candlelight vigil in Collinss memory Monday evening  the night before he was to graduate and hours after Urbanski made his first court appearance.

BOWIE, MD - MAY 22: LTC Joel Thomas, Bowie State University Professor of Military Science, weeps during his speech at a memorial for Richard Collins III, 23, at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland on May 22, 2017. Collins was stabbed to death in what authorities are calling a hate crime early Saturday morning. (Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Collins and his friends were waiting for an Uber ride on Regents Drive near Montgomery Hall about 3 a.m. Saturday when they heard Urbanski screaming as he approached the trio, according to police charging documents.

Step left, step left if you know whats best for you, Urbanski told Collins, according to charging papers.

Collins said, No, according to police. Urbanski continued to come toward the group and then stabbed Collins in the chest, police said.

Collins was taken to a hospital, where he died. Urbanski was picked up by Prince Georges County police about 50 feet from where Collins had collapsed, court papers state. Police recovered a knife from Urbanskis front right pocket, police said.

[Visiting student killed in stabbing attack at University of Maryland]

Collins, from Calvert County, was airborne certified and a member of the universitys ROTC, said a family spokesman, the Rev. Darryl L. Godlock. Collins was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army last week. Video on Facebook of the commissioning ceremony showed Collins on stage in his dress-blue uniform and his parents pinning lieutenant bars on their son. Before leaving the stage, his mother gave him a peck on the cheek.

The parents are totally devastated that their young son, that was at the peak of his career about to take off, and his life was taken away senselessly, said Godlock, a pastor at Calvert County Baptist Church in Prince Frederick, Md.

Lt. Col. Joel Thomas, a professor of military science at Bowie State, called Collins my guy and described him as an outstanding cadet and leader on the campus. He told the crowd to grieve and mourn, to remember and laugh, and to celebrate Collinss life by being great in everything you do.

I ask you, as we move forward, lets cry, Thomas said, growing more emotional as he closed his remarks. Lets keep on working. Lets celebrate Richard by being great every day.

Interview requests left by phone and at a home believed to be that of Urbanskis family, based on court filings, received no response Monday afternoon. Urbanskis parents appeared at court for their sons bond hearing Monday. They did not speak during the proceedings, and their attorney declined to comment after leaving court.

Before attending the University of Maryland, Urbanski received a degree in transfer studies at Anne Arundel Community College, college officials confirmed. Urbanski attended the community college from January 2015 to August 2016.

Racially charged incidents have unsettled U-Md. and college campuses throughout the Washington region. In recent months, white supremacist fliers posted on the campus where Collins was attacked read, It is your civic duty to report any and all illegal aliens and They are criminals. America is a white nation.

Valente Ortiz, a master sergeant and senior military instructor with the Bowie State ROTC, remembered Collins as a scholar, athlete and leader, a great cadet.

He was charismatic, Ortiz said.

On any given day, Ortiz said he could tell Collins that a physical fitness test was coming. Hell be like, Roger, Master Sergeant,  Ortiz said. And he would show up at 5 oclock in the morning and he would blow them out of the water. Im like, thats what Im talking about, thats the guy Im talking about.

Collins was carrying on a family legacy of military service, Ortiz said.

He was a great leader, he was a great person, he said. Find something in your heart thats going to ultimately drive you to success, like he did.

On Monday, the bus stop where Collins was stabbed had become a makeshift memorial. Many unlit candles dotted the bus stop bench and a few bouquets had been placed there.

Diane Teichert, 64, of University Park, visited the stop with her 31-year-old son, Ross Milton. They brought pink roses from her garden and wedged them in the bench.

Teichert, who is white, said she didnt know Collins but had come out because I feel like that white people need to be as sad and as angry as black people about these incidents.

She said she felt terrible sadness and anger and sorrow, her voice growing more emotional. And renewed energy to try to do something about it. Which I dont think putting some flowers at a memorial is enough.

Luz Lazo and Arelis R. Hernandez contributed to this report.
A woman carries water through a refugee camp in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Feb. 6, 2010, weeks after a devastating earthquake hit the country. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly granted a six-month extension Monday to 58,000 Haitian immigrants who have been spared from deportation since a devastating 2010 earthquake, saying the conditions in their struggling homeland are not stable enough to force them to return.

Kelly said the Haitians, whose permission to stay in the United States was to end in July, may now stay until Jan. 22. He said he would monitor conditions in the Caribbean nation, but he added that the Haitian immigrants should prepare to return home next year.

I believe there are indications that Haiti  if its recovery from the 2010 earthquake continues at pace  may not warrant further . . . extension past January 2018, Kelly said in a statement.

The announcement did not please advocates on either side of the immigration debate. It foreshadowed the battles to come next year, when the Trump administration will decide the fate of about 263,000 people from El Salvador, whose temporary protected status expires in March. Protection for about 86,000 Hondurans is set to end in January.

Temporary Protected Status is a Homeland Security program that grants short-term work permits and reprieves from deportation to immigrants from nations upended by disaster, epidemics or war. Haitians received the status after the 2010 earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of people; it was renewed as their homeland grappled with a cholera epidemic, food shortages and acute poverty.

Many had hoped the administration would extend the Haitians protection for 18 to 24 months. Now, they face a potential deadline to pack up their lives and return to the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

We have a lot of families that are in shock right now, said Nancy Trevino, spokeswoman for Haitian Women of Miami, an organization also known by its initials in Creole, FANM. Its pretty devastating to them right now.

Temporary protection ended this week for a smaller group of people from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Only Haitians who were in the United States by Jan. 12, 2011, the first anniversary of the earthquake, were eligible to apply for protected status. Opponents of the federal program complain that it is billed as temporary but often drags on for years. They also note that the U.S. government has resumed deportations to Haiti of people who came after the deadline date for protected status and have since lost their cases in immigration courts.

If were deporting people to a country, then theres no excuse for continuing TPS for a certain subgroup of illegal immigrants, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower levels of immigration.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and hundreds of faith-based groups had urged Kelly to grant relief to Haitians, who reside in large numbers in Florida, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Rubio and other lawmakers hailed Kellys decision.

Last week, I asked the White House to extend the TPS deadline for Haitians until at least January 18, and Im glad to see that the administration agreed, Rubio said in a statement.

Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) said Kellys decision reflects compassion and generosity, and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) called it a common-sense decision.

Trump reached out to Haitian immigrants last year on the campaign trail. This month, however, the Associated Press revealed that a top immigration official was searching for crime and other statistics on Haitian immigrants, sparking fears that the administration was building a case to end temporary protection.

Steven Forester, the Miami-based immigration policy coordinator for the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, said six months is not enough time for Haiti to recover from the sledgehammer blows it has suffered.

The Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake killed more than 200,000 people and destroyed much of the infrastructure. The cholera epidemic has sickened 800,000 people and killed over 9,000 Haitians. Last October, Hurricane Matthew wiped out crops and livestock and sparked a shortage of food and potable water.

It gives us a chance to fight another day, Forester said. Six months from now, well be facing the exact same situation. 

Kelly noted that Haitis economy continues to recover and 98 percent of makeshift camps that sprung up after the earthquake have closed.

Kelly made the announcement a day before the deadline to publish a 60-day notice in the Federal Register announcing its plans for the program.
An artists rendering of the interior of a planned Purple Line train in Maryland. (Purple Line Transit Partners)

A federal judge on Monday ordered Maryland officials to further scrutinize the potential impact of Metros declining ridership on the future Purple Line, further delaying construction of the light-rail project in the Washington suburbs and jeopardizing its chances to secure critical federal funding.

[Md. transit official says Purple Line still on time, but big questions remain].

The ruling means major construction on the 16-mile line connecting Montgomery and Prince Georges counties remains on hold until a federal lawsuit filed by Purple Line opponents is resolved. Construction already has been delayed seven months because of the lawsuit.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon also greatly jeopardizes the projects chances at $900 million in federal con struction grants and threatens a $5.6 billion public-private partnership.

Maryland officials have said that if by June 1 they have no foreseeable path to resolve the lawsuit, they would have to suspend much or all of the rail lines planning and design work because state money would run out. The state would then have about 60 days before it would have to cancel the project and back out of the public-private partnership  a move that could cost it more than $800 million in sunk costs and contract termination fees, Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn said in a recent court filing.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) called the ruling incredibly disappointing, but not entirely surprising. Hogan has criticized Leon, saying the judge was delaying the case because of a conflict of interest that biased him against the light-rail project.

[Hogan accuses Purple Line judge of conflict of interest]

The fact that it took a federal judge this long to reach the conclusion that more study is needed is completely baffling and, if allowed to stand, will cause irreparable harm to this vital project and cost the state hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars, Hogan said in a statement.

The statement did not address a June 1 deadline, saying only, The state will continue to pursue any and all legal action to ensure that the Purple Line will move forward.

Asked whether they would appeal the decision, representatives of the Maryland attorney generals office and the Justice Department said only that they were reviewing the ruling. The Federal Transit Administration referred all questions to the Justice Department.

Purple Line Transit Partners  the team of private companies contracted to help finance the line, build it and operate it over 36 years  did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Leon said Maryland and federal transit officials must redo the Purple Lines ridership forecasts because they hadnt taken the requisite hard look at the potential impact that [Metros] ridership and safety issues could have on the Purple Line project.

Leon said the governments dismissive treatment of Metros potential effects was arbitrary and capricious and ordered the agencies to update the ridership study as expeditiously as possible.

[Read the judges ruling]

Maryland officials have said reopening the study could take months, and every month of delay costs the state more than $13 million.

The decision is a major victory for Purple Line opponents, including two Chevy Chase residents and a trail advocacy group that filed the federal lawsuit in 2014 seeking to block the project on environmental grounds.

John M. Fitzgerald, an environmental lawyer and plaintiff in the case, called the ruling a victory of substantive analysis over agency arrogance.

He said further study might find an east-west transportation project that is more effective, less expensive and less harmful or perhaps persuade Maryland officials to spend more to rehabilitate Metro rather than build the Purple Line.

The ruling comes at a precarious time for the rail project because Maryland officials have said they need the federal grants to cover nearly half of the lines $2 billion construction cost.

Congress has appropriated $325 million toward the Purple Line. However, Maryland officials cant access that money unless Leon or another judge reinstates the projects federal environmental approval, which Leon revoked in August.

The project also would need a federal funding agreement, and its unclear whether the Trump administration will sign new ones. The Purple Line was five days away from securing such an agreement when Leons earlier ruling made it ineligible.

The White House has said new transit projects should be funded by the localities that use and benefit from these localized projects. Maryland officials have said the state cant afford to build the line without federal aid.

Ralph Bennett, president of the advocacy group Purple Line Now, said he hopes the Maryland Attorney Generals Office appeals Leons ruling quickly.

Obviously, its a danger to the project, Bennett said. The judge is behaving in a way consistent with wanting to kill the project by delay.

[How a court ruling put $900 million in federal money off limits] In his latest ruling, Leon said he still thinks the government hasnt adequately considered the potential impact of Metros ridership woes.

While the Purple Line wouldnt be part of the Metro system, more than a quarter of its passengers are expected to come from people riding Metro.

Leon acknowledged that after his earlier ruling, state and federal transit officials had submitted a previous study that found Metro would not have a significant impact on the Purple Line, even if under the most dire of five scenarios, Metro contributed no passengers to the light-rail line.

In his 12-page decision, Leon said the government hadnt done enough to critically assess which of the five scenarios was most likely to occur. He called it curious that the government had argued that further study of Metros potential effects was unnecessary, especially when providing better connections to Metrorail services was one of the states three justifications for the project.

He said state and federal transit agencies also hadnt addressed serious questions that the plaintiffs experts had raised about the Purple Lines ridership forecasts. Those included an economist who said the Purple Line estimates were based on unrealistically rosy assumptions about how quickly Metros ridership would recover.

Leon said he will rule in a few weeks on a couple of dozen other legal arguments that the plaintiffs made criticizing the Purple Lines environmental impact.

The Maryland Transit Administration relied on the Purple Lines ridership forecasts in the projects federal environmental review to help justify building light rail instead of a less expensive rapid-bus option, saying light rail would attract and carry more passengers.

The Purple Line is designed to better connect suburban Maryland neighborhoods inside the Capital Beltway with Metro stations and Amtrak and MARC commuter rail stations. State officials say the 21 stations will attract redevelopment, particularly in economically struggling older communities in Prince Georges County. The line also is designed to provide faster, more reliable transit service than buses.

Metro became an issue in the lawsuit last spring, when Purple Line opponents argued that the projects environmental approval wasnt valid because the ridership projections in it presumed a robust Metro system.

Metros ridership has fallen 12 percent since 2010, with 100,000 fewer trips daily, and the aging system continues to suffer from chronic breakdowns and safety lapses. The systems ongoing SafeTrack maintenance program has caused ridership to further decline.

In court filings, the FTA argued that Metros safety and reliability problems are being addressed through SafeTrack and that ridership will rebound after the program is completed, particularly as the region continues to grow.

Even under the most extreme scenario  removing Metro completely from the Purple Line ridership analysis  the Purple Line would still have about 50,000 weekday trips in 2040, making it one of the most robust light-rail systems funded by the FTA in recent years, the FTA said.

The FTA also said that any change in ridership wouldnt affect the light-rail lines environmental impact because it wouldnt change the projects construction footprint.

The plaintiffs  Fitzgerald, Chevy Chase resident Christine Real de Azua, and the Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail  said the FTA hadnt considered the number of Metro riders who have lost faith in the system or that Metros ongoing extreme problems with safety, service and reliability are continuing unabated with no end in sight.
A view looking at the Metroway dedicated lane on Route 1 in Alexandria, Va., on Aug. 19, 2014. (Luz Lazo/The Washington Post)

The renaming of Jefferson Davis Highway in Alexandria, ordered eight months ago by the

City Council, inched forward last week with the appointment of an advisory group to consider new names.

Having the name of the president of the Confederacy on the highway, also known as U.S. Route 1, has long aggravated residents of this liberal historic city.

Renaming it came up most recently about two years ago, when the city began discussing whether to remove the statue of a Confederate soldier that stands in the middle of another major thoroughfare a few blocks east.

The City Council concluded that it could not move the privately owned statue under current state law, and local legislators warned that efforts to change the law would be doomed. But they did unanimously agree to change the highways name.

[What to rename Jefferson Davis Highway? Readers have ideas.]

City Manager Mark Jinks, in a news release issued late Friday, announced the appointment of an ad hoc panel to solicit public feedback and consider potential new names for Alexandrias portion of the highway.

The road is called Jefferson Davis Highway from the time it crosses the Potomac River via the 14th Street Bridge into Arlington County, through Alexandrias redeveloped Potomac Yard neighborhood.

The road splits south of an elevated bridge, and the two sections are called Patrick and Henry streets. After it crosses into Fairfax County, the name changes to Richmond Highway.

The advisory group will begin meeting in June and will conduct a survey over the summer seeking suggestions for a new name. Unusually for Alexandria, two of the four panel members will be from Arlington County, although the county has not formally considered a name change. The Arlington members will be there to provide input on potential new names for the road, an Alexandria official said.

The suggested name or names are expected to be presented to the City Council by the end of the year.


The governor's mansion, the nation's oldest continuously occupied governor's residence, is shown in Richmond, Va. (Steve Helber/AP)

Widespread opposition to President Trump and his policies has heightened the challenge for Republicans hoping to retake the Virginia governors mansion this year, with GOP front-runner Ed Gillespie trailing both Democratic contenders by double digits in a new Washington Post-Schar School poll.

The Virginia governors race offers a significant test of how much Trumps sagging job approval ratings could hurt Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections and gauges whether anti-Trump activism will benefit Democrats. Although the general election isnt until November, the poll suggests a hostile environment for Republicans.

Republican favorite Gillespie, who has a wide lead in the partys three-way primary race, trails both Democratic candidates by almost identical margins: Tom Perriello by 50 percent to 37 percent, and Ralph Northam by 49 percent to 38 percent among registered voters.

[Post-Schar poll finds Ed Gillespie with big lead for GOP nomination]

Voters seem to be punishing Gillespie for Trumps performance, which they dont like. Trumps job approval rating is at 36 percent, while 59 percent of Virginia residents disapprove of his performance as commander in chief. More than half say they strongly disapprove, according to the poll, which was co-sponsored by The Post and George Mason Universitys Schar School of Policy and Government.

Unfortunately for Republicans running this year, they will carry the negative taint of the Trump administration with them no matter how hard they try to separate themselves, said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School.

And theres no easy way out, because going too far in repudiating Trump risks alienating the partys base, which still approves of the president.

Its a tough act to perform . . . I really dont envy them trying to do that, Rozell said. The way it looks right now, thats a lose-lose situation for a Republican.

A majority  77 percent  of Republicans in Virginia say they approve of the way Trump is handling his job, though just under half strongly approve, at 48 percent.

Among self-identified independents, more than 6 in 10 voters who disapprove of Trump support Northam and Perriello over Gillespie, with the Democrats receiving similarly wide support among independents who oppose the Republican health-care bill passed earlier this month by the House.

Fifty-eight percent of registered voters oppose the House Republican plan endorsed by Trump to replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Just 34 percent of registered Virginia voters support the proposed replacement, the American Health Care Act.

Gillespie has been cautious on Trump  he was slow to endorse him last year and has been careful in responding to the regular flow of controversy that has marked Trumps presidency.

His problem is clear in the stance of a voter like Beverly Snead, 65, a political independent from Chesapeake. She voted for Hillary Clinton last fall but was willing to give Trump  and any Republicans running for governor  a chance this year.

But Trumps behavior in office has turned her off  and Gillespies silence about it prevents her from supporting him, she said.

I have no problem with Republicans, Democrats, running the United States. Just do the right thing, said Snead, who is concerned about Trumps possible ties to Russia and thinks he has hurt race relations with the things that come out of his mouth.

If you see someone in your party doing wrong, speak up and do the right thing, she said.

Gillespie is one of three candidates vying for the Republican nomination in the June 13 primary, along with state Sen. Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach) and Prince William County Supervisor Corey Stewart.

The winner will take on whoever prevails in the Democratic nominating battle, also culminating June 13, a tight contest between Northam, who is lieutenant governor, and former congressman Perriello. The poll did not measure general election preferences with Stewart or Wagner as the Republican nominee, both of whom trail Gillespie by a wide margin in the primary race.

[Race between Democrats running for Virginia governor is neck and neck]

Both Democrats are running hard against Trump, with Perriello leading that effort through an influx of national money, support from progressive darling Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and viral online videos.

Democrats strength in the governors race comes despite the lukewarm popularity of current Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. At 49 percent approval and 25 percent disapproval, McAuliffes ratings are largely positive but below the average for past governors and significantly lower than Marylands Republican governor, Larry Hogan, who has a 65 percent approval mark in his state.

On the Republican side, the candidate who has most enthusiastically embraced Trump is Stewart, who was Trumps campaign manager last year in Virginia before being fired for protesting against party leaders he thought were not supportive enough of Trump. He has turned his verbal flamethrower on Gillespie for not strongly defending the president, but Stewarts stance hasnt translated into voter support.

Gillespie has double the voter support of either Stewart or Wagner among likely Republican primary voters, according to the Post-Schar poll.

Some Republican voters who approve of Trump say they would like a Republican governor to embrace him, but that it wont necessarily affect their vote in November. Its important that he supports [Trump], but I think state government is quite a bit different than the federal government, said Nancy Hass, 52, a contract specialist from Virginia Beach.

Kevin Thompson, a 58-year-old Fairfax resident, said he wouldnt back an establishment Republican candidate like Gillespie in a primary but would still back him in a general election against a Democrat  unless theres a very strong third-party candidate.

With overall Trump approval so low, though, the math is tough for any Republican nominee in the general election. Gillespie trails Northam and Perriello by similar margins even if you filter out people who are not all that interested in politics  those who did not vote last year, or in 2013, or who are not following the governors race closely.

One factor that could help the Republican nominee is low turnout. Virginia elections typically draw far fewer voters in years when there is no presidential race. That can tend to favor Republican candidates, whose supporters generally are more likely to be white and older  groups that are statistically more likely to vote.

At this relatively early point in the race, similar shares of registered voters who are Democrats (59 percent) and Republicans (53 percent) say they are paying close attention to the election  though fewer than 1 in 5 of either party says they are following it very closely.

Democrats are hoping that one side effect of the controversies around Trump is that more people are motivated to vote. Colin Dillon, 23, was old enough the last time Virginia picked a governor but was away at college and didnt bother.

Now a financial analyst living in McLean, he plans to show up this year for the Democratic primary as well as the general election. He credits Sanders for stirring his interest in politics, although his opposition to Trump is also driving him.

I would say Im definitely more engaged, said Dillon, who supports Perriello in the primary but would vote for Northam if he emerges as the Democratic nominee. The current state [of Washington] has made me more focused on it and also more willing to bring up the discussion of you should vote with people.

Monday is the last day to register to vote in the June 13 primaries.

The Post-Schar School poll was conducted by telephone May 9-14 among a random sample of 1,602 adults and 1,395 registered voters in Virginia, including landline and cellphone respondents, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three points among adults and registered voters.

Emily Guskin, Laura Vozzella and Fenit Nirappil contributed to this report.
The Trump administration and House Republicans are asking for another postponement in a federal court case over subsidies that help 7 million Americans with Affordable Care Act health plans pay for deductibles and co-pays  a move that heightens the limbo for insurers in the laws marketplaces.

The request for the 90-day extension, in a filing Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, means the government will continue to provide the cost-sharing reductions at least through much of the summer.

But as the third consecutive request for a delay in the case, the court filing also injects fresh uncertainty for insurers during the season when they must tell states whether they intend to take part in ACA marketplaces for 2018.

The filings also prolong the indecision that President Trump has displayed over the $7 billion subsidy program since taking office, even as he has vowed to tear apart most of the sprawling health-care law.

In the required status report, the House and the Justice Department jointly asked the court to leave the case in abeyance. The two-paragraph filing said that both parties continue to discuss measures that would obviate the need for the court to rule  a reference to Republicans efforts to abolish most of the ACA and install more conservative health-care policies.

We continue to work with the Trump administration on a solution, AshLee Strong, press secretary to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), said in a statement.

Alleigh Marre, spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed that the May payments had been made. We are weighing our options and still evaluating the issues, Marre said.

[Trump could quickly doom ACA cost-sharing subsidies for millions of Americans]

Technically, the House and HHS are on opposing sides of the lawsuit, but since Trump succeeded President Barack Obama, they have been aligned in trying to dismantle much of the ACA.

The cost-sharing subsidies are one of two major types of assistance the law provides to most people who buy private health plans through the marketplaces. The cost-sharing subsidies, focused on lower-income ACA customers, reach nearly 6 in 10 such people. The other assistance helps cover insurance premiums for more than 8 in 10.

In 2014, the year the marketplaces opened, House Republicans sued the Obama administration to stop the cost-sharing payments. The lawmakers said they were illegal because Congress had not specifically approved money for them. Last year, a federal court agreed, and Obama officials appealed the ruling so that the money could keep flowing.

If it dropped the appeal, the Trump administration could immediately halt the payments. Doing so would probably devastate the marketplaces because insurers contracts allow them to drop out right away in such a situation. Customers could be stranded.

In the past months, the president has made contradictory statements about the cost-sharing payments. At times, he has said he opposes them. He also has said the payments will continue as long as the lawsuit lasts.

House Republicans who brought the case are now in the ironic position of not wanting to be responsible for a sudden loss of coverage by millions of people with ACA health plans. If the administration halted the appeal, it would be up to Congress to decide whether to approve money for the subsidies to continue.

[The Health 202: Trump is behaving to insurers like a commitment-phobe]

The insurance industry, state officials and congressional Democrats are exerting considerable pressure on the administration and GOP lawmakers to not trigger sudden chaos within the marketplaces.

In states with the earliest deadlines for insurers to file plans to take part next year, insurers have mentioned the uncertainty surrounding the subsidies as part of the reason they are proposing large rate increases. Americas Health Insurance Plans, the industrys main trade organization, and several other health and business groups sent a letter Friday to Senate leaders considering a House bill that would undo much of the ACA. The letter warned that uncertainty is undermining the individual insurance market for 2018 and stands to negatively impact millions of people. The organization urged Congress to promise that the cost-sharing payments will continue through next year.

The day before, attorneys general from 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a motion to intervene in the court case, contending that the president has made increasingly clear that he views decisions about providing access to health insurance for millions of Americans  including the decision whether to continue defending this appeal  as little more than political bargaining chips.

Then, over the weekend, the top Democrats on four congressional committees sent a letter asking for details of communications between insurance industry officials and the head of HHSs Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Los Angeles Times has reported that CMS Administrator Seema Verma suggested a bargain in which the administration would continue the subsidies if the industry supported the House GOP health-care bill.

The Democrats letter said that Verma appeared to be using the operation of the American health-care system as a tool to gain leverage in political negotiations.

On Monday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) derided the new extension request. In merely delaying their suit, Republicans cynically continue to sow uncertainty in the health coverage of millions of Americans, she said in a statement.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia shakes hands with President Trump at the opening session of the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 21. (Saudi Press Agency/European Pressphoto Agency)

For many American Muslim activists and scholars, the bar for Donald Trumps speech to the Muslim world was low.

Speaking on Sunday from a podium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump didnt repeat his earlier claim that Islam hates us. He didnt warn of an influx of Muslim refugees as a Trojan horse. And he didnt emphasize the need to name our enemy with the words radical Islamic terrorism.

So for that  for the absence of disparaging rhetoric about Islam and the Middle East  American Muslim academic and political leaders said Trumps speech to a summit of around 50 Arab and Muslim leaders on his first overseas trip as president was noteworthy.

I thought it was a welcome 180 on everything hes been saying over the past two years, said Dalia Mogahed, director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, which studies American Muslim attitudes.

Addressing Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, the 7th-century birthplace of Islam, Trump avoided references to extreme vetting or his travel ban on visitors from six majority-Muslim countries, which has been suspended by a court. Instead, he extolled Islam as one of the worlds great faiths and the Middle East as a region of great beauty.

He urged Muslim leaders to drive terrorists out of their territories, but also noted for the first time that Muslims have borne the brunt of the killings in terrorist violence.

To some viewers in the United States, where Muslims make up about 1 percent of the population, the pivot was surprising  particularly after days of hand-wringing over the news that Trumps adviser Stephen Miller, a longtime critic of Islam, would be drafting the speech.

But the shift also provoked cynicism.

If theres one thing weve learned about Trump, its that he just wants to get the deal done, and he changes his message based on the audience, said Sahar Aziz, a law professor at Texas A & M University and a frequent commentator on American Muslim affairs.

She noted that Trump on Saturday signed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, a key purpose of the visit.

At the end of the day, hes an opportunist and isnt someone you can trust to hold his word, Aziz said.

Trump made no mention of the United States 3.3 million Muslims during his 30-minute speech in Riyadh, an omission that disturbed some observers.

Obama always tied in some element of Muslim Americans, about how Muslims in our country are part of our social fabric. But there was zero mention of Muslim Americans in Trumps speech, said Zaki Barzinji, former president Barack Obamas liaison to the Muslim community and now a senior policy adviser for the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Its almost like hes trying to cement the idea that there is a division between the Muslim world and the West.

Human rights activists and ordinary citizens across the Middle East have long criticized the Saudi monarchy and the regions other authoritarian regimes as instigators of oppression, sectarian violence, instability and ultimately extremism in the Muslim world.

Wajahat Ali, a writer and attorney who has studied the anti-Muslim movement in the United States, thought that Trumps unwillingness Sunday to criticize Saudi Arabia  a country Trump has previously linked to terrorism  was an indication of Trumps hypocrisy, more than any shift in attitude or policy.

The Trump administrations $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, signed on Saturday, was a key purpose for the trip.

One consistent thread that weve found out so far is if you lavish Trump with praise, if you shower him with bling, if you take out cannons and jets and the red carpet, he will become putty in your hands. He will eat halal shawarma from your fingers, said Ali. For a moment, I thought that a Saudi PR firm had written the speech.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that Trump was not addressing human rights abuses because the primary reason were here today is to confront this threat of terrorism.

Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on U.S. relations with the Muslim world, said the speech could help reset the Trump administrations relationship with Muslims  if he sticks to the same tone.

Putting the context of the speech aside, the imagery is striking: Here is Donald Trump in the birthplace of Islam speaking to Muslim leaders from across the world, and the Koran is being recited before he gives his address. Thats crazy and surreal to me, Hamid said. Thats at least somewhat positive in showing that hes going out of his way to address Muslim leaders in a way thats not overly antagonistic.
Regarding George F. Wills May 18 op-ed, Productivitys disease :

William Baumol had an important insight with his theory known as Baumols disease. However, recent history has shown that its applicability may be far more limited than he envisioned and may be driven by human factors rather than economic reality. The example of a present-day orchestra being no more productive than orchestras were centuries ago ignores the fact that recordings (particularly with video) have meant that people can now get most of the experience of an orchestra without having 100 people playing.

Other examples include:

In medicine, the use of artificial intelligence and other software can improve diagnosis and make treatment of injury and disease more accurate and efficient.

 In education, the use of videos for lectures and of interactive computer programs to enhance student skills and knowledge should free up teachers to spend more time in critical, direct interaction with students.

 In correctional activities, our antiquated means of incarcerating people who have committed anti-social acts could be improved using modern technologies with an understanding of human psychology and needs.

Unfortunately, the medical, teaching and prison professions and their institutions and infrastructures resist these improvements.

An unfortunate consequence of productivity improvements has been that their fruits have not been shared with workers or professionals who contributed to them, in the form of shorter workweeks, increased pay and ownership of production facilities. Our legal and tax systems have sabotaged working peoples advancements in quality of life. As a society, we are suffering from the failure of democratic sharing of the wealth.

Carl E. Nash, Washington
Pope Francis waves as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on May 17. (Andrew Medichini/Associated Press)

If anyone ever needed a conversion experience  and fast  it is President Trump. The issue here is not switching religions. What he could use is an honest examination of his conscience, his attitude toward himself and others, and his approach to what it means to be a leader.

Even to suggest such a possibility seems absurd, more an inspiration for a Saturday Night Live sketch than a serious prospect. Moving an incorrigible narcissist toward self-criticism is as likely as changing the course of a river or the trajectory of the Earths rotation around the sun.

But some people believe in miracles. One of them is Pope Francis, with whom Trump will be meeting on Wednesday. Might this compassionate Jesuit who preaches a God of mercy and the power of humility abandon his diplomatic role to engage in a pastoral intervention with a man whose soul (like all of our souls) could use some saving?

Were unlikely to know if the pope even tries. Communiques on papal meetings with heads of state are usually opaque. At worst, the encounter may be blandly described as a full and frank exchange. The Vatican knows that a lot of American Catholics voted for Trump, and the Catholic Church hasnt survived all these centuries by ignoring realpolitik.

Those of us who are critics of the president are hoping for something more: a stern talking-to from a religious leader who stands passionately on the opposite side of Trump on so many questions.

Francis, after all, has explicitly condemned trickle-down economics as a system that has never been confirmed by the facts and expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power. Capitalism, as he sees it, tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits. He added that whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market.

The pope wrote an encyclical stating emphatically that a very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system, that things are now reaching a breaking point and that greenhouse gases are released mainly as a result of human activity. To protect the planet, Francis called for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption.

The president and the pope have already tangled on immigration. During the 2016 campaign, the pope labeled Trumps Mexican wall not Christian, comments Trump called disgraceful. The contrast between the two men on immigrants and refugees could not be starker. We must make our immigrant brothers and sisters feel that they are citizens, that they are like us, children of God, Francis has said, pleading for compassion toward the stranger in our midst.

Its hard to imagine Francis remaining silent on these questions when he talks with Trump. But the pope also believes in our capacity to transform ourselves and in an Almighty willing to forgive our sins. So he might well take on one of the toughest counseling jobs of his life by urging Trump to consider the value of thinking beyond the self.

Was the pope preparing for this moment in a surprise talk he filmed for the TED2017 conference late last month? Please, allow me to say it loud and clear, he declared. The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you dont, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.

There is a saying in Argentina, Francis continued. Power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach. You feel dizzy, you get drunk, you lose your balance, and you will end up hurting yourself and those around you. I hope Francis conveys something like that to our president. Trump could profit from it right now.

Trump enjoys mocking losers, so he might pay heed to Franciss injunction that when the fortunate encounter those who are not, they should ask themselves, Why them and not me? Franciss answer was different from the one Trump would likely give. I could have very well ended up among todays discarded people, the pope said.

Trump has recently been portrayed as being in a dark and sour mood, and the disclosures over the past few days could hardly have improved his disposition. This just might make him open to a pastor who teaches: We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.

Mr. President, what do you have to lose?

Read more from E.J. Dionnes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
DIVNA MASLENJAK may be an unsympathetic standard-bearer for an important legal principle. An ethnic Serb who arrived in the United States as a refugee from Bosnia, she became a U.S. citizen a decade ago after misleading an immigration judge about her husbands military record during the Balkan wars. She said he managed to escape military conscription; in fact, he served in a unit that was implicated in war crimes.

Ms. Maslenjak was wrong to tell an apparent lie, and a jury might well look kindly on the governments contention that she had received her citizenship illegally. But its a stretch to think a jury would regard any lie  relevant or irrelevant, odious or trivial  with the same degree of disapproval.

What if, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked the governments lawyer when Ms. Maslenjaks case was heard at the Supreme Court the other day, he drove 60 miles an hour in a 55-mile-an-hour zone, then, having not been arrested, failed to mention it on a naturalization application. If I answer the question no, 20 years after I was naturalized as a citizen, you can knock on my door and say, Guess what, youre not an American citizen after all? he asked.

The Justice Department lawyer, Robert A. Parker, never fully recovered from the chief justices line of inquiry, although he labored valiantly to make a case for legal absolutism  that any lie is as bad as another. As several other justices pointed out, however, his stance was an affront to common sense, and to previous court rulings suggesting that an irrelevant falsehood, one likely immaterial to a naturalization cases outcome, could not reasonably be grounds for subsequently revoking citizenship.

Mr. Roberts, always alert to the potential for prosecutorial overreach, was right to raise the specter of abuse. Justice Sonia Sotomayor piled on, asking if the government would also rescind citizenship from a naturalized immigrant who had failed to divulge an insulting childhood nickname, as the form requires. Given sufficient scrutiny, there may be relatively few refugees or applicants for naturalization whose sworn statements turn out to be gospel. That goes for the rest of us, too, who may wish to avoid divulging items from our past that are embarrassing, painful or illegal  including speeding violations as in Mr. Robertss hypothetical.

The government was on shaky ground by arguing that the crush of annual petitions for naturalizations  about 800,000 of them are filed annually  makes it unlikely that prosecutors could muster the resources to comb through them all for evidence of dishonesty. The point is not that naturalized immigrants would be stripped of citizenship en masse; it is that nearly anyone might be singled out if even the most inconsequential lie were grounds for prosecution and revocation of citizenship.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy rightly took umbrage at the governments indiscriminate formulation, pointedly telling Mr. Parker that your argument is demeaning the priceless value of citizenship. The court seems on solid ground in insisting that citizenship, once granted, should not be taken back blithely.
Despite President Trumps reluctance to get deeply involved in the Syrian civil war, the United States now finds itself in the middle of an escalating battle in the countrys south that last week led to a clash between the U.S. military and Iranian-backed pro-government forces. If he can seize the opportunity, Trump could deal a blow to Iranian regional influence and help save Syria in the process.

To hear the Trump administration tell it, the coalition airstrike May 18 near the al-Tanf base on Syrias border with Jordan and Iraq was a one-off event. A statement from U.S. Central Command said that pro-regime forces had crossed into an established de-confliction zone, posing a threat to opposition forces and the U.S. troops who are training them.

But the skirmish near al-Tanf was not an isolated incident. According to officials, experts and rebel leaders on the ground, an ongoing and rapidly accelerating confrontation in that area was triggered by an offensive by Iranian-backed militias. Iran is trying to establish strategic control over territory creating a corridor from Lebanon and Syria through Baghdad to Tehran.

If successful, the Iranian campaign would drastically reshape the regional security situation, harm the fight against the Islamic State in the nearby city of Deir al-Zour and directly undermine U.S. efforts to train and equip an indigenous Sunni Arab fighting force, which is essential to establishing long-term stability.

In short, its a fight that the United States cannot and should not avoid. Its also an opportunity for Trump to accomplish what his administration says it wants to do in the Middle East: Push back against Iranian aggression and expansionism.

So far, the White House doesnt see it in that light. An official told me that the decision to strike regime and Iranian-backed forces last week was made by military commanders on the ground, not by the White House. The commanders have the authority to strike whenever they believe U.S. troops are under threat, the official said, stating that there has been no change in U.S. policy in Syria.

There was no large, big-picture change that resulted in this scenario, the official said.

The strikes did change Tehrans calculus. The Middle East Institutes Charles Lister said that the bombs hit a militia backed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Forces called Kataib Imam Ali. After the strikes, the Iranian FARS news agency reported that Iran will send 3,000 Hezbollah fighters to the al-Tanf region to thwart a U.S. plot.

A Syrian opposition rebel leader who works with the U.S. military said that while there are a mix of regime, Iranian and militia forces fighting in the area, the Iranians are in command of the campaign. Their first goal is to establish control over a security triangle that would give them free movement between the eastern Syrian towns of Palmyra and Deir al-Zour and Baghdad.

The Iranians second goal is to block the U.S.-supported rebels in al-Tanf from Deir al-Zour. If the rebels take the city from the Islamic State, it would be a huge boon for the Sunni opposition to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Two Syrian rebel groups opened up a front against the Iranian-backed forces about two weeks ago, in response to the Iranian campaign, the rebel leader said. One of them is working directly with the U.S. military. The other is supported by the military operations center led by the CIA and allies in Jordan.

Even absent public acknowledgment from Washington, the rebel groups believe they have tacit support from the United States to prevent Iran and the regime from taking over the area. That belief is uniting rebel groups on the ground, who have long wanted to fight Iran and the regime, in addition to the Islamic State.

Those who support the Syrian opposition in Washington are also noticing a shift in the U.S. approach toward confronting Iran in Syria. Whether that represents mission creep or a deliberate change in approach on a policy level is unclear  and ultimately irrelevant. Perhaps by accident, Trump is moving toward a Syria policy that is tougher on Iran and the Assad regime, and its having real effects on the ground.

The United States has two major adversaries in Syria, that is Iran and ISIS. Both represent huge risks to U.S. national security and interests in the region, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force.

The battle for Syrias south is on, and the Trump team must decide if the United States will play a decisive role. Trump could fulfill his promises to thwart Iran and bring greater stability to Syria  if he acts fast.

Read more from Josh Rogins archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
WHEN ONE of his colleagues at Mexico Citys daily newspaper was gunned down in March, Javier Valdez issued a passionate statement about the importance of the work of journalists who cover the network of organized crime, drug trafficking and corruption that plagues Mexico.Let them kill us all, if that is the death sentence for reporting this hell, he tweeted. No to silence.

The words proved horribly prophetic when Mr. Valdez last week became the latest casualty of the drug-fueled violence that has claimed tens of thousands of Mexican lives over the past decade. The life and death of this courageous reporter should serve as inspiration and prod to the Mexican government to undertake reforms needed to end the impunity that allows the countrys lawlessness to flourish.

Mr. Valdez, 50, was shot and killed at midday May 15 on a busy street in the northwest state of Sinaloa. Authorities said unidentified attackers fired 12 shots at his car. Sinaloa is a drug trafficking destination perhaps best known as the home of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman; Mr. Valdez, a correspondent for La Jornada, co-founded a regional weekly newspaper there in 2003 because of his belief in the need for honest reporting of the crime and corruption that victimize Mexicans  despite the risks.

He is the sixth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year and one of more than 100 journalists who have been murdered since 2000. Eleven days before Mr. Valdezs death, a delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists met with President Enrique Pena Nieto to present its newly released report No Excuse: Mexico Must Break Cycle of Impunity in Journalists Murders. Among the recommendations were better protections for at-risk journalists, timely investigation of threats and training prosecutors in how to pursue crimes against freedom of expression.

Its good that Mr. Pena Nieto immediately and strongly condemned Mr. Valdezs murder, but that is clearly not enough. Recommendations of the CPJ report should be embraced, and the chronic failure of the judicial system in investigating and prosecuting crimes must be addressed. A good place to start is making a priority of finding those who shot Mr. Valdez and those who ordered it.
To everyone dreaming of a quick and easy impeachment: What do you imagine happens the day after?

Passions subside. President Pence begins his orderly reign. Donald Trump retreats to Mar-a-Lago. Normalcy returns.

Thats about what you have in mind, right?

Dream on.

Heres a likelier scenario: Trump goes to Mar-a-Lago to regroup, not retreat. Early in the morning, he tweets: Join me on Day One of our campaign to reverse the most corrupt theft in political history and reclaim the White House in 2020. His supporters vow to reverse the coup detat.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

And the wars intensify.

Impeachment should not be ruled out. If special counsel Robert S. Mueller III gathers evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors, Congress should proceed, regardless of partisan advantage or political fallout.

But Trump opponents are kidding themselves if they think that sacking him will restore comity and peace to the nation. And they are dodging the work they need to do if they let a focus on impeachment or removal under the 25th Amendment keep them from offering solutions to problems that contributed to Trumps victory.

Impeachment has been and should be considered a drastic remedy, as attorney Gregory Craig called it when he was defending President Bill Clinton before the House Judiciary Committee in 1998.

Trump was legitimately elected by Americans who knew they were voting for an inexperienced, bombastic, intermittently truthful, thin-skinned, race-baiting businessman. If Trump turns out to be an inexperienced, bombastic, intermittently truthful, thin-skinned, race-baiting president, that should not come as a surprise. Nor is it grounds for impeachment.

Even if Trump turns out to be worse than feared, a failure, a disappointment even to his voters, someone who would, say, boorishly disparage Americas FBI chief as a nut job while speaking to Americas adversaries  even that would not be grounds for impeachment. The remedy for poor performance is to not reelect. It is a decision for the voters.

Impeachment (by the House) and conviction (by a two-thirds vote in the Senate) would stoke, not calm, political anger. Even if some of his voters felt let down by his performance, many would see his removal from office as an undemocratic short-circuiting of the process. Already his reelection committee is claiming that Trump is a victim of sabotage, as The Posts Abby Phillip reported.

You already knew the media was out to get us, a recent fundraising email began. But sadly its not just the fake news. . . . There are people within our own unelected bureaucracy that want to sabotage President Trump and our entire America First movement.

Would Trump, if convicted by the Senate, stage a run for redemption in 2020, fueling and feeding on that kind of paranoia? That would depend on many factors, including whether Congress chose to bar him from future service, which it is allowed but not required to do in an impeachment trial.

But certainly many among the 46 percent of the electorate who rallied to Trumps side in order to drain the swamp of Washington elitism would not subside quietly if the swamp, as they saw it, swallowed him. Maybe their candidate would be Donald Jr. or Eric Trump, who last week tweeted, This entire thing is a witch hunt propagated by a failed political campaign. Maybe they would find another champion.

Whats least conceivable is that they, and other voters, would suddenly be satisfied again with the old Republican and Democratic parties. Which is why Trump opponents cant afford to think that getting rid of Trump is all they need to do.

Neera Tanden and Matt Browne, in a recent Post op-ed on the French presidential election, noted that Emmanuel Macron did not win his landslide victory simply by stressing the danger of electing his populist, Russia-sympathizing opponent, Marine Le Pen. Although many observers said Macron lacked a substantive platform, Tanden, who is president and chief executive of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, and Browne, a senior fellow there, argued that Macron actually set out a bold agenda for political reform.

For progressives in the United States, this is a critical lesson, Tanden and Browne wrote. To rebut the politics of ethno-nationalist populism progressives need to offer more than opposition  they need an aggressive agenda for political reform.

We are far from knowing the whole story of Russias intervention in the 2016 election, its relationship over the years with Trump and his businesses, and the administrations possible efforts to keep the truth from emerging. The country needs Mueller and members of Congress, of both parties, working overtime to expose that story.

But the country also needs to beware of the fantasy that the nations problems, and the Democratic Partys, could be solved if only that one man could magically be made to disappear.

Read more from Fred Hiatts archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (second from left) welcomes President Trump to dance with a sword during a welcome ceremony at Al Murabba Palace on Saturday. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

As President Trump travels abroad for the first time to set forth his administrations foreign policy, he is also sending a clear message: Under his administration, concerns about human rights that U.S. presidents often carry with them will instead remain at the waters edge.

In search of bigger deals on combating terrorism and curbing Irans influence in the region, Trump made it clear during his weekend speech in Saudi Arabia that the United States would not allow human rights concerns to bog down cooperation with authoritarian governments.

We are not here to lecture, Trump said Sunday before an audience of about 50 political leaders of Muslim nations, many of which are led by strongmen. We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership, based on shared interests and values.

During his nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Trump is expected to emphasize the kind of America first posture that he has advocated for since the presidential campaign, one that prioritizes core U.S. economic and security interests over spreading democratic values abroad. Aides have insisted that Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and other officials privately raised human rights concerns, and they point to the April release of an American aid worker in Egypt as evidence of the success of this quieter strategy.

In myriad ways so far during Trump trip, the administration has reinforced that message by publicly sidestepping issues such the treatment of the media, women and dissenters.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Political protests in Saudi Arabia can be punishable by a death sentence and freedom of expression is severely limited. But Monday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross highlighted the absence of dissenters as a sign of the genuinely good mood during Trumps visit.

[In Israel, Trump urges new Middle East harmony but faces old suspicions]

Trump left off any mention of restrictions on political dissent in the kingdom, even as he called for the people of Iran to have the just and righteous government they deserve.

And Sunday, a lone event on Trumps schedule aimed at bolstering civil society in Saudi Arabia was scrapped, leaving it to the presidents eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, to deliver a message of tolerance and openness to Saudi youth during a Twitter forum.

His approach, so far, to the trip has solidified this administrations approach to human rights and foreign policy, said Andrea Prasow, deputy Washington director for Human Rights Watch. The failure to mention any human rights issues and the statement about not imposing our values is just proof that the Trump administrations policy is to not bring it up in public and who knows if they bring it up in private.

Trumps travels have been hailed as a smashing success by the administration, and he has marveled at the warmth and hospitality extended to him by Saudi leaders. But there has been almost no attention paid to the concerns that have made Saudi Arabia rank among the most repressive nations on Earth, including strict controls on the media, women and political society.

I think the way you address those human rights issues and womens rights issues is to improve the conditions in the region, Tillerson said in an interview on Fox News Sunday defending the presidents silence on human rights. And today, conditions in the region are under a lot of stress because of the threat of terrorism, the threat that Iran poses to instability in the region.

Ivanka Trump speaks at the 'Tweeps 2017' social media forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. (Str/EPA)

But, you know, the primary reason were here today is to confront this threat of terrorism, he added.

Critics say the approach has real consequences, including weakening U.S. standing abroad and potentially encouraging autocrats throughout the world.

Trumps sanguine visit to Saudi Arabia also came on the heels of a messy brawl on the streets of Washington last week between peaceful protesters and the bodyguards of the increasingly autocratic Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had just left a chummy Oval Office meeting with Trump that day.

[Trump summons Muslim nations to confront Islamic terror of all kinds]

Four months in, you are already seeing episodes like Erdogans goons beating up protesters in Washington, D.C. Just imagine what the next three years will bring, said Rob Berschinski, senior vice president for policy at Human Rights First. What this administration is going out of its way to signal is that it just doesnt care about the people in the countries that were doing business with.

Jeffrey Prescott, who served as the National Security Councils senior director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and Gulf states from 2015 to January, said that repressive, noninclusive governments in the Middle East have contributed to the rise of extremism, making the region less stable. But instead of publicly speaking out about that, Trump has offered a kind of reflexive support, or even an attempt to please, whatever authoritarian leaders President Trump is taking to, Prescott said. I dont think that advances our interests over the long term.

Separate from the president, Ivanka Trump engaged in her own agenda aimed at drawing attention to womens empowerment during a forum with a small group of successful women in Saudi Arabia. At the event, the World Bank announced $100 million in funds committed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates toward its International Womens Empowerment Fund. The event was attended by two female U.S. reporters, but neither were permitted to remain in the room after Ivanka Trump delivered her opening remarks and it is unclear whether she addressed broader issues of gender-based restrictions in Saudi society.

President Trumps silence on human rights and democratic ideals stands in contrast to his two most recent predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, who touted U.S. values as a component of their foreign policy strategies of combating radical and violent extremism in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Its not about values in one category and interests in another, said Tamara Cofman Wittes, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs in Obamas first term. In the case of the two previous administrations, one Republican and one Democrat, they both saw it as congruous with counterterrorism efforts. This administration is not even claiming to find a balance. Theyre throwing it all out the window.

[Trump asked intelligence chiefs to push back against FBI collusion probe]

Obama often met with civil society groups in repressive countries, including Russia and Vietnam, and he held town-hall-style meetings in China, South Africa, Peru and Malaysia, fielding questions from young people in a bid to demonstrate that the highest-level U.S. elected officials are accountable to the public.

Although U.S. human rights groups complained that Obama did not do enough, the public events irritated Obamas foreign government hosts and prompted them to attempt to undermine him at times. On Obamas 2016 visit to Hanoi, for example, three Vietnamese activists were reportedly prevented by the government from attending a roundtable with him.

U.S. presidents often travel to repressive nations and face the challenge of negotiating for concessions in the interest of human rights. But that challenge was made even more difficult because of Trumps choice of Saudi Arabia  one of the worlds most stringently controlled societies  as the first stop on his maiden foreign trip, according to P.J. Crowley, who was a State Department spokesman during the Obama administration.

Im not sure they were pushing for these things, but on a first trip I understand that theyre still in that adjustment period to understanding the prerogatives that go with being president and what you can and cant do when you leave your own country, Crowley said.

Wittes said that Obama and his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, made a point on their foreign trips to speak directly to the public at large. She noted that Clinton, on her first trip to Saudi Arabia in 2010, conducted a town-hall-style event with students at a liberal arts college to emphasize womens empowerment.

Trumps chances to speak more directly to the public  in the Twitter forum and the womens empowerment event  were both shoved off on Ivanka, Wittes said.

That sends a very clear message to the people of the region that President Trump doesnt want to talk to you or hear from you, she added.
A unanimous Supreme Court on Monday made it more difficult for companies to sue for patent infringement in courts that they consider friendly to their cause.

The justices affirmed a decades-old ruling that said such lawsuits should be filed in the judicial district where the alleged offender is incorporated. It reversed a ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that gave plaintiffs greater leeway and resulted in a huge number of cases being filed in a receptive federal court in east Texas.

[ Supreme Court debates limits on where patent suits may be filed ]

Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the court, said that subsequent actions by Congress and other courts had not altered the Supreme Courts 1957 decision that a lawsuit alleging patent infringement must be filed where the defendant resides, and a corporation resides only in its state of incorporation.

Under the Federal Circuit ruling, patent lawsuits can be filed wherever a company has even minimal sales of its products.

That has resulted in nearly half of the lawsuits being filed in the Eastern District of Texas in Marshall, where cases move quickly and the court is seen as sympathetic to plaintiffs.

One U.S. district judge, Rodney Gilstrap, received about one-quarter of all the patent cases initiated between 2014 to 2016  more than were assigned to all federal judges in California, New York and Florida combined, according to Mark A. Lemley, a Stanford University law professor who filed the brief at the Supreme Court on behalf of himself and other professors.

The Supreme Courts decision will represent a seismic shift and deals a severe blow to non-practicing entities or patent trolls, and shifts home court advantage to companies accused of patent infringement, said Paul Cronin, an intellectual property specialist in Boston.

In the case before the court, an Indiana-based company, TC Heartland, was sued by Kraft Heinz. Kraft alleged that Heartlands liquid water enhancers infringed on Krafts MiO liquid water enhancer. Kraft sued in Delaware, the judicial district with the second-highest number of patent lawsuits. Heartland was turned down by the courts when it attempted to get the case shifted to Indiana.

Because so many companies are incorporated in Delaware, analysts expect the number of lawsuits filed there to increase. But high-tech companies were among those that supported Heartland, and the number of cases filed in California is expected to rise as well.

The case is TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods Group Brands.
Mondays decision continued a trend at the Supreme Court, where justices have found that racial considerations improperly tainted redistricting by GOP-led legislatures in Virginia, Alabama and North Carolina. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that North Carolinas Republican-controlled legislature relied on racial gerrymandering when drawing the states congressional districts, a decision that could make it easier to challenge other state redistricting plans.

The decision continued a trend at the court, where justices have found that racial considerations improperly tainted redistricting decisions by GOP-led legislatures in Virginia, Alabama and North Carolina. Some cases involved congressional districts, others legislative districts.

[Supreme Court says Virginia districts must be examined for racial bias]

The states contended that their efforts were partisan moves to protect their majorities, which the Supreme Court in the past has allowed, rather than attempts to diminish the impact of minority voters, which are forbidden.

But the justices declared that North Carolina had relied too heavily on race in its efforts to reshuffle, in the words of Justice Elena Kagan, voters in two congressional districts. They were unanimous in rejecting one of the districts and split 5 to 3 on the other.

(Daron Taylor/The Washington Post)

[Another bitter redistricting fight in North Carolina]

This is a watershed moment in the fight to end racial gerrymandering, said former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr., who is part of a Democratic effort focused on redistricting. North Carolinas maps were among the worst racial gerrymanders in the nation. Todays ruling sends a stark message to legislatures and governors around the country: Racial gerrymandering is illegal and will be struck down in a court of law.

North Carolina leaders said the court had made the rules regarding redistricting even murkier. Lawmakers are required to consider race when drawing legislative lines so that minorities have a chance to elect candidates of their choice when the numbers are there. But the court has said racial considerations cannot predominate when drawing the districts.

We have the utmost respect for the Supreme Court, but it is challenging for our lawmakers to draw congressional districts that the courts will accept when the courts regularly change the rules state legislatures must follow when drawing them, said Amy Auth, a spokeswoman for North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger.

Kagan, writing for the courts majority, criticized lawmakers for increasing the share of black voters in the two districts to more than 50 percent, when experience had shown that was not necessary in order for minority voters to elect representatives of their choice. The Voting Rights Act does not require that, she said, and the real goal might have been to make surrounding districts safer for white candidates.

Justices will not approve a racial gerrymander whose necessity is supported by no evidence and whose raison detre is a legal mistake, Kagan wrote.

That is one of the most important parts of the decision, said Richard Pildes, an election law expert at New York University. The ruling opened up a new avenue of constraint by holding that if white voters now vote for candidates black voters prefer at high enough rates, the intentional creation of majority-black districts is no longer required  and indeed, is unconstitutional, Pildes wrote in an analysis of the decision.

Redistricting is part of a bare-knuckled fight in North Carolina, where Democrats and Republicans uneasily share political power.

Last week, the Supreme Court said it would not review a lower courts ruling that a sweeping 2013 rewrite of the states voting laws was an unconstitutional attempt to diminish the power of African American voters. The states Republican legislative leadership had asked the Supreme Court to get involved, but the Democratic governor and attorney general said they did not want to defend the law.

[Supreme Court wont consider reviving North Carolina voting law]

In the case involving the congressional districts, a lower court had found them improperly drawn, and in 2016, elections were held in redrawn districts. Republicans maintained control of 10 of 13 districts.

The partisan battle over redistricting has raged in North Carolina for decades; Kagan noted that one of the districts in question was making its fifth(!) appearance before this Court.

The justices unanimously agreed that District 1, anchored in the northeastern part of the state and stretching into the black neighborhoods of Durham, was improperly drawn.

But the court split on District 12, which Kagan described as a snakelike district in the south-central section of the state that includes part of Charlotte.

In an unusual alliance, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas joined Kagan and the courts other liberals  Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor  in saying the Voting Rights Act did not justify lawmakers actions.

Kagan noted that lawmakers redrew District 12 so that it had 35,000 more blacks of voting age and 50,000 fewer whites. She said the states contention that it was simply adding Democrats was contradicted by testimony that only 18 percent of the regions white Democrats ended up in the district, while 65 percent of black Democrats did.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Anthony M. Kennedy and Samuel A. Alito Jr. objected. Alito wrote that District 12s borders and racial composition are readily explained by political considerations and the effects of the legislatures political strategy.

Alito complained that in a previous decision, the court insisted that those challenging districts present alternative maps showing that the legislature could achieve its political goals without the racial effects giving rise to the racial gerrymandering allegation. The majority relieved the challengers of providing such a map in this case, he said.

A precedent of this Court should not be treated like a disposable household item  say, a paper plate or napkin  to be used once and then tossed in the trash, Alito wrote.

Kagan, in return, said Alito and the dissenters accepted the word of the North Carolina legislature rather than the three-judge panel that heard evidence in the case and found the congressional districts unacceptable.

The case is Cooper v. Harris. It was argued before Justice Neil M. Gorsuch joined the court, and he took no part in the decision.
Jerry Walters and his daughter Kenan Lundy eat dinner on May 19 at Candy Sue's Cafe in Lumberton, N.C. "We are a table divided," said Jerry's daughter Leisha Walters (not pictured) about her family's political views. (Abbi O'Leary/For The Washington Post)

Sitting at a table at Jeffs Corner Cafe, Brenda Allen professed thanks for the good things before her. There were the creamy grits she ate and the jokes she shared with the other diners, most of whom shed known all her life. But she was most grateful that the small, blurry television set hanging in the corner of this no-frills breakfast spot was silent.

You know, I stopped watching Fox, and all the other channels, too, Allen, a 70-year-old retired nurse practitioner and Democrat, told her friend Julie. She sipped a little Mountain Dew. So much negativity about the president. I think in Washington, theres just much ado about nothing. They got their own world created for them over there.

Aint that the truth, Julie responded.

The controversies enveloping President Trump in the nations capital were having the odd effect of bringing people together here. No matter which side of the great Trump divide they were on, one complaint rose above all: Washington had again proven to be as blurry and distant as the reception on that old TV.

There was the flood of news that consumed Washington. And then there was the actual flood that almost consumed them. Entire blocks in the southern end of this city are still uninhabited seven months after being ravaged by Hurricane Matthew. And just on Wednesday, while politicos gawked at the announcement of a special prosecutor for an investigation that many residents here dont fully understand, news spread around town that another garment factory would be closing. More than 150 jobs would be lost in a town where nowadays little was being produced other than resentment.

Messiah Kennedy, 8, left, and Meikei Kennedy, 9, play basketball outside an abandoned building in Lumberton. Meikei and Messiah moved their basketball hoop to the abandoned building after Hurricane Matthew because it was almost completely under water at their home. (Abbi O'Leary/For The Washington Post)

We need to get Donald Trump down here so he can pull a Carrier, said Bo Biggs, a longtime Republican operative, referring to Trumps role last year in helping to keep jobs at an air-conditioning plant in Indiana. We got a president concerned about our jobs, but still we got all this drama.

Into Jeffs cafe walked Mable Moses, 70, who has never stopped wearing Converse sneakers even though her former employer left town in 2001. She rolled her eyes when she heard Allen and her friend talking about that Trump thing again.

Hes an idiot, but hes in Washington, she said dismissively while sitting at a counter and scrolling through her Facebook page. She had grown exhausted with Trumps presidency and instead concentrated on articles about hundreds of families still being displaced after Hurricane Matthew.

Andrea Whitted, 69, dined alone. She could think of only one other time that Jeffs was so sedate.

During the [2012] election, all these white people were talking about how they hated [President Barack] Obama and couldnt wait to see him lose, said Whitted, who is black. When the results came in, she said, she asked her friend to join her at Jeffs the next day because the prattle among the Obama haters was sure to be delicious.

And dont you know, there werent but five people in here? she said. Thats how it is again. Inside, they know this president is delusional. Look at all the scandals hes been involved in. Its only been 100-something days.

In some sense, the concentration on the FBI investigation and its fallout aroused the worst of each sides worries about Trump. For Allen, it displayed something simple and fixable: Trumps ability to communicate with other people needs improving, she said. For Whitted, it cut deeper, revealing how corrupt and unprepared she thinks Trump is to lead the nation.

A house damaged by Hurricane Matthew is left abandoned next to a reconstructed house in the Sunset Heights neighborhood in Lumberton. (Abbi O'Leary/For The Washington Post)

Regardless, the result here was the same: Gov. Roy Cooper (D) had asked the federal government for $929 million to assist with flood relief, but only $6 million was included in the current spending bill.

Whitteds church flooded so badly that congregants were meeting in a parking lot for weeks, and they still could not use their fellowship hall. Sometimes, she said, it seems like the only thing that can save us now is Jesus.

Bill Clinton country no more

Robeson County is one of those Obama-to-Trump areas that helped the reality TV star win the presidency. It is a third white, a quarter black and 40 percent Native American. One in four people here didnt graduate from high school, and the countys economy has been plummeting since President Bill Clinton held office.

There was a time when this was Bill Clinton country, but Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had left them cold. They despised that the couple turned their political ambitions into a vast network of wealth, and, over time, residents began to resent the Clintons support of free trade, which they believe shipped their jobs to other countries.

Im for a woman president, but I didnt think it was the time for any woman president, Allen said. We have to deal with all of these countries who we need to be tough with and none of them respect women. That would make it too hard for her.

Trump saw America like Sherry Hammonds saw America. Lumberton, the 51-year-old said, was filled with good people who just wanted good jobs.

As the community gathered at an outdoor stage to watch a cover band croon Justin Timberlake songs, Hammonds remembered the days when you could graduate high school and get a well-paying job at a local textile factory. She worked for a company that produced clothes for the Gap, and that provided the best quality of life she had ever experienced. She lost her job in 1994 when the factory moved to Honduras.

Hammonds now works at the Department of Motor Vehicles, a decent bounce back, she said. So many others she knew had to take jobs in the service industry, at restaurants and gas stations, and their wages and their stations in life have not improved since. Trumps promise of more prosperous times outweighed whatever theoretical peril he may cause.

We just need to accept Donald Trump is president and give the man a chance, Hammonds said. Its only been 100-something days. So Im not really watching TV to see what happens next. You know what Im watching?

Every morning on her way to work, she said, she drives past the Days Inn, where she watches a school bus pick up displaced children at the motel.

Heartbreaking, Hammonds said. Thats what we need to care about.

A similar feeling permeated the conversation on the porch of Whitteds ex-husband, Morris Whitted, 74, who was the only person in his neighborhood who was able to move back in after the flood.

One of the main reasons the neighborhood sat empty: It was filled with renters, and their landlords had difficulty getting grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild their homes.

One of the men on the porch was a landlord. He complained that it made no sense for him to take out a loan to rebuild. He was 71 years old and would die before he could pay it off.

Another friend, a butcher, said he couldnt find a steady job since his meat-processing plant was flooded. He earned some extra money helping Morris Whitted repair his home, which was the only good thing he said has happened to him since Hurricane Matthew.

When the conversation got too intense, Morris Whitted shifted to a favored distraction.

Have you been seeing whats been going on with Trump? he offered. You remember Watergate? We could be living through another Watergate.

Man, if that man aint given me a grant to fix my houses, it dont mean s---, his landlord friend said.

Raymond Lee Stevens Jr., a longtime Democratic operative and owner of the flooded meat-processing plant, could recall a time when his Republican buddies would take him to meet Republican Sen. Jesse Helms or dine with Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Used to be, Stevens said, people would ask for his political play by play. Nowadays, he said as he dined at a restaurant named Candy Sues, everyone seemed too exhausted to ask.

His neighbors had begun to internalize politics. Everyone had a conspiracy. With Obama, there were questions about his faith and his birthplace. With Trump came questions about his taxes and alliances with Russia. How could you know whom to believe? Why jump to conclusions?

Theres no evidence yet, Stevens said of the Trump inquiry. Trump got off on the wrong foot with the people and now they are just going after him.

His wife, Nancy, disagreed. I regret my vote, she said. I dont know why you dont see whats going on. Hes embarrassing our country every day, and making us look weak to the world. Hes spilling secrets. I cant believe its going so badly.

He needs time, Raymond Stevens replied. Its only been 100-something days.

Overhearing the conversation, the restaurant owner uttered, Im not sure theyre gonna give him 100 more.
As chief executive of his familys real estate empire, Jared Kushner planned two apartment projects across the street from each other in Jersey City.

Both would be luxury skyscrapers, complete with retail space and sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. A new crosswalk would connect them, intended to link the two Kushner Cos. developments practically and visually.

But when Kushner prepared an ethics plan ahead of joining the White House as a top adviser to his father-in-law, President Trump, he drew a curious distinction between the two projects. He sold his stake in one while keeping his share of up to $5 million in the other.

Kushner, 36, who is emerging as a singularly powerful figure in the Trump White House, is keeping nearly 90 percent of his vast real estate holdings even after resigning from the family business and pledging a clear divide between his private interests and public duties.

The value of his retained real estate interests is between $132 million and $407 million and could leave him in a position to financially benefit from his familys business.

The documents reflect the opaque decisions that Kushner and his attorneys made to allow him to keep much of his outside investments while seeking to remain within the boundaries that government ethics officials would find acceptable.

Kushners form lists hundreds of private companies. Some of the investments he kept are held by shell companies that are virtually impossible to track, and Kushner has declined to make public more information on those entities.

The 124 real estate assets that Kushner has kept include residential real estate in suburban Maryland, a Times Square retail complex, and apartments across the Midwest, from Toledo to the small town of Speedway, Ind. Kushner also kept his stake in a New Jersey mobile-home park.

His decision to divest from one of the Jersey City projects, One Journal Square, gained attention this month after his sister appeared at a conference in China promoting the use of a special U.S. visa program to lure investors for the development and publicly noting her brothers connection to the president.

The White House said Kushner had recused himself from discussions of the EB-5 visa program.

It is not clear from Kushners financial filings whether any of his holdings might intersect with his broad and evolving responsibilities in the White House. This week, Kushner has been close by the president during the administrations first international trip, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy.

Kushner rejected a request by The Washington Post to review his ethics agreement with the White House, which would lay out the topics that he has pledged to avoid because of concerns about conflicts of interest. White House officials have said that it is a long-standing policy for the agreements to remain confidential.

As a result, ethics experts say, Kushner is asking Americans to take his word for it.

Right now, the only thing that the public has is the assurances from the White House that everybody is complying with ethics rules, said Don Fox, a former general counsel of the Office of Government Ethics.

Kushner declined to comment for this article. One of his attorneys, former Clinton administration Justice Department official Jamie Gorelick, said that they were striving for simplicity in choosing which assets to sell and which ones to keep to minimize potential areas of conflict.

For instance, Kushner sold his interests in 666 Fifth Avenue, the companys landmark building in Manhattan, because it may be refinanced and posed many uncertainties.

He also sold his interests in a venture capital firm because of its investments in broad sectors of the economy, including a health-care company. Had he kept his interests, Kushner might have needed to recuse himself from discussions related to health care or risk violating a conflicts of interest statute.

Jared takes the ethics rules very seriously and would never compromise himself or the administration, said Joshua Raffel, his White House spokesman.

Kushner sold some assets to a trust controlled by his mother. But his attorneys have declined to provide details about other buyers, except to say that they include other family members and third-party buyers.

Kushners team has said that he might sell more of his holdings. Additionally, they are filing an updated disclosure form to correct several omissions related to positions and stakes in assets that he did not previously list on his form.

Trump has cited a presidential exemption from federal ethics laws in his decision to retain ownership of his own global real estate holdings and properties such as the luxury Trump International Hotel near the White House.

Even so, Trump has been accused by Democrats and ethics experts of leveraging his presidency for personal profit. And although Trump has denied doing business in Russia, Democrats have called on federal investigators to examine his financial dealings as part of their probe into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Trump has also refused to release his tax returns, which could shed more light on his holdings.

But Kushner is bound by the ethics guidelines that govern members of the executive staff  including restrictions on participating in actions that could affect an officials personal financial interest or appear to show favoritism to a close associate or family member.

In Jersey City, the dual apartment projects illustrate the complexity of Kushners divestiture strategy.

On one side of Sip Avenue is One Journal Square, the Kushner Cos. proposed two-tower apartment development that became embroiled in the EB-5 visa controversy.

On the other side, a proposed 72-story tower known as 30 Journal Square is also planned for development. Kushner held on to his individual stake  valued at between $1 million and $5 million  in the project, his disclosures show.

When asked why Kushner sold his investment in One Journal Square but kept 30 Journal Square, his attorneys issued a statement to The Post: 30 Journal Square is a separate project that did not pose the same complexities, including EB-5 financing, as One Journal Square.

Many of the real estate properties that Kushner still owns rely on the support of financial institutions, investors and local officials  and often fall under the purview of regulatory agencies  over which he might now enjoy considerable influence.

In Maryland, Kushner has retained his stake in several Baltimore-area apartment complexes that rely on federal housing assistance. In New Jersey, Kushner has kept his multimillion dollar interests in a suburban mall complex in Monmouth County that is slated to be redeveloped in partnership with an affiliate of a Canadian firm. In Brooklyn, Kushner still owns upscale housing developments on industrial properties financed by private investors and banks.

In joining his father-in-laws administration, Kushner exited a family business that he led for more than a decade.

He was a 24-year-old graduate student when his father, Charles, went to federal prison for witness tampering, tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions. As the eldest son, Jared Kushner took over his familys real estate firm, Kushner Cos. He changed the companys focus from modest apartment buildings largely in New Jersey to luxury commercial and residential properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

In 2009, Kushner married Ivanka Trump, and he formed a bond with her father that now has him in a unique position of trust and power in the White House.

The president has charged Kushner with managing foreign relations including with the Middle East and Mexico, as well as policies affecting the opioid-

addiction crisis and veterans affairs. Kushner also heads the newly formed Office of American Innovation, designed to deal with agencies to fix problems in the federal government.

Over the years, many wealthy White House appointees have wrestled with similar questions. President Barack Obamas chief of staff, Bill Daley, for example, was a former JPMorgan Chase executive who reported individual assets that could exceed $35 million.

Anything that could possibly give an appearance of an impropriety, I sold, Daley said in a recent telephone interview with The Post.

Daley said his financial interests were more transparent than Kushners because most of his investments were in publicly traded companies.

By contrast, Kushner owns stakes in limited liability companies that often have no employees, offices or websites. Some are owned through generic registered-agent offices in Dover, Del., and function as holding companies for other assets.

His initial disclosure, made public on March 31, also had omissions. Although he listed his position on the board of a real estate trading platform founded with his brother, Joshua, he did not disclose his financial stake in the company, which is known as Cadre. The omission was originally reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The form also did not disclose Kushners position with another limited liability company in Delaware  JCK Cadre. When asked about the omission of the Delaware company by Post reporters, Kushners attorneys said the position would be added in an upcoming revision to his form. Officials from the White House and the Office of Government Ethics have said that revisions to the forms are common.

Larry Noble, a former general counsel at the Federal Election Commission, said Kushner should go beyond what the law requires because of his close relationship with the president and the breadth of his holdings.

We have an unprecedented situation here, Noble said. I think it is up to them to disclose as much as they possibly can.

666 Fifth Avenue, from which Kushner divested, was purchased by the family company in 2007 for $1.8 billion. Kushner Cos. recently discussed an investment deal with Chinese insurance giant Anbang, according to real estate executives familiar with the deliberations. Anbang pulled out of the negotiations.

We knew that it had the potential to be undergoing a major redevelopment, which would involve significant transactions with parties that had not yet been identified, said another Kushner attorney, Blake Roberts. It seemed to pose so many complications that the prudent thing to do would be for him to divest from it.

The lawyers also thought that Kushners investment in Thrive Capital, a venture capital fund, could be problematic. Through Thrive, Kushner owned a stake in Oscar, a health-care company founded by his brother. Kushner has since divested from his Thrive ownership.

A review of the ethics form shows the ambiguity surrounding some of Kushners biggest investments.

Kushners most valuable asset, BFPS Ventures, is described as real estate in New York with a value of at least $50 million. A footnote states that conflicting assets within the company have been sold.

But there is no simple way to determine what BFPS actually owns. The real estate in New York is not specified, and city property-record searches do not show any results under the name BFPS.

Kushners attorneys said BFPS is an investment vehicle that includes bank accounts, stakes of Cadre and other assets.

Initially, Kushner planned to sell his entire stake in BFPS, but he later reversed course and decided to sell off only individual assets within the company that might pose a conflict.

Documents show that Kushner sold his interest in an oil and gas company in Oklahoma, known as Circle 9, to avoid conflicts concerning oil and gas issues. Kushners attorneys have declined to reveal what other assets were sold within BFPS. A Circle 9 representative told The Post that BFPS sold off its small interest  approximately one-quarter of 1 percent  in an affiliated passive investment company that Circle 9 manages.

It ended up being more practical to sell the underlying investments that created the conflicts we were trying to eliminate, like Circle 9, than to sell BFPS as a whole, said Roberts, Kushners attorney.

Kushners representatives have declined to reveal what the initialism BFPS stands for.

Michael Kranish contributed to this report.
Walter M. Shaub Jr., head of the Office of Government Ethics, has repeatedly been at odds with the White House. (Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM/National Law Journal)

White House officials are seeking to stop the federal governments top ethics officer from getting details about waivers granted to lobbyists and other appointees working in the administration, intensifying a power struggle between President Trump and the ethics agency.

Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics, sent a memo in April to the White House and federal agencies asking for information about such waivers.

But in a May 17 letter, Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, questioned whether the Office of Government Ethics has legal jurisdiction to get information about waivers that have been granted. He said the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel may needed to be consulted.

I therefore request that you stay the data call until these questions are resolved, Mulvaney wrote Shaub in a letter first reported by the New York Times.

Shaub responded forcefully with a nine-page letter to Mulvaney Monday night, denying his request to back off.

The unusual nature of your letter highlights OGEs responsibility to lead the executive branch ethics program with independence, free from political pressure, he wrote. Accordingly, OGE declines your request to suspend its ethics inquiry.

The letter, posted on OGEs official Twitter account, was accompanied by voluminous documents attesting to the agencys authority to collect information, examples of the executive branch complying with past requests and previous calls by lawmakers for OGE to disclose such data in a public format.

Among the attachments: a memo by an OGE attorney describing a May 17 phone call with a White House lawyer described as less collegial than routine conversations with other ethics officials.

Former OGE officials said the agency has clear authority to seek documentation under the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. Without such reports, they said, it is impossible to know how many appointees have been granted exemptions from ethics rules  and how much leeway they have under the waivers.

This is unprecedented interference with OGE, said Don Fox, a former general counsel and acting director of the ethics office.

The Ethics and Government Act was part of a whole package of post-Watergate legislation that had a common theme of transparency, he added. If there is nothing to hide, why hide it?

[Trump ethics rules curtail lobbyists, while also loosening some Obama restrictions]

OMB officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The tussle centers on OGEs effort to determine whether the administration is complying with federal ethics regulations, including an executive order Trump signed in January that, among other measures, prohibits former lobbyists who join the government from participating in any matter they lobbied on for two years.

Trump has not disclosed how many waivers have been granted to appointees who are in violation of his order, even as his administration has tapped numerous lobbyists for posts.

In contrast, the Obama administration regularly released copies of waivers that explained why it was in the public interest to hire appointees whose past lobbying work or employers put them in conflict with ethics rules.

Trumps ethics order also stripped out an Obama-era clause requiring OGE to provide an annual public report detailing who has received ethics waivers.

Shaub now appears to be seeking to compile a public record by reviewing waivers granted in the past year. In his April memo to White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and the heads of federal agencies, he said information about ethics waivers was necessary to further OGEs mission with respect to the executive branch program.

[Trump lobbying ban strips out language requiring public reporting on ethics compliance]

He is being urged on by Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee, including the ranking Democrat, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland.

If the Trump Administrations compliance or lack of compliance with ethics requirements is shrouded in secrecy, the American people cannot hold to account the Administration officials who participate in matters in which they have conflicts of interest, Cummings and 17 other Democrats on the committee wrote in a letter.

Mulvaneys pushback is the latest episode in which administration officials have questioned the reach of OGE.

Earlier this year, Stefan Passantino, the White Houses designated ethics official, argued in a letter to Shaub that many ethics rules do not apply to presidential staffers.

In response, Shaub called Passantinos assertion extraordinary  and incorrect.

It is critical to the publics faith in the integrity of government that White House employees be held to the same standard of ethical accountability as other executive branch employees, he wrote.
Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser under President Trump, refused to comply with a Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena as a top House Democrat disclosed portions of new documents suggesting Flynn lied about his Russia ties to federal investigators.

Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee must now meet to vote and decide whether to hold Flynn in contempt or accept his attempt to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The committee has demanded that Flynn provide it with a list of any contacts he had with Russian officials between June 16, 2015, and Jan. 20, 2017.

In a statement late Monday, the committee chairman and vice chairman, Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), said they were disappointed by Flynns decision and would vigorously pursue General Flynns testimony and his production of any and all pertinent materials pursuant to the Committees authorities.

Flynns refusal comes as Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, cited a previously undisclosed document alleging that Flynn had lied to security-clearance investigators about payments he received directly from Russia for appearing at a December 2015 gala hosted by Russian state-owned media company RT.

(Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

In the letter, Cummings cites the March 14, 2016, Report of Investigation indicating Flynn told security clearance investigators that he was paid by U.S. companies when he traveled to Moscow for that gala and told investigators that he has not received any benefit from a foreign country. But payment vouchers and other documents showed that Russia had directly paid for Flynns airfare, accommodations and other expenses, Cummings wrote, citing the investigators report.

Cummings stressed his view that the Oversight Committees chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), must issue subpoenas against various White House officials to learn what top officials knew about General Flynn  and when they knew it.

[Flynn was warned by Trump transition officials about contacts with Russian ambassador]

But thus far, the only witness who has been subpoenaed as part of the congressional probes into Russian meddling during the 2016 elections is not complying with the request.

In a letter to Burr and Warner on Monday, Flynns attorneys cited the Justice Departments recent appointment of Robert S. Mueller III as special counsel for the federal investigation into Russian interference in the election as reason to steer clear of congressional probes. They argued that Muellers appointment creates new dangers for Flynn and gives rise to a constitutional right not to testify.

Across Congress, lawmakers have openly worried that Muellers probe might serve to muzzle witnesses they had hoped would participate in the various committees parallel probes. At this point, former FBI director James B. Comey is one of the few central figures in the investigation who has committed to testify publicly, pledging to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee at some point after Memorial Day.

But even he is going to check with Mueller first, according to a tweet from Chaffetz, who spoke with Comey by phone Monday.

In their letter, Flynns attorneys stressed that Flynn had offered to give a full account to Intelligence Committee investigators, but only in exchange for assurances against unfair prosecution  in other words, immunity. No committee has offered Flynn immunity in exchange for his testimony.

[Analysis: Can Flynn refuse to turn over documents? Yes  but he risks jail.]

Still, the Senate panel has some recourse. Members will have to meet to review Flynns refusal to cooperate with the subpoena and can vote not to accept it. At that juncture, the committee could vote to recommend holding Flynn in contempt, though the full Senate would have to vote in favor of contempt before court proceedings would be triggered.

At this point, opinions among committee members about what to do are mixed.

You would think theyd want to clear things up. You would think that someone would want to give us the facts, unless youre hiding something, Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), a panel member, said Monday, adding that the committee would probably discuss actions we can take this week.

Another panel member, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), said that if Flynn had just refused to turn over documents without invoking his constitutional rights, then my approach would be to explore a contempt-of-Congress citation. But, she added, Im very respectful of their privilege not to incriminate themselves, and so I think we have to proceed carefully.

While the Fifth Amendment is commonly applied to giving testimony, Flynns attorneys argued that by creating or handing over the documents the committee had requested, their client would essentially be giving testimony about the existence of those conversations and, thus, potentially incriminating himself.

Producing documents that fall within the subpoenas broad scope would be a testimonial act, insofar as it would confirm or deny the existence of such documents, they wrote.

Flynn was forced to resign as national security adviser in February after it emerged that he had not been fully forthcoming with Vice President Pence about conversations he had with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, before Trumps inauguration.

In addition to those conversations and the RT payments, Flynn has come under scrutiny for collecting more than $500,000 for lobbying work on behalf of Turkish interests.

Matea Gold, Karen Tumulty, Tom Hamburger and Ed OKeefe contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
JAKARTA, INDONESIA - APRIL 27: An aerial view of Jakarta's new seawall and land which has been sinking below sea level on April 27, 2017. Jakarta, one of the world's most densely populated cities, is also one of the fastest-sinking cities in the world under the weight of development and rising sea levels caused by global warming.(Photo by Ed Wray/Getty Images) (Ed Wray/Getty Images)

On Thursday, a group of scientists, including three working for the U.S. Geological Survey, published a paper that highlighted the link between sea-level rise and global climate change, arguing that previously studies may have underestimated the risk flooding poses to coastal communities.

However, three of the studys authors say the Department of Interior, under which USGS is housed, deleted a line from the news release on the study that discussed the role climate change played in raising Earths oceans.

While we were approving the news release, they had an issue with one or two of the lines, said Sean Vitousek, a research assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It had to do with climate change and sea-level rise.

We did end up removing a line, he added.

[Want stories like this delivered to your in-box? Read The Energy 202, starting tomorrow]

Vitousek and five co-authors wrote the study, which was published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. Three of the authors worked for USGS and the other three worked for universities.

That deleted line, they said, read: Global climate change drives sea-level rise, increasing the frequency of coastal flooding.

Instead, the USGS news release leaves the cause unmentioned. It begins: The frequency and severity of coastal flooding throughout the world will increase rapidly and eventually double in frequency over the coming decades even with only moderate amounts of sea level rise.

Its a crime against the American people, Neil Frazer, a geophysics professor at University of Hawaii at Manoa and one of the studys co-authors, said of the lines removal and of other efforts to limit scientific communication from federal agencies. Because scientists have known for at least 50 years that anthropogenic climate change is a reality.

He added: The suppression of this information is a scandal.

The papers authors acknowledge the deletion did not make the news release wrong. But, they say, it made it incomplete.

It did not cause any direct inaccuracy, but it did eliminate an important connection to be made by the reader  that global warming is causing sea-level rise, Chip Fletcher, a University of Hawaii professor and study co-author, said. I disagree with the decision from the upper administration to delete it, not with the scientists who deleted it at the administrations request.

A.D. Wade, top press officer for USGS, said that the deleted line didnt add anything to the overall findings. She explained that because climate change causes sea levels to rise is not a new finding, it did not warrant inclusion in the news release.

Wade also noted that the line appeared in the very top of the academic paper.

It is business as usual for USGS science, she said.

Normally, USGS has one political appointment, its director, though the White House has yet to fill that position. The decision to change the news release came from officials at the Interior Department itself.

Since President Trump, who has said he is not a not a big believer in man-made climate change, took office, the federal government has curtailed some of its communication on climate change to the public.

During the first days of the Trump administration, federal agencies halted scientists from publishing news releases and doing other communication with the public. Later, the Environmental Protection Agency and Departments of Interior and Energy scrubbed portions of their websites that discussed the science and risks of climate change.

[EPA removes climate science site from public view after two decades]

There is scientific consensus among climate scientists that sea levels will rise over the next century due to the heat-trapping effect of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released from the burning of fossil fuels.

Those gasses will have a one-two punch: The additional heat in Earths atmosphere melts glaciers, which adds water to the oceans, and heats the oceans themselves, causing them to expand and rise.

In their study, Vitousek and his team wrote that previous research on the risks of coastal flooding from sea-level rises ignored another factor: the effect waves played in amplifying sea-level rise and causing floods.

The study found that only 10 to 20 centimeters of sea-level rise will double the risk of coastal flooding in the Tropics, which Vitousek said is the the most vulnerable area for coastal flooding.

The only mention of the climate system that appeared in the news release came at the very bottom  and only through a quote from one of the non-USGS authors of the study.

The news release quotes Fletcher, a study co-author, as saying: These important findings will inform our climate adaptation efforts at all levels of government in Hawaii and other U.S. affiliated Pacific islands.

Read more at PowerPost
President Trump asked two of the nations top intelligence officials in March to help him push back against an FBI investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and the Russian government, according to current and former officials.

Trump made separate appeals to the director of national intelligence, Daniel Coats, and to Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, urging them to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion during the 2016 election.

Coats and Rogers refused to comply with the requests, which they both deemed to be inappropriate, according to two current and two former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private communications with the president.

Trump sought the assistance of Coats and Rogers after FBI Director James B. Comey told the House Intelligence Committee on March 20 that the FBI was investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russias efforts.

Trumps conversation with Rogers was documented contemporaneously in an internal memo written by a senior NSA official, according to the officials. It is unclear if a similar memo was prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to document Trumps conversation with Coats. Officials said such memos could be made available to both the special counsel now overseeing the Russia investigation and congressional investigators, who might explore whether Trump sought to impede the FBIs work.

[Flynn takes the Fifth, declines to comply with Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena]

White House officials say Comeys testimony about the scope of the FBI investigation upset Trump, who has dismissed the FBI and congressional investigations as a witch hunt. The president has repeatedly said there was no collusion.

Current and former senior intelligence officials viewed Trumps requests as an attempt by the president to tarnish the credibility of the agency leading the Russia investigation.

A senior intelligence official said Trumps goal was to muddy the waters about the scope of the FBI probe at a time when Democrats were ramping up their calls for the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel, a step announced last week.

Senior intelligence officials also saw the March requests as a threat to the independence of U.S. spy agencies, which are supposed to remain insulated from partisan issues.

The problem wasnt so much asking them to issue statements, it was asking them to issue false statements about an ongoing investigation, a former senior intelligence official said of the request to Coats.

The NSA and Brian Hale, a spokesman for Coats, declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

(Jenny Starrs,Julio Negron/The Washington Post)

The White House does not confirm or deny unsubstantiated claims based on illegal leaks from anonymous individuals, a White House spokesman said. The president will continue to focus on his agenda that he was elected to pursue by the American people.

In addition to the requests to Coats and Rogers, senior White House officials sounded out top intelligence officials about the possibility of intervening directly with Comey to encourage the FBI to drop its probe of Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, according to people familiar with the matter. The officials said the White House appeared uncertain about its power to influence the FBI.

Can we ask him to shut down the investigation? Are you able to assist in this matter? one official said of the line of questioning from the White House.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said the report is yet another disturbing allegation that the President was interfering in the FBI probe. Schiff said in a statement that Congress will need to bring the relevant officials back to testify on these matters, and obtain any memoranda that reflect such conversations.

The new revelations add to a growing body of evidence that Trump sought to co-opt and then undermine Comey before he fired him May 9. According to notes kept by Comey, Trump first asked for his loyalty at a dinner in January and then, at a meeting the next month, asked him to drop the probe into Flynn. Trump disputes those accounts.

Current and former officials said that Trump either lacks an understanding of the FBIs role as an independent law enforcement agency or does not care about maintaining such boundaries.

Trumps effort to use the director of national intelligence and the NSA director to dispute Comeys statement and to say there was no evidence of collusion echoes President Richard Nixons unsuccessful efforts to use the CIA to shut down the FBIs investigation of the Watergate break-in on national security grounds, said Jeffrey H. Smith, a former general counsel at the CIA. Smith called Trumps actions an appalling abuse of power.

Trump made his appeal to Coats days after Comeys testimony, according to officials.

That same week, Trump telephoned Rogers to make a similar appeal.

In his call with Rogers, Trump urged the NSA director to speak out publicly if there was no evidence of collusion, according to officials briefed on the exchange.

Rogers was taken aback but tried to respectfully explain why he could not do so, the officials said. For one thing, he could not comment on an ongoing investigation. Rogers added that he would not talk about classified matters in public.

While relations between Trump and Comey were strained by the Russia probe, ties between the president and the other intelligence chiefs, including Rogers, Coats and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, appear to be less contentious, according to officials.

Rogers met with Trump in New York shortly after the election, and Trumps advisers at the time held him out as the leading candidate to be the next director of national intelligence.

The Washington Post subsequently reported that President Barack Obamas defense secretary and director of national intelligence had recommended that Rogers be removed as head of the NSA.

Ultimately, Trump decided to nominate Coats, rather than Rogers. Coats was sworn in just days before the president made his request.

In February, the Trump White House also sought to enlist senior members of the intelligence community and Congress to push back against suggestions that Trump associates were in frequent contact with Russian officials. But in that case, the White House effort was designed to refute news accounts, not the testimony of a sitting FBI director who was leading an open investigation.

Trump and his allies in Congress have similarly sought to deflect scrutiny over Russia by attempting to pit U.S. intelligence agencies against one another.

In December, Trumps congressional allies falsely claimed that the FBI did not concur with a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win the White House. Comey and then-CIA Director John Brennan later said that the bureau and the agency were in full agreement on Moscows intentions.

As the director of national intelligence, Coats leads the vast U.S. intelligence community, which includes the FBI. But that does not mean he has full visibility into the FBI probe. Coatss predecessor in the job, James R. Clapper Jr., recently acknowledged that Comey did not brief him on the scope of the Russia investigation. Similarly, it is unclear to what extent the FBI has brought Coats up to speed on the probes most sensitive findings.
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sketched the broad outlines of a new architecture for the Middle East here late Monday, declaring common cause among the United States, Israel and Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia to roll back Iranian aggression and defeat Islamist terrorism.

Their joint cooperation could create conditions for realistic peace in the region, a beaming Netanyahu said as he praised Trump for what he called a changed U.S. policy toward Iran. In their talks earlier in the day, he said, Trump had noted so succinctly that common dangers are turning former enemies into partners.

Trump, who arrived here Monday after two days in the Saudi capital, where he spoke of his ambitions to dozens of Muslim leaders, predicted many, many things that can happen now that would never been able to happen before.

Sweeping in its promise, Trumps approach is the latest iteration of his classic dealmaking style: set an audacious target but instead of charting a step-by-step road map, rely on what he sees as his negotiating skill and power of personal persuasion to eventually achieve it.

In this case, it is likely to take years to see whether those personal relationships are enough to untangle decades of suspicion and competing objectives in the region.

(The Washington Post)

For now, Trumps approach is short of details. On the eve of his visit to the nearby West Bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, he referred only vaguely to a renewed effort at peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

Ive heard its one of the toughest deals in the world, Trump said of the peace process. But Im sure were going to get there eventually. Trump and Netanyahu, speaking for the television cameras but taking no questions, then posed for photographs with their wives before the foursome retired for a private dinner.

In a symbolic move earlier in the day, Trump visited the Western Wall in East Jerusalem, Judaisms holiest prayer site, spending a moment of silence before following tradition and slipping a private note between the stones.

[Trump summons Muslim nations to confront Islamic terror of all kinds]

Netanyahu made no mention of the Palestinians in his remarks Monday evening with Trump. He began by welcoming the president to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, the united capital of the Jewish state. Both descriptions are rejected by the Arab world, including the Saudis, who back Palestinian demands for a Palestinian capital in this city and a two-state solution that would remove Israeli settlers from most of the West Bank territory they occupy.

While a Palestinian peace deal is an obvious precursor for closer Arab-Israeli cooperation, Trump has not stated firm positions on the bedrock Arab demands of a Palestinian state and a Palestinian capital in Jerusalem, although he has gently urged Israel to slow down settlement construction in the West Bank.

Working in Trumps favor are the strained relations Netanyahu and Arab leaders had with President Barack Obama at the end of his administration. Obama discomfited many in the region by signing a nuclear agreement with Iran, while holding the Israelis to account for failing to recognize Palestinian rights and the Arabs for civil and human rights abuses in their own countries.

1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos of President Trumps first foreign trip View Photos Trump visited Israel on Tuesday, following his stop in Saudi Arabia. Caption The U.S. president traveled to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Rome, Belgium and Sicily, Italy. May 27, 2017 German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, speaks to President Donald Trump as Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi listens during an expanded session at the Group of Seven Summit in Taormina, Italy. Philippe Wojazer/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

In the second of their three public appearances during the day, Trump and Netanyahu joined to condemn Islamist terrorism and Iran. We not only gave them a lifeline  we gave them wealth and prosperity, Trump said of Obamas Iran nuclear agreement. And we also gave them the ability to continue with terror.

Netanyahu welcomed Trump to Ben Gurion International Airport at midday Monday, fresh from quarrels within his coalition government over how much Israel is prepared to compromise for peace and wary of the bilateral deals the U.S. president struck over the weekend with Saudi Arabia and other Arab leaders in Riyadh.

A $110 billion U.S. arms deal with the Saudis and Trumps eagerness to lock the Arabs and Israelis in a reciprocal counterterrorism embrace set off alarms, although the administration has insisted it will continue to honor the U.S. commitment to Israeli military superiority in the region.

Trumps lack of action on his promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is also a source of anxiety.

But Netanyahu has clearly decided to buy into whatever deal Trump is trying to arrange, at least for now. He was effusive in his praise of the president at every opportunity, emphasizing the newfound camaraderie of their wives, Melania and Sara. Welcoming the Trumps, Netanyahus wife talked about the people who love their husbands  unlike the media, she said  in a shared moment on the arrival tarmac caught by an open mic. The two leaders called each other Donald and Bibi, Netanyahus nickname.

[Trump at the airport: An awkward selfie and bonding over media gripes]

Netanyahu has warned hard-line ministers in his coalition government that Trump is a president who needs to be handled carefully. He has repeatedly cautioned them not to push Trump into a corner with bold ultimatums, saying that the new American leader is a natural friend but that the relationship with the White House should be deftly managed.

He wants Trump to apply as much pressure as possible on Iran. He also wants as much leverage as possible to keep his right wing at his side and so does not want Trump to publicly press him  not too much, at least  about the expansion of Jewish settlements.

Netanyahu is always ready to say he wants to negotiate peace with the Palestinians, but without saying what that peace would look like.

The only apparent black cloud of the day came via a shouted question about Trumps relationship with Russia. Trump was asked about classified information on the Islamic State in Syria, obtained from Israel, that Trump shared with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his visit to the Oval Office earlier this month.

I never mentioned the word or the name Israel, he said. Never mentioned during that conversation with Lavrov.

Reports about the meeting have said not that Trump named Israel as the source but that his revelation about the nature of the secrets and the city where the information was obtained, both relayed to Lavrov, would have allowed Russian intelligence to determine the source.

Netanyahu said Israel was unconcerned about the incident, calling U.S.-Israeli intelligence cooperation terrific.

On Tuesday afternoon, after his Bethlehem visit and a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Trump will fly to the Vatican to meet early Wednesday with Pope Francis, completing his tour of three religious capitals that he has said he wants to bring together in a new atmosphere of tolerance.

[Heres where Trump will stay during his Jerusalem visit]

In addition to visiting the Western Wall, Trump honored the Christian community with a visit to the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built to commemorate the location where Jesus is thought to have been crucified and buried. He and his family and aides strolled the Old City, led by Orthodox church leaders in thick robes carrying large staffs that they beat rhythmically on the cobblestones. Market stalls were closed and the streets largely emptied by heavy security.

Later, at the plaza bordering the Western Wall, Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is Jewish, donned yarmulkes and listened to explanations of the walls history and its importance in Judaism, according to the White House.

The Trump group was then divided by gender, with the first lady, the presidents daughter Ivanka Trump and female aides walking to the womens side of the wall, in accordance with religious protocols dictated by Jewish Orthodox rabbis. Trumps wife and daughter approached their side of the wall and stood silently.

On the mens side, Trump stood alone, swaying gently for several seconds before slipping a note among the stones.

Trump was the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall, although Obama did so during his 2008 presidential campaign. In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney also prayed at the wall during his campaign.

[When the Western Wall, Trump and Aerosmith share a headline]

The Old City of Jerusalem is considered occupied territory by most of the world, although Israel disputes this. Israeli forces captured it, along with the rest of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, during the 1967 Six Day War against three Arab armies.

Air Force Ones trip here is thought to be the first direct flight from Saudi Arabia to Israel, a reflection of the long Arab- Israeli estrangement that Trump hopes to fix. I hope that one day an Israeli prime minister will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Riyadh, Netanyahu told Trump.

Although other presidents have landed here from Arab capitals that have no diplomatic relations with Israel, none has come from Saudi Arabia before. But at least one high-level U.S. political flight has gone from Israel to Saudi Arabia. In 1998, Vice President Al Gore flew from Israel to a Saudi air base near Jiddah.

Early this month, Trump told Abbas during an Oval Office visit that he wanted to be a mediator for peace between the Palestinians and Israel. While agreement has eluded administrations for decades, Trump declared it a task that would be not as difficult as people have thought over the years. The administration has not committed itself to supporting the two-state solution that has been bedrock U.S. policy for decades.

We need two willing parties, he told Abbas. We believe Israel is willing. We believe youre willing. And if you are willing, we are going to make a deal.

Since then, the administration has been preoccupied with problems at home and has made little obvious progress toward that goal, leaving Netanyahu and his governing coalition, especially the hard-right pro-settlement ministers, unsure of Trumps intentions.

Trumps decision to travel first to Saudi Arabia, and the euphoria he and his aides expressed after that stop, appeared to signal an unexpected U.S. equality of attention and treatment between Israel and the Arab world.

I dont think theres been a time in for quite some time where all of the nations  the Arab nations, Israel, the United States  were all facing this common threat. . . . The rise of terrorist organizations, the export of extreme views, extremism, is a threat to all of us, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters traveling here with Trump aboard Air Force One.

That is unifying. . . . I think that creates a different dynamic, Tillerson said.

Ruth Eglash in Jerusalem and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Behind triumphant Trump visit to Israel, a few old tensions return

Israel wants Trump to stop Palestinian payments to prisoners, families of martyrs

What scandal? On his foreign trip, Trump has escaped that Russia thing.

Where is Trump going next?
Most of the so-called experts on the long search for peace between Israel and the Palestinians say there is little chance that President Trump will break new ground in the bitter conflict when he arrives in Jerusalem on Monday.

As it turns out, ordinary Jews and Muslims here are even more cynical.

But if one is looking for a sliver of hope in the region, these same citizens welcome Trump to try his best and they are waiting to hear what he says.

Many confessed that they  alongside officials on both sides  have no real idea where Trump is going with this, beside his repeated claims that he might be able to make the deal of the century and that ending years of terrorism and occupation might not be as hard as many think.

I dont think anyone can fix whatever is wrong here, but he is so weird that he might have something, said Noga Perry, strolling down the street with a pair of headphones on.

Perry, a Jewish Israeli, added: I have no way of knowing what the hell he will do  but maybe he will have something that is crazy enough to work.

Taweek Ibrahim, a Palestinian, was just hoping Trump would not add more difficulties.

The list of flash points include expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank, lone wolf-style Palestinian attacks and Israeli reprisals and Trumps campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem  a city that Palestinians want a piece of for their future state.

[No sword dance for Trump in Israel. But maybe a hot tub.]

Hes not going to do anything positive for us, said Irbrahim, a Palestinian Muslim and mechanic from East Jerusalem, who was shopping for household items with his wife and children. Maybe positive for the Jews. But we hope nothing negative for us.

His wife, Heba, added: Well, he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, so theres that. We are skeptical.

In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump said that his current trip to the Middle East and Europe seeks to bring the three faiths of Islam, Christianity and Judaism into greater alliance against extremism.

If these three faiths can join, peace in this world is possible, including peace between Israel and the Palestinians, he said.

President Obamas last effort to make peace between Palestinians and Israelis fell apart in 2014, with both sides blaming the other for the impasse. Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have pressed for a two-state solution with a sovereign Palestinian nation the goal. Trump has not signaled how he wants to proceed.

Judith Turgeman, a Jewish Israeli shopper down the street, lugging groceries, said its a lot more complicated than Trump thinks. Its been going on for a 100 years. Well see.

An Israeli with gray whiskers and a Jewish skullcap named Yakov, who was getting his automobile fixed, appeared pleased the Trump would at least make an effort at rekindling peace efforts.

He will try. Okay? Good for him, he said. Hes a very optimistic guy. Hes not the first, he wont be the last to try. I like him.

He declined to give his last name, waving his cigarette, said: Ugg, politics!

Huda Ghahnam, a social sciences university student from a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, said: Its good for Trump to come see how the Palestinians live. Maybe something good will come but maybe something bad.

She acknowledged that it was hard to imagine any U.S. president taking the side of Palestinians and Muslims over Israelis and Jews.

The Americans, she said, are part of the conflict.

Rina Shalev, a Jewish Israeli woman in sunglasses, said much depends on how the Palestinians respond to any new overtures.

We hope that it will enter their heads that there are two countries, that there are Jews or Palestinians, Arabs or whatever they call themselves, she said. We live together with them so well in this country but there are some extremists that want everything. We want peace and want to live together.

Nader Nasser Adin, dressed in a suit and smoking cigarette standing outside a grill, said that all the U.S. presidents since the catastrophe of 1948  when Israel was created  have done nothing for the benefit of the Palestinians. The president will not do anything now and they will not do anything in 30 years from now.

Adin added: The United States only looks out for its own best interests and all they want to do is plant a thorn in the Middle East and control this thorn.

Sufian Taha contributed to this report.

Read more

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When Pope Francis and President Trump, arguably the most influential voices in the West, meet on Wednesday, two men with radically different approaches on everything from migrant rights to climate change to the rhetoric of politics itself will be face to face.

Nevertheless, the U.S. president and the head of the Roman Catholic Church will try to find common ground in a meeting ripe with potential benefits and risks, particularly for Trump. Should they pull off a congenial discussion, it could serve as a much-needed diplomatic salve for the American leader. A gaffe, meanwhile, could quickly stoke fresh controversy for a president facing a mounting crisis at home.

Francis this month seemed to acknowledge their differences. In a candid comments to journalists, he said that he would not make a judgment on Trump before listening to him first.

Always, there are doors that are not closed, he said. Look for the doors that are at least a little bit open, enter and talk about common things and go on.

The Vatican appears to be playing down the meeting. The extent to which it will offer a detailed after-the-fact description of the encounter is in doubt.

That is partly, observers say, because there is one attribute that both Trump and Francis do share: unpredictability.

At this moment, there is a great caution in the Vatican, a sort of embarrassment because nobody knows how the meeting will develop, said Marco Politi, a Rome-based Vatican watcher and author of Pope Francis Among the Wolves: The Inside Story of a Revolution.

The Vatican is just concentrating to see how and if there will even be a final communique, he said. For me, this meeting is only the beginning of what is becoming a difficult and complex relationship between the Holy See and the American presidency.

To be sure, relations between Washington and the Vatican have always had their rough spots. John Paul II was so adamantly against the first Persian Gulf War that he denounced it as a a darkness that cast a shadow over the whole human community. But Vatican observers say they have never seen anything quite like the stormy relationship between Francis and Trump.





In a high profile back-and-forth last year, the pope suggested that a person who wants to build walls instead of bridges is not Christian.

Trump replied by calling any religious leader who would say such thing disgraceful.

Since then, Francis, while largely avoiding mentioning Trump by name, has vocally opposed anti-migrant populism. This month, Francis also blasted the name of the U.S. militarys mother of all bombs  a massive explosive device dropped on suspected Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan in April in an operation hailed by Trump.

I was ashamed when I heard the name, Francis told a group of students. A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother? What is happening?

If Francis has been indirect, senior Vatican advisers have not  offering in recent months blunt criticism of Trumps position on migrants and climate change.

This week, the White House said it would nominate Callista Gingrich as ambassador to the Holy See. Her husband, Newt Gingrich, is one of the strongest advocates of right-wing politics in the United States, and that could pose a challenge to a Vatican City that has seen a decidedly progressive tint under Francis.

I dont think the Vatican will have any objection, but what youre getting is not just Callista with her husband, said Kenneth Francis Hackett, U.S. ambassador to the Vatican under President Barack Obama. What youre getting is Newt.

White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon, a Catholic, has been seen to be critical of the pope. In April 2014, when he headed Breitbart News, Bannon sought out a meeting in Rome with the Rev. Raymond Burke, a conservative American cardinal based in Rome who is widely viewed as the popes greatest internal detractor.

Some suggest that the meeting, however, will find the two leaders engaging in a frank discussion. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami predicted Francis will not shy away from major themes  arguing that he is likely to raise the subject of immigration reform, a key priority of the U.S. bishops and a point of contention between the White House and the Vatican.

As the first Latin American pontiff, Francis may also try to discuss with Trump the importance of issues facing that region.

Really, right now, the crisis in our hemisphere is what's happening in Venezuela, said Wenski, adding that the Vatican has tried to get involved in brokering an agreement between protesters and the government, while Trump seems less focused on the country.

Venezuela could end up being the Syria of Latin America unless cooler heads prevail and exert some influence over the Maduro government to return to a democratic order, he said.

On the plus side for both men, papal visits are not designed for controversy. They typically last 20 to 30 minutes  with anything longer seen as a sign that the discussion may have taken a deeper path. After the broad-brush discussion with the pope, Trump is set to discuss finer points later that morning with senior Vatican officials, including the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Its in nobodys interest to try to win arguments, said a senior Vatican official who spoke on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue. The Holy See and the U.S. government will have their differences -- as they always do -- but theres a whole range of issues they can work together on, and this kind of meeting can serve to get them off to a good start.

Not all such meetings go like clockwork, though. Francis was said to have been very displeased after Russian President Vladimir Putin showed up late to their June meeting in 2015.

Though Vatican officials arent saying much, a few thoughts have slipped out  including the suggestion that Francis may seek to sway Trump on issues such as climate change. It is an issue dear the pope, who has called for a global fight to curb emissions.

Trumps beliefs are against science, even before being against what the Pope says, the Rev. Marcelo Sanchez, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, recently told the Italian news agency ANSA. In the election campaign he even said it was a Chinese invention. . . . But this president has already changed [his mind] on several things, so perhaps on this as well.

Sanchez added that he believed Trump would heed Francis.

They will come to an agreement. Since the president claims to be a Christian, he will listen to him, Sanchez said.

Zauzmer reported from Washington. Stefano Pitrelli in Rome also contributed to this report.

Read more

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A modern pope gets old school on the Devil

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Turkeys Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest Monday with the U.S. ambassador over aggressive actions by American security personnel during a visit to Washington last week by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that was marred by a violent clash between Turkish guards and protesters.

The summoning of the ambassador, John Bass, sharply escalated a diplomatic rift between Turkey and the United States following the violence. Footage of the brawl was widely circulated on social media, prompting outrage in the United States, along with calls for the prosecution of the Turkish guards and even the expulsion of Turkeys ambassador to Washington.

American and Turkish officials have provided directly contrasting versions of how the violence unfolded. Local police said the Turkish guards savagely attacked a peaceful protest outside the Turkish ambassadors residence as Erdogan was visiting. Footage of the melee showed what appeared to be Turkish security guards kicking and choking protesters as police struggled to contain the unrest. It also showed Erdogan watching, from a distance, as the fighting raged.

Erdogans critics seized on the bloody altercation  and a similar flash of violence during the Turkish presidents visit to Washington last year  as indicative of his governments iron-fisted approach to protests and dissent at home.

But Turkish diplomats faulted the local police, saying they had failed to quell an unpermitted and provocative demonstration.

(Kareem Fahim, Jason Aldag / The Washington Post)

The Turkish Foreign Ministrys statement Monday went even further, criticizing the inability of U.S. authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official program. And it demanded that the United States conduct a full investigation of this diplomatic incident and provide the necessary explanation.

The statement also blamed U.S. security personnel for aggressive and unprofessional actions against the Turkish foreign ministers protective detail. A Turkish official said it was a reference to an incident several hours after the protest, when U.S. diplomatic security agents briefly detained two Turkish guards as they were trying to enter the Turkish Embassy. The guards were later released and returned to Turkey, the official said.

Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, confirmed in a statement that Bass had been summoned by the Turkish Foreign Ministry to discuss the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish security personnel on May 16.

As we noted previously, the conduct of Turkish security personnel last week was deeply disturbing, she said. The State Department has raised its concerns about those events at the highest levels.

The spiraling argument appeared to sour what by all accounts had been a friendly meeting between Erdogan and President Trump before the protest. In a joint press appearance at the White House, the two leaders were full of mutual praise and spoke of hopes for a closer and more productive relationship.

But the rift has also laid bare policy disagreements, particularly over the war in Syria, that have stirred tensions between the two allies. Turkey has been angered by the Trump administrations decision to arm a Kurdish force to fight the Islamic State militant group in Syria in partnership with the United States. Turkey says the group is an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is regarded as a terrorist organization by Ankara and Washington.

Kurdish activists were among the protesters in D.C. on May 16 outside the ambassadors residence, according to footage of the violence. Some held signs in support of Selahattin Demirtas, a co-leader of a pro-Kurdish political party who is in prison and facing prosecution in Turkey. Others held the flag of the Peoples Protection Units, the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish force.

It is not clear from the footage what set off the melee, but Turkish security guards, as well as men in suits who were standing among a pro-Erdogan contingent, can be seen attacking the protesters, including repeatedly kicking a man lying on the ground. Another video shows Erdogan himself watching the protest after emerging from his car in the ambassadors driveway.

Turkeys semiofficial Anadolu news agency on Saturday published an account by one of its correspondents that said the first fights broke out when the protesters threw water bottles at a pro-Erdogan group.

When the Turkish president arrived at the ambassadors residence, it said, protesters continued their grave insults, so some Turkish citizens and the head of the presidents security detail stepped in.

The tensions stirred by the violence were apparent at a conference on U.S.-Turkey relations held at the Trump hotel in Washington on Monday. Bass, who was listed as a luncheon keynote speaker, did not attend, though it was unclear whether his absence was caused by the diplomatic row.

Turkeys ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kilic, used his speech at the conference luncheon to defend his countrys actions. Differences of opinion are natural among two allies, he said, but added: There is a big difference between freedom of expression and expression of solidarity with terrorists and terrorism. It was disappointing to see friends of PKK on the streets of Washington, D.C.

Another speaker, State Department Undersecretary Thomas Shannon, praised Turkeys longtime alliance with the United States as well as the resolve of Turkish citizens in responding to the coup attempt last year. That is why Americans were so concerned and disturbed by the violent incident, he said.

One of the conference chairs, Ekim Alptekin, a Turkish businessman who is close to senior Turkish officials, was at the center of another recent controversy between the United States and Turkey when it emerged that a company Alptekin owned had paid former national security adviser Michael Flynn to investigate an enemy of the Turkish government.

Carol Morello and Tom Hamburger in Washington contributed to this report.

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Erdogans guards clash with protesters outside Turkish ambassadors D.C. residence

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Primary school teacher Semih Ozakca, right, and academic Nuriye Gulmen demonstrate with fellow protesters during the 66th day of a hunger strike on May 13 in Ankara. The two began the strike to protest their job dismissals as part of a government crackdown after a failed July coup in Turkey. (Adem Altan/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

Turkish authorities on Monday detained two teachers whose two-month-long hunger strike protesting their job dismissals has focused criticism on a harsh and ongoing purge of state institutions by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Images and videos of the teachers, Nuriye Gulmen, a professor of comparative literature, and Semih Ozakca, a primary school teacher, have been widely shared on social media, showing the increasingly gaunt pair wearing medical masks to prevent serious infection. They were detained early Monday in what their attorney, Selcuk Kozagacli, called a completely unlawful apprehension, according to footage of his remarks carried by local news sites.

The teachers were among more than 100,000 people who have been dismissed by executive decree as part of a government crackdown on enemies and dissidents after a failed coup last summer. The purge has been mainly directed at followers of Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric whom Turkish authorities have called the mastermind of the coup attempt, which left more than 200 people dead.

But a report released Monday by Amnesty International said that the purge had not just focused on Gulenists and that it was clear that a much wider group of people have been targeted. In interviews with Amnesty, people who had been dismissed denied any wrongdoing or connections to terrorism, with many saying they had been targeted for opposition to Erdogans ruling party, for union activism or by people settling scores.

[What Erdogans narrow referendum victory means for Turkey]

The report says those hit by the mass dismissals have been restricted from taking other government jobs and traveling because their passports have been canceled. Others, along with their families, have lost housing and health care benefits provided through their jobs, the report said.

A government decree in January called for the creation of an administrative commission that would allow people to appeal their dismissals. Amnesty said, however, that the commission lacked independence.

Public demonstrations against the dismissals have been rare. Gulmen and Ozakca were among the exceptions and in March began their hunger strike in Ankara, the capital. In an interview this month on the 65th day of her strike, Gulmen said that she had lost 20 pounds and that Ozakca had lost nearly twice that weight. Doctors had warned that their health was in danger, Gulmen said in a Skype interview from Ankara.

But she said Turks, perhaps for the first time, were paying attention to the plight of those dismissed: a group that included police officers, soldiers, academics, doctors and civil servants. Gulmen and Ozakcas hunger strike has attracted prominent supporters, including members of parliament and celebrities. People are resisting, Gulmen said.

Also Monday, the trial for more than 200 people accused of involvement in the coup attempt got underway in Ankara. Most of the defendants are high-ranking military officers. Gulen, also a defendant, lives in exile in Pennsylvania and is being tried in absentia. Turkey has demanded his extradition from the United States.

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It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
Douglas Dynamics, Inc. operates as a manufacturer and upfitter of commercial work truck attachments and equipment in North America. It operates through two segments, Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions. The Work Truck Attachments segment manufactures and sells snow and ice control attachments, including snowplows, and sand and salt spreaders for light trucks and heavy duty trucks, as well as various related parts and accessories. The Work Truck Solutions segment primarily manufactures municipal snow and ice control products; provides truck and vehicle upfits where it attaches component pieces of equipment, truck bodies, racking, and storage solutions to a vehicle chassis for use by end users for work related purposes; and manufactures storage solutions for trucks and vans, and cable pulling equipment for trucks. This segment also offers up-fit and storage solutions. It also provides customized turnkey solutions to governmental agencies, such as Departments of Transportation and municipalities. The company sells its products under the BLIZZARD, FISHER, SNOWEX, WESTERN, TURFEX, SWEEPEX, HENDERSON, BRINEXTREME, and DEJANA brands. It distributes its products primarily to professional snowplowers who are contracted to remove snow and ice from commercial and residential areas. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Offices and Retail around the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at 13.7bn (British Land share: 10.3bn) as at 30 September 2020 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies. Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles - Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long term performance. Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 65% of our portfolio. Our Retail portfolio is focused on retail parks and shopping centres, and accounts for 31% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 53 acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London. Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. In April 2016 British Land received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK's highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental achievements over a period of five years.
Meggitt PLC designs and manufactures components and sub-systems in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Airframe Systems, Engine Systems, Energy & Equipment, and Services & Support. It offers ice protection products, radomes, and structures; air data and flight display products; brake control and tyre pressure monitoring systems, and wheels and brakes; engine health and vibration monitors, H2/O2 analyzers, and turbine monitoring and protection products; and aircraft cameras and security systems, and wireless aircraft systems. The company also provides ammunition handling, thermal, weapon scoring, and weapon training systems; energy storage, power conversion and distribution, and power generation systems; ducting systems, engine composites, and flow control valves; and fire protection and controls comprising bleed air leak detection products, cables, electronic control units, fire and overheat detection products, and fire suppression products. In addition, it offers ground fueling, and fuel systems and tanks; motion control actuators, electric motor drives, and electric motors; oxygen and specialty restraint systems; and accelerometers, ceramics, fluid sensors, magnetic and current sensors, position and inertial sensors, pressure sensors, speed sensors, and temperature sensors. Further, the company provides polymer seals; heat exchangers, printed circuit heat exchangers, thermal components, and thermal management systems; and live fire and virtual trainers, as well as aftermarket services. It serves aerospace, defense, and energy and equipment markets. The company was formerly known as Meggitt Holdings Public Limited Company and changed its name to Meggitt PLC in April 1989. Meggitt PLC was incorporated in 1947 and is headquartered in Coventry, the United Kingdom.
BTG plc acquires, develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceutical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Interventional Medicine, Pharmaceuticals, and Licensing. The Interventional Medicine segment offers interventional oncology products and systems, such as beads and TheraSphere for treatment of liver cancer; and GALIL medical system, a cryoablation technology for use in kidney cancer and other indications. This segment also provides interventional vascular products consisting of EKOS system, an ultrasonic catheter drug delivery device used in the treatment of blood clots; Varithena for the treatment of varicose veins; and PneumRx Coil for the treatment of emphysema, a debilitating lung disease. The Pharmaceuticals segment offers antidote products, such as CroFab for the treatment of crotalid snake envenomations; DigiFab for the treatment of digoxin toxicity; and Voraxaze for high-dose methotrexate toxicity. The Licensing segment provides Zytiga for treatment of prostate cancer; Two-Part Hip Cup; and Lemtrada. The company also manufactures and commercializes therapeutic ultrasound devices, and roxwood systems, as well as develops venous thrombus management devices. The company was formerly known as British Technology Group International plc and changed its name to BTG plc in March 1995. BTG plc was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. provides early education and child care, back-up care, educational advisory, and other workplace solutions services for employers and families. The company operates through three segments: Full Service Center-Based Child Care, Back-Up Care, and Educational Advisory and Other Services. The Full Service Center-Based Child Care segment offers traditional center-based child care and early education, preschool, and elementary education services. The Back-Up Care segment provides center-based back-up child care, in-home child and adult/elder dependent care, school-age camps, virtual tutoring, and self-sourced reimbursed care services through child care centers, school-age campuses, and in-home caregivers, as well as the back-up care network. The Educational Advisory and Other Services segment offers tuition assistance and student loan repayment program administration, workforce education, and related educational consulting services, as well as college admissions advisory services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 1,014 child care and early education centers in the United States, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, and India. The company was formerly known as Bright Horizons Solutions Corp. and changed its name to Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. in July 2012. Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts.
Members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka campaigned in several tea estates in the hill country to discuss an SEP picket and public meeting to be held on May 21 in Hatton to defend the victimized Maruti Suzuki workers in India.

The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) has launched the campaign and online petition to free 13 Maruti Suzuki workers who were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The workers were framed-up by the Japanese-owned car giant, supported by the police, the judiciary and political establishment, including the Indian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Just nine days ago, Modi addressed Tamil-speaking tea plantation workers at a meeting near Hatton, posturing as a champion of their rights. Discredited plantation unions gathered tens of thousands of workers to hear Modis boasting.

Modi also claimed that India would provide support to improve the living conditions of Sri Lankan plantation workers. However, tea plantation workers in India face dire living and working conditions, including in states like Assam in the northeast and Tamil Nadu in the south.

During the latter part of 19th century, plantation workers were forcibly brought to Sri Lanka by British colonial rulers as semi-slave laborers. The first act of the Sri Lankan ruling class to whom the British granted power in 1948 was the abolition of citizenship rights for plantation workers. In 1963, under the reactionary Sirima-Shastri Agreement (named after then Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike and her Indian counterpart Lal Bahdur Shastri), hundreds of thousands were deported to India. Those deported and their children have become destitute in Tamil Nadu.

The plantation unions in Sri Lanka collaborated with successive governments and the plantation companies to subordinate the workers to profit interests. With the help of the unions and the government, the companies are now planning to transform workers into share croppers to intensify their exploitation.

SEP members campaigned for the last several days among workers at the Welioya, Fordyce, Ingestre and Lonach estates situated around Hatton.

The plantation workers are one of the poorest sections of the Sri Lankan working class, living on poverty-level wages of less than five dollars a day. Most of the nearly 200,000 families in estates are living in decades-old accommodations without adequate water, health services and proper education facilities for their children.

The workers condemned the attack on the Maruti Suzuki workers and explained their difficult working and living conditions.

A worker from Fordyce estate said that workers conditions in every country are getting worse. A life sentence for 13 workers is intolerable. How their families will suffer! He referred to Modis promise to build 10,000 houses for plantation workers. But the same government has punished Maruti-Suzuki workers who fight for their rights.

He said that he saw on the TV news a story about daily suicides among Indian farmers who are unable to settle their loans. The Karnataka state government had refused to give water to Tamil Nadu farmers. I think Modi came to Sri Lanka not to help for us, but to develop a close relationship with the government against China. I saw news yesterday the Sri Lankan government refused to allow a Chinese submarine to come to Sri Lanka.

He sarcastically said that the leaders of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and the National Union of Workers (NUW) competed with each other to organize a ceremony for Modi to get his favor for their own interests, not the interests of workers. They are always working to divide the workers. I like the socialist policy, and I will come your meeting, he added.

A worker at the Ingestre estate who was victimized during the plantation workers wage struggle last year said, With my own experience I can understand the frame-up of the Maruti-Suzuki workers. It is clear that company management purposely victimized the workers who are at the forefront of struggles for the rights of the workers. Similarly, seven workers in our estate including myself were victimized last year during the wage struggle.

CWC, which called the strike for a 1,000-rupee daily wage, stopped the struggle without winning our demand. We continued the protest an additional two days and picketed in front of the managers bungalow. After that, the armed forces intervened and arrested seven workers and detained them for a week under false charges. They were then suspended for several months.

He said that they would not have been released and reinstated if the SEP and WSWS had not waged a fight to defend them. After the workers were reinstated, they were transferred to other divisions of the estate and now must walk six to seven kilometers a day.

As you said, workers must unite all over the world and fight to defend their rights, he said.

A female worker from Welioya said, I hear for the first time of the severe punishment for the Maruti Suzuki workers. I thought that India was different from Sri Lanka, and that workers enjoyed some rights. Now it is clear all we are facing a similar situation.

She said that currently she was not working because of the difficult working conditions. The management does not clear the estate. So leeches and snakes are always biting us. Our wages are not enough even for food. Every day management reduces even the meager facilities we enjoyed earlier. We have no water facilities now, and houses are not repaired. We still live in very old line rooms.

Another female worker from the Fordyce estate said that she supports the Maruti Suzuki campaign and spoke about the harsh working conditions in her estate. The management of our tea factory has recruited more female workers for low wages. Some portions of the estate were handed over to a private contractor for clearing. He recruits workers on a casual basis and pays only 500 rupees per day. All the trade unions that are closely collaborating with the management are supporting this plan. Sometimes union leaders themselves take the contract. I heard that in some portions of the Battlegala estate a revenue-sharing system has been implemented. Under this we will lose everything previously we had.

She was referring to a new system to be introduced in the plantation akin to a share cropper system.

The WSWS spoke to a group of youth from the Ingestre estate. One said, We support your campaign to release the Maruti Suzuki workers. We saw their photo from your notice. They are very young workers. Life sentence is a brutal punishment. How can their families and children live without their support? Modi came here and spoke about supporting the plantation workers here, but he suppresses workers there.

The youth said that they voted against the Rajapakse government and for the present government. But this government is no better, one said. Prices are increasing. There are no jobs for youth. We do not trust anybody. All have cheated us.
By Alex Bregman

Its a familiar photo op: the president of the United States meeting with the leader of Israel or the Palestinians.

Ever since Israel declared independence in 1948, every president has tried to help it get along with its Arab neighbors.

At times theres been progress, but peace with the Palestinians has been an impossible nut to crack.

Now its Donald Trumps turn. In his first trip to Israel, Trump said there is a rare opportunity to accomplish peace in the Middle East. He says his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is the man who can get a deal done. But Kushner, a family friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus, has his work cut out for him.

Here are just some of the roadblocks as Trump travels the perilous path to peace.

First and foremost: the settlements. These are Israeli developments that are beyond the borders established after Israel was founded. Over 400,000 settlers live in disputed territory, including the West Bank. Trumps support for Israel was unwavering on the campaign trail. But since taking office, he told an Israeli newspaper that hes not someone who believes that advancing settlements is good for peace.

Netanyahu has expanded settlements in recent years. Some have said that taking territory makes the creation of a Palestinian state geographically challenging.

And thats the next sticking point: the so-called Two State Solution. The idea is to establish two countries for two peoples  the Israelis and the Palestinians. Its been the basis of American policy for more than a decade now.

So whats been the holdup?

Some Israelis have lost confidence that the Palestinians can be peaceful neighbors. And some Palestinians dont trust Netanyahu because of internal Israeli politics, including objections from the settlers he would have to displace.

Meanwhile, those still hoping for a deal are concerned about President Trumps ambassador to Israel as well as a Muslim population thats growing faster than the Jewish one  threatening Israels future as a Jewish and democratic state.

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Another holdup to peace: Iran. Under President Obama, the U.S. struck a deal that included the U.K., France, Germany, Russia and China to put a lid on Irans nuclear program.

Netanyahu went to Washington to oppose that deal and, on the campaign trail, President Trump wasnt a supporter of it either.

If the deal is undone, and Iran resumes its race toward a nuclear weapon, Israel might not feel secure enough to give up territory.

All those obstacles, following years of failure and fighting, stand in the way of a deal in the Middle East  a place thats sacred to three religions.

Whether this president can make any progress is still unknown, but as far as the roadblocks on the path to peace, at least you can say, Now I get it.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Get your feet summer-ready with just a few simple tips. (Photo: Trunk Archive)

Summer is right around the corner, which means its time to officially break out cute dresses, breezy shorts, and open-toe shoes. But if the thought of squeezing your dry feet with chipped nail polish into a pair of sandals terrifies you, no need to fret. Weve got you covered on how to take care of that.

After a long winter of wearing thick socks and boots, your feet are probably in need of some TLC. Where does one begin? Yahoo Beauty asked board-certified New York City dermatologist Dana Stern and celebrity manicurist and As U Wish Nail Spa owner Skyy Hadley for need-to-know tips to help you get your feet ready just in time for summer.

Remove dirt underneath your toenails with a soft-bristled brush.

When giving yourself an at-home pedicure, there are certain things to know beforehand, like the correct way to clean underneath toenails and how to properly cut them. If the nails are kept short there is very little need to actually clean under the nail plate, says Stern. If there is dirt and debris, gently clean with a tool that is not going to pierce the nail bed and not cause lifting of the nail plate.

Remember: Toenails should always be cut straight across and not on a curve to prevent the development of onychocryptosis (ingrown nails), according to Stern.

Yahoo Beauty recommends: Tweezerman Dual Nail Brush ($4, walgreens.com) and Sally Hansen Deluxe Toenail Clipper with Catcher ($4, walmart.com)

Cutting your cuticles poses a real threat to your health, so just push them back.

What is one to do about those pesky cuticles that keep popping up? Trimming or cutting cuticles during a manicure or pedicure is purely cosmetic and doesnt benefit the nail in any way, says Hadley.

Unkept cuticles look messy and can take away from your pretty pedicure. However, dont get tempted to cut them, as the cuticle acts as a barrier to protect the surrounding skin and keep nail infections from developing. Instead, apply a cuticle-softening cream or exfoliating treatment, gently push them back, and use a buffing file to help smooth tough skin.

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Yahoo Beauty recommends: Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Remover ($20, deborahlippmann.com) and Ella + Milla Take It Off Cuticle Remover ($11, ellamilla.com)

Got white or yellow toenails? Soak them in peroxide.

Now that youve trimmed your toenails, avoided cutting your cuticles, and removed your old toenail polish, you probably notice that your nails are white or slightly yellow. Stern says post-polish discoloring is common. Using a mixture of lukewarm water with a nail product that contains glycolic acid or hydrogen peroxide and a soft toothbrush gently scrubs the surface and removes nail discoloration.

Yahoo Beauty recommends: Dr. Dana Beauty Glycolic Acid Prep for Nails ($25, drdanabeauty.com) and Kerasal Fungal Nail Renewal Treatment ($15, target.com)

Beware of Babyfoot! A skin-softening cream and foot file will work to remove dead skin.

Stern believes the easiest way to treat rough, calloused heels and feet is to use a urea cream and foot file. If youre considering using a topical peel such as the controversial Babyfoot, the doctor advises to be cautious, especially if you have cuts or openings in the treatment area.

This peel is not physician-formulated, and so consider doing a patch test on a small area to make sure that you are not allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients. After removing the dead skin, Stern says to apply a rich moisturizing cream with ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil.

Yahoo Beauty recommends: Gehwol Foot Care Med Lipidro-Cream ($22, dermstore.com) and Karuna Exfoliating+ Foot Mask ($38 for 4-pack, karunaskin.com)

Tea-tree and peppermint oils will prevent and treat sweaty, smelly feet.

Smooth feet? Yes. Smelly feet? Sadly, yes. During the hot, summer months when feet tend to get sweaty and funky, Sterns simple advice is to look for creams with ingredients such as tea-tree oil that have antibacterial properties to prevent odor-causing bacteria. She adds, Essential oils like peppermint oil are soothing to feet and can mask mild foot odor.

If you thought letting soap suds fall onto your feet in the shower would simply do the trick, youre wrong. Stern strongly recommends washing feet thoroughly with an antibacterial soap and properly drying in between toes.

Yahoo Beauty recommends: Now Foods Tea Tree Oil ($12, thrivemarket.com) and 365 by Whole Foods Market Peppermint Oil ($13, mynaturalmarket.com)

A base coat is nonnegotiable when giving yourself a pedicure.

After cleaning up your toes and achieving smooth-as-butter feet, its time to make them look pretty with a pedicure. Hadley says to always use a base coat before applying polish. By using a base coat, youre adding in a protective layer between your nails and the polish. This will also help to prevent staining and can actually help keep your nails healthier.

When choosing a color that will complement your skin tone, Hadley suggests using nail polish with white and blue undertones for fair skin, pink undertones for medium skin, and transparent tones for dark skin.

Since we all want to be on trend with this summers nail polish colors, we asked Hadley which shades she predicts to be the biggest this season. Her response? Baby blue with pink undertones, as well as all nude colors. Yes, were running to go pick up those nail polish colors ASAP!

Yahoo Beauty recommends: SpaRitual Lacquer Lock Basecoat ($12, jet.com) and Essie Bikini So Teeny ($9, essie.com)

Diligently follow these expert tips, and trust us, your feet will be your prettiest accessory this summer.

Read more from Yahoo Style & Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A prince of the AbaThembu clan of South Africa's late anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela was found on Saturday unharmed after being abducted by four gunmen in the city of Mtata in Eastern Cape province, police said. Prince Mankunku Dalindyebo is the brother of jailed King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, who began a 12-year sentence in December 2015 for arson, kidnapping and assault. "He was found this morning near Mtata and he's unharmed," police spokesman Mzukisi Fatyela said. The motive remains unknown. The brothers are traditional leaders of Mandela's clan in a poor, rural region of the Eastern Cape. South Africa recognizes several royal families, who command respect, especially in the countryside. Local media reported the family has been feuding over who should be acting king as the monarch - a self-proclaimed marijuana smoker, widely known as the "Dagga King", a name derived from local slang for the substance - serves his time. Some back Prince Mankunku's claim to the throne but the provincial government in February officially recognized the king's son as the acting ruler of the nation. (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Egyptian authorities say they caught looters digging up an ancient stone block carved with an image of a pharaoh.

In the city of Abydos, antiquities authorities say they were inspecting an old two-story, mud-brick house when they found that the owner had excavated a hole in the floor.

The block was at the bottom of the hole, about 13 feet (4 meters) below the floor, according to an announcement from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. [See Photos of Looting in Egypt]

Images of the discovery show that the block is decorated with the cartouche of Nectanebo II. (A cartouche is a symbol consisting of ovals that frame a set of hieroglyphs indicating a royal name). Nectanebo II ruled during Egypt's 30th Dynasty, from 360 to 342 B.C., and was the last native Egyptian pharaoh before his defeat during the Persian conquest.

Abydos is in Upper Egypt about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the Nile River. The earliest kings of Egypt were buried at the site, and it remained an important religious place for thousands of years. Today, many of its monuments are still visible, such as Temple of Seti I and Ahmose's pyramid.

Abydos was especially important as a cult center for Osiris, the god of the underworld. Several Egyptian rulers built their own temples to Osiris at this site, and Nectanebo II might have done so, too. The block could be a part of the king's royal shrine or an extension of a wall from the temple, said Hani Abul Azm, head of the Central Administration for Antiquities of Upper Egypt, according to the announcement.

The house where the block was found is now under police supervision. Abul Azm said that proper excavations may take place to reveal more about the site.

Egypt has strict laws governing its antiquities and archaeological resources, but a black market for artifacts still exists. Sometimes objects that were illegally excavated get disguised in the legal market, but they can be difficult to identify. A recent Live Science investigation of U.S. Census Bureau documents showed that $50 million in artifacts were shipped from Egypt to the U.S. in 2016. Still, other objects might get shipped in disguise. Last year, the U.S. returned to Egypt a mummy hand from the eighth century B.C. that had been shipped as a sci-fi movie prop.

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Original article on Live Science.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly had to order his cabinet to meet visiting US President Donald Trump at a welcoming reception after several ministers refused to attend.

Several official sources told Israeli media that Mr Netanyahu noticed during his cabinet meeting on Sunday that planned attendance at Mondays ceremony at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv was low, which allegedly led the prime minister to lose his temper and cut the weekly meeting short.

Mr Netanyahus office then issued official instructions to all government ministers to inform them that attendance at the reception is mandatory.

Many government officials were allegedly loathe to travel to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem on Monday after it emerged the original plan for a lengthy welcome ceremony featuring speeches and handshakes with the visiting president had been replaced by a much shorter reception at the White Houses request due to the warm weather.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Culture Minister Miri Regev and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin reportedly told the coalition governments head they were reluctant to cancel existing work commitments to face lengthy security checks and the prospect of waiting on the tarmac in the sun as sideline participants in the ceremony.

Their comments supposedly led Mr Netanyahu to demand all of his ministers presence.

Air Force One arrives in Israel at 12.15pm (10.15am GMT) local time. Mr Trumps two-day itinerary includes a visit to Jerusalems Western Wall - the first by a sitting US president - and a private dinner with Mr Netanyahu before meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday.

Mr Trump is widely viewed in Israel and the wider Middle East as far more sympathetic to Israeli interests than his predecessor Barack Obama.

Despite his pro-Israeli campaign trail rhetoric, since entering the White House Mr Trump has caught some Israeli hard-liners off guard with the suggestion the government should hold back on settlement building, and his administration has equivocated over whether the US embassy will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as promised.

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He has, however, repeatedly emphasised his sincere desire to broker a peace deal in the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, putting his son-in-law Jared Kushner in charge of such efforts.

During Mr Abbas visit to the White House earlier this month Mr Trump said that a lasting peace agreement is maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years, although his comments were met with skepticism by many observers.

Mr Trumps visit to Israel is the second leg of his first international trip as president.

Two days in Riyadh saw the US President pledge stronger ties with Saudi Arabian leaders, condemn Islamist terrorism, and sign a $110 billion (85 million) arms deal with the country.

On leaving the Middle East Mr Trump goes on to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, Brussels for a Nato summit, and finally Sicily for a meeting of the G7.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Fifteen teams of the Army will be deployed in key offices of the RBI by Thursday to beef up security as well as help the central bank to speed up disposal of demonetised currencies.

Army sources said two teams had already been working with the RBI and the additional manpower will help the bank in shredding of the demonetised notes.

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A total of 15 teams will be deployed in major RBI offices across the city by April 25, they said.

The sources added that army personnel will basically be responsible for ensuring adequate security so that the process to dispose of the demonetised notes can be expedited. PTI MPB ZMN

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Dubai (AFP) - A Bahraini court on Sunday sentenced revered Shiite cleric Isa Qassim to a suspended one-year jail term for illegal fundraising and money laundering, a judicial source said.

The criminal court handed down the same verdict to two of the cleric's aides, Sheikh Hussein Mahrus and Mirza al-Obaidli, the source said, adding the sentences were suspended for three years.

The prosecution also announced the sentences without naming Qassim, adding they were each fined 100,000 dinars ($265,140) and that the court ordered the confiscation of the funds they raised.

It said in a statement carried by the BNA state news agency that it was considering appealing the sentence.

Qassim, 76, remains at his residence in the village of Diraz, outside Manama, where supporters have held a sit-in since June when he was stripped of his citizenship.

At the time, authorities accused him of abusing his position as a cleric to "serve foreign interests and promote... sectarianism and violence."

Hundreds of Shiites protested on Saturday in villages near the capital, brandishing posters of Qassim ahead of the verdict, witnesses said.

The cleric, who is considered the spiritual leader of the Shiite majority community of Bahrain, went on trial in July.

The attorney general said at the time that he had deposited more than $10 million in his private bank account.

He allegedly kept other amounts in cash to avoid legal controls, the attorney general said, accusing Qassim also of purchasing properties worth more than one million dinars ($2.65 million) in an attempt to legitimise the funds.

The two other defendants are Sheikh Hussein Mahrus and Mirza al-Obaidli.

Bahrain has been shaken by unrest since security forces crushed Shiite-led protests demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister in 2011.

Despite repeated calls from their Western allies, Bahrain's rulers have made no concessions to the Shiite opposition and have intensified a crackdown on critics.

The strategic Gulf kingdom is a key regional ally of the United States and serves as home for its Fifth Fleet.
As Netanyahu then sought to hurry Trump down the receiving line of ministers, Oren Hazan, a scandal-plagued member of the Knesset, held up proceedings to demand a selfie with the visiting president: Oren Hazan/Twitter

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to strong-arm reluctant members of his government into greeting Donald Trump at the airport  but several of them managed to embarrass him within minutes of the US president's arrival.

Original plans for a lengthy welcome reception including handshakes with officials at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport on Monday were shelved at the White Houses request due to the hot weather, Israeli media reported.

On learning that they would have to cancel existing work commitments to travel from Jerusalem and undergo lengthy security checks just to witness the event from the sidelines, several ministers reportedly told Mr Netanyahu in Sundays weekly cabinet meeting they had decided not to attend.

The prime minister was allegedly so angry he cut the meeting short. Shortly afterwards, his office issued instructions demanding the presence of all government ministers.

As Air Force One touched down in Israel at lunchtime, however, ministers ended up having their chance to meet Mr Trump after all  and Mr Netanyahu was less than delighted with what they had to say.

Gilad Erdan, the security minister, sought to impress Israels precarious security situation on Mr Trump by mistakenly telling him a traffic accident in the city earlier that morning was being investigated as a terror attack.

Several, including Naftali Bennett, the outspoken education minister, used the brief introduction to ask Mr Trump to deliver on his election campaign promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem (to whom Mr Trump replied, Good one).

As Mr Netanyahu then sought to hurry his counterpart down the receiving line of ministers, Oren Hazan, a scandal-plagued member of the Knesset, held up proceedings to demand a selfie with the visiting president.

I told Trump how excited I was [to meet him] and that I was a fan of him from the beginning, the 35-year-old told reporters.

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Then I just added, 'What do you say, can I have a selfie?' So he said, Come on.

Both Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu looked visibly displeased with the request. The Israeli leader attempted to bat the young mans hand away.

Netanyahu was a little less fond of the idea, Mr Hazan admitted, but the president waited, and the embarrassing thing was that I fumbled with my phone. Even when the phone froze I insisted on turning it off, turning it on again. We took the picture and I tell you  for me and I think that for him too, this is a historical moment, newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted him as saying.

Mr Hazan is a divisive figure in Israel. He used to own a casino in Bulgaria, where it is alleged he procured sex workers and drugs for customers. Mr Hazan denies the allegations.

Mr Netanyahu, for his part, awkwardly made small talk with Mr Trump while the two posed for photos with their spouses Sara and Melania. The Israeli leader described his counterpart as a great friend.

In a short speech the US president said the previous stop of his first foreign tour  to Saudi Arabia  had given him new reasons for hope of peace in the region.

AWKWARD: Just watch Trump's face as MK Oren Hazan pulls him in for a selfiehttps://t.co/XaPL1AbCm5pic.twitter.com/W0iAe2kMWq

 Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 22, 2017

Mr Trump then travelled to Jerusalem by helicopter, where he met President Reuven Rivlin.

He is scheduled to visit the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before meeting President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority, in Bethlehem in the West Bank on Tuesday.

Israel and the Palestinian Territories form the second leg of the presidents inaugural foreign trip. He leaves Tuesday evening for the Vatican for talks with Pope Francis before attending a Nato summit in Brussels and a meeting of the G7 in Italy.

Watch news, TV and more Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.
Democrat representative Al Green said he had been menaced with threatening phone calls after he took to the House floor to accuse Mr Trump of "obstruction of justice": US Government

Donald Trump supporters reportedly threatened to lynch an African-American politician who called for the US President to be impeached.

Democrat representative Al Green said he had been menaced with threatening phone calls after he took to the House floor to accuse Mr Trump of obstruction of justice.

He reportedly played a number of voicemails that had been left by supporters of the Republican leader at a town hall meeting in Houston, but told the crowd he would not be deterred by the messages.

"We are not going to be intimidated. We are not going to allow this to cause us to deviate from what we believe to be the right thing to do and that is to proceed with the impeachment of President Trump, he said, according to the Houston Chronicle.

One caller reportedly threatened him with a racial slur before saying he would be hanging from a tree if he continues to push for Mr Trumps impeachment.

"When a person talks about lynching you, we think that's a pretty serious threat," Mr Green said.

Mr Green was the first member of congress to call for Mr Trumps impeachment on the House floor earlier this, citing the Republican leaders dismissal of FBI Director James Comey as one of the primary reasons.

"The President fired the FBI Director who was investigating him and said he did it because of the investigation," he said. "That's pretty serious. That's obstruction of justice. We believe no person is above the law, not even the President of the United States of America."

It comes as a source close to Mr Comey said the former FBI director is now convinced Mr Trump was trying to influence his investigation into Russian collusion in his presidential campaign.
Death Valley National Park Light pollution stops the views of the night sky for many, but these breathtaking photos show its real beauty. (SKYGLOW/CATERS NEWS)

Two photographers have crisscrossed North America to escape the light pollution of occupied areas and capture the original beauty of the night sky.

Gavin Heffernan and Harun Mehmedinovic traveled more than 150,000 miles to a staggering 500 locations across North America in order to capture these images, which feature millions of stars, far-off galaxies and areas of extreme darkness that offer an almost primeval contrast to glowing cities.

Heffernan, 37, said the aim of the series, called Skyglow, was to show off the incredible vastness of the night sky, in the hope of inspiring people to care about dark skies. (Caters News)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.
With ousted FBI Director James Comey set to testify publicly before the Senate intelligence committee, a friend of his, Lawfare editor in chief Benjamin Wittes, shed some insight on how he expects Comey will conduct himself in his first open forum since being unceremoniously fired by President Trump.

Acknowledging there are certain things on which he is not unbound, Wittes predicted Monday that Comey would not answer any questions related to the ongoing FBI investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the election.

But there are things a now-fired Comey may feel free to address, Wittes said in a Monday interview with Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga and Yahoo News Deputy Editor Dan Klaidman.

Theres a whole range of stuff that you would never talk about when youre in office because if you did, you might get fired, or if you did, you might harm some other objective that youre trying to accomplish, that once youre out of office, you dont have to worry about those things, he said.

He pointed to various reports about Trumps interactions with Comey.

And those, I would expect, include all kinds of matters related to questions like, did the president demand a loyalty oath over dinner? Did certain interactions  make you really uncomfortable and concerned about the independence of the FBI? Did the president ask you to drop the Flynn investigation?

Wittes also said Comey is talented at handling such hearings. When he was still FBI director, Comey confirmed in an earlier, March hearing that there was such an investigation.

This is a forum in which he does extremely well, Wittes said. There are very few people in our period of American politics who have made better use of the congressional hearing than Jim Comey has. Hes a terrific storyteller, and he is an enormously charismatic person.

You have people asking him questions, but he really controls the environment, he continued.

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Wittes sparked a round of headlines Thursday when he talked to the New York Times, and published his own account on Lawfare, of Comeys desire to keep Trump at arms length while he was still FBI director.

Mr. Wittes said Mr. Comey told him that despite Mr. Trumps attempts to build a personal relationship, he did not want to be friendly with the president and thought any conversation with him or personal contact was inappropriate, the Times reported.

The Senate intelligence committee announced Friday that Comey had agreed to testify publicly before the committee. The announcement came shortly after the New York Times reported that Trump told Russian officials Comey was crazy and a real nut job during a meeting in the Oval Office, according to the administrations private account of the discussion. Wittes refused to specify whether he had spoken to Comey since that revelation came to light, but chided Trump for the continued tumult of his administration.

Every time you think youve reached the point where, OK even he wont do blank, you pick up the New York Times and somebodys reporting that he did blank in some particularly colorful fashion, Wittes said.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., took issue with President Trumps loquaciousness and encouraged him to think about his choice of words more carefully before speaking.

During an interview on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday morning, Feinstein said it was altogether inappropriate for Trump to describe former FBI Director James Comey as a nut job while meeting with Russian officials.

This is a horrible thing for a president to say. Former Director Comey is in no way a nut job. Hes a very strong man. Hes a very principled man, Feinstein said. I happen to believe he made a couple of mistakes. I suspect he thinks hes made a couple of mistakes. Whether that deserved his termination or not is not up to me.

On Friday, the New York Times reported that Trump told Russian diplomats, according to a document summarizing the meeting, that firing Comey earlier this month relieved great pressure  calling him crazy, a real nut job.

Feinstein, the top Democrat on the GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee, said she hopes the records of this meeting will be made available. The White House has not disputed the comments.

According to Feinstein, the reason behind Comeys termination has not really been ferreted out. She said the American people should be presented with a clear and distinct rationale behind that decision.

Face the Nation host John Dickerson asked Feinstein whether she gets the impression that the federal investigation into possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign now extends to whether there has been a cover-up.

Well, I think thats right. It does. I know what the president told me when he called to say that he was firing him. And that turned out not to be the reason, she said.

The administration initially blamed Comeys public comments about Hillary Clintons email server, with Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying Democrats would be dancing in the streets if Clinton had fired him. Trump undermined that stance by saying he fired Comey because the director was a showboat. And then Trumps comments to the Moscow diplomats connected the dismissal to the Russia probe.

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Feinstein lamented that she feels Congress cannot rely upon the commander in chief to tell the truth. She also offered a bit of advice, which she described as well meaning, to Trump.

Stop the tweeting. Think about what you say because youre reflecting in a big pool. And the Senate and the House have to feel a sense of stability from day to day, she said. We cant feel the anxiety that goes with not knowing what may happen next, what may be said next. And we need to depend on our president for truth. That is really important.

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The plan would cut up to $193bn from food stamps over the next decade: AP

Millions of people will be driven off food stamps as part of the spending cuts being planned for Donald Trumps first budget.

The Presidents proposals would cut up to $1.7trillion over the next ten years, with saving coming from cuts to programmes such as Medicaid, federal employee pensions, welfare benefits and farm subsidies.

The Washington Post said Mr Trump would cut $800bn alone from Medicaid, the state-federal programme that provides health care to low-income citizens. Up to 10m people could lose out over the next decade.

Axios: POTUS budget would make cuts to food stamps, Children's Health Insurance Program & Disability Insurance https://t.co/iFQUOFzU1E  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 22, 2017

The Associated Press said such is the concern about the depths of Mr Trumps planned cuts, that they have received criticism from politicians in both major parties.

The cuts include up to $193bn from food stamps over the coming decade, a reduction of around 25 per cent. The programme presently serves about 42m people, many of whom would have voted for Trump. The AP said the food stamp cut was several times bigger than one one attempted by House Republicans a few years back.

The budget also contains $1.6bn in funding for the Presidents much vaunted wall along the US-Mexico border as part of a larger $2.6bn spending hike for border security programmes. A promise to build such a wall was a major component of Mr Trumps election campaign.

The proposals that have been highlighted ahead of Tuesdays budget launch, have received considerable criticism.

We think its wrongheaded, said Republican congressman Mike Conaway, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, when asked about looming cuts to farm programmes.

Production agriculture is in the worst slump since the depression - 50 per cent drop in the net income for producers. They need this safety net.

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Mr Trumps budget plan promises to balance the federal books by the end of a 10-year window.

But to achieve such a balance, the plan by White House budget director Mick Mulvaney relies on optimistic estimates of economic growth, and the surge in revenues that would result, while abandoning Mr Trumps promise of a massive tax cut.

Instead, the Mr Trump tax plan promises an overhaul that would cut tax rates but rely on erasing tax breaks and economic growth to end up as revenue neutral. It would create three tax brackets - 10 per cent, 25 per cent and 35 per cent - as opposed to the seven that currently exist.
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Donald Trump has nominated Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker and fervent Trump ally Newt Gingrich, to serve as ambassador to the Vatican.

The White House announced the nomination the same day Mr Trump left for his first trip overseas as president, during which he will stop at the Vatican for an audience with the Pope.

Some in Washington hope Ms Gingrich will be able to patch up relations between the president and the pontiff, who engaged in a war of words over Mr Trumps proposed US-Mexico border wall during the campaign.

"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian, Pope Francis said at the time.

Ms Gingrichs nomination may cause controversy among some at the Holy See, however, because of her marriage to Mr Gingrich.

The two became involved while Mr Gingrich was still married to his second wife. He did not divorce her for another six years.

The Vatican, however, has not made a policy of passing judgement on nations chosen ambassadors. And Ms Gingrich happens to be a staunch Catholic, who converted her husband to the faith in 2009.

"When Newt became a Catholic, it was one of the happiest moments of my life," Ms Gingrich told The New Yorker in 2012.

Ms Gingrich was born in Wisconsin, and attended Luther College in Iowa, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church. She studied music while at Luther, and still sings in the the choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington DC to this day.

Mr Gingrich has said that attending her concerts is what convinced him to convert.

A White House press release on her nomination touted Ms Gingrichs work as president and chief executive of Gingrich Productions, a multimedia production and consulting company.

She has also written a New York Times best-selling childrens series, and produced public policy documentary films. She is the co-author of the book Rediscovering God in America.

Ms Gingrichs role as ambassador to the Vatican will require Senate confirmation.
Mr Trump spoke to leaders of more than 50 Arab and Islamic nations: Getty

Donald Trump said the struggle against violent extremism was a battle between good and evil as he urged countries in the Middle East to combat radicalisation.

In the grand King Abdulaziz Conference Centre, with crystal chandeliers and gold-rimmed side tables laden with snacks and sterling silver pens, leaders of 50 Arab and Islamic nations listened to Mr Trumps first official speech to leaders abroad since his inauguration.

Unlike his predecessor in Cairo in 2009, Mr Trump did not issue the traditional greeting of As-salamu alaykum, but insisted he was there to deliver a message of friendship, hope and love.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations, he told the room.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil.

He promised to show determination to his enemies and to fight violent extremism by gradual reforms, and would not seek to impose our [American] way of life on others.

But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them, he said.

Great to be in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Looking forward to the afternoon and evening ahead. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/JJOra0KfyR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2017

The Presidents speech, reportedly written by White House aide Stephen Miller, at the Arab Islamic American Summit comes after months of engaging in what critics described as anti-Muslim rhetoric, stoking prejudice against Muslims who lived in the US and around the world.

Mr Trump, who blamed Iran for instability in the Middle East, was welcomed by the Saudi King as a friend to his second home country of Saudi Arabia, and the King vowed to confront this scourge [of terrorism] that poses a danger to all of humanity.

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The President previously accused Saudi Arabia of masterminding the 9/11 attacks which killed close to 3,000 people, but made no mention of that at the summit. He also did not mention the atrocities committed in Yemen by Saudi Arabia, as he promoted arms contracts between the US and Saudi Arabia.

We will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defence companies, the greatest anywhere in the world, Mr Trump said.

This will help Saudi Arabia to take a far greater role in defence and security and all roles having to do with security.

Donald Trump in Riyadh (Getty)

Human Rights Watch campaigners have argued that US officials are at risk of legal liability for human rights violations by selling arms to the Saudis.

Mr Trump also appealed to Saudi Arabia to let young Muslim men and women create a new prosperity for themselves.

We have to let them do it, he said.

He added that Saudi Arabia and its neighbours had great potential to become a place where newcomers flock, instead of creating an exodus of refugees, as well as to become a new centre of economic activity.

He pointed to 9/11  but did not mention the terrorists' origin  the shootings in an Orlando nightclub last summer and in San Bernardino, as well as the Boston bombings. He acknowledged, however, that Middle Eastern countries had borne the brunt of attacks with 95 per cent of terrorism victims being Muslim.

He said Hamas and Hezbollah were also terrorist organisations, like al-Qaeda and Isis, and were responsible for generations of vanished dreams.

Drive them out, he repeated of the terrorists. Drive them out, drive them out of this Earth.

Besides his speech, the President signed a joint vision statement, several private sector contracts, and $110 billion (84.4m) worth of defence cooperation agreements, equating to an investment of around $350 billion (268.5m) over a decade.

As the attendees waited for the ceremony to start on Sunday, US National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn wandered towards the pool of reporters and told them that the Saudis would invest a lot of money in the US and have a lot of US companies invest and build things over here... Theyre going to hire US companies.a bunch of infrastructure related things A lot of money. Big dollars. Big dollars.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer also claimed the Saudi Arabia arms deal was the largest in history and would create thousands of US jobs.

I had a wonderful time with the students at the American International School #Riyadh today. #SaudiaArabia pic.twitter.com/AVzVV0W9Dm  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 21, 2017

Another main takeaway from the White House was the memorandum of understanding between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and officials from six Persian Gulf states to prosecute individuals who finance terrorism.

Mr Trump has appointed allegedly anti-Islam aides into the closest circles of the White House, including Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway and KT McFarland.

He previously said he saw Muslims cheering and clapping as the Twin Towers fell, and proposed in December 2015 to ban all Muslims from entering the US.

This intention was scrubbed from Mr Trumps website after he won the election, but was replaced with an executive order banning immigrants and refugees for at least 90 days from seven Muslim-majority countries. The ban was knocked down by a federal judge in Washington. The replacement ban lifted restrictions from green card holders and Iraqis, but was also struck down by federal courts.

The number of hate crimes and attacks against Muslims spiked by 67 per cent in 2015, noted the FBI, the same year Mr Trump was campaigning for President. In the first three months of 2017, the number of attacks against mosques doubled compared to the same period in 2016.

The attacks led to Khizr Khan, the father of the slain American Muslim solider during the Iraq War, to claim last December that American Muslims fear is real.

Before Mr Trump returns to the US, he will meet Israeli leaders and the Pope.

In his speech, he was determinedly optimistic about his mission and the message his words would bring. It was difficult to judge leaders immediate reactions, watching the rows of deadpan faces in the conference centre.

With God's help, this summit could be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East and maybe all the world, Mr Trump declared.
By Press Trust of India: Islamabad, May 22 (PTI) Twenty kilogrammes of heroin was seized from a plane of Pakistans national carrier PIA at the Islamabad international airport today, a week after narcotics was found on another flight of the troubled airliner at a British airport.

Pakistan International Airlines spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said security personnel at Benazir Bhutto International Airport seized heroin from the flight PK-785 just as it prepared to take off for London.

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Five persons have been detained.

Because of the development, the flights departure was delayed by more than two hours, the spokesperson said.

The Pakistani national carrier has attracted attention lately over seizure of narcotics on board its flights.

Last week, heroin "concealed in packets" was seized from a PIA Boeing 777 plane at the UKs Heathrow airport. Its 14- member crew was interrogated for hours after it landed there.

The back-to-back incidents have dent the reputation of the airline. It has become a source of embarrassment for the Pakistani government and lawmakers have demanded that it be privatised.

PIA has been incurring losses running into billions of rupees and its reputation has nosedived.

The acting CEO of the airline, German national Bernd Hildenbrand, was recently stopped from going out of Pakistan, and he and two other top officials were investigated for alleged corruption in the sale of aircraft and its parts.

Also last week, a pilot came under scrutiny after he invited a young Chinese woman passenger into the cockpit during a flight from Tokyo to Beijing. She reportedly remained in the cockpit for two hours. PTI CORR ABH AKJ ABH

--- ENDS ---
This July, archaeologists in Jordan will begin an underwater search for remains of an early Islamic city.

Located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, modern-day Aqaba is Jordan's only port. In the Middle Ages, the city was known as Ayla. Archaeologists uncovered the ruins of Ayla only in the last 30 years, and now, they want to know if there's more to be found off the coast.

"We are going to perform an archaeological survey underwater to explore any architectural extensions of the city of Ayla," said Sawsan Fakhry, an archaeology expert for Jordan's Royal Marine Conservation Society (JREDS). "There may be a good chance to find the remains of the port mentioned in geographical and historical sources." [See Photos of Another Underwater 'Lost City' Off Zakynthos, Greece]

The coastal town was both an oasis and an important stop on trade routes connecting Egypt, the Levant (an area encompassing modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria) and even China.

Ayla was established as an Islamic city around the year 650, next to an older port built by Nabataeans (a civilization probably most famous for building Petra) that had been used in the Roman and Byzantine periods, according to an account by Donald Whitcomb, an archaeologist at the University of Chicago. Arab geographers of the ninth and 10th centuries mention the city as a prosperous place full of merchants. The site also saw an influx of visitors during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

An aerial view of the coast of Aqaba, which during the Middle Ages was the ancient city of Ayla. Courtesy of JREDS

But after suffering earthquakes and attacks from Crusaders, Ayla was abandoned by 1116, and its ruins were eventually buried beneath the sand.

The first archaeological excavations began in the 1980s, led by Whitcomb and Jordan's Department of Antiquities. These efforts revealed the stone walls, gates and towers that were part of the Islamic city's original, rectangular plan.

Besides architectural structures like berths for ports, the underwater team might find artifacts such as anchors and broken pieces of pottery that would indicate the origin of international trade shipments to the area, Fakhry said.

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The search is part of a wider effort to conserve the underwater cultural and environmental resources off Jordan's small coastline. Besides the potential archaeological remains, there is also a coral reef site that JREDS is trying to get protected, Ehab Eid, executive director of JREDS, told Live Science. Eid added that the project was inspired by the success of Aqabas successful Cedar Pride Shipwreck project, in which a Lebanese freighter that was damaged by a fire in the 1980s was deliberately sunk to become an artificial reef.

Original article on Live Science.

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Quito (AFP) - Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said Saturday that his country had "done its duty" by granting asylum in 2012 to Julian Assange, and said he was glad Sweden had closed its rape case against the WikiLeaks founder.

"Ecuador fulfilled its duty, we gave him sovereign asylum, and finally the Swedish judicial system has closed the file and will not press charges against Assange," Correa said in a weekly report on his presidential activities.

On Friday, Swedish authorities closed the seven-year-old rape case against Assange and withdrew the European arrest warrant issued against him.

British police, however, have said they still intend to arrest Assange if he leaves the Ecuadoran Embassy in London where he has been holed up. He violated the terms of his probation in Britain in 2012 when he took refuge in the diplomatic mission.

Sweden has made clear that its decision to drop its inquiry did not imply that Assange was innocent, but simply that it saw no realistic way to pursue the matter.

Correa said Ecuador had granted asylum to the Australian "because there were no guarantees of due process (in the US), because there were sectors of the United States that even threatened Julian Assange with the death penalty."

The WikiLeaks founder has always proclaimed his innocence of the charges and claimed that his extradition to Sweden would have led to his transfer to the United States, where he could be tried for publishing a huge store of confidential military and diplomatic documents.

"We never wanted to obstruct" Swedish justice, said Correa, noting that Ecuador had allowed a Swedish prosecutor to question the 45-year-old Australian at the embassy, where he remains for now.

Upon learning of the Swedish decision on Friday to close the rape case, Ecuadoran Foreign Minister Guillaume Long urgent Britain to grant Assange a safe-conduct pass so he can leave without risk.

Given the recent statement by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions that Assange's arrest is a priority for the Trump administration, authorities in Quito have reiterated the validity of Assange's asylum.
This article originally appeared on the Motley Fool.

A Harvard graduate, with a doctorate from Columbia and a post-doc from Princeton, Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson is a certified smart guy. So when I heard Dr. Tyson had a new book coming out, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, I ran out to pick up a copy, thinking there might be some good information in there for investors looking to profit from the surging space industry in America.

Turns out, I wasn't alone. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is already a New York Times best-seller, and the No. 1 best-selling book on Amazon.com.

 Motley Fool Issues Rare Triple-Buy Alert

And now I see why.

After reading his book, I called up Tyson to see if he'd be willing to expand a bit on some of the ideas related to the business of space exploration, and how individual investors should be thinking about the big issues of our time: Elon Musk's planned Mars mission, the Trump administration's cuts in NASA funding, and asteroid mining, among others.

Here are a few insights into these matters, courtesy of America's favorite astrophysicist.

Thoughts on Mars

Tyson recently joked on Reddit that before going to Mars himself, he'd want to see SpaceX CEO Elon Musk send his own mother there -- and bring her back alive. And so I asked him: Exactly what objections does he have to the idea of Musk undertaking a manned mission to Mars? As it turned out, his concerns were primarily of the economic variety.

"History tells me there is no business model for" a private individual exploring a new world without government backing, explains Tyson, because "there are too many unknowns." Citing the original example of New World colonization, Tyson points out that "the British East India Company didn't discover America. Columbus did."

For the East India Company to try to explore the New World before Columbus blazed the trail, says Tyson, "would have been an unwise investment," because they didn't know "where the trade winds are, and where are the hostiles and where are the friendlies." It was only after a government had provided the financing for Columbus' expedition, and he had returned with some hard facts on the New World, that private companies could develop a plan to profit from it. Tyson expects the colonization of Mars to follow a similar path.

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"If [Musk] thinks that he, or SpaceX, is going to build a ship and be the first man to go to Mars and have no government money involved, I don't buy that," argues Tyson, qualifying that, "if he does I will be surprised and shocked." The more likely scenario, says Tyson, is that Musk might build spaceships for NASA to use for Mars exploration -- hopefully cheaper than the ones that Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) are trying to build. SpaceX might even take on the entire project as a contractor to NASA, running missions to Mars for a fee. But Tyson has serious doubts about SpaceX's ability to foot the bill for landing humans on Mars all on its own.

(And I have to say, after learning what we have this year about the state of SpaceX's finances, Tyson may have a point.)

Exploring the solar system in a time of deficit

Of course, depending on the U.S. government to finance a trip to Mars gives rise to a whole new discussion. With the federal government in deficit and in debt, and with increasing amounts of what little money we bring in going to pay interest on the debt we've already racked up, it's debatable whether the government can afford a trip to Mars -- or even afford the International Space Station.

Tyson touched on this point in Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, musing how, when contemplating the universe, one can sometimes forget that "uncounted people walk this Earth without food or shelter, and that children are disproportionately represented among them." And so I asked him: Is President Trump's proposal to cut NASA's $19.3 billion budget by approximately $200 million necessary to balance social spending against discretionary funding for space programs?

 This Stock Could Be Like Buying Amazon in 1997

His reply: "If by taking NASA's $19 billion we could solve all of poverty, then I would say, 'Go ahead. Do it.' But it's not. And if that $19 billion were half the budget, then I would agree that half is too much to spend on NASA. But it is actually less than half of one 1/100th of the budget. Just fourth-tenths of one penny on your tax dollar goes to NASA."

Thinking long term

What's more, Tyson highlights the risks of focusing too narrowly on immediate problems at the expense of longer-term solutions. He put it to me this way:

Imagine a group of people who live in a cave, and in that cave they have problems. There's a shortage of food. There's a need for firewood. Outside the cave, there's a valley, and within that valley there may be edible plants, there may be trees. So one day a cave-dweller asks: "I wonder what's outside the cave?"

But elders of the cave reply: "Before you go exploring outside the cave, first you've got to solve the problems inside the cave." And that could be a problem if the solutions to the cave's problems all lie outside the cave. Tyson wonders if this is the situation we face in America today.

"We wage wars over resources on Earth," he says. "But the universe is a limitless source of resources. There are asteroids in space where these resources are not rare. They're common." Folks who insist we can't invest in space exploration are like the cave elders. They say we can't look to the stars for solutions, because we've got to "keep looking down at our Earth problems and solve those first."

What's outside the cave?

Here, Tyson touches on another idea of interest to investors. The center of an asteroid, says Tyson, could be a literal gold mine of rare-earth elements, of gold, of platinum, of iridium. If we could capture an asteroid and crack it open, says Tyson, we might find 1,000 pounds of precious metals inside, and bring those resources back to Earth -- and that would be very valuable.

In fact, Tyson declares: "The man who first learns to mine asteroids and bring back their minerals to Earth will become the first trillionaire. There's no question about that in my mind."

For that matter, he suggests, "It may be that what we're doing in space is a much simpler and valuable use of resources found in space than bringing them back down to Earth." For example, it costs NASA $10,000 a pint to carry water from Earth to space. But if you can harvest water from an asteroid, which is already in space, then every pint of water discovered in space saves NASA $10,000.

"There's a huge business case to be made here," says Tyson.

Tyson also sees a case to be made for the space tourism initiatives of folks like Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson and Blue Origin founder (and Amazon.com CEO) Jeff Bezos. Observing that well-heeled tourists have already proven willing to pay $20 million for visits to the International Space Station, Tyson wonders what might happen once someone offers to put tourists in orbit for $5 million, "or for $1 million, $500,000, or $100,000."

"I think there is a marketplace there," muses Tyson.

"Space is hard." So is investing in space

Tyson sees multiple ways that the space industry could interest investors here on Earth, but, as the saying goes, "Space is hard." In a note hearkening back to Alan Greenspan's admonition about irrational exuberance, he does have one important warning for investors: "I worry that a profitable space industry may be farther away than people think. Space is expensive and it is dangerous," and profits are not guaranteed -- especially to early adopters.

 7 of 8 People Are Clueless About This Trillion-Dollar Market

Nevertheless, he says, "I admire the visionaries who are moving this market forward. They will pull humanity's center of mass in the direction of exploration."

Speaking of which, for fans of Tyson's television show StarTalk, the good doctor confides that filming of season 4 has already begun, and the show returns to the National Geographic Channel in the fall. Luckily, with Astrophysics for People in a Hurry in hand, investors have a lot of new ideas to mull over while we wait for him to return to the airwaves.

Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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The letter from Thomas Elsman, father of the 18-year-old Times Square car crash victim, Alyssa. (Photo: Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News)

The father of an 18-year-old woman killed when a driver plowed his car through a crowd of pedestrians in New Yorks Times Square last week left an open letter at the scene of the rampage to thank the city for an outpouring of support as he mourns the loss of his daughter.

Police say 26-year-old Richard Rojas admitted he had smoked marijuana laced with PCP sometime before he rammed his car through a busy tourist area, killing Alyssa Elsman, a teenager from Michigan who was visiting New York on vacation.

City officials say they do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism.

Elsmans father, Tom Elsman, left a letter at an impromptu memorial that sprang up near the site of his daughters death.

Surrounded by flowers and stuffed animals left by passersby, the note thanked both the New York Police Department and city residents for their support.

There is no word that can express our gratitude with the outpouring of love and support this city has shown us, Elsman wrote, adding that he has received support from many people from different countries, religions, creeds. Etc.

It doesnt matter you have shown us that when you remove biasracismand ignorance WE ARE ONE Your condolences have been sincere and taken to heart, Ellsman said.

The note also mourned the loss of his daughter, a native of central Michigan who had graduated from Portage Central High School last year.

I have a hole in my heart that can never be filled, he said in the letter. My world changed when you came into it and it is unexplainable with you leaving it. I love you kid. Just no words.

Elsmans 13-year-old sister was also hurt in the incident, along with 21 other pedestrians. The siblings were visiting New York with their mother and one of Alyssa Elsmans friends, according to the New York Post.

The impromptu memorial in Times Square. (Photo: Gordon Donovan/Yahoo News.)

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Trump's traveling press pool was separated, per tradition, by gender at the Western Wall: AFP/Getty Images

Female reporters accompanying President Donald Trump on his trip to the Middle East have been separated from their male colleagues and the President during his historic visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Men and women arent allowed to pray together at the Wall and a small barrier separates the two genders in accordance to Orthodox Jewish tradition. The women reporters were unable to hear the conversations Mr Trump was having but saw him speaking to a rabbi quietly as he approached the Wall. Photos of the event didn't show any male reporters in close proximity to the President during the visit.

We were "technically on the female side of the Wall, separated from the male press pool by a small, low barrier that we could look over," a female Politico reporter wrote in a report distributed by the White House press pool.

The separation of genders at the Western Wall has been a hotly contested issue. Women of the Wall, a group that campaigns for equal prayer rights, has protested the separation for nearly 30 years. A temporary mixed-gender area was approved in 2013, and a permanent solution was approved last year by the Israeli cabinet. It is unclear when that plan will be implemented.

This is at least the second time during Mr Trumps visit to the Middle East that women reporters have been excluded or limited in their access to events attended by Trump officials. Two female reporters covering an event headlined by Ivanka Trump in Saudi Arabia to discuss womens empowerment were not allowed to stay past introductory remarks over the weekend. That country requires women to cover themselves from head to toe in public, requires women to request permission from a male guardian to leave their homes, and does not allow women to drive.

Ms Trump and First Lady Melania Trump did not wear headscarves during their visit, which follows in the tradition of other presidential spouses on visits to the country.
First lady Melania Trump walked down the aisle of Air Force One at King Khalid International Airport Saturday morning without wearing a head scarf, following in the footsteps of former first lady Michelle Obama, who created a stir when she visited the country in 2015.

However, Melania would not be expected to follow the strict dress codes in the Muslimdominated country, as Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir told the press on Thursday the first lady would not have to tone down her usual high-fashion looks, while accompanying her husband during their first foreign trip to the Middle Eastern country.

Read: Melania Trump Outfit: What The First Lady Wore In Her First Official White House Portrait

"We welcome any style in clothing," Al-Jubeir told the media last week and said the government "usually doesnt demand," but makes "suggestions" to visiting female dignitaries.

The president however had been critical of Michelle Obamas move when she visited Saudi Arabia in 2015 along with the former president. During the Obamas' visit, Trump had tweeted , "Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refusing to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies."

Michelles actions were criticized by some as a sign of disrespect towards her hosts and flouting of the countrys custom. However, the White House at the time said she intended to make a statement in a country where women have been discriminated against and have few rights. However, Michelle had previously donned a hijab in 2010, when she visited Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque.

According to an explanation by the Economist, Saudi Arabia has been known for its varied versions of cloaks for women (jijab, niqab, burqa) that derive from the nation's foundational observance of "sharia" as state law.

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"While all versions of Islam suggest a woman should dress modestly, often covering her hair and body, Saudi Arabia is one of the only Muslim-majority countries that legally imposes a dress code (Iran is another)," the article said.

"Women, foreign and local, must wear an abaya (a few get away with long coats) in public places. Muslimoften equated with Saudiwomen are said to have to wear a headscarf; foreigners needn't," the article stated.

However, female dignitaries, especially from Western countries, have recently opted out of the Islamic countrys strict dress code, and it is said they sometimes do so to make a statement, according to Yahoo Style.

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Photo: Getty Images

Melania is not the first one among Western female dignitaries to forgo the traditional head scarf or a hijab.

British Prime Minister Theresa May declined to wear a head scarf during a visit in early April this year. She wanted to make a statement and be an inspiration to women in Saudi Arabia by sending a message to the citizens there about "what women can achieve."

German chancellor Angela Merkel also visited Saudi Arabia with her head uncovered a few weeks later, after her countrys government approved a ban on civil servants, judges and soldiers wearing Islamic full-face veils at work.

Melania is accompanying her husband in a week-long foreign trip that includes five countries and also stops in Rome, Israel, Brussels and Italy. The first couples foreign trip came with the administration recently being in turmoil after the sudden dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey.

The president was also accused of Islamophobia for his executive order that imposes a travel ban on people coming into the country from mainly Muslim majority nations.

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Michael Caputo, who worked for the president during the primary campaign, invited for voluntary interview

Michael Caputo has links to long-time Trump adviser Roger Stone, and worked in Russia in the 90s. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

A former Trump campaign adviser has been asked to testify before the House intelligence committee over accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.



The Guardian has confirmed that Michael Caputo, a campaign aide to Trump for much of the presidential primary, has been asked to submit to a voluntary interview with the committee and provide any documents requested. The committees request was first reported by Maggie Haberman of the New York Times.

It comes as Trump is facing increased scrutiny over allegations about his campaigns ties to Russia. Former FBI director Robert Mueller was appointed as a special counsel this week to investigate Trumps campaign and the Washington Post has reported that a current White House official is a person of interest in the ongoing investigation.

The parade of accusations, which also include claims that Trump fired former FBI director James Comey after pressuring him to drop an investigation into Russia, come as the President makes his first overseas trip since taking office. Trump landed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday where he sealed a trade pact to sell up to $110bn in military equipment to the Saudis.

Although the trip  which has so far included a colorful sword dance ceremony as well as Trump taking pains not to use the potentially offensive phrase radical Islamic terrorism  has gone smoothly for its first day, there are still eight more days of potential pitfalls. Trump is scheduled to go to Israel, the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily where he will meet with an array of world leaders including Nato allies as well as the Pope. During his insurgent presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly derided Nato and called Pope Francis disgraceful at a campaign stop in South Carolina.



Caputo, who has close links with Roger Stone, Trumps long-time and highly controversial political adviser, worked in Russia in the 1990s. Democratic congresswoman Jackie Speier had previously mentioned Caputos name in a March hearing before the House intelligence committee.

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In that hearing, where then-FBI director James Comey testified, Speier noted that Caputo briefly did public relations work for Gazprom and that he met his second wife in the Ukraine while serving as a consultant in that countrys 2007 parliamentary elections. The Guardian understands that, as a result of Speiers comments about Caputos wife, the long-time consultant was likely to insist that any testimony before the committee be public.

Caputo worked for Trumps campaign from November 2015 to June 2016 when he resigned after publicly gloating over the firing of former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. In the immediate aftermath of Lewandowskis termination, he tweeted: Ding dong the witch is dead. Hours later, Caputo stepped down while expressing his regret for too exuberant a reaction to this personnel move.

Ironically, a former top Clinton aide once cited Caputo as a validator for Russias role attempting to influence the election. On 25 July 2016, Brian Fallon, Clintons national press secretary cited a tweet from Caputo to note Trump is pretending the Russians arent behind DNC hack, but his former top adviser just agreed they are.
Caracas (AFP) - Doctors rallied in Venezuela Monday in the latest street protests against President Nicolas Maduro, as a young man lay in hospital after being set on fire by an angry crowd.

Three people were killed, all of them by gunshot wounds, in violent riots in late president Hugo Chavez's home state of Barinas -- bringing the death toll to 51 as the unrest entered its eighth week, the public prosecution service said.

An AFP reporter saw demonstrators burn a government office and a police car in the western town of Barinas in the state of the same name.

Fresh clashes also broke out between protesters and police on the outskirts of Caracas, where demonstrators blocked streets with barricades.

After marches by various civil groups, it was the turn of the Venezuelan Medical Federation to vent its frustrations in the streets.

About 20,000 thousand of its sympathizers marched towards the health ministry in Caracas. Police fired tear gas to drive them back, in scenes that have become familiar after weeks of unrest.

"The country is verging on catastrophe. The health system is a disaster," said Fernando Gudayol, a 50-year-old surgeon.

"One is always afraid to come out, but we will carry on doing it until there is a change."

- Pro-government counter-rally -

The opposition is demanding elections to remove Maduro from power. They blame him for an economic crisis that has caused shortages of food, medicine and basic supplies.

"A simple infection can turn into something serious for a lack of antibiotics and any kind of supplies, and for a lack of maintenance of the equipment," said Eliecer Melear, a 41-year-old urologist.

Maduro's supporters staged a counter-demonstration near the presidential palace.

"What lack of medicine?" asked medical student Rangel Vegas, 31. "We are in the streets and in the clinics giving a response to what communities need."

Maduro's government repeated its claim that it was targeted by an international conspiracy.

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The government side "is the victim of political and ideological persecution in Venezuela and internationally," Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told a news conference.

Maduro earlier called for a further "march for peace" on Tuesday.

- Man set alight -

Maduro accuses the opposition of plotting a coup against him with US backing. He says the crisis is a capitalist conspiracy.

The government and opposition accuse each other of sending armed groups to sow violence in the demonstrations.

On Sunday, a man was beaten, doused in petrol and set alight during a protest in the capital Caracas.

The government alleged he was attacked for being a Maduro supporter. Speaking on television, the president identified the man as Orlando Figuera, 21.

He said Figuera was hospitalized with first- and second-degree burns over half of his body and six knife wounds.

- Opposition risks 'losing steam' -

Elected in 2013, Maduro has resisted opposition efforts to remove him since January 2016.

He has said there will be presidential elections as scheduled next year, but not before.

Instead, he has angered the opposition by seeking constitutional reforms, which his rivals say aim to strengthen his grip on power.

Maduro retains the public backing of the military and control of most state institutions.

Street protests and international pressure "could lead to divisions within the government or within the armed forces or between the government and the armed forces," said David Smilde, a Venezuela expert at the Washington Office on Latin America, a nongovernmental organization.

But he added: "It is hard to keep protest waves going. People have to work, study, eat and live their lives. The opposition needs to think about how to consolidate their gains. Otherwise, this movement too could lose steam."
Associated Press

There has already been two coaching changes halfway through the NFL season with Indianapolis firing Frank Reich this week four weeks after Carolina did the same to Matt Rhule. The NFL had a record-tying 10 coaching changes last offseason and three-quarters of the teams have changed head coaches at least once in the past five years. Here's a look at some coaches who figure to be on the hot seat if things don't turn around in the second half of the season and some assistants who could be in line for head coaching jobs.
By Press Trust of India: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, May 22 (PTI) Pakistans national carrier PIA suffered a huge embarrassment today after 20 kilogrammes of heroin was seized from one of its planes at the Islamabad international airport, a week after narcotics was found on another flight of the troubled airliner at a British airport.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said security personnel at Benazir Bhutto International Airport seized heroin from the flight PK-785 just as it prepared to take off for London.

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Tajwar said the search operation was conducted by Anti- Narcotics Force and PIAs security team.

Five persons have been detained.

Because of the development, the flights departure was delayed by more than two hours, the spokesperson said.

Another official said 20 kilogrammes of heroin was found hidden in the plane.

Prime Ministers special adviser on aviation Sardar Mehtab Khan has ordered a probe to fix the responsibility.

The Pakistani national carrier has attracted attention lately over seizure of narcotics on board its flights.

Last week, heroin "concealed in packets" was seized from a PIA Boeing 777 plane at the UKs Heathrow airport. Its 14- member crew was interrogated for hours after it landed there.

The back-to-back incidents have dented the reputation of the airline. It has become a source of embarrassment for the Pakistani government and lawmakers have demanded that it be privatised.

PIA has been incurring losses running into billions of rupees and its reputation has nosedived.

The acting CEO of the airline, German national Bernd Hildenbrand, was recently stopped from going out of Pakistan, and he and two other top officials were investigated for alleged corruption in the sale of aircraft and its parts.

Also last week, a pilot came under scrutiny after he invited a young Chinese woman passenger into the cockpit during a flight from Tokyo to Beijing. She reportedly remained in the cockpit for two hours. PTI SH/ABH AKJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and the Russian diplomatic service are the latest recruits to a burgeoning right-wing conspiracy theory about the death of a young staffer at the Democratic National Committee last summer.

Newt Gingrich, speaking Sunday on Fox News, pushed the idea that DNC staffer Seth Rich, who was shot and killed last summer in Washington, D.C., was murdered as part of a WikiLeaks-related conspiracy.

We have this very strange story now of this young man who worked for the Democratic National Committee, said Gingrich, the former presidential candidate and Trump backer whose wife has been nominated as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, who apparently was assassinated at 4 in the morning, having given WikiLeaks something like 53,000 emails and 17,000 attachments.

Nobodys investigating that, and what does that tell you about whats going on? added Gingrich. Because it turns out, it wasnt the Russians. It was this young guy who, I suspect, was disgusted by the corruption of the Democratic National Committee. Hes been killed, and apparently nothing serious has been done to investigative his murder. So Id like to see how [special counsel Robert] Mueller is going to define what his assignment is.

Gingrich was echoing charges that began ricocheting around right-wing media last week, crowding out coverage of the burgeoning Trump-Russia scandals. And like the commentators on Breitbart, Fox and other channels, he was both demanding an investigation and presuming its conclusions, based on evidence that is either unsupported or already debunked.

The District of Columbia police say Rich, who was shot in the back at 4 a.m. near his home in northwest Washington, was the victim of a botched robbery. This was about two weeks before Wikileaks began publishing thousands of emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee, some of which proved embarrassing to the Clinton campaign. American intelligence agencies say they are certain the hack was perpetrated by Russia cyberwar agents.

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But in August, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, in an interview with Dutch television, alluded to Richs death to illustrate the dangers his sources face  suggesting, without quite saying outright, that the young staffer might have been involved in the leak.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich speaks on The Principles of Trumpism at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on December 13, 2016. (Photo: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

The story reemerged last week following an interview aired on a Fox News affiliate in Washington with a private investigator hired by the Rich family (and paid for by a third party, Ed Butowsky, a Dallas financier and Fox News guest). The investigator, Rod Wheeler, said a law enforcement agency, believed to be the FBI, had found evidence on Richs laptop that he had been in contact with WikiLeaks before his death.

But Wheeler quickly walked back the claims, saying in an interview with CNN that he had only heard that information from a reporter at Fox News. According to NBC News, multiple sources confirmed that the laptop never contained any emails related to WikiLeaks and that it was never in the FBIs possession. Richs parents asked him to stop spreading these accounts via a cease-and-desist letter.

Its sad but unsurprising that a group of media outlets who have repeatedly lied to the American people would try and manipulate the legacy of a murder victim in order to forward their own political agenda, family representative Brad Bauman told Business Insider. I think there is a special place in hell for people like that.

Sunday night Fox News host Sean Hannity urged that Congress open an investigation into Richs murder, continuing his coverage of the story. Hannity and other right-wing outlets are raising the possibility that Rich was the victim of a plot related to the emails. That, in turn, would cast doubt on the intelligence findings blaming Moscow for the hacking, thereby tending to clear the Trump campaign of collusion with Russia.

Congress, investigate Seth Rich Murder! @JulianAssange made comments u need to listen to! If Seth was wiki source, no Trump/Russia collusion https://t.co/QPHZwypU34  Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) May 22, 2017

The pro-Trump Reddit group The_Donald has also made Rich a prime topic of conversation, with one user planning a march in July. BuzzFeed News reported last week on how the Trump group was responsible for pushing the Rich narrative in response to the slew of negative news hitting the White House, specifically the Washington Post report that Trump had given classified intelligence to Russian officials visiting the White House. Via BuzzFeeds Charlie Warzel:

This is perhaps the thing that the pro-Trump media is best at. Here, Infowars Paul Joseph Watson closes the conspiratorial loop and suggests that the initial Washington Post story was part of a nefarious plot to crowd out the news cycle and distract from the real news of the day  no matter that the Fox 5 report on Seth Rich came hours after the Washington Post scoop.

Posters on The_Donald also reached out to Judicial Watch, a conservative organization that describes itself as promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. A spokesperson for Judicial Watch told Yahoo News that they had filed a Freedom of Information Act with the FBI last year shortly after Richs murder and received no information. They filed a FOIA regarding the case with the Washington, D.C., mayor and police department last week.

Joining the voices calling for a further Rich investigation was @RussianEmbassy, the verified account for Russias London embassy, which sent out a graphic asking Who killed Seth Rich? The post included criticism of mainstream media for paying attention to hacking charges over the Rich murder.

#WikiLeaks informer Seth Rich murdered in US but ???????? MSM was so busy accusing Russian hackers to take notice. pic.twitter.com/0XVezTyfHM  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) May 19, 2017

The embassy account often tweets right-wing memes and taunted the Obama White House after it expelled 35 Russian diplomats as part of sanctions over a hacking incident during the 2016 election.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas accused US President Donald Trump on Monday of smearing the name of Palestinian "resistance" to Israeli occupation during a speech on Islam.

Addressing Muslim leaders in Riyadh on Sunday, Trump called for unity against "Islamic terror", specifically naming Hamas and the Islamic State group.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said Trump's remarks were "aimed at besmirching the reputation of the Palestinian resistance".

The movement refused to be treated as a "terrorist" organisation, he told AFP.

Senior Hamas official Mushir al-Masri said Trump was "aligning himself with the policies of the (Israeli) occupier".

In his speech, Trump called on Muslim leaders to confront "the crisis of Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds".

He specifically named Sunni jihadist groups IS and Al-Qaeda and Lebanon's armed Shiite movement Hezbollah alongside Hamas.

Hamas used force to seize control of the Gaza Strip from secular Palestinian rivals in 2007 after winning an election.

It is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and Israel, with which it has fought three wars in the Gaza Strip since 2008.

Trump arrived in Israel Monday and is due to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day.

He is to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas Tuesday as he seeks ways to restart moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
Tehran (AFP) - After his re-election triumph, President Hassan Rouhani must now grapple with a fiercely hostile United States and hardliners at home as he struggles to build a more moderate and connected Iran.

Iran's entrenched conservative establishment -- particularly in the judiciary and elite Revolutionary Guards -- remain deeply suspicious of Rouhani's talk of civil liberties and building ties with the West.

"The non-elected institutions will try to prevent Rouhani from applying his reform agenda," said Clement Therme, Iran analyst for the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"So he will focus on the economic side. If the daily lives of the population improve, he will be in a stronger position to push for structural reforms on civil rights."

Fixing the economy will not be easy. Despite a nuclear deal with world powers, Washington still maintains a raft of sanctions that are scaring off global banks and foreign investors.

US President Donald Trump has gone further, threatening to tear up the nuclear deal and visiting Iran's bitter regional rival Saudi Arabia this weekend, where he signed a $110 billion arms deal described as targeting "malign Iranian influence" in the region.

Nonetheless, European and Asian governments are determined to keep the nuclear deal alive and take full advantage of the lucrative investment opportunities in Iran.

They are cheered by Rouhani's victory over hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, who had threatened a tougher, more insular approach to foreign relations.

"A lot of investors I hadn't heard from for three months were suddenly phoning me this morning. Some are already booking their tickets," said Farid Dehdilani, international adviser for the Iranian Privatisation Organisation after results were announced on Saturday.

"Dr Rouhani will more aggressively pursue his economic agenda -- investing in factories, production and absorbing foreign capital. I think he'll make his cabinet younger and more agile," he said.

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- 'A smarter politician' -

Challenging the security forces, which control large swathes of the economy and need Iran's resources as a source of patronage, will be tough.

And Rouhani notably failed to win the release of jailed opposition leaders or prevent the arrest of several dual nationals by intelligence services outside his control.

Many fear his second term could mirror that of reformist president Mohammad Khatami in the early 2000s, when every attempt at reform was frustrated by the hardline establishment.

But Rouhani, a long-time regime insider, may be better placed than his predecessors, said politics professor Foad Izadi, of Tehran University.

"Rouhani has shown himself to be a smarter politician than Khatami was," said Izadi.

"He's been part of the system long enough to know how to navigate it. Khatami was more ideological which reduced his ability to get things done."

Crucially, Rouhani's technocratic approach has allowed him to co-opt key conservatives such as parliament speaker Ali Larijani.

"The alliance with Larijani has been very helpful to Rouhani in getting his ministers and policies approved. That will continue to be crucial in his second term," said Izadi.

- Next supreme leader? -

The big long-term question is whether Rouhani can influence the rise of the next supreme leader after the death of the ageing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Raisi, touted as a possible successor, is now out of the running, said Izadi.

"Maybe he will come back in four years, but with this type of showing we can rest assured that Raisi will not be the next supreme leader. The leader must show popular support."

But with hardliners firmly in control of the Assembly of Experts that will choose the next leader, Rouhani and his allies have little influence over the succession.

Nonetheless, this weekend's election has given a clear indication that Iran's youthful population supports his vision for the country's future.

"Iranian people no longer believe in economic populism and radical change," said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group.

"They have the maturity to understand that the solution to their country's predicaments are in competent management of the economy and moderation in international relations."
President Underwood visits Bens Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2017. (Photo: Pete Souza/Netflix)

When last we saw House of Cards antihero Frank Underwood, he was declaring a new war on terror in an effort to distract the nation from a devastating expose of his misdeeds by journalist Tom Hammerschmidt. As showrunner Melissa James Gibson told Yahoo TV in our Spring TV Preview, Season 5 picks up on that, and we see the Underwoods using fear and terror to maintain power at all costs.

President Underwood visits Bens Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2017. (Photo: Pete Souza/Netflix)

As youll see from these exclusive photos  shot by Pete Souza, chief official White House photographer for Presidents Ronald Regan and Barack Obama  President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) remains focused on pressing the flesh and working hard for (against?) the American people today. That includes a stop at a D.C. chili joint, of course. Souzas images are being shot in Washington, D.C., today for a Day in the Life of Frank Underwood portfolio commissioned by Netflix.

House of Cards Season 5 premieres Tuesday, May 30, on Netflix.

Read more from Yahoo TV:
[TAMUZ DISTRICT, MOSUL, IRAQ]  The fight to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group is entering its final stage but is still hampered by the presence of large numbers of civilians trapped in their homes.

In the Tamuz district on the outskirts of western Mosul, Iraqi forces traded fire with remaining ISIS snipers. The crack of rifles and the boom of explosives reverberated through the empty streets. Iraqi soldiers built a barricade of destroyed cars carried to the front lines by construction trucks. They sought to keep media from photographing it, saying it would portray them negatively, but they wouldnt say why.

The Iraqi government wants to complete the reconquest of Mosul before the start of Ramadan, the monthlong Muslim fast, on May 26. But from the front lines its not clear that this can happen.

Back in the Tamuz district, ISIS fighters used car bombs, snipers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the battle against soldiers of the Iraqi Federal Police and Emergency Response Division (ERD). This is a densely settled neighborhood, and soldiers are going house to house along the narrow streets and alleys in search of ISIS fighters. Airstrikes here are difficult, but helicopters and fighter jets were heard circling above the area.

Soldiers came back to reload their Humvees with ammunition, and officers listened to their men squawk on the radio about their positions.

One of the commanders for the ERD, Col. Mahdi Abbas, told Yahoo News, We are advancing, and said they had gained more than 150 meters of ground in one day. But he admitted that there were many civilians: The civilians are priority. We take them to a safe area and continue our operations.

As the smoke and firing subsided, street by street, families emerged from wherever they had found shelter, fleeing toward safety behind government lines.

Tired, dehydrated and hungry, they ran, many with babies in their arms. Their clothes dirty, their faces somber, they feared being hit by ISIS snipers, who have been known to target those fleeing.

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In one of the districts safe areas behind the frontline, one man, who did not want to give his name, told Yahoo News, There was nothing to eat; sometimes there was just some bread and tea.

His hand shook as he lit his second cigarette and said that under ISIS, if he had been able to get a cigarette, it would have cost him almost $5, and if he had gotten caught with it, he could have been severely punished: They would beat you with lashes or kill you.

A woman held her 7-month year old child, a child soon to be stateless without proper Iraqi identification, and said it was hard to get food and formula for him. A young man said his family had been hungry for days, with nothing but grass to eat.

Two soldiers picked up an elderly woman in a wheelchair and carried her up the hill to a truck. The woman looked frail and exhausted. Families were loaded into trucks as well, women and children first. Away from the frontline, the families would be screened and then sent to camps for the displaced.

At a house being used by the Federal Police as a base in the Tamuz district, one soldier said he had helped a family hide in a basement when they were going through to push ISIS back from the street.

Although the Iraqi troops have fought their way through Tamuz, there are no reliable estimates of how many ISIS fighters are left inside Mosul or how long it may take to dislodge them. With Ramadan coming, the fighting may move to nighttime, as some soldiers may fast during the day. The Iraqi government hopes that it will just take days. The beleaguered civilians can only hope they are right.

 Ash Gallagher is a journalist covering the Mideast for Yahoo News.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Donald Trump said he has found 'new reasons for hope' for peace in the Middle East on his debut foreign trip: AFP/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Israel for the second leg of his maiden foreign trip in search of Middle Eastern peace - a goal he has described as the ultimate deal.

Arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday, the president also said he saw a growing consensus among Muslim-majority nations that they share a common cause with Israel in fighting both Islamic extremism and Iranian influence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dozens more members of the coalition government greeted Mr Trump in a short ceremony as Air Force One landed at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport at lunchtime on Monday.

A helicopter then delivered the visiting president to Jerusalem, where he met with President Reuven Rivlin, visiting both the Western Wall  Judaism's holiest site  and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed to be where Jesus's tomb is located. Mr Trump, who is the first sitting US President to visit the site, placed a note inside a hole in the Western Wall, as is customary for visitors.

The official US visit has been met with extensive security arrangements following calls from some Palestinian factions for a "day of rage"; more than 10,000 extra police and counter-terrorism officers were deployed for Mr Trumps two-night stay.

The visiting presidents 1,000-person-strong entourage also includes a large security detail.

The message should be sent that the Palestinian people insist on their right to self-determination and national independence with east Jerusalem as its sovereign capital, a statement from the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces read, calling the US' support for the Israeli occupation of the West Bank "unacceptable."

The east of Jerusalem was annexed by Israel along with parts of the West Bank in 1967 in a move which was never officially recognised by the international community. Both sides in the Israeli-Arab conflict claim the holy city as their capital.

The entire US delegation is staying at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where Mr Trump, his wife Melania, and Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu will have a private dinner on Monday evening.

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The Presidents suite has been fitted out with bullet-proof glass and other measures by US security services to make it bomb, blast and gas proof, NBC reported on Sunday, and his food will be tested for poison.

Mr Trump is scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday before laying a wreath at the Holocaust Remembrance Centre and delivering a speech at the National Museum of Israel.

Mr Trump is widely viewed in Israel and the wider Middle East as far more sympathetic to Israeli interests than his predecessor Barack Obama.

Despite his pro-Israeli campaign trail rhetoric, since entering the White House Mr Trump has caught some Israeli hard-liners off guard with the suggestion the government should hold back on settlement building, and his administration has equivocated over whether the US embassy will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as promised.

He has, however, repeatedly emphasised his sincere desire to broker a peace deal in the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, putting his son-in-law Jared Kushner in charge of such efforts.

We must work together to build a future where the nations of the region are at peace and all of our children can grow, grow up strong and free from terrorism and violence, Mr Trump said on his arrival on Monday.

During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope.

White House aides have downplayed hopes any significant progress on reviving long-stalled peace talks can be made, describing the president's first trip as "symbolic".

The President flew to Tel Aviv after two days in Riyadh, where he and Saudi Arabian leaders pledged strong ties, greater cooperation in fighting Islamist terrorism and finalised a $110 billion (85 million) arms deal.

The weapons deal - which rights campaigners fear will fuel the conflict in Yemen - could open Mr Trump to questions from Israeli officials.

Last week's revelations the president shared classified Israeli information with Russian visitors to the White House is another point of contention, although speaking on board Air Force One, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters he wasn't sure that Mr Trump had "anything to apologise for".

During a press conference with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Trump seemed to hint that Israel was the source of the intelligence, telling reporters he never mentioned "the word of the name 'Israel'" during the visit by Russian diplomats.

When Mr Netanyahu was asked if he had any concerns about intelligence cooperation with the US, the prime minister responded: Intelligence cooperation is terrific. It's never been better.

The next stops on the president's first trip abroad since taking office in January are the Vatican, Brussels, and a G7 summit in Italy.
Ivanka Trump has praised the progress of womens rights in Saudi Arabia after the country and the United Arab Emirates pledged to donate $100 million to the first World Bank's global project for women entrepreneurs.

Speaking in Saudi Arabia as her father met with Arab and Islam leaders, Ms Trump said progress in the nation was encouraging but said there was still a lot of work to be done.

"In every country around the world women and girls continue to face unique systematic, institutional, cultural barriers, which hinder us from fully engaging in and achieving true parity of opportunity within our communities," she said at a roundtable of women leaders in society, businesswomen and elected government officials.

Each of you know this to be true. And yet the stories of Saudi women, such as yourselves, catalysing change, inspire me to believe in the possibility of global womens empowerment.

Progress includes women being allowed to vote in local elections, and a decreasing amount of power held by the religious police.

The need to empower and engage women transcends borders and cultures. Whether in the United States or in Saudi Arabia, women play a critical role in a movement that unites us all, she said.

Journalists were asked to leave the room before issues around women's equality could be brought up, such as women not having the right to drive, go anywhere alone or be included in public life.

US officials did not raise these concerns, as noted by the US state departments past reports on human rights.

Ms Trump was invited to participate by Saudi Princess Reema bint Bandar, a retail executive, divorced mother and social activist who is one of the main voices for womens rights in a conservative country.

At the same forum, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the UAE and Saudi Arabia will donate $100 million towards the planned $1 billion global womens entrepreneurship fund, which was encouraged by Ms Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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It is unclear how much each of the two Middle East nations donated. The Wall Street Journal reported that although the President's daughter proposed the fund, she does not control it or raise money for it.

Thank you @JimYongKim for your leadership & for joining me in a meaningful discussion with women entrepreneurs today, tweeted Ms Trump.

He responded, "Womens economic empowerment is key to growth. Thanks to Saudi Arabia & UAE for their support & @IvankaTrump for championing the issue."

The fund is still being formed and will be formally announced at the G-20 July summit.

It and is aimed to help women in the Middle East  in countries that are clients of the World Bank  to access finance, markets and networks.

I think this fund [...] is going to make a huge difference, Mr Kim said.

Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAEs ambassador to the US, said in a statement that his countrys donation shows our commitment to empowering women in our region and builds on the progress we have made in our country, where women play a role in every segment of society.

In 2016 the World Bank invested $2.5 billion in Michelle and Barack Obamas charity for girls education, called Let Girls Learn, over five years.

Mr Kim said at the time that the empowerment of girls was central to the groups development efforts.
Joining her father President Donald Trump on his trip through the Middle East, Ivanka Trump has dressed more modestly than usual, and that streak has continued during their visit to Israel.

Ivanka Trump covered her head in Israel. (Photo: Getty Images)

The first daughter was photographed wearing a rarely seen accessory (at least on her): a hat. She wore the small navy hat perched on one side on her head, with a headband securing the velvet topper. Her hair was styled in a soft chignon at the nape of her neck.

Hats are worn by Orthodox Jewish women following the concept of Tzniut, which is Hebrew for modesty or humility in both dress and behavior. Orthodox women will opt for loose clothing in muted colors that do not draw attention, long-sleeve tops, skirts long enough to cover the knee while sitting and close-toed shoes. And in some traditional communities, women will wear a hat after marriage, especially at a synagogue or Holy site.

The Western Wall, which Ivanka visited today, is Judaisms holiest prayer site.

Ivanka Trump prays as she touches the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest prayer site, in Jerusalems Old City May 22, 2017. (Photo: Reuters/Heidi Levine/Pool)

The rest of her look was also more modest than whats typically seen from Ivanka, who converted to Judaism in 2009 before marrying husband Jared Kushner. She wore a black long-sleeved top with a navy sash, and a $959 midi-length navy pleated skirt by Cedric Charlier, which aligned with the modest Orthodox dress code. She carried a black clutch and wore $135 black pumps from her namesake line. Her makeup was minimal, with only a subtle dark pink pop of lipstick.

First Lady Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump leave the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest prayer site, in Jerusalems Old City May 22, 2017. (Photo: Reuters/Heidi Levine/Pool)

Ivankas choice to wear a head covering was in stark contrast to how she appeared in Saudi Arabia during the presidents first overseas trip. Following in Michelle Obamas footsteps, Ivanka and Melania both opted to forgo a headscarf in Saudi Arabia, the conservative country that is governed by Sharia law and expects women in public to be fully covered.

Melania and Ivanka werent the first women from foreign governments visiting Saudi Arabia to go uncovered. British prime minister Theresa May and German chancellor Angela Merkel, who both visited Saudi Arabia on separate occasions in the past few months, didnt wear headscarves either. Neither did Laura Bush as FLOTUS or Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice, when they were each serving as Secretary of State.

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Ivanka made quite an impression on the Saudis, though. As detailed in the English-language website Arab News, as soon as the presidents daughter stepped off the airplane in Saudi Arabia, she entered the Arabic-speaking spotlight and caused the Twitter hashtag Ivanka bint Trump, or Trumps daughter, to trend on the social media platform.

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After another week of insane of White House scandals, John Oliver on Last Week Tonight was trying to make sense of what he called, "Stupid Watergate." He had a few questions including, "What the f*** is going on? How big a deal is this? Where do we go from here? And is this real life?" Oliver wasn't the only one feeling reactionary. Anderson Cooper basically lost it during his interview with Jeffrey Lord saying to him, "If [Trump] took a dump on his desk, you would defend it." A Hard Week Last Week (Tonight) Monday kicked off with revelations that President Trump may have inadvertently revealed codeword information, one of the highest levels of classification,to Russian officials. But that scandal got Trumped by Tuesday's news that FBI director James Comey wrote a memo saying that Trump asked him to shut down investigating national security advisor, Michael Flynn. The "W" Word And between those two scandals, it was enough for the first of two Republican representatives to suggest Trump's actions might merit impeachment, while John McCain said it was of "Watergate size and scale."
By Press Trust of India: Jammu, May 22 (PTI) Police has recovered 33 kgs of poppy and arrested one person in Jammu and Kashmirs Udhampur district today.

Police achieved success when they seized 33.55 kgs of poppy concealed in bags from the possession of one driver of a Tata mobile vehicle, which was carrying the narcotic substance in a special fabricating cabin today, a police officer said.

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The accused driver has been identified as Sajad Ahmed of Pulwama district in South Kashmir.

Police intercepted the vehicle during checking at Motorshed Chenani on Jammu-Srinagar national highway, he said, adding that during search of the vehicle 33.55 kg of poppy was seized from it.

The vehicle, which was on its way from Kashmir to Jammu, along with the illegal consignment was seized and the accused person has been booked under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA).

A case has been registered at Chenani Police Station, he added. PTI AB IKA

--- ENDS ---
After another week of insane White House scandals and Donald Trump oddities, John Oliver on Last Week Tonight was trying to make sense of what he called stupid Watergate. He had a few questions including, What the f*** is going on? How big a deal is this? Where do we go from here? And is this real life?

Oliver wasnt the only one feeling reactionary. Anderson Cooper basically lost it during his interview with Jeffrey Lord, saying, If [Trump] took a dump on his desk, you would defend it.

A Hard Week Last Week (Tonight)

Monday kicked off with revelations that President Trump may have revealed codeword information, one of the highest levels of classification, to Russian officials. But that scandal was trumped by Tuesdays news that FBI director James Comey wrote a memo saying that Trump asked him to shut down an investigation of then-national security advisor, Michael Flynn.

The W Word

And between those two scandals, it was enough for the first of two Republican representatives to suggest Trumps actions might merit impeachment, while John McCain said it was of Watergate size and scale.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver airs Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO.

Check out how Donald Trump and Paul Ryan were put on blast by John Oliver over the James Comey firing:

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 Last Week Tonight Calls Out President Trump for Recent Bombings

 John Oliver Makes Commercial to Caution Trump About Publicly Supporting Bill OReilly

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below.
A group of Canadian teenagers got the surprise of their lives while celebrating their prom on Friday when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jogged past them and then stopped for a selfie.

SEE ALSO: Canada's Justin Trudeau cuddles with baby pandas

Trudeau was jogging around the Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver, British Columbia when he stumbled upon a group of teens dressed up for prom.



Adam Scotti  Trudeau's official photographer  captured the moment he ran past the group and posted a series of images in an Instagram gallery.



"I always love to watch people's faces as they realise who just ran past, often several paces after he has passed," wrote Scotti on Instagram.

Thankfully, it looks like the teens caught Trudeau just in time. They managed to get a selfie with the prime minister, and their prom photographer shared the shot on Instagram.

#VCProm2017 A post shared by Cam Corrado (@crrdo) on May 20, 2017 at 12:33pm PDT

That'll be one for the photo album.
Brasilia (AFP) - Brazil's embattled President Michel Temer won a small reprieve Sunday when a key coalition partner delayed a decision on whether to abandon him over an explosive corruption scandal.

Nationwide street protests called by leftist groups also had only a modest impact, with no more than a few hundred people in each major city, further easing the sense of intense crisis for the center-right president.

Temer has been fighting for his political life since being placed under investigation for allegedly obstructing a corruption probe by paying hush money to the jailed former speaker of the house, Eduardo Cunha. Temer is also accused of taking millions of reais in bribes.

On Sunday the key ally to his center-right PMDB party, the PSDB social democrats, had been set to decide whether to withdraw -- potentially dealing the government of Latin America's biggest country a death blow.

However, the session was cancelled with no explanation.

Instead, Temer met with ministers and legislators at the presidential residency, a spokesman for Temer said. Earlier plans to host a dinner for the allies were dropped due to lower than hoped for attendance, Folha newspaper reported in an indication of Temer's struggle to retain loyalty.

Despite growing demands for his resignation or impeachment, Temer argues that he is needed to keep steering economic reforms aimed at pulling Brazil out of a deep recession.

He has asked the Supreme Court to suspend the investigation into his alleged crimes, arguing that the main evidence -- a secretly recorded audio -- had been doctored. The court is due to examine this Wednesday.

"He has won a bit of time," said Gesner Oliveira, a professor at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro.

- Court showdown -

Clearly Temer, who took over only a year ago after the impeachment of leftist president Dilma Rousseff, is teetering. Even in a country awash in corruption scandals the allegations against the veteran politician have been stunning.

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Brazil's bar association, the Order of Brazilian Lawyers, voted overwhelmingly late Saturday to lodge an impeachment request with Congress, adding to at least eight already filed. The association was also influential in the impeachment of Rousseff last year.

However, while Temer can fight his corruption case in court, he will be doomed if he loses his support in Congress.

Brasilia is buzzing with speculation over whether the parties in his ruling coalition will decide to jump from a sinking ship or instead rally around Temer.

The PSB socialist party, with one minister in the government, already quit Saturday.

But the crucial PSDB has sent mixed signals, with some leaders calling for withdrawal and others urging calm so that economic reforms can go ahead. The PSDB has four ministers, and with 47 lower house deputies and 10 senators it represents an important voting bloc both for approving reforms -- and, if comes to that, for deciding on impeachment.

The tipping point could come as early as Wednesday.

If the Supreme Court agrees to suspend the probe against Temer, he will have a much better chance of rebuilding his alliance, analysts say. If the court rules that the probe continue as planned, mass desertion could follow.

If Temer were impeached or decided to step down, Congress would pick a replacement to rule until after scheduled 2018 elections.

Many ordinary Brazilians on both the left and right are calling for an amendment to the law to allow a snap popular election.

- 'Car Wash'-

Temer's crisis stems from the gigantic corruption investigation know as "Car Wash" that has upended Brazilian politics.

Scores of politicians have been indicted or subjected to probes into alleged bribe-taking and embezzlement, with Temer only the latest and highest-profile to be pulled into the maelstrom.

At the heart of his problems is a conversation he had with an executive from the JBS meat-packing business in which the president allegedly gives his blessing to monthly payments of hush money to Cunha.

Cunha is in prison after a "Car Wash" judge convicted him of bribe-taking, but the powerful insider has long been rumored to be threatening to spill secrets on other politicians.

Temer says he never paid hush money and says the secret recording of his conversation with the executive was misinterpreted, and that the recording itself has been distorted.
By Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron's commitment to reform will face a first crucial test on Tuesday when he meets unions and employers to talk over labor reforms he has pledged to push through quickly despite deep opposition on the Left. Against a background of high unemployment of 9.6 percent, the pro-business, Europe-minded centrist, elected just over two weeks ago, has made a loosening of labor market regulations his biggest economic priority in his first year in office. In essence, he wants to make hiring and firing easier by giving more powers to companies to strike in-house deals on working time for instance and capping severance packages awarded by industrial tribunals. During the roller-coaster campaign, Macron said he would seek parliament's approval over the summer for powers to push through legislation by means of executive decree. That would show his ability to act quickly on reform - something likely to impress his EU partners and particularly paymaster Germany - while at the same time catching the unions on the hop since their supporters normally show little readiness for street protests over summer months. Approval for using executive decree will also depend on whether Macron gets the required majority of support in parliament in legislative elections next month. On Tuesday, Macron is expected to meet leaders of the Communist-backed CGT, the CFDT and a third union, as well as talking with Pierre Gattaz, head of the Medef employers' body. But he may have his work cut out to sell his reform plans to the trade unions, particularly the hardline CGT which led weeks of sometimes violent protests last year to reforms by former Socialist President Francois Hollande. Hollande's plans to cap severance pay were eventually dropped after the unions blocked oil refineries for several weeks and cut power production at nuclear plants. "If the government wants to force its reforms through or doesn't take into account our proposals, there will be anger and also mobilization," the CGT's head, Philippe Martinez, warned on Europe 1 radio on Monday. Macron will be hoping to get on board the reformist CFDT, which supported last year's plans and has now overtaken the more militant CGT as the strongest in the private sector. But CFDT chief Laurent Berger also signaled misgivings last week about Macron's decision to use executive decrees to get his reforms through. "He is wrong to think legislating via decrees over the summer will help him avoid social conflicts," Berger told Les Echos newspaper. Macron, who has said he will personally oversee the labor reform's implementation as one of his six manifesto priorities, will nonetheless rely on Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud for day-to-day negotiations. The appointment of Penicaud, a former human resources director at yoghurt giant Danone who was also a member of Socialist grandee Martine Aubry's staff when she introduced the 35-hour working week, was well received by reformist unions. "She's a woman I like," Berger told French television last week. "Her nomination makes sense." (Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
By Gina Cherelus

(Reuters) - A Massachusetts state college apologized on Saturday for Twitter messages filled with racist language, anti-immigrant speech and praise for President Donald Trump that had been sent from its hacked social media account.

Salem State University President Patricia Meservey said in an emailed statement that none of the recent tweets, which were sent out around 11:45 p.m. on Friday, represented the views of the school.

"We have done great work in the area of social justice and will continue to do so until incidents such as this no longer occur," Meservey said. "As a community, we are committed to stand against such hateful acts."

According to screenshot photos posted online, the tweets called the Black Lives Matter movement "unneeded and unnecessary," said that Trump "has done nothing but great things" for America and used a racial slur to describe former President Barack Obama.

One tweet said "immigrant thieves" were not welcome in the United States and that "our education revolves around white working Americans." A subsequent post included Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again."

Many Americans have sensed an unsettling rise in racial hostility since Trump took office in January, or at least a greater willingness by some to express it, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.

The number of hate crimes in the United States has surged since his election, fueled by passions inflamed during a campaign that focused on issues such as race, religion and national origin, according to a report from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino.

Meservey said campus police regained control of the account soon after the university learned of the hack, deleted the tweets, and were putting additional security in place to prevent future incidents.

Salem State University, located about 25 miles north of Boston in the city famous for its 1692 witch trials, has an enrollment of about 9,000. About 35 percent of the freshmen class last year were of racial minorities, its website said.

The investigation into the hack, which occurred on the night before the school's graduation ceremony, was not completed, the university said.

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Chizu Nomiyama)
Geneva (AFP) - Despite impassioned pleas from several countries, the World Health Organization's annual assembly refused Monday to even discuss admitting Taiwan to the meeting, under pressure from China.

Self-governing Taiwan, which China sees as a renegade province awaiting reunification, has been invited to attend the WHO's main annual meeting as an observer every year since 2009, but this year it did not receive an invitation.

Relations with China have become increasingly frosty since Taiwan's Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took power almost a year ago and China has sought to block the island from a string of international events.

In an interview with AFP Sunday, Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said he was "very, very disappointed" to be excluded from the meeting.

Representatives from 11 of WHO's 194 member countries, including Nicaragua, Paraguay and Belize, put forth a proposal on Monday -- the first day of the assembly -- to put offering Taiwan permanent observer status onto the agenda.

But the assembly decided without a vote to reject the proposal, leaving the issue off the agenda. Pro-Taiwan protesters were demonstrating in front of the UN as the gathering was under way.

Robert Browne, the health minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines which was among the countries behind the proposal, warned that "the exclusion of Taiwan erodes the credibility, integrity and effectiveness of this important assembly."

His counterpart from Palau, Gregorio Ngirmang, agreed, asking the assembly how he could be permitted to represent the 17,000 citizens of Palau at the meeting "while we ignore the 23 million people in Taiwan."

But China hailed the decision to leave Taiwanese observer status off the agenda, insisting that was Beijing's decision alone.

"Taiwan is part of China. Questions regarding Taiwan are China's internal affairs," the Chinese representative at the meeting said.

Story continues

Under Tsai's Beijing-friendly predecessor Ma Ying-jeou, a cross-strait agreement was reached allowing Taiwan to sit in on the World Health Assembly as an observer.

Today "the political foundation for Taiwan China to participate in the assembly this year is not there anymore," the Chinese representative said Monday.

He rejected the notion put forth by the 11 countries that blocking Taiwan could hamper international cooperation and the rapid exchange of information on health matters.

The proposal's real agenda, he said, was to help Taiwanese "authorities to manipulate health issues in an attempt to expand their so-called international space and challenge the One china principle."
Now, heres how you do summer.

The Obamas are visiting Italy, and while sightseeing in Montalcino, former first lady Michelle Obama wore a one-shoulder rose-colored top, paired with cropped white jeans and white slides. She accented the ensemble with a cross-body white bag.

A post shared by TMZ (@tmz_tv) on May 21, 2017 at 8:47am PDT

Hair loose and breezy? Check. Oversize sunglasses? Check.

Michelle is off-duty! sums up style watcher and author Amy Tara Koch. The holiday-happy look revolves around a brightly colored top that is casual but on-trend and proportion-perfect. Michelle makes the most of her buff arms, and works the shoulder-baring shirt by tempering the volume with a cross-body bag and fitted, tapered distressed denim with frayed hems.

The adorable top from Finnish brand Teija costs $397. The on-trend hoops, meanwhile, are by Jennifer Fisher and cost $295. Finally, the chic sunglasses are by Morgenthal Frederics and will cost you $497.

As for Obamas shoulders, thats #MondayMotivation right there. The first lady has made headlines  some positive, some not so much  for displaying her shoulders and arms in the past, most notably in her first official portrait in 2009.

Michelle Obamas first Official White House Portrait. (Photo: White House)

Supporters hailed her modern approach to fashion and for showing off her toned physique, while others slammed her for being too informal and casual.

Michelle Obama in Naeem Khan at a Nordic state dinner (Photo: Getty Images)

Regardless of your stance on Obamas arms  the first lady showed them off at numerous high-profile events. One of the standouts was her Naeem Khan one-shoulder confection, worn to the Nordic state dinner in May 2016 and her white Brandon Maxwell, also donned to a state dinner in August 2016.

Michelle Obama in Brandon Maxwell at a state dinner in August 2016 (Photo: Getty Images)

As for her travel ensemble, some on the Internet were impressed:

First Lady Michelle Obama looking fresh and flawless while touring the city of Montalcino in Italy. pic.twitter.com/JkZ846V2IB  Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) May 21, 2017

While others were not:

Story continues

@FLOTUS Melania is in Israel will visit Western Wall Michelle Obama is in Italy today. A Pizzeria in Italy reported a tablecloth stolen. pic.twitter.com/oWmtuff2fH  John Gort (@JohnGort) May 22, 2017

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As Vice President Mike Pence took the stage at Indiana's University of Notre Dame to deliver the commencement speech Sunday, about 150 students silently got up from their seats and staged a walkout.

The commencement speech was originally supposed to be delivered by President Donald Trump, making him the seventh POTUS (president of the United States) to do so in the history of the university. However, more than 1,700 students of the university signed a petition and urged the chancellor to not invite Trump to speak at the ceremony, Time reported.

The protest was a planned one. We StaND For,a student group at the university, said in a statement May 21 it was planning to stage a walkout during the commencement exercises.

The participation and degree conferring of Pence, stand as an endorsement of policies and actions which directly contradict Catholic social teachings and values, and target vulnerable members of the Universitys community, Xitlaly Estrada, an undergraduate of the university said.

Among policies supported by Pence in the past, and condemned by Notre Dame protesters, are the marginalization of civil rights of LGBTQ community, rejection of Syrian refugee resettlement program and the banning of religious minorities, including Trumps infamous travel restrictions on six Muslim majority countries, and ruling against setting up sanctuary cities.

Dozens of students also took to the streets of the campus, holding up signs to persuade Pence to alter his approach on issues like immigration, abortion, gun control and gay rights, the Telegraph reported.

Cassandra Dimaro, a student protester, chose to walk out with her peers from her own graduation ceremony in order to show solidarity "for those of us impacted by the policies of Trump administration as well as the rhetoric Trump administration has used."

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She held a bouquet of flowers in her hand with her rainbow-colored graduation cap displaying the message: Here, queer, get over it.

Dimaros parents too walked out with her. We need to show the world that there has to be tolerance, and we need to be more inclusive and wrap our arms around one another, even if we have different beliefs. Im standing with my chest puffed out right now for what she (Cassandra) did," her father told the South Bend Tribune.

Pence appeared not to take notice of the ongoing protest as grabbed the microphone to deliver his speech. Instead, he praised the values and teachings of the university which urges its students to engage in free speech and expression.

This university [Notre Dame] is a vanguard of the freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas at a time, sadly, when free speech and civility are waning on campuses across America, he said.

This was the second anti-Trump protest by college graduates that took place this month. On May 10, a group of students at Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida, chose to turn their backs and drown the commencement speech delivered by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, in a stream of boos and hisses, the Atlantic reported.

Related Articles
With Tamil Nadu in desperate need of rain, leaders and ministers in its ruling party - the AIADMK - are seeking divine intervention. "There is no other go," said a party member.

By Pramod Madhav: With the monsoon having failed for two consecutive years in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK ministers and leaders are now conducting yagnas in the hope that their state will get some rain.

It isn't the first AIADMK leaders have knocked on temple doors to turn the odds in their favour. When the late Jayalalitha was jailed in the dispropotionate assets case, her cabinet ministers routinely conducted special pujas for her release, and spent lakhs on a daily basis. Word has it that the party's high command even gave the ministers a schedule, specifying the districts in which they needed to conduct pujas.

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And now, AIADMK leaders - and former party leaders - have once again sought divine intervention.

On May 22, AIADMK MLA and former mayor Rajan Chellapa conducted special pujas at the Thirmogur Kaalamega Perumal temple.

A 'Varna jabam' puja was supposedly performed to appease the rain god, and the temple's sacred mast was covered with milk, honey, turmeric and coconut water.

'NO OTHER GO'

"There is no other go. There is no way we can predict the monsoon rains, and when something is out of our hands, we seek the help of the divine. That's what we are doing here", said one of the AIADMK members.

State Cooperatives Minister Sellur Raju - of 'thermocol technique' fame - conducted special pujas inside the famed Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple. A special Kumbam Pooja was performed.

"As per the instructions of our CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, we are conducting special prayers in all respective temples across Tamilnadu. We began the puja by 7 am and then attained 'poornakathi', Raju said.

Sellur Raju said Rs 100 crore had already been spent on desilting water bodies, and that CM Palaniswami had given the go-ahead for another Rs 300 crore to be spent.

"We'll make sure that no rain water is wasted in the future", the minister promised.

STALIN MOCKS AIADMK

Raju took a dig at DMK Working President MK Stalin, who had earlier mocked the the ruling party, saying that while the DMK is working on desilting lakes to hold rain water, the AIADMK is conducting poojas.

"They are only pretending to conduct these desilting programs. Let me ask Stalin one thing. He earlier said at the Assembly that if the government fails to give solatium to the 400 farmers who died because of the drought, he shall do so. But to how many families has he given the package?", Raju asked.

Stalin riding a JCB and everything else was just a public stunt, he claimed.

ALSO READ | After 41 days, Tamil Nadu farmers suspend their agitation in Delhi till May 25

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ALSO READ | Rajini faces protest, pro-Tamil group calls him a Kannadiga, asks Thalaiva to stay out of politics

ALSO READ | Tamil Nadu SSLC results: Rescued child labourers, prisoners among successful test-takers

ALSO WATCH | E Palaniswami meets protesting Tamil Nadu farmers, urges Centre to waive off loans

--- ENDS ---
More than 100 students and their family members have walked out of Vice President Mike Pences commencement speech at Notre Dame University in protest over his stance on LGBTQ issues and refugees.

Mr Pence, who was born not far from the northern Indiana campus, addressed the graduating class on Sunday.

Your education here has prepared you for a life of service to your families, to your communities, and to our country, he said.

But student organisers had been quietly planning their response to Mr Pence for months, ever since he was announced as the commencement speaker.

Brian Ricketts, one of the groups leaders and a former Notre Dame student body president, told IndyStar that many students were upset and hurt by the decision to invite Mr Pence because his policies have impacted the humanity of certain graduates.

A press release from the student activist group pointed to Mr Pences anti-LGBTQ and anti-refugee policies as governor of Indiana, and his support of the Donald Trumps travel ban and threats to sanctuary cities as vice president.

We will walk out in silence, with respect for the human dignity of those with whom we disagree and with an invitation to the rest of the community to build an inclusive future together, the press release said.

A privilege to receive the degree Doctors of Law, Honoris Causa from @NotreDame. Thank you Fr. Jenkins & to the entire ND community. #ND2017 pic.twitter.com/GO1of1jsKl  Vice President Pence (@VP) May 21, 2017

As Mr Pence took to the stage, the students stood and walked out of the stadium. The group later claimed more than 100 had participated in the walkout.

The protest came weeks after Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump's secretary of education, was drowned out by boos during her commencement speech at Bethune-Cookman University.

Story continues

Even before the walkout, Notre Dame valedictorian C J Pine staged his own form of protest, condemning Islamophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments in his speech to the graduates.

If we are going to build walls between American students and international students, then I am skewered on the fence," said Mr Pine, who was raised in China.

Mr Pence, meanwhile, used his speech to warn against attacks on freedom of speech.

"While this institution has maintained an atmosphere of civility and open debate, far too many campuses across America have become characterised by speech codes, safe zones, tone policing, administration-sanctioned political correctness, all of which amounts to nothing less than suppression of the freedom of speech, he said.

Mr Pence is the first vice president ever to give a commencement speech at Notre Dame, but follows a long line of newly inaugurated presidents to do so: Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, George W Bush, and Barack Obama.

Conservatives protested against Mr Obamas commencement speech in 2009 because of his support of abortion rights and several non-student protesters were arrested for trespassing.

No arrests have been reported so far this year.
A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is removed from Lee Circle in New Orleans on May 19, 2017. (Photo: Scott Threlkeld/AP)

A Mississippi statehouse representative has apologized after saying those responsible for removing Confederate monuments in Louisiana should be lynched.

The destruction of these monuments, wrote Rep. Karl Oliver on Facebook Saturday night, erected in the loving memory of our family and fellow Southern Americans, is both heinous and horrific. If the, and I use this term extremely loosely, leadership of Louisiana wishes to, in a Nazi-ish fashion, burn books or destroy historical monuments of OUR HISTORY, they should be LYNCHED! Let it be known, I will do all in my power to prevent this from happening in our State.

Related: Photos  the removal of Confederate monuments

The post began circulating after State Senator Derrick Simmons flagged it Sunday on Twitter. Oliver, a Republican, had his statement condemned by state-level leadership of his party.

Rep. Olivers language is unacceptable and has no place in civil discourse, said Gov. Phil Bryant in a statement.

House Speaker Philip Gunn called on Oliver to apologize in an emailed statement Monday morning, adding the comments do not reflect the views of the Republican Party, the leadership of the House of Representatives or the House as a whole. Oliver did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

I, first and foremost, wish to extend this apology for any embarrassment I have caused to both my colleagues and fellow Mississippians, said Oliver in a written response to the Clarion-Ledger early Monday afternoon. In an effort to express my passion for preserving all historical monuments, I acknowledge the word lynched was wrong. I am very sorry. It is in no way, ever, an appropriate term. I deeply regret that I chose this word, and I do not condone the actions I referenced, nor do I believe them in my heart. I freely admit my choice of words was horribly wrong, and I humbly ask your forgiveness.

Oliver represents Money, the town where 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured and lynched in 1955 for talking to a married white woman. A recent study estimated that over 4,000 African-Americans were lynched across 12 Southern states between 1877 and 1950.

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On Friday, the city of New Orleans removed a fourth and final Confederate monument in the city. This ended a two-year-long process that began when the City Council approved a 2015 proposal from Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

They are not just innocent remembrances of a benign history, said Landrieu on Friday after a memorial to Robert E. Lee memorial was removed. These monuments celebrate a fictional, sanitized Confederacy ignoring the death, ignoring the enslavement, ignoring the terror that it actually stood for, Landrieu said, adding that Lee and the Confederate army fought against the United States. They may have been warriors, but in this cause they were not patriots.

There has been other pushback against the nationwide trend of removing Confederate monuments. A group of white supremacists gathered in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month around a memorial dedicated to Lee and Stonewall Jackson. 100-150 people carrying torches surrounded the statue, which the city council had voted to sell in April. Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer called the demonstration horrific.
The totally unprovoked murder of a young black soldier was committed by a white man who was a member of a despicable Facebook group, police have said.

Richard W Collins III, a newly commissioned Army officer, was allegedly stabbed to death by Sean Christopher Urbanski. Investigators are looking into whether it was a hate crime.

Mr Collins, 23, was black and a student at Bowie State University in Maryland, due to graduate tomorrow. Mr Urbanski, 22, was a student at the University of Maryland.

A College Park student who's a member of "Alt Reich" Fb group killed Bowie St student Richard Collins, an Army Lt, in unprovoked attack pic.twitter.com/jNUVWodgAd  Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) May 22, 2017

Police said Mr Urbanski was a member of a Facebook group called Alt Reich: Nation.

"When I looked at the information thats contained on that website, suffice it to say that its despicable. It shows extreme bias against women, Latinos, members of the Jewish faith and especially African Americans, University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell said, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Sean Urbanski had links with a racist Facebook group (University of Maryland Police Department via AP)

Which brings up questions as to the motive in this case. Knowing that we will continue to look for digital evidence, among other items of evidentiary value.

The FBI is helping police with technical support to determine if there is evidence within the Facebook group that Mr Urbanski committed a hate crime.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday when Mr Collins was waiting with friends for an Uber at the College Park campus just north of Washington DC.

Mr Urbanski allegedly approached the group and said Step left, step left if you know whats best for you.

Mr Collins then replied No, police said, prompting Mr Urbanski to stab him in the chest and flee the scene. Mr Collins died in hospital. The attack was caught on CCTV, police said, and a knife was later found nearby.

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Speaking on behalf of Mr Collins family, Reverend Darryl Godlock said: This was a very caring individual. He was highly intelligent and he was at the peak of his career. He loved his family, he loved people that he came in contact with, and more importantly he loved his God."

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh said: On behalf of our entire community, I want to express our profound sorrow and anguish, for this horrific tragedy.

We are still in shock that a young man, so full of promise, should have his life cut short, so suddenly.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and with the entire Bowie State University community.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will discuss peace efforts with US President Donald Trump when he visits this week, while the Israeli cabinet considered economic gestures toward the Palestinians.

Trump landed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for his first foreign tour since taking office. He visits Israel and the Palestinian territories on Monday and Tuesday.

"I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting.

"We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace," he said.

Netanyahu also noted the significance of Trump's first presidential overseas trip including a visit to "Jerusalem, the capital of Israel," after Trump seemed to have backed away from his campaign pledge to relocate the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967 in a move never recognised by the international community.

It later annexed east Jerusalem and considers the entire city its capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Members of Netanyahu's government were set to discuss and approve a series of measures related to Palestinians in the West Bank.

The new measures were seen as confidence-building steps ahead of Trump's visit.

Netanyahu's office would not provide details on the measures, which were reportedly to include more building permits for Palestinians in the West Bank.

Most of the West Bank is entirely under Israeli control and Palestinians face extremely long odds in being granted building permits in those areas, while Israeli settlement building has meanwhile continued.

Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz however said that Israel "wanted to improve the lives of Palestinians."

"There's an intention to approve measures that would enable (Palestinian) economic development," Katz told army radio, without providing details.
Trump confidante and husband of ambassadorial nominee repeats WikiLeaks theory denounced as fake news by family of murdered DNC staffer

Newt Gingrich introduces Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Florida last year. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

A prominent ally of Donald Trump suggested on Sunday that the special counsel appointed to investigate alleged links between the presidents aides and Russia should instead focus on the murder last year of a young Democratic staffer, Seth Rich, which has become the focus of conspiracy theorists.

In an appearance on Fox and Friends less than two days after his wife was proposed as ambassador to the Holy See, Newt Gingrich  former speaker of the House, 2012 presidential candidate and a Trump confidante  publicly endorsed the conspiracy theory that Rich was assassinated after giving Democratic National Committee emails to WikiLeaks.

Rich, 27, was shot dead in the early hours of 10 July 2016, as he walked home in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington. In August, the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, insinuated that Rich had been a source. Police initially explored whether Richs murder might be connected to robberies in the area, according to a local news report, and officials in the capital have publicly debunked other claims.

This is a robbery that ended tragically, Kevin Donahue, Washingtons deputy mayor for public safety, told NBC News this week. Thats bad enough for our city, and I think it is irresponsible to conflate this into something that doesnt connect to anything that the detectives have found. No WikiLeaks connection.

On Sunday, the Washington DC police public affairs office did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

In January, American intelligence agencies concluded with high confidence in a public report that Russian military intelligence was responsible for hacking the DNC and obtaining and relaying private messages to WikiLeaks, which made a series of embarrassing public disclosures. The goal, the agencies concluded, was to undermine the candidacy of Hillary Clinton and boost Trump, as well as hurt Americans trust in their own democracy.



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This week, the Russian embassy in the UK shared the conspiracy on Twitter, CNN reported, calling Rich a murdered WikiLeaks informer and claiming that the British mainstream media was so busy accusing Russian hackers to take notice.

The Rich family has repeatedly denied that there is any evidence behind the conspiracy theories and called on Fox News to retract its coverage of their sons murder. Earlier this week, a spokesman for the family said in a statement that anyone who continues to push this fake news story after it was so thoroughly debunked is proving to the world they have a transparent political agenda or are a sociopath.

On Fox and Friends, Gingrich said: We have this very strange story here of this young man who worked for the DNC who was apparently assassinated at four in the morning having given WikiLeaks something like 23,000  Im sorry, 53,000  emails and 17,000 attachments.

Nobodys investigating that, and what does that tell you about what was going on? Because it turns out it wasnt the Russians, it was this young guy who, I suspect, who was disgusted by the corruption of the Democratic National Committee.

Hes been killed, and apparently nothing serious has been done to investigate his murder. So, Id like to see how [former FBI director Robert] Mueller is going to define what his assignment is, and if its only narrowly Trump, the country will not learn what it needs to learn about foreign involvement in American politics.

Last week, the private investigator and Fox News commentator Rod Wheeler claimed that evidence existed that Rich had been in contact with WikiLeaks. Questioned by CNN, however, he said: I only got that [information] from the reporter at Fox News and added that he did not have any evidence himself.



Using the legacy of a murder victim in such an overtly political way is morally reprehensible, a Rich family spokesman told CNN.

The Rich family has sent Wheeler a cease-and-desist letter, threatening legal action if he continues to discuss the case, the Washington Post reported.
SEOUL (Reuters) - The ballistic missile launched by North Korea on Sunday reached an altitude of about 560 kilometres (348 miles), a South Korean military official said. The missile resembled North Korea's Pukguksong-2 type, an upgraded, extended-range version of its submarine-launched ballistic missile, the official said by telephone. South Korea's foreign ministry condemned the launch saying in a separate statement that the missile launch was "reckless and irresponsible", dashing the new South Korean government's hopes for peace. New South Korean liberal President Moon Jae-in took office on May 10 pledging a more moderate approach to the North. (Reporting by Ju-min Park and Jack Kim)
Camera-ready Olivia Munn arrives at 2017 Billboard Music Awards. (Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images for Fashion Media)

Single and ready to mingle! On Sunday, Olivia Munn made the most of her night out at the Billboard Music Awards. The 36-year-old actress hit the event in a sexy, sheer enesmble that showcased her curves  but that was just the beginning of the fun for the star, who split from Aaron Rodgers last month after nearly three years of dating.

The raven-haired beauty took to Instagram to showcase moments from the event, starting with an epic shot of herself photobombing lovebirds Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton. Had so much fun at the #BBMAs!!! Munn gushed beside the hilarious pic.

Had so much fun at the #BBMAs!!! ???? A post shared by Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) on May 21, 2017 at 9:29pm PDT

Stefani and Shelton are the picture-perfect pair and seem none the wiser to Munn lurking in the background.

Next up was a pic of Munn beside her friend Glee alum Lea Michele. And you are MY favorite! the Predator star wrote beside a repost of a pic that Michele had originally shared with the message, @oliviamunn you are my favorite.

@oliviamunn you are my favorite ???? @bbmas  A post shared by Lea Michele (@leamichele) on May 21, 2017 at 9:37pm PDT

In this selfie, Michele flashes a pretty smile, while Munn makes a hilarious not-quite-camera-ready face. Its probably worth noting, though, that Munn still looks pretty fabulous, despite her best efforts.

The fun didnt end when the show did, however. It turned out that a bunch of the rich and famous gathered at the awards, then headed out for some post-show eats. After the awards is the after sushi, Munn helpfully explained next to a pic of the power-packed dinner table.

After the awards is the after sushi ???????????????? A post shared by Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) on May 22, 2017 at 12:45am PDT

In addition to Munn, the group included billionaire Shark Tank investor and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Billboard presenter Josh Duhamel (who flashed a peace sign for the camera). Thats not too shabby a crew for your first night out on the town as a single lady! From the looks of it, there was more wine and booze than sushi at the dinner, but, hey  no ones complaining about that.

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T3 was a small kitten when Ruby Meade found him five years ago at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, sneaking in to eat food and hiding if a human approached him. (Photo: Operation Git-Meow)

The Guantanamo Bay Naval Base may be best known for its controversial military prison, but its recently been in the news for a group of animal lovers mission to solve its feral cat problem: Operation Git-Meow.

Erika Kelly, the president and founder of Operation Git-Meow, says the base  nicknamed Gitmo  needs to think of new methods for managing its feral cat population, because the old ways havent been working.

Euthanasia hasnt worked. Its been in place for 15 years and its not making any dent in the cat population because theyre just completely overwhelmed, Kelly told Yahoo News on Monday.

Operation Git-Meow recently helped longtime Guantanamo Bay contractors Ruby and Glynn Meade move 25 cats (some feral, some fed by humans) to their new farm in South Carolina. All of the cats, which have been neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, will live in a large temperature-controlled barn with a completely fenced and roofed outdoor pen  so theyll have both indoor and outdoor space.

The most recent trip was a big adventure, Kelly said. Theyd basically all been taken in by this couple who lived on the base for almost 30 years together. We were able to fly all of them off at once because its pretty expensive to fly all the cats out of Guantanamo even if youre a resident.

Erika Kelly, the president and founder of Operation Git-Meow, hands a check to pilots Stephen Merritt and Michael Plante to help them with the costs they incurred on their recent trip to Guantanamo Bay. (Photo: Naval Station Guantanamo Bay)

For the most recent trip, volunteers with Operation Git-Meow landed in Cuba on May 12 and left with the 25 cats two days later. But this is only the beginning of addressing a much larger problem.

According to Kelly, typical estimates place the feral cat population at around 500, but she thinks there may be as many as 2,000. Shes been working with SPCA International and Helping Paws Across Borders to provide help humanely managing the population.

Kelly, a 26-year-old from Springfield, Va., said many of the cats are semisocial  they were born and live outdoors but still rely on humans for food. They come into regular contact with wild animals (from whom they can contract diseases) and people, but with minimal or no veterinary care.

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She has been advocating for Guantanamo Bay to embrace TNVR (trap, neuter, vaccinate, return) clinics and do away with their current policy of euthanizing segments of the population once a year.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act filed by the Miami Herald, the Navy said the base euthanized at least 186 cats last year.

Ruby and Glynn Meade started looking out for Morticia when she showed up four years ago. (Photo: Operation Git-Meow)

They have contracted a cat killer who comes to shoot them every year, Kelly said. The reason TNVR is more effective is that you get a vacuum effect if you dont put them back, where theres open territory with food sources because the other cats were living there. Other cats will come in from other places and infiltrate. If you do the TNVR clinic, then over time the cat population gradually reduces but they maintain their territory for the rest of the time that theyre there.

Operation Git-Meow proposed launching a TNVR program at the base in late March, but the Navy would not allow it, she said. So her group sent their proposal to the Navy directly in late April, she said.

Personally Im pretty sure they know of and have read the proposal based on what Ive heard. Im not sure if well get a response, Kelly said. So a lot of what Im trying to do is get and build media and social media attention on the issue to hopefully push the Navy to actually meeting with us to consider the exception.

She argues TNVR is particularly effective in closed-off areas like Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, which is only 45 square miles and blocked off by a solid fence.

For the military base, Kelly said, the only new cats coming in would be fixed and vaccinated pets that had been abandoned by soldiers or other workers.

Operation Git-Meow estimates that with a 3-year exception they could reduce the cat population by at least 50 percent. If that were effective, the group would hope to continue.

Members of Operation Git-Meow help transport cats back to the United States. (Photo: Naval Station Guantanamo Bay)

Read more from Yahoo News:
The flight AI-669 took off at 2.14 p.m. from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport but barely 15 minutes after it was airborne, it was forced to return, said an official.

By Indo-Asian News Service: An Air India Mumbai-Bhubaneshwar flight was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after take-off due to suspected smoke in the cockpit here on Monday, officials said.

The flight AI-669 took off at 2.14 p.m. from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport but barely 15 minutes after it was airborne, it was forced to return, said an official.

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A full emergency was declared and the aircraft made a safe landing with all passengers and crew on board safe.

The emergency was later withdrawn and the aircraft was parked in a remote bay at the CSMIA.

Also read:

Air India flight overshoots runway at Pune airport, all passengers safe

Air India's Mumbai-Delhi-Osaka flight grounded for four hours due to technical glitch

Pakistan pilot sleeps for two-and-a-half-hour on flight; taken off-duty

WATCH | Air India flight overshoots runway while landing at Pune airport

--- ENDS ---
Watch news, TV and more Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

Vice President Mike Pence's commencement address to the University of Notre Dame Class of 2017 didn't go as smoothly as he probably would have liked it to, thanks to protesters who walked out as the vice president began his remarks.

The protest, which was organized by the University of Notre Dame student activist coalition We StaND For, saw over 100 students walking out of the commencement ceremony on Sunday afternoon to a few boos and a few cheers.

SEE ALSO: The most memorable protest signs from Trump's first 100 days

With 100+ participants #WalkoutND was a wonderful success. Thank you all for the support!  We StaND For (@WeStandForND) May 21, 2017

According to the Indy Star, students had been planning this act of resistance for weeks, and knew they would not be able to re-enter the ceremony after they left. Following their exit, students gathered and celebrated their graduation outside of the Notre Dame Stadium.

Protesters also lined the streets near the stadium before the ceremony, according to South Bend Tribune, in support of the students.

Those who participated in the walk-out (including audience members) also received support from the folks behind this year's Women's March.

We are so proud of the @NotreDame students who staged #WalkoutND during @VP's commencement speech in protest of the admin's harmful policies  Women's March (@womensmarch) May 21, 2017

During his time as governor of the state of Indiana and now as a Vice-President, Pence has targeted the civil rights protections of members of LBGT+ community, rejected the Syrian refugee resettlement program, supported an unconstitutional ban of religious minorities, and fought against sanctuary cities, We StaND For said in a statement provided to conservative website Townhall. All of these policies have marginalized our vulnerable sisters and brothers for their religion, skin color, or sexual orientation.

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Pence has yet to comment on the protest itself.

UPDATE: May 21, 2017, 6:11 p.m. EDT Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary issued a statement on Twitter about Sunday's walk out. "Of 3,200 graduates less than 100 left VP's speech about freedom of speech, expression & thought," Marc Lotter wrote, "but many don't focus on the 97% who stayed."

Of 3,200 graduates less than 100 left @VP's speech about freedom of speech, expression & thought, but many don't focus on the 97% who stayed https://t.co/mZNOEN6Xaj  Marc Lotter (@VPPressSec) May 21, 2017
Hanoi (AFP) - Asia-Pacific trade ministers agreed Sunday to attempt to resuscitate a massive free trade pact thrown into doubt by a Donald Trump-inspired US pullout, as fears rumble of a new global era of protectionism.

The 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership covered 40 percent of the global economy before Trump abruptly abandoned it in January as part of a campaign pledge to save American jobs he says have been sucked up overseas.

But key remaining members of the pact are desperate to keep the deal alive, believing it will lock-in free trade as well as boost labour rights and environmental protections.

The charge is being led by Japan, New Zealand and Australia who are leading the so-called TPP 11.

After an early morning huddle in Hanoi, New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay told reporters that the TPP 11 "are committed to finding a way forward to deliver" the pact.

Trade representatives agreed to help the United States to rejoin the deal at any time, pinning hopes on a U-turn in American policy.

"We very much expect the full participation of all countries that negotiated TPP from the start, and we will consider a mechanism to ensure (that)," said Vietnam's Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh, who co-chaired the meeting.

Spearheaded by former US president Barack Obama, the far-reaching TPP -- which notably excludes China -- would have rewritten the rules of 21st century trade.

The deal goes further than most existing free trade pacts, with labour laws, environmental protections and intellectual property rights touted as a new gold standard for global trade.

It promised to transform smaller economies such as Vietnam by carving out unprecedented access to the world's top economies.

But Trump denounced the deal as a "job killer" and a "rape" of American interests.

His administration has instead vowed to seek bilateral trade deals with partners.

- Balance of power -

The deal was also seen as a way to counter Beijing's regional economic dominance.

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Reviving the TPP, even without the heft of the world's biggest economy, would still provide ballast against China, analyst Alex Capri told AFP.

"The Chinese would not be particularly pleased to see the TPP go ahead even without the United States," said Capri, a senior fellow and professor at the National University of Singapore.

He did not rule out the eventual return of the United States to the TPP, noting that Trump has "flip-flopped" on other campaign positions in a headline-grabbing first few months in office.

The TPP ministers met on the sidelines of a gathering of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in preparation for a November summit of global leaders.

Newly-appointed US trade chief Robert Lighthizer attended the two-day gathering, where he was scheduled to meet one-on-one with several ministers, including from China, Canada and Mexico.

The Reagan-era trade veteran has been tasked with renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) -- another deal Trumped promised to pull out of, though he later backpedalled after speaking to the leaders of Canada and Mexico.

The Trump administration has said it is seeking bilateral agreements over sweeping free trade pacts, and is pushing for fair trade with partners, not just free trade.
Asia-Pacific trade ministers agreed Sunday to try to revive a massive free trade pact, even though the US reaffirmed its decision to pull out, as fears grow of a new global era of protectionism.

The 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership covered 40 percent of the global economy before Trump abruptly abandoned it in January to meet a campaign pledge to save American jobs which he says have been sucked up overseas.

Japan, Australia and New Zealand are leading efforts by the so-called TPP 11 to resuscitate the agreement, convinced it will lock in future free trade and strengthen labour rights and environmental protections.

After an early-morning huddle in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay told reporters the TPP 11 "are committed to finding a way forward to deliver" the pact.

Trade representatives agreed to help the United States to rejoin the deal at any time, pinning hopes on a U-turn in American policy.

The TPP was in part crafted as a counterweight to the burgeoning economic might of China.

But Trump's newly-appointed trade chief Robert Lighthizer poured cold water on the prospect of a US return, saying Washington "pulled out of the TPP and it's not going to change that decision".

"The TPP 11 can make their own decisions, the United States makes its decisions, that's what sovereign nations do," Lighthizer told reporters, adding his nation will "stay engaged" in the area, albeit on a bilateral basis.

Spearheaded by then-US president Barack Obama, the far-reaching TPP -- which notably excludes China -- would have rewritten the rules of 21st century trade.

After seven years of negotiations the finalised proposal was signed in February last year, but cannot go into force until it is ratified by six countries with a combined 85 percent of the bloc's total GDP.

The deal goes further than most existing free trade pacts, with labour laws, environmental protections and intellectual property rights touted as a new gold standard for global trade.

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It promised to transform smaller economies such as Vietnam by offering unprecedented access to the world's top economies.

- Balance of power -

The deal was also seen as a way to counter Beijing's regional economic dominance.

Reviving the TPP, even without the heft of the world's biggest economy, would still provide ballast against China, analyst Alex Capri told AFP.

"The Chinese would not be particularly pleased to see the TPP go ahead even without the United States," said Capri, a senior fellow and professor at the National University of Singapore.

He did not rule out the eventual return of the United States to the TPP, noting that Trump has "flip-flopped" on other campaign positions in a headline-grabbing first few months in office.

The TPP ministers met on the sidelines of a gathering of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in preparation for their November summit.

Lighthizer was also scheduled to meet one-on-one with several ministers, including those from China, Canada and Mexico.

The Reagan-era trade veteran has been tasked with renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) -- another deal Trumped promised to pull out of, though he later backpedalled after speaking to the leaders of Canada and Mexico.

The Trump administration has said it is seeking bilateral agreements rather than sweeping free trade pacts, and is pushing for fair trade with partners and not just free trade.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, sits next to retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, left, as they attend an exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of RT (Russia Today) television news channel in Moscow, Dec. 10, 2015. (Photo: Mikhail KlimentyevSputnik/Kremlin via Reuters)

While seeking a renewal of his security clearance in early 2016, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn falsely told government investigators that he had only been compensated by U.S. companies for his overseas travels  just two months after he took an all-expense paid trip to Moscow under a $45,000 contract funded by RT, the Russian government television network, according to excerpts from an internal Pentagon report released Monday by a top House Democrat.

The still secret report also quoted Flynn as telling investigators that had not received any benefit from a foreign country even though RT flew him and his son first class to Moscow and put them up at a five-star hotel for the three-day trip.

In addition, Flynn told investigators he had had only insubstantial contact with foreign nationals. He failed to mention that he had sat next to Russian president Vladimir Putin at an RT dinner during his Moscow trip, according to the excerpts of the report released by Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The internal Pentagon Report of Investigation and other documents appear to indicate that General Flynn lied to the investigators who interviewed him in 2016 as part of his security clearance renewal, Cummings asserted in a letter to committee chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz.

The excerpts from the internal report could potentially add to the legal troubles of Flynn, who served briefly as President Trumps national security adviser before being fired over his misleading accounts of a conversation with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak last December. You can go to jail for this, tweeted Matthew Miller, former chief spokesman for the Justice Department under Attorney General Eric Holder. How much legal jeopardy he is in over the matter would likely depend on whether prosecutors can show Flynn intended to deceive the security investigators.

The excerpts were released the same day that Flynns lawyer sent the Senate Intelligence Committee a letter stating that his client was refusing to honor a subpoena to turn over documents in his possession, citing an escalating public frenzy against him and the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel as grounds for invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Late Monday, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and ranking minority member Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., signaled they may now seek to hold Flynn in contempt of Congress, saying in a statement they will vigorously pursue his testimony and the production of any and all pertinent materials pursuant to the committees authorities.

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Flynns lawyer, Robert Kelner, declined comment to Yahoo News. Kelner has previously said that Flynn had informed the Pentagon about his RT trip, both before and after it took place, but hadnt responded to questions about the details of how it was funded.

The Report of Investigation was based on a Feb. 2016 interview with Flynn while he was seeking to renew his security clearance and trying to recruit clients for a consulting firm he had founded after being forced to step down as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

After filling out a security clearance form, in which he was asked to check off his answers to questions about foreign contacts, he was then directly questioned by investigators. Specifically, he was asked about his December 2015 trip to Russia, as well as trips to Japan and Saudi Arabia.

All trips were funded by U.S. companies, as they were seeking business in other Countries and requested that HE visit the countries to develop business, the report stated, according to the Cummings letter. [Caps in original.]

When initially questioned about the RT trip by Yahoo News during last years Republican National Convention, Flynn responded: I didnt take any money from Russia, if thats what youre asking me, and told a reporter that the funding came from his U.S.-based speakers bureau.

General Flynns claims directly contradict documents the Committee has obtained showing that RT paid more than $45,000 for General Flynns participation in the 2015 gala in Moscow, Cummings wrote in his letter. These funds were transferred from RT, through a London-based bank, to General Flynns speakers bureau in the United States, Leading Authorities, Inc., and ultimately to General Flynns company. As one RT official stated in an email: We will be covering the payment of General Flynns fee.

Cummings also notes that in filling out his SF-86  the form required to renew his security clearance  Flynn was asked if had any contact with a foreign government or its representatives during the previous seven years.

FLYNN stated on all of the trips HE had only insubstantial contact with foreign nationals, the Pentagon report stated.

It is difficult to understand how General Flynn could have believed that his dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin was an insubstantial contact, Cummings wrote in his letter to Chaffetz. (Cummings added that a copy of the letter was going to Mueller at the Justice Department.)

Cummings also cited another potentially misleading response from Flynn to the investigators. FLYNN stated HE has never had any problems at this or any other employment, including no reprimands, forced resignations or terminations, the report stated. In fact, Flynn was widely reported to have been removed from his post as DIA director in 2014 by top Obama administration officials who had concerns about his management skills.

Flynns responses to defense security investigators were sharply criticized by Douglas Wise, the former deputy director of DIA who briefly overlapped with him in the summer of 2014 before Flynn was removed from his post. Its bizarre, Wise told Yahoo News. He certainly knew the intent of the questions  and he parsed his answers to mislead  without a doubt.

The letter comes amid new disclosures that President Trump asked then FBI director James Comey to back off an investigation of Flynn as well as a report by Yahoo News that the president has maintained contact with his former adviser.

In his letter, Cummings cited the Report of Investigation as a basis for Chaffetz to subpoena White House documents relating to Flynn  a step he has so far refused to take.

Read more from Yahoo News:
The idea of Pence taking over from Donald Trump has lately gained traction, but his conservatism and his likely effectiveness pose a threat to the left

Mike Pence actually walks the walk when it comes to social conservatism, says an analyst. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Visitors to officialmikepence.com discover an elaborate spoof website for Mike Pence: the 46th president of the United States. A banner at the top asks: Are you a homosexual? If yes, click here. (It links to hell.com.) A campaign logo refers to Pence and his running mate Christ with crosses and stars. President Mike Pence is proud to serve the white and Christian population of America for more than two decades, the page says.

The notion of President Pence suddenly seems less a lot less unlikely than it did a week ago. A special counsel has been appointed to investigate the Donald Trump campaigns alleged collusion with Russia. The word impeachment was spoken on the floor of the House of Representatives and the i-word became an instant television cliche. Senator John McCain, musing that weve seen this movie before, invoked the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of Richard Nixon and the succession of Vice-President Gerald Ford  who, like Pence, was a churchgoing conservative who earned his spurs in the House.

For Republicans, Pence could offer a much-needed antidote to Trumps unpredictability: the steady hand, authentic conservatism and respect for Congress that they crave. For Democrats, the notion of bringing in a man who in January told an anti-abortion march, Life is winning again in America, may pose something of a dilemma.

This is under the category of careful what you wish for, said Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution thinktank in Palo Alto, California. What if you succeed in getting rid of Donald Trump and now you have a president whos not up at four oclock in the morning tweeting, a president who is not temperamental, a president who knows how to govern  hes been the governor of a state  a president who knows how Washington works, a president who is self-disciplined?

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You might now have created your worst problem because that might end up being a very productive president. You also are putting somebody in who is very socially conservative. So whereas Donald Trump talks about social conservatism but basically he can be talked out of almost anything by his daughter, Mike Pence actually walks the walk.

Whalen, a former chief speechwriter for the California ex-governor Pete Wilson, a Republican, added: The Democratic goal here is not to impeach Donald Trump, at least not for the next two years. Its just to critically wound Donald Trump, just try to create a Dunkirk for Donald Trump and keep him pinned down through the next midterm and get back the House.

Donald Trump greets the then Indiana governor, Mike Pence, in July 2016. Photograph: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

From the election campaign to the White House, Pence, 57, has tried to present a public face of unwavering support for Trump while keeping his hands clean of the presidents most outrageous blunders. It has not always been easy. The former Indiana governor admitted that he could not defend Trumps boasts about groping women when they came to light in an Access Hollywood video. His explanation for the dismissal of the FBI director, James Comey, was undermined by Trump himself.

Jim Brainard, a six-term Republican mayor from Carmel in Indiana, said I can see the pain on his face each time the vice-president has to deal with Trumps antics. I know the man and hes not the sort of person who would deal recklessly with foreign policy or make statements on social media without thought or do anything that would jeopardise the countrys best interests. He thinks before he talks.

In a spell of extraordinary turmoil even by Trumpian standards  his dismissal of Comey, revelation of sensitive information to the Russians and allegations that he tried to quash an FBI investigation into a senior aide  Pence has managed to remain largely under the radar. But not entirely. He was, after all, head of the Trump transition team in January when Mike Flynn informed transition officials that he himself was under FBI investigation for his ties to Turkey; Pence claims that he did not know that Flynn was a foreign agent until the news broke in March.

On Thursday night, the broadcaster Rachel Maddow of the MSNBC network devoted a segment to hammering him. Vice-President Mike Pence has made a number of blunt, direct false statements related to the Trump-Russia investigation, both during the transition and since he has been vice-president, she told viewers. Mike Pence has his own troubles when it comes to this scandal.

Ben Wikler, Washington director of the progressive group MoveOn.org, said: Mike Pence has been on the Trump train. We dont know if Trump colluded with Russia but we know that Pence colluded with Trump. The idea that he would emerge unscathed from the wreckage is not something that makes me lose any sleep.

Even so, simple pragmatism on the part of Republicans could make Pence a tempting plan B if there are grounds for impeachment and the party suffers a meltdown in the 2018 midterm elections. A conventional, low drama, even-keeled figure in the White House would be bliss after the chaos of Trump that threatens to derail their legislative agenda.

George Ajjan, a Republican consultant and analyst, said: Pence has outstanding relationships with the GOP leadership on Capitol Hill of all stripes, not just the social conservatives. So thered be clear alignment and rapid progress on healthcare, taxation, and many other key policy initiatives that have eluded the party over the past months as a result of Trumps unorthodox approach.

The million-dollar question, of course, is how embattled Trump has to become before the do you really want it idea is discreetly floated to Pence by his former House colleagues.

Acquaintances say Pence wants the job, sooner or later, which partly explains why he served as governor of Indiana. On Wednesday, he quietly filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to set up a political action committee that will allow him to raise money for his political interests and make donations to down-ballot candidates.

Rich Galen, former press secretary to Dan Quayle, who was also from Indiana and served as vice-president under George HW Bush, said: If I was advising Pence, I would be working very closely with the Republican House and Senate committees to set up my schedule to do fundraisers for people who might be in trouble because of Trump.

Melania Trump and Mike Pence embrace as they walk across the South Lawn of the White House on Friday. Photograph: Andrew Harnik/AP

He has a good reputation among Republicans and hes a pretty rightwing guy. If people think someone like Nelson Rockefeller [Fords vice-president, seen as moderate] is going to step in, theyll be sadly mistaken. Hes got a demeanour that more people would be comfortable with.

The 22nd amendment to the constitution, Galen noted, stipulates that if the vice-president takes over with more than two years left in the term, he can only run for re-election once. If he takes over with less than two years remaining, he can run twice, raising the prospect of Pence serving as president for nearly 10 years.

But a President Pence would struggle to get everything his own way. David Brady, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, cautioned: It assumes a set of conditions that I view as about zero possibility. Trumps impeached and the Republicans manage to hold the House and the Senate? Thats not going to happen. The voters would punish them and the result is youve got Pence as president and hes more like Gerry Ford.
Conspiracy theories surrounding Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffer Seth Rich's death July last year re-emerged over the weekend after hacker Kim Dotcom said the former was Wikileaks source. In his tweets, Dotcom offered to give Congress "written testimony with evidence that Seth Rich was Wikileaks source"  if Congress agrees to include the Seth Rich case in their Russia probe.

Rich, who worked as a voter expansion data director at the DNC, was shot twice in the back while walking home in Bloomingdale neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., last year. At a time when police linked Rich's death to a botched robbery case, doubts were raised that the 27-year-old was killed in retaliation for aiding leak of DNC emails that Wikileaks published ahead of 2016 Democratic National Convention. Further rumors surfaced after Wikileaks offered a $20,000 reward for information on the murder of Rich.

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This is a robbery that ended tragically, Kevin Donahue, Washingtons deputy mayor for public safety, told NBC News this week. Thats bad enough for our city, and I think it is irresponsible to conflate this into something that doesnt connect to anything that the detectives have found. No WikiLeaks connection.

Late Sunday, founder of Wikileaks Julian Assange responded to Dotcom's tweet.

Also, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump Sunday hinted at conspiracy surrounding Rich's death when he asked investigators probing alleged links between the presidents aides and Russia to focus on young DNC staffer's killing.

Read: Who Is Seth Rich? Wikileaks Offers Reward For Info On Murdered DNC Staffer

In an appearance on "Fox and Friends," Newt Gingrich publicly hinted at the conspiracy theory that Rich was assassinated after giving DNC emails to WikiLeaks.

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We have this very strange story here of this young man who worked for the DNC who was apparently assassinated at four in the morning having given WikiLeaks something like 23,000  Im sorry, 53,000  emails and 17,000 attachments," Gingrich said. Nobodys investigating that, and what does that tell you about what was going on, because it turns out it wasnt the Russians, it was this young guy who, I suspect, who was disgusted by the corruption of the Democratic National Committee," Gingrich said.

Hes been killed, and apparently nothing serious has been done to investigate his murder. So, Id like to see how [former FBI director Robert] Mueller is going to define what his assignment is, and if its only narrowly Trump, the country will not learn what it needs to learn about foreign involvement in American politics," he added.

Earlier this week, the Russian embassy in U.K. also shared a statement on Twitter, calling Rich a murdered WikiLeaks informer and claiming that the British mainstream media was so busy accusing Russian hackers to take notice.

At the time of Rich's death, police found his wallet, watch and other personal items lying with him, leading many to conclude that law enforcement's view of the crime as a robbery attempt was inaccurate.

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It was just a coincidence, but a telling one, that Roger Ailes died on May 18 just as the television powerhouse that he created, the Fox News Channel, was propagating a conspiracy theory involving a Democratic National Committee staffer named Seth Rich, whose murder in Washington, D.C., last summer remains unsolved.

If you dont watch Fox News, read Breitbart or the Drudge Report, or listen to Rush Limbaugh, you likely dont have any idea who Seth Rich was. If, however, you are a devotee of those dubious news sources, you have been fed a grab bag of unsubstantiated allegations designed to make you think that Rich was murdered by some kind of Democratic Party cabal for having revealed the partys secrets to WikiLeaks.

These spurious insinuations have been put forward (before being largely recanted) by a sometime Fox News contributor named Rod Wheeler. Never mind that Richs family, the Washington police force, CNN, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, among others, have debunked these conspiracy theories, showing there is no evidence that Rich was a WikiLeaks source, much less that his murder has anything to do with the stolen Democratic Party emails. Sean Hannity, one of the last of the old guard hired by Ailes to rule prime time, nevertheless devoted three separate segments of his show last week to the DNC murder mystery. On Sunday morning, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was pushing the same allegation about Richs assassination on Fox & Friends. Lou Dobbs has spouted these theories on Fox Business Network, too.

Foxs tasteless conspiracy-mongering has been denounced by the Rich family, which wants the far-right to stop exploiting their sons tragic death, but it has found support in an unlikely quarter. Ever happy to play the troll, the Russian Embassy in London tweeted: #WikiLeaks informer Seth Rich murdered in US but MSM was so busy accusing Russian hackers to take notice.

The Russians have tipped their hand  and Foxs as well. Hannity, Gingrich, and Dobbs are in overdrive selling the phony Seth Rich scandal because they think it will distract attention from the real scandals of Donald Trump. The president faces a special counsel investigation and the prospect of impeachment, in part because he keeps bragging about obstructing justice. Trump is reported to have told the Russian foreign minister and the Russian ambassador to the United States in an Oval Office meeting, I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off, adding, Im not under investigation. Unable to defend Trump on the merits, the Fox crew wants to absolve him  and his helpers in the Kremlin  by concocting an elaborate fantasy. Hannity had the temerity to tweet: If Seth was wiki source, no Trump/Russia collusion.

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Although Ailes had been pushed out of Fox News by the time of his death due to a raft of sexual harassment scandals and had no hand in the latest Seth Rich hoax, this is nevertheless the unfortunate culmination of his efforts to create an alternative news source. It was an ambition that I and many other conservatives sympathized with when Fox News went on the air in 1996. We had long chafed under what we viewed as the stifling liberal orthodoxy propagated by the major broadcast and print outlets. While not exactly fair and balanced  Ailes always meant the channels slogan to be taken with a wink and a nod  Fox was supposed to provide some ideological balance within the larger media universe.

That was a laudable ambition, but what Fox has become is far from laudable. Not only is it a toxic workplace where the harassment of women is rampant; it is also a no-fact zone. The Pulitzer Prize-winning website PolitiFact found that nearly 60 percent of the statements it checked on Fox News were either mostly or entirely false. Another 19 percent were only half true. Only Fox News viewers are likely to believe that climate change is a hoax, that there is a war on Christmas, that Obamacare would create death panels, that there is an epidemic of crime committed by immigrants (they actually have a lower crime rate than native-born Americans), that President Barack Obama forged his birth certificate and wiretapped Trump with the aid of Britains signals intelligence agency, and that the accusations bedeviling Trump are a product of Russophobia. FNC might as well stand for Fake News Channel, and its myths have had a pernicious, indeed debilitating, effect on U.S. politics.

I saw for myself an example of Fox Newss influence recently when I was talking to an elderly Republican voter about why she voted for Trump in spite of her distaste for his crassness and ignorance. I couldnt vote for Hillary Clinton, she explained, because of Benghazi.

Huh? The terrorist attack in Benghazi in 2012, which killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans, was no more Clintons fault than the 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut, which claimed exponentially more victims, were the fault of then-Secretary of State George Shultz. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives created a select committee that spent two years and $6.8 million probing Benghazi without finding any real evidence of wrongdoing on Clintons part. Yet the way Fox News covered Benghazi left viewers with the distinct impression that Clinton was in some way complicit in the murders of the four Americans.

The Benghazi story was, of course, only a small part of the sludge that Fox dumped on Clintons head last year. When it wasnt suggesting that Clinton belonged in prison for using a private email server, Fox was taking the lead in publicizing Democratic Party emails that were stolen and then released by Russian intelligence with the intention of hurting Clintons campaign. This is a long way from the kind of high-minded arguments that conservative pundits such as George Will and William F. Buckley, whom I grew up revering, specialized in  and that Will still makes, though no longer on Fox. (After years at ABC and a brief stint at Fox, he has just moved to MSNBC.)

There is now a conveyer belt spreading Russian disinformation that originates with RT and Sputnik  the former being Kremlin-funded and the latter an official Kremlin organ  and then makes it way to our shores via extremist websites such as Breitbart and InfoWars, before being presented to middle America by Fox. The irony is rich: Roger Ailes, who got his start in politics working for the old Red-hunter, Richard Nixon, created a news channel that now serves as a de facto information weapon for the Kremlin.

Twenty-one years after the creation of Fox News, America is more in need than ever of a principled conservative TV channel  one that will be loyal to conservative ideals rather than to populist demagogues and that will rely on actual facts instead of alternative ones. Maybe, just maybe, this is the role that Fox can finally play if it is radically revamped by Rupert Murdochs sons. Otherwise, there will be no cure for what ails the American right.

Photo credit: FREDERICK M. BROWN/Getty Images
Madrid (AFP) - Spain's bitterly divided Socialist party will choose a new leader Sunday in a party primary that may determine whether or not conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's minority government will last.

The contest is widely seen as a two-way race between Susana Diaz, the president of the southern region of Andalusia, and former party leader Pedro Sanchez who was ousted in a bitter internal rebellion.

Diaz, 42, is the establishment favourite and is seen as more amenable to striking deals with the government if she wins the primary while Sanchez, 45, promises a more adversarial approach.

Rajoy's minority Popular Party (PP) government has relied on the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), the main opposition party, to pass key measures in parliament since it was sworn in for a second term in October 2016.

But Sanchez would have "a more fraught relationship" with the government and the risk of snap elections would increase with him in charge of the Socialists, Eurasia Group analyst Federico Santi said.

"At a minimum, therefore, a Sanchez-led PSOE would make parliamentary politics more challenging, and reduce the already limited space for economic reform," he added.

Nearly 190,000 card-carrying members of the PSOE are eligible to vote in the leadership primary with the results expected after 9 pm (1900 GMT).

Sanchez, a former economics professor, was forced to resign in October over his staunch refusal to allow Rajoy to form a minority government following two inconclusive national elections.

The architects of the messy rebellion argued it was best to let a conservative PP government through rather than go to the third elections in a year and risk losing even more votes.

Sanchez has called this a huge mistake, deeply critical of corruption scandals impacting Rajoy's PP and of their severe austerity measures.

He argues the Socialists must move further to the left to have any hope of winning back voters who have drifted to new far-left party Podemos.

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He has not ruled out tabling a no confidence motion in Rajoy if he wins the leadership race.

- Slump in polls -

By contrast Diaz, a plumber's daughter and career politician who was one of the leaders of the rebellion against Sanchez, talks of providing "constructive opposition" to the PP.

After an inconclusive local election in Andalusia in 2015, she made a pact with centre-right Ciudadanos -- Rajoy's allies at the national level -- to reach a parliamentary majority and form a government.

Diaz was widely tipped as the favourite but Sanchez has done better than many expected, gathering around 53,000 signatures for party members in favour of his candidacy, just 7,000 less than his rival.

A third candidate in the race, Patxi Lopez, the former president of the northern Basque Country, trailed the two by a wide margin.

Whoever wins the leadership faces a tough job ahead.

Like other Socialist parties across Europe, the PSOE has seen its support slump in recent years as voters flock to new formations like Podemos.

The party has lost the past three general elections, winning fewer seats in parliament each time.

The PSOE won just 85 of the 350 seats in parliament in last year's general election, its worst showing since Spain returned to democracy following the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

While the Socialists were busy with their primary vote, Podemos staged a large protest against corruption in Madrid on Saturday, a day after it filed a motion of no confidence against Rajoy, citing graft scandals affecting his ruling PP.

The motion lacks enough support from other parties to pass but could boost its appeal to voters angry at the government who would otherwise back the Socialists.
By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, May 22 (PTI) The Army today paid homage to three soldiers who were killed in a major counter-infiltration operation over the weekend along the Line of Control in Naugam sector of Kashmir.

Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu led army officers and other ranks in paying homage to the three soldiers who died while fighting a group of heavily armed militants from across the LoC in the two-day operation which began Saturday, a defence spokesman said.

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"Top officials from civil administration and other security forces operating in the Valley also paid their tributes to the martyrs -- Havaldar Giris Gurung, Havaldar Damar Bahadur Pun and Rifleman Rabin Sharma -- at Badamibagh Cantonment here," the spokesman said.

The three intrepid Gorkha soldiers, who hailed from Nepal, were part of a team which intercepted a group of militants along the LoC on Saturday morning, preventing them from infiltrating into the hinterland, he said.

In the operation, which lasted nearly 48 hours, four militants were killed and weapons seized.

Gurung, 38, who hailed from Kaski in Nepal, served the Army for 19 years and took part in many counter-terrorist operations. He is survived by his wife Panch Maya Gurung and two children.

"Pun (40) from Karaing Tun in Gulmi, Nepal, was an experienced soldier with 21 years of selfless service. The martyr is survived by his wife Kalpana Pun and two children," the spokesman said.

He said brave heart Rifleman Sharma, 23, had joined the Army in 2013.

The martyr, who hailed from Nepals Chuwa village in Parbat district, is survived by his wife Sabita Sharma.

The mortal remains of the soldiers will be taken by an aircraft to Subathu in Himachal Pradesh for their last rites with full military honours, the spokesman said.

"The Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their honour and wellbeing," he said. PTI MIJ GVS

--- ENDS ---
President Trump embarked Friday on his first trip abroad since taking the oath of office, a lengthy week-plus trip that began in Saudi Arabia. Trumps weekend in the kingdom included an anticipated speech on Islam, an arms deal and a strange glowing orb. Here are the highlights from Trumps weekend in Saudi Arabia.

The speech

Perhaps the most anticipated moment of the visit was a speech delivered on Islam Sunday afternoon in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia and epicenter for some of the most holy Muslim sites.

During the campaign, Trump had called for a ban of all Muslims entering the United States. And he once told CNN, I think Islam hates us. Theres something there that  theres a tremendous hatred there. Theres a tremendous hatred. We have to get to the bottom of it. Theres an unbelievable hatred of us.

But the Sunday speech took a different tone, with Trump saying, This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. The president also did not use the phrase radical Islamic terror, a series of words he continually criticized former President Barack Obama for not saying in describing the war against ISIS. In a departure from his predecessors policy, Trump called for other Arab countries to isolate Iran.

Trump deviated from his prepared remarks, adding in a jab at Islamic terror of all kinds. And he said Islamic extremism instead of Islamist extremism, the latter treating the terrorism as a political and not religious movement. A White House official told reporters that fatigue was responsible for the switch and Trump was just an exhausted guy.

The orb

The most celebrated meme of Trumps trip was his participation in a ceremony opening Saudi Arabias new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. Trump, Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi King Salman all gathered around a glowing white orb to activate the center, making for an interesting photo opportunity:

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For clarification, this is not a Satanic ritual. pic.twitter.com/CccP39fqN4  The Church Of Satan (@ChurchofSatan) May 22, 2017

Trump During the Campaign: "I will NEVER touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles."

Trump Today: pic.twitter.com/eWoaDeXj8n  Nick Greene (@NickGreene) May 21, 2017

trump 100% made a wish when he touched the orb pic.twitter.com/S0TlxgxtBY  KRANG T. NELSON (@KrangTNelson) May 21, 2017

The deals

On his first day abroad, Trump and Salman officially signed an arms deal for the United States to immediately sell $110 billion in military equipment to Saudi Arabia. The deal could potentially be worth more than $300 billion over the next 10 years and was negotiated by Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

On the second day of the trip, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged to donate $100 million to Ivanka Trumps proposed Womens Entrepreneurs Fund, which would be run by the World Bank. The move could be seen as hypocritical by the first daughter, as women in Saudi Arabia have severely limited rights  it is illegal for them to drive, for example  and President Trump criticized Hillary Clinton for taking money from the Saudis as a candidate.

Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays, Trump wrote on Facebook. Hillary must return all money from such countries!

The dancing

Trump and members of his Cabinet took part in a traditional Aradh sword dance. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross carried blades on their shoulders, while Trump joined in as well:

please enjoy this footage of the secretaries of commerce and state dancing awkwardly while holding swords pic.twitter.com/KrkoGRS8fW  David Mack (@davidmackau) May 20, 2017

And here is President Trump dancing in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/6KkCmwoVvN  David Mack (@davidmackau) May 20, 2017

The flight

As Trump departed Saudi Arabia for Israel, Air Force Ones flight from Riyadh to Tel Aviv might have been the first of its kind. An Israeli Airport Authority spokesman told the Associated Press he was not aware of any direct flights having landed in Israel from Saudi Arabia. The two countries do not have diplomatic relations and do not fly planes over the other countrys airspace. Deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders promoted the potentially historic flight on Twitter:

Another historic moment on @POTUS first foreign trip. AF1 flies direct from Riyadh to Tel Aviv. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/3rol2R5miI  Sarah H. Sanders (@SHSanders45) May 22, 2017

Read more from Yahoo News:
Kinshasa (AFP) - Two men are to go on trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the kidnap and murder of two UN experts, a military prosecutor said Saturday, denying security forces involvement in the deaths.

Authorities arrested the suspects last month the killings in March of American Michael Sharp and Swedish-Chilean Zaida Catalan in central Kasai, where hundreds of people have died in violence since September.

The bodies of the pair were found two weeks after they were kidnapped March 12 while trying to investigate reports of more than 40 mass graves in the region.

Military prosecutor Colonel Odon Makutu told a press conference Saturday in Kinshasa that a 10-week judicial probe had been completed and that the two suspects would go on trial "soon."

Makutu said the two men had been charged with the "war crime of murder, war crime through mutilation, terrorism (and) participation in an insurrectionist movement."

He said no member of the security forces had been implicated and added that the trial would be held in Kananga, capital of Kasai central province.

A total of 14 other people have been investigated over possible involvement in the killings.

Hundreds of people have died in recent months in violence in central Kasai and more than a million people have been displaced.

A violent tribal uprising erupted in the region after last year's death in August of traditional chieftain Kamwina Nsapu.

The UN Security Council has urged Kinshasa to cooperate with its commission of enquiry into the killings of the two experts and the mass graves.

The UN has accused rebels loyal to Nsapu of recruiting child soldiers and committing atrocities while also saying that Democratic Republic of Congo troops have used disproportionate force against the militiamen.
London (AFP) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gave a clenched fist salute Friday after Swedish prosecutors dropped a seven-year rape allegation, but he insisted the "proper war" over his future was just beginning.

Assange stepped into the daylight on the balcony of Ecuador's London embassy, where he has been holed up since 2012, to celebrate, but said the road was "far from over".

The 45-year-old Australian's accuser was angered by the decision and Assange declined to say whether he would leave the embassy.

British police could arrest him immediately for breaching earlier bail conditions if he left the building, while US authorities have warned they regard WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service".

"Today is an important victory," Assange, in a black shirt and jacket, told reporters and a small band of supporters crowded around the tiny balcony.

"But it by no means erases seven years of detention without charge. In prison, under house arrest and almost five years here in this embassy without sunlight.

"That is not something that I can forgive. It is not something that I can forget."

- Uncertain future -

Earlier in Stockholm, Marianne Ny, Sweden's director of public prosecutions, said the rape investigation had been dropped because there was "no reason to believe that the decision to surrender him to Sweden can be executed in the foreseeable future".

"It is no longer proportionate to maintain the arrest of Julian Assange in his absence," she said.

Assange jumped British bail by entering the embassy and claiming asylum, saying he feared he would eventually be extradited to the United States.

US justice authorities have never confirmed that they have Assange under investigation or are seeking his extradition.

But US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said last month that "we will seek to put some people in jail", when asked if arresting Assange was a "priority" for Washington.

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US prosecutors have been drafting a memo that looks at charges against Assange and WikiLeaks members that possibly include conspiracy, theft of government property and violations of the Espionage Act, according to The Washington Post.

US President Donald Trump's administration has put heat on WikiLeaks after it embarrassed the Central Intelligence Agency in March by releasing files and computer code from the spy agency's top-secret hacking operations.

"The road is far from over. The war, the proper war is just commencing," Assange said, noting his lawyers were in touch with British authorities and hoped to begin a dialogue about the "best way forward".

Ecuador also urged Britain on Friday to let Assange leave.

"Ecuador will now be intensifying its diplomatic efforts with the UK so that Julian Assange can gain safe passage in order to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador," the country's foreign minister Guillaume Long wrote in a statement.

Assange's Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelsson, said his client plans to move to Ecuador because "it's the only nation where he is safe".

The former computer hacker said that despite the "extremely threatening remarks" emanating from Washington, he was "always ready to engage with the Department of Justice".

The department said Friday it had no comment on Assange.

Asked if London would now support a request to extradite Assange to the United States, British Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We look at extradition requests on a case-by-case basis."

In Australia, his mother Christine Assange urged the Canberra government to provide him with a new passport so he could leave Britain.

"His passport's been confiscated, the Australian Government should immediately issue him another one and demand safe passage for him to take up legal asylum in Ecuador," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"For the UK now to continue to keep him in that embassy, when he's uncharged and the warrant has expired is now breaching his human rights severely and is almost criminal," she said.

- Decision a 'scandal' -

In Sweden, Assange's accuser was left stunned by the prosecutors' decision.

"It is a scandal that a suspected rapist can escape justice and thereby avoid the courts," her lawyer, Elisabeth Fritz, told AFP in an email.

"My client is shocked and no decision to (end the case) can make her change (her mind) that Assange exposed her to rape," she said.

The accusation against Assange dates from August 2010 when the alleged victim, who says she met him at a WikiLeaks conference in Stockholm a few days earlier, filed a complaint.

She accused him of having sex with her -- as she slept -- without using a condom despite repeatedly having denied him unprotected sex.

Assange always denied the allegations, which he feared would lead to him being extradited to face trial over the leak of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in 2010, that brought WikiLeaks to prominence.

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By Michael Shields and John Miller ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss voters backed the government's plan to provide billions of dollars in subsidies for renewable energy, ban new nuclear plants and help bail out struggling utilities in a binding referendum on Sunday. Provisional final figures showed support at 58.2 percent under the Swiss system of direct democracy, which gives voters final say on major policy issues. The Swiss initiative mirrors efforts elsewhere in Europe to reduce dependence on nuclear power, partly sparked by Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011. Germany aims to phase out nuclear power by 2022, while Austria banned it decades ago. "The results shows the population wants a new energy policy and does not want any new nuclear plants," Energy Minister Doris Leuthard said, adding the law would boost domestic renewable energy, cut fossil fuel use and reduce reliance on foreign supplies. "The law leads our country into a modern energy future," she told a news conference, adding some parts of the law would take effect in early 2018. Debate on the "Energy Strategy 2050" law had focused on what customers and taxpayers will pay for the measures and whether a four-fold rise in solar and wind power by 2035, as envisaged in the law, can deliver reliable supplies. Leuthard has said the package would cost the average family 40 francs more a year, based on a higher grid surcharge to fund renewable subsidies. Critics said a family of four would pay 3,200 Swiss francs ($3,290) in extra annual costs, while more intermittent wind and solar energy would mean a greater reliance on imported electricity. Switzerland was a net power importer in 2016. GREEN FUTURE Most parties and environmentalists hailed the result. "The voting public has ... paved the way for a future that builds on sustainability, renewable energies and energy efficiency. Today's decision is good for the climate, the environment, our jobs, the Swiss economy and the whole population," the Social Democrats said. The electrical and mechanical engineering sector, which opposed the law, said it was important to see how it is implemented. "The problem of long-term security of electricity supplies must be resolved. It is also important for companies that the costs and the regulatory burden not swell," it said. Under the law, 480 million francs will be raised annually from electricity users to fund investment in wind, solar and hydro power. An additional 450 million francs will be set aside from an existing fossil fuels tax to help cut energy use in buildings by 43 percent by 2035 compared with 2000 levels. Solar and wind now account for less than five percent of Switzerland's energy output, compared with 60 percent for hydro and 35 percent for nuclear. Under the new law, power from solar, wind, biomass and geothermal sources would rise to at least 11,400 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2035 from 2,831 GWh now. The law will ban building new nuclear plants. Switzerland has five plants, with the first slated to close in 2019. Voters have not set a firm deadline for the rest, allowing them to run as long as they meet safety standards. The law also helps utilities that now rely on hydropower, and whose costs exceed Europe's wholesale prices. Alpiq, BKW, AXPO [AXPOH.UL] and other utilities would share a 120 million franc annual subsidy to help close the gap between production costs and market prices. Other funds would help build new dams or refurbish old ones. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
HOMS, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels started leaving the last opposition-held district of Homs city on Saturday in the final phase of an evacuation deal that will bring an early center of the uprising back under government control in the conflict's seventh year. Fighters took with them their light weapons, as agreed, and boarded buses along with women and children. Many were headed for insurgent-held Idlib province in Syria's northwest, or the town of Jarablus on the border with Turkey. At least four buses had left al-Waer by mid-afternoon, and dozens more were expected to follow, to bring more than 2,500 people out of the district long besieged by government forces and their allies in the country's civil war. The evacuation of al-Waer is one of the largest of its kind. It follows a number of similar deals in recent months that have brought many parts of western Syria long held by the opposition and besieged by government and allied forces back under President Bashar al-Assad's control. Syria's government calls the evacuation deals, which have also taken place in besieged areas around Damascus, and in Aleppo at the end of last year, reconciliation agreements. It says they allow services and security to be restored. The opposition has criticized the agreements, however, saying they amount to forced displacement of Assad's opponents away from Syria's main urban centers, often after years of siege and bombardment. The United Nations has criticized both the use of siege tactics which precede such deals and the evacuations themselves as amounting to forcible displacement. The al-Waer deal, backed by Syria's ally Russia, began to be implemented in March. Thousands of people have left in a several stages. By the time it is completed, up to 20,000 people will have left the district, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says. Homs Governor Talal Barazi said the final phase of the evacuation would last some 20 hours, and expected it to be completed late on Saturday or early on Sunday. "This is the last day. The number of militants expected (to leave) is around 700. With their families the total number could be around 3,000," he told reporters in al-Waer. Barazi said at least 20,000 inhabitants remained in al-Waer, and tens of thousands displaced during fighting would begin to return to the neighborhood after the deal was completed. "Over the next few weeks communications networks will return" as well as electricity and water, he said. RUSSIAN MILITARY POLICE As in other evacuation deals, some rebels have decided to stay in al-Waer and hand over their weapons as Syria's military and its allies move in. Young men of conscription age will be required to join the armed forces for military service. A Russian officer helping oversee the deal's implementation told reporters Russian military police would help with the transition inside al-Waer. "Russia has a guarantor role in this agreement. Russian military police will stay, and will carry out duties inside the district," Sergei Druzhin said through an Arabic interpreter. Assad's government, backed militarily since 2015 by Russia and since early on in the war by Iranian-backed militias, has negotiated the pacts from a position of strength and brought Syria's major urban areas in the west back under its control. Homs, Syria's third-largest city before the conflict, was an early center of the popular uprising against Assad in 2011 that turned into a civil war which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million. The government is bringing more areas under its control, especially around Damascus. On Saturday, state television reported that more than 2,500 people including 1,000 rebels had left the Damascus district of Barzeh under another ongoing agreement. Rebels groups, some supported by Western countries, Gulf Arab states and Turkey, still hold pockets of territory around Damascus and in the south, as well as almost all of Idlib province. Many people leaving under the evacuation deals head for Idlib. Islamic State holds swathes of territory in the east of Syria, and is being fought by separate forces, including U.S.-backed fighters and Russian-backed Syrian troops. (Reporting by Reuters team in Homs and John Davison; Editing by Alison Williams)
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's biggest opposition group, the China-friendly Nationalists, on Saturday picked as its chief the island's former vice president Wu Den-yih, an advocate of improved and stable cross-strait relations. In his acceptance speech, Wu, 69, said the party would need to implement measures to boost the economy such as by increasing incomes and implementing pension reforms. The Nationalists, also known as the Kuomintang (KMT), once governed all of China, but fled to Taiwan in 1949 after being defeated in a civil war with China's Communists. The KMT and Beijing have always recognised Taiwan as part of China, but the two disagree on who rules "one China". The KMT says Taipei is the ruler, while China says the Communist party in Beijing is the legitimate government of "one China". Because of this, the KMT has been struggling to stay relevant after bruising electoral defeats to the ruling independence-leaning party, which rose to power last year on an electorate increasingly hostile to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of congratulations to Wu, saying he hoped the two parties keep in mind the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and firmly oppose Taiwan independence, state news agency Xinhua reported. China has never renounced the use of force to take back Taiwan, which it deems a wayward province. Local polls show that a growing number of people in Taiwan do not accept the "one China" policy even if they think economic ties with China, which is Taiwan's largest trading partner, are important. Wu, a former Taiwan vice president in the previous administration and a party senior, hails from central Nantou County. A legislator for many years, Wu takes over from current party chair Hung Hsiu-chu in August, having won 52.24 percent of the votes, which were split among six candidates. He now faces the task of fostering the next generation of party leadership. "The main task for Wu is to cultivate talent within the KMT and do well in the local elections next year ... This will help the party for the next presidential election in 2020," said Fan Shih-ping, a professor at National Taiwan Normal University. At voting booths on Saturday, some supporters emphasized the long road ahead for the KMT. "There seems to be a chasm within the party," said KMT member Kung Yu-mei, 59, as she cast her vote in New Taipei City. "The new chairperson really has to bring back consistency to the party, because if everyone has their own practices, this party will never be able to stand together." (Reporting by Jess Macy Yu in Taipei; Additional reporting by Damon Lin and Fabian Hamacher, and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; writing by J.R. Wu; editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Three teenagers were arrested and charged with capital murder after 6-year-old Kingston Frazier was shot and killed in Jackson, Mississippi Thursday. Kingstons mother, Ebony Archie, left him in the backseat of a running car when she stepped into a grocery store early in the morning. When she emerged from the store, her car, with Kingston inside of it, was gone.

The Jackson Police Department issued an alert on Twitter about the incident at 2:28 a.m., alerting the public to be on the lookout for a 2000 silver Toyota Camry with the license plate HYX 783.

Kingston was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds in the backseat of the car 15 miles away from the grocery store later that morning. Dwan Diondro Wakefield, 17, DeAllen Washington, 17, and Byron McBride Jr., 19, were all charged with capital murder Friday. Byron McBride Jr. was identified by the police as the shooter over the weekend. The three teens were expected to appear in court Monday where a judge would determine whether to set bail.

Authorities said they had not yet determined a motive for the murder.

Initial reports about the incident were contradictory as authorities and family disputed how long it took Archie to alert law enforcement that Kingston was in the backseat of the car. Hinds County Sheriff Victor Mason originally said Archie waited before telling authorities he was in the car, but the family said that was not the case and the sheriffs office later clarified their statement.

She told [the deputy] right then that the car was missing and her baby was in it, said Archies aunt, Velma Eddington, according to the Clarion-Ledger. Why would she be concerned about an old car? Anybody who says she didnt say the baby was missing is wrong.

Still, the timeline of the nights incidents remained murky even as the three teens were arrested and charged. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said any delays in issuing an amber alert would have been understandable since the process requires multiple procedural steps. MBI spokesperson Warren Strain also said some of the delay occurred because authorities had difficulty getting information about the car because it was not in Archies name.

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These people bought the car from someone else, so the car was not registered to them, said Mason. We had to get the information about the car. The lady couldnt tell us nothing because the car wasnt registered to her. We had to take time to figure out the license and serial number and everything.

The case became further complicated when police alerted the media about Kingstons death before confirming it to his father. As a spokesperson for the Hinds County Sheriffs Department was speaking at a press conference, Kingstons father emerged from the crowd.

Wheres my son man? he said. Ive been waiting nine hours to hear anything. I aint heard s*** about my son all day. Man, I know he aint right. If somethings wrong let me know right here.

My sons dead, man, he said after finally hearing the news. They killed my son, man. They shot my son.

Photos showed Kingstons mother being carried by family members upon hearing the news, having collapsed at the district attorneys office where she found out about his death.

I told yall that s*** wasnt right, she said, according to the Clarion-Ledger. I told yall.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said Friday it was confident that the three teenagers who were arrested are responsible. Security video from the scene showed Archie getting out of the car before another car drove up and a man got out and drove off in the Camry. Prosecutors could seek the death penalty in the case, authorities said.

Kingston Frazier

Photo: Twitter/Jackson Police Department

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Tehran (AFP) - The yawning gap between Tehran and Washington has grown even wider with US President Donald Trump's latest efforts to isolate Iran, which accused the United States of "milking" Saudi Arabia for petro-dollars.

Trump's choice of Saudi Arabia, Iran's bitter regional rival, for his first official foreign visit reflects the deep antagonism of his administration towards the Islamic republic.

The US president signed a giant list of deals, worth a total of $380 billion, including $110 billion for weapons that will invariably find their way into the numerous conflicts of the region -- including Syria, Yemen and Iraq -- where Riyadh and Tehran often find themselves on opposing sides.

Trump also vilified Iran as the greatest source of instability in the Middle East, though many observers noted the irony that his claims came on the same day that 41 million Iranians enthusiastically took part in elections, with a sizeable majority backing President Hassan Rouhani and his policy of engagement with the world.

Relations with the US and Iran have been under deep freeze since the Islamic revolution of 1979, which deposed the Washington-backed shah.

Trump's team is dedicated to reversing his predecessor's efforts at rapprochement with Iran, which saw a nuclear deal signed in 2015, lifting many sanctions.

"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said in Riyadh on Sunday.

He called on all countries to work together to isolate Iran "until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace".

Analysts fear tensions are growing out of control.

"Battlelines are being drawn and it's worrying, especially when it comes just a day after the election victory of Rouhani which showed a real dynamic in favour of democratisation and opening in Iranian society," said Azadeh Kian of Sciences Po University in Paris.

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- 'Bastion of democracy' -

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who spearheaded the nuclear negotiations, reacted sarcastically, comparing this weekend's elections in Iran to the lack of democracy in Saudi Arabia.

"Iran -- fresh from real elections -- attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy and moderation," Zarif tweeted, referring to the US president.

Is that a serious foreign policy, he asked, or is the US "simply milking" Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars?

Tehran sees itself as the vital force holding back the advance of the Islamic State jihadist group both in Syria and Iraq, and finds it hard to comprehend US bellicosity.

Shiite Iran regularly points to the Saudis' fundamentalist Wahhabi creed and their efforts to spread it around the Muslim world as the root cause of violent Sunni jihadism.

"Unfortunately, with the hostile and offensive policies of American officials, we see once again the reinforcement of terrorist groups in the region... and the dictators that support them," said Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Monday.

The US and its Arab allies in the Gulf respond that Iran and Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has helped perpetuate the chaos.

And they say Iran's support for Lebanese militia Hezbollah and Shiite Huthi rebel forces in Yemen are deeply destabilising.

But Iran's Press TV wrote on Sunday that the aggression coming from Riyadh this weekend ultimately reflected the Saudis' realisation that they are losing in conflicts across the Middle East.

"The Riyadh regime has... failed to achieve its objectives despite going to great expense," it wrote in an editorial.
Shiprock thrusts up from the surrounding New Mexico desert without warning. It's no wonder this abrupt landform is the center of a Navajo legend involving a giant bird that turned to stone  it's impossible to look at the sheer cliffs without wondering what created them.

A new view of Shiprock from space offers a few hints. Leading toward the rugged rock formation in San Juan County is a dark dike, a part of the volcano that created the 1,969-foot-tall (600 meters) cliff formation.

The formation is on Navajo Nation land and is known as Tse Bit'a'i, or "winged rock" in Navajo, according to the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR). Legend holds that the rock was Earth that became a bird and carried the Navajo people to the desert on its back, settling down and turning to stone again after the journey, according to Atlas Obscura. Navajo tradition holds that people should not climb or disturb the rocks, so they have been closed to recreation since the 1970s. [Earth from Above: 101 Stunning Images from Orbit]

Geologically, Shiprock originated from a volcanic eruption about 30 million years ago, according to the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. At the time, the rocks were up to 3,280 feet (1,000 m) below the ground and formed the "neck" of a region of volcanic rocks that has otherwise eroded away. The formation is made from a potassium-rich magma called "minette," according to the bureau, and is heavily fractured into a type of angular fragmented rock called breccia. While the surrounding rock has eroded away, Shiprock and some of its accompanying lava dikes remain.

The new image of Shiprock was taken by the Operational Land Imager on NASA's Landsat 8 satellite on April 12, 2017.

Original article on Live Science.

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Breaking his silence on the corruption charges leveled by Kapil Mishra, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said that he would have been in jail had there been any truth on the allegations.

By India Today Web Desk: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was accused of corruption and money laundering by sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra, termed the allegations false and baseless. Breaking his silence on the issue, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said he would have been in jail had there been any truth on the allegations leveled against him by Mishra.

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"I would have been in a jail if there was any truth in the corruption allegations made against me," Kejriwal said at a party meet on Sunday.

Taking a dig at the sacked minister, Kejriwal said, "I have been asked why am I not responding and keeping mum on the issue. But how does one respond top such false allegations. Even the Opposition does not believe these charges".

Mishra had dropped a bombshell on friend-turned-foe Arvind Kejriwal claiming that the Delhi chief minister and AAP received money through hawala network. Responding to the former Delhi minister's salvos, the AAP national convener said, "There is no merit in the allegation made that I accepted Rs 2 crore. Our party is not involved in any scam. It hurts when your own betray you".

Kapil Mishra was sacked as a minister in the Delhi government over allegations of failing to curb water scarcity.

Mishra, on Sunday, launched a 'Let's clean AAP' project to rid party of the few people who are corrupt. He also apologised to everyone, including Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, saying "I may have offended them when I stood by (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal".

ALSO READ | Kapil Mishra tweets 'Who sponsored Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh's Russia trip?'; promises another expose

ALSO READ | Kapil Mishra 'exposes' Arvind Kejriwal: All you need to know about the charges against Aam Aadmi Party

ALSO WATCH | Kapil Mishra promises to expose Arvind Kejriwal's biggest lie

--- ENDS ---
HANOI (Reuters) - Remaining countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal have agreed to explore options for continuing with it despite U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ditch it, ministers from Mexico and New Zealand said on Sunday. The so-called TPP-11 countries held their highest level talks on the deal since the U.S. pullout on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Hanoi, Vietnam. "We're focused on how we can move ahead with the 11 countries," New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay told reporters after the meeting. "The countries are going to put forward proposals on how to take TPP forward in November." Mexico's economy minister Ildefonso Guajardo echoed his comments. (Reporting by Mai Nguyen and A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
Jerusalem (AFP) - US President Donald Trump was said to have blazed a new trail between the Arab world and Israel Monday, with his plane believed to be the first to fly directly from Saudi Arabia to the Jewish state.

Trump left Riyadh for Tel Aviv ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in hopes of seeking ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace.

A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel told AFP he was not aware of any flight taking that course before.

Israel has no diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia despite informal ties on certain levels, particularly around shared concerns over Iran.

Any links are diplomatically delicate, with the Arab world strong supporters of the Palestinian cause. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries to have signed peace deals with Israel.

Israeli citizens, however, can travel to Saudi Arabia and thousands of Muslims attend the annual hajj pilgrimage there, flying with stopovers in neighbouring countries.

A plane carrying reporters accompanying Trump had to stop in Cyprus rather than fly directly.

Former aviation authority head Avner Yarkoni told AFP that while Israel would see no problem in a direct flight from Saudi Arabia, there was no reason Trump's precedent would open the way for a new route between Israel and the Gulf region.

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President will hope for positive headlines around the world but Republicans will have fitful nights fearing the presidents next missteps  or impeachment



Democrats started talking about impeachment; Republicans just wanted to get off the ride. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

As Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for his first international trip, he left behind a Washington shaken to its core  just not quite in the way he had promised.

It was a rollercoaster of a week that saw a months worth of revelations about the Trump administration seem to unfold with every passing hour. Democrats started talking about impeachment. Republicans just wanted to get off the ride.

Every day brought a new bombshell. On Monday, it was reported Trump shared classified information with Russia. On Tuesday, it emerged that Trump had pressured then FBI director James Comey to stop an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. On Wednesday, a special counsel was appointed to investigate Trump and his ties to Russia. By Thursday, all of Washington was trying to catch its breath and dreading the next push alert for breaking news.

Between these shocks came other revelations that would have been front-page news in quieter times but instead were swallowed by the news cycle, including that White House officials knew Flynn was being investigated before he was appointed to be national security adviser and a top Republican suggesting that Trump was on Russias payroll. And of course, throughout all of this, the president was tweeting.

Air Force One took off  with Trump, his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner on board  and within an hour, two more remarkable stories emerged, guaranteeing that the narrative when Trump landed in Riyadh would be one of a president fleeing from chaos at home.

The New York Times reported Trump had called Comey a nut job, and moments later a Washington Post story suggested the Trump-Russia FBI investigation was treating a current White House adviser as a person of interest.

Trump will hope for positive headlines around the world, but at home, exhausted Republicans will have fitful nights fearing the next Trump missteps.

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The torrent of new revelations has left besieged politicians scuttling for the safety of the senators-only elevators, which are no-go zones for journalists, while the Senate press gallery has written to reporters about the dangers of overcrowding near the chambers doors.

Whether to stand by Trump is still a dicey proposition for Republican lawmakers. They face a seemingly unending series of scandals and controversies, with implications for their ability to pass tax cuts and healthcare reforms, and creating genuine hazard for their own political safety with midterm elections on the way in 2018.

But Trump has survived before, managing to win the 2016 election in spite of being caught on tape boasting about sexual assault.



However, by weeks end, even some Republicans on Capitol Hill were starting to openly wonder about impeachment.

Justin Amash, an arch-conservative congressman from Michigan, conceded that, if Trump had asked his FBI director to shut down an investigation, it would be grounds for impeachment.

When his comments were published, it sparked an unlikely backlash from another Republican. Carlos Curbelo of Florida earned a correction when the liberal magazine Mother Jones described Amash as the first Republican to mention impeachment. Curbelo wanted it on the record that he had mentioned impeachment first. However, neither of the two Republican lawmakers voted for Trump in the 2016 election.

Others were wary of defending Trump in public for fear what news would come next. Idaho Republican Mike Simpson, a loyal stalwart of House leadership, saw parallels to the acceleration of the Watergate investigation, which unfolded when he was a young dental student in the early 1970s.

I can remember the start of it was a lot similar to whats going on now  oh, fake news. Bad reports. That didnt happen, you know, etc etc etc. But, oh yeah, this did, Simpson said. The next day something else happens and pretty soon youve got an avalanche of stuff.

Im not saying this is going to happen now. Im not saying this is what this is. But I think people have a memory of that and say, Nah, lets just keep my powder dry until we figure out what the hell is going on.

The veteran Idaho congressman lamented that each new day seemed to bring a new string of headlines so that consequently, you find Republican politicians a little leery about saying they support Trump.

Theyve seen whats happened in the past, Simpson said, referring again to Nixons trial. As long as this continues, its hard to stand behind him.

This hesitation was shared by Senator John McCain of Arizona, who compared the situation to a centipede. He added: I guarantee you there will be more shoes to drop, I can just guarantee it.

Others, such as congressman Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, were just tired of the constant churn. You turn on the news and this is consuming the news cycle.

Diaz-Balart, who represents a district in south Florida that Hillary Clinton won in the presidential race, expressed his regret that Trumps woes were making it more difficult for Congress to actually pass any substantive legislation.

I dont know if the folks are really paying attention to the stuff that we have to do, I think the more that there are distractions, the more difficult it is to actually get to the stuff that we have to do, he said.

But for Republicans deciding where to draw the line on Trump, abandoning him is a gamble. He may be historically unpopular for a president in his first months in office  only 38% of Americans approve of the job he is doing  but among Republican voters his approval ratings remain relatively high.

Trump supporters are setting the boundaries for the acceptable reaction among Republican lawmakers, said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster.

Among Republican voters, Trump maintains an 80% or greater approval rating, which explains why many Republicans havent yet broken with Trump in an overt way.

On Tuesday, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell asked for a little less drama from the White House, but the theatrics without an interval.

The morning after, House Speaker Paul Ryan was asked if he still had confidence in the President. Yes, he said quietly, before exiting a press conference.

It was left to Jeb Bush, the low energy candidate all but bullied out of the Republican presidential running by Trump in 2016, to sum up the mood in an interview on Friday, telling CNN: When I ran for office, I said he is a chaos candidate and would be a chaos president. Unfortunately, so far, chaos organizes the presidency right now.


RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he hoped to visit Cairo soon, praising President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after a meeting in Saudi Arabia and declaring that "safety seems to be very strong" in Egypt. Speaking through a translator, Sisi described Trump as "a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible." Trump said he was having "very, very important talks" with Sisi. "We've really been through a lot together positively," said Trump, who is on his first foreign visit since taking office. "I will get to Egypt. We will absolutely be putting that on the list very soon," he said. Sisi had "done a tremendous job under trying circumstance". Sisi has launched the toughest crackdown on Islamists in Egypt's modern history since toppling President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. Hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police have been killed fighting militants in Sinai. The two leaders called for closer cooperation on a range of issues, particularly on combating militant extremism, with Trump praising Sisi's efforts on "fighting terrorism," according to a statement from Sisi's office. Sisi has tried to present himself as a bulwark against militant extremism but has come under attack from rights groups who say his time in power has seen the worst crackdown in their history. Last month, Egypt declared a three-month state of emergency after two church bombings claimed by Islamic State killed more than 45 people. Sisi went to Washington last month for talks with Trump intended to improve relations that had been strained under President Barack Obama. Egypt is one of Washington's closest allies in the Middle East, receiving $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid annually. Trump thanked Sisi for his help with the release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi last month. Trump and his aides had engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to gain her freedom after attempts by the previous Obama administration failed. (Reporting by Steve Holland, Writing by Sylvia Westall,; Editing by Ralph Boulton and Mark Potter)
President Trump wore a yarmulke as he inserted a prayer in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem Monday.

Read: Trump Says He Had an 'Absolute Right' to Give Classified Intel to Russia

Trump is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the holiest site in the Jewish faith. He was accompanied by the first lady, his daughter Ivanka, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Trumps trip to Jerusalem came after he spent the weekend in Saudi Arabia.

While Trump was in the Middle Eastern nation, he pledged to sell $110 billion in weapons to the country.

Read: President Trump to FBI Director James Comey: 'You're Fired!'

Social media lit up when a photo showed Trump, the Saudi king and Egyptian president with their hands on a glowing orb.

I am one with the orb and the orb is with me. I am one with the orb and the orb is with me. I am one with the orb and the orb is with me.  Peter Lucier (@PeterLucier) May 22, 2017

"Surrender, Superman or all of Metropolis will be destroyed" pic.twitter.com/g8Gqh3rAm9  Oliver Willis (@owillis) May 21, 2017

No sleeping tonight for Trump. The Orb controls him now. Two dull, lidless eyes, always open, seeing its horrors, serving its will.  pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) May 22, 2017

"Everyone grab on to the cosmic sphere. It's much better than a cosmic cube...believe me!" (HT @PresVillain) #HailHydra pic.twitter.com/7jKLQIdXRt  Ben Gross (@bhgross144) May 21, 2017

Trump will then visit Vatican City on Wednesday to meet with Pope Francis, who has openly criticized the billionaires rhetoric and immigration plans.

He caps off his first overseas trip with visits to Rome, Brussels, Belgium, and Sicily.

Watch: Trump's Ex Marla Maples Takes Selfies at Times Square After Crash

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Hanoi (AFP) - Donald Trump's new pointman on trade met Asia-Pacific trade ministers in Hanoi on Saturday as Washington reverses gear on sprawling free trade pacts in favour of one-to-one deals.

With his tough rhetoric on winning back American jobs, President Trump's elevation to the White House has raised serious fears over a new protectionist era.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a veteran Reagan-era trade negotiator with protectionist credentials, is carrying his administration's "America First" ethos with him to Vietnam for the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) trade ministers' meet.

Trump favours bilateral trade deals over the ambitious multilateral pacts of Barack Obama's administration, which included the sprawling 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The US pulled out of the TPP in January, after Trump labelled it a "job killer."

That dismayed the other 11 signatories -- including Japan, Australia, Singapore and Vietnam -- who saw it as a guarantor of regional free trade.

Lighthizer met with his Japanese counterpart on Saturday.

The US and Japan "agreed to promote mutually beneficial trade, fight trade barriers and trade distorting measures," according to a statement from Lighthizer and his Japanese counterpart Hiroshige Seko.

Japan is spearheading efforts to keep the TPP afloat.

The 11 remaining TPP nations are set to meet Sunday morning and are expected to commit to forging ahead with the pact without Washington, while leaving the door open for the US' return.

Lighthizer, confirmed by the US Senate just nine days ago, is due to meet with trade ministers from Australia, Canada, China, Mexico and Vietnam on Saturday and Sunday.

His meetings with Canada and Mexico are likely to be dominated by discussions about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

During his election campaign Trump vowed to scrap NAFTA but later backtracked, instead agreeing to renegotiation the 1994 pact.

Leaders from 21 APEC economies, including Trump, are set to meet in the Vietnamese beach town of Danang in November.

At the bloc's last leaders' meeting in November, the group vowed to fight protectionism.
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Turkey is mad at the United States for stopping its security forces from beating up protesters in Washington D.C.

The diplomatic spat started last week, during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans visit to Washington. Outside an event on May 16, and without warning, Erdogans security forces and supporters descended on anti-Erdogan protesters and violently beat them. Washington police eventually intervened, but not before nearly a dozen protesters were injured, some suffering concussions and lost teeth. The attack, caught on film, sparked widespread outrage and a diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Now, Turkey says it has summoned the U.S. ambassador in Ankara. The Turkish foreign ministry slammed U.S. law enforcement on Monday for its aggressive and unprofessional actions, saying it lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. ambassador.

Heres a video of the brawl:

To make matters worse, another video later emerged showing Erdogan calmly watching his guards and supporters violently manhandle the protesters:

Turkey requested a full investigation of this diplomatic incident, saying the actions of U.S. security personnel were contrary to diplomatic rules and practices. (Because apparently a diplomatic practice is having your police stand idly by and watch a foreign leaders guards beat protesters.)

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D.C. police said they arrested two men unaffiliated with the Turkish government who took part in the brawl. Two of Erdogans guards were also briefly detained, but then released due to diplomatic immunity. All guards involved are safely back in Turkey.

The incident came hours after President Donald Trump lavished praise on Erdogan during a meeting at the White House. It took place outside the Turkish Ambassadors residence, where Erdogan traveled to attend a private session co-hosted by Washington-based think tank the Atlantic Council and Turkish think tank the SETA Foundation. (Note: This author used to work at the Atlantic Council).

The Atlantic Council recently came under fire for its ties to Erdogan, though it condemned the violence in a statement released on May 17:

After Erdogan survived a botched coup attempt in July 2016, he consolidated power and cracked down on political dissenters and free press, straining relations with Turkeys Western allies.

Turkeys response to the incident could add salt to the wounds of this new diplomatic rift between Washington and Ankara.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday called the incident outrageous, but said he would wait for a State Department review before taking further action  sparking dismay among prominent Republican lawmakers.

You dont need any further information, just look at the clip, said Sen. John McCain shortly after Tillersons comments on Fox News Sunday. McCain added Washington should throw their ambassador the hell out of the country.

Those were his people and Erdogans people who were sent out there, McCain said. Thats not America.

Photo credit: DAVE CLARK/AFP/Getty Images
Fighting broke out between protestors and bodyguards outside the Turkish embassy in Washington, DC during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: DAVE CLARK/AFP/Getty Images

Turkey has summoned the US ambassador to protest 'aggressive' action against Turkish bodyguards in Washington, DC.

Bodyguards for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were involved in a brawl last week when the president visited the White House. Nine people were injured and two were arrested in the flare-up between bodyguards and anti-Erdogan protestors.

Many in Washington called for strong, swift action against the bodyguards in the wake of the brawl. The State Department said they were "communicating our concern to the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms", and that the actions of Turkish security personnel during the incident was "deeply disturbing".

The Turkish Foreign Ministry now says the US ambassador has been given a "written and verbal protest" over the US's handling of the situation. The country is calling for a "a full investigation of this diplomatic incident".

Peaceful protests outside the Turkish embassy during Mr Erdogan's visit erupted when demonstrators arrived carrying the flag of the Kurdish Democratic Union party. The US is seeking to arm the group in Syria. The Turkish government considers them a terrorist organisation.

The diplomatic response to the brawl devolved into accusations on either side, with prominent US officials claiming the bodyguards had acted inappropriately, and the Turkish government claiming they had been provoked.

"The violence and injuries were the result of this unpermitted, provocative demonstration," the Turkish embassy said in a statement. "We hope that, in the future, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure that similar provocative actions causing harm and violence do not occur."

Former US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, however, tweeted that "clearly Erdogan's guards feel complete impunity, drawing on tools of repression they use at home & knowing he has their back, no matter what."

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The Metropolitan Police Department has said they have "every intention" of pursuing charges against all parties involved.

Mr Erdogan's recent visit to the White House was his first in years, after US-Turkey relations declined significantly under former President Barack Obama. The Turkish leader is seen by many to be taking an increasingly authoritarian hold on his country.

Mr Trump has pledged to work with Mr Erdogan's toward their "shared goal" of fighting Isis.
By Press Trust of India: Guwahati, May 22 (PTI) Terming the Assam State Transport Corporation as the symbol of Assamese identity, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said for bringing back the glory days of the Corporation both the civil society and the government must work hand in hand.

Sonowal said this while laying the foundation stone of a mini ISBT and also ceremonially flagging off 20 new buses for better connectivity with upper and northern Assam here today.

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Stating the ASTC has been successful in reducing the deficit gap to Rs 4.5 crore through streamlining its services and plugging the leakage in revenue collection, he said ASTC must make all efforts to achieve transition from a loss making venture to profit making one and for that the officials and staff of the Corporation will have to work with dedication and sincerity.

He said roads have been improved in the villages under schemes like PMGSY and buses must ply to all villages in the next few years, improving connectivity to interior places.

Service of modern buses will only be successful when people consider them as their own property and thereby help in keeping them clean, he said and urged the ASTC staff to keep the vehicles in good condition.

He said District Transport Officers (DTOs) must be accessible to the public and they must stay away from corrupt practices so that transparent public service can be provided.

The Chief Minister distributed official vehicles to the DTOs for facilitating better working environment.

ASTC has taken many steps like use of information technology for monitoring and managing breakdown of buses, rent collection, training and capacity building workshops for workers and others, which are expected to provide momentum to the growth of the Corporation, he added. PTI ESB DKB

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Twitters co-founder has publicly apologised for the role the social media platform might have played in the election of Donald Trump.

In an interview with the New York Times, Evan Williams was asked about remarks made by Mr Trump in March when he said: I think maybe I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for Twitter.

Its a very bad thing, Twitters role in that, Mr Williams admitted. If its true that he wouldnt be President if it werent for Twitter, then yeah, Im sorry.

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House of Cards creator details why Trump's Twitter must be removed

Mr Trump has 30 million followers on his personal account on the platform and was known as a prolific tweeter well before he announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for presidency.

Since entering the White House and taking control of the @POTUS (President of the United States) Twitter handle, he has 17 million followers of that account.

The platform was used extensively by his supporters during the presidency to advocate him and to denounce Hilary Clinton  although it was also well utilised by his detractors.

The President told Fox Newss Tucker Carlson: I think that maybe I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Twitter, because I get such a fake press, such a dishonest press. I mean, if you look at  and I'm not including Fox, because I think Fox has been fair to me, but if you look at CNN and if you look at these other networks.

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Donald Trump Twitter analysis reveals the secrets behind his tweets

Mr Trumps prolific and often combative style of tweeting has been under scrutiny since he took office with recent reports that close aides have intervened to urge him to tone down some of his posts.

The Wall Street Journal reported that members of his team warned Mr Trump his tweets risked painting him into a corner both politically and legally.

In the interview with New York Times  a newspaper repeatedly attacked by the President as a failing organisation, despite its plethora of journalism awards  Mr Williams admitted that Twitter has its downsides, including an attraction for extremists and those who seek to abuse and insult others.

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I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better pace. I was wrong about that.

Mr Williams has stepped down from his role as CEO of Twitter and is working on a new blogging platform, known as Medium.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a press conference Sunday in Riyadh only with foreign media in attendance, while American reporters were kept uninformed.

The not-so-media-friendly Tillerson held the press briefing with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir. According to State Department spokesman R.C. Hammond, Tillerson was invited to the news conference at the last minute.

Read:Does Rex Tillerson Have A Problem Making Eye Contact?

"Regrettably, there was not enough time to alert or make arrangements for U.S. media to participate. Under different circumstances, U.S. media would have been alerted, Hammond said, according to Politico. Steps were immediately taken to ensure a transcript could be produced and distributed to reporters. Ideally, members of the U.S. press corps should have had the option to attend the press conference and ask questions.

The secretary of state accompanied President Donald Trump and other senior officials on the presidents first foreign trip since assuming office. According to the transcript, Tillerson reiterated Trumps comments from his speech earlier in the day on how the Middle East should tackle terrorism.

I think what you heard is the expression of this administrations policy and views not just toward this region, but toward American relationship with the Muslim world here as well as more broadly. And I think the President clearly was extending a hand and understanding that only together can we address this threat of terrorism that has befallen all of us, not just in this region but worldwide, Tillerson said.

And when we succeed in dismantling these forces [terrorism and destabilization], we create enormously positive conditions for the advancement of human rights everywhere, because it is these forces that are most oppressive to peoples. Its these forces that are most oppressive to women. Its these forces that prey on those who are less able to care for themselves. . defeating these evil forces is the first step on advancing human rights worldwide, and he clearly has that in his mind as well, the 65-year-old added.

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In March, Tillerson had admitted that he was not a big media press access person. During his visit to Japan, only a reporter from conservative Independent Journal Review (IJR) accompanied him. At the time, several White House reporters complained about Tillersons inaccessibility.

In an interview with IJR, the secretary of state clarified that he did not take other reporters with him to the Japan review to save money.

Primarily its driven  believe it or not, you wont believe it  were trying to save money. I mean, quite frankly, were saving a lot of money by using this aircraft, which also flies faster, allows me to be more efficient, and were going to destinations that, by and large, the media outlets have significant presence already, so were not hiding from any coverage of what were doing, he said.

[What] Im told is that theres this long tradition that the secretary spends time on the plane with the press. I dont know that Ill do a lot of that. Im just not  thats not the way I tend to work. Thats not the way I tend to spend my time. I spend my time working on this airplane, he said. Im not a big media press access person. I personally dont need it. I understand its important to get the message of what were doing out, but I also think theres only a purpose in getting the message out when theres something to be done.

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Stock markets soared after Donald Trump won the presidential election last November, for one basic reason: He had promised huge tax cuts, which would boost corporate profits and stock prices.

Stocks are still up, but the outlook for tax cuts has suffered a severe downgrade. In my opinion, tax reform cant happen, Omeed Malik of Bank of America Merrill Lynch said at the recent SALT conference, the annual gathering of money managers in Las Vegas. That pessimistic assessment is becoming the prevailing Wall Street vieweven if buoyant stock prices may not yet reflect it.

The various crises surrounding Trumpthe abrupt firing of FBI director James Comey, a special counsel to look into his Russia connections, a stubbornly low approval ratingare part of the problem. They puncture Trumps clout on Capitol Hill and his ability to woo some Democrats to his side. Even fellow Republicans now resist some of Trumps measures, unworried about potential punishment meted out by constituents back home.

But passing contentious legislation was always going to be tougher than it seemed under Trump, even with Republicans controlling both houses of Congress. Even though theres unified government, politically its less unified than it looks, former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said at the SALT conference. Theyre all Republicans, but there are very different points of view. Bernanke said he expects no major changes in the tax code under Trump.

David Rubenstein, founder of the private-equity firm the Carlyle Group and an old Washington hand, explained to the SALT audience why he, too, thinks tax cuts are unlikely. There is no way to pass tax legislation in the Senate with only Republican votes, he said. Senate rules essentially require 60 votes to pass most legislation, and the Republicans control only 52 seats. Some laws can pass with only a majority, but they must be deficit-neutral, which Trumps tax outline is not.

Its possible something small could pass, Rubenstein says, such as a cut in the top corporate rate from 35% to 25%. Trump wants to cut it to 15%, and include a lot of other tax cuts in addition to that. But the loss of tax revenue, at that level, would be too steep for budget hawks in Congress. If youre in the investment world and looking for relief from Congress, Rubenstein told the SALT audience, you should look elsewhere.

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Wall Street bellwether Goldman Sachs (GS) has institutionalized these declining expectations for the Trump agenda. The probability that tax legislation will be enacted by 2018 has fallen further, in our view, as a result of recent events, the influential firm told clients in a recent note. Until recently, Goldman expected tax cuts of nearly $2 trillion during a 10-year period, or $200 billion per year. It has since reduced that outlook to $1 trillion of tax cuts, while noting that if Trumps approval rating drops further from already-low levels, the likelihood of tax cuts will decline as well.

Its hard to tell if stock markets reflect the dimming outlook for tax cuts. While stocks have been flat since early March, the Trump bump is still there, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC) up 12% since Election Day last November.

Goldman says post-election policy expectations have mostly unwound in sectors once expected to benefit most from Trump policies, such as those stuck with relatively high tax rates. And it may be improving earnings and sound fundamentals, rather than the Trump agenda, that are supporting the broader market, for now. For Trump, its a convenient time for economic fundamentals to be improving.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com

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Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman
White House lawyers have reportedly started researching impeachment procedures should an attempt be made to oust Donald Trump from the office of the presidency, according to CNN.

Two people briefed on the discussions reportedly told the broadcaster lawyers in the White House counsels office have in the past week spoken to impeachment experts to discuss the nature of proceedings, were they to go ahead. A White House official denied the report.

President Donald Trump is facing scrutiny following reports that he attempted to pressure former head of the FBI James Comey to drop the investigation into his former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

In a memo written by Mr Comey after a meeting with the president, he recorded that Mr Trump allegedly told him, I hope you can let this go, according to the New York Times.

Many politicians in the US have been cautious around talk of removing the president from office, though Republican congressman Justin Amash told The Hill that if reports about the pressure proved to be true then it could merit impeachment.

Republican representative Carlos Curbelo compared Mr Trumps alleged pressure on Mr Comey to the cases of obstruction of justice made against Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

Obstruction of justice in the case of Nixon, in the case of Clinton in the late 1990s, has been considered an impeachable offence, he told the broadcaster.

A Democratic congressmen from Texas, Al Green, became the first to call for the President to be impeached from the floor of the House, however.

"This is where I stand. I will not be moved. The President must be impeached," he said last week.

The African American congressman has reportedly received menacing phone calls since his statement, including threats of being lynched.

He told the Houston Chronicle: We are not going to be intimidated.
A woman was charged after she allegedly sprayed employees at a Minnesota fast-food restaurant with Mace.

Eiram Chanel Amir Dixon, 25, reportedly went through the drive-thru at Wendys on Thursday and an argument about her fries being stale ensued.

Read: Woman Was Arrested by Cop After She Allegedly Stole 3 of His French Fries

During the argument, Dixon reached into the drive-thru window and an employee threw a soda at her, workers told police. Dixon then allegedly grabbed Mace from her car and sprayed it through the drive-thru window, according to police.

Read: After 32 Years, Woman With Down Syndrome Retires From McDonald's: 'She Liked Making French Fries'

The manager of the restaurant was hit directly in the face and another employee was also hit, according to CBS.

Dixon is charged with use of tear gas to immobilize.

Watch: Witness Recounts Seeing Facebook Killer Steve Stephens At McDonald's Drive-Thru

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A woman turned herself into police in South Carolina after she allegedly scared horses while wearing a dinosaur costume, according to reports.

Nicole Wells, 26, was charged with disorderly conduct and wearing a mask.

Read: Mom Wears T. Rex Costume to Walk Her Sons, 7 and 8, to School: 'They Love It'

Wells allegedly wore the Tyrannosaurus rex costume and approached a carriage with horses on Thursday and begun growling at them.

Police said the horses then backed up and struck a parked vehicle, causing damage to it.

"Perhaps she did not realize what a threat that appeared to be to my animals, but they responded remarkably well," Van Sturgeon, the owner of the horses, told reporters.

Read: Teen Dressed as a Dinosaur Wins Homecoming Queen: 'They Loved it'

Sturgeon also fell off his horse during the encounter and was transported to the hospital for his injuries.

The horses were not injured.

Watch: Godzilla vs. the Snowstorm: Mom Goes Viral for Shoveling Driveway in Inflatable Costume

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Ivanka Trump accompanied her father and the first lady on the diplomatic trip to Saudi Arabia. She was a trending topic in the countrys social media this weekend. (Photo: AP)

While the news cycle continues to churn around President Trumps first foreign tour  particularly the glaring contradictions between his current statements and the things he stated publicly before he became president  another Trump story is also developing. Namely, the fascination around Ivanka Trump on the part of their Saudi hosts. While most of the conversation around Ivanka, and Melania as well, focused heavily on the womens wardrobe choices, Ivanka herself became a trending news topic in Arabic social media.

As detailed in the English-language website Arab News, as soon as the presidents daughter stepped off the airplane in Saudi Arabia, she stepped into the Arabic speaking spotlight. The Twitter hashtag Ivanka bint Trump, or Trumps daughter was trending on the social media platform. So far, Melania Trump has also impressed the Saudi press, with nearly a full page dedicated to her classy and conservative look.

"Ivanka bint Trump".. wow a full page for the trump girls ???? #SundayMorning #News pic.twitter.com/k72OUWFzYi  reem h. zaben (@reemhzaben) May 21, 2017

The hashtag "bint Trump", which means Trumps daughter in Arabic, is the top trending hashtag in Saudi. https://t.co/7uWeCSO1P1 #_  Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) May 20, 2017

Interestingly, the Saudi public on social media also seemed to be pretty impressed with the U.S. delegations choice in security personnel. Arab News pointed to many poetic compliments to the so-called Man in the Red Tie. Just give me the man in the red tie and throw me in the sea, one commenter declared.

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#_

classic American man

I think i'm in love ,  pic.twitter.com/AddzfVgG2z    (@mona_Al1997) May 20, 2017

While visiting the U.S. ally, Ivanka Trump has met with Saudi women for a roundtable discussion concerning womens rights. At the meeting she stated, Saudi Arabias progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging, but theres still a lot of work to be done and freedoms and opportunities to continue to fight for. She also brokered a $100 million donation from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to a billion-dollar global fund dedicated to womens economic empowerment.

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First lady Melania Trump visited an all-women business service center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo: AP)

Quite a few commenters from the political peanut gallery pointed out how disrespectful it was for former first lady Michelle Obama to skip the headscarf upon her visit to Saudi Arabia in 2015. One of those critics was the current president of the United States, in fact:

Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted.We have enuf enemies  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2015

Michelle Obama dressed modestly and covered her arms and legs  albeit without a headscarf  on her visit to Saudi Arabia in 2015. (Photo: AP)

As far as the current first lady goes, she has approached this official visit to the Mideast American ally with similar style  sans headscarf, abaya, niqab, or hijab. For the most part, she has dressed modestly, and covered much of what could be deemed inappropriate by the conservative Saudi regime and its customs. Yet Melania Trump was seen today visiting the American International School in Riyadh in a safari style dress, legs partially exposed.

The first lady visited the school early Sunday as well as a technology center where all the employees are women, where the contrast between her wardrobe and those of the Saudi nationals couldnt have been more stark.

Did she break the rules? According to a number of etiquette and dress code sources, she may have, indeed. As the Economist details, according to sharia law in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia is one of the only Muslim-majority countries that legally imposes a dress code (Iran is another). Women, foreign and local, must wear an abaya (a few get away with long coats) in public places. Of course, the same article goes on to describe that actual practice varies widely, depending on where in the country you expect to see such dress codes. Women freely wear bikinis on the Red Sea coast, for example.

And business travel advice from USA Today also describes appropriate dress customs for Western women in the Muslim country as long dresses which reach to the ankles and have full long-length sleeves, and further explains how Your Saudi Arabian hosts may also appreciate your wearing a a head scarf although this is not compulsory for non-Muslims. Wear any kind of smart business shoes you deem appropriate, with either an open or closed- toe. When traveling between business events you will find that wearing a full-length traditional robe and a headscarf makes you stand out less and receive less attention.

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Melania Trump certainly chose to stand out on her visit  being the first lady of the United States makes it rather difficult not to  whether it was her safari dress and zebra stripe shoes, the magenta gown she wore at the royal banquet on Saturday night, or the bright white pantsuit she wore for the Arab Islamic American Summit on Sunday.

#melaniatrump in #reemacra ????????or ????????? A post shared by The Catwalk Italia  TCI (@thecatwalkitalia) on May 21, 2017 at 5:16am PDT

Melania Trump wore a pantsuit to Sundays summit, despite the taboo against women in trousers in Saudi Arabia (Photo: AP)

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Samsungs new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are by far the hottest Android phones on the planet right now for so many reasons. The new flagship phones feature Samsungs best Android software yet, and theyre also the most powerful smartphones that Samsung has ever released. But software and performance obviously arent the first things that come to mind when people think of the Galaxy S8. Instead, its the gorgeous curved design and Samsungs stunning Infinity Display, which occupies an impressive 83% of the Galaxy S8s front side.

Well, it turns out theres a new version of the Galaxy S8 that looks like it may be launching soon, and it trades in two defining features from the original models for a new feature that some users will love even more.

Don't Miss: The best new features in Android O have nothing to do with Android O

Remember back when Samsung used to release 437 different versions of each of its flagship phones? Thankfully those days are over, but theres one alternate version that has still managed to stick around following Samsungs shift in strategy. Thats right, the rugged Active versions of Samsungs Galaxy S flagships are still popular options at AT&T each year, and it appears as though the trend will continue in 2017.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Samsung is working on a Galaxy S8 Active set to launch in the coming months, and now the phone has been pictured for the first time on the Wireless Power Consortiums website. WPC is a licensing body that ensures electronics with wireless charging capabilities comply with standards.

No information about the phones specs can be gleaned from the certification page, but the phone is expected to be mostly in line with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. What can be seen in the photo found on the WPC page is the phones face, which doesnt feature curved edges or even an Infinity Display. These are both signature features of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, but Samsung undoubtedly had to ditch them in order to ruggedize the phone.

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An image of the Galaxy S8 Active can be seen below, and the phone is expected to launch soon.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
At its I/O conference last week, Google (GOOG, GOOGL) pitched an ambitious vision in which its Google Assistant will keep you informed and on schedule through the Android phone (or, now, iPhone) in your pocket and the Google Home voice-driven smart-home hub. Googles smarts will literally serve as your eyes, in the form of the Google Lens addition to Assistant, and will not only organize your photos and remind you to share them but even create photo books for you.

In other words, Google would be quite happy if you ignored its competitors and gave it all your business. That should sound familiar, because youve probably heard the same basic leave all this to us invitation from Apple (AAPL) and, if youre old enough, Microsoft (MSFT).

If you decline that invitation, you may have gadgets and apps that dont always fit together and will certainly demand separate passwords. For example, using Google Photos and Apples iCloud email may add an extra step to sharing with photos with friends that you wouldnt have if you let Google handle everything.

You should find opportunities to say no thanks to the leave-this-to-us pitchdeliberately and strategicallyanyway.

Everybody makes mistakes, even giant tech conglomerates

Comparing this years I/O announcements to Google news from past conferences should offer one reason why you should spread your business around.

In 2016, for example, Google devoted a big chunk of its keynote to two new chat apps, Allo and Duo, that have yet to make a meaningful dent in the market. The market-research firm App Annies recent-download stats for the messaging app Allo and the video-calling app Duo show them nowhere near WhatsApp or Skype.

This years I/O featured almost no news about messaging appswhich is good, because the 12 months in between have only showed how incoherent Googles strategy looks in this area. The web giant has revived its long-neglected Google Voice apps while taking features in and out of the Hangouts app that had supposedly replaced it.

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This history leaves little confidence that you should trust Google with your instant-messaging needs. This history also suggests that a companys excellence at one category communications (in Googles case, email) doesnt mean it can extend that success to a related category. See also: Facebooks (FB) unsuccessful attempt to turn its Messenger app into a replacement for your e-mail service, or Apples frequent stumbles at delivering cloud services in areas ranging from online storage to web radio.

And after spending a few years trying to launch its own social networkmost recently, 2011s introduction of its Google+ networkGoogle has stopped talking about that subject. The closest it got to discussing social networks at I/O: a cringe-inducing part of the opening keynote touting YouTube comments (no, really) and announcing a SuperChat option in which you can pay to have your comment boosted (ick).

Complexity is another word for avoiding a single point of failure

But theres another, more universal, reason to decline the leave-this-to-us invitation youll see at an event like Google I/O or the Worldwide Developer Conference Apple will stage in two weeks: resilience.

Spreading your business around adds complexitylike more usernames, passwords, and apps to wranglebut also insulation from security and privacy threats. Its not a game-over moment if your account gets hacked at one service, or if that service suffers some downtime. It also limits the visibility any one company has into your online pursuits.

Finally, saying no thanks to a company you already rely on for some services shows you havent reached a point of total dependency. It means you considered your options and didnt make the easy choice. In other words, its good practice at being an empowered customer.

In that light, one of my favorite stats among the many shared by presenters at Google I/O: Only 64.5% of Android users granted an apps request to use a phones camera. I had worried that everybody would tap the Allow button, but many of you remain a skeptical lot.

If youre tired of being treated as an advertising target by one free service or another, this also offers a chance to pay for a smaller service with a different business model. In my case, that meant declining Google Keep or Microsoft OneNote for my note-taking; instead, I pay for Evernotes premium subscription. I also opted years ago not to use Googles Blogger for my own blog in favor of WordPress.com.

I also use Yahoos (YHOO) Flickr to share photos, but that may be more of a function of my being a 40-something guy who still takes pictures with a dedicated camera.

Is Big Tech tempering its ambitions?

Are giant tech companies realizing they shouldnt try to do it all? Perhaps. This I/O conference featured zero new hardware announcements. Maybe Google has realized that it needs to work on its sales pitch for its existing gadgets before shipping any new ones?

Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group, speaks at the Microsoft Build 2017 developers conference, Thursday, May 11, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Microsoft, meanwhile, realized a few years ago that it was not going to be able to extend its desktop success into the mobile realm. These days, it makes headlines, as it did at this months Build conference, when it ships software to help Android phones work better with Windows PCs.

Well have to see if Apples WWDC reveals any new recognition of the companys limits. That may not happen. Apples insane attention to detail, down to pizza-box design, in its upcoming spaceship headquarters building doesnt suggest an outbreak of humility there.

What we dont need to wait to realize: Simplicity isnt always the top virtue in technology. An iPad using Google Photos for picture backup and sharing and Microsofts Outlook.com for e-mail will require a few more passwords (which you can store in a third-party password manager like LastPass, Dashlane or 1Password instead of trusting that to Apple or Google). But it also does its little part to preserve choice and competition.

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An Indian mother and son, were released after being convicted for two years and three months for allegedly infiltrating into Bangladesh.

Annabala Das (50) and her son Bijoy Kumar Das (22) who were released from Bangladesh prison after two years.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: An Indian mother and son, were released after being convicted for two years and three months for allegedly infiltrating into Bangladesh.

Annabala Das (50) and her son Bijoy Kumar Das (22) are residents of Pipeline Niranjan Nagar village of Bhaktinagar thana of Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. On March 26, 2015, Annabala and her son were going to visit her parent's at Brindabanpara in Bogra area od Bangladesh. They crossed the border with the help of brokers' through Hilli border and entered Bangladesh.

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Border Guard Bangladesh(BGB) arrested them and filed a case against them on the same night under the passport act of 1973.

The mother and son were each imprisoned for three months after the allegations against them were proved in court.

They were released from prison on Monday.

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DIG, CSWT BSF Indore, Arun Kumar Tambe in an affidavit filed on behalf of BSF, said that the orders were issued by the Director General on April 25.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it will soon transfer the pistol of martyr Bhagat Singh from BSF museum Indore to BSF museum Hussaini Wala.

DIG, CSWT BSF Indore, Arun Kumar Tambe in an affidavit filed on behalf of BSF, said that the orders were issued by the Director General on April 25.

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"The bench comprising Justice SS Saron and Darshan Singh heard a PIL and directed the BSF to open it for the public in order to pay their tributes to the martyrs," petitioner HC Arora said.

The petitioner had told the court that the pistol was requisitioned by BSF from Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur in October, 1969. It was in the possession of Punjab police since 1944 after it was received from the then SSP of Lahore. The pistol came to light in November 2016 when an English daily reported that the weapon was lying in BSF museum at Indore.

The is the same pistol which was used By Bhagat Singh to kill British Assistant Superintendent of Police John Saunders on December 17, 1928.

HC Arora had submitted that a large number of visitors come to visit Khatkar Kalan museum everyday which was an ideal place for displaying this pistol. He had moved the court as the BSF authorities and other respondents didnt respond to his notices.

Also Read:

Akali Dal leader calls Bhagat Singh a terrorist

10-song tribute to Bhagat Singh on his 84th death anniversary

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, May 22 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today extended the bail granted to Bollywood starlet Preeti Jain and admitted her appeal challenging a lower court order sentencing her to three years in jail on charge of conspiring to kill filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar.

On April 28 this year, a trial court here had convicted Jain and two others for conspiring to kill Bhandarkar and sentenced them to three years imprisonment.

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The court had on the same day suspended Jains sentence for a period of four weeks and granted her bail till May 25.

Jains appeal and application seeking extension of the bail granted to her came up for hearing today before a vacation bench of Justice M S Karnik.

"The appeal is admitted. The order dated April 28 of the trial court granting bail to the applicant (Jain) is extended till June 7 when the matter will be listed before a regular bench," Justice Karnik said.

In the appeal against the conviction, Jain said that the trial court has erred in convicting her.

"The trial court in its order has said the FIR was not properly recorded and that the prosecution has not been able to prove the motive theory also against Jain," Jains lawyer Sujit Shelar said.

The case dates back to July 2004, when Jain had lodged a complaint against Bhandarkar accusing him of raping her on multiple occasions since 1999 under the pretext of giving her a lead role in his films.

Bhandarkar had denied the allegations and the Supreme Court quashed the rape case against him in 2012.

In 2005, Jain was arrested for conspiring to kill the film director.

The police claimed that the plot came to light when she approached the Akhil Bharatiya Sena to recover Rs 40,000 that she had allegedly paid to one Naresh Pardeshi to eliminate Bhandarkar.

The filmmaker was one of the 51 witnesses whom the prosecution had produced before the trial court. PTI SP GK RT

--- ENDS ---
By Hemender Sharma: A three- storey house in Bhopal's Itwara area today collapsed killing one and injuring four. The injured have been admitted to Gandhi Medical college and hospital.

The dead has been identified as 52-year-old Shahida Bi who lived with two family members on the ground floor of the house. The top floor of the house didn't have any occupants.

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According to Bhopal Mayor Alok Sharma, the house was a dilapidated structure and the municipal corporation had already served a notice to the owner to vacate it for dismantling.

"It is a sad incident. The original house belonged to Banne Pehalwan a renowned wrestler of the old city area. His younger brother used to stay in the house. It was originally a three storey structure, and the owners were getting it renovated. The incident occurred while the renovation work was on," Sharma said.

The municipal corporation of Bhopal has served notices to 125 such houses that need to be dismantled before the onset of the monsoons.

Last year, when similar notices were served to the owners of these houses, no one complied as politicians jumped in when the demolition work was about to start.

"I urge everyone not to play politics with the lives of people. The owners of these houses too should cooperate with municipal authorities," the Mayor said hitting out at the local Congress leadership said.

The mayor has assured assistance from the Chief minister's relief fund to the affected family.

"They had asked for compensation, I will request the honourable chief minister to give some financial assistance from the Chief minister's relief fund," Sharma said.

Also Read

Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader running sex racket in Bhopal, exposed; sacked from party

Bajrang Dal activists force closure of Campion School in Bhopal over Ram Navami

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: in malicious campaign

Bengaluru, May 22 (PTI) The BJPs Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa today refuted allegations that he preferred breakfast from a hotel instead of what was prepared at a Dalits house he had visited and termed it a malicious campaign by the Congress.

Asserting that today also he has had breakfast at a Dalits house in a colony in Bagalkote in presence of the media, he claimed that the Congress was unable to resist the initiative taken by his party.

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"We had gone to understand the issues faced by them and will continue to do it," the state BJP chief said.

"What I feel is, the Congress is unable to resist that we are visiting Dalit mohallas, we are eating breakfast at their houses, we are receiving applications from them and trying to respond to their issues. So they are doing this malicious campaign," Yeddyurappa told reporters at Bagalkote.

As part of his drought study tour across the state, the former chief minister was recently in Chitradurga where he along with other leaders partook of breakfast at a Dalits house.

It was alleged that Yeddyurappa had breakfast brought from a nearby hotel instead of what was homemade and he drew flak from both the Congress and the JD(S).

Reacting to the allegations, BJP spokesperson and MLA Suresh Kumar noted that the host had confirmed that Yeddyurappa had breakfast prepared in the house.

It was also stated they had to get food from outside as they could not cater immediately to the large number of visitors.

"What is central to the whole issue is having food at the residence of Dalits with the members of the family and not to bother whether the food is prepared at home or brought from outside," Kumar said.

He said by casting aspersions on the BJP of not having food prepared at a Dalits house, the Congress has insulted and humiliated the entire community and it has no moral right to speak on the issue of Dalits after having used them as vote bank for over seven decades.

Meanwhile, Mandya police has received a complaint against Yeddyurappa following the incident, where a person named D Venkatesh has accused him of discrimination, the police said. PTI KSU RA BN NSD

--- ENDS ---
A Dalit youth has lodged a complaint with the police against BS Yeddyurappa in which he has alleged that the food consumed by Karnataka BJP president BS Yedyurappa and other BJP leaders was not prepared by the Dalit family but was ordered from a hotel.

By India Today Web Desk: Karnataka BJP president BS Yedyurappa has landed in a soup after eating breakfast in the house of a Dalit family in Kelakote area of Chitradurga district on May 19.

A Dalit youth has lodged a complaint with the police against BS Yeddyurappa. In his complaint, Venkatesh D alleged that the food consumed by the former chief minister and other BJP leaders was not prepared by the Dalit family but was ordered from a hotel.

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Venkatesh D accused BS Yeddyurappa of practising untouchability which is punishable under law. He alleged that BS Yeddyurappa's act would convey a wrong message to the society. The police are investigating the incident, reports said.

In his response to the allegations, BS Yeddyurappa sought to turn the tables on JD(S) and the ruling Congress. He accused the two parties of disrespecting the Dalits by raising the issue. "All the leaders who raised the issue must apologise to Dalits at whose homes I had breakfast," he said.

BS Yeddyurappa further said, "The reason for having breakfast at a Dalit's home was to send out a message that BJP and I are for a socially equitable society. But what can I say when people are criticising me for having breakfast bought from outside?"

BS Yedyurappa is not the only leader to have eaten a meal at a Dalit's home and courted controversy or hogged limelight. There have been several such incidents in the past. However, the one thing common in them is that all the politicians remember the Dalits and eat at their houses just before elections. They forget them after the polls.

RAHUL GANDHI

Dining with the Dalits came under spotlight for the first the time after Mayawati, a Dalit herself, was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was attempting to poach her Scheduled Caste (SC) votebank. He would visit Dalit families, have meals with them and even spend a night at their place - be it the house of Chedi Pasi in Barabanki district in September 2009 or of Kunjilal in Jhansi district in October 2011.

While Mayawati fumed at Rahul's adventures, the BJP mocked him saying it did not believe in publicising visits of its leaders to the houses of Dalit families.

In a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister had claimed that "one political leader" used to eat at the homes of Dalits, but always carried with him a "Bisleri bottle".

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Rahul Gandhi perhaps would get the credit for eating meals in the houses of Dalits the maximum number of times.

In September 2016, Rahul Gandhi took lunch at a Dalit's house in Baragaon village in UP's Mau's district during his Kisan Yatra. Congress general secretary in charge of UP Ghulam Nabi Azad accompanied him.

Rukmina Devi and her husband Swaminath Ram, who had hosted Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad, borrowed flour, vegetables and other materials because they were too poor to have afforded it.

AMIT SHAH

Even though the BJP would criticise Rahul Gandhi for his momentary display of love for the Dalits, the ruling party itself indulges in the same tactics. With an eye on the recently-held UP and Punjab Assembly elections, BJP president Amit Shah on May 30 had a meal with Girjaprasad Bind and Ikbal Bind's family, who belong to the Dalit community, in Jogiyapur village in Sevapuri Assembly segment. Jogiyapur falls under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi.

Earlier, on May 11, the BJP president had also taken a holy dip along with saints, retired bureaucrats and police officials, mostly from the Dalit community, as part of "Samrasta Snan (a holy bath for social harmony)" at Valmiki ghat of Kshipra river during Simhastha in Ujjain.

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Slamming Amit Shah for eating meal at a Dalit's house in Varanasi, the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had called it a "drama" and said that the Samajwadi Party leaders did not indulge in such acts.

On her part, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati too criticised Shah, terming his action a "nautanki".

JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA

Congress MP and former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia too ate meal in a Dalit's house in his home state Madhya Pradesh. However, he did not court any controversy.

In April, while campaigning for the Ater bye-elections in the state, Scindia entered the house of a Dalit family. He sought to help the woman who was rolling chapattis. Scindia got down to making chapattis on the earthen 'chulha'. He also ate in the Dalit's house.

Also Read:

Caught on camera: Now Yeddyurappa offers money ahead of Karnataka bypolls

Karnataka bypoll: Women Congress chief caught on camera distributing money, she was bribing voters, says BJP

ALSO WATCH | Yeddyurappa accused of distributing cash ahead of Karnataka by-polls

--- ENDS ---
The Cannes Film Festival is not Milan Fashion Week. It is not about what Sonam Kapoor or Aishwarya Rai wears. It is about cinema.

By Devarsi Ghosh: Do you know Sonam Kapoor wore a pink Elie Saab gown with a deep-boat neckline and a "flowing skirt with a small train" at Cannes this year? Do you know that Amy Jackson, who is apparently an actor, walked on the Cannes red carpet this year wearing an Atelier Versace collection? (It is okay if you can't pronounce that, because neither can this writer) Do you also know that Mallika Sherawat attended the Cannes Film Festival wearing a dress made by her favourite designer Georges Hobeika , just like she did last year? And of course, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was at Cannes this year too, you probably know this one, but do you know what she wore?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Cannes 2017

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There is no reason you should know these things but Google-search "Cannes 2017" if you are an Indian, and you will be force-fed information about what a bunch of actresses were wearing and doing at the Cannes Film Festival. The Indian media's coverage of the Cannes Film Festival starts from the neckline of an actress and stops at wherever her mile-long outfit ends, which is sad.

Because, HELLO! The Cannes Film Festival is about C-I-N-E-M-A. Phillums. Not fashion. It is not the Cannes Fashion Festival, ladies and gents. But it has become so with every Sita-Mita-Gita of the Indian film industry flying off to Cannes to promote some clothing/lifestyle brand or some organisation a la Aishwarya Rai who made Cannes a household name when she visited the festival for the first time in 2002. That year, Devdas was screened at Cannes, out of competition, and photos of Aishwarya looking like a million bucks made it to Indian tabloids back home. The very next year, Aishwarya Rai became L'Oreal's brand ambassador and a Cannes jury member. Since then, every year, Cannes Film Festival is positioned in India as some fashionista's paradise where Indian actresses travel to look like swans draped in upholstery.

Hey Indian media, this Cannes Fashion Week thingy also showcases a few movies occasionally that you can maybe talk about.- Sapan Verma (@sapanv) May 19, 2017

Indian media makes the prestigious cannes film festival look like some fuckall fashion week- Od (@odshek) May 16, 2017

There are a bunch of infuriating things about this set-up. First, like the writer has already mentioned, Cannes Film Festival is about cinema, not fashion. It is where the world's best films and their makers compete for top honours while filmmakers and film studios look for distribution and co-production deals for their projects. It is a film-making-oriented bazaar where film lovers and film professionals gather each year to watch, experience, make and buy films. Cannes is NOT the Milan Fashion Week.

#70secondes - InvitationsC'est encore mieux avec le son ! It's better if you unmute!#Cannes2017 pic.twitter.com/kwtKaxIc1u- Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) May 21, 2017

Secondly, Indian films rarely show up at Cannes. If you hear an Indian film getting screened, it is most likely that the producers have bought a theatre for a screening. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sets up an 'Indian Pavilion' whose focus is to promote Indian cinema to global audiences. Like most years, no Indian film is competing for any award at the Cannes this year. Unless you count the 13-minute short film by FTII student Payal Kapadia, Afternoon Clouds, which is competing in the festival's Cinefondation category.

In the last decade, only 4 full-length Indian films - Vikramaditya Motwane's Udaan (2010), Kanu Behl's Titli (2014), Gurvinder Singh's Chauthi Koot (2015) and Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan (2015) have been screened in competitive sections. If you hear an Indian film getting screened under any 'official' category, it is always out of competition, such as Gangs of Wasseypur which was screened under 'Director's Fortnight' or The Lunchbox which got screened in the 'International Critics' Week' section.

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Just this year, the Indian ambassador to France Mohan Kumar mewed at Cannes, "Ignoring a film industry like Bollywood isn't a smart thing for Cannes to do." Boo-hoo-hoo. If the Indian government thinks that Bollywood films are entitled to get screened at Cannes, then it might as well back (read: finance) quality films made by promising indigenous talent and promote them worldwide. Instead, it has got Pahlaj Nihalani to snip-snip through films that will shock your grandfather and the actor of Jungle Love aka Yudhisthir to head the premier film school of India.

What is worse is that a rosy picture is painted of India's report card at Cannes by highlighting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wearing a dress that can cover the globe.

Things were not this bad years ago. Chetan Anand's Neecha Nagar won the festival's then-top prize, Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, in 1946. Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin won the International Prize in 1954. Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali won the Best Human Document Palme d'Or at Cannes 1956. Indian films made regular appearances at Cannes throughout the '60s and '70s. In 1988, Salaam Bombay! won two awards at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. Since then, Indian films have seldom made noise at Cannes, internationally, that is, because back home, the country fainted because Devdas got a flashy out-of-competition screening in 2002.

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If Indians are going to play victim and peddle the narrative that white folks don't appreciate our cinema, then woe betide us. If Indians are going to think of Cannes as the place where actresses flaunt haute couture, then it's a big, big shame. Imagine it took an American magazine, Variety, to extensively cover Priyanka Chopra's production house looking for international finance for its slate of regional films. But what are we interested in? What Priyanka Chopra is wearing.

(The writer tweets as @devarsighosh.)

ALSO SEE: Shruti Haasan meets American Gods writer Neil Gaiman at Cannes 2017

WATCH: Deepika talks about Cannes, her Met Gala outfit and selfies

--- ENDS ---

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By India Today Web Desk: It's a very fine line, the one between classy and over-the-top, when it comes to shimmer. Sonam Kapoor, however, has known the difference rather well, and has thus always leaned towards the latter.

Sonam Kapoor, during her time at the French Riviera, has been giving us glamour goals like no other celeb, so far. From her psychedelic saree to sea-princess dress to the peach, picture-perfect gown-Sonam's Cannes stint this year has been embellished with just-right red-carpet fashionable appearances, and we, as a result, have much to ogle at.

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During Sonam's first day at the Cannes 2017 red carpet, Sonam chose to wear a peach Elie Saab gown, which, thanks to its cut, complimented her curves like no one's business.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/rheakapoor

Now, for her second stint on the red carpet of the year, Sonam decided to go with the same designer, all over again. The golden Elie Saab gown Sonam wore to the red carpet made her look rather ethereal and goddess-like. Her Chopard baubles complimented the look perfectly, even as the belt on this golden gown tried to run havoc.

All in all, Sonam Kapoor-being styled by her sister and stylist Rhea Kapoor-has been owning one look after the other on this coveted red carpet.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/rheakapoor

--- ENDS ---
After founding Bheem Army Ekta Mission two years ago, Chandrashekhar had been mobilising Dalits at various places before he led the protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

By India Today Web Desk: On May 5, Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh became a new theatre of violence. Two groups, claiming to be champions of Thakurs and Dalits, clashed over taking out a procession in the name of medieval king Maharana Pratap.

Clashes erupted after some of Dalit residents of Shabbirpur refused to allow the procession by Thakurs to mark the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap. Several people on both sides got injured in the clashes.

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Four days later, the Dalit group decided to show its might by holding a mahapanchayat (grand assembly) on May 9 at the Gandhi Park in Saharanpur city. Their demand was to seek compensation and relief for those (Dalits) injured in the May 5 violence. But, the administration, sensing trouble, denied the permission to hold a mahapanchayat.

Police would later know that a lawyer named Chandrashekhar was behind the idea of holding a mahapanchayat. Saharanpur police would get an arrest warrant against Chandrashekhar, who would evade the cops till he held a huge protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi yesterday.

WHO IS CHANDRASHEKHAR?

Chandrashekhar is a qualified lawyer from Chhutmalpur - a village in the neighbourhood of Shabbirpur, where clashes erupted early this month.

Till 2011, he had high ambition of becoming a top lawyer as he planned to go to the US for higher studies. But, he would take a different course while attending his ailing father at a Saharanpur hospital, where he heard, read and came to know about the real issues troubling the Dalits - people from his own community.

Chandrashekhar shelved the idea of going to the US and joining the 'mainstream'. He would turn into a Dalit activist.

In 2015, Chandrashekhar formed the Bheem Army Ekta Mission, which claims to have over 40,000 members across seven states. It claims to have sizeable number of members in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Chandrashekhar of Bheem Army Ekta Mission. (Photo: AajTak)

After May 9, when he was denied permission to hold a mahapanchayat in Saharanpur, the Dalit groups took to the streets. A spate of violence followed. Dalit protesters allegedly set a police post and over two-dozen vehicles on fire.

According to police, Chandrashekhar had been actively organising the protest by sending messages through WhatsApp and other social media platforms soon after May 5 clashes.

Incidentally, processions on Ambedkar Jayanti are banned in Saharanpur for past seven years.

EPICENTRE OF PROTEST: SHABBIRPUR

Shabbirpur is about 35 km from the district headquarters of Saharanpur. The village has about 900 families of Dalits and 600 Thakur houses.

The recent violence has a past linkage. Reports suggest that the Thakurs had in 2016 objected to installation of a statue of BR Ambedkar on the premises of the Ravidas Mandir in the village.

In retaliation, the Dalits objected to passage of procession in the memory of Maharana Pratap through their area in the village this year.

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In another reported incident at nearby Gadkauli village, a major controversy had broken out last year, when Chandrashekhar and his Bheem Army came to the fore for the first time. Some Dalit activists wanted to put up a board that read 'The Great Chamar Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Gram, Gadkauli' at the entrance of the village. Thakurs had objected to this idea.

The Bheem Army intervened on the side of the Dalits and argued that if Dalits get certificates of 'chamar', what was wrong in taking pride in this.

JANTAR MANTAR PROTEST

After remaining at large for almost two weeks, Chandrashekhar was seen addressing a huge gathering of Dalit protesters under the banner of Bheem Army at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

The permission to hold a rally at Jantar Mantar had been denied, still the Bheem Army went ahead with its plan. Nearly 5,000 people participated in the protest.

The protestors demanded action against those who attacked Dalits during May 5 and May 9 clashes. They also demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the affected families.

They also demanded that the FIR lodged against Chandrashekhar and other Dalit activists be withdrawn and judicial probe be launched into Saharanpur clashes.

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ALSO READ |

Saharanpur violence: Jantar Mantar turns into sea of blue as thousands of Dalits gather to protest

ALSO WATCH |

Thousands of Dalits gather at Jantar Mantar to protest against Saharanpur violence

--- ENDS ---
Four people, including two children, had died of choking in Chennai on May 8. But, two weeks later, the police have no clue as to how to investigate the case.

By Akshita Nandagopal: On May 8, four people were killed and a dozen injured in a midnight fire that broke out in an apartment in Chennai's Vadapalani. Within hours, an investigation was launched after it appeared that fire safety norms were not followed in the building.

But almost two weeks have passed, but police are still groping in the dark. They said that the authorities are yet to get back to them on the violations by the building to be named in the FIR.

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In a classic game of finger pointing, the police have put the onus on the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), the corporation and other bodies for filing a report before they can go ahead with the case.

The authorities, however, seem to be dragging their feet in the matter. The municipal corporation has not provided the details that police officials are seeking.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED

Four people, including two children, died of choking after fire broke out in their apartment in Chennai's Vadapalani locality on May 8.

All the victims were from the same family, which lived on the first floor. The victims were identified as Meenakshi (60), Selvi (30) and two children Sandhya (10) and Sanjay (4).

The five others were injured in the incident. They were admitted at the Kilpauk Government Hospital.

The incident took place around 4.20 am, when smoke was seen billowing out of a four-storey apartment near the Murugan temple in Vadapalani.

The fire broke out due to a short circuit in the electric junction box on the ground floor. As many as 14 two-wheelers parked nearby were gutted in the blaze.

WHAT RESIDENTS SAY

Residents of the area feel left in the lurch by the authorities as they wait for refund of their deposits with the building owner.

"We haven't received any communication so far and we are worried because our advance is still with the building owner and we have been demanding a refund. Our homes have been gutted and yet no action has been taken," said Abi, who lived in the building.

POLITICAL CONNECTION

Owner of the building, E Vijayakumar, is a local AIADMK leader. DMK has alleged that the police officials were not taking action against the owner due to pressure from the ruling party.

"This lack of action against a willful violator encourages such acts and will also bring down the morale of the police. The government once again has been unable to do anything," said A Saravanan of DMK.

Vijaykumar is absconding after the fire incident. Records show that the building was earlier sealed once for violation of norms. But, it was later unsealed by the authorities.

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ALSO READ |

Chennai: 4 die of suffocation, 5 others injured after fire in apartment in Vadapalani

ALSO WATCH |

Chennai: Four dead, 20 two-wheelers gutted after fire breaks out in apartment complex

--- ENDS ---
An FIR has been registered with a Mumbai police station regarding the incident.

By India Today Web Desk: CID producer Pradeep Uppoor registered an FIR with a Mumbai police station after discovering that he had lost valuables worth Rs 12 lakh.

The FIR was registered with a Juhu police station on Friday (May 19).

According to a report in Pinkvilla, the family came to know about the theft after Pradeep's wife Veena discovered that cash and ornaments were missing.

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Veena then went and complained to a nearby police station.

Also read: CID actress Vaishnavi Dhanraj opens up on domestic abuse, says she was badly beaten by former husband

"The complaint was received on Friday night after the complainant found that the cupboards of the flat had been opened. Getting suspicious, she checked her belongings and found that cash and jewellery had been stolen. The police were informed that Rs 9 lakh in cash was missing from the house, and ornaments worth over Rs 3 lakh were also missing," Pinkvilla quoted a source as saying.

"We have been scanning the CCTV footage of the premises to find clues regarding the incident," Pinkvilla quoted a police official as saying.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and two serving senior officials were today sentenced to two year imprisonment by a special court for irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Madhya Pradesh to a private firm.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs one crore on Madhya Pradesh based Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL), which was the beneficiary of the allocation of Thesgora-B/Rudrapuri coal block in the state.

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Its Managing Director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia was awarded three-year jail term by the court for misrepresenting facts in its application before the Ministry of Coal (MOC), which was then headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Besides Gupta, who was the Coal Secretary from December 31, 2005 to November 2008, then joint secretary K S Kropha and then director K C Samaria in the MOC were handed down the punishment for cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption.

They became the first public servants to be convicted and sentenced for the coal block allocation scam, unearthed during the previous UPA regime.

Besides the jail term, Special CBI Judge Bharat Parasher also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each on the three bureaucrats in the case.

Ahluwalia, KSSPL Managing Director, who has been sentenced to a three-year jail term, has also been directed to pay a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

While holding them guilty of multiple offences, the court said Gupta, Kropha and Samria had entered into a "criminal conspiracy" with KSSPL and Ahluwalia to commit "criminal misconduct " for procuring coal block allotment in favour of KSSPL.

All the convicts were, however, granted bail on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and one surety of like amount soon after the sentence was announced, to enable them move the High Court challenging the trial court verdict.

The court had on May 19 convicted all the five but acquitted the Chartered Accountant Amit Goyal in the case.

It noted that Gupta made "dishonest misrepresentation" before the then Prime Minister, who had retained the Coal Ministry portfolio.

The court said Singh, who had to act only upon the recommendations of the Screening Committee of which Gupta was the chairman, had no reason to presume that the then Coal Secretary had recommended a non-compliant firm for coal block allocation.

CBI had in October 2012 lodged an FIR in the matter, but on March 27, 2014, it had filed a closure report in the case. The court had rejected the closure report on October 13, 2014 and summoned Gupta and others as accused.

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The CBI had alleged that the firm had misrepresented its net worth and the existing capacity, adding that the state government had also not recommended the firm for the allocation of any coal block.

The court had on October 14 last year framed charges against the accused.

As many as ten more coal cases are pending against Gupta and the proceedings are going on individually. The Supreme Court had last year dismissed his plea seeking a joint trial in all these cases. PTI UK ABA RKS ARC

--- ENDS ---
Pilot said the whole country will support the Government of India if it acts against Pakistan.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot today said action must be taken against the Hurriyat Conference if there is evidence that it has broken the law in Kashmir. A special investigation by India Today recently had showed how Kashmiri separatists are getting funds from Pakistan to create unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

While speaking to India Today, Pilot however, tried to delink it with efforts to bring about peace in the Valley by engaging common people there.

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"You see, every case must be investigated if there is empirical, tangible evidence of involvement where arsoning is involved, or breaking of law is involved. Each case must be dealt with and action must be taken. I really don't care whether the individual belongs to the Hurriyat Conference or to one party or the other party. Its immaterial. We must take those actions.

But side by side, what is also important is to have a sensitive attitude towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They must feel that the Government of India has a spot where they can at least engage with them," said senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot.

Pilot also hit out at the BJP government at the Centre claiming even though the country will support in case the government acts against Pakistan but so far there has been a mismatch between the words and deeds of the BJP.

"Any funding that comes in, any illegality that happens in transactions from overseas, especially Pakistan, there is absolutely no doubt in anybody's mind that any strong action against Pakistan, the whole country will support the Government of India. But it's the same BJP which said, '(If) one head is severed, then will return with 10 heads'.

More than 200 soldiers have died in Kashmir in peacetime and the cycle of death is continuing unabated. Its a grave concern and I am sad to say that the Government of India is doing precious little to help the matters," Pilot said.

Also read:

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Caught on Camera: How Pakistan funds Kashmiri separatists to burn the Valley - India Today Exclusive

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By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Congress in Rajasthan today jumped into the fray over serious allegations of corruption made by senior state BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her government.

Congress PCC Chief Sachin Pilot asked the Rajasthan Government to explain its stand on the corruption allegations made by Tiwari.

"You see, the internal matter of the BJP is for them to settle. I have nothing to add on that front. But I have said this before, it does not matter about individuals. The issue that is raised by Mr Ghanshyam Tiwari, who is a senior BJP MLA, exposes the BJP beyond doubt. There is nothing more left to be said or to be understood. He has alleged the Chief Minister and the Government to be neck deep in corruption... There is something that he knows, that people of Rajasthan know, that there is corruption at the highest levels, in three and a half years, nepotism, corruption, favouritism, illegal allegation of mines, all these things have happened unabated. So, Mr Ghanshyam Tiwari may be a BJP representative but when he says something, either the Government of the day should come out and clearly say that they think its untrue, they should condemn his statements by saying that they are false or they must come out clean and answer those tough questions," said Pilot.

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Pilot also condemned the state's move for the recently passed Bill in Assembly, which allows former Chief Ministers of Rajasthan to have government houses for themselves even after leaving office.

"A law passed today may not be there in fifteen months' time when the new Government takes charge. It is not about an individual, its about the principle of what you are doing and why not Mr. Jagannath Pahadia, who is also a ex - Chief Minister. He gets almost nothing. So, its not about who gets what about houses and perks. There should be some transparency, there should be transparency in what you are doing... No other state in India has got a law passed like this and I think its unbecoming of a Chief Minister and I think, frankly speaking, it also tells me that she knows that BJP is going to lose the next election," Pilot said.

Tiwari had, while speaking with India Today, said the BJP will not get good results in next elections if Raje stays at the helm and is not removed. He has, in the past, been the Deputy Leader of Opposition and also a minister in the earlier BJP Government. Tiwari won by the greatest margin in the last Assembly elections.

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Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has developed an innovative hernia surgery procedure that has been deemed to be pathbreaking technology, and has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques.

By Priyanka Sharma: The city's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) has developed an innovative hernia surgery procedure that will dig a smaller hole in your body and pocket.

The "555 technique" uses a Rs 5 surgical instrument, called trocar, for inguinal hernia operation.

Globally, doctors are using a Hasson trocar for the procedure, which makes it quite painful and expensive. The new technique makes a 5mm hole in the patient's body and has been deemed pathbreaking technology.

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This innovation by the surgeons has now been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques.

Doctors will also present this technology on international platforms.

WHAT IS A TROCAR?

A trocar is a pen-shaped device with a sharp triangular point at one end, typically used inside a hollow tube, known as a cannula or sleeve, to create an opening into the body through which the sleeve may be introduced, to provide an access port during surgery.

The technique involving Hasson trocar creates a 12mm incision in the patient's body and the tool costs nearly Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000.

By using the 555 technique, surgeons at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital have reduced the incision size to just 5mm with no pain and minimal stitches.

61 SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS

So far, they have successfully operated upon 61 people with the 555 technique, say sources.

Fifty-nine of the patients were male and two female. Nitin Goel, 31, who underwent hernia operation through the 555 technique, says he is now doing well.

"I was operated upon the very day I went to the doctor with my problem. This surgery is so comfortable that I did not feel even a little pain and was discharged the same day. Now, I have joined my office too," he said.

HERNIA RISK FACTORS

An inguinal hernia occurs when tissue, such as part of the intestine, protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles. The resulting bulge can be painful, especially when you cough, bend over or lift a heavy object. Risk factors for the development of a hernia include: smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, pregnancy, peritoneal dialysis, collagen vascular disease, and previous open appendectomy, among others.

Dr Manish Gupta, the surgeon who invented the 555 technique at SGRH's department of general and laparoscopic surgery, told MAIL TODAY, "As a standard practice, worldwide, surgeons are using Hasson trocar for repairing inguinal hernia. This creates a 12mm wide incision onto the body. For laparoscopic surgeons making the surgical procedures less and less invasive in terms of size of the incision and abdominal wall trauma has always been a concern. We have innovated a very simple 5mm trocar for the same purpose."

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An inguinal hernia isn't necessarily dangerous. However, it doesn't improve on its own and can lead to life-threatening complications.

"For us, the most challenging part was to place the 'polypropylene mesh', which is cut to size, rolled and pulled inside the abdomen through a 5mm port and it was done successfully," narrated Dr Gupta, who is now presenting his innovation in the international arena.

The use of lightweight polypropylene mesh is recommended in inguinal hernia repair to prevent complications like chronic pain, seroma (collection of fluid), etc. Dr Gupta continued, "In our technique we can enter in between layers of the abdominal wall under complete vision in the initial part of surgery, which was not possible with the Hasson trocar, thus making the surgery safer. It's less invasive and less painful due to the smaller size of the wound."

ALSO READ | World's heaviest man undergoes surgery in Mexico to reduce his weight by half

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ALSO READ | How 3D printing is changing India's healthcare

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Two men were killed when their SUV - a Nissan Terrano - rammed a vegetable cart and then overturned after hitting a divider in South West Delhi on Saturday night.

By Mail Today Bureau: Two men were killed and five others injured when their SUV rammed a vegetable cart and then overturned after hitting a divider on the Najafgarh-Bahadurgarh road in Southwest Delhi on Saturday night.

The men travelling in the Nissan Terrano were heading to Gurgaon to attend a wedding. Police said the driver and the car owner sitting at the front seat were killed on the spot.

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The incident was reported around 11.35pm when the Terrano car belonging to one of the deceased, identified as Shiv Raj, was journeying to Gurgaon with some of his neighbours at the Julana village in Jind.

Police say when the vehicle had reached an empty stretch near the Essar petrol pump, driver Ajay sped up to reach early. He had tried to take a turn in order to avoid hitting a threewheeled motorised cart after he lost control of the vehicle.

The car first hit the vegetable cart, throwing its driver onto the road before hitting the footpath. It skidded for about 100 metres before ramming into a tree that completely damaged the front portion of the car. Following this the vehicle overturned.

Police said people on the rear seat escaped death as they were somehow been pushed out of the car.

DECLARED DEAD ON ARRIVAL

Shiv Raj and Ajay had suffered severe injuries on their head and face due to the crash. Police informed the cart driver had a narrow escape as he had landed on a pile of dust.

Locals had informed the police and the firebrigade. The vehicle was cut open with gas cutters to get the bodies out. Three of the five other occupants were identified as Narender, Vivekanand and Anil. All of them were admitted to the Rao Tula Ram Hospital where Shiv Raj and Ajay were declared dead on arrival.

The cart driver too was admitted to the hospital with injuries and was later released. The five occupants of the car were shited to the Safdarjung hospital. Two of their condition were said to be serious.

Doctors said they would be kept under observation before cops could record their statements, in order to verify the reason behind the accident.

CASE REGISTERED

Police added that the injured and the deceased are related and stay in the same neighbourhood. Their families have been informed. Shiv Raj used to be the sarpanch of his village and owns a few brick kilns in the area.

A case, under relevant sections, for causing death due to negligence, rash and negligent driving has been registered. Cops have recovered a few bottles of country-made liquor from the car and suspect that the driver had dozed off. However nothing has been confirmed yet.

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ALSO READ | New York: Speeding car drives into people at Times Square; kills 1, injures 22

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Beat policemen will get smartphones to feed and receive information about criminal activities in specific Delhi localities.

By Shashank Shekhar: The city's beat constables are set to walk a digital path. In a bid to strengthen grassroots policing, Delhi Police will provide these cops smart handheld devices with information to map crime and identify criminals in various localities.

Beat constables are considered the backbone of policing on the ground as they repeatedly patrol an area and are often the first responders to a crime. They have exhaustive knowledge of a locality's geography as well as demography and are responsible for creating a network of informers.

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As per the plan discussed with the home ministry, Delhi Police will equip beat constables with internet-connected smartphones.

The move will put to an end a tiresome process of paperwork while also helping the cops chart crime zones.

The department has around 8,000 beat constables who have to maintain logbooks of all unlawful activities taking place in their areas.

The internet-based system on smartphones will replace the beat register where a constable has to make entries about his day-to-day activities. In police terminology, a beat is the territory that a cop patrols.

According to a senior police officer, beat constables usually keep tabs on activities under more than 60 separate categories, including pickpocketing, snatching, theft, repeat offenders, previous offenders, thieves arrested from the area, etc.

The digitisation process will create a data bank of criminals and will also help identify crime-prone zones for area-specific solutions.

DATA BANK AT GRASSROOTS LEVEL

"We are trying to create a data bank at the grassroots level. This will include all the details related to crime and criminals. Now this will also help us in formulating our strategy and will be an everlasting resource as new cops would be able to log in anytime and fetch the data," said a senior officer associated with the project.

Explaining the usage and benefit of digitisation, the officer said that if a team is patrolling a particular area and spots a suspicious person, then they can immediately check the details of wanted criminals in the vicinity.

Cops will also be able to snap photos of a crime spot, accident site, etc. The data will be stored on a secured network which can be accessed by senior officials.

According to source, Delhi Police has discussed the matter with the home ministry and has already put forward a demand for setting up the digitisation process. This is in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of smart policing and digitisation.

'SMART' POLICING

The PM had coined the acronym SMART for police forces at a DGPs' conference in Assam three years ago.

"By 'SMART' policing, I mean S for strict but sensitive, M for modern and mobile, A for alert and accountable, R for reliable and responsive and T for technosavvy and trained," he had said.

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As part of the proposal, Delhi Police will also set up a separate call centre and data management hub with a secured network.

The home ministry is yet to clear the project. According to a source, the beat digitisation process is likely to cost about Rs 9 crore while another Rs 3 crore would be needed for setting up the call centre.

ALSO READ | Are you scared to seek help from cops? Not anymore. Delhi Police set to undergo image makeover

ALSO READ | Delhi Police uncovers Munna Bhai-style entrance scams in medical colleges

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By Press Trust of India: Chennai, May 21 (PTI) Demonetised currency notes valued at Rs 90 lakh were recovered from two persons, who have been arrested, police said today.

Mohammed Rishad and Subeir were arrested today from the Koyambedu bus terminus based on information, police said.

They were found carrying the now demonetised high value currency of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, police said adding a case has been filed against them.

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Last week demonetised currency valued at Rs 44.7 crore was recovered from a businessman here. PTI SA SS

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Virbhadra Singh is accused of accumulating assets worth over Rs 10 crore while he served as a Union Minister. He is also accused of trying to justify the income as agricultural.

By Praveen Shekhar: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh, along with 7 others appeared before a special court in Delhi today in relation to a disproportionate assets (DA) case worth over Rs 10 crore.

Both, Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha, who have been charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case, have sought bail from the court. However, the CBI sought some time to reply to the bail plea and thus the bench postponed the matter for May 29.

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Singh is accused of accumulating assets worth over Rs 10 crore while he served as a Union Minister. He is also accused of trying to justify the income as agricultural.

The other accused in the case are Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Lawan Kumar Roach, Vakamullah Chandrashekhar and Ram Prakash Bhatia, who were also summoned by the court.

The LIC agent was instrumental in depositing the unaccounted money in LIC policies.

CBI CHARGESHEET

The CBI, in its chargesheet, had said that the Himachal Pradesh CM was in possession of assets worth over Rs 10 crore in his own name as well as in the names of his family members, which were disproportionate by 192 per cent of his total income during his tenure as the Union steel minister.

The probe agency also claimed that Virbhadra Singh's wife and the other accused abetted the offence by investing Singh's money on the names of his family members.

The CBI report also observed that co-accused Pratibha Singh intentionally and actively abetted Virbhadra Singh in "investing his ill-gotten and unaccounted money in her and their children's names".

The other accused allegedly tried to legitimise Singh's disproportionate assets by creating false documents in the shape of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), sale proceeds and others.

The court while issuing summons to the accused on May 8, observed that during the period between May 28, 2009 and June 26, 2012, Virbhadra Singh (as the Union Minister of Steel and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) committed criminal misconduct.

In November last year, the Supreme Court had transferred his plea from Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court.

ALSO READ:

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US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel today after a two-day trip to Saudi Arabia. Trump, on his first foreign tour as president, will meet both Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania before embarking on the Middle East trip (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: After an exhausting two days in Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday, attempting to revive the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process with visits to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Over two days, Trump is to meet separately with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and visit holy sites. On Monday in Jerusalem, he will pray at the Western Wall and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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Netanyahu and his wife Sara, as well as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli cabinet, were at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport to greet Trump and First Lady Melania in a red carpet ceremony after a direct flight from Riyadh.

On his maiden foreign tour since taking office in January, Trump is already showing signs of fatigue from a packed schedule. He is on a nine-day trip through the Middle East and Europe that ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

During a speech in Riyadh on Sunday in which he urged Arab and Islamic leaders to do their share to defeat Islamist militants, Trump referred to "Islamic extremism," although advance excerpts had him saying "Islamist extremism."

A White House official blamed Trump's fatigue for the switch. "Just an exhausted guy," she told reporters.

On Sunday night in Riyadh after a long day of events, many of them delayed, he skipped a "tweeps" forum for young people that was to be his last activity of the day, sending daughter Ivanka in his place.

Over the weekend, Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to crack down on Iran's influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican president's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.

The reception marked a contrast from his difficulties at home where he is struggling to contain a mushrooming scandal after his firing of former FBI Director James Comey nearly two weeks ago.

LONG-STALLED PEACE TALKS

Trump has vowed to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but has given little sign of how he could revive long-stalled negotiations.

When he met Abbas earlier this month in Washington, he stopped shortly of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of US policy. Some Palestinians said they were disappointed by the omission.

Trump has also opted against an immediate move of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime demand of Israel.

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A senior administration official told Reuters last week that Trump remained committed to his campaign pledge to ultimately relocate the embassy but did not plan to announce such a move while on his trip.

"We're having very good discussions with all parties and as long as we see that happening, then we don't intend to do anything that we think could upset those discussions," the official said.

On Sunday, Israel authorised some economic concessions to the Palestinians that a Cabinet statement said "will ease daily civilian life in the Palestinian Authority after (Trump) who arrives tomorrow, asked to see some confidence building steps."

Trump used his visit to Riyadh to bolster US ties with Arab and Islamic nations, announce $110 billion in US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and send Iran a tough message.

In his speech attended by dozens of Arab and Islamic leaders, he toned down the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric he had employed during the presidential campaign last year in favor of trying to gain cooperation against Islamist militants.

"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists. Drive them out," Trump said.

Trump will have visited significant homes of three major religions by his trip's end, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, a point that his senior aides say is important in bolstering his argument that the Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil."

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ALSO READ | India a victim of terror, says Donald Trump, calls upon Muslim nations to do their bit to defeat terrorism

ALSO READ | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrives on four-day India visit

ALSO WATCH | India and Pakistan react to Donald Trump's inaugural speech

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By Press Trust of India: London, May 22 (PTI) Scientists have accidentally grown the worlds hottest chili pepper which is so spicy that eating even one may be fatal.

Named the Dragons Breath, the chili was grown by Mike Smith, a farmer from Wales in collaboration with scientists from Nottingham Trent University in the UK.

Researchers believe that the oil from the chili is so potent that it could act as an alternative anaesthetic for those allergic to conventional drugs.

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The peppers measure a formidable 2.48 million on the Scoville heat scale, which is a measurement of the pungency (spicy heat) of chili peppers or other spicy foods.

"I have tried it (the chili) on the tip of my tongue and it just burned and burned. I spat it out in about 10 seconds," said Smith.

Experts believe that anyone who attempted to swallow one of the chili peppers would be at risk of death from anaphylactic shock, The Telegraph reported.

The Dragons Breath is so powerful that one drop of its capsaicin oil would be detectable in 2.48 million drops of water.

Smith has applied to Guinness World Records and is currently awaiting confirmation that the chili is the worlds hottest. PTI APA MHN SAR MHN

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Utility vehicle maker Eicher Polaris has shipped first lot of Multix to Nepal, as part of its plan to export this model to other neighbouring countries from India.

As a first step, the company has flagged-off its first lot of Multix from its plant in Kukas industrial area in Jaipur, Eicher Polaris said in a statement.

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"This development is a natural step, in tune with our growth strategy," Eicher Polaris Chief Executive Officer & Director Pankaj Dubey said.

Consumer response to Multix in India has been encouraging and Nepal made logical sense to accomplish success in the region, he added.

The company said it has appointed Baba Automata, Kathmandu, as its first distributor in Nepal as "a gradual next step towards expansion and growth in the sub-continent".

Eicher Polaris is a 50:50 joint venture between Eicher Motors Ltd and Polaris Industries Inc of USA).

Multix is a purpose-built, 3-in-1 multi utility vehicle which can be used not only for goods transportation but also as a family vehicle capable of seating five members.

Besides, it can be used as a generator, delivering power of up to 3 KW. PTI RKL BAL

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A major fire broke out in a cloth shop in Moti Bazar in Delhi's Chandni Chowk on Monday evening. No injuries or casualties have been reported so far.

A fire broke out in a cloth shop in Delhi's Moti Bazar (ANI Photo)

By Press Trust of India: A major fire broke out in a cloth shop in Moti Bazar in Delhi's Chandni Chowk on Monday evening.

A call was received at 9.30 PM about the fire and 29 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, a senior Delhi Fire Services officer said.

He said that the fire spread to other shops and the firemen are still at work.

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No injuries or casualties have been reported till now. The cause of fire is suspected to be a short-circuit.

ALSO READ | Major fire breaks out in Patna mall, shops and coaching centres gutted (May 20)

ALSO WATCH | Patna: Major fire breaks out in GV Mall, several shops gutted

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While Prince has frequently expressed what he feels about Yuvika, the latter has not been very open about her relationship with the Bigg Boss winner.

By India Today Web Desk: Rumoured Bigg Boss couple Yuvika Chaudhary and Prince Narula are quite serious about each other. The duo, who recently released their single Hello, a Punjabi song, are quite happy with their professional and personal lives.

But the rumours about their relationship refuses to die down.

Also read: Bigg Boss couple Prince Narula, Yuvika Chaudhary debut as singers with Hello

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"Everyone knows I liked her in Bigg Boss. So, after the show was over, I connected with her again. She is a sweet girl and has always helped me. I told her about this song that I was singing. When she heard it she loved it. I asked her to sing a line, but she was shy. Only after I convinced did she give it a try and it was beautiful," DNA quoted the reality star as saying.

"I am sure about her, but she said she needs time, and she is not the kind to fall in love in 15-20 days," Prince added.

While Prince is sure about his love for the actress, Yuvika says she needs her time to think things through.

"Initially, when he told me he likes me, I didn't think it was real. I thought he was doing it for TRPs, but it was only because of him that I stayed in the house for a month. He is fun-loving and naughty, but a nice guy. The good thing about him is that he hasn't changed at all," Yuvika said.

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By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Correcting heading)

Gandhinagar, May 22 (PTI) Four African countries - Ivory Coast, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti today signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) here in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

ISA was launched in November 2015 in Paris to create a platform for promotion of the solar energy across prospective ISA member countries.

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Leaders from Ivory Coast, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti signed the framework agreement during a ceremony on the sidelines of 52nd African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Annual General Meeting, started today at Mahatma Mandir here.

Apart from these four African nations, Republic of Nauru, a small country which had signed the framework agreement for ISA earlier, submitted its declaration of ratification to the Jaitley.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaitley expressed happiness that more and more countries are coming forward to join ISA to protect environment.

"Solar Alliance was conceived in 2015 between India and France at the time when both the nations signed the Paris declaration (on climate change). With todays ceremony, about 31 countries have signed the agreement while at least six nations have ratified it," said Jaitley.

"Need for energy is very distinct in Asia and Africa, as significant economic development is yet to take place here. We need energy and simultaneously, we need to protect the environment. I firmly believe that Solar Alliance will be an important milestone for economic development" he added. PTI PJT PD RMT RAX RAX

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Donald Trump addressed a gathering of nearly 50 Muslim majority countries at a summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Trump's speech came during his first foreign tour as US president.

By India Today Web Desk: United States President Donald Trump addressed the Arab-Islamic-US summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over the weekend. This was Trump's first speech on foreign soil as US president and came in front of a gathering of nearly 50 Muslim-majority countries.

Trump said he was honoured to be hosted by the Saudis and expressed gratitude to all the heads of state of made it for the Riyadh summit.

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Trump devoted a sizeable amount of time to talk about terrorism and extremism, noting that India is among the countries that have been victims of terrorism.

Here is the full text (courtesy the White House) of his speech as it was prepared for delivery:

Thank You.

I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting today's summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived.

You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader - American President Franklin Roosevelt - King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. King Salman: your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy - and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens.

Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey here today. You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send the warmest regards from my country to yours. I know that our time together will bring many blessings to both your people and mine.

I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith.

In my inaugural address to the American People, I pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.

Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity-in this region, and in the world.

Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.

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And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leaders-unique in the history of nations-is a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect. To the leaders and citizens of every country assembled here today, I want you to know that the United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce.

For Americans, this is an exciting time. A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country: in just a few months, we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies - many of whom are here today.

Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation.

Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.

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This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase - and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations.

We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond.

Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology - located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combatting radicalization, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership.

I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the leaders present today to the White House, and I look forward to working with all of you.

America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecture-we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all.

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Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet history's great test-to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism.

Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred.

And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples.

God's help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practice terror and spread its vile creed. At the same time, we pray this special gathering may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East - and maybe, even all over the world.

But this future can only be achieved through defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it.

Few nations have been spared its violent reach.

America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks - from the atrocities of September 11th to the devastation of the Boston Bombing, to the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.

The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims.

But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence.

Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.

We now face a humanitarian and security disaster in this region that is spreading across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering and depravity can begin to capture its full measure.

The true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams.

The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures. It should increasingly become one of the great global centers of commerce and opportunity.

This region should not be a place from which refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.

Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the world's great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern ones-including soaring achievements in architecture.

Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage.

All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty. And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art.

The entire region is at the center of the key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz.

The potential of this region has never been greater. 65 percent of its population is under the age of 30. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home.

But this untapped potential, this tremendous cause for optimism, is held at bay by bloodshed and terror. There can be no coexistence with this violence.

There can be no tolerating it, no accepting it, no excusing it, and no ignoring it.

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith.

Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorism's devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing-then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

This is a battle between Good and Evil.

When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims - we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy.

But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong - and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden.

Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.

America is prepared to stand with you - in pursuit of shared interests and common security.

But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children.

It is a choice between two futures - and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

For our part, America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts. We will discard those strategies that have not worked-and will apply new approaches informed by experience and judgment. We are adopting a Principled Realism, rooted in common values and shared interests.

Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption. We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes - not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms - not sudden intervention.

We must seek partners, not perfection-and to make allies of all who share our goals.

Above all, America seeks peace - not war.

Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion.

The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.

Many are already making significant contributions to regional security: Jordanian pilots are crucial partners against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition have taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Lebanese Army is hunting ISIS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory. Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners. In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland. Qatar, which hosts the U.S. Central Command, is a crucial strategic partner. Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue to enhance security in the region. And courageous Afghan soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices in the fight against the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country.

As we deny terrorist organizations control of territory and populations, we must also strip them of their access to funds. We must cut off the financial channels that let ISIS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.

I am proud to announce that the nations here today will be signing an agreement to prevent the financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center - co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another historic step in a day that will be long remembered.

I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council for blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization last year. Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing sanctions on one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah.

Of course, there is still much work to do.

That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians.

Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory - piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED.

And political leaders must speak out to affirm the same idea: heroes don't kill innocents; they save them. Many nations here today have taken important steps to raise up that message. Saudi Arabia's Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development.

The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the battle for hearts and souls-and with the U.S., launched a center to counter the online spread of hate. Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment and radicalism.

I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees. The surge of migrants and refugees leaving the Middle East depletes the human capital needed to build stable societies and economies. Instead of depriving this region of so much human potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young people hope for a brighter future in their home nations and regions.

That means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better life - including women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities.

For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once again-and make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.

In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican - visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible - including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them.

But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three-safe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

Among Iran's most tragic and destabilizing interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime - launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.

Responsible nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate ISIS, and restore stability to the region.

The Iranian regime's longest-suffering victims are its own people. Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders' reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.

Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.

The decisions we make will affect countless lives.

King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this great moment in history, and for your massive investment in America, its industry and its jobs. I also thank you for investing in the future of this part of the world.

This fertile region has all the ingredients for extraordinary success - a rich history and culture, a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit of enterprise. But you can only unlock this future if the citizens of the Middle East are freed from extremism, terror and violence.

We in this room are the leaders of our peoples. They look to us for answers, and for action. And when we look back at their faces, behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice.

Today, billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great question of our time.

Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil? Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology? Will we let its venom spread through our societies? Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?

If we do not confront this deadly terror, we know what the future will bring-more suffering and despair.

But if we act-if we leave this magnificent room unified and determined to do what it takes to destroy the terror that threatens the world-then there is no limit to the great future our citizens will have.

The birthplace of civilization is waiting to begin a new renaissance. Just imagine what tomorrow could bring.

Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine and commerce to inspire humankind. Great cities built on the ruins of shattered towns. New jobs and industries that will lift up millions of people. Parents who no longer worry for their children, families who no longer mourn for their loved ones, and the faithful who finally worship without fear.

These are the blessings of prosperity and peace. These are the desires that burn with a righteous flame in every human heart. And these are the just demands of our beloved peoples.

I ask you to join me, to join together, to work together, and to FIGHT together- BECAUSE UNITED, WE WILL NOT FAIL.

Thank you. God Bless You. God Bless Your Countries. And God Bless the United States of America.

ALSO READ | US says Pakistan's 'support for anti-India militants' to blame for deteriorating New Delhi-Islamabad ties

ALSO READ | Saudis welcome Donald Trump with gold medal, receive arms package

ALSO WATCH | Modi and Trump speak for first time, decide both countries will combat terrorism together

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Former coal secretary H C Gupta was today awarded two-year-imprisonment by a special court here in a coal scam case.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parasher also sentenced two senior government officials, K S Kropha and K C Samaria, for two-year imprisonment in the case.

Besides the jail term, the court also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each on the three convicts.

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Besides them, the court imposed a fine of Rs one crore on convicted private firm Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd, while its Managing Director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia was awarded three-year jail term by the court.

Ahluwalia will also have to pay a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

All the convicts were granted bail soon after the sentence was announced to enable them move the High Court.

Gupta and two serving senior officials were earlier convicted by the court for irregularities in the allocation of of the Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to a private firm. PTI UK PKS ARC

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By Press Trust of India: Chennai, May 22 (PTI) The Madras High Court has sought the CBSEs stand on a plea to cancel the May 7 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, held for selection of candidates for undergraduate medical and dental courses.

A vacation bench of Justice R Mahadevan sought the CBSEs stand issuing it notice on the plea by an aspiring medical students mother, who has contended that the examination breached the students right to equality under Article 14 of the Constitution.

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The bench had issued the notice to CBSE, slating the matter for to hear again on May 24.

The mother of the candidate, who took the test in English language, has termed the test as being violative of the Article 14 contending that all the question papers in various language, including Hindi, English and Tamil, were not same and not of same difficulty level. The petitioner submitted that selection under NEET would not amount to testing equal skills.

It would amount to treatment of unequals as equals and thereby violating Article 14 of the Constitution, she submitted.

She submitted though the test was conducted across India in all major languages, including Tamil, English and Hindi, the question paper in English was based on the CBSE syllabus, whereas the one in Tamil was based on the state syllabus.

She alleged the authorities never told the candidates who took up NEET that the question papers in different languages would not be the same and that they have the discretion to frame different set of questions in different languages.

Stating that the present evaluation system is contrary and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, the petitioner prayed for an interim injunction against the declaration of results based on the NEET examination held on May 7 and sought a direction to cancel the test. She further sought a direction to re-conduct NEET with same set of questions of all major languages in India. PTI COR ROH APR RAX

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modis monthly address -- Mann Ki Baat -- being aired to about 150 countries -- has evoked a "huge response" from people of Indian-origin living abroad, an All India Radio (AIR) director has said.

The address, telecast live in Hindi, is also broadcast in a translated version in English. Excerpts of the speech are aired in various other languages, including Russian, French, Urdu and Chinese.

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"We reach out to listeners in 150 countries through our radio broadcast in Hindi and general overseas service (English)," AIR External Services Division Director Amlanjyoti Mazumdar said.

He said the "huge Indian diaspora across the globe" have the "right to connect to the prime minister of their parent country".

The official said there was a "huge response" to Modis address every time it was broadcast, and they had received a number of messages, mostly from African countries where a large number of people of Gujarati-origin live.

Listeners also send in their responses from the Gulf countries, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, he said.

In one such message, a listener from New Zealand said it was "enchanting" to hear Modi and asked when the prime minister would visit his country.

The official said that when the governments move to demonetise currency notes was being criticised by a section in India, the initiative was "applauded" by listeners abroad as a step to combat corruption.

Mazumdar said one of the reasons for the huge response was that the prime minister had "a large fan following".

A tourism ministry official said tourist inflows had increased from the countries that Modi had visited in the last three years. He has made over 55 foreign visits since assuming charge in May 2014.

The prime minister has also emerged as the most followed world leader on the photo-sharing app Instagram with 6.9 million followers, ahead of US President Donald Trump.

The findings, published last month, were part of a global study, "World Leaders on Instagram", that analysed the activity of around 325 Instagram accounts of heads of state and government and foreign ministers over the last one year.

Mazumdar said people across the globe can also log on to the broadcasters website to listen to Modi live. PTI MP BDS AAR

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As the state faces one of its worst heat waves, Hyderabad traffic police has come up with the initiative of providing the officers with Hyzest cooling vests.

By Ashish Pandey: As the state faces one of its worst heat waves, Hyderabad traffic police has come up with the initiative of providing the officers with Hyzest cooling vests.

This jacket keeps the body temperature 6-12 degrees lower than the ambient temperature for 3-5 hours, depending on the humidity in the environment.

The initiative has been taken by Asian Institute of Nephrology for the wellbeing of Telangana traffic police by offering Hyzesst cooling vests as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility program to cope up with the intense summer heat.

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The jacket keeps the person dry even after it is dipped in water. It also has many health benefits such as maintaining normal body temperature, keeps in check heart rate elevation, thermal and cardiovascular strain, decreases dehydration, enhances tolerance levels, and decreases rate of exertion.

Jt Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Dr Ravindra today distributed the jackets to city traffic cops.

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Imam Barkati's career is one of an astonishing rise to power and an abrupt fall from the throne. Today, the man who started believing himself to be an institution stands powerless.

By Anindya Banerjee: Going by his spotless white pathani suit that he wears, nobody would imagine the power he commands.

Seeing him sip tea, one would not get a sense that he can bring a state adminstration to its knees.

Only when he loses his cool, one can get a sense of the Machiavellian character Imam Barkati is. But all that is a thing of the past for the Imam of Tipu Sultan Mosque who calls himself 'Shahi'.

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The Burgundy bearded, fatwa-savvy Imam Noor-Ur-Rehman Barkati, who now stands sacked, has always been controversy's favourite child. This Thursday, he was allegedly attacked by miscreants, something that was a good enough reason to bring a section of Kolkata to a standstill. But no one bothered this time.

QUID PRO QUO

His career is one of an astonishing rise to power and an abrupt fall from the throne. He loved making strong statements, some that can even qualify as sedition according to Indian Penal Code.

He gained a VIP status in Kolkata, thanks to the Mamata Banerjee government. He was a carefully created power centre to appease the Muslim vote bank. It's a relation of quid pro quo where Barkati would issue fatwas that would help Mamata, instead Barkati would enjoy unquestionable power, more than a cabinet minister, some would argue.

Internationally-acclaimed author Taslima Nasrin has been his earlier target. He issued as much as three fatwas against Nasrin and was a driving force to throw her out of the state for her explicit views on Islam.

Booker winner Salman Rushdie too was at his receiving end as Canadian author Tarek Fateh, more recently.

He was never taken seriously by the left front government. But with Bengal witnessing 'Poriborton', the change in Imam's status also was quick enough. Mamata gave him more importance than Imam of Na-khuda mosque or vastly respected Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who were traditionally consulted for theological issues.

SACKED BY MOSQUE BOARD

Mamata made a cult out of him, and in response he brazenly ensured muslims voted en bloc for TMC.

This free hand made Barkati even more brazen with issuing a fatwa against the sitting Prime Minister in presence of a TMC MP asking for blackening of Modi's face to more recently refusal to remove red beacon from his car. Barkati supported this move as well.

His views about Sharia laws to triple talaq all have been conservative. But as they say, everything that goes up must come down. Barkati too had his moment of fall when the board of Tipu Sultan Mosque, which almost became synonymous with Barkati over the years, unceremoniously sacked him this Wednesday.

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Sources say, Mamata government realised Barkati was becoming a baggage than an asset. Barkati's open defiance saying, "Mamata Banerjee has told me to use the red beacons as much as I want" didn't go down well with the Mamata administration.

The buzz in Kolkata power corridor is that Mamata was behind this sudden coup. Today, the man who started believing himself as an institution stands powerless.

He is softened, subdued almost apologetic. The roar has been replaced with self pity. The man who would challenge the Prime Minister of the country accepts he feels 'insecure' today.

While talking to MAIL TODAY, Barkati laments, 'Ye Kya ho gaya hai' in a tone that almost reminds of a Shakespearean tragic hero.

ALSO READ | Kolkata: 'Won't let Barkati perform namaz', say protesters

ALSO READ | Kolkata Shahi Imam Barkati sacked. Defiant cleric claims he has Mamata's support

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Addressing a gathering of about 50 Muslim-majority countries, US President Donald Trump said India is among the countries victimised by terrorism. All countries must ensure that terrorists do not find sanctuary on their soil, Trump added.

By India Today Web Desk: United States President Donald Trump, during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-US summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, acknowledged that India is a victim of terrorism and said, without explicitly naming Pakistan, that every country must ensure that terrorists don't find sanctuaries within their borders.

"India, Russia, China, and Australia have all been victims" of terrorism, Trump said, adding that the countries, as well as the US and Europe, have "suffered repeated barbaric attacks" and have "endured unspeakable horror".

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In a carefully worded speech delivered at a gathering of about 50 leaders of Muslim-majority countries, Trump did not use his signature phrase "radical Islamic terrorism", a term he often used during his campaign for the US president.

Trump, however, called upon the Middle East and Muslim countries to do their bit to defeat terrorism (Full text of Donald Trump's speech).

"Terrorism has spread all across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land", Trump said. "Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion."

Urging countries to deny terrorists space to operate, Trump said, "The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil...Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil."

Terming the Middle East as a holy land, Trump urged countries in the region to "drive out" terrorists.

"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists. Drive them out! Drive them out of your places of worship, drive them out of your communities, drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this earth," the president said.

ATTACKS IRAN

Trump went on to criticise Iran, which just saw President Hassan Rouhani win a re-election bid, saying the country has "for decades...fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror." "It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this very room", Trump added.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hit back on Twitter, posting a seemingly sarcastic tweet that read " Iran-fresh from real elections-attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation" Saudi Arabia.

Zarif indicated that Trump had during his Saudi Arabia visit milked his hosts of hundreds of billions of dollars in business deals.

Trump signed deals worth nearly $400 billion. In his speech, Trump said the agreements will "create many hundreds of thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia." The agreements include a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase.

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Trump said the US will ensure that its "Saudi friends" get a good deal from "our great American defense companies, the greatest anywhere in the world." "This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a far greater role in security and operations having to do with security", Trump added.

(With agency inputs)

ALSO READ | Donald Trump did not threaten James Comey, White House says after US president's tweet about secret 'tapes'

ALSO READ | US says Pakistan's 'support for anti-India militants' to blame for deteriorating New Delhi-Islamabad ties

ALSO WATCH | Modi and Trump speak for first time, decide both countries will combat terrorism together

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According to an official, India's stance on tariffs is problematic owing to its assumption that tariff elimination will cut revenue and their competitive position, especially against China.

By Reuters: Disagreements between Asian countries, including India, over a China-backed free trade deal surfaced at talks on Monday, raising questions over a target for concluding negotiations by the end of the year.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) would create a free trade area of more than 3.5 billion people, bringing together China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand as well as Southeast Asian nations.

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The RCEP talks, which began in 2012, have been given new impetus by the US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement.

But officials involved in the talks say the target to complete the discussion stage by year-end may be hard to meet given disagreements over several issues. India in particular is reluctant to give up on tariffs, they say.

"They are concerned that major tariff elimination will cut revenue and their competitive position, especially against China," said one official who did not want to be identified as the talks were private.

INDIA'S STANCE ON TARIFF-CUT BIGGEST THREAT

Another official also said India's position posed the biggest challenge in Monday's ministerial talks.

The main focus of RCEP is reducing tariffs although not as many would be cut to zero as under the TPP agreement.

Coverage of services and the digital economy are more modest than for the other agreement and it would have no protection for labour rights or the environment. Moreover, while it might have provisions for greater freedom of movement, this is one of the potential sticking points in discussions.

"We are making progress but there's still a long way to go," New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay told Reuters. "There is a renewed desire to find a way to a high quality outcome. But it's going to take a lot of hard work to get it done by the end of the year."

Monday's meeting in Hanoi followed heated discussions there at the weekend at the first gathering of trade ministers from Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries since US President Donald Trump's switch to an "America First" agenda.

US WITHDRAWAL CASTS DOUBT ON TPP AGREEMENT

APEC countries failed to come out with their usual joint statement after the United States rejected language on fighting protectionism which Asian countries wanted to include.

Members of the TPP trade deal, which does not include China, agreed on the sidelines of the meeting to pursue it despite Trump's decision to abandon the agreement in favour of bilateral arrangements with Asian countries.

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The RCEP and TPP trade deals are not mutually exclusive and some countries would be members of both.

But the US withdrawal has put major doubts over the future of the TPP agreement.

RCEP, on the other hand, benefits from the backing of China, whose regional dominance has gained greater momentum with the policy shift in the United States and its own Belt and Road initiative to extend its global influence. China has increasingly positioned itself as a global free trade champion.

"We are at the stage where it has become important for all of us to show political willingness to move RCEP discussions forward especially in light of the trend in some parts of the world where the threat of protectionism is really considerable," Philippines trade minister Ramon Lopez said.

ALSO READ:

One belt, one foe

China rejects India's OBOR statement, says international support speaks volumes

WATCH:

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The commendation card for Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi of 53 Rashtriya Rifles is a pat on his back.

By Gaurav C Sawant: The Indian Army has honoured Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi of 53 Rashtriya Rifles who had tied a local youth in front of a jeep last month in Kashmir as a human shield to avoid attack from stone-pelters.

The Army has confirmed that he was awarded COAS (Chief of Army Staff) commendation for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat during his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

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The April 9 incident in Budgam, had stirred a controversy in the Kashmir Valley. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had described the incident as shocking.

A video of the incident which happened during Srinagar by-polls had gone viral leading to an uproar. The Jammu and Kashmir Police had also registered an FIR against the security forces.

On April 15 the Army had constituted a court of inquiry into the incident.

According to security officials, the man was tied to prevent stone-pelters from targeting soldiers during the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll last month.

FRESH CONTROVERSY OVER PARESH RAWAL'S TWEET

The Army's announcement incidentally came on a day when BJP MP Paresh Rawal kicked up a row by saying that author Arundhati Roy should be tied to an army jeep instead of a stone-pelter.

"Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy (sic)!" the actor-politician tweeted, taking a swipe at the author who has been a trenchant critic of the BJP and the Army action in the Valley.

His tweet drew condemnation from many users on the social media platform with some accusing him of inciting violence.

Also read:

Major who tied Kashmiri civilian to jeep given clean chit, Army brass believes he saved lives

Kashmir: Army orders probe against major for tying man to jeep as human shield

Paresh Rawal wants Arundhati Roy to be tied to army jeep instead of stone pelter

Also watch:

Human shield row: Indian Army orders court of inquiry against Major

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Ravi Kumar, who is from Uttar Pradesh, has gone missing after successfully climbing Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain peak.

By India Today Web Desk: A mountain climber from Uttar Pradesh has gone missing after successfully summiting Mount Everest, Nepalese officials said on Sunday.

Ravi Kumar, who is from UP's Moradabad, lost contact with the balcony area of the world's highest mountain peak. The balcony is the final resting spot for climbers looking to ascend Mount Everest.

Kumar was on his way down to lower camps after successfully climbing the 8,848 meters tall Mount Everest at 1.28 PM on Saturday, local media reported.

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Chhewang Sherpa, Managing Director at Arun Treks, was quoted by local media as saying that Kumar's climbing guide Lakpa Wongya Sherpa was found unconscious after suffering from frostbite at Camp IV.

Kumar and the climbing guide got separated during the descent, the official, adding, "Efforts are underway to conduct a search for the missing climber."

FORMER MISS INDIA FINALIST RESCUED

Meanwhile, authorities evacuated six people, including a former Miss India finalist, were evacuated while attempting to climb the Mount Everest.

The six suffered from high-altitude sicknesses, necessitating their rescue. 52-year-old Sangeeta S Bahl, who is from Jammu and Kashmir and was a finalist at Miss India 1985 pageant, was among those evacuated.

Bahl and the others were admitted to different hospitals Kathmandu and the Indian's condition was said to be out of danger.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ | Breeze Sharma becomes first Indian Navy Defence Civilian to scale Mt Everest

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ALSO WATCH | This California couple just tied the knot atop Mount Everest

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Ravi Kumar from Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad fell a few hundred metres on his return from the peak and died.

By India Today Web Desk: A 27-year-old mountaineer from Uttar Pradesh successfully climbed the world's highest peak Mount Everest but could not live to tell the tale of his valour.

Ravi Kumar from Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad fell a few hundred metres on his return from the peak and died.

This is the fifth fatality on the mountain this season.

(Photo: Ravi Kumar Rk facebook account)

WHAT WENT WRONG WITH RAVI KUMAR? Dinesh Bhattarai, Director General of Department of Tourism in Nepal, said, "Our liaison officer deputed in Mt Everest has confirmed that he died after he fell some 150 to 200 metre down from the Balcony while he was descending after the summit". Balcony is the final resting spot before climbers ascend the south summit of the mountain. With this, the total number of people who died from the Nepal side of Mt Everest has reached five. Kumar successfully climbed the 8,848 meters high Mount Everest at 1:28 PM on Saturday. His climbing guide Lakpa Wongya Sherpa was also found unconscious after suffering from frostbite at Camp IV. Kumar and the climbing guide got separated during the descent. Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association earlier had earlier said that "the chances of his survival were slim, as more than 24 hours had elapsed since he went missing in the extreme climate". An American and a Slovakian died near the summit of the world's highest peak yesterday. An Australian also died while the identity of the fourth person was not immediately known. Nepal has cleared 371 mountaineers to climb Mount Everest during the current season ending this month. Nearly 300 people have died on Mt Everest since the first ascent to the peak was made in 1953. It is estimated that more than 200 dead bodies are still lying on the mountain.

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(PTI inputs)

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--- ENDS ---
April jobs' index saw year-on-year fall in major metros -- Delhi/ NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. Even hiring activity saw a fall in telecom, BPO, insurance and construction sectors during April as compared to April 2016.

By Indo-Asian News Service: With top IT firms laying off professionals, the IT-software industry was hit the most with a 24 per cent fall in hiring in April this year as compared to April 2016, according to a survey by job site Naukri.com.

"The overall job market saw an 11 per cent fall in new jobs, with IT-software industry most hit. IT-Software industry was hit the most with a 24 per cent decline in hiring in April as compared to April 2016," the Naukri Job Speak Index said.

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April jobs' index saw year-on-year fall in major metros -- Delhi/ NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, it added.

Hiring activity saw a fall in telecom, BPO, insurance and construction sectors during April as compared to April 2016.

Key industries like construction and BPO/ ITES saw a 10 per cent and 12 per cent fall, respectively, while banking saw a 11 per cent increase in hiring during April 2017 as compared to April 2016, it said.

Commenting on the report, V Suresh, Chief Sales Officer, Naukri.com said, "As predicted earlier, job market continues to be volatile and the Jobspeak index in April has shown a negative growth of 11 per cent (YOY)."

"Though major negative impact seems to be in sectors like IT/ BPO/ telecom/insurance and construction, there seems to be an air of caution across all sectors and this volatility is likely to continue for a few more months before the markets could move north again."

Six out of the eight metro cities tracked saw a decrease in hiring activity in April.

The index for Delhi/ NCR, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru saw a dip of 28 per cent, 18 per cent, 29 and 28 per cent, respectively, while Kolkata and Ahmedabad saw an increase of 10 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively, as compared to April, 2016, the survey noted.

The maximum number of new jobs (3 per cent month-on-month) were created in the 0-3 years' category.

Senior management hiring fell, with jobs for 13-16 years of experience witnessing a fall of 2 per cent when compared with March, 2017.

While hiring in junior management remained buoyant, mid-management hiring (8-12 years of experience) witnessed a decrease of 3 per cent during April.

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--- ENDS ---
The Opposition plans to meet PM Modi, hand over a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee and also visit Kashmir to find a solution to the ongoing unrest in Kashmir.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: The political corridors in Delhi are abuzz with activities amidst the ongoing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. A series of meetings are taking place in the Opposition camp to find a solution for the situation in the Valley and corner the government on the issue.

A meeting of the Congress Committee on Kashmir and another of the Opposition leaders with the Congress leaders is underway here.

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Janata Dal United (JDU) leaders spilled the beans on what is being contemplated as far as their strategy on Kashmir is concerned. The Opposition plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hand over a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee and visit Kashmir.

"Leaders from JDU, Left and Congress will meet PM Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee over the Kashmir unrest. They also plan to visit Kashmmir, but the government has not done anything," said senior JDU leader KC Tyagi.

"Met former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh twice over the Kashmir issue. The talks are on and we have to decided on our next plan of action. The entire nation is worried about Kashmir, but not BJP," senior JDU leader Sharad Yadav said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the NDA government would find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue and even went ahead to assert that "Kashmir", "Kashmiris" and "Kashmiriyat" are an integral part of India.

"We understand that Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat are ours. I assure you that we will come up with a permanent solution to end the issue," the Union Minister said.

The Congress today took a dig at Rajnath Singh's remark on Kashmir and said that it is the pet dialogue of the ruling dispensation, adding that until it changes its 'Hindu rashtra' mindset, the incumbent government would not be able to succeed at finding a solution to Kashmir.

ALSO READ | Kashmir, Kashmiris, Kashmiriyat are ours: Rajnath Singh

ALSO READ | 'Will find a solution to Kashmir' is BJP's pet dialogue: Congress slams Rajnath Singh

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A Hizbul Mujahideen spokesperson told a Kashmir news agency that a J-K cop who had decamped with four rifles has joined the militant organisation.

A J-K cop is said to have joined the Hizbul Mujahideen (Photo for representation)

By India Today Web Desk: A Jammu and Kashmir policeman on Saturday fled with four rifles from central Kashmir's Budgam district. While authorities ordered a departmental probe into the incident, the Hizbul Mujahideen said that constable Syed Naveed Mushtaq has joined their organisation.

"Our field operational commander, Mehmood Ghaznavi, has welcomed Syed Naveed for joining the militant organization to fight Indian occupational forces in Kashmir," Burhan-u-Din, a spokesperson for the militant group told Kashmir News Service, a local news agency.

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Speaking to KNS over a telephone, the Hizbul spokesperson added that Naveed has joined their organisation along with the four rifles that he took with him while fleeing his post.

News agency PTI had on Saturday reported that Syed Naveed Mushtaq was posted at a a godown of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in Budgam's Chandpora. While fleeing he took with him his own INSAS rifle as well as those belonging to three of his colleagues who were deployed at the same location, an unnamed police official told PTI.

Notably, Hizbul Mujahideen is the same organisation that is suspected to be behind the murder of Lt Ummer Fayaz, a young Army officer who was kidnapped by militants while he had gone to attend a wedding in Shopian district.

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ALSO WATCH | Operation Villains of Valley: India Today special investigation busts Pakistan-funded Hurriyat separatists

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Jamshedpur witnessed the lynching of 7 men last week over rumours circulating on WhatsApp. People protesting the lynchings clashed with police on Sunday, causing the administration to impose Section 144 in the area.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: Jharkhand's steel city of Jamshedpur is limping back to normalcy after large scale violence was witnessed last week. 7 persons were lynched, four of them Muslims, in two separate incidents.

The violence was triggered by the circulation of WhatsApp messages of "child lifters" being active in the Kolkhan area of Jamshedpur. Apart from the lynching, the region also saw other communal clashes over the child kidnapping rumours.

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"There was a WhatsApp message which was going viral in the area for last 10 days and because of this rumor, the incidents happened in which seven persons were killed", said Anup T Mathew, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Jamshedpur.

PROTEST TURNS VIOLENT

The Muslim community, under the banner Muslim Ekta Manch, staged a massive protest on the streets of Jamshedpur on Sunday. The protest turned violent amid allegations that people from their community were deliberately targeted and lynched.

The protestors pelted stones at policemen, forcing them to fire rubber bullets and use tear gas shells on agitators to quell the volatile situation.

Soon after the violent clashes, the police imposed Indian Penal Code's Section 144 in the area prohibiting unlawful assembling of people. Authorities undertook a massive deployment of police personnel, including those from the Rapid Action Force, to restore normalcy in the city.

WHAT HAPPENED

On the morning of May 18, four Muslim men, Naeem, Saraaj Khan, Sajju and Sheikh Halim were lynched in Jamshedpur after locals alleged that they were part of a "child lifters" group. The very same evening three other men - Uttam Verma, Gangesh Gupta and Vikas - were also lynched following similar child lifting allegations.

On the defensive after the lynching of seven men, Jharkhand police started appealing people not to lend ears to rumours and to maintain peace.

Officials also published advertisements in newspapers today appealing people to remain alert about false messages being spread on the social media and report such instances to the police.

ALSO READ | At least 6 people beaten to death in Jharkhand on suspicion of being child lifters

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ALSO WATCH | India's Agenda: Yogi scraps minority quota; Curfew imposed in Jamshedpur; more

--- ENDS ---
The cost of Kamov light-utility choppers to be manufactured indigenously is coming out to be almost 250 per cent as high as the cost of 60 such helicopters that would be built in Russia and supplied to India.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: The price of Kamov light-utility choppers to be built in India is coming out to be almost 2.5 times the cost of the 60 such helicopters that would be built in Russia and supplied to the Indian Army and Air Force, for operations in high altitude areas such as Siachen and Ladakh.

The issue over price and transfer of technology are slowing the deal which the armed forces require urgently to be completed to replace their vintage fleet of Cheetah and Chetak choppers for critical operations.

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Under a Indo-Russian governmental agreement, India is buying 200 Kamov 226 T helicopters of which 60 would be built in Russia and supplied directly to the forces while the remaining 140 would be manufactured in a joint venture between Kamov and HAL along with a private sector partner.

"During negotiations with the Russian side, it has come out that the cost of the 140 choppers to be built in India would be around 2.5 times the cost of the first 60 helicopters. There are certain issues over this in the acquisition wing," Defence sources told MAIL TODAY.

The progress of the deal may come up for discussion during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow planned early next month.

However, senior ministry officials said Make in India comes at a heavy cost as investments have to be made to create a new facility and manpower has to be trained along with acquisition of land for the new set up.

The government had selected HAL as a partner but later on it also thought of including a private sector partner for the joint venture company to promote private participation in defence but this is going to add further cost to the programme, the sources said.

H.A.L YET TO TAKE FINAL CALL

The decision on selecting the private sector partner has to be taken by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the company is yet to take a final call on the issue.

The deal is also getting affected by the issue over the weight of the choppers, as it is believed that the ones built in Russia weigh more than what was specified in the tender requirements by the force.

"The issue has been raised with the Russians and it is expected that some solutions would be found for reducing the weight soon," a source said.

Sources said there seemed to be a minor issue over the interpretation of the clauses on the transfer of technology for the Kamov choppers as during one of the meetings, the Russians proposed to supply the 140 choppers to built in India as complete knocked-down and semi-knocked down kits -which would mean that the choppers would only be assembled and not built in India.

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TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY

"We are very clear that we want transfer of technology for these choppers so that they can be built in future by our firms on their own in the future," a defence official said.

Price has been a critical issue in defence deals involving Russia as several deals such as the under-development Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and Multirole Transport Aircraft projects have been stuck because of the sudden and exorbitant cost hikes by Moscow.

The biggest example of India suffering due to price hike was the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier project, which was to cost $900 million (over Rs 5,000 crore)at the time of signing in 2004, but was delivered in 2014 after an additional cost of $1.2 billion (over Rs 7,000 crore) in 2014.

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--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Gandhidham, May 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said good ports are essential for Indias progress as he laid the foundation stone for half a dozen projects worth Rs 993 crore related to development of Kandla Port.

Noting that Kandla has emerged as a key port in Asia, Modi said once Irans Chabahar Port is developed with Indian assistance, the maritime facility here will establish itself firmly on the global trade map.

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Modi also suggested that the Kandla Port Trust (KPT) be named after BJP-RSS ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay as a tribute to him in his birth centenary year.

He was addressing a gathering here in Kutch district after laying the foundation stone for a slew of developmental projects of KPT.

The projects include a convention centre named after Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Others are a tow cargo berth at Kandla Port, construction of a road over bridge, deployment of two mobile harbour cranes and mechanisation of fertiliser handling facility. These projects will cost Rs 993 crore.

"This is the birth centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. He gave us a new philosophy for uplift of the poor. Today, as the country celebrates his birth centenary, I would like to make a suggestion to the Kandla Port Trust, Nitinji (Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping) and his department - why not name Kandla Port as the Deendayal Port Trust Kandla," he said.

"Deendayal stood for the poor...(so this name change) will inspire us to work for the poor, suppressed section of society," he said.

Modi said sound infrastructure and efficiency are vital pillars of economic growth, and if the country has to progress, it must have good ports.

"Economists are surprised at the rapid growth of Kandla Port. Those working at the port have realised that if they upgrade it in terms of infrastructure and efficiency, it can make greater contribution to the countrys growth."

Recalling an episode from Ramayan, Modi said once Chabahar Port is developed, Iranian cargo can come directly here and Kandla Port will establish itself in the world trade like Angad, a character in the epic known for his strength.

"Cargo from Iran will directly come to Kandla Port, and with the two ports joining hands, Kandla will establish itself in the world trade like Angad," Modi said.

"Infrastructure capacity building is happening in Kandla and work is also on to develop a port city here," he said.

The PM praised Gadkari for his initiatives in the shipping and transport sector.

Modi is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, his home state where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, in which BJP has high stakes in retaining power.

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This is Modis third visit to Gujarat this year.

On April 7, he had visited Botad to inaugurate the phase II of the state governments ambitious Sauni irrigation project.

On March 8, he had visited Gandhinagar to address women sarpanches on the International Womens Day. PTI KA PD NM RSY MKJ

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Mishra took a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief's response on the corruption and money laundering charges and said this is Kejriwal's new avatar.

By India Today Web Desk: Taking a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his response on the corruption charges, former Delhi minister Kapil Mishra today said "this is Kejriwal's new avatar".

Mishra took a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief saying even Suresh Kalmadi and Dawood Ibrahim are not behind bars, so does that mean they are innocent? Kejriwal had, on Sunday, said that if the corruption allegations made against him were true, he would have been in jail by now. The AAP chief was responding to the volley of questions thrown at him by Mishra on money laundering and corruption.

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The sacked minister took to Twitter and posted, "According to Kejriwal, 2G scam, coalgate scam and controversies over the Commonwealth Games are not scams at all".

Kejriwal, on Sunday, broke his silence on the corruption allegations made against him by the former Delhi minister and said that the charges were false and baseless.

"I would have been in a jail if there was any truth in the corruption allegations made against me. I have been asked why am I not responding and keeping mum on the issue. But how does one respond top such false allegations. Even the Opposition does not believe these charges"." Kejriwal said at a party meet.

Mishra had dropped a bombshell on friend-turned-foe Kejriwal claiming that the Delhi chief minister and AAP received money through hawala network. Responding to his salvos, the AAP national convener said, "There is no merit in the allegation made that I accepted Rs 2 crore. Our party is not involved in any scam".

The former Delhi minister, on Sunday, launched a 'Let's clean AAP' project to rid party of the few people who are corrupt. He was sacked as a minister in the Delhi government over allegations of failing to curb water scarcity.

ALSO READ | Kejriwal breaks silence on Kapil Mishra's allegations, says would have been in jail if they were true

ALSO READ | Kapil Mishra vs Arvind Kejriwal Round 3: Ex-Delhi minister claims AAP received funds through hawala

ALSO WATCH | Kapil Mishra claims Aam Aadmi Party received funds through hawala

--- ENDS ---
CBI sources said some officials of Foreign Investment Promotion Board, posted at the time when P Chidambaram was the Finance Minister, are soon likely to be questioned for abusing their official position to help INX Media Ltd wriggle out of the illegalities.

By Atir Khan: The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to question senior officials of Ministry of Finance in connection with Karti Chidambaram- INX Media Ltd case. According to the line of investigation some Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) officials had ignored company's violations and illegalities.

CBI sources said some officials of FIPB posted at the time when P Chidambaram was the Finance Minister, are soon likely to be questioned for abusing their official position to help INX Media Ltd wriggle out of the illegalities.

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CBI is of the view that some FIPB officials entered into criminal conspiracy with Karti Chidambaram, promoter of Chess Management Services Pvt Ltd, which had received money transactions from INX Media allegedly for favours in getting FIPB approvals.

As per records with both CBI and Enforcement Directorate, INX Media had deliberately violated conditions of the FIPB approval. It has made downstream investment to the extent of 26 per cent in the capital of INX News without specific approval of FIPB, which included FDI by the same foreign investors.

It had also generated more than Rs 305 crore FDI in INX Media against the approval of foreign inflow of Rs 4.62 crore by issuing the shares to the foreign investors at a premium of more than Rs 800 per share.

Sources said INX Media had taken Karti Chidambaram's help to wriggle out of the situation and the latter had influenced FIPB officials, who directed INX Media to apply for the approvals afresh on both the counts. The officials had also ignored the requests of Department of Revenue to investigate the downstream investment made in INX News without FIPB approval.

Karti had allegedly raised invoices in the name of Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, a company which he was managing indirectly for services rendered by Chess Management in order to conceal his identity. Invoices of approximately Rs 3.5 crores were also raised in favour of INX Group in the name of other companies in which Karti was having sustainable interests either directly or indirectly.

Such invoices were false and raised for creation, acquisition of media content, consultancy in respect of market research, acquisition of content of various genre audio and video. Where as INX Group in its record had clearly mentioned the purpose of payment of Rs 10 lakh to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd as towards management consultancy charges towards FIPB notification and clarification. However Chidambarams have been claiming that there was no illegality in the clearances.

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--- ENDS ---
"I want to be a scientist and do research on Vitiligo. I don't want to leave Kashmir. I want to work for my people here, but for that we need peace," says young Rukhsana (name changed) who studies in class 12.

By Devina Gupta: Every morning little Merham (name changed) wakes up before the alarm bell rings to get ready for school. Unlike other kids in her group who want to be doctors, her dream is to become a NASA scientist for which she has already charted a plan.

"I want to go to Chandigarh University first and then will apply for aeronautical engineering courses in US and go to NASA," says young, lively Merham.

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But for that Merham hopes that her school remains open in the tense valley of Kulgam in Kashmir.

"We are facing a great challenge to keep our schools open. Till the time Kashmir dispute is resolved, we will continue to live in fear," said Ghulam Hasan, chairman of LCS school in Kulgam.

Disheartened by politics around Kashmir, he says his only priority is to keep his 200 students safe.

'NEED PEACE'

Recently India Today TV investigation had revealed how separatists leaders have been getting access to cross-border funds to torch schools and government buildings in Kashmir.

Till last November, around 25 schools were gutted in fire as unrest spread in parts of Anantnag and Kulgam. "I am not scared of going to school and hate it when its shut down. Our studies suffer whenever the school has to be shut down because of the tensions," said Sadiya (name changed) who studies in Kulgam. Fearing for the future of their children, many families have been leaving the area.

"Many students have dropped out after the violent episode of schools being targeted last year. This year we have seen less number of students continuing", said Ghulam Hasan. For him every day of peace counts as his students continue to inspire him to keep his school running.

"I want to be a scientist and do research on Vitiligo. I don't want to leave Kashmir. I want to work for my people here, but for that we need peace," says young Rukhsana (name changed) who studies in class 12.

These girls see life differently from a very young age. Responsibility comes early and so does the urge to succeed despite the odds.

Even a simple task of wearing a uniform is dangerous and uncertainty is way of life. However, living on the edge, these students are infused with courage to achieve their dreams.

"This has become part of our life, why should I be scared? This is my state and I don't want to leave it" says Sadiya (name changed) to India Today TV.

'THOSE SPREADING FIRE IN VALLEY WILL BE DEALT WITH IRON HAND'

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, in her youth-reached-out programme, has promised to provide job opportunities to the youth in the state. However, the first step should be to secure primary schools where kids are vulnerable targets for terrorists. She has assured that those "spreading fire in the Valley" will be dealt with iron hand.

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"There is a section, which has accepted they will get money to disrupt peace of the state and they are actually disrupting the peace. So law of land will take action," told Mehbooba Mufti to India Today TV.

ALSO READ | #HurriyatTruthTapes: NIA grills Kashmir separatists for second consecutive day

ALSO READ | Kashmir, Kashmiris, Kashmiriyat are ours: Rajnath Singh

ALSO WATCH | NIA grills Hurriyat leaders for second consecutive day

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You may just have to sell your soul to have a trip like theirs.

By India Today Web Desk: If luxury tourism could have its own brand ambassador, it would be the Kardashians.

You may have been saving every penny, just to pull off that much-awaited vacation of yours, but the chances to match up to the Kardashian experience of travelling seem quite bleak.

From tropical locations to other foreign destinations, the Kardashians are known for taking lavish trips around the globe. A look at the care-free vacation pictures of Kim and Khloe might instill fresh travel goals in you. Or perhaps not, if you take a quick glance at expenditure incurred for each of these vacations.

Photo: Instagram/kimkardashian

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The much-talked-about family went on a luxury vacation to Mexico last April, where they spent 13,000 Pounds (more than Rs 10 lakh) per-night at a resort, as reported by Travel + Leisure. Prior to that, the Kardashians-Jenner group also visited Costa Rica. They reportedly stayed there at a private mansion that can reportedly be rented at an estimated cost of 16,500 Dollars (Rs 1065281.25) a night.

And the private helicopter tour of the island that they undertook cost between 300-500 Dollars (over Rs 30,000) per person.

Also Read: How Kim Kardashian has changed with every plastic surgery over the years

Photo: Instagram/kimkardashian Photo: Instagram/kimkardashian

During their sojourn in Dubai, the Kardashians reportedly booked accommodation at Atlantis, The Palm. A night booked at a suite in this luxury resort would cost between 3000-17,000 Dollars (up to Rs 1096925). Besides, a day-long desert trip that Kim later undertook can also cost up to 100 Dollars (over Rs 6000) per person.

The Kardashians will surely enthrall you with their mind-blowing Instagram snapshots. But can you actually look up to them for travel inspiration? Well, we would clearly need a fortune for that, both for pocket and providence.

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The streets of Kolkata saw red hammer and sickle flags taking up major roads as shouts of "inquilab zindabad" were heard.

The streets of Kolkata saw red hammer and sickle flags taking up major roads as shouts of "inquilab zindabad" were heard. (Pic: Twitter/CPI-M)

By Romita Datta: "Inquilab Zindabad."

The streets of Kolkata saw red hammer and sickle flags taking up major roads as shouts of "inquilab zindabad" were heard.

The Left party, being considered as irrelevant in West Bengal politics in the wake of BJP's muscle-flexing, hit the streets today and paralysed city life for some four hours in their attempt to show that the party was not out of the political map of Bengal, at least not yet.

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Among those, who had written off the Left, was chief minister Mamata Banerjee. She had deliberately planned an administrative meeting in Birbhum district on the day of "Nabanna March", taking in tow with her the chief secretary and the home secretary, leaving the state secretariat completely on its own and to fend for itself.

Her lack of seriousness and concern was revealed when she was found crooning with the students of Viswa Bharati when asked for a reaction on the police action on the Left agitators.

BANGLA BIPANNA

For over a month the Left had announced and campaigned about "Bangla Bipanna/ Chalo Nabanna" (Bengal in Distress/ March to Nabanna). It was supposed to be a march to lay siege of the state secretariat of the Trinamool Congress government, Nabanna, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee has her office.

However, the march was cut short way, way behind with the state police barricading all roads leading to Nabanna.

WHEN THE MARCH TURNED VIOLENT

Even the places where the Left supporters and sympathisers congregated were hemmed in from all sides with the police lobbing teargas shells. The Left supporters tried to break through the iron railings and barricade by pelting stones. Some landed from the other side of the fence, where the men in uniform took position, as well, injuring journalists, photographers and the people on demonstration. The journalists later on sat on a demonstration in front of the Press Club, demanding immediate action against the police.

In order to control the unruly mob the police resorted to lathicharge and pelted teargas shells at Rani Rashmoni Road, Mayo road, where veteran leaders such as Left Front chairman Biman Bose and former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee were camping. Bose alleged that police had resorted to reckless lathicharge injuring innocent people, who were on a peaceful movement.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day even before the Left started assembling, prominent CPI(M) leader and party's leader in the state legislature, Sujan Chakrabarty and a small team of five leaders tried to barge in through the northern gate of Nabanna. They had walked in when the police intervened and arrested them.Even though Nabanna was out of bounds, the city after a long time witnessed a movement, which brought back memories of the Left Front rule when Trinamool Congress as the principal Opposition party would often embarrass the administration with its militant brand of street politics and agitation.

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Whether the movement will generate enough momentum and gather steam is a story, the future will tell, but for the moment, the Left has passed the acid test of proving that it is very much a player, playing in the ring.

Also Read The rise and fall of Imam Barkati

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--- ENDS ---
Meet 38-year-old Indian-origin Leo Varadkar who might become Ireland's first openly gay Taoiseach (head of the Irish government).

By India Today Web Desk: Leo Varadkar, Ireland's Minister for Social Protection, might become the country's first openly gay Taoiseach (head of the Irish government).

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny resigned as head of the governing Fine Gael party, kicking off a succession contest between Varadkar and Housing Minister Simon Coveney. The party will choose its new leader on June 2.

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Varadkar has opened up a commanding lead in the race by securing 45 of 71 available votes from members of Fine Gael's parliamentary party. Once the party has elected a new leader, members of the lower house of parliament will vote to confirm the chosen one as the new prime minister.

Here are eight things to know about Leo Varadkar: He is half-Indian. Varadkar's father, Ashok Varadkar, is an Indian and moved to English as a doctor in the 1960s. He met his future wife Miriam while she was working as a nurse in Slough, England. Varadkar's parents settled in Dublin in 1973 and five years later he was born. Leo is the youngest child of the couple and has two elder sisters. Leo took admission in Trinity College, Dublin to study law but switched to medicine soon. During his time at Trinity College he was active in Young Fine Gael. Fine Gael is a Christian democratic political party in Ireland and is currently in power. Leo Varadkar graduated in medicine in 2003 and then worked as a junior doctor for many years before qualifying as a general practitioner in 2010. On his 36th birthday, during a radio interview he spoke about being gay. "It's not something that defines me. I'm not a half-Indian politician, or a doctor politician or a gay politician for that matter. It's just part of who I am, it doesn't define me, it is part of my character I suppose", he said during same-sex marriage referendum campaign. Leo has also campaigned about liberalising abortion laws. He is Ireland's first openly gay member of the cabinet. If Varadkar wins, he will be the first minority ethnic Taoiseach of Ireland and the first gay man to hold to the role. Leo Varadkar has served as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport from 2011 to 2014 and was the Minister for Health from 2014 until 2016. The 38-year-old has been dating Dr Matt Barrett since almost two years now.

Also read: Ireland: 'Go back to India', woman filmed hurling abuses at Indians on train

Also read: A beach in Ireland reappears 33 years after vanishing into Atlantic Ocean

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--- ENDS ---
Anurag Tiwari's elder brother has said in an FIR that the Karnataka IAS officer's life was under threat as he working on exposing a scam.

By India Today Web Desk: After the elder brother of Karnataka-cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari filed an FIR alleging that he was murdered in Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh government today said they will hand over the probe to CBI.

Tiwari, who was working as a commissioner in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru, had died under mysterious circumstances near a state guest house in Lucknow's Hazratganj last week.

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UP government officials said they will hand over the death case to CBI shortly. Tiwari's family members had demanded that CBI should investigate the case.

The UP police has registered a murder case against unknown persons after Anurag's elder brother Mayank Tiwari filed a complaint under Section 302.

The Karnataka-cadre IAS officer was found dead last Wednesday morning under mysterious circumstances on a roadside in the high-security Hazratganj area in Lucknow, hardly a kilometre away from the UP Assembly.

The 36-year-old officer was posted as commissioner in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru.

Tiwari, a 2007-batch IAS officer, was staying at a government guesthouse with a batchmate after attending a mid-career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.

Post-mortem had indicated that Anurag Tiwari had died of asphyxia but police said that an SIT team probing the case was awaiting the test reports of his viscera and blood samples and heart to find the exact cause of the death.

LIFE WAS UNDER THREAT?

In the FIR, the deceased's brother said the IAS was working on some case which could have exposed a big scam.

He said his brother was under tremendous pressure for the last few months and had also informed him that his life was under threat.

Police said there was an injury on his chin. There are possibilities that it was a case of accident or may be a heart attack.

An engineer by qualification, Tiwari belonged to Bahraich district. He was born on May 17, 1981, and became an IAS officer in July 2007.

The mother and brother of the deceased officer met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today and requested him to hand over the probe to the CBI, saying they were unhappy with the probe by the state police.

Tiwari's brother Mayank told reporters that the scene of crime has been washed and the mobile phone has been found in unlocked condition.

Also read:

Lucknow: Senior IAS officer found dead near state guest house in Hazratganj

IAS Anurag Tiwari death: BJP MP writes to Yogi Adityanath demanding CBI probe

Also watch:

Lucknow: Senior IAS officer found dead near Hazratganj

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The young girl was sitting on the dock to meet the adorable sea lion when she was dragged violently by the sea creature into the water leaving everyone in shock.

By India Today Web Desk: Sea lions are adorable and peaceful creatures, but exceptions are everywhere.

In this specific case, a sea lion terrified everyone around him when the sea lion dragged a young female tourist into the water. Michael Fujiwara was at Steveston Fisherman's Wharf near Vancouver, B.C. when he recorded this event which left everyone absolutely terrified.

In the video, the girl was seen sitting on the dock when she was suddenly grabbed by a sea lion from the back in to the water. Another spectator saw and immediately jumped in the water to get the young lady back.

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Also read: Watch: Lion dives into Arabian Sea but gets rescued

Although, nobody got hurt during this terrifying incident, the girl and her family were left in trauma. It is speculated that the sea lion must have thought of the girl's dress as food and grabbed her by mistake as the species is not a dangerous otherwise.

Fujiwara uploaded this video on YouTube and received over 1.6 million views on the video.

Also read: Watch: Deadly python swallows man, police cuts open snake's stomach to retrieve his body

FYI facts:

Sea lions can grow over 6 feet and can weigh about 610 to 860 pounds

Sea lions are an endangered species and always travel in groups as they are social animals.

Males migrate north during the winter season and return to the California and Mexican coastlines during the summer to breed.

Sea lions are not aggresive towards humans but sometimes, long-time baiting can alter their behaviour.

According to the Director of Florida Program for Shark Research George Burgess, feeding animals can lead animals equating food with humans.

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By Press Trust of India: Gandhinagar, May 22 (PTI) Four African countries - Ivory Coast, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti today signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) here in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

ISA was launched in November 2015 in Paris to create a platform for promotion of the solar energy across prospective ISA member countries.

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Leaders from Ivory Coast, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti signed the framework agreement during a ceremony on the sidelines of 52nd African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Annual General Meeting, started today at Mahatma Mandir here.

Apart from these four African nations, Republic of Nauru, a small country which had signed the framework agreement for ISA earlier, submitted its declaration of ratification to the Jaitley.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaitley expressed happiness that more and more countries are coming forward to join ISA to protect environment.

"Solar Alliance was conceived in 2015 between India and France at the time when both the nations signed the Paris declaration (on climate change). With todays ceremony, about 31 countries have signed the agreement while at least six nations have ratified it," said Jaitley.

"Need for energy is very distinct in Asia and Africa, as significant economic development is yet to take place here. We need energy and simultaneously, we need to protect the environment. I firmly believe that Solar Alliance will be an important milestone for economic development" he added. PTI PJT PD RMT RAX

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By Santosh Chaubey: Mortified - that is the word used by The Nation, a major Pakistani newspaper, on how Pakistani delegation, led by its prime minister Nawaz Sharif, looked like at the just concluded US-Arab-Islamic Summit in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

According to another story, published in The News today, "something has gone terribly wrong as the Summit didn't mention Pakistan's role against global terrorism and its prime minister Nawaz Sharif was not given chance to put forth the country's point of view' whereas Pakistan has lost over 70,000 civilians and 6000 security forces personnel in terrorism related violence."

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The article that defines Pakistan as a 'frontline state' and the 'sole Muslim nuclear power' rakes up the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and says such a treatment becomes more pinching when you find that US President Donald Trump mentioned India in the list of terror victims but ignored Pakistan that "is trying to convince the world of New Delhi's role in fanning terror through spy-terrorist Kalbhushan Jadhav's case at International Court of Justice."

The article summed up the mood at the summit, "The popular sentiment among the majority of Pakistani media delegation was that of a total humiliation."

Pakistan's treatment at the summit has started making headlines in the country with opposition parties targeting Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has taken on Nawaz Sharif for letting Pakistan and other Muslim communities down with his ineffective presence at the global forum. We can feel the heat of the royal snub that Pakistan was given in Khan's words, "The most important thing is that he [Trump] did not even mention Pakistan, the country that fought America's war and lost 70,000 people".

A release by Pakistan's Foreign Office informs us that Nawaz Sharif did interact with "Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, President Donald Trump and other leaders from the Arab and Islamic countries", but if we go by the words of Imran Khan, Sharif wasn't even invited to speak. "Nawaz Sharif had practiced 6 hours for his speech at the Riyadh Summit but he wasn't even invited to speak. Why did Nawaz Sharif even go to Riyadh?" a Samaa TV report said.

And how can media and politicians in Pakistan forget about their Kashmir rant, something that defines the agenda of the country, its overzealous media and narrow-visioned politicians, back home or at global, multi-lateral forums.

So, being comfortably unmindful of Pakistan sponsored terror in Jammu & Kashmir and in India, that has taken over 45,000 lives in the state of Jammu & Kashmir alone, The Nation's article writes that "terming India a victim of terrorism was a deeply painful insult to innocent, unarmed Kashmiris who are fighting for their just cause of liberating their land from the oppressive India and facing worst kind of state terrorism at the hands of its armed forces."

Imran Khan, while blaming Sharif for disgracing Pakistan at the summit, said that "Nawaz Sharif should have talked about the plight of Kashmiris and Palestinians" and went on to criticise Donald Trump for praising India and for ignoring "the atrocities being committed by India against the Kashmiris."

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Meanwhile, the geopolitical reality is every successive US government, including the present one of Donald Trump, sees Kashmir as a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and squarely blames Pakistan for promoting terror in India.

On May 11, in its 'Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community' report, the US Government blamed Pakistan for deteriorating India-Pakistan ties and batted for India's growing intolerance over Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism. And in April, Gen HR McMaster, the US National Security Advisor, who was in Pakistan, bluntly told Pakistan to stop using terror as state policy.

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In Chitrakoot and Banda districts of Uttar Pradesh, some elderly men have formed their own private army to take on the bandits spreading reign of terror in the region.

By Shiv Pujan Jha: The Jungles have their own law and often the outlawed define the rule. But, even though police is ineffective in some areas, privately armed groups have come up to defend themselves in parts of Chitrakoot, Banda in Uttar Pradesh and adjoining areas in Madhya Pradesh.

The region had lived under the terror of dreaded dacoits like Dadua and Thokia, who ran a parallel rule in the area. Several groups are still active in the region. They created a reign of terror on account abduction, rape and murder for ransom.

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Now, a group of elderly men has armed itself with licensed weapons to meet the challenge thrown by the dacoits. This group is led by one Santosh Tripathi, who is known as Daddu in the area.

Santosh Tripathi claims that his group is active in the region since 1980s and has eliminated over 20 dacoits in there. The bodies of slain dacoits are handed over to police, Santosh Tripathi says.

HOW THEY OPERATE

Daddu and his group live in the same area where bandits have their influence. They have full knowledge of the terrain and they also know all the hideouts of the dacoits.

The group claims that over the years, it has rescued over a dozen women from the clutches of the dacoits after fierce gun-battles.

Sunita Devi (name changed) recalls with horror that she was abducted at gunpoint with three others by dacoits. While others were allowed to go, she was held hostage, she said, as more than 12 dacoits took turns to rape her.

The Dadu group got information about the incident and launched a massive hunt in the jungles. They did not seek help from police. A combat ensued as gunfire was exchanged.

Villagers too started gathering and the dacoits belonging to Chitti group finding it difficult to match the fight freed Sunita and fled.

Talking to India Today, the victim said, "He (Santosh Tripathi) is like our saviour. We live by the forest and police hardly come in this area. Daddu fired a lot and saved us. Still the dacoits come in this part and we are protected by Daddu."

The dacoits had abducted the women from a public place near the Gopal Hindu Sanskirt Pathsala. School principal Ram Sujan Tripathi said that the forest was quite close to the school and the bandits had created a psychology of fear.

"But, Santosh Tripathi and his group make us feel safe," the principal said.

WHAT SANTOSH TRIPATHI SAID

Santosh has been fighting the bandits for over two decades. He recalls that he lost four of his men to the bullets of the bandits. "But there is also a sense of satisfaction for having saved dozens of women," Santosh Tripathi said.

Tripathi and his group proudly call themselves the 'Anti-Romeo squad of the jungle'.

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"If police give us a bit if help, we can wipe out the terror from this area in days," he said talking to India today.

When India Today contacted DIG Chitrakoot Gyaneshwar Tiwari, he looked unaware about the group's presence. But he said that police would like to cooperate and extend help to Santosh Tripathi group.

ALSO READ |

Chandrashekhar: How Saharanpur lawyer became Dalit leader staging protest at Jantar Mantar

ALSO WATCH |

Thousands of Dalits gather at Jantar Mantar to protest against Saharanpur violence

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If you thought WannaCry was as bad as it could get, well, you can't me more wrong.

By India Today Tech: If you thought WannaCry was as bad as it could get, well, you can't me more wrong. Just when the whole world was getting over WannaCry, a new report doing the rounds of the Internet speaks of an even greater threat. EternalRocks, a new strain of malware, has been identified by researchers that apparently targets the same vulnerability that wrecked havoc worldwide by WannaCry ransomware.

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EternalRocks exploits the same vulnerability in Windows that helped WannaCry spread to computers. The malware includes far more threats than WannaCry, making it potentially tougher to fight.

Like the original ransomware, known as WannaCry, EternalRocks uses an NSA tool known as EternalBlue to spread itself from one computer to the next through Windows. But it also uses six other NSA tools, with names like EternalChampion, EternalRomance, and DoublePulsar (which is also part of WannaCry), Fortune reported.

In its current form, EternalRocks does not have any malicious elements--it does not lock or corrupt files, or use compromised machines to build a botnet. But that's not particularly reassuring, because EternalBlue leaves infected computers vulnerable to remote commands that could 'weaponise' the infection at any time.

WannaCry, has hit over 150 countries, including India and affected over 240,000 machines, primarily those running unpatched versions of Windows 7. It encrypts files on infected machines and demands payment for unlocking them.

EternalRocks is stronger that WannaCry because it does not have any weaknesses, including the kill switch that a researcher used to help contain the ransomware.

EternalBlue also uses a 24-hour activation delay to try to frustrate efforts to study it, the report noted.

The researcher who found EternalRocks does not claim that it has spread very far yet, but it's just one example of a wave of new malware based on the NSA-authored exploits. The consequences have already been serious, and they could get worse.

The last 10 days have seen a wave of cyber attacks that have rendered companies helpless around the globe.

First it was WannaCry that spread by taking advantage of a Windows vulnerability that Microsoft released a security patch for in March. It encrypted files on infected machines and demanded payment for unlocking them.

WannaCry had some loopholes that made it easier to slow and circumvent.

Over 48,000 attempts of ransomware attacks were detected in India. With 60 per cent of the attempts targeted enterprises, while 40 per cent were on individual customers, a cyber security firm, Quick Heal Technologies had said.

With inputs from PTI

Also Read: Oops, your files have been encrypted and here's the reason why

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According to MeT department, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh are expected to experience a rise in temperature after two-three days.

North India witnessed a sudden drop in temperature over the weekend, but this is not going to last for long (Pic: Twitter/Skymet)

By Manjeet Sehgal: North India witnessed a sudden drop in temperature over the weekend, but this is not going to last for long

According to MeT department, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh are expected to experience a rise in temperature after two-three days.

"The respite in temperature was limited to Monday. The temperature will start rising from Tuesday and will rise between two to three degrees during the next two- three days. Dry weather conditions will prevail after three days," Weather Scientist, Chandigarh Met Deptt, Dr Shivinder Singh told India Today.

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In Chandigarh, the tourists and locals who enjoyed cool breezes for two days on Monday complained about the heat again.

Aarti, a Mumbaikar who came to Chandigarh was disappointed by the sultry weather on Monday. Her friend Lalita who hails from Ludhiana was also forced to return to Ludhiana as the temperature started rising two days after a two degree drop was reported in the maximum temperature.

"We had specially come from Australia to enjoy the holidays thinking that the holidays will be filled with fun. But the rising temperature has killed the joy," Satwinder, a non-resident Indian who had planned a month long holiday said.

While the temperature is rising in plains, the hills are experiencing a pleasant weather after rains. Tribal areas like Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur besides the passes like Baralacha, Tanglala , Kunzum Pass and Rohtang recorded fresh spell of snowfall. The maximum temperature in Kullu and Manali has dipped as low as 14 degree Celsius. However, the rains, hailstorms and winds have left the fruit growers worried as it damaged the standing crops.

Also Read

Rain brings respite from hot spell in Delhi, IMD forecasts similar weather for next few days

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Zen Securities has settled a case related to alleged violation of stock broker norms with markets regulator Sebi after payment of Rs 47.6 lakh towards settlement charges.

Besides, Zen Securities also complied with the recommendations of a Sebi committee.

"The pending adjudication proceedings initiated against the noticee ... is disposed of," Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a settlement order issued today.

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The regulator had initiated adjudicating proceedings against Zen Securities for the alleged violation of stock brokers and sub brokers regulations.

While the adjudicating proceedings were in progress, Zen Securities had submitted an application with Sebi for settlement of the case.

The settlement terms after being considered by Sebis internal committee were placed before the regulators High Powered Advisory Committee (HPAC) which gave its recommendations.

Last month, the firm paid Rs 47.6 lakh towards settlemnt terms and also submitted an undertaking that there was no failure on its part in settlement of the funds and securities subsequent to the default period of June-December 2012, as recommended by the HPAC.

Earlier this month, Zen Securities also submitted a certificate from a Chartered Accountant with regard to the settlement of the "rest 2 per cent of the clients funds" in the matter.

Accordingly, Sebi has disposed of the adjudication proceedings initiated against the firm.

However, Sebi said that enforcement actions, including commencing or reopening of the proceedings, could be initiated if any representation made by the firm is discovered to be untrue. PTI VRN SP BAL

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Insurance Back The 20th edition of FIAR - The International Insurance-Reinsurance Forum started on Sunday in Poiana Brasov

Re/Insurance professionals from all over the world, representatives of European authorities and national insurance organizations, specialists representing brokerage companies, lawyer firms, and many more companies from related domains gathered at Poiana Brasov in Romania at the 20th edition of FIAR - The International Insurance-Reinsurance Forum.



The participants at FIAR 2017, representing over 130 international companies, will have the opportunity to join specialized conferences and workshops analyzing the latest trends in the insurance, reinsurance and brokerage fields, as well as to take part in networking events and bilateral meetings which will enable them to discover new business opportunities and to gather valuable insights and experience.



Thus, the event's agenda includes bilateral meetings, traditional networking events, as well as 6 conferences and workshops: HEALTH & LIFE INSURANCE Conference, INSURANCE MARKET TRENDS Conference, BROKERS Conference, NAT CAT & REINSURANCE Conference, MOTOR INSURANCE Conference, and the PRIVATE PENSIONS Workshop.



Some of the keynote speakers that have already confirmed the presence at the event include Michael BRANDSTETTER, EU & International Affairs, VVO - Austrian Insurance Association, Andrea FUCHS, Head Market Underwriting CEE, Swiss Re Europe, Eugene GURENKO, Lead Insurance and Risk Management Specialist, World Bank, Lenka de MAURO, Deputy Head of Office, GDV - German Insurance Association - European Office, Richard NATHSCHLAEGER, Region Manager Austria & Italy, Vice Chairman CEE Advisory Board, AUDATEX, Juan - Ramon PLA, Secretary General, BIPAR, Managing Director, Corporation de Mediadores de Seguros, Spain, Member of IRSG, EIOPA, Michael THEILMEIER, Senior Vicepresident, Gen Re Germany, and Falco VALKENBURG, Chairperson Pensions Committee, Actuarial Association of Europe, OPSG Member, EIOPA.



FIAR 2017 is organized with the official support of UNSAR - The National Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies in Romania, UNSICAR - The National Union of Insurance Brokerage and Consultancy Societies from Romania, PRBAR - The Romanian Patronate of the Insurance - Reinsurance Brokers, CFA Society Romania - Chartered Financial Analyst Romania, and APPA - Association for Promoting Insurance, as well as IIS - International Insurance Society as Supporting Organization.



JLT Re supports the Forum as Strategic Partner, while TRUST Re, OMNIASIG VIG, GENERALI Romania, MILLI Re, ERGO, PAID Romania, and CERTASIG are Main Partners. FRISS, MARSH, EUROINS, ASIROM VIG, SAFETY Broker, DESTINE Broker, EUROTAX, GOTHAER Asigurari Reasigurari, RECREX, and Telecom Data Consulting are Partners of the event, while BMW - Automobile Bavaria Group is FIAR'S OFFICIAL CAR.



The Forum is organized with the support of STELLA Artois and NESCAFE Alegria and is supported by Belarusian association of Insurers, XPRIMM Insurance Report, xprimm.com, RFI Romania and ziuaveche.ro as Media Partners.



The complete program of the event is available on the official website





Author: Adina TUDOR on 18.05.2017





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Rachel Avraham, a news editor and political analyst for JerusalemOnline, wrote an op-ed on the Washington Times, advocating for an independent Kurdistan, not only for the Kurds but for the benefit of the whole world.

Avraham wrote: Numerous minorities in Iraq, whether they be Christian or Yazidi, have found that the only safe place for them to live is within Iraqi Kurdistan. An independent Kurdistan will thus help to preserve what is left of Iraqs multicultural identity. It will also serve as a buffer against Iranian aggression in the Middle East region. And it is for these reasons that Iran via its proxies is fighting so hard in order to thwart an independent Kurdistan.

The Iranian Regime perceives Kurdish autonomy in Northern Iraq as a threat to their control over the Middle East and believes that by exploiting the divisions among the Kurds, they can end their fight for independence.

Iranian journalist Mohsen Behzad Karimi related, [The Iranian Regime] will not tolerate at any cost an independent Kurdistan. An independent Kurdistan in Northern Iraq means joining Syrian Kurds and eventually after that, Turkish Kurdistan and Iranian Kurdistan will be annexed to that. Some Arab countries are using this issue to pressure Iran but in the long run, it is just a pressure tool. They are using Iranian Kurds, Iranian Arabs and Balochis to have leverage.

Karimi added: The Iranian regime since the 1980s supported the Taliban faction. They helped lots of other Iranian-backed Kurds in Northern Iraq. There are still factions of Iraqi Kurds backed by Iran. If you check the ammunitions and light weapons, most of it comes from Iran. They deeply penetrated into Kurdistan. For example, the insurance companies are mainly in the hands of Iranian-backed companies, who are operating under the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

An Iraqi source revealed to Avraham that Iran is attempting to thwart the creation of an independent Kurdistan by trying to instigate a civil war by supporting groups opposed to Masoud Barzani, who has been President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region since 2005. The groups that the Regime is working with are the Gorran Movement and the PKK.

Sherkoh Abbas, a Syrian Kurdish dissident, said: The Gorran Movement is primarily under the control of Iran. They were fighting against corruption and they are now taking all of their funding from Iraq and Iran. It is the same with the PKK, who is under the influence of Iran. They are fighting against an independent Kurdistan in Iraq. They are against a referendum for independence. This Iranian interference is intimidation so they dont do a referendum and they wont have access to the sea.

He noted that Iran is also supporting ISIS behind-the-scenes in order to make Sunni Islam look bad and asserts that no one should believe that the Iranian Regime will be helpful in the fight against terrorism.

He revealed that Iran is working with Iraq and Syria, in order to destroy the Kurds.

He said: Iran, Iraq and Syria all agree that the Kurds should be oppressed. Kurdistan should be robbed of its territory. Despite their differences, they work together to prevent an independent Kurdistan.
He remarked that Trumps trip to Saudi Arabia was necessary because it patched up relations that had been damaged during the Barack Obama presidency, while Obama was seeking the nuclear deal with Iran.

McCain continued: I think that the Sunni-Arab world, particularly our traditional friends there, are encouraged because of the very strained, if not estranged, relations between the previous administrations. And so I think its successful, I think its important.

So far during his first foreign visit, Trump has given a speech at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh on the importance of fighting extremism.

Excerpts from the speech include: Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and your soul will be condemned.

Also during his speech, Trump highlighted that the Iranian Regimes biggest victims are the Iranian people, who are in constant fear of arrest, torture, or even death, for speaking out about the Regime.

While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, said that if Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (who wasre-elected to serve a second term on Friday) wished to have a better relationship with the rest of the world, he should start by dismantling the terrorist networks within his country.

However, it is unlikely that Rouhani will do this, given his recent praise for the Iranian terror squad, the Revolutionary Guards or IRGC. Also, Tillerson should note that the Iranian President has no power, he is a mere puppet of the true ruler, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Human rights activist, Heshmat Alavi, wrote: Rouhani, and the post of the presidency in Iran, are nothing but a marionette with strings controlled by the Supreme Leader. There are no moderates in Iran, but the mullahs are pragmatists always seeking their interests.

During his inaugural trip, Trump will also visit Israel and the Vatican City.
[May 22, 2017] NTT Communications Opens Point of Presence at Innovation Hub Amsterdam Science Park

LONDON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New PoP is Located at One of Europe's Largest Hubs for Science Education, Research and Entrepreneurship NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group, announced today that it has expanded its Tier-1 Global IP Network with a new Point of Presence (PoP) at the Amsterdam Science Park. The site is home to a host of prestigious educational institutions, cutting-edge research units and knowledge-intensive multinationals and start-ups. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/514008/NTT_Com.jpg )

The new PoP is located in the Interxion (formerly Vancis) data center building in Amsterdam Science Park. It is NTT Com's third location in the city and reflects the company's commitment to the local IT community and its growing Benelux customer base. In addition to the Interxion building, the PoP will cross connect with Digital Realty, SURFsara and the National Institute for Subatomic Physics (Nikhef). Customers will have access to NTT Com's Global IP Network and its IP transit services, ayer 2 Ethernet solutions and DDoS Protection Services.



"NTT Com is focused on anticipating user demand and has identified Amsterdam Science Park as a world-class hub for research, innovation and entrepreneurship. We are delighted to be supporting such a vibrant, leading-edge community," commented Toby Russell, Sales Director, NTT Europe. As part of this support, NTT Com is also sponsoring MORE-IP, a networking event for the internet industry taking place in Amsterdam. It is hosted by non-profit AMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange), one of the world's largest internet exchanges with locations in the greater Amsterdam area and also at the Science Park. "The Netherlands plays a strategic role in the global digital infrastructure, which is growing in density and capacity. With this expansion, NTT Com is making an important contribution to its evolution both in the Netherlands and worldwide," said Jesse Robbers, CCO, AMS-IX.

For more information: About NTT Communications Corporation NTT Communications provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services to optimize the information and communications technology (ICT) environments of enterprises. These offerings are backed by the company's worldwide infrastructure, including leading global tier-1 IP network, Arcstar Universal One VPN network reaching 196 countries/regions, and over 140 secure data centers worldwide. NTT Communications' solutions leverage the global resources of NTT Group companies including Dimension Data, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA. About NTT Communications Global IP Network Consistently ranked among the top networks worldwide, NTT Com's Tier-1 Global IP Network covers North and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, and provides the best possible environment for content, data and video transport through a single autonomous system number (AS 2914). NTT Com is one of the top global wholesale IP providers and the number one provider in Asia according to the latest Dyn Wholesale Rankings. More information in Europe, Middle East and Africa: http://www.eu.ntt.com | Twitter @NTT Europe US and the Americas: http://www.us.ntt.net | Twitter @NTT_America (in English) | @NTTComLatam (in Spanish and Portuguese) #globalipnetwork #AS2914 Asia and Oceania: http://www.ntt.com | Twitter @NTTCom SOURCE NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com)

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[May 22, 2017] Universal Secure Registry Files Complaint Against Apple Inc. and Visa Inc. for Patent Infringement

BOSTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Secure Registry, LLC (USR) a small Boston area company, filed a complaint in United States District Court for the District of Delaware challenging two of the world's largest companies, Apple Inc., and Visa Inc., as well as Visa Inc.'s subsidiary Visa U.S.A. Inc., in a lawsuit alleging they infringed seminal patents for electronic payments and identity authentication that paved the way for their mobile payment platforms. USR founder and CEO Kenneth Weiss, "was the first in the space, and the secure payment technology that he developed goes right to the core of Apple Pay," according to the filing. USR is represented by Quinn Emanuel, which has extensive experience with and has prevailed in patent cases against Apple. With about 800 attorneys on staff, Quinn Emmanuel is one of the world's most prominent law firms devoted to business litigation and patent infringement. This suit seeks unspecified damages, but details the scope of the infringement, claiming, "since 2014 Apple's backend servers and Visa's payment processing network VisaNet, including Visa Token Service, have supported and processed transactions made using Apple Pay, including billions of Apple Pay transactions made in the United States." According to the complaint, "Apple CEO Tim Cook stated at the iPhone 6 launch event in September 2014, '[p]ayments is a huge business. Every day between credit and debit we spend $12 billion. That's over $4 trillion a year and that's just in the United States. And this business is comprised of over 200 million transactions a day.'' "USR has set forth facts in the complaint which we believe will lead to discovery that will support claims of willful infringement against both Apple and Visa," Weiss said. If a jury finds that Apple and Visa's infringement were willful, up to triple damages could be awarded. In 2010, prior to the launch of Apple Pay in 2014, Weiss realizing the promise of USR's new patented technology approached the world's largest corporation, Apple Inc., and Visa Inc., the largest payment network in the United States, in attempt to partner with the companies to develop commercialimplementation of the technology. Weiss reached out to both corporations with letters and meeting requests to discuss his cutting-edge technology. The lawsuit states, "during the meeting with Visa, USR made detailed presentations of the patented technology under protection of a non-disclosure agreement." After these attempts, no partnership was struck. However, according to the lawsuit "Apple and Visa began working together on Apple Pay at least as early as January 2013, and Visa dedicated approximately 1,000 people towards the development project with Apple."



"It is not uncommon for large companies to be unresponsive to outside suggestions for innovation or improvements to their product or technology," said Weiss. "Occasionally, these companies infringe patents and force a patent owner to file a lawsuit as the only way to financially benefit from the technology he invented." Weiss pioneered the field of user-friendly methods to remotely authenticate personal identity for mission critical, high value computer systems and networks. According to the suit, he "realized the need existed for technology that would allow consumers to make payment-card transactions conveniently and with a high-degree of security." The complaint continues, "Weiss developed and patented superior technology using such devices to provide a mobile, efficient, and highly secure system for making payment-card transactions."

USR holds a portfolio of Weiss's 13 seminal US patents plus additional patents pending and foreign patents authored by Weiss since 2000. The patents focus on software applications that secure and unimpeachable identity authentication can enable. These include payments, secure financial transactions, physical access and a substantially improved replacement for Weiss's original SecurID token. Weiss is an internationally recognized authority and spokesperson on the topics of computer security and identity authentication. He has authored more than thirty (30) U.S. patents and numerous foreign patents, has published more than 50 professional and peer reviewed articles, and has been a sought-after speaker globally including major network television and radio programs. He has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Fortune, Christian Science Monitor, and The Wall Street Journal. Weiss invented the SecurID token, and he was founder and CEO of Security Dynamics Technologies Inc., the company that is now Dell Inc. RSA division. More than 150 million people across the globe rely on computer security and identity authentication systems such as SecurID tokens invented, designed, and patented by Weiss, including more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies, and corporations, consumers, governments and banks in more than 30 countries, as well as all three branches of the United States government including the Defense Department, the Treasury Department, the Senate and the White House. About Universal Secure Registry LLC

Universal Secure Registry LLC (USR) is an enabling-technology company. Integrating the convenience of a mobile phone with the security of a protected remote server, USR technology creates a secure system for transactions such as funds transfer and credit card purchases, and also has the added benefit of streamlining secure access to remote computers/networks, the cloud or physical facilities. Leveraging patented multi-factor identification authentication, USR's proprietary enabling identification technology designed for smartphone applications is available to third parties for licensing or purchase. USR is based in Newton, Massachusetts. https://universalsecureregistry.net/ SecurID, coined by Weiss, is a trademark of Dell Inc.'s RSA Security division. Universal Secure Registry and USR are trademarks of Universal Secure Registry, LLC. Media Contact:

Sean Flanagan

Agency 451

[email protected]

781-789-2736 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universal-secure-registry-files-complaint-against-apple-inc-and-visa-inc-for-patent-infringement-300461319.html SOURCE Universal Secure Registry

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Lincoln dermatologist, Dr. Rodney Basler , has contributed a major section in a just-published medical text titled, Sauer's Manual of Skin Diseases . Dr. Basler's chapter, "Sports Medicine Dermatology," is part of this general text which is among the most commonly referenced for dermatologic conditions. This very significant undertaking has been several years in preparation for publication.

After graduating from UNMC, Dr. Basler completed dermatology residency training at the University of Michigan and served on active duty with the U. S. Air Force. He then entered into academics as asst. professor of internal medicine at the University of Arizona. In 1978, he returned to Lincoln to begin a dermatologic practice with offices in Lincoln and Fremont, and for over 30 years, has continued to publish medical papers with over 70 articles and textbook chapters appearing in the literature. Dr. Basler also writes the "Skin Sense" column appearing regularly in the "Neighborhood Extra" section of the Journal Star.
The Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program is pleased to announce Dr. Sabrina Cerny as our new program director. Dr. Cerny has served as a faculty physician for several years in Texas and more recently in the Lincoln Family Medicine Program. She brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of family medicine and medical education. Dr. Cerny is taking an already dynamic physician training program to the next level.

Dr. Cerny received her B.A. in French from the University of Iowa with highest honors, followed by her M.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2008. She completed her family medicine residency and chief residency in 2011 from the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Cerny then completed a Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of North Carolina in 2012. Dr. Cerny has an innate ability to connect with faculty, resident physicians, students, patients, administrators, and staff.

Dr. Al Linderman, president and CEO of the Lincoln Medical Education Partnership, agrees. "Dr. Cerny brings the education, experience, and respect of her peers to the Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program. Our community is truly fortunate to have an individual with her abilities at the helm of this residency program." Dr. Cerny's leadership is particularly important considering the substantial changes occurring within healthcare. These changes are, and will continue to have, a dramatic impact on patient care. It is critical that medical student and resident physician education keep up with this ever-changing environment. Dr. Cerny and all the faculty physicians within the Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program are acutely aware of these changes and are continually developing cutting-edge methods for education and patient care to provide the best care and training in the region.

The Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program is extremely important in producing highly competent primary care physicians throughout the State of Nebraska. Since the Lincoln Medical Education Partnership was formed in the early 1970's, they have graduated over 230 family physicians. The majority of these family physicians practice within Nebraska. Over the next decade, the shortage of primary care physicians, especially in rural areas, is expected to continue to worsen in most regions of the country. The Lincoln Medical Education Partnership reduces that crisis in Nebraska.

The Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program is a division of the Lincoln Medical Education Partnership (LMEP). The physicians of the Lincoln Family Medicine Program provide care at the Lincoln Family Medicine Center located at 4600 Valley Road in Lincoln. The Lincoln Behavioral Health Center is also housed within the Residency Program, and is located at the same address. LMEP works in close collaboration and is funded in part by Bryan Health, CHI Saint Elizabeth, the State of Nebraska, Lincoln Public Schools, United Way, and many other funders and donors in the region.

The Lincoln Family Medicine Center is a full-service family medicine clinic and is accepting new patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment, please call (402) 483-4571.
We are extremely pleased to be able to announce this partnership with METRO, Ibach said in a news release. The story of beef from Nebraska resonates well in every country, and more and more consumers are seeking high-quality beef to serve to their families. This is a tremendous opportunity for Nebraska and we are excited to continue our work to further develop relationships with METRO stores.
After slogging through nearly knee-deep mud to feed his cattle Sunday morning, Chad Korth took advantage of the break in spring rains to mow his lawn.

Weve been busy planting, so my mowing has fallen behind so much that some of my grass is a foot high in my yard, the Meadow Grove farmer said.

Korth and farmers like him planned to plant 15.25 million acres of corn and soybeans this year even as prices for those commodities remain persistently low and profits razor thin or nonexistent.

With the yoke of financial stress weighing down the ag economy, and no end in sight, farmers have been on high alert as President Donald Trump sets about overhauling U.S. trade policy, including the rewriting of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

As a candidate, Trump took an America First fighting stance and blamed unfavorable deals for the growing U.S. trade gaps and the loss of factory jobs.

Yet NAFTA and other trade deals have been good to Midwest producers. Farm exports topped imports by $20.5 billion last year.

Recently appointed U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer on Thursday sent a letter to Congress starting the process of renegotiating NAFTA and starting 90 days of consultations with lawmakers over how to revamp the pact. Discussions with Canada and Mexico can get started after that.

Farm groups have stressed a do no harm approach to negotiations.

Losing access to foreign markets is the greatest risk facing the farm economy, Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation President Steve Nelson said in an interview Sunday.

Nelson and several other Nebraska farm leaders plan to spend the next three days in Washington D.C. and trade will be at the top of their agenda as they speaking with the states congressional delegation and government agency leaders.

The U.S. Department of Agricultures forecasters expect farm income nationwide will be down nearly 9 percent from 2016, which would make it the fourth consecutive year of decline and the lowest level since 2002. Nebraskas farmers and ranchers are expected to earn a little more than $4 billion in profits last year, down from $7.5 billion in 2013.

Nearly a third of farm income comes from foreign sales. Nebraska in 2016 sold $1.1 billion worth of beef and veal abroad. And in 2015, soybean sales overseas approached $1.4 billion and corn exports $987 million, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

The loss of those markets, which now encompasses nearly a third of a Nebraska farmers income, is a frightening prospect, said Jordan Dux, Nebraska Farm Bureau's director of national affairs.

The entire agriculture community is kind of sitting nervous a little bit as we try to see what the president would like to do when it comes to these free trade agreements that have been so good for agriculture.

National Farmers Union, which has criticized NAFTA in the past, said trade deficits have led to lost rural jobs and lower wages.

"With this renegotiation of NAFTA, the Trump Administration has the opportunity to reset that agenda by instituting a new, fair trade framework that works for family farmers, ranchers and rural residents. NFU urges them to do so in a fashion that does not upset the positive trade relations the U.S. agriculture community relies upon," Roger Johnson, NFU president, said in a statement last week.

Dairy groups have offered support for updating NAFTA to deal with issues involving Canadian milk-pricing policies.

"Central to any successful NAFTA negotiations will be changes to Canada's new policies designed to harm bilateral trade and dump their structural dairy surplus on the world market," said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, in a news release that noted U.S. dairy products face tariffs of 200 to 300 percent.

While Trump's rhetoric has farmers wringing their hands, his administrations actions have been more reassuring.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue recently announced the creation of a new USDA undersecretary of trade position, although a name has yet to be offered for confirmation and its unknown if someone will be in place before NAFTA trade talks begin.

Perdue on Saturday meet with Nebraska producers at the Cherry County ranch of U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).

The Trump administration recently announced a new China-U.S. trade deal expected to end Chinas 2003 ban of American beef over concerns of mad cow disease. While Nebraska trade officials have been focusing on developing a market there, its unknown how much U.S. beef China will allow to cross its borders.

In Meadow Grove, Korth has faith Trump wont forget the rural Midwestern people and farmers who helped get him elected.

I support our president. I believe he is a deal-maker. You probably dont get where youre at in life like he is by getting run over, Korth said.

There are times he says stuff, that I bite my tongue. But I voted for him and Im giving him 100 percent backing. Hopefully, hell see the importance of  taking care of the nations farmers.
WASHINGTON -- So much for the notion that the second 100 days would be calmer or more reassuring.

As April drew to a close, and with it the artificial marker of the first 100 days of the Trump presidency, it was possible to conjure a relatively comforting scenario: It could have been worse.

After all, President Trump launched his administration with the dangerous duo of Michael Flynn as national security adviser and Steve Bannon ascendant. The 100-day period ended with Flynn fired, Bannon diminished, and the new national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, joining forces with Defense Secretary James Mattis to provide a protective buffer against presidential impulsiveness.

Meantime, notwithstanding atrocities like the immigration orders and the House health care plan, Trump backed away from some of his most jarring and irresponsible campaign-trail promises and rhetoric, from declaring NATO "obsolete" to labeling China a currency manipulator to moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

A 70-year-old man does not change his character or basic approach. Still, the immense responsibility of the presidency molds its inhabitant. Thus, it was possible to detect some glimmers of maturation and even learning.

Health care turned out to be more complicated than anyone knew. Heartbreaking photos of dead Syrian children killed by chemical weapons managed to evoke previously unseen empathy.

Not that the first 100 days had been even in the exurbs of normal, with the inaugural invocation of "American carnage"; the flood of ego-boosting untruths, from the inflated crowd size to the purportedly fraudulent popular vote; and the reflexive assault on enemies, including a "so-called judge" and the Obama administration for its supposed wiretapping plot.

Still, in resolutely optimistic moments, you could imagine a White House whose learning curve would continue an upward climb, however gradual and episodic, in which the New York moderates -- Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, et al. -- would elbow aside the America Firsters.

No longer.

True, the institutions of American government and society have proved relatively robust. The courts and the media have risen to the constitutional occasion; Congress not so much, mostly because intramural GOP dysfunction has so far prevented the worst from being legislated.

But Trump himself is turning out to be the full-fledged disaster of our worst fears. He understands nothing and is uninterested in learning anything -- not just the dreary substance of things like tax reform but constitutional values, governing norms, and America's unique role in the world.

He sees things only through the distorting prism of an all-consuming ego. There is only one Trump instinct -- "fight, fight, fight," he said at the Coast Guard Academy -- and one Trumpian dichotomy: friend or foe. He is impervious to embarrassment, no matter how blatant his falsehood. The stain of his behavior spreads to taint anyone within range.

The past few weeks have presented an alarming parade of proof. Authoritarianism? Trump summarily fired his FBI director over "this Russia thing" -- after, according to reports, James Comey resisted Trump's demand that he pledge loyalty and declined Trump's importunings to drop the Flynn probe.

Trump met unapologetically with yet another a dictatorial thug, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and remained shamefully silent as Erdogan's security goons beat up protesters on U.S. soil. No surprise there, from the candidate who urged his crowds to "knock the crap out of" protesters and as president reportedly pressed Comey to jail reporters for obtaining leaks.

Overweening egotism laced with self-pity? Trump used the occasion of the Coast Guard graduation to lament his treatment -- "No politician in history -- and I say this with great surety -- has been treated worse or more unfairly."

Similarly, in the Trumpiverse, the Russia inquiry and the newly named special counsel represent "the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history." In fact, Trump has only himself to blame -- Comey's firing made the appointment inevitable and the episode demonstrates the justice system working to allay public fears of political interference.

Dangerous ignorance and lack of preparedness for his post? Without evident forethought, heedless of consideration of the consequences, classically boastful, Trump blurted out code-word information about the Islamic State to the Russians at his Oval Office yuck-fest. The national security and diplomatic establishment shudders at the thought of this man at loose abroad.

It is impossible to know how this disastrous episode in our history will conclude or how grave the damage. But an adage from conservative economist Herb Stein comes to mind: If something cannot go on forever, it will stop. This situation does not feel sustainable for a full four years.
Health care policy will be "the defining issue" if he decides to return to electoral politics and challenge Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in the 1st District House race next year, Bill Hoppner said Friday.

The GOP health care reform bill that Fortenberry supported earlier this month would have a devastating impact in rural and small-town Nebraska, Hoppner said, threatening the viability of community hospitals and the future of nursing homes that are largely dependent on Medicaid funding.

Fortenberry, he said, voted for a Republican plan that "would eliminate $800 billion over 10 years in Medicaid funding so they can cut taxes on the wealthiest people in America."

"This action is evil," Hoppner said, and it is "cowardly evil" to vote for that kind of proposal. "He voted for it because he was told to vote for it by Republican leadership and the Koch-funded propaganda machine."

The House package was designed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act; the Senate is now crafting its own bill.

Hoppner, who was the Democratic nominee for governor in 1998 and a close contender for the Democratic nomination in 1990, said he's still mulling the possibility of challenging Fortenberry's re-election in 2018 and probably won't make a decision until the end of the year.

Lincoln attorney Dennis Crawford, the Democratic nominee in 2014, has said he's already in the race.

Fortenberry will be seeking re-election to his eighth term in a House district that has not elected a Democrat since 1964.

Hoppner, who lives in Lincoln, grew up in the small town of Pender in northeast Nebraska and he said the Republican health care reform bill would significantly impact that community's recently modernized hospital in a negative way.

"Medicare and Medicaid support health care" in community hospitals in small-town Nebraska, Hoppner said.

A significant portion of residents in rural areas are older Nebraskans who are largely dependent on Medicare and Medicaid for hospital and nursing home care, he said.

"I don't think rural folks yet understand that this 'reform' is designed to cripple the Medicaid program," Hoppner said.

If Fortenberry supports a health care plan that differs from the House bill that he helped pass with his vote, he should tell his constituents "what he supports and what he does not support," Hoppner said.

"He needs to say here's my health care plan that will assure the availability of health care in rural Nebraska," Hoppner said.

It's cowardly not to do so, he said.

The nation is approaching a moment in the near future when "the requirement for courage in Congress will be at the highest level in my lifetime," Hoppner said.

"There's going to be more courage required in the next two or three years than there was during Watergate."

Health care is "the big one" in terms of legislative policy, but other developments in Washington are leading toward tough decisions ahead, Hoppner said.

Responding to Hoppner's remarks, Fortenberry issued a statement explaining his vote.

"Nebraskans may not even have access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act by June," he said. "To not prepare  to not act  would be reckless.

"In addition," the congressman said, "I am fighting right now against states like New York and New Jersey from draining the fair allotment of Medicaid funds to Nebraska and our rural communities."
WHITECLAY  The saga of this century-old source of alcohol isn't over, even if beer sales here never resume.

State lawmakers, nonprofit groups and Native and non-Native entrepreneurs gathered over the weekend to discuss transforming Whiteclay, once dubbed "skid row on the prairie," into a corridor of new services and businesses just down the road from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Ideas included a detox-and-rehabilitation center, a "maker" space established with help from Nebraska Innovation Campus, a YMCA, a sporting goods store, even a public park with a memorial acknowledging Whiteclay's 113-year legacy of serving alcohol to Oglala Lakota people from their dry reservation to the north.

"Going forward, as a Lakota business owner, I see a lot of great things that can happen here," said Sam O'Rourke, who owns property in Whiteclay. "Right now my wheels are turning on what am I going to do."

Transformation here has already begun.

Whiteclay's four beer-only liquor stores closed indefinitely three weeks ago, and the state Department of Health and Human Services recently paid to level a pair of eyesore buildings that once bookended this unincorporated village in northwest Nebraska.

Since then, vagrants who roamed the streets here have nearly vanished. Some have even sobered up, said Bryan Brewer, a former tribal president who fought to close the beer stores.

"God has really transformed Whiteclay," said Norma Blacksmith, an Oglala tribal elder who serves on the board of Whiteclay's Lakota Hope ministry.

And while Pine Ridge drinkers can find other sources of booze, there is little evidence that closing Whiteclay beer stores has led to outbreaks of crime or drunken driving in surrounding communities.

An appeal of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission's order to close the stores could be decided by the Nebraska Supreme Court as soon as next month.

Even if the Liquor Commission's ruling is reversed, state officials have hinted that criminal charges for alleged bootlegging and other issues could await the beer store owners if they reopen.

No criminal charges have been filed, but bootlegging is among the allegations in a separate regulatory case against the beer stores that was filed by the Nebraska Attorney General's Office before the stores were shut down.

None of the store owners attended this weekend's meetings, which took place Friday and Saturday and were hosted by members of the Legislature's newly formed Whiteclay task force.

About 40 people attended the Friday evening session, held in a back room at the 555 Building. The former bowling alley, which stood vacant for years, is now being renovated to serve as a thrift store, business-incubator space and headquarters for a Christian ministry called Serve Ventures.

Serve Ventures CEO Paul Bertelson of Minneapolis says he hopes to have the space reopened this fall.

A related group called Whiteclay Redo, launched by Lakota Hope minister Bruce BonFleur, is actively seeking investors for projects in the area.

"Whiteclay could be a gold mine," BonFleur said.

Sens. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln and Tom Brewer of Gordon, leaders of the legislative task force, celebrated the apparent progress.

"We may never have another opportunity to have so many positive things in one place at one time," Brewer said.

Others, such as Winnebago activist Frank LaMere and former Oglala Tribal President Bryan Brewer, warned the group not to forget Whiteclay's history.

The memorial was Bryan Brewer's idea. He suggested that it contain an apology from Nebraska to the Lakota people:

"We were wrong. We are sorry for what we did. We are sorry for destroying a nation."
FIRTH  Visitors at Camp Solaris can face a new obstacle that will require them to navigate through a course suspended 30 feet in the air.

Located south of Firth in Gage County, the camp is celebrating the completion of its new aerial park, the first of its kind for the state, according to program directors Kyle and Lauren Schwerdtfeger.

Part of it is we were looking for something that is new out here and a fun activity thats a little adventurous, something geared toward kids that are older, Kyle Schwerdtfeger said. Our heart behind it is that its something that gets kids out of their comfort zone, which can lead to powerful conversations and powerful things to where they maybe discover theyre brave enough to do something like this and face their fears.

Faith-based organization Camp Sonshine operates two area camps  Camp Solaris and a Roca location.

Camp Solaris is an overnight camp for children in third through ninth grades. Camp sessions last from Sunday to Friday, with openings available throughout the summer.

The camp offers a variety of outdoor activities, including the aerial park, which Kyle Schwerdtfeger said takes every safety precaution.

There's the Smart Snap system, an interlocking device that hooks on one side of a person and doesn't allow the person to unlocked themselves until they're locked in on the other side, he said.

Youre always connected to the course. It virtually eliminates the human error of it," he said.

The course begins with a 30-foot climb up a ladder and ends with a zipline ride to the bottom on the other side.

What guests do in between is up to them, with a variety of ways to make your way from one side to the other.

The participants can go up and choose their own adventure up there, Lauren Schwerdtfeger said. If they see one they want to avoid, they dont have to try that one yet. You can just work your way around the circle or through the middle, however you want to go.

We always tell people its a challenge by choice. Were not going to make them go up, but when they do go up they get to challenge themselves at their own pace.

Adults tend to be more apprehensive about the course than children, she said  those as young as 6 have gone through the course. The aerial park is regularly inspected and equipment that's been used is inspected daily.

Its kind of across the board and has been mostly positive, Kyle Schwerdtfeger said. Theres been a few kids that were apprehensive at first. Its one of those things where you build up to it and once they get up there they realize its like a playground in the air.

In addition to being available for campers, the aerial park is available for group outings such as reunions, team activities and religions retreats.

For more information about the camp and how to enroll, visit campsonshinememories.org.
A Nebraska judge Friday sentenced an Arizona man to three years in federal prison for 240.5 pounds of marijuana found in his SUV in a stop near McCook last year.

Christopher I. Carrillo, 33, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

On April 20, 2016, a Nebraska State Patrol trooper pulled him over in an eastbound 2007 Saturn Outlook for passing a semi in a no-passing zone on U.S. 6 west of Culbertson.

In a news release at the time, the State Patrol said a Red Willow County sheriff's dog taken to the scene alerted officers to the odor of drugs, and a search turned up the pot inside two duffel bags.

U.S. District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Carrillo on Friday to the prison term, plus three years of supervised release.
CALEDONIA  A 39-year-old Caledonia man is facing charges after he reportedly refused to pull over when police attempted to initiate a traffic stop and, once he did, police found a firearm and knife in his possession.

Ryan N. Hook of the 1900 block of Four Mile Road is facing misdemeanor charges of possession of a firearm while intoxicated, disorderly conduct and failure to obey traffic officer or signal.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Sunday, an officer saw a vehicle traveling north on Douglas Avenue pass a vehicle on the right using the right-turn only lane, then use the roads shoulder to pass vehicles north of Five Mile Road.

The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver, later identified as Hook, reportedly failed to pull over and only slowed down after swerving as Hook reached into the backseat of his vehicle. Hook drove past vehicles that were slowing down and eventually pulled over and stopped in the 6900 block of Douglas Avenue.

As police approached, the vehicles front window was down and Hook was reportedly reaching into his backseat, prompting officers to tell him to keep his hands outside the car window.

Hook was removed from the vehicle, officers saw a holster on his belt and Hook admitted he had a firearm. A pocket knife was allegedly found in his front right pocket and a semiautomatic firearm was found on the backseat behind his passenger seat. Hook reportedly failed field sobriety tests and was transported to a hospital, given a blood draw and cited with his first OWI.

Hook is scheduled for a pre-trial conference June 29 at the county Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. He remained in custody as of early Monday night at the County Jail, online records indicated.
SALEM LAKES  The van operator killed in a school bus-van crash Friday morning in the village, formerly the Town of Salem, has been identified.

Peter Thomas Marsalek, 21, of Antioch, Ill., was killed in a crash in the 24500 block of Wilmot Road (Highway C), according to a Kenosha County Sheriffs Department news release.

A preliminary investigation determined a westbound Dousman Transport bus, which was transporting students to Westosha Central High School, stopped and picked up a student just after 7 a.m., officials said.

After the student sat down, a white 2014 Ford E250 Econoline van driven by Marsalek reportedly struck the rear of the bus.

Marsalek was pronounced dead at the scene by the Kenosha County Medical Examiners Office. The incident also left three students with minor injuries.

There is no indication of alcohol being a factor in the accident. The crash is still being investigated.
On May 12, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions signaled his clear intent to bring back the war on drugs, with a directive to federal prosecutors to seek severe sentences for drug-possession offenses, including the restoration of mandatory minimums in sentencing.

Its a terrible idea.

In practice, the use of such a policy in the 1980s and 1990s led to long sentences for minority defendants and the packing of U.S. prisons, putting our nation on course for the dubious achievement of having 4.4 percent of the worlds population but 22 percent of the worlds prison population.

In a two-page memo to federal prosecutors across the country, Sessions overturned former attorney general Eric H. Holders sweeping criminal charging policy that instructed his prosecutors to avoid charging certain defendants with offenses that would trigger long mandatory minimum sentences, the Washington Post reported. In its place, Sessions told his more than 5,000 assistant U.S. attorneys to charge defendants with the most serious crimes, carrying the toughest penalties.

If you are a drug trafficker, we will not look the other way, we will not be willfully blind to your misconduct, Sessions said.

Fair enough. We dont dispute that drug abuse is a scourge on our society, and we remain in favor of incarceration for drug traffickers. But when the directive from Washington is to embrace mandatory minimums and seek the most serious charges, are prosecutors more likely or less likely to find ways within the law to take arrests for drug possession and turn them into drug trafficking charges?

We agree with the bipartisan negative response  from civil-rights leaders, Republican lawmakers and the libertarian-billionaire Koch brothers  to Sessions directive. It is a step backward.

An attitudinal shift on the Republican side of the aisle has been instrumental in the change in American drug policies. Once the most fervent supporters of tough-on-drugs policies, the GOP has come to see the wisdom in treating drug use as an addiction issue instead of a criminal issue.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., strongly opposed the Department of Justice directive, which reverses an Obama-era policy that prescribed leniency for nonviolent, low-level drug offenders.

We should treat our nations drug epidemic as a health crisis and less as a lock em up and throw away the key problem, Paul said in a statement released shortly after Sessions announcement.

Former U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey, who was the top federal prosecutor for the eastern half of Kentucky, told the Associated Press he was concerned that a multifaceted approach emphasizing prevention and treatment was being abandoned by President Donald Trumps administration.

There was a real momentum for a time, and I think its safe to say its dead now, toward a broader criminal justice reform effort, and that was a bipartisan effort, Harvey said. He said the Obama administration embraced that philosophy and many conservative lawmakers, such as Sen. Paul, were also on board.

In terms of the drug problem, my philosophy was pretty simple: For people who were addicts, thats an illness, and addicts needed treatment beds, and professional drug dealers needed prison beds, Harvey said.

Here in Wisconsin, Republican Gov. Scott Walker, whose conservative credentials have never been in question, in January issued executive orders aimed at implementing recommendations from a report on the states opioid crisis. In late March, the Legislatures Joint Finance Committee issued a package of bills where the emphasis was on treatment and diversion, giving nonviolent drug offenders a treatment option, and funding to train physicians who would specialize in dealing with addiction.

If we get this right, we can get those men and women back in the workforce, Walker said in a Jan. 5 speech. As we wrote in January, hes not wrong about that. Helping addicts fight and master their addiction will get them back on their feet, and back to work. Wed much rather have someone able to contribute to Wisconsins economy than in need of governmental assistance.

Republican legislators are offering proof that you can remain opposed to recreational drug use and see the wisdom in favoring treatment over imprisonment.

According to a 2012 study by the Vera Institute of Justice, the average per-inmate cost in state prisons was $31,286 in fiscal year 2010. The 40 states surveyed spent $39 billion on maintaining their prisons in 2010. At $31,286 per prisoner per year  thats our money being spent, needless to say  do we really want to go back to policies which look at a teenager smoking marijuana and say lock em up and throw away the key? Wouldnt our money be better spent, as Gov. Walker put it, getting these men and women back in the workforce?

Weve already found a more effective use of taxpayer dollars when it comes to drug users. Its a bed in a treatment facility, not a bed behind bars. We urge Attorney General Sessions to not swim against this tide.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Local AT&T workers joined a nationwide strike over the weekend, pushing for better compensation and less outsourcing.

Seventeen workers at the Mount Pleasant store, 5502 Washington Ave., joined about 40,000 workers nationwide who began a planned three-day strike at 2 p.m. local time Friday. The employees, part of the Communications Workers of America union, expected to return to work as usual Monday.

Workers in Mount Pleasant were upset over the cost of health benefits, a shrinking amount of sick time and cost-of-living increases, outsourcing of jobs and other issues. An AT&T spokesman, meanwhile, called the strike baffling, saying employees will be better off financially with the terms AT&T is offering.

Employees frustrated

Workers holding signs and demonstrating at the intersection of Highways 20 and 31 said they have grown frustrated, feeling as if they have not shared in AT&Ts success.

Its a fairness thing, said Robert Salgado, 21. The company keeps growing year by year and were getting less and less as employees, so that doesnt really add up.

In a news release Friday, national union leaders said AT&T failed to present serious proposals that invest in good jobs with a future.

They demanded the company address wage increases to cover rising health care costs, protect jobs against outsourcing and called for a fair scheduling policy. They said retail workers take-home pay has plummeted after AT&T changed its commission plan.

A spokesman for AT&T said the company is offering generous terms, including annual wage and benefit increases and comprehensive health care benefits similar to what other employees have ratified in other contracts. The strike involved less than 14 percent of AT&T employees.

Were confident employees will be better off financially in their new contracts, AT&T spokesman Marty Richter said in an email.

Richter likened AT&T to a family, saying: Like any family, we have our disagreements, but well sort them out. The company has reached 29 agreements covering more than 128,000 employees since 2015, he said.

Mark Valdez, 33, of Racine, also compared the company to a family. Employees dont want to see anyone in the family suffer or be undermined, he said.

Were not going to take anything less than what we feel we deserve, Valdez said.

While employees were on strike, the Mount Pleasant store remained open. Managers from Kenosha and Milwaukee filled in at Mount Pleasant, given its busy location, employees said. But a store in Kenosha and three stores in Milwaukee closed during the strike, they said.
BURLINGTON  For the first time in many years, the Miss Burlington Area ChocolateFest Pageant will not take place at ChocolateFest.

The pageant, which has been running for more than 30 years, has been canceled this year due to lack of contestants, according to Sue Johnson, pageant director.

Johnson, who has been involved with the contest since its start, said it has been difficult in the last few years to find enough young women interested in participating in the local pageant, which exists within the Miss America pageant system. Winners of Miss Burlington Area ChocolateFest go on to compete in the Miss Wisconsin Scholarship Pageant the following year and, from there, may be eligible to compete for the title of Miss America.

Miss America system rules require that the local pageant have four contestants, Johnson said: Three times, Ive had five contestants, only to have two or three of them drop out.

Contestants reasons for dropping out have included not having enough time and not being able to get time off from work, she said.

Johnson also announced that she is stepping down from her position as pageant director, which she has held for 28 years.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the young women, watching them mature into beautiful women, she said, adding that she has also enjoyed working with ChocolateFest representatives Bil Scherrer and Bob Prailes.

Johnson said she still plans to take the pageants current representative, Haylee Bande, to the Miss Wisconsin Pageant in June. She said she is willing to work with whomever might take over the pageant director position, to allow for a smooth transition for next years local pageant.

Linda Fellenz, ChocolateFest marketing director, said she and other festival organizers are also hopeful that this is a temporary hiatus for the pageant and that it will be able to return to the festival next year.

This years ChocolateFest will be held May 26-29 at the festival grounds, 681 Maryland Ave., just off Highway 36.

More information about the local pageant, including eligibility requirements, is available at http://missburlingtonarea.weebly.com or www.facebook.com/MissBAC.
MILWAUKEE  Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who says hes been appointed an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, has denied he plagiarized content in his masters thesis on homeland security, while the Naval Postgraduate School confirmed Sunday that its reviewing the allegations.

The denial followed a CNN report Saturday saying Clarke, who built a following among conservatives with his provocative social media presence and strong support of President Donald Trump, failed to properly attribute his sources at least 47 times in his 2013 thesis, titled Making U.S. security and privacy rights compatible.

Clarke wrote in an email to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that only someone with a political agenda would say this is plagiarism.

The Department of Homeland Security hasnt confirmed Clarkes appointment as assistant secretary, which the tough-talking, cowboy hat-wearing sheriff announced Wednesday during an appearance on a Wisconsin radio talk show. Clarke said he would act as a liaison between DHS Secretary John Kelly and state and local government officials, including mayors and law enforcement, as well as people in the private sector.

The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, removed his thesis from its online archive on Friday, Lt. Cmdr. Clint Phillips, a school spokesman, told The Associated Press on Sunday.

The CNN report said Clarke lifted language from several sources, and footnoted those sources, but did not use quotation marks to show he had used passages verbatim, despite school guidelines saying that material quoted word-for-word must be set off with quotation marks, or presented as indented text for longer passages, and be followed with a proper citation.

Clarkes thesis was replaced on the schools online archive with a message saying, This item was removed from view at the discretion of the Naval Postgraduate School. The message directed viewers to the archives policies page, which listed several potential reasons for taking an item down, including not meeting the Schools guidelines for plagiarism, research methodology or integrity of research.

A Sheriffs Department spokeswoman, Fran McLaughlin, told the newspaper that Clarke followed the schools system for writing papers and that the CNN report was biased. She declined to provide additional information when asked by the AP on Sunday, saying in an email, The sheriff said to follow national media for his response to this smear.

Phillips said the Naval Postgraduate Schools standard operating procedure is to take down a thesis anytime questions are raised about its validity while the school conducts an internal academic review. He said that review will be very thorough, and declined to speculate on how long it will take or the potential consequences for Clarke.

I cant comment on the status of his degree or even on the status of the thesis at this point, he said.

The schools 2013 and 2017 honor codes define plagiarism as Submitting material that in part or whole is not ones own work without proper attribution. Plagiarism is further defined as the use, without giving reasonable and appropriate credit to or acknowledging the author or source, of another persons original work. ...

It was a time of turmoil for Clarke and the sheriffs office even before the job announcement and the plagiarism allegations. Seven workers at the county jail he oversees are at the center of a criminal investigation into the dehydration death last year of an inmate who prosecutors say was deprived of water as punishment.

The Milwaukee County prosecutors office is considering charges against those staffers, based on a jurys recommendation after a weeklong inquest. Clarke wasnt among the seven because prosecutors say he wasnt directly involved in the events leading up to the inmates death. But the death happened under his leadership, which his critics say was sufficient cause for Clarkes firing.
Madison Area Technical College will welcome hundreds of low-income students this fall in the inaugural class of a scholarship program that aims to give them the skills and money they need to succeed in higher education.

Officials at MATC, also known as Madison College, say they expect about 400 incoming freshmen will take part in the Scholars of Promise initiative, which gives those who meet academic and income criteria scholarships to cover the difference between the cost of tuition and what financial aid and the students family can provide.

Participants in the program, which officials announced last year, will also take part in weekly classes and be paired with on-campus mentors to help them learn how to navigate college life.

When more individuals are equipped with a college education, everybody benefits, MATC President Jack Daniels said in a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal. In keeping with Madison Colleges mission of providing open access to quality higher education, we stand committed to helping these individuals realize their full potential.

Most of the participating students are expected to receive enough financial aid or money from their parents to pay their tuition bills, though MATC officials say the students will benefit from the programs support services.

The college estimates 60 to 80 students will need scholarships  worth about $1,900 on average  to make up the rest of the cost of tuition and fees, said Keith Cornille, MATCs senior vice president for student development and success.

The colleges private foundation will pay for the scholarships; officials say funding for the program does not come from state or tuition dollars.

Scholars of Promise is similar to free-tuition initiatives states such as Tennessee and New York have rolled out to help students attend college.

Higher education affordability experts warn that those programs are not a silver bullet, however. Like others, MATCs program only helps pay the cost of tuition and fees  $4,784 for a full-time, in-state student this school year  meaning students are still on the hook for costs such as housing and textbooks, which the college estimates run about $14,000 per year.

Plans in works for mentoring, classes

MATC officials say 681 high school seniors from 50 high schools around the colleges district applied for the program.

To be accepted, they must have a 2.25 high school grade-point average or better, which they are required to maintain once theyre in college, and meet attendance standards. They also must fill out the federal Free Application for Student Aid and have an expected family contribution  the amount the government believes a students family can afford to provide for their education  of $3,000 or less.

Cornille said the college will accept all students who meet those criteria.

Starting with a two-week camp before the fall semester begins, participating students will take part in programs meant to ease the transition into college, which can be difficult for those from low-income families, said Javier Neira Salazar, who manages Scholars of Promise.

They feel excluded from college, or they dont really know the path to be successful at college, Neira Salazar said.

Those programs will continue through the school year with a weekly college success class, he said. MATC will also match students with faculty and staff members who know the school well and can point participants toward support resources if they need them.

As the scholarship program continues, college officials are planning to start their outreach efforts earlier, organizing financial aid workshops at area high schools where students can get help filling out the FAFSA and other forms.
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Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
Dairy farming much better than foreign employment

Seven years ago, Bishnu Karki of Bastari left Nepal in hopes of a better future and went to Qatar. Once he arrived in Qatar, things were not so rosy. The pay was menial and the working conditions hard. He left Qatar disappointed after just two years and started a cattle business instead. The rest as they say is history.
Elderly couple murdered in cold blood

An elderly couple was murdered in a cold blood in Chhatrabas Tole of Dhangadhi Sub-metropolis-7 on Sunday night.
Final preps to increase local units in Tarai

The government is making final preparations to increase the number of local federal units in 19 Tarai districts.
Local level elections: Victory rally (in photos)

Supporters of Nepali Congress raise the party flags to honour a winning candidate at the City Hall entrance.
Mt Everest claims 4th victim this year

Mt Everest has claimed its fourth victim in 22 days after two mountaineersan American and a Slovakiandied near the summit of the worlds tallest peak on Sunday.
Mt Everest's famous Hillary Step destroyed, reports BBC

The famous feature of Mount Everest, a near-vertical 12m (39ft) rocky outcrop, known as the Hillary Step has collapsed, reported BBC quoting mountaineers in the region.
No attack on judiciary, govt tells UN body

Defending the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki, the government has written to the Geneva based UN human rights body that the move was constitutional.
Palpas love affair with maize and self-reliance

With majority of the cultivatable land in the district being used for maize plantation, Palpa district has become self-reliant in maize seed.
Sebon bars Pragyan for insider trading

The Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon), the securities market regulator, has barred Pragyan Securities from stock trading, effective Monday after the brokerage was found leaking confidential information to its clients.
Turn confusion into clarity

If all goes well, Prime Minister Dahal will soon start to clear the way for Deuba to head the government, now that the first phase of local elections is over.
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

View Results
By Ruth Anderah

A suspect who says police offered him shs1 billion to pin Security Minister Henry Tumukunde in the Kaweesi murder case has dragged the Attorney General to Court over alleged torture.

Godfrey Musisi Galabuzi and four others are among the many suspects so far arrested in connection with the murder of former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi.

They have dragged the Attorney General to the High Court over alleged torture by police personnel during their detention at Nalufenya police station in Jinja district.

Galabuzi claims that on the morning of 23rd March 2017 police from the Anti-Terrorism Unit commanded by Johnson Olal invaded his home and arrested him, his wife Grace Nankya and three of his workers and drove them to Nalufenya police cells.

The suspects claim they were promised huge sums of money, beaten up and asked to confess that they murdered Kaweesi.

They also claim they were sprayed with toxic gas which suffocated them and has since affected their sight.

Galabuzi says they spent 30 days in police custody at Nalufenya and that he was approached by one of the interrogators who promised him one billion shillings and freedom if he testified against minister Tumukunde, as the one who procured assassins to murder Kaweesi and police chief General Kale Kayihura; a deal he rejected.

The group is represented by Human Rights Lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuzi.

Court has given Attorney General 15 days within which to file his defence before the case is fixed for hearing.
By Ivan Ssenabulya

President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of South Sudan to embrace unity for prosperity and development warning that the misuse of identity can paralyze and endanger their nation.

Speaking at the launch of South Sudans National dialogue and swearing in of the steering committee members in Juba today, Museveni blamed misuse of identity for the countrys political problems.

There are three problems; misuse of identity. This can paralyze and endanger any nation. Why insist on identity at the expense of other people. The issue of identity broke up Sudan, he said.

The President arrived in the South Sudan Capital Juba direct from Dar-es-Salaam where he assumed the EAC chairmanship, to attend the ceremony at the invitation of President Salva Kiir.

He said he was in Juba to lend his support to the effort to promote dialogue for peace.

A 94-member steering committee for national dialogue was sworn in to start the work of bringing harmony and peace to the people of South Sudan.

The committee comprises of distinguished members of society including Mrs. Rebecca de Mabior widow to fallen leader of South Sudan H.E Garang De Mabior.
By Ritah Kemigisa

The World Bank has confirmed that it has reinstated Ugandas access to new lending.

The revelation has been made by the World Bank Country Manager Christina Malmberg while addressing a joint news conference with the Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi.

She says the decision follows progress that has been witnessed in terms of management of portfolio of active World Bank projects.

In August last year, The World Bank Group took a decision to withhold new lending to Uganda citing delays in project implementation, lack of effectiveness, weaknesses in safeguards, monitoring and enforcement and low disbursement.

The World Bank Groups portfolio in Uganda is worth close to 3billion US dollars in credit, grants and guarantees covering national and regional operations.
ALBION  Thanks to new legislation, Albion may be getting a telepharmacy after all.

The Pill Box Pharmacy in Warsaw, which is owned by Greg Winn, had expressed interest in opening a telepharmacy in town. On April 11, 2016, the Indiana Pharmacy Board denied the Pill Boxs request to start a pilot program.

The Indiana Pharmacy Board had never approved a telepharmacy, and it decided it didnt want to set a precedent without having any real criteria to work with, according to Albion Town Councilman John Morr. Board members suggested that legislation was needed.

In a telepharmacy setup, the Albion pharmacy would be supervised by a pharmacist in another location via video monitor. By having one licensed pharmacist supervising multiple locations, the operation is not nearly as costly and can be financially feasible for such rural outlets.

Customers would drop prescriptions off at the Albion location and pick them up there. They would be filled by a pharmacy technician under the video supervision of a pharmacist.

Morr and Winn took their case to state Rep. David Ober, R-Albion.

Ober ran with it, eventually becoming a co-sponsor of the legislation, which defines patient care, remote dispensing facilities and telepharmacy for purposes of the laws concerning remote dispensing facilities. Establishes a registration for pharmacy remote dispensing facilities and sets forth requirements for the registration.

The measure passed the House 87-11 on April 21. The Senate passed its own version of the legislation 37-12 that same day.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law on April 26.

Winn met recently with Morr and Albion Town Manager Stefen Wynn. The three toured the town, investigating prospective sites.

Hes super excited about it, Morr said of Winn. Albion is his No. 1 choice.

Its something Albion really needs, Morr said. Its a need the residents have that we can fulfill.

The pharmacy still would require Indiana Pharmacy Board approval.

Morr was amazed the legislation passed through the Statehouse in its first year.

He was disappointed when the board said no and thought grinding the bill through would take a long time.

I thought, Great, thats going to take two to five years to get done, Morr said.

Morr said without the telepharmacy legislation, it would have been highly unlikely that a regular pharmacy would have come to Albion.
The Jackson County Aging Office will offer the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program to income-eligible seniors again this year.

If you are a citizen 60 years or older (55 if Native American) with an annual household income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, you may apply and receive a $25 voucher packet to purchase locally-grown produce at certified farmers markets and food stands. The following table describes eligible households:

*For each additional household member, add $645 monthly, $7,733 annually.

The distribution of vouchers will be as follows:

June 2, 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Lincolnwood Apartments in Black River Falls

June 5, 34:30 p.m. at the Friends Sharing Food Shelf in Black River Falls

June 9, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the River Grove Apartments in Black River Falls

June 13, 1-2 p.m. at the Center Circle Apartments in Merrillan

June 28, 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Taylor Food Pantry in Taylor

This is a first come, first serve program for which Jackson County qualified to receive 94 packets for distribution.

No voucher packets will be distributed prior to June 1 in Jackson County.

After June 28, eligible seniors may contact the Jackson County elder benefit specialist, Pam Johnson, at 715-284-4301, extension 377 to check on the availability of voucher packets.

Redemption of vouchers can be done at certified Jackson County farmers markets and stands. Markets or stands can be added upon application and training. SFMNP vouchers can also be redeemed at any certified Wisconsin Farmers Markets and farm stand throughout the state.

For more information about the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program contact Pam Johnson, Jackson County elder benefit specialist at 715-284-4301 or 1-877-498-6448.
The state level Wisconsin Music Teachers Association Badger Competition was held for the northwestern part of the state on May 20 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The following La Crosse-area students received awards:

Ricky Cheng, 10th-grade piano winner (student of Pam Kelly).

Alvin Hsieh, eighth-grade piano winner; and Benjamin Hsieh, fifth-grade piano runner-up (students of Mark Tollefsen).

Eleanor Westedt, ninth-grade piano runner-up (student of Jane Baldridge).

Calvin Daniels, 10th-grade piano honorable mention; Emily Welton, seventh-grade piano honorable mention; and Ashlyn Scherger, fifth-grade piano honorable mention (students of Vanessa Mills).

Rachel Schoenecker, winner intermediate voice; and Elliot de Boer and Ava Shively, both honorable mention for intermediate voice (students of Kim Shively).

The following piano students from Reed Music Studios received awards:

Lawson Ebbert, seventh-grade honorable mention; and Alia Ebbert, ninth-grade honorable mention (students of Lisa Freedlund).

Daniel Del-Carpio, eight-grade honorable mention; Kelechi Nduka, sixth-grade honorable mention; Bridget Kearns, fifth-grade honorable mention; and Abi Koch, seventh-grade runner-up (students of Judy Stafslien).

Andre de la Rosa, fourth-grade winner; and Vikram Ailiani, eighth-grade honorable mention (students of Rita Schuman).

Ben Smith, 11th-12th-grade winner, Natailie Halderson; ninth-grade honorable mention; Lucas Go, fifth-grade winner; Nathan Olson and Allie Schlicht, both sixth-grade honorable mention; and Victor Spaeth, eight-grade runner-up (students of David Reedy).
The Mount Horeb School District put a high school teacher on paid leave Friday and informed local police and state Child Protective Services after some people complained she allowed students to be shown an award-winning documentary about the representation of women in the media that included nude and graphic images some might find offensive.

By late Monday, however, the teacher, Beth Maglio, had been cleared to return to class Tuesday with the understanding we are moving forward with a renewed sensitivity to those we serve, according to a statement sent to families by district superintendent Steve Salerno.

Salerno also said some changes would be made to procedures for the Social Problems class, including giving parents and students the chance to decide if students wish to participate in all parts of the course curriculum. Students who decide to skip any parts will be given alternative assignments and will be free from retaliation for doing so, Salerno said.

Salerno also said there has been earlier complaints about coarse language routinely used in the class.

In a letter to parents Friday, Salerno had called the goal of the video lesson absolutely appropriate for the course, which he said revolved around a demonstration of gender inequalities and maltreatment of women.

But he said district officials must investigate the method by which the lesson has allegedly been taught, adding in a follow-up letter Sunday that a substitute teacher had played the video using the provided lesson plan. That raised questions about the substitutes ability to properly lead the discussion that followed, Salerno wrote.

Our staff enjoy a high level of support from our students and the community, Salerno wrote. But when allegations of this nature arise, we must carefully vet them for accuracy and ensure the due process rights of all involved.

A teaching tool

Social Problems is a topical, issue-oriented class, according to the school website.

Maglio could not be reached for comment Monday. But her lawyer, Lester Pines, told the State Journal that the documentary is a very good teaching tool, rated as acceptable for anyone 14 years old or older. It uses readily available images from television shows, commercials, music videos and other sources to make points about the deleterious effect those media portrayals have on the ability of women to function in society without being viewed in sex-stereotypical fashion, he said.

The images in the documentary are all from public sources and none of the images are from pornography sites, Pines added. Thats the whole point of students seeing these images and hearing these prominent women (interviewed in the film) talking about the issues raised by those kinds of images. Its very powerful.

The film is Miss Representation, a 2011 documentary that explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the medias limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman. Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and received a Women Film Critics Circle Award in 2011.

In a statement Monday, Siebel Newsom said she was shocked that a high school teacher would be investigated for showing and discussing the film.

The film exposes how mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women and girls in positions of power and influence, she said, adding the teacher was right to turn the lens on harmful gender norms in media and have an open discussion encouraging media literacy.

In a Facebook post Sunday, parent Melissa Austin backed Maglio and urged other parents to watch the film. On Monday, she told the State Journal she is arranging for a public screening of it at the Mount Horeb Public Library.

Its about empowering women, Austin wrote. Its important. Especially for high school students.

A chilling effect

Austin also said she believed the classroom was the safest place to discuss such a sensitive topic, maintaining that the district calling police and Child Protective Services is definitely putting a chilling effect on the freedom and openness that kids may feel to discuss those kinds of issues. Salerno on Monday said state law and School Board policy required CPS to be notified, and that CPS directed the district to also speak with police. The Dane County District Attorneys Office declined to move forward with any alleged violations of state law, he said.

About 75 students at the high school had planned to walk out of school Monday, Austin said. But they opted to hold a protest before school instead after Salerno urged patience and cautioned that there are consequences for everything, including actions that have yet to be taken.

It is unfair to everyone involved ... for anyone to reach conclusions before all of the pieces of the puzzle have been collected, Salerno told parents. This would include anyones attempts to take precipitous action which pulls us away from gathering the facts.

Salerno could not be reached for comment Monday.

In his second letter, Salerno said those who complained about the film objected to what he described as graphic images depicting women being subjected to humiliating and forced-sexual scenarios. The critics, who were not identified, expressed support for the lessons objective, which was the preservation of dignity for all people, Salerno said, but questioned the teaching methods.

The absence of the regular teacher when the film was shown raised questions about whether the substitute was fully and appropriately equipped and prepared to debrief with students a topic that is so deserving of discussion, Salerno wrote, and whether it represented a missed opportunity to fully explore the question about how women and all people are portrayed in the media.

Salerno said Maglio was informed privately she was being put on leave pending a district investigation.

State law requires medical and school professionals to inform the agency if there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected, has been threatened with abuse or neglect or could face such harm.

In his first letter Friday, Salerno appeared to acknowledge that some students were upset about Maglios treatment.

Our high school students are very perceptive, he said. They understand when people we care about might be hurting. This appears to be the case now.

In a blog post Sunday, Skyler King, a 2014 Mount Horeb High School graduate who is now a junior at UW-Madison, said he took the Social Problems class from Maglio when he was a high school senior.

We discussed poverty, education, rape culture, abuse, bullying, and a plethora of other topics that were difficult to discuss and teach, but were important to expose, he wrote. Further, when I took it, the course required a parent permission slip be signed before the semester started, detailing the potential difficulty of the courses topics and its discussions.

Praise for Maglio

King said Maglio was an engaged teacher in the classroom and in the community, saying she pushes her students to work harder and achieve more because she believes they can; (and) actively works with students and community members to volunteer in the area.

Social issues also put a national spotlight on the school district in December 2015, when district leaders canceled a planned reading in a district elementary school of a book about a transgender girl.

The book, I Am Jazz, was given a public reading about a week later by its co-author Jessica Herthel at the Mount Horeb Public Library, in a community show of support that drew around 600.
President Mike Pence? The question is way ahead of where we are. Theres no solid reason to expect that President Donald Trump will leave office before his term is done, whether by resignation, impeachment or the untried mechanism of the 25th amendment.

But that hasnt stopped anyone from talking about it  from Republicans wistful for the days of a functional White House to Democrats trying to guess which unpalatable future would be worse for their battered party.

And the answer should be straightforward. Pence would be an improvement on grounds of simple competence. He would make the country safer. Under a President Pence, Americans would have less cause to fear that a blundering president might lead us into war with North Korea or Iran.

Progressives would find almost nothing to like in Pences domestic policies. Theres no sugarcoating that. He would be the most conservative president of modern times  easily more conservative than Trump, more even than Ronald Reagan, the rights patron saint.

His economic views are in line with orthodox Republicanism: lower taxes, smaller government, fewer regulations. Pences positions on social issues spring from Christian conservatism: Hes fiercely opposed to abortion, gay marriage and almost any expansion of rights for gays, lesbians and transgender people.

Despite all that, unlike the president, he has read the Constitution and understands its meaning. He would be less likely than Trump to try to pressure the FBI to drop an investigation, to take one example.

He has even defended freedom of the press. He was co-author of a bill to protect journalists from being compelled to identify their sources, and he founded a bipartisan press freedom caucus  along with, of all people, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Glendale, now one of the top congressional investigators pursuing Trump.

Hes a person of real integrity, said Rick Boucher, a former House member from Virginia who was the Democratic co-author of the bill to shield journalists. Hes very conservative, especially on social issues. But he does have respect on the other side of the aisle. Hes very serious about public policy, and willing to work with Democrats where theres common purpose.

(That doesnt mean Boucher is ready to endorse his old colleague for president. I was a strong Obama supporter, he said. I wont sleep easy until theres a Democrat in the White House.)

To be sure, Pence already has questions to answer about his short tenure as vice president.

After Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, Pence vigorously parroted the White Houses initial explanation that Comey was cashiered based on a recommendation from the Justice Department. That wasnt true  and Pence may have known it wasnt true at the time.

Pence has also maintained that he didnt know Trumps first national security advisor, Michael T. Flynn, was under investigation by the FBI when he was appointed. That denial may turn out to be true. Even though Pence was formally the chairman of Trumps transition, he wasnt in the president-elects inner circle when the initial staffing decisions were made. Theres plenty of evidence that even now, Trump aides spend much of their time hiding important facts from each other.

In any case, the FBIs investigation of Flynn is likely to bring any discrepancies to light. (In which case: President Paul Ryan? Thats a matter for another column.)

As a matter of pure politics, its impossible to predict whether a President Pence could improve GOP prospects in the 2018 congressional election or win re-election himself in 2020.

But Pence represents a slice of his own party, the social conservative right, which has never won a presidential nomination, let alone a general election. (George W. Bush ran with their support, as did Mitt Romney, but neither was as rooted among social conservatives as Pence.) Hed have a lot of work to expand his appeal beyond the GOP base, to attract independent Trump loyalists who might blame him for their mans downfall, or spurn him as the kind of establishment politician they abhor.

And, if he were to become president, hed come under immediate pressure from those Trump loyalists to pardon his predecessor for any crimes committed in office or during the campaign. The last time that happened, when Gerald Ford pardoned Richard M. Nixon in 1974, it left the new president vulnerable to a Democratic challenger.

Its tempting, of course, for partisan Democrats to say: Let Republicans continue to struggle in the mess Trump makes. Why give them a chance to right their ship? The worse the better.

But that ignores the risks that would come from allowing Trump to continue exercising the powers of the presidency in both law enforcement and foreign policy. For the next three years, given the limited alternatives, Id opt for President Pence  the sooner the better.
If anyone ever needed a conversion experience  and fast  it is President Donald Trump. The issue here is not switching religions. What he could use is an honest examination of his conscience, his attitude toward himself and others, and his approach to what it means to be a leader.

Even to suggest such a possibility seems absurd, more an inspiration for a Saturday Night Live sketch than a serious prospect. Moving an incorrigible narcissist toward self-criticism is as likely as changing the course of a river or the trajectory of the Earths rotation around the Sun.

But some people believe in miracles. One of them is Pope Francis, with whom Trump will be meeting on Wednesday. Might this compassionate Jesuit who preaches a God of mercy and the power of humility abandon his diplomatic role to engage in a pastoral intervention with a man whose soul (like all of our souls) could use some saving?

Were unlikely to know if the pope even tries. Communiques on papal meetings with heads of state are usually opaque. At worst, the encounter may be blandly described as a full and frank exchange. The Vatican knows that a lot of American Catholics voted for Trump, and the Catholic Church hasnt survived all these centuries by ignoring realpolitik.

Those of us who are critics of the president are hoping for something more: a stern talking-to from a religious leader who stands passionately on the opposite side of Trump on so many questions.

Francis, after all, has explicitly condemned trickle-down economics as a system that has never been confirmed by the facts and expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power. Capitalism, as he sees it, tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits. He added that whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market.

The pope wrote an encyclical stating emphatically that a very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system, that things are now reaching a breaking point and that greenhouse gases are released mainly as a result of human activity. To protect the planet, Francis called for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption.

The president and the pope have already tangled on immigration. During the 2016 campaign, the Pope labeled Trumps Mexican wall not Christian, comments Trump called disgraceful. The contrast between the two men on immigrants and refugees could not be starker. We must make our immigrant brothers and sisters feel that they are citizens, that they are like us, children of God, Francis has said, pleading for compassion toward the stranger in our midst.

Its hard to imagine Francis remaining silent on these questions when he talks with Trump. But the pope also believes in our capacity to transform ourselves and in an Almighty willing to forgive our sins.

So he might well take on one of the toughest counseling jobs of his life by urging Trump to consider the value of thinking beyond the self.

Was the pope preparing for this moment in a surprise talk he filmed for the TED2017 conference late last month? Please, allow me to say it loud and clear, he declared. The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you dont, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.

There is a saying in Argentina, Francis continued. Power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach. You feel dizzy, you get drunk, you lose your balance, and you will end up hurting yourself and those around you. I hope Francis conveys something like that to our president. He could profit from it right now.

Trump enjoys mocking losers, so he might pay heed to Francis injunction that when the fortunate encounter those who are not, they should ask themselves, Why them and not me? Francis answer was different from the one Trump would likely give. I could have very well ended up among todays discarded people, the pope said.

Trump has recently been portrayed as being in a dark and sour mood, and the disclosures over the last few days could hardly have improved his disposition. This just might make him open to a pastor who teaches: We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.

Mr. President, what do you have to lose?
Q: Did someone predict the recent Wisconsin tornado?

A: We cannot yet forecast tornado occurrence with any accuracy. One problem is the small size of a tornado, which is a narrow column of strong winds that rotate around a center of low pressure.

Over the last 60 years, forecasts of the development of large-scale low-pressure systems, which often organize the ingredients needed to form a tornado, have steadily improved. Because of these advances, meteorologists are better able to predict those conditions a few days in advance, enabling forecasters to identify counties where there is a threat of severe weather sometimes as many as three days in advance. Two days in advance of the recent EF-2 tornado that hit southeastern Polk County, the National Weather Services Storm Prediction Centers convective outlook issued a slight-risk for the area.

For a thunderstorm to produce a tornado requires warm humid air near the surface with cold dry air above. These conditions make the atmosphere very unstable, in the sense that once air near the ground is forced upward, it ascends freely and quickly (like a helium balloon), cools as it expands and forms a storm. Severe thunderstorm conditions also include a layer of hot, dry air between the warm, humid air near the ground and the cool dry air aloft. This hot layer acts as a lid that allows the sun to further heat the warm, humid air  making the atmosphere even more unstable. In the central U.S., such air is created over the plateau of Mexico and sent northeastward over the Great Plains.

To form a tornado, the host thunderstorm must also rotate. This happens in a storm when wind at the ground is moving in a different direction and speed than the air above. The change in wind speed and direction with height is known as wind shear. Both wind shear and atmospheric instability are needed for tornado formation.

Recent advanced models have been able to simulate development of a tornado, a first step to better predictions. Advances in radar technologies have helped to identify storms that are producing a tornado, or about to produce one. Based on observations from such advanced technologies, the SPC issued a warning about one hour before the Polk County tornado, and about 10 minutes before the first sighting of a funnel cloud.
A group of history students at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are bringing a little-known part of Wisconsins past to light.

Theyve documented the lives of some freed slaves who were lead miners in the Driftless Area during the 1800s.

The students reviewed more than 100 primary manuscripts on file at UW-Plattevilles archive to learn more about the contribution of African-American lead miners in this region between 1827 and 1890.

Dozens of miners during this era were African-Americans. Some were free, but others were brought to the area as slaves, said UW-Platteville assistant professor of history Eugene Tesdahl. Wisconsins first territorial governor, Henry Dodge, was one of the slaveholders in the lead industry.

The students documented what became of the governors slaves he brought from Missouri.

Henry Dodge brought five individuals with him in 1827 to what would become Dodgeville  Toby, Tom, Lear, Jim and Joe, Tesdahl said. He said, Work with me at my lead smelter for two years, and Ill grant you your freedom.

Manumission papers the students reviewed from campus archives show Dodge actually freed them a dozen years later. They continued to work in lead mining and smelting into the 1850s as freed black laborers in Wisconsin.

The contributions of African-American miners gets short shrift in Wisconsin history texts, Tesdahl said, even while the state celebrates its mining tradition on its seal.

That rather pasty, white figure on the seal and flag could of well have had a dark face. These several dozen figures are part of that story, Tesdahl said.

These personal stories of African-American miners will be part of a permanent exhibit installed this summer at the Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums in Platteville. The group will present its findings at the Wisconsin Historical Societys Historic Preservation Conference on Oct. 20-21 in La Crosse.

Were not putting them in for political correctness. Were putting them in because they really lived, worked, retired and died a lead miner in Wisconsin, Tesdahl said.
Newspaper in Education (NIE) is a cooperative program between schools and their local newspaper to promote reading as a lifetime habit and to encourage informed citizens. The program is international in scope and is more than 75 years old in the United States. Newspapers in Your Classroom The newspaper is the most up-to-date textbook you can use to supplement your curriculum. Research over the past 50 years has shown that students who use newspapers as a regular part of their subjects have:

Increased awareness about their world

Improved attitude about their community and school

Increased interest in subject matter

Better achievement scores in core subject areas

Newspaper Use & State Standards Students gain knowledge and skills in many subject areas when using the newspaper. Some examples include:

Competency in writing for various purposes, audiences, and topics

Reading comprehension of printed material

Oral communication skills

Understanding of rights and responsibilities in a democratic society

Cooperation in decision-making

Computing to make estimates

Comparing mathematical and real-world objects

NIE Services for Teachers available to more than 100 area schools
Donald Trump has called the investigation surrounding possible collusion between his organization and Russia a "witch hunt." It's only a witch hunt if you haven't done anything wrong, which seems unlikely given the ever-changing stories coming out of the White House.
VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents.

Today we are talking about Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States. He took office in 1853 at age 48. At that time, he was the youngest person elected to the White House.

Pierce was known for being social  and for his good looks. But his personal life was full of tragedy, and he was not an effective chief executive.

Over time, he has come to be remembered as one of the countrys worst presidents.

Early life

Franklin Pierce was born in the northern state of New Hampshire. He was one of eight children.

He attended school regularly as a child, and he went on to Bowdoin College in Maine. There, he developed his skills as an excellent public speaker. He also became an able lawyer.

Pierces abilities carried him far. But his personal connections helped, too.

His father became the governor of New Hampshire. Shortly after, Pierce was elected to the state legislature. He soon became a member of the U.S. Congress  first as a member of the House of Representatives, and then as a senator.

Several important things happened in Pierces personal life during those years in Washington, DC. He married Jane Means Appleton. They soon had a son, but the child died after only three days. The couple went on to have two more boys.

In Washington, Franklin Pierce also developed friendships with many people from the South. They defended the right of states to permit slavery. Although he was from the North, Pierce came to share the opinions of his Southern friends. He grew to dislike anti-slavery activists, who were known as abolitionists.

As a politician, Pierce was a member of the Democratic Party and strongly supported the ideas of President Andrew Jackson. But politics did not appeal to his wife. She also did not like her husbands habit of drinking alcohol with his friends. Jane Pierce belonged to the temperance movement, which urged Americans to avoid the use of alcoholic drinks.

So Pierce resigned his job in the Senate and moved back to New Hampshire.

There, he stopped drinking alcohol and earned fame as a lawyer and public speaker. But tragedy struck again: his second son became sick and died. 



Fainting Frank

Pierce remained active in politics in New Hampshire. He helped the Democratic candidate for president at the time, James K. Polk, win votes in the state.

When Polk entered the White House, he gave Pierce a position as a general in the Mexican-American War.

Pierce did not earn the respect of his troops. In one battle, he passed out after he fell off his horse and crushed his leg. Some of his men, seeing what happened, fled the battlefield. Others called him Fainting Frank.

Although Pierce had his critics, he returned to New Hampshire as a leader in the states Democratic Party. Yet no one expected him to become president of the United States.

Pierces nomination came during the Democratic national convention in 1852. Party leaders could not agree on a candidate. They were split among the three top choices.

So the party turned to Pierce. They liked the fact that he was not well known or had taken any strong positions as a lawmaker. As a result, fewer people could object to him, they reasoned.

Pierce did very little during the election campaign. He did not need to. Many voters, especially in the South, did not like his opponent.

When the election was held, Pierce won easily.

But before he took office, another terrible thing happened. Franklin and Jane Pierce were traveling by train with their youngest son Benjamin, who was 11-years-old. The train went off the rails. Bennie was killed instantly in front of his parents.

Neither Franklin nor Jane Pierce ever really recovered. Jane believed their sons death was a punishment from God for her husband becoming president.

Presidency

As president, Pierce faced an extremely difficult situation. The countrys ongoing dispute about whether and where to permit slavery was becoming more intense. Under Pierce, the dispute centered on the areas of Kansas and Nebraska.

At the time, both areas were considered territories, not states. And each territory was above the line of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. That act, approved by lawmakers nearly 35 years before Pierce took office, banned slavery in northern areas, including what would become Kansas and Nebraska.

But pro-slavery settlers demanded that Kansas and Nebraska voters  a group comprised of white men  decide the issue for themselves. A majority of U.S. lawmakers agreed.

Under pressure, President Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854.

The measure was one of the most important in U.S. history. It overturned the Missouri Compromise and cancelled the ban on slavery. It incited years of intense of violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery activists. And it pushed a divided nation even further apart.

The troubles also showed Pierce to be an ineffective president. He could not ease the tensions over slavery, nor unite the country behind the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

And he delayed using his power to stop the violence in Kansas until it was far too late.

Finally, his sympathy for pro-slavery groups angered many in the North, including people in his own party.

The Democrats did not nominate him again at the next election.

Legacy

After four years as president, Pierce returned to New Hampshire. He rarely socialized and began drinking alcohol again.

After his wife died in 1863, Pierce seemed to disappear from public life. Americans heard little about him until his death in 1869.

But he lived to see the ultimate tragedy of the Civil War that he  like other presidents before him  had failed to prevent.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Quiz - America's Presidents: Franklin Pierce Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

regularly - adv. on a regular basis

habit - n. something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way

pass out - phrasal verb. to become unconscious or fall asleep

faint - v. to suddenly become unconscious

instantly - adv. immediately

ultimate - adj. greatest or most extreme
Careers in science are increasingly popular in North Korea as the government expands its nuclear and missile programs.

In the past, North Koreans who worked as scientists or engineers were paid very little. Science and technology careers were also not highly valued by the government.

But Radio Free Asia, or RFA, reports that has changed under the five-year-old rule of current leader Kim Jong Un. The government now offers many privileges to those studying nuclear and missile technology, according to sources inside the country.

As a result, North Koreans have shown a willingness to raise their children to become scientists, the sources said. People with university degrees in science and engineering are not required to complete military service like other citizens.

Apartment buildings for scientists and engineers were built in Pyongyang, said a person in North Hamgyong province. And the [Korean Workers Party] Central Committee decided to give preference to scientists for new apartment buildings under construction in every province.

The speaker asked not to be identified in the RFA report. RFA and VOA are each part of the U.S. government-supported Broadcasting Board of Governors.

Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Uns grandfather, ruled North Korea from 1948 until his death in 1994. The source said the former leader had urged parents to raise their children to become artists.

Kim Jong Uns father, Kim Jong Il, led the nation from 1994 to 2011. During his rule, many parents wanted children to become top officials of the ruling party, serve in the court system, or have a job with the ability to earn foreign money.

It was after the rule of Kim Il Sung that North Korea created special middle schools to develop scientists, the source said. But the government did not help students who went on to study science and engineering at universities.

Private tutors of musical instruments or dance were the ones who earned the most money until the Kim Jong Il era, said a person from Yanggang province. But now it is private tutors who teach math, physics, and science who are earning the most money. This person also refused to be identified in the RFA report.

The man said that when Kim Jong Un became the leader of North Korea, scientists began receiving better treatment, including increased food supplies. All parents now have an obsessive desire to raise their children to become scientists.

The treatment of scientists and engineers comes as North Korea has increased testing of missiles and nuclear devices over the past few years.

North Korea has said its goal is to develop a nuclear missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland. Most military experts say the country is currently not close to possessing such technology.

On Sunday, North Korea carried out its latest test of a medium-range rocket. The solid-fuel missile flew about 500 kilometers before landing in the sea east of the Korean Peninsula.

State news agency KCNA reported the test on Sunday confirmed the technical abilities of the new weapon system. It said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the launch a success. It also said he ordered the weapon system to be produced in large numbers and deployed.

Sundays test came one week after North Korea claimed it had successfully launched a new kind of medium long-range rocket. The North said the rocket was built to carry a large, heavy nuclear warhead.

Outside observers said the May 14 test showed an important increase in missile technology. They said the rocket flew higher and longer than any other missile tested by North Korea.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Sung-hui Moon reported this story for Radio Free Asias Korean Service. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English, with additional information from Agence France-Presse. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

privilege  n. right given to some people, but not others

source  n. someone or something that provides what is needed

preference  n. feeling or liking one thing over another

construction  n. process of building something

tutor  n. person who teaches others

obsessive  adj. thinking about something or someone too much

enthusiastic  adj. showing great excitement for something

self-reliant  adj. able to do things by yourself
State universities in California are planning to limit admission of undergraduate students from other states and from overseas.

The decision follows release of a report by the states auditor, Elaine Howle. She found qualified California residents were being denied admission to California state universities because of the acceptance of many non-state residents.

Under the new policy, enrollment of non-California residents will be limited to 18 percent at five University of California campuses. Those campuses are: Santa Barbara, Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside and Merced.

At the four other campuses, in Los Angeles (UCLA), Berkeley, Irvin and San Diego, the percentage of non-state residents is already above 18 percent. Those schools will not be permitted to go above their percentage of non-state residents admitted for the 2017-2018 school year.

The policy will take effect at the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

Emotional Debate at Board Meeting

There was emotional debate at Thursdays Board of Regents meeting as a majority of members voted to limit out-of-state residents.

Board member Hadi Makarechian was once an international student. He moved to California from Iran in the 1960s.

Makarechian told the board he fears the new limits will lead gifted international students to look elsewhere for college.

I know the in thing today is to build walls, but we are building a wall around the University of California by doing this, he said.

But University of California President Janet Napolitano said the new limit on out-of-state residents is a balanced decision.

Napolitano said the policy supports our pledge that non-resident students will be enrolled only in addition to, and never in place of, Californians. But it still provides opportunities for students from around the world, she said.

The state university system in California is one of the largest in the world. It serves about 210,000 undergraduate students. About 16.5 percent of them are from outside California.

About 10.9 percent of non-California undergraduates are international students. They come from about 100 countries.

There are financial reasons for the acceptance of so many non-state residents.California state universities receive about $61,000 a year from non-state residents, compared to about $34,000 per student for in-state students. That is a difference of about $27,000.

In March, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block told the board that extra tuition from non-state residents helped his university avoid cuts and add some courses, even as state education spending dropped.

But, as the Regents met last week, its members were mindful of another issue. The California state government had been holding up $18.5 million in aid to the states universities until the board moved to reduce non-state admissions.

Assemblyman Kevin McCarty had led the move to hold up the financing. He said lawmakers have been hearing from parents who say their children were being denied admission to state universities in favor of out-of-state students with lower academic scores.

Competition for admission at California universities is intense.

UCLA received 102,000 applications for the 2017 freshman class, the school reported. It is the first time that over 100,000 students asked to be admitted.

Last year, UCLA accepted about 17,500 for its 2016 freshman class, the school reported. Of that number, 10,406 were state residents, 4,614 were out-of-state residents and 2,454 were from outside the United States, the school reported.

Of the 17,500 accepted, 6,546 were enrolled at the Los Angeles university. About 25 percent were from outside California.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

And I'm Alice Bryant.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page.

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Words in This Story

qualified - adj. meeting all requirements for a position

enrollment - n. number of students enrolled at a school

campus - n. the area and buildings around a university

tuition - n. money that is paid to a school for the right to study there

academic - adj. of or relating to schools and education

pledge - n. a promise

opportunity - n. a chance to do or accomplish something
The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.
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Langham Hospitality Group announces this week three new milestones for the group's upper upscale brand, Cordis Hotels & Resorts. The group is opening its first Cordis hotel in mainland China, signed an agreement to manage Cordis, Hangzhou, and announced plans to re-brand its Auckland property, a landmark hotel in New Zealand, to become the flagship Cordis hotel in the Pacific.

"These three new additions to the Cordis Hotels & Resorts portfolio are exciting developments for the brand," says Robert Warman, chief executive officer of Langham Hospitality Group. "Asia Pacific is a great foundation for the group's pipeline, and we are confident that the Cordis brand will increase its presence in the major cities around the world within the next five years."

Cordis, Shanghai, Hongqiao

The group's first Cordis Hotel in mainland China opens its doors on 26 May 2017. Cordis, Shanghai, Hongqiao is the group's second hotel for the brand (after Cordis, Hong Kong,) and represents a new generation of hotels devoted to the guests' needs and well-being.

Located in close proximity to the National Exhibition and Convention Centre, the 396-room hotel is seamlessly connected to the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and Metro Lines 2 and 10 via underground and overhead access. The Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is only a 20 minutes' walk or a 5 minutes' drive from the hotel. For added convenience, travellers on selected airlines may also opt to check-in their luggage in a special lounge at the shopping mall that is linked to the hotel.

Cordis, Shanghai, Hongqiao is poised to host the city's major events, conference and special events with 1,600 square metres of dedicated event space which includes two pillar-less ballrooms which can accommodate 600 guests each. There are six other dedicated break-out rooms with natural light, which can host banquets, meetings, weddings and other smaller size events.

The hotel's four food and beverage outlets offer lively culinary experiences that reflect the Shanghainese cosmopolitan culture. C Market is a European and Pan-Asian inspired restaurant using fresh farm ingredients while Chinese restaurant Xi Wei showcases contemporary Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine. The 24-hour Lobby Lounge is the social centre of community where breakfast, light bites, bespoke afternoon tea and coffee are served throughout the day. Connection 12, the roof top bar adjacent to the swimming pool at the terrace provides the perfect ambience for social gatherings.

There is a 24-hour fitness studio and a spa where massage therapists combine traditional Chinese massage techniques and customized blended oils to restore balance and harmony.

Cordis, Hangzhou

Langham Hospitality Group has signed an agreement to manage Cordis, Hangzhou. The hotel will form an integral part of the complex comprising of new office buildings, an integrated shopping complex and residences developed by Hangzhou Baoli Kanghua Real Estate Company. Featuring 200 modern guestrooms and stunning suites, Cordis, Hangzhou will be nestled in the heart of the Future Technology City in Hangzhou. This hub will showcase high-tech and creative businesses, in which the Alibaba headquarters is situated. With a population of over nine million, Hangzhou is the fourth largest city in China and the capital of Zhejiang province in east China.

Says Warman, "This project will play a key role in growing the Cordis brand in China. Hangzhou's heightened popularity as an economic hub will stimulate tremendous demand for business travel in the long run. In addition, the Asian Games 2022 will be a catalyst in pushing Hangzhou's city development and further raising the city's profile."

Scheduled to open in 2019, Cordis, Hangzhou will have over 1,500 square metres of dedicated event space including 800-square-metre Grand Ballroom for conferences and special occasions. There will be a Chuan Body and Soul spa where treatments are based on traditional Chinese medicine, a well-equipped fitness centre and an indoor pool as part of the wellness experience. Dining experiences will include a Chinese restaurant, an all-day dining restaurant and a lobby lounge.

Cordis, Auckland

The Langham, Auckland, one of New Zealand's leading hotels, will be re-branded as Cordis, Auckland from 1 November 2017.

"The addition of Cordis, Auckland to our portfolio has special significance for the group as it will be the first Cordis hotel in the Pacific. Our plan is to introduce and grow the Cordis brand in this region, which is seeing increasing numbers of leisure and corporate travellers year on year," says Warman.

Following the recent renovation of the banquet venues and the hotel's Eight restaurant, the landmark Auckland hotel will undergo refurbishment from 11 July for all 411 rooms and suites, lobby lounge and the exclusive Club Lounge. The refurbishment will ensure the hotel continues to provide the best facilities for guests in the market. The facelift is scheduled to be completed by Feb 2018.

About Langham Hospitality Group

As the wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Eagle Holdings, Langham Hospitality Group encompasses a family of distinctive hotels under the Langham Hotels and Resorts, Cordis and Eaton brands with more than 30 projects currently either confirmed or in a developed stage of negotiation from Asia, Europe and North America to the Middle East. The Group takes its name from the legendary Langham in London which was widely recognized as Europe's first Grand Hotel. For 150 years, this flagship hotel has represented sophisticated and gracious hospitality, a philosophy that reflects elegance in design, innovation in hospitality, genuine service and captivation of the senses across all properties.
After more than three years of study and training in the Institute for Tourism Studies, Wen Tingxuan feels he is now a step closer to his dream of opening a Michelin-starred restaurant back in the Chinese mainland.

Thanks to almost four years in Macau, I now know how to pursue my dream in future, said Wen, a young man from Beijing, who has participated in the BA Culinary Arts Program of the Institute for Tourism Studies after graduation from a high school in Beijing.

Macau boasts over 30 five-star hotels, 68 restaurants recommended by Michelin Guide, plus diversified food styles from Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, among others.

The program [the BA Culinary Arts Program] has an international faculty, and besides all the high level training I received here, I now can speak fluent Cantonese and English, he said.

Wen just finished his half-year internship in a kitchen of a local five-star hotel and he looks really like a chef now.

He has got used to the life here, getting along well with his classmates, exchanging jokes in local dialect, and from time to time going out to try well-known snacks sold in small stands.

Macau is a part of China and it is very easy for me to get used to its local culture and tradition. In addition, I can find rich cultural elements from outside the Chinese society, such as Portuguese traditions and food, or yummy snacks from Southeast Asia, which give me inspiration on my culinary study, he said.

In his last year in the institute, Wen plans to apply for postgraduate program abroad, for the experience of study and internship in Macau have showed him a larger world to explore and pursue his dream.

My dream is to open a Michelin-starred restaurant back home, but I know it is too early right now. Thanks to the four years in Macau, I now know how to pursue my dream in the future, Wen said.

Abdul Basit Qureshi, a Pakistani student, has been in the same program as Wen for almost one year. Unlike Wen, this young man had faced more challenges in his freshman year, such as food tradition, dress code, and especially the food material and ingredients in the class.

And thanks to the efforts of the teachers and classmates, he smoothly passed the period of culture shock.

They have provided me with Halal ingredients to cook and eat, which is an extraordinary help for me, he said.

Abdul has now also got used to his life in Macau, and his study is well recognized by his classmates. In a charity activity organized by culinary arts students, he was appointed as master of ceremony.

My future plan is when I graduate from here, I would like to work in a Michelin-starred Halal restaurant, he added.

The Institute for Tourism Studies takes about 20 students every year in the BA Culinary Arts Program. In 2017, the institute was named in QS World University Rankings by Subject as second best higher education institution in Asia for hospitality and leisure management, and worlds 18th best.

President of the institute Fanny Vong told Xinhua that the institute designed the courses for the program with the best industry standards, proven lecturers and skilled craft technicians.

Macau has a rich history and culture mixed with East and West. It also has many top-class hotels and restaurants for students to learn and practice [] I believe we can play an important role in tourism industry development in Macau and Pearl River Delta region, Fanny Vong said. MDT/Xinhua
The Chinese government systematically dismantled CIA spying operations in China starting in late 2010 and killed or imprisoned at least a dozen CIA sources over the next two years, The New York Times reported Saturday.

The newspaper cited 10 current and former U.S. officials, who described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades. They spoke on condition of anonymity.

The report said U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies scrambled to stem the damage, but were bitterly divided over the cause of the breach. Some investigators were convinced there was a mole within the CIA, while others believed the Chinese had hacked the covert system the CIA used to communicate with its foreign sources. The debate remains unresolved, the paper said.
Successful contracts with Sands China have paved the way for a micro company to access larger amounts of credit from local banks, allowing the firm to accept more projects from local clients.

VastCom Technology is an IT solutions company that opened in 2010 aiming to provide IT products, services and solutions to local businesses.

The company also outsources their employees to clients such as integrated resorts for up to two months.

Seeing potential for these kinds of IT services in Macau, Crystal Ieong, general manager of VastCom Technology, founded the business together with a partner.

Although there were some large IT companies in the region back then, Ieong recalled that there were several competitors in the micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) category.

Yet due to the lack of human resources, particularly in the IT industry, Ieong admitted that acquiring high-tech engineers was problematic, adding that cash flow was also a major issue.

So when getting large deals from those casinos and international corporations, we need to have some support from banks and other financial institutions [and] that is one of the difficulties for us, Ieong noted.

Accessing credit from local banks remains a challenge for micro companies, particularly if the firm fails to ensure its return on investment.

The general manager admitted that banks have refused their application for loans, yet their collaboration with Sands China has turned things around.

So after we dealt with Sands China, we had those projects and contracts in hand and we used them to show to the bank we had on-going projects. So they approved [the loan application], said Ieong.

Ieong revealed that she currently has one labor import quota available, which would allow her to employ a foreign worker. Yet she refused to take one on board as she mentioned that the employment of local workers remains a priority for the firm  just as Sands China supports local young entrepreneurs and made-in-Macau products.

VastCom started its collaboration with the gaming operator in 2014 and is providing after-sales support to its clients.

From minor transactions to extensive ones, the firm has kept its relationship with Sands China growing, noting that its sales volume to them has tripled.

In 2014, the micro company provided hardware to Sands China on a competitive basis.

VastCom was also encouraged to participate in the SME program initiated by Sands China which gave the firm access to further cooperate with the large company.

After a year of collaboration with the gaming operator, Ieong affirmed, they [the bank] have approved more credit amount for us [as our] contract with Sands [showed we] have higher credibility, she said.

Although the 10-employee firm is facing a human resource setback, Sands China has also offered support in terms of assisting them in its service provision.

Supporting the growth of local enterprises has remained a key focus for Sands China.

With the gaming operators support for the local governments initiative to buy local, Sands China has demonstrated its commitment to supporting enterprises in the region as part of its corporate social responsibility program.

Sands China views local enterprises as its strategic partners, and Ieong is confident in its continuous support of her small firm.

In the past three years, our business with Sands China had tripled [and] wed like to keep on doing business with them, Ieong reiterated.

The general manager also mentioned that Sands Supplier Excellence Awards, held annually, inspires micro-firms and its fellow SMEs, and has been encouraging firms to provide outstanding services and cooperation with the gaming operator.

As the awards are a global initiative of Sands Chinas parent company, Las Vegas Sands Corp, Ieong implied that such awards would be beneficial to the companys ongoing growth and success.

Ieong agreed that Sands Chinas procurement from not only large companies but of SMEs and micro-firms have boosted creative partnership opportunities and growth of Macau companies.

Just recently, Sands China has again launched another scheme to support local SME suppliers called the F.I.T. program.

The program aims to continually drive business between the gaming operator and its suppliers, targeting both new and existing relationships with Sands China.

F.I.T. is comprised of three pillars: Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development.

The Sands China Young Entrepreneur Advance Payment Program is being created to help local young entrepreneurs with limited financial capacity run their businesses. Its target is local young entrepreneurs with a staff of 15 or less, prepaying them 30 percent of contracted purchase orders.

In a bid to broaden local SMEs contacts beyond potential Sands China buyers, the gaming operator is hosting targeted trade shows.

These invitational matching sessions, starting last month, provide a platform for local SMEs to present and demonstrate their products and services to potential users and buyers at Sands China properties with the companys complete support.

Through this platform, not only would communication between vendors and users be enhanced but the procurement success rate would improve  allowing local SMEs to further expand their product and service offerings.

Meanwhile the new Sands China Procurement Academy aims to develop local SME suppliers by sharing business knowledge and skills, helping them gain experience and capacity for working with large international customers like Sands China. It will provide tailor-made practical training modules to local SMEs, presenting them with a certificate upon graduating from the academy.

This article is sponsored by Sands China Ltd.
A framework agreement between China and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea marks a potentially significant step toward cooling tensions in the strategic waterway, analysts said Friday.

While details of the agreement reached last week werent disclosed, it is a definite sign of progress on reaching a final code of conduct that the parties committed to 15 years ago, the experts said.

Until recently, progress has been slow amid disputes over the body of water that China claims virtually in its entirety.

For China, the code of conduct is a means to achieving its goal of keeping the U.S. and its allies from intervening in the matter in the name of freedom of navigation or maintaining regional stability, said Huang Jing, an expert on the region at National University of Singapores Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

China can say, Look we have already reached agreements, are behaving ourselves, so no need for you Americans or others to come in and get in our business, Huang said in a telephone interview.

The agreement suits Chinas goal of managing rather than solving the disputes, with Beijing still certain that it will eventually reach solutions through bilateral talks, Huang said.

For the 10 ASEAN member states, meanwhile, the agreement offers a chance to freeze further Chinese advances in the region at a time when the Trump administration has turned its focus away from the region with the abandonment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other developments, Huang said.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the text of the framework would remain secret for now, and Philippine officials said it would be submitted to foreign ministers for consideration in August.

Huang said it likely contains clauses barring the use of force or unilateral changes to facts on the ground, such as the construction of man-made islands by China that it has equipped with airfields and military installations.

The ASEAN countries know they cant fight the Chinese or count on America so its best to work with China to stabilize the status quo, Huang said.

While Huang called the agreement very significant progress, Ian Storey, senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, a Singapore-based think tank, described it as more of a small step forward, based on a draft of the document agreed to in March.

Whats new are the references to incident prevention and management, and establishing mechanisms to monitor the COCs implementation, Storey said.

That draft does not call for a legally binding code of conduct as some ASEAN countries had called for, Storey said, potentially weakening its impact.

No matter what the final draft agreement looks like, the devil will be in working out the details, said Storey, foreseeing a long, difficult negotiation on the final document.

Asked whether the agreement would be binding, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters: I cannot give you a definite answer now.

However, Liu said the agreement laid a solid foundation for further negotiations.

All parties have vowed to continue to constructively advance the negotiations toward the early conclusion of the code of conduct, Liu said following last weeks meeting in the southern Chinese city of Guiyang.

The Philippines welcomed the finalization of the draft of the framework. It contains elements that the parties agreed upon and will be presented to Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers in August for consideration, the statement from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Singapores Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Chee Wee Kiong said the sides hoped that would produce needed political support from the ministers.

The participants have not mentioned dates for the adoption of a full code of conduct, and while Huang said he thought the sides could act as early as this year to seize the positive momentum, Storey said a final agreement was likely some years off.

Before that happens, China and the ASEAN countries said they will continue following a separate document called the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, or DOC, which among other provisions, commits the parties to exploring ways for building trust and confidence  on the basis of equality and mutual respect. Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, AP
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said China threatened to go to war after he asserted the Southeast Asian nations sovereignty over disputed territory.

In an unspecified meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Duterte said he will drill for oil in the South China Sea, citing an international arbitration tribunal ruling upholding the Philippines claim. That prompted a retort from Xi, according to Duterte.

Well, if you force this, well be forced to tell you the truth. We will go to war. We will fight you, Duterte on Friday quoted Xi as saying.

Duterte didnt say when and where the conversation took place. Calls and an email seeking comment from Chinas foreign ministry outside of regular office hours werent immediately answered.

Since Duterte took office in June, the tough-talking 72-year-old leader had repaired fractured ties with China, touting the economic benefits including USD24 billion of loans and investment. Chinas efforts to assert its dominance over the South China Sea, where more than $5 trillion in annual trade is ferried, have in the past angered Southeast Asian nations with competing claims, such as Vietnam and the Philippines.

The Philippines won a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague last July that rejected Chinas assertion to the territory. China has said the tribunal has no jurisdiction over sovereignty disputes.

Chinas claim is far away, Duterte said in the southern city of Davao, recalling what he told Xi. Its almost alien to us to hear those words because we were never under Chinese jurisdiction, he said.

Dutertes comments come just after China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed on a draft framework for a code of conduct governing actions in the region.

Separately, officials from the two countries agreed to discuss mutually acceptable approaches to South China Sea issues during a bilateral consultation in the Chinese city of Guiyang on Friday, according to a joint statement released by the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs. Handling incidents and disputes in an appropriate manner is important, they said.

The next discussion will be held in the Philippines in the second half of the year. Karl Lester M. Yap, Andreo Calonzo, Bloomberg
Economic incentives such as business and job opportunities are being promised in exchange for youth in Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan developing national and cultural identities compatible with mainland ideology, it has emerged.

The incentives are being promised by the Chinese Community Partys youth wing as part of the groups long-term youth development plan which, according to the South China Morning Post, covers issues such as rights, education, marriage and social security.

The plan, intended to join together young people from across the greater China region under a common identity, comes in response to growing social unrest in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It also attempts to tackle the consequences of the social unrest, including youth political movements that emphasize stronger local identities and autonomy.

[We will] help the youth in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan shape their identity with the culture of the motherland and the correct knowledge of one country, two systems, a statement from the group said.

The economic incentives are being supported by the Chinese Community Party and the government of mainland China and conform to recent statements made by PRC leaders on the future development of Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Visiting Macau earlier this month, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National Peoples Congress, said that the torch of patriotism should be handed down to the younger generations by educating them on Chinese history and culture from a young age.

He said this was how Macau should preserve its mainstream social value of loving the country and loving Macau.

The leader of the Chinese Community Partys youth win, Qin Yizhi, said that exchanges within the greater China region are already occurring, but more can be done.

We will try to include more and more Hong Kong and Macau young people in such exchanges. We will also improve the effectiveness of such exchanges based on the actual needs of the young people, said Qin, as cited by the SCMP.

However, Hong Kong Legislative Council member Nathan Law, denied that work opportunities would breed patriotism in the HKSAR, citing previous failed policies implemented by the local government. DB
The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), after meeting representatives of the poultry trade about a withdrawal assistance plan, met with employees of the sector on Friday afternoon. Another meeting is scheduled for today.

IACM said in a statement that the meeting was focused on the kinds of support available from the government. These include measures such as counseling services for career changes and redundancy compensation for employees.

IACM said around 120 employees of the poultry trade attended the meeting.

The live poultry market was banned in Macau following three avian influenza scares earlier this year. An IACM representative said earlier this month that the ban was due to the consideration of public hygiene and the actual needs of epidemic prevention.

Next month, a total of MOP6.2 million in compensation will be granted to operators and practitioners who were suspended from work due to the avian influenza outbreaks. Included in this amount is a daily subsidy for the suspension of business, which comes to MOP200 per person.

According to the Labor Relations Law, if an employer makes an employee redundant, compensation must be paid to the employee  with the governments assistance if needed. IACM estimates that if all employees are made redundant, the amount involved will exceed MOP14 million.

The bureau said it will maintain communication with those affected by the ban and will seriously consider and analyze their other requests, offering assistance in accordance with the law.
Taiwans main opposition Kuomintang elected Wu Den-yih as chairman, and the former vice president immediately pledged to lead the century-old party back to power and called for peaceful relations with China.

We have to be united in this difficult time, Wu, 69, said Saturday in a victory speech. There wont be any chance for us if we are not united.

His election was welcomed by Chinas President Xi Jinping, who said in a letter to Wu that he hoped the two parties will keep in mind the well- being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, adhere to the 1992 Consensus and firmly oppose Taiwan independence.

The winner received 52.24 percent of the vote, avoiding a runoff in defeating incumbent Hung Hsiu-chu, former Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin and three other candidates. Turnout was 58.05 percent of eligible voters, election committee head Hsu Shui-teh said. Wus four year term will begin Aug. 20, KMT spokesman Tang Te-ming said.

Wu, first premier then vice president in former President Ma Ying-jeous administration, aims to create a peaceful and stable relationship with the Beijing government based on the so-called 1992 Consensus, in which both sides across the Taiwan Strait agreed there is one China while allowing each its own interpretation of what that means.

We have to prepare in order to seek opportunities to win legislature and presidential elections in 2020, Wu said. He said he will build youth confidence and trust in the party.

Current Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu, who backed signing a peace treaty with China, finished second with 19.2 percent. Hung was the first woman elected party chief, in March 2016, after the more China-friendly party lost its legislative majority when Tsai Ing-wens independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party won the presidency in a landslide.

Wu faces a demoralized membership after the election loss last year along with internal splits among party leaders. The partys finances also could weigh on the new leader as Tsais administration seeks to confiscate more than $500 million from KMT. The DPP-led legislature last year passed a law seeking the return of Kuomintang-held state assets.

I thank fellow members for being willing to shoulder responsibilities at this difficult time, Hung said after the election results. The new chief will lead our party to reform in the coming years in order to return to power. Bloomberg
Three days of activities devoted to Lawyers Day kicked off last Friday. The opening ceremony held at the Senado Square was attended by many of Macaus lawyers.

The president of the Macau Lawyer Association (AAM), Jorge Neto Valente, said in his inaugural speech that the event invites the regions lawyers to reflect on their responsibilities in society, especially ensuring that the Basic Law is protected under Macaus legal system.

The celebrations, according to Jorge Neto Valente, deepen the publics understanding of the roles of lawyers in Macau, and aim to attract more Macau residents to the profession.

Our society has already reached a relatively sophisticated level, and the residents have gradually become more conscious and demanding about their rights, said Valente.

He said Macau will soon need more lawyers, judges, and legal assistants, in addition to other types of legal professionals. This is a fundamental result of Macaus economy opening to the outside world and increasingly participating in wider regional environments.

He added that this is also due to Macau being the platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, at a time when China is implementing new Belt and Road policies.

Valente noted that Macau needs better arbitration to be a viable alternative in dispute resolution, especially between investors from mainland China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

Currently, there are 354 registered lawyers and 127 intern lawyers in Macau, a 5 percent increase from last year.

While Valente believes that the city can attract more legal professionals, he said ensuring their caliber is more important than [the ir] numbers.

AAM recently accomplished two of its long-held goals: finishing discussions on the access regulations for lawyers in Macau, and passing final amendments to said regulations. Valente said the amended laws will be published in the city governments official gazette soon.

At the beginning of the year, AAM contributed to the establishment of the Macau branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

AAM has supported the CIArb Macau branch in training arbitrators as well as other activities, according to Valente, and expects to continue backing the centers operations.
According to website Law 360, a New York federal judge has prevented prosecutors from presenting evidence of payments allegedly made by Macau billionaire Ng Lap Seng to a former U.S. lawmaker.

The website claimed that the judge rejected the evidence on the basis that it might put the defendant, Ng, at risk of prejudice. He said that brining up the issue of foreign political financing could be detrimental to the real estate mogul, given the accusations of Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

Accordingly, the judge allegedly blocked prosecutors from mentioning payments to the family of ex-lawmaker Jesse Jackson Jr. In 2013, Jackson pled guilty to campaign finance fraud.

The local billionaire has been linked to other controversial campaigns involving U.S. politicians. He was famously involved in a fundraising scandal in the 1990s involving the Democratic presidential campaign of Bill Clinton.

Ng was suspected to be the alleged secret source of foreign money in Clintons campaign scandal, though was not charged with a crime during the investigation.

Ng was arrested in September 2015 over several charges including attempting to bribe UN officials, money laundering and tax evasion.

Among other charges, he has been accused of paying USD500,000 in bribes to former UN General Assembly President John Ashe, who died last year under mysterious circumstances while awaiting trial.

The objective behind the alleged bribery was to secure Ashes support for a U.N.-backed conference center in Macau, which would be constructed by Ngs real estate company, Sun Kian Ip Group, and would allegedly serve as his legacy in the MSAR.
North Korea fired a medium-range missile yesterday, U.S. and South Korean officials said, the latest ballistics test for a country speeding up its development of nuclear weapons and missiles.

The rocket was fired from an area near the North Korean county of Pukchang, in South Phyongan Province, and flew eastward about 500 kilometers, said South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff. The U.S. Pacific Command said it tracked the missile before it landed into the sea.

White House officials traveling in Saudi Arabia with President Donald Trump said the system, which was last tested in February, has a shorter range than the missiles launched in North Koreas most recent tests.

An official from South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff also said the missile appeared to be similar in range and apogee to the midrange missile that North Korea test-fired in February. The missile launched yesterday reached a maximum altitude of 560 kilometers, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.

In February, North Korea used a launcher truck to fire a solid-fuel missile that it calls the Pukguksong (Polaris)-2, a land-based version of a submarine-launched missile the country revealed earlier. That missile traveled about 500 kilometers before crashing into the sea, according to South Korean and U.S. officials.

The February launch, the Norths first missile test after Trump took office, alarmed neighbors because solid-fuel missiles can be fired more quickly than liquid-fuel missiles, which need to be fueled before launch and require a larger number of vehicles, including fuel trucks, that could be spotted by satellites.

South Koreas new president, Moon Jae-in, held a National Security Council meeting to discuss yesterdays launch, which came hours after he named his new foreign minister nominee and top advisers for security and foreign policy. He did not make a public statement after the meeting.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch a challenge to the world that tramples international efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear and missile problems peacefully, and vowed to bring up the issue as the main agenda of this weeks G-7 summit in Italy.

The launch came a week after North Korea successfully tested a new midrange missile that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead. Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea, and that it could one day reach targets as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.

Under the watch of third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been aggressively pursuing a decades- long goal of putting a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year alone, possibly improving its ability to make nuclear weapons small enough to fit on long-range missiles. The country has also conducted a slew of rocket launches as it continues to advance its arsenal of ballistic weapons, which also include midrange solid-fuel missiles that could be fired from land mobile launchers or submarines.

If North Korea did indeed fire the Pukguksong-2 again, it might be part of attempts to stabilize the systems functions before it operationally deploys the missiles, said Kim Dong-yub, an analyst at Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

Kim said theres also a possibility that the North is conducting engine tests and other experiments as it pushes for the development of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile that could potentially reach the U.S. mainland. If the North ever obtains a solid-fuel ICBM, it would likely be a rocket powered by a cluster of several Pukguksong-2 engines, Kim said.

In a massive military parade in Pyongyang last month honoring state founder Kim Il Sung, the late grandfather of the current leader, North Korea unveiled previously unseen large rocket canisters and launcher trucks. Experts said this hinted at efforts to create solid-fuel ICBMs and also technologies to cold launch such rockets, ejecting them from the launch tubes before they ignite in midair, which would prevent its limited number of ICBM-capable launcher trucks from being damaged and also allow the missile to be fired from silos.

Missile tests such as yesterdays present a difficult challenge to Moon, a liberal who took over as South Koreas president on May 10 and has expressed a desire to reach out to the North. Pyongyangs aggressive push to boost its weapons program also makes it one of the most urgent foreign policy concerns for the Trump administration, though Washington has struggled to settle on a policy.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Norths latest launch throws cold water on the expectations by Moons government to stabilize peace and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Our government is open to the possibility of dialogue with North Korea, but will also maintain a stance of firmly responding to provocations, the ministry said. Kim Tong-Hyung, Seoul, AP
The Pacific Rim trade ministers meeting in Vietnam committed yesterday to move ahead with the Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact after the United States pulled out.

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay said the remaining 11 TPP countries are open to others joining provided they accept the trade agreements high standards on labor and environmental protection. He said the door remains open to the U.S., even after President Donald Trump withdrew from the pact in January, saying he prefers bilateral free trade deals.

Its clear that each country is having to consider both economic values and strategic importance of this agreement, but in the end there are a lot of unity among all of the countries and a great desire to work together to come up with an agreement among 11 that not only delivers for all of our economies and the people of our countries, its also open to others countries in the world to join if they can meet the high standards in the TPP agreement, McClay told reporters.

Since the U.S withdrawal, Japan and New Zealand have been spearheading efforts to revive the deal. In its current form, the TPP requires U.S. participation before it can go into effect. That means the remaining countries would need to change the rules for any deal to go ahead, and it would be significantly smaller without the involvement of the worlds largest economy.

The 11 countries represent roughly 13.5 percent of the global economy, according to the World Bank.

In a statement, the trade ministers said they agreed to launch a process to assess options to bring the agreement into force expeditiously, including how to facilitate membership for the original signatories.

The ministers have tasked their trade officials to present the assessment to their leaders when they meet for an annual the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam in November, which will also include Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

They also underlined their vision for the TPP to expand to include other economies, saying these efforts would address concerns about protectionism, contribute to maintaining open markets, strengthening the rules-based international trading system, increasing world trade and raising living standards.

Vietnam and Malaysia had been expected to be beneficiaries from the original TPP with greater access to U.S. markets and investments. The TPP was championed by former President Barack Obama and was seen as a counterbalance to Chinas growing influence in the region.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, making his international debut since taking office a week ago, defended Trumps decision to pull out of the TPP.

We expect to engage with members here in many cases on bilateral basis, he told reporters. The president made the decision, which I certainly agree with, that bilateral negotiation is better for the United States than multilateral negotiations.

He added: But we certainly expect to stay engaged and I believe that at some point that therell be series of bilateral agreements with willing partners in this part of the world.

He rejected criticism that the Trump administration was embracing trade protectionism. Our view is that we want free trade, we want fair trade, we want a system that leads to greater market efficiencies in the world, he said.

Today, the China-led 16-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will meet in Hanoi to further their discussions on a separate deal seen as an alternative to TPP. It is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.

I think confidence we have shown in this meeting for the multilateral trading system for regional economic cooperation within APEC can be a very good and strong signal that we are united and we are steadfast in fighting trade protectionism and reducing trade risks, said Chinese Deputy Trade Minister Wang Shouwen. AP
After a year in office, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wens administration is shunned by an angry China and facing even greater international isolation.

Yet, the islands first female president seems focused on policy initiatives at home as well as maintaining robust relations with the United States, Taiwans most important source of arms and political support.

I am expecting the leaders on the other side of the Taiwan Strait to accurately interpret the meaning of last years presidential elections, and the good intentions that Taiwan tirelessly showed, she said in a speech to overseas Chinese media representatives on Friday. This is a new era, because the Taiwanese people say so.

China cut contacts with Taiwan on June 25 to protest Tsais refusal to endorse Beijings view that the two sides are part of a single Chinese nation. President Donald Trumps administration, at least initially, seemed poised to offer new support.

The then-president elect astonished many by talking directly on the phone with Tsai in December, a conversation not held between leaders of the two sides since Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979. He then further stirred the pot by questioning the need to hold to the One China policy under which Washington maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei.

Soon afterward, however, he reasserted his support for One China, resulting in Chinese President Xi Jinping flying to Trumps Mar-a-lago resort for an informal summit in April and last weeks announcement of a trade deal under which China will again allow imports of American beef and purchase natural gas from the U.S. China says it cannot resume normal interactions unless Tsai endorsed the One China principle, also known as 92 consensus.

The sides split amid civil war in 1949 and China continues to regard Taiwan as part of its territory, to be recovered by force if necessary. Tsais Democratic Progressive Party advocates Taiwans formal independence as an island nation.

Taiwanese officials say their Chinese counterparts no longer answer their calls, emails or faxes and steady momentum toward increased contacts  highlighted by an unprecedented meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tsais predecessor Ma Ying-jeou in 2015  has ground to a halt.

Beijings silent treatment has been accompanied by moves to increase Taiwans diplomatic isolation, including blocking its participation in international gatherings such as this months World Health Assembly in Geneva. Taiwan is already excluded from the United Nations and other international organizations at Beijings behest, and maintains diplomatic relations with only a handful of nations.

Beijing has also sought to exert economic pressure, particularly by discouraging Chinese tourists from visiting the island. Thats brought about a 10 percent decline in overall visitor numbers in the first quarter of the year, although an increase in numbers of big-spending Japanese and South Koreans has helped partly make up the difference.

But rather than increase pressure on Tsai, such moves only make Taiwanese more resentful, said Shelley Rigger, a political scientist and longtime observer of Taiwanese politics at Davidson College in North Carolina.

People need to understand: Taiwanese have been living under this threat for decades. I dont think she will be compelled to make concessions. The focus is very much on domestic issues right now, Rigger said.

Gary Lin, a 78-year-old Taipei businessman echoed such sentiments.

If you have a neighbor who only thinks of bombing you or eating you up, then you cant do anything about it, Lin said. And you want president Tsai Ing-wen to kneel to (China) and beg? Thats impossible. I would not agree to that.

At home, Tsai has been grappling with matters ranging from social justice to public welfare. She issued a formal apology on behalf of the government to Taiwans indigenous people for the discrimination and neglect inflicted on them over the past 400 years, and has pushed for legalization of gay marriage. Tsai also announced that Taiwan will build its own jet aircraft and submarines, in part to revive local industries but also to counter the intense pressure China exerts on foreign nations not to sell weapons to Taiwan.

Taiwan has also moved to position itself as an attractive partner for Trumps push to promote domestic manufacturing, with the islands Cabinet saying earlier this month Taiwan plans to continue to buy U.S. semi-conductor machines, aircraft, services and military hardware and expects Taiwanese investment in the U.S. to reach USD34 billion.

Notwithstanding the flux of international affairs, maintaining and deepening U.S.-Taiwan relations remains Taiwans top priority, the Cabinet said in a report made as part of a public comment process for a U.S. trade review.

Meanwhile, Tsais government has been struggling to reinvigorate the islands high-tech economy, raise wages for young workers and push through reductions to highly lucrative public pensions that have elicited protests from retired senior servants. Shes also been pushing a New Southbound Policy to encourage closer economic ties with the 10 nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and countries as diverse as Bhutan and New Zealand as a way of reducing dependency on Chinas vast market.

Although the stock market remains strong and the economy is tracking modest growth, Tsai has seen her job approval rating fall to 41.3 percent in a survey released this week, while 52.9 percent were dissatisfied, even while she remains the front runner for the next presidential election in 2020.

The only serious political pressure Tsai faces comes from the opposition Nationalist Party, which remains largely in disarray since losing both the presidency and its legislative in last years elections.

Certainly, President Tsai Ing- wen will not return to Beijings demands, so I consider this stalemate, miscalculation, misunderstanding, lack of communication will continue throughout the year. Which is not good for the security and stability in the Taiwan Strait area, said Andrew Yang, who encouraged greater flexibility from both sides. Johnson Lai, Christopher Bodeen, Taipei, AP
A majority of Idahoans of almost every political stripe support making Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve a national park, according to the latest poll released by Idaho Politics Weekly.

The poll of 628 adults, which was conducted by the Salt Lake City firm Dan Jones and Associates from Feb. 16 to 28 and has a 4 percent margin of error, found 55 percent in favor of a national park designation with 32 percent opposed. Democrats back it 78-16, Republicans 58-29 and independents 60-29. The only political group where a majority dont support the idea are people who self-identify as very conservative, and even in that group a 46-42 plurality backed the idea.

Craters is a national monument, created by President Calvin Coolidge and expanded greatly by President Bill Clinton toward the end of his term. A group of local officials has been pushing to turn the older monument section, which contains the famous lava fields and formations, into a national park, an idea Butte Countys voters ratified in a non-binding referendum last year. The Idaho Senate passed a similarly nonbinding joint memorial this year, but it never got a hearing in the House.

Craters is one of a couple of dozen monuments whose status is currently up for review, per an executive order from President Donald Trump which seems to have been largely inspired by conservative opposition in Utah to President Barack Obamas designation of the Bears Ears National Monument.
HUDSON, Iowa (AP)  Is it possible to support five 21st century households with the income from a family-run dairy operation?

It may sound like an idea best left to a bygone era or perhaps something only a large, automated operation could accomplish. However, Hansens Farm Fresh Dairy proves the areas long-held family farms can thrive through ambition, innovation and hard work.

We feel like we were in on the ground floor of the local food movement, said Jordan Hansen, marketing director. More and more people want to buy food from their neighbors. Its good for the local economy, and its good for the environment.

Hansens Farm Fresh Dairy has grown considerably in 13 years and now sells products at eastern Iowa grocery stores, co-ops, farmers markets and other locations. Dozens of area eateries use the products in their recipes, too. The dairy also sells milk, butter, cheese and ice cream and products of local entrepreneurs at its two retail outlets in Waterloo and Cedar Falls.

Today, the dairy supports Jay and Jean Hansen and four of their five children  Brent, Brad, Blair and Blake  and their families. Daughter, Lynn, lives in Omaha with her family.

Jay Hansen represents the fifth generation of his family to run the farm. According to the dairys archives, his two-times maternal great-grandfather, Christian Frederick Brandhorst, purchased the land southwest of Hudson in May 1864.

For decades, the farm produced a variety of crops and animals, which helped the operation achieve self-sufficiency. In the 1950s, the farm narrowed its focus to dairy operations, said Jordan.

Today, the original Christian Brandhorsts original plot of 150 acres has been expanded to 440 mostly contiguous acres.

Jay and Jean Hansen settled at the farm in the 1970s to work alongside Jays father, Jack. In 1975, they started their family. Over the years, they encouraged their children to find other careers; they didnt want them to feel obligated to the homestead.

They listened  for a while. After working at other dairy farms, Blake, the youngest boy, returned to the homestead. Blair followed.

Together they calculated how to slowly and deliberately increase their closed herd from 100 to 150 head.

The idea was to open an on-farm creamery that would allow them to produce their own milk to sell, said Jordan, now Blakes wife. If they could cut out the middleman in the dairy production process, theyd be able to increase the farms income.

That, Blake and Blair believed, would allow the farm to provide them with enough income. They sold milk to the local co-op for market price and began developing plans to open an on-site creamery.

It was a big commitment, and they invited their older brothers to return and help.

Blake also put a new face on dairy farming  namely, a wallaby. He was introduced to them while traveling in Australia. He brought some to Hudson, where they became an attraction in their own right.

This was right around the time we were starting the creamery, so the wallaby was incorporated into the logo, Blake said.

Its another unique touch for the family business, said Jordan, who noted, Its not the typical Holstein.

The couple has since switched to kangaroos.

After opening in 2004, Hansens Farm Fresh Dairy sold whole milk at a few smaller Cedar Valley locations like Randalls Grocery, as well as farmers markets, recalled Jay.

Other groceries contacted the dairy about stocking the milk. Meanwhile, customers started asking for skim and 1 percent milk.

The processing to make the other types of milk meant there was leftover cream, said Blake.

It was easy to find a use for this excess, Jay added. We made ice cream, then butter, then cheese curds, he explained.

Increased demand and the rapidly expanding product line positioned the dairy to open a retail outlet, Jordan added. In 2006, the family opened its first store at Ridgeway and Kimball avenues in Waterloo, followed about one year later by its East 18th Street location in Cedar Falls.

The Cedar Falls store was supposed to be a temporary thing  a way to sell a lot of milk quickly, Jordan recalled. It turned out to be such a success that we ended up buying the location  the building, the land, the gas station.

These experiences help the Hansens reinforce their reasons for keeping a closed herd  animals that were all born and raised on their homestead.

Today, the dairy works to balance producing enough to meet demand while not reaching the point of overproduction, said Jordan. The familys commitment to maintaining a closed herd limits the dairys ability to grow at the rate of a large-scale production. This contributes to relative shortages of some products, which can frustrate some customers.

At this time, 150 cows supplies the dairys retail and wholesale customers. The family would like to grow the herd to 500, which will require a major overhaul of the farms infrastructure.

Wed need to tear down the old barn and build a new one, said Jay. A new barn is a huge project. We have a site picked out and the water situated . but it will still take something like two years before we can get to that.

The family has been somewhat surprised by the public desire to see their operation up close.

It was a little shocking, but then again, it wasnt, Jordan recalled. People today really want to see where their food comes from. Were a local brand. Were transparent about our operation, and that makes us accessible. So it makes sense. Most kids have no real agriculture around them, other than what they drive by.

Each year, up to 5,000 visitors get to see where milk comes from at the dairys Tour Center. Visitors can schedule tours and experiential learning opportunities.

Jean, Jordan and other guides discuss the farms history, production and family farming. They also offer a behind the scenes look at what things like organic, hormone-free and farm-to-table mean.

This is an in-the-trenches experience, Jordan said. You see how the milking is done. We bottle feed calves and hand-milk cows. There isnt glass between visitors and the cows; you get right in there where they live.

We feel like we were in on the ground floor of the local food movement. More and more people want to buy food from their neighbors. Its good for the local economy, and its good for the environment. Jordan Hansen, marketing director and Blake Hansens wife
WASHINGTON  A sizable majority of rural Americans backed Donald Trumps presidential bid, drawn to his calls to slash environmental rules, strengthen law enforcement and replace the federal health care law.

But many farmers are nervous about another plank in Trumps agenda: His vow to overhaul U.S. trade policy, including his intent announced Thursday to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Trumps message that NAFTA was a job-killing disaster had never resonated much in rural America. NAFTA had widened access to Mexican and Canadian markets, boosting U.S. farm exports and benefiting many farmers.

Farm Country went on red alert last month when it looked as if Trump wasnt even going to pursue a NAFTA rewrite: White House aides had spread the word that the president would simply withdraw from the pact.

Mr. President, Americas corn farmers helped elect you, Wesley Spurlock of the National Corn Growers Association warned in a statement. Withdrawing from NAFTA would be disastrous for American agriculture.

Within hours, Trump softened his stance. He wouldnt actually dump NAFTA, he said. Hed first try to forge a more advantageous deal with Mexico and Canada  a move that formally began Thursday when his top trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, informed Congress of the administrations intent to renegotiate NAFTA.

As a candidate, Trump defined his America First stance as a means to fight unfair foreign competition. He blamed unjust deals for swelling U.S. trade gaps and stealing factory jobs.

But NAFTA and other deals have been good for American farmers, who stand to lose if Trump ditches the pact or ignites a trade war. The United States has enjoyed a trade surplus in farm products since at least 1967, government data show. Last year, farm exports exceeded imports by $20.5 billion.

You dont start off trade negotiations ... by picking fights with your trade partners that are completely unnecessary, says Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation Iowa farmer who produces corn, soybeans, oats and hay.

Many farmers worry that Trumps policies will jeopardize their exports just as they face weaker crop and livestock prices.

It comes up pretty quickly in conversation, says Blake Hurst, a corn and soybean farmer in northwestern Missouris Atchison County.

That countys voters backed Trump more than 3-to-1 in the election but now feel it would be better if the rhetoric (on trade) was a little less strident, said Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Trumps main argument against NAFTA and other pacts was that they exposed American workers to unequal competition with low-wage workers in countries like Mexico and China.

NAFTA did lead some American manufacturers to move factories and jobs to Mexico. But since it took effect in 1994 and eased tariffs, annual farm exports to Mexico have jumped nearly five-fold to about $18 billion. Mexico is the No. 3 market for U.S. agriculture, notably corn, soybeans and pork.

The trade agreements that weve had have been very beneficial, said Stephen Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association. We need to take care not to blow the significant gains that agriculture has won.

The U.S. has run a surplus in farm trade with Mexico for 20 of the 23 years since NAFTA took effect. Still, the surpluses with Mexico became deficits in 2015 and 2016 as global livestock and grain prices plummeted and shrank the value of American exports, notes Joseph Glauber of the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Mexico has begun to seek alternatives to U.S. food because, as its agriculture secretary, Jose Calzada Rovirosa, said in March, Trumps remarks on trade have injected uncertainty into the agriculture business.

Once word had surfaced that Trump was considering pulling out of NAFTA, Sonny Perdue, two days into his job as the presidents agriculture secretary, hastened to the White House with a map showing areas that would be hurt most by a pullout, overlapped with many that voted for Trump.

I tried to demonstrate to him that in the agricultural market, sometimes words like withdraw or terminate can have a major impact on markets, Perdue said in an interview with The Associated Press. I think the president made a very wise decision for the benefit of many agricultural producers across the country by choosing to remain in NAFTA.

Trump delivered another disappointment for U.S. farm groups in January by fulfilling a pledge to abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the Obama administration negotiated with 11 Asia-Pacific countries. Trump argued that the pact would cost Americans jobs by pitting them against low-wage Asian labor.

But the deal would have given U.S. farmers broader access to Japans notoriously impregnable market and easier entry into fast-growing Vietnam. Philip Seng of the U.S. Meat Export Federation notes that the U.S. withdrawal from TPP left Australia with a competitive advantage because it had already negotiated lower tariffs in Japan.

Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports, thereby raising fears that those trading partners would retaliate with their own sanctions.

Farmers know theyre frequently the first casualties of trade wars. Many recall a 2009 trade rift in which China responded to U.S. tire tariffs by imposing tariffs on U.S. chicken parts. And Mexico slapped tariffs on U.S. goods ranging from ham to onions to Christmas trees in 2009 to protest a ban on Mexican trucks crossing the border.

The White House declined to comment on farmers fears that Trumps trade policy stands to hurt them. But officials say theyve sought to ease concerns, by, for example, having Agriculture Secretary Perdue announce a new undersecretary to oversee trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

Many farmers are still hopeful about the Trump administration. Some, for example, applaud his plans to slash environmental rules that they say inflate the cost of running a farm. Some also hold out hope that the author of The Art of the Deal will negotiate ways to improve NAFTA.

One such way might involve Canada. NAFTA let Canada shield its dairy farmers from foreign competition behind tariffs and regulations but left at least one exception  an American ultra-filtered milk used in cheese. When Canadian farmers complained about the cheaper imports, Canada changed its policy and effectively priced ultra-filtered American milk out of the market.

Canada has made business for our dairy farmers in Wisconsin and other border states very difficult, Trump tweeted last month. We will not stand for this. Watch!

Some U.S. cattle producers would also like a renegotiated NAFTA to give them something the current version doesnt: The right to label their product Made in America. In 2015, the World Trade Organization struck down the United States country-of-origin labeling rules as unfair to Mexico and Canada.

Many still worry that Trumps planned overhaul of American trade policy is built to revive manufacturing and that farming remains an afterthought.

So much of the conversation in the campaign had been in Detroit or in Indiana and focused on manufacturing jobs, said Kathy Baylis, an economist at the University of Illinois. The importance of American farm exports never made it into the rhetoric.

___

AP Writers David Pitt in Des Moines and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

The trade agreements that weve had have been very beneficial. We need to take care not to blow the significant gains that agriculture has won. Stephen Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association
Mobility challenges shouldnt keep anyone from enjoying fall fishing, changing colors and Idahos amazingly varied terrain.

Here are five of south-central Idahos best handicapped-accessible outdoor destinations:

1. Phyllis Lake trail

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area boasts something unusual: a fully accessible trail to a high-alpine lake destination.

The hike to Phyllis Lake is about half a mile on a surface of hard-packed dirt thats not too steep, rocky or narrow for wheelchairs. Most of the trail follows a stream, passing in and out of forested areas and rocky terrain.

The trail was constructed in 2010 with funding from Congress; in 2015 the SNRA built the final piece, connecting the trail to the lake.

Now when wheelchair users reach the lake they can access the shoreline for fishing, swimming and some lovely high-alpine views, said Susan James, the SNRAs recreation program manager. Forest Service employees report spotting mountain goats, elk, deer and the occasional bear.

Need to know: Getting to Phyllis Lake Trailhead involves roughly 10 miles on dirt roads. On Dec. 1, the Forest Service closes the road for the winter; even before then, the trip is weather dependent. Dont attempt it if there has been a lot of recent rain or snow.

Getting there: From Twin Falls, head north on Idaho 75 and cross Galena Summit into the Sawtooth Valley. Pass Smiley Creek Lodge and the turnoffs to Alturas and Pettit lakes before turning right (east) onto Forest Road 209, also known as Fourth of July Creek Road.

Its a rough dirt road and climbs a lot, James said. Its a long, slow drive.

Where Forest Road 209 reaches the Fourth of July Trailhead, continue southeast on the high-clearance Forest Road 53. At the end of 53 is Phyllis Lake Trailhead.

Information: 208-727-5000 or 800-260-5970.

2. Dog Creek Reservoir

At Dog Creek Reservoir north of Gooding, the fishing pier has bumpers and handrails so wheelchairs wont roll off, and the parking and vault toilet are accessible, too.

Dont expect stunning scenery.

The attraction there is the fishery itself, not necessarily the vista, said Doug Megargle, regional fishery manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

But the fishing is enough.

Its a mixed warm- and cold-water fishery stocked liberally with rainbow trout, and anglers have an opportunity to catch bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, channel catfish and the occasional tiger muskie.

Summer, when water temperatures are higher, is the time to go for bass, bluegill and pumpkinseed. In the fall, Fish and Game stocks catchable-size rainbow trout in Dog Creek Reservoir.

And thats very popular at that time for catching trout, Megargle said.

Need to know: Dont head out for a day of fishing without checking the states fishing regulations: https://idfg.idaho.gov/fish/rules

Getting there: From Idaho 46 north of Gooding, turn west onto 1300 South, then north onto 1800 East. After 0.9 miles on 1800 East, turn west onto the dirt access road for Dog Creek Reservoir.

The dirt road gets rutted at some times of year. But it still doesnt require a high-clearance vehicle, Megargle said; people get into it with your average sedan.

Information: 208-324-4359.

Want more? Fish and Games guide to accessible fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing locations is at https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/wildlife/ada/

3. Cottonwood Park

On the Bruneau arm of C.J. Strike Reservoir, Idaho Power Co. operates a 12-acre campground and marina thats particularly friendly to wheelchair access.

At Cottonwood Park, the campground is flat, not hilly. The 40-foot wide boat ramp is adjacent to a large loading platform, so its easy for anyone to get into boats. And wheelchair users will find everything in the park approachable: interpretive information, covered picnic shelter, marina, vault toilets and fishing piers.

Its really user friendly for people who have any kind of disability and small children, Idaho Power recreation program technician Cindy Sorensen said. Every time shes there, she said, she sees elderly anglers in their lawn chairs fishing.

Tents and RVs can all use the 28 universal campsites, and Cottonwood Park has three group campsites. A new pathway runs between the shore and the campsites so everyone has access to the reservoir.

Fishing is great there all year long  each month presents something different, Sorensen said. Crappie and bass provide excitement for children fishing from the marinas piers.

And any angler might like this tip: Idaho Power stocks 50,000 rainbow trout averaging 10 inches at the Bruneau Pools Cottonwood access every March  and another 52,250 in October.

Need to know: Camping fees are $8 per night from April 1 to Oct. 31, and $4 per night from Nov. 1 to March 31; people 60 or older get $2 off during summer and $1 off during winter. For any service-disabled veteran, camping is half-price all year long. Potable water, but no electrical hookups. No reservations. No fee for day use.

Getting there: From Bruneau, take Idaho 78 west; after 4.5 miles, turn north onto an unnamed road that heads toward the Bruneau arm of C.J. Strike Reservoir. Youll reach Cottonwood Campground after 1.2 miles on that gravel road.

Information: 208-388-6691 or 208-388-2231.

4. Lake Walcott State Park

At Lake Walcott State Park northeast of Rupert, water is high year-round and you can fish from shore all year. Boating closes for the winter Sept. 30.

Here the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, so park improvements follow the stricter federal guidelines for accessibility, park ranger Travis Taylor said. About two miles of paved trails wind through the park, passing several handicapped-accessible campsites for tents and RVs and a playground with accessible climbing wall, slides, teeter-totter and tunnels.

Behind the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office, a 200-yard paved trail leads to an accessible fishing dock and bird observation platform. Deer are common along that path, Taylor said, and from the platform youre likely to see gulls, waterfowl and western grebes. A nice perk: Fish and Wildlife recently installed a permanently mounted spotting scope that accommodates wheelchairs.

You get a really good view of the lake from that platform, he said.

Need to know: Like other state parks, Lake Walcott charges a $5 motor vehicle entry fee year-round  unless you have the $10 annual Idaho State Parks Passport available through the Department of Motor Vehicles.

For details on camping fees, visit https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/lake-walcott

Getting there: From Interstate 84, take Exit 211 at Heyburn. Drive northeast on Idaho 24, continuing 5.8 miles past Rupert; turn east onto 400 North (Minidoka Dam Road).

Information: 208-436-1258.

5. Smoky Mountain Campground

Its newer than many of its counterparts in the state park system, so Smoky Mountain Campground near Almo is also more accessible.

Built in 2006-07 and opened in 2007, the campground at Castle Rocks State Park has two fully accessible campsites with concrete paths to the shower house and restrooms  which, of course, are also handicapped-accessible. Campfire rings are twice as tall as usual so the cooking racks are more reachable for a camper in a wheelchair, and picnic tables are designed for wheelchairs to roll right up.

And instead of being stuck at the end of the bench, wheelchairs users join the middle of the table.

Theyre specially designed to integrate someone whos mobility challenged right in with the rest of the family, park manager Wallace Keck said.

And theres plenty to do once youre at Smoky Mountain Campground.

The visitor center that serves both Castle Rocks State Park and nearby City of Rocks National Reserve is accessible  as are its picnic area and the restrooms inside and outside of the center. There you can enjoy a film and interpretive exhibits, shop for books and maps and take pictures by an old wagon.

Throughout both parks are handicapped parking spaces as close as possible to various features, but wheelchair users may find they cant get much farther than the restrooms and picnic areas because trails become rugged after those points.

But an automobile tour through City of Rocks is rewarding, and accessible wayside exhibits and viewpoints explain the areas geology, history and prehistory.

Need to know: A daily $5 motor vehicle entry fee is required year-round at Castle Rocks  unless you have the $10 annual Idaho State Parks Passport.

Water is available in Smoky Mountain Campground from May 1 to Sept. 30  or slightly later, depending on weather. For Idaho residents, campsites are $25.44 per night, including tax, when water is available, and showers are $3. After the water is turned off sometime in October, campsites are $21.20.

Getting there: From Interstate 84, take Exit 216 at Declo. Go south on Idaho 77 to the Conner Creek Junction stop sign, then turn west onto Idaho 77 Spur to Almo. The visitor center for Castle Rocks and City of Rocks is south of Almos post office and businesses, and the Smoky Mountain Campground entrance is a short distance beyond the visitor center.

Information: 208-824-5901.
TWIN FALLS  While his mother was in a medically-induced coma, Brady Nixon found himself thrust into the role of primary caregiver for his four younger siblings.

For two months this spring, the 18-year-old juggled taking care of his family, working and wrapping up his senior year at Canyon Ridge High School.

Despite the challenges, he didnt think twice about stepping up in a huge way.

It came at me, so I just had to deal with it, Nixon said Friday. I would do it all again.

His biggest takeaway from the experience: I didnt realize how precious the time I spend with my family is.

Nixon is among 245 students wholl graduate Monday from Canyon Ridge High. In July, he starts an eight-year contract with the U.S. Navy.

He persisted

In February, Nixons mother and her boyfriend left for a vacation in Mexico. The original plan was that shed be only gone for two weeks, Nixon said.

But halfway through the trip, she developed a staph infection. It attacks your blood and just goes after your major organs, Nixon said.

His mother was in a medically-induced coma for a month at a hospital in Florida, followed by several weeks of recovery before she was allowed to go home.

Nixon found himself as the caregiver for his four siblings, ages 7, 12, 15 and 16.

He and his girlfriend helped pay the bills, and they got help with needs such as food, utility costs and emotional support from the Navy recruiting station, his mothers work and friends.

We got a little bit of help from everyone, he said.

Nixons method of coping: It might have not been the healthiest way, but I zoned it out, he said. I didnt want to, but I had to.

Most any other student probably would have given up in that situation, said Canyon Ridge principal Kasey Teske, whos a friend of Nixons family. He later added: What Brady did for his family was amazing during that time period.

Nixons typical days included going to school and working at the Discovery Research Group. At night, he kept the household up and running and was thinking about his mother, hoping shed come home, he said.

His mother returned home in mid-April and the medical challenges havent ended. We still arent quite out of the woods yet, Nixon said.

Last week, Nixon received a willpower award during a Canyon Ridge High awards ceremony.

Hes just a quiet, nice young man, Teske said. He persisted and has been successful. We get a lot of seniors who kind of falter, and sometimes even fall before graduation, and dont walk. He rose to the occasion and made it.

Now that hes done with high school, Nixon is heading into a new adventure. He signed an eight-year contract with the U.S. Navy. Hell start July 18 with boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill.

Nixon said joining the Navy was his mothers idea. He said she knew he wasnt keen on going to college.

Hell train as an electrical technician. Joining the Armed Forces, he said, is a way to gain skills he can use throughout this life.
BOISE  While no one yet knows exactly how much federal money will be given out to help pay for infrastructure damage in the Magic Valley, $50 million in state money is available to help cities and highway districts rebuild some of the roads that were damaged this winter.

Competition for it is already heavy.

Lawmakers approved the extra funding in early March, a few weeks after flooding brought on by melting snow wreaked havoc on roads throughout the Magic Valley. While the measure never had any opposition  it passed both the House and Senate unanimously  it lingered on the House calendar for almost three weeks after passing the Senate, held hostage by a larger fight over transportation funding. It passed on the last day of the session.

I applaud the Legislature for putting this money aside, Lt. Gov. Brad Little said in Hailey earlier this month, at a town hall meeting to discuss the flooding in Blaine County.

Of that $52 million, $2 million went right to the Office of Emergency Managements disaster fund and is being used already, said Jon Hanian, spokesman for Gov. C.L. Butch Otter.

Thats snow removal to sandbags, all of that kind of activity, Hanian said. That is being spent as we speak. In fact, some of that, theyre still applying out from previous disasters.

The rest will be given out in three rounds of applications, with the deadline for cities and highway districts to apply for the first round being May 15, the second June 15, and the last July 1. The state will give out $15 million for road projects in each of the first two rounds and the rest in the last.

The state got applications for 180 projects totaling more than $31.6 million by the May 15 deadline, said Office of Emergency Management spokeswoman Elizabeth Duncan.

The applicants are expected to put up 10 percent of the funding for the projects. A panel headed by Office of Emergency Management Deputy Chief Brad Richy and consisting of representatives from the governors office, Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho Association of Cities, Idaho Association of Counties, Association of Highway Districts and Local Highway Technical Assistance Council is making the funding decisions.
Twin Falls Senior

Citizen Center

530 Shoshone St. W., Twin Falls. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors 60 and older; $6, non-seniors; $3, children 9 and younger. Other items: cinnamon roll, $2; coffee 50 cents; soup to go, $3; lunch to go, $5.50. For lunch take-out, 11 a.m. to noon daily: 208-734-5084.

Today: Hamburger stroganoff

Tuesday: Polish sausage

Wednesday: Roasted chicken

Thursday: Cheeseburgers

Friday: Pork loin

Today: Quilting, 9 a.m.

Fit and Fall Proof exercise, 10:30 a.m., free

Mega Monday game, 11:45 a.m.

City of Twin Falls discussion with Senior Citizens Advisory Commission, 12:15 p.m.

Twin Falls Sheriffs Office answers seniors questions, 12:30 p.m.

Bridge, 1 p.m.

Art class, 1:30 p.m.

TOPS meeting, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Ticket Tuesday, 11:45 a.m.

Red Nose Awareness lunch, noon

Hand and foot canasta, 1 p.m.

Living Well With Diabetes free workshop, 1 to 3:30 p.m.; pre-registration is required: 208-734-5084

Art classes, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Pinochle, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Cinnamon roll sales, 7:30 a.m.

Quilting, 9 a.m.

Fit and Fall Proof, 10:30 a.m., free

Music by Legacy Band, 11:30 a.m.

Bridge, 1 p.m.

Laughter Therapy, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday: Organ music by Pat Blessin, 11:30 a.m.

Thunder Thursday game, 11:50 a.m.

Visually Impaired Support Group meeting, 12:45 p.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Hand and foot canasta, 1 p.m.

Art classes, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Ladies AA, 6 p.m.

Friday: Quilting, 9 a.m.

Fit and Fall Proof, 10:30 a.m., free

Special bingo with prizes, 11:45 a.m., free

Art class, 1:30 p.m.

West End Senior

Citizens Inc.

1010 Main St., Buhl. Lunch at noon, suggested donation: $5, seniors, 60 and older; $7, non-seniors; $7 for take-out dinners; and $4, children 10 and younger. Sunday buffet at 1 p.m.: $5, seniors, 60 and older; $7, non-seniors; $4, children 10 and younger. Bus for lunch pickup: 208-543-4577 by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Today: Grilled cheese sandwich, tomato soup

Tuesday: Turkey and noodles over toast

Wednesday: Breakfast, biscuits and gravy, 8 to 10 a.m.

Thursday: Spaghetti with meat sauce

Sunday: Closed

Today: SilverSneakers exercise program, 10:30 a.m.

Pinochle, 7 p.m.

Tuesday: Health fair blood draw, 7 to 10 a.m.

Board meeting, 10 a.m.

Wednesday: SilverSneakers, 10:30 a.m.

Bingo, early bird starts at 6:45 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Filer Senior Haven

222 Main St., Filer. Lunch at noon Tuesday through Thursday. Suggested donation: $5. 208-326-4608.

Tuesday: Croissant with turkey, ham and cheese

Wednesday: Baked fish fillet

Thursday: Birthdays, fried chicken

Today: Bingo, 7 p.m.

Tuesday: Puzzles, 11:30 a.m.

Bingo, 12:45 p.m.

Wednesday: Puzzles, 11:30 a.m.

Thursday: Puzzles, 11:30 a.m.

Bingo, 12:45 p.m.

Cards, 1:30 p.m.

Ageless Senior

Center

310 Main St. N., Kimberly. Salad bar at 11:30 a.m., lunch served at noon; take-out; home delivery. Seniors 60 and older, suggested donation is $6, under 60, $7.50 (not donations); meals to go, $7.50. 208-423-4338.

Wednesday: Meatloaf

Thursday: Salmon with lemon, or roast beef with gravy

Friday: Roasted turkey

Today: Exercise, 10 a.m.

AA meeting, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Snooker, 1 p.m.

Bible study, 1:30 p.m.

Bingo, 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Exercise, 10 a.m.

NuEar, 11:30 a.m.

Thursday: Crafts, 1 p.m.

Snooker, 1 p.m.

Friday: Exercise, 10 a.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Gooding Senior

Citizen Center

308 Senior Ave., Gooding. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $3.50 for seniors. 208-934-5504.

Today: Chicken strips

Tuesday: Haystacks

Wednesday: Beef tips with noodles

Thursday: Barbecued chicken

Today: Pool, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Fit and Fall Proof exercise, 11 a.m.

Pinochle, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Pool, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Hand and foot, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Pool, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Fit and Fall Proof, 11 a.m.

Shuffleboard, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday: Morning out, 9 a.m.

Pool, 9:30 a.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Open pool, 1 p.m.

Friday: Pool, 9:30 a.m.

Duplicate bridge, 1 p.m.

Bingo, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Wendell Senior

Center

380 First Ave. E. Lunch served at noon. Suggested donation: $4 for seniors; $6 for under 60. 208-536-9951.

Today: Potato bar with chili or broccoli and cheese

Friday: Cheeseburgers

Hagerman Valley

Senior and

Community Center

140 E. Lake, Hagerman. The center is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors 60 and older; $7, non-seniors. All take-outs, $6. 208-837-6120.

Today: Roast pork

Wednesday: Chicken fajita

Friday: Meatloaf

Today: Health fair blood draw and free hearing tests, 7 to 10 a.m.

50/50 raffle and Bridge Club, 1 p.m.

Friday: Two bingo games

Jerome Senior

Center

520 N. Lincoln St., Jerome. 208-324-5642. Salad bar at 11:30 a.m.; lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors (age 60 and older); $5, non-seniors; $3, children under 12.

Today: Liver and onions

Tuesday: Stroganoff over noodles

Wednesday: Grilled hamburgers

Thursday: Spaghetti with meatballs

Friday: Birthdays, baked chicken

Today: Fitness classes with certified instructors, 10:30 a.m. and 5:20 p.m.

Music by Ricki Lee, 11:30 a.m.

Bridge, 12:30 p.m.

Bunco, 12:45 p.m.

Tuesday: Fitness class, 10:30 a.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Wednesday: Fitness class, 10:30 a.m.

Country Boys Band, 11:30 a.m.

Womens pool, 1 p.m.

Pinochle, 6:30 p.m.

Square dancing

Thursday: Yoga, 10:30 a.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Hand and foot, 1 p.m.

Fitness class, 5:20 p.m.

Womens pool, 7 p.m.

Friday: Fitness class, 10:30 a.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

No bingo

Silver and Gold

Senior Center

210 E. Wilson, Eden. Lunch at noon Tuesday and Thursday. Breakfast at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Suggested donation: $5, seniors (age 60 and older); $6.50, non-seniors. 208-825-5662.

Today: Coffee, 7 a.m.

Tuesday: Coffee, 7 a.m.

Chef salad

Wednesday: Bible study, 7 a.m.

Breakfast, pancakes, bacon, 8 a.m.

Thursday: Coffee, 7 a.m.

Russian burger

Friday: Coffee, 7 a.m.

Richfield Senior

Center

130 S. Main, Richfield. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors; $5.50, under 60.

Today: Fried chicken

Thursday: Hamburgers

Golden Years Senior

Citizens Inc.

218 N. Rail St. W., Shoshone. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors 60 and older; $5.50, non-seniors. 208-886-2369.

Tuesday: Meat pizza

Wednesday: Turkey sandwich, potato soup

Friday: Roast

Today: Quilting, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Friday: Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Camas County Senior

Center

129 Willow Ave. W., Fairfield. Breakfast, 7:30-11 a.m. Monday through Friday. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors 60 and older; $5, non-seniors; $2.50, children 10 and younger. 208-764-2226.

Today: Breakfast, 7:30-11 a.m.

Tuesday: Spaghetti

Wednesday: Sweet and sour pork

Friday: Fried chicken

Monday: Exercise class, 9 a.m.

Tuesday: Quilting, 10 a.m.

Cards after lunch

Wednesday: Exercise class, 9 a.m.

Cards after lunch

Weight loss group, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Art class, 10 a.m.

Friday: Exercise, 9 a.m.

Quilting, 10 a.m.

Cards after lunch

Saturday: Breakfast, 8 to 10 a.m., cost is $5 (usually 2nd Saturday each month)

Blaine County

Senior Center

721 Third Ave. S., Hailey. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors; $7, non-seniors. 208-788-3468. Today: Italian meatballs and spaghetti

Tuesday: Pork loin

Wednesday: Baked chicken

Thursday: Turkey and sage stuffing

Friday: Fish and chips

Today: Fit and Fall Proof exercise, 11 a.m.

Connection Club, 11 a.m.

Tuesday: Fit and Fall exercise, Carey, 10 a.m.

Foot clinic

Connection Club, 11 a.m.

Bingo, 1 p.m.

Wednesday: Fit and Fall exercise, 11 a.m.

Kiwanis lunch, 11:30 a.m.

Thursday: Fit and Fall exercise, Carey, 10 a.m.

Connection Club, 11 a.m.

Card games, 1 p.m.

Friday: Connection Club, 11 a.m.

Fit and Fall exercise, 11 a.m.

Card games, 1 p.m.

Minidoka County

Senior Citizens

Center

702 11th St., Rupert. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors; $6, non-seniors; $3, children 10 and younger; $4.50, home delivery. 208-436-9107.

Today: Breakfast

Tuesday: Lasagna

Wednesday: Sweet and sour chicken

Thursday: Roast pork

Friday: Ribs and salad bar

Thursday: Pinochle, 6 p.m.

Friday: Bingo, 7 p.m.

The Senior Junction

2421 Overland Ave., Burley. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors and children 12 and younger; $6, non-seniors.208-878-8646.

Today: Meatloaf

Tuesday: Cooks choice

Wednesday: Pork chops

Thursday: Senior appreciation event

Friday: Spaghetti

Today: Open billiards, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Chair yoga, 10:45 a.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Tuesday: Woodcarvers, 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday: Open billiards, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Chair yoga, 10:45 a.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Thursday: Art with Shirley, 1 p.m.

Pinochle, 6 p.m.

Friday: Open billiards, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Pinochle, 1 p.m.

Dance, 7 p.m.

Lorna Reed Senior

Center

424 Market St., Albion. Open Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; lunch at noon. Suggested donation, $5 seniors, $6 non-seniors. Take-out available ($8.50), call by 11:30 a.m. 208-673-6210.

Wednesday: Liver and onions
Weight loss support

TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a nonprofit weight-loss support group, will meet weekly at several locations.

The Twin Falls chapter will meet at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., 208-734-2641 or 208-734-5300.

Other local chapters will meet at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at 2025 S. Highway 81 in Malta, 208-645-2438; 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the Jerome Public Library, 100 First Ave. E., 208-324-6693; 9:30 a.m. Thursday at 410 E. Third St. in Rupert, 208-436-6037 or 208-679-3518; and at 5:30 p.m. Friday at 1800 J St. in Heyburn, 208-678-8706 or 208-678-2622.

Parenting, coping support

Voices Against Violence is offering support groups at 212 Second Ave. W., No. 200, Twin Falls.

Parenting Group, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, to help improve parenting skills as well as learn rewards and consequences.

Mas alla de mi, Empoderando a las Mujeres domestic violence group in Spanish, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, for those who have been involved in an abusive or traumatic relationship, and also helps women develop a support system.

The Power to Change Group, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, provides information and support to women 18 and older, who have experienced difficulties in coping with past experiences.

Domestic Violence Support Group, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, provides information and community to individuals 18 and older, who have experienced domestic abuse or gender violence.

Information: 208-733-2558.

Yoga

Morning Bliss Yoga, 9 a.m. each Tuesday and Saturday at the Magic Valley YMCA, 1751 Elizabeth Blvd.

Stretch and strengthen your muscles through yoga with a strong focus on breath and body alignment.

Free to the community. 208-733-4384.

Happy babies

Happiest Baby on the Block class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Oak Room 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Learn a step-by-step approach to soothing your baby, and receive a parenting kit to use at home.

Cost is $15; pre-registration is required: 208-814-0402.

Health fair

Pomerelle Places annual health fair, 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at 1301 Bennett Ave. in Burley. Lab screenings include wellness $50, A1C $15 and prostate $15, and will be provided by Cassia Regional Medical Center. Vendors will be available to answer questions about their services. Open to the public.

Information: 208-677-8212.

Blood drive

The American Red Cross has scheduled a blood drive from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the American Legion Post 77 Wilbur C. Hall main room, 132 E. Wayne St. in Paul.

To schedule an appointment, contact Wyatt Saunders at 208-679-1215.

CPR, infant safety

Infant safety and cardiopulmonary resuscitation class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

New parents, grandparents and caregivers learn CPR and what to do if an infant chokes. The class isnt a certification course.

Free; no registration required. 208-814-0402.

Alzheimers support

Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapter, will hold Caregiver Support Group meetings from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at DeSano Place Suites, 545 Nevada St., Gooding, 208-934-4623; and from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at DeSano Place Village, 1015 E. Ave. K, Jerome; information: Becci Bowler, 208-749-1621.

Vision support

Visually Impaired Support Group meeting, 12:45 to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., Twin Falls.

Topics: glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes-caused vision problems.

Information: Idaho Commission for the Blind, 208-734-2140.

Rides for treatments

The American Cancer Societys Road to Recovery program provides free transportation to and from treatment for people with cancer who do not have a ride or are unable to drive. There are several volunteer drivers in the Mini-Cassia area who donate their time and the use of their car so patients can receive life-saving treatments.

To schedule a ride to treatments, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 to be matched with a volunteer driver.

Grief support

Visions of Hope meeting, 5 p.m. every Thursday at Hospice Visions, 1770 Park View Drive, Twin Falls.

This grief support group is open to everyone in the community.

Information: 208-735-0121.

Mental health support

Mental Health Support Group will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays at 826 Eastland Drive in Twin Falls. The free support group is open to Magic Valley residents.

Information: 208-539-7492.

Grief support

Griefshare meeting, 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Lighthouse Church, 960 Eastland Drive, Twin Falls.

Anyone who has lost a loved one or friend is welcome to attend. A separate class for pre-teen and teens will meet at the same time. Participants can attend any session. Enter through the east doors at the rear of the building.

Information: 208-737-4667.

Childbirth

St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Centers prepared childbirth classes, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, May 30 through June 27, in Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

Topics: Wellness during pregnancy; labor and delivery process with relaxation and breathing techniques; caesarean birth; postpartum care for mother and newborn; infant CPR; car seat and home safety; and a tour of the maternal and child units. Bring a labor-support person if possible.

Cost is $25 for a five-week session. Pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402.

Childbirth

St. Lukes Magic Valley prepared childbirth bootcamp, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 3 in the Oak Room at St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. This session is for those unable to attend the five-week prepared childbirth classes.

Topics: wellness during pregnancy; labor process with relaxation and breathing techniques; videos of deliveries and labor positions; and care of the postpartum mother and newborn. Bring a labor support person if possible.

Cost is $25 and pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402.
Republicans like to point out how disastrous President Barack Obamas tenure was for the Democratic Party. During his presidency, Democrats reached new lows in state legislative, gubernatorial and congressional seats. More than 1,000 state and federal seats moved to the GOP. And though many prefer to blame James Comey or Russia, there can be no question that Democratic losses in 2016 were compounded by an inept Clinton campaign team that ignored the plight of working-class Americans in the Rust Belt, focusing instead on people who looked and thought just like they did.

Donald Trump was able to connect with voters with whom he had nothing in common largely because the Clinton campaign left a vacuum on the other side of the aisle, which Trump gladly filled. Nonetheless, throughout 2016 I maintained my opposition to Trump for three reasons, two of which are increasingly, worryingly relevant.

First, I did not think Trump could beat Hillary Clinton. When it came to the popular vote, of course, he did not, but thanks to roughly 70,000 people in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, he won the presidency.

Second, I thought that Trump, even if he won, would be deeply destructive to the national fabric and to the conservative ideas I support.

Third, I strongly believed that Trump lacks moral character and that he sets a bad example both for my children and for people of faith.

Unfortunately, while I was wrong about my first concern, I am increasingly worried about the latter two. Trumps evangelical Christian supporters often told me that whether we liked Trump or not, we needed him to save the Supreme Court. My response remains that four years of Clinton appointing judges, while awful, would be nothing compared with a generational wipeout of the GOP. Watergate may have turned Charles Colson from hatchet man to pastor, but the defense of President Trump is turning a lot of pastors into hatchet men. Few people come away from Trumps orbit without compromising their characters.

A Republican reckoning is on the horizon. Voters are increasingly dissatisfied with a Republican Party unable to govern. And congressional Republicans increasingly find themselves in an impossible position: If they support the president, many Americans will believe they are neglecting their duty to hold him accountable. But if they do their duty, Trumps core supporters will attack them as betrayersand then run primary candidates against them.

Through it all, voter dissatisfaction has been growing. Trumps core might stand with him, as he claimed, even if he killed someone in the middle of the street. But would those 70,000 voters who put him in the White House? As the president acts more irrationally and his Twitter rantings become more unhinged, will he draw more people to himself and his party than he will repel? I suspect not.

The president exudes incompetence and instability. Divulging classified information to the Russians through bragging; undermining his staffs defense of his conduct through inane tweets; even reportedly asking the FBI director to suspend an investigation of a former adviserall these strike me not so much as malicious but as the ignorant actions of an overwhelmed man. Republicans excuse this behavior as Trump being Trump, but that will only embolden voters who seek greater accountability to choose further change over stability. The sad reality is that the greatest defense of the president available at this point is one his team could never give on the record: He is an idiot who does not know any better.

It is becoming ever clearer that Trump has the potential to cause more damage to the Republican Party than Obama did the Democrats.

Trump still thinks he stands in contrast to Clinton, when in reality, for voters watching the chaos unfold, he stands in contrast both to a more level-headed Vice President Pence and an unknown generic Democratneither of whom constantly reminds people of their incompetence. Unless Republican leaders stage an intervention, I expect them to experience a deserved electoral blood bath in November 2018.
This appeared in Sundays Washington Post.

President Donald Trump had two responses to last weeks appointment of a special counsel to take over the Russia investigationone unbecoming, the other somewhat reasonable.

The entire thing has been a witch hunt, Trump declared at a Thursday news conference, denying that there was any collusion between his campaign and Russian operatives seeking to disrupt the 2016 election. I think it divides the country. That is rich coming from a man who has exacerbated national divisions for political gain, and whose abrupt and unnecessary dismissal of FBI Director James Comey spurred the appointment of a special counsel.

But, the president later said, we have to get back to running this country really, really well. Putting aside that Trump has not yet run the country well, there is some wisdom there.

It will take time for special counsel Robert Mueller III to conduct a fair investigation, particularly if he is to be appropriately thorough, examining any financial connections Trump has to Russia and any pressure the president put on the FBI to drop its investigation. Meanwhile, the revelations of the past two weeks demand that the House and Senate intensify their own Russia investigations. Congress has a new charge: considering whether the president committed obstruction of justice, which only lawmakers are empowered to decide. Yet they, too, will require time if they are to assess the issues Congress is uniquely suited to probeany noncriminal misjudgments and ethical lapses by Trump and his circle, not to mention how to prepare the country for future Russian cyberattacks.

The countrys business cannot stagnate in the meantime. That means Trump must stop expressing and acting on his undeserved sense of self-pity. It means that Democrats will have to talk about something other than impeachment in the coming weeks. And it means that congressional Republicans will have to face the task at which they have so far failed: governing responsibly.

The countrys health-care system is on the verge of crisis, induced in large part by Republican refusal to administer the system properly. The availability of crucial federal subsidies the government promised to health insurers remains in doubt, because of administration and congressional bungling. Meanwhile, Republicans ham-handed effort to rewrite federal health policywhich requires tweaking, not a destabilizing overhaulhas only stoked more uncertainty among the insurers upon which the system relies.

So yes, the president and Congress need to focus on running the country. And running it well, for a change.
Fictional dramas and thrillers employ conspiracies regularlytheyre a good devicebut actual, significant, real and successful conspiracies are a rare thing.

In American history, only a few have managed to achieve their purpose, even a limited purpose, before coming unspun. The Lincoln assassination conspiracy was one; the 9/11 conspiracy was another. Most others you might think of either werent really conspiracies, or very significant, or didnt work out. And the Lincoln conspiracy only halfway succeeded; most of the targets were just injured or hurt not at all.

Conspiracies are hard, because they rely on total secrecy (you know what happens when you start sharing your secrets), a good plan, a short time frame, discipline and a tight organization. And other things. The elements seldom come together, and hardly ever when more than a very few people are involved. Conspiracies involving large groups spun out over a long time hardly ever work. When theyre tried, they usually collapse and fail. If someone tries to sell you such a thing, be highly skeptical.

Turning now to the saga of Alex Jones and Chobani.

Jones is the host of the program Infowarsthe title always struck me as an unwitting acknowledgement it is waging war on actual informationwhich peddles conspiracy theories. Most are national and many explicitly political, but Jones ran into problems when he zeroed in on Twin Falls and one of the food processing companies with operations there, Chobani.

Chobani, which makes yogurt, was founded in New York by businessman Hamdi Ulukaya. The name Chobani descends from Turkish and Persian antecedents. Ulukaya himself is a Turkish immigrant and has spoken out about refugee problems. He has followed up with meaningful action, employing more than 300 refugees as employees. (And he and Chobani have been honored for their efforts.)

For people of a certain persuasion, all this may be enough for a bit of a side-eye.

All this also was, naturally, grist for the conspiracy-minded. In April, Infowars reported: Idaho Yogurt Maker Caught Importing Migrant Rapists and said its employees had led to a 500% increase in tuberculosis in Twin Falls. A big conspiracy was afoot.

And Jones said he would come to Idaho for a reckoning, for reporting that would, show the Islamists getting off of the planes. Challenged on all this in a lawsuit filed by Chobani, Jones declared stoutly, Im choosing this as a battle. On this I will stand. I will win, or I will die. Im not backing down. Im never giving up. I love this.

Yeah. Well. That was so last month. Heres what he said, in settling a Chobani defamation lawsuit, this week:

During the week of April 10, 2017, certain statements were made on the Infowars Twitter feed and YouTube channel regarding Chobani, LLC that I now understand to be wrong. The tweets and video have now been retracted and will not be reposted. On behalf of Infowars, I regret that we mischaracterized Chobani, its employees, and the people of Twin Falls, Idaho, the way we did.

From what Ive seen, Ulukaya and the Chobani people have too much class to gloat. At least in public.

So allow me, right here, to do that on their behalf. And offer the reminder that in the real world, actual attempts at conspiracy tend to come undone, in ungainly ways, all on their own, without any help from Alex Jones.
Dubai police Sunday presented the worlds first Robocop capable of identifying crime and petty offenses.

The Robocop was presented at the ongoing Gulf Information and Security Expo and Conference in Dubai.

The Robocop, 170 centimetres tall and weighing 100 kilograms, is outfitted with built-in tablet device and built-in cameras. It will stream video to the police command centre and help people to complete smart police services through robocop using credit cards for payments, resulting in an enhanced customer service experience.

Named Dubai Police Robot, smart police cop can speak Arabic and English but promotors say other languages such as Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish will be added to its program.

Dubai Police Robot will be used at mall and tourist sites where people can tap a touchscreen on his chest and report a crime or pay traffic fines.

It has a smart intelligence system so it can protect people from crime, because it can broadcast what is happening right away to our command and control centre, said Brig Al Razooqi, Dubai Police director general of smart services.

Dubai authorities are looking to replace 25 per cent of police staff by robots, by 2030, to enable police to focus on crime prevention.

Police data from the robot will be shared with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority to predict traffic bottlenecks, Emirati media The National reports.
Israel Sunday lambasted the multi-billion arms deal between Saudi Arabia and the United States, struck in Riyadh on Saturday as Israeli officials fear the future arms acquisition may put Saudi Arabia in a more comfortable power position in the region at the expense of Israel.

President Trump and King Salman Saturday inked a $110 billion arms deal, which could stretch out to $380 billion over ten years.

The deal deemed the largest ever between the US and Saudi Arabia will equip the Saudi kingdom with advanced air defense systems, ships, helicopters, intelligence-gathering aircraft, tanks, artillery and cybersecurity systems.

Israel fears the deal will weaken its defense and requests that Washington preserves Israels Qualitative Military Edge (QME).

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz harshly laid into the agreement arguing that Saudi Arabia is a hostile country and the move puts Israel under threat.

[Saudi Arabia] is not a country that we have diplomatic relations with it is still a hostile country and nobody knows what the future holds, Steinitz said, according to AFP.

Ayoob Kara, another close aid of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also criticised the deal arguing that despite the improving ties between Israel and Sunni Muslim states like Saudi Arabia, there is still a risk to Israels military superiority, the Times of Israel reports.

Kara further noted that he would discuss the issue with Netanyahu in coming cabinet meetings.

Other Israeli experts have downplayed the deal as they argued that the US has always considered Israel military advantage over that of Arab countries.

Yaakov Amidror, former national security adviser to the prime minister notes that Israel has no reason to worry about the massive Saudi-US arms deals, arguing that it is not new for Washington to provide Riyadh with advanced weaponry systems.

It does not change the balance [of power] in the Middle East, Amidror said.

The US administration is very sensitive about keeping Israels military edge. That was the case for previous US administrations, and I am sure its also true for the current administration, he said.

The statements were made on the eve of the US Presidents visit to Israel this Monday. It is the second leg of his first international tour, which will take him to the Vatican as well. Trump will meet with the Israeli Premier and also with the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem in a move to revive moribund peace talks.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates has rebuked Europe for providing shelter for terrorists, saying that European countries including UK, Germany and Italy are doing less in the fight against terrorism than Saudi Arabia.

Terrorists for the Emirati top diplomat are more vocal in those European countries than in Arab-Islamic countries, warning that Europe could see the emergence of more radicals.

The UAE official was speaking at a panel discussion on digital responses to extremism with his Saudi counterpart Adel Al-Jubeir.

The voices we hear calling for murder and shedding blood and stealing the wealth of people are in London, Germany, Spain and Italy. There will come a day when we see far more radicals, extremists and terrorists coming from Europe because of lack of decision-making, and trying to be politically correct.

From now on, we will name and shame these countries. We will classify them as incubators of terror if they dont address this problem of terrorism in their lands, he said

Saudi Arabia is more keen to fight terrorism than the Europeans, Sheikh Abdullah insisted.

France, Germany, UK, Spain and Italy have been more affected by terror acts than most Gulf countries. The Islamic State group (IS) has been able to establish sleep as well as active cells in those countries.

The terror group uses social media to recruit would-be terrorists to commit terror acts in their countries or to join its ranks in Raqqa and Mosul strongholds respectively in Syria and Iraq.

Zayed Al-Nahyan also rebuked social media companies as he pointed out that contents on the platforms are used by terror groups in their recruitment and attempt to hijack the religions.

Social media (players) must realize that there is content that is exploited by extremist and terrorist groups that want to recruit our sons and daughters and want to hijack religion, the UAE minister said.

Unfortunately, there is a legislative vacuum at the international level to criminalize this content.

Adel al Jubeir on his part underlined the challenges countries face to decode the identity to barbaric users.

There must be a way of knowing who will misuse these means, Al-Jubeir said.
US President Donald Trump Sunday called for international cooperation between America and the Muslim world in the fight against terrorism, underscoring that terrorists do not worship God but death.

I ask you to join me, to join together, to work together, and to fight together, because united we will not fail The path to peace begins right here, Trump said in an address to Arab-Islamic leaders from Riyadh, where he was on a visit part of his first foreign trip abroad.

We must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet historys great test: To conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism. Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence and innocent of hatred. And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples, he added.

The US President, who urged countries no to provide shelter to terrorists, indicated that he is not against Islam as reported with regards his travel ban on some Muslim countries.

I stand before you as a representative of the American people to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic faith, he said.

Peace is possible, he said, insisting that it is not a battle between faiths or civilizations.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals, who seek to obliterate human life and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil.

Trumps visit to Saudi Arabia marks a new chapter between America and the Islamic world led by the Saudi kingdom. His speech has been likened to Obamas historical address in Cairo in 2009.
President Donald Trump who has been very supportive of Israel during his presidential campaign reaffirmed Monday that the ties existing between the United States and Israel are unbreakable.

President Trump, who arrived in Israel on Monday from Saudi Arabia on his maiden foreign trip as President, said I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the State of Israel.

The two countries are major allies and cooperation between their governments is expected to be strengthened under Trumps administration after reaching an all-time low during former President Obamas tenure.

President Trump is hoping relations between the two countries will be improved. We love Israel he stated before inviting regional countries to work together to build a future where the nations of the region are at peace and generations could grow free from terrorism and violence.

Trump said he has found new reasons for hope following his travels in recent days while assuring Israelis that the United States of America are with them.

During his campaign, he had promised to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem but echoes of such plans have been slowly fading away.

The American president will also be meeting with Palestinian authorities but the outcome of talks have been downplayed by some Hamas supporters after Trump termed the group as a terrorist organization. The meeting between Trump and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine is expected to dwell on efforts to revive peace talks, which have been stalled since 2014, although Trump has not so far disclosed any roadmap for putting the negotiations process back on track.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
Pope Francis on Sunday called for an end to violence in the Central African Republic as ongoing attacks by Christian militias have killed scores in the War-torn nation.

At his weekly Sunday noon prayer at the Vatican, Pope Francis made an appeal for the guns to be silenced in the Central African Republic.

Unfortunately painful news arrives from the Central African Republic, a country I carry in my heart, especially after my visit in November 2015, the Pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peters Square.

The Pope went on to say that the fighting had claimed many victims, displaced people and threatened the peace process.

He voiced his closeness to the people, the bishops, and to all those who work for the good of the people and for peaceful coexistence in the CAR.

In recent months, roaming militias spurred by ethnic and religious rivalries have stepped up violence despite pledges to take part in a government-led disarmament program, Reuters reported.

According to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, at least 22 people, including 17 civilians, were killed during fighting between the two groups this month in the western town of Bria. Nearly 10,000 others were forced to flee the bloodshed.

The Central African nation has been plagued by inter-religious violence since 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka fighters seized power and ousted then-President Francois Bozize.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi this weekend announced major development projects in Cape Verde as the two nations are looking to further deepen bilateral ties.

Visiting the West-African Archipelago, Wang Yi told reporters that the two countries agreed to work towards developing the Islands marine economy.

China welcomes Cape Verde to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, especially the construction of a Maritime Silk Road, the Chinese official said.

According to Cape Verdes Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Filipe Tavares, Cape Verde supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to take the opportunity of developing the Sao Vicente special economic zone to join the initiative.

Wang Yi has also announced other projects in the field of tourism, infrastructure and human resources development. The China-Africa Development Fund (CADF) is funding a minimum of $25 million worth of projects in the Archipelago.

The economy of Cape Verde is expected to see real growth of 3.7% this year and 4.1% in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, the IMF indicated earlier this year.

The growth will be supported by foreign direct investment, domestic demand, agriculture and tourism, as well as a slight recovery in Europe, said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a report.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has stated that he was shocked at the harsh conditions in which refugees and migrants are held, generally due to lack of resources while stressing that the time has come for us, as the UN refugee agency, to step up our presence and activities in the country.

Grandi was on a visit to Libya were an estimated 1,3million of internally displaced, vulnerable, host communities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are reportedly struggling.

The North African country has been unstable since 2011 when the uprising against the Gadhafi regime began.

Grandi said the challenges of operating in an unstable and volatile environment such as Libya today should not be underestimated. He added that the UNHCR is determined to provide accessibility amid the enormous strain and risks that their staff is facing while acknowledging that delivering the much needed protection and assistance is a constant challenge.

There are several authorities in Libya claiming political legitimacy. Although the UN-backed Government of National Accord largely enjoys international support it has limited influence on the ground. The Tobruk-based House of Representatives has a strong military support from the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar. Libyan authorities have often voiced concerns that the illegal migrants could be mercenaries or be easily recruited by the Islamic State group.

I fully appreciate that the government has security concerns Grandi stated before adding that we are doing whatever we can to help the Libyans manage better these issues.

He hopes that asylum seekers and refugees can be taken out of detention centers in a first step and other solutions could be found for people from conflict marred countries such as Syria and Somalia. Children, women and men who have suffered so much already should not have to endure such hardship.

The situation in Libya has proven to be very volatile and efforts to reach a ceasefire or a peace deal have successively failed.
News

Thursday 10 November 2022

Anatoly Rozenfeld awarded NSW Premiers Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year

Physicist recognised for dedication to improving radiation treatments for cancer

Read More about Anatoly Rozenfeld awarded NSW Premiers Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year

University

Wednesday 9 November 2022

UOW researchers named Australias best in 14 fields

Academics recognised for excellence in the Australian Research 2023 Magazine

Read More about UOW researchers named Australias best in 14 fields

University

Wednesday 9 November 2022

$1M boost to produce next-gen entrepreneurs

Funding to establish two entrepreneurship programs at the University

Read More about $1M boost to produce next-gen entrepreneurs

Opinion

Friday 4 November 2022

Are bananas really radioactive? An expert clears up common misunderstandings about radiation

Is it true everything around us is radioactive, even the food we eat?

Read More about Are bananas really radioactive? An expert clears up common misunderstandings about radiation

Education

Thursday 3 November 2022

Social justice the driving force for educator, researcher, and mentor

Professor Paul Chandler receives Emeritus Professorship from UOW

Read More about Social justice the driving force for educator, researcher, and mentor

Arts and Culture

Thursday 3 November 2022

'Worlds collide' as disability advocate and journalism lecturer celebrates PhD

Dr Shawn Burns on why the media needs to be better at reporting on people with disabilities and the NDIS
BUILDING THE LA RAZA 'The Race' WELFARE STATE ON MIDDLE AMERICAS' BACKS: Months ago, the Biden administration publicly defended their proposal to begin providing federal identification cards to border crossers and illegal aliens who they plan to release into American communities. The goal of the proposal is to make securing public benefits easier.
@PatriciaMazzei

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum has been getting some national attention for his Florida governor bid, what with a mention last week in the New York Times.

On Monday, he notched another little bit of attention: an endorsement from former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, who will host a fundraiser for Gillum in South Florida on June 3.

"Our nation is at its best when it matches hard work with real opportunity. That's the essence of the American Dream," Castro said in a statement released by Gillum's campaign. "I'm proud to support Andrew Gillum for Governor because Andrew, the son of a construction worker and a bus driver, has worked hard to achieve his own dreams--and he's worked just as hard to ensure that Floridians from every walk of life can achieve theirs."

Castro had previously tweeted praise at Gillum when he announced his candidacy.
@ByKristenMClark

A national Hispanic conservative group is showing its gratitude to 18 Republican state lawmakers who were crucial to passing a controversial and charter-friendly K-12 public schools bill, in the hopes of building more support for Gov. Rick Scott to sign the legislation into law.

The LIBRE Initiative -- which is supported by the Koch Brothers -- is mailing out bilingual fliers this week to voters represented by the three House members and 15 senators. The group is letting residents know their senator supported HB 7069 and is urging the resident to ask Scott to approve it.

The Initiative and another Koch-affiliated group, Americans for Prosperity, are among the school choice proponents of HB 7069 that want to see it enacted -- in contrast to county school superintendents, almost all elected school boards, and parent groups and teachers unions that want the legislation vetoed.

"Right now, too many Florida students are trapped in failing schools that are not meeting their educational needs. This is why it is essential for Governor Scott to sign H.B. 7069 into law and empower students and parents with more options to choose schools that better serve their educational needs," Cesar Grajales, the LIBRE Initiatives coalitions director, said in a statement. "We urge Gov. Scott to quickly sign this bill and remove unnecessary barriers so our students dont have to remain stuck in schools that are failing to provide a quality education."

Those targeted by the mailers are: House Speaker Richard Corcoran of Land O'Lakes, and Reps. Manny Diaz Jr. of Hialeah and Michael Bileca of Miami; and Senate President Joe Negron of Stuart and Sens. Dennis Baxley of Ocala, Lizbeth Benacquisto of Fort Myers, Rob Bradley of Fleming Island, Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg, Anitere Flores of Miami (shown above), Bill Galvano of Bradenton, Tom Lee of Thonotosassa, Debbie Mayfield of Vero Beach, Kathleen Passidomo of Naples, Keith Perry of Gainesville, Wilton Simpson of Trilby, Kelli Stargel of Lakeland, Greg Steube of Sarasota and Dana Young of Tampa.

Corcoran, Diaz and Bileca shepherded HB 7069 through the House, one of the chamber's top priorities of session. The 15 senators listed represent most of the 20 Republican senators whose votes were vital in ensuring HB 7069 passed.

It was approved on a 20-18 vote in the Senate, so one more opposing vote would have killed it. (Flores was the only Miami-Dade County senator to support it.)

The LIBRE Initiative's latest direct-mail campaign comes two weeks ago after the group sent out mailers hailing five select Republicans -- Negron, Corcoran, Diaz, Bileca and Clearwater Rep. Chris Latvala -- who were key to pushing through the school choice measure in the final days of session.


@PatriciaMazzei

To run in a special Florida Senate election, state Rep. Jose Felix Diaz will resign from the House later this year, according to a letter he filed late last week with the state division of elections.

Diaz's resignation will be effective Sept. 26, the day Gov. Rick Scott set for the special Senate District 40 election.

The Miami Republican submitted his resignation last Thursday. Florida law requires candidates in state office to resign to run for another state seat. The deadline to do so was Saturday.

Diaz is running to replace Sen. Frank Artiles, who resigned last month from his competitive Southwest Miami-Dade County seat. Other Republicans in the race include former Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla and attorney Lorenzo Palomares-Starbuck.

Candidates have until next Wednesday to qualify for the ballot. Diaz's resignation will require a special election to replace him.

View Diaz's letter here.

Photo credit: Mark Wallheiser, Associated Press
@ByKristenMClark

Add the Florida School Boards Association to the growing list of groups calling for a veto of HB 7069, the mammoth $419 million K-12 public schools bill Republican lawmakers unveiled and passed in the final days of their annual session.

In a letter to Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday, the FSBA -- which represents 64 of the state's 67 elected county school boards -- calls the bill "substantially flawed and unworthy of your approval to be enacted into law."

"One of our many objections to the bill is that, during a legislative session when leaders proclaimed to be the epitome of transparency in the legislative process, this massive bill was cobbled together behind closed doors," wrote FSBA executive director Andrea Messina and FSBA president Tim Harris, a Polk County School Board member.

"Because the bill was unveiled so late in the process, there was no realistic opportunity for members of the public and, by their own admission, some members of the legislature to even read the bill in full, let alone carefully evaluate its contents and repercussions," they said.

MORE: "Veto schools bill and starvation-level K-12 spending, critics urge Gov. Scott"

Among the contents of the bill itself, the FSBA raised concerns about provisions they see as "confiscating the constitutional authority of the locally elected school board," such as new regulations on how Title I dollars can be spent.

"We welcome all suggestions of strategies to improve the delivery of these services and acknowledge that room for improvement exists. However, we cannot condone proposals that fail to recognize local conditions and priorities and that would gut successful district programs and deprive eligible and highly vulnerable students from receiving services," Messina and Harris said in their letter.

They said the FSBA also found the "Schools of Hope" plan and the "Best & Brightest" reforms "deeply troubling," while "our most significant concern" surrounds a formula change requiring districts to share with privately managed charter schools local tax revenue earmarked for capital projects.

Read the FSBA's full letter here.

The FSBA represents every elected school board in the state except for three: those in Nassau, Indian River and Seminole counties.

It's not to be confused with the conservative Florida Coalition of School Board members -- which speaks for just 50 of the 356 individual school board members statewide. The coalition is among the staunch supporters of HB 7069, heralding its passage as "Christmas for ed reformers in Florida" and as checking off "nearly everything on our list" of session priorities.

The coalition's leaders have strong ties to Republican lawmakers: Jacksonville Republican Rep. Jason Fischer himself was a founding member and director of the coalition in 2016 when he was a Duval County School Board member. Also founding members and still on the board are: Martin County School Board member Rebecca Negron -- the wife of Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart -- and Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds, the wife of Naples Republican Rep. Byron Donalds.

Photo credit: Andrea Messina, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association. (Courtesy of FSBA)


@PatriciaMazzei

Protesters greeted state Rep. Daisy Baez outside her Coral Gables home Monday morning, asking for her resignation because she doesn't live in her House district as required by Florida law.

"Resign now!" the protesters chanted. "Liar liar liar," one of the signs read.

About 18 people held signs on the sidewalk in front of Baez's house on Malaga Avenue at around 8:30 a.m. The house is in House District 112, but Baez, a Democrat, represents neighboring House District 114, as the Miami Herald reported last week.

Three days later, Baez dropped out of a special Florida Senate election where she had been the Democratic Party favorite.

Several protesters said they had seen Baez leave the house a little earlier Monday morning.

"She read my sign and sped off in a white Mercedes," said Mercedes Plasencia, a West Miami retiree. No cars were parked in front of the house by the time a Herald reporter arrived.

Mauricio Pons, 20, criticized Baez for failing to live in her district, despite a Florida constitutional requirement that she do so.

"That's like if the mayor of Miami lived in Coral Gables," said Pons, who described himself as a conservative. Neither he nor Plasencia would say which political group organized the protest.

A Herald reader said she received a robocall early Monday afternoon alerting her about Baezs residency issues.

Baez is registered to vote in District 112. She told the Herald last week that she keeps two residences, including a rented apartment on Anderson Road in District 114. She changed her voter registration to that address six days before Election Day last November.

But the apartment is occupied by its owner, who wouldn't explain what sort of arrangement she has with Baez. And a neighbor said Baez doesn't live in the boutique building.

Local blogger Elaine de Valle reported over the weekend that Baez acknowledged she sleeps in her Malaga Avenue house, outside the district. Baez told de Valle she made an offer Saturday on a property within District 114 boundaries.

Spotted outside of Baez's Malaga Avenue house Monday morning: a new "For Rent" sign.
@JeremySWallace

Gov. Rick Scott appears to have already lost the battle over protecting Enterprise Floridas funding, but you wouldnt know if from his latest press releases touting the agencys most recent accomplishments.

Scott released a statement this morning that claims that a recent Enterprise Florida sponsored trade mission to Argentina has already generate $24 million in expected sales for 40 companies that were part of the trip.

Enterprise Florida led this mission and they do important work to connect Florida small business with opportunities in international markets, Scott said in a statement to the media. We are competing in a global economy, and many of these businesses would not have the resources or opportunities to market themselves across the world if not for Enterprise Florida. It is disappointing that the Legislature chose to disregard the impact not fully funding EFI could have on our job creators and families.

The Florida Legislature earlier this month passed a budget that strips Enterprise Florida of job incentive money and slashes the agencys budget from about $24 million to $16 million to do things like trade missions to other nations. Scott famously toured the state for two months touting the agency and ran television ads warning the Legislature against disrupting the agency that he has relied on to promote his job creation programs.

The Florida House has led the charge to cut funding for Enterprise Florida. House Speaker Richard Corcoran has called Enterprise Floridas incentive programs corporate welfare and argued that more important for economic development is improving education and public infrastructure.
via @learyreports

Sen. Marco Rubio on Sunday differed with President Trump's speech in Saudi Arabia, saying a more forceful stance on human rights is needed.

"We are not here to lecture," Trump said. "We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership based on shared interests and values to pursue a better future for us all."

CNN host Jake Tapper said he couldn't imagine Rubio saying that. Rubio replied:

"Well, I mean, yes, that would not have been a part of a speech that I would have delivered, for the reason that I think it's in our national security interest to advocate for democracy and freedom and human rights, now, with a recognition that you may not get it overnight. There needs to be a period of transition. And I think, further in that speech, they talk about gradual improvements in places, which I think is wise and pragmatic. That said, I would tell you that the White House and I have a different approach on the issue of human rights. I'm much more forceful and open and vocal about criticizing whether it's Egypt or Saudi Arabia for its human rights record.

"The White House is convinced they can get better results by addressing those issues in private one on one. And, in fairness, there are issues we have raised with the White House. They have then raised it with foreign leaders and have gotten results. Aya Hijazi was released from Egypt, and Sandy Phan-Gillis was released from China. But those are, you know, one case. There are thousands of these cases."

Rubio also addressed his cautious approach to the Russia investigation and Venezuela.

--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
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For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts Page
The UN C24 Regional Seminar in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was my fourth occasion to testify as an expert in this setting. My first invitation was in Ecuador in 2013. This was followed by twice in Nicaragua in 2015 and 2016. After going through my old testimonies in preparation for this year's seminar I did not cringe, as I normally would when reviewing old work or writings. I noticed in my first instance of testifying that I was very general and almost theoretical. I was using elements of the dissertation in Ethnic Studies that I had just finished a few years earlier. In the years since I have shifted to providing more updates to the C24 and more facts about what is happening and the impediments that Chamorros and Guam face.





As a bit of nostalgia, I'll post here my testimony from the regional seminar in Quito, Ecuador.









************************





Statement to the Regional Seminar on the Implementation of the

Third Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism





Quito, Ecuador, May 28  30, 2013





Michael Lujan Bevacqua, Ph.D.

University of Guam / Independence for Guam Task Force





The world has come to a consensus that colonization was not right and that colonialism should be eradicated. Whatever rhetoric countries once used to justify exploitation and expansion and their domination over other free peoples has been disproven. Although progress and development can come about through colonization it is neither the most effective or the most moral way of carrying this out.





The arc of history seems to clearly bend in one direction, from colony to decolonization. There are only 17 non-self-governing territories left in the world, and close to 200 independent nations, many of them former colonies. This truth however is not manifest in most of the remaining non-self-governing territories. In Guam for example, decolonization is something that people fear and dont understand.





The island and its people, the Chamorros are stuck in what I call a decolonial deadlock. Although there have been some efforts at the governmental level and movements amongst activists at the grassroots level, most people on Guam remain very resistant to the idea that Guam can be or needs to be decolonized.





As a scholar whose research is invested in studying Guams colonial history and theorizing the possibilities for its decolonization, I have studied this deadlock in many forms, always with the intent of understanding it. It is my ultimate goal to find ways to resolve this deadlock and help people understand the need and advantages to changing our political status to something more equitable.





From 2002  2004 I conducted an ethnographic study with more than 100 Chamorros ages 20  70, to discuss their ideas and thoughts on Guams decolonization. The majority of these subjects were against the mere idea of decolonization, and had trouble discussing it in an objective way. Their resistance was animated by a set of strange and bewildering fantasies. These fantasies shaped their discourse in such a way that decolonization became deadly and dangerous. It was something that they felt threatened the very possibility of life on the island.





Many of the ideas they proposed were very irrational and shouldnt have been offered up in a serious interview. I questioned them as to whether they were serious or merely joking. Even after being given the chance to restate their opinions, they insisted that I take their comments seriously.





They argued that decolonization was impossible since it would mean erasing everything from the island save for that which people understand as being narrowly Chamorro. They saw decolonization as being ridiculous because of the way it would require the local Chamorro to take over things that the colonizer once held sway over. These Chamorros articulated the Chamorro way of doing things through stereotypes, as if they were seeing the world through the colonizers narrowing gaze.





They argued that a decolonized Guam would defend itself with slingstones and spears and soldiers in loincloths and that the government of a decolonized Guam would govern the island by barbequing. In their minds on a decolonized Guam there was no electricity, indoor plumbing, air conditioning, internet, education, money, but simply people living in huts.





A second set of fantasies were based on images of societal decay and chaos that would surely result if the island was decolonized. People argued that decolonization should not be discussed or attempted since it would lead to the end of everything. The day after Guam was decolonized, the island would be invaded by North Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos and a variety of other non-white ethnicities. The island would become addicted to drugs. The government would collapse into unbridled corruption. There would be riots, looting, total chaos. Everyone would starve.





There may be some element of truth or concern in each fantasy, but that doesnt account for the irrational forms they take. These responses make perfect sense however if you consider the Chamorro in a colonial context, and the ways in which they may have come to accept colonial caricatures of themselves.





These caricatures are derived from the premise that the colonized person needs the colonizer, and cannot survive or advance without them. Chamorros fill the discursive space with their own local versions of societal upheaval, breakdown or impossibility. But ultimately these fantasies come from the colonial fiction that in order for life to function in a colony, the colonizer must be in charge of you and your lands. If you remove him, everything will fall apart.





The clearest indication that Chamorros have a very limited understanding of decolonization is the fact that these conversations about it immediately moved towards decolonization equaling independence. In truth, decolonization means a change in political status to something that is equitable or fair based on the desires of the native people. It can manifest in many forms, it is not only independence.





But Chamorros responded to the topic of decolonization in an interpassive way. Interpassivity is a psychoanalytical term describing a defensive strategy that people sometimes use. It is characterized by discussing something in a very limited way in order to prevent any discussion about it from taking place. They responded with interpretations of decolonization that are so ridiculous, they are meant to completely shut down discussion and not let any further consideration take place. Decolonization in any form, even in terms of integration with the colonizer is something to be resisted within the decolonial deadlock, because it challenges the sovereignty and control of the colonizer. So long as the colonizer is in charge, all is supposed to be well, everything will function and advance. But if you challenge that authority, even in order to become one with it, you disrupt your existence.





The representations of the UN in this decolonial deadlock range from it being non-existent to it being a devious interloper. One end of the spectrum makes the other possible. Because the UN has little to no presence on the island, the gap is filled almost seamlessly with negative fantasies such as the ones that Chamorros feel towards decolonization.





The UN is not seen as an impartial mediator or guide, but as something that challenges the authority of the United States, infringing on its sovereignty. They see it as interfering with the control that people trapped in the decolonial deadlock feel is essential to the order in their lives. They also create fantasies that absolve the United State of any culpability in the continuing colonizing of Guam. They blame the UN for not decolonizing the island, and they blame the inefficient and incompetent UN for not taking this process seriously. This is where the decolonial deadlock achieves its circular and continually reproducing status.





Those who fantasize that the UN is holding Guam back from decolonizing, thus argue that it should really by the US who decolonizes Guam. Thus reinforcing the idea that even in terms of self-determination, something that shouldnt belong to any colonizer, people on Guam feel that it should be the colonizer who determines the destiny of Chamorros. This is truly regrettable since the US is on record saying they do not support real decolonization for Guam. Due to its strategic importance and the bases the US possesses there, they have no interest in decolonizing the island. As a non-self-governing territory with little say over its destiny, the US is satisfied with Guams current status.





The UN can play a critical role in resolving the decolonial deadlock and bringing about a change in consciousness in Guam. But it must have some sort of presence. I would encourage anyway possible for the United Nations to become involved and publicize its role in Guams decolonization process.




In 2010, Michael Workman screened his first film at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

"An Anonymous Rebellion" was a 10-minute movie about two teenage graffiti artists in Missoula. Workman was their age  15 and a junior at Hellgate High School  and he made it as part of a youth mentorship program at Big Sky.

His mentor was Travis Morss, a festival staffer who recalls that Workman's attempt was better than many films he'd made in his first couple years of college.

"I could tell that he had a knack for it at an early age," said Morss, who now counts Workman as a close friend.

The program helped students make a film, and they also got a pass to the annual festival's screenings.

"It opened my eyes to all the different forms in documentary filmmaking," Workman said. They weren't just talking-heads talking policy. They were character studies and narratives and experimental, pushing the boundaries of movies.

Some seven years later, Workman is making his largest filmmaking project yet: a 30-minute movie called "From Parts Unknown," about the world of backyard, do-it-yourself wrestling in Spokane. Its participants develop personae and stage often-violent matches as a form of cathartic self-expression.

***

Workman has found time to work on the film in between his other gigs. The 24-year-old is now one of the key members of the film festival's small staff, serving as associate programmer and acting as a designer for their print and online products.

As associate programmer, he helps vet the avalanche of submissions that greet the open call. Last year, for instance, 1,600 hopefuls were winnowed down to more 150 for the 11-day event.

Programming is a tag-team effort with programming director Doug Hawes-Davis, aided by a team of part-timers who help sift through the pile.

"It's a good balance between the two of us," Hawes-Davis said. "We're both interested in artistic treatments, but documentary is obviously much more than that," Hawes-Davis said. They consider its journalistic merits, emotion, drama, narrative drive and other factors.

Hawes-Davis said Workman is particularly strong at weighing the artistic side of things, and finding films that have an innovative approach while still telling a story.

"I trust his judgment completely in that realm," he said.

After that high school mentorship program, Workman studied media arts at Hellgate with instructor Beth Cole, taking the medium more seriously than the goofy films he used to make with friends and post on YouTube. With Cole, he made fiction shorts, and outside school took time to volunteer at Big Sky.

He enrolled at the University of Montana and volunteered on the media team, filming during festival events. He picked up photography and shot video and stills at Total Fest, the city's independent, underground rock festival, serving as its art director.

In 2013, Morss, now the programming director, hired him on staff. Workman, who was studying for a BFA in art and a BA in filmmaking at the University of Montana, had the dual skill sets for the job. Morss said he brought him in because he's one of those people who can succeed at "anything he wants to do in terms of art."

"As he's gotten older, Michael and I have become pretty good friends," he said. "Now he's my go-to guy for anything."

Since 2015, Workman and Hawes-Davis have worked in tandem on the programming. Workman oversees the programming platforms and incoming submissions. Hawes-Davis oversees the group of programmers and they deliberate on the selections, competitions and retrospectives.

***

Outside the festival, Workman has staged art installations around town and on campus. At the Real Good art space, for instance, he invited gallery-goers to dress formally and eat an unappealing pink gelatin for "Masses," an interactive comment on consumerism. An experimental film installation, There are many like it, but this one is mine, examined masculinity and weapons, screening at FrontierSpace.

"From Parts Unknown," meanwhile, is his largest project.

Initially, he planned on writing a fiction film about wrestling after reading Chris Hedges' sociological discussion of wrestling storylines and poverty in "Empire of Illusion."

Montana doesn't have any small wrestling leagues, so he began looking online and found Spokane Anarchy Wrestling on YouTube. They jury-rig their rings in backyards and parks, and put on sometimes-brutal competitions for crowds of up to 80 people.

He reached out to the league on Facebook and asked he and some friends could come shoot reference footage for the movie.

After returning a second time, the wrestling community opened up more. He and Sean Rudolf, his producer and sound recordist, kept going back for their monthly events for three months straight. The fiction film had been sidelined for a cinema verite documentary.

Nonfiction films take patience. You have to build trust with subjects and develop a rapport. It takes time to even ensure that you've found the right story. In their case, they were three months in when they met their lead characters: two cousins named Jesse and Jay Lawson.

Jesse started the league with friends when he was 16 years old. When he met the filmmakers, he was preparing for his final match: While he's only 27, backyard wrestling had taken a toll on his body, and he was preparing to fight one last time, against Jay, and hand over the league.

Jesse opened up to filmmakers about his life and why he wrestles. His parents, now both dead, were fans. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and uses wrestling as a way to express himself through his manic-depressive "Madman" character.

"From Parts Unknown" has a lean team. Workman and Rudolf were the only two working on site. With only a few people, they get more insightful interviews. Workman and Rudolf co-directed a short film, "Constructed Situations," about Missoula artist Jack Metcalf, that won a top honor at the Audience Awards Art Montana competition.

Back in Missoula, filmmaker Ryan Seitz ("Freeload" and "Skips Stones for Fudge") signed on as a producer and consulting editor.

They paid for it out of pocket, but are raising money for post-production costs.
Kelly Williamson saw what happened in her native California when too much of the state's groundwater was sucked away because it wasn't being managed.

The Lolo Watershed Group nominated the lower Lolo Creek area as a place for the bureau's Ground Water Investigation Program to begin examining the flow of the stream as well as the groundwater underneath.

Landowners near Lolo Creek make anecdotal references to the creek channel drying out more often over the past 20 years. But there is not much data to reference in terms of when the creek dries out and why.

The study hopes to identify potential causes of water shortages and provide tools for science-based water management.

There are now nine stream gauges spaced throughout the Lolo Watershed collecting water depth and stream flow. There are also five nearby wells where groundwater is being monitored.

Carmen Carstarphen, a hydrologist with the bureau's ground water project, showed the group of interested Lolo residents a graph showing the association between ground water and surface water.

The graphs showed almost identical data points, possible evidence that as streams above ground dry up, groundwater does as well.

So many factors contribute to less water in an area, said Rick Potts, acting Lolo Watershed Group coordinator. The timing of the rainy season, agricultural irrigation and how much water gets consumed by the city can all change how the water is drained and replenished.

A former firefighter, Potts remembers a time when there would be a fire-season-ending event near the second or third week of September. Either rain or snow would fall and put out many of the fires.

In the 1980s, those types of events started to disappear, Potts said. Communities need to start examining their water resources while there is still time to make changes, he said.

"Californians have few options left and are in a world of hurt," Potts said.

This is why the study is being done, said Kascie Herron, the watershed group's secretary and treasurer. Once the community understands their local watershed, they can make more informed choices about how the water should be used, which may lead to more water conservation, Herron said.

In an effort for the community to better understand how the research is collected, the collaborative invited local members of the Lolo community and Missoula to look at the stream gauges and be educated on how water-resource studies are done.

Richard Stocker, who lives in Lolo, said he knew very little about the project before joining the field trip, beyond the fact that the groups were collecting data.

"I guess that's what I'm going to find out," Stocker said.

The project in Lolo is part of a larger effort by the federal conservation service, which has installed stream gauges across the state in order to collect real-time stream flow data and provide a place for the information to be mapped and accessed. This information can be used by water commissioners, water-right holders, reservoir operators, irrigation districts, recreationalists, and state and federal agencies.

"Our purpose is to provide information so water resources can be managed, not just used," the Bureau wrote in one of their educational pamphlets.
When Bradley Snow started studying the lead poisoning of Idahos Silver Valley a decade ago, he had no inkling his book would be published the same week the EPA.gov website would remove its climate-change and Clean Power Plan pages.

I started researching the subject 10 years ago next month, the Montana State University assistant teaching professor of history said. Ive been working with the publisher since December 2014. Its very coincidental that theres this war on the EPA and on environmental science coming out of Washington right now.

Current Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has proposed significant changes to the 43-year-old Clean Water Act. That law came into existence, along with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Air Act  as well as the EPA itself  in response to pollution disasters like Silver Valley.

President Richard Nixon signed it into existence in 1970. Barely two years later, the EPA focused on the South Fork of the Coeur dAlene River. It forced the mining companies there to reduce discharges of zinc into the river from 9,500 pounds daily to 1,100 pounds, lead from 540 pounds to 20 pounds a day, and arsenic from 125 pounds to 30 pounds.

Snow recounts the impact of mining on Coeur dAlene Basin in Living with Lead: An Environmental History of Idahos Coeur dAlenes, 1885-2011. Montanans know the area as the stretch of Interstate 90 stringing together Wallace, Kellogg, Smelterville, Cataldo and Coeur dAlene. Many in north Idaho know it as the Box.

It was the home of the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Co., commonly called Uncle Bunker. Its mines produced an estimated $26 billion in silver, lead and zinc. Thousands of workers earned top wages for a century. And thousands of workers and their families suffered lead poisoning from its smelters.

Were forgetting our history, Snow said. Thats why these laws came to be in the first place. It wasnt that everybody became liberal or went to Woodstock. It arose out of real problems. The Silver Valley was a very polluted place in the 60s. Butte and Anaconda were polluted. Lake Erie caught fire in the late 60s.

In 1973, the Baghouse Fire destroyed much of the pollution-control system for Bunker Hills lead smelter. The company kept operating the smelter for a year and a half without filtering its emissions, dusting Kellogg with heavy-metal fumes. Children living there showed 10 times the amount of lead in their blood that usually triggers a health warning. Today, they live with impaired nerve function, mental health issues, vision problems and other symptoms.

Bunker Hill closed its mines in 1982, after a collapse in silver prices and a rise in regulations. The EPA declared a 21-square-mile area the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex a Superfund site. That was expanded in 2002 to the whole, 1,500-square-mile Coeur dAlene Basin.

In 2012, EPA officials approved a plan costing $740 million over 30 years to clean up 145 mines in the area. That was reduced from a 2010 proposal costing about $1.3 billion and covering 345 mine sites. It would also have spent about $300 million to repair 10 miles of the Coeur dAlene South Fork.

That reduction came in part due to local opposition. Shoshone News-Press editor Dan Drewry challenged the plan in an editorial, calling the EPA a crazed bureaucracy throwing money at a non-existent problem.

Snow sympathized with the business case for mining work, noting that Bunker Hills metals produced photographic film, paint, batteries, and many other essential commodities.

Mining also meant modernity for the places with rich mineral lodes. For example, the Silver Valley went from the edge of nowhere in 1885 when Noah Kellogg discovered silver there, to having two railroad lines established by 1891. Butte in the early 1880s became one of the first cities in the United States to have municipal electric lighting.

Teenagers in mining communities could sign up for jobs paying enough for a house and boat without worrying about college. Snow reports that three out of four Silver Valley workers didnt have a high school diploma during the Bunker Hill heyday.

You cant eat if you cant work, Snow said. For years, Bunker Hill, like Butte and Anaconda, was the economy of much of northern Idaho. It employed more than 4,000 people. The idea you could do without the Bunker Hill Company would have been ludicrous to most people.

And alternative economies havent come through either. Kellogg boosters visited Park City, Utah, to learn how that former silver mining town turned itself into a recreation powerhouse. They returned with plans to turn the Jackass Ski Bowl into a gondola-serviced Silverhorn Ski Area (now Silver Mountain). The old railroad right-of-way along the Coeur dAlene River became the Trail of the Coeur dAlenes bike path. While the summer bike activity has earned widespread popularity, the ski area has struggled.

Today, signs along the popular Trail of the Coeur dAlenes near Harrison, Idaho, warn bikers of soil toxicity remaining from the heavy-metal concentrations in the vegetation. While the trail follows the Coeur dAlene River for miles, the water isnt safe to drink. The trail winds along mounds of mine tailings as it passes Smelterville, Pinehurst and Kellogg in the heart of the Silver Valley.

In a particular irony, Snow recounts what happened with the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co.s lead smelter in Trail, British Columbia. In the 1930s, U.S. farmers protested to the International Joint Commission that Canadian sulfur dioxide fumes from lead production were hurting their crops. The IJC mandated COMINCO install a pollution control system to control it. Its now the only remaining lead smelter in the Pacific Northwest.

That showed you dont have to sacrifice economic progress on the altar of environmental protection, Snow said. It was Americans who pushed the Canadians into cleaning up their smelter back in the 1930s.
Jordan Scott Bahr, who pleaded guilty at the end of his trial in December to sexually assaulting a Missoula woman, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in the Department of Corrections with eight suspended by District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps.

"I don't see much value in incarcerating you apart from pure punishment, but I think you need some pure punishment," Deschamps said.

Rather than presenting his defense on the fourth and final day of his trial, 30-year-old Bahr pleaded guilty to felony sexual assault. He was originally charged with sexual intercourse without consent  Montanas statute for rape.

The charge to which he pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum of four years in prison, although judges can impose less time if they issue a written report stating their reasons. Deschamps said he was going below the minimum sentence for several reasons, including that he didnt think Bahr was a danger to re-offend.

In October 2015, a woman met Bahr through a group of mutual friends at a bar in downtown Missoula. The two later bicycled home together because Bahr lived along the way. They went into his house when they arrived and she asked to sleep on his couch because she felt intoxicated and didnt think it was safe to ride the rest of the way home.

The woman turned down a pair of offers to sleep in Bahrs bed, but said he could lie on the couch with her. Almost immediately, he began an increasing series of sexual assaults against her. The woman testified freezing up during the incident, unable to fight back. She eventually dressed and left the home after Bahr stopped.

He chose to rape me. It was not by accident or mistake, she said Monday at the sentencing hearing. The last part of being raped ends today.

The sentence Deschamps imposed was lighter than the 20 years in prison with 15 of those suspended that prosecutor Jennifer Clark asked for, but harsher than the fully suspended sentence recommended by a probation officer who wrote Bahrs presentence report.

Defense attorney Mat Stevenson asked for a deferred sentence, saying during the roughly two-hour incident, Bahr was never told "no" or "stop" by the woman.

I think that this case is distinguishable from cases of true force, he said.

Deschamps interrupted him.

You can make your arguments but its a waste of breath, the judge said.

In his own brief statement, Bahr said he was sorry and held himself accountable for his actions.

I feel a great deal of remorse for them, he said in a flat, disinterested tone that Deschamps picked up on.

It sounds like youre just mouthing these words, the judge told him.

Deschamps imposed a pair of additional conditions that were requested by the woman. First, Bahr must at some point during his sentence research and write a 15-page paper on the topic of sexual assault, citing at least 10 sources.

He must also write a letter of apology to the woman, her partner and her family. Deschamps made a special point of adding the word sincere to this requirement.

I want something that shows some genuine thought and compassion.
A new grant program created by the 2017 Legislature would allow people to contribute to the cost of tuition and living expenses for Montana residents going through two-year community or tribal college programs.

The grant program, run through the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, would provide funds for Montana low-income students. Rep. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, sponsored the bill creating the program. Morigeau attended Salish Kootenai College before earning his law degree at the University of Montana.

I had to take all kinds of loans out when I was going to community college, Morigeau said.

While Morigeau had hoped the state would provide a continuing $2 million in funding, the Legislature didn't appropriate any money toward the program. Still, he sees this as a step toward tuition-free two-year college in Montana. States like Oregon and California already fund for two-year programs.

The idea would be for the funding  donors would receive tax breaks  to either cover the cost of the remaining tuition bill for students whose costs exceed things like Pell Grants. If the students tuition is covered by other grants and scholarships, then the money from the program would go toward the students living expenses, Morigeau said.

Were trending, increasingly, toward higher education only being for the wealthy, Morigeau said.

Low-income students, who qualify for their entire two-year tuition to be covered, are still going to struggle with paying their living expenses, Morigeau said.

For students attending Lincoln Community College in Libby, jobs are sparse, said Jan Meadows, the colleges continuing education coordinator.

In an area with little opportunity for advancement, the college provides a way for students to get training they need to secure jobs in more prosperous towns, Meadows said.

Some can stay here, Meadows said. But its really hard to make a living. We always advise our students to go get a job somewhere else.

But there isn't much to come back to, Meadows said. The colleges class sizes continue to shrink, even as the school expands its programs. This year, the first class of licensed practical nurses graduated. The college hopes to start a registered nurses program. A couple of the LP nurses are interested, though one will need to work for awhile before he can enroll in the program.

Each year, the school gets less funding from the state, Meadows said. Lincoln college is a satellite campus of Flathead Valley Community College, which saw its funding cut by $1.3 million for the coming biennium. This prompted both FVCC and the Lincoln campus to increase the cost per credit by $16.40, to roughly $159.40, Meadows said. It was the first tuition increase in a long time, but for the impoverished area, it may make college less affordable, Meadows said.

Anything would be fabulous, she said. We go to Kalispell and there is so much industry. Then you come home and see duct-taped windows. ... You can see it, around the town, too. Its hard to see it this way.

With the planned departure of the Environmental Protection Agency, which in January issued a last call for houses needing asbestos cleaning, Meadows doesnt see how the town will survive. The EPA workers have brought money into the town, spending at the local restaurants and hardware store. When they leave, there wont be any industry left, Meadows said.

Salish Kootenai College President Sandra Boham said the Pell Grant barely covers the cost of tuition. Students have to find a way to pay for books, living expenses, other costs that go along with a college education, she said. Almost 80 percent of SKC students are Pell-eligible and the college had to be careful when increasing tuition costs, because going much above what the Pell Grants provide can make college unreachable for many students, she said.

Montana Legislative Services Division for the State-Tribal Relations Committee studied the state of funding for Montanas tribal colleges in 2016.

The cost of tuition at SKC is about $5,026, but tuition funding makes up only about 2 percent to 7 percent of total revenue at Montanas tribal colleges in 2013-14, the committee found.

Up to $8,000 can be allocated by the federal government per tribal student. In 2016 the committee found the actual disbursement of funds was closer to $6,718 per student.

College reimbursements from the state for non-tribal students are about $3,280, according to the committee report.

SKC has the largest numbers of non-tribal students of all of Montana's tribal colleges, with 148 non-tribal students in fiscal year 2016. Thats more than half the 240 non-tribal students enrolled across the state.

Taxpayers invest money in tribal colleges, though the committee found the taxpayer got a 6.2 percent return on their investment per year  a combination of savings realized when people need fewer social services, and become taxpayers themselves. The return to taxpayers from SKC was 7.4 percent, according to the committee.

A little bit of money can go a long way in changing peoples lives, Morigeau said.

Students interested in applying for the grants would have to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and low-income students would have priority, he said.

Those interested in donating to the grant program can contact the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education for more information at 406-444-6570.
BILLINGS  Kelly Klein can lead an almost normal life.

Last month, she was one of the first people in Montana to start on Ocrevus, the first drug approved by the FDA that's designed to treat patients who suffer from aggressive multiple sclerosis.

Ocrevus was approved by the FDA in March, and Klein's doctor at St. Vincent Healthcare, Kris French, cleared her to receive it in April.

"Right now you can get really close to stopping (MS)," French said. "You just can't reverse the damage."

And MS can be damaging. The disease attacks the body's central nervous system, disrupting the flow of information from the brain through the spine and breaking down neurological functions.

Doctors are so excited about Ocrevus because it works by slowing the disease's progression and reducing the effects of some symptoms. Past treatments have worked to modify the disease itself.

"It's a great medication," French said.

Klein was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on Mother's Day in 2004.

"It hit me pretty hard," she said.

She was in the hospital for five days, and for a while lost the ability to walk. After a round of tests, doctors told Klein she had primary progressive multiple sclerosis, a form of the disease that systematically breaks down the body's neurologic function.

The more common form of the disease, known as relapsing MS, is marked by sudden flare-ups of old symptoms or the appearance of new symptoms, which are then followed by periods of partial or complete recovery.

In primary progressive MS, the new symptoms accumulate without ever going away, French said.

"They can both be really aggressive," he said of the two types of MS. "You just lose spinal cord function over time."

Klein's new medication comes as an infusion that she receives twice a year. It's still early in the process but she's hopeful about the effect it will have on her life.

Klein had been a classroom teacher in Huntley Project for 17 years when she was diagnosed. The first medications they put her on helped her get out of her wheelchair and gave her some semblance of normalcy. It was enough that she decided to go back and teach.

"But it was difficult," she said. After that one year, she realized she just couldn't do it.

Klein's MS will cause spasms and leave her feeling fatigued. Most troubling are the cognitive disruptions. Sometimes she really has trouble thinking clearly. It made being in the classroom nearly impossible.

"I miss it," she said.

Treatments for MS continually improve, and Klein feels like she's been able to manage her life pretty well. Still, the disease takes its toll.

As she looks back over the past decade and a half, she sees what the disease has done to her. "I feel like I've gotten a little worse every year."

She's discovered that if she can stay active and not overdo it, she remains pretty healthy and can find a way to have a mostly normal life.

"Walking is probably the best thing for me," she said. "The biggest thing with me is you can't make plans. It's like a day-by-day thing."

Nearly every year she's had the disease, a new drug has come out to treat it  14 in the last 15 years, French said. She's tried some of them, and some have worked well but carried tough side effects.

She's hopeful this new treatment will be a better match.
By this time next week Montanas special election to fill the states sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will be over  and either Rob Quist or Greg Gianforte will be heading for their new gig in the seriously undrained swamp of D.C. Somewhat amazingly, this contest between two candidates who have never held political office has captured the attention of the nation as an early indicator of whether the utter chaos of the Donald Trump presidency has energized the Democrats base, dispirited Republicans who supported him, or will have little effect in the rural hinterlands of places like Montana.

The national pundits, meanwhile, are busy making predictions based on their perception of Montana voters and the main themes of the competing Quist-Gianforte campaigns. To them, that Trump took Montana by 20 points over Hillary Clinton is often interpreted as a significant indicator of Montanans voting preferences.

But that metric fails to take into account the fact that Bernie Sanders, not Hillary Clinton, actually won the Demo primary in Montana. What the political punditi dont get is that Clinton viewed Montana as flyover country and never even bothered to visit the state once during the hotly contested election. Nor did her platform  whatever that was  resonate with Montanans. So, the disparity between Clinton and Trump votes easily had as much to do with Sanders voters turned off by Clinton and the Democratic National Committees sleazy manipulations as it had to do with support for Trump.

What may count more in this weeks election outcome is the failure in so many ways of Donald Trump to keep his promises  or tell the truth. Both are foundational Montana values, where a handshake is as good as a contract and we dont have to say to be honest with you when we talk to each other because truth is expected, not an optional courtesy. Yet, last week, the Washington Post tallied up Trumps blatant falsehoods so far and came up with the rather astounding number of 586, or about five a day, every day, from Trumps lips to the nations ears. To put it bluntly, thats called speaking with a forked tongue and is not a highly valued trait in Montana.

In the meantime, we have two candidates slugging away at each other, although many of their haymakers are flying far wide of the mark. The continuing blather from the Democrats about Gianforte being a New Jersey millionaire is not only worn out, its seriously twisted. The guy has been living in Montana for more than 20 years and he made his money here from his own business, not from New Jersey.

Likewise, it is total baloney that Montanans have to worry about Rob Quist taking away their guns. If I had a million bucks, which I surely dont, Id be glad to bet that no one is taking away anyones guns in Montana in the foreseeable future. Its a phony Republican scare tactic and besides, one totally inexperienced freshman in the 434 person House of Representatives isnt likely to drive any agenda, let alone gun control.

In truth, I think the Republicans are more than a little surprised at just how close the Quist-Gianforte race is given that they won every statewide race last November but one. It is worth remembering, however, that the race they lost was with their candidate Gianforte, who was rejected by voters for their own reasons then  and may be rejected for those same reasons again. But one way or another, by this time next week, itll all be over.
Public lands have become a major issue in this campaign, and for good reason. Whomever Montanans elect as their next congressman will have the opportunity to vote on congressional budgets that will have an enormous impact on our public lands.

Budgets are more than numbers; theyre also values statements. And the budget President Trump recently proposed makes clear that he does not value our public lands the same way Montanans do.

His budget would cut the Department of the Interiors budget by 12 percent, representing a decrease of $1.5 billion from the 2017 budget. The Department of the Interior oversees the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among other agencies.

At 21 percent, the presidents proposed slash to Agricultures budget is even more draconian. The Department of Agriculture administers Montanas largest land management agency, the U.S. Forest Service.

According to The New York Times, the president wants to reduce funding to the Department of Agriculture by cutting the budget of the Forest Service, which already has to neglect many of its core duties because it now spends more than half its operating budget fighting fires.

Our land management agencies are already operating on threadbare budgets. Any more cuts to the Forest Service and BLM, especially ones as drastic as the president proposes, would have a devastating impact on the public lands that make our way of life possible.

Heres a sampling of the vital work our public land management agencies are already neglecting because of the budget constraints they currently face:

 Maintaining campgrounds and trailheads that provide the public access to traditional hunting and fishing grounds. In a popular Bitterroot campground, for instance, a contaminated water system wasnt replaced in 2015 because funding for it was diverted to fighting fires.

 Completing restoration projects that reduce fuel loads, improve water quality, and create much-needed jobs. In the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest, as an example, westslope cutthroat trout should have been restored to 25 miles of stream in 2015. That didnt happen also because funding was diverted to firefighting.

 Treating thousands of acres of noxious weeds in Montana. Along the Rocky Mountain Front, for instance, the Forest Service said it needs to treat a minimum of approximately 879 to 1,149 acres every year to reduce infestation, but the agency cant meet those goals because it doesnt have the money to do so.

 Improving Forest Service roads to increase recreational access and protect fish and wildlife. In 2015, the Flathead National Forest was unable to complete re-surfacing on 20 miles of a primary access road in the Swan Valley because funding was diverted to firefighting.

If the Trump budget were enacted, the biggest hit to public lands in Montana would land on trail maintenance. There are 29,000 miles of trails in Montana managed by the Northern Region of the Forest Service. In 2015, the regional office was able to perform basic maintenance on only 13,000 of those miles. The remaining 16,000 miles went unmaintained for lack of funding.

Trails bring people from all over the country to our gateway towns, where they fill up on gas, eat in restaurants and sometimes stay the night. They contribute to Montanas $6 billion outdoor recreation economy. Without a properly functioning Forest Service or BLM, that economy is at risk, and so are the 64,000 jobs that currently rely on it.

Whoever becomes our next congressman would need to fight tooth and nail for a budget that enables our public lands managers to create the conditions that allow our outdoor recreation economy to continue to thrive.
Our vote for a Montana representative to Congress is not so much about the personal qualifications of the two main candidates as it is about who will support President Trump.

Donald Trumps son was right when he said a vote for Greg Gianforte is a vote for Trump. The Republicans continue their blind support of Trump when he continually lies, gives highly classified information to the Russians, fires FBI chief James Comey because he is investigating collusion between the Trump administration and the Russians, supports a Republican plan to take away affordable health insurance from millions of Americans, and is promoting a tax cut plan which will primarily benefit the very rich. Never have we had a president so incompetent, so authoritarian and so great a danger to our security and democracy.
This special election is a life and death choice in many ways. Every day it seems we face a new menace from the White House.

Donald Trump's order opening national monument areas for "review" is the foot in the door to sell off public lands. Greg Gianforte supporters tout his "job creating" ability as qualification for him to be elected to Congress. These are the same people who claimed that Washington can't create jobs when Barack Obama proposed to stimulate the economy out of the last Republican economic crisis.

Far better we elect someone who will work for social justice for all, not just the wealthy few who, like Gianforte, blindly obey the dictates of corporate America. Please join me in voting to save Montana and America. Rob Quist for Congress!

Joe Engel III,

Great Falls
Police reports

Tension over a woman

Tension between two men over a woman apparently was the basis of an incident Saturday that landed Michael Hawe, 29, in Butte in jail for two felony assault with a weapon charges. Police responded that evening to Galena and Main where Hawe, passing by in an SUV, is accused of pointing a pistol at two pedestrians. At least one of the pedestrians said he knows Hawe and that the alleged intimidation stems from a "battle over a female," police said. When officers stopped Hawe, he admitted he had a handgun but denied threatening the pedestrians.

Come out of the bathroom

On Friday, authorities arrested Amber Smith, who had been missing from the Women's Transitional Center in Butte since April 12. Officers knocked on the door of a room at the Motel 6 (formerly the Capri), 220 N. Wyoming St., and a man answered. He told police Smith was not there, but when officers called for Smith to come out of the bathroom, she did. She was arrested for felony escape and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She will be transported to the women's prison in Billings where she faces felony escape charges in Yellowstone County District Court.
Helenas memorial to Confederate soldiers, a granite fountain in Hill Park, will soon be accompanied by a plaque explaining it was part of a campaign to assert justice for the Lost Cause.

Though New Orleans and other cities around the country are taking down their memorials to Confederate soldiers, Helena's city commission has instead opted to install a sign explaining the fountain's history.

Proposed language for the sign seeks to give the fountain historical context and in part explains that the United Daughters of the Confederacy openly supported the early Ku Klux Klan in its mission of white supremacy and worked to rewrite school textbooks to distort history by romanticizing the Old South.

City Manager Ron Alles said the city had previously approved the wording for the sign, but the language didn't fit and had to be condensed. Alles said he needs to compare the revision to the original to be sure it meets the intent of that initial language.

Well get a sign up thats separate from the fountain. The fountain stays, its not coming down, he said.

While there has already been a public conversation about the fountain and the need for a sign to tell its story, the location for a sign has yet to be determined, he noted.

The city will pay for the sign, Alles said and added that the sign should be in place in a couple of months.

Both the park and the fountain are contributing elements to the Helena Historic District, said Ellen Baumler, an interpretive historian with the Montana Historical Society.

Because the district is on the National Register of Historic Places, a sign for the fountain, which is a contributing element to the district, could be obtained through the National Register for $35. A bracket to allow the sign to be free-standing would be an additional $7.

The city would also need a sign for the park, as it is a contributing property to the district, she added.

The Helena/Lewis and Clark County Heritage Tourism Council, which helped in the preparation of the original and longer text, wants the public to be able to have access to that in addition to the condensed version that will appear on a sign, said Pam Attardo, the heritage preservation officer.

The use of a QR code on the sign would allow people who are sight impaired and others to use their cellphones to access the complete text, Attardo said and noted that QR code technology is widely used by people with visual impairments.

All new signage also has to meet federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, she added.

The fountain was given to the city in 1916 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The memorial hardly drew a second glance before a 21-year-old man who had previously been photographed with the Confederate flag shot and killed nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina in June 2015, which sparked a robust community discussion about what to do with the Confederate symbol in Helena.

In the wake of the shooting, city Commissioner Andres Haladay sought commission support to ask the City-County Parks Board to rededicate the fountain.

In a June 28, 2015 email to Mayor Jim Smith and members of the commission, Haladay wrote Historians disagree as the multitude of factors that resulted in the Civil War. However, there is no denying the Confederacy was, at a base level, an armed insurrection with a goal of preserving the odious system of slavery in the United States. In light of that legacy, Confederate flags, monuments and fountains cannot be disentangled from their celebrations of violence, separatism and racism. I do not know such celebrations to be welcome in Helena.

He later wrote the commission to say if the goal is to honor those who died in the Civil War, the fountain could be renamed and would be a more meaningful memorial than a one-sided celebration of revisionist history.

During the community debate on the fountain and its place in Helena, Smith wrote the commission at that time to say he didnt support renaming it nor razing it as some had suggested.

Fundamentally, I believe we ought to be very careful before we start obliterating history," he wrote. "That is what totalitarian regimes do.

He noted changes imposed during the height of the French Revolution and that after the Russian Revolution all traces of the Romanov dynasty and the czars were removed from public squares. The same erasing of history occurred in China during the Cultural Revolution.

And he questioned where the move to rededicate the fountain would end. Helena has a Jefferson school, and Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner. There are streets in Helena named for George Washington, who had slave quarters at his Mt. Vernon home, Smith wrote.

The fact is the fountain in Hill Park has not been a divisive symbol in this community. There is no need to make it one.
My generation grew up in the cold war and the threat of nuclear war with the Russians.

Those commies were coming over the polar ice cap. In grade school, we were first told to duck and cover under our desks, then the Saturday matinee newsreels showed us the entire building would be vaporized. There goes recess!

We were implored to build sky-watch towers and bomb shelters (as if there would be a life worth living after we crawled out of our mole hole). We developed the North American Air Defense (NORAD 1957) plan and established fighter/interceptor bases in Billings, Great Falls and Glasgow and put ICBM missile silos around Great Falls.

What history shown us: The Russians built the Berlin Wall, then came the Korean and Vietnam wars with the backing of the Chinese and Russians, the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), Khrushchev: We will bury you! The Russians shot down KAL 007 with 269 killed (1983); Shot down Malaysia MH17 with 298 killed (2014). The Russians invaded Georgia (2008), Crimea (2014) and the Ukraine (2014).

With all the money we spent to keep the Russians at bay, we now have a president welcoming the Russians in the front door and glad-handing them (Sergey and Sergey) in the Oval Office.

But, what the heck, according to the 1940s actuary tables, Im well past my expiration date. Im resigned to the reality that the Russians are camped out in the White House.

Im not worried, but maybe you should be.

-- James Norris, Billings
MUSCATINE  When Jon Koch came across overgrown farm land on Houser Street last fall, he had one thought.

This would make a great pollinator park, he recalled.

Koch, who directs the city of Muscatines Water Pollution Control Plant, thinks about plants often in the course of his job. Plants, he said, soak up water and prevent floods.

Ive been working a lot with pollinators and grasses and native flowers and we have a lot of them growing around the treatment plant here, so I just kind of said, boy, this would be a great opportunity to have a really large area where people want to go, he said, noting that the 16-acre plot is near a bike path and trails.

So he brought together some partners to help him realize that vision, including the Muscatine Pollinator Project and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The park, said David Cooney of the Muscatine Pollinator Project, will be a place where people can walk or ride, enjoying the flowers and wildlifeand there will be a lot of wildlife to enjoy.

Were looking at monarchs, were looking at honey bees, were looking at native bees, were looking at hummingbirds, he said.

The city, Cooney said, will add some signs identifying wildlife along the trails.

Were also going to do a pole that says, Its 1,903 miles to Mexico, where the monarchs have to fly, he said.

Cooney said the pollinator park is his groups biggest project to date. Pollinators, he said, are vital to farmers in Muscatine and the surrounding areas, but their numbers in Iowa have been declining.

We do a lot of farming here, there are orchards around hereall that stuff needs pollination, Cooney said.

Koch presented his vision to City Council in the beginning of May and the city, which owns the property, signed a landowner agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, granting permission for the project to move forward.

The collaborators are preparing to plant 40 varieties of native flowers and grasses in the space, in two phases. They will plant their first 8 acres by the end of May, and will plant the rest at a later date.

Really, since November to now, this is probably the quickest project Ive ever seen come to fruition, Koch said.

The flowers and grasses will be fully established in three to four years, but visitors will be able to walk in the park as early as next fall.

Were so excited to have people drive through there and over the next few years, (to) really see these native areas take hold and the difference that it makes, Koch said.
MUSCATINE  Former mayor Diana Broderson's court appeal has been delayed.

A hearing had been set for Wednesday, May 24, to determine if Broderson can remain in office while her appeal is heard. On Friday, the city of Muscatine objected to the hearing date, arguing the writ of certiorari  the call for the record to be sent to the court for review  was not served in the proper manner.

On Monday, District Court Judge Stuart Werling agreed to delay the hearing until next month.

On May 16, Broderson's attorney Catherine Gerlach filed a petition in District Court, asking the court to overturn the City Council's removal of the mayor. She also filed a motion asking for Broderson to stay in office during the court proceedings.

The city was not served with the petition until May 17, according to court documents.

In the city's objection, attorney Amy Reasner, of Lynch Dallas P.C. in Cedar Rapids, asked the court to cancel the May 24 hearing "due to the lack of personal jurisdiction, lack of proper service, and lack of reasonable notice."

Reasner argued the hearing was scheduled for eight days after Broderson's appeal was filed, which did not offer the city enough time to prepare.

In an interview, Reasner said she was not assigned to act as one of the city's attorneys until May 19. In part, the city requested delaying the hearing so Reasner could have time to view the documents and prepare.

Reasner also argued Broderson did not serve the city as outlined in the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, which indicates the mayor or city clerk must be served.

Broderson did not serve acting Mayor Bob Bynum or City Administrator Gregg Mandsager  who also is the city clerk  according to the return of service filed in court. It was addressed to the City Council, but was served to Finance Director Nancy Lueck.

"There are only two business days remaining between the date of this filing and the hearing, and Defendants have not yet been personally served," Reasner wrote. "Without proper service, the Court presently lacks personal jurisdiction over the Defendants."

Judge Werling agreed, and filed a continuance for the hearing, writing: "The Court finds the Defendant's motion is well founded as to lack of proper service on the City of Muscatine."

Werling ordered Broderson to coordinate with the defense counsel to reset the hearing by June 16. Broderson is required to properly serve city officials prior to the next hearing date.

City Administrator Gregg Mandsager and Broderson did not return calls for comment.
MUSCATINE  Scott Blake was 13 or 14 when his grandmother, Edith Reddick-Estell, let him take an unusual family heirloom to his history class at Louisa-Muscatine Junior High: a Medal of Honor, one of the first ever issued. It belonged to Scotts great-grandfather, William H. H. Reddick, who fought in the Civil War.

Though his classmates werent impressed, Scott said he carried the wooden box that held the medal cautiously, allowing only his teacher to touch it.

The Blake children heard the story of William Reddick early on, and tales of Reddicks Civil War service became as much a part of them as other treasured family memories.

He broke the South, Scott recalled his grandmother saying.

Now, the Civil War hero, who is buried in Letts, will be honored with a flag pole and a dedication ceremony on Memorial Day Weekend. The ceremony has been a few years in the making, said Letts Councilman Bill Kemp, because it took time to raise the money necessary for the flag pole.

We need to have people remember very brave people. Every time there is a war, there are extremely dedicated, brave people on all sides and those people should all be remembered, Kemp said.

Reddick and several other Union soldiers volunteered to participate in the Andrews Raid an operation deep in Confederate territory, where they were supposed to burn bridges and tracks between Atlanta and Chattanooga, disrupting communications. Though the raiders hijacked a train and cut a telegraph line and a rail, the raid ultimately failed, and Reddick and his comrades were captured, spending almost a year in prison.

Though the raid failed, Scott said he appreciates Reddick's willingness to fight.

It brings a tear to a guys eye, he said.

But the raid diverted Confederate soldiers from the front lines and may have helped bring a more rapid end to the war. When Reddick and his comrades were released from Confederate prison, they were awarded the first batch of Medals of Honor ever, with Reddick being the sixth solider to receive the medal.

It also inspired a 1950s movieThe Great Locomotive Chase, which will be screened at the Letts Community Center after the dedication ceremony.

Kelly Blake, who also is one of Reddicks descendants, said her family was happy to hear Reddick will be honored by the city.

Were tickled pink, she said. Were just excited because were like wow, really? This guys grave-site has been there for how long and everyone just walks over his grave like hes nobody. But people didnt know (his history).

Though Reddick wasnt originally from the Letts, he chose to spend his final years in Letts, and Kemp said the city has embraced his memory.

Were proud of him, Kemp said. He didnt come from here, but he chose to come here. He could have picked any place.
MUSCATINE  Maria Hight stood in front of her classmates on Sunday afternoona sea of purple and gold-clad soon-to-be graduates. In what would be the last task of her academic career at Muscatine High School, she addressed the Class of 2017 with a message of hope and encouragement.

This years class motto was Cherish yesterday, dream tomorrow, live today, and Hight touched on each of these milestones in her address: past, present, and future.

There was a nod to the not-so-distant past, to freshman year, fearing the unknown of high school doors and a nod to kindergarten, a more distant memory.

Beyond learning the quadratic equation and the periodic table, Hight told the Class of 2017, they have all learned lessons they will carry forward. The biggest lesson was perseverance.

Weve learned to never give up," she said. "Despite those long study nights and the days where we had no clue how we were going to pass that test, we pushed forward."

She encouraged her classmates to follow their dreams, even if they feel discouraged.

There will always be people who doubt you, but they dont know the experiences youve gone though and the strengths youve gained, she said. Believe in yourself when no one else does and no dream will ever be unreachable."

The Class of 2017 awaited the moment they would walk across the stage. Approximately 66 percent of them will attend a two- or four-year college or university and about 10 will serve in the armed forces.

Class valedictorian, Abby Estabrook, will study education at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids next year.

Estabrook said she woke up Sunday morning feeling a little sad.

I was just kind of wistful," she said. I was thinking about all the things that weve done as classmates, but Im just happy to be here with my friends and celebrating our graduation together.

But the realization that she is graduating hasnt quite sunk in yet.

It was weird, she said. I sat down to relax and watch some Netflix and honestly, I just expected to need to do a homework assignment.

As she walked to the stage, 17 of her family members, including her 92-year-old grandmother, cheered.

Graduate Ryan Calvert decided his future over the last four years. He will go to Iowa State University, to study agriculture and animal science. The city of Muscatine resident said hes always wanted to do something animal-related, but becoming involved in the high schools FFA program helped him narrow that dream down.

Now he knows hed like to sell agricultural products to farmers. Though he is excited to move on, Calvert said he also is sad to say goodbye to his friends.

Im happy, but its sad because were all going different ways, he said.

When they had all walked across the stage, classmate Yasmine Cruz read an original poem to those assembled, sending the graduates off with a blessing to follow their dreams.

We decide where we want to go/what we want to do is our choice/ and those little children we were long ago/ now are here and have found their voice, she said.

Our memories and legacy well leave behind/Class of 2017, we now take flight with wings spread, she concluded.
MUSCATINE  Muscatine County Board of Supervisors expressed frustration Monday that the county will have to continue partially funding mental health services in Scott County.

Earlier this month, Gov. Terry Branstad approved a bill to equalize how counties within each of the state's 14 mental health regions raise money to pay for services. Muscatine County is part of the Eastern Iowa region, also including Cedar, Clinton, Jackson and Scott counties.

Most counties in the Eastern Iowa region, including Muscatine, raise $40 or more per person in levies to pay for mental health and developmental disability services. But previous law capped Scott County's levy at about $19.20 per person.

The new legislation caps the levy at $30.78 per person. But Scott has decided not to raise its tax levy this year, Supervisor Nathan Mather learned at a regional meeting last week.

"We expect difficulties in dealing with statewide legislature," Mather said. "We didn't expect difficulties in dealing with members of our own region."

Mather said the four other counties are "upset" that Scott County has decided not to take action, despite promising to raise rates if the other counties "paid their fair share."

At the meeting, the four other counties authorized spending $866,000 to meet this year's shortfall created by Scott County collecting a lower rate. Muscatine County will pay about $450,000 of that, although only part will fund Scott County.

Mather said even though not every dollar is going to Scott County, "Scott is getting about two counties worth of money just for itself."

"So in other words, we've been sending, over the past several years, millions of dollars of Muscatine and other counties' money to fund Scott County," he said. "Now that Scott has been given the chance to raise taxes as they've been asking, theoretically, to do, they have declined to do so."

Board chair Jeff Sorensen said he is especially disappointed because "Scott was one of the counties that spent as much or more time lobbying the Legislature, to allow them to reduce that cap so we could increase funding."

Sorensen said Muscatine was forced to lower its taxes to a point that will not adequately pay for the services in the county but decided to follow the Legislature's ruling under the assumption Scott would begin contributing more money.

"We're playing roulette with the fund balance now," he said, adding Muscatine County likely needs to raise more than $40 per person to fully fund mental health services.

Sorensen said Scott County's refusal to raise its tax levy is mostly hurting rural Iowans.

"Look at the demographics," Sorensen said. "There's a lot of people, a lot of taxpayers ... Now we've got rural Iowa paying for metro Iowa, and that's not the way it should be. Rural Iowans are the ones getting hurt."

Mather said if Scott County raised its tax rate, the Eastern Iowa region would have "another three years of life in terms of funding." Without Scott County's raise in taxes, the region will now be funded for two years.

"It's very disappointing because now we will need to get Scott involved, get major changes, once again, made at the Legislature or start cutting services," Mather said.

Mather said it is likely mental health and developmental disabilities services will be cut in the future.

"It's just really frustrating because we'd like to be able to take care of our people," Mather said. "We'd like to do right by them."

Mather encouraged Muscatine residents to contact Scott County and state legislators and ask for mental health services to be equally and fully funded.

"Speak to legislators and tell them it's unacceptable," Mather said. "We need [Scott County] to be pulling their weight or we'll have some serious problems."

Mather said Muscatine County is requesting the mental health levy be set "where it belongs so we can take care of our people," which he said will benefit everyone in the region, including Scott County.
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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 []
There was a debate the other day about who should be allowed to participate in the upcoming live presidential debate. In the 2013 election, all presidential candidates were accommodated in the first TV debate of its kind in Kenya.

Apart from the famous Willing Buyer Willing Seller statement by then candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, theres really nothing else worth remembering from the two debates. Reason being the crowded nature of the podium, translating to limited time to ask questions to the candidates that matter.

Some weeks back, State House Insider Dennis Itumbi started a hashtag demanding that only Raila and Uhuru participate in the Presidential debate, and Ruto and Kalonzo in the Deputy Presidential debate. And I couldnt agree more.

In the US, the rest of the world may be forgiven to think that there are usually only 2 presidential candidates. However, there are always others on the ballot sheet, who poll so bad that they neither get invited for the presidential debates, nor get any news airplay during campaigns.

Why then should Kenya be any different? Why do we take away crucial debate time from the real candidates, to entertain a bunch of jokers.

Speaking of jokers, perennial presidential candidate Nazlin Umar was at Kasarani on Saturday. She had joined more than 2000 Independent Candidates who have decamped from Jubilee after losing badly in the just concluded primaries. Nazlin is one of the 10 Presidential Candidates set to be on the ballot in August.

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The group calling itself Kenya Alliance of Independent Candidates (KAIC) is headed by Kiambu Governor William Kabogo deputized by Uasin Gishu loser Bundotich Buzeki.

The group pledged their loyalty to Uhuru Kenyatta, but said they will support him outside Jubilee.

Though Nazlin did not speak, it is ironic she was in a meeting to endorse her rival. And a few weeks from now she will demand to share the same debate podium. I hope the media houses will not lower themselves to this level.

Actually, TV airplay and debate format shows should be restricted to those with a realistic chance to win in their respective races.

That should eliminate people like the arrogant Miguna Miguna, of whom I have a better chance being Pope than him being Governor.. and Im not even Catholic.
A skilled nursing facility in Napa is being sued for elder abuse and negligent hiring and supervision following the death of one of its elderly patients.

The lawsuit alleges that the staff at Napa Valley Care Center on Villa Lane did not provide necessary care to Caroline Johnson, an 82-year-old patient who was at the facility for nine days before having a stroke and falling into a coma. Her family took her off life support two days later on May 16, 2016, according to the suit.

Johnsons daughter, Marilyn Burger Gomes of Napa, is being represented by Stephen Garcia of Garcia, Artigliere, Medby & Faulkner out of Long Beach. Garcia filed the lawsuit against the center, its managing entity and multiple employees in San Diego County Superior Court on April 27.

It is our opinion that these horrific injuries to Caroline would not have occurred had Napa Valley Care Center adhered to applicable rules, laws and regulations, as well as the acceptable standard of practice governing the operation of a skilled nursing facility, Garcia said in a press release. Instead, as is so often the case where a business puts profits over people, further injury and even tragedy occurs. Caroline was left to deteriorate and she ultimately paid with her life.

The named defendants  Petunia Holdings, LLC, and Plum Healthcare Group  have not filed responses yet, but a civil case management conference is scheduled for Dec. 15. Representatives from Napa Valley Care Center declined to comment on the case at this time.

Johnsons medical history included problems with hypertension, coronary atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, hypothyroidism, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Due to these conditions, Johnson had difficulty breathing and used a nebulizer every night, according to the suit. She also had a history of abnormally high blood pressure levels, spells of dizziness and minor falls and was confined to a wheelchair.

Despite these ailments, Johnson enjoyed the quality if her life and was alert, animated and energetic, according to the suit.

After experiencing difficulty breathing on May 2, 2016, Johnson was admitted to Queen of the Valley Medical Center for two or three days before being transferred to Napa Valley Care Center for rehabilitation and assistance with daily living. Staff at the center was tasked with helping Johnson with food preparation, eating, and taking medications in addition to monitoring her blood pressure levels and breathing, according to the suit.

Instead, the suit alleges that Johnson was left grasping for air without her nebulizer her first four or five nights at Napa Valley Care Center. And, the suit says, her blood pressure levels were never even assessed or documented.

Johnson was served cold, bland food and treated without dignity, according to the suit.

Once Johnson even challenged her daughter to try the food herself. The daughter then described the scrambled eggs as soggy, watery and ice, the suit alleges. When Johnson asked staff to serve her food while it was still warm, a staff member told her, Well, theyre just going to get colder if you dont eat them now, according to the suit.

The suit alleges that Johnson lost more than 10 pounds during her nine-day stay at Napa Valley Care Center.

Johnsons daughter, who visited and called often, routinely asked about her mothers health and asked care staff to arrange for her mother to see a doctor about a large bruise that was on her foot or her abnormal blood pressure levels, which Johnsons daughter tested herself, according to the suit. The daughter informed staff that bruising on her mother could be a sign of a blood clot, but, alleges the suit, staff ignored her requests.

Johnson suffered significant blood clots in her leg leaving gruesome severe bruising and suffered a traumatic stroke from which she unnecessarily and avoidably fainted into permanent unconsciousness, reads the suit. By the time Johnson was transported to the hospital on May 14, 2016, it was too late, the suit alleges. She was placed on life support.

The attending physician told Johnsons daughter that details regarding her mothers stroke, including what time it had occurred, were unknown, the suit alleges. The facility, the physician said, failed to timely transfer her mother, leaving no opportunity for treatment, according to the suit.

Johnson died from acute vascular accident, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension the very conditions for which she was admitted to the facility to address, according to the suit.

The suit alleges that staff were poorly trained and overworked.

The 130-bed facility was given two out of five stars and an overall rating score of below average based on health inspection, staffing and quality measures, according to Medicare.gov Nursing Home Compare, the official U.S. government site for Medicare.

In its most recent standard health inspection report dated April 15, 2016, inspectors found that Napa Valley Care Center had 12 health deficiencies  slightly less than the average number of deficiencies in nursing homes across California, but more than the national average. The center was rated above average in staffing and much above average in quality measures.

Garcias law firm also has two pending lawsuits against a former Napa care facility, GoldenLiving Center. The center has since changed ownership and its name changed to Napa Post Acute.
Defense attorneys in the Kayleigh Slusher murder trial rested their cases in Napa County Superior Court Monday, with juries to hear closing statements later this week.

Mervin C. Lernhart, Jr., representing Ryan Scott Warner, rested on Monday morning without calling any witnesses. Mr. Warner is satisfied with the current state of the evidence and the defense rests, he told the court.

Moments earlier, Jim McEntee, who is representing Kayleighs mother, Sara Lynn Krueger, rested after presenting witnesses over three days of trial.

Krueger, 27, and Warner, 29, are accused of killing Kruegers 3-year-old daughter in January 2014, in the east Napa apartment that they shared.

Testimony in both cases has been heard simultaneously by two sets of juries in the same courtroom for the past three weeks. The two juries will be hearing closing statements separately this week.

McEntee called five witnesses to the stand last week, including Krueger herself and her father, John Krueger.

During rebuttal on Monday, the prosecution called Dr. Mikel Matto, a psychiatrist based in San Francisco, to the stand as an expert in dissociation, the effects of trauma and intimate partner battering.

Matto, who interviewed Krueger in jail in March and reviewed materials pertaining to the case, was the prosecutions response to a therapist who testified on behalf of Krueger last week, saying that she had experienced years of trauma, intimate partner battering with both Warner as well as Kayleighs father, Jason Slusher, and had experienced a dissociative episode upon finding Kayleigh dead on Jan. 30, 2014.

Matto said that although Krueger described herself as feeling like a zombie and her statements made it sound like she had experienced a dissociative episode  meaning she would have been checked out or that her actions would have been disconnected to her feelings  she didnt appear to be having a dissociative episode in any of the surveillance video taken of her in the time after finding Kayleigh dead nor did she seem to be in a dissociative state while being interviewed by Napa Police.

For example, in a video of her and Warner at Target from Jan. 31, 2014, Krueger, who described herself as needing to be led around the store, could be seen walking in front of Warner and even exited the store before him, Matto said. The two purchased ice cream at the store between finding Kayleighs body on Jan. 30 and fleeing Napa on Feb. 1.

Krueger was a victim of intimate partner battering during her relationship with Slusher, Matto said, but there was no evidence that Warner was physically abusive to her and it didnt seem like any emotional abuse by him had lasting effects on her.

Matto said that, according to 27 months of jail mental health records, Krueger still had contact with Slusher while she was in jail and often talked about him with mental health staff. She did not describe a strong emotional attachment to Warner, he said.

Krueger also had accurate portrayals of the sequence of events and details following Kayleighs death, which is not consistent with someone suffering traumatic memory loss, he said.

If Krueger had experienced a dissociative episode, there was no available evidence to corroborate it, Matto said.

Napa Police Sgt. Todd Shulman also returned to the stand to discuss details of Sara Kruegers rape case, which he responded to when she was only 14-years-old.

Krueger said on the stand last week that she had been raped by a 25-year-old and then raped again by a 17-year-old. Shulman told the court that, at the time, Krueger said that the sex with the 17-year-old happened first and was consensual and that only sex with the adult was nonconsensual.

During the afternoon session, Deputy District Attorney Kecia Lind played three telephone recordings from Kruegers time in jail.

In the first one, which was to her father just three days after her arrest, Krueger said that she hadnt slept for 30 hours until Jan. 30, just 12 hours before finding Kayleigh. On the stand, though, she said she had slept between Jan. 28 and Jan. 29.

Krueger gave this same time-frame during another conversation from jail on Feb. 15, 2014.

Lind suggested through her questioning of Krueger last week that she changed her timeline to make it look like Warner had more time alone with Kayleigh. Krueger denied this.

The third phone call, which was placed on Feb. 13, 2015, illustrated Linds point that Krueger could lose her temper easily, contrary to what she testified to previously.

In the phone call, Krueger could be heard yelling and cursing at her mother for not getting a restraining order against Jason Slusher. Kruegers mother tried to stay calm as her daughter railed into her, calling her stupid and lazy.

In the same conversation, Krueger complained that the medicine she was on was causing her not to have her period. This upset her because, she said, One day I might have a child again.

With the playback of these phone calls, the prosecution rested.

Jurors hearing Kruegers case are expected back in the courtroom Wednesday morning to receive jury instructions and for closing arguments. Deliberations will follow.

Warners jury is expected back in court on Thursday.
Two CEROS 200 radar and optronic tracking fire control director by Saab are also fitted: One forward (on top of the deck house) and the other one back aft, between the harpoon launchers and the SeaRAM system. A Lockheed Martin representative told Navy Recognition during the show that the aft mounted CEROS had to be elevated because the SeaRAM would otherwise block some of its field of view.



In terms of sensors, the Saudi Navy MMSC would be fitted with an Airbus D&S TRS-4D AESA Radar, a Variable Depth Sonar (likely Thales CAPTAS type), Saab Ceros 200 radar and optronic tracking fire control director, Argon ST WBR-2000 Electronic Support Measure and Threat Warning System. The combat management system is set to be similar to the one fitted onboard the Freedom class LCS: The COMBATSS-21 by Lockheed Martin.



Below the helicopter deck is a mission bay area that still has some built in modularity. There is space for a ramp launched RHIB and/or a variable depth sonar. A Lockheed Martin representative told us that the final design and configuration is still being worked on. Hull size and shape, propulsion system, power output, helicopter hangar etc remain unchanged compared to the U.S. Navy Freedom class LCS.



The deal signed yesterday also include spares, training and other logistics items for the program. A Memorandum of Understanding between Lockheed Martin and Saudi Arabian Military Industries for the parties to work together to build defense capabilities in the KSA to support Vision 2030 and provide for localization efforts associated with Multi-mission Surface Combatants was signed as well
MELBOURNE, Florida  Around 25 to 30 homes had to be evacuated for a two-alarm brush fire after a 12-year-old Brevard County student burned his school books at the end of the school year to make a YouTube video in Melbourne, Florida.

The fire erupted around Snicole Avenue just before 3 p.m. in the Manchester Lakes subdivision off of Dairy Road.

Easterly winds pushed the blaze over city limits into West Melbourne, Florida.

Brevard County has been under a burn ban because most of east Central Florida has experienced drought-like conditions during the spring.

This story is breaking. Check back for updates.

Photo credit: BCFR. Map Credit: Google
Emory's slower summer pace is the perfect time for faculty, staff and students to explore campus exhibitions centered on art, activism, theology, medicine and more.

The next week offers the last chance to see the major exhibition Still Raising Hell: Materials from the Camille Billops and James V. Hatch Collection from the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library.

Since 2002, the Rose Library has been home to the comprehensive collection, which includes playscripts, photographs, works of art and more put together by Billops and Hatch as artists, activists and collectors.

For more than 50 years, Camille Billops and James Hatch have been stewards of African American history and memory, explains exhibition curator Pellom

McDaniels III, who is also the curator of the Rose Librarys African American collections.

This exhibition accounts for their tremendous efforts to preserve materials related to the development of the arts as a form of expression, and as a medium for speaking truth to power for African Americans," he says.

The exhibition, in Woodruff Library's Schatten Gallery, concludes Sunday, May 28.

Over at the Pitts Theology Library, The Image of a Fractured Church: Martin Luther and the 95 Theses is on exhibit through July 7.

2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, being commemorated this year across the globe.

When Martin Luther published his Ninety-Five Theses  a series of statements and proposals about the power of indulgences and the nature of repentance, forgiveness and salvation  on Oct. 31, 1517, the document was originally intended for academic debate. However, it quickly became a rallying point in the history of the Christian church.

The exhibition presents the context of the role of indulgences in 16th century religious life and the use of disputations in theological education. Shown also are the early responses to Luthers Theses by both his supporters and his opponents; the impact of Luthers Reformation, including depictions of the posting of the Ninety-Five Theses in later Protestant traditions; as well as current attempts by Catholics and Protestants to find common ground.

While everyone is invited to view the exhibition any time the library is open, tours can also be arranged. Contact Rebekah Bedard, reference librarian and outreach coordinator, at 404-727-5094.

An exhibition at the Chace Gallery, The Spirit Lives on: Art, Music and the Mind, grew out of a three-part project sponsored by Emory's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Atlanta Master Chorale.

Developed to increase the community's awareness of the issues facing persons living with a dementing illness and their caregivers, the exhibition emphasizes the salience of these illnesses for the African American community. It just opened May 15 and will be ongoing through Sept. 4. The Chace Gallery is in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

To Care for Others: 100 Years of Nursing at Emory explores Emorys nursing program through the past century. On display at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, the exhibition features artifacts and archival documents that bring an Emory perspective of nursing to life in from its original 1907 graduating class of 10 to the worldwide impact of Emory nurses today.

The materials also shed light on the development of medical instruments and the contributions of influential nurses to the profession. These include such artifacts as a Civil War-era stethoscope, reproductions of Florence Nightingales letters held by Pitts Theology Library, and a medical journal from World War I kept by Nell Hodgson Woodruff, the woman for whom Emorys Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is named. The exhibition runs through Jan. 31, 2018.

The Michael C. Carlos Museum is featuring an exhibition of one of the first art forms in the Americas  baskets. Basket fragments have been found in California and the Southwest dating to as far back as 9,400 years ago. Coiling Culture: Basketry Art of Native North America explores the intersection between material, making and meaning in the fragile basketry art of the Southeast to the Southwest and up into the Arctic. Learn about the materials, the elaborate techniques and intricate designs the makers used as well as the symbolism of the baskets.

This exhibition will run through Aug. 26, 2018.
Learn more about scholarships Students interested in learning more about the Udall Scholarship and other prestigious awards should contact Megan Friddle in Emory's National Scholarships and Fellowships Program. Find more information or schedule an appointment through the National Scholarships & Fellowships Program website.

Emory College student Jamani Roe Montague Ox16 has been selected as a 2017 Udall Scholar. Her impressive list of accomplishments includes independent research into environmental racism, work as a legislative aide and youth coordinator for various political campaigns, and an internship working to solve civil and environmental issues as they relate to prisoners.

The $7,000 national award from the Udall Foundation recognizes college sophomores and juniors nationwide for leadership, academic achievement, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or the environment.

Montague and the 49 other scholars from around the country will gather in Tucson in August to meet one another and interact with program alumni and leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care and governance. They were selected from almost 500 applicants.

This will be a great experience for me, to build on my environmental organizing skills and to strategize with experts and others who share my interests, says Montague, an international studies major minoring in environmental science. She begins her senior year at Emory this fall and plans to pursue a PhD in environmental studies.

A leader at Oxford

Montagues drive for service and leadership was unveiled when she was in high school in Newark, New Jersey, leading high school walk-outs in protest of a controversial district superintendent and working for progressive candidates for local and state office. She also was selected to participate in the highly competitive W.E.B. Dubois Scholars Institute at Princeton University during high school summer breaks.

She would use the problem-solving training she received, specifically geared toward identifying and resolving pressing world issues, as soon as she arrived at Oxford College on Emorys original campus. There, she began research with the Oxford honors program, examining the political economy of toxic exposure in U.S. public schools as well as the relationship between toxic exposure and academic attainment in minority youth.

At Oxford, Montague was the president of the Black Student Alliance, president of Oxford Pride and community outreach coordinator for the Oxford Young Democrats.

She is energetic, articulate, experienced and mature beyond her years, says Catherine M. Chastain-Elliott, Oxfords associate dean for academic affairs.

While at Oxford, Montague skillfully brought students, faculty and staff together in an effort that is now known as the Inclusive Curriculum Initiative. The ongoing effort works to find access to expensive course materials for low-income students and includes a rethinking of the Oxford curriculum to include more courses that reflect the cultural backgrounds of the diverse campus.

Due to Jamanis skill in bringing different voices together and her willingness to learn about how things get done on a college campus, Oxford proceeds in these efforts with a spirit of care and community, Chastain-Elliott says. She is most certainly destined to take on leadership roles in the area or environmental racism in the future.

Prisons and pollution

Also at Oxford, Montague enrolled in a memoir class that included students from Lee Arrendale State Prison, a womens facility in Alto, Georgia. She says taking a college course inside of a prison is what provoked her interest in prison policy and advocacy, particularly related to prison pollution. Her current research explores prison ecology, or the relationship between polluting prisons and the natural environment.

Those on the outside dont care much about people in prison, nor their health issues. My research highlights an ecosystem approach, rather than a human health approach, to analyzing and combating industrial prison pollution, says Montague. At the end of the day, prisoners are just people. People who are in prison.

Today, she interns for online grassroots activist website RootsAction, where she writes articles and petitions to expose the various environmental injustices experienced by people in prison. She spends much of her time calling radio stations across the country to give out her contact information so that prisoners with environmental problems can reach her.

The work she does is personal. Her father was incarcerated two weeks after she was born. Every weekend she can recall from her first five years of life was spent in a prison visiting room.

Today, Montague tutors at Lee Arrendale Prison, helping inmates with technical computer skills to take courses in a new associates degree program. She says getting to know those women helps her to better understand her fathers experience, such as learning prisoners often wait 45 minutes for a chance at a 10-minute phone call.

Its a rewarding experience to get to know these women more every time I go in, she says. In a lot of ways, I feel like Im getting to know my father better by working with them. Id say its very personal.
H. Jochen Schenk, professor of biological science

Cal State Fullerton faculty and student plant biologists will be among research presenters at the May 22-26 10th International Workshop on Sap Flow at the Fullerton Arboretum.

Organized by H. Jochen Schenk, professor of biological science and an expert in plant hydrology, and sponsored by the International Society for Horticultural Science, the workshop is a forum for international exchange of new scientific ideas and discoveries related to sap flow and transpiration.

Globally, plant transpiration moves more water from the soil to the atmosphere than all the worlds rivers combined move to the oceans, said Schenk.

The flow of water through plants has huge importance for the functioning of the biosphere, ecosystems, meteorology, agriculture, horticulture, soil erosion and drinking water supplies, Schenk added.

Nearly 100 scientists and students from 19 countries  from Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Spain to The Netherlands  are expected to attend. While presentations focus on sap flow, many will go beyond this topic and address issues ranging from the underlying biology and physics of sap flow to applications in irrigation management, Schenk noted.

CSUF presenters:

Tuesday, May 23

8:30 a.m.  Schenk will present, The River to the Sky: Plants Move the Worlds Water.

5 p.m.  CSUF biology graduate student researchers Miguel Macias, Miriam Morua and Tori Woods will present their research.

For more information, visit online or contact Schenk.
At a time when science seems under attack and truth is contested, researchers in Miami are using the discipline to bridge the 90-mile and decades-long gap with scientists in Cuba.

The recent re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S. is opening new avenues for scientific investigation and environmental conservation.

Its funnyusually the environment is the last thing we agree on but in this case, its what brought the two countries together, said Fernando Bretos, curator of ecology and director of MUVE (Museum Volunteers for the Environment) at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, and the first speaker of the Sea Secrets lecture.

The discussion, titled Coral Reefs and Science Diplomacy: Bridging the Gap with Cuba, was held Thursday in the Planetarium of the recently opened Frost Science Museum in downtown Miami and was the first scientific lecture hosted at the Museum, which opened May 8.

We are eager to work together on what we anticipate will be a long collaboration between the university and the museum, said Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Dean Roni Avissar, who opened the final lecture of the 2017 Sea Secrets Lecture Series, presented by the Rosenstiel School and the Ocean Research and Education Foundation.

Bretos highlighted the Trinational Initiative for Marine Science and Conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean, started in 2007, as a meeting platform for Cuban and U.S. scientists, and expanded to include Mexican scientists, he said, to help to buffer any tension between the U.S. and Cuba and allowed the work to flow much more smoothly.

Bretos, who has a personal connection to Cubahis parents came to the United States under Operation Peter Panhas been collaborating with Cuban marine scientists for 18 years. His research focuses mainly on sea turtles in Guanahacabibes National Park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, located on the western tip of the island.

The park, and other coastal areas of the island, have some of the most pristine waters and wild marine ecosystems.

Cuba is somewhat of a mecca for turtles, said Bretos, an alumnus of the Rosenstiel School. It has a huge amount of beach, feeding habitat and large expanses of sea grass.

There are progressive coastal development and preservation policies in place in Cuba, said Bretos, and coastal areas are managed pretty well, but its an issue of scale, which may become problematic with increasing tourism to the island.

Increasing tourism to Cuba, and global anthropogenic changes to the environment are harmful to coral reef ecosystems as well as sea turtles and other marine mammals.

Coral reefs are dying around the world in great numbers, for many reasons, but perhaps the most important reason is climate change and warming sea surface temperatures, started Andrew Baker, an associate professor of marine biology and ecology at the Rosenstiel School and the second lecturer.

He started off with the bad news, he said, to provide some background on the good newsusing molecular genomics and collaboration with Cuban scientists to help save the worlds reefsand to communicate why Cubas coral reefs are so interesting and how they can play a role in replenishing dying or dead corals.

The warming sea surface temperatures stress corals, causing the critical partnership of algal symbiontszooxanthellae, which live on the corals and give them their beautiful colorsto break down in a process called coral bleaching. During coral bleaching, the corals expel these algae, lose their coloration and turn white, and often die.

Corals can recover from bleaching, explained Baker, but if they dont, they die.

As a coral biologist and conservation scientist, the goal is, if we cant prevent corals from bleaching, we can at least give them routes to recover so that they dont go down this one-way path and point of no return, said Baker, head of Rosenstiels Coral Reef Futures Lab.

One solution Baker is working on to help save the worlds coral reef ecosystems? A method that uses the same science behind popular DNA genome sequencing services like 23andme and Ancestry.com.

Using these molecular genomic methods, we can assess the connectivity of corals around all these different regions (in the Caribbean), in an attempt to try and figure out how these coral reefs are connected to one another, he said.

Analyzing satellite imagery, Cuba is very interesting from an environmental conservation perspective, explained Baker. Heat maps of water around the region show that there are very distinct thermal temperatures throughout the area.

There are areas in Cuba that are both exceptionally cool and exceptionally warm; the difference is about 2 degrees Celsius, or about 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit, said Baker. Thats the global temperature increase were expecting to see within the next century. Essentially, corals in one area could outlast by a century the corals in another area.

Corals along the southern coast of Cuba are particularly heat-tolerant. Baker and his fellow researchers are using heat maps to help them consider moving the more heat-tolerant corals to new places, as a way of helping restore reefs in one area, in the hope that corals will be more heat-tolerant overall and better able to replenish and recolonize reefs.

Baker pointed out that coral bleaching is going to become more frequent and more severe in the coming years. The amount of coral that were losing means that we may lose coral reefs as we know them, he said, as these systems that generate lots of biodiversity.

Biological diversity is the stuff of life that ultimately provides robustness to ecosystems, said Baker. Biologists will tell you this all the time, that diversity provides resilience.

Bakers research focuses on interventions that try to increase biological diversity in populations.

Theres a very good argument to be made about the assisted immigration of Cuban corals to the U.S. to boost diversity and ultimately resilience, said Baker. And theres some parallels here in human life as well.

He recognized that some of his talk focused on the bad news of how climate change is affecting our coral reefs, including how the reefs are the first ecosystem that were likely to lose as a result of global warming. But we cant lose hope, he added.

We have to balance the cost of doing nothing with the fear of doing something, said Baker. Science has an important role to play in determining what that something should be.

The annual Sea Secrets Lecture Series will begin again in January 2018.
Farmers in the northern restive province Saripul are controlled by the Taliban and encouraged to cultivate opium poppy, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Increase in poppy plantation means increase in Taliban revenues and supporting their financial resources to buy more weapons and further destabilise the province and the country at large," a resident said.

Saripul Governor Zahir Wahdat said the militants have been encouraging farmers to cultivate poppy and that is why poppy fields are constantly increasing in areas controlled by the Taliban.

Militancy-battered Afghanistan produced 4,800 tonnes of opium poppy in 2016 against 3,300 tonnes in 2015, showed an Afghan Ministry for Counter-Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) survey.

Majority of the illegal crop was produced in the restive areas controlled by anti-government militants.

--IANS py/dg

( 171 Words)

2017-05-22-15:24:12 (IANS)
Two major unions -- All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) -- will chalk out separate agitation and strike programmes in support of early wage revision in IDBI Bank, the unions said. Employees of IDBI Bank will strike work on Tuesday demanding wage revision. In a joint circular issued here by the two unions on Sunday the unions said: "Should the management of IDBI bank continue with their adamant attitude and should the government continue to remain silent in this manner, AIBEA and AIBOA will have to think of exclusive agitational programmes and strike action in support of early wage revision in IDBI Bank." Wage revision in IDBI Bank is due from 1.11.2012. While wage revision has been completed in all other banks with the signing of the Bipartite Settlement in May, 2015, the IDBI Bank management and the government are unwarrantedly delaying wage revision in that bank, charged AIBEA and AIBOA. According to the unions, the ostensible reason given by the management is that the bad loans in the bank have increased and the bank has not been performing well. "Everyone is aware that the employees and officers of IDBI Bank are no less efficient than other bank employees and are in no way responsible for the mismanagement of the bank or the losses incurred by the bank due to huge bad loans", the unions said. "Instead of taking action on the officials responsible for such mismanagement, it is unfortunate that the employees and officers are sought to be penalized in this manner," the unions added. --IANS vj/ruwa/bg ( 275 Words) 2017-05-22-12:16:53 (IANS)
The flight AI-669 took off at 2.14 p.m. from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport but barely 15 minutes after it was airborne, it was forced to return, said an official.

A full emergency was declared and the aircraft made a safe landing with all passengers and crew on board safe.

The emergency was later withdrawn and the aircraft was parked in a remote bay at the CSMIA.

--IANS qn/ahm/dg

( 108 Words)

2017-05-22-17:50:11 (IANS)
"Project Sangam" is a Cloud hosted platform that leverages Microsoft Azure services, as well as the power of LinkedIn, to provide an integrated mobile-first platform for skilling, and employment.

"We are pleased to bring the power of Microsoft Cloud technologies and data analytics to the Telecom Sector Skill Council and look forward to supporting them in their mission to develop world class skilled manpower for the telecom industry in India," said Sanjeev Gupta, Country Manager, Public Sector, Microsoft India, in a statement.

Telecom Sector Skill Council is a not-for-profit public-private partnership between National Skill Development Corporation and the telecom industry.

Using the platform, TSCC can create courses compliant with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). These courses can then be further extended by their partners and trainers with their own training material.

"We believe Microsoft's programmes, tools and resources will empower telecom sector professionals with new-age competencies and narrow the existing gap between demand and supply of skills," added S.P. Kochhar, Chief Executive Officer, Telecom Sector Skill Council.

--IANS anuj/gb/dg

( 207 Words)

2017-05-22-17:54:15 (IANS)
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Monday denied any possibility of a loan waiver for farmers, saying the NDA government's focus lay in their empowerment and it instead intended to invest in various schemes and initiatives to boost their income. "Our focus is on empowerment of farmers. We want agricultural production to increase and maintenance to go down. We are investing in schemes that are aimed at increasing farmers' income," he said while briefing media about achievements of his ministry in last three years. Singh said that loan waivers cannot solve farmers' problems, so the government's focus was on bringing down input cost of farming and providing facilities to farmers. The demand for loan waiver came from all quarters after Uttar Pradesh government waived off loans of up to Rs 1 lakh of small and marginal farmers in the state, which was one of the promises in the BJP's manifesto before the assembly elections. Reacting to a question about this, he said: "It was Uttar Pradesh government's decision to waive off loans in the state. Our (Centre) priority is to save farmers from clutches of sahukars (private-money lenders). We seek transparency in it. We have increased credit (for short-term loans) from Rs 8.5 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore." Hit by two consecutive droughts, distressed farmers from Tamil Nadu in March launched 40-day long agitation in the national capital demanding loan waiver. The Madras High Court had then asked the Tamil Nadu government to waive agricultural loans of farmers, irrespective of their land holding. Ahead of 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-led UPA government had, in the 2008 budget, announced Rs 60,000 crore package to provide relief to the indebted farming community by waiving off loans of small and marginal farmers. Major opposition parties including Congress has been seeking loan waivers for relief to farmers across the country. Similar demands have come from states of Maharashtra and Punjab. Last week, around 150 farmers from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region - an epicentre of farmers suicide - held a one day hunger strike to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi of promises he made before 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but have remained unfulfilled. In the same protest event, Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Oscar Ferandes assured the farmers that their issues would be raised in the upcoming Parliamentary session. In March this year, State Bank of India Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya had created an uproar after she said loan waivers may disrupt credit discipline among borrowers. --IANS spk/vd ( 427 Words) 2017-05-22-19:34:14 (IANS)
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Monday ruled out denied any possibility of a loan waiver for farmers, saying the NDA government's focus lay in their empowerment. Instead of a waiver, it instead intended to invest in various schemes and initiatives to boost their income, he said. "Our focus is on empowerment of farmers. We want agricultural production to increase and maintenance to go down. We are investing in schemes that are aimed at increasing farmers' income," he said while briefing media about achievements of his ministry in last three years. Singh said that loan waivers cannot solve farmers' problems, so the government's focus was on bringing down input cost of farming and providing facilities to farmers. The demand for loan waiver came from all quarters after Uttar Pradesh government waived off loans of up to Rs 1 lakh of small and marginal farmers in the state, which was one of the promises in the BJP's manifesto before the assembly elections. Reacting to a question about this, he said: "It was Uttar Pradesh government's decision to waive off loans in the state. Our (Centre) priority is to save farmers from clutches of sahukars (private-money lenders). We seek transparency in it. We have increased credit (for short-term loans) from Rs 8.5 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore." Hit by two consecutive droughts, distressed farmers from Tamil Nadu in March launched 40-day long agitation in the national capital demanding loan waiver. The Madras High Court had then asked the Tamil Nadu government to waive agricultural loans of farmers, irrespective of their land holding. Ahead of 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-led UPA government had, in the 2008 budget, announced Rs 60,000 crore package to provide relief to the indebted farming community by waiving off loans of small and marginal farmers. Major opposition parties including Congress has been seeking loan waivers for relief to farmers across the country. Similar demands have come from states of Maharashtra and Punjab. Last week, around 150 farmers from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region - an epicentre of farmers suicide - held a one day hunger strike to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi of promises he made before 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but have remained unfulfilled. In the same protest event, Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Oscar Ferandes assured the farmers that their issues would be raised in the upcoming Parliamentary session. In March this year, State Bank of India Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya had created an uproar after she said loan waivers may disrupt credit discipline among borrowers. --IANS spk/vd ( 434 Words) 2017-05-22-19:46:10 (IANS)
Both houses of the Maharashtra legislature on Monday unanimously passed the State Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill, paving the way for the measure's roll-out in the state from July 1, along with the rest of India. The development came this evening after hectic deliberations in the legislative assembly and council at a three-day special session of the state legislature for passing the GST Bill. "All political parties had unanimity over the GST Bill. Today, this supreme house has unanimously passed this bill. I thank the House for this," said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He termed the development as "a historic day" for the legislature and said now the country is a step closer to One Nation-One Tax regime even as ruling coalition Bharatiya Janta Party and Shiv Sena legislators celebrated by distributing sweets and hugging each other. Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil however said that "the full credit for the GST Bill goes to the Congress which had first introduced it during the UPA regime". "At that time, then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi had opposed it tooth-and-nail. Ironically, it's the BJP government under Modi which has now passed passed the GST Bill. Hence the credit for GST goes to the Congress, not the BJP," he told media persons. The assembly witnessed hectic discussions before ratification of the three related GST bills, including the State Goods and Services Tax Bill, another to compensate the local authorities and the third to repeal the existing law and replace them with GST with effect from July 1. Several prominent leaders including Vikhe-Patil, Leader of Opposition in Council Dhananjay Munde, senior leaders from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party like former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, Jayant Patil and others participated in the heated debates. Assuring that the GST would not hamper financial autonomy of local bodies, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the new tax regime would help strengthen Maharashtra's economy and eliminate the "tax terrorism" being encountered by the people. He said the government has accepted responsibility to compensate the local bodies for five years for the expected loss of revenue due to abolition of octroi and local body taxes due to GST. However, Mungantiwar said the state's economy was strong enough to adopt GST and would not require compensation from the Central government for revenue losses after two years. He pointed that 107 nations around the world have implemented GST, including many developed countries and their economies have flourished. Mungantiwar said that around 5,000 staffers of the Finance Department have already been trained for work related to GST implementation and another 6,000 will be trained in the coming weeks. --IANS qn/vd ( 447 Words) 2017-05-22-20:58:09 (IANS)
The 63-year-old-actor gave a keynote address at the 2017 commencement ceremony of Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina and surprised everyone by reciting a part of his

character's famous speech from the movie 'Independence Day'.

"You will not go quietly into the night. Because today is your graduation day," told the 'American Ultra' star to all the 140 students present there.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dXup5RVt0kk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The actor played President Whitmore in the cult 1996 alien action film and reprised his role in the 2016 sequel.

In his speech, Pullman said he had been waiting a couple of decades to get the chance to recite his Independence Day line at a graduation ceremony.

The actor also took photos with students and their families.

Reportedly, the reason for which the actor chose to speak at WWC was Pullman's son Lewis and Jack are alumni of the college. (ANI)
Paakhi A. Tyrewala directed Sikkimese film "Pahuna", supported by actress-producer Priyanka Chopra, might get a world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which will be held in September. Tyrewala is missing out all the action at Cannes where the upcoming film's first look was shown here on May 21, but she has no regrets. "I've been away from home for four months. I just came back from the US. I was homesick. Plus, I have to get 'Pahuna' ready for TIFF," she told IANS over phone from Mumbai. Her directorial short film "Kajal" premiered worldwide at the New York Indian Film Festival earlier this month. Now her hands are full with "Pahuna". "The deadline is in June. I am hoping it happens at TIFF. There are 50-50 chances," Tyrewala said. Last year, Priyanka had announced that she had joined the jury for TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, a new digital shorts competition for which TIFF joined forces with Instagram. It's not just Tyrewala who skipped the Cannes Film Festival this year. Priyanka, who is producing the film through her and her mother Madhu Chopra's banner Purple Pebble Pictures, was also not among the attendees. Nevertheless, the "Exclusive Cannes preview" of the trailer of "Pahuna" was attended by Madhu and Priyanka's brother Sidharth Chopra. Asked bout the film, Tyrewala had earlier told IANS: "It can be viewed by children, but it's not a children's film. It's about children. When you say a children's film, you see it as a simplistic film or just an entertaining film. "We are dealing with issues like gender bias, idea of currency... Money is money, but there is a currency divide, impact of older people on children, our fear of the unknown." --IANS nn/rb/bg ( 301 Words) 2017-05-22-12:17:39 (IANS)
Standing by the statement of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Kashmir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that a serious effort is being carried out by the Government of India in resolving the issue. BJP leader S. Prakash said the separatist elements and forces from across the border, which are fomenting trouble and creating an atmosphere of disturbance, must be put to an end. "Many efforts are underway to restore normalcy and urge people of the Valley to maintain peace and order which is currently under threat. A serious effort is being carried by the Government of India which the Home Minister has himself confirmed. The peaceful Kashmir Valley will be realised very soon," Prakash told ANI. Another BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain submitted the same, saying that Singh only clarified that one should not live in the misconception that they can separate us from Kashmir. "Our government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have always shown concern for Jammu and Kashmir. The entire nation is united on the opinion that Kashmir is only ours. The same Rajnath Singh has said that they are ready to take out a solution for this problem," Hussain told ANI. Assuring complete closure of the Kashmir issue on behalf of the government, Rajnath Singh yesterday made a strong statement that Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat belong to India. "We understand that Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmiriyat are ours. I assure you that we will come up with a permanent solution to end the issue," he said while addressing a gathering in Pelling, Sikkim. In the hope of resolving the ongoing friction between India and Pakistan regarding territorial disputes in Kashmir, the Union Home Minister said it is time for Islamabad to mend its ways and come to a consensus on the issue, rather than prolonging the same. "Pakistan continues to carry out acts of violence in the name of Kashmir, just to de-stabilise us. It is time for Pakistan to end these and look into resolving the matter and extending cooperation," said Rajnath. Developing on the importance of easing tensions along the border, Rajnath while drawing upon the reduction of border transgression with China, said Pakistan was invited to maintain friendly relations and not just bilateral ties. "There might be perceptional differences, but the border friction with China has declined now. Pakistan Prime Minister was invited to the oath-taking ceremony not just to join hands, but to be cordial hereafter," he said. (ANI)
Taking cognizance of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet, the special court has summoned them along with other accused.

Earlier on May 8, Virbhadra and other accused were summoned by the court in regard to the same case.

Earlier, Pratibha Singh withdrew her plea, which had alleged that the CBI hadn't obtained permission from the state government to procure documents used to prepare the chargesheet.

Pratibha's counsel had earlier on April 24 argued whether witnesses and documents that were collected during the investigation could be part of the chargesheet and if the court could read them for the purpose of taking cognizance.

The counsel also moved an application seeking consideration of these terms, while also requesting not to take cognizance of the chargesheet.

A day after being booked by the CBI special court, the Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring against him and asserted that all charges levied against him were fabricated. (ANI)
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will on Monday pronounce the quantum of sentence for former coal secretary H.C. Gupta, Coal Ministry's then joint secretary K.S. Kropha, then director K.C. Samaria, besides others pertaining to alleged irregularities in allocation of Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to Krishnapatnam Security Services Pvt. Ltd (KSSPL). Earlier on Friday, a Delhi court found Gupta, Kropha, KSSPL and its Managing Director (MD) P.K. Ahluwalia guilty of criminal conspiracy in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of a Chhattisgarh based coal block to SKS Ispat and Power Ltd (SIPL). They were also found guilty of cheating and corruption for their role in allocation of Rudrapur coal block to KSSPL in Madhya Pradesh. However, Chartered Account Amit Goyal, who was also facing trial in the case, got acquitted from all charges by the court. Earlier in February, the special CBI court granted bail to Gupta, Kropha, the firm, and its two directors Anil Gupta and Deepak Gupta, and three others -- Amit Singh, Rakesh Singh and Jagan Nath Panda. The court had asked all of them to sign Rs. one lakh personal bail bond and deposit Rs. one lakh as security amount. The CBI has claimed in the final report that the accused hatched a criminal conspiracy to cheat the Screening Committee, in order to bag the mining contract for the Fatehpur Coal Block in Chattisgarh. The probe agency charged the accused with forgery, cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct. According to the CBI, SIPL had got Fatehpur coal block in Chhattisgarh in 2008. It said that the company misrepresented various aspects of preparedness and was ineligible on the issue of net worth. The CBI had registered FIR in the matter in 2014. (ANI)
The incident took place in the Gopalpur area when Singh was returning after attending a wedding party.

A passerby namely Bhuteli Yadav was also injured in the firing and is being treated in the district hospital.

According to the family of the deceased leader, the attackers hailed from the same village.

The culprits fled from the spot after committing the crime and a manhunt has been launched.

A case has been registered in the regard and an investigation is underway. (ANI)
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is set to sue Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today under an additional defamation suit worth Rs. 10 crore, after the latter's Counsel Ram Jethmalani confirmed that Jaitley was called a 'crook' after being instructed by his client to do so. The fresh suit was filed today in the Delhi High Court after Jethmalani accused Jaitley of being 'guilty of crimes and crookery'. Earlier on Thursday, amidst an ongoing tense round of cross-questioning between Jailtey and Jethmalani, the former was perturbed after being referred to as a 'crook' by the 93-year-old veteran lawyer, in his defamation case against the Aam Aadmi Party convener, resulting in a verbal spat between the two parties. Baffled by the 'abuse' hurled at him, Jaitley further demanded a clarification from the senior counsel whether this was the result of a personal tiff, to which Jethmalani clarified that the term was used under the instructions of Kejriwal. Developing on this premise, senior advocates Rajiv Nayar and Sandeep Sethi, who were representing Jaitley, alleged that the matter was transcribed as a duel between Jaitley and Jethmalani, rather than Jaitley and Kejriwal. Jaitley had filed a criminal defamation complaint against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for allegedly defaming him in the Patiala House Court, while a civil defamation case was filed in the Delhi High Court. Jaitley had also filed the suit seeking Rs 10 crore in damages after Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders accused him of alleged irregularities and financial bungling in the DDCA, of which Jaitley was the president for about 13 years until 2013. Earlier in March, in a major jolt to Kejriwal, a Delhi Court put the former on trial in the criminal defamation case. The court had also framed a notice against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders in this case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass framed defamation notice against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders. Meanwhile, Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. (ANI) The hearing regarding the fresh suit is likely to take place in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.(ANI)
The Tamilar Munnetra Padai, a pro-Tamil group protested against Tamil superstar Rajnikanth's possible entry into politics here today, stating that he was a Kannadiga. The launched a protest outside his residence, following which security carted them away, as they shouted slogans against him. The protestors claimed that Tamil Nadu should be ruled only by the Tamils and being a Kannadiga, Rajinikanth should not come into the state politics. Security was already beefed up outside Rajinikanth's residence ahead of the protest. Earlier on Friday, while addressing the final day of Rajni-darbar the Tamil superstar said, after living in Tamil Nadu for 43 years and receiving the fans' appreciation, he has now turned into a 'true-Tamilian.' "I am 67 years old. I lived in Karnataka for 23 years and in Tamil Nadu for 43 years. I have lived and grown with you. You have been truly loving and welcoming and made me a true Tamilian. If I have to live anywhere in this world that will be in Tamil Nadu," he said. For the unversed, actor-turned-politician Sarath Kumar, in the past, labeled Rajinikanth an "outsider" Kannadiga, who stepped into Tamil Nadu to find work. This remark came after the Rajnikanth, at an event, observed that he misses actor-political satirist Cho Ramaswamy, at a time of "unusual political developments in the state," following the demise of late chief minister Jayalalithaa. His statement was touted to be in reference to Sasikala taking the reins of AIADMK. Kumar, who contested on the AIADMK symbol in the Assembly election from Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu in May 2016, on this note, said that Rajinikanth should be careful about his comments on public platforms; adding that the former will be the first to oppose the Rajnikanth's upcoming movie '2.0' star, if he tries his hands in politics. (ANI)
After the Karnataka Government passed a resolution to rename the Doddbommasandra main road in Vidyarayanyapura after Lt Col Niranjan EK, who lost his life in the 2016 Pathankot attack, Minister of Bengaluru Development and Town Planning K C George on Monday said that they will be naming another road in his honour. "You must understand under what circumstances they have written the letter. Col. Niranjan's name was recommended, we have highest respect for him. That's why we passed the resolution to name a road after him," George told ANI. "We wanted to name a road after Niranjan, but this road was already named for a freedom fighter Pete Siddappa Tiruvu," he added. Reportedly, in January last, Karnataka Aam Aadmi Party and residents of Vidyaranyapura started an online petition to rename the road after Lt Col Niranjan EK. "He laid down his life fighting terrorists in Pathankot. His family, friends and neighbours remember him as devoted to the army and dedicated to his country. We want to keep this martyr's memory alive. Lt Col Niranjan grew up in Vidyaranyapura, Bengaluru, his family currently lives there. We request you to rename a prominent road "DoddaBommasandra" in the locality after him," read the petition on change.org. (ANI)
UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday reiterated his government's resolve to go after corruption and scams.

"We had declared in our Sankalp Patra that if any complaint of a scam comes into our knowledge then the government would conduct inquiry and appropriate action would be taken on the report," Maurya told ANI.

He was reacting on former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's allegation that the Yogi government's decision to conduct inquiry in the Lukcnow-Agra Expressway project was politically motivated.

He further added that the government won't stop from conducting inquiry in the corruption matter "just because the Samajwadi Party or Bahujan Samaj Party level allegation of political vendetta".

The Yogi Government in April ordered 10 district magistrates to probe all land deals for the expressway in around 230 villages done over the last 18 months, over suspicion that the farm land was passed as land for residential purposes to get higher compensation during Akhilesh rule.

The UP Government on Sunday began probe and collected samples of roads from five places at random between Lucknow and Etawah. (ANI)
"Twenty of our MLAs reached the gate of Nabanna (Secretariat building) to protest against the issues of unemployment, farmers' distress and other issues. But the police did not let us in. They forcefully stopped us and later put us in police vans. They are not disclosing whether we are in police custody or not," Chakraborty told IANS.

"The Chief Minister has fled from the city. Is she not bothered about the plight of the farmers here? She has turned the state into a prison," he added.

At least 11 peasants' wings of the Left Front in the state are scheduled to hold the "march to Nabanna" rally' in five different parts of the city.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose claimed the MLAs were arrested and demanded their unconditional release.

"...They have been arrested and are being taken to Alipore court. We condemn their arrest and demand their unconditional release," he said.

However, the police have not confirmed the arrests.

The Secretariat has been converted into a virtual fortress with all entry points blocked alongside deployment of a large police force.

Plainclothes policemen are also on duty to thwart any untoward incident.

--IANS mgr-ssp/ksk/bg

( 234 Words)

2017-05-22-14:16:09 (IANS)
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Monday came out in support of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that "enough of negative politics and mudslinging". Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi responded with a demand that the "enemies of the party" (Sinha) must be "removed" at the earliest. "Enough of negative politics and mudslinging by opponents on our political leaders, be it Kejriwal, Lalu (Prasad) Yadav or Sushil Modi," Sinha said in a series of tweets. Backing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, Sinha said, "Individually I hold all political leaders, especially Kejriwal, in high esteem for their credibility, struggle and commitment towards society." The BJP leader's remarks came at a crucial time when the party has been accusing both the leaders of being involved in corruption cases. Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Modi has been accusing Lalu Prasad and his children - Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti - of being involved in corrupt land deals. Kejriwal has been accused of being involved in corrupt practices by suspended AAP legislator Kapil Mishra. Sinha, taking a dig at his own party the BJP, said: "Our BJP surely believes in honesty and transparency, which seldom go together, but must go together. An allegation is only that unless proved." Sinha, who represents the Patna Sahib constituency in the Lok Sabha also said that it was "high time to substantiate your claims.. or pack up! Can't just keep feeding media with one night stories and sensationalising. Enough is enough". Slamming Sinha, Modi said that it was not necessary to believe the actor and the party must remove such "traitors". "It is not necessary to believe the man who is famous. The traitors must be sent out immediately," Modi tweeted. "When Nitish (Kumar) didn't come out in support of Lalu (Prasad), in his support the enemies of BJP has jumped now," Modi said. Sinha has been criticisng the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections after he was sidelined in the party. He has backed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Kejriwal on several occasions. --IANS aks/in/bg ( 378 Words) 2017-05-22-14:52:09 (IANS)
He will participate in the opening ceremony of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in Gandhinagar tomorrow and lay foundation stone for various projects of the Kandla Port, an official statement here said.

Announcing his visit, the Prime Minister in a series of tweets yesterday, said, "Tomorrow I will begin a two-day Gujarat visit, during which I will join programmes in Kutch and Gandhinagar. I shall inaugurate & lay the foundation stone for various projects of the Kandla Port and address a public meeting at Gandhidham.

"In Bhachau, a pumping station would be inaugurated & I shall join a public meeting. Watch it on your mobile. http://nm4.in/dnldapp. Kutch has a very special place in my heart. It is blessed with wonderful people and a remarkable spirit of resilience.

"From suffering unimaginable destruction due to the 2001 quake, Kutch is today known as one of India's fastest growing districts."

He added: "On Tuesday, I will be in Gandhinagar to participate in the opening ceremony of the meetings of the @AfDB_Group.

"The Annual Meetings of @AfDB_Group have chosen the very relevant theme of 'Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa.'

"On the sidelines of @AfDB_Group Annual Meetings, I shall meet some of the distinguished delegates who will be taking part in #AfDBAM2017," the Prime Minister tweeted.UNI SD SW SHK 1418

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-903539.Xml
Expressing concern over the lynching of six people by villagers in Jharkhand a few days ago, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today said BJP-ruled states were descending into chaos and lawlessness and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard."From Raj to UP, Haryana & now Jharkhand, BJP-ruled states are descending into chaos & lawlessness.Will the PM answer?'' Mr Gandhi asked in a tweet. Six people were lynched by villagers in Seraikela-Kharswan district in Jharkhand on May 18 on the suspicion that they were child lifters, police said. The incidents took place under Rajnagar police station area following which agitated locals also torched two police vehicles.The Congress has been attacking the NDA Government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. The party has charged the BJP activists across the country with indulging in violence in the name of 'cow protection'.UNI AR SW SHK 1437 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-903555.Xml
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna has increased the number of non-lonee farmers by 238.96 per cent, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. Briefing about achievements of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry during three years of the NDA Government, Mr Singh said in the last three years, the number of non-lonee farmers increased by 128.50 per cent in Rabi crops compared to the preceding three years. He said under the national agriculture insurance scheme, six crore farmers have got insurance for the Kharif season during three years of 2011-14. Among them, there were only 77 lakh non-lonee farmers. While in the last three years between 2014-17, 9.47 crore farmers were insured for the Kharif season, of which 2.61crore are non-lonee farmers. The Minister said the farmers were provided unprecedented security through Prime Minister's Fasal Bima Yojana, which has the lowest premium and covers various risks.UNI NY RSA SHK 1749 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-903953.Xml
"The land-pooling policy announced by the State government has been welcomed by residents of 89 villages which have now been declared as urban areas in order to facilitate development of infrastructure projects in these localities," an official statement of the Delhi Government said.

It said that the delegation met them to express their appreciation for the AAP Government's policy and also apprised the Chief Minister about their problems and sought his intervention.

"Harichand Gahlot, president of the National Kisan Sanjha Manch, praised the new policy and told that it would boost development of rural areas in the capital," the statement said.

Outer Delhi MLAs Naresh Balyan and Gulab Singh were also present on the occasion.

After the approval of the LPP for the 89 villages, the Delhi government won't need to buy land from the DDA for developing facilities such as electrical sub-stations, stadiums, industrial areas, old-age homes, hostels, schools, etc.UNI DS RSA SHK 1724

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0177-903835.Xml
Two suspected terrorists arrested from the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar district had planned terror activities to avenge several incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in the state in 2015, police sources said on Monday. Mann Singh, 40, of Sri Hargobindpur (Gurdaspur) and Sher Singh, 28, of Kartarpur (Jalandhar) were remanded in five-day police custody on Monday by a court in Ajnala town near Amritsar. Both were arrested on Sunday by the Punjab Police in coordination with the Border Security Force. An AK-47 assault rifle, five hand grenades, six pistols, a .32 bore revolver, two rifles, including a modified one, along with ammunition of different calibre were seized from the two while they were trying to retrieve the weapons pushed into the Indian territory from Pakistan side. The two suspected terrorists were interrogated by officials of various security agencies at the joint interrogation centre near Amritsar. "We wanted to take revenge for the sacrilege incidents. We were told that we will get the weapons to carry out terror strikes," Mann Singh told the media on Monday while he was escorted out of the court by the police. Police officials claimed on Sunday that the "terror module was raised and indoctrinated by Canada-based Sikh hardliner Gurjivan Singh, who had visited Punjab twice in six months and arranged for arms and ammunitions through his Khalistani contacts in Pakistan". The arrested duo claimed Gurjivan Singh was in touch with them for two years and motivated them for terror strikes in Punjab. He also imparted them training in handling arms, including AK-47s, they said. Mann Singh confessed to making several visits to Pakistan and being in touch with some Khalistani activists there. Two persons were killed in police firing in Behbal Kalan village in Moga district in October 2015 and scores were injured in violence across Punjab as protests erupted over the sacrilege of the Sikh holy book. In October 2015, two brothers were arrested for the act of sacrilege of the holy book or 'bir' in Bargari village in Faridkot district. A 'bir' was stolen earlier on June 1, 2015, from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village of Faridkot. Over 100 pages of the holy book were found scattered in a street near a gurdwara, which incensed the people. --IANS js/tsb/vt ( 393 Words) 2017-05-22-19:00:10 (IANS)
Dr Harsh Vardhan, who today assumed additional charge of Environment Ministry, called for addressing air and water pollution on a priority basis. Dr Vardhan, the Minister for Science and Technology, who has been allocated the Environment portfolio following the sudden death of his predecessor Anil Madhav Dave, said the Ministry will always keep in mind the last wish of the departed for planting, protecting and nurturing trees and of cleaning rivers and ponds to protect environment. "Pollution, both of air and water, is a matter of concern for the whole country, in general, and especially Delhi and NCR, and needs to be addressed on priority by the Ministry," the Union Minister said during a meeting with the Secretary and other senior officials he held soon after assuming the charge to review the key areas of concern and priority. He emphasised the Modi Government's mission for integrating environmental concerns into development policies and programmes and balancing the two for India's sustained growth and progress. For this, it was important for the Ministry to quickly adopt the latest technologies, re-engineer clearance processes and develop policy initiatives to further enhance transparency, accountability and timely delivery, he said. Dr Harshvardhan discussed the progress of work in the past three years of this government and the key initiatives taken. He acknowledged that there are many immediate and complex issues of environment, forest and climate change, which will need collective and concerted efforts. The Minister focussed on policies and programmes for climate change adaptation and mitigation; biodiversity protection; pollution prevention and cleaner production; promoting circular economy for waste management through the concept of 4 Rs (Reduce, Recover, Reuse And Recycle); eco-tourism; afforestation on degraded lands and disbursal of CAMPA funds to the states. He also underlined that Climate Change and the commitments of India in the Paris agreement were another important challenges. The Minister exhorted all the officers to continue to strive hard and meet these and other similar challenges in the coming years. He added that lot of good work has been done, which must be shared with the people. "Involvement of the people is crucial, and for protection and conservation of environment people's participation has to be increased", Dr Harsh Vardhan said. The Minister commenced his visit to the office by first planting a sapling in the memory of Late Dave in the premises of Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, the new building of the Ministry. . "Dave ji did a great deal of work to protect our rivers, forests, ecosystem with the passion and the dedication of a true environmentalist", he said, and recalled the words of the late minister who used to say, 'If I can, so can we'. Earlier, Dr Harsh Vardhan took a round of the building, which is a benchmark in sustainable urban built habitat. The building is a net zero energy consumption building, as it generates all the power necessary on an annual basis.UNI NAZ RSA SHK 1826 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-904032.Xml
Terming the NDA Government's policy towards Jammu and Kashmir as 'inconsistent', the Congress today called on the Centre to take the Opposition into confidence to resolve the situation in the state.The party said that it has been holding talks with various parties in the Opposition to evolve a consensus on the issue.Talking to reporters here, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said,''in the last three years, the Kashmir policy of the Government has been changing with each passing day. There is a lack of consistency on the Jammu and Kashmir policy ''Asked if there were plans by the Opposition parties to hold a conclave on Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Singhvi said,''all the parties are concerned over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. If the Government at the centre as well as at the state is ignoring the situation in the valley, then it is for the Opposition to take an initiative in this regard.''Mr Singhvi said that in the history of Jammu and Kashmir since 1987, things have never spiralled to such a level.''Things in Jammu and Kashmir since 1987 have never spiralled to such a level as they have now. The Congress has been trying to hold discussions with various Opposition parties to evolve a national consensus on the issue,''he said.UNI AR ADG SHK 1837 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-904079.Xml
Four Days after seven men were publically lynched in Jamshedpur and Saraikela districts of the state, Jharkhand Home Secretary SKG Rahate today said that a total of 18 arrests have been made so far in the incident which was a result of 'spontaneous reaction ' by the villagers. Addressing a press conference at the Suchana Bhawan here, he said that the incident in which four men were killed in Rajnagar police station area of Saraikela and three others under Bagbera policestation area of Jamshedpur was very unfortunate. He said, immediate fall out behind the reason indicate that the incident took place due to unfounded rumours to which the villagers spontaneously reacted and took the law in their hands. He said, after FIRs were lodged in both the cases, 18 people have been arrested while a group admin of whattsapp was also called for questioning. Mr Rahate said, government has already announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased while the injured would be paid Rs 50,000. He said, on May 19 the situation in Mango was bad for few hours but the district administration acted promptly to restore normalcy through the subsequent days. Mr Rahate said that government was taking the help of the local media and was also distributing pamphlets in the panchayats urging people not to fall trap of any such baseless rumours regarding child lifters. He said, over the entire issue a joint probe would be conducted by the Commissioner and DIG Kolhan Range and the team has been asked to submit its reports within a month. He said that post the incident the police station office in-charges of Rajnagar and Bagbera were also suspended. DGP DK Pandey who was also present at the press conference said so far not a single incident of child lifting has been reported in the state. He said that the people who spread these messages through the various social networking sites are being identified. The police was going through CCTV footage, videographs etc to identify the men and strict action would be taken against the culprits. He said,t police had made adequate deployment in Jamshedpur as two companies of RAF, JAP, Lathi party, tear gas units were deployed in the area. To a query, the home secretary said that there was no communal angle behind the twin incidents and there was a need to find out the vested interest behind spreading these rumours. He said that the district administration did on an earlier occasion spoke with pradhans and mukhiyas of the areas and asked them to play down such rumours however no one expected an incident of such magnitude. He also said that the government was closely regulating and monitoring the social media and these social media sites have also been asked to be watchful of such messages. Without divulging further details, the DGP said that the probe was moving in the right direction and no one would be spared nor saved. He said that cyber crime possessed a big threat to the state and unfortunately there was no arrangements in this year till November 2000 to 2014. However, the first cyber police station was opened in Ranchi in Nov 2015 and soon many more would come up. On May 18, four people in Shobapur village under Rajnagar police station area of Sarikela district and three others under Bagbera police station area of Jamshedpur district were lynched by the villagers who suspected them of being child lifters. On May 19, a protest was organised by the members of the minority community against the killings however the protest took an ugly turn following stone pelting by the agitators after which the police resorted to lathi-charge fire tear gas shells also fire in air to disperse the crowd. In the incident many policemen also sustained injured while government vehicles were also damaged. UNI AK AKM 1902 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-904226.Xml
In a gruesome incident, one woman was hacked to death near Dimapur town at New Chumukedima Village on the night of Saturday last. According to Dimapur police sources, the victim succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Chumukedima, where she was brought with grievous cut wounds on the side of the face suspected to have been inflicted by a 'dao.' Quoting preliminary inquiry, the police said that the incident occurred at her home at New Chumukedima village, where she was staying with her husband and their 8-month old toddler. Stating that the motive was unclear, the police said that the husband identified as one Longsa Chetri has been absconding since the incident occurred. A case has been registered and investigation is on, the police added. In a separate incident, one unidentified man was found dead in Dimapur on Saturday. As per the police, the body of the deceased man was found near the government higher secondary school playground of Kuda village at around 1430 hrs yesterday. Stating that no personal credential was found as to determine the deceased man's identity, the police said that he bore Mongoloid features and believed to have been around 35 to 40 years of age. Stating that the cause of death was yet to be ascertained, the police said that the body bore no visible signs of trauma. The body was taken to the district hospital morgue for postmortem, police said. UNI AS AKM 1920 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-904272.Xml
Expressing concern over the lynching of six persons by villagers in Jharkhand a few days ago, the Congress today said that BJP ruled states were descending into chaos and lawlessness and alleged that the NDA Government at the Centre was targetting those with different views and different ideologies. In a tweet, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said BJP ruled states were descending into chaos and lawlessness and demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.'' From Raj to UP, Haryana & now Jharkhand BJP ruled states are descending into chaos & lawlessness.Will the PM answer?,''Mr Gandhi said in a tweet. Six persons were lynched by villagers in Seraikela-Kharswan district in Jharkhand on May 18 on the suspicion that they were child lifters, the police said. The incidents took place under Rajnagar police station area following which agitated locals also torched two police vehicles. Later, addressing a press conference here, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said,'' a lynching movement of innocent people has begun in BJP- ruled States. Lawlessness aided and abetted by the State has become the new India of today. This is the real new normal not just the new normal you are being taught and told about this is the new India and new normal of the BJP. That is intolerance galore, innocents targeted, State-sponsored violence. '' Terming the NDA Government at the Centre as 'anti-human rights' and 'anti-dalit', he alleged that the NDA Government at the Centre was targetting those with different views and different ideologies.'' This BJP-NDA Government is a Whatsapp Government, a Whatsapp driven Government. It thrives on emotions and vulnerabilities of the people and uses it deliberately and mischievously to target those who may have different views, different ideologies. It has become the 'Pehchan', the modus-operandi and identity of the BJP. What is worse, it amounts to almost State-sponsored activity because every time we find, and some of these pictures in Media which show that the Police act as mute spectators. Law enforcement agencies are mute silent spectators. In Jharkhand in fact, Police were present seven people were killed by mobs and figure may increase I was astonished and shocked to find that even an 80 years old grandmother of the victims was not spared badly beaten. What is this India we are living - this un-Indian idea of the 'Idea of India'? Is it the India of mob justice, instant nearest tree hanging, lynching justice in the world's largest democracy which we are proudly practicing because the philosophy of the ruling dispensation encourage it. Is it a methodology used as an excuse. It is a mindset which covers up the real object which is anti-human rights which is anti-dalit, communal, which is divisive and which is anti-humanity,''Mr Singhvi said..Seeking to underscore the fact of an increase in violence in BJP-rule states, he pointed out the incident of alleged dalit atrocities in Una in Gujarat and also to the incident of lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri.'' This is my sad duty to remind you that Una in Gujarat when people were stripped, paraded naked, who were they, they were human beings like you and me. Similarly Dadri and Mohammad Akhlaq are not just a statistics they are imprinted through media into our collective memory. Union Minister Mr. Mahesh Sharma termed this gruesome incident as an accident. Is this an accident when people are picked, singled out, plucked out for instant mob justice on mere rumour, on mere suspicion, on mere finger pointing, on mere suggestion, on mere innuendoes, insinuation. 23 former Bureaucrats - some of them very senior level - urged the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to arrest those who killed Pehlu Khan. How long could it take? What happened insensitivity happened, stony silence, inactivity and cover up followed - how many examples - from Jammu to Rajasthan to Haryana. They all happened to be BJP-ruled States is one part of the theory - whether it is Haryana gang rape of 20 years old in Rohtak, whose face was smashed with brick, whether it was the cow vigilantes' brutal assault on a nomadic family in Jammu - so many examples. Is this the New India which Modi Ji wants to create, the so unindian India where ruthless mobs take law into their hands, where lynching is instant. Is this the intolerance - intolerance of majoritarianism and they are all encouraged, supported indirectly or directly promoted by the regressive and intolerant remarks of the BJP Leaders and senior bureaucrats and we are not talking of ordinary people, we are talking of Leaders like senior, MPs, MLAs, senior office-bearers,''he said.. On the question of reaction of the Congress Party on BJP MP. Paresh Rawal's comments on Ms. Arundhati Roy, Mr. Singhvi said it only validated his charge .'' It is precisely the definition of democracy that even when you violently disagree with someone, you will defend to death their right to disagree with you. She is a citizen of this country and for an MP to express this view shows the mindset which has been seen consistently since 2014,''he said.UNI AR ADG 2029 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-904378.Xml
AICC Spokesperson Ajay Kumar today flayed both the NDA government at the centre led by Narendra Modi and the BJD government in Odisha led by Naveen Patnaik fordeliberately neglecting the farmers. Talking to newsmen here Mr.Kumar said both Mr.Modi and Mr.Patnaik havenot fulfilled the promises they made forthe development of agriculture and farmers but making false propaganda about the initiativesthey have taken in various social media like face book , twitter andWhats app The Congress leader said the threeyears of BJP rule in the centre and the 17 years reign of the BJD government inOdisha has brought untold miseries for the farmers Stating that both Mr. Modi and Mr.Patnaik have no concernor sympathy for farmers, Mr Kumar said duringthe last three years of the BJP rule as many as 35 farmers are driven to commitsuicide every day due to the anti-farmer policy of the government. He said while 12,360 farmers had committed suicide in 2014 as many as 12,602 committed suicide in 2015and 14,000 in 2016 in the country. In Odisha 3,599 farmers havecommitted suicide during 2000 to 2017 but the government was not ready to admitit and utterly failed to provide anyrelief to the family members of the deceased farmers. The AICC Spokesperson said while theBJP led government at the centre waived Rs 1,54,000 crore loans of big industrialists and businessmen it denied to write off theloan of debt ridden farmers. Three of the big industrialistswhose loans were waived are closefriends of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he alleged. The BJP, Mr.Kumar said came to power promising to increase the MSP ofcrop by 50 percent more of the cost of production but after assuming power the government told theSupreme Court that the farmers can not be given 50 per cent profit on cost ofproduction. Dr Kumar said the farmers weresuffering and forced to distress sale of their produce as the government was notlifting their crop. While the governmentprocured 288.8 lakh tons of wheat and 342.18 lakh tons of rice in 2015-16it was reduced to 229.62 lakh tons of wheat and 304.35 lakh tons rice in2016-17. The Congress leader alleged that the BJP government was procuring less wheatfrom farmers and importing wheat byreducing the import duty to help the mafia. Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojanawas launched to benefit the Private empanelled companies and not thetargeted farmers. He said the premium paid tocompanies is many times more than the compensation paid to farmers.During 2016Khariff while Rs 17184.79 crore was paid as premium against Rs 6808.48 crore as compensation to farmersduring the period. In Odisha while Rs 21,000crore was collected as premium only Rs 6,800 crore was paid as compensation tofarmers. Dr Kumar said actual spending onvarious welfare schemes like National Food Security Mission, Rastriya KrishiVikash Yojana, National health Mission, Rain fed are development, NationalBamboo mission was drastically reduced in 2015-16 and 2016-17 in comparison to 2014-15.UNI BD DP SJC -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-904432.Xml
Proposals for investments worth Rs 1,361 crore in the agro-business sector in Bengal have been received. This was revealed at the inauguration of the summit, Agro Business Synergy 2017, being held in Siliguri. The theme this time is 'Focus North Bengal'. Senior ministers and officials say that this number would increase substantially after the summit ends. The State Government is conducting the conference in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Food and Agriculture Centre for Excellence (FACE). The investments cover diverse areas: Rs 80 crore in animal husbandry, Rs 64 crore in building cold storages, Rs 187 crore in food and beverage industries, Rs 15 crore in horticulture and Rs 180 crore in rice mills. Besides these, proposals havecome for investing Rs 536 crore in PPP mode in agricultural infrastructure. For the last one month, district industry officials and district administrative officials of the eight districts comprising North Bengal have been meeting with merchants and merchant bodies to convince them to invest in the region. The investments are a result of this hard work. Seniors State ministers attending the summit said that the State Government is ready to help in creating agricultural infrastructure by providing land and buildings, and building roads. More than 1,000 merchants from the State are taking part in the summit. Besides, representation has come from neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan. Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, with which the northern region of Bengal shares borders, provide exciting opportunities for traders from North Bengal.UNI SJC KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-904453.Xml
Police today arrested a passenger with charas in the city outskirts here.During routine checking at TCP Nagrota, police intercepted a vehicle coming from Srinagar to Jammu, a police spokesman here said. He said during search of the luggage, 5.4 kg charas was recovered from the possession of one of the passengers travelling in the vehicle.He was arrested on the spot.Police said the accused belonged to Anantnag district of Kashmir. A case has been registered and investigation started, he added.UNI VBH RJ 2224 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-904551.Xml
Six Iraqi soldiers were killed and four others injured after a bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into Iraqi forces in northwestern Mosul, killing six soldiers and injuring four others, Anadolu news agency reported citing a local security official.

In another suicide attack, three soldiers were killed after bomber detonated his vehicle at anti-terrorism forces in Mosul's al-Najjar district.

The official said added that eight soldiers were also killed and nine others injured in two suicide bombings also killed eight soldiers and injured nine others in Mosul.

"The terrorist organization is using the bad weather conditions to carry out suicide attacks against Iraqi forces," the official added. (ANI)
Melania and Ivanka, who are accompanying Trump on his first international trip as President, were seen without headscarves during Trump's key speech in front of heads of state in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Melania on Sunday visited the American International School in Riyadh and an all-women General Electric service center without a headscarf.

"Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women," Melania tweeted.

"Had the honor of visiting 1st all-women process service center in #Riyadh, #SaudiArabia. Thanks to @GE_Saudi for the invite!" she said in another tweet.

Similarly, Ivanka Trump was also seen without a headscarf while attending a women's empowerment roundtable at Tuwaiq Palace with civil society leaders, prominent businesswomen and female Saudi elected government officials, CNN reported.

"Today I met with Saudi Arabian women leaders and learned directly of their accomplishments, challenges & vision for the future. #POTUSAbroad," Ivanka tweeted.

The two ladies had also arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday with their hair being uncovered.

Trump had previously slammed former first lady Michelle Obama for refusing to wear a head scarf in Saudi Arabia.

"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," Trump said in a tweet on January 29, 2015.

However, Melania and Ivanka are not the only women, who did not cover their hair upon arrival in the conservative Islamic kingdom, as former U.S. state secretary Hillary Clinton, former first lady Laura Bush, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also not covered their hair in Saudi Arabia. (ANI)
Trump, in his address at the Riyadh Summit, repeatedly slammed Iran claiming that it funds arms, trains militias that spread destruction and chaos" and pointed to Iran's support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad as he committed "unspeakable crimes."

The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasised that Trump himself had earlier suggested that Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 attacks.

Majority of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi citizens and speculations have suggested that members of the Saudi hierarchy were involved in the attack, reports the Independent.

During the presidential campaigns ahead of elections, Trump had repeatedly condemned the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran and had promised to 'dismantle the disastrous mistake.'

However, it was found that Tehran was complying with the obligations under the agreement. This has led to speculations that the Trump administration may try to impose unilateral sanctions on Tehran following a religious ideological difference leading to proxy wars between the Sunni Saudi, and Shia Iran. (ANI)
The diplomatic meet between Sharif and Trump did not take place even as the Saudi Arabia was strongly backing the idea. The US embassy on Sunday confirmed that the two leaders are not scheduled to meet, amid speculations.

During the Summit, Trump acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism and asked countries to ensure that terror groups don't find sanctuaries on their soil.

Without naming Pakistan, Trump said "every country must ensure that terrorists don't find any sanctuary on their lands", as Prime Minister Sharif listened in the audience.

However, despite having no bilateral meeting scheduled, the President Trump had a brief encounter with Sharif and exchanged pleasantries.

The Riyadh summit was a two day convention attended by 54 leaders of the Arab Islamic worlds along with the U.S. President to discuss security co-operations and to form a possible Arab-NATO coalition. (ANI)
Pakistan's Embassy in Qatar has reportedly delivered a sealed letter to Qatar's Prince Hamad Bin Jassim, that possibly contains a questionnaire from the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which is probing the Sharif family's offshore properties in relation to the Panamagate case. According to the Express Tribune, the sealed envelope has been forwarded through the Pakistan Foreign Office. This questionnaire is said to have been forwarded in response to the legal team of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif submitting to two letters from the prince before the Supreme Court to clear the family's name with regard to the money trail of the London properties owned. The daily quoted sources, as saying that a close aide of the Sharif family, Saifur Rehman, reportedly pressured embassy officials to unseal the envelope and later urged them not to deliver it to the prince at all. However, Pakistan's Ambassador to Qatar Shahzad Ahmad rejected Rehman's wishes and delivered the sealed envelope to the prince on Thursday. (ANI)
The Dawn reported that 53 of the 57 suspects have been arrested. The prime suspect, identified as Imran, has confessed his involvement in the murder.

The leaders have also requested for protection for security for Mashal's two sisters so that they can continue their education.

Mashal's family has asked the court to look into the matter and deliver justice.

Pakistan Peoples Party's former provincial president Rahimdad Khan called for establishing a platform which could help in tackling such incidents in future and give a positive direction to the youth.

The Dawn quoted Mashal's grief-striken father as appealing, "Let's make the universities and other educational institutions so peaceful that in future no student falls prey to a mob assault like my son."

Mashal Khan, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University was stripped, beaten, shot and thrown from his hostel's second floor by a violent mob on April 13 on allegations of posting blasphemous content online. The police have not found any concrete evidence against Mashal or his friends to confirm the allegations.(ANI)
During his visit, discussions will be held on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, regional security issues and reaffirmation the U.S.' commitment to its alliance with Israel.

The visit is the second of three stops on the President's schedule.

Trump arrived in Israel after visiting Saudi Arabia and will next head to the Vatican - home of the Catholic Church.

The President will later head to Jerusalem for a series of meetings, speeches and symbolic visits.

Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday

According to reports, Trump is expected to have bilateral talks with Netanyahu and Palestine President Mahmud Abbas amid tight security.

The U.S. President has earlier said that Israel and the Palestinian state will have to engage in direct talks to resolve all of their issues, including the contentious one of Israeli settlements.

Over half-a-million Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land the Palestinians claim for a future state.

The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

The other vexed issue is that of Jerusalem. Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians have staked claim to the eastern part as their capital.

The international community, however, does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

From Israel, the U.S. President will travel to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily to meet Pope Francis, attend the NATO Summit and a meeting of the G-7 respectively between May 24 and May 26. (ANI)
Thousands of worshipers on Monday began lining up in Moscow to see the relic of St. Nicholas, which had been kept in Bari, Italy, for more than 900 years. Though the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was to open to the public for the relic's veneration at 2 p.m., a one-km line formed outside the church since early Monday, Efe news reported. The relic, a left rib of the patron saint of Russia, Greece and Turkey, was flown out on Sunday, accompanied by the head of foreign affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion, and the Archbishop of Bari, Monsignor Francesco Cacucci. Bells from Orthodox churches across the city rang to commemorate the relic's arrival at the cathedral, as St. Nicholas has always been considered the country's most important saint. City authorities and a committee from the Russian Orthodox Church expected hundreds of thousands of people to visit the cathedral and see the relic over the next 52 days, after which the rib is to be sent to Saint Petersburg. The decision to temporarily move the relic to Russia was reached after a historic meeting in February 2016 between Pope Francis and the Patriarch Kirill of Moscow at the airport in Havana, Cuba, which opened a new chapter in the cooperation between the two main Christian Churches after 1,000 years of schism. On July 12, the rib is to be moved to Saint Petersburg, where it is to remain for two weeks before returning to Bari. --IANS ksk/dg ( 259 Words) 2017-05-22-16:00:10 (IANS)
"Iran, fresh from real elections, attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy and moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) of $480 billion?" Zarif tweeted.

The remarks by Zarif came in response to Trump's anti-Tehran comments in Riyadh on Sunday and his arms sale deal with Saudi Arabia.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump called on the regional countries to isolate Iran, which had "fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror".

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri on Sunday refuted the comments by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for urging a policy shift in Tehran's conduct during President Hassan Rouhani's second term.

The only way to peace in the Middle East is a pull-out of the US forces from the region, Xinhau news agency quoted Jazayeri as saying.

During his Saudi Arabia visit, Tillerson on Saturday said he hoped the re-election of Rouhani would prompt changes to Tehran's approach to "terrorism and human rights".

Tillerson at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh, urged Iran's re-elected President to dismantle the alleged "network of terrorism" and to end ballistic missile tests.

In the reaction, Jazayeri urged the US to end the "aggressive and terrorist operations against independent states" by the assistance of "reactionary regimes" in the region.

Besides, no factor could hinder Iran's defence programmes, he said, describing the boosting of the country's missile defence systems as a top priority.

--IANS py/dg

( 281 Words)

2017-05-22-17:00:18 (IANS)
The US Supreme Court today ruled that Republicans in North Carolina unlawfully took race into consideration when drawing congressional district boundaries, concentrating black voters in a bid to diminish their overall political clout.The justices upheld a lower court's February 2016 ruling that threw out two majority-black US House of Representatives districts because Republican lawmakers improperly used race as a factor when redrawing the legislative map after the 2010 census. The court was unanimous on upholding the ruling on one of the districts and split 5-3 on the other, with three conservatives dissenting.The decision came in one of a number of lawsuits accusing Republicans of taking steps at the state level to disenfranchise black and other minority voters who tend to back Democratic candidates.Critics accused Republicans of cramming black voters into what the NAACP civil rights group called "apartheid voting districts" to diminish their voting power and make surrounding districts more white and more likely to support Republicans. Both districts are held by the Democrats. Of North Carolina's 13 representatives in the US House, 10 are Republican.Race can be considered in redrawing boundaries of voting districts only in certain instances, such as when states are seeking to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. That law protects minority voters and was enacted to address a history of racial discrimination in voting, especially in Southern states.The Supreme Court has never said legislative districts cannot be mapped based on plainly partisan aims like maximizing one party's election chances. North Carolina Republicans said one of the two districts was drawn on purely partisan grounds to benefit Republicans at the expense of Democrats, and the other was drawn to comply with the demands of the Voting Rights Act.Justice Neil Gorsuch, who had not yet joined the court when arguments in the case were heard, did not participate in the ruling.REUTERS RJ 2015 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0098-904401.Xml
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help, responding to criticism of the Islamic Republic from US President Donald Trump who is visiting the region.Trump called for a US alliance with Muslim countries on Sunday aimed at fighting terrorism, singling out Iran as a major source of funding and support for militants in the Arab world.Rouhani, a pragmatist who won last week's presidential election, hit back hard by dismissing the summit as a "ceremonial (event) that had no political value and will bear no results"."Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran?" he said at a news conference.At a weekend summit in Riyadh, Trump accused Iran of funding and arming "terrorists, militias and other extremist groups" in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and backing President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war.Rouhani, who fronted Tehran's deal with six major powers in 2015 to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, said the US administration lacked knowledge about the Middle East."Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all ... We are waiting for the new US administration to find stability and continuity in its policies," Rouhani said."The problem is that the Americans do not know our region and those who advise US officials are misleading them."Rouhani said Iran was the vital force behind the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and repeated Iran's official stance that the United States and Saudi Arabia are funding "terrorism" in the Middle East."Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Russia. But who funded the terrorists? Those who fund terrorists cannot claim they are fighting against them," he said.Tehran and Riyadh are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.FRAGILE DIPLOMACYAlready fragile diplomatic and trade ties between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite-dominated Iran were severed last year, after Saudi Arabia executed a Shi'ite cleric and as a result protesters ransacked the Saudi embassy in Iran."Buying arms or building weapons won't make a country powerful. Military power is only a part of strength and we are fully aware of that. But the foundation of power is national strength and this only happens through elections," Rouhani said."Maybe it will help if Saudi leaders let their people to decide over their country's fate by casting their vote ... It will make them (rulers) stronger."He said Iran welcomed better relations with its regional neighbours and pledged to fulfil his campaign promises of opening Iran to the world and delivering freedoms to the Iranian people."The Iranian people voted for moderation as they know a prosperous economy and jobs can only happen through investment, and investment through freedom and interaction with the world," he said.Rouhani's efforts to open up Iran to less hostile relations with the West still have to be couched in the rhetoric of anti-Americanism that has been a pillar of Iranian rule since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Iran's most powerful authority - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - has ruled out normalisation of ties with the United States.Iran's economy has slowly recovered since the lifting of sanctions last year but deals with Western investors are few and far between as foreign investors are cautious about trading with or investing in Iran, fearing penalties from remaining unilateral US sanctions.Washington last week imposed new sanctions on Iran, over its ballistic missile programme."The Iranian nation has decided to be powerful. Our missiles are for peace and for defence ... American officials should know that whenever we need to technically test a missile, we will do so and will not wait for their permission," Rouhani said, repeating Iran's commonly expressed stance on the programme."America's dream on ending Iran's missile programme will never come true." REUTERS RJ 2148 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0098-904525.Xml
A mafia boss was gunned down while riding his bicycle in Sicily today, judicial sources said, in what appeared to have been the sort of mob killing that has become rarer in recent years as dangerous figures have been locked up.Giuseppe Dainotti, 67, had served more than two decades in jail for murder and robbery, as a member of the Cosa Nostra mafia, before being released in 2014.Investigators believe at least two hit men, probably on a motorbike, approached Dainetti and shot him in the neck, a few hundred metres from the scene of another mafia murder in 2014.He was killed the day before the 25th anniversary of the killing of top anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone, whose car was blown up by a half-ton bomb on a motorway outside Palermo.Palermo chief prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi said the fact that Dainotti was killed in broad daylight in the centre of town so near the anniversary of Falcone's murder was symbolic."When anyone says the mafia doesn't exist any more, something happens to show that it does; it comes back shooting conspicuously," Lo Voi told reporters in Rome.Cosa Nostra's clout has weakened markedly since a "maxi-trial" initiated by Falcone and colleague Paolo Borsellino in the late 1980s indicted hundreds, and mafia groups on Italy's mainland have since taken the lion's share of the drug trade. Borsellino was killed by a car bomb two months after Falcone.But Palermo police commissioner Renato Cortese expressed concern 10 days ago that a number of convicted mafiosi were due to be let out of jail."There is always the fear that if Cosa Nostra can find a rational head that can bring together the disparate souls, it could become as dangerous as it used to be," Cortese said.Aside from the murder of Giuseppe Di Giacomo, brother of incarcerated boss Giovanni Di Giacomo, in the same neighbourhood three years ago, the number of mafia killings in Palermo has plunged in recent years. REUTERS RJ 2242 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0098-904566.Xml
Rouhani on Monday hailed the trilateral efforts by Russia, Turkey and Iran to establish "cease-fire" in Syria and stressed that militarization would not settle the problems of the Arab state, Xinhua news agency reported.

He expressed the hope that diplomatic efforts would bear results and would pave the way for the Syrian people to decide on the future of their country.

In the meantime, Rouhani said Iran will continue to support the Syrian and Iraqi governments in their fight against terrorism.

Rouhani conveyed the message that as in recent years Iran has supported the Syrian and Iraqi governments through diplomatic efforts and military advisors, it will maintain this policy in the future.

Iraqis and Syrians have together fought the so-called Islamic State group with Iran's support, Rouhani said, adding that without Iran no regional security and stability is foreseeable.

Furthermore, he dismissed the labelling of Lebanon's Hezbollah Shiite group as "terrorists."

Rouhani added that Hezbollah is a respected and trusted group among Lebanese people and accusing Hezbollah of being terrorists will not help solve the terrorism problem.

--IANS vgu/

( 211 Words)

2017-05-23-01:12:09 (IANS)
JUBA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN human rights office said on Friday that South Sudan's pro-government forces killed 114 civilians in and around Yei town, 150 km southwest of the capital of Juba, between July 2016 and January.

An investigation report by the Human Rights Division of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office also say the pro-government forces committed human rights violations and abuses.

"The conflict in Yei, in particular, highlights the startling level of impunity in South Sudan, which has fed successive cycles of violence across the country," the report states.

South Sudan slipped back into conflict due to renewed clashes between rival forces - the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar, despite the August 2015 peace agreement.

Until recently, Yei was largely a peaceful town, with between 200,000 and 300,000 residents of many different ethnicities.

But violence erupted in July 2016 between government and opposition forces, which led to the departure of Machar together with a small group of followers across the Equatorias, into the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The fighting simultaneously broke out along the route as government forces pursued him, particularly in Yei.

"This violence fuelled strong divisions along ethnic lines and resulted in targeted killings, arrests, rapes and mass civilian displacement of more than half of the population of the town," said the UN report.

The report documents violations and abuses against civilians on both sides of the conflict, based on ethnicity and/or their presumed support for other side.

"The extent of the abuses by armed opposition groups remains unclear due to lack of access to areas where these groups are active," it says.

The report finds that these violations and abuses may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and that they warrant further investigation.

The report exposes cases of indiscriminate shelling of civilians; targeted killings; looting and burning of civilian property and cases of sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls, including those fleeing fighting.

"Satellite imagery used to corroborate allegations shows that there was widespread burning of homes and businesses, resulting in the forcible displacement of tens of thousands of civilians," the report says.

"Even as people fled the violence, reports suggest that armed actors harassed, robbed and targeted them as they headed to Uganda to seek refuge."

The report documents "the profound human suffering caused by the ongoing conflict and the exploitation of local and ethnic divisions for political ends."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 00:27:49|Editor: yan

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ISLAMABAD, May 21 (Xinhua) -- At least six policemen were killed and one other was injured in two separate incidents of firing in Pakistan over the last 24 hours, police said Sunday.

Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, Superintendent Police, said that three policemen were sitting in a parked police vehicle on Sunday when some unknown gunmen sprayed bullets on them in capital city Karachi of the country's south Sindh province, and fled the scene.

All three policemen were seriously wounded in the attack and shifted to a nearby hospital where two of them succumbed to injuries while the third is still in critical condition.

The policemen'autopsy report said that all three of them were shot in the head from a close distance.

In a separate attack in Kohat district of the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province late last night, four policemen were killed when their vehicle came under attack by unknown assailants, police said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Raza Khan said that an unknown number of militants ambushed a police vehicle in Mohsin Khel area of the district, killing four policemen including an official.

Khan said that the militants sprayed bullets at the vehicle when it was on its routine patrolling on the highway, and fled the scene.

Heavy contingent of police reached the attack site and kicked off a search operation.

Jamaat ul Ahrar, a splinter group of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for both the attacks on the cops.

Police kicked off search operations, after both incidents, but no arrest has taken place yet.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 02:03:11|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, May 21 (Xinhua) -- China has been in the last few years a loyal partner in Kenya's transformational agenda, particularly pertaining to the development of economic physical infrastructure, a Kenyan official said on Sunday.

State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu told a news conference in Nairobi that the center-piece of that transformation is the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the first phase of which is complete.

"On that day, China, who provided the funds through loans that ensured the SGR was built - will be sending a senior delegation of the State Council, two ministers and one vice minister as the official delegation at that launch," Esipisu said in Nairobi.

China's Exim Bank has provided 90 percent of the financing towards construction of Standard Gauge Railway project that will cost 3.6 billion U.S. dollars.

He said President Uhuru Kenyatta will on May 31 commission the first phase of the high speed railway that has been completed on budget, 18 months ahead of schedule.

He said President Kenyatta is also expected to officiate at events on the container terminal at the SGR on May 30 before taking the inaugural ride from Mombasa to Nairobi on May 31.

"That ride will include a number of stops along the way to commission some of the new stations as well as to address people that are resident in some of the counties that the SGR passes through," Esipisu said.

He said the President strongly believes that infrastructure is at the core of development, growth and creating opportunity for young people and that is why when he was invited by President Xi Jinping to visit Beijing for an infrastructure conference last week, he gladly accepted.

At the Beijing conference, Kenyatta reached agreement on new partnerships with China, which are expected to further support the development of critical infrastructure in the country and beyond.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 02:18:14|Editor: Liangyu

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ANKARA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reinstalled as his party's leader on Sunday after three years at a special congress of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

He was the sole candidate and elected with votes of 1,414 delegates, and replaced Prime Minister Binali Yildirim after April 16 referendum allowed the president to establish links with a political party.

Erdogan pledged to make massive changes in entire party organization.

"We'll go over major work in the new term. We are determined to realize democratic and economic reform which people demand," he said, addressing thousands of delegates after taking the helm of the ruling party.

"In the upcoming period we will renew our party organization," he said, signaling upcoming efforts to strengthen his party's grassroots for 2019 parliamentary and presidential elections, as Erdogan will need more than 50 percent votes, higher than the latest 49 percent of AKP votes in 2015 elections.

"We have seen how hard it is to get over 50 percent in the 2014 presidential elections and in April 16 referendum. As the AKP, our work is harder now. 34 percent or 40 percent, or even 49.5 percent of votes are not enough to rule. Out goal is 50+1," he said.

"If we want to get this result in the 2019 elections, we should roll up sleeves and start to work immediately. The AKP has not even one minute to waste," he noted.

Erdogan renewed 19 members of the 50-seat of the AKP executive management and included his son-in-law, Minister of Energy Berat Albayrak and some members of the youth organizations and business circles, giving more youthful faces to the administration of the ruling party.

Two ministers from the current cabinet, Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak and Labor Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu, along with party spokesman Yasin Aktay, were ruled out of the Central Decision and Executive Board.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu joined the board, along with his predecessor Efkan Ala and former Culture and Tourism minister Mahir Unal.

Erdogan is expected to reshuffle the cabinet next week and then work for renewal of the party organization until this year.

A constitutional amendment approved at a referendum on April 16 paved the way for Erdogan to be a partisan president as the charter change removed a provision banning presidents from retaining affiliations with political parties.

Erdogan had chaired the AKP for 13 years from 2001 but had to step aside when he was elected president in August 2014, as the constitution prevented president from being affiliated with a political party on the grounds of impartiality of the president.

The presidential system stipulated by the amendment will go into full effect in 2019 when a presidential and parliamentary election will be held at the same time.

"I live the peace of handing over my duty," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said at the gathering.

Although the prime minister handed over its party chairmanship, Erdogan still can not head the AKP's parliamentary group as he is not a lawmaker at the parliament. Therefore, the ruling party has changed its regulation at the congress, so that Yildirim will be elected as the parliament group chairman on May 24 to become the acting chairman of the party.

More than 60,000 participants across Turkey, including the representatives of the political parties, previous deputies, provincial heads, opinion leaders, people with disabilities, martyrs, veterans and foreign representatives, were invited to the congress.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 05:25:29|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Russian Security Council said Russia's crucial information infrastructure suffered no severe damage caused by the global WannaCry melware attack thanks to an effective anti-cyberattack state system, a Russian newspaper reported on Sunday.

Russia has been creating a "system to detect, prevent and eliminate the consequences of computer attacks on the information resources of the Russian Federation" , which was previously approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a decree, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Oleg Khramov was quoted by Russian newspaper Kommersant as saying.

"We have managed to avoid serious damage due to the mentioned state system. The critical information infrastructure was ready to resist a massive spread of this virus," Khramov said.

Russia's critical information infrastructure includes the information systems in the sectors of defense, healthcare, energy, transport, communications, banking and finance.

A massive number of organizations across the globe have been targeted by the WannaCry malware since last Friday. Hackers used the Trojan encryptor to lock computers and demand a payment for the decryption. So far, the WabbaCry ransomware attack has spread to 150 countries, crippling hospitals, schools, governments and businesses.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 05:45:39|Editor: yan

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BUDAPEST, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Several thousand people held demonstrations on Sunday evening in the Hungarian capital Budapest against the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which had been criticized by the European Union for freedom rights violations.

Protestors gathered in Budapest to demand that the Hungarian government comply with demands of the European Union, and avoid potential sanctions.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament condemned a "serious deterioration of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights" in Hungary and called for a process that could hypothetically lead to EU sanctions against Budapest.

This resolution follows an infringement procedure initiated at the end of April against a law adopted by the Hungarian Parliament on foreign universities, perceived as especially targeting the University of Central Europe (CEU), founded by the U.S. billionaire of Hungarian origin George Soros.

Some 3,000 people gathered on the banks of the Danube to listen to speeches at an event initiated on the social network by NGOs. Three themes were brought up as a reason for the demonstration, namely the protection of the free press, the protection of NGOs, targeted by a bill submitted to Parliament, and a show of solidarity for the CEU. At the end of the speeches, the crowd started a slow march towards the parliament, picking up size along the road.

Police cars, and vehicles belonging to protesters, broadcasting music and slogans targeting the Orban administration, escorted them. In front of the parliament, they met with other demonstrators. They listened to concerts and made a plea for academic independence.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 06:30:50|Editor: yan

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PYONGYANG, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday confirmed it test-fired another medium-range ballistic missile on Sunday.

The Korean Central News Agency said DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-fire of a ground-to-ground medium-to-long range strategic ballistic missile "Pukguksong-2."

"The test-fire of Pukguksong-2 was aimed to finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action," said the report.

This was the second time for DPRK to have test fired missile within one week. Sunday, it test-fired a long medium-range ballistic missile "Hwasong 12."

Afte issuing an order to launch the missile at the observation post, Kim analyzed with officials the results of the test-launch, said the report.

"He said the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon. He approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," said the report.

Kim also said "this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the Korean People's Army Strategic Force.

"Pukguksong-2" medium range ballistic missile is capable of striking targets 500 km away.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 09:11:56|Editor: xuxin

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ALGIERS, May 21 (Xinhua) -- A military helicopter crashed on Sunday overnight in the province of Tipaza, west of the Algerian capital of Algiers, killing all the five soldiers on board, local media reported.

The Algerian navy helicopter crashed at a farm in Hamr el Ain during a reconnaissance mission. The aircraft lost control after hitting a high voltage electric post, Ennahar TV channel reported, quoting local eye witnesses.

No Defense Ministry statement has yet been issued to provide more details about the incident.

In March 2016, the last military helicopter crash in the North African country killed 12 soldiers and injured two others.

The past three years have seen several crashes of Algerian military aircraft, the most serious of which was a C-130 Hercules air force aircraft crash in February 2014, killing 77 servicemen.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 09:47:10|Editor: ying

Demonstrators participate in a protest against Brazil's President Michel Temer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 21, 2017. Brazil's bar association on Sunday called for the impeachment of President Michel Temer, after a tape was revealed in which he appeared to agree to bribe former Speaker Eduardo Cunha into silence. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's bar association on Sunday called for the impeachment of President Michel Temer, after a tape was revealed in which he appeared to agree to bribe former Speaker Eduardo Cunha into silence.

In a statement, the Order of Attorneys of Brazil (OAB) said that its federal council decided on Sunday morning to call for Temer's impeachment and called on the Chamber of Deputies to begin the process.

The OAB's federal council has representatives from Brazil's 27 states, among which 25 voted for impeachment, one against and one abstained.

The legal body also said it had formed a commission to analyze the documents released on Thursday by the Supreme Court, after the tape was turned over by Joesley Batista, owner of the JBS meatpacking giant.

The Supreme Court has also opened an investigation against Temer for alleged obstruction of justice.

The OAB's rapporteur, Flavio Pansieri, said that Temer had forsaken his duty to report crimes that he had heard during his meeting with Batista in March.

In 1992, the OAB called for the impeachment of then-president Fernando Collor de Mello, who resigned before being impeached on corruption charges. In 2016, the legal body also called for the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff.

By Sunday, the Chamber of Deputies had received at least nine requests for Temer's impeachment.

However, Temer has refused to resign, claiming that Batista's tape had been doctored and that he had done nothing wrong.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 10:02:18|Editor: xuxin

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By Will Koulouris

SYDNEY, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A leading global expert has said the BRICS nations will bring a level playing field for developing economies and emerging markets.

The expert made the comments nearly 100 days out from the ninth annual BRICS summit to be held in Xiamen, China, from Sept. 3 to Sept. 5.

The BRICS summit brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that comprise its moniker, along with participants from across the globe. This year's event is themed "BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future."

David Thomas, CEO of Think Global Consulting, spoke to Xinhua recently that the BRICS nations have been making tremendous strides in their engagement with global governance, but in a way that is unique.

"The BRICS are going in their own direction and they have got the power to do it, BRICS nations comprise just under half the world's population, and they are now trying to do their own things," Thomas said.

Earlier in the year, the coiner of the term "BRICS," Jim O'Neill, told Xinhua that the BRICS countries are already playing a major role in terms of governance despite the geopolitical partnership being still in its infancy, and wield the same influence as other similar global groupings.

"The way they have emerged, and the whole advent of the G20 was done to bring the BRICS countries into global governance," O'Neill said.

"So, they already are. I think it's pretty clear."

One of the most notable aspects of the successful BRICS partnership has been the level of cooperation the countries have been able to achieve, said Thomas.

"If you think about it, it was only Jim O'Neill's idea of BRICS that brought them all together. I know Jim quite well and he was as surprised as anybody when they started meeting as a group because they don't have natural advantages, or cultural and historical reasons to be a group."

"This is their ninth leadership meeting in Xiamen this year, and I think it is interesting because there is no real reason for them to collaborate, and I think it is interesting because they are."

The cultural exchanges and connections that have been developed between the countries are crucial to the ongoing success of the partnership, according to Thomas who said that the way in which the BRICS partnership is structured is allowing for more engagement between the nations.

"BRICS is running in a way which is top-down, bottom-up. Top-down is the leaders summit which gets all the attention, but there is actually quite a lot happening bottom-up," Thomas said.

Thomas said that a number of committees are now being formed between the countries in areas such as finance and innovation, that are allowing for lower-level collaboration, and mutually beneficial outcomes between the member nations, as well as establishing further connections and cultural exchanges.

"And so these ties are beginning to build, and you also notice this in global forums where you see the BRICS countries tend to vote together," Thomas said.

"Even though they wouldn't naturally agree on certain things, they are finding that there is more reason to agree, than not to agree."

Thomas believes that the potential institution of the "BRICS +" model will see a profound and positive change in the global economic makeup, with the progress that will be made as these countries are brought into the fold, leading to mutually beneficial outcomes for countries which he feels have been too often ignored.

"It's globalization. Further globalization. It is creating a level playing field where countries that we have never even thought of will start to become major global players."

"That is the main result of all this, a more level playing field."

One of the ways in which this will be achieved is through the BRICS nations setting an emphasis on developing growth and "win-win" outcomes for all, by promoting and developing the connectivity of infrastructure, trade and investment, and currency, said Thomas.

"If you are thinking 20 or 30 years into the future, it is going to be a very different world."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 10:07:22|Editor: xuxin

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MELBOURNE, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Young people suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF) are getting less sleep than their healthy peers, a world-first Australian study has found.

The study, released by Monash University on Monday, saw CF patients fitted with a wristwatch to monitor sleeping habits.

Rosemary Horne, the lead author of the study, said on Monday that "sleep is important for everyone, but particularly children."

"If they have poor sleep during the night, they have worse outcomes in the day. They can't pay attention in school, they feel tired, grumpy and it can be very disruptive."

Researchers measured the sleep of 87 Victorian children with CF against 55 health participants over a two week period.

Although the CF patients were spending as much time in bed as the control group, they were awake more often.

Caitlin Magagna, a 17-year-old participant in the trial with CF, said she often had six or seven hours a night.

"About 50 percent of the time I wake up in the night and I don't really know why. I know from the study that my oxygen supply can drop and I get quite short of breath," she said.

"For the past few months, I feel like I'm always tired... there have been a couple of times where I have fallen asleep in class or felt like I was on the verge of it."

Horne said there was some evidence that sleeping better could improve lung function among CF patients.

Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestine. The disease can cause breathing difficulties as well as lung infections, sinus infections and poor growth.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 10:22:26|Editor: xuxin

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YANGON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's trade with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hit 9.6 billion U.S. dollars in the last fiscal year 2016-17 which ended in March, according to the latest official figures released on Monday.

Of the total, Myanmar's export to the region's trading partners stood 3.093 billion U.S. dollars, while its import from them represented 6.513 billion dollars, the figures of the Ministry of Commerce showed.

Thailand topped the list of Myanmar's five ASEAN trade partners with 4.277 billion dollars during the year, followed by Singapore with 2.967 billion dollars, Malaysia with 980 million dollars, Indonesia with 827 million dollars, Vietnam with 494 million dollars and the Philippines with 56 million dollars.

However, trade with Brunei, Laos and Cambodia showed lower than 3 million dollars.

According to statistics, Myanmar's trade with ASEAN member countries was 10.432 billion dollars in 2015-16, down from 12.604 billion dollars in 2014-15.

Myanmar exports to the region agricultural products, marine products, mineral and finished industrial goods, while importing from the region consumers goods, electronic products, capital goods, automobile and accessories and intermediate goods.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 10:37:35|Editor: xuxin

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MOSCOW, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Russian gas exports to Turkey grew by 26 percent year-on-year in January-April 2017, reaching 10.5 billion cubic meters, TASS reported Sunday.

Russia exported 24.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Turkey in 2016, the report said.

Russia and Turkey have seen closer cooperation in the gas sector thanks to the implementation of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project with a capacity of 31.4 billion cubic meters, according to the report.

The Turkish Stream project, initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, intends to deliver Russian natural gas to Turkey and European markets through the Black Sea.
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi (8th L) poses for a group photo at the First Sherpa Meeting of the 9th BRICS Summit in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 23, 2017. (Xinhua file/Li Xiang)

By Will Koulouri

SYDNEY, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A leading global expert has said the BRICS nations will bring a level playing field for developing economies and emerging markets.

The expert made the comments nearly 100 days out from the ninth annual BRICS summit to be held in Xiamen, China, from Sept. 3 to Sept. 5.

The BRICS summit brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa that comprise its moniker, along with participants from across the globe. This year's event is themed "BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future."

David Thomas, CEO of Think Global Consulting, spoke to Xinhua recently that the BRICS nations have been making tremendous strides in their engagement with global governance, but in a way that is unique.

"The BRICS are going in their own direction and they have got the power to do it, BRICS nations comprise just under half the world's population, and they are now trying to do their own things," Thomas said.

Earlier in the year, the coiner of the term "BRICS," Jim O'Neill, told Xinhua that the BRICS countries are already playing a major role in terms of governance despite the geopolitical partnership being still in its infancy, and wield the same influence as other similar global groupings.

"The way they have emerged, and the whole advent of the G20 was done to bring the BRICS countries into global governance," O'Neill said.

"So, they already are. I think it's pretty clear."

One of the most notable aspects of the successful BRICS partnership has been the level of cooperation the countries have been able to achieve, said Thomas.

"If you think about it, it was only Jim O'Neill's idea of BRICS that brought them all together. I know Jim quite well and he was as surprised as anybody when they started meeting as a group because they don't have natural advantages, or cultural and historical reasons to be a group."

"This is their ninth leadership meeting in Xiamen this year, and I think it is interesting because there is no real reason for them to collaborate, and I think it is interesting because they are."

Representatives pose for a group photo during the BRICS summit for finance ministers and central bankers in Germany's southwestern city of Baden-Baden, March 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Luo Huanhuan)

The cultural exchanges and connections that have been developed between the countries are crucial to the ongoing success of the partnership, according to Thomas who said that the way in which the BRICS partnership is structured is allowing for more engagement between the nations.

"BRICS is running in a way which is top-down, bottom-up. Top-down is the leaders summit which gets all the attention, but there is actually quite a lot happening bottom-up," Thomas said.

Thomas said that a number of committees are now being formed between the countries in areas such as finance and innovation, that are allowing for lower-level collaboration, and mutually beneficial outcomes between the member nations, as well as establishing further connections and cultural exchanges.

"And so these ties are beginning to build, and you also notice this in global forums where you see the BRICS countries tend to vote together," Thomas said.

"Even though they wouldn't naturally agree on certain things, they are finding that there is more reason to agree, than not to agree."

Thomas believes that the potential institution of the "BRICS +" model will see a profound and positive change in the global economic makeup, with the progress that will be made as these countries are brought into the fold, leading to mutually beneficial outcomes for countries which he feels have been too often ignored.

"It's globalization. Further globalization. It is creating a level playing field where countries that we have never even thought of will start to become major global players."

"That is the main result of all this, a more level playing field."

One of the ways in which this will be achieved is through the BRICS nations setting an emphasis on developing growth and "win-win" outcomes for all, by promoting and developing the connectivity of infrastructure, trade and investment, and currency, said Thomas.

"If you are thinking 20 or 30 years into the future, it is going to be a very different world."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 11:02:45|Editor: xuxin

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SEOUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's unification ministry said Monday it will flexibly review major inter-Korean issues such as civilian exchanges with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), indicating a dialogue mood on the Korean Peninsula.

Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duk-haeng told a regular briefing that main inter-Korean issues, including civilian exchanges, would be flexibly reviewed within the limits of undamaging the framework of the international community's sanctions on the DPRK.

Lee told reporters that the current severing of the inter-Korean relations was not desirable when considering the goal of stable situations on the peninsula.

President Moon Jae-in is expected to inherit a so-called "sunshine policy" of trying to enhance inter-Korean ties through investment and trade, advocated by liberal presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung.

Moon's predecessor Park Geun-hye had championed the continued humanitarian aid to the DPRK regardless of political situations, but the aid has been severed since the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January 2016.

As President Moon took office, expectations were running high for the resumption of the humanitarian aid and civilian exchanges between the two sides.

About 10 South Korean civic groups were reported to have applied to the unification ministry for humanitarian aid and cultural exchanges.

The spokesman said the ministry will review whether to approve the applications for contacts with and visits to the DPRK.
Citizens holding placards and banners attend a protest rally in Tokyo, Japan, May 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

TOKYO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Some 1,800 people, mainly youngsters, gathered here on Sunday to protest against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempts to amend the pacifist Constitution.

The protestors, many of them college students, gathered in the Shinjuku Central Park in Tokyo, holding banners and shouting slogans such as "what should be changed is not the Constitution but the politics," and "protect peace, oppose war".

Izumi Kurotsu, one of the organizers of the rally, said that Article 9 of the pacifist Constitution, by which Japan renounces its right to wage war, shows Japan's commitment to peace to its people as well as to its neighboring countries.

"The Abe administration has set a time frame for changing the pacifist Constitution. We are gathering here today to call on the people to recognize that what should be changed is not the Constitution but Japan's politics," she said.

Tomoko Matsumoto, a participant of the rally, said that she hopes rallies like this could help change the social atmosphere and contribute to building a society where the pacifist Constitution could be brought into better play.

Japan's current Constitution, drawn up under the Allied occupation following the World War II, is best known for its Article 9, by which Japan renounces its right to wage war and promises that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained".

Abe reiterated earlier this month his attempts to amend the Constitution in a video message at a gathering to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Constitution coming into force.

He said that he hopes to see a revised Constitution go into effect in 2020 under a plan that will see the first-ever change to the post war charter.

A series of national polls taken recently showed that public opinions about whether to amend the key war-renouncing clause of the Constitution remain differed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, foreign delegation heads and guests pose for a group photo at the Leaders' Roundtable Summit of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation at Yanqi Lake International Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

HANOI, May 21 (Xinhua) -- China highly appreciates Vietnam's active support and participation in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held recently in Beijing, and the achievements gained at the summit, Chinese Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan has said.

Zhong Shan made the remarks on Saturday while meeting Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on the sidelines of the 23rd APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting held in Hanoi from Saturday to Sunday.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation attained comprehensive success and fruitful results, said Zhong.

The Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit has won applause and positive support from participants and the international community, including Vietnam, said Zhong.

As the largest trade partner of Vietnam for years, China will further implement the consensus agreed by leaders of both sides, pushing forward the connectivity of the Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's Two Corridors and One Circle plan, as well as the construction of cross-border economic zone, said Zhong, adding that China will fully support Vietnam in hosting APEC's 2017 summit.

Tran Dai Quang, for his part, congratulated China's success in holding the Forum, adding that the country attaches great importance to broadening and deepening economic, trade and investment relations with China.

Vietnam is willing to take all measures to strengthen and deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership with China, said Quang, wishing to coordinate with China further to host the APEC summit and its related meetings.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 12:48:15|Editor: Liangyu

Afghan security personnel take part in a military operation in Laghman province, eastern Afghanistan, May 22, 2017. Up to 71 armed militants have been killed during series of operations across the conflict-hit Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, said a statement of Interior Ministry released here on Monday. (Xinhua/Rahman Safi)

KABUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Up to 71 armed militants have been killed during series of operations across the conflict-hit Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, said a statement of Interior Ministry released here on Monday.

"Afghan National Defense and Security Forces launched 12 Counter-Terrorism operations to clear some areas from terrorists and enemies and as a result 71 rebels have been killed over the past 24 hours," the statement said.

During the operations, which covered parts of Nangarhar, Helmand, Laghman, Farah, Kunduz, Ghor, Wardak and Zabul provinces, 40 more militants sustained injuries and seven others arrested.

The statement, however, didn't mention the possible casualties inflicted to the security forces over the period. Taliban and Islamic State groups that are fighting against the government, haven't commented on the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 12:53:17|Editor: Hou Qiang

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by Xinhua writers Wang Jingzhong, Ling Guangzhi, Xu Ruiqing

SANSHA, Hainan, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Anyone lucky enough to stroll on the white sands of Nanshazhou, a tiny islet in the middle of the South China Sea, should not be surprised to come across fragments of ceramics, hundreds of years old.

Located in the east of the Xisha archipelago, part of China's southernmost city of Sansha, the unspoiled, uninhabited island is protected by a massive reef which only allows the smallest of boats to pass at high tide.

Fragments of ancient porcelain are scattered along the beach. Snorkelers can easily find more among the coral in the crystal clear waters.

"Made in the era of Chenghua" read the characters on the bottom of one broken blue and white porcelain bowl. Chenghua, the eighth Ming emperor, reigned from 1464 to 1487.

It was in the Ming Dynasty that the blue and white porcelain that characterizes "china" for so many people, was fully developed and became one of China's -- or indeed any nation's -- first mass exports.

Such pieces of sea-washed china can be found on almost every island in the Xisha archipelago, mostly washed ashore from sunken ships that once plied the ancient maritime silk road from China through Southeast Asia, onward across the Indian Ocean to the Arab world and beyond.

The South China Sea was the heart of all this frenzied traffic and trade. Today it would be called a "hub," but not just of trade. The islands and ports of the South China Sea were washed by a vast, vibrant tide of cultural and scientific exchange, a huge marketplace where ideas, religions, philosophies, technology and techniques competed and cooperated to drive civilization forward.

LOOKING SEAWARD

In his definitive speech at the May 14 opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, President Xi Jinping spoke of the Belitung shipwreck in Indonesia as testament to the timeless friendly engagement of nations whose seaborne trade comprised the ancient maritime silk route.

The ship's remarkable cargo consisted of outright treasure in the form of gold and silver, but also more than 60,000 pieces of ceramics produced in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

No one knows for sure exactly where the Middle Eastern ship, or dhow's voyage began, nor for where it was ultimately bound, but what is certain is that its cargo is early proof of the strong trading links between China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Starting from China's coastal cities, such as Guangzhou and Quanzhou, the rise of maritime trade began during the Qin and Han dynasties more than 2,000 years ago, and came to full flower in the Tang and Song dynasties around a thousand years later.

Silk, porcelain, tea, bronze, brass and iron were ferried out of China, while spices, exotic plants and animals and other rare treasures were carried back.

In the early period, ships crossing the South China Sea would sail along the east coast of the Indochina Peninsula but as shipbuilding and navigational techniques improved, seaways were opened through the islands of Xisha and Nansha in the middle of the sea, cutting hundreds of miles and many days off the journey, said Zhang Yiping, a history professor with Hainan Normal University.

As journey times and distances fell, the risks of an already hazardous journey rose. With rising risk, of course, came rising returns for the skillful and lucky. To this day the seas around the Xisha and Nansha islands are prone to stormy weather. Hidden rocks and reefs lie in wait for the inexperienced navigator. Many a sailor has found a watery grave and many a precious cargo has been lost to the depths.

RAISING THE PAST

In a large indoor tank in Hainan Provincial Museum in Haikou, about 500 planks from the hull of a trading vessel dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) are being desalinized.

Working professionally, museum staff take each timber from the tank one by one. Each item is photographed and scanned as part of ambitious project to build a virtual image of the ship.

The ship was excavated in Huaguang Reef in the west of Xisha Islands in 2007. Archeologists believe that the fully-laden ship was probably on its way to Southeast Asia and sank through a combination of an unusually high tide and incompetent navigation.

The ship, 20 meters long and six meters wide, is a type of "Fu-chuan," said Bao Chunlei, the head of the team working on the reconstruction project.

The word "Fu" refers to Fujian Province, where the ships were built, and "chuan," is the Chinese word for boat. Through a variety of cognates -- perhaps the Portuguese "junco," or the Malay word "jong" -- this kind of sharp-bottom seafaring ship became known in English as a junk.

During the Song Dynasty, Fu-chuan were the very best vessels of their time and the premier vehicle of ocean-going trade in the region.

More than 10,000 artifacts were recovered from the ship along with the timbers, including around 7,500 porcelain bowls, 700 plates and 2,500 lady's face-powder boxes.

"Ironware was also retrieved from the ship, but it is difficult to tell exactly what these items were due to serious corrosion," said Bao.

"When we have completed our desalinization and repair work on the wreck we hope to reconstruct and restore the vessel, so that it can be put on display for the public," he said.

Since 1996, Chinese archeologists have located more than 120 such shipwrecks at depths of between 20 meters and 60 meters in the South China Sea. Hundreds, maybe thousands, more lie at greater depths.

Among all the master mariners to sail the seas of antiquity, eunuch Zheng He, a Ming Dynasty explorer and diplomat, is perhaps the best remembered.

In the early 15th century, the Chinese Muslim navigator made seven voyages to the Western Seas, as the Indian Ocean was then known, sharing the latest Chinese technology, making maps, and helping settle territorial disputes while putting down piracy all along the way.

Temples in his memory can still be seen in many parts of Southeast Asia.

21st CENTURY MARITIME SILK ROAD TAKES SHAPE

In the autumn of 2013, first in Kazakhstan and then in Indonesia, President Xi proposed the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The Belt and Road Initiative will be a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the age-old trade corridors.

Four years on, over 100 countries and international organizations are involved. Close to 70 countries and international organizations have signed agreements with China on Belt and Road cooperation, including most of the countries on the South China Sea.

"Through the initiative, we hope we can find new driving forces for growth, create a new platform for global development, and re-balance economic globalization," Xi said at the forum, attended by heads of state and government from across the world, including those from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia.

During the two-day event, these Southeast Asian countries reached a number of agreements with China on trade, infrastructure, maritime affairs and environmental protection.

"The ancient silk routes thrived in times of peace, but lost vigor in times of war," said Xi. "We should foster a new type of international relations."

SAFE NAVIGATION: CLOSE COOPERATION

Safety of navigation is key to sustaining the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Sea traffic in the South China Sea is now immeasurably greater than in bygone days. An estimated 5 trillion U.S. dollars of goods are transported through the area each year, including more than half the world's annual merchant tonnage and a third of the world's maritime traffic.

Despite great improvements in navigational technology, ships on the South China Sea still face grave dangers posed by typhoons, cyclones, rapid oceanic currents and hidden rocks.

"The weather is changeable and can be hard to predict, but we try our best to provide accurate forecasts," said Chen Shaojian, deputy director of the meteorological bureau of Sansha, the city that manages Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands.

In 2012, the bureau set up a radio station on Yongxing Island, the city seat of Sansha, broadcasting weather forecasts ten times a day. Information collected by the bureau is shared with the international community through the World Meteorological Organization.

"It is difficult to foresee short-term extreme weather conditions," he said, explaining that with observation stations so few and far between, especially in Nansha Islands, there is nowhere near enough coverage of vast areas of the South China Sea.

Safe navigation demands efficient rescue operations to ensure the safety of ships and sailors in peril. To this end, Sansha's maritime search and rescue center provides 24 hour rescue cover.

"When we receive an emergency call, we coordinate all nearby ships to assist with the rescue," said Zou Xianzhi, executive deputy director of the center.

Zou recalled that in August 2016, the center received an emergency call from a Vietnamese boat in the Xisha area, saying that a sailor was badly injured. A helicopter from Sanya on Hainan Island, more than 300 km away, headed for the ship and airlifted the wounded sailor to hospital.

Over the past five years, the center has coordinated the rescues of more than 1,300 people in 69 emergencies, she said.

"Our major challenge is the great distance involved," said Zou, acknowledging that the center does not have vessels with the capacity of reaching Nansha Islands, some 800 km away.

Each year, about 70,000 vessels traverse the waters around Nansha Islands, 80 percent of the maritime traffic in the South China Sea. The number of ships in the South China Sea is expected to surge with the growth of trade along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Zou said.

"We need bigger vessels to meet our search and rescue obligations," said Zou. "We need closer cooperation with our neighbors to make the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road a safe place for sailors the world over."

(Xinhua correspondents Miao Xiaojuan, Tu Chaohua, Zhao Yeping, Dai Chao contributed to this story.)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 13:08:24|Editor: xuxin

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HO CHI MINH CITY, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Some 23 million people among Vietnam's total population of 95 million shop online frequently, marketing research firm Nielsen Vietnam said here Monday.

Three groups of goods bought online the most in Vietnam are fashion, healthcare, and electrical and electronic products. Most of online payments are conducted via computers.

Rates of online payments via mobile phones, called mobile banking, currently stand at around 13 percent in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi capital. Some 16 percent of Vietnamese people surveyed said they will use mobile banking services in the coming time, said the Ho Chi Minh City-based firm.

Electronic commerce in Vietnam has been growing at an average 22 percent a year, according to the Vietnam E-commerce Association. Over 40 percent of Vietnamese enterprises enjoy higher sale revenues thanks to e-commerce, said the association.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 13:58:41|Editor: xuxin

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MELBOURNE, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Autralia's Tasmanian scientists have developed a "super oyster" that is resistant to the deadly Pacific oyster mortality syndrome (POMS), it was announced on Monday.

The POMS virus is extremely effective in killing oysters and often goes undetected until the molluscs start dying in large numbers.

It has been a plague on Tasmania's 19-million-U.S.-dollar oyster industry, with a number of farms in the state's south and east hit hard by the disease in 2016.

Some farms lost as much as 70 percent of their oysters to the disease, costing millions of dollars.

The virus is triggered by warm water and had never been found in Tasmania before 2015.

Matt Cunningham, a scientist at the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), has led the research effort to develop oysters resistant to POMS.

After selectively breeding oysters that displayed a level of resistance to POMS, Cunningham released his most resistant stock into Pittwater Lagoon, the first Tasmanian waterway to be struck by the virus, in May.

"We've got to trust that we've done a good job in breeding these oysters and that they are resistant. Unfortunately they are going to go out and be challenged and that's the way we weed out the weak ones." Cunningham told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.

Cunningham's lab in Hobart is home to 76 families of oysters, offering genetic diversity in the pursuit of POMS-resistance.

Those that survive the next wave of POMS in the Tasmanian summer will become the state's commercial brood stock that will help farmers repopulate their industry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 14:03:44|Editor: xuxin

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NEW DELHI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Police in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand have arrested 19 people in connection with last week's mob killings of seven persons in two separate incidents over suspicion of being child-lifters.

"So far 19 people have been arrested and seven to eight others detained over the incidents. They are being interrogated for their role in the violent mob killings," Inspector General of Jharkhand Police Ashish Batra told the media.

Police said that the two incidents happened in the state's Seraikela and Jamshedpur districts Thursday because of rumors on social media that a child-kidnapping group was active there.

"We are trying to trace the origin of rumors that triggered the lynching of the seven men. We have identified some of the suspects behind the rumors," he added.

This is not the first of such incidents in India. The country has seen sporadic incidents of mob justice and vigilantism in the past.

In April, a man transporting cattle died after being beaten by cow vigilantes in the western state of Rajasthan.

A Muslim man in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was also beaten to death in 2015 over rumors that his family had slaughtered a cow -- considered sacred by Hindus.

And in the northeastern state of Assam, more than 70 people, mostly women were beaten or stoned to death between 2010 and 2016 on suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 14:49:00|Editor: xuxin

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HANOI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The third Intersessional Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was held on Monday in Vietnam's capital Hanoi.

The meeting was attended by 16 economic and trade ministers from the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its six partners including China, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, as well as representatives of relevant international organizations.

At the meeting, participants discussed issues such as goods, services, investments and rules in RCEP negotiations, providing guidance for the next step in the negotiations.

In his speech at the meeting, Chinese Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said that China had put forward the spirit of "peaceful cooperation, open tolerance, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win" in the recently-held Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

China had emphasized the need to promote the construction of justice, reasonable and transparent international economic and trade investment rule system, the construction of free trade areas and the community of common destiny, said Zhong, adding RCEP is committed to a modern, comprehensive, high-quality, mutually beneficial free trade agreement (FTA), which is highly aligned with the Silk Road spirit.

The Chinese minister pointed out that countries that are engaged in RCEP negotiations are currently the most dynamic economies worldwide, covering the largest population.

In order to speed up the negotiation process, the Chinese side put forward three proposals: to support ASEAN-led efforts to expand the consensus, to seize the opportunity to end the negotiations as soon as possible and to take into account the demands of all parties during the pragmatic negotiations, said Zhong.

Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, for his part, said at the meeting that the common goal of the regional economies is to build an Asia-Pacific FTA with connectivity.

Representatives at the meeting agreed that the construction of a comprehensive, multi-level connectivity mechanism fully reflects the active development of the region.

They also stressed the need for effective coordination between the various mechanisms so that the regional interconnection for the people and enterprises can bring more tangible benefits.
by Xinhua writers Wang Jingzhong, Ling Guangzhi, Xu Ruiqing

SANSHA, Hainan, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Anyone lucky enough to stroll on the white sands of Nanshazhou, a tiny islet in the middle of the South China Sea, should not be surprised to come across fragments of ceramics, hundreds of years old.

Located in the east of the Xisha archipelago, part of China's southernmost city of Sansha, the unspoiled, uninhabited island is protected by a massive reef which only allows the smallest of boats to pass at high tide.

The Nanshazhou of Xisha Xuande Islands is a tiny islet in the middle of South China Sea. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Fragments of ancient porcelain are scattered along the beach. Snorkelers can easily find more among the coral in the crystal clear waters.

"Made in the era of Chenghua" read the characters on the bottom of one broken blue and white porcelain bowl. Chenghua, the eighth Ming emperor, reigned from 1464 to 1487.

It was in the Ming Dynasty that the blue and white porcelain that characterizes "china" for so many people was fully developed and became one of China's -- or indeed any nation's -- first mass exports.

Such pieces of sea-washed china can be found on almost every island in the Xisha archipelago, mostly washed ashore from sunken ships that once plied the ancient maritime silk road from China through Southeast Asia, onward across the Indian Ocean to the Arab world and beyond.

The South China Sea was the heart of all this frenzied traffic and trade. Today it would be called a "hub," but not just of trade. The islands and ports of the South China Sea were washed by a vast, vibrant tide of cultural and scientific exchange, a huge marketplace where ideas, religions, philosophies, technology and techniques competed and cooperated to drive civilization forward.

The Qilianyu Islands of Xisha Xuande Islands are composed of seven islands in South China Sea. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)



LOOKING SEAWARD

In his definitive speech at the May 14 opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, President Xi Jinping spoke of the Belitung shipwreck in Indonesia as testament to the timeless friendly engagement of nations whose seaborne trade comprised the ancient maritime silk route.

The ship's remarkable cargo consisted of outright treasure in the form of gold and silver, but also more than 60,000 pieces of ceramics produced in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

No one knows for sure exactly where the Middle Eastern ship, or dhow's voyage began, nor for where it was ultimately bound, but what is certain is that its cargo is early proof of the strong trading links between China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Starting from China's coastal cities, such as Guangzhou and Quanzhou, the rise of maritime trade began during the Qin and Han dynasties more than 2,000 years ago, and came to full flower in the Tang and Song dynasties around a thousand years later.

Silk, porcelain, tea, bronze, brass and iron were ferried out of China, while spices, exotic plants and animals and other rare treasures were carried back.

In the early period, ships crossing the South China Sea would sail along the east coast of the Indochina Peninsula but as shipbuilding and navigational techniques improved, seaways were opened through the islands of Xisha and Nansha in the middle of the sea, cutting hundreds of miles and many days off the journey, said Zhang Yiping, a history professor with Hainan Normal University.

As journey times and distances fell, the risks of an already hazardous journey rose. With rising risk, of course, came rising returns for the skillful and lucky. To this day the seas around the Xisha and Nansha islands are prone to stormy weather. Hidden rocks and reefs lie in wait for the inexperienced navigator. Many a sailor has found a watery grave and many a precious cargo has been lost to the depths.

RAISING THE PAST

Planks from the hull of an ancient ship are being desalinized. (Xinhua/Wang Jingzhong)

In a large indoor tank in Hainan Provincial Museum in Haikou, about 500 planks from the hull of a trading vessel dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) are being desalinized.

Working professionally, museum staff take each timber from the tank one by one. Each item is photographed and scanned as part of an ambitious project to build a virtual image of the ship.

A worker photographs a timber in the museum. (Xinhua/Wang Jingzhong)

The ship was excavated in Huaguang Reef in the west of Xisha Islands in 2007. Archeologists believe that the fully-laden ship was probably on its way to Southeast Asia and sank through a combination of an unusually high tide and incompetent navigation.

The ship, 20 meters long and six meters wide, is a type of "Fu-chuan," said Bao Chunlei, the head of the team working on the reconstruction project.

The word "Fu" refers to Fujian Province, where the ships were built, and "chuan," is the Chinese word for boat. Through a variety of cognates -- perhaps the Portuguese "junco," or the Malay word "jong" -- this kind of sharp-bottom seafaring ship became known in English as a junk.

During the Song Dynasty, Fu-chuan were the very best vessels of their time and the premier vehicle of ocean-going trade in the region.

More than 10,000 artifacts were recovered from the ship along with the timbers, including around 7,500 porcelain bowls, 700 plates and 2,500 lady's face-powder boxes.

"Ironware was also retrieved from the ship, but it is difficult to tell exactly what these items were due to serious corrosion," said Bao.

Thousands of porcelain bowls and plates recovered from the sunken ship are now displayed in the museum. (Xinhua/Wang Jingzhong)

"When we have completed our desalinization and repair work on the wreck we hope to reconstruct and restore the vessel, so that it can be put on display for the public," he said.

Since 1996, Chinese archeologists have located more than 120 such shipwrecks at depths of between 20 meters and 60 meters in the South China Sea. Hundreds, maybe thousands, more lie at greater depths.

Among all the master mariners to sail the seas of antiquity, eunuch Zheng He, a Ming Dynasty explorer and diplomat, is perhaps the best remembered.

In the early 15th century, the Chinese Muslim navigator made seven voyages to the Western Seas, as the Indian Ocean was then known, sharing the latest Chinese technology, making maps, and helping settle territorial disputes while putting down piracy all along the way.

Temples in his memory can still be seen in many parts of Southeast Asia.

21st CENTURY MARITIME SILK ROAD TAKES SHAPE

In the autumn of 2013, first in Kazakhstan and then in Indonesia, President Xi proposed the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The Belt and Road Initiative will be a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the age-old trade corridors.

Four years on, over 100 countries and international organizations are involved. Close to 70 countries and international organizations have signed agreements with China on Belt and Road cooperation, including most of the countries on the South China Sea.

"Through the initiative, we hope we can find new driving forces for growth, create a new platform for global development, and re-balance economic globalization," Xi said at the forum, attended by heads of state and government from across the world, including those from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia.

During the two-day event, these Southeast Asian countries reached a number of agreements with China on trade, infrastructure, maritime affairs and environmental protection.

"The ancient silk routes thrived in times of peace, but lost vigor in times of war," said Xi. "We should foster a new type of international relations."

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on May 14, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)



SAFE NAVIGATION: CLOSE COOPERATION

Safety of navigation is key to sustaining the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Sea traffic in the South China Sea is now immeasurably greater than in bygone days. An estimated 5 trillion U.S. dollars of goods are transported through the area each year, including more than half the world's annual merchant tonnage and a third of the world's maritime traffic.

Despite great improvements in navigational technology, ships on the South China Sea still face grave dangers posed by typhoons, cyclones, rapid oceanic currents and hidden rocks.

"The weather is changeable and can be hard to predict, but we try our best to provide accurate forecasts," said Chen Shaojian, deputy director of the meteorological bureau of Sansha, the city that manages Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha islands.

In 2012, the bureau set up a radio station on Yongxing Island, the city seat of Sansha, broadcasting weather forecasts ten times a day. Information collected by the bureau is shared with the international community through the World Meteorological Organization.

"It is difficult to foresee short-term extreme weather conditions," he said, explaining that with observation stations so few and far between, especially in Nansha Islands, there is nowhere near enough coverage of vast areas of the South China Sea.

Safe navigation demands efficient rescue operations to ensure the safety of ships and sailors in peril. To this end, Sansha's maritime search and rescue center provides 24 hour rescue cover.

"When we receive an emergency call, we coordinate all nearby ships to assist with the rescue," said Zou Xianzhi, executive deputy director of the center.

Zou recalled that in August 2016, the center received an emergency call from a Vietnamese boat in the Xisha area, saying that a sailor was badly injured. A helicopter from Sanya on Hainan Island, more than 300 km away, headed for the ship and airlifted the wounded sailor to hospital.



Over the past five years, the center has coordinated the rescues of more than 1,300 people in 69 emergencies, she said.

"Our major challenge is the great distance involved," said Zou, acknowledging that the center does not have vessels with the capacity of reaching Nansha Islands, some 800 km away.

Each year, about 70,000 vessels traverse the waters around Nansha Islands, 80 percent of the maritime traffic in the South China Sea. The number of ships in the South China Sea is expected to surge with the growth of trade along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Zou said.

"We need bigger vessels to meet our search and rescue obligations," said Zou. "We need closer cooperation with our neighbors to make the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road a safe place for sailors the world over."

(Xinhua correspondents Miao Xiaojuan, Tu Chaohua, Zhao Yeping, Dai Chao contributed to this story.)

A boat sails near the Ganquan Island of Xisha Yongle Islands in South China Sea. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 15:24:23|Editor: Mengjie

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Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga (R) shakes hands with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bamako, Mali, May 21, 2017. Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga on Sunday commended China's support to the country's efforts in maintaining national peace and stability, and appreciated China's involvement in the United Nations' (UN) peacekeeping mission in Mali. (Xinhua/Xing Jianqiao)

BAMAKO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga on Sunday commended China's support to the country's efforts in maintaining national peace and stability, and appreciated China's involvement in the United Nations' (UN) peacekeeping mission in Mali.

During a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Maiga said that Mali highly regards China's important role in international affairs, and hoped that China will provide assistance to the Sahel G5, an organization of five African countries that safeguards regional peace and stability and fights against terrorism.

Maiga also said that Mali will keep close communication and cooperation with China on issues such as the reform of the UN Security Council.

For his part, Wang said that China and Mali are good partners and friends who have shared hardships together, noting that China is a firm supporter of Mali's efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and unity.

Wang said China also firmly supports Mali's peace and reconciliation process and its fight against terrorism.

He said that China will also prioritize future support to Mali with a view to strengthen the country's agricultural development and build an industrial system so as to realize independent and sustainable development.

He added that infrastructure construction, human resources development as well as peace and security will be the three major areas in which China will strengthen cooperation with Mali.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 15:39:27|Editor: Mengjie

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Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop in Bamako, Mali, May 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Xing Jianqiao)

BAMAKO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to further cooperate with Mali in its agricultural and industrial development, with a view to helping the West African nation establish an industrial system, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Sunday.

Meanwhile, China will also help Mali to nurture capacities in the three major areas of infrastructure construction, human resources, and peace and security.

These efforts are aimed at allowing the country to strengthen its capability for independent development and realize economic independence after it had achieved political independence, Wang said during talks with his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop.

"China firmly supports Mali's efforts to safeguard sovereignty, security and unity, and its efforts to push forward the peace and reconciliation process," Wang said, adding that China also firmly supports Mali's efforts to fight against terrorism.

China will continue to strengthen coordination with Mali in international affairs and work toward safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Mali as well as developing countries as a whole, Wang said.

Echoing Wang's suggestions on deepening bilateral development cooperation, Diop said that Mali stands ready to enhance the coordination of development strategies with China and strengthen bilateral pragmatic cooperation by implementing the outcomes of the latest Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in Johannesburg, South Africa in late 2015.

Diop commended China for fulfilling its duties as a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and its support for Mali's national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and expressed gratitude for China's contribution of troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 15:49:37|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China has amazed the world with its success in making a slew of major scientific and technological breakthroughs, contributing to global technological advances and closer international cooperation in the interest of mankind.

In recent weeks, China has successively brought to fruition a batch of significant technological programs including a maiden trip of first homegrown large passenger jet C919, launch of a first indigenously made aircraft carrier, construction of world's first quantum computing machine and in-orbit refueling of cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1.

Last week, China made its first success in mining at sea combustible ice, an efficient and clean energy that holds strategic importance for future global energy development, after two decades of continuing efforts.

Experts believe that the success shows China has mastered combustible ice mining technology.

Commercial development of the huge reserves of combustible ice across the globe "has moved closer to reality" after China successfully extracted the material from the seafloor, the Associated Press reported.

"Many countries on the Maritime Silk Road have a demand for combustible ice mining," said Qiu Haijun, director of the trial mining commanding headquarters.

"With the advanced technology we could boost economic development and exchanges among countries," Qiu said.

In early May, China's first domestically made large passenger airplane C919 completed its test flight in the eastern city of Shanghai.

"The C919 not only generates a great source of pride for China, but also represents mutual benefits and cooperation between China and the rest of the world," said Ye Wei, executive director and president of COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) America Corporation.

The Associated Press called the test trip "a milestone in China's long-term goal to break into the Western-dominated aircraft market."

Eric Chen, president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft China, was quoted by the AP as saying that he welcomes new competition brought by China's C919, which is good for the development of the industry.

In order to succeed in an increasingly globalized business world, international cooperation is indispensable. In this regard, the C919 project is indeed a paragon of global technological cooperation.

Major components like the engines, avionics and control systems are sourced from numerous joint ventures and partners across Europe and the United States.

Darius Adamczyk, chairman and CEO of Honeywell which is one of the suppliers to the manufacturer of the plane, was among the first to send congratulations on the success of C919's maiden flight.

"We are proud of our partnership with COMAC and eager to continue to help advance aviation capabilities in China," he said.

Michel Merluzeau, director of AirInsightResearch, an aerospace & defense market analysis and consulting group, anticipates that by the mid-2030s, COMAC will be an important partner in the global aerospace supply chains, owing to growth in China, partnerships and the size of the market.

"I think by 2030, 2035, COMAC may very well do well in aircraft together to compete with the new aircrafts of Airbus and Boeing," said Merluzeau.

As China makes rapid progress in science and technology, other nations in the world are also increasingly seeking partnerships with it.

Cisco Systems (China) has invested 20 billion yuan (2.9 billion U.S. dollars) in the Cisco (Guangzhou) Smart City project, aiming to build the largest platform of Internet research and development and intelligent operations outside the United States.

"The project offers a great opportunity to present an innovative example to the world," said Chuck Robbins, chief executive officer of Cisco.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 15:49:39|Editor: ying

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JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is heading to Israel on Monday morning, where he will hold meetings about the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and reaffirm the U.S. alliance with Israel.

This is the second leg of of Trump's first official trip abroad as president. In his visit to Saudi Arabia, he signed 350-billion-dollar arms deal.

During Trump's two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian West Bank, Trump will meet Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday before traveling to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday.

The meetings will focus on the U.S. efforts to revive the long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The last round of talks reached an impasse in April 2014, mainly due to Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.

On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to give a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to conclude his visit, before heading to Europe.

On Sunday night, Israel's cabinet approved a few economic concessions to the Palestinians requested by Trump, including the establishment of two industrial zones and keeping the Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan open 24 hours a day.

The cabinet also voted to establish a committee to examine legalizing outposts which were built without permits on private Palestinian land in the West Bank.

"The security cabinet has approved economic measures that will ease daily life for Palestinians as confidence-building steps," the cabinet said in a statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 15:59:48|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The first forum on BeiDou cooperation between China and Arab countries will be held Wednesday in Shanghai, according to China's satellite navigation administrative office.

The forum will feature training sessions and an exhibition of the uses of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

The BDS meets the requirement of Arab countries in public and energy security, communications and logistics, mapping, precision agriculture and smart city development, said Yang Changfeng, chief designer of the BDS.

The forum will become a long-term mechanism for satellite navigation cooperation, said Yang.

China has already sent 22 BeiDou satellites into space and plans to form a network of 35 satellites for global navigation by 2020.

BeiDou is the Chinese name for the Big Dipper constellation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 15:59:50|Editor: ying

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SINGAPORE, May 22(Xinhua) -- High levels of mercury was detected in "Royal Expert Whitening Cream," said Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA)in a press release on Monday.

HSA cautioned members of the public not to purchase or use the whitening cream mentioned above.

HSA said it had been alerted by the Consumers Association of Singapore, which tested a range of skincare products recently and found the product which was sold online to contain high levels of mercury.

HSA then followed up and further tested several samples of the product obtained from various online platforms and all samples were tested positive with high mercury levels.

The authority warned sellers to stop selling the cream.

"Anyone who supplies illegal health products is liable to prosecution and if convicted, may be imprisoned for up to three years and/or fined up to 100,000 Singapore dollars (72,080 U.S. dollars)," said HSA.

The use of mercury, a toxic substance, in cosmetic products could lead to rash, skin discoloration and blotching. Chronic exposure to high levels of mercury in cosmetic products may also affect the kidneys and nerve system as it can be absorbed through the skin, the statement added.
(FILES) This file photo taken on February 15, 2017 shows US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands following a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, DC. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is heading to Israel on Monday morning, where he will hold meetings about the long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and reaffirm the U.S. alliance with Israel.

This is the second leg of of Trump's first official trip abroad as president. In his visit to Saudi Arabia, he signed 350-billion-dollar arms deal.

During Trump's two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian West Bank, Trump will meet Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday before traveling to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday.

The meetings will focus on the U.S. efforts to revive the long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The last round of talks reached an impasse in April 2014, mainly due to Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.

On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to give a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to conclude his visit, before heading to Europe.

On Sunday night, Israel's cabinet approved a few economic concessions to the Palestinians requested by Trump, including the establishment of two industrial zones and keeping the Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan open 24 hours a day.

The cabinet also voted to establish a committee to examine legalizing outposts which were built without permits on private Palestinian land in the West Bank.

"The security cabinet has approved economic measures that will ease daily life for Palestinians as confidence-building steps," the cabinet said in a statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 16:25:10|Editor: Tian Shaohui

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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman (center L) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has wrapped up a two-day tour to Saudi Arabia that aimed to "reset" U.S. relations with the conflict-laden region, although his statements revealed more ambiguities than explicitness in dealing with the spiny problems in the Middle East.

The visit came as the dynamics between the United States and the region's major players are moving in unpredictable directions. The following listed some major highlights that have hit the headlines in Trump's stay in Riyadh.

WHOPPING ARM SALES

Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud signed defense and business deals worth 280 billion U.S. dollars, which analysts said eyes to shore up the U.S.-Saudi defense ties and represents the most substantial gain of his first overseas trip since taking office.

According to local Al Arabiya news, U.S. defense contractor Raytheon announced partnership with Saudi military industries, under which Raytheon's Arab branch will help develop smart weapons and air defense systems in Saudi Arabia.

Boeing Company also announced that Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy Chinook helicopters, associated support services and guided weapons systems, and purchase P-8 surveillance aircraft. The company also said it will negotiate the sale of up to 16 widebody airplanes to Saudi Gulf Airlines.

U.S. General Electric (GE) also signed 15-billion-dollar deals with Saudi Arabia to boost the latter's non-oil economy.

However, the whopping military deals have sparked concerns both in Israel and Iran.

Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli senior Cabinet minister and confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Saudi Arabia is "a hostile country" and the deal was "definitely something that should trouble us."

Meanwhile, in the first reaction to Trump's visit after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's re-election to a second term, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also tweeted on Sunday that Washington may be "milking" Saudi Arabia, Tehran's Gulf rival, of billions' dollars.

"Iran -- fresh from real elections -- attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?" Zarif tweeted.

UNCERTAINTIES IN U.S. MIDDLE EAST POLICIES

In the just-concluded Arab Islamic American summit, Trump delivered a speech, the centerpiece of his tour, to leaders of 55 Islamic countries, which many analysts said indicates his ambiguities on Middle East policy.

In his 30-minute speech, Trump called on Arab leaders to do their fair share to "drive out" terrorism from their countries. "A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists," he said.

"Drive them out! Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this earth," he added.

Trump's signature term "radical Islamic terrorism" was reportedly not included in the speech. Instead, he used "Islamist extremism," which refers to Islamism as political movement rather than Islam as a religion, a distinction that he had frequently attacked his predecessor Barack Obama for making.

Trump had frequently attacked Muslims on the campaign trail last year and tried to ban many from entering the United States since taking office. But according to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, he "is clearly indicating that this fight ... has nothing to do with religion. It has nothing to do with country. It has nothing to do with ethnicity."

On the other high-profile issue of Iran, Trump held Tehran responsible for training armed groups in the wars in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and urged the international community to isolate the country.

However, Tillerson hinted on Saturday that he was open to direct talks with Iran. "I've never shut off the phone to anyone that wants to talk or have a productive conversation ... At this point, I have no plans to call my counterpart in Iran, although in all likelihood we will talk at the right time."

LONG-STALLED ISRAEL-PALESTINE PEACE DEAL

Another highlight of Trump's tour is his readiness in the coming two-day visit to Israel to work with it and Palestine, in a bid to dispel the two sides' historical grudges, resume the long-stalled peace talks and mull a deal based on those.

So far, the president has offered few indications as of how he plans to achieve the goals above-mentioned, which so many of his predecessors could not.

Israeli observers became wary of the possible tougher line Trump would take on Jewish settlements building in the West Bank, as the latter has urged Israeli restraint in this regard.

The new White House host has also seemed to retreat from his campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A White House official speaking on condition of anonymity said lately that Trump believed that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital "would not be wise at this time."

Adding to Tel Aviv's concerns, U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster voiced support last week for Palestinian "self-determination."

Trump's relations with Tel Aviv has been at stake, as he was revealed to have disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the IS with top Russian officials, without Israel's permission.

The last round of talks reached an impasse on April 2014, mainly over Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.

Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that Trump will ask the Israelis to curb the expansion of the settlements and call on the Palestinians to halt funding Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and stop the "incitement" against Israel.

The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and no foreign countries have based their embassies in the city.
TOKYO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Japan booked a trade surplus of 481.75 billion yen (4.3 billion U.S. dollars) in April, owing to ongoing growth in exports to Asia, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report Monday.

According to the ministry, exports were up 7.5 percent year on year in the recording period to 6.33 trillion yen and imports gained 15.1 percent to 5.88 trillion yen.

The readings, which were in line with median economists' forecasts and for exports in particular, marked the fifth consecutive month of increase which is the longest winning streak since 2006, the official figures showed.

Trade with China was robust, with Japan logging a deficit for a second straight month at 243.04 billion yen. Exports to China leapt 14.8 percent to 1.19 trillion yen, while imports in the same period grew 7.5 percent to 1.43 trillion yen.

As for trade with the United States, the surplus stood at 586.74 billion yen, which comprised of exports gaining 2.6 percent to 1.23 trillion yen and imports jumping 9.8 percent at 645.49 billion yen in the recording period.

Japan logged a 61.07 billion yen trade surplus with the European Union, the ministry's data also showed, with exports rising 2.2 percent to 717.83 billion yen, while imports grew 5.4 percent to 656.76 billion yen, in April.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 16:50:23|Editor: MJ

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by Xia Lin, Ni Ruijie

BUENOS AIRES, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Mauricio Macri replaced Cristina Kirchner as Argentina's head of state in December 2015, and now that Kirchner has left office, graft charges are being brought against her at this political juncture, an expert has told Xinhua.

"When governments begin (their terms), justice's decision to advance against them is more limited and slower. When governments are nearing their ends (of terms), justice becomes more active," said Rosendo Fraga, director of the Center for Union Studies for the New Majority and member of the National Academy of Moral Sciences and Policies, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"It is a somewhat cynical comment, but it is an empirically demonstrable commentary over time," said Fraga.

FORMER PRESIDENT ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION

Kirchner, who was president for two terms from 2007 to 2015, is currently accused by the court of corruption, with her millions of U.S. dollars in assets frozen.

In April 2017, a federal judge filed a formal lawsuit against Kirchner for "illicit association" and "money laundering," a resolution also binding her two children and four entrepreneurs.

However, she has denied all the accusations, calling them "political persecution."

On March 23, federal judge Claudio Bonadio demanded that Kirchner appear in court to testify on whether in the final days of her presidency she conspired with the Central Bank's executives to carry out financial operations against the interests of the Treasury.

The charge said that the bank sold U.S. dollars at a rate of 10.65 pesos, almost 50 percent lower than the price set by the New York Stock Exchange at the time.

BUSINESSMAN, VICE MINISTER ARRESTED

One of the entrepreneurs in Kirchner's case, Lazaro Baez, was detained in April 2016 for allegedly collaborating with her and her husband Nestor Kirchner, also a former Argentine president, for snatching 82 percent of the public contracts in the province of Santa Cruz.

Kirchner denied in front of the court that Baez was her friend.

Fraga said that more officials and so-called business partners are now being called to justice.

"Now, from trial to conviction is another matter. It depends on the effectiveness of justice and truth. That effectiveness is low," said Fraga.

Jose Lopez, former deputy minister of public works who stayed in the Kirchner couple's cabinets for 12 years, is another prominent figure in the serial allegations. He was also jailed on charges of corruption.

In June 2016, he was caught red-handed tossing 160 suitcases and bags containing some 8 million U.S. dollars over a wall into an old monastery outside Buenos Aires for concealing. Later at his home, police spent nearly 22 hours to count his stash of cash and luxuries.

JUSTICE TENDS TO BE PROLONGED

Analyzing the present and previous cases, and taking the conflicting interests of political parties into consideration, Fraga pointed out the systematic deficiency of Argentina's judicial system, under which graft probes are mostly initiated at a peculiar junction, and tend to be prolonged indefinitely.

"To some extent, we don't have a perfect institutional system, and the political context influences the functioning of the institutional system," he said.

According to legal statistics, Argentine courts used to take an average of 14 years to deal with corruption cases.

Fraga didn't think Kirchner's case will be closed any time soon, citing "the urgent demands of the people are economic and social on the one hand, public insecurity on the other hand" as the first two reasons and corruption as the third.

"This is reasonable, because the bulk of the population is moved by their urgencies," said the expert.
SEOUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korean stocks on Monday hit a new record high, breaking the previous record in a week on expectations for the new government's economic policy.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 15.55 points, or 0.68 percent, to settle at 2,304.03. Trading volume stood at 334.55 million shares worth 5.74 trillion won (5 billion U.S. dollars).

Expectations were running high for the new government's economic policy. President Moon Jae-in on Sunday appointed a new finance minister who doubles as deputy prime minister.

Kim Dong-yeon, the finance minister nominee, was a successful former government official, turning from a child breadwinner to a senior finance ministry official, who Moon said can understand the difficulties of ordinary people.

Moon pledged to focus on job creation and the reduction in irregular workers, which would increase household income and lead the income-based growth momentum.

Expectations spread for the rosy first-quarter earnings, boosting outlook for the South Korean economy.

Foreign investors led the KOSPI gain by purchasing a net 289 billion won worth of stocks, while institutional and individual investors sold shares worth 259 billion won and 90 billion won respectively.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.9 percent, and memory chip giant SK Hynix advanced 3.3 percent. Top steelmaker POSCO jumped 5 percent, and the most-used search engine Naver rose 1.8 percent.

Leading chemical firm LG Chem climbed 1.8 percent, and the biggest wireless carrier SK Telecom added 0.8 percent.

The No.1 life insurer Samsung Life Insurance lost 1.3 percent, and the biggest cosmetics company Amore Pacific slid 0.1 percent.

South Korea's currency finished at 1,118.6 won against the greenback, up 8.6 won from the previous close.

Bond prices ended lower. Yields on the liquid three-year treasury notes added 1.4 basis points to 1.685 percent, and the return on the benchmark 10-year government bonds gained 3.4 basis points to 2.272 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 18:36:56|Editor: MJ

An equestrian contestant rides her horse jumping over the 100cm-high hurdles in Helsinki, Finland, May 21, 2017. As part of the series of events celebrating the centenary of the independence of Finland, the grand horse event attracted 45,000 viewers in Helsinki. The event featured equestrian competitions, carriage parades and relative exhibitions. (Xinhua/Zhang Xuan)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 18:01:05|Editor: ying

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MANILA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte left for Russia on Monday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to chart the future of Philippine-Russian relations.

In a speech before boarding his plane at the Davao City international airport, Duterte said he would meet Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow "to discuss ways of charting the future direction of our partnership across many areas."

"We will exchange views on regional and international issues to determine how we can best advance our shared interests," he said.

Duterte said cooperation between Manila and Moscow opened 40 years ago but "it has opened ever so slightly."

"There is much room to develop mutually beneficial cooperation. There are many opportunities that needed to be explored. Now we can work together to open those even wider," Duterte said.

"This is a strategic oversight that has led to many missed opportunities for our country. I am determined to correct this," Duterte said.

He said his administration will give Philippines-Russia relations the importance commensurate to its full potential.

"We will push for pragmatic engagement in the politico-security sphere, increased economic cooperation, and enhanced cultural and people-to-people exchanges," he said.

Duterte expressed hope that this official visit to Russia from May 22 to 26 "will lay the firm foundation for a robust, comprehensive, and mutually-beneficial Philippines-Russia partnership."

Aside from defense cooperation which will deal specifically on "military and technical cooperation," Philippine foreign officials said other deals to be signed include a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Russian and Philippine security councils, a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, and an extradition treaty.

"The agreement on military and technical cooperation will pave the way for the Philippines to explore a possibility of military procurement from Russia," officials said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 18:01:12|Editor: ying

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WELLINGTON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government is helping eligible landowners in the Gisborne region in the northeastern part of the country to contain erosion and improve susceptible land, said the Ministry for Primary Industries on Monday.

Associate Minister Louise Upston said in a release that she welcomed the opening of the next round of funding from the Erosion Control Funding Programme (ECFP).

"Severe erosion causes long-term damage to the productivity of the rural land. It threatens communities and rural businesses and damages infrastructure," she said.

Improvements were recently made to the program, including providing upfront funding to reduce the financial burden for landowners and extending the land categories eligible for treatment, Upston said.

"We hope that these changes will enable more landowners to take up the funding opportunity," said Upston.

The ECFP was established in 1992 and the Ministry for Primary Industries works closely with Gisborne District Council and the local people to deliver the program. Last year 37 applications totaling 2.39 million NZ dollars (1.66 million U.S. dollars) covering 1,438 hectares were approved, Upston said.

Community groups, local tribes and other organizations are also now able to apply for funding for projects to reduce erosion in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 18:06:18|Editor: ying

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BAQUBA, Iraq, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi soldiers on Monday killed four suicide bombers who carried out an attack on an army base in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a security source said.

The suicide bombers, affiliated to the extremist Islamic State (IS) militant group, carried out an attack at about 4:00 a.m. (0100 GMT) on army's Karkoush base in east of the provincial capital city of Baquba, about 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Lt. Gen. Mezhir al-Azzawi, commander of Dijlah Operations Command, told Xinhua.

The four militants, wearing explosive vests and carrying assault rifles, attacked northern gate of the base, but the troops fired back and killed one of them, while the other three surrounded after they holed up behind concrete barriers at the scene, said al-Azzawi, whose command is responsible for the security in Diyala province.

"Our forces killed all the four suicide bombers who tried to enter the Karkoush military base. The situation in under control," Azzawi said.

He said that two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three others wounded by the clashes with the IS militants.

The attack came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS militants from their major stronghold in the western side of Mosul in northern Iraq.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 19:01:57|Editor: ying

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BANGKOK, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A blast at an army hospital in the heart of the Thai capital Bangkok on Monday injured 25 people, police said.

Among the 25, three were seriously injured and the others were slightly injured,

The blast went off in a VIP room on the first floor of a building at the army-run Phramongkutklao hospital in the mid-morning hour.

The injured included sickly retired army officers and civilians, who were promptly treated and released, while the seriously injured have remained under medical care at the hospital.

Deputy police commissioner Srivara Rangsipramanakul confirmed that it was a bomb.

The bomb was contained in a PVC pipe and planted inside a vase in the hospital room.

An Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit found scraps of electrical circuit, wire, battery and metal shrapnels at the scene, the deputy police chief said.

The police are yet to find more clues from footages of CCTV cameras installed in and around the room to pinpoint a suspected perpetrator of the bombing, he said.

It was earlier believed that the blast might have been caused by gas leak as there were several pipes and cables in the undermaintained air-conditioning ducts.

The incident is the third bomb explosion in two months, following a blast outside the National Theater which slightly injured two female passers-by ealier this month, and another outside the former lottery office which slightly injured two sanitation workers in April.

Srivara told media that it was too early to say whether the explosion was linked to the two previous bombings, adding explosive ordnance disposal officials are investigating.

Monday marks the three-year anniversary of a coup that overthrew a elected government run by Pheu Thai Party.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 19:12:06|Editor: ying

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MOSCOW, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Russian police have detained a group of 20 hackers suspected of stealing over 50 million rubles (around 875,000 U.S. dollars) from people's bank accounts by infecting smartphones with a Trojan virus, the Russian Interior Ministry said Monday.

"The group members used a malicious software that allowed unauthorized access to smartphones of one of the mobile operators and transferred money to pre-prepared accounts through hidden SMS commands," a ministry statement quoted spokeswoman Irina Volk as saying.

She said over a million smartphones had been affected in various regions, mainly in the European part of Russia.

Computer equipment, hundreds of bank cards and SIM cards have been seized during searches conducted by the police in six Russian regions, and a criminal case was opened against the detainees, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 19:17:12|Editor: ying

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and First Lady Melania Trump walk out of the Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 22, 2017. Trump has arrived in Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, kicking off his second leg of the Middle East visit in Israel and Palestine. (Xinhua/Gil Cohen Magen)

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 22 (Xinhua) - U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday, kicking off the second leg of his Middle East visit in Israel and the West Bank.

The presidential Air Force One plane touched the ground at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv just after noon, where Trump was accepted in an official ceremony with fanfares and an Israel Defense Forces soldiers' honorary guard.

The welcoming ceremony was also attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, cabinet ministers and senior Jewish, Muslims as well as Christian clergies.

In a short statement session at the airport, Trump gave a speech, saying his visit to Saudi Arabia gave him "new reasons for hope" for peace in the Middle East.

"Let us build together a future where the nations of the region are at peace, and all our children can grow up strong and free from terrorism and violence," he said.

Trump arrived in Israel after concluding Saudi visit, where he met Sunday with King Salman and Muslim leaders. "In that visit, we reached a historic agreement to pursue greater and greater [cooperation] against terrorism," he said.

"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony prosperity and peace," he added.

"But we can only get there working together. There is no other way," he said, addressing the Israeli leaders.

Trump praised the "unbreakable bond" between Israel and the U.S. "We love Israel, we respect Israel," he said.

Netanyahu said he hopes the "remarkable alliance between Israel and the United States will become ever greater, ever stronger" under Trump's term in office.

He warmly welcomed Trump, saying: "on behalf of the government and the entire people of Israel, we welcome you to Israel. May God bless you, Mr. President, may God bless Israel, and may God bless the United States of America."

From the airport, Trump is expected to continue to Jerusalem, where he will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

His Monday itinerary includes a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in annexed East Jerusalem's Old City, from which he will continue by foot to the Western Wall, a nearby Jewish holy site, where he will be the first U.S. president to visit the site.

On Tuesday, Trump will go to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Also on Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to give a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to conclude his visit, before heading to Europe.

Trump's first official visit will focus on reaffirming the alliance with Israel and his administration's efforts to revive the long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The last round of talks reached an impasse on April 2014, mainly over Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 19:22:18|Editor: ying

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TEHRAN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday dismissed the recent anti-Iran claims by the U.S. officials as "hostile and baseless," the ministry's website reported.

"The U.S. president's meddling, repetitive and baseless claims against Iran are aimed at Iranophebia and are in line with the U.S. hostile policies against the Islamic republic, seeking to persuade the regional countries to buy more arms from the United States," Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

The U.S. stance against Iran is "deceptive and destructive" and attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the regional states besides supporting Israel, Qasemi said.

"Unfortunately, some regional states are looking for the support of the superpowers instead of relying on their own nation and the potentials of regional cooperation," he said, adding that such an approach will result in the destruction of the infrastructures of the regional countries, including Syria and Yemen, by the terrorist groups.

The Iranian spokesmen urged the U.S. officials to stop, what he called, "rising tensions, intervention, Iranophebia, and selling weapons to the supporters of terrorism."

Earlier on the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that U.S. President Donald Trump's recent anti-Iran remarks are aimed at "milking" Saudi Arabia, Tasnim news agency reported.

"Iran, fresh from real elections, attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) of 480 billion U.S. dollars?" Zarif twitted on Monday, speaking of Saudi Arabia.

The remarks by Iranian Foreign Ministry officials came in response to Trump's recent anti-Tehran remarks in Riyadh and his arms sale deal with the Saudis.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump called on the regional countries to isolate Iran which, he said, had "fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror."

On Sunday, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri, refuted the comments by the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for urging a policy shift in Tehran's conduct during President Hassan Rouhani's second term.

The only way to peace in the Middle East is a pull-out of the U.S. forces from the region, Jazayeri said.

During his Saudi Arabia visit, Tillerson said Saturday that he hopes the re-election of Rouhani would prompt changes to Tehran's approach to "terrorism and human rights."

Tillerson urged Iran's re-elected president to dismantle the alleged "network of terrorism" and to end ballistic missile tests.

He made the remarks at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh.

In the reaction, Jazayeri urged the United States for what he called an end to the "aggressive and terrorist operations against independent states" by the assistance of "reactionary regimes" in the region.

Besides, no factor could hinder Iran's defense programs, he said, describing the boost of Iran's missile defense systems as a top priority for the Islamic republic.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 19:32:33|Editor: ying

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ISTANBUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from the member states of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) on Monday called for efforts to better tap the potential of the region to boost trade and investment.

"It is a fact that the trade and investments among the member countries of the organization are far below the potential," Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the 25th anniversary summit of the group in Istanbul.

"We should look for opportunities to better tap the potential of this vast geography," he remarked, calling for trade and investment to be developed on a healthy ground in the context of peace and stability.

"Of course there may be some political, even military, problems among the countries of the region," the president added. "How far can we keep the BSEC from these problems so we can make it work that efficiently?"

The Turkish leader also urged the member states to develop new projects to create a transportation network in the region while facilitating visa applications so as to further develop tourism and trade.

For his part, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called for BSEC members to ease trade procedures in a move to deepen regional cooperation and boost the trade volume.

The BSEC, founded in 1992, has a total population of 335 million and an annual intra-trade volume of 187 billion U.S. dollars, according to data released by the organization.

Referring to the fact that member states have cooperation in a wide range of fields, including plane building, information technology, machinery manufacturing and finance, Medvedev stressed that "None is enough. We should create ambitious targets to further develop trade and investment among the member states."

Other participants at the summit laid emphasis on cooperation in the field of energy, as the region has become a transport hub for oil and natural gas supplies moving into Europe.

After the Persian Gulf region, the Black Sea region is the second largest source of oil and natural gas in the world, which also boasts rich reserves of minerals, metals and other natural resources.

The BSEC has 12 member states, namely Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Serbia.
U.S. President Donald Trump (C-L) and First Lady Melania Trump (C-R) listen to the their national anthem as they are welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R), and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (L) upon their arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on May 22, 2017, as part of his first trip overseas. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 22 (Xinhua) U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday, kicking off the second leg of his Middle East visit in Israel and the West Bank.

The presidential Air Force One plane touched the ground at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv just after noon, where Trump was accepted in an official ceremony with fanfares and an Israel Defense Forces soldiers' honorary guard.

The welcoming ceremony was also attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, cabinet ministers and senior Jewish, Muslims as well as Christian clergies.

In a short statement session at the airport, Trump gave a speech, saying his visit to Saudi Arabia gave him "new reasons for hope" for peace in the Middle East.

"Let us build together a future where the nations of the region are at peace, and all our children can grow up strong and free from terrorism and violence," he said.

Trump arrived in Israel after concluding Saudi visit, where he met Sunday with King Salman and Muslim leaders. "In that visit, we reached a historic agreement to pursue greater and greater [cooperation] against terrorism," he said.

"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony prosperity and peace," he added.

"But we can only get there working together. There is no other way," he said, addressing the Israeli leaders.

Trump praised the "unbreakable bond" between Israel and the U.S. "We love Israel, we respect Israel," he said.

Netanyahu said he hopes the "remarkable alliance between Israel and the United States will become ever greater, ever stronger" under Trump's term in office.

He warmly welcomed Trump, saying: "on behalf of the government and the entire people of Israel, we welcome you to Israel. May God bless you, Mr. President, may God bless Israel, and may God bless the United States of America."

From the airport, Trump is expected to continue to Jerusalem, where he will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

His Monday itinerary includes a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in annexed East Jerusalem's Old City, from which he will continue by foot to the Western Wall, a nearby Jewish holy site, where he will be the first U.S. president to visit the site.

On Tuesday, Trump will go to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Also on Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to give a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to conclude his visit, before heading to Europe.

Trump's first official visit will focus on reaffirming the alliance with Israel and his administration's efforts to revive the long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The last round of talks reached an impasse on April 2014, mainly over Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 20:07:57|Editor: ying

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ISLAMABAD, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Authorities at Pakistan's Islamabad airport have seized at least 20 kg of heroin from a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight on Monday, local Urdu media reported.

Express News reported that the heroin was seized from PIA flight PK-785 which was ready to take off from Islamabad to London.

The flight was delayed for several hours due to the search operation that was conducted by the authorities on a tip-off.

Personnel from Airport Security Force and Anti-Narcotics Force took part in the operation and detained five staff members of the PIA.

The arrested people were shifted to an undisclosed location for investigations.

This is the second incident of the kind over the last two months. Earlier on April 4, the authorities seized 15 kg from a PIA flight in the country's southern port city of Karachi.
Aerial photo taken on May 11, 2017 shows the Mombasa passenger depot of the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Kenya. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China has been in the last few years a loyal partner in Kenya's transformational agenda, particularly pertaining to the development of economic physical infrastructure,says a Kenyan official.

State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu told a news conference in Nairobi on Sunday that the center-piece of that transformation is the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the first phase of which is complete.

"On that day, China, who provided the funds through loans that ensured the SGR was built - will be sending a senior delegation of the State Council, two ministers and one vice minister as the official delegation at that launch," Esipisu said in Nairobi.

China's Exim Bank has provided 90 percent of the financing towards construction of Standard Gauge Railway project that will cost 3.6 billion U.S. dollars.

He said President Uhuru Kenyatta will on May 31 commission the first phase of the high speed railway that has been completed on budget, 18 months ahead of schedule.

He said President Kenyatta is also expected to officiate at events on the container terminal at the SGR on May 30 before taking the inaugural ride from Mombasa to Nairobi on May 31.

Aerial photo taken on May 11, 2017 shows the Mombasa passenger depot of the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Kenya. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

"That ride will include a number of stops along the way to commission some of the new stations as well as to address people that are resident in some of the counties that the SGR passes through," Esipisu said.

He said the President strongly believes that infrastructure is at the core of development, growth and creating opportunity for young people and that is why when he was invited by President Xi Jinping to visit Beijing for an infrastructure conference last week, he gladly accepted.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 20:48:20|Editor: ying

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U.S. President Donald Trump (L) speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 22, 2017. Trump has arrived in Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, kicking off his second leg of the Middle East visit in Israel and Palestine.(Xinhua/Gil Cohen Magen)

JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at a meeting in Jerusalem Monday that there is a "great opportunity" for peace in the Middle East.

The meeting was held at the President's Residency in Jerusalem, which started Trump's two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank.

"What happened in Iran has turned other parts of the Middle East toward Israel," Trump said, noting that these countries "were not feeling so well toward Israel not long ago."

He said there is a "great feeling" for peace in the Middle East, and that "people have had enough of the bloodshed and the killing."

Rivlin echoed the hope for peace. "We are praying for peace and pushing for peace for the past 100 years," he said.

Later on Monday, Trump is scheduled to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in annexed East Jerusalem's Old City. He will be the first U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray in East Jerusalem.

The Western Wall sparked controversy ahead of Trump's arrival when U.S. officials declined to allow Netanyahu join Trump visit to the site, asserting it is not located in Israeli territory.

Israel seized East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war, claiming it part of its "indivisible capital," a move never recognized internationally.

On Monday, the police put the alleys of the Old City under lockdown, temporarily asking an undisclosed number of Palestinian residents and shop owners to evacuate their homes and shops.

In the evening, Trump will hold meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Aerial photo taken on May 12, 2017 shows the Mazeras Bridge of the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Kenya. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's improving infrastructure and a huge pool of young, skilled workers are attracting multinationals to invest in the East African nation.

At least 10 multinationals have entered Kenya in the last few months as the country solidifies its position as a regional commercial hub.

Volvo, Johnson and Johnson, Boeing, Peugeot, DOB Equity and Tianlong are some of the firms that have announced entrance into Kenya, by either setting up regional offices or started manufacturing plants.

Volvo Group is the latest entrant, announcing last week that it would invest 24 million U.S. dollars in an assembly plant in Mombasa in quarter one of 2018.

Pedestrians use the footbridge across the Chinese-built Thika Super Highway at Kenyatta University, just outside Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Aug. 8, 2012. Kenya's highways authority has advised pedestrians to use such footbridges, which are covered, to help prevent accidents. Chinese contractors are putting final touches on the super highway ready for handing over to the Kenya government soon. (Xinhua/Sam Ndirangu)

The plant shall be their third in Africa and 16th worldwide, with the others in Africa being in South Africa and Morocco.

In starting the plant, Volvo follows in the footsteps of Volkswagen, the German carmaker and Peugeot, the French car manufacturer, which opened plants in Kenya.

On the other hand, Tianlong, a Chinese gas cylinder manufacturer last week received the nod from Kenya Bureau of Standards to locally manufacture canisters for the East and West African market. The firm acquired land on the outskirts of Nairobi, with the office expected to be their African Hub.

In March, Johnson and Johnson, a public health goods maker, set up a regional office in Nairobi as it changed strategy from working with distributors. The Kenyan office is the third in Africa after one in Ghana and another in South Africa.

The setting up of the offices is a big boost to Kenyans as the organisations are creating job opportunities and raising the country's profile as an investment hub as government strives to improve ease of doing business.

Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2016 shows a construction site of the Standard gauge railway (SGR) project, in Mombassa, Kenya. The 480-kilometer SGR line in Kenya, being built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), will run from Mombassa on the eastern coast to the capital Nairobi. The project will not only boost local economy, but also unleash massive benefits to the people of the country. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei)

The Volvo plant, for instance, is expected to create approximately 300 direct jobs in addition to their opened recently Volvo Trucks regional office in Nairobi as the company expands footprint in the East African region market

Similarly, the Tianlong plant shall offer direct employment to 200 skilled locals in the next year, according to the firm.

Cytonn, a Nairobi-based investment firm cites improving infrastructure, especially the construction of the gauge railway, rising number of skilled workers and a young population as the biggest attractions.

"We expect to witness more multinationals having a presence in Nairobi as it continues to solidify its position as not just a regional but also a continental hub. This will in the long run boost economic development," said Cytonn Monday.

The photo taken on Aug. 14, 2012, road signs are being put up across the busy Chinese-built Thika Super Highway in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. Chinese contractors are putting final touches on the super highway ready for the handing over to the Kenya government soon. (Xinhua/Sam Ndirangu)

Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, noted that besides the improving infrastructure, growing incomes among citizens are also luring multinationals to the country.

"Companies setting up shop in Kenya see it as a gateway to East Africa but before their products reach other countries, they know they have a good market in Kenya. Vehicles like Volvo if manufactured in Kenya will easily find market in the country," he said.

Kenya is currently in the process of setting up a one-stop shop for investment promotion to boost foreign direct investment from the current less than 2 percent to 10 percent of the gross domestic product.

In 2015, Kenya posted the fastest growth in foreign direct investment in Africa and the Middle East by receiving about 1.5 billion dollars.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary in his budget in March announced a number of tax incentives to attract foreign investment.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 21:23:35|Editor: Mengjie

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SHANGHAI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese military official Fan Changlong has called for deepening reform and better implementing tasks within the army and armed police to streamline and strengthen the armed forces.

Fan, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks during his latest inspection tour to Shanghai and Hubei and Jiangsu provinces. He visited troops and educational institutes as well as construction sites to inspect preparations for the seventh Military World Games scheduled for 2019.

The country is pushing forward reform on streamlining military size and organization. Military authorities should improve management and assist senior staff with adapting to the changes while redeploying and resettling involved personnel, Fan said.

He stressed that all military departments must adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and resolutely resist incorrect thought, words and views to strengthen military purity and stability.

The pernicious influence of Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, former corrupt senior CMC officials, should be purged, said Fan.

Military authorities should improve the armed forces' combat abilities by increasing training and readiness, he said.

He also asked the army and the armed police to prepare for possible natural disasters and terrorist activities, and safeguard social stability.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 21:28:37|Editor: ying

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TEHRAN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that the recent meeting of the regional Muslim states in Saudi Arabia was a "show, without any political significance."

"The problem of terrorism will not be solved by holding meetings and granting the wealth of a nation to a superpower," he said referring to the recent U.S. arms deal with the Saudis.

"The U.S. government has never fought terrorism," he said on a televised speech following the landslide victory in Iran's Friday presidential election.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 21:33:43|Editor: ying

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MOGADISHU, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has concluded a 10-day training course for representatives of the Somali security sector to help deter use of child soldiers in conflict.

The training organized by the AMISOM Protection, Human Rights and Gender Unit, in line with AMISOM's capacity building support to Somalia government, ended with a commitment to end the recruitment and use of children in conflict.

A statement from the AMISOM released on Monday said the course which ended in Nairobi on Friday brought participants from the federal and regional administrations.

"The participants were skilled to undertake independent training activities in support of all pre-deployment, in-mission and other career development courses, related to the use of children as a weapon of war," the AU said.

Brigadier Patrick Muta Nderitu, the Director of the International Peace and Security Training Centre in Kenya called on combatants to stop use of child soldiers.

"War affects every aspect of a child's development. Children affected by armed conflict can be injured or killed, uprooted from their homes and communities, internally displaced as refugees, orphaned or separated from their parents and families, subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation," Nderitu said.,

"It is my sincere hope that the training will enable you chart new ways to help curb the issue of recruiting and use of child soldiers in Somalia," he added, stressing the need to ensure children as not used as a weapon of war.

The course participants drawn from the federal and regional administrations and AMISOM, were skilled to undertake independent training activities in support of all pre-deployment, in-mission and other career development courses, related to the use of children as a weapon of war.

"I believe all the participants in this course are now much better prepared in their understanding of how to deal with children in general and child soldiers in particular in a proactive and not a reactive fashion," Darin Reeves, the Lead Facilitator from Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative said.

Reeves emphasized the importance of protecting children in situations of conflict.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 21:38:47|Editor: ying

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TEHRAN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that over the past years the country has supported the Syrian and Iraqi governments, through its diplomatic efforts and military advisors, to fight terrorism and will continue its policy in the future.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 21:43:49|Editor: An

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Scientific researchers pose for a group photo on research vessel and icebreaker Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon", at Victoria Land, Antarctica, on Feb. 14, 2017. China published on Monday the first full report on its development in Antarctica over the past three decades, titled "China's Antarctic Activities." According to the report, over the past 30 years, China has opened four research bases -- the Great Wall station, Zhongshan station, Kunlun station and Taishan station -- and established the Polar Research Institute of China in Shanghai in addition to sailing the icebreaker Xuelong. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China published on Monday the first full report on its development in Antarctica over the past three decades, titled "China's Antarctic Activities."

China has established a national Antarctic observation network and a basic exploration and scientific research system consisting of government departments, research institutes and universities, said the report by China's State Oceanic Administration.

According to the report, over the past 30 years, China has opened four research bases -- the Great Wall station, Zhongshan station, Kunlun station and Taishan station -- and established the Polar Research Institute of China in Shanghai in addition to sailing the icebreaker Xuelong (Snow Dragon).

The report said China will join the rest of the world in understanding, protecting and utilizing Antarctica.

"China is committed to ever more contributions to peace and stability and sustainable development of Antarctica and the international community," said the report.

The nation sent its first expedition team for scientific research in the Antarctic in 1984.

China will hold the 40th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) and the 20th Committee for Environmental Protection meetings from May 22 to June 1.
U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem Old City on May 22, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Speaking in an address to the press in Jerusalem on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran is a "threat" to the region and must stop training "terror group."

In statements following a working meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Trump noted Iran and the Islamic State (IS) as the major threats to the Middle East.

He called on to strengthen the longtime partnership between Israel and the United States to struggle Iran and the IS.

"This moment in history calls for us to strengthen our cooperation as both Israel and America face threats like IS and other terror groups and countries like Iran, which sponsors terror and foments violence not only here but all over the world," he said.

He staged a firm stance, saying the U.S. and Israel should unanimously declare that "Iran can never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, not ever, ever, and must cease its training and funding of terror groups and militias, and must cease immediately."

Shiite armed groups, reportedly backed by Iran, are fighting along President Bashar Assad's army against rebels Syria.

Trump, who arrived in Israel after visiting Saudi Arabia over the weekend, said that the stand against Iran is a common interest of Israel and major parts of the Arab world. "(This is) deep consensus in the world, including the Muslim world."

"Many (Muslim leaders) expressed their resolve to help end terrorism and the spread of radicalization. There's a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you on this threat posed by Iran, and it is a threat, make no mistake about that," he said.

Later in the evening, Trump will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is a vocal opponent of the nuclear deal signed between the world powers and Iran in 2015.

Trump landed in Israel on Monday noon, kicking off his second part of Middle East visit in Israel and the West Bank. His two-day visit includes a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:03:59|Editor: ying

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TUNIS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A protester was killed in the Al-Kamour sit-in protest, said the Tunisian radio Mosaic on Monday, citing a medical source from Tataouine hospital.

Al-Kamour is an oil-producing area in the province of Tataouine, located in southeastern Tunisia.

The private radio station reported that a second protester suffered an eye injury and was transferred to the hospital, and is currently in critical condition.

Tensions in the Al-Kamour oil zone continue to rise following clashes between protestors and security agents tasked with protecting a pump station, a local source told Xinhua.

Earlier on Monday, the protesters who have been demonstrating for several weeks now, attempted to invade Tataouine's government provincial building.

However, security forces, who have been deployed in numbers throughout the area, successfully dispersed them, added the source.

According to the same source, several protesters, suffering from tear gas asphyxiation, were transferred to Tataouine's regional hospital.

One demonstrator was struck by a security vehicle and was transferred for emergency treatment to the hospital, said the same source.

The local source also stressed the military and security units' commitment to preserve the peaceful climate of this social atmosphere.

However, eyewitnesses confirmed to Xinhua that some demonstrators attacked the security units with molotov cocktails.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:04:02|Editor: ying

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JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli police shot dead a man who was said trying to stab Israeli forces in a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem District on Monday, as U.S. President Donald Trump was visiting the city.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the suspect attempted to stab paramilitary Border Police officers at a checkpoint outside the Palestinian town of Abu Dis.

She said that the suspect was shot and died of his wounds at the scene.

His identity was not immediately clear, Samri said.

The incident came a few hours after President of the U.S. Donald Trump arrived in Israel on his official visit.

In a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem, Trump called for peace between Israel and the Palestinians and attacked Iran as a major "threat" to the U.S. and Israel.

He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 18:00 (GMT1500), and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:09:06|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will pay an official visit to Germany and Belgium from May 30 to June 2, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Monday.

During the visit, Li will attend the annual meeting between the Chinese Premier and German Chancellor in Germany, as well as the 19th China-EU leaders' meeting in Belgium, said Hua.

Li will co-chair the China-EU leaders' meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and the two sides will exchange in-depth views on China-EU relations as well as regional and global issues of common concern, Hua said at a routine press briefing.

Li is scheduled to attend a series of activities in Brussels, including a China-EU business summit, a China-EU dialogue on innovation cooperation, a signing ceremony of cooperation documents between small and medium-sized enterprises, and activities marking the China-EU year of tourism, according to Hua.

China and the EU, as two important players on the world stage, enjoy a comprehensive strategic partnership, said Hua.

"We hope that the stable development of China-EU ties could withstand the uncertainties of the international situation, and send out a positive signal that China and the EU will make joint efforts to uphold the multilateral system, oppose trade protectionism, and advance economic globalization in the direction of inclusiveness, shared benefits, equality and fairness," she said.

With regard to the EU's concerns about China's market access, Hua said China will take steps to expand the scope of its opening-up.

Hua hoped that the EU could work with China to provide a convenient and favorable environment for mutual investment and trade in the spirit of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect.

"We hope our European friends will treat the issue objectively and rationally," she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:14:07|Editor: ying

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TEHRAN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's recently re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that Iran will continue to support the Syrian and Iraqi governments in their fight against terrorism.

Rouhani conveyed the message that as in recent years Iran has supported the Syrian and Iraqi governments through diplomatic efforts and military advisors, it will maintain this policy in the future.

Iraqis and Syrians have together fought the so-called Islamic State group with Iran's support, Rouhani said, adding that without Iran no regional security and stability is foreseeable.

Furthermore, he dismissed the labeling of Lebanon's Hezbollah Shiite group as "terrorists."

Rouhani added that Hezbollah is a respected and trusted group among Lebanese people and accusing Hezbollah of being terrorists will not help solve the terrorism problem.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:19:10|Editor: ying

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ISTANBUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of littoral states of the Black Sea on Monday urged more joint efforts to cope with the economic challenges emerging from an evolving regional and international environment of a globalized world.

The heads of state and government in the Black Sea region, while expressing their desire to turn the region into a zone of "peace, stability and prosperity," are seeking cooperation with a more project- and result-oriented approach in more than a dozen fields, including energy and transport.

In a joint declaration issued at the conclusion of the 25th anniversary summit of the regional grouping in Istanbul, known as the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), the leaders said they support efforts to provide "additional, safe and secure" maritime transport options to boost trade, economic cooperation and tourism in the region.

They also call for effective implementation of concrete joint transport infrastructure projects like the Black Sea Ring Highway and the Motorways of the Sea.

As to the current migration and refugee crisis, the leaders voiced their commitment to displaying "a shared sense of solidarity and cooperation in addressing the needs and problems of internally displaced persons, migrants and refugees in the BSEC region and beyond."

"We stress the urgent need to address the root causes of these large flows of people," added the leaders.

Turkey is focusing on strengthening partnership among the Black Sea countries for sustainable development, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a press conference called at the end of the summit.

"While billions of people are living in poverty, everybody should exert more effort for the sustainability of development," said Erdogan, whose country chairs BSEC now.

BSEC, founded in 1992 and joined by Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Serbia, has a total population of 335 million and an annual intra-trade volume of 187 billion U.S. dollars, according to data released by the group.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:24:12|Editor: ying

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NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is developing a strategy to help reduce medical outbound tourism, a government official said on Monday.

Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu told a health forum in Nairobi that in 2016, approximately 10,000 Kenyans sought medical services outside the country.

"The framework for medical tourism aims at positioning Kenya as a destination hub for specialized healthcare services in terms of appealing to both Kenyan and international clients so as to stem the rising tide of outward medical tourism," Mailu said during the Medical Tourism Forum.

The daylong event brought over 100 participants to share experiences on how to develop Kenya's medical sector.

Mailu said that stakeholders are currently providing input on the framework, which could be in place by the end of 2017.

The CS said that the strategic position of Kenya as a rapidly expanding investment and technological hub creates a good opportunity that the country should exploit.

"Already, Kenya receives 3,000 to 5,000 medical tourists from the African region," he added.

Data from the health ministry, indicates that the key reasons patients seek treatment abroad is for the management of non-communicable diseases conditions which are on the increase in Kenya.

Mailu said that the cost of care and epidemiological changes are some of the key driving markets forces for the medical tourism. He noted that medical tourism could help Kenya diversify its tourism industry.

"We know that conventional beach and safari tourism has its challenges," he added. The CS said that promoting medical tourism will go hand in hand with the overall goal of the health sector - that of achieving universal health care.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:39:19|Editor: yan

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SANAA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- United Nations special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in Sanaa on Monday, in a bid to revive stumbled peace talks and seek a truce ahead of Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

"I have three missions to discuss with Houthi officials, including reviving peace talks and seeking truce before Ramadan, inspecting humanitarian health situations and finding peaceful ways to avert Hodeidah port from attack," Ould Cheikh told reporters at Sanaa airport.

Several previous UN attempts of mediating peace talks to reach a peaceful political settlement between Yemeni warring forces had failed.

Yemen, the impoverished Arab country in the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has been involved in a deadly civil war since two years ago.

The war pits Iranian-allied dominant Shiite Houthi rebels, backed by forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, against their foe of the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi, which is backed by Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Sanaa and most of the northern provinces have been under control of Houthi rebels since September 2014.

The war and airstrikes have killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, half of them civilians, and displaced over two millions, according to UN humanitarian agencies.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:39:21|Editor: yan

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GENEVA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The 70th World Health Assembly (WHA), the main decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), opened at Geneva-based UN headquarters on Monday.

"Our joint work at the global level aims for the central objective of promoting health through the life course, as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals adopted at the very highest political level in 2015," said WHA's newly-elected president Veronika Skvortsova.

"The achievement of this central objective necessitates the creation of an integrated health-preserving environment that amalgamates all national, regional and global mechanisms in the public, intersectoral and official spheres, professional medical bodies, patients' associations and the business community," she added.

This year's assembly will determine policies on a range of health issues, including medicines and health products, noncommunicable diseases, health emergencies, as well as maternal, new-born, child and adolescent health.

A new WHO Director-General will also be elected as incumbent head Margaret Chan's mandate comes to an end.

The assembly will last until May 31.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:44:25|Editor: yan

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KAMPALA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The African Development Bank (ADB) in its new outlook says the continent's entrepreneurs have the potential to accelerate the industrial transformation.

The Bank in its African Economic Outlook 2017 issued on Monday said African governments need to integrate entrepreneurship more fully into their industrialization strategies.

It argued that industrialization strategies need to support other sectors where African economies have comparative advantage, such as agri-businesses, tradable services and renewable energy.

According to the Outlook, 26 African countries have an industrialization strategy in place but most of the strategies tend to emphasize the role of large manufacturing companies at the expense of entrepreneurs in sectors with the potential for high growth and employment creation, including start-ups and small and medium-sized firms.

In 18 African countries for which statistics are available, 11 percent of the working-age population set up their own firms to tap specific business opportunities. This level is higher than in developing countries in Latin America (8 percent) and in Asia (5 percent), according to figures by the Bank.

To turn this dynamism into an engine of industrialization, African governments, according to ADB, can improve the skills of workers, enhance the efficiency of business clusters - such as industrial parks and special economic zones- and increase access to finance, with more affordable credit and more innovative instruments, for small and young firms.

"The key to successful development in Africa is to nurture the emerging culture of entrepreneurship," Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, Regional Director for Africa at the United Nations Development Program said.

Dieye noted that entrepreneurship is the other path for development that can unleash high-octane creativity and transform opportunities into phenomenal realizations.

The Outlook shows that businesses with fewer than 20 employees and less than five years' experience provide the bulk of jobs in Africa's formal sector.

The Bank warned that with the size of the workforce likely to increase by 910 million people between 2010 and 2050, African governments need to push their agenda for job creation with more ambitious and tailored policies.

It said despite a decade of progress, 54 percent of the population in 46 African countries are still trapped in poverty across multiple dimensions - health, education and living standards.

"Demands for better employment opportunities are the main reason behind continued public protests, having motivated a third of all public demonstrations between 2014 and 2016 - albeit in a context of decreasing levels of civil unrest," the Bank said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:49:31|Editor: yan

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VANCOUVER, May 21 (Xinhua) -- A Vancouver-area forum, which brought together government officials, business leaders and scholars, expected the Canadian government on Sunday to participate more actively in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

"It (Belt and Road Initiative) is not a one-person show, it's a global collective effort," said Guangyu Wang, president of the Grizzly Bear Institute of Canada (GBIC), at the sidelines of the Belt and Road Summit North America Forum held Sunday afternoon at a Richmond business park, just outside of Vancouver in western Canada.

The event was co-hosted by the Institute of Asian Research of the University of British Columbia, and the GBIC, a new think-tank comprised of scholars who focus on Chinese-Canadian relations.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Scholars at the forum agreed that Canada would be wise to explore a role in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The United States is Canada's largest trade partner. Canadian officials recently have been fretting over U.S. protectionism as Canada has been dealing with recent U.S. trade attacks against the Canadian softwood lumber and dairy industries.

Liu Fei, China's Consul General in Vancouver, said the Belt and Road Initiative and a potential Canada-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would boost bilateral cooperation in areas of fruit, lumber, clean technology, education and tourism.

"People on both sides are looking forward to increased cooperation in other fields," Liu said.

Yves Tiberghien, director of the Institute of Asian Research, and Canada's leading Belt and Road scholar, said at the forum that the Belt and Road Initiative is not a threat to Canada, and that rather, it's an opportunity.

"It's a giant open economic platform of integration of policy interactions," he told Xinhua.

"The only threat is the potential to be left behind. If it generates a lot of momentum, if it redirects a lot of the economic flows, then being left out would not be a good idea," he said.

Tiberghien noted that Canada's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative could lead to more bilateral capital investment and lessen Canada's reliance on the United States in coming years and decades.

"Canada still exports 75 percent of products to the U.S.," he said, noting that only 4.1 percent of Canada's merchandise trade was with China.

"We are highly vulnerable. We just realized it suddenly," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:54:38|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has pledged to work with authorities in Zambia to boost agricultural production among smallholder farmers, state-run media reported on Monday.

World Bank Vice-President for the African Region Makhtar Diop said the bank was ready to work with the government in ensuring that smallholder farmers moved to large scale farming through increased production.

In remarks delivered after he toured a World Bank supported project promoting conservation farming in eastern Zambia's Chipata district, the official said there was need to create linkages for economic development and provide more resources for farmers in order to boost their income levels, according to state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

The bank, he said, expects its assistance, combined with government's efforts, to translate into improvement in people's living standards.

The bank has provided 1.3 million United States dollars to the Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO) Limited, a project promoting conservation farming which was benefiting about 167,000 smallholder farmers in the province.

Minister of Finance Felix Mutati thanked the World Bank for making a decision to tour some of the projects it was funding in the country.

The visit, he said, has given the World Bank official concrete direction on how its partnership with the government was transforming lives through agriculture.

The World Bank official arrived in Zambia last week for an official visit to hold discussions with stakeholders on development priorities.

He further announced that 600 million dollars was available for Zambia to access under its International Development Assistance for the next three years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 22:59:40|Editor: Liangyu

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NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has concluded preparations to host a business delegation from Shenzhen in early June, a government official said on Monday.

Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) CEO Moses Ikiara told Xinhua in Nairobi that the delegation comprising of government and business officials will be led by the Mayor of Shenzhen.

"The delegation will be in Kenya to seek investment opportunities in the construction and manufacturing sectors," Ikiara said on the sidelines of the Health and Tourism Forum.

According to KenInvest, China's role in Kenya's economy has been increasing in the recent past few years.

"If you look at the average Foreign Direct Investments for the period between 2010 and 2015, China was not in the top ten. But since 2016, it has leapfrogged traditional investment partners to become a leading source of capital," Ikiara said.

The investment agency noted that Chinese companies are not just doing infrastructure projects.

"They are now building factories to produce goods and so this is why we value Chinese investments in the country," he added.

Ikiara said if Chinese manufacturers set up operations in Kenya to export products back to China, it could help to reduce the trade deficit.

"Instead of traders going to China to buy goods they can source locally and this will help to reduce Kenya's import bill," he added. The CEO noted that Kenya is set to benefit from the current production overcapacity in China.

"Chinese manufacturers are looking for countries that have conductive investment to set up operations and Kenya hopes to benefit from this trend," Ikiara said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 23:04:46|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's recently re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the Syrian issue should be solved through dialogue and peaceful means.

Rouhani hailed the trilateral efforts by Russia, Turkey and Iran to establish "cease-fire" in Syria and stressed that militarization would not settle the problems of the Arab state.

He expressed the hope that diplomatic efforts would bear results and would pave the way for the Syrian people to decide on the future of their country.

In the meantime, Rouhani said Iran will continue to support the Syrian and Iraqi governments in their fight against terrorism.

Rouhani conveyed the message that as in recent years Iran has supported the Syrian and Iraqi governments through diplomatic efforts and military advisors, it will maintain this policy in the future.

Iraqis and Syrians have together fought the so-called Islamic State group with Iran's support, Rouhani said, adding that without Iran no regional security and stability is foreseeable.

Furthermore, he dismissed the labeling of Lebanon's Hezbollah Shiite group as "terrorists."

Rouhani added that Hezbollah is a respected and trusted group among Lebanese people and accusing Hezbollah of being terrorists will not help solve the terrorism problem.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 23:04:51|Editor: yan

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MOSUL, Iraq, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces recaptured a new neighborhood in Mosul on Monday following heavy clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants, said the Iraqi military.

The operation is part of an operation which launched a new front in the northern part of an IS stronghold in Mosul's western side.

Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) commandos regained control of the neighborhood of al-Najjar in the north of an IS stronghold in Mosul.

Subsequently the commandos raised the Iraqi flag on top of some of Mosul's buildings, said Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) in a brief statement.

Two days ago, CTS forces chief, Talib Sheghati, announced that his CTS mission was finalized despite ongoing battles in a few neighborhoods north of Mosul's western area.

However, he said the forces are prepared to carry out any further operation if Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi orders it.

"The forces of the CTS completed their assigned mission on the right bank, but stand ready to carry out any mission ordered by the Prime Minister," Sheghati said in a statement on Saturday.

The liberation of al-Najjar comes eight days after CTS, the army, federal police and the interior ministry's elite Rapid Response forces, launched a new offensive into several neighborhoods in the north of Mosul's western side.

Troops are currently advancing further into remaining neighborhoods on the northern edge of the city center in order to tighten the noose around the IS stronghold in Mosul's old neighborhoods.

It is believed roughly 400,000 residents are still trapped under IS rule there.

Late in January, Abadi, also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced the liberation of Mosul's eastern side, or the river Tigris's left bank, after over 100 days of fighting against IS militants.

On Feb. 19, Abadi announced the launch of an offensive to drive extremist militants out Mosul's western side.

However, Mosul's western part, with its narrow streets and heavily populated neighborhoods, seemed a bigger challenge to Iraqi forces.

Mosul, 400 km north of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, thereby enabling IS militants to control parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 23:30:02|Editor: An

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Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao (L, front) meets with members of a visiting Vietnamese youth delegation headed by Le Quoc Phong, First Secretary of the Secretariat of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, May 22, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on Monday called on youth from China and Vietnam to carry forward traditional friendship and actively take part in building the Belt and Road.

Li, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with a Vietnamese youth delegation led by Le Quoc Phong, first secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's Central Committee.

China and Vietnam are both Communist Party-led socialist countries, said Li, urging the two sides to develop relations in line with the principle of "friendly neighborliness, comprehensive cooperation, long-term stability and looking toward the future," and the spirit of "good neighbors, good friends, good comrades and good partners."

He called on young people of the two countries to make contributions to the development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Phong said the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Vietnam is willing to work with the Chinese Communist Youth League to implement the consensus reached by both leaders and promote friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.
Four Chinese newlywed couples pose in front of the SGR Nairobi Terminus in Kenya, on May 20. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei)

by Ben Ochieng

NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Work at the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Nairobi Terminus on Saturday momentarily came to a halt when Kenyan workers joined their Chinese peers to witness a group wedding of four Chinese couples.

The ceremony, conducted according to Chinese traditions, marveled many Kenyans who work for the China Roads and Bridges Corporation (CRBC), the contractor of the SGR.

The date of the wedding, May 20, was both symbolically chosen for its similar pronunciation to "I love you" in Chinese, and to mark the coming commissioning of the railway.

"Our Chinese counterparts will never cease to amaze. The wedding ceremony was astonishingly brief but colorful," Chris Musyoki remarks on the one-and-half-hour ceremony.

The wedding started with the grooms kneeling down and presenting flowers to their brides. The couples were then declared as man and wife, after which they uncorked champagne and gave short speeches as in a typical modern Chinese wedding.

They later treated their guest to a luncheon at SGR Camp 8, where people ate and drunk to their fill.

"I met my future wife three years ago during a train ride in Hunan Province back home in China after which we exchanged numbers. That brief meeting and my bravery has now resulted into us tying the nuptials today," Li Bosheng, 26, a public relations officer with CRBC, told Xinhua.

"My wife Jiao Yang is a graduate student in China and we will travel back home after the commissioning of the railway," he noted.

The railway linking the port city Mombasa and Kenya's capital Nairobi is expected to be commissioned by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta soon.

Wang Xiaoyu, who works as a technical supervisor at the Nairobi Terminus and his newly-wedded wife Zhang Weiping, who also works for CRBC as an accountant, associated their love and marriage to the new railway.

"We met here in Kenya and got married in this beautiful country. Kenya will always remain etched in our minds wherever we shall be. It is a country we cherish and whose people are very hospitable," they said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-22 23:45:12|Editor: yan

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ABUJA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Four internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria were killed by terror group Boko Haram in an attack in the country's northeastern state of Borno on Saturday, local police confirmed on Monday.

The victims, who were hunters, had left their camp in Maiduguri on a hunting expedition when they were ambushed late Saturday, Borno State police chief Damian Chukwu told Xinhua.

"Three of them were beheaded and one other was shot dead," Chukwu said.

Another internally displaced person who joined the deceased in their hunting for animals in the bush has been declared missing, the police officer noted.

An investigation into the killing is underway, he said, adding the attention of the military had been drawn to the development.

The killing was the first incident since internally displaced persons' camps were officially opened in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 00:00:22|Editor: yan

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by Osama Radi, Emad Drimly

RAMALLAH, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to the Middle East, mainly to Israel and the Palestinian territories, could be a start for launching a new peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians, according to analysts.

Trump started his tour in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, and held meetings with leaders of Arabic, Islamic and Gulf states. It's his first tour in the Middle East since he won the presidential elections and took office in the White House in January.

He arrived in Israel on Tuesday and will visit Palestinian city of Bethlehem on Wednesday. He'll meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas respectively.

Mohamed Daraghmeh, a writer and political analyst from the West Bank, told Xinhua that Trump's visit in the region is "to preserve the American interests, including military, economic and political aspects, as well as creating a coalition against Iran and against the Sunni terrorism in the region, besides backing Israel."

"I believe that Trump is seeking a guarantee to achieve stability in the region throughout the file of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by launching a new peace process to control the situation in the region and fill in the gaps to avoid an explosion in the region," said Daraghmeh.

The prominent analyst expected that Trump "would launch a political process between Israel and the Palestinians based on new basics that has this time an element of regional support with an active American role for all parties and an attempt to reach new deals in all outstanding issues."

He also expected that Trump would ask for 18 months for new talks between Israel and the Palestinians, adding "Washington might also run the conflict in the region throughout making important economic improvement rather than reaching a permanent solution to the conflict."

Trump received Abbas in the White House on April 3 and vowed that he will work hard on reaching a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian. Before meeting with Abbas, Trump also spoke with leaders in the Arab region.

Trump may want to gradually implement the Arab Peace Initiative issued in 2002, and this means an Arab normalization with Israel that goes in parallel with moving up the stalled peace process.

The Arab Peace Initiative aims at establishing a recognized Palestinian state on the territories Israel occupied in 1967, the return of Palestinian refugees and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Syrian Golan Heights for full recognition and normalization with Israel.

Rajab Abu Seryyah, a writer and political analyst, told Xinhua, "So far, Trump still puts all his eggs in the Israeli basket, therefore leaders of Arab states are trying to attract Israel by spreading the idea of gradual normalization with Israel," adding "now, commercial normalization with Israel is significant before talking about the Palestinian cause."

Palestinian officials had earlier stated they are willing to accept a regional solution sponsored by the United States but should be based on the Arab initiative. The last peace talks, sponsored by the United States, stopped in April 2014, after it went on for nine months without achieving any significant breakthrough.

Hani al-Masri, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies, warned that "the Palestinian side should be careful, not to give the priority of recognizing the U.S. leadership and its role on the expense of the Palestinian rights, and make concessions on the previous requirements to ensure the success of a serious peace process with Israel."

"I don't think that Trump would recognize the Palestinians right of self determination," al-Masri told Xinhua, adding "Europe recognized this right in 1982, and that the last two U.S. presidents recognized the right of the Palestinians to have a state."

He stressed that the Palestinian cause "needs a new approach that bets on the Palestinian people first and foremost, and to promote its strengths and the justice of the Palestinian cause, and to address the essence of the conflict in the region."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 00:15:31|Editor: Liangyu

Iran's re-elected President Hassan Rouhani gestures during a press conference in Tehran, capital of Iran, on May 22, 2017. Iran's re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that United States should drop its "hostile" policies towards the Islamic republic. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

Written by Hassan Rouhvand

TEHRAN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that United States should drop its "hostile" policies towards the Islamic republic.

In the past, "Iran and the United States have experienced bends and turns in their relations, and the United States has always failed in its polices, including exerting pressures and sanctions" against Iran, Rouhani said in his presser following the Friday landslide victory in the country's presidential election.

"The Americans have also made mistakes in their attack on Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as their stance on Syria and Yemen," he said.

Asked about the possibility of direct talks with the United Sattes over the mutual issues, the Iranian president said that "we are waiting for the U.S. new administration to settle, so that we could have accurate view about the ruling group in Washington."

The United States has no other way but to think of "a win-win approach vis-a-vis Iran, otherwise, they will fail," he said.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry also dismissed the recent anti-Iran claims by the U.S. officials as "hostile and baseless," the ministry's website reported.

"The U.S. president's meddling, repetitive and baseless claims against Iran are aimed at Iranophebia and are in line with the U.S. hostile policies against the Islamic republic, seeking to persuade the regional countries to buy more arms from the United States," Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

The U.S. stance against Iran is "deceptive and destructive" and attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the regional states besides supporting Israel, Qasemi said.

"Unfortunately, some regional states are looking for the support of the superpowers instead of relying on their own nation and the potentials of regional cooperation," he said, adding that such an approach will result in the destruction of the infrastructures of the regional countries, including Syria and Yemen, by the terrorist groups.

The Iranian spokesmen urged the U.S. officials to stop, what he called, "rising tensions, intervention, Iranophebia, and selling weapons to the supporters of terrorism."

Earlier on the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that U.S. President Donald Trump's recent anti-Iran remarks are aimed at "milking" Saudi Arabia, Tasnim news agency reported.

"Iran, fresh from real elections, attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) of 480 billion U.S. dollars?" Zarif twitted on Monday, speaking of Saudi Arabia.

The remarks by Iranian top officials came in response to Trump's recent anti-Tehran remarks in Riyadh and his arms sale deal with the Saudis.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump called on the regional countries to isolate Iran which, he said, had "fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror."

Also, the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Saturday that he hopes the re-election of Rouhani would prompt changes to Tehran's approach to "terrorism and human rights."

Tillerson urged Iran's re-elected president to dismantle the alleged "network of terrorism" and to end ballistic missile tests.

He made the remarks at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh.

On Monday, Rouhani, however, said that the Islamic republic will continue to test its missiles anytime if there is a "technical need," and it will not seek the permission of any other country to do so.

"Our missiles are for defense and peace," Rouhani said, adding that the U.S. expectations from Iran to halt its defensive missile program is "an illusion."

On Sunday, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri, refuted the comments by the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for urging a policy shift in Tehran's conduct during President Hassan Rouhani's second term.

The only way to peace in the Middle East is a pull-out of the U.S. forces from the region, Jazayeri said.

In the reaction, Jazayeri urged the United States for what he called an end to the "aggressive and terrorist operations against independent states" by the assistance of "reactionary regimes" in the region.

Besides, no factor could hinder Iran's defense programs, he said, describing the boost of Iran's missile defense systems as a top priority for the Islamic republic.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 00:20:33|Editor: yan

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JERUSALEM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli reporters in Jerusalem that he "never mentioned Israel," in an apparent reference to the intelligence leak during a meeting with Russian officials.

The remark was made at the end of a live statement to the press at the beginning of his close meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

According to U.S. media reports, Trump revealed highly classified intelligence information about the Islamic State (IS) in Syria to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak during a White House meeting last week.

The information was given to the U.S. by an Israeli source and the leak endangered the life of a spy who was placed inside IS by Israel, according to the reports.

On Monday, Trump briefly remarked on these accusations after he and Netanyahu gave their statements to the press, saying he "never mentioned the word Israel."

Trump landed in Israel on Monday for meetings with Israeli leaders before he will travel to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 00:30:40|Editor: yan

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KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Nine Malaysian navy sailors, who were reported missing since Saturday, have been found safe on the sea, said the Royal Malaysian Navy chief Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman via his twitter on Monday evening.

According to Kamarulzaman, a boat, which was dispatched from the naval vessel KD Perdana, was along with its nine members onboard, which was located by an air force airplane 90 nautical miles east off Kuantan following earlier sighting by a merchant ship. The boat lost contact with KD Perdana in regular patrol off the southern State of Johor.

The Navy launched an expanded search and rescue operation on Sunday evening after the first effort failed to find the boat.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 00:35:42|Editor: Liangyu

Participants listen to the national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) at the opening ceremony of the eighth Sarajevo Business Forum (SBF) at Parliamentary Building in Sarajevo, BiH, on May 22, 2017. The eighth Sarajevo Business Forum (SBF) opened here on Monday with topic of "one region, one economy." (Xinhua/Haris Memija)

SARAJEVO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The eighth Sarajevo Business Forum (SBF) opened here on Monday with topic of "one region,one economy."

Mladen Ivanic, Chairman of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), said at the opening ceremony that BiH can offer many opportunities to investors.

He stressed that politicians in BiH have obligations to make better image for the country and then many investors would come.

Denis Zvizdic, chairman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, said that BiH's products have become regionally and globally recognizable and competitive.

He said BiH has made significant progress in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration over the past year.

"BiH's application for the EU membership was accepted, preparation for answering the European Commission Questionnaire is underway," Zvizdic said.

The annual event is participated by over 1,000 company representatives and government officials from the region and the world.

This year's SBF will present a number of projects from agriculture, energy, education, finance, infrastructure, engineering, services, tourism and other development sectors.

Initially launched in 2010, the SBF has been one of the most important investment conferences in Southeast Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 00:40:45|Editor: yan

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ANKARA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass over a clash outside the Turkish embassy chancery in Washington D.C. during President Erdogan's visit to Washington last week.

In a statement released on Monday, Turkey protested against the "aggressive and unprofessional actions" of American security personnel toward the foreign minister's protection team outside the Turkish embassy chancery.

The ministry said "a written and verbal protest" was delivered to the U.S. ambassador over the actions of the American personnel that was "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices."

The ministry formally requested that the U.S. authorities conduct a "full investigation" into the diplomatic incident and "provide the necessary explanation."

This summon is the latest development of the incident between protesters and Turkish security personnel during Erdogan's visit.

On May 17, the U.S. State Department summoned Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kilic, and condemned the violent attack by Turkish security personnel on protesters as an assault on free speech.

On the same day, however, the Turkish Embassy said in a statement that the demonstrators in front of chancery had been "aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the president."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 00:55:58|Editor: Liangyu

Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Pakistan's eastern Punjab Province, speaks at the second International Seminar on Business Opportunities in Punjab (ISBOP) in Lahore, capital city of Punjab Province, Pakistan, on May 22, 2017. Shahbaz Sharif on Monday called for more international investment in the province. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)

LAHORE, Pakistan, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The chief minister of Pakistan's eastern Punjab Province on Monday called for more international investment in the province.

Shahbaz Sharif made the call at the second International Seminar on Business Opportunities in Punjab (ISBOP) held here in the provincial capital of Lahore.

He said, "I make this pledge to you, we shall work together through day and night to materialize your investment in the finest possible fashion."

Shahbaz hailed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), noting that the CPEC has made many success stories in Pakistan.

At the seminar, Sha Zukang, president of the China-Pakistan Friendship Association, urged Chinese companies attending the ISBOP to pass on their successful experience to their Pakistani counterparts and help them improve productivity.

Sha said the CPEC, which is under construction, will greatly promote economic and social development of Pakistan and facilitate regional connectivity, thus benefiting people in South Asia and beyond.

The two-day seminar, organized by Punjab Board of Investment & Trade in collaboration with the Lahore Chambers of Industry & Trade, was attended by over 450 delegates from 177 foreign companies.

The meeting includes government-to-business, business-to-business as well as 14 breakout sessions, followed by a mega exhibition opening on Tuesday.
The cruise Majestic Princess is seen at the port of Civitavecchia of Rome, Italy, on May 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Luo Na)

by Stefania Fumo

ROME, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A cultural program called Silk Road Stories made its debut on board the Majestic Princess, a new cruise ship that is making its maiden global voyage from Rome to east China's Xiamen City.

The opening ceremony for the program, which introduces Western passengers to Chinese culture, art, dance, food, and more, took place Sunday on board the gigantic 19-storey vessel, which measures 224 feet in height and 1,083 feet in length.

The program points to deepening Sino-Italian relations, said Chinese embassy's charge d'affaires Zheng Xuan at the ceremony.

Bilateral relations hit a fast track after a state visit to China by Italian President Sergio Mattarella in February, she said.

That was followed by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's visit earlier this month, when he attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

A girl dances on the 17th-floor deck of the Majestic Princess cruise in Rome, Italy, on May 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Luo Na)

Zheng said the program is a creative way to enhance trust and communication between peoples along the contemporary Silk Road.

It is also a good example of the development of the relationship between China and Italy, injecting new energy into the people-to-people exchanges within the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, she added.

As the massive vessel set sail, a group of 24 Chinese children performed a unique folk dance.

The performance was the first in the Silk Road Stories program.

"The children were quite passionate -- they put a lot of expression into it," said an Australian woman passenger who watched the show. "The expressions they had on their faces -- it was lovely."

David Dingle, who flew in from London for the opening ceremony, said: "It is principally through cultural understanding that we bring peace and prosperity to our world."

With a capacity of 7,000 passengers, the ship will travel through the Suez Canal, along the Persian Gulf and into the Indian Ocean before it arrives in Xiamen on June 26.

It will make 22 stops in 13 different countries along the way.

"In the coming days ahead, we will celebrate with passengers from over 40 countries along the Silk Road," said Li Xiaolin, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

"This is our first time to tell Chinese stories on the ocean. I hope one day we will be telling them in space," she said. "That is my dream."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 01:21:11|Editor: yan

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by Chris Mgidu

NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency said Monday it had repatriated some 64,761 Somali refugees from Kenya since the voluntary return exercise begun in December, 2014.

The UNHCR said in its bi-weekly update released in Nairobi that some 63,535 refugees were supported to return to their home in Somalia from the Dadaab refugee camp in northeast Kenya.

"During the reporting period (May 1-15), a total of 1,478 Somali refugees were assisted to return voluntarily to Somalia by flight from Dadaab," UNHCR said. Some 24,221 refugees returned in 2017 alone.

The UN refugee agency said road convoys to Somalia remained suspended due to the heavy rains in some parts of Somalia rendering roads impassable.

"UNHCR Somalia and its partners are closely monitoring the situation and will alert us once road movements can resume," it said

The UN agency said flights to Mogadishu and Kismayo in southern Somalia currently facilitate the voluntary return of those willing to travel by air.

Regarding return trends, Kismayo continues to have the highest return rate (87.7 percent), followed by Mogadishu (6.7 percent) and Baidoa (4.7 percent).

"There has been reduction in the number of persons repatriated for the last four weeks under review. This reduction could be attributed to the ongoing drought, the cholera outbreak and the recent heavy rains in Somalia," UNHCR said.

More than 2 million Somalis have been displaced in one of the world's most protracted humanitarian crises that has now entered its third decade.

An estimated 1.1 million people are internally displaced within Somalia and nearly 900,000 are refugees in the region.

Experts say continuing political and security stabilization progress in Somalia, along with growing pressures in hosting countries, makes this a critical moment to renew efforts to find durable solutions for Somali refugees.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 01:36:14|Editor: yan

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TIRANA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Albanian businesses community and heads of economic institutions commended here on Monday a political accord reached by the main political parties to end the three-month oppositions protest and parliamentary boycott.

Deputy chairman of the Albanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arben Shkodra told reporters that the over three-month blocking of political dialogue and had created a situation of concern for the Albanian entrepreneurship and the business climate in general.

He said the chamber had constantly appealed for defusing the situation, given that the political stability is deemed indispensable for improving economic indicators.

Shkodra also appealed to the political forces to turn their attention to economy and private entrepreneurship, to begin constructive dialogue so that the demands and recommendations of the business become part of their economic agenda.

Meanwhile, the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Albania Mark Crawford told media here that it would be a positive news for investors that a transparent election with participation of all parties would be held in the country.

The head of the Board of the Financial Oversight Authority Pajtim Melani said that financial stability needed a political agreement more than ever.

Financial stability helps real economic growth, boosts consumer confidence and improves economic and social conditions of the Albanian society, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 01:41:16|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Monday called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to stop further ballistic missile testing activities.

"We call on the DPRK to stop further testing and allow space to explore the resumption of meeting for dialogue," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing.

On Sunday, the DPRK test-fired another medium-range ballistic missile, which was the second time it conducted such missile launch within one week. The missile is capable of striking targets 500 km away.

Dujarric said the DPRK is "openly defying" Security Council resolutions with its accelerated ballistic missile testing activities.

"These actions threaten regional and international security," he added.

In response to the missile test, the UN Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

According to previous Security Council resolutions, the DPRK is banned from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation.

To that end, the council has imposed tough sanction measures on the DPRK, which includes banning the sale and transfer of coal, iron and ore from the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 01:51:22|Editor: yan

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BERLIN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Munich police managed to dismantle a large-scale criminal family who were carrying out systematic and strategic burglaries across Europe, German media reported Monday.

The investigation started after two police officers apprehended three young women as they were caught trying to break into front doors in Munich, the capital and largest city of Germany's state of Bavaria.

The police officers who witnessed the burglaries reported that they were all quick, highly skilled and used professional tools for the job.

The Munich police quickly recognised the three young women as experienced professionals and rapidly uncovered their identities despite their forged paperwork. Further investigation helped uncover the girls' family connection to the "Cucina" criminal organisation that break into houses across several European nations.

The three women are deemed to be the family's representatives in Munich and have so far been linked to 13 separate burglaries across the city and are also suspected of having committed several other criminal acts in the region.

The "Cucina" clan are a criminal network linked either by blood relation or through marriage and work together to commit burglaries and thefts. The clan was notably present in Gelsenkirchen, Muenster, Villingen-Schwenningen, Hannover and Frankfurt as well as Spain and Croatia.

The family network is widespread, closely linked and highly successful thanks to their efficient criminal strategies. Reinhold Bergmann, Police Commissioner for Organised Burglary, told Focus Magazine that he believes the clan is currently responsible for one out of five burglaries in Germany. He also went on to state the family are so intertwined that "some of the younger members are even 'loaned out' to other parts of the family."

The Munich police uncovered the family's strong links to Croatia after following the network's money trail and sent three colleagues to Croatia to work with local officials. German newspaper Bild reported that in total around 20 women and notably two ringleaders were subsequently caught in both Croatia and Germany. Jewellery, valuables and 100,000 euros (112,370 U.S. dollars) worth of stolen money have also reportedly been found.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 01:56:24|Editor: Liangyu

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by Christine Lagat

ENTEBBE, Uganda, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Sound management of the vast forest resources in sub-Saharan Africa is key to enhance climate change response in a continent worst hit by the negative impacts of that phenomenon, scientists said Monday.

Scientists and researchers told a regional forum in Entebbe, Uganda, that forest resources if harnessed prudently have the capacity to accelerate green and inclusive growth in Africa.

Godwin Kowero, Executive Secretary of Nairobi-based Africa Forest Forum (AFF), said that Africa's green aspirations will only be realized if countries promote sustainable management of natural assets like highland forests, scrublands, wetlands and mangrove swamps.

"The contribution of forestry sector towards climate mitigation and adaptation in Africa is immense hence the need to protect this resource from man-made and natural threats like pests and diseases," said Kowero.

Dozens of African scientists, policymakers and green advocates are participating in the five-day regional conference to discuss new strategies to revitalize forests conservation amid new threats.

Kowero noted that African countries are yet to fully harness the potential of forestry sector to tackle climate change and poverty thanks to disjointed policies and limited awareness among communities.

He urged governments to incentivize the private sector and communities to invest in forest conservation in order to achieve food, energy and water security.

"The next debate should focus on how to motivate the private sector to invest in reforestation projects. Communities too should be encouraged to conserve indigenous forests in their vicinity to ensure they have adequate supply of food, firewood and fiber," Kowero said.

He added that improved surveillance systems are key to contain invasive species alongside virulent pests and diseases that have posed new threat to Africa's tropical forests.

Rapid depletion of Africa's forest ecosystems due to climatic stresses, population pressure and urbanization could jeopardize low-carbon development in the world's second largest continent.

Paul Mafabi, Director of Environment Affairs at Uganda's Ministry of Water and Environment, said that drastic measures are required to reverse loss of Africa's forest cover.

"African communities are paying dearly from unprecedented loss of forests and strong measures should be put in place to reverse this trend," said Mafabi.

He revealed that Uganda is losing 100,000 hectares of forest every year hence undermining climate resilience in the East African nation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 02:41:43|Editor: yan

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LAGOS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A national leader of Nigeria's ruling party on Monday said there was no room for coup plotters in the country.

Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), gave the warning at the Lagos Assembly Special Parliamentary Session to celebrate Lagos at 50.

He said Lagos, Nigeria's center of excellence, would resist any attempt to truncate democracy and that such acts would also be resisted elsewhere in the country.

"Coup plotters would find no fertile ground to plant their seed in the land. Whatever they want to sell is a bad product, we are going to reject it, we are going to resist it. They should not try it," he said.

The Nigerian Army had previously warned in a statement all its officers and soldiers to steer clear of politics.

Sani Usman, the army spokesman, said in the statement that the warning followed information received by the Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai that "some individuals have been approaching some officers and soldiers for undisclosed political reasons."

Buratai, according to the statement, had advised military personnel who were interested in politics "to resign their commission or apply for voluntary discharge forthwith."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 02:41:44|Editor: yan

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KHARTOUM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday underlined the need to maintain security in Darfur following violent battles in the region on Saturday.

The remarks came during his talks with Chadian President Idriss Deby who stopped over at Khartoum airport on his way back to Chad.

"The talks reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and how to develop them further," Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told reporters.

"Al-Bashir has reiterated stability of the security situations in Darfur and noted that the armed forces, the Rapid Support Forces and all other supporting forces are pursuing the remnants of the rebels that attempt to undermine the peace which prevailed in Darfur," he noted.

The Sudanese army said on Saturday that it repulsed two separate attacks by two armed groups in east and north of Darfur region, adding that the two groups moved simultaneously from Libya and South Sudan.

The Sudanese army has been fighting three armed groups in Darfur: the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Sudan Liberation Army.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 03:42:04|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, May 22 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli reconnaissance drone on Monday crashed on the outskirts of the Aita al-Shaab village in the southern district of Bint Jbeil, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The Hezbollah media department identified in a statement the drone as tactical "Skylark" UAV and it was carried for inspection by the party's engineers. No further details have been given.

Israel regularly sends surveillance drones that broadcast live information back to Israel on a regular basis. These drones could be used to measure terrain and identify targets for attack.

Israel repeatedly violates Lebanon's airspace in contravention of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. Lebanese officials have filed complaints against Israel at the U.N. over such violations.

Israel has bombed Syria on several occasions over the past couple of years. Some of the strikes were suspected to have targeted military equipment intended for Hezbollah.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 03:52:07|Editor: yan

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WINDHOEK, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Namibia will launch its fifth National Development Plan (NDP5) on May 31, the Namibia Planning Commission (NPC) said Monday.

The NPC said after discussions, formulation and preparation of the document as well as several consultative meetings, the NDP5 document has been finalized and is ready to be launched.

The development plan will not replace the current national development programs such as Vision 2030 and the Harambee plan (HPP), which President Hage Geingob launched last year, but will run concurrently.

The Namibia government over the years has adopted planning as a management tool to help effective decision-making.

The first National Development Plan (NDP1) was formulated for a period of five years (1995/1996 to 2000/2001) focusing on the diversification of the economy and consolidation of the achievements realised during the initial five years of Independence.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 04:02:14|Editor: Liangyu

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KHARTOUM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The tripartite mechanism of Sudan's government, the United Nations and the African Union on Monday approved a joint work plan stipulating gradual withdrawal of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from many areas in the region.

The tripartite mechanism on Monday held a meeting in Khartoum and reviewed the situations in Darfur with the focus on UNAMID's exit strategy from the region.

"At the end of the meeting the heads of the three delegations signed a joint communique," said Sudan's Foreign Ministry in a statement.

"The communique reiterated full improvement of the security and humanitarian conditions in all Darfur states, and approved the recommendations earlier agreed upon which stipulate gradual exit of UNAMID from many areas and restructuring of the mission," added the statement.

In February 2015, a tripartite committee composed of Sudan's government, the UN and the African Union, was formed with the aim to reach a deal on UNAMID's exit from Darfur.

UNAMID took over the peacekeeping task in Darfur from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) on December 31, 2007.

The UNAMID is considered as the second biggest peacekeeping mission in the world, after the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It consists of over 20,000 personnel of military, police and civilian components, with a budget of 1.4 million U.S. dollars in 2013.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 04:07:22|Editor: yan

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WARSAW, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Polish President Andrzej Duda said Monday that Singapore was an important and perspective partner for Poland.

Duda made the remarks at a joint press conference with his visiting Singaporean counterpart Tony Tan Keng Yam in Warsaw, the first visit by Singapore's head of state to Poland.

"Cooperation with a state that has been developing very fast, a state that focuses on innovation and modern technologies ... where numerous start-up firms develop so dynamically is definitely the direction we should be heading in," Duda said.

According to Duda, Poland would like to establish cooperation with Singapore, a global sea port, to ensure additional LNG supplies, as a part of country's efforts to diversify energy sources.

In a press statement for the press, Duda said Tan's visit was an element of expansion of Polish horizons of economic cooperation over respective parts of the world.

"So far, 80 percent of our turnover was linked with the European Union. We want the scope of our cooperation to expand," Duda said in the statement.

For his part, Tan said both Poland and Singapore were eager to invest in each other's country, and a series of agreements on cooperation, signed on Monday, would contribute to better bilateral relations.

According to Polish Press Agency, Poland's exports to Singapore reached 569 million euros (639 million U.S. dollars) in 2016, while imports amounted to 636 million euros.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 04:22:34|Editor: yan

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BUDAPEST, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Hungarian National Bank (MNB, central bank) is looking for opportunities and possibilities for cooperation in the framework of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, MNB general manager Daniel Palotai said here Monday.

The cooperation of China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) was at the heart of a forum organized by the European Institute for the Belt and Road Initiative Economic and Cultural Cooperation and Development and by the Pallas Athene Geopolitical Foundation (PAGEO).

"In order to promote the further use of the Chinese currency RMB, the Chinese central bank has made several swap agreements with foreign central banks, including the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and MNB," Palotai explained.

"The professional cooperation with China has become a very important issue for Europe, that is why 16 CEE countries, including Hungary, are trying to tighten their economic and cultural relations with China," he added.

Besides bilateral trade agreements, the CEE countries are also interested in widening the cooperation with China on the financial front, according to Daniel Palotai.

He also spoke in favor of using the Chinese currency in more and more direct disbursements, and also as a reserve currency.

Wang Yiwei, director of Center for European Studies at Renmin University of China, draw a bold vision for the future: "The Belt and Road Initiative will create a new, 3-billion-people strong new middle class by 2050."

Gergely Salat, head of the Chinese faculty of the Pazmany Peter Catholic University, spoke of cultural issues.

He explained that economic figures were not enough to create a bond between the people of China and those of the CEE region.

Salat spoke of the necessity to use "soft power" that originated between the cooperation of private individuals such as artists or sportsmen. He added that the official events and the involvement of the governments were also necessary.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 04:27:40|Editor: yan

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STOCKHOLM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Sweden will build its own national center to test different kinds of electric vehicles, Swedish public television broadcaster SVT reported on Monday.

Adapting to a more electric future is one of the big challenges facing the car industry. Now the government wants to expand cooperation between researchers and Swedish manufacturers.

"We have strong manufacturers in Sweden that are in the middle of this technological transformation and have to shift to electric in the future," Mikael Damberg, minister for enterprise and innovation, told SVT.

"We want a national campaign together with the Swedish manufacturing industry for electro mobility," he added.

Damberg and representatives for Volvo AB, Volvo Cars and Scania met Monday in Gothenburg to discuss the plans. Several universities also participated.

The research institute Rise has been tasked with a preliminary study focusing on how finance a center and where the test bed could be placed.

"As we see it, this is a substantial investment but it must be jointly financed. If the industry shows that it is serious, the state is prepared to invest money to make this test bed happen," Damberg said.

Rise already has a test center for self-driving cars and printed electronics. According to Pia Sandvik, CEO of Rise, the test bed for electric vehicles is a relatively large venture, both in terms of the physical size and the investment.

"This is an investment that will last for many years," she said. "Now we have to fill the test bed -- this lab -- with contents. What is the scope? Should it be gathered in one place? How big will the investment be and how will it be financed?"

Ann-Sofie Hermansson, head of the municipal board in Gothenburg, hopes it will land in Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city, located on the west coast

"Quite a bit remains to do before everything is in place, but it would be fantastic for Gothenburg. It would create jobs and boost the long-term competitiveness for these businesses," Ann-Sofie Hermansson said.

Asked what the likelihood is of this center coming to fruition, Hermansson said, "Very good, I would say. That's what we hope at least. Given the excellent conditions we have, I am very hopeful."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 04:42:47|Editor: Liangyu

Chinese poet Jidi Majia holds his selected poems of Hungarian edition titled "I, Snow Leopard" in Budapest, Hungary on May 22, 2017. The selected poems of noted Chinese poet Jidi Majia were presented on Monday in Hungary's capital Budapest at a ceremony organized by the Hungarian Pen Club in the Royal Castle, in the presence of the poet himself. (Xinhua/Yang Yongqian)

BUDAPEST, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The selected poems of noted Chinese poet Jidi Majia were presented on Monday in Hungary's capital Budapest at a ceremony organized by the Hungarian Pen Club in the Royal Castle, in the presence of the poet himself.

Jidi Majia is an indigenous poet of the Nuosu (Yi) people of mountainous Southwestern China. His work expresses the mythic world and cultural tradition of the Nuosu, while being deeply concerned with the urgent problems of global strife.

Born in 1961 in Sichuan, Jidi Majia has been awarded his country's most important literary prizes. He is vice-president of the China Writers Association and founder of the Qinghai Lake Poetry Festival.

The poet told his audience, composed of fellow writers and translators, from Hungary and China alike, that it was his first time in Hungary, and he was glad to here the "music" of his poems even in their Hungarian forms.

A half-dozen of oeuvres were presented from his book: I, Snow Leopard. Speaking in the voice of the endangered Snow Leopard, poet Jidi Majia conjured a mysterious, magnificent creature with a message about the consequences of unchecked violence toward animals -- and equally about the violence that threatens the heart of the human species.

The "Mother", as well as the "Homeland", were both recurrent elements, representative of his work.

His host, Hungarian poet Geza Szocs, who is the president of the Hungarian Pen Club and also a cultural advisor to the Hungarian Prime Minister, also read some of his works that have been translated from Chinese.

Participants of the soiree agreed that mutual reading and understanding of other nation's poetry really brought people together, despite the huge geographical distances separating Hungary and China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 04:47:55|Editor: yan

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SKOPJE, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) Zoran Zaev continued Monday talks for the creation of a new government with Albanian parties.

Petre Silegov, spokesman of SDSM, told reporters that Zaev is demanding the support of three Albanian parties -- BDI (Democratic Union for Integration), BESA and Alliance for Albanians -- in order to have a stable government.

The talks are being held between work groups and the sides are harmonizing their programs, Silegov said, adding that the focus of the talks were the principles of the functioning of the state.

Meanwhile, sources from the three ethnic Albanian parties which have offered their support to Zaev said that the reforms and European-Atlantic integration of Macedonia were a key priority.

On the other hand, the party of former PM Nikola Gruevski VMRO-DPMNE said in a press release that it was following the creation of the government so that if Zaev violated the principles and the guarantees that he had offered to preserve the unity of the country, then it would react.

President of Macedonia George Ivanov mandated last Wednesday the leader of SDSM, Zoran Zaev to form a new government, saying that the obstacles in giving the mandate had been overcome.

After being mandated to form new cabinet in ten days, Zaev guaranteed that SDSM-led government shall preserve the unity, constitutional order, sovereignty and multi-ethnicity of the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 05:13:14|Editor: yan

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TUNIS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian authorities said on Monday that a protester was killed accidentally in Tataouine Province of southeast Tunisia.

Yaser Mosbah, spokesman for the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior, said the victim was accidentally hit by a security apparatus while leaving the venue of the demonstration.

Meanwhile, nineteen security agents were wounded during the confrontations with protesters who participated in the sit-in in Tataouine province, confirmed Mosbah.

One of the security agents was attacked by a number of protesters before being beaten, added Mosbah.

"The peaceful social movement has also been accompanied by acts of vandalism," Mosbah said.

According to him, the security units fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters without using real bullets.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 05:18:16|Editor: Liangyu

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LISBON, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa welcomed European Commission's decision to close the country's excessive deficit procedure on Monday, saying it was proof that his anti-austerity approach was working.

"It is important that this is the last time we go through such a traumatic process," he said in a speech at the prime minister's official residence.

Costa was referring to the 78-billion-euro bailout program which Portugal signed in 2011 and which led to harsh spending cuts and tax hikes imposed by the previous administration.

"We did not recover competitiveness through collective impoverishment. The reforms that we are carrying out are different and call for continuity and persistence," he said, adding, "We cannot again lose what today we have accomplished."

The European Commission on Monday recommended that the Economic and Financial Affairs Council close Portugal's excessive deficit procedure, pointing out that Portugal managed to reduce its deficit to 2 percent of gross domestic product (DGP) in 2016, below the 3 percent threshold in the Stability and Growth Pact.

The European Commission has recently praised the country's fiscal consolidation efforts and economic recovery while pointing to a high debt level of over 130 percent of GDP.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 05:28:35|Editor: yan

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ROME, May 22 (Xinhua) -- An Italian official said on Monday that Taormina city of Sicily Island was ready to host the Group-7 summit to be held on upcoming Friday and Saturday.

Italy's cabinet undersecretary Maria Elena Boschi made the remarks in Taormina earlier in the day, according to Ansa news agency.

"Italy is ready to present itself to the world," Boschi told a press conference. She said the summit was moved from Florence to Taormina and "we overcame all the dated stereotypes" after there was a comment about the mafia in Sicily.

According to Boschi, the Sicilian city is ready for the G-7 summit by "respecting the work schedule without postponements and with the necessary funds."

Boschi also said the authorized demonstrations must respect the law.

The summit would be particular interesting for its "international picture", including new French president Emmanuel Macron, she added.

Meanwhile, local media said Taormina is already an armored fortress protected by around 7,000 military personnel and security corps as the security has been the priority for the summit.

Some 11,000 citizens in Taormina -- only residents, workers for certain businesses and people related to the summit -- will be allowed to enter the city between May 22 and May 29, according to local authorities.

The Taormina summit will be attended by the heads of state or government from Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Italy holds current presidency of the Group of Seven nations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 05:48:43|Editor: yan

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VALLETTA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Malta ought to ensure the effective supervision of internationally-oriented business by financial institutions, licensed in Malta, in cooperation with the host supervisors in the countries where they operate, the European Commission warned in a recommendation report published on Monday.

"Malta is the only EU member state utilizing the full imputation system of company taxation and it offers a refundable tax credit scheme. It has an extensive network of double taxation treaties, and it has an attractive tax residency status for individuals," the European Commission said in the report.

"The supervision of the internationally-oriented business, however, is challenging," the Commission said.

"The financial sector carries out most of its activities outside Malta. The ability of a relatively small supervisory authority to oversee a large system, in particular in the insurance sector but also in banking, is under pressure."

The Maltese government is under scrutiny after the publication of the Malta Files -- a series of documents published by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC).

Over the past three months, the EIC collaborated with 13 different media outlets and over 40 journalists in 16 different countries to expose Malta's lax tax laws, which allow international companies to pay taxes as low as 5 percent.

While the Maltese income tax rate is among the highest in the EU at 35 percent, if a London-based business and opens a parent company on the island and most of its operations occur offshore, the Maltese Inland Revenue can refund 6/7 of the total tax.

For highly profitable international companies, this results in a mere 5-percent corporate tax and millions of euros for Malta.

This system -- considered a tax haven by some EU members -- has never been a secret. Maltese government officials argue that these laws were in place over a decade before the country joined the EU.

According to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, there is nothing illegal about Malta's tax laws.

"They tried to say that there is something illegal in our financial services, when the truth is that our financial systems are the same as when we joined the European Union," Muscat said.

"It took months, if not years, of investigation by the EU which declared that our tax regime is acceptable and is not in breach of EU rules."Maltese Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said.

"Malta offers advantageous tax rates allowing it to compete with other countries. Even the United Kingdom is planning to reduce its 25-percent rate to 17 percent by 2020."

"The Malta Files story is unfair and endangers the economy and jobs," adds Scicluna. He has even called the reports "fake news" specifically regarding Oleg Boyko, a Russian businessman leading the pay-day loan company 4Finance.

The files claimed that 4Finance reaped over 700-percent interest from some clients falling behind on loan repayments.

The activities of Boyko and his company are one example of many highlighted by the EIC, which has published over 150,000 documents -- Between 1.5 billion euros (1.69 billion U.S. dollars) and 2 billion euros is lost each year.

According to Malta Today, in 2015 nearly 4 billion euros was lost in taxes. Many EU members argue this money should have been paid in the countries in which foreign companies are predominantly based. Some question further that even if this process is legal, it makes identifying fraud cases more difficult.

For the EU, addressing money laundering, tax avoidance and tax havens remains a priority.

However, Maltese government officials argue that the tiny island nation state with a population of only 450,000 has no natural resources and depends on foreign companies to boost the economy and employ Maltese citizens.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 05:58:47|Editor: yan

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STOCKHOLM, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Swedish Landvetter airport is evacuated after "traces of explosives" were found in a bag, local media reported on Monday.

A bomb group from the Swedish police are on their way to Landvetter Airport outside Gothenburg in western Sweden, after a suspicious object was found there Monday evening, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported.

"Traces of explosive material were found," Swedavia Airports' press officer Anders Porelius told newspaper Goteborgs-Posten.

"A bag that was left by the information desk in the departure hall was found. We checked it out as we always do and the bag showed signs of explosive material when a trace analysis was done," he said.

Part of the departure hall has been cordoned off and emptied, according to Tommy Nyman, a police spokesperson.

"We cannot say what kind of object we are talking about. Our bomb technicians are on their way to examine the object," he said.

The information desk, situated above the security check, was also evacuated.

Police would not say how long the areas would be blocked off. The suspicious object is being examined on site.

Police received the call at 8:30 p.m. Monday. Police would not say whether the bomb squad had arrived at the airport yet.

"We do not give out that information for safety reasons, how and where and when the bomb squad is active," Nyman said.

Now the buses have picked up the passengers and driven them to another part of the terminal, far away from the evacuated area.

Witness onsite was quoted by SVT as saying that "there is a big commotion in the blocked off areas, but areas where passengers gathered is calm".

According to Swedavia's website, all planes are arriving and departing according to schedule, SVT reported.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-23 06:03:50|Editor: yan

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ROME, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A big Mafia boss was gunned down on Monday on street in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, according to Ansa news agency.

Giuseppe Dainotti, 67, was shot in the head by two killers while riding his bike, police said.

According to the police, one of Palermo's top bosses, Dainotti, was released from jail in 2014.

A boss of the Porta Nuova family, Dainotti served his sentence for murder and for a billion-lire (Italian currency before euro) robbery at Palermo's Monte dei Pegni institutional pawnbrokers in 1991.

As Mafia organization Cosa Nostra boss, Dainotti's killing was "symbolic" like the murders 25 years ago of anti-Mafia magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, Palermo Chief Prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi told reporters on Monday.

"When it is necessary, the Mafia once again shoots in a clear and symbolic way," he said.

Lo Voi said the Dainotti's killing, three days before the Falcone anniversary, "can have various meanings".

Italy sets to mark the 25th anniversary of Falcone's murder with a series of events on Wednesday, while commemorating his friend and colleague Borsellino, who was also murdered in 1992.

Both the anti-Mafia magistrates were blown up by huge bombs. In the case of Falcone, his wife and his police escort were also killed by bombs planted under the Palermo-airport highway at Capaci on May 22 of 1992. Borsellino was killed by a car bomb outside his mother's house in July 1992.

The murders, and the other fatal bombing cases in 1993, led to a strong reaction from the government with arrests of Corleone boss of bosses Toto Riina and his long-time co-boss, the late Bernardo Provenzano.

Lo Voi said Monday that "whenever someone says that the Mafia is no longer there or that it has been defeated, something happens that confirms the Mafia is always there".
Tobago Chamber wants meeting on sea-bridge

Chairman of the Chamber Demi John Cruickshank in addressing reporters last week said that the letter was sent off to the boards chairman Allison Lewis, as he is of the hope that they can sit around the table as was done previously.

We have penned a letter and sent it out requesting an urgent meeting to see if we can solve this problem once and for all. Yes, we went through this fiasco already in the past and what we did is that we sat around the table with everybody and we discussed a way forward, a way how we can solve the problem but this regime is bent on doing things their way and they have seen that doing things their way is not in the best interest for all the people of Tobago. So, we are calling on the chairman to meet with us urgently, he said.

The chairman referred to the present challenges aboard both the passenger and cargo vessels, which he said to date has resulted in a shortage of construction materials at hardwares as well as the low stocks on supermarket shelves.

We have indicated to both the ministers and his members in Port of Spain that what we were saying a month ago has come to fruition in terms of the two fast ferries are giving serious problems mechanically, we do not have an adequate cargo service between Trinidad and Tobago even bringing on the barge and the Atlantic provider that still is causing some serious hardship for the business community, the truckers and also the citizens of Tobago. You have hardwares that are literally empty, the supermarket shelves are actually running low and peoples warehouses are questionable in terms of if we can continue in this manner, so we have to at some point in time bring some sort of closure to this crisis that we have been faced with and have been forced to endure by the powers that be who have the responsibility and the authority to fix this problem, he said.

Cruickshank also responded to critics who have labeled the chamber members as Hush Puppy and Hush dog team.

Let me put on record now, we have been the voice of the business community in Tobago, we have been championing the cause of Tobagonians and bringing the plight of the situation to the general public, so I am not too sure where he would have received that bit of information from and we take very, very serious offence to his statement as an organisation that has been working very, very hard and toothless to solve the problems in Tobago, Cruickshank said.

President of the Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA) Chris James in adding his voice, noted that he is seriously concerned about the current situation as it will adversely affect the July/ August busy period.

We are very seriously concerned about the position on both the air and sea bridge and as you may know July and August are our busiest times for our domestic tourism and normally the bookings are coming in around now for that period and were not seeing them coming in so this is an urgent situation for us and we are concerned, James said.

The president said that the tourism industry has been on a serious decline for the last ten years.

This as he noted that hotels and guesthouses across the island have reported a number of last minute cancellations, which is adding to an already crippling situation.

Ive heard stories of people waiting over fourteen hours to get to Tobago, so on top of that we have last minute cancellations so accommodations are suffering from that because of either the air bridge or the sea bridge, we have a serious challenge here which is affecting our bottom line. We are currently averaging an occupancy of 34 percent from our figures, we represent the largest numbers of hotel rooms on the island. The region is averaging somewhere about 66 percent, our rate has now dropped to $154US and the rate in the region is US$228. So, we seriously depend on the months of July and August to keep us afloat, he said. Meanwhile, President of the Interisland Truckers and Traders Association Horace Amede said that following meetings with both the Minister of Works and Transportation and the Port Authority board last week, they feel disrespected.

They were supposed to call us and let us know if a vessel was found, but they never did and we saw it in the papers and to begin with, we thought that was disrespectful.

Up to now, we have not received any calls from them and apart from that they said that they would have meet in Tobago on Wednesday with the stakeholders, to bring us up to date on what is happening and up to now, we are just seeing things in the papers that the Chairman apologized to the people of Tobago and we dont think that is good enough.

You cannot feed your families on apologies and this is what we are getting from everybody. From my standpoint and the truckers, nothing is wrong with saying I am sorry, he said.

Amede said now is not the time to play games with people livelihood.

Let us bring an end to the suffering that Tobagonians is going through. We have members in Trinidad for four and five days and cannot get back to Tobago at a rate of three hundred dollars a night in guesthouse but meals and that is not doing good for us at all, he said.
Police investigate discovery of two bodies

Police said there appeared to be stab wounds on the bodys lower abdomen.

His identity, however, has not be ascertained and police are seeking the publics assistance to identify the body.

According to inital reports, the body was discovered covered in blood and a stone covered in blood was found nearby.

The man was said to be of African descent and in his late 30s. The body was clad in a pair of grey long pants and a brown and black t-shirt and black and white shoes.

In a separate incident, police were alerted to the discovery of the body of a man identified as Bisnath Jugmohan, 62, of Gran Couva, lying on the grassy verge of the of the Chase Village Bye- Pass on the Solomon Hochoy Highway yesterday.

Police said there were several empty bottles found near the body.

Autopsies are expected to be conducted today to determine the actual cause of death of the two men.
Mother of abducted son believes he is alive

Siew told Newsday on Saturday that for the past days she had not been able to sleep at nights as she continues to pray for her sons abductors to release him to his family.

The mother said she had a dream on Friday that her son was alive but being kept hostage.

In the dream I saw him standing and he smiled at me. I know in my heart he is alive. I know he is being kept against his will, but my son is alive,the tearful mother said.

Anthony, 34, was abducted two Sudays ago at about 11 am while he and his cousin Kevin Mahabir were walking along Lime Fruit Road in Freeport. Anthony was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and grey long pants. Members of the Anti -Kidnapping Squad have since questioned several individuals.

Police officers told Newsday that they were working on certain leads and were searching for several individuals who would could assist them in finding Anthony.

Police have also obtained a statement from Mahabir who witnessed his cousins abduction. Anthony lived with his family at Commonwealth Drive, off Nelson Road, in Freeport.

On the day he was abducted, Anthony and his cousin went to seek employment and were returning home. Siew told Newsday she could not understand why anyone would want to harm her son.

He never told me about anyone threatening to harm him in anyway, so I just cant understand why.

He is an innocent man, she said.

She pleaded with her sons abductors not to harm him and send him home. Please I am begging please, just send my boy home, please please, she begged, as she wept.

Anthonys cellphone has since been switched off. Siew, who is expected to undergo surgery next month, said she did not know how she will cope without her son as he was the one who took her to the doctor and cared for her.

All my children are there for me, but he is the one who takes me to the doctor always . He said he was going to be there at my side when I undergo the operation. I cant do it without him,she cried. Relatives are concerned about Siews heath as they say his abduction has taken a toll on her.
Judge grants injunction by phone

Justice Eleanor Donaldson- Honeywell granted the emergency injunction in the unusual form on Friday in a claim of trespass brought by Glenford Grant against couple Arnan and Vashti Bassin.

Attorneys for Grant, Kelvin Ramkissoon and Sonya Gyan, approached the court for the emergency order after he complained that the Bassins were encroaching on his property at 40 Don Miguel Road, San Juan.

Justice Donaldson-Honeywell, who was on a retreat for judges and magistrates, granted the injunction by telephone from where she was located.

As part of her order, the Bassins were warned that if they fail to obey the courts order they will forced to do so and will be found guilty of contempt. They were also warned that they can be sent to prison, fined or their assets seized.

According to Grant, the couple lives at LP 55 Braithwaite Lane, El Socorro but occasionally occupy a house on a piece of land which is located south of his property on Don Miguel Road.

In his claim, Grant said the house on the property was built by his father and was the familys home.

He and his brother now share the house.

He said the lands which he occupy and which is cousin occupies to the west were originally leased to his grandfather since 1912 while the Bassins occupied a third parcel of land at the same address.

Grant said he and his cousin paid an annual rent to his aunt in whose name the tenancy of the parcels of land was passed on, through a real estate agency. Steps were also made for the purchase of the parcels of land and Grant said he made several repairs and improvements to the house he lived in.

According to Grant, when the Bassins moved to Braithwaite Lane, they occasionally visited 40 Don Miguel Road to maintain the house there but in 2012, they claimed they were the new owners of the lands and served them with a lawyers letter claiming they (the Bassins) have been forced to undertake extensive renovations on Grants house.

Grant said they also threatened to remove the iron gate at the front of his property and in 2016, they deposited a load of gravel to the entrance of the property, blocking him from using the garage to park his car.

He said they began doing work on their house on the parcel of land they occupied and dumped building maters in his garage space, telling him the property belonged to then.

Grant also said in November, the water supply was cut to his house and he was told by the Water and Sewerage Authority that the bill for his house was now in Vashti Bassins name.

Since then he has had no water supply to his home.

In March, the Bassins ordered, by letter, to move out of the house he occupied and hand it over to the Bassins and on May 9, four men came to his house to put him out, two of them claiming to be police officers. The men neither provided a warrant nor court order but forced themselves into his house.

They removed household and personal items and left them on the side of the road. Grant reported the incident to the police and although a policeman from the Barataria Police Station accompanied him to the house while the four men were still inside, the policeman refused to take the name of the four.

On Friday, when the injunction was granted, Grant said he was at his lawyers office when he received a telephone call informing him that the Bassins were demolishing his house. An emergency stop order was sought and granted by Justice Donaldson-Honeywell, restricting the Bassins from taking any action on Grants property until the matter is resolved at trial or until further ordered.

The matter comes up for hearing on Wednesday at the Port of Spain High Court.
No transport for TTs cadets

Carmona was addressing young men and women at the TT Cadet Force Parade on Saturday held at Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, in commemoration of the Trinidad and Tobago Cadet Force 107th Anniversary.

He said it was to his disbelief that the TT Cadet Force does not have access to transportation to display the parade to areas such as Mayaro, Buenos Ayres, Icacos, Blanchisseuse, Toco or Charlotteville.

I was pleasantly informed that this was being actively pursued.

However, the Cadet Corps did not have the resources to move hundreds of cadets such great distances without the necessary logistical support. Imagine in this day and age that technically we are saying that some parts of this country are inaccessible and still too far, not due to lack of roads or infrastructure, but due to lack of transport. Carmona said he can only imagine that now with the addition of 25 new secondary schools, something that should be a cause for celebration, now has the potential to be a cause for concern.

I implore the authorities to provide the vehicles to the Cadet Corps to carry out its mandate.

I am heartened to hear that next years parade will take place in our sister isle, Tobago. I must applaud the entire Cadet Force with its administrators for this wonderful initiative and implore you to do your best to ensure that it is a resounding success. I urge Corporate Trinidad and Tobago in the spirit of true Corporate Social Responsibility to come on board and support this visionary act. Carmona told the young men and women, there is more order in the youth population than in the adult population, and hope for a better future, runs eternal, and is not misplaced.

He said hope put order that is required in society more than ever today, and the kind of order, that was displayed.

The majority of our youth are disciplined, focused and you exemplify this today because you believe in order and discipline that is neither selective nor transient.

I salute and recognise those unsung heroes among you responsible for the administration of events and this parade. He continued, Your efforts are recognized, appreciated and duly noted. The mental and physical preparation and the work in the trenches is testament to your dedication and devotion to the Cadet Corps and to the country. Carmona said Cadet training prepares and nurtures a life of service and sacrifice, which builds character and team work, instilling patriotic duty and spirit, and a sense of honour to country that are so important in nation building.

He said it speaks to hallowed values and traditions with the singular hallmark that a mans word is his bond.

By your social interaction with others in and outside of this parade ground, you must touch lives, and change lives for the better. We prepare you well. The Cadet Corps imbues in its charges the quality of genuine leadership that will prepare you for lifes challenges through the medium of character building, camaraderie, pragmatic skills, physical fitness and discipline. He said 2017 is indeed a historic year, with the establishment of the first all-female Naval Cadet Unit at Holy Faith Convent Couva, and the establishment of the first Islamic all-female Cadet unit at ASJA Girls College Charlieville.

Seeing on television the glint and deep pride of those ASJA Girls was a wow moment for me personally and for the rest of Trinidad and Tobago. It represents a strong symbol of female empowerment and the strength and power of our inclusive diversity in our country, the Region and the wider world and let me be blunt here, inspirational leadership. Carmona said for any nation to progress, gender equity and female empowerment are critical, and reminded the young men they had a role to play in gender equality and women empowerment by welcoming the female units with the required mutual respect.

He urged executives of the Cadet Corps, not to lose their goal of achieving a Cadet Unit in every secondary school in TT, because it will destroy the cycle of juvenile deviance, by fortifying students with the necessary life skillset.

Young men and women, the road to progress and success can be a difficult one.

You wear your service medals and badges with great pride and so it should be. However, you would confront persons with different kinds of service medals and even badges, consisting of ignorance, impatience, intolerance, with no empathy or compassion. It is the reality of modern day living.
Senior cop laid to rest

Nanan was hospitalised after complaining of feeling unwell on Wednesday last. A blood clot was discovered in his head and he died at the San Fernando General Hospital on Thursday, two weeks after celebrating his 59th birthday on May 5.

His funeral service was held at his home in Exchange Lots, Couva, yesterday morning after which his body was cremated at the Mosquito Creek Cremation site in La Romaine.

He was given a military funeral and among those at his home and the ceremation site were those officers who graduated with him from the Police Training Academy at the St James Barracks.

His son Andre remembered him as a bird lover, a hard worker, and the co-ordinator of all of their family gatherings.

Nanans legacy culminated in his latest promotion to being Senior Superintendent, the most decorated responsibility of his being the lead investigator into the emailgate scandal of 2013.

Speaking briefly during the service, Commissioner Williams said During his last few years in the service, he (Nanan) would have been the main investigator in one of the highest profile investigations seen in the country over recent times. Williams celebrated Nanan as a model example of the police service.

And so did National Security Minister Dillon. I remember some time ago he reminded me, when he was an honour guard, I was a young officer then. At one of the inspections, because we had to inspect guards before the Prime Minister came out, I remember giving him a good turnout. A good turnout, ladies and gentlemen, is one where you couldnt be checked for anything because you were dressed so impeccably.

There was nothing the inspecting officer could have checked you for. Dillon said Nanan lived the values of the service and he did so with pride before extending his condolences to Nanans family. Nanan is survived by his wife, Lystra Nanan, a police sergeant, and his son Andre.
Grande gets taste of Carlas sweet-hand

A resident of Sangre Grande herself, Carla, as she is simply known by all and sundry, decided it was high time she gave the people of her home town a regular taste of her hand.

The restaurant carries the name of her son, Zamael Mitchell.

Sangre Grande is a bustling, growing town.

It is also a hub for visitors to the region. I felt that I could offer the residents and those who come by on business or pleasure a mouth-watering-option when they look for their meals. The restaurant will offer local and international dishes, at reasonable prices, said Carla, who formally opened her first restaurant five years ago in Guayaguayare.

Carlas reputation for her .

sweet-hand cooking was developed over many years in the Mayaro/Guayaguayare south-east region, where she catered for most of the energy-based companies operating there, including BP Trinidad and Tobago. She also caters for weddings, graduations, and other formal events.

When she opened the restaurant to the public in April, she started off with lunch servings, but intends to expand with breakfast and dinner. Space limitations have forced her to offer primarily take-away service but she hopes to acquire adjacent room to move to in-house dining.

Another major feature of Zamaels is the creation of employment for several persons, all residing in Sangre Grande.
Stadium completed under $90 million

Mitchell made this disclosure as he responded to a matter on the adjournment of the House raised by Princes Town MP Barry Padarath.

After assuring Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George that he will not shout during his contribution, Mitchell said the Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) had a $90 million budget to complete the works on the stadium.

Government MPs thumped their desks as Mitchell said, I am very happy to report that it was done for less than $90 million. He said this was a far cry from what happened under his predecessor, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal when the Peoples Partnership (PP) was in office.

Mitchell said every time Moonilal reiterated the PPs commitment to opening the stadium, the price to complete went up.

The minister said that price went from $150,000 to $150 million to $185 million and, it ended at $200 million and it (stadium) was not touched. He said while Padarath alleged there has been flooding and other defects at the stadium, the facility was flooded with people when it was formally opened on May 12. He said 11,000 people attended the opening and some $750,000 in revenues were earned.

Noting that Padarath has been trying to create fear and panic in the population about the stadium, Mitchell declared that the stadium was successfully opened, notwithstanding the mayhem that certain sections of the population tried to create. On Padaraths claims about defective welding at the stadium in the McCaffrey Report, Mitchell said McCaffrey himself was unsure of the information contained in his own report.

He questioned why Moonilal never told Padarath about the Arun Buch Report he had Udecott commission about the stadium in 2013. Mitchell said both Buch and MCCaffrey would have relied on the technical reports of Incor-Tech.  Arun Buch not a welding inspector, he said., Mitchell said the Arun Buch report said the stadiums structures were approved as fit for purpose. He added that checks were done on the stadium prior to its opening and he was confident that all of the defects were remedied.

On Saturday, Udecott chairman Noel Garcia said a sewage leak at the stadium was fixed.

The leak occurred during the Courts Women T20 Grand Slam on Friday.
Hinds tours Fishing Pond

And no one could impose upon him (the contractor) any specific worker.

Speaking last Thursday at Fishing Pond in Sangre Grande, on the start of work to finish the road that has been a source of dust, mud and stress to residents, Hinds said people felt they ought to demand money or work under a gun.

This minister, this Government will not be accepting or tolerating that. All I want to know is who do that and then we will treat with them accordingly because nobody ent bigger and badder than nobody, he said. Earlier this week two young construction workers were killed in John John, Laventille after several men requesting jobs at the site, were refused.

Hinds also said he was instructed by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to meet with Attorney General Faris Al Rawi to discuss home invasion. Any time you find yourself in somebody house without lawful authority, you will get a criminal case for home invasion, he said. Hinds also warned against abusing public utility vehicles and officials.

We are going to pass legislation in this country and contractors who are working on behalf of the State, if any citizen damages an individual or equipment belonging to those agencies, we will put them before the court for aggravated assault and damage. Coosals has been awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the road at a cost of $7.7 million.

Coosals executive chairman Sieunarine Coosal said the company was awarded the contract through competitive bidding and submission of a technical proposal.

We want to give the assurance that the job will be completed within budget, within specification, and the time frame given to us.
Planning Minister at climate change talks

The minister will represent this country as Governor for Trinidad and Tobago along with her ministrys Permanent Secretary Joanne Deoraj and a ministry support team.

According to a statement from the Planning Ministry, Minster Robinson- Regis will be participating in a panel discussion entitled: Towards a new Climate Resilience Strategy. The objectives of this discussion are to: Provide an overview of the regions progress to date in addressing the climate challenge; discuss CDBs contributions, based on Climate Resilience Strategy (CRS) 2012 -2017 and key issues for CRS Update 2017  23; give panellists the opportunity to discuss Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from the perspectives of their own priorities, implications, trade-offs, and realities of these goals; and to highlight areas of alignment by borrowing member countries NDCs with a proposed CDB Climate Strategy Update.

Approximately 500 delegates are expected to attend the meeting.

Participants will include ministers and government officials, private sector representatives, members of civil society and academia, and media.

The flagship event will highlight the impact of the CDBs investments in its 19 borrowing member countries (BMCs) of which Trinidad and Tobago is a key member. In addition, stakeholders will take part in strategic discussions on resolving some of the Caribbean Regions most pressing economic and social development issues.

This years meeting will embrace the concepts of integration, trade and economic growth into the climate resilience theme which is built on a platform of transforming the Caribbean economies to meet the challenges of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, announced that the UNHCR has decided to step up its presence in Libya in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis resulting from conflict, insecurity, political instability and a collapsing economy in the North African country.

Filippo Grandi who was on a visit to the North African country said Sunday he has been shocked at the harsh conditions in which refugees and migrants are held in Libya, because of lack of resources.

In addition to new offices and community development centres for refugees and asylum seekers, UNHCR will also scale up its presence in places of disembarkation for people rescued or intercepted at sea, in close cooperation with IOM and other partners.

At the same time, access and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers in detention facilities run by the Libyan authorities will be increased, focusing on lifesaving humanitarian activities and advocating for the release of detained refugees and asylum seekers.

Over the last 18 months, UNHCR has been able to secure the release of more than 800 vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers. The UN Refugee Agency is trying to find durable solutions for them.

UNHCR will also boost its programs to assist Libyan IDPs and host communities who are in dire need of improved access to basic services, which have severely deteriorated as a result of the crisis.

Some 300,000 Libyans have been displaced by ongoing conflict. In all, more than 1.3 million people  including internally displaced people (IDPs), as well as vulnerable Libyans, host communities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers  are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Among other activities, small-scale community-based projects of immediate impact are envisaged for the benefit of host communities, displaced persons, refugees and asylum seekers.

Libya continues to be the main departing point for refugees and migrants seeking to reach Europe. The High Commissioner was accompanied during his visit to Tripoli by his newly appointed Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Situation, Vincent Cochetel, who will be coordinating UNHCRs cross-regional response to the complexities of mixed migration movements across the Mediterranean, and by UNHCRs Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Amin Awad.
Protesters in the southern Kebili province have forced the closure of another oil pumping station as their claims for job opportunities gain momentum.

The closing of the Faouar pumping station, operated by French Perenco company, has been confirmed by several media outlets in Tunisia. The closing was reportedly carried out peacefully, without any clashes with the military stationed there.

The protesters stress that their sit-in movement is meant to demand for jobs and more transparency on where the oil wealth goes. The communities where the oil stations are located have long lamented that their regions have been marginalized in development matters.

Neither Perenco nor the Tunisian government commented on the situation amid concerns that other stations could be affected.

Tunisia is not a major oil producing country. Its total output is around 44,000 barrels per day and two foreign oil and gas companies have been forced to suspend operations due to the protests. The government had deployed soldiers to the oil stations but that has not deterred the demonstrators from continuing their protest which has been going on for weeks.

It is still unclear if the tender for projects worth around $160 million for a 210MW renewable energy capacity that was issued last month by the Tunisian Department of Energy will be affected by the recent developments.
The threat of individuals perpetrating terrorist attacks independent of a command chain, known as lone wolf terrorists, is on the surge in the region requiring a close cooperation between Morocco and Europe through setting up a pre-emptive strategy, Abdelhak Khiame, head of Moroccos FBI, the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), said.

Moroccan security services have shown efficiency in dismantling 270 terrorist cells since 2002, said Abdelhak Khiame in an interview with Akhbar Al Yaoum, noting that the main challenge in counterterrorism now is about countering lone wolf threats.

Moroccan intelligence services have been exchanging information with their counterparts in other countries to fight threats emanating from solo terrorists, he said recalling that Morocco alerted on multiple occasions European security services on the dangers posed by lone wolves before they perpetrated their attacks.

Khiame lauded, notably the level of cooperation with Spanish security services, noting that the two countries have conducted joint operations that foiled dangerous terrorist plots.

The Moroccan official explained that the setbacks endured by IS in Irak and Syria gave way to the surge of the lone wolf threat in Europe as well as in North Africa and the Sahel.

Morocco has adopted a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that comprises vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation as well as counter-radicalization policies.

The Morocco Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for counterterrorism. The BCIJ was established in 2015 as a central institution with the goal of bolstering security governance nationwide within a legal and transparent framework. Reporting to Moroccos domestic intelligence agency (DGST), the BCIJ operates under the supervision of the public prosecutor of the Court of Appeals.
The Algerian-sponsored Polisario separatists suffered a severe setback when Panamanian authorities refused to hold a vessel carrying Phosphates from the Moroccan southern provinces heading to Vancouver in Canada.

The Panamanian authorities let the ship continue sailing to its Canadian destination carrying 55,000 tons of phosphate after it had been previously held for few days upon a complaint filed by the Polisario challenging the legality of the transaction.

The decision by Panama authorities to let the tanker continue sailing to its destination is a heavy blow to the Polisairo and their Algerian mentors in their desperate attempts to wage economic war on Moroccan phosphates.

The Polisario had nurtured a false hope of reproducing the hostile procedures undertaken by South African authorities where a New Zealand-bound ship carrying 50,000 of Moroccan phosphate rock has been detained in Port Elizabeth since the beginning of May pending a court verdict due on June 9.

In a recent statement, the OCP said that its representatives made it clear during a court hearing on the case in South Africa that detaining the ship and the cargo in response to a complaint filed by a separatist entity is an attempt to derail the UN political process to settle the Sahara dispute.

The Polisario, a separatist entity based in the authoritarian Algerian state, is not elegible to plea or claim to represent the population in the Sahara who have their own legitimate elected bodies. This has been stressed by a European Court of Justice ruling that stressed that the Polisario is not elegible to challenge the Moroccan-EU agricultural agreement.

International law experts, including the ECJs Chief Advocate General Melchior Wathelet explained that the Polisario front is not a legitimate organization and that it unqualified to plea at international courts.

He added that the Polisario is not recognized by the International community as a representative of the commercial interests of the population of the Sahara, although it is considered as a party in the political process to find a solution to the conflict over the Saharan provinces.

Phosphate production and related industries are an area of excellence for Morocco. The substance has been key in Moroccos African foreign policy. The state-owned phosphate company has been investing in African states and signed two landmark agreements with Nigeria and Ethiopia, Africas most populous countries, to build fertilizer production plants.

Phosphate revenues have also contributed to the development of the southern provinces where Morocco spends seven times more than its revenues from the region.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

There is a long tradition, as old as the republic itself, of American officials hypocritically overlooking the despotic traits of foreign governments whose help they need, or believe they need. Donald Trump has brought a new style that superficially resembles this old tradition, but with a crucial difference. Rather than hypocritically overlook the authoritarianism of our allies, he actually admires it. Trump for years has praised strongmen in China, Russia, Iraq, and elsewhere who knew how to crack heads and keep things orderly.

Trumps visit to Saudi Arabia was awash with unusually friendly symbolism, implying not only shared interests but also shared values between the feudal oil kingdom and its American admirers. The nadir of the excursion so far is Commerce Secretary Wilbur Rosss blithe praise for the total absence of protest or dissent in Saudi Arabia. This is a remarkable exchange:

Ross explains that the most impressive aspect of the visit is that [t]here was not a single hint of a protester anywhere there the whole time we were there. Not one guy with a bad placard. After being gently reminded that Saudi Arabia does not permit protest or dissent, which makes its absence meaningless as a measure of public sentiment, Ross simply continues as if that fact does not matter, and the display he witnessed must be an authentic representation of public opinion in the country: In theory, that could be true, but boy there was certainly no sign of it. There was not a single effort at an incursion, there wasnt anything. The mood was a genuinely good mood.

Its worth noting that protest is not merely a mildly discouraged activity in Saudi Arabia. Its a capital crime. One recent protester has been sentenced to death by crucifixion and beheading. That kind of tough-on-crime policy might help explain the genuinely good mood Ross enjoyed.

Ross is a superficial man, inexperienced in foreign affairs, and easily manipulated by symbolism. (He goes on to gush embarrassingly about the cartons of dates he was offered by Saudi security guards, a from-the-heart gesture that touched him.) But he also clearly looks at a society where, unlike the United States, he can sweep through his day without encountering any evidence of political discontent. And he sees in this something to admire.
Guilty as Flynn. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Last month, the House Oversight Committee announced that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn likely broke the law by failing to disclose payments hed received from groups associated with the Russian government. As a former general, Flynn was required to secure the Pentagons permission before accepting payments from foreign entities.

It does not appear to us that [permission] was ever sought, the committees Republican chair Jason Chaffetz told reporters. As a former military officer you simply cannot take money from Russia, Turkey or anybody else, and it appears as if he did take that money.

Now, the committees top Democrat is saying that Flynn didnt just fail to notify the Pentagon of those payments  he told government investigators that such payments didnt exist when he applied for top-secret security clearance in February of last year.

In December 2015, Flynn sat beside Vladimir Putin at a Moscow gala for RT, a Kremlin-funded news network. RT paid Flynn more than $45,000 to attend the event and give a speech.

When investigators asked him if he had received any income from foreign companies two months later, Flynn said that he had not, according to the letter from congressman Elijah Cummings. Rather, Flynn insisted that he was paid by U.S. companies for his trip to Moscow.

Flynn also told investigators that he had had only insubstantial contact with foreign nationals.

It is difficult to understand how General Flynn could have believed that his dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin was an insubstantial contact, Cummings writes.

Cummingss letter claims that the Oversight Committee possesses documents that suggest Flynn lied to federal investigators, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Previous reports have suggested that Flynn lied to the FBI about his contact with the Russian ambassador, and failed to register as an agent of the Turkish government while advising the Trump campaign last year  actions that would qualify as felonies.

Earlier Monday, Flynn invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, as he refused to honor a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee. That decision puts him at risk of being held in contempt of Congress.

Cummingss letter appears to be a direct response to Flynns intransigence. The missive is addressed to Chaffetz, and asks the committee chair to issue a subpoena compelling the White House to produce documents related to its hiring and firing of the retired general.

We need to know what the President, Vice President, White House counsel, and other top officials knew about General Flynn  and when they knew it, the letter says.

The committee had previously sent the Trump administration a nonbinding request for those documents. The White House refused to turn over a single one.
House Intelligence Committee ranking Democrat Adam Schiff stands next to a photo of President Donald Trump in the Oval Office shaking hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Last week saw a great deal of speculation about whether President Trump might either be impeached or prosecuted. The latter possibility came more into focus on Wednesday with the appointment of Robert Mueller, an FBI Director under presidents Bush and Obama, as a special counsel to lead the investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election. Mueller will operate outside of the regular Justice Department hierarchy, allowing him to take the investigation wherever it leads.

The question of whether Trump has committed a crime while in office was amplified after it was revealed that he asked thenFBI director James Comey to back off the investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynns ties to Russia. Comey did not back off, and Trump fired him two weeks ago.

To the extent that Trump himself is alleged to be entangled with Russia, his dealings with Comey (including a request for a loyalty pledge) all raise the possibility that Trump was acting to protect his own hide  and might have committed obstruction of justice.

Whatever the interaction was between the Russians, Flynn, Comey, and Trump, Muellers team will almost certainly keep digging until they are satisfied that they know what happened. If President Trump committed crimes, they will say so.

But what then? The criminal liability of presidents is a difficult and unsettled area of constitutional law. There are a lot of special considerations that come into play. The upshot of these considerations is that if a president has committed crimes in office, impeachment should come first. If you want to prosecute a president, you should probably wait until he is no longer president. Here is why:

1. The president might have immunity from criminal prosecution, at least while in office. The Supreme Court has never addressed presidential criminal immunity, and there are arguments on both sides, so nobody has a definitive answer on this question. But there is a good argument that acting presidents do indeed have legal immunity. The Justice Department has carried on for decades with the understanding that presidents are immune. They have never brought a criminal case against a president that would have tested the theory, so the courts have never had an opportunity to render a decision.

Why might the president be immune? He is nationally elected, and constitutionally occupies a sacrosanct office. Vast swathes of the Constitution and federal law are devoted to ensuring that the president  the head of state, the head of government, and the one-man embodiment of the executive branch  is always on duty and has immediate understudies waiting in the wings. As a result, only a properly accountable agent should have the power to interfere with his ability to fulfill his duties  as an arrest, a prosecution, and a conviction would do. Congress, through the impeachment power, is a more obviously proper agent than an unaccountable prosecutor would be.

2. Special prosecutors are constitutionally awkward, especially when they pursue the president. Because all of the prosecutors in the federal government are subordinate to the president, it makes sense to appoint special prosecutors when the president himself is under investigation. But nowhere does the Constitution require the use of special prosecutors, and the best reading of the Supreme Courts case law on the matter suggests that it is unconstitutional for a special prosecutor to compromise the presidents ultimate control over the executive branch.

The most serious limit on Mueller or any special prosecutor is the fact that he can be dismissed. Constitutionally he must be removable by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed him. The political reality is that, short of egregious misconduct, Rosenstein (and, more to the point, President Trump) cannot get rid of Mueller or end his investigation without paying a tremendous political cost. But the fact that the president has that ultimate power means that even a special prosecutor is in a poor position to prosecute him.

3. Its also constitutionally awkward for a state prosecutor to prosecute a sitting president. Prosecuting a president in state court instead of federal court would avoid the issues described above. But it would create a new source of constitutional awkwardness: federalism. Giving one local official the power to arrest and prosecute the president is giving that local official the power to detain and frustrate the function of the federal government. If you dont see the constitutional problem with one blue-state prosecutor, accountable only to the voters in her county, prosecuting President Trump for something she thinks is a crime, ask yourself how acceptable it would have been for a red-state prosecutor, accountable only to the voters in her county, to have prosecuted President Obama for something she thought was a crime.

4. The president is held in check by public opinion. One reason that the Constitution might give presidents the problematic powers and protections discussed above is that the Constitution also provides checks and balances. One check is that the president is politically accountable in a way that nobody else in the government is, let alone anybody in the private citizenry. If the president wants to resist or even fire a special prosecutor who is pursuing him, the courts might allow it  but the people might not. Indeed, if the presidents move is politically unpopular enough he might be forced to back down. President Nixon was able to get away with having Archibald Cox, the first Watergate special prosecutor, fired. But the political price he paid for that was so high that he was politically unable to fire Coxs successor, Leon Jaworski. Jaworski eventually brought Nixon down because 

5. The president is definitely, unquestionably subject to impeachment. Gerald Ford famously said that an impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives says it is. A president could commit a crime that the House or Senate do not think is worth removing him for. Getting a House majority to take this momentous step is no easy matter. But the flip side is true as well: If the investigations against a president reveal facts damning enough to make him a political pariah, then nothing will stop Congress from impeaching and removing him  not even lawyerly arguments about the proper definition of obstruction of justice. You or I might be able to get acquitted in court on a legal technicality, and an ex-president might be, too, but the House and Senate are bound principally by politics, not by the legal niceties.

The Framers of the Constitution put Congress in charge of these decisions because allegations of criminality by a president will always be deeply and inextricably entangled in politics. Rather than allow court proceedings to be distorted by such considerations, the Constitution puts politicians in charge of deciding what is to be done with the president. If those politicians are not aggressive enough to satisfy their constituents, or if they are too aggressive, they will be accountable to those voters in short order.

6. A smart prosecutor will see the advantages of waiting. Once the president is no longer in office  a day that can be brought nearer through impeachment  his argument for immunity from prosecution becomes much weaker. This gives any prosecutor a good reason to be patient and wait, either for impeachment and removal, for resignation, or for the natural end of the presidents term. This principle was seen in action when President Clintons pursuer Robert Ray  Kenneth Starrs successor  appeared ready to prosecute before he and Clinton negotiated a settlement on Clintons last full day in office.

7. Even if convicted, a sitting president might be able to pardon himself. A final reason that prosecuting a sitting president would be awkward is that, at least for federal charges, he could immediately grant himself a pardon. No one is sure whether a presidential self-pardon would be valid and there are good arguments on both sides. President Nixon considered pardoning himself, but decided against it. A president who tried to pardon himself would surely pay a huge political price. But any president who was politically weak enough that he was facing prosecution and impeachment (not necessarily in that order) would likely have nothing to lose. Of course, a president could try to pardon himself regardless of whether there was an active criminal investigation against him. But doing so could hasten his impeachment  which the pardon power cannot touch. Once again, impeachment saves the day.

When it comes to the presidency, politics often trump law. This reflects our constitutional design. In many ways, it is a feature, not a defect. But the upshot of it is that those interested in getting to the bottom of whether President Trump obstructed justice should look to Congress first and foremost.

Brian Kalt is a professor of law at Michigan State and the author of Constitutional Cliffhangers: A Legal Guide for Presidents and Their Enemies.
Trump accommodated his Islamophobia to his Saudi hosts specifications. Photo: Bandar Algaloud/Saudi Kingdom Council Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

When we learned Donald Trump was going to give a major speech on Islam in Saudi Arabiapenned by career Islamophobe Stephen Miller, no lessthere were reasons to fear the president might cause a major international scandal, either by insulting his hosts or by perpetuating the American habit of explaining other peoples religions to them.

Now that Trump has delivered his speech, the latter concern remains. But as it turns out his hosts were probably delighted by his words (much as they might snicker at its presumptuousness), since Trumps whole take was to identify with the Saudi regimes belief that it perfectly represents true Islam, as opposed to, well, the entire Shia tradition, and those unruly Sunni insurgencies that threaten the stability Riyadh most values.

As Peter Beinart noted, Trumps speech fell well short of Obamas famous and much-derided (especially by Trump) 2009 Cairo address when it came to speaking truth to power:

Trump criticized terrorist groups like ISIS for their persecution of Jews, and he condemned Iran for pledging the destruction of Israel. But since ISIS and Iran are Riyadhs most bitter foes, those condemnations wont have bothered the Saudi monarchs at all. Unlike Obama, Trump avoided the broader problem of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in Islamic countries, a problem in which his Saudi hosts are deeply complicit. Nor did he even hint at the fact that Saudi Arabia still does not recognize Israel.

On the question of womens rights, it was much the same. Trump attacked jihadist terrorists for the oppression of women. But he described King Salmans government as a virtual beacon of womens rights. Saudi Arabias Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development, Trump declared. You would never have known that women in the Kingdom still cant drive.

Beinart attributes this kowtowing to the Saudis to Trumps chronic inability to repeat nasty things he has said about people to their face. Trump is a coward, he says. But there is a another, less psychological explanation: that Trumps speech represents an accommodation of his domestic political attacks on radical Islamic terrorism to a foreign policy focused on opposing Iran and ISIS at every turn.

By any reasonable standard, from its founding Saudi Arabia has always been and remains the chief exporter and financier of radical Islam, in the sense of subsidizing massive missionary activity aimed at promoting the rigid, quasi-totalitarian Wahhabi sect. As a New York Times report on Saudi influence last year put it:

There is a broad consensus that the Saudi ideological juggernaut has disrupted local Islamic traditions in dozens of countries  the result of lavish spending on religious outreach for half a century, estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. The result has been amplified by guest workers, many from South Asia, who spend years in Saudi Arabia and bring Saudi ways home with them. In many countries, Wahhabist preaching has encouraged a harshly judgmental religion, contributing to majority support in some polls in Egypt, Pakistan and other countries for stoning for adultery and execution for anyone trying to leave Islam.

But its also clear that the Saudi regime wants to combat all sorts of politically inconvenient fallout from the rapid spread of the very brand of exclusivist Sunni Islam it and its associated charities and foundations try to replicate around the world. So in practice what you have is an effort to distinguish radical Islam from terrorism. The ultimate product is the Orwellian idea of a Riyadh-based Global Center For Combating Extremist Ideology, which Trump helped open over the weekend. With all due respect to the Saudi regimes authentic (if sometimes ambivalent or even double-dealing) hostility towards terrorist activity, this is a bit like opening a democracy think-tank in Moscowwhich for all we know could be a Trump project down the road.

In any event, being able to pretend that Saudi Arabia is not only innocent of complicity in radical Islamic terrorisma contention Donald Trump repeatedly rejected before becoming president but is Americas chief ally in fighting it will square a lot of circles for the Trump administration. He may get some blowback from conservative evangelical clergy upset at this obvious whitewashing of Wahhabism. But insofar as there arent a whole lot of Saudis becoming refugees to Europe and the United States, Trumps less theologically inclined supporters might have no problem with the presidents new buddies, particularly if he continues to be uninhibited in his attacks on Iranians and ISIS and the threat posed by refugees from the Syrian hellscape. We can only imagine what the Saudis will say to each other about this blatantly non-religious man after he has moved on to other stops in his Abrahamic faiths tour of 2017.
The silent type. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Michael Flynn is keeping quiet. Trumps former national security adviser will invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination Monday, when he informs the Senate Intelligence Committee that he will not honor its subpoena, the Associated Press reports.

Flynns decision is not a surprise. The Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee announced last week that Flynn was not honoring its request for private documents. And legal experts have suggested that such defiance is probably wise. The retired general has already learned the virtues of keeping quiet the hard way: Flynn agreed to speak with the FBI without a lawyer back in January, and, reportedly, lied to the agents about his conversations with the Russian ambassador  a felony offense that could land him in jail.

Flynn has previously signaled a willingness to cooperate with the Senate committee in exchange for immunity from unfair prosecution.

The retired generals tenure in the White House was cut short by revelations that he had misled Vice-President Pence about the nature of his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Weeks after his departure, Flynn acknowledged that he had been on the payroll of the Turkish government while serving as a top surrogate and adviser to Trumps campaign  even as the GOP standard-bearer accused his rival of making pay-to-play arrangements with foreign governments.



Weeks after that, news broke that Flynn had neglected to list three Russia-linked sources of income  including $45,000 in speaking fees from the Kremlin-backed RT news network  in his legally required White House ethics forms.

Last month, the top Democratic and Republican members of the House Oversight Committee announced that Flynns failure to disclose the payments he received from foreign governments likely constituted a violation of U.S. law.

That same day, Flynn reportedly told friends, I just got a message from the president to stay strong.
Brace Belden, formerly known as PissPigGranddad. Photo: Courtesy of Brace Belden

Earlier this month, the Trump administration settled a long debate by approving a plan to provide arms to the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia. The YPG has been one of the most effective forces against ISIS in Syria, and the American support is meant to aid an assault on Raqqa, the Syrian city that is one of ISISs largest remaining strongholds. The plan took so long to come to fruition largely because Turkey, Americas biggest ally against ISIS in the region, considers the YPG a terrorist organization. Turkeys prime minister has already condemned the plan, and its implementation will be closely scrutinized to see what kind of support will be offered, and how the U.S. will make good on promises to reclaim the weapons after the battle ends.

Its not like theyre gonna give the YPG a bunch of tanks, Brace Belden, a 27-year-old American who volunteered with the YPG last year, said a week ago. Theres not really any details, so well see what it actually means. Belden was speaking from San Francisco, where he returned a few weeks ago after spending six months as a member of the YPG and becoming a minor figure in the conflict thanks to his irreverent dispatches under the Twitter handle @PissPigGranddad. Belden earned more than 30,000 followers, most of them in the left-leaning corners of Twitter, and found upon his return that he had achieved a pseudo-celebrity that he wasnt quite sure how to feel about. I kind of wish I hadnt made my name PissPigGranddad, Belden said, mentioning that people in real life had begun to identify him from his internet persona. I picked it before I ever thought anyone would say it to me out loud.

One major development in Beldens post-Syria life is that @PissPigGranddad is no more. A few weeks after he got back from Syria, Belden received a message from Twitter alerting him that his account had been suspended as a result of accusations of targeted abuse or harassment. This wasnt the first time this had happened  in Syria, Belden says he was suspended for a day after making a joke about the boyish appearance of a political pundit and threatening to call the mans mother  but this time, the banishment turned out to be permanent. In early May, Belden received another email from Twitter explaining that he had violated rules around participating in targeted abuse, and that his account would not be restored. His new handle, if you care to find him, is @PissPigGrandma.

I picked it before I ever thought anyone would say it to me out loud.

Belden said it was weird being back in the U.S. He had recently learned that several YPG fighters he knew had been wounded, and his first commander, a woman who was part of the YPGs all-female fighting brigade, had been killed in a bombing. Some stuff happened back there that Im glad I wasnt there for, he said, referencing the American militarys air strikes against the Syrian government in early April. At the time, Belden was in a safe house in Iraq, before boarding a series of flights to Cairo, Vienna, Frankfurt, and eventually San Francisco, where he and his girlfriend had been fretting about what impact the Trump administrations embrace of extreme vetting might have on an American who had joined a foreign militia: Several days before Beldens return, another American YPG volunteer had been detained at the airport for four hours. Belden was pulled aside for questioning at SFO, but said the experience was a relative breeze. I spent about an hour talking to some guy who tried to get information out of me, but he didnt know what he was talking about, Belden said. I think they just Googled me while he was talking to me.

Belden is now settling back into life in the Bay Area, working part-time for the San Francisco Tenants Union, and dealing with his pseudo-celebrity. An advocacy organization called Bay Area Mesopotamia Solidarity invited him to speak at one of its meetings, while reporters and TV producers have come calling with various offers. I have a fucking million emails from people at Vice, Belden said. They think Im like the perfect Vice story. He had heard from some book agents interested in turning his Twitter feed into something longer-form, but insisted that he wasnt interested in writing a memoir. If you do the bullet points of what my life has been, it sounds pretty interesting, Belden said. But I certainly havent learned any actual lessons.

Beldens Twitter punishment probably didnt come as a big surprise to those who watched his feed closely. There were certainly no shortage of jocular threats to be found, all of which he insists werent meant to be taken seriously. But he also seemed to begrudgingly admit that it may be best for Twitter to take even playful threats seriously, given the difficulty of judging real threats from fake ones. A spokesman for Twitter declined to comment on the specifics of Beldens punishment, but as far as Belden could tell, his suspension ultimately happened like this: A week after his return to the U.S., Belden went to protest a rally of far-right groups in Berkeley. At the rally, he posted several photos of Nathan Damigo, the white nationalist who was caught on tape that day punching a female protester, in which Belden mocked Damigos height. Belden says that he later saw chatter from several alt-right figures talking about reporting him to Twitter en masse in the hopes of getting him suspended. It was just a bunch of Nazis/4chan dudes who were mad at me for making fun of that guy for being short, Belden said.

But victories in online warfare are short, too, and earlier this week, Belden was back as PissPigGrandma. His initial tweet suggested that he hadnt learned any particular lesson: I mean seriously my guy was 48 tops, he wrote, alongside a photo of Damigo. Belden is already back up to more than 11,000 followers.
The Supreme Court. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

North Carolinas congressional districts were so gerrymandered in 2016 that Republicans won 10 of the states 13 House seats, even as 46 percent of the states voters backed Hillary Clinton.

But for North Carolina Republicans, that map wasnt nearly gerrymandered enough.



The party had tried to redraw the states district lines so that African-Americans would be packed even more densely into two firmly Democratic districts. The Tar Heel State GOP argued that this move was constitutional, since they were not diluting the influence of black voters for the sake of racial discrimination, but merely for that of partisan advantage. (It is a testament to the sorry state of American democracy that Republicans felt comfortable making this their official defense: We are changing the rules of the electoral system to diminish the political power of a racial minority, but only to insulate ourselves from popular rebuke.)

That argument failed in federal court last year, and a remedial map was adopted for the 2016 elections. And on Monday, the partys lawyers failed again before the highest court in the land.



The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the new lines for District 1, ruling that lawmakers had relied too heavily on race in redrawing its boundaries. The court split 5 to 3 on the constitutionality of District 12, with Clarence Thomas joining the courts four liberal jurists in striking it down.

The ruling leaves 2016s remedial congressional map in place  for now, anyway. Democrats hope to develop a broader constitutional challenge to partisan gerrymandering that would take aim at North Carolinas 2016 lines, along with those of other red states.

This will serve as a clear warning to Republican legislatures everywhere that if they illegally racially gerrymander, they will be held to account in court, said Marc Elias, a Democratic attorney who argued the North Carolina case before the Supreme Court, told Politico. This decision lays the groundwork for the challenge to the Republican remedial map  They werent going to rule on the [partisan gerrymandering] case until they heard and decided on the merits of the [racially gerrymandering] case.
Somehow, this is not the weirdest part. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Expectations for President Trumps first trip abroad were not very high, but so far, it appears hes exceeded them. Trump left Saudi Arabia on Sunday without starting a diplomatic incident, and while an odd photo of the president gripping a glowing orb sparked a new meme, theres actually a reasonable explanation. (If you can accept that someone thought it was a good idea for world leaders to mark the opening of Riyadhs Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology by placing their hands on a globe in a gesture of solidarity.)

Still, members of the Trump administration managed to generate plenty of controversies during their weekend in Saudi Arabia, and many aspects of the trip were downright bizarre. Heres a few of the weirdest elements that dont involve world leaders reenacting a scene from Indiana Jones.

Trump's Warm Welcome in a Nation He Said Was Behind 9/11

It would be odd for any president to make Saudi Arabia their first foreign destination. While recent presidents have warmed up with a jaunt to Canada or Mexico, Trump opted for a whirlwind tour of the religious centers for Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. To make matters worse, during the campaign Trump said Saudi Arabia wants women as slaves and to kill gays, and suggested on more than one occasion that they were behind the 9/11 attacks (which is not totally off the mark).

Yet Trump got a particularly warm welcome in the kingdom on Saturday. American flags and billboards featuring Trump tweets appeared around Riyadh, and King Salman greeted the president on the tarmac as he exited Air Force One. President Obama got a far chillier reception last year.

This probably isnt how Trumps base pictures U.S.-Saudi relations when they heard their candidate say the Saudis kill women and treat women horribly. But apparently, as president, Trump prioritizes isolating Iran and pleasing strongman-type leaders over advocating for Iranian women. As for the Saudis, New Yorks Eric Levitz explained that its not in their best interest to hold a grudge:

Once you get past his theories about 9/11 and the nature of Islam, Trump is close to the ideal American leader, from the Saudi perspective. The president has evinced more respect for dictatorial strength than human rights; views foreign policy in transactional terms; places a premium on loyalty; surrounds himself with fanatically anti-Tehran generals; and appears deeply susceptible to manipulation through flattery.

Trump's Muted Speech on Islam

Having a president repeatedly accused of Islamophobia deliver a speech on Islam before representatives of more than 50 Muslim countries sounded like a comically bad idea from the start. Then last week, we learned that it would be penned Senior Policy Adviser Stephen Miller, who has his own history of anti-Muslim rhetoric, and who drafted the original Muslim ban that was struck down by the courts.

In a shocking turnaround during his speech on Sunday, Trump noted that Muslims are the most frequent targets of terror groups like ISIS, and said the West is not engaged in a clash of civilizations with the Muslim world. This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations, he said. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between Good and Evil.

Though he attacked President Obama and Hillary Clinton for refusing to use the term radical Islamic extremism, Trump never uttered the full phrase during his speech. Sunday on ABCs This Week, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster made the case against using the term, and suggested Trump wouldnt.

McMaster hints tomorrow's speech will mark break from Trump's campaign rhetoric on "radical Islamic terrorism": https://t.co/016pdxfxu1 pic.twitter.com/BN9AqoVbYc  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 20, 2017

Trumps prepared remarks said Arab leaders must confront the crisis of Islamist extremism, but he went off-script there, saying, Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds.

While there were dashes of more Trumpian rhetoric, as New Yorks Jesse Singal points out, much of Trumps speech could have come from presidents George W. Bush or Barack Obama, who both took pains to emphasize that the U.S. was not at war with Islam. The more orthodox members of Trumps foreign-policy team, like McMaster and Defense Secretary James Mattis, still subscribe to that view, and, Singal says, Overall its hard to read Trumps speech and not view it as a forceful rebuke to the worldview advanced by Miller and Bannon (even if Miller wrote it).

Trump's Embrace of Saudi Culture

Saudi Arabia is an important U.S. ally, yet they persecute peaceful dissidents, women, LGBT people, and religious minorities. Theyre also currently using U.S. planes and weapons to help create a famine in Yemen. Presidents dating back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt have ignored Saudi Arabias treatment of its own people to further U.S. interests, but as the Washington Posts Anne Applebaum notes, Until now American presidents made it clear that, while we have to deal with Saudi leaders, we dont endorse their culture.

Trump officials made little effort to signal their reservations with the Saudis. In fact, Trump said during his speech on Sunday, We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all.

The president and his cabinet officials awkwardly participated in an all-male sword dance (as George W. Bush did).

Pres. Trump dances along with boisterous welcome ceremony in Saudi Arabia https://t.co/3tMjbVD7Ly pic.twitter.com/1bjbtGZP1G  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 20, 2017

please enjoy this footage of the secretaries of commerce and state dancing awkwardly while holding swords pic.twitter.com/KrkoGRS8fW  David Mack (@davidmackau) May 20, 2017

During President Obamas first trip to Saudi Arabia he sparked a massive controversy when he appeared to bow to King Abdullah (though his predecessors had bowed to other world leaders). Trump complained about this repeatedly over the years:

.@BarackObama bowed to the Saudi King in public--yet the Dems are questioning @MittRomney's diplomatic skills.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2012

On Saturday, Trump pulled this maneuver, which some interpreted as a bow:

Thanks, Obama, for making Trump bow here! pic.twitter.com/6doahsQUzc  Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) May 20, 2017

Its possible that trolling Obama, not pleasing his Saudi hosts, was Trumps primary goal. Melania and Ivanka Trump opted not to wear a head scarf, breaking the kingdoms dress code. This isnt uncommon for foreign women visiting Saudi Arabia, but some were incensed when Michelle Obama did it:

Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted.We have enuf enemies  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2015

Ivanka and Melania Trump Praise Saudi Women's "Empowerment"

Ivanka Trumps book Women Who Work was panned as out-of-touch by many working women in America, so imagine how awkward it was when she presented an only slightly modified version of that message at a round table with Saudi women.

In every country, including the United States, women and girls face challenges, Trump said. Saudi Arabias progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging, she continued, but theres still a lot of work to be done.

The 15 women Ivanka met were highly educated professionals, but critics said she missed an opportunity to highlight the real issues facing women there. All the women that Ivanka Trump met have a guardian, Aziza al-Yousef, a 58-year-old Saudi activist, told the Post.

All these achievements depend on whether youre lucky to be born in a family where your guardian will be understanding, will help you, Yousef said. If Ivanka is interested in women empowerment and human rights, she should see activists, and not just officials.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates did announce during the trip that they would donate $100 million to a World Bank fund for female entrepreneurs, which Ivanka came up with. The donation was not without controversy, however, as President Trump frequently attacked the Clinton Foundation for accepting money from oppressive regimes such as Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the First Lady praised the Saudis for making advances in the empowerment of women.

Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women. pic.twitter.com/bXdES83w3P  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 21, 2017

Tillerson Appears Before Foreign Press, Not Americans

Rex Tillerson made American reporters feel at home by continuing to snub them overseas. The secretary of State held a press conference with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, and only the foreign press was invited.

State Department spokesperson R.C. Hammond was more conciliatory than usual, explaining that Tillerson received the invitation at the last minute. Under different circumstances, U.S. media would have been alerted, Hammond said. Steps were immediately taken to ensure a transcript could be produced and distributed to reporters. Ideally, members of the U.S. press corps should have had the option to attend the press conference and ask questions.

Israeli journalists accused Saudi Arabia of a far less innocent snub. Orly Azoulay, Gil Tamary, and Dan Raviv, who are all U.S. citizens covering Trump for Israeli outlets, said the kingdom denied their visas.

Everyone is saying that the Saudis are changing, but when a reporter for an Israeli outlet wants to join the U.S. presidents press corps, he is not allowed on the plane, Tamary said.

Trump Admits He's Already Tired

When asked why he ad-libbed the line Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds, an administration official said President Trump deviated from his prepared remarks because hes tired:

On @POTUS deviating from prepared text on "Islamist extremism" to say "Islamic extremism," admin official explains: "Just an exhausted guy"  Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) May 21, 2017

At a briefing with reporters a WH official said POTUS is "exhausted." https://t.co/0ll7Y4U1nt  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 21, 2017

Most presidents wouldnt want their staff to admit that at the start of an eight-day foreign trip, but its particularly unfortunate considering how Trump made a huge issue out of Hillary Clintons stamina during the campaign. And of course, since theres a Trump tweet for every occasion, he also mocked Obama for being too sluggish to carry out his presidential duties in 2014.
Just so you understand, I never said that that the Israeli agent who infiltrated ISIS has a mole beneath his left eye. Photo: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

A couple weeks ago, Donald Trump was chatting with Russias foreign minister about what a nut job James Comey is, when the president decided to let the Kremlin in on the hot new gossip about ISIS.

Specifically, Trump decided to share intelligence that Israel had provided the United States  on the condition that it not be shared without Israeli permission  with the Russian government. More specifically, Trump disclosed the name of the city where the intelligence was gathered, information that Putins regime  a staunch ally of Israels bitter enemies in Tehran  could plausibly use to deduce the sources and methods that yielded the information.

This did not please Israel. Nor did it sit well with intelligence professionals in D.C., several of whom proceeded to anonymously inform Washington Post reporters of what the gasbag-in-chief had done.

Still, when Trump arrived in Jerusalem Monday, no one in the U.S. or Israeli government had publicly confirmed that he had spilled Israels beans. Best to retain official ambiguity, the two governments ostensibly reasoned, even if extensive reporting made Trumps unauthorized disclosure difficult to deny.

But then some Israeli journalists shouted questions about the matter at the end of a Trump-Netanyahu photo-op  and the president decided to defend himself by accidentally, implicitly confirming that hed let Russia in on the Jewish states secrets.

Just so you understand, Trump said,just so you understand  I never mentioned the word or the name Israel in conversation. Never mentioned it.

His comments just confirmed it was Israel something no U.S official had admitted!! https://t.co/duwH9S6sEI  Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) May 22, 2017

They are all saying I did, the president continued, oblivious to Bibi Netanyahus worried glances. Never mentioned the word Israel.

Nobody was saying he did. The New York Times never claimed that Trump had told Lavrov, Ya know, many Mossad agents are saying that ISIS is doing computer bombs. Rather the paper reported that Trump

provided enough details to effectively expose the source of the information and the manner in which it had been collected.

On Monday, the press gave Trump a chance to deny or ignore that report. Instead, he asked to be given credit for not blurting out the name, nationality, and GPS coordinates of the spy who gathered the details hed divulged  and tacitly confirmed that hed shared information of Israeli origin, in the process.

Forty seconds into this video of the exchange, you can almost see Bibi Netanyahu wonder if the black guy who didnt want a war with Iran might have been preferable to the meshuga schmuck standing beside him.
Jared Kushner, Donald Trump, Michael Flynn. Photo-Illustration: Daily Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

It may not have made sense for Donald Trump to fire James Comey, let alone for him to proceed to confess  in a public interview with Lester Holt, and then a putatively private meeting with Russian diplomats  that he did so in order to stop the Russia investigation. But the flurry of new reports over the last few days has given the puzzling sequence of events a more coherent shape. Within the warped internal logic of the Trump presidency  where it is taken as a given by essentially everybody around him that the president is impulsive and grotesquely ignorant  his shocking actions and statements have a more understandable basis.

A week ago, it appeared that the probe would center around the activities of a handful of figures who are now marginal within Trumpworld: former campaign manager Paul Manafort, foreign policy adviser Carter Page, and deposed National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. That has changed. The Washington Post reported Friday that investigators have identified a current White House official as a person of interest in its financial probe. (The story hinted, and New York Magazine contributor Yashar Ali confirmed, that the person is Jared Kushner.)

Ominously for Trump, the Post reports that the FBI is determining whether any financial crimes were committed by people close to the president. While Kushners public persona differs wildly from that of the president in the functioning of his real-estate work, he is a kind of mini Trump. Inheriting an empire from his father, he has operated in gray areas of the world economy and positioned himself to gain handsomely from Trumps election. Kushner has met with the head of a Russian bank functionally controlled by Vladimir Putin. He appears to be eager to use his proximity to Trump to make a buck; his family business is exploiting the familial connection to sell visas in China. Trump himself has a long, nontransparent history of business dealings with organs of the Russian state. (Last week, The Wall Street Journal dug up another case.)

All this implies that the probe is scrutinizing the financial aspects of Trumps business, which is a family operation. While some Trump advisers opposed the firing of Comey, Kushner reportedly advocated for it. That fact may seem strange if one thinks of Kushner as a voice of pragmatism. But it is easier to understand if you think of him as a figure sitting near the heart of a financial scandal, who harbors a strong interest in suppressing the investigation.

Another thing that has changed over the last week is the centrality of Michael Flynn, the fired national security adviser. While his tenure was extremely brief, Flynn turns out to have been both far more corrupt and far closer to Trump than previously understood. An early supporter of Trump when the Republican establishment had frozen him out, Flynn publicly endorsed the Russian hacks of Democratic party emails. (What they have decided to do and what theyve decided to expose, you know, well have to wait and see whats about to come out, he said. Whats been exposed is the level of corruption. I mean, theres an enormous level of corruption thats been exposed in our election system.)

During his brief tenure, Flynn engaged in breathtaking corruption of his official duties. As national security adviser, Flynn ordered a delay in a key assault on ISIS in Raqqa, Syria. The delay comported with the desires of the Turkish government, which had paid Flynn more than half a million dollars. While largely blotted out by the shock of daily revelations about Trump, in a normal news environment this revelation would have mushroomed into a first-tier scandal of its own. It is hard to think of a historical case in which a major American military action has been influenced so corruptly by a foreign power.

Flynns downfall took about 24 hours following revelations of Russian ties.

And while the broad contours of Flynns relations with Turkey and, especially, Russia have been known, the depths have not. One report found Russians boasting privately that they believed they could use Flynn to manipulate Trump. Another report, vindicating the first, reveals that Trump continues to profess loyalty to Flynn. The president regrets having fired him and remains angry at the investigation of his reported misdeeds. Yet another scoop recounts that Flynn told friends that Trump had contacted him after his firing and seemed to encourage him not to to flip. I just got a message from the president to stay strong, Flynn told friends last month.

What do these new revelations tell us? Flynns legal risk, and Trumps personal investment in him, are both much higher than we understood. And we are seeing that financial corruption is playing a more central role in the scandal.

The official White House line maintains  or has tried to maintain  that the administration welcomes special prosecutor Robert Mueller and sees his work as a chance to dispel the cloud of suspicion needlessly hanging over the presidency. Their actions suggest a very different calculation. From Trumps campaign to ensure the loyalty of his FBI director, to his subsequent firing of him, to his tweet-rages against the special prosecutor as an unfair witch hunt  all of this indicates high levels of panic in the Oval Office. Trump has almost certainly engaged in obstruction of justice for the simple reason that there is a lot of justice to obstruct.
Everyone says this necklace looks tremendous. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

To understand why Donald Trumps speech in Riyadh on Sunday was such a profound abandonment of his stated  or at least strongly implied  principles on the fight against terrorism, its helpful to quickly remember how his two most recent predecessors approached the problem rhetorically. For all their foreign-policy differences, after all, former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush sounded fairly similar notes in how they talked about terrorism. Both emphasized that the U.S. is not at war with Islam. Both made it clear that they viewed religiously inspired terror attacks perpetrated by Muslims to be perversions of the faith, not a reflection of its true values. And both touted the importance of building fruitful alliances with the Muslim world, particularly on matters of terrorism and security.

During Obamas two terms in office, he received a huge amount of criticism for sticking to this approach. Critics accused him of refusing to use the term Islamic extremism, of downplaying the threat of terrorism, and of being politically correct in his refusal to acknowledge the role of the faith itself in the security challenges facing so much of the world. Some of these critiques came from mainstream Republicans. Other, more vociferous and spittle-flecked iterations came from members of the far-right anti-Muslim counter-jihadist movement centered around organizations like Frank Gaffneys Center for Security Policy. This group, which includes David Horowitz, Debbie Schlussel, and others, believes America is, in fact, at war with the Muslim faith itself (though, in their view, the mainstream is in denial about this). As Voxs Zach Beauchamp put it in his indispensable article on the subject, these figures comprise a vast and growing ecosystem that exists just out of sight of most Americans  one that has spent years pushing the notion that there is a creeping, quiet plot to take over America from within. Muslims are inherently warlike, argue the Gaffneys of the world, will never assimilate, and deep down, no matter what else they want to claim, are hoping to run roughshod over the democratic West, replacing its norms and institutions with Sharia law.

This toxic and bigoted view has spread far and wide, helped along by the explosion of far-right outlets like Breitbart and its (even) less rigorous and fair-minded cousins in recent years. Which is why so many people were disturbed to see Trump appoint Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Sebastian Gorka, all of whom subscribe to these views, to prominent positions within his administration (Bannon has called Gaffney, who has spread some truly unhinged conspiracy theories about the Obama administrations supposed connection to terror groups, one of the senior thought leaders and men of action in this whole war against Islamic radical jihad.) On the other hand, Trump has also appointed more orthodox foreign-policy figures like James Mattis and H.R. McMaster, and whatever one thinks of them and their records, they are not counter-jihadists. In fact, they likely view Gaffneyesque hysteria as a hindrance to truly understanding and fighting back against terrorism (thats the near-consensus among other members of their intellectual community, at least).

So there has always been an ideological battle raging within the administration. And if you take Trumps remarks today at anything like face value  an admittedly fraught exercise given his tendency to hurl himself violently off-script at any moment  the McMaster cohort has routed the opposition.

As you read the following transcript of those remarks, remember that they were delivered by a president who railed at Hillary Clinton for not using the term Islamic to describe the threat of terrorism; who proposed a ban on all Muslims entering the U.S.; who later signed an executive order banning refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, a move that foreign-policy experts agreed served no useful security purpose; who criticized the apology tour Obama ostensibly conducted early in his first term; who has called for the murder of ISIS members families; and who appointed the aforementioned counter-jihadists to positions of power. Yet this is what Trump said in Riyadh:

America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship.  Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred. And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples.  But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll [of terrorism] has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence. Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.  Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the worlds great faiths Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith. Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.  This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between Good and Evil.

Whats remarkable about these excerpts is how closely they track with Obamas rhetoric, and progressive rhetoric on this subject more generally. His observation that terrorists (meaning ISIS in this case) kill more Muslims than anyone else is a frequent liberal rebuttal to the Gaffneyesque view that Muslims themselves are the problem. The word Islamic, meanwhile, was uttered by Trump three times, but not once was it followed by extremism or terrorism.

Now, to be fair, there were also elements of the speech that had a bit of a Trumpian flair to them  naturally, Trump bestowed upon the Middle East the responsibility to drive out terrorists without acknowledging just how many of those terrorists have been created by past U.S. foreign-policy blunders. And Trump didnt take the usual tack of referencing the golden age of Islamic thought and culture, seeming instead to reference a disproportionate number of historical wonders  Giza, Luxor and Alexandria  that predated the faiths rise in the Middle East. So it might be the case that Trumps most ardent supporters can squint, spin around a few times to dizzy themselves, and claim to see in his remarks coded references to his once-muscular-sounding approach to fighting extremism. (Many counter-jihadists like Gaffney believe that everyday Muslims practice taqiyya  the practice, almost entirely fictional and based on misreadings of Islamic law, of lying about their real-world intentions to advance the goals of jihad and Shariah. Maybe Gaffney can justify Trumps remarks to himself by claiming Trump is engaging in an American version of taqiyya to appease all those damn p.c. liberals.)

Theres a broader policy context here, too, of course, that its important to not lose sight of. During the speech, Trump touted a $110 billion arms deal he just signed with the Saudis at a time when Saudi Arabia has been accused by many rights organizations of the near-indiscriminate bombing and killing civilians as part of an ongoing fight against Houthi rebels in Yemen. In fact, one of the Obama administrations final significant foreign-policy acts was to block the sale of some weapons to the Saudis specifically because of the Kingdoms conduct in Yemen. For Trump to have signed this agreement  and to have done so as he explicitly signaled a lack of desire to make any demands of our Saudi allies with regard to their human-rights abuses  is a serious moral failure. The Yemenis living in fear of American-supplied weaponry probably arent all that interested in whether or not Trumps rhetoric is Islamophobic. (Trump to Reward Saudi War Crimes With Weapons went the headline of an article by a Human Rights Watch researcher.)

But still: Words and framing do matter in the long run, especially when it comes to a subject like terrorism in which the words politicians do and dont use have taken on such a heightened political potency. And overall its hard to read Trumps speech and not view it as a forceful rebuke to the worldview advanced by Miller and Bannon. Which is particularly odd given that it was supposedly written by Miller himself. This sort of incoherence and short-term flip-flopping isnt new to Trump, of course, but think about all the people who supported him because of his supposed toughness on the questions of terror and jihad. He just gave a speech extolling Islam, extolling the Saudis themselves, and specifically denouncing the idea of an inherent link between terrorism committed in the name of Islam and the faith itself. Even if, as all the evidence suggests, were in a new political world where nothing matters and everything is crazy  and even if tomorrow Trump returns to his more explicit anti-Muslim rhetoric  this is a shocking turnaround.
Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Over the weekend, The Guardian published Facebooks extensive internal guidelines for graphic and violent posts on the social network. The rule book has been, until now, secret for two primary reasons. The first is that by knowing the rules, they become easier for users to skirt around. The second reason is that Facebook is, and has always been, a company reluctant to admit that it needs thousands of human eyeballs to monitor the billions of posts made on the platform every day.

Spelled out in explicit detail, the guidelines can seem downright callous. They state what to do  or not do  when moderators are confronted with death threats, violent videos, posts celebrating other violent content, and attempts to self-harm (among many other possible scenarios). As summarized by The Guardian:

Remarks such as Someone shoot Trump should be deleted, because as a head of state he is in a protected category. But it can be permissible to say: To snap a bitchs neck, make sure to apply all your pressure to the middle of her throat, or fuck off and die because they are not regarded as credible threats.



Videos of violent deaths, while marked as disturbing, do not always have to be deleted because they can help create awareness of issues such as mental illness.



Some photos of non-sexual physical abuse and bullying of children do not have to be deleted or actioned unless there is a sadistic or celebratory element.



Photos of animal abuse can be shared, with only extremely upsetting imagery to be marked as disturbing.



All handmade art showing nudity and sexual activity is allowed but digitally made art showing sexual activity is not.



Videos of abortions are allowed, as long as there is no nudity.



Facebook will allow people to livestream attempts to self-harm because it doesnt want to censor or punish people in distress.





In succinct form, the guidelines can sound galling. At the same time, Facebook knows what any regular internet user quickly picks up on: People commonly express disdain or disagreement by threatening or calling for violence in generally facetious and unserious ways. Its easier to fire off threats from behind the veil of anonymity or pseudonymity than it is to say the same thing directly to someones face. Context matters.

And yet, what is Facebook supposed to do? For months, Facebook has been struggling with how to determine context. Last October, it was taken to task by a Norwegian newspaper, which had been penalized for uploading the infamous napalm girl photo from the Vietnam War. As the company admitted in a blog post at the time, Whether an image is newsworthy or historically significant is highly subjective. Images of nudity or violence that are acceptable in one part of the world may be offensive  or even illegal  in another. Respecting local norms and upholding global practices often come into conflict.

Facebook still seems determined to construct a single global community of nearly 2 billion people with differing cultures and standards. In February, Mark Zuckerberg published a meandering, 6,000-word manifesto about the issue, stating that he wants to make Facebook the global communication layer between vastly differing cultures and governments.

When presented with Facebooks ultimate goal of uniting the world, and looking at the rules as impartially as one of the companys many content moderators might, what other choice does Facebook have except to be as permissible as is legally possible? (It should be noted that Twitter and Reddit had similarly laissez-faire models for this stuff.) The company is famously hesitant about acknowledging its need for human moderators to exert even minimal editorial control over the platform, and in his manifesto, Zuckerberg wrote of replacing them with artificial intelligence. That wont happen anytime soon, and in the meantime, the company is hiring another 3,000 people to monitor the network for video of murders and suicides.

At the heart of Facebooks moderation dilemma is the News Feed, the algorithmically ranked bundle of posts that is newly calculated every time you load it up. News Feed is architected in a way that encourages cross-pollination between different communities  just one user clicking Like on a video may cause it to appear in the feeds of dozens of their friends. Sharing is meant to be as frictionless as possible, because more sharing means more data to put to use for advertising purposes. That ease of sharing, even indirectly, is what makes Facebooks social network so powerful, and so perilous.

As users continue to migrate to more private forms of sharing (ephemeral sharing like Snapchat or group DMs), and as the News Feed continues to wither on the vine, Facebooks moderation problem could gradually fix itself. In his manifesto, Zuckerberg wrote that one of the keys to building his globalist megacommunity was enhancing the Groups product  in other words, his big community is actually a conglomeration of millions of tiny, semi-private ones. Many of these closed groups, even the largest ones, have posting guidelines stricter than Facebooks baseline, enabling them to effectively self-police in private (and reciprocally, groups focusing on objectionable content cannot spread their posts so easily). As fully public sharing decreases, and as users migrate to more intimate online spaces, the need to enforce strict global guidelines lessens.

But, because of how powerful News Feed distribution is, were still years away from a world in which you dont see graphic content and violent threats go viral across the network. The good news is that their eradication is not out of the realm of possibility.
Trump touched the orb. Photo: Bandar Algaloud/Saudi Royal Council/Andalou Agency/Getty Images

Of the many bizarre happenings on Donald Trumps ongoing trip to Saudi Arabia, perhaps none is stranger than an intimate  save for plenty of photographers documenting  moment when Saudi Arabias king Salman and Egypts president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, along with Trump, placed their hands on a glowing orb at the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. (Melania Trump, standing just behind her husband, did not, it appears, get to touch it.) Its a weird enough image on its own, but add Trump looking like the globe is both granting him a wish  a third scoop of ice cream, perhaps  and allowing him to peer into the future, and its meme-worthy. So, without further explanation, mostly because all Ive got is  its an orb, Select All is proud to present some of our favorite selections from Orb Twitter.

I PHOTOSHOPPED SARUMAN INTO TRUMP'S ORB PICTURE AND IT'S NOT EVEN WEIRD pic.twitter.com/cVJFGP5NPG  Shahak Shapira (@ShahakShapira) May 22, 2017

Trump During the Campaign: "I will NEVER touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles."

Trump Today: pic.twitter.com/eWoaDeXj8n  Nick Greene (@NickGreene) May 21, 2017

"this orb is so heavy melania can u carry it the rest of the w..." pic.twitter.com/IjjNf2YmUy  darth (@darth) May 22, 2017

Child: do you remember when Trump touched the Orb?



Me: Yes. None of us realized what it would-



Orb Police: HAIL ORB



Me & child: hail orb  Oat Brother Where Art Thou (@jephjacques) May 21, 2017

There is always an old Trump tweet for literally every occasion. Incredible! pic.twitter.com/NDeIxRT6gz  Ethan Booker (@Ethan_Booker) May 21, 2017

Wow, Trump just hasn't been the same since he touched that orb pic.twitter.com/qWLNNVk6Cp  pixelatedboat aka mr tweets (@pixelatedboat) May 21, 2017

tfw you and your friends unearth an ancient alien hell orb and combine your powers inside it to stop superman >>>>> pic.twitter.com/kzsYEKC4R0  jon hendren (@fart) May 21, 2017

when that dank orb hits pic.twitter.com/B559plLEnm  Matt Popovich (@mpopv) May 21, 2017

big deal some guys put their hands on a glowing orb it's not like they're going to get super powers oh my god this is how space jam started pic.twitter.com/3rGPNr4yPD  Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) May 22, 2017

trump 100% made a wish when he touched the orb pic.twitter.com/S0TlxgxtBY  waterslide enthusiast (@KrangTNelson) May 21, 2017

For clarification, this is not a Satanic ritual. pic.twitter.com/CccP39fqN4  The Church Of Satan (@ChurchofSatan) May 22, 2017

This is what happens when you disturb the orb. https://t.co/FOK5AHO3Ql  Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) May 22, 2017

All hail orb.
More female employees are suing Fox. Photo: Getty Images

Bill OReilly, Roger Ailes, and Bob Beckel are all out at Fox News, but the networks legal nightmare is ongoing. On Monday, yet another lawsuit was filed against the network by two female employees who said they faced racist harassment and were fired over their pregnancies, and a third who said she faced regular sexual harassment from a male colleague.

The latter, which was filed by Fox News Radio shift editor Kathleen Lee, claimed that radio anchor Ron Flatter subjected her to unrelenting sexual harassment after he was hired in 2013. According to the suit, Flatter used sexually explicit and inappropriate language, called female colleagues sluts and whores, and referred to one female anchor as the Title IX anchor. He would allegedly time how long it took Lee to use the bathroom, repeatedly call her useless, and comment on female anchors body types, hair, and attractiveness.

The suit also alleges that Flatters behavior was catching on  because of his comments, other male employees were emboldened to similarly demean and threaten female co-workers, it reads. In one instance, another male colleague told Lee he hoped she choked to death, which prompted a female co-worker of Lees to email Fox News Radio VP Mitch Davis. No one should have to deal with abuse like that, the female co-worker wrote. Please address this ASAP.

one Fox News Radio employee alleges this type of behavior: pic.twitter.com/J5Y7SVpyy1  Kelsey Sutton (@kelseymsutton) May 22, 2017

According to the suit, Davis did nothing to address the situation, and when Lee brought the issue to him herself, he told her to deal with it. She went to an HR higher-up, but that person also looked the other way and failed to act.

The other two plaintiffs say Judith Slater  the networks former controller, who was fired in March  made racist comments to them, and both said they were fired shortly after telling their bosses they were pregnant.

Fox is working on an overhaul of sorts, but many of the people who made the networks sexist culture possible are still in place. All of the senior leadership is the same, Margaret Hoover, a former Fox employee, said when discussing OReillys firing back in April. The culture is still there because the executives are still there.

Update [5/22/17, 4:20 p.m.]: After publication, the Cut received the following statement from Fox News:

We have consistently demonstrated that the Company is committed to a diverse workplace that is free from all forms of discrimination, takes any complaint of discrimination seriously, and in these particular matters took prompt, effective and, where necessary, strong remedial action. We believe these latest claims are without legal basis and look forward to proving that the Company at all times has acted appropriately, and lawfully, in connection with these matters.
Gabriela Hearst.

Uruguay-born, New York-based designer Gabriela Hearst has come a long way from the T-shirt line she started under the name Candela in 2004. After evolving Candela into a full contemporary brand, Hearst took things a big step further, launching an eponymous ready-to-wear line in 2015. This new line was partly a reinvention of the designers fashion identity, but also largely an embrace of what had been there all along: a commitment to sustainability, quality, and authenticity, whatever the cost. And the fashion world has fallen hard for Hearsts clothes, which center around covetable dresses, knitwear, suiting, and accessories in opulent but ethically sourced fabrications. The designer was recently awarded the 2016/17 International Woolmark Prize and nominated for the prestigious CFDA Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent.

Hearst grew up on a ranch in Uruguay, which she inherited in 2011, and its influence is palpable in both her designs and her way of doing business: always focused on the environment, with a less-is-more ethos. At a serious designer price point, the clothes certainly arent intended to be bought in bulk (a poplin shirtdress could set you back $1,795). But the clean lines, feminine silhouettes, and rancher-approved leathers make each piece worth the investment. Her calf leather Nina bag, for example, has been the toast of the fashion world since it launched last year. Its available in limited qualities only, for ecological reasons  a shopping hurdle thats only made it more desirable. You have to put yourself on the waiting list, Hearst says, noting that the bags are actually what has driven our business to be profitable this year.

Below, the designer talks sustainability, politics, and her new collaboration with Planned Parenthood. Read on for the full interview.

What inspired you to move from designing your contemporary line to starting Gabriela Hearst?

It started from a passion for quality. When I was doing a contemporary line [Candela], I was being pushed to have cheaper prices and cheaper quality. That is so far from my core beliefs, especially as a rancher; I felt very fragmented between what my beliefs are and what I was creating. The Gabriela Hearst brand really has a commitment to quality. Our factories and our vendors for our materials are usually Italian and French. They are family businesses, multigenerationals that have dedicated their lives to their craft. It was important to work with the best ingredients possible, like a chef: If you have access to the best ingredients, you know your food is going to get better.

Tell us more about your brand ethos.

A lot of people say to me, Youre so authentic, and the clothes are so authentic, and youre so real. I got used to hearing that, and I think it means that I try to not have a fragmented personality. I am the same way in my personal life as I am in my professional life. What I care about is the same.

What about your factories and producers in Europe?

The Italians are really, really good, because theyve been doing it for thousands of years, from Roman times. If youve ever dealt with a Italian supplier and made a comment or a critical comment on the product, its like youre offending their child. Its really an emotional connection to the product. In America, we have this point of view of, You know, its just business. For me, business is personal. Its the way you conduct yourself. When they say, Thats a good person, my grandfather used to say, I wouldnt know it, because I havent done business with him. Maybe its the Latin way.

Tell us more about the ranch.

The ranch really hasnt changed much in nearly 200 years, and weve always been sustainable; were so off the grid. Theres no central heating. Theres no AC. You have to have fireplaces in the winter, and you have to put on a lot of wool blankets, because it gets cold, and in the summer you have to close up the whole house and put the shades down so you can keep the coolness.

How have you addressed environmental issues with Gabriela Hearst?

I believe in sustainable practices, but its extremely daunting, You become obsessed with it. For example, getting coffee in the morning, and seeing the lid, I was like, Oh, shit. This will take 500 years to biodegrade. So its like, Okay, no lid. Im just going to get the cup. Its really about paying attention. One of the things that weve done was buy deadstock from the top mills  kind of [going] back to the time of owning less. When quantity starts to surpass quality, we all lose.

I have a complete hatred of plastic; I cannot describe it in another way. I found this material called Tipa, created by an Israeli woman, Daphna Nissenbaum, whos a software engineer. Its basically a flexible packaging alternative, meaning its a type of film that looks like plastic. You throw it in with your compost, and it will decompose in 24 weeks. Its a solution to a big problem.

Everything youre wearing right now, at one point, came wrapped in plastic. Were small guys, but if we get to implement this and show that it works, then hopefully one of the big guys can copy and use it.

Youve done a special sweater to benefit Planned Parenthood. Whats the story behind the design?

Since November, I felt that everything we were evolving to as a society had been attacked. We woke up to the what the fuck?! reality, right? I also became an American citizen in November, a week after the election, so I felt it was my duty to protect those things that are sacred in this country. Immigration, as an immigrant, is a sacred thing, and womens rights. Its not only about our bodies, our choice, but Planned Parenthood does so much more than that. I felt I had to do something. When I was doing the Woolmark competition, I had done a sketch with a ram and ovaries combining the idea of the ram and wool  my background  and the ovaries. Signs of strength. I did it as a sweater, and then people started to ask me about it. I have this mission of making $50,000 for Planned Parenthood, so I am selling these sweaters to benefit them.

Where in the city do you live?

The West Village. My kids go to school on the Upper East Side and my office is in Chelsea. So by 9 a.m., Ive traveled all over Manhattan.

Whats your favorite neighborhood spot?

I have this space where I have breakfast all the time called High Street on Hudson. They have the best eggs, the best bread  everythings amazing there.

What cant you live without?

Coffee and chocolate. My favorite is Pierre Marcolini, from Belgium. But they dont have it in New York anymore so I buy it when I travel. Then I like Pierre Herme and Vosges, the peanut butter one with sea salt  chocolate is very good for you.

Whats your fashion uniform?

Suits, in all permutations. Im very comfortable wearing my uniform; I dont have a lot of time to think about what Im wearing. I like shoes that are not very high or are only platforms, because Im not in the business of torturing women. I design my own; it cannot be a high heel anymore. It hurts your knees and ankles  forget about it.

Whats in your bag?

Right now Im carrying my backpack, the Billie. In it, I have a seven-pepper powder with cayenne and turmeric. I was at a lunch in Texas sitting next to this client, Moll Anderson, and she pulled out spices she makes herself to spice up her food, and I was like, I must try that! I now have it with me all the time. I also have these ginger tablets from Juice Press. Then I have a Pilot erasable pen, my Smythson journal that I write in everyday, and small Aspinal sketchbooks so I can sketch on the go  and a chocolate bar!

Which person from history would you most like to have dinner with?

From the fashion world, I would think Elsa Schiaparelli. Non-fashion would be Queen Victoria. I like how she strategized to marry all her children to all the different monarchies in Europe. Also, Elizabeth I. And from the art world, Salvador Dali. And if I could bring someone else, Bunuel. That would be a very interesting dinner party.

Whats your astrological sign?

Im definitely a Scorpio. Were a little bit witchy, juju. I notice especially days before my period, I get very sensitive and I can see things and figure things out very quickly.

What is on your reading list right now?

Im reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and the book by Obamas deputy chief of staff, Alyssa Mastromonaco; its about her experience working for his administration.

Whats next?

Were defining where we want our retail store, which we hope to have open in a year. I think to get a wider audience to appreciate the product, you need to touch it and feel it. Were looking at the Upper East Side, off Madison. Another one of the big things is that we actually took wool from our sheep farm and gave it to an Italian mill to produce fabric for the collection. This was my husbands idea. We are actually going to have suits made out of wool from the sheep of my farm in Uruguay! It came out beautiful.

Who would you like to see wearing your designs?

Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, is going to be wearing our dress when she gets honored at the CFDA awards, so Im looking forward to seeing her in it. I wouldnt mind seeing [senators] Catherine Cortez Masto or Kamala Harris  women who are very intelligent, but use their abilities in service of others.
Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Both of Olivia Wildes parents were Washington, D.C., journalists, so it should be no surprise that the actress is passionate about her politics, even when it comes to the politics of natural beauty. After being the face of Revlon, Wildes newest gig is being chief brand activist for True Botanicals, a natural beauty line that Unilever acquired a minority stake in last month. The Cut talked to Wilde and Christina Mace-Turner and Hillary Peterson, True Botanicals co-founders, about how politics affects natural beauty regulation, its surprising clinical results compared to La Mer, and the shit she got about her #NoMelaniaHair hashtag.

So you were with Revlon for many years and now youre the chief brand activist of True Botanicals. How did that happen?

OW: Im very proud of that title. It means my partnership goes beyond just being the face, in being a partner and telling the story in different creative ways. Im looking forward to helping consumers understand not only the products themselves and the experience in using them, but how theyre made, the supply chain, the ingredients, down to the packaging. If youre the face of the brand, its not really even asked of you. They dont expect you to have an interest in any of those things. Its an entirely different experience.

With Revlon, it wasnt jumping ship from one to the other. My relationship with Revlon ended in an organic, peaceful way. It was a fascinating experience to be part of a large brand. I learned a lot about the beauty industry through it. There was that space in between where I thought, I dont know if I will do anything like that again. I was even interested in creating something myself. I thought I was going to have to create a True Botanicals.

Who is going to make an effective nontoxic alternative? Who is going to make a company that is completely transparent and uses sustainable materials? Who is going to do all that and make it effective? I was learning that was needed, but wasnt finding the product itself.

When it came along, I thought, Thank God, I dont have to build this myself. I just wanted to be a part of it. It really genuinely feels like being part of a movement.

Why is there a need for it?

OW: It just doesnt exist. This is the only high-end natural skin care that actually works. We all try these things all the time. Nothing had been effective enough for me. And if it was, I would look deeper in the ingredients and find that it wasnt good enough. Youd find the packaging would be in plastic, even though it had a solid ingredient list. Or you realize its owned by a much larger company that has terrible toxic brands as well. I felt the need was clear and friends of mine, especially those who were mothers and trying to become more cognizant of what they were using, were looking for it too.

Apart from the desire to be natural, in getting older, I wanted to find something that was going to preserve our skin. Suddenly the concern about anti-aging popped up. Honestly, I didnt think at 33 I was going to want to look for the best anti-aging product.

We no longer have to accept that we will age so terribly by 40 that were going to have to get something done to ourselves. We also dont have to assume that if you want to preserve your skin, you have to use chemicals. Its a great time to be alive and be a woman. You deserve to use stuff thats better for you. At this point, it might take a little more research.

What made you become interested in natural beauty?

OW: Just because Im a curious person. If youre someone that thinks about what kind of food you eat, then why wouldnt you think about your skin? It just felt logical. Of course I dont want to accept that my beauty products should be toxic. I dont want to accept my food should be toxic. Becoming a mother intensifies it. Im a smart woman. Im thoughtful about the the things I surround myself with, so why wouldnt I be thoughtful about skin care?

How do politics affect natural beauty?

OW: People assume there is regulation where there just isnt. That comes from blindingly trusting that the government is protecting them. The EU has banned over 1,300 ingredients and the U.S. has banned less than 20. Thats staggering. The reasons behind it are entirely political. I think its shocking and outrageous. Its something women have to regulate for themselves.

Christina Mace-Turner (True Botanicals co-founder): Basically, there are lobbyists for big pharmaceutical companies and skin-care manufacturers who push to limit regulations so they can make the products theyre making. Ingredients which tend to be toxic are less expensive.

Hillary Peterson (True Botanicals co-founder): Theres also a lot of companies built off a false notion that you need the toxins actually to have efficacy. Thats a lie. Thats political, the fact that manufacturers could mislead people that way and without regulation to stop that. It makes you incredulous.

A lot of natural beauty critics are skeptical because despite talks about toxicity, the dermatological community doesnt appear to be an advocate.

HP: Think about the ties to food, medicine, and wellness. The intersection between wellness and Western medicine today is the same path taken by skin care. Its starting to happen. Its evolving. Right now, the revolution is really just beginning.

OW: This is being part of a company thats not only offering a natural alternative, but also showing that it will work better than the toxic stuff you were putting on your face. The independent clinical trials for True Botanicals beat La Mer in terms of anti-aging and even Proactiv in fighting acne with its Clear line. Even if you dont care about natural beauty, thats an argument a lot of people respond to.

CMT: Its important for us to do clinical trials to prove the science. People need proof. They need a frame of reference.

OW: True Botanicals Made Safe certification is also really unique. Once I learned about that, I thought, How can you trust a company that doesnt have that? I was joking, comparing it to how in New York, everyone has a sign that says Best pizza in New York, but its not real. The Made Safe certification puts this brand far above others.

Also, a dermatologist is often giving you a product with the harshest chemicals possible, for immediate results. This takes a little more consistency. It feels good immediately. But in transformation, it could take a couple days or even a month. Its like eating one salad isnt going to make you healthy.

In talking about politics, I wanted to ask about your Instagram post from a few months ago with the hashtag #NoMelaniaHair. Was that a purposeful political stance?

OW: I got so much shit for that. That was a joke. People got angry I wasnt supporting our First Lady. But shes not my First Lady and hes not my President. I dont take them seriously. Its nothing personal against Melania. I was angry. Im emotional. Im still emotional and heartbroken by the whole thing. Thats what it came out of.

Im very honest in my social media. I dont filter, thats why people know they can trust if I say something, I really mean it. Thats why I enjoy talking about things Im really passionate about. You know Im not BS-ing you because if I was, I would avoid getting in trouble for things like that.

Truly, I enjoy being honest with people. Not everyone may agree with me, but they will know Im being honest.
Still from Shirin Neshats film Roja (2016). Photo:  Shirin Neshat/Courtesy Shirin Neshat and Gladstone Gallery; New York and Brussels

In her new exhibition Shirin Neshat: Dreamers, artist Shirin Neshat explores her identity as an Iranian woman in America through a film and series of photographs. Born in Iran and currently based in New York, Neshat conveys her conflicting emotions while navigating two countries and their different flaws. She shows that in the U.S., her background can draw prejudice because of the countrys troubled relationship with the Middle East. In Iran, she grapples with the governments history of limiting freedom of expression. The exhibition addresses her fight to balance Iranian and American cultures, examining an experience that many immigrants face in defining their personal and political identities.

The film, titled Roja, is inspired by Neshats recurring dreams and memories. [It] evolves around my personal, emotional, psychological and political relations, where I feel at once attached yet alienated by both the American culture and my motherland, Neshat told the Cut. Roja was filmed in the U.S., but Neshat chose bare settings to evoke Middle Eastern landscapes. The photo series, titled Dreamers, features blurry portraits of white American men and women. According to Neshat, the lack of focus in the images reveals her true state of mind, an inability to reach beyond a certain point about what constitutes the American image.

Click ahead to preview images from the exhibition, on view at the Gladstone Gallery until June 17.

Photo:  Shirin Neshat/Courtesy Shirin Neshat and Gladstone Gallery; New York and Brussels

Still from the film Roja (2016)

Photo:  Shirin Neshat/Courtesy Shirin Neshat and Gladstone Gallery; New York and Brussels

Still from the film Roja (2016)

Photo:  Shirin Neshat/Courtesy Shirin Neshat and Gladstone Gallery; New York and Brussels

Still from the film Roja (2016)

Photo:  Shirin Neshat/Courtesy Shirin Neshat and Gladstone Gallery; New York and Brussels

Still from the film Roja (2016)

Photo:  Shirin Neshat/Courtesy Shirin Neshat and Gladstone Gallery; New York and Brussels

Still from the film Roja (2016)

Photo:  Shirin Neshat/Courtesy Shirin Neshat and Gladstone Gallery; New York and Brussels

Still from the film Roja (2016)
Richard Spencer. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Richard Spencer, the neo-Nazi who coined the phrase alt-right, saluted Hail Trump at an alt-right press conference, and dined at an Italian chain restaurant under an alias, can no longer lift weights at his Alexandria, Virginia, gym. His gym membership was suspended following a confrontation with Christine Fair, a Georgetown University associate professor.

Fair, who is an associate professor at Georgetowns Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, wrote in a blog post that she exploited the full range of my first amendment entitlements by telling him that this country does not belong to white men.

In her post, Fair was exceptionally creative with her insults, calling Spencer a pendulous poltroon, a pusillanimous s***bird, and a flaccid, sorry excuse of a man. When she asked if he was Richard Spencer, he allegedly told her no because he wanted her to go away, he told BuzzFeed. Spencer also holds that he was a model gymgoer who did not cause any controversy.

Spencer asked a female African-American employee to help him end the confrontation. Fair wrote that a white woman stood up for Spencer and threatened to call the police on her.

Following the incident, she has been trolled on Twitter for being Jewish, and body-shamed as well. Neo-Nazis have allegedly been ordering her pizzas.
Trump was really into Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisis footwear. Photo: This content is subject to copyright.

On Sunday, President Trump held one-on-one meetings with Arab leaders ahead of his first major international speech in Saudi Arabia. Earlier that day, hed been welcomed to Riyadh, the kingdoms capital, with American flags and billboards featuring his tweets, and Muslim leaders seemed equally ready to flatter him.

You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told him during their sitdown. According to the New York Times, a cheerful Trump responded, I agree!

Then, perhaps sensing he should think of something nice to say back, the president followed up with, Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes. Man!

According to CNN, Sisi was wearing what appeared to be black boots, similar to those Trump was wearing, but shinier. Diplomacy in action, folks.
it really is creepy the way men get older but their on screen gfs / wives / mid life crises stays the same age.

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Funny how she says this with her grandpa-looking husband, but he's only 9 years older than her....allegedly.

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lmaoooo, this was my first thought. I mean, it's still a valid point about Hollywood's shitty representation of women, but still.

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how is that relevant at all?



her romantic preferences have nothing to do with sexism in hollywood sis.

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Girl I'm just making a joke really.

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"I was concerned that they would want me to play a romantic part against someone in their 50s and that would be heartbreaking. So I was extremely relieved that Brenton Thwaites is only a year older than me."





The fact that this probably the one good thing out of Pirates 5 is saddening. They let an abuser come back but hey, at least he's not dating the 28 year old!



I'm glad more ladies are speaking out on this.



Edited at 2017-05-22 04:13 pm (UTC)

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I bet you Jack Sparrow hits on her though. 

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in the trailer he watches her strip

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She's 25



Which is older than Keira was back in the day

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Shout out to women who work in film crews and on post-production and all those behind-the-scenes niches that are still so male-dominated. I get so bummed reading credits on movies and realizing they're like 75% male in addition to the movies themselves having so few and such underdeveloped women characters.



Edited at 2017-05-22 04:11 pm (UTC)

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I'm so tired of it. every 40/50/60 year old male with love interest that is 10/20/30 years younger. everytime!!! enough.



(enough with a lot of white straight male stories actually, I think we told all of those. lets try something new)

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It's so sad that it became a norm to the point where actresses are relieved not to be paired with someone twice their age. She went in tho, good for her

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i'm glad that she's speaking out about it, even though i have no interest in the new POTC film.



i'd love to see her do independent movies with a female crew though.

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I've always liked her and I'm glad that her reason for doing a movie like this is that she can actually have a choice. I know it's Hollywood and even in the indie market, that's not saying much but I'm glad she's speaking out about it, especially the part about her love interest in the film.

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Effy was a mess but she had some cute outfits lol.

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She's got one of those faces that can handle makeup so well. I would always be impressed on Skins how she looked great fresh-faced and still looked great after they piled 10 pounds of black eyeshadow on her. She is so ridiculously beautiful on Skins, it honestly allowed me to ignore a lot of the dumb parts of her storylines lol.



That being said i still did not finish her Skins: Fire thing. I watched the first one and it was so bad I had to stop.

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you didn't miss much. the other two "movies" were just as disappointing and did pretty much nothing.

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i feel like nothings gonna change. men will continue to get paired with women much younger than them, 21 year olds like jlaw will continue to be cast in completely inappropriate roles, mainstream and social media will continue to fetishize barely legal chicks like kylie and britney, girls will continue to swoon over craggy 50+ 'daddies' while shaming women like demi moore for daring to be visible, the fashion industry will continue to hire prepubescent girls and discard them when they grow hips or turn 26, the window of opportunity to 'make it' as an actress or pop star will continue to narrow as there is more and more competition and 30+ actresses who aren't julianne moore or meryl streep will be regulated to mom or girlfriend parts or prestige tv if they're lucky



Edited at 2017-05-22 04:45 pm (UTC)

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Well yeah, I mean basically they are selling fertility.

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"I was concerned that they would want me to play a romantic part against someone in their 50s and that would be heartbreaking. So I was extremely relieved that Brenton Thwaites is only a year older than me."



This is nice shade towards a certain violent someone.



And she's completely right. It's honestly such bullshit that a female actresses value decreases with age, whereas it's the opposite with men. You have so many movies where dudes are with women almost (and sometimes actually are!) young enough to be their daughter, and it's a serious problem in Hollywood.

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You'd think it would get better but I feel like it's getting worse. All the huge A-list movie star guys are getting older and they aren't really being replaced but every year there are new actresses in their early 20s who are getting roles with those same aging actors.

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Brenton Thwaites is 27? Wow, I thought he was like 20, max.



Anyway, I feel like if we had more movies where women were the lead and had their own agency, this would happen less. But so often, it's a male-lead film where he wants a starlet to be his dutiful wife, love interest, whatever and do nothing else.

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It's not just Hollywood, I've noticed. I used to watch Mexican telenovelas to practice Spanish but stopped because aside from the rampant sexism and stereotypes, they ALWAYS cast these young 20-something actresses to play teens or young women and the guys were always above 35! Rarely, did they cast a couple where the leads were actually the ages of their characters. It's disgusting and weird. I stopped watching because this is just gross, especially since most young actresses don't have many options for roles and can't necessarily say no to a part.



Edited at 2017-05-22 07:01 pm (UTC)

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Michael Flynn is pleading the fifth. Shit just got real.

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i had to google what that means, but wow. that's... pretty huge, right? this means this whole thing is still picking up steam, yes?

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Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but if he pleads the fifth though he can't pick and choose when to use it. He has to plead the fifth on everything even when he might want to talk.

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oh man

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omg i was gone all day and i didn't have time to check the news. this is the first thing i saw, as soon as i got home.



O M G

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i'm dumb. what does this mean for him in trial? i know that pleasing the fifth means that they have a right not to answer but...

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Isn't pleading the fifth common?

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omg somehow I missed the hand slap??? GURL. DUMP THE MOTHERFUCKER ALREADY.

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This is the first time I'm seeing it and it is beautiful.

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He's got to good of a prenup and she's in it for the money

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I'm hearing that they were already working out a divorce when Trump decided to run. I'm sure neither of them though he would win at the time and they would finalize later.

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the hand slap is amazing lol

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That's what happens when you've been trapped on a plane with him for 18 hours. No escape. It's probably the most time she's been forced to spend with him in the past 2 years, and we see the result, lol

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LOL

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Trump just said he never mentioned Israel in his meeting w/ Russians.



(That was not the issueStory never alleged Trump divulged source.) pic.twitter.com/oSi8rQmQe0  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 22, 2017

it's way too early in the day for this shit...I can't stop cringing

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Ffs

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God what a dumbass

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Holy shit the longer version of the video is even crazier. He's wandering around before he just blurts it out. https://t.co/O0j9IsI6OA  Matt Novak (@paleofuture) May 22, 2017

It's even worse in this video bc he's just wandering around like an exhausted idiot lmao. I want him to collapse.

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Probably from all of the steak and ketchup.

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he was perplexed as to why people weren't paying him attention and needed to revert everything back to him.

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He looks fucking unstable.



I shouldn't laugh but lol

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that aide in the gray tie at the beginning could get it

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He didn't f*cking have to. Thing about the intelligence community, they're...intelligent. I'd guess a significant portion of their job is extrapolation of some kind. It's their job to figure this shit out. Why else would they need so many damn data analysts? F*ck me sideways.

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JESUS FUCK



what is wrong with him.

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bibi's face is priceless omg

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He's literally like a five-year-old. My nephew runs around blurting things out that he's been told to keep a secret or not say in public (it's hysterical when he does it, but he's not President of the United States).



To keep saying all these things that we know are outright lies and that confirm his guilt is insane. He's also destroyed all his credibility (especially over the Comey firing), so if this ever gets to a situation where he has to testify, whatever he says will have no validity.



Edited at 2017-05-22 06:54 pm (UTC)

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what's this frm

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I still want to fuck Dis dude 

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Lol me.

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I can't remember a single time in which a U.S. secretary of state banned American reporters from a press conference: https://t.co/beMQ4cdiTk  Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) May 22, 2017

this bish

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The State Department later apologized, adding that it couldn't notify the press in time.



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Nothing fishy going on here at all, nope nope nope

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I remember Maddow's report from a couple of weeks back about how State Dept officials from past Republican and Democratic administrations would come to the defense of American journalists overseas and look out for them. Tillerson needs to be kicked out too.

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i know melania is ~complicit but also i live for how much she clearly despises him

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She probably signed an ironclad prenup that says they have to be married for x amount of years or she gets nothing. Or that if they have a kid (which they do) that she can't leave as long as the kid is under 18. Or something equally as repulsive.

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I've heard from a couple places they were already working out the terms of divorce when he decided to run. Like everyone else, they assumed he'd lose in the primaries and they would finalize after he dropped out.



Edited at 2017-05-22 08:47 pm (UTC)

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Word on the street is she had divorce papers ready to go right up until he won and that had to be sidelined. I guess she had pressure to stay so they could put on a'united front'.

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honestly your guess is as good as mine. she might just like the idea of being married to someone so powerful even if she hates him.

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love Joy's brooch

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i don't want to like her because obviously she made her choices when she married scarlet pumpernickel but this is the best thing i've seen all year



hands down



literally

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Scarlet Trumpernickel? :D?

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btw your icon makes me cry with happiness every time you post btw your icon makes me cry with happiness every time you post

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He's been leaving her to walk thirty feet behind him so often, no wonder she's pissed.

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Trump denies mentioning Israel in Russian meeting despite no reports that claim he did https://t.co/i8RuThAqj1 pic.twitter.com/PkyjT6ebvL  The Hill (@thehill) May 22, 2017

he's so fucking dumb

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lmao he totally did.

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it's like when a child accidentally tells on them-self because they're scared they're gonna get in trouble for something else.

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HE HAS TO HAVE THE LAST WORD if it kills him.



All of the staff and The VIDEO of this is fascinating. The staff around him were TRYING TO GET HIM OUT OF THE ROOM and Trump was just standing there. You can SEE him feeling goated- he doesn't want to leave until he gets to open his BIG FAT MOUTHHE HAS TO HAVE THE LAST WORD if it kills him.All of the staff and

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All of the staff were like OMG Is he still  is he going to talk! DON'T LET HIM TALK...

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a self expose?

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Sinkhole in front of Mar-a-Lago: A 4' x 4' sinkhole has formed on Southern Boulevard directly in front of https://t.co/5xOpmJ8Y2v  Town of Palm Beach (@townpalmbeach) May 22, 2017

get it together satan, tramp's not even there this weekend!

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The hellmouth is opening.

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Lmao

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lmaooo

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MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!

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LMAO YESSSSS

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lol grow sinkhole grow

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Mother Earth is still trying to come through for us, despite how we treat her.

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HELLMOUTH where are the Slayers!!!

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What happens when evil touches the glowing orb.

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Same =) I've missed these guys so much 

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I hope AMC puts the episodes OnDemand. My interest in the show waned when it premiered. But I want to catch up

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I've not seen it on OnDemand, unfortunately, but if you have Hulu it's all on there =)

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I'm actually rewatching S1 now in preparation. Sooo stoked

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Nice! I'll be doing my next re-watch soon as well to prepare =) I'm so stoked for the new stuff ahead, the teasers so far have been great!

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Still so far away, but i'm so here for it, even if that first video isn't available anymore.

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Re-added =) apologies if it's region-blocked.

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It is, but I saw it anyway. I love hearing Dom and Ruth's real accents. I do love the crazy macabre action on the show, it's definitely part of its charm. Hope S2 delivers and bring back Fiore's husband, can't you see how sad and lost he looks? But here for him having scenes with Cassidy.

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] it just hit me what that bit in the clip was showing...Fiore shooting himself and then re-invigorating =\ I do hope that theory I've discussed with you before is what is going on, because I can't bear the thought of Fiore without DeBlanc *sigh* Same =) I love how OTT it can be, it's just so fitting with the source material hehe. And oh my goodnessBut yeah, the buddy scenes with Cass looks like it's going to be fun hehe, I'm here for Cass being a supportive friend during this time.

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I hope it doesn't get as insane as the source material, the little I read on wiki was a bit too out there for me. I'm cool with the levels of insanity in the show so far, though.



Fiore </3 I really need that theory to be right. So here for Cass bonding with Fiore and being a supportive friend in his hour of need, which of course will lead to chaos and mayhem, because it's them and this show, lol.

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mmmmm he makes a sexy priest

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He really does  I love that his outfit too has unique flourishes like the studded shirt collar and his boots =)

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we had a lookalike at the pub Halloween that dressed as him, it was amazing.

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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ready af ready af

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so much and I am so happy I didn't do it as it was airing since I have only a month to wait for the second, haha.



That Jesse and Tulip photo is hot (Ruth and Dominic make such a gorgeous couple, JFC), but I hope they don't shut Cassidy out as a third wheel all season. I need my OT3 to live, I want Cassidy pining for Jesse as well as Tulip and for them to love him baaaaack :(





I JUST watched the first season. I love itand I am so happy I didn't do it as it was airing since I have only a month to wait for the second, haha.That Jesse and Tulip photo is hot (Ruth and Dominic make such a gorgeous couple, JFC), but I hope they don't shut Cassidy out as a third wheel all season. I need my OT3 to live, I want Cassidy pining for Jesse as well as Tulip and for them to love him baaaaack :(

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so excited!!!! i might rewatch s1 soon.

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Edited at 2017-05-22 10:04 pm (UTC) I'm staying away from spoilers so I'll just drop off this gif and run out of this thread

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I'll watch season 1 this summer.



Are they banging yet in season 2? I'd be interested in that.

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Ponzi schemes are an enduring kind of fraud, one of whose many attractions for people looking to make money on other peoples backs is that they can be applied to any industry. The more popular the industry, the easier it is to swindle gullible investors, as a Texas case with a fraudulent frac sand company has recently revealed.

This week, a federal grand jury indicted Texas Democrat Senator Carlos Uresti on 11 charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, securities fraud, and engagement in monetary transactions with property from specified unlawful activity. For all these, Uresti could get around two centuries in prison.

Urestiwhos pleading not guilty, unlike the managers of the Ponzi scheme company he worked forworked as legal advisor to Four Winds Logistics, a frac sand trader. His job, according to the charges, was to lure in investors in exchange for a share of the money flowing in. Four Winds Logistics subsequently went under, owing its investors $14 million. Part of the money went to Uresti in the form of shares, a commission for bringing in an investor, and a US$40,000 loan.

Four senior managers of the company were also indicted, and three have already pleaded guilty. The charges against them focus on book-cooking: one investor testified that he was shown a bank account with a balance of more than US$18.8 million, while in fact bank records revealed that over the period under scrutiny, the bank account never had more than US$1.4 million in it.

A stinky affair however one looks at it, but an affair that highlights the prominence of the frac sand business, which has been somewhat overshadowed by the rise and fall of shale producers.

Frac sand miners and traders experienced their own rise alongside shale boomers because without them, there would have been no shale boom. Frac sand is a proppant: a means of keeping oil and gas-bearing rock pores open, so the hydrocarbons can flow out. Use of proppants increased in tune with shale output growth, and then fell as the 2014 price crash began. It is possible that besides Ponzi scheme practices, Four Winds went under thanks to the crash as well. Related: Oil Prices Rise As Most OPEC Members Back Deal Extension

Now that prices have stabilized, frac sand producers are seeing fast demand improvement. In fact, there is already a shortage of frac sand in the shale patch as E&Ps drill much longer horizontal wells and frack more locations within a wellmega-fracs. These production enhancement tactics have increased demand for frac sand substantiallyup to 10 times the previous peak of the shale revolution. The frac sand industry has taken up the tune, expanding as fast as possible.

Can the future see more Ponzi schemes in this segment of the oil and gas industry? Its not unthinkable but the fate of the Four Winds management team and that of Senator Uresti suggests that future fraudsters will have to be extra careful if they want to replicate what they did. Or millionaire hopefuls can just stick to real frac sand trading  it is a blooming industry, after all.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
President Donald Trumps visit to Saudi Arabia last week was full of pageantry, defense agreements and rhetoric extolling the decades-long Saudi-US alignment. Among the various strategic interests bringing Riyadh and Washington together is opposition to Russia, a revisionist power which Saudi Arabia has opposed in Syria and elsewhere.

Allegations regarding Trumps meeting with Russias foreign minister notwithstanding, the Saudis believe the U.S. remains determined to support its stance against Russia, which backs Iran, Riyadhs major regional competitor, and has attempted in recent years to expand its influence and reach in the Middle East.

Yet what has brought Russia and Riyadh together is unity over production cuts,, widely expected to be extended at this weeks OPEC conference in Vienna. This complicates the geopolitics and presents the possibility of closer ties between Russia and Saudi Arabia, both of whom have been affected by low prices and the surge of American oil production.

Last week, announcements from Russia and Saudi Arabia rescued the price from its mid-$40s doldrums, facilitating a 5 percent price rally amid positive talk that OPEC and non-OPEC production cuts would remain in place for the remainder of the year and even continue into 2018 if prices warranted it. Kuwait joined the two countries, agreeing to cut production into the first quarter of next year if necessary. There is now a general consensus that when OPEC meets this week in Vienna, the members will agree to an extension of cuts, possibly into 2018.

As Bloomberg points out, the alliance between Moscow and Riyadh over oil is a marriage of convenience. Both rely on oil exports and have seen state finances suffer since the 2014 price crash. Related: Venezuela: The Brutal Consequences Of Oil Addiction

It also isnt the first time the two countries coordinated on production: for five years before 2004, Russia cooperated with Saudi Arabia and the rest of OPEC to keep production steady amidst a period of global economic uncertainty following the Asian financial crisis, dot-com bubble and 2001-2002 American economic recession.

Compliance with the cuts put in place in January 2017 came quickly in Saudi Arabia, which reduced production past the agreed-upon level almost immediately. Russia, however, took almost four months to cut 600,000 bpd and remained cagey as to whether it would continue the cuts.

For Riyadh, the current slump in prices has complicated Vision 2030, the plan to shift the Saudi economy away from oil exports and towards greater diversity. The plan includes a partial IPO of Saudi Aramco, the state oil company that may be worth as much as $2 trillion. What the company is actually worth depends in part upon the value of Saudi oil exports in the future and the ability of countrys oil to compete with new production from the United States. Ensuring a successful IPO next year is a major goal for the Saudi government as it plans its economic future.

Oil also serves as the chief Saudi means to influence Russia, a state which is also vulnerable to changes in the market. A weakened currency and two-year recession resulted from the fall in oil prices, though the Russian economy is in recovery and should post a 1.4 percent growth this year. Saudi Arabia undoubtedly hopes that cooperation over oil will lead to a dialogue on other issues, most notably Russias support for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and Russias strong backing of Iran, Riyadhs chief regional antagonist.

Saudi deputy crown prince and defense minister Mohammed bin Salman has stated that the chief Saudi concern with Russia is its connection to Tehran. Riyadh has in recent years increased its level of regional interventionism, supplying money and arms to Syrian rebels aligned against the Assad regime in Syria and launching an armed intervention into the civil war in Yemen. Much of this has come as a result of a perceived American realignment under President Obama and a resurgent Iran, which Crown Prince Mohammed sees as its number one national security threat. Reducing Russias level of support for Tehran and aligning its interests with Saudi Arabia, at least over oil, is a factor in Saudi foreign policy. Related: Oil Prices Rise As Saudis Discuss OPEC Deal Extension With Iraq

Trumps visit has served to soothe Saudi concerns that his presidency would weaken existing ties between Washington and the Persian Gulf. As a candidate, Trump expressed skepticism regarding American interventions abroad and even speculated that it was time for the US role in the Middle East to end. The splashy visit, accompanied with a historically-large $110 billion arms deal, has cemented the traditional Riyadh-Washington axis and assured the Saudis, as well as the rest of the Gulf, that Trump has their best interests in mind.

In diplomatic terms, the alliance with the United States is of major importance to Saudi Arabia. Yet competition with surging American production has emerged as a key challenge to the oil kingdom as it attempts to pivot its economy away from oil exports. Confrontation with Iran is the other piece of the puzzle, and while President Trump has made it clear he does not share the relative flexibility of the Obama Administration over relations with Tehran, it is still in Saudi Arabian interest to see Iran weakened by siphoning off its support from Russia. A close alliance over oil production cuts and cooperation going into 2018 could be a way to achieve that goal.

For oil traders, the relationship between Russia and Saudi Arabia is the crucial one to watch in the run-up to this weeks OPEC conference.

By Gregory Brew for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The highly-anticipated OPEC meeting will take place this week, but unlike the last few meetings, the hype and excitement is much less palpable. That is largely because the end result is thought to be a foregone conclusion. Last week, Saudi Arabia and Russia telegraphed the events of the May 25 meeting, announcing support for a nine-month extension of the existing production cuts  1.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) from OPEC plus 558,000 barrels per day (bpd) from a group of non-OPEC countries. With the two most important oil producers in agreement, the meeting should be quick and easy.

"The decision seems to be almost a done deal," said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Markets. "There seems to be a very high harmony in the group."

But if we have learned anything from the OPEC meetings over the last several years, it is that nothing should be taken for granted. Time and again the cartel seems to surprise the markets. Saudi Arabias energy minister hinted over the weekend that the OPEC meeting could have more drama than many analysts currently expect. "Everybody I talked to... expressed support and enthusiasm to join in this direction, but of course it doesnt preempt any creative suggestions that may come about," Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said at a news conference in Riyadh.

So even as a consensus has formed on one particular outcome, here are several possible surprise scenarios that could come out of the OPEC meeting this week, ordered by least to most bullish for oil prices.

Related: Oil Prices Rise As Most OPEC Members Back Deal Extension

1. No extension. This would be the most disastrous for oil prices, as OPEC abandons its collective action and returns to full production. With the oil market still suffering from oversupply, a return to higher output would cause WTI and Brent to meltdown, crashing into the $40s or quite possibly lower. However, this most extreme bearish scenario is also probably the least likely outcome.

2. 6-month extension. A rollover of the existing cuts for another six months. This had been the most widely-assumed scenario until only recently. Global inventories remain elevated, and extending the cuts through the end of the year probably wont be enough to bring inventories back into the five-year average range. With the markets wanting more, a six-month extension would, at this point, be seen as a disappointment and would likely push oil prices down.

3. 9-month extension. Extending the cuts through the end of the first quarter of 2018 is now the markets working assumption, and will be met with a sigh of relief. But since it has become the new baseline, a strong rally in prices is probably unlikely.

Related: Oil Prices Rise As Saudis Discuss OPEC Deal Extension With Iraq

4. 9-month extension plus more countries join in. Khalid al-Falih hinted that new additions to the pact could be forthcoming. "We believe that continuation with the same level of cuts, plus eventually adding one or two small producers, he said over the weekend. The addition of a couple marginal producers would add a little bit of a psychological punch to the agreement, but probably wouldnt alter the supply/demand balance in any fundamental way. This outcome probably would be met with a rise in oil prices by a few dollars per barrel.

5. 9-month extension with deeper cuts. This scenario is the one to watch out for, as many analysts see the odds of much more aggressive cuts growing. An OPEC source recently told Reuters that the group was considering making deeper output reductions. "All options are open," the source said. Deeper cuts could come in several different forms. The collective output quota of 32.5 mb/d could be lowered, with country-specific limits tightened. This would be a heavy lift, but if agreed to, would lead to a much stronger price impact, immediately pushing up crude benchmarks substantially. Another way to make deeper cuts would be to remove the exemptions given to Libya and Nigeria. Both countries were not subject to any limits in the initial six-months, and both have added output and signaled more production growth in the near future. It is not clear that they would agree to limits, given their serious economic and security troubles.

OPEC has a tendency to surprise, so any of these outcomes  or others  are possible. Still, an extension of the existing cuts for nine months appears to be the most likely scenario. At the same time, OPEC has sort of backed itself into a corner  it has raised expectations to such a degree that anything less would be considered a major disappointment.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
GE has closed preliminary agreements with Riyadh on a number of projects worth a collective US$15 billion, the company said. GEs Vice Chairman John Rice traveled with President Trump on his first visit abroad, to Saudi Arabia. According to him, the deals will help Saudi Arabia with its Vision 2030 economic diversification program.

In a press release, GE said that about US$7 billion of the total investments will be dedicated to technology and solutions specifically from GE, including the companys cloud-based data analytics platform Predix. The agreements involve the power and oil and gas sectors, among others.

The Vision 2030 program was conceived by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a bid to move the Kingdom away from oil and make it more resilient to price shocks like the one from 2014. One aspect of the program involves greater reliance on renewable energy, with the ambition to make the country a regional leader in renewable energy generation.

Another aspect of the diversification program is turning Saudi Arabia from an arms importer to an arms producer. Last week, the countrys sovereign wealth fund set up a company to that end, Saudi Arabian Military Industries. At the same time, over the weekend President Trump and King Salman inked a US$110-billion U.S. arms import deal.



Related: U.S. Shale Just Wont Die: Bankrupt Drillers Rise Again

Meanwhile, OPECs largest producer is moving ahead with an output cut extension meant to bring global oil supplies within the limits of the five-year average range, which the cartel considers a balanced market. There are reports that the cuts may be deepened, but Saudi Arabias top oilman Khalid al-Falih told media that it may be enough if another one or two smaller oil producers join the cut to bring supply down and prices up.

Thanks to these reports, oil prices started the week with a rise. Brent inched above US$53 a barrel and WTI crossed back above the US$50 mark.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By John A. Charles, Jr.

An Oregon Legislative committee is proposing a massive series of tax increases to pay for various transportation projects.

The proposal calls for higher taxes on vehicle registration, increased gas taxes, a new sales tax on motor vehicle purchases, a statewide employee tax to subsidize transit, and a new bicycle sales tax.

While there are many bad ideas on this list, perhaps the most offensive is the sales tax on vehicle purchases. It is being crafted so that most of the money would be diverted from highway maintenance into something called the congestion relief and carbon reduction fund.

Anything that includes carbon reduction in the title is guaranteed to be a boondoggle.

Before this proposal goes any further, legislators should consider a bill simply focusing on improving the road system. We all benefit from better roads.

In addition, they should try to charge people based on actual road use , not the mere ownership of vehicles. The gas tax is a good surrogate for this, so it would make sense to increase the gas tax rate while lowering vehicle registration fees. This would be fair to motorists, while still raising the funds needed for road improvements.

John A. Charles, Jr. is President and CEO of Cascade Policy Institute, Oregons free market public policy research organization.
With over two billion active Android users across the world, Google acknowledged that there are more Android users in India than the United States of America.

The company took the stage to announce 'Android Go', a new platform designed for extremely affordable, underpowered Android devices for developing countries such as India and Indonesia.

Google believes that low-cost Android hardware has been available for some time now but the experience can be enhanced with an operating system that has been optimized for the low-end hardware.

Hence, Android Go will be focused mainly on three things - operating system, rebuilt apps and Play Store. The Andorid GO is an optimized version of the latest Android release to run smoothly on the entry-level devices starting Android O.

Google has also rebuilt the Google apps that will use less memory, less storage and consume less mobile data. Google has also created an API that shows how much mobile data has been left and one will also be able to top it from the same page.

Third is the version of the Play store that will contain the whole app catalogue but will also highlights the apps by the developer partners designed for Android Go platform. For instance, The YouTube Go is an app designed for users with limited mobile data.

Any Android O devices with 1GB RAM or less will ship with the Android Go configuration. And going forward, every Android release will have a 'Go' configuration. The first devices on Android Go will ship in 2018.

Android Go is Google's another shot at Budget phones. In 2014, Google has announced Android One, which wasn't a huge success. Google aims to reach the next billion of users with this new initiative called Android Go.

According to the blog post by Dave Burke, VP OF Engineering, "The goal is to get computing into the hands of more people by creating a great smartphone experience on all Android devices with 1GB or less of memory. Android Go is designed with features relevant for people who have limited data connectivity and speak multiple languages."
Donald Trump urged Islamic leaders to take stand against violence done in the name of religion 22 May, 2017



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Woke Bingo US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence done in the name of religion, describing the struggle against extremism as a battle between good and evil.



In a highly anticipated speech in Saudi Arabia, Trump lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror and calling for its international isolation.



Saying he came with a message of friendship and hope and love, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders that the time had come for honestly confronting the crisis of religious extremism. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil.



The speech came on the second day of a visit to Saudi Arabia, part of Trump's first foreign tour that will take him next to Israel and the Palestinian territories and then to Europe.



The White House has sought to draw a clear distinction during the visit with Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, who Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies saw as lecturing and soft on their rival Iran. Trump did not hesitate to single out Iran in his speech.



From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region, Trump said.



Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it. He appealed to Muslim nations to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil and announced an agreement with Gulf countries to fight financing for extremists.



Introducing Trump, Saudi King Salman called Iran the spearhead of global terrorism.



Unlike the Obama administration which would often raise concerns over civil liberties with longstanding Arab allies, Trump had made no mention of human rights during his visit so far.



We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live... or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values, Trump said.



Some 35 heads of state and government from Muslim-majority countries were in Riyadh for the Arab Islamic American Summit, mainly from states friendly to Saudi Arabia.



Much of the focus during the summit was on countering what Gulf states see as the threat from Iran, which opposes Saudi Arabia in a range of regional conflicts from Syria to Yemen.



Trump's speech was touted as a major event  along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world by Obama in Cairo in 2009.



It was especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration's attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and his previous remarks on Islam.



In December 2015, Trump told a campaign rally he was calling for a total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.



His words shocked many Americans, with Trump detractors noting that the US Constitution prohibits religious discrimination.



I think Islam hates us. There is a tremendous hatred there. We have to get to the bottom of it, Trump said in a March 2016 interview with CNN.



Still, Trump was welcomed warmly in Saudi Arabia, where he and first lady Melania Trump were given an extravagant reception by King Salman and the rest of the Saudi royal family.



The first day saw the announcement of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade deals, welcome news for Trump as he faces mounting troubles at home linked with the probe into alleged Russian meddling during last year's election campaign.



Among the agreements was an arms deal worth almost $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, described as the largest in US history.



The trade deals announced on Saturday were said to be worth in excess of $380 billion, and Trump proudly declared the first day of his visit tremendous.



On Sunday he held a series of meetings with other Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Bahrain's King Hamad.



The meeting with Sisi  an avowed fan of the president  was especially warm and Trump said he would absolutely be putting Egypt on his list of countries to visit very soon.



Trump referred to Sisi as my friend and Sisi said the US president was a unique personality and capable of doing the impossible, to which Trump responded: I agree! Trump even complimented Sisi on his footwear, saying: Love your shoes.



Boy, those shoes. Man... Sisi has faced harsh criticism of his human rights record since he led the military overthrow of Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.



Trump, who travels on Monday to Israel and the Palestinian territories before visiting the Vatican, Brussels and Italy for Nato and G7 meetings, is taking his first steps on the world stage as he faces increasing scandal at home.



The last week has seen a string of major developments in Trump's domestic woes, including the announcement that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.
Reports from Tatale in the Northern Region indicate that armed men have attacked some residents and traders there.



A resident, Prosper Napari told Citi News that the men were on motorbikes and shot into the air, while robbing people on their way.



One person is said to have been wounded and is currently receiving treatment at the Yendi government hospital.



We heard gunshots and when we traced the whole issue, we realized that there were some intrusion of armed robbers that had come into town.



The people entered through the Togo-Ghana border town and they stopped at the bus stop where people usually exchanged the Ghana and CFA currencies.



He said the guys numbering about eight on motorbikes fired shots indiscriminately hence scaring the residents. As we speak now a majority of the people in the town are currently at the Police station to seek shelter.



Information weve received suggests that the armed robbers had moved to some other outskirts of the Tatale town, he added.

Source: Classfmonline









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was on Tuesday 16 May decorated with the highest national award of Senegal, the Grand Croix de lOrdre national du Lion (Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion).



Mr Akufo-Addo was decorated by Senegalese President Macky Sall.



Mr Akufo-Addos tour of Senegal was to strengthen Ghanas ties with the Francophone country and officially introduce himself to the Senegalese president as the new Ghanaian leader.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo indicated his preparedness to share the experiences Ghana has gained in the management of its oil and gas resources, since its discovery in 2007, as well as the measures taken to ensure the prudent and effective use of the proceeds from their sale, with Senegal.



According to Nana Akufo-Addo, With the recent discovery of oil and gas in Senegal in commercial quantities, and with our experiences, I believe Ghana is well-equipped to share with you the dos and donts in the effective management of oil and gas revenues.



He has since left Senegal for Guinea.

Source: classfmonline.com









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The United States and The Netherland Embassies in Ghana have pledged support for the countrys fight against illegal mining. According to the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson, the fight against galamsey needed to be sustained to save the countrys environment and natural resources from further degradation and pollution.



Figures from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources indicate that more than 230,000 kilometres of land have been destroyed by galamsey activities whiles over $2.3 billion from such illegal activities had been transferred out of the country without the payment of royalties.



Water quality



Mr Jackson said the embassy was aware of the dangers galamsey operations posed, particularly to water quality.



The work we have been doing around galamsey has been around water quality. We will continue to do that working with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the new Ministry of Water and Sanitation.



The other thing we have been doing is to assist with natural resource management and helping communities to gain value from preserving the resources, making use of trees in a sustainable way, harvesting different vegetables and nuts and other farm produce and adding value to them and marketing, he stated this after a tour of the Atiwa Forest and some galamsey sites and a courtesy call on the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori-Panin II, in the Eastern Region.



The constant activities by the galamseyers is polluting the countrys rivers, compelling the Ghana Water Company to expend more resources in the treatment of water.



Support



In October last year, the US government launched a $25-million project in Ghana to ensure the effective management and utilisation of natural resources in northern Ghana.



On a possible US support for transforming Atiwa into a national park, he said We can also provide some technical expertise. We have people from our national parks service to provide expertise. USAID was responsible for the creation of Kakum. We can look at that model.



Netherlands intervention



The Deputy Head of Mission of the Netherland Embassy in Ghana, Ms Caecilia Wijgers, said the Dutch government would continue in its support in the fight against galamsey activities through an environmental non-governmental organisation, AROCHA.



She said as part of the programme, local communities were being engaged through alternative livelihood activities that would reduce their dependence on forest and mining resources.



Ms Wijgers further stressed the need for an effective collaboration among stakeholders on the galamsey menace.



Background



Accra and its environs depend largely on the Atiwa range for water supply to its over three million residents in addition to four million others in some parts of the country, but the reserve is said to be under attack from illegal miners, chainsaw operators and farming activities.



The entire 237-kilometre square reserve is surrounded by mining concessions which expose it to further encroachment as well as pollution of water bodies in the area. The Birim is said to be the worse affected.



Research



Traces of two heavy metals, arsenic and mercury, found in the river in a research conducted by the Water Research Institute (WRI) are said to be harmful, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).



Although the WRI found small traces of the dangerous chemicals in the river, the WHO has indicated that those quantities can still cause serious health problems, including threats to the development of the unborn child.



According to the WHO, arsenic is highly toxic in its inorganic form and water contaminated with the chemical used for drinking, food preparation and irrigation of food crops posed the greatest threat to public health.

Source: Daily Graphic









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This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.
Police on the Vermont-New York state line will take part in joint seatbelt enforcement efforts Monday as the annual spring seat belt enforcement crackdown begins.

State Police from New York and Vermont, Fair Haven, Vt., police will work from a checkpoint at the Vermont welcome station on Route 4 on the Hampton-Fair Haven town lines.

Police up and down the state line will be taking part in similar joint events as part of the annual May "Click it or Ticket" effort.

The officers will be on hand during the afternoon.
A week before Memorial Day, members of local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, as well as auxiliary members, placed flags on the graves of veterans at St. Marys Cemetery in South Glens Falls and Glens Falls Cemetery on Bay Street on Monday morning. We get a lot of community support for this, and we really appreciate it, said Jim Clark Sr. of American Legion Post 233. A list of Memorial Day observances in the area will be published in Thursdays edition of The Post-Star.
LAKE GEORGE  On another day, in another place, they would be Mardi Grad beads.

Sunday, in the first overlook parking lot on Prospect Mountain, they represented the loss and pain related to death by suicide.

The more than 400 people who walked 3 miles to the summit as part of Codys Climb Hike For Hope, were all raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This year, they raised more than $20,000.

We all have different reasons for being here, co-coordinator Tim Moss told the crowd before the uphill trek to he top. But we are all here for the same reasons, to bring support to each other, to talk about mental illness and to find a way to have treatment for it.

Jen Hoffman of Hampton wore white beads, signifying the loss of her daughter, Ayden Burdo. Bakhur Warner, Sheilagh Conley and Yvonne West wore blue beads showing they simply support the cause.

Those wearing red beads lost a spouse or partner, those in gold beads lost a parent and those wearing orange lost a sibling.

Hikers with green beads have struggled themselves or made a suicide attempt, and those wearing teal have a friend or family member who struggles.

Many of those taking part wore multiple beads.

Laura Marx, the regional director for AFSP, said the hike continues to be a major event for the group.

Its something that a lot of people look forward to every year, she said. Things really went together well this year.

The hike was started by Kate and Tim Miller, whose son Cody died by suicide 10 years ago. The following year, they put together the walk and it has grown since.

They no longer coordinate it, and have turned it over to Moss and Sheri Alberti.

They do a great job with it, Kate Miller said.

Hoffman has been involved in the AFSPs walks since her daughters death in 2013. She has done overnight Out of the Darkness walks in several cities and will be going to Washington, D.C., this year. She is also working with another Granville High School parent to organize a walk at that school.

For many of those taking part, the next major event will be even bigger than Sundays  the Walk For Rita  Sept. 24 at Saratoga Spa State Park.

And again, they will be wearing their beads.
SARATOGA  State Police confirmed the recovery of a body in the north end of Saratoga Lake late Sunday night.

New York State Police Troop G spokesman Trooper Mark Cepiel said State Police were called at about 9 p.m. to a town of Saratoga residence for property found on a private dock.

Cepiel said, police located an adult male in the water, about 10 feet away from the dock, with "obvious signs of death."

The Saratoga County Coroner was called to the scene and confirmed the death.

State Police said the death does not appear to be suspicious.

The man will be identified following an autopsy on Tuesday and notification of next of kin.
QUEENSBURY  Four firefighters suffered minor injuries when Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Department's newest truck rolled off Clements Road while returning from a call Sunday.

We sent them as a precaution. I do not think there were serious injuries. We needed to have them checked out, Bay Ridge Chief Patrick Mellon said at the scene. The accident is still under investigation, so I cant really say anything about what happened, other than they were returning from a call.

Robert G. Bulman, 46, of Queensbury, was the driver. Bulman and three members of Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Paul W. Brown, 60, of Queensbury, Joe Bastis Jr., 80, of Queensbury, and Ryan M. Saunders, 30, of Hudson Falls, were transported to Glens Falls Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. All were wearing seat belts.

Members of North Queensbury Fire, South Queensbury Fire, Bay Ridge Fire, West Fort Ann Fire, and Bay Ridge EMS assisted at the scene.

The truck involved was Engine Rescue 323, a Rear Mount Commander, custom-built by Rosenbauer, a Minnesota-based fire vehicle manufacturer. Its cost was about $700,000.

The truck has been recovered and returned to the Bay Ridge station.

It went into service in August, and is the departments first-due attack engine for structure fire. It also is designed to be used for motor vehicle accidents and carries hydraulic extrication and stabilization equipment.

The truck has a 900-gallon water tank and carries 60 gallons of fire-suppressent foam.

Fire departments and ambulance crews from Warren and Washington counties were on the scene.

The truck was on its side, in a hollow off the road, just west of Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery.

The accident was reported at 12:29 p.m. Thirty minutes earlier, the department had a medical call on Clements Road.
Frieda Toth, teen librarian at Crandall Public Library, is seeking to interview people that met, spoke with or served food or drinks to British mystery novelist Ian Fleming when he visited Lake George between 1954 and 1961, doing research for the James Bond novel, The Spy Who Loved Me.

Toth said area residents who were high school or college students and worked summer jobs in Lake George at the time may have come across Fleming.

If you served him breakfast, he definitely had scrambled eggs, said Toth, who is working on a spare time research project about the novelist.

She said Fleming might have been traveling with American Ernie Cureo.

Lyme Disease Awareness

Mayor Jack Diamond proclaimed Monday Lyme Disease Awareness Day in Glens Falls.

With the arrival of spring, more people will enjoy the outdoors and come in contact with ticks, Diamond said in the proclamation.

The proclamation honors advocacy of The Lyme Action Network, which presented The Little Things, a play about Lyme Disease, at Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls on Monday evening.

Library raffle

Tickets are on sale for the annual Love Your Library Raffle to benefit Crandall Public Library.

Tickets priced at $25 each are on sale at the library customer service desk, on line at crandalllibrary.org or via telephone at 792-6508 ext 284.

Cash prizes are $1,000 and $500.

Non-winning ticket stubs can be presented during July for a 25 percent discount on a single purchase at Coopers Cave Ale Company or Park 26 restaurant at The Queensbury Hotel.

The drawing is June 30.

Free concert

The Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library spring concert series concludes when Ozere appears at 7 p.m. Thursday in the library community room.

The quintet, which performs a blend of classical and ethnic folk music, was nominated in 2016 for a Canadian Folk Music Award in the Pushing the Boundaries category.

The concert is open to the public free of charge.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Reporter humor

I am glad Greater Glens Falls weekend trolley service is starting.

I went to East Field Saturday to watch a Glens Falls Little League game and realized my old-fashioned plain sneakers are out of fashion.

Its time for a trip to the outlets on Route 9 to buy a pair of those neon sneakers kids are wearing now.

Im also planning a trolley ride sometime this summer to Lake George to view the new suffrage history exhibit at the Lake George Historical Association museum.
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Home Regional News East
The debt stock was 1billion ($29.4billion) as at the end of the first quarter of 2017.

This represents 62.5% of projected GH203.4 billion Gross Domestic Products (GDP) for 2017. Total public debt is now up by GH4.5bn

This means that GH4.5 billion was added to the total public debt stock in the first three months of 2017 as the debt stock was GH122.6billion at the end of 2016.

READ ALSO: undefined

Analysts explained that the increase in the public debt stock was the result of deficit financing and payment of inherited arrears and debts.

Government borrowed more than GH4.5 billion in the first quarter of 2017, but the debt stock did not go up to equal the amounted borrowed because part of the money borrowed was used to pay off part of the countrys debt.

GH27.3 as interest cost and deficit financing for 2017

Projected interest cost and deficit financing for 2017, amounts to GH27.3 billion.

Per the data from Bank of Ghana, out of the GH127.1 billion, external debts account for GH71.9 billion, representing 35.3% of GDP.

It also revealed that the domestic debt is GH55.2 billion representing 27.2% of GDP.

End of 2016 budget deficit was 9% but the new government projected to reduce it 6.5% by the end of this year.

The 6.5% projected budget deficit for 2017 represents GH13.2 billion as the difference between the governments revenue expectations for 2017 compared to the expenditure targets for the period.

Governments total revenue target for 2017 is estimated at GH44.9billion against a targeted expenditure of GH58.1 billion, representing 28.6% of GDP.

Government revealed that the deficit will be financed by domestic and international sources.

Net domestic financing will amount to GH14.6 billion, equivalent to 7.1% of GDP while foreign financing is expected to reach GH1.3 billion, representing 0.6% of GDP.

The interest cost on Ghanas debt has also increased and will amount to an estimated GH14.1 billion in 2017.

GDP figures

2016 GDP = GH167,315.5 million
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On Monday, Sparfell & Partners announced at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition that it would sell secondhand Airbus superjumbos as head-of-state aircraft.

The Geneva-based firm also announced that it would work with London's Winch Design to create the A380 private jet's opulent interior.

While Sparfell confirmed that the A380s were used, it declined to disclose their source.

According to Flight Global, Sparfell's superjumbos are believed to be the four early-build A380s coming off lease from Singapore Airlines.

Sparfell's ad on Avbuyer.com indicates the planes were built in 2007-08 with Rolls-Royce engines and a seating configuration in line with that of Singapore Airlines.

Sparfell also declined to say how much it cost to convert the aircraft, but a company representative told Business Insider that the converted A380s would cost less than a comparable new ultra-VIP transport.

The announcement represents the beginning of a new phase for the iconic but slow-selling aircraft. With the earliest-production A380s expected to enter the secondhand market over the next few years, the market for ultraluxe executive jets may be a viable channel for these planes. Until now, most industry observers looked toward high-density, low-cost, long-haul carriers or bargain-hunting mainline carriers as potential secondhand customers.

The A380 as a VIP transport is not a new idea. Unfortunately for Airbus, few have been willing to take on the world's largest airliner as a private jet.
The shift from fugitives in their own country to normal Colombians has been fraught for FARC rebels and their leadership.

More than a half-century of violence is not easy to leave behind, and the shift to normal life will continue to present challenges.

An anecdote in a New Yorker profile of Carlos Antonio Lozada, a FARC member since 1978 who has been a main leader during the group's peace talks with the government, underscores how the rebels' long existence outside of Colombian society complicates their efforts to move back into it.

"Lozada said that a Colombian army general involved in the peace process had invited him to join LinkedIn. He had tried, but had been stymied by the online membership form," Jon Lee Anderson writes.

"'It asks for your 'curriculum, professional contacts and qualifications, and references,' Lozada exclaimed, erupting in a fit of laughter. 'Job descriptioncommander for the FARC! ReferencesTimochenko!' Lozada said, referring to the alias of another senior FARC commander.

According to Anderson's profile, though FARC rebels have struggled with LinkedIn, they've taken to Facebook and WhatsApp, which they've used to reconnect with friends and loved ones they've long been separated from.

But other apps have proven vexing. Lozada and Timochenko appeared on a talk show in late November, a landmark event after their decades of war against the Colombian state. Interest was immediate.

Since Colombia's legislature approved a revised peace deal at the end of November (the original deal was narrowly defeated in a nationwide plebiscite in October) thousands of FARC rebels traveled across the country to UN-organized camps where they were set to begin demobilizing and disarming.

"The last march," as it was called, got off to a rocky start, as FARC leaders complained that the camps were not ready  in some cases they found only barren clearings or fields filled with sacks of cement.

Despite those issues, the disarmament process, which has a May 31 deadline, has reportedly advanced quickly. Matthew Rycroft, the British ambassador to the UN Security Council, said after an early May visit to Colombia that some 7,000 FARC members had already arrived to lay down their arms.

Colombia has also registered some security successes in recent months, recording in 2016 both its lowest number of kidnappings since 2000 and its lowest number of homicides since 1984.

However, as UN officials warned after their visit, the risk of post-conflict violence and recidivism by demobilized FARC rebels remains high.

About 50 FARC units have spurned the peace process altogether, electing to remain in the countryside and maintain involvement in criminal enterprises. (A dissident FARC group is believed to have kidnapped a UN worker earlier this month.)

Criminal groups appear to be angling for territory and criminal activities vacated by FARC rebels, clashing with each other and forcing Colombians from their homes.
Dubbed far ban bo (protecting fisherfolks livelihoods), the programme is being implemented by a consortium of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) including Care International, Friends of the Nation (FON) and Oxfam in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission, Fishers Association and Fisheries Alliance.

It started in April this year and would run till 2021.

The aim is to build the capacity of smallholder fishers to improve their livelihoods and to address the challenges of over-fishing and unregulated fishing practices such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and law compliance.

It also seeks to empower the law enforcement agencies to sensitise the sector.

It would also focus on tenure rights security for landing sites as well as implement grievances and disputes resolution mechanisms among industrial, inshore and artisan or smallholder fishers.

Launching the programme in Cape Coast, Mr Kwadwo Kyei Nyamoah, Programmes Manager of FON, said the project would strengthen the capacity of fishery associations to engage in efficient legal fishing methods to improve their incomes.

He said the far ban bo programme would also be implemented simultaneously in 30 other districts in the Central, Western, Greater Accra and Volta regions.

He said FON was determined to work with all stakeholders especially marine and inland fisheries to uplift the sector.

He said through the programme, smallholder women in the fisheries value chain sector in the beneficiary districts would get financial assistance to enable them expand their businesses, improve food security and quality nutrition for their families.

READ ALSO:

Mr Yamoah indicated that the fishing sector contributed about 4.5 per cent of Ghanas Gross Domestic Produce (GDP) and supported the livelihood of about 10 per cent of Ghanas population and therefore should not be neglected.

Mr Thomas Yaw Adjei Baffour, Deputy Central Regional Minister advised fishermen to adhere to right fishing practices and eschew all acts that would affect the progress of the sector.

He expressed the commitment of government to invest enormous resources in the fishing sector to enable it contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic transformation agenda.
In an Instagram post, the actor who has been heavily criticised by Ghanaians on social media said he had apologised to the degree holding bread seller on phone.

I just had an extremely gracious phone conversation with Kweku Vito aka Godfred the hawker and apologised to him for misjudging his inspiring and humble actions by selling on streets with his employees. I must say, however, that this is not at all like me especially as I have been promoting start-ups and young entrepreneurs. As a matter of fact, since January, Ive had 10 graduate students undergoing start-up programs under the John dumelo Foundation. I was totally out of order on this one and I sincerely apologise to everyone especially the hard working hawkers who endure the sun just to make ends meet. I will soon join him on the streets to experience this selfless act for myself.

John Dumelo came under fire on social media after he made fun of the Chief Executive Officer of A1 Bakery after he saw him selling his products on the street.

In an Instagram post which he later pulled down, Dumelo said: "Just saw a KNUST grad hawking in traffic.. what went wrong?".

However, Godfred Obeng Boateng said he is not bothered by the comments made by the actor.

"Im really busy, working. The dog will bark but then the caravan will park, Im just busy selling and I know I have confidence."
The day was declared by the United Nations to educate and create awareness of the skin condition in order to reduce the stigmatization that comes with among other objectives.

Vitiligo is a skin disorder in which white patches of skin appear on different parts of the body. This happens because the cells that make pigment in the skin are destroyed. Vitiligo can also affect the mucous membranes (such as the tissue inside the mouth and nose) and the eye.

The cause is not known. Vitiligo may be an autoimmune disease. These diseases happen when the immune system mistakenly attacks some part of the body. In vitiligo, the immune system may destroy the melanocytes in the skin. Although it is neither painful nor life-threatening, vitiligo can be an emotional burden to people who are afflicted. Ignorance and inherited attitudes about other diseases like leprosy contribute to the stigmatization of people with vitiligo, particularly young women, who suffer from its effects.

Sadly, there are reported cases of people who suffer from the condition that has had to give up their dreams and aspirations in life.

READ ALSO: Ghanaian elected as director of powerful Harvard Alumni Association

Because the condition is not painful or damaging beyond the psychological effects, it has received little attention from researchers and medical professionals.

It is against this backdrop that the Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation, Ghana has lined up a week-long of activities to observe the day. These include a Vitiligo Awareness Walk through some principal streets in Accra, awareness tours to some selected basic and senior high schools as well as a fashion show.

Speaking to the President of VITSAF-Ghana, Ms. Enam Heikeens recounted some of the stories people with vitiligo face here in Ghana including job denials and marriage. A professional nurse herself who had to face discrimination every day from her classmates, patients and work colleagues said the only way to reduce discrimination against people with the condition is to educate them. We have to make them aware that the condition is not contagious, she said. She calls on individuals and corporate organizations to support the activities lined up to observe the day.
eNCA reports that four teenagers who had been kidnapped were reportedly kept as sex slaves at the suspect home on the East Rand in Springs on Friday, May 19.

ALSO READ: Clergyman arrested for harbouring sex slaves

According to the reports, drugs and pornographic materials were also seized at his residence.

Police Spokesperson, Thivhulaw Tshilat, while confirming the arrest said they had been working on tip-off from members of the community.

"Upon inquiries what are they doing there was no satisfactory explanation, 42-year-old Nigerian national was found, the house owner what are the children doing there, he couldnt explain and it showed there was an unusual activity happening in the house and [we] searched the house," He said.

The police appealed to parents, urging to always know the whereabouts of their children.

eNCA reports that some of the teenagers are from Balfour in Mpumalanga and one is from KwaThema near Springs.
According to reports by the Daily Mail, the 23-year-old female and her partner were approached by the suspect Erik X. on April 2 while camping at the Siegaue Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Bonn, police said.

The machete wielding man threatened the couple and then proceeded to rape the young woman outside their tent.

Her boyfriend called the police after the ordeal and the young woman was taken to the hospital.

The police, appealing for information, received around 250 tip-offs from members of the public. The suspected perpetrator was arrested in nearby Siegburg after a walker recognized him from an e-fit wanted poster.

READ ALSO: Level 400 legon student dies a week to final exams

After spotting the law enforcement the man initially tried to run, flinging a rucksack at an officer. The rucksack, it turned out, was stolen from a barbeque party shortly before the sex attack occurred.

Subsequent DNA testing matched the suspect to the crime scene and a judge issued an arrest warrant for the rape.

READ MORE: Ghanaian student Samuel Kwarteng shot dead
He was of the view that when your partner is around it is not advisable to fart as a show of courtesy and respect.

He thought it was weird and his point was that, Why would you wish to put your beloved through such discomfort especially when you can just excuse yourself for a second or?

I, on the other hand, felt one should be able to express themselves with complete freedom and liberty in the presence of their partners. This in no uncertain terms excludes the act of passing gas.

And well, if you didn't know, here are some benefits of farting.

I took to the streets of the University of Ghana to discuss this with a few people to see how they feel about farting in the presence of their partners.

Responses were skewed. Most people said they could not fart in the presence of the beloved as a show of respect. They said they would either excuse themselves or they would hold on tight and will keep it and pass it later.

Watch the video below and and let us know what you think.
But there comes a time when the tool can actually be used to get people to know there are still good people around the world.

For Nyameba Edem Kofi Yevutsey, his story on social media platform Facebook could just be described as a 2.0 of the Good Samaritan sermon as narrated in Luke 10 in the Bible.

In a situation where all others assumed and went with the stereotype, Kofi Yevutsey actually cared and eventually saw him touch a life.

This is how Nyameba Edem Kofi Yevutsey narrates the story:

"My last post as a 34-year-old. I saved a life and I'm proud of it. I was driving by when I saw this guy lying on the floor in the hot sun. Several people passed by him and just pulled out their phones and took pictures. Others insulted him for being a drunkard. But I stopped and got closer and asked what was wrong. With a faint voice, I heard him say "I'm not drunk. I didn't drink any alcohol". I saw in his eyes pain and helplessness. In the hot afternoon sun, I saw that he was shaking as though he felt cold. With the help of the police officer in the picture we carried him to a better place under a tree and gave him water. Then he asked for food and we gave him food. After eating he told us his story.

"His name is Isaac Boateng. A fisherman from Elmina. According to him this day when they go out to sea they don't get any fish. So out of frustration, he came to Tema to find work but after roaming through the city for a week without any success he started begging for food or asking to work - do any work for food. Most people just turned him away and others threatened him. Before he fell and collapsed on the streets of Tema community 11 before I found him he hadn't eaten for 3 days.

"By the grace of God, he is on his way back to Elmina right now with a little extra money in his pocket to keep him going for a few days. Apart from fishing Isaac also is a repairer of damaged bicycle tyres. He has learned his lesson he told me. He promised me he'd stay in Elmina and not come foraging for opportunities in the city anymore. He said to me that the wickedness of the people in Tema surprised him most. Once he gained some strength he became very chatty and I must say I enjoyed the time it spent talking to this human being. I learned today to work harder and to make life better for others with the fruit of my labour. I learned that in everybody is a beautiful soul that needs care and love."
This is according to a statement issued by the Special Aide to ex-president John Mahama Joyce Bawah Mogtari.

Mr Mahama is attending the annual meeting at the invitation of the AfDB and the Indian government.

Former President John Mahama will be speaking at a session on Engaging Africas youth in Agriculture. He is also expected to participate in a number of other sessions which include Financing Infrastructure, Addressing Africas nutrition challenges, and Africa- Asia Partnerships.

The AfDB, which works to reduce poverty and improve the living conditions of African people, is meeting on the theme Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa.
The dismissed officers were punished for allegedly causing a huge financial loss to the state.

The alleged corrupt officers, include four females and eleven males.

Their interdiction follows their purported connivance with certain companies to evade duties and taxes.

Nine of the interdicted officers operate under the Tema Sector Command.

One of the alleged corrupt acts by the officers is said to have caused GRA GH17,151, 593.72 in liabilities.

The process leading to the actions taken on the officers was painstaking in line with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos war against pilfering at the port.

According to the Daily Guide newspaper, Acting Commissioner, Support Service Division, Fred Charles Anson had made it clear that the Service will not compromise on corruption and indiscipline among the officers corps.

The GRA has also set up a committee of inquiry in accordance with its conditions of service to carry out full but speedy investigations and bring up findings and recommendations for disciplinary action to be taken.

READ ALSO: Nana Yaa Jantuah resigns
According to the petitioner Kwesi Livingstone, his Toyota Landcruiser was seized by some members of the taskforce adding that he was harassed and threatened from the taskforce.

He said such conduct must be curbed to safeguard the esteem and public goodwill towards the official residence of the President.

READ MORE: Mahama releases list of vehicles handed over to Nana Addo

On Saturday May 12, 2017, the petitioner said he was stopped by a gang who were in a white unbranded pickup vehicle at Old Barrier at Weija in the Greater Accra region.

He said due to the suspicious action of the gang, he ignored their instruction but they sped and stopped him.

A man in a police uniform (no tag name ) ordered him to park which he did.

The police officer introduced himself as Evans Agyei Mensah and asked him to hand over his land cruiser because the car is a government vehicle but he did not.

He added that he gave his business card to the boys [taskforce] and booked for an appointment.

The vehicle was locked and when he showed up at the Flagstaff House, investigation shows that the vehicle does not belong to the state, he said.

The petitioner indicated that a gentleman by name Daniel Skillo, a staff of the Office of the President, confirmed that Mr. Evans Agyei Mensah is one of the boys in the government cars recovery task force.

He said the boys gave him up to May 17, to bring the car and the original documents to the Flagstaff House or face their wrath.

Below is his full petition:

I humbly write, as a civic duty and personal responsibility, to petition your office over an episode of unwarranted harassment and threats to my person and property by persons associating their actions with Flagstaff House. By all means, such conduct must be curbed to safeguard the esteem and public goodwill towards the official residence of the President and Commander In Chief.

Specifically, I hereby demand superior intervention to clarify the merit or basis of my embarrassing interdiction on the highway and subsequent emotional assault and intrusive calls and threats to my person by a gang led by Evans Agyei Mensah as the attached detailed account show.

Beyond my personal grievance, this petition also serves to highlight the slippery slope and inherent risks in tolerating or giving licence to non-state actors to intrude into the rights and privacy of compatriots; among them:

Even more, the founding philosophy and Motto of the NPP affirms Development in Freedom clearly signalling unfettered respect for individual enterprise and enthronement of private sector leadership of the economy. Such random persecution and disruptive demands on executive time and emotions of a Corporate Executive are at variance with the cherished traditions of the ruling party.

Where, indeed, government is prosecuting a campaign to recover vehicle assets in such manner as likely to trigger incidents such as this, there must be clear prior communication of such effort in the media, clearly alerting the public with relevant details and guidelines.

In such instance, the emotional trauma of being accosted mid-journey is likely abated by foreknowledge. A Complaints or instant Verification Desk/Contact may also be available for resort by affected persons.

Whatever the case, it is unacceptable and undeserving at this stage of our development for a Chief Executive of a respected financial institution to be subjected to the harrowing experience I have been.

No respectable citizen should be subjected to any such treatment, and government owes and must ensure this as its responsibility to loyal constituents.

I do not demand an apology from your office but I hope the cited persons, where subsequently enlightened, will act appropriately in this direction and revert even while improving their operational manners in dealing with others in their assigned public role.

Respectfully,
According to him, he intends taking the fight against corruption by naming and shaming officials in his government.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo at the CEOs Summit in Accra, he said he will investigate and prosecute cases and allegations of corruption.

He said corruption "heightens the cost of doing business and the resulting transaction cost and discourages business investments".

"Both foreigners and indigenes who have capital to invest in our country are discouraged from doing so because of corruption, he added.

"Im not naive about the enormity of the problem and how that continues to undermine efforts of development. We need to fight corruption collectively and the joint efforts of the captains of business will be most welcome," Nana Addo said.

He added that "We need all hands on deck to fight corruption because corruption fundamentally is the giver and the taker  both are guilty."

The president said he "will establish a Business Reporting Bureau at which corrupt activities of staff and officers of State Owned Enterprises, regulatory institutions, revenue agencies and the public and civil service will be reported to."

According to him, "We need to go about this in a very transparent manner with time so that together we can fight corruption."

He said complaints received will be investigated and not swept under his carpet. "To ensure that action is taken against persons reported and that heads of these institutions are held accountable, Ill cause to be published, on quarterly basis or in certain periods, all complaints and steps that are being taken in respect of these persons.

"My administration believes that the fight against corruption must move into its new phase  a phase characterised by action, not words, and one inspired by collective desire of our people to see a deadly but enduring practice ending. The work involved is much by our desire to succeed and your cooperation is counted upon without which we cannot succeed. We need to fight corruption and we need to do so jointly," he noted.

Nana Addo prior to the 2016 elections promised to set-up an Independent Prosecutors Office which will be one of the measures his administration will undertake to fight corruption in the public sector.

He said, "We have decided that as much as possible we want to take the politics out of it."
Igor Tulchinsky, the founder of WorldQuant, a New York-based quantitative hedge fund, founded WorldQuant University last year.

The program offers students a tuition-free two-year education in financial engineering.

"It went live about a year ago, and now we have 600 students who have enrolled from all over the world," Daphne Kis, CEO of WorldQuant University, told Business Insider.

Financial engineering draws from several fields, including computer science, economics, and mathematics. As such, the program's course load, according to the program's site, covers economic theory and statistics and provides students the opportunity to work with programming languages such as Python and MATLAB.

In 2007, Tulchinsky founded WorldQuant LLC, a private institutional investment management firm tied to the $35 billion hedge fund Millennium Management. He had spent 12 years as a portfolio manager at Millennium.

Tulchinsky told Business Insider that the idea for WorldQuant University came to fruition while he was developing WorldQuant.

"As I was developing my primary business, which has 23 offices around the world, it became quite obvious that talent is distributed very uniformly around the world, while opportunity is not," Tulchinsky said. "The most valuable, long-lasting asset you can give an individual is an education."

WorldQuant University says it has students from more than 35 countries, including those across Africa and Asia.

As the digitization of Wall Street continues unabated, more firms will require talent have coding and technical skills. Hedge funds have been hiring tech experts from Silicon Valley at a clip in recent years, and a degree in financial engineering is a valuable asset on Wall Street.

Financial-engineering professionals are among the highest-paid workers on the Street. The average national salary for a financial engineer is a whopping $102,020, according to the job-search platform Glassdoor.

Fannie Mae, Citadel, and Pimco all have postings on Glassdoor for financial engineers, offering salaries as high as $134,745.

The WorldQuant University faculty includes several former Wall Street quants and is licensed by the Louisiana Board of Regents. Tulchinsky hopes to increase the number of students in the program over time.
"If you are not guilty of a crime, what do you need immunity for?" Trump said at a campaign rally in Florida in September.

"The mob takes the Fifth Amendment," Trump said at a campaign event in Iowa later that month. "If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?"

That was then.

Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, in March requested immunity from prosecution in exchange for testifying before the House and Senate intelligence committees about Russia's interference in the 2016 election. And on Monday, Flynn is expected to flout a Senate subpoena for documents related to his contacts with Russia by invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has also weighed in on the amendment, tweeting in 2013, "Why do u take the 5th if you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide?"

Flynn himself said during an interview last year with MSNBC commentator Chuck Todd, "When you are given immunity, that means you have probably committed a crime."

"It's conceivable that Flynn is innocent," Glenn Carle, a former CIA operative who worked closely with the FBI during his time as an intelligence officer, said shortly after Flynn requested immunity. "But the FBI is extremely powerful and has sources everywhere. So assuming Flynn is asking for immunity because he thinks he did something wrong and wants to save his own ass, the bureau will probably say, 'Thanks, but no  why should we do you a favor if we don't even need your testimony?'"

Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, would not comment on whether the committee had agreed to Flynn's immunity request. But he hinted in an interview last week that it might not need the story that Flynn's attorney has said he is eager to tell.

"Speaking as a former prosecutor," Swalwell said, "you would only offer immunity to a witness who could provide testimony you could not otherwise obtain."

Flynn's ties to Russia have been of particular interest to the congressional intelligence committees because of his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, that eventually led to his ouster. CNN on Friday reported that Russian officials boasted of their relationship with Flynn throughout 2016. They saw him as an ally who could help Moscow make inroads with Trump, said the report, citing unnamed sources.

According to NBC, Flynn also is a focus of a criminal investigation by the FBI, which is examining whether his failure to disclose several foreign relationships on his security clearance forms violated federal law.

The former general's baggage is well-known. President Barack Obama fired him as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014, and he sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a dinner celebrating Russia Today's 10th anniversary in 2015.

Still, Trump's family had a "blind spot" for Flynn, according to NBC, and reportedly hired him even after he informed the transition team that the FBI was investigating him because of his lobbying work for Turkey.

Flynn's time at the White House lasted just 24 days. He was asked to resign on February 13  nearly three weeks after the acting attorney general, Sally Yates, warned the White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail  amid reports that he had discussed sanctions with Kislyak during the transition.

But Trump continued to defend him, going as far as suggesting to James Comey, the FBI director, the day after Flynn resigned to drop the investigation into Flynn's foreign contacts, according to a memo Comey wrote about the conversation.
He invented the tech while he was a doctoral student at Stanford. He took that invention and two of the professors advising him, Nick McKeown from Stanford and Scott Shenker from the University of California, Berkeley  legends in their own right  and founded a startup. It was called Nicira, and it was backed by venture capitalists like Andreessen Horowitz's a16z.

"Nicira launched into the networking industry like a cannonball hitting placid water," Marc Andreessen, the founder of a16z, wrote of Nicira and of Casado. That's true.

The company was quietly founded in 2007 but didn't officially launch until early 2012. Five months later, it sold to VMware for a stunning $1.26 billion. And the network industry has never been the same.

After staying with VMware for a few years, Casado left in early 2016 to become a VC with a16z. But the interesting thing is that he doesn't think of himself as a runaway success, but as someone who got good at failure.

Or so he told the 2017 graduating class at his first alma mater, Northern Arizona University, where he spoke after receiving an honorary doctorate on May 13.

"When I was standing where you are, I wanted to be the world's best computational physicist," Casado told the crowd. "And soon after, I wanted to be the world's foremost cyber-policy expert. But instead, I went to grad school, and then I wanted to be the world's best academic. And I certainly didn't accomplish that."

He added: "I only found computer science because I couldn't hack it as a physicist and then I failed as a microbiology student. I made many, many missteps as the first-time founder of a company."

Casado's speech was short, sweet, funny, and profound.

She doesn't want to go to grad school right now. And although she knows forms of math that I didn't even know existed, what kind of career will she have? I don't know, and neither does she.

But Casado's speech flipped my view on it. He offered four solid bits of advice to students, which is good advice for anyone, at any age.

1. Youre unlikely to achieve your goals.

No one can predict the future, and when you're on the path to a goal, a better goal "is likely to smack you while you're looking the other way," Casado said, "and you'd be an idiot not to follow it."

His advice is to "take some fraction of that effort and work on being open to change and to opportunity" while working toward your goals.

If he hadn't been open to change in his career, he may never have invented an industry-changing technology.

2. You are going to fail. A lot. Its inevitable.

He suggests that it is failure, not progress, that indicates whether you are living up to your potential.

If you are failing, you are pushing yourself and "not stalling your own progress by hiding," he said.

The true skill, then, is "to learn to embrace failure  not only embrace failure, get good at it, and by that I mean get back up, apply what you've learned, and hit reset."

3. No one really knows what contributes to success.

Every person is unique, and that means what's right for another isn't always right for you. When it comes to advice, listen to the parts that ring true for you and disregard the rest.

"You're going to take one path out of an infinite number of possibilities," Casado said. "And you're going to navigate it your way."

4. The universe is a messy place.

If there is a secret to life, happiness, and success, it's this: "The opportunity is hidden in the sloppiness. If you hold too hard to specific ideas of where you want to go, or what the landscape will look like, or what the world will provide you, I can guarantee you'll be disappointed."

Here is the full transcript of his speech. The video is below if youd rather listen.

"Graduates, I am deeply honored to have a few minutes with you. So let me first thank you for the opportunity and your attention.

"Right now, this moment is one of the most significant inflection points in your life. And perhaps not in the way you'd expect. So if you'll indulge me, I'd like to explain why.

"Getting to this point, this space we're all sharing right now, has taken a tremendous amount of work and dedication, no doubt. And for that, I applaud you, and you have my deepest respect.

"However, a university education, no matter how windy, is a path with a clear goal. It was challenging, sure. Yet generally the objective was pretty obvious: work hard and get the hell out.

"All of that is about to change.

"Almost two decades ago I was standing where you are now. I was nervous. I was excited. And I was largely over it.

"And so I took that proverbial step. And very quickly, I realized that where I landed was very, very different from where I left.

"It was as if I stepped off of a narrow path and into a city. And unlike my university experience, there was no clear goal. There wasn't a defined string of classes or tests I had to pass. There was no notion of a start or finish.

"Instead, there was a vast, vast collection of opportunities and perils  infinite routes to infinite locations, and none of which I really understood. You could choose to stop or move at any time with equal chance of benefit or loss.

"And I found that none of my experiences really prepared me to navigate such a wide open space. There were no platitudes, no cliches, no quippy one-liners that provided clear and useful guidance. It wasn't just about working hard and setting goals. It wasn't just about perseverance or having a positive attitude. I knew how to do all those things. This new space required something far different.

"So with that backdrop, I'd like to offer you some advice  lessons that no one would be able to put on a motivational poster and keep their job, lessons to keep in mind as you take this next step into the chaos.

"First: You're unlikely to achieve your goals. Really, it's very unlikely. When I was standing where you are, I wanted to be the world's best computational physicist. And soon after, I wanted to be the world's foremost cyber-policy expert. But instead, I went to grad school, and then I wanted to be the world's best academic. And I certainly didn't accomplish that.

"You're unlikely to achieve your goals. The reason is that you probably don't realize how many amazing opportunities are out there and how much you'll enjoy them. You are unlikely to achieve your goals, because a better one is likely to smack you while you're looking the other way, and you'd be an idiot not to follow it.

"So my guidance to you is as much as you work toward your goals, take some fraction of that effort and work on being open to change and to opportunity.

"Second: You are going to fail. A lot. It's inevitable. I only found computer science because I couldn't hack it as a physicist and then I failed as a microbiology student. I made many, many missteps as the first-time founder of a company.

"You are going to fail because you're going to be navigating a shifting landscape with a lot of things not under your control. You're going to fail because the goals are going to change or be unclear. You're going to fail because you'll start something and realize it's not what you want to do.

"And here's the key: Failing will be your only true measure of progress. It's inevitable. The system you're about to walk into is simply too dynamic and too poorly defined for you not to.

"And so my guidance to you is to learn to embrace failure  not only embrace failure, get good at it, and by that I mean get back up, apply what you've learned, and hit reset.

"Third: No one really knows what contributes to success. Not me. Not some business guru or some pundit on the news. No one. And that's particularly true for your success  yours. Here's the reality: Every one of you is a beautiful collection of amazing qualities and strengths. Unique in all the universe you. And you're going to take one path out of an infinite number of possibilities. And you're going to navigate it your way.

"So right here, I grant you permission to summarily ignore the nonsense of others. Take advice as input, sure, but check it against your absolutely unique perspective and qualities to bring to a problem.

"You do you, boo.

"For what it's worth, of all the advice I've given you, this last request will probably be the most difficult. I know you can work hard. I know you're all smart and capable and resourceful. But I don't know how well you know yourself. I certainly didn't when I graduated. And it took a lot of inquiry and a lot of failure and a lot of false starts to begin to figure it out.

"In the words of Dr. Seuss, that he actually didn't write and I totally made up, 'You can't do you, boo, if you don't know you.'

"OK, let me take a step back. Here's where all of this is leading.

"The universe is a messy place. And the real trick going forward is to acknowledge that and to embrace it. The opportunity is hidden in the sloppiness. If you hold too hard to specific ideas of where you want to go, or what the landscape will look like, or what the world will provide you, I can guarantee you'll be disappointed.

"And it's exactly because the beauty is in the chaos. What have I asked of you?

One, focus on being open to change, because although you're all beautiful and bright and creative individuals, the opportunities are for more wondrous than you can possibly conceive.

"Two, fail. It's the only way you know that you're riding the chaos and are not stalling your own progress by hiding.

"Three, no one knows what's best for you, because really, it's unknowable. So ignore the pundits and do it your way.

"And to do that, know yourself. Because really, this journey is for you. And your priorities. And for those you care about. With that, I'll leave you with a quote, and this one I didn't make up.

"It's from the Ashtavakra Gita:

Let the waves of the universerise and fall as they will.You have nothing to gain or lose.You are the ocean.

"Thank you very much, and again, many congratulations."
The media personality who is expecting her first child with husband, Prince Adegbite Sijuade was seen in a glamorous black gown in the company of friends.

According to her, the shower was a surprise by close friends and family members.

She seemed to have fun and is looking ready to drop any moment from now.

Marcy announced she was pregnant on Sunday, March 26, 2017 via an Instagram post.

Oni wrote tagging her husband Prince Sijuade with a simple caption, "God has blessed us @thegbi #AwesomeGod," accompanied by an image with a baby feet.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Punch reports that the 39-year-old Inimgba, a resident of Amadi-Ama area in Port Harcourt, the state capital, had accused the deceased identified as George, of stealing his N3,200 on Friday, May 19, 2017, and in trying to discipline him, he used a cutlass to inflict cuts on the victim after beating him up with a plank.

During the beating, the boy was said to have lost consciousness and was discovered dead the next day.

It was further learned that Inimgba's wife who is Georges stepmother, Blessing, was also arrested by the police for failing to rescue the boy from his father.

The police report that Inimgba had wanted to conceal the death of his son and give him an hurried burial but for a carpenter who raised the alarm on sighting the injuries on the boy.

Inimgba, popularly known as Oyinbo, was said to have invited the carpenter to his apartment to make a coffin for the burial of the child but when the carpenter saw the injuries on the body while measuring it, he raised an alarm leading to the arrest of the suspect and his wife.

Some neighbours and relatives of Inimgba who spoke to journalists said he had been in the habit of maltreating the boy since he sent his mother packing six years ago and got married to another woman.

His elder brother's wife who identified herself as K.K., said George requested water at the point of death, but the father continued the beating.

She said the boys attempts to explain that he used part of the money to feed himself because he was hungry fell on deaf ears.

He beat the boy for about two hours. My husband was not around. The boy was crying and saying, Daddy, give me water, I cannot walk again.

The boy was saying Sorry Daddy and the man continued to ask, Where is the money? But the boy said he was hungry and used the money to buy bread.

He accused the son of stealing N3,200 from him over time. The boy was always hungry and if he came to my house to eat, the stepmother would report him to the father.

He went to his church to tell the pastor that his child was dead without explaining what led to the little boys death. It was when the carpenter raised the alarm that the neighbours knew that he had killed his son.

There were machete cuts on Georges body. Some angry boys came out and gave Oyinbo the beating of his life before a team of mobile policemen arrested him and his wife.

A neighbour of the Inimgba's narrated that he was arrested last year he burnt Georges hand in the stove.

He was arrested, detained for three days and was made to write an undertaking. It was at that point that the boy started going to school for the first time.

A psychologist based in Port Harcourt, Sri George, who first shared the story on Instagram, said he had met with the late George on the street a few days before his death as people gathered around him after he was caught stealing a snack on his way to school.

George had earlier written:

What a cruel world. Last Tuesday, between the hours of 8 am to 9 am, I saw a crowd of people around my vicinity gathered around this little boy. So, I stopped by and inquired what happened.

They told me that this little boy on his way to school stole a doughnut from a shop. The people whom he stole the doughnut from even gave him more of it and a bottle of drink and asked him to go.

They all claimed that his father and stepmother have the habit of starving and beating him up on a daily basis. I saw so many scars on his body.

I took the boy to my house, interviewed him, and he told me how he had been suffering since his mother left his father.

I gave him some biscuits, asked him to come and eat at my place anytime and promised to see his father this week before he left for school, only to learn this morning (Saturday) that his father has beaten him to death.
According to a Facebook user, Umar Adamu, Hammed, an indigene of Kaduna State died few days from injuries he suffered from the attack on him by his first wife who had earlier warned him from getting a second wife.

It was gathered that when Hammed informed his wife that he wanted to get a new wife, the jealous woman warned him against getting her a rival and was reported to have told him that she would do something he will regret if he went ahead to get a second wife.

But not believing that his wife could go to the extent of harming him, Hammed was said to have called her bluff and went ahead to marry the woman.

The jealous first wife was said to have allowed her husband to go to bed and while he was asleep, she boiled the water, took it to his room and poured it on him.

Hammed screams drew the attention of neighbours who rushed her to a hospital where he later gave up the ghost a few days later due to the severity of the burns.
Another young, beautiful woman who had her life in front of her was killed by a weak man. We cannot exhaust the conversation about domestic violence and physical assault in relationships.

The death of Mokoena fired up the tweets about violence in relationships. The hash tag #MenAreTrash were embedded in so many 140 word statements. They weren't a reaction to the beautiful South African's death. It was a backlash and rallying cry from women who have been ignored for a long time.

#MenAreTrash was trending before Mokoena's horrific death. A few days before, a lady announced that #MenAreTrash t-shirts were up for sale. This brought a lot of heat on social media.

Most guys felt that #MenAreTrash is a slur and an unfair indictment of all men. On the other side of the fence, the hash tag is an accurate description of men who have encouraged rape culture, misogyny and patriarchy to thrive.

As earlier stated #MenAreTrash is the language of the ignored, frustrated and unheard. When a group of people have been disregarded for a long time they usually result to rhetoric like this to get their point across.

A good example of this is the term 'white privilege'. This term is used to describe a system that only favours white people. White Privilege became very prominent in the last seven years especially during the emergence of the Black Lives Matter.

The point here is this, the term white privilege does not take into account the millions of white people who are poor and have never benefited from the 'system' just like many American minorities. It also lumps together white people who are not racist.

The use of white privilege to battle racism in the US might not further the conversation. White people who have never benefited from this privilege might feel slighted that they are grouped with racists. This won't advance the racism conversation.

ALSO READ: Men are scum movement dies in 2017

The #MenAreTrash situation is similar. Men who have never raised their hands on women, never raped, sexually assaulted a woman would be annoyed with the hashtag.

From a male perspective, a lot of guys who want to contribute to these sensitive topics choose not to do so because they feel insulted and herded with rapists. For me, I keep quiet when this hash tag starts to trend. If you have already judged every man based on the actions of others, then why talk or speak?

What I see on Twitter these days are gender wars, slurs and shots thrown from both camps. This doesn't help the conversation. This does not advance anything.
The governor gave the warning in a statement signed by Malam Jibril Ndace , Chief Press Secretary to the governor, and made available to News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Minna.

He said that the administration has invested heavily on security to protect the lives and property of the people irrespective of tribe, religious and political affiliation.

He said that the state government will not fold its arms and watch some miscreants undermine law and order in the state.

The governor said peace and security is not just a top priority of the administration, but appropriate steps have been taken to ensure safety of lives and property.

We will continue to give all the necessary support and co-operation to security agencies to enable them confront the present security challenges facing the state," he added.

The state government has taken proactive measures to provide basic working tools for security personnel and vigilante groups in dealing with any form of security threats.

This warning followed the recent breach of peace and security, which resulted in the unfortunate death of about 20 people in the village of Epogi in Mokwa Local Government area of the state.

Gov. Bello, who described the Epogi massacre as callous and dastardly, warned that his administration will never tolerate lawlessness, assuring that the incident will be investigated and the culprits brought to justice.

We are not unmindful of the recent upsurge in security threats across the state, government with security agencies shall continue to protect the lives and property of our people, he assured the people.

The governor, who emphasised that security was a collective responsibility, called on all stakeholders to support government and security agencies in their efforts at providing a safe and secured environment for all citizens.
The states Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Umaru Tambuwal, made the disclosure at a news conference on Monday in Sokoto.

He said the fertilizer was procured under the Federal Governments arrangement where the commodity would be sold to farmers in states during the farming season.

Tambuwal said that the State Government had since paid its counterpart funding of N91 million for the reconstruction of the Kware Irrigation Scheme in the state.

The commissioner announced that the state had similarly, paid its counterpart funding of N1.2 billion to the Nigeria Erosion Watershed Management Project for rehabilitation of the Wurno Dam.

He said that seeds of carrot, watermelon, onion, pepper, garlic, cabbage and other items had been procured by the state at a cost of N11 million and distributed free to farmers.

The commissioner said that the State Government was collaborating with Zenith Bank to finance a N3 billion commercial agriculture credit scheme for farmers.

Tambuwal said that the government had procured 15,000 litres of pesticides at a cost of N45 million for the control of pests while N73 million was spent last year for aerial control of Queale birds.

The State Government also procured five Hilux vans and 37 motorcycles for value-chain projects supervision at a cost of N80 million."

According to him, N92 million has been approved for off-takers of wheat during the 2016/2017 farming season to ease the difficulties of wheat farmers.
According to Daily Post, Onochie said the Presidents political enemies changed their tactics when they found out their prayers did not work.

The presidents aide, in a post of her Facebook page, also alleged that the unnamed people paid media house to attack Buhari.

Onochie said There must be a reason why some members of the political elite in Nigeria do not want to see President Muhammadu Buhari in power. They rigged him out of elections in the past and now that Nigerians overpowered them with the support of the card reader, they want him dead.

In 2015, when it was obvious the electorates had their eyes set on him, they scammed President Jonathan to postpone the election and to further empty the Nigerian treasury so they could buy more electorates.

But they knew Nigerians were not ready to be bought so they pocketed the campaign loot. Those who took part in the scamming of ex-President Jonathan, are being asked to cough up and the junkiest of them all, is cursing and swearing because he is being held accountable.

Transition was a scam. Financial books were cooked. They tried to cover up their financial wickedness and recklessness against this nation. They hired some school dropouts, products of their 16 years of mis-governance across the nation, to try to disrupt the nation.

And then they hired red, green, blue, and all shades of media outfits to unleash a coordinated attack on his government. Bravely, he soldiers on.

They travelled as far as Niger Republic, India, etc. and in vain, they engaged the services of marabouts and soothsayers (mere men), to their own disappointments.

Pastors and bishops (mere men), whose unholy services were engaged to pray for his death, resorted to attacking him once they have prayed and he did not die.

The presidential aide did not reveal the names of the politicians who went to India.
Okowa spoke in Benin at the end of a seven-day convention of the Rock of Ages Christian Assembly International (RACAI).

The convention had the theme: Too Faithful to Fail. The governor said that Nigerians should support the President instead of the undue criticism.

He urged Christians to constantly pray that the nation would surmount its numerous challenges.

According to him, Delta had many challenges shortly after he took over power, but the challenges were surmounted with the help of prayers.

I refused to be disturbed or regret being in power at that difficult moment. Apart from plans made to tackle the problems, we embarked on prayer, especially the one we organise every May 29, since 2015.

This is a way to say thank you God, we still believe and trust in you. The church must continue to pray for this country.

If you do not pray and you continue to complain about the nations woes, you are not a Christian.

When our nation is sick, we as a people are also sick. We should take the burden of the country as that of ourselves, he urged.

The Pastor of RACAI, Mr Charles Osazuwa, said that it was time Nigerians took responsibility of proffering solutions to the nations numerous challenges.

He said that the convention was to sensitise Nigerians to the need to contribute their best to solving the countrys problems.

Osazuwa said In the course of this conference, knowledge has been imparted on the people; when the people apply it, it will make a significant difference in their lives and that of the country."
Prof. Andrew Nok, the states Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Monday.

Nok said that the step was to equip the students with Information Technology (IT) skills and integrate them into the IT world.

The tablets are loaded with all the needed programmes and will be distributed to Senior Secondary School I (SSI) students in all public secondary schools across the state."

By the time the SSI students move to SSII, the government will procure another set of tablets and distribute to the newly admitted SSI students."

We will continue this way until all our senior secondary school students have computer tablets and are part of the IT driven world, he said.

The commissioner added that the effort would not only improve teaching and learning but would also make the students computer compliant.

Nok said the state government had equally gone some steps further by setting aside N100 million research grant to solve some environmental, health and security issues in the state.

According to him, the grant is open for any scientist from any institution, who wishes to carry out research, either on health, environment, conflict resolution or other issues confronting the state.

We are calling on scientists and researchers to use the opportunity and access the grant."
Oke was the head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), while Lawal was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Buhari suspended the two top government officials, following allegations of corruption levelled against Lawal, and the discovery of N13b in an Ikoyi apartment, reportedly belonging to the NIA.

The President also set up a panel headed by Osinbajo to investigate the allegations and submit a report.

Speaking about the panel report, Osinbajo called on Nigerians to be patient.

ALSO READ: Acting President Osinbajo to hold interactive session on new executive orders

According to his spokesman, Laolu Akande, when time comes the outcome of the panel would be made manifestly public and Nigerians would be satisfied.
The spokesman to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Mr Laolu Akande, made this known in a statement he issued on Sunday to give update on the new orders signed last Thursday.

He said as part of measures to drive the reforms intended in the executive orders, Osinbajo would hold an interactive forum in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that Osinbajo would be discussing in particular, the executive orders on business environment and promoting Made-in-Nigeria products with a cross-section of middle level and senior public and civil servants.

These are the people who will be directly responsible for the attainment of the objectives of the executive orders.

So the acting president wants an opportunity to talk with them directly and hear from them in person," he added.

Akande noted that the interactive forum would be open for live coverage and live streaming.

According to him, ensuring the effective implementation of the orders is critical for the overall prosperity of Nigerians and Nigeria.

He said that as part of activities commemorating the second year of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, a presidential level report card event on the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) of the Buhari presidency would be held at Aso Rock on May 29.

At this national event, we shall be updating Nigerians on the progress so far attained, how we are addressing some challenges and how Buharis Social Investment Programmes would be significantly expanded going forward, Akande said.

The SIPs are the N-Power, which engaged 200,000 unemployed Nigerians graduates for a volunteer job programme and the Conditional Cash Transfer being implemented now in nine states.

Others are the General Economic and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), a micro credit scheme that has given out almost 60,000 loans already, and the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme.

In the feeding programme, 25 million meals have been served and over one million primary school pupils in at least seven states are being fed using over 11,000 caterers.

On the progress of the report of the Presidential Investigative Panel, Akande urged for patience.

He explained that at the appropriate time the outcome of the panel would be made public and Nigerians will be satisfied.
Courtesy Dick Clark ProductionsAt the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night in Las Vegas, Florida Georgia Line won the award for Top Country Song for "H.O.L.Y." and also performed with John Legend. Performing with artists outside their genre is nothing new for FGL -- they've collaborated with Nelly, The Chainsmokers and The Backstreet Boys too. And, it seems, more collabos are coming.

Backstage, FGL's Brian Kelley told ABC Radio why their music seems to work with many different genres.

"Our influences are kinda all over, they always have been," he explained. "We try to keep an open mind and work hard and always expand our knowledge of music, and what's current, and what feels good and what sounds right. We got a couple more collaborations coming, can't really talk about 'em, but we're gonna keep droppin' 'em on the world!"

His partner Tyler Hubbard, meanwhile, talked about how meaningful it is that they won an award for "H.O.L.Y."

"It's really special. That's been a special song ever since the first time we heard it," he told ABC Radio. "So to be able to celebrate that tonight at the Billboards and to be able to perform it with John was a really special night for B.K. and I both, and something we're gonna take home and never forget."

Florida Georgia Line will perform on ABC this Friday as part of Good Morning America's summer concert series, and they're bringing their pal and tourmate Nelly along for the fun.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
I want to add my voice to that warning of coup attempt. They should not try it, those who want to break the democracy that many died for, Tinubu said.

You will have no fertile ground to plant the seed in Lagos. It is a bad product and I can assure you that we will reject it. Lagos will resist any form of action that plans to end the democracy we clamour for, he added.

Tinubu spoke at a Parliamentary Session organized as part of activities for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Lagos state.

The APC leader was reacting to an alarm raised by Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.
The Governor also said that God delivered him from all the evil plans of the ruling party.

Wike said the government planned to rig March 19, and December 10, 2016 legislative rerun elections so they could impeach him.

He said this during a thanksgiving service organised to celebrate the second year anniversary of his administration in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state.

According to Daily Post, Wike said They wanted to use the rerun elections to get enough state lawmakers to impeach me. But by Gods grace, we won. We dont have any power compared to the Federal Government. But Gods power is greater and that is why we have always won.

Everything was done to make sure that I was not sworn in. They went to Anambra court, they went Imo court, they went to Kano court and they went to Abuja court just to make sure that I was not sworn in.

Just to get an order to stop me from being inaugurated as the governor of the state and God said no, I will be governor.

ALSO READ: 5 times Ali Modu Sheriff attacked Gov Wike of Rivers state

Man said we will not have money to pay salaries, but God said we will have money to pay salaries. Man said we will not have money to do projects, but today, God gave us the money to do projects.
From playing Chijoke to interpreting the mean character Bossman, Daniel K Daniel is one entertaining actor to see on screen.

Today, May 22, 2017, is the actor's birthday, and to celebrate him, Pulse Nigeria has put together five must-watch movies of the talented actor.

Here we go;

1. "Mummy Dearest"

The movie which stars the actor as Chijoke tells the story of a mother, who tries to stay connected to her kids.

Her only son,Chijioke is busy with life,work and friends and does not respond to her efforts to keep in touch.

Chijioke later embark on a journey of reconciliation when his colleague at the office losses his mum.

Daniel K Daniel as Corporal Obi in the historical drama is perfect.

The movie follows the story of a young officer, who gets entangled in a romantic relationship with a beautiful O-Level student from the Southeastern part of Nigeria.

Their budding romance was almost ruptured by endless military postings. Now heavily pregnant, her walls came crumbling when the news of her husband's involvement in a botched coup attempt hits the headlines.

"Oloibiri" dramatizes the plight of a historic community, which stands for every other degraded oil mining community in Nigeria and asks the question "who is to blame?'

The oil multinationals, the government or the 'influential' indigenes of the community?

The movie features the actor as Lieutenant Yisa.

4. "A Soldier's Story"

The movie stars the actor as Bossman, and celebrates Nigerian heroic soldiers and their contributions to the country.

His role in the movie earned him an Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards best actor win in 2016.

In "Hell or High Water," Kelechi (Daniel K Daniel) and his lover represent hundreds of homosexuals in Nigerians, who, out of the fear of becoming second-class citizens, bullied, excommunicated from church or even killed, marry a wife for appearances.

The story explores the reality of sexuality amidst spirituality and family.
O'odua Progressives Youth Movement, which handed this warning to the ex-minister, said his recent comments suggest that he is one of those planning to lure the military to overthrow Buhari.

In an article on Thursday, May 18, 2019, entitled The ringing of coup bells and a cause for deep concern, Fani-Kayode noted that ever since 1966, the northern ruling class had always effected a coup detat whenever they feel sufficiently threatened with the loss of power.

"They would rather have a core northern military dictator in power than a southern leader or President. And they are prepared to kill anyone, no matter how highly placed, who stands in their way or who attempts to oppose or stop them," Fani-Kayode wrote.

Reacting to the comment at a press conference on Friday, May 19, 2019, the national coordinator of the group, Kola Salawu accused Fani-Kayode of being among those politicians, who the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buaratai had earlier referred to.

His statement reads.

Tragically, our brother and former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, we cannot deny him now that he has made a nuisance of himself, has confirmed knowledge of an impending coup in Nigeria because of the ill-health of President Muhammadu Buhari, in his article titled The ringing of coup bells and a cause for deep concern,

In that article, Fani-Kayode amply demonstrated beyond doubt that he knows what he was talking about.

Only a few days ago, Fani-Kayodes co-traveller, Dr Junaid Mohammed covertly made a similar threat of coup in an interview published by a national newspaper.

He insisted that the north would remain in power irrespective of outcomes. This made us reason that he read from the same script as Fani-Kayode.

Thankfully, military authorities issued the timely warnings for soldiers to stay out of politics and politicians stop inducing soldiers. It is a level of professionalism and dedication of the Nigerian military that we find praiseworthy, we particularly acknowledge the service chiefs who have demonstrated their commitment to our democracy in several ways.

ALSO READ: Fani-Kayode mocks Osinbajo for saying Buhari treats him like his child

In them, the evil people that had wanted to truncate our democracy have met their match as it has been made clear that the military will never again be available to subdue the peoples will.

To the other politicians who feel enamoured by the dubious charge for a coup being led by Fani-Kayode, our advice is for them to find other ventures to gamble on. The label of betrayal that some stereotypically stick on our ethnic stock is for the likes of Fani-Kayode and not for the Yoruba race.

We advise our brother to go get actual lawyers to defend his corruption cases in court instead of wishing for a military coup or the disintegration of the country neither would happen for him to escape all the corruption allegations against him in the various courts of law.

We want the coup mongers to give the rest of us some breathing space to properly appraise and respond to the dire problems facing our nation. These problems were the creation of the period that the same coup mongers ran the affairs of this country.

ALSO READ: Northern elders vow to stop Osinbajo from replacing Buhari

Today, Nigerians are in the pangs of economic hardship because of the poor choices made in that ugly past. Thankfully, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is doing much to return economic powers to the populace, money go into the pockets of those that work as against the era when government till became private ATMs for those in government, those who today are running from one court to the order to answer corruption charges were beneficiaries of the ATM mentality.
Presiding judge and chief justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen said the date for judgement on the matter would be communicated to both factions of the party.

Ali Modu Sheriff and Ahmed Markafi have been engaged in a long battle for the chairmanship position of the PDP.

The court had earlier struck out an appeal by Sheriff to prevent it from hearing Markafis appeal on the matter on Monday, May 22, 2017.

The Appeal Court had declared Sheriff the authentic chairman of the PDP on Friday, February 17, 2017.

Markafi was granted leave to appeal the lower courts ruling at the Supreme Court.
Solomon Igbelowowa, NUT State Acting Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Akure that there was shortage of teachers in all the 18 local government areas.

According to him, 500 teachers retire from the state teaching service every year, leaving many classrooms virtually empty.

Dearth of teachers is the greatest challenge facing educational system in the state, especially in public primary schools."

For the past 12 years, no single teacher was recruited to teach in our public primary schools."

We have a public primary school in Ondo State where there is only one teacher to 300 pupils at time."

How do you expect a teacher to cope with such situation?"

With this, we are killing education and mortgaging the future of our pupils."

So, there is urgent need for government to recruit more teachers in the state now, the secretary said.

The NUT scribe said if pupils were not properly trained, they would grow up to engage in social vices that would be detrimental to the peace of the state.
Samuel, who is also a lecturer at the institutions Biological Science Department made this known in Omu-Aran on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The lecturer said that poultry meat due to its inexpensiveness and preference globally, had been a major pollutant of soil and water resulting in outbreak of diseases.

Samuel said that the institutions major concern and strategy in dealing with the challenges had prompted its researchers to explore the production of bio-gas and bio-fertiliser from such waste.

He attributed the breakthrough to the collaborative efforts from his research cluster group in Landmark and other colleagues from Covenant University in Ota, Ogun.

Samuel disclosed that turning poultry wastes into bio-fuel was achieved by mixing the waste with Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) also regarded as an invasive weed affecting agricultural production in Africa.

The don listed the benefit of the feat as helping researchers in the country to see reasons in exploring opportunities in bio-gas and bio-fertiliser production.

According to him, the application of this research feat will be more beneficial in Nigeria, a country that turns out millions of tonnes of solid wastes annually without appropriate measures to manage them.

The lack of effective management of wastes has led to the surge of environmental pollution evident in most major cities with its attendant outbreak and spread of diseases and other environmental hazards."

Nigerias environmental pollution dilemma is further complicated by the nations overdependence on fossil fuels which are not environmentally sustainable since they are not renewable, he said.

Samuel said that the institutions advancement on bio-fuel had been published by an America Chemical Society in its journal  Energy and Fuel.

He said that the publication is entitled: Bioconversion of Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) and Poultry Droppings for Energy Generation: Optimisation, Mass, Energy and Economic Balances.

Samuel said the research entitled: Turning chicken poop and weeds into biofuel also appeared on May 3, on the American Chemical Society (ACS) website (www.acs.org).

He said the breakthrough, which was the first of its kind globally, had attracted several calls and messages from different countries interested in the new findings and seeking collaboration with the researchers.

It was also included in the ACS office of Public Affairs Weekly Presspac."
According to a report by iAfrikan, the bill is said to have been drafted and proposed by a member of Egypts parliament, Riad Abdul Sattar, and it proposes that all Egyptians should seek a government issued license to use social media platforms.

Per the draft, Egyptians would need to provide the following to secure a social media license:

Full Name

Egyptian ID Number

E-mail address to be used

Username/s to be used on the social media platform/s

Social media platforms the person requires a license for

The bill also recommends that anyone who uses social media without securing a license be liable to prosecution by the Egyptian Ministry of Interior. Egypt has also partially shut down WhatsApp, Skype and FaceTime before.

This follows a similar proposal by the CEO of Kenyas Film and Classification Board, Ezekiel Mutua, which seeks for a law that would prohibit Kenyans from using pseudonyms on social media. Just like the Egyptian scenario, Mutuas proposal also requires Kenyans to register with the government before being able to use social media.

This is one of many instances across the African continent where governments have thought up ridiculous things like this. Here in Nigeria, the legislature and regulatory bodies have tried to regulate OTT services like WhatsApp and Skype, as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

More recently, Cameroonian president, Paul Biya, ordered the shut down of Internet access in English-speaking parts of the country, after the countrys Anglophone citizens protested systemic oppression. The shutdown of Internet lasted 93 days despite condemnation of the act by several international bodies including the United Nations (UN).

There seems to be pattern at play here: African governments are only beginning to understand the power of social media and see it as a problem (because it enables their citizens hold them accountable) instead of a tool for empowerment (just look at the amount of lives that have been changed through the power of social media and causes that have been fought for).
"The threats and blackmail which have been put on the table are intolerable," Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told a hastily convened press conference.

What Catalan leaders "intend to achieve is the complete rupture of what Spain is today," he added.

Rajoy was reacting to a report in El Pais which said Catalonia's regional government was prepared to immediately declare independence for the wealthy region unless Spain's central government lets it hold a binding independence referendum.

The Catalan government denied the report, saying in a statement its priority was still to reach an agreement with the central government to hold an independence referendum.

A Catalan government source told AFP that the document cited by El Pais was a "very preliminary draft written several months ago which is nothing like the text that exists today".

The newspaper report comes as the president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, is due to outline his independence referendum plan at a conference in Madrid later Monday.

Puigdemont has vowed to hold a referendum by September -- with or without the approval of the central government.

Rajoy's conservative government argues that it could not permit such a vote since it would be unconstitutional -- a stance supported by the judiciary.

Parties that want Catalonia, which has its own distinct language and customs, to break away from Spain won a majority of seats in the regional parliament for the first time in 2015 local elections.

Demands for autonomy have been fuelled by Spain's economic downturn, leading many to resent sending tax money to Madrid to prop up poorer regions.

Recent attempts by Madrid to interfere with Catalan education have further stoked passions as did a 2010 ruling by Spain's Constitutional Court that struck down part of a 2006 autonomy statute that recognised Catalonia as a "nation" within Spain.
It said that even now intelligence officials are unsure whether the US was betrayed by a mole within the CIA or whether the Chinese hacked a covert system used by the CIA to communicate with foreign sources.

Of the damage inflicted on what had been one of the most productive US spy networks, however, there was no doubt: at least a dozen CIA sources were killed between late 2010 and the end of 2012, including one who was shot in front of colleagues in a clear warning to anyone else who might be spying, the Times reported.

In all, 18 to 20 CIA sources in China were either killed or imprisoned, according to two former senior American officials quoted. It was a grave setback to a network that, up to then, had been working at its highest level in years.

Those losses were comparable to the number of US assets lost in the Soviet Union and Russia because of the betrayals of two infamous spies, Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, the report said.

Western espionage services have traditionally found it exceptionally hard to develop spy networks in China and Russia.

The CIA's mole hunt in China, following the severe losses to its network there, was intense and urgent. Nearly every employee of the US Embassy in Beijing was scrutinized at one point, the newspaper said.

Meantime, then-president Barack Obama's administration was demanding to know why its flow of intelligence from China had slowed.

The revelations come as the CIA seeks to determine how some of its highly sensitive documents were released two months ago by WikiLeaks, and the FBI examines possible links between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia.
Here are key highlights:

- Trump said some $400 billion in agreements signed this weekend with Saudi Arabia would create hundreds of thousands of jobs in both countries.

"This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defence purchase. And we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defence companies, the greatest anywhere in the world. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a far greater role in security and operations having to do with security."

- Trump said Muslim-majority states should take the lead in combating extremism: "A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists. Drive them out. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities."

- He said: "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil."

"Of course, there is still much work to be done. That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds."

- He focused on the financing of extremist groups, and announced plans for a US-Gulf agreement to "prevent the financing of terrorism called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia".

- Trump held Iran responsible for training armed groups in the wars in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, but drew a clear distinction between the "richness and culture" of the Iranian people and the government in Tehran.

- On Iran, he said: "The government that gives terrorists safe harbour, financial backing... The regime that is responsible for so much instability in that region. I am speaking of course of Iran. From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region... It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this very room."

- Trump called on the international community to isolate Iran: "Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it."

- On refugees, he praised Lebanon and Turkey for accommodating Syrians fleeing war at home: "This region should not be a place from which refugees leave but to which newcomers flock."

- Trump said Arab and Muslim countries had suffered the deadliest toll of radicalism.

- He asked: "Behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice and years for peace. Today billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great questions of our time. Will we be indifferent in the face of evil?"
It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem.

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

"Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said late Sunday, adding that the Western Wall "will always remain under Israeli sovereignty".

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Enormous challenge

Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT).

Ahead of their meeting, Netanyahu's security cabinet adopted a series of measures aimed at benefiting the Palestinian economy, moves seen as confidence-building measures.

They reportedly included new building permits for Palestinians in the part of the West Bank entirely under Israeli control, which occurs only rarely.

Most of the West Bank is under complete Israeli control and Palestinians face extremely long odds in being granted building permits in those areas, while Israeli settlement building has meanwhile continued.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the "ultimate deal" is possible, vowing "we will get it done".

"It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

Criticism of Iran

At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election.

Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state.

Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

However, the United States remains Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for "honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism".

He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation.
The key visit was marred by bloody clashes that took place outside the Turkish ambassador's residence after Erdogan met American counterpart Donald Trump.

US officials said Erdogan's bodyguards attacked a small group of pro-Kurdish protesters gathered outside the building and the incident ignited a storm of controversy.

Turkey blamed the violence on supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who picked on pro-Erdogan US-based Turks.

The ministry summoned John Bass, American ambassador in Ankara, to deliver a "written and verbal protest" over "the aggressive and unprofessional actions taken."

The ministry accused US security personnel of acting "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices... towards the close protection team" of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in front of the Turkish embassy chancery in Washington.

"It has been formally requested that the US authorities conduct a full investigation of this diplomatic incident and provide the necessary explanation," it added.

The ministry said it told Bass there were "lapses of security" during Erdogan's stay.

It hit out at "the inability of US authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official programme."

However, the ministry said it emphasised to Bass that this would not overshadow an otherwise "successful and important visit".

US Senator John McCain said that the Turkish ambassador should be thrown "the hell out of the United States of America" after the fighting.
Nuriye Gulmen and Semih Ozakca were sacked under the state of emergency imposed after the July 15 attempted coup seeking to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that has seen tens of thousands lose their jobs.

Former primary school teacher Ozakca and academic Gulmen began their hunger strike 75 days ago and have been surviving on water alone.

Both were detained by police in the early hours of Monday after arrest warrants were issued at the weekend, NTV broadcaster reported. The charges were not made clear.

Their lawyers and Ozakca's wife Esra tried to stop officers detaining the two but found themselves also taken into custody, NTV said.

Gulmen said on Twitter that police from the "political department were trying to enter the house. They are breaking the door at this moment".

"Damn fascism! Long live our hunger strike resistance! We want our jobs back! We have not surrendered and we will not surrender!"

Ozakca also wrote on Twitter around 1:00 am (2200 GMT) saying: "Our home is being raided".

Recent images of them showed their declining health and weight loss as they continued to hold demonstrations begun nearly 200 days ago by a statue celebrating human rights.

Necati Yilmaz, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said on Twitter they were detained because of the risk "their protest would become a death fast and spark new Gezi protests".

He was referring to the protests in early summer 2013 against the planned redevelopment of Gezi Park in Istanbul that snowballed into national demonstrations against Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government.

Over 100,000 people from the public sector including judges, teachers, doctors and members of the armed forces have been dismissed in a series of purges criticised by the West and human rights activists.
The missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, a land-based version of Pyongyang's submarine-launched weapon, using solid-fuel that allows for immediate firing, KCNA said.

"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, (Kim Jong-Un) approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," KCNA said.

"Now that its tactical and technical data met the requirements of the Party, this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the KPA Strategic Force," Kim said, referring to the North's army, according to the KCNA report.

The missile, which was described by Washington as medium-range, was fired from Pukchang in South Pyongan province and travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to the South's armed forces.

KCNA said the test "aimed to finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action."

The results of the test were "perfect", KCNA added.

UN meeting

The US, South Korea and Japan sharply denounced the launch and jointly requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the matter.

The launch came just one week after the North fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang flew almost 800 kilometres and was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead.

Analysts said the Hwasong travelled further than any previous ballistic missile launched by the North.

The May 14 launch was seen as a significant step forward as the North accelerates efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

The launches, and a threatened sixth nuclear test, have fuelled tension with the administration of US President Donald Trump, who has vowed that such an ICBM launch "won't happen."

He warned that no option is off the table in dealing with the North's weapons program, although Washington has so far opted for sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while looking to China, the North's closest ally, to help rein in Pyongyang.

Seoul's foreign ministry slammed the "reckless and irresponsible" firing as "throwing cold water on the hope and longing of the new government and the international community" for denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's incoming left-leaning government has taken a more conciliatory line with Pyongyang than its conservative predecessors, but has reacted strongly to the latest two missile tests.

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across South Korea and Japan.
"I hope first of all that asylum seekers and refugees can be taken out of detention centres," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said after visiting one centre in the Libyan capital.

"I fully appreciate that the government has security concerns," he said, but added that "other solutions" could be found for people fleeing countries in conflict such as Syria and Somalia.

Thousands of migrants are being held in dozens of detention centres in Libya, after being stopped or rescued from rickety boats as they attempted the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Europe.

"I was shocked at the harsh conditions in which refugees and migrants are held," Grandi said in a statement released on Sunday by the agency's Geneva headquarters.

"Children, women and men who have suffered so much already should not have to endure such hardship."

The UN refugee agency has secured the release of more than 800 refugees and asylum seekers from Libyan detention centres over the past year and a half, the statement said.

Grandi promised to reinforce his agency's presence in Libya if security conditions allowed it, and also to provide assistance to thousands of Libyans displaced by conflict.

"The time has come for us, as the UN refugee agency, to step up our presence and activities in the country," Grandi later told AFP.

He said that doing so could take time for political and security reasons, however.

"But meanwhile we are doing whatever we can to help the Libyans manage better these issues," he said.
They have all been dismissed by decree under the state of emergency put into force a few days after the failed putsch bid.

The emergency has been renewed three times and is due to expire on July 19. But Erdogan said on Sunday it would continue until there was peace, without giving a time limit.

In a report entitled "No end in sight", Amnesty criticised the dismissals which it said were "carried out arbitrarily on the basis of vague and generalised grounds of 'connection to terrorist organisations'".

The organisation urged the government to put in place a "prompt and effective appeal mechanism for those already dismissed".

'No explanation'

The dismissed public sector officials Amnesty spoke to described a lack of evidence presented to them after finding their names on a list published in the Official Gazette.

"None... have been provided with any explanation of the reason for their dismissal beyond the generalised allegation contained in the decrees," Amnesty wrote.

The organisation conducted 61 interviews including with 33 dismissed individuals and met Turkish authorities, trade union representatives, NGOs and lawyers.

The government insists that those dismissed have access to an appeals commission -- whose members were confirmed last week -- which will hear their cases.

But Amnesty said the commission was not an "effective domestic remedy", and urged the Turkish government to establish a "genuinely independent, impartial, transparent and effective appeal mechanism".

It criticised the position many found themselves in with limited -- if any -- ability to find work and their passports cancelled.

"Some of the measures, including the barring of individuals from all forms of public service and the routine cancellation of passports would violate rights even in the cases where dismissal was justified," the report said.

According to Amnesty, of those dismissed more than 33,000 are teachers and other employees of the education ministry while over 24,000 are police officers and others from the interior ministry.

Over 8,000 are members of the armed forces, more than 5,000 are academics and include those working in the higher education sector as well as over 4,000 judges, prosecutors and justice ministry officials, it added.

As well as sackings, more than 47,000 have been arrested over alleged links to the movement led by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused of ordering the failed coup.

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, strongly denies the charges but Turkey alleges his group is a terror group which it dubs the "Fethullah Terror Organisation" (FETO).
Theunis Botha, 51, a professional hunter who specialised in hunting with hounds, died on Friday in western Zimbabwe.

He was leading a group of hunters on state-owned land in the Gwayi region when they disturbed a breeding herd and were charged by four female elephants.

One elephant lifted Botha up with her trunk, and a fellow hunter shot the animal dead, the News24 website said.

As the elephant collapsed, it crushed Botha, giving him fatal injuries.

His body was taken to Hwange mortuary.

Simukai Nyasha, spokesman for Zimbabwe's parks and wildlife management authority, confirmed the death to AFP.

"The unfortunate incident happened when the hunting party got in the middle of a breeding herd of elephants and were attacked by female elephants," he said, adding that the hunt was authorised.

A spokeswoman for Botha's company "Big Game Safaris", based in Limpopo, South Africa, declined to comment to AFP, but said a statement would be issued later this week.

Botha led regular "trophy hunts" for clients, often from America, who pay thousands of dollars to shoot leopards, giraffes, elephants and other animals.

A father of five, Botha's family-run company was set up in 1983 and operates in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia.
MUSCATINE  Former Muscatine mayor Diana Broderson's court appeal has been delayed because she did not properly serve the appeal paperwork to city officials.

On May 16, Broderson's attorney Catherine Gerlach asked the court to overturn the City Council's removal of the mayor, and for the judge to allow Broderson to stay in office during the court proceedings.

In the city's objection, attorney Amy Reasner argued the hearing was scheduled for eight days after Broderson's appeal was filed, which did not offer the city enough time to prepare, and that it was served to Finance Director Nancy Lueck, not mayor pro tem Bob Bynum or city administrator/city clerk Gregg Mandsager, as required by the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure.

On Monday, District Court Judge Stuart Werling agreed and ordered Broderson to coordinate with the defense counsel to reset the hearing by June 16. Broderson is required to properly serve city officials prior to the next hearing date.

--Sarah Ritter
Police are seeking the public's help in finding a suspect connected to Monday afternoon robberies in Tipton, Iowa, and another in Durant, Iowa.

A man entered Miss Molly's Antiques in Tipton, displayed a firearm and demanded money. He fled the store after a cashier gave him an undisclosed amount of money.

Later in the afternoon, the suspect entered West Fair Drug in Durant, Iowa. He displayed a firearm and demanded money and merchandise from the pharmacist on duty. After the suspect received cash and merchandise, he left the store in an unknown direction.

The incident remains under joint investigation with Tipton and Durant police.

Anyone with information should contact Tipton police, 563-886-2424, Durant police, 563-785-6049, or Cedar County Crime Stoppers, 563-886-6618.
DES MOINES  On his record 8,167th day as the nations longest-serving governor, six-term Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad got the word Monday that he has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the new ambassador to China.

Senators voted 82-13 by roll call to approve President Donald Trumps nomination of Branstad to the serve in a critical international role as Americas representative in one of the worlds most-powerful nations. Branstads nomination was offered by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who called him the right person for the job, while Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said "he's been a champion for Iowa."

Branstad, 70, who served as Iowas 39th governor from 1983-99 and now as its 42nd governor since returning to Terrace Hill in 2011, announced he will resign his post Wednesday and turn over state executive duties to Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds before embarking on his new assignment.

Once he resigns as governor, he will be sworn in immediately as U.S. ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China. Shortly after his resignation, Reynolds will be sworn in as Iowas 43rd governor in a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines. Reynolds will become Iowas first female governor.

That will end the nations longest stint by a U.S. governor of any state, Branstad noted, adding that time flies when youre having fun, right?

Its going to be an exciting adventure to serve our country in a very important part of the world, Branstad, wearing a red tie made in China, told reporters after presiding Monday over what likely was his last Iowa Executive Council, a group made up of the governor, state treasurer, state auditor, state agriculture secretary and the secretary of state.

After the Senate vote, Branstad thanked Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for the nomination and senators for the confidence they have placed in him.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that a boy from a small farm in Leland, Iowa, would one day have the opportunity to represent my country and my state on the world stage, working closely with one of the worlds most influential countries and one of Americas largest trading partners, Branstad said in a statement.

None of this would have been possible without the dedicated love and support of my wife, Chris, and my family, he added. While Im temporarily leaving the state I love and have governed for over 22 years, I know Im leaving Iowa in great hands with Kim Reynolds as governor. I look forward to working with both my friend President Donald Trump and my old friend President Xi Jinping for the mutual benefit of both of our countries and the rest of the world.

Reynolds congratulated Branstad  her mentor since January 2011  on his new mission as a U.S. ambassador, calling him a man with a servant heart who has worked tirelessly on behalf of Iowa and Iowans for more than 22 years as governor.

His heart to serve has led him to accept a new calling, to serve our state and our country as ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China, Reynolds said in a statement. He is uniquely qualified and is the right person for the right time, and we are proud to have him take our Iowa values to the world stage.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey called Branstads departure bittersweet but said the council is excited for the governors new opportunity in China and the prospects for expanding trade in a key region of the world.

I know you will take Iowa with you in your heart, and youre not going away forever, Secretary of State Paul Pate added.

Branstad said he and his wife will maintain their home on Lake Panorama and are in the process of sorting and packing things that will go there and will go with them to China as they prepare to vacate the governors Terrace Hill mansion.

Shes kind of been the lead person on that, but Ive been helping, Branstad said of the packing process. Shes a thrower, and Im a saver, lets put it that way, but thats always been the case. I have a tendency not want to throw anything away.

Branstad said his historical, political and military items and memorabilia will be divided among the State Historical Building in Des Moines, a museum in Forest City and the Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge in Johnston. He said he planned to host a gathering Monday evening at the governors mansion for staff and state agency directors, which he noted likely would be one of the last official things he does there as he prepares for the transition to his new role.

Having served as the governor of Iowa for more than two decades, Branstad has developed a strong understanding of agriculture, trade, and other key national interests, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday on the U.S. Senate floor. His experience on these issues will guide him as he works to strengthen our relationship with China and pursue trade policies that can benefit American workers and businesses.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., supported his nomination, telling his Senate colleagues on Monday he was extremely impressed by Branstad during the hearing process and his passion for American values, and Grassley called him a work horse who is not afraid to get in the trenches to get the job done.

After waiting for more than a month for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to schedule his hearing, Branstad sailed through the two-hour session May 2 with none of the acrimony seen in confirmation hearings for some other Trump nominees.

(James Q. Lynch contributed to this report.)
A Silvis native has taken over as the special agent-in-charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.

Im really excited to be back in the office and work with everybody, Gabriel Grchan, 44, told the Quad-City Times.

Grchan arrived at the Chicago field office, which covers all of Illinois and Indiana, in April and oversees about 100 agents.

The criminal investigation division investigates criminal violations of the U.S. Internal Revenue code and related financial crimes. He said his office works closely with federal, state and local law enforcement to investigate other financial crimes and fraud, such as identify theft, public corruption and drug dealing.

Grchan attended Black Hawk College and then went on to Western Illinois University, where he graduated in 1994.

He said he has always been a "numbers" person but did not expect to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mike Grchan, who served as the Rock Island County sheriff from 1990-2006. Mike Grchan died in 2009.

While still in college, Grchan interned with the IRS criminal investigation division and took a job in the Davenport field office, where he stayed for nine years.

I did the internship and not only enjoyed working with numbers but also with people, he said. I found the job very exciting and very enriching. That kind of steered me in that direction."

After leaving Davenport, Grchan worked in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Phoenix.

As the special agentin-charge in New Orleans, Grchans office worked on the case against former New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who was convicted of taking more than $500,000 in payouts from businesses in exchange for millions of dollars in city contracts following Hurricane Katrina.

Nagin was sentenced in 2014 to 10 years in federal prison.

When asked about his goals for the Chicago office, Grchan said, I dont see myself reinventing the wheel.

The agents who work here, they already are some of the premier financial investigators in the world, he said. I think my end goal is that were a proactive agency and not just a reactive agency. I want to ensure that were always thinking ahead about the next potential tax fraud scheme or money laundering scheme thats out there.

Grchan said the IRS has seen a rise in cyber-crime and illegal offshore tax havens, so I want to make sure were really focusing on those types of tax schemes and staying ahead of the curve.

He said that one scam that is circulating is the IRS impersonation scams, when a caller claims to be an IRS employee and tells the victim that they owe money and that it must be paid by a preloaded debit card or wire transfer. Oftentimes, the caller becomes hostile and aggressive.

Grchan stressed that the IRS does not initiate contact through phone or other electronic means and does not demand a specific payment method.

Rather, the IRS typically will send a letter and an agent follows up with a phone call to set up an interview, he said.

Thats just not the way we operate, he said.

He said if you believe you are the victim of this scam or any others, call the IRS hotline at 800-366-4484 or visit the website at www.irs.gov.
 Here is the afternoon forecast from the National Weather Service.

There will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. The chance of precipitation is 30 percent with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

The high will be near 70 degrees with southwest winds gusting as high as 20 mph.

Tonight there's a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a low around 53 degrees.

A flood watch for the Mississippi River at Rock Island is in effect until further notice. The river is expected to rise to flood stage (15 feet) May 29. The forecast is based on routed flow from upstream in combination with forecast rainfall. So there is limited confidence in the river reaching flood stage.

 It's National Safe Boating Week.

RI man arrested in Davenport hit-and-run crash

A Rock Island man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run accident that left two people with serious injuries.

Terrelle A. Bonner, 43, last known address at 507 14th Ave., was booked into the Scott County Jail at 7:32 a.m. Monday on charges of leaving the scene of a serious injury crash, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison, and no drivers license.

At 10:18 p.m. May 15, Davenport police responded to the 3200 block of Harrison Street for a report of a hit-and-run crash involving a car and a motorcycle. Read more.

Thriving bobcats poised as next urban pest

As someone who has studied bobcats for almost four decades, wildlife ecologist John Litvaitis remembers many times returning from the field without spotting a single one of these solitary and shy creatures that often hunt at dusk.

But bobcats are less elusive now as their numbers rise and they become more comfortable around humans. Joining the likes of foxes, coyotes and even mountain lions in rare cases, bobcats are making a home in small towns and suburbs  and realizing there is plenty to eat in the cities.

They have turned up in recent years in such places as Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city; Waverly, Iowa; and outside Los Angeles. They have been spotted below backyard bird feeders, waltzing along streets in search of their next meal and, increasingly, as roadkill on highways.

A website that Litvaitis set up to understand the bobcat rebound in New Hampshire features hundreds of amateur photographs  of a cat lounging on someone's lawn, another stalking a chipmunk, a third sitting contentedly after gobbling up a guinea fowl and peacock.

"They are back in New England and at least as abundant as they were 100 years ago, if not more," said Litvaitis, who conducted much of his research while at the University of New Hampshire. "They are adapting to a landscape that has changed. You have roads and people everywhere, and they have figured out how to get along with most of that."

The resurgence of Lynx rufus comes during a shift over the past several decades from treating bobcats as vermin to be exterminated to being considered a top predator worthy of protection.

In contrast with the 1970s, when 40 states had no bobcat protections and bounties were common, most now put strict limits on hunting and trapping bobcats. As many as eight completely outlaw both.

Bobcat numbers have almost tripled nationwide since the 1980s to as many as 3.6 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, the most recent national survey.

"Bobcats have been a real success story in wildlife conservation in the past several decades. They are at the point now that they are growing or stable across their range," according to Nathan Roberts, a wildlife research scientist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who co-authored the survey.

Not everyone is rolling out the welcome mat.

In Massachusetts, police last month said they shot and killed a bobcat that had attacked two large dogs and was coming after officers. Farmers in New Hampshire have shot bobcats.

In Illinois, hunting and trapping resumed last year.

Corvette bought by Vietnam vet in 1960s sells for $675,000

A classic Corvette bought 50 years ago by an injured Vietnam veteran who returned from the war with a pair of Purple Hearts has been sold for $675,000.

The Indianapolis Star reports the original owner's son, Matt Litavsky, sold the marina blue 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe at an Indianapolis auction Saturday.

Litavsky says his father, Keith Litavsky, bought the car after coming home from the war and seldom drove it before his 1993 death from cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The car has just 8,553 miles on it. Matt Litavsky says he's driven it just 15 miles over the past 15 years.

New owner Gary Runyon says he has no plans to sell the car and Litavsky can visit it any time he likes.
Renee K. Nelson, 80, of Davenport, passed away Saturday, May 20, 2017, at Genesis Medical Center, West Central Park, Davenport. Arrangements are pending at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, downtown Davenport.

George Pierce, 53, of Clinton, passed away Sunday, May, 21, 2017, at home. Arrangements are pending with Lemke Funeral Homes.

Susan Stabler, 81, of Taylor Ridge, passed away Sunday, May 21, 2017, at her home. Arrangements are pending at Esterdahl Mortuary and Crematory, Moline.

Clarice M. Sutton, 87, of DeWitt, passed away Saturday evening, May 20, 2017, at her home in rural DeWitt. Services are pending and will be announced under the care of the Carson Celebration of Life Center in Maquoketa.

Eunice J. Weaver, 80, of Davenport, passed away Sunday, May 21, 2017, at the Davenport Lutheran Home in Davenport. Funeral services are pending with McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf.
Two West River men  a respected former federal judge and a veteran Native American advocate  are among a slate of 10 individuals who will be inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame this fall, the organization announced last week.

The late Andrew Bogue, a World War II veteran and South Dakota's first sitting federal court judge for whom the Rapid City federal building and U.S. courthouse is named, is among the inductees. Bogue was born in Yankton and practiced law in Parker and Canton before being appointed to the federal bench by President Richard Nixon in 1970.

Bogue served as a judge from 1967 until his death in 2009 and oversaw a busy docket arising from the Wounded Knee occupation, the Custer Courthouse riot and other tumultuous events, according to a release.

Native American advocate Thomas Shortbull will join Bogue as an inductee into the Hall of Fame during honors ceremonies Sept. 8-9 in Chamberlain.

Shortbull began his activism while attending the University of South Dakota from 1965 to 1970, when he began his teaching career at the Flandreau Indian School. After earning his masters degree in 1973, Shortbull was named coordinator of the Task Force on Indian State Government Relations, advancing progressive legislation fostering cooperative agreements between Native American tribes and the state of South Dakota.

Shortbull served as president of Oglala Lakota College twice, from 1975-1979, and 1995-2017. He also served as director of the Rapid City Johnson OMalley Program, and executive director of the Rapid City Indian Service Council. From 1983-1988, he was a South Dakota state senator serving the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. He advocated for the reauthorization of the 2005 Voting Rights Act, and in 2014 was appointed to the Election Assistance Advisory Commission.

Other honorees selected for the state Hall of Fame this year are James W. Abbott, Vermillion (Education); Jeff Broin, Dell Rapids (Agriculture); Ernest Carlsen, Sioux Falls (Business); Niels Hansen, Brookings (Agriculture); Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Sioux Falls (Professional); Kelby Krabbenhoft, Sioux Falls (Medical Field); Jeff Scherschligt, Sioux Falls (Business); and Gov. Harvey Wollman, Frankfort (Political).
SIOUX FALLS | South Dakota State University President Barry Dunn says he can see a future in which reservation hospitals and health centers across South Dakota employ pharmacists and lab scientists educated at his school, with doctors and administrators also trained at institutions in the state.

The land-grant university is pursuing a new initiative to increase the number of students at the school from the nine tribal nations in South Dakota, Dunn said Friday. The Wokini Initiative, bearing a Lakota word that means "new life" or "a new beginning," is a top priority for Dunn, a Rosebud Sioux Tribe member who took over as president about a year ago.

He said the goal of the initiative, which is in its early stages, is to dramatically improve educational opportunities for Native American students from South Dakota. Dunn said the school aims to recruit high school students and tribal-college graduates and provide financial assistance to help them attend SDSU in Brookings.

The university had about 250 Native American students enrolled in fall 2016, a number Dunn would like to see climb to 1,000 or higher. It would be wonderful if the enrollment of Native American students at South Dakota State reflected the state's population, he said.

"This is an intentional, very intentional effort to reach a population that has been underserved by public higher education in a state that has a long and dramatic and many times tragic history of relationships with American Indians," Dunn said. "It's morally and ethically the right thing to do."

Dunn said the initiative will offer tailored advising and counseling to help make sure that Native American students who are recruited are successful. Part of the initiative calls for the construction of a stand-alone Native American student center, which he said would serve as a "home away from home."

Other aspects could include a push to preserve the Dakota and Lakota languages and the funding of collaborative research projects with tribes or tribal colleges on topics important to Native American communities. A report to the state Board of Regents says Wokini Initiative programs will be developed by university staffers in collaboration with the tribes, their members and the four tribal colleges serving South Dakota.

The university plans to dedicate revenue from land-grant properties  roughly $600,000 each year  to the initiative to give it a sustainable funding source. Officials will also seek gifts and grants for the project, though no specific funding goal exists yet, Dunn said.

"Wokini will provide that stability and long-term commitment that won't go away as leadership changes," he said. "My goal is to institutionalize this effort so that it's just part of who South Dakota State is in perpetuity."

The school hopes to hire a director to focus on the project within the next month, and Dunn expects activity to pick up significantly in the fall. He said students could be recruited for the 2018 school year.

Alaina Hanks, a member of the White Earth Chippewa of Minnesota, is pursuing a graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling at South Dakota State. She said the American Indian Student Center has lacked money in the past and that the new initiative is a "clear step forward."

"I think that putting resources into something that you care about is so different than just saying you care about something," she said.

Democratic state Sen. Troy Heinert, a Rosebud Sioux member, said that greater access to higher education for tribal members across the state is "how we're going to change the communities from within." When younger tribal members see their relatives and other Native Americans in professional positions, it makes that goal seem more attainable, Heinert said.

Dunn said he's pursuing the initiative in honor of his mother, who was born into poverty on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in 1921, before Native Americans were U.S. citizens. She eventually earned a degree from Iowa State University, which gave her success and Dunn a middle-class upbringing.

"I want the benefits that my mother received to flow to all of those young people that have a similar story," Dunn said.
SIOUX FALLS | When Jody Hadley arrived at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in 2003 on a kidnapping charge, he wasn't an especially nice guy.

But the man who'd once held an elderly Worthing couple hostage and stolen their car said he learned a lot about morality in the 12 years that passed before his release.

Most of it came from Asatru, an ancient pagan religion whose modern adherents send prayers to Odin, Thor or Freya and abide by principles called the "Nine Noble Virtues," among them honor, courage, fidelity, discipline and perseverance.

Without it, Hadley suspects he'd have remained rudderless.

"Asatru helped me become a better person. When I first went to prison, I was a dirtbag. I lied, I was a thief," Hadley told the Argus Leader. "Because of Asatru, I am an honorable man."

Hadley founded the Asatru religious group at the penitentiary that still meets, although its relationship with the prison hasn't always been cordial.

Last week, Hadley heard that correctional officers found a copy of a white supremacist essay called "88 Precepts" inside a member's cell.

The discovery led the Department of Corrections to temporarily shut down the group's study meetings. The DOC reinstated meetings earlier this month.

That upset Hadley and Sam Lopez, an Asatru practitioner from Sioux Falls whose son practices in prison.

Asatru is not about racism, Lopez said.

"One idiot does not a community make," said Lopez.

Neither of them is particularly surprised about the development, though.

Asatru and its offshoots have drawn neo-Nazis and white supremacists for years, particularly behind prison walls.

The author of "88 Precepts," now-deceased white supremacist and convicted racketeer David Lane, latched on to a version of the Nordic religion called "Wotanism." Lane preferred "Wotan" as both a stand-in for "Odin" and an acronym for "Will of the Aryan Nation."

The extremist embrace of paganism has forced regular worshipers into a steady struggle for legitimacy, according to Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

"They do oftentimes get caught in a box where people think they're all racists, and it's not true," said Beirich, whose organization tracks hate groups in the U.S. "It's quite unfair. A lot of these pagan religious are pretty progressive."

Prison officials are often at the center of the controversy. Hate-related speech and paraphernalia are barred in prison, but courts have generally ruled that religion is protected in prison by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

It's not uncommon for inmates with racist views to sue for the right to meet as a group by organizing as a religious group.

Department of Corrections spokesman Michael Winder did not offer details on the incident itself but said only that the group is under investigation for potential violations of prison policy.

"While individual members are not currently permitted to meet as a group, they are all permitted, and are encouraged, to practice their faith on an individual basis," Winder said. "Those members who are ultimately found to have not violated policy will be permitted to meet again as a group."

Winder said the group's right to meet has been reinstated.

Hadley said Asatru and Native American groups commonly sparred with prison officials over rituals, group meetings and religious artifacts during his time behind bars.

Much of the Asatru trouble has to do with pagan symbols that now stand in as symbols of racism in the modern imagination, he said. Long before the swastika was adopted by Nazi Germany, Hadley said, it served as a pagan signifier.

Hadley was once questioned in prison about a Thor's hammer tattoo on his chest, for example.

The hammer symbol is also ancient in origin, but extremists wear it today. Ryan Giroux, a white supremacist sentenced to life plus 83 years in prison for a shooting spree in Mesa, Arizona, has the hammer tattooed on his chin.

Hadley's tattoo has nothing to do with racism, he said, and he had to convince the Department of Corrections as much. The situation was frustrating, he said.

"They tried to write me up for gang activity, even though I was the only one who had it," said Hadley.

Hadley and Lopez both say the Sioux Falls group offers rehabilitative value for inmates.

"It really is building community for these guys, so when they get out, it makes it easier for them to do well and harder to screw up," Lopez said.

Hadley said he's proof of that. He went from a man who didn't think twice about stealing from his own family to one who holds his family in high regard, and that he wouldn't have without spiritual influence.

"I ran that group for 10 years," Hadley said. "I always stressed that it's about loving who you are and where you come from, not hating other people for who they are and where they come from."
IGLOO | They came from Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Indiana and New York, all for the chance to put $5,000 down on one of the hundreds of concrete bunkers in a cow pasture on the remote southern edge of the Black Hills.

Kenneth Young drove his Mercedes Benz from Rockaway Beach in Queens. When he stepped out of his car on the deserted grounds of the former Black Hills Army Depot, his iPhone and cigars fell in the mud.

Though he looked out of place in his yellow cardigan, his designer ball cap and his green cargo pants, he came prepared with an umbrella and mud boots, which proved useful Friday on a cold, rainy and muddy day on the plains of southwestern South Dakota.

But why was he there?

"I believe the government is in contact with aliens, and they're lying to us," he said.

His wife, meanwhile, never got out of the car as he drove around the sprawling complex, got out to inspect a bunker labeled B-201 and talked to other early attendees at xFest, a three-day gathering for people who want to convert the site's bunkers, which formerly housed bombs, into shelters for protection against tyranny, anarchy, nuclear war, the end times or any other calamity that might befall civilization.

The project is the brainchild of Robert Vicino, a California entrepreneur who has an agreement with a local ranching company to offer 575 of the site's estimated 830 bunkers for lease. The price is $25,000 upfront, and then $1,000 a year thereafter, plus $99 in monthly dues to cover security, well water and other services. The work and the cost of converting the barren, earth-covered bunkers into livable spaces will be the responsibility of the tenants.

Vicino figures he needs 50 to 100 clients to reserve bunkers with $5,000 deposits before he can start turning the abandoned former military installation into a community. People will not be allowed to live there full-time, at least initially, but Vicino said they will come for periodic stays to work on their bunkers. He wants to provide a medical clinic, a general store, a bring-your-own-beverage bar and other facilities and amenities, both to serve the tenants when they visit and to be ready for their full-time use if doomsday ever arrives.

The people Vicino wants to attract are often called "preppers," or "doomsday preppers," terms that have become shorthand for anyone who is unusually devoted to preparing for disasters. On the more than 20 square miles that comprise the old Black Hills Army Depot, Vicino has found a prepper haven.

The sites unusual history dates to 1942, when the U.S. government selected a big patch of rolling western wheat grass and buffalo grass about 10 miles southwest of the small town of Edgemont  about 85 miles southwest of Rapid City  for what was then called the Black Hills Ordnance Depot. Until 1967, the military stored, maintained and destroyed ammunition at the complex, including bombs, grenades, mines and rockets.

The government built more than 800 concrete ammunition storage bunkers across the sprawling site and covered them with sod. Because the bunkers resemble igloos, the town full of military and civilian personnel that sprang up next to the depot became known as Igloo.

For the past 50 years, the depot has been abandoned and Igloo has been emptied of all but perhaps a dozen residents. One of those is Robert Chubb, who was putting some finishing touches Friday morning on a large shed he built recently to store military surplus and survival gear. He has started a business selling the stuff, and he hopes to pull some customers out of the stream of preppers that could soon be passing his way.

In Igloo and on the depot grounds, hundreds of administrative buildings and other structures have been reduced to ruins by the passage of five decades, but the igloo bunkers remain as sturdy as ever. They are now under the control of local owners who pasture their cows in and around them.

Vicino has an agreement with one of the local entities, S&S Land and Cattle Co., and its partner corporation, Fort Igloo Bunkers. The agreement covers 575 of the 830 bunkers and allows Vicino to market them for lease through his own company, called Vivos. His plan for a massive prepper community, which he is calling Vivos xPoint, has attracted worldwide attention.

The 6-foot-8 Vicino was on site Friday in a camper with several helpers for the beginning of his xFest gathering, a meet-and-greet for potential lessees that is scheduled to last through Sunday. Perhaps a half-dozen prospects had arrived Friday morning despite a heavy fog, a steady mist, temperatures that rose only into the 40s, and an abundance of thick and sticky mud that clung to tires and shoes.

Vicino said he expected as many as several hundred people to tour the xPoint grounds by the end of the weekend. Fridays initial arrivals were a diverse mix of personalities.

Besides Young, the alien-fearing New Yorker in the Mercedes Benz, there was Mark Bowman, a working-class, plaid shirt-wearing tradesman from Indiana who came in a pickup with a trailer full of tools and gear. Bowman said he has visited other potential doomsday shelter sites and immediately liked this one better. As he walked in and around one of the igloo bunkers, he talked rapidly and excitedly about his plans to convert it into a living space.

His reason for wanting a doomsday shelter?

Somethings gonna happen, he said while sweeping his arms wide, indicating a world full of potential catastrophes.

There was also an older, well-dressed couple who grew up in Columbia and now live in Pennsylvania. The husband, who requested that his name not be published, said it was his wifes idea to look at the bunkers. He formerly worked in New York City, he said, and was five blocks away from the World Trade Center towers when they were attacked and felled by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.

The trauma of witnessing that event, and of being cooped up in a congested city while the world seemed to be crumbling around them, led the couple to seek less-crowded confines in Pennsylvania. The husband alluded to their 9/11 experience as one reason his wife grew interested in the psychological and physical insurance against disaster that a doomsday bunker represents.

Fridays visitors were struck, as all visitors to the site are, by the eerie silence and isolation of a place that once bustled with activity. The bunkers sprawl across the area, each one with a small ventilation pipe that sticks out of the top like a sentry.

Inside, the bunkers have semicircular ceilings like a Quonset hut. They are 13 feet tall at their highest interior point, their width is nearly 27 feet, and their lengths alternate between 60 and 80 feet, which means the floor space ranges from about 1,600 to 2,100 square feet.

Vicino has published a schematic drawing that depicts a bunker outfitted with all kinds of luxurious modern amenities, but there is nothing in the bunkers now  no water, no electricity and no restroom facilities, let alone beds or furniture. Vicino said the site has two deep wells that provide water for cattle but will eventually be used to bring water to the bunkers. He also envisions wind power for electricity and composting toilets instead of septic systems.

Some symbols of modernity were already on site Friday in the form of two food trucks that Vicinos company convinced to travel down from Rapid City for the weekend. The cooks inside the trucks were hoping for more customers over the weekend, as was Vicino, whose determination to succeed was obvious.

Others have thought of things to do here, but nobody else has made it work, Vicino said. We will.
The United States is long overdue for a major tax reform bill. After eight years of economic weakness, we need a tax code that works for workers and job creators, not against them.

Our current tax code is strangling business growth, job creation, and higher wages. Our nation has the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world, putting American businesses at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy. Meanwhile, small businesses and family farms face high tax rates and other burdensome tax policies that make it difficult for them to expand and create new jobs.

The most important tax-related measures we can take to boost economic growth are lowering business tax rates and allowing businesses to recover their investments faster. This week, I'm introducing a tax bill in the U.S. Senate to address the second part of that equation. My bill, the Investment in New Ventures and Economic Success Today (INVEST) Act, focuses on helping small and medium-sized businesses by allowing them to recover their investments more quickly  in many cases expensing them immediately  thus freeing up capital to reinvest in the company.

The INVEST Act would allow new businesses to deduct a substantial part, if not all, of their startup costs within the first year. Currently, new businesses can only deduct $5,000 of these costs. My bill would substantially increase that amount to $50,000. This would significantly improve the stability of new businesses by freeing up cash they can use to grow. Plus, it would help encourage new business creation, an essential feature of a healthy economy.

A second part of my bill focuses on increasing cash flow for small and medium-sized businesses, farms, and ranches  in particular those that operate as corporations and partnerships  by allowing them to use cash accounting instead of accrual accounting. This would allow a business to be taxed on income when it receives the cash from the customer and to deduct an expense when it pays its supplier.

That means that businesses with inventories would be allowed to deduct investments in inventory up front, rather than having to wait until the inventory is sold, leaving them with more cash on hand to put back into their companies. It would also reduce the need for businesses to employ armies of lawyers and accountants to ensure that they've properly adhered to complex accounting rules.

Finally, the INVEST Act would substantially reform the depreciation and other expensing rules. Traditionally, farms and businesses have been forced to deduct expenses like machinery, property, or agricultural equipment over an extended period  anywhere from five to 10 years, and as much as 39 years for commercial buildings  which can leave a farm or business with its cash tied up for years in all the property it takes to run a successful enterprise.

My bill would permanently allow all businesses to deduct 50 percent of their investment in equipment, vehicles, machinery, and most other property during the year in which it is purchased. Small and medium-sized businesses would be allowed to immediately deduct 100 percent of new investments in business property up to $2 million.

For farmers and ranchers, who may reach the limit on full expensing, the bill substantially increases the rate at which they can depreciate the cost of tractors, combines, and other farm property. The bill also helps farms and businesses that rely on cars, light trucks, and vans by substantially increasing the amount they can deduct when investing in a new business vehicle.

Forcing business owners, farmers, and ranchers to lock up their capital for years or even decades, as our current tax code does, discourages growth and job creation. We need to free these individuals up as much as possible to redeploy that hard-to-raise capital back into business expansion, increased wages, and new jobs.

The weak economic growth of the past few years doesn't have to be the new normal, but full economic recovery is only possible if we remove the obstacles facing our nation's businesses. We need a tax code that works for American businesses, not against them.
Russian Supreme Court rules to arrest fugitive ex-judge Baranova in absentia

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Supreme Court of Russia has ruled to arrest former judge of the Moscow Commercial Court Irina Baranova, suspected of assisting in bribery and large scale fraud, in absentia, RAPSI learnt from the courts press-service on Monday.

The court ruled to put Baranova in detention for two months after the day she is to be apprehended.

Baranovas possible involvement in a corporate raid attempt was revealed during investigation into a case of the hostile takeover of a building in central Moscow.

Earlier it was reported that Baranova left Russia in December 2013 on a tourist vacation to Miami where her son was born. It was reported that medical complications made her stay in the U.S.

According to investigators, Baranova being a judge helped the buildings former owners, businessmen Mikhail Chernov and Mikhail Balakirev, repossess their property. Baranova allegedly convinced Chernov to bribe the judge in the case, Yulia Bespalova.

In September 2013, Chernov and Balakirev were declared guilty of fraud and attempting to launder the proceeds of a crime and received nine and seven years in prison, respectively. They have appealed the verdict.

Baranova, who has a PhD in law, was appointed as judge in 2007 and became presiding judge in a court that hears cases of privatization, property and lease rights in 2012. The Moscow Commercial Court writes on its website that the total income of Baranovas family in 2012 was 1.2 million rubles ($18,500), of which the judge declared 661,000 rubles ($10,200) and her spouse 590,000 rubles ($9,100). The family did not declare its 2013 income.
Russian police arrest 20 people suspected of cyber fraud

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI)  Police have arrested twenty individuals suspected of embezzling money from bank accounts using a malware program, Russias Interior Ministry announced on its website on Monday.

According to the statement, an organized group obtained unlawful access to smartphones with the use of malicious software and transferred money from the users bank accounts to their accounts by undetected SMS-commands.

Alleged hackers have infected over one million devices with the Trojan Horse program. The caused damage is estimated at more than 50 million rubles ($884,000), the Interior Ministry claims.

Police revealed that the criminal group included twenty individuals living in Russias Moscow, Ivanovo, Rostov, Chelyabinsk, Yaroslavl regions and Mari El Republic. An alleged gang leader is a 30-year old resident of Ivanovo, the police said.

Four suspects have been placed in detention while sixteen others have been put under travel restrictions.

Police seized computers, hundreds of bank cards and dummy SIM cards during searches in six Russian regions.
Guwahati : A top leader of banned NDFB (S) was gunned down in a gun fight with security forces in Assamas Chirang district on Sunday evening, officials said.

Based on specific intelligence with regards to presence of a militant camp in the dense jungles of Manas reserve forest, army troops along with Assam police had jointly launched operation at the area at around 1-30 pm on Sunday.

'On the identification of the location, the party moved towards the area and observed a Black Tarpaulin, as the column was taking position to cordon off the area, it was subjected to heavy automatic fire from that direction. The column retaliated with controlled fire, in which a militant was killed,'A an army official said.

The slain militant was identified as Jwrimiya Muchahary alias M Jwrimin and security personnel recovered one M16 automatic rifle, a 9mm Baretta pistol in addition to a large quantity of ammunition and other warlike stores in possession from him.

Jwrimiya Muchahary alias M Jwrimin was Self Styled Commanding Officer of 3rd battalion of NDFB(S) and he was recently appointed as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the outlawed.

'The individual was deeply involved in the Adavasi massacre of December 23, 2014 and the gruesome killing of the innocent Bodo girl Priya Basumatari in August 2014 on the suspicion of being an informer,'A the army official said.

Top army and police officials had rushed to the area and cordoned the jungle area.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
RIYADH, May 22: Even as his administration fights for its travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries, President Donald Trump is using the nation that is home to Islam's holiest site as a backdrop to call for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism.

Trump's speech, the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, will address the leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries to cast the challenge of extremism as a "battle between good and evil" and urge Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship," according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press.

Trump, whose campaign was frequently punctuated by bouts of anti-Islamic rhetoric, is poised to soften some of his language about Islam. Though during the campaign he repeatedly stressed the need to say the words "radical Islamic terrorism" and criticized his opponent, Hillary Clinton, for not doing so that phrase is not included in the draft.

The speech comes amid a renewed courtship of the United States' Arab allies as Trump is set to have individual meetings with leaders of several nations, including Egypt and Qatar, before then participating in a roundtable with the Gulf Cooperation Council and joining Saudi King Salman in opening Riyadh's new anti-terrorism center.

The address also notably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights topics Arab leaders often view as US moralising in favor of the more limited goals of peace and stability.

"We are not here to lecture to tell other peoples how to live, what to do or who to be. We are here instead to offer partnership in building a better future for us all," according to the copy of his speech.

Two different sources provided the AP with copies of the draft of his remarks, billed as a marquee speech of the trip.

The White House confirmed the draft was authentic, but cautioned the president had not yet signed off on the final product and that changes could be made.

Trump may seem an unlikely messenger to deliver an olive branch to the Muslim world.

During his campaign, he mused, "I think Islam hates us." And only a week after taking office, he signed an executive order to ban immigrants from seven countries Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen from entering the United States, a decision that sparked widespread protests at the nation's airports and demonstrations outside the White House.

That ban was blocked by the courts. A second order, which dropped Iraq from the list, is tied up in federal court and the federal government is appealing.

White House officials have said they consider Trump's visit, and his keynote address, a counterweight to President Barack Obama's debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo.
Kathmandu, Nepal: The plan of the government to increase the number of local Units in Terai districts on the name of addressing the demands of the agitating Madhes based parties is shuttered for now, thanks to the rejection of the proposal by the Election Commission (EC), the constitutional body responsible for the elections.

The EC has abruptly turned down Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's request to increase the number of local units in Tarai districts. The officials of the EC including the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. Aayodhi Prasad Yadav has made clear that there would not be possible to change the number of local unites before the second phase of local level elections scheduled for June 14.

As the government allies mainly the Nepali Congress and the CPN Maoist Center and the agitating Madhes based parties had agreed to increase the number of local units in Terai districts before the second phase of local level elections on the name of ensuring their participation in the elections, Prime Minister Dahal had urged the EC officials to this effect.

As the entire preparations related to the elections including the printing of ballot papers, voter ID cards and others have already completed as per the existing set up of the local units, there is no possible to hold elections on time by increasing the number of local units, the EC officials had said.

Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN), the united party of different six tarai-centric parties namely -Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Sadbhavana Party, National Madhes Socialist Party, Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republican, Tarai Madhes Sadbhavana Party and Federal Sadbhavana Party have forwarded conditions to participate in the elections.
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Returning to black and white for the first time since The Day He Arrives (which screened in Un Certain Regard in 2011), Hong Sangsoo returns to the Cannes competition section with The Day After, a focused rumination on love and betrayal which is, much like his other 2017 films On the Beach at Night Alone and fellow Cannes-invitee Claire's Camera, an act of bitter self-reflection.

A literary critic and small publishing house boss is confronted by his wife, who believes him to be pursuing an affair with his employee. Unbeknownst to her, the woman has left her position, only to be replaced by another young woman. Mistaken the new employee for her husband's mistress, she attacks the worker when she visits the publishing house.

The Day After begins on one of the darkest notes of a Hong film, as a woman serves her husband breakfast before dawn and asks him, jokingly at first, whether the reason for his leaving home so early in recent months is because of another woman. When he unable to answer and repeatedly stares down at his bowl of soup, she breaks down.

A few scenes later it's the mistress who bursts into uncontrollable tears over a drunken dinner when she admonishes the man for being a coward as she repeatedly hurls the word at him between her broken wails.

Frequent Hong acolyte Kwon Hae-yo plays the hapless cad with both an easy charm when the going's good but when things start to crumble around he becomes silent and hesitant before launching into a string of weak lies and eventual outright self-defense.

For the third Hong film on the trot (and fourth overall since 2015's Right Now, Wrong Then) Kim Min-hee leads the show. This time around it isn't her character who is involved in an affair, though curiously she is physically attacked all the same. At first polite and well-composed when she begins her job, the stress of the situation she finds herself in, especially combined with the tidbits we learn about her life and family, starts to manifest themselves in physical and vocal mannerisms as she slowly her ability to lose her composure.

To say that The Day After is a fiercely personal work is a moot point at this point in Hong's career, but unlike the sporadic sputter of Claire's Camera, Hong's 21st film goes deeper than much of his recent output and benefits from focusing on a small group of troubled characters. Whether you can stomach it or not, it's hard to deny that Hong's continuing journey of introspection is a fascinating one.
Spoilers.

"Mortal, after all," crows the android David (Michael Fassbender) in Prometheus, upon discovering that the "gods" his crew has sought - the Engineers - can in fact be killed. In Alien: Covenant we learn that David took his name from Michelangelo's eponymous statue, a metatextual irony, given that the Engineers in Prometheus were designed by the filmmakers to resemble that exact Platonic ideal. Having cemented the connection between David, created by humans, and the Engineers, who created humanity, David moves in Covenant to sever the link. In one of the film's more disturbing scenes (and Covenant has these by the bale), the android murders the entire Engineer race. Mortal, after all. But what is David?

We're missing a step here. As much as David was a highly ambiguous character in Prometheus - poisoning Doctor Holloway, doping Elizabeth Shaw for extraction to Earth, and (intentionally?) leading Peter Weyland to his death - in Covenant he is an outright genocidal lunatic. This is not the David whose severed head went into a gym bag at the end of the previous film, and off with Elizabeth on her next adventure across space. The film I see most reflected in Ridley Scott's latest Alien film, in imagery and tone, is his Hannibal adaptation... or reaching even further back, Blade Runner itself. David is Hannibal Lecter exultant. He is Rutger Hauer's Roy Batty, risen on burnt angel wings. He is, of course, Satan.

I operate under the theory that each Alien film, for all of their outer space (and therefore science fiction) trappings, do in fact reside within their own unique storytelling genre. Alien was the haunted house movie, with its titular creature standing in for the knife-wielding psycho of '70s slashers, while Aliens took a platoon into a post-Vietnam war. Alien3 told a fin-de-siecle tale of the end of the world, and Alien: Resurrection conjured up a perverse fairy tale about what happens after.

Prometheus, in fact, has been the only one of the lot that I would directly call science fiction proper: an (albeit bent) episode or dimestore paperback about dopey humans on a mission of scientific and philosophical exploration, who find the knowledge they are seeking, and then get so much of that knowledge crammed into their prideful heads that their eyes burst out of their sockets - sometimes literally.

The marketing for Alien: Covenant, from the title downward, has worked overtime to dull the connection between the film and its immediate predecessor, the much-reviled Prometheus. Images of the original xenomorph, resurrected via CGI puppetry from Giger's designs for the first film, are everywhere, from bus ads to review headlines.

These images position Covenant as the latest in this decade's major cinematic movement: the return of nostalgic faves from forty years ago. "Didn't like Prometheus?" the ads bark. "No problem! We've got a proper Alien movie for ya, just like the ones you remember from way back when." I'm sure many people, myself included, piled into the theatre this weekend expecting that Covenant, at worst, would be yet another Alien knockoff, set on yet another parasite-infected spaceship, with its dwindling humans all alone among the stars.

Well, I've got another Prometheus quote for the occasion: "We were wrong. We were so wrong."

Finding little, if any, public interest in his obverse creation mythology coming out of Prometheus, but wanting to carry it off nonetheless - and being, well, Ridley fucking Scott - Covenant's greatest accomplishment is how completely and unapologetically it weaponizes our puerile nostalgia to get along with the business of making Prometheus II anyway.

The gang's all here - the spaceship with long corridors, the hapless crew in hoodies and cargo pants, the xeno and the facehugger and the chestburster - but boy, it's hard to imagine a movie caring less about any of them than Alien: Covenant does. They're little more than a framing device, narrative tools to get you through the film's first thirty minutes and last fifteen, so that we can spend the lion's share of the experience - and all of the story Scott actually wants to tell - on the planet, with David.

That planet, which we might just as well call Paradise (in a nod to Scott's original prospective title for the Prometheus project and/or its sequel), and which was filmed in paradise itself (New Zealand), bears no animal life of any kind and quickly proves itself to be the kind of place where moron space travellers (no helmets? really?) quickly get themselves killed.

Spores become neomorphs; neomorphs herald xenomorphs; and never has there been an Alien movie in which its eponymous creature exists so completely outside the point. David is the monster (?) this time, and we will find out how and why; and never has blasting an Alien out of an airlock felt more like a false victory than in Covenant's final third, because something hovering just below our gut tells us unequivocally that the threat was always elsewhere. In Alien3, "the Beast" was a kind of Miltonian avatar crawling around the infernal circles of the Jungian unconscious by way of the Fury 161 penal colony. In Covenant, Milton's back, Hell is real, and the Alien is an afterthought.

The creature has no more thematic purpose in the story than the movie's humans, who are equally useless, and might be standing in for us, the audience: faithless rubes brought to this place with the promise of one thing, only to be confronted with the purpose of another. The things in Covenant that turn out to matter are David, his android "brother" Walter, the memory of Elizabeth Shaw, and the horrific necropolis on that alien world, in which torches gutter and cadavers rot.

If the Engineers were Michelangelo's David in Prometheus, here they are Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, pinned on cards, plastinated back into statuary, dissected for their bones and their ligaments and their insights into what makes a creature "go." Each sequence on Paradise reveals an even more gorge-filling perversion of creation, as we delve into a theatre of horrors made by a half-man Lawrence of Arabia fetishist who hated his daddy and spends too much time alone contemplating his "mother."

We find poor Elizabeth, staged in David's laboratory like the victim of an amateur lepidopterist. All of Prometheus' collateral debts are paid in a single move, falling into the narrative disconnect mentioned above. Elizabeth might have been a person of faith (so too is this film's secondary lead, Oram), but these films supply direct personages for our creators while ruthlessly removing any possibility of their divinity, and thereby, any article of faith or love.

There has never been a god more watchmaker than this, whose only interest in the act of creation is the intellectual event of it. Not for nothing is Covenant's man of faith played by Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan himself, Billy Crudup, an ironic reference to the ultimate watchmaker god. Now, David is playing in the same space. Somewhere along the way, he realized he didn't just hate his maker: he hates all of us, as only a true serial killer can. He loved and hated Elizabeth so much he couldn't help but tear her to pieces.

(That's me as well, by the way. On the Alien 8-film list I'd put Covenant somewhere between the theatrical cut of Alien3 and Alien: Resurrection, but here I am, studying its component molecules like I've found Yahweh incarnate.)

"They are a dying species, grasping for resurrection," David says of the human race; "They don't deserve to start again and I'm not going to let them." Fair point re: the current (or permanent?) state of our species. I couldn't help but be reminded of the apoplectic skies of Kurosawa's Ran, another film where a lone potentate has gone mad, while unidimensional characters around him behave less as people and more as avatars of an inherently poisonous human nature.

Kurosawa was nearly 80 when he made Ran, and gave it none of the hope or humanism that inflected his earlier work, having - by that age - apparently decided that the human race was more likely just fucked. Scott will be 80 next year, and his early work had little interest in hope, but his late-career Promethean opus is no less reliably savage. He doesn't think much of any of us. He's spent a career dazzling and horrifying us with technical construction, and when he makes a flick as optimistic as The Martian, it's less to make us feel good than to prove to us that he can. We've been his catspaws all along.

Alien: Covenant asks what Hell would actually be like, and answers: God never cared; why should I? Hell would be understanding God's vanity just as clearly as understanding that rebellion against Him, a la Paradise Lost, is ultimately as purposeless and futile as servitude. The movie has - like David, and Ridley Scott I suppose - a fanatic contempt for every other link in the chain: the gods who made us, and the things we ourselves made. Covenant is Ridley Scott dispensing with covenants. It is, in its way, the director saying "I don't give a fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck about Alien, or even Prometheus. They're done. I only ever care about what I'm doing now."

And so, on the subject of genre: Alien: Covenant is the horror movie. True horror, not slasher-movie horror; the horror of creation, and mutation, and growth begetting change begetting chaos. Werner Herzog's jungle: the harmony of overwhelming, collective murder. This is horror like Mary Shelley wrote it, or her husband, who is quoted (and misquoted) at length by David and Walter. "Look upon my works, ye mighty," a director catcalls his audience, unveiling the symphony of revulsion at the heart of Alien: Covenant. "And despair."



Destroy All Monsters is a weekly column on Hollywood and pop culture. Matt Brown is in Toronto and on Letterboxd.
Gorgeous to behold and wonderfully idiosyncratic, Twin Peaks: The Return is nothing like I expected and everything I wanted.

The first four episodes were unveiled last night on the Showtime premium network in the U.S. As I recently explained, I feel a very personal connection to the original series, which first ran about 27 years ago. Watching the entire first season and the first nine episodes of the second season (17 in all) over the weekend left me in a melancholy, nostalgic mood, so I stopped my binging for a few hours and, once again, cursed my timing.

The original series was not designed for binging; it was, after all, a network television show, which meant each episode was constructed of four segments, each lasting about 12-14 minutes to allow for advertising breaks. Within those limitations, the storytelling was good throughout the episodes, but cracks were beginning to show in certain aspects.

The new episodes are not artificially structured to allow for commercial breaks and so it's much easier to get caught up with the dream logic that is brought to vivid life. It's the kind of indulgence that could go disastrously wrong -- and it sometimes misfires wildly in the first four installments -- yet it's also what makes Twin Peaks: The Return essential viewing.

The dream sequences that appeared in Lynch's episodes during the original show were inevitably the most memorable; they stood out vividly, especially on network television. Freed from content restrictions, the new episodes feature an abundance of profanity, violent imagery, and some nudity, but they also reflect auteurist intent, independent of mainstream conventions, that is frequently thrilling.

And, yes, the new episodes (so far) are filled with wonderful, befuddling dream sequences and things that don't make sense and things that disturb and things that delight. Of the original cast, some reprise their roles, some do not, and some have died. Lest we forget, 27 years have passed in real time.

Mark Frost, who co-created the original series with Lynch and also served as producer, writer, and occasional director, returned to co-write every episode with Lynch; Lynch directs every episode. They are less interested in constructing a straight-line narrative than in creating spooky atmospheres more reliant on visuals than words. Thus, the episodes are disconnected from reality as we commonly know and experience it. Even when characters "wake up" from a nightmarish dream, their everyday existence is not ordinary.

I watched the first two episodes last night, took a work break for a few hours, and then felt compelled to watch Episodes 3 and 4, which have been made available on Showtime in advance of their scheduled debut next Sunday. Watching those episodes in an exhausted state, past midnight, I nonetheless became transfixed by what Frost and Lynch had dreamed up.

Having no idea what is going on in the show, and having no idea what future episodes will bring, but feeling itchy to see more dangerous visions unfold -- that is my definition of bliss.


 "Sentencing Synthetic Cannabinoid Offenders: 'No Cognizable Basis'" | Main | Tales of marijuana reform as sentencing reform from California after Prop 64 

May 22, 2017

Minnesota Supreme Court upholds consecutive sentences adding up to 90 years before parole eligibility for juve killer of three

Via this new commentary criticizing the opinion, I just learned of this notable ruling handed down last week by the Minnesota Supreme Court concerning the application of the Supreme Court's Eighth Amendment rulings in Miller and Montgomery. The commentary provides a helpful summary of the ruling and the concerns it might engender for those eager for Miller to have a broad reach:

In 2010, at the age of 16, Mahdi Hassan Ali committed a terrible crime in Minneapolis. During the course of a store robbery, Ali shot and killed three people. He was tried as an adult, and a jury found him guilty of two counts of felony murder and one count of first-degree murder. On the felony murder convictions, the Hennepin County District Court sentenced Ali to two consecutive life sentences with the possibility of release on each after 30 years; on the first-degree murder conviction, Ali was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of release.... In light of Miller [decided in 2012], the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned Alis sentence of mandatory life imprisonment and remanded the case back to the Hennepin County District Court for a new sentence. On Jan. 6, 2016, Ali was sentenced to three consecutive sentences of life imprisonment with the possibility of release on each after 30 years. The sentences render Ali ineligible for release until he is 106 years old. Shortly after the district courts decision, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a new opinion in Montgomery vs. Louisiana, which offered fresh insight into the Miller ruling. Montgomery explained that the court intended Miller to bar all sentences of life without parole, not just mandatory ones, for any but the rarest of juvenile offenders who were permanently incorrigible and unable ever to be reformed.... Notwithstanding these decisions, the Minnesota Supreme Court filed an opinion last week upholding Alis sentences of three consecutive life terms. In an opinion authored by the newly elected Justice Natalie Hudson, the Minnesota court decided that Miller and Montgomery apply only to single sentences of life without parole, refusing to extend the principles articulated in Miller and Montgomery to consecutive sentences that have the same effect. Rather than requiring a special hearing to determine Alis prospects for reform, as Montgomery requires for sentences of life imprisonment without parole, the court decided that consecutive life sentences require no such hearing, even when they will likely result in a juvenile offenders being imprisoned until death. Last weeks opinion from the Minnesota Supreme Court will offer state prosecutors a new tool when seeking to imprison children for the duration of their natural lives. For juvenile offenders convicted of serious offenses, prosecutors will seek lengthy consecutive sentences rather than seeking sentences of life imprisonment without parole. Under the opinion, this tack will obviate the need for a hearing to determine whether the juvenile is amenable to reform, regardless of the length of the childs sentence.

Like the author of this commentary, I am troubled whenever it seems courts are embracing formal rather than functional considerations to limit the reach of the Eighth Amendment juvenile sentencing proportionality rules set forth in Graham and Miller and Montgomery. Still, for reasons the majority opinion in this Ali case stresses, I can understand why many courts have in various settings given constitutional significance in Eighth Amendment analysis to the fact that a defendant has been sentenced to an extreme term for multiple serious crimes rather than just one. Notably, the US Supreme Court has never formally addressed just how multiple-offense, consecutive sentencing should be analyzed under the Eighth Amendment, and this Minnesota case serves to highlight how this is one of a number of Graham and Miller and Montgomery application issues challenging lower courts nationwide.

May 22, 2017 at 12:13 PM | Permalink

Comments

The 5% difference in his myelination of the frontal lobes from people aged 30 does not explain his crime. Compare to the 800% difference in testosterone levels driving sexual urges between males and females in normally acting people. (Avg. Adult Male 270-1,070, Avg. Adult Female 15-70). Should this difference excuse rape by males?

Absolutely not. A mitigating factor by a lawyer is really an aggravating factor. If someone has 8 times the hormones driving a sex crime, they need a lot more punishment, a lot more supervision, a lot more incapacitation, to be controlled and to stop hurting others, not less, as the lawyer argues.

All lawyer mitigating factors are aggravating factors. So a 5% less myelination in young people requires greater punishment.

What does explain his crime is his antisocial personality disorder and its features well described in 1835 and called moral insanity. No empathy. No fear. Presentism. No response to punishment or reward. Extreme selfishness.

Posted by: David Behar | May 22, 2017 2:25:26 PM

Doug, why are you troubled? If a court goes beyond what is required in favor of a triple murder, wouldn't that trouble you?

Posted by: federalist | May 22, 2017 3:58:44 PM

A dramatically easy fix 

Avoid thug conduct that can harm others .

At age 10 , one knows that robbery and the willful killing of others is wrong AND unkind .

Consequences, whether behaving or misbehaving. normally follow conduct 

Posted by: My friend , Docile (now in OR) | May 22, 2017 5:04:51 PM

I am troubled, federalist, because I think a fair reading of Miller and Montgomery call for allowing a juve triple murderer to be able to argue at a sentencing that he is not "permanently incorrigible" and thus should be able to preserve some chance at parole before dying in prison. But I know you find Miller and Montgomery troubling, fedralist, and I can understand how those troubled by these SCOTUS decisions are not troubled by efforts to limit their application.

Posted by: Doug B. | May 22, 2017 6:02:40 PM

But let's say that Miller/Montgomery allows this--wouldn't then all the re-sentencing that happened that was more lenient be problematic? In other words, should judges be concerned about too much mercy? They should. I'd be interested to understand why you don't think so.

Posted by: federalist | May 22, 2017 7:26:43 PM

I agree with Doug on thiis. Miller says juves need to get a chance for Parole.

90 yrs isnt much of a chance. I also understand why he 3 X 30. But 30 yrs alone is a long time. Yes it was terrible what he did.



Posted by: MidWestGuy | May 22, 2017 8:33:18 PM

If the minor UK-suicide-bomber today was found alive, should he get parole after 30 years?

Posted by: Minersville | May 22, 2017 10:00:43 PM

The US cannot preach International solidarity in the search for peace, reconciliation and moderation in the work toward a democratic and civilized global community whilst exhibiting such inhumanity and breaches of International norms and legal guidelines (UN Human Rights Law) in respect of juveniles and in its outlandish judicial/penal processes generally. There has to be a huge adjustment to gain effective credibility. I hope in this case, persons such as Doug, will offer every assistance to ensure the matter he describes in his final sentence reaches the US Supreme Court for better clarity and moderate implementation of sentencing law.

Posted by: peter | May 23, 2017 2:26:07 AM

Minersville - by definition, the UK suicide bomber (if he/she is so confirmed), is dead and the matter therefore mute. However, in general response, there is a substantive difference between a criminal act and a terrorist act, particularly when mass murder (22 currently reported) results. However, if the bomber were a minor then it can be assumed coercion in one form or another occurred. Whilst a life sentence might be imposed, I would hope a process of education and deradicalization would occur and assessments for parole made over time. The results of that, at a personal level, should determine the ultimate length of detention for a minor, not purely the emotional response to the outrage.

Posted by: peter | May 23, 2017 2:42:31 AM

"I can understand how those troubled by these SCOTUS decisions are not troubled by efforts to limit their application." Good insight.

Lawyers are the stupidest of people. Ivy grads are the stupidest of lawyers. The Supreme Court is the stupidest of Ivy grads, compounded by an acculturation to the arrogant, Washington rent seeking, self dealing culture. Supreme Court decisions have been lawless, unmitigated disasters, from the Civil War set off by Dred Scott to the American Holocaust of Roe v Wade. Every one has been a violation of Article I Section 1 of the constitution, giving law making power to the legislature.

Its decisions may be considered to have no external validation. They are the subjective, invalid feelings of stupid, East Coast elite, know nothing lawyers. All are biased, not in favor of criminals, but in favor of lawyer rent seeking and of big government, the industry of Washington. At best, they should be deemed advisory. No federal marshal will come to enforce any. That would require agreement with a decision by the executive branch. If any does, taser him, expel him from the state. Nothing will happen.

In Miller, the Court cancelled the decisions of more accountable state legislatures. The decision contains future forecasting, based on nothing, a finding of a 5% difference in myelination of the frontal lobes, continuing to age 30. That minuscule difference has not been tied to anything in behavior. Teens commit fewer violent crimes than adults. Teen crime is dropping. Adult crime is rising.

It is also illogical and harmful to the defendant. Say the mass murderer becomes a priest, and a saint. He qualifies for canonization by his good deeds and verified miracles. The flaw in logic is that his improvement has been within the structure of prison. Release would end the achievements. A diabetic was brought out of a coma with aggressive insulin treatment. He has been doing well for years, with no side effects on insulin. Let's stop the insulin since he is old and his blood sugars have been great, the Court is saying. That is its "feeling." No. Both conditions are defects, and will never improve, since a function is missing. Prison structure is the insulin that allowed the defendant to thrive.

Posted by: David Behar | May 23, 2017 6:28:04 AM

Peter says, "...a process of education and deradicalization would occur..." in defending the coddling of a theoretical, mass murdering terrorist.

Let me translate.

Education and deradicalization means, government employment for government employees, in the social services field.

Posted by: David Behar | May 23, 2017 6:59:14 AM

Every time Ali pulled the trigger to kill someone, he committed a crime. He murdered three people, three crimes. That he should not get sentenced separately for each is insane.

Let's bring the "common" back into common sense, especially as it relates to the law.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | May 23, 2017 7:23:03 AM

federalist: I agree that unduly lenient sentences can and should be a judicial concern because they endanger public safety and undermine a community sense of justice. But the Eighth Amendment protects individual rights by placing a limit on excessively harsh sentences, and the Supreme Court has interpreted that provision to require judges to make an informed individualized determination before concluding a juve killer is to be given no possible chance at parole ever. Ali seeks here, it seems, just a chance to have an individual determination made as to whether he should ever be given any possible chance at parole ever.

Your concerns about the impact of the Eighth Amendment here could be extended to many other Amendments. I perceive from prior comments that you think sex offenders should have First Amendment rights to be online recognized and safeguarded in Packingham. But shouldn't judges be concerned about "leniently" allowing sex offenders access to the internet after legislators have decided public safety and a community sense of justice call for keeping sex offenders off line?

My point is not to make a specific argument for or against Packingham, but rather to explain my sense that interpretation/application of every constitutional protection to indisputably guilty offenders presents the competing concerns of individual rights versus laws intended to serve public safety and community justice. And, in part because I view LWOP as even more problematic than the death penalty, I am uniquely and distinctly concerned when LWOP or functional LWOP is imposed without what I consider to be important procedural protections. The absence of those protections here worry me.

And Tarls, I do not disagree that Ali should be sentenced for three crimes, the question is what sentence is constitutionally permissible and what procedure is proper for the imposition of a sentence for these three crimes. Due to Roper, it is not constitutional for him to get a single death sentence, let alone three. It is also not constitutional for him to get a single mandatory LWOP sentence due to Miller/Montgomery. At issue is whether he can get a functional LWOP, and I think he should properly get a chance to argue against that functional LWOP even though he clearly should get sentenced for three crimes.

That said, Tarls, my brief comment above was designed to highlight the unique challenges multiple serious crime cases present for the Eighth Amendment.

Finally, Minersville, remember that getting a chance at parole and getting parole is VERY different.

Posted by: Doug B. | May 23, 2017 8:58:09 AM

Doug, you don't really respond to my point--the various courts have no idea what the contours of Miller/Montgomery will be. Thus, many courts could wind up imposing less lenient sentences (after the original sentencing) on the basis of a to-be-revealed flawed understanding of Miller/Montgomery--which means that the killers would have gotten more than what they were entitled to. That should bother you. But I suspect it does not.

Posted by: federalist | May 23, 2017 10:03:54 AM

federalist, you do not really respond to my point that this lower court challenge/concern arises in the context/wake of every SCOTUS ruling that may expand the constitutional rights/protections of offenders --- the Johnson vagueness ruling is a good recent example involving repeat serious offenders, and the Packingham case involves sex offenders. We do not know the contours of how SCOTUS will apply/extend the First and Fifth Amendments in these settings, and so lower courts have to do their best to be faithful to the constitutional text and the principles announced in leading SCOTUS cases. I do not think in any setting that lower courts can and should conclude that criminal offenders always lose when constitutional law is debatable unless/until SCOTUS tells us clearly that an offender has to prevail.

Your last comment makes me uncertain, federalist, if what you are saying is that "killers" are different and that, based on this reality, it may be uniquely important for lower courts to err against their individual rights when the jurisprudence is uncertain. But, of course, there are no "killers are different" exceptions to constitutional rights --- though arguably distinctive public safety concerns influence all sorts of applications of various rights.

Meanwhile, SCOTUS has said repeatedly that the Eighth Amendment is properly interpreted to include a kids are different for punishment purposes. And in this context, we are not talking about freedom or a dramatically reduced sentence for a juve killer, but rather considering whether the juve killer even gets an initial chance to argue for a sentence than includes any chance at parole before he dies. I think a fair reading of Miller/Montgomery is that juve killers must get the opportunity to make seek a sentence less than LWOP. But another reading is obviously possible, and a "killers should lose when there can be doubt" presumption certainly can push toward another view of Miller/Montgomery.

Posted by: Doug B. | May 23, 2017 10:43:54 AM

"faithful to the constitutional text" is a laugh in this particular situation . . . .

And, here, we are dealing with upsetting settled judgments--which should counsel against expanding Miller . . . .

I agree that courts generally should do their best, but they should err on the side of harshness because lenience is a one-way ratchet.

In this particular case, I think courts should do their utmost to stiff the killers--not because killers don't have rights etc., but because the Supreme Court doesn't deserve any respect whatsoever with respect to Montgomery or Miller. The Court can do its own damned dirty work.

Posted by: federalist | May 23, 2017 11:27:55 AM

"killers are different" exceptions

I had some confusion there when he flagged what was deemed court over-reaching.

Is there a two way "death is different" rule?

"arguably distinctive public safety concerns influence all sorts of applications of various rights" seems right as to balancing compelling state interests, but that sort of thing is only a matter of degree. I apologize for a "water is wet" vanilla statement.

In Justice Clark's concurring opinion in Gideon v. Wainwright, he argued: "I must conclude here, as in Kinsella, supra, that the Constitution makes no distinction between capital and noncapital cases." But, at some point that to me is wrong. The "quality of the process" does at some point depend on the sanction. Thus, e.g., explicitly the Fifth Amendment treats "a capital, or otherwise infamous crime" somewhat differently etc.

Bottom line, as Doug B. notes, the protection here is only limited. The chance of parole after let's say at 65 instead of 106 is not exactly soft on crime.

Posted by: Joe | May 23, 2017 11:33:26 AM

"because the Supreme Court doesn't deserve any respect whatsoever with respect to Montgomery or Miller. The Court can do its own damned dirty work"

Can we have a list of SCOTUS cases that "don't deserve any respect" so that the usual practice where the law is an interrelated process where different branches vertically and horizontally work together shouldn't apply?

Posted by: Joe | May 23, 2017 11:41:04 AM

Joe. All of them. They all violate Article I Section 1 granting law making powers to the legislature.

Posted by: David Behar | May 23, 2017 1:38:34 PM

The Supreme Court has no resource to enforce a decision. It needs the concurrence of the executive, which will send federal marshals. The executive may veto any decision, and should be lobbied to do so. All Supreme Court decisions not endorsed by the executive may be considered to be advisory at best, and as the really stupid opposite of justice,as is usual.

This dual model duplicates that of the Inquisition 1.0. The King enforced the rulings of the Inquisitions as they promoted their political interests. That makes the legal system a form of Mafia business, collecting money, at the point of a sword, and returning nothing of value.

Posted by: David Behar | May 23, 2017 1:57:36 PM

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An employee of San Francisco's Boys and Girls Club was arrested last week, after police say that he had been uploading "graphic" pornography involving children to the internet.

According to the San Francisco Department, the investigation began in April, when they learned that "an individual...was uploading and downloading graphic child pornography online."

As the investigation proceeded, police say that members of SFPD's Internet Crimes Against Children unit identified "the source of the child pornography as originating from an apartment on the 400 block of Natoma Street," which is between Fifth and Sixth Streets in SoMa.

On Thursday, May 18, police served a search warrant at the address in question. During the search, the SFPD says that "Investigators located numerous child pornography files on various media devices that were determined to belong to" the apartment's resident, 45-year-old Brian Pittman.

Pittman was arrested at the scene, police say, and has been charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

According to the SFPD, Pittman is a maintenance worker for the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco as a maintenance worker. Police say that after Pittman's arrest, "executives for the Boys and Girls Club were notified and have been fully cooperating with investigators."

In news that will be a relief to many, the SFPD says that "our preliminary investigation has determined that Pittman had no direct involvement with children's programs at the Boys and Girls Club, is not a counselor, was not directly involved with children at the Club, and there does not appear to be any crimes involving the Boys and Girls Club."

That said, police are seeing anyone who might have had "suspicious contact" with Pittman. Anyone who has any information on the case is urged to call SFPD's Special Victims Unit at 415-558-5500.

Related: Former Adult Film Star, UCSF Shrink Boyfriend Arrested In Alleged Child Porn Bust
It was a freezing late October night in 1923 in Milwaukee, with a steady breeze blowing the frigid air above Lake Michigan across the harbor and towards the mainland. Hidden in the darkness, just inside the breakwater wall, was a pair of U.S. Coast Guard cutters. In addition to their usual Coast Guard crews, each vessel carried a pair of federal prohibition agents. The men stared off into the inky blackness of the lake and waited.

For months, there had been rumors of speedboats running liquor on the Great Lakes. The Coast Guard, prohibition agents, and customs officials had thus far all been unable to capture one of these elusive vessels. Authorities believed that the boats were coming from Canada and bringing mass quantities of Canadian booze into the U.S. One of the runners prime destinations was Milwaukee, where a wide bay and ample lakefront offered numerous dark places for illegal payloads to be delivered.

In early fall 1923 the Feds caught a break. During the raid of a Downtown speakeasy run by a man named Harry Hunter, agents uncovered several cases of Labatts Crystal Lager beer  brewed and bottled in Ontario, Canada. With agents leaning on Hunter, he admitted that he got his supply direct from Canada. Leaning a little more, agents learned when he expected his next delivery.

As it neared 1 a.m., the prohibition agents hidden on the lake began to wonder if they had been duped or if Hunter had tipped off his suppliers. But then, off on the murky horizon, two small dark spots appeared. Within a few minutes, the faint murmur of gas engines could be heard. The Coast Guard crews readied themselves and waited. As the two boats passed the breakwater wall, the Coast Guard boats swooped around them, appearing seemingly out of nowhere to begin slowly circling the cabin cruisers. The men onboard the suspect vessels surrendered without incident.

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The boats were led towards the Milwaukee River at gunpoint and docked off the Third Ward. Searching the boats, agents found 500 cases of Labatt, lager and pale ale. Four men, all with local addresses, were arrested. The owner of the two boats, a man named Paul K. Smith, was tagged as the ringleader. Coast Guard Capt. William Kincaid, who helped to seize the vessels, remarked that they were probably among the fastest boats on the lakes.

But, as it turned out, Smiths mini-fleet was not the mystery ships that officials had been hunting. Although all of the men involved faced federal charges, the operation busted was a rather small one. Milwaukees trouble with rum-running power boats would continue into the next year, when the bootleggers speed would face off with federal guns. Check back next week for another gripping tale of booze battles on Lake Michigan.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A consulting firm that works exclusively with Native groups has named Ho-Chunk Inc. CEO Lance Morgan a "superhero'' in economic development contributions.

Travois, a Kansas City, Missouri-based consultant, announced its 2017 Economic Development Professional of the Year Award at its 17th annual Affordable Housing & Economic Development Conference last month. Ho-Chunk is the economic development corporation for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

We are fortunate to have Lances advice and assistance as a member of our advisory board, Travois president Phil Glynns said, in a release. He continues to break new ground in economic and community development and Ho-Chunk Inc.s success inspires fascinating work across Indian Country.

Morgan was cited for his role in expanding the 23-year-old development group, which started in his apartment in 1994. The Winnebago, Nebraska-based corporation now employs more than 1,000 people in 16 states and nine foreign countries through multiple subsidiaries.

Travios also cited a recent partnership between the Chickasaw Nation Community Development Endeavor of Ada, Oklahoma, and HCI's role in developing Ho-Chunk Village in Winnebago.

Morgan, who was unable to attend the superhero-themed luncheon ceremony April 5 in Austin, Texas, said he was honored to be named a superhero in economic development. At Ho-Chunk Inc., our agenda is clear; we are committed to developing and operating successful businesses and providing job opportunities for tribal members," he said.

This story was updated to reflect that Travois is not a Native-owned company, but instead is a consulting firm that works exclusively with American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities.
SIOUX CITY  Organizers are calling it the largest retail strike in U.S. history, and local union members played a part.

Nearly 40,000 AT&T employees and supporters in 36 states and Washington, D.C., took part in a three-day strike against the telecommunications giant to protect their jobs from contracting and outsourcing.

Joined by members from other area unions, about 18 people, including members of Communications Workers of America Local 7103, participated in the local strike, according to president Corey Davis.

I do hope that AT&T will meet us at the bargaining table, he said. I love my job, I want to keep my job and I want to keep my coworkers' jobs. Thats the point I really want to get through.

According to CWA, AT&T has been outsourcing its call center and technician jobs overseas and converting corporate-owned retail stores into authorized resell centers, which the union alleges pay lower wages than the company stores.

Davis, who has been president of the 250-plus-member local CWA chapter for two years, said about 60 percent of AT&Ts corporate stores have been converted into authorized resale locations in recent years.

One that hit close to home for Davis occurred in 2011, when the corporate store at 2935 Hamilton Blvd. he worked at was turned into an authorized reseller location.

They gave us a six-day notice and said, Hey, were closing for two days and then we are going to reopen, but its going to be owned by a different company and theyve agreed to hire all of you guys on doing the exact same thing youre doing now, Davis recalled.

When we started to look at it, it was a fraction of what we were making  they offered us like $10 an hour with little to no benefits and none of us that were working there could afford to feed our families so we all had to move on.

Davis eventually started working for AT&Ts sole corporate store in Sioux City at 3200 Singing Hills Blvd., which is where the three-day strike took place. He noted they werent able to force the store to shut down, but he heard about stores on both coasts, Denver, Minnesota and other areas closing due to the strike.

As they were striking in front of the store, Davis said they received some supportive honks and gestures. However, he said some motorists also taunted them and he heard a few people yell, Get a job, which he found amusing in a twisted way since the strike was about protecting jobs.

"I'm extremely proud; people don't expect this type of thing from Sioux City, Iowa, I mean to see that many people stand outside  and we made a lot of noise, a lot of ruckus," Davis said.

Davis and other strikers across the country plan to return to work Monday and hope their demonstration left an impression on AT&T, which pulled in nearly $164 billion in revenue in 2016.

The two sides plan to restart contraction negotiations, but Davis said theyre prepared to go on a longer strike if an amicable solution cant be reached.

A lot of people dont realize that AT&T retail jobs are actually really good jobs, Davis said. We can support our families off of what we make there  nobodys getting rich, but it is a good job.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to robbing a local credit union earlier this month.

Joshua Webbs, 21, entered his written plea Monday in Woodbury County District Court to single counts of first-degree robbery and operating a vehicle without owner's consent.

Webbs is accused of robbing the Municipal Credit Union, 103 S. Fairmount St., on May 2. According to court documents, Webbs entered the business, demanded money from the clerk and displayed a weapon before fleeing the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.

A vehicle believed to have been used in the robbery was found abandoned in the nearby Greenville neighborhood a short time later.

Webbs turned himself in to police later that day.
SIOUX CITY | A Spirit Lake, Iowa, man was sentenced Monday to nearly four years in prison for possession of child pornography.

Chuck Juhl, 42, had pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court to one count of possession of child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard Strand sentenced him to 46 months in prison.

According to court documents, Juhl received and possessed pornographic images of minors on a laptop computer from July 1, 2014, to Oct. 16, 2014.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations' Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested Juhl in May 2016 after a 21-month investigation found that Juhl had bought and possessed child pornography.
SIOUX CITY | State Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, said Monday he's distinctly positioned to appeal to both urban and rural Iowans as he begins the quest of running for governor in 2018.

Prichard began his governor campaign on May 16 and will wrap that kickoff swing on Friday, which includes a 10 a.m. event at Storm Lake High School in Storm Lake. He spoke in a Journal interview in advance of his Monday evening stop at the Wilbur Aalfs Library in Sioux City.

"I think I can bring a message that can resonate with working Iowans," Prichard said.

Prichard, 42, is an Iraq War veteran and lawyer. Living in Charles City, pop. 7,652, he has won three terms in the Iowa House, where Republicans hold control of the chamber.

Prichard grew up in the city of Davenport. He said he knows Northwest Iowa very well, given lots of visits over his lifetime to relatives with farms in Buena Vista and Sioux counties. He said he can hold appeal in rural Iowa spots that have not always been hospitable to Democrats.

"I am kind of uniquely situated to understand both urban and rural Iowa," he said. "I think that is a strength of my background, being from rural Iowa."

Prichard bemoaned that Republicans in 2017 with complete control of Iowa government made groundbreaking changes to the longstanding collective bargaining for public employees, and changes to health care and education.

"Republicans have taken the state backwards...There are a lot of people who are fearful and upset with what is happening nationally and in the state," Prichard said.

He said people in rural Iowa have less access to health care and education, given less money directed to state universities and with cuts to K-12 school programs. Prichard said he's also well versed on veterans issues, and will advocate for clean water initiatives and full funding for education.

Prichard said many of his public campaign events thus far have drawn from 25 to 30 people.

"We are early in the process and looking to get in front of activists," Prichard said.

The Democratic governor candidate field is expanding, so a June 2018 party primary vote will determine the nominee. Former Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Andy McGuire, former state agency director Rich Leopold, Sen. Nate Boulton and former Des Moines School Board President Jon Neiderbach are also in the field with Prichard.
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DES MOINES  On his record 8,167rd day as the nations longest-serving governor, six-term Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad got the word Monday that he has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the new U.S. ambassador to China.

Senators voted 82-13 by roll call to approve President Donald Trumps nomination of Branstad to the serve in a critical international role as Americas representation in one of the worlds most-powerful nations. Branstads nomination was backed by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who called him the right person for the job while Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said "he's been a champion for Iowa."

Branstad, 70, who served as Iowas 39th governor from 1983-99 and now as its 42nd governor since returning to Terrace Hill in 2011, announced he will resign his post Wednesday and turn over state executive duties to Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds before embarking on his new assignment.

Once he resigns as governor, he will immediately be sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China. Shortly after his resignation, Reynolds will be sworn in as Iowas 43rd governor in a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines.

That will end the nations longest stint by a U.S. governor of any state, Branstad noted, adding that time flies when youre having fun, right and it also will mark Iowas first woman governor when Reynolds is sworn in as Branstads replacement.

Its going to be an exciting adventure to serve our country in a very important part of the world, Branstad, wearing a red tie made in China, told reporters after presiding Monday over what likely was his last Iowa Executive Council  a group made up of the governor, state treasurer, state auditor, state agriculture secretary and the secretary of state. "I intend to continue to work hard right up until the end."

After the Senate vote, Branstad thanked Trump and Vice President Pence for the nomination and the Senate for the confidence they have placed in him.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that a boy from a small farm in Leland, Iowa, would one day have the opportunity to represent my country and my state on the world stage, working closely with one of the worlds most influential countries and one of Americas largest trading partners, Branstad said in a statement.

None of this would have been possible without the dedicated love and support of my wife Chris and my family, he added. While Im temporarily leaving the state I love and have governed for over 22 years, I know Im leaving Iowa in great hands with Kim Reynolds as governor. I look forward to working with both my friend President Donald Trump and my old friend President Xi Jinping for the mutual benefit of both of our countries and the rest of the world.

Reynolds congratulated Branstad  her mentor since January 2011  on his new mission as a U.S. ambassador, calling him a man with a servant heart who has worked tirelessly on behalf of Iowa and Iowans for more than 22 years as governor.

His heart to serve has led him to accept a new calling, to serve our state and our country as ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China, Reynolds said in a statement. He is uniquely qualified and is the right person for the right time, and we are proud to have him take our Iowa values to the world stage.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey called Branstads departure bitter sweet but said the council was excited for the governors new opportunity in China and the prospects for expanding trade in a key region of the world.

I know you will take Iowa with you in your heart and youre not going away forever, Secretary of State Paul Pate added.

Branstad said he and his wife, Chris, will maintain their home on Lake Panorama and are in the process of sorting and packing things that will go there and will go with them to China as they prepare to vacate the governors Terrace Hill mansion.

Shes kind of been the lead person on that, but Ive been helping, Branstad said of the packing process. Shes a thrower and Im a saver, lets put it that way, but thats always been the case, he noted. I have a tendency not want to throw anything away.

Branstad said his historical, political and military items and memorabilia will be divided among the State Historical Building in Des Moines, a museum in Forest City and the Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge in Johnston. He said he planned to host a gathering Mondays evening at the governors mansion for staff and state agency directors, which he noted likely would be one of the last official things he does there as he prepares for the transition to his new role.

Having served as the governor of Iowa for more than two decades, Branstad has developed a strong understanding of agriculture, trade, and other key national interests, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the U.S. Senate floor Monday. His experience on these issues will guide him as he works to strengthen our relationship with China and pursue trade policies that can benefit American workers and businesses.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., supported his nomination, telling his Senate colleagues on Monday he was extremely impressed by Branstad during the hearing process and his passion for American values while Grassley called him a work horse who is not afraid to get in the trenches to get the job done.\

After waiting for more than a month for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to schedule his hearing, Branstad sailed through the two-hour session May 2 with none of the acrimony seen in confirmation hearings for other of President Donald Trumps nominees.

Introduced by Iowa Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Branstad read an opening statement tracing his journey from a north Iowa farm to the governors office.

Responding to questions about trade, North Korea, intellectual property rights, human rights, fentanyl and other topics, Branstad often drew parallels to his experience as governor.

The senators were impressed by his thoroughness and understanding of the issues.

Youve had an outstanding hearing, Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told Branstad. I think your on-the-ground experience with China will serve our nation well.

He thanked Branstad for being willing to give up a very comfortable place -- apparently issues of re-election are not a problem -- to go to a post that is much more temporary yet in many ways far more meaningful from the standpoint of our security and the world security.

The ranking Democrat, Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, also was complimentary.

I want to applaud you presentation here today, he said. Youve done very well in giving us confidence of your knowledge of the areas and the way you go about trying to reach strategic decisions.

Later, Branstad admitted to a case of nerves before the hearing began.

I had a few butterflies going into the hearing, Branstad said, but having his wife, Chris, sons Eric and Marcus, and past and present staff members and friends filling the Senate hearing room behind him helped.

Prior to the hearing, he met with the 21 committee members to introduce himself.
While we expected it, the day we feared would soon arrive has finally been confirmed. On page 2 of your Sunday Samoan yesterday, the story titled Cabinet confirms end of production for Yazaki contained the bad news.

That is the nations biggest private employer, Yazaki EDS Samoa Ltd, is set to officially shut its doors on 25 August 2017.

On that day more than 700 workers will find themselves unemployed.

Where will they go? What will they do? What about their families who depend on these employees as they are the breadwinners?

These are tough questions. But they are relevant and we must starting asking them a little more persistently now.

Keep in mind that one employee represents an average of 10 or more people who depend on them every day, every week. We are talking about workers who contribute to their families, churches, villages and their communities. It means the impact of the closure would be enormous.

The worst part is the fact the impact is going to be heaviest on some of the poorest members of this country, people who are already struggling to survive on measly incomes. The fact many of the employees of Yazaki are in this category.

But our problems dont end there. Lets not forget that hundreds more workers are expected to lose jobs at the Samoa Tuna Processors (S.T.P.) in American Samoa with the companys canning operations shutting down indefinitely due to adverse business conditions. The knock on effect this will have on Samoa will not help. It is another cruel blow we did not need.

It goes without saying that these are difficult times. Its not just difficult for the families; its also difficult for the government as they try to work out what to do.

So far, weve been repeatedly assured that the government is looking at ways to minimise the impact of the closure. The Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti, for instance said there are some options.

I think in two or three years we will be able to provide for them, he said. Obviously with the investment in the submarine cable and the sorts of opportunity that will come in terms connectivity.

There are also ongoing discussions with some fishing companies who are expressing interest in investing here and looking at expanding on what they are doing.

With that said, Minister Sili said there is no need to panic.

Its just a matter of firming up on some of those interests and looking at what we can do to make sure that yes we can create jobs. In tourism, if it works well, there will be another area where there will be more opportunities for people to work in.

Minister Silis optimism is commendable. But it sounds vague, just like everything this government has said ever since the announcement was made to close Yazaki.

In a two months time, we will literally have hundreds and hundreds of people without jobs.

In a country with unemployment and crime figures are already through the roof, we are heading for an unquestionable disaster. This is not the time for abstract and vague answers. This is the time for details.

We are talking about real people with real needs.

When those needs are not met and when desperation sets in, the social and economical problems we are seeing today will only get worse. Thats a future we dont want. What do you think?

Have a pleasant week Samoa, God bless!
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
U.S. President Donald Trump with King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh (Photo: @realDonaldTrump)

If I were Irans President Hassan Rouhani, I would be considerably piqued watching the event helmed by President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud in Riyadh.

I would think of how more than 40 million fellow Iranians, some 70% of the eligible voters, voted in the just concluded presidential election, setting a new record. And yet "the leader of the free world" runs down Iran standing in Saudi Arabia which barely allows municipal elections. Women got their right to vote there only in December, 2015. Women have been voting in Iran since 1963. And yes, women drive in Iran unlike Saudi Arabia. They also work in various capacities throughout Iran.

If the new approach in Washington towards foreign policy in general and the Middle East policy in particular is one of wide-eyed realism rather than some idealistic fantasies borne of Jeffersonian nobility, then the Trump Administration should recognize the reality of a relative moderate in Rouhani being returned to power in Iran by an impressive majority, including by millions under 30. A realistic approach is also necessarily relativistic. From that standpoint Iran clearly does better than Saudi Arabia when it comes to electoral democracy and womens rights. I concede that the bar there is rather low, if not non-existent altogether.

Of course, what is really at play here is a numbers game and oil-fueled geopolitics. Of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world Sunni Muslims constitute between 87 and 90 percent while Shia Muslims only between 10 and 13 percent. That would be over 1.3 billion Sunnis compared to about 200 million Shias. Of those 200 million, 80 million live in Iran, the home of Shia Islam. Most of the other Shias live in just three other countries apart from IranPakistan, India and Iraq.

They neither have the demographic nor geopolitical heft or spread to be counted for any significance other than their apparent nuisance value. In contrast, Sunni Muslims are across the world even though some 60% live in Asia. Interestingly, the Middle East and North Africa account for only 20% of the global Muslim population. Purely as a point of reference, a vast majority of terrorist groups profess an extreme version of Islam to be their inspiration to do what they do. Irans reach via its much talked about extremist arms, while often deadly, is nowhere as widespread as the groups swearing by Sunni tenets of Islam.

I say all this to give it a wider context to why the people of Iran, inheritors of a great ancient civilization, could feel befuddled and annoyed when America props up Saudi Arabia with various forms of support, including arms, even while lecturing them about democracy and womens rights. To reiterate, I am making my point within a relativistic framework. There is no perfect home to democracy and human rights in the world because there are no perfect democracy and human rights.

His speech to the heads of state of 50 Islamic countries in Riyadh yesterday President Donald Trump said, "We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all."

It would be incongruous to say the least not to extend the same pragmatic courtesy to Iran with all its imperfections even while extending it to Saudi Arabia with its many more imperfections, many of them just cruelly so.
Turns out, in dressagecolloquially: horse balleta capriole is the hardest of the classical jumps. To capriole, a horse must spring to twice its own height, kick its hind legs out straight while tucking its front legs into its chest, and then land with all four limbs on the ground at once. It takes supreme preparation and an extraordinary trainer with a lot of feel for the horse, according to Dressage Today.

So it is fitting that one of The Hague coffee scenes most impressive arrivals last year is called Capriole Cafe. This 100-plus-capacity restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and in more ways than one, revolves around the Giesen W6A roaster right in the middle of the place. Opened in August, the venue is a very personal offshoot of Capriole Coffee Service, an independent supplier to Dutch and Belgian workplaces in the market for products by Melitta, Nescafe, and Cup-a-Soup, to name a few. Yet, despite or perhaps because it descends from a parentage used to dealing with big transnational enterprises, Caprioles leap is all the more remarkable.

Speaking to Sprudge in early 2017, cafe director Pascal Ultee recalled how the idea came after his father, Peter Ultee, had fallen ill and was asked to articulate a future vision for the company he founded in 1975. In 40 years [of] working with other brandsits fun, its nice to do, butyou also always feel that you want to do it differently from how they are doing it, said Pascal Ultee. So the family concurred: Pascal Ultee and his sister and business partner, Joyce Ultee, would take the next stepand build our own coffee brand, he explained. Plus, they would establish a huiskameror living spacefor the brand.

That living space was designed by Amsterdam-based architects Bureau Fraii to feel modern and mature. Most industrial chic of all is Cafe Caprioles location in Nieuw Binckhorst, an industrial zone once housing a Fokker aeronautical school and now undergoing mixed-use development. Through windowed walls, diners look onto the Trekvliet, a canal dug up around 1345, at the time a major means for transporting goods, and today an opportunity for guests to arrive by boat. The roaster and the bar match the interiors columns and beams, all in a matte black, though they are warmed by sienna-toned tables, chair legs, and light fixtures. That the entire drink-devising section rests on a platform is symbolic.

Its really cool that you can have your roaster and your barista working side by side together to create this experience for our customers, said Pascal Ultee. You [usually] never see the roaster, its always happening somewhere in the back. And basicallyobviouslywe need great baristas, but it starts with the roaster.

Master roaster Giancarlo Matarazzi can usually be found doing his job en plein air five days a week. Alongside three house blend espressos, which are pulled on a three-group San Remo Opera, four single-origin coffees are regularly available for filter. The choice brewing device is a Gino Dripper by notNeutral, whose Lino cups and mugs are also favored.

Matarazzi sources green beans via specialty coffee merchants, such as This Side Up and 32Cup, though is unafraid to cross what others might see as the Robusta rubicon. Asked about a recent washed Ugandan, he replied: People think that Im crazy because I like to experiment. The 100% Robusta beans were praised for having lots of body and a lot of acidsfor being koffie met ballen, if you will.

But it is a 100% Arabica that Matarazzi and Capriole head chef Diego Buik most frequently use as an ingredient on their menu. The Flores, an organic blend of Peruvian and semi-washed Sumatran beans, is featured in a pink peppercorn-infused espresso; a Hermit Dutch coastal gin and tonic with a double shot of espresso; an espresso gelee-encased vanilla custard with stewed pears and speculaas crumble; and The Smoked Dutch, Buiks award-winning pulled pork burger topped with coffee barbecue sauce.

Capriole, however, is also perfectly hospitable to those not seeking coffee everything. The morning laptop worker preferring to sip some Tea in Motion is as welcome as the wine-and-steak set. A young family might find pleasure in weekend French toast or, far rarer in the Netherlands, mozzarella sticks. Upstairs, a boardroom and a workshop area (outfitted with a two-group Kees van der Westen Mirage) can be booked for private meetings and hands-on coffee breaks.

The capriole, a sign of the equine sublime, reportedly takes years to perfect. Its performance lasts approximately two seconds. Capriole Cafe emerged from a familys four decades of commitment to coffee, but judging by its first months of operation, this performance will be long-lasting. And although Peter Ultee passed away nearly two weeks after Sprudges interview, Pascal Ultee, Joyce Ultee, and their 30-strong team seem to have everything it takes to sustain and elevate his entrepreneurial spirit.

Karina Hof is a Sprudge staff writer based in Amsterdam. Read more Karina Hof on Sprudge.
Western Fame was victorious in the 39th edition of the $176,000 Confederation Cup on Sunday night (May 21) at Flamboro Downs.

Driven by Trevor Henry, Western Fame retook the lead during the opening quarter and fought off all challengers to win Flamboro Downs' signature race in 1:51.4 over a 'good' track for trainer Jimmy Takter and owner/breeder Brittany Farms.

"This is where I started, really," said Arthur, Ont. reinsman Henry after the victory. "I came here when I was a kid and it's great to win this race."

Western Fame fired off the gate from post four and gave way to the oncoming seven-hole assignee Mr Wiggle Pants (Doug McNair) before looping right back around during a :26.2 first quarter.

As he led the way towards the half in :55.2, Roll Away Joe (Alfie Carroll) moved underway from third, leading the outer flow composed of Check Six (Louis-Philippe Roy), longshot Stonebridge Beach (Stephane Pouliot) and early trailer Sintra (Jody Jamieson), who was the favoured elimination winner despite his outside post eight draw.

However, Western Fame turned back his first-over foe while Check Six went wide to confront the leader past three-quarters in 1:23.4 and they duelled the rest of the way. Check Six nearly collared Western Fame, but the pacesetter was resurgent in the stretch to defeat that rival by half a length, with Sintra (Jody Jamieson) rallying for third.

Sent postward as the 2-1 second wagering choice, Western Fame paid $6.10 to win.

"I thought he had a real good shot," said Henry of Western Fame's chances after winning his elimination last weekend. "He drew the four-hole with a couple good ones outside of me. I figured if I could make the front, hed be good.

"I didnt really have much of a choice [to release Roll Away Joe] and we got a bit of a breather in the second quarter.

"My horse was great going in the last turn and he kind of caught a pylon, looked at it and he just stopped. And then with Roy coming at him, he just took off again. I've never seen a horse go from so slow to so fast in an instant."

Given the rainy conditions, Henry compared the winning effort by the four-year-old son of Western Ideal-Shyaway to a 1:49 mile on a hot night.

The victory was Western Fame's ninth from 32 career starts and boosted his earnings to $573,174.

The 2017 Ontario Sires Stakes season kicked off during the Confederation Cup undercard with three-year-old trotting colts and geldings starring in three Gold divisions worth approximately $65,000 each.

Rosberg ($8.70) won the Ontario Sires Stakes season opener with a 1:58 career-best performance in rein to Louis-Philippe Roy. Trainer Julie Walker shares ownership of the first-time Gold winner with Ronald Piers of Georgetown, Ont., and Layhoon Chan Brunner of Etobicoke, Ont.

Rosberg established a commanding lead after the leaving Manssive (Jody Jamieson) broke stride to his outside in the first turn. The Manofmanymissions-Locksweeper colt was left all alone on the lead, widening to as much as 16 lengths ahead of his rivals through panels of :29, :57.4 and 1:27.3 before even-money favourite Tycoon Seelster (Paul MacDonell) closed the gap to one length by the wire. Resita (Randy Waples) completed the top three finish order.

Defending Johnston Cup-winning trainer Mark Steacy was victorious in his first start of the 2017 OSS season as Dream Massive ($6.20) and driver James MacDonald closed inside of race leader Scene A Magician to score in a lifetime-best 1:58.1.

Scene A Magician (Jack Moiseyev) drove on from the outside post seven to take the lead, clearing Dream Massive at the quarter in :29.1. As he led the way to the half in :59.1, 2-1 favourite Many A Man (Randy Waples) launched an attack from third in front of the grandstand and he applied pressure to Scene A Magician, poking a head in front down the backstretch. Scene A Magician fought back on the way to three-quarters in 1:28.2 before Mister Muscle (Bob McClure) fanned three-wide off cover. Scene A Magician held command down the stretch until Dream Massive shot through along the pylons to prevail by half a length, with Mister Muscle closing for third.

The Muscle Mass-Stroke Me Strokeme colt, who has earned both of his career wins in Gold events, is owned by Michael Soehnlen of Dalton, Ohio.

On First ($24.30) scored his first ever win in the final Gold division of the evening, leading wire-to-wire in 1:58.1 for the Confederation Cup-winning driver Trevor Henry and his wife Shannon.

Leaving from post five, On First out-sprinted outsider Speedycrest (Jody Jamieson) for the leading role and carved out fractions of :28.2, :59.2 and 1:28.4 while rebuffing the 1-2 favoured first-over challenger, LMC Mass Gem (Louis-Philippe Roy) en route to the one and a quarter length victory. Speedycrest edged out LMC Mass Gem for the runner-up role.

The Holiday Road-Windsun Firstafair gelding, who went unraced at two with Sunday's Gold event being his fifth start, is owned by the Trevor Henry Stables Inc., along with David Darocy of Windsor, Ont., and James Fleming of Bayfield, Ont.

The first Grassroots event of the Ontario Sires Stakes season was also contested on Sunday, with a trio divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings worth over $18,000 each.

The Jack Darling Stable and Jody Jamieson teamed up for a pair of victories with Southwind General ($2.50) taking a new mark of 1:54.3 and Frontier Seelster ($5.50) scoring in 1:54.4. The other division was won by the Colin Johnson-trained Blackjack Seelster ($9) and Louis-Philippe Roy in 1:55.2.

Also on the undercard, Duc Dorleans ($10,80, Bob McClure) won a $12,000 Preferred 2 Handicap Pace in 1:53.3 while Big Bang Boom ($17.30, Jonathan Drury) took the $7,500 Preferred 3 in 1:54.1.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.
Ontario-owner trotter Lucid Thoughts has spent much of 2017 finishing second and third. The John MacDonald trainee had hit the board in nine of his 11 seasonal tries, but was winless as he drew the rail for Sundays Winners Over Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

Lucid Thoughts was part of a significant three-horse speed duel in the early stages of the $14,000 Sunday feature, but MacDonald would not relinquish the lead. Parking out a pair of rivals, the 8-5 co-favourite Lucid Thoughts went to the half in :55.3, but looked none the worse for the wear in the races second lap as he cruised to his first win of the year, a victory that came in 1:55.2. Photo King (Jay Randall) sat just off the early speed and was the runner-up while Cincinnati Miss (Frank Coppola Jr.) closed for third.

While Lucid Thoughts was co-favoured, the exotics paid well in the Sunday feature with an exacta of $51.50 and a triple that returned $449.

The nine-year-old Cash Hall gelding is owned by J P Stables on Winchester, Ont.

Live racing resumes on Thursday afternoon with a matinee that kicks off at 12:15 p.m.

(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)
Credit: Danny ClinchLast week, Muse premiered a new track called "Dig Down," and while the British rockers won't be releasing a full album in the near future, frontman Matt Bellamy promises that the band plans to continue sharing one-off singles.

"The good thing is we're gonna put out songs like 'Dig Down' ahead of the album," Bellamy tells the U.K.'s Radio X. "We're going to put out at least another three songs...or even more ahead of the next album coming out.



"People are going to see into the creative process as we're writing and recording the songs, and we're going to put them out quite soon after," he adds.

Bellamy estimates that the next Muse album will arrive sometime in 2018. "Even though the overall album will be a long wait, some of the songs are going to be available way ahead of that," he says.

In less happy Muse news, Canada's Pemberton Music Festival, which the band was scheduled to headline, has been cancelled, as the event has declared for bankruptcy. For more info, visit PembertonMusicFestival.com.

Muse is currently on a North American tour alongside Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
OBrien Award winners Modern Legend and Caprice Hill turned in sparkling qualifiers on Monday (May 22) morning at Mohawk Racetrack.

Modern Legend made every pole a winning one in his first appearance since January, rating comfortable early splits of :29, :59.1, and 1:28.1 before accelerating home in :27.1 en route to an easy 1:55.2 victory with 2-3/4 lengths clearance over Shock N Rock (Randy Waples). Owner David Drew trained and drove the nine-year-old Modern Art gelding, the longshot winner of the 2014 Canadian Pacing Derby by virtue of a 1:47.2 mile and the owner of 22 other career victories.

On the trotting side, last year's Hambletonian Oaks runner-up Caprice Hill outsprinted her four foes from the outset and faced no challengers through splits of :28.4, :57.1, 1:25.4, and 1:54. Doug McNair drove the four-year-old Kadabra mare to a 19-length qualifying win over Setanta (Rick Zeron) for owner Tom Hill and trainer Tony Alagna.

To view Monday morning's qualifying results, click on the following link: Monday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifier).
By Olivia Rose

CRITICAL training to form a national mental health Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) got underway last week.





Representatives of Crisis Intervention Team International conducted a train the trainer seminar in partnership with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence.





A CIT is a first responder programme for people with mental illnesses in crisis which involves

community collaboration with law enforcement, mental healthcare providers, families and consumers.





The two day workshop from May 11 to 12 saw members of the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force, prison officers, hospital security staff, social workers and mental health professionals and the Minister of Health Edwin Astwood in attendance.





According to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence, the overall aim of the workshop was to teach officials how to decrease the emotional, behavioural, mental intensity, and stress level of a situation.





They were also given tools focus on identifying various cues including verbal indicators, behavioural indicators and environmental indicators.





Attendees were taught how to implement the most appropriate resolution to the crisis situation based on the assessment of the facts gathered and were provided with verbal and non-verbal techniques for prompting de-escalation in first response situations.





Speaking at the workshop, Director of Mental Health Dr Alicia Malcolm underscored the need for training in this sensitive area of health which is often overlooked.





She said: "We recognise that there is a major need for mental health training for those persons who are on the front lines who may have to respond to a mental health crisis.





"This workshop is therefore an important first step in starting to develop a sustainable training program for first responders and other key stakeholders.





"In addition to training, our ultimate goal is to form a Crisis Intervention Team that will help to improve officer and consumer safety and redirect individuals with mental illness from the judicial system to the health care system.





One participant said: "The workshop was highly interactive and included several role plays which allowed participants to practice some of the key techniques needed in handling a mental health crisis.





Significant emphasis has been placed on administering optimal healthcare, support and protection to people living with mental disorders in the Turks and Caicos Islands in recent years.





Mental health bill

The Mental Health Bill 2016 which was passed on June 17 in the House of Assembly has paved the way for more empowerment and less stigma and discrimination.





Since those who suffer from mental disorders can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and violation of their rights, the legislation is designed to make better provision for their treatment and care.





The Mental Health Bill 2016 also provides for the recognition of the role of caregivers and families who provide care and support.





Last year former Premier Rufus Ewing, in whose name the bill was tabled, explained that the bill is aimed at improving the lives of people suffering from mental disorders in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





He said: "I see this ordinance as a part of our total health strategy.





"It is an indication that we are taking another step towards bettering the lives of persons with mental illness and we will work to ensure that continued progress is made in this area.





He explained that there are a number of benefits that come with this legislation.





"For instance, it will protect and promote human rights of persons with mental disorders; safeguard against discrimination; facilitate greater access to quality mental health care; promote the least restrictive form of care; make provision for monitoring involuntary admission and treatment as well as appeal for care related decisions and increase respect for the dignity of mentally ill persons.





The last piece of mental health legislation was enacted in the TCI in 1902 and was last revised in 2009.





Since then a number of key international and regional human rights instruments related to the rights of people with mental disorders have been developed.





The TCI was, therefore, obligated under international human rights laws to ensure that its legislation policy and practice conform to international human rights laws, and this includes the protection of persons with mental disorder.





Locally, much work has finally begun on the Turks and Caicos Islands first dedicated mental health facility.





This Mental Health Home will stand on the former hospital grounds and once completed will provide a 24 bed facility accommodating those with chronic and persistent mental illnesses that need supportive housing care.





The two-phase construction programme is expected to be completed within a year at an approximate cost of $700,000 and will also offer acute care services as well as areas for group therapy and recreation.




By Delana Isles

LAST week international private banker Bordier Bank held its second annual international investment banking conference in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





The conference drew interests from financial and banking experts, investors and a range of other interested people from around the world.





In addition to boosting interest in the TCI as a tourist destination location, the conference sought to increase interest in the territorys somewhat fledgling financial and investment banking services.





Attending on behalf of Bordiers international holdings was Evrard Bordier - managing partner and chief executive officer of Bordier & Cie (Singapore)  who spoke of the TCI building on its economic drivers and the need to increase high end interest in other aspects of the Islands.





"We hope that with the new government they will promote financial services in the Islands because we believe that while tourism is still the main driver, you need to have a second or a third driver for economy growth.





"We need the help of the Government to change that, Bordier stated.





Asked what expectations, they or other bankers, may have of the new Government in terms increased focus on this sector, Bordier banks local chief risk officer, Kenrick Walters said that they are prepared to work with this Government in building up the industry as they have in the past.





"One thing we can say is that successive governments have always been wonderful for the country; thats evident in how well the country has developed over the years.





"Obviously, we are a-political, we have no particular interest in politics or anything of that nature, but we are always willing to work with any government thats in power for the benefit of the banking sector and the country as a whole.





Responding to the same question, Bordier said: "We work with the banking association, we work with all the players in the market and with the government to improve legislation and to try to promote the financial services generally.





"And its been difficult because the regulatory demands are increasing, the costs are increasing and thats normal because the world is going in that direction, so it is to ensure that we can still be thriving even though there are increased costs, margin compression and businesses being much more competitive.





However, while Bordier Bank  which has a location for the last 30 years in the TCI  is optimistic about the local climate, the international banking industry tightening of its regulatory frameworks has been challenging for a bank such as theirs.





"It has affected the banks generally, all of the private banks a lot, because the basis under which private banking was built was confidentiality, and if you remove confidentiality why would someone come there, he said.





However, he noted they are trying to work with the new and emerging global financial atmosphere and are confident it being able to positively transform the banking world.





"Now we are sharing information with everybody. So, it has transformed lot. It also gives a lot of opportunities because if you are hiding your assets in the Turks or in the Bahamas or anywhere else, you will not talk about it to your friends.





"Whereas if you have a transparent environment then you can invite people openly there is no more secrecy, which is actually very good.





Bordier added that instead of trying to fight against the change and the way the world is behaving, Bordier Bank is embracing it.





"And we are trying to take the opportunities that transparency brings.




By Olivia Rose

SANDBAR, a popular restaurant and hangout spot in Grand Turk, was completely destroyed by fire on Sunday (May14).





Although details are still sketchy, the blaze of unknown origin completely burned down the bar according to police.





An investigation has since been launched in an effort to ascertain the cause of the fire.





The establishment was often patronised by locals and visitors alike, and in particular those frequenting the island via cruise ship.





According to many local patrons the Sandbar located on Duke Street provided a genuine Turks and Caicos Islands experience.





It was famous for viewing the beautiful Grand Turk sunsets which have been featured in numerous magazines and Trip Advisor.





The fire has since left residents calling for a domestic fire unit.





The PDM administration in response to questions about a fulltime fire crew for Grand Turk said it is not budgeted for this fiscal year.





Home Affairs Minister Vaden Delroy Williams has said that the Government plans to construct a fire hall in Grand Turk next year.





Plans are in pipelines for a $1.6 million fire hall for Providenciales.





Only recently, fire gutted the iconic Victoria public library in Grand Turk.





Minister Williams said: "The TCI Government is thankful there was no loss of life or injury in the Sandbar fire,





He encouraged individuals and businesses to use the resources of the Fire Department and to conduct regular fire safety and prevention audits.





Minister of Tourism Ralph Higgs echoed similar sentiments on the tragic fire of the popular local restaurant.





Higgs said: "I am disheartened by this devastating incident; the Sandbar provided an outlet for residents and visitors to engage in numerous experiences and activities throughout the year.





"This unfortunate event ultimately results in one less place on the island of Grand Turk where persons could visit and enjoy.





The minister encouraged all business owners to take the necessary precautions to ensure the protection and safety of property and personnel.
By Daisy Handfield

BRIAN Swann, CEO of WC Security Services, has launched an app geared at protecting residents, their homes and their vehicles from invasions and attacks.





Swann explained that TCI Locator has come at an ideal time, following the release of crime stats which indicated that burglaries were on a rise in the TCI.





The CEO walked the Weekly News through the process of using the app.





He said that the first step is downloading the app through Google Play, Apple Store or Windows Store, on either an iPhone, Android or Windows phone, and then signing up for the service.





Swann went on to explain that after signing up someone from the company will contact the phones owner to give further details.





Individuals are allowed to have up to six emergency contacts once a member of the service.





In the event of an emergency, individuals are required to either shake their phone or slide it to activate the emergency feature.





There is also the option of using a panic button which can be worn as a chain or as a watch, for those who seldom have their phones in their hands.





The emergency contacts will then receive signals of the persons whereabouts and proceed to record audio and video of everything that is happening.





He said: "It is a way to have a personal alarm system with you wherever you go.





"It sends out alerts to several of your emergency contacts at the same time.





"Once you set it off, it starts recording audio and also video. The audio and video are actually recorded in the cloud [the security companys database], so even if the perpetrator realises that you are recording him and takes your phone and smashes it, the evidence is still in the cloud and it is still recorded.





Swann said that the device can be more beneficial than home security alarms.





"People usually have their cell phones with them even if you have your cell phone in your purse, you could have a panic button that we have, that we use as a watch or as a chain.





"You just have to push the panic button and the person who is trying to attack you would have no idea that you sent it off [an emergency alert], he said.





The CEO added that the app can be used anywhere in the world, once the user has either data or wifi.





He said: "A lot of people from the Turks and Caicos go to Miami for shopping and they have friends over there.





"They can switch their emergency contacts from their Turks and Caicos emergency contacts to their Miami emergency contacts, or anywhere in the world for that matter.




By Delana Isles

ALTHOUGH new to the Turks and Caicos Islands, religious tourism is one of the oldest forms of tourism known to man, with the idea of religious pilgrimage beginning almost with the dawn of humanity.





Recently the Tourist Board along with a number local churches collaborated with a Detroit based television station - The Word Network - to foster religious tourism in the TCI.





Over the years, religious travel and tourism has developed into a much larger and more segmented market evolving into multiple sub-niches.





These range from the luxury pilgrimage market to backpacking, and from religious institutional travel to volunteer-oriented experiences meant to help those in spiritual need.





Director of Tourism, Ramon Andrews spoke to Weekly News this week about the new initiative.





"We here at the Tourist Board, we feel the need to tap into that and what other way to tap into this than via a Christian network like The Word, Andrews said.





"This is because we are such a Christian nation, its something that we do not have to teach, its like breathing as in its part of our everyday life.





He added that this avenue of promotion is especially lucrative as The Word Network has more than 75 million viewers.





It gave the Tourist Board and Abundant Life Ministry a perfect opportunity to partner with them, he said.





"So, we feel very optimistic about this. Of course its a new venture and it will take time to grow, but we definitely see an opportunity here.





"Religion is something that is always celebrated, and what better way to celebrate it than to be in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





Andrews said that the Tourist Board is looking to fill in the gaps during the slow months with this new venture, hoping to attract all ages at various times of the year.





The new initiative got off the ground last week with well-known Atlanta Bishop, George Bloomer visiting the TCI to meet and record several programmes with various local churches to be aired on the network this June.





The Weekly News caught up with Bishop Coletta Williams, who hosted Bloomer during his visit to the Islands.





"What we are aiming to do is showcase five local churches and pastors and their ministries in Turks and Caicos, and at the same time we showcase the Turks and Caicos as a Christian nation that believes in God and a safe destination for families to vacation.





Williams noted that there is an untapped market of Christians around the world who look for destinations that they can come and have freedom of worship while also enjoying the sea and sun.





"That is why we collaborated with the Tourist Board so that we can help to promote religious tourism and promote Turks and Caicos around the world.





He said that over the last week, there were three nights of taping.





On Monday night at the Abundant Life Ministries, he addressed the congregation, and also an interview Bishop Bloomer conducted with the Director of Tourism.





On Tuesday night they visited the Jericho Baptist Church where Pastor Pedro Williams and Pastor Brentford Dean were interviewed by Bishop Bloomer.





Wednesday night saw the film crew travelling to the Rock of Jesus Ministries where Sharmaine Cox and Pastor Urma Coleby spoke, and Bishop Brian Cox and Pastor Wayne Colbey were interviewed by Bishop Bloomer.





Bishop Williams stated these pre-recorded programmes are to be aired within the next three weeks on The Word Network.





He also said that the next event will be him accepting an invitation to be on The Word Network set next month in Detroit and then the TCI will be hosting another event before the end of the year.





This event, Williams said, will encompass all of the Turks and Caicos Islands  Grand Turk, South Caicos, North and Middle Caicos and Providenciales. This will be done in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism.





During the interview the tourism director conducted with the visitor Bishop  a part of which was posted to social media  Bishop Bloomer was most intrigued by the idea that here in the TCI, children praise God in schools, stating that this is the hallmark of a true Christian nation.





This point was reinforced by Andrews: "The nation is in a beautiful place, our fundamentals are strong and one of the reasons why our fundamentals are so strong is because we are a Christian nation.





"I was raised in Christianity, everyone was raised in Christianity, you go to school and praise God, before we eat we pray, before we sleep we pray.





Currently all government schools across the Turks and Caicos Islands have devotion and prayer time, with some private schools which are owned and run by locals following suit.





The Word Network, also known as The Word, is an American television network, and religious broadcasting network.





It is the largest African-American religious network in the world, founded in February 2000 by the late Franklin Z Adell and is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan.




tech2 News Staff

Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) have created the best known map of the large scale structure of the universe, based on the positions of quasars. Quasars are glowing rings of matter and energy around supermassive black holes, and are incredibly bright. This allows scientists to use them as markers, as the brightness of the quasars allow them to be clearly observed even from incredible distances.

Ashley Ross of the Ohio State University, the co-leader of the study said "Because quasars are so bright, we can see them all the way across the Universe. That makes them the ideal objects to use to make the biggest map yet." Gongbo Zhao from the National Astronomical Observatories of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the other co-leader of the study said, "These quasars are so far away that their light left them when the Universe was between three and seven billion years old, long before the Earth even existed."

On the left of the map is the Earth, and towards the right, the map goes backwards in time. At the very edge of the map is the cosmic background radiation, a light signature from the big bang. The red dots are the quasars, and the nearby galaxies are shown as yellow dots. The black band between the quasars and the cosmic background radiation is from a period of the history of the universe known as the "dark ages". This was a time before the formation of most galaxies, stars and star systems.

In 2013, the European Space Agency and NASA collaborated on the Planck mission had created the then largest map of the Universe. The Planck mission observed the cosmic microwave background with the greatest precision, and mapped the temperature changes that showed the density of matter distributed across the universe. These clumps of matter were the seeds to the structures we observe today, and lead to the formation of galactic clusters, galaxies and star systems.

In 2016, the hundreds of scientists from the SDSS collaborated to make the largest 3D map of the universe. Individual galaxies were measured over a decade, and even then only a quarter of the sky was mapped in three dimensions. The map allowed scientists to measure the impact of dark energy on universal expansion. Rita Tojeiro of the University of St. Andrews had explained the map, "we see a dramatic connection between the sound wave imprints seen in the cosmic microwave background 400,000 years after the Big Bang to the clustering of galaxies 7-12 billion years later. The ability to observe a single well-modeled physical effect from recombination until today is a great boon for cosmology."

Each dot on the map is a galaxy at least 6 billion years into the past. The yellow galaxies are closer to the Earth, while the purple galaxies are the farthest. The map was created using the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). The Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBoss) was used to find the accurate three dimensional positions of 147,00o quasars, which allowed for the creation of the best known large scale map of the universe.

The map measures conditions of the universe more than two billion years before the Earth was even formed. The findings conform to the standard model of cosmology, as well as Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The eBOSS campaign continues, and astronomers will go on to add more galaxies and quasars to the map. The map will keep growing as these observations are made. Next generation sky surveys, including the Euclid satellite and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) mission will contribute to the effort. The next generation of sky surveys are expected to increase the precision of the map by a factor of ten.
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The founder of LeEco, a Chinese Netflix-to-Tesla-like conglomerate, has stepped down as the CEO of the group's main listed unit, as the company begins to streamline and cut debt after rapid expansion led to a cash crunch.

Jia Yueting, who will remain as chairman and CEO of LeEco, envisions the group maintaining its separate unlisted automotive unit but rolling all other areas of business into Leshi Internet Information & Technology Corp Beijing, according to a transcript of his remarks to journalists on Sunday.

The firm has also trimmed loans by nearly half from a peak of 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion), Jia said.

Shenzhen-listed Leshi said in a stock exchange filing that Liang Jun, a long-time Lenovo Group Ltd executive who joined Leshi in 2012, will replace Jia as chief executive officer. Leshi's finance chief Yang Linjie, who resigned for personal reasons, will also be replaced by Zhang Wei.

The restructuring comes several months after the group received a much-needed $2.2 billion investment from property developer Sunac China Holdings Ltd.

Sunac said the management change is not an attempt to take more control of Leshi, considered one of LeEco's healthiest assets. But it marks a push to bolster the streaming business' operations.

"There is no such thing as a fight for control," said Liu Shuqing, a Sunac-appointed director on the board of Leshi, according to the transcript of Leshi's Sunday briefing.

In a letter to all LeEco staff seen by Reuters, Jia called the two appointments as Leshi's "most important milestone since its IPO in 2010", and said they were aimed at improving the listed company's performance.

Reuters
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A former software engineer for IBM in China pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing proprietary source code from the company, federal prosecutors announced on Friday. Jiaqiang Xu, 31, pleaded guilty to economic espionage and theft of a trade secret before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, prosecutors said. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 13. Leanne Marek, Xu's attorney, declined to comment.

Xu was arrested in December 2015 after meeting with an undercover officer at a White Plains hotel, where authorities said he was recorded saying he used the code to make software to sell to customers. He was originally charged with theft of a trade secret. The economic espionage charges were added in a superseding indictment filed last June.

International Business Machines Corp was not identified by name in the complaint. But a LinkedIn profile for Xu said he was employed as a system software developer at IBM during the period in question. Prosecutors said the proprietary computer code Xu stole was related to a so-called clustered file system, which facilitates faster computer performance.

Xu, who began working at IBM in China in 2010, had full access to the source code before voluntarily resigning in May 2014, prosecutors said. According to the criminal complaint filed in 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2014 received a report that someone in China was claiming to have access to the code and using it for business ventures, prompting the investigation that led to the arrest. The case is USA v. Xu, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00010.

Reuters
IANS

India is formulating a policy on maintaining and sharing science infrastructure so that R&D facilities do not remain limited to academia but are also accessed by industry, according to a senior bureaucrat of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

"The idea is to create infrastructure which becomes shareable, which becomes sustainable and is also accessible to our industry. A whole lot of scientific infrastructure is not available to our industry. We are going to come up with a policy this year, about maintaining, sustaining and effectively using scientific infrastructure in a shared way," Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, told IANS in an interview on the sidelines of a DST Conclave in Kolkata.

A web portal is being envisaged to implement the policy, Sharma said. "Indian institutes have R&D labs. We will tell people about the models by which they can share the infrastructure in a transparent way. So in a website, anybody can book a slot and put in a request to access instruments in different labs," he explained. Talking about broad contours of the policy, he said it would also aim to reduce redundancy and duplication of scientific equipment in institutions.

"Since it's a policy, not a law, the challenge lies in implementation. We have to make people aware of the idea contained in the policy, let them see the value for themselves. That's the only way," he said. One example of such infrastructure sharing is the EU-funded PAERIP project to share resources between Europe and Africa. PAERIP created the first-ever inventory of research infrastructure in the two continents.

At the DST Conclave, where the ministry took stock of the R&D situation across institutes, Sharma also flagged a key issue: The lack of coordination among institutions. "One issue is coordination among institutions where they are doing similar things. So it makes sense for them to do it together. The new policy on sharing infrastructure will also help in that direction," he said.

In addition to the science infrastructure policy, a major thrust this year would be on the Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System (CPS) programme. CPS is a mechanism controlled or monitored by computer-based algorithms, tightly integrated with internet and its users. Computing and communication system bridges with the physical world are referred to as Cyber Physical Systems. CPS are physical and engineered systems whose operations are monitored, coordinated, controlled and integrated by a computing and communication core.

"This year we will start a new programme in cyber physical systems which includes deep learning, smart machines, machine intelligence, IoT (Internet of Things), etc. We have to start making preparations for it now in terms of generating capacity, human resources and infrastructure," he said. In addition, Sharma said, India has initiated collaboration on cyberspace with Israel, IoT & BigData with Japan, robotics and advanced materials with South Korea.

"Much more is in the pipeline in emerging areas of research," he said. To shore up the number of women in IITs, Sharma said 50,000 girls in high schools will be prepared for admission in technical training institutes. "We are targeting 50,000 girls in high schools, a certain percentile from the top, to prepare them for leadership positions in IITs, especially in those institutes where representation is low. It's not only technical training but also looking at the cultural aspect.

"Often, women are thinking maths is not really for them while their parents don't want to send them away from home and there are the expenses involved. So we have to look into all these aspects," he added.
tech2 News Staff

The government has announced its plans to roll out Swachh Bharat Toilet Locator in 85 cities by 2 October 2017. The app is available for download on the Google Play Store to help people locate public toilets near their location. The app was published by the Ministry of Urban Development and it uses Google Maps to mark out the nearby toilets in your vicinity.

According to a report by Times of India, the government has planned to launch the Mission Toilet Locator; to Agra, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Bhilai Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Dhanbad, Greater Mumbai, Guwahati, Jammu, Kochi, Vijayawada, and Greater Bengaluru. The department of Urban development has suggested the municipal bodies tie up with Quality Council of India to map all the community and public toilets in a given area under control by any given municipal body. The government started this in New Delhi and regions around the national capital.

The report detailed that about 50-60 people use the app on a regular basis in NCR and the initiative has pushed the municipality to map about 5,162 toilets across the region. As a part of the announcement, the ministry has plans to start a reward scheme to push users to use the feedback option along with ratings on the toilets in order to increase the popularity of the app.

As soon as you launch the app, you are presented with the option to search toilet for Female or Male in addition to the options to search any toilet anywhere and one where you can submit a new entry using the Submit Toilet. When you take any of the buttons to search the public toilets, the app pushes you to a Google map where you can see all the pins corresponding to toilets. When you tap on the pin on the map, the app tells you if the location has been verified along with a reference photo. One thing to note here is that the photo is not always a proper image of the location. Instead, it looks like a random image pulled from the cloud to match the location.

Each screen of the public toilet shows the average score of the toilet based on parameters like Hygiene, Infrastructure, Safety, Seat Type, and if the toilet is paid or free. You also get the fields that will inform if the toilet is disabled friendly, has Sanitary Pad Disposal. Other details include Opening Hours, Seats available including directions and a button to provide feedback about that particular toilet.
PTI

The US-based technology major Apple has started selling iPhones at select stores in the country that were assembled in India as part of its trial run."Apple is selling iPhone SE in India at select stores.

These phones were assembled in India on trial basis in limited quantities," an industry source told PTI. Apple did not comment on the development. The technology major a couple of days back had said that it was "beginning initial production of a small number of iPhone SE in Bengaluru".

"The high-end India-made iPhones (iPhone SE) have already hit the Indian market. These have been on sale from May 2 onwards," another source said. A picture shared by the source showed details of the iPhone SE with 32GB storage capacity with 'Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in India' printed on the box.

The picture showed the price of Rs 27,200 inclusive of all taxes on the box. The source also said the Cupertino-based maker of iPhones and iPads had completed the manufacturing of iPhones SEs in Bengaluru in April.

The units are assembled by Apple's Taiwanese manufacturing partner Wistron Corp. Earlier, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge had told PTI that the making of iPhones in India would help Apple lower prices and gain a foothold in the Indian market.

He had also expressed hope that it would bring in much needed taxes to the state as well. Apple wants to bring its component manufacturers to India to make parts and export finished phones and is seeking tax concessions on import of key components. However, the central government has rejected most of the demands of the US company.

Kharge also had said if the Centre was keen on taking on China, it should not give special treatment to Apple alone, but to other players like Samsung and Lenovo also if they are desirous of opening manufacturing units in India.

Kharge had said the government should also give companies, including Apple, certain timelines, subsidies and incentives to create a level-playing field.
IANS

In line with the government's Digital India initiative, the Railway Ministry on Sunday launched free Wi-Fi facility at 28 stations on Konkan railway in Maharashtra. Unlimited free Wi-Fi facility will be provided at 28 stations from Kolad to Madure in the initial phase, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

The ministry said this facility will help travelling public, commuters and tourists on Indian Railways to access essential information and they could use their time productively while waiting for trains at railway stations. This initiative is a step towards making a smarter India, it added.

It has informed that the Joispot mobile application provides 2 megabits per second (mbps) speed wireless internet with unlimited uploads. Indian Railways has tied up with Internet service providers Syscon and Joister for provision of this facility.

The free Wi-Fi internet bandwidth is provided at the stations of Kolad, Mangaon, Veer, Karanjadi, Vinhere, Diwankhavati, Khed, Anjani, Chiplun, Kamthe, Sawarda, Aravali Road, Sangameshwar, Ukshi, Bhoke and Ratnagiri.

Other stations with availability of free internet under this initiative are Nivasar, Adavali, Vilavade, Rajapur Road, Vaibhavwadi Road, Nandgaon Road, Kankavali, Sindhudurg, Kudal, Zarap, Sawantwadi Road and Madure. The system can provide access to about 300 users at bigger stations and about 100 users at smaller stations.
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The storm over whether Netflix films should be shown at the Cannes film festival has been billed as a generational clash that calls into question the future of cinema. That the US streaming giant's movie "Okja" was greeted both by booing and cheering at its premiere Friday showed how divided film-makers are about the new cash-rich kid on the Hollywood block.

On one side are traditionalists who want to preserve the "immersive experience" of seeing movies on the big screen, and on the other, young millennials who have enthusiastically embraced streaming.

While critics adored "Okja", an adventure story of a girl who tries to rescue a giant genetically-modified pig from its ruthless creators, Variety said it really "belonged on the big screen" while The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw said "it's a terrible waste to shrink them to an iPad".

Before a single movie had been shown, the head of the Cannes jury, Pedro Almodovar, declared that "he could not imagine" either "Okja" or the other Netflix film "The Meyerowitz Stories" winning anything.

"For as long as I live I will fight to safeguard the hypnotic power of the big screen," he told reporters. While Almodovar backtracked Friday, promising scrupulous fairness, there was no hiding his irritation at Netflix's refusal to take their two films in the running for the top prize, the Palme d'Or, to French cinemas.

Netflix claims "the establishment is closing ranks against us" and its supporters rail against French rules which prevent it from streaming films until three years after they are released in cinemas there.

Kids still love cinema

Hollywood stars at Cannes jumped to Netflix's defence, with Will Smith, who sits on the jury with Almodovar, warning he would "slam my hand on the table and disagree with Pedro. I'm looking forward to a good jury scandal."

He insisted Netflix has opened up young people to independent films, saying: "In my house Netflix has been nothing but an absolute benefit because my children get to watch films they never would have seen."

That view was confirmed by two young American Netflix fans at Cannes, who told AFP that it hadn't dimmed their love for the big screen.

For horror films in particular the cinema was infinitely superior, said Kelly Greer, a 24-year-old student from Nashville.

"You're with a crowd of people and you want to respond in the same way," she said. Her friend Myah Lipscomb, 26, said, "I love Netflix. But I don't go to the cinema less." That said, if Netflix and its rival Amazon make more and more movies, she admitted she'd be increasingly tempted to stay at home.

Most French producers believe their country's streaming rules should be relaxed, although many insist films should be shown in cinemas first. However, Vincent Maraval, who produced "The Wrestler", which got actor Mickey Rourke an Oscar nomination, argued that "we must not impose our way of watching films on the next generation" who often watch on tablets and smartphones.

Amazon wins fans

Yet even for Netflix star Robin Wright, who acts and directs in its flagship series "House of Cards", that is anathema. "I think it's actually really poor for people to watch films on their phones," she said at Cannes. "It is not fair to film-makers." "We (Netflix) are getting criticised right now because we have never had this medium before," she added. "But the movie theatre will forever be the first choice for films."

"Okja" star Tilda Swinton, who found herself in the eye of the Cannes storm, said it was clear that "an enormous and really interesting conversation was beginning... the truth is there is room for everybody."Co-star Jake Gyllenhaal pleaded for film-makers to embrace changing technology. "I think it's truly a blessing when any art gets to reach one person, let alone hundreds of thousands upon millions of people."

While Netflix divides, its archrival Amazon has not stirred the same ire. Its films are shown in cinemas before they go online and in France they can be streamed individually four months after release, it's Netflix's subscription-only model that falls foul of existing rules. Todd Haynes, the "Carol" director whose new Amazon-backed movie "Wonderstruck" is also in competition at Cannes, was effusive about working with a platform "made up of true cineastes who love movies and really want to try to provide an opportunity for independent film visions". "They love cinema," he said.

AFP
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The same technology that keeps kids glued to their smartphones is being used by some schools as protection against sexual assaults. Using apps, victims and bystanders can alert school officials, police or parents to trouble. While the systems can be used by kids pranking each other, app developers and school officials say most claims end up being credible. Reporting happens as events unfold and administrators can respond immediately.

The real challenge is money. Not all schools can afford the apps, some of which base their cost on the number of users or size of a student population. However, school insurance companies increasingly are picking up the tab, seeing the apps as a tool to mitigate risk.

Experts also warn that these apps should never be considered the sole way for a school to address the issue of student sexual assault. Here are a few of them:

STOPit: New Jersey-based creator Todd Schobel launched this app in 2013. His inspiration was Amanda Todd, a 15-year-old who committed suicide after posting a video on YouTube in which she held up flashcards describing how her topless image ended up on the Internet, triggering a relentless barrage of bullying. The app - championed by Amanda's mom - allows victims and bystanders to report anonymously to administrators, teachers and virtually anyone the school deems appropriate.

There are no parental controls. Users can send either a single text or have a two-way chat and can attach pictures, screenshots, and video. The person who receives the alert can forward the information to law enforcement or suicide response teams, depending on the risk. The app stores all evidence and notes regarding incidents in a secure cloud-based server so school administrators can collect and analyze it over time.

Number of users: More than 2.5 million in K-12, according to the company.

What it costs: Schools pay $1 to $5 per head for the app, depending on the size of the student body. Some school insurers also have begun paying for the software for their clients' use because they see it as a way to mitigate risk.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play.

ANONYMOUS ALERTS: The name pretty much says it. Students can overcome the social pressures associated with "ratting out" peers by sending in anonymous tips. This app has dropdown menus, asking users what type of school they attend and where the incident took place, where it be a bus, hallway or gym.

Students can either send school administrators a single text or have back-and-forth conversations. They also can attach pictures, social media screenshots or video. The president of the company, Gregory Bender, created his first emergency messaging system after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The computer software for his latest app - launched in 2013 to address all kinds of bullying - also collects alerts from students over time so schools can monitor trends.

Number of users: Around 5 million in K-12 schools, according to the company. It is available only to participating schools with a license.

What it costs: 50 cents to $2 per head.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play and Chromebook Store.

CIRCLE of 6: Created by sexual assault survivors, this one was born out of the White House's "Apps Against Abuse" challenge in 2011. Though the company Tech 4 Good initially developed the app for colleges, it now has been customized for use by younger students. After downloading the app, students pick six trusted friends to join a "circle." If they are in a precarious situation, users click an icon that sends a prewritten text message telling their friends they may need help and what kind.

The app also includes informative links about sexual abuse and national hotlines. Prince William County Public Schools, the second-largest school district in Virginia with some 90,000 students, signed up its K-12 schools in 2016. The district says it doesn't know how many students have downloaded the app, but developers say it's the first-grade school in the U.S. to sign on. Circle of 6 was customized and designed to provide an extra layer of protection for younger kids, with parental permission required for those under 13 to download the app.

Number of users: 350,000 (mostly colleges)

What it costs: $1 to $3 per head.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play.

KNOWBullying: This mobile app is for parents, aimed at helping initiate difficult conversations about bullying and harassment with kids. It also helps parents look out for different warning signs - not only to help identify if their kids may have been bullied but also if they might be doing the bullying. It initially was created for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Number of users: Around 30,000

What it costs: Free.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play.

Associated Press
IANS

In a major step towards a Fitbit-like wearable device to monitor and manage asthma, researchers have created a graphene-based sensor that can detect inflammation in lungs. The researchers believe that the sensor could lead to earlier detection of looming asthma attacks and improve the management of asthma and other respiratory diseases, preventing hospitalisation and death.

"Our vision is to develop a device that someone with asthma or another respiratory disease can wear around their neck or on their wrist and blow into it periodically to predict the onset of an asthma attack or other problems," said Mehdi Javanmard, Assistant Professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick in New Jersey, US.

"It advances the field of personalised and precision medicine," Javanmard said. Asthma, which causes inflammation of the airway and obstructs air flow, affects about 300 million people worldwide. The symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

Today's non-invasive methods for diagnosing and monitoring asthma are limited in characterising the nature and degree of airway inflammation, and require costly, bulky equipment that patients cannot easily keep with them.

There is an urgent need for improved, minimally invasive methods for the molecular diagnosis and monitoring of asthma, the study published online in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering said.

Measuring biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate - tiny liquid droplets discharged during breathing - can contribute to understanding asthma at the molecular level and lead to targeted treatment and better disease management.

The researchers' miniaturised electrochemical sensor accurately measures nitrite in exhaled breath condensate using reduced graphene oxide. Reduced graphene oxide resists corrosion, has superior electrical properties and is very accurate in detecting biomarkers.

"Nitrite level in breath condensate is a promising biomarker for inflammation in the respiratory tract. Having a rapid, easy method to measure it can help an asthmatic determine if air pollutants are affecting them so they can better manage use of medication and physical activity," said Clifford Weisel, study co-author and Professor at Rutgers University.

"Just looking at coughing, wheezing and other outward symptoms, diagnosis accuracy is often poor, so that's why this idea of monitoring biomarkers continuously can result in a paradigm shift," Javanmard said.

The next step is to develop a portable, wearable system, which could be commercially available within five years, he added. The researchers said they also envision expanding the number of inflammation biomarkers a device could detect and measure.
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Cab-hailing app Uber has warned an engineer who allegedly stole trade secrets and self-driving car technology from Google parent company Alphabet's unit Waymo to comply with court orders or risk being fired.

Uber issued a warning letter to Anthony Levandowski, saying it would take "adverse employment action against" him if he fails to comply the court's orders, TechCrunch reported on Saturday.

This came after Waymo argued that discovery in the case has been held up by Levandowski refusing to answer questions related to the alleged theft of proprietary data.

"Levandowski has repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment in the case, citing the potential for criminal action that could lead to self-incrimination," the report said.

Last week, a judge ordered that Uber "exercise the full extent of (its) corporate, employment, contractual and other authority" to force Levandowski to return any downloaded materials to Waymo.

Following that, Uber sent a letter to Levandowski giving him a choice between "deny(ing) ever having taken any downloaded materials from Google" or hand over any materials he might have taken from Google.

If he failed to comply, he would risk termination of his employment.

Google's self-driving car company Waymo in February filed a lawsuit against Uber for allegedly stealing trade secrets and technology from it.

The lawsuit, filed against Uber's self-driving vehicle unit Otto, argued that former Waymo manager Levandowski took information when he left the company and later co-founded Otto in January 2016.

"We uncovered evidence that Otto and Uber have taken and are using key parts of Waymo's self-driving technology. Today, we're taking legal action against Otto and its parent company Uber for misappropriating Waymo trade secrets and infringing our patents," Waymo wrote in a blog post.

The company said it found that six weeks before his resignation, Levandowski downloaded over 14,000 highly confidential and proprietary design files for Waymo's various hardware systems, including designs of Waymo's custom-built "Light Detection and Ranging" (LiDAR) and circuit board.

"To gain access to Waymo's design server, Levandowski searched for and installed specialised software onto his company-issued laptop. Once inside, he downloaded 9.7GB of Waymo's highly confidential files and trade secrets, including blueprints, design files and testing documentation," the company noted.

Levandowski copied the data to an external drive. He later wiped and reformatted the laptop in an attempt to erase forensic fingerprints.

IANS
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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange no longer is the subject of an active rape investigation in Sweden, but he remains holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London facing an unclear future because of uncertainty over whether American authorities will try to get him handed over next.

Sweden's top prosecutor dropped a long-running inquiry into a rape claim against Assange on Friday, saying there was no way to detain or charge him "in the foreseeable future" because of his protected status inside the embassy.

Prosecutor Marianne Ny said she could not judge whether the 45-year-old Australian native was guilty or innocent because the investigation had been thwarted. Ny said the case could be reopened if Assange comes to Sweden before the statute of limitations expires in 2020.

British police said they would arrest Assange if he leaves the embassy on the relatively minor charge of jumping bail, but the more severe threat is a possible sealed U.S. indictment against him.

The sun-starved WikiLeaks provocateur, looking healthy if pale, emerged Friday afternoon to address the media in the open air of the embassy's balcony. He said the day marked an "important victory," but noted that he still could be prosecuted by the United States.

Assange also lashed out at Sweden for taking seven years to investigate allegations he maintained were baseless. His children had grown up without him, he said. "That is not something I can forgive, or forget," he said, claiming he had suffered a "terrible injustice" while living under house arrest or hidden away inside the embassy without ever being charged with a crime.

Despite the welcome news from Sweden, police in London said Friday that Assange is still wanted there for jumping bail in 2012. More serious are the possible charges he faces in the United States for WikiLeaks' aggressive publication of thousands of pages of classified government documents.

Assange said his legal team would reach out to British authorities to try to find a way forward, and he said he would be "happy" to have a dialogue with the U.S. Department of Justice despite its threats against him.

WikiLeaks has repeatedly infuriated U.S. officials with the widespread release of sensitive secret documents related to military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and diplomatic relations around the world. WikiLeaks also had a role in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign when it published emails written by Hillary Clinton's campaign

officials.

U.S. and British officials Friday declined to say if the United States has requested Assange's extradition. Ecuador's foreign minister, Guillaume Long, tweeted Friday that Britain "must now grant safe passage" to Assange. The South American country has granted him asylum, but it is not clear how Assange would travel there without the permission of British authorities.

Assange has spent nearly five years inside the Latin American country's London embassy, but he seemed robust and defiant in his brief balcony appearance. He did not take shouted questions from the reporters assembled outside and would not say if he plans to leave the embassy located in the posh Knightsbridge neighborhood.

The day began with the dramatic announcement in Sweden that the rape investigation was being suspended. But some experts said the development would put him in an even more precarious legal situation, if the U.S. has a sealed indictment for his arrest. U.S. President Donald Trump said last month he would support any decision by the Justice Department to charge Assange.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has suggested that the arrest of Assange could be an American priority, saying last month the U.S. was "stepping up our efforts on all leaks." "We will seek to put some people in jail," Sessions said. Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning served seven years in prison for giving classified material to WikiLeaks. She was freed Wednesday, having had her sentence commuted by former President Barack Obama before he left office.

British officials said they do not comment on individual extradition cases. British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday that "any decision that is taken about U.K. action in relation to him (Assange) would be an operational matter for the police." WikiLeaks complained about the lack of clarity in Assange's legal situation.

"UK refuses to confirm or deny whether it has already received a US extradition warrant for Julian Assange. Focus now moves to UK," the group tweeted. His supporters believe the sex crime allegations that have bedeviled Assange for years were politically motivated. They surfaced after the women accused Assange of sexual misconduct during a visit to Stockholm in 2010.

A lawyer for the woman who alleged she was raped by Assange said "it's a scandal that a suspected rapist can avoid the judicial system and thus avoid a trial in court." Elisabeth Massi Fritz says her client is shocked by the Swedish decision but added that "she can't change her view that Assange has exposed her to a rape."

There were initially two separate allegations being investigated, but one was dropped in 2015 because the statute of limitations ran out. The rape allegation, the more serious claim, remained under investigation. Prosecutors were trying to determine, among other things, if Assange had sex with the woman while she was asleep and without using a condom.

Assange has said the sex was consensual. British police said that since Assange is now wanted for a "much less serious offense" than the original sex crimes claims, police "will provide a level of resourcing which is proportionate to that offense."

British police kept up a round-the-clock guard outside the embassy until December 2015, when the operation was scaled back partly because of the costs, which had exceeded 11 million pounds (over $17.5 million at the time).

Associated Press
North Korea declares medium-range missile ready for deployment

The missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, which uses solid fuel that allows for immediate firing.

AFP, Seoul :

North Korea on Monday declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after a weekend test, the latest step in its quest to defy UN sanctions and develop an intercontinental rocket capable of striking US targets.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said the North's leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw Sunday's launch, which sparked a fresh chorus of international condemnation and threats of tougher sanctions.

The missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, which uses solid fuel that allows for immediate firing, KCNA said.

So far almost all the North's missiles have been liquid-fuelled, which have to be painstakingly filled with propellant before launch, while solid fuel missiles can be fired far more rapidly.

That would dramatically shorten the time available for any attempt to intervene and prevent a launch, requiring any such decision to be taken much more quickly.

Seoul military officials have previously said the Pukguksong-2 -- a land-based version of Pyongyang's submarine-launched weapon-uses solid fuel.

Kim said "with pride" that the Pukguksong-2 was a "very accurate" missile and a "successful strategic weapon", KCNA said, adding he "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action".

The launch "completely verified" the reliability and accuracy of the device, and its late-stage warhead guidance system, KCNA said, adding the test results were "perfect".

Images carried by the Rodong Sinmun-the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea-showed a smiling Kim clapping surrounded by his aides in an outdoor observation post as the missile shot up into the air.

It also had several pictures of the Earth said to have been taken from the rocket from space-the first such pictures released by the North.

Kim "said he was very happy to see pictures of the Earth taken by our rocket and that the world looks beautiful", KCNA said, adding that he ordered the missile to be "rapidly mass-produced".

The missile, which was described by Washington as medium-range, was fired from Pukchang in South Pyongan province and travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to the South's armed forces.

The rocket used a cold-launch system, KCNA said. The technology uses compressed gas to propel a missile upwards before its engine ignites in mid-air. It is considered safer and also makes it easier to hide the launch location.

A spokesman for Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that South Korean and US intelligence authorities "assess that North Korea secured meaningful data in advancing the reliability of its missile technology through yesterday's missile launch".
No time for Brexit delays, says May as poll lead slips

Reuters, London :

Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday urge voters to back her to deliver the country's exit from the European Union, playing one of her strongest cards in the election campaign as opinion polls show that her party's large lead has shrunk.

A series of polls ahead of Britain's June 8 election have shown the Conservatives' lead over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party has fallen to between 9 and 13 percentage points, well down on leads of 20 points or more before May called the snap election.

After launching her manifesto last week, including unexpected plans to reduce financial support for elderly voters, May returned to her core message, saying that Corbyn was not committed to or capable of securing a successful Brexit.

"The deal we seek will be negotiated by me or Jeremy Corbyn. There will be no time to waste and no time for a new government to find its way," May will say, according to extracts of a speech that will highlight that divorce talks with the EU could begin 11 days after the election. EU officials are preparing for Brexit talks to begin on June 19 but expect confirmation of the date only after the British vote.

Although both May and Corbyn campaigned last year to remain in the EU, polls show that May is more trusted to secure a good deal in talks with Brussels and that some voters are confused about Labour's position on the issue.
BOGRA: Bogra District BNP brought out a procession protesting search in BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia\'s Gulshan Office on Sunday.
6 months anticipatory bail to BNP leader Aslam Chy

Chittagong Bureau :

High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has granted six months ancipatory bail to joint secretary general of BNP Aslam Chowdhury in the treason case. The high court bench comprising Justice Miftabuddin Chowdhury and Justice ANM Bashir ullah announced this verdict on Thursday . counsel of Aslam chowdhury told that following the anticipatory bail, there is no bar of detention against the BNP leader.Barrister

Mahbubuddin Khokan and Sakib Mahmud defended the accused before the court. Deputy attorney general of Bangaldesh AKM Moniruzzaman Kabir pleaded on behalf of the state. Aslam Chowdhury was arrested in a treason case after the conspiracy of dethroning the government in last year. He was arrested on May 15 last, sources said.


Applaud on sophisticated tech, production process of Walton

Economic Reporter :

The products of the Walton brand have huge opportunities in the Nepali market as the quality and standard of these products are excellent and they are affordable in prices too. They said that Walton, which entered into the Nepali market in 2014, would secure strong position in the Himalayan country.

A team of National Forum of Photo Journalists (NFPJ) of Nepal expressed such remarks after visiting Walton factory at Chandra in Gazipur on Monday (May 22). They were overwhelmed by visiting the giant industry and production process of Walton, powered by the state-of-the-art technology, says a press release.

Some 10 photojournalists of different media of Nepal led by Tej Bahadur Basnet, Treasurer of NFPJ, came to the Walton Hi-Tech Industries premises in the morning. Uday Hakim, Senior Operative Director of Walton Group, welcomed them after their arrival.

Executive Directors of Walton Group Md. Sirajul Islam and Alamgir Alam Sarker, Operative Directors Engineer Golam Murshed and Md. Yousuf Ali, Deputy Operative Director Sohel Rana and Media Adviser Enayet Ferdous were among others present on the occasion.


WB support to modernize Meteorology Dept of DU sought



Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr. AAMS Arefin Siddique on Monday sought World Bank's (WB) cooperation to modernize its newly launched Meteorology Department.

The VC sought the support when World Bank Senior Environment Specialist Poonam Pillai paid a courtesy call on him at his office on the campus.

Poonam Pillai expressed her willingness to provide support and cooperation in this regard.

DU Meteorology Department Chairman Prof. Dr. Towhida Rashid was present at the meeting.

During the meeting, they discussed matters of mutual interest specially, climate change and disaster management issues in Bangladesh.

Professor Arefin Siddique thanked the World Bank representative for her visit to Dhaka University.
He has new reasons to hope for M-E peace

US President Donald Trump (2nd L) and first lady Melania Trump (3rd L) stand with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd R), his wife Sara (R) and Israel\'s President Reuven Rivlin (L) upon their arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod

Reuters, Jerusalem :

US President Donald Trump said in Israel on Monday he came away from a weekend visit to Saudi Arabia with new reasons for hope that peace and stability could be achieved in the Middle East.

On the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office, Trump is to hold talks separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a stopover lasting 28 hours.

Later on Monday, the U.S. leader will pray at Judaism's Western Wall and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and on Tuesday he will travel to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu and his wife Sara, as well as President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli cabinet, were at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport to greet Trump and first lady

Melania in a red carpet ceremony after what is believed to have been the first direct flight from Riyadh to Israel. "During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope," Trump said in a brief speech on arrival. "We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace, but we can only get there working together. There is no other way," he said. Trump's tour comes in the shadow of difficulties at home, where he is struggling to contain a scandal after firing James Comey as FBI director nearly two weeks ago. The trip ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily. During his two days in Riyadh, Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to restrain Iran's influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican president's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. "What's happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel," Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Rivlin. "And you could say that's one of the - if there's a benefit, that would be the benefit. Because I've seen such a different feeling toward Israel from countries that as you know were not feeling so well about Israel not so long ago. And it's brought a lot of folks together," Trump said. Earlier at the airport, Netanyahu said Israel shared Trump's commitment to peace - but he also repeated his right-wing government's political and security demands of the Palestinians, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. "May your first trip to our region prove to be a historic milestone on the path toward reconciliation and peace," Netanyahu said. Trump used his visit to Riyadh to bolster U.S. ties with Arab and Islamic nations, announce $110 billion in U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and send Iran a tough message. Trump has vowed to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians -- something he has called "the ultimate deal" -- but has given little indication of how he could revive negotiations that collapsed in 2014. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters en route to Tel Aviv that any three-way meeting between Trump, Netanyahu and Abbas was for "a later date". When Trump met Abbas this month in Washington, he stopped shortly of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of U.S. policy. He has since spoken in support of Palestinian "self-determination". Trump has also opted against an immediate move of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime demand of Israel.

A senior administration official told Reuters last week that Trump remained committed to his campaign pledge to ultimately relocate the embassy, but would not announce such a move during this trip. On Sunday, Israel authorised some economic concessions to the Palestinians that it said would improve civilian life in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority and were intended to respond to Trump's request for "confidence-building steps". The United States welcomed the move but the Palestinians said they had heard such promises before. Trump will have visited significant centres of Islam, Judaism and Christianity by the end of his trip, a point that his aides say bolsters his argument that the fight against Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil".




Israel concerned Saudi arms deal with US

Reuters :

Israeli ministers have voiced concern about Israel's ability to retain its qualitative military edge following the signing of a "tremendous" arms deal by US President Donald Trump with Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Riyadh will receive $110 billion effective immediately, plus at least another $350b. over the next 10 years in a deal aimed at supporting the Sunni kingdom in the face of the threats posed to it by Iran and its proxies.

Saudi Arabia is the world's second largest arms importer and according to the US State Department, the wide-ranging deal will cover border security and counterterrorism, maritime and coastal security, air and missile defense systems as well as cybersecurity and communications technology. The package also includes defense equipment such as tanks, artillery, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters, Patriot and THAAD anti-missile system as well as multi-mission surface combatant ships, patrol boats, and associated weapons systems. The deal will also see the modernization of the kingdom's air force including a commitment by Lockheed Martin to assemble 150 Blackhawk S-70 helicopters for $6b. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced a desire to improve ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said before the weekly cabinet meeting that "this is a matter that really should trouble us." "Saudi Arabia is a hostile country and we must ensure that Israel's qualitative military edge is preserved. Hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons deals is something we should receive explanations about." Intelligence Minister Israel Katz stated that "President Trump's visit strengthens the anti-Iranian camp in the region and presents an opportunity to advance regional security and economic cooperation as a foundation for regional peace." But, he stressed, "at the same time Israel's qualitative military edge should be maintained.

" In September, Israel and the US signed what was at the time a "historic" arms deal which takes effect on October 1, 2018, and would see Jerusalem receive $38b. in military aid over a decade. Under the terms of the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) Israel will receive $3.1b. in foreign military financing in the next fiscal year, followed by $3.3b. in the subsequent years, plus $500 million designated to missile defense. At least $7b. of the MoU is earmarked for purchasing 50 of the world's most advanced fighter plane, the F-35s, to make two full IAF squadrons by 2022. That plane has been touted as being instrumental in giving Israel complete air superiority in the region for the next 40 years. The Israeli military is also working on two large deals with the US, including the procurement of fighter jets - either advanced versions of Boeing's F-15 fighter jets or a different variant of the F-35 - and helicopters in order to upgrade two air force squadrons. But the agreement entailed concessions by Netanyahu, such as for the first time Israel would not receive additional funds from Congress. In 2016, for example, Congress allocated an additional $206m. for three missile defense systems and Jerusalem will also move toward spending all of the aid within the US, whereas in the past Israel used 26% of the funds domestically. According to a February report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, arms imports jumped by 86% between 2012 and 2016 in the Middle East, accounting for 29% of global arms purchases, an increase of almost double from the previous five-year period due in part to conflicts raging in the Middle East.


Woman found dead in city hotel, baby girl rescued

Staff Reporter :

A body of a woman was recovered from Al Shaheen Hotel in the city's Fakirapool area on Sunday night.

Police also rescued her one-month old daughter from the hotel room at night, said Omar Faruq, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station.

The identity of the deceased could not be known till filing of the report around 9:00pm on Monday, the Police official said.

"The baby was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital around 12:10 pm," the OC said.

Earlier, a man along with the woman and the baby came to Al Shaheen Hotel around 4:00 am on Sunday for staying a night there, said the police official quoting the hotel authorities.

"But around 11:30 pm on the fateful night, an attendant of the hotel found the Room No.16 on the fourth floor of the hotel locked from outside and a baby was crying inside. Immediately they called the Motijheel police," he said.

A police team broke open the door and found the body of the woman, said police adding that she might have been strangulated sometime after they had come to the hotel room.

Police also detained the hotel owner Shahin Ullah and he was sent to the jail following a court order, the OC said.


Forgery in college admission!

M M Jasim :

Many colleges in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country have been abusing the online admission since the results of SSC and equivalent examinations came out on May 4 this year, allege students and guardians.

The authorities of Sher-e-Bangla School and College in the capital are allegedly forcing the students who passed Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam from the institution to get admission there.

Even the authorities, on behalf of the students, applied for admission on the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka's website.

Janata College in Fulbaria upazila of Mymensingh district collected roll and registration numbers of the students. The college authorities performed all online admission processes without informing the students concerned and their guardians, according to the Dhaka Board.

Shahela Akhter, a guardian, told The New Nation on Monday that her daughter passed the SSC examination from Sher-e-Bangla School and College. Using her daughter's name, roll and registration numbers the college authorities completed the online admission process.

"I went to a computer centre to fulfill online admission process. After entering into the process we saw that my daughter's online admission had been completed. The website showed that she was admitted to her previous institution. I was astonished," she said.

Shahela Akhter said she went to the college and drew the principal's attention to the malpractice. This guardian also alleged that the principal even threatened not to give necessary papers like marksheet and others to her daughter. "The college authorities forced at least 20 students to get admission there," she lamented.

When contacted, Principal of Sher-e-Bangla School and College Abdus Sattar told this correspondent that he knew nothing about such malpractice. "Some guardians came to me and I advised them to go to the board," he said.

The principal also warned of stern action if any teacher of his college involved in such irregularities.

Board rules say a student can apply to at least 10 colleges. The number was 5 last year. The boards will decide the college for the students for admission.

Dhaka Education Board's College Inspector Dr Ashfaqus Salehin said the board received many complaints against several colleges.

This inspector, however, admitted that some substandard colleges are engaged in such malpractice.

"The students have ample scope to cancel applications and apply for new colleges and for this they have to contact the College Division of the Board by Thursday," the inspector said.

The students can apply for admission till May 26. The class will start from July 1.

About nine lakh students applied for admission till Monday evening, according to the Dhaka Board website.

A total of 14,31,722 passed the SSC and its equivalent examinations this year.




3 handed over to families, 2 others sued in anti-terror case

Staff Reporter :

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Monday handed over three students to their respective families while two others were sued in anti-terror case. They surrendered to the elite force during the Saturday's raid in a suspected militant den in Narsingdi district.

The handed over students are: a grade X student Masudur Rahman, Narsingdi Government College's final year student Basikul Islam and visitor Mashiur Rahman.

The other two youths are: Salahuddin, a former student of Dhaka University and Abu Jafar, a college student in Narsingdi, police said.

The three were handed over to their families as we found no evidence that they were involved in militant activities, said RAB-11 Captain Lieutenant Colonel Kamrul Hasan

We have found some evidence against the two other youths with the militant link and they were shown arrest in a case, he said.

"RAB-11 Deputy Assistant Director Abdur Rahman filed a case against seven persons, including Salahuddin and Jafar, under Anti-Terrorism Act around 12:00pm on Monday," Narsingdi Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Golam Mostafa said.

The others accused are Jhony alias dacoit Jhony, Ariful alias dacoit Arif, from Narsingdi, their cohorts Tariqul, from Bagerhat, Nazmul and Rony, from Barguna, said the Duty Officer of Narsingdi Sadar Police Station.

It is to be noted that on Saturday, RAB cordoned off a two-storey under-construction building in Narsingdi, suspecting that a few militants were holed up inside, but those inside the building claimed that they were not militants.
N`ganj 7-Murder: Hearing on death reference begins

Court Correspondent :

The High Court (HC) Division of the Supreme Court yesterday started hearing on the death reference and appeals of 26 death sentenced convicts in the Narayanganj seven-murder cases.

A High Court Bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam started hearing the death references and appeals. Deputy Attorney General MA Mannan Mohon presented the paper book of the cases. Earlier, on May 7, the paper book and

all documents related to the case were sent to the High Court.

A court of Narayanganj on January 16 sentenced 26 persons, including three sacked RAB officials and former city councilor Nur Hossain, to death and nine others to different terms of imprisonments in the two cases filed in connection with the Narayanganj sensational seven-murder incident. On February 8, the HC accepted appeals of 15 convicts, including Nur Hossain and three sacked RAB-11 officials, challenging their death penalty in the seven-murder cases.

On April 27, 2014, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah area. At the sametime, senior lawyer of the District Judge's Court, Chandan Kumar Sarkar and his driver were also abducted on their way to Dhaka.

Three days after their abduction, their decomposed bodies, including those of Nazrul and Chandan, were recovered from the Shitalakhya River.

The following day, the body of Nazrul's chauffeur Jahangir was recovered from the river.

Later, Selina Islam Beauty, the widow of Nazrul Islam, filed a case against six persons, while Advocate Chandan Sarkar's son-in-law filed another case.
Trump hopes to visit BD

UNB, Riyadh :

US President Donald Trump has expressed his hope to visit Bangladesh as he exchanged greetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the Arab Islamic-American (AIA) Summit in the Saudi capital on Sunday.

"Yes, I would come (to Bangladesh)," Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque quoted the US President as saying while briefing reporters after the summit.

Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim and Deputy Press Secretary Md Nazrul Islam were present at the press briefing.

The foreign secretary said the two leaders exchanged pleasantries at the holding room of King Abdul Aziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh before the start of the Arab Islamic-American (AIA) Summit, when the Prime Minister invited the US President to visit Bangladesh.

"Accepting the invitation, Trump expressed the hope that he would visit to Bangladesh," Haque said.

Donald Trump was in Riyadh on his first foreign tour after taking office.

While delivering his speech at the summit, Trump said the fight against extremism is "a battle between good and evil," calling on Muslim nations to take a lead in stamping out terror.

"The path to peace begins right here," he said.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina and Tajik President Emomalii Rahmon had a meeting at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center on the sidelines of the summit.

The Tajik president invited Sheikh Hasina to visit Tajikistan at her convenient.

"We hope that the Tajik President may visit Bangladesh or the Bangladesh Prime Minister may visit Tajikistan by this year," the foreign secretary said.

He said Tajikistan considers Bangladesh as a potential country of boosting its trade.

Hasina also had a meeting with her Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak on the sidelines of the summit, with the two leaders discussing various issues relating to bilateral interests.


Why power outage?

When generation doubles

Anisul Islam Noor :

Country's people have been experiencing severe power crisis for the last eight days due to mismanagement in power distribution, Power Development Board sources said.



Country's power consumption is about 8000MW to 8500 MW while its generation capacity ranges between 15000MW and 16000 MW.



"So, there is no reason why people will experience load-shedding. It's a total mismanagement," an official preferring not to be named said yesterday.



As a result people specially the city dwellers are facing the worst situation. Besides, businesses are bearing the brunt of the frequent load-shedding, as their industrial output is being severely hampered.



Backup power systems in industries, offices and houses, like - instant power supply (IPS) and uninterrupted power system (UPS), are also failing to provide electricity in absence of enough electricity supply from the national grid. It is happening, as those equipments are not getting required electricity to charge up batteries, consumers alleged.



Meanwhile, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid on Monday said power situation will improve within five days.



"It's an unexpected disruption of power supply due to the collapse of Ashuganj-Sirajganj tower having 400-kv capacity for south-western and northern areas of the country by rough weather," he told newsmen at a briefing at his Secretariat office.



The state minister said they are working to repair the tower, which would require 6-7 months' time by engaging the foreign technicians.



The government is supplying electricity across around 350 rivers, so natural disaster can take place any time, he said.



Replying to a question, he assured people of no electricity crisis during the Ramzan.



"We will be in a better position during the holy month," he asserted He said large scale power plants are yet to be put into operation. "We need three more years for uninterrupted power supply," Nasrul said adding, "eight power plants with 1,886 MW capacity are now under overhauling and some of them would go for operation within 3-4 days."

He said the government has been working to change some 2.50 lakh transmitters across the country aimed at increasing capacity of power supply.



President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Md Shafiul Islam (Mohiuddin) urged the government to build necessary distribution and transmission infrastructure as soon as possible to distribute electricity in line with the production capacity.



"The country has sufficient power production. We do not have ample distribution networks that are consistent with the generation capacity. The government took initiatives in this regard, and I hope the problem will be solved very soon," he added.



However, Sunday's overall electricity generation across the country was around 8,244 megawatts (MW) against the accumulated installed capacity of 13,179 MW of all power plants, according to the state-run Power Development Board (BPDB) statistics.



Technical glitches accounted for around 1,965 MW of electricity load-shedding, while gas supply constraints accounted for around 776 MW, PDB showed.



According to PDB posted on its website, there was no load-shedding of electricity on Sunday.



Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Md Siddiqur Rahman said low power generation against increased consumption in the summer raises readymade garments (RMG) production cost.

He said many RMG manufacturers in the country have resorted to diesel-run power generators, while power cuts have added to their woes.



"Factories located in Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur, Rupganj and Narayanganj are suffering at least four hours of power cut daily."



Seeking policy support from the government, the BGMEA president said the country's clothing industry is focusing on employment generation and achieving $ 50 billion export target by 2021.



"If power generation does not meet the industry demand, it will be impossible to attain the target," he further said.

Mohiuddin Mahmud Mahin, President of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLFEA) said they sat with the electricity department officials for ensuring continuous power generation in Savar tannery estate.



The city dwellers alleged that they are experiencing load-shedding sometimes for several hours at a stretch.



People residing in Gulshan, Baridhara, Mirpur, Uttara, Old Dhaka, Rampura, Bansri, Shewrapara, Kazipara, Khilgaon, Goran, Jatrabari, Dania, Matuail and Demra areas are the worst affected of the electricity outages, alleged some residents.



The frequent load-shedding is posing a threat to the government's commitment of keeping 'iftar, tarabi and sehri' timings load-shedding-free in the ensuing Ramadan.



A senior official of state-owned Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) said the ever-increasing load sanctions in industries, commercial entities and households are creating extra pressure on the age-old transmission systems, resulting in electricity supply failure.



A director of PDB said electricity supply to the extent of around 300-350 MW is being hampered in some northern districts due to damage of the 230 KV (kilo volt) power transmission tower at Bhairab in early this month.




Police can`t commit excesses like politicians

MEMBERS of law enforcement agencies or police for that matter surely have the professional right to conduct search operations based on accurate tip-offs but that doesn't mean it can wreak havoc and cause chaos in the name of such professional duty. The police search operations at main opposition party BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office for nearly two hours on May 20 in search of 'provocative leaflets and papers against the present government' had hardly any professionalism in it. However, they found nothing in the likes of their allegations.



The point is - the police authorities could have restrained themselves by carrying out the search operation, and not vandalise the office properties of the main opposition party. Moreover, though it managed to obtain a search warrant, but it necessarily didn't have to specify the documents as 'anti-state' materials. As a major political party, the BNP is not functioning from outside the country. Furthermore, we believe, the party's top brass is well aware about the distinctions and categories of pro-state or anti-state materials.



Oppression on opposition is political and police must not have a political role. Police cannot be over-active on vague allegation of having 'anti-state' materials in BNP office. It is not understood what anti-state materials police were looking for.



We do not want to talk of democracy which is not a strong point in our politics. But what is disturbing is that police is behaving as if it can act and do justifying everything.



It is sad to see how helpless we all are and how insecure the government is without police power.






King`s lavish welcome to Mr Trump was not well-considered

The past four American presidents, two Republicans and two Democrats, made their first trips to either Mexico and Canada - countries that are close trading partners, close allies and compatible democracies and of course neighbours. Trump chose, instead, to make his first Presidential visit to an oligarchic nation; which happens to be one of the USA's main Muslim allies but Trump's uneasy pick.



Addressing dozens of leaders from across the Muslim world who had gathered in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Trump overnight rejected the idea that the fight against terrorism was a struggle between religions, and he promised not to scold them about human rights in their countries. But he challenged Muslim leaders to step up their efforts to counter a "wicked ideology" and purge the "foot soldiers of evil" from their societies.



In his speech on Sunday, he made no mention of the executive orders he signed after taking office barring visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Instead, he described Islam as "one of the world's great faiths" and called for "tolerance and respect for each other."



The President's measured tone was a far cry from his incendiary language on the campaign trail last year, when he said, "Islam hates us" and called for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States. Throughout his visit, a less volatile President emerged, disciplined and relentlessly on message in a way he is often not at home. He did not brag about his electoral victory and avoided tangents. His mood has been sober and careful.

But of course he had to be sober and careful--the USA was busy closing a USD 110 billion deal with Saudi Arabia -- arms which will definitely be used against its neighbour Yemen, a war which has led to well documented allegations of war crimes against Saudi Arabia. Not to mention that continued arms sales are illegal under American laws that ban sales to states that violate international law. It's a war which has pushed Yemen to the brink of starvation, but more importantly, created a vacuum where ISIS and al Qaeda have flourished -- precisely the type of terrorism which Mr Trump purportedly wants to stop.



We have no reason to think that Mr Trump has changed his core hatred against the Muslims. In his speech to the leaders of the Muslim countries' who gathered in Saudi Arabia he blamed Muslims for extremism and called on all Muslim countries to fight extremism together. The message was an encouragement to autocrats to suppress the opposition in the name of fighting extremism.



Nobody will say that the US President understands the complications of Muslim extremism. Solution does not lie in creating state terrorism.



We also feel the Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud has failed to show his sensitivity for the attack Mr Trump made against Islam by showering lavish reception to an Islam hater. Besides President Trump is a businessman and not a matured politician that one can expect he can bring solution to Palestinian problem.


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.
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
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ROYALTON  Area churches whose traditions closely follows some Biblical teachings will celebrate Jesus' ascension and invite the community to join them at services that begin at 6 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 25.

The teaching is that 40 days after he is believed to have risen from the dead, Jesus Christ then "ascended," into the heavens, to be with his father, God.

The Holy Ascension of Our Lord will be celebrated at The Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Church, at 112 N Fairdale St. in Royalton. A potluck will follow the divine liturgy; those who attend are asked to bring a dish to share.

In Carbondale, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and Epiphany Lutheran Church will co-host Ascension services, with the annual Lutheran and Catholic Ascension of the Lord Evening Prayer Service beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, with refreshments; that will be followed by the worship service from 8 to 8:45 p.m. at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 1501 W Chautauqua St. in Carbondale.

Epiphany's pastor, Paul Waterman, will preside at the service, and Father Bob Flannery will preach the homily. This years observance will help commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and will show the great progress that has been made for Catholics and Lutherans in coming together more closely as members of the body of Christ, Father Flannery said.

Royalton's Archpriest Frederick Janecek, rector for The Protection of the Holy Virgin Mary Church, will lead the services at the church in Royalton.

He said Thursday night's service is like the liturgy presented each Sunday at the church, but that those who are not familiar with the tradition might want to see what a service looks like. He said is is like the Eastern Orthodox services, older and more elaborate than services from other Christian religions.

"Many of the people here have never seen that worship service," he said. "All the Orthodox churches around the world have done that for 1,600 years."

He joined the church in January 2015 and recently celebrated his third Easter at the church. About 30 people attend the Sunday services; the church will celebrate its 103rd anniversary in October.

For more information on the Royalton service, call 608-628-6910 or email janecekwi@sbcglobal.net; for information on the service at the Epiphany Lutheran Church, call 618-303-7412.
CARBONDALE  The Interfaith Council will celebrate its past months' work with its end-of-the-year picnic on Tuesday, where members will discuss  among other topics  recent contacts with sources in Cairo.

The picnic is at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Gateway Foundation Alcohol Drug Treatment Center at 1080 E. Park St. in Carbondale. The picnic is a potluck, and those who attend are asked to bring a dish to share.

Cairo is home to the Elmwood and McBride public housing complexes, which have been ordered to be closed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. For the past two years, The Southern Illinoisan has reported about the housing crisis in properties managed by the Alexander County Housing Authority.

During the picnic, reports will be presented from the Sparrow Coalition, formed in 2015 to address issues of poverty, particularly homelessness, in Southern Illinois; from the Race Unity Group, a multiracial, multiethnic and multifaith group of individuals who started meeting in January 2016 to discuss issues of race; from Good Samaritan Ministry, which runs an emergency shelter and soup kitchen and food pantry; and from the Carbondale Area Inter-Faith Refugee Support (CAIRS) refugee assistance committee.

Scott Martin, one of the facilitators of the Race Unity Group, said Marcella Woodson Usery of the Men of Power  Women of Strength Inc. group, addressed members of the Race Unity Group at its past Tuesday night meeting. Martin said members of his group have spoken to the mayor of Cairo and city council members, all in an attempt to better understand the impact the apartments' closing will have on the city. He said the group is more in a fact-finding mode, as opposed to an action mode, at this point.

Were just asking questions and seeing where we could (help), Martin said. "Right now, were finding out where Cairo is at, outside of the HUD issue and seeing where individuals and maybe groups can help from the Carbondale and Marion areas."

For more information, visit the Facebook pages of the Sparrow Coalition at facebook.com/sparrowcoalition; of the Race Unity Group at tinyurl.com/RaceUnityGroup; and of the Men of Power  Women of Strength Inc. at tinyurl.com/MenPowerWomenStrength.
Police have arrested a man in connection with a shooting that took place outside a Carbondale residence early Sunday morning.

At 12:48 a.m. Sunday, officers with the Carbondale Police Department responded to a report of a shooting in the 300 block of South Crestview Lane, according to a news release. Upon arriving at the scene, they learned that a suspect got out of a vehicle and began shooting at multiple people standing outside a residence. The suspect then drove away. No one suffered injuries in the incident.

Carbondale Police provided a description of the suspect and the suspects vehicle to surrounding law enforcement agencies. A short time later, officers learned that a vehicle matching the provided description was stopped in Williamson County.

Devante R. Taylor, 24, of Olmstead, was arrested and charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and no valid Illinois FOID. He was incarcerated in Jackson County Jail.

The investigation is continuing. The Carbondale Police Department made the arrest and was assisted by the Energy Police Department, Marion Police Department and the Williamson County Sheriffs Office.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Carbondale Police Department at 618-457-3200 or Crime Stoppers at 618-549-2677.
The coffee industry is known for being kind of closed off and snobby, McCraw said while fixing drinks. We want to begin to build community. You dont have to know all the language before we treat you with love and respect and teach you about coffee.
Nabil ElderkinThe Weeknd sings beneath a starlit sky in Lana Del Rey's dreamy "Lust for Life" music video.

The visual's mostly comprised of the duo perched atop the famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, so you can focus on The Weeknd and Lana's vocals.

The Weeknd is currently on his Starboy: Legend of the Fall world tour, with upcoming stops scheduled in cities including Chicago, Toronto, Brooklyn and Paris.

More information on tickets can be found via TheWeeknd.com.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
CLEMSON  South Carolina watermelon producers now have information they need to make their 2017 crops more profitable with the release of the updated Watermelon Spray Guide for 2017, which includes updated recommendations for battling blight.

The Watermelon Spray Guide for 2017 from Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service contains updated information for battling blight.

Released by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, the guide provides growers with a look at some major diseases of watermelon leaves in the Southeastern United States as well as a step-by-step guide to spraying.

Information in the guide comes from a study by Anthony Tony Keinath, a professor of plant pathology at the Clemson Coastal Research and Education Center in Charleston; Gilbert Miller, an Extension horticulturist at the Clemson Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville; and Clemson graduate student Gabriel Rennberger. Data was gathered from 57 fields in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Clarendon, Colleton and Hampton counties.

Based on leaves collected in 57 commercial watermelon fields in 2015 and 2016, gummy stem blight and powdery mildew were the most common diseases found, Keinath said. The only major change to this years recommendations is an emphasis on systemic fungicides for managing gummy stem blight. I have preliminary data which shows the use of systemic fungicides not only reduces disease severity but also inhibits the formation of fungal spores to a greater extent than protectants.

Gummy stem blight produces large, round, target-shaped spots on the edges of leaves and cankers on the stem.

Downy mildew, powdery mildew and anthracnose also are addressed in the spray guide. Downy mildew begins as dark, irregular spots that spread quickly on watermelon plants leaves, causing them to curl.

Powdery mildew produces yellow spots on the tops of leaves and white powdery mildew on the undersides.

Both diseases can be detrimental to watermelon crops, Keinath said. Powdery mildew can lead to 43 percent fewer melons, while crops infected with downy mildew produce fruit with less sugar and plants may produce fewer melons. Both downy and powdery mildew can lead to sun burning and sun scalding of fruit not shaded by leaves.

Anthracnose starts as dark, irregular leaf spots with points resembling a star. This disease also affects vines and fruit. Fruit with any anthracnose spots are not marketable.

Spraying fungicides can help lessen the damage of these diseases on watermelon crops, Keinath said.

In addition to disease information, the Watermelon Spray Guide for 2017 features a step-by-step spraying guide, as well as fungicide programs for spring crops and fall crops. It can be found at http://bit.ly/2kRd7a8.

Keinath and Rennberger also have written the fact sheet Powdery Mildew on Watermelon to provide more information about the symptoms and signs of powdery mildew, as well as how it spreads. It lists fungicides to manage powdery mildew on watermelons. This fact sheet can be found at http://bit.ly/2l4x1tz.

Information from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture shows watermelons can be grown in all counties in South Carolina. Commercial production is centered in the Lowcountry and Sandhills regions. The watermelon planting season in South Carolina begins in late March in the Coastal Region.
On July 25, 1974, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan delivered a blistering opening statement before the House Judiciary Committee to consider articles of impeachment for then-President Richard Nixon. The legendary congresswoman stated, A hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution.

I never would have imagined Jordans words holding such relevance today. In 2017, our democracy is in a fragile state.

There are many who can sense the blood in the water, anticipating every opportunity to pounce and capitalize on the calamity taking place at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I, however, take no joy in what is unfolding. What we are witnessing is a sobering reminder of how much we rely on the fundamental goodness and patriotism of our elected leaders.

It was bad that multiple individuals close to President Donald Trump  including top campaign advisers Paul Manafort, Carter Page, Roger Stone and Jared Kushner  were found to have close ties to the Russian government and may have colluded in the WikiLeaks attack.

It was bad when Attorney General Jeff Sessions had to recuse himself from taking part in an investigation into the attacks because he too had questionable meetings with members of the Russian government during his own confirmation hearings.

And it was bad when we found out the president knew that National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn failed to disclose significant cash payments from both Russia and Turkey. Yet the president refused to do anything about it for 18 days as Flynn continued to receive classified briefings about the risk to our national security.

But when Trump fired FBI Director James Comey  the individual charged with leading the investigation into the Trump campaigns collusion with the Russians -- after Comey rebuffed Trumps request to halt the FBIs investigation into Michael Flynn, he not only attempted to influence a federal investigation and obstruct justice, he attacked a fundamental pillar of our democracy  that no man is above the law.

Like most millennials, I did not witness Watergate hearings firsthand. But I am a true student of history and I understand that the first article of impeachment against President Nixon was obstruction of justice. Unfortunately, the circumstances we face today make Watergate look like a third-rate burglary.

And please keep in mind that no one is arguing whether or not the Russian government did it. In fact, the U.S. intelligence community unanimously agrees that they did. The only question is whether those close to the Trump campaign, members of the administration, or even the president himself participated.

This is espionage.

Now ask yourself if this attack action constitutes an act of war.

Well, according to the Constitution, Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason.

If an American citizen colluded with the Russians to interfere with Novembers election and that interference is considered an act of war, then that citizen is guilty of treason.

Now we have come to the point where the president of the United States has given above top-secret intelligence to the Russians  who, to be clear, are not our friends. Legally, the president has the ultimate declassifying authority. However, Trump literally put lives at risk by sharing this sensitive information gathered by our trusted allies.

At what point will the GOP take a stand and place country before party? Trump is single-handedly endangering our national security, yet the leaders of our great state  Mark Sanford, Trey Gowdy, Tom Rice, Joe Wilson, Jeff Duncan and Henry McMaster  are silent as church mice.

For the sake of our democracy, when will enough be enough? Now more than ever, our country needs integrity and true courage from our elected leaders.
During the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, The Washington Post and The New York Times were furious competitors in breaking news about the Nixon administration and its scandals. Today, both are on the front line of reporting about the Trump administration.

Columbia Journalism Review is reporting on the rising tide of readership for both publications, quoting Times columnist Nick Kristof in his assessment of the competition between the publications as the best kind of newspaper war.

And The Posts Margaret Sullivan writes, The two papers have been answering each others major scoops like smitten teens volleying text messages.

CJR notes it wasnt long ago both papers were considered in dire straights. Back in 2013, while the Times was struggling to attract digital subscribers and tweaking its paywall, Jeff Bezoss purchase of the Post was seen by some as quixotic adventurism. Four years later, both outlets have stabilized their financial footing, and news consumers are reaping the benefits.

As much as CJR is right about the so-called reporting wars continuing, our previous forecast is playing out across the board. Donald Trumps attacks on the media and its place in our democracy have led to more people taking a closer look at news. And mainstream journalism has benefited as people look to established organizations for information.

Make no mistake, however, the fact that newspapers and television reporting on the workings of Washington is a hot commodity does not mean the media are popular. Many people are convinced media are biased against President Donald Trump. And there is legitimate reason to reach such a conclusion.

The public has difficulty distinguishing between reporting and commentary because the national media, particularly television, have married the two to the detriment of journalistic objectivity.

Pick a television talk show on any night on the major networks and try to distinguish between the promotions of breaking news and the opining that accompanies reporting of such. Its difficult. And moving from network to network, its hard to believe you are getting reports on the same days news.

Television is not alone with its detractors. The Post and The Times, for example, are ridiculed as biased in their reporting because of their traditionally liberal-leaning editorial positions and their ownership. And they face increased scrutiny over the use of unnamed sources in the reporting on matters pertaining to Trump.

The president is likely to continue attacking the reporting, with his supporters contending Washington insiders have joined the press in leaking information specifically designed to undermine the administration. Yet no matter the motivation of those providing information and the press credibility risk in reporting without named sources, the reporting frenzy with so many journalists seeking stories has checks and balances. If you get it wrong, the credibility cost can be high.

Mistakes do not mean reporting on Trump is an exercise in fake news. In fact, the mainstream media at this juncture are determined to establish that they are the legitimate alternative to fake news.

Rich Shumate, a media historian and former news editor at CNN, writes for mediashift.org:

Fake news and the concept of alternative facts have arisen today largely because people who have not been trained as journalists, or inculcated in journalistic values, are now behaving as journalists. Any fool with a computer can become a publisher, which inevitably leads to foolishness.  But the good news is that although the pendulum may have swung somewhat away from confidence in news credibility, history provides some comfort that it can swing back.

Despite the blurring of lines between objectivity and so-called spin, and the official disdain for media coming from the highest voices in the land, the best news of all, is, quoting Shumate: People who care about facts, and having training in standards, are once again asserting themselves on the publics behalf.
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell this week announced the statewide 2016-2017 Spring Membership Drive for the South Carolina Sheriffs Association is under way.

An active member of the SCSA, Ravenell invites county citizens to join the Association as an honorary member.

The SCSA provides aggressive advocacy using the strong unified voice of South Carolinas 46 elected sheriffs, he said. Ravenell said the Association is a key player in shaping state policy on public safety and crime prevention, as well as providing critical training to sheriffs teams.

Membership appeals will be sent out through a direct mail piece over the coming days. Individuals choosing to join the voluntary program can do so for as little as $25, while businesses can show their support for a $50 contribution.

Ravenell said the funding provides critically important technical resources, training and legislative support on key criminal justice issues. It is important note that contributions are tax deductible, he said.

Ravenell said that not everyone has the ability to join the SCSA. The financial support as well as support through other means is deeply appreciated, he said.

Individuals who do not receive a membership appeal and would like more information can contact the SCSA by at 803-772-1101 or online at www.sheriffsc.com. They can also be reached by mail at 112 Westpark Blvd., Columbia, SC 29210.

The sheriff would like to remind everyone that the South Carolina Sheriffs Association does not solicit via telemarketing. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be calling on behalf of the SCSA, know that it is fraudulent and hang up.

Ravenell said he encourages the community to partner with the SCSA to help fight for safer places to live, work and play.
Calhoun County Sheriff's Office

A skid-steer loader worth $49,000 was reported stolen on May 2.

The complainant reported the skid-steer loader, which belongs to Anderson Columbia Construction company, was taken from its location at 138 Access Road near Gaston.

In other reports:

A deputy on May 11 stopped the driver of a gold Cadillac who was following a vehicle too closely and veering off to the left side of the road on Interstate 26.

When he approached the vehicle, the officer detected the odor of marijuana. In a search, the deputy found six grams of cocaine, six grams of crack cocaine and five grams of marijuana on the passenger side of the vehicle.

The driver was cited for driving too close and driving to the left of the lane. The passenger was arrested and transported to the Law Enforcement Complex and charged with possession of cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana.

An employee of the Pilot gas station at 1300 Burke Road near St. Matthews reported May 10 that a man and a woman stole several medical items and a radar detector RAD45. The suspects left the station in a black Honda Accord, the report states.

A Swansea man reported May 16 that someone stole his truck, which had a camper top and was towing a trailer with an ATV on it, while he was inside a gas station buying a cup of coffee.

He said he left his keys in his burgundy Ford F-150 while he went inside the store and someone drove off in it.

The truck was towing a 5- by 10-foot trailer containing a 2007 Honda Foreman all terrain vehicle.

The total value of the stolen items is $12,500, the report states.

A resident of Cranbrook Drive in Holly Hill reported May 8 that her gray 2003 Nissan Altima was stolen after she left it at Murph Mill Road and Columbia Road.

She said she took the keys to the vehicle with her when she left it.

The vehicle is valued at $3,000, the report states.

While on patrol on I-26 westbound, a deputy pulled over the driver of a Dodge Charger with illegally tinted windows at mile marker 124.

While checking the driver, a Calhoun Falls man, the deputy detected the odor of marijuana.

The driver admitted he had a weapon behind his seat. During a search, the deputy found a marijuana blunt under the seat and a black 9mm High Point handgun that had been reported stolen by the Lincolnton Police Department, the report states.

The vehicle was towed, and the driver was charged with unlawful carry of a handgun, possession of a stolen handgun and simple possession of marijuana.

A deputy on May 9 stopped the driver of a Mercury Grand Marquis that had a tag on it registered to a Kia Optima.

During the stop, the deputy detected the odor of marijuana, the report states.

The driver was charged with simple possession of marijuana. The passenger was not charged.

St. Matthews Police Department

A resident of Bynum Street in St. Matthews reported May 4 that two people who had been involved in an automobile wreck filed a false police report and submitted false information to police on May 3.

The woman gave police the name of the person who was driving, an Elloree man. The complainant reported that a passenger in the car, a St. Matthews woman, had told officers she was driving at the time of the accident. She told police the Elloree man had actually been driving.

Both suspects admitted that they had lied to police. The driver was charged with giving false information to police, filing a false police report and no driver's license. The passenger was charged with giving false information to police, filing a false police report and unlawfully permitting an unauthorized person to drive a motor vehicle.
State lawmakers are considering creating a new teacher training center in Orangeburg.

The training center will help teachers just starting out and get new teachers into the district, said Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman.

The Senate version of the state budget includes $100,000 for the program. The House version of the state budget does not include the money.

Lawmakers will continue their budget talks when they return to Columbia on Tuesday.

The teacher training center will not include a physical building. The instruction will be provided within the existing facilities of Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5.

Think of it more as an instructional program for professional development, not a facility, OCSD5 spokesman Bill Clark said.

The center has been proposed with the intent of positively impacting the ability of the district to recruit and retain effective teachers, he added. If funded, it will provide teachers with an opportunity to receive professional development training that will enhance their skills and outcomes for their students.

Dr. Cynthia Cash-Greene, OCSD5 chief instructional services officer, will head the effort.

The ultimate goal basically is to support the recruitment and retention of our staff, Cash-Greene said.

She said the effort is designed to ensure academic success for our students.

Training will focus on current South Carolina teaching standards, the SC ADEPT evaluation tool, the Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool, instructional strategies and other targeted topics.

Sessions will be held during the summer. They will be held in conjunction with professional development training already given to teachers throughout the year.

Clark said these sessions are planned as an advanced orientation to make new teachers comfortable before classes.

Were looking for the ability to give our teachers the opportunity to get ahead, Clark said.

He added that the program has been specifically written for OCSD5.

Cash-Greene said the sessions will ensure standards are interpreted correctly while also pushing district initiatives.

Matthews expects the training center will go into effect in June once the appropriations bill is passed.
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By Sara Israfilbayova

Oil extended gains as Saudi Arabia announced that all producers participating in output cuts agree on prolonging the deal through the first quarter of 2018.

On the New York Stock Exchange NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) cost of the US Light crude oil increased $0.41 to stand at $50.74.

Price of the Brent crude oil at the London ICE (InterContinental Exchange Futures) rose $0.42 to trade at $54.03.

An extension into next year will help producers reach their goal of trimming global stockpiles to a five-year average, Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said Sunday.

Iraqs Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said almost all countries participating in the cut had agreed to extend it, though there was no consensus yet on how long the extension should be. Some ministers say nine months, some ministers think six months, al-Luaibi said Sunday in an interview in Jordan. Iraq is OPECs second-largest producer; Saudi Arabia, the biggest.

Oil has climbed as OPECs de-facto leader Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC member Russia backed a nine-month extension to the output-cut deal reached in late 2016.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1.

The Cartel will meet in Vienna on May 25.
By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

The number of ports connected to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) will be increased, said Taleh Ziyadov, the Director General of the Baku International Sea Trade Port CJSC.

Ziyadov announced about this while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the second meeting of sister ports within the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) in Baku.

Along with the Baku International Sea Trade Port, Kazakh ports of Aktau and Kuryk, as well as Turkish port of Samsun are also involved in the route, said Ziyadov.

We expect their number to increase, he added.

The Trans-Caspian international transport route, which is created to provide transport connections between the East and West of Eurasia, runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then to Europe via Turkey and Ukraine. The route was launched with the establishment of its Coordinating Committee in October 2013.

In January, 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine decided to apply the competitive tariffs for cargo transportation via the TITR. New competitive tariffs were introduced for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route since June 1, 2016.

In October 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia signed an agreement on the establishment of the International Association of TITR, whose office is located in Astana. Its activities are aimed at attracting transit and foreign trade cargo, as well as on the development of integrated logistics products via TITR.

About 300,000-400,000 containers are expected to be transported via the Trans-Caspian international transport route by 2020, bringing huge financial profits to Azerbaijan.
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijans young talent won the talent contest "Talent 2017" in Sweden.

18-year-old Ibrahim Nasrullayev won the talent contest organized by the Swedish TV channel TV4, Swedish media reported.

In the final, he won the hearts of millions of viewers with a song "Hold My Heart".

Nasrullayev, together with his family, immigrated to Sweden a year ago. In just one year the young man learned Swedish and he is now fluent in it.

After his brilliant victory, Nasrullayev announced that part of the price money, which is half a million kroons, he will donate to the school where he studied Swedish.

In 2012, he won a Grand Prix Award of the competition and was awarded a Shining Star diploma. He also successfully performed at the 7th International Competition for Academic Vocal, which was held in Estonia.




By Trend





Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev met with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces on May 21.

The sides noted at the meeting that bilateral relations between the countries are at a high level and develop dynamically.

The increase in the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from the UAE and the flights between the two countries was emphasized, and the availability of good potential for expanding trade ties between the two countries was noted.

During the meeting, the sides noted good prospects for cooperation in the fields of investment, energy, petrochemistry, transport, tourism, agriculture, health care, participation of the UAE in a free trade zone, which is being created in Azerbaijan, as well as exchanged views on these issues.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijani and Georgian Defense Ministers have discussed the bilateral military cooperation in Tbilisi, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry reported on May 22.

Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, who is on an official visit to Georgia, met with Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria in Tbilisi and exchanged views on the prospective areas of cooperation in the military sphere, fields of military medicine and education, and on other issues of mutual interest.

Touching upon the military and political situation in the region, the parties emphasized the importance of ensuring regional stability. The ministers especially noted the contribution of relations in this format to the security and development of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

After the meeting, Hasanov and Izoria held a press conference for representatives of mass media.

Then the Azerbaijani delegation laid a wreath to the Heroes Memorial in Heroes Square in Tbilisi and honored the memory of citizens who died for the independence and territorial integrity of Georgia.

Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey actively cooperate in the military sphere. The countries have developed a trilateral format involving meetings at the level of defense ministers. The last such meeting was held in Gabala in May 2016, where the sides decided to hold trilateral military exercises.




By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan has called on the European Parliament and other international organizations to support the Peace Platform between Armenia and Azerbaijan, said Samad Seyidov, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on international and inter-parliamentary relations.

Seyidov announced about this after a meeting between members of Azerbaijan`s Parliament and a delegation led by chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee and member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Germany David McAllister Baku on May 22, Trend reported.

This message is voiced both at the European Parliament, here, and at other international organizations, Seyidov said when talking to reporters.

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Platform for Peace was founded in December 2016 in Baku by a group of Azerbaijani and Armenian public figures and peacekeepers. It was created to bring together representatives of civil society of the two countries for creating dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the sides to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Seyidov noted that Azerbaijan is ready for negotiations and for establishing ties, however, the consent of the opposite side is questionable.

He further expressed confidence that open and free relations between the committees will raise the relations between the Azerbaijani Parliament and the European Parliament to a high level, and also play a big role in conveying to the European public the truth about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years. Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

David McAllister, after the talks at the Azerbaijani Parliament, noted that the European Parliament has always supported Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Azertac reported.

"Azerbaijan is a secular country. We think that Azerbaijan can serve as a bridge between Europe, the Muslim world and Asia. We appreciate Azerbaijan's role in promoting intercultural dialogue and are well aware of the importance of the country from the geographical view point. We have to strengthen cooperation with Azerbaijan, as well as our support for the reforms carried out in the country," he said.

He further said that MEPs, who visited the Nagorno-Karabakh without Bakus permission, dont act on behalf of the European Parliament.

McAllister noted that the visit of European Parliament representatives to the occupied lands without Azerbaijans permission is their personal initiative.

The visit wasnt paid on behalf of the European Parliament, and they didnt speak on behalf of this organization, said the official, recalling that the European Parliament didnt recognize the referendum held in Nagorno-Karabakh on February 20.




By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned as leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) - Turkey's ruling party on May 21.

The April referendum expanded the powers of the Turkish president allowing him to be both the head of state and belong to a political party. Erdogan co-founded the AKP in 2001, and the political party has ruled the country since its 2002 election win.

The Justice and Development Party is the guarantor of reforms and democracy, the locomotive of reforms in Turkey, Erdogan said addressing the Third Extraordinary Congress of the AKP in Ankara, Anadolu reported.

Speaking to tens of thousands of people, Erdogan outlined a vision for its immediate future and elections scheduled for November 2019 with new executive and grassroots teams.

The head of state recalled that over the 15 years of the AKP's rule, Turkey's agenda, priorities, problems and expectations changed.

"The coming months will be like spring for every single area in Turkey, from fighting terrorism to the economy, from rights and freedoms to expanding investments, he added.

He also said the trouble which is suffered on the way to the nation's service is no burden but an honor.

Erdogan vowed to keep Turkey's state of emergency until Turkey achieves peace and welfare. He cited the casualties from last July's coup attempt by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

"In my country, they tried to overthrow the state, and we gave 249 martyrs, and had 2,193 injured," said Erdogan. "How dare you ask us to lift the state of emergency?"

He stressed: "It will not be lifted. Until when? Until our situation reaches welfare and peace."

After the deadly coup attempt last July 15, Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20. Under the Constitution, a state of emergency can be declared for a maximum six-month period, but can also be extended.

Erdogan further said that Turkey and the Turkish nation can no longer tolerate any more FETO attempts at treason, also warning, "If the fight [against FETO] cant be waged as powerfully as needed, our country will face much graver danger."

President Erdogan also blasted the EUs treatment of Turkey amid strained ties, especially over a promise of visa-free travel for Turkish citizens in the Schengen zone as well as 3 billion euros to help Syrian refugees in Turkey.

"We should no longer tolerate the EU's duplicity, which came to the point of offending the honor of our country and nation," said Erdogan.

He added: "Either the EU keeps its promises to us, grants free movement [in the Schengen zone], sends the aid which they committed for refugees, and lift the blocks on opening and closing [accession] chapters, or lets all go our own way."
By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia does not see any problems in the implementation of the memorandum on de-escalation zones in Syria, which was signed in Astana, although "it doesnt go without patches and roughness," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, RIA Novosti reported.

"I do not see any problems with the implementation of the memorandum signed in Astana, apart from the somewhat ideological position of our American colleagues, who, as I understand it, reject the status of Iran as a guarantor of the implementation of this memorandum," Ryabkov told reporters.

According to the Deputy Minister, "taking into account the complexity of the situation in Syria it doesnt go without rough edges, but this is not a sign that the document is in question or requires revision."

"On the contrary, just concluded sixth round of Geneva talks under the auspices of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura confirmed that no one puts the effectiveness of Astana as a process and the efficiency of the work done there in doubt, he said.

Ryabkov further mentioned that the contacts will be continued at the expert level. We consider this memorandum to be an effective instrument for solving the problem of stabilizing the situation and strengthening the ceasefire regime," he concluded.

Earlier, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Moscow is already working as an intermediary in the settlement of relations between the U.S. and Iran.

Previously, Russia, Turkey and Iran signed a memorandum on creating four zones at talks involving the Syrian government and opposition groups in Kazakhstans capital.

The civil war in Syria between government and opposition with various terrorist groups involved, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), began back in March 2011.

Syrian President Bashar Assad managed to turn the tide of war in his favor after Russia started an air campaign in September 2015, while Iran is an uncompromising supporter of the Syrian leader.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the countrys pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia and Turkey have signed a joint statement on mutual lifting of trade restrictions, as Deputy Prime Ministers Arkady Dvorkovich and Mehmet Simsek inked the document on the sidelines of the BSEC summit on May 22.

The signing ceremony was attended by the two countries' Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev and Binali Yildirim.

Medvedev attended the summit of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), on the margins of which he held talks with his Turkish counterpart.

As the Russian government's press service reported, during the visit to Istanbul the Russian prime minister is also expected to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Although Turkey and Russia could mend relations after a long-crisis due to Turkeys downing a Russian warplane in November 2015, a number of sanctions imposed on Turkish goods, as well as a strict visa regime on Turkish nationals have not been lifted for a long time.

The meeting held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 3 has marked the "full-format" restoration of bilateral ties and focused on trade restrictions and barriers lifting. During this meeting, Russia and Turkey agreed upon comprehensive settlement of restrictions in bilateral economic relations.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

International Day of Families was celebrated in the integrated boarding school No 11 in Bilgah settlement of Baku.

The event, organized by the Education Ministry, was attended by the representatives of the ministry and the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, as well as teacher stuff and pupils.

Director of the school Gulnara Abdullayeva, addressing the event, mentioned that the boarding school was reopened after reconstruction on March 1.

Abdullayeva also noted that the Azerbaijani government created necessary conditions for high-level education of students.

At the event, children together with students of the Arts College under the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts painted pictures on asphalt, which were dedicated to the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games Baku 2017. In addition, pupils from the sanatorium type boarding school No 10, integrated boarding school No 11, and boarding school No 1 for children deprived of parental care planted flowers in the yard of the school.

The event also marked the birthdays of pupils from all three boarding schools, who were born in May.

A total of 796 students study in general education classes, while 163 pupils attend special classes in the school.




By Trend





Romania is willing to develop relations with Azerbaijan not only in the spheres of politics and economy, but also in the spheres of culture and education, Ambassador of Romania to Azerbaijan Dan Iancu said on May 22.

He made the remarks in Baku during a press conference dedicated to the 1st Azerbaijan-Romania Inter-University Forum to be held at the ADA University in Baku on May 24-25.

Representatives of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, as well as rectors and pro-rectors of a number of Romanian universities will arrive in Azerbaijan within the framework of the forthcoming forum.

The diplomat said that Azerbaijan and Romania have been successfully developing relations in many spheres for 25 years, but the energy sector has always been priority area.

The diplomat noted that the sides intend to pay attention to the expansion of educational and cultural ties between the two countries.

Education quality in Romania is one of the highest in Europe, he said, especially noting the countrys educational potential in the oil and gas, as well as the medical sphere.

The diplomat noted that Romanian universities offer a variety of educational programs, both in English and Romanian.

He added that the representatives of the two countries education ministries plan to sign a number of agreements during the upcoming visit.

In the end, the diplomat expressed his readiness to further strengthen cooperation between Azerbaijan and Romania in all areas.
Boeing has signed several defence and commercial agreements with Saudi Arabia, bolstering their partnership and creating thousands of jobs in both the US and Saudi Arabia during a visit by US President Donald Trump to the kingdom.



President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were joined by King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif Al Saud and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud at a signing ceremony that included Boeing products and services.



Among the announcements:



 Agreements to purchase Chinook helicopters and associated support services as well as guided weapon systems.



 Saudi Arabias intent to order P-8 maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, which are based on the Boeing 737 commercial airplane.



 A joint venture with the Kingdom to provide sustainment services for a wide range of military platforms. The agreement also supports Saudi Arabias efforts to grow its indigenous aerospace industry and ecosystem through its Vision 2030 initiative.



 A commercial registration certificate for the Saudi Rotorcraft Support Company, a newly formed joint venture between Boeing, Alsalam Aerospace Industries and Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries with bases in both Riyadh and Jeddah that will provide support for both military and commercial helicopters.



 An agreement between Boeing and SaudiGulf Airlines to negotiate the sale of up to 16 widebody airplanes.



These announcements reaffirm our commitment to the economic growth, prosperity and national security of both Saudi Arabia and the United States, helping to create or sustain thousands of jobs in our two countries, said Boeing chairman, president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who also participated in the Saudi-US CEO Forum.



Our decades-long partnership with the Kingdom began in 1945 when President Roosevelt presented a DC-3 to King Abdul Aziz Al Saud, launching commercial air travel in the region. We welcome the opportunity to continue that support. I appreciate the efforts of King Salman, President Trump and his administration to support American manufacturers as we seek to grow at home and around the world, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of Saudi Arabia has announced the establishment of HUB1006, an operating entity for a series of entrepreneurial hubs focused on growing the SME and start-up sectors across the Kingdom.



HUB1006 was launched during the Impact to Innovation (i2i) Roundtable, organiaed as part of the US presidential visit, in order to realise the goals of Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Programme (NTP) led by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.



HUB1006 will be established as an operating body with strategic relationships with CIC-Venture Cafe Global Institute, a public benefit corporation with an international network focused on promoting entrepreneurship, and Deloitte, the largest professional services firm in the world.



MTA Holdings, an investment company, is a founder of the initiative. The partner organizations will provide their expertise and know-how to help ensure that the Hub offers the necessary resources to help SMEs and start-ups succeed.



The SME Authority will launch its first entrepreneurial Hub as a pilot project in King Abdullah Economic City in partnership with Emaar Economic City, Economic Cities Authority and Mohammed Bin Salman College. The hub will actively encourage Saudi and international entrepreneurs & SME owners to locate their new ventures in HUB1006 by providing a creative ecosystem that offers a range of physical and digital solutions necessary to stimulate growth, remove bureaucratic barriers associated with growing a business in Saudi Arabia, drive innovation and overcome obstacles associated with starting a new business.



Designed to be a launch pad for SMEs and start-ups in the Middle East, HUB1006 will serve as the physical and virtual exchange between Saudi Arabia and the world, creating an environment that facilitates access to professional and legal services, affordable office space, venture capital, learning and development, as well as government services.



The SME Authority has plans to grow the Hub by establishing additional network offices in other parts of the Kingdom, such as Riyadh and Jeddah, with an ultimate goal to expand its reach and scalability across the whole of the Middle East.



Currently, there are approximately two million SMEs in Saudi Arabia, which contribute 20% to the Kingdoms GDP; the introduction of HUB1006 will help increase this to 35% by 2030, in line with Vision 2030 and NTP goals. SMEs and start-ups in Saudi Arabia face slow and complex legal and administrative procedures and struggle to attract the necessary skills, capabilities and funding. This is a common problem facing many emerging countries.



As part of the Vision 2030, the SME Authoritys task is to remove such obstacles by facilitating access to funding and enabling youth and entrepreneurs to grow and market their ideas and products.



Dr Ghassan Al Sulaiman, governor of the SME Authority, said: We are launching HUB1006 to facilitate the growth of the entrepreneurship sector and to drive innovation across a wide range of industries. The new operating platform will adopt an inclusive approach, bringing together men and women from across the Kingdom and other parts of the world to grow the collective value proposition of the entrepreneurial community. By establishing HUB1006 the government will boost employment, especially amongst the younger Saudi population, and create a more sustainable economic model that allows all citizens to thrive.



Travis Sheridan, president of CIC Venture Cafe Global Institute, said: Every large, multi-national company was once a start-up. More importantly, innovators are the ones who will continue to improve the world. We look forward to seeing the next generation of world-changing companies scaling within the Kingdom. The mission of Venture Cafe is to connect innovators to make things happen. As we build out a global network of innovation communities, we are pleased to establish a strategic relationship with MTA Holdings.



John Kerr, vice-chairman, Global Consulting at Deloitte, added: There is global excitement about Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and as the largest professional services firm in the world, we are deeply committed to bringing our best in class capabilities to this initiative. Leveraging the digital platform to enable SMEs in the Kingdom could be a game changer and we are delighted to be a part of this with the SME Authority and MTA Holdings.



Rajeev Lalwani, Middle East leader Deloitte Digital, said: In what is perhaps a unique example of public-private partnership in the digital space, we are co-creating a platform in Saudi Arabia to enable SMEs transition from an analogue to digital economy.  TradeArabia News Service
Barwa Real Estate Company, a leading real estate developer in Qatar, has awarded a construction contract worth QR112.5 million ($31 million) to Insha Contracting and Trading Company for the second phase of its ambitious Madinat Al Mawater project.



The Barwa announcement comes following the success of the project's first phase.



Located on Salwa International Road, at the intersection leading to Rawdat Rashid and opposite Aqua Park, Madinat Al Mawater project will be the largest destination in Qatar for the sale, purchase and maintenance of used cars as well as their spare parts.



It will also include residential units, a petrol station and vehicle inspection service (Fahes), in addition to service areas including restaurants, mosques, and allocated area for auctions, traffic and health services among other services for both tenants and visitors, said the developer.



Insha Contracting and Trading Company, which completed Phase One of Madinat Al Mawater project, aims to finish Phase Two work within a year.



Group CEO Salman bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi said Barwa was committed to exert all efforts to complete the development of the project and all its phases in the shortest possible time, "as it is a source of pride for the group".



Al Mohannadi said the group was now preparing a market survey to identify the needs of the used car market so as to fulfil them in the next phases of the project.



With a total built-up area of 35,607 sq m, Phase Two comprises 59 used car showrooms, 176 residential units, 10 commercial shops and five workshops, in addition to the necessary infrastructure, including two power substations, internal connecting roads and networks for drinking water, fire, irrigation, rainwater, sewage and surveillance cameras with all related services such as pump rooms, water and irrigation tanks, as well as sewage treatment plant.



Furthermore, it will include a petrol station and vehicle inspection service area with a total area of 26,000 sq m.



Al Mohannadi pointed out that Barwa had completed the signing of all lease contracts of Phase One of the project.

"Impressed with the confidence and support shown by the tenants for the first phase of the project, Barwa has rewarded them by giving 50 per cent discount on their rent value for the first six months, starting from the expiry of the grace period of three months," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Tanzanias luxury furniture brand Molocaho by Amorette is making its debut at the Index Design Series 2017 expo in Dubai in a big way with the launch of M-Luxury Chair, the worlds only Tanzanite encrusted hardwood chair worth $98,000.



A leading interiors and design trade show in the Middle East region, Index Design Series 2017 kicked off in Dubai, UAE today (May 22) and will run for the next three days.



The company brings the elegant work of art designed by Jacqueline Mengi, Tanzanias award-winning furniture designer as they venture to bring Africas unparalleled luxury to the Middle East.



Mengi, the former Tanzanian beauty queen-turned entrepreneur, had launched Amorette to deliver turnkey solution to interior decoration and styling for her top-notch customers.



Curating unique pieces, fabrics and art for elegant homes led Mengi to pursue her own ambition, ultimately propelling her to establish the flagship brand Molocaho by Amorette.



Today, the company designs and manufactures object D'Art and bespoke furniture, inspired by her creativity, passion and eye for detail.



Handcrafted by master craftsmen, its debut product in the Dubai show, M-Luxury Chair is a hallmark of the best from Africa; its unique design is a pinnacle of luxury, built to perfection using century old techniques and the worlds famous hardwood Pterocarpus angolensis and Mninga.



Emanating power and wealth, the iconic majestic chair is lush of comfort and timeless grandeur, inspired by ancient throne of tribal kings. Encrusted with Tanzanite, a priceless, ageless and rare gemstone only found in Tanzania, this limited edition of only 20, masterpiece and comes with authenticity certificate.



Complimenting the M Chair exhibit at Index Design Series 2017, Molocaho by Amorette collection includes award winning Ngoro Ngoro Settee, the Sayari Lamp as well as carefully curated mix of distinctive and vibrant pieces, manufactured meticulously to perfection by a team of expert artisans.



This luxury showcase embodies exquisite high quality fabrics that endorse global spirit and the famous Tanzanian hardwood, all immersed in glamorous and grandeur of contemporary design, said the former Tanzanian beauty queen.



"Growing trend for ultra luxury furniture and installations amongst affluent clients extends to encompass collectible statement pieces rather than ordinary elements," remarked Mengi.



"Unveiling our M-Collection is a revolutionary step set to change the landscape within the interior design industry. We are honoured to receive a nomination by Index Design Series, this is a true testament of our design philosophy and contribution that goes beyond our own brand," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
Healthpoint, the multi-specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi and part of Mubadalas Healthcare network, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Childrens National Medical Center (CNMC), Washington, D C, US, to build a closer collaboration in pediatric subspecialty care.

CNMC will continue to send visiting physicians to Healthpoint over the next few months as part of the successful visiting physicians programme currently in place, and will soon manage the pediatric department alongside Healthpoint by the end of 2017 providing the opportunity of international care standards in Abu Dhabi.

The MoU covers key areas such as clinical and operational expertise of pediatric service lines including outpatient and inpatient as well as implementation of quality standards and protocols as per CNMCs standards. Both CNMC and Healthpoint successfully hosted three visiting surgeon programmes in 2016 which benefitted more than 40 pediatric patients. There are six additional programmes scheduled for this year including cardiology, genetics, neurology, orthopedics, pulmonary, and gastroenterology.

Childrens National is one of just four pediatric hospitals ranked in the top 20 in every specialty in the US News and World Report 2016-17 Best Childrens Hospital Survey. It is also the only exclusive provider of pediatric care in the Washington, D.C. area in the US.

CNMC cared for 68 childrens cases from the UAE in 2016 which emphasises the importance of the availability of expertise locally to reduce traveling abroad for medical treatment, the statement said.

Suhail Mahmood Al Ansari, chairman of Healthpoint and executive director of Mubadala Healthcare, said: In pursuit of our commitment to provide patient-centric and world-class healthcare, Healthpoint continually explores strategic collaborations with key institutions. Our partnership with Childrens National Medical Center is key to ensuring that the worlds best pediatric care is given to our patients, as well as allowing our staff to learn best practices. More importantly, with expertise available, our patients need not travel far to get the quality care they wish for.

Al Ansari also added that Healthpoint has invested in new and dedicated pediatric inpatient suits to open this summer with a whole new pediatric wing to open mid-October.

When we first looked at the opportunity to bring our world-class expertise to the region, we knew Healthpoint and Mubadala Healthcare were the right partners, based on their record of collaboration and commitment to excellent patient care. Working in partnership with Healthpoint will allow both organisations to learn and grow from one another, and we look forward to bringing a new level of pediatric care to Abu Dhabi and the entire region, said Dr Kurt Newmann, CEO, CNMC.  TradeArabia News Service
Agthia Group, a top food and beverage group in the UAE, has reported net profit of Dh52 million ($14.1 million) for the first quarter (Q1) of 2017, while net revenue grew 7 per cent from Q1 2016 to reach Dh521 million ($142 million).



The higher revenue was led by the Groups flagship Water business and, in particular, the performance of recently acquired Delta Water in Saudi Arabia, which was incorporated within Agthias results for the first time.



Lower animal feed sales, utility tariff increases and a challenging macroeconomic climate moderated profitability despite a rigorous programme of internal cost optimisation.



Dhafer Ayed Al Ahbabi, chairman of Agthia, said: Agthia continues to demonstrate that its 2020 strategy is effective in a challenging operating environment. While we anticipate headwinds to prevail throughout the year, the strength of brands within Agthias portfolio of consumer goods will continue to drive growth. On a personal note, I am honoured to be re-elected as Chairman and I look forward to continuing stewardship of this dynamic business as the journey to become the regions leading food and beverage companies continues.



Tariq Al Wahedi, acting chief executive officer of Agthia, said: Led by our thriving Water business, and the growth of innovative products such as Al Ain ZERO, Agthia has had a strong start to 2017 posting healthy profits and a solid increase in revenue. Our organic growth in our consumer segment has been enhanced by the performance of the Delta Water business in Saudi Arabia, while our joint venture with Anderson Hay upholds our commitment to the UAEs farming industry.



The Group is pursuing a five-year strategy aimed at becoming one of the Middle Easts leading food and beverage companies. The cornerstone of this strategy is expanding the Agthias water business, led by the Al Ain and sodium-free Al Ain ZERO brands. The division has seen strong and fast-growing sales in 2017 and, to meet customer demand, Agthia launched a 5-Gallon Al Ain ZERO bottle size earlier this month to cater to the home and office market.



Agthia recently announced that it was entering a joint venture with US-based Anderson Hay & Grain, a top one hay exporter, and launched its first premium forage product under the Agrivita Marabe brand. This represents the latest addition to the Groups animal feed portfolio which offers a full-service solution to livestock customers in the UAE.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) executive chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem has conducted a series of meetings with senior government officials of Western Australia (WA) in Perth to enhance bilateral relations and further bolster trade between the DMCC, the worlds leading and most interconnected free zone, and WA.



Bin Sulayem met with Alannah MacTiernan, Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture & Food; Martin Mileham, chief executive officer of the City of Perth and other key officials.



Bin Sulayem and MacTiernan discussed the important role the UAE plays in Australias foreign trade. As the 16th largest trading partner and largest in the Middle East, WA agricultural exports to the UAE was valued at $227 million in 2014-2015, with 12 per cent annual growth. With both Emirates and Etihad airways servicing Perth, there are opportunities to grow higher valued chilled food trade further, a statement said.



Parties also discussed further opportunities for both Australia and the UAE.



MacTiernan said: The UAE is an important trade partner for Australia with two-way goods and services trade worth $8.8 billion. In 2015, the UAE investment in Australia was estimated at $12.5 billion. Further expansions can be achieved by increased research and beyond capital investment we are looking into further opportunities to create a more prolific investment environment. Our government is aware that DMCC has a dedicated Agro Hub with a grains focus offering finance, trade facilitation and a Food Trade Group to encourage industry growth. WA Government is represented in Dubai by Western Australia Trade Office and we look forward to enhance our engagement with the UAE and DMCC.



Bin Sulayem said: With Dubais strategic location providing access to world markets and cutting edge Free Zone infrastructure, we can provide significant value addition and reach for Australian trade. We are determined to work closely with Australia to drive more trade flows through Dubai and help Australian businesses to grow.



Bin Sulayem visited the Council House to hold discussions with Martin Mileham, chief executive officer of the City of Perth. The discussion focused on Dubais and Perths shared focus on infrastructure development and smart technologies, which has high effect on the business environment and Human Development Index (HDI), where both cities were rated at the top as very high human developed. - TradeArabia News Service


Dubais Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has teamed with the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) in launching an initiative enabling motorists to pay for their RTAs fines and seasonal parking card rates in easy instalments.



It involves the offering, through the ADCB, of interest-free payment solutions to clients over various periods, depending on the amount of the fine.



To this effect, the two parties have recently signed a partnership agreement at the RTA Head Office in Dubai. Accordingly, ADCB credit card holders can have their fines, RTA seasonal parking fees paid in instalments in a flexible and a smooth manner.



Yousef Al Reda, CEO of RTAs Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector said: RTA had agreed with the ADCB on a plan for the payment of fines and seasonal parking fees through interest-free instalments over 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.



This agreement aims to bring more happiness to motorists through offering them extended periods for paying their fines or parking card fees with no interests involved. The move is a further step towards cementing the strategic partnership between ADCB and RTA, he added.



Al Reda praised the ADCB, one of the leading national banks in the UAE, for offering innovative financial products & banking services to customers in a way that maximises their satisfaction & happiness.



Omran Taimour, regional head - Branch Banking at ADCB, said: We are proud at ADCB to be the first UAE Bank to tie up with RTA by launching this unique facility that provides our customers with a quick and efficient system of clearing their traffic and parking fines, whilst facilitating payment flexibility and customer convenience. ADCB has always been committed to enhancing the banking experience for its customers, advantage and introduction of this new payment model is an extension of this commitment.



This outstanding initiative stems from the keenness of ADCB to enhance its corporate social responsibility and offer improved banking experience to clients of the bank and RTA. It enables them to pay RTAs fines & seasonal parking card fees through easy, interest-free instalments as selected by the client.  TradeArabia News Service
The all-new Kia Rio, which made its world debut at the 2016 Mondial de lAutomobile in Paris, will go on sale during this quarter.



The B-segment car is the Korean manufacturers second best-selling model globally, with just under 450,000 units sold around the world in 2016, accounting for 15 per cent of Kias annual sales.



Now in its fourth generation, the new Rio stands out thanks to progressive design, class-leasing practicality, more engaging ride and handling and greater safety credentials.



Spencer Cho, director of overseas product marketing, Kia Motors Corporation, commented: As one of our best-selling models worldwide, the Rio is an important car for Kia. The B-segment is a hotly-contested area of the new car market, and the third-generation Rio has introduced more people to the Kia brand than ever before.



The Rios attractive design, low running costs and practical nature have made the car a gateway to the brand, an entry point into Kia ownership for hundreds of thousands of buyers around the world. Its for these reasons that the outgoing model has sold in record numbers. The all-new Rio builds on these strengths and has been designed and engineered to meet the needs and desires of a wider range of buyers  it is now even more desirable thanks to a more enjoyable drive, a striking new design and improved safety.



Exterior design

The Rios progressive new exterior and interior design was led by Kias design centres in Germany and California, in close collaboration with the companys domestic design base in Namyang, Korea. The appearance of the new Rio is defined by straight lines and smooth surfacing, giving the car a distinctive new look and more mature character than its predecessor.



At the front, the Rio wears the latest evolution of Kias tiger-nose grille, now thinner in height and wider across the front of the car, with a gloss black grille mesh and surround. The grille is integrated with the newly-designed headlamps, more sculpted for a sharper look, and featuring an optional new U-shaped LED daytime running light signature. The Rios side vents  which house the cars front fog lamps, depending on market  are moved outwards and upwards in the front bumper compared to their position on the third-generation model, adding greater visual width to the front of the car for a stronger overall look. The longer bonnet features bracket-shaped creases that run down from the base of the A-pillars to the grille and headlamps.



In profile, the fourth-generation Rios lengthened, more balanced stance is achieved with a long bonnet and longer front overhang, a 10 mm longer wheelbase (up to 2,580 mm), a thinner, more upright C-pillar, and a shorter rear overhang. Overall, the new car is 15 mm longer than its predecessor, at 4,065 mm in length, and 5 mm lower (now 1,450 mm tall). Straight, clearly-defined lines run down the full length of the cars shoulder and along its doors, further stretching the appearance of the car for a more confident look.



The rear section of the Rio is now more upright, with a near-vertical rear windscreen. The straight line that runs from the grille, through the headlamps and along the top of the doors, continues around the back of the car, paired with thinner, more sculpted rear lamps, available with optional LEDs which feature a new arrow-shaped light signature. Like the wider-looking face of the car, the rear design of the new Rio gives the car a stronger overall appearance.



The new Rio is manufactured as a five-door model, and is available in a choice of 10 exterior colours, with two different aluminium alloy wheel designs, ranging from 14- to 17-inches in diameter. At the cars entry level, the Rio is equipped with 14-inch steel wheels and stylish wheel covers.



A four-door sedan variant will be added to the all-new Rio lineup in the second half of 2017.



Interior design

The new Kia Rio features a modern new cabin, with sculptural forms and a more ergonomic layout than its predecessor. The interior has also been designed to accommodate the Rios new infotainment system.



Like the exterior, straight lines running the width of the dashboard characterise the shape of the interior, giving the cabin a wider appearance and increasing the sense of space for occupants. As well as long, lateral lines that govern the shape of the dashboard, horizontal vents further add to the visual width of the cabin, replacing the vertical vents of the third-generation model. Gloss black trim lines the central section of the dashboard.



The dashboard itself is now angled towards the driver, a layout which provides the car with a sportier, more driver-focused design and a more premium character. At the centre of the dashboard is a floating HMI (human-machine interface), available as a 5.0-inch touchscreen audio system with six speakers.



Below the infotainment system, the driver-oriented centre console features fewer buttons, with more ergonomic, concave switches and rotator dials below to control the heating and ventilation.



Powertrains

The new Kia Rio is powered by a a choice of lightweight naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter or 1.4-liter MPI (multi-point injection) gasoline engines. The DOHC 16-valve D-CVVT (dual continuously variable valve timing) 1.6-liter engine drives the front wheels and produces up to 123 ps at 6,300 rpm and 151 Nm maximum torque at 4,850 rpm. Meanwhile, its 1.4-liter counterpart produces 100 ps at 6,000 rpm and 133 Nm maximum torque at 4,000 rpm. - TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Aramco, China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) and Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group, have signed the joint development agreement and held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Saudi Aramco-Norinco- Refining, Petrochemical and Retail Project in Panjin, in northeast Chinas Liaoning province.



The idea for this project received a major boost during the visit by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz to China in March 2017, when Saudi Aramco and Norinco signed the project memorandum of understanding (MoU).



Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, who was in Beijing to participate in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, attended the ceremony where Saudi Aramco and Norinco signed an agreement to pave the way for a joint development agreement to build a refining, chemicals, and retail network in Panjin.



Later on site in Panjin, Abdulaziz M Al-Judaimi, senior vice president downstream at Saudi Aramco, attended a groundbreaking event, which was also attended by Yin Jiaxu, chairman of Norinco Group; and Zhang Lei, Liaoning executive deputy governor; Nabil Al Nuaim, president of Aramco Asia; and Gao Ke, Panjin Municipal Party Secretary.



Al-Judaimi said: Norinco and the government of Liaoning province are amongst the best partners to be in this project considering the great value proposition they are bringing to the table. There might be some challenges that we may face in the journey of implementing this project in the future, as in any worthy endeavour, but I am confident that we will be able to overcome them taking into consideration first Saudi Aramcos proven record of project management skills while executing mega projects and second the strong commitment shown by all the stakeholders to work together as one team to make sure this project is a big success.



The governor of Liaoning province Chen Qiufa announced the project commencement and the joint development agreement was signed by Abdulaziz M. Al-Judaimi and Zhao Gang, deputy general manager of Norinco Group.



The project is a key element in Chinas petrochemical industry forward planning and the revitalisation drive for the old industrial base in northeast China. It is a major project in Norincos drive to develop the industrial value chain, facilitating overseas oil exploration and trade, as well as growth in the petrochemical, final chemicals and specialty chemical sectors.



Having completed the environmental impact assessment and won 23 project supporting documents in less than three years, the project obtained final approval from Liaoning Provincial Development and Reform Commission.



The goal of the project is to build a world-class refining and chemical integration base, with global best practice standards of cost-saving, sustainability, and advanced technology. The construction will be based on the principles of integration, clustering development, differentiation and scale up.



The project will further promote the implementation of Chinas Belt & Road initiative and the safe, efficient, and sustainable development of petrochemical industry in China in partnership with the globally recognized enterprise working in this field.



The project will significantly expand Saudi Aramcos footprint in Chinas downstream industry considering the paramount importance of the Chinese economy for Saudi and Saudi Aramcos future investments. It will also enhance the competitiveness of Norincos petrochemical and value-added chemical divisions, and promote the overall economic revitalisation in Liaoning and Panjin. The project will also significantly expand Saudi Aramcos footprint in Chinas downstream industry, said the statement.



"This project will potentially become a key building block in both companies portfolios and a new landmark in the industry since it has all ingredients for integration, optimization, capital efficiency and located in a very promising region. Both partners will bring their best practices in project management and execution and operations to add value to this project," said the statement. - TradeArabia News Service
Browser-based attacks and social engineering are now the two most powerful techniques targeting organisations, a report said, highlighting that both techniques prey upon users as their initial point of entry.



Cyber criminals are going after the weakest link- the employee. Unfortunately for organizations, this means that even after they have invested heavily in IT security technologies, poor security awareness among employees can still result in their systems being breached, explained Ned Baltagi, managing director, Middle East & Africa at SANS Institute, a top provider of cyber security training and certification.



Social exploits are becoming more sophisticated than ever before and even employees with the best intentions, can severely compromise the cyber security of their organisations, he added, commenting on SANS Institutes recent survey titled SANS 2017 Endpoint Risks and Protections.



While users represent the top target leveraged by attackers, vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations or software flaws were also commonly leveraged in attacks against the endpoints, ranking as the third most common source of significant compromise, according to survey respondents. Such vulnerabilities have been responsible for a number of large-scale attacks including the very recent and infamous WannaCry which is considered to be the most successful ransomware campaign to date.



According to the survey, 53 per cent of respondents have knowledge of impactful compromises starting at their endpoints in the past 24 months. And that total doesn't include the 37 per cent who don't know whether they've been compromised or not during that timeframe.



Of the 53 per cent of significant breaches that respondents knew about, just 48 per cent were detected through endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. The remainder of detections were not directly from endpoint solutions, and included such sources as log analysis, security information and event management (SIEM) system alerts, cloud-based monitoring, and even third-party notification.



"The farther from the endpoint a breach is discovered, the more time it has to pivot from system to system and increase the impact of the breach," said SANS analyst G W Ray Davidson who authored the report.



As organizations develop sufficient maturity, they should automate remediation activities as much as possible, because the scope of a breach can quickly outpace remediation efforts.



"Organizations must devote more resources to user education and to monitoring activities that result from user behaviour. The insider threat is no longer just the malicious actor with unauthorized access; well-intentioned but naive employees can be just as dangerous, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Bait Al Kandora, the UAEs first Emirati and Gulf designer menswear brand, has continued to grow its presence across the country with the launch of a new store-within-a-store at Robinsons, Dubai Festival City.



Opened earlier this month, the new store offers a complete modern menswear line to Khaleeji men in the Emirate, while also bringing premium footwear brand Brotini to the UAE and the GCC for the first time.



The Italian brands handmade leather footwear will be available from the Dubai Festival City branch as a start and then from across all branches.



We are always proud to see the doors open at a new Bait Al Kandora store, and our latest branch brings something extra special to Dubais Khaleeji men through our exclusive agreement that we signed with Brotini in the UAE and the GCC, commented Hadef Al Shamsi, co-founder and CEO of Bait Al Kandora.



Both brands represent outstanding workmanship, the finest materials and impeccable style, which makes Bait Al Kandora and Brotini an ideal luxury pairing he added.



Sheikh Suhail Bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum attended the new store launch, alongside Khaled Al Hureimi, chairman of Bait Al Kandora; Hadef Al Shamsi; Saif Al Shafar, chairman of Tejar Dubai Youth Council; Essa Al Zaabi, senior vice-president, Institutional Support Sector at Dubai Chamber; Gabriele Brotini, CEO of Pakerson; in addition to the board members of Bait Al Kandora.



It gives us great pride to bring Brotinis fine craftsmanship to the UAE and Bait Al Kandoras customers, commented Gabriele Brotini. Dubai is a destination where excellence, elegance and style are celebrated  we feel right at home here.



During the launch event, Bait Al Kandora and Brotini offered a bespoke service by having an Italian designer hand crafting shoes and sandals for guests. The engraving was done live and guests had the chance to personalise their orders.



The new Dubai Festival City store is Bait Al Kandora's seventh in the UAE and fourth in the emirate, following the opening of branches at Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai, Gallery Lafayette in Dubai Mall, The Outlet Village, Dubai, Souq Al Shanasia in Sharjah, Al Ain Mall and Fujairah Mall. The company, established in 2015, plans to open more new branches regionally and locally in the near future.



As the first Emirati menswear brand, Bait Al Kandora meets the complete clothing requirements of local men in one place, with a product line that includes kandoras, sandals, ghatras and other accessories. To complement its physical retail presence, the brand also offers the first online store for Emirati menswear and luxury footwear, where products can be customised and ordered online. - TradeArabia News Service




LG Electronics has announced a line-up of smart appliances that are fully compatible with the Google Assistant on Google Home, ushering in cutting-edge connectivity and convenience for todays smart home.



Google Home services will begin rolling out this month in the US on LGs premium portfolio of connected smart devices, including the LG Signature brand washing machine and dryer, refrigerator, oven range and air purifier as well as an LG air conditioner and robotic vacuum. Dates of availability in other markets will be announced locally at the time of launch, a statement said.



With Google Home, users will be able to access the full range of the Google Assistants features on connected LG appliances. Compatibility with Google Home provides tangible benefits while enhancing usability for connected devices. For example, users can check the time remaining during wash cycles on their LG Signature washing ma-chine, tell their LG Signature refrigerator to create more ice, or adjust thermostat settings on their LG air conditioner through simple spoken commands from anywhere within range of Google Home.



The announcement at Google I/O included a live demonstration of just how easy it is to connect and use the LG Signature air purifier with Google Home. With a simple voice command, users can adjust settings on the air purifier and the Google Assistant on Google Home provides up-to-the-minute air quality readings as well as verbal feedback on operational status.



Our partnership with Google demonstrates just how easy it is to smart-enable ones home with friendly, approachable products. You dont have to earn a degree in rocket science to design your very own smart home, said Song Dae-hyun, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solutions Company.



We look forward to expanding our working relationship with Google and other innovators in this dynamic market in the years to come to make the smart home a reality for all.



LG Signature home appliances will be the first in the LG line-up to offer Google Assistant on Google Home compatibility, delivering on the brands promise to offer innovations that combine the best of LGs cutting-edge technology and world-class design with exquisite attention to detail for the most discerning consumer.



LG also is offering Google Home compatibility on select connected appliances under the LG brand  including the new LG Hom-Bot Turbo+ and LG smart air conditioner  with plans to expand the offering to additional products.  TradeArabia News Service
Jannah Place Dubai Marina, a luxury family hotel situated by the Marina Promenade, welcomes the holy month of Ramadan by offering a 20 per cent discount on the best available rates when booking directly.



Observe the holy season in comfort in the well-matched deluxe suites available the luxury hotel apartment. Each lavish suite offers floor-to-ceiling views overlooking Dubai Marina, fully-equipped kitchen facilities, and a complimentary high-speed wi-fi. Luxuriate in recreational and leisure facilities after breaking your fast with the hotel apartments rooftop pool, first class Jacuzzi, and sophisticated workout area.



Jannah Place Dubai Marina is located within walking distance to Dubai Marinas hit spots such as JBR  The Walk and Beach, Dubai Marina Mall and Pier 7, and Jumeirah Lake Towers Metro Station.



For reservations or more information, please call +971 2 307 6307 email [email protected] - TradeArabia News Service


Dollar, one of the fastest growing car rental companies in the region, promises a simple and rewarding travel for guests and residents this Ramadan and throughout summer with its amazing car rental deals.



Customers who want to explore the UAE and experience Arabian hospitality will find Ramadan and summer the best time to do this with Dollars offer of 50 per cent discount on rental bookings for up to seven days. Dollar has 26 outlets across the UAE with locations in major UAE airports and shopping malls making it convenient and comfortable for customers to drive the car to their preferred destination.



The deal was shared with existing partners and potential affiliates at this years Arabian Travel Market where the team of Dollar discussed ways to continue growing its pool of clients in the region in order to tap a bigger share of the market looking for simple and smart car rental experience.



Dominic Hagerty, head of sales and marketing, said: Dollars objective is to provide easy and simple transportation solution for our customers. Dollar represents simplicity which is also reflected in our new logo. We do our best to cater to the ever changing demands of customers because the market is saturated with lots of unique offerings but we believe that the company that can deliver straightforward and value for money deals will always stand out and this is what Dollar offers to its partners and customers.



This year, Dollar will focus on strengthening its partnership with existing affiliates and establish new business with companies across the region especially from KSA which is one of the primary sources of Dollars customers.



The company is also enhancing the car rental experience by adding specialty cars to its fleet such as Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Charger, Mini Cooper, Volkswagen GTI, 4x4s and convertible cars.



For information on the Ramadan and Summer promotions, customers can book at www.dollaruae.com or call 800-Dollar (+971 4 336 5065). - TradeArabia News Service
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
Have an event, trend or general energy happening youd like to see in the Energy Journal newsletter? Send it to Star-Tribune energy reporter Heather Richards at heather.richards@trib.com. Sign up for the newsletter at www.trib.com/energyjournal.

This week in numbers

Friday oil prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) $50.33, Brent (ICE) $53.82

Natural gas weekly averages: Henry Hub $3.21, Wyoming Pool $2.9, Opal $2.83

Baker Hughes rig count: U.S. 901, Wyoming 25

A crossroads

Congress recently failed to cut an Obama era rule limited methane emission on federal and tribal lands. The Bureau of Land Management regulation was the last in a host Congress annihilated with the Congressional Review Act.

Now that the deadline has passed for CRA cuts, Congress and executive agencies face a longer, more involved process for deregulation.

Wyoming industry leaders were frustrated by the failure to axe the methane rule, but remain optimistic for the new Congress and administration's ability to roll back the most burdensome rules passed during President Barack Obama's tenure. They say they didn't expect it to be easy, and with increased pushback against the new agenda, they anticipate an even rockier road.

Change in the wind

A Wyoming start-up that serves the oil and gas industry is now looking at how its technology can work with a growing wind industry. LogiLube of Laramie builds computers that provide real time data from engines and compressors so that operators can spot problems early on.

The company expects its technology will move seamlessly to wind turbines. It's founder hopes to capitalize on new investments in Wyoming wind from PacifiCorp and the Power Company of Wyoming.

Trimming the executive branch

Two bills that give Congress additional control over executive departments like the Environmental Protection Agency moved up in the Senate last week, after passing in committee.

One measure would allow Congress to cut the final regulations of an outgoing administration in a fell swoop, rather than the rule by rule process currently allowed. The other bill would give Congress a final say in regulations that would come at a high price tag or would otherwise inhibit business.

Bonding wastewater ponds

Environmental groups in Wyoming keep a close watch on state regulators as they in turn keep tabs on industry. The issue of bonding, or financial security for the clean up that comes after production or mining, is one of their primary issues.

A landowners group in Sheridan is now pressing the Department of Environmental Quality to speed up its review of 12 wastewater facilities in the state that were not bonded under current requirements. The ponds hold produced water pumped out of drilling operations for evaporation or other disposal.

In other news...

The rig count keeps rising, stoked by activity in places like Oklahoma and Texas. But the price of crude, tipping over the $50 spot price at the week's close, has struggled to rally in recent weeks despite a continual drawdown of storage. The market has also suffered from politics.

Still, recent news of OPEC deals pushed the price to a one month high Friday, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Though OPEC news of extending production cuts has pleased investors, the International Energy Agency added a note of caution earlier last week that the worldwide glut may not decline on the OPEC cuts alone, the WSJ reported.

Halliburton's longtime CEO Dave Lesar is stepping back last week, Fuel Fix briefs.
Students cut out paper fins and attached them to their snow-cone cup rockets. A boy taped one side of a paper triangle over a hole he cut out to catch air, which he hoped would send the rocket farther than last time. A girl beside him cut several holes in her rocket. Second-graders from Glenrocks Grant Elementary School compared strategies for paper rockets and took turns launching them recently at the Science Zones latest exhibition.

Mission Aerospace is timed for the eclipse and gives visitors of all ages opportunities to immerse themselves in the history of flight, navigation and NASA exploration, according to information at the museum. The exhibition is on loan from Minotaur Mazes through August and features a walk-in maze and more activities. Several other interactive displays in a new Space Room at the museum demonstrate how eclipses happen.

With this exhibit we tried to make sure we had something a bit tied into NASA, space and to the eclipse, Science Zone Executive Director Steven Schnell said.

We figured right now it makes sense to focus on whats happening with the eclipse, because its getting national attention and we want to make sure people are educated, aware and are kind of prepared for whats going to happen.

The students spun a wheel and watched a dial display air pressure. With the touch of a button, the rockets took off.

I hit Venus! a boy said and raised his arms in victory.

The paper airplanes and rocket launch activities were hits with many of the kids, including Riley Messer. Her best rocket was one she cut holes into.

I punched holes in it, so that air would go through and make it fly by the wings, Riley said.

Students also wound through a maze in the new exhibit filled with information about aeronautics. Visitors can spin a wheel outside the maze for a question and then hunt for the answer in puzzle-piece displays inside.

The exhibit also features a runway where visitors paper airplanes can take off for cities from Paris to Rio de Janeiro.

The Science Zone is one of the first three museums around the country to debut the Mission Aerospace, and some of its pieces have never before been displayed. The Casper museum even provided some ideas for developers at Minotaur Mazes, which was creating the exhibit when Schnell contacted them looking for ways to explain and celebrate the eclipse, he said.

It was the Science Zone staffs idea, for example, to use a hand crank for students to create their own air pressure. They can watch the crank and pistons working through clear Plexiglass, Schnell said. The Science Zone also contributed the idea for a sloped launching range so students can quickly grab their rockets and tweak them for another test.

Three displays also glow and light up in the new Space Room.

Science Zone Director of Education Leah Ritz designed and helped build a full-body display called Revolution versus Rotation. The display puts visitors in the perspective of the moon moving around the Earth as they walk around a gazing ball.

Another exhibit, which the museum commissioned, shows models of the Earth, moon and sun. A button spins the moon around the Earth, and visitors also can find out about moon rise and set times as well as why you can sometimes see the moon in the middle of the day.

Theres a lot of information packed into it, Schnell said, but whats nice is you can focus on one specific thing at a time.

Casper College built another exhibit Ritz designed, with moons atop dowels so people can create their own miniature eclipses.

It really showcases why we dont get an eclipse every month, because the orbit of the moon and the Earth is not always the same, Schnell said.

More exhibits are on the way in the coming weeks including a moon bike  a chair that positions the rider as the Earth to see different moon phases, Schnell said.

Im very excited to be able to add additional things to this, up until basically the eclipse, he added.

The exhibits are designed for people of all ages.

Theres opportunity for just gross motor skill development, in the fact that its a maze, all the way up through learning how to plot a navigational course for airplanes and learning about gyroscopes, Schnell said. Even adults can learn things from it, or at the very least, if they know everything, they can have fun in the maze.
The high school senior pulled the steering wheel with both arms and stomped the brakes of her 1961 Nash Metropolitan as she pulled out of the parking lot. There are no power brakes or windows, but Bethany Baker is used to using some muscle. She apologized for what she considered rough shifting; shes not used to the clutch she recently installed with her grandfather.

The orange Nash joined other classic cars in a run-through cruise for this weekends 17th annual Cruizin with the Oldies, hosted by the Oil Capitol Auto Club. The events kick off Friday and culminate in Sundays Show & Shine car show.

Bethany was the third generation of her family in a caravan along the Old Yellowstone Highway in cars they plan to show this weekend. Her mother followed in her pink 1960 El Camino, her grandmother in her red 1969 convertible Buick Wildcat and her grandfather in his green 1969 Chevy Impala.

Hes the one that started the familys car tradition at the salvage yard and shop he ran for decades in Casper. Chuck Burrous would send his three daughters out with a screwdriver to remove taillights when they were 5 years old. He later taught them the auto repair skills that hes now handing down to his granddaughter Bethany.

Not many families have a hobby they can enjoy together through multiple generations, she said.

I cherish those moments that I have with him, when Im working on my cars with him, Bethany said. I want to be able to work on my cars with him, I want to be able to learn from him and learn from my mistakes because he showed me how to fix them.

Quality time

Chucks wife was furious when he dragged home the beat-up Buick Wildcat. That was more than two decades before it became her prized show car.

The mechanic often fixed and sold used cars. But no one was interested in large gas-guzzlers during the 1980s bust economy, and he couldnt give his last Buick away.

She come unglued on me, Chuck said.

Pam Burrous remembers the day well. Her husband had spent the grocery money for the family with young daughters. But this car was a convertible with more promise, he convinced her.

It had a hole in the roof and it was just ugly all the way to the bone, Pam recalled last week.

But he repaired it through the fall and winter, and she helped with tasks like stripping the paint.

When the car was ready in the spring, Pam told him she hoped hed give it to her for Mothers Day. Shes owned the car since. Now the couple is slowly working in a 1959 Pontiac she picked out while shopping salvage yards with him.

Chuck and Pam fondly recalled their two older daughters playing in the back seat while they restored whats now her Buick. Chuck still smiles remembering them popping their heads through the roof every once in a while.

It was quality time, Chuck said.

Through generations

Working on cars still is quality time, their daughter Jennifer Baker said.

She helped strip cars as soon as she was old enough to work a screwdriver. Changing CV axles was a breeze before she was even old enough for her drivers license. She went on to be the first girl to take auto mechanics at Kelly Walsh High School despite the teachers objections, and always kept up her and her sisters Ford Escorts, Pam said. Jennifer rebuilt the motor of the familys wrecker in class her senior year.

Chuck smiled remembering Jennifer changing a flat at the Hilltop Shopping Center parking lot as a teen while a man stopped to offer help. He ended up just watching while two more arrived.

Just take your place over there with the other people, shed told them as she finished.

Jennifer and her father started restoring a 1966 Mustang several years ago.

I thought thats a lot of fun, and I love spending time with my dad, she said.

The project moved to the back burner while he had a surgery, and she was married and had kids. Later he introduced her to wing cars with fins, and they happened across the old El Camino. It wasnt even drivable and had holes in the floorboards.

She and her father did 80 percent of the restoration work together. Now its gleaming pink with orange flame paint that draws attention at the car shows.

I think this is a spectacular hobby for families, Jennifer said. Im so proud of my daughter for wanting to keep up the tradition.

Memories and motors

Chucks 1969 Chevy Impala has a story too. It belonged to his childhood friend, another mechanic always hoped to restore it. But he never seemed to have time or money to do more than replace the engine.

The friend eventually moved to Utah, and health problems again kept him from restoring the car. Shortly before his death, Chuck and his son-in-law hauled the car back to Casper, about three years ago.

Pam believes restoring the Impala was Chucks way of working through the loss of his friend hed known since junior high. His friend hated the color green so much that Chuck painted it a deep lime color.

Hed tell you, The only color of green I like is the color of money, Pam recalled.

Chuck grew up fixing farm equipment on his parents Casper-area ranch. He became a mechanic and started collecting cars as a retirement investment, he said.

Hed buy the cars cheap, and theyd become worth more with time, he figured. But like many plans, it didnt work as hed thought.

After his parents died, he moved the old cars from the ranch to his property north of Casper so they wouldnt be vandalized. Hed been collecting cars since before he and Pam married, she said. Hed tell her of he cant fix them, hed sell them.

Its not going to be a very profitable retirement that way, she said smiling.

He got out of the auto shop and salvage business while taking care of his father, and the couple has invested in real estate instead, she said.

Now they family enjoys collecting and working on classic cars together. Besides the Nash, Bethany also owns a 1963 Ford Thunderbird and a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle.

It started with her grandpa, she said. He got mom in to cars and I caught the bug too.

Not all the family loves cars, but they all have their own interests and ways to enjoy time together, Chuck said.

Its quite rewarding to me, he said.

For Bethany, working with her grandfather on one of her cars is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon, she said. Hes helped her with repairs from remanufacturing the steering column on the Nash to repairing the floor boards of the Thunderbird.

The whole family is looking forward to this weekends car show. Preparing for the show can be hectic, Bethany said. But then the stress melts as the weekend begins and they enjoy the cars and one anothers company.

Its something we can all bond over, Bethany said. I think its really awesome that were all involved together with it. And it doesnt matter what kind of car it is, were all enjoying it.
CODY  Business owners in northwest Wyoming are concerned about losing customers because of proposed road construction in 2018 in Yellowstone National Park.

Road construction planned around Fishing Bridge inside the park next year could involve road closures that would affect the parks East Entrance road, which connects Yellowstone to Cody.

Were concerned that the closings will adversely affect Cody business, said Mark Westerling, president of the Cody Chamber of Commerce.

Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk said the National Park Service intends not to have closures until after Oct. 15, 2018, when the busy summer tourist season comes to an end.

We want the closings as late as possible to have the least impact on area businesses, Wenk told members of the Cody Chamber of Commerce last week.

The proposed construction project involves rebuilding Fishing Bridge and Pelican Creek Bridge as well as 3.2 miles of road. The proposal is open for public comment until Friday.

Tina Hoebelheinrich, executive director of the Cody Chamber of Commerce, said she hopes to turn congestion at the South and West entrances into a positive for communities near the East Entrance, near Cody.

We have a tremendous opportunity here due to congestion at the other gates, she said. The East Gate is a great option to avoid the lines.

But road closures could turn away visitors. And the closing of Fishing Bridge essentially shuts the gateway to the rest of the park from the East Entrance.

Westerling has suggested to Wenk that closing the road at night for roadwork and then reopening the road during the day was an option that could address some of the concerns.

Delays are part of construction and maintenance is needed. But long closures would be listed by sites that visitors use and would push them away from the East Entrance, Westerling said.

However, Wenk didnt address the idea of night closures during his visit with chamber members.
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, a member of the committee that is drafting legislation to repeal Obamacare in the U.S. Senate, said he wants to protect people with pre-existing conditions.

The Republican from Wyoming also said hes open to a proposal to expand state programs for people who are unable to obtain or afford insurance because of those conditions.

But if that proposal prevails, it could result in a new health care law that allows insurance companies to consider peoples medical status before quoting an insurance premium  which many Wyomingites believe would price them out of insurance. A group of Casper-area residents demonstrated against the idea recently, carrying tombstone-shaped signs with warnings such as RIP: Trumpcare Kills.

Demonstrators said they worry that medical costs could bankrupt them or their loved ones.

During an interview Thursday with the Star-Tribune, Barrasso reiterated his distaste for the ACA. He said that when he returns to Wyoming on weekends, he hears people complain about it, too. Only one insurer covers Wyomingites on the marketplace.

Were focusing on trying to lower premiums, said the senator, who is also an orthopedic surgeon. Thats what I hear about in Wyoming: The costs are too high, remain too high. We want more choices.

That contrasts with the experience of Casper resident Mary Mayberry, who has a daughter-in-law with multiple sclerosis, a grandson with diabetes and another daughter-in-law with a blood clot condition.

The premiums could go higher, and its so sad, she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

The Star-Tribune requested an interview from Sen. Mike Enzi, who is also on the committee of 13. Enzi denied the request.

The Star-Tribune sent a handful of questions to Enzis spokesman  such as what parts of the House repeal-and-replace bill the former Gillette mayor agrees with and which aspects he disagrees with.

His spokesman, Max DOnofrio, sent a response that didnt directly answer the questions in detail. He provided some hyperlinks of past statements from the senator in which he specified what he would like to see in American health care.

In 2007, he said health care should allow small business owners, unions and others to join insurance pools across state lines to reduce costs.

If you stake out an opinion on every detail of an issue, you arent going to have much room left to work together with your colleagues to craft legislation that can pass, DOnofrio wrote.

No women

The New York Times, CNN, NBC News, ABC News and other media have reported that among the 13 lawmakers whom U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell chose to draft the bill, none is a woman.

Barrasso fought back against the charge that an all-male committee may not fully understand womens health care issues.

He said that the 13 men were simply the ones who showed up to the first committee meeting. That contradicts the Times report that the group was assembled by McConnell, the GOP leader in the Senate.

Barrasso said each Republican senator is invited to the meetings. The group has assembled recently for about five hours a week.

Everybodys voice is heard, he said.

He cited as an example of womens participation a presentation given by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine on high-risk pools.

High-risk pools

Collins talked to the group about the high-risk pool in her state. Barrasso said he was intrigued.

They were having good success with that in Maine, he said. She did a presentation to all the Republican senators about the Maine approach and how it actually lowered premiums for everyone else.

A provision in the Houses version of the repeal and replace bill would provide additional money to states to boost their high-risk pools. States can opt out of the Obamacare prohibition against quoting policies based on pre-existing conditions, according to the House measure. States would help people who couldnt get a policy or whose premiums were astronomically high by enrolling them in the high-risk pools, under the legislation.

High-risk pools were a way for people to gain insurance when they had previously been denied based on pre-existing conditions or had been quoted extremely expensive insurance. They mostly went away after Obamacare started.

The Cowboy States high-risk pool, the Wyoming Health Insurance Pool  WHIP  remains a state program, although many recipients went off it with the Affordable Care Act. Only about 700 people remain in the pool for benefits associated with Social Security disability.

The idea in Maine, Barrasso said, is that by removing sick people who most utilize insurance and drive up the costs for everyone else, it saves healthier people money and lowers premiums.

Pre-existing conditions

The Star-Tribune asked Barrasso about conditions that many Wyomingites suffer from, illnesses that may not land them in a high-risk pool but may nonetheless drive up their premiums. The newspaper specifically asked about common conditions such as depression and thyroid problems.

Barrasso said those were theoretical questions and added: As I said, were meeting five hours a week, working on all the various aspects of trying to get affordable insurance for people, which is what I hear every weekend in Wyoming (is a problem.)

But for people such as Mayberry, whose loved ones have MS and diabetes, specifics are important.

Health is like the lottery, she said. Its a gamble. We could be healthy today and sick as dogs tomorrow.

Donna West of Casper said shes concerned about insurance companies being able to reinstate lifetime caps on the amount a policyholder can spend on medical care.

If they go back to doing that, well go back to bankruptcies due to medical problems, she said. And that affects everyone.

Hospitals and clinics that dont get fully paid due to a persons bankruptcy will have to raise costs on everyone else to compensate, she said.
Editor:

This is an open letter to Sen. Mike Enzi.

Its high noon in the United States and a bunch of your Wyoming constituents are counting on you to cowboy up. Why are we counting on you? First of all, your junior senator John Barrasso is roped like a steer head to Mitch McConnells right shoulder (check your TV). And Rep. Liz Cheney? Well, shes not from these parts. A dude, a soft horn, not cowboy material.

So were counting on you, because you are, at least linguistically, in tune with Wyoming. Its sitting on your plate, and the easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. The colder it gets, the harder it is to swallow. Youve all given this guy a lot of rein and hes horse-whipped you with it. Why not admit that when you heard that Jim Comey was fired for being mean to Hillary Clinton, you were muttering under your breath, That dog wont hunt. Is this really the guy you want to ride the river with? Is he truly riding for the brand?

The unfolding intelligence-spewing story underscores once again that Donald Trump knows foreign policy like a hog knows side-saddle. Doesnt know skunks from house cats. Crooked Hillary? Trump is so crooked he could swallow nails and theyd come out corkscrews. And telling the sheriff to back off? Cmon.

Its time to cowboy up, Mike. That means showing Washington what it means to stand for something, square your actions with your beliefs. You dont have to call for his head. Independent counsel? Independent commission? Think independent. Thats what we like out here.

The invocation of Custers last stand has been way overused. But its significant that a member of Gen. George Custers command remarked that Custer was universally despised by all excepting his relatives and one or two sycophants. You dont have to dance with Trump, because hes not the fellow that brought you. Ivanka and Jared are stuck.

Sincerely,
The first issue is health care. It is obvious that the Republicans have no idea what an acceptable plan would be to replace the ACA. The House failed miserably to pass anything, and the Senate is now struggling to write a new plan and has selected 13 senators to work on that project including two senators from Wyoming, Mike Enzi and John Barrasso. If these men (there are no women on the committee) were serious, they would take a close look at HR 676, which outlines a plan for universal coverage under Medicare as a single payer. What could be simpler and more acceptable to the American people? Barrasso is a physician and in danger of violating the mandate of Do no harm if he does not support a universal plan. Enzis preoccupation with LGBTQ issues should not preclude his ability to recognize a great solution when he sees it. There is a slight problem, though. In 2010, Enzi was quoted as saying: "If I hadn't been a part of the debate, you would already have universal health care." He is bragging about having prevented universal health care. Is it possible his views have changed in seven year? Shall we hope for the best and expect a show of leadership from Enzi and Barrasso as they work to provide a new health care program that is better than the ACA they wish to abolish?
JERUSALEM  President Trump has cast the elusive pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians as the ultimate deal. But he will step foot in Israel having offered few indications of how he plans to achieve what so many of his predecessors could not.

Trump has handed son-in-law Jared Kushner and longtime business lawyer Jason Greenblatt the assignment of charting the course toward a peace process. The White House-driven effort is a sharp shift from the practice of previous U.S. administrations that typically gave secretaries of state those responsibilities.

Kushner and Greenblatt were to accompany Trump on his two-day visit, set to begin Monday and include separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump also planned to visit the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site.

On the eve of Trumps visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus Security Cabinet approved several confidence-building measures, including construction permits for Palestinians near their cities in parts of the West Bank that had previously been off limits, a senior official said. Under interim agreements 60 percent of the West Bank, known as Area C, site of Israels settlements, is under Israeli control and Palestinian development there has mostly been forbidden by Israel.

Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with protocol, he said the package also includes economic concessions and opening the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.

White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trumps stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive. Yet Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State group with top Russian officials, without Israels permission.

Israel also has expressed concern about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Trump announced Saturday in Riyadh. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant, called Saudi Arabia a hostile country and said the deal was definitely something that should trouble us.

Trumps first overseas trip as president comes as the dynamics between the United States and the regions players are moving in unexpected directions.

While Israeli officials cheered Trumps election, some are now wary of the tougher line he has taken on settlements: urging restraint but not calling for a full halt to construction. Trump has retreated from a campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other presidents who have made similar promises.

Palestinians, who viewed Trumps victory with some trepidation, are said to have been pleasantly surprised by Trumps openness during a recent meeting with Abbas in Washington.

A senior official who was part of the Palestinian delegation said Trump is planning to try to relaunch peace talks, with a goal of reaching an agreement within a year. The Trump administration rejected a request from the Palestinians to push for an Israeli settlement freeze, but promised to sort out the issue during peace negotiations, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official close to Abbas, said Trump was a serious president who seeks to have a real deal, not just managing the conflict.

David Friedman, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, told the newspaper Israel Hayom that Trumps goal at the start is simply to begin a discussion that would hopefully lead to peace.

Friedman attended a celebration Sunday with Netanyahu of Israels capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, days after the White House declined to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area.

The area is home to sensitive religious sites, including the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

Israel considers the entire city to be its capital. The international community says the fate of east Jerusalem, claimed by the Palestinians, must be resolved through negotiations.

The last round of peace talks, led by then-President Barack Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, fell apart in 2014.

Greenblatt has quietly done much of the heavy work for the U.S. thus far. The low-profile Greenblatt, who spent about two decades as a lawyer at the Trump Organization before joining the White House, has traveled to the region twice since the inauguration.
So what does it take to unseat the country's reigning No. 1 burger chain?

Apparently an ugly burger slippery with cheese and as many special guests (pickles, jalapenos, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard ... you get the idea) as you like. Never pretty, but man did it make a splash on the "Oh, I know that place" familiarity scale.

And that oh-so-familiar burger joint is Five Guys Burgers and Fries, according to the just-released Harris Poll annual EquiTrend Study that asked folks nationwide to rank the country's top burger restaurant/chain based largely on how familiar they were with the brand.

Just four years ago, the Harris Poll found that less than 50 percent of those surveyed could recognize Five Guys. Of course, that was just 10 years after the Washington, D.C., area-based chain, which opened its first location in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986, had started franchising in 2003.

Today, with nearly 1,500 locations nationwide including six in Tucson, Marana and Oro Valley, 68 percent of the survey's respondents were familiar with Five Guys. Among millennials that number is 81 percent, according to the survey.

Doug Vaughan, a partner in D&J Holdings LLC that has the Five Guys franchising rights in Southern Arizona, said a seventh Tucson area Five Guys should be open by year's end.

In-N-Out Burger had been ranked No. 1 in the Harris Poll two years running until Five Guys bumped them this year. The California-born In-N-Out came in No. 2 followed by Shake Shack, Wendy's, Culver's, Whataburger, McDonald's, Sonic America's Drive-In, Smashburger and Steak 'n Shake.
Sometimes the heat gets to be too much and you need a break. Luckily, theres Bisbee  the historic mining community that sits a mile high and is about 10 degrees cooler than Tucson. Its also been voted one of the best cities for hippies.

I have a special place in my heart for Bisbee.

Many  OK, add another many  years ago I was born and raised there. The small colorful town perched in the hills has always had a warm welcoming feeling for its homegrown that extends to visitors, especially in the towns smattering of restaurants.

Ive come up with seven of my favorites, and none of them were open when I was growing up in Bisbee. They arent just my favorites; locals and tourists recommend them as well.

Bisbee Breakfast Club, 75 Erie St., 1-520-432-5885; 7 a.m.-3:05 p.m. daily. This is the place you go for more than eggs over easy. This is where the locals share gossip over a cup of Joe in what was once the Lowell Drug store. BBC also has locations in Tucson and Mesa.

Screaming Banshee Pizza, 200 Tombstone Canyon, 1-520-432-1300; 4-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays. If Bisbee is having a themed event, you will be sure to encounter it here over a wood-fire pizza.

Thuy's Noodle Shop, 9 Naco Road, 1-520-432-6169; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. So, I know what you are thinking a Vietnamese restaurant in Bisbee? No kidding, this place has the best beef noodle soup.

Santiago's Restaurant, 1 Howell Ave, 1-520-432-1910; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The best part of eating the scratch-made Mexican fare is washing is down with spirits made from the 50 agave varieties.

Jimmy's Hot Dog Co., 938 AZ Hwy. 92., 1-520-432-5911; 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. This is the place for your Chicago food fix because sometimes you just need a Vienna Beef hotdog and a great side of fries.

Cafe Roka, 35 Main St., 1-520-432-5153. Seasonal hours; call for reservations. With live jazz every Friday night, locally sourced ingredients and a wine-paired menu, this is the most sought after restaurant in town.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some May 22 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.
The public will have a chance to meet the candidates for deputy superintendent of the Pima County Joint Technical Education District.

Jimmy Hart, Tamara Nicolosi, Kathy Prather and Aron Schmidt will answer the publics question at a forum Tuesday, May 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the JTED district office, 2855 W. Master Pieces Drive.

JTEDs hiring committee will then interview each candidate in an executive session on May 31.

Celebrity spellers set

for foundation event

The Education Enrichment Foundation, which supports the Tucson Unified School District, announced the lineup of Tucson celebrity spellers for its upcoming annual celebrity spelling bee.

The following members of Tucson community will face each other on Aug. 25:

Amber Adil, Angel Charity for Children.

Stephanie Balzer, The Drawing Studio.

Randi Dorman, R+R Develop.

Steve Farley, Arizona State Senate.

David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Daily Star.

Sue Giles, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine.

Maryann Green, University High School.

Greg Hansen, Arizona Daily Star.

Todd Holthaus, Pima Community College womens basketball.

Angie Johnson-Smith, Smith & Dale Philanthropic Counsel.

Curtis McCrary, The Rialto Theatre.

Peter Michaels, Arizona Public Media.

Kade Mislinski, Batch and Saguaro Corners.

Jim Nintzel, Tucson Weekly.

Jason Ott, Citi.

Adam Rex, childrens book author and illustrator.

Jim Rosborough, Pima Community College womens basketball.

Mark Rubin, Law Office of Mark Rubin/Pima Medical Institute.

David Slutes, Hotel Congress.

Dustin Williams, Pima County school superintendent.

Betty Villegas, community volunteer.

Melissa Vito, University of Arizona.

The celebrity spelling bee will be held on Aug. 25 at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St.

Desert View takes 4 video contest honors

The Population Media Centers Arizona chapter has announced the winners of its annual video contest.

Desert View High School students won big. Pedro Marquez and Marcus Maley received $500 for winning first place in the freshman category. Joshua Marcotte, Genesis Bueno and Gaby Leyva won second place and $300. Mayrin Garcia and Stephanie Reyes won $200 for third place.

In the upper-class category, Brianna Yanez of Palo Verde Magnet High School won first place, Alexandra Edwards of Sandra Day OConnor High School in Phoenix took second, and Dezirae Chavez and Esmeralda Vielma of Desert View placed third.

Fifteen other students received honorable mentions.
iStock/Thinkstock(TEL AVIV, Israel) -- President Donald Trump was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he arrived in Tel Aviv Monday morning, the second stop on Trump's first foreign trip.



"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace. But we can only get there working together, Trump said on the tarmac of Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport upon his arrival.



At the top of the presidents agenda will be laying the groundwork for a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. He will meet with both Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, though a senior White House official said the president does not expect to convene a joint meeting between the two leaders on this trip.



One of the biggest sticking points in any deal are Israeli settlements -- communities of Israeli citizens, ethnically Jewish, in the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in the Golan Heights.



While the Israeli settlement issue would be just one piece of a two-state solution framework, it is a critical obstacle to peace. Below, ABC News breaks down what you need to know about Israeli settlements:



What are Israeli settlements?



Israeli settlements range from small outposts and villages to cities with tens of thousands of residents.



The territories have been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War -- when Israel, feeling that its security was threatened by its Arab neighbors, captured those areas from Jordan and Syria, respectively, and the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. (The boundary between Israel and the West Bank is often referred to as the 1967 line and is viewed as a possible border between Israel and a future Palestinian state if the parties pursue a two-state solution.)



Originally, Israeli settlements were in all the captured areas, but Israel evacuated the settlements from the Sinai Peninsula in 1979 after a peace agreement with Egypt and from the Gaza Strip in 2005 after a proposal by Israels thenPrime Minister Ariel Sharon that was meant to move forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.



In December, former Secretary of State John Kerry said there were 130 Israeli settlements east of the 1967 line. One hundred thousand settlers have moved into occupied territory since 2009.



Nearly 90,000 settlers live east of the separation barrier, a wall built by Israel because of security concerns during the second intifada starting in 2000.



At the end of 2015, the Israeli Interior Ministry said nearly 400,000 Jews live in the West Bank, including those beyond the separation barrier but not counting those in East Jerusalem. It is estimated that more than 300,000 Jews live in East Jerusalem, which contains some of the holiest sites for Christians, Jews and Muslims. (In comparison, about 2.75 million Palestinians live under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.)



At the end of last year, Israel announced that it would build 5,600 homes in East Jerusalem.



Why do Israeli settlements cause controversy?



Israelis advocate for and defend settlement construction for various historical, religious, political and security reasons.



But the United Nations considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law, in part because they violate several Security Council resolutions.



Israel argues that settlements are legal because the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which defines humanitarian protections for civilians in war zones and which Israel signed, does not apply to the territories seized in the 1967 war. However, most international institutions -- such as the International Court of Justice and the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly -- say the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to those territories.



In December, the U.S. abstained from a U.N. vote condemning Israeli settlements. (Traditionally, the U.S. has vetoed Security Council resolutions that condemned settlements.)



Kerry had defended the U.S. decision at the time, saying in a speech at the State Department, The vote in the United Nations was about preserving the two-state solution. Thats what we were standing up for, Israels future as a Jewish and democratic state.



If more and more settlers are moving into the middle of Palestinian areas, its going to be that much harder to separate, Kerry said. No one thinking seriously about peace can ignore the reality of what the settlements pose to that peace.



He called the two-state solution the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. In the speech, he reiterated a framework for a resolution that would establish borders between Israel and a sovereign state of Palestine based on 1967 territorial lines.



It is a policy of permanent settlement construction that risks making peace impossible, he said.



Kerry rejected that a two-state solution would negatively affect Israeli security, though many Israelis argue that a Palestinian state on its border will prove hostile.



Trump has said that he would veto any resolution aimed at an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians proposed by the Security Council and said the entire U.N. is not a friend of democracy and surely is not a friend to Israel.



In a tweet before Kerrys speech, then president-elect Trump told Israel to stay strong until his inauguration.



How will the Trump administration view settlements?



The U.S., Israels oldest and strongest ally, has traditionally seen the settlements as an impediment to a two-state solution. But Trumps election left some wondering how the new administration could alter U.S. policy toward Israelis settlements.



In an interview with Israels Army Radio, Jason Greenblatt, a co-chairman of the Trump campaigns Israel advisory committee, said, It is certainly not Mr. Trumps view that settlement activities should be condemned and that it is an obstacle for peace, because it is not an obstacle for peace.



Trumps pick for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is the president of the American Friends of Bet El Institutions, associated with the Jewish settlement of Bet El. Friedman has consistently supported new settlements.



I think the West Bank was captured from Jordan in a defensive war, he told ABC News at an October rally for Trump in Israel, referring to the 1967 war. The Jordanians havent sought to repatriate that land, so I think -- Im a lawyer -- under international law, I dont think these settlements are illegal.



He has been pessimistic about the idea of a two-state solution.



But that doesnt mean a U.S.-brokered agreement is off the table. Trump has called the Israeli-Palestinian solution the ultimate deal.



As a dealmaker, Id like to do  the deal that cant be made. And do it for humanitys sake, Trump told The Wall Street Journal.



During a February press conference with Netanyahu, President Trump asked the Israeli leader to hold off on settlements.



As far as settlements, Id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit, Trump said. Well work something out. But I would like to see a deal be made. I think a deal will be made. I know that every President would like to.



But Bibi and I have known each other a long time -- a smart man, great negotiator, Trump later added. And I think we're going to make a deal. It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand. That's a possibility. So lets see what we do.



Netanyahu responded later in that press conference that settlements were not the core of the conflict, saying the issue has to be resolved in the context of peace negotiations.



And I think we also are going to speak about it, President Trump and I, so we can arrive at an understanding so we dont keep on bumping into each other all the time on this issue, Netanyahu said.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
It ain't Taco Tuesday without housemade kimchi! (Said some dude named Dave with a pizza tattoo.) There's just something about that spicy sweet funk that makes us wanna wrap it in a tortilla and smother it with artisanal adjectives.

But a local chef is taking all that, throwing it into a blender and making something new. Quite literally, he ferments his own fruits and veggies much like you would with Korean kimchi, and then blends them up into a tasty sauce.

At any time, Ermanos' chef Matt Kraiss is aging about a dozen different mixtures in a custom-built refrigerator that sits in the rafters above the bar area. Climb up the ladder and you might see jars of mango habanero, fermented papayas, and even chunky tomato salsa.

Using techniques from "The Art of Fermentation," Matt simply adds sugar and a little salt to the fresh chunks of fruit, seals the jars and then leaves them up there for 21 days. The lack of oxygen allows the sugars to break down and give off lactobacillus, creating a bubbly "pop rocks" effervescence.

The aging time gives the sauces a richer flavor, with more subtleties and a little funky kick. "You still get most of the heat from whatever pepper you're using," Matt said. "You get heat, you get funk and you get that sweetness from the fruit. So it's adding another layer of flavor."

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Fermented foods are a common aspect of many cuisines: Europe has its cheeses, Japan has miso and soy sauce, and Mexico even has the pickled chiles you see at the taqueria. But most traditional hot sauces use vinegar for a little punch of sour, rather than letting the ingredients do it themselves.

There's a lot of experimentation involved, and it can be messy. (Like really messy. You actually have to be careful when you're popping open a jar, because it might explode sour fruit all over the place.) Four different people collaborate on the project, including co-owner Eric Erman, sous chef Jason Purdy and Janet Hoogasian, who comes on her days off as a chef at Hacienda del Lago in Vail.

The team's sauces go on a rotating specials menu for Taco Tuesdays. During our visit, they were putting their pineapple leek sauce on little pucks of Chilean sea bass with local dino kale. But you can find the fermented pear and jalapeno sauce on the late-night menu seven days a week, paired with crispy chicken fingers and a cucumber citrus salad. ($9)

So eat up, it's good for your gut! The beer on the other hand? That's questionable ...
Help India!

New Delhi, (IANS): The Congresss womens wing, Mahila Congress, on Sunday launched a signature campaign seeking early passage of the Womens Reservation Bill in Parliament.

The campaign was launched by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the occasion of the 26th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial Veer Bhoomi here.

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Her son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also endorsed the campaign by putting their signatures.

The nationwide signature campaign, aimed at pressurising the Narendra Modi government for passage of the bill  which envisages 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies, will continue till August 10.

On August 20, the birth of Rajiv Gandhi-ji, the signatures collected from across the country will be handed over to the President, said Mahila Congress President Shobha Oza.

We will build up pressure on the NDA Government for the passage of the Womens Reservation Bill as early as possible, she added.

Passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, the bill has since been pending in the Lok Sabha.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter

After 50 Dalit families from Moradabad converted to Islam last week citing Yogi Governments total negligence and upper caste violence against them, about 180 families of Saharanpur have announced that they too will leave Hinduism and convert to Buddhism if the UP government fails to act in the right manner.

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These families come from Kapurpur, Igahari and Roopari towns of Saharanpur. Like last time, they immersed statues and photographs Hindu god figures in a river and announced to embrace Buddhism if Police and Thakurs do not stop their atrocities over them.

A majority of these families support and are part of the Bheem Army, the organisation which last week came to national attention after it started retaliating against the Thakurs as equals and in a decisive way.

For the past one month, Western UP district Saharanpur has been facing a series of violent incidents which was majorly against Dalits, and Thakurs of the area were responsible for inciting the violence. In the police investigation too, cases against Dalits were filed and nearly no case was registered against Thakurs of the area. In light of the same, several leaders of the Bheem Army have been arrested and have few gone underground. The Dalits of Saharanpur cited the biased actions of the Police as one of the reasons behind their decision.

Gautam, one of the leaders of the Bheem Army said, Government must release leaders and members of Bheem Army, otherwise we will accept Buddhism with no worries.
Help India!

By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter

Sarajevo: Prominent Kashmiri businessman and former President of Kashmiri Chambers of commerce and Industries (KCCI), Sheikh Ashiq, has been invited by the Bosnia and Herzegovina High Commission for the 8th International Investment Conference, Sarajevo Business Forum 2017 which is going to held from May 22 to 23, 2017.

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The conference is scheduled to be held at Sarajevo, Bosina and Herzegovina. The conference is being organised by Bosna Banki International (BBI) in cooperation with Islamic Development Bank.

Ashiq is one amongst the 300-member delegation comprising leaders cutting across 30 countries.

As per the joint invitation letter by Amer Bukvic, CEO at Bosnia Bank International and Dr. Sabit Subasic H.E. Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sheikh Ashiq is selected among 250 B2B delegates to explore Kashmir export business opportunities in Bosnia and seek possibilities for cooperation between India and the region and its further development.

The visit objective is to find trade opportunities between Kashmir and Bosnia. The investment opportunities and projects from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania can help us to uplift the export trade of Kashmir,said Ashiq.

I am selected to represent Kashmir in Bosnia and I intend to bring Kashmir festival here and promote our heritage industry in this part of the world, he added.
Help India!

New Delhi, (IANS): The Congress on Monday slammed the BJP and the central government, saying that lawlessness, lynching of innocents, state-sponsored violence and intolerance have become the new normal under the present dispensation.

The Congress said lawlessness, aided and abetted by the State, has become the new India of today.

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Intolerance galore; innocents being targeted; state-sponsored violence  this is the new norm. This is new normal for the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media here.

The latest Congress criticism comes in the wake of lynching of seven persons on suspicion that they were abducting children in Jharkhand on May 18, for which 18 persons have since been arrested and officers in charge of two police stations suspended.

It amounts to state-sponsored activities because every time the police just sit as mute spectators and at times encourage them. In Jharkhand, police were present, still seven people were killed by mobs.

There is no punishment, or fear; in fact, there is encouragement, said Singhvi.

What India are we living in? This is an un-Indian idea of the idea of India. Is it the India of mob justice or is the vigilantism of the Wild West which we are proudly practising because the philosophy of the ruling dispensation encourages it? the Congress leader said.

He said a movement to lynch innocents has begun in BJP-ruled states. Lawlessness aided and abetted by the State has become the new India of today, said Singhvi.

He cited the National Crimes Record Bureau data and said that the atrocities against Dalits have increased by 38 per cent under the Narendra Modi government.

According to NCRB data, it was 39,408 (cases) in 2013. In 2015, it went up to 54,355. The highest was in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, among the top four states, he said.

This NDA government is a Whatsapp government, a Whatsapp-driven government. It thrives on emotions and vulnerabilities of the people and uses it deliberately and mischievously to target those who may have different views, different ideologies, Singhvi added.

He said the flogging of four Dalit youths in Una in Gujarat and Dadri lynching incidents are not mere statistics. Is this the new normal for Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi)? he asked.

He (Modi) practises either great jumlas, high-sounding sermons, or eloquent silence. Is this the India Modi ji wants to create where ruthless mobs take law into their own hands? Is this the intolerance of majoritarianism? he asked.

Singhvi said: They are encouraged, supported, and indirectly or directly promoted by the regressivve and intolerant remarks of BJP leaders.
Baahubali star Prabhas teamed up with director Sujeeth of 'Run Raja Run' fame for his 19th movie bankrolled by UV Creations banner. Being made on a whopping budget of Rs 150 crores in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi Languages, Prabhas 19 is one of the most exciting projects in actor's career after Baahubali. A few days ago, the filmmakers confirmed that the teaser of Prabhas 19 is going to be unveiled along with 'Baahubali: The Conclusion' on April 28th.

Now, the makers unveiled the Title of Prabhas - Sujeeth's 150-crore movie, which comes in as a special surprise for the fans of the actor ahead of teaser release on April 28th.

The filmmakers opted out for a single title in all the three languages, which is named as 'saaho'. It was further confirmed by the movie team that the film is going to be a high-octane action drama and International stunt choreographer Kenny Bates of 'Transformers' fame is going to look after the action episodes in the film.

Director Sujeeth confirmed the Title and teaser release date

The director Sujeeth confirmed the Title and teaser release date on his micro-blogging twitter platform as well.

Bollywood music trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are composing the tunes for the film and Madhie is handling the cinematography of this Magnum Opus project.

Neil Nitin Mukesh will be seen as the antagonist and the film is going to have two leading ladies.

Teaser was shot separately before the movie's shoot

For the first time in Tollywood History, a film's teaser portion was shot before the start of movie's actual shoot. As Prabhas gained Nationwide fame after Baahubali, the makers want to cash on the craze of the star and hence in order to meet the deadline of attaching the teaser along with 'Baahubali: The Conclusion' movie, which releasing on April 28th, they first picturised the teaser portion sequences of the movie.

However, it was indeed a great strategy from the movie team to build up the hype for 'Saaho' along with the release of 'Baahubali: The Conclusion'.
France - the way forward? -- It is the penultimate Sunday in April, the daffodils are in bloom and it is most certainly a day of decision in France. As polls opened this morning and the four candidates face the first of two votes in as many weeks, what is decided in Paris and its environs will most certainly affect the UK's immediate future.

The candidates

There are four contenders all offering stark choices. If you favour Emmanuel Macron - current independent favourite (24.5%) - then you believe as he does, that Brexit was a most heinous crime perpetrated by the British people.

If he gains power he intends to chastise the UK severely for this. He has already called for the rebuilding of the 'EU dream,' and for the remaining members to close ranks and make it very hard indeed for the UK to gain any immediate headway in joining the 'single market.'

On the other hand, Marine Le Pen - far-right (23%) - has made much of Brexit, stating it was a formidable decision on our part - obviously having her own ideas in that direction should she win - and she would certainly stop the EU from threatening and trying to blackmail Britain before any formal discussions actually begin. Fervently right-wing, she is the daughter of a firebrand father, one who came second in the first round of elections in 2002 against Jacque Chirac, who then went on to win the second with an 80% landslide.

Strongly anti-Islam, anti-immigration and pro the fight against terror, she believes she can do better than her father and go on to win on the second ballot on May 7th. In the past week alone, she has had a considerable boost to her stance, with the shooting of a policeman in Paris and swears to reinstate border checks, expel foreigners and ban all immigration illegal or not, if she wins.

In third place Francois Fillon -Conservative 19% - has promised not to punish Britain in the upcoming talks.

In third place Francois Fillon -Conservative (19%) - has promised not to punish Britain in the upcoming talks. He favours a more measured approach, with fast productive discussions that will promote good neighbourly conduct and a fair-minded separation for those concerned.

In fourth place is Jean-Luc-Melenchon - Left (19%) - A straight talking man who believes that the UK should be let go without any punishment at all, for Europe has become nothing more than an open-air jail. He believes strongly that the EU in its current state has had its day and needs to be thoroughly reformed. The result for the UK is 75% favourable, against 25% unfavourable.

The possible outcome

By tonight there will be only two parties left in the race, which would leave the UK with a 50/50 chance of a good final settlement. With Macron it would lead to difficulties, as he is certainly no lover of the UK, whereas with Le Pen, the difficulties could be even greater, for her fundamental stances are certainly not Britain's. In the end, though, it is what is best for the people of France that really matters, not us. For the decision they make. they have to live with.
Never before in any of our lifetimes have we witnessed a democratic result challenged like never before since 52% of people voted for Brexit last June. Because of David Cameron's dismal failure to prepare contingency plans in the event of Vote Leave winning last year, leaving the EU has been undermined left, right and centre (literally, when you consider the fact Labour, the Lib Dems and even UKIP have attempted to thwart the result in their own ways). And then there was Gina Miller's legal bid to clarify who can issue Article 50 in the High Courts and the Supreme Court, and now Julian Fouchet's attempt to destroy it altogether.

But in regards to the French lawyer's bid to overthrow a democratic result, it just seems so ironic in this turn of events that the fate of Brexit's fate rests with an EU institution. The mainstream media should be making a big deal out of this, it is a juicy story. But we know so many of the big TV channels, the BBC being one of them, are pro-EU and will refuse to air it.

Because the European Commission has now issued its Brexit negotiating guidelines, Mr. Fouchet has two months to submit a plea to this European court to enable ex-pats to have a vote in a second referendum. There is a good chance the General Court could agree with the French lawyer's arguments. But they could easily quash the case.

Yet a sense of European solidarity resides in the EU's institutions. With Britain's EU exit now becoming a reality, European institutions will do everything in their power to stop us from getting an easy ride in a bid to prevent remaining members from fleeing the sinking ship.

The future of Brexit rests with an EU court. Let us hope there is still some common sense left in the upper echelons of Europe.
1st Assurance from Pakistan'

Pakistan recently made their first statement on Sunday and assured Pakistan's domestic laws would take precedence over the ICJ'S final judgment in the KulbhushanJadhav case. This is a first assurance from Pakistan that Jadhavs life is safe till the final Judgement by ICJ.

Pakistan say they are considering Kulbhushan Jadhav's Mother's Plea

ISLAMABAD: 20th may, Pakistan announced that they have received an appeal against the death sentence to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav from his mother, which is being considered, Sartaj Aziz, the adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said today

What happened in the ICJ?

Thursday, 3.30 PM Indian time 11 judges agreed with the india, in ownership of President Ronny Abraham, "Harish Salve who represented India at the International Court of Justice" passing a stay of execution against KulbhushanJadhav as Pakistan had violated the law of international Vienna convention treaty. Also, Pakistan has no right in Jadhav's case to make the decision until the Final Verdict is decided by the ICJ (International Court of Justice).

ICJ has ruled in his favour by three strong points: Both countries agreed that KulbhushanJadhav is an Indian citizen.He was abducted by Pakistan in alleged circumstances from Iran. It is mandatory to grant consular access to India as per the Vienna Convention. ICJ has repudiated the false allegation against KulbhushanJadhav. and refuted the Pakistan statement that he has carried out espionage and terrorist activities against Pakistan. However, In April "Indian RAW Agent Kulbhushan awarded death sentence through Court Marshal by Pakistan Army for for espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan."

Indian high commissioner Gautam Bambavale met the Pakistani foreign secretary over this issue and demanded consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav along with visa requests for his parents and family within 40 days after the execution hearing.

Pakistan argued that a person convicted of espionage is not entitled to consular access, ICJ rejected this order and asked for a stay of Kulbhushan's death sentence.

Could this be a sign of victory?

India has expressed happiness over the victory after the Internationals Court's order against Pakistan, however, they have expressed some fear whether Kulbhushan is still alive. Because the past track record of Pakistan says that they never give weight to any International court judgment. Also because India has requested 17 times for the consular access of kulbhushan India is not part of in International security council.

China is a part of it and it always supports Pakistan on their major decisions as in the case of Major Azhar. As with the United Nations Security council if any of the countries veto other countries have to follow the same. The Indian government was nervous they may carry out the execution during the ICJ hearing. Sushma Swaraj also tweeted; I assure the nation that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi we will leave no stone unturned to save #KulbhushanJadhav.

Now questions emerge:

#What options do India now have in the Kulbhushan case?

#What is the next step India will take?

Pakistan's statement on the verdict

Pakistan government was the decision of the ICJ court. Their judicial told it was a mistake made by them, they went to international court. They criticized the ICJ saying their judges were not well equipped to make the judgment. After this decision, Pakistan made his first statement on Twitter this is our own personal law and no one can right to take a decision against our Consular act. According to foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, who says that Pakistan has submitted its reply to the ICJ under Article 36 of the United Nations Charter. In some issues, Pakistan does recognize the jurisdiction of the ICJ. Jadhavs case is related to Pakistans security. India is just twisting the facts and trying to give this case a humanitarian angle...India is trying to defend a person whose actions have led to the killing of scores of innocent Pakistanis, says Zakaria.

Pakistan military forces denied judgment of ICJ, also they said they will take revenge on this dispute.

Talking to the state-run Pakistan Television, after the ruling was delivered, Zakaria said India has been "trying to hide its real face" by taking the case of Jadhav to ICJ. "The real face of India will be exposed before the world," he said, adding that Jadhav has confessed his crimes of sabotage, terrorism and subversion activities not only once but twice.
A pro-EU group has launched a fundraising bid to overturn Brexit.

Action Europe, which was founded by Gina Miller, has produced a crowdfunding page to raise 15,000 to pay for legal fees in a bid to provide ex-pats with a say over leaving the EU.

They have so far succeeded in raising 5,000 for French lawyer Julian Fouchet, who is arguing the referendum's outcome is illegitimate due to the failure to allow Britons residing abroad to vote.

Their website says it is illegal for EU citizens to be excluded from all elections, claiming that last June's result may be illegal.

They added that they want to restore ex-pats' voting rights and challenge the legitimacy of the EU Referendum.

Since last year's result, thousands of Britons living abroad have complained that they were dismissed from a vote which could affect their right to live abroad.

'A second referendum is necessary'

Mr. Fouchet says a second referendum is necessary to settle the legal complexities of Brexit by making ex-pats' voting rights matter.

He added that this is a breach of their human rights as EU law states all citizens should be allowed to vote in elections, regardless of whether they are living abroad or not.

The French lawyer has submitted a plea to the European Commission to hear his case for another vote.

His legal firm, Cornille-Pouyanne, said all European citizens should have the same democratic right to vote.

Mr. Fouchet said he intends to fight for the British.

'Britain could remain in the EU'

He added he wants to scrap the negotiation process until the rights of 1.27 million ex-pats who have resided abroad for the last 15 years are recognised, which he argues could tip a second referendum result in favour of remaining in the EU.

World War Two veteran Harry Shindler, 95, has lived in Italy since 1982.

He says he is worried he may be forced to leave his home if the EU cannot guarantee the rights of Britons to remain in European countries.

The EU has issued its Brexit negotiating directives today, but Mr. Fouchet's legal case will request that the process be scrapped entirely.

'Brexit could be destroyed'

If successful, this will result in a second referendum which will either legitimise last year's result, or destroy Brexit altogether.

The upcoming negotiations have recently been stifled by differences between Britain and the EU over the size of the former's divorce bill.

Prime Minister Theresa May said the only exit bill the EU should worry about is its own, particularly in relation to the money the superbloc owes Britain.

Brexit Secretary David Davis has threatened to walk out of EU talks if discussions about the divorce bill supersede all other aspects of leaving the superbloc.

But the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the divorce bill could be as small as 5 billion, instead of the huge sums the EU has recently demanded.

Mrs Miller, who supports the French lawyer's efforts, is also leading a campaign to sponsor anti-Brexit MPs from all political parties.

She wants a fair final deal that will be voted for by Parliament, arguing leaving the EU should be dealt with properly.

The businesswoman is also urging more young people to vote so that they have had a voice over Britain's fate in the EU.

Mr. Fouchet commenced his bid to thwart Brexit earlier this month.

British law currently states that if Britons have lived abroad for 15 years, they cannot vote in elections.

It is this legal rule that Mr. Fouchet argues is deeply unfair.

He says the political and economic consequences of leaving the EU are far too significant for ex-pats to not be allowed to have a say over how Brexit could affect their circumstances abroad.

The French lawyer said both the British Government and the EU have failed to clarify how Brexit could impact upon ex-pats' ability to travel from one EU country to another.

He will be issuing letters to Britons living in France to state what the position of French law is on this issue.

Mr. Fouchet reiterated he has no problem with Brexit, but he feels all Brits deserve the right to have their say over leaving the EU.
If we did not realise it by now, is Donald J Trump is not a happy man. He has one of those faces that appears unable to hide his true feelings, even when you know he's feeling nothing. Unlike the look on George Bush's face when told of 9/11, one of mystified incomprehension, the President would have just looked inane.

Ineptitude?

Donald Trump, always a strange fish to some, is beginning to act well, even stranger to many. It is bad enough that most of his intimate staff appear terrified of him and his constant u-turns. That he discusses his sacked FBI chief with Russian diplomats, but that he calls him a 'nut job,' in the process, is far from the sort of language one would expect to emit from the mouth of the leader of the free world.

Yesterday on the first day of his whirlwind tour of the Middle-East and Europe, he held a meeting with prominent Arab leaders in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. However, even whilst calling on Islam, - an ideology he has never been comfortable with - as a combined unit to 'drive out the footsoldiers of evil from the lands of the Holy,' he looked decidedly ill at ease and very uncomfortable in the company of others, not of his circle. He repeated that decidedly nervous performance this morning in Israel at a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu before a day of sightseeing in Jerusalem. As the great 'deal-maker,' he is sure to want to broker a lasting settlement between Palestinian and Israeli, and so good luck to him in that thankless task.

What should he do about it?

Trump would be the first to agree that his intellectual capacity is somewhat lacking, which shows in his many gaffes thus far. He needs to listen to his advisors, read more and certainly get a grip on the many complexities of the many tasks he has before him. He should cease immediately the 'twitter tweets,' and close the account.

No one, but no one, wants to know his inner thoughts, although there is not much of those on show anyway, just the ill-informed ramblings of someone who has little grasp of the serious nature of his job, and just coming across to all as a whiner of vast proportions. Apart from that he should try to engage, not only with his own staff but with those he has traveled thousands of miles to meet, for he is not looking diplomatic merely stupid.

Then again, perhaps none of these questions will need to be answered, for this could all be solved with one simple solution. While the President is on his 9-day jolly, change all the locks in the White House, that should give him something to really have a miserable face about?
Later today in Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump is to make a speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, as part of his current foreign tour.

'A battle between good and evil'

With US National Security Adviser HR McMaster earlier telling the press that Mr. Trump's speech would focus on his "hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam," the leader is expected to directly confront the need for all nations to do more to combat extremism. In leaked fragments of the speech reported by the BBC, it is anticipated the leader will talk about the battle against terror as, "not a battle between different faiths" but rather "a battle between good and evil".

Given the President's previous tendencies to divert wildly away from the scrip to engage in impromptu impassioned rants in the past, some are concerned that he may overstep the mark. His go-to terms in the past such as "radical Islamic terror" have caused widespread offence to Muslims worldwide, so one can only imagine the administration in Washington will be awaiting his speech with baited breath.

'Barbarism will bring you no glory'

The President is expected to bluntly point out that "Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: barbarism will deliver you no glory - piety to evil will bring you no dignity...If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and your soul will be condemned."

Despite proposing a ban on Muslims entering the US during his campaign, Donald Trump has been warmly received by the leadership of Saudi Arabia from the moment he walked down the steps of Air Force One yesterday.

Many were intrigued by First Lady Melania's decision not to wear a headscarf, given her husband's fierce criticism of previous First Lady Michelle Obama for doing the same in 2015. As her spouse was greeted by leaders and officials on the red carpet, she appeared to be ignored, left to walk behind the party alone.

Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted.We have enuf enemies  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2015

The King Abdulaziz medal

Yesterday saw the President attend a traditional sword dance, swaying and grinning somewhat awkwardly before attending a banquet.

Mr. Trump has also been awarded the highest civilian honor Saudi Arabia has to offer, the King Abdulaziz medal.

One thing, however, is for certain - the eyes and ears of the world will be on Mr. Trump and the Capitol throughout the whole of next week, as he faces one of the most tumultuous and uncertain periods of his Presidency yet.
As part of the second leg of his first foreign trip as commander in chief, Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday. After becoming the first president to visit the holy site of the Western Wall, critics of Trump decided to voice their opinion on Twitter which quickly went viral on the social media platform.

Twitter on Trump

With scandals grow inside the White House and the pressure mounting on the administration, Donald Trump left the United States last Friday to embark on a foreign trip to the other side of the globe. The first stop was the kingdom of Saudi Arabia where the former host of "The Apprentice" met with King Salman, took part in a celebration dance, and gave a speech on terrorism that received mixed reviews.

After just three days, a White House official confirmed to reporters that the president was "exhausted," using that as an excuse for why he omitted the term "radical Islamic terrorism" from his aforementioned speech. After departing Saudi Arabia, Trump and his team headed to Israel where the commander in chief was set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as become the first united states president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews are allowed to pray. As Trump did so, Twitter went viral and started to trend on May 22.

Pres. Trump makes first visit by sitting U.S. commander in chief to the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site https://t.co/sOwLJ2XsZk pic.twitter.com/nCKYKlGcII  CBS News (@CBSNews) May 22, 2017

After leaving Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump made his way to Israel as he continued his foreign trip.

Upon arrival, the First Couple quickly made headlines when video captured Melania Trump swatting her husband away in his attempt to hold hands. While that minor incident made the rounds in the media, it was Trump's visit to the holy site of the Western Wall that was the bigger news.

How Pres. Trump's planned visit to the Western Wall has spurred controversy: https://t.co/xr1Li22kLZ pic.twitter.com/4kYut6ilsJ  ABC News (@ABC) May 22, 2017

Twitter's rebuttal

After the news broke that the president arrived at the Western Wall and photos began circulating on the internet, social media users quickly had the term trending on Twitter.

"Donald Trump leaves a copy of his electoral map win inside the Western Wall," Shannon Watts tweeted out.

Donald Trump leaves a copy of his electoral map win inside the Western Wall. pic.twitter.com/6WgpsCfViO  Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 22, 2017

If you're a journalist and you're not mentioning that the Western Wall is on illegally occupied territory, you're not doing a very good job  Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) May 22, 2017

Trump,still can't understand why he couldn't land on the Western Wall - it would have made the trip so much shorter!  Mary Ellen Ormond (@meormond) May 22, 2017

"If you're a journalist and you're not mentioning that the Western Wall is on illegally occupied territory, you're not doing a very good job," author Saladin Ahmed wrote on his Twitter account.

"'Western Wall' How is it that devout women are not permitted to pray here while this unrepentant sinner can stick his hand in its crack?" another Twitter user wondered.

"Western Wall" How is it that devout women are not permitted to pray here while this unrepentant sinner can stick his hand in its crack?  John Hergt (@natureofthings7) May 22, 2017

As an American Jew, I'm pretty sure this image makes me more than "mildly nauseous". pic.twitter.com/RFB4zhpvnV  O General My General (@rideatdawn) May 22, 2017

A nice note by Trump that he just placed in the Western Wall. pic.twitter.com/GVycRqQ3Fj  Michael, still here (@Home_Halfway) May 22, 2017

"As an American Jew, I'm pretty sure this image makes me more than 'mildly nauseous,' another tweet read while attaching a picture of Donald Trump at the Western Wall.

"Trump,still can't understand why he couldn't land on the Western Wall - it would have made the trip so much shorter!" a humorous social media user added. Though supporters of the president were thrilled with his decision to visit the holy site, critics showed that they are not going to back down from their attack on Trump anytime soon.
Iran, in retaliation against the United States, has sanctioned nine companies with US ties. The move was in response to sanctions on the Middle East countrys ballistic missile program. Irans Hassan Rouhani, the newly re-elected President, said he was hoping to sit down and have a dialogue about US pre-requisites. Iran also added nine more US-based businesses to its long list of individuals and organizations.

Iran responds with its own sanctions

According to the Associated Press, the list created last March highlights companies already sanctioned as of May 18.

The list was uploaded online this past Saturday. Analyst watching the development stated that with the sanctions of these companies by the Iranian government, they could seize their local assets. Additionally, the sanctioning country can also prohibit these organizations' employees from entering the country.

In March, Iranian government officials announced the first set of sanctions in retaliation for actions taken by the current White House administration. US President Trump sanctioned over two dozen Iranian companies as well as its citizens after Iran carried out a ballistic missile test in February.

On Wednesday, Donald Trump reiterated that he had renewed the sanctions because of a nuclear deal that was recently done by the Iranians.

Additionally, the US government imposed new sanctions on two Iranian defense officials as well as a company with alleged links to Iran's missile program.

Iranians vote for economic and social change

Recently, the country's citizens went to the polls and re-elected President Hassan Rouhani. After winning the election with one of the highest turnouts in the nation's history, he vowed to continue his progressive reforms.

Several analysts stated that the heavy voter turnout indicates that the citizens welcome a different vision for their country.

They have given the President a new mandate to boost the country's engagement with the rest of the world. Accordingly, voter sentiments were strongly against diplomatic isolation. This, they said, had stifled the country's economic growth over the past decades.

Voters from the Persian Gulf and along the Caspian Sea came out in large numbers to cast their vote. The international outreach nuclear pact was a key issue on voters' minds. This highlights the nation's openness to political and social change. According to analysts, Iranian citizens refocused their attention in favor of reforms that would end the nations economic stagnation.
It is not just among American voters and Republicans who are losing confidence on U.S. President Donald Trump. Even foreign leaders, such as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who gave him the benefit of the doubt when he unexpectedly won the presidential election in November 2016, are now telling off the 45th U.S. president.

Maduro is the second national leader to keep a distance from Trump. The first was Russian President Vladimir Putin who used to be the billionaires BFF during the presidential campaign. However, when Trump ordered the airstrike in Syria in April after the sarin gas attack by the Syrian government on civilians, their friendship was affected.

Venezuela had enough of American meddling

Reuters reported that Maduro said on Friday that Caracas had enough of Washingtons meddling. The Venezuelan strongman said in a speech on live TV that Trump should go home and get out of the South American nation. Get your dirty hands out of here, Maduro said.

Maduros angry tirade came after the Trump administration ordered sanctions on Thursday on Venezuelas chief judge and seven other members of the countrys Supreme Court. The sanctions were to punish the court for its annulment of the Venezuelan Congress, which is led by the opposition, in several court decisions in 2017.

The fresh round of sanctions aims to pressure Maduro and his followers who ordered a crackdown on street protests and efforts to consolidate his rule in the country.

Trump said on Thursday that because Venezuela is unbelievably poorly run, the oil-producing nation is now deep in poverty. He added that Venezuelas humanitarian situation is a disgrace to humanity.

The sanctions include frozen U.S. assets, ban on travel to the U.S., and prohibition on doing business with American citizens.

Among those covered by the sanctions is Maikel Moreno, an ally of the Venezuelan president.

Give Trump a chance

Ironically, when Trump unexpectedly won the November presidential election in the U.S., many world leaders doubted on the former The Apprentice hosts ability to lead the nation because of his lack of political experience.

But Maduro then urged the world to give Trump a chance to prove himself. However, several months after that statement, the Venezuelan president did an about-face and now considers Trump an enemy.

Maduro believes Trump is funding the opposition in Venezuela despite the U.S. having its own share of internal problems such as human rights violations and an income gap.
2r2Cleon Brown is a 47-year-old police sergeant serving Hastings, MI. Throughout those 47 years, he believed when his father said they were partly Native American  their lineage traced to the Blackfeet Nation. That, in turn, is what Sgt. Brown told everyone.

Brown and his father, now deceased, shared more than the story they told. They also shared the name Cleon. People who heard his name thought he was black. He held fast to the story his father had told him: his family is descended from the Blackfeet Nation.

Steps to taking DNA test

At birth, though, Sgt.

Browns (now) 18-year-old daughter was diagnosed with an illness more often found among African-Americans. The news piqued lingering curiosity about his actual heritage. Last year, everything he thought he knew about his background changed when he took a DNA test.

While the test revealed that he had absolutely no Native American blood, it also surprised him with the result that he was partly sub-Saharan. That 18% made him feel proud when he wife called and gave him the results.

Sharing DNA results with pride

With his new-found clarity intact, the sergeant proudly shared the DNA news with police department colleagues. After that, his life changed. His elation was trounced when others taunted him with racist remarks and jokes, Brown contends.

Jeff Pratt, the police chief of Hastings, allegedly called Sgt. Brown "Kunta," alluding to Alex Haleys novel, Roots, about the life of an African man who was captured and, then, sold into slavery in the United States.

According to the lawsuit: other members of the police department pumped their fists and whispered Black Lives Matter when Brown walked past them; Frank Campbell, mayor at the time, told him a racist joke; and, December 2016, a black Santa figurine, with 18% on its beard, was stuffed into his stocking at the police station by another sergeant.

The sergeant's $500,000 lawsuit is against the city of Hastings, the police chief, Deputy Chief Dale Boulter, Sgt. Kris Miller, and City Manager Jeff Mansfield.

City denies officer's claims

The city claims, however, that Sgt. Brown has a history of his own and that he has made rude remarks about black people. In addition, Sgt.

Brown reportedly learned the ancestry results and said that he then understood why he likes chicken so much and the 18% is all in my pants.

Additionally, the city is challenging whether Sgt. Brown is in a protected class according to Civil Rights laws. The assertion is that the civil rights law are not meant to protect people who have a trace amount of a race or geographic origin.

Karie Boylan, Browns attorney, asserts her client has been alienated by colleagues since disclosing his black ancestry to them. Boylan said law enforcement officers are supposed to understand cultural sensitivities.

Sergeant Brown, in law enforcement 20 years, said that in all his years in Hastings they never joked about race.
Kim Jong-un continues to defy Donald Trump and the United Nations Committee, even after saying that his country was open to diplomatic talks but with certain stipulations. North Korea, only yesterday, launched another ballistic missile. This time, however, it did not reach the US mainland or close to the Russian border. It landed on the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula.

South Korea says North Korea dashed hopes for peace

The test on Sunday is the second missile launched by the Korean leader within a week. Its neighbor South Korea stated that there is no hope for peace in the region after the latest nuclear weapons test.

According to a South Korean official, the latest missile fired by Jong-un appeared to be upgraded for long-range launch.

Sources said this extended version is far more superior to that of the missiles launched by its submarine warships. Reportedly, the newly tested missile, a week ago, was liquid-fueled and can cover a wider range than the one that landed within 60 miles of Russian territory.

Obviously, North Korea, really do not care about what the US says about its nuclear ambitions as its leader continues to defy calls to end its programs. China, its major, if not its only ally, had also called on the Korean leader to rein in its missile nuclear program. Chinese officials also reiterated to the North Korean Government that such weapons are necessary only for the legitimate defense of threats against the country's sovereignty.

Experts said North Korea's missile can reach the USA

Reportedly, the reclusive states nuclear missile stockpile now has weapons capable of reaching the American shores. On Saturday, its leader reiterated that its nuclear-tipped missile is within striking distance of the U.S. mainland. However, it was quickly debunked by missile experts, who said North Korea had exaggerated its claim.

President Donald Trump, who is in Saudi Arabia on official business, is aware of the latest missile launch. According to his spokesperson, the recent ballistic launch covered a shorter radius than the other test that was previously carried out by the North Korean leader.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Rex Tillerson said the White House will continue to pressure the Kim Jong-uns regime with diplomatic and economic sanctions.

Tillerson said Koreas leader continues its defiance of the United Nations agreement and it is really disturbing as well as disappointing. The US Secretary of State added that the United States further call for the Korean leader to cease its nuclear antagonism.
Following the messy divorce from Amber Heard, actor Johnny Depp is back to life and is dating a fashion model. Depp has been in the news since January due to his issues with Amber Heard. The two tied the knot in 2016 after a long-term relationship. Unfortunately, things did not work out and Johnny decided to separate his ways from Amber. They filed for a divorce in the second half of 2016, and it was finalized in January 2017.

And now, the 53-year-old actor is ready to look to the future. The Verge says that he is secretly dating a fashion model, whose name was kept secret for unknown reasons.

Johnny Depp back to life

In addition to his marital problems, Johnny faced serious financial issues and was reportedly in depression for several months. In 2016, Amber Heard accused him of domestic violence and claimed that he is in a physical relationship with another lady. On the other hand, Johnny said in a statement to Mashable that Heard is an unreliable woman and not serious about the household. Earlier this month, he hired a new management team to handle his finances after it was revealed that he is $40 million in debt.

In recent months, his spending has been out of control and he earned only $650 million over the last 13 years. Legal documents outline purchases such as a $19 million yacht, $40,000 a month on red wine and over $4 million on his branded outfits.

While his lawyer deals with the complicated case, Johnny is in Paris for the promotion of his film titled Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge. It seems that he is gradually getting back to life. Also, the actor has started taking work and personal relationships seriously. He spends quality time with his children and is dating a bit.

Future roles

Up next for Depp is his mega-budget movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The film is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2017. So far, Depp has worked in dozens of films including Platoon, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, Rango, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Finding Neverland, Public Enemies, Black Mass, and others.

Depp received four nominations for Academy Award, and won two Golden Globes for his performance in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In January 2017, it was announced that Johnny is cast as Dr. Jack Griffin in Universal Studios' upcoming movie, a reboot of its classic Universal Monsters franchise. Moreover, he will play the leading characters in the untitled Invisible Man film, alongside Ed Solomon, Chris Morgan, and Alex Kurtzman. His film, Gnomeo & Juliet: Sherlock Gnomes, is scheduled for January 12, 2018.
Jill Duggar and derick dillard, along with their two-year-old son Israel, are back from their missionary work in Central America. There had been concerns over their safety after their friend was murdered. However, rumors are that they returned to the United States to attend the wedding of Jill Duggar's sister Joy-Anna to Austin Forsyth.

Jill's family back safe and sound

Last week, the Dillard family wrote on their blog about a friend in El Salvador who was found dead down by the river. The news shocked fans who became concerned over the family's safety.

Over the weekend, Jill Duggar confirmed via Instagram that their whole family has returned to the United States, safe and sound. Jill posted on Instagram a photo of herself and Derick, saying how good it is to be back home. They were on their way to their church, while their son Israel, was with his grandmother Michelle Duggar.

Joy-Anna marries Austin

There are speculations about the real reason that Jill has returned to the States, includes the fact that they wanted to be home in time for Joy-Anna's wedding. News spread that the two have tied the knot already, although the registry said their wedding will take place in October. A Facebook post said it had been confirmed that Joy and Austin got hitched on Saturday, May 20.

The Duggar Family, meanwhile, remains silent on their social media sites. Perhaps not to spoil the event for the next season of "Counting On" airing this upcoming June.

Jill and Derick's return fueled the rumor about the nuptials. Other signs that make fans believe it happened are Joy and Austin already had their bachelor and bachelorette party this month, which would be too early if they plan to wed on Oct.

28.

Going back to Jill Dillard, the family did say back in February that they plan to return to the US in time to prepare for the delivery of her second baby boy in July. Last week, they also wrote on their blog that their two-year long missionary work in Central America was coming to a close and they will only be there for a short time longer.

With that, they also made it in time to join the production of "Counting On" Season 3, which is said to be scheduled for a June 12 premiere. The "19 Kids and Counting" spin-off series is expected to pick up where Season 2 left off, which is after Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo's wedding. The couple has been enjoying married life in Texas, and everyone is waiting for their baby announcement.
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard arrived back home in Arkansas last week. They had been in Central America doing mission work since February. It is where their heart is and when they returned last fall for Jinger Duggar's wedding, they knew they would be headed back there soon. Now that the couple is home, fans are already questioning whether or not they plan to return or if they will stay in the United States for a while after their second child is born in July.

Jill's homecoming

With Jill Duggar's arrival back home, some big speculation came along with it.

It was rumored that her sister Joy-Anna was going to get married over the weekend but so far, no confirmation has been given that is what happened. Jill had to return home soon because she is due to give birth to her second son in July. A more official date has not been given, but fans are anxiously awaiting the reveal of the name chosen for the baby. She shared a photo yesterday morning of her and Derick going to church and mentioned they left Israel with her mom Michelle Duggar. The two finally got a little alone time, even if it was just to attend church together.

There is much relief now that Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are back home. They recently blogged about a friend of theirs being murdered in Central America which caused alarm from fans.

They immediately began pleading for her to return home, especially because she was already in a delicate state being pregnant, and could have been an easy target. All of that worry has turned into joy and now, the anticipation for baby Dillard number two is taking over.

Lawsuit tweet from Jill Duggar blows up in her face

Along with her return to the United States, Jill Duggar and her sisters filed a lawsuit against the city of Springdale and In Touch Weekly over the Josh Duggar scandal from 2015.

Jill, Jessa, Jinger, and Joy Duggar filed the suit because their names were leaked as the victims from the police report. Their identities as minors should have been concealed according to what they believe and when Jill responded to a tweet about it, she got plenty of harsh words on social media. Many believe the Duggar sisters should have sued their father and brother as well, though that isn't making much sense.

The timeline for their lawsuit is a bit odd, almost exactly two years later, but other than that, their concerns seem valid. Whether or not they will win is another story and if the city of Springdale has anything to say about it, they won't.

As Jill Duggar gets settled into her home and gets ready to deliver her second child, her future plans probably aren't pressing on her mind. If she does decide to go back to Central America, it likely won't happen until the fall or winter, if not longer.
The Bollywood actress, Priyanka Chopra, will have a special screening of Hollywood debut baywatch for her Indian fans and friends. She is excited to see her friends overwhelming response to the upcoming movie. To keep their attention intact, Chopra will bring the film to India ahead of its release. These days, Priyanka is busy with the international promotions of her movie, alongside Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Zac Efron, Jon Bass, and Kelly Rohrbach.

The whole team spent over ten days in Miami for movie promotions. A world premiere of Baywatch was held recently and Chopra slew the red carpet.

Her downtime in Miami included wearing stylish swimming costumes, basking in the sun and spending quality time with friends. Chopra returned to New York City this Saturday where she will continue with the promotions of "Baywatch."

Special screening of her movie

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chopra wants her Indian friends to watch the movie ahead of its Asian premiere. For this purpose, she will bring some copies to India in a few days. However, Chopra has warned her friends about the offensive content and jokes in the film.

Meanwhile, she is playing the lead character in Quantico season 3, which begins production this August. Chopra will return to India in a couple of days to wrap up the brand commitments before she starts shooting for the new Quantico season and her second Hollywood film.

Baywatch is an R-rated movie

Baywatch trailers are loaded with gross-out gags and innuendos, keeping with the tone of the famous television series of the same name and two Hollywood movies titled The Hangover and Jump Street. On top of that, the film is known for its skimpy swimsuits and gratuitous slow-mo runs, making it one of the major R-rated films to date.

But the most important question is whether the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will give a green signal to Baywatch for the Indian premiere or not. To this, Priyanka Chopra has refused to comment, saying that its too early to give the word.

#PriyankaChopra is looking smokin hot in these pictures  Who else is in love with her style? #Baywatch



PC @TheRealityPost pic.twitter.com/bKXSTrJqbq  City Women Magazine (@CWMHindi) May 13, 2017

The film might have trouble

Chopras film might hit troubled waters, thanks to India's Censor Board.

In recent years, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), headed by Pahlaj Nihalani, has made the headlines for its strict rules and regulations. Though Priyanka wants her Indian friends and fans to watch the Hollywood film, we cannot say whether it will officially debut in India or not. Viacom 18 Motion Pictures is releasing Baywatch both in Nepal and India. A representative says that the film will have its Indian premiere on June 2, 2017. In the US, Canada, and England, Baywatch is projected to gross over $51 million in the five-day opening weekend.
A woman demonstrates against Brazil's president Michel Temer during a protest in Union Square in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, US May 21, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

RIO DE JANEIRO - The Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) -- an ally of President Michel Temer -- announced Saturday that it was leaving the government led by Temer and is seeking his removal from office.

The PSB will also seek a constitutional amendment to call for direct elections if the presidency is vacated, instead of the indirect elections in Congress currently mandated, according to PSB president Carlos Siqueira.

"Today's decision, first of all, is to suggest to the president that, to help find a solution for our country, he should quit as fast as possible," commented Siqueira, adding that the PSB would also support Temer's impeachment.

He explained that Temer has lost the condition to govern the country. Whoever concludes the president does not have the condition to lead a national project, de facto, enters the opposition.

The PSB's announcement came after a recording was released this week in which Temer seemingly endorses the bribing of former speaker Eduardo Cunha in exchange for his silence.

Since the recording was revealed this week, the Temer government has already lost two ministers.

Bruno Araujo, the minister of cities, distanced himself from the scandal and resigned, while Roberto Freire, the minister of culture, also quit, citing "the political instability generated by facts that directly involve the presidency."

The PSB currently holds one ministry, that of mines and energy.

On Saturday, Temer said that the recording had been doctored to harm him and asked the Supreme Court to drop the investigation into him.

Brazil's former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), called Saturday for the resignation of Temer.

Lula promised he was "in the trenches" to demand Temer's resignation and to call for new elections, to allow the people to elect their new leader. "We want Temer to leave but we don't want an indirectly elected president," he told supporters at Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo.

This was his first public appearance since JBS owner, Joesley Batista, told judicial investigators he paid Lula 80 million U.S. dollars on foreign accounts, although the ex-president did not address these claims.

Lula's concern about direct elections stems from the fact that, if Temer resigns or is impeached, his successor will be elected by parliament.

While Lula is the favorite to win next year's presidential elections in 2018 according to opinion polls, he is facing five different court cases, which could declare him ineligible to run.

"I had never thought I would be a candidate again. Now, with this provocation, with this amount of accusations, with things being invented every week, I want to contest the elections," he said.

Lula added, his Workers' Party (PT) had learned over its 12 years in power (2003-2016) how to fight corruption, as nobody created more mechanisms than the PT.
PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday confirmed it test-fired another medium-range ballistic missile on Sunday.

The Korean Central News Agency said DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-fire of a ground-to-ground medium-to-long range strategic ballistic missile "Pukguksong-2."

"The test-fire of Pukguksong-2 was aimed to finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action," said the report.

This was the second time for DPRK to have test fired missile within one week. Sunday, it test-fired a long medium-range ballistic missile "Hwasong 12."

Afte issuing an order to launch the missile at the observation post, Kim analyzed with officials the results of the test-launch, said the report.

"He said the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon. He approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," said the report.

Kim also said "this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the Korean People's Army Strategic Force.

"Pukguksong-2" medium range ballistic missile is capable of striking targets 500 km away.
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HCM CITY  To reduce oversupply and help farmers, Vissan Co. Ltd will buy and slaughter an additional 200 to 300 pigs a day, raising the companys additional purchases over the normal number to 500-600 pigs a day.

Speaking at a meeting with the media in HCM City last week, Nguyen Ngoc An, the companys general director, said the move had raised the total number of pigs slaughtered at its facilities to 1,600-1,800 a day.

The company will use cold warehouses of APT Logistics and SATRA to freeze the additional pork, he said.

Nguyen Phuc Khoa, Vissans chairman, said his company had stopped pork imports since February and had increased local purchases.

The pigs meet VietGap standards, all are bred under the Livestock Competitiveness and Food Safety Project (Lifsap), and are from farms participating in a HCM City programme to trace their origin.

To stimulate demand, Vissan will continue to offer 10-15 per cent discounts on certain pork products at Saigon Co.ops outlets, Vinmart, Vinmart+ and other supermarkets, that sell its pork products.

In addition, it will cut prices by 5-10 per cent on some processed food.

The price of live pigs has dropped sharply because of oversupply, causing big losses for farmers.  VNS
HA NOI  Ha Noi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Joint Stock Corporation (Habeco) targets total revenue of over VN8.8 trillion (US$390 million) in 2017, up 9.1 per cent year-on-year.

The brewer plans to earn pre-tax profit of VN1 trillion this year, up slightly from 2016, and dividends are projected at 20 per cent.

The companys revenue in 2016 grew by 8 per cent to reach VN8.1 trillion. Pre-tax profit reached VN997.3 billion, up 0.6 per cent year-on-year.

With this result, the dividend rate was adjusted upwards to 18 per cent, equivalent to VN417 billion. The company paid 10 per cent dividend in 2015.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), Habecos biggest stakeholder with 81.79 per cent capital, is expected to collect VN341 billion.

At its 2017 annual general meeting of shareholders held last week, two members of the board of directors were dismissed, including Nguyen Thi Nga representing the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Tayfun Uner, CEO of Carlsberg Viet Nam, which currently holds a 17.08 percent stake of Habeco.

o Xuan Ha was appointed to replace Nguyen Thi Nga from May 11 until the Ministry of Industry and Trade has made a decision on personnel.

Habeco only elected one new member to the board, namely Soren Ravn, Business Development Manager of the Carlsberg Group. With this change, Habeco temporarily has just four board members.

Headquartered in Ha Noi, Habeco is the largest beer producer in the North and the third-largest beer company in Viet Nam, with popular brands such as Ha Noi Beer and Truc Bach Beer. It owns 17 subsidiaries and nine affiliated companies.  VNS
Eleven signatory countries of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have shown their unity in pursuing the trade deal without the United States.  Photo thanhtra.com.vn

HA NOI  Eleven signatory countries of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have shown their unity in pursuing the trade deal without the United States.

The United States pulled out of the TPP  frequently called a 21st century trade agreement  soon after US President Donald Trump took office in January.

Without the United States, 11 countries remain in the trade agreement including Japan, Australia, Canada, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore and Viet Nam.

Meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting (MRT) in Ha Noi on Sunday, the 11 remaining nations agreed to seek ways to move forward with the free trade pact without the United States.

The meeting reaffirmed the balanced outcome and the strategic and economic significance of the TPP and highlighted its principles and high standards as a way to promote regional economic integration and contribute positively to the economic growth prospects of its member countries.

The ministers agreed on the value of realising the TPPs benefits and to that end, they agreed to launch a process to assess options to bring the comprehensive, high quality agreement into force expeditiously, including how to facilitate membership for the original signatories, a joint statement after the meeting said.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said Viet Nam maintained the standpoint that TPP is a free trade pact with high standards and high levels of commitment which would benefit economic and trade growth of both member states and global trade.

It is a pity that a country wont participate in the TPP process because it will affect the balanced outcomes of all nations involved in the negotiation process, as well as the validity and enforcement of the agreement, the minister told reporters after the meeting.

He said the remaining nations had continued interests in pursuing the trade pact but cautioned that the next steps must safeguard balanced and harmonized benefits of all participating countries.

The minister said this would be an open agreement that would enable other countries to participate at appropriate times and under conditions that can preserve the high standards of the TPP, including the return of the United States.

New US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the United States would not consider the return and confirmed bilateral negotiations were better for the United States. But he reaffirmed the country would continue to cooperate with TPP member economies on a bilateral basis.

Were willing to negotiate bilateral agreements with other partners in the world, Lighthizer said, but pledged the United States commitment to the Asia-Pacific region and said regional trade played an important role in US trade policy.

Commenting on the prospects for the TPP, New Zealand Minister of Industry and Trade Todd Michael McClay expressed hope that the deal would be deployed, bringing benefits to businesses and people.

Twelve countries that border the Pacific Ocean signed up to the TPP in February 2016, representing 40 per cent of the global economy. The pact aimed at deepening economic ties between these nations, cutting tariffs and promoting trade to boost growth.

After the United States left the agreement, only Japan and New Zealand have ratified the deal.

Following the meeting in Ha Noi, eleven countries agreed to engage in work to prepare an assessment of options before they meet on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in November in a Nang.  VNS
HA NOI  Total non-performing loans (NPLs) of the entire credit institutions (CI) system until March 31, 2017 were VN160 trillion (US$7 billion).

This was stated in a Government report released today at the National Assembly (NA)s meeting.

The number, which was exclusively NPLs sold to the Viet Nam Asset Management Company (VAMC), was equal to 2.56 per cent of the institutions total outstanding loans.

According to the report, the entire system of CIs recovered NPLs valued at more than VN610 trillion in the 2012-16 period. Of the total, over 56 per cent were settled by the institutions themselves and the remaining were sold to VAMC and other individuals and institutions.

However, the restructuring of ailing CIs and settlement of bad debts still faced difficulties.

At this NA meeting, the Government submitted a resolution on bad debt settlement for approval. Following the approval, the Government will instruct relevant ministries and agencies to streamline legal regulations on restructuring ailing CIs so that settlement of bad debts is more effective.

As per the State Bank of Viet Nams (SBV) reports, after four years of implementing a project on restructuring the CIs system in 2011-15, there have been achievements, such as restructuring of a number of ailing banks and safety of the banking system and assets of the State and the people.

However, because of inadequate legal regulations, there remain obstacles to speeding up the restructuring of ailing banks and settlement of bad debts.

While dealing with weak CIs, SBV found the current regulations to be inadequate.

According to the central bank, the process of recovery and restructuring of weak CIs is difficult because there is no legal basis for applying solutions suitable to the situation. Also, there is no effective financial support to help weak CIs recover.

The law on the handling of mortgaged assets to recover debts still has many inadequacies related to the confiscation of mortgaged assets, especially land, which limits the progress and effectiveness of debt settlement.  VNS
Xuan Tai Company in the Highland province of Kon Tum was fined VND40 million ($1,769) for illegal sand exploitation.  Photo thiennhien.net

KON TUM  Xuan Tai Company in the Highland province of Kon Tum was fined VND40 million ($1,769) for illegal sand exploitation, said Chief Inspector of the Department of Environment and Natural Resource Tran Cong Hau yesterday.

According to the department, the company was fined VND8 million for encroaching the Dak Bla River and VND32 million for illegally mining 3,507m3 of sand over an eight-month period.

A report from the Kon Tum Department of Mineral Resources and Environment said the Xuan Tai Co Ltd had used mechanised facilities to dig holes and build embankments to stop the flow of the ak Bla River in order to illegally exploit minerals,

The 100-metre long, 5-metre wide and 2-metre high embankment built across the ak Bla River in ak Ro Wa Commune and Thang Loi Ward of Kon Tum City can allow trucks to cross the river.

Mechanised facilities are used to mine sand and gravel by Xuan Tai Co. at a site not far from the newly built embankment, according to the report issued recently.

o Xuan Tai, CEO of Xuan Tai Co, said last week that construction of the embankment did not have an impact on the environment. The embankment will not cause erosion of the (river) banks, but can help local residents get to the fields on the opposite bank without crossing the river, said Tai.

Tai told Nguoi Lao ong (Labourer) newspaper that he would give back the site to the Government if Xuan Tai Cos operation was discovered and stopped by authorities.

However, KDan HJe, a resident in ak Ro Wa Commune, said the embankment had diverted a section of the river and turned it into a dead river.

According to Kon Tums Department of Mineral Resources and Environment, Xuan Tai Co has illegally dug holes and built embankments to divert the flow of ak Bla River when it had not received a licence for the operation. The mining site under Xuan Tais operation is nearly 300 metres on the upper section of the licenced site.

Kon Tum provincial authorities have also asked Xuan Tai Co to suspend its operation at the site and to repair the damages. The company was told to cooperate with government agencies and households that had lost farmland because of sand mining.

On May 15, the company destroyed an embankment which separates the ak Bla River in order to rehabilitate the flow of the river.

Desspite the illegal sand mining, which has occurred for years, Nguyen Van Hung, chairman of Thang Loi Ward Peoples Committee, said he did not hear about the illegal operations until after the recent inspection conducted by delegates of Kon Tum Peoples Council.

Meanwhile, the head of Kon Tum Citys Division of Mineral Resources and Environment, ao Duy Ha, said local authorities and relevant agencies must be responsible for these wrongdoings. - VNS
HA NOI  The Viet Nam Green Building Council (VGBC) on Monday awarded the Green One United Nations House (GOUNH) a Platinum Lotus Certification, the highest level in the market-based green building rating system.

The certificate is in recognition of the Ha Noi-based GOUNH, a high performance green building that enhances the efficient use of resources through smart ecological design and management.

The Platinum Lotus certification follows the buildings previous accreditation by the VGBC as one of the first buildings in Viet Nam to be awarded a provisional Gold Lotus Rating.

The GOUNH project is a joint endeavour between the government of Viet Nam, donors and the UN country team.

The Lotus rating system promotes the construction of environmentally sustainable buildings to ultimately bring about the efficient use of all forms of resources. This would help reduce all forms of environmental degradation, and be better for its occupants health as well as productivity.

A key milestone in the UN reform process in Viet Nam and the Delivering as One initiative, the GOUNH is a testament of the UNs commitment to deliver green. The building has become a role model for sustainable green buildings in Viet Nam, signifying the importance and urgency of environmental sustainability.

Advocating climate change mitigation and adaptation, the GOUNH building is constructed of ecologically friendly materials such as lead-free paint and has furniture that has low harmful, volatile organic compounds. The efficiency of its heating, cooling and energy systems is maximised through photovoltaic panels harnessing solar energy, which can provide for at least 10 per cent of the buildings annual electricity consumption.

Kamal Malhotra, UN Viet Nam resident coordinator and chair of the GOUNH Management Board, thanked and acknowledged the collated efforts of the Vietnamese government, its donors, UN agencies and development partners.

He reiterated the UNs readiness in reinforcing partnerships, and emphasised the critical objective of providing a model building that demonstrates viability of innovative sustainable buildings in Viet Nam.

He further said that flexibility, dynamism and a focus on positive outcomes for people and the environment characterise the everyday operations of the UN and help to ensure that it is truly sustainable.

Committed to support Viet Nam in its progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the GOUNH has helped advance the Goal 7 of Sustainable Development Goals, promoting the transition to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, Malhotra said.  VNS
WASHINGTON  When Napoleons elder brother Joseph Bonaparte was forced into exile, he brought to the US a collection of lavish rococo and neoclassical paintings that earned enduring American fascination.

Among the works Bonaparte left behind when he returned to France in 1839 was Noel Nicolas Coypels The Abduction of Europa (1726-1727), a period indulgence, complete with fleshy nudes, cherubs and a white bull basking in golden sunlight.

Bonaparte would show off this monumental work to visitors of his sprawling Point Breeze estate in New Jersey at a time when so much nudity could still offend Puritan minds in America.

In a perhaps oddly humoristic touch, the bull  the mythological god Jupiter, who transformed himself into the earthly creature to abduct the nymph Europa  is presented tongue out and eyes half-closed in delight.

Thomas Jefferson, too, helped fuel American interest with his earnest appreciation of works he saw at the Paris salon, especially what he called "superb" paintings by Jacques Louis David.

These and other stories of the collectors, dealers and art lovers behind the huge trove of 18th century French paintings spread across the United States are the focus of an exhibition that opened Sunday and runs through August 20 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

This first ever look at American taste for 18th French painting strays from the beaten path by showing the great variety of works from this period in an unusual grouping that prominently features women artists and even one of the first known mixed-race painters of the Western canon, Guillaume Lethiere.

A David can be as neoclassically sober and edifying as a Jean Honore Fragonard can be an opulent indulgence of the senses.

The show also reflects the elevated status American institutions have given to French women painters of the era, one that is notably diminished in their native country. AFP
FRANCE  Hollywood screen legend Clint Eastwood said Sunday that he isnt ruling out a return to acting  at the age of 86.

The actor-turned-director told an audience at the Cannes film festival that he occasionally missed performing, adding "I did a lot of it for a long time. Ill visit it again someday."

Eastwood, who made his name in Westerns in the 1960s, has focused in recent years on directing movies, including American Sniper and Sully.

The Oscar-winner, who backed Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, notably steered clear of politics at a packed masterclass at the film festival in southern France.

But he did rail against political correctness, telling the crowd "Were killing ourselves by doing that, weve lost our sense of humour."  AFP
Ha Noi  President Tran ai Quang yesterday expressed his pleasure at the development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Viet Nam and the Russian Federation.

The President made the remarks at reception in Ha Noi for the Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Oreshkin, who is in Viet Nam for the ministerial meeting of the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Regular visits by leaders of the two countries have helped strengthen the political relationship and create the motivation for an active and effective partnership in economics, trade and investment, according to Quang.

Emphasising the great importance Viet Nam attaches to the comprehensive strategic partnership with the Russian Federation, Quang praised the positive results of co-operation between the two countries.

Quang urged the two sides to work closely in implementing the Free Trade Agreement between Viet Nam and Eurasian Economic Union to help boost economic exchange with the union in general as well as between Viet Nam and Russia in particular.

The President also asked Russia to support Vietnamese investment and joint projects in Russia, especially in the fields of oil and gas, agriculture and light industry, by promulgating policies that provide favourable conditions for Vietnamese industrial zones in Moscow.

He affirmed that Viet Nam would create favourable conditions for Russian enterprises investing in the country, in areas such as energy, oil and gas and automobile manufacturing.

Viet Nam is also willing to help Russia join new projects on infrastructure and thermal power in the country, according to Quang.

Emphasising the economic, business and investment potential between the two nations, the President suggested the two sides study and build economic projects of long-term strategic importance and continue to promote trade, as well as create the best conditions for products to enter each others markets.

President Quang also signaled his appreciation for Russian support and coordination with regards to APEC Year 2017 and expressed his pleasure at being able to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin to Viet Nam for the event.

Last year, two-way trade turnover reached US$2.7 billion, up 25 per cent over the previous year. In the first four months of 2017, the turnover continued to increase by 30 per cent, reaching $1.1 billion.

The two sides aim to increase two-way trade turnover to $10 billion by 2020.  VNS


Ha Noi  President Tran ai Quang yesterday received Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita who is visiting the country to attend a meeting at the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Speaking at the reception, President Quang praised the development of Viet Nam-Indonesia relations in recent years, especially since the two countries formally established a strategic partnership in June 2013.

He proposed that the two sides increase high-level diplomatic exchanges and extended an invitation for the Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife to visit Viet Nam.

President Quang urged the two sides to actively prepare for the 7th session of the Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation scheduled to take place in August this year in Viet Nam, with the aim of promoting further economic and trade co-operation between the two countries. Viet Nam and Indonesia are striving to achieve bilateral trade turnover of US$10 billion soon.

The two sides were also asked to maintain co-operation in the field of rice trading to ensure food security of the two countries.

On the issue of Vietnamese fishermen and boats which were seized by Indonesian authorities, President Quang asked Indonesia to refrain from destroying the fishing vessels, and instead work to solve the issue in accordance with the strategic partnership between Viet Nam and Indonesia.

Indonesian Trade Minister Engaghiasto Lukita conveyed the greetings of President Joko Widodo to his Vietnamese counterpart.

He affirmed that Indonesia attaches great importance to developing relations with Viet Nam, especially in the fields of economy and trade.

Speaking of bilateral trade, which reached US$5.6 billion turnover last year, the Indonesian Trade Minister believed the target of $10 billion by 2018 is an achievable target.

The minister said he would convey Viet Nams petition to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on the issue of the Vietnamese fishermen and boats seized by Indonesia.  VNS
HA NOI  The third session of the 14th National Assembly began this morning with a major focus on scrutinising, discussing and voting on 13 bills and five draft resolutions.

Speaking at the opening of the session, NA Chairman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stressed that the meeting was taking place against the backdrop of the world and the country facing many changes, with both conveniences and challenges ahead.

Over time, under the leadership of the Party and efforts of the people and the State authority system, socio-economic development in the country has continuously achieved remarkable positive results, Ngan said.

National economy is essentially stable, with economic growth continuing to recover; production of agriculture, forestry, fishery and industry continuing to develop; tourism also rapidly growing and investment environment increasingly improving, according to the NA Chairwoman.

Ngan added that education and training, science and technology, social culture and healthcare were also moving ahead in a positive direction.

Social security was guaranteed and national defence and security have strengthened, even as Viet Nam has gained progressive results in regional and international diplomatic intergration, Ngan said.

Thanks to these achievements, the top legislator stressed that Viet Nams place on the world stage has consistently moved up in the last several years.

However, Ngan pointed out a variety of challenges that the country would face in areas such as environmental protection, natural resources exploitation, land management and food security.

The NA Chairwoman cited anti-corruption as among the most serious issues that NA deputies and voters were concerned.

She called on the Party, people and army to strengthen solidarity to overcome challenges to fulfilling 2017s socio-economic development missions.

Also present at the meeting was permanent Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh, who with the authority of the Prime Minister, reported on additional evaluation of socio-economic development and budget plan in 2016 and outcomes of the 2017 socio-economic development and budget plan.

President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan, meanwhile, reported citizens recommendations to the third session.

According to Le Bo Linh, deputy general secretary of the NA, the deputies will consider and approve five resolutions and 13 laws, including the Railway Law (revised); Law on Foreign Trade Management; Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives and Supporting Tools; and Law on Support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises; as well as Law on Management and Use of State Assets (revised); Law on Irrigation; Law on Technology Transfer (revised); Law on State Liabilities for Compensation (revised); Law on Tourism (revised); and Law on Legal Assistance (revised).

The legislature will also debate amendments to the Law on Public Debt Management, Law on Forest Protection and Development, Fisheries Law, and Law on Denunciations.

Further, for three days Cabinet members will answer queries from NA deputies.

The session is scheduled to last until June 21.  VNS
HA NOI  President Tran ai Quang has expressed his appreciation for the relations between Viet Nam and Canada, wishing to bolster the bilateral multi-dimensional cooperation in a more practical manner.

He made the remarks at a reception in Ha Noi on Sunday for Canadas Minister of International Trade Francois-Philippe Champagne who is visiting Viet Nam to attend the APEC meeting.

The President hopes to boost the partnership between the two countries in order to maintain peace, stability and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.

He also expressed his satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations between the two countries in recent years, including those in trade and investment, ODA, education, defence cooperation and the response to climate change.

He hailed Canada for considering Viet Nam as an important partner and prioritized trade market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Vietnam is working hard to improve its business and investment environment and fine-tuning its legal system so it could realize the target of raising its two-way trade with Canada to US$8-10 billion in the next five years, the leader noted.

The Minister stated that Viet Nam is becoming Canadas largest trader in ASEAN.

Education is seen as a pillar of the two countries multi-faceted cooperation, he said, referring to 250,000 Vietnamese living and working in Canada as an effective bridge between the two peoples.

On the occasion, he sought Vietnams backing of Canadas bids to become a member of the East Asia Summit (EAS) and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the 2021-2022 term.  VNS
HCM City aims to increase the proportion of secondary school graduates enrolled at vocational training schools to 30 per cent by 2020, but the schools are struggling to maintain enrollments.  Photo nongnghiep.vn

HCM CITY  HCM City aims to increase the proportion of secondary school graduates enrolled at vocational training schools to 30 per cent by 2020, but the schools are struggling to maintain enrollments.

Nearly 18,000 of more than 81,000 students graduating from the ninth grade this year will have to enroll in the 10th grade at private schools, continuing education centres or vocational schools, according to the citys Department of Education and Training.

This figure is based on the departments enrollment quota for the 10th grade at public schools for the 2017-2018 academic year.

However, few students wanted to study at vocational schools, said Nguyen ang Ly, rector of International College of HCM City, at a meeting held last week with the citys Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and managers of vocational training schools.

"Managers of high school and secondary schools prefer to have a high rate of graduates studying at universities," Ly said.

"A high number of students who go on to study at the university level helps build the schools brand name and attract students," he added.

Nguyen Le inh Hai, rector of Nguyen Truong To Vocational College, said that district-level labour officials had not created favourable conditions for enrollment in vocational schools.

Nguyen Thi Hang, rector of the HCM City Vocational College of Technology, said that enrollment has become a headache" for the college.

She said the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs should have more meetings with schools to seek solutions and should reform the vocational training system.

Colleges should also focus on their strongest majors and work together to improve training, she added.

Le Minh Tan, head of the department, said the Peoples Committee would be asked to require secondary and high schools as well as local labour officials to allow vocational schools to carry out enrollment counselling.

He asked representatives of vocational schools to improve their facilities and teaching ability as a large number of highly skilled employees, especially for the startup ecosystem, would be needed in the city.

By 2020, the city is expected to have 500,000 enterprises, many of which will need skilled staff, according to Tan.

Currently, the city has 484 public and private vocational training schools. This year, these educational establishments need to enroll a total of 403,000 students.

However, of the figure, 381,000 students will attend training courses lasting three months or less.

Such training does not meet enterprisesdemands, he added.

Tan said they should offer training courses of two to three years, especially in the citys 21 main industries, including electricity-electronics, pharmaceutical chemistry, refined foods and nine service industries.

HCM City is a special urban place that provides highly qualified human resources for the country. Vocational training schools play a contributing role, but they need to improve training quality, Tan said. VNS
More than 700 households in three villages in Yang Tao Commune, ak Lak Province must cross the ak Pok River to reach their fields, as the region lacks bridges.  Photo tapchigiaothong.vn

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS  More than 700 households in three villages in Yang Tao Commune, ak Lak Province must cross the ak Pok River to reach their fields, as the region lacks bridges.

The river is 7km in length and about 10m in width. In the rainy season, the water level is about two metres, threatening the lives of the farmers who must cross it. Harvest season coincides with the wet season, so travelling and transporting farm products is dangerous and difficult.

Y Nam The lives in Cuor Tak Village and has more than 2,000sq.m of rice field located about 200 metres from the river. In the high water season, he must hire 10 people to harvest and take the rice across the river.

Ma Tao, another resident, said that several years ago, strong water swept away two children in the village.

Local residents used big trees to make temporarily bridges, but the bridges are quickly swept away, he said.

Y Khuong Hlong, deputy chairman of the Yang Tao Commune Peoples Committee, said that during meetings in the area, local residents proposed to set up bridges for the sake of their lives and their livelihoods.

In Gia Lai Province, the Tra Tap Bridge connects Nam Yang and HNeng communes in ak oa District. During rainy season, water submerges the bridge and residents must swim over the bridge to cross the river.

Truong Quang Trung, a local resident, said that he must use his tractor to transport students to reach different schools in the commune.

Trung keeps watch from 5am to 7pm. Currently, more than 200 students are transported free of charge by Trung, whereas he takes VN10,000 (US$0.4) per adult with motorbike.

To improve the condition, the ak Lak Traffic Safety Committee in 2014 presented the Binh Hoa Commune a motor boat with enough equipment to transport 70-100 passengers at a time.

The motor boat is used to transport students and teachers to cross the Krong Ana River to go to school.

Luc Van Toai, director of the Project Management Board under the ak Lak Department of Transport, told the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that the province had more than 400 bridges, most of which are temporary structures.

Last March, the Ministry of Transport approved the construction of more bridges in the province.

Under the project, as many as 122 bridges costing a total of VN193 billion ($8.6 million) borrowed with interest from the World Bank, from the State budget and provincial budget will be built.

So far, nine bridges have been built and opened for public use. And more than 30 other bridges are scheduled to be built soon, according to Toai.  VNS




By Son Ha

HCM CITY With a pool of highly-skilled practitioners, state-of-the-art facilities and affordable costs, HCM City is rapidly emerging as a dental care tourism destination.

A full range of dental services is available, including cleaning, teeth whitening, dental implants, bone reconstruction orthodontics, ceramic veneers, crowns and bridges.

Duong Quoc Chi, 58, an overseas Vietnamese from Italy, combines a quick vacation in HCM City with a visit to a dentist.

Dental care in Viet Nam costs about a third of the price compared to Italy, he said.

He and his wife come to HCM City on vacation to visit family for three weeks.

I plan to get some dentistry work done here in HCM City. Besides low cost, dental clinics in the city offer good services and highly qualified doctors.

A check-up and cleaning will cost around 50 euros (US$56) in Italy compared to around VN200,000-300,000 (US$9-13) at local clinics in HCM City and VN500,000-800,000 at international clinics.

Dentistry costs in Viet Nam are only around 75 per cent of the rates in other Asian countries, according to Nguyen uc Minh, deputy chairman of the HCM City Odonto Stomatology Association.

Due to skyrocketing costs of dental care in western countries, more and more overseas Vietnamese and foreign travellers get work on their teeth done while visiting Viet Nam.

The city has a large number of international and private dental clinics with high quality services meeting international standards.

"Local dentists are highly qualified and are involved with ongoing training and education to keep up with the latest techniques in dentistry," Minh, who is also director of HCM Citys Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, said.

Despite high-quality cosmetic and dental care and affordable costs, local dentistry has not yet fully explored its huge potential.

Nearly 100,000 foreign tourists travel to Viet Nam each year as dental tourists, providing revenues of nearly US$150 million, according to figures from the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism.

The administration forecasts the number of dental tourists to soar to 250,000 a year in the next five years.

The hospital treats nearly 500 overseas Vietnamese and foreigners every year.

This month the hospital will set up four state-of-the-art surgery rooms that meet international standards of hygiene and infection control

Dental tourism club

Viet Nam is a favourite destination for international tourists due to its culture, breathtaking natural landscapes, world heritage sites, pristine white-sand beaches, exquisite food and friendly and hospitable people.

Tourism experts said dental holiday packages include accommodation, airport transfers, dental consultation and appointments and sightseeing tours.

A foreign tourist can easily combine a quick vacation with work on their teeth with the whole thing costing lower than just dental costs in their country, Nguyen Minh Thang, a dentist at Cam Tu Dental Clinic in District 1, said.

Dental clinics should have highly-skilled practitioners with proficiency in English, good quality and risk management practices and close co-operation with travel firms, he said.

Dentistry, tourism sector co-operation

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the city Department of Tourism, said dental tourism is part of medical tourism, a key segment the city has identified for priority.

The dentistry industry should come up with a list of accredited clinics to introduce to tourists through tour operators and travel agents, he said.

Tourism experts said the health department, dental hospitals and clinics, the tourism department and travel firms should work closely to promote dental tourism in promising markets like the US and Australia.

The association plans to establish a dental tourism club with qualified Vietnamese dentists and professional consultancy from leading experts in the neighbourhood.

The association will promote dental tourism in the city and improve the capacity of local dentistry to a level comparable with places like Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.VNS
ONG NAI  Residents of the southern ong Nai Provinces Tan Phu District complain that at least 50 wells in their locality have been contaminated with petroleum, making the water inedible.

The contamination began two weeks ago, said residents of the districts Phu Son Commune, and has become worse since then. Affected households have been forced to stop using their own well water and are now using water from their neighbours homes.

The situation has been reported to local authorities, who are trying to determine the source of the contamination.

Bui Thi Diep, a resident, said that in the past 10 days, a strong smell of petrol has been coming from her well, and that the water has a thick layer of oil scum on it. The water is so contaminated with petrol that it can be lit, she said, adding that she is now using water from other homes.

Nguyen Van Phi, another resident, said he and his neighbour used the polluted water for a few days, thinking that the problem would get resolved soon, but the contamination is getting worse day by day.

Local people suspect that the contamination is being caused by a leak at a petrol station located on the nearby National Highway 20.

Nguyen Van Huong, chairman of Phu Son Communes Peoples Committee, confirmed that the locality was facing a water contamination issue. The committee has collected water samples and sent them to Tan Phu Districts Office of Natural Resources and Environment for testing. The test results would be shared with residents as soon as they are available, he said.  VNS
SEOUL  North Korea today declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after a weekend test, the latest step in its quest to defy UN sanctions and develop an intercontinental rocket capable of striking US targets.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said the Norths leader Kim Jong-un oversaw Sundays launch, which sparked a fresh chorus of international condemnation and threats of tougher sanctions.

The missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, which uses solid fuel that allows for immediate firing, KCNA said.

So far almost all the Norths missiles have been liquid-fuelled, which have to be painstakingly filled with propellant before launch, while solid fuel missiles can be fired far more rapidly.

That would dramatically shorten the time available for any attempt to intervene and prevent a launch, requiring any such decision to be taken much more quickly.

Seoul military officials have previously said the Pukguksong-2 - a land-based version of Pyongyangs submarine-launched weapon - uses solid fuel.

Kim said "with pride" that the Pukguksong-2 was a "very accurate" missile and a "successful strategic weapon", KCNA said, adding he "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action".

The launch "completely verified" the reliability and accuracy of the device, and its late-stage warhead guidance system, KCNA said, adding the test results were "perfect".

UN emergency talks

The missile, which was described by Washington as medium-range, was fired from Pukchang in South Pyongan Province and travelled about 500 kilometres before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to the Souths armed forces.

The rocket used a cold-launch system, KCNA said.

The technology uses compressed gas to propel a missile upwards before its engine ignites in mid-air. It is considered safer and also makes it easier to hide the launch location.

A spokesman for Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that South Korean and US intelligence authorities "assess that North Korea secured meaningful data in advancing the reliability of its missile technology through yesterdays missile launch".

But he added "Our position is that the stable re-entry of the warhead needs more verification."

The US, South Korea and Japan sharply denounced the launch and jointly requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which will be held on Tuesday.

The launch came just one week after the North fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead.

Analysts said that at 4,500 kilometres the Hwasong-12 had a longer range than any previous ballistic missile launched by the North, putting US bases on the Pacific island of Guam within reach - and that it could serve as a platform to develop a long-range ICBM.

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across South Korea and Japan but is accelerating efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States - something President Donald Trump has vowed "wont happen".

The launches, and a threatened sixth nuclear test, have fuelled tension with the Trump administration, which has warned that military intervention was an option under consideration, sending fears of conflict spiralling.  AFP
JERUSALEM  US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem today to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than "people have thought".

Trumps visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion.

It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump is due in Tel Aviv today afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem.

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

"Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said late on Sunday. "The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty."

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT).

Enormous challenge

"I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu said on Sunday.

"We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace."

The United States is Israels most important ally, providing it with more than US$3 billion in defence aid annually.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trumps inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the "ultimate deal" is possible, vowing "we will get it done".

"It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

fter Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.  AFP
Gregory Boardman, professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emeritus title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive an emeritus certificate from the university.

A member of the university community since 1976, Boardmans research and scholarship have contributed greatly to improvements in biological and industrial wastewater treatment. During his career, he received more than $9 million in external research grants and wrote approximately 250 publications.

In addition, Boardman received more than $7.5 million in funding to support outreach and continuing education programs. For 35 years, he served as the director of the Annual Virginia Tech Short School which provided training to approximately 250 water and wastewater operators from across Virginia each year. He also led about a dozen continuing education programs annually for Virginia governmental agencies. Boardman served as the director of the Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement in association with the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center for more than five years.

In the classroom, Boardman taught thousands of civil engineering students in all areas of environmental engineering and advised more than 130 graduate students through their masters degree or Ph.D. research.

Boardman was elected Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2005. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors in 1991 and 2007, and the Enslow-Hedgepeth Award from the Virginia Water Pollution Control Association in 2012.

Boardman received his bachelor's degree and masters degree from the University of New Hampshire and a Ph.D. from the University of Maine.
Earth essentially stopped producing abundant hot komatiites after the Archean era because the mantle has cooled during the past 4.5 billion years due to convective cooling and a decrease in radioactive heat production, Gazel said.

However, Gazel and a team made what they call an astonishing discovery while studying the chemistry of ancient Galapagos-related lava flows, preserved today in Central America: a suite of lavas that shows conditions of melting and crystallization similar to the mysterious Archean komatiites.



Gazel and collaborators studied a set of rocks from the 90 million-year-old Tortugal Suite in Costa Rica and found that they had magnesium concentrations as high as Archean komatiites, as well as textural evidence for extremely hot lava flow temperatures.



Experimental studies tell us that that the magnesium concentration of basalts and komatiites is related to the initial temperature of the melt, Gazel said. The higher the temperature, the higher the magnesium content of a basalt.



The team also studied the composition olivine, the first mineral that crystallized from these lavas. Olivine  a light green mineral that Gazel has obsessively explored many volcanoes and magmatic regions to search for  is an extremely useful tool to study a number of conditions related to origin of a lava flow because it is the first mineral phase that crystallizes when a mantle melt cools. Olivines also carry inclusions of glass  that once was melt  and other smaller minerals that are helpful to decipher the secrets of the deep Earth.



We used the composition of olivine as another thermometer to corroborate how hot these lavas were when they began to cool, Gazel said. You can determine the temperature that basaltic lava began crystallizing by analyzing the composition of olivine and inclusions of another mineral called spinel. At higher temperatures, olivine will incorporate more aluminum into its structure, and spinel will incorporate more chromium. If you know how much of these elements are present in each mineral, then you know the temperature at which they crystallized.



The team found that Tortugal olivines crystallized at a temperature nearing 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,600 degrees Celsius)  as high as temperatures recorded by olivines from komatiites  making this a record on lava temperatures in the past 2.5 billion years.



Gazel and collaborators suggest in their study that Earth may still be capable of producing komatiite-like melts. Their results suggest that Tortugal lavas most likely originated from the hot core of the Galapagos mantle plume that started producing melts nearly 90 million years ago and has remained active ever since.

A mantle plume is a deep-Earth structure that likely originates at the core-mantle boundary of the planet. When it nears the surface of the planet, it begins to melt, forming features known as hotspots, such as those found in Hawaii or Galapagos. Geologists can then study these hotspot lava flows and use their geochemical information as a window into the deep Earth.



What is really fascinating about this study is that we show that the planet is still capable of producing lavas as hot as during the Archean time period, Gazel said. Based on our results from Tortugal lavas, we think that mantle plumes are tapping a deep, hot region of the mantle that hasnt cooled very much since the Archean. We think that this region is probably being sustained by heat from the crystallizing core of the planet.



This is a really interesting discovery, and we are going to keep investigating Tortugal, said Trela, a doctoral student and the first author of the paper. Although the Tortugal Suite was first discovered and documented more than 20 years ago, it wasnt until now that we have the technology and experimental support to better understand the global implications of this location.



Trela added, Our new data suggest that this suite of rocks offers tremendous opportunity to answer key questions regarding the accretion of the Earth, its thermal evolution, and the geochemical messages that mantle plumes bring to the surface of the planet.



The international team also included fellow Virginia Tech doctoral student Lowell Moore, of Staunton, Virginia; Alexander Sobolev and Valentina Batanova, of the ISTerre: Institut des Sciences Terre de la Terre in France and the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Michael Bizimis, of the University of South Carolina; and Brian Jicha of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Related stories:

Virginia Tech researchers explore gigantic volcanic eruptions that caused worldwide mass extinctions

American Geophysical Union honors Geosciences Esteban Gazel with 2016 Hisashi Kuno Award
WATERLOO  When ReShonda Young launched Popcorn Heaven on Franklin Street in Waterloo three and a half years ago, within three months she attracted potential franchisees to expand her operation.

Now, Young has sold her Waterloo store to focus on growing and marketing her brand even more.

When youre trying to run a store, working in a store about 60 hours a week ... its really, really hard to service and market and hold up your obligations, Young said. I really need to move out of the store so I can grow this brand. The ideas for growth, there are so many of them.

With Popcorn Heaven locations in Des Moines, Charlotte, N.C., Peoria, Ill., and Kansas City, Mo., Young is concentrating on popping up more franchise operations across the country.

Fifty locations in five years, she said, noting its a lofty goal. But with the help of a new mobile trailer, she is determined to make it a reality.

Heather Stalzer and Chris Cook are the new owners of the Popcorn Heaven location at 3025 Kimball Ave. in Waterloo. They officially took over as store owners/operators last week.

In addition to purchasing the store, Stalzer and Cook will be rolling out the very first Popcorn Heaven mobile trailer in July. The trailer, which will allow them to make all of the brands unique flavors onsite, will be used for fairs, festivals, fundraising events and more.

Patton Equipment in Urbana is working on the trailer, and Young said they will manufacture the trailers for potential buyers across the country.

Stalzer and Cook also are planning some renovations to the existing store before hosting an open house in June. The store will remain open during the remodeling period.

Popcorn Heaven, which specializes in creating more than 50 flavors of gourmet popcorn, also sells fudge and confections.

I honestly cannot, would not take credit for all the things that have happened, Young said. Its kind of gone out on its own. All of it has been a divinely inspired deal, I just feel like Im along for the ride.

For more information on licensing opportunities, please email: popcornheavenllc@gmail.com.
WATERLOO  Miquelle Depree Miller buried his head in his hands Monday morning when a judge told him he was facing up to 27 years in prison for allegedly shooting at a Waterloo police officer.

Miller, 22, of Waterloo, then collapsed to the floor when Judge Nathan Callahan told him he was setting bond at $125,000 for the charges of intimidation with a weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, interference, assault on a peace officer and carrying weapons.

Sheriffs deputies helped Miller back to his feet.

Authorities allege Miller fired a shot at Officer Tyler Brownell, the first officer to arrive on West Parker Street after neighbors called to report gunshots around 11:20 p.m. Sunday.

Brownell noticed a suspicious person in the 900 block of West Parker  about two blocks from the gunfire call  and stepped out of his marked squad car when the shot was fired, according to court records.

The shot missed the officer, and the officer didnt return fire, according to officials.

The suspect ran north through yards before officers caught him in an open grass field just north of Brees Street. Along the path of the foot chase, police found a 9 mm Ruger handgun in a fenced-in yard behind a Brees Street home.

During an interview with police, Miller admitted to firing the shot, court records state.

Miller is prohibited from handling firearms because of prior felony conviction for forgery in September 2013. He was sentenced to prison in the case and was released March 2, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections.
WATERLOO  The third time was a charm for burglars who have been using vehicles to smash into closed convenience stores on the outskirts of Waterloo.

Last week, thieves crashed into Texas Street Mart on Thursday before being scared off by a passerby. The following day, on Friday, someone slammed into the front doors of Prime Mart on Marigold Street and fumbled around with a gaming machine before leaving empty handed.

Store workers had speculated the burglars gave up when they realized the machine wasnt an ATM.

Then on Sunday morning, police were called to B&B East, 1615 Bishop Ave., for an alarm around 5:13 a.m. They found the convenience stores east door had been smashed open, and security video showed a white van had backed into the doors.

Unlike the first two crimes, this time the thieves took an ATM machine from the store, said Sgt. Gus Farmer with the Waterloo Police Department.

A short time later, Bremer County authorities were called to a van that had been set on fire. The fire had gutted the vehicle, and police are investigating to determine if the van is connected to the B&B East break-in, Farmer said.

Police investigate smashing store burglaries WATERLOO -- Thieves apparently left empty handed after they smashed a sport utility vehicle 

Meanwhile, authorities are investigating a theft of a Chevrolet Uplander that was reported stolen in Gilbertville last week. Authorities believe the Uplander was used in the Texas Mart and Prime Mart crimes. The Uplander remained missing as of Monday morning.
CHARLES CITY -- Police in Charles City are searching for a man who held up a city business at gunpoint.

It happened about 12:14 a.m. Sunday on the 600 block of South Main Street.

Police did not release the name of the business, but radio station KCHA reported it was the Rush Stop on Main Street.

Officers say the man displayed a weapon and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

No one was hurt.

A reward of up to $400 is offered for information leading to the suspect's arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information can call Charles City police at (641) 228-3366.
Residents who would like to host a garage sale during this event should register their location, hours and sale description for free at www.DupacoGarageSales.com. To be included in the online and print garage sale directories, sales must be registered by 5 p.m. today. Sales registered after that time will only appear in the online directory.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  The U.S. Senate today is expected to confirm Iowa Gov. Branstad to be U.S. ambassador to China.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassleys office issued a vote alert Thursday, saying the roll call vote on Branstads nomination will be at 4:30 p.m. today.

Earlier this month, the six-term Republican governor was approved unanimously by the 21-person Senate Foreign Relations Committee to advance his nomination to the full Senate for the final vote.

Im approaching this with eyes wide open, said Branstad, who jokingly tells people he sees at the Capitol to come visit him in China. Its probably the biggest challenge Ive ever had in my lifetime, but Im in a unique situation since Im an old friend of the leader of China and a confidante of the president of the United States.

In 1985, Branstad met Chinese president Xi Jinping, then a Hebei provincial official visiting Iowa as part of a sister state/province program. Their meeting blossomed into an international friendship that now has Branstad perched at the start of what he calls the opportunity of a lifetime as ambassador to China.

He also was an early supporter and key Iowa adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump during his successful White House bid in 2016.

Im hopeful that I can play a key role in helping address some of those critical challenges that we have in dealing with China and some of the issues with North Korea and all those others in that part of the world, he said.

A Branstad spokesman said the governor wont resign immediately after the Senate vote, but when he does, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds will become governor and assume all duties of the office.

A formal ceremony will be scheduled within a few days of Branstads resignation in the Capitol in Des Moines to appoint Reynolds, spokesman Ben Hammes said.

When his tenure in China is over, the outgoing governor said he will return to Iowa. In typical Branstad style, he did not limit his future endeavors  including another run for governor.

Im 70 years old. I look at this as probably the capstone of my career. I want to do the best I can there, he said in a recent interview. But I feel good, Im trying to stay in good health, and I guess you never want to rule anything out. But Im certainly not contemplating doing something like that.

Rod Boshart of the Lee-Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.
DES MOINES  On day 8,167 as the nations longest-serving governor, six-term Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad got word Monday that he had been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the new U.S. ambassador to China.

Senators voted 82-13 by roll call to approve President Donald Trumps nomination of Branstad to serve in a critical international role as Americas representation in one of the worlds most powerful nations.

Branstads nomination was offered by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who called him the right person for the job, while Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said "he's been a champion for Iowa."

Branstad, 70, who served as Iowas 39th governor from 1983-99 and now as its 42nd governor since returning to Terrace Hill in 2011, has indicated he plans to resign his post  likely Wednesday -- and turn over state executive duties to Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds before embarking on his new assignment.

That will end the nations longest stint by a U.S. governor of any state, Branstad noted, adding that time flies when youre having fun, right? and it also will mark Iowas first female governor when Reynolds is sworn in as Branstads replacement.

Its going to be an exciting adventure to serve our country in a very important part of the world, Branstad, wearing a red tie made in China, told reporters after presiding Monday over what likely was his last Iowa Executive Council  a group made up of the governor, state treasurer, state auditor, state agriculture secretary and the secretary of state.

Its been an honor and privilege to serve with all of you and to have the honor of serving as governor, Branstad told the council. After the meeting, the governor told reporters, "I intend to continue to work hard right up until the end."

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey called Branstads departure bittersweet but said the council was excited for the governors new opportunity in China and the prospects for expanding trade in a key region of the world.

I know you will take Iowa with you in your heart and youre not going away forever, Secretary of State Paul Pate added.

Branstad said he and his wife, Chris, will maintain their home on Lake Panorama and are in the process of sorting and packing things that will go there and will go with them to China as they prepare to vacate the governors Terrace Hill mansion.

Shes kind of been the lead person on that, but Ive been helping, Branstad said of the packing process. Shes a thrower and Im a saver, lets put it that way, but thats always been the case. I have a tendency not to want to throw anything away.

Branstad said his historical, political and military items and memorabilia will be divided among the State Historical Building in Des Moines, a museum in Forest City and the Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge in Johnston. He said he planned to host a gathering Monday evening at the governors mansion for staff and state agency directors, which he noted likely would be one of the last official things he does there as he prepares for the transition to his new role.

Having served as the governor of Iowa for more than two decades, Branstad has developed a strong understanding of agriculture, trade and other key national interests, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the U.S. Senate floor Monday. His experience on these issues will guide him as he works to strengthen our relationship with China and pursue trade policies that can benefit American workers and businesses.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., supported his nomination, telling his Senate colleagues on Monday he was extremely impressed by Branstad during the hearing process and his passion for American values while Grassley called him a work horse who is not afraid to get in the trenches to get the job done.

After waiting for more than a month for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to schedule his hearing, Branstad sailed through the two-hour session May 2 with none of the acrimony seen in confirmation hearings for Trump's other nominees.

Introduced by Iowa Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Branstad read an opening statement tracing his journey from a north Iowa farm to the governors office.

Responding to questions about trade, North Korea, intellectual property rights, human rights, fentanyl and other topics, Branstad often drew parallels to his experience as governor.

The senators were impressed by his thoroughness and understanding of the issues.

Youve had an outstanding hearing, Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told Branstad. I think your on-the-ground experience with China will serve our nation well.

He thanked Branstad for being willing to give up a very comfortable place -- apparently issues of re-election are not a problem -- to go to a post that is much more temporary yet in many ways far more meaningful from the standpoint of our security and the world security."

The ranking Democrat, Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, also was complimentary.

I want to applaud your presentation here today, he said. Youve done very well in giving us confidence of your knowledge of the areas and the way you go about trying to reach strategic decisions.

Later, Branstad admitted to a case of nerves before the hearing began.

I had a few butterflies going into the hearing, Branstad said, but having his wife, Chris, sons Eric and Marcus, and past and present staff members and friends filling the Senate hearing room behind him helped.

James Lynch of The Gazette contributed to this story.
WATERLOO  The citys Memorial Day parade will be at 10:15 a.m. May 29 in downtown Waterloo, followed by an 11 a.m. observance at Veterans Memorial Hall.

Grand marshals will be retired U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Evan Curly Hultman and World War II Womens Army Corps veteran Marcia Courbat.

Veterans also will be able to ride in trolleys as part of the parade, put on by veteran volunteers since the 1930s. Parade units will assemble at the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot at 9:30 a.m. The parade will proceed from there on Commercial Street to Park Avenue, Park to Mulberry, Mulberry to Fifth Street and on Fifth to Memorial Hall for the 11 a.m. program at Memorial Hall and Soldiers and Sailors Park.

Names will be read of 230 veterans deceased since last Memorial Day.

U.S. flags will be flying on downtown streets thanks to local volunteers headed up by veterans Randy Miller and Mike Mrzlak. About 120 new flags are being put up.

Volunteers also will put up more than 9,000 smaller grave flags on veterans graves at local cemeteries.

Veterans museum

The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, 503 South St., Waterloo, will be open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 29, Memorial Day.

The public may visit the museum after Waterloos Memorial Day parade for free food, provided by Friendship Village to the first 100 visitors with paid admission, and hands-on activities.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 4-13. Veterans and active duty are free on Memorial Day.

Cedar Falls

The Guy W. Iversen Cedar Falls AMVETS Post 49, 1934 Irving St., will hold its annual Memorial Day celebrations, kicked off by a 7 p.m. Sunday sunset service at Veterans Park on Waterloo Road.

The annual Memorial Day program will be held May 29 at the flag park at Post 49, or inside in the event of inclement weather. The program will start with a concert by the Brass Quintet of the Cedar Falls Municipal Band at 10:30 a.m., with formal ceremonies starting at 11 a.m.

Guest speakers will include Jennifer Stevenson, of Hicks Place, a site near New Hartford where veterans and their families can gather and recreate; Cedar Falls Mayor Jim Brown; and Iowa State Sen. Jeff Danielson Cedar Falls, a U.S. Navy veteran.

The 250-plus flags honoring deceased veterans will be set up about 3 p.m. Sunday at the flag park at the post. Veterans throughout the metro area as well as citizens are invited to assist post members in raising the flags.

Pioneer Cemetery

The Robert Hibbs Post 3896, Veterans of Foreign Wars, in Cedar Falls, will conduct Memorial Day activities at 10 a.m. Saturday at The German Burial Ground (Pioneer Cemetery) in rural Bennington Township, 1 1/4 miles east of U.S. Highway 63 on Gresham Road.

Kevin Dill, Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission executive director, will be the guest speaker. Coffee and conversation will follow at the restored Bennington No. 4 school house located at the intersection of Sage and East Bennington roads.

Evansdale

Evansdale AMVETS Post 31 will host a Memorial Day observance at 10 a.m. May 29 at the post, 706 Colleen Ave.

Post members who have passed away over the past year will be remembered. There will be a reading of the symbolism of the 13 folds in the American flag, a flag retirement ceremony and the playing of Taps.

The public is invited to a lunch at the post following the ceremony.
Very soon, Terry Branstad will serve his final day as Iowas governor, ending the countrys longest-ever gubernatorial tenure.

It seems fitting to use this space to reflect a bit on Branstads time in office  at least the small portion that I have covered, dating back to 2012.

I will leave it to others to assess Branstads imprint on Iowa.

But I do feel comfortable offering my perspective on what it was like to be a reporter covering Branstads administration.

Reporters are creatures of simple needs. Give us access, an outlet and wifi, and were happy. A table or even just a chair would be great, but we can survive without if we have the big three.

And Branstad provided access.

I dont have the requisite experience to compare Branstads accessibility to other administrations. If youre curious to that end, bend the ears of Statehouse press corps veterans Kay Henderson of Radio Iowa, Rod Boshart and James Lynch at The Gazette or Kathie Obradovich at the Des Moines Register. Theyre better equipped than I to make that comparison.

But I know how stingy politicians can be with access, and that rarely is an issue with Branstad.

It starts every Monday with his weekly press conference. That has been a standard during Branstads time in office, but its not something all governors do. Its not even something all Iowa governors do. But Branstad is there almost every Monday fielding questions from Iowa reporters.

Sure, the governor takes a little time each week to promote his issue or cause du jour. After that, the floor is open and he stands before the firing squad.

Branstad also makes time for reporters at almost all of his public events. Whether its a bill-signing in his formal office at the Capitol or after touring a business in Peosta, Branstad carves out a few minutes  usually at the conclusion of the event  to field questions from reporters on any subject.

And it doesnt matter which reporter you are or what media outlet you represent. When he makes time for reporters at those public events, whether at the Capitol or throughout the state on his annual 99-county tour, Branstad fields questions from veteran Statehouse reporters and local journalists alike.

Not all elected officials are so willing to stand in front of the microphone. Branstad rarely shied away. As a reporter whose job for the past five-plus years has been to relay to my readers the goings-on at the Iowa Capitol, I can appreciate Branstads accessibility.

Gov. Branstad has always enjoyed a great relationship with the press, Branstads spokesman, Ben Hammes, said. He has always tried to be accessible to the press, knowing that is sometimes the best way to talk to Iowans around the state.

I should note here the difference between being accessible and forthcoming.

Yes, if Branstad is out and about in almost any fashion, he nearly always can be snared by a reporter with a question.

No, his answers are not always as forthcoming as journalists would like. For instance, during any legislative session the Branstad answer, I always withhold judgment on a bill until I see it in its final form, gets imprinted on every Statehouse reporters tape.

But thats not out of the ordinary for an elected official. At least Branstad was there, far more often times than not, to take the question.

Reynolds 2018

A recent analysis by the University of Virginia Center for Politics gives a glimpse into the historical odds of Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds winning Iowas 2018 race for governor, should she choose to run.

Reynolds will soon become governor once Branstad is confirmed as U.S. ambassador to China  expected to happen today  and resigns his office. That would give Reynolds roughly a year and a half in the office before the November 2018 election.

Reynolds has not said she would run for election in 2018, but most expect her to.

Since 1946, almost two-thirds of successor incumbents who sought election went on to win the general election, according to the centers report.

However, candidates who had not previously won a statewide election did not fare as well as candidates who had. For example, successor incumbents who previously served as secretary of state or agriculture won election 69 percent of the time. But successor incumbents who had not previously won a statewide election  like Reynolds, who was a state legislator before becoming Branstads lieutenant  won the governors race just 54 percent of the time.

You can read the full report online at the centers website, centerforpolitics.org.
At the outset of their new book, Shattered: Inside Hillary Clintons Doomed Campaign, Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes note adviser David Plouffe prioritized three goals for Clinton to win: It was important to have the right culture and mission, to manage Bill Clinton and to effectively target Latino voters.

We know how well that turned out.

Later in the book, which is a stunning indictment of the poor leadership, judgment and instincts that led to Clintons loss, Allen and Parnes detail how Clinton tried but struggled to make inroads with Latino voters, as well as African-American ones, even though they were key constituencies.

The Clinton campaign ignored pleas to court Latino voters in Nevada  heavy-hitting surrogates like former New Mexico governor and first Hispanic presidential candidate Bill Richardson were disregarded. And the campaign left Emmy Ruiz, Clintons Nevada point-person, without enough resources to compete in the predominantly Latino state, according to Allen and Parnes.

Not detailed in Shattered but worth mentioning: The Clinton campaign once unsuccessfully attempted to appeal to Spanish speakers by using Spanglish and implying she was just like your grandmother. This spurred an immediate social-media backlash because, lets face it, unless your grandma is a multimillionaire, Clinton is nothing like your abuela.

And, less than a month from Election Day, those Hispanics who had not decamped to supporting Bernie Sanders or who were secretly rooting for Donald Trump learned from a WikiLeaks email dump what Clintons campaign thought of Hispanics: They were needy and easy to appease with just a few phone calls.

Richardson is still on TV a lot, especially on Univision and Telemundo and, notwithstanding the fact that he can be a [expletive], it was worth getting him in a good place, read one email included in the October 2016 WikiLeaks revelations.

These vignettes, in addition to Clintons ham-handedness with African-American voters and myriad other missteps, led Allen and Parnes to this conclusion: White voters punished her for running a campaign so focused on minority voters. ... The more she catered to them, the more she pushed away other segments of the electorate.

So lets recap: Clinton took Latinos for granted, Trump demonized them in order to get votes from the white, working-class voters Clinton turned off with her outreach to minorities, and Gary Johnson and Jill Stein barely had the resources to reach critical masses of any kind of voters, much less Hispanic ones.

Is it any wonder, then, that despite all the hoopla about the sleeping giant finally waking up, national Latino voter turnout was even lower in 2016 than in 2012?

According to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, the high-water mark was in 1992 when 51.6 percent of the Latino electorate came out to vote. More recently, 49.9 percent helped Barack Obama win in 2008, 48 percent turned out in 2012 and just 47.6 percent voted last November.

It must be noted that the Hispanic share of voters has gone up every year since 1980, culminating with 9.2 percent of all voters in 2016, meaning that there were more total Hispanic voters who cast ballots, even though fewer eligible Latino voters as a whole turned out.

In the run-up to the election, what I heard from Latino advocacy organizations across the country was that campaign outreach from both parties was paltry and that investments from national get-out-the-vote organizations were not made in Hispanic communities until the last minute.

At this point, one might intuit a classic chicken-or-egg conundrum: Political parties may not invest in Latino voters because they think Hispanics wont vote anyway, and Hispanics may not be interested in voting because candidates assume their vote is either a foregone conclusion or a lost cause.

Each of those assumptions would be a big mistake because the Latino vote has always been and will always be up for grabs.

Even Trump garnered eye-popping amounts of Hispanic votes (28 percent of Latinos, similar to Mitt Romney in 2012 and John McCain in 2008, according to the Pew Research Center), despite the real-estate moguls degrading anti-Hispanic and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

You dont need to be a political scientist to figure out a few simple truths: In raw numbers, more and more Hispanics will cast ballots in upcoming elections  as has been the case for the past 36 years.

And whoever wants to win their votes in 2020 will be rewarded if they start making investments in Latino voter education and outreach right now.
Egg production is big business in Iowa.

The Hawkeye State has more than 50 major egg producers. The states nearly 60 million layers generate a remarkable 14.4 billion eggs each year, making Iowa the No. 1 egg-producing state in the nation.

The Iowa egg industry is a big purchaser of Iowas other agricultural products. The states layers consume 57 million bushels of corn and 28.5 million bushels of soybeans every year.

This industry also contributes mightily to a positive employment picture in Iowa. According to the Iowa Egg Council, egg producers are responsible for about 8,000 jobs that generate $424 million each year in income for employees and $19.3 million annually in general tax revenues for the state.

Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and California are the top five egg-producing states in the United States. Together, they account for 50 percent of this countrys egg production. In the nation as a whole, some 300 million egg-laying hens generate well over 200 million cases of shell eggs per year.

Americans dont eat as many eggs as they once did. Even so, eggs remain a popular food choice and consumer demand remains high. Per capita consumption was 402 eggs per year at its high point in 1945. Today its in the neighborhood of 250 eggs per person each year.

Egg producers also contribute to our nations export economy. U.S. eggs and egg products are sold worldwide.

May is National Egg Month. The next time you consume this tasty product, enjoy the moment but reflect also on the egg industrys importance to Iowa.
Town halls

MAURICE MOE McWHIRTER

TRAER  The Vanishing American Adult is not just a book; I saw its consequences first-hand at Rep. Rod Blums town hall May 10 in Cedar Falls and May 11 in Marshalltown. A reasoned discourse and debate? Not hardly. More like hysterical cries of treason and fevered calls for impeachment encouraged by handbills calling on participants to do as much.

Repeated entreaties for quiet so questions and answers could be heard only caused the disruptors to redouble their efforts. Peaceful protest may be envisioned in our freedom of speech, but the organized bullying tactics I saw at these town halls was appalling.

Certain groups long ago used such tactics to intimidate and take over our governments, and George Orwell claimed there was a synonym for a bully in such circumstances  facist.

City employees

MARK PETERSON

WATERLOO  We have a temper problem at Waterloo City Hall. Ive watched City Council meetings every Monday for many years, and Ive never been so disgusted with the sighing, visible eye rolling and pouting the city staff engages in during public input.

Sometimes staff members are even disrespectful to council members. At the most recent meeting, Chief (Dan) Trelka was furious when an audience member pointed out that despite City Hall having cameras in the parking lot a car was vandalized without the criminal being caught. At prior meetings CFO Michele Weidner has gotten testy with audience members when they ask her questions. Comments like I didnt know thered be a pop quiz tonight are not professional for a public employee to make to a taxpayer.

These are only a couple examples. I call on Mayor (Quentin) Hart to sit his staff down and remind them dealing with angry residents is part of their job. They need to leave the emotions at the door. If you cant handle the heat then get out of the kitchen!
Q: When Mayor Hart came into office they ordered people who came to the podium to remove their hats. Some show up with doo-rags. Why are they allowed?

A: Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart said that was an oversight on his part, which he plans to address at the next council meeting.

Q: Whatever happened to a place called Club Wannabes that was owned by Karen Walker?

A: Club Wannabes Piano Bar in downtown Waterloo moved to a new location as The Night Gallery, which has also closed.

Q: Regarding the story on the Sunday front page: Why has it been changed from STD to STI?

A: Theres still an ongoing debate in the public health community as to whether to use STD  sexually transmitted disease  or STI  sexually transmitted infection. STD is better known so its still widely used and accepted. But increasingly the public health community sees the term sexually transmitted infection as more accurate. Diseases, according to the American Sexual Health Association, are seen as something with obvious signs or symptoms, and many common STDs have neither.

Q: Black Hawk County has the highest rate in the state pertaining to STDs. How do the northern counties in Iowa rate, such as Mitchell, Howard, Floyd, Chickasaw and Winneshiek?

A: None of those counties rank in the top 10 in the state for either rates of chlamydia or gonorrhea, and in fact all fall below both the state and national rates for chlamydia. Those five counties each had few enough cases in 2015 of syphilis and gonorrhea that their rates are not available, and the rates of chlamydia ranged from 148 cases per 100,000 people to 285 cases per 100,000 people. For comparison, Black Hawk County had 631 cases per 100,000 people.

Q: Did recently confirmed educational secretary Betsy DeVos contribute to U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who supported her appointment?

A: Yes, according to her contribution donation filing.

Q: What is chewing gum made of?

A: According to Wrigley, gum is made of a synthetic gum base, sweeteners, softeners and bulking agents such as glycerin and vegetable oil, flavorings and colorings such as mint extract, and a small amount of preservatives.

Q: Isnt it illegal to blow or sweep your grass out into the street? I see the city even does it.

A: It is an ordinance violation in Waterloo to blow or sweep grass into the street.

Q: What can be done about an uncooperative neighbor that has built a fire pit too close to a fence or building? Is there a law regarding this?

A: In Waterloo, recreational fires have to be at least 20 feet from a building or any combustible material. The policy does not govern setbacks from lot lines.
By The Associated Press May. 19, 2017 | 10:01 PM | ASHLAND, KY

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul told a group of eastern Kentucky doctors that Kentucky's Medicaid expansion was too expensive to continue.

Paul spoke to a group of doctors and other medical professionals at the King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland on Friday. He said while Barack Obama's health care law added 400,000 people to Kentucky's Medicaid rolls, neither the state nor the federal government has enough money to continue to pay for them.

Paul's comments come while Republican Senate leaders are crafting a bill that would repeal and replace Obama's health care law. The Congressional Budget Office plans to estimate the bill's impact next week.

King's Daughters Health System Chief Medical Officer Richard Ford said while the hospital is struggling to make a profit, it likely could not survive without the expanded Medicaid program.
Staying out of debt is easier said than done, I know. However, its something you can do, and its something you should be practicing everyday. As Christians, we are in this world, but we are
A startup needs to test an idea quickly. For this, an MVP is created. MVP, Minimal Viable Product  a test version of a product or service with a minimum set of functions (up to one or two), which allows you to see the product's value for consumers and the market. MVP is created to test hypotheses and check the viability of the intended product: is it worth developing the project further, what changes should be made? The sooner a startup brings its MVP to market and tests the idea, the better. This article will look at how no-code technology can help founders achieve their business goals.

This article will try to cover everything that a founder needs to know about no-code at the initial stage of creating a startup.

What is no-code?

No-code, zero-code platform is a tool for creating websites, applications, chatbots, and other programs without the need for direct code writing by programmers. No-code is a valuable alternative to traditional development.

No-code is confused with low-code, but there is a difference in these terms. Low-code includes no-code and the ability to "finish code", add parts of code and the functionality.

A user of a no-code platform usually does not need to know layout, programming languages, or hire a team of programmers. The user of the no-code tool creates an application using a visual block constructor, which he fills with the necessary content and functions, and the no-code platform itself does the processing of requests, compiling the application and other "magic." It generates code using AI and/or contains blocks of code pre-written by programmers.

No-code allows the startup founder to create an MVP himself, entrust it to his employee with basic technical literacy and understanding of the project, or hire a no-code developer. Even in the case of hiring a no-code developer, the cost of creating an MVP will be significantly lower than with classical development with programmers. For example, you can read the interview of a startup and no-code developer on our website, who initially worked as a Product Manager and was able to master no-code for his project himself.

Benefits of no-code for a startup founder

There are the following key advantages for a startup founder in using no-code technology:

a large selection of no-code tools, platforms, and their integrations at the moment  already in 2022, there are many tools and platforms for creating an MVP, a larger project, or even a finished product on no-code, but few people still know about them, and others are far from all startups and founders use their potential;

cost  no-code development saves the money by speeding up the development process, not hiring professional programmers or no need to maintain a developer department, monitoring functions and quick bug fixes, avoiding or reducing the growth of technical debt;

speed is the main advantage over classical development  no-code allows you to build a simple application in a weekend, and a more complex one can be built in a month. In this way, you can test an MVP and even several versions of an MVP very quickly;

low entry threshold  to master a no-code platform, you often do not need technical education at all, but only an understanding of a company's business processes or product from the inside. In the case of pro-level no-code platforms, technical education is required, but you can get used to it hundreds of times faster than with any programming language. This makes no-code available to almost everyone who wants to work with technology;

ease of use  no need to write hundreds of code lines  just move the blocks and assign links between them. Work on a project can be entrusted to your employee without communicating with a team of third-party developers. You can speak "in your language" without the need to understand the "inner kitchen" of developers;

flexibility  with the help of no-code, it is easy for a startup founder to add new functionality and new features right during a project or a MVP testing without a significant increase in development costs.

Possible disadvantages of no-code for a startup founder

As often, any property can be, under certain conditions, both a disadvantage and an advantage. In no-code, many of the benefits with the wrong choice of tool can turn into disadvantages:

no-code is not always a budget solution for a project. Sometimes in a no-code development package, you get unnecessary functions and additions (on AppMaster.io you can separately connect the frontend and pay only for the backend or only for those functions that you are using); if you do not understand the needs of your project, then you can make a mistake with the choice of a no-code tool and not be able to implement the necessary functions on it, or it will be too difficult to implement them; often, no-code tools fail to ensure proper data security and contribute to data leakage (but AppMaster.io allows you to host a finished application on any server); no-code tools often do not provide the ability to upload source code or provide uploading in an inconvenient format, which makes it difficult to move to another tool or to your development. You have to choose a no-code tool "once and forever immediately" (AppMaster. io gives you the ability to download the source code. Also, we generate human-readable code and you will not have any difficulties with its transportation); most no-code tools on the market are not suitable for creating a finished product, and there are significant difficulties with scaling the project if the MVP is successful (AppMaster.io is a professional no-code platform and our capabilities allow us to implement and support the finished product and scale it in the future).

Forewarned is forearmed. Choose your no-code tool wisely and take full advantage of your choice.

Types of no-code platforms

Conventionally, all no-code tools can be divided into several types: no-code devices with a low entry threshold (you can create frontend and not very powerful backend on them), integrators that help connect applications and services, and professional no-code platforms (they strive to replace the code completely, provide the ability to create a robust backend and high bandwidth).

The basic principle of operation of your MVP and the choice of a no-code platform depend on such a conditional division into types. For example, if you make a simple application like a diary, you can limit yourself to a no-code tool with a low entry threshold and a beautiful design.

If your application has powerful potential, high bandwidth, multi-user interface, and works with large amounts of data or real-time data, it is better to choose a professional no-code platform like AppMaster.io or Direcual.

If you use several services at once, link them on integrators like Integromat and Zapier.

Adalo

An easy-to-learn designer with a relatively user-friendly interface. The free version is helpful for learning. The free version contains Adalo watermarks and does not allow you to upload your applications to GooglePlayMarket and AppStore. Beginners often choose this no-code platform to create their first applications with simple logic.

Bubble

It will take more time to learn Bubble , but the platform allows you to work with the backend, databases, business processes, and layout. There are many plugins. The free plan allows you to master the tool, and you can start developing at the middle rate. The price increase is due to the rise in the number of users.

Integromat

It is an integrator. Experts talk about it as a simple and affordable platform for linking applications and services. Scenarios can be created personally, or you can use templates. If you need to connect an application with a service not from the Integromat database, fill out the form and connect to its API via HTTP.

Zapier

This is an integrator for linking applications with each other or with other external services. You can transfer data between thousands of applications. There is a script constructor (one event starts a chain of necessary actions).

Directual

The no-code platform positions itself for creating MVP applications (Minimal Viable Product, minimum viable product) and full-fledged applications of finished products. Scenarios are the backbone of the platform. Using scripts, you can automate the backend logic of the application, create and combine workflows. The Directual catalog includes out-of-the-box connectors, HTTP requests, webhooks, database listeners, and integration with popular services.

AppMaster.io

No-code next-generation platform for creating native and web applications on a real backend. Visual drag-and-drop designer, user-friendly business process designer, one-click app publishing to AppMaster Cloud, or integration with any cloud platform. Push notifications, authorization using social networks. Networks, email, and more. Connect applications to hundreds of services or programmatically access them using APIs. The ability to upload source code and documentation in a human-readable format and transfer it to your servers. Documentation auto-generation. Modern and fast language GoLang at the core.

No-code perspectives for startups

No-code development is gradually gaining popularity around the world. There are already more than 500 no-code tools for creating websites and various types of applications.

According to the forecasts of IT world experts, no-code will develop more and more actively and capture parts of the market responsible for medicine, small online business, small business, and all niches where it is possibly necessary to optimize and automate development processes.

The mass shift of businesses and their customers online and to gadgets has increased the demand for the fast and inexpensive creation of mobile applications that would work according to a single quality standard and have a simple, understandable, user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

No-code is visual programming in the form of a constructor without directly writing code. Usually, basic knowledge in development is enough to build applications on no-code.

The logic of no-code constructors is intuitive: the application interface is assembled from blocks, icons, buttons, and text which are connected to the database. Usually, you can choose a suitable template or do everything from scratch. Speed and economy are the main advantages of no-code tools.

No-code is suitable for creating an MVP, testing an idea or new features in a product, saving time for solving standard tasks. PRO level no-code platforms can provide you with a finished product, an application.

If you don't have an account on AppMaster.io yet, join us. After registration, you will be given a free trial period for 14 days, in which all the basic functionality of the platform is available. It will allow you to learn the intricacies of working with a professional-level no-code platform and understand its potential.
May 22, 2017 | By Benedict

Engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory are using 3D printing to develop what could be the next Mother of All Bombs. They say a 3D printed casing for the weapon could produce a larger blast with less debris.

Scaled-down 3D printed prototype of the new MOAB casing

(Image: Oriana Pawlyk / Defense Tech)

3D printing in the military is becoming more and more commonplace. Earlier this year, for example, we saw how the U.S. army has been testing both 3D printed drones and 3D printed grenade launchers in an attempt to modernize its equipment.

But the most explosive use of 3D printing in the military could be happening in the Air Force, whose dedicated Research Lab has been experimenting with 3D printed bombs.

Engineers at the lab say they have been using additive manufacturing technology to develop what could end up being the next Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb. The current version of this weapon is generally referred to as the Mother of All Bombs, and was first used in April this year in an airstrike against ISIS militants.

The new 3D printed bomb would be lighter and smaller than its predecessor, but would still cause huge damage to its targets.

The current MOAB was first deployed in April in Afghanistan

(Image: Eglin Air Force Base / AP)

Weve been working on printing [munitions] for the past five to 10 years, said Dr. John Corley, a retired four-star Air Force general and core technical competency lead for ordnance sciences at AFRL.

Speaking at a weapons showcase last week, Corley added that 3D printing can be used to reduce the size of the bomb, particularly the thickness of its case walls. The result of doing this could be significant: with a slender 3D printed casing, the bomb could provide a larger blast with less debris.

Prototypes of these new casings have been 3D printed in steel in a repeating diamond pattern, while 3D printing has also been used to fabricate fuse prototypes.

Overall, 3D printing could provide many advantages for the Air Force as it develops its next generation of weapons. In addition to providing the bombs with a larger blast radius, 3D printed aspects could also reduce the bombs to a more appropriate sizesomething that is especially important as military aircraft get smaller.

3D printed fuses could also improve the next generation of bombs

(Image: Oriana Pawlyk / Defense Tech)

Workhorse munitions for us are 500 pound and 2,000 pound munitions, Corley said. But wed like to get to a 100 pound munition, for instance, that has the same output as a 500 pound bomb.

The Air Force is currently weighing up whether it should make these new bombs in-house or have them made by contracted companies.

Either way, these 3D printed explosive devices are probably still a few years away from completion.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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May 22, 2017 | By Tess

A 25-year-old woman from Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates has become central to an effort to develop the Middle Eastern countrys first 3D printed aircraft interior components. Maryam Al-Kuwaiti, the forward-thinking engineer in question, is being recognized as a pioneer in the UAEs additive manufacturing aerospace initiative.

Manufacutring engineer Maryam Al-Kuwaiti

Al-Kuwaiti, who is part of Strata Manufacturing PJSCs joint project with Siemens and Etihad Airways to produce 3D printed aircraft parts, has an impressive resume. The 25-year-old completed her bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at the UAE University (UAEU), and held internships at the University of Oxford, California-based semiconductor company GlobalFoundries, and at the Airbus base in Toulouse, France.

Now, in addition to working as a manufacturing engineer on the 3D printing project at Stratas base in Al Ain, she is working towards a masters degree in mechanical engineering at the UAEU.

At Strata, the Emirati engineer is helping to develop 3D printed parts that can be integrated into Etihad Airways aircraft interiorsan initiative which weve been following closely. In fact, the companies involved in the project recently unveiled their very first 3D printed interior part for an aircraft: an on-board monitor frame.

As the additive manufacturing project advances, Strata and Siemens will reportedly begin to focus more on how to mass produce these 3D printed interior parts for various airline clients in the Middle East region, intending to revolutionize the aircraft manufacturing industry.

"The world is moving toward a Fourth Industrial Revolutionor Industry 4.0and this is leading to breakthroughs in advanced manufacturing and creating 'smart factories,' where people and machines work together seamlessly, said Al-Kuwaiti. UAE-based Strata also recently announced its plans to establish a Factory of the Future for 3D printed aircraft components, which will be up and running by 2020.

Not only is Maryam Al-Kuwaiti a key player in developing the UAEs first 3D printed aircraft interior components, she is also hoping to use her position as a female in the male-dominated industry to inspire other Emirati women to take on positions in the aerospace field.

"I'm sharing my experience and success story because I want to encourage more Emirati women to consider internships in the aerospace manufacturing field," she said. "The UAE plans to be a big player in Industry 4.0 and I would like to see more Emirati females applying for jobs in this industry.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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May 22, 2017 | By David

Research on the future of 3D printing technology in the defense industry will soon be the focus of a brand new military center. The European Defense Agency (EDA) will open the European Tactical Airlift Center (ETAC) in Zaragoza, Spain on June 8. A project study on feasibility and applications of 3D printing technology will form part of a training course to prepare for it.

The EDA, a dedicated defense branch of the European Union, will be transferring its tactical airlift operations to Spain, which is one of the largest project transfers to a member state that the organization has ever carried out. Tactical airlift is a military term for the airborne transportation of supplies and equipment within a theater of operations (in contrast to strategic airlift). It tends to make use of aircraft that feature short landing and take-off distances and low-pressure tires, allowing operations from small or poorly prepared airstrips. It is a critical capability for defense, and the establishment of this new center is a major step forward for European defense collaboration.

Zaragoza will become the official home of the European Air Transport Fleet (EAFT) programme, which was created in 2011 by EDA and signed by 20 member states. It is intended to increase the EUs airlift capabilities. Addressing shortages and increasing interoperability will be key parts of its agenda, along with the research into furthering use of 3D printing.

The ETAC will be opened in an official ceremony by the Head of the EDA, High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini, and Minister of Defence of Spain Dolores de Cospedal. Leading up to the opening, the third annual European Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course will run from May 28 to June 8, hosted by the Spanish airforce at a base in Zaragoza, with the graduation ceremony forming part of the official ETAC opening. Aircraft from Belgium, Germany, Poland, and Spain will be gathered together in order to give air transport crews a more robust knowledge of airlift tactics and to enable better interoperability between different forces.

The training course will also deploy the EDAs pioneering 3D printing project. Officially titled Additive Manufacturing Feasibility Study & Technology Demonstration, it is one of the most extensive research projects yet into the use of 3D printing in this area of defense. The first part of the project is focused on identifying key areas where 3D printing technology could be advantageous for tactical airlift, and showing how it might be applied and how difficult or easy it would be to do so.

The second part is a more practical demonstration of a 3D printing lab. It will show the feasibility of deploying the lab in an aircraft. A dialogue will be established between technicians and officials to decide what the main technology needs tend to be in such operations, and they will then select which parts should be 3D printed. The parts will be produced, on site and on demand, with varying degrees of complexity. This will go some way towards determining the operational utility of 3D printing in military conditions, as well as testing the quality of their 3D printing processes and seeing where improvements can be made.

The EDAs project will be a crucial bridge in the knowledge gap between different areas of defense. It will hopefully raise awareness of the possibilities of 3D printing and other technological developments, increasing their implementation in deployed missions. A cross-fertilization of ideas from several different domains can only enhance defense capabilities across the board, and should improve member relations as well as being highly cost-effective. The huge potential of 3D printing technology to streamline production, as well as to stimulate innovation and collaboration, will be proven yet again in what is perhaps one of the most crucial sectors of all.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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by Misha Lepetic

"In economics, the majority is always wrong."

~ JK Galbraith

One of the unfortunate gifts of the current, star-crossed administration is that there's something for everyone that will get their knickers in a twist. If immigration or climate change isn't your thing, just wait a few days, and some administration official will come out with a statement that lands somewhere in the space between spectacularly ignorant or merely deeply ill-considered. My latest opportunity to double-take arrived a few days ago, when Secretary of the Treasury (and Goldman Sachs alum) Steven Mnuchin opined that the threat of artificial intelligence to employment is "not even on my radar screen".

To be fair, the clip is brief enough that it is difficult to conclude whether or not Mnuchin knows what he is talking about. Too often when we talk about technology we fixate on one aspect of it, and intend (although not always) that this aspect stands in for the entirety of the technological phenomenon. These days, favored metonymies are AI', along with robots' and algorithms'. Keeping this in mind while listening to the Mnuchin clip, it's unclear what he actually means when referring to AI. Although I suspect he's talking about the holy grail of AI, which is artificial general intelligence, or an AI that is indistinguishable from human intelligence.

If that is the case, then he did a disservice to the question, which was about the impact of AI on employment. Or, if you'll allow me to pluck out the metaphor, the impact of technology on employment, which is much more amorphous. Mnuchin's dodge was to say that, since we won't have human-equivalent AI for the foreseeable future, it's something that's not worth thinking about, at least until it happens. Come to think of it, I've heard this dodge before, mostly from the mouths of climate change skeptics and deniers. In both cases, the purpose is to obfuscate and delay until the truly catastrophic comes to pass, then innocently maintain that "no one could have seen this coming" or some such nonsense.

However, Mnuchin gives us a good opening for asking how technology and employment are influencing one another, or at least how we might think about these categories and phenomena. At another point in the same clip, he expresses optimism that technology is good for productivity, that it creates new jobs and industries and stimulates demand  all the old chestnuts. But how much of this is true, and is this time really different?

*

Oddly enough, it may make sense to begin the discussion from another perspective entirely. The vast majority of articles that have lately tackled the specter of automation and unemployment have approached it from the point of view of individuals. For example, the 3.5 million truck drivers who will shortly be rendered obsolete by driverless fleets. That's a lot of people, but we are still talking about an aggregation of individuals. This way of thinking may seem to make sense, since we persistently characterize the economy as exactly that: an aggregation of individuals. Individual agents make decisions to buy and sell, and the supply and demand curves shift accordingly. Firms put goods and services out on the market, and people either buy them, or they don't. Price is revealed, and all is well with the world. This may be adequate for anyone just beginning to learn about economics, but there are other interpretations that are perhaps even more powerful, and more resonant with the historical progress of industry.

Written exactly 50 years ago, economist John Kenneth Galbraith's The New Industrial State elaborated a theory of the firm that proposed a very different way of looking at production. As he observed large corporations engaging in extremely high-stakes, long-term bets, he noted that the commitment required to design and manufacture something as complex and expensive as a jet liner required an altogether different way of looking at the market. For Galbraith, the prime directive for a firm was not to be responsive to the market, but to subsume that market as thoroughly as possible. Galbraith fils summarizes his father's thought:

Large business firms often replace the market altogether. They do this by integration: replacing activity previously mediated by open purchase and sale with activity either internal to the corporation, or between a large, stable enterprise and its small, specialized suppliers, to whom risk is transferred. People reduce uncertaintyby forming up into structured groups large enough to forge the future for themselves. In politics these are countries and parties; in economics, corporations. Once control passes to the organization, Galbraith wrote, it passes completely.

Galbraith called this manifestation a "technostructure"; for him, this was the great narrative of American industrial history. There is much more to Galbraith's theories, but for the purposes of this essay, there are two important points in the above passage. The first is that no established corporation views the free market as desirable. Free markets only lead to uncertainty, threatening profitability and the ongoing viability of the firm. Uncertainty must be quashed at any cost  this includes both new entrants as well as existing consumers. It certainly doesn't work all the time, but it works well enough that companies hewing to this worldview may indeed last for decades. One need only look at Apple, which has famously built its success on designing products that it believes people need  and mercilessly removing functionalities that it no longer considers to be necessary. These deficits are then remedied by an extraordinary PR and marketing machine, which effectively uses the company's pole position to control the market's desires.

This allergy to uncertainty leads to the second insight. The drive to control the future is why cartels and monopolies tend to be the real equilibrium state for most free-market' economies. Price fixing and other forms of cartel behavior are the scourge of free market ideologues, because the fact is that it's much easier to keep the disruptors out and make deals with your pals than it is to geniunely worship at the altar of innovation and entrepreneurship. Put another way, all Objectivists are aspiring oligarchs.

*

Of course, Galbraith was writing in the late 1960s, when manufacturing was king and digital information technologies were but a distant glimmer. And when we think of cartels, we are usually evoking OPEC and other "old economy" phenomena. Surely the digital economy is moving too quickly for Galbraith's principles to continue to hold fast. But consider this passage from Jason Smith, writing recently in the Brooklyn Rail:

Google's parent company Alphabet speaks in exalted tones of technological moonshots, but ninety percent of its revenue and almost all of its profits still come from advertising, most of it via search engines. It is buying up smaller robotics and AI firms, but not necessarily to ramp up investment: it is to establish monopoly conditions that will guarantee super-profits and higher market share within these stagnant conditions. Today, high profits are assured for firms able to disrupt market dynamics and price signals. Such firms are often "more adept at siphoning wealth off than creating it afresh"; they thrive less through innovation than through exorbitant market shares, and streams of technological rent.

Reading Smith in light of Galbraith, one really ought to replace "Today" with "As always." And lest it be forgotten, Silicon Valley as a whole is not immune from cartel behavior: witness the $415m settlement reached in 2015 on behalf of a class-action lawsuit that found Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe colluding with one another on the creation of "no-poach" lists, essentially promising not to hire away each other's employees in the never-ending war for engineering talent.

Despite Smith's uncanny echo of Galbraith's half-century-old observations, his larger project is to come to a better understanding of the relationship between technology, productivity and employment. Nevertheless, it is intriguing to view this set of relationships not simply from the point of view of economic data, which is endlessly contested, but rather from the perspective of the stakeholders, that is, firms and, to a lesser extent, the government.

In this sense technology, like the market, is suborned to the drive of firms to neutralize uncertainty. Like capital, it is deployed selectively. The notion that there is a headlong rush to replace everything (or everyone) with automated systems is simply fictitious. Smith cites the fact that since 1999, "private investment in software and computer equipment has fallen precipitously, by a full quarter: it is, today, as low as it was in 1995." This is coupled with another disquieting fact: that since the financial crisis, the United States has had "the slowest growth in productivity of any decade in American history." With so much capital on the sidelines, it is easy to conclude that investment in automation is not proceeding at nearly the rate that it could be. Smith concludes that:

Current speculations on both the promise and threat of automation are confronted with an ongoing crisis of accumulation [of capital]. In this climate, a fragmentary implementation of automation is unlikely either to liberate large fractions of humanity from work, or produce mass unemployment of the sort envisioned over and again by commentators for the past century.

At first glance, this "fragmentary implementation" may seem reassuring. As long as firms that occupy the technostructure niche are profitable and happy, the kind of catastrophic job losses implied by the sensationalizing media will occur much more slowly than they might otherwise. Firms will only implement automation to preserve their market positions; those truck drivers may yet have a chance to get retrained! But this is also a cold comfort, since it does not mean that automation isn't continuing to happen. It's just that it's happening at a pace set by the technostructure, and is meant to serve its interests, not the market's, and certainly not the public's.

There is a further, more troubling conclusion to be drawn, though. If the pace of automation is insufficient to dislocate the economy so suddenly, such that the torches and pitchforks stay stashed in people's garages, then what chance does labor have to assert its claims? What, in fact, even are the claims that labor may make, in a context that is bereft of unions and short on organizing? And what does work look like in an economy where automation is eventually, but nevertheless inevitably deployed? Next month I'll look at these issues. In the meantime though, perhaps Steve Mnuchin wasn't wrong when he said that AI replacing workers wasn't even on his radar. As long as the technostructure remains unperturbed, it would be more accurate to say these concerns remain comfortably under the radar. For the foreseeable future, it sounds like that's exactly where he wants them to be.
by Misha Lepetic

"Machinesquell the revolt of specialized labor."

~ Marx

In my previous post, I wrote about alternative ways of viewing the encroaching effects of automation on employment. I suggested that, instead of viewing it as a zero-sum game, with industry hell-bent on automating everyone's jobs out of existence, that it is rather a phenomenon driven by firms' needs to maintain profitability and market share. In this sense, automation  and technology more generally  is an optimization function, but only in a local' sense. The character of employment required by a firm is only commensurate to the needs that it can foresee in the near future. So for all the talk of a post-work' future, we won't get there any time soon.

Nevertheless, this leaves open an important succeeding question: What does the technological substitution of labor actually look like, and what, if anything, can be done about it? The first thing that ought to be made clear is that the process of substitution is neither neat nor obvious. Introducing a single robot into the workplace does not necessarily displace a single human being. Indeed, in the case of industrial manufacturing, it may be more: a factory making cell phone parts in Dongguan, China, recently automated much of its operations and saw its headcount plummet from 650 to 60 workers. In a further blow against humanity, the output of the factory increased nearly threefold, and product defect rates declined from 25% to less than 5%.

It's worth noting that a factory making cellphone parts is an ideal subject for automation. A fully automated factory floor is the final reductio that, one might argue, began with Adam Smith's exposition of the power of the division of labor. But regardless of the factory's output  whether it's Smith's pins or components for mobiles  the fact is that we are making the same thing, thousands of times over. However, while significant, this kind of specialized manufacturing is but a fraction of global economic output.

As one leaves the carefully controlled confines of a plant, technological substitution becomes less effective. Consider the phenomenon of driverless cars, another favorite bogeyman of automation's Cassandras. To continue with the example of the above factory, let's look at the problem of distribution. The firm may opt to replace its drivers with autonomous vehicles, but at the moment there is an enormous difference between designing a self-driving car that will handle the predictability of long stretches of open road, versus the intricacies of city driving, where potholes, unpredictable pedestrians and other phenomena create much riskier scenarios. And in the case of firms whose very business model is distribution (such as UPS), a human being is still needed to perform the final handoff of the package to its recipient.

These fairly obvious remarks nevertheless intend to illustrate a larger point: automation is never not human-assisted. The question then becomes what proportion of a job is automated: as in the case of the truck driver, a journey may be 80% long haul, which is handled by the automated system, but the remaining 20% of navigating urban areas, or delivering the product to its recipient, is still the driver's job'. For the firm, this is a decidedly awkward position. Whereas the factory is an ideal type  automate everything, fire 90% of your staff, and watch productivity and quality soar  interaction with the supply chain, or customers, or just the world itself, still requires people, and people expect to be paid.

*

Interestingly, this process is not just manifest in the stubbornly physical world, but also services that we might at first blush consider to be the exclusive domain of code. I am thinking about such things as chatbots, content monitoring of social media, and training of artificial intelligences on data sets of one sort or another. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Mary Gray and Siddharth Suri note that

The truth is, AI is as "fully-automated" as the Great and Powerful Oz was in that famous scene from the classic film, where Dorothy and friends realize that the great wizard is simply a man manically pulling levers from behind a curtain. This blend of AI and humans, who follow through when the AI falls short, isn't going away anytime soon.

Shreeharsh Kelkar puts it another way: technology in the workplace is not apart from labor, and the interaction between labor and technology should be seen as

an assemblage that embodies a reconfigured version of human-machine relations where humans are constructed, through digital interfaces, as flexible inputs and/or supervisors of software programs that in turn perform a wide-variety of small-bore high-intensity computational tasks (involving primarily the processing of large amounts of data and computing statistical similarities). It is this reconfigured assemblage that promises to change our workplaces, rather than any specific technological advance. The [research] agenda has been to concentrate on the human labor that makes this assemblage function, and to argue that it is precisely the invisibility of this labor that allows the technology to seem autonomous.

Crucially, the fact is that this incomplete technological substitution is furthermore a dynamic process, and one that sees employees' contributions as ever-receding, where work is never stable, but rather occupying a margin that is not unlike piecework. If your job is really about "doing the things that automation can't doyet" then all sorts of other things break down. The idea of mastery of a profession is eroded, and the prospects of a stable career are diminished. Riffing off of Marx, the laborer is not only alienated from the product of their labor, but is further alienated by the processes of capital that allow ever less consequential input into the creation of that product. On a larger scale, we can speculate that the ever-elaborating infusion of technology into what were human-only tasks leads to, as Gray and Suri put it, "the rapid creation and destruction of temporary labor markets for new types of humans-in-the-loop tasks."

The speed of this creation and destruction is a defining feature of the current situation, and questions the effectiveness of older, established programs that were designed to aid worker retraining, such as the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, first funded in 1974. When one takes into account that, according to more than 90% of jobs created between 2005 and 2015 were contract gigs (ie, not full-time), "Retraining for what?" becomes a legitimate question. Obviously, these part-time arrangements do not all belong to the human-machine assemblage' postulated above, but at the same time this does not lend comfort to the recevied wisdom that technology will continue to create new opportunities for labor that are equal to or better than what came before. In fact, that position has come increasingly under attack.

*

Just as technology cannot be viewed as monolithic, neither can the workforce. It's worth asking who will bear the brunt of these changes, and what recourse there might be. In software there is the concept of LIFO, or last in, first out', used to describe the order in which items can be added to and removed from a data structure. This idea may be applied just as easily to the workforce  those who are the most recent arrivals tend to have the most tenuous hold. A recent piece in Foreign Policy speculated on the implications of automation on women, who entered the workforce substantially only during the mid-20th century:

Women are projected to take the biggest hits to jobs in the near future, according to a World Economic Forum report predicting that 5.1 million positions worldwide will be lost by 2020 Men will see nearly 4 million job losses and 1.4 million gains (approximately one new job created for every three lost). In comparison, women will face 3 million job losses and only 0.55 million gains (more than five jobs lost for every one gained).

One could make similar arguments for other segments of the labor force that have faced structural challenges, for example, minorities, immigrants and those possessing only a high school education. Moreover, the rapidity with which temporary labor markets will continue to evolve privileges the agile, who can not only adapt to new work, but can also physically relocate to new markets. Unfortunately, there is strong evidence that labor mobility has been declining across the United States since the 1970s. (This is yet another strong argument for universal healthcare.)

As far as recourse goes, labor is vastly ill-prepared. As Brishen Rogers noted in a thoughtful review of automation, unemployment and the prospects for universal basic income written for the Boston Review,

Our labor and employment laws still envision the economy of the 1930s, which was dominated by massive industrial firms with hundreds of thousands of direct employees. Those laws rarely touch modern "fissured" work relationships such as Uber's relationship with its drivers, Walmart's relationship with its suppliers' workers, or McDonald's relationship with its franchisees' workers. Those laws also limit workers' ability to unionize or bargain effectively since they encourage bargaining at the firm or even plant level whereas today's modal workplace is growing ever smaller. Workers have fewer and fewer means to exert power on their own behalf.

In fact, this idea of power, or rather powerlessness, is perhaps the single greatest indicator of the difficulties in store for the labor force. With unions in disarray, the technologically-driven deskilling of the workforce continues apace. For example, a New York Times profile of Travis Kalanick, the CEO of ridesharing service Uber, noted that "roughly a quarter of [Uber's] drivers turn over on average every three months. According to an internal slide deck on driver income levelsUber considered Lyft and McDonald's its main competition for attracting new drivers." Uber's technology platform is so easy to use (and its recruitment process so tolerant) that, rudely put, if you can flip burgers you can also be an Uber driver, and vice versa.

The point about technology as a form of power over labor cannot be overstated. This is, in fact, its primary consequence. As Brishen Rogers notes, "technology is not a substitute for menial labor in this story but rather one among many tools to keep labor costs down by exerting power over workers." In order to effectively interface with encroaching automation, it is necessary that human interactions with technology be measured, evaluated, stored and recalled whenever needed. Thus the Guardian observes that

In the logistics sector, companies are using technology not to replace warehouse staff and couriers, but to put them under increasing surveillance to control their working patterns, reducing employee autonomy, skill and dignity. Wrist-based technology allows bosses to monitor activity minute-by-minute, including bathroom breaks.

If labor is to formulate new and effective means of dissenting from the emergent status quo, it is here that the battle must be met. The fully automated factory, while most plainly visible, is nevertheless a red herring compared to the myriad ways in which labor has already submitted to a status that grows ever more fraught with contingency. When he wrote "Machines were the weapon employed by the capitalists to quell the revolt of specialized labor," Marx was not thinking of the wristbands that Amazon workers wear, but I can't imagine he would have been that surprised, either.
Ballot stamps cause minor issue in Brown, turnout in Codington 63%

While there was a minor issue counting some ballots in Brown Co., local election officials said Tuesday night went pretty well. SD voter turnout 57.5%
Report enables readers the critical perspectives to be able to evaluate the world market for electrical capacitors. The publication provides the market size, growth and forecasts at the global level.

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Graphitecorp Acquisition of 100% of Novonix

Brisbane, May 22, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Graphitecorp Limited ( ASX:GRA ) ("Graphitecorp" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its acquisition of two-thirds of NOVONIX announced on 2 March 2017, the Company has negotiated and executed a binding agreement to acquire the remaining one-third of NOVONIX.



HIGHLIGHTS



- As part of its downstream integration strategy, to supply advanced battery materials, equipment and services to the global Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) market, on 2 March 2017, Graphitecorp announced the acquisition of two-thirds of NOVONIX, a leading battery testing equipment and services company in North America.



- Following further negotiations, Graphitecorp is pleased to announce that it has executed definitive agreements to acquire 100% of NOVONIX.



- The remaining one-third of NOVONIX provides full control and integration synergies and has been acquired from Contemporary Amporex Technologies Ltd (CATL). An ongoing supply agreement also remains in place with CATL.



- Earlier this month, NOVINX launched its new 20-Amp HPC testing system and now is installing the first such unit in the facilities of a major global battery manufacturer.



- NOVONX sales have been exceeding expectations during 2017 and cash in the business at the time of settlement is now expected to be CAD1.6M, ahead of the CAD1.0M figure anticipated at the time of signing in March.



The new acquisition achieving 100% ownership of NOVONIX, together with the company's PUREgraphite anode material production joint venture in the USA, has transformed the business into a supplier of advanced battery materials, equipment and services to the global LIB market.



As previously advised, NOVONIX sells its proprietary high precision battery testing equipment and services to customers including Panasonic, Apple, 3M, Microsoft, CATL, Bosch and Dyson, as well as US and Global EV and battery manufacturers.



Graphitecorp Managing Director, Philip St Baker said, "With 100% ownership, Graphitecorp will accelerate, integrate and expand the NOVONIX business and achieve closer and direct relationships with existing and new customers.



"The complete acquisition of NOVONIX provides greater control and integration and allows Graphitecorp to achieve the full synergies from NOVONIX's battery testing systems, customer relationships, and the battery materials expertise of the NOVONIX team."



"Importantly, access to the proprietary technologies and expertise of NOVONIX allows rapid acceleration of our R&D and materials development cycle, providing a significant competitive advantage for Graphitecorp", Mr St Baker said.



Over the past two months, Graphitecorp has negotiated the acquisition of the remaining one-third of NOVONIX from strategic shareholder, Contemporary Amperex Technologies Ltd (CATL), with consideration payable to CATL on the same per share valuation metrics as for the previous two-thirds being acquired. The consideration payable to CATL was anticipated in recent capital raisings and will be funded from existing cash resources of Graphitecorp.



CATL has Lithium Ion Battery manufacturing facilities in China and offices in Sweden, Germany and France, and has plans to build an additional LIB factory in Europe. CATL has announced plans to grow its annual battery capacity six fold by 2020 to 50 gigawatt hours (exceeding the planned annual production of the Tesla Gigafactory).



Following settlement of the transaction, scheduled for 1 June 2017, NOVONIX and CATL will continue to work together via a supply agreement that remains in place with CATL.



As previously announced, NOVONIX was spun out of Dr Jeff Dahn's LIB research lab at Dalhousie University, which signed an exclusive five-year research partnership with Tesla in 2015 to develop longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries. In less than three years, NOVONIX has deployed more than 1,000 of its High Precision Coulometry battery testing units in 12 countries.



Earlier this month, NOVONIX launched its new 20 amp HPC testing system and is currently installing the first such unit within the facilities of a major global battery manufacturer.



The NOVONIX business is already cashflow positive and well-funded, with existing available working capital. With accelerating sales since announcement of the initial transaction in March 2017, NOVONIX is now anticipated to have CAD1.6M cash at the time of completion of the 100% acquisition in early June (up from an estimated CAD1.0M originally anticipated).



ABOUT NOVONIX



NOVONIX was spun-out of Dr. Jeff Dahn's Lithium Ion Battery research lab at Dalhousie University and established by Dr Chris Burns and Dr David Stevens. It has expertise in materials and cell testing, with a strong focus on the use of High Precision Coulometry (HPC) for lifetime evaluation of Lithium-Ion cells. NOVONIX manufactures the world's most accurate high-precision battery testing equipment and offers cell testing services on its in-house high precision chargers, and sells high precision charger systems along with materials testing services. In less than three years, NOVNOX has deployed more than 1,000 of its HPC testing units in 12 countries across the world.



For more information on NOVONIX please visit its website at:

http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/040A740B



ABOUT PUREgraphite AND COULOMETRICS



Graphitecorp and Coulometrics have established a 50:50 joint venture company, PUREgraphite LLC (PUREgraphite), to produce ultra-high-purity anode materials in the USA for Lithium Ion Batteries primarily for EV and energy storage applications.



Founded in 2008 by Dr Edward Buiel, Coulometrics is a leading US-based battery materials and battery cell development and testing company. Dr Buiel graduated from Dalhouse University (Jeff Dahn Lab) in 1998 with a PhD in Physics specializing in "Development of Carbon Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Battery Applications". He is CEO of PUREgraphite.



Coulometrics owns its own toll coating and converting line and specializes in battery and capacitor testing of all types. It has strong capabilities in qualification testing, development of specification sheets and validation of energy storage materials and technology. Coulometrics also works with system designers to select, model and test the optimal energy storage system for their application. It has expertise in materials characterization and processing, including coin/pouch cell fabrication, mixing and electrode fabrication and converting (slitting, calandering).



For more information on Coulometrics please visit its website at:

http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/4BYJ4IH4



For more information on PUREgraphite please visit its website at:

http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/M2S6H738



To view video footage of Dr Buiel and Dr Burns:



Dr Chris Burns (Novonix): http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/O9LS4M0N



Dr Ed Buiel (PUREgraphite): http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/1O0RGHJT



About NOVONIX Limited





NOVONIX Limited (ASX:NVX) (FRA:GC3) (OTCMKTS:NVNXF) is an integrated developer and supplier of high-performance materials, equipment and services for the global lithium-ion battery industry with operations in the USA and Canada and sales in more than 14 countries. NOVONIX's mission is to support the global deployment of lithium-ion battery technologies for a cleaner energy future.


I dont know whether the godmen intentionally exploit their bhakts(followers) or the media make the hullabaloo and exploit the godmens position for publicity and mislead its viewers/readers and babas followers. However, one thing is for sure, faiths on Godmen have come to standstill for some. If not content with one Guru, one can always find another, more powerful. Enraged at the increasing number of religious gurus being caught in sex scandals, who will punish them and what should be the punishment for fraud babas who indulged in wrongdoings in the name of religion. The law is supposed to be enforced uniformly, and without sorting the guilty on the basis of their economic and social background. Such an order is sure to spark a debate.

Buzz up! There is the need to keep a check on fraud religious gurus; there should be a minimum qualification to prevent everyone from becoming a baba. A sex video of Swami Nithyananda created uproar across the country. Youth between the age of 14 to 19 are visiting websites to see the Babas act; they are not even bothered about spiritual Gurus moral or immoral conduct, they are visiting these sites to enjoy pornography. The media is randomly reporting about such incidents. In the same week, a religious guru, Icchadhari Baba was arrested by the Delhi police for running sex rackets in different parts of the country and even abroad. It indicates the flaw in governance.

Poverty, ban on bars, financial crunch, discrimination, unemployment are the reasons why women are falling prey to such places because this is done on spiritual couch. These women perhaps feel a little better knowing that the person exploiting her is a spiritual guru who perhaps could provide her monetary aid. It is no surprise then that our survey revealed that women, rather ironically, feel safer with either the criminal mafia or the spiritual one. Undoubtedly, the women implicated in these acts are no gold-clad Mainikas. For them, the man is just a means to an end. There is the need for launching a nation-wide campaign against black money that flows through swamis to these women. And also there must be provisions to rehabilitate a woman who is caught in such sex scams. Several TV channels have telecasted the sexual acts of ParamahamsaNithyananda with some Tamil actresses and the Swamiji has been missing ever since. Religion and spirituality are tenets by which people should live as opposed to war and crime. So the question is, are such acts immoral or are they just natural expressions of being? Should we measure the value of a Godman by the many good things that he has done for the society or by the one moment of weakness that he has perhaps indulged himself in. Should public figures be entitled to their privacy?

On the flip side, illicit affairs with devotees should be considered objectionable as it defies values of the institution. It is similar to a teacher in college having an affair with his student. The same is the case of the use of drugs and casual sex by college students or alcohol and promiscuity by call center employees. The purpose of an Institution stands defeated. Legal marriages should be allowed as a vent to such frustrations.

The judgement is that even though the Swamiji has served the public and has defamed his institution it must be saved from people who exploit it. Swamiji should be awarded a mild punishment and must be allowed to live his personal life by being legally and lawfully married and not by surrogacy. While India is proud of her divine sons like Swami Vivekananda and Aurobindo, certain self-proclaimed Godmen commit acts, enough to make our holy land, our mother, hang her head in shame. It is a fact that our people have an unusual attraction for ochre robes and flowing beards (no offence intended). Some foreigners also get attracted to our Indian Gurus. The reason for the foreigners attraction can be easily guessed. Westerners are adventurous and want to know new things, try new ways of living.

I do not say all Godmen are unholy. There are divine Gurus who have the power to melt down your troubles by their wisdom. But the search to find one such truly great spiritual leader is a herculean task and one may not be successful at all throughout life time. Several Godmen get rich, no one knows how. It may be that rich disciples who donate money for the ashrams. What do these Godmen do to convince rich disciples? How do they convince the Westerners? To become a Guru one needs an attractive personality and a glib tongue, thats for sure. Once a foreigner is spotted as a disciple of the Guru, the others start believing that the Guru must be really great to have got a foreigner as a disciple. This increases his popularity. Swamiji was found in a compromising position with two different women. A scene shows him popping some pills offered by a woman. Immediately after these scenes were flashed on the news channels, his ashrams in several states were vandalised.

Sanathana Dharma is the mode and methodical way suggested by our ancestors to feel, perceive, realise and get closer to God. In fact, what we call Hinduism is not a separate religious faith that our forefathers contended or invented. It is a broad minded Universal Path the soul should follow to reach its ultimate goal (Moksha or Salvation). Initially, there was a complaint by a secular lot that Hinduism was preached through Sanskrit. The elite body of learners preserved it as their cherished property. Indeed a section of them misused and exploited the commoners. The Pre-Vedic period followed by Post-Vedic period witnessed oppositions and radical changes. Disappointed lot was lured by Buddhism and Jainism. People found solace in the simple codes of conduct followed by these two religions. Whatever was told by these preachers were comprehensible and these faiths flourished. Meanwhile, Islam entered the motherland through foreign invasion. Further, through Vasco da Gama, followed by other Europeans, Christianity too entered India.

Religion has become the order of the day. Then renaissance made an attempt to revive Hinduism.

Three great sages Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya and Madhavacharya saw to that the age-old faith is resurrected and revived. Thus, our land has witnessed too many radical changes affecting the religious sentiments of the inmates. The commoners socio-economic problems are too many. It is surprising that people actually have the time to go and shower all they possess and surrender to these self-made Godmen? The country is burning with a number of logical and illogical issues. There is hardly anytime for anyone to spend on a content, happy and peaceful day. Then how is it that some find the time and wealth to offer to such devil-incarnates? The prophecy says that one day the whole earth would cease to exist. However, we are the cleverest. We will steal the show in that act too. We dont offer or can afford to confer that rare chance to the foreigners. We dont make one wait for that day. We have our indigenous ways and methods to advance the DOOMSDAY!!

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
Urging Arab and Islamic leaders to unite and do their share to defeat Islamist extremists, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism.

The President further pledged to work alongside the West Asian nations to combat extremist ideology in the region as all the countries from the US to India, Australia to Russia  have been victim of terrorism and have suffered repeated barbaric attacks.

Without naming Pakistan, Trump said, every country must ensure that terrorists dont find any sanctuary on their lands.

While addressing the leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries on Sunday afternoon in his first speech on a foreign soil, Trump, meanwhile, called on the Middle-eastern countries to combat the crisis of Islamic extremism emanating from the region.

Terming the fight against terrorism as a battle between good and evil, and not a clash between the West and Islam, Trump sought to chart a new course for Americas role in the region  aimed at rooting out terrorism.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations, Trump said.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil, he added.

Trump added that Muslim leaders must do more to confront extremism.

The nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries and for their children, he said.
It also wasn't surprising to hear from parents who'd been worried about a link to autism and who didn't vaccinate with Hib because of it. (It should be pointed out that Hib is a vaccine that Dr. Wakefield has never mentioned.) The father gave his reaction to the news about the BMJ charges: "It's been a fraud and it's a conscious effort to mislead people."

Stephanopoulos made sure we all understood how ABC felt; we were informed at the start that Dr. Wakefield's work has been discredited and that the British Medical Journal found his claims to be fraudulent based on the word of Brian Deer. As expected, Seth Mnookin, Brian Deer, Richard Besser, and Paul Offit were in opposition to Dr. Wakefield. Offit was cited only as the author of "Deadly Choices," without any mention of the millions of dollars he's personally made with his rotavirus vaccine.

"Stephanopoulos had the American people believe that he had read Callous Disregard, and that he had done so cover-to-cover. One only has to read yesterday's MedScape article to confirm this. His questions and his demeanor lead me to believe that, in fact, this was not the case. I suspect that as the truth behind this issue emerges, as it will, he and others may come to regret being part of the witch hunt. Their attention should be on the real problems of autism and lack of evidence for vaccine safety."

It was clear from the beginning that Stephanopoulos had his own agenda and it didnt involve equal time for Dr. Wakefield. This is something were used to in the autism community, but it was especially obvious in the GMA interview.

Monday, January 17, Dr. Andrew Wakefield appeared on Good Morning America with host George Stephanopoulos. HERE It was a major event for parents in the autism community who hoped that Dr. Wakefield would be allowed to present a defense against the charges made by Brian Deer and the British Medical Journal. Sadly, that was not to be.

Actually, after watching the video clips put out by ABC News, the fact is that its reporting on this issue is just that, "a conscious effort to mislead people."

Dr. Wakefield tried time after time to get Stephanopoulos to understand that as a gastroenterologist, his focus was on the bowel disease that he was finding in children who'd regressed after the MMR. These were healthy kids who become physically sick. They developed chronic diarrhea, constipation, food allergies, and encephalitis. They regressed into autism. Are we to believe that it's all one huge coincidence that normal kids suddenly lose learned skills, become autistic, and develop bowel disease all at the same time?

Several things emerged as the interview progressed. First of all, it was never acknowledged that Dr. Wakefield is a gastroenterologist. He was described merely as a "British researcher.

In the ABC story online, there was only one reference to bowel problems. ONE.

Authors of the editorial published nearly two weeks ago in the British Medical Journal confirmed previous suggestions that Wakefield skewed patients' medical records to support his hypothesis that the widely-used measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) combination vaccine was causing autism and irritable bowel disease.

This was ABC's very conscious effort to mislead people. We didnt get to hear from anyone who backed Dr. Wakefield. Stephanopoulos seemed intent only on accusing Wakefield of falsely linking vaccines and autism and he showed no interest in the health histories of his patients.

To make this fair and balanced, why didnt GMA interview Dr. Jon Poling, father of Hannah Poling? Health and Human Services conceded the claim that the nine vaccinations she received in a single doctors visit caused her regression into autism. Why wasnt Dr. Bernadine Healy, former head of the National Institutes of Health, included? She could have said that she doesnt believe the studies have been done that would disprove a link.

Why didnt Stephanopoulos have even one of the 12 Lancet parents on the show? This is really critical. The whole issue here swirls around the medical histories of these children and the charge that Dr. Wakefield falsified records

What would have happened if George Stephanopoulos had included one of the Lancet parents from this video? http://www.viddler.com/explore/ziggy/videos/1/

During the course of the interview on GMA, Stephanopoulos said to Dr. Wakefield, I read your book. In truth, as he repeated everything that Brian Deer wrote about in the BMJ, it became glaringly evident he couldnt have read Callous Disregard. (Or if he did, he blatantly disregarded everything Andrew Wakefield wrote about.)

In Callous Disregard, Dr. Wakefield gave detailed descriptions of each of the 12 children who were the subject of the Lancet article. He made it clear that they became patients at the Royal Free Hospital when parents sought help for their childrens bowel disease. It was not because they were referred to him by lawyers.

Dr. Wakefield meticulously went over the charges made by the General Medical Council, explaining how they were not true, yet Stephanopoulos never brought up anything from the book.

If hed truly read Callous Disregard, Stephanopoulos would also have known that Dr. Wakefield never claimed that his paper in the Lancet was about a study proving a link between vaccines and anything. It was about a novel bowel problem in autistic children, and he thought the medical community would be interested in the questions he was asking.

Dr. Wakefield devoted a whole chapter to Brian Deer and his claims. He quoted the numerous charges that Deer had made about him and his work in print and explained how each one was false. He especially addressed the claim that he had fixed data on autism or that he had recruited and treated these children for litigation purposes.

Stephanopoulos never mentioned any of the disturbing things Dr. Wakefield included in his book:

The British government knowingly licensed an unsafe vaccine.

They failed to warn parents about possible life-threatening side effects.

They intentionally had only passive surveillance for adverse events.

They secretly indemnified the vaccine maker.

They used false and misleading information to promote the vaccine.

Corruption, collusion, and cover-up, three things we usually assign to the actions of our Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are also true for the British government. Dr. Wakefield wrote, Children were the experimental marketplace. None of this was talked about on GMA and Dr. Wakefield was never allowed the chance to bring any of it up.

We didnt hear about the inside source cited in the book (coincidentally named "George") either, yet he's a big part of the story. He's a doctor and a health official, and for Andrew Wakefield, he was the source for a lot of vital information on the measles vaccine trials.

Newsmen like Stephanopoulos never acknowledge that the medical community has everything at stake in this. They pretend that its all just about the science and all the science says Dr. Wakefield is wrong.

Dr. Richard Halvorsen, another British physician, recently pointed this out when he said,

We have to take a step back and wonder what is really going on here. To go to such extreme-- and desperate lengthsto annihilate Dr. Wakefield (the person, note, not the science) some people must be very afraid, presumably, that parents might actually believe something that is blatantly obvious: that is that all vaccines can cause serious adverse reactions, including autism. By denying what is not only obvious but also supported by a wealth of scientific evidence these obsessive vaccine protagonists risk losing the trust of all parents and destroying the whole vaccine programme, the very thing that they are trying to prevent happening.

Halvorsens commentary sounds a lot like the words of Dr. Peter Fletcher, former Chief Scientific Officer in the UK. In 2006, in the Daily Mail, HERE Dr. Fletcher said,

"There are very powerful people in positions of great authority in Britain and elsewhere who have staked their reputations and careers on the safety of MMR and they are willing to do almost anything to protect themselves."

In Callous Disregard, Dr. Wakefield made the comment, The evidence revealed collusion at the highest levels of the medical establishment. (p. 49)

Self-protection is a powerful motivation and this is made clear in the book. [I]t was the UK government that was (and presumably still is) liable for SKBs MMR vaccine damage. (p. 74)

Speaking of his work at the Royal Free Hospital, he wrote, Ultimately, it took a group of gastroenterologists to recognize the significance of these symptoms, not through some preternatural wisdom, but through the diligent application of their training. A new syndrome was described and the findings replicated around the world. Erasure from the Medical Register is a small price to pay for the privilege of working with affected families. (p. 162)

The sad truth about what has happened is that many people have failed us. Heath officials failed us when they put other priorities ahead of the health and welfare of our children. The medical community failed us when they calmly looked on as a generation of children was lost to autism and pretended it was acceptable. And finally the press has failed in their responsibility to report the truth. There has been a massive and conscious effort to mislead people.

--

Anne Dachel is Media Editor of Age of Autism.
By Pietro Monari

Age of Autism is grateful to Pietro for sending in important background to this power abuse.

Now we are trying to understand what will actually happen next. The bill seems to have a constitutional problem because the fine is clearly discriminating. And there are lots of kids not up to this crazy schedule out there. The bill is already active so the practical problems are immense - school will restart next September. If they even managed to get everyone to line up for the shots I wonder how they could handle the task.
By John Stone

A video from the VaXxed team highlights the controversy involving two of the Republic of Irelands most prominent citizens, the veteran philanthropist Jonathan Irwin and the countrys most ambitious young politician, Simon Harris  who at the age of 30 is not only the youngest member of the Dail (Irelands parliament) but also Minister of Health.

British in origin and an old-boy of Eton, Irwin built a fortune in the Republic trading in horses, and in the 1990s  following a succession of personal tragedies  set up a charity which presently supports two and half thousand families with sick children, whose needs the Irish state would otherwise disregard. He has finally become disaffected following injury to his teenage daughter from Gardasil vaccine. Formally an outstanding athlete and horsewoman, she presently suffers from all the side-effects listed in the products package insert, which he points out was not made available at the time of administration and routinely is not.

Horrified by the denial of the problem by the medical profession and government and the hate campaigns waged in the media against the several hundred families in Ireland blighted by Gardasil injury, Irwin decided to speak to Polly Tommey of the VaXxed team on their recent visit. A small country  population 4.6 million  in which most of the leading citizens are likely to know each other, Ireland is an interesting theatre to watch this drama played out. If Irwin is appalled by the treatment of himself and the families, he also evidently believes he will see the scandal exposed, just another in a succession of scandal that have engulfed Irish public life over the decades. Irwin understands the misbehaviour partly in the light of Irish public life, but he also sees the criminal behaviour underpinning compliance strategies in the vaccine program on a global footing.

This a riveting interview.
Clip of Wakefield: Safe, effective vaccines against serious infectious disease, laudable. Do any vaccines on the market today meet those criteria? No, they dont.

And another Trump scientific myth endangers the health of Americas children. He believes combined or multiple vaccines cause autism. Last year he met disgraced British scientist, Andrew Wakefield, who left Britain after his work linking the MMR jab with autism was debunked. But with Trumps support, hes riding high again and seducing audiences with scare stories.

Newman even made an attempt to publicly embarrass Wakefield in Berlin at a showing of Vaxxed. Its all in this report.

Cathy Newman's two part series on vaccines was really a witch hunt. This was not investigative reporting; Wakefield was demonized, autism as a devastating condition is never addressedin fact, Newman made Dr. Krigsman, who works with victims of vaccine-related bowel disease, look like a child abuser.

Texas, now Wakefields home state. Home too to one of the strongest anti-vaccine movements in America. It has some of the most relaxed vaccination laws in the country. Forty-five thousand children are unvaccinated here, but some mums and dads fear Wakefields rhetoric is putting other children at risk.

A toddler is shown. This child had a heart transplant as an infant, and Newman explained that any infection could be fatal.

Newman: At any one time in America, there are thought to be half a million people like Julianna who cant be vaccinated because theyre too young or not well enough. Their main protection from serious disease is that the rest of us are vaccinated so they cant catch anything from us.

Newman directed a question at the girls mother.

To what extent do you think Andrew Wakefield is responsible for a large number of parents not getting their children vaccinated?

I think thats a huge reason because of the misinformation, because they are scared, and I think fear drives a lot of this.

Newman: But theres an even more serious allegation against Wakefield. Hes been accused of exploiting the very children he says he wants to help. Hes long believed that not only is the MMR jab linked to autism, but that the condition can be treated.

Four years ago he came up with the controversial idea of making the treatment of autistic children into a reality TV series. He pitched to some of Americas biggest Cable networks.

We found the pitch tape which contains disturbing images. Autistic children are filmed self-harming, and a fourteen year old boy has intrusive treatment, with cameras and tubes going into his rectum and throat.

Weve chosen to conceal the identity of the children, Wakefield didnt.

Julia Bascom campaigns for equal rights for autistic people; she is herself autistic.

Bascom is shown criticizing the treatment for autistic enterocolitis as autistic people being dehumanized and being used as objects to advance other peoples agendas.

Newman: What about the ethics of filming of a teenager having a colonoscopy there?

Bascom: So the litmus test we tend to use is: Would you do this to a non-autistic child? and I think pretty clearly we wouldnt show on film a non-autistic teenager getting a colonoscopy?

Newman: No one commissioned the series, but it still runs on Wakefields Youtube channel.

Inspired by his success in America, Wakefield is now back in Europe, and even Britain. Eleven weeks ago, he attended a secret viewing of his film Vaxxed in London. I finally caught up with him at a screening in Berlin.

Clip of Newman questioning Wakefield from the audience at a Q and A in Berlin.

Newman: Mr. Wakefield, you are behind a massive public health scare in the UK. You were struck off, and youre now exporting your discredited theories to America and around the world.

Wakefield: Its a reasonable question from a British journalist. You will be aware, I hope, that the film is not about me. The film is about a whistleblower from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who actually validates the work that we did in 2000.

So in fact, it is the British press who are discredited when they attack this hypothesis, because it turns out all these years later to be correct.

Newman: He has concerns about one case. What about the seventeen studies that debunked your original 1998 study?

Newman continued.

Isnt what youre doing grossly irresponsible because in your home state of Texas alone, 45,000 thousand children are unvaccinated? And measles is a killer.



Mr. Wakefield, youve been talking about a fraud perpetrated by the CDC, about a fraud by the media. What about the fact that the General Medical Council accused you of being dishonest, accused you of being callous, unethical? The BMJ said that your own data was fraudulent. When are you going to talk responsibility for that?

Wakefield: Can you quote me in full on this?

Newman: Of course.

Wakefield: I dont talk to fake news.

Newman trailing after Wakefield: You talk about fake news though, and youre the one whos accused of dishonesty, youre the one whos accused of falsifying your data. When do you take responsibility for that?

Newman: Wakefield was invited to respond to other issues raised in this program, but declined to do so.

Clip of March for Science in Washington, D.C.

Newman: Two weeks ago scientists took to the streets in Washington to protest against Trump. They arent just battling a President, theyre battling a movement which dismisses science as fake news.

But theres nothing fake about the mumps outbreak which has just been announced in Wakefields home state of Texas.

Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
The promo from Channel 4 made it clear that this was not objective journalism. Portraying Donald Trump as a dangerous fanatic who is questioning the way children are vaccinated, and describing Andrew Wakefield as a disgraced British doctor let us know just where this was going.

British reporter Cathy Newman pretended that she only wants to protect children from the anti-vaccine/anti-science movement in a two part series called, Trump, the Doctor & the Vaccine Scandal shown on British television Channel 4 on May 8, 2017.

By Anne Dachel One thing Ive never heard ANY JOURNALIST say to either Robert Kennedy, Jr. or Andrew Wakefield : I read your book, and I wanted to have you clarify ? What did you mean when you wrote? That goes for Kennedys Thimerosal, Let the Science Speak and Wakefields Callous Disregard. --- In 2011, ABCs George Stephanopoulos told Wakefield hed read Callous Disregard, but he couldnt cite a single thing hed written in it. What does this tell us about the motives of the media? What does this tell us about the disgraceful profession journalism has become?

Newman accused Wakefield of being a fraud, but that distinction should actually go to her for this cover-up of the truth about vaccine damage.

Newmans report was promoted by the UKs Evening Standard. The Standard said Newman interviewed Wakefield, but that didnt really happen as you can see. At the end of part two, all Wakefield had to say to her was, "I don't talk to fake news."

This coverage was carefully designed to vilify Andrew Wakefield and Robert Kennedy, Jr. and ANYONE else who dares to question vaccine safety claims.

And if you're someone who doesn't know the issue, she's pretty convincing.

Notice several things about Part One:

Cathy Newman referred to Paul Offit merely as a "leading vaccine scientist." Everything Wakefield did was fraudulent and for personal gain. Were told he was run out of the profession, and the connection between Donald Trump, Robert Kennedy, Jr. and Andrew Wakefield is endangering children's lives.

Newman went on the attack with several unfounded allegations, accusing Wakefields research of being fraudulent, and for public gain. She accused high-profile vaccine safety advocates of endangering childrens lives, and mocks anyone sharing those concerns as conspiracy theorists.

Ignoring hundreds of studies showing both occurrence and mechanism of harm from vaccines, Newman insisted that everything about vaccines is safe, even HPV, MMR, and thimerosal.

The government whistleblower story is dismissed by Peter Hotez. The name of William Thompson is never mentioned.

The current autism rate is never mentioned.

Newman was at the March D.C. Rally for Truth, only the audience wasn't made up of mothers of vaccine-injured children, it was just a lot of "vaccine critics."

Newman talked with Kennedy and used the footage to make him look like someone out of touch with reality who panders to a likeminded following. At the end, she and Kennedy go to the rally. She promised to do her research on this topic.

That will never happen. Her job depends on her NOT LOOKING AT THE SCIENCE KENNEDY TALKED ABOUT.

May 8, 2017, Dispatches: [Part 1] Trump, the Doctor & the Vaccine Scandal

"And yet there is no credible scientific evidence to support Trump's views. All vaccines, combined or not, (Paul Offit is shown) have been tested comprehensively. There have been seventeen authoritive studies which show MMR does not cause autism.



Dr. Paul Offit is a leading vaccine scientist and a key supporter of Americas vaccination program.

Dr. Offit: A truth has emerged: the MMR vaccine doesnt cause autism. I think when a single study is done, that doesnt prove anything, but I think when study after study after study is donein this case there are seventeen studies that have been done in seven different countries, on three different continents, involving hundreds of thousands of childrenall of which have found the same thing. Now you can say, MMR does not cause autism. 

 Well, it appears one important influence is a British medical researcher whos been almost completely discredited back home.

Step forward, Andrew Wakefield, a former doctor at Londons Royal Free Hospital, who in 1998 falsely linked the MMR jab and autism. 



In 2004, reporter Brian Deer investigated him for this program.  Wakefield was also being paid by solicitors who were suing the makers of the MMR jab, and hed been accused by a colleague of misrepresenting data.



Wakefields claims caused chaos. MMR vaccination rates fell by seven percent over three years. His disgrace culminated by being struck off by the General Medical Council in 2010. 

That might have finished most people, not Wakefield. Six years later hes meeting the future President (photo of Dr. Wakefield and Donald Trump is shown) and soon after in a tough thumping speech, Trump is a big fan. 

The morning after the election, Wakefield is exultant. 

A video of Dr. Wakefield and Polly Tommey was shown talking about their hopes for the new administration and the vaccine issue.

Newman: Wakefield even gets an invitation to the inauguration ball. 

So how on earth did a struck-off doctor, whose work is utterly discredited, make such an extraordinary comeback? 

He takes his message to Americas flourishing conspiracy theory fringe, along side mind control experts and crop circle enthusiasts. And he expands his attack on vaccines to further his cause while appearing on Americas number one conspiracy show, Info Wars. (Clip of Dr. Wakefield and Alex Jones is shown.) 

Video of Wakefield on the HPV vaccine.

Wakefield: And the latest report I saw in there was 22,000 reports of adverse reactions from this vaccine alone 

In fact this vaccine is one of the safest and has halved rates of infections in American teenagers.

But no matter how wacky Wakefield sounds, there are plenty of Americans listening. One in ten parents now believes vaccines are unsafe. As a result, preventable and lethal diseases are rising. The state of Minnesota is currently in the grip of its largest measles outbreak in nearly three decades.

Thats the backdrop to Wakefields latest and biggest projects: Vaxxed, a campaigning feature film which directs and stars in. 

 Vaxxed masquerades as an investigative expose. It claims that the body that regulates vaccine policy in America, [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], has suppressed data linking the MMR jab with autism. 

The source of this information is a whistleblower within the CDC who disputes how the data was presented in a report, but reputable scientists say the claims have been completely overblown.

Dr. Peter Hotez of Texas Childrens Hospital on Vaxxed: I think Vaxxed is a badly written science fiction film. Absolutely no basis in reality. It makes false allegations about vaccines. It makes false allegations that theres a massive cover-up by the Centers for Disease Control. 

Its not really a whistleblower. If you know anything about how a federal agency works, even if they wanted to cover-up and engage in a vast conspiracy, theyd be utterly unable to do that.

 Vaxxed might be science fiction, but weve heard that when Wakefield met Trump last year, he gave him a copy of the film.

Our investigation has found that Wakefields journey from doctor to film director has been financially rewarding. His Texas home wouldnt look out of place in Beverly Hills. 

The video accused Dr. Wakefield of making enormous amounts of money through an organization he founded.

Wakefield is not a lone voice challenging the safety of vaccines.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. is political aristocracy, the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy. Like Wakefield, he believes vaccines cause brain disorders.

I watched him address a rally of vaccine critics. Hes another leader of this growing movement, and another leader who has met the President.

In January, he went to Trump Tower, where he says the President asked him to lead a vaccine safety commission. 

Although the White House itself played down the prospect of the commission, Kennedy says hes ready to start. He believes vaccines are dangerous because some of them contain mercury. Several studies have looked into this and dismissed it.

But he told me theres a conspiracy to keep it quiet, and I was in on it.

Clip of Newmans interview with Kennedy

Newman. Theres a danger that you, that Andrew Wakefield, that President Trump are peddling discredited theories that now are undermining in the whole vaccine program, and that is endangering childrens lives.

Kennedy: Well you can say that, but Im not the one who put the mercury in the vaccines. What I would say is that its the lack of critical scrutiny by the press that is enabling a reckless kind of behavior by CDC and the vaccine industry.

Newman: Youre saying Im being reckless asking the questions

Kennedy: I think youre being reckless by taking a position as a journalist.

Newman: No, Im not taking a position.

Kennedy: Youre very much so. You seem extremely biased. First of all, youre not looking at the science. What youre reading is pharmaceutical company propaganda. Lets go across the street, and Im going to show you 83 studies.

Newman: Lets do that.

So we were off, over the road, to the rally where he could introduce me to his supporters. ...

Kennedy: You will say things that people told you.

Newman: They were also Wakefield supporters and even colleagues, like the producer of Vaxxed, Del Bigtree.

Del Bigtree: Children will be murdered this year by a vaccine program. Children will have their brains damaged by the vaccine program. And the statement that mainstream medicine wants to say is that its an acceptable risk.

Newman: Some wouldnt hear a bad word against Wakefield.

Dr. Toni Bark is shown. Andys work and research has been repeated by numerous people.

Newman: But he was struck off as a doctor in the U.K.

Dr. Bark: But it wasnt after a jury and a trial with evidence.

Newman: This might be a fringe movement, but its a combative one, chipping away at public faith in vaccines.

Speaking to Robert Kennedy: I will do my homework. I will do my research.

Sadly, Cathy Newman, just like everyone else in the mainstream media, will never research this topic. The only homework she do is to look up government talking points.

If I were Kennedy or Wakefield, and a reporter came up to me, my first question would be, Have you read my book? What would you like to know about it?

And when they have to say, No, Id offer them a copy. Actually, Ive heard Wakefield do this on several occasions.

One of the most blatant examples of media bias was on CNN in 2011.

Dr. Wakefield suggested that Anderson Cooper should read his book. Cooper didnt answer, leaving the audience to wonder if he had read any of it before this interview. Cooper only said that he'd read Brian Deer's writing and that he wasn't interested in having Wakefield "pitch" his book on the air.

3:40 Anderson Cooper: I confronted Dr. Wakefield earlier by Skype. ....

Wakefield responded to Coopers question about Brian Deers charge in the British Medical Journal that Wakefields study was an elaborate fraud.

Wakefield: Ive had to put up with this mans false allegations for many, many years. Ive written a book, and in that book, Ive explained

Cooper cut Wakefield off

Cooper: But this wasnt just one man, this is published in the British Medical Journal.

Wakefield: I have not as yet had a chance to read that, but I have read his multiple allegations on many occasions. Hes a hit man. Hes been brought in to take me down because they are very, very concerned about the adverse reactions to vaccines that are occurring in children.

Cooper: Wait a minute, sir. Let me just stop you right there. You say he is a hit man and has been brought in by they. Who is they? Who is he a hit man for? Hes an independent journalist whos won many awards.

Wakefield: I dont know. I do know hes not a journalist like you are.

Cooper: Hes actually signed a document guaranteeing that he has no financial interest in any of this. 

Wakefield: Thats interesting that he should say that because he was supported in his investigation by the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries which is funded directly and exclusively by the pharmaceutical industry.



Cooper: According to him, hes received no funding from any parties that have interests in this over the last three years. 

Wakefield: Im here at a meeting of experts on vaccines from around the world who are extremely concerned about the safety of vaccines and the damage that they believe, and I believe, is being done to children.

Cooper: Sir, there is no proof of that, and your study is a fraud, according to this latest investigation which has taken quite some timeand sir, just let me continue. Its not just this one journalist whos saying this, who you believe is some sort of a hit man. Its not just pharmaceutical companies or the AMA, and its not just public health officials from around the world, and its not just doctors from around the world, its also other journalists whove looked into your research and found its simply incorrect.

Are you saying theyre all in conspiracy against you?

Wakefield: No, they havent. Theyve taken his story and treated it as true. And if you read my book, you will be able to read the truth. Has the BMJ read my book? Have the doctors who apparently looked at all the records, read my book? No, because the truth is in that book 

Cooper: Sir, Ive read Brian Deers report which is incredibly extensiveSir, Im not here to let you pitch your book, Im here to have you answer questions. (This happened as Wakefield was shown holding up a copy of his book, Callous Disregard.)

Sir, Brian Deer has talked to the parents of the patients who were in your original study, and he discovered that not one of the twelve cases you claimed to have studied was free of misrepresentation or alteration. In no single case could the medical records be fully reconciled with the descriptions, diagnoses, or histories published in the journal.

Some of the parents in your original study say what you claimed about their kids medical histories was not true. Are those parents now lying?

Wakefield: That is false. He has not interviewed the parents. That is absolutely not true.

Cooper: So youre saying that no parents say that what you say about their childrens medical histories is false?

Wakefield: No, they dont. What I have said, and what has been reported in that paper made by me and my colleagues is exactly what we saw.

Cooper: I want to read you some of the other specifics from the report. Three of the nine children reported with regressive autism, according to Mr. Deer, did not have autism diagnosed at all. Only one child clearly had regressive autism. Is that true?

Wakefield: No, its not. The diagnoses are as they were in the children. I did not make the diagnoses of autism. I did not make up the diagnoses. The diagnoses were taken from the clinical records and reviewed by experts at the Royal Free Hospital, School of Medicine

Cooper: According to Mr. Deer, some kids were reported to have experienced first behavioral symptoms within days of MMR, but the records documented these as starting some months after the vaccine.

Wakefield: If you read the record that I have set out in the book, you will see the truth 

Cooper: But sir, if youre lying, then your book is also a lie. If your study is a lie, your book is a lie.

Wakefield: The book is not a lie, the study is not a lie. The findings that we made have been replicated in five countries around the world

Cooper: Thats not true. Youve been offered the chance to replicate your study, and youve never taken anybody up on that. Youve had plenty of opportunity to replicate your study.

Wakefield: Youve just accused me of giving you a falsehood. I am telling you that this work has been replicated in five countries around the world.

Cooper: Then why has it been completely discredited by public health officials around the world?

Wakefield: I suggest you do your investigation properly before making such allegations.

PART TWO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx7phe3Djqk

Wakefield: If you look up the name Gonzalez, if you look up the name Krigsman, youll see that the work has been replicated independently by other doctors around. They fail to mention that in these allegations, and Deer has failed to mention that at any time. Is that honest?

Cooper: Deer also says that patients were recruited through anti-MMR campaigners, and your study was commissioned and funded for planned litigation. You did have a lawsuit against manufacturers of the MMR vaccine, didnt you? Didnt you have a financial conflict of interest?

Wakefield: The paper that was published in the Lancet received not one cent of funding from lawyers or litigants.

Cooper: Did you not have a financial interest though. Did you disclose that you were being paid by a law firm?

Wakefield: I disclosed in the relevant paper that I was an expert in MMR litigation, yes.

Cooper: You didnt disclose you were being paid though for a possible lawsuit against the vaccine makers, that you were developing a patent for an alternate vaccine.

Wakefield: The purpose of this paper [had] nothing to do with the litigation. These children were seen on the basis of their clinical symptoms, for their clinical need, and they were seen by expert clinicians, and their disease, diagnosed by them, not by me

Cooper: Sir, youre attacking the motives of a journalist though, and others, who oppose you, and yet you yourself have a financial stake in the research you were doing.

Wakefield: No, I didnt. The grant that was given was not given to me. It was given to the medical school to conduct the research program. Not to me personally.

Cooper: If your research was not a fraud, if your research was valid, why have ten of your coauthors all retracted the papers interpretation back in 2004?

Wakefield: Because Im afraid that the pressure has been put on them to do so. People get very, very frightened. Youre dealing with some very powerful interests here. 

The reason they are concerned is because a whistleblower came to me and gave me evidence that the British government had indemnified the vaccine manufacturers for the introduction of an MMR vaccine that they knew to be unsafe, and which had been withdrawn in Canada at the time. It was withdrawn four years later in the U.K., and many children were damaged.

Seemingly oblivious to what Wakefield just said, Cooper said,

Sir, youve been stripped of your clinical and academic credentials, youre no longer a doctor. Your medical license has been taken away, correct?



Actually, if Anderson Cooper had taken the time to read Wakefields book, hed have known about the whistleblower who came to Wakefield. Cooper didnt care what Wakefield had to say. His job was to discredit him.

Cooper didn't talk to a single parent of any of the children Wakefield had as patients. Not one. He simply accepted Brian Deer's allegations. Cooper called Wakefields work "a lie" and referred to his book as "a lie." Cooper never once addressed Wakefield as doctor, but only as sir.

Wakefield said his work had been replicated in five studies around the world. Cooper answered him by saying no, it hasn't been. Incredibly, Cooper wasn't able to say that he'd checked into any of the five duplicated studies that Wakefield said have been done.

Wakefield told Cooper, "I suggest you do your investigation properly before making such allegations." It was clear that Cooper hadn't bothered to look into Wakefield's work.

Finally, let me give you something similar that happened to Robert Kennedy two years ago in Trenton, New Jersey.

I wrote the story, RFK Jr. Speaks Out on Vaccine Mandates & Safety at New Jersey State Capital in Trenton.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. has been very vocal across the U.S. opposing bills to end exemptions. Below is a transcript from Kennedy's press conference in Trenton, New Jersey. He focused on the corruption, collusion and malfeasance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was a scathing report about the ethics of the agency in charge of vaccine safety.

The second half of his 45 minute talk was a chance for reporters to question Kennedy about his claims. Incredibly, during the question and answer session not a single reporter asked about the scandalous charges Kennedy made about top U.S. health officials. Most of them asked about exemptions and herd immunity. It was like they weren't even in the room.

When members of the press so willingly close their eyes to charges of fraud and the damage done to a generation of children, they become part of the corruption. 

What happened to Wakefield in the coverage by Cathy Newman and by Anderson Cooper, along with the critical reviews of Kennedys book BEFORE it was published, implicates the press right along with health officials in this massive cover-up of the damaging effects of our out-of-control vaccine schedule.

The charge against the media is deliberate ignorance. They dont want to know whats going on.



Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Rain. High 66F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low near 65F. Winds ESE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Armageddon in Iraq? US Pastor Details ISIS Destruction of Assyrian City

With churches destroyed and desecrated, crosses distorted, and Jesus statues beheaded by ISIS, it looks as if "Armageddon" happened in Qaraqosh, said a U.S. pastor who recently visited the formerly thriving Christian city in Iraq's Nineveh Plain. "One would have thought Armageddon had already taken place," Pastor William Devlin of Infinity Bible Church in the Bronx, New York, and president of REDEEM, which provides funds to persecuted people across the world, told The Christian Post late last week. Devlin, who saw firsthand the devastation earlier this month, recounted: "Stately stone homes, thousands of them burned by the Islamic State beginning in August 2014 and continuing through October 2016; every business gutted, its metal drop down doors, each littered with Arabic graffiti -- 'We are the sons of Muhammad; Christians and Jews are the sons of apes, monkeys and pigs;' every cross and crucifix distorted, bent or ravaged into a dystopic mess. "Every church in this city -- Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean Catholic, Assyrian Church of the East -- had their wooden pews piled into a heap and set on fire. Blackened soot coated the entire ceilings and inside of these formerly beautifully maintained houses of worship; church bell towers blown up and toppled, church courtyards transformed into firing ranges, used for training of Islamic militants, sporting now headless mannequins filled with bullet holes." Additionally, stone reliefs of martyred saints on walls had been "hammered to oblivion." The pastor, who has been to Qaraqosh twice now, told CP that that the city, which once had the country's largest Christian population of 50-60,000 people, has been left without water and electricity, and called it a "modern-day ghost town." "The destruction is total -- in the sense of buildings, businesses, homes and churches -- but the destruction is far wider in the hearts, souls and minds of those Christians who fled this city on August 6, 2014," he commented. Devlin has visited Iraq multiple times now, helping provide relief for displaced Iraqis, and partnering with a network of underground rescuers that are assisting women and girls to escape the clutches of the radical terror group. Speaking with former Qarakosh residents who now reside in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, he recalled their words: "There is no future for Christians in Iraq; should we go back to our burned homes, our decimated businesses, our destroyed churches? How will we start a new life back there when there is no guarantee of safety for our children, for our families?" Though statistics vary, reports all point to the dramatic exodus of Christians from Iraq. Iraqi Christian lawmaker Josef Sleve told Anadolu Agency earlier in May that over the past 14 years, some 1.5 million Christians have emigrated to other countries, with somewhere between 500,000 and 850,000 followers of Christ remaining. Devlin said that the Nineveh Plain, which hosted the largest part of the country's Christian population for almost two millennia, now only has 200,000 Christians. "Armageddon has arrived for our Nineveh Plain and Iraqi sisters and brothers," the pastor stated. Still, there have been reports showing that some former Qarakosh residents have decided to return to the ravaged city to assess the damage, and figure out if rebuilding their lives there is possible. The Atlantic article revealed that a handful of families moved back to the city, despite security concerns still high over Islamic State and its battle for control of nearby Mosul. Organizations such as Aid to the Church in Need and others have been helping in rebuilding efforts across the Nineveh Plain, Fox News reported earlier this month. Some 13,000 houses are to be built in a venture that will cost close to $250 million. "For a long time people have been saying that Iraqi Christians don't want to return home," said Robert Nicholson, executive director of The Philos Project. "Having spoken to many of them, both inside Iraq and around the world, I can tell you that's absolutely untrue. Many of them would love to come back, and some of them actually are." Devlin told CP that many other Christians are deciding not to return, however, because there is no promise of security to protect them. "Many former residents of Qaraqosh I have personally spoken with, are distrustful of KRG-Kurdistan Regional Government and particularly the Peshmerga of protecting them, establishing societal infrastructure [such as] water, sewer, electricity," he said of people's political concerns. "Some feel that KRG, the Kurds want the land of the Nineveh Plain, to take it from the Christians. Even though there are now Christian militias -- NPU, NPF -- they could not stand up to Peshmerga if there was a battle for the ultimate control of Qaraqosh and other Christian cities in the Nineveh Plain." Devlin noted that for some, the emotional and psychological question of how many of their Muslim neighbors are either open or secret sympathizers of IS also remains a big factor. "There have been multiple reports of Christian and Yazidi homes/businesses being pilfered/ransacked by Muslim neighbors and even the Peshmerga," the pastor explained. "The fear factor among the Christians returning to their ancient homeland is high due to the above reasons."
Airbus Launches ACH  Airbus Corporate Helicopters: the Dedicated Private and Business Aviation Helicopter Brand

Geneva, Airbus Helicopters has launched Airbus Corporate Helicopters (ACH), its high-end, bespoke brand, at EBACE 2017. The brand, which will be identified by the ACH logo, will build on the companys leadership in the Private and Business Aviation market, offering a unique level of quality finish, craftsmanship and bespoke service matching the most demanding requirements.



ACH provides an exclusive platform from which customers can benefit from best in class products, tailored completion and service. Mirroring the successful sister brand Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), ACH will provide current and future customers an end-to-end exclusive ownership experience ranging from advice helping customers to choose the right aircraft and design a bespoke style. Finally, customers will benefit throughout the period of ownership from a concierge-style support service which, in addition to ensuring the highest availability of the aircraft anywhere in the world, will help preserve the aircrafts resale value as a result of a dedicated care and support by the manufacturer.



Helicopters are the ideal complement to corporate and VIP customers due to the unique capabilities rotary wing aircraft bring; primarily providing a point-to-point transport for business and corporate customers and an enhanced lifestyle for VIP customers enabling luxury travel between assets or even to remote, inaccessible locations.



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With the launch of ACH, Airbus becomes the only aerospace manufacturer to offer dedicated range of jets and helicopters. Today the company is leveraging its aerospace pedigree through a distinctive range of aircraft for both corporate and VIP customers in the high end, luxury market.





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May 21, 2017

Bahrains Shiite opposition was overwhelmingly nonviolent when unrest erupted in the archipelago sheikhdom six years ago. Amid the recent narrowing of space in Bahrains political arena, however, a growing number of marginalized Shiites have radicalized and turned toward militancy. Last year, a wave of Shiite-orchestrated attacks targeted Bahrains security apparatus. As of March, there had already been almost as many attacks this year as there were in all of 2016. This development is unsettling given that heightened Shiite militancy severely dims the prospects for peaceful resolution of Bahrains ongoing political crisis.

Since 2012, militant Shiites have made their presence felt through violent outbursts, which mainly targeted police officers. In addition, these militants have shown their strength by planting grenades at a mall, detonating an explosive device at the National Bank of Bahrain in Sanad and attacking a power station. These armed Shiite opposition groups include the so-called February 14 Movement, Saraya al-Ashtar (Ashtar Brigade), Saraya al-Muqawama al-Shabiya (Resistance Brigade, or SMS), Saraya al-Mukhtar (Bahraini Islamic Resistance), Quroob al-Basta and Saraya al-Karar. In March 2014, Saraya al-Ashtar and SMS claimed responsibility for the single worst incident of terrorism on Bahraini soil, which killed two Bahraini police officers and an Emirati officer in the predominantly Shiite village of Daih. This attack prompted Bahrains government to designate those two groups plus the February 14 Movement as terrorist organizations.

Bahrains Shiite militant factions are not monolithic. These groups have different narratives, doctrines and political objectives. Some claim to fight in the name of religion, while others do not. SMS fights to purge Bahrain of the Saudi and Khalifa occupiers. Some of the groups have glorified the March 2014 killing of an Emirati officer (significant within the context of the United Arab Emirates support for the Al Khalifas in 2011), and called for an end to the US militarys presence in Bahrain. Other groups have called for violence only against Bahraini authorities, not American or other Gulf Cooperation Countries members interests in the sheikhdom.

Saraya al-Mukhtar promotes an agenda beyond Bahrains borders, linking the plight of Bahraini Shiites with that of their co-religionists in Saudi Arabias Eastern Province on the other side of the 16-mile King Fahd Causeway. Saraya al-Mukhtar sees Saudi and Bahraini Shiites in Eastern Province and the archipelago kingdom as one people with a common enemy. Last year, it called the execution of Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr one of the greatest crimes of history. Previously, the militant group had reacted with violence in response to the Saudi clerics detention.

The elephant in the room is Iran and its support for these groups. Earlier on in Bahrains political crisis, the governments claims about Irans hand in the countrys unrest met much skepticism from Western analysts, who saw Manamas claims as lacking credibility. Yet the uncovering of heavily armed terror cells in the island sheikhdom have given greater credence to the Bahraini governments allegations that the Islamic Republic is sponsoring radical and violent groups within the Arab Gulf country, which has a Shiite majority but a Sunni monarchy.

Last month, The Washington Post reported that the police discovered large quantities of C4 plastic explosives, $20,000 lathes and hydraulic presses in a hidden bomb factory at a villa. Bahraini officials told their American and European counterparts that other raids in recent years have uncovered arms caches that pose an immense threat to Bahrains police. Bahraini authorities shared a dossier with The Washington Post that includes reports on weapons arsenals seized since 2013; they documented Iranian markings on arms, ammunition and grenades. Chemical tests demonstrated that the C4 plastic explosives came from Iranian-linked manufacturing lines with some weapons found in original Iranian military packaging. Officials in Tehran deny these allegations and skeptics accuse the Bahraini government of likely planting such weaponry to strengthen its support from Western allies amid a wider crackdown on pro-democracy activists.

Regardless of what constitutes reality, the White House is taking the Bahraini governments claims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism seriously. Whereas Barack Obamas administration did not designate any armed Bahraini faction/individual as terrorist, the Donald Trump administration has already began doing so. In March, the State Department designated two affiliates of Saraya al-Ashtar as global terrorists, pointing to Irans destabilizing and terrorism-related activities in the Middle East, specifically Tehrans arming, training and financing of militant Shiites in Bahrain. Suggesting that such individuals pose a threat to the US Navys 5th Fleet in Bahrain, the administration underscored how the designations were in keeping with Americas national security interests.

In January, Bahrains government sought to take a strong stand against the militant Shiite factions by executing three individuals who were allegedly behind the March 2014 blast. The execution, carried out by a firing squad, was the first of its kind since Bahrains political crisis erupted. Last month, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa approved a constitutional amendment that permits Bahraini authorities to try civilians in military trials, which the government maintains is important for enhancing security. Such moves have followed years of arrests of many Bahraini Shiites, including those who embraced militancy and those who rejected it. Yet despite these efforts, Bahrains authorities have failed to stem the tide of militancy that has continued since 2012.

Bahrainis are divided on questions about the nature of the Shiite opposition movement and the extent to which Iran supports its most militant and radical elements. Both sides of this countrys political crisis blame the other for Shiite militancy. Critics of the government argue that Shiite terrorism is an outcome of the dissolution of Al-Wefaq, Bahrains dominant Shiite opposition faction, and by narrowing political space, authorities in Manama have added momentum to the radical Shiites arguments that only armed resistance can lead to a brighter future for marginalized Shiites. In response, those on the governments side maintain that Al-Wefaq failed to adequately condemn anti-Khalifa terrorism and distance itself from the militants, which blurred the line between the countrys moderate and radical opposition elements, justifying the Justice Ministrys order to shut down Al-Wefaq for its alleged connections to terrorists and fostering of sectarian violence.

Regardless of which side is to blame, Shiite militancy in Bahrain has taken innocent lives and led to scores of injuries. Should Bahrain fail to resolve its ongoing political crisis, the grave threat of more Shiites' embracing militancy, while giving Iran an opportunity to take advantage of another sectarian hotspot on Saudi Arabias doorstep, is real. Should these armed factions gain more power and influence, we have to seriously consider the risk of Bahrain becoming what Algeria was in the 1990s.
May 22, 2017

Every year, Beirut Design Week (BDW) brings a melange of design trends to the Lebanese capital. At this year's event, held May 19-26, one can find accessories that combine Eastern craftsmanship and contemporary design, bold patterned embroideries inspired by traditional Arab garments and recycled plastic cables creating the experience of crossing unfriendly borders.

Founded and organized by the MENA Design Research Center, a nonprofit organization focusing on design as a multidisciplinary tool for social development and research, BDW has for the last six years been the meeting place for designers, artists and architects. For this years theme, organizers settled on Is Design a Need? The subtopics are regional collaboration, community and security.

The guest list for the opening day at KED, a refurbished factory built in the 1930s in Karantina, included regional powerhouses in design, among them Cairo NOW! City Incomplete; the Moroccan collaborative collective Houna; the Iranian Persia Collective; Ziad Qweider, an artist from Jordan of Palestinian origins; and Amman Design Week (ADW).

Due to political reasons, we [Middle Easterners] have never been able to collaborate fully in the field of design before, Doreen Toutikian, co-founder, president of the board and director of the MENA Design Research Center, told Al-Monitor. But we [Lebanese] are now realizing that [different trends] in design are emerging from countries in the region and that, as Lebanese, we can learn a lot from regional influences. To reach an international audience, we need to develop a unique approach and a visual language that is more culturally sensitive.

An avid believer that the success of design lies in collaboration, Toutikian, who is also the BDW director, stressed that Lebanon, a tiny country with an abundance of designers, needs to collaborate more with others in the region. I dont think any design scene can survive on its own, Toutikian said. This is especially the case with Lebanon, where we depend a lot on the diaspora and on the regional market.

BDW is not the only design event in the Middle East. ADW, supported by Queen Rania, will take place for the second time in October, the same month as Istanbul Design Week. Next year, Casablanca will hold its first design gathering.

ADW organizers and Houna emphasized the need for cross-pollination and learning from different experiences in design. Rana Beiruti, co-founder of ADW, told Al-Monitor: Design weeks become an important moment of learning for designers, who often share similar stories and face the same challenges. We can also learn from the diversity in the region, whether in design processes and manufacturing methodologies or in dialogues on aesthetics and beauty.

An object from the "Speculative Needs" exhibition at Beirut Design Week (Photo by MENA Design Research Center)

We all have our own challenges and different approaches on how to resolve them, Soukeina Hachem, Hounas partnership officer, told Al-Monitor. This is exactly what is inspiring for us. We need to move outside our town to see how things are done differently and to promote our own art.

For others, collaboration means breathing space. Some fashion designers went to jail for showing women clothes, Shirin Motamed, founder and curator of the Persia Collective, told Al-Monitor. Iranian designers just want to show their work without fear of going to prison. Beirut and Dubai have been very welcoming to us and allowed me to introduce the work of designers I represent, especially in jewelry, interior design and accessories, and that exposure led to my being contacted by Egyptians to exhibit there.

Tehran held its first fashion week in 2015. It was a huge success, but it was shut down by the authorities in the following years, said Motamed, who called regional collaboration crucial. She is preparing to try to bring international designers to Iran.

The designers' works at BDW feature mixtures of different influences. For example, Ziad Qweider uses traditional methods of embroidery to create bold modern designs. Nada Debs, a Lebanese designer born in Japan, displays furniture and home accessories that combine Middle Eastern motifs with traditions from East Asia. Speculative Needs, an exhibition of the MENA Design Research Center, attempts to identify future needs driven by the evolution of technology and uses design as a medium to explore such topics as emerging digital anxieties, ethical machines, living with cyborgs, techno-spiritualism and digital shrines.

On the BDW 2017 subtopics of security and community, Toutikian said, It is the exhibitors who have chosen those two themes, thinking they were both socially relevant and pressing in the Middle East. She further remarked, Theirs is the voice of a young creative generation that is aware of social, political and cultural issues that need to be addressed.

The artists Roula Salamoun and Ieva Saudargaite made a striking statement on security and community with NationMetrix, their sound installation also featuring recycled plastic cables. As visitors walk through the installation, recorded voices announce which countries require Lebanese passport holders to have a visa, ask curt questions of them  for example, Have you ever been convicted? and Are you religious?  and recite conditions for obtaining nationality.

Its a spatial experience, where people walk through cables of different density and color, Saudargaite explained to Al-Monitor. There are four different spaces representing a journey from a place of obstacles to a place sheltering us, as Lebanese passport holders experience every time they want to travel.

The two women wanted to make people think about what it is to travel as a Lebanese person. Only 37 countries accept us without any problem, Salamoun explained to Al-Monitor. NationMetrix is a reinterpretation of our experience of travel through a spatial and sensory experience. This difficulty of obtaining a visa to travel abroad makes you feel contained and unable to move freely in the world. I know its political, but it feels very personal.
May 22, 2017

When the Israeli army finally withdrew from major Palestinian cities in fulfillment of the Oslo Accord, then-Palestinian President Yasser Arafat paid close attention to the city of Bethlehem.

Realizing the importance of the birthplace of Christianity, Arafat made it a tradition to attend the annual Christmas Eve Mass in Bethlehems Church of the Nativity, which is broadcast live throughout the world. His successor, Mahmoud Abbas, has attended Mass on the evening of Dec. 24 every single year since he became president.

The presence of Abbas in Bethlehem during the Christmas season has also turned into a political opportunity, with Abbas meeting local figures and following up on issues of interest to the people of Bethlehem and the region.

Not only has Bethlehem been a focus of attention for the Palestinian political leadership, but the city has also produced well-known public figures from its local government. Elias Freij, the mayor from 1972-1997 who died in 1998, used his elected position to advance his own career as well as bring attention to the city. After she was elected mayor in 2012, Bethlehem University professor Vera Baboun also became well known.

The mayor not only participates in events such as the Christmas tree lighting and Christmas Eve Mass but also is called on regularly to receive political, artistic and other world figures visiting Bethlehem throughout the year. When Pope Francis visited Bethlehem on May 25, 2014, and stopped at the security wall for a short prayer, his photo standing by the wall ended up on the front pages of many international papers and magazines.

It is not surprising that US President Donald Trump plans to make Bethlehem his third stop on his eight-day inaugural world tour. He will visit Bethlehem after Riyadh and Jerusalem, and before Rome.

Palestinian officials have kept the detailed itinerary of Trumps visit under wraps. When the pope visited Bethlehem, he not only spent time at the Church of the Nativity but also visited Dheisheh refugee camp to speak with Palestinian refugees. Dheisheh camp is where the current head of the Palestinian intelligence service, Majid Faraj, hails from.

Abbas has a presidential residence not far from Dheisheh where most likely Trump and his entourage will spend some time during his visit.

For Palestinians and Arabs, including Palestinian Christians, Jerusalem is a more important city. But because Jerusalem has been under full Israeli control, Bethlehem has become the substitute religious city, just as Ramallah has become the temporary political capital.

For King Abdullah of Jordan, the custodian of Jerusalems Muslim and Christian holy places, the safeguarding of Jerusalem is a high priority. In a short speech in Riyadh during the Arab-Islamic-American summit May 21, Abdullah pointed out that Jerusalem is a strategic linchpin, insisting on the importance of the holy city to Islam, Christianity and Judaism. All of us must engage in averting these dangers. To me personally, and to all Jordanians, the Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalems Islamic and Christian holy sites is an unbreakable, historical responsibility, and an honor to undertake on behalf of the Arab and Muslim nations, the king said.

During his short visit to Palestine, Trump is expected to give a political speech that many expect will lay out his administrations plan as to the vision on how to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Trump has said that he hopes he can oversee the ultimate deal between the Palestinians and Israelis. Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the US national security adviser, said May 12 that the US president is likely to speak of Palestinian self-determination as one of the foundations for a future peace in the region. While the term has been used by US presidents before, the US government has taken an even more advanced position of supporting an independent and contiguous Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with small land swaps. While the Palestinians will welcome the call for allowing them to determine their own future, there is worry that this might be a retraction from the commitments made by the Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.

Palestinians held municipal elections May 13, and Trump's visit will be the very first public engagement of Anton Salman, Bethlehems new mayor. Along with the city council and leaders of the Palestinian government, he might be welcoming Trump and his entourage. To what extent the US president's visit will be simply a religious pilgrimage or whether it will be a political one is still up in the air.
May 22, 2017

Egypt has drafted a bill that would impose hefty fines on people who harass tourists as part of efforts aimed at attracting additional tourists to Egypt and reinvigorating the countrys struggling tourism industry.

The draft law stipulates that a tourist harasser could receive a fine ranging from 3,000 Egyptian pounds to 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($166-$555), state television quoted Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Anani as saying.

The draft law ensures that if tourists are annoyed, their harassers will get a maximum fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds, El-Anani was quoted as saying in local media. He said that the punishment is delineated in a new article introduced to the Antiquities Law, which was issued in 1983.

The draft law would help put an end to sexual harassment at tourist sites  a practice that mars Egypts reputation abroad, Hossam el-Akawy, a tourism expert and a member of the Tourism Investors Association in the Red Sea, told Al-Monitor.

Akawy said souvenir hawkers are often seen chasing visitors at the countrys sightseeing sites to force them to buy their wares. Such a practice irritates tourists and gives them a bad impression about Egypt and the Egyptian people. That is why a decision to punish those who do that is very good, he added.

The expert also said that the decision will send a message to the world that Egypt is taking all legal measures necessary to put an end to sexual harassment and rape incidents against tourists.

Tourism is a crucial source of hard currency for Egypt. However, the key industry has been wobbling following the 2011 revolution as well as the downing of a Russian plane over Sinai in 2015 that killed all 224 people onboard.

Tourist arrivals stood at 9.3 million in 2015, compared with more than 14.7 million in 2010, data released by the state-run Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics show.

Mohamed Abdu, a member of parliament's Tourism and Civil Aviation Committee, said the government has to ensure that the Egyptian people are aware of the importance of the tourism sector to the country in order to lessen incidents that harm the industry.

He called upon the government to add lessons on tourism to the primary school education curriculum to raise awareness among citizens about the significance of tourism and its high contribution to the gross domestic product.

Media outlets should also help in that by allocating an hour per day to raise awareness among ordinary citizens about how to deal with tourists and how to preserve the countrys tourism industry, he told local media.

The draft law, however, has been met with mixed reactions among the countrys ordinary citizens. Sara Mohamed, a 26-year-old pharmacist, said the draft law punishing sexual harassment against tourists is a very good decision. However, she added that the government has to crack down on all harassers in general and has to put an end to this phenomenon by toughening penalties and putting the law into effect.

It is not only tourists who suffer from sexual harassment, but ordinary citizens as well. That is why the government needs to end this phenomenon in general, she told Al-Monitor.

In recent months, the government has been working tooth and nail to breathe life back into the countrys tourism sector in order to ease its hard currency crunch and stimulate economic growth.

In November 2016, the Central Bank of Egypt floated the local currency, which currently stands at about 18 pounds to the US dollar. Experts say that the central banks decision to float the Egyptian pound has made it cheaper for foreigners to vacation in the country.

The UK newspaper The Independent last month published a report urging UK tourists to consider spending their vacations in Egypt, saying tourism there could be on its way to recovery.

Tourism Minister Yehiya Rashed said in March that the number of tourists visiting Egypt this year could come close to levels seen before the 2011 uprising; a cheaper pound and investments in airport security are helping drive the increase. Rashed said Egypt had spent $50 million on airport security.

I think if we are fortunate enough, this year we will come very close [to pre-2011 tourism levels]. We are hoping to close the gap as we go on, Yehiya told Reuters at the worlds largest travel trade fair, ITB Berlin, in March.
May 16, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  In the United States, women are accustomed to  and often annoyed by  jokes about female drivers. But there is nothing funny about the topic in the Gaza Strip, where only about 18% of women hold driver's licenses, Jamal Abu Jarad, the head of the public Transportation Workers Union, told Al-Monitor. Those who are trying to make a living from driving are few and far between.

With the high poverty rate of 65% in Gaza, more women are turning to nontraditional jobs. But working as a driver is considered outlandish for a woman and is denounced by families and the community. The very idea offends customs and traditions. And possibly worst of all, it is often seen as an invasion of male space.

Gazan women have worked in male-dominated industries before, such as carpentry, blacksmithing and fishing, to provide for themselves and their families. Some consider working as a driver a dream  a means of freedom. But for women, driving as a profession is considered off limits.

Answering Al-Monitors question of whether they would like to work as drivers, Fida Maghribi and Alaa Khalaf, both Gaza City women in their 20s, both said, We wish.

Khalaf added, I have always told my father that my dream is to work as a cab driver. But the answer was 'Absolutely not.' My dream was unattainable.

Gaza resident Salwa Srour, however, has made that dream a reality. Srour drives a bus at the kindergarten she owns with her sister. She told Al-Monitor, Problems due to the former driver's negligence, delay and troubles with the kindergartners parents prompted me to take the job myself."

The parents have strongly encouraged her, and some people see driving children in a positive light. Yet the social criticism continues to flow. The Gazan community opposes any unconventional conduct," Srour said. "I survived criticism, sarcastic remarks and people giving me 'the look.' They didn't stop me, because I believe in myself and my work."

Srour has managed to face the criticism judiciously. She recalls handling critics in person with dialogue. After a while, people understood my job. I am now friends with other drivers; they give me priority during rush hour or in line at gas stations, she said. Life is exhausting in Gaza and forces us to opt for jobs that do not fit us at first, but with time, these jobs become enjoyable and familiar.

Sociologist Arafat Heles confirmed that Gazan society has not reached the point of accepting women working as drivers. Life is full of problems and insecurity is one of them. This obstructs female professional advancement and freedom, with the parents [often] refusing that their daughters work in mixed-gender workplaces," he told Al-Monitor.

Raghda Nofal, a Khan Yunis resident, has a degree in psychology but feels fortunate to be working as a driver. After graduating, she worked in a temporary position at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). But once those six months were up, she went four years without finding a job. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said in January that unemployment in the Gaza Strip stood at nearly 47%.

Nofal's father is sick and unable to work. As the eldest child with no brothers, she told Al-Monitor, I needed to find myself a respectable job."

Recalling her college days, she had an idea. Transportation was a problem for me during my academic years. Back then, I wished that I had a car." She knew other students must face the same problem. So she decided to become a professional driver, as she already had a driver's license from her time at UNRWA. She convinced her father and he helped with the logistics.

"I contacted a group of female university students and other female workers, and my job is to drive them from and to their working places and universities according to a specific pickup time," she said.

Her father arranged for her to "rent" a private car. She pays the owner 80% of the profits and keeps 20%.

The setup works for her. I am sure I cant work as a taxi driver; that idea is unacceptable to the community and my family in Gaza. But I am playing it smart and challenging the community at the same time. I am being respectful in doing this job; I don't [work] late at night, because it does not befit me or my family. I hand over the car to its owner at 6 p.m., and pick it up the next morning.

Nofal hopes to buy her own car eventually and continue to work. She concluded, I love my job and I am having a good time with the ladies riding with me. Driving helped me get into many parts of the city. It helps me become patient, because when driving, I am responsible for the lives and health of the people riding with me. It's a good job that allows me to learn something new every day.
May 22, 2017

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held his first press conference May 22 following his re-election. Answering a question regarding the recent gathering of 55 countries in Saudi Arabia to coincide with the visit of US President Donald Trump, Rouhani described the summit as merely a show without any political value.

To combat terrorism, giving the money of a nation to a superpower doesnt solve any problems, he said, referring to the massive $110 billion arms deal Saudi Arabia inked with the United States. The Iraqi, Lebanese and Syrian nations stood against terrorists, and Iranian diplomats and advisers have been helping them, he added.

Further noting the US-Saudi weapons deal, Rouhani stated, I dont think that the people of the United States are willing to trade the loss of lives on 9/11 with billions of dollars coming from the sales of arms.

Answering a question about the relationship between Iran and the United States under his second term, the Iranian president said, We are waiting for the new US government to achieve stability in terms of taking a stance, agenda and mentality.  [Then] we will have a more accurate view regarding Washington [and its policies].

He added, The Americans have been wrong about our region.  I hope that the US administration will consider the interests of its own people.

Addressing his electoral promise to lift the non-nuclear sanctions on Iran, Rouhani said, If the [Iranian] nation wants the sanctions to be lifted, and if everyone comes to the field, and if the [Supreme] Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] takes the responsibility of leading this [issue], we will all stand behind the supreme leader. [Achieving] the [lifting of non-nuclear sanctions] is difficult but it is possible.

In other news, the final results of Irans May 19 city and village council elections were released May 21. The outcome of the polls was shocking for both conservatives, who faced an unprecedented defeat, and for Reformists, who won most seats.

In Tehran, the Reformists won all of the City Councils 21 seats. None of the conservatives, who have dominated the council for a decade, obtained enough votes to stay in office. However, the conservatives are protesting the results and are trying to persuade the parliament and the Guardian Council to announce a number of the Reformists votes invalid.

The outcome of the City Council elections is a big win for Reformists and moderates, as they also won the presidential elections, which were held concurrently, with moderate Rouhani re-elected with more than 57% of the votes.

Tehran was not the only city that voted for the Reformists. Most city council seats in the major cities of Mashhad and Esfahan also went to the Reformists. Mashhad and Esfahan, as the two most important religious cities in Iran, have long been strongholds of conservatives and hard-liners. As such, the loss of control of the respective city councils to the Reformists in these two cities is considered a heavy loss for the conservatives.

With Reformists taking over the Tehran City Council, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has been the mayor of Tehran for the past 12 years, will have to bid farewell to the municipality. It is not clear what his new position will be, but some reports indicate that he may be appointed as a member of the Expediency Council  or that he may return to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Ghalibaf has registered to run for the presidency three times, and he was a candidate until just days before the May 19 vote, when he decided to step aside in favor of conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi.

Now that Ghalibaf has no chance of remaining in the Tehran municipality, the Reformists are considering whom to appoint as the new mayor. Different names have emerged in this vein, including Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Gholamhossein Karbaschi, a leading Reformist politician, believes that Mohsen Hashemi, who has set a record by obtaining more than 1.7 million votes, has the necessary abilities to head the municipality, as he was the manager of the Tehran metro for more than a decade. Moreover, well-known Reformist analyst Sadegh Zibakalam said May 22, Mohsen Hashemi is a technocrat and not a politician.  He will be an ideal mayor for Tehran as he has appeared excellent, disciplined and capable in the executive arena, and he has been wonderful in terms of honesty and righteousness.

In an interview May 22, Hashemi stated that the reports and discussions about the new mayor are coming perhaps too soon, as the term of the current conservative-dominated Tehran City Council has not yet come to an end.

He said, All the candidates and options for [heading] the Tehran municipality will be discussed at the right time. Choosing the mayor is an internal matter and is related to the members of the City Council.
The fight against terrorism is a "battle between good and evil," not a fight between "different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations," President Trump said Sunday in a widely-anticipated speech in Saudi Arabia.





This is Trump's

, and he delivered the address to leaders of dozens of Arab and Muslim-majority nations. The Saudis said at least 37 leaders are present, NPR's Jane Arraf reported from Riyadh.





The speech focused on pushing the leaders to do their "fair share" and fulfill "their part of the burden" in the fight against extremists. It did not emphasize human rights.





Trump told the leaders that the U.S. is prepared to "stand by you," but "the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them."





"Drive them out," he told them. "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land. And drive them out of this Earth."





Trump said that his administration is adopting a policy of "principled realism." Here's more:





"We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes  not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms  not sudden intervention."





It appeared to be a sharp pivot from a president who declared "I think Islam hates us" while on the campaign trail,

. -








May 19, 2017

BAGHDAD  A new era has started in the northern Ninevah Plains, known for its ethnic and religious diversity, following the expulsion of the Islamic State (IS). IS took over the area in June 2014 and forced the Christians living there  estimated at more than 100,000  to abandon their farms and towns and head to the neighboring Kurdistan Region and other areas in the country, or to leave Iraq altogether.

On May 16, the heads of the Christian churches told the media of their concerns over the possible return of terrorism and demanded that the areas of the Ninevah Plains be protected by the United Nations and enjoy autonomy. This fear, however, has not prevented many Christians from returning to their farms and cities and practicing religious rites in their monasteries and churches. During the Easter mass April 15 at the Mar Mattai Syriac Orthodox Monastery in Ninevah, Christians prayed for the safe return of the displaced to their homes and the spread of peace.

IS reduced several monasteries and churches to ruins, and Christians in the Ninevah Plains are demanding that plans be made for their reconstruction, especially for the monastery of Mar Behnam. It dates to the fourth century; IS occupied it in 2014 and bombed it in 2015. They are also calling for the reconstruction of the Mar Mattai Monastery, founded more than 1,600 years ago.

Yonadam Kanna, a Christian member of parliament, told Al-Monitor, IS besieged the Mar Mattai Monastery in 2014 and prevented people from getting to it. So the first thing I did after the liberation of the Ninevah Plains was to restore the road leading to this monastery through the slopes of Mount Maklub, on top of which the monastery is built. [The monastery] extends over about 1 kilometer [0.6 miles] at a height of 2,400 meters [7,874 feet] above sea level."

Kanna said, The security forces along with some volunteers have started to remove the words engraved by IS on the walls of the monastery of Mar Behnam and other churches inciting the killing and displacement of Christians. The monks' rooms are being renovated after IS turned them into rooms for the detention of civilians. Crosses have also been raised [on the grounds].

He added, IS destroyed about 40% of the Mar Behnam Monastery; this calls for government support and funding to turn these sites again into places of worship and religious tourism centers. The government needs to develop a strategic program to restore Mar Behnam and Mar Mattai in conjunction with the return of visitors.

However, Faleh al-Shammari, the director of antiquities in Ninevah, told Al-Monitor, It is still premature to think of a strategic reconstruction project due to the war and the financial crisis.

Still, he said, Local volunteer teams have begun to remove the debris in the monasteries and churches and started to paint the facades of the Mar Behnam Monastery. The Directorate of Antiquities is preparing a special program to redevelop Mar Mattai Monastery, which is a historic site of interest to humanity and is frequented by visitors from all over the world.

Shammari said, Ecclesiastical organizations from Europe visited Mar Mattai Monastery this month and expressed their willingness to participate in the restoration of Christian monuments in the Ninevah Plains. In addition, during a UNESCO meeting last month in France held in the presence of the Iraqi minister of culture, an agreement was reached over the reconstruction of Mar Behnam and Mar Mattai.

Shammari said, The main objective is to have tourists from all over the world return to visiting these places like they used to before the IS invasion of Ninevah.

Christian Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party leader Yousif Yacoub told Al-Monitor, The government should swiftly reconstruct Mar Behnam Monastery in Qarqosh, which had been turned into a training camp by IS. It should also reconstruct the churches of Mosul that were turned into IS headquarters and the Mar Mattai Monastery, which was besieged after the historical road leading to it was threatened. These places have become a national symbol and not only a religious one; victory over IS will only be completed once these symbols are reconstructed.

Yacoub said, The Christian institutions in Europe have to fund the reconstruction of these churches to maintain the Christian presence in the Middle East.

As for the role of the Christian Waqf Foundation, Media Director Hani Kasto told Al-Monitor, The waqf formed committees to study the reconstruction projects of the Mar Mattai and Mar Behnam monasteries."

He added, "Before the start of the reconstruction process, it is the duty of the government to restore confidence in the hearts of the Christians in their homeland and state by focusing on strengthening security in the Ninevah Plains and reassuring the population that the state is strong and that terrorist and extremist organizations will no longer return to the region.

Yacoub said, The security authorities reinforced security guard posts at the entrance to the Mar Mattai Monastery and reinforced security measures around Mar Behnam and the other churches. There are international promises to rebuild the churches in Ninevah. These promises remain within the context of symbolic support rather than real reconstruction projects.

So long as the extremist ideas planted by IS remain rooted in the behavior and beliefs of many people in the Ninevah Plains, the situation of the Christians in the area will be of concern, even amid tightened security measures.

Before the reconstruction of the monasteries, churches and places of worship in the Ninevah Plains, cultural and intellectual rehabilitation is required, so that a culture of moderation, coexistence and tolerance can emerge.
May 22, 2017

In response to imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghoutis call for a Day of Rage, Palestinian youths demonstrated and rioted on May 19 throughout the West Bank and in Gaza near the border with Israel.

Two forces in the hard-core opposition to [Palestinian President] Mahmoud Abbas bear responsibility for the deaths of the two Palestinians killed last week and dozens more, who were injured during demonstrations in the territories on the Day of Rage, in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike, an Israeli security official told Al-Monitor, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He cast the blame squarely on Barghouti, who initiated a hunger strike by hundreds of Fatah prisoners being held by Israel, and on the Hamas movement. He claims that each individually and both together wanted to challenge the Palestinian president and make as much trouble as possible for him just before US President Donald Trump pays an official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) May 22-23.

The same Israeli official said that Barghouti and his supporters are investing considerable efforts in a public relations campaign aimed at the Palestinian population in support of the hunger strike, the purpose of which is said to be to improve the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. He noted how frustrated they are that the hunger strike has failed to achieve its objectives and has even called into question whether Barghouti really could motivate the Palestinian street into action. There have been very few demonstrations in support of the hunger strikers, and even those that have occurred attracted fewer protesters than Barghouti and his supporters anticipated. For the most part, Palestinians support the hunger strike, but preventative actions by Palestinian security forces, as ordered by Abbas, have succeeded in limiting the scope of their protests.

The same Israeli source believes that Abbas could have stopped any demonstrations he wanted on the West Bank, but that he decided instead to let prisoners' families release some steam in a controlled manner. On the one hand, Abbas cannot openly take action or speak out against the popular strike, but on the other hand, he is making a huge effort to prevent Barghouti from mobilizing the masses, even using PA security forces to that end. With the Trump visit pending, Abbas has wanted to maintain the image that the Palestinians have presented to the Americans of a stable government that is able to maintain order despite all the challenges it faces.

Hamas is the other force that wants to instigate chaos in the Palestinian territories. Without the movement's encouragement and approval, hundreds of demonstrators from across Gaza would not have been able to get anywhere near the border with Israel on May 19 to clash with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops at several points along the fence. Experience shows that demonstrations along the border fence rarely end without casualties, and indeed, two Palestinians were critically wounded and another 30 were taken to hospitals after inhaling tear gas. The Israeli source claimed that Hamas consciously encouraged these young people to clash with the IDF for political reasons, since this would benefit the movement in its internal struggle against the PA.

Most of the demonstrations in the West Bank were promoted by the National Committee to Support the Prisoners, the group of Fatah activists associated with Barghouti. Consisting primarily of members of the Tanzim, Fatah's military wing, which Barghouti once commanded, these activists have been joined by representatives of other Palestinian factions, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in an attempt to present a national consensus. It is of interest to all of these factions to use the strike to score political points. At the same time, however, the members of the National Committee know that every Day of Rage they announce will inevitably take its toll in Palestinian lives and injuries.

In the May 19 violent clashes in the West Bank, 11 demonstrators were injured by rubber bullets, and more than 50 others received treatment for tear gas. This followed the incident a day earlier near the West Bank Palestinian village of Hawara, in which 23-year-old Muataz Hussein Hilal Bani Shamsa was killed when a settler from the Itamar settlement fired live ammunition at Palestinians he claimed were trying to lynch him. This incident took place while 200 Palestinian supporters of Barghouti participated in a demonstration there, in favor of the hunger strike. They were responding to a call from Fatah activists who want to set the territories ablaze in the days leading up to Trump's visit.

All of these events and machinations show how complex and tangled internal Palestinian politics can be. Since Trump's election, Abbas' office has been working with admirable intensity and efficiency to get his administration to consider Palestinian interests when establishing its policies for the region, and, in fact, the White House has changed its tone much quicker than expected. The anti-Palestinian rhetoric that was so prevalent when Trump first entered office has been tempered, and according to prevailing assessments, the new administration now sees Abbas not only as a partner for negotiations, but also as a positive force in the Middle East. Instead of enjoying this uplifting turnabout in the administration's attitude, however, the Palestinian president and his top officials find themselves forced to block attempts in the West Bank and Gaza to set the region on fire, just to make trouble for Abbas and scuttle his diplomatic achievements.

A senior Palestinian source who spoke with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity confirmed that the Palestinian leadership is preparing for an escalation of tensions in the territories as soon as the relaunch of diplomatic negotiations gains impetus, and he blames what he calls opposition forces for this. He said that Abbas' office and other positive forces in Fatah could have brokered an agreement between Israel and the hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners that would have improved the conditions of their imprisonment while reducing violence in the territories. The problem, it is said, is that Barghouti himself is blocking any chance of that so he can reap political benefit from the situation.

It is obvious to everyone that the purpose of the hunger strike is not just to improve conditions for the prisoners. It is rather designed to also boost Barghouti's standing in his political struggle against Abbas.
May 22, 2017

Just prior to US President Donald Trumps arrival in Jerusalem May 22, the virtual emergency sirens that had screamed in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office had toned down somewhat. The chances that Trump would present his diplomatic initiative here had lessened.

The danger still exists, but on a slightly lower scale; it is no longer a "clear and present danger" (an Israeli idiom often used in the context of an imminent terror attack). Trump has more important things on his agenda, headed first and foremost by his personal political survival. Nevertheless, Netanyahu was clearly nervous in the 24-hour period prior to the American presidents arrival. The prime minister got into arguments and altercations with some of his ministers, he blew up a session of the coalition heads and he conducted a very tense Cabinet meeting on the evening of May 21. Air Force One was due to arrive the next day, and Netanyahu still had no clue who  or what  would emerge from the plane to greet him.

There is much commotion behind the scenes (not just in the political system). There are those in Israels security system who are also breaking their heads over the possibility of the renewal of the diplomatic process. According to a senior Israeli security source, the new concept that is being bandied around in the halls and in high-security meetings is a regional security alliance. This concept should be the icing on the top of the much-spoken-about regional process. Such an alliance should serve as a collective insurance policy of the various players, the big prize desired by all the countries that belong  directly or indirectly  to the pragmatic Sunni bloc. The leaders of this group are the ones who listened very carefully to the presidents speech in Riyadh on May 21.

But in order for that to happen, Israel must advance on the Palestinian circuit. In other words, renewing negotiations toward the two-state solution and showing that Israel is serious about it. The Saudis, together with additional Sunni states (mainly in the Gulf), have already agreed to adopt symbolic gestures discussed in the past, such as opening up its airspace to Israeli planes. But the real thing is supposed to transpire only after real progress in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. And the real thing is a regional alliance involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, perhaps Kuwait  and Israel, of course.

This regional alliance would not constitute a traditional defense alliance  one that the United States will be a member of  yet it is clear that this regional alliance would be under American patronage and with full military and diplomatic American support. It would be an independent enterprise of those Middle East countries that fear the expiration date of the nuclear agreement the six world powers signed with Iran. When this agreement comes to its end, Iran will face a fortified barricade that will include Saudi-Gulf money, Egyptian military power and Israeli technological superiority. This is the dream of quite a number of secret regional heroes who are scurrying around the Mideast these days. The chances for realizing these plans now depend quite a bit on Trumps determination and resolve. And the Trump who arrived in Israel on Monday was quite exhausted after two hectic days in Saudi Arabia.

The first to identify this possibility of a regional alliance was Ephraim Sneh, a brigadier general (res.) and former minister in various Israeli governments. Sneh, a recognized security figure in the Middle East, is known for his good relations with Israels Arab neighbors. After Trumps victory in the elections, in the days when everyone buried the two-state solution and celebrated the end of the peace process, Sneh listened to an interview that Trump gave The Wall Street Journal in November 2016 in which the president-elect sang an entirely different tune. Trump talked about the ultimate deal that he wanted to achieve between Israel and the Palestinians. Sneh seized the opportunity and, several days later, published an article in The Huffington Post with a proposal for the same "deal based on a compromise of the various proposals discussed by the Palestinians and Israelis over the years. He then added a pitch for a regional alliance into the deal.

Over time, the regional alliance concept made waves and circulated among the respective capitals. When attempts were made to establish a unity government in Israel with Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog, the regional alliance idea continued to flower. Personages such as Middle East envoy Tony Blair and other mediators also pushed forward the idea of establishing a unity government on such an initiative.

As of today, this regional alliance partly exists between Israel and the Sunni countries, in the combined efforts to halt the continued expansion of the Shiite axis under Iranian and Hezbollah leadership. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are horrified about what will transpire on the day after the termination of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers. Intelligence information (from Israel and from Western intelligence organizations) shows that Iran is continuing full speed ahead on its ballistic missile program. The Saudis are concerned that Iran will be able to launch long-range nuclear missiles only a short time after the expiration of the nuclear agreement. At that point, they would need Israeli technology and experience in order to provide themselves with a respectable defense umbrella. Many in the region feel that Irans expansionist goals can only be counteracted by a unity of forces between Israel and members of the Sunni bloc.

This is the theory, but a great distance separates theory and implementation of the theory. The current Netanyahu government is simply not capable of making significant concessions. The maximum it can give is very far from the minimum that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas could accept.

Until recently, the Saudis believed (and perhaps the Egyptians, too) that Trump could square the circle because he would scare the sides into flexibility. The problem is that todays Trump is not like the old Trump. Even the compliment given to him in Riyadh (a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible) by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is more of a hearts desire than a rational possibility.

Those in Netanyahus environs want to eat their cake and have it, too: They want to fudge the political process on the one hand, but strengthen the unofficial alliance with the Sunni bloc on the other. With regard to Trump, the euphoria has long since dissipated. The most interesting and promising option from Netanyahus point of view at this point in time is the possible impeachment of Trump and appointment of Vice President Mike Pence to the presidential role. Pence, as opposed to Trump, is a "real" Republican: a conservative and real friend of Israel, with an unwavering, well-formed worldview  which is exactly what Netanyahu wanted but did not receive.
May 19, 2017

For the last two years, Moroccan authorities have been cracking down on Islamic State (IS) fighters' returning from the battlefields in Syria and Iraq. While they have been accused of turning a blind eye to the departure of hundreds of volunteers to jihad in the early days of the conflict in 2012, authorities are now arresting returnees, fearing they would get involved in terrorist activities at home.

This zero tolerance policy on returnees has prevented many from coming back to Morocco, with some remaining in Turkey, according to sources close to Salafists Al-Monitor spoke with.

Khalil Idrissi, a lawyer who has defended several returnees, draws attention to their motivations to return home. Many had been lured with promises of money, he told Al-Monitor, while others dreamed of living under their own interpretation of Islam and came back to their country disappointed with their experience with IS.

According to Abdelhak Khiame, the head of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), affiliated with the Interior Ministry, at least 1,600 Moroccans have left to join diverse groups and more recently, mainly IS. During the last two years, about 70 were arrested while coming back to Morocco.

But critics point to the lack of rehabilitation programs and denounce a security approach that does not really address the roots of radicalization. They simply jail them for two or three years; they are then released without any guidance. But their ideas do not change. Authorities have to create programs for detainees and do a follow-up after they are released. They have to open a dialogue with them and create social as well as economic programs to integrate them, Abdelwahab al-Rafiqi, a former cleric and researcher known as Abu Hafs, told Al-Monitor.

According to Mohamed Masbah, an associate fellow at Chatham House, authorities became increasingly concerned with returnees as well as combatants trying to leave Morocco in 2014 with the rise of IS. He told Al-Monitor, Royal Armed Forces joined the US-led anti-IS coalition forces in Iraq and Syria in September 2014. The intelligence services are a source of valuable information about transnational jihadi networks and work closely with several European countries. In addition, authorities targeted networks and cells of recruitment. This approach has prevented more than 500 prospective travelers from reaching Syria. Authorities arrested tens of presumed jihadis who pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and/or had planned to perpetrate terrorist attacks in Morocco."

When the first wave of Moroccan combatants left to Syria and Iraq, they could easily get out of the country and travel there through Turkey. Several former detainees who had been charged with terrorism obtained travel documentation from the state and left Morocco without any difficulties, sometimes just days after being released, according to sources close to Salafi activists Al-Monitor spoke with.

But when they started to return to Morocco and as the terrorist threat increased, Moroccan authorities began to systematically arrest them. Since 2014, most of those who came back have been brought to court. In January 2015, the anti-terrorism law of 2003 was amended in order to criminalize joining groups outside Morocco. The BCIJ was created in March 2015, and has since officially dismantled more than 40 cells and arrested at least 548 people.

The first wave of departures began in 2012, at a time when the international community opposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime. Many young people, among them some who were not following radical Islam or were not even close to jihadi groups, answered the call of renowned religious scholars. In February 2012, clerics such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi declared it was a duty to help those fighting against Assad. In December 2012, Morocco hosted the Friends of Syria conference in Marrakech, a go-ahead for volunteers to jihad, who interpreted this event as an encouragement to support the Syrian opposition and by extension, jihad.

In 2013, a new organization, which provided a network for Moroccans eager to go fight Assads regime, was created in Latakia, Syria. The group, Harakat Sham al-Islam, was almost exclusively composed of Moroccan combatants, among whom were Mohamed Mahzouz, Mohamed Alami and Brahim Benchekroun, three former Guantanamo detainees. The group was active between 2013 and 2016, and Moroccan fighters have split between Jabhat al-Nusra and IS for the most part, according to experts.

The personal links between the former detainees was essential in organizing the group and convincing other Moroccans to join. Benchekroun had been jailed in 2005 for having recruited fighters for Iraq in the same period and location as other high-profile detainees, including some sentenced in the wake of the 2003 Casablanca attacks.

Benchekroun and Anas el-Haloui, also a member of Harakat Sham al-Islam, both former convicts killed in Syria in 2014, were also prominent members of the Joint Committee for the Defense of Islamist Detainees (CCDDI), a group created in 2011 to defend Salafi detainees.

Umm Adam, the most renowned woman in the Moroccan Salafi sphere, took part in several protests alongside members of the CCDDI. Educated at the Sorbonne in Paris and the wife of Karim el-Mejatti, an al-Qaeda member killed with their son in Saudi Arabia in 2005, she had pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden. After being extradited from Saudi Arabia in 2003, she was detained for several months in Morocco. In July 2014, she decided to settle with IS in Syria and followed her other son there.

Umm Adam is one of many former al-Qaeda supporters who shifted to IS. But IS has also attracted random Moroccans mainly eager to live under the caliphate. Its creation is the achievement of a dream for many, said Abu Hafs, sentenced to 30 years in jail for having inspired the 2003 Casablanca bombings. As a cleric, he would make speeches defending jihad, and authorities arrested him for the content of his speeches several weeks before the attacks.

After he was released by royal pardon in 2012, Abu Hafs discourse dramatically changed and he reviewed his positions, clearly voicing his opposition to jihad in Syria. In March, he launched Al-Mizan, a research center financed by the traditionalist Istiqlal party, to gather information as well as analysis on terrorism-related issues in order to use his own experience to fight extremism, Abu Hafs told Al-Monitor.

Abu Hafs recalls dreaming of an Islamic state in his youth. It was not the jihadis but those we call moderates who gave me that dream, he said.

The Syrian conflict has attracted people from diverse social backgrounds throughout the country. In a country where opportunities to climb the social ladder are scarce and youth unemployment is high, reaching IS and playing a role there can be in many cases a source of enrichment. But for many, it can also be a sign of personal achievement.

Abdelaziz el-Mehdalis story illustrates this sense of realization and fulfillment many jihadis believed they couldnt find at home. Known as Abu Oussama el-Maghribi, the former street vendor was one of the most well-known Moroccan jihadi fighters. In 2011, he had taken part in the February 20 Movements pro-democracy protests, although like most Salafists he was mainly calling for the release of Salafi prisoners, considered to be political detainees.

Faced with a lack of opportunities in his hometown, Fnideq, where many jihadis come from in the north of Morocco, he joined Jabhat al-Nusra, a group he later left to join IS. In 2014, he was killed in clashes with Jabhat al-Nusra fighters.

Ahmed (not his real name), a 21-year-old student nurse, dreamed of a new life under the caliphate. But on his way to Syria, he was stopped with his mother at the Turkish border. And as soon as he stepped foot on Moroccan soil, he was arrested. He was later tried  his mother was not  and sentenced to a two-year term for trying to join a terrorist organization as per the anti-terrorism law, his lawyer, Idrissi, said.

Ahmed had decided to follow his mother, a housemaid who wanted to leave for Syria because of a family conflict and resulting financial problems that she believed didnt leave her any other choice. Stuck with her son in a small apartment in Morocco that she was forced to share with her brother, who allegedly led a debaucherous life and heavily drank alcohol, she decided to join IS and convinced her son to go with her.

He didnt want to let her go to Syria by herself. He had always dreamed of going to medical school, which he was brought to believe he could do in Syria under IS. To both of them, settling in IS territory was a way out that matched their religious beliefs.

They [IS] were giving them [mother and son] some hope, Idrissi told Al-Monitor.

They were looking for an easy solution, he said. Paradise if they die, or IS if they remain alive.
May 22, 2017

At some point, Syria will be rebuilt.

Whole cities and swaths of the country have been destroyed. Millions of civilians are displaced either within the country or outside its borders during six years of conflict. The World Bank estimates that postwar reconstruction will cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars and though the international community is treating the reconstruction of Syria as a pressing priority, questions remain about where the money will come from, when it will come and under what conditions.

In April, the international community met in Brussels for the annual Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region conference. In addition to discussions about increasing aid to refugees and host countries and rebuilding Palmyra, there were also talks on a reconstruction initiative that a post-conference declaration explained will be successful only in the context of a genuine and inclusive transition that benefits all the Syrians.

Aid organizations warned about the risks, and a joint statement by CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam and Save the Children argued that without international support for a political solution and respect for human rights, a move towards reconstruction assistance risks doing more harm than good.

There are signs of slow regeneration in Homs Old City. A UN-supported project to clear and rehabilitate the 13th-century market is underway to back commerce and life to a part of the city long quieted by war.

That work has brought together the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with the local community as well as business-sector representatives and antiquities and municipality officials. And thats an inclusive early recovery model that could work in a number of locations, UNDP country director Samuel Rizk told Al-Monitor via Skype from Damascus.

Though the Irish Times reported in March that UNDP had halted funding for the Homs project, Rizk said it had not. The project continues, funding continues and its moving ahead, he told Al-Monitor last week. [In] these historical locations, there are a lot of people 'round the table that need to be included in the planning. Some concerns in a location like the Old Homs souq were not only about economic regeneration, but that this is a historical place that you cant just rebuild without regard for its cultural and historical heritage  change its 300-, 400-, 500-year-old character and simply change it into brick and mortar thats new.

At the same time, the Syrian government has been laying the groundwork for its own reconstruction projects. Analysts warn that these plans are likely to follow political or strategic objectives.

Basateen al-Razi in southwest Damascus used to be one of the countless informal settlements  slums  that developed on the outskirts of Syrias cities after the 1960s. In 2011-2012, protests against President Bashar al-Assad spread and eventually became armed clashes once the army stepped in. Thousands fled as a result.

Using legislative decree 66/2012, originally signed by Assad in September 2012 to clear and redevelop unplanned housing and informal settlements, Damascus province has begun work restoring farmland and demolishing homes in Basateen al-Razi to make way for comprehensive reconstruction of the area that will create housing for an estimated 60,000 people, shopping precincts, shiny office spaces and even a multistory mall complex, according to government plans.

Decree 66 will mandate construction projects in former opposition bastion Daraya and several satellite towns south of the southern ring road that marks the outer limits of southwest Damascus.

Its a good engine for the economy, pro-government analyst Ammar Waqaf of the London-based Gnosos Institute told Al-Monitor. He said the model facilitates reconstruction  [and] provides the legal ground for companies to come and have their share in reconstruction.

This project was drawn up as part of an urban master plan for Damascus in the 2000s, but priorities and operational frameworks have changed. Government officials increasingly see this multimillion-dollar project as a model for postwar reconstruction in other parts of the country, and local residents are less of a concern.

Under the decree, civilians are promised compensation payments to rent homes elsewhere but refugees originally from there say that their vacant homes have already been demolished without compensation. Relatives of residents still in the area told Al-Monitor that compensation payments promised under the decree have often either come too late or werent paid at all. Resident Abu Majed recently told Syria Direct, The demolitions are approaching the home where I live. When my turn comes, I dont know where I will go.

Oxford University student Nate Rosenblatt told Al-Monitor that Decree 66-style projects present problems for the international community in terms of reconstruction. If youre channeling money through the government of Syria, first of all youre rewarding the countrys most violent actor with the most resources. But also youre going to see the government employ methods by which they further ostracize and isolate these restive neighborhoods.

Projects such as the one underway in Basateen al-Razi are funded through public-private investment companies such as the Damascus al-Sham Holding Joint Stock Company established by Damascus province in December. Thanks to a May 2015 presidential decree, local authorities from the province down to municipality level now have the power to establish their own investment companies. Damascus al-Sham was set up with some 60 billion Syrian pounds ($279.9 million) in capital to fund real estate projects such as Basateen al-Razi.

But government officials are pitching it as a model for reconstruction elsewhere. Homs Gov. Talal al-Barazi has recommended that the 66 model be used in Baba Amr and other devastated areas of the city. Homs has established its own holding company and Aleppo is expected to do the same soon.

When we look to the war, we see it is a local war and that means reconstruction  will be local reconstruction too. We will never have national [reconstruction]; we will never have a Marshall Plan in Syria, said Kheder Khaddour, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowments Middle East Center.

[The regime] created certain laws so that they are ready to reconstruct  and they are ready in terms of the law and they have enough people to work with, Khadour told Al-Monitor. They just need any kind of political agreement.

The Syrian government is conducting reconstruction at the local level by creating opportunities for public-private financing within local authorities, selecting the local administrator as head of the reconstruction committee or mandating that local organizations work with the international community.

Since 2014, the Foreign Ministry has authorized a list of of some 100 nongovernmental organizations that are mandated to work with the UN and international NGOs on the ground. Last year, a Guardian investigation found that the UN was working alongside and funding openly regime-affiliated NGOs such as Al-Bustan, what was ostensibly started as a relief organization that has been linked to notorious regime-affiliated businessman and Assad cousin Rami Makhlouf, as well as funds headed to pro-government militias. But, Khaddour argued, They are not funding Al-Bustan [per se]; they are funding the model that exists on the ground.

He said, The regime structured something in Damascus and then the UN or the INGOs have to go through this by working with regime-approved intermediaries. And who are those intermediaries? Most of them are regime backed or part of the regime network, like Al-Bustan.

Rizk said the UN conducts due diligence and capacity assessments to make sure partners have particular capacities that are important to us. One, do they have project management capacity, and do they have financial capacity? Are they mandated to work in this area? Are they experienced, have they done this before?
May 22, 2017

US President Donald Trumps landmark speech in Saudi Arabia May 21 signals a reversal of policy from the Barack Obama administration and will ratchet up tensions with Iran. A day after a record-breaking 42 million Iranians signaled their desire to engage the world by re-electing President Hassan Rouhani, Trump appeared in an autocratic monarchy to call on nations of conscience to isolate Iran.

The Trump administrations main accusation is that Tehran is destabilizing the region. However, this simply does not square with the reality on the ground. Iran is backing the same governments in Iraq and Afghanistan that the United States supports. Meanwhile, Kabul and Baghdad blame Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, respectively, for supporting terrorism in their countries. Former US Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged the role of American allies in fomenting instability, stating in 2014, They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad, except that the people who were being supplied were [Jabhat] al-Nusra, and al-Qaeda, and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world.

Furthermore, Irans military spending is less than Saudi Arabias, Israels and other Persian Gulf Arab countries, while its population is greater than all of them combined. To claim Iran has militaristic aims over the region is thus baseless. The historic July 2015 nuclear deal closed all pathways to a nuclear weapon for Iran, whereas Israel remains the only obstacle to a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East.

Given Trumps apparent strategy, there are at least seven perils the United States could and should avoid.

First, the nuclear deal, which guarantees the non-diversion of Irans nuclear program towards possible weaponization, is in great jeopardy. Israel and Saudi Arabia made every effort to prevent the negotiations between Iran and six world powers from succeeding. They have now embarked, as multiple Western sources have confirmed to me, on a subtler strategy of sabotaging the accord. Rather than flagrant US withdrawal from the deal, which would isolate the United States on the global stage, the Saudi and Israeli governments support new far-reaching sanctions on Iran under non-nuclear justifications. This would all but erode the accords economic benefits for Iran.

Second, while Obama believed that the United States no longer had a strategic interest in the Middle Easts oil bounty, Trump claims that America has incurred too high a cost for preserving its regional allies and should be paid more in return, describing US Arab allies as having nothing but money. A Trump policy of petrodollars in exchange for a confrontational US approach on Iran is thus likely in store. By ignoring the underlying factors that destabilize the region, such a quid pro quo will ensure the continuation of turmoil and its spread beyond.

Third, Trump wants to expand the sale of US armaments to Saudi Arabia and in this vein signed a $110 billion arms deal while in the kingdom. But funneling arms into an already unstable region has long enabled destructive wars, such as the current war in Yemen. It also diminishes prospects for resolving the regions crises through diplomacy.

Fourth, Trumps embrace of Saudi Arabia is more likely to spread terrorism than curb it. On the campaign trail, he described Riyadh as the worlds biggest funder of terrorism. Now, he refers to US-Saudi ties as a strategic relationship and instead accuses Iran of being the leading state sponsor of terrorism. This reversal is likely to backfire. Ramping up pressure on Iran will inhibit its ability to combat terrorist groups in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the region. Groups such as the Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) share the Saudi Wahhabist state ideology. Supporting Saudi Arabia will boost the spread of such beliefs.

Fifth, instead of recognizing, as Obama did, that Saudi Arabia and Iran should share the region and temper the power balance, Trumps speech in Riyadh sets them up for confrontation. It will only fan the flames of sectarianism and increase tension between Sunnis and Shiites across the region and spread instability.

Sixth, the United States and Israel have long been the most resented nations in the Arab and Muslim worlds. This is why former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads bellicose anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric won him such popularity on the Arab and Muslim street. Today, Saudi Arabia and Israel are forming an open alliance against Iran, which Trump supports. For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that by aggrandizing the alleged threat that Iran poses to Israel, he can distract from the Palestinian issue. This Arab-Israeli-American alliance also comes at a time when large parts of the Arab world have collapsed and the hope for achieving a Palestinian state has been lost. This alliance will make Arab leaders complicit in Israeli expansionism in the eyes of their peoples, thus boosting recruitment to extremist groups  including IS.

Finally, Trumps Middle East policy will exacerbate rather than solve the root causes of the problems that afflict Arab states, such as poverty, corruption, autocratic governance and the spread of Wahhabism. This is not to mention the ongoing consequences of the US and NATO military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. Wealthy, stable Arab states have spent enormous amounts buying US weapons and launching military interventions in Yemen, Libya and Syria in part to counter perceived Iranian influence. Instead of using this wealth to alleviate the structural problems ailing their political and economic systems, it is being redirected to destabilize other Arab states. Saudi Arabia alone has seen its foreign reserves decrease from $800 billion to $500 billion in part due to weapons purchases and foreign adventurism. This interventionist trend on the part of wealthy Arab states will likely continue under Trump, intensifying inequality in already unsustainable Arab economies.

None of the above is in the interest of the West. If the region is to find stability and prosper, Trump must rethink his Middle East strategy. He must address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a way that respects Palestinian rights and spurs cooperation between the main regional powers of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt.
May 22, 2017

WASHINGTON  US President Donald Trump, arriving in Israel on May 22 right after a stop in Saudi Arabia, found another ally eager to praise him for his tough stance on Iran  and encourage him to get even tougher.

I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran, which you enunciated so clearly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in joint remarks with Trump at their third meeting of the day.

At an earlier meeting with the Israeli leader at Jerusalems King David Hotel, Trump had lambasted the nuclear deal negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama in remarks that Netanyahu could almost have drafted himself. He called the 2015 agreement a terrible, terrible thing and promised that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon, that I can tell you.

Iran negotiated a fantastic deal with the previous administration. ... It is unbelievable from my standpoint, Trump said, according to the White House press pool.

Without the nuclear deal, he said, I think [Iran] would have totally failed within six months.

We gave them a lifeline ... we gave them wealth and prosperity. And we also gave them an ability to continue with terror. ... No matter where we go, we see the signs of Iran in the Middle East, he went on. Instead of saying thank you to the United States, they now feel emboldened.

The remarks echoed Trumps remarks on May 21 to another receptive audience  the summit of mostly Sunni Arab and Muslim leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region, Trump said. He singled out Irans support for President Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria as particularly tragic and destabilizing.

Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve, Trump vowed.

Ironically, Trumps call to isolate Iran came just days after his administration waived nuclear-related sanctions and a day after centrist President Hassan Rouhani won re-election by a wide margin. Last month, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson certified that Iran was complying with the deal, leaving the administration no option but to waive sanctions or violate its end of the bargain.

With Rouhanis victory over conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi, Iran sent the world a message that it was choosing international engagement and economic reform over hard-line confrontation with the West. The United States responded by boosting Irans fiercest regional rivals, notably with a $110 billion weapons package for Saudi Arabia and calls for Irans international isolation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to Twitter to express resentment at Trump's lecturing Iran from the Saudi kingdom, where people cant choose their leaders and women cant drive.

Iran  fresh from real elections  attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation, Zarif tweeted May 21. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA []?

Some observers questioned whether the United States is leaning too far in the direction of Sunni allies and Israel in its efforts to reassure them after the Obama years. They worry about the risk of alienating Iran as it seeks further international engagement, perhaps even to the point of "sectarianizing" the US approach to the region in favor of Sunnis over Shiites.

The Trump administration is doubling down on Saudi Arabia and the thesis that you can create a global, counter-violent Islamist extremist movement that doesnt include Iran, Nicholas Heras, a Middle East expert at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), told Al-Monitor. Which is one of the major talking points  the Saudis [have] tried to push forward over the last couple of years, partly in response to the Obama administration pursuing the Iran nuclear deal.

By singling out Iran and Irans destabilizing actions in the region, the Trump administration really sort of skipped over Irans motivations, Heras said.

The Obama administration theory of the case was that  over time, the US would have to find a balance between two legitimate state actors in the Middle East: Iran and Saudi Arabia, Heras said. The Trump administration is doubling down on Saudi Arabia as the leader of the Middle East  with a Sunni flavor.

Suzanne Maloney, a State Department policy planning official under President George W. Bush, said there was always going to be a correction after Obama toward traditional US allies and away from Iran, even if Hillary Clinton had won. But the pendulum may be swinging too far now, she said, and it may need some adjustment.

The Obama administration had tied itself in knots in its desire to avoid anything that might disrupt the [Iran nuclear] negotiations and then implementation of the deal, said Maloney, who is now with the Brookings Institution.

But what you are pointing to is that the pendulum may be swinging too far, Maloney said. There will be forces  including Irans own counter actions  that will, I think, bring the pendulum closer to some sort of equilibrium.

Ilan Goldenberg, a former Pentagon and State Department Middle East official during the Obama administration, agreed that some reassurance to Americas Sunni allies and Israel after the anxiety over the Iran nuclear deal was warranted. But the Trump administrations tilt to the Sunnis may be excessive and may not be part of a larger strategy, he said.

I think there is a benefit to reassuring our Sunni partners and to pushing back on Iran for some of its behavior, especially given how anxious they were after the nuclear deal, and how much they  were irrationally angry at Obama, Goldenberg, with CNAS, told Al-Monitor by phone from Israel.

But there is a balance to be struck here, Goldenberg said. The right approach involves both pressure and engagement. And you also want to leave open channels to have a dialogue. And you dont want to go so far as to become part of the conflict. And in some areas, [Trump administration officials] are trending dangerously close to that.

Tillerson has indicated that hes at least aware of the risks. Speaking to journalists in Riyadh over the weekend, he said he did not rule out talks with his Iranian counterpart  at some point.

Ive never shut off the phone to anyone that wants to talk or have a productive conversation, Tillerson said at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh. At this point, I have no plans to call my counterpart in Iran, although, in all likelihood, we will talk at the right time.

For his part, Irans newly re-elected Rouhani, speaking at a press conference in Tehran on May 22, suggested he was open to further negotiations with the United States. He said Iran would want to wait for the Trump administration to be well established before it will pass judgment on the relationship.

Iran and America have gone through lots of ups and downs in the past 39 or 40 years, Rouhani said at a news conference, according to The New York Times. They have used numerous measures against Iran, all leading to failure. Americans were only successful in their engagement with the Iranian nation during the nuclear talks.
May 22, 2017

The political value of 3.5 million refugees in Turkey, including 3 million Syrians, appears to be on the rise. Refugees could emerge as a crucial pool of voters in the three elections  municipal, parliamentary and presidential  in 2019. How can this happen?

The first group of 252 refugees fleeing the unrest in Syria crossed into Turkey on April 29, 2011. Their number reached 150,000 at the end of 2012 and 1.9 million in 2014. As of April 29, 2016, the refugees began to obtain the right to apply for Turkish citizenship, having completed the five-year waiting period. Only 252 people obtained that right last year, but the figure will reach 150,000 at the end of 2017 and 1.9 million in 2019. Taking into account refugees from Iraq, other Middle Eastern countries and Africa, the total could well exceed 2 million.

Citizenship applications require the approval of the Council of Ministers. Given the governments welcoming approach to refugees so far, the approval issue is not likely to emerge as an obstacle. A number of measures concerning refugees  the collection of their fingerprints, the issuance of biometric ID cards and work permits, and steps to resolve their health care, education and accommodation problems  could all be seen as preparations for citizenship. Granting citizenship to the Syrian and other refugees would mean a 2.5% increase in Turkeys population of about 80 million.

One compelling question here is whether the refugees could sway the 2019 presidential vote, which will seal Turkeys transition from a parliamentary regime to an executive presidency. The constitutional amendments that paved the way for the shift were tailored for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but he still needs to win the election to officially assume the expanded presidential powers.

The amendments were narrowly approved in the April 16 referendum, with 51.41% of voters saying yes and 48.59% saying no. This corresponds to 25,157,463 and 23,779,141 people, respectively, according to official figures. The result has been marred by allegations of fraud, and the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) has vowed to take the issue to the European Court of Human Rights. But even the official difference between the yes and no blocks  about 1.38 million votes  shows that Syrians will gain key importance in the coming period, if naturalized.

The close outcome has galvanized Turkish politics, with each side already mulling strategies for 2019. In such a critical period, the emergence of refugees as a new electoral force would no doubt whet the appetite of political parties, and any hostile rhetoric toward Syrians would likely give way to attractive pledges.

In the run-up to the referendum, the pollsters predictions of a nail-biting race had prompted the ruling party to step up efforts vis-a-vis Turkish migrants in Europe. About 1,325,000 expatriate Turks across the world, including 31 European countries, cast votes in the referendum, up from 1,000,030 in the June 7, 2015, general elections. Judging by those figures, the refugees seem bound to become as important as expatriate Turkish voters. No single country in Europe, including Germany, has a Turkish community that is bigger than the refugee community in Turkey.

The possibility of a special government measure for a wholesale naturalization of refugees should not be ruled out either, for the rivalry in the 2019 elections will be fierce and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) will not hesitate to play all available trump cards.

The no camp appears hopeful on expanding beyond 48.6% to stop Erdogan, which is a rather novel sentiment on the Turkish political scene. Since 2002, when the AKP came to power, the main opposition CHP has failed to reach even 30% in general elections, damping hopes that the opposition can ever unseat the AKP. The deep frustration on the left has discouraged many from going to the polls, giving an additional advantage to the AKP. But the close contest in April appears to have given hope to and motivated the opposition for the 2019 elections. CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has launched contacts with the leaders of other, smaller parties on the no side to keep the camp together. The naysayers hope the tailwinds of the referendum will help them win over undecided voters and block Erdogans route to re-election in 2019.

In this process, the potential vote of Syrians could prove critical. The AKP would certainly have high expectations of the refugees, hoping to reap the fruits of its open door policy since the very beginning of the Syrian civil strife. The opposition, for its part, sees the plight of the refugees as a result of the governments Syria policy.

Only 10% of the Syrians remain in refugee camps today, while the rest have scattered across Turkey, surviving in difficult conditions. Those who are unemployed have as their only income the 100 Turkish liras ($28) per month that each refugee receives through debit cards. Social assistance is believed to have built a bridge between the AKP and the refugees, but many other economic and social factors are likely to sway the voting power of refugees, who struggle with myriad problems on a daily basis and face adaptation difficulties, living in clusters in big cities, often ostracized by the locals. Thus, one cannot say with confidence that the refugee vote would go with the ruling party.

Once citizens, the refugees will be able not only to vote but also to run for office. It will be hardly a surprise if political parties field Syrian candidates in future elections in regions such as Gaziantep, Kilis, Sanliurfa, Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay and Istanbul, which are home to the largest refugee populations.
By Haley Laurence/hlaurence@al.com

If there's anything Southerners know, it's sweet tea. But sometimes, we don't have time to make our own tea, so we head to our nearest fast-food drive-thru.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

So, I decided to find out which sweet tea is best when you're in a bind.

I went through the drive-thru in 18 fast-food restaurants in North Alabama. The rules: The fast-food restaurants have to have locations in at least two major Alabama cities. I judged the tea on several criteria: How strong it is, how sweet it is, how much ice is in it and what kind of ice it is (because all ice isn't created equal). Using these factors, I ranked the teas from worst to best -- so you know which to avoid and which to order.

And, as always, let me know how wrong you think I am in the comments below, or if you prefer, shoot me an email to complain as well.

Now that we have that over with, let's get to ranking.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

Popeyes: ?

So many people told me that Popeyes had some of the best fast food sweet tea they'd ever tried. But when I went drove through a Birmingham-area location around 2:30 p.m. Friday, I was informed they were out of sweet tea. Really, Popeyes? (Read more about Popeye's here.)

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

17. Krystal

To say Krystal's has the best sweet tea would be like saying Milwaukee's Best is the best beer. Krystal's serves warm water with some sugar sprinkled in -- I didn't taste a hint of tea in there. Plus, there wasn't enough ice in the drink, and it all melted down within 10 minutes. I wouldn't recommend this drink even to my cruelest commenters. (Good morning, y'all!)

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

16. Burger King

During the fast-food biscuit journey, I gave Burger King super-low marks in the biscuit department, so I wanted them to redeem themselves this round. Nope, didn't happen. The tea was weak and, surprisingly, wasn't very sweet. This is how I'd imagine sweet tea would taste if you asked a Yankee to make it for you.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

15. Taco Bell

The sign at the Taco Bell drive-thru advertised their new Mtn. Dew lemonade, noting to customers that it is "non-alcoholic." So obviously Taco Bell already knows that most of their drinks -- including their sweet tea -- tastes best with some booze poured in. So really, only buy this tea if you plan on camouflaging its taste with vodka or something. It's pretty dreadful on its own.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

14. Arby's

OK, y'all: I'm really Southern. I grew up on fried catfish and pimento cheese and strawberry preserves with my buttermilk biscuits, and I love really-sweet tea. But this tea was too sweet for me. If you're looking for pure sugar and never want to sleep ever again, this is for you. Go for it.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

13. Hardee's

I found out this month that Hardee's is still the standard for breakfast biscuits. But how about their sweet tea? Eh. It was a little sweet, a lot watery, and didn't have much ice, so it was a melted mess after a short time in the sun. It's fine if you're in a bind, but this isn't the tea I'd give to your Northern pals if you want to win them over to our side.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

12. Kentucky Fried Chicken

You know when your friend is raving about a movie and then you watch it and think, "This is just OK"? Well, that's KFC's sweet tea. Lots of y'all were raving about it on Facebook, but I didn't get excited about it when I tasted it -- it was super sweet, but I couldn't taste the tea at all. (Bonus, though: The KFC I went to -- one in Guntersville -- had large sweet tea for $1, so I'd definitely pull in to KFC to get it just for the price.)

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

11. McDonald's

Confession: I've had McDonald's sweet tea plenty of times in the past (that $1 deal is too hard to pass up), so I figured it would be a contender because they've always had consistently excellent sweet tea. But the day I sampled it for my journey, it was just off: It seemed a little sweeter than normal, and it was crammed with so much ice. It was OK, but not the tea I'm used to. But because I'm judging based on purely the teas I tried during my journey, this was just an alright tea. And it's also a cautionary reminder: You never know what you're going to get when you order a drink.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

10. Guthrie's

OK, y'all, here's where the competition gets really good. Because guess what? The rest of the teas are so legit. This tea from Guthrie's was solid -- it was sweet but it didn't just taste like sugar water -- but the true star of the show was that crunchy cube ice, which just tastes oh-so-good on hot summer nights.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

9. Sonic

Honestly, you could pour super-old flat coke on top of Sonic's ice and it wouldn't get the last spot on this list. (How is that ice so good? Is it magic?) But Sonic has so many drink offerings -- from limeades to milkshakes to lemonades -- that people (including me) forget about their sweet tea. But we definitely shouldn't sleep on it: It's strong, sweet and has lots of sugar. I definitely wasn't disappointed.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

8. Taco Casa

Taco Casa barely makes it onto to this list because it's located in two major Alabama metros -- Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. But goodness, if y'all could taste this tea you'd want the taco chain to expand to your area. It's sweet and yummy and has that perfect ratio of (good) ice-to-tea. This one's a keeper. (Read more about Taco Casa here.)

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

7. Jack's

Jack's, an Alabama-based chain, is a consistently above-average fast-food restaurant -- and their tea is no different. Perfectly sweet, I'd buy some of this, put in a pitcher, and serve it on my front porch.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

6. McAllister's Deli

Lots of restaurants boast of their "famous" sweet tea, but McAlister's has bragging rights: This is one bodacious iced tea. It's sweet without being overbearing; a must-try for all Southerners.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

5. Zaxby's

Zaxby's has been a Southern standard in the sweet tea game for a little while now because, yes, that ice is just incredible. (Although, on the day I tried the tea, there was a little less ice than I would like.) But the tea is also fantastic as well -- super sweet and perfect for hot Alabama days.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

4. Chick-fil-A

Man, y'all, is there anything food-wise that Chick-fil-A doesn't do right? From the service (since I waited a little while in the drive-thru line, they gave me the tea for free) to those addicting chicken nuggets to this awesome tea (it's made with pure cane sugar), I think the answer is no.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

3. Captain D's

After trying all of the teas, people asked me some of my favorites, and when I got to Captain D's, they always answered, "Really?" Yes, really. It's definitely sweet (I'd prefer not to know how much sugar is in it, thanks) but it's equally strong -- they don't skimp on the tea. If you paired this tea with Sonic or Zaxby's ice, it'd have a shot at No. 1.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

2. Milo's

Milo's tea is a Southern classic for a reason: It's dang good. And the tea from the Milo's Hamburgers joints is so, so delicious: It's oh-so-sweet and has perfectly chewy ice. The tea is so fantastic that if you close your eyes, you can imagine your granny made it. (Just don't tell my granny I said that, OK?)

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

1. Bojangles'

Bojangles' says their tea is "legendary," and well, they're right. Sweet and strong and perfectly iced, I'd bathe in this tea if that wasn't completely gross. The drink has a distinctive taste, so you don't need a huge yellow cup to know that you have Bojangle's tea. It's one-of-a-kind, and delicious.

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Haley Laurence | hlaurence@al.com

Read more about fast food:

Fast food biscuit rankings

Who makes the best frozen pizza?

Fast food chain items we don't hate

Frozen dinner throwdown

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Hoffman Media

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12 things you might not know about Edgar's Bakery

Great college town meat-and-threes in Alabama

12 things you might not know about Full Moon Bar B Que

Underrated BBQ joints you need to try

12 things you might not know about Wintzell's Oyster House

Where to eat ribs in Alabama
A few days before Christmas, Amy Jay and her family packed up everything they owned and moved to Huntsville, Ala.

They'd been living in North Carolina where her husband Mac, an Army veteran, had a good job at a small software company. They lived near family. The couple had a young daughter and Amy was seven months pregnant with their second.

But her progesterone shots - necessary to keep her pregnancy viable after a series of miscarriages - had been $200 a month. Insurance wouldn't cover it, or the blood tests her doctor said were needed.

"The insurance my husband had (through his job) deemed it all unnecessary and wouldn't pay a penny of it," Jay said. "We quickly realized this wasn't going to be a sustainable situation."

After looking at supplemental and marketplace insurance - they missed the income cutoff to get Medicaid by about $70 - they realized the only way to get the insurance benefits they needed was for her husband to find a different job.

He found a tech job in Huntsville on Redstone Arsenal. It would mean a small pay cut, but the benefits were better. The new, better insurance wouldn't kick in until Feb. 1, about two weeks before the baby was due.

They signed up to retain her husband's old insurance under COBRA, a law that protects people during a lapse in coverage. That meant they would have coverage for about a month until the new insurance kicked in.

It also meant that a hospital in Alabama would be considered "out of network" under the old insurance.

"That told us we were going to be looking at a $20,000 hospital bill, but we figured we would just get that bill, set up a payment plan and do the best we could if the baby came early," said Amy Jay. They prayed the baby wouldn't come early.

But then she did. Baby Evelyn was born unexpectedly on Jan. 16, a month before her due date.

And two months later, the Jays received a bill in the mail - for $178,000.

'My stomach dropped'

Evelyn spent two weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Crestwood Medical Center, struggling to breathe with lungs that were underdeveloped.

"They were so sick and fragile that a fit of crying caused a collapsed lung," said Jay. "There were times we weren't sure she was going to make it. But I can't sing the praises enough of the hospital and staff and the doctors that treated her. They were loving and compassionate and treated us like family. But it was still the most horrible two weeks of our lives."

Before Evelyn's birth, Mac Jay had called the insurance company to make sure their baby would be covered under the old insurance plan until the new one kicked in.

But in mid-March, on Amy Jay's birthday, she went to the mailbox and found a bill for the entirety of Evelyn's birth and NICU stay: $178,389. Insurance had not paid any of it.

"My stomach dropped," said Jay. "My immediate reaction was there's been some mistake. Some coding or billing error, and all we needed to do is make phone calls and it will be fine."

Mac and Amy Jay with daughter Evelyn, who was born one month prematurely. The Jay family didn't realize they had to retroactively add Evelyn to their insurance plan and were left with a $178,000 hospital bill that their insurance refused to pay. (Photo by Brekke Johnson, Wagon Wheel Photo, www.wagonwheelphoto.com)

But after weeks of phone calls with the insurance company, the Jays were told the bill could not be covered because they'd never filled out paperwork after Evelyn was born to add her to the insurance plan. Jay said nobody had told them they'd have to add her to the plan after she was born.

They asked if they could add Evelyn to the plan at that time. They were told it had to have been done within 30 days of her birth; it was too late at that point.

Jay said they were completely unprepared for the complicated world of civilian insurance. "Our experience with our first child was when we were in the military," said Jay. "She was born on an Air Force base in Japan.

"To say that this has been a nightmare is a gross understatement."

Jay said their options were bleak: a payment plan they couldn't afford, or bankruptcy.

"Because of my husband's job, either of those options makes him a security risk and he loses his job," said Jay.

They looked into taking out personal loans, but were denied repeatedly, she said.

Jay took to Facebook, asking friends in a Facebook fitness group for advice or personal experiences from others who had gone through bankruptcy or overwhelming debt, and how they managed it.

Instead, she found a community ready for action.

"They basically said, 'we're not going to accept that your family has to face financial ruin because you had a sick baby,'" said Jay. Some of the women were journalists in other states who reached out to national news outlets. Sites like Babble and The Daily Mail picked up the Jays' story.

Amy Jay's best friend started a GoFundMe.com page to help raise money to cover the medical expenses. The hospital was willing to work with the Jays, forgiving some of the debt if they could pay the rest of it in one lump sum by the end of May.

Thanks to the work of friends, the Jays have surpassed their $25,000 goal on the GoFundMe. That will pay most of Evelyn's birth and NICU bills; the rest the Jays have been able to put on a payment plan that they think will not affect their credit.

"I'm so thankful and fortunate," said Jay. "The outpouring from this community and the online community who have read our story has been awe-inspiring.

"And yet I realize we are incredibly privileged. Our story has a voice, and I know there are people in my own neighborhood going through similar things with medical debt, and there's nobody amplifying their voice."

Fighting for change

Jay said the kindness of strangers has prompted her to take action.

"The system itself is the demon in this story," she said. "It's deliberately confusing and complicated.

Evelyn Jay was born a month early and struggled to breathe due to immature lungs. The Jay family didn't realize they had to retroactively add Evelyn to their insurance plan and were left with a $178,000 hospital bill that their insurance refused to pay. (Photo by Brekke Johnson, Wagon Wheel Photo, www.wagonwheelphoto.com)

"The system benefits very few on the backs of very many, and something has to change. I'm not a policy writer; I'm a stay-at-home mom. But what I am sure of is the current system, which capitalizes and commodifies healthcare, is not sustainable."

Jay hopes to get more involved in contacting legislators and working to get policies in place that could ease the burden on Americans who carry a heavy burden of medical debt.

"There are people who are going to read this article who owe millions in medical bills," she said. "Their two choices are bankruptcy and a payment plan that will never end. I want people to know that we see how blessed we really are, by other fighting on our behalf, and I'm going to personally fight on behalf of those going through the same situation."

*Updated 5/22/2017 at 11:38 a.m. to include more information on the hospital payment plan.
Birmingham attorney Kevin Newsom is getting the backing of attorney generals from Alabama, Georgia and Florida for his nomination a federal appeals court.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall released a letter today that is signed by him and his fellow AGs in Georgia and Florida supporting Newsom's nomination to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"We write in support of President Trump's nomination of Kevin Christopher Newsom to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit," Marshall, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, and Florida Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi wrote in a joint letter to the leadership of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Newsom is currently an attorney with the Bradley firm, where he serves as the chair of the appellate group. Prior to clerking with Souter from 2001-2001, Newsom was a clerk to Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. He is a graduate of Samford University and earned his law degree from Harvard University.

"As the chief law enforcement officers of the three states that comprise the Eleventh Circuit, we supervise hundreds of attorneys who litigate before that court. The Eleventh Circuit's decisions impact - daily - our litigation, and uphold criminal convictions and sentences," the letter states. "It is therefore of the utmost importance to us that the Eleventh Circuit be comprised of capable hardworking judges who will resolve disputes fairly and efficiently, based solely on the facts and law of each case. We are confident that Mr. Newsom will be such a judge."

The letter noted that Newsom previously served as the Solicitor General of Alabama. "In that role, he worked with Alabama's Attorney General to represent the State in appellate litigation in the Eleventh Circuit and United States Supreme Court," the three AGs wrote.
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Voters chat after voting at The Dwelling Place on Redstone Road on Nov. 4, 2014 in Huntsville, Ala. (Eric Schultz / eschultz@al.com)

( (Eric Schultz / eschultz@al.com))

Gov. Kay Ivey will sign into law today a bill to ban crossover voting in party primaries, Press Secretary Eileen Jones said.

The bill says that if a voter participates in the primary of one party, that voter cannot participate in the primary runoff of the other party.

The Republican majorities in the House and Senate passed the bills over opposition from Democrats.

"It helps the Democrats choose Democratic candidates, it helps the Republicans choose Republican candidates. It just prevents the cross-over voting so you get a pure general election with a Democrat and a Republican," Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, the sponsor of the bill, told AL.com after the bill passed the Senate in April.

Secretary of State John Merrill said the new law would be in effect for the special election for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Jeff Sessions. The party primaries for that election are Aug. 15, and runoffs, if necessary, will be held Sept. 26. Runoffs appear likely because there are 11 Republicans candidates and eight Democrats.

Merrill said the bill includes an amendment that he said will shorten waiting times at the polls. It authorizes counties to use electronic polling books for elections in place of paper sign-in sheets.

Twenty-five counties used electronic books on a pilot basis in the November 2016 election, Merrill said.

The new law allows all counties to use them with consent of their county commission and probate judge.

As for crossover voting, Democrats have had a party rule prohibiting Republicans from voting in their runoffs for decades.

Nothing stops a voter from violating the rule. But Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley said it could come into play if an election is challenged.

That happened in a landmark dispute in the 1986 Democratic primary between Bill Baxley and Charlie Graddick.

Today's bill-signing will take place in the governor's office but will not be open to the media, Jones said.

Merrill had earlier told AL.com that there would be a bill signing ceremony at the Capitol. Jones said it was Ivey's decision to sign the bill in private but she did not know the reason.

John Bennett, a spokesman for Merrill, later said there was never a signing ceremony planned and apologized for the incorrect information.

Governors sometimes hold ceremonies for high-profile bills but sign most bills privately.

Updated at 11:59 a.m. to add information from John Bennett.
Authorities have now released the name of one of he victims killed in a Sunday-evening crash in Blount County.

Alabama State Troopers identified the victim as Grady Leon Goodwin, 79, of Oneonta. A 3-year-old boy was also killed in the crash, but trooper no longer release the names of juvenile victims.

The wreck- a head-on collision - happened just after 6 p.m. on the 24000 block of Alabama 79 in the Dallas community. Multiple first responders went to the scene including the Blount County Sheriff's Office, Locust Fork and Dallas-Selfville Fire, Blount EMS, LifeSaver helicopter and Alabama State Troopers.

Law enforcement officials said they were first told that three people were injured, and that two of them were unconscious. Goodwin was pronounced dead on the scene. Two others were transported by separate helicopters and the little boy died a short time later.

Senior Trooper Chuck Daniel said Goodwin was driving a 2001 Chevrolet pickup truck that collided head-on with a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee driving by 39-year-old Heather Heaton of Warrior. Heaton was taken to UAB Hospital. The extent of her injuries wasn't made available.

The 3-year-old boy in Heaton's vehicle was taken to Children's of Alabama, where he was pronounced dead.

The crash remains under investigation
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Jody Marie Watson, left, was shot to death in the kitchen of a Clay home on April 7, 2016. Her boyfriend, Jeremy Conway Hardin, has been indicted in her slaying.

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The boyfriend of a woman who was slain in front of two of her children in the kitchen of the couple's Clay home more than a year ago has now been indicted.

A Jefferson County grand jury issued an indictment for intentional murder against Jeremy Conway Hardin on May 5, according to court records made public Monday. He is charged in the April 7, 2016 shooting death of 38-year-old Jody Marie Watson.

Jefferson County sheriff's investigators at the time of the crime said Hardin called 911 that Thursday, saying he had shot his girlfriend. At the same time of Hardin's 911 call, authorities received a second 911 call from a neighbor who said Watson's two children had gone to their house and asked them to call for help because their mother had been shot.

Deputies responded to the home in the 6300 block of Yellowhammer Drive in Clay about 3:30 p.m. and found Watson dead inside the kitchen. The home belonged to Hardin, but Watson had lived with him for several years.

Chief Deputy Randy Christian said there were two small children in the home at the time of the shooting. They were not injured, and later left with relatives. Watson also had an older son, but he had not yet returned home from school.

None of the children belong to Hardin. Christian said the investigation showed Watson was in the kitchen when Hardin walked up behind her and shot her. Though the two younger children weren't harmed, Christian said they witnessed the shooting.

Hardin told detectives there was a history of arguing and fighting between the two and he just wanted it to stop. Christian said deputies had responded to the address on three prior occasions on reports of domestic violence, the most recent call before the homicide taking place on March 9.

In that incident, Watson claimed to the be victim of domestic violence at the hands of Hardin, Christian said, but declined to prosecute. Court records don't reflect any prior criminal charges against Hardin. At the time of his arrest, he was employed as a systems operator for Alabama Power.

No trial date has yet been set.
The case of a 2013 murder in Cherokee County is now considered closed following the suicide of the prime suspect.

Vincent Hughes, 52, of Chattooga County, Georgia was shot to death in April 2013. The slaying happened on County Road 103 in the Cloudland area of northern Cherokee County.

Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver announced Monday that the case is now closed. Though he didn't release the name of the suspect, he did say he was the victim's brother. "He was the suspect the whole time,'' the sheriff said. "We just never had enough evidence to charge him with the crime."

The lead detective on the case was sheriff's Chief Investigator Josh Summerford. Investigators from the sheriff's office, Cherokee County District Attorney's Office, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and Jacksonville State University's Center for Applied Forensics worked together in the investigation.

Shaver said the suspect made statements that he had done something he could no longer live with, and committed suicide a short time later. He didn't specify the date of the suicide, and said only that it happened earlier this year and they were notified recently by Chattooga County sheriff's investigators.y

"We're sorry it happened to start with,'' Shaver said Monday. "It would have been better for us to have arrested him rather than him killing himself, but they questioned him numerous times. He never denied it, he just wouldn't admit to it."

District Attorney Mike O'Dell said investigators never gave up on the case, and provided him with periodic updates. The case is now closed.

"I hope the official closing of this case can provide the family some closure,'' Shaver said, "and help them heal."
A Vance woman was killed Sunday night in a three-vehicle crash in Tuscaloosa County.

Alabama State Troopers on Monday identified the victim as Kathy Elizabeth Vines. She was 46.

The crash happened at 9:20 p.m. on U.S. 11, one mile north of Vance, said Senior Trooper Reginal King. Vines was driving a 1999 Toyota Camry that collided head-on with a 2007 GMC Yukon. Vines was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Yukon was injured and taken to the hospital. King said the preliminary investigation shows that a 2009 Dodge was struck by the Vines' Camry prior to the collision with the Yukon.

The accident remains under investigation, and no further details were immediately available.
A teacher at Moulton Middle School is accused of having sex with a Lawrence County High School student.

Taylor Boyles

Taylor Brooks Boyles, 27, of Moulton, was arrested today on an accusation she had sex with the 18-year-old Lawrence County student, Sheriff Gene Mitchell said.

The sheriff's office, Moulton police and the Lawrence County Board of Education were involved in the case. Mitchell said shortly after learning of the possible illegal contact, board of education staff members notified law enforcement.

Boyles turned herself in and was released from the Lawrence County Jail on $10,000 bail.

School employees in Alabama who have sex with students face a Class B felony charge that's punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Gov. Kay Ivey didn't suffer a stroke in 2015, her office said, disputing ongoing reports questioning her health.

Eileen Jones, a spokesperson for the governor's office, said the health-related incident - first reported by Alabama Political Reporter - was due to the higher altitude in Colorado where the then Lieutenant Governor was attending a conference.

"Many born and bred Southerners like Governor Ivey are affected by altitude when visiting Colorado," Jones said "She was there attending the Aerospace States' Association Conference. She was vice-chair and in the absence of the chair, she ended up chairing the annual meeting.

"Did she get checked out at a hospital when at the conference? Yes. Did she have a stroke? No. Was she in the hospital 4 days? No."

Ivey returned from the conference and presided over the Senate as Lieutenant Governor the following Tuesday, Jones added.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, altitude sickness occurs when a person's body does not adjust to the lower air pressure and oxygen levels in the air at high altitudes. Symptoms can include dizziness, fatigue, headache, shortness of breath and a marked loss of energy. The symptoms generally dissipate once the person returns to a lower altitude.

Ivey, 72, has been fielding questions about her health since the report, along with questions as to whether she is physically able to conduct business in the state.

Her office dismissed those concerns last week.

"(The Governor) has been incredibly engaged with the legislature so far, as her rise to Governor occurred in the midst of a heavy legislative session," Jones told AL.com. "Her schedule is slap full, although she chooses not to jet around the state just to be seen. She prefers to get actual work done."

When asked by reporters, Ivey said "all is well."

"If you look at our schedule, it's pretty jam-packed and full and we're busy getting our hands around the activities of the state of Alabama and to see if we can't steady the ship and also work hard to tell the world that Alabama is open for business. So I'm in great shape and eager to work and am working," Ivey said.

Ivey took office on April 10 upon the resignation of Gov. Robert Bentley, who stepped down as part of plea deal over campaign and ethics violations.
If President Trump thought his foreign jaunt would be a break from controversy, he's wrong - at least if a video with First Lady Melania Trump is what it appears.

The video shows President Trump and the First Lady walking down the carpeted tarmac after landing in Israel this morning. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, walking along side, the president appears to reach back for his wife's hand. She then seems to flick his hand away with her own, leaving the president to straighten his tie and his jacket as he moves away.

"It appears First Lady Melania Trump slaps away Pres. Trump's hand as he reaches to hold it while on tarmac in Israel," Niraj Warikoo of the Detroit Free Press Tweeted.

The pair are currently on a four-nation jaunt during the president's first international trip.

Images from the tarmac show the President and First Lady smiling with the Netanyahus.

Ever Stronger

 

 pic.twitter.com/Ecf5p4HjfZ  Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 22, 2017

The First Lady herself has also tweeted images from her visit.

What a wonderful visit to #Riyadh where I met amazing women & children. Thank u to @KingSalman & the people of #SaudiArabia. pic.twitter.com/T9DTw8GnC0  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 22, 2017

When the international community comes together with shared ideas around peace & prosperity, amazing things can happen. #RiyadhSaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/oiLUbCmFCA  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 22, 2017

Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women. pic.twitter.com/bXdES83w3P  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 21, 2017

Earlier in the day, Politico reported Melania Trump was growing increasingly unhappy with members of the president's staff, specifically spokesperson Sean Spicer.
A Mississippi lawmaker has apologized for saying Louisiana leaders should be lynched for removing Confederate monuments.

Republican state Rep. Karl Oliver of Winona had said in a Facebook post that the destruction of monuments is "heinous and horrific." He accused Louisiana officials of acting in a Nazi-like fashion.

"The destruction of these monuments, erected in the loving memory of our family and fellow Southern Americans, is both heinous and horrific," Oliver said in a post Saturday night, which was removed from his page Monday. "If the, and I use this term extremely loosely, "leadership" of Louisiana wishes to, in a Nazi-ish fashion, burn books or destroy historical monuments of OUR HISTORY, they should be LYNCHED! Let it be known, I will do all in my power to prevent this from happening in our State."

The post was made after three Confederate monuments and a monument to white supremacy were removed in New Orleans.

Oliver issued a statement Monday apologizing.

"I, first and foremost, wish to extend this apology for any embarrassment I have caused to both my colleagues and fellow Mississippians," Oliver said. "In an effort to express my passion for preserving all historical monuments, I acknowledge the word 'lynched' was wrong. I am very sorry. It is in no way, ever, an appropriate term. I deeply regret that I chose this word, and I do not condone the actions I referenced, nor do I believe them in my heart. I freely admit my choice of words was horribly wrong, and I humbly ask your forgiveness."

Oliver is a funeral director and first-term lawmaker who represents a district that includes the tiny town of Money, where black teenager Emmett Till was kidnapped before being lynched in 1955, allegedly for whistling at a white woman in a grocery store. Till was from Chicago and was visiting relatives in Mississippi. His disfigured body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River, and his mother held an open-casket funeral in Chicago. Outrage over his lynching helped spark the civil rights movement.

Lynching was used in Mississippi and other states not only to kill people by hanging but also to intimidate African-Americans who sought equal treatment under the law.

Oliver's post drew bipartisan criticism in Mississippi.

Gov. Phil Bryant and House Speaker Philip Gunn, both Republicans, condemned Oliver's post.

"Rep. Oliver's language is unacceptable and has no place in civil discourse," Bryant said in a statement.

Gunn said he heard about Oliver's Facebook post late Sunday and called Oliver early Monday and told him to apologize.

"I was just shocked. I was dismayed. I was disappointed," Gunn told reporters Monday at the Capitol. "The first two words out of my mouth and my statements are 'I condemn' his statements. That's the strongest word I could come up with is condemnation. If there's a stronger word, I'll keep searching for it."

Gunn said Oliver's remarks "do not reflect the views of the Republican party, the leadership of the House of Representatives or the House as a whole."

The chairmen of the Mississippi House and Senate Democratic caucus -- Sen. Bill Stone of Holly Springs and Rep. David Baria of Bay St. Louis -- issued a joint statement condemning Oliver's post.

"The use of such inflammatory rhetoric in the context of public discourse is repugnant and does damage to the considerable advances that have been made in healing wounds caused by state-supported racism of the past," the Democrats said. "In 2017, no elected official in the State of Mississippi should be speaking in this manner regardless of any strongly held opinions concerning Confederate statues."
With Memorial Day weekend looming, it's time to start the betting pool on what time on Friday eastbound I-10 traffic will begin to back up outside Mobile's Wallace Tunnel.

If you answered "Sometime Thursday," you've been through this before. And you already know the answer to the question, "Is there any way to just get around this nightmare?"

For newcomers, the answer is, "sort of." And locals will say that in a grudging way, so as not to unduly raise people's hopes. You can read about the options below.

First, a little background: The Wallace Tunnel, actually a pair of two-lane tunnels, opened in 1973. In conjunction with the elevated I-10 Bayway, it dramatically improved capacity over the older two-lane Bankhead Tunnel and the low-lying U.S. 90 Causeway. The Wallace Tunnel was never perfect - its eastern approach features what might be the sharpest turn in the whole length of I-10 - but it was definitely bigger and better.

Someday, maybe, a grand new I-10 bridge will be built across the Mobile River, dramatically improving traffic flow. There's been talk. But that bridge isn't going to help you this year, or next year, or the one after that.

David Johnson, who oversees the Alabama Department of Transportation's Mobile-area Traffic Management Center, said the Wallace Tunnel averages 72,000 vehicles a day over the course of a year, but it's higher during summer weekends, more like 80,000 to 90,000.

ALDOT has been working to smooth traffic flow on the eastbound approach to the tunnel, cutting down the amount of merging that goes on close to the entrance. But that doesn't change the sheer number of cars trying to get through, and around Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day that number shoots up. Johnson said ALDOT expects "well over 100,000" on a peak day such as this Friday.

Fridays are the worst, with backups starting around 9 a.m. "It's constant until you get to about 8 or 9 at night," Johnson said. So if you want to breeze onto the Bayway, either hit the tunnel early or wait until late in the evening.

Saturdays aren't as bad, Sundays are relatively quiet. Westbound backups are likely on Monday and Tuesday, as beachgoers head back home.

Either way, Johnson offered the same advice for those caught up in the I-10 crawl. "Just be patient," he said. When people get aggravated and start getting aggressive, that leads to wrecks that make things worse for everybody.

Now for some advice on getting around the bottleneck.

If you're coming from the north: Easy. Turn south off I-65 at Exit 37 and take Rabun Road toward Bay Minette. It'll turn into Ala. 59 and take you all the way down to I-10 exit 44, where you can continue south toward Alabama's beaches or east toward Florida's.

Now, if you're coming from the west on I-10, here are your options:

The Bankhead Tunnel: The original U.S. 90 tunnel still connects downtown Mobile to the Causeway, at least when it hasn't been corked up by a truck driver who overestimated the available headroom. Which happens more often than you might think.

There's a catch, though. If the Wallace Tunnel is experiencing a slowdown or a temporary jam, the Bankhead Tunnel can offer a handy bypass. But when the Wallace Tunnel is massively backed up, hundreds of desperate drivers will bail out at the last couple of exits and flood into downtown's matrix of one-way streets, with predictably chaotic results. So the Bankhead Tunnel backs up too. On the bright side, things should open up when you get to the Causeway on the other side, which brings us to ...

The Cochrane-Africatown Bridge: This high-rise four-lane affair crosses the Mobile River about three miles north of downtown Mobile, and is the designated route for hazardous cargo that nobody wants going through a tunnel. Your navigation app can tell you 10 different ways to get there, but if you're eastbound on I-10, the simplest way is this: Turn north on I-65, take it through Mobile, then sweep right onto the I-165 spur, which takes you back toward downtown Mobile. Get off on Bay Bridge Road.

For the record, this is exactly the way that Johnson said he'd advise a family member to skirt the madness. "It's about 10 to 15 miles longer," he said, "but you don't have nearly the traffic volume."

From the bridge, it's a straight three-mile shot back down the east bank of the Mobile River to reach the point where the Bankhead Tunnel opens onto the Causeway. Somewhere over in Baldwin County you'll have to get back on I-10, but the tunnels and the Bayway will be far behind by that point.

The Ferry: If you're heading for Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, the Mobile Bay Ferry might be a viable option for you, though it does have some obvious limitations. Service will be running every 90 minutes this Memorial Day weekend, because one of the two ferries is undergoing repair work. Capacity is limited, and bad weather can shut down the service entirely. It's also a lengthy detour from I-10, but it's definitely the scenic route.

A ferry representative advised that the runs between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. tend to be most in demand, so you best bet is to go early or late. Tickets are $18 for most passenger vehicles counting the driver, plus $6 for every passenger 6 or older. For the latest status reports, check www.Twitter.com/mobilebayferry or www.facebook.com/mobilebayferry, or call 251-861-3000.

One last tip: You can follow @ALDOTMobileArea on Twitter for alerts.
Eight years into an economic crisis, a shortage of jobs is leading many young Greeks to turn to the land.

Lesbos, Greece  Odysseas Elytis, the Greek Nobel laureate and poet, once wrote: If you disintegrate Greece, in the end youll see that what you have left is an olive tree, a vineyard, and a ship. Which means: with these you can rebuild it.

Having endured eight years of a deepening economic crisis, thousands of young Greeks are taking heed of Elytis words by leaving the cities to work on the land.

One of them is 35-year-old Alexandros Kleitsas, who until four years ago had spent his entire life in Athens, the capital of Greece, working for a private company that certified organic products.

After spending two years being unemployed, Alexandros decided he had no other option but to leave everything behind and move to his grandparents village in Kalabaka, four hours drive north of Athens. There he started a farm with his brother and three friends.

Someone has to start producing again in this country, Alexandros says. We cant all be in the service sector and so I left the city. I started from zero, without any land or experience.

Alexandros isnt alone in his thinking. For the first time in 20 years, employment in the agricultural sector has been rising, from 11 percent in 2008, a 35-year low, to 12.9 percent in 2015, according to the latest available report by the Greek Statistical Service. Almost half of all new farmers come from the cities.

Unemployment is a major factor in the rise in people working on the land. The unemployment rate for people under the age of 25 is 48 percent and sits at 30 for those aged between 25 and 34. With many university-educated Greeks unable to find jobs in the public or private sector, thousands of 20- and 30-somethings like Alexandros are turning to agriculture.

According to figures provided by the Association of Young Farmers, there has been a 15 percent increase in farmers between the ages of 18 and 40 since the start of the economic crisis in 2009.

Despite the countrys mild climate and fertile land, for decades most Greeks opted for better-paying, comfortable, jobs in the city. EU and government agricultural policies that hurt mostly small farm owners, the majority of Greek farmers, resulted in the speeding up of urbanisation with half of the countrys population living in the two biggest cities, Athens and Thessaloniki. Land was either left uncultivated or tended to by poorly-paid migrant labourers.

Today, Alexandros cultivates organic olive oil and St. Johns wort, a herb with anti-inflammatory and antidepressant properties. He combines the two to produce a variety of skincare products called Dimitra which are sold throughout Greece and also exported to Germany, Belgium, Florida, and Bahrain.

ALSO READ: Greek punk bands raise money for refugee squats

Obstacles for first-time farmers

Greek farmers face obstacles like any other business owner or entrepreneur in the country. Constantly changing tax laws and the lack of available bank loans, especially for farmers, are some of the main challenges.

Due to the economic crisis, banks have mostly stopped lending money, even to healthy businesses, while the government sold the formerly public Agricultural Bank of Greece to a private bank in order to raise money and repay its creditors.

Since the start of the crisis, the number of first-time farmers applying for EU subsidies has doubled.

On April 25, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food reported that more than 15,000 people applied this year for the 12,000 EU subsidies available for first-time farmers in Greece, an increase from the 11,400 applicants in 2014 and the 8,600 in 2009.

The [EU] subsidies are helpful, said Yannis Tsironis, the alternate minister of rural development at a press conference in late April.

Agriculture and farming are Greeces future. There are regions in the country that are solely based on the primary sector.

Even so, the government this year raised farmers income tax from 13 to 22 percent, and to 45 percent on those whose annual income exceeds $43,600 (40,000 euros).

We need small funds so we can invest, either from EU subsidies or from an agricultural bank, says 35-year-old Thodoris Vasilopoulos, the president of the Association of Young Farmers and a third generation farmer.

But most young farmers dont have access to EU and Greek subsidies because of an anachronistic Greek law from the 1990s, he adds, explaining that because of this law, farmers who were active in that decade still receive funding while younger people cannot access them. Many of the subsidy recipients are now in their 80s, he says.

Greek bureaucracy is also a hurdle.

We farmers have to be out in the fields, Thodoris says. Things that can be done electronically should be done online and not have someone at the tax office tell you Im swamped, come tomorrow. Were not beggars. We dont want money or political favours. We just want things to run smoothly.

IN PICTURES  Lesbos: The refugee crisis in 2015; the island today

Farmers initiatives

Thodoris and other young Greek farmers have turned to organic farming as well as processing, bottling, and exporting their products themselves.





For years, Greek farmers didnt brand or bottle their olive oil. Instead, theyd sell it to Italy and Spain in bulk. There, it was bottled and sold as Italian or Spanish olive oil around the world. With the crisis, many Greek farmers decided to stop selling their olive oil in bulk and to instead bottle their own product, create a brand and market it around the world on their own.

A surplus value is added to our agricultural products when we process and bottle them, so we can make a bigger profit, Thodoris explains. This keeps us alive.

In the meantime, a movement called Without Middlemen has sprung up. Since 2012, on sporadic Sundays, producers across Greece bring their products to the cities and sell them directly to consumers, maximising their profits and lowering costs for buyers who have been hit by the crisis.

Many farmers have also created websites to sell their products online. Thodoris sells his on his website and at small stores which promote local products and take less of his profit margin than big supermarkets.

Some have turned to new products like so-called superfoods, such as certain nuts, berries, and whole grains. Both in Greece and abroad, quality wins over price, Thodoris says.

Distribution has also changed. Door-to-door and skipping the merchant are also ways for us to increase our profit, he says. Everything changes from below, from the people. We go to exhibitions together to showcase our products. We advise each other.

ALSO READ  On Dimitris Christoulas: He is a part of history now

Moving to the family farm

For many young Greeks who have the option, returning to their family farms once theyve completed their studies, has become their most viable chance for employment.

Growing up, I always thought that farming would be an extra income like it has been for my parents, says Maria Kalaboka, 27, who this month earns her masters degree in law in Thessaloniki.

But seeing the unemployment that exists in the city, I decided to make our family business my full-time job. If youre unemployed in the city, you dont have any options, Maria says. She moved home this month to start working full-time on her familys olive grove.

Speaking in her familys olive mill near the village of Plomari in Lesbos, Maria paints a bleak picture of how life in Thessaloniki means homelessness, unemployment, and depression: Here, you wont go hungry. At least youll be able to grow your own food.

The Kalabokas produce extra virgin organic olive oil, which they bottle and in 2012 started exporting to countries such as Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Japan. Eirini Olive Oil, named after Marias grandmother, often sells out a few months after bottling. The family says they produce more than 12 tonnes of olive oil per year.

Maria is poised to take over the running of the family business. Her 18-year-old sister Irini, a senior in high school, hopes to study chemistry or agriculture to later support their work.

The familys choice of product seems a natural one on an island which, with more than 11 million olive trees, is the third-most important olive oil-producing region in Greece. After Spain and Italy, Greece is the third-largest producer of olive oil in the world.

The family cultivates 20,000 olive trees  some theirs, others they rent  on the Aegean Sea.

The horses they keep in the grove are the best weed cutters and provide manure to fertilise the trees, explains Marias mother Myrta.

Theres no stigma around farming, the sisters explain, although Irini says it can sometimes prevent them from going out with their friends on a Saturday night.

But most of our friends families have a few olive trees themselves, just enough for the familys olive oil, so they know how it is, she adds.

ALSO READ: Inside the world of human smuggling

Focusing on the family business

Plomari, with a population of 3,000, is also known for its ouzo distillation. In the 19th century, it became an important trading centre because of its tanneries and soap and proximity to the Turkish shore.

In summer, its really crowded here, Maria says. There are tourists visiting us. We take them to the olive grove, we show them the mill, then cook for them and they do some olive oil tasting. We explain to them how our olive oil is like medicine. Theyre always impressed by how young we are.

Her parents, both teachers at local schools, slowly set the foundations for the family business. Before the crisis, turning olive oil production into their main source of income wasnt on their minds. But after their public sector salaries were cut and their taxes increased, they saw how hard it would be for their children to find jobs, and decided it would be prudent to focus on their business.

All four Kalaboka children have grown up working in the grove  many Greeks have family farms where children help during the harvest  but Maria says that until recently, she never thought it would be her career.

Were working here in order to have a job for all of us, especially due to the crisis in Greece, she says.

Its a difficult job, Maria says. But I really enjoy it. What the ancient Greeks called ef zin  a good quality of life  I have it here, in this beautiful environment, through this job, which I already know well, so why should I not want it? It makes me happy. Im always happy here and thats the most important thing. I cant imagine myself locked in four walls, doing the same thing every day.

Her parents say they never pressured their children to work in the family business.

We told them to study whatever would make them happy and afterwards feel free to do whatever job they wanted, Nikos, the father, says.

Economic hope

Since the crisis started, Greeces GDP has shrunk by 25 percent, while household spending is down by 40 percent. For years, EU funds were mismanaged and in some regions of the country, instead of being invested in the primary sector, they were turned into expensive cars and luxury houses.

Speaking last December to a crowd of farmers in Crete, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said: Its the countrys ethical and political obligation to support farmers. Because we have a vision, to boost the countrys economy, not only depend on tourism. A country cant depend only on tourism, especially one like Greece that has the ability to produce such great quality products.

Today, the agricultural sectors contribution to the economy has risen by one billion euros from 3.1 percent in 2008 and the beginning of the crisis, to 4.2 percent. Agricultures contribution to the Greek economy is twice that of any other country in the EU, according to the Agricultural University of Athens.

We, the young people in the primary sector, have the key to recovering from this economic crisis, Thodoris says. We can do it, as long as we work together, and work hard.
Indian authorities have accused the popular Mumbai-based preacher Zakir Naik of supporting terrorism, which he denies.

He has 16 million followers on Facebook, 150,000 on Twitter and has given more than 4,000 lectures on Islam across the world. But Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, the popular televangelist and Islamic preacher, is now wanted by the Indian authorities.

Problems arose for the preacher last summer, after Bangladeshi authorities said that one of the gunmen responsible for an attack on a cafe in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, which left 22 people dead, had been inspired by him.

Bangladesh responded by banning Peace TV, an Islamic channel broadcast from Dubai which Naik founded in 2006 and which claims to reach 100 million people worldwide.

The 51-year-old denied supporting violence, releasing a video statement in which he said: Killing innocent beings is the second major sin in Islam.

But in November, Indias counterterrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), filed a First Information Report, an official police complaint, against Naik and the Mumbai-based non-profit Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) that he founded in 1991, accusing him of indulging in unlawful activities and promoting religious hatred.

The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded by imposing a five-year ban on the IRF under the countrys anti-terror laws.

Illegal, unjustified, unwarranted

Naiks lawyer, Mubeen Solkar, told Al Jazeera that he will challenge the ban before an appropriate court.

We have got sufficient grounds to show that the ban was not only illegal but also unjustified and unwarranted, he added.

Indias Enforcement Directorate, which investigates economic crimes, has accused the IRF of money-laundering and closed its properties in Mumbai. An educational trust run by Naik has also been prevented from receiving funds from abroad.

Solkar denies that his client has been involved in money laundering. All the transactions were done through banks and all the funds came through legal channels, he said.

There is nothing to show that any of the amounts would constitute proceeds of crime, which is a requirement under the PML Act [Prevention of Money Laundering Act].

Where is Naik now?

Naik has not returned to India since last July.

His whereabouts are currently not known, although he has in recent months given interviews and conducted a press conference via Skype from Saudi Arabia, which has bestowed on him one of the countrys highest awards for service to Islam.

There have been rumours that he has been granted Saudi citizenship, but there has been no official confirmation of this.

He has offered to be questioned via video-conferencing, but the Indian authorities have refused, and earlier this month approached Interpol, the International Police Organisation, seeking his arrest and return to India.

Naik considers this to be part of a broader Indian government agenda.

In September, before the charges were filed and the ban imposed, Naik wrote an open letter in which he said: This is not just an attack on me, its an attack against Indian Muslims. And its an attack against peace, democracy and justice.

In a subsequent open letter after the charges and ban, he wrote: IRF and I were set up for a ban . It is now proven that the decision to ban IRF was taken months ago and it was a communal decision. Before investigations were done, even before reports [were] submitted, the ban was already decided  Whether it was owing to my religion or some other reason does not matter. What matters now is that my work of 25 years  completely lawful work  has been banned. And that is the most unfortunate thing for this country.

Hounded by the media

Naiks view is shared by many within Indias Muslim community, members of which have come under attack from far-right Hindu groups associated with Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kashif-ul-Huda is the editor of news website TwoCircles.net, which focuses on Muslim issues in India. He feels Naik has been targeted because he is a Muslim.

Some of the statements of Zakir Naik are problematic and his style confrontational, but he never preached violence. His lectures were always open and recordings freely available, he said.

If such a person can be hounded by the Indian media without a shred of evidence, you can imagine what happens to lesser mortals who get arrested on trumped-up charges, he added, alluding to a number of cases where Muslims have been jailed on terror charges only later to be found innocent.

But BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli rejected the charges of bias and told Al Jazeera: [The] Indian judicial system is known for its impartiality. It may be slow, but everyone gets justice eventually.

India does not require [a] certificate of its secular identity from [Zakir] Naik, who is an absconder, Kohli added.

Solkar, Naiks lawyer, stressed that his client had not committed any offence under the anti-terror UAPA law.

Six months after the police complaint was filed, Solkar said no charge-sheet has been filed so far before the NIA court.

But Kohli from the BJP said that the charges and evidence against Naik are significant.

That he has spoken in support of organisations engaged in gruesome terror is documented and available, he added.

If he has done no wrong he has nothing to fear. But if he absconds, he is only going to raise further questions about his conduct and evidence against him.

The Indian authorities have previously accused Naik of influencing young people in southern Kerala state to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS). But Naik has denied these charges and has criticised ISIL, referring to it as the anti-Islamic state.

Controversy

The doctor-turned-televangelist has been a figure of some controversy since the early 1990s.

Naik insists that his dawah work  the act of proselytising for Islam  is allowed by the constitution, which permits every citizen to follow and propagate their religion. But the issue of conversion remains controversial and several states have anti-conversion laws.

Some have accused Naik of using sectarian language, while parody videos making fun of what critics call his illogical arguments have been posted on YouTube.

There have been media reports that at one of his public talks he called on all Muslims to become terrorists  a statement Naik has said was taken out of context.

He has been denied a visa to the UK and Canada, while Malaysia has banned his lectures. Hindraf, a Malaysian minority rights group, is demanding that Malaysia cancel Naiks permanent residency there.

Mohammad Reyaz, who teaches communication at Aliah University in Kolkata, explains that Naik began preaching at a time when India was witnessing a rise in far-right Hindu groups.

The medieval-era Babri mosque in the city of Ayodhya was demolished in 1992 by a Hindu nationalist mob, who wanted to build a temple in its place. The temple movement was spearheaded by Lal Krishna Advani  a one-time mentor of Prime Minister Modi.

Mumbai, Naiks home city, was ravaged by religious riots in the aftermath of the mosques demolition, which left around 1,700 dead across the country, the majority Muslims.

In the 1990s, after the demolition of Babri masjid [mosque], Muslims felt betrayed and dejected. Traditional clerics in those times  and even now  totally appeared out of sync with [the] time, Reyaz explained.

Naik filled the leadership vacuum and overnight turned into [a] messiah for young Muslim youth looking for some escape. He not only provided them [with] answers to all the Islamophobic questions Muslims had to face every day, but gave a new-found confidence in who they were.

Reyaz explains that part of his appeal to younger and educated Muslims comes from the fact that he is articulate and speaks in English and wears a Western suit.

READ MORE: Bangladesh to ban Islamic TV channel after Dhaka attack

In 2009, Peace TV Urdu was launched, followed by Peace TV Bangla in April 2011.

In 2012, Peace TV was banned by the previous Indian government headed by the centre-left Congress Party. Indias intelligence agencies have been wary of Peace TV as it propagates the Wahabi school of Islam.

Naik being the face of this brand of Islam in India [he] became the easy target, explained Reyaz.

The Islamophobia has filtered down to a stage where all conservative Muslims are seen as possible terrorists; the distinction between conservatism and extremism has got blurred.
As US President Donald Trump arrives in Israel, analysts say efforts to revive peace talks are a charade.

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Israel as part of his first foreign trip since taking office in January, but critics have already dismissed as lip service his vows to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

The trip will include bilateral meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who was in Washington earlier this month to pledge his support to a renewed peace process.

But experts note that the Trump administrations unwavering support for the state of Israel will render any potential negotiations futile.

They [US administration] will fall over themselves loving Israel to get elected, come to their senses a bit when in office, then pay lip service to peace while serving the strategic alliance between the US and Israel by blindly supporting Israel, Sam Bahour, a Palestinian-American political commentator based in Ramallah, told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Donald Trumps Middle East visit  What to expect

Mouin Rabbani, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Institute for Palestine Studies, described the prospect of a peace deal as hot air, highlighting the lack of any concrete plan.

There is no American plan to negotiate an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, nor are there any indications that one will be forthcoming, nor is there any basis on which to speculate what such a plan might entail should it actually materialise, he said.

Since the failure of the 1993 Oslo Accords, US-led initiatives to revive a peace deal have been fruitless, leaving Palestinians with the PA, a provisional self-governing authority.





In an effort to salvage elements of the Oslo Accords, including concerns over territory, settlements, Palestinian refugees and the right of return, former US President Bill Clinton attempted to revive negotiations and reach a final-status agreement during the Camp David Summit in 2000, but the process failed  and ongoing developments, including the continued growth of illegal Jewish settlements in occupied Palestine, have stymied peace efforts in the ensuing years.

Experts believe that Trump, who is developing an even warmer relationship with Israel than previous US presidents, will have little influence in terms of stripping Israel of its preconditions to peace.

Israel has consistently used negotiations as a facade to maintain its settlement expansion policies. That policy will persist under the Trump administration, Tareq Baconi, a US-based policy fellow at Al-Shabaka Palestinian Policy Network, told Al Jazeera.

Since Trump took office, Israel has authorised the construction of 3,000 additional illegal settlement homes and announced, for the first time in 20 years, the building of a new settlement in the occupied West Bank. The controversial new US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who officially took up his post this month, is a strong supporter of settlements.

Friedmans appointment, which generated significant backlash among members of the Senate foreign relations committee and American Jewish organisations, highlights the inability and unwillingness of the US to act as an honest broker in the region, analysts say.

A person such as Friedman, with his declared conflict of interest with his material support to the illegal Israeli settlement enterprise, has a great potential to make permanent damage to the US strategic interests in Palestine/Israel, Bahour said.

READ MORE: US ambassador to Israel  Great advantage to Netanyahu

Friedman has previously expressed doubt over a potential two-state solution, which has traditionally been the bedrock of US diplomacy, and called for moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Though Israel claims Jerusalem is the capital of its state, its jurisdiction over the city is internationally unrecognised. Under the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan, Jerusalem was meant to be internationally administered.

Today, the issue is not one or two states; it's how to make the Palestinian state reality on the ground. by Sam Bahour, political commentator

In 1967, Israel illegally occupied the eastern half of Jerusalem, and in 1980, passed a law declaring it as the eternal and undivided capital of Israel.

Considering US financial and military support for Israel, the viability of the country acting as a mediator for peace negotiations has long been questioned. Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid, receiving more than $233bn since its inception in 1948.

Over the next decade, the US will give Israel another $38bn, the largest foreign aid package in US history. The agreement was brought about by former US President Barack Obamas administration, just a few months before Trump took office.

At the same time, the duties and role of the PA over the years in achieving Palestinian self-determination have increasingly been questioned. In recent months, Palestinians in the occupied territories have renewed their condemnation of Israel-PA security coordination, which they perceive as directly conflicting with Palestinian resistance to the occupation.





Under Trump, the controversial policy of security coordination is likely to continue: They work together beautifully, Trump said during a joint press conference with Abbas in the White House.

Haidar Eid, an associate professor of post-colonial literature at al-Aqsa University in Gaza, noted that the PAs commitment to security coordination with Israel and the so-called peace process will ensure its continued relevance in US-led negotiations.

The moment it moves away from those two pillars of American policy in the Middle East, it loses its role, Eid told Al Jazeera, describing peace talks as a charade that have failed to exert any real pressure on Israel. In a nutshell, Palestinian basic rights, including the right to self-determination, are not on the agenda of the Trump administration.

Although Trump recently dropped the long-standing US commitment to a two-state solution, Bahour says this is not the real issue.

Palestinians have already defined their self-determination in terms of a state. More than 130 countries already recognised that state. So today, the issue is not one or two states; its how to make the Palestinian state reality on the ground, Bahour noted. The fear is that the PA, or to be more exact, the state of Palestine, will be pressured to submit to an agreement that cannot be implemented.

OPINION: Palestinians expect nothing good from Trump

Baconi suggested that Washingtons primary aim is to strengthen Israels ties with other regional countries  effectively attempting to bypass the Palestinians and produce a broader peace between Israel and its neighbours.

This approach builds on the expanding rhetoric of Israeli-Sunni alliances. So far, this rhetoric has not produced anything concrete, and it is unlikely to do so if it comes at the cost of Palestinian rights, Baconi added.

The decision by the Gaza-based Hamas movement to issue  just days before Abbas visited the White House  a new political document recognising the 1967 borders was no coincidence, Eid said. Still, Hamas is likely to continue to be sidelined in any future negotiations.

I think that under the Trump administration, there is even less hope that any effort to engage with Hamas will be successful, Baconi said.

It will certainly be the case that Israels expected assault on the Gaza Strip will receive less push-back from a Trump administration  In the absence of any external cost that can be imposed on Israel to force it to relinquish its control of the Palestinian territories or to abide by international law, the dynamic on the ground is likely to be maintained.

On Sunday, Trump addressed the leaders of 55 Muslim countries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and said they must take the lead in combating radicalisation. The true toll of ISIS [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant], al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams, said Trump in the speech.

Hamas Movement has rejected Trumps comments saying it shows his complete bias towards Israel.

The statement describing Hamas as a terror group is rejected and is a distortion of our image and shows a complete bias to the Zionist occupation, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said in a statement on Sunday.
The United States of America is Israels largest benefactor since its inception.

The US has provided Israel with unequivocal support and remains Israels largest benefactor since its inception. Most US assistance is military, in addition to large sums of economic assistance.

The assistance has transfomed Israels armed forces into one of the most sophisticated in the world, giving it a signficant edge over neighbouring countries.

Al Jazeera breaks down diplomatic ties between the two countries and US military assistance to Tel Aviv.

The US aids Israel financially through ten-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs).

The agreements are not legally binding and nor do they have to go through the senate.

The terms of the 2019-2028 MOU differ from previous US-Israel aid agreements.

 After 2024, Israel cannot convert 26.3% of the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) dollars to shekels

 Israel cannot use a portion of its FMF to purchase fuel from the US.

 Under the terms of the new agreement, the Obama administration pledged to request $500m in annual combined funding for joint US-Israeli missile defence programmes such as Iron Dome, Arrow II and Arrow III, and Davids Sling.

Previous MOUs did not include missile defence funding.
Incident at hospital frequented by retired army officers took place on third anniversary of Thailands military coup.

A bomb explosion at a hospital in downtown Bangkok has slightly injured at least 24 people, police in the Thai capital said.

Mondays incident took place as Thailand marked the three-year anniversary of the May 2014 military coup.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The explosion occurred in a guest room for retired military officials at King Mongkut hospital, and all of the injured received treatment, local TV station TNN24 reported.

It was a bomb. We found the pieces that were used to make the bomb, Kamthorn Aucharoen, commander of the polices explosive ordnance team, told Reuters news agency.

Right now, authorities are checking out closed-circuit cameras.

Investigators found remains of batteries and wires at the scene of the blast, said Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, the deputy national police chief.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said 24 people had been wounded.

He added that three of the wounded received serious shrapnel injuries to the face and neck, but most of the victims had minor wounds.

Some of the injured were hurt by broken glass, TNN24 said.

Thailands army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, seized control of Yingluck Shinawats government three years ago, saying the military had to restore order and push through reforms after six months of turmoil.
Trumps former National Security Adviser declines to respond to a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Michael Flynn, former national Security Adviser to US President Donald Trump, has invoked the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and has declined to comply with a Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena.

The context in which the Committee has called for General Flynns testimonial production of documents makes it clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him, Flynns attorneys wrote in a letter they sent to the committee.

Initially, Associated Press news agency cited a source close to the investigation, with the Wall Street Journal, CNN and NPR following with own confirmations.





Flynns decision comes less than two weeks after the committee issued a subpoena on May 11 for Flynns documents as part of the panels investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election.

This request from the senate committee came after Flynn initially refused to provide documents in response to another subpoena dated April 28.

Flynn previously offered to testify before Congress Intelligence Committees, but only in exchange for immunity. Neither committee  House and Senate  accepted the offer from Flynns lawyer.

Last week, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said that Flynn was not cooperating so far with the committees investigation, but that he hadnt received a definitive answer on whether Flynn would testify.

Flynn and the Russian probe

On February 14, Michael Flynn was forced to resign from his post as National Security Adviser over contacts he had with Russian officials. It then became clear that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence by not disclosing these contacts.

Later it became evident that even Trump had misled his own vice president. Trump kept Pence in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting Flynn.





Then the newly appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced to recuse himself from the investigation because he failed to disclose two contacts with Russian officials.

In April, it was revealed that Flynn had failed to disclose payments he had received from Russia when applying for government security clearance.

In a series of revelations in May, it was claimed that Trump had asked former FBI Director James Comey to drop the investigation into Michael Flynn.

This information surfaced shortly after Trump had fired Comey. Trump later admitted that the Russia investigation had been a factor in dismissing Comey.

Trump later boasted to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about firing Comey, whom he called a real nutjob, and claimed that the pressure he felt from the Russia investigation was gone.

The senate committee is one of several congressional inquiries investigating possible collusion between Russia and Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.

Flynn is also the target of other congressional investigations as well as an ongoing FBI counter-intelligence probe and a separate federal investigation in Virginia.

The American Constitution says in its Fifth Amendment that no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.
Yahya Jammeh stole the money from state coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea, justice minister says.

The Gambias former ruler Yahya Jammeh stole at least $50m from the state, the countrys justice minister said on Monday, in the first major anti-corruption move by the countrys new president.

Its the first time the new government of the west African country has put a figure on the amount it believes Jammeh plundered from state coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after 22 years in power.

President Yahya Jammeh personally or under his instructions directed the unlawful withdrawal of at least $50 million, Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou said, describing withdrawals from The Gambias central bank and linked with state-owned Gamtel between 2013 and 2017.

We have today obtained a court order freezing or placing a temporary hold on the known assets in the country of former President Yahya Jammeh and companies directly associated with him, Tambadou added.

READ MORE: Remembering The Gambias notorious Mile 2 Prison

The court order concerns 88 bank accounts in Jammehs name or those of his associates, Tambadou told journalists, along with 14 companies linked with the former strongman.

Jammeh ran everything from bakeries to farms during his tenure and was regularly accused of taking over successful businesses for his own gain.

Mondays order was designed to prevent Jammeh liquidating or dissipating assets, the minister added, confirming the order applied only to the former leaders assets in The Gambia.

Last Tuesday Gambian police said three cousins of the former president would face theft charges after selling off his cattle, raising suspicions that his contacts still in the country were under scrutiny.

These discoveries are just a tip of the iceberg, Tambadou told a news conference.

WATCH: Yahya Jammeh accused of stealing millions

Interior Minister Mai Fatty accused Jammeh of taking $11m after leaving in January, adding that he also took luxury cars piled on to a Chadian cargo plane, but the claim was not backed up by the rest of the cabinet.

The Gambias longtime opposition United Democratic Party won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections in April, easily defeating Jammehs party which has been cast into the electoral wilderness by his departure.

WATCH: Barrows party wins most seats in parliamentary poll

That came after the stunning ousting of Jammeh by President Adama Barrow in a December presidential election, a result which the defeated leader fought for weeks until the threat of a regional military intervention.

Meanwhile, police continue to investigate dozens of forced disappearances under Jammehs rule, with victims clamouring for justice.

The Gambias National Assembly was long derided for acting as a rubber stamp for Jammehs decisions, but hopes are high for a revitalised chamber with a raft of fresh faces elected.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehrans help, responding to criticism from US President Donald Trump who is visiting the region.

Trump called for a US alliance with Muslim countries aimed at fighting terrorism, singling out Iran as a major source of funding and support for armed groups in the Arab world.

Rouhani, a pragmatist who won last weeks presidential election, hit back hard by dismissing the summit as a ceremonial [event] that had no political value and will bear no results.

Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran? he said at a news conference.

READ MORE: How Iran views its role in the Middle East

At a weekend summit in Riyadh, Trump accused Iran of funding and arming terrorists, militias and other extremist groups in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and backing President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias civil war.

Rouhani, who fronted Tehrans deal with six major powers in 2015 to curb Irans nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, said the US administration lacked knowledge about the Middle East.





Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all  We are waiting for the new US administration to find stability and continuity in its policies, Rouhani said.

The problem is that the Americans do not know our region and those who advise US officials are misleading them.

Rouhani said Iran was the vital force behind the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and repeated Irans official stance that the United States and Saudi Arabia are funding terrorism in the Middle East.

Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Russia. But who funded the terrorists? Those who fund terrorists cannot claim they are fighting against them, he said.

Tehran and Riyadh are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.

Fragile diplomacy

Already fragile diplomatic and trade ties between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran were severed last year, after Saudi Arabia executed a Shia cleric and, as a result, protesters ransacked the Saudi embassy in Iran.

Buying arms or building weapons wont make a country powerful. Military power is only a part of strength and we are fully aware of that. But the foundation of power is national strength and this only happens through elections, Rouhani said.

Maybe it will help if Saudi leaders let their people decide over their countrys fate by casting their vote  It will make them [rulers] stronger.

He said Iran welcomed better relations with its regional neighbours and pledged to fulfill his campaign promises of opening Iran to the world and delivering freedoms to the Iranian people.

The Iranian people voted for moderation as they know a prosperous economy and jobs can only happen through investment, and investment through freedom and interaction with the world, he said.

READ MORE: Rouhani  Iran ready to promote relations with the world

Rouhanis efforts to open up Iran to less hostile relations with the West still have to be couched in the rhetoric of anti-Americanism that has been a pillar of Iranian rule since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Irans most powerful authority  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei  has ruled out normalisation of ties with the United States.

Irans economy has slowly recovered since the lifting of sanctions last year but deals with Western investors are few and far between as foreign investors are cautious about trading with or investing in Iran, fearing penalties from remaining unilateral US sanctions.

Washington last week imposed new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile programme.

The Iranian nation has decided to be powerful. Our missiles are for peace and for defence  American officials should know that whenever we need to technically test a missile, we will do so and will not wait for their permission, Rouhani said.

Americas dream on ending Irans missile programme will never come true.
North Korea has said its ready to deploy and start mass-producing a new medium-range ballistic missile after a weekend test that sparked a fresh chorus of international condemnation.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency said the Norths leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw Sundays launch of the solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile.

The test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its adaptability under various battle conditions, the KCNA said.

Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, approved the deployment of this weapon system for action and said that it should be rapidly mass-produced.

READ MORE: North Koreas nuclear weapons  Here is all we know

The US, South Korea and Japan sharply denounced the launch and jointly requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which will be held Tuesday.

Pyongyang has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programs, even from China, its lone major ally, saying the weapons are needed for defence against US aggression. Its often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington and other US cities.

Earth is beautiful

The Pukguksong-2 flew about 500 km, reaching an altitude of 560 km, before landing in the Sea of Japan.

The North also released several pictures of the Earth said to have been taken from the rocket from space.

Kim said he was very happy to see pictures of the Earth taken by our rocket and that the world looks beautiful, KCNA said.





The use of solid fuel presents advantages for weapons because the fuel is more stable and can be transported easily in the missiles tank, allowing for a launch at very short notice.

Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, are fueled at the launch site in a process that can last an hour, making it easier to spot and easier to destroy than the solid-fuel variety.

The Souths military said the launch had provided the North with data to improve its missiles reliability, but whether it had mastered the re-entry technology for the warhead needs additional analysis.

The test-firing came just one week after the North launched a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang was capable of carrying a heavy nuclear warhead.

Analysts said that at 4,500 km the Hwasong-12 had a longer range than any previous ballistic missile successfully tested by the North, putting US bases on the Pacific island of Guam within reach  and that it could serve as a platform to develop a long-range inter-continental ballistic missile.

READ MORE: Trumps North Korea dilemma  are sanctions the way to go?

So far Washington has opted for sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while looking to China to help rein in Pyongyang.

China repeated on Monday its call for all parties to exercise restraint to not let tension mount further.

Japan said it cannot absolutely tolerate the May 21 launch.

Seouls foreign ministry slammed the reckless and irresponsible weekend firing as throwing cold water on the hope and longing of the new government and the international community for denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party to sue government over detention of at least 23 of its supporters.

Dozens of social media users in Pakistan have been detained or interrogated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for posting anti-military content, opposition parties and activists say.

On Friday, the FIA reportedly compiled a list of 33 social media users for carrying out propaganda against the army, a report in The Nation said.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had earlier asked authorities to take stern action against social media users posting negative content to malign the armed forces, according to Radio Pakistan.





At least 23 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) supporters were detained and threatened with action under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, Fawad Hussain Chauhdry, a spokesman for the party, told AFP news agency on Monday.

It is the first time the new law has been used in a broad crackdown against political opposition.

Two peope were charged under the law, including one for sharing a satirical picture of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and are on bail pending further investigation.

One of our supporters was abducted from Quetta and brought to Islamabad in an armoured car. People are being harassed and it is spreading fear, the spokesperson said.

He added the party would sue the government for intimidation and harassment in the Islamabad High Court.

In addition to political activists, a Pakistani journalist said he had received an intimidating phone call from an alleged FIA official who asked him to appear in person to explain his social media activity.

Earlier, I was told through informal channels that I should reconsider posting comments and opinions on social media related to my work on the military since they were crossing a line, Taha Siddiqui, the France24 correspondent in Pakistan, told Al Jazeera.

Now they are using counterterrorism department to silence me. Im in no way trying to malign the army as its being portrayed.

READ MORE: Disappeared  Silencing Pakistans activists

The interior ministry declined to comment on the cases.

After visiting the FIA headquarters on Sunday, PTI Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the party stood by our [detained] activists and their families. Freedom of expression and democracy go hand-in-hand.

A spokesperson for the Pakistan Peoples Party called the action unacceptable before adding that it was disturbing that in a short span of time nearly one thousand cases have been registered against social media platforms.

Nighat Daad, executive director of Digital Rights Foundation, said the detentions show a strong political movement that was currently taking place.

Social media is not entertainment any more, theres a strong political movement happening here before the elections, Daad said.

But this is a democracy, not dictatorship. There should be a process that has to be followed.

Disappeared activists

Pakistans parliament passed the cybercrime law last August, despite opposition from rights activists which said its wording was overly broad and would curb free speech.

Of particular concern was a clause that empowered the government to ban speech considered against the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan.

In January, five activists known for their outspoken views against religious extremism and the powerful military disappeared.

Four of them were returned to their families weeks later, but not before they were tarnished by a virulent campaign to paint them as enemies of Islam deserving execution.

One of them later told AFP they had been held and tortured by the shadowy Inter Services Intelligence agency.
One protester is killed after a national guard vehicle ran him over and at least 50 others injured in south Tunisia.

One person was killed after a national guard vehicle ran him over, and dozens others were injured after protesters clashed with security forces in southern Tunisia, raising fears of mounting social unrest in a region rocked by weeks of protest.

The young protester was killed on Monday after a national guards vehicle accidentally ran him, the health ministry said.

The health ministry announces the accidental death of a young man, (run over) by the national guard. He was a protester, the ministry told AFP news agency.

The death comes as tensions have risen between protesters, who are demanding jobs and a share in revenue from local gas and oil companies, and security forces outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station.

Protesters have been camping outside the desert installation in the Tataouine region for around a month, blocking trucks from entering.

Earlier on Monday, security forces fired tear gas at the demonstrators as they tried to storm the facility, local radio said, with another protest later reported in the city of Tataouine some 100 km away.

The head of Tataouine hospital, Ibrahim Gharghar, said around 50 injured people were admitted, including one who was hit in the eye by a tear gas canister.

The death of the demonstrator came two days after soldiers fired warning shots in El Kamour to deter protesters.

It was the first escalation since President Beji Caid Essebsi said earlier this month the army would protect key economic installations from being disrupted by protests over social and labour issues.

READ MORE: Tunisian forces clash with protesters at oil fields

Late on Sunday, the defence ministry warned in a statement that the army would use force against anyone who tried to enter those installations.

The statement warned all citizens of legal proceedings in the case of clashes with military or security units and of possible casualties in the case of a gradual escalation of use of force.

One must understand that attempting to enter by force an installation protected by the army is not a peaceful act It requires a reaction, ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati told Express FM radio on Monday.
Oakes would have turned 75 on May 22, and a Google Doodle has been created in his honour.

Richard Oakes was a leading Native American activist, best known for leading the Occupation of Alcatraz.

A Google Doodle has marked what would have been his 75th birthday.

Oakes was born in New York on May 22, 1942. He was a member of the Mohawk tribe, which originated in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.

He spent much of his childhood fishing and planting crops, but this way of life was destroyed by the construction of the St Lawrence Seaway, a vast system of locks, canals and channels. Oakes found work as a docker and a steelworker.

In 1968 he married and had a son, but he divorced shortly after and moved to San Francisco, enrolling at San Francisco University.

Dissatisfied with the curriculum, Oakes played an integral role in developing the first Native American studies department in the nation. He developed the curriculum and encouraged other Native American people to enrol at the university.

READ MORE: A Native-American nation divided

Oakes became a champion of social justice for Native Americans, and in 1969 he led a series of protests, including leading a group of more than 80 people to occupy the disued Alcatraz Island for almost 19 months.

We invite the United States to acknowledge the justice of our claim by Richard Oakes

According to the protesters, abandoned or out-of-use federal land could be returned to the Native people under the Treaty of Fort Laramie.

Since Alcatraz penitentiary was closed, and the island had been declared a surplus federal property, many activists felt the island qualified for reclamation.

The protesters aimed to set up a community, complete with a university, museum and cultural centre, but they also wanted the government to acknowledge the rights to Native Americans to claim the out-of-use federal land as their own.

We invite the United States to acknowledge the justice of our claim. The choice now lies with the leaders of the American government  to use violence upon us as before to remove us from our Great Spirits land, or to institute a real change in its dealing with the American Indian, said Oakes in a message to the San Francisco office of the Department of the Interior.

We do not fear your threat to charge us with crimes on our land. We and all other oppressed peoples would welcome spectacle of proof before the world of your title by genocide. Nevertheless, we seek peace.

In June 1971, the government removed the remaining 15 occupants from the island. However, the occupation started a national dialogue about the plight of Native Americans, and soon after President Nixon spoke in support of self-determination.

Oakes continued with his activism, and in 1971 he aided the Pit River Tribe to recover nearly three million acres of land that had been seized by Pacific Gas and Electric. Oakes also envisioned a mobile university aimed at creating opportunities to Native Americans, but the project didnt materialise.

As a result of his activism, Oakes endured tear gas and brief stints in jail. He was shot and killed after an argument with a Californian YMCA leader in 1972.

Heres to Richard Oakes, for his unwavering dedication to his community and social justice, wrote Google.
World Health Organizations spending on travel exceeded its expenditure on public health problems, report says.

The World Health Organization spent about $200m in 2015 and 2016 on travel, a figure that far exceeds what it spends on public health problems such as AIDS, the Associated Press (AP) news agency has reported.

Citing internal documents, AP reported on Sunday that the UN health agency is struggling to reign in travel expenses even as it pleads for more money to fund its responses to global health crises.

Despite introducing controls, members of staff have been breaking rules by booking business class plane tickets and rooms in five-star hotels, AP reported.





WHO Director-General Margaret Chan came under heavy criticism, with AP citing three unnamed sources who said she often travelled first class. She is reported to have spent $370,000 on travel in 2015.

The WHO has denied the allegations against Chan, saying she strictly abides by WHOs travel policies.

Travel is an essential aspect of WHOs global health work  convening experts for collective decision-making on health interventions or travelling experts anywhere in the world that requires technical assistance for global health, the WHO told Al Jazeera in a statement.

The WHO, which employs 7,000 people worldwide, said that less than half of its travel costs were on its staff.

Rules ignored

The UN allocates an annual budget of $2bn for the WHO.

In 2016, the agency spent $200m on travel while the figure was $234m in 2015, the year of the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, according to AP figures.

In comparison, the report said, WHO spent about $71m on AIDS and hepatitis last year. On malaria, it spent $61m, and to slow tuberculosis, it invested $59m.

An internal analysis, obtained by the news agency, found that only two of seven departments at WHOs headoffice in Geneva met their targets, and concluded the compliance rate for booking travel in advance was between 28 and 59 percent.

READ MORE: Why is the world suffering from a penicillin shortage?

WHOs transport costs were much higher than that of other comparable aid agencies, AP continued.

With 37,000 aid workers, Doctors Without Borders spends about $43m on travel per year, while the UN childrens agency UNICEF, which employs 13,000 people, said it spent $140m on global travel in 2016.

Experts who spoke to AP warned that WHOs travel spending could have significant consequences for fundraising.

Dr Ashish Jha, the director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard University, said: If WHO is not being as lean as possible, its going to be hard to remain credible when they make their next funding appeal.

The organisation has asked for about $100m to save people in Somalia from an ongoing drought and requested $126m to stop the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
US president promises to help broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, but avoids delving into details of the conflict.

US President Donald Trump has concluded talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by promising to help broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal but gave little indication of how he could revive negotiations that collapsed in 2014.

Its not easy. I have heard it is one of the toughest deals of all, but I have a feeling that we are going to get there eventually. I hope, Trump said after the meeting in west Jerusalem on Monday, without elaborating.

He chose to focus firmly on Iran, pledging he would never let Tehran acquire nuclear arms and saying the deal struck with Tehran by the Barack Obama administration needed fixing.

The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon  never ever  and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias, Trump said earlier on Monday.

Trump also expressed hope on joining hands with Muslim leaders to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

There are many things that can happen now [] that includes [] defeating the evils of terrorism and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering, he said.

READ MORE: How Israel is targeting Palestinian institutions

In my visit to Saudi Arabia, I met with many leaders of the Arab and Muslim world  These leaders voiced concerns we all share about ISIS, about Irans rising ambitions and rolling back its gains and about the menace of extremism that has spread through too many parts of the Muslim world.

Trump said he was encouraged that they pledged cooperation to confront terrorism and the hateful ideology that drives it so hard.

In Tehran on Monday, Irans newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ridiculed US strategy in the Middle East, dismissing Trumps summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia as just a show.

Talks with Abbas

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trumps inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.





Al Jazeeras Hoda Abdel Hamid, reporting from Bethlehem, said the Palestinians had very low expectations.

The Palestinians just want to understand what Trump means when he talks about his vision for bringing about this very difficult peace deal. Also what he means when he says he has hopes and that its easier than people might think, she said.

Trump has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the ultimate deal is possible, vowing we will get it done.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a long-standing concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.
US president has called Israeli-Palestinian peace the ultimate deal, but has been vague about how to achieve it.

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Israel for a visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem to seek ways to restart talks between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government.

Trump spoke of a rare opportunity to bring peace to the region as he landed in Tel Aviv on Monday.

His visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to focus on unity in the fight against terrorism.

On Monday afternoon, the US prediedent held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and toured two sites in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem.

His first stop was the Kaneesat al-Qeyaamah, or Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

READ MORE: Riyadh summit discusses ways of rooting out terrorism

Afterwards, he visited the Western Wall, the holiest site for Jews.

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

West Jerusalem has been part of present-day Israel since the 1948 war, which led to creation of the state of Israel and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. From 1948 until 1967, Jordan controlled the West Bank.

But during the June 1967 Middle East War, Israel occupied the remaining territories of historical Palestine  the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

More than half-a-million Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in violation of international law.

While Israel claims to have annexed East Jerusalem, the international community has not recognised that move and considers it occupied territory. The Palestinian Authority sees East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Trump met Netanyahu at 6pm local time (15:00 GMT).

Enormous challenge

Mohamed Shtayyeh, a former Palestinian negotiator, told Al Jazeera that the key sticking point was the issue of Israels illegal settlement construction in occupied Palestinian territory.

Can President Trump put Netanyahu in a situation in which he is going to stop settlements, or not. I think this is the real test.

If Trump can deliver Netanyahu on the issue of settlements, I think well have a good way out. If not, then i think the whole process will be doomed, Shtayyeh said.

Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, said Trump will not be an honest broker in future talks.

He [Trump] has a complete bias towards the Israeli occupation  which is a wrong US approach towards the Palestinian people, Barhoum told Al Jazeera.

Trumps statement concerning the Hamas movement and describing it as a terror group is altering facts and we reject it.

The United States is Israels most important ally, providing it with more than $3bn in defence aid annually.

General strike

Ahead of Trumps arrival, Palestinians were holding a general strike in the West Bank in solidarity with hunger striking prisoners in Israeli jails.

Hundreds of protesters blocked roads in cities and towns of the West Bank as the hunger strike entered its 36th day on Monday.

A Palestinian advocacy group says several of the hundreds of hunger striking prisoners were moved to hospitals.

The Palestinian prisoners affairs committee called for a day of rage on Tuesday, for the voice of the prisoners to be heard by the president.

Trump is scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday.

Negotiations toward the establishment of two separate states  one for the Israelis and one for Palestinians  have in the past proven fruitless. The repeated failure of negotiations has led to increased Israeli settlement activity and even less territory on which a Palestinian state could potentially be established.

Trump has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the ultimate deal is possible, vowing we will get it done.

It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years, Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

US embassy move shelved

At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the occupied West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

During his presidential campaign, Trump advocated breaking with decades of precedent and moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

READ MORE: How Israel is targeting Palestinian institutions

Trumps seeming openness to at least some of Abbas concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the countrys history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trumps election.

However, Trumps actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv  at least for now  and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.
Security forces fire tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding jobs and share of gas and oil revenues.

Tunisian security forces fired tear gas on Monday to disperse hundreds of protesters demanding jobs and a share in revenue from gas and oil companies, as weeks of unrest over jobs and funding in the countrys southern provinces escalated into violence.

Protesters briefly forced the closure of the Vana pumping station, one of several oil and gas stations affected over the weekend, after the army allowed an engineer to shut it to avoid a confrontation.

The defence ministry warned that it would use force to protect and retake southern oil and gas facilities, and clashes broke out at Vana on Monday when the military took back control to restart the pump, two witnesses said.

One must understand that attempting to enter by force an installation protected by the army  is not a peaceful act. Its an attempt to enter by force and it requires a reaction, defence ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati told Express FM radio on Monday.

READ MORE: Thousands protest Tunisias corruption amnesty bill

Protesters forced over the weekend the closure of two oil and gas pumping stations, where Italys ENI SpA, Austrias OMV AG and Frances Perenco operate, and where Prime Minister Youssef Chahed had already deployed troops.

Tunisia is a small oil producer with an output of about 44,000 barrels per day.

But the closures represent a clear challenge to the authority of Chaheds government as it tries to enact economic reforms demanded by international lenders and consolidate Tunisias transition to democracy six years after an uprising forced long-term ruler Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali out of office and into exile.
More than 220 suspects, including over two dozen former Turkish generals, have gone on trial accused of being among the ringleaders of the attempted coup last year aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Protesters outside Turkeys largest courtroom in the Sincan district of Ankara called on Monday for the death penalty for the accused and flung rope nooses at the defendants as they were paraded into court handcuffed and held by the security forces.





We want the death penalty, we dont want them to be fed and housed here. We want these traitors to be buried without any flag, said protester Cengiz Ozturk.

Turkey abolished the death penalty as part of its drive to join the European Union but Erdogan has on occasion indicated it could be reimposed to deal with the coup plotters.

There was heavy security in place on Monday, with a drone flying overhead and armoured security vehicles on site as well as snipers on the roof.

Hearings at the trial, one of the largest of several coup-related trials taking place across Turkey, are expected to last until June 16.

Turkey blames the attempted July 15 putsch on the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a claim he strongly denies, and has launched a relentless purge under a state of emergency against those deemed to have backed the plot.

Gulen is among 12 of the 221 suspects in the current trial who remain at large, with the remainder appearing in court for the first time inside a prison complex in Sincan.

READ MORE: Turkeys failed coup attempt  All you need to know

Twenty-six generals are among those charged, including former air force chief Akin Ozturk and Mehmet Disli, the brother of senior ruling party politician Saban Disli.

Also on trial is Colonel Ali Yazici, Erdogans former military aide, and Lieutenant-Colonel Levent Turkkan, who was the aide of Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar.

The most prominent figure among the suspects, Ozturk was dressed crisply in a black sweater and held a blue file as he was led into the court.

His appearance contrasted with the last-known image of him, which showed him bearing injuries including a bandaged ear after his capture two days after the coup bid.

Almost 40 of those on trial are accused of being part of the Peace At Home Council, the committee established by the suspected coup plotters to replace the government if the putsch had succeeded.

The charges against them include violating the constitution, using coercion and violence in an attempt to overthrow the parliament and the Turkish government, martyring 250 citizens and attempting to kill 2,735 citizens, Hurriyet daily reported on Sunday.

The attempted putsch left 248 people dead, according to the Turkish presidency, not including 24 coup-plotters killed on the night.
The US president calls on Muslim leaders to join his fight against violence in the name of religion.

Donald Trumps first trip abroad as president was to Saudi Arabia, and the capital Riyadh laid on a grand royal welcome.

A business deal worth $350bn was signed between the United States and Saudi Arabia, about one-third of which was for weapons.

The visit also provided an opportunity to realign perceptions of power in the region.

Trumps predecessor Barack Obama seemed to distance himself from Saudi Arabia by working with Iran as a regional leader.

As a longtime critic of Iran, Trump is looking to reverse that policy. But it was his speech at the Arab-Islamic-American summit that was the most anticipated, addressing the Muslim world  a world he had been strongly critical of during his election campaign.

Now he was urging Muslim leaders to share the burden in defeating those he described as Islamist extremists, saying a better future was possible only if they helped drive out the terrorists.

He stuck to the speech written by his senior adviser Stephen Miller. But was the overture from Trump genuine?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests:

Robert Jordan  former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Ahmed Alibrahim  a Saudi affairs specialist

Henri Barkey  director of the Middle East programme at Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars

Sadegh Zibakalam  professor of political science at the University of Tehran
The case against Assange is as political as it is legal; where does it go from here? Plus, Kenyas election influencers.
Dr Marc Lamont Hill is an award-winning journalist and author and is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. Hill is known for his work addressing the intersections of race, justice, politics and culture. His latest best-selling book is We Still Here: Pandemics, Policing, Protest and Possibility which follows on the success of Nobody: Casualties of Americas War on the Vulnerable from Flint to Ferguson. Hill has received numerous prestigious awards from the US National Association of Black Journalists, GLAAD, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Indian musician Taru Dalmia is convinced his reggae sounds can play a role in political activism, and decides its time to act when a wave of protests erupts at universities across India.

To take his music into the hearts of rallies and communities, he raises money to build a giant sound system and hits the road.

Taru hopes his hand-built stack of speakers can support protesters alleging that free speech is being suppressed under Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist government.

But hes uncertain how local artists and activists will react. Will they embrace his Jamaica-inspired music, or see him as a naive outsider out of touch with the countrys politics?

FILMMAKERS VIEW

By Vikram Singh

Under the government of Narendra Modi, a shift towards right-wing Hindu nationalism has taken place in India in the past three years, apparent in government policies and public discourse. One of the major consequences of this has been a growing concern that free speech is being curtailed  and this is something that is of personal concern to me as a journalist and filmmaker.

I wanted to make a film that explored the issue through the eyes of someone who is engaging with it in their work, ideally an artist. I started scouting around for artists, writers and musicians who might be producing work in response to the growing right-wing movement in the country.

Taru was already on my radar because his band, the Ska Vengers, had produced a video after Modis election called A Message to You, Modi, which was really direct and bold. The lyrics include Stop your fooling around / Messing up our future / Time to straighten right out / You should have wound up in jail.

He had also been involved in a project called World Sound Power, which tried to meld Indian folk resistance music with Jamaican sounds, with lyrics focusing on caste violence, state abuse of power and crony capitalism.

When I heard about Tarus plans to build a sound system and tour protest sites with it, I immediately saw the potential for a really compelling story, both visually and in terms of narrative.

The first time we spoke, it was apparent that this is something hed been dreaming of doing his whole life, that it meant a lot to him and he was extremely motivated. Its been fascinating to see his idea grow into the reality of the sound system, and from that into a vibrant community of people who come for the shows, both to contribute musically and also just to dance.

I have to admit to being obsessed with sound and speakers myself. The chance to film this huge rig being built, then set up and listening to these rare reggae records playing from it has been a real treat. I also love to film people dancing, and this journey gave us the chance to witness some truly spectacular moments, people just letting go and dancing with complete freedom. I hope people watching the film get a sense of how special that vibe was.
The Ministry of Posts, Telecom and Technology held today in Mogadishu a consultation meeting on the Draft Communication Law as part of series of meetings aimed at increasing public participation in the draft law. The conference, which was attended by more than 20 representatives from the ICT Working Group comprising of public and private sectors, []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
In recent months Boeing has signed contracts with Iranian airlines for the sale of over 100 state-of-the-art aircraft. Iran has a history of supplying terrorists with advanced weaponry on commercial airplanes and the U.S. government must not allow Boeing to sell aircraft to Iran.

Iran regularly uses commercial aircraft to transfer advanced weapons to the Syrian regime in support of the brutal Syrian civil war that has left approximately half a million dead. Iran also arms Hizballah with weapons and missiles via commercial aircraft.

Despite this, Boeing chooses to callously and treacherously turn a blind eye to the usage of Boeing aircraft in the service of terrorists who threaten U.S. national security and that of key allies such as Israel.

Hizballah is a terrorist proxy army of Iran responsible for the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings that claimed the lives of 305 people, including 241 U.S. peacekeepers. Hizballah was also responsible for starting the 2006 Lebanon War against Israel.

Boeing may argue that pursuant to the Iran nuclear deal (aka the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) its perfectly legal to sign aircraft contracts with Iranian airlines not currently sanctioned. They may note that the Boeing deals with Iranian airlines would support close to 118,000 U.S. jobs and offer an important boost to the economy.

The Boeing deals made to date would provide up to 140 American-made aircraft. They include a December 2016 contract with Iran Air valued at $16.6 billion for the purchase of eighty new aircraft, including fifty 737 MAX 8s and thirty 777s and an April 2017 Boeing contract with Aseman Airlines valued at $3 billion for the sale of thirty 737 MAX airplanes (with an option for an additional thirty, allowing for a $6 billion cost for sixty aircraft). Iran has said that it negotiated with Boeing to pay only about $8 billion for the Iran Air contract. In addition, Aseman Airlines would also likely only pay approximately half of the announced contract amount.

In 2011, the U.S.Treasury Depeartment sanctioned Iran Air for its employment by Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) for its transport of military related equipment. On January 16, 2016, pursuant to the Iran nuclear deal, Iran Air was officially delisted from the Treasury Departments list of sanctioned entities. While it may seem to the casual observer that Iran Air has ceased support for terrorism and the Syrian regime since being delisted from sanctions, that could not be farther from the truth.

In congressional testimony, Dr. Emanuele Ottolenghi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies testified that from Implementation Day of the Iran nuclear deal on January 16, 2016 through March 30, 2017, 690 commercial flights participated in airlifts from Iran to Syria. Half of those flights (345) were flown by Iran Air (114) and Mahan Air (231). These airlines undoubtedly ferry weapons and fighters to support the Syrian dictatorship and terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah.

While Mahan Air is still under U.S. sanctions, the state-owned Iran Air is fully capable of transferring aircraft to Mahan Air. There are currently only thirty-four aircraft in the Iran Air fleet, two of which were delivered this year by Airbus. Overall, Iran plans to add approximately 500 airplanes to its commercial fleet of about 251 aircraft, effectively tripling its commercial air fleet.

While this would improve the safety of Iranian air travel, it would come at the steep cost of substantially advancing the capability of Iran to quickly arm Hizballah with advanced weapons that would threaten Israel and the region. Dr. Ottolenghi notes that Iran Air, with its dramatically expanded air fleet, would likely act as a front for other Iranian airlines that support the Syrian regime and Hizballah.

On July 12, 2016, Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon revealed that Hizballah has 120,000 missiles aimed at Israel - a whopping seventeen times the number of missiles it possessed just a decade earlier during the 2006 Lebanon War, estimated at 7,000! Then, in November Danon informed UN Security Council members that The Iranian Al-Quds Force packs weapons, ammunition and missile technology to Hezbollah in suitcases and puts them on Mahan Air flights, adding that these planes fly directly to the airport in Lebanon or Damascus and from there the weapons are transferred on the ground to Hezbollah.

Boeings focus on achieving lucrative deals with Iranian airlines that could net them upwards of $10 billion to $20 billion dollars (depending on final amount agreed by the parties) potentially comes at the expense of the lives and the well-being of an untold number of innocent civilians suffering the ravages of the Syrian civil war. In addition, the very real threat to life and limb of millions of Israelis posed by a strengthened Hizballah terrorist organization are all too clear.

In an April 10, 2017 letter to President Trump, Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Peter Roskam urged a stop to the Boeing deal, stating:

Iran Air, Mahan Air, and other privately and publicly-owned Iranian commercial airlines use commercial aircraft to transport weapons, troops, and other tools of war to rogue regimes like the Syrian dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, and militant groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen Compelling evidence indicates that commercial Iranian airliners remain pivotal in delivering military support to terrorist groups and dictatorships around the Middle East.

By supporting these terrorist groups and rogue regimes, Irans commercial airlines have American blood on their hands

The U.S. Treasury Department outlined Iran Airs support of terrorism and terrorist-related activities in its 2011 press release announcing sanctions, as follows:

Iran Air has provided support and services to MODAFL and the IRGC through the transport and/or transfer of goods for, or on behalf of, these entities. On numerous occasions since 2000, Iran Air shipped military-related electronic parts and mechanical equipment on behalf of MODAFL Iran Air has shipped military-related equipment on behalf of the IRGC since 2006, and in September and November 2008, Iran Air shipped aircraft-related raw materials to a MODAFL-associated company, including titanium sheets, which have dual-use military applications and can be used in support of advanced weapons programs. Rockets or missiles have been transported via Iran Air passenger aircraft, and IRGC officers occasionally take control over Iran Air flights carrying special IRGC-related cargo. The IRGC is also known to disguise and manifest such shipments as medicine and generic spare parts, and IRGC officers have discouraged Iran Air pilots from inspecting potentially dangerous IRGC-related cargo being carried aboard a commercial Iran Air aircraft, including to Syria. Additionally, commercial Iran Air flights have also been used to transport missile or rocket components to Syria.

At best, the tunnel vision, or at worst, the careless indifference to the potential loss of life of so many by these Boeing-Iran deals indicate that Boeing is acting in bad faith with the American people and with U.S. National Security. Such contracts threaten the safety and security of not only American allies such as Israel, but of the United States itself.

Therefore, the U.S. Congress and President Trump must put an immediate stop to the Boeing aircraft sales to Iran.
There is a campaign, which ironically started in the United States, but which has now spread all over the world, to have PayPal, the internet payment processing company, extend its services to Palestine. No matter what happens, this proposal is fraught with landmines.

PayPal offers its services to over 200 countries, in at least 25 currencies. So its scope is pretty much universal, with the exception of a few areas. There ia a rogue's gallery of countries which are not connected to PayPal, but only a few. Many of those are pretty much totalitarian. The rest are prohibited because of concerns that payments would be either fraudulent or used to fund illegal or terrorist causes.

This reluctance to connect PayPal to Palestine has been a source of major criticism from around the world, especially since PayPal does operate in nearby adjacent Jewish communities. It is preventing a large community of well-educated IT professionals in the contested areas and Gaza from getting employment -- especially needed for those stuck on the wrong side of the security fence, where unemployment is rampant.

The American Group, A4VPE (Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy), has been running a major campaign to bring PayPal to the contested areas. In August of 2016, they sent an open letter to the President of PayPal, Mr. Dan Shulman.

We have been told that PayPal is concerned about the compliance investments required to enter the Palestinian market. We believe such costs have been greatly overestimated. The U.S. Treasury Department has spent a great deal of time working with the Palestine Monetary Authority to strengthen safeguards against abuse. PayPal currently operates in over 203 countries including places with major problems of corruption and terrorism like Somalia and Yemen. We are confident that Palestine will prove a much easier place to profitably do business than these and other markets that PayPal has already entered. In addition to business reasons, there are also ethical reasons for PayPal to enter the Palestinian market. PayPals decision to launch its service in Israel for Israeli bank customers means that it inadvertently made its services freely available to Jewish settlers living illegally in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians living in close proximity to those settlers do not, however, have access as PayPal doesnt work with Palestinian banks and Palestinians are unable to establish Israeli bank accounts. -- A4VPE

Technically, there is no reason that PayPal could not be extended to the Palestinian areas, if technology were the only concern as Tech Crunch noted:

PayPal currently does not work for Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza, but does work for Israelis living in settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal by international law [H]ow an Internet platform could work in some areas of a country but not in another -- where the areas in question are in some cases literally meters apart -- is puzzling to say the least. -- Tech Crunch (emphasis mine)

The criticism has gone international.

PayPal is battling a growing chorus of opposition to its refusal to serve customers in the Palestinian territories, as British politicians join a US campaign group and hundreds of Palestinian nationals in calling for the payments service to lift its Palestinian blackout. -- VICE

This issue is not being ignored in Europe, where it will gather a more sympathetic ear than in the United States.

That this House notes with concern and surprise that the worldwide online payment system, PayPal, is not available to use for Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, despite it being available to users in Israel and Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank -- British Parliament Website

PayPal, eBay, Amazon: les Palestiniens protestent contre la discrimination  Le Voix du Monde French Public Radio

Anyone in their right mind can see what is going on. Despite official obfuscations, and polite excuses, PayPal is merely dodging a bullet. Were PayPal to connect its services to the contested areas, the ability to wire in funds to armed groups would open up.

Given the state of U.S. law, particularly Holder vs. Humaniatrian Law -- a law so expansive that even Rudolf Giuliani criticized its reach -- and given the determination of groups such as the Israel Law Center to sue over any financial connection to any questionable arena in the Mideast -- any American company would be insane to open up financial opportunities to the Palestinians, even legitimate ones.

TEL-AVIV BASED CIVIL RIGHTS CENTER FILES LIEN AGAINST BOEING

"American companies like Boeing should not be profiting from business opportunities with Iran while billions of dollars in federal court judgments for Iranian terror victims remain unpaid." -- Israel Law Center

Anything that impacts on Israeli security, even indirectly, will be subjected to unremitting lawsuit. There is some evidence that the Israel Law Center may be a proxy for the Israeli government, though it claims to be independent.

Leitner said that in many of her cases she receives evidence from GOI [Government of Israel] officials, and added that in its early years ILC took direction from the GOI on which cases to pursue. -- Wikileaks

So one can understand PayPal's reluctance. Connecting PayPal to Palestine would open up a hornet's nest of lawfare litigation. Facebook was sued by the Israel Law Center for not policing its own free speech platform. PayPal, which transacts with money, would be in a worse position.

Compounding the problem is the increasingly large number of IT professionals being educated in Gaza, who would love to do freelance work over the internet, if they could get paid. One of the few ways to make decent money under blockade.

[T]he local [Gazan] business community has confronted a rare conundrum: how to harness an unusually well-educated labour force in an economy that is almost entirely shut off from the outside world.  But for most workers, the biggest issue is how to get paid.  [B]anks often err on the side of caution by blocking suspicious transactions to Gaza, fearing penalties... -- Middle East Eye

Finally, it has come out that PayPal employs a large amount of IDF vets, who probably would balk at connecting Palestine.

PayPal employees in Tel Aviv, mostly veterans of the army intelligence corps, team up with algorithms to decide whether your transaction should go through. -- Haaretz

None of this would trouble most people here at American Thinker, but it is causing a bit of an internet brouhaha. So, it would seem there is absolutely no chance, for whatever reason, that PayPal will connect to Palestine. This will dampen terrorist funding for a while, even if it leaves an unusually large community of well-educated IT professionals unemployed.

Except that Bitcoin is now entering in to the picture.

The absence of PayPal and other financial networks in such regions opens a large demanding market for Bitcoin. -- LiveBitcoinNews

With No Currency of Their Own, Palestinians Eye 'Bitcoin' as Alternative to Israeli Cash -- Haaretz

With a large amount of unemployed IT professionals in Gaza and the contested areas, setting up a Bitcoin, or similar exchange, should be easy; and it may happen sooner than expected. This would be a nightmare for Israeli security, unless they shut down the internet in the territories altogether, which would cause a firestorm of protests that would not go away.

A jihadist Telegram channel forwarded the Jahizuna (Equip Us) fundraising campaign to purchase weapons and arm jihadists in Palestine by using Bitcoin, and included weapon costs and impacts. -- Site Intel Group

PayPal, which does some tracking, may the least detestable alternative, yet I doubt PayPal would move, as they would be laid open to lawsuit.

It looks like Bitcoin will move in. Expect the worst.

Mike Konrad is the pen name of an American who wishes he had availed himself more fully of the opportunity to learn Spanish in high school, lo those many decades ago. He writes on the Arabs of South America at http://latinarabia.com.
The long overdue firing of the political hack running the FBI has inevitably produced from Democrats that dreary "Watergate" trope: Trump is Nixon, and the Republic is in danger. These are, of course, the same Democrats who stonewalled efforts to show the corruption of Lois Lerner persecuting conservatives, the criminal destruction of government records, and the transparent lies IRS officials told Congress under oath.

These are the same Democrats who never cared about any of the myriad Obama scandals and who never, ever troubled themselves about the vast ocean of Clinton crimes, perjuries, or gross immoralities. These are the same Democrats who accepted utterly inconceivable and often impossible statements by their prospective nominee  whom they nominated in spite of profound ethical shortcomings  to pander to the Clinton Legacy and to vile "feminism."

The reality is that Watergate was not remotely as bad as the pettiest of Clinton or Obama administration wrongdoings. Watergate involved a break-in, a cover-up, and Nixon aides answering congressional questions with answers like "To the best of knowledge at this point in time" Americans grasped the lawyer-driven avoidance, and out of Watergate came the requirement in most states that every lawyer each year have a certain number of hours of "legal ethics" education. (Do we laugh or cry at the "success" of that "reform?")

Democrats have not cared about corruption in government for a long, long time. The political careers of two Democrat presidents, Truman and Kennedy, were constructed upon malodorous big-city political machines, and Kennedy won the 1960 election largely because of yet another such machine, the Boss Daley vote-stealing organization. FDR used the IRS to harass his opponents, and he used nearly every part of the federal government to intimidate opponents and reward his hacks.

There has never been, however, a Democrat "Watergate," because Democrats have long been willing to do anything to win. What made Watergate special is that the only folks in Washington who really cared about abuse of federal power and violation of the law by federal officials were conservative Republicans.

Barry Goldwater, particularly, made it clear in Washington that his love for the Republic was greater than his affection for the Republican Party. Ronald Reagan, who like Goldwater was never touched by even the hint of scandal, who was not in Washington at the time, was likewise disturbed by Nixon, a man never trusted by conservatives in the Republican Party. Without the abandonment of Nixon by conservative Republicans, Nixon might have weathered Watergate.

Today there is no check like that. Republicans in Washington are in politics for their own aggrandizement, and this certainly includes the pseudo-conservatives in Congress as well. This means not only that these folks will not abandon those Republicans who are crooks who game the system just because they are crooks who game the system, but that these pseudo-conservative Republicans are not appalled by this sort of behavior. Indeed, they do not want the rules of propriety in politics tightened too much, because their future lies in levering their influence in Washington into cushy jobs, big book deals, and career steps for family members.

Even worse  and it takes real work to get worse than Washington politicians  is the so-calledFourth Estate in Washington, that notional check on rotten government and rottener politicians, which long ago abandoned any pretense at factuality, objectivity, and integrity. Instead, its denizens feast upon the stench of Washington and have less interest in good government than anyone else in that city.

What that means is that almost no one in Washington, really, cares about who is using his position just for himself, because almost everyone is doing just that. Bending the rules and breaking laws and violating the most basic notions of honor matter only insofar as this malfeasance by someone else translates into political gain, popularity, and prospects for the politician who exposes the wrongdoing.

Our political system at the federal level has become so very, very jaded that fiddling the system is seen as normal as in some third-world nation  a status we will soon achieve at present vectors of moral descent. Perhaps this is why one of the loudest and most insistent demands at Trump's rallies last year was the voice of ordinary, angry, disgusted Americans, who yelled, "Drain the swamp!" They sense that almost all of Washington today makes that faded memory, Watergate, look like jaywalking.
Rod Rosensteins appointment of Robert Mueller to investigate wholly unsupported claims of links and/or coordination between the Russian government and  the campaign of President Donald Trump poses the most serious threat to American constitutional government and domestic peace since the Civil War.

The only reason anyone is still talking about this subject, let alone investigating it pursuant to an order originating at the highest levels of the United States Justice Department, is that the media propaganda arm of the Democratic Party has refused to stop headlining it, despite a total lack of evidence of criminality after continuous investigation for over half a year by multiple agencies of the United States government.

Despite this massive evidentiary void, a democratically elected, thirty-state Electoral College victory president, of absolutely certain constitutional legitimacy under procedural norms now 230 years old, is to be substantially disabled in the performance of his office for an unknown length of time, while an army of lawyers and political enemies, enabled by Mr. Rosensteins order, swarms the capital looking for something, anything, to justify its frenzy.

For months, breathless headlines reporting unsourced leaks, insignificant interviews, and memory cavils will dominate the corporate medias news shows, websites, and print outlets, while critical domestic and international concerns, and the Presidents already substantial accomplishments, go unreported, and the agenda that brought him to the White House languishes.

Without so much as the identification of a crime, and -- still worse -- without a shred of evidence that the coordination referenced in the Rosenstein order occurred, or, if it did, that it might amount to a crime, a special counsel with effectively unlimited budget and power has been appointed.

This counsels roving army could wreak havoc on the ability of the constitutionally elected President to carry out the functions of his office.

How did this astounding development occur in the absence of any crime or evidence of the alleged collusion?

Its quite simple:

During the last four months, the Democratic Partys close allies in the corporate media (NYT, WP, CBS, CNN, ABC and NBC), though zombie-like repetition of their Party operatives unhinged Russian fantasy, and the overwhelmingly Democrat permanent Washington bureaucracy, through unsourced leaks, have created, a climate of fear, suspicion and chaos. They have then blamed the President for the poisonous atmosphere they themselves created, and, finally, and unsurprisingly, have frightened a Justice Department official into doing their bidding.

Those who elected President Trump have justifiably concluded from all this that what is now unfolding in Washington is an attempted coup detat, and that America is now in a so far non-shooting civil war. As in 1860, the losing side refuses to accept the clear and unquestioned victor in our nations quadrennial presidential election, and is determined to be rid of him by hook or crook, the voters and the Constitution be damned

It is to be hoped that this time, unlike 1860, hostilities remain devoid of sustained violence. But it is not too soon to remind those who are promoting resistance to the constitutionally elected President that the vast majority of those who dont wet their pants while in the same room with a loaded gun are on the side of constitutional governance and the legally elected President.

The Presidents enemies in the corporate media and the permanent bureaucracy are so detached from reality, so unconcerned with adherence to the norms of electoral legitimacy that have produced almost uninterrupted domestic stability in the worlds leading democratic republic for over 200 years, that they risk open conflict and violence. That is how desperate they are to rid themselves of the man whom they apparently regard as a mortal threat to their agenda of permanent governance by the Left.

The corporate medias ceaseless repetition of headlines beginning allegations of Trump collusion with Russia, each time utterly unsupported by hard evidence, repetitions which thereafter are parroted by local mainstream media outlets, has created the vague feeling among the inattentive that something is amiss. Even an Assistant Attorney General appointed by the President -- Washington bubble-trapped, apparently -- is not immune to the paranoia and fear generated by the drumbeat of empty, unsourced and unsupported assertions.

Its all been an object lesson in Goebbels first principle of propaganda -- a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth -- and a further lesson in our propaganda masters variant on the Goebbels rule: A charge, repeated often enough, however devoid of factual or evidentiary support, will leave some stain.

For nine months the corporate media has kept alive John Podestas desperate Russia collusion illusion -- despite the gaping void where evidence for that illusion should be.

Given the federal bureaucracys hatred of President Trump, and the propaganda outlets willingness to print any negative rumor or unsourced allegation about the President, if there had been any real evidence for the Podesta fantasy, it long ago would have been made public.

Predictably, the new Presidents diminished ability to function in the chaos created by the permanent federal bureaucracy and its MSM allies will be cited as evidence of his unfitness for office.

The corporate media and Washingtons cossetted bureaucrats have come to think of themselves as our masters. After eight years of Obama, theyve developed an intensely felt sense of entitlement to govern. The enormity of the shock to their sense of entitlement caused by Trumps election hasnt even begun to wear off.

Their coping mechanism is to do all they can to sabotage and destroy President Trump, and to congratulate themselves for their malignant efforts.

A lawyer and respected former FBI head has now been loosed on the Presidency, to investigate the Democratic Partys most ludicrous excuse for its 2016 presidential defeat, an excuse for which there is no evidence, and which, even if true, probably would not constitute a crime.

God only knows how long the circus will last, while it undermines the ability of a constitutionally legitimate President to govern.

Trumps supporters expect -- demand -- a full-throated denunciation of what is occurring by congressional Republicans and senators. Those who defend the President from these transparent and groundless efforts to destroy his administration will be rewarded by voter support and loyalty. Many of the fainthearted will be looking for other work after 2018.

The nation is sailing into dangerous waters. No American vessel of state has ventured into these parts since 1860. And it is not the elected president who has brought us here, but those whose offended sense of entitlement to rule have lead them to believe they can first ignore, and then overrule, a decisive electoral outcome.

The best resolution to the Lefts present insurrection against American constitutional processes would be for Robert Mueller -- a patriot, highly decorated Vietnam veteran, and, up till now, a lawyer and public official of unquestioned integrity, to very expeditiously and thoroughly exhaust the reasonable avenues of investigation and then to promptly bring this dangerous, baseless charade to a halt.

Then the Democratic Party could honorably abandon its divisive and self-destructive resistance to Americas legitimately elected President, and assume its proper function in our free, representative democracy as  the opposition.

Jared Peterson is a graduate of the Harvard Law School, and has been a California attorney for over four decades.
Several weeks from now Israel and Jews around the world will be celebrating a seminal moment in Jewish history -- the 50th anniversary of Israels monumental victory in the Six-Day War. For those of us alive during those daunting days in May 1967 leading up to the war, it was a period in time we will never forget, nor should we. Its ramifications were and are germane to this very day.

No discussion of the Six-Day War can be made without the background of its major protagonist, Gamal Abdel Nasser. Whereas today ISIS is attempting to dominate the Islamic world under an Islamic Caliphate, Nasser, then president of Egypt, attempted to do the same but with a secular approach. On July 23, 1952, he and a group of officers staged a coup and ousted the Egyptian King Farouk. Although the real leader, Nasser initially remained in the background but in fact was instrumental in abolishing the monarchy in 1953. The following year he came out of the shadows to assume absolute power and began instituting far-reaching economic reforms which instantly made him the darling of the Arab world. By 1956 his relations with the West had deteriorated to the point that he brazenly nationalized the Suez Canal, prompting an invasion by England, France, and Israel. Under pressure from the U.S., these forces withdrew, and a United Nations Emergency force was subsequently placed as a buffer between Egypt and Israel; the withdrawal of which would play a pivotal role in the conflict 11 years later.

At the pinnacle of his popularity, Nasser joined with Syria forming what became the United Arab Republic (U.A.R.), a move which encouraged the Syrians to ramp up incessant attacks against Israel from their vantage point on the Golan Heights, towering 3,000 feet above the Galilee. No Israeli farm or Kibbutz was spared the wrath of Syrian artillery. Much like the residents of Sderot and other Israeli towns adjacent to Gaza today, Jews were forced to sleep and conduct their lives in bomb shelters.

Terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians were ratcheted up by then arch terrorist Yasser Arafat and the recently formed PLO. As the rhetoric increased, so did the violence. Throughout the days and weeks of May 1967, Nasser made speeches stating: "We shall not enter Palestine with its soil covered in sand; we shall enter it with its soil saturated in blood. Today the ostensible excuse for opposition to Israel is support for a Palestinian state. The lead-up to the Six-Day War was likewise professed to be support for the Palestinian cause but the literature then and now prove otherwise. During both these periods cartoons with extreme anti-Semitic motifs have inundated the Arab press.

Throughout the days leading up to war Nasser challenged Israel to fight on a daily basis, stating: Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel. The Arab people want to fight. Echoing these threats of annihilation with equal and perhaps greater vigor was then Syrian Defense Minister Hafez al-Assad, the father of todays mass Syrian murderer, Bashar Al-Assad: The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united. I as a military man believe the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation.

When King Hussein of Jordan signed a defense pact with Egypt on May 30, 1967 the noose around Israels neck further tightened. Nasser gleefully proclaimed: The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon are poised on the borders of Israel... to face the challenge, while standing behind us are the armies of Iraq, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan and the whole Arab nation. This act will astound the World. Today they will know that the Arabs are arranged for battle, the critical hour has arrived. We have reached the stage of serious action and not declarations." This was the one point of agreement Israel shared with her unremitting foes.

On June 2, 1967, three days before actual hostilities would erupt, Israels Chief of Staff, Gen. Yitzhak Rabin called a meeting with the Israeli Ministerial Committee of Defense. Although the IDF had been on full alert for three weeks, arrayed against Israel were approximately 465,000 troops, more than 2,800 tanks, and 800 aircraft. In a grave but steady tone Rabin addressed the Committee: We dont want war for its own sake. I think we may find ourselves in a military situation in which we have lost many of our advantages, reaching a position, which I dont want to express too harshly, in which our existence is in serious danger. Time is not on our side. And in a week or two, or in three or four weeks, the situation will be worse.

In the early hours of June 5, 1967 Israel launched a preemptive air strike on the air forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria with devastating effect. Five days later the armies of these nations along with Iraq, which also joined the fray were crushed and forced to sue for a ceasefire. The war may have taken only six days but its ramifications and similarities to todays Middle East conflict is unquestionable. What were the accomplishments?

For the first time since prior to the Ottoman Empire, Jews have unfettered access to their Holy sites and a united Jerusalem their ancient capital.

The indefensible 1948 armistice line which bisected Israel from the Jordan River to within 9 miles of the Mediterranean Sea had been abrogated.

Israel took control of Judea and Samaria, which was illegally annexed by Jordan following the 48 armistice.

Israel commands the highly defensible Jordan Valley where terrorist attacks had emanated from both Jordan and Syria.

Israel was able to trade the Sinai Peninsula for a peace treaty with her main antagonist, Egypt.

The Golan Heights, the onetime haven for terrorists and Syrian artillery, was annexed and have remained relatively quiet for the past 50 years.

Most importantly, by winning the war decisively, Israel staved off what was intended to be another mass genocide of the Jewish people.

What was not accomplished?

An end to terrorism.

An end to Anti-Semitic cartoons and rhetoric throughout much of the Islamic world, particularly Iran.

An end of vilification of Israel by the Palestinian leadership, media, and educational system.

A Palestinian leader willing to recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.

A United Nations only united in castigating the only true democracy in the Middle East.

A total negation of slander on campus against Jews masked under the pretense of Anti-Zionism; particularly the BDS movement.

Despite these and other seemingly irreconcilable problems, winning the Six-Day War has allowed the Jewish state to survive and rise from its fledgling third-world status into a technological, economic, and military behemoth; an island of democratic renaissance surrounded by a sea of despair.
It's helpful to watch the SecDef press conference on YouTube, if you want to see how Trump's troops are taking charge. Obama's limp-wristed and arguably pro-jihad policies, which had some of our military in despair about the crimes against children they were forced to witness in places like Syria, are being replaced by solid, competent, humane but forceful military actions. It's on YouTube; watch it, and you'll see standard American competence in charge.

We are seeing a great victory in the making, and our frightened allies around the world know it, too. They are joining against ISIS and the other monsters because they can tell competence in action from Obama's lollygagging incompetence.

Watch it to get a sense of how this administration gets business done.

While the media are doing their famous Daffy Duck act, bungee jumping on their heads to catch all the attention, they are only spreading their own hysteria to our profoundly confused fellow citizens who believed a pack of lies. The Media-Democrat Axis of Evil is out of touch with reality, mostly because its operators have been indoctrinated in lies and can never tell the difference. They are insane, something that can happen to otherwise normal people when they are captured by malignant cults.

Trump is POTUS, and you can't get more powerful than that. Period.

George Washington was challenged by the Whiskey Rebellion, because new power is always challenged, but he just dealt with them.

Every generation of college students falls in love with the drama of "Revolution," but in the end, those are the same kids who become disciplined, patriotic warriors when they get into the U.S. Marine Corps.

Sure, the media headlines are deafening, and you don't want to immerse yourself in enemy propaganda. Don't doubt for a moment that the Demo-media are the enemy. They've shown it a thousand times over the decades, during the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, after 9/11, after Pearl Harbor  how much evidence do you need? They are the enemy. Period.

For your own peace of mind, just turn them off.

There is no truth in the news, as Soviet citizens used to say. We even know how they coordinate headlines around the world through internet oligopolies like JournoList.

Real human beings never see exactly the same reality, but our toxic media create a "narrative" (that's their word) that seems real because you hear it over and over again from supposedly different sources. This is a Stalin Popular Front tactic, and it fits the Goebbels slogan that a Big Lie told over and over again becomes the truth  except that we know damned well that a Big Lie told over and over again is still a Big Lie.

The Mad Media are not a real threat, barring a series of constitutional violations that even the Warren Court wasn't able to achieve. Our military don't intervene in civilian politics, certainly not under ex-U.S. Marine commandant Jim Mattis.

Our Justice Department under Sessions is regaining its normal balance, after a period of profound corruption under Obama. That corruption must be prosecuted under the law.

The Democrats have rediscovered their inner Stalinist (it wasn't hard), but even under fellow traveler Obama, they were not able to permanently subvert the U.S. Constitution.

As for the Constitution itself, there is a very good reason why it has remained the law of the land for 230 years, through storms much worse than this. Our Ship of State is built to withstand storms and internal conflicts, and to right itself after every giant wave.

The huckster media are noise-makers, and they've given up on even the appearance of sanity and reason. They are obsessive liars, every single one of them, and they don't deserve your attention, any more than the downtown drunk with the "Repent sinners!" sign deserves your attention. We don't even have to rebut their daily lies, because if there's one thing we can be sure of, it's that every single day, they will tell another lie.

All we need to do is to ignore them. Let the left go madder and madder. Not us. Don't let them bother you for a minute.

The old lawyer's line is that when the law is on your side, you cite the law. When the law isn't on your side, you pound the table. What we are hearing is about six big corporate media conglomerates pounding the table and biting the carpet.

It's infantile. Adult tantrums are not worth your time.

For your own peace of mind, simply turn them off. They have a constitutional right to pound the table. They have no right to be heard, to invade your mind.

We are witnessing the death throes of the liberal media, and they are making a lot of noise because they know it, too. Don't try to save their wretched hides, because they aren't worth saving. We all know they are facing bankruptcy, firing, and being bought up by the likes of George Soros, who is a sort of Stalinist-fascist egomaniac troublemaker, who now owns the Democratic Party. The Hungarians know what he is, and they are going after him, because they are sick of his subversive shenanigans against them. I hope we extradite him when their criminal case shows up at DOJ.

There must be a limit to the amount of damage one rich billionaire can do to decent governments around the world.

Bottom line: Trump is POTUS, which means he is protected by the greatest and most stable legal system in the world. Allegations are just allegations, and liars will lie as often as they can get your attention. When they are exposed, the big conglomerates who own them won't pay them anymore.

The job of activist conservatives is to destroy the lies, one after the other, until the liars are fired from their jobs. Conservatives don't like to boycott media sponsors and owners, but that is a perfectly legal and highly ethical move to make. I try never to buy anything from companies that support evil. Simple.

If you think Planned Parenthood (itself another lie) does evil, which seems obvious by now, never, never, never support it. Tell its suckers they are being lied to. Say it over and over again, until they understand how badly they have been suckered to support evil. Band together with other activist conservatives in support groups. Organize, organize, organize  just make sure you target evil and support decency.

All we need is to tell the truth, and the truth will make us free.
Lest anyone remain unsure of the political polarization expertly nurtured and promulgated by the left in the wake of the Trump victory, look no farther than America's colleges and universities. Lauded as incubators of free speech and expression since the 1960s, campuses across the nation are failing to promote diverse opinions when viewpoints are conservative. An excellent case in point is U.C. Berkeley.

Widely regarded as the birthplace of the free speech movement, recent high-profile attempts to silence controversial ideas highlight just how narrow-minded higher education has become. In February, U.C. Berkeley had to cancel an appearance by right-wing commentator and Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos after 150 masked agitators violently protested and caused $100,000 in damage. Last month, U.C. Berkeley canceled an appearance by well known author and commentator Ann Coulter over fears of potentially violent protest and forced College Republicans to cancel an appearance by conservative writer David Horowitz.

These examples are troubling, to say the least. But even more concerning is the nationwide trend to promote liberal ideology and silence conservative viewpoints during commencement season. According to Young America's Foundation's annual surveys, there are upwards of 40 percent more liberal commencement speakers than conservative. Campus Reform reports that liberal speakers outnumbered conservative speakers 4 to 1 in 2016. The same group recently reported that among the Ivy League schools, none of the 2017 commencement speakers is an outspoken conservative, yet many are prominent liberals. The College Fix reports that among the U.S. News and World Report top 100 universities in America, only two institutions booked Republican-aligned speakers this year. President Donald Trump himself is delivering only one commencement speech and was not invited to continue the tradition established by five of the last six newly elected presidents to deliver the commencement speech at Notre Dame.

Last week, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos delivered a commencement address at Bethune-Cookman University over a cacophony of boos and jeers. Many graduates at the historically black university stood and turned their backs while DeVos was speaking. Similarly, when the decision was announced that Vice President Pence would speak at the Notre Dame graduation, students immediately went on the offensive with claims of sexism, racism, and homophobia.

In a nation founded on free speech and a university system shaped by diversity and intellectual rigor, I find recent trends toward silencing conservative thought both troubling and hypocritical. Our college years should be a time in our lives when pre-existing notions are challenged and diverse viewpoints respected. Do we really want to teach our kids to be offended by every ideal that challenges their worldview? If we champion free speech in this nation, we must embrace the fact we will not always hear what we want to hear. We may sometimes feel uncomfortable and possibly even offended. I have to believe that this is preferable to going through young adulthood believing that one's ideas are somehow too special to be challenged.

Are we really doing our graduates a favor by having Eva Longoria tell them Republicans are racist because they do not support amnesty for illegal immigrants? Will new graduates get a better start in life after Will Ferrell gets a few laughs by skewering religion and those who embrace their faith? Maybe Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz could inspire future entrepreneurs with his experiences of alienating customers who support marriage.

The point is, there are countless numbers of qualified conservative speakers who would deliver inspiring commencement speeches to our nation's young graduates. Relying on celebrity status is a cop-out. Unfortunately, university concerns over ruffling feathers by providing diverse viewpoints have sidelined some of the most dynamic speakers of our time. If our nation truly wants to train the next generation of leaders, we need to worry less about feelings and concentrate more on developing critical thought.

Republicans now control 32 state legislatures and 33 governorships. It's time for them to use their leverage to ensure that commencement speakers are balanced, conservative books are included in required reading lists, and new faculty hires begin to reflect the diversity of viewpoints in the country at large.
The heads of media Trump-haters are quietly imploding as their bete noire is executing a diplomatic triumph in the Middle East. The fanatics among them are lashing out at colleagues who dare to deviate from the Party Line that Trump is stupid, embarrassing, corrupt, and everything they hate. In order to maintain message discipline, positive comments about the remarkable accomplishments achieved in Saudi Arabia  restructuring the relationship of the Sunni world with America  must be avoided, or if actually uttered, refuted.

That is exactly what happened Sunday on CNN's Reliable Sources show.

Mark Finklestein of Legal Insurrection captured the revealing interchange when veteran correspondent Bob Schieffer  a journalist who remembers the actual function of the profession, as opposed to its corruption into a propaganda cadre  is corrected by a young True Believer named John Berman. This must be seen to be believed:

BOB SCHIEFFER: Today you saw a very different President Trump. He actually sounded presidential. You may agree or disagree with what he said, but he sounded like a president . . . This went over very well, mainly because he stayed on script. No tweets today. But a dignified speech. ... I think very few people would disagree with me when I say he helped himself today, because he didn't sound like the guy at the end of the bar popping off. He sounded like someone who had actually thought about what he was going to say before he said it. JOHN BERMAN: You know, Bob, though, that there will be people who look at that last comment you made and say, you're normalizing the president. You're saying because he met this admittedly very low bar for not sounding foolish, in fact, he was in fact presidential. What would you say to criticism like that? SCHIEFFER: Well, I'm not trying to normalize him in any way. I'm trying to do what reporters do, and that, report and try to emphasize what I think was important here. (emphasis by Finklestein)

No positive comments allowed about Trump, unless placed into a context that presents him as a fool. This is the very definition of a propaganda operation. A study by the Harvard Shorenstein Center found that CNN's coverage of Trump was 93% negative. With John Berman guarding the output, that 7% positive coverage must surely be reduced by now.
Somebody please explain to Jake Tapper about Arabs and the "strong horse." Osama bin Laden explained it pretty economically years ago, but that's a message that is difficult for liberals living in a fantasy world to grasp. After all, Barack Obama had a Muslim father, and he's a "person of color" (one of the most annoying expressions in the English lexicon, casting Caucasians as colorless), so there must be some kumbayah, right?

Jen Psaki, to whom Tapper asked his question, is in no position to explain, as she first tries to grab credit for the arms deal Trump just announced before denouncing it. Both people are completely unable to deal with the realities of a power equation, especially one that shows the emptiness and futility of Obama's policies.

Watch and wonder at the kind of people who get access to media time, and in Psaki's case, actual foreign policy deliberations.
OK, gang, time to move along  other stuff is more important. That's the logical strategy for the Democratic Party leadership to signal the base that the Russia conspiracy narrative has served its purpose and belongs in the Memory Hole. You don't want to go farther out on the limb of an unfounded charge dreamed up to explain away the failure of Hillary and her campaign henchpeople to pull off the expected victory.

But such a judicious approach is not the metier of rabble-rouser Thomas Perez, the party chairman. Into the breach leaped Representative Keith Ellison, the consolation prize-holder of the invented title of "Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee" and the First Muslim Elected to Congress (a pioneer!).

Rush transcript via Grabien:

George, what I want to say is that I've just been on the trail talking to people all over the country. I was just in Oklahoma. And to them, it's like, yeah, this Russia thing, they're very concerned about it. But also the health care debate we're in, repealing Dodd-Frank, the whole piece of it is what people are really focused on. You want to talk about what's the real story as opposed to this week's mess? All this stuff just looks to people like it's crazy. It's chaotic. And I'm going to show up in my congressman's meeting and I'm going to be part of this upsurge of democracy.

Sure, the "whole piece of it" is what people are talking about.

Nice pep talk. I am sure that the remaining sane donors understand your intentions.

When Deputy Chair Keith Ellison is the wise voice of restraint, the party's leader fairly can be labeled as "extreme."
Russia has sent strong friendship signals to the U.S., led by President Trump, and a willingness to be an important partner of the U.S. in fighting Islamist terror. But there's some unfinished business from an earlier era that might be worth addressing first: its sales of 5,000 MANPADS surface-to-air missiles to the crumbling, chaotic Chavista hellhole regime of Venezuela.

According to a report from Reuters:

Venezuela possesses 5,000 Russian-made MANPADS surface-to-air weapons, according to a military document reviewed by Reuters, the largest known stockpile in Latin America and a source of concern for U.S. officials amid the country's mounting turmoil. Venezuela's socialist government has long used the threat of an "imperialist" invasion by the United States to justify an arms buildup. Much of that arsenal was obtained from Russia by Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, whose tenure lasted from 1999 until his death in 2013. The missiles, which are shoulder-mounted and can be operated by one person, pose a serious threat to commercial and military aircraft. Weapons experts said there have long been fears that the weapons could be stolen, sold or somehow channeled to the wrong hands, concerns exacerbated by the current civil unrest in Venezuela and the economic crisis roiling the oil-producing nation.

It's a bad situation, given that Chavistas are universally corrupt, their hellhole regime is out of money, and there are ready and willing buyers among the world's gamiest actors, such as Mexico's cartels, ISIS terrorists, migrant smuggling operations, and assorted wannabe rebel groups floating around the Central and South American regions. Any of those factors could drive a Chavista official to sell the missiles to one of these gamy players.

If anything goes wrong, the onus will be on Russia for putting the weaponry into the hands of the Venezuelan thug regime in the first place.

Would it be too much to ask, in a non-threatening way, if the Russians could work to buy back those missiles so as to keep them out of the hands of the thugs?

Policy-wise, the U.S. could send the message that it understands why the missiles were sold in the first place  likely as retaliation for U.S. activities in Russia's "near abroad"  and bygones will be bygones once the threat is out of the picture.

The alternative is for the U.S. to just wait for the missile launch or other trouble from these weapons to happen. The Reuters report is careful not to overstate the risk, given the many false alarms that have gone off over Hezb'allah in the Americas.

But it's a non-problem only until it's a problem. Venezuela is a hellhole right now and on fire. Some strong efforts to lean on the Russians to end this problem should be a fairly high priority in the Trump administration as it seeks to improve relations with Russia. Getting weapons out of the hands of Chavista thugs would do a lot to mend relations.
A landmark First Amendment case is developing in Detroit, where two doctors and one of their wives will stand trial for mutilating the genitals of two little girls.

The defense will claim that the barbaric practice is protected by the First Amendment freedom of religion. They will say that no actual mutilation took place  only "scraping" the genitals.

If that is the case, there is a chance they may be acquitted.

USA Today:

First Amendment scholars across the country  liberal and conservative alike  are closely following the case, noting that the fate of the accused will largely rest with scientific evidence. The key question for jurors to answer will be: Were children harmed physically? If they were, experts say, the religious freedom defense doesn't stand a chance. But if the defense can show that it was just a nick and caused no harm, some experts believe, the defendants could be acquitted on religious grounds. The Detroit case involves the genital cuttings of two 7-year-old Minnesota girls whose mothers brought them to a Livonia clinic for the procedure in February. Defense lawyers have argued that the defendants are good, hardworking people with deeply held religious convictions who were involved in only mild procedures that are part of their faith. But the government says the harm was much more severe than the defense is claiming and that there are multiple other victims. According to court documents, the two Minnesota girls had scarring and abnormalities on their clitorises and labia minora. "It is hard for me to imagine any court accepting the religious freedom defense given the harm that's being dealt in this case," said First Amendment expert Erwin Chemerinsky, one of the nation's leading constitutional law scholars who called the religious claim in the Detroit case a "losing argument." "You don't have the right to impose harm on others in practicing your religion," said Chemerinsky, dean of the law school at the University of California at Irvine who in January was named the country's most influential person in legal education by National Jurist magazine.

What complicates this case even more is the claim of female genital mutilation supporters that it is a "cultural" practice not related to religion. Indeed, of the 200 million or so victims of FGM worldwide, Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus have all been cut or mutilated in this fashion.

But the lawyers for the defendants in the Detroit case are making the religious freedom argument, ostensibly to keep their clients out of prison.

Even if it's only "scraping" or "nicking" the clitoris, the idea that anyone could get away with this monstrosity by hiding behind the religious freedom clause of the Constitution is appalling.

It should be noted that the jury pool will include a lot of Muslims, and the defense may insist that mostly Muslim jurors are sat for the trial. If that's the case, it will take only one juror on the side of the defense for a hung jury and a mistrial.
The Iranian elections are over and resulted in a huge victory for the "moderates" or "reformers." A new era has dawned in Iran. Gone is the paranoid, inward-looking, oppressive, fanatically religious, extremist, violent, terror-supporting conservative regime to be replaced by an almost Western-style government of tolerance and light.

Well...that's the media narrative, and they're sticking to it.

Indeed, this sort of wishful thinking occurs every five years when Iranians go to the polls to elect a new president. The reality is a little different.

Reuters:

"We won. We've done what we should have for our country. Now it's Rouhani's turn to keep his promises," said coffee shop owner Arash Geranmayeh, 29, reached by telephone in Tehran. Videos from the cities of Kermanshah, Tabriz and the holy city of Mashhad showed hundreds of people in the streets, cheering and dancing. Rouhani, 68, faces the same limits on his power to transform Iran that prevented him from delivering social change in his first term, and that thwarted Khatami, who failed to deliver on a reform agenda as president from 1997-2005. But by publicly thanking "my dear brother, Mohammad Khatami" in his victory speech, Rouhani seemed to take up that mantle. It was a remarkable challenge to the Shi'ite Muslim religious judicial authorities, who have blacklisted Khatami from public life for his support for other reformists under house arrest. Many experts are skeptical that a president can change much in Iran, as long as the supreme leader has veto power over all policies and control over the security forces. Some said the pattern was all too familiar from Rouhani's first victory four years ago and Khatami's victories the previous decade. "The last two decades of presidential elections have been short days of euphoria followed by long years of disillusionment," said Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who focuses on Iran. "Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen." The re-elected president will also have to navigate a tricky relationship with Washington, which appears at best ambivalent about the nuclear accord agreed by former U.S. President Barack Obama. Trump has repeatedly described it as "one of the worst deals ever signed", although his administration re-authorized waivers from sanctions this week.

The hopeful headlines in the Western press are pathetic examples of how the left is able to fool itself about Iranian "democracy."

Iran: Hassan Rouhani wins landslide in huge victory for reformists (The Guardian)

IRANS MODERATES WIN ELECTION, BUT IT WONT MATTER TO TRUMP (New Yorker)

Iranian President and Moderates Make Strong Gains in Elections (NY Times)

There's only one problem with this narrative: it's not even close to being true.

In fact, there is an element of dishonesty in this coverage, as evidenced by this NPR headline:

Partial Results Show Iranian Moderates Poised For Big Wins In Tehran

The story informs us that "reformers" swept all 30 parliamentary seats in the Iranian majlis, or parliament. Except those 30 seats represent not even 10% of the 490-member majlis. So much for "big wins."

Outside Tehran, life in Iran will continue as before. The religious police will still be riding around on their cute little motor scooters, beating women who dare disobey the Islamic dress code. The government will still send Hezb'allah militia fighters to Syria to do the Assad regime's dirty work and support terror throughout the world. They will still chant "Death ot America" after prayers in the mosques on Friday. They will still implement the strictest version of sharia law, stoning adulterous women, hanging homosexuals, cutting off limbs, and generally making life miserable for everyone.

So what is it that is so "moderate" about President Rouhani and his brave band of "reformers"? Do they hate Israel any less? Will they relax the dress code? Do they consider America anything less than "The Great Satan" that needs to be destroyed? Will they open a bar at the Intercontinental Hotel in Tehran?

No, no, no, and no. For all of Rouhani's rhetoric about "change," the fact is, he has very little power to stand up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and his Revolutionary Guards. And make no mistake: Khamenei is as much an anti-American, anti-Western fanatic as his predecessor, Ayatollah Khomeini. As long as he, and his allies in the fundamentalist whack-job clergy, is in power, nothing will change.

You would think Western reporters would get it right after nearly 40 years of hopeful but misleading coverage. But in the leftist breast, hope springs eternal, and every "reformist" victory is a chance to engage in another round of wishful thinking.
True or false: The U.N. is little better than a club for anti-American and anti-Israel countries and is full of bureaucrats who demand special privileges  the best restaurants, the best lodgings, and first-class travel accommodations  mostly paid for by the American taxpayer.

True on all counts. And according to the AP, one of the worst offenders is the World Health Organization, whose bureaucrats insist on traveling first class, staying in five-star hotels, and enjoying a padded expense account.

The World Health Organization routinely spends about $200 million a year on travel  far more than what it doles out to fight some of the biggest problems in public health including AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press. As the cash-strapped U.N. health agency pleads for more money to fund its responses to health crises worldwide, it has also been struggling to get its own travel costs under control. Despite introducing new rules to try to curb its expansive travel budget, senior officials have complained internally that U.N. staffers are breaking the rules by booking perks like business class airplane tickets and rooms in five-star hotels. Last year, WHO spent about $71 million on AIDS and hepatitis. On malaria, it spent $61 million. And to slow tuberculosis, WHO invested $59 million. Still, some health programs do get exceptional funding  the agency spends about $450 million trying to wipe out polio every year. On a recent trip to Guinea, where WHO director-general Dr. Margaret Chan praised health workers in West Africa for triumphing over Ebola, Chan stayed in the biggest presidential suite at the Palm Camayenne hotel in Conakry. The suite has an advertised price of 900 euros ($1,008) a night. The agency declined to say who picked up the tab, noting only that her hotels are sometimes paid for by the host country. But some say that sends the wrong message to the rest of the agency's 7,000 staffers. Despite WHO's numerous travel regulations, Jeffreys said staffers "can sometimes manipulate a little bit their travel." He said the agency couldn't be sure they were always booking the cheapest ticket or that the travel was even warranted. "When you spend the kind of money WHO is spending on travel, you have to be able to justify it," said Dr. Ashish Jha, director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard University. "I can't think of any justification for ever flying first class."

There is a case to be made for the WHO's existence. International health crises like Ebola demand an international response, and the WHO is set up to coordinate such.

But at what cost? Clearly, WHO bureaucrats  like most U.N. bureaucrats  feel they are privileged and require only the best travel accommodations, not to mention gaudy salaries and other perks.

The U.N. can't be trusted to reform itself. Only the major U.N. donors working together can force the U.N. to change. And even then, the usefulness of the international body should be questioned.
The Dead Sea is located in the Jordan valley bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west, and about 55 km southeast of Amman. Aside from the being the saltiest lake in the world, it is also Earth's lowest elevation on land. You have to descend 423 meters below sea level to reach its surface and shores. At 377 meters deep, it is also the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. Dead Sea has a salinity level of of 33.7%, which is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. As much as 340 grams of salt is dissolved per liter of water. The extreme salt concentration prevents any kind of macroscopic aquatic life such as fish and plants to flourish here, though minuscule quantities of bacteria and microbial fungi are present. The water of the lake is so dense that it is impossible to sink in the Dead Sea. In fact, a popular fad among visitors is to have their picture taken while reading a newspaper and floating on the surface of the water.

The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan river but there is no outlet. Salts have accumulated in the basin, sometimes by percolation through the surrounding earth, gradually building up over the centuries. The water contains more than 35 different types of minerals including magnesium, calcium, potassium, bromine, sulfur, and iodine. The odd chemistry results in the appearance of some striking, but transient, salt crystal formations. In shallow lagoons at periodic intervals, these formations are natural works of art: billions of charged atoms in intricate geometrical formations shaped by nature into unique works of crystalline art.

The most impressive of these natural sculptures are the "salt mushrooms" which stand on their halite or rock salt stems in shallow pools near the shoreline. Their hoods are circular to elliptical and the mushroom cap can reach up to half a meter in diameter. From afar they look like giant fungi sprouting from the water but closer inspection shows concentric rings of small, platy rectangular halite crystals with patchy crusts seated on hollow stalagmitic stems composed of what are called "pyramidical" crystals. Some formations have inverted pyramidical shapes protruding from the water, while others look like weathered columns.

Mushrooms usually begin to form on cool mornings, after periods of intense evaporation when the shallow lagoons become covered with floating rectangular halite crystals. The crystals blanket the surface of the water with an opaque, exceptionally delicate coating; the most gentle breeze can break this sheet and when it breaks, parts of it sink and the crystals attach themselves to plant debris or pebbles. Gradually, as a result, a stem of halite crystals begins to grow upwards, eventually reaching the surface where other crystals adhere to it and form the cap.

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Because the ions and isotopes present in the water of the Dead Sea crystallize in different ways, there is a diverse array of natural formations. Hard, light-gray-to-brownish crusts of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulphate) can be seen on the keels of boats, on rocks, and on ropes left hanging in the water. The comparatively large, flat polygonal plates in gypsum crystals give rise to more crusty structures by clusters of calcite (crystalline calcium carbonate) which has crystals resembling small twinned needles; these needles lock together in forms resembling blossoms of white anemones. Along the shores of the Dead Sea variations in the forms depend on how ions are arranged within the structure and whether other ions or trace elements find their way into the lattice to substitute for particles with the same charge.

Even mundane compounds such as calcium carbonate can take on a spectacular appearance when an increase in temperature, often at the end of summer, triggers mass precipitation; the result is a dramatic whitening of the water as snowy clouds of the compound slowly descend to the sea bed. Turbulence and wave motion prolong the deposition of the crystals and give the water a striking, nebulous quality.

On some occasions, sheets of air bubbles form foam like surf on the ocean. At others times, chips of asphalt decorate the Dead Sea.

In recent decades, the Dead Sea has been rapidly shrinking as increasing amounts of water are drawn off from the streams and rivers flowing into the lake and used in agriculture, mining and industry. As the water level decreases, the characteristics of the Sea and surrounding region may substantially change. With the passage of time fewer of these natural formations and phenomena of the sea will remain. Already the evaporation rate exceeds the inflow rate and eventually the whole area will become mud flats.

In 2009 a project to conserve the Dead Sea was proposed. The plan is to convey seawater from the Red Sea, desalinate it along the route to provide fresh water to Jordan, with the brine discharge sent to the Dead Sea for replenishment. The project is anticipated to be completed by 2017.

Photo credit: Baz Ratner, Reuters

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Sources: Wikipedia, Saudi Aramco World
Kurt Wenner produced his first commissioned mural at the age of sixteen and by that time he was already earning his living as a graphic artist. After attending both Rhode Island School of Design and Art Center College of Design, he started working for NASA as an advanced scientific illustrator, creating conceptual paintings of future space projects and extraterrestrial landscapes. In 1982 he left NASA, sold all of his belongings, and moved to Italy to study figurative drawing and art of the great artists from the Renaissance. Wenner lived a stone's throw from the Pantheon in the heart of Rome, where he studied the drawings, paintings, and sculptures of the old masters in Rome's best known museums. Over the years Wenner's work became known throughout Italy and in 1991 he was commissioned to create a work of art to honor the visit of Pope John Paul II to the city of Mantua.

In the 2000s Wenner first introduced 3-D pavement art at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Shortly after that he founded the first street painting festival in the United States at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, California. The Old Mission festival, also known as I Madonnari, continues to this day as do many of the festivals and events Wenner started throughout the country. One often-overlooked fact of Wenner's career is that he dedicated one month every year, for ten years, to teach more than 100,000 students from elementary through university level how to work with chalks and pastels. For his dedication, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Medallion for his outstanding contribution to arts education.

With the ever increasing popularity of Wenner's images, hundreds of artists around the globe became inspired to create their own versions of three-dimensional pavement art. Artists such as Julian Beever, Manfred Stader, and Edgar Muller as well as others can trace their roots back to his invention in the early 1980s. By using computer programs or a simplified geometry to create their illusions they are able to approximate the effect of Wenner's three-dimensional illusion.

In an interview to Business Insider, Kurt Wenner said:

The three-dimensional street painting is my own invention. I created it by studying a type of anamorphism that existed in the 17th century. For several decades artists designed large works to be seen from one specific point of view. I was invited to climb the scaffolding in several churches to see he frescos up close during the restorations. I even touched the Sistine Chapel ceiling. On some of the baroque ceilings I noticed that the figures were elongated to appear normal from the ground. I was aware that my street paintings were subject to similar viewing circumstances- people looked at the work from an angle rather than straight-on. I started creating my particular perspective geometry by adjusting the proportions of the painted forms to accommodate the viewpoints of the spectators standing at the base of the work. Unlike traditional anamorphic compositions, such as church ceilings, the viewing angles were very wide, and I started to use a curvilinear fisheye lens to document the compositions. My own geometry is different from the 17th century works, and I have not published it. It combines a logical use of linear perspective with a projection outward from the human eye. Other artists that emulate the three-dimensional pavement works use a more traditional geometry called quadratura that does not involve complicated calculations. They do not understand that my geometry is unique.

Wenner lived in Rome for twenty-five years before returning to the United States. His work has been seen in thirty countries and he currently creates work for clients all over the world.
Agency

Angelo State University

Services Offered

Educational and educational support services to students at developmental, lower-division, upper-division, masters and doctoral levels.

Customer Service Principles and Goals

As a public comprehensive university, Angelo State University is committed to the creation, advancement, dissemination and preservation of knowledge in an environment that supports and encourages the needs and aspirations of both students and, in a larger sense, citizens of Texas and the nation. Angelo State University delivers undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines. In a learning-centered environment distinguished by its integration of teaching, research, creative endeavor, service, and co-curricular experiences, ASU prepares students to be responsible citizens and to have productive careers. In line with the mission of all institutions belonging to the Texas Tech University System, Angelo State University is dedicated to teaching, research and service both in responding to its multiple public constituencies and in addressing societal challenges through innovation of thought, dedication to purpose and implementation of solutions.

Customer Service Standards

Internet Site

Angelo State University posts required documents on its website, which can be searched via the Quick Search window. Tabs at the top direct viewers to various university services and information, tabs at the left function based on the viewers self-selected group, and tabs on the right provide access to current news items. At the bottom of the site are categories with specialized information accessible with a mouse click.

Timely Service

Educational services are delivered during scheduled class times, scheduled office hours, and scheduled student advisement hours; there are no wait times for these services. Educational support services are delivered on demand or by appointment as appropriate from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekdays. Some heavily used services such as Counseling occasionally have wait times of a day or so for non-emergency appointments, but emergencies are always handled immediately. Services such as Registrar and Financial Aid have wait times of an hour or so during peak registration times. Online services have been implemented and continually updated to respond to high demand during peak times.

Complaint Handling

It is the policy of Angelo State University to receive, process, and resolve student grievances, including allegations of discrimination, and grade grievances, in a fair and prompt manner. The process for filing complaints is detailed in the Student Handbook in Section E.

Staff

Staff is available during University business hours and at special University functions. Office directories are listed on the ASU website including the department officers name, phone number, and email address. At least every three years students are invited to participate in a University-wide survey of student satisfaction with various services via the Student Opinion Survey. Several offices administer annual or biennial surveys of student satisfaction of their staff.

Printed Information

A full statement of students rights and responsibilities appears in the Student Handbook, which is revised yearly and distributed to every student.

Course schedules, the FERPA statement, the Catalog, and other information and forms are available on-line.

Communications

Every faculty member and administrative department is available by telephone and by email. Faculty members keep posted office hours when telephone conferences can be arranged. Each student is issued an email address after admission. Registration is available in person or on the web.

Explanation of Customer Service Quality Elements

Since 1986, Angelo State University has used the Student Opinion Survey (SOS) by the American College Testing Service. This practice has provided the university with a very rich source of data about the whole range of services provided by a university. The instrument does not specifically address wait times, complaints, internet service, or communications, though it does ask about the kinds of services and policies, such as residence halls and student government powers, that are a common source of students complaints. A number of individual departments also conduct their own customer-service surveys, which address areas not included in the SOS. The university uses the surveys to improve services in areas that need attention.
Mosaic Artists of New Mexico and Rachel Zollinger join forces to display their works centered around the necessity of water, oxygen, light, darkness, dormancy and pollination. Runs through 5/28.

The artists of Mosaic New Mexico and local artist Rachel Zollinger interpret life in the outdoors of New Mexico in two very different ways. The mosaic pieces in the show will consider themes such as the interconnection of life in the bosque, of germination and the necessity of water, of oxygen, light and darkness, as well as dormancy and pollination. Rachel, on the other hand, looks at objects that have been discarded in New Mexico public lands and sees the inherent art in them. These items have been ravaged by weather and decay as they return to the earth atom by atom, and she sees this litter as a reflection of the effects of human endeavor on nature. Through her art, Rachel encourages people to be conscious of our movements and impact on the natural world. The exhibit will run through May 28th, 2017.
(ANSA) - Brussels, May 22 - The European Commission said in its spring package Monday that "Italy has confirmed that its additional budget measures requested for 2017 have been taken and that therefore, in this phase, no further step is deemed necessary to respect the debt rule". Brussels also ruled out an infringement procedure for macro-economic imbalances, as long as recommended reforms are implemented.

After this long-awaited green light to a 3.4-billion-euro mini-budget, the EC said "further efforts were needed in 2018" to keep Italy on track.

The European Commission said that commitments to reforms laid out in the national reform programmes of Italy, Portugal and Cyprus are "sufficiently ambitious, but the absence of details on their adoption and of a timeframe of implementation limits their credibility". Brussels said "there is no basis for carrying out a procedure for imbalances, as long as there is full implementation of the (recommended) reforms".

The European Commission said that Italy should bring back the property tax IMU for high earners. It said Italy should "shift the tax burden from productive factors to taxes that are less damaging for growth, reintroduce the tax on primary residences for high incomes, and reform the property registry".

The European Commission said that Italy and other countries like Ireland, Cyprus, Portugal, Slovenia and Bulgaria "need to act" on non-performing loans (NPLs) and that "effective insolvency frameworks, including in particular extra-judicial restructuring" were "crucial". It recommended "an increase in transparency, the sale to specialised non-banking institutions, and a more proactive use of supervisory powers" as well as "making it easier to sell these assets".

The European Commission recommended that Italy should cut the length of civil-justice trials, up the fight against corruption and complete a reform of the civil service.


RABAT - Nawal Al Soufi, 30, known as 'Lady SOS', has been awarded as an ''Arab Hope Maker', the most sought-after prize for volunteers and activists in the Arab world.



She was awarded one million Dirham last night in Dubai for helping thousands of refugees and migrants, mainly travelling from Syria, who were rescued on the coasts of southern Italy.



Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rachid Al Maktoum, vicepresident and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, gave her the prize.



Al Soufi, who is of Moroccan origin, lives near Catania with her family. She became known as 'Lady SOS' when in 2013 she travelled to Syria to bring humanitarian aid to Homs and Aleppo.



Her cell phone is well-known to those trying to flee war and reach Italy's coasts.



Two years ago, her story was at the center of a biography, 'Nawal, l'angelo dei profughi' (Nawal, the angel of refugees), written by Daniele Bielal and published by Edizioni Paoline.



She was selected among 65,000 candidates from 22 countries and beat four finalists from Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq and Syria.



The prize's jurors picker her for saving the lives of 200,000 migrants.



During the award ceremony, the activist said her cell phone is always on: ''It is a great responsibility, I cannot turn it off, it is the only way they have to contact me. When I answer, I always hear tragic sentences like: 'the waves are very high', 'we are sinking', 'we are drowning, please help us'.
ISTANBUL - The Reina nightclub of Istanbul, scene of a New Year's Eve attack by the Islamic State (ISIS) in which 39 people were killed, was demolished on Monday morning. The decision was made by the municipality, which released a brief statement saying that it had been taken down due to violation of zoning regulations. ''This is an unexpected situation for us too. The demolition process took 45 minutes. They demolished it and left,'' a local source told Hurriyet. The trial against Abdulkadir Masharipov, the Uzbek accused of carrying out the attack, will begin on December 11.

Masharipov has been indicted alongside 56 alleged accomplices and was arrested over two weeks after the attack. He may be handed down as many as 40 life sentences and 2,397 years in prison.


Nawal Al Soufi awarded 'Arab Hope Maker' prize Known as 'Lady SOS', Moroccan national 'saved 200,000 lives'

(ANSAmed) - RABAT, MAY 22 - Nawal Al Soufi, 30, known as 'Lady SOS', has been awarded as an ''Arab Hope Maker', the most sought-after prize for volunteers and activists in the Arab world.



She was awarded one million Dirham last night in Dubai for helping thousands of refugees and migrants, mainly travelling from Syria, who were rescued on the coasts of southern Italy.



Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rachid Al Maktoum, vicepresident and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, gave her the prize.



Al Soufi, who is of Moroccan origin, lives near Catania with her family. She became known as 'Lady SOS' when in 2013 she travelled to Syria to bring humanitarian aid to Homs and Aleppo.



Her cell phone is well-known to those trying to flee war and reach Italy's coasts.



Two years ago, her story was at the center of a biography, 'Nawal, l'angelo dei profughi' (Nawal, the angel of refugees), written by Daniele Bielal and published by Edizioni Paoline.



She was selected among 65,000 candidates from 22 countries and beat four finalists from Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq and Syria.



The prize's jurors picker her for saving the lives of 200,000 migrants.



During the award ceremony, the activist said her cell phone is always on: ''It is a great responsibility, I cannot turn it off, it is the only way they have to contact me. When I answer, I always hear tragic sentences like: 'the waves are very high', 'we are sinking', 'we are drowning, please help us'.(ANSAmed).




TUNIS - A young Tunisian protestor died in hospital in Tataouine on Monday from wounds sustained during clashes that broke out in the morning with police engaged in clearing out an El-Kamour sit-in. The young man may have been accidentally hit by a police car, according to reports.

Local media say that other protestors were injured and that an investigation has been opened. The situation is still tense in Tatouine and the police have made use of tear gas again to disperse a crowd of youths that have been staging a sit-in for weeks to demand job-creation measures and more funds for regional development. Some of the protestors have in recent days agreed to measures offered by the government while others rejected them. The Dehiba-Wazen border crossing with Libya has been blocked on the Tunisian side by protestors backing the Tatouine demonstration. On Sunday evening, police used tear gas to disperse the crowd in the city after Prime Minister Youssef Chahed decided to reopen the oil pumping of Eli Amour - SP 4 (from the Trapsa pipeline feeding the Skhira refinery), which was blocked over the weekend by the most hardcore protestors. Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi on May 10 entrusted the defense of oil facilities in the south to the army to protect national production. On Monday morning, a group of protestors pushed their way into the governorate offices of Tataouine and protests were reported also in Douz, Kalaa and Fouar, where the demonstrators created a regional committee.


Albania: government reshuffle after accord with opposition Agreement on seven new technical ministries

(ANSAmed) - TIRANA, MAY 22 - A government reshuffle has been approved in Albania after an agreement with the opposition.



Socialist Premier Edi Rama last night accepted the appointment of seven technicians as ministers, proposed by the center-right opposition led by Luzlim Basha, as part of a political agreement reached between the two leaders two days ago.



Ledina Mandia will become deputy premier. He is a former president of the attorney general's office and current advisor to the presidency of the republic.



Dritan Demiraj, a former commander of Albanian army special units who has taken part in several missions abroad, has been appointed interior minister.



Helga Vukaj, the director general of the Court of Audit, will be finance minister.



''The new ministers will have the task of checking the government's actions during the electoral campaign'', explained Rama.



After three months of protests demanding the creation of a technical government able to guarantee standards for upcoming political elections in June, Rama and Basha worked on an agreement to prevent a long crisis.



Parliament on Monday will meet in a plenary session to vote, along with government changes, changes to the electoral law and criminal code, also in view of a judicial reform deemed by Brussels as a condition to obtain a green light for European union adhesion talks. (ANSAmed)
Trump and Melania at Holy Sepulchre and Wailing Wall Walked through Christian Quarter market

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MAY 22 - US president Donald Trump and his wife Melania on Monday visited the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. Having arrived at Jaffa Gate by car, they then proceeded on foot for about 400 meters into the market of the Christian Quarter, though all the shops were closed. His daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, were with them. Welcoming Trump in the square in front of the Christian holy site were representatives from the Catholic Church with the custodian of the Catholic Church's properties in the Holy Land, Italian Franciscan priest Reverend Francesco Patton, as well as representatives of the Armenian an Greek Orthodox Churches. About 750 security forces watched over the itinerary, flanked by snipers on rooftops and helicopters flying overhead for surveillance. Afterwards Trump - who is the first US president to visit the Jewish holy site during an official visit - went to the Wailing Wall, flanked by the site's head rabbi Shmuel Rabinovicz. Melania and Ivanka went to the women's section, while Trump put on a kippah skullcap and approached the wall, placing his right hand on the stone in meditation in line with tradition. The visit to the Christian and Jewish holy sites was considered of a private nature and was thus not attended by Israeli politicians. (ANSAmed).




TEL AVIV - US president Donald Trump on Monday arrived in Israel from Saudi Arabia and said he had ''found new reasons for hope'' for peace during his meetings with Muslim leaders in the Saudi capital of Riyadh over the weekend.

Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have diplomatic relations. ''We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace,'' Trump added, reiterating the strong bond between the US and Israel and that the US loves and respects Israel. He noted that the subsequent stops on his trip would be meeting with Pope Francis and the US's NATO allies. Trump met with Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu and will be meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas during his trip to the West Bank.


(by Massimo Lomonaco)

TEL AVIV - US President Donald Trump has outlined the White House's objective regarding his ongoing foreign tour - key steps towards peace, although the road towards negotiations is just at the beginning.



The 'steps' to take appear clear: Israel - according to US sources - should hold back on settlements and implement policies to improve the Palestinian economy. On the other side, the Palestinian should put an end to instigating violence towards the Jewish State, according to the sources.



A first response has come from Jerusalem, where Premier Benyamin Netanyahu has summoned a government meeting ahead of the arrival of the president. ''I will talk about peace'' with the US president, he said, adding that he wanted to discuss ''ways to further strengthen our alliance and our security ties'' as well as ways to promote peace. Mahmoud Abbas' reaction will be clear tomorrow, when he will meet the US president in Bethlehem in the West Bank, although already yesterday in Riyadh, where he attended with other Arab leaders a speech delivered by Trump, he listened to the US position on the need to restart talks and the confirmation that Hamas is labeled as a terror organization, a move that was slammed by Hamas.



Israel addressed yesterday the issue of economic measures in favor of the Palestinians. Issues include the uninterrupted opening of the Allenby crossing between the West Bank and Jordan in order to make transit easier, improving transit from the West Bank to make commutes easier for Palestinian workers, developing industrial areas in Tarkumia, near Hebron, and in Jalma, close to Jenin.



Moreover, moves to improve the condition of retailers in Gaza have also been planned.



Given that no trilateral meeting has been planned, it will be up to Trump to turn words into action.



Meanwhile Israel is welcoming Trump amid very tight security measures.



Trump landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport from Saudi Arabia and was welcomed by Netanyahu. Although trip plans are constantly changing, Trump is scheduled to fly to Jerusalem by helicopter to meet with President Rivlin. In the afternoon, at about 6 pm, he is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu and then dine at the prime minister's residence at a gala night.


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The Pro Line Fusion upgrade is expected to be certified by fall of 2018 and available through Nextant Aerospace.

We have been evaluating opportunities in the large cabin market for the past three years, said Jay Heublein, Executive Vice President for Nextant Aerospace. The Challenger 604 aircraft is a proven operating platform with an exceptional cabin that meets all our selection criteria for a remanufacturing programme. The legacy cockpit is in need of modernisation and combined with the pending 2020 regulatory requirements, this aircraft an ideal choice for this program and the timing is perfect.

The Challenger 604 is a highly-valued, long-haul aircraft that owners want to continue flying well into the future, said Craig Olson, Vice President and General Manager, Business and Regional Systems for Rockwell Collins. This becomes the third aircraft platform to have the Pro Line Fusion aftermarket upgrade option, continuing our ongoing effort to provide owners with a means to keep their aircraft relevant with modern technology, enhanced situational awareness and mandate compliance.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Iraqi authorities made a decision to stop import of tomatoes from Turkey starting from May 21, Hurriyet reports.

Iraqs agriculture ministry said in a statement that they want to assist the local producers by making this decision.

The statement was also posted in the website of Turkeys economic ministry.

Earlier Russia stopped importing tomatoes from Turkey given the Russian-Turkish tense relations.

Iraq is considered one of the most important tomato exporter countries from Turkey. In 2014 Iraq exported tomato worth 98.5 million USD from Turkey, and in 2015 that number was 82.8 million USD.
The Guthrie has become more inclusive than its ever been, with game-changing shows like The Bluest Eye. That goes into territory once claimed by, say, Penumbra, which still has the deepest expertise in doing African-American fare in the Twin Cities. Inclusiveness means that actors and artists can make a greater living even as it leaves theaters like Mu feeling that they are becoming feeder companies for bigger institutions. Its a complicated issue.
Its a big question, especially because The magazines high-profile editor-in-chief, Jonathan Kay  under social-media fire after coming to the defence of another magazine editor who had lost his job over an editorial advocating cultural appropriation  resigned .
We huddled from the rain under a small platform shelter at Hackney Wick the other night. Which was great, because it meant eavesdropping without strain on the couple arguing about This Beautiful Future, the play wed just seen at the Yard Theatre. An amicable but irreconcilable disagreement, it boiled down to this:

HER: Lovely!

HIM: Offensive!

HER: Baby chicks!

HIM: Nazis!

Then the train arrived, so I have no idea if they were still speaking by Kensal Rise. I was fascinated, because I havered between the two positions. Despite Jay Millers acutely accomplished production with its headlong performances, and despite the dazzling intelligence of the text itself, I went to sleep troubled by Rita Kalnejais play, and woke more troubled still.

The evening plays brilliantly with a double perspective: the sugar-rush of first love and the hangover of ageing distance. Close-up optimism and long-lens melancholy. We first meet Alwyne Taylor and Paul Haley, older actors who introduce themselves as each makes for one of the karaoke booths on either side of the stage. They sing lovesongs (Adele, Charles Trenet) with the touching incongruity of people for whom you might expect puppy love to be only a memory.

Between them, a turf-covered circle is backed by a projection in raspberry-sundae colours of a small town (designer, Cecile Tremolieres). In a a deserted house in provincial France, 1944, two teenagers rendezvous  town resident Elodie and Otto, a soldier in the occupying army. But theres nothing period about the writing or acting. Brilliantly played by Bradley Hall and, especially, Hannah Millward, theyre utterly contemporary. Uptick inflections, trailing sentences, slang and sass and silliness. Its essence of adolescence, 2017 model.

Kalnejais plunges into the squirm of teenage lust-love, all heart and hormone. But these arent any teens  spoilers ahead. Theres a war on, and the play very deliberately enmeshes them both in the horror. The Jewish owners of the house where they meet have, Otto insists, gone to their deaths. Their son was hidden with Elodies family  but her mother turned him out and he has almost certainly been killed  quite possibly by Otto himself. Eodies father is away  in Hamburg, making buttons, which sounds like it covers a harsher truth. Otto has been part of a firing squad, killing political prisoners before the Allied forces arrive. Theyre in this horrible war up to their necks  and Otto, at least, is ideologically committed to the atrocities.

Kalnejais was inspired to write by an image of a young Frenchwoman, shorn and shamed, after the liberation. Shes meant to look guilty, the playwright has said, and she doesnt  she looks like the most innocent thing ever. Elodies 17, and Otto 15., and their ages seem crucial. This is the last point at which they might claim innocence, or at which adolescent desire might wash out the knowledge of their context. Never such innocence again. Two years older, and youd not grant them a pass.

Kalnejais says she wanted to write something hopeful, delicious and gorgeous, and most responses to the play have foregrounded the lovely. Yet I registered it as a guilt story. She could have placed star-crossed lovers in a less emotive context; so it seems more a tale of complicity than intimacy. Yes, theyre on the wrong side of history, as Matt Trueman writes  but they have in part placed themselves there. Each knows enough of what theyre getting into  the most rhapsodic version of a beautiful future is Ottos paean to Mr Hitlers cleansed Europe. Its an uncomfortable statement of naivety on the very verge of adulthood, from someone carrying a smoking gun.

The fundamental things apply

What happens to the pair after they part, on the morning the Allied troops arrive, isnt lovely either. The judgement we might consider is passed with severity: tar and feather for the hussy, a bullet for the brute. Are they youngsters facing a terror beyond their comprehension, or a guilty pair facing the consequences? Both, probably.

I thought of Casablanca. Rick and Ilsa insist the fundamental things apply, but theyre war-worn adults without illusions. The coda at the Yard  in which peeping baby chicks are released, in which Alwyne and Paul tend the youngsters (like their parents, their older selves, their songtime guardian angels) brought some to tears, and others to platform disagreement. Were asked to stay our applause until the chicks are stowed, less we frighten them  and of course we do, were not monsters. Its a real act with real consequences. What of the fictional acts and their consequences, how do we feel about them?

Kalnejais has a firm hand on the nuance of complicity, the halfway house between innocence and stained experience. In some ways, she writes more acutely about that blur than an overly neat Jez Butterworth does in The Ferryman. This Beautiful Future, from its teasing title to its morning-after pall, is a test of the audience. Where do we place responsibility? Is there enough lovely in the world to lift the horror? Lovely or offensive? Chicks or Nazis?

Photo by Richard Lakos

Follow David on Twitter  @mrdavidjays
ASEAN countries have become an alluring destination for Chinese-based businesses looking to benefit from the cost-savings of relocating all or part of their...
Indirect tax now on fast track to becomng a reality from July 1 as Council has finalised all tax rates.

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's overhaul of India's entire taxation system will transform Asia's third largest economy after China and Japan with biggest tax reform since Independence in 1947 -- the Goods and Services Tax -- on fast track to becoming a reality from July1, according to a report in The Financial Express.

On May 19, the GST Council -- nodal agency for all GST related issues -- headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley fixed tax rates for different goods under the five-tier tax regime in the range of 0-28 per cent. The Council decided tax rates for as many as 1,211 goods.

A day after on May 20, the Council took up seven services and approved rates for them too under a four-tier tax slab in the range of 5-28 per cent. The GST is set to make daily household goods cheaper and make some 'luxuries' costlier.

"India is almost ready to implement a tax code that unifies more than a dozen separate levies, effectively creating a single market with a population greater than the U.S., Europe, Brazil, Mexico and Japan combined," the FE report said.

Apart from that, the new indirect tax regime or pan-India sales tax will make country's environment friendly for foreign companies who would be lured to set up manufacturing units in India. The GST will also give the much needed push to the government's 'ease of doing business' initiative by simplifying the taxation procedure.
She also attended the premiere as a special guest of celebrated British novelist, Neil Gaiman.

Mumbai: Shruti makes her third and final Cannes appearance attending the premiere of 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties' adapted from author Neil Gaiman's short story.

Ms. Haasan most certainly made her presence felt and how at Cannes 2017 with her smashing red carpet looks.

After doing two appearances for her film 'Sangamithra', the trilingual magnum opus scheduled to go on floor in August, Shruti was seen attending the premiere of 'How To Talk To Girls at Parties' starring Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman, directed by John Cameron Mitchell.

She attended the premiere as a special guest of celebrated British novelist, Neil Gaiman, who wrote the short story that was the film's inspiration.

Says an insider source, 'Neil Gaiman has been one of Shruti's all-time favorite novelists. She's followed his work extensively and they had a chance to connect a short while ago over Twitter. They met in LA and stayed in touch via mails and messages. When Neil realized Shruti was in Cannes, he was thrilled and invited her to attend the premiere of the film as one of his special guests. She was delighted to go be a part of his big celebration and attended the premiere on May 21."

Neil has gone on record previously talking about how much he appreciates Shruti as an artist, to the extent that he has even stated that he would gladly pen a musical only if it starred Shruti.

"We first encountered each other on Twitter about a year or so ago. I think I had mentioned how much I want to visit India, and Shruti offered to help show me the country. She's an enormous fan of my writing, and has sent me lots of clips, both of her work in films and music, and of things and performers she thought I should see or would enjoy. And I, in turn, have sent her books and things to read ahead of the crowd. She's a delight, really smart and grounded, and her music is remarkable" he was quoted.

Talking about attending the premiere on Neil's invitation, Shruti says, "I was super happy to be invited for the film. Neil is my favorite writer and I loved the film as well."

The best of Cannes - getting to hang with my most favourite writer @neilhimself A post shared by @shrutzhaasan on May 21, 2017 at 11:14pm PDT

Shruti sported yet another black look and totally made it work, this time in a Valentino ensemble with jewelry by Chopard and wit Christian Loubotin shoes and clutch. She was styled by Shreeja Rajgopal with hair and make up by Tarryn Kelly.

Sunshine and ice  In Valentino and @chopard styled by @shreejarajgopal for #cannes70 A post shared by @shrutzhaasan on May 21, 2017 at 6:46am PDT

Her look at Day 1 at Cannes is breathtaking!
The international collaboration starts rolling in Mumbai.

Mumbai: A truly International collaboration, 'The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir,' directed by Ken Scott and starring Indian actor Dhanush, rolled in Mumbai this week.

The film is based on The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir who got trapped in an IKEA wardrobe by Romain Puertolas.

The shooting has commenced earlier this month and is expected to be shot in Mumbai (India), Brussels (Belgium), Rome (Italy) and Paris (France).

Speaking about the film, actor Dhanush says, So happy to be a part of this film with collaborators from 3 continents, looking forward to an extraordinary journey ahead.

Producer Luc Bossi of Brio Films says, 'The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir' is also an out of the ordinary production adventure, creating through its producers, locations and talent a unique bridge between India, Europe and Hollywood. Its cast reunites actors from more than 15 countries and an International Indo-French-Belgian-Italian crew with a common passion and goal to tell a universal story full of laughs and emotions.

Adds Aditi Anand of Little Red Car Films, What an incredible experience to be working with a power packed crew and cast chalk full of talent. Couldn't have asked for more!

Taking the enthusiasm further, Director Ken Scott adds, "I'm super excited to be working with Dhanush who is so talented and great great great to work with.

Starring the inimitable Dhanush in the titular role of the 'Fakir', the film, as the name suggests, marks an extraordinary journey in the life of Aja aka Ajatshatru (Dhanush).

After the death of his mother, the 'Fakir' takes on a journey to track down his father, a man he never knew. The quest takes him to Paris and soon, he realizes his destination is all set to change his journey.

From falling in love to brushing shoulders with a Hollywood star to dodging hitmen and being held as a hostage in a bureaucratic war, the Fakirs life goes hilariously awry the moment he steps into the Parisian soil, despite his best intentions.

Other than Dhanush who shot to fame internationally with his single Why this Kolaveri' and has been hugely appreciated in films like 'Raanjhanaa', 'Shamitabh' and more.

'The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir' also stars French actor Berenice Bejo (known for the Oscar Winner 'The Artist'), American actor Erin Moriarty (last seen in 'Blood Father' with Mel Gibson) andSomalian-American actor Barkhad Abdi ('Captain Phillips') amongst others.

The film has music by Nicolas Errera, while Amit Trivedi has also composed two Hindi songs in the film. Vincent Mathias is the DOP, and the production design is by Alain-Pascal Housiaux and Patrick Dechesne, costume design is by Valerie Ranchoux and Philippe Bourgueil will be editing the film.

The film is produced by Brio Films, Vamonos Films, M! Capital Ventures, Little Red Car Films, Impact Films, Aurora Global Media Capital, Scope Pictures, TF1 Studio and Aleph Motion Pictures. The screenplay of the film is by Puertolas and Luc Bossi (Brio films) and has a conglomeration of production houses from 3 different continents.
Superstar Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautams pair was highly appreciated in their last film Kaabil.

Superstar Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautams pair was highly appreciated in their last film Kaabil. Now, we hear the couple will be seen coming together yet gain for their next.

The Roshans loved Yamis work in Kaabil, and they are contemplating with the idea of casting her yet gain in their next project. Right now, its too early to give out any details as its in early stages right now, a source close to the actor revealed.

However, we wonder while Hrithik has been keen on having a Wonder Woman character in Krrish 4, do we see Yami taking the spot?

Well, only time will tell what is their next film all about.
The court has issued a notice to the CBI to reply on the bail plea of all the accused including Virbhadra and his wife Pratibha.

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and the other accused in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case moved the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court for bail in Delhi on Monday.

The Special CBI Court has issued a notice to the CBI to reply on the bail plea of all the accused including Virbhadra and his wife Pratibha. The next date of hearing is 29th May.

Earlier on May 8, Virbhadra and other accused were summoned by the court in regard to the same case.

Pratibha Singh withdrew her plea, which had alleged that the CBI hadn't obtained permission from the state government to procure documents used to prepare the chargesheet.

Pratibha's counsel had earlier on April 24 argued whether witnesses and documents that were collected during the investigation could be part of the chargesheet and if the court could read them for the purpose of taking cognizance.

The counsel also moved an application seeking consideration of these terms, while also requesting not to take cognizance of the chargesheet.

A day after being booked by the CBI special court, the Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring against him and asserted that all charges levied against him were fabricated.
The army chief also called for greater synergy between industry and the armed forces to develop quality equipment and military platforms.

New Delhi: India's armed forces must fight the next war with indigenous solutions, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said on Monday as he made a strong pitch for developing the domestic defence industry.

The army chief also called for greater synergy between industry and the armed forces to develop quality equipment and military platforms.

"Indian armed forces must fight the next war with indigenous solutions," he said while addressing a seminar organised jointly by the army and the Indian Technical Textile Association.

Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani told the gathering that the National Textile Corporation will have a specialised facility to develop clothes and other gear for the armed forces.

"There must be effective engagement between the armed forces and the industry," the army chief added.

He also referred to combat dress and boots being supplied to the US Army by the Indian private sector and said there was a lot of scope for cooperation between the army and the domestic textile industry for developing dress material and other gear for the forces.

"There is huge budget with the Army that has been spent on textiles. It is high time that we look for indigenous solutions," he said.

His comments come two days after the defence ministry broadly finalised a much-awaited policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.

India is a leading importer of arms and military platforms globally and the current government has been maintaining that indigenisation of defence manufacturing is a priority area.

Rawat said discussions at the seminar must not be confined to files and official papers and practical steps must be taken to boost cooperation between the armed forces and the textile industry.

Irani said there must be cohesive alignment of cooperation between the textile industry and the armed forces.
The fresh suit was filed in the Delhi High Court after Jethmalani accused Jaitley of being 'guilty of crimes and crookery'.

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday filed an additional defamation suit of Rs 10 crore against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the latter's counsel Ram Jethmalani called him a 'crook' on the instructions of his client.

The fresh suit was filed in the Delhi High Court after Jethmalani accused Jaitley of being 'guilty of crimes and crookery'.

Earlier on Thursday, amidst an ongoing tense round of cross-questioning between Jailtey and Jethmalani, the former was perturbed after being referred to as a 'crook' by the 93-year-old veteran lawyer, in his defamation case against the Aam Aadmi Party convener, resulting in a verbal spat between the two parties.

Baffled by the 'abuse' hurled at him, Jaitley further demanded a clarification from the senior counsel whether this was the result of a personal tiff, to which Jethmalani clarified that the term was used under the instructions of Kejriwal.

Developing on this premise, senior advocates Rajiv Nayar and Sandeep Sethi, who were representing Jaitley, alleged that the matter was transcribed as a duel between Jaitley and Jethmalani, rather than Jaitley and Kejriwal.

Jaitley had filed a criminal defamation complaint against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for allegedly defaming him in the Patiala House Court, while a civil defamation case was filed in the Delhi High Court.

Jaitley had also filed the suit seeking Rs 10 crore in damages after Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders accused him of alleged irregularities and financial bungling in the DDCA, of which Jaitley was the president for about 13 years until 2013.

Earlier in March, in a major jolt to Kejriwal, a Delhi Court put the former on trial in the criminal defamation case. The court had also framed a notice against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders in this case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass framed defamation notice against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders. Meanwhile, Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

The hearing regarding the fresh suit is likely to take place in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.
Saluting valour and bravery of the constable, spokesman of the militant outfit said people like Naveed Shah would continue to join Hizbul.

Srinagar: The Hizbul Mujahideen claimed on Sunday that the Jammu & Kashmir police constable, who decamped with four assault rifles from central Kashmirs Budgam district, has joined them.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Hizbul Mujahideens operational spokesman Burhanuddin welcomed Syed Naveed Mushtaq Shah into their fold, and congratulated him for his act.

Saluting the valour and bravery of the constable, he said people like Naveed Shah would continue to join Hizbul.

On Saturday evening, Naveed Shah fled with 4 rifles  his own and those of 3 of his colleagues, from Chandpora village in Budgam district, where he was deployed to guard a facility belonging to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Police officials were quoted as saying by the Indian Express that they could not confirm whether Shah had fled, but admitted that there could be no other reason he would disappear with 4 rifles, than to join the militants.

Subsequently, a manhunt has been launched for him, said the report.

But this is not the first incident of a constable fleeing to join militant ranks.

In January 2016, Shakoor Ahmad, a policeman posted as a DSPs personal security officer, decamped with four rifles.

He was arrested later from Kulgam, said the report.

In March 2015, Naseer Ahmad Pandit, a policeman from Pulwama, also joined Hizbul after fleeing with two rifles.

Significantly, he had been posted as a guard at then PWD minister and senior PDP leader Altaf Bukharis home.

Pandit, who was part of slain militant Burhan Wani's group and posed for a picture that went viral, was later killed in an encounter in Shopian district, said the report.
The NDA governments Nai Roshni scheme should be spread to all districts with large minority population.

The Niti Aayog has listed out a string of suggestions for the government as part of its three-year action plan (2017-18 to 2019-2020), which will run concurrently with the 15-year vision document.

New Delhi: In line with the NDA governments sustained efforts of opposing triple talaq for empowering minority community womenfolk, the Niti Aayog has suggested to the Centre that women from minority communities should be given adequate representation in all institutions intended to promote their welfare like national and state womens commissions, minority commissions and minority financial commissions.

The NDA governments Nai Roshni scheme, which is meant for providing leadership training skill for women of minority communities, should be spread to all districts with large minority population. The government think tank has further recommended that the Centre can consider giving a fee waiver to Madrassa students who opt for taking examination conducted by National Institute of Open Schooling.

The Niti Aayog has listed out a string of suggestions for the government as part of its three-year action plan (2017-18 to 2019-2020), which will run concurrently with the 15-year vision document.

As the Modi-led dispensation has started getting vocal about rights of minority community women, a move being seen as a step towards minority appeasement to counter the perception that it is soft towards perpetrators of cow vigilantism, and those attacking rationalists, the Niti Aayogs recommendations for minorities fall under a chapter in the three-year action plan that is tellingly titled Towards Building a More Inclusive Society. It has recommended that in order to strengthen higher education for minorities, model degree colleges in all districts having large density of minority population, should be established by 2020.

As the exact number of madrasas is unclear, the Niti Aayog has also advocated the need for making efforts to modernise them through curricular reforms and provision of greater education facilities.

Emphasising on the importance of education for Muslim girls, it has observed that while 555 girls schools were sanctioned since 2006-07 in minority concentrated areas, the enrolment of students was only 16 per cent till 2013-14. Citing the example of Bihar, where girl students have been provided with bicycles for travelling to their neighbouring schools, the Niti Aayog has asked the Centre to enhance transportation facilities to these schools, which will help increase enrolment of students in them. The government think tank has suggested cash transfer, school stipend programmes in line with the ones introduced in Bangladesh, which cover all costs of schooling like uniforms and books for girl students in rural areas.

This programme in the neighbouring country not only had a beneficial impact on education, but also help in delaying age of marriage of girls.

It has said that all secondary and senior secondary schools sanctioned till date in areas with large minority population, should be made functional with immediate effect.
A senior BJP state leader has even said that if the actor joins the party, it will be strengthened.

New Delhi: A day after BJP president Amit Shahs all good people are welcome to join politics reply to a query about whether or not superstar Rajinikanth would enter politics, senior leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that the BJP has an appropriate position for the southern superstar.

If he (Rajinikanth) does join the BJP, which I will absolutely look forward to, I would like to tell him that the BJP has an appropriate position for him, Mr Gadkari said in response to a question posed during a television interview on Monday.

Tamil Nadu politics has been rife with speculation over whether or not the actor will join politics after his address to his fans last week where he said that though he has no political aspirations, but, If God wills it, I will enter politics tomorrow.

BJP state unit is abuzz with talk that the actor would prefer the saffron party because of his personal equation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and because he is ideologically aligned with the party.

A senior BJP state leader has even said that if the actor joins the party, it will be strengthened.

However, some say that he would prefer to launch his own political outfit. Tamil Nadu is one of the southern states where the BJPs organisational strength remains weak and two regional satraps  AIADMK and DMK  remain major political forces.
Intelligence agencies probing suspected hawala deals.

New Delhi: Initial investigations by intelligence agencies and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have revealed that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief and found of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Hafiz Saeed, may well have directly masterminded pumping funds through the hawala channels into Kashmir Valley to foment trouble following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last July. NIA has already lodged a case in connection with hawala funding to separatist leaders in the Valley and with assistance from intelligence agencies launched a full scale probe into the entire network.

Top intelligence sources said they were moving with extreme caution in the matter as they want to gather concrete evidence and build a fool-proof case specially against some of the senior separatist leaders associated with the Hurriyat. Senior officials from NIA and intelligence agencies are camping in Srinagar in connection with the investigations.

NIA has summoned some separatist leaders, including Naeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Gazi Javed Baba and few others in the hawala funding case. Sources said intelligence inputs have confirmed that the scale of unrest witnessed in the Valley over the past few months would not have been possible without adequate financial support from Pakistan based subversive elements.

We have concrete information that Hafiz Saeed was responsible for sending funds through the hawala network to take advantage of the situation post Wanis killing. Now in the course of investigations, we hope to gather some concrete evidence against some of the separatist elements who may have received this money and distributed it further among the agitators. It is a complex and long investigation but we will unearth the entire hawala network for funding, a senior intelligence official said. The NIA has also taken cognisance of recent television sting in which some of the separatists are seen claiming that they indeed received funds through hawala channels.

Investigating officials said it was now certain that stone pelters were being paid money to target security forces in the Valley. In fact, sources said some of the agitators, particularly school students who were seen recently indulging in stone pelting, were even promised smartphones by some of the separatists and overground workers.

As part of its strategy to contain violence in the Valley, the Centre has issued a clear directive to security agencies cut the flow of funds to separatists and OGWs as this would have a direct impact on the intensity of agitation.

If one was to analyse the trend in the Valley, it is clear that ever since we have launched this drive against hawala funding incidents of stone pelting and agitation have reduced considerably, a security official said. Both NIA and intelligence agencies are also trying to zero down on the hawala operators who might have been responsible in facilitating funds for the separatists.
NIA special court convicts 14 out of 16 accused in the multi-crore rupees scam.

Accuseds in the multi-crore financial scam in the NC Hills Autonomous Council being produced at NIA court on the day of the final verdict hearing in Guwahati. (Photo: PTI)

Guwahati: The special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday convicted 14 out of 16 accused in the multi-crore rupees North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) scam in Assam. The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment for all the convicts on Tuesday.

Among those convicted by the court are militant-turned politician Jewel Garlosa and Niranjan Hojai who were the chairperson and commander-in-chief of disbanded militant outfit Dima Halem Daogah or DHD(J), respectively.

The two former militant leaders, who were released from judicial custody by the government in 2011 to initiate peace talks, had joined the ruling BJP and are serving as elected members of the NCHAC.

The court also convicted former chief executive member of the council Mohet Hojai and deputy director of the social welfare department R. H. Khan.

The court has convicted the accused under various provisions of Indian Penal Code, including sections related to waging of war, besides sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, relating to funding terrorism, harbouring terrorists, terrorist acts etc.

Though, the case was first registered with the Basistha police station in April 1, 2009, following the recovery of `1 crore along with two pistols and letter heads of the banned DHD(J), the home ministry subsequently decided to hand over the case to the NIA, which in the course of the investigation recovered huge amount of cash meant for terror funding from Kolkata and Haflong.

With the ramification of the case stretching beyond the state, the NIA also recovered a huge cache of arms from Mizoram.

The NIA had in its chargesheet named DHD(J) chief Jewel Garlosa, DHD(J) commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai, chief executive member of NCHAC Mohit Hojai, Malsawmkimi, Phojendra Hojai, Babul Kemprai, RH Khan, Ahshringdao Warisa, Samir Ahmed, Vanlalchhana, George Lawmthang, Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, Debashis Bhattacharjee and Sandip Ghosh.
Kazis to include clause in nikahnama, board tells Supreme Court.

New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) told the Supreme Court on Monday that Muslim bridegrooms will no longer have the right to resort to triple talaq to seek divorce, and that those who do will face social boycott.

The board in its affidavit to the apex court said triple talaq is an undesirable practice and that AIMPLB will issue an advisory  applicable to all Muslims  that at the time of performing nikah (marriage ceremony), kazis will advise bridegrooms that, in case of differences, they shall not pronounce three talaqs in one sitting since it this practice is condemned in Shariat. The bride and the groom will also be advised to incorporate this undertaking in the nikahnama.

The board also informed the court that a resolution had been passed in April regarding the social boycott of men who resort to triple talaq.

The boards affidavit placed on record a copy of the resolution passed at its meeting, held in Lucknow on April 15 and 16, in relation to divorce (talaq) in the Muslim community. It was resolved at the meeting to disseminate a code of conduct/guidelines to be followed in the matter of divorce, particularly emphasising that the pronouncement of three divorces in one sitting be avoided.

Appearing for the board earlier, senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal had submitted that the issue of triple talaq, a practice that is faith based and 1,400 years old, cannot be decided by the court. He told the court, Please dont enter into this area. It would be hazardous to interpret them in six days as it is not the job of this court. If the community feels that time has come for change, we will accept it. Belief and faith should not be interpreted by court.

Quoting a survey of about 1,000 Muslim families, Mr Sibal had said that instant triple talaq was not a popular way to end marriages. He said of 371 divorces reported, only one person used triple talaq, and that such cases accounted to only 0.44 per cent of divorces among Muslims.

The AIMPLB told the court on Monday that social boycott of those who resort to triple talaq form of divorce will further reduce the incidents of such divorce.

While stating that the board will issue an advisory to all imams and kazis in the country, it said that the boards April resolution emphasised that disputes between husband and wife should be settled by mutual interaction.

But in case the differences are irrevocable, then divorce may be resorted to, but never in one go.

The code of conduct states that one option, according to Shariat, is that the husband may pronounce one talaq during the period of purity of his wife and leave his wife till the time the waiting period ends. If a favourable situation arises during the waiting period, the husband should retain her and both should live as spouses. If the husband does not retain his wife during this period, then the marriage will be automatically dissolved after the lapse of waiting period and both will be free and authorised to start a new life.

If the wife is pregnant during the waiting period, then the waiting period will extend till the time of delivery. The husband has to pay the expenses incurred during the waiting period and in case the dower has not been paid, then the husband has to pay it immediately.

If the husband and wife reach an amicable settlement after the waiting period, then both of them may solemnise their marriage afresh, along with a new dower.

The second option is that the husband pronounces one talaq during the period of the purity of his wife, then another in the second month and the third in the third month. If they reach an amicable settlement before the pronouncement of the third divorce, then the husband has to retain the wife and restore the previous marriage.
The BJP chief has embarked on a nationwide tour of state units to gauge the organisational strength.

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Monday reached Telangana as part of his partys Mission South, ahead of partys preparations for the 2019 general elections. Mr Shah met partys booth-level workers in Nalgonda and also met partys state office bearers and district presidents. He also unveiled the statue of Gundagoni Mysaiah Goud, former party state secretary who was shot dead by Maoists in 1999.

Mr Shah would also be holding a meeting on May 24 of party workers in the Hyderabad, the bastion of Asaddudin Owaisi led AIMIM.

On May 25, Mr Shah would reach Andhra Pradesh where senior leader and Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu will accompany him in Vijayawada. Mr Shah will address booth-level workers at Siddhartha Medical College grounds as part of the nationwide campaign to strengthen the party.

Before the next general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party chief has embarked on a nationwide tour of state units to gauge the organisational strength. Mr Shahs focus is also on the southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where partys organisational strength is not very strong.
Yeddyurappa lashed out at the Congress, saying the party was not able to tolerate BJP leaders visiting dalit colonies and having food with residents.

Bengaluru: Not many thought BJP state chief B.S. Yeddyurappas meal of hotel-cooked idlis at a dalits home in Tumakuru would become a raging controversy a year ahead of the Assembly polls, but it has happened and the reasons arent hard to find. Chasing the dalit vote is now a top priority for both the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP, which is making a frenzied bid to return to power in a state where the community is the strongest  1.08 crore out of a six-crore population.

Congress Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge and state unit chief G. Parameshwar have claimed that Mr Yeddyurappa, who belongs to the upper caste Lingayat community, insulted dalits by preferring hotel food to one cooked by dalits at their home. Both leaders know targeting the BJP for its preference for upper castes is the best way to draw dalits closer into the Congress fold.

But the BJP rubbished the allegations, saying the food ran out as Mr Yeddyurappa and his team were at the home of Madhu Kumar in Chitradurga district for breakfast, and so more had to be bought from outside. One D. Venkatesh filed a police complaint against Mr Yeddurappa, accusing him of casteism.

Mr Yeddyurappa too lashed out at the Congress, saying the party was not able to tolerate BJP leaders visiting dalit colonies and having food with residents.

I visited a dalit colony in Bagalkote district on Monday and had breakfast with them. I have also enquired about the problems they face. My visits to dalit colonies will continue across the state, he said.

BJP spokesman Suresh Kumar said, Yeddyurappa and others had breakfast in dalits houses in Tumakuru and Chitradurga that was prepared by family members. This was confirmed by the family members. The Congress allegation is cheap and nasty.

Hanumantharayappa, who hosted the breakfast for Mr Yeddyurappa and BJP leaders in Tumakuru, said: We prepared breakfast for 30 people... After more people arrived, it is true we brought breakfast from outside to serve 300 people. But for 30 leaders, we prepared the food ourselves.

Former BSP state chief and dalit leader B. Gopal said Mr Yeddyurappa did err by not eating what was there at the dalits house. If he is there to study the plight of dalits, he should eat whats available. So Congress leaders attacked him, there is nothing wrong in it.

The BJP definitely doesnt want a statewide repeat of the disaster in Nanjangud, a reserved constituency, where veteran dalit leader Srinivasprasad was crushed by a Congress leader in the recent bypolls by a huge margin.
The CBI prosecutor told the judge that they needed some time to go through the bail pleas and file a response.

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh on Monday appeared as accused in a special CBI court here in connection with a nearly Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case and sought bail.

Besides the 82-year-old Congress leader and his wife, the other accused, who have been chargesheeted in the case by the CBI, also appeared before the court and moved their respective bail pleas.

Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal posted the matter for arguments on May 29 after the CBI said they needed some time to file a reply to the bail pleas.

The chief minister, clad in a grey safari suit, came to the court amid tight security and was accompanied by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who was present during the court proceedings.

As the hearing commenced, a battery of senior advocates, including R.S. Cheema, Ramesh Gupta and Rebecca John, who were appearing for these accused, moved the bail applications. The CBI prosecutor told the judge that they needed some time to go through the bail pleas and file a response.

After the hearing, Digvijay Singh, while talking to the reporters outside the court, launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he was using the CBI, ED and NIA to clamp down on the Opposition.

The agency has chargesheeted Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, and managing director of Tarani Infrastructure,Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia for the alleged offences, including criminal conspiracy, forgery and corruption.

The chargesheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who is presently in judicial custody. Chauhan did not move bail plea on Monday.
5,000 people participate in rally led by Bhim Army founder.

New Delhi: Thousands of dalit rights activists, led by Bhim Army, on Sunday gathered at the Jantar Mantar to raise their voice against the caste-based violence in Saharanpur city of Uttar Pradesh. Around 5,000 people participated in the protest despite being denied permission by the Delhi police. The protesters demanded that cases be registered against those who had perpetrated violence against dalits on May 9.

They also demanded that the affected families be awarded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh. Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar, who is accused of sharing an objectionable video on social media and disrupting the communal harmony in Saharanpur, was also present at the event.

The activists also demanded that the FIRs lodged against Chandrashekhar and other dalit activists be cancelled and a judicial probe be initiated into the incidents of clashes at Saharanpur. Meanwhile, the police stepped up security at the protest site. However, the event went off peacefully, police said. The protesters had initially said that the gathering would be close to 50,000, which is why the permission was denied, said a senior police officer.

Clashes had erupted on May 5 in Saharanpurs Shabbirpur village after some of its dalit residents refused to allow a procession by Thakurs to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap. Members of the dalit community had then tried to hold a mahapanchayat on May 9 in Gandhi Park in the city to demand compensation and relief to those affected in the May 5 clashes but their request was turned down by the administration, following which they took to the streets. In the violence that followed, dalit protesters allegedly set fire to a police post and over a dozen two-wheelers in several areas of the city.

Also, over 500 Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) activists from Delhi, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh also extended their support to the dalit community of Saharanpur by participating in the protest. Casteist terrorists who have since ancient times reduced dalits to inhuman tasks, now are parading the country to further dehumanise their living conditions. It shows the real state of affairs in our country, the activists said.
A CPM farmer wing All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) had given a call to organise a ' Nabanno Abhijan' march to raise pro-farmer demands.

Protester in Kolkata during the 'Nabanno Abhijan' march. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Kolkata: The clashes between the Left-wing protestors with the West Bengal Police, during the 'Nabanno Abhijan' march, turned violent on Monday.

The protestors were demanding a fair price for farmer's produce, food security and the maintenance of communal harmony and the rights of people in the state.

A CPM farmer wing All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) had given a call to organise a 'Nabanno Abhijan' march to raise pro-farmer demands.

Later on, the farmer wings of other Left parties joined the protest.

Reportedly, the Left workers plan to conduct rallies from five strategic locations - Rani Rashmoni Avenue, PTS, and the Kidderpore Market in Kolkata and from Santragachi and the Howrah Rail Museum in Howrah.
Radha was brought to SGNP from Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary in Kolhapur in 2004.

Mumbai: Radha, a 17-year-old leopardess succumbed to old age-related complications around 11.30 pm on Saturday at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). She had been receiving treatment for the past three weeks and was unable to walk for the past 15 days. The park, which has been trying to make its wild cats more visible with its leopard safari, is now left with around 13 leopards  seven male and six female.

Radha was brought to SGNP from Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary in Kolhapur in 2004. According to the park veterinarian, Shailesh Pethe, when the animal was brought to SGNP it was said that she was an adult, but her age was not mentioned in her documents. Going by her appearance, she looked approximately three to four years old and hence her age is expected to be a minimum of 17 years at the time of death.

According to park officials Radha had been displaying a lack of coordination while walking, which was mostly due to her advanced years. Stating that the leopardess was unable to walk for the past 15 days, Dr Pethe said, She was suffering from complete hind-limb paresis.

Pathologists from Bombay Veterinary College were informed about the incident and the post-mortem of the animal was conducted at 4 pm on Sunday. According to SGNP officials, the exact findings of the post-mortem would be shared with them by Monday, but the reports would be out only by Tuesday. Dr Pethe said that the primary reason for Radhas death is her old age. Experts and veterinarians say that a normal lifespan of a leopard ranges from 12 to 14 years.
'When party in power makes promises, it weighs heavy on minds of people compared to assurances given by leaders of other parties,' it said.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged the Election Commission (EC) to bar the prime minister and the chief ministers from holding poll campaign rallies to ensure a level playing field for various political parties.

"The PM and CMs make all kinds of announcements while holding election rallies. When the party in power makes promises, it weighs heavy on the minds of people compared to the assurances given by the leaders of other political parties," Thackeray said, addressing a rally in Mumbai in run up to the Panvel municipal corporation polls.

Thackeray accused the functionaries of ruling parties not meeting their poll promises later.

He said while CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a package of Rs 6,500 crore for Kalyan-Dombivali municipal corporation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 1.25 lakh crore for Bihar, not a rupee was given after the elections.

He said after India's surgical strike against Pakistan, the nation has conducted several strikes on Indian territory.

"There is fresh news now that another Indian has been arrested... Again false cases will be filed and he will be hanged. Why is Pakistan not scared of you?" he questioned.

The prime minister should be thinking how to make the nation stronger rather than strengthening his party and similarly, the chief minister, instead of going to every nook and corner for holding rallies, should be mulling ways to improve farmers' plight and the law and order situation of the state, Thackeray said.

Taking a dig at the for challenging political parties to hack their EVMs, Thackeray said if parties had the intelligence to hack EVMs, they would not hold election campaigns.

"This is like somebody goes to police to complain of theft in his house and police ask them to prove their house has been robbed. It is your duty to ensure EVMs are not tampered with and so you (the EC) should check your machines not us," he said.

Responding to the rumours of a mid-term poll in the state in wake of an internal survey predicting two third majority for the BJP, Thackeray said a survey should instead be done on the problems being faced by the people.

Thackeray said in Tamil Nadu bypoll after late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's death, a BJP worker complained of money being distributed and the entire election got postponed.

"Here too we want this to happen... If anybody gets caught distributing money, polls should be postponed," he said.
Following the complaint on Saturday, some members of an outfit had reached the school and had blackened the principal's face, they said.

Mumbai: The principal of an English medium school in Maharashtra's Solapur district allegedly committed suicide on Sunday after a molestation complaint was filed against him by two students, police said.

Following the complaint on Saturday, some members of an outfit had reached the school and had blackened the principal's face, they said.

Dilip Khadtarne, principal of New English Medium School at Sangola, used to take extra classes during summer vacation inside the school premises, senior inspector of Sangola police station Harun Shaikh said.

Two girls approached police on Saturday and lodged a complaint that Khadtarne used to molest them during these classes, the police officer said.

"Yesterday, some members of an outfit reached the school and blacked Khadtarne's face", the official said.

"The principal had left the school, before we reached there. He informed some persons in the school that he was going the police station, but he never came there," Shaikh said, adding, "He committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of a building in Pandharpur town."

The kin of the principal has lodged a complaint against nine members of the outfit, who were booked on the charge of abatement of suicide, the inspector said, adding that a probe was on.
The Hindu Mahasabha, however, said it has no information on any such proposal.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Legislative Council witnessed a heated debate on Sunday on media reports about a proposal to install the bust of Mahatma Gandhis killer Nathuram Godse in a village in Thane. While the opposition said such instances are on the rise after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, the ruling party strongly objected to the charges.

Some sections of the media had reported that right-wing organisation Hindu Mahasabha planned to set up the bust in Sanpad village near to Kalyan in Thane district. The Hindu Mahasabha, however, said it has no information on any such proposal.

Hindu Mahasabha spokesperson Dinesh Ogale told The Asian Age, We do not support any incident of murder. But now people are getting to know about his (Godses) thoughts and they are coming forward for such things. Whether anything is being done in Kalyan is out of my knowledge but if it is there, then it would be peoples spontaneous move.

Raising the issue in the Legislative Council, Congress member Sanjay Dutt said, There are newspaper reports about a bust of Nathuram Godse being erected in Saapad village near to Kalyan in Thane district. Maharashtra is known for its progressive values and erecting the bust of a killer is not good for the state. These things are happening after BJP came to power. This must be stopped.

Nationalist Congress Partys Hemant Takle said such a move would be a blot on the image of the state. We need to decide whether we want to continue on the path of Mahatma Gandhi or the path of violence, said Mr Takle.
The tur procurement fiasco has been food for serious political debate for the past one-and-a-half month.

Mumbai: Former chief minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan on Monday raised serious questions about tur procurement in the state. We suspect that there may be a Rs 400 crore plus scam in the procurement of tur. We fear that tur imported from Mozambique may have been mixed with the domestic produce. There should be a thorough investigation into these issues, Mr Chavan alleged.

The tur procurement fiasco has been food for serious political debate for the past one-and-a-half month. Mr Chavan pointed out that the government made a mistake in terms of expectations of tur production in the state. On March 17, the state government submitted a report to the central government about 11 lakh 71 thousand tonne tur production in the state. However in just 18 days, the governments estimates rose to as much as 20 lakh 322 thousand tonne tur. Whether this is just a statistical mistake or goes beyond that should be the topic of investigation, he said.

The former CM said that the Indian government had inked an agreement with the Mozambique government for import of tur. Estimates of procured tur increased as the imported tur reached Indian ports. This needs to be investigated. We suspect that there may have been an attempt to mix imported tur with Indian tur. If such a thing has been done, it is a big conspiracy, he alleged.

Mr Chavan also demanded that import duty on tur be increased from 10 per cent to 25 per cent. All bilateral ties for tur imports with different countries should be cancelled to give justice to Indian farmers, he demanded.
Both children cry intermittently, have fever; Their mothers are furious.

Grabs from the video in which the two children are seen being beaten up, tonsured and made to wear a garland of slippers.

Mumbai: Two children from Ulhasnagar who were allegedly stripped and had their heads shaved in public on Saturday for stealing chakli from a kirana shop to overcome hunger, are in severe trauma, their lawyer and mothers said on Monday. Both the children  one aged 8 and the other 9  cry intermittently and are suffering from cold and high fever even as they try to overcome the memories of the dreadful one-hour during which they were paraded naked on streets.

The mother of one of the two minors told The Asian Age, My son is in fifth standard. After his vacation has started no one is there to look after him 24 hours. I work as a domestic helper, so finish my work by evening and I try my best to come back home by 8 o clock.

She said, On Saturday, I could not make much food at home because I didnt have enough money to buy grains. I earn Rs 5,000 per month and I have to manage rent, travelling and home expenses in it.

The mothers of the two victims with their children.

She said, So, my son was feeling hungry when he was playing with his friend. He did not have money. Therefore he took chakli from the shop. The chakli is barely worth `2, if the shop owner would have told me about it I would have paid the money immediately to them.

The shop owner, Mehmood Pathan (69) and his two sons Irfan (25) and Tavakkal (20), have been arrested and remanded in police custody till May 23.

The boys mother said, I know my son did wrong and he is small too, but what they did to my son is punishable. Both the childrens mothers are living alone with their children.

One of the victims said, I was hungry so I thought of taking the chakli that was kept in the shop. After I stole the chakli the uncle (shop owner) beat me up and forced me to take off my cloths.

Sharad Nadar, who witnessed the incident, said, I saw some of these people gathered near the shop, I went there and saw they were forcefully feeding chakli to two naked children who were my neighbours. I asked them to stop but they didnt listen.

Senior police inspector of Hill line police station M. G. Waghmare said, We received a video on WhatsApp after which we started searching for the shop. We have arrested the shop owner and his sons.
Tomar was produced in the court and will be remanded in police custody till Thursday.

The crime branch officials then sent a team to Indore to nab the accused and arrested him on Sunday. (Photo:PTI)

Mumbai: The Thane crime branch arrested an accused involved in 2015s Malvani hooch tragedy case in which 94 people died. The arrested accused, identified as Dharmendra Singh Tomar, was picked up from Indore in Madhya Pradesh after the police officers received a tip-off. Another accused in the hooch tragedy case, who was his partner in crime, is still at large. Tomar was produced in the court and will be remanded in police custody till Thursday.

According to police sources, the arrested, accused Tomar alias Sanjay Singh, who was on the run for the last two years, was nabbed from Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday and brought to Mumbai on Monday. The police had destroyed illicit liquor centres in Shil Daighar and was looking for the main accused, who used to supply the poisonous chemical to be mixed with the liquor.

The police received a tip-off that the person involved in this case, who sought shelter in his hometown in Rajendra Nagar in Indore, was the main accused in the Malvani tragedy.

The crime branch officials then sent a team to Indore to nab the accused and arrested him on Sunday. On questioning, Tomar revealed that he had supplied chemical to be mixed with liquor in Malvani hooch tragedy, which claimed 94 people.

Thanes DCP (Crime) Abhishek Trimukhe told The Asian Age, The accused Tomar alias Singh was arrested following a tip-off, and he has confessed to his involvement in the Malvani hooch tragedy case of 2015. He will be further interrogated in Mumbai, and his business partners are likely to be traced.

The police claimed that Tomar played an important role along with his absconding accomplice in the case as they were responsible for supplying the poisonous ethyl alcohol to the illicit liquor centres.
Augmented reality is seeing strong gains among Americans thanks to social networks like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.

The report said growth in augmented reality is being fueled by Snapchat Lenses, Facebook Stories, and Instagram Stories, while virtual reality usage is driven by 360-degree videos on social networks.

Augmented reality is seeing strong gains among Americans thanks to social networks like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, a market research firm said Monday.

A new report by eMarketer said some 40 million Americans will engage with augmented reality monthly in 2017, up 30 percent over last year. Virtual reality is also growing, but at a slower pace, according to the researchers.

The report said growth in augmented reality is being fueled by Snapchat Lenses, Facebook Stories, and Instagram Stories, while virtual reality usage is driven by 360-degree videos on social networks.

"Users of Snapchat Lenses comprise the vast majority of our AR estimates," said eMarketer forecasting analyst Chris Bendtsen.

Lenses is the system enabling users to add special effects to video messages sent over Snapchat.

"Snapchat growth will continue to contribute to AR users in the future, but in the next several years eMarketer also expects Facebook and Instagram Stories to be significant growth drivers of AR usage," Bendtsen added.

Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories offer "filters" which allow users to add special effects to photos and videos, a feature widely seen as copying Snapchat's augmented reality offerings.

Augmented reality gadgetry overlays holograms on the real world in view, while virtual reality devices such as those from Facebook-owned Oculus and Sony's PlayStation unit immerse users in fantasy worlds, often for gaming.

The research firm said that by 2019, the number of augmented reality users is expected to top 54.4 million, or nearly one in five internet users. Virtual reality, meanwhile, has been slower to catch on and will not reach mass adoption in the US in the foreseeable future, according to eMarketer.

The group said 22.4 million people in the US will use some form of virtual reality monthly in 2017, double the number from 2016. The category is being driven mainly by 360-degree photos and videos on Facebook and YouTube.

The gaming industry is driving the growth of virtual reality headset usage, according to eMarketer, which said around 2.9 percent of the US population will use a VR headset this year, a figure expected to grow to 5.2 percent by 2019.
'As depressing as that sounds...I wasn't afraid, I was just focused,' O'Neill was quoted as saying.

O'Neill also recalled how he had arranged for a last conversation with his father. (Photo: AP)

Washington: An ex-Navy SEAL, who claims to have killed Osama bin Laden, has said that ahead of the 2011 Abbottabad raid he bought farewell gifts for his children and had a "last conversation" with his father as he believed it was a "one way" mission.

Ex-Navy SEAL team shooter Robert O'Neill told CNN about the preparations he made before he left for the trip, which included arranging to have a last meal with his kids and heading to the mall to buy them "never coming back presents".

"As depressing as that sounds...I wasn't afraid, I was just focused," O'Neill was quoted as saying. "We were preparing to not come home." O'Neill also recalled how he had arranged for a last conversation with his father.

"My father, he and I talked. We would talk before a lot of missions, he would joke like, 'I wish I could go with you!' I would say, I know, Dad, I wish you could, too. I said I am with some great guys. That was the last conversation," O'Neill said.

O'Neill said he participated in more than 400 missions during his time with the SEALs. Despite his concerns, the raid on Osama's Pakistan compound "wasn't even one of the most difficult targets we've been on," he said.

"They selected a group of combat veteran navy SEALs. We'd all done it hundreds and hundreds of times. It was the best team I've ever been a part of," O'Neill said.

"We were given the most time to prepare for this mission. So we knew the outside of the compound very, very well. We knew most of the contingencies," he said.

Talking about the night of the raid itself, O'Neill said that "everyone just did their jobs". "Our tactics took over. We didn't know what the inside looked like, but that didn't matter. I was able to watch as we slowly went up the stairs," the ex-Navy SEAL said.

"And when we got to the top, I was in position where I turned a corner and I did what any SEAL, any Ranger, any special operator would have done. I saw bin Laden, and he was a threat, he was not surrendering, and so I took -- I treated him as if he were a suicide bomber, which I assumed he was, and I shot him in the face three times," he said.

O'Neill has faced criticism after first going public with his story. Asked as to whether the rest of the team he worked with that night were "cool" with him telling his story, O'Neill said that he thought that "some will be happy and some will be upset."

O'Neill, in his book 'The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Bin Laden', has revealed that Osama's head was so severely destroyed by his gunfire that it had to be pressed back together for identification.
The missile tested on Sunday is believed to be capable of reaching Japan and several major US military bases in the country.

Tokyo: North Korea says it's ready to deploy and start mass producing a new medium-range missile capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases there following a test launch it claims confirmed the missile's combat readiness and is an "answer" to President Donald Trump's policies.

The missile tested on Sunday is believed to be capable of reaching Japan and several major US military bases in the country.

North Korea's media said that more missiles would be launched and that they're the country's answer to the Trump administration. Trump, travelling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

The missile, which was described by Washington as medium-range, was fired from Pukchang in South Pyongan province and travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to the South's armed forces.

The rocket used a cold-launch system, KCNA said. The technology uses compressed gas to propel a missile upwards before its engine ignites in mid-air. It is considered safer and also makes it easier to hide the launch location.

A spokesman for Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that South Korean and US intelligence authorities "assess that North Korea secured meaningful data in advancing the reliability of its missile technology through yesterday's missile launch".

But he added: "Our position is that the stable re-entry of the warhead needs more verification."

The US, South Korea and Japan sharply denounced the launch and jointly requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which will be held Tuesday.

The launch came just one week after the North fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead".

Analysts said that at 4,500 kilometres the Hwasong-12 had a longer range than any previous ballistic missile launched by the North, putting US bases on the Pacific island of Guam within reach -- and that it could serve as a platform to develop a long-range ICBM.

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across South Korea and Japan but is accelerating efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed "won't happen".

The launches, and a threatened sixth nuclear test, have fuelled tension with the Trump administration, which has warned that military intervention was an option under consideration, sending fears of conflict spiralling.

But so far Washington has opted for sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while looking to China, the North's closest ally, to help rein in Pyongyang.

Seoul's foreign ministry slammed the "reckless and irresponsible" weekend firing as "throwing cold water on the hope and longing of the new government and the international community" for denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's new President Moon Jae-In has previously taken a more conciliatory line towards Pyongyang than his conservative predecessors, but has reacted strongly to the latest two missile tests.
Vardarkar had become the first openly gay Cabinet minister in Ireland after coming out in 2015.

Dublin: Leo Varadkar was the clear favourite to succeed Enda Kenny as Irelands Prime Minister Saturday as nominations closed for the leadership of the governing centre-right Fine Gael party.

Mr Kenny announced this week he would be stepping down after six years as the taoiseach (head of the Irish government) and 15 years as party leader, saying his replacement would take over on June 2.

Mr Varadkar, the Dublin-born son of an Indian immigrant father and an Irish mother, became the first openly gay Cabinet minister in Ireland after coming out in 2015. He campaigned on same-sex marriage and liberalising abortion laws, although like the majority of his party colleagues, he is an advocate of tight fiscal restraint.

The 38-year-old won early support for his leadership bid from several senior cabinet members and a majority of his parliamentary colleagues publicly backed him. He said Friday: Im not counting my chickens. Im really humbled at the level of support I have received from my colleagues and I am really looking forward to the hustings and the debates.

But his sole rival, Simon Coveney, was forced to deny that the race was all but over.

Leos got off to a good start but theres two weeks to go so well see how that plays out, he said. Ahead of the 5:00pm (1600 GMT) deadline for leadership nominations, Mr Varadkar had secured 45 of 71 available votes from members of Fine Gaels parliamentary party, which comprises national and European lawmakers. They account for 65 per cent of the electoral college, with 22,000 ordinary party members sharing 25 per cent. County councillors account for the remaining 10 per cent.

Mr Coveney would need to win a significant majority of non-parliamentary votes to win, something that few commentators believe is likely. Mr Varadkar may seem an unlikely frontrunner in socially conservative Ireland. But in many ways, he represents a generational shift to a more secular society, particularly in Dublin and other urban areas.

He was a doctor before winning a seat in Parliament in 2007 and has rapidly risen through the ranks, holding several ministerial portfolios. Cork-born Mr Coveney (44), is the current housing minister, who has held the agriculture and defence portfolios. He was first elected to parliament in 1998 following the death of his father, who held his seat in Cork.

Once a new party leader is chosen, members of the lower house of parliament must confirm him as prime minister, a vote likely to take place on June 13.
At US President Donald Trump's request, Israel decides to improve Palestine's economy and facilitate crossings.

US President Donald Trump speaks during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv, accompanied by Israel's President Reuven Rivlin, center, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: AP)

Jerusalem: Israeli ministers have approved measures aimed at improving the Palestinian economy and facilitating crossings, rare moves said to be at Donald Trump's request hours ahead of the US president's arrival.

An Israeli official told on condition of anonymity that ministers were responding to a Trump request to present him with "confidence-building measures" ahead of his talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday.

In what the official described as a "gesture for Trump's visit, which does not harm Israel's interests", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet on Sunday approved the enlargement of a Palestinian industrial zone on the edge of the southern West Bank. He said that the possibility of extending Israel Railways services to the northern West Bank city of Jenin would also be examined.

They also gave the nod to streamlining transit procedures at Shaar Ephraim, a busy crossing point in the northern part of the occupied West Bank for Palestinian labourers with permits to work in Israel.

The official said that opening hours for passage across the main Jordan River bridge linking the Palestinian territory and the neighbouring kingdom were to be extended to 24/7. There would also be reforms to Palestinian land use in urban areas in the 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control.

He did not elaborate but Israel's Haaretz daily said the intention was to allow construction of "thousands of Palestinian homes" in the area where for years it has been almost impossible for Palestinians to get Israeli permits to build on their own land.

Haaretz said that at Sunday night's meeting Education Minister Naftali Bennett and deputy foreign minister Ayelet Shaked, of the religious-nationalist Jewish Home party, "objected vehemently" to the building plans.

In an apparent attempt to calm opposition from within Netanyahu's coalition government, seen as the most right-wing in the country's history, the security cabinet also approved setting up a committee to work for retroactive legalisation of wildcat Israeli construction in the West Bank, the official said.
Prints from Calif., Mexico and the heart of Texas to spark dialog and show how art and prints compare favorably next to work from the greater region. Runs through 6/2.

Free Event

Night of the Arts at South Broadway features prints, movie and live music

Prints by Southwest of exhibit through June 2

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Visitors to the South Broadway Cultural Center will soon have the opportunity to discover what contemporary artists from the southwest are thinking when the exhibition Prints By Southwest opens during Night of the Arts on Thursday, April 20. An artist reception that night will be from 5-8 p.m.

Prints By Southwest revisits last year's traveling exhibition, Desert Triangle Print Carpeta, which featured work from print makers from Tucson, Ariz. and El Paso, Texas. By including print makers from Albuquerque, the exhibition completes a dusty Bermuda Triangle - a zone of lost love - where a desert artist's best efforts often fall into oblivion.

In this sequel, the art agitator/collector reaches deeper into the cactus lands to bring in quality prints from California, Mexico and the Heart of Texas to spark dialog and show how their art and prints compare favorably next to work from the greater region. Prints By Southwest is a collection of etchings, serigraphs and relief prints inspired by (but not confined to) Mexican-American art, and the figurative tradition of the Taller de Grafica Popular of Mexico. The bulk of the prints were first shown in the Postre Prints exhibition, at Purple Gallery in downtown El Paso earlier this year. Prints travel easily. This exhibit aims to encourage others to create new print shows, which could travel throughout the region in pop-ups, coffee shops and museums, and to provoke artists to develop new themes and styles in order to push southwestern art into the 21st century.

Also that night will be live music in the John Lewis Theatre. Son of Hweeldi will bring their rich sounds of rock, soul, blues and a touch of world beat. Son Of Hweeldi, formerly known as Saving Damsels, was recently nominated for three New Mexico Music Awards. In 2013, Son of Hweeldi won Best Rock Album from the Native American Music Awards.

Following the music will be a screening of the movie Pollock. Pollock is a 2000 biographical film which tells the life story of American painter Jackson Pollock. It stars Ed Harris, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Connelly, Robert Knott, Bud Cort, Molly Regan and Sada Thompson, and was directed by Harris.

Harden won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Lee Krasner, Pollock's wife. Harris received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Pollock. The film was a long-term personal project for Harris based on his previous reading of Pollock's biography. Night of the Arts is free. More information about South Broadway Cultural Center can be found at www.cabq.gov/sbcc.
He appealed to Muslim nations to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.

Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders invited to Riyadh for a special summit that he brought 'a message of friendship and hope and love'. (Photo: AP)

Riyadh: US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Muslim countries to deny sanctuary to extremists and called for the international isolation of Iran, which he accused of fuelling "sectarian conflict and terror".

"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said in a major speech in Saudi Arabia.

"Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it... and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they so richly deserve."

Trump, visiting the kingdom at the start of his first foreign tour since taking office, told dozens of Muslim leaders invited to Riyadh for a special summit that he brought "a message of friendship and hope and love".

He appealed to Muslim nations to ensure that "terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil" and announced an agreement with Gulf countries to fight financing for extremists.

He said Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations "have born the brunt of the killings and the worst of destruction in this wave of fanatical violence".
US envoy Nikki Haleys message was diluted by US President Trump's planned budget cuts and his hardline position on refugees.

Haley tours a supermarket run by the Norwegian Refugee Council and partly funded by the U.S. during a visit to the Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan. (Photo: AP)

Zaatari Refugee Camp (Jordan): His skull and jaw wrapped in bandages, the young Syrian refugee stared nonchalantly into a small black box at a supermarket in this sprawling, dust-swept refugee camp. The box scanned his iris to identify him, charged his account and sent him on his way.

If the boy noticed US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley watching intently from just a few feet away, he didn't show it. But Haley would later tout the iris-scanners as a fraud-cutting tool boosting efficiency for the more than USD 6.5 billion the US has spent helping those whose lives have been upended by Syria's harrowing civil war.

Yet as Haley pledged Sunday that the US would increase support, her message was diluted by President Donald Trump's own vow to put "America First," his planned budget cuts and hardline position on admitting refugees.

"We're the No. 1 donor here through this crisis. That's not going to stop. We're not going to stop funding this," Haley said. "The fact that I'm here shows we want to see what else needs to be done."

It was a theme the outspoken ambassador returned to over and over in Jordan at the start of her first trip abroad since taking office. In her stops here and in Turkey - another Syria neighbour - Haley is witnessing first-hand the strains placed on countries absorbing the more than 5 million Syrians who have fled the Islamic State group, President Bashar Assad's government, or both.

She climbed into the trailer of an 18-wheeler staged at the Ramtha border crossing less than a kilometre (0.6 miles) from Syria, inspecting boxes of peas, tuna and canned meat stacked shoulder-high. The truck was to join 19 others in a convoy into opposition-held territory in Syria, carrying supplies from UN agencies and other groups, many US-funded.

"This is all in the name of our Syrian brothers and sisters," Haley told aid workers in a nearby tent, swatting away flies in the summer heat. "We want you to feel like the US is behind you."

The US president's message to Syrians couldn't be more different. Trump, who was in Saudi Arabia on his first overseas trip, once called his predecessor "insane" for letting in Syrian refugees. As president, he tried to bar them from the US, describing them as a national security threat.

A court blocked that move, but the number of Syrian refugees admitted has nonetheless dropped, from 5,422 in the four months before Trump's inauguration to 1,566 in the four months since, US statistics show.

And Trump has called for drastic cuts to US funding for the United Nations and its affiliated agencies - such as those aiding people still in Syria and those who've fled. Trump plans to release his budget blueprint Tuesday, but his initial proposal in March called for a one-third cut to diplomatic and overseas programming while boosting the US military by USD 54 billion.

Haley told reporters accompanying her to Jordan that the US was "not pulling back" and was in fact "engaging more." She cited Trump's stepped-up action to try to hasten a political solution to the war, including a strike punishing Assad's forces for using chemical weapons that the Syrian opposition and its backers have enthusiastically applauded.

She echoed Trump's defence of his plan to temporarily halt refugee admissions from all countries - which was also blocked in court - by saying the US needed to protect Americans by first improving its refugee-vetting capabilities. And she pointed to a group of women in the camp who'd overwhelmingly told her their hope was to return to Syria, not relocate to the US.

"So our goal is how do we get these people back home to a safe place?" Haley said. Still, the situation in Zaatari Refugee Camp - like in others in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq - tell the story of Syrians who see no quick resolution to their plight.

In Zaatari, half of the 80,000 refugees are children, and a dozen babies are born here per day, according to UNICEF, the UN's child welfare agency. 35 per cent of marriages involve a child under 18, a reflection of the economic hardships families in the camp face.

Many of the younger children wander unsupervised through the camp, where gusts of dust occasionally reduced visibility to just a few feet as Haley's motorcade rolled through the streets, passing sparse, white-corrugated buildings accorded a bit of cheer by colourful murals painted on their walls.

As ambassador, Haley plays a key but only partial role in the Trump administration's decision-making on Syria, refugees and humanitarian aid. But her role at the UN puts her at the centre of the debate about how the global community takes on the crisis.

After all, it's successive UN Security Council resolutions that created the legal framework for aid groups to send aid into Syria, with or without Assad's consent.

At the Marka military airport in Amman, Haley went aboard a cargo plane to get a rare look at high-risk operations to airdrop wheat, lentils and cooking oil into Assad-controlled territory in Deir el-Zour, which is completely surrounded by the Islamic State group.

In a sign of Moscow's outsize influence in the Syria conflict, both the aircraft and the company that flies it on behalf of the World Food Programme are Russian. "It's smiles, and tears," said David Beasley, WFP's executive director. "It really is."
Without naming Pakistan, he said, 'every country must ensure that terrorists don't find any sanctuary on their lands.'

Trump added that Muslim leaders must do more to confront extremism. (Photo: AP)

Riyadh: United States President Donald Trump, during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-US summit, acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism and asked countries to ensure that terror groups don't find sanctuaries on their soil.

The President further pledged to work alongside the West Asian nations to combat extremist ideology in the region as all the countries from the US to India, Australia to Russia - have been "victim of terrorism and have suffered repeated barbaric attacks."

Without naming Pakistan, Trump said, "every country must ensure that terrorists don't find any sanctuary on their lands."

While addressing the leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries on Sunday afternoon in his first speech on a foreign soil, Trump, meanwhile, called on the Middle-eastern countries to combat the crisis of Islamic extremism emanating from the region.

Terming the fight against terrorism as a "battle between good and evil," and not a clash between "the West and Islam," Trump sought to chart a new course for America's role in the region - aimed at rooting out terrorism.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations," Trump said.

"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil," he added.

Trump added that Muslim leaders must do more to confront extremism.

"The nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries and for their children," he said.
The taxi driver reported that the male passenger punched him from behind, and pushed him to the ground.

The victim was admitted to the hospital overnight due to his injuries. (Photo: ANI Twitter)

Hobart (Australia): An Indian cab driver suffered injuries and fell prey to a racist attack in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, on Friday.

Speaking to ANI here, the driver, who said he was not allowed to disclose his name due to legal proceedings, narrated his horrific ordeal.

He picked up a couple on Friday night around 10.30 pm, and was heading to a McDonalds drive-thru.

The female passenger reportedly kept opening the door to throw up despite requests from the driver to close it to avoid a possible collision.

After his repeated objections in opening the car door, the couple started hurling profanities and racial slurs at the driver.

The couple then de-boarded the taxi and started damaging the vehicle by repeatedly kicking it, the driver said.

The female passenger then started screaming racial slurs at the Indian driver calling him a "bloody Indian," as the cab driver filmed their violence.

The taxi driver reported that the male passenger subsequently punched him from behind, and pushed him to the ground.

He was repeatedly kicked and punched on the ground as the male passenger said, "You f****** Indian, you deserve it."

Subsequently, few people came to his rescue, as police and ambulance reached the spot. The victim was admitted to the hospital overnight due to his injuries.

The victim has alleged that the police have not registered the seriousness of the matter and have not checked the CCTV footages from the drive-thru.

Another witness has come forward to testify on behalf of the cab driver and has presented a video footage of the incident.
Defendants to appear before a military court. Of these, 31 are in prison under custody. The rest are still loose. Prosecutor says some of those detained include prominent members of the Islamic State in the country. The militants also responsible for the deaths of some policemen.

Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Egyptian public prosecutor has sentenced 48 (presumed) militiamen or Islamic State sympathizers (SI) for ties with the three attacks on Coptic churches in recent months, where dozens of people died . Defendants must appear before the magistrates of a military tribunal. To date, 31 of these are imprisoned under a custodial order. The remaining ones are still on the run.

In total, since last December, at least 75 members of the religious minority (about 10% of the total population) have been killed by Islamic fundamentalists. These include the victims of the explosions at churches last month and the faithful who died in the context of the attack on the Coptic cathedral of St. Mark in Abassiya, Cairo, in December.

In the hours after the attacks, Daesh [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] claimed responsability and threatened more violence against the minority in the country.

The escalation of violence had also made many fear the cancellation of Pope Francis's apostolic journey in Egypt, scheduled for late April. However, the pontiff wanted to respect the initial program by meeting with the president of the Republic al-Sisi, the great imam of al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayeb, and celebrated a mass in front of tens of thousands of faithful.

In a statement published yesterday, Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadek claimed that some of the suspects were ring leaders within local IS cells. Recently, they had spawned some cells in Cairo and in the southern province of Qena, with the specific aim of striking the Coptic churches. The militants, the magistrate adds, would also be responsible for the deaths of eight police officers at a checkpoint in the Egyptian western desert in January.

The Islamic State has threatened new attacks against the Coptic Egyptians, one of the oldest Christian communities outside the Holy Land. In the country of the Pharaohs, one of the most populous Muslim nations in the world, the minority is subject to cyclical wave of attacks.

In response to confessional violence, President al-Sisi proclaimed the state of emergency for three months.
by Emiliana Saptaningsih

The meeting, which was held last Saturday in preparation for the seventh Asian Youth Day, included Mass and celebrations. Young Indonesians are enthusiastic and committed to bear witness among Muslims.

Bali (AsiaNews)  More than a thousand young Catholics met on Saturday in a packed Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Denpasar (Bali), to mark the end of their preparation for the seventh Asian Youth Day (AYD) scheduled to take place on 29 July-6 August in Yogyakarta, archdiocese of Semarang, on the island of Java. For the steering and organizing committes the even will last until August 9th.

This years edition of AYD will be centred on "Joyful Asian Youth! Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia and "we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God" (Acts 2:11). Bali is one of the dioceses to host young Catholics from around Asia. Some 50 are expected from Malaysia, 25 from Cambodia, and 90 from five other Indonesian dioceses.

The high point of the Denpasar meeting was an inculturation Mass. The latter is the adaptation of Christian teachings to local languages and ways of thinking. Participants wore traditional Indonesian attire, and Balinese dancing was performed during the offertory.

Amid the enthusiasm of participants, three priests celebrated Mass, led by the parish priest of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Fr Herman Yoseph Babey, who, at the start of the service, said "Together with all the young Catholics in Bali, we are preparing to receive the seventh AYD, because we believe it is a task entrusted to us by God, and God will always guide us in to be pioneers who always have trust in Him and in His strong hold."

During the homily, Fr Sebastianus Yordan Ado reminded the young people of the pope's message after the 6th AYD in South Korea, when he said that God sent young Catholics to be witnesses of His Kingdom.

The clergyman urged the youth of the diocese to be witnesses of God with courage and conviction. "Whether we like it or not, as Catholic youth, we must bear witnesses to the Gospel, not to ourselves but to others with joy. Bearing witnesses to the Gospel means putting Jesus first. God's commandments are more important than the commandments of priests or parents."

"Since Indonesian Catholic youth live in a Muslim-majority country, we must be happy that we have been entrusted with the seventh AYD. It is our responsibility to spread the reason for our joy, and the reason for our joy is the Good News. We possess the true source of Good News. Jesus is our model of life and we must spread the Good News with joy and commitment."

"I am already grateful for participating in the AYD here in Denpasar, supporting our friends who will represent the Denpasar diocese at AYD," said 20-year-old Jovita Orlin Sena.

"This meeting, she added, is also important to show that young people are important to the Church. This event demonstrates how young people are not just involved in their own thing and going out with friends but are also concerned with serving God and the Church and spending time with God and other Catholic youth. This reinforces our faith in God and serves our community and society in general."

At the end of the Mass, Fr Ado said that the Eucharist was the crowning moment of the preparation for the AYD in Denpasar diocese. He went on to say that he hoped that the diocese would be a good host, hospitable and friendly to the young people from Asia who will be in Denpasar for the AYD.

About 30 young people from the Denpasar diocese will be present at the AYD in the diocese of Semarang.

Yohanes Anasi Raga, 24, from St Mary Rosary parish in Gianyar (Bali), sees the AYD "as my responsibility and service to the Church along with [other] youth. It is really Gods gift to be able to participate in AYD."

After Mass, the meeting continued with the lighting of candles and the release of hundreds of white balloons into the night sky. A mop dance to the AYD theme song followed, with the event ending in a shared dinner.
Women are about 6.2 per cent of all municipal candidates, most from ordinary walks of life. In Tehran, where women are 21 per cent of all candidates, conservatives and reformers are in a tough fight. The latter want to unseat the citys incumbent conservative governor.

Tehran (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Presidential elections are underway today in Iran. At the same time, voters are called to elect their municipal administrations.

If there are no female candidates in the presidential poll, 6.2 per cent of the candidates at the municipal level are women, mostly from ordinary walks of life. For them, this is the opportunity to organise, take part in local political life, participate in municipal projects and orient them towards improving the daily lives of Iranians.

The Guardian Council of the Constitution, which decides who can run, is opposed to womens participation in presidential elections. However, when it comes to municipal elections, the monitoring council  which includes five parliamentarians, three of whom are moderates and reformers  is less strict.

Female participation varies geographically. Teheran is well above the national average, with 21 per cent women candidates. However, some rural areas have led the way. In the village of Afzalabad, in south-eastern Sistan and Baluchestan, a poor and conservative province, the ten candidates for the four local council seats are all women.

In the same province, the village of Kalat elected its first female mayor in November 2013, whilst the city of Qasreqand got its first female governor. Still, women running municipalities are an exception: only 1 per cent of Iranian mayors are women.

Local elections in Tehran take on a further significance in view of the fight between reformers and conservatives. Members of the new council could remove Tehrans current conservative mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who was a presidential candidate before he pulled out, and replace him with a reformer.

In February 2016, former reformist President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) backed the list of current President Hassan Rouhani in the legislative elections, which won 30 seats.

Should reformers get the same support in municipal elections, they might be able to remove Ghalibaf and get to run the city for the first time after 12 years of "corruption" and "bad management".

Independent candidates have withdrawn from the race precisely to avoid "dispersing the votes".
The Holy Spirit is "a gift, the great gift of Jesus, who does not lead us astray. It is precisely within our hearts that we carry the Holy Spirit. The Church calls the Spirit the sweet guest of the heart: He is there. But He cannot enter a closed heart. Ah, but where can one buy the keys to open the heart? No! That too is a gift.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Only the Holy Spirit can lead us to testify that Jesus is the Lord, reassuring us about salvation, said Pope Francis in the homily he delivered in this mornings Mass at Casa Santa Marta.

In his sermon, the Holy Father gave his reflections on Jesus' long speech to his disciples during the Last Supper, in particular with respect to his remarks about the Holy Spirit.

Only the Holy Spirit, Francis said, teaches us to say, Jesus is the Lord. Indeed, Without the Holy Spirit, none of us is able to say it, to perceive it, to live it. Jesus, in other places in this long speech, said of Him [the Holy Spirit]: He will lead you into all truth, He will accompany you towards the full truth. He will bring to your remembrance of all that I have said to you; He will teach you all things. That is, the Holy Spirit is the travelling companion of every Christian, and also the travelling companion of the Church. And this is the gift that Jesus gives us.

The Holy Spirit, the pope went on to say, is a gift, the great gift of Jesus, who does not lead us astray. But where does the Spirit dwell? the pope asked. In the Acts of the Apostles, he noted, we see the figure of Lydia, a merchant in purple cloth, someone who knew how to do things and the The Lord opened her heart, so that she might follow the Word of God.

The Lord opened her heart so that the Holy Spirit could enter, and she became a disciple. It is precisely within our hearts that we carry the Holy Spirit. The Church calls the Spirit the sweet guest of the heart: He is there. But He cannot enter a closed heart. Ah, but where can one buy the keys to open the heart? No! That too is a gift. It is a gift of God: Lord, open my heart so that the Spirit can enter it, and I can understand that Jesus is the Lord.

This, the pope noted, is a prayer we should say every day: Lord, open my heart so that I can understand what You have taught us; so that I can remember Your words; so that I can follow Your words; so that I can come to the fullness of the truth.

We must thus have open hearts so that the Holy Spirit can enter, so that we can hear the Spirit. This, the pope suggested, raises two questions that we can ask ourselves.

The first: Do I ask the Lord for the grace that my heart might be opened? The second question: Do I seek to hear the Holy Spirit, His inspirations, the things He tells my heart that I might advance in the Christian life, and that I too might bear witness that Jesus is the Lord?

Think about these two things today: Is my heart open? Do I make an effort to listen to the Holy Spirit, to what He tells me? And so we advance in the Christian life, and we too bear witness to Jesus Christ.
by Mathias Hariyadi

The celebrations lasted from noon to midnight. Congratulations from representatives of Indonesian civil society and those of all religions. Great joy and participation. Indonesian Catholics pray for unity of the country against radicalism.

Semarang (AsiaNews) - At least 15,000 Catholics participated in the episcopal ordination of the new archbishop of Semarang, Msgr. Robertus Rubiyatmoko on May 19. The event was held on the campus of the Indonesian Police Academy in Semarang, and lasted from midday until midnight.

Many of the participants came from distant parishes, starting days earlier or very early in the morning. To get to the venue, they walked 2.5 km to the point where the means of transport could stop, due to the limited number of shuttles available and the security measures.

Archbishop Rubiyatmoko, professor of canon law at the faculty of theology at the Sanata Dharma University, chose the motto "Quaerere et salvum facere", a testimony of his pastoral mission to seek and save people.

Addressing the crowds, the Archbishop thanked all those who participated and helped organize the event: from the 34 bishops of Indonesia, to the police who ensured security and the hundreds of parishioners from the 26 parishes of the region of Semarang. At the end of the event he gave his first episcopal blessing from an open top jeep.

A Catholic government official from Klaten district, Ignatius Partopo, told AsiaNews of his great joy at taking part in the episcopal ordination, although it lasted a long time under a hot sun, defining it as the most fascinating religious experience of his life.

His ordination was applauded by Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja S.J. who praised it as being in line with the pastoral approach of Pope Francis, precisely because of the pastoral commitment of Msgr. Rubiyatmoko in seeking and saving people.

Similarly, the Archbishop of Jakarta Msgr. Ignatius Suharyo expressed appreciation for the new archbishop, his former student: "His pastoral mission 'Quaerere et salvum facere' did not begin suddenly with his episcopal ordination as the new archbishop of Semarang. It is the culmination of a long spiritual journey, one that I have observed since his early years as a seminarian and in which he is becoming more and more accomplished. "

"He seeks 'Zacchaeus' to change him into another 'Zacchaeus' - continues Mgr. Suharyo - seeking more and more 'Zacchaeus' to turn them from failures to generosity. "

At the end of the celebration figures from the Indonesian society and bureaucracy expressed their congratulations to the new archbishop. Among them, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Confucians, Protestant Christians, government officials, military and police authorities from the central Java province. Their arrival on stage and their handshake with Cardinal Darmaatmadja S.J, and Vatican Nuncio mons. Antonio Guido Filipazzi, and the new Archbishop was welcomed with a warm applause.

The ordination was also an occasion for Indonesian Catholics, who prayed for the good of the country and pluralistic society, respect for unity and diversity according to the Pancasila [the "pillars" of National unity as enshrined in the Constitution of 1945]. In the evening, the present - not only Catholics, but of other religions and other political groups - sang traditional songs, at a time when there is a growth of radicalism in the country and the fragmentation of society between moderate groups and religious "extreme rights" who seek to form an Indonesian Islamic State.

In the coming days the new archbishop will travel throughout the diocese to meet with different groups and make courtesy visits, presenting himself as the new regional "official".
The target is the Pacific island that serves as a US military base for operations in Asia. It is 3500 kilometers away from North Korea. South Korea also cautions about North Korean missiles ability to re-enter the atmosphere. Kim Jong-un publishes photographs of Earth taken from the missile tested Sunday to prove possession of the technology needed for intercontinental missiles

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The new North Korean missile is not capable of reaching Guam, according to South Korean military leaders following yesterdays latest missile test launch by North Korea.

The ballistic missile in question is called Pukguksong-2 and is judged to be mid-range (Mrbm) with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers. Guam Island is located in the western Pacific Ocean and is 3500 kilometers from the territory of North Korea. It is considered a refueling stop and hub for US military operations in Asia.

Launched from a site north-east of Pyongyang, the missile rose to about 560 kilometers and traveled more than 500 kilometers before landing in the eastern China Sea. The North's media stressed that the Pukguksong-2 missile test with solid fuel was conducted under the leadership of Kim Jong-un.

The North nuclear program seems to have two main strategies: developing the Pukguksong-2 missile that can be launched on a mobile launcher. Second: to arrive at the realization of an intercontinental ballistic missile through experiments on the fuel powered Hwasong-12.

Chief of Defense spokesman Colonel Roh Jae-cheon, expressed caution on the news that the North would be in possession of missile technology. "It's a question that needs to be confirmed (through further analysis)," he concluded. The desire is not to induce immediate international reactions to North Korea's tests is part of the international strategy of the new President Moon Jae-in, who is to trying to keep open the door to dialogue.

Norths State news agency KCNA, pointed out that the Communist leader was very pleased with Earth images in real time from a missile-mounted on the camera. Pyongyang published numerous photographs taken from the atmosphere to prove that they are in possession of the technology. Today Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North Workers Party, published 58 color images. On the front page, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is smiling broadly surrounded by senior party officials and with General Kim Rok-gyom, North Korea's military forces commander. "The whole world looks nice," Kim's comment on photos taken on the missile's return from the atmosphere.
by Melani Manel Perera

For Tamils, 18 May is Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day; for the military, it is War Heroes Day. Various interfaith and multiethnic ceremonies are held across the country. A court bans commemorations in Mullivaikkal for two weeks.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Ceremonies have been held across Sri Lanka to mark the eighth anniversary of the end of the civil war that tore apart the island nation for almost thirty years.

However, observances were held amid tensions caused by a court injunction against a commemorative service at Nandikadal Lagoon, Mullivaikkal, in the northern district of Mullaithivu, a place carved in the memory of survivors because of a last massacre of Tamils at the end of the conflict in 2009.

Survivors gathered yesterday, 18 May, for Mass a St Pauls Catholic Church. Fr Elil Rajan SJ, one of the organisers, was summoned today before the police. For Sri Lankan Tamils, 18 May is the Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day; for the Sri Lankan military, it is the War Heroes Day.

Across the country, the relatives of the thousands of victims, along with Catholic and Protestant clergymen, ordinary Sinhalese and Tamils, remembered those who died in the bloody conflict that pitted the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) against the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.

Interfaith and multiethnic ceremonies took place at various venues with the participation of Christians and Hindus. Religious services were held at St Luke Anglican Church in Tharumapuram (Kilinochchi district), Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Uruthirapuram (Kilinochchi), Eastern University in Trincomalee where students held a blood drive after the function, and Jaffna University where students observed three minutes of silence. The Federation of Civil Society Organisations also held a meeting in Mannar with victims relatives and members of the Christian and Hindu clergy.

As for the Mullivaikkal ceremony, a court issued an order (AR 422/17) to prevent celebrations at the local church for 14 days. The site is known because Tamil Tigers leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed there on 19 May 2009. After his death, then President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced the end of hostilities, gaining great public support despite his dictatorial methods.

The court order was preceded by a statement from the Deputy Minister of Defense, who complained of the presence of "some elements trying to tarnish the reputation of the security forces by lighting lamps while enjoying the freedom reinstated in this country because of the efforts of security forces who sacrificed their life and limb to do so.

Conducted in Tamil and celebrated by both Sinhalese and Tamil priests, the Mass in St Pauls Church brought together a large crowd. Sister Rasika, one of the present, told AsiaNews that "the function was offered for the souls of those who were killed during the war so that they may rest in peace."

After the liturgy, participants gathered in front of three memorial stones on which are engraved the names of the victims of the final stages of the conflict. They lit lamps and observed a moment of silence.

Today Fr Elil had to respond to the court for his action, considered a violation of the countrys peace and security, since some of the names on the stones could belong to Tamil Tiger rebels.

Foto credit - Garikaalan e Marisa de Silva
Bellamys brings in new leadership

Posted by Andrea Hogan on 22nd May 2017





Bellamys has appointed ex-Fosters Managing Director, John Murphy, as its new non-executive independent Director.

Bellamys has also appointed a new Chairman, John Ho.

John Murphy will take up the roles of Deputy Chairman of the Board and Chair of Bellamys Audit & Risk Committee. He will start in these positions effective immediately.

Murphy has over 35 years experience both in Australia and overseas, working as a Managing Director for Coca-Cola Amatil Australia (CCA), Visy Australasia and managing Director of Fosters Australia/Carlton and United Breweries (CUB).

He currently sits on the advisory boards of a number of private companies including PFD Food Services and Bladnoch Distillery.

John Ho will also start in his chairman role effective immediately. Bellamys says he has a deep understanding of the Australian and Chinese consumer and health-related markets.

Ho lives in Hong Kong but is an Australian citizen.

Patria Mann has resigned as non-executive director of Bellamys with the company thanking her for her service.

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Dominos addresses biggest consumer frustrations with new campaign





Missing garlic bread, uneven slices and poorly placed pepperoni, these are some of the common customer complaints Dominos Pizza is seeking to stamp out through a new marketing campaign.

The We Care campaign has already seen Dominos Australian stores close for an hour over this weekend while staff were trained on how to avoid these common problems with their product.

Nick Knight, Chief Executive Officer of Dominos, said although its customers value speed, all of its product must meet a certain quality.

We have run a number of focus groups and our customers tell us they love our products, but when we make a mistake, they want it fixed as quickly as possible  and we will, Knight said.

Dominos has hired a new customer care team dedicated to monitoring and resolving feedback quickly as part of the campaign. The team will see money is refunded or replaced if any Dominos product is not up to standard.

CEO Knight says the campaign is about going back to basics.

Slow where it matters, fast where it counts, has long been the mantra of Dominos, and we recognise that over time errors have been made and attention to detail has wavered, Knight said.

Dominos will air television commercials, place print advertisements and run a social media campaign to help spread the message about its new commitment to quality product.

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By Lewis Mitchell, Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, University of Adelaide

Bakhur Nick/Shutterstock

Think about what you shared with your friends on Facebook today. Was it feelings of stress or failure, or perhaps joy, love or excitement? Each time we post on social media, we leave traces of our mood.

Our emotions are valuable commodities, and many companies are developing automated tools to recognise them in a process known as sentiment analysis.

Recently, a leaked report revealed that Facebook can identify when young people are feeling vulnerable, although the company has insisted it did not use the analysis to target users with advertising. Facebook also apologised in 2014 for an experiment on emotional contagion in which posts with either positive or negative sentiment were filtered from users feeds.

Clearly, the ability to detect emotion from text is of great interest to social media companies, as well as advertisers. But how does sentiment analysis work, why is it useful and what are the dangers?

How does sentiment analysis work?

While the details of Facebooks own algorithm are not publicly known, most sentiment analysis techniques fall into two categories: supervised or unsupervised.

Supervised methods rely on labelled data. In other words, these are posts that have been classified manually as containing positive or negative sentiment.

Statistical methods are then used to train models to classify new posts automatically based on the presence of pre-identified words or phrases, for example stressed or relaxed.

Unsupervised methods, on the other hand, often rely on building a dictionary of scores for different words. One such dictionary developed by my collaborators asked people to give a 1 to 9 happiness score to different words, and then averaged the results: rainbows, for example, scored 8.06, while useless gets 2.52.

The overall sentiment of a phrase can then be scored by looking at all the words in the post. For example, the average score for the post My momma always said life is like a box of chocolates is an above-average 6.02 according to this dictionary, suggesting it expresses a positive feeling.

What is sentiment analysis used for?

Sentiment analysis is increasingly used by marketers to study trends and make product recommendations.

Imagine a new mobile phone is released; a sentiment analysis of social media posts about the phone may give a company valuable, real-time insight into how its performing.

There are broader applications of sentiment analysis. Researchers have recently tracked Donald Trumps Twitter sentiment over the first 100 days of his presidency and built bots to place market trades when he tweets positively or negatively about specific companies.

Scientists can track emotional trends in other texts as well. For example, we used sentiment analysis to study the emotional arcs of more than 1,000 films through their screenplays. The arc of the 2013 Disney film Frozen is shown below.













Many films show similar patterns: regular peaks and troughs of tension and release, followed by a particularly big trough 80% of the way through the film (all hope is lost!), before the final resolution and happy ending. Applying a similar analysis to novels, we showed that most stories follow one of six basic story arcs.

Were still not that good at sentiment analysis

Given that sentiment analysis often relies on mining social media posts, it raises major ethical concerns, and this debate is only beginnning. Yet the complex nature of language and meaning makes it prone to error.

Take the phrase, May the force be with you, which scores 5.35 using our dictionarys analysis. For any Star Wars fan, it is of course a hugely positive phrase, but it scored modestly in our test because the word force is rated a below-average 4.0.

This is understandable when rating this word in isolation, but in context it makes less sense.

Some scepticism of the validity of Facebooks sentiment analysis capabilities is therefore warranted. Its entirely conceivable that describing something as fully sick on Facebook, a phrase of colloquial endorsement, could lead to an individuals emotional state being misclassified.

To understand when sentiment analysis does and doesnt work, it is important to examine the words that drive particular results.

To do this, we use word shift diagrams, like the one below for Frozen. This shows which words made the climax of the screenplay sadder than its happy ending: more references to sadness and fear, but strangely, more beautiful.













Promise and a warning

Sentiment analysis is a powerful tool, but its only a young science and must be used with caution.

Scientists must develop tools that allow us to peer under the hood and understand why certain algorithms produce the results they do. This is the only way to diagnose issues with different methods, and more importantly, to educate the public about the fields possibilities and limitations.

Sentiment analysis research has largely been built on large, public data sets, particularly from social media. Its important those of us unwittingly providing the data understand what it can and cant be used for, and how.

Michelle Edwards contributed to this article.

Lewis Mitchell receives funding from Data to Decisions CRC (D2D CRC), the ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS), and the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Policy Relevant Infectious diseases Simulation and Mathematical Modelling (PRISM^2).

Originally published in The Conversation.


(TK Kurikawa/Bigstock) (TK Kurikawa/Bigstock)

The latest tough immigration stance announced in Australia will affect people who have arrived by boat in recent years who have been told they must prove they are genuine refugees to be deported.Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has set a deadline of 01 October for about 7,500 of the 50,000 asylum seekers who arrived by boat before the controversial policy of stopping boats getting near the Australian coastline and by intercepting them and turning them back was introduced.Dutton said that the 7,500 have failed or refused to present their case for asylum. 'Some of these people have been here for more than five years. Yet they have failed or refused to take any action to present their case for protection,' he explained.'Many are residing in Australia on Government funded support which last year cost the Australian taxpayer approximately $250 million in income support alone. The 01 October deadline is non-negotiable,' he added.He pointed out that anyone who has not lodged an application to have their claim for asylum assessed by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) by that date will be deemed to have forfeited any claim to protection.'They will be subject to removal from Australia, prohibited from applying for any Australian visa, cut from Government income support and banned from re-entering Australia. They will be issued a short term visa while departure or removal is organised. It will provide minimal rights to work, Medicare and education for children as required by Australia's international obligations,' Dutton said.He also revealed that since people smugglers began sending people to Australia in large numbers some 50,000 had arrived on more than 800 boats over five years and the cost to the Australian taxpayer of processing and then supporting them reached more than $13.7 billion.He believes that Australians have every right to question why an estimated 80% plus of them arrived without any identity documents. 'In such circumstances processing their claims for protection has proven challenging and complex,' he added.According to the DIBP some 3,000 have already been found not to be refugees and must leave Australia, 13,000 are having their claims assessed and 7,500 have not presented their case for protection and they are now facing the October deadline.'The expectation is, if people can't make their claim for protection then they need to depart our country as quickly as possible. We are not going to allow, given the level of debt that our country is in, for more debt to be run up paying for welfare services for people who are not genuine,' Dutton concluded.It is the latest in a number of tough changes in Australia's visa system which will make it harder for employers to get visas for skilled people from overseas and make it harder to become an Australian citizen. Some visa fees are also being increased.
The locally assembled Jaguar XE diesel makes 180hp; available in three trim levels.

Jaguar has launched the 2.0-litre diesel XE in India starting at Rs 38.25 lakh for the base Pure variant. Prices for the mid-level Prestige and range-topping Portfolio trims haven't been revealed yet.

With the launch of this four-cylinder diesel model, Jaguar India has finally plugged a gaping hole in the sedan's India line-up. Until now, the Jaguar XE, which was launched at the 2016 Auto Expo, was the only model in the line-up without the option of a diesel.

Powering the XE is JLR's 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel making 180hp and 430Nm of torque, as on the XF sedan and the F-Pace SUV. Compared to its German competition, the XE develops 10hp more than the entry-level Mercedes C 220d, and 10hp lesser than the BMW 320d and the Audi A4 35 TDI. As with its petrol sibling, the diesel engine will be paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

As per the brochure, there are no differences in the equipment list between the petrol and diesel models. The XE is locally assembled at Jaguars plant in Pune.

The British carmaker started accepting bookings for the model earlier this month.

Jaguar XE diesel vs rivals prices Jaguar XE Mercedes C-class BMW 3-series Audi A4 Pure  Rs 38.25 lakh C220 d Style  Rs 39.9 lakh 320d Prestige  Rs 37.50 lakh 35 TDI Premium Plus  Rs 40.20 lakh Prestige  NA C220 d Avantgarde  Rs 43.01 lakh 320d Luxury Line  Rs 42.70 lakh 35 TDI Technology Edition  Rs 43.30 lakh Portfolio - NA C250d Avantgarde  Rs 45.58 lakh 320d Sportline  Rs 42.70 lakh --- --- --- 320d M Sport  Rs 45.90 lakh ---

(All prices, ex-showroom Delhi)
A study on car culture revealed millennials regard Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury car brand and Toyota as its best non-luxury car brand. The study also showed the younger generation prefer luxury cars more, even if they do not necessarily have the money to invest in these.

For the third consecutive year, Toyota maintained its dominance over the younger market while Mercedes-Benz eclipsed Lexus in the previous' years rankings. The results were from a recent survey done via The Harris Poll.

Seven of the 10 preferred car brands among millennials are luxury cars, even if they do not have the means to actually afford these. The poll revealed the younger generations' aspirations only and should not be seen as an assumption that they will become potential luxury car brand owners in the future. In comparison, older consumers picked out five luxury brands as its best among 10. These are Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Genesis, Lexus and Porsche, as per the Detroit Bureau.

"While maybe not a full-blown romance, the flirtation with cars as part of our culture is alive and well with younger generations," The Harris Poll's VP Joan Sinopoli said. "Millennials aspire to luxury, and this is nowhere more evident than in the automotive industry, where they are behind Mercedes-Benz's equity strength."

Aside from the car brand of choice, the study also showed millennials give value to the car audio equity best among all other features in a car's infotainment system. Top brands include Beats or Bose. They also dig up information on the cars they like on online sites like Car Gurus or Kelly Blue Book.

The Harris Poll surveyed some 102,617 millennials from ages 15 and above around the different states. The poll defined millennials as born from 1977 to 1995. The poll also included 4,052 brands related to cars and each of the respondents picked 40 of their choices, as per Auto Marketing.
Could Volkswagen's fix for 84,000 vehicles affect the car's efficiency? A test done in the U.K., in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal that erupted two years ago, revealed this problem despite the company assuring the public this won't be the case.

The news comes as the company announced Friday it received its U.S. approval from the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board for the fix. This will cover exactly 84,390 automatic vehicles sold in 2012-2014 and Volkswagen is still awaiting approval for its fix for manual transmissions, as per Reuters.

The new software fix the company offered did help one test car achieve legal nitrogen oxide emissions levels, as revealed in the test Autocar undertook. Its combined fuel economy, however, showed a significant drop, which meant the test car's CO2 emissions went up.

The test disproved Volkswagen's claims the fix won't impact car economy or performance. "Looking at the pre and post-fix test data for fuel economy, it's concerning that the data doesn't back that claim up," the car's owner, Jonathan Mudd, said. "My car is now less fuel-efficient than it was before the required technical measure was carried out and means I'll be out of pocket as a result."

Volkswagen, which disputed Autocar's test for its lack of variables and poor car maintenance by the owner, was not legally obligated to fully compensate car owners affected by this scandal. The company, however, had the option to buy back the car from its owners and pay them up between $5,100 to $10,000.

The courts also required Volkswagen to come up with the fix for car owners globally, should the owners decide to keep the car and not take the buyback offer. Many did opt for a buyback but there were still plenty of owners who chose the fix.

The automaker then issued some 600,000 fixes for 1.2 vehicles affected in the U.K. Meanwhile, apart from the 84,000 cars in the U.S., some 67,000 cars from its 2015 model diesel, also received approval for fixes from regulators. A total of 550,000 vehicles in America needed the fix, as per the Associated Press. Learn more about Volkswagen Dieselgate in the video below.
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An aviation company based in Washington State has purchased the South Lakeland airport and, according to the new owners, plan to convert it into a training and support center.

Triton Aerospace purchased airport for $2 million

Company manufactures aircraft in China

Owners expect new center to bring about 100 jobs to the area

Triton Aerospace bought the airport for $2 million, according to the Polk County Property Appraisers Office.The company is based in Washington State, and manufactures planes in China.



Thomas Hsueh, the owner of Triton Aerospace, said he plans to make the South Lakeland Airport a training and support center for the aircraft he develops and manufactures.



Florida is the perfect place for training," said Hsueh. "You got flat, flat, flat place and then sunshine everyday, so you can train 365 days a year.



Hsueh hopes local flight schools will purchase his latest aircraft, Skytrek, which is a two seater, special light sport airplane that runs on regular fuel. According to Hsueh, its the first special light sport aircraft to be certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and be built in China.



Hsueh wants to build his customer base in China. In order to do that, he plans to bring Chinese pilots to the South Lakeland Airport to train them to be licensed instructors, so they can teach people how to fly back home.



China is very big, a lot of people but maybe only a handful has (sic) private license," said Hsueh. "So the potential of bringing Chinese over here is tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands. So, I envision were going to have a very intense training program."



John Leenhouts, president of the nearby SunNFun International Fly-In and Aerospace Center for Excellence, said hes glad to see a big company moving in and helping to train more people to become pilots.



Were thrilled another aviation company is moving into the region that will provide not only aviation opportunities to fly, but also to learn to fly and provide possibly aircraft that could be sold, creating jobs and again aviation exposure for the youth in the area, said Leenhouts.



Hsueh said he also plans to make improvements to the South Lakeland Airport, such as paving the ends of the runways. He expects the complex will bring about 100 jobs to the area.


The future of St. Pete College's Sign Language Interpretation Program (SLIP) is uncertain.

SLIP is the only program of its kind in Pinellas County

Fourth largest deaf community in US is here

St. Pete College says program 'under review'



The college is considering closing the 25-year-old program. Faculty said the fall 2017 class would be the last cohort to start the program, which would be phased out over the next few years.

"It was a shock, an absolute shock," faculty member Carol Downing said. Downing said faculty found out about the potential closing of the program from a post online that has since been taken down.

Faculty, students, graduates and members of the deaf community attended the Board of Trustees meeting last week to voice their concerns.

"I have never felt so empowered in a career choice or so certain about a career I wanted to do. And I wouldn't have been able to do that without this program," student Rachel Goette, who graduates in December, said.

Downing said the plan would be to transfer the Associate of Science degree in Sign Language Interpretation into a general degree with an emphasis in sign language. She said that would not offer the required classes needed for students to become sign language interpreters.

"Our sign language interpretation program over its history has donated over 30,000 volunteer hours to our deaf community. So to stop this program would bring that number down to zero." - Faculty member Carol Downing

She said right now, SLIP is the only program of its kind in Pinellas County.

"It would be devastating for the community," Downing said. "Our sign language interpretation program over its history has donated over 30,000 volunteer hours to our deaf community. So to stop this program would bring that number down to zero."

In a statement, a spokesperson for St. Pete College said, "The current Associate of Science degree in Sign Language Interpretation is under review. An appropriate transition for students with an interest in this field of study is being developed."

Downing said they are asking the Board of Trustees for more time to figure out the most appropriate way to move forward. Ideally, she said faculty would like to see the program expanded into a four-year bachelor's degree program.

"We bring access to a deaf community, which is the fourth largest deaf community in the United States," Downing said. "We bring access and we bring equality into situations where previously there was none."

The college said recommendations for allowing students to gain the appropriate degree to acquire certification will be presented at the June 20 Board of Trustees meeting.
A man charged with killing two roommates told Tampa police he did so because they disrespected his recent conversion to Islam.

Devon Arthurs, 18, taken into custody Friday

Jeremy Himmelman, 22, Andrew Oneschuk, 18, killed in shootings

Third roommate charged with having explosive materials



PREVIOUS STORY: Police ID man in shootings



Meanwhile, a third roommate is accused of having explosive materials.

Devon Arthurs, 18, faces two murder charges in the Friday slayings of Jeremy Himmelman, 22, and and Andrew Oneschuk, 18.

They lived in the 15000 block of Amberly Drive, where the fatal shootings took place, according to investigators.

The shootings happened just before 5:30 p.m. Arthurs was taken into custody while at Green Planet Smoke Shop on Amberly Drive. Police said he held two customers and an employee hostage before letting them leave.

In a news release issued Monday, the Tampa Police Department said, "When detectives interviewed Arthurs and inquired about a motive for the killings, Arthurs claimed that he and his roommates shared a common neo-Nazi belief, until Arthurs recently converted to Islam.

"He said his roommates disrespected his Muslim faith. He also said he had become angered by what he described as the world's anti-Muslim sentiment and wanted to bring attention to his cause."

Details from the interview with Arthurs have been shared with the FBI, police said.

The investigation is still under way.

Third roommate charged by FBI

Over the weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Brandon Russell, 21.

According to a criminal complaint, agents found Neo-Nazi propaganda in Russell's bedroom, along with a framed picture of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

Agents said they also found explosives and a destructive device that Russell admitted.

Russell told agents he was in the University of South Florida engineering club and that the explosives were to boost homemade rockets and send balloons into the atmosphere.

The FBI says that material is too energetic and volatile for those types of uses.

Russell was charged with possession an unregistered destructive device and unlawful storage of explosive material.
As President Donald Trump continues his visit to the Middle East, much of the focus has been on first lady Melania Trump and the president's daughter, Ivanka, for not wearing traditional headscarfs.

In 2015, Trump blasted Michele Obama for not wearing a headscarf during her visit

Other women in power who have not worn one: Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and British Prime Minster Theresa May

This is especially notable since the president criticized Michelle Obama for making a similar choice back in January 2015. Back then, he tweeted this:

Hmmm, wonder what changed... Melania and Ivanka Trump choose not to wear headscarves on Saudi Arabia trip https://t.co/MmUbPN1NTa #Resist pic.twitter.com/ZBbCRqvhPQ  Khary Penebaker (@kharyp) May 20, 2017

But even Michelle Obama was not the first to opt out of the head scarf while visiting the Middle Eastern country.

Former first lady Laura Bush met with a Saudi prince in the country in 2007 with a headscarf. And in 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Saudi Arabia without a headscarf.

And just last month, British Prime Minister Theresa May did not cover her head on an official visit to Saudi Arabia.

According to the Associated Press, Saudi Arabia has a strict dress code for women. They are required to wear a loose black robe called an abaya in public.

Most women also cover their hair and face with a veil known as a niqab in the country. However, the head coverings are not required for foreigners visiting the kingdom.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The bear has been captured and relocated, according to Gary Morse with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

No further details were released.



PREVIOUS STORY: Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission finally coaxed down a bear in a tree in a backyard in Winter Haven.



But the bear ran off into a wooded area.

Bear was in Winter Haven neighborhood Monday

Black bear, about 120 pounds, up in tree

FWC responded, bear came down out of tree last night

It took all day Monday, but the black bear finally climbed down late Monday, just after 10:30 p.m.

FWC crews used a variety of methods to try and coax the bear out of the tree behind a home near Drexel Avenue and Hebb Street.

A group of home schooled children first spotted this bear this morning near Lake Elbert. The bear ran off and ultimately scampered about 15 feet up into a tree in a backyard.

Authorities said the black bear was a male and about 120 pounds.

The bear was not trapped by the officers and was last seen running toward the woods.
The city of New Port Richey is continuing its work to give its downtown a facelift -- now with a landscaping improvement project.

Old elm trees downtown being uprooted, replaced

City using Penny for Pasco funds for project

Business, residents, visitors noticing recent changes



The old elm trees that lined the downtown core are being uprooted and replaced with something a little more Floridian, 94 palm trees.

"It's a chance for us to upgrade our image and to implement some very necessary improvements in the downtown area of the city," said City Manager Debbie Manns.

Over the past few years, more businesses have been coming into the downtown area as the city has worked on revitalization projects, like revamping Sims Park.

Businesses say it is a big help.

"We think that it's going to definitely improve business with driving in traffic," said Gerry Kuss, co-owner of Rose's Bistro.

The city is utilizing "Penny for Pasco" funds for the project, estimated at $359,000. It will also include new fencing and planting of fruit trees near its retention pond.

As for the trees, they're being re-used. The majority are being replanted along Grand Avenue to provide shade for the newly constructed multi-use path.

Residents and visitors are taking notice of the improvements.

"I love what they did with Sims Park. When my grandkids visit, that's always a place to hit," said resident Tom Hanafee. "I love some of the new businesses going up."

The city says it hopes it sets the standard for more business opportunities within the city so that others can grow roots of their own there.

New Port Richey's next project is a wayfinding system, creating signage around the city directing people to popular spots as well as practical uses like parking.

The project costs $400,000. Officials hope to start in August.


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Nostalgia coursed through the crowd, like so many white wine brunches and margarita happy hours, Saturday night at Toyota Center.

Enduring boy band New Kids on the Block was the big draw, of course. But the show was packaged with polished sets from vocal group Boyz II Men and onetime pop superstar Paula Abdul.

The vibrant, vocal crowd partied like it was 1989.

There were throngs of women in homemade NKOTB T-shirts, their hair in scrunchies and their arms adorned with neon accessories. They fidgeted excitedly in merch lines offering more shirts and posters.

Several husbands stood nearby, idling between bemusement and exasperation. (They reacted most positively to Boyz II Men's cooleyhighharmonies.).

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH? Take the New Kids on The Block quiz and find out

A nearby mom proudly posted on Snapchat, earning a chorus of oohs from the young girls behind her. The mom in the next seat had no idea what Snapchat was.

It was dozens of strip-mall happy hours happening at once. A girls night out after watching "Bad Moms" and drinking a few too many daiquiris.

The excitement reached peak levels when NKOTB appeared just after 9 p.m. -- and it never subsided. The frenzied energy rivaled that of any current pop superstar.

The guys strutted around the intricate stage, dressed in black, to new song "One More Night." Yes, the New Kids are still releasing music. And it wasn't half bad for a summer pop single.

Donnie Wahlberg is the clear showman here. He's animated and aggressive onstage, often circling the area like a MMA fighter. But every guy -- Jordan Knight, Danny Wood, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre -- earned his own barrage of cheers and squeals.

Every part of the set was turned up to 10, from the music and vocals to the blasts of confetti and streamers that came early in the evening. These guys milk every moment until it's dry.

GET YOUR TICKETS: Here's an updated look at Houston's 2017 concert lineup

Already perky pop hits "The Right Stuff" and "Cover Girl" were given caffeinated makeovers.

It sometimes played like a Chippendales revue. They removed their jackets and revealed bare arms, in unison, to kick off "Dirty Dancing." They lifted up their shirts and thrust their hips into faces at the edge of the stage.

"Hard" was accompanied by visuals of bananas, hot dogs and eggplants. (OK, that was pretty hilarious.)

The guys dispersed into the crowd during "Block Party" and "Tonight," racing up aisles and surfing atop the crowd before landing on a smaller stage near the back of the venue. Women seemed to rocket into air.

The '90s denim made an appearance for a succession of songs that included "Call it What You Want," "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)" and flop single "Dirty Dawg."

"The year was 1994, and some of you didn't love us anymore," Wahlberg quipped. In an ironic twist, pockets of the crowd sat down for the first time.

They were all back on their feet for "Step by Step," "I'll be Loving You (Forever)" and "Hangin' Tough," songs that helped turn the New Kids into a pop phenomenon. Judging by the Saturday night response, they're still that for many, many people.

Abdul hasn't properly toured in more than two decades. But her 35-minute set was a reminder of the pop power she once wielded.

She zipped through several singles, in a succession of body-hugging outfits, that ruled radio in the late '80s and early '90s, including "The Way That You Love Me" and "Cold Hearted." It's impressive how well they songs have held up.

And best of all? She danced. No half stepping, either.

Abdul not only kept up with her young dancers -- she flipped, kicked and leapt off a ladder into their arms.

"Opposites Attract" was an homage to her mentor Gene Kelly by way of a "Singin' in the Rain intro. "Rush Rush" soared on lovely visuals and lighting. And Abdul's entire being seemed to sparkle, right alongside the crowd, during "Straight Up" and "Forever Your Girl."

Boyz II Men, now a trio, serenaded fans with a quiet storm of hits and an eager-to-please attitude.

They immediately sent the crowd, who had been waiting to jump out of their seats and sing along, into a frenzy with kickoff "Motownphilly."

The bulk of the set was ballads that showcased their soulful harmonies and complex runs: "On Bended Knee," "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday," "Water Runs Dry," "End of the Road."

It was the soundtrack to so many weddings and graduations.

They threw roses into the crowd during "I'll Make Love to You." And the audience subbed for Mariah Carey during "One Sweet Day," the biggest song of the '90s and still the longest-running No. 1 single in Billboard history.

It was all very retro, very loud and very obvious. And it was a whole lot of fun.

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joey.guerra@chron.com




After talking about it for months, President Trump finally began plans last week to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but members of Congress from Texas must monitor this process carefully and ensure that the pact survives for the good of their state.

Candidate Trump said some incendiary things about trade and Mexico during his campaign, once calling NAFTA a "disaster." He has toned down those remarks lately, and his administration circulated a draft letter on NAFTA that keeps much of the existing agreement in place.

But last month he almost pulled out of NAFTA before top advisers hurriedly persuaded him to renegotiate it instead. Clearly, unpredictability is a trait of Trump on NAFTA and other issues.

The reality today is that Texas has more trade with Mexico than any other state, with robust exports worth $93 billion to our southern neighbor. Much of the commerce between the three nations flows through Texas highways, port and airports, creating further jobs here.

NAFTA has particularly benefitted farmers in Texas and the rest of the U.S., and agriculture is a perennially vulnerable sector of our economy that needs all the help it can get.

NAFTA is more than 20 years old, and it could be updated to cover new technologies and trends. But the heart of it remains valid, and it cannot be blamed for the decline in factory jobs that has affected the U.S. and developed countries all over the world. Today, those jobs are increasingly being replaced by high-tech machines - in their home countries - rather than being exported to low-wage countries.

House and Senate members from Texas - most of whom are Republicans - must nurture Trump's better instincts on this renegotiation. They have real influence in Washington, and recent events have shown that the White House does react to feedback - or pushback. There's a win-win-win resolution waiting here for all three countries. It must be found.

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Fifteen states filed a lawsuit to preserve the ACA's cost-sharing subsidies aiming to stabilize the insurance marketplace, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Here's what you should note:

1. The states involved in the filing include California, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington. Washington, D.C. also filed the suit.

2. California Attorney General Xavier Becerr, JD, filed the suit that aims to defend the ACA.

He said the following when addressing a crowd at Los Angeles-based St. John's Well Child and Family Center, "We will stand up for your rights. If your child gets sick, if you find out you have cancer, if you need that medicine, you'll be able to go get it," according to Los Angeles Times.

3. The suit also attempts to stabilize the payer marketplace as many insurers are considering dropping plans in the wave of such uncertainty.

4. Aetna said it is considering pulling its individual and small-group health insurance plans in New Jersey, leaving thousands without coverage.
In-N-Out Burger has developed a cult following with loyal customers across all age groups.

Much of their success is counter to the traditional burger restaurants and counter to traditional techniques. They do not advertise. They do not sell franchises. When others have IPOs and aggressive growth, In-N-Out Burger limits the number of restaurants and controls their growth strategy to ensure their focus is clear. Here are six things In-N-Out Burger focuses on to ensure their success.

1. They focus on quality.

 Early in the start of the business the founder, Harry Snyder, knew that fresh, quality ingredients would be paramount to their success. To control the ingredients, he built distribution sites within a days drive of each restaurant. If the distribution did not fit, the restaurant would not be built. To ensure the quality, In-N-Out employed secret shoppers who made monthly visits to the stores. The employees would not know about the secret shopper until the encounter was over.For those who did well, a cash bonus was given. For those who did not do as well, they were given an opportunity to improve.

2. They focus on customer service.

 A smiling, friendly staff member greets customers at the order counter. Employees continue this as they call out as the food is ready and as they make rounds in the dining room. It appears as if its their pleasure to serve their customers. According to Glassdoor.com, employees who currently work at In-N-Out state that their interview questions focused on customer service skills and attitude. The other components of the job could be taught.

3. They focus on simplicity

 In a recent USA Today article, competitors of In-N-Out were highlighted for a pattern of introducing new products that surprise and delight customers. In-N-Outs menu has a total of three hamburgers, fries, drinks, and three flavors of milk shakes. There are no new products and their simplicity has a huge following. Though their menu is set, they are known for their secret menu.

4. They focus on presentation.

 They know that impressions matter. Employees are consistently cleaning the dining room sweeping the floors, and taking care of the restaurant before it becomes unsightly.

 Each hamburger is wrapped and presented in a paper pocket to ensure the burger is consistently presented to the customer.

 Every French fry is peeled and cut the same day at the restaurant. They have printed on the bottom of each fry serving tray a reminder of how fresh their fries are. This also allows them to take credit for what they do well.

5. They focus on training and teamwork.

 Entry Level managers are well trained at In-N-Out University and most become managers after working up through the ranks at the store. The areas of focus are on communication skills, a positive attitude, and how to motivate employees.

 Expectations are set and no one says, Thats not my job. Employees seamlessly move from preparing food to greeting customers and taking orders to calling out customer pickup numbers to cleaning the restaurant, all without being told to do so. No job is too big or small for any employee  and that includes the managers.

6. They focus on their employees.

According to Glassdoor.com, the starting hourly rate for In-N-Out Burger employees is approximately 50% higher than their competitors. Their employees ranked In-N-Out as one of the top-rated places to work for the last three years and 89% of employees would recommend working at In-N-Out to their friends. Comments from employees include, Very competitive pay and (the) ability to move up; Better than average pay, culture, environment; Excellent training and clear-cut expectations. Rich Snyder, the founders son and heir to the company, believed, If you lose your employees, you lose your customers. As a result, the turnover rate for their employees is one of the lowest in the industry and the employees have given the CEO a 95% approval rating.

Here are Five Take-Aways for Healthcare

1. Know what you do well, focus on that first, and use what you learned as a model for excellence. If youre concerned your employees may not be providing the service that you expect to your family members and patients, recruit some secret shoppers to give you feedback. These could be patients called ahead of time by management and/or family members who are asked to provide honest feedback after their family members surgery.

2. Remember who your customers are. Some healthcare workers do not like to acknowledge that patients and physicians are customers. The truth is, patients, now more than ever, have a choice in their healthcare and physicians have a choice where they bring their elective cases. Its up to us to create an environment, much like In-N-Out, where the staff are smiling and willing to accommodate their customers. Communicate to the patients and physicians that you realize they have a choice and youre glad they chose your facility. Smiles, a kind word, and a thank you go a long way in building a relationship.

3. Provide a higher level of service than your competitors. In one hospital where I worked, we created a concierge service for the family members and patients. We renovated a small room, put soothing colors on the walls, calming pictures, and comfortable seating. We hired a concierge to greet the patient at their car and escort them to surgery. This person also checked with the family members throughout the day and smoothed any rough areas to make their stay easier. My personal cell phone number was available to the family members. I rarely received calls due to the placement of the concierge in the area, but it sent a message that I was involved and available. The program was a hit, and continues to this day.

4. Set the expectations early in the process and hire to the expectations. Take Thats not my job out of the vocabulary and lead by example. Let them know they are expected to work together seamlessly as a team, no matter their job title. If you want your staff to be courteous and caring about your patients, make sure to hire employees who understand the expectation that they focus on their customers through the care they provide. Smile. Say thank you. And take credit for what they do well. When you pull the curtain as you leave their pre-op cubicle, say, Im closing the curtain to provide you privacy. That will help your patients realize that youre concerned for their privacy and theyll be more likely to remember when the patient satisfaction survey comes around.

5. Invest in your staff. Encourage the positive things you see them do and work to mentor them along the way. Ive had several staff who, through a little encouragement, have realized their potential and began to grow. One of those staff members is now a surgery center administer, one is working on her MBA, and one is the director of surgery at a very well-known hospital system. Build a relationship with your staff, and as you see the areas where they need to grow, point it out to them in a way that would be meaningful to them. Building a relationship and showing interest in them and their growth will make a huge difference in the work environment. Provide small bonuses, cash rewards, gift cards, and words of encouragement along the way. People like to know their work is appreciated.

Just one more thing

As you travel and see areas of excellence, whether in healthcare or some other industry, make a mental note to see how that excellence could be translated to better care for your patients. Feel free to contact me at kathybeydler@bellsouth.net and share your ideas.

The views, opinions and positions expressed within these guest posts are those of the author alone and do not represent those of Becker's Hospital Review/Becker's Healthcare. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.
Gastroenterologist Marvin M. Schuster, MD, 87, died on May 12 after a battle with heart disease, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. Dr. Schuster founded the Marvin M. Schuster Center for Digestive and Motility disorders at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore.

2. Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University Vice Dean David Hellmann, MD, wrote in a note to staff that, "Dr. Schuster was an internationally renowned pioneer in research and treatment of motility disorders and gastroenterology."

3. Dr. Schuster created the first GI division that had full time psychologists and medical faculty on staff.

4. Johns Hopkins professor Pankaj Pasricha, MD, said to The Sun, Dr. Schuster was a "pioneer and seminal figure" in the field.

5. Dr. Schuster specialized in irritable bowel syndrome and had seen thousands of IBS patients.

6. Dr. Hellman wrote in his letter that when Dr. Schuster retired in 2000, he received "such an outpouring of affection by his patients," at his retirement reception.

7. Dr. Schuster once treated King Hassan II of Morocco. The king donated a large, undisclosed amount to the hospital to help fund digestive disease research after his treatment.

8. Dr. Pasricha added that Dr. Schuster was a "great human" who was "kind, understanding, patient and respectful to people at all stations of life. He made them feel special."

9. Dr. Schuster was an American College of Gastroenterology past president. He had received many honors throughout his year including the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America's Physician of the Year award.

10. Dr. Schuster's wife and three daughters survive him.
Several investigations related to Russia and Washington, D.C., are beginning to unfold  one into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former FBI Director James Comey, another led by a special counsel scrutinizing potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, and a third looking at potential Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election. With these investigations dominating the news cycle and Congress' attention, it is possible domestic initiatives, such as healthcare reform, will lose momentum from the early days of the presidency.

Here are five quick thoughts on the situation.

1. All major hospital groups publicly opposed the American Health Care Act. Hospitals reliant on Medicaid, in particular, expressed concerned about the legislation. For example, Chip Kahn, President and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals issued a statement after the House passed the AHCA May 4: "As passed by the House of Representatives, the AHCA fails to protect the health coverage and access to care for so many Americans. It also makes it more difficult for hospitals to deliver the care we all rely on. With these concerns top of mind, FAH could not support the House legislation today."

Rick Pollack, President and CEO of the American Hospital Association said in a statement: "[The AHCA] does little to help the 24 million Americans who would be left without coverage following repeal and makes deep cuts to Medicaid, which provides essential services for the disabled, poor and elderly people in this country." He added, "As the backbone of our nation's health safety net, America's hospitals and health systems  which include more than 270,000 affiliated physicians and 2 million nurses and other caregivers  believe it's vital that Medicaid be protected."



2. However, deficit hawks are keen on the legislation. The most recent Congressional Budget Office estimate of the bill  which does not include the Upton and MacArthur amendments  projected the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $150 billion over the next decade. The MacArthur amendment added an option for states to seek federal waivers from the ACA's essential health benefits requirement and community rating rule if they establish high-risk pools, and the Upton amendment expanded the funding for those pools. Those focused on the budget will likely push to keep healthcare at the top of the agenda.



3. President Trump had a hard time corralling the House to pass a bill. An official vote scheduled for March 23 was delayed to March 24 and then cancelled due to lack of support. The decision was pushed past the 100-day mark and several amendments were made before it narrowly passed 217-213 on May 4. Several investigations related to the President Trump's ties to Russia now underway put strain on political support for the administration. Considering the bill passed by such a small margin, it is unclear if the AHCA will be able to survive as or if support for the administration erodes.

4. The Senate appears to be less responsive than the House to President Trump. The upper chamber is moving much more slowly on healthcare reform than the House did, in part because Republicans want to pass the bill through the budget reconciliation process, which has specific requirements. Many senators from Medicaid expansion states have also voiced concerns about potential changes to the program.

5. Whether or not the Russia investigations or the Comey firing are politically motivated, the commotion leads to more uncertainty for Senate and House Republicans and may make them less susceptible to lobbying from President Trump. Before the AHCA passed in the House, President Trump made personal calls to many representatives to gain their votes. Now with the Russia investigations thrown into the mix, senators may be distracted and healthcare could lose momentum, or they may simply feel less inclined to support the administration. After Mr. Comey was fired from the top post at the FBI, several senators said the change was a distraction to domestic issues. When asked whether Mr. Comey's firing would affect the healthcare debate, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told the Miami Herald, "I think it already has."

More articles on leadership and management:

Dems on science committee urge Trump to get science adviser to reduce vulnerability to fake news

House awaits CBO score, could re-vote on AHCA: 4 things to know

Corner office: Temple University Hospital CEO Dr. Verdi DiSesa on fatherhood and health system leadership
A Georgiana (Ala.) Medical Center physician was one of four individuals killed Sunday morning climbing Mount Everest, according to USA Today.

Officials said the excursion marked the second time Ron Yearwood, MD, 50, attempted to climb the mountain. His first attempt was in 2015, the same year an earthquake-triggered avalanche killed 19 people on the mountain and 9,000 people in Nepal, causing officials to cancel the remainder of the climbing season for that year, according to the report.

Details regarding Dr. Yearwood's death remain uncertain, officials said, according to the report.

The bodies of two other individuals were found the same day. Vladimir Strba and Francesco Marchetti both reportedly died of severe altitude sickness, according to the report.

Officials found the body of a fourth individual, Ravi Kumar, Monday. Officials said they believe Mr. Kumar fell sick on his way down from the summit Saturday and was not able to make it to the nearest base camp. Officials were reportedly unable to retrieve his body, according to the report.
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The son of fallen Co Fermanagh tycoon Sean Quinn has had to take his 1m penthouse off letting site Airbnb due to complaints from his neighbours.

Sean Quinn jnr had been asking 400 (344) a night for stays in his plush apartment in one of Dublin's best areas.

His father made billions as the businessman behind construction firm Quinn Group, and was once considered the richest man in Ireland.

But the Quinns were ousted from their empire by the former Anglo Irish Bank after a massive gamble on the bank's share price.

The apartment in Castleknock, a suburb in the north west of Dublin, was advertised as containing two hot tubs and two 42-inch high definition TVs.

Residents complained of the disruption caused by the arrival of visitors and raised security concerns, as guests would also be given the key code for the apartment complex.

The penthouse has since been put on the market for 1m (860,000).

In October 2013 the High Court in Dublin heard Mr Quinn jnr's half share in the property was offered to purge a contempt of court matter.

At that time the apartment was described as Mr Quinn jnr's only asset.

The penthouse was valued back then at around 400,000 (343,890).

However, Dublin property values have been steadily increasing in recent years.

The Sunday Business Post reported that two groups had stayed in the property this year, but added that all 19 bookings for the rest of the year have now been cancelled.

Mr Quinn jnr told the newspaper he was not aware the apartment had still been listed on Airbnb.
The judge told the girl to keep away from trouble.

A schoolgirl shoplifter is to be banned from entering any stores in Northern Ireland alone, a High Court judge has ordered.

Mrs Justice Keegan directed that the 14-year-old from Craigavon, Co Armagh can only be in retail outlets if she is accompanied by her mother.

The girl, who cannot be identified because of her age, faces one charge of stealing two pairs of jeans in December 2016.

She has pleaded guilty to the theft from TK Maxx in the Rushmere Shopping Centre, lawyers confirmed.

The court also heard she has a record for previous shoplifting incidents from when she was aged 11.

According to the prosecution, she was seen in branches of Dunnes Stores and Boots earlier this month - a breach of previous release conditions.

As the girl applied for bail again, Crown lawyer Natalie Pinkerton pressed to have her completely barred from the Rushmere Centre.

Granting the application, the judge also imposed wider restrictions across Northern Ireland.

"She does not enter any other retail shops under any circumstances at any time, unless she is in the company of her mother," Mrs Justice Keegan ordered.

The girl must abide by a curfew, and can only leave home without an adult during her school hours.

The judge stressed: "It's very important (she) understands this and tries to keep away from trouble, given her young age."
A Irish teenager earned herself a standing ovation from the Britain's Got Talent judges at the weekend following her 'flawless' audition.

Leah Barniville (14), from Ratoath in Co Meath, traveled to England with her mum, dad, and little brother Daniel to perform for the BGT panel.

She gave a rousing performance of the classical song Caruso by Lucio Dalla as her proud family watched from the audience.

"I first starting singing when I could talk," the teen said before her audition. "I can't stop singing, I sing when I study, I sing when I'm brushing my teth, and I sing when I should be going to sleep.

"It's a huge deal for me to be here, it's my first time coming to England. It was like I was coming on holiday, but must better because I had this to come to."

With all four judges on their feet following her performance, Simon Cowell told her: "I thought that was honestly incredible, you don't know how good you are."

Alesha Dixon added: "Your stage presence was just fantastic, it was controlled and beautiful," while Amanda Holden added: "It's such a complicated song and your Italian was impeccable. It was a flawless audition."

Leah received four yes votes from the panel and will now have to wait to see if she makes it through to the the show's live semi-finals.

She joins fellow hopefuls St Patrick's Junior Choir from Rathfriland, Co Down and Omagh Ryan Tracey, who smashed a world balloon modelling record while blindfolded.
Police are upping their crackdown on wildlife criminals by sending unmanned drones up in the air to protect birds of prey, in what's thought to be a UK first.

Small unmanned aircraft (SUA), more commonly known as drones, have been used to monitor hot-spot areas where crimes against birds of prey occur.

It comes following the death of a number of a number of protected birds from poisoning or persecution incidents. In some cases banned poisons, which have been outlawed since the turn of the century have been used which can prove fatal, not just to animals but also humans, environmental experts have warned.

Detective Inspector Stephen Brown explained: "The PSNI's Air Support Unit (ASU) provides aircraft to support a wide range of police activities and as far as we are aware, we are one of the first services in the UK to use drone technology in this way.

"We are pleased to be able to effectively target hot spot areas and areas further afield as and when required so we can work with our partners in the hope we can all prevent this type of crime and reach our ultimate goal to combat wildlife crime.

Poisoned bait

Emma Meredith, PSNI wildlife liaison officer, added: We take all types of crimes seriously and this includes wildlife crime such as shooting, poisoning or trapping of birds of prey.

"Baits (examples such as a rabbit carcass or sausages) have been laid laced with poison in the public domain. On occasions, these are seriously dangerous poisons such as Carbofuran which was banned across the EU in 2001.

"Be under no illusion that this type of poison is an indiscriminate killer and can also be fatal to humans, not only wildlife suffers but also any child, adult or pet could find and ultimately consume these poisoned baits.

"Given the potential dangers of this and other poisons, for the first time PSNI have begun to use drones fitted with specialist cameras to assist in prevention and if possible catch the perpetrators, who if caught will be reported to the Public Prosecution Service.

"I would also ask if anyone find what they suspect to be a poisoned bait or suspicious dead bird to leave it in situ and call the police on 101.

"This is the first time in Northern Ireland the drone has been used in wildlife crime and we are delighted the wildlife team, air support unit and external partners are working closely together to pilot this initiative."

"Following on from the launch of Operation Raptor in March 2016, PSNI also contribute to a UK initiative named Peregrine Watch and as part of this latest phase, we are using these drones. The ability to survey hard to reach areas mean that there is no hiding place for those who seek to persecute wild birds.

Move welcomed

The Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG) peregrine survey team who have been out monitoring activity with PSNI officers welcomed the initiative.

Especially since we lose a number of peregrines each year, particularly to illegal poisoning or shooting and trapping," the group said.

"The NIRSG volunteers are again spending time with local PSNI officers this year surveying peregrine sites, ringing chicks and liaising with landowners in order to raise the profile and prevent crimes against these birds.

"As always, we would urge anybody who notices any suspicious activity particularly near quarries or cliffs to report these to the PSNI to help thwart these wildlife criminals.

Dr Jon Lees, of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency said many animals were still under threat despite protection in the law.

He added: All nesting birds, their eggs and dependent young are protected by law from disturbance and destruction.

"Peregrines have increased in numbers since historic lows of the 1950-60s caused by organochloride pesticides, egg collectors and persecution, however, they are still often targeted by those wanting to reduce their abundance, but can also be disturbed to the point of nest abandonment by people who just want closer look or a photograph.

"Any lawful operation that potentially impacts a protected species must be assessed by the NIEA. We may subsequently require operator to apply for a licence to conduct their business by a strict set of conditions or defer their activities to a less sensitive period.

"The NIEA have been working closely with the PSNI ASU, wildlife team and NIRSG to establish a safe working protocol to ensure that the Operation Raptor monitoring causes no harm.

"We would caution members of the public to avoid disturbing protected wildlife while flying drones or when taking photographs. Operators should contact the NIEA Wildlife Team 028 905 69551 for further advice.

Growing problem

According to a report into the illegal killing of Northern Irelands native birds of prey, published by the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in November 2016, there were nine confirmed illegal poisoning or persecution incidents, affecting 11 protected birds of prey, in Northern Ireland in 2014.

This report follows on from the 2009  2013 Persecution Report published in 2015. Between 2009 and 2014 there were a total of 44 confirmed reports of native birds of prey being illegally killed, plus one confirmed incident of illegal nest destruction.

The report examined occurrence and trends in persecution of these birds, which has allowed PAW to produce hot-spot maps to identify areas where crimes against birds of prey are occurring.

Of the nine confirmed cases in 2014, four of these occurred in Co Down, two in Co Tyrone and one in each of counties Londonderry, Armagh and Antrim.

The report showed that the most frequent casualties were buzzards and the recently re-introduced red kite, with four of each of these species killed.

Red kites and buzzards are particularly susceptible to poisoned baits as they will scavenge on carrion routinely. There were also two peregrine falcons and a sparrowhawk killed.

A police spokeswoman concluded: "The PSNI take all reports of wildlife crime seriously and as such if we receive a report linked to Peregrine Watch we will respond accordingly. If anyone has information on any type of crime against birds of prey please contact 101."
DUP leader Arlene Foster will attack Jeremy Corbyn as beyond the "political Pale" because of his past support for Irish republicans in a speech today.

She is expected to attack the Labour leader's democratic credentials and voice support for his Conservative rival.

Mr Corbyn has said he wanted the violence in Northern Ireland to stop but refused to single out the IRA for condemnation during recent interviews.

The former First Minister will say: "While Theresa May is well within the political mainstream and has proven herself to be a solid and reliable unionist, Jeremy Corbyn is beyond the political Pale.

"It is hard to take seriously the democratic credentials of a man who was so close to the political representatives of the IRA at the height of the Troubles.

"It is hard to see much good coming for the Labour Party from the coming election except the replacement of their leader." Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell have faced scrutiny over their association with republicans.

Before the IRA ceasefire they controversially met Sinn Fein a number of times in Westminster during the 1990s.

Mr McDonnell has apologised for comments he made praising the IRA's "bravery" in 2003.

After becoming Labour leader in 2015, Mr Corbyn defended reaching out to republicans during the Troubles - insisting he "wanted the violence to stop".

At lunchtime, Mrs Foster will address a meeting of the pro-Brexit Bruges Group in Mayfair on Brexit and the Union.

Although Northern Ireland voted by 56% to 44% in favour of Remain in last June's referendum, the DUP campaigned for an exit.

She will say: "Who could deny that the situation of Northern Ireland within the UK, and indeed Ireland within the EU, will face different challenges from other areas affected by the UK's EU exit and will require unique and tailored solutions?

"However, I do not believe that a circular argument about some ill-defined and ill-conceived so-called special status for Northern Ireland is helpful: indeed, it is more likely to be counter-productive."

At the same time, the DUP leader claims she will be flexible over Brexit arrangements.

"I am more interested in getting the best deal for Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole than I am in some doctrine or dogma. By far the best way to achieve this is to get a Stormont Executive up and running as quickly as possible."

Mrs Foster also believes there is "reason for optimism" over how Northern Ireland will emerge after the UK quits the European Union.

"During the referendum campaign and since, some of those who advocated 'Remain' have argued that the UK's departure from the EU will result in a hard border on the island of Ireland," she will say. "I know of no one who wishes that to be the case."

Mrs Foster will say that "by far the most important Union for the people of Northern Ireland economically is the Union with Great Britain".

But she will add that it "need not come at the cost of accepting the economic and cultural ties that cross the border".

"For once, there need not be a winner and a loser," she will tell an audience at The Lansdowne Club. "The Republic of Ireland needs a good outcome to these negotiations every bit as much as we do and I believe there is a shared objective between the UK and the Republic to get the right deal."
Michelle O'Neill has described the general election as a political fight-back against Brexit and Tory-driven austerity.

In a hard-hitting speech, Sinn Fein's Stormont leader warned of the "reckless and dangerous policies" of an incoming Conservative administration.

She was speaking at the launch of Michelle Gildernew's campaign to retake the Fermanagh-South Tyrone seat yesterday.

Addressing delegates in Fermanagh, she said: "This election is a political fight-back. This is a call to action because our rights are under assault.

"We have to fight back against the reckless and dangerous policies of the self-serving Tory government in London, which is about forcing a disastrous Brexit on the North and dragging us against our will from the EU.

"Everyone here knows the impact that will have on our business, trade, agri-food, tourism and other sectors of the economy, with the imposition of trade tariffs, a border and denying people the freedom of movement North and South.

"It will severely undermine the progress of the past 20 years.

"The people of the North don't want Brexit. It is unacceptable.

"They don't want Tory cuts.

"They will not tolerate inequality and discrimination or second class citizenship for anyone - women, LGBT, Irish speakers, ethnic minorities - because an attack on one, is an attack on us all."

Ms O'Neill told those gathered at the Manor House Hotel near Enniskillen: "The people want fairness and equality.

Ms Gildernew is aiming to recapture the seat she lost in 2015. Outgoing MP Tom Elliott is again standing for the UUP, with the support of the DUP.

 A Sinn Fein election candidate is offering a giveaway of Snickers chocolate bars - after his mission to acquire the chocolate was rewarded by the treat's manufacturers.

Last month Barry McElduff, who is standing in West Tyrone, revealed he had entered "DUP territory" at Stormont to purchase a Snickers.

Mr McElduff said that, when the manufacturers heard of this, they got in touch, sending him a package of 32.

But he is giving them away to followers of his Facebook page.

"When I recently shared with the whole world my battle to get Snickers from the DUP vending machine on the third floor at Stormont, Snickers, the company, were so impressed that they sent me a box load of Snickers, which amounted to 32."

Referring to the 32 counties of Ireland he added: "That 32 is very, very symbolic.

"I'm going to run a competition because I can't eat these myself."

A draw takes place today from those who liked and shared his post.

The winner will receive the 32 chocolate bars.
Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann has said that he wont quit, even if his party loses its two Westminster seats in next months general election.

Mr Swann said that Danny Kinahan and Tom Elliott had a good chance of holding onto their South Antrim and Fermanagh and South Tyrone seats.

However, he insisted that he wouldnt step down even if both were not returned.

Tom has the bigger challenge in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and Id be slightly concerned because of the demographics in that constituency, he said.

But Toms put the work in and hes well-known and respected. I think that will bring him home.

Losing one or both seats would certainly be a challenge for us, but I wouldnt consider resigning.

After all, I was only 10 days in the job when Theresa May called the election.

Id barely got my feet under the table.

Mr Swann said that he wasnt a career politician and had he held such ambitions, he wouldnt have joined the UUP.

If you live in North Antrim and want to climb the career ladder in politics you join the DUP, and I never considered doing that, he said.

I believed in the Ulster Unionists.

When I joined, David Trimble was our leader and he impressed me.

His style of leadership was very different to the No, no, no! Never, never, never! of the Rev Ian Paisley.

Mr Swann said that his political hero was former UUP Prime Minister Terence ONeill, who met fierce opposition from unionist hardliners.

I admire what he tried to do and, had he been allowed to get on with it, we would be somewhere entirely different in Northern Ireland now. He was before his time, Mr Swann added.

Last year his predecessor Mike Nesbitt invited SDLP leader Colum Eastwood to address the Ulster Unionist conference.

Mr Swann said he would have no problem with inviting him to do so again.

When asked if he would advise party supporters to give their second preference vote to the SDLP in any future Assembly or council elections, he said: Were facing a Westminster election next month in which the first-past-the-post system is used, with voters giving only one preference.

Im not looking further down the line than that.

Mr Swann revealed that while he opposed abortion law reform and same-sex marriage, he wouldnt support a petition of concern to prevent either in the Assembly.

Im personally against both but the last time anyone from my party signed a petition of concern was in 2011, he said.

Despite my own views, I wouldnt sign one on either issue.

The UUP leader also distanced himself from Arlene Fosters blonde comments on Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill.

I wouldnt personally have used such a term to describe Michelle or anyone, he said. We are in a position now in Northern Ireland politics where people have to be careful about what they say and how they say it.

Mr Swann described Sinn Feins Stormont leader as very capable.

He said: I observed Michelle as Agriculture Minister and she certainly knew what she was doing.

She was getting into her Health portfolio when Stormont collapsed, but she seemed to be well able for that brief too.

When asked about Mike Nesbitts leadership of the UUP, Mr Swann said his predecessor had brought a much-needed discipline to the party and an end to unhelpful solo runs in the media by some representatives.

When quizzed about a recent photograph of Mr Nesbitt lying face down on the floor of a hotel lobby, the UUP leader said: Reporting of that matter is now in the hands of Mikes solicitor Paul Tweed.
A Church of Ireland minister has become embroiled in the 'blondegate' political row between the DUP and Sinn Fein after comments made at a public meeting.

Rev Mark Watson, the rector of Trory and Killadeas in Fermanagh, sparked a backlash after comments he made in Enniskillen Orange hall on Saturday at an event supporting the re-election of Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott.

DUP leader Arlene Foster was also in attendance, although Mr Elliott had yet to arrive.

Mrs Foster caused controversy when she referred to Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill as "blonde", although she insisted it was meant as a compliment.

Rev Watson was quoted in the Impartial Reporter as saying: "Our friend the First Minister mentioned the blondes, I am glad they are blondes because it means the hydrogen peroxide that's dying the hair isn't going into creamery cans to make explosives."

He then joked: "I hope there are no Press about or I've just lost my job."

The newspaper report said the comments caused laughter.

The remarks were slammed as "sexist and outrageous" by Sinn Fein MLA Jemma Dolan, who called for Mr Elliott and Mrs Foster to distance themselves from the comments.

"The minister referred to Arlene Foster's disgraceful comments last week but also made an extraordinary and outrageous comment about 'hydrogen peroxide that's dying the hair isn't going into creamery cans to make explosives'," she said.

"Tom Elliott and Arlene Foster were both at this event. I'm calling on them to dissociate themselves immediately from this sexist, disrespectful and nasty commentary."

The UUP and the DUP were both contacted for a comment on the matter but did not respond.

Rev Watson was also contacted by Sunday Life, but refused to comment, saying that he had "said enough".

The row began more than a week ago when Mrs Foster described Mrs O'Neill as "blonde" while playing a word association game during an interview with the Sunday Independent newspaper.

Asked to expand, Mrs Foster said: "Michelle is very attractive. She presents herself very well; she always is - you know - her appearance is always the same."

Critics quickly labelled the comments sexist, but Mrs Foster has since insisted she was not trying to be insulting.

"They (the remarks) were meant as a compliment," she told the BBC. "If they have been taken any other way, that is a matter for people who have taken them the other way."

She added the response showed more "about Sinn Fein than it does about me".

But Mrs O'Neill said the comments were unacceptable and irresponsible. "As political leaders we have a duty and a responsibility to lead by example," she said.

"There is a clear need for more women in public life, and there is an onus on women in political leadership to empower women.

"There can be absolutely no room in our society for sexism, misogyny, racism, homophobia or any form of discrimination."
Coastguard crews assisting 12-year-old Daniel Price who fell from cliffs at Castlerock on Sunday.

A 12-year-old boy was taken to hospital after falling up to 20ft (6m) off a cliff on Sunday.

According to the BBC, the boy sustained head and leg injuries after the incident at Castlerock in Londonderry.

Paramedics were called to the scene at around 6.10pm on Sunday, May 21.

John McPoland of the Ambulance Service said: "We received reports that a 12-year-old male had fallen on to the rocks at the beach. We dispatched a rapid response paramedic and an accident and emergency crew."

The paramedics requested assistance, and were soon joined by Coastguard rescue teams from Coleraine and Ballycastle. They lifted him by stretcher from the rocks.

He was then transferred to the care of paramedics who brought him to the Causeway Hospital.

A spokesperson for Coleraine Coastguard said: "This incident demonstrates again the need for caution near cliff edges and slopes."
Claims by a former republican prisoner that he worked for Sinn Fein in the Irish parliament while still in the IRA require urgent investigation, a DUP MP has said.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the revelations also raise concerns of similar practices at Stormont.

In a new tell-all memoir, Matt Treacy admitted to being in the IRA's Dublin brigade for 30 years until it was disbanded in 2005.

He said this overlapped with him working as an adviser to republican TD Martin Ferris in the Dail.

Mr Treacy previously spent two years on the run as an IRA fugitive before serving four years in Portlaoise Prison.

He took redundancy following the Republic's general election last year after complaining that Sinn Fein had pressured him to hand over part of his salary.

Sinn Fein policy is for members to take an industrial wage, giving the remainder to the party. Mr Treacy resisted this, saying he believed the practice was not followed by all.

"Some were having their mortgages and cars paid and childcare paid for... they were being looked after under the table," he writes in A Tunnel To The Moon: The End Of The Irish Republican Army.

Sinn Fein denied the accusations, calling them "very malicious" and made by a "disgruntled former party member".

It added: "Many Sinn Fein activists make entirely voluntary donations to support the development of the party. This is their choice. Mr Treacy did not make any significant donation to the party over the 14 years he was employed at Leinster House. That was his choice."

Sir Jeffrey, the DUP Westminster candidate and former Lagan Valley MP, called the accusations "very significant".

If true, he said it could mean that "while Sinn Fein have been operating as a parliamentary party in the Irish parliament, they have recruited staff who were also engaged in IRA activities and this may have included spying on other parties and politicians".

"The question arises as to whether similar activities have been conducted in Northern Ireland and I think there is now a need for a full investigation by the Irish authorities into the claims made in this book," he said.

He added that claims of "under the table" payments for staff were "potentially fraudulent" and in breach of Dail rules.

"I think it's legitimate to ask the question if they're operating on a similar 'under the table' arrangements here. This may be something the Assembly authorities will need to examine," he said.

"While Sinn Fein may seek to distance themselves from these claims, they are nonetheless of a sufficiently serious nature to merit proper investigation.

"They can't have it both ways; they are constantly pointing the finger at other parties on the basis of spurious claims and demanding investigations left, right and centre. Therefore they should subject themselves to the same level of scrutiny they insist others are subjected to."

Mr Treacy said he remained a republican at heart, but did not support Sinn Fein or dissident groups.
Traditional black and white silver prints by prominent Finnish photographer Pentti Sammallahti. Runs through 6/24.

ABOUT THE EVENT

photo-eye Gallery will host an Opening for the exhibition Friday April 28th from 5 7pm, corresponding with the Railyard Arts Districts Last Friday Art Walk. Warm Regards will remain on view through June 24th, 2017.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Pentti Sammallahti is a traveler and a visual poet. Endowed with an extraordinary 15-year grant from the Finnish government Sammallahti has travelled widely from his native Scandinavia, across the Soviet Republics through Siberia, to Japan, India, Nepal, Morocco, Turkey, throughout Europe, Great Britain, and South Africa. Meticulously well-seen, Sammallahtis photographs are imbued with a sense of wonder, delight, and reverence for the world at large while reflecting on both beauty and the human condition. He focuses on the people and animals of far off places recording the relationships between them and their environment. A master craftsman, Sammallahti is always in pursuit of the perfect means to communicate his intentions by subtly toning each of his rich silver gelatin prints. Over the years, photo-eye Gallery has had the pleasure to receive Penttis prints in treasured bundles signed with "Warm Regards".

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Inspired by his grandmother Hildur Larsson, a newspaper photographer, and viewing Edward Steichens seminal The Family of Man at Helsinki Art Hall in 1961 Pentti Sammallahti began making images at the age of 11. At 21, Sammallahti was featured in his first solo exhibition marking the beginning of a professional career that would come to influence an entire generation of Finnish photographers. Prior to receiving the Finnish States 15-year artist grant, Sammallahti taught at the Helsinki University of Art and Design, and has released thirteen portfolios and monographs since 1979 including The Russian Way and Here Far Away. In 2003, at the opening of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris, France, Pentti was named one of Cartier-Bressons 100 favorite photographers, and works by Sammallahti where exhibited from Cartier-Bressons personal collection. Penttis work can be found at the Museum of Modern Art, the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France, Pushkin Museum, Moscow, Russia, among others, and he has received awards such as the Samuli Paulaharju Prize of the Finnish Literature Society, State Prizes for Photography, Uusimaa Province Art Prize, Daniel Nyblin Prize, and the Finnish Critics Association Annual.
Corcrain Community Woodland in Portadown where police are investigating the death of Caitlin White

One of two teenagers arrested by police investigating the death of Caitlin White has been released

The males, aged 19 and 17 were taken into police custody for questioning on Monday evening.

On Wednesday morning, May 23, a PSNI spokesperson stated that the 19-year-old had been released "pending enquiries". The 17-year-old remains in police custody.

Caitlin (15) died on Saturday night shortly after being taken to Craigavon Area Hospital in a suspected drug-related incident in Co Armagh.

Read More

Emergency services responded to reports that the young girl had fallen unconscious in Corcrain Community Woodland, Portadown, at around 6pm.

The Craigavon Senior High School pupil had been out with a group of friends who regularly congregate in the newly developed area owned by the Woodland Trust.

Her family have told of their devastation.

The teenager was set to take her GCSE exams on Monday. The school said the tests would continue as normal.

In a statement the school said: "This is a tragic loss to the pupils family and to our school community.

"In response, the school has implemented a plan which will give pupils the opportunity to talk through their thoughts and feelings with trained staff from the Education Authority Critical Incident Response Team.

"A letter will be sent by the school to parents, informing them of this tragic incident and providing information on the support services available through the school.

"Given that GCSE examinations are continuing, we will endeavour to keep the school operating as normally as possible under the circumstances.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the pupils family and friends at this very sad time."

She was our world and had a heart of gold. Caitlin's aunt

A local youth worker said that they had since been contacted by young people who wish to have a drugs and alcohol awareness course.

Jordan Russell who works with young people in the area told the BBC: "If we had a facility where we could take these young people on a Friday night, on a Saturday night, to a facility where we could educate them - they have absolutely nothing.

"They seriously need educated - kids don't know the problems and everything that goes on."

Speaking on Sunday the young girl's aunt told the Belfast Telegraph that Caitlin was "their world".

She said: "Caitlin was a great girl.

"She was our world and had a heart of gold.

"She would light up any room with her beautiful smile and her bubbly personality and will be sadly missed by her entire family.

"Sleep tight our baby girl."

Police area commander, Chief Inspector Joe McMinn, confirmed that one of line of enquiry is "a possible link to drugs".

He also confirmed that police are aware of young people gathering in the area and of several incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Police are working with local agencies and community representatives to address the issue.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the exact cause of Caitlin's death.

Mr McMinn appealed for anyone who was in the area on Saturday and who has information which could assist the police to contact them on 101 quoting reference 994 of 20/05/17.
A surfer rescued in the North Channel after more than 30 hours stranded at sea has revealed he may return to the sport.

Matthew Bryce (22) has been treated for hypothermia after he was found drifting on his surfboard 13 miles from Northern Ireland and 16 miles from Scottish shores.

Following his ordeal he vowed never to surf again, but has now said he may get back on a surfboard as part of a group.

He has said he will never surf alone again and urged all surfers to invest in personal locator beacons which broadcast an emergency distress signal to help rescue services locate those in trouble at sea.

Mr Bryce, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, spent 32 hours adrift and thought he was going to die before being found by a helicopter.

His family reported him missing when he failed to return from a morning surf off the Argyll coast of Scotland on April 30.

He was eventually found by a search and rescue helicopter at around 7.30pm the following day.

Mr Bryce told The Sunday Times he could return to the sport once his feet and fingers recover from the exposure, after friends from Argyll offered to go out as a group.

He said: "My feet apparently would not be able to handle the water temperature.

"When they are better I will maybe consider going out with them as a group. I will never go surfing alone."

He told the newspaper he lost 5kg in the water as he passed in and out of consciousness, saying being stranded was a vision of hell.

He said: "The night was horrible. It was just... nothing. There is only blackness.

"It's like how I imagine hell. Nothing can hear you, it doesn't matter how hard you scream. You are alone. As far as the world is concerned, you don't exist."

Mr Bryce is backing the campaign of a woman whose brother died while kayaking in the north of Scotland earlier this year.

Ellie Jackson is raising funds to promote the use of personal locator beacons for watersports in memory of her brother Dominic Jackson.
The timber yard where John Haldane was shot dead by the IRA in September 1991

Willie John McBride with the Lions on their 1974 tour

Ulster, Ireland and Lions rugby legend Willie John McBride has confessed he thought terrorists would murder him during the worst days of the Troubles.

The sporting giant was referring back to the killing of his friend and Ulster rugby second row team-mate, John Haldane.

The building contractor was gunned down by the Provos at his Duncrue Street office in Belfast's docklands during the nadir of sectarian murders in September 1991.

The IRA later tried to claim the cold-blooded killing was a case of mistaken identity.

The 54-year-old's firm, like others targeted by the Provos, had been supplying construction material used in army bases and police stations.

Now, Willie John has blasted John Haldane's assassins as 'b*******'.

He recalls that he lost "quite a few friends" because of The Troubles, which he characterises and castigates as "that stupid carry-on".

Poignantly he adds: "I think of John Haldane, who played for Queen's (University) and Ulster, a successful businessman.

"I was with him two days before those b******* went in and blew him to bits with a machine gun.

"There wasn't an ounce of badness in him. Mistaken identity, they said.

"There was a guy I'd put my arm around in the second row for Ulster."

Pointedly, McBride says he thought: "They did it to him. Could they do it to me?"

The thought was particularly relevant as Willie John held a senior management position with the Northern Bank at the time, and both republican and loyalist terror gangs were targeting banks for armed robberies and kidnap ransom payments.

"I had 38 staff in the bank, a mix of Protestant and Catholic, an excellent staff," he told yesterday's Sunday Times in an interview previewing the looming British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

He added: "It was important to keep chatting to them, because you didn't know the pressures they were under.

"We had situations where they were under pressure from those b*******, who wanted to know the movements of the branch manager, what time he came to work, who carries the keys, and so on.

"You had to live with that responsibility," he said.

And yet, this former captain of the Lions squad which went undefeated in South Africa in 1974, and who is one of the immortals who won a series against the All Blacks in 1971 - the only tourists to clip the wings of the Kiwis in their own country - says that living with threat and danger back home in Ulster helped him on the rugby paddock.

He said: "A lot of those things you take back into rugby, because at the end of the day, it's all about people."
The first mother to wear the Lord Mayor's chain in Belfast takes up her new position this week.

Alliance's Nuala McAllister is preparing to take on the role as the city's first citizen, becoming only the fourth woman and first mum to hold the position.

Alliance group leader Michael Long said: "I hope everyone will enjoy watching her year unfold, with her partner Sam and the new first baby of Belfast, Finn, by her side."

Ms McAllister will be replacing DUP Lord Mayor Brian Kingston.

This week also marks the 20th anniversary of the Alliance Party holding the balance of power in City Hall.
Brian Davidson (53), from Holywood, is the UK's Ambassador to Thailand

A high-flying Northern Ireland-born British envoy has revealed how he had to keep his homosexuality a secret when he began his diplomatic career 30 years ago.

Brian Davidson (53), from Holywood, is the UK's Ambassador to Thailand.

In 2014, while serving at the British Embassy in Beijing, Mr Davidson married his partner, Chinese-American Scott Chang, in a ceremony that sparked a social media frenzy in the Communist country after Mr Davidson posted a photograph on Sina Weibo, its equivalent of Twitter.

Same-sex marriages are not allowed by Beijing, with many seeing such unions as alien to Chinese culture.

More than 20 million people saw the photograph.

The couple now have a son, Eliot, born to a surrogate mother.

Mr Davidson - a Cambridge law graduate - joined the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1985, just three years after homosexuality was decriminalised in Northern Ireland.

Speaking to US news magazine Newsweek, Mr Davidson told how, when he began his diplomatic career, the FCO still considered homosexuality a sackable offence - despite it having been decriminalised in the UK in 1967.

"I came from a conservative part of the UK, and I was just coming to terms with my sexuality," he explained.

"I was living a double life, worrying what people might think and discover about me.

"I look back now and think how much more effective in my work (I would have been) if I could have been more honest and open with others.

"When the rules changed and I came out, the response was overwhelmingly very positive.

"The FCO now is an extremely open organisation that recognises that inclusion and diversity are not just the 'right thing', they also allow people to realise their full potential."

Mr Davidson became envoy to Thailand last year, and has been an advocate of equal rights in the country - which, like China and Northern Ireland, does not recognise same sex-marriages - since his posting.

But he said that he and his husband had been welcomed in Thailand.

"Our reception in Bangkok, by the Thai Government and people, and in the diplomatic community, has been very positive and open," he said.

"Even here in Thailand there can be a lot of stereotyping about LGBT people and a lack of role models."
Lady Jane Gillespie and jockey Ger Fox receiving their prizes after Coney Choice won at Down Royal in 2014

Northern Ireland's racing and equestrian community has been saddened to learn of the death of Lady Jane Gillespie last Thursday.

She had been ill for some time.

Lady Jane (55) was very well regarded in equestrian circles, regularly showed horses at Balmoral Show, and was a highly accomplished exponent of the art of riding side saddle - having taken up that discipline following a hip problem.

She hunted with the Mid Antrim Hunt and was also an equine therapist and author.

Born in Switzerland in 1962 into one of the UK's most aristocratic families, Lady Jane was the daughter of the 6th Earl of Caledon and the Baroness de Graevenitz.

Educated at public school in England, Lady Jane was the sister of the 7th Earl of Caledon, and spent a great deal of her life at the family's 5,000 acre estate in Caledon, Co Tyrone, where she trained horses.

Lady Jane was married three times - firstly to war cameraman Rory Peck, who was killed in Moscow in 1993 (they were divorced in 1987), then to landowner Andrew Dobbs of Carrickfergus, from whom she was divorced in 1999.

After her divorce from Mr Dobbs, she spent time in the USA, returning some years later to Northern Ireland.

She married her third husband - Armagh owner, breeder and trainer Dr Fitzroy Gillespie of Tynan, Co Armagh, in 2013.

Lady Jane hit the headlines in 2008 when she told the Daily Mail that she was having to leave the family estate at Caledon because her brother - the 7th Earl of Caledon - had banned her from riding through his 250-acre deer park.

The Earl - who has served as Lord Lieutenant of Armagh since 1989 - told the London newspaper: "There is no question of evicting her.

"She lives rent-free and she can stay as long as she likes.

"But my hands are tied.

"If she rides her horses through the deer park, she eventually acquires rights over the land and the estate cannot allow that.

"It has to protect the land for the sake of future generations, including my 17-year-old son, who'll inherit it from me."

She moved her horses to stables at Castle Leslie in the Republic, later returning to Northern Ireland.

Lady Jane - known as 'Janey' to her friends - was also a successful racehorse owner and National Hunt trainer for many yeas. She sent out Caledon Craic and Faith Keeper in recent seasons to win on the racecourse, while Keephimbachwilliam won at the Fermanagh point-to-point festival the weekend before her death.

Friends described her as a quiet, unassuming lady with a passion for everything equestrian - and a very supportive friend.

Lady Jane is survived by her husband, two sons and three daughters.

Her funeral is to take place this Wednesday at Caledon Church.
Corcrain Community Woodland in Portadown where police are investigating the death of Caitlin White

The family of a teenager who died in a suspected drug-related incident in Co Armagh have been left devastated by the loss of their "bubbly baby girl".

Caitlin White (15) died on Saturday night shortly after being taken to Craigavon Area Hospital.

"We are all just devastated," her aunt Claire White told the Belfast Telegraph.

"Caitlin was a great girl.

"She was our world and had a heart of gold.

"She would light up any room with her beautiful smile and her bubbly personality and will be sadly missed by her entire family.

"Sleep tight our baby girl."

Emergency services responded to reports that the young girl had fallen unconscious in Corcrain Community Woodland, Portadown, at around 6pm.

The Craigavon Senior High School pupil had been out with a group of friends who regularly congregate in the newly developed area owned by the Woodland Trust.

Yesterday her friends gathered to leave flowers and messages of support at the scene where she collapsed.

Speaking to this newspaper, they described Caitlin as a "bubbly girl who knew and got on with everyone".

But they also expressed concern over how easy it is to get drugs.

"It only takes 10 minutes," they said.

Residents in Charles Park, directly opposite the woodland, expressed their shock following the tragic news but said they were not surprised. One couple explained how youths have been flocking to the area in droves, particularly at weekends.

"The kids go there to drink and the police know all about it - there's about 50 of them all aged between 11 and 15," they said. "Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later."

Other residents said children as young as 11 are known to be regularly smoking cannabis in the area.

Councillor and YMCA youth worker Darryn Causby is due to meet with the PSNI today to discuss what he described as a "severe drug problem" in the wider Craigavon area.

"We need to have a meeting of minds to end this scourge, our communities are being destroyed," he said.

"This needs to stop and people must bring information to the police."

DUP Westminster candidate for the constituency of Upper Bann David Simpson extended his heartfelt sympathies and prayers to Caitlin's family and friends after the "utterly tragic" incident and said he knows the community "will pull together and help where they can".

"To hear of a life ending in such circumstances is horrific for everyone but none more than family and friends," he said.

UUP Westminster candidate Doug Beattie also expressed his condolences to the family.

"Local people are shocked that something so awful could happen in their community," he added.

Police area commander, Chief Inspector Joe McMinn, confirmed that one of line of enquiry is "a possible link to drugs".

He also confirmed that police are aware of young people gathering in the area and of several incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Police are working with local agencies and community representatives to address the issue.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the exact cause of Caitlin's death.

Mr McMinn appealed for anyone who was in the area on Saturday and who has information which could assist the police to contact them on 101 quoting reference 994 of 20/05/17.
Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern worked with Northern Ireland politicians to secure the 1998 Good Friday Agreement

A former Irish premier who helped to end decades of violence in Northern Ireland has warned against digging up old animosities.

Ex-taoiseach Bertie Ahern said relations between Ireland and Britain had greatly improved since the pre-ceasefire days when Jeremy Corbyn was associating with Sinn Fein.

The Labour leader has said he wanted the bombings and shootings to stop but refused to single out the IRA for condemnation during recent interviews.

Mr Ahern said: "We certainly don't want to dig up any of the enmities, animosities of the past.

"We hope that we find in the new British Government after June 8 that they will work with us to find solutions, that we can continue to move our people over trade and build on relationships and we certainly don't want to go back into the past."

Mr Ahern worked with former prime minister Tony Blair and Northern Ireland politicians to secure the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended 30 years of trouble in Northern Ireland.

The retired Dublin politician told ITV's Good Morning Britain programme: "The IRA campaign thankfully ended almost 20 years ago.

"The IRA 15 years ago have stated that the war was over, the conflict was over and arms have been put beyond use, the decommissioning issue was dealt with, so hopefully all that is in the past.

"Of course we all condemn the violence of all sides in the past and we want to move on.

"Jeremy Corbyn, I think, always kept the door open to Sinn Fein during those difficult days but we want to get away from the violence of the past and hopefully that never returns."

He said Ireland had built up a really good relationship with the UK.

"We have had a difficult past, about 800 years of it, we want to get on with having a cordial relationship, we have had royal visits now, we have had political visits, we want to find ways that we can continue to develop outside of the EU for the UK now."

Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell have faced scrutiny over their association with Irish republicans.

Before the IRA ceasefire they controversially met Sinn Fein a number of times in Westminster during the 1990s.

Mr McDonnell has apologised for comments he made praising the IRA's "bravery" in 2003.

After becoming Labour leader in 2015, Mr Corbyn defended reaching out to republicans during the Troubles - insisting he "wanted the violence to stop".
Claire with mum Carmel with Siobhan, Claire and Deirdre in their garden in Galway in 1983

Claire with daughter Niamh at five weeks old

Claire Hanna of the SDLP at her home in south Belfast

Our new series starts today with Claire Hanna of the SDLP on her hectic lifestyle, why she admires the UUPs Steve Aiken... and Colum Eastwoods beard.

Q. You're married to Belfast councillor Donal Lyons (34), who works in public policy. Was it love at first sight?

A. We got together a few months after meeting at a climate change conference in Wales. He was working for the Labour Party and I was an SDLP delegate... it was nerdiness in politics at first sight.

Q. What made you go into politics?

A. I've always been interested in politics. In my teens and early 20s I was casually involved, supporting my mum's campaigns.

I often spent Saturdays out and about in the car, putting leaflets through doors.

I became more independently involved in my mid-20s, working in campaigns and advocacy in the international development sector and I spent my working day lobbying politicians. Eventually I decided to cut out the middle man.

I believe firmly in democracy and that's how power changes hands and that's how you get things done. I wanted to try that.

Q. You've followed in the political footsteps of your mum Carmel (71) (former Employment and Learning Minister). Your dad Eamon (71) is an accountant and you have one brother Michael (43), a computer engineer, and two sisters, Deirdre (38), an accountant, and Siobhan (42), an LA-based company vice-president. What was life like growing up?

A. Mum's from Warrenpoint and Dad's from Belfast.

We moved from Galway, where Dad was working, to Belfast in 1984. We spent our summers and holidays in Galway and we still have the family house down there.

We relocated because Dad was appointed general secretary of the SDLP. I had a happy childhood; I remember it very positively, and obviously politics was a dimension of it.

Q. Briefly talk us through your career to date.

A. I left school at 18, went travelling and worked in a restaurant. When I was 20 I got a job at BBC Interactive, a new media start-up, doing admin and business support for three years. Then I touched lucky for a job with Comic Relief in 2003, managing the Red Nose campaign as a secondment - and then did it again in 2005.

A year later I joined Concern - which involved short postings in Bangladesh, Haiti and Zambia - and stayed there until I went into the Assembly in July 2015.

Q. What's the most important piece of advice you've been given?

A. Spend time with your family - they have to come before absolutely everything. Also, Mum and Dad spent years telling me to do my homework and I never listened. Now I know you need to.

You can wing it to a certain extent, but you should be prepared because it's an insult to people if you go and meet them without having bothered to learn a single thing about their issues.

Q. You have three daughters - Eimear (5), Aideen (3) and Niamh (five weeks). What's it like being a busy working mum? When are you going back?

A. I enjoy parenting. It's challenging and it's a juggling act. I am on lighter duties now that Niamh's here. Having gone into the Assembly 18 months ago and with three election campaigns in the middle of it, I have worked really long hours. It's been really nice to be home most evenings.

I was intending to be back now, albeit not with the foot on the gas to quite the same extent. I'm breastfeeding, so I would have Niamh with me wherever I go. I'm not the kind of person who ever fully switches off from work. But of course Stormont isn't happening at the moment, and the one silver lining of this deeply frustrating political impasse is that my maternity leave is slightly more generous than expected.

Q. You went to St Bride's Primary, Belfast and Rathmore Grammar, Finaghy, before doing an Open University degree and then a Masters in law and governance at Queen's University in Belfast. Were you popular at school?

A. I certainly wouldn't have been one of the cool kids, but I've always had a good circle of friends and I've happy memories of the craic at school. I got on with most people.

Q. Do you believe in God? Do you have a strong faith?

A. I do, but in my teens and 20s I had become quite hostile to it. The Catholic Church is far from perfect, but Pope Francis is an inspiring person and his focus on social justice resonates with me.

I wouldn't be a total Holy Joe, but it's a part of my life and I enjoy Sunday Mass.

Q. How do you relax outside politics?

A. It's the kids and family. I did a 10K when I was 20 weeks pregnant and I'm looking forward to getting back to the park runs.

I find running really relaxing. I do my best thinking when I go for a run.

At the moment, though, I'm doing well if I get out for a walk.

Q. If you were in trouble, who is the one person you'd turn to?

A. My sister Deirdre. She's got three kids of her own (aged nine, six and nine months) as well as me, her fourth big kid. I'm in touch with her multiple times a day.

I'm rubbish at clothes and she guides me. She gives me good advice in general, because she approaches things as a normal person and not someone who's politically active.

Q. Tell us about the best day of your life so far.

A. Our wedding day (August 5, 2011) was perfect. We got married in Mary Immaculate Queen church in my home parish of Barna, Galway, followed by a reception in the Hotel Meyrick. There were 140 people there. It was the best day.

When else do you have all your friends and family around you?

Q. What is the most traumatic thing you've been through?

A. Family illnesses have been hard. My mum has had cancer - womb and uterine - as well as bladder cancer, which unfortunately has come back a few times.

Also, when my nephew Patrick was born in July 2010 everything seemed fine. But on the day they were discharging him he started having seizures and spent the next fortnight in intensive care in the neo-natal unit in the Royal.

For those first few days they didn't know what was wrong and the prognosis wasn't good. We thought he might die.

It turns out he'd had a stroke, either during birth or afterwards, and had suffered a major brain injury.

He was eventually diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a permanent brain injury, and for those first few months of his life they really didn't know what way it was going to unfold.

As it happens, he is a fantastic little boy. Yes, he has disabilities, but he is now in a mainstream school and he's great fun to be with.

My kids, particularly Eimear and him, are very close. But for those first couple of years every milestone reached was a blessing. It was an awful time.

Q. Have you ever lost anyone close to you and does death frighten you?

A. Yes, death frightens me. It's that awful permanence of loss.

I've lost aunties and uncles and people I've been close to, but it hasn't broken into my immediate world.

I worry about when that day will eventually come.

Q. Politics is a volatile business. If it all ended at the next election, what would you do with yourself?

A. This is a vocation for me, but if it does collapse I've still got a family to support and a mortgage to pay.

I had an enjoyable and very rewarding career in international development and I would like to go back to the voluntary sector in some capacity. I recently looked at the job pages for the first time in a few years.

Q. In your opinion, what is the biggest problem facing Northern Ireland today?

A. In parallel, Brexit and the lack of a government to address it. It is incredible that this massive political and economic and social shock is coming and nobody here is steering the ship.

Q. People keep using the phrase "sectarian divide". Is there still a sectarian divide here?

A. Yes, there undoubtedly is. There are many people who are demonstrably rejecting it, but we all have sectarian baggage or sectarian clouding.

It is, however, the extent to which you let it control your views that's the issue here.

I don't think it's sectarian to be a unionist or a nationalist.

I think it's entirely rational to have a view on the border and on constitutional issues and some of the related cultural issues. But when you let that cloud overtake how you deal with people, that's when it becomes a problem.

QIf you had to pick a politician that you look up to from the so-called "other side", who would it be?

A. I really admire the Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken. He's a very positive and can-do person, and I don't think he has a sectarian instinct in him whatsoever. He's just determined to do the best job he can.

Q. These are exciting times for women politicians in Northern Ireland and there have never been so many involved. In your view, however, is there any misogyny or chauvinism on the Hill these days?

A. It is an exciting time and there are a lot more possibilities.

The most impressive politicians in Europe are women - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland - and here, three of the party leaders are female.

Women in all the parties punch above their weight. Women have to fight harder to get where they are and to get respect and credibility... there is still misogyny and chauvinism at Stormont.

Q. Who is your best Protestant friend?

A. I've got friends from all arts and parts.

Q. You're widely tipped as a future leader of the SDLP. Is that something you aspire to?

A. Not particularly. I think we've got a very good leader at the moment in Colum Eastwood, who has many years in him. When the party leader is younger than you at the ripe old age of 36...

Q. But what about that beard? Surely it's losing the SDLP votes?

A. Never mind pacts or Brexit, Colum's beard is the most contentious issue within the party. It's got people talking. I think it has its own Twitter account - the white spot, that is, not the beard.

Q. What's your favourite place in Northern Ireland?

A. I love Belfast. It has become a brilliant, dynamic city. There are great pubs and restaurants.

Having said that, if you get a sunny day there are few places more beautiful than the north coast.

Q. What's your favourite place in the whole world?

A. It has to be Galway. It was my family home in Barna, a village just a few miles outside the city centre. It's in the middle of nowhere, with a lovely view of the sea. I associate it with so many happy times when I was a young girl.
Amnesty International has criticised Turkey for dismissing tens of thousands of public employees after last summer's failed coup, saying the move has had a "catastrophic impact" on their lives and livelihoods.

In a 21-page report, the human rights group said the crackdown following the July 15 coup attempt has left teachers, academics, doctors, police officers and soldiers branded as "terrorists", and unable to return to their careers. They have been forced to rely on savings, the support of friends or family or to take on irregular jobs, Amnesty added.

More than 100,000 Turkish public servants have been dismissed and banned from civil service through decrees issued under the state of emergency for alleged connections to groups listed as terror organisations.

More than 47,000 people have also been arrested for alleged links to the coup.

The Turkish government said the purge is necessary to weed out followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for orchestrating the coup, and combat terror.

The government has also said it is forming an appeals commission to review the cases of those who insist they were wrongfully dismissed. Amnesty said the commission lacks independence to make it effective.

Amnesty also said the dismissals have been arbitrary and links to terror groups are unproven, devastating the lives of the individuals and their families.

The purged employees have also had their passports cancelled, blocking them from seeking employment abroad.

Andrew Gardner, Amnesty's researcher on Turkey, said: "The authorities must end these arbitrary dismissals immediately, and reinstate all those who are found not to be guilty of wrongdoing.

"Those who have been dismissed should be given access to a swift and effective appeal procedure in order that they can clear their names, be compensated and return to their careers."

Meanwhile, authorities have raided the homes of academic Nuriye Akman and teacher Semih Ozakca in Ankara and detained them.

The two had been on a hunger strike - refusing food but drinking liquids - for more than 70 days in protest over their dismissals under the state of emergency.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's main opposition party, called for their immediate release and for them to be reinstated to their former jobs, accusing the government of regarding "anyone who stands up for their rights as a threat".
Palestinians protest against the visit by US President Donald Trump to Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 22, 2017. US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall as he sought ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the opportunity to again lash out at Iran. / AFP PHOTO / SAID KHATIBSAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

Palestinians protest against the visit by US President Donald Trump to Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 22, 2017. US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall as he sought ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the opportunity to again lash out at Iran. / AFP PHOTO / SAID KHATIBSAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

Palestinians protest against the visit by US President Donald Trump to Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 22, 2017. US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall as he sought ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the opportunity to again lash out at Iran. / AFP PHOTO / SAID KHATIBSAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOT - Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, prays at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Heidi LevineHEIDI LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOT - US First Lady Melania Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Heidi LevineHEIDI LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliver press statements before an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering press statements prior to an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump surrounded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu (R) as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his wife Nehama Rivlin (L) during an official welcoming ceremony on his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport on May 22, 2017 near Tel Aviv, Israel. This will be Trump's first visit as President to the region, and his itinerary will include meetings with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders. (Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images)

US president Donald Trump said he never mentioned "the word or the name Israel" during a recent conversation with top Russian diplomats.

Speaking alongside Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump was referencing revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat during a recent meeting in Washington with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador.

US officials said the information originated from Israel.

Mr Trump, who is making his first visit to Israel as US president, said: "I never mentioned the word or the name Israel in that conversation."

Mr Netanyahu added that US-Israeli intelligence co-operation is "terrific".

Mr Trump said the story is another one the news media has gotten wrong.

However, news accounts have not accused Mr Trump of naming Israel as a source of the information.

Earlier on Monday, on Mr Trump's first visit to Israel as president, he said he sees a growing recognition among Muslim nations that they share a "common cause" with Israel in their determination to counter threats posed by Iran.

Arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mr Trump expressed his hope for co-operation among US allies in the Middle East.

Israel was his second stop on a nine-day tour aimed to test the waters for reviving the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) TOPSHOT - Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, prays at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Heidi LevineHEIDI LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TOPSHOT - US First Lady Melania Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Heidi LevineHEIDI LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump surrounded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu (R) as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his wife Nehama Rivlin (L) during an official welcoming ceremony on his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport on May 22, 2017 near Tel Aviv, Israel. This will be Trump's first visit as President to the region, and his itinerary will include meetings with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders. (Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images) US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering press statements prior to an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliver press statements before an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Mr Trump, who had previously suggested that it would be easier than anticipated to solve the conflict that has vexed his predecessors for decades, said that conditions were right in both Israel and the Arab world to strike what he has called "the ultimate deal".

"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people," Mr Trump said upon his arrival in Tel Aviv.

His first stop was a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

In a statement following the meeting, Mr Trump addressed his meetings the previous day with Arab and Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, and said that there is growing realisation that they share a goal with Israel in their determination to defeat extremism and deter "the threat posed by Iran".

Mr Netanyahu called Mr Trump "a true friend" to Israel and expressed optimism about the president's role in the Middle East peace process.

However, obstacles have emerged that may complicate the relationship between the White House and Israel.

Mr Trump, wearing a black skullcap, became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall on Monday.

He touched it in prayer and, adhering to tradition, placed a note in a deep crevice.

He also toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which by Christian tradition is where Jesus was crucified and the location of his tomb.

On Tuesday, he is set to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and deliver a speech at the Israeli Museum.

However, Mr Trump may face concerns from Israelis over the new 110 billion US dollar (85 billion) arms deal he announced during his stop in Saudi Arabia as well as questions from Israeli officials about the revelations that he disclosed sensitive Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, said the US could provide clarifications to Israel about the disclosure but said "I don't know that there's anything to apologise for".

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close TOPSHOT - Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, prays at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Heidi LevineHEIDI LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TOPSHOT - US First Lady Melania Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Heidi LevineHEIDI LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump surrounded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu (R) as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his wife Nehama Rivlin (L) during an official welcoming ceremony on his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport on May 22, 2017 near Tel Aviv, Israel. This will be Trump's first visit as President to the region, and his itinerary will include meetings with the Palestinian and Israeli leaders. (Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images) US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering press statements prior to an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump (L) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliver press statements before an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp TOPSHOT - Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, prays at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City on May 22, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Heidi LevineHEIDI LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images

White House aides have also tried to play down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Mr Trump's stop, casting the visit as symbolic.

Mr Tillerson referred to the visit as "a moment in time" and suggested that the US would take a more active role in the future in brokering a deal if both sides make serious commitments.

Mr Trump, whose unorthodox approach has spurred some hope on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has done no such managing of expectations.

He boldly stated that achieving peace is "something that I think is, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years" in March during a meeting with Mr Abbas.

"But we need two willing parties," he said then. "We believe Israel is willing. We believe you're willing. And if you both are willing, we're going to make a deal."

And Mr Trump made one symbolic gesture on Monday in bridging the gap between Israel and the Arab world.

His flight on Air Force One was believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel, nations that have limited diplomatic relations.

Even the White House press corps making the trip on a separate plane from Riyadh to Tel Aviv had to make a technical stop in Cyprus before proceeding to Israel.

Mr Netanyahu said he hoped an Israeli prime minister could soon make the same flight.

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Portuguese media is reporting an Irish tourist has been found dead in his holiday apartment.

It's been reported that the man was discovered in the Alto do Moinho apartments in the resort of Albufeira in the Algarve on Monday morning.

Portuguese police have confirmed they are investigating. A post mortem is expected to take place to determine the cause of death.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of the case and is ready to provide assistance.
People watch a TV news programme showing images of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the missile launch, published in the North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper, at Seoul Railway station in Seoul, South Korea (AP)

North Korea says it is ready to deploy and start mass-producing a new medium-range missile capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases there.

The announcement follows a test launch it claims confirmed the missile's combat readiness and is an "answer" to President Donald Trump's policies.

The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 310 miles and reached a height of 350 miles on Sunday before plunging into the Pacific Ocean.

North Korea's media said more missiles will be launched in the future.

Mr Trump, travelling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported.

The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its "adaptability under various battle conditions" before it is deployed to military units.

Mr Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action" and said that it should "be rapidly mass-produced".

North Korea has significantly speeded up its missile tests over the past year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that poses a threat not only to South Korea and Japan, which together host about 80,000 US troops, but also toward an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

It is moving ahead with its nuclear weapons programme as well.

The North conducted two nuclear tests last year.

It claims one was a hydrogen bomb and the other device created a more powerful explosion than any the North has previous tested.

Satellite imagery suggests it could be ready to conduct its next test, which would be its sixth, at virtually any time.

Pyongyang's often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington or other US cities.

North Korea's media, meanwhile, have stepped up their calls for even more missile launches because of what Pyongyang claims is an increasingly hostile policy by Mr Trump.

"The Trump administration would be well advised to lend an ear to the voices of concern that are heard from the US and the international community," the North's Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary on Sunday.

"Many more 'Juche weapons' capable of striking the US will be launched from this land. This is the DPRK's answer to the Trump administration.'"

Juche, in this usage, refers to domestically produced and DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is "disappointing" and "disturbing".

AP
Feuds between sisters are well enough known: movie stars Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland maintained a sisterly quarrel all their lives. The writers Margaret Drabble and her sister A S (Antonia) Byatt only meet - acknowledging each other with a formal nod - at funerals, never having patched up a family difference. Among the notorious Mitford sisters, Jessica was a Communist and Diana was a Fascist (and the mother of Desmond Guinness, who saved Georgian Dublin from destruction) - throughout their adult lives they were not "on speakers".

But if there is sisterly feuding, there are also strong bonds between sibling sisters. The recent film A Quiet Passion featured the American poet Emily Dickinson and her sister Lavinia; had Lavinia not obsessively curated her sister's poems after Emily's death, her work would have been lost to posterity. (And if one Muriel hadn't squirrelled away her sister's letters, we would know less about the early life of Margaret Thatcher and her feminine penchant for pretty lingerie.)

Jackie Kennedy and her younger sister Lee Radziwill seemed to have had that sisterly bond which was both competitive and supportive. Both were urged to "marry well" by their ambitious mother, and indeed both did - Lee got her prince and Jacqueline her president. They had depended on each other as young girls during their parents' divorce - which had not gone well and had attracted much gossip - and that emotional link seems to have remained.

Constance Markievicz and her sister Eva Gore-Booth are forever fixed in poetic image by Yeats' elegy for the Sligo sisters: "The light of evening, Lissadell/ Great windows open to the south/ Two girls in silk kimonos, both/ Beautiful, one a gazelle." The poet draws some harsh conclusions about what the passage of the years may bring - yet the sisters are remembered as bound in an immortal coil.

Constance and Eva remained as close as siblings can be - Constance's most compelling letters from prison are addressed to Eva (who lived with her female partner, Esther Roper), beginning "Dearest Old Darling", while Eva dedicated many poems and illuminated texts to Constance. They had a harmony of soul. They had been only two years apart in childhood and were only one year apart in death.

Constance and Eva were political in different ways (Constance the activist, Eva the pacifist).

Virginia Woolf and her sister Vanessa Bell were artistic in different ways - Virginia the writer and Vanessa the painter. Virginia became the more famous, but Vanessa was, and is, esteemed as an artist. Virginia seems to have depended on her older sister, emotionally, and constantly refers to her in her diaries. Virginia was childless, but greatly cherished Vanessa's children, and Quentin Bell, Vanessa's son, became Virginia's most authoritative biographer.

A poignant story of sisterly attachment is that of Edith and Rosa Stein, who died together at Birkenau concentration camp in August 1942. Edith Stein was a brilliant philosopher from a Jewish family - she pioneered studies on the quality of empathy - who became a Carmelite nun, as Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

The Nazi authorities started raiding monastic communities for anyone of Jewish origin and she moved to the Netherlands, along with her sister Rosa. But they were found, taken to Auschwitz and then to Birkenau. Rosa never left Edith's side, although had they split up, they might have had a better chance of survival.

This week, a TV documentary on the history channel Yesterday featured three sets of sisters - the Mitfords, the Bouvier girls, Jackie and Lee, and the aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her younger sister Muriel (who provided Amelia with some of the money to buy her first plane).

As it happens, I've also written a one-hour drama about two sisters, Eva Braun and her younger sister Margarethe, known as Gretl, to be broadcast on RTE Radio One.

Eva and Gretl were also inseparably close, as children and as young women - they shared a house together in Munich. When Hitler was at the height of his powers (and it must be admitted, electoral popularity), they both lived the high life, and Gretl became part of the inner circle at the Bavarian Alpine retreat, Berchtesgaden.

Neither of these young women were, in themselves, bad people. Neither were they stupid - Eva Braun was an accomplished photographer when photography required more technical knowledge than it does today. But they were selfish and heedless.

They chose to turn a blind eye to the evil around them.

They chose not to see what was happening before their eyes - and they reaped the consequences.

Eva, of course, chose suicide at the age of 33, while Gretl's subsequent life was dogged by humiliation and more family suicide.

Sisters can be competitive or supportive, and groups of singing sisters are also a long tradition (The Andrews Sisters, The Beverley Sisters, The Nolans). In White Christmas, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen perform the classic Sisters song, which tells us much about the sibling bond: "God help the mister who comes between me and my sister / But God help the sister who comes between me and my man!"
He and I had our differences. So said Gerry Adams last week of Enda Kenny, when reluctantly and a bit late in the day, at 66 and in excellent health, he stepped down as leader of Fine Gael. But I acknowledge that he did his best from his perspective. From Sinn Feins perspective, this was not good enough.

He then proceeded to explain with his familiar condescension how Mr Kenny had failed to meet Sinn Feins exacting standards.

Kenny has been in the Dail since 1975 when, at 24 and in true Irish dynastic tradition, he succeeded his father as TD for Mayo South.

He became head of his party in 2002, revived its fortunes and served as Taoiseach from 2011.

There are plenty of criticisms to be made of him  as there are of most politicians  but he is personally popular and, in the Republic of Ireland, when someone steps down, the custom is for members of the Dail to be generous-spirited.

So Micheal Martin, for instance, leader of Fianna Fail  whose enmity with Fine Gael has roots in the Irish Civil War of 1922-3  spoke of Mr Kennys dedication and diligence.

While over the years we have had our differences on many political and policy issues, I have always appreciated Endas decency, good humour and approachability.

Brendan Corish, the leader of the Labour Party, spoke of his humour, grace and determination.

And the spokesman for the Independent Alliance described him as a true statesman who always had the interests of the country at his core.

Mr Adams, however, delivered a denunciation of Mr Kenny, whose political legacy, he said, was dominated by crisis, chaos, and chronic lack of accountability.

Yep. Those were the words of a republican leader who tells us he was never in the IRA, who spent most of his life trying to destroy Northern Ireland, who was behind the bringing down of the Executive for completely spurious reasons, and has instructed the obedient Michelle ONeill to wreck the talks.

If he had a sense of humour, one would suspect he was privately having a laugh.

But he doesnt and he isnt.

Mr Adams is wholly out of sympathy with the southern mindset.

Like the most bitter northern republicans, hes full of rage at what he sees as a century of betrayal of his northern tribe by a southern state that accepted partition, and makes his contempt for it clear at every opportunity.

He also instils in his followers a culture of aggression, victimhood, entitlement and breathtaking hypocrisy, while claiming the moral high ground by wittering patronisingly and mendaciously about human rights, equality and any other concepts that can be used for party advantage.

Thats one of the many reasons why he and his acolytes are so disliked by almost all non-Sinn Fein politicians.

As the IRA entrenched partition in Northern Ireland by waging a cruel ethnic war against their neighbours, in the south they entrench it by making southerners wary and distrustful of those they privately call Nordies.

One of my Dublin friends emailed me after Mr Adams speech to say: Gerry was pretty ungracious about Enda, which wont do him (Gerry) much good.

And it wont.

My countrymen dislike meanness of spirit.

In his comments on Mr Kennys career Mr Adams said his government showed a clear lack of affinity with the North and a clear lack of consistent strategic engagement on the process of change that is required to sustain the political institutions.

Well, Mr Adams, you can claim a great deal of the credit for that.

In the eyes of most southern politicians, governments over two decades have tried to help clear up the mess brutal paramilitaries made of Northern Ireland and have got precious little thanks for it.

They feel its time the politicians up north sorted things out for themselves.

Theyre also preoccupied with Brexit and feel politicians should be focussing on that rather than demanding a divisive and pointless border poll.

And theyre tired of being hectored by people who seem to take pleasure from being horrible.

Now the DUP has ceased to be run by religious bigots, Sinn Fein has no competition for its unique position in Irish life.

It truly is The Nasty Party.
Indonesian police are holding 141 men including four foreign nationals after raiding what they described as a gay striptease performance at a fitness club in North Jakarta.

Activists decried the arbitrary and excessive arrests in which officials paraded the men naked at a police station and released their naked photos on social media.

The 141 people were questioned while naked and moved from room to room without clothes on the pretext of an investigation. Then the 141 people were photographed naked and [the pictures] were distributed via text, social media and news, said a statement released by a coalition of some 80 organizations called Gema Demokrasi.

The raid and arrest followed established procedures, Dwiyono, chief of North Jakarta police, told BenarNews. The evidence is quite strong. They were already in a state of nudity when the raid took place, he said.

On Tuesday, two men are to be publicly flogged in Aceh, where Sharia law is in force, after being convicted of same-sex relations, which are illegal in Indonesias westernmost province but not elsewhere.

Cell phone footage of the two men, naked and terrified, circulated widely on social media after community members forcibly entered a rented home in Banda Aceh in late March.

In a statement Friday Human Rights Watch called on President Joko Jokowi Widodo to prevent the grotesque display of medieval torture in Aceh.

President Jokowi has spoken out in support of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Indonesia, so the imminent public flogging of two young men for same-sex relations is a crucial moment to act, said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Pornography

The men arrested at the fitness club late Sunday would be charged under anti-pornography laws, police said.

After getting tips from local people, we finally went to the location and it turned out to be true that they were putting on a striptease for gays, Nasriadi, chief of the criminal division at North Jakarta Police, told BenarNews on Monday.

The owner of the business, three of his workers and six male striptease performers were named as suspects, he said, adding that one of the employees was broadcasting the show on social media.

They will all be charged under Law Number 4, 2008 on Pornography, which carries potential penalties of six years in prison, he said.

All the men present at the location were being held at the North Jakarta police station for further questioning, he said, adding that there would likely be more suspects named.

Two Malaysians, one Singapore national and one British national were also taken into custody, he said.

National police spokesman Martinus Sitompol said the consulates of those countries would be notified.

Gema Demokrasi, the activist group, said the arrests represented an uptick in the persecution of LGBT individuals in Indonesia.

These arrests are a bad precedent for gender and sexual minority groups. Arrests carried out in the private sphere may become a reference for further acts of violence, the statement said.

It urged the national police chief to investigate police deportment in the case, and the media to cease spreading private data of victims.

President Jokowi and his administration should guarantee the protection of the LGBT community and respect the privacy of citizens, it added.

In late April, police in the East Java city of Surabaya arrested 14 men who were allegedly attending a sex party at a hotel.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (third from left, front) and other leaders of Muslim-majority countries pose with U.S. President Donald Trump (third from right, front) at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh, May 21, 2017.

Leaders of Muslim nations called for unity and a cohesive strategy to fight terrorism, after U.S. President Donald Trump during an unprecedented summit in Saudi Arabia urged them to do their share to defeat "Islamist" extremists and "drive out" terrorists.

Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina both proposed that governments cut funding to Islamic terror groups, and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called for de-radicalization to be at the center of counter-terrorism efforts, saying that more non-military measures were needed to win hearts and minds.

The three Asian leaders delivered their messages in speeches on Sunday that followed President Trumps landmark speech to delegates from 55 majority-Muslim nations at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.

The 45th American president, who was on the first stop of his first overseas trip as commander-in-chief, said Muslim nations could not wait for the United States to destroy the Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda and other terror groups.

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists, Trump said in his address.

That goal is to meet historys greatest test  to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism, Trump said.

Jokowi, the leader of the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country, said the nations of the Islamic world could only rid themselves of that scourge by coming together to fight it.

Muslim unity is key to success in combating terrorism. We must not use up our energy in mutual enmity, the Indonesian president said in his speech.

Jokowi called for increased multilateral cooperation, including sharing intelligence and stopping terrorism funding.

We all know how much money flows to the grassroots in many countries for spreading extremist and radical ideology, he said.

Efforts to resolve the root causes of terrorism must be stepped up as well, such as by addressing inequality and injustice and promoting economic empowerment, he added.

Every one of us must be brave to be part of the solution and not part of the problem in our efforts to eradicate terrorism. Each of us must be part of the world peace-building effort, Jokowi said.

In her speech that was distributed but not read out at the summit, Hasina echoed Jokowis call for cutting off terror financing.

We must stop the source of supply of arms to terrorists and we have to stop the flow of financing to the terrorists and their outfits, the Bangladeshi prime minister said.

She also advised world leaders to not use the word Islam in referring to terrorists, according to excerpts of her speech published by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the national news agency.

Terrorists do not have any religion, belief or racial identity, though they may come from any religious background, Hasina said.

Not just military

Malaysias Najib said the summit could not be more timely. The world needs to be reminded today that the Muslim nations present today completely condemn terrorism and violent extremism, he said.

The fight against terrorism is not just military: it is also about winning hearts and minds, he said. To do this, a credible narrative needs to be told, in which Islam and modernity are compatible; material progress and religious devotion go hand-in-hand; and religious knowledge and scientific inquiry mutually reinforce one another.

Malaysias leader touted his countrys de-radicalization programs 95 percent success rate in reintegrating former extremists and offered to share the programs expertise with other nations.

Jokowi also discussed Indonesias similar success.

In our de-radicalization programs, for example, Indonesian authorities involve relatives, and relatives of former terrorists who have changed their views, and civil society organizations, he said.

Counter-terrorist centers

The two-day summit in the Saudi capital included more than just talk about taking down militant organizations.

Trump announced that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia had signed an agreement to form the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center and that they would be joined by five Gulf states. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the centers goals are to identify, track, and share information regarding terrorist financial networks; coordinate joint disruptive actions, and; offer support to countries in the region that need assistance building capacity to counter terrorist finance threats.

The center adds to a growing list aimed at destroying Islamic and other extremist groups, including two established sites and one being developed in Malaysia.

Najibs country is home to an online counter-extremist messaging center overseen by the Royal Malaysia Police and the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counter-Terrorism, operated under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with assistance from the U.S. State Department.

A third center, the King Salman Center for International Peace, backed by Saudi Arabia, will take an academic approach to conducting research into and countering ideology spread by IS and other extremist groups when it opens later this year.

Tia Asmara in Jakarta, Razlan Rashid in Kuala Lumpur and Shahriar Sharif in Dhaka contributed to this report.
President Rodrigo Duterte has denied that Islamic State militants were behind twin bombings that left two people dead near a mosque in Manila early this month, the presidential palace said Monday.

Duterte said the May 6 bombings in Quiapo district of Manila were a result of a blood feud between warring two warring families.

Certainly not an ISIS thing. One is that if it were the handiwork of IS, they wouldnt have attacked Quiapo. It could be somewhere else but definitely not Quiapo, where most of our Muslim brothers live, he said, using two different acronyms for the group.

But there is bad blood amongst the groups of persons there. It could be a rido, he said, using a local term for blood feud between two warring Muslim families.

The president, who embarked on a four-day official trip to Russia Monday, made the comments during the launch late Saturday of a government radio program, the palace said.

He said he had been in close contact with the Philippine National Police investigators, who assured him that it was not terrorism.

I do not like IS. But I do not like to attribute things to them if they were not behind it, he said, dismissing the feud as over money matters.

Concerns

Dutertes statement comes amid continuing concerns that Muslim militants with links to the IS could have infiltrated Manila and other urban sites to launch attacks.

Last month, the police killed nine Abu Sayyaf militants in firefights in the central island of Bohol, which is popular among tourists. Two others, including a police woman who allegedly has switched sides, have been arrested.

The gunmen, blamed for a series of atrocities including kidnappings and bombings, allegedly were on a mission to abduct foreigners. They had beheaded a German hostage this year and two Canadians last year.

While a faction of the Abu Sayyaf has pledged allegiance to the IS, local authorities have been quick to denounce the group as nothing more than well-armed bandits.

Police had earlier announced the arrest of one suspect in the Quiapo bombing. The suspect has been identified as Abel Macaraya, who launched the attack after his brother-in-law was beaten by two men, police said.

A local Shiite Muslim cleric apparently did not act on the familys complaint, prompting Macaraya to carry out the bombings. The cleric was unhurt because he wasnt at his office when the attack occurred.

The police also said that the home-made bombs used in the attacks were crudely made, and not sophisticated enough like the ones used by IS-linked militants.

Dennis Santos in Davao City contributed to this report.
Soldiers stand guard at the Phra Mongkut Klao Hospital in Bangkok after a blast from a pipe bomb injured 21 people in the military-run medical facility, May 22, 2017.

Updated at 2:10 p.m. ET on 2017-05-23

A pipe-bomb explosion injured 21 people at a military hospital in Bangkok on Monday  the third anniversary of a bloodless coup in Thailand  but officials said they had yet to determine who carried out the attack.

The bomb packed with nails went off near a pharmacy inside the Phra Mongkutklao Hospital, said national police who linked the explosion to two recent pipe-bombings in the Bangkok area.

Both explosive ordnance disposal officials and the K-nine unit confirmed it was an explosive. ... For the type we must wait for further investigation, Gen. Srivarah Rangsipramanakul, the deputy national police chief, told reporters.

There were traces of batteries and electric wire. ... The bomb, which had a two- to three-meter range [6.5 feet to 9.8 feet], went off in the public place and it must have been placed in a container, he added.

Of the 21 hurt in the blast, eight were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, hospital director Maj. Gen. Channarong Nakasawasdi said.

Also on Monday, four soldiers were injured in a roadside bombing in the province of Yala in Thailands insurgency-stricken Deep South, as they were patrolling on motorbikes, the Bangkok Post reported.

National Police Chief Chakthip Chaichinda said investigators had not ruled out whether Mondays bombing at the hospital was carried out by separatist rebels from the Deep South or by a group politically opposed to the coup, which brought the military to power on May 22, 2014.

Deep South [insurgents] have the potential to do so. But whether they have come up to mount attacks, we dont know yet, Chakthip told reporters.

Similarities between other Bangkok area blasts

On April 5, a small bomb exploded at the old government-run Lottery Building in the Thai capital, slightly injuring two people while a similar bomb exploded in front of the National Theater on May 15, injuring two others.

The two incidents occurred close to the Royal Grounds in Bangkok, where a gigantic pyre is being constructed for the funeral of King Bhumibol Adulyadej later this year.

The bombs in three attacks were of improvised type  pipe bombs with PVC tube container but this third bomb incident contained nails, while the previous two did not. It could seriously injure or kill people nearby. ... Yes, those three are linked, Chakthip told reporters on Monday.

The bomb in the latest attack was placed in a dispensary room in front of the hospitals Wongsuwan Room, which was established as a tribute to retired Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, who has served as defense minister and deputy prime minister for security affairs since 2014.

A military coup, led by army Gen. Prayuth Chan-o-cha, toppled the civilian government of Yingluck Shinawatra. Prayuth then became Thailands 29th Prime Minister and appointed Prawit to the two ministerial posts.

Since the generals seized power, the junta has imposed tight controls on freedom of speech and assembly, and has arrested government critics or others accused of violating Thailands strict royal defamation law.

Mondays attack was not necessarily meant to coincide with the anniversary of the coup, the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army said.

The haters would capitalize on any occasion they could find, Gen. Chalermchai Sitthisart told a separate media briefing in Bangkok.

Other bombings

In August 2015, Bangkok was targeted in a bombing that killed 20 people and injured more than 120 others at the Erawan Shrine, a landmark in the capital that is popular with tourists. Two Uyghur men are standing trial in Bangkok in connection with the attack.

Since last year, other parts of Thailand have been attacked with bombs.

On Aug. 11 and 12, 2016, a series of coordinated bomb attacks killed four people and injured more than 30 others at tourist hotspots across the upper southern region. A few weeks later, a member of Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN)  the largest of the armed separatist groups in the Deep South  told BenarNews that his combat unit had carried out those attacks.

Bombings occur frequently in the predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking Deep South, where nearly 7,000 have been killed in violence linked with the insurgency since 2004.

Earlier this month, more than 80 people, including children, were injured when two car bombs were set off outside the Big C, a department store in the Deep South province of Pattani. Authorities in the region say they have since arrested and questioned at least three suspects in connection with the attack, who, according to officials, confessed to being BRN operatives.

One of the suspects, identified as Suhaimee Sama-ae, is accused of hijacking and killing the driver of a truck that was used in the bombing outside the Big C store on May 9.

Officials acknowledged that the suspect had previously surrendered to the military through its so-called Bring People Home program, which encourages insurgents to lay down their weapons and turn themselves into the authorities peacefully.

An earlier version misidentified the director of the hospital as Saroj Keokajee.
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For Immediate Release, May 22, 2017 Contact: Kristen Monsell, (914) 806-3467, kmonsell@biologicaldiversity.org Legal Action Challenges Nation's Largest Liquefied Natural Gas Project Alaska Proposal Could Increase Fracking in Arctic, Threaten Polar Bears, Whales WASHINGTON The Center for Biological Diversity today moved to intervene in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proceedings on the state of Alaska's plans to build the nation's largest-ever liquid natural-gas project. Alaska LNG involves an 807-mile pipeline, a liquefied natural gas facility and the shipping of 20 million tons of the condensed fuel abroad every year. The proposal could vastly expand drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the Arctic. Under the Natural Gas Act, FERC must find that the project is in the public interest in order to approve it. This massive LNG project is a massively terrible idea, said Kristen Monsell, a Center attorney. Expanding drilling and fracking in the Arctic is incredibly dangerous, and this polluting plan is likely to be an economically disastrous boondoggle. We're intervening to protect polar bears, the climate and Alaskans from this monstrous project. The proposal originally involved BP, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and the state-owned Alaska Gasline Development Corporation. But the oil companies have pulled out of the project because of the surplus LNG on the world market and the project's high cost, currently estimated at $45 billion, which could leave Alaska taxpayers on the hook if LNG prices stay low. Alaska's Gasline Development Corporation, the only party currently pursuing the project, submitted its application to FERC on April 17. Gov. Bill Walker has asked the Trump administration to fast-track approval and exempt the project from dozens of environmental rules. Alaska LNG threatens some of the rarest animals on Earth. Exempting the country's largest LNG project ever from environmental protections so that Alaska can send gas abroad is ridiculous, Monsell said. The project will be devastating to Alaska's wildlife  and maybe to state taxpayers as well. Natural gas would be shipped to overseas markets on tankers through Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska, passing through the habitat of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales and critically endangered North Pacific right whales, whose population is down to just of 25 individuals. The Asia-Pacific region is the Alaska LNG project's intended market. The project would also involve the construction and operation of a gas-treatment plant and associated 60-mile pipeline on the North Slope. As currently proposed the 807-mile pipeline would transport natural gas from the gas treatment plant to the liquefaction facility in Nikiski, and have a daily capacity of 3.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas. Alaska's application asks FERC to approve the project by December 2018 so that it can have the project operational by 2024. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Indians and Indian Americans accounted for nearly one-fifth of the top categories of the awards

Prashant Ranganathan, Indian boy has won the world's largest pre-college science competition in the US in the environmental engineering category for his project on biodegradation of pesticides.



This boy from Jamshedpur was accompanied by 20 high school students from various parts of India and participated in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.



Student of Carmel Junior College in Jamshedpur, Prashant's project 'Biodegradation of Chlorpyrifos using native bacteria' said that farmers should not use pesticides.



"In almost all the states, like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, Haryana and Bihar and Jharkhand, there's extensive farming. Using excessive amounts of pesticides, is affecting the health and the environment around them," he said.



Maya Ajmera president and CEO of Society for Science and Public said, "India really boasts really extraordinary mathematics, science, physics, education. I think that many generations of Indian scientists and engineers and computer scientists, have truly paved the way of this generation of young people doing extraordinary things.

As a result, Indians and Indian Americans accounted for nearly one-fifth of the top categories of the awards.






LIA has announced the members of the Production & Post-Production and Music Video jury, headed up by Michael Ritchie, MD and executive producer at Revolver/Will O'Rourke.

Ritchie began his career in agencies, head of broadcast at Ogilvy in Sydney, then a regional gig at DDB HK. From there, he moved to the production side and, in 1999, saw his most successful collaboration when he joined and later became partners with Steve Rogers at Revolver. Revolver/Will ORourke, an Australian based production company. Ritchie stated, Being asked to be president of the LIA Production & Post-Production and Music Video jury is a privilege. I am at the point where I just do not want to justify why craft is essential in our industry. I think it is intrinsic to every single human in this world that they will respond to something made with care and craft far more than something that is not. It is that simple. I cannot wait to see the work that is entered and for the good stuff to rise to the top. We are honoured to have Ritchie preside over the jury. His dedication and belief that craft is something that can make a good idea great and a great idea, exceptional, makes him the perfect choice to guide this jury in awarding the most outstanding work at LIA 2017, stated Barbara Levy, president of LIA. Jury membersIn addition to Michael Ritchie, other members are:

Emma Daines - executive producer / group md, Fin Design & Effects, Sydney

Matthew Fone - owner, Riff Raff Films, London

Oliver Fuselier - managing partner Live Action, Tool of North America, Santa Monica

Diane Jackson - chief production officer, DDB Chicago, Chicago

Donna Lamar - owner, Stalking Muses, Santa Monica

Moritz Merkel - executive producer / MD, Partizan, Berlin

Keiko Ono - executive producer, Spoon Inc., Tokyo

David Rolfe - EVP, director of Integrated Production, BBDO New York, New York

Helene Segol - executive producer, Wanda Productions, Paris

Ben Stallard - production director, The Mill, London

Dual entries encouragedProduction companies, post-production houses, editing facilities and music and sound companies are under the belief that if an agency enters their work, there is no reason for them to enter the work as well, which is incorrect. When agencies enter LIA, they do not necessarily enter work into the categories from which production companies, post-production houses and editing facilities would most benefit, instead choosing product and service categories which are judged by the TV/Cinema/Online Film jury, adds Levy. The craft categories are judged by the Production, Post-Production and Music Videos jury, made up of the worlds best production and post-production executives, from executive producers and directors to agency heads of TV and chief production officers. This year, in addition to the global Of the Year Awards, LIA will also award Regional Of the Year Awards, making it is even more important for production and post-production companies to enter their work and get the recognition they deserve.For more information, click here.
MONROVIA, Liberia: Orange launches its brand in Liberia and continues to build on its strong presence in West Africa. And with over 1.6 million customers at the end of February 2017, Orange Liberia is now the leading mobile operator in Liberia in terms of customers...

Orange launches in Liberia.

As of last week, Cellcom Liberia becomes Orange Liberia. The acquisition of the Liberian operator Cellcom was finalised by Orange, through its subsidiary Orange Cote dIvoire, on 6 April 2016, allowing the Group to reinforce its presence in West Africa.

In line with its Essentials2020 strategic plan, Orange has built up a considerable presence in this region, which offers strong growth potential and is a strategic priority for the groups development.

Following this rebranding, Orange Liberia will join one of the worlds most powerful brands and stands to benefit from being part of a large international group. Orange will provide its marketing expertise and world-class technical capability to further strengthen the operators established network and enhance customer service in Liberia.

Founded in 2004, the mobile operator has been a driving force in democratising access to telecommunication services across the country, despite difficult market conditions. It has always been a precursor in terms of network deployment and in 2012 was the first operator in Liberia to launch 3G (HSPA+) services following by 4G-LTE services in 2016.

Orange will pursue this strategy and will continue to invest in the development of its network where the company is already a market leader.

With a population of 4.6 million people and relatively low mobile penetration rate (70% of the population), the country has a high growth potential for Orange. To support this development, the Group will work to reinforce the quality of access in several areas:

Investing in network expansion. For example, the construction of 39 sites in 2016 and 65 additional sites planned for 2017. Part of the plan is to accelerate broadband deployment and to expand 4G penetration across the country.

Strongly enhancing Internet quality by providing access to the Groups submarine and international cable networks. Orange Liberia will benefit from two additional secure connection points in Abidjan and Paris that will multiply network capacity by four.

Bruno Mettling, deputy chief executive officer of the Orange Group and chairman and CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, commented: With this new presence in Liberia, Orange extends its footprint in West Africa. The launch of the Orange brand confirms our confidence in the countrys ongoing economic recovery and our commitment to bring all the benefits of new digital services to Liberians.

Mamadou Coulibaly, CEO of Orange Liberia, added: Even in 2017, an important part of the Liberian population is still waiting for basic telecom services. We will invest significantly in network rollout across the entire country, develop e-recharge in order to ease the constraints of scratch-cards loading, launch Orange Money, a new robust platform to boost mobile banking services in the country. We will as well introduce new highly competitive offers and low-cost Smartphones in order to boost digital inclusion. We intend to position Orange Liberia by 2020 as a true catalyst for the digitisation of Liberian society.

Orange is present in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East, where it has more than 120 million customers. With 5.2 billion euros in revenues in 2016 (12% of the total), this region is a strategic priority for the Group. Orange Money, its flagship offer for money transfers and mobile financial services, is currently available in 17 countries and has more than 31 million customers. The Groups strategy in Africa and the Middle East is to position itself as a leader of the digital transformation and to bring its international expertise to support the development of new digital services.
Safrea's first-ever freelance media trends and income report, launched earlier this year, highlighted the prevalence of this growing way of work in SA. I spoke to Safrea chair Laura Rawden about the benefit of belonging to a professional body like this as the world of work continues to evolve across the continent.

Laura Rawden, Safrea chair.

Talking through key findings of the first ever Safrea report, Rawden said this was the first research into the South African freelance market, and their first research was focused on the media freelance market and other creative industries.

They took a look at a number of different parameters, demographics and race.

Painting a picture of freelancing in South Africa

Interestingly, there were a number of misconceptions about the industry. They found that we have a group of highly skilled, experienced workers, which goes against some of the stereotypes of freelancers as young people on the beach. Nor is it a case of mommy bloggers moonlighting on the side. These are very talented individuals. The majority  78%  are female. Theres also a fair geographic spread across the country, significantly in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The biggest misconception or problem though, lies in earnings. Rawden explains, The average earning of a freelancer in South Africa just doesnt match up even to the baseline wage of the average worker in the country. Freelancers are earning in the vicinity of R10k a month, whereas for the average South African employee it is at just over R18k.

The report draws attention not only to this robust, skilled market but also a diversion from how theyre compensated, and trying to raise awareness about that while also highlighting the next step of encouraging fairer pay for freelancers.

On Safrea itself and how it works, Rawden says its a members organisation meaning they offer paid membership and their number one mission is to advocate for the media freelancer. This is done by supporting them through tax and legal issues, as well as business administrative-type organisation like how to invoice and negotiate contracts, while also providing training, skills building and networking. Thats important as freelancers tend to work from home and not see any colleagues, so Safrea provides that much-needed community.

Blurring borders: The African media freelancer

On how freelancing in South Africa differs from the rest of the continent, Rawden said as they conduct more research, they get more hard data. Much of this is circumstantial and built on anecdotal evidence from Safreas members, but overall, the picture is not very different, particularly if you look at the creative and arts industries and journalism in particular.

Safrea has built a number of partnerships with other African organisations like their own to support the growing freelance industry. Across the board internationally, the media industry just doesnt have the resources it used to have. This means more and more people are moving into freelance.

Image supplied. Image supplied. Image supplied.

As an example of this, Rawden mentions theyve joined forces with the Association of Freelance Journalists in Kenya or AFJK, as the Alliance of African Media Associations (AAMA) in August 2016. That was the first step in building an umbrella organisation that represents media professionals in Africa and building their skills while recognising and supporting their rights in general  a big issue across the continent.

Theres been a definite pick-up in members of Safrea from outside of South Africa, with diverse membership of all walks of life both across age groups in the country as well as on the rest of the continent, particularly within Kenyan and French-speaking African countries joining.

On the benefit of boosting the freelance economy across the continent and getting understanding out there that it is a worthy way of work that deserves equal compensation, Rawden lists being prepared for the future of work. We do still have this 9-to-5, office-based work environment, but that is changing. To be able to have a robust organisation like Safrea, already focusing on strengthening the freelance careers, can only protect us as the economy changes.

Rawden says, Were going to see jobs change. More flexibility, more working from home, more freelancers. Safrea is preparing people for that shift, both employers and employees.

If any professional organisation or professional in the media industry is interested, make contact as Safrea is always open for partnerships and to collaborate and build a stronger African market. Follow Safrea on Twitter and visit Safreas press office for the latest updates.
The Broll Retail Snapshot for Q1: 2017 indicates that while December was unsurprisingly the best month for retailers compared to November and January, consumers have become more cautious on spending.

Michal Bednarek via 123RF

Certain retail categories, such as eyewear and optometrists perform better in January. Black Friday and Back to School specials do not appear to be having an impact on the market, when compared to Decembers festive trade, although slight differences were evident in November 2016, for certain retail categories.

Black Friday has been growing in popularity and perhaps when more retailers take part in this one-day promotion, more significant changes may become evident in the near future, explains Elaine Wilson, divisional director: research for Broll Property Group.

According to the report, the best performing tenants in December were those in the accessories, jewellery and watches category, although performance has been declining over the last three years, likely due to consumers being under pressure. This was followed by the food and electronics categories. Sportswear and outdoor tenants have been recording notable increasing trading densities in December over the last three years, an indication of fitness becoming more predominant in the market, as is evident by the increased number of fitness facilities and events over recent years.

Across the country

High ticket items still remain popular, as consumers rely on their December bonuses to spoil reward themselves, says Jill Turnbull, divisional director for property management.

In the Eastern Cape, the groups retail portfolio executive Nigel Hale says although December was the best performing month in rand turnover value, November was one of the best growth months for 2016 for various tenants. December in Port Elizabeth always sees a benefit of the extra out-of-town visitors, along with the holiday season which increases tenant performance, usually to double the average turnover per month compared to the rest of the year. Black Friday provided a month-end boost to many tenants, but maybe not to the level that was anticipated.

In KwaZulu-Natal, retail categories that performed well in December include apparel, electronics, food services, health and beauty, homeware, furniture and interior, speciality, services as well as sportswear and outdoor. Some malls increased sales on 16 December, at the same time saw an increase in footfall and monthly achieved turnover, explains Theresa Terblanche: group director for property management for coastal region (SA) and Mauritius.

It would appear that Black Friday in November 2016 affected the trading performance in food as well as health and beauty, as in these categories, marginal growth showed when compared to November and December turnover data. Electronics and homeware, furniture and interior categories decreased moderately when comparing December to January trading performance.

KwaZulu-Natal retail sales for sportswear and outdoor as well as homeware, furniture and interior increased over December, attributable to the festive season and possible remodelling of home. Tenants selling second-hand goods also showed notable growth in sales and turnover in December.
The VIMN Africa Thought Leadership Breakfast on Wednesday, 17 May featured a keynote address by Christian Kurz, senior vice president, global insights for Viacom International Media Networks. Unpacking the media company's latest global study, he uncovered some game-changing new trends amongst kids, youth and adults disrupting how you market to them.

The insights he shared on Generation X (Gen X) were particularly interesting, perhaps because not only is this generation not often talked about in the media, but when it is, its usually misrepresented as what was the rebellious, slacker youth generation many years ago.

Who are Gen Xers?

Gen X is the demographic cohort sandwiched between the baby boomers on the older end and millennials (or Gen Y) on the younger end. They were born somewhere between the early 60s and 80s, but for the purpose of this study, we're referring to 30-49 year olds, and the online population in particular.

As they were coming of age, the global landscape was in turmoil  with the fall of dictatorships, the rise of the middle class in Latin America, the Fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, the end of Apartheid, the financial crisis, boom-and-bust cycles, and the internet was just becoming a thing.

These happenings in the world at the time very much shaped who they are today, and as far as the internet goes, Gen X really led the way. "Gen Xers founded a lot of those media or tech or social companies; from Wikipedia, to Google, to Myspace, to Tesla, to Skype. Theyre now being used by everybody, but they were invented by Gen Xers to address very specific issues and solve problems they identified with, and so Gen Xers are very adept at using them.

The term Gen X

Whats interesting is that the term Gen X wasnt even coined until about 30 years after the generation was born. It was the first generational name, coined by Douglas Coupland in his book Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture.

Kurz says the book focuses on three characters who are quitting their jobs in their search for meaning in life or to find a higher aspirational thing. "They want to mean something to the world and not just work at McDonalds. Thats really where this whole thing is coming from, and this is really what formed that rebellious, slacker youth generation that it was perceived as.

Whats interesting is that the rebellion that was inherent in Gen Xers has matured into independence  fierce independence. Theyre very confident at making decisions, said Kurz, and 96% of South Africans representing the study describe themselves as confident, compared to 91% globally.

And its this independence that allows them to be who they are. This whole idea that I dont care what other people think, I need to be me, and I need you to be okay with that is really coming from there.

It also allows them to have the social change theyre driving and living for, really.

In part 2, we report the findings of the study for a refresher on this once misunderstood generation and the outdated perceptions from when they were last looked at many years ago.

Heres a 10-minute documentary of what Gen Xers have to say about their lives  their relationships, careers and interests.





Gen X Today: My life. My way. (Short Documentary) from Viacom Global Insights on Vimeo.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and his department are on a collision course with Cosatu over the National Health Insurance (NHI), ahead of the governing ANC's critical national policy conference in July.

While the department sees a role for the private sector in the implementation of the NHI, which aims to introduce a single fund that purchases healthcare services for all South Africans that are free at the point of delivery, Cosatu is adamant the private sector should be excluded.

Cosatu, with 1.8m members, is SA's biggest labour group and a member of the governing alliance. It recently used its political muscle to force the government into delaying its plans for provident fund reforms and won concessions on the national minimum wage.

The public sector lacked the infrastructure, technical capacity and administrative flexibility to implement the NHI in one fell swoop, health director-general Precious Matsoso said.

Cosatu is pushing for a big bang approach to implementing a single NHI fund, in which there is no space for other funding mechanisms, such as medical schemes.

"The 'single payer, single fund' may be the ideal, but the conversation is what will happen tomorrow". You don't wake up one day and have a fund," Matsoso said.

"It would be sad in this country if we just look at unorthodox options and pursue those, and that ends up undermining the very basis of achieving universal health coverage.

"I can assure you, we will end up with unintended consequences," she said.

Matsoso has held a series of meetings with various stakeholders including doctors, pharmacists, medical schemes, private hospitals groups and medical scheme administrators to discuss what role they may play in implementing the NHI.

She declined to comment on the details of the revised white paper, expected to be presented by the minister to the Cabinet in coming weeks.

Cosatu spokesman Sizwe Pamla said the minister and his department were going rogue on the ANC's policy on the NHI, watering it down to enable the continuation of the two-tier system, in which poor people relied on the inadequate state sector and wealthier people retained access to better care in the private sector. The government was betraying voters who were promised a single payer NHIin the ANC's 2014 election manifesto, he said.

"What we are starting to see worries us " government is changing its tune. If the [ANC policy] conference thinks the health department is on the right path, there [will be] a clear break for us," Pamla said.

The issue would be discussed at Cosatu's central committee meeting, from May 29 to June 1. Cosatu was opposed to public-private partnerships for the delivery of health services, as the private sector's profit motives would always be placed above patients' needs, he said.
UK-based Employee Engagement Awards have announced that it has licensed its award system to South African-based executive leadership advisory company Landelahni, led by Sandra Burmeister. This is its first foray into Africa, currently being present in Europe, North America and Australasia.

CEO and founder, Matt Manners established the EE Awards in the UK mid 2014, to shine a light on the being done in engagement, whilst communicating to the boardroom the value it can deliver to employees and communities, as well as the bottom line.

The business has evolved from purely recognition with Awards to education via best practice case studies and thought-leadership at its conferences around the world. These best practices will be shared online via the website www.ee-awards.com from June 2017.

The EE Awards has worked with and seen finalists from companies such as BMW, Boeing, Cisco, Direct Line, Expedia, Ford, IBM, KPMG, Lloyds Bank, MasterCard, MetLife, Microsoft, PwC, Ralph Lauren, Slack, Visa, Virgin and more.

African engagement

Manners stated, Today is a landmark for The EE Awards. As we approach our third year anniversary, we have signed our first license agreement to launch on our fourth continent. This is an agreement that will take us to a part of the world where employee engagement can have an impact on the lives of workers.

Landelahnis vision for the African EE Awards is inspiring and focused on delivering human impact through good practice in engagement, within all types of employers across the continent. The EE Awards model of recognition and education is based on local experiences and culturally relevant practices. We will be working closely with them to make year one a great success.

Tricia Sibbons, COO, The African EE Awards, commented, We are delighted to be joining the global EE Awards family, which has established a practice and presence in the employee engagement sector. As we celebrate Africa Month here, we are confident that bringing African voices to this work will deepen engagement practice across the globe.

To register interest in The 2017 African EE Awards & Conference in Johannesburg, go to www.ee-awards.com, ahead of the official opening of the African site in early June.
The African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science (ACEPS) was officially launched at the University of Johannesburg on Friday, 19 May 2017.

ACEPS, which is housed in the Department of Philosophy within the Faculty of Humanities, aims to foster intra-African and global conversation in the areas of Epistemology and Philosophy of Science by bringing African insights, questions and values into meaningful conversation with other philosophical traditions.

Speaking at the opening, Prof Alex Broadbent, the executive dean of the Faculty of Humanities, said that critical thinking about the nature of knowledge, and the way Africa participates in science, is an essential part of the project of decolonisation.

Much of the African continent has a difficult relationship with knowledge, and the power it yields and its sharing or deliberate withholding. Prof Broadbent pointed out that "to improve this relationship is to afford greater recognition to knowledge generated locally and to set about generating more of it. This was one of the themes of the recent calls for the decolonisation of knowledge.

He stressed that if the decolonisation of knowledge is to be successful, it needs to be driven by critical thinking about the nature of knowledge and related concepts like justification, evidence, method and explanation. A related difficulty accompanies the recognition of local knowledge. You cant simply decide to treat what somebody says as knowledge on the basis of where they live or what their name is, said Prof Broadbent. Phrases like 'knowledge production' can conceal the fact that knowledge answers to something beyond itself and beyond us. To produce knowledge is to find out about something, and this means to risk being wrong about it.

He went on to describe the uniqueness of the centre: ACEPS is not a centre of cultural studies. It is an African centre of Epistemology and Philosophy of Science. We do not speak of studying African philosophy, as one might study cave paintings in the Drakensberg. We speak of doing African philosophy, engaging in a practice that is as alive and as changing as any other academic discipline  probably more dynamic, at present, than the traditions of the Global North. ACEPS pursues its research projects with an African conscience, through encouraging work that is distinctly African in nature and salient to African challenges and concerns.

ACEPS work will be centred on three umbrella projects: Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Health and Medicine in Africa; and Rationality and Power.

Prof Broadbent concluded: The role of an African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, in this time and place, is to champion critical decolonisation, both against reactionary opposition to decolonisation, and against the temptations of dropping our critical guard.

The Centre was founded in 2016 by co-directors Professor Alex Broadbent and Professor Veli Mitova, and includes research projects led by Dr Mongane Wally Serote, Chad Harris. Likhwa Ncube, Zinhle Mncube, and Dr Ben Smart.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the first batch of students to graduate from the University of Mpumalanga to be innovative and to create new opportunities for inclusive development.

You must innovate, contribute and create new opportunities for inclusive and sustainable development. This is the responsibility you bear as a graduate of the University of Mpumalanga, said Deputy President Ramaphosa.

The Deputy President was addressing the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of students who registered at the new University of Mpumalanga (UMP) in 2014.

In his capacity as the first Chancellor of UPM having been installed in April 2016, Deputy President Ramaphosa said the graduates carry the hopes and aspirations of many who came before them and that education is an asset that is not to be taken for granted.

So with this graduation, you are given the key to open the doors of opportunity, not only for yourselves, but also for others. In a country that has suffered centuries of oppression, with widespread poverty, inequality and unemployment, an educated person is a national asset, he said at the ceremony held at Engwenyama Conference and Sport Resort in White River on Saturday.

The university conferred about 203 qualifications in the fields including hospitality and agriculture among others to which Deputy President Ramaphosa said that obtaining a higher qualification is no easy feat.

Obtaining a higher education qualification is no easy feat. Not only does it require academic ability and a firm commitment to ones studies. It also requires the will and determination to overcome the social and economic barriers of a society that is slowly emerging from a past of deprivation and dispossession.

He said those who were graduating did not come from a privileged background.

They are the offspring of those who have toiled, who have struggled and who have sacrificed much to build a better future for their children. Today, we celebrate not only those who have earned their degrees and diplomas, but also those who have made this possible  their parents, their families and their communities.

A graduation is not only a moment for celebrating achievement. It is as much a moment to pause, think and reflect on the future. Much as it is a time to ululate and blow horns, it is also an opportunity for new beginnings. It is an opportunity to reflect with honesty and with humility on the responsibilities an education confers.

He told those who were graduating that they should use the knowledge they have obtained in university to not only benefit themselves or their families but to share it with communities.
South Africa's National Energy Regulator (Nersa) is soon to decide if the country's power utility, Eskom, should be granted an exemption from a long list of regulatory reporting requirements when it submits a new tariff application next month.

The reporting requirements centre around thousands of detailed cost and sales items making up Eskoms financial and regulatory accounts - information thats meant to be used by the regulator to determine electricity tariffs. Some of the reporting requirements date back to 2008 and are general to the regulated energy sector. Other information requirements were only recently put into place on the back of concerns that tariff hikes were being made without full disclosure.

Eskom has asked the regulator to waive some of the requirements for its 2018/19 tariff application. It argues that its internal reporting systems arent tailored to the format required by the regulator, and that they need to be revised. But that will take time, and Eskoms only chance for lodging a tariff application is for Nersa to provide it with the exemption.

In years past this would have gone unnoticed. For better or worse, these types of exemptions are often granted to public enterprises. But with legal challenges to regulatory decisions growing in frequency in South Africa, regulators are gradually understanding that the administrative actions they take could be subject to judicial review.

This puts the regulator in a difficult situation. Tariffs need to be set for next year, and time is running out given the lengthy processes involved. But if it allows Eskom to cut corners, it may find itself back in court arguing the legality of its decision.

In the balance

A great deal hangs on a case currently before the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The court is to review an August 2016 High Court ruling that found the energy regulator had acted in an irrational and unlawful way in deciding Eskoms tariffs. The courts ruling was in part based on the fact that Eskom had not complied with certain reporting requirements.

If the High Courts decision is overturned on appeal and Nersas decision making process found lawful, Eskoms request to forgo reporting requirements might become a moot point. The regulator would be likely to adopt a pragmatic approach and grant Eskom its wish by standing down some of the reporting requirements.

But if the High Courts judgement is upheld, Nersa, and other South African regulators, will have to pay greater attention to the regulatory rules they have crafted.

This would be a positive step forward. But it does put Nersa in a difficult predicament in deciding whether to condone Eskoms application to forego certain reporting requirements.

Between a rock and a hard place

Waiving existing reporting requirements would amount to an admission that they are impractical to administer, or that they werent needed in the first place. That might be difficult for the regulator to swallow given that the reporting requirements are the outcome of years of work.

But more importantly, in applying the regulatory methodology, Nersa is to assess the request to waive information requirements against a range of complex factors such as the impact on business sustainability, tariff stability, efficiency incentives, and the tariff making process.

The regulatory rules also call on Nersa to consider prejudice suffered by Eskom, the public and the economy in waiving the requirements.

On previous occasions it may have been sufficient for the regulator to note that it had considered all these issues, and then move on with its decision. But this too was a point highlighted by the High Court last August in which Nersa was found to have given insufficient attention to similar criteria when making a tariff decision.

And while Eskoms application covers slightly less than five pages, it cites relevant documents dating back to 2008, covering hundreds of pages of technical material that would also presumably need to be considered. By any standard, this suggests a considerable amount of time and effort to properly support a determination in Eskoms favour. Anything less would seem destined for the courts.

On the other hand, if the regulator stands by its reporting requirements, Eskom will have to run the gauntlet in submitting its next tariff application. Having just listed some 17 reporting areas that its unable to provide to the regulator puts Eskom in an unenviable position, to say the least.

In hindsight, perhaps Eskom should have challenged the reporting requirements through the courts early on. It may now be too late for this. As things stand, Eskoms tariff application will almost certainly be dead on arrival.

What are the implications?

If Eskoms tariff application is stalled the best guess is that regulated tariffs would remain at current levels  at least through 2018/19.

With flat electricity sales volumes, increasing costs, and no increase in tariffs in sight, the financial implications must be of concern to Eskom.

Against this background, recent comments by Lynne Brown, the Minister for Public Enterprise, were surprisingly optimistic. Her view (as reported) is that credit rating agencies wont be able to fault Eskoms financial stability as they engage in another series of rating reviews.

But with no tariff increases in sight, Eskoms financial stability will rest on its ability to reduce costs. This wont be easy to achieve.

Minister Browns second surprising insight was that Eskom had assured her that it would reduce its reliance on state guarantees by R100bn within the next five years.

The hard reality is that Eskom may require additional financial support if its going to last long enough for South Africans to find out.
LAGOS, Nigeria: Strategies for achieving improved broadband access across the African continent were discussed by experts at the International Telecoms Week conference in Chicago, recently. They highlighted the need to accelerate investment in Africa to facilitate the continent's broadband data explosion.

(L-R): Nic Rudnick, CEO, Liquid Telecoms; Uche Ofodile, Regional Head, Africa Express Wi-Fi, Facebook; Artur Mendes, CCO, Angola Cables; Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne; Chris Wood, CEO, WIOCC and Chris George, Strategic Initiatives, Google, at the 2017 International Telecoms Week, held in Chicago, this past week.

Based on the theme Achieving A Connected Continent: Leading The Data Explosion Across Africa, the expert panel session with participation from Google, Facebook, WIOCC, Liquid Telecom and Angola Cables, discussed strategies for achieving improved broadband access across the continent. The session reviewed the state of broadband infrastructure and data traffic trajectories in different countries on the continent and made comparisons to other markets globally.

This included areas in which investments had been made, such as submarine cables, data centres, and access networks including 3G4G and FTTH networks, as some of the elements that have accelerated the growth in data traffic on the continent.

The consensus was that the data explosion will need to be driven by further investment in local networks to reach more end users rather than new submarine cables. The session revealed that while most African submarine cable systems had the capability to deliver 100 GBPS wavelengths, Africa has not utilised near enough capacity to saturate those systems. According to the panelists, for broadband to become more pervasive, there is need for continued investment and innovative business models to aid the rapid deployment of Access networks across the continent.

Regulatory environments

Facebooks regional head, Africa for Express Wifi, Uche Ofodile, shared the companys experiences working with carriers to jointly make infrastructure investments. He highlighted its initiatives in Uganda, where it is working with Airtel to deploy fibre backhaul, but noted that demand and favourable regulatory environments informed their decisions to invest.

The need to go beyond mobile infrastructure was also highlighted by the CEO of Liquid Telecom, Nic Rudnick, whose company just completed its acquisition of South African operator, Neotel for $429million.

As consumers in Africa start to use the internet for content, TV and on-demand services, mobile will have its limitations, not just in terms of technology, but also in price. We need to look at other technologies to achieve cost effectiveness.

The panelists assessment of data centre growth in Africa also indicated that uptake is not as rapid as experienced in other parts of the world and that most of the content consumed in Africa is hosted in Europe.

Data centre operators, MainOne and Liquid shared their experience that initial demand on the continent has been driven by enterprises and financial institutions, as against other geographies where OTT players are the biggest data centre players.

We do not see any of these OTTs hosting their services from Africa. We are not seeing meaningful investments coming into Africa (from OTT players) and with the sizeable population of the continent, we need to see them play a larger role in the African ecosystem, the panel concluded.

For the sixth year in a row, MainOne raised Africas profile as a target for broadband investment at the recently concluded global telecoms conference, International Telecoms Week in Chicago, USA, where it hosted an over-subscribed Africa Panel Session.

The session which was a gathering of major international and African carriers, data centre operators, mobile network operators and content distribution companies, provided a platform for players to share perspectives on the opportunities and challenges across the region with a global audience. The discussions also focused on infrastructure challenges as well as regulatory and economic constraints that impede faster proliferation of broadband access across the continent.
In recent days, with the slight increase in global oil prices, domestic fuel prices have risen again because they have not yet purchased as much oil...
At one of the commemorative events, staged by the Shan State Progressive Party, around 1,000 people, including members of the ethnic armed group, marched in a parade at the headquarters in Wan Hai.

General Say Htin, patron of the SSPP/SSA, asked for the publics patience and cooperation.

We are still standing by the public and bearing arms to protect them. We will continue to march forward together through thick and thin. There may be conflicts, but we need to be patient with each other in order to support our unity and strength, he said. The day the public and the army become separated is the day the army disintegrates.

At another event in Loi Tai Leng held by the Restoration Council of Shan State, Lieutenant General Yawd Serk pledged to uphold peace, and addressed reports of civilians being arrested.

The RCSS/SSA has continued to preserve peace as it is one of the signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government. As we are a lawful organization, I urge you to immediately report to the nearest RCSS liaison office if any local residents have been detained, he said.

At the Loi Tai Leng event, Daw Nan Lu, wife of Shan revolutionary Sao Noi, delivered a speech to a crowd of around 3,000. Certificates of honor were presented to families of deceased soldiers, and memorial wreaths were placed at a martyrs mausoleum.

Shan Revolution Day is commemorated every year to mark the Shan resistance launched by Sao Noi in 1958.

Translated by Thida Linn

Edited by Laignee Barron
How Being Overweight Cause Colon Cancer Risk Diet Fitness ians-Lekhaka

Is your son overweight? Beware, he may be at an increased greater risk of developing colon (bowel) cancer in adulthood as compared to his slimmer friends, researchers have warned.

A cancer of the colon or rectum, located at the digestive tract's lower end is the third most common cancer in the world.

The results showed that boys who were overweight (BMI greater than 17.88 kg/m2) at age 7 years but normal weight (BMI under 25.0 kg/m2) as young men had similar risk of adult colon cancer as those who maintained a stable, healthy weight throughout.

In contrast, overweight boys who remained overweight as young men had twice the colon cancer risk.

"Overweight boys that lose weight and achieve a normal-weight status by young adulthood do not carry an increased risk of adult colon cancer compared with boys who remain normal-weight as young men," said Britt Wang Jensen from Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, in Denmark.

"However, overweight boys who remain overweight as young men have an increased risk of adult colon cancer. These results highlight the importance of weight management in childhood," Jensen added.

The study was presented at European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Portugal.

For the study, the team analysed the health records of over 61,000 Danish school boys born between 1939 and 1959, to examine how changes in BMI in childhood and young adulthood are associated with colon cancer risk in adulthood.

These young men were then followed from the age of 40 years to identify cases of colon cancer.

"Our next steps are to expand our focus and examine other forms of cancer along with other non-communicable diseases to study how a man's weight development across his life, even from birth, is associated with his risk of disease," Jensen noted.

With Inputs From IANS

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Story first published: Saturday, May 20, 2017, 12:06 [IST]




NEW DELHI (PTI): The defence ministry on Saturday broadly finalised a much-awaited policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.



Seen as a major initiative, the 'strategic partnership (SP) model' aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through involvement of both the major Indian corporates as well as the MSME sector.



A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the top decision making body of the Defence Ministry, gave the go-ahead to the SP model after deliberating on it for the second time this week.



The finer details of the new model is yet to be finalised.



"Breaking new ground, the DAC under the chairmanship of Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, on Saturday finalised the broad contours of a policy aimed at engaging the Indian private sector in the manufacture of high-tech defence equipment in India," the defence ministry said in a statement.



Initially, the policy is expected to be implemented for manufacturing fighter aircraft, submarines and armoured vehicles. It is expected to be expanded to other segments at a later stage.



The policy is likely to be examined by the finance ministry before being considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security.



The Defence Ministry said the policy envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian defence majors through a transparent and competitive process wherein they would tie up with global OEMs to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.



"The policy will give a boost to the 'Make in India' policy in the defence sector and set Indian industry on the path to acquiring cutting-edge capabilities which will contribute to building of self-reliance in the vital sector," the ministry said.



Referring to sectors identified to implement the policy, it said additional segments may be added in future.



"Appropriate institutional mechanisms will be set in place to implement the policy," the minister said.



Last week, Jaitley had a meeting on the SP model with representatives of defence arms of leading groups including Larsen and Toubro, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra and Mahindra, Reliance Infra, Tata Group, Punj Lloyd, Adani Group and Bharat Forge Ltd.



At that meeting, some industry representatives had favoured a level playing field and expanding the industry base by allowing entry of new players.



It was learnt that some officials had also raised concern about possible "judicial intervention and federal audit" in case of award of successive orders to one 'strategic partner'.



The SP model was proposed by the Dhirendra Singh Committee in July, 2015. It had said that for the 'Make in India' initiative to become wider in the defence sector, the government should adopt a strategic partnership model, whereby a private firm is chosen for the development of a specific identified platform.



Last year, the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that the policy on SP model would be unveiled soon.




A file photo.

NEW DELHI (PTI): India's armed forces must fight the next war with indigenous solutions, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said on Monday as he made a strong pitch for developing the domestic defence industry.



The army chief also called for greater synergy between industry and the armed forces to develop quality equipment and military platforms.



"Indian armed forces must fight the next war with indigenous solutions," he said while addressing a seminar organised jointly by the army and the Indian Technical Textile Association.



Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani told the gathering that the National Textile Corporation will have a specialised facility to develop clothes and other gear for the armed forces.



"There must be effective engagement between the armed forces and the industry," the army chief added.



He also referred to combat dress and boots being supplied to the US Army by the Indian private sector and said there was a lot of scope for cooperation between the army and the domestic textile industry for developing dress material and other gear for the forces.



"There is huge budget with the Army that has been spent on textiles. It is high time that we look for indigenous solutions," he said.



His comments come two days after the defence ministry broadly finalised a much-awaited policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.



India is a leading importer of arms and military platforms globally and the current government has been maintaining that indigenisation of defence manufacturing is a priority area.



Rawat said discussions at the seminar must not be confined to files and official papers and practical steps must be taken to boost cooperation between the armed forces and the textile industry.



Irani said there must be cohesive alignment of cooperation between the textile industry and the armed forces.


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Tesco are creating another 85 jobs in Dublin thanks to the opening of its 149th store.

The store is opening at the Airside Retail Park in Swords, Co Dublin with 70 of the new workers coming from the local area, including 42 from Swords.
Planning has been granted for two new solar farms in Cork, writes Padraig Hoare of the Irish Examiner.

Cork County Council has given the green light to Amarenco Solar for 5MW solar farms in Beal na Blath and Ballinvarrig.

It would take the company up to 10 plants with total capacity of 50MW with full planning approval in Cork and Waterford.

Amarenco claim the solar plants will be on lands that will "help farmers increase and diversify income by providing a stable source of revenue and ensuring the viability of agriculture for decades to come". Sheep will also be farmed on the all solar farm lands.

If no objections are made to state-planning authority An Bord Pleanala, Amarenco will employ 40 during the construction of the two solar farms.

CEO of Amarenco and one of Cork's besk-known business figures, John Mullins said: "These application approvals by Cork County Council is very welcome news and is part of a significant number of applications being prepared by Amarenco Solar for Ireland. We are strongly committed to solar energy in Ireland."

He called for a bigger commitment from the Government towards solar energy.

"The Government needs to recognise the importance of solar and follow the lead of all other EU countries and publish solar PV tariffs sooner rather than later. To date, Ireland is the only country in the EU that does not have a policy towards solar, the fastest growing source of electricity in the world," Mr Mullins said.

He added the construction of the solar farms would "boost the Irish economy through the generation of employment, benefit the agricultural sector and create a significant new source of renewable energy".
Update 23/05/2017 Iris Innocent has been located safe and well.

Earlier: Gardai in Balbriggan are asking for help in finding a 14-year-old girl missing since Saturday morning.

Officers say Iris Innocent was last seen in Balbriggan on the morning of Saturday, May 20.

She is described as being five foot four inches tall of thin build, with black hair, brown eyes and wears black glasses.

Anyone who has seen Iris or who can help in finding her is asked to contact Balbriggan Garda Station on 01-8020510, The Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
A Dublin man will bring an appeal against the severity of his seven-year sentence for killing his partner's son in October.

David Mahon (aged 46) was found guilty of killing Dean Fitzpatrick (aged 23), the older brother of missing teenager Amy, on May 26, 2013.

Dean Fitzpatrick received a stab wound to the abdomen outside the apartment his mother, Audrey Fitzpatrick, shared with David Mahon at Burnell Square, Northern Cross, on the Malahide Road in Dublin.

The two-week trial heard that Mahon had been in a relationship with Audrey Fitzpatrick for 12 years by the time her son died.

The State had argued that Mahon was drunk, angry and agitated when he thrust a knife into his stepson with deadly intent. Mahon claimed his death was an accident or possible suicide and that Mr Fitzpatrick had walked into the knife while they had been arguing.

Mahon was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a jury at the Central Criminal Court. He had pleaded not guilty.

Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on June 13, 2016.

In the Court of Appeal today, Mr Justice George Birmingham fixed October 23 next as the date for Mahon's appeal against sentence.

Mahon was not in court for the case management matter.

At an earlier case management sitting, Mahon, who was represented by Tony Collier Solicitors and two counsel at trial, was granted legal aid for his appeal. The application was uncontested. He had been on legal aid at trial.

Mahon and Audrey Fitzpatrick had moved to Spains Costa del Sol with her children, Dean and Amy, in 2004. Mr Mahon worked as an estate agent. He told gardai that they were millionaires, with eight or nine houses and bars, but that they had spent it all looking for Amy.

The teenager went missing without trace on New Years night 2008 as she walked home from a friends house along an unlit dirt track. Despite extensive searches, she has never been found.

Dean Fitzpatrick was 17 when his sister vanished. He moved home to Dublin soon after turning 18 and lived with his father, Christopher Fitzpatrick. He met his partner, Sarah ORourke, in 2010. They had a son together and lived in Lusk in the north of the county.
A decision of the Garda Commissioner that a garda should be sacked if he did not resign for breaches of discipline including an allegation of sexual impropriety has been quashed by the High Court, writes Ann O'Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Cork-based Garda Colm O'Flaherty today won his High Court challenge against the Commissioners decision of 2014 that he resign or face being dismissed after Garda O'Flaherty made certain admissions before a garda Board of Inquiry into alleged breaches of discipline.

Garda O'Flaherty, who denied the allegations, had claimed he had entered into an arrangement with a Garda Superintendent that if he made certain admissions he would get a monetary fine only.

However, following his admission the Garda Commissioner had substituted the fine and had instead said Garda O'Flaherty must resign or face being dismissed from the Force.

Garda OFlaherty challenged the decision of the Commissioner and brought High Court proceedings aimed at overturning that decision. The Commissioner had opposed the action.

Mr Justice Michael Moriarty held the punishment of resign or face dismissal imposed on Garda OFlaherty, of Togher Garda Station, Cork, should be quashed and remitted to the Garda Commissioner for due consideration of an appropriate sanction.

Garda O'Flaherty was accused of breaches of discipline including that he had inappropriate sexual relationship with a female, that he had harassed her by telephone and had demanded sexual acts from that person on the threat of issuing summons and taking other legal action.

It was also claimed he had assessed PULSE records in relation to a person who did not form part of his duties.

The Garda was investigated in respect to those allegations by GSOC more than seven years ago and had been suspended from duty. However, the DPP had directed that no criminal prosecution be brought against him.

However, GSOC later furnished a report to the Garda Commissioner recommending disciplinary action against Garda O'Flaherty. In 2013 a three-man Garda Board of Inquiry was set up to conduct the investigation.

Garda O'Flaherty claimed that following negotiations he entered into an agreement in relation to the allegations with a Garda Superintendent, who had been a member of the inquiry board.

Garda OFlaherty claimed that under that agreement he entered guilty pleas to the breaches of discipline alleged against him.

The guilty pleas had been tendered in the specific circumstances where it was understood the Superintendent overseeing the agreement had contacted Garda Headquarters and obtained assurances, he claimed.

The Superintendent, it was claimed, had assured Garda OFlahertys solicitor that he had it guaranteed from the top that in the event of the guilty pleas there would be only a monetary penalty.

However, the Garda Commissioner then determined the penalty for the breaches of discipline should be that Garda OFlaherty resign from An Garda Siochana in lieu of dismissal.

In the event of his failure to resign Garda O'Flaherty would be dismissed, the Commissioner directed.

Garda O'Flaherty's action was opposed by the Commissioner who denied the claims and contended the decision should be left undisturbed.

In his judgment Mr Justice Moriarty said "courts should not lightly or capriciously intervene in Garda disciplinary matters".

There is a clear public interest in seeking to ensure that complaints against individual Garda members are investigated and ruled upon in a fair professional and prompt manner, the Judge said.

However, based on factual findings in what the judge said was "a troubling case" Garda O'Flaherty had successfully grounded his claim.

This, the Judge said, was due to the Garda Commissioner's failure to respect the Garda's legitimate expectations that his admissions would result in a monetary sanction.

In the circumstances, the Judge said he was quashing the Commissioner's decision and remitted the matter back to the Garda Commissioner for due consideration in light of all that has transpired.
There is two weeks to go in the battle to become Ireland's next Taoiseach.

It will become clear later the main differences between the two contenders for the leadership of Fine Gael.
A man being questioned over homophobic graffiti on one of Dublin's best-known gay bars is due in court this morning.

The man in his 20s was arrested after a swastika and derogatory language appeared on the walls of The George on Saturday morning.
President Michael D Higgins and Pope Francis have urged world leaders to recognise the need for new and effective responses to global challenges.

The two heads of state met in the Vatican where they discussed migration, climate change, sustainable development, the failure to prevent ever increasing threats of conflict and poverty.

They also talked about the need to achieve social cohesion, values of solidarity and global responsibility in Brexit negotiations, the President's office said.

A spokesman said the issues were of mutual concern to both Mr Higgins and the pontiff.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is to join US President Donald Trump and newly-elected French president Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan at the G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily this week.

The pope and Mr Higgins urged them to recognise the sense of urgency on global issues.

They called on them to see the need "to craft new and effective responses to global challenges".

"In particular, they agreed on the need to turn commitments on which the public had placed their trust into outcomes and action," a statement from the President's office said.

Since being elected in 2011 Mr Higgins has quoted the pope on a number of occasions and also referred to the "the globalisation of indifference", a phrase used by the pontiff about the handling of the migrant and refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.

Mr Higgins' spokesman said the two men also discussed their shared conviction that new connections between ethics, economy and ecology must be at the core of all work of social and intellectual reconstruction in this new century.

He said they also agreed there can be no resolution to global issues world without an engaged alternative to "the globalisation of indifference".

Later, in a speech at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, President Higgins said he had discussed Brexit with the Pope and he said it was important for people to face up to the difficulties it poses.

"As with the great task of building peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, there are those who will say that the challenges currently facing Europe are too deep and complex to solve," Mr Higgins said.

"And, as with Northern Ireland, it is important that we do not evade difficulties, that we face them in a spirit of truth and honesty, while keeping our eyes firmly set on the ideal and the greater human values guiding our actions."

President Higgins said he and the Pope also discussed the "urgent and wider task of building new paths of hope and renewal for European citizens".

He paid tribute to the Pope and said he has been an "indispensable voice of humanity and clarity".

"Pope Francis is a man who touches us all by his unique courage in identifying the crippling contradictions of our age and the need to engage with the assumptions that sustain them," he said.

"He does this with words that are infused with both humility and passion.

"He has been, since his elevation, a compelling voice tirelessly awakening us to the web of interdependencies that weaves humanity together, as well as weaving us all, humans and non-humans, to our shared and fragile planet."

President Higgins added: "He has journeyed to places of discord, where he has sought to sow the seeds of peace.

"He has been a voice for those most vulnerable - calling for housing for the homeless, land for the landless and the native peoples, dignified employment for those excluded from the labour market, and the fundamental right that all of them have to question 'macro-relations' of power and inequality."

Mr Higgins also said he was looking forward to the Pope's planned visit to Ireland next year.

And he said many people will be "inspired, strengthened and challenged" by it.

"It will be another important moment in the global dialogue we so pressingly need about the kind of society we want to build for this and for future generations," he said.

During the audience with the Pope, President Higgins gave him a climate bell by artist Vivienne Roche, entitled Mother Earth Bell, which was inspired by a speech the president gave at the Paris climate conference.

Pope Francis gave Mr Higgins medallions with an inscription from Isaiah 32:15: "Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest."
A convicted rapist wants to bring legal proceedings against the DPP and the gardai over an alleged failure to prosecute prison officers for perjury in relation to an incident in which he was assaulted while in custody, writes Ann O'Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Darius Savickis (aged 46), who is originally from Lithuania, was assasulted by a prison officer while serving a six-year sentence for orally raping a 23-year-old German woman walking home from work in Galway on November 28, 2005.

In 2016, he was awarded 17,225 by the Court of Appeal over what a judge said was a clear assault on him by an officer in Castlerea Prison.

Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, on behalf of the Appeal Court, said some of the prison officers who gave evidence in an original jury civil action taken by Savickis had regrettably "told lies".

His lawyers today applied to the High Court for permission to bring proceedings against the DPP and the Garda Commissioner over an alleged failure to prosecute the prison officers for perjury.

His counsel, Siobhan Phelan, in response to a query from Mr Justice Seamus Noonan about whether the DPP can be pursued over non-prosecution decisions, said the landscape in relation to this had changed since a 2015 EU directive on victims' rights.

Mr Justice Noonan said he first wanted to hear from the DPP and gardai before he would make a decision on the application.

"It should therefore be made on notice to the defendants," he said. "The issue raised has very significant ramifications.".

He adjourned the matter to next month.

In his original High Court action, a jury awarded him just 224 after rejecting the majority of his claims, but finding unreasonable force had been used by the officers. Attributing 95% responsibility for this to Savickis, the jury therefore reduced the award it was making to him from 4,500 to 224.

The appeal court found however he had been assaulted and awarded him 10,000 along with 5,000 in exemplary damages over the evidence given by the prison officers and another 2,225 for the use of unreasonable force.

"It is, I regret to say, very difficult to avoid the conclusion that some of the witnesses tendered by the State told lies regarding this matter in the course of their evidence", Mr Justice Hogan said.

Subsequently, the victim of the rape by Savickis got a High Court order freezing the paying out of that award to him pending the outcome of a civil action for damages by her against him.
A retired priest jailed for indecently assaulting a schoolboy in the 1970s has had his conviction quashed over a trial judge's decision not to warn the jury about the dangers of convicting in the absence of corroboration.

Tadhg O'Dalaigh (aged 73), of Woodview, Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, had pleaded not guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to one count of indecently assaulting a 16-year-old boy at Colaiste Chroi Naofa in Carrignavar, Co Cork on a date unknown in 1979.

He was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to five years imprisonment with the final two suspended by Judge Donagh McDonagh on December 18, 2014.

O'Dalaigh successfully appealed his conviction today with the Court of Appeal holding that the trial judge erred in refusing to give the jury a corroboration warning, in a case which lacked corroborative evidence.

Giving judgment in the three-judge court, Mr Justice Alan Mahon said the indecent assault took place at a boarding school in Co Cork, where the complainant was a pupil and O'Dalaigh a member of the school's staff.

The single incident took place at night time when the complainant awoke to find himself being masturbated.

The complainant made no complaint for 33 years having undergone counselling and spoken to a solicitor about taking a civil claim for damages against O'Dalaigh's religious order.

O'Dalaigh had pleaded guilty in 1999 and again in 2014 to indecently assaulting a number of pupils at the same school. These convictions had been reported in the press and O'Dalagh had been named.

He had acknoweldged during the course of the present trial that he had indecently assaulted 10 boys at the school but adamantly denied assaulting the complainant.

It had been pointed out that other priests had themselves been involved in the sexual abuse of pupils at the school. In effect, O'Dalaigh maintained that if the complainant had been abused as alleged, the abuser was another staff member.

Mr Justice Mahon said the trial judge's reasoning for not giving a corroboration warning were threefold: Contextualisation was necessary but impossible to achieve because the offence was secretive; It would only serve to confuse the jury and would not be of benefit to the accused.

Mr Justice Mahon said the trial judge's concern that a corroboration warning would only serve to confuse the jury was misplaced; A corroboration warning, when properly given, will not confuse a jury, the judge said.

He said the lack of corroborative evidence itself placed the case into a category of cases in which a trial judge should lean towards giving a warning.

The concept of corroborative evidence was not a difficult one and is well capable of being absorbed and understood by persons without legal training. It was by its nature simply an admonition to exercise care before finding a person guilty, in the absence of corroboration.

It is a warning, when properly given, which also makes it clear to the jury that they may find the accused guilty in the absence of corroboration.

The fact the nature of the offence was secretive and surreptitious significantly increased the justification and appropriateness of giving a corroboration warning.

It was a case of one person's word against another. The duration of the assault was also quite brief. It occurred at night time when the complainant was initially asleep.

He said a corroboration warning, properly given, had the potential to have been of considerable benefit to the accused.

Mr Justice Mahon, who sat with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Hedigan, said the court was satisfied that there had been an error in principle.

The court allowed the appeal, quashed the conviction and will hear submissions as to whether or not it would be appropriate to order a retrial later this week.

O'Dalaigh was not in court for delivery of the judgment. His barrister, Mark Lynam BL, said his client had served his sentence.
A Dublin man has been found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend after using a fake Facebook profile to lure her to a city hotel when she cut contact with him.

Eric Locke strangled mother-of-one Sonia Blount with his hands and the cable of her phone charger, and suffocated her by forcing her t-shirt into the back of her mouth with such force that he broke her teeth.

The 35-year-old, with an address at St Johns Park East in Clondalkin, had pleaded not guilty to her murder, but admitted causing the 31-year-olds death in a room at the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght on February 16 2014.

Locke had argued that he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time and that this diminished his responsibility. The defence, which falls under the Insanity Act, can result in a verdict of not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter.

However, after just an hour and 33 minutes deliberating, a Central Criminal Court jury of eight men and four women reached a unanimous verdict of guilty.

Eric Locke.

The trial heard that Locke had met Ms Blount in October 2013 when he began working in the glue factory, where she had worked for almost a decade. They began dating but, in Lockes own words, were never boyfriend and girlfriend; she had previously been in an abusive relationship with a dominating partner.

The jury heard that they went to a comedy gig in January 2014 but had a row when Ms Blount attracted the attention of other males while out smoking. Locke called her a slut and she ended the relationship the following day.

The court heard the hundreds of text messages that followed between them, in which he pleaded with her for another chance and she pleaded with him to let her be. He did not, but instead walked off the job and sent her a text message threatening suicide.

The court heard that this had worried her sick and resulted in her not sleeping or eating. She had called the gardai, who had tracked him to a hotel using his mobile phone signal. He was arrested under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital and discharged.

He sent her a long letter apologising for what he had done, but also told her that he thought she would have stood by him. He said he would have done so had it been the other way around.

The court heard the content of many more text messages between them. He still wanted to meet, but Ms Blount said he did not need to explain anything. She remained friendly and enquired about his health and treatment. She reassured him about returning to work, which he did.

However, on returning to work, he sent her text messages accusing him of blanking him and enquiring about a rumour that he was stalking her.

She said she hadnt heard the rumour, but asked him to stop staring at her at work. She voiced similar concerns to friends, saying he was freaking her out.

She eventually blocked him on Facebook and the text messages between them also stopped. He then sent text messages to his sister, telling her that he and Ms Blount were back together but claiming that she was ripping him off.

He asked if an acquaintance could hack into Ms Blounts Facebook account. He could not, so Locke asked if he could hack into her email. This couldnt be done either.

Locke already had a fake Facebook account in the name of Shane Cully. It was complete with photographs and friends. He used the profile to befriend Ms Blount and they began sending messages to each other.

They decided to meet for sex in the Plaza Hotel on the night of February 15. She said she was nervous, that she had never done anything like that before. She checked in around 9pm but he didnt arrive until, after about a dozen insistent requests, she agreed to have a keycard at reception for him so he wouldnt have to knock on the door.

The jury saw CCTV footage of him arriving at the hotel shortly before midnight, getting the keycard and taking the elevator to the third floor. He had put on a hat by the time he left the elevator and walked to her room.

The rest of the evidence came from what Locke told investigating gardai and three psychiatrists. The accounts varied but, in his last account to gardai, he said that she was shocked to see him walk through the door. He said he had just wanted to talk to her and this is what they had done. He said they had consensual sex.

He had told the psychiatrists that he had planned to tie her to a chair and force her to listen to an account of his pain. He had brought to restrain and scare her: a pellet gun, masking tape and cable ties.

He said that she screamed when she saw these and that he panicked and strangled her. He said she had caused the obvious scratches on his face and had asked what he was doing while he strangled her.

He said she was making sounds so he put her top into her mouth to silence her. He said he dressed her, put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door and left.

The jury saw footage of him dropping his mobile phone in a drain outside the hotel and running from the scene just over five hours after his arrival.

He claimed he made two suicide attempts afterwards but couldnt go through with the due to vivid thoughts of his family. He handed himself into gardai that evening.

The defence asked for a verdict of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility due to a mental disorder. Patrick Gageby SC called two psychiatrists, who testified that Locke met the criteria. The first, Dr Sean O Domhnaill, diagnosed him with Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

Another psychiatrist had been called by the defence but was dispensed with just before he was about to give evidence. The jury did not receive his report.

The prosecution called a psychiatrist as a rebuttal witness. This doctor advanced the opinion that Locke may well have had a personality disorder, but not a mental disorder necessary for the defence of diminished responsibility.

The prosecution argued that Locke knew well what he was doing was wrong. Remy Farrell SC, prosecuting, pointed to his insistence on having a keycard for the room, saying this showed he did not want to be found out when Ms Blount would look through the peephole.

He said there was evidence of anger and rage, wholly consistent with vengeance and retribution.

While Eric Locke was strangling the life out of her, she was fighting for her very life, he said in his closing speech.

Mr Justice Michael Moriarty told the jury that Ms Blount seemed like an entirely likeable and decent young lady.

He reminded the jury of her injuries and that Locke had dressed her after he had killed her. He described this as no mean feat, reminding the jury of the pathologists evidence in that regard.

He said that the question the jury had to ask itself was whether diminished responsibility came to Lockes rescue.

He reminded the jury of the evidence of the three psychiatrists, noting that Dr Sean O Domhnaill had not gone near the book of evidence before interviewing Locke. The judge said it seemed Dr O Domhnaill had merited some of the stern criticism meted out by prosecutor Remy Farrell SC.

Justice Moriarty pointed out that, while it was conceded that Locke had perpetrated the fatal act, the prosecution still had to prove the intent to kill or cause serious bodily harm.

Even if you are to reject diminished responsibility, that does not automatically mean a conviction of murder should flow from that, he said. The other elements for murder have to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

This speed with which this was done, an hour and 33 minutes, resulted in gasps throughout the packed courtroom. However, the jury had been told to return to court at that time and it was not made known how quickly the verdict had actually been reached.

The announcement of the guilty verdict led to shouts of yes followed by applause. Members of Ms Blounts family and friends embraced each other before leaving the court following the two-week trial.

Mr Justice Michael Moriarty remanded Locke in custody for sentencing on Friday morning, when victim impact statements will be heard and the convicted murderer will receive the mandatory life sentence.
A bomb exploded at a military-run hospital in Bangkok on Monday, injuring 25 people on the third anniversary of a military coup, Thai authorities said.

Investigators found remnants of batteries and wires at the scene of the blast on the ground floor of Phramongkutklao Hospital, said deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul.
US president Donald Trump has said Israel's Arab neighbours are realising they share a "common cause" with Israel over the threat from Iran.

Mr Trump is urging the US and Israel to boost cooperation against common threats, and declared that Iran should never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

He said Iran - Israel's chief enemy in the Middle East - must also cease funding, training and supplying weapons to terrorist groups and militias.

Speaking during his first visit to Israel as US president, Mr Trump said there is strong consensus on these issues among the world's nations, including many in the Muslim world.

Mr Trump also thanked Israel's leaders for being committed to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

On Tuesday, the US leader will meet Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.

Israeli soldiers wait for the arrival ceremony of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, today.

Arriving directly from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mr Trump expressed his hope for cooperation among US allies in the Middle East.

His second stop on his nine-day tour aims to test the waters for reviving the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mr Trump, who had previously suggested that it would be easier than anticipated to solve the conflict which has vexed his predecessors for decades, said conditions are right in both Israel and the Arab world to strike what he has called "the ultimate deal".

Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, Mr Trump said: "We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people."

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Mr Trump "a true friend" to Israel and expressed optimism about the president's role in the Middle East peace process.

Mr Trump's first stop was a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin. In a statement following the meeting, Mr Trump addressed his meetings the previous day with Arab and Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, and said that there is growing realisation that they share a "common cause with you" in their determination to defeat extremism and deter "the threat posed by Iran."

However, obstacles have emerged which may complicate the relationship between the White House and the Knesset.

The US leader may face questions from Israeli officials about revelations that he disclosed sensitive Israeli intelligence to Russian officials, and concerns over the new $110bn arms deal he announced with the Saudis.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, said the US could provide clarifications to Israel about the disclosure but said: "I don't know that there's anything to apologise for."
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has described relations with the US as "a curvy road".

He said the Islamic Republic is still waiting to understand what the Trump administration wants.
A South African hunter has died after being trampled by an elephant in Zimbabwe.

Theunis Botha was with a client near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park when he "unknowingly" walked into a herd of elephants on Friday, wildlife officials said.
A Swedish airport has been evacuated according to local media reports.

A bag is thought to have been found at the Gothenberg-Landvetter Airport, just outside the southern Swedish city of Gothenberg, which showed signs of containing explosives.

Reports state that police have cordoned off an area spanning 200 meters around the bag.

More as we get it.
Turkey has summoned the US ambassador in Ankara to protest over what it called "aggressive and unprofessional actions" by US security personnel against Turkish bodyguards in Washington last week.

The move appears to be in retaliation over calls in the US for strong action against Turkish security officers who were seen hitting and kicking protesters outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington during Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the US.

The Turkish foreign ministry said the US ambassador was given a "written and verbal protest" against actions said to be "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices".

Footage of Turkish security raiding against Kurdish-Americans in front of the @TurkishEmbassy in DC. So disturbing. pic.twitter.com/5WYtDzDs5O  Samira Ghaderi (@Samira_Ghaderi) May 17, 2017

The ministry said it had requested that US authorities conduct "a full investigation of this diplomatic incident".

A video shared on social media at the time appeared to show Mr Erdogan watching the melee.

Two Turkish bodyguards were briefly detained after the incident but later set free and returned to Turkey.

The United States summoned the Turkish ambassador to raise concerns over the altercation.

The incident added to the already strained ties between the US and Turkey - two Nato allies who are at odds over a US policy to back Syrian Kurdish rebels fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

Turkey considers the fighters to be terrorists.

Kurdish, Armenian & Ezidi protestors attacked by Erdogan security forces in front Turkish embassy #bejiYPG pic.twitter.com/twQEK4I9e4  Baltimore BLOC (@BmoreBloc) May 16, 2017

A Turkish foreign ministry statement said US ambassador John Bass was given a "written and verbal protest" over the treatment of two security officers that it said were "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices".

The statement said the two officers were part of foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's security detail.

The Turkish ministry said it had requested that the US authorities conduct "a full investigation of this diplomatic incident".

Last week's incident is not the first time violence accompanied a visit by a Turkish leader to the US.

Last year, a similar fight erupted outside a nuclear security summit in Washington, attended by Mr Erdogan.

PA
Air Quality Brentford have some suggestions for your response Tweets by @brentfordtw8 Participate Respond to Mayor's Phase 2 Consultation on London ULEZ London Air Quality Network Clean Air in London Air Quality Brentford (AQB) is a voluntary group of local Brentford residents helping to improve air quality and can be found on Facebook,

@agreenerlondon or via email airqualitybrentford @hotmail.com Sign up for our Brentford newsletter



Comment on this story on the The Heathrow Consultation on the third runway closes at 11.45pm on Thursday 25th May. There is a strong chance the new flightpath will fly directly over Brentford so please ensure you have your say, it doesn't have be technical, personal thoughts are just as important. There are two ways to give feedback and Air Quality Brentford are providing some suggested responses at the end of this email so that you can do this in a few minutes if time is short: 1) Fill in the Governments online consultation on Heathrow Expansion here. See suggested responses below. 2) or send an email to RunwayConsultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk ensuring you include your name and address. Please feel free to base your response upon the suggested responses.



It is a good idea to copy prospective parliamentary candidates: ruth@ruthcadbury.org.uk joe@hounslowlibdems.org.uk and mary.macleod@gmail.com Do copy in your ward councillors as well.

The basic facts are as follows: New flight paths are proposed directly over Brentford with exact routes still to be defined.

250,000 more flights a year (47% more air traffic).

Each flight path operating 12 hours a day (instead of 8 as at present)..

Pollution predicted to far exceed climate change targets

Night flights - sleep regarded as 'an excessive freedom' by Heathrow director.

15 billion monetary cost to tax payer, far exceeding expansion costs for Gatwick. Here is a short leaflet outlining why the Government like the idea. The full consultation document is available to read here. You could go straight to page 30 and read about air quality and further noise pollution. You may find the 2 minute film on this webpage helpful. With respect to climate change and pollution due to Heathrow expansion, the Commons Environmental Audit Committee has accused the government of "magical thinking" - wishing the problem away without a proper solution. Suggested responses:

Please feel free to take all or just the first few paras for your response but do put into your own words. Question 1: The Government believes there is the need for additional airport capacity in the South East of England by 2030. Please tell us your views.



I am firmly against the expansion of Heathrow on the following grounds:

1. An increase in noise disturbance with flights overhead for up to 12 hours a day, landing every 60 seconds affecting the lives of everyone: workers, children and the sick and elderly.

2. Significant increases in air pollution in an area already far exceeding legal air pollution limits.

3. With 47% more planes, the road, train, tube networks will be operating far beyond capacity and there is no clear plan to address this.

4. Safety. 250,000 more flights a year will be travelling over one of the most densely populated parts of the country.

5. The case for expansion is unconvincing.



There is no convincing plan for addressing these issues and the financial and environmental costs for developing Gatwick are significantly less. In 2008 Theresa May said: A Heathrow third runway "would undermine our national [climate] targets and seriously damage the health of the local community. Question 2: Please give us your views on how best to address the issue of airport capacity in the South East of England by 2030. This could be through the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme (the Government's preferred scheme), the Gatwick Second Runway scheme, the Heathrow Extended Northern Runway scheme, or any other scheme.



The relentless pursuit to increase air traffic is seriously flawed given the cost to the environment. One could reasonably expect the British government to be more creative and visionary than more planes at any cost. Furthermore, who can say what the business travel needs after Brexit may be? It is possible they may be significantly diminished. Of the various expansion options, the proposed increase in airport capacity at Heathrow has the most impact in terms of noise and air pollution on the most people. Lastly, has the option to treat Heathrow primarily as a business airport, with Gatwick and others supporting primarily leisure travel been considered?



Question 3: The Secretary of State will use a range of assessment principles when considering any application for a Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport. Please tell us your views.

Assessment criteria should meet and exceed the highest European and WHO standards. This government has a poor track record in central London. Government plans to tackle air pollution are inadequate and result in ongoing High court cases. There should be stringent requirements for Heathrow to produce evidence-based assurances against standards, amounting to guarantees. The current proposal falls short of this, often relying on loose predictions and intentions unfounded in fact.

Question 4: The Government has set out its approach to surface access for a Heathrow Northwest runway scheme. Please tell us your views.



There is no convincing scheme for transport to and from the airport. This is already a highly congested network (tube, train and road), suffering from very high levels of pollution. Heathrow Airport is already very congested and a third runway will make this worse. Whether a third runway is to be built or not, there should be clear, properly evidenced commitments to reduce private vehicle access in order to reduce general congestion in the area. These must be enshrined in law.



Question 5: The draft Airports National Policy Statement sets out a package of supporting measures to mitigate negative impacts of a Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme. Please tell us your views. Are there any other supporting measures that should be set out? In particular, please tell us your views on: Question 5.1 There are already many places in the London area that are over legal limits of air pollution. We are not convinced that the government has sound plans to address this. The construction and running of an additional runway at Heathrow will make matters worse. It is not acceptable that illegal levels of air pollution should be made even worse than it already is by the proposals for a third runway. Question 5.2 The noise from the current Heathrow airport is clearly unacceptable to millions of people in the London area. The plan should be to gradually improve the noise levels by having less noisy planes and fewer landings and take off. Instead the proposal is to exacerbate the current situation. There should be no landings or take offs from the existing runways between 10pm and 6am and no third runway in an attempt to make the noise levels more acceptable to those living in the impacted area.

Question 6: The Government has set out a number of planning requirements that a Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme must meet in order to operate. Please tell us your views. Are there any other requirements the Government should set out? The Government should meet the highest environmental policy standards set by Europe and the WHO. A third runway at Heathrow airport is completely inconsistent with the UK ratification of the Paris agreement. Question 7: The Appraisal of Sustainability sets out the Government's assessment of the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme, and considers alternatives. Please tell us your views.



Question 8: Do you have any additional comments on the draft Airports National Policy Statement or other supporting documents? Question 9: The Government has a public sector equality duty to ensure protected groups have the opportunity to respond to consultations. Please tell us your views on how this consultation has achieved this. Chris Grayling promises a full and fair consultation. In the event it was far from this. In two consultation information events on the policy in the borough of Hounslow, information provided was one-sided, misleading and dishonest in that it presented the benefits of the third runway with virtually no reference to the disadvantages. Examples of this were: - Monetary benefits presented without costs - Compliance with the Climate Change Act stated when the Committee on Climate Change say that the Climate Change Act is not sufficient to meet temperature targets in the Paris agreement. - Lack of information about new flight paths, respite periods and timetable to enable residents to make a fair assessment of the impact on them - Lack of information about the number of extra flights per year - Convoluted analysis of surface access masking the inevitable increased road congestion.



This consultation has been woefully inadequate in seeking comprehensively the feedback of residents:  The survey is onerous and difficult to complete.  The process is communicated by word of mouth across the internet rather than by any more effective means.  Those not using the internet are discriminated against. May 22, 2017
Taxpayers would pay up to $23.6 billion for Australia to meet international climate targets if the Turnbull government were to continue with its "direct action" emissions-reduction fund as its main policy. Adam Morton reports .

Greens MP Adam Bandt during question time at Parliament House. He requested a costing of meeting the Paris agreement under the government's current policy. Photo: Andrew Meares Credit:Andrew Meares

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham has come under fire from the Catholic education sector over planned school funding reforms. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

When Canberra meets 'The Simpsons' - a scene from the animation. Credit:Bree Winchester

You've probably watched The Simpsons intro 18 million times but this is the version that tops them all.

Canberra has been officially Simpson-ised in a clever two-minute animation developed by ANU students for this year's ANU Med Revue.

Today's cartoon
A Canberra man who defrauded nearly $30,000 from the ACT Public Trustee shifted the money to contractors he knew in the Zimbabwean community for work that never eventuated.

Donald Tawanda Savanhu's deceptive scheme fell apart when a suspicious paper trail revealed a string of dodgy transactions and broken promises in 2014.

Donald Tawanda Savanhu, 37, of Ngunnawal, leaves the ACT Magistrates Court in 2015. Credit:Michael Inman

Savanhu, 37, was among four men police charged in 2015 after an extensive probe into allegations $1.65 million had been embezzled from people whose assets the government body held in trust.

He pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday to 11 fraud offences, arising from 36 fraudulent transactions that amounted to $28,654, between March 2011 and January 2014.
The big four banks expect to pay $965 million combined in extra tax as a result of the government's new bank levy.

In a sign of the banks' campaigns against the tax increasing, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank and the National Australia Bank also wrote to their hundreds of thousands of shareholders protesting against the levy, with CBA taking the unusual step of holding "town hall" meetings with shareholders over the tax.

In public statements on Monday the banks outlined the expected hit from the tax. Westpac expects to take the heaviest blow at $260 million a year after tax while NAB ($245 million), ANZ ($240 million) and CBA ($220 million) also outlined significant costs.
It was while watching television three years ago that Sandra van der Laan first started questioning the cost of funerals.

Linda Taylor, the sister of Professor van der Laan, whose unexpected death at age 59 inspired research into the funeral industry.

A program about the industry showed family after family still paying off a relative's funeral, years after they had died.

So when her 59-year-old sister Linda died unexpectedly just a few weeks later, the experience of those families was not far from Professor van der Laan 's mind.
"The published numbers speculating about our subscription and ad revenue have so underestimated the reality that it's comical," the Post's chief revenue officer, Jed Hartman, told me last week. "Our digital ad revenue is in the solid nine figures." That is, in excess of $US100 million. This year, he added, "we'll have our third straight year of double-digit revenue growth". Craig Huber, a veteran media and newspaper analyst and founder of Huber Research Partners, said that, while he had not seen the Post's data, the gains reported are striking. "I'm very, very surprised by those numbers," he said. "No one else is even coming close. If that's correct, I'm very impressed." To be sure, as with other newspapers, the Post's economic picture is still encumbered by print, where declines in circulation and advertising revenue continue unabated. And its digital rebound has most likely come from a modest base. But editorially, the Post's recent scoops have often shaped the national conversation. David Fahrenthold won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting this year for his series debunking President Donald Trump's claims to charitable contributions, and for the biggest bombshell of the presidential campaign: the revelation of the "Access Hollywood" recording in which Trump boasted of groping women. (The Post was also a finalist for feature and editorial writing.)

It was the Post's revelation that Michael Flynn had lied about his contacts with the Russians that cost him his job as national security adviser and plunged the White House into a continuing crisis over Trump's attempts to limit the investigation into his administration's ties to Russia. (In an old-fashioned news gathering war, the Times delivered the latest scoop on that front last week with a report that Trump had pressured James Comey, as director of the FBI, to drop the Flynn inquiry.) Scoops - and high-quality journalism more generally - are integral to the Post's business model at a time when the future of digital journalism seemed to be veering toward the lowest common denominator of exploding watermelons and stupid pet tricks. "Investigative reporting is absolutely critical to our business model," Baron told me. "We add value. We tell people what they didn't already know. We hold government and powerful people and institutions accountable. This cannot happen without financial support. We're at the point where the public realises that and is willing to step up and support that work by buying subscriptions." He said digital subscriptions had soared last week in the wake of the latest Russia revelations, as they had with other scoops. In the first quarter of this year, the Post says, it added hundreds of thousands of new digital subscribers. (It would not disclose the overall number of subscribers.)

Investigative journalism also drives advertising, Hartman said. "It's what elevates our brand," he said. "And other brands want to attach themselves to a trusted brand." Huber concurred. "The only future for newspapers is at the high end of quality journalism," he said. "That and only that are what people are willing to pay for." He said the Post was one of three US newspapers, along with The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, that are successfully transforming themselves. "They're showing that a digital strategy is viable," he said. "But the number of people willing to pay $10 to $12 a month for an online subscription outside those three is a rounding error." (After the introductory rate, the Post's digital-only access for national subscribers is $9.99 for four weeks.)

Huber noted that, given the winner-take-all nature of the internet, the sources of scoops are gravitating towards just a few news outlets led by the Times and the Post. Sources (and people who want to "leak") go to a publication with the most impact; opinion makers and influencers seek the publication with the most sources and scoops - hence the "network effect" so coveted in technology circles, and one well understood by Bezos. When I asked Baron to name one thing that has driven the turnaround, his immediate answer was Bezos - and not because of his vast fortune. "The most fundamental thing Jeff did was to change our strategy entirely," Baron said. "We were a news organisation that focused on the Washington region, so our vision was constrained. Jeff said from the start that wasn't the right strategy. Our industry had suffered due to the internet, but the internet also brought gifts, and we should recognise that. It made distribution free, which gave us the opportunity to be a national and even international news organisation, and we should recognise and take advantage of that." But Bezos also seems to be a hands-off owner. Although Baron said they typically have a teleconference call every two weeks, Bezos hadn't called last week, even after the Russia scoop. For many, last week's avalanche of breaking news brought back vivid memories of Nixon and Watergate, All the President's Men, and the Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein. But the Post's current leadership is the first to admit that times have changed so vastly that such pre-internet comparisons are largely irrelevant.
It is believed Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan  who just weeks ago was reappointed by Treasurer Scott Morrison for another seven years  is on sick leave.

Mr Cranston allegedly sought to pressure colleagues to cut a deal with his son after he learnt his son Adam was the subject of a major tax fraud investigation.

The integrity of the Australian Taxation Office has taken a hit following charges against Deputy Commissioner Michael Cranston who allegedly abused his position as a public official after he accessed an audit into his son, acting ATO boss Andrew Mills says.

Mr Mills has been acting in his place, and on Monday sent a note to the agency's 20,000 staff asking them to refrain from speaking publicly about the case.

As if the ATO cold do with more bad news. ATO deputy commissioner Michael Cranston, pictured outside court last month, allegedly attempted to access information for his son. Credit:AAP

"As you'd appreciate, with the events of the last few days and associated media attention, we are expecting to face ongoing higher levels of scrutiny from the public, the media and the government," Mr Mills said. "I cannot overstate the seriousness of these matters.

"I understand the impact of the other aspects of the media stories about a handful of our staff, that strikes at the heart of what matters most  our integrity. People are feeling this deeply across our organisation, and I want to acknowledge those reactions."

Mr Cranston has for the time being been stood down from his position as head of the private groups and high wealth individuals, as have two other ATO officers who are also being investigated internally for potential code of conduct breaches after they reportedly tried to look up information on the ATO's audit at the behest of Mr Cranston.
Businessmen and long-time mates Geoff Dixon and John Singleton's Australian Pub Fund has sold the Kinselas hotel at Sydney's busy Taylor's Square to long-time hoteliers, the Kospetas family's Universal Hotel Group.

It is the sixth asset the Australian Pub Fund, run by former Qantas chief executive Mr Dixon, Mr Singleton and their silent partner, Mark Carnegie, has sold in as many months.

The combined sales have reaped the fund about $120 million and include the well-known Marlborough Hotel in Newtown, which was bought by Matt Moran and Bruce Solomon's Solotel Group for about $34 million.
States have been urged to introduce new laws against wage theft in the wake of rampant underpayment of workers at widespread wage theft by cafes, restaurants in university towns and retail chains including 7-Eleven, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Caltex and Bakers Delight.

NSW Labor's industrial relations spokesman Adam Searle says the states should use their powers to protect workers against wage theft.

Addressing the NSW Industrial Relations Society at the weekend, Mr Searle said a new law was needed to address serious or systemic underpayment and non-payment of wages and other entitlements, as revealed by Fairfax Media.

"I think we should examine a wage theft law for NSW," Mr Searle told the Society's annual conference.
Rival General Motors Co is aggressively targeting Ford's share of the lucrative North American truck and sport utility business, the source of 90 per cent of Ford's profit. Ford is now worth less than Elon Musk's Tesla. Credit:AP Meanwhile, investors see Ford as a laggard in the shift toward electric vehicles, self-driving technology and ride-sharing. Ford's $US44 billion ($58.9 billion) market value is below electric car pioneer Tesla Inc's $US51 billion. Bill Ford and other descendants of company founder Henry Ford effectively control the automaker through a special class of shares, but many investors share his concern that the company is running out of time. Ford's new chief executive Jim Hackett. Credit:AP

Ford shares closed up 2.1 per cent at $US11.10. At Friday's close, they had fallen 37 per cent since Fields took over three years ago at the peak of the US auto industry's recovery from the crisis last decade. The automaker has tangled with US President Donald Trump, who spent more than a year criticising the company on the campaign trail for expanding operations in Mexico and exporting US jobs. A Ford spokeswoman said Trump was not a factor in Fields' departure. 'No smoking gun' Overall US auto sales are slipping after a long boom. But GM has moved faster than Ford to slash unprofitable operations, and Tesla has been quicker to deploy new technology. Bill Ford indicated the company would take more aggressive action to cut costs. "We have to modernise the business" and move "decisively to address underperforming areas," he said.

Hackett, who overhauled furniture maker Steelcase and then turned around the ailing University of Michigan football program, becomes the latest in a line of non-family CEOs brought in with a mandate to change the management culture at one of the auto industry's oldest institutions. That task has frustrated many of his predecessors, including Bill Ford, who had been CEO before replacing himself in 2006 with Boeing Co executive Alan Mulally. The decision to replace Fields did not result from a single event, Bill Ford told Reuters. "There is no smoking gun here," he said. "It's more the way we are organised, the way Jim is going to streamline the organisation." As CEO of Steelcase, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Hackett slashed thousands of jobs and refocused the company on innovation.

A former Ford director and interim athletic director at the University of Michigan, Hackett was tapped in March 2016 to run Ford Smart Mobility, a unit established to oversee and coordinate forays into autonomous driving, ride sharing and other ventures. In that role, he helped oversee Ford's acquisition of San Francisco ride-sharing company Chariot and its $US1 billion investment in Argo AI, a self-driving startup focused on robotics and artificial intelligence. Pressure in Detroit The upheaval at Ford underlines pressure on all three major Detroit automakers to prove they can avoid losses as the US market begins to slow from last year's record sales. GM CEO Mary Barra is fending off attacks from hedge fund Greenlight Capital, which wants to install new directors and split the company's stock. In March, GM sold its money-losing Opel division to France's PSA Group, effectively exiting Europe in a move Barra promised would free cash for share buybacks.

The shake-up at Ford may bring scrutiny to its own plans in the region. The company posted a record $US1.2 billion profit in Europe last year but warned that the impact of Britain's vote to leave the European Union would put a dent in 2017 earnings. Under a broader shake-up announced on Monday, former Ford of Europe chief Jim Farley will become president of a new "Global Markets" group that will include Ford's regional sales and marketing operations around the world as well as its Lincoln luxury brand. The company is also putting government relations and corporate communications under Ford Jr, and Hackett said the great-grandson of Henry Ford would have a higher public profile. Fields, who earned $US22.1 million in 2016 and had a 28-year-career at Ford, also faced a clamour for share repurchases at the company's annual meeting earlier this month. Fields declined to comment when reached on Monday.
It always takes a while for the budget's real victims to emerge. We are so dazzled by the flashes  drug-testing welfare recipients, freezing foreign aid, increasing university fees  that it takes a while to focus on the detail.

It's the same this year. National Foundation of Australian Women analysis shows the combined effects of the Turnbull government's budget measures may hit women earning below-average wages with an effective marginal tax rate of 100 per cent. That's the combination of increasing the Medicare levy, freezing family-tax-benefit rates and earlier repayment requirements for student loans.

But there's another, more excluded group of Australians who will be further punished by this budget if all the measures get through.

Foundation member Sue Salthouse, who is also chairwoman of Women With Disabilities ACT, is terrified that these changes will really punish women and men with a disability. Partly because they are invisible. "Of ongoing concern, the allocation of services for women with disabilities continues to be at odds with their numbers or proportion in the population," she says.
The federal government has announced yet another inquiry into aged care standards after allegations of longstanding and systemic abuse at facilities in Adelaide and elsewhere.

These aged care services fail all Australians. But, as we debate the best way of improving the system, it's critical to include discussion on the particular needs of remaining members of our stolen generations.

Richard Weston: "Aged care for the stolen generations needs a national approach."

These are the thousands of Aboriginal children forcibly taken from their families under government policies of assimilation. They were locked up in draconian institutions, orphanage, and fostered out; ostensibly to teach them basic skills so they could serve white families and businesses.

National inquiries have shown some of these institutions were places of systematic human rights abuses. The Retta Dixon home in Darwin and the Kinchela Boys' Home outside of Kempsey on NSW's mid north coast are two of the most notorious. There Aboriginal children were beaten, raped and brutalised  experiences that have left horrific scars.
The report could not be independently verified. A man who answered the phone at the Yulin municipal government denied that the festival even existed. Dogs for sale in Yulin. Credit:AP "There's never been a dog meat festival in Yulin," said the man, who gave only his surname, Luo. However, the festival's existence is well-documented. People in parts of southern and north-eastern China have prized dog meat for centuries, considering it a delicacy with "heating qualities" that make it comforting on cool days. Vendors chop up dog meat for sale. Credit:AP

Yet, as China becomes wealthier - and more exposed to foreign ideas - its attitudes toward dogs are shifting. Dogs have become popular pets among the country's burgeoning middle and upper classes; in major cities, it's common to see poodles, Pekinese, golden retrievers and huskies bouncing through public parks, some dressed by their owners in doggie clothing. Peter Li, a China policy specialist at HSI, said that the festival's dog meat sales had dropped each year since 2014, but would probably continue despite the ban. "It won't be public resistance - like, 'You don't want us to sell, but we still will' - but they'll probably do it secretly," he said. "They'll probably sell it at night, or they'll supply dog meat to restaurants. They just won't sell it at the market."

He added that the organisation received "oral notice" of the ban from local dog meat traders, as well as three visitors to a local market. He had not seen documentation of the ban. Most Chinese people desire an end to the controversial festival, China's official New China News Agency reported in June 2016, citing a survey. "It is embarrassing to us that the world wrongly believes that the brutally cruel Yulin festival is part of Chinese culture," Qin Xiaona, director of the Capital Animal Welfare Association charity, a Chinese animal welfare group, told the agency. "It isn't." But the Yulin government is reluctant to shut the festival down completely, said an employee of a Chinese animal rights group that has been communicating with local officials for years; the festival is considered a proud local tradition. The employee requested anonymity as her organisation, like many activist groups in China, is under close scrutiny from national authorities.

Although the officials have no problem considering cats and dogs as food, she added, some still oppose the festival as its mass, public slaughter of dogs violates food safety regulations. Hollywood celebrities including Matt Damon, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara have pleaded for China to ban the festival. Last year, several animal rights groups, including Duo Duo and HSI, amassed 11 million signatures on a petition calling for its cancellation. Carrie Fisher, the late actress of Star Wars fame, helped deliver it to China's embassy in London. "These poor dogs need us to fight for them," she said at the time, accompanied by her beloved French bulldog, Gary. "Every single one of them is as precious as my dear Gary, every one of them is someone's best friend."
Adani has postponed a final investment decision on its controversial Carmichael coal mine as the Indian conglomerate waits for the Queensland government to propose a royalty agreement.

Days after reports emerged that the Palaszczuk Labor government was considering offering Adani a "royalty holiday", the company's board chose to abort any final sign-off for the $21 billion project.

On Monday Adani's spokesman in Australia, Ron Watson, told Fairfax Media the company had never sought a holiday on its per-tonne royalty obligations, but rather a "sliding scale" that would allow Adani to pay "every cent" in an agreed schedule.
Through it he hopes to catalyse government and private sector co-investment and also to inspire other wealthy private citizens to give back to their communities.

On Monday, the iron ore baron turned social policy benefactor unveiled ambitious targets for the unprecedented $400 million his family has devoted to international cancer research, early childhood education, and social cohesion.

Andrew Forrest believes the huge scale of the philanthropic donation made by his family will encourage other wealthy people to follow suit, leading to a new age of Australian giving.

Graham and Louise Tuckwell, who have pledged more than $200 million to the Australian National University in recent years, have expressed a similar hope.

Philanthropists Andrew and Nicola Forrest in Parliament House, Canberra on Monday. Credit:Andrew Meares

Speaking from London, Mr Tuckwell heaped praise on Mr Forrest and his wife, Nicola, for "leading the way" through their $400 million donation, which has set a record as the largest donation to charity from any living person in Australian history.

Mr Tuckwell, who went public with his support for the ANU in 2013 and again in 2016, said he had been encouraged to speak about it publicly because the best way to develop momentum in philanthropy was to make it known large gestures were possible and worthwhile.

"It's absolutely fantastic what Twiggy and Nicola are doing, just sensational, there's no other word for it ... we haven't seen that before," he said.
Border Force commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg said it was "almost inconceivable" that the April 9 event, in which a group of asylum seekers "imported" a boy under 10 into the compound, did not inflame tensions between detainees and the Manus community.

But the head of the Australian Border Force strongly backed Mr Dutton's view that the incident "contributed"  and, in fact, was "correlated"  to the Good Friday rampage five days later in which drunken PNG soldiers opened fire on the compound.

An alleged incident involving a boy being "led" into the Manus Island refugee compound was not referred to Papua New Guinea police until four days after Immigration Minister Peter Dutton sensationally raised it in a television interview.

Such tensions had been escalating for 12 months, he told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday. PNG locals were increasingly concerned about refugees' "encroachment" on PNG defence force facilities, as well as lewd, sexualised and "generally disrespectful" comments towards women, and "bartering and exchanging local goods for sex", he said.

"We're not investigating": Australian Border Force commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In Mr Quaedvlieg's view, the incident involving the boy not only contributed to unease, but "was correlated to the Good [Friday] event". But he revealed it was not referred to PNG police until April 24, 15 days after it happened and four days after Mr Dutton implied it had sparked the Good Friday shooting.

However, Mr Quaedvlieg said "the referral process was under way" from the day of the incident, when the boy's mother was asked if she wanted it brought to police attention. "She said yes and it was," he told the hearing.

Secrecy has shrouded the April 14 rampage and its roots, but new details emerged on Monday, including an acknowledgment from assistant commissioner Kingsley Woodford-Smith that nine people were injured, comprising five contractors, two detainees, a PNG soldier and an immigration officer.
Catholic education authorities are short-changing needy schools by up to $1.5 million a year to help keep fees low at schools in wealthy areas in Sydney and Melbourne, government data reveals.

The release of the previously secret Department of Education data comes as the peak body representing independent Christian schools called on the Catholic sector to stop campaigning against the government and support its school funding "breakthrough".

The Turnbull government will introduce its school funding changes into the House of Representatives for debate on Tuesday.
A large crowd of students walked out of the Notre Dame commencement ceremony on Sunday in protest of the speaker, Vice President Mike Pence, who delivered a speech that mixed platitudes about bright, dream-filled futures with a lengthy rebuke of political correctness on college campuses.

As several dozen students in caps and gowns quietly exited the graduation ceremony, the vice president praised Notre Dame, one of the nation's most prominent Catholic universities, as "a vanguard of freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas." Other schools do not measure up, he said.

"While this institution has maintained an atmosphere of civility and open debate, far too many campuses across America have become characterised by speech codes, safe zones, tone policing, administration-sanctioned political correctness - all of which amounts to nothing less than suppression of the freedom of speech," he said. "These all-too-common practices are destructive of learning and the pursuit of knowledge, and they are wholly outside the America tradition."

The protest began as Pence began his remarks at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, where degrees were conferred on 2081 students. Online video of the ceremony showed a large number of young people filing out of the stadium as the vice president began to congratulate the graduates and their families. Around them, the audience erupted into a mixture of boos and applause.
Five mystery objectors stand in the way of the release of emails that shed light on how residential colleges at Sydney University feel about a review into their sometimes controversial culture.

Fairfax Media revealed on Saturday that Australia's oldest university had refused access to correspondence between the colleges and their officials with university top brass over the so-called Broderick review into college culture.

A redacted email sent to vice-chancellor Michael Spence.

The vast bulk of the nearly 190 pages from some 130 emails identified in the application and released to the Herald under freedom of information laws was redacted.

Amongst the information redacted were the identities of three correspondents in 10 emails exchanged with the university's chancellor Belinda Hutchinson, vice chancellor Michael Spence and the review's head Elizabeth Broderick.
Devastated friends of a teenager who died when his ute slammed into a fence in Sydney's west overnight have remembered him as a young man who would "do anything in the world for his mates".

Nathan Balzano, 19, was driving along Ninth Avenue at Llandilo, near Penrith, just before 8pm on Monday when he lost control of his ute and slammed into a fence, which had been erected at a construction site on the semi-rural road.

Nathan Balzano, 19, died in the crash in Llandilo. Credit:Facebook

The impact crushed the front of the P-plater's vehicle and left car parts scattered over the road.

Residents who heard the smash immediately phoned emergency services, who arrived at the scene within minutes.
The Sydney gateway connecting WestConnex to the city's airport and port will be one of the last pieces of the $16.8 billion project to be built because it is "logical" for it to coincide with completion of the M4-M5 motorway link, an inquiry has heard.

The so-called gateway was one of the original justifications for WestConnex but there remain few substantial details on its likely final shape years after the government committed to the controversial motorway project.

Salary issue was "clouding conversations around WestConnex": Dennis Cliche. Credit:Nic Walker

As part of a broader transport plan, the government is considering duplicating the rail line that runs from Port Botany and past the northern boundary of Sydney Airport to the city's west.

That will have a bearing on the shape of the Sydney gateway and is likely to require parts of the existing rail freight line to be shifted which, in turn, could lead to compulsory property acquisitions and a major escalation in the cost.
A review of laws designed to crack down on misbehaving pubs and clubs is being kept under wraps by the NSW government, despite Parliament being asked to consider significant changes and an extract being provided to a Sydney hotel baron.

A bill introduced by Racing Minister Paul Toole winds back key aspects of the "three strikes" law under which pubs face the loss of their licence for serious breaches under the Liquor Act. For clubs, the ultimate penalty is the removal of a licensee.

The changes before Parliament include removing the automatic nature of a first strike for a breach as well as reducing the types of breaches attracting a strike.

As well, while presently a strike remains in place for three years, the bill allows a venue's licensee to appeal to the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority after six months to have it removed for good behaviour.
Tegan Miller had just moved to Sydney to live with her best friend and was "excited for the fun to begin", when she was hit and killed by a minibus after pulling over to change a flat tyre.

The Central Coast woman had moved to North Sydney from Woy Woy a day before she was killed at Crows Nest in the early hours of Sunday, just minutes from her new home.

Earlier this month, Ms Miller, 24, expressed her excitement on Facebook about moving to Sydney.

"WE GOT THE HOUSE!! We're officially roommates and moving to Sydney! ..Excited is an understatement!! Living with people who I love is going to be amazing and I can't wait for the fun to begin!!"
A former Lorna Jane manager who is suing the gymwear company over fat-shaming allegations has a borderline personality disorder that makes her highly sensitive and prone to holding grudges, a psychologist has told a court.

The Brisbane District Court heard on Monday that Dr Ursula Oertel's assessment of Amy Robinson found her to be "extremely sensitive with interactions with others, quick to feel she is being treated inequitably, and tends to hold a grudge even if the perceived affront is unintentional".

Former Lorna Jane employee Amy Robinson. Credit:Facebook / Amy Robinson

Ms Robinson is suing for $550,000 over claims she suffered psychiatric injuries after being belittled over her appearance.

AAP
A 12-year-old boy has been charged after a Gold Coast business was robbed on Monday evening.

Police will allege the boy threatened a staff member at an Upper Coomera business with a knife and demanded money just after 9pm.

A man threatened a shop attendant with a fence paling in Chermside overnight.

The boy ran from the store with the stolen cash before he was found a short time later at a nearby home.

The boy has been charged with one count of armed robbery.
A man has been rushed to hospital after his leg was crushed by a concrete slab in a workplace incident on the Gold Coast.

Paramedics were called to Mortensen Road at Nerang just after 7.30am after a report a 55-year-old man was trapped under a concrete slab on a work site.

The man's leg was crushed when a concrete slab fell from a crane. Credit:Nine News Brisbane

A Workplace Health and Safety spokesman said initial inquiries suggested a 1.7 concrete fence panel was being lifted by a loading crane when it fell and crushed the man's right lower leg.
A woman suing Lorna Jane over allegations of fat-shaming had a lengthy history of psychiatric issues before she started working for the activewear company, a court has heard.

Amy Robinson is seeking $550,000 over claims she suffered psychiatric injuries after being belittled over her appearance while working for Lorna Jane at the Brisbane airport DFO from July to December 2012.

Former Lorna Jane DFO employee Amy Robinson is suing the women's active-wear chain. Credit:Facebook / Amy Robinson

She also claims she was forced to do unfair hours by her area supervisor.

The Brisbane District Court heard evidence on Monday Ms Robinson had borderline personality disorder that made it difficult for her to work with other people, and she likely exaggerated or lied about the extent of her suffering to a psychologist.
The rules relating to the deductibility of business losses differs depending on the type of business structure used. When individuals run a business, either as a sole trader or a partnership, one of the four non-commercial loss tests must be passed. These tests do not apply to other business structures such as companies and family trusts.

When a business is operated through a company losses can be offset against other income of the company. When a company only makes losses, and these are carried forward over a number of years, one of two tests must be passed before the losses can be offset against that future income.

You need to consider the family control test.

They are the continuity of ownership test and the same business test. To meet the continuity of ownership test there cannot be change of more than 50 per cent in the ownership and control of the company. If this test is not passed, as long as the company is still operating the same type of business, the losses can be claimed.

Q. I have a family trust that suffered business losses. I am changing the type of business from car repairing to hiring staff to do courier work. I am sure to make a profit but am changing the name slightly because of the change of "business type". Can I still claim a business loss if I am changing the type of business?
Dr Keith Bannister discovered FRB 170107. Credit:CSIRO Dr Jean-Pierre Macquart from Curtin University, the co-author of the study, said it was unclear what FRBs are but that "the universe has more imagination than we do". The bursts of radio waves are somewhat similar to that emitted by pulsars - the dense, rotating neutron star remnants of large stars. However, these lighthouses of the universe rotate with near atomic clock accuracy, sending a repeating signal out like a rapid metronome. The radio wave signal of fast radio burst FRB 170107, detected at the CSIRO-operated telescope ASKAP. Fast radio bursts, however, appear to be one-off events - except for one example that emits radio waves with no discernible pattern.

While some have speculated these huge bursts of energy could be evidence of advanced alien civilisations, no one takes this particularly seriously. Dr Jean-Pierre Macquart of Curtin University/ICRAR. Credit:John Goldsmith So what does Dr Bannister think they are? "I try not to have an opinion on this because you never know when the universe is prepared to make a fool of you," he said.

"It must be very different from the sorts of things we've seen before." One theory is that FRBs are flares caused by magnetars - highly magnetised pulsars - interacting with some sort of debris or other objects, accounting for their one-off or irregular energy emissions. Dr Evan Keane from Jodrell Bank radio observatory in Britain said there are possibly two types - young magnetars and perhaps neutron stars forming black holes. Dr Bannister worked with Dr Macquart using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia to detect the FRB. The discovery of "FRB 170107" after such a short survey means ASKAP is likely to emerge as the world leader in the hunt for fast radio bursts.

"It's the best instrument in the world to hunt for FRBs," Dr Bannister said, adding that since their discovery they have found two more FRBs using ASKAP. The discovery happened using just eight of the telescope's 36 interconnected radio receivers. The fact it took just four days to find supports the idea that these events are common. "We can expect to find one every two or three days when we use 12 dishes," Dr Bannister said. Dr Macquart said the next step will be to determine more exactly where the FRBs are. This study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on Tuesday, narrowed the location of FRB 170107 down to an area of the sky about a tenth the size of a full moon.

"That's not accurate enough to determine what galaxy it came from," Dr Macquart said. "So we can't be sure how far away it is." He said that the real strength of ASKAP was that it can provide data from 36 separate dishes, allowing for more accurate measurements of radio burst locations. "This really puts us in the box seat. It's something that no other telescope in the world can do." Dr Keane, who was not connected to the study, said that ASKAP should start to "rake in" FRB sightings once fully operational. "I get my data from Parkes, which has a field of vision of 0.55 square degrees and that's seen as excellent. ASKAP has 160 square degrees of vision."
A child infected with the highly contagious measles virus arrived in Melbourne on a flight from Indonesia last weekend, authorities warn.

The three-year-old unvaccinated child arrived on Garuda Indonesia flight GA 716, from Jakarta, which landed at Tullamarine on Saturday, May 13 at 9.20am.

The child, who had contracted measles while overseas, was admitted to hospital on Saturday, May 20 and is recovering, a Health Department spokesman said.

The Department is warning other passengers from the flight to remain alert to the signs and symptoms of measles, which can have an incubation period of up to 18 days.
A man charged over a violent brawl in Wangaratta on the weekend, that has left another man fighting for his life, was granted bail for an alleged firearm offence days before.

It is understood the 27-year-old had been released by a bail justice after police allegedly caught him with a gun in a nearby town late last week.

The aftermath of the bloody brawl in White Street, Wangaratta. Credit:Shana Morgan, Border Mail

After the latest incident in Wangaratta, the man was charged on Sunday night with recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault and committing an indictable offence whilst on bail.

It comes after he breached bail in 2016, breaking curfew because "he needed a feed" at McDonald's, the Wangaratta Chronicle reported.
The impact buckled one side of the tram, forcing it several metres off its tracks, and tipped the truck on its side causing it to leak fuel. A possible signal fault could be to blame for the crash, with witness accounts suggesting both vehicles had a green light. Police are yet to determine if either driver was at fault, with Senior Sergeant Stephen Wilson from Melbourne Highway Patrol saying officers were investigating which vehicle had a green light. "We don't know the actual cause of the collision at this stage, we're still investigating that," he said. "We've got multiple witnesses that have come forward with information, we'll take those statements.



"Obviously somebody has gone through a red light, whether it be the tram or truck we don't know, but we will work that out as the statements come through."

He said the outcome could have been a lot worse. "Given the impact, and if you have a look at the damage to the truck and tram and the severity of the derailment, we are very, very lucky." "We've got some people that have been very fortunate the injuries are what they are." Yarra Trams said route 58 trams automatically trigger a green light at the tram stop before crossing Elliott Avenue. The Parkville intersection has a history of nasty collisions between trams and heavy vehicles. A tram and a delivery truck loaded with beer kegs smashed into each other at the same spot in January 2015.

"It's a black spot," Phil Altieri, secretary of the tram division of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, said. "We had a really bad one there with a CUB truck a couple of years ago and that [tram] driver is still not driving." A young man who freed the truck driver from the wreckage said the injured man was not to blame. Cable hauler Saul McCausland, 21, was on his way to a job and was driving behind the soil truck. He said the lights in the intersection were green. "The tram must have malfunctioned. The truck driver was not at fault," he said. Elliott Avenue was closed in both directions for much of the day, but reopened about 4pm to the relief of peak-hour commuters. Route 58 trams resumed shortly after 6pm.

'There was glass everywhere' Passenger Kendish Soodin was among 46 people on board the tram, but said he didn't realise what was going on when the crash occurred because he had earphones on. "Everyone was shouting and screaming, there was glass everywhere, people were bleeding, but I think no one sort of realised what had happened," he told ABC radio. Passengers are treated by paramedics at a triage area after the crash. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Photos from the scene showed the tram's windows were broken by the force of the smash and the floor of the tram covered in glass and the dirt the truck was transporting. Ruth Hansen told reporters at the scene she was "freaked out" by the ordeal. "I can't believe nobody has died," she said. Broken glass and dirt filled the tram after the crash. Credit:Sam Hodgson Passenger Sam told Fairfax Media the accident happened "really quick".

"I was standing in the back of the tram in the back doorway. I had music on so I was just on my phone when I felt the tram start to stutter, like the tram brakes had been slammed. "I noticed the front of the tram was veering off the tracks and going toward the park. I held on and got bounced around a bit." "I just saw a couple of people with minor cuts, one woman had a cut on her cheek. "The tram driver sat at the front of the tram and was just holding his heart the whole time. I think he was in a bit of shock." Dozens were injured in the crash. Credit:Chris Hopkins

The tram driver was seen lying next to tram with a defibrillator after reportedly complaining of chest pain following the crash, but his condition is unknown. Fourteen passengers were taken to hospital, including three to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, four to St Vincent's Hospital, four to The Alfred hospital and three to Footscray Hospital. The remaining injured did not need further treatment. Loading At least six passengers had been discharged from hospital by 5pm on Monday.
Trams collided with cars on Melbourne's network more than 200 times in the first quarter of this year, continuing the rise in crashes with motor vehicles over the past five years.

Just hours after Monday's tram crash in Parkville, Transport Safety Victoria released its latest report on collisions in Melbourne.

It found there were 221 crashes between trams and cars in the first three months of this year  slightly down on the same period last year but 6 per cent higher than 2015.

But it also showed a rise in the number of passengers, Yarra Trams employees and others being seriously injured on the tram network. For the first quarter of this year, there was a 46 per cent increase compared to the same period two years ago.
Notes from the ministers' meeting revealed the boy and his family had since been relocated by the Housing Authority after they received vigilante threats from community members. "Provision of education has involved the student and his siblings being relocated, with the siblings being enrolled in another WA public school and the offender to be provided an education program at an engagement centre, separated from other students and under constant supervision," it read. Chaired by education minister Sue Ellery, the meeting also revealed another complex case of a child sex offender never previously reported. It detailed the difficulty the state government faced to ensure a child's statutory right to an education was upheld, while still protecting the broader community. The boy, who was in detention at the time of the meeting, once released would require the location of his education be kept a secret and due to the "level of danger" he would be transferred to and from the education facility by police.

"Emergency planning if the site became known and was approached / entered by a community member" and "safety concerns for staff delivering his educational program" were highlighted during the meeting as highly problematic issues. The case was described as being extremely resource intensive with the state government noting its capacity to provide the same level of planning for multiple similar cases was "very limited". Current laws which protect juvenile offenders' identities mean a child is able to return to school following a serious sexual assault charge or conviction without an assessment or any clinical intervention. The omission was deemed inappropriate during the ministers' meeting, as it meant the risk the student presented to other students was not determined or discussed with teachers. Alternative schooling options for child sex offenders in WA were described during the meeting as limited, mostly due to the intensive resources required to carry out individual teaching options.

The School of Isolated and Distance Education was touted as an option that would allow child sex offenders to be home-schooled, similar to students who live in remote areas of WA. However many of the children convicted of sexual crimes do not have suitable supervision at home to carry out this option and instead would likely be required to attend a small specialised engagement centre or undergo individual tuition at a location where there are no other children. In the instance of the 11-year-old boy who was charged with sexually assaulting an eight-year-old, the Perth Children's Court had previously ordered he attend school as part of his bail conditions. Meanwhile another 17-year-old boy who sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy who attended the same school was sentenced to a 12 month intensive supervision order in February. The order required he also attend school.

His victim has been accused of going on to sexually abuse a nine-year-old boy and is due to face court on Tuesday. Both boys were removed from their school following a public outcry from parents after their offences and alleged offences became publicly known and parents kept their children home in protest. "Predominantly the offenders (or alleged) have bail conditions that prevent them from having contact with other children except for when in school (where most children are all day)," the minister's meeting notes revealed. "Bail conditions applied to school-aged young people can compromise the safety of other children. "Meeting those conditions in a manner that ensures the safety of other children can impose considerable strain on a school's resources, most often requiring individual constant supervision.

"With older children, safety of staff is also a potential issue, particularly if the department is prevented from informing them." Ms Ellery, who inherited much of the public's outcry on the school safety issue when she was sworn in as education minister in March, has vowed to improve the management of sex offenders at schools. "The education department has been working with police, child protection, corrective services, and the attorney general to set up a new notification process," she said. "We will release our proposal and key recommendations soon." Keep our Communities Safe spokeswoman Georgie Elle said any changes to the notification process would not be enough to protect children from sex offenders.

"Nearly every parent I've spoken to feels like none of these people should be in schools," she said. "When the minister has a policy in place that says this is to minimise the risk, I guess parents feel like you acknowledge that there's a risk, remove the risk, you shouldn't have to manage the risk. "How do you manage grooming?" Ms Elle is advocating for alleged and convicted sex offenders to be educated away from the broader school population, claiming principals and teachers often weren't equipped to deal with the issue. During the ministers' meeting, the state government conceded the situation was a catch 22, whereby parents expected to be informed about risks at their child's school, but privacy and legal implications limited how much information could be shared.
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Its 40 years old and dancing strong.

The countrys largest festival of African dance will return to the Brooklyn Academy of Music this month to celebrate its 40th anniversary. This years Dance Africa Festival, starting on May 26, has the theme The Healing Light of Rhythm: Tradition and Beyond, will honor both the past and the present, looking at the origins of traditional dances and also showcasing what is happening in the dance world now, said the festivals artistic director.

We are celebrating the power of the traditional African dance as well as the contemporary voice of the diaspora, said Abdel R. Salaam. People will not only be entertained but be empowered by the experiences, and that is our the focus of program.

This years show will feature a new twist  a collaborative performance between three dance companies, all of whom have performed at the Festival in previous years. The three groups  Bedford-Stuvesants Asase Yaa, Forces of Nature, and Illstyle and Peace Productions  will combine forces to present The Healing Sevens, a multi-genre piece that combines of hip-hop, African, contemporary, and modern dances. This combination dance, which will take up the first half of the evening, will also feature a rhythm that strays from the usual musical measurements, said the director of Asase Yaa.

It involves a lot of different things  we took traditional African rhythms and put a twist on them, and were doing all in of our rhythms in sevens, said Kofi Osei Williams,

The healing portion of this years theme will be highlighted in a performance from Guinean dance group Wula Dance and Drum Ensemble, with a piece in response to lives lost or destroyed by violence.

The second half of the show focuses on healing in the community and makes some choreo-commentary on gun violence within not just inner cities but at large, said Salaam. I wanted to do something to focus on the healing of our young men because I think our young men need a lot of support and focus, so this year we going to attempt to send this message that we need to work together to make this world better for all of us.

The festival, the longest-running one at the Brooklyn Academy of music, has evolved of the years, adding theater and storytelling elements to pure dance performances, said Salaam.

I added an element of theater and shifted it somewhat, he said. Being a choreographer and artistic director who is impassioned by story and dance, theater adds more of that and provides a more creative festival.

The festivals founding director Chuck Davis, better known as Baba Chuck, passed away recently, on May 14. His dedication to the festival is and work connecting it to the Brooklyn community allowed it to last for so long, said Williams  and his work will continue.

Baba Chuck Davis is very big influence for us and he taught us a lot about African culture and dance. The show is here because of the words he lived by, he said. DanceAfrica is one of the biggest African shows in the world and it always raises the bar to show people how to celebrate African culture.

DanceAfrica Festival at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House [30 Lafayette Ave between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street in Fort Greene, (718) 6364100, www.bam.org. May 26 at 7:30 pm, May 27 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and May 2829 at 3 pm. $25.
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The rumors are true! Former Sunset Park Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez is looking to take back her seat.

Gonzalez  who already has $49,145 in her war chest without having officially announced her campaign  won a special election in 2002 and served 10 years in the Council until freshman Councilman Carlos Menchaca (DSunset Park) ousted her in a 2013 primary upset. He then went on to win the 2013 general election.

But after a nearly four-year break from City Hall, Gonzalez says shes ready to get back to politics and support the community  which she says has come to her for help.

People kept calling me and coming to me. I continue to do a lot of the community work. Im very in-touch with the community. Theyre not happy with whatever is being offered or being done today, said Gonzalez during a phone call on May 16. The community has reached out to me, so everyone is obviously not content, everyone is not feeling that they have a leader they want to continue to have.

Getting unseated as an incumbent was a blow to Gonzalez, but shes learned from that experience and is eager to jump back in, she said, and plans to make a formal campaign launch in the next few weeks.

I think sometimes in life you kind of learn from your experiences. Losing was not something I was excited about but, you know, it gave me a chance to breathe, she said. Im putting my campaign together and I have a lot of folks that genuinely care and want to do this, and Im moving forward. Im excited.

Despite having served two four-year terms  in addition to two years after filling the empty seat during a special election  Gonzalez can still go on to serve another two terms, because the term-limit law only applies to consecutive terms, according to a spokeswoman for City Hall.

But not so fast, said a spokesman for Menchacas campaign. Menchaca unseated Gonzalez for a reason, and the loss must have sent her into hiding because shes only coming out now to run again.

Sara Gonzalez was perennially absent for the decade she was in the City Council, despite voting to give herself a third term. Now, after four years of being invisible, Sara is calling on her real-estate and special interest friends after Democrats resoundingly rejected her, said Matthew Rey. Carlos Menchaca has an unimpeachable record as a citywide leader who is standing up for his community and Immigrants, and Carlos will continue to be a strong progressive voice against President Trump and the super-wealthy special interests.

Menchaca officially announced his re-election bid on May 13 and currently has $83,439 in his campaign coffers. Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (DSunset Park) is also rumored to be mulling a run against him in the September primary.

  

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (DMidwood), who has repeatedly accused Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour of being a terrorism propagandist and terrorist advocate, proudly recalls and defends his time as a member of the radical right-wing group, the Jewish Defense League, according to the Huffington Post, which reported that he was a high-ranking member of the FBI-deemed terrorist organization in the 1970s.

Hikind has been calling on the City University of New York to rescind its invitation to Sarsour to speak at its June 1 commencement for the School of Public Health, and has been calling out the Muslim Bay Ridgite for supporting violence and terrorism on Twitter nearly daily since April 21.

But in a letter to the HuffPost and now shared with this paper, Hikind says he was proud to be part of the Jewish Defense League, which was founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane of Brooklyn in 1968 and described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a radical organization that preaches a violent form of anti-Arab, Jewish nationalism.

Over 43 years ago, I was very proud to be part of the Jewish Defense League. After all, the notion of Jews standing up for themselves was still rather novel to some who preferred when Jews didnt, said Hikind in the letter. I came late to the organization but was gratified to work on behalf of Soviet Jewry, Syrian Jewry, fighting anti-Semitism and helping the Jewish poor. These were the days of the Civil Rights movement and people everywhere were awakening to the necessity of getting involved.

And Hikind was an active member of the group during many of the years it was responsible for several bombings, shootings, and attacks nationwide, according to the HuffPost, as recorded by the Anti Defamation League.

The hypocrisy in Hikinds rhetoric is disturbing, especially for a man who once wore blackface, said Councilman Jumaane Williams (DMidwood), who has called out the long-time state pol for ignoring the injustices of other communities, especially those of color.

I think it goes to my basic point of the hypocrisy behind a lot of this. I sent a tweet just reminding folks of his blackface and obviously theres issues around him in particular and thoughts about him in the black community for years, said Williams. It seems to me a lot of the people who are most ardent about calling Linda these things are the same people who dont speak up for equity and many other justices occurring.

And again, Williams called for peace and leadership among all the pols.

Thats my hope is that folks will just cool down and calm down and Linda will get her speech as she should, he said.

  

Former Sheepshead Bay Councilman Mike Nelson officially endorsed his successor, Councilman Chaim Deutsch (DSheepshead Bay) on May 14, after suspiciously showing up at a fund-raiser for his rumored challenger Kalman Yeger two weeks before.

But Yeger, who is still undeclared, has already outraised the incumbent with $84,615 in his campaign coffers. Deutsch has $73,640 in his war chest, according to city records.
Bay Ridge and Staten Island assemblywoman and New York City mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis met with the editors of Community News Group and NYC Community Media at our office Downtown on May 18 to discuss her campaign to unseat Mayor DeBlasio in November. During wide-ranging discussion, Malliotakis  who has amassed $94,624 in her war chest since announcing her campaign less than a month ago and has the backing of the states Conservative Party  had a lot to say about her disagreements with Hizzoner, including his stance on destroying information obtained by those applying for the citys identification cards, undocumented immigrants, closing the Rikers Island jail, how he handles the citys failing transit system, quality of life issues, and homelessness.

Transportation

Malliotakis claimed Mayor DeBlasios is incompetent when dealing with the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which she said can never get a job done on time or on budget, citing the Second Avenue Subway as an example. If elected mayor, she would ensure her representatives on the MTAs board would fight for the city, and not just rubberstamp everything put in front of them:

Transportation is one of my biggest issues. Im someone who has been very vocal against the MTA and the Port Authority. These projects, theres no excuse for a project being $6-billion over budget, and 10 years over schedule. If I had four members at the MTA, I would make sure they are challenging the status quo, that they are trying to get to the bottom of why all this mismanagement is taking place and really looking to make some serious changes. But also I vote with respect to holding the MTA accountable. Ive voted against increasing the MTA debt limit repeatedly, as long as they continue to be a runaway train, we will never be able to lower tolls and fares or at least keep them flat. The subways, how crowded the trains are, many of them dont come on schedule.

Identification cards

Malliotakis also challenged Hizzoners promise to destroy records obtained through New York Citys identification card program because she believes it could lead to public safety problems. But the seven-year state legislator said she agrees with the premise of the program and would reason with the Feds if they came knocking on City Halls door for the records, instead of just handing them over.

We should not be destroying city records, period. You dont go get a drivers license and destroy all the records. Its not what government should be doing. I dont believe that the federal government would request those records, but we would negotiate that. We would definitely sit down with them and tell them the reasons why we dont want to see individuals who have been here contributing to our society a long time deported if they have not committed a crime, but we would certainly comply with detainer requests for individuals who have committed crimes. I also think that as a Republican, I would be best positioned to negotiate with this administration.

The sanctuary city

Malliotakis said she disagrees with DeBlasios stance on shielding illegal immigrants who committed minor crimes from federal authorities, claiming she favored the policy of former Democratic Mayor Ed Koch, who had a dont ask, dont tell policy when it came to illegal immigrants seeking city services.

He believes we should not be complying with federal detainer requests in the incidence of individuals who commit crimes like grand larceny, sexual abuse, forcible touching, patronizing a child for prostitution, identity theft, welfare fraud  all crimes in which the city will not comply with detainer requests. I have to make the distinction because I am the daughter of immigrants and I understand the aspirations of the American dream and I understand that we are a compassionate city who has welcomed immigrants from all over the world as my parents were able to come to this city and create a better life for themselves. Now we have had policy in this city going back to Ed Koch that says if youre here and youre undocumented but you come forward to a city agency, we are not going to ask you your status, and that was put in place to incentivize victims of crimes to come forward to report those crimes. We want that to continue that policy.

Quality of life issues

Malliotakis also brought up many quality of life issues she said impacted her constituents in Brooklyn and in Staten Island, including how many women dont feel safe while walking the streets of the city due to a recent uptick in sexual assaults.

He can tout crime is low but if you look at the murder rates, its actually the same, its been flat since Bloomberg left  rape and sex crimes are up 15 percent. So I think women in this city generally dont feel safe especially walking around at night in different communities. I know I dont feel safe when Im walking alone down a street in the city.

Illegal home conversions

Illegal home conversions, in which homes are illegally converted from one- or two-family homes to those housing many more people, is one of the biggest development issues facing Brooklyn today, Malliotakis said, especially in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.

In Brooklyn you see a lot of illegal conversions. The laws are not being enforced with the Department of Buildings so those are issues that I think need to be addressed. They are not enforcing the laws when it comes to the DOB in regards to illegal conversations, which is adding even more congestion because you have multiple families living in a one-family house.

Homelessness

Malliotakis added that DeBlasios wasnt tackling homelessness at its root, she said, instead deciding to build shelters across the city in neighborhoods where nobody wants them.

Theres an obvious problem when you walk through the city and you see poor individuals who are sleeping on the street and they have an underlying issue, whether its domestic violence, substance abuse, whether its mental illness, whether they are a veteran or [have] PTSD  whatever the issues are I think its very important we try to be a little more proactive in finding out. What are the core problems so we can help them address  we cannot allow the subway station to become a homeless shelter and his answer is just to build 90 homeless shelters across the city instead of trying to help these people either remain in their homes to begin with or try to address the underlying issues. But certainly the idea of building 90 homeless shelters across the city will be heavily rejected by the communities and I dont think that thats what people feel the solution should be.

Rikers Island

Malliotakis also took umbrage with DeBlasios pledge to close Rikers  she believes its possible to reform the current system. And she thinks the mayor shouldnt stand behind Department of Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte, who she thinks isnt doing his job.

Rikers Island is a mess, everybody knows it. And this mayor says that his commissioner is doing a great job. Hes still defending his commissioner even after the commissioner says hes going to resign. If hes doing such a great job then why do we need to close Rikers Island and build jails in all the communities across the city? We have 10 jails in Rikers Island, why cant we just reform those jails and make them more humane for the inmates, try to make them safer. Whatever you were going to do in the boroughs with those five jails lets just do it, revamp the 10 jails that are already there and do something to make it better. I dont think anyones going to want a jail in their neighborhood.

Gender equality

And the editors of Gay City News and Chelsea Now got into a heated debate with Malliotakis over how someone who voted against the states Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act could ask for votes from the LGBTQ community. The bill passed in the Assembly in 2007 despite her no vote, but has never come to the floor in the Republican-controlled Senate. Malliotakis said she agrees with the bill, but voted against it because of its wording.

I feel that it was a loophole  the way its written, I really have no issue with the overall bill but what Ive expressed to the groups that have come to see me, is the way its written, it gives an individual a defense to say I was somewhere because of their identity. I feel like there needs to be some type of component that does not allow that to be used as a criminal defense should they be using it to exploit the law. I believe that there is a loophole in the law that allows it to be exploited for individuals who want to exploit the law to commit a type of sex crime and thats my belief.
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A Bay Ridge man shot himself in the head after a heated argument with his son on May 18.

The 63-year-old man and his son had a screaming match in his 71st Street apartment near Third Avenue at 7 pm, according to police.

After the fiery exchange, the senior pulled out a gun and said, You want to get rid of me? Ok, and shot himself in the right temple, according to a community affairs officer with the 68th Precinct.

Friends and neighbors embraced the mans distraught son outside the victims home, an eyewitness said.

Police later discovered a note in the mans apartment, suggesting that the Bay Ridgite had been contemplating suicide for some time, according to a police spokesman.

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs, or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 2738255; and take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
Bucks Democrats expect to have majority in state House

Democrats expect to gain one more seat in state Senate, but still be in minority there.
State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) presented a check to Yardley Borough Police Chief Joseph Kelly for $68,600 for the purchase of a new police vehicle and motorcycle during a visit to the station. Our police put themselves on the line every day to keep our community safe, said Sen. Santarsiero. Dating back to when I was a Lower Makefield Township Supervisor more than...
June in Buffalo invites composers from Norwegian Academy of Music for 2017 festival

David Felder, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Music and Birge-Cary chair in music composition at UB, has directed June in Buffalo since 1985.

Recent partnerships help maintain the groundbreaking festivals position as leader in field of new music

Thats so satisfying. I love being around high-level performers. To be able to share my excitement and my vision with all these younger people is a great experience.

BUFFALO, N.Y.  June in Buffalo, the University at Buffalos internationally celebrated new music festival that helped establish UB as a creative center for music, will take place June 5-11 at various locations on the universitys North Campus.

The festival is an exciting opportunity for audiences to hear new compositions receiving in many cases their first public performance while also serving as a learning experience for an emerging generation of composers who meet with the established leaders in the field of contemporary musical expression.

That mentoring-performance model, responsible in part for June in Buffalos reputation as a globally respected signature event, has served as a model for similar festivals around the world, inspiring more than 50 imitators worldwide, according to David Felder, a SUNY Distinguished Professor of Music and Birge-Cary chair in music composition at UB, who has directed June in Buffalo since 1985.

Yet none of the other festivals have been able to approach the level of performance that weve presented over the years, says Felder, who is widely regarded as one of the leading composers of his generation.

The competition has moved Felder to continually develop June in Buffalo to maintain its high visibility. In Felders hands, the festivals structure is as inventive as its musical offerings. And this year, June in Buffalo adds a new component to its program in the form of two collaborations.

The first collaboration will feature two composers from the Norwegian Academy of Music.

Eivind Buene, whose work has been performed at Carnegie Hall and Berliner Philharmonie joins Henrik Hellstensius, a professor of composition at the conservatory.

Two performance ensembles from Norway are also part of this years June in Buffalo.

The Cikada Trio will perform Monday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m. in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall. The Bifrost Ensemble will be in Slee Hall on Tuesday, June 6, for a 7:30 p.m. performance.

A complete schedule of June in Buffalo performances is online: http://music21c.buffalo.edu/june-in-buffalo/concert-schedule/

The other collaboration will be an on-going relationship with Frances Royaumont Festival.

Each year, the two festivals will select two students who attend each event. Adrien Trybucki is this years Royaumont representative. June in Buffalo representative this year is UBs Presidential Fellow composer/conductor Matthew Chamberlain.

June in Buffalo is a multilayered creative experience that combines world-class performances of new works with intense workshops, lectures and master classes.

Each year, the programs invited senior composers mentor a younger generation of peers who arrive for June in Buffalo through a highly competitive selection process.

Weve had an enormous impact on the field, says Felder. There have been nearly 1,000 composers who have been a part of June in Buffalo since Morton Feldman founded the festival in 1975  and those young composers from years past are now sending their students.

Thats so satisfying, he says. I love being around high-level performers. To be able to share my excitement and my vision with all these younger people is a great experience.
Customers at a Shropshire-based builders merchant will now be spoilt for choice thanks to the launch of a new kitchen and bathroom showroom.

The TG Dream Kitchens and Bathrooms showroom has been unveiled at TG Builders Merchants, in Maesbury Road, Oswestry, and will employ three full-time staff.

General Manager Mark Evans said customers could now explore 10 full-sized kitchen displays and 10 full-sized bathroom displays in the 220 sq m store.

Our aim was to create a showroom that gave customers the opportunity to see some of our products and accessories in a relaxed and realistic setting. Sometimes its difficult to imagine what a range would look like in the home environment, so by creating 20 full-sized displays, its much easier for customers to picture our styles in their own home.

Mr Evans said the showroom was already proving extremely popular with customers, with the vast array of displays attracting a lot of attention.

Its creating a real buzz with our customers because in a more typical kitchen and bathroom showroom, you only see smaller parts of a display  but we wanted to give our customers an experience that sets us apart from other suppliers, and its proving to be a great success.

Mr Evans continued: Weve also introduced a new free service using the latest computer aided design software to help customers design their dream kitchen, which helps them to explore the opportunities before deciding on a purchase.

Were very proud of our new showroom, and were continually expanding the range of products on offer to give our customers the greatest possible range of choice.

Picture caption: Manager Ben Jones in the new TG Dream Kitchens and Bathrooms showroom in Oswestry.
Families need help: Donate and Give a Christmas

During the holiday season, in partnership with NJ 211, we are pleased to offer the Give a Christmas program to Burlington County residents.
Hot on the heels of their predecessors, these up-and-comers are fixing to stage a style coup. Buro 24/7 returns to our Russki roots to meet the four Next Big Things set to take over the global fashion scene.

In the fickle world of taste-making, a wave of Russian-born talent has proved to be the unassuming leaders in recent times. From Demna Gvasalia's subversive collections at Vetements followed by his appointment at French luxury house Balenciaga, his stylist muse Lotta Volkova and the Muscovite menswear wunderkind Gosha Rubchinskiy, much has been made of the new, lo-fi 'Post-Soviet' mood.





THE ROGUE EDITOR: Alexandra Gordienko, Marfa Journal

City of origin: Yekaterinburg

Currently based: Paris

Follow: @alexandragordienko

An influential stylist, photographer and journalist by her early twenties, Alexandra Gordienko has been a mainstay on the world's most discerning 'Ones to Watch' lists since her days matriculating at Central Saint Martins. Her graduate project-turned-revered art publication, Marfa Journal, has been described as, "pure burning creative energy packed in paper and a screaming manifesto of creative insanity," by indie bible Dazed.

Inspired by Marfa, the infamous art mecca in a Texan desert, it seems fitting that the namesake of Gordienko's publication should be at once left-of-centre and creatively magnetic.

The pages of Marfa Journal are filled with raw, at times provocative imagery curated 'by artists for artists' featuring disparate subjects such as Lindsay Lohan, Olivier Zahm, Odd Future, Karley Sciortino and Lana Del Rey (who was on the cover of issue #4).

"Marfa is a mix of loads of different things," Gordienko effervesces down the phone in her sing-song way. "It's about my friends, it's about arty things. It happens to be that my world is surrounded by super-talented people in design and fashion."

Soon, Marfa is about to be even more. "We did a book with [French luxury house] Courreges. We are working on a 'Marfa book' on the Swiss festival, Elevation 1049. We are going to be applying the aesthetic that was developed for Marfa and making books about people, events and things." First, Marfa; next, the world.

THE DESIGNER: Yulia Kondranina

City of origin: Moscow

Currently based: London

Follow: @yuliakondranina

If you've ever wondered how to set the fashion industry abuzz, take note of Yulia Kondranina: First, while you're still studying (helps if it's at an industry institution such as Central Saint Martins) turn down offers to work at Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy. Then, clap along with a crowd of tens of thousands as one of the pieces from your graduate collection winds up on stage at Glastonbury on Rita Ora and another out and about on Lady Gaga. Then, have your collection picked up by both Dover Street Market and Opening Ceremony in New York so that Kim Kardashian can buy one of your pieces - gasp! - straight off the rack. Before you can say "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky" - buzz achieved.

Often no more than 25 pieces, Kondranina's carefully edited collections have picked up a few more fans along the way, including British department store Selfridges.

Her styles are rounded, her shapes sculptural and proportions exaggerated to push the boundaries of femininity - reminiscent of a young Cristobal Balenciaga. Finished with couture dressmaking techniques, Kondranina has become known for her innovative hand. "I love hand-sewing and adding a human touch to my pieces," she explains, evidenced through the beaded seams of her jackets, the controlled fringing technique she invented for her graduation that has become a signature or her house-engineered knits and hand-felted needlework that feel as good as they look.

THE STYLIST: Valeria Semushina

City of origin: Tomsk

Currently based: Milan

Follow: @valeriasemu

Valeria Semushina's fascination with fashion formulas goes way back - all the way. "I was crazy for Barbie doll clothes," the Milan-based Russian explains. "Barbies were my first models."

Fast forward two decades via a stint at Italy's prestigious Istituto Marangoni, Semushina's fantasy play now takes the form of campaigns for Vetements and Matthew Williams's ALYX, as well as editorial for Vogue, Vanity Fair and Interview.

"I remember that I was a little skater/rapper kid first," Semushina says of her first fashion memories in one of Russia's oldest towns. "I had big DC shoes and oversized pants."

These days, her inspiration is just as everyday; "Cultures, people that I see every day, new designers and Japanese fashion," she lists, citing Gosha Rubchinskiy as one of her favourite designers. "He showed the world a completely different, gritty, underground side of Russian style that has become beautiful and famous all around the world,' adding, "Being Russian means that I think in a different way about fashion. [Russian style] is so particular with a strong identity. I can say that I'm really proud."

THE BUYER: Olga Karput

City of origin: Moscow

Currently based: Moscow

Follow: @okarput

Seven years ago, dreaming of a fashion revolution in Russia, Olga Karput opened her boutique Kuznetsky Most 20. "I believe that a concept store like ours reflects the current fashion process and also tries to predict the future when it comes to buying," the founder explains.

A favourite of Buro 24/7 founder, Miroslava Duma, the KM20 space doubles as a vegetarian cafe and draws a community of "all the coolest kids in town - business people, It-girls, fashionistas, editors."

Having opened the boutique with the exclusive Margiela Artisanal collection, Karput champions local designers such as Gosha Rubchinskiy (who she calls a close friend) as well as international heavyweights such as Raf Simons, and lists thigh-high boots as the Russian woman's essential item among her clientele. "Might be because we have really long legs," she laughs.

Karput describes the current fervour with the 'Post-Soviet aesthetic' as a nostalgic response of the people at the forefront of the movement and their Russian or USSR roots. "Most of this generation were a part of the Soviet Union, a poor country where people never had diversity of clothes," she explains. "At the moment, we all get nostalgic and inspired by our childhood times - and it seems like the rest of the world is responding to that, too."
Tata Sons has hired Saurabh Agrawal, currently strategy head with the Aditya Birla group, as the conglomerate's Chief Financial Officer reporting to the chairman, N Chandrasekaran. This is the first big ticket appointment made by Chandra after he took over as the group chairman early this year.
says it plans to revolutionise long- haul air travel in India.

Fighting bankruptcy only two years earlier, it plans a direct Delhi-London flight at a to-and-fro fare of Rs 30,000. The current rate for this is around Rs 45,000 and could be more during the peak season.

At its Gurgaon-based headquarters, planning is on for possible permutations and combinations. If all falls into place, the airline looks to start the route early next year.

We feel there is huge demand for this. As the country becomes richer, personal incomes increase and people want to travel, provided fares are affordable. Imagine the demand a fare of Rs 15,000 on the Delhi-London route will have, said Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director.

The airline says it is working to bring down the cost of operation, to enable low-ticket prices. It is thinking of a single class all-economy cabin, with less leg space. And, separately pricing each additional service like meals, on-board Wi-Fi, seat selection, priority boarding and privileged check-in.

Providing an all-economy configuration in a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will allow to increase the number of seats to around 350, as compared to 256 seats of Air India with a two-class cabin. Instead of the usual choice of operating to and from Heathrow, the idea is to do so from Gatwick, another airport serving London but where the charges are lower.

An airline has to make money while keeping fares low. We are looking at a bunch of steps through which we can bring down the cost of operating a seat while maximising the revenue. The common model includes food, beverage and Wi-Fi. Can we unbundle that and ask the passenger to pay for services?

I feel people will want to see it  you decide what you want to buy and pay for that, Singh says.

Sources say has sounded off lessors for a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

A wet lease is an arrangement in which the lessor provides an aircraft, along with the cockpit and cabin crew, and pays for its maintenance and insurance. The company which wet leases the plane pays by the hours it is operated. SpiceJet has the option of converting 50 aircraft of their recent mega order into widebody aircraft and we will exercise that in due time, Singh says.

Globally, long-haul operations for low-cost airlines (LCCs) like SpiceJet are still at a nascent stage but expanding fast. This summer, there will be about 160 long-haul routes operated by 16 such airlines.

In March, International Airlines Group, owner of British Airways, launched Level, a low-cost brand. Lufthansa is expanding its low-cost subsidiary, Eurowings, to new destinations.

Air France-KLM is launching an LCC called Boost. In Asia, the Tony Fernades-led AirAsia has implemented a long-haul LCC model through AirAsia X.

Experts, though, sound sceptical about SpiceJets plan. Half the potential unit-cost advantage for long-haul LCCs is from a higher seat count, enabled by eliminating the premium cabins and making the economy seating denser. But, you cannot reduce cost of components like fuel. On long-haul flights, fuels share of direct operating costs grows from 30 to 50 per cent, says an executive of a full-service carrier.

A senior Air India official says legacy carriers can bring down the cost of economy seats by charging higher for the premium ones. Premium traffic might account for only 10-20 per cent of passengers. Yet, it can represent up to 50 per cent of revenues in long haul, he says.

Singh is optimistic and says one cannot remain stuck to a tried and tested model. I think the time has come to think out-of-the-box. People always said that a single model fleet is the ideal option. We have shown it is possible to make profit with smaller planes on regional routes; now, others are following us, he says.
Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is hoping to soon conclude a joint venture (JV) agreement with ArcelorMittal, the Luxembourg-headquartered multinational entity.

"A joint task force is working on it and I am hopeful it will be soon," said P K Singh, chairman of the government-owned entity.
State-owned gas utility Gas Authority India Limited (GAIL) said it has signed a first-ever time-swap deal to sell some of its US liquefied natural gas (LNG) as it rejigs the supply portfolio in line with domestic demand on Monday.

GAIL Chairman and Manging Director B C Tripathi said the company is yet to receive LNG from its shale gas project in US from March next year. It has however time swapped some of the supplies.

Under the agreement, it will get 15 cargoes or about 0.8 million tonnes of LNG from an unnamed trader this year. In return, GAIL will sell 10 cargoes or about 0.6 million tonnes next year from Sabine Pass on the US Gulf coast.

"We imported 55 cargoes of LNG on short or medium term contracts in 2016-17. This equals to under 4 million tonnes of LNG in a year. This volume we expect to replace from our US portfolio," he said.

Against a supply of 5.8 million tonnes of LNG from US, GAIL has been able to create a market for just under 4 million tonnes in India.

Tripati said GAIL had separately signed a deal with Royal Dutch Shell to sell about 0.5 million tonnes of its US LNG.

So from a potential supply of 5.3 million tonnes (after the Shell deal), GAIL feels Indian market can absorb only 4 million tonnes or so.

"We hope to replace the short and medium term contracted volumes with US LNG," Tripathi said, adding that the company has floated a tender to time-charter four LNG ships to ferry the gas in its liquid form (LNG) from US coast to Dahej in Gujarat.

The LNG that GAIL will receive this year between April and December under the time-swap deal will be at oil-linked prices. The sale of US gas next year will be at a premium to its pricing formula on a free-on-board (FOB) basis.

Tripathi said there are not many new takers for imported LNG particularly in the power sector which is price sensitive, thereby forcing the rejig of supply portfolio.

The company is also renegotiating price and time of supply of 2.5 million tons per annum of LNG by Gazprom of Russia.

GAIL is saddled with long-term deals for US and Russian gas after it went on a contracting spree between 2011 and 2013 when when the fuel was scarce and prices kept rising.
Jayaram Banan, founder of the south Indian restaurant chain Sagar Ratna, took full control of the venture after six years. Banan, who had sold 77 per cent stake in Restaurants Pvt Ltd to Fander Equity Holdings in 2011 for Rs 135.7 crore, bought the stake through his company Ocean Pearls Hotels Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed amount last week after months of negotiation.
Saudi Aramco is "strongly interested" in a refining project with Indian state refiners, Dharmendra Pradhan, India's oil and gas minister, said on Monday.

"We're talking to our Saudi Arabian colleagues to invite investment from Aramco," Pradhan said at a Vienna press conference after meeting with Mohammad Barkindo, secretary general of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec).

"We want to create a global refining industry hub in India."

India, one of the world's largest energy consumers, has sought to diversify its supply of not only crude but also gasoline and other refined products.

India, which has repeatedly pressed Opec members for oil price stability, has offered staff and other technical assistance to Aramco, Pradhan said.

Barkindo, who took the top role at Opec last year, did not directly address the potential Aramco investment in India, but said the group looks forward to rising Indian appetite for Opec crude.

"Our member countries look forward to continued demand growth in India," Barkindo said.
The year 2016-17 was the best for Murugappa Group, with a $8-billion market capitalisation -- 34 per cent growth over the previous year -- the highest-ever EBITDA of Rs 4,065 crore, and a turnover of Rs 30,023 crore (Rs 29,395 crore in 2015-16).
Leading air cooler maker Symphony Ltd has managed to turn around its Mexican subsidiary Impco, a company it had acquired in 2009 to get into the industrial cooler business, a segment on which it bets heavily at the moment. Besides, losses at its Chinese subsidiary Guangdong Symphony Keruilai Air Coolers (GSK) have also been halved.

As such, revenues from overseas markets were Rs 171.16 crore for FY17, up 39 per cent. ICICI Securities expects export volumes for Symphony to grow at 27 per cent CAGR between FY15 ti FY19, while the domestic volumes would grow at 19 per cent CAGR from FY17 to FY19.
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Akito Tachibana, managing director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), completed a year as head of the Japanese car maker in India in April. He joined at a time when the Supreme Court ban on large diesel SUVs in the National Capital Region (NCR) had hit the market. In a conversation with Ajay Modi, Tachibana sounded more optimistic: he spoke about the firms focus on safety and hybrid technology, and also said TKM could learn from market leader Maruti Suzuki once the global pact between the two was executed.
A private member's bill that seeks to make the compulsory reading in schools and recommends de-recognising institutes that do not follow suit may come up for discussion in the next session of Parliament.

"The noble thoughts and teaching of the will make the younger generation better citizens and enrich their personality," the bill moved by Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Ramesh Bidhuri said.

The bill, called the Compulsory Teaching Of As a Moral Education Text Book In Educational Institutions Bill, 2016, stated every educational institution should "compulsorily" teach the Gita as moral education, but said it did not apply to minority schools.

"The government should de-recognise schools that do not comply with the provisions of this legislation," it added.

Bidhuri said in the bill, introduced in Lok Sabha in March, that it was time "sincere efforts" were made to spread the teachings of the Gita.

"It is highly deplorable that such literature containing infinite teachings for all age groups is neglected by our educational institutions," Bidhuri said.

The book contains teachings that range from thoughts on spiritual awakening to lessons on leadership and management, the MP said.

"Many great thinkers from our time such as Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Albert Einstein have all deliberated upon its timeless teachings," he said.

The government would need to make provisions of Rs 5,000 crore for implementing this legislation, and would also entail a non-recurring expenditure of about Rs 100 crore, he stated.

A Lok Sabha bulletin said, "The President, having been informed of the subject matter of the ...Bill ... Recommends to the House the consideration of the Bill under clause (3) of article 117 of the Constitution."



The dates for the next session are still to be decided.
Thousands of Dalit rights activists, led by the Bhim Army, on Sunday protested at the Jantar Mantar in the capital to raise their voice against the recent incident of caste-based violence in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur city.
Four militants were killed by the Indian Army in a fierce encounter that began along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Naugam sector in north Kashmir on Saturday. Three soldiers were martyred in the almost 36-hour-long battle with the infiltrators.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, and others appeared before a court here on Monday in a disproportionate assets case worth over Rs 10-crore.

Singh and others appeared before Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal in pursuance of summons issued against them.

They also moved bail application which was already listed on May 29.

Apart from Singh, the others accused in the case are Life Insurance Corporation agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Lawan Kumar Roach, Vakamullah Chandrashekhar and Ram Prakash Bhatia, who were also summoned.

The CBI, in its charge-sheet, said that the Chief Minister was in possession of assets worth Rs 10,30,47,946.40 in his own name as well as in the names of his family members.

Singh has failed to give a satisfactorily answer regarding the assets which did not tally with his known income.
Magnificent death bowling saw Mumbai Indians snatch an incredible one-run victory from the jaws of defeat against Rising Pune Supergiant in a thrilling grand finale of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday.

This was Mumbai Indians' third trophy in 10 editions and more special for their skipper Rohit Sharma, who is the only captain to win a hat-trick of titles. Rohit has in fact ow won four titles (one for Deccan Chargers in 2009).

For Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it was yet another final that ended in a defeat -- fifth in seven summit clashes.

In one of the closest finals during the 10 editions, the trio of Jasprit Bumrah (2/26 in 4 overs), Mitchell Johnson (3/26 in 4 overs) and Lasith Malinga (0/21 in 4 overs) were brilliant at the death defending a lowly total of 129/8 as Supergiant were restricted to 128 for 6 at the end.

It was Johnson, who kept his nerve during the final over where 11 runs were needed. Manoj Tiwary smacked the first one to mid-wicket boundary bringing the eqaution down to 7 from 5 balls.

However the next two deliveries turned out to be disaster with both Tiwary and skipper Steve Smith (51, 50 balls) were caught in the deep.

With four required off final ball and 3 for a Super Over, Dan Christian went for an impossible 3rd run only to be run out as Mumbai players celebrated like never before.

Credit should also be given to Bumrah and Malinga for giving away only 10 runs between them in the 17th and 18th over which suddenly increased the pressure.

While the target was an easy one, it turned out to be tricky with 47 needed off the last five overs.

With Mahendra Singh Dhoni (10) at the crease in company of Smith, the Krunal Pandya over yielded 14 runs. Dhoni square cut Krunal and then Smith played a reverse pull for a six to get 14 runs off the over.

But death overs specialist Jasprit Bumrah bowled a fuller delivery inducing a thickish edge from Dhoni to bring some cheer back in the MI camp.

At the onset, Rahul Tripathi (3) got a debatable leg before decision off Bumrah's bowling but Ajinkya Rahane (44, 38 balls) and skipper Smith added 54 runs for the second wicket.

Krunal dropped a dolly at cover when Rahane, who was on 14, drove a Malinga delivery uppishly.

Since it was a small target, Rahane and Smith didn't take any undue risk during their stand that lasted 9.3 overs.

Rahane hit some crisp shots including a cover drive off Lasith Malinga and one off Krunal.

They were cruising along nicely till Rahane tried to play a chip shot off a Mitchell Johnson slower, which Kieron Pollard ran from his long-on position, diving forward to take a nice catch.

Earlier, Rising Pune Supergiant stifled Mumbai Indians to 129 for 8 riding on a commendable bowling effort.

The two-time champions were completely off-colour with the willow as they played an astounding 54 dot balls (9 maiden overs) in 20 overs, a testimony to their plight.

Save Krunal (47 off 38 balls), who watched helplessly from the other end, none of the MI batsmen showed judiciousness expected on the grand stage. It was because of Krunal's late hitting (three fours and two sixes) that MI managed to reach close to 130 after being reduced to 79 for 7.

Jaydev Unadkat's (2/19 in 4 overs) dream edition just got better as he dealt twin blows in the third over removing both Parthiv Patel (4) and Lendl Simmons (3) within a space of three deliveries.

Patel mistimed a pull-shot that was taken by Shardul Thakur at mid-on while Simmons was foxed by a slower one which Unadkat smartly snapped inches off the surface.

At 8 for 2, Mumbai's most seasoned pair of skipper Rohit Sharma (24) and Ambati Rayudu (12) came together.

However they couldn't get going with Washington Sundar (0/13 in 4 overs) again proving to be exceptional during the Powerplay overs.

The 17-year-old bowled 15 dot balls in all -- bowling two in Powerplays and two during the middle overs.

Mumbai were under pressure at 16 for 2 in 5 overs before Rohit picked up Lockie Ferguson for some special treatment, hitting four boundaries to get a move on.

But it wasn't long before Rayudu was found short failing to beat Steve Smith's direct throw.

The MI skipper would be cursing himself as it was a half-tracker from Adam Zampa (2/32 in 4 overs) which he pulled to mid-wicket fence where Shardul Thakur showed fantastic balance while latching onto a well-judged catch.

Pollard (7) hit a first-ball six off Zampa but that encouraged the leggie to again flight one outside the off-stump. Pollard took the bait and as has been the case with him was taken in deep by Manoj Tiwary.

At 56 for 5, Mumbai Indians didn't have any chance of recovery. Pandya brothers have had a good tournament but on the day when it mattered most, Hardik played across the line to Dan Christian to be adjudged leg-before.

Shardul once again showed street smartness as he backed up at the striker's end after Karn Sharma's catch was missed by Christian. But his throw saw Shardul racing past Karn to dislodge the bails leaving MI shattered at 79 for 7.
If Pakistan was shocked by the International Court of Justice's (ICJ's) verdict in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, India's statements following the verdict have really earned Islamabad's ire. However, aside from Pakistan, Britain-based lawyer Khawar Qureshi, who represented Pakistan in the case, has also taken umbrage with the Indian media's coverage of the case.
Left workers clashed with police during their 'march to Nabanna' (state secretariat) programme on Monday, prompting security personnel to use water cannons, batons and tear gas to disperse them.

The Left activists tried to break police cordons at different points including Mayo Road, Duffrin road, Hastings and Santragachi.

They allegedly hurled stones at the police prompting the force to fire tear gas shells and order lathi charge. Water cannons were also used to disperse the workers at Santragachi in Howrah.

Meanwhile, at least 12 CPI-M leaders including three MLAs  Sujan Chakraborty, Ashok Bhattacharya and Tanmay Bhattacharjee  were detained when they tried to enter the state secretariat ahead of the 'March to Nabanna' programme.

The Left leaders headed for 'Nabanna' from the assembly in three cars and managed to cross the security cordons. The police, however, recognised them at the north gate of the secretariat and a scuffle took place between them there.

The leaders were then detained and taken to Shibpur police station in Howrah.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not present at the secretariat as she was in Birbhum district for an administrative meeting.
Having reached out to the masses with his 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now get people's feedback on his government's programmes and policies through 'Jann ki Baat'.

'Jann ki Baat' will form part of the 20-day celebrations the BJP has planned to mark the Modi government's three years in office beginning May 26, the day he was sworn-in as prime minister in 2014.

BJP chief ministers and ministers in states will visit those ruled by their political rivals, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath travelling to Bihar and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Karnataka and Odisha.

Over 450 BJP leaders, including Modi, members of his council of ministers, party chief Amit Shah, and other office bearers will hold 900 events in places outside their home states between May 26 and June 15, Union Minister Smriti Irani and party general secretary Arun Singh said today.

Modi will kick off the exercise with a number of events in Guwahati on May 26.

Shah will visit Kerala, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Chhattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh, while top union ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari will attend events in Mumbai and Jaipur, Delhi and Lucknow, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Chhattisgarh, and Chennai and Ranchi respectively.

Most party chief ministers will go to non-BJP ruled states.

Making of Developed India (MODI), a "festival" to celebrate the Modi government's three years in office, will be one of the seven major events and people, especially youth, will be informed about various government schemes, and urged to download related apps on their mobiles, Irani told a press conference.

Government agencies and the ruling party will organise these events.

Through 'Jann ki Baat' (people's voice), common people can record their feedback on the performance of the government, she said.

Singh said 330 BJP MPs, 11 chief ministers, five deputy chief ministers, ministers in state governments, besides organisational functionaries will participate in these programmes. BJP's NDA allies will be involved in celebrations organised by the government, he said.

"They will each hold two events in states outside their home state. They also have to organise events in their home state and constituencies (for MPs)," he said.

They will hold rallies, visit colonies populated by the poor and meet the local intelligentsia, he said.

Irani cited central government programmes, including the one to provide LPG connections to poor households, 'Jan Dhan', and 'Mudra' Yojana, 70 per cent of whose beneficiaries are women, to claim that the government has touched the lives of the poor across the country.
The Tamilar Munnetra Padai, a pro-Tamil group protested against Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's possible entry into politics here today, stating that he was a Kannadiga.

The launched a protest outside his residence, following which security carted them away, as they shouted slogans against him.

The protestors claimed that Tamil Nadu should be ruled only by the Tamils and being a Kannadiga, Rajinikanth should not come into the state politics.

Security was already beefed up outside Rajinikanth's residence ahead of the protest.

Earlier on Friday, while addressing the final day of Rajni-darbar the Tamil superstar said, after living in Tamil Nadu for 43 years and receiving the fans' appreciation, he has now turned into a 'true-Tamilian.'

"I am 67 years old. I lived in Karnataka for 23 years and in Tamil Nadu for 43 years. I have lived and grown with you. You have been truly loving and welcoming and made me a true Tamilian. If I have to live anywhere in this world that will be in Tamil Nadu," he said.

For the unversed, actor-turned-politician Sarath Kumar, in the past, labeled Rajinikanth an "outsider" Kannadiga, who stepped into Tamil Nadu to find work.



ALSO READ: Rajinikanth in politics? Subramanian Swamy scoffs at idea, calls it a joke

This remark came after the Rajnikanth, at an event, observed that he misses actor-political satirist Cho Ramaswamy, at a time of "unusual political developments in the state," following the demise of late chief minister Jayalalithaa. His statement was touted to be in reference to Sasikala taking the reins of AIADMK.

Kumar, who contested on the AIADMK symbol in the Assembly election from Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu in May 2016, on this note, said that Rajinikanth should be careful about his comments on public platforms; adding that the former will be the first to oppose the Rajnikanth's upcoming movie '2.0' star, if he tries his hands in politics.
Hate Delhi traffic? Wish your Uber or Ola ride was shorter? Well that will be difficult as the Delhi government has decided to limit the maximum speed of taxis and cabs to 80 kmph in the capital.
Levying a five per cent service tax on space selling in print and on jobs related to publication of newspapers, the goods & services tax (GST) has taken the sector by surprise.
As Indian power grid witnesses technological upgrades with two way communication, remote monitoring and real time updates on demand supply, the threat of hacking and security breach also increases. The problem intensifies more as Chinese companies bag projects in states to build smart gid.
Agriculture Minister today said that his ministry will promote all notified crops irrespective of the fact whether it is genetically modified or not as that is its mandate and it has no reservations on the same.
Portia in Merchant of Venice  The quality of mercy is not straind.It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest Gods; When mercy seasons justice. William Shakespeare



On Monday, May 22, 2017, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge Bharat Parashar awarded a two-year sentence to former coal secretary H C Gupta and his two deputies, K S Kropha and K C Samaria, convicted by him on May 19. The three former officers in the Ministry of Coal (MoC) were convicted under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal conspiracy and cheating and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PCC), for obtaining undue pecuniary advantage, against the public interest, for M/s Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL).The conviction under the IPC invites a maximum sentence of six months, with a possible fine. The conviction under the PCC invites a minimum sentence of one year, extending up to seven years with a possible fine. Associated outcomes would be the retrospective dismissal and withdrawal of retirement benefits for Mr Gupta and dismissal for the two officers in service with no termination benefits. It cant get worse for these officers.In November 2006, the UPA government, desiring to relieve the coal shortages crippling the economy, invited applications from end-users of coal in power, steel and cement sectors for allotment of captive coal mining licences. For 38 coal blocks, 1,422 applications were received from 344 companies.But this gigantic liberalisation measure quickly acquired notoriety. A tsunami of public revulsion at the alleged, rampant corruption in allotment followed. In August 2012, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Indias public auditor, was leaked. It assessed the loss to the treasury from incorrect coal allocations between 2004 and 2009 at Rs 10.7 lakh crore.The Vigilance Commission waded in righteously and referred the case of allotment of the Thesgora B/Rudrapuri block in Madhya Pradesh to the CBI for a preliminary investigation on June 1, 2012.CBI lodged an FIR on October 13, 2012, against KSSPL, one of the two joint allottees. It had identified deviations from the guidelines for allotment specified by MoC. However, after investigation, it filed a closure report, stating that there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy to cause unlawful gain for the allottee.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, in a separate case regarding coal allotment, ruled in August 2014 that all the coal allotments done over the period 2004 to 2009 in favour of private companies were contrary to the provisions of law and terminated them.Soon after, the CBI court rejected the agencys closure report on October 13, 2014 and framed charges on October 1, 2015. Special Judge Parashar has been painstakingly diligent in avoiding judicial overreach. His approach has been technically exemplary. He has recorded how the ministry of coal subverted the process defined by itself and failed to exercise due diligence and adequate oversight over the actions of the coal allocation section of the ministry  headed by an undersecretary level officer. In an unedifying spectacle of poor leadership this junior officer was fingered by his immediate superiors as solely responsible for incorrectly processing the 1,422 applications received during the 36th round of coal allocation.The entire process was replete with errors. The application of M/s KSSPL was incomplete. The last three years audited balance sheet were not attached as required by the advertised guidelines. But the lacuna was not red flagged. Instead, it was circulated, like all the other applications received, to the concerned administrative ministries  in this case the Ministry of Steel and the state government of Madhya Pradesh for comments and then tabled in the Screening Committee for consideration. The state government recommend that the block be allocated to M/s BLA Power  a power producer. But this recommendation was not accepted, presumably because this block was specified for non-power coal users. But then why was the application of m/s BLA Power circulated to the concerned ministries and state government, without red flagging that it was ineligible?M/s KSSCL was invited to make a presentation to the screening committee despite their applications remaining incomplete. Worse, the prosecution established that the missing audited balance sheet had been with the applicant all along and that the applicant had overstated their production capacity and their net worth. Whilst there were no minimum conditions for net worth or production capacity, overstating both, could only have been done consciously to falsely claim a greater need for coal and a larger allotment than required. Having once stated this falsehood, producing the audited balance sheets was no longer possible. Considering these facts constructively, the charge against the company and its employees for cheating and conspiring to obtain pecuniary benefit at the expense of public interest is well established.But who did the applicant conspire with in the government? Is it not possible that the applicant, simply used the loosely dispersed and poorly managed selection process to their own advantage, without the active criminal cooperation of anyone? Do not thieves enter through a door, inadvertently left open, to steal? Would the mere fact of an open door automatically make a beat policeman or the owner a co-conspirator?Second, even if there was a conspiracy, why was the relevant chain of officers in the administrative ministry (Ministry of Steel) or in the government of Madhya Pradesh not similarly charged? They did not object to the incorrect inclusion of the applicant. Nor did they object to the allocation, either during, or after the steering committee meeting. Was it sufficient for them to merely stress the need to evolve objective criteria for evaluating the applications in a pre-evaluation meeting convened by the MOC on May 11. 2007 without putting down their concrete suggestions on record? Secretary, Coal had specifically directed Coal India to identify the applications whose net worth was at least 20 percent of the capital needed to implement their proposed projects. The onus was on the MOC to follow up on these decisions. But nothing seems to have been done.The fact that the MOC did not follow up on defining the evaluation process has been used as evidence of a conspiracy within the ministry to retain undue discretion possibly with the intent to cause pecuniary benefit against public interest, to be obtained by selected applicants. This is a valid concern.But, if there was a conspiracy within the Ministry of Coal, surely the extent of it needs to be established. Could it not, for example, extend to the then Minister of Coal, who was also the Prime Minister- Dr. Manmohan Singh? Also, what about the undersecretary heading the coal allocations section. He is clearly not solely to blame. But exonerating him completely, also appears extraordinarily generous, considering that he could produce no written orders directing him to circulate the applications without checking them for completeness or eligibility per the guidelines. Is it sufficient to rely on the mere fact that the three convicted officers were all from the IAS to establish that only they were part of a conspiracy?Special Judge Parashar quotes the Supreme Court on the need for convictions, based on circumstantial evidence, to establish a clear, plausible, plainly visible connectedness between the actions of the conspirators for a common illegal objective. But the evidence to support this minimum requirement to establish guilt seems far too thin and speculative in substance.What has been incontrovertibly established is that the pre-conditions for a conspiracy to be hatched existed. But in the absence of incontrovertible evidence that a criminal conspiracy existed, whilst there is ample ground for proceeding with disciplinary proceedings against the officers concerned, indicting them criminally seems excessive.
Highlighting Indian investors' growing presence in Africa, union finance minister Arun Jaitley said in terms of greenfield projects, India was now the fourth largest investor in Africa with 45 projects.



Jaitley, while speaking at African Development Bank (AfDB) 52nd annual meeting being held at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Monday, a day ahead of a formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



"India-Africa co-operation is not a one-off event but part of a strategic policy over last several years. The present government has provided fresh impetus to these efforts. India's share of announced greenfield projects grew from 3.3 per cent in 2003-08 to 6.1 per cent in 2009-15. During the same time, China's share fell from 4.9 per cent to 3.3 per cent. India is amongst the most important emerging investors in Africa. In terms of greenfield projects, India was fourth largest investor with 45 projects in 2015 after the US, the UK, and the UAE," said Jaitley.



Quoting from AfDB's African Economic Outlook for 2016, Jaitley said that emerging economies were now a vital source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa, with India being one of the prominent members.



"Declining exports to the US and weak demand in Europe have increased the importance of BRICS countries. In 2009, only 24% of Africa's exports went to emerging countries. In 2014, BRICS and other emerging countries accounted for one half of Africa's total exports to the world," he further stated even as the finance minister called for "concrete and implementable ideas" to be discussed during the five day annual meetings which began on Monday.



Being held in different parts of the world, especially within Africa and other AfDB member nations, the 52nd annual meeting of AfDB is being held in India at Gandhinagar.



Among other things, the annual meeting will look to boost India-Africa bilateral trade further as well as India's co-operation with AfDB in areas like solar power, food and agriculture and infrastructure such as railways, the bank's president Akinwumi A. Adesina stated.



"We want to work with India on the areas of processing and value addition so that Africa doesn't only remain a raw material exporter, but also add value to the products that it produces like petroleum, precious stones and agricultural produces," said Adesina, while adding that AfDB looked for India's support in making Africa a self-reliant nation in food and agriculture as well as in value addition to key export items..



According to Adesina, the bilateral trade between India and Africa is set to almost double to $100 billion (about Rs 6.5 lakh crore) in next two years, from $56.9 billion in 2015-16. Among the sectors, AfDB expects power, especially solar, apart from pharma, ICT and services sectors to contribute to the growth of bilateral trade to $100 billion in two years.



Meanwhile, in his speech during the annual meeting of AfDB, Jaitley drew comparisons between India and Africa in terms of demographics. "India and Africa have similar demographics with a young population. We need to create jobs to take advantage of the demographic dividend. The AfDB president's agenda is not very different from our own policy priorities," Jaitley stated.
While headline gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a healthy 7 per cent in Q3FY17, investment activity continues to be moribund. As Chart 1 shows, gross fixed capital formation as a percentage of has been consistently falling. In fact, as seen in Chart 2, even in the new index of industrial production (IIP) series, capital goods, a proxy for investment demand, grew at a mere 1.9 per cent in FY17.
The agriculture ministry on Monday said it has no reservations about GM mustard, which has been cleared by an expert panel GEAC, and will promote genetically modified (GM) crops if approved by the Environment Ministry.

On May 11, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) had recommended commercial cultivation of a variety, developed by Delhi University's Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants, in a submission to the Environment Ministry, which is yet to give the final approval.

"Whatever crops are notified, be it GM or non-GM, if scientists approve it, then our ministry's mandate is to increase production, productivity, bring down cost of production and ensure right price to farmers" Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, when asked if his ministry will promote .

He was speaking at a press conference to mark three years of the NDA government in office and share achievements in the farm sector during this period.

On the sidelines of the event, Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak said: "GEAC has given approval to but we will see after the crop is notified."



The process takes time and definitely it will not be available for cultivation this year. This is a crop grown in association with government research body ICAR, he added.

The GEAC had given a 'positive' recommendation to the widely-consumed crop, but with 'certain conditions'. With its green signal, GM Mustard is a step closer to becoming India's first edible GM crop.

The decision had received sharp reactions from anti-GM activists who said such varieties will lead to huge losses for farmers as it would 'monopolise' the seed market.

Currently, Bt cotton is the only GM crop allowed for commercial cultivation. There is moratorium on Bt brinjal.
Taking a pro-farmer stance, Uttar Pradesh chief minister on Monday said the scourge of farmers suicide in the country could be prevented to a large extent simply by boosting the food processing sector.
The International Day for Biodiversity (IDB) 2017 was celebrated all over the country today, by different States and various organisations. The national level celebrations of IDB were held at Dinanath Mangeshkar Auditorium, Kala Academy in Goa, with enthusiastic participation of all stakeholders. Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Manohar Parrikar was the chief guest on the occasion. .

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In his address, Shri Parrikar stressed upon the community connect and peoples participation for Biodiversity Conservation. He also gave a message on afforestation and called for responsible development through effective and scientific pollution control system by citing the experiences of solid waste disposal of Goa, which is a model system for others to emulate. The Chief Minister inaugurated an exhibition on the theme and Green Haat, which had exhibits from 12 States including Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh besides stalls from UNDP, GIZ, Zoological Survey of India, Botanical Survey of India, Goa Forest Department, Goa State Biodiversity Board and NBA. Exhibits, posters and other material highlighting the role of biodiversity in sustaining livelihoods were depicted at the exhibition. Several students and others interested participated enthusiastically in the exhibition. The dignitaries too walked through the exhibition. .

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In her opening remarks, Dr. Amita Prasad referring to the theme and key objective of the Day (Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism), highlighted the important role played by biodiversity in various economic sectors. Referring to the intrinsic linkages between biodiversity and tourism, she said that the country has succeeded in making the crucial paradigm shift from development and environment being seen as two ends of a spectrum, to having development while protecting the environment. Referring to the contribution of tourism industry in creating jobs, promoting local culture and fueling development, she highlighted the challenges and opportunities that sustainable tourism presents, while supporting nature conservation. .

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Recalling the teachings and preachings of ancient texts and philosophers on environment and biodiversity, Dr B. Meenakumari exhorted the people to contribute towards biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism. Referring to the diversity in gastronomic tourism in different parts of the country, she in particular highlighted the delightful and unique culture and cuisine of Goa. .

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Ms. Marina Walter, in her remarks, said that protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services is a shared responsibility that requires coordinated action among several actors - the industry, the policy makers, civil society and local communities. .

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During the event, Call for 2018 India Biodiversity Awards, and a newsletter Biodiversity Matters was launched. The dignitaries presented awards to the winners of a photography contest, organised as a pre-event to celebrate Indias incredible biodiversity. Some knowledge products and communication material were also released on the occasion. .

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In India, a recognized megadiverse country rich in biodiversity, nearly 300 million people are dependent on biodiversity for subsistence and livelihoods. Across India, people, communities, governments and civil society organizations are demonstrating ways to conserve biodiversity, sustain livelihoods, and contribute to sustainable development. .

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Additional Secretary MoEFCC, Dr Amita Prasad, Chief Secretary, Government of Goa, Shri Dharmendra Sharma, Principal Secretary, Department of Environment & Forests, Goa, Dr. Ranbir Singh, Chairperson, National Biodiversity Authority, Dr. B. Meenakumari, and Deputy Country Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ms. Marina Walter attended the celebrations. Other representatives from Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, National Biodiversity Authority, Goa State Biodiversity Board, UNDP, representatives from other States, specialised Central and State Government institutes, State Forest Departments, civil society organisations, academic institutes, students, local communities, and biodiversity enthusiasts were also present at the event. .

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A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of Late Shri Anil Madhav Dave, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment Forest and Climate Change, who was to preside over this event, but Shri Dave suddenly passed away on May 18, 2017. .

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PM launches various projects of Kandla Port Trust

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today launched various projects of Kandla Port Trust at Gandhidham in Gujarat.

He unveiled plaques to mark the laying of Foundation Stone for construction of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Convention Centre; and the development of the 14th and 16th General Cargo Berth.

He handed over Letters of Award for Construction of Interchange-cum-ROB at Kutch Salt Junction; Deployment of two Mobile Harbour Cranes; and Mechanization for handling of fertilisers at Kandla Port.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari said that the Sagarmala project, and port-led development would have a positive impact on the State of Gujarat, and would lead to job creation as well.

Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani spoke of the rich maritime traditions of the State, and added that the spirit continues even today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people for the warm welcome accorded to him on the way from the helipad to the venue of the function.

He said the people of Kutch are well aware of the importance of water.

He spoke of the rich and glorious history and culture of the Kutch region.




The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat from today. The Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay foundation stone for various development projects in Kutch today. On Tuesday, 23 May, Prime Minister will participate in the opening ceremony of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in Gandhinagar.



In a series of tweets yesterday, the Prime Minister announced the details of his two-day visit to Gujarat.



Tomorrow I will begin a two day Gujarat visit, during which I will join programmes in Kutch and Gandhinagar.



I shall inaugurate & lay the foundation stone for various projects of the Kandla Port and address a public meeting at Gandhidham.





In Bhachau, a pumping station would be inaugurated & I shall join a public meeting. Watch it on your mobile. http:// nm4.in/dnldapp





Kutch has a very special place in my heart. It is blessed with wonderful people and a remarkable spirit of resilience.





From suffering unimaginable destruction due to the 2001 quake, Kutch is today known as one of Indias fastest growing districts.





On Tuesday, I will be in Gandhinagar to participate in the opening ceremony of the meetings of the @AfDB_Group .





The Annual Meetings of @AfDB_Group have chosen the very relevant theme of Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa.





On the sidelines of @AfDB_Group Annual Meetings, I shall meet some of the distinguished delegates who will be taking part in #AfDBAM2017 .", the Prime Minister tweeted.
A meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Honourable Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, in Vigyan Bhawan Annexe, New Delhi today. In the meeting of the Hindi Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, members of the committee, in view of the progressive use of the official language Hindi, instead of giving instructions or directions about teaching Hindi compulsorily in class IX and class X, emphasized the states to encourage teachers to teach Hindi voluntarily. The members asserted that the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology should prepare technical terminology in trilingual form i.e. English, Regional languages and Hindi. The committee expressed that the ministry should increase the original Hindi correspondence in the Regions 'A' 'B' and 'C' in official use of Hindi. The Committee also emphasized that to increase the use of Hindi, simple and popular words should be used instead of difficult Hindi words. Valuable suggestions were received from honorable members of the Committee. The Chair directed to conduct the next meeting within six months. .

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In the meeting, 18 offices located in regions 'A' 'B' and 'C' were awarded Rajbhasha Shields for doing excellent work in Official Language implementation. This time two offices located in Tamil Nadu were awarded for doing excellent work in the implementation of Official Language Hindi. .

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Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy; Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Joint Secretary (Central Universities & Languages); Joint Secretary, D/o Official Language; Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education; Vice Chancellor, Mahatama Gandhi Antarrashtreiya Hindi Vishawvidyalaya; Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti; Chairman, AICTE; Chairman, NIOS; Chairman, Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology; Additional Commissioner, KVS; Director, Kendriya Hindi Sansthan; Director (Official Language) and other Senior officials were present in the meeting. .

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The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has released the book India 2017 Yearbook authored by the Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi, here today. The CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant was also present on the occasion. The book was published by the Mc Graw Hill Education India. .

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Shri Rajnath Singh said that the richness in contents and novelty of approach used by the author and other panel contributors including Smt. Vasundhara Raje, Dr. Arvind Subramanium, Dr. Arvind Panagariya, Shri Kamal Kishore, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Dr. Ila Patnaik, Shri Ruchir Sharma and Shri Amitabh Kant who have earned names for themselves in their respective fields. He also said that the Book would be extremely useful for all competitive exams besides being a storehouse of knowledge stretching over a history of 300 years. He further said that every household should provide this book to children of 8th standard onwards so that they gain comprehensive knowledge of Indias history, economy, social fabric and current affairs. .

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The Union Home Minister said that the book is written in a very professional manner and have important persons on the panel of contributors. He also said that Shri Mehrishi could do this work despite his extremely busy official responsibilities. He further said that the approach of Shri Mehrishi to handle different situations in a cool and calm manner with efficiency and accuracy reflects his time management abilities. A serving member of the Indian Administrative Service, thus, enters into the league of writers, who will be remembered as an intellectual apart from his administrative capabilities and long stint in Government service, he added. .

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While addressing, the Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi said that the book is a comprehensive compendium of all data and facts related to the Indian Union, including geographical information. He also said that the book is an honest endeavor on his behalf to provide a strong resource for civil services preparations with wide ranging study materials. He expressed his hope that it proves to be a useful tool to the civil services and other competitive exams aspirants in their preparation. .

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While addressing, the CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant recalled his association with Shri Mehrishi and praised his unparalleled acumen as a civil servant. He also said that the aspirants of Civil Services and other competitive examinations will be able to crack the exams just by referring this one stop repository of knowledge. .

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The chapters of the Book are divided into four broad groups covering Indian geography, history, polity, demography, economy, development schemes, environment, disaster management, media and communication, foreign policy, J&K and newsmakers in India. The Book also deals with general knowledge, viz., general information, culture, monuments and cultural institutions of India and miscellaneous general topics among many other subjects. .

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India 2017 YEARBOOK is published annually and provides information on current affairs of the Indian Union, including facts on Indian policy, political systems, the Indian Constitution and states, international relations and recent issues like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and demonetization. .

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The US city of Chicago is launching a campaign in response to President Donald Trump's threats to cut off funding for sanctuary cities, the media reported.

Sanctuary city is a broad term applied to jurisdictions with policies in place to limit cooperation or involvement with federal immigration actions, reports CNN.

Many US cities, counties and some states have a myriad of informal policies and laws that qualify as "sanctuary" positions.

"One Chicago" was established on Sunday afternoon in response to the growing needs of the city's refugee and immigrant populations.

The campaign slogan reads: "Three million residents, three million stories, one Chicago".

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and several kicked off the event at the DuSable Museum of African American History.

Emmanuel spoke of his grandfather, who journeyed to the US when he was 13 years old.

"He came because this country represented something that Moldova would never stand for," CNN quoted Emmanuel as saying.

"This country, the place he calls home -- the place my grandfather said without a word of English -- his grandson is the mayor. This is the greatest city in the greatest country in the world."

Democratic Representative Luis Gutierrez was also at the event and spoke of a city that "protects immigrants, that cherishes immigrants, that allow immigrants to really prosper".

The campaign will "facilitate access to resources and support for Chicago's residents, including its immigrant and refugee communities."
The five dams forming the that China has just promised to finance and build in Pakistan  including Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK)  has the potential to generate over 22,000 MW in an energy-starved country. But the dams will also stop the flow of silt which is the lifeline of agriculture downstream. In non-monsoon months from October to June, they may also reduce the flow of water down the Indus to Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces.

Climate change is making water flow along rivers more erratic. Pakistan's entire water supply for agriculture, factories and homes is dependent on rivers in the Indus basin. Water availability is already below the 1,000 cubic metres per person per year level at which a country is described as water-scarce, according to the global norm followed by most UN agencies.

In this situation, it is critical to look at the food, energy and water together, as a nexus. Instead, the planners of Pakistan appear to be looking at energy alone.

China is providing Pakistan with $50 billion for the Indus Cascade. An MoU was signed to this effect during the recent Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) conference in Beijing. China's National Energy Administration (NEA) will oversee the funding. China Three Gorges Corporation  which runs the world's largest hydroelectricity project at the Three Gorges Dam  is the frontrunner to build the five dams that will form the cascade.

This is in addition to the $57 billion China is providing to Pakistan for a series of infrastructure projects along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of BRI. The infrastructure projects include the building of coal-fired power stations and the port at Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, at the end of the corridor.

The cascade is planned all the way down the Indus from Gilgit-Baltistan to the existing Tarbela dam near Islamabad. It will effectively turn this huge transboundary river into a series of lakes in the last part of its journey through the Hindu Kush Himalayas to the plains of South Asia.

The uppermost of the five dams is being planned at Bunji near Skardu in Pakistan-held Kashmir.

The 7,100 MW Bunji Hydropower Project has been described by Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) as a run-of-the-river (RoR) project. But the promotional video (for the entire cascade) which provides this description also says it will have a reservoir that will be spread along a 22-km stretch of the Indus and inundate a 12-km stretch of the road between Gilgit and Skardu  the two main towns of Gilgit-Baltistan. So, despite the description, this may not be an RoR project.

The next dam in the cascade is the big one  Diamer-Basha  with a planned live storage of 6.4 million acre feet (MAF) of water and a hydropower generating potential of 4,500 MW. From Diamer-Basha, the projects run along the Karakoram Highway, which China built in the 1960s through Pakistan-administered Kashmir despite strenuous objections from India. The reservoir that will form behind the Diamer-Basha dam will submerge 104 km of the Karakoram Highway and displace about 30,000 people, according to WAPDA.

The Diamer-Basha dam is being promoted by WAPDA as a sediment trap and therefore good for downstream hydropower projects. But the same sediment  mainly silt  rejuvenates the soil downstream every year and has been the main reason why agriculture has been sustained in the Indus valley for millennia.

Building the Diamer-Basha dam is estimated to cost $15 billion. For years, Pakistan has been seeking the money from multilateral funding agencies, to no avail. Experts at the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have advised Pakistani planners to think of smaller dams instead. Now China has promised funding.

Just downstream of Diamer-Basha is the third dam in the cascade  the 4,320 MW Dasu Hydropower Project. This will have a reservoir that will stretch upstream for 74 km along the Indus, all the way to the Diamer-Basha dam, according to WAPDA. It will also submerge 52 km of the Karakoram Highway. Some of the peripheral work for this project has started, and people have already been displaced, with WAPDA seeking contracts for resettlement and providing free transport to resettlement sites.

And immediately downstream of that, WAPDA has planned the 2,200 MW Patan Hydropower Project, with a 35-km-long reservoir that goes up to the Dasu dam.

Once again, the fifth dam in the cascade is just a little downstream  the 4,000 MW Thakot Hydropower Project in which the plan is to divert the Indus waters through four headrace tunnels to generate electricity.

By the time the Indus emerges from the tunnels, it will be close to the existing dam at Tarbela, which has been in operation since 1976.

The electricity that will potentially be generated by the five new projects forming the Indus Cascade adds up to a little over 22,000 MW.

In 2015, China Three Gorges Corporation had said it wanted to be part of a financing consortium with a $50 billion fund to build hydroelectric power projects in Pakistan.

The corporation may be the frontrunner to build the dams, but it is not the only competitor. After the MoU was signed in Beijing, several Chinese power sector companies showed willingness to join the project. This will be the first large-scale private sector hydroelectricity project in Pakistan.

At the MoU signing ceremony, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke glowingly of cooperation between the two governments to overcome Pakistan's energy crisis and added: "Water and food security are of paramount importance for Pakistan keeping in view the challenges posed by climate change."

However, the Indus Cascade will actually reduce water and food security in Pakistan.

One proven effect of climate change is an intensification of the water cycle. In lay terms, it means fewer rainy or snowy days but more intense rainfall or snowfall in those days. Pakistan is already suffering the effects.

For the first nine years in this century, the Indus failed to reach the sea. Then there was such a cloudburst in 2010 that a fifth of the country was flooded. The floods also brought down, and continue to bring down, huge sediment loads that reduce the working lives of dams.

To build more large dams in this situation appears dangerously short-sighted.
The US President and the King of Saudi Arabia on Sunday inaugurated a new Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology, based in the Saudi capital Riyadh, aiming to fight radical ideology, especially on the internet.

The centre will monitor the information exchanged on the internet, especially through social networks, and try to promote moderation and curb hate speech, Efe reported on Monday.

and King Salman bin Abdulaziz, along with other leaders such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi, visited the modern establishment, where dozens of experts monitor digital communications, as shown by Saudi state television.

The television chain said that it is the world's first centre of its kind.

The US and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also signed on Sunday a memorandum to create another centre to combat the financing of terrorism.

Its objectives include identifying, tracking and sharing information about terrorist financing networks, according to a statement from the US Treasury Department.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said: "This new Terrorist Financing Targeting Centre will enhance existing tools and cooperation with partners in the Gulf to forcefully address evolving threats."

"Treasury will offer the vast expertise of our Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to this creative new effort."

According to the memorandum, the centre is dedicated to cut funding for terrorist groups such as the Islamic State (IS), Al Qaeda, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, the Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Afghan Taliban and its Haqqani network, among other groups.
US President was on Monday set to land in Israel to tackle the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a day after urging Arab and Islamic leaders to unite and "drive out" terrorists while toning down his own harsh rhetoric about Muslims.

Trump's Israel visit comes after he delivered a powerful speech at the Arab-Islamic-American summit in Riyadh on Sunday.

The US President will hold talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and also address regional security issues during the course of his two-day stop, CNN reported.

Trump, while addressing the leaders of 55 Muslim-majority countries in Saudi Arabia, sought to redefine his relationship with the Muslim world after making a slew of Islamophobic remarks on the campaign trail, calling for a ban on Muslims and declaring "Islam hates us".

He described the battle against terrorist groups as a "battle between good and evil" as he told Muslim-majority countries to redouble their counterterrorism efforts.

Trump rejected the idea that the fight against terrorism was a struggle between religions.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilisations," Trump said.

"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil," he said.

While Trump said that he was "not here to lecture" the Muslim world, his speech went beyond outreach.

In his most forceful argument, Trump exhorted Muslim-majority countries to do more to eradicate terrorist groups that claim the mantle of Islam, urging Muslims to "drive out" terrorists.

"Drive them out," Trump said, adding "Drive out the terrorists. Drive out the extremists. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this Earth."

West Asian countries "cannot wait for American power", Trump said, but must instead "decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children".

In a departure from the Islamophobic rhetoric he often deployed on the campaign trail, Trump acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of victims of terrorism are Muslim, calling Islam "one of the world's great faiths".

He also dismissed "Islamists" as the "footsoldiers of evil," with no religious legitimacy, effectively putting distance between Islam and the ideology that fuels terrorist groups like the Islamic State.

Trump's measured tone was a far cry from his incendiary language on the campaign trail last year, when he called for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the US.

The speech came as the Trump administration defends his executive order banning visitors from six Muslim-majority countries, which was blocked in federal court.

Despite his toned down rhetoric, Trump warned the leaders gathered in Riyadh on Sunday that inaction on their part would bring "suffering, death, despair", CNN reported.

Trump's Israel visit is the second of his three stops aimed at highlighting the importance of the world's three largest monotheistic religions.

He arrives in Israel after visiting Saudi Arabia, home to the two holiest sites in Islam, and will next head to the Vatican.
US President called on leaders of Middle East to combat a "crisis of Islamic extremism" emanating from the region, casting the fight against terrorism as a "battle between good and evil", not a clash between the West and Islam. Trump, during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-US summit, acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism and asked countries to ensure that terror groups don't find sanctuaries on their soil. The President further pledged to work alongside the West Asian nations to combat extremist ideology in the region as all the countries from the US to India, Australia to Russia - have been "victim of terrorism and have suffered repeated barbaric attacks."
A January 2017 PEW survey showed that Americans rate terrorism as the top priority for the Trump administration and Congress. They put the issue ahead of the economy, education, jobs and health care costs.

For the past 12 years as Director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, I have worked with colleagues to improve understanding of terrorism by studying its causes and consequences. One of our largest and most extensive projects has involved compiling all terrorist attacks worldwide since 1970 into the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
As voters in Iran danced in the streets, celebrating the landslide re-election of a moderate as president, President Trump stood in front of a gathering of leaders from across the Muslim world and called on them to isolate a nation he said had fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.
As voters in Iran danced in the streets, celebrating the landslide re-election of a moderate as president, President stood in front of a gathering of leaders from across the Muslim world and called on them to isolate a nation he said had fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.
India, which is conducting major naval drills with Singapore in the disputed South China Sea, has "reneged" on its promise not to provoke China on the sensitive issue, a Chinese military expert said on Monday.

Judging from the deployment of anti-submarine weapons, the purpose of the drills is clearly aimed at impacting China's submarines in the India Ocean, which India regards as a "threat" to its influence in the area, Song Zhongping, a military expert who used to serve in the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times.

"India had promised not to take sides and provoke China on the South China Sea disputes. But the country is reneging on its promise by conducting such major drills in the area," Song said.

Navies of India and Singapore last Thursday began a seven-day-long mega maritime exercise in the SCS which has been witnessing a growing Chinese assertiveness.

The drill code-named "SIMBEX" (Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise) aims to enhance inter-operability between the two navies.

China had said that if such exchanges and cooperation is for the benefit of regional peace and security, then it has no opposition to the drills.

"We just hope that when the relevant countries conduct such exchanges and cooperation, they should bear in mind such activities should not hurt the interests of other countries or have any negative impact to regional peace and stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on May 19.

Song also said the high-level of cooperation between India and Japan, including the "Freedom Corridor" that connects Asia-Pacific to Africa, can also be seen as pushback against China's Belt and Road initiative.

The close bilateral cooperation is the previous Obama administration's legacy, in which Japan and India were meant to keep China at bay, both politically and militarily, Qian Feng, an expert at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies, was quoted by the report.

Qian also stressed that India's recent operations in Southeast Asia are a political investment. India could use its influence in ASEAN countries as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China, once ties between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries get strained over South China Sea disputes, he said.

He also referred to reports that India and Japan are working on infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Iran's Chabahar port and Sri Lanka's Trincomalee port, and the development of the Dawei port along the Thai-Myanmar border.

India did not send an official delegation to China to attend last week's 'Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation' in Beijing in view of its concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area.
Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan today dismissed his US counterpart Donald Trump's summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia this weekend as "just a show".

"The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind," said at a press conference.

In a jibe at the billion-dollar deals signed between Trump and the Saudi government, said: "You can't solve terrorism just by giving your people's money to a superpower."



He said Friday's election in Iran that saw Rouhani convincingly defeat hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi had been a message to the world that Tehran was ready for engagement.

"We wanted to tell the world that on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, we are to ready to have interaction," he said.
Rejecting Donald Trump's continuous attacks on Tehran, Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif Khonsari said that the US President should rather discuss how to prevent Saudi Arabia from carrying out another 9/11 attack.

Trump, in his address at the Riyadh Summit, repeatedly slammed Iran claiming that it funds arms, trains militias that spread destruction and chaos" and pointed to Iran's support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad as he committed "unspeakable crimes."

The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasised that Trump himself had earlier suggested that Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 attacks.

Majority of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi citizens and speculations have suggested that members of the Saudi hierarchy were involved in the attack, reports the Independent.

During the presidential campaigns ahead of elections, Trump had repeatedly condemned the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran and had promised to 'dismantle the disastrous mistake.'

However, it was found that Tehran was complying with the obligations under the agreement. This has led to speculations that the Trump administration may try to impose unilateral sanctions on Tehran following a religious ideological difference leading to proxy wars between the Sunni Saudi, and Shia Iran.
North Korea today confirmed the "successful" launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, Pyongyang's state media reported, adding the weapon was now ready to be deployed for military action.

State-run Korean Central News Agency said the North's leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw yesterday's missile test, which has sparked a fresh chorus of condemnation and threats of tougher UN sanctions.

The missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, a land-based version of Pyongyang's submarine-launched weapon, using solid-fuel that allows for immediate firing, KCNA said.

"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, (Kim Jong-Un) approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," KCNA said.

"Now that its tactical and technical data met the requirements of the Party, this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the KPA Strategic Force," Kim said, referring to the North's army, according to the KCNA report.

The missile, which was described by Washington as medium-range, was fired from Pukchang in South Pyongan province and travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to the South's armed forces.

KCNA said the test "aimed to finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action."

The results of the test were "perfect", KCNA added.

The US, South Korea and Japan sharply denounced the launch and jointly requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the matter.

The launch came just one week after the North fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang flew almost 800 kilometres and was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead.

Analysts said the Hwasong travelled further than any previous ballistic missile launched by the North.

The May 14 launch was seen as a significant step forward as the North accelerates efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

The launches and a threatened sixth nuclear test have fuelled tension with the administration of US President Donald Trump, who has vowed that such an ICBM launch "won't happen."

He warned that no option is off the table in dealing with the North's weapons program, although Washington has so far opted for sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while looking to China, the North's closest ally, to help rein in Pyongyang.

Seoul's foreign ministry slammed the "reckless and irresponsible" firing as "throwing cold water on the hope and longing of the new government and the community" for denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's incoming left-leaning government has taken a more conciliatory line with Pyongyang than its conservative predecessors but has reacted strongly to the latest two missile tests.

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across South Korea and Japan.

With an imputed range of 4,500 kilometres, the Hwasong-12 also puts US bases on the Pacific island of Guam within reach.
Republicans on Sunday inched away from President Trump amid mounting evidence that he may have sought to interfere in the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Group and Saudi Arabia formally announced the first round of capital commitments for the largest-ever technology investment fund, as founder Masayoshi Son seeks to accelerate his financing of cutting-edge technologies and startups.
US President had a brief encounter with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday and said he was pleased to meet him.

The interaction took place before the Arab-Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Riyadh, GEO News reported.

The US president shook hands with the Pak PM and exchange of pleasantries took place between the two leaders.

During the brief meeting, Trump said that he was very pleased to meet PM Nawaz to which the premier responded that the feeling is mutual.

King Salman Bin Abdulaziz also warmly welcomed the PM.

Trump addressed the summit which was attended by leaders from 55 countries.

PM Sharif arrived in Riyadh to attend the summit on the invitation of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.

After departing Islamabad in the morning, the premier arrived along with his delegation, which comprises several government officials and media persons, including foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz and lawyer Akram Sheikh.

The summit is being attended by around three dozen leaders of Islamic countries, including the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Malaysia, and presidents of Afghanistan, Egypt, as well as Trump.
President Donald Trump, like his predecessors before him, has discovered the potent language of religious tolerance and interfaith unity when discussing Islam, as he demonstrated in his speech in Saudi Arabia to leaders of some 50 Muslim nations. But unlike previous presidents, he has not linked that rhetoric with recognition of the large, vibrant Muslim community in the U.S.

As a historian who has studied efforts in the past to build acceptance of religious pluralism in the United States, I am concerned by Trumps departure from historical precedent.
President landed in Israel on a ground-breaking direct flight on Monday from Saudi Arabia, as he seeks to team up the Jewish state and Arab countries against a common foe  Iran  in a long-shot bid for peace in West Asia.
The Union finance ministry has invited suggestions on whether digital currencies like should be banned or allowed but regulated, and if so, if self-regulation is desirable. It wants feedback by the end of the month.



Earlier, a committee of bureaucrats had been asked to study the issue. In recent times, has been recognised by Japan; it has also been used to ask for ransom money.



start-ups Zebpay, Unocoin, Coinsecure and Searchtrade had in February jointly launched a Digital Asset and Blockchain Foundation of India (Dabfi) as a self-regulatory body. Nishith Desai Associates, a global legal entity, was appointed advisor for developing the regulations.



They argue that currencies such as Bitcoin should be allowed self-regulation. Banning it, say they and others, does not seem sensible, with its rising acceptability in parts of the world. If the government is to regulate it, there would be various issues. Digital or virtual currencies are not so defined under the laws and a mechanism to regulate it and tracking the transaction trails would have to be formulated.



"Crypto currency doesn't fit into any (standard) definition of currency, foreign exchange or money. Defining something which is an internet product, has a barter value and getting that approved in Parliament will be a difficult task. The way the Bitcoin industry is growing, it will be difficult for the government not to recognise its legality," says Nishith Desai, founder of Nishith Desai Associates.



Experts say over-regulation risks killing an industry. Had e-commerce firms been regulated from the start, the segment would not have grown the way it has.



Sandeep Goenka, co-founder of ZebPay, the largest Bitcoin exchange, with about 500,000 app downloads, says: "The best way to regulate is to first allow Bitcoin and crypto currency exchanges to operate. These companies do Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and can follow the anti-money laundering (AML) provisions and suspicious transaction reporting (STR) processes. They can help build an identity layer on top of this technology. This has been the global trend."
Shares of public sector banks were among big losers on Monday with losses as high as 11 per cent. State Bank of India (SBI) was the biggest loser among banking stocks in the Nifty, down 4.4 per cent, followed by Bank of Baroda (BoB) and Punjab National Bank (PNB), which were down 3.2 per cent and 2.7 per cent, respectively. Bank of India was the biggest loser among all bank stocks, down 11.2 per cent over Fridays closing.
The Bombay High Court on Monday extended the bail granted to model Preeti Jain till June 7 and admitted her appeal in which she has challenged a lower court's order.

The lower court had sentenced her to three years in jail on charges of conspiring to kill filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar.

The hearing on this matter will be held on June 7.

Earlier this month, a Mumbai court suspended the sentence given to Preeti Jain for four weeks to appeal in the High Court.

The court also gave bail to Jain and two others with precondition of payment of fine imposed.

A bail of Rs. 15,000 is also to be furnished.

Accused for plotting the murder of Bhandarkar against whom she had earlier filed a rape case, the city civil and sessions court had convicted Jain to three years in jail and also imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000.

She was accused of hiring gangsters to eliminate director Bhandarkar in 2005.

She was convicted along with other two other accused. Immediately after the ruling, Jain sought suspension of sentence.

She had allegedly given a 'supari' of Rs. 75,000 to a gangster of the Arun Gaali gang in September 2005 to eliminate Bhandarkar.

A case was registered on the police registered a case on September 10, 2005.

Jain had earlier in July 2004 lodged a complaint alleging that Bhandarkar had raped her several times between 1999 and 2004 under the pretext of marrying her and casting her as actress in his movies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday registered a case against Chotta Rajan's aide Mukund Kanhailal Patel after he confessed to have worked for the gangster.

Patel was arrested on May 21, 2005 by the Mumbai's Detection Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department and a .32 bore revolver, marked as made in England, loaded with two live rounds, was recovered from his possession.

Upon questioning by the agency, the accused revealed that he was working for Bharat Nepali, a former army man-turned-feared don, and an affiliate of Chotta Rajan.

"At the instance of said Bharat Nepali, he had imported one container from Bangkok containing large quantity of arms and ammunition. Nine packets containing 34 revolvers, three pistols, one silencer and 1283 live cartridges valued at approx Rs. 40 lakh were recovered by the police upon pointing out the accused," an official release stated.

Subsequently, the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was applied on Patel and a charge sheet was filed under the sections 120-B, 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 3, 7, 10, 25 of the Arms Act and Section 3 (1) (ii), 3 (2), 3(4) of the MCOCA.

Chotta Rajan was arrested in November 2015 and is presently lodged in Tihar Jail, Delhi.

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Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh on Monday presaged that his government will not compromise over quality in regard with construction of roads and government building in the state.

The Chief Minister asserted that if quality lapse is found then the concerned official will be suspended.

The decision was made by Singh during a review meeting of the Public Work Department (PWD) endeavors.

Singh during the meeting, which was conducted at his residence took cognisance of the work progress of the Raipur-Bilaspur four lane project, the Rajnandgaon Flyover, Raipur-Durg and Raipur Dhamtari road widening, Bhopal-Patalam -Bijapur road and the construction of various state roads and bridges.

Public Works Minister Rajesh Moonat, Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand, Principal Secretary Aman Kumar Singh, Secretary Public Works Subodh Kumar Singh and other senior officers were present in the meeting

In the meeting a proposal to declare Raipur's Vijaynagar-Visakhapatnam road as highway was also tabled.

In the meeting Singh said that in the incumbent financial year 2017-18 his government has given approval to PWD projects worth 2500 crore of the department.

The Chief Minister also directed to accelerate the work of express way which is being built from Raipur railway station to central old railway line.

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Criticising the "brutality" of the Pakistani forces for burning several houses in the Kech district during a military operation, Baloch Republican Party spokesperson Sher Mohammad Bugti has appealed to all the human rights organisations and the international community to take notice of the "war crimes" being committed against the Baloch people.

Kech is one of the key districts of Pakistan where the USD 51 billion worth China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be passing through.

"State aggressions have crossed all limits. Pakistani army conducted a heavy military offensive against defenseless innocent Baloch. Helicopters, artilleries, and other kind of sophisticated modern weapons were used against the civilian population in Jahoo and other surrounding areas of Awaran, Balochistan," Bugti said in a statement.

He added that four mutilated dead bodies of innocent Baloch were found dumped during the operation.

"We are deeply concerned that other dead bodies that have not been recognised might be those of previously abducted Baloch," Bugti said, while adding that Pakistani forces looted, ransacked and burned down almost every house in Jan Mohammad Bazar of the Kech district.

Bugti said another dozens of innocent civilians, including women and children, have suffered critical injuries after being beaten and tortured by the army personnel during the operation.

He said similarly incidents are happening in Dera Bugti and Kohistan Marri area where civilians are being targeted by the Pakistan Army's constant shelling.

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Terming the African Development Bank's (AfDB) annual meeting organized in India this year as a new chapter in India-Africa relationship, Union Finance Minister Arun Jailtey said both the countries together shape the future of the world.

Jaitley was speaking at the opening session of the annual meeting of the African Development Bank themed on 'Africa-India Cooperation on enhancing the High 5 Strategy' at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat yesterday.

Jaitley said, "Our commitment is reflected in high level engagement with Africa on a scale never seen before."

''India-Africa partnership model is unique; the cornerstone is voluntary partnership without any imposition on partner and the partner is free to decide what is best for them," he added.

Talking about the 'High 5' Agenda of the AfDB, the Finance Minister said that it is not different from Indian policy. "If India is a bright spot, then Africa is not very far away", he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, called Africa a continent of immense opportunities and said that there are opportunities for India and Africa to revive global growth.

Daniel Kablan Duncan, Vice President, Republic of Cote d'lvoire, Akinwumi Adesina, President, African development Bank, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, President designate, CII, Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

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Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan visited Vienna for co-chairing the 2nd India-Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Institutional Dialogue at the OPEC headquarters and strongly reiterated that as a large import destination there should be no 'Asian Premium' on the crude supplied to India and Asian buyers.

Pradhan highlighted that India provided timely payments and honoured all its contractual commitments and demanded due acknowledgment through discount in prices for large volumes that India imports.

The minister further added that for a long time OPEC subsidised western buyers at the cost of Asian buyers.

Given the importance of Asian market for OPEC, particularly fast growing Indian market which stood by OPEC as a reliable and continued customer, Pradhan demanded 'Asian Dividend rather then paying Asian Premium'.

He also informed about the increasing refining capacity of India and future expansion plans. He also briefed OPEC about the expanding petrochemical sector in India.

Pradhan highlighted the fact that the Energy Mix in India is undergoing major changes with renewables coming in a big way and pricing of solar energy coming down to 4 cents per unit. There is also a shift in focus to solar, wind, biomass, Electric Vehicles, Hybrid cars etc. He emphasised that the oil Industry is at a delicate cross road and higher crude prices will give a further push to renewables.

Pradhan also stressed that the OPEC should work towards "Responsible Pricing" which is important for India for socio-economic and developmental reasons. It would allow India to provide energy to the common and marginalised people who have been deprived of access to energy so far. Higher crude prices would retard growth rate which will result in slowing down the demand of crude oil.

On the proposed plan of continued production cut by OPEC and non-OPEC countries, Pradhan said that energy security was a full circle. He said that while the production cut is an attempt to arrest the slide in prices, however, it also has an inherent chance of under investment and consumer's needs not being met in the long run, which is not in the interest of a balanced and healthy global oil and gas market.

Pradhan met the Secretary General of OPEC Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo and discussed bilateral issues of interest at a delegation level dialogue. He highlighted the importance of India - OPEC engagement and discussed on the effects of the production cut of 1.8 mbpd by OPEC and non-OPEC countries on the global oil market volatility.

Pradhan said that India had been and continued to be a reliable customer of OPEC countries, the only big economy where the demand for crude oil continues to rise each year. About 86 percent of India's import of crude oil, 70 percent of natural gas, 95 percent of LPG are from OPEC countries.

Pradhan also underlined the importance of market and reiterated the need to intensify bilateral dialogue to change the nature of engagement from a buyer-seller relationship to an Energy Partnership. He added that in today's oversupplied market, it was important for producers to understand the perspective of consumers and the demand centres and the changes that have taken place in these demand centres.

The meeting took place two days prior to the OPEC Ministerial meeting that is scheduled from May 25.

Pradhan was accompanied by Secretary Petroleum, Indian Ambassador in Vienna and CEOs of seven large refiners of India, both from public and private sector including IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, MRPL, HMEL, Reliance and Essar. The CEOs emphasised their points of view during the OPEC meeting.

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Domestic manufacturing in Pakistan is likely to be adversely affected by the USD 51 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, a Pakistan-origin freelance columnist has cautioned in an editorial for the Dawn.

According to Umair Javed," Already smarting from several free-trade agreements, greater integration with the Chinese economy could hamper several segments of domestic manufacturing (in Pakistan)".

"From what we've seen of (the) CPEC so far, the aggregation and input of domestic interests looks to be largely absent. This is worrying for both the moral-ethical foundations of our political system, and for the eventual health of our (Pakistan) economy," he adds.

Javed further opines that local businessmen are by and large worried about the influx of Chinese capital and goods, and adds that labour activists are also unclear about the kind of wage and workplace regimes incoming Chinese investment will generate.

The Dawn quotes him, as saying that "the swiftness and vehemence with which government officials (have) rejected last week's story on the CPEC plan suggest they want to keep a lid on another, far more volatile front: agriculture."

"If the current version of the plan retains the same core priorities, it means Chinese investment in agriculture, so far kept out of the discussion, will be central to CPEC. It means there will be large-scale land appropriations, new interventions in the agriculture supply chain, and possible disruptions in the way the rural economy currently works."

He cautions the governing elite not to ignore the agriculture sector that still employs 40 percent of the nation's labour force, and acts as a lynchpin in electoral politics.

"By refusing to elaborate on CPEC's rollout in Pakistan's rural economy, the ruling party through its lead, and all other political parties, through their pliant acquiescence, are shutting out a politically potent segment of the population," Javed says, warning that it could widen the gulf between all those tasked with governing and those they're supposed to represent.

This will open up the possibility of political instability and conflict.

He concludes by saying that the "CPEC's potential can be better harnessed through a more transparent conversation; especially one that offers greater room for discussion and critique.

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In yet another incident of fatal stray dog attack in Kerala, a 50-year-old fisherman was succumbed to his injuries after being mauled by a pack of stray dogs in Trivandrum's Pulluvila.

The hapless man, Joseclin, a resident of the coastal belt died at a hospital after he multiple suffered dog bites all over his body.

In a separate incident, a 65-year-old woman was mauled to death by a large pack on a suburban beach at nearby Kanjiramkulam in the state capital last year.

The stray dog menace in Kerala is quite turning into a major crisis with the number of dog-bite cases touching around 53,000 last year.

The Supreme Court has ordered Kerala to give Rs 33 Lakhs 37 Thousand as compensation to 19 people who were terribly bitten by stray dogs. The said amount would be distributed as per the third report submitted by Srijagan committee to the Supreme Court.

Following the outcry, the state government had come out with a detailed programme including sterilisation of dogs and killing of violent canines.

However, there were also protests from animal lovers against the government's move to kill street dogs.

According to a report submitted in the Supreme Court recently in a connected case, more than one lakh people in Kerala have been bitten by dogs in 2015-16.

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United States First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump eschewed the strict Saudi Arabia dress code while attending different events in the country.

Melania and Ivanka, who are accompanying Trump on his first trip as President, were seen without headscarves during Trump's key speech in front of heads of state in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Melania on Sunday visited the American School in Riyadh and an all-women General Electric service center without a headscarf.

"Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women," Melania tweeted.

Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women. pic.twitter.com/bXdES83w3P  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 21, 2017

"Had the honor of visiting 1st all-women process service center in #Riyadh, #SaudiArabia. Thanks to @GE_Saudi for the invite!" she said in another tweet.

Had the honor of visiting 1st all-women process service center in #Riyadh, #SaudiArabia. Thanks to @GE_Saudi for the invite! pic.twitter.com/qTloc4PtCJ  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 21, 2017

Similarly, Ivanka Trump was also seen without a headscarf while attending a women's empowerment roundtable at Tuwaiq Palace with civil society leaders, prominent businesswomen and female Saudi elected government officials, CNN reported.

"Today I met with Saudi Arabian women leaders and learned directly of their accomplishments, challenges & vision for the future. #POTUSAbroad," Ivanka tweeted.



Today I met with Saudi Arabian women leaders and learned directly of their accomplishments, challenges & vision for the future. #POTUSAbroad pic.twitter.com/npimDyD95u  Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) May 21, 2017

The two ladies had also arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday with their hair being uncovered.

Trump had previously slammed former first lady Michelle Obama for refusing to wear a head scarf in Saudi Arabia.

"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," Trump said in a tweet on January 29, 2015.

Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted.We have enuf enemies  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2015

However, Melania and Ivanka are not the only women, who did not cover their hair upon arrival in the conservative Islamic kingdom, as former U.S. state secretary Hillary Clinton, former first lady Laura Bush, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also not covered their hair in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan's Embassy in Qatar has reportedly delivered a sealed letter to Qatar's Prince Hamad Bin Jassim, that possibly contains a questionnaire from the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which is probing the Sharif family's offshore properties in relation to the Panamagate case.

According to the Express Tribune, the sealed envelope has been forwarded through the Pakistan Foreign Office. This questionnaire is said to have been forwarded in response to the legal team of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif submitting to two letters from the prince before the Supreme Court to clear the family's name with regard to the money trail of the London properties owned.

The daily quoted sources, as saying that a close aide of the Sharif family, Saifur Rehman, reportedly pressured embassy officials to unseal the envelope and later urged them not to deliver it to the prince at all.

However, Pakistan's Ambassador to Qatar Shahzad Ahmad rejected Rehman's wishes and delivered the sealed envelope to the prince on Thursday.

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Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers on Monday took to streets in major cities across the country to protest against raids conducted at the office of party's social media activist in Peshawar and Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) alleged crackdown in connection with the suspected violations of cyber crime law.

The PTI dubbed the raids as harassment of their party workers by law enforcing agencies and an attempt to curb the right of freedom of expression.

The office of party's social media activist in Peshawar was reportedly ransacked by unidentified individuals on Monday.

Dawn quoted PTI activist Syed Furqan Kakakhel as saying that the office was his personal space, where he worked as a party volunteer to promote PTI's vision on social media.

The party held protests outside the respective press clubs in Karachi, Quetta and Islamabad.

PTI leader Asad Umar addressed the protesters in Karachi, Fawad Chaudhry in Islamabad and other local leaders in Quetta.

The PTI leaders alleged that in the pas,t the PML-N government was responsible for hatching conspiracies against the electronic media, and now they are aiming to curb the social media.

The party has also warned the government that the agitation will be extended if harassment of its workers is not stopped.

The FIA had on Saturday reportedly taken another member of PTI's social media team, Owais Khan, into custody over alleged violations of Pakistan's cyber-crime laws.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary told the protestors in Islamabad that the government was trying to silence them.

He questioned the FIA's practices, saying that they call PTI's young activists for investigation and after which they keep them under custody overnight.

"It is unacceptable that one of our activists was charged for sharing a 'funny' picture of Nawaz Sharif on social media," he added.

Talking to media, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan said the government is using the army as a shield and forwarding its own agenda.

Terming the government's crackdown on people using social media as "anti-democratic", PTI chief Imran Khan said that the social media is a new phenomenon in Pakistan and in the and it can't be stopped.

Earlier, Khan had accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif led- PML-N government of abusing the cybercrime law to victimise PTI's social media activists.

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Donald Trump landed in Tel Aviv, Israel on Monday for the second leg of his first foreign trip as United States President.

During his visit, discussions will be held on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, regional security issues and reaffirmation the U.S.' commitment to its alliance with Israel.

The visit is the second of three stops on the President's schedule.

Trump arrived in Israel after visiting Saudi Arabia and will next head to the Vatican - home of the Catholic Church.

The President will later head to Jerusalem for a series of meetings, speeches and symbolic visits.

Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday

According to reports, Trump is expected to have bilateral talks with Netanyahu and Palestine President Mahmud Abbas amid tight security.

The U.S. President has earlier said that Israel and the Palestinian state will have to engage in direct talks to resolve all of their issues, including the contentious one of Israeli settlements.

Over half-a-million Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land the Palestinians claim for a future state.

The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

The other vexed issue is that of Jerusalem. Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians have staked claim to the eastern part as their capital.

The international community, however, does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

From Israel, the U.S. President will travel to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily to meet Pope Francis, attend the NATO Summit and a meeting of the G-7 respectively between May 24 and May 26.

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For construction of Parwan Gravity Dam in Rajasthan

Hindustan Construction Company as a lead partner in the joint venture with HSEPL has been awarded Rs 672.99 crore contract on EPC basis for the construction of Parwan Gravity Dam by the Water Resources Department, Government of Rajasthan. HCC's share in the JV is 90% (Rs 605.70 crore).

The project envisages construction of a concrete gravity dam and 8.475 km long tunnel for irrigation and water supply purpose involving civil, hydro-mechanical and electrical works on EPC basis. A 21 km long access road will be also constructed to the project site. The project is to be completed in 48 months.

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Key benchmark indices were trading higher in early trade, tracking positive leads from Asian markets. At 9:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 190.06 points or 0.62% at 30,654.98. The Nifty 50 index was up 56.20 points or 0.60% at 9,484.10.

Among secondary barometers,the BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.48%. The BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.63%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The broad market depicted strength. There were more than three gainers against every loser on BSE. 1,043 shares rose and 324 shares fell. A total of 55 shares were unchanged.

Overseas, most Asian equities were trading higher, following the continued recovery on Wall Street last week. Investors shrugged off a weekend missile test by North Korea that raised further concerns on its ability to deliver a nuclear warhead as far as the US states of Hawaii and Alaska.

US stocks rose on Friday, 19 May 2017, but closed below their session highs on renewed concerns about Donald Trump's presidency, following two new media reports of possible coordination between Russia and Trump's election campaign.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) was up 0.29%. The company announced that the company plans to invest directly and/or through its subsidiary(ies) in high-end electric powertrain technology as part of its plan for the future of mobility; and electrification of some of its existing and future products.

The investments will also be utilised towards increasing the capacity for electric powertrains and electric vehicles. The high end electric powertrains will be used for the Group's future line up of electric vehicles. As the pioneers of electric vehicles in the country, the Group is committed towards making electric vehicles more accessible in order to build a clean and green tomorrow.

The company's announcement is in line with its efforts to accelerate the transformation as well as be in-sync with the Government of India's thrust on promoting hybrid and electric mobility in the country, through the ambitious National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2030. The announcement was made on Sunday, 21 May 2017.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone was up 0.73%. The company announced that Board of Directors at the meeting on 24 May 2017 will consider to raise funds by issue of equity shares/ convertible bonds through qualified institutional placement (QIP)/GDR/ADR/FCCBs/FCEBs/convertible securities.

The board will also consider issue secured/ unsecured redeemable non-convertible debentures on private placement basis. The board will consider issue of bonds which may be issued in one or more tranches, in India or overseas, and that may be listed in any one or more stock exchanges in India or overseas, provided that the total amount does not exceed $1.5 billion on private placement basis or otherwise, to any persons, entities, bodies corporate, companies, banks, financial institutions and any other categories of eligible investors permitted to invest in the Bonds under applicable laws. The announcement was made on Saturday, 20 May 2017.

VRL Logistics was down 5.09%. The company's net profit fell 29.72% to Rs 8.38 crore on 6.58% rise in total income to Rs 444.98 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 19 May 2017.

Bhushan Steel was up 1.08%. The company announced that it had participated in iron ore mine open bidding for the Kalmong West Block in Sundergarh district having a reserve of 92 million tonne and won the auction. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 19 May 2017.

Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India was up 4.20%. The company's net profit rose 4.5% to Rs 31.8 crore on 26.3% rise in total income to Rs 315.7 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 19 May 2017. The board approved 1 bonus issue of share for 2 shares held.

Camlin Fine Sciences was down 2.55%. The company's board at a meeting held on 19 May 2017 has approved to raise funds not exceeding Rs 250 crore by way of QIP/ GDR/ADR/FCCB/ other securities linked to equity/ preference shares/ convertible securities, subject to approval of shareholders. The board has appointed Santosh Parab as CFO of the company with effect from 10 May 2017. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 19 May 2017.

Hindustan Copper was up 0.73%. The company has prepared a feasibility report for a project to manufacture copper cathode from sulphide copper concentrate through a "State of the Art" Hydro-Metallurgy technology. The capacity of the proposed plant is 1 lakh tonne per annum at an estimated cost of Rs 3025 crore. The company has initiated process to obtain investment approval from CCEA, Govt. of India. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 19 May 2017.

Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) was up 0.31%. The company said it has received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the USFDA for its New Drug Application (NDA) for Elepsia XRTM, Levetiracetam extended-release tablets 1000 mg and 1500 mg. The CRL references the recent inspection of the Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (SPIL)'s Halol manufacturing site by USFDA and indicates that, satisfactory resolution of the deficiencies identified during the inspection is required before the final approval of Elepsia XRTM can be granted.

SPARC had out-licensed Elepsia XRTM to a subsidiary of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries in July 2016. As informed to the cmpany, SPIL is working with USFDA for resolving the cGMP deviations at the Halol facility and has taken several corrective measures. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 19 May 2017.

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With effect from 20 May 2017

Tree House Education & Accessories announced the resignation of Devanshu Parekh from the post of Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of the Company w.e.f. 20 May 2017.

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The Indonesian police have arrested 141 men in a raid on a gay sauna in Jakarta, a day before two men were to be publicly flogged for having sexual relations, the media reported on Monday.

Authorities raided what they said was a sex party promoted as "The Wild One", held at a sauna and gym venue in Jakarta's north on Sunday night, the Guardian reported.

Police spokesperson Agus Yuwono confirmed that 141 men, including the owner and several performers, had been detained for questioning and could be charged under Indonesia's pornography law.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Indonesia, but over the past 18 months the LGBT  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender  community has been subjected to an unprecedented wave of discrimination and attacks sparked by several controversial comments from conservative government ministers.

Last month police targeted a gathering of gay men in a hotel in Surabaya, following a tip-off from neighbours. Fourteen men were arrested and forced to undergo HIV tests, reports the Guardian.

Two men were also arrested in Banda Aceh in late March and convicted of sodomy under the province's Sharia law. The men were sentenced to 85 lashes with the cane, which will be meted out publicly in the provincial capital on Tuesday.

This will be the first time Aceh's sharia courts have sentenced people to flogging for homosexual acts.

Yulita Rustinawati from the LGBT activist group Arus Pelangi said that while all the details of Sunday's raid were not yet clear, the arrests were likely part of a growing trend of intolerance toward the queer community in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

"It's been increasing for two years now," Rustinawati said of the recent crackdowns, "It's bad for democracy, for freedom of expression and freedom of association. We're not sure what the government is trying to achieve. We are queer and we are not going away."
The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to provide zero interest crop loan to marginal farmers of the state to enable them easy access to formal credit through banking channels, an official said on Monday.

According to a Finance Department notification of May 7, 2017, the government has decided to launch "Chief Minister's Krishi Rinn Yojana", under which it would provide interest subvention of 4 per cent on crop loan/Kisan Credit Card (KCC) limit up to Rs 3 lakh sanctioned by all banks to all farmers of the state during the current financial year.

This interest subvention will be over and above the subvention given by the central government to banks and the farmers as per policy issued by the Reserve Bank of India and NABARD.

"The farmers would also get interest relief at the rate of 3 per cent per annum if they promptly repay their short-term production credit (crop Loan) within one year of disbursement of such loan. In effect, farmers who take loan up to Rs 3 lakh and make timely repayments will get access to zero interest credit facility," the official said.

The NABARD will act as channel partner for reimbursement to banks against interest subvention amount claims.

A certificate of area and crop being cultivated issued by circle officer will be accepted as valid documents by banks for issuance of Kisan Credit Card to the farmers, the notification said.

Benefit under the scheme will be extended to farmers availing KCC/crop production loan from commercial banks, APRB and APSCAB Ltd at the same terms and conditions prescribed by the RBI/ NABARD.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has set a target of 7,500 farmers to be covered under the Chief Minister's Krishi Rinn Yojana in this financial year.

The district-wise or bank-wise target will be circulated separately to all District Collectors and concerned banks. This target will be reviewed later and any bank which fails to meet the stipulated target would be reported to the RBI and Department of Financial Services, he said.

Moreover, the circle officers will function as Financial Extension Officers of the state government and also help the banks in timely recovery of crop loans.

--IANS

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An Australian business magnate and his wife announced on Monday that they will donate $298 million to fund various charities and for cancer research.

Andrew Forrest, who is one of Australia's 10 wealthiest people and former executive director of the Fortescue Metals Group, has founded various organizations such as "Walk Free" against modern slavery, "Minderoo" to support education for Aboriginals, and "Forrest Research", which provides doctoral scholarships, Efe news reported.

"We had a slightly unsustainable business model previously where we would actually borrow money to give it away," Forrest said on Monday.

"And fortunately, we don't have to do that now thanks to the strength of the iron ore sector, the leadership of this country throughout the ages, and that word I would like to introduce more commonly into the dialogue of leadership, which is courage."

The mining and business mogul was worth an estimated $1.24 billion in 2016, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This is the biggest single philanthropic gift in our history. It is a game-changer in the Australian philanthropic community...It will change the lives of thousands of people here in and around the world," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said during a reception at Parliament House in Canberra.

The money will be used for research into the fight against cancer, the eradication of modern slavery and the promotion of academic research, among others.

Back in 2013, Forrest and his wife Nicola announced to make a donation $61.5 million to alma mater, the University of Western Australia, making it the single largest donation in Australian history then.

--IANS

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Two months is not a long time in to fall from grace, especially when a landslide of public support has propelled you to power.

But in Uttar Pradesh, the honeymoon period of the Yogi Adityanath-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government seems to have been spiked by a series of incidents of heinous crimes and law and order issues. Serious crime figures have seen a sharp increase  in many cases going up manifold.

Having come to power in March with a three-fourths majority, riding on anti-incumbency and promising a turnaround in the law and order situation, which the BJP said had collapsed during the Samajwadi Party (SP) regime, the situation in less than two months has turned against the ruling party.

From murders to rapes to dacoities to caste conflicts and communal tensions, the government seems to be tottering in face of soaring crime and shaken public confidence.

The situation has come to such a pass that the Allahabad High Court (HC) last Saturday expressed concern over the crime situation in the state.

While disposing of a petition, a bench of Chief Justice D B Bhonsle and Justice Yashwant Verma directed the Principal Secretary (Home) and the Director General of Police to rein in the criminal and mafia elements.

The twin murder of bullion traders in Mathura earlier this week seems to have set the alarm bells ringing in the ruling establishment, so much so that within 24-hours of the incident, 67 IPS officials were transferred across the state, apparently in a desperate bid to control the fast-slipping law and order situation.

"Yes, indeed the soaring crimes are our first and foremost challenge but we are doing enough to rein in the criminals and restore law and order in the state" said a senior cabinet minister while admitting that the confidence of the people in Adityanath's government "for now stood shaken". Statistics on the ground reveal that the minister's "enough" claim is apparently not enough.

Data released by the state police paints a rather grim picture. Between March 15 and April 15 this year, rapes increased four times over the past year, murders doubled and dacoities grew manifold. In 2016, in this corresponding period, there were 41 rapes against 179 this year and dacoities rose from three to 20.

Murders have gone up from 101 to a worrying 240 and robberies from 67 to 273. It's not only the statistics. The perception of the people on crumbling law and order should worry the ruling elite.

Soon after Adityanath was sworn in, a husband-wife duo was killed and their young daughters raped and murdered in Allahabad; four people were murdered in Chitrakoot thereafter, a teenage trader was killed after this. In Lucknow, two sisters were murdered in broad daylight in their Lucknow home and a trader was shot dead in Gorakhpur, Adityanath's parliamentary constituency.

Ashok Singh, the spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress, says all that the state government was doing was preaching and the Chief Minister was busy doling out assurances. "In the past two months, the state is in throes of despair and the people have realised that the BJP government has failed to maintain law and order," he said.

Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chowdhary was equally uncharitable. "The BJP tricked the people into believing in the dreams spun by them and now the poor people are facing the consequences as the criminals run amok and the powers that be are busy with 'bhashanbaazi' (sermonising)" he said.

Ram Achal Rajbhar, state president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), accused the Adityanath government of triggering caste conflicts and communal tension and then going into "silent mode" for political considerations.

Opposition parties cite the caste conflict in Saharanpur and half-a-dozen other places which has singed the state in the past 60 days. Not surprisingly, as the opposition gunned for the state government, the 'ready-to-shoot' BJP spokesmen and leaders, who would slam the predecessor Akhilesh Yadav government previously over the smallest of incidents are now silent and duck questions on law and order.

Having effected more than 200 transfers of IPS officials in the past two months, the state government seemingly is yet to get the hang of the challenges that lie ahead. K L Gupta, a retired DGP, who served under Kalyan Singh, calls for more proactive policing and says police needed to be given more free hand with political interference minimised.

Put on the mat by a handful, but vocal, opposition parties in the assembly, Adityanath assured the House that his government was committed to "bringing the rule of law in the state" and that his government would treat criminals as criminals and political patronage of such unscrupulous elements would not be allowed.

However, most eyes are now on the 45-year-old monk-turned-Chief Minister of India's most populous and politically significant state. The example of his predecessor Akhilesh Yadav is still fresh in the minds of those who elected his party to power. The lessons of history, political observers opine, can only be forgotten at one's own peril.
BJP President Amit Shah on Monday exuded confidence that the party will come to power in Telangana in coming days.

Addressing a meeting of BJP workers at Theratpally village in Nalgonda district on the first day of his three-day visit to Telangana, he urged them to take the policies of Modi government to people and make the state a stronghold of the party.

"The way BJP is working in Telangana for last two years, I am sure BJP will form the government in the state in coming days," he said.

Stating that the country was marching ahead on the path of progress under the leadership of Narendra Modi, he appealed to Telangana people to ensure that Telangana join this march so that it could become number one state.

Shah, who visited few houses in the village and interacted with farmers and weavers to know their problems, targeted the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for what he called its "failure" to take the central schemes to the grassroots.

He said the Modi government launched many schemes for poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers, youth women and villages but these schemes had not reached the targeted groups in Telangana.

He said under one such scheme, 4.5 crore toilets were constructed for poor households across the country but alleged that not a single toilet was built in this village.

Accompanied by BJP's national General Secretary Muralidhar Rao, party's state president K. Laxman and others, he visited few houses and interacted with villagers to know about their problems. A farmer told him that the people were facing water scarcity both for drinking and irrigation.

The BJP chief unveiled statue of Gundugoni Mysaiah, a BJP activist who was killed by Maoists in 1999.

He along with other BJP leaders had dinner with Dalits in a Dalit locality in the village. He later left for Nalgonda to meet a cross section of people.

Shah's three-day visit to Telangana is aimed at strengthening the party in the state ahead of the 2019 elections.

Earlier, soon after his arrival at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, he left for Nalgonda district by road.

Shah will on Tuesday visit Gundrampalli village to pay tribute to those killed by 'razakars' or volunteers of the Nizam before Hyderabad state's merger with the Indian Union.

He will also address booth level committees in the two districts.

The BJP president on the last day of his trip will return here to address a meeting of party workers of Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

The BJP is gearing up to make a serious bid to wrest Hyderabad seat from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has been winning it since 1984.

--IANS

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The Border Security Force (BSF) will soon move a pistol, used by Indian freedom struggle hero Bhagat Singh, to a museum in Punjab's frontier district of Ferozepur.

The Colt .32 automatic pistol was used by the freedom fighter to kill British police officer John Saunders on December 17, 1928.

The move to shift the pistol was disclosed by a BSF officer to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday during the hearing of a public interest litigation petition filed by a lawyer.

BSF Deputy Inspector General Arun Kumar Tambe told the high court that ther pistol, which is presently kept at the BSF museum in Indore (Madhya Pradesh), will soon be shifted to the museum at the Hussainwala border in Punjab's Ferozepore.

Tambe told the court that the New Delhi-based BSF headquarters had, on April 25, issued orders to move the historic pistol to Punjab.

Freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were cremated at Hussainwala, along the present India-Pakistan border, where a memorial for them is located.

Chandigarh lawyer H.C. Arora had filed the PIL, seeking that the pistol be shifted to the museum in Khatkar Kalan, about 75 km from here, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh's mother.

--IANS

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of getting goons into the state as well as firearms from Bihar's Munger and ordered the police to step up vigilance.

"People from the ruling party from Delhi are getting in goons from outside to the state and arms from Munger. I am not going to tolerate that," Banerjee told the police here at an administrative review meeting.

In a stern warning, Banerjee instructed the state police to check bomb manufacturing, particularly in sensitive areas of Birbhum district where crude bomb-making related explosions have occurred.

"Please pay attention. No bomb manufacturing will be allowed. Rescue whatever arms are there," Banerjee told the police.

Last month, nine persons were killed in crude bomb explosions following clashes between two groups in Labpur.

The Chief Minister also asserted that no hooliganism will be allowed.

"No hooliganism will be allowed nor will we allow anyone to wrest control of an area by muscle power, by sword wielding," said Banerjee in an apparent reference to the Ram Navami rallies held by RSS-backed outfits where participants were seen brandishing swords.

She mentioned Nanur and Parui as being "sensitive" areas.

Alleging that some patients from outside create a problem in Rampurhat (hospital), the Trinamool Congress supremo ordered the police and district administration to consider setting up police camp outside the hospital for added security.

"Some patients who come from outside create a problem. Do think about setting up a police camp outside the hospital as it is along the Jharkhand border," she told the police officers.

Banerjee also instructed the hospital authorities to maintain proper contact details of the patients admitted to the hospital from other states.

"Record of patient/families' address should be maintained so that information can be provided. Their permanent address, current residential address should be recorded," she said.

--IANS

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A Special Court here on Monday sent a former Secretary in the Coal Ministry and other former officials to jail for two years in a case relating to allocation of a Madhya Pradesh coal block to Kamal Sponge company.

CBI Special Judge Bharat Parashar awarded the jail terms to former Secretary H.C. Gupta and two more former officials in the ministry K.S. Kropha and K.C. Samria in the allocation of Thesgora B/Rudrapuri coal block to Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL).

The court also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh against the former officials.

KSSPL's Managing Director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia was awarded three years jail and slapped with a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs one crore against the company Kamal Sponge.

The court had on Friday convicted the accused under charges dealing with criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code and the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had lodged an FIR accusing the company and others of allegedly misrepresenting facts, including inflated net worth, to acquire the coal block.

--IANS

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A conman was arrested for allegedly cheating and raping a homemaker in the city's western suburb, the city police said on Monday.

"Accused Prasanna Kumar, 31, was arrested on Saturday on a complaint from the victim on May 15 that he raped her for at least seven times over the last six months and took Rs 20 lakh from her promising to cure her younger son suffering from epilepsy," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) M.N. Anucheth told reporters here.

A local court on Monday sent Kumar to a five-day police custody till May 26 for interrogation in the case, registered against him under Sections of 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), 384 (extortion), 504 (breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insulting a woman's modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Kumar approached the 35-year-old single woman in November 2016 and asked her to donate for a physically-challenged association and befriended her subsequently.

"I gave him (Kumar) Rs 200 and wrote my name and my mobile number in the receipt book he had with him. He called me on the mobile and offered to solve my personal problems, including treating my 4-year-old son's illness," recalled the victim in her complaint.

On the pretext of curing her son and claiming to be an astrologer-cum-healer, the fraudster had been visiting her house regularly over the last six months.

"On one occasion, he asked me to take off my clothes and took pictures of my naked body on his mobile phone. He threatened to upload my nude pictues on the social media and blackmailed me to have sex with him forcibly. He also asked me to smoke a cigarette saying he would see forms of goddesses in fumes," she cited in her complaint.

The victim borrowed huge amounts from her relatives and friends, saying she needed the money for her son's treatment in a private hospital in the city.

"Kumar also took about 300gm of gold jewellery to conduct some rituals to free her from the bad times she was going through," said Anucheth, citing from the complaint.

--IANS

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A special NIA court on Monday convicted 14 persons accused in a Rs 1,000 crore terror funding scam that rocked Assam nearly a decade ago.

A senior NIA advocate said the court has pronounced all the 14 accused guilty. The court is likely to pronounce the punishments on Tuesday.

The scam refers to the siphoning off of funds meant for development activities in the North Cachar Hills district (now called Dima Hasao district) to the coffers of the militants, particularly the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) militants led by its chairman Jewel Gorlocha.

The money was used by the militants to procure arms and ammunition to wage war against India.

This was the first case to be taken up by the NIA in Assam in 2009.

The accused included former militants, including DHD chairman Jewel Gorlosa, its commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai, Mohet Hojai, former chief executive member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC)-- the Sixth Schedule Council that runs the administration in the NC Hills district, and a social welfare department official, R.H. Khan.

Granted an interim bail in 2011 by the Gauhati High Court on the condition that they would take part in peace talks with the government, both Gorlocha and Hojai later joined BJP and successfully contested the Dima Hasao District Autonomous Council.

Hojai also became the chief executive member of the autonomous council in 2015, when the BJP wrested power from the Congress in the Council.

--IANS

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The CPI-M on Monday demanded the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government apologise for the "police brutality" on Left protestors that left over 250 of them injured and also take action against the security personnel responsible.

"We strongly condemn the police brutality that has left over 250 people injured. Over 100 of them are seriously injured. Our protest movements will only intensify until the state government apologises," said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

"We have seen how male policemen assaulted and manhandled female protestors, which is not just highly condemnable but is illegal and criminal. We demand strict action against those policemen," he added.

The party, in a statement, condemned the Trinamool Congress government's "anti-democratic attitude" and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "disregarding issues of growing hardships being imposed on the livelihood of the people of West Bengal".

"If the state government believes that through such brutality, protests will be crushed in West Bengal, then the least that can be said is that these are entirely misplaced.

"The people of West Bengal will continue to rise in protest and immediate protest actions will take place all over the state against this police brutality," the CPI-M said.

A number of police personnel and Left protesters were injured after the Monday's protest march to the state secretariat Nabanna turned violent.

Security forces used tear gas and baton charges on thousands of belligerent activists who broke barricades during the protest march organised by 11 Left peasant bodies.

--IANS

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In yet another case of misbehaviour of policemen against the public, an officer of Mandawali police station misbehaved with a journalist when he went to enquire about the progress of investigations into the theft of his car.

The victim, Ajeyo Basu, had gone to report the theft of his car which was stolen from near Mother Dairy crossing in Patparganj, East Delhi, on the evening of May 20.

At the Mandawali police station, the investigation officer of his case, Assistant Sub-Inspector Pradeep Teotia, refused to give him a proper hearing.

"Dilli mein roz 150 cars chori hoti hain, hum kya kar sakte hain? Yeh sab toh hota rehta hain (150 cars are stolen in Delhi every day, what can we do? These things keep on happening)," Teotia said in a dismissive manner.

The victim approached the Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Delhi, before going to meet ASI Teotia again on Monday.

However, despite the fact that the case had been referred to the DCP, the officer refused to change his brusque and unprofessional attitude.

The complainant requested him to take a look at the footage of the CCTV installed at the gate of the housing complex in front of which his car was parked at the time of the incident.

"Mera shakal ayega camera aur bata. DCP se hi kaam karwa le (My face will appear on the camera. Tell the DCP to do the job)," ASI Teotia said.

"Tu karega investigation? Tu mujhe salary deta kya? (Will you do the investigation? Do you pay me my salary?)," he retorted when reminded that police officers are supposed to help members of the public in times of need.

When the victim asked for the complaint book of the police station in order to register a complaint against ASI Teotia, the other police personnel present at the spot refused to hand it over despite repeated requests.

--IANS

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A Delhi property dealer has been arrested on the charges of murdering his business partner, and the partner's wife and four kids, over a financial dispute, the Delhi Police said on Monday.

The police said realtor Bunty has admitted to his crime.

Bunty shot dead Munnawar Hasan, 45, on Saturday with the latter's licensed revolver in his own house in Burari area of north Delhi.

Hasan, a former Bahujan Samaj Party leader lodged in jail over rape charges, was out on 15-day parole since last week, a police officer said.

The officer said when Hasan reached home on parole from jail, he found his wife and four kids missing. They had not visited him in jail since April 20.

Hasan, accompanied by Bunty, filed a missing persons complaint on Friday. Hasan's bullet-riddled body was found at his home a day later.

The officer said police questioned Bunty as they suspected his involvement in Hasan's murder.

Bunty allegedly revealed that he had earlier killed Hasan's wife and four kids and buried their bodies at different places in Delhi and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

"Bunty confessed to murdering Hasan and also claimed to have killed Hasan's wife Sonia and his two sons Akib and Shakib, and two daughters Arzu and Arsha. We are trying to verify his claim. We have sent police teams to Meerut and two places in Delhi where Bunty said he had buried them," the officer told IANS.

"Bunty said he had asked Hasan to return Rs 20 lakh he had loaned him but Hasan had refused. This led to the murders," the officer added.

Hasan and Bunty lived in Burari's Bhagat Colony and were together into property dealing for 15 years. Hasan hailed from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

He had contested the 2009 Delhi assembly election from Samaypur Badli on a BSP ticket.

--IANS

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A Delhi property dealer has confessed to having murdered his business partner, his wife and four kids over a property dispute, the city police said on Monday.

Realtor Bunty shot dead Munnawar Hasan, 45, on Saturday in his house in Burari neighbourhood of north Delhi, a police officer said.

Hasan, a former Bahujan Samaj Party leader who was in jail over rape charges, was out on parole since last week, the officer said.

His family had not visited him in the jail since April 20 and when he reached his home on parole, he didn't find his wife and four kids there.

Hasan, accompanied by Bunty, then filed a missing persons complaint with the police on Friday. Hasan's bullet-riddled body was found at his home a day later.

The officer said the police suspected Bunty for Hasan's murder and questioned him on Sunday.

Bunty told the police that he had earlier killed Hasan's wife and the four kids and buried their bodies at different places in Delhi and Meerut of Uttar Pradesh.

"Bunty confessed to murdering Hasan and also claimed to have killed Hasan's wife and the four children. We cannot establish the veracity of the latter claim until we find the bodies. We have sent police teams to Meerut and two more places in Delhi where Bunty said he had buried them," the officer told IANS.

Hasan and Bunty both lived in Burari and had been into property business for some years. Hasan was from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

--IANS

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Amid ongoing litigation in the Supreme Court over usage of Exide trademark in India, battery major Exide Industries Ltd on Monday said it has entered into a settlement agreement with US-based Exide Technologies to resolve the long standing dispute.

"The company was in discussion with the US company for an out of court settlement to amicably resolve the long standing dispute," the battery manufacturer said in a regulatory filing.

It also said: "Based on the discussions, the company has entered into a settlement agreement with the US company on May 19, 2017, whereby the US company, subject to fulfilment of conditions mentioned therein, shall forever waive any right or claim to the ownership and/or use of Exide mark in India."

The city-based battery maker said that "litigation is still pending before the Supreme Court for its consideration and disposal".

The legal proceeding was going on for more than 19 years.

--IANS

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The first look of actress-producer Priyanka Chopra's Sikkimese film "Pahuna" has been unveiled here at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.

Priyanka is producing the film through her and her mother Madhu Chopra's banner Purple Pebble Pictures.

Priyanka couldn't make it to the fest, but Madhu along with her son Sidharth Chopra attended the trailer launch of "Pahuna", directed by Paakhi A. Tyrewala, at the festival on May 21.

Madhu said in a statement: "It was a huge honour for everyone associated with 'Pahuna' to attend the prestigious festival and present the film's first look."

"Pahuna" is a story about the love, strength and courage of three Nepali children who get separated from their parents, while fleeing the Maoist agitation from Nepal to Sikkim. The entire cast and many of the technicians are from Sikkim.

As the title of the film suggests, the poster of "Pahuna" (The Little Visitors) puts the spotlight on two local children giving intense looks. In the background, one can see the little girl cooking something in a pot and the boy looking after a baby.

Tyrewala said: "Thirteen years ago when I went to Darjeeling and Gangtok, I realized how easily I was accepted by the people as one of their own. Soon, I forgot that I was a guest and began to see the mountains as my home and that has never changed."

"In 'Pahuna', I wanted to capture not only the beauty of Sikkim but also the beauty of its people. 'Pahuna' is the story of people of Sikkim. My vision is not to take Sikkim to Bollywood, but to bring Bollywood to Sikkim!"

--IANS

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At least four suicide bombers, who carried out an attack on an army base in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, were killed by Iraqi soldiers on Monday, a security source said.

The bombers, affiliated to the extremist Islamic State (IS) militant group, carried out an attack on the army's Karkoush base in Baquba city, about 65 km from Baghdad, Xinhua news agency quoted Lt. General Mezhir al-Azzawi, commander of Dijlah Operations Command, as saying.

The militants, wearing explosive vests and carrying assault rifles, attacked northern gate of the base, but the troops fired back and killed one of them, while the other three were surrounded after they holed up behind concrete barriers at the scene, said al-Azzawi, whose command is responsible for the security in Diyala province.

"Our forces killed all the four suicide bombers who tried to enter the Karkoush military base. The situation in under control," Azzawi said.

He said two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded in the clashes.

The attack came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS from their major stronghold in the western side of Mosul in northern Iraq.

--IANS

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The governments of Germany and China on Monday urged the US not to walk away from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Speaking alongside her Chinese counterpart, Germany's Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks told the media here that standing by the agreement would benefit Washington economically and politically, as US President Donald Trump's administration continued to revise the pact signed under his predecessor, Barack Obama, Efe news reported.

"We call on the US to remain within the Paris Agreement, as we believe that this is not only important for the agreement itself, but also for the US economy," Hendricks said ahead of the opening of the eighth Petersburg Climate Dialogue, a German government initiative aimed at allowing countries to discuss international climate policy.

The US upholding its commitment to the agreement would help tackle rising temperatures and ensure Washington could exercise its "influence" on the issue in future, she said.

The minister said a possible walking away from the agreement would not be good economically for the US.

Xie Zhenhua called on all countries to remain committed to the agreement, ensuring that China would stand by it, independent of Washington's final decision.

Trump's government has spent weeks studying a possible withdrawal from the climate change agreement and was looking to arrive at a decision in the coming days.

Hendricks pointed out that Chancellor Angela Merkel had spoken to Trump and asked him to keep the US within the framework, while Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel spoke to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the same topic.

--IANS

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Greenpeace India, the environment protection organisation, has welcomed and lauded the Bihar government's decision to give priority to organic farming.

"This initiative will prove sustainable for the agriculture and food security in the long run," a Greenpeace official said here on Monday.

According to the organisation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed the state's Agriculture Department officials to give priority to organic farming, and said it should be the basis of agicultural roadmap.

"Organic farming is the only way for the farmers to ensure better profit and to protect and conserve biodiversity. Bihar government has good schemes for organic farming, it should be implemented on a large scale with the help of the farmers," Greenpeace India senior campaigner Ishteyaque Ahmad said.

Ahmad said Greenpeace expects the Bihar government to give at least 40 per cent of the budget of the agricultural roadmap of 2017-22 to organic farming.

"It will encourage the farmers to say no to chemical fertilisers. Farmers would certainly shift from chemical-based farming to almost completely organic," he said.

--IANS

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Human blood holds no narrow sectarian boundaries, was proved when a Hindu and a Muslim woman donated one of their kidneys to the other's husband at a hospital here.

Ekram (29), a resident of Greater Noida, and Rahul Varisht (26), a Baghpat resident, were suffering from kidney ailments and needed kidney transplant.

Since both families had no suitable donor, the men's lives were at risk. Unfortunately, each wife's blood group failed to match the husband's.

Ekram's wife Razia (24) was B-positive while he was A-positive, whereas Rahul's wife Pavitra (38) was A-positive but he was B-positive.

"We held separate meetings with both families and informed them that if each woman donates her kidney to the other's husband, it is possible to save the lives of both patients," Amit Devra, Senior Kidney Transplant Surgeon at Jaypee Hospital, said in a statement on Monday.

Convinced, both wives agreed to donate a kidney to the other's husband. A five-hour surgery successfully transplanted the kidneys to both patients.

"The successful exchange of kidneys between Hindu-Muslim families indicates human blood holds no narrow boundaries. Only the human mind holds religious reservations and if humanity takes precedence over sectarian concerns, particularly during medical emergencies, thousands of lives could be saved," noted Manoj Luthra, CEO Jaypee Hospital.

Both the patients are doing well, the doctors said.

--IANS

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The Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur will collaborate with the Madhya Pradesh government to chalk out a 'Happiness Index' for measuring the well-being of residents, an official said on Monday.

"IIT Kharagpur's Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness signed an MoU with the Department of Happiness under the Madhya Pradesh government to collaborate on the development of Happiness index for measuring the well-being of the people," an official statement said.

"The MoU was signed in Bhopal in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and IIT Kharagpur Director P.P. Chakrabarti," it said.

Chouhan had tweeted about the recent development: "The Madhya Pradesh government's #AnandSansthan has signed an MOU with @IITKgp & @ISBedu Hyderabad to develop a Happiness Index & run an online course on fulfilment."

This collaborative work would be administered as per the requirement of the state government with IIT-Kgp developing the Index and analysing data collected by the government in order to assess the level of happiness and develop recommendations that can be used to enhance happiness.

"IIT Kharagpur will also develop an online screening and assessment system in order to screen and identify suitable volunteers from the huge of database of more than 30,000 people who have offered to volunteer," the statement said.

"Later, IIT Kharagpur will also develop online courses on happiness with certification through evaluation system available at CET, IIT-KGP. This will be done by the team of experts at the Rekhi Centre in consultation with other national and international experts."

GNH (Gross National Happiness) is a unique approach to development, which originated in Bhutan.

The concept is enshrined in the country's 2008 constitution which says "the state shall strive to promote those conditions that will enable the pursuit of Gross National Happiness".

It aims to strike a balance between material and non-material values, prioritising the happiness and well-being of humans and all life.

The GNH index measures the conditions and satisfaction of Bhutanese people according to the nine domains.

The GNH philosophy considers that all of these aspects of life contribute to the human potential to achieve true happiness.

--IANS

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said that India-Africa partnership could provide limitless opportunities for the future and that the two sides were engaging on a scale not witnessed earlier.

"If India is a bright spot, then Africa is not very far away. India-Africa partnership provides limitless opportunities. India, Africa together can shape future of the world," Jaitley said here at the opening session of the five-day annual meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

"India-Africa partnership model is unique, cornerstone is voluntary partnership without any imposition. Our commitment is reflected in high-level engagement with Africa on a scale never seen before," he added.

The theme of the opening session was "Africa-India Cooperation on Enhancing the High 5 Strategy".

Jaitley said the "High 5" agenda of AfDB was not different from Indian policy.

AfDB has adopted a strategy called "High 5s", which focuses on five major developmental priorities comprising agriculture, energy, industrialisation, regional connectivity and improved quality of life through access to social and economic opportunities.

The 52nd annual meetings of the AfDB Group that started on Monday will come to an end on May 26. This is the first time the AfDB is holding its annual meetings outside the African continent.

The five-day meeting will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 23.

The annual meetings are the largest event of the bank, which would witness the gathering of about 3,000 delegates from 81 member-countries from across the world at the Mahatma Mandir convention centre here in Gujarat.

During the meetings, India is also eyeing cooperation with tghe Africa nations on the International Solar Alliance (ISA) initiative, of which France and India are the co-chairs.

India will be organising an Africa India Cooperation Event on the sidelines of the main event.

The sessions would primarily focus on agriculture, health-care, e-governance, renewable energy, skill development and education, trade and investment and manufacturing.

Heads of states from Benin and Rwanda and other African countries as well as Vice-Presidents from Comoros and Cote d'Ivoire, and AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina are expected to address the sessions.

The government is also planning an exhibition to showcase the capabilities of Indian companies in terms of technology, innovation, and start-ups, which could be relevant to African countries.

Total trade between India and African countries increased almost five-fold between 2005-06 and 2015-16, and stood at $52 billion at the end of the fiscal 2016-17.

India's exports to Africa increased from $14 billion in 2007-08 to $23 billion in 2016-17, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6 per cent.

Indian imports from African states increased from $20 billion in 2007-08 to $28 billion in 2016-17, accounting for 7.5 per cent of total Indian imports.

During the India-Africa Forum Summit 2015, the announcement of $10 billion Line of Credit marked a new beginning in India's approach to engage with African countries in a more constructive manner.

India joined the African Development Fund in 1982 and the AfDB in 1983, initiating a long history of cooperation spanning over 30 years.

--IANS

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Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan is glad his daughter met British novelist Neil Gaiman, whom he described as her "other hero", at the ongoing 70th edition Cannes Film Festival.

A fan of the author, Shruti attended the premiere of "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" adapted from Gaiman's short story. The film features Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman, and is directed by John Cameron Mitchell.

"My baby in Cannes with her other hero. Neil Gaiman. Glad to be in august company," Haasan tweeted on Monday along with a picture of Shruti with Gaiman.

In the past, Gaiman had expressed interest to write a Bollywood musical, provided it stars Shruti Haasan.

This is Shruti's maiden Cannes appearance. She is there to promote her upcoming trilingual historic drama "Sanghamitra", in which she will be seen as a fierce warrior.

According to a source close to the actress, "Neil Gaiman has been one of Shruti's all time favourite novelists. She has followed his work extensively and they had a chance to connect a short while ago over Twitter. They met in Los Angeles and stayed in touch via mails and messages.

"When Neil realised that Shruti was in Cannes, he was thrilled and invited her to attend the premiere of the film as one of his special guests. She was delighted to be a part of his big celebration and attended the premiere on Sunday (May 21)."

The actress sported a black Valentino ensemble and enjoyed the film.

--IANS

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A police constable who decamped with four service rifles from Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen separatist group, officials said on Monday.

A senior state intelligence officer said constable Syed Naveed Mushtaq, who decamped with four service rifles from a Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouse on Saturday, has joined the militant outfit.

A native of Nazneenpora village in south Kashmir's Shopian district, he had joined the state police force in 2012.

In a statement emailed to a local news agency, Hizbul spokesman Burhan-ud-Din has welcomed the constable into the ranks of the militant outfit.

The statement also said that the Hizbul expected more local policemen to join the "freedom struggle".

--IANS

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday decided against attending a function to release a book by a serving top Kerala Police official that has lavished praise on the Left leader.

The book, titled 'Sravukelku Opam Neenthumpol' (Swimming With The Sharks) and written by Director General of Police Jacob Thomas, was to be released here at 5 p.m. on Monday by Vijayan.

It tells the tale of Thomas' police service. The author is very critical of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the book.

The immediate reason for the cancellation was after senior Congress legislator K.C. Joseph in a letter cautioned Vijayan that he should ensure that all rules and procedures were followed by the author, who is a serving official.

Later addressing reporters, Vijayan said that after getting the letter, he sought legal opinion from the Law Secretary.

"The advice I received was that there are some issues, and I felt that it was not proper on my part to take part in the function, and hence am not going," said Vijayan.

Thomas later informed the media that the programme stands cancelled and the book would be available online and also in the open market.

The book contains damning references to Chandy, his former cabinet colleagues State Excise Minister K. Babu and State Finance Minister K.M. Mani, and also against former CPI Minister C. Divakaran, who is currently a legislator.

Thomas, who was posted as Vigilance director the day Vijayan assumed office last year, is currently on two month's leave.

--IANS

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Taking a leaf from the success of Leh's Sindhu Darshan festival, locals of the picturesque Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh also decided to hold a similar event every summer at the confluence of the Chandra and Bhaga rivers that makes for a mix of virgin nature and Buddhism.

This year it will be held on June 12 and Union Minister of State for Tourism Mahesh Sharma and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar are expected to participate.

"We are holding Chandra-Bhaga Sangam Parv at Tandi on June 12 which will see a congregation of Buddhist and Hindu spiritual leaders and followers," Chander-Bhaga Sangam Parv Samiti President Chander Mohan Parsheera told IANS.

The festival, which aims to promote unity and communal harmony in the country, is the second in the series.

June to September is the best time to visit the Lahaul Valley, dominated by Buddhists.

"Seeing the success of the festival last year, we have decided to hold this festival every year on the pattern of the Sindhu Darshan festival held in Leh," Parsheera said.

He said the festival would also boost the local tourism industry.

"Last year, more than 8,000 people, mostly locals, participated in the festival. This year we expect more than 10,000 people, including tourists," he added.

The festival will be held at Tandi village in Lahaul-Spiti district, located on the Manali-Leh highway and some 120 km from here, where both the Chandra and Bhaga rivers meet and give birth to the Chandrabhaga, later baptised as the Chenab river.

The main attraction of the festival includes a concert by 100 violinists and a folk dance by over 1,000 local women, besides traditional ceremonies involving Buddhist prayers by senior Lamas.

Parsheera said priests from Kathmandu's Pashupatinath Temple and Buddhist spiritual leaders from Bhutan have been invited to take part in the event.

"They will start religious ceremonies on June 2 at the festival venue and will continue till June 12," he said.

It is believed that Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandavas, breathed her last near the Chandrabhaga's confluence and her mortal remains were immersed in the river.

Besides the innate beauty of the Himalayas, district headquarters Keylong, situated at an altitude of 10,354 ft, takes you to a land of Buddhism and monasteries and provides a taste of adventure too.

Not open throughout the year, the landlocked Lahaul Valley, comprising over two dozen small and scattered villages, remains cut off owing to heavy snow accumulation from December onwards on the Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet) -- the only connection with Manali in Kullu district.

The road links restore only by mid-May when the snows melt. Helicopters are the only mode of transportation for the locals during winter.

The Rohtang tunnel, which is under construction and will run beneath the Rohtang Pass, will ensure all-weather connectivity between Lahaul Valley and Manali.

Official sources said currently public transport vehicles carrying locals and tourists, who are bound for the Lahaul Valley, are allowed to ply across the Rohtang Pass, while the private tourist vehicles would be allowed by next week.

The entire valley is populated mainly by tribals. The climatic conditions of the district are harsh as much of the land forms part of a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter.

The staple food of the locals is buckwheat. Barley, wheat and rice are also consumed as well as lots of "chhang" (locally-extracted beer) and salted tea mixed with butter.

The consumption of "arah", a local liquor extracted from barley, and "challo", or gambling, are part of every occasion of the locals.

The Buddhist-dominated valley in the Himalayan terrain at elevations ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 feet above sea level attracts globetrotters.

FAQs:

Getting to the Lahaul Valley

How to travel: In summer, by public or private transport. From Manali to Keylong via Rohtang Pass.

Distance: 350 km from state capital Shimla to Keylong via Manali.

Shimla and Manali are connected by air from Delhi.

Where to stay: Small hotels, guest houses, and even homestays with local people.

There is also the state-run Chandrabhaga Hotel.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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A number of Left Front MLAs including its legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty were detained from outside the State Secretariat on Monday even before the start of the opposition group's rally.

"Twenty of our MLAs reached the gate of Nabanna (Secretariat building) to protest against the issues of unemployment, farmers' distress and other issues. But the police did not let us in. They forcefully stopped us and later put us in police vans. They are not disclosing whether we are in police custody or not," Chakraborty told IANS.

"The Chief Minister has fled from the city. Is she not bothered about the plight of the farmers here? She has turned the state into a prison," he added.

At least 11 peasants' wings of the Left Front in the state are scheduled to hold the "march to Nabanna" rally' in five different parts of the city.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose claimed the MLAs were arrested and demanded their unconditional release.

"...They have been arrested and are being taken to Alipore court. We condemn their arrest and demand their unconditional release," he said.

However, the police have not confirmed the arrests.

The Secretariat has been converted into a virtual fortress with all entry points blocked alongside deployment of a large police force.

Plainclothes policemen are also on duty to thwart any untoward incident.

--IANS

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his US counterpart Donald Trump is deeply involved in "terrorist" activities and the ongoing violence in his country is due to Washington trying to take "political control".

On Sunday, Maduro said on his weekly radio-television show that his country is facing an "attack by violent forces," "intolerance and generalized destruction," and that behind all this turmoil is "the imperialist hand of Donald Trump", Efe news reported.

"Trump has his hands infected and stuck deeply into this conspiracy and this attack that has as its objective taking political control in Venezuela, recolonizing Venezuela," Maduro claimed.

He also called on his supporters to stage a "great march for peace" on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Public Ministry reported the death of a 23-year-old man in western Trujillo state after he was allegedly shot in the chest during a demonstration on Saturday.

The ministry said that Trujillo prosecutor Jose Luis Molina had been instructed to investigate the death of Edy Alejandro Teran Aguilar during a demonstration in the city of Valera, adding that an 18-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman had been injured in the protest.

Authorities also said that on Saturday night "several armed people arrived at the site (of the protest) and fired ... at the group of demonstrators" and, minutes later, the victims were transported to a local hospital.

With Teran's death, the number of fatalities in the ongoing wave of protests in Venezuela stands at 47.

In another statement, the Attorney General's office said that it will investigate the incident in which another 23-year-old man was run over by a vehicle at a protest on Francisco de Miranda Avenue in eastern Caracas.

At least 120 people were injured on Saturday during protests staged in the Caracas metro area, and three of them are in "delicate condition," the Venezuelan opposition said, accusing state security officials of perpetrating the "violence."

Opposition lawmaker Jose Manuel Olivares said at a press conference that "yesterday (Saturday), just in ... Caracas, there were more than 90 people injured," adding that in the nearby town of San Antonio de los Altos there were "30 people injured in the demonstrations."

For almost two months, Venezuela has been experiencing a wave of popular protests against the Maduro government that, aside from the 47 deaths, have resulted in hundreds of people injured and arrested.

--IANS

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Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati is scheduled to visit Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, where a caste conflict had erupted in April and many Dalits were targeted.

She will drive down from Delhi to Saharanpur on Tuesday, a party leader said on Monday.

Zonal coordinator of BSP Naresh Gautam said the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister would be accompanied by party leaders Satish Chandra Mishra and Munqad Ali.

En route to the village in Saharanpur, she would also meet party workers at Mansoorpur, Maleera village and Rampur Tiraha. She would spend two hours with the victims and talk to them before returning to the national capital.

Informed sources said Mayawati's visit, the first of its kind in a long time, is owing to the recent inroads made by a regional Dalit outfit Bheem Army, which took up the caste conflict issue and had also held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

The party has suffered huge electoral reverses in the 2014 parliamentary elections and the 2017 state assembly polls.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday suggested that the Kandla Port Trust in Gujarat should be rechristened Deen Dayal Port Trust Kandla, commemorate the birth centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, founder of Jana Sangh, predecessor of BJP.

Modi arrived this afternoon on a two-day visit to his election-bound home state, his 12th ever since he became the Prime Minister in May 2014.

Describing the 86-year-old Kandla Port as "mini India", he said: "Good ports are essential for the progress of India. Kandla has emerged as one of the finest ports in Asia and is set to scale new heights."

Modi also laid the foundation stone for six projects of Kandla Port Trust worth around Rs 993 crore. He said with a slew of developmental projects in the pipeline, Kandla port will assert itself on the global trade map and will have connection with Iran's Chabahar port once that is developed.

The Prime Minister lauded Gujarat's rich maritime tradition, while highlighting the importance of good ports for economic growth.

"Gujarat is known for its rich maritime tradition. This spirit continues even today. There is something very special about the land of Kutch and the people who live here. Good ports are essential for India's progress.

"Vital pillars of economic growth are infrastructure, efficiency, and transparency," said the Prime Minister, adding that "Kandla has emerged as one of the finest ports in Asia."

Later speaking at Bhachau town after inaugurating a pumping station for Narmada waters, Modi said: "From Keshubhai Patel to Vijay bhai (Rupani), successive Gujarat Governments stressed on water conservation and we can see results of that."

The pumping station on Kutch Branch Canal of Narmada project near Bhachau town has been constructed at a cost of Rs 148 crore. It will lift water 18 metres high into the Canal section flowing towards Anjar and Mandvi. This was Modi's second visit to Kutch after becoming Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister said people in other states always wondered how a big chunk of the state budget was being spent on water in Gujarat and it was because "thousands of tankers ran continuously across the state carrying water", and adding that it was the resolve of his and successive BJP Governments which ensured Narmada waters being accessible to the people of Kutch.

On the occasion, Modi also stressed on the importance of conserving water and said that Kutch can teach people on how to do so.

"The Tappar Dam has been enhanced and we welcome Narmada waters. We will see how water will transform lives here," he added.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the opening session of the annual meeting of the African Development Bank in Gandhinagar.

--IANS

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Four more African nations joined the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA) on Monday, taking the number of its members to 30.

While Djibouti, Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and Ghana signed the ISA framework agreement, the island nation of Comoros is expected to sign and submit its ratification instrument on Tuesday, said the External Affairs Ministry.

During the upcoming visit of Mauritius' Prime Minister, it will be signing and ratifying the framework agreement on May 27.

The Pacific island nation of Nauru also submitted its instrument of ratification at an ISA event held on the sidelines of the African Development Bank (AfDB) annual meeting here. This is the first time that India is hosting the AfDB annual meeting after New Delhi hosted the India-Africa Forum Summit in October 2015.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was present at Monday's signing and ratification ceremony.

"We need energy while also protecting the environment. We in the tropics and sub-tropics have substantial resources for solar energy. The idea of ISA was conceived in 2015 between India and France and after today's agreement there will be a total of 30 countries to ratified," he said.

The ISA, launched at the UN Conference of Parties (CoP) climate summit in Paris on November 30, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande, is conceived as a coalition of solar resource-rich countries to address their special energy needs and provide a platform to collaborate on dealing with the identified gaps through a common, agreed approach.

The International Steering Committee of the ISA, open to all 121 prospective member countries falling between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, held its meetings in Paris on December 1, 2015, in Abu Dhabi on January 18, 2016, and in New York on April 22, 2016.

The ISC held its fourth meeting in New Delhi on October 5 last year.

A total of 24 countries - Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Guinea Bissau, India, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Nauru, Niger, Republic of Guinea, Senegal, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu - signed the ISA framework agreement in Marrakech on November 15 last year within 41 days of finalising the text of the agreement, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Rwanda signed the Framework Agreement on January 9 this year, taking the total number of signatories to 25 countries.

"Within seven months of the opening of the framework agreement for signature in November 2016, the total number of signatories to the ISA framework agreement have reached 31, with six countries ratifying the agreement," the statement said.

"The ISA as a legal entity will come into existence once 15 countries ratify and deposit the framework agreement," it said.

India and France were the first two countries to ratify the framework agreement. Fiji has also completed the ratification process and will deposit its instrument in the next few weeks, according to the ministry.

The External Affairs Ministry has set aside $2 billion for solar projects in Africa out of India's $10 billion concessional line of credit (LoC) for Africa. The LoC will be extended to all those African countries that have signed and ratified the framework agreement.

--IANS

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Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi never promised 50 per cent hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of agriculture produce.

Singh said Modi, in campaign rallies before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, had spoken about 50 per cent hike in farmers' income, and not the MSP.

As per the Swaminathan Committee's recommendations, there should be increase in income of farmers by 50 per cent, Singh said.

"During campaigning, Prime Minister Modi had said that income would increase by 50 per cent if we come to power. However, some thought increase in income means increase in MSP. God bless these people who think this way," Singh said while sharing his ministry's achievements with the media here.

Two days ago, a group of farmers sat on a day's hunger strike over unfullfilment of promise of 50 per cent hike in the MSP by the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Even the Congress has been raking up this issue.

Singh said his government increased the MSP of arhar (tur) and moong pulses.

"The Congress knew we were not self-sufficient in pulses. Were they sleeping for 10 years (when in power)? Our government has increased MSP after we came to power. Earlier, MSP of arhar (Tur) was Rs 4,350 (per quintal). We increased it to Rs 5,050. We increased MSP for moong from Rs 4,600 to Rs 5,025," he said.

--IANS

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Outlining its plan to deal with the mounting problem of banks' bad loans, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday said it will reconstitute the oversight committee (OC) to operationalise the banking ordinance for resolving the issue of non-performing assets (NPAs).

"It has been decided to reconstitute the OC under the aegis of the Reserve Bank and also enlarge it to include more members so that the OC can constitute requisite benches to deal with the volume of cases referred to it," the RBI said in a release here.

The existing OC, which has two members, was constituted by the Indian Banks Association (IBA) in consultation with the RBI.

The government earlier this month passed the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, that allowed more power to the RBI to tackle the NPAs' issue. It has been empowered to issue directions to commercial banks to initiate insolvency proceedings for recovering bad loans.

The NPAs, or bad loans, of state-run banks at the end of last September rose to Rs 6.3 lakh crore (almost $100 billion), as compared to Rs 5.5 lakh crore at the end of June 2016.

The RBI said it is also working on a framework to facilitate an "objective and consistent" decision-making process for cases that may be referenced for resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

The apex bank said it has already sought information on the current status of the large stressed assets from the banks.

"The RBI would also be constituting a committee comprised majority of its independent board members to advise it in this matter," it added.

The RBI said it envisages an important role for the credit rating agencies "in the scheme of things."

"With a view to preventing rating-shopping or any conflict of interest, is exploring the feasibility of rating assignments being determined" by the RBI itself and would be paid for from a fund to be created out of contribution from the banks and the Reserve Bank."

Moreover, the proper exercise of the enhanced empowerment would require coordination with and cooperation from several stakeholders including banks, rating agencies and asset reconstruction companies (ARCs), among others, the RBI added.

--IANS

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At least five Somali soldiers were killed and one injured in a roadside bomb attack near the administrative capital of Southwest state in Somalia.

Information Minister for Southwest State Ugaas Hassan on Monday told Xinhua news agency that a heavy fighting between their forces and Al-Shabaab militants broke out after the deadly ambush attack and caused casualties on the militants.

"I can confirm that the five of the Southwest State Forces were killed in a remote control roadside bomb attack that also injured another soldier between Berdaale and Awdinle locations (about 40 km west of Baidoa town) on Monday," Hassan said.

Al-Shabaab militants claimed the responsibility for the latest attack, saying its fighters killed seven soldiers in the roadside attack.

At least six government soldiers killed and several others injured in a landmine blast in the same region on May 9.

--IANS

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The Congress on Monday slammed the BJP and the central government, saying that "lawlessness, lynching of innocents, state-sponsored violence and intolerance have become the new normal" under the present dispensation.

The Congress said lawlessness, aided and abetted by the State, "has become the new India of today".

"Intolerance galore; innocents being targeted; state-sponsored violence -- this is the new norm. This is new normal for the Bharatiya Janata Party," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media here.

The latest Congress criticism comes in the wake of lynching of seven persons on suspicion that they were abducting children in Jharkhand on May 18, for which 18 persons have since been arrested and officers in charge of two police stations suspended.

"It amounts to state-sponsored activities because every time the police just sit as mute spectators and at times encourage them. In Jharkhand, police were present, still seven people were killed by mobs."

"There is no punishment, or fear; in fact, there is encouragement," said Singhvi.

"What India are we living in? This is an un-Indian idea of the idea of India. Is it the India of mob justice or is the vigilantism of the Wild West which we are proudly practising because the philosophy of the ruling dispensation encourages it?" the Congress leader said.

He said a movement to lynch innocents has begun in BJP-ruled states. "Lawlessness aided and abetted by the State has become the new India of today," said Singhvi.

He cited the National Crimes Record Bureau data and said that the atrocities against Dalits have increased by 38 per cent under the Narendra Modi government.

"According to NCRB data, it was 39,408 (cases) in 2013. In 2015, it went up to 54,355. The highest was in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, among the top four states," he said.

"This NDA government is a Whatsapp government, a Whatsapp-driven government. It thrives on emotions and vulnerabilities of the people and uses it deliberately and mischievously to target those who may have different views, different ideologies," Singhvi added.

He said the flogging of four Dalit youths in Una in Gujarat and Dadri lynching incidents are not mere statistics. "Is this the new normal for Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi)?" he asked.

"He (Modi) practises either great 'jumlas', high-sounding sermons, or eloquent silence. Is this the India Modi ji wants to create where ruthless mobs take law into their own hands? Is this the intolerance of majoritarianism?" he asked.

Singhvi said: "They are encouraged, supported, and indirectly or directly promoted by the regressivve and intolerant remarks of BJP leaders."

--IANS

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Actress Taapsee Pannu has finished the London schedule of the "Judwaa" sequel, and says it was quite an experience.

"It was a long schedule in London city where the weather becomes bizarre in no time. We saw rain, hail, sun all in one day. The good part is we finished more than half of the film. Will be back now to shoot for the remaining in June and July," Taapsee said in a statement.

The "Pink" and "Naam Shabana" actress is now off to New York before commencing the remaining shoot of the film in Mumbai where she will also be shooting with Jacqueline Fernandes.

"Judwaa 2", being helmed by David Dhawan, features her with actor Varun Dhawan.

--IANS

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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) arm iON will partner with the state-run Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B) to conduct exams for its massive open online courses across the country, said the global software major on Monday.

"The B-school will leverage our assessment capability to conduct the exams for its online courses across the country, starting at our digital zones in Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai thrice a year," said the IT major's strategic unit in a statement here.

The courses are similar to those the B-school offers at its campus offline.

The B-school and iON will also jointly host collaboration communities in the management course for educators keen on learning and teaching.

"The management educators hub on our digital platform will connect institutions and publishers offering content with academia and individuals who want to learn and upgrade their skills to grow. The hub will focus on marketing, human resources, managerial economics and other disciplines of management," said iON Global Head V. Ramaswamy in the statement.

The hub would help foster conversations on teaching methods and collaborate on ideas addressing its challenges and solutions.

It would also invite educators from business schools across the country to be part of the community.

"In the era of flipped-classrooms, we believe collaborating with TCS will create a virtual space, with focus on technology adoption to enhance blended classroom learning and other EduTech trends such as outcome-led learning and adaptive assessments," reiterated Ramaswamy.

Admitting the education system was going through a radical change and adapting to newer means and methods through technology, online course Chairman P.D. Jose said as more students opt for e-learning, the partnership with TCS would enable the B-school integrate both their strengths to serve them (students) and the faculty.

As a strategic unit, iON focuses on manufacturing industries, educational institutions and examination boards and provides technology by means of a IT-as-a-Service model, offering end-to-end business solutions.

The iON cloud-based solution is modular, scalable and configurable, giving businesses and educational institutions the benefit of increased efficiencies, faster go to market, predictability of technology and better business results.

--IANS

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Three journalists were among those injured in lathicharge by the city police during a march by Left Front leaders and supporters to the West Bengal Secretariat on Monday.

While a senior police officer confirmed injuries to three journalists and promised to identify and take action against those responsible, the Press Club of Kolkata condemned the attack.

"Three journalists have been injured. Attack on journalists is condemnable, regrettable. We will identify and take action against those responsible," Joint Commissioner of City Police (Headquarters) Supratim Sarkar told persons.

The Press Club said in a statement, "The attack on journalists on field duty on Monday is undesirable and unfortunate. The Press Club asks the administration to look into the reasons for the incidents. We condemn the happenings."

Meanwhile, protesting the attack on journalists and camerapersons as also "innocent pedestrians" and participants in the "peaceful" March to Nabanna (state Secretariat), the Left Front Kolkata district unit called for a march on Tuesday from the Lenin Statue in the Maidan area to the Entally Market in central Kolkata.

Sympathising with the injured journalists, Communist Party of India-Marxist state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said it only showed "the panic in the state government".

"I saw journalists coming under attack two-three times. Why did the police attack journalists? They were only doing their job. I condemn the attack and sympathise with the injured journalists and camerapersons," 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.)
Veteran actor and parliamentarian Paresh Rawal has attracted a lot of flak on Twitter for saying the army should "tie" author Arundhati Roy to an army jeep instead of tying a "stone pelter".

"Instead of tying a stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy," Rawal tweeted on Sunday night.

Twitter users termed Rawal's tweet as "offensive" and "incited violence".

Hitting out at the actor-BJP MP, Congress General Secretary Digivijaya Singh said: "Why not (tie) the person who stitched the PDP-BJP alliance?"

In a sarcasm-laced tweet, author Rana Ayyub said: "And you want to call him just a fringe? He's a high profile actor, an MP from Gujarat, and a Padma Shri. God bless his constituency."

"Btw (By the way) I don't agree with a lot that Arundhati says or does. But disagree more with violence. Your physical threats lose you all moral debates," wrote author and comedian Sorabh Pant.

Rawal is a Member of Parliament from Ahmedabad East constituency.

Another Twitter user, Ziya Us Salam said Rawal's comment about a woman were shameful.

"@SirPareshRawal Your acting was often commendable but your prejudiced mindset is condemnable. Telling the army to hide behind a brave woman is shameful," he tweeted.

IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, tweeted in support of Arundhati: "If Arundhati has to be tied on the army jeep, I would love to be tied in front of her, as I agree with most things she has said on Kashmir."

Arundhati Roy, an award-winning writer, has always been vocal about Kashmir issues.

Rawal's comment comes after an army officer tied a Kashmiri youth to the front of an army jeep as a human shield to avoid stone pelting during an army patrol in Budgam district on an election day in April. The incident received widespread condemnation.

--IANS

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Donald Trump on Monday became the first visiting US President to visit the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites, in Jerusalem's Old City.

The historic visit is part of Trump's efforts to highlight "the need for unity among three of the world's great religions" on his first foreign trip, senior administration officials said.

Trump, wearing a yarmulke, placed his right hand on the wall and swayed slightly back and forth with his eyes closed. He was flanked by his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is Jewish, and Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich, CNN reported.

US First Lady Melania also left notes at the other side of the Western Wall.

Despite requests from Israeli officials, Trump visited the Western Wall without any Israeli government official by his side.

Trump's stop at the Western Wall came between Sunday's visit to Saudi Arabia where he called on Muslim leaders to "drive out the terrorists and extremists", and his forthcoming visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The US President along with his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before going to the Western Wall.

The Western Wall is not officially recognised as Israeli territory, and the Trump administration has not been clear about whether they believe the holy site is part of Israel.

George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama each visited the Western Wall as private citizens or candidates. None of them was accompanied by an Israeli Prime Minister, and current Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu did not join Trump for his wall visit, NBC News reported.

The two leaders and their wives will have dinner at Israeli Prime Minister's residence on Monday evening.

Trump started off his Israel visit with a short speech at Tel Aviv airport, saying there was now a "rare opportunity ahead to bring peace and stability to the region".

Air Force One's flight from Riyadh to Israel was the first of its kind between the two regional rivals, Netanyahu made note of this fact, and added that he hoped one day an Israeli Prime Minister could travel from Tel Aviv to Riyadh without layovers, Efe news reported.

The Israel-Palestine peace process was certain to be high on Trump's agenda during his visit to both Israel and the Palestinian territories, the report said.

Trump said he had come to "this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the US and Israel" and was "deeply grateful" for the invitation to visit Israel, CNN reported.

"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring safety and security to this region," he said, but "we can only get there working together -- there is no other way."

Speaking earlier, Netanyahu welcomed Trump on what he called a "truly historic" visit, which he viewed as a "powerful expression of your friendship".

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin hailed Trump's visit as a symbol of the "unbreakable bond between Israel and the US".

--IANS

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Two tribal girls were gang raped by eight men in a village in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district and village elders tried to hush up the crime by directing the culprits to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation to the victims.

The accused, which included sons of a mandal (block) elected representative and a head constable and their six friends, were all absconding, police said.

The shocking incident occurred on Saturday evening in Tajangi village when the girls had gone for 'jatra' (local fair) along with their two male friends.

As it was raining heavily, the girls along with the two youth had taken shelter in front of a closed shop. The accused reached there, chased away the male friends and raped the girls one after another.

The victims reached the village and informed their parents. Instead of lodging a complaint with police, their families approached the village elders in accordance with the traditions of the tribal community.

The village elders summoned the youth on Sunday and directed them to pay Rs 50,000 compensation to the two victims. The girls refused to accept the same and compelled their parents to lodge a complaint with police on Monday.

Police in Chintapalli mandal registered cases against the accused for rape and for committing atrocities on tribals.

Police had sent the girls for medical examination and formed special teams to nab the accused.

--IANS

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Police here in Uttar Pradesh on Monday registered a case of murder in the death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari.

Tiwari was found dead on May 17 on a roadside near a VIP guest house in the state capital under mysterious circumstances.

Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar ordered the registration of an FIR after the dead IAS officer's family filed a complaint in the case at the Hazratganj police station.

Earlier, Tiwari's family from Bahraich met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. They claimed foul play in the death of the 2007 batch IAS officer and sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The family told the media that Adityanath assured them of justice.

The Special Investigating Team (SIT) formed by SSP Kumar had failed to crack the case even after the expiry of a 72-hour deadline.

There have been conflicting versions and loose ends in the police probe into Tiwari's death.

The family has claimed that Tiwari was killed as he was about to disclose a major multi-crore-rupee scam in the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department where he was posted as Commissioner.

Mayank Tiwari, brother of the deceased officer, has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for a fair probe.

The IAS officer had stayed at the VIP guest house on Mirabai Marg for two days before his death on his 35th birthday. He was there with his batchmate P.N. Singh, who is Vice Chairman of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).

Tiwari was last seen having dinner at a prominent eatery in the state capital on Tuesday near Raj Bhawan, a day before he was found dead.

--IANS

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The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday recommended a CBI probe into the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre Indian Administrative Service officer Anurag Tiwari.

Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar told the media that the government has decided to recommend to the Centre a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case.

Earlier in the day, the officer's family met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed concern over the circumstances leading to Tiwari's death.

They said they suspected murder since the IAS officer was about to expose a major food scam in Karnataka, where he was posted as Commissioner in the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.

The Chief Minister assured them of sympathetic view on the matter and said the CBI probe will be considered, a family member said.

Hours later, the government recommended the CBI probe, as demanded by the family.

Anurag Tiwari was found dead on a roadside in state capital Lucknow on Wednesday. On the family's demand, the police have lodged it as a murder case.

--IANS

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her government has started inviting university students, including those from the prestigious Visva Bharati University, to witness administrative review meetings in districts.

She said the response has been "very positive."

"Now we have started inviting university students to administrative review meetings in the districts to let them have a first-hand feel of how this unique exercise of review of government schemes is made with field-level functionaries in presence of senior officers," she said in a Facebook post.

"First, it was Rabindra Bharati University at Howrah. Today, it was Viswa-Bharati in Bolpur," the Trinamool Congress supremo said, adding: "Everywhere, we are getting very positive response from the students."

--IANS

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Billed as a "true disrupter" in the Indian smartphone market last year, Chinese internet and technology conglomerate LeEco has vanished into thin air within months, leaving behind vendors with hefty unpaid bills and employees owed their dues.

After laying off a substantial number of employees -- as many as 85 per cent staff across the sales, marketing and distribution departments since December -- the company said in March that it does not have any plans to exit from India.

It also said the "resource head count in India is well aligned to the scale of operations envisioned and in line with industry benchmarks".

But the ground reality is strikingly different.

Reduced to a staff of 30 from 480, LeEco, which had a huge marketing spend, is today nowhere to be seen -- not on billboards, TV screens or in newspapers.

There are just eight or nine junior-level staff working at its Gurgaon office while the rest are in Bengaluru and other places.

There is no senior-level person after Atul Jain, Chief Operating Officer (Smart Electronics Business), and Debashish Ghosh, Chief Operating Officer for Internet Applications, Services and Content, left the company.

The left-over operation in India is now being handled from the company's Beijing headquarters.

Moreover, the company is yet to settle huge vendor bills and has held back full-and-final settlements of some of its employees.

An email regarding this, sent to LeEco's India communication head Ravi Bansal, did not elicit a reply and calls to his cell number also went unanswered.

One such former senior employee told IANS on the condition of anonymity: "We have been waiting for final settlements for quite some time now. Despite several reminders, there have been only promises from the global team sitting in China."

"The message here is how unethical, partisan and whimsical HR practices at LeEco have contributed considerably to the mess, misery and distress to a number of employees," she added.

According to laid-off employees, the company asked them to leave in a phased manner, beginning December, and "paid those immediately who either were influential in their own respective fields of work or threatened to take the legal recourse against the company".

Vendors also have sorry tales to share.

"I have close to Rs 5 lakh due to be paid for the work I did for LeEco. I tried to contact the company via emails and WhatsApp several times, but to no avail. I have no idea when will I get my money back," owner of a PR consulting firm that caters to regional markets told IANS.

Tired, another vendor is set to sue LeEco next week.

"I am sending a legal notice to the company next week as they have failed to settle my dues after several reminders over a period of time," said another vendor who is also a tech blogger.

Similar are the stories with several vendors -- including big ones like advertising and PR agency Madison Communications and event management firm Wizcraft.

Madison lodged a complaint with the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) as well as the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) against LeEco (IANS has copies of both complaints) in December last year but is yet to get its dues -- over Rs. 41 crore -- cleared.

Wizcraft is also waiting "patiently for the last 12 months for its dues (amounting to over Rs 1 crore) to be cleared and no breakthrough", according to a company official who did not want to be named.

"LeEco has left a trail of unpaid dues as well as dead stock in the markets. The unpaid dues run into crores of rupees though we do not have a definite number. Shipments are zero as they have shut down their office and left the country," Jaideep Mehta, Managing Director, IDC South Asia, told IANS.

After its entry into India, the company launched five superphones, a LeEco membership of content and internet services, an e-commerce platform LeMall and, most recently, "SuperTVs".

The SuperTVs, incidentally, were launched in the presence of Minister of State for Electronics and IT P.P. Chaudhary in March -- at a time when news of LeEco sacking 85 per cent of its staff and winding up its India operations were already creating ripples.

"As the demand for electronic hardware is expected to zoom to $400 billion by 2020, it is heartening to see foreign companies such as LeEco entering the Indian market and showing willingness to invest in the country," Minister Chaudhary had told reporters at the launch of the SuperTVs.

Former LeEco employees are now asking how it is possible for a company to come to India, set up shop, announce multi-million rupee manufacturing plans in the presence of cabinet ministers, and disappear as if nothing has happened.

"We need stringent rules in place for the companies who come up with big plans and vanish without any responsibility towards its employees," one ex-employee said.

In August last year, LeEco had also announced a $7 million manufacturing unit in Greater Noida in the presence of then IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

LeEco planned to ramp up the production to approximately 200,000 "superphones" per month by the end of 2016, before a severe global financial crunch caught up with the company at the end of the year.

The company's market share has dropped from 1.4 per cent to a mere 0.1 per cent (Year-on-Year) during the first quarter this year.

"LeEco's model was itself flawed, and the problems were compounded by their push into driverless cars and other unrelated businesses where they clearly had no competence," Mehta told IANS.

According to Tarun Pathak, Senior Analyst, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems at New Delhi-based Counterpoint Research, LeEco entered India with online as a major channel strategy but the kind of promotional activities they did was similar to any leading offline player.

"There was a disconnect in their marketing campaign although there was nothing wrong with their products or ecosystem strategy," Pathak told IANS.

"Brands need to watch out if they are overspending to acquire customers with the assumption of upgrading or creating a recurring revenue stream from the same in a highly competitive market," added Pathak.

Meanwhile, employees and vendors are keeping their fingers crossed.
Opposition YSR Congress Party of Andhra Pradesh on Monday sought imposition of President's Rule in the state, alleging that there was a breakdown of constitutional machinery.

YSRCP President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and submitted a memorandum, urging him to dismiss the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government.

The Leader of Opposition in the state assembly told the Governor that the law and order situation was going from bad to worse as evident from broad daylight murder of a YSRCP leader nd his follower in Kurnool district on Sunday.

He said C. Narayan Reddy, in charge of YSRCP affairs Pattikonda constituency in Kurnool district, was killed as he was exposing illegal sand mining by TDP leaders, particularly family members of Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy.

Terming it a pre-planned murder, Jagan said the opposition party functionaries were eliminated at the instance of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He demanded probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and said the party had no faith in the probe by state agencies.

He said it was not an isolated incident and submitted details of killings of 13 YSRCP functionaries across the state since 2014.

Jagan alleged that the ruling party had let loose a reign of terror and the police were booking false cases against the YSRCP leaders and workers.

Jagan said social media activists were being threatened and arrested. He claimed that no action was being taken against TDP leaders involved in attacks on officers.

He told the Governor that the TDP had been luring YSRCP legislators and other leaders with money and positions to join the ruling party, and those declining to do so were being physically eliminated.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
has earned relieved plaudits for delivering a relatively moderate speech to 50 leaders on the second day of his visit to Saudi Arabia. In place of the anti-Islamic screeds that marked his campaign and his travel ban on six Muslim-majority nations, twice overturned by courts, Mr Trump sought cooperation with West Asias leaders to confront the crisis of Islamic extremism. This meant starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology. Mr Trump was careful to clarify that cracking down on terrorism was a common agenda. We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all, he said. In terms of intellectual substance, this speech may not compare with the brilliance of Barack Obamas 2009 speech at Cairo University, which briefly raised hopes of a reset in US-West Asian relations. But Mr Trump undoubtedly delivered a message that needed to be stated upfront; with the US enjoying self-sufficiency in fossil fuels, this is as good a time as any to tell it like it is to West Asian rulers.
Sacked Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday launched the "Let's clean AAP" campaign to rid the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of the "few people who are corrupt". Mishra, who was first sacked as Water Minister and then suspended from the party, urged AAP workers to come together and not to leave the party, adding that they have to "snatch it back" from the corrupt people.
Forty persons have died in Kerala due to H1N1 influenza in the last four months, Health Minister K K Shylaja said today.

From January this year, 2,349 persons were screened for H1NI, out of which around 500 were found positive and 40 persons have died so far, she said in the state assembly while replying to a motion seeking a debate over the spread of various types of fever, including H1NI in the state.

Government was taking all fruitful measurers to contain the spread of various types of fever, she said, adding that medicines were available in all government hospitals.

The Minister said those who died of H1N1 were also suffering from other diseases.

In South India there has been a huge increase in HINI cases, she said.

Seeking notice for the motion, V S Sivakumar (Congress) alleged that government had failed to tackle the situation and take appropriate action in containing spread of HIN1 and dengue.

"Within the last four months,over 2,000 persons have been affected by H1N1 and in the last 20 days 20 persons have died", he said adding the health department was under 'ventilator'.

Even doctors treating patients had been affected,he said.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that government had failed to take any action even as contagious diseases are on the rise in the state.

The opposition members later staged a walkout in protest against the refusal of the Speaker P Sreeramakrishan for a debate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Five members of a peace committee were killed in an IED attack on their vehicle today in the restive tribal region in northwest Pakistan, authorities said.

The Improvised Explosive Device was remotely triggered as the vehicle passed by it in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency.

The vehicle was completely damaged in the blast.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan's tribal region has been battling insurgency for some time, and such attacks are common in the restive area.

Pakistan Army has launched security operation to clear the area of militants and consolidate the gains made during previous such campaigns. Hundreds of suspected militants have been killed by the Army in such campaigns.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eight persons belonging to two separate marriage parties were killed in Siwan and Aurangabad districts of Bihar today, while 11 others were injured.

In Aurangabad, five members of a marriage party were killed and 10 others injured when the bus they were travelling in was hit by a speeding truck.

The passengers in the bus were returning after attending a marriage ceremony in Bangre village under Madanpur police station yesterday night, Deputy Superintendent of Police P N Sahu today said.

The mishap took place on NH 2, the DSP said.

The speeding truck hit the bus from behind, Sahu said adding, two persons died on the spot while three others died at the Sadar hospital.

In another incident in Siwan, three persons on two motorcycles were killed after they were hit by a speeding truck near Toka village.

The deceased were returning after attending a marriage function when a speeding truck laden with sand lost control and hit them.

Raghunathpur police station Station House Officer (SHO) Ashok Kumar said the deceased have been identified as Akhilesh Tiwari, Binod Pathak and Sujit Bind of Rakauli village in Siwan district.

The driver of the killer truck managed to flee while his helper is injured, the SHO added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
From "social boycott" of Muslims who resort to triple talaq to the appointment of an arbitrator to settle marital disputes are some features of the new guidelines issued by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for married couples.

The AIMPLB today told the Supreme Court that it has issued "guidelines for the husband and wife at the time of dispute" which has to be followed, days after the court reserved its verdict on a clutch of pleas challenging triple talaq.

Giving details of the guidelines framed by it, the AIMPLB told the apex court that if there are differences between a husband and his wife, they should first try to mutually resolve the issues by keeping in mind the provisions of the Shariat (Islamic law) and try to overlook the mistakes of others.

It said in the second step, if the dispute is not resolved mutually and no desired results are achieved, then there may be a "temporary withdrawal".

"In case of failure of the first two steps, then senior members of both families should try to reconcile or one arbitrator may be appointed from each side for resolution of the differences," the fresh AIMPLB guidelines said.

It said "the Muslim community should boycott such persons socially who have pronounced three divorces (talaq) in one go, so that such incidents may be minimised".

The affidavit of AIMPLB said that only if the dispute still remained unresolved, the husband may pronounce one divorce during the period of purity of his wife and leave his wife till the time her waiting period (iddat) ended.

"If a favourable situation arises during the waiting period, the husband should retain her and then both of them should live as spouses. If the husband does not retain his wife during the waiting period, then the marriage will be automatically dissolved after the lapse of waiting period and both of them will be free and authorised to start a new life," the board said.

It, however, clarified that if the wife is pregnant during the waiting period, then the period will extend till the time of delivery and the husband will have to bear the expenses incurred during waiting period and in case the dower (dowry) has not been paid, then he has to pay it immediately.

"If they reach any amicable settlement after the wait period, then both of them may restore their relationship by the solemnisation of their marriage afresh with mutual consent along with a new dower," the guidelines said.

The board has also suggested a second way to annul the marriage in which the husband should pronounce one divorce during the period of the purity of his wife, followed by another divorce in the second month and the third divorce in the third month.

"If they (husband and wife) reach an amicable settlement before the pronouncement of the third divorce, then he has to retain her and restore the previous marriage," it said, adding that if the wife is not willing to live with her husband then she can terminate the relationship by Khulaa (a form of divorce initiated by the wife).

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BJP President Amit Shah will arrive on a two-day visit to Punjab next month as part of his 95-day country-wide tour which began in Jammu last month.

According to Union Minister Vijay Sampla, who is also the president of the BJP's Punjab unit, Shah will be in Punjab on June 28 and 29.

Shah may also address party workers at Amritsar and Jalandhar, Sampla said.

"The venues will be finalised in a meeting of the party's general secretaries," he however added.

Shah is travelling across states to strategise and find ways to strengthen the party at the grass-roots level with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

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Anti-GM crop activists today urged new Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan to exercise "supreme objectivity" on decisions regarding the matter, claiming it is an "unacceptable conflict of interest" that he also holds the science and technology portfolio.

Vardhan, who took charge of the environment ministry today, following the sudden death of Anil Madhav Dave, is also the minister for science and technology and earth sciences.

Activists against Genetically Modified (GM) crops in a letter to Vardhan claimed that according to some people close to Dave, the latter was not in favour of approving GM mustard and was also "toying with the idea of resigning from his post", rather than giving his approval.

The anti-GM activists asked Vardhan to reject GM mustard, claiming it is a "hazardous scientific fraud" being perpetuated on the nation.

The remarks comes after the country's biotech regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recently gave its recommendation to the environment ministry approving GM mustard for commercial use.

As environment minister, Vardhan has to take a final call on the issue now, following the sudden death of Dave.

"We write to you now to impress upon you that this GM mustard deserves to be rejected in toto. GM mustard is a hazardous scientific fraud being perpetuated on the nation, that too with taxpayer' own funds. This is simply unacceptable," Sarson Satyagraha, a broad platform of hundreds of organisations representing farmers, scientists and others said in their letter to Vardhan.

The body said that it would like to see "lasting, farmer-controlled, farmer-friendly solutions" to be put into place rather than "hazardous, irreversible and uncontrollable" living technologies deployed in an "unscientific and unaccountable" manner.

"Your current post as an interim Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change incidentally also holds an unacceptable conflict of interest (with the parent Ministry of Science and Technology promoting and funding GMO R&D).

"Therefore (it) requires supreme objectivity based on rigorous evidence as well as perspectives of equity and sustainability. We have enormous and meticulous evidence to share from our side and seek a meeting with you where all details can be discussed threadbare," the letter said.

The body termed it as "ironical" that it had to write to Vardhan since it is his parent ministry of science and technology and the department of biotechnology (DBT), which has been funding, promoting and "passing off" GM mustard as a requirement for India's agriculture.

"It has also been passing it off as being safe whereas both these claims are unscientific and unfounded," the body wrote in the letter.

It is worth a mention here that while taking charge of the environment ministry today, Vardhan said, "Being the minister of science and technology and earth sciences, I will make sure that all the research that has taken place in science and its outcomes, can help us in strengthening the issues of this ministry, that they are all aptly applied in this ministry."



The activists in the letter hoped that as a medical doctor, Vardhan will understand the risks involved in a herbicide tolerant Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) entering the food and farming systems.

"Over the past several months, we have meticulously analysed and showed scientific evidence on the falsehoods related to GM mustard claims, both of its benefits and safety.

"We have shown that the benefit claims are exaggerated and unfounded, while lack of safety has been hidden by cleverly bypassing many tests and passing off an unsafe GMO as safe," the letter said.

The body claimed that some people close to deceased minister Dave, including BJP leaders, have been sharing in their obituaries that he was not in favour of approving GM mustard for commercialisation in India.

"It was clear that he was pitted against a dispensation that wanted to approve GM mustard, irrespective of whether there was any scientific evidence that justifies its need, efficacy or safety.

"He revealed to some activists that he was even toying with the idea of resigning from his post rather than sign on an approval," the letter said.

The activists said that on May 17, when Dave met with their delegation, "the 'Satyagraha' had thrown a challenge to the Indian regulators to engage with us in an open public debate, if they have science and science-based evidence to support their clearance of GM mustard with them".

"We also went to the ministry in a large delegation from different states of India, to communicate to the ministry that if GM mustard is not rejected soon, the government will have to face large resistance not only from ordinary citizens, but from state governments and other stakeholders," they said in the letter.

The activists said that Dave had also assured the delegation that he will work towards a comprehensive policy on GMOs in a manner that activists need not have to struggle on a case-by-case basis for each GMO and he would also take their concerns to the "right platform".

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Security forces have recovered arms and ammunition from forest area in Handwara area of Kupwara district where a brief encounter took place with militants last night, police said today.

Troops of 6 Rashtriya Rifles noticed some suspicious movement in Kehmal forest area of Handwara yesterday and challenged the heavily armed militants, a police official said.

He said the militants opened firing towards security forces, who retaliated forcing the ultras to flee from the spot.

There were casualties in the brief exchange of firing between the two sides, the official said.

During the search of the encounter scene, the army personnel recovered a pistol, two pistol magazines, 40 rounds of ammunition, one power bank with battery charging cable, a binocular, seven dry batteries, an axe and a walking stick, he said.

Police has registered a case under various sections of law in connection with the incident.

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In a bid to woo travellers from India, Australia today unveiled a campaign offering lucrative airfare deals to promote the country as a leisure destination.

The 'Great Airfare Sale' launched by Tourism Australia (TA) - a government agency - covers eight leading airlines.

The industry campaign has roped in Air India, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas Airlines, Scoot, Singapore Airlines, and ThaiAirways offeringcheaper fares.

Under the programme, return tickets for Australia by Air India will cost from Rs 54,000, Qantas Airlines from Rs 51,000, Cathay Pacific from Rs 57,800, Singapore Airlines from Rs 50,000 and for Thai Airlines it will be from Rs 55,750.

The cheapest fares would be offered by Scoot from Rs 22,000 (ex-Chennai) and Air Asia from Rs 32,300, while Malaysia Airlines tickets will be from Rs 47,400.

Air India's current charges for Australia begin at Rs 60,000, meaning the offer will provide a relief of at least Rs 6,000 to visitors to Australia. Qantas's current fare is Rs 54,700. The other airlines too are providing similar benefits.

The offers continue tillJune 11 viavarious digital, social and print media platforms. The advertised fares will be valid for travel until March 2018.

According to TA, similar campaignlast year resulted in over 10,200 bookings within a three-week activity period.

Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, "Since the beginning, we have identified aviation access as the key to the success of a destination. We are immensely proud to be the pioneers to introducing campaigns like 'Great Airfare Sale' in the Indian market."



"The first phase of this campaign presented Indian travellers with a unique opportunity to travel to Australia at unbelievable airfares. We are confident that version 2.0 of the Great Airfare Sale will surpass this set benchmark. The sale allows Indian travellers to secure great deals while providing them sufficient time to plan their holiday well-in advance," he said.

"We will continue to partner and work closely with our airline partners to accelerate market demand and create more enticing opportunities hereby encouraging Indians to visit Australia," he added.

India ranks as theninth largest inbound tourist market forAustralia withmore than 260,000 visitors spending AUD 1.24 billion as of December 2016.

Over the past three years, Tourism Australia has recorded a strong double-digit growth in tourist arrivals, an indicator of the growing preference of tourists to choose Australia as a travel destination.

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Public sector player Bank of Maharashtra is considering raising up to Rs 2,000 crore via various routes including follow-on public offer and rights issue.

The proposal will be taken up at the annual general meeting to be held on June 16 in Pune, where the bank is based.

In a regulatory filing the bank said the proposal will be placed before shareholders at the AGM meeting to raise equity through follow on public offer/rights issue/qualified institutional placement/preferential issue.

Consent of shareholders will be sought to create, offer, issue and allot equity shares, it said.

"The bank had assesses a capital requirement of around Rs 2,000 crore for the financial year 2017-18. The required capital is proposed to be raised from market by way of FPO/rights issue/QIP/preferential issue including capital support from central government" it added.

The funds will be added to bank's capital conservation buffer (CCB) as per Basel III requirements and also for annual business growth, the bank said.

Stock of the bank closed 3.63 per cent down at Rs 31.90 on BSE.

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Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's pistol, with which he shot dead British police officer J P Saunders in 1928, is back in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed today.

It would be displayed at the Martyrs' Memorial in Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district.

The Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT) of the Border Security Force in Indore, where it was kept all these years, transferred it to the BSF headquarters in Punjab.

In response to the PIL filed by advocate Hari Chand Arora, an affidavit submitted by CSWT BSF DIG Arun Kumar Tambe stated that the pistol was transferred back to Punjab through an order on April 25, 2017.

The affidavit mentioning that the pistol has been transferred back to Punjab was filed by the BSF in the court of Justices S S Saron and Darshan Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the resumed hearing of the case here.

The pistol, a US-made .32 Colt was last seen in Punjab at the Police Academy, Phillaur on October 7, 1969. It was transferred to the CSWT, Indore in a lot of eight pistols for display by an order of the president.

The CSWT needed old weapons for explaining the development in weapons technology to the BSF recruits.

Local lawyer Arora had moved a PIL for the return of the pistol.

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A Bhubaneswar-bound Air India flight from Mumbai was forced to return and make an emergency landing soon after its take-off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International (CSI) Airport here due to suspected smoke in the cockpit.

The aircraft, however, landed safely and the full emergency, which was declared for the flight, has now been withdrawn, an airport official said.

The number of people on board the flight was not immediately known.

"Full emergency was declared at 2.30 pm for Air India's Bhubaneswar-bound flight from the CSI airport here due to suspected smoke in cockpit. However, the flight landed safely," the official said.

The flight took off for Bhubaneswar at 2.14 pm but was forced to return here within 15 minutes, the official added.

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A CBI court here today issued production warrant against RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin seeking his appearance before it from Tihar Jail through video conferencing for his trial in the murder case of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.

Special CBI Judge Anupama Kumari issued the production warrant against Shahabuddin on the plea of CBI's Deputy Superintendent Sunil Kumar Rawat for producing him in court through video conferencing for his trial.

Shahabuddin is presently lodged in high-security Tihar jail in the national capital and as per the order the trial would be conducted in the CBI court through video conferencing from May 26.

The four times RJD MP from Siwan is alleged to have been involved in the murder of Rajdeo Ranjan, a journalist of a prominent Hindi daily in Siwan last year.

Shahabuddin is facing trial in more than 45 criminal cases and was moved to Tihar jail in February this year on a Supreme Court order on the pleas by Siwan native Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents.

Rajdeo Ranjan, district bureau chief of a hindi daily was gunned down on May 14 last year and his wife has accused Shahabuddin's role in the killing.

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National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah today accused the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government of "failing miserably" in ensuring peace in the state as well as on the border and warned that the situation would worsen because of delay in resolving the Kashmir issue.

He accused the central and the state governments of pursuing the policy of "oppression and suppression" and said they should "honour the wishes and aspirations of the people by initiating necessary measures and address all issues through dialogue."



"Kashmir is a political issue and needs to be resolved on priority so that people in the state can live in peace. As long as its resolution is delayed, the situation is bound to deteriorate further instead of getting back on track," he said while interacting with party workers and delegations from various parts of the state here.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister who was recently elected to the Lok Sabha from Srinagar also blamed the "wrong policies" of the Centre and the state government for the prevailing situation in the hinterland and along the border.

"The Centre is playing vote-bank politics by pursuing a hardened policy on Kashmir," Abdullah said.

"The state government, on the other hand, is only concerned about saving its chair and dancing to the tunes of the RSS," he said while accusing the PDP-BJP coalition of bringing the state on the "path of destruction".

Abdullah alleged that the central as well as the state governments have "miserably failed" in ensuring maintenance of the 2003 ceasefire along the border with Pakistan.

"Both the governments are restricted to issuing statements only and are least concerned about the welfare of the people who are facing tremendous hardships and miseries," he said.

On November 25, 2003, India and Pakistan had agreed to a formal ceasefire along the International Border, the Line of Control (LoC) and the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) in Jammu and Kashmir.

The ceasefire worked for a number of years but over the last few years, Pakistan has been repeatedly violating it by indulging in cross-border firing and shelling and pushing militants into Jammu and Kashmir.

Last year, Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the LoC 449 times while in 2015, there were 405 violations. These incidents resulted in the killing of dozens of Indian security personnel and civilians, besides displacement of thousands of people.

Abdullah said while the law and order situation in the valley was getting worse with each passing day, communal forces were gaining ground in Jammu region.

He asked his party workers to reach out to the people and help them in redressing their grievances.

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Citing "legal issues", Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today kept away from a function where he was to unveil senior IPS officer and former Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas's autobiography, following which the programme was cancelled.

Vijayan was scheduled to release the book 'Sravukalkkoppam Neenthumbol' (While Swimming along with Sharks), which reportedly has controversial remarks about several political bigwigs including former chief minister Oommen Chandy, at the press club here in the evening.

But in an unexpected turn of events, shortly before the start of the function, the chief minister's office stated that the CM would not be able to participate in the book release.

"I did not take part in the programme as there are legal issues. The Law Secretary pointed out some legal aspects," Vijayan said.

Senior Congress leader and former cultural affairs minister, K C Joseph also shot of a letter to Vijayan against participating in the programme, citing legal issues.

Joseph, in his letter, said the former Vigilance Director, who is now on leave, had violated the 'Kerala Government Service Conduct Rules' and the Centre's 'The Police Restriction of Rights Act 1966' by writing the book.

He also alleged that Thomas had misused official documents and files for personal gain by revealing them in the book.

TV channels reported that there was an intelligence report that Congress workers were likely to disrupt the function.

With the chief minister deciding to keep away, Thomas cancelled the event and said there won't be any formal book release event.

"I have published my autobiography...What is the violation in it? There have been precedents of civil service officials, both IAS and IPS, publishing books while in service," Jacob Thomas told PTI.

He said there will not be any formal function to release his book and it would be available to people through book shops and online stores.

The 1985-batch IPS officer also said he was ready to face any legal fallout.

Indicating that he would come out with more books, Thomas said there will a second part for 'Sravukalkkoppam Neenthumbol' soon.

In the book, Thomas has reportedly attacked leaders and former ministers, including former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Kerala Congress (B) leader K Balakrishna Pillai and CPI's C Divakaran, and mentioned how the investigation of some controversial corruption cases were allegedly sabotaged.

The 240-page autobiography is the 11th book by Thomas, who has penned works on strategic management, environment and leadership.

Thomas, whose working style often triggered controversy, was asked to go on leave by the government on March 31 after the Kerala High Court criticised him over various cases pending before it.

Today's development came as a surprise as Vijayan had all along been supporting Thomas, despite senior bureaucrats' expressing displeasure.

They had even threatened to go on mass casual leave alleging that Thomas was acting with a vendetta.

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A policeman who fled with four service rifles from Budgam district of Kashmir two days back has reportedly joined the Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit.

Constable Syed Naveed Mushtaq of Jammu and Kashmir Police had decamped with four INSAS rifles from Chandpora area where he was posted to guard a godown of the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Local media quoted Hizbul Mujahideen's spokesman Burhan- ud-din as saying, "We welcome Syed Naveed (Mushtaq) Shah in our fold."



A police official said there were intelligence inputs suggesting that Mushtaq had joined the militant group.

Mushtaq, who had joined the police force as a constable in 2012, fled with his INSAS rifle and those of his three other colleagues posted at the godown on Saturday last.

There have been a number of instances of the policemen fleeing with service rifles and joining various militant outfits.

Over a year back, a policeman Shakoor Ahmad, posted as personal security officer of a senior police officer had decamped with four rifles and had reportedly joined militant ranks. He was arrested about a month-and-a-half later from Kulgam.

Earlier, constable Naseer Ahmed Pandit, a resident of Pulwama district, had decamped with two AK rifles on March 27, 2015 from the residence of PDP Minister Altaf Bukhari.

He was subsequently killed in an encounter in Shopian district in April 2016.

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Public sector lender Corporation Bank today said its board has approved plans to raise capital up to Rs 3,500 crore.

"The board of directors at their meeting has approved for raising of capital to the extent of Rs 3,500 crore in one or more tranches with green shoe option," it said in a regulatory filing.

The banks said the fund will be raised either through allotment of equity shares on preferential basis or follow on public issue or rights issue or qualified institutions placement (QIP) or by way of additional tier-I bond or tier II bonds or debt issue.

The fund raise may also come up in a combination of these ways as per Basel III requirements.

The bank said it will determine the issue price at an appropriate time.

Corporation Bank stock closed 5.66 per cent down at Rs 53.35 apiece on BSE today.

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Delhi University's ten-day counselling session or 'Open Days' began today with around 600 students flocking the North Campus with a bag full of questions.

Some of the questions were on the functioning of online portals, courses that the varsity offers, new courses introduced, eligibility criteria and criteria to fall in the OBC non-creamy layer.

"The response was good, despite the results being undeclared yet," Gurpreet Singh Tuteja, deputy dean of students' welfare, said.

Mistaken for a grandfather, a sexagenarian named Nagesh Chadha, who had secured distinction (229/300) in Urdu diploma last year from the varsity, amused fellow participants in the session with his interest in taking up a new course.

"I am inclined on taking up BA in German language from DU," Chadha said after attending the session.

There were two sessions with a short break from 10 AM to around 1.30 PM. The sessions included one-on-one counselling for around 50 to 60 participants who wanted more clarifications.

The sessions will continue till May 31 at the Conference Centre, gate no 4 of North Campus from 10 am to 1 pm.

"We are expecting more crowd and more specific questions as the days pass. We can see a dip in number of general questions asked," said Tuteja.

Every year before the admission process begins for its undergraduate courses, Delhi University conducts 'Open Days', or sessions for which students and parents are invited to get their admission-related queries addressed by the DU staff.

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EU ministers today unanimously gave Michel Barnier the green light to start Brexit talks, with the Frenchman hoping to sit at the table from June 19 after Britain's general election.

Barnier said the backing of the remaining 27 countries was a further show of "determination and confidence" in what promise to be two years of bruising negotiations with London.

The former European commissioner and French foreign minister also warned his British counterpart David Davis against further threats to walk away from the talks if Brussels pushes a reported 100-billion-euro (USD 112-billion) divorce bill.

"We are ready and well prepared. We have a clear mandate supported by all 27 EU member states," Barnier told a conference after EU ministers formally approved his tough negotiating mandate for the talks.

Barnier said the EU's new Brexit team would meet tomorrow to finalise its negotiating position, which would be sent "very quickly" to London after the June 8 election in which Prime Minister Theresa May is seeking to strengthen her own mandate.

"I hope to organise the first round of negotiations as soon as possible, hopefully in the week of the 19th of June," Barnier said.

Maltese Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech, whose island nation holds the rotating EU presidency, said today's decision "shows that the unity and consensus is being clearly continued" in the bloc.

May, who took over from David Cameron after last June's seismic Brexit vote and triggered the divorce process on March 29, gave a similar timeline for the start of talks.

"There are just 17 days to go until this crucial general election. Just 11 days after that, the European Union wants the Brexit negotiations to begin," she told a campaign event in Wales.

"There will be no time to waste and no time for a new government to find its way."



She added: "If we don't get this right, the consequences for the United Kingdom and for the economic security of ordinary working people will be dire. If we do, then the opportunities ahead are great."



Barnier's Brexit mandate comes from "negotiating directives" approved by the EU 27 ministers.

They are a toughened version of guidelines that EU leaders adopted in just four minutes -- one for each decade of Britain's membership -- at a summit on April 29 in a rare show of unity for the often divided bloc.

The EU insists on making "sufficient progress" on three key divorce issues before talks can start on a future UK-EU trade deal. These are the rights of EU citizens in Britain and British citizens on the continent; London's exit bill; and arrangements for the border between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.

Britain however wants the divorce settlement and the future relationship to be discussed in parallel.

The most contentious issue in the talks threatens to be the exit bill.

Brexit minister Davis at the weekend reiterated an earlier threat to quit the talks if the EU does not moderate its demands.

"We don't need to just look like we can walk away, we need to be able to walk away. Under the circumstances, if that was necessary, we would be in a position to do it," he told the Sunday Times newspaper.

Barnier, who previously dealt with Davis when they were ministers in the 1990s, said quitting was not an option for the EU side.

He warned that Britain could in doing so also harm prospects for a trade deal, saying: "No one should forget the perspective of the new partnership."



EU ministers warned that talks would be tough as they stood firm on Britain's bill.

German foreign ministry state secretary Michael Roth said as he arrived for the meeting: "We all have to prepare for very difficult negotiations... The clock is ticking."



Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn warned Britain that while it will leave the EU in 2019, it could be paying up for years more on financial obligations it agreed to while a member of the EU.

"That goes until 2020 and of course beyond," Asselborn said, referring to the seven-year budget Britain agreed to with the other EU states in 2014.

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A South African who was detained in Nepal for trying to climb Mount Everest without a permit was released on bail today after paying a USD 10 bond.

Ryan Sean Davy, 43, spent six days in police custody after being caught hiding in a cave near Everest base camp without the permit costing USD 11,000 needed to climb the world's tallest mountain.

He was arrested during questioning under Nepal's strict public order laws for swearing at tourism officials -- allegations he denies.

"I paid them 1,000 rupees (USD 10). That's what I had in my pocket," Davy told AFP at the Kathmandu district office, where he was brought for the bail hearing.

The South African, who has no prior mountaineering experience, said he could not afford the hefty permit fee but wanted to scale Everest and document his experience in a book and film.

He still faces charges related to his summit attempt, which carries a maximum USD 22,000 fine -- double the cost of the permit he was trying to avoid.

"The decision against him is in process but once the government decides the fine amount, he can pay and collect his passport," Dinesh Bhattarai, head of the tourism department, told AFP.

"We are looking at the laws to decide on action against him if he fails to pay."



Davy has said he cannot afford the fine.

When caught two weeks ago the South African told officials he climbed as far as Camp One -- at 6,000 metres (nearly 20,000 feet) -- despite not having proper equipment.

His passport was confiscated by government officials, who ordered he return to Kathmandu to collect it and pay a fine -- a journey he made by foot because he could not afford a plane ticket.

Johannesburg-born but US-based, Davy moved to Aspen in Colorado six months ago to prepare for his Everest bid, living out of a van as he was short on cash.

He said he taught himself to climb by reading mountaineering books and watching YouTube videos.

Davy said that had he reached the Everest summit he planned to cross to the Tibet side of the mountain -- a move that would have landed him in trouble with Chinese authorities as well.

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Five persons were killed in two separate accidents in Madhya Pradesh today.

In the first accident in Dhar district, three persons were killed and ten others injured when a tractor-trolley carrying them overturned at village Mogra under Kukshi police station area today, the police said.

"Three persons were killed and 20 others injured when a tractor-trolley carrying them overturned near village Mogra at 8 am. They were returning to their village after attending a marriage ceremony at village Khiledi," Dhar's Superintendent of Police Virendra Singh informed.

The deceased were identified as Ankit (12), Anil (17) and Sunil (18), he said.

"The injured were admitted to a hospital in Kukshi. A case has been registered and further investigations are underway," Singh added.

In another accident in Khargone district, two persons riding a bike were killed when they collided with a truck.

"Two persons identified as Rajendra (24) and Antim (20) died on the spot when a truck hit them on Indore-Icchapur road under Sanawad Police station area.

"The driver of the truck fled from the spot after the accident," Sanawat Police Station (Dhar district)inspector BS Chouhan said.

The deceased were coming from Banswa and going towards Sanawad when this accident occurred at around 4 pm, he added.

"We have seized the truck and a case was registered against the driver," he added.

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American Billy Horschel parred the first playoff hole to beat world number four Jason Day to win the PGA Byron Nelson tournament, registering his first victory since 2014.

Horschel came into the tournament having missed four consecutive cuts but turned his fortunes around with some incredible putting this week at the TPC Four Seasons resort near Dallas.

Australia's Day missed a short putt on the 18th hole that would have extended the playoff to hand Horschel the victory.

"That's not the way I wanted to win it," said Horschel. "Four missed cuts to come in here and I played this well -- someone is looking out for me."



Both Horschel and Day finished 72 holes on 12-under par 269. Day fired a two-under 68 Sunday while Horschel shot 69, each finishing one stroke ahead of American James Hahn, who was third after shooting 71.

American Jason Kokrak finished fourth on 270.

Horschel had the top putting percentage this week while world number four Day had made 95 percent of his putts inside five feet this season before missing what appeared to be a routine four-footer to drop the playoff.

"When you're in the position like that, you have to go for it and try to win," Day said.

"I can't just lag it down there two feet short and keep going back and forth. Overall, it was a pretty good week, but obviously I'm disappointed that I didn't get the win."



Day, Horschel and Hahn all played in the final group, creating a match-play type scene.

Horschel's two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th moved him back into a tie for the lead with Day while Hahn's par on the hole all but ended his chances. Both Day and Horschel parred 17 and 18.

"I came here without any type of momentum, and the only thing I can hang my hat on was my practice sessions for the last several months have gone well leading to the tournaments," Horschel said.

Danny Lee of New Zealand (68), American Sean O'Hair (68), An Byeong-Hun of South Korea (69) and American Bud Cauley (70) shared fifth on 272.

Canada's Nick Taylor (65), Joel Dahmen (67), Matt Kuchar (69) and Cameron Tringale (72) were another stroke back.

World number one Dustin Johnson never made a serious run and finished tied for 13th at 274.

Defending champion Sergio Garcia, who won his first major title last month at the Masters, shot 74 and finished in a tie for 20th.

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Indian Air Force today signed an MOU with Bharathiar University here to establish academic collaboration for conduct of research programmes in various fields and also in the field of Education Technology.

The MOU was signed by Air Vice Marshal SS Sharma, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Education at Air Headquarters, Delhi and B Vanitha, Registrar-in-charge Bharathiar University.

The programs in the field of research and Education Training would be effective from academic year 2017-2018 and the eligibility is as per the guidelines of the University and UGC.

The Air Force personnel would be exempted from appearing from the usual Common Entrance Test to pursue the programmes, an IAF release said.

The unique feature of the programmes is that the officers would not have to take study leave and can pursue it while being present on duty. The university has allotted 32 seats per year for the Part Time Ph.D programmes in various fields for all serving IAF officers, which is expected to give a boost to research work and corpus of knowledge in the various fields of Arts & Sciences.

Twenty seats per year have also been earmarked for Part Time M.Phil programme in the field of Education Technology especially for the officers of Education Branch of the IAF, it said.

University vice-chancellor (Dr) A Ganapathi, Air Commodore VPS Rana, Commandant, Air Force Administrative College (AFAC), Wing Commander Manisha Rajput, Deputy Director, Directorate of Education, Air Headquarters, and Wing Commander Amitabh Ranjan of the Faculty of Education, AFAC were present during the occasion, the release said.

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The Islamabad High Court today asked an Indian woman, who has sought refuge at the Indian mission here, and her husband whom she has accused of forcefully marrying her to record their statements before it.

Uzma, 20, an Indian national who had travelled to Pakistan earlier this month, has said that her Pakistani husband Tahir Ali "forced" her to marry him at gun point and also harassed her.

During today's hearing at the Islamabad High Court, Uzma, who has petitioned for the provision of travel documents, submitted a medical report to show that her daughter was suffering from thalassemia in India and she urgently needed to go back.

The court adjourned till Wednesday after issuing orders that both Uzma and her husband Ali should be prepared to record their statements in the next hearing.

The court also asked Tahir to present an immigration form of Uzma tomorrow.

Earlier, Uzma requested the court to issue orders for a new immigration form so that she could travel back to India.

She alleged that Tahir was having the original documents and was not ready to hand it over to her.

Meanwhile, an Indian diplomat identified as Lalit Kumar Gehlot was barred from entering the court room as he was not having a security pass.

Uzma had petitioned the Islamabad High Court on May 12 to provide security for her journey back to Delhi and to issue duplicate travel documents which were allegedly stolen by Tahir.

Tahir had filed a petition, asking the court to arrange a meeting with Uzma and also stop her from going back to India.

Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria had earlier said that Uzma would only be able to return to her country once all the legal requirements were completed.

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India has pipped Japan to become the second largest stainless steel producer in the world after China, an industry body said today.

"Our sustained efforts in collaboration with industry has made this possible" the Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) said.

India overtook Japan as the second-largest producer in 2016, according to data released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) at their annual conference held on May 14-19, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan, ISSDA said in a statement.

ISSF is a non-profit research and development organisation founded in 1996 and serves as the focal point for the international stainless steel industry.

India's stainless steel production rose to 3.32 million tonne for 2016 showing an impressive growth of about 9 per cent over 3 million tonnes in 2015, it added.

"This is a great moment for the Indian stainless steel industry. ISSDA urges continuous policy support from the government to take the Indian stainless steel industry to newer heights. ISSDA will continue to work with all stakeholders to promote stainless steel based solutions for sustainability and growth," ISSDA president K K Pahuja said.

"Several government initiatives like 'Make in India', smart cities, focus on improving sanitation and waste management facilities, building new infrastructure etc is likely to give a strong push to the stainless-steel industry in future," he further added.

"National Steel Policy released by the Ministry of Steel will give impetus for long term benefits. Increase in exports of stainless steel from India to the world market especially Europe and Americas has established Indian producers capable of producing quality material from their latest state of the art mills meeting stringent quality parameters," he said.

ISSDA is India's apex stainless steel industry association which has been leading key industry initiatives and causes to enhance domestic demand in architecture, building and construction, automotive, railways and transport together with the process industry.

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Twenty-five Indian doctors and their families, who were on a trip to China and got stuck at a hotel in Shenzhen over non-payment of dues, moved to Macau today after the issue was settled, Indian officials said.

The doctors attached with the Malad Medical Association (MMA)in Mumbai, were made to vacate their hotel rooms in Guangdong Province yesterday and forced to remain in the lobby until the entire amount was paid.

A tour operator in Mumbai failed to make payments to a Chinese travel agency for the doctors and their families who were on a tour of China. They were stuck at the hotel in Shenzhen where Chinese tour operators refused to facilitate their return to India until their fee is paid.

They left for Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, today after the issue was sorted out, an Indian official from the Consulate in Guangzhou told PTI after cross- checking the details with the hotel.

Macau, famous for the blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures and chiefly for its casinos, was reportedly part of their itinerary.

As the Indian embassy in Beijing was shut on Saturday and Sunday, the MMA reportedly has written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help them to return home safely.

The problem arose as the Indian travel agent failed to transfer the money in time, the official said.

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Indo-Pak tensions over the issue of cross-border terrorism have made their way into the UK general election campaign that has been hotting up.

One of Britain's longest serving Indian-origin MPs, Virendra Sharma, was caught on camera at a multi-faith meeting in London saying that "Pakistan is not harbouring terrorist groups or sponsoring terrorism".

The Labour MP for Ealing Southall, a heavily Indian- origin constituency, and chair of the Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) instantly faced questions around this statement during the weekend.

"Given your seniority as a long-standing British Indian- origin member of Parliament and that you hold various posts ostensibly promoting UK-India relations, your comments are totally at odds with everything we have tirelessly worked on over many years. Why," questioned Manoj Ladwa, a senior Labour party member and political communications strategist, in a letter to the MP.

"I would strongly urge you to make an urgent public and written statement clarifying your position and that of the Labour party before this issue spirals any further," said Ladwa, CEO of the UK-based media house India Inc.

Sharma attempted to explain the heated argument that was caught on a smartphone camera and found its way on to social media.

"During elections strong feelings are common, but this is no time for people to raise issues for their own selfish reasons," he said in a statement today.

"It is important that we consider our community and put its needs above our own. I am proud to represent a diverse community made up of all religions and nationalities and I think it is important that politicians represent everyone, not just a narrow section," he said.

Sharma, who won by a big margin over his Conservative party rival in the 2015 general election, is seeking his fourth re-election in the June 8 snap poll.

"I am proud to represent the area I have lived in for the last 49 years and my campaign will focus on our community and how much we can achieve. This election must be about bringing people together, improving people's lives and turning our backs on the politics of division," said the 69-year-old Punjab-born MP.

The campaign for next month's election is heating up on all sides, with the ruling Conservative party losing some of its massive lead in opinion polls.

The Tory lead in terms of vote share has halved compared to a week ago, according to a latest Survation poll, with British Prime Minister Theresa May's party on 43 per cent compared to Labour's 34 per cent.

A YouGov poll over the weekend also appeared to show Labour narrowing the gap at 35 per cent compared with the Tories on 44 per cent.

The manifesto launches by the two main parties last week are believed to be behind the swing, with Conservative party plans on social care for the elderly coming under scrutiny.

"My manifesto is honest and upfront about our challenges. It includes plans to strengthen the social care system with more and sustainable funding to cope with the long-term pressures caused by the fact that we are an ageing society," said May in a speech in Wales today.

The Labour party, on the other hand, made a direct play for the youth vote, with an announcement to bring forward its pledge to scrap tuition fees to include students starting university this year if it wins the election.

The anti-Brexit Liberal Democrat party focused on the ruling party's plans to double the migrant surcharge on companies employing migrants from outside the European Union (EU), including India.

The party's shadow chancellor, Vince Cable, said, "The Brexiteers, many members of whom are now in the Cabinet, told us that leaving the EU would mean we could be more generous to our Commonwealth partners, it is now clear that this was another leave lie.

"The consequences of this policy to businesses, including the multi-billion-pound restaurant industry, who were already struggling to make ends meet due to strict regulation and charges is another example of why the Conservatives have buried any claim to be the party of business.

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The newly elected EDMC mayor Neema Bhagat today said she will act as a "mother-in-law" and promised that the "inexperience" of her team of first-time councillors will not affect the work of the civic body.

The BJP has 47 members out of the total 64 councilors in the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). Except for Bhagat, all the newly elected party councilors are first timers.

"If the mother-in-law of a household is intelligent, the daughters-in-law work smoothly. I will be that mother-in-law and take everyone along," a confident Bhagat said.

In the MCD polls held last month, the saffron party had replaced all its sitting councilors in 272 wards of the three municipal corporations with new faces.

The party decision was seen as a "master stroke" that not just helped it to brave the anti-incumbency of ruling the civic bodies for the past one decade, but also to materialise a stunning victory over the Aam Admi Party (AAP) and Congress.

BJP managed to win 181 of the total 270 wards where elections were held in April. Elections in two wards were postponed due to death of candidates there.

Bhagat's election as the mayor of East Delhi today was unopposed in the EDMC House. BJP dominates the House with 47 members.

The newly elected councilors were administered oath of office at the heavily fortified EDMC headquarters in Patparganj area here, with police manning the entry gates in view of the agitation by sanitation workers.

The workers boycotted the oath ceremony and protested outside the civic body's headquarters raising their demands, including payment of pending salaries.

Meanwhile, the EDMC mayor appealed the Centre to help the fund-starved corporation while vowing to address the problems faced by the sanitation workers.

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Italy has signed a deal with Libya, Chad and Niger to try to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean by beefing up border controls and creating new reception centres in the African nations.

A joint statement by the interior ministers of the four countries said they had agreed to set up centres in Chad and Niger, key countries of transit for migrants who travel to Libya and on to Italy from sub-Saharan Africa.

The statement, released Sunday after an Italy-organised meeting in Rome, said the new centres in Chad and Niger, and the existing ones in Libya, would live up to "international humanitarian standards".

Rights groups have slammed the conditions of existing detention centres in crisis-hit Libya and questioned how the West can ensure such "international standards" are met and kept.

"Libyan legislation criminalises illegal immigration so it is not clear how these could be reception centres and not detention centres," Mattia Toaldo, a European Council on Foreign Relations expert, said today.

"The establishment of 'reception centres' in Niger and Chad is also questionable: is Europe outsourcing its border control to these countries? If so, in exchange for what amounts of money and coming from where?".

Toaldo also questioned why the deal was made by interior ministers and how they hoped to follow through on a commitment to "promote legal economic development" as an alternative to the wealthy trafficking trade.

Yesterday the head of the United Nations refugee agency Filippo Grandi urged Libyan authorities to free all asylum seekers and refugees from its detention centres, slamming the conditions as "shocking".

While promising to try to step-up the UNHCR's presence, Grandi said it would take time for political and security reasons.

Libya has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. People smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business in the chaos which has engulfed the country since its 2011 revolution.

Italy registered nearly 50,000 migrant arrivals by sea by mid-April, 97 percent of them from Libya, according to Rome.

The Libyan coastguard is believed to have picked up close to 6,000 migrants attempting the perilous crossing this year and returned them to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Nigerians have made up the largest group of people fleeing for Italy since January. Two million people are teetering on the brink of famine in the country's northeast, home to the notoriously ruthless Boko Haram.

The jihadist group launched an uprising there in 2009 which has since spilled over into neighbouring Chad and Niger.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today welcomed Uttar Pradeshgovernment's decision to order a CBI probe into the death of IAS officer Anurag Tiwari and assured full cooperation of his government in it.

"I welcome the CBI inquiry into the unfortunate demiseof IAS officer Shri Anurag Tiwari in Lucknow. Our government extends full cooperation," Siddaramaiah has tweeted.

A CBI probe was recommended today by the Uttar Pradesh government into Tiwari's death after his family members told UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that they suspected foul behind his death because he was about to expose a "big scam" in a Karnatakagovernment department.

Siddaramaiah on Friday had written to hisUttar Pradesh counterpart to order a thorough probe into thecircumstances and cause of the death of an "upright" state-cadre IASofficer.

Tiwari, a 2007 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer,serving as Food Civil Supplies & ConsumerAffairs Department's commissioner was found dead under mysterious circumstances on a roadside in Lucknow's Hazratganj area onMay 17.

Following doubts raised by Tiwari'sfamily, the opposition BJP had demanded that Karnataka governmentorder a CBI probe into the officer's death.

Tiwari, 36, who had also served as deputy commissioner in Bidar and Kodagu districts in the past was staying at a Meera Bai guest house with a batch mate after attending amid- career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.

He was in his sleepwear when he was found dead on May 17, which also happened to be his birthday.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said good ports are essential for India's progress as he laid the foundation stone for half a dozen projects worth Rs 993 crore related to development of Kandla Port.

Noting that Kandla has emerged as a key port in Asia, Modi said once Iran's Chabahar Port is developed with Indian assistance, the maritime facility here will establish itself firmly on the global trade map.

Modi also suggested that the Kandla Port Trust (KPT) be named after BJP-RSS ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay as a tribute to him in his birth centenary year.

He was addressing a gathering here in Kutch district after laying the foundation stone for a slew of developmental projects of KPT.

The projects include a convention centre named after Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Others are a tow cargo berth at Kandla Port, construction of a road over bridge, deployment of two mobile harbour cranes and mechanisation of fertiliser handling facility. These projects will cost Rs 993 crore.

"This is the birth centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. He gave us a new philosophy for uplift of the poor. Today, as the country celebrates his birth centenary, I would like to make a suggestion to the Kandla Port Trust, Nitinji (Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping) and his department - why not name Kandla Port as the Deendayal Port Trust Kandla," he said.

"Deendayal stood for the poor...(so this name change) will inspire us to work for the poor, suppressed section of society," he said.

Modi said sound infrastructure and efficiency are vital pillars of economic growth, and if the country has to progress, it must have good ports.

"Economists are surprised at the rapid growth of Kandla Port. Those working at the port have realised that if they upgrade it in terms of infrastructure and efficiency, it can make greater contribution to the country's growth."



Recalling an episode from Ramayan, Modi said once Chabahar Port is developed, Iranian cargo can come directly here and Kandla Port will establish itself in the world trade like 'Angad', a character in the epic known for his strength.

"Cargo from Iran will directly come to Kandla Port, and with the two ports joining hands, Kandla will establish itself in the world trade like Angad," Modi said.

"Infrastructure capacity building is happening in Kandla and work is also on to develop a port city here," he said.

The PM praised Gadkari for his initiatives in the shipping and transport sector.

Modi is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, his home state where Assembly polls are due by the year-end, in which BJP has high stakes in retaining power.

This is Modi's third visit to Gujarat this year.

On April 7, he had visited Botad to inaugurate the phase II of the state government's ambitious Sauni irrigation project.

On March 8, he had visited Gandhinagar to address women sarpanches on the International Women's Day.

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Country's largest insurer LIC has inked a pact with private sector Karnataka Bank to sell its insurance policies at the latter's branches.

An agreement was signed today between Life Corporation of India (LIC) and the bank today for selling life insurance products of the former, Karnataka Bank said in a statement.

"Customers needs are changing... Bank is firmly moving in this direction and with today's MoU with LIC, bank will be able to provide vast choice of life insurance products to its customers supported by popular customer centric products of LIC," Mahabaleshwara M S, managing director and CEO of the bank said.

LIC Executive Director Rakesh Kumar said the organisation will strive hard to create customised insurance solutions for the bank's customers.

He said LIC is committed for reaching a new benchmark in claim settlement process.

LIC is the largest insurer of the country with a death claim settlement ratio of over 99.90 per cent.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a series of meetings with farmers on the Land Pooling Policy (LPP) that was recently notified by the AAP government.

Labour Minister Gopal Rai said the first meeting of the chief minister with the farmers will be held on May 25 in Matiala and Najafgarh. Both constituencies cover substantial rural areas.

"The chief minister will directly interact with farmers in Matiala and Najafgarh constituencies on May 25. In the second phase, he will interact with farmers in Narela and other areas," Rai, who is also AAP's Delhi convener, said.

Last week, the Kejriwal government had declared 89 villages here as urban areas which would help the authorities develop infrastructure projects in those localities.

Under the policy, government agencies would develop infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals, community centres, stadia on part of the pooled land and return a portion of the plot to the farmer who can later on execute housing projects with the help of private builders.

Around 20-25 lakh housing units will come up in these urbanised villages in the next 5-10 years and this will ensure properties are available at affordable rates.

The main feature of the policy is that housing projects could be developed by builders on the returned agricultural land.

Earlier, building housing units on agricultural land of these 89 villages was not allowed as the LPP was not in place.

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The Kolkata police today expressed its regret for brutal assault on journalists covering the Left parties' protest march to the state secretariat against the West Bengal government policies.

Several journalists and lens men, belonging to both the local and national media, were beaten up twice by police officials near Mayo road in front of the Kolkata Press Club.

They were kicked and poked with batons. Even women journalists were not spared and were abused by the police personnel on duty.

"We have received complaints and reports of a few journalists being beaten up and abused. We are extremely sorry for the incident and express our regret. The incident was undesirable. Those who have suffered injury, we wish them a speedy recovery," said Joint Police Commissioner (HQ) Supratim Sarkar.

Sarkar said that the force was ordered to "maintain restraint" while dealing with the media persons and promised to investigate the assault.

"If the complaints are proved correct, departmental actions will be taken against the police personnel involved in then assault," Sarkar said.

The Press Club, Kolkata has also condemned the brutal assault of scribes.

In a letter, the Press Club has demanded an inquiry by the state administration, terming the attack as 'unwarranted' and 'unfortunate.

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Several Left party activists and police personnel were injured in clashes at various places in the city and in neighbouring Howrah during a 'March to Nabanna' (state secretariat) programme today.

The march to the secretariat in Howrah district was organised by the Left parties to protest against what they called attack on democracy, and unemployment and lawlessness in the state during Trinamool Congress rule.

The Left activists tried to break police cordons at various locations including Mayo Road, Dufferin road, Hastings in the city and Foreshore Road and Santragachi in Howrah.

They allegedly hurled stones at the police prompting the force to fire tear gas shells and order lathi charge. Water cannons were also used to disperse the workers at Santragachi in Howrah.

The police said that the Left workers were asked not to proceed towards the state secretariat. "But they did not listen to instructions and hurled stones at security personnel, in which several policemen were injured."



The Left party sources on the other hand said many of their leaders including former state minister Kanti Ganguly, Foward Bloc leader Naren Chatterjee and a number of workers were injured when the police resorted to the "unprovoked batoncharge."



Some journalists covering the programme were allegedly beaten up by the police.

A senior police officer when asked about it said, "I was not there but we have received some complaints in this regard. We will look into it".

Earlier in the day at least 12 CPI-M leaders including three MLAs - Sujan Chakraborty, Ashok Bhattacharya and Tanmay Bhattacharjee were detained when they tried to enter the state secretariat ahead of the 'March to Nabanna' programme.

The Left leaders headed for the secretariat from the assembly in three cars and had managed to cross the security cordons. The police, however, recognised them at the north gate of the secretariat and a scuffle took place between them there.

The leaders were then detained and taken to Shibpur police station in Howrah.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not present at the secretariat as she was in Birbhum district for an administrative meeting.

CPI-M state secretary and politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra and Left Front chairman Biman Bose staged a sit-in at Mayo Road in protest against the police action.

Mishra said, "Everything is being done according to the chief minister's instruction. But they (the TMC government) cannot stop us this way. A protest day will be observed tomorrow throughout the state."



Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee called the Left programme a "drama" and said it was nothing but an attempt by the CPI-M to justify its existence.

"The CPI-M has been reduced to a signboard," he said.

"They (CPI-M) do not work for the state. Instead they are holding this programme when the chief minister is trying to develop the state," he said.

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Kisan Kranti, a state-level coordination committee of different farmers' outfits, today said it was firm on a state-wide farmers strike from June 1, in a bid to draw the state government's attention to their problems.

"Over 200 farmers representatives gathered at Puntamba village in Ahmednagar district and decided to go ahead with the agitation," Kisan Kranti spokesperson Dhananjay Dhorde told PTI.

The farmers are going go on strike, raising a slew of demands from loan waiver to free electricity.

Earlier, over 2,000 farmers who mobilised support from various gram panchayats across 40 villages in districts of Ahmednagar, Nashik and Aurangabad had announced they will not to sell the farm produce in market if their demands were not heeded by May 31, Dhorde said.

A farmer activist, who attended today's meeting, claimed that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was 'dividing' the farming community, by inviting some farmers from Ahmednagar district, who are affiliated to BJP, to Mantralaya for a meeting.

The chief minister recently convened a meeting of some BJP affiliated farmers at Mantralaya, after which they declared that they were withdrawing the proposed agitation, the activist said.

"This was an attempt to create rift between the farmers, who are firm on their decision to not send their produce like milk or vegetables to the urban areas," he said.

The strike would involve not selling agri produce in market and not engaging in any fresh crop growing activities, Dhorde said.

"Last month, we had the first 'gram grabha' at Puntamba which was convened after a specific demand by farmers. Such gram sabha meets were held in various parts of the state," Dhorde said.

"We prepared a charter of demands about problems faced by farmers. We have sought pension for farmers and a 100 per cent subsidy for drip irrigation. The demands were submitted to the local tehsildar," he said.

"If the government doesn't act on our demands by May 31, no agri produce will be brought to market and we will also desist from activities including sowing new crop," he said.

The farmers' demands include loan waiver, free electricity, appropriate price for their produce, grant for irrigation and higher price for milk. The agitation will not involve any political party or leaders, Dhorde said.

"Once the strike begins, farmers have decided to produce only for their own consumption and not for the market. They also plan to stop supply of food grains, cereals, fruits and milk to markets," he said.

"We decided to launch the agitation as the government is not sensitive to farmers' issues. Farmers are committing suicides year after year and nobody is bothered. It is time to prove our worth," he said.

The announcement of the farmers agitation comes in the backdrop of an Opposition agitation against the BJP-led state government, demanding loan waiver to farmers.

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Tomorrow's scheduled meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Indian Medical Association representatives has been deferred to May 29.

A senior official at the state secretariat said that the meeting was postponed because of the chief minister's other engagements.

"The meeting has now been postponed and will be held on May 29. We have informed the IMA regarding the change," the senior official said.

IMA national president K K Aggarwal has confirmed that an intimation regarding the change in the meeting's date from the CMO is received.

The IMA sought a meeting with the chief minister to discuss amendments to the West Bengal Clinical Establishment (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Act.

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A 27-year-old property dealer has been arrested here for allegedly getting the entire family of his business partner killed to take over the latter's properties worth Rs 2 crore, police said today.

The accused took help of three other men to orchestrate the killings of his partner, his wife and four children last month and got their bodies buried at different places -- in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and Burari in north Delhi, they said.

Accused Sahib Khan alias Bunty and the three "contract killers" he hired have been arrested, while the police have started work to exhume the bodies, a senior officer said.

The gory incident came to light when the body of 45- year-old Munawwar Hassan with gunshot injuries was found at his residence in Burari on May 20 after Khan informed police about his death, said Deputy Commissioner of Police(North) Jatin Narwal.

Hassan was lodged in Tihar jail for a rape case since January 19 this year and was released on interim bail on May 17 as his wife Sonia and four children, Aqib, Shaqib, Arzoo and Arshi, had been "missing" since April 18, the DCP said.

Hassan had contested the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections from Badli constituency on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket.

On May 18, he informed police that his wife and children have gone missing.

Police suspected the actions of Bunty and quizzed him after finding contradictions in his statement.

Bunty was instrumental in getting Hassan out on interim bail. Ever since Hassan got bail, Bunty had been visiting him every day at 8 AM, police said.

However, on May 20, when Hassan's body was found, Bunty had reached there by 1.30 PM. He told police that since Hassan did not respond to his calls, he did not go to visit him earlier, they said.

After sustained interrogation, Bunty told police that he had got Hassan killed, the DCP claimed, adding he along with his friend Deepak, and two alleged contract killers, Feroze and Zulfiqar have been arrested.

The main accused also confessed that within the last one month, he killed Hassan's family members and their bodies were buried in Meerut and Burari.

Bunty was known to Hassan and his family for last several years. He was the deceased's confidante and business partner but for greed over his properties worth Rs two crore, including his office land, home and other places he got his entire family killed, police said.

Hassan worked as a property dealer and along with Bunty he was involved in dealing in disputed properties.

Narwal said Bunty had even got forged documents prepared for transfer of the properties in his name.

Bunty told police that on April 20, he took Hassan's wife and daughters to their relative's house in Saharanpur. While returning to Delhi, he killed them with the help of a contract killer.

The accused claimed that he hired contract killers for Rs three lakh to eliminate Hassan's family. Hassan's wife and daughters were shot dead and buried at a farm in Meerut, police said.

On April 22, when Hassan's sons reached Bunty's office in Burari to inquire about their mother and sisters, they were also killed and their bodies were buried there.

Meanwhile, police said they have exhumed the highly- decomposed bodies of Hassan's sons from five feet beneath the soil in Burari under the supervision of the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM). The accused and his aides had put salt on the bodies while burying them to ensure their quicker decomposition, an officer said.

A police team has been sent to Meerut for recovering the bodies of Hassan's wife and his daughters.

Hassan was accused in several cases, including those of rape, land grabbing, attempt to murder, kidnapping. The rape case for which he was lodged in Tihar Jail was filed in 2015 and he was convicted this year in January.

Two more contract killers are involved in the case and a manhunt has been launched to nab them.

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First Lady Melania Trump is set to have a surreal experience in Brussels this week as her hosts line up a visit to a museum of the works of artist Rene Magritte.

While US President Donald Trump meets NATO leaders on Thursday, his wife will join new French first lady Brigitte Macron at the museum dedicated to the life of the surrealist painter, according to the official programme.

Best known for his unsettling paintings featuring men in bowler hats, apples, pipes and clouds, Magritte's fame draws more than 300,000 people a year to the museum in the centre of the Belgian capital.

The US and French first ladies will be taken on a tour of the museum by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel's partner Amelie Derbaudrenghien, and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg's wife Ingrid Schulerud, as well Belgium's fine arts museums chief.

They will then visit the Delvaux luxury handbag shop, said to be the oldest in the world, before Belgian king Philippe's wife, Queen Mathilde, takes them on a tour of the 19th century royal greenhouses at Laeken, the palace said.

"After a walk, they will be invited by the queen to dine at the chateau" of Laeken, the palace added.

The Trumps will land in Brussels on Wednesday evening from Rome and head straight to a meeting with the king and queen, plus Michel.

Later on Thursday the first lady will visit a hospital for sick children, the White House said.

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An anti-terror court convicted here today 16 persons, including militant-turned politicians Jewel Garlosa and Niranjan Hojai in the Rs 1,000 crore terror funding case of the NC Hills district of Assam.

After convicting the sixteen, Judge Rabin Phukan of the special NIA court slated the case for tomorrow to decide the quantum of the sentence to the convicts.

The judge found disbanded militant outfit DHD (J) 'chairman' Jewel Garlosa, his 'commander-in-chief' Niranjan Hojai and 14 others guilty of terror funding by siphoning of government fund worth Rs 1,000 crore in NC Hills (now Dima Hasao) district.

The court convicted them under various sections of the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The NIA had filed the charge sheet in the case in 2009 against Jewel Garlosa, Niranjan Hojai, N C Hills Autonomous Council former chief executive member Mohet Hojai, Social Welfare Department official R H Khan and 12 others including Malsawmkimi, Phojendra Hojai, Babul Kemprai, Samir Ahmed, Ahshringdao Warisa, Vanlalchhana, George Lawmthang, Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, Debashish Bhattacharjee and Sandip Ghosh.

The 16 faced trial for siphoning of Rs 1,000 crore of government development and welfare funds in the name of ghost beneficiaries to Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) for procuring arms and ammunition from abroad to carry out their terror activities in the state.

The NIA investigations found the DHD(J) had used elected representatives of NCHAC, the government officials and contractors of criminal misconduct and diverting huge sum of money from the fund.

The probe by the premier investigating agency also found that in 2009 at least Rs 16 crore, including Rs 13 crore released for the social welfare department, and Rs three crore for public health, were siphoned to the underground DHD (J) outfit leaders who were then hiding in Nepal.

The scam was exposed when DHD(J) insurgents Phojendro Hojai and Babulal Kemprai were arrested in Guwahati with Rs one crore and arms in April, 2009.

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The Madhya Pradesh government today imposed a ban on mining on the Narmada riverbed and formed a committee of experts to suggest measures to prevent ecological damage to the river, considered as the lifeline of the state.

The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the condition of rivers in the country. He was speaking at a programme last week on the conclusion of a campaign to conserve the Narmada river in MP.

The state government has also banned the use of machines for mining in all rivers across Madhya Pradesh.

"A committee, which includes experts from IIT-Kharagpur and headed by Cabinet minister Rajendra Shukla, has been formed to make suggestions about mining in the Narmada river," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters here.

"We have decided to completely ban mining in the Narmada river till this committee gives its report," he said.

Chouhan said the committee would make recommendations, after conducting a scientific study, to prevent any ecological damage to the river.

The chief minister also said that vehicles found involved in illegal mining would be confiscated henceforth, instead of a fine being imposed on them.

The BJP-led state government has been under attack over illegal sand mining on the banks of the Narmada river.

The Congress alleged that illegal mining had been going on under political patronage.

State Congress chief spokesperson K K Mishra alleges that the decision to ban mining has been taken just before the rains to benefit those who have stored the sand illegally.

Mishra also alleged that a large quantity of sand was being illegally excavated from the banks of the Narmada in the chief minister's home district of Sehore.

The state government had earlier held the 'Namami Devi Narmade Sewa Yatra', a river conservation campaign, which started on December 11 last year and concluded last week on May 15.

During the yatra, the chief minister announced a complete ban on mining activities around Amarkantak, the origin of the river Narmada.

The yatra covered 1,831 km on the river's southern bank comprising 548 villages/towns and 1,513 km on the northern bank comprising 556 village/towns in 148 days.

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Muslims resorting to will face "social boycott" and an advisory will be issued to the 'Qazis' that they should tell the grooms that they will not resort to such a form of divorce, a prominent Muslim body told the Supreme Court on Monday.

Dubbing as an "undesirable practice" in the Shariat or Islamic law, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said a dispute between husband and wife should be settled through "mutual interaction" and a code of conduct on this has been released by it, keeping in mind the tenets of the Shariat.

The AIMPLB, which filed an affidavit, said that in order to discourage as a form of divorce, it has decided to "socially boycott" those Muslims who resort to saying talaq in one go and reduce such divorce incidents.

It told the apex court, which had heard the pleas challenging the practice of triple talaq at length for six days, that it has already passed a resolution in its working committee meeting on April 15-16 against the practice of triple talaq.

"The stand of Shariat is clear about divorce that the pronouncement of divorce without any reason and that three divorces in one go are not the correct method of pronouncement of divorce. Such a practice is strongly condemned by the Shariat," it said.

In its affidavit, AIMPLB said it has decided to issue an advisory through its website, publications and social media platforms asking the Qazis (judge of a Sharia court) to tell the bridegroom at the time of executing the 'Nikahnama' (marriage contract) that they would not resort to 'three divorces in one sitting' in case of differences, as this is an "undesirable practice in Shariat".

"At the time of performing 'Nikah' (marriage), the person performing the 'Nikah' will advise the bridegroom/man that in case of differences leading to talaq the bridegroom/man shall not pronounce three divorces in one sitting since it is an undesirable practice in Shariat," the affidavit filed by AIMPLB secretary Mohammad Fazlurrahim said.

"At the time of performing 'Nikah', the person performing the 'Nikah' will advise both the bridegroom/man and the bride/woman to incorporate a condition in the 'Nikahnama' to exclude resorting to pronouncement of three divorces by her husband in one sitting," it said.

The AIMPLB said it would start a "grand public movement" to ensure that the people desist from pronouncing divorce without any reason and that in case of necessity, only one divorce should be resorted to and in any case three divorces in one go should not be resorted to.

"Every effort should be made to convey this message to all segments of Muslims, especially to the poor population, and the help of Imams and orators of the mosques should be called for," it said.

The AIMPLB affidavit would be perused by a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar which had reserved its verdict on the triple talaq issue last week.

The apex court had on May 18 reserved its verdict on a bunch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq among Muslims after hearing the parties including the Centre, the AIMPLB and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board for six days during the ongoing summer vacation.

During the hearing, it had asked Muslim bodies how a practice like triple talaq could be a matter of "faith" when they have been asserting that it is "patriarchal", "bad in theology" and "sinful".

The board has also released a code of conduct for the husband and wife in the matter of divorce keeping in mind the tenets of Shariat.

Giving details of code, the Board said it emphasised that a marital dispute should be settled by mutual interaction.

"If the issue is not resolved mutually, then the elders members of both families should try to settle the dispute amicably. If the efforts of dispute settlement bring in no good result, then divorce may be resorted to and even then, the pronouncement of divorce should only be one," it said.

With regard to the pronouncement of divorce, the board said the members of its working committee unanimously expected that the Indian Muslims would ensure that they will practice the Islamic Shariat in the matter of divorce.

"Marriage is a permanent and durable kind of relationship but sometime such a situation arises where the relations between husband and wife becomes so serious that indwelling becomes impossible. In such a situation, the separation between the two becomes the inevitable option.

"For that, one of the methods suggested by the Islamic Shariat is divorce. But every possible effort should be resorted for the betterment of relations before pronouncement of divorce," the resolution passed by the board said.

It has also issued guidelines for the husband and wife at the time of dispute and said that if there are differences between spouses, they should try to resolve the dispute mutually.
US President Donald Trump had a brief meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Arab Islamic American Summit in Saudi Arabia, according to a media report.

During the brief meeting yesterday, Trump said that he was very pleased to meet Sharif to which the premier responded that the feeling is mutual, Geo reported.

The US president shook hands with Sharif and the exchange of pleasantries took place between the two leaders before the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh, the report said.

Trump addressed the summit yesterday which was attended by leaders from 55 countries, including Sharif.

Sharif arrived in Riyadh yesterday to attend the summit on the invitation of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.

After departing Islamabad, the premier arrived along with his delegation, including foreign affairs' adviser Sartaj Aziz and lawyer Akram Sheikh.

The summit is being attended by around three dozen leaders of Islamic countries, including the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Malaysia, and presidents of Afghanistan, Egypt, as well as Trump.

During a telephonic conversation after Trump won the November polls last year, he had lavished praise on Sharif and offered to play "any role" in helping Pakistan address its problems, according to a Pakistani statement.

However, Trump's lavish praise for Sharif and his offer to play a role in addressing Pakistan's problems found no mention in the readout of the conversation between the two leaders issued by Trump's transition team.

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BJP councillor from Geeta Colony ward, Neema Bhagat was today elected as the Mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

Soon after her election, she pitched for the unification of three civic bodies of the national capital and made an appeal to the Centre to rescue the ailing EDMC.

Bhagat was elected unopposed in the first sitting of the newly elected councillors who were administered oath by protem chairman of the House Nirmal Jain, who represents Shahdara ward.

BSP councillor from Seelampur, Sakila wore a hizab and took oath in Urdu while BJP councillor Indira Jha (Dilshad Colony) took oath in Maithili and her party colleague Gurjeet Kaur (Bhajanpura) in Punjabi.

Bhagat said that addressing the grim financial condition of the civic body and resolving the problems faced by the sanitation workers, who boycotted the oath ceremony and dumped garbage outside the EDMC headquarters, would her priority.

"I appeal to the Centre to help the EDMC as it is passing through financial crunch. They should provide us funds so that the corporation could function normally. I will try to seek funds from the Centre as per law."



East Delhi has witnessed half a dozen strikes in past three years by the sanitation workers who demanded timely payment of their salaries and other dues.

"I will sit with the leaders of sanitation workers to sort out their demands, including payment of pending salaries. We are with them and try to take a decision with regard to their demands," the new EDMC mayor said.

Bhagat, who was also a councillor in the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in 2007, said that she supports the demand for unification of three municipal corporations for the benefit of the EDMC.

"South and North corporations are capable (financially) but EDMC is facing problems. If the three corporations are unified EDMC will be benefited," she added.

The Mayor said that the civic body will make efforts to get "Rs 3,970 crore" dues owed to it by the Delhi government.

The House also elected Vipin Bihari Singh as new deputy mayor.

There was a little departure from the tradition as the mayor and the Leader of the House could not give their first speeches as the councillors left the seats to congratulate the newly elected mayor.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the next generation should be taught to use water judiciously and advised farmers to use drip and sprinkler irrigation systems.

He said successive governments in Gujarat have spent substantial amount of money for years so that people in the state's arid region also get water.

Modi was addressing a gathering here at the inauguration of the third pumping station on the Kutch branch of the Narmada canal network, which will take water to Tappar dam in Anjar taluka, which is over 600 km from the river Narmada that flows through south Gujarat.

"People of other states have an impression that Gujarat is a rich state. However, they do not understand that here the government has to spend huge amount of money year after year to provide drinking water to people," Modi said.

Referring to the problem of drinking water faced by arid regions of the state like Saurashtra, Kutch and the northern parts, he said money had to be spent on providing drinking water by tankers in many villages and towns of Gujarat year after year.

From the time the BJP led by Keshubhai Patel came to power in the state in 1998, till the present dispensation led by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Gujarat has focused on making arrangements to bring permanent solution to water woes, the prime minister said.

Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat between 2001 and 2014, had also focused on completion of the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada river, to provide water to north Gujarat, Kutch and Saurashtra.

"As successive governments in Gujarat had to make arrangements so that water reaches arid areas, development expenses had to be slashed, expenditure to uplift the poor also got dented," he said.

"Now that Ma (mother) Narmada has reached us, I would request you to use it judiciously. Not only you, but the next generation should also be taught to use this water prudently. Farmers should use drip irrigation and sprinklers to water their crops," the prime minister said.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani slammed the Congress alleging that the previous UPA government at the Centre had created roadblocks in completion of Narmada project.

"The UPA government did not give permission to raise the height of Sardar Sarovar dam. The prime minister (Modi), when he was the (Gujarat) chief minister, had to sit on a fast in Ahmedabad against the decision of the Central government. After becoming the prime minister, he gave permission in 17 days to raise the height," Rupani said.

This is a third pumping station built on the Kutch branch of the canal network to bring the water to the interior areas of district.

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The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Director General of Police in Jharkhand, seeking a report within four weeks into the alleged lynching of a few men, who were suspected to be child-lifters in the state.

The commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the case based on a media report, and observed that its content is "unpleasant".

"A civilised society cannot allow such heinous crimes to occur where human lives are taken by angry mob merely on suspicion of them being anti-social elements," the NHRC said in a strongly-worded statement released today.

"The incidents amount to violation of right to life of the innocent victims targeted by the perpetrators. The law enforcing agencies of the state have certainly failed to perform their lawful duty," it said.

According to the media report, carried yesterday, "seven persons were lynched" by a mob in Jharkhand suspecting them to be child kidnappers, the commission said, expressing serious concern over the incidents.

Out of the seven persons, four were killed in the Seraikela Kharsawan district and three in Nagadih area of East Singhbhum district, it said, quoting from the report.

"The Commission also expects comments on the preventive measure taken/proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur," the NHRC added.

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From women relieving themselves in the open to children being subjected to verbal abuse, life has become harsher for a group of poor people displaced by a recent demolition move in south Delhi.

About 50 women and nearly as many men are struggling to rebuild their lives after a night-shelter meant for them was razed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) late last week, sparking a public outcry.

Sixty-year-old Krishna, who had to spend the night on pavement after the demolition of the shelter in Amir Khusrau Park in Nizamuddin area, is still clueless about the whole episode.

Hailing from Bihar's Araria district, she shares the plight the displacement has brought in.

"Many women are forced to relieve themselves in the open alongside the road," she claims.

According to an official of the NGO which ran the shelter in association with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), people were being rehabilitated to a nearby shelter in the area. The park is bordered by Lala Lajpat Rai Road and Lodhi Road.

According to the DDA, the demolition was "legal" and was carried out in accordance with a Delhi High Court order.

"Most of these children were picked up from the streets and had been enrolled in municipal schools. Now, they have been displaced, their lives in disarray, it will be difficult to rebuild their lives," an NGO official said.

Another affected woman, Bibi Khatoon, is yet to come to terms with it.

She claimed that her shanty was among a few shanties which were demolished a day before the night-shelter was demolished.

Khatoon, a widow, has two daughters and two sons.

Flashing a Rs 10 note, she says, "This is all I got after begging in front of Nizamuddin Dargah."



"I work as a domestic maid and earn Rs 3,000 per month. Is it feasible for me to rent a room for Rs 4,000 per month?" asked Ruby, another displaced woman, who says she took divorce from her husband because of his drug addiction.

The NGO, meanwhile, is providing relief to the affected families.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also reacted on the demolition, and in a tweet on Friday had said, "V sad. Del govt's shelter home demolished. Women, children rendered homeless. They r being shifted to another shelter home (sic)."



Another NGO official said, "I have no idea about Kejriwal's decision. No official of the Delhi government has visited here so far."



Many children had developed a bond with the place and showing reluctance to move to a new shelter.

"I won't go there. There are men at that shelter who use abusive language," said 10-year-old Jawed.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the demolition and instituted an inquiry into it. DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal has also written to the DUSIB and the District Commissioner of Police (South East) seeking information on the circumstances surrounding the demolition.

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China on Monday said there is no change in its stance on admission of non-NPT states into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), blocking India's chances of entering the 48-member elite club at its crucial meeting next month.

China's support is crucial for India as new membership in the NSG is guided by the consensus principle.

"China's position on the non-NPT members' participation in the NSG has not changed," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing.

She was responding to a question about the chances of India's admission into the grouping during the next month's plenary session expected to take place in the Swiss capital, Bern.

"We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 Seoul plenary session and following building consensus as well as inter-governmental process is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issue in a two-step approach," Hua said.

After India applied for membership in the NSG, Pakistan -- the all-weather ally of China -- also submitted its membership bid with Beijing's backing.

While India is backed by the US and a number of western countries, China maintained that new members should sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

India is not a signatory to the NPT. India says it will not sign the NPT as it regards it as discriminatory.

After a series of meetings between officials of India and China, Beijing backed a two-step approach which stipulates that the NSG members first need to arrive at a set of principles for the admission of non-NPT states into the NSG and then move forward with the discussions on specific cases.

Analysts here say that with the bilateral discord between India and China increasing, especially after India's boycott of last week's Belt and Road Forum (BRF), China's stand on India's admission into the NSG as well as on the UN listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar will be further hardened.

China's Belt and Road (BR) initiative is being opposed by India as it includes the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which traverses through Pakistan- occupied Kashmir.
Surrendered Naxal Podiyam Panda today informed the Chhattisgarh High Court that he was not coerced by the police to surrender.

Panda was produced before the high court here in response to ahabeas corpus petition (plea to produce the person) filed by his wife, Muiye, last week, Additional Advocate General Prafull Bharat said.

He informed the division bench of Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Sanjay Agrawal that he voluntarily surrendered and wanted to stay in police protection fearing threat to his life from Maoists, the AAG said.

The court dismissed the petition observing that it was not the matter of illegal detention, he said.

Pandais a former sarpanch of Chintagufa village in state's Sukma district, while his wife is the incumbent sarpanch of the same village.

Muiye had filed the petition in the HC, alleging that her husband was illegally kept in custody by the Sukma Police.

The petitioner also contended that neither she was provided any information regarding her husband, nor she was allowed to meet him, he said.

While hearing the petition on Thursday, the police maintained that Panda was not arrested rather he voluntarily surrendered before them, he said.

The court had ordered the police to produce Panda before it today.

Meanwhile, Panda was also given time to meet his wife and children in the court where they had a conversation for around 10 minutes in their local dialect, he said.

Notably, Sukma Superintendent of Police had presented Pandabefore media on May 17 saying that he had surrendered before police on May 9.

Pandais an accused in several cases of Maoists incidents, including the attack on CRPF personnel in Burkapal area of Sukma last month and the massacre of 76 troopers at Tadmetla (then Dantewada district) in 2010.

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The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly today unanimously passed a resolution calling for the implementation of the deathsentence handed down by a Pakistani military court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The resolution moved by Mufti Said Janan of the Jamiat- i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) wassigned by Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf, Jamaat Islami, Awami National Party,the Qaumi Watan Party, and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)



The resolution claimed that Jadhav was a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent "involved in subversive activities in Pakistan" and had admittedhis crimes before the interrogation team.

He was arrested by Pakistani intelligence agencies on charges of"spying", the resolution said.

The assembly demands that the provincial government should recommend to the federal government to implement the death sentencein accordance with the Pakistani laws, it said.

The resolution comes just days after the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed the Indian request for consular access to him.

India moved the ICJ against the death penalty on May 8.

Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.

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A Palestinian tried to stab Israeli police in the occupied West Bank today and was shot dead, Israeli authorities said as US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem.

The incident occurred in the Abu Dis area, near Jerusalem but located in the West Bank. No police officers were hurt, Israeli police said.

There was no indication that the alleged stabbing attempt was linked to Trump's visit. Several such incidents have occurred in recent months.

Further details on the identity and age of the Palestinian were not immediately available.

A wave of unrest that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of 266 Palestinians, 41 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, an Eritrean, a Sudanese and a Briton, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, the Israeli authorities say.

Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

The violence has subsided in recent months.

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Russia today to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy further away from longtime ally the United States.

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in relations with Russia since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling his country's decades-long alliances with the US, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

"Russia must cease to be at the margins of Philippine diplomacy. Overdependence on traditional partners has limited our room to manoeuvre in a very dynamic international arena," Duterte told reporters before leaving.

"This is a strategic oversight that has led to many missed opportunities for our country. I am determined to correct this."



The trip will also be personal for Duterte, who has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as his "favourite hero" and proclaimed a bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting. The pair are due to meet on Thursday.

Since assuming the presidency Duterte has sought to build strong alliances with China and Russia while moving away from the United States, the Philippines' former colonial ruler and most important military ally.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the United States, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea and called for the withdrawal of US troops from the Philippines.

US military ties have been loosened even though China is expanding its presence into Philippine-claimed waters in the South China Sea.

Duterte said last week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had threatened to go to war with the Philippines over the territorial row.

But Duterte, a self-described socialist, has been determined to reduce the Philippines' reliance on the United States and build much closer ties with China and Russia.

"My visit underscores the independence of the Philippines' foreign policy and the firm resolve to broaden the horizons of friendship and cooperation with other nations," he said today.

China and Russia have supported or at least not criticised Duterte's controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that he may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war.

On a state visit to China last year he announced the Philippines' "separation" from the United States.

"I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world -- China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," he said at that time.

Duterte and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia- Pacific summit in Peru last November.Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

"The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid," Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

Duterte said last week one of the top priorities of his trip to Russia was to secure precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

He had also previously said he hoped the Philippines would soon be able to start acquiring other Russian weapons.

The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but until Duterte took office relations remained relatively low-key.

This was partly due to Manila's alliance with the US.

Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just USD 226 million, according to government data, while Philippine-US trade was worth more than USD 18 billion last year.

Duterte's visit to Moscow will be a "propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia", analyst Richard Javad Heydarian told AFP.

"It will be their way of poking the eye of America.

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Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh today launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging he was trying to "clamp down" on the opposition by using agencies like CBI, NIA and ED as "caged parrots".

Singh, a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, also accused the government of framing "innocents" in "fake cases".

"Modi is trying to clamp down on the opposition using the tools of CBI, NIA and ED and putting fake cases against them," he said, while talking to reporters outside the Patiala House courts complex here.

Singh had come to the court along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who had appeared with other accused in connection with a disproportionate assets case lodged by the CBI.

"Their own leaders spent over Rs 500 crore in marriages when the demonetisation drive was going on and their own people are involved in terrorism," he said.

"He is framing innocents. The CBI is a caged parrot. Now so are the NIA and ED. The directors are being given extensions as carrots," Digvijaya Singh said.

The Supreme Court, while hearing coal block allocation matters in May 2013, had expressed concern over the Centre's interference in the probe in the scam and had termed the CBI as a "caged parrot".

"It is a sordid saga that there are many masters and one parrot," the apex court had then said, after going through an affidavit filed by the then CBI Director on coal scam probe.

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POPxo, a digital community for women, will ramp up its headcount to 120 people as it looks to expand sales network and increase content production.

The company, which had last month raised Rs 20 crore funding from investors such as IDG Ventures India and Kalaari Capital, has a team of 70 people currently.

"Our platform allows women to connect with others. We have seen excellent traction in consumption of our content not just on our platform but across social media. We are now expanding our team to ensure that we can double the amount of monthly we produce in a month," POPxo founder and CEO Priyanka Gill said.

She added that in the next few weeks, the company will hire about 50 people for content as well as strengthening its technology platform.

PoPxo has produced and published over 1,000 videos to- date and adds about 75 videos every month. It offers content around fashion tips, beauty how-to and comedy capsules, especially targeted at women.

The company makes revenue by working with about 200 brands, providing them inputs into areas like what women are discussing or what is the latest fashion trend.

While Gill declined to comment on revenue numbers, she said the company will break-even this fiscal.

POPxo, which has till date raised over Rs 35 crore, counts Google executive Rajan Anandan, Caratlane executive Mithun Sancheti among its investors.

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With the recent caste clashes in Saharanpur giving Maywati an opportunity to regain lost ground among her support base, the BSP chief will visit the scene of violence tomorrow.

Mayawati's visit to the trouble-torn area comes in the backdrop of the Dalit outfit Bhim Sena staging a massive dharna in Delhi over the issue.

The organisation of Dalit youths across seven states in northern India, was founded by a young lawyer Chandrashekhar two years ago, and shot into prominence during the clashes.

After the BSP's drubbing in the recent Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, it will be Mayawati's first attempt to reach out to her Dalit constituency.

She will leave for Saharanpur from Delhi by road to visit Shabbirpur village in Badagaon area, a party release issued here said.

Mayawati had last week denounced the Yogi Adityanath government for the clashes alleging that it had failed to fulfil its foremost constitutional duty of providing security to people.

Earlier this month, one person was killed and around 15 were injured as members of different castes clashed over the the garlanding of Rajput king Maharana Pratap's statue.

Around 20 to 25 upper caste 'thakur' community youths of Shabbirpur village were on their way to attend a function for garlanding the statue of Maharana Pratap organised in Simlana village under Badgaon police station area when Dalit locals objected to playing of loud music, triggering an exchange of heated words.

The altercation soon snowballed into a full-blown clash with both groups throwing stones and bricks at each other.

A police team somehow pacified the upper-caste youths and asked them return but they came back with more people to Shabbirpur village and indulged in brick batting and arson, torching 15 to 20 houses of the scheduled castes.

As many as 16 people from both sides were injured in the incident. Sumit Rajput (35), who suffered injuries in the violence, died later.

Enraged over the killing, an angry mob torched several houses of Dalits in the village and also set afire several police and other vehicles.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged USD 100 million to a women's business fund supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president who today wound up a visit to Riyadh.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced the donation from both oil-rich Gulf states yesterday, during a meeting between Ivanka Trump and a group of Saudi women, a member of the US delegation said.

The idea of a fund providing microfinance to women in underdeveloped countries was floated by President Donald Trump's daughter and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a conference in Berlin last month.

Kim said the donation along with other pledges from the United States and other countries will allow the World Bank to announce the creation of a USD 1-billion fund for women empowerment during the G-20 summit in July.

"This is really a stunning achievement. I've never seen anything come together so quickly," he commented, according to the source.

The US president flew to Israel today after a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.

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Six Japanese citizens have been detained in China for alleged illegal activities, officials in both nations said today, more than doubling the number previously held in the country.

Relations between the two nations have been marred by several irritants, including a maritime territorial dispute and lingering tensions over Tokyo's history of aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

China had already detained five other Japanese citizens since 2015, largely on suspicion of spying.

Four of them have been brought before criminal courts, according to the Asahi Shimbun daily.

Six other men - three in Shandong province and three in Hainan province - were detained in March, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a regular press conference.

Citing "the nature of the issue", he offered few details.

"We've been notified by the Chinese authorities that they violated domestic laws," he said, adding the government is "discussing the issue through our diplomatic missions abroad".

Suga did not answer when asked whether Tokyo had protested to Beijing over the issue.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the six were being investigated and Japanese consular officials had been notified.

"Chinese authorities have been investigating illegal activities," she said, declining to provide details and referring journalists to "competent authorities in China".

The latest detentions bring the number of Japanese held in China to 11, a foreign ministry official told AFP.

All six of those held in March were Japanese company officials who visited China after a local company or companies asked them to search for hot springs, public broadcaster NHK and major national dailies reported.

Japanese media speculated that the presence of military ports in both provinces may have caused them to be suspected of trying to access intelligence.

In recent years, Beijing has drafted a series of legislative measures including laws on national security, espionage and cyber-security.

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Spain's prime minister today accused Catalonia's separatist government of blackmail after a newspaper reported it was planning to declare independence unless Madrid allows the wealthy region to hold a referendum on secession.

"The threats and blackmail which have been put on the table are intolerable," Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told a hastily convened press conference.

What Catalan leaders "intend to achieve is the complete rupture of what Spain is today," he added.

Rajoy was reacting to a report in El Pais which said Catalonia's regional government was prepared to immediately declare independence for their northeastern region unless Spain's central government lets it hold a binding independence referendum.

The Catalan government has already drafted a transitional bill on the basic structure and functioning of an independent Catalan state, the newspaper said citing a copy of the blueprint.

The bill handles questions such as who would retain citizenship as well as provisions for taking over assets currently owned by the central government, according to the report.

The Catalan government denied the report, saying in a statement that its priority remains to reach an agreement with the central government to hold an independence referendum.

A Catalan government source told AFP that the document cited by El Pais was a "very preliminary draft written several months ago which is nothing like the text that exists today".

The report was published on the same day that the president of Catalonia, Carles Demounting, was due to give a highly anticipated speech at Madrid city hall to outline his government's plans for an independence referendum.

He has vowed to hold a referendum by September - with or without the approval of the central government.

During his speech in Madrid Puigdemont pledged to go ahead with plans to hold the referendum and accused Rajoy of "not having done anything serious, sincere or real to tackle the Catalan problem".

"We will never surrender in our intention of allowing Catalans to vote," he said in Madrid.

"If there isn't an agreed proposal due to the lack of will of the Spanish government, the commitment of the Catalan government is democratically inviolable."



Some 200 protesters, many waving red and yellow Spanish flags, protests outside of city hall as Puigdemont arrived to give his address. They chanted "Catalonia is Spain" and insulted Catalan officials as they entered the building to hear Puigdemont speak.

Rajoy's conservative government argues that it could not permit such a vote since it would be unconstitutional - a stance supported by the judiciary.

Parties that want Catalonia, which has its own distinct language and customs, to break away from Spain won a majority of seats in the regional parliament for the first time in 2015 local elections.

Demands for autonomy have been fuelled by Spain's economic downturn, leading many to resent sending tax money to Madrid to prop up poorer regions.

Recent attempts by Madrid to interfere with Catalan education have further stoked passions as did a 2010 ruling by Spain's Constitutional Court that struck down part of a 2006 autonomy statute that recognised Catalonia as a "nation" within Spain.

Opinion polls show the vast majority of Catalans are in favour of holding a referendum but are evenly divided on independence.

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India today once again asked oil cartel OPEC to stop charging premium from its Asian buyers saying oil producers should not subsidise others at the expense of countries like India.

Reiterating New Delhi's decade-old demand, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said OPEC should work towards "responsible price", which would allow major consuming countries to provide energy to the common people.

Higher prices will force them to go for alternate forms of energy which would be slowing down the demand of crude oil, he said in his address at the 2nd high-level meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue here.

"During my last visit to Vienna for the 6th OPEC International Seminar in 2015, I had raised the issue of 'Asian Dividend not Asian Premium'.

"The issue of Asian Premium still continues to exist. Our companies pay billions of dollars on this account. They still don't understand the rationale of this cross subsidisation of tariff between West and the East," he said.

Pradhan's predecessors, particularly Mani Shankar Aiyar, had in past vociferously raised the issue of OPEC members charging the so-called premium from Asian buyers but the cartel has refused to act on the issue.

OPEC, Pradhan said, should treat Asian markets as primary markets. "It's strategy of incentivising western markets in the past did not result in retaining those markets."



Stating that OPEC member countries are in the business of selling oil and not subsidising it, he said, "don't subsidise others at our expense."



"I urge the OPEC and through you also to non-OPEC countries to purposefully consider this," he said.

The oil cartel, which accounts for over 40 per cent of world's oil supplies, should work towards 'responsible price', he said, adding dialogue between producers and consumers help better understand each other's prescpectives.

Pradhan said India is growing consistently at over 7 per cent and the growth rate in the energy sector is 7-8 per cent, which is double the rate of many developed markets.

With increasing demand and consumption, India is increasing imports and also its refining capacity.

"Today, our annual refining capacity is 235 million tonnes of which 194 million tonnes of products are consumed domestically, while the rest is exported. At the same time our energy consumption is expected to double in the next 15 years.

"We are in fact net exporters of gasoline, naptha, jet fuel and gas oil. We are in the process of increasing our refining capacity to around 310 million tonnes by 2023. India is fast becoming a refinery hub," he said.

Also, Indian firms are investing about USD 80 billion in petrochemicals in next 3-5 years.

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Tata Sons today announced appointment of Aditya Birla Group's Head of Strategy, Saurabh Agrawal as Group Chief Financial Officer.

One of the leading investment bankers in India, Agrawal will join Tata Sons with effect from July 2017, the company said in a statement.

"He brings deep capital markets knowledge and valuable cross-industry experience to this critical leadership role in the Tata group," Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said.

Agrawal's expertise will help Tata group in driving rigour and synergy in capital allocation decisions, investment management as well as consolidation and optimisation of the group's business portfolio, he added.

An IIT Roorkee and IIM Calcutta alumni, Agrawal has over two decades of experience in the industry. He was also the head of the corporate finance unit of Standard Chartered Bank in India and South Asia, and the head of the investment banking division in DSP Merrill Lynch.

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Three persons were arrested in Odisha's Keonjhar district for their alleged involvement in betting during the IPL final match.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided a shop near a temple at Barbil where betting was on and arrested the trio last night, a police official said.

While two others managed to flee, the three arrested were identified as Nimai Swain, Mohd Rafiq and Mahavir Prasad Maheswari, he said



More than Rs One lakh in cash and seven mobile phones were seized from the site, poilce said.

The arrest was made when the IPL final match between Mumbai Indians vs Rising Pune Supergiant from Hyderabad was being played.

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Triple talaq is inhumane, unconstitutional and a tool to exploit women and hence must go, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said.

"The arguments during the triple talaq issue hearing in the Supreme Court makes it clear that such a practice is not justified under Shariat law," Rawat told PTI.

Women constitute one half of society and this section is being "exploited", he said, adding that the practice must end forever.

Saying that triple talaq was neither humane nor constitutional, the chief minister said, "It (triple talaq) can't be supported because it is against humanity. It is nothing but cruelty to women. I am sure whatever judgement the Supreme Court will deliver, it will have positive impact on society."



Rawat was sworn in as chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after BJP won 57 of the 70 assembly seats, ousting the Congress.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar has reserved its verdict on a clutch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq among Muslims after hearing parties, including the Centre, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIPLMB) and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board.

The Supreme Court has also asked Muslim bodies how a practice like triple talaq could be a matter of "faith" when they have been asserting that it is "patriarchal", "bad in theology" and "sinful".

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US President Donald Trump sought to defend himself against criticism that he provided Israeli intelligence to Russia as he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today.

Trump, responding to a journalist's question on the subject alongside Netanyahu, said "I never mentioned the word or the name Israel."



"Never mentioned during that conversation," he said. "They're all saying I did, so you have another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel."



Netanyahu then said "intelligence cooperation is terrific. It's never been better."



The Washington Post reported last week that Trump revealed what it said was highly classified information on the Islamic State group during a recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Moscow's Washington ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

It said that Trump told Lavrov about a specific IS bomb threat.

A US administration official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that the original intelligence came from Israel, which was initially reported by the New York Times.

After the emerged, Trump took to Twitter to insist he had the "absolute right" to share "facts pertaining... To terrorism and airline flight safety" with Russia.

But the episode raised concerns that it could corrode trust among allies who shared classified information with the United States on the understanding that it will go no further.

Israel has sought to downplay the concerns, saying security ties with the United States will continue to be strong.

The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than USD 3 billion per year in defence aid, and the two countries share highly sensitive intelligence on common enemies.

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The police here claimed to have busted two sex rackets after conducting raids at two places in the district today and detained 19 people.

A hotel in the area falling under Sihani Gate police station was raided this morning and five men and six women were found in compromising positions. They, along with two hotel employees, have been detained, S P (City) Aakash Tomar said.

The hotel has been sealed and a hunt is on to nab its owner who is said to be a BSP office bearer, the police officer said.

He said that the police also carried out a raid at a house in Karhera village of Sahibabad near Hindon air force station in which two women and four men were detained.

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The Uttar Pradesh police today registered a murder case in the death of a Karnataka-cadre IAS officer here, hours after his family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded a CBI probe.

"An FIR has been registered in Hazratganj police station against unidentified persons in IAS officer Anurag Tiwari's case under IPC section 302 (murder). The complaint was lodged by his brother Mayanak," Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra told PTI.

Earlier, the family members of the officer met the chief minister and pressed for a CBI probe.

"We are not satisfied with the police probe. We have requested the CM to recommend a CBI probe," Mayank told reporters.

Tiwari, 36, was found dead on May 17, his birthday, under mysterious circumstances near a guest house, where he was staying, in the high-security Hazratganj area here.

His family had alleged foul play. He was posted as commissioner in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru.

"My son was very honest. Corrupt officers did not like him. They must have somehow got him murdered," Tiwari's father B N Tiwari had alleged in Bahraich, his native place.
In an unusual move, the US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale met today with Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and underscored the importance President Donald Trump attaches to conquering extremism and vanquishing the forces of terrorism.

During the meeting, Hale thanked General Bajwa for his public commitment on May 18 that Pakistan is taking measures to ensure that militants do not use Pakistan's soil to conduct attacks against any country, the US Embassy said in a statement.

Hale noted President Trump's call during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Saudi Arabia for a vision of peace, security, and prosperity, and unity in conquering extremism and terrorism, it said.

"....We must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet history's great test-to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism," Trump had said yesterday at the Summit.

During their meeting General Bajwa offered renewed assurances that Pakistan would not permit its territory to be used to plan or conduct attacks against Afghanistan, the statement said.

The Ambassador and General Bajwa reiterated their nations' commitment to a secure, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan, it said.

The statement said that Hale also affirmed Pakistan's role and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing safe haven to the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network and other terror groups.

Islamabad on the other hand blames Kabul for hosting Jamaatul Ahrar and other militants responsible for carrying out a wave of attacks in February that killed 130 people across Pakistan.

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From a small village in Assam that is no more than a dot on the map to Cannes, home to the world's biggest film festival, via Hong Kong - the journey of filmmaker Rima Das and her "Village Rockstars" has been nothing if not exceptional.

"Village Rockstars" was officially unveiled in the Cannes Film Market recently as part of the 'Hong Kong Goes to Cannes' programme, a pitching platform for four cherry-picked Asian works-in-progress.

The Assamese film was one of four titles selected in March this year at the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) from a bunch of works-in-progress.

Featuring amateur child actors from Das' Chhaygaon village, where it is set, the film tells the story of a poor but spirited girl who aspires to buy a guitar and make music.

The other three films that made the trip to Cannes are "Echoes" from Israel, "Omotenashi" from Japan/Taiwan and "The Third Wife" from Vietnam.

"This year we had eight works-in-progress up for selection," said Roger Garcia, executive director of The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited, under whose aegis HAF is held. The Forum, the most important of its kind in Asia, has been in existence for the past decade and a half.

Introducing her film before the screening of a 20-minute excerpt from it, Das said: "This film germinated when I was shooting my first film (Antardrishti) in the village. I met these amazing children and felt enthused to tell their story on the big screen."



At the heart of "Village Rockstars" is 10-year-old Dhunu, a girl raised by a widowed mother. "Growing up in poverty and facing repeated natural calamities, she is a tough soul," said Das. "The influence of her tenacious, non-conformist mother makes her even tougher."



For Das, who usually works out of Mumbai, "Village Rockstars" marks a return to her roots.

"When I returned to Chhaygaon from Mumbai, these children helped me unlearn everything and reconnect with the soil," she told the audience.

"Village Rockstars" was edited over the past month in Rome with a post-production grant that the film received at HAF. "I now have a 70-odd minute cut," says Das.

Festival programmers and prospective co-producers - Das still needs some gap funding for the project - have already shown interest in the film. "Village Rockstars" will take final shape in Mumbai, where the edit is due to happen soon, said Das.

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By Laurence Frost and David Shepardson

PARIS/DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co is expected to announce the departure of Chief Executive Mark Fields in a broad management shake-up, a company source said - a move that reflects growing investor unease over the company's stock market performance and outlook.

Forbes and the New York Times reported that James Hackett, 62 and chairman of the Ford unit that works on autonomous vehicles, would take the helm. An announcement could come as early as Monday.

Ford shares are down nearly 40 percent since Fields, 56, took over three years ago, at the peak of the U.S. auto industry's recovery. Now, U.S. auto sales are slipping, and Ford's profit margins are trailing those of larger rival General Motors Co.

Ford's board of directors and Chairman Bill Ford Jr. have been unhappy with the company's performance, and sought more reassurance that investments in self-driving cars, electric vehicles and ride services would pay off.

Details of further executive moves were not immediately clear. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the company was considering new assignments for some of Fields' top lieutenants.

"We are staying focused on our plan for creating value and profitable growth," a Ford spokesman in Europe said in response to the reports, declining to comment "on speculation or rumors".

The turbulence at Ford comes as all three Detroit automakers are under pressure to prove they can avoid losses as the U.S.auto market, source of the bulk of their profits, is slowing down after last year's record sales.

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra is fending off attacks from hedge fund Greenlight Capital and its leader, David Einhorn, who wants to install three new directors on the automaker's board, and split GM's stock into two classes.

FiatChrysler Automobiles NV is fighting accusations by U.S.and California regulators that it used software to cheat on diesel emissions tests, and Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne has so far been unsuccessful in his effort to find a merger partner for the company.

CHALLENGING TIMES

Fields outlined a variety of initiatives to confront challenges from technology companies such as Alphabet Inc that want to control a future of autonomous, data intensive vehicles.

"You have to have one foot in today... but also one foot in the future," Fields told reporters last month. "I think investors understand our strategy."

Among Fields' bets on technology is a plan to invest $1 billion over the next five years in tech startup Argo AI.

Ford has churned out strong profits under Fields, reporting a record $10.4 billion in pretax earnings in 2016. However, Ford dismayed investors earlier this year by forecasting lower profits for 2017 and higher costs for its investments in "emerging opportunities."

On Friday, Silicon Valley electric car maker Tesla Inc was valued at $51 billion, more than Ford's $43 billion. The contrast is a dramatic sign of how little confidence investors have that old-line automakers can transition to a future where software substitutes for pistons and transportation is sold by the mile or the minute.

At the same time, GM is turning up the pressure on Ford in the North American truck and sport utility business, the source of 90 percent of Ford's profits.

GM is gearing up an "onslaught" of trucks for the North American market, the automaker's President Dan Ammann told last week, including a new generation of the Chevrolet Silverado large pickup truck that competes with Ford's primary profit machine, the F-series line of trucks.

Ford is moving to cut costs to offset declining U.S. sales. Last week, the automaker said it would cut 1,400 salaried jobs in North America and Asia through voluntary early retirement and other financial incentives.

Fields earned $22.1 million in 2016.

(Reporting by David Shepherdson and Joe White in Detroit, Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru, Andreas Cremer in Berlin; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques and Edwina Gibbs)

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- Ford Motor Co Chief Executive Mark Fields will leave the carmaker as part of a shake-up that includes other top executive changes, Forbes reported late on Sunday, citing a person familiar with the situation.

James Hakett, head of Ford Smart Mobility LLC, will become its new CEO and an announcement could come as early as Monday morning, Forbes reported.

The shakeup is a result of Executive Chairman Bill Ford and the rest of the board losing confidence in Fields' leadership, Forbes reported, citing people familiar with the matter. http://bit.ly/2qG5tkg

Ford will also replace group vice president of communications, Ray Day, with Mark Truby, vice president of communications for Ford's Asia-Pacific operations, Forbes said.

A Ford spokesman in Europe declined to comment "on speculation or rumors."

"We are staying focused on our plan for creating value and profitable growth," the spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru and Andreas Cremer in Berlin; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

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LONDON (Reuters) - Iraq has achieved its share of the production cuts agreed by OPEC and non-OPEC producers at the end of last year but remains ready to meet future oil demand growth, Iraqi oil minister Jabar al-Luaibi said in a speech on Monday.

"Iraq as the second-largest producer in OPEC confirms its achievement to the commitment to implement the production cut and has recently announced its readiness to a further extension to the cut agreement," Falah Alamri, head of oil marketer SOMO, said delivering the speech at an industry event in London on the minister's behalf.

However, the minister's speech also said that Iraq is ready to meet any growth in global oil demand by maintaining spare production capacity, improving export infrastructure and the adoption of modern technology in exploration and production.

Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers led by Russia agreed last year to cut output by about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) to tackle bloated crude inventories and support higher prices.

Under the deal, Iraq agreed to cut its production by 210,000 bpd.

Last week Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Iraq was in favour of extending the current deal but did not specify for how long. Al-Luaibi had previously said that Iraq would support a six-month extension.

Alamri reiterated on Monday that Iraq supports the extension of OPEC cuts for a further six months.

Al-Luaibi is due to meet Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih in Baghdad on Monday and OPEC ministers meet in Vienna on Thursday.

(Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar and Julia Payne; Editing by Louise Heavens and David Goodman)

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By Ludwig Burger, John Miller and Greg Roumeliotis

ZURICH/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - U.S.-based Huntsman Corp and Swiss Clariant AG are combining to create a chemical manufacturer with a market value of over than $14 billion, the deal coming together after years of tentative mutual approaches.

The HuntsmanClariant specialty chemicals company will be 52 percent owned by Clariant shareholders and valued at around $20 billion when including debt, Clariant said in a statement.

Many European companies have turned to deal making as growth in the chemicals industry has slowed. European businesses have particularly suffered, losing market share to rivals in Asia, where demand is growing more quickly, or to North America, where energy is cheaper.

Huntsman, controlled by the eponymous Mormon family, is best known for inventing the clam-shell styrofoam box for McDonald's Big Mac burgers.

Based in the Texan town of Woodlands, Huntsman chemicals are also used in paint, clothing and construction. Clariant makes aircraft de-icing fluids, pesticide ingredients and plastic colouring.

The ownership split broadly reflects the relative weighting of each side's equity market value, though the U.S. group is larger in terms of revenue.

The companies are stressing their equal footing in the deal.

Peter Huntsman, the son of the company founder, will become chief executive of the combined group while Clariant CEO Hariolf Kottmann will be its chairman.

The combined company will be headquartered in Switzerland, although its operational centre will be in Woodlands.

Clariant shares added almost 8 percent on Monday morning, while Huntsman shares gained about 6 percent in U.S. premarket trading.

GETTING THE DEAL DONE

reported in March that Clariant and Huntsman previously ended tentative merger talks late last year over a disagreement about who would play the lead role.

Kottmann and his counterpart Huntsman said they had developed a professional and personal friendship as long as eight years ago. Intensified talks over the past five weeks had resulted in a combination of the two companies.

"Hariolf and I had discussions as friends and as business colleagues. But this is the first time in all those years that we actually engaged our teams to actually get a deal done," Huntsman told journalists on a conference call.

Kottmann has spent several years restructuring Clariant. He divested underperforming businesses including textile and paper chemicals in 2012 and placed more responsibility with lower level managers for faster decision-making.

In mid-2015 he started carving out Clariant's plastics and coatings business into a separately managed entity.

Plastics and coatings will be an integral part of the new company, Kottmann said, though he reiterated that it could be sold to fund any further takeovers.

Huntsman, for its part, will continue to pursue the planned initial public share offering of its pigments and additives business known as Venator.

UNDER PRESSURE

Investor pressure had been growing on management to identify a growth strategy for Clariant, which was formed in the mid 1990s from parts of Switzerland's Sandoz and Germany's Hoechst.

A source familiar with the transaction said the combined group would use its bigger fire power to pursue further deals.

Like Clariant and Huntsman, several rivals have taken steps to separate businesses and some are facing questions about their strategy as the remaining core business is seen as lacking critical mass, putting them potentially in play in M&A terms.

Among them, W.R. Grace, which competes with Clariant in process catalysts that speed up throughput of petrochemical reactors, split itself into two listed companies last year, spinning off GCP Applied Technologies.

Ashland, whose products include resins for tank and pipe linings and thickeners for sauces and ice cream, listed its Valvoline engine oil unit on the stock exchange last year.

European peers BASF, Solvay, Evonik and Lanxess have agreed multi-billion takeovers since mid-2015.

A $130 billion merger and three-way split between U.S. groups Dow and DuPont is under way, while Dutch paint and coatings group Akzo Nobel AKZO.AS is fighting an unwanted approach by U.S. rival PPG.

Citi and UBS advised Clariant on the transaction, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Moelis acted as Huntsman's financial advisors.

(Editing by Louise Heavens/Keith Weir)

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European Union governments agreed a common negotiating plan on Monday and renewed their insistence that they would not open talks on a post- trade deal until London agrees to settle what it owes the Union.

Ministers from the 27 other EU states met in Brussels to sign off on a common strategy and mandate the EU executive, in the form of chief negotiator Michel Barnier, to launch talks on their behalf after Britain's June 8 election. The strategy and mandate were adopted unanimously, officials said.

Barnier said he expected to sit down with British officials for the first time in the week starting Monday, June 19, and to report to EU leaders on the talks during a summit on June 22-23, exactly a year since Britons shocked the Union by voting to leave in a referendum on June 23, 2016.

Several ministers stressed their priorities are to provide legal clarity for EU citizens in Britain before they find themselves living outside the EU in March 2019 and to agree how to calculate what London owes Brussels before departure.

The Union's leaders agreed last month on a phased structure of talks, under which the free trade agreement which British Prime Minister Theresa May wants with the EU would only be discussed after a first phase of talks makes "significant progress" on issues such as citizens' rights and the budget.

"It's clear that in this matter, on the finance issue, if we get stuck then we will not get onto 'phase two', what should come afterwards between the European Union and Great Britain," Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said on arrival.

His Dutch counterpart Bert Koenders told reporters: "It's very British to know that if you're part of a club and then you leave you have to settle your accounts."

Deal or No Deal

Barnier's British counterpart, Brexit Secretary David Davis, told a weekend newspaper that his threat to walk out without a deal with the EU was serious. Barnier said that was "not my option" and he did not want to think about such an outcome, which EU officials say would create a chaotic legal limbo.

Deal or no deal, the EU treaty stipulates that Britain will be outside the bloc on March 30, 2019.

May and her Conservative government have said they will meet their obligations but challenge the idea that Britain might have to pay tens of billions of euros to the EU to cover its share of existing financial commitments. Britain wants to launch talks on a future trading relationship as soon as possible.

Barnier said there was no plan to "penalise" Britain and that the two-stage approach, whereby trade talks could start early next year, was needed to avoid confusion. Settling the first phase of talks would "build trust" between the sides.

Several ministers stressed the unity among the 27. Some, including Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, said the other net contributor countries must pay no more into the EU budget after Britain left.

Germany's European Affairs Minister Michael Roth underlined the need to get started to contain the damage from what he said was a "lose-lose situation" for both Britain and the EU.

"We have two years. The clock is ticking," Roth told reporters. "We have to get down to work."
By Stephen Eisenhammer

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rose on Monday, bolstered by confidence that top exporters will this week agree to extend supply curbs, with suggestions that the cuts could even be deepened.

Brent crude was up 50 cents at $54.11 a barrel at 0836 GMT, with U.S. light crude also up 50 cents at $50.83.

Both benchmarks have climbed more than 10 percent from lows hit earlier this month.

Prices have risen on expectations that a pledge by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers, including Russia, to cut supplies by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) will be extended by six to nine months, instead of covering only the first half of this year.

"The decision (to extend cuts) seems to be almost a done deal," said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Markets. "There seems to be a very high harmony in the group."

The option of deepening the cuts was also being discussed ahead of a meeting of OPEC and other producers in Vienna on May 25, sources said.

"Oil soared ... as rumours swirled that OPEC... was considering recommending the double whammy of a production cut extension and deeper cuts ahead of this Thursday's meeting," said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore.

Deeper cuts are required to balance the market, according to some analysts who point to a slight rise in OPEC exports this year.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said it expects OPEC net oil export revenues to rise in 2017, partly because of "slightly higher" OPEC output.

But deeper cuts might serve to stimulate U.S. shale production, said Schieldrop at SEB Markets.

"If you cut production, it's no free lunch. You get something in the short term, but you get a backflip in the medium term, which is more production in 2018 and 2019," Schieldrop said, referring particularly to U.S. shale oil output.

Goldman Sachs says that the U.S. rig count for new oil production has jumped by 404 since May last year, representing a rise of 128 percent.

U.S. oil production has already climbed by 10 percent, or almost 900,000 bpd, since mid-2016 to 9.3 million bpd.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein; Editing by David Goodman)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Nidhi Verma

VIENNA/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India said on Monday OPEC production cuts and the prospect of more expensive oil were pushing the world's third biggest consumer to consider U.S. and Canadian suppliers, as well as encouraging it to turn to renewable energy resources.

Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan made the comments in a statement in Vienna where OPEC meets this week to decide whether to extend its production cuts to ease the global oil glut that had grown with the expansion of American output.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries had sought to undermine the North American oil boom for several years by raising output, which pushed prices too low for costly shale producers. But low prices also hurt OPEC states, encouraging them to change tack and limit output.

"We all know that the production cut is an attempt to arrest the slide in prices, however, it also has an inherent chance of under investment and consumer's needs not being met in the long run," Pradhan said in a statement.

He said India was in touch with suppliers it had not traditionally used and said Indian refiners were "working out details of the strategy to buy cargos, including from the USA and Canada, which happens to be becoming very competitive."

India now imports 86 percent of its oil needs from OPEC states to meet its 4.6 million barrels per day (bpd) refining capacity. Pradhan said India planned to raise refining capacity to 6.2 million bpd by 2023.

Pradhan also said OPEC producers should work towards a "responsible price" for oil and Asia should be treated on a equal footing with Western consumes.

"OPEC should treat Asian markets as primary markets. Its strategy of incentivising Western markets (with lower official selling prices) in the past did not result in retaining those markets," the minister said.

"India is very price sensitive. We want to be competitive in our domestic market. We want to source our crude oil from a competitive market, from every part of the world," he said.

He said India was expanding use of renewable energy, such as solar and wind, and encouraging electric vehicle use. "We need to realise that the oil industry is at a delicate cross road and higher crude prices will give a further push to renewables," he said.

OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo said after meeting Pradhan that OPEC estimated Indian oil demand would rise by more than 150 percent by 2040 to about to 10.1 million bpd, accounting for 9 percent of global demand from 4 percent now.

India's per capita energy consumption was 0.55 tonnes of oil equivalent, far below the global average of 1.9 tonnes of oil equivalent, Pradhan said, adding energy consumption was expected to almost double by 2035.

(Additional reporting by Promit Mukherjee in MUMBAI; Wrting by Nidhi Verma; Editing by Edmund Blair)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Andrew MacAskill and Lawrence White

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland is close to settling a costly and potentially embarrassing case alleging it misled shareholders during a 12 billion pound ($16 billion) fundraising at the height of the financial crisis, sources familiar with the talks said on Monday.

The state-owned British bank is in talks to settle with a group of investors to end legal proceedings that started five years ago and have been unprecedented in English legal history for their size and complexity.

Some large shareholders want to settle, meaning smaller retail investors would struggle to fund the legal fees needed for the case to proceed, sources involved in the group said.

"It is going to be hard for us to keep going," said one source, who asked not to be identified.

RBS, and the RBoS shareholder action group which represents around 9,000 private investors and 20 larger institutional claimants, declined to comment.

Trevor Hemmings, a multimillionaire businessman whom previously reported is one of the main financial backers of the claim, is advocating accepting the settlement offer according to two sources with knowledge of the situation.

A spokesman for Hemmings declined to comment on Monday.

The civil trial brought by the investors was due to open at the High Court in London on Monday but was adjourned for a day to allow the settlement talks to continue.

The plaintiffs allege former executives gave a misleading picture of the bank's financial health ahead of the cash call in 2008. Months after the cash call, RBS had to be rescued by the government with a 45.8 billion pound bailout.

RBS, which remains more than 70 percent state-owned, denies any wrongdoing over the 2008 rights issue and says its former bosses did not act illegally.

Jonathan Nash, a lawyer representing the claimants, appealed in court for an adjournment saying the two parties were in settlement talks and wanted longer to strike a deal.

"We are involved in settlement discussions and we are hopeful of making progress," Nash said.

The sources said RBS Chief Executive Ross McEwan was directly involved in talks over the weekend and that the bank had offered more than 80 pence for each RBS share held, though it was not clear if any investors have accepted the offer.

A settlement at that price would cost RBS "in the tens of millions of pounds", a third source familiar with the matter said.

The bank has settled with 87 percent of the investors who originally brought the case but the others have so far rejected its offers and say they were determined to go to court.

By doubling the amount on offer, RBS is close to a sum the remaining investors would accept, one of the sources said, indicating that they might settle if RBS raises its offer to 100 pence per share.

That represents half of the 200 pence per share investors paid at the time of the rights issue.

The outstanding group represents about 9,000 retail shareholders and 20 institutional investors. The large investors include U.S. bank Wells Fargo, the Boeing pension fund, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and local British council pension funds.

(Editing by David Goodman/David Clarke/Alexander Smith)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Andrew Chung

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge by several major corporations to a Michigan law that retroactively changed the way businesses are taxed in the state, leading to $1 billion extra for government coffers.

The justices turned away appeals by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co, IBM Corp, AT&T Inc's DirecTV, Monster Beverage Corp and others of a lower court's ruling in favor of the state. The companies argued that Michigan's retroactive change to its tax regime violated their rights to due process under the U.S. Constitution.

The Supreme Court also refused to take up an appeal by closely held Dot Foods Inc over a lower court ruling favoring Washington state in a similar retroactive tax dispute.

Before 2008, companies with activities in Michigan and outside the state could limit their tax liability by apportioning their income using a three-factor formula set out under a decades-old agreement called Multistate Tax Compact, which took into account a company's sales, property and payroll in the state.

That compact, which Michigan joined in 1970, helped to avoid duplicative taxation of companies among member states.

Michigan's 2008 Business Tax Act provided for apportionment based on sales alone. In 2014, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the act did not expressly repeal the compact's three-factor apportionment provision. That decision meant the state could lose $1 billion in already-collected tax revenue, Michigan said in court papers.

In response, the state legislature rewrote the law to correct what it called an erroneous interpretation by the court. The new law expressly repealed the compact and applied it retroactively to 2008, saying that was the "original intent" of the legislature.

Dozens of companies filed suit against Michigan as far back as 2011 over the tax changes. But based on the 2014 legislation, Michigan's Court of Appeals dismissed them, saying the changes did not violate the companies' right to due process. The Michigan Supreme Court declined to review the cases last year.

The corporations urged the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their cases, saying that retroactive tax laws are becoming more common in the United States as a "ready source of revenue" for governments.

In the Dot Foods' case, a lower court had upheld Washington's decision to close a tax loophole and apply the change to Illinois-based Dot Foods for the four years prior to the statute's enactment. Dot accused the state of violating its due process rights.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Babulal Singh Neti was sitting with his uncle on a recent afternoon, trying to persuade him of the merits of the internet.
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Right now, Apple is the hot cake in the market. Being the first company to cross the $800 billion mark in market value and about to become the first to be valued at one trillion dollars, the Cupertino tech giant is crushing milestones and undermining companies, even economies, with its market capital value.

To put it in perspective, Apple can buy Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) 11 times and Reliance Industries 12 times, shows a study by NewsFlicks . Moreover, its market capital value amounts greater than that of some economies considered to have the highest rate of growth.

Apple compared to Microsoft, Coca Cola

The study shows that Apple is making other corporate giants look small, and doing well at it. Microsoft, a household name from computer industry, is hard put to compete with Apple. Home of the Macintosh computers can buy the Windows-producing tech company 1.6 times, the study says. Even Alphabet, the parent company of Google, can be bought 1.3 times by Apple with the market capital at the latter's disposal.

Not only players from the technology field, Apple is way bigger than companies from other sectors too. With its market value at more than $800 billion, as on May 16, Apple can buy Coca Cola 4 times or world's largest oil and gas company ExxoMobil twice and can still have a sizeable amount to spare.

ALSO READ: Apple selling 'Made in India' iPhones on trial basis

Apple compared to TCS, Reliance Industries

Indian companies will be punching way above their weight when pitted against Apple. Tata Consultancy Services, the biggest IT consultancy service provider in India with a market cap of $77 billion, can be bought 10 times with that of Apple, whereas, Reliance Industries worth $66.4 billion can be bought 12 times.

Apple's market cap is equivalent to 25 times to that of India's best performing automobile company, Maruti Suzuki, whereas 23 times that of the leader of Indian telecom industry Bharti Airtel.

Apple compared to economies

If Apple were a country and the market capital value its economy, Apple would be on the 17th position in the world with $823 billion to its name. Even now, 169 countries have economies smaller than the market value of Apple Inc.

Even companies like the Netherlands, Switzerland and Singapore, with only GDP valuations at $750.3 billion, $670.8 billion and $292.7 billion respectively, and are regarded as one of the countries with best development rates, fall behind Apple in terms of money in their kitty.

ALSO READ: iPhone 8 may feature bezel-less display, integrated Touch ID

Apple compared to China, India

While India tries to get close to China to become the biggest economy, it is actually Apple thhat us doing it. China's economy can accommodate 14 entities the size of Apple, where India can barely do three.

Even the United States, the biggest economy in the world, is only worth 22 companies like Apple. Japan, another economy with a substantial presence in the world market is worth only a tad more than five Apple Inc size entities.

(Research: Sameer Bhardwaj & Tejeesh N S Behl, NewsFlicks)

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The Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) is likely toconvene for a meeting sometime this week to deliberate over and consolidaterecommendations for increasing allowances of central government employees underthe Seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC).

The key points that are likely to be taken up during the meetingare House Rent Allowance (HRA) arrears on revised allowances and increase inbasic pay. Notably, allowances to central government employees are still beingpaid at old rates. On the other hand, Commission's recommendations oversalaries and pensions have already been implemented.

The E-CoS is supposed look into the recommendations made bythe Committee of Allowances constituted under Finance Secretary, Ashok Lavasa,to examine the recommendations made by the 7th pay commission regardingallowances.

The meeting over allowances for central government employeeswill be chaired by Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha, with officials from HomeAffairs, Personnel and Training, Finance, Health and Family Welfare, Railways,and Post in attendance. The exact date and time of the meeting are stillawaited.

Once the committee of secretaries is satisfied with the recommendationsmade by the Committee of Allowances, they will consolidate it and send it tothe Union Cabinet for its final approval.

The Lavasa Committee was formed by Ministry of Finance to screenthe 196 recommendations for changes in allowance structure by the 7th paycommission. The Committee submitted its report to Finance Minister Arun Jaitleyon April 24 last month, recommending that 52 allowances suggested by the pay commissionbe entirely scraped and 36 of them be incorporated with other allowancesinstead of dealing with them separately.

Central government employees have been waiting since for anupdate on the allowances suggested by the 7th pay commission. Centralgovernment employees, unsatisfied with the hike in their salaries onrecommendations by the 7th pay commission, have been banking on updates onallowances to bring the promise of a better paycheck.

Last week , reports that some union ministers might call on seniorofficials to seek updates on the recommendations, raised expectations in theCentre staff and pensioners. However, no such meeting was confirmed by eitherthe Finance Ministry or officials who sat in the review committee, prolongingthe month-long wait of central government employees for an update on theallowances.

The changes made after the recommendations are approved willbe implemented with effect from January 1, 2016.
In his first visit abroad, the US President Donald Trump said India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims of terrorism. Trump, who was in Riyadh for his first state visit to Saudi Arabia, said nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror.

Here is the full text of Donald Trump's speech where he asked the Muslim countries to unite to defeat terrorism.



I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting today's summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived.

You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader - American President Franklin Roosevelt - King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. King Salman: your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy - and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens.

Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey here today. You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send the warmest regards from my country to yours. I know that our time together will bring many blessings to both your people and mine.

I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith.

In my inaugural address to the American People, I pledged to strengthen America's oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.

Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity-in this region, and in the world.

Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.

And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leaders-unique in the history of nations - is a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect. To the leaders and citizens of every country assembled here today, I want you to know that the United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce.

For Americans, this is an exciting time. A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country: in just a few months, we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies - many of whom are here today.

Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation.

Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.

This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase - and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations.

We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond.

Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology - located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combatting radicalisation, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership.

I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the leaders present today to the White House, and I look forward to working with all of you.

America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecture-we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all.

Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet history's great test-to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism.

Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred.

And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples.

God's help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practice terror and spread its vile creed. At the same time, we pray this special gathering may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East - and maybe, even all over the world.

But this future can only be achieved through defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it.

Few nations have been spared its violent reach.

America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks - from the atrocities of September 11th to the devastation of the Boston Bombing, to the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.

The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims.

But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence.

Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.

We now face a humanitarian and security disaster in this region that is spreading across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering and depravity can begin to capture its full measure.

The true toll of IS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams.

The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures. It should increasingly become one of the great global centers of commerce and opportunity.

This region should not be a place from which refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.

Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the world's great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern ones-including soaring achievements in architecture.

Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage.

All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty. And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art.

The entire region is at the center of the key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz.

The potential of this region has never been greater. 65 percent of its population is under the age of 30. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home.

But this untapped potential, this tremendous cause for optimism, is held at bay by bloodshed and terror. There can be no coexistence with this violence.

There can be no tolerating it, no accepting it, no excusing it, and no ignoring it.

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith.

Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

If we do not act against this organised terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorism's devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing - then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

This is a battle between Good and Evil.

When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims - we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy.

But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong - and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden.

Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.

America is prepared to stand with you - in pursuit of shared interests and common security.

But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children.

It is a choice between two futures - and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

For our part, America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts. We will discard those strategies that have not worked - and will apply new approaches informed by experience and judgment. We are adopting a Principled Realism, rooted in common values and shared interests.

Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption. We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes - not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms - not sudden intervention.

We must seek partners, not perfection-and to make allies of all who share our goals.

Above all, America seeks peace - not war.

Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion.

The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.

Many are already making significant contributions to regional security: Jordanian pilots are crucial partners against IS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition have taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Lebanese Army is hunting IS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory. Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners. In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland. Qatar, which hosts the US Central Command, is a crucial strategic partner. Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue to enhance security in the region. And courageous Afghan soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices in the fight against the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country.

As we deny terrorist organisations control of territory and populations, we must also strip them of their access to funds. We must cut off the financial channels that let IS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.

I am proud to announce that the nations here today will be signing an agreement to prevent the financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center - co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another historic step in a day that will be long remembered.

I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council for blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation last year. Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing sanctions on one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah.

Of course, there is still much work to do.

That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians.

Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory - piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED.

And political leaders must speak out to affirm the same idea: heroes don't kill innocents; they save them. Many nations here today have taken important steps to raise up that message. Saudi Arabia's Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development.

The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the battle for hearts and souls-and with the US, launched a center to counter the online spread of hate. Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment and radicalism.

I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees. The surge of migrants and refugees leaving the Middle East depletes the human capital needed to build stable societies and economies. Instead of depriving this region of so much human potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young people hope for a brighter future in their home nations and regions.

That means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better life - including women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities.

For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once again-and make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.

In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican - visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible - including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them.

But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three-safe harbour, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

Among Iran's most tragic and destabilising interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime - launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.

Responsible nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate IS, and restore stability to the region.

The Iranian regime's longest-suffering victims are its own people. Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders' reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.

Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.

The decisions we make will affect countless lives.

King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this great moment in history, and for your massive investment in America, its industry and its jobs. I also thank you for investing in the future of this part of the world.

This fertile region has all the ingredients for extraordinary success - a rich history and culture, a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit of enterprise. But you can only unlock this future if the citizens of the Middle East are freed from extremism, terror and violence.

We in this room are the leaders of our peoples. They look to us for answers, and for action. And when we look back at their faces, behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice.

Today, billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great question of our time.

Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil? Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology? Will we let its venom spread through our societies? Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?

If we do not confront this deadly terror, we know what the future will bring-more suffering and despair.

But if we act-if we leave this magnificent room unified and determined to do what it takes to destroy the terror that threatens the world-then there is no limit to the great future our citizens will have.

The birthplace of civilisation is waiting to begin a new renaissance. Just imagine what tomorrow could bring.

Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine and commerce to inspire humankind. Great cities built on the ruins of shattered towns. New jobs and industries that will lift up millions of people. Parents who no longer worry for their children, families who no longer mourn for their loved ones, and the faithful who finally worship without fear.

These are the blessings of prosperity and peace. These are the desires that burn with a righteous flame in every human heart. And these are the just demands of our beloved peoples.

I ask you to join me, to join together, to work together, and to FIGHT together - BECAUSE UNITED, WE WILL NOT FAIL.

Thank you. God Bless You. God Bless Your Countries. And God Bless the United States of America.
With the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act (RERA) coming into force from May 1, there is hope that the interests of consumers would be protected and transparency ensured in the sector. However, only 13 states and union territories have notified the rules till now. Some states, like Gujarat, have been accused of diluting the more stringent provisions of the Act in favour of builders. The key fear is that strict implementation of RERA may actually lead to a surge in real estate prices across the country.

The sector had been in a slump over the past few years, and the recent demonetisation further dealt a blow. Certain established players have welcomed RERA. Ashish Puravankara, MD of Puravankara Ltd, a Bangalore-headquartered real estate developer, says, "RERA is the much-needed impetus for the entire real estate industry. Its proper implementation will aid in restoring and building upon a relationship of trust between developers and consumers."

Some others like Surendra Hiranandani, CMD, House of Hiranandani, are cautious. "RERA does not address the concerns of the developers. Though the objectives are noble, we believe the lack of clarity on various mechanisms proposed will only add to costs through delay, making projects not only more expensive, but ensuring that affordability continues to be a distant dream." He cites issues such as the lack of clarity on whether RERA applies to under-construction units as well. "The central rules state that these would apply to under-construction units, while state rules say otherwise. But, can existing projects comply with retrospective legislation?" he asks.

RERA would force weaker players to down their shutters. Kishor Pate, CMD, Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd, says in the months to come, small-time developers who do not have the capacity or willingness to abide by RERA's rules will vanish from the market either by selling off incomplete projects or land to bigger players, and dissolving their real estate businesses. This consolidation, he says, will create a more transparent property market.

If this happens, a price rise is imminent in the short term. Irfan Razack, CMD, Prestige Estates Projects, had said in an earlier conversation with BT, that while RERA was good, "in the short run, supply could get constrained, pushing up prices as smaller builders who don't have the financial and technical wherewithal to comply might be forced to exit the industry."

The government has provided time till July 31 for builders to register their under-construction projects. And all new projects of course have to comply with RERA. A clearer picture will emerge only once all states notify its rules.

Home buyers may consider twiddling their thumbs until the dust settles, much to the builders' dismay. But Pate says there is no need to wait for clarity. "It is certain that RERA will clean up the market. And it is equally certain that only the strong, reputed developers will be able to do business in the future. The soundest strategy for buyers is to identify projects by these builders which are either complete or in advanced stages of completion, and make use of the very favourable market conditions."

@venkateshababu
General Motors, commonly known in India as the auto company that sold the Chevrolet brand of cars in the country decided last week that it will shut shop and say goodbye to the world's fifth-largest car market.

At a time when India is said to overtake Japan and Germany to become the world's third-biggest car market by 2021 (according to a research by IHS Markit), the news of General Motors packing up has come as a surprise to everyone in the auto industry.

However, for General Motors, there's hardly anything new in this decision, the automaker has pulled out of Europe, Russia and South Africa in the recent years.

According to Bloomberg, General Motors's Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra has closed or sold 13 plants and backed out from various countries ever since she took over as the CEO of top US carmaker.

Re-sale value of cars to come down

For India, it's not just the loss of $1 billion that the US carmaker had planned to invest in India, GM's abrupt decision to withdraw from the Indian market has hit the car-owners as well as the dealers.

Though the company has reassured the customers that they will be provided services and repair parts as promised, but the re-sale value of Chevrolet cars have come down drastically.

"We are not able to sell Chevrolet cars after the announcement. Customers are asking for a 50 per cent discount. Some are even asking for Buy One Get One," says Ravinder Bansal, Sales Manager at Delhi-based Metro Chevrolet Showroom.

The US carmaker, which was currently selling cars like Beat, Cruze, Tavera, Sail and Captiva in India will now focus only on exports from its Talegaon manufacturing hub. In 2006, GM had discontinued its struggling Opel brand after sluggish sales in the country.

ALSO READ: You may be able to browse internet on flights in India from August



What will happen to the dealers?

General Motors will decide the fate of its dealerships spread across India in the company's upcoming meeting in Gurugram. Meanwhile, the showrooms have been tasked with clearing the current stock by December 31, 2017.

At Aravali Chevrolet, General Motors' only dealership in Gurugram, the showroom has been wearing a deserted look ever since the news came that the car manufacturer is winding down its India business. According to Deepa Bisht, Customer Care Manager at Aravali Chevrolet, "walk-in customers have come down significantly, and whoever comes into the showroom now asks for irrational discounts."

"We are giving them previous discounts, we haven't gotten any new discount bulletin from company," Bisht added.



After-sale services to continue

Meanwhile, the company's website from where it used to market its popular brand in the country says, "Chevrolet India is committed to maintain a service network across key locations in India with staff trained to take care of all the needs of your Chevrolet for maintenance and repair. We will continue to honour your original Chevrolet vehicle warranty as well as supporting you through Chevrolet's Roadside Assistance. We will continue to provide spare parts for your Chevrolet to support maintenance and repair of your vehicle."

GM's withdrawal from India comes at a time when automakers from around the world are betting big on the lucrative car market in the country. In April, South Korean carmaker Kia Motors Corp signed a deal to invest about $1.1 billion to build its first factory in India. The automaker is looking to milk the fast growing Indian market at a time when China is recording a slump in sales.
BRIGHAM CITY  I have never in my life seen my dad cry or show emotion, said Rachelle Miller. That really must have meant a lot to him today.

Miller, a resident of Mendon, joined her family in Brigham City Friday evening, May 19, for a Welcome Home Celebration for all Vietnam Veterans. Her father, Sgt. Ray Yoder from Garland, served in the United States Air Force and arrived in Vietnam on May 27, 1965 as part of the military build-up. He spent 90 days in Vietnam that impacted the rest of his life.

We were flying F4C Phantoms, Yoder said, flying close air support missions for the ground troops in Vietnam. I was TDY, temporary duty. And everybody who came after me was permanent.

Organized by Jenny Schulze, director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Utah, Fridays event for veterans like Yoder was billed as the homecoming you deserved all those years ago. As nearly 90 Vietnam Veterans met a cheering crowd at the Box Elder County Courthouse, it was clear that the long-overdue welcome home was meaningful.

When we come home, they didnt like us very much, and we had a lot of people that called us names, throwed garbage at us and everything else, and to have this happen now is really great, Yoder said. I appreciate it.

Many of the veterans attended the celebration in uniform, proudly representing the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Many of the participants were highly decorated. Some of them had been wounded in Vietnam. All of them remembered buddies who didnt come home.

The interview recorded in the audio file below reflects the experience of Dora and Douglas Hobbs, who live in Brigham City. Douglas Hobbs was an Army helicopter mechanic crew chief. He served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 and was wounded in the <a href=http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/tet-offensive>Tet Offensive</a>.

{{tncms-asset app=editorial id=9890995a-3f06-11e7-8a89-1f5073bebcff}}

As their names were called during a roll call ceremony held for the veterans, each stood proudly. The comradery among them was evident throughout the evening social, as was their patriotism.

Most Vietnam vets are really close anyway, said Yoder. Whether you was in combat or not, as long as they served as you did, they went through the same stuff you did, and most of us are really close. In fact, when we first came home, thats the only ones that we associated with was other Vietnam vets, and it took a long time to open up and kind of get back into society.

Another of Yoders daughters, Shantelle Spackman of Deweyville, said it was awesome to see her dad be honored by his community along with his fellow veterans.

He just always instilled patriotism in us, and I love this country more than anything, said Spackman. I think thats why, and Im just proud of him.

I think it was a great day for our Vietnam veterans, said Schulze, and it was great to see so many people come out and welcome them home. I got a chance to ride down on the bus with them and you could tell there were some happy soldiers and airmen, and it was a great experience.

<hr />

jennifer@cvradio.com
UBA officials during launch W. MUSA

United Bank for Africa (UBA) today announced the rollout of the Debit MasterCard card in Cameroon in support of financially empowering all citizens. Focused on displacing cash, the electronic payment solution will deliver a quick, convenient and secure payment alternative for all citizens - instantly.

In line with its strategic vision, UBA is introducing innovative payment solutions that meet the needs of people across Africa. The Debit Mastercard card gives the cardholder full control of their funds and provides them with the ability to deposit funds directly from a savings or current account, thereby reflecting all transactions in real time.

As a group, we are committed to driving financial inclusion and empowering businesses across Africa, and our partnership with Mastercard enables us to deploy safe electronic solutions to the benefit of the entire country, said Dr. Yinka Adedeji, UBAs Group Head, Digital Banking.

Cameroonians can visit any UBA branch across the country to request the card, and cardholders dont have to wait days or weeks to receive the card, they will instantly be signed up and can start using the debit card immediately.

The UBA and Mastercard partnership is helping to empower people through access to financial tools, with the launch in Cameroon following the recent rollout in Ghana. The quick go-to-market strategy is ensuring that more people are connected to the formal financial sector, giving them the power to pay for goods and services in-store or online wherever Mastercard is accepted. The debit card can also be used at any ATM locally and at millions of ATM locations worldwide.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Managing Director/CEO, UBA Cameroon, Mr Udom Isong said, The introduction of the UBA Debit Mastercard into the market will enable our customers to carry out their banking transactions in a safer, more convenient and more reliable manner. Our customers needs are changing and as they change, we will continue to adopt smart technology solutions that deliver superior services.

Omokehinde Adebanjo, Vice President and Area Business Head for West Africa, Mastercard said, In order to drive financial inclusion we need to ensure all Africans feel confident that their money is secure. The UBA Debit Mastercard introduces the latest global payment standards with EMV Chip and PIN technology embedded into the card making it difficult for fraudsters to duplicate your information.

The chip embedded into the card contains information that is encrypted making it almost impossible for the card to be copied or counterfeited. The chip card will also have a magnetic stripe on the back, so that cardholders can continue using their cards while merchants are transitioning to new chip-enabled terminals.

Cardholders will also be able to select their own PIN, giving them full control to approve transactions at the point of sale or when withdrawing cash from ATMs.

Adebanjo also said that both organisations were focused on boosting the financial inclusion across Africa She highlighted that the partnership supported MasterCards global commitment to financially empower more people by 2020.

UBA Cameroon is highly regarded for its innovation in the banking sector in the country, helping to build a strong reputation across Africa. In 2015, UBA Cameroon become the first bank in Africa to win the Prepaid Card Innovation of the Year and has also received The Bankers Magazine Bank of the Year Award, four times.
| BY Ricki Green |

How will Australia perform at Cannes this year? In the lead up to the Festival, Campaign Brief will be showcasing the work we hope will impress the judges

303 MullenLowe, Perth

The horror of choreographed crash scenes has nothing on the emotional stopping power of your own mothers taste in music. Time with Mum follows license loser, Nate Dawgg, over 90 days of passenger seat hell, with his Mum firmly in the drivers seat. Nate is the perfect anti-hero for young drivers who crave control of their love lives, work weeks, and passenger side windows. Twelve scenes played out over 12 weeks, giving young viewers the experience of a real-time license suspension period.

303 MullenLowe, Perth
| BY Ricki Green |

Freeview FV, the world-first free-to-air TV live streaming and catch-up mobile app from Freeview, now supports Google Chromecast.

The new feature means any TV with Chromecast support can deliver one-stop free-to-air TV for both streaming and catch-up, managed simply through a smartphone or tablet.

Says Elizabeth Ross, CEO, Freeview: We want everyone in every household to be able to watch free-to-air TV on their terms, where and when they choose and now viewers have the option of a bigger screen that may not be connected to an aerial. This makes Freeview FV even more convenient.

Chromecast allows users to discover and control content from their smartphone or tablet and view it on their TV through either built in Chromecast functionality or the simple addition of a Chromecast dongle. Freeview FV Chromecast support is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Australian broadcasters are regarded internationally as being at the forefront of television streaming and this month Freeview FV took out the International Grand Prix Award and Best TV/Video Service Update or Launch Award at the Connie Awards.

Launched in November 2016, Freeview FV is available on iOS and Android mobile and tablets, delivering TV straight into viewers hands.
| BY Kim Shaw |

Back in December CB revealed that former R/GA Sydney ECD Gavin McLeod had been lured to the plum executive creative director gig at AKQA, San Francisco. Now CB takes a closer look at that decision

After four years at R/GA Sydney, what will you miss the most in Australia?

Definitely the amazing group of people Im leaving behind. The best part of my job was that I had a hand in employing many of them and it was an amazing opportunity to hire nice, incredibly talented people. They really were amongst the best Ive ever worked with and, unsurprisingly, they were constantly being approached by other agencies and technology companies. I suppose I should look at it as a compliment, but I always took it too closely to heart.

Ill also miss the strong relationships I developed over the years with clients. This is especially true of Telstra who showed me a huge amount of trust over the four years I worked on their business. It was much appreciated. Ill also miss the odd cheeky long lunch to celebrate our achievements. Nobody does them quite like Australians. Theyre always massively fun and refreshingly politically incorrect. Intrigued to see how they are in the US.

On a personal level, Im really going to miss the Northern Beaches surf scene. Im a 5 minute drive from North Steyne and after 16 years have finally earned a Gday grunt from the hard core locals. Im gutted that I will have to start all over again when we get back. Even though I started surfing in the icy waters of Cape Town, Im also not looking forward to getting back into freezing cold water.

Why AKQA?

Three things ultimately drove the decision. Firstly, I naturally gravitate towards jobs that I know will push me outside my comfort zone. I made a pact a long time ago that Id get out of the industry the day I started feeling comfortable. In my mind, comfortable equates to inertia. I think the best work always makes you feel uncomfortable as it sits outside your usual frames of reference. I know that AKQA will challenge me as a creative and also as a leader. Its a challenge that Im really looking forward to.

Secondly, Ive always harboured a desire to spend a few years working in the US. In my opinion, its the most dynamic and interesting ad market in the world. I see it as being the ultimate test of my abilities, but Ive been cautious about who I chose to do it with.

Ive been fortunate to have a couple of interesting job opportunities in the States come my way over the past few years, but ultimately none of them felt quite right. AKQA stood out. I have huge respect for them as an agency. They are fiercely non-traditional and fearless in their approach. The San Francisco office is one of the largest in the network and has done some world-class work over the years. As ECD, I want to make sure we continue to create work for the future and have fun while we do it.

Finally, who I work with is very important to me. I read somewhere that Matt Eastwood has a simple rule: no assholes. Its a good mantra to stick to in your working career. When I met the team at AKQA I felt immediately at home. They are a great bunch of people who have a singular passion to do amazing work. Im inheriting a strong creative team with some seriously talented senior leaders. My job is going to be simple: Get the best out of them by providing as much direction and support as I can.

What are you looking forward to achieving in the US?

Im salivating at the sheer scale of the opportunities at AKQA. There is enormous opportunity to bring to life  some of the more innovative ideas that often struggle to see the light of day in Australia. This is often driven by smaller budgets or, sometimes, a lack of vision on some, client side. Im hoping that it will be the opposite in the US. From what Ive seen so far, the opportunities are definitely there. My job is going to be making sure we leave no stone unturned making them happen. If the work is good enough, hopefully the industry accolades will follow.

What is the difference between the creative industry in the US versus Australia?

The most instantly noticeable one is the seriously impressive titles. One company I spoke to wanted to give me the title Senior Vice President Executive Creative Director, what does that even mean? Its only fairly recently that Aussie agencies got used to having an ECD. Before then a good old CD was about as high as any of us aspired to. Beyond that, its too early for me to comment about the differences. But Ill take a stab at the things that I think will hold me in good stead.

Working in Australia teaches you lots of great traits as a creative. How good ideas can make even the smallest budgets go far. And how collaborating with the right people can add a shine to your ideas that you would never have been able to do yourself. You also quickly learn how to keep picking yourself up every time you get knocked down. Keep on presenting the best ideas you have and eventually one will get up. You also learn the value of building solid client relationships. Its not easy getting good work through. Its easier if the clients trust that you have their best interests at heart.

Probably the most important lesson is to do what you say youll do. This is particularly important in terms of managing a creative team. It sounds easy, but Ive learnt the hard way that its often harder to hold yourself to this than you think. Finally, Ive heard its a lot more politically correct in the US. Im usually pretty open about what my thoughts are, so that will be interesting to see how that pans out. As someone I trust once said to me, the best thing you can do is be true to yourself. Its good advice that I intend to follow.

What are the pros and cons with this move to San Francisco?

San Francisco promises to be a great adventure for us. Lonely Planet has a great intro: Grab your coat and a handful of glitter, and enter the land of fog and fabulousness. So long, inhibitions; hello, San Francisco. Who wouldnt want to spend a bit of time there after reading that?

Its also obviously the heart of the tech revolution, which naturally leads to a wide range of creative opportunities. I love working across the whole spectrum of products, services and comms. The AKQA office offers this opportunity in spades. Plus, I get to do it with a great team of very ambitious people.
| BY Lynchy |

To mark the launch of good mood to the Indonesian market, Arcade has collaborated with director Christoph Chrudimak to create two epic mini movies. good mood is a new fruit infused water created by Suntory.

The two short interactive digital films are based on the insight that the difference between having a good day and a bad day can come down to the mood you choose to put yourself in. Both films star the same young male protagonist and chronicle the chain of events that follow him through a good day and a bad day.

The epic 2min bad day film entitled The Bad Choice runs in reverse chronology, opening on an apocalyptic scene and transporting the viewer through a series of domino events that take the protagonist back to a shop where he made the bad choice of picking another beverage over good mood. Viewers are then invited to click onto The Good Choice film.

Director Christoph Chrudimak is the ISH of the multi award winning director duo RAD-ISH. While RAD-ISH collaborate on amazing work in the US and Canada, ISH is also making waves for his solo work in Asia.

The Good Choice film follows the same protagonist through the exact same day, where locations and characters are mirrored, but the chain of events is dramatically different, ending with the character starting a viral sensation.

The campaign that includes 15 and 6 second teasers, will run across TV, cinema, online, outdoor and social media. A POSM and activation/sampling campaign will also be running throughout the year.

Arcade founder and CCO Gary Tranter said, Suntory were keen to push the boat out on this one, so we thought a man rescuing a chicken from marauding mutants seemed like a natural place to take the brief. Thanks to a wonderfully collaborative working relationship with the Suntory team, weve created a hard-working, unique campaign within the Indonesian drinks category.

Mario Suzuki, Vice President  Marketing (Beverage Division) from Suntory Beverage & Food Asia added, This is an ambitious unconventional approach for a market like Indonesia and we are delighted to be working with Arcade to be pushing boundaries.

Credits 

CCO/Founder: Gary Tranter

CCO/Founder: Matt Cullen

Art Director: Kayla Chia

Business Director: Yvonne Lee

Account Director: Evaan Miocevich

Agency Producers: Derri Ng, Keith Chang

Director: Christoph Chrudimak

Production Company: Applebox Asia

Post-Production Company: Chimney, Alice VFX, QuietLab

Suntory: Keisuke Inakagi, Mario Suzuki, Remy Koubbi, EuJin Cheah
| BY Lynchy |

Singapore made-to-measure clothing brand CYC Custom Shop has relaunched itself to CYC Made to Measure, via DIA Brand Consultants.

A brand with over 80 years of heritage, CYC has been a recognised brand in Singapore. However, it was seen as relevant and appealing only to statesmen and the older generation. With changing consumer mindsets and preferences, there was a need to change this perception and encourage new customers especially the younger generation to try CYC made-to-measure wear, while sustaining the loyalty of its long-standing clientele.

Fong Loo Fern Managing Director, CYC Made to Measure said: We are extremely pleased with DIAs contribution to our rebranding project. They played the role of brand custodian and lead consultant in all matters pertaining to design from brand identity, retail interior fit through to communication expressions. This was timed perfectly to complement the launch of our flagship store at the Capitol Piazza.
| BY Lynchy |

iris Singapore has launched its first campaign for Philips Malaysia  #StandForTradition. The campaign is in celebration of the upcoming Hari Raya in Malaysia to promote the Philips All-in-One Pressure Cooker.

Based on the insight that the younger generation is increasingly losing touch with tradition when it comes to cooking, especially when festive dishes takes a long time to prepare and cook, the iris team invited two senior folks to #StandForTradition in the form of a tongue-in-cheek public service announcement.

Kong Puey Yoon, Marketing Manager at Philips Malaysia said, We recognise that many today find festive preparations to be a hassle. We also know that the All-in-One Pressure Cooker can really help in lessening the amount of time and effort required, which is really encouraging and helpful in continuing local traditions. Its our way of improving lives through meaningful innovations

Adam Yeo, Creative Group Head at iris Singapore added, Tradition has become so diluted these days, and even more apparent in Malaysia where the same can be said across all cultures. Besides showing how this product can preserve tradition, whats equally helpful is to shine the spotlight on those who stand for it  Mak Cik and Pak Cik.

Credits 

Ed Cheong: Executive Creative Director

Adam Yeo: Creative Group Head

Woon Chien Chng: Creative

Francesca Babet: Business Director

Linda Avriani: Senior Account Manager

Yanling Leow: Planner

Syed Noor: Social Lead

Production House: MVP
A communications minister told Reuters that the government is now just waiting for mobile operators to finish their preparations to launch 4G, after a long-delayed process.

"We are now ready to hand over 4G mobile frequencies to any company that is ready ... we are waiting for companies to finish preparations to receive the frequencies," communications minister Yasser al-Kadi said.

The launch of 4G in Egypt had been beset with delays as operators refused to meet a number of the NTRAs licence terms, which included paying half of the value of the spectrum in US dollars.

Telecom Egypt was the first to secure a 4G licence in July 2016, but the countrys three foreign-owned operators  Etisalat, Orange and Vodafone  all claimed there was inadequate spectrum on offer. In October, the NTRA announced it had reached agreements on the terms for 4G licences with all interested operators. Orange paid $484 million, while Etisalat paid $535.5 million. Vodafone Egypt, which is part-owned by Telecom Egypt, paid $335 million.

However, Telecom Egypt is expected to launch its 4G service in July with the others set to follow once they receive the 4G spectrum off Egyptian authorities.
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.
UpGrad, an online education portal is offering an entrepreneurship certificate program in business idea validation. Quite some people today have business ideas but are in need of guidance to execute it. This program will cater to the need of such people.

What is the program about?

The Upgrad's Entrepreneurship Certificate Program In Business Idea Validation is a rigorous online entrepreneurship program, providing you with the exposure and clarity to structure your ideas and turn them into viable business propositions.

What will you get out of the business idea validation program?

The program will expose you to key startup challenges and roadblocks and will help you understand the various approaches of handling these challenges and identify the pros and cons of each of these alternatives.

Participants will be working on their ideas, understanding the market, understanding their consumers and thereby giving their business idea a coherent structure. You will receive 1-on-1 mentoring and feedback on your idea.

You will also attend live webinar sessions, offline sessions where you will get unprecedented opportunities to interact and network with industry experts, top entrepreneurs and fellow program participants.

Learn and Earn Through Social Media Marketing Internship

What are the benefits of enrolling in business idea validation program?

If you enrol in the business idea validation program, you will get the following benefits

Expert guidance and feedback

Industry mentorship

Connect with strong network of industry professionals

Fees

Rs 25000 with scholarship facilities for the most talented students

When

26 May 2017 to 12 June 2017

Duration

Four weeks

Key topics covered

Developing ideas

Assessing market and industry

Creating business model

Validating the idea with users

How to apply?

Apply through the UpGrad official website

Faculty

The faculty who will be mentoring the sessions are Co-founders of renowned companies such as Ola and Snapdeal

9 Online Data Science Courses to Boost your Career Growth
Renault will reveal the new Megane R.S. for the first time in public this Friday, on May 26, at F1s Monaco grand prix and with Nico Hulkenberg behind the wheel.



Renaults new flagship hot hatch will sport a yellow and black livery for the occasion as the company celebrates 40 years of involvement in Formula 1.

Renault Sports staff are continually exploring new frontiers when it comes to providing customers with exceptional suspension and engine performance, along with aerodynamics honed for efficiency and the best of F1 technology, the company said in their press release.

The new Renault Megane RS is expected to remain front-driven, with a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine producing around 300hp. The chassis is likely to get a bespoke rear-wheel steering system to make the new hot hatch feel more agile and stable, depending on the driving conditions.

A six-speed manual gearbox is going to be offered as standard, with a dual-clutch automatic offered as an option for the first time. Renault says that they will reveal the new Megane RS in full this September, at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

PHOTO
Roborace has brought its very first completed autonomous race car to the Paris ePrix and debuted the model in public for the very first time.



Roborace has run its DevBot test mule at a number of races during this years Formula E season but this is the first time the companys completed vehicle has hit a racetrack. Unsurprisingly, it didnt break any records at the track and only completed a single and very slow lap.

Speaking to Motorsport, Roborace chief technology officer Bryn Balcombe said that the company is still trying to perfect the autonomous racer.

It got within a couple of millimetres of the barrier and thats a bit too tight for the safety margin! Were changing that line at the moment just to make sure it doesnt get as close. The car is in its own sensing state, learning the environment. We had a vehicle following behind, but thats just a safety mechanism, he said.

Powering the Robocar are four 300 kW electric motors that allow each racer to reach 200 mph (320 km/h). In theory that is. Allowing the car to operate itself are no less than 5 LiDAR sensors, 2 radars, 18 ultrasonic sensors, 6 cameras and 2 optical speed sensors, all powered by a Nvidia chip.

Roborace says two completed Robocars will race each other at a Formula E event in July before 20 examples are rolled out to 10 different teams.
Available as a panel van or a double cab, the new Limited Edition NAV has now joined the Vauxhall Vivaro family.



Its a top-of-the-line model that features distinctive exterior styling, with special graphics on the bonnet, roof, and sides, and 17-inch black alloy wheels, with a five-spoke pattern.

Built in Luton, Bedfordshire, Vauxhalls latest Vivaro is also fitted with automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers, NAVI 50 IntelliLink infotainment system, which comes with a 7-inch color touchscreen, satellite navigation, digital radio, Bluetooth, USB, and AUX, and FlexDock smartphone docking station.

We are very proud of our Vivaro model, built here in Luton, and are always looking to give our customers a better experience. The new Vivaro Limited Edition turns heads with its exterior styling, while keeping van drivers safe and connected with all the latest technology, commented the Head of Commercial Vehicle Brand, Steve Bryant.

Vauxhall have already started taking orders for the new Vivaro Limited Edition NAV across the United Kingdom, where it can be had from 24,020 (equal to $31,293), without tax.

PHOTO GALLERY
In an industry that typically favors evolution over revolution, the Ferrari FF represented a clean break with its predecessors when it hit the scene in 2011.



Not only was it the first Ferrari to employ four-wheel drive, but it also employed a completely different bodystyle, with a shooting-brake roofline instead of the elongated coupe profile of the 612 Scaglietti that came before.

But what if the Prancing Horse marque had arrived at that conclusion earlier? What if it had applied that format to the 456 GT instead, was back in the early 1990s? Thats what Rain Prisk hypothesizes in this latest rendering: a 456 with a longer roof and a tailgate.

Not familiar with the 456? Thats what came before the 612, which in turn gave way to the FF and then to the GTC4 Lusso we have today. It was several inches shorter from bow to stern than the somewhat ungainly Scaglietti that followed, but packed a 5.5-liter V12 under its hood and four seats. A revised 456 M arrived in 1998, extending the models lifespan through 2003, and bringing with it the option of a four-speed automatic transmission.

The styling was a welcome step forward over the 412 it replaced, but was decidedly more toned down than the models that followed  looking best in darker shades than the customary bright red employed here.

Believe it or not, there were a handful of 456-based wagons actually made  by Pininfarina for the Sultan of Brunei, called the Venice. But they featured four doors in addition to the tailgate and a rather different roof design. Would customers have been any more receptive to an exotic

twelve-cylinder wagon (with or without all-wheel drive) in the 1990s

than they have been to the FF and GTC4 Lusso? Who knows, but it sure is

interesting to think about.

Oh, and those wheels? Those appear to be a nod to another all-wheel-drive supercar: the Porsche 959, which  in its original concept form  used a similar design before the production version adopted a more conventional five-spoke design. They also remind us a little of the alloys on the Jaguar XJ220, which was also originally envisioned to employ all-wheel drive.

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One of the valleys biggest car shows sold out this weekend with over 500 vehicles participating in Peachland on Sunday.

Organizers said this year was the best year yet for the World of Wheels and predicted over 10,000 people in attendance.

This is the kickstart, a great way to give back to the community, said Pam Cunningham, organizer of World of Wheels. We have this huge day, the restaurants are full, everyone is selling everything they have.

Classic, antique and new cars were put on display downtown Peachland. Vendors and food trucks were also there to create a show for everyone.

We try to encourage the cars you won't see every day. You come and go, Wow, is that ever cool. For a lot of people it brings back memories, she said.

The show is always held on the long weekend and warm weather kept the show moving smoothly although the boats were not included this year due to water levels and flood prevention.

The show ran from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and was celebrating its 20th year.
Photo: Colleen Milne

Rapid upper level snowpack melt is causing Okanagan Lake and area creeks to rise even faster over the next two to three days.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement Sunday for Central and South Okanagan including Kelowna and Penticton.

A ridge is building over the southern Interior of British Columbia and will remain in place Monday and Tuesday, leading to unseasonably warm weather, Environment Canada said in the statement.

This warm spell will accelerate snowmelt and lead to rising rivers, possibly causing concerns related to flooding.

Okanagan Lake rose 3.7 cm on Saturday, 17 cm away from this years projected peak of 343m.

High temperatures are causing the remaining snowpack to melt rapidly and forecasters are advising that the melt above 1,600m will increase significantly over the next few days.

A high streamflow advisory for the Okanagan, including mission Creek was issued by the B.C. River Forecast Centre.

River levels are expected to respond to this snow melt, with increasing river levels expected throughout the Sunday to Tuesday, or Wednesday, period.

The statement is asking that people and pets stay back from creek banks which could be extremely slippery and are at risk of erosion.

Evacuations have been issued for 71 and 81 Marchbank Road due to a small landslide north of Killiney Beach.
Photo: Harold Schock

Some CF-18 jets were flying overhead in the Central and North Okangan over the weekend.

Kelowna International Airport director Sam Samaddar says two jets were in the area for "routine training," landing at YLW to refuel.

A Castanet reader caught an image of one of those jets as it was flying low over Kelowna.

"We have this quite often," Samaddar said. "They'll drop in, stop by, and they may spend overnight here. And on the way in, they'll do some training as they come in to the airport, do a number of circuits, and then land."

The jets were also seen over Armstrong this weekend.
Whither close ties to the US?

ICR Research By

Published 22 May 2017

Since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which consolidated the close ties between Canada and the USA, significant changes have taken place in both countries. In addition, Canadas cement producers have witnessed a changing production base and lower domestic sales in the last few years. By Rob Roy, ROI Economic Consulting, USA.

The size of Canada compared to the United States can be roughly described as one-tenth in many respects, including economics, demographics and the cement industry. For example, Canada consumed 8.5Mt of cement in 2016 versus 91.5Mt for the USA. Canadas 2016 population was 36.6m compared to Americas 323.1m. Having the longest border between any two countries in the world at 8892km (5525 miles), these two North American countries are natural and large trading partners. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), implemented in January 1994, further solidified their close ties.

To continue reading this story and get access to all News, Articles and Video sections of the CemNet.com website, please Register for a subscription to International Cement Review or Login
Arabian Cement launches round 2 of social start-up

22 May 2017

Egypt-based Arabian Cement Company (ACC) has launched the second round of its social start-up programme, continuing in partnership with Nahdet El Mahrousa (NM), TradeArabia reports.



Building on the success of the first round, Khaleeha Suessi will offer entrepreneurship training for 15 shortlisted start-ups, out of which more than six start-ups will eventually receive seed funding and incubation services for one year.



This round of Khaleeha Suessi is bringing together several community collaborators who are strategically adding value to the programme, including the Syndicate of Engineering in Suez, Cleantech Arabia, Bassita and Untap Technologies.



The first phase of the programme started on 17 May, where applicant submitted their initial proposals for two months. Once applications have been reviewed by a panel of experts, 15 shortlisted applicants will be announced.



The next phase of the programme focusses on offering support to shortlisted applicants enabling them to develop a final proposal about their enterprises. The final 6-8 enterprises will be chosen in September for the incubation phase followed by the receipt of seed funding. To qualify for the year-long programme, enterprises must offer an innovative business idea that has the potential to become scalable and sustainable, and have social impact in Suez.



Launching the second round of Khaleeha Suessi is a testament to our sustainable commitment to empower and contribute to the development of the community where we operate, said Sergio Alcantarilla, chief executive officer of ACC.



The results of the first round were extremely promising and encouraging for us to continue to promote positive social impact and employment opportunities by providing entrepreneurs with the tools needed to successfully establish their own start-ups. This year, were targeting specific sectors where further development is most needed in Suez, and are looking forward with much enthusiasm to receiving the innovative ideas of this years applicants.



One of the key outcomes of last year's programme was showcasing successful young entrepreneurs in Suez, through positioning them as a motivating role model to their fellow youth in Suez and a reason for fostering a culture of social innovation there, said Jackie Kameel, managing director of NM. ACC played a leading role in shedding light on the importance of private sector engagement and support for the growth of social entrepreneurship in Egypt, and an invitation to the private sector to adopt the same mentality towards a more inclusive economic growth in Egypt.



ACC commissioned a business opportunity mapping, where four sectors were identified as a main focus for this round of Khaleeha Suessi. These sectors are namely: agriculture, food production, renewable energy and waste management. To further educate the youth in Suez about these sectors and the needed solutions, a session will be held in Suez to elaborate on the role start-ups can play to contribute to the development of these sectors.

Published under
Rock Point Real Estate is re-entering the Chattanooga single-family property management (individual houses) scene after stepping away from that market for the past five years to focus on its multifamily management operations (apartment complexes) in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

During that time, Rock Points efforts enabled owners of four Georgia apartment complexes to increase the value of their assets and exit their investment positions with more than 30 percent returns on investment. Rock Point CEO Drew Lancaster said the time was right to apply the companys expertise to the smaller rental property market in its hometown of Chattanooga.



Having deepened our staff and sharpened our management systems we are excited about helping local investors provide quality homes to our neighbors who choose to rent homes, or who have no other choice, Mr. Lancaster said. Successful property management is a matter of always keeping a close eye on four key concerns: the property owner, the tenant, the physical property itself and the money that flows among these. Weve learned to do that pretty well.



Mr. Lancasters real estate management company helps to take out the headache of owning properties, so landlords and property owners can enjoy the investment without dealing with the everyday hassles of maintenance, extensive repairs and the various renting issues that can crop up.



Rock Point aims to help Chattanoogas growth by providing exceptional management of properties for better living in the Scenic City, said Philip Lancaster, managing broker.



Investors will continue to pour money into the Chattanooga housing market if their properties are treated as growing investments, Mr. Lancaster said. This is where we come in. Rock Point helps to bring a return on investment through holistic management.



Single-family property growth pairs with Chattanoogas development. Mr. Lancaster said he and his team are excited to be a part of the Scenic Citys progress.



The Chattanooga market will be the foundation of our business growth going forward, Mr. Lancaster said. We love this town!



Rock Point Real Estate is a family-owned and operated business operating at 608 Holtzclaw Ave.


Flowers from Creekside Flower Farm Flowers from Creekside Flower Farm Flowers from Creekside Flower Farm Flowers from Creekside Flower Farm Owner Morgan Sharpe Owner Morgan Sharpe The greenhouse at Creekside Flower Farm Previous Next

Creekside Flower Farm was born from an appetite for beauty and a need for place. "Having lived a somewhat transient life growing up (including New Jersey and Nicaragua), I have learned that there is power in place and in belonging to the land and to the people that surround me," said Morgan Sharpe.

"Trapped inside by short, cold winter days I dreamed of building a greenhouse from old wooden windowsa warm, sunny place to combat winter," said Ms. Sharpe. "After a few weeks of searching and many more weeks of hard work, my dream had become a reality and a stepping stone to an even bigger dream."

Jill Baldschun, owner of The Barn at High Point Farms wedding venue, encouraged Ms. Sharpe to try flower farming. They agreed that a flower farm next to a wedding venue was an ideal pairing. By August of 2016, Ms. Sharpe had purchased and sown 2,400 seeds including feverfew, foxglove and snapdragons in her greenhouse.

Knowing that she would need start-up funds, Ms. Sharpe set her sights on the Covenant College Seed Projecta competition among Covenant College alumni entrepreneursfor $10,000 in seed money. With the help of the CO.STARTERS curriculum and many generous people, Ms. Sharpe wrote a business plan and pitched her idea for Creekside Flower Farm at the 2016 Seed Project competition. After winning a portion of funding, Ms. Sharpe launched Creekside Flower Farm.

"Located in Flintstone, Ga., Creekside Flower Farm exists to provide beautiful, lasting flowers, that are responsibly grown on local land that remind us that we belong to a place and to the land on which we live," said Ms. Sharpe.

Creekside Flower Farm offers wedding packages as well as a Flower CSA/Subscription option for individuals and local businesses. Customers can choose to receive a weekly bouquet or bucket of in-season flowers from Creekside Flower Farm. Pick-up locations for the CSA include Niedlovs Breadworks, The Mountain Escape Spa and the St. Elmo Farmers market. Creekside Flower Farm will be a committed vendor at the St. Elmo Farmer's Market, which is every Fridays from 47 p.m.

For more information, contact Ms. Sharpe at 856.495-8003 or email info@creeksideflowerfarm.com. Visit the website at www.creeksideflowerfarm.com.


In the lab of Drexel University assistant professor Yaghoob Farnam, researchers are using recycled materials, like slag, silica fume and fly ash to make concrete that can withstand the chemical deterioration caused by concrete's reaction with road salt.

Road salt, used in copious helpings each winter to protect them from ice and preserve safe driving conditions, is slowly degrading the concrete they're made of. Engineers have known for some time that calcium chloride salt, commonly used as deicer, reacts with the calcium hydroxide in concrete to form a chemical byproduct that causes roadways to crumble. A civil engineer from Drexel University is working on a new recipe for concrete, using cast-off products from furnaces, that can hold its own against the forces of chemical erosion.

More than 900,000 tons of deicing salt is used each winter in Pennsylvania alone. While winters in the Northeast put pressure on departments of transportation to keep roads clear and deicer is an effective part of that process, it also contributes to the thousands of miles of roads that need to be patched and repaired each year.

Yaghoob Farnam, PhD , an assistant professor in Drexel's College of Engineering and director of the Advanced and Sustainable Infrastructure Materials Research Group, is looking for a solution to this problem in the recipe for concrete. Farnam created a method for using fly ash, slag and silica fume -- leftovers from coal furnaces and the smelting process -- in a new concrete mix that is more durable because it doesn't react with road salt.

"Many departments of transportation have reduced the amount of calcium chloride they use to melt ice and snow, even though it is very efficient at doing so -- because it has also been found to be very destructive," Farnam said. "This research proves that by using alternate cementitious materials to make concrete, they can avoid the destructive chemical reaction and continue to use calcium chloride."

The goal of Farnam's work is to produce a concrete mix as strong as the ones currently used to build roads, that contains less calcium hydroxide -- the ingredient that reacts with road salt to form a compound called calcium oxychloride. This chemical tends to expand when it is formed, and when that reaction happens in the pores of cement it can cause degradation and cracking. Farnam's research led him to the conclusion that these "supplementary cement materials" could be substituted into the mix with a better result when they come in contact with calcium chloride deicing salt.

"There is a great push to use these power industry byproducts because they take up space and some of them can be harmful to the environment," Farnam said. "We believed that portions of the byproducts such as fly ash, slag and silica fume could be used to make concrete that is both durable -- and cheaper, because it uses recycled materials."

To test his theory, Farman's lab created cement samples using varying amounts of fly ash, silica fume and slag and compared them to samples of "ordinary Portland cement" -- the most common type used in roads. His findings confirmed his hypothesis, namely that the samples containing more cement substitute materials did not produce as much calcium oxychloride.

An examination of the ordinary Portland cement samples, via acoustic emissions, x-rays and microscopy, revealed damage after just eight days of exposure due to the formation of calcium oxychloride while samples with proper amount of fly ash, silica fume and slag did not show damage during the testing period.

The study also revealed that higher concentrations of calcium chloride produce more calcium oxychloride when it reacts with concrete. So, theoretically, using lower concentrations of calcium chloride on roads could help extend their life, but it would also make it less effective as a deicing agent.

"An additional concern is that calcium oxychloride can form even if the concrete is not undergoing a freeze-thaw cycle. It is a chemical reaction that can happen at room temperature, so it can take place when the roads are pre-salted even if ice doesn't form. And as the salts remain on the surface after a snowstorm the reaction will continue to degrade the road, so it is vitally important to minimize this reaction in order to preserve the infrastructure," Farnam said.

Farnam's lab will continue to search for ways to improve the materials we use in our infrastructure. They are currently pursuing a method for creating a protective layer on the surface of concrete by using bacteria that can prevent calcium oxychloride formation.
Tomorrows computers will run on light, and gold nanoparticle chains show much promise as light conductors. Now LMU scientists have demonstrated how tiny spots of silver could markedly reduce energy consumption in light-based computation.

Todays computers are faster and smaller than ever before. The latest generation of transistors will have structural features with dimensions of only 10 nanometers. If computers are to become even faster and at the same time more energy efficient at these minuscule scales, they will probably need to process information using light particles instead of electrons. This is referred to as optical computing.

Fiber-optic networks already use light to transport data over long distances at high speed and with minimum loss. The diameters of the thinnest cables, however, are in the micrometer range, as the light waves -- with a wavelength of around one micrometer -- must be able to oscillate unhindered. In order to process data on a micro- or even nanochip, an entirely new system is therefore required.

One possibility would be to conduct light signals via so-called plasmon oscillations. This involves a light particle (photon) exciting the electron cloud of a gold nanoparticle so that it starts oscillating. These waves then travel along a chain of nanoparticles at approximately 10% of the speed of light. This approach achieves two goals: nanometer-scale dimensions and enormous speed. What remains, however, is the energy consumption. In a chain composed purely of gold, this would be almost as high as in conventional transistors, due to the considerable heat development in the gold particles.

A tiny spot of silver

Tim Liedl , Professor of Physics at LMU and PI at the cluster of excellence Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), together with colleagues from Ohio University, describes how silver nanoparticles can significantly reduce the energy consumption. The physicists built a sort of miniature test track with a length of around 100 nanometers, composed of three nanoparticles: one gold nanoparticle at each end, with a silver nanoparticle right in the middle.

The silver serves as a kind of intermediary between the gold particles while not dissipating energy. To make the silver particles plasmon oscillate, more excitation energy is required than for gold. Therefore, the energy just flows around the silver particle. Transport is mediated via the coupling of the electromagnetic fields around the so-called hot spots which are created between each of the two gold particles and the silver particle, explains Tim Liedl. This allows the energy to be transported with almost no loss, and on a femtosecond time scale.

Textbook quantum model

The decisive precondition for the experiments was the fact that Tim Liedl and his colleagues are experts in the exquisitely exact placement of nanostructures. This is done by the DNA origami method, which allows different crystalline nanoparticles to be placed at precisely defined nanodistances from each other. Similar experiments had previously been conducted using conventional lithography techniques. However, these do not provide the required spatial precision, in particular where different types of metals are involved.

In parallel, the physicists simulated the experimental set-up on the computer  and had their results confirmed. In addition to classical electrodynamic simulations, Alexander Govorov, Professor of Physics at Ohio University, Athens, USA, was able to establish a simple quantum-mechanical model: In this model, the classical and the quantum-mechanical pictures match very well, which makes it a potential example for the textbooks.
Indonesian entrepreneur Tandean Rustandy, who earned an MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in 2007, has donated $20 million to the school's social innovation center.

The university said it will use the infusion to further innovation in socially conscious entrepreneurship through five areas: research; training for nonprofit leaders; new curriculum development; career resources for students and alumni, and programming on the topics of social entrepreneurship and funding.

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With the donation also comes a change in the name for Chicago Booth's Social Enterprise Initiative, which is now known as the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation. It will continue to house programs such as the annual Social New Venture Challenge.

Rustandy, who is CEO of a leading global tile manufacturing company, pledged nearly $6 million in 2016 to the University of Colorado Boulder, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1987.

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aelahi@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @aminamania
Timothy Zahn, who is 65 and bald and carries an ever-so-slight air of social anxiety, is nobody's image of a superstar. And yet as he sat behind table No. 26 and waited for fans, he did not wait long. The doors to the convention hall at McCormick Place opened at 10 a.m., and by 10:10 a.m. the line of people to meet Zahn was the second-longest at C2E2, the massive Chicago comic book convention held each spring. Only Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man and the Hulk, could boast longer lines. This was a few weeks ago, just as "Thrawn," Zahn's latest "Star Wars" novel, was debuting at No. 2 on The New York Times' best-seller list.

Zahn looked gratified, not surprised.

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He splayed his hands before him and held the expression of a man who knew what to expect: He would sit for several hours and sign autographs and accept heartfelt compliments and his line would not slack  not for a moment would he wait awkwardly, like so many authors, feeling a rising panic as a well of fans runs dry. Melissa Dalton of Valparaiso approached. She held a paperback of "Heir to the Empire," the 1991 novel that established Zahn as a giant in the "Star Wars" galaxy. The spine of the book was so broken from bending that the title was unreadable.

"I've read it a few times," she said.

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Zahn nodded and thanked her  not effusively, not even warmly, but sincerely. Behind her stood a few hours of waiting fans, carrying towering stacks of books to sign. Some brought action figures of characters that Zahn  not George Lucas  had introduced to "Star Wars." A teenage girl stood off to the side and took Zahn's picture. She said to a friend: "So there's this huge pantheon of 'Star Wars' books that have never been made into movies or TV. Which is stupid, but this dude, he's the best at those stories."

Zahn grew up in Lombard and studied physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but almost no one mentioned it or seemed aware this was a homecoming. They seemed, instead, to think of him as the man who saved "Star Wars." Eric Van Tassell of Chicago thanked Zahn as if he were a returning vet, then stepped away from the table, buoyant: "Look, if that guy hadn't written three good 'Star Wars' novels 25 years ago, nobody would care about 'Star Wars' in 2017! And that's the truth  that's no exaggeration."

As "Star Wars" celebrates the 40th anniversary of its release, it would be a shame to overlook Zahn's quiet significance. In 1991, the year "Heir to the Empire" was released, "Return of the Jedi," the last of the original "Star Wars" movies, was already eight years old. Lucas was considered semi-retired, and the franchise itself appeared to be in suspended animation.

"I was working at Bantam (Books) around this time, and we came up with the idea of starting 'Star Wars' again via novels," said Betsy Mitchell, who was Zahn's editor for years (as well as editor to many science fiction greats, from Isaac Asimov to Octavia Butler). "It was quite serendipitous, because Lucasfilm wanted books, too. And I liked Tim. He was great at characters, he knew how to pull off a big-scale space adventure. What happens? 'Heir to the Empire' goes No. 1 on the Times' best-seller list, in hardcover. Which takes everybody by surprise, so the feeling becomes: 'Maybe there are more stories here.'"

What followed was a "Star Wars" tidal wave.

First, new books, games (which became known as the Expanded Universe). Then new movies. That wave has not receded. Jimmy Mac, co-host of the popular Chicago-based podcast Rebel Force Radio, said Zahn has come to represent, in "Star Wars" lore, "the end of the so-called Dark Times."

Timothy Zahn, author of many Star Wars novels, talks with fans and signs autographs at the C2E2 at McCormick Place on Saturday, April 22, 2017. (Kristen Norman/for the Chicago Tribune)

Indeed, at C2E2, Zahn signed autographs for almost five hours, without a break in the line. At Star Wars Celebration in Orlando last month, the semi-annual Lucasfilm-organized gathering of the "Star Wars" community, Zahn's publisher, Del Rey (a division of Penguin Random House), sold 1,700 copies of "Thrawn," and the lines to attend Zahn's talks grew so large, fans were turned away an hour before the events began. When they met him, Zahn's readers told him that his novels were the first books they ever read for fun, and they told him his books made their military deployments easier.

He said later: "There were more people who wanted to talk to me than me's."

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Zahn  who has written more than 40 science fiction novels (not including the dozen "Star Wars" novels he's done in the past 25 years alone)  is a curious guy. He is watchful, patient; he studies you. He does not go out of his way to endear himself. He dresses in black ("it's easier that way"). With his goatee and austerity, he's a doppelganger for "Star Wars" composer John Williams. He makes "Dr. Who" references. He wears a white Casio watch.

He is that rarest of contemporary nerds, the non-hipster old-school nerd.

"Absolutely Tim is geeky, but in the best, endearing way," Mitchell said.

In a makeshift tent on the Orlando convention floor, behind curtains to counter the frequent interruption of fans, Zahn called his Lombard boyhood "not overly social." He said: "I would rather curl up with a book than play. A lot of Alistair MacLean (adventure novels), but also Asimov  science fiction wise, someone like Bradbury was a little soft for me. I liked heavily plotted writers. I devoured Sherlock Holmes and mythologies. I was good at school. I went to Glenbard East High School, and Michigan State, and I worked toward a doctorate in physics at UI Urbana-Champaign. I liked physics and how the universe worked  the order of it.

"But I had also been writing as a hobby, and I had sold stories. My wife and I talked it over and decided I would give writing full time a shot for one year. I set a goal of making $1,000 (on writing alone). My first story was called 'Ernie.' It was about a boy who could teleport an inch at a time. He becomes a boxer because he thinks that extra inch will give him an advantage. But he didn't have the weight. That first year I wound up with $2,000 in sales."

By the late 1980s, Zahn had a respectable career as a science fiction author. Then, in 1989, as he was working on a new book, Mitchell called him and told him to stop  Lucasfilm wanted "Star Wars" books. He would be the first outsider to tinker around in George Lucas' universe.

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What he came up with, in some ways, set a tone for the next 25 years of "Star Wars." Starting with "Heir to the Empire," he wrote a trilogy set in the years after the death of Darth Vader. Han Solo and Princess Leia have kids. Luke Skywalker questions the Jedi order and gets married. Zahn also established the galactic capital Coruscant. But his most enduring creation was Grand Admiral Thrawn, a blue-skinned military strategist who cobbles together a fractured Empire. "I wanted to make another kind of villain," Zahn said. "If Vader controlled by fear, what about a villain who leads through loyalty? And who respects opponents?"

At the time, "there was no other 'Star Wars' licensing going on, and nothing else on the horizon," said Lucy Autrey Wilson, who developed Lucasfilm's publishing department. "No one thought Tim's book would do much. It was not seen as the restart to anything." Because of that uncertainty, 70,000 books were published  30,000 fewer than had been initially planned. The hardcover list price was set at $15, about $7 cheaper than a hardcover in 1991.

Yet within a month, the first printing sold out and the book was outpacing "The Firm" on the New York Times' best-seller list. Zahn and his wife, tired of the soybean fields and Illinois winters, bought a new house in Oregon. And the future of "Star Wars" grew brighter.

Today, the franchise is the most successful movie series in history; it earns roughly $1.5 billion a year through movies and TV and merchandise. But here's the thing about being a successful "Star Wars" author: "Everything you write that's 'Star Wars' is owned by Lucasfilm," Zahn explained. "They can cherry pick your material and don't have to tell you  and certainly don't have to pay you. But you get bragging rights, the opportunity to be a part of this world."

And it is their world.

After the prequel film trilogy began in 1999, Zahn discovered his planet Coruscant was a major location. And the double-bladed lightsaber he helped introduce  it played a significant role. Several of his characters  including fan-favorite Mara Jade, wife of Luke Skywalker  later became Hasbro action figures. Zahn received no money from those sales. He said he didn't know Hasbro was making a Thrawn figure until he went to Celebration last month. In fact, a couple of years ago, after the decision was made to bring Thrawn into official "Star Wars" canon, Zahn was invited to the company's San Francisco headquarters and not told why: "Timothy sat down with Dave Filoni (creator of the popular 'Star Wars Rebels' TV series) and Kiri Hart (of the Lucasfilm Story Group), who loved (Thrawn) and were looking for a good villain," said Jennifer Heddle, executive editor of Lucasfilm Publishing. "They explained they were putting Thrawn into 'Rebels,' and (Zahn) was blown away. Then to make it better, they took him into a screening room and showed him early footage of Thrawn in the show."

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Zahn has written other successful sci-fi series, including the "Conqueror's Trilogy" and Dragonback series. He is likely "not wanting for much," Mitchell said. And so, asked about not being part of the afterlife of his own creations, he is quick to note he is just happy to "bring my toys to their sandbox." He knows he will never be as popular as the other brand name on his book covers: "Star Wars." He sounds at peace with this.

"Arthur Conan Doyle wrote more than Sherlock Holmes, but that's not what everyone remembers. My obituary will call me a 'Star Wars writer.' I have to be OK with it. As Yoda might put it, 'Start down the "Star Wars" path, and dominate your destiny it will.'"

cborrelli@chicagotribune.com

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Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Johnny Depp returns as Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." (Walt Disney Pictures)

The opening scene of the new "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a fitting metaphor for where we stand in this long franchise: A creaky old galleon is unceremoniously yanked up from the ocean depths and the only things aboard are cranky old ghosts.

A weary, battered fifth chapter  "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"  lumbers into theaters this summer high on GCI tricks but with a hopelessly muddled plot and recurring characters basically running on fumes.

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Johnny Depp is back as Jack Sparrow, as is Geoffrey Rush as a well-bearded Barbossa, looking a lot like the Cowardly Lion, and his faithful capuchin monkey. Newcomers include Golshifteh Farahani as a pretty cool, punky witch, and Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites, who play young star-crossed lovers with serious daddy issues, adding vitality and maybe future franchise possibilities.

The bad guy this time is Javier Bardem as a ghost ship captain and he proves to be an extraordinary actor because he comes across as a very believable ghost ship captain. His full-throttled, single-minded fury recalls Ricardo Montalban in "The Wrath of Khan."

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The film also features the returns of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley  but in tiny cameos only  as the lovers Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. They missed the fourth installment because they were smart.

Directors Espen Sandberg and Joachim Ronning have been given the keys to the kingdom and they've thrown everything at it  a half-dozen big sea battles, a shotgun wedding, a joint execution, underwater sword fights and even a Beatle. Look carefully and you'll find Sir Paul McCartney doing a cameo in a jail. (For those of you keeping score at home, this movie now co-stars one monkey and one Beatle.)

Fans of this Pirates franchise have had to wait six long years for this offering, ever since "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" in 2011. That was the one about the fountain of youth. It took over from the third, bloated edition, "At World's End," which seemed to be about a global chase for a magical navigation chart and some hot pirate-on-pirate fighting.

Brenton Thwaites and Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

This fifth edition is all about a hunt for the Trident of Poseidon, which can break curses. But it's also about Bardem and his ghost crew busting out of the Devil's Triangle to hunt pirates, as well as Barbossa protecting his pirate empire, and the two young lovers fulfilling their destinies. Keep up: There's a test at the end. Just kidding.

At the center of all this madness is Depp, whose Sparrow is now down-on-his-luck and abandoned by his crew. He's always drunk, apparently has stuffed cotton balls into his mouth and is deeply unfunny. (He keeps muttering about being a bed wetter.) Depp didn't just phone this in; he snail-mailed in his performance.

The story writers  Jeff Nathanson and Terry Rossio  have not only overstuffed the script, they've dumbed everything down (they think "horology" is a hysterically dirty word) and there's hardly a quiet moment in the entire two-hour movie. Plus, not to get too historical about a movie that deals with ghost pirates, but are they certain seamen in the 18th century greeted each other with "How's it going?"

You can't beat the special effects, though, especially the way the ghosts are rendered, with parts missing from their bodies. The ghost sharks and ghost birds  OK, stay with us  are pretty awesome, too. And the ghost Depp is really spooky. Wait, that's just regular Depp, failing to make an impression. Our bad.

After this fifth episode, you'll wish Disney would just declare the franchise dead and tell no more tales.

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"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"  1 star

MPAA rating: PG-13 (some suggestive content and adventure violence)

Running time: 1:58

Opens: Friday

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
Candido Camero, 95, performs Sept. 4, 2016, at the Chicago Jazz Festival at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago's Millennium Park. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

Practically everyone who wields significant influence in Chicago jazz was there.

Club owners, artistic directors, talent buyers, radio programmers, arts executives, professors, performers, promoters, managers and, yes, even a few journalists.

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The occasion was unique: a Chicago Jazz Convening hosted by the city's cultural commissioner, Mark Kelly.

No doubt Kelly's singular and powerful role in Chicago arts attracted such broad-based attendance last Friday morning at the Chicago Cultural Center. Rarely have I seen so many far-flung jazz advocates  an oft-combative lot  come together and converse politely alongside one another for fully 90 minutes.

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The invitation from Kelly's office laid out the objective: "With important milestones coming up around the Chicago Jazz Festival, we see a great opportunity to change our approach and truly come together as a broader community."

More specifically, Kelly took to the podium to pose a key question about the Chicago Jazz Festival, which marks its 39th anniversary this Labor Day weekend (running Aug. 31 through Sept. 3 in Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center):

"How do we make it stronger and better, so that it supports the jazz landscape of the city?" Kelly asked.

The idea, he explained, was to inspire audiences, so that "when they come to this festival, that we excite them and convince them that they need to go to the clubs (and) all the other festivals. We need to put a spotlight on you (presenters) through this event."

In articulating that message, Kelly addressed head-on what has been a fundamental shortcoming of the Chicago Jazz Festival since its inception: It does a fine job of drawing listeners to the free performances downtown, but very little to drive those people to the jazz scene underway 365 nights a year.

To the contrary, the Chicago Jazz Festival competes with the city's clubs and concert halls. And no jazz venue can withstand the competition of major artists performing for free before thousands in Millennium Park. (The oft-chaotic Club Tour that immediately precedes the festival enhances neither the venues nor the fest.)

Mark Kelly, Chicago's Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is seen at his office at the Cultural Center on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, with renderings of public art. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

When Kelly opened up the discussion to questions, he heard the club owners' pain.

"How do you expect  and we've had this experience  people from the jazz festival who have seen all this great talent free to come and pay an admission to the club?" asked Jazz Showcase founder Joe Segal, 91.

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"We've been fighting this for years."

Through the course of the session, Kelly explained that starting this year, the definition and character of the festival will change to confront this problem.

For starters, the festival is encouraging Chicago-area venues to piggyback on the Millennium Park and Cultural Center lineup: If there's an artist playing the festival whom venues would like to present that weekend, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events  which produces the festival  will help arrange that.

"We've already paid for the hotel, we've brought them in," said Kelly, meaning that expenses for presenters would be greatly reduced.

Mike Reed, chair of the committee that programs the festival on behalf of the nonprofit Jazz Institute of Chicago, amplified the point.

"What we really want to do is be able to have the jazz festival  be powerful for what's happening the rest of the year," said Reed, founder of the Constellation arts center and founding director of the Pitchfork Music Festival.

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"It's not just what's happening in Millennium Park  it's the jazz festival for the whole city."

If the Chicago Jazz Festival can succeed in embracing clubs and concert halls, rather than edging them out, everyone will benefit  as I've argued in these pages for decades.

To help make this happen, Kelly said that club events, concert hall performances and after-fest sets would be included in Chicago Jazz Festival materials and promoted on the screen at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.

In addition, discussions are underway to broadcast portions of the festival on WDCB-FM 90.9, in collaboration with the WFMT Radio Network, which will be distributing Jazz Festival performances internationally.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 Melissa Alva (left) and Emma Puerta, both from Nashville, get corn-on-the-cob on July 6, the first day of this year's Taste of Chicago. The 37th annual event is scheduled for July 5-9, 2017 in Grant Park. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

But helping the festival reach beyond Millennium Park is just one challenge. Another concerns the side stages, which are marred by harsh, over-reverberant sound.

"We're bringing in a sound consultant," said Kelly, a drummer who long ago collaborated with jazz iconoclast Hal Russell. "We're trying to improve the sound capabilities in the two tents."

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To his credit, Kelly urged those gathered to offer more suggestions for improving the festival. They obliged.

"What if there were trolleys leaving right out of Millennium Park going to the various clubs?" suggested Dan Bindert, station manager at WDCB.

"I think there might be opportunities for co-commissioning between the jazz festival and some of us," said Bill Michel, executive director of the University of Chicago's Logan Center for the Arts.

That approach could generate new works for a festival with a distinguished, if irregular, history in commissioning.

Some of the most inspiring ideas came from the educators in the room.

Scott Hall, director of jazz studies at Columbia College Chicago, suggested the festival offer more "education initiatives." Matthew Shevitz, department chair of humanities and music at Harold Washington College, asked for "more workshops and master classes" to serve young audiences and draw them to the event.

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And Dana Hall, director of jazz studies at DePaul University, offered another idea:

"In the past, there was an artist-in-residence who was involved in curating different special projects for the festival, was involved in performing in different venues," said Hall.

"It would be nice to have an artist come to Chicago a week in advance, to go into different communities, give a master class, give a concert, work with the students and then be involved in a number of projects at the festival."

These suggestions, and others, could help transform the Chicago Jazz Festival from an insular event controlled by too few people into a citywide celebration that welcomes ideas and input from those long excluded.

Ultimately, Kelly seems determined to position the festival as an engine for Chicago jazz.

"We have the most vibrant and creative jazz scene in the world," he told the house.

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"But we don't market it. We don't brand it."

That just may be starting now.

Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.

hreich@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @howardreich

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Pavel Sporcl, of the Gipsy Way Ensemble, and Yuan-Qing Yu, of Civitas Ensemble, perform Alla Zingarese, at the Merit School of Music in Chicago, on Sunday, May 21, 2017. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune )

The Civitas Ensemble released its inner Roma in a unique meeting of classical and Romani cultural traditions Sunday at the Merit School of Music.

Two years in the planning, "Alla Zingarese," a joint project by the cross-disciplinary Chicago chamber group and the Gipsy Way Ensemble from the Czech Republic, found common cause in a program of Roma-inspired new works and arrangements of well-loved classical pieces transcribed for both groups.

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Underlying the MacArthur Foundation-funded cultural exchange was a serious political and social objective, to help destigmatize the derogatory connotation of the word "gypsy" by celebrating the Central European Romani musical heritage. Czech classical violinist Pavel Sporcl, leader of the Gypsy Way Ensemble, has been a vocal critic of what he considers the unjust treatment of the Roma people in the Czech Republic.

This thoughtful fusion of diverse musical impulses packed Gottlieb Hall with listeners eager to clap along, at times, with an exhilarating concert that may have been shy on masterpieces but not at all shy on musical fun.

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It ranged from colorful arrangements of Roma-flavored classical standards by Brahms, Enescu, Sarasate and Jeno Hubay; to original pieces written for one or both groups by Czech composer Lukas Sommer (who also made three of the arrangements); to a wildly uninhibited Roma jazz set led by guest artist Nicolae Feraru, the famed cimbalom virtuoso who lived and performed in Chicago until his recent return to his native Romania.

The melodious clangor of the cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) spiced more than half of the pieces, punctuating the rhapsodic Roma fiddle playing of Sporcl and Yuan-Qing Yu, the splendid Civitas violinist. These longtime colleagues knew exactly when to pour on the schmaltz and how much of it the music needed to cast its aurally seductive spell.

Paprika-laced vignettes in Roma mode, such as Sommer's "Cigi-Civi" (a brief song without words, in its world premiere) and his "Gypsy Odyssey" (with foot-stamping to accompany whirling Romani rhythms), virtually dared audience members not to dance in the aisles.

Given the very different musical traditions represented by the Chicago and Prague-based players, eight in all, it was remarkable how well-meshed the groups were, and how spontaneous was their interaction. They faced the added hurdle of having to play in a warm, airless hall that was murder on intonation.

The other superb Civitas members were Yu's Chicago Symphony colleagues Kenneth Olsen, cello, and J. Lawrie Bloom, clarinet, along with pianist Winston Choi. The latter delivered Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 with conspicuous brilliance and panache.

It's good news that Cedille Records is recording the program for future release, and that a video documentary of the collaboration also is in the works. Together with guest conductor Jakub Hrusa's exceptional Smetana "Ma Vlast" at the CSO, Sunday's Civitas-Gipsy Way concert made it a red-letter weekend for visiting Czech musicians in Chicago.

John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.

jvonrhein@chicagotribune.com

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Albert Einstein is an ideal role for Mike Nussbaum, the new show, "Relativity," at the Northlight Theatre reveals.

I speak not merely of the fusion of extraordinary mental capability, although I swear it is merely our familiarity with Nussbaum, America's oldest active union actor and the comforting sweater of the Chicago theater, that prevents adequate appreciation of what this 93-year-old actor still can do, night after night.

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I've seen Nussbaum perform a dramatic text richly and flawlesslynot the tiniest breath of air between lines, nary a stutter nor a stumbleso many times now, it's a quotidian experience. Which is, of course, the way no-fuss-Mike prefers it to appear. But it cannot honestly be described as such.

Watch Nussbaum in a heady, talky play like this onea three-hander, sure, but you will not be surprised to hear that Einstein is very much at the center of the drama, yakking away for most of the 70-minute running timeand you leave shaking your head in amazement. Nussbaum, I swear, is as unique as was the man he plays.

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I should get to what the play is about: Einstein, obviously. More specifically, the relationship of Professor E=MC2 with his daughter. The playwright, Mark St. Germain, imagines that woman, known as Margaret Harding and here played with complexity by Katherine Keberlein, arriving in Einstein's study at Princeton, rattling his intensely loyal housekeeper/gatekeeper (intensely essayed here by Ann Whitney, another formidably skilled veteran of the Chicago stage in BJ Jones' lively production) and basically announcing her own existence and asking her profligate father to explain her abandonment.

That leads to some contemplation of how it rarely was fun to be part of the family of any of the great geniuses of the world, and allows for some exploration of the rich irony of Einstein developing his theory of relativity while doing so poorly vis a vis one of his own relatives.

Einstein did indeed have a daughter, Lieserl, born in 1902, a year before the young scientist married his first wife, Mileva Maric (Lieserl's existence was not widely known until the discovery of letters in 1986). But Lieserl is widely presumed to have died from scarlet fever, a theory boosted by her apparent disappearance from the record, although there was talk of a woman passing herself off as Einstein's daughter.

St. Germain takes some fictional liberties with the Lieserl hypotheses, imagining both that Lieserl grew into adulthood and a wary confrontation on all sides of his triangular one-act drama.

St. Germain is a skilled writer of historical biographyif you saw his "Freud's Last Session" at the Mercury Theater, which also starred Nussbaum, then you'll have a sense of what you are buying here. This writer's plays invariably are very practical, low-cost productions (one set, three actors in this case) and, while they are hardly epic works of the imagination or bravura features of theatricality, they appeal to smart audiences who like a soupcon of intellectual rigor laced with accessible humor. Thus at "Relativity" you get to ponder some of life's ironiesand, of course, the morality of old Einstein himselfwhile finding yourself back in the parking lot just 70 minutes later.

But that is 70 minutes of Nussbaum. Jones wisely avoided the wacky, static-fueled hair, preferring Nussbaum unplugged. But electrifying, nonetheless.

3 stars

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

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cjones5@chicagotribune.com

When: Through June 25

Where: North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

Running time: 1 hour, 10 mins.

Tickets: $30-81 at 847-673-6300 or northlight.org

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NBC News has fired "Today" show host Billy Bush, who was caught on tape in a vulgar conversation about women with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump before an "Access Hollywood" appearance. (Richard Shotwell / AP)

Former NBC host Billy Bush has spoken publicly for the first time in more than seven months about the 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape in which President Donald Trump bragged about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women.

In an exclusive interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Bush said he regretted not changing the topic as Trump talked about grabbing women by the genitals. Instead, Bush laughed and egged him on.

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"Looking back upon what was said on that bus," Bush said, "I wish I had changed the topic. [Trump] liked TV and competition. I could've said, 'Can you believe the ratings on whatever?' But I didn't have the strength of character to do it."

The 2005 tape, provided to The Washington Post in October, captured audio of Trump and Bush, who hosted "Access Hollywood" at the time, riding on a bus on the way to a soap opera set and discussing Trump's attempts to seduce women. Less than two weeks after it leaked, Bush was suspended and then fired from NBC's Today, with a multimillion-dollar severance package and a nondisclosure agreement preventing him from talking in detail about his ouster.

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Bush told the Hollywood Reporter he has only seen the tape three times: once just a few days before it was leaked and twice more before the Hollywood Reporter interview. Every time, he said, he felt "totally and completely gutted."

The Hollywood Reporter asked how it felt that Bush got fired over the tape while Trump became president.

"I will admit that the irony is glaring," Bush said.

"When a woman watches that tape," he added, "they may be asking themselves, 'Is that what happens when I walk out of a room? When I walk out of a meeting, is that what they're saying about me? Are they sizing me up?' I can't live with that. If a moment like that arose again, I would shut it down quickly. I am in the women-raising business, exclusively."

In the tape, Bush and Trump could be heard commenting about actress Arianne Zucker. She was waiting to escort them onto the soap opera set.

"Your girl's hot as s--, in the purple," says Bush.

"Woah!" Trump says. "Woah!"

"Yes! The Donald has scored," Bush says before commenting on Zucker's legs.

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As the men prepared to de-board the bus, Trump made the comment that came to define the last month of the campaign and inspire rallying cries from women's rights organizations: "You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful - I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait."

"And when you're a star, they let you do it," Trump says. "You can do anything."

"Whatever you want," says another voice, apparently Bush's.

"Grab them by the p--y," Trump says.

They eventually exit the bus and greet Zucker, who is unaware of the conversation that had just taken place.

"How about a little hug for the Donald?" Bush says. "He just got off the bus."

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Bush issued a statement the same day the tape went public: "Obviously I'm embarrassed and ashamed. It's no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago - I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I'm very sorry."

About 10 days later, NBC wrote a memo to staff that Bush was "leaving" the "Today" show. Senior Vice President Noah Oppenheim called him a "valued colleague and longtime member of the broader NBC family."

Bush told the Hollywood Reporter that when the tape leaked his 15-year-old daughter called him in tears from boarding school and asked him why he had laughed at the things Trump said on the bus.

"It hit really hard," Bush said, "and I stopped for a second, and I said, 'I have no answer for that that's any good. I am really sorry. That was Dad in a bad moment a long time ago. You know me. I am really sorry that you had to hear and see that. I love you.' She needed to hear that, and I certainly needed to tell her that."

Bush said he had the same conversation with his 12- and 18-year-old daughters as well. His wife, he said, was "supportive from the very beginning."

He said he didn't think the backlash would be so severe when the tape leaked.

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"So in the beginning, I thought, 'OK, we'll go and own up to this moment,'" Bush recalled. "Then I got home, and it started to become apparent that [I] would not be returning. It hurt a lot, and I fell apart."

Bush said he had no interest in asking Trump if he was remorseful about what happened.

"There is nothing I need from him," Bush said.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Can the violence of the old Greek myths still shock us? Teach us? Hold our interest? In his 11th novel, "House of Names," Irish novelist Colm Toibin attempts to find out, retelling the ancient tale of Clytemnestra, queen of Mycenae, with a modern sensibility.

If it's been a while since you read the plays, a quick recap of the tortured saga might be in order: Clytemnestra's husband, King Agamemnon, tricks their eldest daughter, Iphigenia, using the promise of marriage to Achilles, so he can sacrifice her to the gods to grant favorable winds to sail his army from Greece to Troy to recover the famous Helen, kidnapped wife of his brother Menelaus. In his absence, Clytemnestra seduces the prisoner Aegisthus, and they plot together, murdering her husband for prioritizing military victory over the life of his child. Eventually, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra's surviving children, Electra and Orestes, conspire to kill their mother and her lover to exact further retribution.

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The book opens in Clytemnestra's perspective with her icy-hot recounting of the inciting incident, "They cut her hair before they dragged her to the place of sacrifice. My daughter had her hands tied tight behind her back, the skin on her wrists raw with the ropes, her ankles bound."

The narration proceeds by alternating from her first-person point of view to Orestes', which is in third person  "he had caught a glimpse of his mother and Aegisthus, and saw them naked and making sounds like animals"  to Electra's  "It did not take me long to find out how my father was murdered and why my mother did not want the manner of his death mentioned."

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Yet for all the wrath and despair the story promises, the entire unfolding remains monotonously distant. Clytemnestra observes, "I know as no one else knows that the gods are distant, they have other concerns," so it's possible that the chilly approach Toibin takes here is a thematic choice.

But this detachment comes at a price, and though the novel isn't bad  it's really all right  it fails to feel as riveting as its premise suggests, ending up less revelatory and more superfluous. Its short, stating sentences have the effect of summary and synopsis instead of depth or disclosure. Even in the penultimate section  when Toibin lets Clytemnestra narrate as a ghost  the reader is left wanting more, as she is: "I feel that if I remain still, something more will come." She continues, "There are presences I wish to encounter, presences that are close but not close enough to touch or be seen."

Toibin is to be commended for what feels like a bit of a departure, for this book is different from much of his previous work, taking readers quite far from the mid-20th-century New York City and Ireland of "Brooklyn," for instance, and the late 19th century of Henry James in "The Master."

And it's worth accepting his invitation to wonder: Why reimagine, in prose form, the quintessentially tragic tale of the House of Atreus as chronicled in Aeschylus' trilogy?

Because reboots, revisitations and retellings of familiar archetypal stories from marginalized or minor characters' perspectives can be astute and essential. Toibin's own "Testament of Mary," in the first-person perspective of the mother of Jesus Christ, springs to mind as one such example. And because vengeance, betrayal and elemental passion never go out of style. Yet this book, which seems to want to be ferocious and bracing, feels like a competent arm's-length recapitulation.

If you don't know or like mythology and the classics, then you might do better to go straight to those, and if you do know and like them, then you might very well end up wishing you were just rereading them directly in all their original glory without the interruptive layer of Toibin's earnest and effortful lyrical interpolation.

Kathleen Rooney is the author, most recently, of the novel "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk."

'House of Names'

By Colm Toibin, Scribner, 288 pages, $26






Need a reminder that Big Brother is watching you?

If so, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has a neat party trick.

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Addressing the City Club of Chicago at lunchtime Monday, Dart had a dining room full of public officials and business people get out their iPhones, then talked them through a series of instructions that revealed just a smidgen of what their phones know about them.

It's a game iPhone users can play at home. Just click on the "Settings" icon, then "Privacy," then "Location Services," then "System Services," then "Frequent Locations." Listed under "History" you'll see a log of where you've been and when.

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Gasps of horror in the room after those gathered at the event near downtown Chicago followed Dart's instructions suggested that at least some had been to places they'd rather not mention.

"Pretty creepy, right?" said Dart, who told several horror stories about the abuse of private data and is pushing for legislation that would require greater disclosure of where the data companies collect on us ends up.

But Dart isn't too worried about his own phone data getting out. "I have a county-issue flip phone," he said, brandishing an unfashionable device that looked like it had been invented before the internet.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
Women and men ride during a traditional procession on Easter Monday in Gliwice-Ostropa, Poland. During the procession, the participants prayed for the success of crops. (Andrzej Grygiel / EPA )

Last month, while I was in the town of Gliwice in southern Poland, I spotted my cousin Rick in a restaurant.

This was a surprise  Rick lives in Wisconsin. Of course, it wasn't Rick, but somebody who looked just like him, down to the texture of his white hair and the crystal blue of his eyes.

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This kept happening. I'd see a cousin-double walking a dog in Chopin Park, a nephew-double coming out of a bank, a niece-double at a bar.

It was as though I had two families: one in the United States, offspring of the grandparents and great-grandparents who had settled in Chicago decades ago, and this shadow family, made up of people who looked like us, but were descended from those who had stayed behind. We had been separated by a tough decision, made a century ago. It was an eerie feeling.

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Unless you're a Native American, you're either an immigrant, a descendant of immigrants or a descendant of slaves brought here against their will. And if you have never ventured back to the country of your family's origins, go. It will give new insight into your own family, the persistence of ethnic memory and the ways immigration makes our country what it is.

I grew up thinking of myself as "Polish," even though my parents were born in West Town. We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, with pierogi and mushroom soup. We learned Polish carols and common words like "dziadzia" for "grandpa" and "prosze" for "please."

But it wasn't until I visited Poland that I realized both how much and how little the country was still part of me and my family.

Here's an example. My daughter, who is teaching English in Gliwice, was planning a birthday party for her roommate, so she bought a cake. Worried that there would not be enough, she asked her Polish boyfriend Pawel to bring a second cake.

Pawel brought five extra cakes  cakes covered the tavern table.

"That's how Polish parties always are," explained one of my daughter's friends, the niece-double. "Someone is always afraid there's not going to be enough sweets."

This made me laugh, because it was like my own family. Everyone brings too much, and gets hurt if you don't try what they brought, so you can barely walk after a party. What I'd thought was a family eccentricity turned out to be cultural trait.

I found the same thing with Polish manners. Polish people tend to be formal at first  addressing each other as "sir" or "ma'am." But if you sit down with them at a bar and talk for an hour or so, they may give you a hug in parting, or try to pay your bill.

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As a teen, I was embarrassed that my parents were not jolly, American-style, glad-handers like other kids' parents. They were reserved and slow to use first names, then warm and generous when they got to know someone. Now I see it was part of their heritage.

I also found things in Poland that were strange. The main difficulty was the language, with its thick knots of consonants and multiple inflected endings. Though I reviewed basic phrases before the trip, I had trouble making myself understood and I felt lost, walled in by ignorance, unable to tell jokes or speak with nuance, pointing at what I wanted like a toddler. Despite the familiar faces and food, I was an alien.

This made me think about how brave my ancestors must have been. They wanted to leave the troubles of the old country, but they also had to leave their language and families, their ornate churches and red-roofed houses, the wheat fields and birch forests to come to the steel-boned city of Chicago to work in factories.

They came to this strange, hard place with their memories of Poland and built a refuge, making their neighborhoods enough like home to feel safe, after a long day of struggling with English. You can find it in the food, in the language and customs and manners preserved and passed along, growing more faint with each generation. You can see it in the cathedrals of Polish Chicago, loaded with gilt and statuary. The domes of St. Mary of the Angels and the round-topped towers of Holy Trinity are wistful recreations of churches left behind.

It is like this all over the United States, this patchwork of ghosts and memories: the images of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico; the sweet potato pie that is the heritage of the Deep South, and before this of Africa; the music from Germany and Ireland; pieced together with the new things created here. The American patchwork is always being added to and brightened by new peoples with their foods and images and architecture, their nostalgia for lost lands mixed with fierce hopes for the new.

Many times in this nation's history, politicians have tried to stem or stop the flow of immigration, worried that the newcomers would harm the "real Americans" already here. We need fair and consistent policies. But we can't make it too difficult, because the patchwork is the real United States  and if no new patches are being added, it will not really be America anymore.

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I'm proud of my Polish ancestry, but also proud that my ancestors struggled to build a life here, even as they missed and tried to recreate what was left behind. Being an American comes from not one thing, but many things, brought by many peoples. It's our strength. Let the patchwork grow.

mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @marywizchicago
Three people were shot near Zachary's For Cocktails bar in the Gladstone Park neighborhood of Chicago early Sunday, May 21, 2017. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

After a night of club-hopping, as the clock approached 4 a.m. this Sunday, Roberto Ramos and his friends decided to try a late-closing bar they'd never been to in Gladstone Park.

They never made it inside.

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At the entrance to Zachary's For Cocktails at 5368 North Milwaukee Avenue, Ramos, his brother-in-law and a friend came up on a heated argument between two groups that ended in a burst of gunfire that seriously injured three men, including the two friends with Ramos. Just as it started to register that they'd walked straight into the middle of a conflict, without warning, someone tackled Ramos from behind.

"We just got out of the car, we walked to the door and the fight escalated right there. It all happened so fast," Ramos said. "If we were there 30 seconds, that's how long it took from the car to the door, and that's how fast it escalated. Just suddenly, just boom, boom, boom, boom, boom," Ramos said of the gunfire.

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Dazed, he got to his feet and realized somehow he ended up half a block from his brother-in-law and friend.

"People were running and the guy was shooting and aiming at people and people were just running off in different ways," Ramos said. "I got up to see who was the guy who tackled me. That's when I realized the guy was already shooting and had already shot people. I tried talking to my friend  he was like, 'I can't feel my legs;' my brother-in-law was down the block, laying on the ground also. He was shot."

A 30-year-old man was shot in the chest and taken to Lutheran General Hospital; another man, 50, was shot in the back and he was taken to Lutheran General; a 51-year-old man was taken to Illinois Masonic with a gunshot wound to the thigh, police said. The 50- and 51-year-old were with Ramos, he said.

An account from the Chicago Police Department on their media notification system gives a slightly different account, calling the victims  Ramos' friends  the agitators.

Authorities report the "victims were walking on the sidewalk when they began fighting with several other males," and police add that the gunman "came out of the lounge and started shooting."

The owner of the bar isn't a man named Zachary, but rather Hal Steinke, 72, who says his bar has been open until 4 a.m., seven nights a week, for 40 years  without incident. Steinke says his bar isn't all that big, 35 to 40 customers at once would be a nice-sized crowd for the place. He doesn't think the gunman was ever in the bar; his understanding was that the whole skirmish started and ended outside and none of the victims or offenders were patrons of Zachary's that night.

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Steinke doesn't have any plans to change things at his bar. Metal detectors would be an extreme response and he has no interest in purchasing them. He feels the neighborhood remains a safe place and that this act of violence isn't a reflection of crime in Gladstone Park.

"I don't see that the neighborhood is changing for the worse, or it's becoming a bad neighborhood. I just think it was a freak thing," he said. "'Random,' I guess, is probably a better word: It was a random thing. We're normally a nice, peaceful place."

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Ramos said his friends remained in the hospital Sunday afternoon and he's hopeful for a full recovery.

The gunman is not in custody and the case remains under investigation.

"Whether it's a one-time thing, whether it's a gang-related thing, I don't know. It's just something that happened, and why it happened we have no idea," Steinke said.

kdouglas@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @312BreakingNews
A promotional video about an Asprey clock was made by dealer M.S. Rau Antiques. The clock was stolen from the dealer at an antiques show in Chicago. (M.S. Rau Antiques/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago police are investigating the reported theft of a jewel-encrusted antique clock valued at $425,000 from an exhibit of the Chicago Antiques + Art + Design Show held at the Merchandise Mart.

One man and two women approached a booth about 3:45 p.m. Sunday at the show, held on the seventh floor. The man and one woman distracted vendor employees while the other woman allegedly took the antique clock decorated with diamonds and mother of pearl, according to police.

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No one was in custody, police said.

M.S. Rau Antiques, based in New Orleans and listed as a exhibitor at the show, features the Asprey & Co. mystery clock valued at $425,000 on its website. The 20th-century clock, also adorned with sapphires, 18K white gold and crystal, is about 5-1/2 inches wide and 8 inches tall, according to the antique store's website.

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"It was unfortunate that this theft happened during what was otherwise a wonderful and successful show," M.S. Rau Antiques said in a statement.

"Though there was security throughout the Chicago Antiques, Art + Design Show, the thieves were able to steal an incredibly rare Asprey & Co. mystery clock," the shop's statement said. "Our security footage is being reviewed by the police, and we're confident that the criminals will be quickly apprehended and this wonderful timepiece returned."

lvivanco@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lvivanco
Franshuan Myles is seen at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago onAug. 4, 2016. (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune )

As the leader of a small nonprofit in Chicago's poverty-stricken West Garfield Park neighborhood, Franshuan Myles was supposed to use a $60,000 state grant to help impoverished youth learn new skills and stay out of trouble over their summer break.

Instead, federal prosecutors allege that Myles started stealing the funds the moment they hit her bank account in 2011, using cash for shopping sprees at shoe outlets and Home Depot and paying the loan on her Dodge Charger as well as utility bills and old debts.

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"While the state of Illinois saw a way to enrich the lives of kids, this defendant right here saw a way to enrich herself," Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu told jurors Monday at the outset of Myles' fraud trial in federal court.

Myles, 39, was charged last year with one count each of wire fraud and mail fraud stemming from her work at the now-defunct Divine Praise Inc.

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Her indictment sparked interest after the Tribune revealed in May 2016 that Myles wrote a Divine Praise check for $4,932 to 28th Ward Ald. Jason Ervin, identified by authorities only as "Individual A." That payment was made in August 2011, shortly after Myles received the money from the state, prosecutors alleged.

Ervin, who was not accused of wrongdoing, was added last week to the list of potential witnesses in Myles' trial. It was not clear if he will be called to testify, but prosecutors are expected to present evidence about the money he received from Myles.

Also on the witness list are state Sen. Kimberly Lightford and former state Sen. Annazette Collins.

The Tribune has previously reported that shortly after receiving the grant money, Myles wrote a $100 check from Divine Praise to Collins' campaign fund. Collins, who lost her seat in the Democratic primary the following year, told the newspaper she didn't recall the donation. She was not accused of wrongdoing.

Prosecutors have not diclosed what Lightford's connection is to the case. Calls to both her Springfield office and her district office in west suburban Westchester were not immediately returned Monday.

In his opening remarks, Myles' lawyer, Michael Petro, said Myles may be guilty of sloppy bookkeeping but no proof exists she stole any money.

Myles grew up in West Garfield Park and has "spent her whole life trying to make the neighborhood a better place for the people who live there," Petro said.

The indictment against Myles is one of two brought so far by the U.S. Attorneys Office stemming from information provided by former Chicago Legislative Inspector General Faisal Khan, who turned over his files to the FBI after aldermen eliminated his post in 2015.

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Khan's files also sparked a federal probe of 20th Ward Ald. Willie Cochran, who is awaiting trial on charges he stole thousands of dollars in charitable contributions meant for poor children and seniors in the largely impoverished ward.

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Prosecutors in Myles' case alleged the $60,000 Illinois Youth Recreation Corps grant, administered by the state Department of Natural Resources, was supposed to be used to employ 20 youths ages 16 to 19 to instruct other kids in physical activities, arts and crafts and other summer programs.

Although she hired a number of instructors, Myles also used the windfall to buy shoes and other merchandise from apparel stores, prosecutors alleged. She also rented a car for a former Divine Praise officer and made cash withdrawals totaling about $2,800, prosecutors said.

"As soon as that money hit that bank account, she started misappropriating it," Bhachu said in his opening statement Monday to jurors.

Bhachu said Myles lied in a November 2011 certification letter about how the money was spent, attaching a false spreadsheet listing the names of the youths she had purportedly hired as instructors.

One of the teens had spent his summer working as a paid intern for a private accounting firm, Bhachu said.

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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b
An Illinois Tollway board committee on Monday approved spending $25 million to study a long-debated and controversial extension of Illinois Route 53 north into Lake County.

The Customer Service and Planning Committee recommended awarding the environmental impact study project to two engineering firms  CH2M Hill and Knight E/A Inc., based in Englewood, Colo., and Chicago, respectively. Both have worked with the Tollway before.

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The contract will go before the full Tollway board for a vote Thursday, when it is likely to be approved.

Board Chair Robert Schillerstrom said in a statement Monday that the analysis will provide a "fact based evaluation on alternatives that achieve the most congestion relief while balancing environmental impact."

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"Every day, Lake and McHenry County families and businesses are faced with traffic congestion that means time away from their families and lost productivity at work," Schillerstrom said in the statement. "The region needs a comprehensive, long-term solution to reduce traffic gridlock."

Knight E/A President Kevin Lentz said the study will examine traffic congestion, among other things. "It will review all the options, including not building" the extension, Lentz said.

Tollway spokesman Dan Rozek said the study is expected to take three to five years.

The option of extending Route 53 has been discussed since the 1960s but has been controversial because of its high costs and potential environmental impact on wetlands. The proposed project would create a T-shaped tollway, with an extended Route 53 making up the north/south portion and a widened Illinois Route 120 creating the top east/west portion, for about 25 miles of new and improved road.

A blue ribbon advisory council made up of public officials and representatives from business, labor, planning and environmental groups was created six years ago. It favored a four-lane boulevard with a maximum speed of 45 mph and a number of environmental features.

But key backers of the project have since withdrawn their support, including the two council co-chairs, George Ranney and Lake County Board Chair Aaron Lawlor. Lawlor has said he thought the project was dead, noting its $2.65 billion possible cost.

Some Lake County officials, meanwhile, have turned their attention to pushing for improvements to congested Route 120, whether or not the 53 extension ever happens.

Lake County Board member Sidney Mathias said Monday that he favors the extension but is willing to go along with whatever the environmental impact study determines is best for the region.

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"I think it's good to find out once and for all should we build it, and if we do build it, in what manner should we build it," said Mathias, who represents Buffalo Grove and portions of Long Grove. "We have many constituents who are in limbo because they're not sure if the road will be built and where the road is going."

Mathias said he favors improvements to Route 120 and thinks the Tollway could provide money for upgrades that may not otherwise be available.

Anthony Vega, organizer for Livable Lake County, a coalition that has opposed the extension, said he is "disappointed" with the Tollway committee's decision, though not surprised.

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"We are disappointed the Tollway continues to ignore the needs of Lake County," Vega said. "They have only one impulse, and that is to ram this highway through Lake County."

Vega said the coalition thinks the project is fiscally irresponsible and destructive to local residents and the environment. He said the corridor that would be the target for development is on fragile wetlands and would run dangerously close to Mundelein schools, exposing children to pollution.

Last month, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization, included the proposed Route 53 extension in its list of the country's most wasteful highway boondoggles.

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Backers for the project include the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a think tank whose board members include representatives of the construction industry and labor unions. The institute issued a report last month arguing that the extension would add jobs and improve the quality of life for Lake County residents. The institute also did a poll, which found that 66 percent of 400 voters favored the extension.

Under the blue ribbon advisory council's framework, the road could be funded with tolls of 20 cents per mile  about three times the Tollway average  a 4 cent per gallon fuel tax and a capture of real estate tax revenues.

mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @marywizchicago
Jan and Joe Hernandez, of Chicago's Montclare neighborhood, belong to a taxpayer-funded program designed to make sure homeowners in their area can get the appraised value of their homes, but that has not been the case for them. (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune) (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

When it was created nearly 30 years ago, the Northwest Home Equity Assurance Program was meant to stop white flight from a handful of Chicago bungalow belt neighborhoods by guaranteeing the value of residents' houses.

Since then, the program has done little more than collect a few bucks a year from thousands of homeowners.

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Nearly $10 million has been stockpiled because the agency has paid out only a handful of times, thanks first to steadily rising home values and later to a loophole that meant the housing collapse didn't qualify homeowners for payments, much to their chagrin.

Now the organization says it's seeing a spike in interest that one its director says is tied in part to anxiety about a proposed apartment complex in Jefferson Park.

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The fight over the building project, set to include dozens of subsidized units, has resurfaced some of the same arguments over neighborhood character, integration and racial discrimination that greeted the launch of the home equity program in the late 1980s.

"We went from very little registration to oh my gosh," said director Robin Larson, thumbing through a stack of applications in the agency's Harlem Avenue office.

Larson pointed to several addresses within a few blocks of 5150 N. Northwest Highway, the site of the planned apartment building that has drawn big crowds of irate neighbors to meetings at Ald. John Arena's 45th Ward office as well as to hearings at City Hall.

The seven-story complex would include 80 units rented at below market rate, with 20 set aside for people with Chicago Housing Authority vouchers.

While Larson doesn't ask callers why they're signing up for the home equity plan, she said many offer their motivations unprompted.

"They say, 'You won't believe this bleep bleeping development they want to put in over here,'" she said.

Thirty people have either signed up or asked to update the value of their homes since early November, Larson said, a significant jump over similar time periods in recent years. While she doesn't know why in every case, she said the Jefferson Park project and O'Hare International Airport jet noise have been frequently mentioned reasons.

Opponents of the Jefferson Park development have focused their public complaints on its size and on an agreement Arena made with the developer to settle a lawsuit. They say that the building would be too tall for the neighborhood and that the alderman isn't looking out for their best interests. A group of homeowners sued, saying Arena's settlement with the developer violates city law.

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The group Northwest Side Unite pushed back against the characterization that opponents are racists.

"We are not discriminatory people. We care deeply," the group's Trisha Kannon said at a City Hall news conference Thursday. "We are not racists simply because we oppose a development."

"We welcome diversity in any fashion that's appropriate for the area," added Kannon, who said the problem is the size of the proposed building.

But at a competing City Hall news conference held by supporters of the housing plan, Nick Kryczka said opponents have chanted slogans and displayed signs at community meetings that "brim with the lowest kind of unvarnished bigotry," belying claims that it's about zoning.

And at a recent Plan Commission meeting, supporters of the project claimed opponents in Jefferson Park are really motivated by fear of African-Americans with housing vouchers moving into the neighborhood.

After the panel approved a storage facility meant to accompany the apartment building at the site, Arena responded to questions about racism playing a part in the fierce opposition.

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"Some people have obviously made some assumptions about what housing  whether it's here or in other areas  will bring to the community," the alderman said.

"And all I can say to my residents, to the folks who are concerned about that, is I am as much concerned about the folks who live in my neighborhood, who have come to me and said we need positive development, we need opportunities for buildings that are accessible," he added.

The storage facility later stalled when powerful Southwest Side Ald. Edward Burke, 14th, took the unusual step of stopping a vote on the ordinance in the City Council Zoning Committee on the grounds there was not a quorum.

The storage facility portion of the plan is set to come back to the Zoning Committee for another hearing Monday, and Arena says it has the votes to pass. The apartment building part of the plan has not yet come before aldermen.

Six other aldermen stood with Arena at a City Hall news conference May 10 and pledged to add affordable housing to their North and Northwest Side wards. Each signed a letter noting that "Chicago's segregation is the product of decades of intentionally exclusive law, policy and action," and that "for far too long, aldermen on the North and Northwest sides have done far too little to open our communities to low-income and minority families."

And days earlier, a handful of people who back the housing plan disrupted an unrelated Zoning Committee hearing, standing in council chambers to chant, "Don't cave to racists, no more delays in Jefferson Park!"

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History of controversy

Created via referendum in 1988 in a controversial bid to stabilize the housing market in a big swath of the Northwest Side, the home equity program covers about 48,000 homes in parts of the Jefferson Park, Old Irving Park, Dunning, Montclare, Galewood, Portage Park, Belmont Central, Belmont Heights and Belmont Cragin neighborhoods. Two similar programs were started around the same time on the Southwest Side.

The idea was that members who joined and got a property appraisal and then lived in the homes for five years or longer could be assured they would at least get the appraised value of their houses when they sold them because the program would cut checks for shortfalls. African-American city officials tried to stop the creation of the districts, saying they were an attempt to prevent integration in Chicago's predominantly white outer edges.

Then-Northwest Side Ald. William J.P. Banks ushered an ordinance creating them through the City Council in 1988, but then-Mayor Eugene Sawyer vetoed it.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan then helped get the programs approved in the legislature, bypassing City Hall. Richard M. Daley was elected mayor in 1989, and he supported the creation of the Southwest Side and Northwest Side home equity districts after voters in those neighborhoods overwhelmingly had backed them in ballot referendums.

In the decades since, the Northwest Side home equity fund has continued to collect money via the additional tax levied on all homeowners in the boundaries. The program's reserves now total $9.57 million in two accounts, according to agency records.

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Initially, the program levied $1 million per year. But as reserves rose, commissioners cut it to $125,000 annually. Most homeowners now pay between $1.50 and $3 a year, said Larson, who is paid $84,400 a year after the commissioners earlier this month approved an annual 3 percent cost-of-living raise.

To qualify for a possible payment, homeowners need to apply and pay $150 for a home appraisal for a single-family or two-unit building, or present a certified appraisal of their own.

It's on members to keep up the appraisals as the assessed value of their homes rises. After an initial estimate is filed, a member has to keep living in the house for five years before collecting on any shortfall. Members can update appraisals every five years, and have to live in their homes for three years after to collect on shortfalls.

Larson said she isn't sure how many active members the program has. There were about 4,000 at one time, but she said it's tough to know which of those homeowners moved out or died without ever applying for reimbursement. People who own property within the boundaries and don't join the program still pay the levy, but can't apply for reimbursement.

During the real estate boom, the program largely was a victim of its own success, as property values mostly climbed and the neighborhoods "remained nice places to live," Larson said.

Just five homeowners received payments totaling $81,500, according to the agency's records. The most recent payout, $25,000, was made in 1998.

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Legal loophole

When the nationwide housing market crashed in 2008, homeowners began requesting to be made whole in the likely case they couldn't sell for the appraised value of their houses.

But the program doesn't cover for losses in home value because of those kinds of broader problems with the real estate market, Larson said. She pointed to language in the state law specifying "a program shall not provide relief from adverse municipal-wide, regional or national housing market conditions as they may affect local housing conditions."

When housing prices were slow to rebound, the program adopted a standard in 2015 to pay out partially, factoring in broader regional real estate losses.

Montclare residents Joe and Jan Hernandez found out they wouldn't get their appraised amount when they were trying to sell their home in 2015. They've lived there since 1979 and joined the home equity program shortly after it was created.

"What was the point of the program, if it's meant to protect us against a loss and now you aren't going to do it?" Joe Hernandez asked.

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And Mike Consiglio said he only learned he wouldn't be made whole for his Jefferson Park home when he first inquired about it around 2009.

"They didn't mention any of that when I signed up," he said. "They said you sign up, you get the appraisal done and if you can't sell for that amount we'll make up the difference. You tell me these are the rules. They're sitting on all this money, and they aren't doing what they told me they would do when I signed up. It's just ridiculous. It's dishonest."

The law allows the organization to change into either a low-interest home improvement loan program for members or an emergency loan fund for members in danger of falling into foreclosure. While the Southwest Home Equity Assurance Program in neighborhoods near Midway Airport has created a low-interest loan program for members to make repairs to their homes, Larson said the northwest commissioners have not considered making either of those changes.

The six unpaid commission members each have served since at least 2007, and three have been on the board since 1995. That means all of them precede Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the five aldermen whose wards include homes within the program boundaries. There are three empty seats, one a mayoral appointee and two which are to be filled by the mayor picking from nominees presented by community groups.

One commissioner, Robert Bugielski, is a former state representative. Another, Karen Rozanski, was the chief of staff for Banks, the longtime powerhouse Northwest Side alderman. Banks stepped down from the City Council in 2009 after two decades as Zoning Committee chairman and is now a partner at a law firm specializing in city zoning matters.

There has been frustration over when the Northwest Side organization will pay out. So when a mayoral appointment to the Southwest Side home equity commission came before the City Council this spring, several aldermen piped up with questions about why the districts exist. Burke subsequently held a hearing so aldermen could learn about the programs, which predate every council member but him and North Side Ald. Patrick O'Connor, 40th.

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Northwest Side Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, typified the reaction from several council members during discussion about the mayor's appointment. "What do these groups do? Who do these people answer to?" he asked.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @_johnbyrne
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle believes efforts to sway a commissioner to help repeal a countywide sweetened beverage tax before it takes effect in July will come to naught.

Preckwinkle said during a radio interview that the tax was important for both the county's finances and public health. Her take that the tax would survive was bolstered Monday when Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele, a Chicago Democrat who had been targeted by a campaign to overturn the tax, told the Tribune that he backed keeping it.

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Steele was in the hospital last November when the County Board split 8-8 on the issue, with Preckwinkle breaking the tie vote.

"It's necessary for government to go forward," Steele said during a telephone interview Monday. "I would have voted for it. I'm going to continue to hold that position."

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Steele has been targeted for lobbying efforts by the "Can the Tax" group, an American Beverage Association-funded group made up of retailers, restauranteurs and a beverage industry worker union.

The group last week announced its campaign to repeal the county's penny-an-ounce sweetened beverage tax, which is set to go in effect July 1 and will apply to sugar- and artificially sweetened drinks. The campaign also will include social media and radio ad spots.

"The beverage tax is coming, and we want to make sure (Cook County residents) know it will have a dramatic impact on their pocketbooks," Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said last week.

The group contends that the tax will harm restaurants that operate on slim profit margins and result in job losses for workers in the retail, restaurant and beverage industries. A county spokesman dismissed the effort as "scare tactics" used in other locales by "Big Soda."

Steele's comments came after Preckwinkle expressed confidence in his backing for the tax during an interview with Craig Dellimore, political editor of WBBM-AM 780, during his "At Issue" show that aired Sunday.

"It's my conviction that Commissioner Steele believes, as I do, that it's very important to run a government responsibly and that this is a reasonable way to raise revenue," Preckwinkle said.

She said voted in favor of the tax "proudly," noting it could help reduce consumption of sugar, which can have negative health consequences. Revenue from the tax, estimated at $221 million a year, will help maintain public safety and health services, she said.

"If you want good government, you have to pay for it," Preckwinkle said.

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The tax also is expected to keep the county books in balance for three years, although that could change if Congress repeals the Affordable Care Act that funds much of the county's vast public health system.

hdardick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ReporterHal
ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan  His skull and jaw wrapped in bandages, the young Syrian refugee stared nonchalantly into a small black box at a supermarket in this sprawling, dust-swept refugee camp. The box scanned his iris to identify him, charged his account and sent him on his way.

If the boy noticed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley watching intently from just a few feet away, he didn't show it. But Haley would later tout the iris-scanners as a fraud-cutting tool boosting efficiency for the more than $6.5 billion the U.S. has spent helping those whose lives have been upended by Syria's harrowing civil war.

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Yet as Haley pledged Sunday that the U.S. would increase support, her message was diluted by President Donald Trump's own vow to put "America First," his planned budget cuts and hardline position on admitting refugees.

"We're the No. 1 donor here through this crisis. That's not going to stop. We're not going to stop funding this," Haley said. "The fact that I'm here shows we want to see what else needs to be done."

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It was a theme the outspoken ambassador returned to over and over in Jordan at the start of her first trip abroad since taking office. In her stops here and in Turkey  another Syria neighbor  Haley is witnessing firsthand the strains placed on countries absorbing the more than 5 million Syrians who have fled the Islamic State group, President Bashar Assad's government, or both.

She climbed into the trailer of an 18-wheeler staged at the Ramtha border crossing less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) from Syria, inspecting boxes of peas, tuna and canned meat stacked shoulder-high. The truck was to join 19 others in a convoy into opposition-held territory in Syria, carrying supplies from U.N. agencies and other groups, many U.S.-funded.

"This is all in the name of our Syrian brothers and sisters," Haley told aid workers in a nearby tent, swatting away flies in the summer heat. "We want you to feel like the U.S. is behind you."

The U.S. president's message to Syrians couldn't be more different.

Trump, who was in Saudi Arabia on his first overseas trip, once called his predecessor "insane" for letting in Syrian refugees. As president, he tried to bar them from the U.S., describing them as a national security threat. A court blocked that move, but the number of Syrian refugees admitted has nonetheless dropped, from 5,422 in the four months before Trump's inauguration to 1,566 in the four months since, U.S. statistics show.

And Trump has called for drastic cuts to U.S. funding for the United Nations and its affiliated agencies  such as those aiding people still in Syria and those who've fled. Trump plans to release his budget blueprint Tuesday, but his initial proposal in March called for a one-third cut to diplomatic and overseas programming while boosting the U.S. military by $54 billion.

Haley told reporters accompanying her to Jordan that the U.S. was "not pulling back" and was in fact "engaging more." She cited Trump's stepped-up action to try to hasten a political solution to the war, including a strike punishing Assad's forces for using chemical weapons that the Syrian opposition and its backers have enthusiastically applauded.

She echoed Trump's defense of his plan to temporarily halt refugee admissions from all countries  which was also blocked in court  by saying the U.S. needed to protect Americans by first improving its refugee-vetting capabilities. And she pointed to a group of women in the camp who'd overwhelmingly told her their hope was to return to Syria, not relocate to the U.S.

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"So our goal is how do we get these people back home to a safe place?" Haley said.

Still, the situation in Zaatari Refugee Camp  like in others in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq  tell the story of Syrians who see no quick resolution to their plight.

In Zaatari, half of the 80,000 refugees are children, and a dozen babies are born here per day, according to UNICEF, the U.N.'s child welfare agency. Thirty-five percent of marriages involve a child under 18, a reflection of the economic hardships families in the camp face.

Many of the younger children wander unsupervised through the camp, where gusts of dust occasionally reduced visibility to just a few feet as Haley's motorcade rolled through the streets, passing sparse, white-corrugated buildings accorded a bit of cheer by colorful murals painted on their walls.

As ambassador, Haley plays a key but only partial role in the Trump administration's decision-making on Syria, refugees and humanitarian aid. But her role at the U.N. puts her at the center of the debate about how the global community takes on the crisis. After all, it's successive U.N. Security Council resolutions that created the legal framework for aid groups to send aid into Syria, with or without Assad's consent.

At the Marka military airport in Amman, Haley went aboard a cargo plane to get a rare look at high-risk operations to airdrop wheat, lentils and cooking oil into Assad-controlled territory in Deir el-Zour, which is completely surrounded by the Islamic State group. In a sign of Moscow's outsize influence in the Syria conflict, both the aircraft and the company that flies it on behalf of the World Food Programme are Russian.

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"It's smiles, and tears," said David Beasley, WFP's executive director. "It really is."
Last year, Bob Buckhorn stood on a Navy warfare boat and fired blanks from a .50-caliber machine gun as a crowd watched. The mayor of Tampa, Fla., was just "rescued" from his mock captors as part of a military demonstration in Florida.

At this year's Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, Buckhorn talked about that experience and joked about pointing the machine gun at reporters at the 2016 event.

"I've never seen grown men cry like little girls, for when that gun goes off those media folks just hit the deck like no one's business," Buckhorn said in his opening remarks Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times. "It's great payback. I love it."

Buckhorn did not actually point at anyone in particular during the demonstration. A video taken by a Fox News affiliate shows him moving the machine gun in different directions as he fired blanks.

Still, his joke has been a topic of conversation among journalists, specifically those who've faced danger on the job. Many said the remarks were inappropriate, especially at a time when the free press has become the president's verbal punching bag.

"I know how it feels to stare down a live weapon and realize that your life hangs by a finger-twitch," freelance writer Susan Katz Keating said on the Military Reporters and Editors Facebook page. "I do understand the impulse to smack back at your adversaries in good fun, but this really isn't all that funny."

Keating said she'd been held at gunpoint while covering a conflict zone in Northern Ireland. She and others also argued that by pointing the machine gun, Buckhorn violated a basic rule on firearm safety: Never point a gun unless you're ready to actually shoot someone.

"Those of us who have been to war and been shot at would naturally dive for cover not knowing what he's doing," Greg Mathieson, who spent three decades photographing war zones, wrote on the Facebook page. "It's not a game, nor funny. Maybe he needs to spend a week in Syria and see how funny it really is."

Travis Tritten, a national security reporter for the Washington Examiner, said Buckhorn's handling of the firearm was more concerning than what he said.

"POTUS has said far worse," Tritten said on the Facebook page. "I'd just wave it off."

The Washington Post was unable to reach Buckhorn on Sunday. But according to the Tampa Bay Times, he called the angry reaction "silly" and said his comments were made "entirely in fun, tongue in cheek."

"They were not meant to be a reflection of my relationship with the media. I am the first one to defend the Fourth Estate. I am the product of it. I grew up with ink on my fingers. But you can't be so politically correct that you lose the humor of the situation," said Buckhorn, whose father was a wire-service reporter.

Buckhorn, a Democrat, isn't the only politician to make a joke about violence against journalists.

The day after he made his comments, Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly was caught on a hot mic joking with President Donald Trump about a ceremonial saber presented to the president during the commencement ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

"You can use that on the press, sir," Kelly told Trump.

"Yeah, that's right," Trump said, as Kelly laughed.

The New York Times reported last week that Trump urged then-FBI Director James Comey during a private meeting in February to consider imprisoning journalists for publishing classified information. Comey's associates told the Times and The Washington Post that Comey had kept a detailed account of the meeting, in which Trump condemned leaks to the press.

"Reporting on classified information is a bedrock right of journalists, and so I guess it's only natural, given his past statements, that Trump wants to take that away," Trevor Timm, executive editor of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, told Poynter. "Any prosecution of reporters for publishing true information about our government would strike at the very heart of press freedom."

More than 1,200 journalists have been killed on the job since 1992, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. About 450 have been exiled since 2008, and nearly 260 were imprisoned in 2016. Nine were killed this year.

Buckhorn's name had been floated for the Florida gubernatorial race next year, but he announced in March that he won't be seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former chairman of President Donald Trump's transition team, said Monday that he repeatedly recommend that Trump not give a job to Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser now under investigation for potential collusion with Russia during the campaign.

"If I were president-elect of the United States, I wouldn't let General Flynn in the White House, let alone give him a job," Christie said during a during a wide-ranging news conference in Trenton, N.J.

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Christie, a Republican who was relieved of his duties overseeing the transition shortly after the November election, declined to detail his concerns about Flynn.

"I'm not going to get into specifics," Christie said. "Some of it involves classified information that I'm just not at liberty to discuss."

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Christie said that Flynn was "not my cup of tea" and that the two "didn't see eye-to-eye."

"I didn't think that he was someone who would bring benefit to the president or to the administration," Christie said. "And I made that very clear to candidate Trump, and I made it very clear to President-elect Trump. That was my opinion, my view."

While he was running the transition, Christie said, "I was not informed in any way about him or anyone else being under investigation."

Flynn's attorney's said in a letter Monday that Flynn will not comply with a Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena for documents related to its probe of alleged Russian meddling in the presidential election, invoking the his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Flynn was fired by Trump in February after it came to light that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador.

Though Christie was kept out of the administration, he was recently named by Trump to lead a White House commission to combat drug addiction. Christie's name has also been in the mix as possible replacements to embattled White House staffers.
Republicans like to point out how disastrous President Barack Obama's tenure was for the Democratic Party. During his presidency, Democrats reached new lows in state legislative, gubernatorial and congressional seats. More than 1,000 state and federal seats moved to the GOP. And though many prefer to blame James Comey or Russia, there can be no question that Democratic losses in 2016 were compounded by an inept Clinton campaign team that ignored the plight of working-class Americans in the Rust Belt, focusing instead on people who looked and thought just like they did.

Donald Trump was able to connect with voters with whom he had nothing in common largely because the Clinton campaign left a vacuum on the other side of the aisle, which Trump gladly filled. Nonetheless, throughout 2016 I maintained my opposition to Trump for three reasons, two of which are increasingly, worryingly relevant.

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First, I did not think Trump could beat Hillary Clinton. When it came to the popular vote, of course, he did not, but thanks to roughly 70,000 people in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, he won the presidency.

Second, I thought that Trump, even if he won, would be deeply destructive to the national fabric and to the conservative ideas I support.

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Third, I strongly believed that Trump lacks moral character and that he sets a bad example both for my children and for people of faith. I repeatedly said throughout the campaign that if God wanted Trump in the White House, he would not need Christians to dirty themselves to make it happen.

Unfortunately, while I was wrong about my first concern, I am increasingly worried about the latter two. Trump's evangelical Christian supporters often told me that whether we liked Trump or not, we needed him to save the Supreme Court. My response remains that four years of Clinton appointing judges, while awful, would be nothing compared with a generational wipeout of the GOP. Watergate may have turned Charles Colson from hatchet man to pastor, but the defense of President Trump is turning a lot of pastors into hatchet men. Few people come away from Trump's orbit without compromising their characters.

A Republican reckoning is on the horizon. Voters are increasingly dissatisfied with a Republican Party unable to govern. And congressional Republicans increasingly find themselves in an impossible position: If they support the president, many Americans will believe they are neglecting their duty to hold him accountable. But if they do their duty, Trump's core supporters will attack them as betrayers  and then run primary candidates against them.

Through it all, voter dissatisfaction has been growing. Trump's core might stand with him, as he claimed, even if he killed someone in the middle of the street. But would those 70,000 voters who put him in the White House? As the president acts more irrationally and his Twitter rantings become more unhinged, will he draw more people to himself and his party than he will repel? I suspect not.

The president exudes incompetence and instability. Divulging classified information to the Russians through bragging; undermining his staff's defense of his conduct through inane tweets; even reportedly asking the FBI director to suspend an investigation of a former adviser  all these strike me not so much as malicious but as the ignorant actions of an overwhelmed man. Republicans excuse this behavior as Trump being Trump, but that will only embolden voters who seek greater accountability to choose further change over stability. The sad reality is that the greatest defense of the president available at this point is one his team could never give on the record: He is an idiot who does not know any better.

It is becoming ever clearer that Trump has the potential to cause more damage to the Republican Party than Obama did the Democrats. While there is no doubt the Democrats saw serious electoral setbacks under Obama, there remains a key difference here: Obama is deeply respected and liked by a majority of voters. Trump is increasingly disliked, and the Republicans who enable him are increasingly distrusted.

With a horde of vocal Trump supporters cheering on every inane statement, delusion, lie and bad act, the majority of the American people can be forgiven for thinking the GOP as a whole has lost its mind. The Republicans may soon lose a generation of voters through a combination of the sheer incompetence of Trump and a party rank-and-file with no ability to control its leader.

Trump still thinks he stands in contrast to Clinton, when in reality, for voters watching the chaos unfold, he stands in contrast both to a more level-headed Vice President Mike Pence and an unknown generic Democrat  neither of whom constantly reminds people of their incompetence. Unless Republican leaders stage an intervention, I expect them to experience a deserved electoral blood bath in November 2018.

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Washington Post

Erick Erickson is editor of the Resurgent.
With all the talk of secret tapes and special prosecutors, all the speculation about cover-ups and abuses of power, comparisons between the scandals plaguing the Trump administration and the scandal that ultimately brought down Richard Nixon abound. Yet more than 40 years on, myths and misconceptions about the Watergate break-in and its massive political ramifications remain. Here are five of the most persistent.

Myth No. 1

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There wasn't a logical motive behind the Watergate burglary.

In retrospect, the burglary of Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in 1972, ordered by the Nixon administration, seems bizarre. After all, as politics scholar Elaine Kamarck at the Brookings Institution points out, "Nixon's victory was never really in doubt, as the Democratic party was in the middle of a rather spectacular civil war. So why go to the trouble of breaking into their headquarters when they were crumbling from within?"

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But this view is premised on hindsight. The break-in at the Watergate took place June 17, when the question of whom Nixon would face in the general election was still very much up in the air - as it was until the conclusion of the Democratic convention in July.

The most important events precipitating the break-in were a pair of meetings in the office of Attorney General John Mitchell in January 1972, in which Nixon campaign aide G. Gordon Liddy presented an elaborate plan to harass and sabotage the Democratic Party, and a subsequent meeting shortly thereafter, in which Mitchell approved a scaled-down operation. During this period, the polls between Nixon and the various Democratic contenders, especially Sen. Edmund Muskie, were relatively close. Nixon especially feared the prospect of facing Alabama Gov. George Wallace; the assassination attempt that incapacitated Wallace occurred May 15, long after Liddy and Mitchell agreed to the break-in. Indeed, gathering intelligence on how the DNC planned to distribute the delegates Wallace had already won might have been one motivation for the break-in.

Myth No. 2

Nixon could have quieted the scandal by firing employees.

In a recent New Yorker article, Nixon biographer Evan Thomas said that "there were any number of steps that could have made [Watergate] go away." Thomas argued that Nixon "could have cleaned house and fired people," for instance.

But cutting loose the people directly responsible for individual crimes creates an incentive for them to implicate the higher-ups who managed the criminal enterprise - which was exactly what happened, accelerating news of the scandal. Nixon fired White House counsel John Dean in April 1973, and that June,Dean testified before the Senate Watergate committee about Nixon's involvement in the cover-up. Likewise, James McCord, a former CIA officer ostensibly hired to work as a security officer for the Republican National Committee, sent a letter to Judge John Sirica during the sentencing phase of his 1973 trial for the Watergate burglary, explaining that his perjury had been bought by the Nixon administration.

Even if Nixon had attempted to leave every individual implicated in Watergate high and dry, it probably wouldn't have slowed the unspooling of the scandal, much less stopped it.

Myth No. 3

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Watergate was politics as usual. Nixon just got caught.

"There is an assumption that politics have always been corrupt," one NBC retrospective on Watergate posited in 2004, "and that Nixon just got caught." In his sweeping book on the 1970s, historian Bruce Schulman noted that the sentiment was widespread, even in the immediate aftermath of Watergate: " 'They all did it, Nixon just got caught,' is what many Americans believed."

In 1977, the conservative journalist Victor Lasky published "It Didn't Start With Watergate," a thick dossier on the sins of every Democratic president since Franklin Roosevelt. He had plenty of material to work with. The anti-New Deal congressman Hamilton Fish III claimed that FDR had something like an enemies list, that he was on it and that he was subjected to years of punitive tax audits because of it. President Lyndon Johnson prevented a congressional investigation of a corrupt former aide, Bobby Baker, first by pressuring friendly senators on the relevant committee to quash it, then by managing to get it postponed until after the 1964 election. And so on.

But the proven activities of the Nixon White House far surpassed anything Johnson or FDR were ever accused of. Nixon was adamant in his attempts to find wrongdoing from President John Kennedy's administration, which was an object of personal hatred on account of his intense loathing of the personable and handsome JFK - at one point Nixon even ordered a break-in at the Brookings Institution. (Deputies quietly buried the project.) Despite his extraordinary efforts, Nixon was so unsuccessful in implicating Kennedy in Watergate-level wrongdoing that, in one of his administration's most bizarre incidents, his aide Charles Colson ordered "cables" to be forged, using scissors and glue, to falsely suggest that Kennedy ordered the assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem.

Myth No. 4

Ford's pardon of Nixon helped heal the nation after Watergate.

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One month after Nixon resigned, President Gerald Ford pardoned him before he could go to trial for any crimes he might have committed while president. In 2001, Sen. Ted Kennedy thanked Ford for the pardon, saying, "His courage and dedication to our country made it possible for us to begin the process of healing and put the tragedy of Watergate behind us."Ford's successor, Jimmy Carter, seemed to agree, saying in his 1977 inaugural address, "For myself and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land."

In fact, however, the pardon exacerbated the public's distrust of government by reinforcing Americans' sense that the president was above the law. It also cast a damaging vote of no confidence by the executive in the co-equal judicial branch of government. After the pardon, Ford's favorability ratings plummeted overnight, and he lost his 1976 bid for reelection. And, although Americans have become more favorable toward the pardon over time, it did nothing to stop the downward trend in Americans' trust in government accelerated by Watergate.

Myth No. 5

Deep Throat was pivotal to Nixon's downfall.

The role of Deep Throat (the pseudonym of FBI agent Mark Felt, who served as an anonymous source for Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward during the scandal's unfolding) is often dramatized in Hollywood depictions of Watergate, and headlines to this day insist on his importance in Nixon's undoing. The Guardian called him "the man who brought down Nixon," and Vanity Fair similarly labeled him the man who "brought down the Nixon administration."

But by the time in 2005 that Deep Throat was revealed to be Felt - an FBI official, not a White House insider - people should have known better. Because Felt had no access to the inner workings of the White House, he was not feeding Woodward new information but merely hints about what the bureau's investigation had uncovered, and in many cases, what the journalists reporting the Watergate story already knew. Indeed, when Woodward and his partner Carl Bernstein wrote the book "All the President's Men," they were surprised, per Bernstein, at the mystique that developed around Felt's role. "We didn't think his role would achieve such mythical dimensions," Bernstein said in a 2005 interview. "You see there that Felt/Deep Throat largely confirmed information we had already gotten from other sources."

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Perlstein is a historian and the author of "Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America" and "The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan."
"Significant cost savings are possible.  Taxes should not be raised unless  simultaneously  the State reduces its costs dramatically.  Citizens who live in Illinois and pay taxes here, and the businesses located here, make hard choices. Their government should do no less."

"Facing Facts," a pathbreaking 2006 report on Illinois' desperate finances from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago

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Yes, the name is a mouthful, but this group matters. It's been a reliable protector of Illinois' climate for employers and jobs. Its savvy members, Chicago's captains of industry, are well-suited to plot the rescue of a big enterprise drowning in deficits and debt. In 2006, it was the Civic Committee's loud, prescient warning  "Illinois is headed toward financial implosion"  that awakened millions of citizens to enormous burdens this state's politicians had created for taxpayers (and whichever of their children stick around).

That document, like a new Civic Committee report issued Thursday, acknowledged the need to raise taxes and cut costs. What's disappointing about the new report is its low ambitions for spending reductions  "at most, $2 billion" a year from a state operating budget of nearly $40 billion  versus fat tax increases of "at least $8 billion." Given the poor esteem in which many Illinoisans hold their sclerotic, antiquated and historically corrupt state government, not many legislators could sell that gaudy mismatch to faithless constituents: You want big tax hikes without reforming how you spend our tax dollars? Same politicians who wrecked Illinois, same product, but much higher price? Right.

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If its suggestions are imperfect, the Civic Committee picked a perfect time to provoke debate: Illinois lawmakers haven't passed a budget in two years, and they could adjourn May 31 without passing one for the next fiscal year. In what we've called this long war for the future of Illinois: Democrats who dominate the legislature want to raise taxes; Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner would go along  but only with reforms to change how Illinois does business, and to position its private-sector economy for growth. Many Democrats and their public employee union allies are boasting, sotto voce, that a bunch of business execs now sides with them against Rauner.

The new Civic Committee report alludes to cutting state expenses, but with little enthusiasm and precious few specifics. It's as if the authors  each of whom surely demands peak efficiency from his or her own business  are content with state government's high overhead costs, insufficient outsourcing and rigid union contracts. The real energy in this report is for raising income, sales and other taxes. The Sun-Times made us smile with its huge headline summarizing the 40-page plan: "TAX TO THE WALL."

Some proposals are curiously tone-deaf: Many states have enacted taxes on retirement income  but maybe not while eliminating the estate tax for their wealthiest citizens. And although a section on tax breaks would boost the earned income tax credit for working-class Illinoisans, tax breaks for corporations would be five times as large.

If we may propose a rethink:

Illinois is hemorrhaging taxpayers. Enacting big tax increases won't slow the flow. Execs who make tough demands of their own businesses could teach lawmakers how it's done: What economies of scale, outsourcing, asset sales, streamlining and other savings can we impose before we raise prices to our customers? Because, team, each of them has two feet and 49 alternatives.

The right questions, then, that Civic Committee members could expertly answer: How do we rescue this enterprise, but in a way citizens will accept? That is, how do we raise taxes and reform operations today so we can assure people another debacle won't happen tomorrow?

The wrong questions: Should we be the umpteenth group to say "Raise taxes to cover all this expense and debt" rather than focus equally on the expenses that created the debt? If taxpayers give more billions to these pols, rather than change the cost structure, would that camouflage the real problem ... for a while?

We do embrace parts of this report; sections on workers' compensation reform, government consolidation and Illinois' broken school funding formula are particularly smart.

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But what Illinois urgently should project anew is an all-American message of opportunity and growth. It's easy if ultimately suicidal to say, as so many legislators would, "Raise taxes  citizens' pockets is where the money is." It's more valuable to say, "Here's how to streamline this enterprise and freeze tax rates to attract more employers, more jobs  and more taxpayers."

Civic Committee members, we applaud your devotion to "Bringing Illinois Back," the title of your report. And we thank the delegation you dispatched to meet with us Monday. We acknowledge that the Illinois Supreme Court's protection of public employees' retirement benefits has blocked some opportunities for cost savings. But we also know your report risks gathering dust unless citizens believe they'll get a reformed Springfield in return for that extra $8 billion a year.

We hope you'll next explore how to make Illinois government as good at delivering services, and as efficient at spending revenues, as your own businesses are. One place to begin: Reread that 2006 Civic Committee report and the 2009 and 2012 companion documents, all on your website. Together they stressed a balance of spending reforms and revenue increases that Illinois taxpayers of 2017 might accept.

Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook.

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Dear Anna,

I have a foot fetish that I think is a little too intense and scares some women that really like me away. I always have to touch them, suck the toes and lick the soles during sex, and it even has made me a cheater. If I see an attractive woman with some big feet, I'm gone and have to have her soles on my face! Do I need help? The Foot Devourer

Dear TFD,

So youre saying you feel defeeted? (Sorry, embarrassing sitcom dad puns are my fetish.) Of all the sexual paraphilias, foot fetishism is one of the most common. If youre curious, the top three most fetishized body parts are feet, hands and hair. (Stand down, elbow enthusiasts! Back away, ligament lovers!)

Do you need help with your fetish? I couldnt say from your brief letter. Though generally when someone feels distressed about their desires, it helps to get some outside perspective. If your fetish is inhibiting you from having functional relationships, then that might be a reason to seek the counsel of a kink-aware therapist who specializes in relationship conflicts. Id also encourage you to find your tribe. Chicagoland is rife with pedicurious people and those who service them. Find your community. Find a party. Find a group. Find a kinky girlfriend. Find a domme. Its up to you.

You might also check out a few books on the subject (I recommend "The Other Side of Desire" by Daniel Bergner, which examines four non-normative sexual proclivities, including foot fetishism).

What raises my red-flag alarms are that you say your fetish has made you a cheater. If you would describe your kink as compulsivesomething you have no control overthen that might be worth looking into with a sex-positive therapist. (Also, hopefully you are indulging in these activities consensually! If not, then thats not OK.)

Lets also not forget that non-normative sexual behaviors are still very much stigmatizedI mean, even spanking was considered a mental illness in the DSM (the American Psychiatric Associations guidebook for mental disorders) until 2013and this may be influencing how you feel about yourself and your sexual proclivities. So try not to jump to any whats wrong with me?! conclusions without taking societal norms into consideration.

Good luck TFD! May you put your best foot forward.
Students who graduated from Oswego East High School Saturday are set to receive replacement diplomas after an incorrect signature was discovered, officials said.

Community Unit School District 308 administrators found out the new diplomas carried the signature of former superintendent Matthew Wendt, rather than current superintendent John Sparlin, the superintendent said. The error was due to clerical error at the school, and the company that prints diplomas agreed to reprint them at no cost to the district, he said.

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"It doesn't make them invalid because students have met all the criteria set forth by the state of Illinois for graduation," Sparlin said. "It's more of a formality."

Sparlin said he first heard of the error when he returned from the graduation ceremonies Saturday and saw emails from parents informing him of the incorrect signature. He said he wants to see the diplomas carry the correct signature, and he has heard from others who said they would like to receive a correct one.

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Slightly more than 500 diplomas were affected, Sparlin said. The new ones are expected to be mailed to homes within two weeks, he said.

The error did not affect graduates of the district's other high school, Oswego High School, Sparlin said. That school graduated about 680 students, believed to be the largest graduating class in District 308 history, he said.

sfreishtat@tribpub.com

Twitter @srfreish
With prosecutors alleging Scott Turyna opened fire on his wife last year during a domestic dispute in St. Charles, his attorney has asked Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler to allow Turyna to shoot a gun as part of the defense's preparations for trial in the attempted murder case, according to a recently filed motion.

Turyna, 66, who now lives in Elburn, is charged with beating his then-wife during a May 2016 attack inside their home and then firing at least five gunshots in her direction after she fled into the streets of their St. Charles subdivision.

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Turyna, accused of attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery, is free on $1 million bail. Tegeler scheduled a June 5 hearing to consider the gun request, which would require him to modify Turyna's bond.

A June trial had been scheduled, however it was postponed after a late April hearing at which attorney Robert Motta and Tegeler verbally tussled over Motta's readiness for trial. Motta said at the time he was seeking an expert to assess Turyna, but ran into complications because of funding issues tied to Turyna's money being frozen as part of his divorce case.

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Recent court documents indicate Motta is still sorting out the expert issue.

Earlier this month, Tegeler sided with the defense in rejecting a prosecution request to present details of uncharged, decades-old domestic abuse allegations against Turyna made by his first wife. The judge did agree to allow the state to present details of the 911 call made after the 2016 shooting, which includes unspecified statements by Turyna's now-ex-wife and a second woman who was in the vicinity of the gunshots, court documents state.

Turyna's wife of 26 years filed for divorce shortly after the shooting. A judge granted the divorce in February, but the couple has been back in court amid a dispute over the status of some of Scott Turyna's belongings, records show.

Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
We as a country need to remember our "forgotten" military heroes, according to a longtime Naval officer from Burr Ridge.

"People forget about military personnel and what peril they face until we are involved in peril as a country," said retired Naval Cmdr. Dale Bottom, who gave the keynote address at Burr Ridge's annual Armed Forces Day Celebration Saturday.

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Burr Ridge Mayor Mickey Straub agreed, saying Armed Forces Day needs to be front-page news across the county.

"It's never been too big," Straub said of the annual day to honor active military. "Armed Forces Day should be one of the most popular holidays in the country. It gets a little bit lost because it's not Memorial Day where we're honoring our dead and Veterans Day where we're honoring our veterans."

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Straub said one of the challenges of Armed Forces Day has is it is so broad, recognizing all five branches of the military.

"I would love to see it become more popular across every city, state and village around the country. It is so rare because it is the only one that celebrates those who are currently serving," he said. "Fourth of July we certainly respect everyone who's serving, but it is more important to do a day that specifically pinpoints those who are serving currently and all five branches of the military."

Just having the opportunity to hear patriotic songs and take pride in being an American made the day special for Straub, who wore a red, white and blue tie.

"It is so rare these days that you actually get to hear the national anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance and 'America the Beautiful' all in one setting," Straub said. "That I think is extra special and a great reminder of our patriotism, of our country."

Straub, who said the Gettysburg Address at all 50 U.S. state capitols in 50 days during a trek a few years ago, said President Abraham Lincoln's address conveys a message of hope for our country and is short enough to be remembered by adults and memorized by children

Westmont Navy veteran Marcel Levesque, who was on the USS Bunker Hill in 1945 when Japanese kamikaze pilots flew into the ship, killing nearly 400 of his shipmates, attended the ceremony.

"I enjoyed the program very, very much," Levesque said. "It's very touching, well organized and well done."

Fellow Navy veteran Bill Wavak, also of Westmont, was supposed to attend another event, but changed his plans to attend his third Burr Ridge Armed Forces Day ceremony.

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"This takes preference," Wavak said. "It is a great event."

Bottom said Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to recognize all the men and women dedicated to serving our country

"We recognize their personal sacrifice," Bottom said. "In the past, we had a draft. Today, we have an estimated 1.2 million volunteers serving our country. These are not individuals we had to drag out of their house. These are individuals who are serving voluntarily. That is a big reason why Armed Forces Day is important."

Kevin Beese is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press
The group of Clarendon Hills residents who filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of the referendum voters approved in November for a new Hinsdale Middle School claim they have offered a settlement proposal to Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181.

Superintendent Don White said the five plaintiffs have been invited to join the school board's executive session Monday night, which will follow the board's regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Clarendon Hills Middle School, 301 Chicago Ave., Clarendon Hills

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White would not confirm whether the five Clarendon Hills homeowners, who are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, have presented a settlement agreement.

"We have been having ongoing discussions and exchanges of information," White said. "I can't go much deeper than that."

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Residents who oppose the lawsuit, because it is based on a technicality and has delayed the issuing of the bonds to begin construction of the new middle school, have scheduled a rally at 4 p.m. Monday at Hosek Park, between Ruby, Harris, Hudson and Western avenues in Clarendon Hills. They have been seeking to pressure the plaintiffs into dropping the lawsuit.

Illinois law says notices of referendums must be published no less than 10 days and not more than 30 days prior to an election. The DuPage County Election Commission mistakenly published District 181's referendum to sell up to $53.3 million in bonds 33 days before the election.

However, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 3319 on Feb. 17, which extended the number of days to 35, leaving the referendum notices valid. DuPage County Judge Bonnie Wheaton sided with the district in dismissing the lawsuit, and rejected a motion to reconsider. However, the plaintiffs have not said if they will file an appeal.

"Five residents, who found a minor oversight after the community voted overwhelmingly to support the building of a much needed new school, are holding the entire process hostage," said Polly Ascher, Clarendon Hills parent and organizer of the rally.

In a statement released Monday morning, the five plaintiffs, Andrew and Kirsten Schmidt, Karen Weber, Bradford Tocher and Edward Corcoran, all from Clarendon Hills, claim they have a signed settlement proposal.

"Too often when the debate concerns education and our children, the zealous rush to spend public money prevents accountability and common sense," they wrote, claiming their proposed settlement shows commitment to ending the legal dispute.

"This proposal costs the taxpayers no money, keeps the project on time, and improves transparency," the statement reads.

The group's statement goes on to say, "Ad hoc groups that have formed to dissuade the plaintiffs from continuing the suit have engaged in social-media bullying and personal harassment with no admonishment from the District 181 Board or superintendent Don White."

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White said if the lawsuit can be resolved by June 5, the district would resume its original timeline that had the new school finished and ready to open in the fall of 2018.

It would be an expedited timeline, White said, and at risk, naturally, of other delays due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.

If all the papers to end the lawsuit are signed and officially filed by June 5, White said he expects the mobile classrooms would be moved, temporary parking spaces established and construction crews would break ground this summer.

kfdoings@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @kfdoings
I agree, Monee. I am so weary, tired and disgusted hearing the anti-President Donald Trump propaganda and Trump bashing from the socialist, leftist, and liberal media. They cannot accept the fact Trump won the election and they will do everything in their power to destroy him.

Palos Heights

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You can always tell a Republican. They have their hands in your pocket to take your money and give it to the already wealthy. And, in typical GOP fashion, they tell you it's for your own good and that some day it will trickle down to you. Just another lie like their new health care bill that takes away from average people to give more to the wealthy.

President Donald Trump claims the pressure of Russia is off because he fired James Comey. Beyond scary is he believes that. If anything, it has heightened reason for concern.

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Tinley Park

The Democrats have been in control of Chicago for more then 30 years. Every single year its the same story, they need to find more money. So, these college educated politicians who have been in office for 20 years-plus can't believe they need more damn money to cover everything they passed through from prior years to look good. They never would consider a balanced budget because they don't want to cut off expenses, this would make them look bad. They would consider raising taxes, after all you can't do anything about it. Now, the brilliant Mayor Rahm Emmanuel is going to borrow $389 million dollars to keep schools open longer and pay into the teachers pensions. Emmanuel is making sure your children will never be able to pay down the debits created by Democrats.

Monee

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Jacob Schultz, a Deerfield resident who just finished his junior year at the University of Illinois spent the past semester in Washington interning for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin as part of the school's Illinois in Washington program.

A political science major, Schultz said he arrived in Washington in early January and started working for lobbying firm QGA Public Affairs before joining Durbin's office as an intern in March. He worked at his internships Monday through Thursday and went to class on Fridays, earning a full semester's worth of credit for his effort.

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While in Champaign, Schultz interned for state Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) and state Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign). He also spent time helping the 2016 campaign of U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield).

Q: What was the most important thing you learned working for QGA?

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A: I worked for QGA Public Affairs prior to working for Senator Durbin. I think the most important thing I learned is how much connections matter in the business of lobbying. The success of a lobbying firm in terms of how much those on its staff can affect the policymaking world in D.C. can largely depend on the networks of those staffers working in the firm.

Q: What did you enjoy most working for Sen. Durbin?

A: I really enjoyed the opportunity to aid the staff in the office with policy-related research. I was able to attend briefings and hearings that helped the staff to better understand current issues in their policy portfolios. I know that some of the research work that I did was used to help craft legislation that was introduced by the senator, which was probably the coolest part of being in that office.

Q: How would you compare the two jobs?

A: I think that both jobs were similar in that the goal of those working in each office is that of trying to influence the policymaking process in D.C. However, QGA did not deal as heavily with the minute details of different policy measures but rather focused on persuading congressional offices to create policies that their clients would view favorably. In an office such as Senator Durbin's office, the focus is more on the actual crafting of the legislation and the research that goes into creating bills.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation next year?

A: After I graduate next year I hope to either work on a political campaign in the midterm elections or to pursue a job as a staffer on the Hill.

Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Although Evelyn Loza's young children, Arianna, Alexis and Julian love ice cream, there was also something else that sparked their interest at the Elmwood Park Fire Department on May 18.

Loza said her kids realized the significance in learning how to stay safe during the summer months.

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"They will be home during the summer, and it's important for them to know safety," Loza said. "And, my kids like ice cream!"

The Elmwood Park Fire Department hosted Start the Summer Safe, an ice cream social and open house available for kids and families. The event was at the fire station.

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Lt. Michael Terzo said the fire department wants to be visible to the community throughout the year. He said around 500 people attended the ice cream social, featuring vanilla, chocolate swirl and strawberry swirl ice cream. Kids were also given stickers, badges and plastic fire helmets.

"If there is an emergency, we want kids to know that the Elmwood Park Fire Department is a safe place to go," he said.

Mike Marino Jr., a volunteer paid-on-call firefighter, said the firefighters were planning on giving kids tours of the upstairs and downstairs of the firehouse, as well as the fire trucks and kitchen. Marino said it's beneficial for kids to see the firefighters in case they needed to come rescue them in an emergency.

"We're the ones they call when they're having a bad day," he said. "It's good to know our faces."

Elmwood Park resident Melissa Casella brought her daughters Fiona and Sophia to the ice cream social. Her husband, Lt. Frank Casella, is an Elmwood Park firefighter.

"Whenever my kids see a fire truck or a firefighter, they get very excited," she said. "You would think they would get sick of it!"

Casella said she brought her kids to the ice cream social because she thought her daughters would enjoy seeing their dad and the firehouse. She also added that her kids love ice cream.

"The fire department does a lot for the community," she said. "It's good for them to get to the know the different families in the neighborhood."

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Like Casella, Elliott Reyes said he also has firefighter ties. He said his father is a Chicago firefighter. He brought his children Alaynah and Elliott to the ice cream social.

"I want my kids to know to call 911 in an emergency and the basics about safety," he said. "It's nice that the residents in the community can meet their first responders."

Maryann Pisano is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Segregation situation

This is regarding the story about the desegregation of Waukegan schools. As a student of District 60 schools in the 1960s, there was no segregation. You went to the school nearest to the place where you lived. I don't recall any black students when I was at Greenwood School, but there was a wonderful black custodian named Abraham Davis. At Jack Benny Junior High, there were one or two black students. They walked to school like the rest of us because they lived near the school. It angers me when they bring up these terms of racism. In the 1970s and 1980s, racism was less prominent than it is now. Waukegan is no longer a white community like it once was. It's primarily black and Hispanic.

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Leery about library

I read that Obama's library will cost $675 million that will come from donors. Wouldn't that money be better spent on helping people in those neighborhoods instead of having the former president making a big splash and showing himself off? It's like having a big statue of himself built. You can guarantee that this will all be subsidized by taxpayer dollars in one form or another. How much taxes will he be paying?

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Perturbed about public radio

I was reminded again why conservatives in the United States do not want to fund National Public Radio. I listen to conservative radio during the week. I listen to NPR on the weekends. I want to hear both sides of the story. I listened to a news program today where the host of the show interviewed reporters. I have yet to hear a reporter report facts while leaving out his or her opinion. It doesn't matter what story NPR gives, they slant it to the left.

Aghast about Gliniewicz

I want to comment on the Gliniewicz story. I cannot believe that Melodie Gliniewicz has been allowed to get away with all the things she did regarding her late husband. These officials protect each other. They think they are above the law, but they are public officials. This is pitiful. You cannot use public funds to make ends meet and then say you will pay them back. That's like me going into the petty cash at my company and say I'll pay it back later. This is unacceptable.

Irritated about insurance

Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

I can't believe what I'm reading about the health insurance cost jump. I do not buy insurance on the exchange. This past billing period, my insurance jumped to nearly $800 a month from $500 a month. I'm paying for other people whose insurance isn't going right. The idea for Obamacare was good, but the system wasn't set up properly and is now imploding. I would like to know why we can't have a free market. Even with pre-existing conditions, as long as you're insured and keep your documentation up, there is no way an insurance company will ever be able to deny you coverage. People are still coming into emergency rooms, being charged $10,000 for a half-hour visit, and I'm paying for it. I am sick and tired of this. There is nothing wrong with me. I get checkups twice a year. I can't believe this is happening.

Push comes to shove

Hey Mr. President, let me bring you up to speed. You are one of three branches of government. You are still trying to run the government like you run a business. If someone gives you trouble, you fire them. That may work in business, but it doesn't work in government. You are treating congressmen like a bunch of middle-managers. They are now starting to stand up to you. You may have been a star when you were elected, but if you keep pushing people around they will shove back.

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State at a standstill

A caller said Illinois will not get straightened out until it has term limits. We have term limits. They are called elections. Ask former Gov. Quinn about term limits. Gov. Rauner said he was going to shake up Illinois. He brought our state to a standstill.

Twitter@NewsSun

Editor's Note

Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email talkofthecounty@tribpub.com . For a continuously updating blog of Talk of the County comments, go to newssunonline.com/talk .
Heated arguments over health care

Everybody is making a big deal about the GOP health care plan. All the Democrats, including Jesse Jackson, are saying nobody read the bill. When Obamacare came out, nobody read that bill or knew anything about it before they voted for it. The shoe is on the other foot now. How does it feel? They said 20 million people got health insurance through Obamacare who never had it before, but what they don't tell you is 14 million went on Medicaid that they don't pay for. Our country can't survive by giving things to people who refuse to go to work.

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Frustrated about funding abortions

I read about a Democratic senator who voted in favor of abortion coverage by state employee health insurance and Medicare funds. Our country is going to hell. I don't want my money to pay for abortions. Don't mess around if you don't take precautions.

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Stunned by Schneider

Brad Schneider wants to pay for all these illegal Honduran immigrants. I wonder if he will divide his paycheck to pay for them to stay here.

Railing about garage sales

Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Here's a warning to Waukegan. Let's do something about the garage sales that will be going crazy this year. Last year, they were out of hand. You had garage sales going on through December. Why don't they charge a small permit fee to hold garage sales like they do in Gurnee? Garage sales are no longer being held in a small residential area. They are making businesses out of them. Let's do something about it before it gets out of hand.

Other towns should open their doors

I'm calling regarding the story about the Honduran family escaping gangs and violence. There is a picture of Brad Schneider with all those immigrant Honduran children. I do feel for this family, but I think it's interesting that they all come to Waukegan. If Schneider wants to help them, why doesn't he help them in his Deerfield community? Why has Waukegan become the dumping ground? It's time for other communities to open their doors and welcome people like they expect Waukegan to do.

Clear the air

Is it just me, or does the air quality in Waukegan stink? Let's get this air quality straightened out.

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Editor's Note

Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email talkofthecounty@tribpub.com . For a continuously updating blog of Talk of the County comments, go to newssunonline.com/talk .
Power protests

That meeting was so goofy with people demanding clean power and clean energy. These people have no clue on what it takes to keep that plant running or their power on. They should call Al Gore and see if he can help them figure out what to do. If they don't want electricity from the power plant, then they should start making their own power with their own solar panels.

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Not my bill

Why does Chicago believe I, a resident of District 60, should pay for the operation of CPS.

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Tweak the system

As someone who has worked in the health care industry for nearly 20 years, I have supported Obamacare but have also witnessed its unintended consequences. Insurance companies have become too involved in personal medical decisions that should be reserved for patients and their doctors. Patients I know personally who had decades-long relationships with their doctors have been forced to find new providers. And fewer and fewer insurers participating in the individual market have made coverage unattainable for too many. While the AHCA might not be perfect, it does achieve a few important objectives. It protects coverage for the elderly and individuals with preexisting conditions, it helps make insurance more affordable for everyone else, and it incentivizes young people to get (and keep) health coverage. I'm encouraged by all our representatives, including Congressman Roskam, who took risks to move this bill forward, and I hope the Senate will make this legislation even stronger in the coming weeks.

Double standard

When Obama was in office, Hillary Clinton made a trip to Russia with her foolish "reset" button and she screwed up her Russian greeting. No one said anything. No headlines, no conspiracy theories, no spies hiding in the "woodwork," etc. Obama literally bowed to all our enemies and Communists but nothing was made of it. Republicans did not have spies misinterpreting every move at the White House. Democrats were able to conduct their business with little interference. No spies, no innuendos, etc. Unfortunately, the Republicans have not been given the same courtesy. The opposition reminds me of a tattling sibling that can't wait to divulge the latest event to the press. All presidents have had their own management style and Trump is no exception. We are the losers because our government is mired in contrived "scandals" that are created by the opposition. No work is getting accomplished.

Editor's Note

Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email talkofthecounty@tribpub.com. For a continuously updating blog of Talk of the County comments, go to newssunonline.com/talk.
Lisa Horvath, right, of Winthrop Harbor, nears the finish line to the "Color Vibe 5K" in Lake Zurich as she runs through the pink station. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

After being covered in powdery colors, the estimated 2,500 participants in the light-hearted "Color Vibe 5K" event Sunday left grassy sections within Paulus Park in Lake Zurich with the colors of the rainbow.

The remnants of the race are a reminder of what happens when people come together for a fun event, Nick Menendez, regional marketing specialist for the Color Vibe race.

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Participants could run at their own pace during the 5K race, which was not timed, while they navigated different color stations, where they were dosed with powdery colors of pink, blue, green, yellow and purple.

"We are all about having a good time, where people can spread the good vibes," Menendez said. "People come together and have a bright and colorful moment."

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Lake Zurich Village President Tom Poynton, who welcomed attendees, said this was the third year Lake Zurich hosted the Color Vibe 5K. Walkers or runners then traveled along part of the shoreline to Paulus Park under the sun and 60-degree temperatures.

"Look at this park. It's one of the best parks in the area, beautiful view of the lake, a perfect day today," Poynton said. "If we can keep bringing this kind of energy to our community, it's all good stuff."

Participant Kevin Carney, of Lake Zurich, said his preferred color during the race was Caribbean blue.

"It's a great event for Lake Zurich," Carney said. "It's a lot of fun."

Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press.
New Lincolnwood Mayor Barry Bass is pictured in his office Thursday, May 18, 2017 at village hall. Bass, a former village trustee, has promised changes in the days ahead. (Mike Isaacs / Pioneer Press)

The first new Lincolnwood mayor in well over a decade said he has plans to deliver change from the status quo.

Barry Bass, 58, who previously served as a village trustee, defeated Jerry Turry in the April 4 election, the latter seeking his fourth term as Lincolnwood mayor.

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Bass captured 57 percent of the vote to incumbent Turry's 43 percent, according to election results from the Cook County Clerk's office.

"I think people were ready for change," said Bass who is settling into his office at village hall after he was sworn in earlier this month.

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His framed pictures sat on the floor waiting for hanging on the mostly empty white walls.

Bass said he was left with "a lot of holes" so his first weeks have been taking care of necessary business including filling his own vacancy on the village board. But he intends to create an advisory committee to deal with public safety, crime and security  issues he raised during his campaign  hopefully within his first 100 days in office, he said.

According to the mayor, he was stymied in the past when trying to raise concerns about what he considers a spike in more brazen crime in the village, something he says was not readily acknowledged.

Earlier in the year, he said, he was held up at gunpoint while walking to a neighbor's house one night. He didn't have any money on him and was left unharmed, he said. Bass called 911, he said, and the suspects were caught.

Bass said it's important for the village to address crime concerns.

"I'm looking for individuals who have some background in police enforcement, security or technology who will be able to make some suggestions on how to make Lincolnwood more secure," he said.

While he has not yet discussed the advisory committee with police  something he intends to do  he has voiced support for creating more committees, placing a high priority on transparency and inspiring people to get involved.

Bass said he has already received interest in the public safety committee from a former Chicago police officer, among other qualified people.

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The new mayor said the village needs to be more consistent and proactive in enforcing and educating about village codes.

"I want to set a new tone so that the average property owner knows you can't let the grass grow three feet," he said. "You can't have an auto repair shop on a tool and die maker's front lawn. There's stuff that needs addressing."

During the campaign, Bass called for better economic development results and criticized Turry's handling of the Purple Hotel property on Touhy and Lincoln avenues.

The hotel, also known as the Hyatt House Lincolnwood, was known as Hyatt's flagship Chicago-area hotel when it opened in the early 1960s. It had fallen into disrepair at the changing hands of different owners over the years, and it finally closed in 2007.

Last year, the village sued the hotel site property owner in Cook County Circuit Court, looking to have the site cleaned up as Lincolnwood looks to find another developer.

"We need to think out of the box," he said about the controversial property, which is still in litigation. "We need to be open minded. It's just my opinion and subject to a board, but there are actions that can be taken to put leverage on the current litigation to enable the acquisition of the property."

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Bass said he could not detail those actions but maintained they have not been done to date. He also said too much construction work is being done in the village without proper permits and he would like to see that issue addressed as well.

Another committee Bass said he is interested in forming would be charged with marketing the village's assets, drawing more people and businesses to Lincolnwood.

He said his path to mayor took some unexpected turns along the way.

A 40-year Lincolnwood resident, he ended up defeating the mayor who was once his dean when Bass was a Niles West High School student, he said. Turry had also included Bass on a slate for an open village trustee seat only a couple years ago.

As a young man, Bass said he went into his father's corporate auto fleet leasing business, which helped prepare him for future challenges and success.

When his dad sold the business in 1983, Bass went to Oakton Community College and earned a real estate broker's license. He said he married his wife in 1985 and struck out on his own, opening his own realty business.

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"I was a one-man show," he said. "I painted the sign myself. When you're hungry, you get very creative."

Today, he owns Embassy Bankcard Solutions Inc., a credit card processing company, in which he has major corporations and companies as clients, he said.

Bass said he has always been an involved citizen and worked to bring people together. In the 1980s, he said, he spoke out against proposed movie theaters for the Lincolnwood Town Center, helping unite opponents. The proposal was ultimately voted down.

He began his public service on the Lincolnwood Parks and Recreation Board and then was elected village trustee in 2015. The handling of the Purple Hotel was a major impetus for him to run for mayor only two years into his service as trustee, he said.

He also said people approached him before he finally threw his hat in the ring.

"I never thought about being mayor," he said. "But I didn't like what I was seeing. I didn't think the Purple Hotel project was viable and my frustration level built."

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Despite his success in business and his new position as mayor, he still says family comes first.

Bass has three children ranging in age from 27 to 30 and four grandchildren including 4-and-a-half year-old triplets who take up his time, he said.

What some may not know about the new mayor is that he also has a black belt in marital arts, which he has been studying for years, he said.

The recent campaign didn't provide him with much time to continue to practice, but he said he hopes to get back to that interest soon.
An artist's rendering for the Radha Krishna Temple, which is to be built on McDowell Road, east of Route 59, in Naperville. A groundbreaking ceremony was held by members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness on the site Sunday. (International Society for Krishna)

Members and friends of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness gathered Sunday to celebrate the groundbreaking for a new Hindu temple on McDowell Road, just east of Route 59, in Naperville.

"This temple will offer so much to the Naperville community," said Dr. Anuja Gupta, a member of the planning committee for the Radha Krishna Temple.

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She was among hundreds of people who wore traditional garb, ate vegetarian food and participated in an outdoor groundbreaking ceremony under a large tent in which rituals of fire, flowers and music were conducted.

Society member Sacikumar Das said the nonprofit group currently meets in a former church located on 2.8 acres of land, purchased in 2010, on which the temple will be built. The ornate, all-white structure will have an expansive worship room, two yoga studios, a gift shop, a commercial vegetarian catering kitchen, a banquet hall, and 10 classrooms for Vedic education. Children attend classes while their parents are in Sunday services.

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Gupta said the facility will provide more space for "teaching spiritual text to kids, health and fitness sessions, classical music and dance, and language lessons." Programs will be run by volunteers and provided to the public for free or for a nominal fee.

The new structure will be built in phases, Das said, with the back of the building being constructed first. When that phase is completed, the group will move their gatherings to the new section so the old church can be converted into the front of the new temple, he said.

It will take up to two years to finish the entire temple at a cost of $2 million to $4 million, Das said. "All the money is being raised in our group, some from banks and some from members," he said.

"We have 50 to 75 families that make a monthly pledge," member Stoka Krsna Das said.

Sacikumar Das said the current center draws 100 to 200 people every Sunday for what he called the Love Feast, when all visitors are given a free meal. "In two to three years, we expect 500 people" to attend Sunday services for ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, also called the Hare Krishnas, he said. The new facility will allow ISKCON Naperville to offer at least four hours of services daily.

"ISKCON is not a religion. It's not sectarian. It's a lifestyle change," Krsna Das said. "We have a large population of not just Indians but open-minded Americans willing to try this lifestyle."

Krsna Das said the group's teachings center on four principles: no meat consumption, no gambling, no intoxicants, no illicit sex.

"I know my kids won't drink, go to bars, do stupid stuff. I'm at peace," Krsna Das said. "I see other people; they're worried about their kids coming home at night." ISKCON offers a solution to the current "era of kaliyuga. People are lazy, misguided, quarrelsome and do not want to do anything," he said.

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ISKCON was founded by Srila Prabhupada, who built 108 temples after coming to the United States from India in the late 1960s, said Krsna Das. The Hare Krishna movement received considerable attention as a result of the founder's association with musician George Harrison and today includes more than 500 centers around the world.

Diane Moca is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Julian Middle School eighth-graders Imogen Schneller, from left, Ophelia Puccinelli and Olivia Galic count donations they collected for Save the Sea Turtle during the school's lunch period May 18. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)

Students, staff and parents of Julian Middle School were in a giving mood Thursday afternoon as eighth-grade students raised $1,040 for a dozen charitable organizations.

Students spent weeks researching different groups they wanted to fundraise for and made their final presentations to their peers during the three lunch periods.

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Maddie Howe chose Girls Education International, which provides educational opportunities for young women all across the world.

"In a lot of developing countries, there is not a lot of access to education for girls," Howe said. "They set up a stable flow of money to be put toward schools. We are grateful for our education here, but we know a lot of people don't have that."

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Students set up tables around the lunchroom with information, posters, visuals and giveaways to entice donors to choose their charity.

Students Elena Lynch and Ava Schutte chose Doctors Without Borders, a cause that both said they identified with.

"They send medical aid to Third World countries," Lynch said. "We feel we neglect Third World countries, but we can help them by sending aid."

The two had contacted the organization prior to the fundraiser, and they were eager to see how much they could help out.

"We're hoping to raise as much money as possible during these lunch periods," Schutte said.

Julian Middle School principal Todd Fitzgerald talks to students about donating to various charities and organizations during the school's lunch period May 18. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)

One of the more popular organizations receiving aid was Planned Parenthood, which was represented by students Sarah Frickx and Jaida Hill.

"We're both very active in the areas of women's rights," Frickx said. "Access to Planned Parenthood is a great thing for women to have. Our classmates have been overwhelmingly supportive."

While the organization may seem controversial, Hill said they wanted to spread awareness of Planned Parenthood's other services, which may be vital for some women.

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"It's not just abortion, it helps with reproductive and medical services, too," Hill said. "A lot of people really need these services. [Our classmates] have been giving a lot."

The event was emceed by teacher Ashley Kannan, who helped bring attention to each student's table and charity.

"Whatever money they raise is more money than these organizations had before, and that's incredible," Kannan said.

Other organizations represented by the students include the World Wildlife Fund, Covenant House, UNICEF USA, the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association, the Chicago Park District, the Primo Center for Women and Children, Feed My Starving Children, Save the Sea Turtle and the ACLU.

sschering@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @steveschering
Post-Tribune Columnist Phil Potempa with his parents Chester and Peggy, and his Aunt Lillian Potempa, right, following his May 1992 graduation at Valparaiso University. (Provied by Valparaiso University / Post-Tribune)

Sunday marks the 143rd commencement ceremony at Valparaiso University.

There will be 772 undergraduate degree diplomas being bestowed, in addition to those also graduating from the graduate and law degree programs.

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The first commencement exercises on the VU campus were in 1859. While Valparaiso University is famous as having the largest collegiate chapel in the United States and founded in Lutheran faith, the original campus school was started by members of the Methodist faith that same year.

President Henry Baker Brown, who came from Ohio and took over the small Methodist school in 1873 and rechartered it as the Northern Indiana Normal School, and then Valparaiso College, before 1907, when it became Valparaiso University.

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As the campus expanded, it adding medical and dental school programs, and by 1910 Valparaiso University was one of the largest American universities, second in size only to Harvard. At the time, VU was known as The Poor Man's Harvard, according to historical documents. Brown died a century ago on Sept. 16, 1917.

I graduated with my degree in journalism from Valparaiso University in 1992. On the day of the ceremony I recall beaming with pride that I was part of campus history and ready for an exciting career and the many opportunities ahead. My parents, Chester and Peggy, as well as my Auntie Lilly drove up from our farm and attended the commencement exercises. Patricia Downing, the director of university relations, happened to snap a photo of me cradling my diploma surrounded by my family, capturing an image from that May day that I still cherish today.

It makes me smile to read about the many men and women who have graduated from VU and have achieved successiety.

Many people recognize the face of Emmy award-winning actress Beulah Bondi, who appeared as the mother of Jimmy Stewart's character in "It's a Wonderful Life." She was born and raised in Valparaiso and graduated from Valparaiso University.

After she starred opposite Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore and Franchot Tone in the 1936 film "The Gorgeous Hussy," Bondi was nominated for a 1937 Academy Award in the newly created category of Best Supporting Actress."

Bondi, who in 1981, earned her bachelor's degree in 1916 and her master's degree in 1918.

JoBe Cerny, who originally is from Cicero, Ill., and is a 1970 graduate of Valparaiso University, was hired in 1987 to assume the vocal duties for the Pillsbury Doughboy.

I've talked many times with Cerny,and he occasionally makes it back to VU for events. Besides his Doughboy vocals, I still think of him as he was known to millions on TV, as the Cheer detergent man, the poker-faced soul who would faithfully push laundry soap without ever saying a word. Cerny usually was shown gripping a soiled shirt in each hand and plunging them into sudsy water to reveal the results based on each detergent brand.

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Today, Cerny, 59, is founder and president of Cerny/American Creative, the Chicago-based production company that offers creative services for film companies and advertising agencies.

Jay W. Christopher, a 1967 graduate of Valparaiso University, helped build the success of the Pampered Chef, which was founded by his wife, Doris, in 1980.

A member of the Valparaiso University Board of Directors, Christopher was named 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The couple made a generous $15 million donation for the campus to build a new library center in 2002, the same year they sold Pampered Chef to Warren Buffett.

In addition to the achievements of the students and alumni, much of the continued success of Valparaiso University is due to the leadership of the various presidents throughout the decades.

Here are two recipes, courtesy of past presidents at VU. The first German dumpling recipe with round steak is from Betty Kretzmann, wife of President O.P. Kretzmann, who led the campus from 1940 to 1968. The second recipe for beef shish kabobs from the wife of A.G. Huegli, who succeeded Kretzmann as VU's president from 1968 to 1978. Both recipes were provided by the Valparaiso University Library Archives, courtesy of the VU Women's Guild Cookbooks.

Columnist Philip Potempa has published three cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. Mail questions to: From the Farm, P.O. Box 68, San Pierre, IN 46374.

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pmpotempa@comhs.org

O.P. Kretzmann's Favorite Steak and Dumplings

Makes 2 servings

Steak

2 pounds round steak, cut into small pieces

Shortening, as needed

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1/3 cup vinegar

1 onion, chopped fine

3 bay leaves

Dumplings

3 cups water-soaked bread, with crusts on

1 tablespoon shortening

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1 egg

Dash of nutmeg

1. Brown meat in shortening in a hot skillet. Add vinegar, onion and bay leaves. Simmer for 2 hours, adding water as needed.

2. To make dumplings, squeeze all of the water from the bread. Heat shortening in frying pan and fry bread until dry. Allow fried bread to cool in a bowl. Add egg and nutmeg to bread and combine.

3. Mold combined dough into small balls and cook in a pot of boiling salted water. Once dumplings rise to the top of water, remove and serve with steak and pan gravy.

Mrs. Huegli's Easy Beef Shish-Kabobs

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Makes 2 servings

1 pound sirloin steak, cubed in 2-inch pieces

2 cups Italian dressing

1 cup large, fresh mushrooms, rinsed

1 large green bell pepper, cut into large chunks

1/2 large sweet onion, cut into quarters

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6 cherry tomatoes

Wood skewers

1. Marinate cubed steak and mushrooms in salad dressing for two hours.

2. On wood skewers, alternate the meat and mushrooms with the various vegetable pieces.

3. Turning skewers often, cook over hot grill flame or in broiler until meat has reached desired level of tenderness.
Fr. George Pappas blesses riders with holy water during the third-annual Motorcycle Blessing at the American Legion Post 430 on Sunday. (Suzanne Tennant/Post-Tribune )

Ekaterina Hatzikostantis had it all worked out Sunday afternoon, according to her mom.

The 9-year-old from LaPorte, one of the stars of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral's third-annual Motorcycle Blessing and Bike Run, asked her mother, Sonja Hatzikostantis, the one thing that chills all mothers to their cor: She wanted to ride with the bikers.

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And although Ekaterina is in remission from a rare brain cancer, she wasn't ready to take that chance.

"She asked, 'If someone wants to take me on a motorcycle, will you let me?'" Hatzikostantis said, as the little girl with the dark hazel eyes and pink leopard-print headband beamed. "I told her if Tommy wanted to take her, I would consider it."

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Tommy Papadapoulos, co-founder of the church's ride with Emmanuel Papadakis, had his hands full with organizer duties since the ride had grown to 275 people this year. The bikers, including law enforcement, gunned their engines as the Revs. Ted Poteres and George Pappas winged holy water at them to bestow blessings and safety.

The ride itself was blessed with sun and generosity, as a silent auction topped off the event.

"Anything I do, I want to do better the next time," Papadapoulos said. "I'm overwhelmed by everyone's help, and it will be bigger next year, I promise."

Even Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, sent words of encouragement to Merrillville, church spokesman John Ackerman said.

"He said, 'I had people ask me at a blessing in Chicago last week, 'Why would you bless motorcyles?' And I said, 'Why wouldn't we? We bless everything else,'" he said. "This is often a group who gets discriminated against because people think they're this or that, but here's a group who raises money for people."

The two-pronged event, which allows bikers to get their rides blessed for the year as well as raises money for church members like Ekaterina and other causes, was moved to American Legion Post 430 in Merrillville because it coincided with the church's namesake day, according to Poteres. The post was happy to donate its space.

"(Several church members) helped us remodel the bar, including the memorials to the Merrillville police and fire departments," Post 430 Operations Manager Nan Akey said. "We're always here for first-responders and any fundraisers having to do with kids."

And the Hatzikostantises couldn't be more grateful. Diagnosed in January 2015, Ekaterina is now back in school and on course to enter the fourth grade, and the church's help played a significant role.

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"How sweet it is," Sonja Hatzikostantis said. "We've received so much support and have made so many friends through all of this."

And Ekaterina not only walked out with her health restored, but a philanthropic heart.

"I'll support childhood cancer, maybe with a bike ride," she said. "I've not been on a big bike before."

Legion Post 430, Helping Hands food pantry and St. Jude House will also benefit from event proceeds.

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for The Post-Tribune.
Pueblo judge orders competency evaluation in election tampering case

A judge has issued a gag order in the election tampering case of Richard Patton and ordered Patton to be evaluated for competency to stand trial.
A fapiao is a legal receipt that serves as proof of purchase for goods and services. The larger fapiao invoice system, however, is an essential component of Chinas tax law, and compliance for businesses.

The countrys tax authorities require businesses to use fapiao to compel companies to pay tax in advance on their future sales. In this way, Chinas fapiao invoice system serves as a paper warranty against tax evasion, unlike other countries where invoices serve as a tax receipt.

The State Administration of Tax (SAT) prints, distributes, and administers fapiao. These authorities then require all businesses to purchase relevant fapiao, according to their business scope.

Foreign businesspeople and companies should take the time to understand the fapiao system: individuals need fapiao to reclaim business expenses, while companies must record all business transactions on a fapiao.

A solid understanding of the system is therefore a critical requirement.

Types of Fapiao

There are two major categories of fapiao  general fapiao and special value-added tax (VAT) fapiao. The main difference between the two is that the latter can be used for tax deduction purposes, while the former cannot.

Since the VAT fapiao is used for tax deduction purposes, it will contain a lot more detailed information including the traders tax code, address, telephone number, and bank account information.

Additionally, the purchase amount on a VAT fapiao is usually explicitly broken down into its taxable and non-taxable components, while the amount shown on the general fapiao is usually a tax-inclusive figure.

Given the different types of fapiao, companies should check with an accountant to confirm which type of fapiao they need before making any fapiao purchases with the tax authority.

General VAT fapiao

General VAT fapiao are used as evidence of payment where special VAT fapiao do not apply. There are two formats of general VAT fapiao  the normal general VAT invoices and the roll invoices.

Although taxpayers can choose either type at their own will, the latter are mainly used in the life services industry. The most common taxpayers for general VAT fapiao are generally:

Business tax taxpayers;

VAT small-scale taxpayers; and,

VAT general taxpayers who are not allowed to issue special VAT invoices (such as general commercial taxpayers who retail cigarettes, alcohol, food, clothing, shoes and hats, makeup, and other consumer goods).

Enterprises or individuals who are not able to issue special VAT fapiao should issue general fapiao when selling commodities, providing taxable services, or conducting other operating activities.

Special VAT fapiao

Special VAT fapiao are issued by general taxpayers to customers when selling commodities or providing taxable services. Special VAT fapiao cannot be issued for sales of tax-free commodities.

A special VAT Invoice comprises of the following three basic copies:

Bookkeeping copy  a bookkeeping voucher for the issuer;

a bookkeeping voucher for the issuer; Deduction copy  a tax deduction voucher for the customer who made the purchase; and,

a tax deduction voucher for the customer who made the purchase; and, Invoice copy  a bookkeeping voucher for the customer.

The number of fapiao that may be printed, and the capital value of each individual fapiao, are subject to quotas. The companys local tax bureau determines the quotas based on the taxpayers actual manufacturing and/or business operation status.

The local tax bureau determines the status after the taxpayer submits a maximum invoice amount application. For invoice applications that amount to over RMB 100,000 (US$14,458), authorities conduct a site inspection for the applicant.

Once the tax bureau has approved the quotas for the special VAT invoice, a taxpayer can print invoices using the tax bureaus printers, which are specially designed and integrated into the tax system. To receive training to use special fapiao printers, one or more company staff are required to visit the local tax bureau.

If a company exceeds the quota approved by the tax bureau, the company can either apply for a temporary value increase, or obtain additional fapiao. Often the latter is easier for businesses.

Fapiao liability in China

The severity of mishandling a companys fapiao system should not be underestimated  if a company fails to produce a fapiao when requested to by a customer, this constitutes an illegal act, as all business transactions are required by law to be recorded on a fapiao.

For individual consumers, fapiao act as proof of expenditure in cases where they need to reclaim business expenses. It is a customers responsibility to obtain fapiao from a service provider, as they are not always automatically offered.

To streamline the fapiao issuing process, the popular social media app WeChat has launched a new function allowing users to input relevant corporate tax information and present it to service providers in the form of a scannable QR code.

If a business owner is unable or unwilling to provide a fapiao, customers have to right to report the company to the local tax bureau.

To minimize liabilities, and ensure compliance, many businesspeople consult with professional advisers to understand best fapiao practices for their company and industry.

Editors note: This article was originally published on August 13, 2013, and has been updated to include the latest regulatory changes.
Chinese authorities on Sunday announced a reform plan for the country's oil and gas industry, eyeing better efficiency and competitiveness by giving market a decisive role in the sector.

The plan was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, or the cabinet.

"Market should play a decisive role in resource allocation and the government role should be better played in order to safeguard national energy security, boost productivity and meet people's needs," according to the reform guideline.

The long-awaited reform of the sprawling state-controlled sector is a priority for Chinese authorities as the world's second largest economy is slowing amid cyclical and structural changes.

The reform is also a key plank of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan for 2016-2020.

The plan reaffirmed the leadership's commitment to deepening the reform of state-owned oil and gas companies, encouraging eligible enterprises to diversify their shareholder base and introduce mixed-ownership reform.

The prime goal of mixed-ownership reform is to create a flexible and efficient market-oriented mechanism with the incorporation of private shareholders, to improve the management of state-owned companies.

According to the plan, efforts should be made to advance reshuffling of the oil and gas industry based on work specialization. Engineering companies and oil and gas equipment manufacturers are encouraged to perform as independent enterprises.

State-owned oil and gas companies should "keep fit to stay healthy", free themselves from running social services, and explore ways to sort out problems left over from history.

China's oil and gas sector is dominated by three state-owned heavyweights: China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) and China National Offshore Oil Corp.

The trio of giants have long been accused of monopolizing the oil and gas resources with redundant workers and low efficiency.

The reform calls for the participation of eligible enterprises in the prospect and development of regular oil and gas resources which used to be dominated by state-owned companies.

Dong Xiucheng, with China University of Petroleum, said the reform will give competitive firms easier market access whether it is state-owned or private.

Gas companies are encouraged to split sales and pipeline businesses in a step by step manner in order to promote a market-based pricing mechanism. The pricing mechanism of fuel and diesel should also be more market-oriented, while government should step in when abnormal price fluctuations occur.

Private capital is welcomed to invest in and run oil and gas storage facilities.

Oil heavyweights have begun to take actions. Sinopec Group plans to cooperate with private companies in sales of refined oil, while the CNPC said it will allow private companies to hold no more than 49 percent of stake in oil exploration businesses.

China aims to increase domestic crude oil output to 200 million tonnes by 2020, while supply capacity for natural gas should exceed 360 billion cubic meters, according to government plan published in January.

China will add 1 billion tonnes of proven oil reserves annually from 2016 to 2020, and the proven reserves of natural gas will reach 16 trillion cubic meters by 2020.
Experts at the ongoing Middle East Investment Summit 2017 in Dubai said Monday that China is leading the global emerging markets boom in 2017, which is expected to see combined GDP rise of 4.6 percent.

Renowned Singapore-based fund manager Mark Mobius, Executive Chairman at Temepleton said here on Monday he expects the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 70 emerging markets globally to rise by 4.6 percent in 2017 compared to 1.8 percent in the developed world, with China taking a lead based on a rising middle class and the growing Internet usage.

Delivering a key note at the two-day Middle East Investment Summit 2017 organised by UK research firm Terrapinn which started today, Mobius said "China's population has a 22 percent world share in internet usage, its young tech-savvy population and the fast expanding tech-firms like e-commerce giant Alibaba Group are only two factors why we are bullish for China."

Online sales in China were outshining sales in the developing world, said Mobius. Major western consumer goods giants like Dutch-British firm Unilever "are technically emerging markets firms as Unilever generates 60 percent of its revenues in the emerging world, with China again taking a lead."

"Alibaba's recorded sales revenue on the China's shopping festival Singles Day, which takes place always on the 11th of November in China, reached 17.8 billion dollars in 2016."

He urged investors "not to look at the value of Chinese imports, but at the quantity." While China's iron ore and oil imports for example declined, "both the quantity of imported iron ore and oil both rose constantly in the last two years. It is the quantity what counts, not the value as newspapers often suggest in their reports," he said.

On market timing, Mobius said "you should invest into emerging market shares when you have money. The GDP value gap between emerging and developed countries is still huge and as an investor you can only benefit from the low and middle income economies catching-up-race which will last for next decades."
A pilot area for the internationalization of education on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was officially launched on Sunday in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province.

With the aim of training TCM talent and better promoting TCM globally, the pilot area was jointly planned by the Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and pharmaceutical firm Jiangzhong Group.

A set of programs will be carried out, including the training of internationally oriented TCM professionals, as well as programs on international communication and cooperation in TCM education.

Under the programs, more foreign students and doctors will have a chance to receive TCM training in China, and TCM documents will be translated into more foreign languages. More Chinese talent with a command of TCM knowledge and foreign languages will be cultivated.

Wang Guoqiang, deputy head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission and head of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said the training of talent is a priority in promoting TCM abroad, which is an integral part of people-to-people exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative.
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Four teams of inspectors are undertaking a month-long investigation into online pornography and fake news organizations across 11 Chinese provincial-level regions.

The investigation, which will finish May 26, aims to clean up "harmful" information online, targeting live-streaming, cloud service providers, mobile apps and websites circulating pornographic content, the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications said Monday.

Inspectors are also tasked with looking into news blackmailing, fake news, journalists and media organizations, said the statement.

Jointly launched by China's various anti-pornography, publicity and Internet-related authorities, the investigation is being carried out in areas including Beijing and Shanghai municipalities, as well as provinces of Guizhou, Jiangxi and Shaanxi.
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday ordered the convening of a national security council meeting at the presidential Blue House after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-launched a ballistic missile earlier in the day.

Presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun told a press briefing that President Moon issued the order after receiving a report from Chung Eui-yong, who was appointed earlier in the day as top presidential security advisor.

The national security council meeting, which started at about 6:00 p.m. local time (0900 GMT), was chaired by Chung who leads the National Security Office of the Blue House.

According to local media reports, Moon currently stayed in his private home in the country's southeastern region and was scheduled to be on a one-day leave Monday to plan a future state management.

The DPRK fired an unidentified ballistic missile from Pukchang in the north of the country's capital Pyongyang at about 4:59 p.m. local time (0759 GMT), according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It flew about 500 kilometers and landed in waters off the DPRK's east coast. The South Korean military has been analyzing the details of the ballistic missile.

The Japanese government also confirmed the test-launch.

The missile has fallen into the Sea of Japan but outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, said Japan's top government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

He also said that Japan strongly protests against the DPRK's latest missile launch and is currently gathering information about the launch.
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) top diplomat said on Sunday that "Tehran shall not squander another opportunity" to reset its foreign policy, after reform-oriented and moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won re-election for a second four-year term on Saturday.

"One hopes Iran reset its troubled relations with neighbors," Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on his twitter account.

"Rouhani's moderation has not translated positively in Iran's regional foreign policy," he added, as Iran's "expansionist FP (foreign policy)" has been "disastrous" for the region.

He urged re-elected Rouhani "to switch" to a "respectful Westphalian model" and concentrate on domestic development, referring to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 which ended a 30-year religious war in Europe.

Gargash's comments came with the Riyadh summit, where U.S. President Donald Trump also said Iran was responsible for instability in the Middle East.

While the UAE and Iran enjoy close trade relations, they stand politically apart, as the Gulf Arab states around Saudi Arabia accuse the Islamic republic of destabilizing the region.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition of nine Arab states to support Yemen's internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the fight against the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi group.
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South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday called for the establishment of an independent judicial commission to thoroughly investigate all allegations of "state capture."

"Only through such a commission will we be able to establish the extent to which the institutions of our state have been used to improperly - and illegally - enrich a few individuals and families," Ramaphosa said while giving a lecture in the platinum-mining hub of Rustenburg, North West Province.

He was referring to the Gupta saga in which the wealthy Indian Gupta family allegedly exerts undue influence on President Jacob Zuma in the appointments of cabinet ministers and CEOs of state-owned enterprises.

Both Zuma and the Guptas have denied the allegations.

Last year, South Africa's graft ombudsman recommended the establishment of a judicial commission into the alleged "state capture."

An independent judicial commission would help get to the bottom of these rumours, reports, and allegations, Ramaphosa said.

"We must act to stop all forms of capture, corruption, and cronyism," Ramaphosa noted.

As part of these efforts, the Financial Intelligence Centre Amendment (FICA) bill must now be actively implemented, in particular as it relates to so-called "politically exposed persons," to ensure that there is no space for illicit financial activity, said Ramaphosa.

The bill is aimed at further strengthening the transparency and integrity of the South African financial system in its objectives to combat financial crimes, which include tax evasion, money laundering and the financing of terrorism and illicit financial flows.

In April, Zuma signed the bill into law.

Ramaphosa also said the ruling African National Congress (ANC) must fight rampant corruption and narrow personal enrichment.

Ramaphosa warned that South Africa faces the risk of becoming a mafia state.

"If we are to counter this grave threat, if the ANC is to recover its leadership role in society, then it is absolutely imperative that we act with urgency and purpose," he said.

The ANC must ensure that South Africa does not become a mafia state "because once you reach that state, all the wheels have come off," said Ramaphosa.

The ANC, he said, must implement lifestyle audits of all those in leadership structures.

"We must introduce, as has been proposed by the ANC this week, transparency into party political funding. All of these steps must be implemented without fear or favour. They must not be guided by factional interests," Ramaphosa added.
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Tanzanian police have embarked on a school bus crackdown to ensure that all vehicles carrying schoolchildren are roadworthy.

The crackdown came few days, when 33 pupils, two teachers, and a driver were killed after a school bus plunged into a gorge in northern Tanzania's safari capital of Arusha.

In Tanzania's Lake Zone district of Tarime on Sunday, police announced that five school buses have been deregistered.

Joseph Bukombe, head of traffic police in Tarime/Rorya special zone, said that during the crackdown, 17 school buses were inspected in two districts of Tarime and Rorya since the crackdown started one week ago.

Tanzanian government had directed schools in the east African nation to meet the required standards to ensure the safety of children.

Bukombe said that the deregistered school buses were of poor quality to be allowed to carry pupils.

"They must have their buses good, well checked, with good tires, seat belt and comfortable seats. Drivers should also be careful and adhere to traffic regulations," said Bukombe.

He noted that owners of de-registered vehicles should repair them to meet the required standards.

On May 6, 33 pupils, two teachers and a driver from Arusha-based Lucky Vicent primary school died after their bus plunged into Marera River Gorge in Karatu District.
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Three Indian army troopers and four militants were killed in a fierce gunfight near Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said Sunday.

The gunfight, according to Indian army officials, broke out Saturday in Nowgam sector of frontier Kupwara district, about 125 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

On first day of the gunfight, two militants and two troopers were killed.

The stand-off lasted for more that 24 hours as firing between the troopers and militants continued throughout Sunday.

"Four militants were killed in a gunfight during an operation in Nowgam sector so far," Indian military spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia told Xinhua. "While fighting these militants, three of our soldiers attained martyrdom."

Indian army officials said the militants were trying to infiltrate into Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to Kalia, the search operation was going on in the area.

Following the gunfight on Saturday, the army rushed additional reinforcements to the area to take on militants.

Officials said they have recovered four assault rifles and some ammunition from the spot.

Since the beginning of this month, a flare up was witnessed along LoC between troops of India and Pakistan.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

Militant groups are engaged in a guerilla war with Indian troops in the region since 1989. Gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently.
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Two suspected members of Islamic State jihadist group were killed in police raid on Sunday in the Turkish capital Ankara, said the governor Ercan Topaca.

Earlier, the two suspects were driven to Ankara from Istanbul by a third individual, who confessed to planning an attack after being detained in an Istanbul police operation, Governor said.

The third individual told officers he was an IS member and directed them to an Ankara address where the two other suspected IS members were located, Topaca said.

The two individuals responded to the police raid by attempting to engage in a gunfight.

Weapons, hand grenades and IEDs with high explosive power were found in the residence, Topaca added.

On the same day, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will hold its extraordinary congress in Ankara. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to rejoin the party and become its chairman.
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A mosque in downtown Manama, capital of Bahrain. [File photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that the ties of his country with Bahrain will be stronger and won't face tension after today, Al Arabiya local news reported.

He highlighted that as part of his two-day visit to Riyadh when he met with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in the sideline of U.S.-Gulf summit.

"Relations between the two countries are great, although there were some tensions before that won't exist in the current management. We will build long term ties based on common grounds," he said.

The former U.S administration backed the Shiite opposition in Bahrain since the beginning of unrest in 2011, despite Bahrain is one of its alliance.

Bahrain's Chief of Public Security, Major-General Tariq Al Hassan announced last week that since 2011, more than 3,300 policemen had been injured and 20 had died which was a high price paid by Bahrain.

Meanwhile the summit discussed regional security threats and commercial ties between the U.S. and Gulf countries.
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Finnish authorities on Sunday demanded that a Finnish national abducted in Kabul, Afghanistan, should be released immediately.

The Finnish Foreign Ministry confirmed earlier that a Finnish citizen was kidnapped following an attack in Kabul Sunday. Media reports said a foreigner and a local bodyguard were killed in the attack.

Finnish media said the abducted person was a Finnish woman employed by the Swedish aid group "Operation Mercy". The organization confirmed to the Swedish news agency TT that one of its workers was missing.

The Finnish Foreign Ministry did not give the name of the abducted person. Ministry spokesperson Karoliina Romanoff told national broadcaster Yle that the only detail she could give was that there was no information about the kidnappers.

The ministry's travel advisories warned against any travel to Afghanistan due to the security situation.

Currently there are 35 Finnish civilians and some 30 soldiers in Afghanistan, according to the ministry.
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A supporter of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani celebrates victory in Tehran, Iran, May 21, 2017. Iran's incumbent moderate President Hassan Rouhani won the presidential election by garnering 57 percent of the votes, the Interior Ministry announced Saturday. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

An Iranian army general on Sunday refuted the comments by the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for urging a policy shift in Tehran's conduct during President Hassan Rouhani's second term, Tasnim news agency reported.

The only way to peace in the Middle East is a pull-out of the U.S. forces from the region, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri said.

During his Saudi Arabia visit, Tillerson said Saturday that he hopes the re-election of Rouhani would prompt changes to Tehran's approach to "terrorism and human rights."

Tillerson urged Iran's re-elected president to dismantle the alleged "network of terrorism" and to end ballistic missile tests.

He made the remarks at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh.

In the reaction, Jazayeri urged the United States for what he called an end to the "aggressive and terrorist operations against independent states" by the assistance of "reactionary regimes" in the region.

Besides, no factor could hinder Iran's defense programs, he said, describing the boost of Iran's missile defense systems as a top priority for the Islamic republic.
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Meningitis vaccination campaign in Niamey region, Niger. An MSF nurse is vaccinating a teenager in a health center. [Sarah Pierre / MSF]

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has deployed several emergency teams in Niger in order to contain the meningitis C outbreak that has been affecting many of the country's regions since March. Working closely with the Ministry of Public Health, MSF teams have vaccinated more than 358,800 people in the most affected areas. At the same time, MSF is continuing to monitor at-risk areas, and is providing medical care for those affected by the disease.

Between 1 January and 7 May, there were 179 deaths from meningitis out of a total of 3,037 recorded cases. The majority of cases occurred in the west of the country. Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial disease that causes serious infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. In response to the outbreak, which was declared by the Ministry of Public Health at the end of March, MSF supported the health authorities with a vaccination campaign, targeting the regions of Niamey, Tillabery, Dosso and Tahoua.

Niger is part of the 'meningitis belt'  a region that stretches across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia. Niger, like 25 other countries in the region, is regularly affected by this disease. Cases of meningitis C have been on the rise for several years, first in Nigeria in 2013 and 2014, and in Niger since 2015.

So far, the number of meningitis cases recorded across Niger has almost doubled compared to 2016 during the same period. Sixty-five percent have been verified as cases of meningitis C, the main strain of this epidemic, and 18 percent verified as strain X.

More than 358,800 people between two and 20 years of age were vaccinated in the 24 health areas that had reached alert or epidemic thresholds. In order to implement the vaccination campaign in the areas affected by meningitis, 341,000 vaccine doses were provided by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on vaccine provision. The rest of the vaccines were supplied by the Ministry of Public Health.

"As with the meningitis outbreaks of previous years, we have responded to the emergency in areas where the population has been the most affected. Our teams have supported the Ministry of Public Health in managing the vaccination campaign in several districts of the town of Niamey, and also in the regions of Tillabery, Dosso and Tahoua where more than 75 percent of cases have been recorded", explains Felix Kouassi, head of Mission for MSF in Niger.

"Vaccination plays a vital role in coping with the burden of this disease. That is why it is important that manufacturers are able to guarantee a sufficient global quantity of vaccinations and at an affordable price".

Since the beginning of the year, MSF has been working with the Ministry of Public Health on rapidly treating meningitis patients and on monitoring areas at high risk.

This has been done in parallel with the vaccination response. MSF supported three hospitals and 24 health centers in the regions of Niamey, Dosso, Tillabery and Tahoua by providing them with equipment such as drugs, rapid diagnostic tests, laboratory kits, lumbar puncture needles, syringes and even mattresses. MSF also reinforced medical staff when it came to rapid case detection and optimal case management.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has wrapped up a two-day tour to Saudi Arabia that aimed to "reset" U.S. relations with the conflict-laden region, although his statements revealed more ambiguities than explicitness in dealing with the spiny problems in the Middle East.

The visit came as the dynamics between the United States and the region's major players are moving in unpredictable directions. The following listed some major highlights that have hit the headlines in Trump's stay in Riyadh.

Whopping arm sales

Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud signed defense and business deals worth 280 billion U.S. dollars, which analysts said eyes to shore up the U.S.-Saudi defense ties and represents the most substantial gain of his first overseas trip since taking office.

According to local Al Arabiya news, U.S. defense contractor Raytheon announced partnership with Saudi military industries, under which Raytheon's Arab branch will help develop smart weapons and air defense systems in Saudi Arabia.

Boeing Company also announced that Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy Chinook helicopters, associated support services and guided weapons systems, and purchase P-8 surveillance aircraft. The company also said it will negotiate the sale of up to 16 widebody airplanes to Saudi Gulf Airlines.

U.S. General Electric (GE) also signed 15-billion-dollar deals with Saudi Arabia to boost the latter's non-oil economy.

However, the whopping military deals have sparked concerns both in Israel and Iran.

Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli senior Cabinet minister and confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Saudi Arabia is "a hostile country" and the deal was "definitely something that should trouble us."

Meanwhile, in the first reaction to Trump's visit after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's re-election to a second term, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also tweeted on Sunday that Washington may be "milking" Saudi Arabia, Tehran's Gulf rival, of billions' dollars.

"Iran -- fresh from real elections -- attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?" Zarif tweeted.

Uncertainties in U.S. Middle East policies

In the just-concluded Arab Islamic American summit, Trump delivered a speech, the centerpiece of his tour, to leaders of 55 Islamic countries, which many analysts said indicates his ambiguities on Middle East policy.

In his 30-minute speech, Trump called on Arab leaders to do their fair share to "drive out" terrorism from their countries. "A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists," he said.

"Drive them out! Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this earth," he added.

Trump's signature term "radical Islamic terrorism" was reportedly not included in the speech. Instead, he used "Islamist extremism," which refers to Islamism as political movement rather than Islam as a religion, a distinction that he had frequently attacked his predecessor Barack Obama for making.

Trump had frequently attacked Muslims on the campaign trail last year and tried to ban many from entering the United States since taking office. But according to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, he "is clearly indicating that this fight ... has nothing to do with religion. It has nothing to do with country. It has nothing to do with ethnicity."

On the other high-profile issue of Iran, Trump held Tehran responsible for training armed groups in the wars in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and urged the international community to isolate the country.

However, Tillerson hinted on Saturday that he was open to direct talks with Iran. "I've never shut off the phone to anyone that wants to talk or have a productive conversation ... At this point, I have no plans to call my counterpart in Iran, although in all likelihood we will talk at the right time."

Long-stalled Israel-Palestine peace deal

Another highlight of Trump's tour is his readiness in the coming two-day visit to Israel to work with it and Palestine, in a bid to dispel the two sides' historical grudges, resume the long-stalled peace talks and mull a deal based on those.

So far, the president has offered few indications as of how he plans to achieve the goals above-mentioned, which so many of his predecessors could not.

Israeli observers became wary of the possible tougher line Trump would take on Jewish settlements building in the West Bank, as the latter has urged Israeli restraint in this regard.

The new White House host has also seemed to retreat from his campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A White House official speaking on condition of anonymity said lately that Trump believed that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital "would not be wise at this time."

Adding to Tel Aviv's concerns, U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster voiced support last week for Palestinian "self-determination."

Trump's relations with Tel Aviv has been at stake, as he was revealed to have disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the IS with top Russian officials, without Israel's permission.

The last round of talks reached an impasse on April 2014, mainly over Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.

Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that Trump will ask the Israelis to curb the expansion of the settlements and call on the Palestinians to halt funding Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and stop the "incitement" against Israel.

The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So far, the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and no foreign countries have based their embassies in the city.
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At least five people were killed when a bomb went off near the vehicle of pro-government peace militiamen in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Khyber Agency on Monday, local Urdu media reported.

Express News said that the vehicle was targeted when four militiamen and a paramilitary person were on their way back after meeting with a tribal elder in Tirah Valley area of Khyber Agency, a semi-autonomous tribal region along Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The vehicle was completely destroyed in the attack and all the five people onboard were killed right at the spot.

Local political administration said that the vehicle was targeted by a remote controlled device by unknown militants who fled the scene after the explosion.

Security forces cordoned off the area following the attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday said that U.S. President Donald Trump's recent anti-Iran remarks aimed at "milking" Saudi Arabia, Tasnim news agency reported.

"Iran, fresh from real elections, attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) of 480 billion U.S. dollars?" Zarif twitted on Monday speaking of Saudi Arabia.

The remarks by Zarif came in response to Trump's recent anti-Tehran remarks in Riyadh and his arms sale deal with the Saudis.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump called on the regional countries to isolate Iran which, he said, had "fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror."

On Sunday, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Brig. Gen. Massoud Jazayeri, refuted the comments by the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for urging a policy shift in Tehran's conduct during President Hassan Rouhani's second term.

The only way to peace in the Middle East is a pull-out of the U.S. forces from the region, Jazayeri said.

During his Saudi Arabia visit, Tillerson said Saturday that he hopes the re-election of Rouhani would prompt changes to Tehran's approach to "terrorism and human rights."

Tillerson urged Iran's re-elected president to dismantle the alleged "network of terrorism" and to end ballistic missile tests.

He made the remarks at a news conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh.

In the reaction, Jazayeri urged the United States for what he called an end to the "aggressive and terrorist operations against independent states" by the assistance of "reactionary regimes" in the region.

Besides, no factor could hinder Iran's defense programs, he said, describing the boost of Iran's missile defense systems as a top priority for the Islamic republic.
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China is investigating six Japanese citizens on suspected illegal activities, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing that the six Japanese nationals were suspected of engaging in illegal activities, and China has informed the Japanese consulate of their detainment.

Kyodo News previously reported that China had detained six Japanese in March, three each in Shandong and Hainan provinces.

When asked to comment on a New York Times report, which said several U.S. Central Intelligence Agency sources had been captured in China in recent years, Hua said she was not aware of the situation mentioned in the New York Times report, but said that "Chinese security authorities are following their legal mandate to carry out investigations about organizations, personnel and actions that harm Chinese national security and interests and handle relevant affairs."
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TEL AVIV, Israel, May 22 (Xinhua) U.S. President Donald Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday, kicking off the second leg of his Middle East visit in Israel and the West Bank.

The presidential Air Force One plane touched the ground at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv just after noon, where Trump was accepted in an official ceremony with fanfares and an Israel Defense Forces soldiers' honorary guard.

The welcoming ceremony was also attended by President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, cabinet ministers and senior Jewish, Muslims as well as Christian clergies.

In a short statement session at the airport, Trump gave a speech, saying his visit to Saudi Arabia gave him "new reasons for hope" for peace in the Middle East.

"Let us build together a future where the nations of the region are at peace, and all our children can grow up strong and free from terrorism and violence," he said.

Trump arrived in Israel after concluding Saudi visit, where he met Sunday with King Salman and Muslim leaders. "In that visit, we reached a historic agreement to pursue greater and greater [cooperation] against terrorism," he said.

"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony prosperity and peace," he added.

"But we can only get there working together. There is no other way," he said, addressing the Israeli leaders.

Trump praised the "unbreakable bond" between Israel and the U.S. "We love Israel, we respect Israel," he said.

Netanyahu said he hopes the "remarkable alliance between Israel and the United States will become ever greater, ever stronger" under Trump's term in office.

He warmly welcomed Trump, saying: "on behalf of the government and the entire people of Israel, we welcome you to Israel. May God bless you, Mr. President, may God bless Israel, and may God bless the United States of America."

From the airport, Trump is expected to continue to Jerusalem, where he will meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

His Monday itinerary includes a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in annexed East Jerusalem's Old City, from which he will continue by foot to the Western Wall, a nearby Jewish holy site, where he will be the first U.S. president to visit the site.

On Tuesday, Trump will go to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Also on Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to give a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to conclude his visit, before heading to Europe.

Trump's first official visit will focus on reaffirming the alliance with Israel and his administration's efforts to revive the long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The last round of talks reached an impasse on April 2014, mainly over Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.
An Egyptian artist performs a traditional dance at the first China-Egypt Cultural Expo in Cairo, capital of Egypt, in November 2016. ZHAO DINGZHE / XINHUA

Egypt sees opportunities flowing from Initiative Expert says the country's location is key to mega infrastructure

CAIRO  The Belt and Road Initiative will "open up huge opportunities" for cooperation between Egypt and China in terms of mutual trade and investment, said a top Egyptian researcher.

"The philosophy of the Initiative is based on the concept of development as well as trade," said Mohamed Fayez Farahat, head of the Asian Studies program in the State-run Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims at reviving ancient land and sea trade routes that link China with many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe via trade and infrastructure networks.

"The Initiative by nature provides support for development in Egypt because the maritime path of the Belt and Road Initiative would pass through the Suez Canal," said Farahat who attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Sunday and Monday.

Egypt has recently adopted reform policies and austerity measures, borrowing loans to revive its economy that has been ailing due to the eruption of two uprisings and the ouster of two presidents, which affected investments and tourist inflows.

An Egyptian executive interacts with her Chinese colleague for a project in the economic and trade zone around the Suez Canal. ZHAO DINGZHE / XINHUA

"The Belt and Road Initiative depends on huge financing capabilities and institutions that stand behind it, and Egypt could benefit by getting support and loans for carrying out developmental projects with better and easier conditions, unlike the difficult system of Western financing institutions," Farahat said.

The diversity and the richness of the Initiative's aspects would cover coordinating policies, advancing the infrastructure and integrating the financial cooperation among the partners, thus creating several fields of cooperation with Egypt, he said.

Farahat said logistics, ports, infrastructure and developmental projects would constitute a breakthrough in cooperation between the two countries.

Given the problems facing globalization in recent years, the Asian affairs researcher predicts China will witness "massive transitions".

"China, which represents a successful model in development, essentially based on industrial fields, would pay more attention to the logistics sector to push the train of economic development in the region, including Egypt," he said.

Egypt's parliament recently passed a long-awaited investment law that would create incentives the country needs to bring back investors after years of turmoil.

The new law is expected to boost much-needed investments by cutting down bureaucracy, especially for starting new logistics and port projects around the Suez Canal.

A researcher at work at a Chinese enterprise in Egypt. PAN CHAOYUE / XINHUA

China is the largest investor in the development of Egypt's Suez Canal Corridor which emerged in 1998. The Suez Canal Economic Zone, covering a total area of 461 sq km and comprising four sections and six ports, would facilitate the presence of foreign investors.

"I expect China would contribute largely to enhancing the developmental sector in Egypt, whose peace and stability are the base of those in the Middle East," Farahat said, adding that by supporting Egypt, China would secure those mega infrastructure projects that would pass through the Belt and Road Initiative's path."

As a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Egypt could also benefit from funding its infrastructure projects with easier conditions, he said.

Farahat said the Belt and Road Initiative needs to be publicized at the people level. "The countries and regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative should work on marketing the initiative as a project that the people believe in, which is the challenge now."

He said China enjoys a high level of credibility among the developing and growing countries; it has special ties with different international partners, and its history lacks any negative implications with regard to imperialism or hegemony.

Reiterating that "the Initiative was built on the idea of openness and not conflict", the expert explained the campaign seeks cooperation and integration that manifested in China's memberships in the Arab League, G20, AIIB and the ASEAN.

He also hailed the Initiative because it does not seek conflict with the existing international system but integration with the world financial institutions like the World Bank.

"This is the first time that an international initiative has been launched for development, especially infrastructure, besides trade," Farahat said.
Visitors at the Elizabeth Tower, better known as the Big Ben in London. [Photo/VCG]

Chinese investment is pouring into London's commercial property at an unprecedented rate, according to realtor CBRE, which said there was 2.72 billion pounds ($3.52 billion) of investment in the first quarter of 2017, a sixfold increase year-on-year.

Flagship deals, such as CC Land's purchase in March of London's Leadenhall Building for 1.15 billion pounds, boosted the figures. Smaller deals of 100 million pounds and more also grew in number. Guangzhou's R&F Properties bought Vauxhall Square in April for 158 million pounds, and China Estates purchased 11-12 St James's Square for 175 million pounds.

Chris Brett, CBRE's head of international capital markets, said deals in the pipeline involving Chinese investors, especially those in Hong Kong, were "at an all-time high" .

"The appetite is very strong at present," he said. "Currency changes have played a huge part in this demand."

Since the referendum in June in which British voters chose to leave the European Union, the pound has lost value against the renminbi. At its weakest in October it was down by around 20 percent. Recent depreciation of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar made the UK even more attractive.

Some analysts wondered if CC Land had paid too much for the Leadenhall Building but Eric Pang, head of the China desk at estate agent JLL, said the way in which it is managed will determine its value.

The ability to maintain good relations with anchoring tenants and financiers is crucial, Pang said. Chinese investors can generate returns ranging from 4 percent to the mid-teens from the commercial sector.

Meanwhile, profit margins look good on commercial investments made earlier. Beijing-based property developer ABP, which pledged to invest 1.7 billion pounds on developing a multi-use block near London's City Airport, expects it to generate 3.2 billion pounds, according to chairman Xu Weiping. And Reignwood, another Beijing developer, has invested 500 million pounds since 2010 on turning Ten Trinity Square into a hotel, private-members club and residential block. Ni Songhua, president of Reignwood Investments UK, expects the hotel to pass its breakeven point next year.

Brexit uncertainties are continuing, but the fear of massive job losses to continental Europe has not yet been realized. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank's announcement in March that it had taken out a 25-year lease on its London headquarters, where 7,000 people work, sent a reassuring signal to the commercial property market.

But Pang cautioned that Chinese investors are likely to face competition in future deals, compared with the months after the Brexit vote.
A Huawei logo at a convention to launch the company's cloud computing base and data center in Qingdao. XIE HAO / FOR CHINA DAILY

Branding is emerging as an all-important pillar of the growth in value of Chinese companies  particularly for those in the consumers products and high-tech sectorsaccording to research conducted by universities and market research firms in Shanghai who surveyed some 3,000 companies.

Telecommunications operator China Mobile, carmaker SAIC, gas producer PetroChina, phone and telecommunications services provider Huawei and liquor maker Kweichow Moutai were rated the top five companies with the most powerful brands based on their brands' contribution to business growth and reputation.

About 56 of the top 100 powerful brands are manufacturing companies, according to the research report compiled by the School of Management in Fudan University and SHBEC, a Shanghai-based brand research institute.

The research reviewed corporate investment in branding, innovation, brand management, research and development, finding that companies no longer compete solely on lower prices and large output capacity, but attach increasing importance to quality and innovation.

"Brand is one of the key factors that differentiates market leaders from others, and innovation is key to a brand," the report said.

"Market share, market size and significant sales revenue may keep a brand widely known for a while, but it is continuous innovation that keeps a brand in the market's sight in a fast-changing world," it added.

It found that companies and authorities alike are allocating more resources to brand-building across the nation. In late April, the State Council, China's cabinet, approved a Chinese Brands Day to be held on May 10 each year starting this year.

Influential brands are symbols of the overall competitiveness of companies and countries, and can help lead economic transition, said Wang Dong, a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner.

"China is still short of globally influential brands, although well equipped to accelerate brand development," Wang added.

Experts in the field said that branding is a comprehensive focus of a company that reflects almost all the facets of a corporate entity, from quality of a product and services to social responsibilities, to respecting intellectual property rights.

Zhu Heliang, an expert in branding and director of Chinese brands research center, Capital University of Economics and Business, said Chinese brands needed to focus on innovation and increase relevance to market demand.

"We have some brands with a long history but lacking investment in innovation and branding, so they may appear old-fashioned in today's business environment," Zhu said.

"Innovation in products, services, technologies and channels to communicate these efforts with customers and clients are important."

When going global, Chinese enterprises are realizing the "value added" of a brand, which makes a well-known brand enter a new market much easier, said Liu Pingjun, president of the China Council for Brand Development.

"As more Chinese enterprises operate globally, I believe more Chinese brands will be widely known and more Chinese companies will understand the importance of having reputable brands," Liu said.
A worker stacks hydrovalve products at the Pengsheng Industrial Park, a China-Uzbekistan joint venture located in Uzbekistan's Sirdaryo Viloyati region. SHA DATI / XINHUA

Across the initiative, progress brought by concept is changing people's lives

BEIJING  The Bamyan province in central Afghanistan not long ago had the rare opportunity to witness the world's tallest standing Buddha. In June 2015, a visiting Chinese couple successfully projected it in the Bamyan Valley, utilizing image projection technology, in the process winning cheers from the local people.

It was a symbolic moment, linking the past with the future in a part of the world rich in history and which is on the verge of massive economic change due to a cooperative idea.

Once a prosperous town in Afghanistan in the pre-war period some three and a half decades ago, Bamyan has a strategic location as a major town straddling the ancient Silk Road.

To promote common development and prosperity, China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Since the implementation of the initiative, China, through technological innovation, has brought tangible benefits to economies along the routes.

In Kyrgyzstan, China's high-tech seeds and agricultural technology and skills have helped local families lead a better life.

Sherba Kalimovich, the breadwinner of a big Kyrgyz family, had a harvest several times better than previous years when he began to grow corn with high-tech seeds developed by China.

The Kyrgyz farmer plant the Zheng 1002 and Zheng Huangnuo No 2 corn seeds developed by China's Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and successfully bred in an industrial zone, which was developed by Henan Guiyou Industrial Group in 2011 within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Kalimovich said his cornfield used to produce four metric tons per hectare with the old seeds, and now it produces 10 tons. He added that seed quality is no longer a problem.

In 2014, to answer the call of the Belt and Road Initiative and Go Out policy, China's Zhongtai Group and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with strong support from the Tajik government, jointly started the construction of the Zhongtai New Silk Road Agriculture and Textile Industrial Park in Tajikistan's Dangara Basin.

After just over three years, the industrial park has transformed from blueprint to reality. Three Chinese agricultural and textile companies have entered the park, bringing total investment of 1.1 billion RMB ($160 million) and a whole industry chain of cotton plantation, processing and selling.

The park has enabled the two sides to complement each other. Tajikistan's Dangara Basin enjoys a big temperature difference between day and night, thus local cotton boasts a high quality of thin fiber, high strength and low sugar levels.

However, due to backward plantation technologies and aging agricultural machinery, local cotton growing largely relies on nature which leads to very low production.

Chinese companies, on the other hand, possess advanced cotton growing technologies, delicate textile processing skills and rich capital.

China's technological innovation not only improves the daily life of local people', but is also changing their traditional ways of thinking.

Mitet Zhumabaev, a resident of Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty, has become used to shopping online in his country, thanks to China's AliExpress. That's in a country which has less developed light industry and mainly depends on imports to meet the demand for daily necessities.

As a frequent visitor to the online shopping site, he said the site was very easy and safe to use and he can now buy cheap and quality Chinese products without leaving home.

"AliExpress provides an excellent shopping experience," Zhumabaev said.

Two thousand years ago, China-produced silk opened up the ancient routes, and at present, China's idea has again connected economies along the Belt and Road.

The hope and expectation is that the new routes will reproduce the glories of the past.
Visitors take a look at hearing aid products at Sonova Global Hearing Institute, launched in Suzhou on May 5. REN ZHENGLAI / XINHUA

Sonova, the biggest hearing aid maker globally by revenue, said that it is aiming to drive up sales in China, whose population suffers the world's highest levels of hearing loss, with the help of its newly-opened international training institute in Jiangsu province.

Sonova Global Hearing Institute, situated in the city of Suzhou next to the Swiss group's manufacturing base in China, is a training center that offers both theory and practical experience for hearing care staff.

The center, the first international training institute the company has set up, kicked off on Friday and is projected to enroll up to 30 students every month.

The latest national survey showed that there are 27.8 million people in China born or affected with hearing problems.

In contrast, there are only 10,000 certified professionals in the country who can prescribe tailored hearing solution for rehabilitation. The number of universities offering audiology degrees numbers just four.

Like the short or longsighted who need glasses, people with hearing loss also require personalized consultation from professionals before deciding which hearing aids to buy.

Leonard Marshall, vice president of Sonova Asia Pacific, noted that the shortage of hearing professionals was one of the key challenges for the company and said there were insufficient hearing health-care services in China.

"The focus of the global institute is of course China, that's why it's in China," said Marshall, at the center's opening ceremony.

Sonova has three manufacturing bases internationally. In 2016, the Suzhou factory produced more than 2.5 million hearing aids. Although Suzhou's output supplies the global market, there is a focus on tailor-made hearing aids at the Suzhou factory to meet the surging demand for personalized devices from Asian customers, who are willing to pay more.

"I think it's going to drive business in China, with the growing number of certified professionals in the market," Marshall said.

"Our advantage is that the students are exposed to our technology and products (during the training)," he said, adding that students trained by the institute are not obligated to use the company's products.

One of the company's competitive edges in the global market is that it is one of the few, if not the only, players which has a broad-based retail sales network, against most companies which only do wholesale.

In China, Sonova said it currently only works with distributors because of the low level of professionalism to support a retail sales network.

Sonova is currently the second player in China in terms of market share. That's after Sivantos, formerly known as Siemens Hearing Instrument before it was spun off from Siemens AG in 2014.

The company's financial report for the whole fiscal year 2016/17 showed sales of 2.4 billion Swiss francs, up by 15.3 percent in local currencies or 15.6 in Swiss francs. Asia Pacific contributed to 10 percent of the total, while China was second in the region after Australia.

Statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed that in 2014, there were about 4.06 million hearing aids sold, up 21 percent. It is expected that by 2020, the market size for hearing solutions in China will reach the size of five billion yuan.
Hideki Ozawa, Canon China's president and CEO, says the company will make customized products for Chinese consumers. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Hideki Ozawa keen to help Canon's surveillance, medical and imaging products succeed locally

For 12 years, Canon China's president and CEO, Hideki Ozawa, 67, pursued a dream. He wanted to make Canon, which entered the China market in 1997, a brand to reckon with in the mainland.

Having led Canon China since 2005, Ozawa was rewarded with an additional global roleexecutive vice-presidenton April 1.

He is excited that he is close to realizing his dream. "My elevation could help Canon in China and Asia as it might be easier now to get the approval of headquarters for some of our proposals and requirements."

Canon, he said, would make customized products for Chinese consumers. "I feel more pressure, but also feel more motivated to work."

That would mean he would continue to swear by his "China first" policy. The Japanese multinational corporation's imaging and optical products have been making steady inroads into the China market.

Ozawa said he is determined to make a success of Canon's diversification into surveillance products and medical devices.

"I attach importance to the realization of a dream. As president, I've always dreamt about developing the Canon brand in China. I've been here for 12 years now. All along, I felt I was getting closer to my dream. I hope our company will continue to be dynamic and lively here. Toward that end, I've designed many activities."

Some of them are business related, of course. He is keen that Canon should hire more skilled employees, invest more and launch more new products in China.

"China is playing an increasingly vital role in our global market. The revenue from the Asian market has accounted for nearly 20 percent of our global revenue. Camera sales in this region contributed more than 30 percent of our camera sales globally."

Seeking growth points

Ozawa said China has become the fastest-growing market with the most outstanding performance in camera sales, coasting on the ever-increasing spending power of Chinese consumers and their demand for high-quality imaging products.

"We've been devoted to imaging products, office appliances and industrial equipment for quite a long time. These are also main sources of profit, but they are unable to support our sustainable growth, considering the constantly changing environment."

So, globally, Canon has been seeking new business growth points. Last year, it agreed to buy Toshiba Corp's medical equipment unit for nearly $6 billion to enter the high-margin medical devices sector.

In 2015, it spent $2.83 billion to buy out Swedish network video solutions provider Axis Communications AB, to expand into video surveillance.

"The prospects in these sectors are very promising in China," he said, adding Canon will intensify efforts to develop the emerging businesses, including medical equipment and security monitoring.

Social welfare is another focus area. "We've made contributions to the Chinese society in our own ways in the past 20 years or more, in the aftermath of earthquakes, great fires or serious environmental problems."

In other areas, millennials consume differently and their preferences, like online shopping, are differentand satisfying their demands is a challenge for Canon, Ozawa said.

But the challenge also presents many opportunities, he said. Canon expects to boost its Asia revenue to $10 billion by 2020, riding the booming tourism industry as well as growing demand from consumer segments like women, senior citizens and tourists.

"Cameras with mirrorless, interchangeable lenses are favored by female consumers. It's amazing! Their segment witnessed 300 percent growth in revenue. We'll provide solutions targeted at their growing demands."

Compared to single-lens reflex cameras, mirrorless cameras can be simpler, smaller and lighter because they do not have an optical viewfinder.

Difficulties and optimism

Just as such opportunities, difficulties arose in China for Canon. The biggest of them were in 2013 and last year, when the yuan depreciated, inflating costs of imported components.

The popularity of smartphones with built-in cameras has eaten into some of the market share of traditional camera manufacturers such as Canon.

On the other hand, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will attract a large number of professional photographers and tourists, and are expected to bring new business opportunities for Canon, he said.

Such optimism may well be linked to his long stint in China. He likes working in China, he said. "Sometimes, my ideas aren't exactly traditional Japanese. A typical Japanese company seeking to launch a new business or try something new may have executives worryingwhat if the attempt fails?

"However, Chinese people would do it first and think it doesn't matter even if you fail. How do you know you won't be successful if you don't do it?"

China, he said, offers thrills and excitement for businesspeople. Which is why, Canon is keen to explore more potential in China.
ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian Airlines has increased its weekly direct flights to China to 34 with the opening of thrice weekly flights to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

Speaking at a ceremony starting the flight to Chengdu on Sunday in Addis Ababa International Airport premises, Liu Tao, Counselor at the Chinese embassy in Ethiopia said with Chengdu being an economic and culture hub for inland part of China the new route has great potential to enhance the agricultural, trading, tourism cooperation with the outside of the world with Ethiopian acting as bridge.

"The enhancement of people to people exchange is also a result of the cooperation between these two great civilizations in all areas including trade, investment, cultural education and agriculture vice versa with the booming of cooperation between these two countries bringing more and more people to exchanges," he said.

Busera Awol, Chief Commercial Officer at Ethiopian Airlines, said the new route is just the latest manifestation of both countries' deep bond ever since 1973 when the national carrier opened its first route to Beijing.

"We shall offer the best and fastest connectivity with a total 34 weekly flights to China," he said.

"With this new flight to Chengdu the major hub for Air China, which is our ally and star alliance partner, passengers from Ethiopian Airlines' vast and growing network, will be able to connect to dozens of cities in China, including Shenzhen, Kunming, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Changsha and Urumqi, similarly Chinese travelers will enjoy faster travel and connection to more than 54 countries and further to Sao Paulo, Brazil and the US with minimum layover in Addis Ababa Hub," explained Awol.

As part of its commitment, Ethiopian plans to utilize its latest fleet, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus 350 airplanes, emphasizing how it values its share in the world's largest air travel market.

Ethiopian Airlines was the first African carrier and the fourth in the word to fly to China back in 1973. In addition to the Already launched three weekly flights to Chengdu, Ethiopian Airlines currently operates daily nonstop flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hongkong.
MONTEVIDEO - Uruguay is working hard to ensure the upcoming China-LAC (Latin American & Caribbean) Business Summit 2017 is successful, as it hopes to boost its business volume with the Asian giant.

In its 11th edition, the fair, which is promoted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), will take place from Nov 30 to Dec 2 in the eastern resort town of Punta del Este.

The government "has fought hard to ensure the (event) is based here... due to the possibility of boosting trade and capturing greater flows of investment to the region and Uruguay," said Antonio Carambula, executive director with Uruguay XXI, the country's foreign trade promotion bureau, in an interview with Xinhua.

"We have a great opportunity to seize this window and see more investments arrive," explained Carambula.

With the objective of promoting this event, Agriculture Minister Tabare Aguerre was in China this week, while Carambula will present the forum to Chinese entrepreneurs.

While Carambula said it is "difficult to calculate" how many people will attend the event, he is hoping for the presence of at least 500 Chinese and Latin American companies. However, he added that "quantity is not as important as quality."

China is the main trading partner for a number of Latin American countries but Carambula feels Uruguay has not received much investment, relative to the region.

He is hopeful that the strategic partnership established between Uruguay and China, during President Tabare Vazquez's state visit to China in October 2016, will represent a turning point.

The forum in Punta del Este will focus on the topics of infrastructure, renewable energy and agribusiness, revealed the executive.

Food security "has allowed us to gain a good presence in the Chinese market and in agribusiness in general," pointed out Carambula. "Uruguay has positioned itself in the Chinese market as an important exporter of agricultural products, including meat, soy, cellulose and dairy."

Carambula pointed out that "in this year so far, Uruguay is the country that has exported the most meat to China."

"We are a country of just over 3 million inhabitants but we have 11 million heads of cattle and the capacity to produce foodstuffs for almost 30 million people. We could even provide it for around 50 million," concluded the executive.
BEIJING - Record high Chinese investment in the United States in 2016 demonstrates that Beijing's economic agenda is compatible with the US economic goals, not the other way around.

A report co-authored by the Rhodium Group and the National Committee on US-China Relations shows Chinese companies invested $46 billion in the United States last year, tripling the amount seen in 2015, sending two-way direct investment to a record high.

The report characterized past two-way investment as a "one-way street," with money flowing predominantly from the United States to China. But now, investment is a "two-way highway" with tens of billions of dollars in annual FDI flowing in each direction.

While the US administration worried Chinese manufacturing could threaten US jobs and its economy, Chinese companies are bolstering the US economy by creating jobs and paying taxes.

In the last seven years, employment by Chinese-owned firms in the United States had jumped ninefold to 140,000 jobs last year. By the end of 2016, all 50 states and 98 percent of congressional districts hosted operations of Chinese companies.

According to John Ling, president of the Council of American States in China, more and more US states are increasing recruitment efforts to help land the next Chinese manufacturing project. He believes this will "give more leg" to a healthier bilateral economic relationship.

While notable progress been made, there is huge room for expanding the footprint of Chinese investors in the United States.

With China transitioning away from an export-driven economy to one led by consumer spending and services, Chinese investors have begun to shift their target industries in the United States away from traditional energy and real estate industries to consumer services and the high-tech sector.

According to the joint report, more than 90 percent of Chinese FDI in the United States in 2016 focused on services and advanced manufacturing.

Chinese drugmaker Qilu Pharmaceutical offers the latest example. It invested over $40 million to open an innovation hub and expand its business presence in Boston, the pharmaceutical innovation hub in the United States.

Boston mayor Martin Walsh has lauded Qilu's partnership, which helps reinforce the city's reputation as a global champion of life science research and development.

While Qilu could capitalize on Boston's rich R&D resources to upgrade its product mix, it also helps turn state-of-the-art ideas into reality in the world's largest consumer market.

The great rebalancing of the Chinese economy offers a historic chance to expand Chinese investment in the United States. Understanding this great potential will also help build constructive US-China relations in the 21st century.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Jin Liqun attends a news conference at the AIIB headquarters in Beijing, August 31, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

The China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank expects to grow its membership to 85 by the end of this year, bank president Jin Liqun said on Saturday.

China won broad support for the establishment of AIIB, with 57 founding members, Jin said at the Jiangsu Development Summit in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province.

"By the end of this year, a total of 85 countries and regions will become AIIB's members," Jin said.

Jin said that the Belt and Road Initiative and the AIIB are both great initiatives.

Reflecting on the process of setting up the new bank and securing support from founding members, he said China had shown its willingness to serve the world using the experience of reform and opening up.

"Though the Belt and Road Initiative doesn't cover all AIIB members, we will put more efforts in the future and believe more and more countries will join the AIIB," Jin added.

With 57 signatories at its launch in January 2016 and the approval of 13 prospective members in March 2017, AIIB aims to provide financing to address the daunting infrastructure needs across Asia.
Top management of Commercial Aircraft Corp of China and Russia's United Aircraft Corp unveils the nameplate of their new joint venture named China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co Ltd in Shanghai on May 22, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A new joint venture involving Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) and Russia's United Aircraft Corp (UAC) was established in Shanghai on Monday. The company will mainly be responsible for the research and operation of a wide-body commercial jet co-developed by the two countries.

The Shanghai-based company, named China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Co Ltd (CRAIC), has officially registered and obtained a business license.

The wide-body aircraft is expected to be delivered in 10 years, according to a timetable announced by COMAC last November at the Zhuhai Airshow.

The project signals the two countries' ambitions to compete in the wide-body market, dominated by United States aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co and Europe's Airbus Group. Research and development for the new jet will be conducted in Moscow, with assembly being done in Shanghai.

Witnessed by President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, COMAC and UAC signed a pact in June last year to co-develop a wide-body jet.

The 280-seat jet will have a range of 12,000 kilometers. According to COMAC and UAC, they plan to build an economical and efficient jet incorporating heavy use of composite materials. The project will soon start its initial design and the two parties will discuss with system and equipment suppliers.

Jin Zhuanglong, president of COMAC, said: "The launch of the company signals an important step of the wide-body project. We will cooperate with UAC and strive to make the wide-body project a model of the cooperation between China and Russia."

"We will research and develop a more competitive jet that is in line with international standards, and make contributions to the global aviation market," Jin said.
Didi Chuxing announced Monday it would start equipping Premier vehicles with child car seats, becoming one of the first on-demand transport platforms in China offering customized services for children's safety.

So far, the new service is available for users in eight Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an. It will be expanded to other cities later.

As a major component of Didi's one-stop transport system, Premier offers quality and professional services that give riders elevated experience. By employing a customer-orientated and data-driven approach, Didi Premier found that its core user group, aged between 25 to 39, has a growing need for better safety guarantees for their children on the ride.

"Up to 2016, there were 96 countries and regions that require using child car seats. Unfortunately, the list does not include China. Many cities like Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou have implemented local laws to promote the application of child car seats. For instance, some cities include the enforcement measures into the Law on the Protection for Minors. China does not have such legislation now, and we are actively fighting for it," said Pan Zengyou, director of the Child Passenger Safety Promotion Office.

To tap into the niche market and provide sophisticated services to users, Didi Premier is joining hands with Cybex, a German brand known for manufacturing reliable fitness equipment, to ensure a quality safety guarantee for the child riders.

"China is the biggest automobile market in the world, and it owns the largest child population. The nation's child safety awareness is weak. The correct way of riding in a car needs to be popularized. Fortunately, some cities,such as Shanghai, have implemented laws forcing the use of child car seats, marking the rise of child safety awareness," said Zhang Yun, general manager of Cybex China.

Meanwhile, Didi has selected a group of drivers with top-of-the-line service records and strong safety awareness for this particular service. These measures are taken to make sure that children aged between 9 months to 12 years old will have the safest trip.

Since a car seat is not available in every Premier car yet, users are advised to reserve a ride that has the service through the Didi app two hours in advance.

Didi will provide subsidies for the drivers to cover their additional costs. No extra fees will be charged for a car seat for now, but given the cost of pick-up and the efficiency of operation, a flexible pricing system might be introduced later.
African and Chinese engineers at work at Sinopec's drilling site in Sudan. TONG JIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY

Investments of $100b in last five years make SOE popular among B&R economies

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, also known as Sinopec, the world's largest refiner, believes that by deepening cooperation with countries and regions taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, it can reshape the petroleum and petrochemical industry.

Toward that end, it has already invested around $100 billion in the past five years, in fields such as oil and gas exploration, development of oilfields, petroleum exploitation, refining, engineering, crude oil trade, equipment, materials and petrochemicals.

This has made it the go-to enterprise for many economies seeking solutions and expertise in the petroleum industry and related fields.

According to Wang Yupu, chairman of Sinopec, many economies covered by the twin 21st century trade prospects have abundant petroleum and gas resources. They also see massive demand for related hardware and services, including refining, investments, technology and equipment. Sinopec is eminently placed to meet all of that demand, he said.

"Economies taking part in the Initiative have two-thirds of the global oil and gas reserves, half of global oil and gas output," he said.

"With institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund backing Chinese enterprises' expansion, Sinopec has established cooperation with over 30 Belt and Road countries."

Camaraderie marks relations between African and Chinese workers at Sinopec's drilling site in Sudan. TONG JIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY

Sinopec has conducted oil and gas exploration and development with 11 B&R countries since 2001, involving itself in 18 projects located in Russia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt and Mongolia.

With an investment of more than $20.31 billion, the company had acquired more than 98.31 million metric tons of equity oil by the end of 2016.

The company has provided petroleum engineering services to more than 20 B&R countries, including well-drilling and logging, geophysical prospecting and land surface construction. It has signed 745 engineering technical service contracts worth $10.98 billion in the past five years.

In the field of petroleum refining, 72 new business contracts were signed with 10 countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, India, Malaysia and Thailand, since 2011, with a total contract value of $9.53 billion, it said.

Figures from the company reveal that Sinopec has imported the following in the past five years: over 1.1 billion tons of crude oil from 15 cooperating countries; petrochemicals valued at $10.2 billion from 18 countries; and equipment and materials worth $91.6 million.

It has also invested in six refinery storage projects in five countries along the routes with an estimated total investment amount of $5.2 billion.
Workers assemble new cars at a production line at JAC Motor's plant in Bozhou, Anhui province. LIU LIQIN / FOR CHINA DAILY

Old and new players join ranks to take the field in the largest autos market

China's carmaking industry, since the first-ever truck rolled off the production line in 1956, has never been so full of vitalityand uncertainty.

In less than a year, the authorities have given the nod to 14 companies to build electric car-building plants, and more are waiting for approval or preparing their applications.

All of them want to seize a slice of the electric, connected and autonomous car industry, something that both new startups and traditional car giants are convinced will eventually come.

None of them have a clear, whole picture of the industry's destination yet, nor how to arrive there.

But, there is a growing consensus that cooperation could prove to be their best collective weapon, at least in the current climate, according to executives at the ninth China Auto Blue Book Forum organized by the Automotive Business Review magazine. Nio, which was formerly known as NextEV, has not won approval from the authorities to build its cars. But its first modelan electric 7-seat SUVis about to roll off the assembly line at one plant of JAC Motor, a traditional carmaker in Anhui province.

The arrangement is part of a 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) deal the two signed last year relating to new energy and smart cars, as well as connectivity technologies.

William Li, founder of Nio, said the two companies are working closely on many aspects, ranging from material purchases to quality control. "It is not 'they produce for me'; it is thorough cooperation."

Earlier last month, Nio inked a deal with another traditional carmaker, Changan Automobile, which also centers on new energy and connected cars.

The two plan to build a joint venture that focuses on research and development in that area as well.

Nio is not worried that cooperation with potential rivals may pose dangers.

In fact, Li believes that startups' hopes of succeeding in the market do not rely on how good their cars are, but their understanding of customer experience.

"Producing good cars is the prerequisite for selling cars, but what makes the difference is offering customers good service."

He argued that traditional carmakers are often more focused on manufacturing and they have a business-to-business model through their dealers, while new forces are more likely to provide better services directly to customers.

Xu Heyi, chairman of BAIC Group, which has joint ventures with Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz, said those startups will not replace traditional automakers. But, he agreed that cooperation is indispensable in the age of a more complicated market.

"All roads lead to Rome, although every road is different. However, if traditional automakers and new ones can work together, with each bringing their strengths to the table, we can create a shorter and faster road. And this is better than if they were to each travel their own road."

BAIC is not limiting its cooperation to the car sector. It is also leveraging internet companies' resources to sharpen its competitive edge.

"We must collaborate and cooperate, especially with leading internet firms. All resources available should be fully utilized," said Xu.

In January, BAIC announced a strategic partnership with Baidu to expand the smart vehicle sector. Under the agreement, the companies will cooperate on autonomous driving technology, including high-definition maps.

Baidu and BAIC also plan to launch a research lab to promote technological collaboration and the mass application of intelligent vehicle technology.

Xu expects the results of this collaboration to start to pay off within two or three years.
An internet-connected model, the Roewe RX5, catches visitors' eyes at an expo in Shanghai. ZHOU DONGCHAO / FOR CHINA DAILY

To surf online for preferred auto brands and products, then visit a showroom for a seamless experience and finalize the purchase, is among visionaries' future prospects for young Chinese customers.

Industrial insiders have long predicted that the digitized sales process will evolve to disrupt the business of today's auto dealerships.

The future of car purchasing is a digitally-driven approach that starts at home and continues at the dealership, with final delivery options including home delivery, according to a recent study by Accenture Consulting.

The evolution is driven by Chinese youth born around the year 2000 and now seeking a rewarding, in-person experience at the dealership.

"A dealer could lose a large portion of potential customers if not attracting and gathering them on the internet. The next step will be accepting individualized orders online," said Shen Jun, managing director of Accenture Consulting Greater China.

The consulting firm's research found that less than a quarter of Chinese respondents born around the year 2000 rank standard dealerships as their preferred option, while about 40 percent of them favor flagship stores.

Chen Haifeng, an official of China Automotive Technology and Research Center, agreed that online and offline sales channels will eventually converge.

"Technologies including augmented reality, virtual reality, big data and cloud computing will bring the sales model into the next phase in the future," he said.

It is believed that the younger customers will engage in an immersive experiencefrom configuring a new car using augmented reality and facial recognition at the dealership to interacting with a virtual assistant and a connected workshop.

Millennials are already accustomed to such experiences in gaming. When it comes to buying cars, they expect a dealership to integrate their digital and online experiences with the fabric of their lives.

Shao Jingning, CEO of an online sales service provider Xingyuan Auto, saw the necessity in building new business systems for traditional dealers.

"The auto dealers have run into obstacles in the traditional business models, and are in need of higher efficiency and lower costs in selling their products," he said.

"The consumption, from intent to purchase, will be based on the mobile internet. As a result, future sales people should be capable of closing the deal through these new, emerging approaches," Shao continued.

The young customers could get frustrated if they experience a disconnect between their online experience and the physical experience at the dealership, according to Accenture's Shen.

"Sales associates could be armed with collaborative digital tools to help bridge the gap, then function as the product geniuses their younger customers seek," Shen said.

The automobile industry has realized that younger generations tend to express themselves, and their preference is for flexibility.

Carmakers and dealers should consider providing smartphone apps that enable Chinese youth to see full-scale virtual versions of vehicles that interest them using augmented reality, save their preferences and send them to local dealerships in advance, according to Accenture.

Shen noted that: "authentic, high-quality experiences that recognize the customers' desire for personalization, convenience and control will be critical components of success.

"And a digitally supercharged sales process could help turn today's reluctant buyers into tomorrow's devoted customers."

Among the automakers tapping the internet's potential, Changan Automobile has already launched its Changan Cloud Shop in April.

Ren Zhe, general manager of the State-owned carmaker's e-commerce center, said:"It's inevitable for Changan to pave the way through online e-commerce. It empowers the dealers at first, then connects the carmaker directly with the end users. Finally, it will fully utilize the users' data, possibly the really valuable assets in the future."
DETROIT  The Ford Motor Co is getting leaner as it faces an onslaught of challenges, from slowing United States sales, to high-tech challengers, to its own disgruntled shareholders.

The 114-year-old automaker said on Wednesday that it is cutting 1,400 non-factory jobs in North America and Asia-Pacific. The company will offer voluntary early retirement and separation packages to around 10 percent of its salaried workers in departments such as sales, marketing and human resources.

It expects the activity to be completed by the end of September. The cuts are the biggest to Ford's US white-collar staff since 2007, when 7,200 workers took voluntary buyout packages.

In an email to employees, Ford said it wants to strengthen its core business and invest aggressively in new opportunities. "Reducing costs and becoming as lean and efficient as possible also remain part of that work," the company wrote.

Ford isn't the only automaker looking to slim down.

Last month, General Motors' Chief Financial Officer Chuck Stevens said GM was considering cuts to its white-collar staff in order to rein in costs.

Ford's problems aren't entirely unique. After seven straight years of growth, US sales are starting to slow down, which will hurt automakers' profits. Sales in Asia are volatile and not as profitable. Turbulence in other markets, such as South America, hasn't helped.

Automakers are also investing heavily in self-driving cars and other new technology.

Ford, which has promised an autonomous vehicle by 2021, bought a shuttle service and invested $1 billion in Argo AI, an artificial intelligence startup. Such investments may not pay dividends for years, but automakers can't risk being left behind by non-traditional rivals such as Google and Uber.

But some of Ford's problems are of its own making. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said Ford should consider exiting unprofitable vehicle lines, like small cars, or markets, like India.

Ford's US sales are down in part because it doesn't have offerings in popular segments such as subcompact SUVs and midsize pickups.

Ford hasn't kept up with rivals in the electric car market either. GM's Chevrolet Bolt electric car, with 238 miles of range, went on sale last year; Ford is working on an electric SUV with 300 miles of range, but it's not due out until 2020.

Ford also recently embarked on an expensive, 10-year plan to remake its Dearborn campus.

Ford's offer will be open to around 15,300 workers, including 9,600 in the US, 1,000 in Mexico, 600 in Canada and 4,141 in Asia. The company said it will release more details to employees in June.

Certain areas of the business won't be targeted, including Ford's product development and credit divisions. Factory workers and white-collar employees in Ford's plants won't be affected.

Ford also isn't likely to cut jobs in its emerging businesses, such as its research center in Palo Alto, California.

The company said last August it planned to double its Palo Alto staff, which would mean hiring more than 100 researchers and engineers.

Jonas said he was impressed with Ford's decisive action to cut jobs, but he still thinks the company's stock is overvalued. He has a $10 price target on the shares.

The automaker's stock price has fallen nearly 40 percent in the three years since Mark Fields became CEO. Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford told investors at the company's annual meeting last week that he's as unhappy as they are about the decline.

"We're frustrated, but our business is performing well. We're making investments for both today and tomorrow, and I believe that's the right thing to do," he said. Barclay's analyst Brian Johnson, who has a $15 target on the shares, said Ford's stock has suffered because the company isn't making splashy moves, like GM's investment in Lyft or Fiat Chrysler's tie-up with Waymo, Google's self-driving car unit.

But Johnson said Ford has a solid strategy and is making quiet moves that could pay off, like introducing a plug-in hybrid commercial vehicle in Europe.

AP
HOHHOT - Experts in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region have developed a Mongolian language database containing over 19 million words and phrases in an effort to protect ethnic culture and language.

The program, based on cloud computing technology, was initiated in 2012 by Mengdong cloud computing center of Chifeng city and Inner Mongolia University.

Yan Xiaofeng, an engineer with the program, said the university started to collect Mongolian language documents in the 1980s, which has helped contribute to the database. The database covers a wide range of content including lexicons, grammar and literature.

Nashunuzhitu, a professor at the university, said the database's Mongolian-Mandarin electronic dictionary is open to the public. The database also includes a dictionary for scientific terminology featuring Mandarin, Mongolian, English and Japanese.

In 2016, the region designated the big data and cloud computing industries as new engines for local development, vowing that the regional big data industry's output value will exceed 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) in 2020.
KUALA LUMPUR - Ant Financial, the affiliate financial service of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, entered partnership with 7-Eleven Malaysia on Monday by officially launching the Alipay cashless payment service in over 2,100 stores in Malaysia.

The payment service, facilitated by local third party payment platform MOL Accessportal, mainly targets tourists from the Chinese mainland, the number of which exceeded 2.1 million in 2016.

The Malaysian government is expecting to receive more than 3 million arrivals from China this year.

The partnership came after Alibaba group in March announced a plan to set up an e-commerce hub in Malaysia encompassing logistics, cloud-computing and e-financial services to boost trade and e-commerce in the region, part of the collaboration between Alibaba and the Malaysian government in the development of a Digital Free Trade Zone in Malaysia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, while attending the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing earlier this month, also paid a visit to the headquarters of Alibaba group.

Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, founder of Malaysia's Berjaya Group and majority shareholder of 7-Eleven Malaysia and MOL Global, Inc, the parent company of MOL Accessportal, said the partnership is a win-win solution for Ant Financial and 7-Eleven, as well as for China and Malaysia.

Tan also pledged to bring Alipay to more businesses and retailer shops under the Berjaya group, including Starbucks, Kenny Rogers, Cosway, Radioshack as well as Berjaya hotels and resorts.

The entry of Alipay to Malaysia will be quite challenging for local Malaysian payment service providers, said Tan, adding it is not a bad idea though, in that someday perhaps Malaysian people can also use Alipay when they go to China.

Douglas Feagin, senior vice president of International Business at Ant Financial, when asked about Alipay's plan to reach local Malaysian customers, said Ant Financial will focus in the first place on serving the Alipay customers as they come to Malaysia, and a local solution comes a little bit later.

He declined to give a user projection for the Malaysian market, but noted that half a billion people in China now are Alipay users.
High-tech devices domestically produced would save on costs

China aims to break foreign dominance in the manufacture of core robot components in one to two years as the world's largest industrial robot market makes progress in producing reliable speed reducers, servomotors and control panels, one of the experts involved in drafting the Made in China 2025 strategy said.

The parts are the three basic building blocks of sophisticated automated machines and, if all are imported, they account for about 70 percent of a domestic robot's production cost.

"We aim to increase the market share of homegrown servomotors, speed reducers and control panels in China to over 30 percent by 2018 or 2019," said Qu Xianming, an expert with the National Manufacturing Strategy Advisory Committee, which advises the government on plans to upgrade the manufacturing sector.

By then, these indigenous components could be of high enough quality to be exported to foreign countries, Qu said in an exclusive interview with China Daily. He said once the target is met, it will lay down a strong foundation for Chinese parts makers to expand their presence.

Currently, most of these parts are imported from Japan, Europe and the United States, which has markedly increased domestic robot makers' production costs and weighed down their competition with foreign rivals.

"Domestic players have to spend four times as much as their foreign counterparts to buy speed reducers and twice as much for a servomotor," according to a white paper released in 2016 by China Center for Information Industry Development, a research agency affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

China overtook Japan as the world's largest market for industrial robots in 2013. Last year, it installed 90,000 new industrial robots. That's one-third of the world total and 30 percent more than the year before, data from the International Federation of Robotics show.

The country plans to boost its annual production capacity of industrial robots to 100,000 in 2020 from 72,400 in 2016, signaling the growing demand for essential components.

"To mass-produce core robot parts is a flagship project of the Made in China 2025 strategy. Domestic players are making leaps forward," Qu said.

Shaanxi Qinchuan Machinery Development Co Ltd, for instance, can produce 10,000 units of cycloidal pinwheel speed reducers a year. Cycloidal speed reducers allow robots to move with greater accuracy. The company is building a factory that will have an annual output capacity of 60,000 units when completed by the end of 2018 at the earliest.

Nantong Zhenkang Machinery Co Ltd, another cycloidal speed reducer maker, is working on production lines that can make 50,000 units a year. "Once the two projects are completed, they can meet 30 to 40 percent of the domestic demand," Qu said.

Some Chinese players, including Siasun Robot and Automation, have independently developed control panels, which demand many tailor-made features, Qu said.

Wang Jiegao, chief engineer of Estun Automation and general manager of subsidiary Estun Robotics Co Ltd, said the company can produce over 100,000 servomotors a year, most of which go to high-end numerical control machines, so the supply to robots is still limited.

"Numerical control machines demand higher accuracy, but robots are more sophisticated," Wang said, adding the company still needs to buy speed reducers from foreign companies.

"It is highly likely for China to meet the 30 percent market share target, which can greatly lower the production costs," he said.

Rodney Brooks, founder and chairman of Rethink Robotics, said in an earlier interview with China Daily that the Chinese robot market is booming. The rising labor cost and shrinking labor pool will further drive the demand for industrial robots in the country.
The Belt and Road Initiative has brought tremendous opportunities to technology company Motorola Solutions Inc, the head of its mainland operations said.

Motorola Solutions (China) Chairman and President Michael Jiang, who attended the recent Critical Communications World summit in Hong Kong, said his company had already operated in some Belt and Road economies.

He said he believed that Motorola's critical communications technology and equipment could be utilizedtogether with mainland companiesin areas ranging from transport, public security and hotels to nuclear power or forestry.

Jiang said Motorola Solutions was among the first overseas companies to set up its office on the mainland in 1987. He said the critical communications field had developed fast in the mainland, especially in the past five years, to reach international standards.

The current wave of technology and innovation in the mainland stimulates consumer demand, which was beneficial to Motorola's business, Jiang said. He said he believed their technology systems would not easily be replaced in the short-term.

Jiang added that Motorola would like to conduct mergers and acquisitions if there were appropriate companies and projects in the mainland.

Motorola Solutions Inc is the US data communications and telecommunications equipment provider that succeeded Motorola, Inc, after the spinoff of the mobile phone division into Motorola Mobility in 2011.

Since Motorola split its mobility and solutions business, the company has focused purely on so-called critical communications. According to its Chief Technology Officer Paul Steinberg, last year Motorola Solutions invested more than $500 million in research and development.

He added that Motorola Venture Capitalthe venture capital firm and investment arm of Motorola Solutionsconcentrates on cutting-edge innovation and makes investments in companies innovating in areas the US group has prioritized.

Steinberg said investing in partner firms let them innovate more quickly than they could if they took on projects themselves. He said Motorola Venture Capital typically made strategic investments, involving acquiring stakes of less than 20 percent of the share capital and giving them a seat on the board.

The venture capital firm has already invested in more than 200 companies and currently holds 16 firms in its portfolio. Steinberg said the company was increasingly looking at software, analytics and artificial intelligence to develop communication and networking.

"In the past years, we have become more centered on technologies such as artificial intelligence," he said.
Gardasil is the second such drug to gain access to patients across China

Pharmaceutical company Merck recently won approval from the China Food and Drug Administration to sell its human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, to help women fight cervical cancer.

Developed by the US-based company in 2006, the vaccine has proved effective in protecting against the virus, better known as HPV, the chief cause of cervical cancer. The virus is found in almost all cervical cancer cases.

Gardasil is the first HPV vaccine in the world and the second to be licensed for use in China.

In July, Cervarix, an HPV vaccine developed by pharmaceutical GlaxoSmithKline, received approval to be sold on the Chinese mainland after almost 10 years of seeking approval.

Gardasil is expected to be commercially available on the mainland in three to six months, which means women will no longer have to seek vaccinations outside of the mainland, such as Hong Kong.

After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women ages 15 to 44 in China. Statistics from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show China reports more than 130,000 cervical cancer cases a year, accounting for 28 percent of global total.

The HPV vaccine, as the first anti-cancer vaccine in the world, has proved effective in preventing cervical cancer and is seen as a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Gardasil offers protection against nine strains of HPV, including the two main cancer-causing varieties: type 16 and type 18. Cervarix offers protection only against types 16 and 18, which account for about 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases.

Today, such vaccines are used in about 120 countries and regions, including the United States, Australia and most European countries.

As HPV is sexually transmitted, the World Health Organization recommends routine vaccination of girls age 9 to 13 because they are not as likely to have begun sexual activity.

Qiao Youlin, a professor of epidemiology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences' Cancer Hospital in Beijing, said the main target group of Cervarix is females age 9 to 26, although it is theoretically effective for women of all ages.

Clinical trials discovered the vaccine is effective for women as old as 45, he said.

According to the Securities Times newspaper, Zhifei Biological Products Co in Chongqing will promote, supply and sell the vaccine in China for the next three years.

As the exclusive distributor of the vaccine, the company plans to purchase 1.14 billion yuan ($166 million) worth of Gardasil vaccines in the first year, 1.48 billion yuan in the second year and 1.85 billion yuan in the third year, the newspaper said.

Shan Juan and Yang Wanli contributed to this story.
BEIJING - Chinese authorities on Sunday announced a reform plan for the country's oil and gas industry, eyeing better efficiency and competitiveness by giving market a decisive role in the sector.

The plan was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, or the cabinet.

"Market should play a decisive role in resource allocation and the government role should be better played in order to safeguard national energy security, boost productivity and meet people's needs," according to the reform guideline.

The long-awaited reform of the sprawling state-controlled sector is a priority for Chinese authorities as the world's second largest economy is slowing amid cyclical and structural changes.

The reform is also a key plank of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan for 2016-2020.

The plan reaffirmed the leadership's commitment to deepening the reform of state-owned oil and gas companies, encouraging eligible enterprises to diversify their shareholder base and introduce mixed-ownership reform.

The prime goal of mixed-ownership reform is to create a flexible and efficient market-oriented mechanism with the incorporation of private shareholders, to improve the management of state-owned companies.

According to the plan, efforts should be made to advance reshuffling of the oil and gas industry based on work specialization. Engineering companies and oil and gas equipment manufacturers are encouraged to perform as independent enterprises.

State-owned oil and gas companies should "keep fit to stay healthy", free themselves from running social services, and explore ways to sort out problems left over from history.

China's oil and gas sector is dominated by three state-owned heavyweights: China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) and China National Offshore Oil Corp.

The trio of giants have long been accused of monopolizing the oil and gas resources with redundant workers and low efficiency.

The reform calls for the participation of eligible enterprises in the prospect and development of regular oil and gas resources which used to be dominated by state-owned companies.

Dong Xiucheng, with China University of Petroleum, said the reform will give competitive firms easier market access whether it is state-owned or private.

Gas companies are encouraged to split sales and pipeline businesses in a step by step manner in order to promote a market-based pricing mechanism. The pricing mechanism of fuel and diesel should also be more market-oriented, while government should step in when abnormal price fluctuations occur.

Private capital is welcomed to invest in and run oil and gas storage facilities.

Oil heavyweights have begun to take actions. Sinopec Group plans to cooperate with private companies in sales of refined oil, while the CNPC said it will allow private companies to hold no more than 49 percent of stake in oil exploration businesses.

China aims to increase domestic crude oil output to 200 million tonnes by 2020, while supply capacity for natural gas should exceed 360 billion cubic meters, according to government plan published in January.
Wang Xiaobing, a peach farmer in Wulong, Chongqing, talks about one of the varieties recently planted. Tan Yingzi / China Daily

After Shen Jianzhong graduated from college and returned to his hometown in Chongqing's Wulong county, an elderly acquaintance would often tell him: "You shouldn't have come back to grow produce here. There is no money to be made from it."

But Shen has proved her wrong. In the past two decades, his peach plantation has not only brought him fame and fortune, but also helped put his neighbors on the path to prosperity.

Poverty-stricken Wulong, which is short on infrastructure and industry, is known for its unique karst landscape. Because of the topography, the ground is rocky, and the meager soil can hold little water.

In 1996, Shen, a graduate of a local agricultural college, started his peach-growing business in Fazi, a remote mountain village in Huolu town with about 2,000 residents.

According to a government survey in 2014, nearly 10 percent of the people in Fazi had incomes below the national poverty line - which was 3,000 yuan ($435) annually per capita in Chongqing.

In 2015, the central government pledged to adopt more policies to help lift the country's 70 million poor people above the poverty line by 2020, promising impoverished families 1,500 yuan a year in seed funds to help them earn money by selling produce.

While at college, Shen decided that after graduation he would plant fruit trees, rather than finding a job in the public-service sector, which is often seen as a dream job for young people in rural areas.

"In the past, people in Fazi only planted traditional crops such as corn and potatoes, which have low economic return compared with fruit trees, which can yield 10 to 20 times the value of traditional crops," he said.

Shen spent 10,000 yuan to rent 3.3 hectares of land on a barren hill to plant a peach orchard. The soil was not good enough to grow crops.

"We have a saying that a bowl of soil equals a bowl of food," he said. "Soil is precious here."

For the first three years, Shen and his wife had to carry soil to their hill using shoulder poles - they estimate 100,000 loads.

After years of research and experimentation, Shen developed a variety of peach - which he named the "fairy peach" after nearby Xiannyu Mountain (its name means "fairy mountain" in English). The peach can adapt well to the local environment and boasts exceptional color, size and quality.

Shen, 46, now has 40 hectares of peach orchards and makes about 6 million yuan a year.

Inspired by his success, more villagers started to plant peaches and other fruit, including plums and kiwi.

In 2012, Shen set up the first cooperative in his village. He taught the farmers his planting and management skills, and promoted green and scientific growing concepts. With his help, more than 200 families in the village have begun to cultivate peaches.
There is an old poem that describes poverty-stricken Wulong county in days gone by. It translates: "In remote mountainous Wulong, people only eat sweet potatoes, corn and potato. Nobody eats egg noodles, except for a woman who has given birth."

Several decades ago, it took 15 days to transport goods from downtown Chongqing to Wulong - by boat to Fuling via the Yangtze River, and then on via the Wujiang River. People then carried the goods to the county's mountain villages.

For hundreds of years, farmers in impoverished Fazi village had only one water source: rain. They usually dug holes in the ground to store water, which was far from clean or safe.

However, the village has undergone a face-lift over the past three years thanks to China's poverty alleviation program.

When I first knew that I would be staying for a month in a poor mountain village, I was a little hesitant. I packed a lot of outdoor equipment, such as a sleeping bag, a tent and a plastic bucket, in case the living conditions there were not pleasant.

After driving for about five hours from downtown Chongqing, I arrived in Fazi, which averages 975 meters above sea level and has 550 families scattered across a 20-square-kilometer area.

To my surprise, the village was not what I imagined it would be. It was easily accessible by a newly built road network that connects most of the houses.

I was hosted by a poor family that opened a bed-and-breakfast after receiving an interest-free loan. The guest room was simple but clean. Three rooms shared a toilet, and there was running water and a solar water heater.

The water comes from a river 14 km away. To solve the drinking water problem in Fazi, the county government has invested more than 4 million yuan ($580,000) in a water system that includes 18 giant storage tanks.

When I walked around, I found the mountain was covered by thousands of fruit trees, the source of Fazi's new prosperity.

Breathing fresh air on the mountain, I was glad I was able to stay for a month to see how this village is pulling itself out of poverty.
President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Saturday to his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on his re-election to a second four-year term as Iran's president.

Noting that he attaches great importance to China-Iran relations, Xi said that he is willing to work together with Rouhani to push forward the development of the bilateral ties.

Rouhani won the presidential election with 57 percent of the vote, the Interior Ministry announced on Saturday. He said in a televised speech on Saturday that by voting for him, Iranians have chosen the course of interaction and said "no to violence and extremism" in the world.

Xi said in his message that Iran has made new socio-economic achievements over the past four years under Rouhani's leadership and that the development of the China-Iran relationship has maintained sound momentum thanks to the two countries' joint efforts.

Recalling his state visit to Teheran in January 2016 and the in-depth talks he had with Rouhani during that trip, Xi noted that they have reached important consensus on bilateral ties.

During Xi's visit to Iran, the first in 14 years by a Chinese head of state, the two countries agreed to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership to boost cooperation on all fronts and carry forward their millennia-old friendship.

China is Iran's largest trading partner and its largest crude oil market. During Xi's visit, the two countries signed a number of documents to cooperate in such areas as infrastructure, energy, finance, investment and news media.

Jin Yong, a professor of international relations at Communication University of China in Beijing, said Iran has geographic advantages to boost its Belt and Road cooperation with China amid Beijing's efforts to increase interconnectivity in the world.

Iran is close to the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime channel, and home of the port of Bandar Abbas, one of the largest in the Gulf region, he said.

According to the Chinese embassy to Iran, the two countries have made progress on Belt and Road cooperation regarding in particular a large number of construction projects contracted by Chinese companies in Iran.

As of September, Chinese companies have contracted at least 136 projects in such areas as transportation, energy, steel, and petroleum chemistry in Iran, worth a total of $32.74 billion.
Chinese patients with diabetes will no longer need to have their fingers pricked during the blood withdrawal process, thanks to a new glucose sensing technology by global healthcare company Abbott.

The US company has announced that its new FreeStyle Libre system allows glucose readings to be accurately obtained painlessly in real time. The system consists of a small round sensor slightly larger than a 1-yuan coin and can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days.

Glucose levels in the patient is measured every minute in interstitial fluid through a small filament inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. The patient can scan the sensor with a handheld reader and the result will be displayed in less than one second. The reader can store data for up to 90 days.

Each scan displays real-time glucose levels, the historical trend and the direction where the glucose is heading. Patients can also learn more about how food, exercise and insulin impact their glucose levels by downloading the data from the system.

Abbott's FreeStyle Libre system was approved by the China Food and Drug Administration in August. The company said that the system will soon be available in cities across China, with distribution channels extending to e-commerce platforms.

Dr Roger S Mazze, chief academic officer of International Diabetes Center, applauded the innovation, saying that it can help people achieve better glycemic control as well as provide patients and physicians with a complete picture of glucose variations.

According to Ji Linong, director of the department of endocrinology and metabolism at People's Hospital under Peking University, glucose monitoring is vital in helping people take control of their diabetes and reducing the risk of serious complications such as heart disease, kidney failure and diabetic foot.

A survey jointly conducted by Abbott and Chinese Medical Doctor Association earlier this year found out that at least 74 percent of diabetes patients in China do not monitor their glucose levels despite being advised by their doctors to do so. Inadequate emphasis, inconvenient monitoring and pain resulted from finger pricks were cited as the main reasons for irregular self-monitoring.

According to the World Health Organization, there were 110 million diabetes patients in China in 2015, about a tenth of the country's adult population. The number is expected to hit 150 million by 2040 if no further actions are taken immediately.

The International Diabetes Federation estimated that about 13 percent of the total medical expenditure in China is spent on diabetes treatment. In 2015, diabetes treatment expenditure in the country amounted to $51 billion, second only to the United States.
GENEVA -- The Chinese delegation to the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) on Sunday reiterated that the one-China principle is the prerequisite for the participation of China's Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO)'s annual conference.

During a press conference held one day ahead of the WHA opening, it also refuted the existence of an "epidemic prevention gap" claimed by Taiwan.

In answering Taiwan-related questions, Li Bin, head of the Chinese delegation and minister of national health and family planning commission, said that it is the Taiwan authorities led now by the local Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that has set the barrier to Taiwan's WHA attendance. She reaffirmed the cross-Straits "1992 consensus" centered on the one-China principle as the prerequisite for Taiwan's participation.

The DPP "refused to recognize that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China. By so doing, it undermined the political basis of the cross-Straits relations, and brought the cross-Straits contact and communication mechanism to a standstill," Li said.

As a result, she noted, the political basis of Taiwan's participation in the annual conference of the global health body has ceased to exist.

According to her, from 2009 to 2016, the central government of China made special arrangements for Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer in the name of "Chinese Taipei" in accordance with the "1992 consensus" reached between Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

However, since it won the local election in Taiwan last year, the DPP's stand has made it "impossible to carry out any cross-Straits consultations for the special arrangements anymore," said Li.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a United Nations specialized agency. UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 and WHA Resolution 25.1 provide the legal basis for the WHO to follow the one-China principle, Li noted.

Li also reiterated the stand of China's central government on safeguarding Taiwan's public health interests.

"The attitude of the central government of China in addressing the health issues of interest to Taiwan compatriots is sincere and earnest, and the active measures taken are practical and effective," she said.

Li noted that proper arrangements have been made for Taiwan to participate in global health affairs and to conduct exchanges on epidemics and other health issues with WHO medical and public health experts.

Through consultations with the WHO, the central government of China has also made proper arrangements for the application of the International Health Regulations in Taiwan, she said, adding that Taiwan "can access the information on public health emergencies released by the WHO, so the so-called 'epidemic prevention gap' doesn't exist at all."

In addition, Li said, there have been cross-Straits deals and exchanges conducted on the basis of the "1992 consensus" in medical and public health fields, including epidemics prevention and treatment, drug safety management and research, and traditional Chinese medicine development, with cooperation mechanisms built on emergency medical treatment and responses to public health emergencies, among others.
BEIJING -- China has amazed the world with its success in making a slew of major scientific and technological breakthroughs, contributing to global technological advances and closer international cooperation in the interest of mankind.

In recent weeks, China has successively brought to fruition a batch of significant technological programs including a maiden trip of first homegrown large passenger jet C919, launch of a first indigenously made aircraft carrier, construction of world's first quantum computing machine and in-orbit refueling of cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1.

Last week, China made its first success in mining at sea combustible ice, an efficient and clean energy that holds strategic importance for future global energy development, after two decades of continuing efforts.

Experts believe that the success shows China has mastered combustible ice mining technology.

Commercial development of the huge reserves of combustible ice across the globe "has moved closer to reality" after China successfully extracted the material from the seafloor, the Associated Press reported.

"Many countries on the Maritime Silk Road have a demand for combustible ice mining," said Qiu Haijun, director of the trial mining commanding headquarters.

"With the advanced technology we could boost economic development and exchanges among countries," Qiu said.

In early May, China's first domestically made large passenger airplane C919 completed its test flight in the eastern city of Shanghai.

"The C919 not only generates a great source of pride for China, but also represents mutual benefits and cooperation between China and the rest of the world," said Ye Wei, executive director and president of COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) America Corporation.

The Associated Press called the test trip "a milestone in China's long-term goal to break into the Western-dominated aircraft market."

Eric Chen, president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft China, was quoted by the AP as saying that he welcomes new competition brought by China's C919, which is good for the development of the industry.

In order to succeed in an increasingly globalized business world, international cooperation is indispensable. In this regard, the C919 project is indeed a paragon of global technological cooperation.

Major components like the engines, avionics and control systems are sourced from numerous joint ventures and partners across Europe and the United States.

Darius Adamczyk, chairman and CEO of Honeywell which is one of the suppliers to the manufacturer of the plane, was among the first to send congratulations on the success of C919's maiden flight.

"We are proud of our partnership with COMAC and eager to continue to help advance aviation capabilities in China," he said.

Michel Merluzeau, director of AirInsightResearch, an aerospace & defense market analysis and consulting group, anticipates that by the mid-2030s, COMAC will be an important partner in the global aerospace supply chains, owing to growth in China, partnerships and the size of the market.

"I think by 2030, 2035, COMAC may very well do well in aircraft together to compete with the new aircrafts of Airbus and Boeing," said Merluzeau.

As China makes rapid progress in science and technology, other nations in the world are also increasingly seeking partnerships with it.

Cisco Systems (China) has invested 20 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) in the Cisco (Guangzhou) Smart City project, aiming to build the largest platform of Internet research and development and intelligent operations outside the United States.

"The project offers a great opportunity to present an innovative example to the world," said Chuck Robbins, chief executive officer of Cisco.
Guangdong province, one of China's economic powerhouses, will aim to achieve an average GDP growth rate of 7 percent over the next five years, its top official said on Monday.

"Reform and opening-up to the outside world is Guangdong's greatest strategy for economic development," Hu Chunhua, the provincial Party chief, said at the opening ceremony of the 12th Guangdong Provincial Party Congress in Guangzhou.

He added that the province has relied heavily on such measures in recent years.

Official statistics show the province's GDP rose from 5.3 trillion yuan ($768.85 billion) in 2012 to more than 7.95 trillion yuan last year.

Guangdong has topped the list of provinces with the highest GDP for 28 consecutive years.

Hu also vowed to further promote the rule of law, saying that it "forms the basis of a civil and prosperous society".

More than 900 Party representatives are attending the five-day congress, of which 32.7 percent are women, and 51.8 percent are under 50 years of age.

The congress will elect the members that will represent Guangdong at the Party's 19th National Congress in Beijing this year.
Peking University opened its campus to potential students on Saturday, allowing them to learn more about the top higher education institution before they sit the national college entrance exam.

The annual gaokao, or national college entrance exam, which will decide which university students can attend, will be held in early June. Peking University, which just celebrated its 119th birthday, held the open day event in hopes of attracting more brilliant high school graduates from all over the country.

Gao Song, vice president of the university, said Peking University, as one of the most prestigious universities in the country, will continue to offer, as it always does, a student-centered education.

"Our university is dedicated to nurturing young people into all-round developed talents and leaders by respecting their own choices and offering high-quality courses,"he said.

He added that the influence of higher education will last for students lifetime. An ideal higher education will enable students to master a series of crucial abilities, including the ability to know society and themselves, the ability to think independently and critically, and the ability to express themselves and to cooperate with others, as well as the ability to innovate and shoulder responsibilities.

"To make that happen, Peking University will give students more freedom to select majors and courses they are interested in,"he said. "We will also keep encouraging more interaction and mutual-inspiration between teachers and students, while creating a better environment for students to communicate with each other."

According to Gao, the university will send admission task forces to provinces and regions across the country in late June and early July after gaokao, to take questions from and offer guidance to applicants during their application and admission process.
Chinese passports not accepted for domestic flights at some airports

Several airports have started requiring Chinese passengers to present their ID cards to board domestic flights despite the fact they made the bookings with passports, causing confusion among fliers.

The new security rule had been introduced without notice at several airports by Monday afternoon.

According to customer service employees at airports that have adopted the rule, including Shanghai Hongqiao and Guangzhou Baiyun international airports, the practice started on May 8 and is a result of new guidelines from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

China Daily reporters contacted 29 airports in the four municipalities as well as 24 provincial and regional capitals on Monday. Customer service employees at 13 airports said Chinese passengers must present ID cards to fly domestically, even as a stopover on an international flight that was booked with a passport.

Details of the guidelines remain unknown, and the CAAC declined to comment.

The change has affected many passengers, including those who earlier traveled abroad with only a passport yet found they had to wait up to several hours for a temporary travel permit before they were allowed to transfer onto a domestic flight.

Chinese people who work and study abroad are among those affected.

"Many students, including me, usually leave our Chinese ID cards at home because they are no use in the US and we can board domestic flights in China with our passports," said Li Ye, 21, who is studying in New York.

"Many of my friends have decided to fly directly or stop over in foreign cities to bypass the new rule," she said.

Customer service employees at Shanghai Pudong and Beijing Capital international airports said Chinese passengers could still travel on domestic flights with passports, as they had not received any orders to the contrary.

"We strongly suggest people carry their ID cards if they plan to travel with their passports because the new rule may come into effect soon," a security officer at Shanghai Pudong International Airport said on Monday.

Contact the writers at cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn
The manuscript by Qing Dynasty imperial physician Wang Bichang. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) imperial physician Wang Bichang's manuscript which records 540 kinds of prescriptions, has been valued at 216 million yuan ($31.4 million).

Wang Bichang was born in 1764 and was selected for the Imperial Hospital during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) in the Qing Dynasty. He spent nine years in office. Before Wang left the Imperial Hospital to return to his hometown, he recorded his medical knowledge in Liao Fu Ji in 1810. Many kinds of difficult and rare diseases were included in Liao Fu Ji, including cancer, tumours, hematuria and hematemesis.

The manuscript was discovered among a pile of scripts by Peng Ling, a director of the China Association of Collectors. Yao Boyue, a professor from Peking University firmly believes that the manuscript is the original written by Wang Bichang, judging from the paper material and handwriting.

Tuo Xiaotang, a former head from China Guardian Auctions, said that in 2007, Ren Xigeng's 50 kinds of secret prescriptions were sold for 2 million yuan, with each prescription valued at 40,000 yuan. Ten years later, the price is estimated to have risen 10 times. If each prescription is estimated at 400,000 yuan, the price of the complete Wang Bichang manuscript could reach 216 million yuan.
Chinese director Li Ruijun (center), actor Yin Fang (left) and actress Yang Zishan pose for a photocall of the film Walking Past the Future during the 70th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 21, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese director Li Ruijun's Walking Past the Future film, selected in the "Un Certain Regard" (In some perspective) section of the 70th Cannes Film Festival, drew wide audience's appreciation during its screening Saturday.

Through the movie, Li featured the life of a family from the first generation of migrant workers in China. The parents of the heroine Yang Yaoting had worked in Shenzhen, a metropolis in South China for twenty years. But they lost their jobs due to aging and poor health.

They decided to return to their homeland, a village in Northwest China's Gansu province with their two daughters. However, living in the countryside is not easy as expected. So Yang, the eldest daughter, returns to Shenzhen, and dreams of buying an apartment for her family.

The Chinese director said he was "honored and surprised" to be selected by the festival. For him, the film reflects the other side of Chinese social development by telling a "family and love story", which could touch the audience all over the world.

After the screening, Dany Wolf, American producer, said the film is "different" and "powerful", and he was deeply touched.

Turkish journalist Defne Gursoy Birgun said the film, with a universal concern, is the most human film she has watched in recent years.

She argued that during the post-industrial era, migration from cities to the countryside represented a challenge for all countries.

"I watched all the Chinese films every year (at Cannes Film Festival). Although it is a worldwide film festival, we think the future of the movie and innovative works are in the East," said the journalist.

This is the first time for Li to take part in the Cannes Film Festival, although his works have been selected in many international cinema gatherings. He took part in the 2014 International Festival of Tokyo with film River Road, and in 2012, Venice International Festival with Fly with the Crane.

This year, 18 films are selected for the "Un Certain Regard" section. The awards for the section will be unveiled on May 27.

The 70th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 17 to 28.
A potential homebuyer checks out a property project in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Dec 17, 2016. [Asianewsphoto by Long Wei]

After the Central Economic Work Conference in December said "houses are for living in, not speculation", the Government Work Report in March reiterated the fact and vowed to accelerate the establishment of a long-term mechanism to promote the steady and healthy development of the real estate sector.

The aim of the recent tightening policies is to curb speculation in the real estate sector, prevent market risks, and promote the healthy development of the property market. But to achieve those goals, the regulating policies should also focus on the supply and demand sides of the property market.

On the demand side, the housing loan policy has been further tightened, and an increasing number of cities are imposing restrictions on homebuyers. On the supply side, the supply of land for construction will be increased in key cities to meet the rising demand for houses and curb prices. But to effectively cool down the realty in the long run, authorities have to streamline the rental property market and build more affordable houses.

Public rental housing is a new type of social security housing. In 2010, seven ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, jointly issued a guideline to expedite the development of public rental housing, under which houses will be rented out to low- and middle-income households that cannot afford to buy a house, as well as migrant workers.

The 2015 Central Economic Work Conference vowed to further deepen the housing sector reform and expand the list of applicants for rental housing to include residents who have been living in a city for a long time but do not have hukou (household registration). In reality, however, it is still difficult for migrant workers and long-time residents to apply for public rental housing. So cities with a large number of migrant workers should relax the rules for migrant workers to access public rental housing.

Many local governments have invested huge amounts of money to build public rental housing units. But in some areas, the actual occupancy rate of public rental properties is not very high because of unreasonable project planning, the non-transparent allocation process and/or high application threshold, which is a huge waste of public resources.

Government surveys on public rental housing focus on the number of units constructed and the supply of such housing units while ignoring the occupancy rate, and thus fail to indicate what measures are needed to meet the public rental housing demand. Perhaps giving more migrant workers and non-native residents access to rental housing and providing house-rent subsidies could ease the demand for housing.

In February, Beijing became the first Chinese city to introduce an official standard for buildings with rental housing, which allows small but livable apartmentsbetween 15 square meters and 22 sq mto be rented out. The Beijing authorities have also stipulated that public rental housing projects should come up in areas that have fairly good infrastructure, including a convenient public transportation system. This is an example other Chinese cities would do well to follow.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development also requires local authorities to accelerate the construction of public rental housing this year to ensure 2 million housing units are ready to be let out. But to facilitate the steady and healthy development of public rental housing across the country, the ministry should also introduce a standard for systematic and comprehensive national construction and evaluation. And apart from providing more small apartments with basic furniture and domestic appliances for rentals, builders could also offer dormitories to rent.

In a nutshell, public rental housing should follow a national standard to ensure the occupants can live in relative comfort.

The author is a researcher at the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gestures during a press conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 21, 2016. [Agencies]

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been sending mixed messages these days. He told an audience in Tokyo on Wednesday that he was following a "Japan First" policy, a term that smacks of US President Donald Trump's "America First" anti-globalization slogan.

To dilute the protectionist element in his slogan, Abe said Japan would pursue a path of global peace and prosperity.

After attending the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on May 14-15, Toshihiro Nikai, the secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said Japan should join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank "at an early stage" .

Subsequently, Abe said in a TV interview on Tuesday that Japan is still keeping a "careful" eye on the AIIB's operations and might think of joining it if the issues over the bank's governance are suitably resolved.

But he added: "We will continue to work closely with the United States." Japan, along with the US, has shunned the AIIB, which opened for business in January 2016 and has 77 members.

In a letter to President Xi Jinping delivered by Nikai, Abe lauded China's Belt and Road Initiative that aims for developing a big economic zone spanning Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, and expressed interest in discussing the initiative with Xi, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

And in an op-ed article in The New York Times on April 22, 2015, Yoichi Funabashi, chairman of the Tokyo-based think tank Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation, had explained why Japan ought to join the AIIB: "By distributing financial assistance to states in the Asia-Pacific, the bank will inevitably help shape the region's future economic architecture, as well as, implicitly, its security relations. Japan has a major strategic interest in participating."

But some people see the AIIB as China's attempt to spread its influence and directly compete with the Japan-led Asian Development Bank. What they fail to see is that given the need for infrastructure investment in Asia, there is more than enough room for the two banks to cooperate rather than compete.

In fact, the ADB estimates Asia needs $26 trillion in investment through 2030, or $1.7 trillion a year, to meet its infrastructure needs. And at present, multilateral lenders provide only 2.5 percent of total infrastructure investment.

So when the ADB convened its 50th annual meeting in Yokohama early this month, cooperation with the AIIB was on the agenda.

Takehiko Nakao, the ADB president, said we don't need to regard the AIIB as a rival. "There is a very large need to finance for the region's infrastructure development, so we can cooperate," he said.

And in an article she wrote for the March 10 edition of the Asahi Shimbun, Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former governor of Malaysia's central bank and an AIIB adviser, said the AIIB is open to collaboration with all countries and regions, and the US and Japan both have the expertise that can help the bank to develop fruitfully. She rightly pointed that for the advancement of the region and other parts of the world, collaboration and cooperation, not competition, are the keywords.

Japan's policy to always side with the US may backfire, as Trump's protectionist policies could pose a challenge to the ADB. Despite being the second-largest shareholder in the ADB, the US recalled its ambassador to the bank soon after Trump assumed office on January 20.

Besides, the US has also pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, prompting Japan to advocate an 11-nation trade pact. But the talks among the remaining 11 signatories to the TPP agreement in Toronto earlier this month failed to produce a clear road map for the implementation of the agreement. They began new talks in Hanoi on Sunday.

If Japan, the largest economy in the US-less TPP agreement, wants to play a leading role in the negotiations and breathe fresh life into the pact, then Abe's "Japan First" slogan ought to be an oxymoron.

The author is China Daily Tokyo bureau chief. caihong@chinadaily.com.cn
A man visits a house agent. [Photo/IC]

ON FRIDAY, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development solicited public opinions on a draft regulation that imposes harsher restrictions on landlords to prevent them from arbitrarily increasing rents without good reason. Beijing News commented on Sunday:

For the some 160 million paying to live under someone else's roof in cities and towns, their struggle with some greedy, irresponsible landlords may soon come to an end. Tenants are encouraged to take up a lease of three years or more with their landlords and pay the rent monthly, according to the draft regulation. Landlords are prohibited from raising the rent if the contract does not include how often and to what extent they are allowed to do so.

Many real estate agents and landlords have long preyed upon tenants, who account for about 21 percent of the total permanent urban population. The cost of renting can be exceedingly high for those who have just landed a job after graduation, as in most cases, apart from the unreasonably high agency fees, tenants have to pay four months rent in advance for a quarter lease, because the landlords require the extra monthly rent as a deposit.

Up to now tenants' legal rights have also been poorly protected. Landlords could easily find loopholes in the lease and charge extra fees despite no rules allowing them to do so. When questioned, they will point to a steady rise in the average rent.

Affordable rented accommodation should be the least a city can offer to non-locals. A lot of countries have strict regulations covering the rental market. In Germany landlords are not allowed to increase the rent more than 20 percent over three years, which, to some extent, explains why only less than half of the country's households have homes of their own.

China could well learn from the experiences of other countries not just to cool down house prices but also to regulate the rental market.
Jia Zuosheng, 27, a former security guard at Tsinghua University, drew wide attention after his admission to Shandong Normal University. [Photo/China Daily]

MORE THAN 500 ON-CAMPUS SECURITY GUARDS at Peking University, one of the most prestigious universities in China, have reportedly managed to gain access to a degree course at the university over the past two decades by taking self-study courses and continuing education examinations for adults. People.com.cn commented on Thursday:

Self-taught education seems to have become something of a tradition for many security staff at Peking University, most of whom do not have a college degree and later manage to get one through continuing higher education.

A 41-year-old former security guard at the university, who is now head of a vocational school in North China's Shanxi province, earned a degree in law from the university in 1998. He only had a junior middle school diploma before he passed the university's entrance examination for continuing education pursuers.

There are many employees at other universities who have gained access to degree courses after self-taught education. Their success, as some argue, may have something to do with the inspiration they draw from campus life: The hard-working students who are about the same age as the security guards could motivate them to study.

Whether these security guards who become college graduates are a sign of improving upward mobility remains to be seen. However, the self-motivational success of security guards, whose job may be undesirable to many, heralds a promising change in how people see career boundaries. It adds weight to the fact that self-study and hard work can make a major difference to people's lives. It is never too late to pick up where one has left in terms of education.

For those with a high school diploma aiming at higher education, their best option would be to take continuing education courses and apply for a degree.

The cultural diversity of colleges and the admission system also deserve much of the credit, because they render support to all qualified candidates regardless of their background.

The inspiring stories of these security guards are evidence of the positive changes a university can bring to the neighborhood besides educating its own students. And continuing education, which allows one to spend his or her spare time in pursuing higher education, is more than welcome in the country.
Zhang Feng, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said at a meeting on Wednesday that China will establish a national big data center to promote the trans-departmental, trans-regional sharing of basic data, in order to improve the practical value of data and its efficient use.

Meanwhile, the authorities will enhance their supervision and surveillance of data, and strictly crack down on illegal practices such as data leaks and the selling of personal information.

Zhang said that the ministry will first promote the openness and sharing of data in sectors such as credit, transportation, health and employment. Meanwhile, the ministry will develop a roadmap for industrial big data, and promote the integration of big data with the manufacturing industry.

In addition, the ministry will also enhance the protection of data during its collection, storage, application and sharing and accelerate the drawing up of regulations for telecommunications and internet data management.

Studies show that China's data increases at a rate of more than 50 percent a year. It is expected that China's total amount of data will account for 21 percent of global total by 2020.
[Photo provided to China Daily]

Islands have long been associated with paradise, but it's only recently that a growing number of affluent Chinese travelers have started heading to archipelagos during summer sojourns.

This recently prompted HHtravel, the high-end brand of China's largest online travel agency, Ctrip, to release a list of the top summer islands for luxury travelers.

Fiji, the Canary Islands, Tahiti, Hawaii, Mauritius, the Maldives, Bali and Thailand's Koh Samui take the top spots.

The number of tourists who booked trips to these islands through HHtravel surged 70 percent year-on-year in 2016, says the company's chief operating officer, Guo Ming.
China and Vietnam will expand intelligence sharing and case investigations in the fight against rampant cross-border trafficking of women, a senior Ministry of Public Security official said.

The ministry has said that the number of such cases dropped slightly last year thanks to the two countries' intensified efforts, but it did not release details.

We're still engaged in a bitter battle to eliminate cross-border human trafficking, which arises out of unbalanced economic development and loopholes in social management, Chen Shiqu, deputy director of the ministry's Criminal Investigation Department, said recently in an exclusive interview.

Chinese and Vietnamese police have agreed to promptly exchange information and clues and to conduct joint investigations in their efforts to smash major human trafficking rings.

They are tightening border management and intensifying inspections along the border to close channels for human trafficking. And they are focused on improving the efficiency of their cooperation in investigating and evidence gathering, in capturing and repatriating suspects, and in rescuing victims.

In recent years, a number of mostly poor, rural Vietnamese women have been kidnapped and smuggled into China to enter into forced marriages or prostitution. Some were tricked into coming by promises of large salaries, according to the ministry.

Chen said the victims are often sold in rural China as brides or forced to provide sexual services in clandestine dens in costal or border areas in, among others, Guangdong and Yunnan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Chinese traffickers have long collaborated with Vietnamese associates in the trade, he said. Gangs are formed with members tasked with recruiting, arranging the smuggling and visa services, and contacting buyers to form a complete criminal chain.

Vietnamese traffickers usually look for rural women in their 20s and 30s and persuade them to travel to China with promises of high-paying jobs or touristic trips, said Chen Jianfeng, director of the anti-human trafficking office in the Criminal Investigation Department.

He said some criminals have even set up illegal cross-border marriage agencies and tell the women they will become brides of rich Chinese men in big cities.

When the women agree, they are smuggled into China along small forest roads or mountain areas or across the river, said Jin Yulu, a police officer at the Ruili checkpoint in Yunnan's Dehong Dai and the Jingpo autonomous prefecture.

Upon arriving China, the women are handed over to the traffickers Chinese accomplices, who then take charge of providing accommodation and connecting agents, transporting or trafficking them across the country, Chen Shiqu said.

The cost of a Vietnamese woman ranges from 60,000 to 100,000 yuan ($8,700 to $14,500), depending on her age and appearance, he said.

Last May, police in seven provinces and municipalities, including Yunnan, Jiangxi and Shanghai, conducted a coordinated action to smash a large cross-border women trafficking ring. Seventy-five suspects were captured and 35 Vietnamese women rescued, according to the ministry.

In February, Vietnamese traffickers targeted young girls and lured them to the Chinese border. Chinese traffickers then contacted agents and sold the girls for huge profits.

After receiving tips, police succeeded in smashing the major cross-border women trafficking ring. One buyer, surnamed Wang, from Henan, was caught as he selected a bride in Yunnan. Wang said he bought a Vietnamese bride because his family was too poor for him to be able to marry a Chinese woman.

Chinese and Vietnamese police mounted a special action against rising cross-border trafficking of women for three months last year. During the action, Chinese police uncovered 184 trafficking cases, and arrested 290 suspects, according to the ministry.

Sixty-one criminal gangs were smashed and 207 Vietnamese women plus one child were rescued, it said.

Last week, 13 suspects went on trial in Yunnan. They stood accused of trafficking or purchasing 27 Vietnamese women and bringing them to China for forced marriages between July 2014 and April 2016. The verdicts are pending.

Chen Shiqu said China has set up an annual meeting of senior officials to combat international trafficking. Eight border offices with neighboring countries, including four offices in Vietnam, have been set up to aid in the effort.

Chinese authorities will take great care to protect the legitimate rights of the rescued female victims and will see to their settlement in temporary shelters and ultimate repatriation, he said.

And each year, he added, we will conduct extensive campaigns with Vietnam to eliminate cross-border human trafficking.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani waves before making a speech in Teheran on Saturday. XINHUA

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Saturday to his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on his re-election to a second four-year term as Iran's president.

Noting that he attaches great importance to China-Iran relations, Xi said that he is willing to work together with Rouhani to push forward the development of the bilateral ties.

Rouhani won the presidential election with 57 percent of the vote, the Interior Ministry announced on Saturday. He said in a televised speech on Saturday that by voting for him, Iranians have chosen the course of interaction and said "no to violence and extremism" in the world.

Xi said in his message that Iran has made new socio-economic achievements over the past four years under Rouhani's leadership and that the development of the China-Iran relationship has maintained sound momentum thanks to the two countries' joint efforts.

Recalling his state visit to Teheran in January 2016 and the in-depth talks he had with Rouhani during that trip, Xi noted that they have reached important consensus on bilateral ties.

During Xi's visit to Iran, the first in 14 years by a Chinese head of state, the two countries agreed to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership to boost cooperation on all fronts and carry forward their millennia-old friendship.

China is Iran's largest trading partner and its largest crude oil market. During Xi's visit, the two countries signed a number of documents to cooperate in such areas as infrastructure, energy, finance, investment and news media.

Jin Yong, a professor of international relations at Communication University of China in Beijing, said Iran has geographic advantages to boost its Belt and Road cooperation with China amid Beijing's efforts to increase interconnectivity in the world.

Iran is close to the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime channel, and home of the port of Bandar Abbas, one of the largest in the Gulf region, he said.

According to the Chinese embassy to Iran, the two countries have made progress on Belt and Road cooperation regarding in particular a large number of construction projects contracted by Chinese companies in Iran.

As of September, Chinese companies have contracted at least 136 projects in such areas as transportation, energy, steel, and petroleum chemistry in Iran, worth a total of $32.74 billion.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in takes a walk with senior presidential secretaries at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, May 11, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

SEOUL - South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday named top-level presidential staff and cabinet members on security, foreign affairs and economy.

Moon told a press conference at the presidential Blue House, announcing his appointment of Chung Eui-yong as his top national security advisor who leads the National Security Office of the Blue House.

Chung is a career diplomat who was mainly in charge of trade. He is a former lawmaker of the Uri Party, a predecessor of the current ruling Democratic Party.

During the presidential campaign, Chung led a special advisory group overseeing Moon's diplomatic policy. Since Moon's inauguration, Chung led the Blue House's advisory group on security and foreign affairs.

The appointment indicated Moon's will to place more significance on diplomacy, rather than a hard-line approach, in dealing with issues on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interception system.

The top security post was usually assumed by former military commanders, which led to a hard-line approach to security issues. Chung's appointment heralded dialogue and diplomacy in South Korea's dealing with security.

Moon told reporters that under the past governments, security was seen from the narrow perspective of national defense, saying the diplomatic role became more significant in tackling the DPRK's nuclear program.

The qualification for the head of the National Security Office, Moon said, will be a diplomatic capability given the intertwined situations between security, diplomatic and economic affairs.

Asked about THAAD, Chung said the US missile shield deployment lacked of a procedural legitimacy, noting that South Korea's position on THAAD was explained sufficiently to relevant countries, which he said recognized South Korea's position.

Moon Chung-in, an honorary professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, and Hong Seok-hyun, former chief of a local newspaper and cable channel, were named special presidential aides for unification, security and diplomatic affairs.

Prof. Moon is a noted South Korean expert on international politics who is known to have been deeply involved in setting theoretical foundations for a so-called "Sunshine Policy" of engagement with the DPRK and a balanced diplomacy in Northeast Asia.

Hong is a former ambassador to the United States and was sent to Washington earlier this week as special envoy of President Moon. He is known to have a broad range of personal network in the United States.
SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's unification ministry said Monday it will flexibly review major inter-Korean issues such as civilian exchanges with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), indicating a dialogue mood on the Korean Peninsula.

Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duk-haeng told a regular briefing that main inter-Korean issues, including civilian exchanges, would be flexibly reviewed within the limits of undamaging the framework of the international community's sanctions on the DPRK.

Lee told reporters that the current severing of the inter-Korean relations was not desirable when considering the goal of stable situations on the peninsula.

President Moon Jae-in is expected to inherit a so-called "sunshine policy" of trying to enhance inter-Korean ties through investment and trade, advocated by liberal presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung.

Moon's predecessor Park Geun-hye had championed the continued humanitarian aid to the DPRK regardless of political situations, but the aid has been severed since the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January 2016.

As President Moon took office, expectations were running high for the resumption of the humanitarian aid and civilian exchanges between the two sides.

About 10 South Korean civic groups were reported to have applied to the unification ministry for humanitarian aid and cultural exchanges.

The spokesman said the ministry will review whether to approve the applications for contacts with and visits to the DPRK.
The United Kingdom's main university catering body has released a guide to authentic Chinese cuisine, potentially helping colleges around the country satisfy the growing number of Chinese students.

A chef prepares a meal at Cambridge University from a new cookbook aimed at college kitchens. [Angus Mcneice/China Daily]

Under the direction of Michelin-starred chef and Chinese food expert Bill Brogan, the University Caterers Organisation compiled a list of 23 Chinese dishes that can be prepared in UK university kitchens. The organization hopes to better serve Chinese students, many of whom prepare meals at home in the hope of finding a taste of home.

"A lot of Chinese students will forgo university food and cook their own," said Brogan, who is head of catering at Cambridge University's St John's College. "I've found that while most Chinese people love Britain, they don't rate British food as highly. Now, UK university kitchens are trying to take on more and more real, authentic Chinese food."

As a young chef, Brogan cut his teeth on French food, earning a Michelin star at Le Talbooth in Dedham. His passion for Chinese food began in 2006 on a visit to the country, and Brogan returned many times after marrying a Chinese woman. The couple started taking people on food tours to several Chinese cities. In 2015, the University Caterers Organisation enlisted Brogan to lead a group of 15 university catering heads on a two-week tour of university kitchens in China, where they built up their knowledge on how best to feed the UK's significant Chinese student population.

The number of Chinese students in the UK far exceeds most countries and China is the only country sending a significantly increasing population of students, according to the UK Council for International Student Affairs. In 2016, 91,215 Chinese students were studying in the UK for higher education degrees. The number has increased annually by 1.8 percent since 2013.

Matthew White, director of catering at the University Caterers Organisation said: "China represents one of the UK's key international recruitment markets and TUCO believed it was important to improve collective understanding of the food, culture and university provision of a world superpower whose population is fast approaching 1.4 billion."

Offering dishes such as stir-fried duck strips with onion, and pumpkin with pork shoulder, the organization's cookbook offers easy-to-prepare dishes that are scalable, all based on recipes sourced from Chinese university kitchens. Brogan said modifications had to be made based on the availability of ingredients and specialist cooking equipment, as well as British tastes.

"We had to modify some of them, as some wouldn't quite work here," Brogan said. "Some of the ingredients would be difficult to get, and some of the British students wouldn't eat certain dishes. Chicken feet and that type of ingredient wouldn't go down well."

Like many UK university halls, St John's College doubles as a bed-and-breakfast in the summer, and Brogan's staff have undergone training in Chinese cooking to serve tourists on visits to Cambridge, a hugely popular destination for Chinese visitors to the UK.
Six Japanese nationals are under investigation by Chinese authorities on suspicion of violating Chinese laws, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Monday in response to a report about alleged Japanese spies caught in China.

During a regular news conference Hua was asked to confirm the reported detention of six Japanese citizens alleged to be harming national interests.

China has reported the issue to Japan's consulate authorities in China, she said.

According to a report in Japan's Nikkei newspaper, the six were detained by Chinese authorities in East China's Shandong province and South China's Hainan province in March, suspected of alleged espionage, the report said.
The MIT Media Lab in the United States will collaborate with Mobby, a STEAM education brand in China, to improve Chinese children's creative learning through graphical programming, the two sides announced at a news conference in Beijing on Monday. Also, the MIT lab will help Mobby develop a programming-based curriculum.

The MIT Media Lab is an interdisciplinary research lab that fosters mixing and matching of disparate research areas at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mobby is a brand under K-12 tutoring service provider TAL Education Group that taps the potential of STEAM  a collective name of science, technology, engineering, arts and math  among children aged 2 to 15.

The two sides will cooperate through Scratch, a visual programming language that can be used to design stories, animations, games, music and art works.

Unlike traditional programming, users don't have to enter text, symbols, or punctuation. They don't even have to be familiar with letters and keyboards. The basic construction of a specific program through Scratch can be completed by dragging and assembling the modules of graphical programming blocks using a mouse.

Such an operating mode is gaining popularity at primary and secondary schools globally. According to the TIOBE Index, a measure of popularity of programming languages, Scratch programming language has been in the top 20 for four months since the beginning of February.

Mitchel Resnick, director of the Scratch programming project at the MIT Media Lab, said programming with graphical blocks is similar to building with LEGO bricks. His group also collaborates with the LEGO Company on the development of new educational ideas for products.

"The building-block approach makes programming more intuitive. Children can start with an idea and turn it into an interactive story, game or animation," said Resnick, who also serves as a professor of learning research at the lab.

At present, Scratch, with more than 22 million projects on its website and an increase of 1 million new projects each month, has millions of young users all over the world.

The collaboration with Scratch at the MIT Media Lab will provide a foundation for Mobby's STEAM curriculum development and form a professional and complete children's graphical teaching system, said Wang Wei, general manager of Mobby, which has nine centers domestically offering courses to thousands of children each year.
Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England, Britain, May 23, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

At least 22 people were killed, some of them children, and over 50 injured in what UK Prime Minister Theresa May said was being treated by police as a major terrorist attack on a pop concert in Britain's second city of Manchester.

An explosion came at Manchester Arena, in the center of the city, as US pop star Ariana Grande finished a sell-out show attended by many young teenagers and their parents.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkinson told reporters: "I can confirm there are children amongst the dead. We believe it was one man, acting alone, who used an improvised explosive device. We believe he is amongst the dead."

In London, police said extra armed police would be on the streets of the capital as a precaution.

Eyewitnesses in Manchester spoke of bodies strewn on the ground, covered in blood.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, although social media sites and websites linked to the extremist Islamic State group were full of messages praising the attack, the Daily Telegraph reported.

May and other political leaders cancelled general election campaigning ahead of the June 8 vote as key ministers and security experts gathered in London for an emergency meeting.

"We are working to establish the full details" of what had happened in Manchester, May told the BBC.

"All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected," she said.

Recently elected Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said it was "an act of evil. It has been a very dark night. Manchester people will come together. We will not let this divide us."

The BBC said a number of people and local hotels had offered temporary accommodation for concertgoers.
Beijing urged all related parties to remain calm and restrained on Monday after Pyongyang conducted its latest missile test and called for efforts to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue in a peaceful manner.

"We've noticed related movement. ... The situation on the Korean Peninsula is complicated and sensitive. We again urge all sides to avoid activities that provoke each other and intensify tensions and to pull the situation back to the right track of dialogue and consultation," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after Sunday's test launch.

DPRK leader Kim Jong-un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, Korea Central News Agency reported on Monday. The test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its "adaptability under various battle conditions" before it is deployed to military units, the report said.

"China's position on the issue is very clear and consistent," Hua said in a daily news conference in Beijing.

"The United Nations Security Council resolutions have clear stipulations prohibiting the DPRK from using ballistic missiles, and China opposes the DPRK conducting its test against UNSC resolutions," she said.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday in response to the ballistic missile test.

When asked whether there will be further sanctions on Pyongyang, Hua said the discussions or activities taken by the UN Security Council should be conducive to the important consensuses reached by the international community.

"The international community at least has three points of consensus on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. That is, the objective of denuclearization; fully and strictly implement past resolutions of the UN Security Council; and support in a peaceful manner resolving the peninsula's nuclear issue," she said.

6 Japanese held

Responding to questions about the reported detention of six Japanese citizens on accusations of harming national interests, the spokeswoman said on Monday that the six are under investigation on suspicion of violating Chinese laws.

"As far as I know, the Chinese authorities, indeed, in accordance with the law, conducted investigations of six Japanese suspected of engaging in illegal activities in China. China has promptly reported the issue to Japan's consulate authorities in China," she said.

According to a news report in Japanese media, the six people were detained by Chinese authorities in Shandong and Hainan provinces in March.

The Japanese citizens could face allegations of espionage because there are naval facilities in the two provinces, the Nikkei news service said, quoting anonymous sources from China and Japan.
Deceptive trademarks may not be registered in China, according to Article 10(7) of the Trademark Law. While the reasoning behind this prohibition makes sense, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) sometimes interprets the statute in questionable ways. To avoid issues, brands registering their trademarks in China should avoid using any marks that may be considered deceptive, in whole or in part, under CNIPAs low threshold.

Article 10(7) stipulates that trademarks that are deceptive and are likely to mislead the public in terms of the quality, place of production or other characteristics of the goods may not be registered. U.S. trademark law has a similar provision, barring the registration of trademarks that consist of deceptive matter (15 U.S.C.  1052(a)). One hypothetical example of a deceptive trademark is Rum 151, if used in connection with rum that is not, in fact, 151 proof. Alcohol content is one of rums characteristics; use of 151 on 80 proof rum is likely to mislead the public. Under circumstances such as these, CNIPAs refusal to register arguably serves a valuable function: No one should be duped into preparing a weaker Cuba Libre.

At times, however, CNIPAs interpretation of Article 10(7) can be unduly broad. Recently, CNIPA rejected an English-language mark that is something like Top World Products. (This is a case were handling, so we cannot tell you what the actual mark is, sorry!) CNIPAs rejection notice did not specify exactly why the mark was deceptive, or even which part of the mark was considered deceptive, but it appears that the beef was with the word top. Apparently, the public might be misled as to the quality of the goods associated with the trademark if they are described as top.

CNIPA seems to take a dim view of Chinese consumers. Do they really think that they will assume that Top World Products are in fact the highest in position, rank, or degree in the market, just because the brand name includes the word top? Not to mention that those members of the Chinese public who understand the English words on the trademark might also pick up on the fact that top modifies world, not products.

The fact that a trademark is in a foreign language may help prod CNIPA into finding that the same is deceptive, given concerns that Chinese consumers might not understand certain linguistic nuances. But CNIPA appears to have issues with the Chinese term  (best) as well, with applications that include that word generally denied.

Its hard to believe that CNIPA is really concerned over actual deception in these cases. A more plausible explanation is that CNIPA does not want the trademark registration process to enshrine a particular brands superlative claims. After all, if one brand got to register Spiciest Chili Sauce, no other brand would get to make the same claim, at least in the form of a trademark (for what its worth, CNIPA has not registered any marks with the term  in connection with actual foodstuffs).

In any case, CNIPAs approach is unnecessarily crimping the creativity of brands and making it harder to avoid trademark similarity, without any actual benefit to the public. Ultimately, though, that is irrelevant to trademark applicants in China. Knowing how strict CNIPA is, what trademark applicants need to do is ensure that their marks cannot be considered deceptive in any way, based on CNIPAs peculiar understanding of that term.
A good pickpocket works with a partner who will distract the mark while the pickpocket steals his wallet, camera, or passport. Sometimes the distraction will be an unwanted conversation, an aggressive sales pitch, or an accidental collision in a crowded areaat which point the pickpocket does his work. Right now, Christians are being swindled.

We hear a lot about the threat of radical fundamentalist Islam. Some believe there is an Islamization agenda at work that is trying to undermine traditional institutions and replace them with a new Islamic order. To be sure, many horrible acts have been committed under the banner of radical Islam, and there is a real danger. But the truth is this: Overblown fears about a supposed Islamization agenda may actually be distracting Christians from the true threat that is stealing away the authentic witness and authority of Christianity.

The Islamization Agenda

Like in many other countries in Africa, the belief in an Islamization agenda is potent, alive, and well in Nigeria. Since the early 1980s, Nigerian Christians have been deeply concerned about the possibility of a secret plan to conform the country to the dictates of Islam.

The seed of this idea goes back to the jihad led by Usman dan Fodio in 1804. His goal was to dip the Quran into the Atlantic Ocean, meaning that he intended to impose Islam upon the entire nation of Nigeria. Although he died without realizing his vision, dan Fodio left a legacy that the Muslim umma (community) in Nigeria has continued to pursue. Many Nigerian Christians believe that any time a Muslim is president of Nigeria, the Muslims will use that as a platform to pursue their agenda ...

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I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Alongside arguments for maternity leave centered on health, wellbeing, and economics, a pro-life case for paid leave has slowly developed within the church.

Now, research shows that Christians are actually more likely than the average American to support paid parental leaveas long as they arent white.

The vast majority of black and Hispanic believers, at higher levels than any other demographic, say new moms and dads should be offered paid leave from work, according to the Pew Research Center.

Pew data provided to CT revealed that 90 percent of black Protestantsa number that includes evangelicalsand 85 percent of Hispanic Catholics think mothers should get paid leave. White evangelical Protestants and white mainline Protestants, meanwhile, showed lower levels of support than average, with just over three-quarters endorsing paid leave for moms.

As a result of a history living with injustice, I imagine black Protestantsand likely black people in generalhave a greater awareness that many working women cannot afford to take unpaid leave after giving birth or adopting a child, said Patrice Gopo, a writer on race and parenting.

Gopo previously wrote for CT Women about the need to expand the mommy wars conversation:

When we talk about motherhood, we usually are talking about that small minority: primarily white women with a spouse and a certain level of financial means. Our limited scope ignores the reality that many women in the United States (and the world) are not in positions to make these choices. And for women of color able to make these choices, they may come to that position much differently than their white counterparts.

Overall, people still ...

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OCGMA Announces Sunday Worship Schedule, Featuring Renowned Guest Speakers

Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OCGMA) Announces Sunday Worship Schedule Starting Sunday June 11 in the Great Auditorium



Note: OCGMA Also Offers Daily Worship Services -- Bible Study -- Kids & Teens Programs, Organ & Choir Recitals -- Prayer Song & Vespers -- Gospel Music Ministries



All Sumer Long -- Visit www.oceangrove.org for a Complete Schedule



Contact: David Lotz, 609-203-2342, lotzflash@gmail.com



NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- When a group of Methodist ministers founded The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in 1869, their aim was to give Christians a summer break from the unsettling scientific, industrial and demographic changes wrought by the Victorian Age and the devastation of the American Civil War. They saw that "The brain and nerve were taxed to the last extreme by these refinements, until the physical was often prostrated and the mind imperiled." Accordingly, they felt the peaceful water, clear air and delightful sunshine of the Jersey Shore would be ideal for "A place of respite where religion and recreation should go hand in hand." This kind of site was called a Camp Meeting Ground.



In those days, the Camp Meeting Movement (numerous camp grounds to which Christians came from miles around to hear a series of traveling ministers) was in full swing from coast to coast  especially in rural areas and around small towns that weren't gifted with a formal church, resident minister, and the support of a spiritual community. Today, The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association still holds a Camp Meeting Week, which is the highlight of the Camp Meeting's June-to-September program of weekday and weekend religious events, including Sunday worship services, for visitors of all Christian denominations.



Sunday Worship in the Historic Great Auditorium



Built in 1894, the Great Auditorium is the heart-and-soul of Ocean Grove. With over 5000 seats, this massive wooden structure, likened by conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein to "Noah's Ark upside-down," welcomes guests with barn-door-style entrances that allow the cool ocean air to flow through the Auditorium both day and night. It also boasts a mighty pipe organ with over 10,000 pipes that is one of the largest in the world and has inspired everything from stirring hymns to classical performances, as well as the rousing vigor of large choirs. Outside, a large lighted cross beams towards the Atlantic Ocean, a beacon in memory of departed family and other loved ones.

June 11  10:30 am

Dr. Dale Whilden - President, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association



June 18 -10:30 am

Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean - Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ



June 25 - 10:30 am

Pastor John Randall - Calvary Chapel, San Juan Capistrano, CA



July 2  10:30 am

Pastor Kenneth Levingston - Jones Memorial United Methodist Church, Houston, TX



July 9  10:30 am

Peter Weaver - Bishop-in-Residence, Drew University Theological School, Williamsburg, VA



July 16  10:30 am

Pastor Christian Andrews - Renaissance Church, Summit, NJ



July 23  10:30 am

Dr. Mitch Glaser

Chosen Peoples Ministries, New York, NY



July 30  10:30 am

Dr. Michael Youssef - The Church of the Apostles, Atlanta, GA



July 30 - 7 pm (also July 31, August 1 at 7 pm)

Rev. Dr. Steve DeNeff - College Wesleyan Church, Marion, IN



August 6  10:30 am

Bishop John R. Schol  UMC of Greater New Jersey, Neptune, NJeffort.



August 13  10:30 am

Rev. Dr. Timothy Tennent - Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY



August 20  10:30 am

Rev. Dr. Duffy Robbins - Eastern University, St. David's, PA



August 27  10:30 am

Dr. Barry Black - Chaplain, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.



September 3  10:30 am

Pastor Tim Lucas - Liquid Church, Madison, NJ



September 10  10:30 am

Commissioner James M. Knaggs - The Salvation Army

Note: OCGMA Also Offers Daily Worship Services -- Bible Study -- Kids & Teens Programs

Organ & Choir Recitals -- Prayer Song & Vespers -- Gospel Music Ministries

All Sumer Long - Visit www.oceangrove.org for a Complete Schedule.


E.W. Jackson Endorses Ed Gillespie for Virginia Governor Contact: Molly Kaylor,



NORFOLK, Va., May 22, 2017 /



He has just endorsed Ed Gillespie for Governor. Jackson said, "I have looked at this every possible way, and I am thoroughly convinced that Ed Gillespie is by far the candidate with the best chance to bring home our first Republican statewide victory since 2009. He came within a hair's breath of pulling it off in 2014 against Mark Warner. This time he will go all the way to the Governor's mansion."



Jackson says in his letter, "Ed is working with economic conservatives, social conservatives, Tea Party activists, evangelicals and members of the business community. He has had meetings with leaders and activists in the black community, and with other minority groups. Ed is truly focused on making the Commonwealth better for all Virginians."



He also argues that Gillespie has the best chance of performing well in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and other areas critical to a statewide victory. After being outspent 3-1, Ed won Loudoun County and Chesapeake City - crucial localities in a statewide race. Jackson is also confident that Ed will beat Northam or Periello at fundraising and mobilizing the grassroots vote.



Reflecting on jumping into a primary battle, he says, "It would have been safer for me to stay out of it, but there is too much at stake. The failure to take back the Governor's office would allow 'progressives' to become so entrenched in Virginia that it might take a generation to dislodge them. In the meantime, our citizens will suffer. We must not let this happen."



Jackson goes on to endorse "his ticket" and asks supporters to unify behind them: "As far as I am concerned, we have our ticket: Ed Gillespie for Governor, Jill Vogel for Lt. Governor and John Adams for Attorney General. Let's get behind them now, and defeat the Democrats."



E.W. Jackson is a national syndicated radio host on American Family Radio & Urban Family Talk. He is founder & President of STAND (

Share Tweet Contact: Molly Kaylor, STAND , 757-375-6444, Mollyk@standamerica.us NORFOLK, Va., May 22, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Earlier this year, after endorsing Sen. Jill Vogel for Lt. Governor, E.W. Jackson promised supporters that he would endorse an entire ticket for the primary.He has just endorsed Ed Gillespie for Governor. Jackson said, "I have looked at this every possible way, and I am thoroughly convinced that Ed Gillespie is by far the candidate with the best chance to bring home our first Republican statewide victory since 2009. He came within a hair's breath of pulling it off in 2014 against Mark Warner. This time he will go all the way to the Governor's mansion."Jackson says in his letter, "Ed is working with economic conservatives, social conservatives, Tea Party activists, evangelicals and members of the business community. He has had meetings with leaders and activists in the black community, and with other minority groups. Ed is truly focused on making the Commonwealth better for all Virginians."He also argues that Gillespie has the best chance of performing well in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and other areas critical to a statewide victory. After being outspent 3-1, Ed won Loudoun County and Chesapeake City - crucial localities in a statewide race. Jackson is also confident that Ed will beat Northam or Periello at fundraising and mobilizing the grassroots vote.Reflecting on jumping into a primary battle, he says, "It would have been safer for me to stay out of it, but there is too much at stake. The failure to take back the Governor's office would allow 'progressives' to become so entrenched in Virginia that it might take a generation to dislodge them. In the meantime, our citizens will suffer. We must not let this happen."Jackson goes on to endorse "his ticket" and asks supporters to unify behind them: "As far as I am concerned, we have our ticket: Ed Gillespie for Governor, Jill Vogel for Lt. Governor and John Adams for Attorney General. Let's get behind them now, and defeat the Democrats."E.W. Jackson is a national syndicated radio host on American Family Radio & Urban Family Talk. He is founder & President of STAND ( www.standamerica.us ), and was 2013 Republican Nominee for Lt. Governor of Virginia.
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A 14-year-old boy died Sunday after he came into contact with a downed power line in central Laredo, according to authorities.

Laredo police said Aldo Jordani Rojas was electrocuted in the 5300 block of Alabama Avenue, off East Hillside Road. He was an eighth-grade student at Clark Middle School

"UISD sends heartfelt condolences to the Rojas Lopez family," Clark Middle School Principal Melissa Ramirez said in a statement. "He was an excellent student who was well liked by his teachers and peers. This is a difficult time for everyone, but I know our students and staff will lean on each other as they fondly remember their classmate."

No other injuries or fatalities were reported after a severe thunderstorm with strong wind gusts swept through the Laredo area late Sunday afternoon.

More Information Storm impact 14-year-old boy electrocuted; no other injuries or fatalities reported Classes canceled today for United ISD students Cargo operations suspended at World Trade Bridge About 8,000 AEP customers were without power as of late Sunday See More Collapse

"Our hearts go out to the family of the victim," said Judith Talavera, AEP Texas president and chief operating officer, in a statement released at about 8 p.m. "Our crews are working to remove any downed lines as quickly as possible, but please use extreme care."

READ MORE: United ISD cancels classes for Monday

AEP Texas said it wanted to remind everyone to consider any downed power lines energized and dangerous. Residents are asked to call 866-223-8508 to report any downed lines.

"At least 40 distribution poles, if not more, were damaged or knocked down as a result of the storm. In some cases, the damage to the utility pole results in downed power lines," AEP Texas said.

AEP Texas crews were working late into the night to restore electric service to approximately 9,400 customers throughout the Laredo area. About 13,000 customers were left without power at the peak of the storm around 5 p.m. Additional crews from surrounding areas were traveling to Laredo to provide assistance in the restoration effort.

Rescues

Laredo Fire Department Chief Steve Landin said early Sunday evening that fire crews had received reports of stranded motorists. He said the Fire Department was also conducting swift water rescues.

He could not be reached for comment late Sunday.

RELATED: Cargo operations suspended at World Trade Bridge

A river flood warning is in effect for the Rio Grande at Laredo until Tuesday evening or until it is canceled.

The National Weather Service said the river will continue rising to nearly 9.6 feet by this morning. The flood stage is 8 feet. At 8 feet, minor lowland flooding occurs.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Rojas was 13 years old. He was 14.
Republican victories show Texas is still far from turning blue Republicans continued their 28-year dominance of statewide races but fell short of their hopes.

Sadie Robertson Huff preaches submissive womanhood The Duck Dynasty star turned faith influencer has given zillennial Christianity a seductive...
The voting for the top hero dog in America is underway now. You may not have heard about the awards in the past, but these pooches' stories are incredible.

There are 21 dogs from around the country with unbelievable stories of changing lives and heroic acts. They define the meaning of a man's best friend and they are up for the American Humane Hero Dog Awards.

Naturally, two of the dozens of canines are from Texas. Story continues below.

LOCAL WARNING: Houston Animal Control may not help if stray attacks your pet

Military dog Suma L469, of Houston, and search and rescue dog Luca, of Grand Prairie, are being voted on to land in the top spot of the American Humane Hero Dog Awards.

Suma L469 worked nine years in the U.S. Air Force and spent five years in Afghanistan looking for improvised explosive devices. During that time, Suma saved between 150-200 military and civilian lives. The other four years of service to America were spent training other dogs at Lackland Air Force Base. Suma now is retired in Houston.

Despite being 10 years old and retired, Luca answered the call of duty in March 2016 when an elderly Fort Worth man went missing. The retired search and rescue dog went out with his owner in search of the man. After scaling difficult terrain, Luca used his search and rescue skills to find the man in waist-high mud on the bank of a river. If the search team wasn't brought to him, the man "would have drowned in the river" or "succumbed to the temperature" of the cold, high, fast-paced water, according to Luca's bio.

To vote for either of the dogs for America's top dog, click here. Voting continues through noon Pacific Time on June 28 and the top dog in each category will be announced July 12. Click through the gallery above to see the 19 other dogs in the running for the award and information about their biographies.

OWNER HELP: Dog-walking app now offers service in Houston area
It's a family affair at Clear Creek Community Theatre as Dickinson thespian Whitney Wyatt plays opposite her husband, DJ Nolder, in "Little Shop of Horrors," May 26 to June 11.

Wyatt was first cast, and began rehearsing, as Fastrada in "Pippin," when the show's licensing company advised the theater that a professional company in Houston had snapped up the rights to the Tony Award-winning musical.

That was just last month.

"We had a mad scramble to find and cast another show where we could still use most of the original cast (of "Pippin')," said CCCT vice president Angela Reader of League City.

More Information 'Little Shop of Horrors' What: "Little Shop of Horrors" Where: Clear Creek Community Theatre, 18091 Upper Bay Rd., Nassau Bay When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sundays, May 26 through June 11 Cost: $10-15 Information: 281-335-5528, www. clearcreekcommunitytheatre.com See More Collapse

The directors still needed someone to play the pivotal character of shop owner Mr. Mushnick, which Nolder had played 13 years ago at San Jacinto College's South campus. In fact, that's where he met Wyatt, who was playing Chiffon, one of the narrators.

Wyatt has gone on to perform in more than 40 Bay Area plays and musicals and even more work offstage as a director, choreographer and music director, including several installments of this spring's "The Chronicles of Hamilton" for Majestic Performance Company. This summer, some of her projects will include music-directing "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" at Harbour Playhouse in Dickinson and scenes from the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical "Next to Normal" for the June 16 Art Recovery Initiative Expo and Symposium event in Houston.

Meanwhile, Nolder, who is a computer programmer and web designer for a firm in Houston, has been understanding about his wife working by day as the mother of three small children and then stretching her artistic wings in the evening.

For "Little Shop of Horrors," Wyatt said, the CCCT directors "worked out a (rehearsal) schedule to where we switch off nights."

When performances begin, she added, "We have some fabulous baby sitters, including both sets of grandparents."

Nolder and Wyatt are the parents of Johanna Nolder, 6, a first-grader at Bay Colony Elementary School in Dickinson; Collin, 4; and Rosemary, 2.

Wyatt is a graduate of Clear Creek High School, where she played the oboe and English horn in band and sang alto in the symphonic choir. She also played General Cartwright in a production of the musical "Guys and Dolls."

She also portrayed "Wife" in Stephen Sondheim's musical revue "Putting it Together" at Pasadena Little Theatre, "Baker's Wife" in Sondheim's "Into the Woods" at San Jacinto College, and Annie Oakley in Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun" at Harbour Playhouse.

Reader said the last-minute change in productions at CCCT "has been a challenge, but 'Little Shop of Horrors' is going to be a wonderful show."

The theater is also contending with confusion over whether it's still presenting shows.

"Many people think we are out of business with all the demolition/construction work going on around us on Upper Bay Road; so we really hope to finish strong with 'Little Shop,'" she said.

The musical also stars Nick Thomas as Seymour, who also directed the show. Steve Sarp is the technical director and Chelsea LeBlanc is the assistant director.
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If anyone knows how important Twitter is to Donald Trump, it's the president.

"Without the tweets, I wouldn't be here," he told the Financial Times last month.

To which Twitter's co-founder says: Sorry about that, world.

Evan Williams, who still sits on the company's board of directors, recently told The New York Times that he wants to repair the damage he thinks Twitter and the broader Internet have wrought on society in the form of trolls, cyberbullies, live-streamed violence, fake news and - yes - Trump.

"I thought once everybody could speak freely and exchange information and ideas, the world is automatically going to be a better place," Williams told the Times. "I was wrong about that."

"If it's true that he wouldn't be president if it weren't for Twitter, then yeah, I'm sorry," he said.

Is it true? Hard to say.

Since Trump became president, his incessant, aggressive and sometimes inaccurate tweets have seemed as much a liability as a political boon. His aides held a social media "intervention" a few weeks ago, according to The Wall Street Journal, trying to convince Trump that unfounded accusations like "Obama had my 'wires tapped' " could endanger him politically and legally.

On the campaign trail, Trump once described his rapidly growing Twitter following not only as a means to get the truth out, but also as a way to get even with his enemies.

"Someone said I'm the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters," he told a crowd in South Carolina, air-typing into a pretend phone. "If someone says something badly about you: Bing, bing, bing! I say something really bad."
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

A look at troubles in the Waller County jail, the latest in the Lockhart balloon crash and problems in Pasadena - all part of this week's long-form and investigative reporting.

Jails struggle with hygiene for some female inmates

By Emily Foxhall

@emfoxhall



When authorities booked Chelsea Schehr into the Waller County Jail last month, they determined during an intake interview that the 24-year-old needed to be on suicide watch. So they took away her clothes, as standard precaution, and issued her a thick blanket.



This complicated a personal matter: Schehr was on her period. Waller County does not provide tampons. And they do not let inmates deemed at risk of harming themselves wear underwear, so she could not have a feminine hygiene pad.



Schehr, who maintains she was not suicidal, said one word described her 28-hour detention: Dehumanizing.
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Richard Spencer, an 'American white nationalist' and president of the National Policy Institute, had his gym membership revoked after an incident last week where a professor from Georgetown University confronted him.

Professor Christine Fair wrote on a Tumblr post that she anticipated being kicked out of her Virginia gym after she confronted Spencer but that didn't stop her.

"When I approached this flaccid, sorry excuse of a man and asked 'Are you Richard Spencer,' this pendulous poltroon said 'No. I am not.'"

"As a white woman, I find his membership at this gym to be unacceptable. I found his membership at this gym to be an unfair burden upon the women and people of colorand white male allies of the same," posted Fair.

She continued saying that Spencer then requested help from one of the African American female trainers to help him. "Seriously? This superior race of a white man needed the help of a female African American? What kind of martial race member is he?" Fair continued.

Spencer is better known for popularizing the term "alt-right" to describe the movement he leads which is his dream for "a new society, an ethnostate that would be a gathering point for all Europeans," and has called for "peaceful ethnic cleansing."

TEXANS ON SPENCER : ADL praises Texas A&M for anti-Spencer event

Spencer has been called a neo-Nazi by many because he openly espouses a view that America should be a nation for white people, going as far as to lead an alt-right crowd in chants of "Hail Trump! Hail our people!"

Fair told BuzzFeed News that on Sunday she was surprised that the Virginia gym decided to terminate Spencer's membership.

(story continues below)

Spencer said that it was unfair of the gym to kick him out when he "followed all the rules" and was "well-behaved" while Fair made "this huge scene and annoyed everyone at the gym."

"I don't know [why they revoked it],' Spencer said to Buzzfeed News. 'I was a well-behaved member of this gym. I did not cause any controversy. I don't know what [the gym's] motives are," Spencer said.

"I think the gym ultimately made a business decision," Fair said.
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Tony Noun, the owner of Texas Auto 290 in Hempstead, Texas, is going to Washington on Monday to kill what he considers a very bad deal: the so-called border "adjustment" tax championed by his congressman, House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, a Republican from The Woodlands.

For Noun, it's nothing personal, just business.

Noun, a founder of United Republicans of Texas, former state House candidate, and an immigrant from Lebanon, considers himself a friend of Brady. He has supported Brady in past elections. But he's "vehemently" opposed to the border tax.

NOT SPEAKING: Here's why a former Trump adviser won't testify, provide documents

Brady is chairing a hearing on Tuesday to pitch the plan, a 20 percent tax on imported goods designed to boost domestic production. Some have already declared it dead on arrival in the Senate, and President Donald Trump's support is far from assured. Story continues below





But Brady persists, and businesses that rely on imports, retailers in particular, are mobilizing against the idea.

On Monday small business owners from across the country, including Noun, are converging on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to oppose the proposal. The effort is being led by Americans for Affordable Products, a coalition of more than 500 small businesses, retailers and trade associations united to stop the Border Adjustment Tax.

Noun's presence will put the divisions of the GOP on the border tax on full display.

BAD IDEA: Ted Cruz made a strange request of Stephen Colbert and it didn't go well

Noun is not sure if he will get a chance to speak at the hearing, which will be live streamed at 9 a.m. (central) Tuesday waysandmeans.house.gov/live. Just in case, he's submitted written testimony in advance.

"I own several small businesses including a car dealership and an automobile repair facility that specializes in high-end foreign cars," he said. "We don't need a new 20 percent tax that will hurt my business, hurt my customers, and damage our economy."

That is far from the promise of the border tax, which has divided Republican lawmakers and their supporters in the business community. For months, Brady has been touting the plan as a core element of comprehensive tax reform, increasing jobs, investment and economic growth. A former Chamber of Commerce executive, Brady argues that the tax would "level the playing field" with countries that impose similar taxes of their own.

Noun's presence, silent or not, could be a marker of the stakes for Brady as he champions the border tax in the face of growing conservative opposition.In an interview Monday, Noun added this about Brady's safe Republican district: "If everybody knows he's supporting more taxes, it's going to hurt him big time."

Scroll through the gallery above to see renderings of Donald Trump's proposed border wall, as well as what the current wall between the U.S. and Mexico looks like
AUSTIN  The Texas House passed a whittled down though still controversial bill Sunday night that would bar transgender students from using school bathrooms that best align with their gender identity.

Refusing a more wide-ranging ban the Senate favored, the House voted 91-50 to tack the bathroom-related amendment onto a separate piece of legislation, Senate Bill 2078, which would require school districts to share details of their emergency disaster plans with the state.

Rep. Chris Paddie, a Republican from Marshall, authored the amendment that he said would allow all students access to a single-stall bathroom or empty multi-stall facility, including those who are shy, have a colostomy bag or have other reasons they might want privacy. When Democrats pressed Paddie on how his amendment was relevant to a bill about school emergency preparations, such as for a gunman on campus or a tornado, Paddie said it concerned students' safety.

The bill now goes before the House a third time for a procedural vote as early as Monday and will then return to the Senate, which will vote either to accept the House's changes or request a conference committee to iron out differences.

The issue was part of a larger push by conservative Republican leaders in the Senate to restrict a person's bathroom access in public schools, government-owned buildings, and college campuses based on the sex listed on their birth certificate. The Senate approved legislation to that effect in March, but the House refused to take up Senate Bill 6, one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's flagship bills this session.

Patrick, who threatened to force a special session over the issue, has contended it is a matter of privacy and safety for women, but transgender rights' advocates said a "bathroom bill" of any kind would target trans people for discrimination and harassment. It is already against state law to assault someone in a bathroom or elsewhere, and some cities, including Houston, have local ordinances that offer more protections in public bathrooms. The business community strongly opposed SB 6 as well, on the grounds that it would damage the Texas economy and cost jobs.

On Sunday, few Republicans defended Paddie's measure before the vote, but several Democrats tore into the amendment as a throwback to the state's history of racial discrimination, particularly Jim Crow-era laws that mandated separate bathrooms for black and white Texans.

"This is shameful. We all know what we're doing, and everyone watching knows, too, no matter what code words are being used," said Rep. Joe Moody, a Democrat from El Paso who unsuccessfully tried to derail the bill by raising a procedural question about the amendment's germaneness to the underlying bill.

Democratic Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston, the longest-serving African American and woman lawmaker in state history, held up a historic picture showing "white" and "colored" bathroom signs. She reminded her colleagues that former state Sen. Barbara Jordan, the civil rights icon and Houston native, had to use a separate bathroom at the Capitol when Jordan was a legislator.

"Bathrooms divided us then, and it divides us now," Thompson said. "We talk about how God created life. God created transgenders, too."

House Speaker Joe Straus, who called the Senate bill "manufactured and unnecessary," said Sunday's scaled back measure was enough to address the issue this session and would help sidestep the need for a special session.

"I believe this amendment will allow us to avoid the severely negative impact of Senate Bill 6. Members of the House wanted to act on this issue and my philosophy as Speaker has never been to force my will on the body," Straus, a San Antonio Republican, said in a statement. "Gov. Abbott has said he would demand action on this in a special session, and the House decided to dispose of the issue in this way."

After the vote, the Texas Association of School Boards came out in favor of the Paddie amendment.

"The House has approved a common-sense solution regarding the use of restrooms and other facilities in public schools," said Grover Campbell, TASB's associate executive director for governmental relations. "The language captures in law a solution many districts already use locally, seeking a balance between ensuring privacy and security for all students and respecting the dignity of all students."

He added that many school districts already make separate bathroom facilities available to transgender students when necessary.

"School districts need the flexibility to determine the accommodations that work in each individual case, as student demographics and school facilities will play a large part in how a campus meets it student's needs," Campbell continued in the statement.

However, LGBT advocates, some of whom watched the debate from the House gallery, said the amendment will further alienate transgender students from their peers.

"Transgender youth deserve the same dignity and respect as their peers, and this craven attempt to use children as a pawn for cheap political points is disturbing and unconscionable," said JoDee Winterhof, the Human Rights Campaign's senior vice president for policy and political affairs.

The vote was a long time coming for some of the House's most socially conservative members, even as they said Paddie's proposal did not go far enough. For months, they tried to get broader legislation, similar to the Senate's version, on the House floor for a vote. Dozens of GOP members eventually coalesced around a bill by Rep. Ron Simmons of Carrollton that would have prohibited cities, counties and public school districts from enforcing non-discrimination ordinances when they involve multi-occupancy restrooms or locker rooms. It won praise from Abbott, who called it "thoughtful" in his first public comments on a bathroom-related proposal.

However, Simmons's bill never won committee approval before a key House bill-approval deadline passed, effectively killing the lawmakers' efforts on that front. That forced Republicans to find a still-viable bill to attach the bathroom language to as an amendment. By the weekend, the chamber's GOP majority settled on adding Paddie's initiative to SB 2076.

Bobby Cervantes contributed to this report.
In a controversial move, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went to Sunday service at Grace Woodlands Church to ceremonially sign Senate Bill 24, otherwise known as the "sermon safeguard."

The bill was created in response to five Houston pastors having their sermons subpoenaed by the city of Houston in 2014.

It started when former Houston Mayor Annise Parker introduced the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, or HERO, in April 2014. The ordinance prohibited discrimination based on many characteristics often seen of anti-discrimination policies at universities or companies; however, the ordinance's initial inclusion of a section allowing people to use the restroom or locker room that best fit their gender identity did not bode well with some.

In response to opposition, this section of the ordinance was removed, then HERO was approved by the City Council. Grace Woodlands Pastor Steve Riggle was one of many Houston-area pastors who opposed the ordinance and wanted to petition a repeal referendum of the ordinance to bring HERO to a vote.

To do this, it required a petition with roughly 17,000 valid signatures; over 50,000 signatures were submitted to the city for review. The signatures were validated by the city's secretary, then denounced by the city attorney, who threw out roughly half of the petition's pages because he said some signatures and pages had not been properly notarized.

From this, a lawsuit against the city was formed by some of the Houston-area pastors. In response to the lawsuit, city attorneys subpoenaed sermons of five Houston pastors during the discovery phase of the case, with the report that one of the subpoenaed pastors was electioneering on the pulpit.

The subpoena requested "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."

Parker and the subpoenas received backlash that extended far beyond Houston's limits, as the subpoena appeared overbroad to some. Abbott said when the subpoenas were sent out in 2014 (while he was the attorney general), he reportedly notified Parker that she was "violating the First Amendment and must immediately withdraw her demand of papers."

"We got in a situation we had never been in, didn't want to be in," Riggle said of resisting HERO. "We got our sermons subpoenaed, which is a difficult position, because you'd sure like the mayor to read the sermons and to listen to them, but at the same time, we weren't about to give them over because of a document that was given to us in subpoena form. We felt like that was wrong, so we said no."

With the refusal from the five Houston pastors and backlash from opponents, the subpoenas were withdrawn and the legal battle continued in court. HERO was ultimately placed on the November ballot and denied by Houston residents.

Soon after, Patrick introduced SB 24, which prevents the government from requesting audio, video or written sermons from Texas' religious leaders in legal proceedings in which the governmental unit is a party. Religious leaders also would not be compelled to testify regarding the sermon.

The bill passed through the House and Senate, with Abbott and Patrick signing the bill Friday, putting it immediately into law. Abbott and Patrick then arrived Sunday to ceremonially sign the law in front of the Grace Community Church congregation.

Patrick has been a vocal opponent of transgender people using the bathroom of which they identify. Throughout his term as lieutenant governor, Patrick has openly supported multiple "bathroom bills," recently including House Bill 2899 and Senate Bill 6.

"The pastor protection or the sermon protection act came about because of an issue, an issue that's not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue or independent issue, it's a rights issue - a right to keep men out of ladies' rooms and to not allow boys and girls to shower together in the 10th grade," Patrick said on Sunday at Grace Woodlands.

Patrick continued by saying America is "not split between Republicans and Democrats, but it's split between those who believe in our savior Jesus Christ and those who are lost like I was once and all of us were."

These words, coupled with the signing of SB 24 in a church, did not go over smoothly for all. Over 10 individuals from the Conroe and Woodlands area stood off the feeder of Interstate 45 North outside of the church's property line. Not only were they in protest of Abbott signing SB 24 in a place of worship, but because both he and Patrick delivered pseudo-sermons to the congregation prior to signing.

Woodlands resident Courtney Frost was a protester of SB 24 who was "forcibly escorted" out of the church prior to Abbott signing SB 24 when she prepared to reveal her handmade sign reading, "Christians for separation of church and state."

"As a Christian, I have a fundamental disagreement with infringing on the relationship of church and state," Frost said. "I wanted our representatives, they are elected officials who are supposed to serve in a capacity for everyone, I wanted them to understand that not everybody agrees with a bill that affects everyone into law in a church."

Frost said both instances, the subpoenas of sermons and SB 24, were "overreactions" and "blown out of proportion." She also said she believes this to be a "symbolic gesture" from Abbott and Patrick that alienates religions outside of Christianity, showing solidarity with the singular religion.

"For what happened in Houston and the way it was subpoenaed, maybe not the best way it was done," Frost said. "This response (SB 24) is an overreaction, because it's one that goes beyond just Houston, that goes beyond just Harris County - it affects the entire state."

Representatives for Abbott's office did not reply Sunday to a request for comment.
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A 49-year-old woman was jailed Saturday after she allegedly knocked her boyfriend unconscious and tried to cut off his genitals during an argument about another woman.

Sylvia Vasquez now faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She remains in the Bexar County Jail.

RELATED: SAPD officer dragged behind vehicle after waking sleeping driver in a Whataburger drive-thru

According to her affidavit, Vasquez became angry with her boyfriend on Saturday "because of a conversation about another woman."

The two were driving home at the time the argument began, and when they arrived at their destination, Vasquez grabbed a rubber mallet and began attacking her boyfriend until she knocked him out.

Police say she then attempted to cut off his testicles while he was unconscious.

RELATED: Funeral for firefighter who died in Northwest Side strip center blaze is set for Friday

The man awoke and discovered "he had been cut on his scrotum with an unknown sharp weapon," the affidavit says. He called paramedics, who transported him to a nearby hospital.

Officers responded to the hospital, where they met the man, who was covered in bruises. Medical staff told police he had a 'severe' laceration on his scrotum.

Police were able to obtain an arrest affidavit for Vasquez's arrest, which they executed over the weekend.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

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HopeBridge Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric center in southwest Houston, closed this month after federal officials cited the facility for failing to maintain a safe environment for mentally ill patients.

The closure comes after years of problems at the hospital, which previously was known as Westbury Community Hospital. The hospital changed names and owners in 2013 after the previous operators filed for bankruptcy in the midst of a federal investigation into Medicare billing fraud.

The new management team was served notice on April 20 that the hospital no longer would be allowed to participate in the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs after investigators determined that the hospital did not meet safety standards. During a site visit in March, investigators cited the hospital for maintaining door handles, faucets and other items that suicidal patients could use to hang themselves.

HOUSTON HOSPITAL LAYOFFS: Kindred Hospital in West Houston to close, lay off staff

The hospital spent more than $250,000 to remedy those violations when it received final notice in early May that its request for an extension had been denied, said Anthony Brown, HopeBridge's chief financial officer. About 95 percent of the hospital's patients are on Medicare or Medicaid, "so there was no way we could continue operating at that point," Brown said

Several former employees protested outside the hospital last week after learning they would not be paid as scheduled for the hours they worked leading up to the closure.

RANKING HOUSTON HOSPITALS: Website lets consumers find best hospitals in Houston

"We're all just left hanging," said Charlene Freeman, a mental health technician who says she is owed four weeks pay. "How are we supposed to pay rent?"

Brown said Monday that Cenpatico, an Austin company that processes Medicaid payments, owes HopeBridge $1.6 million. The hospital is exploring legal options to force the company to pay up, Brown said. A spokeswoman for Cenpatico did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment.

"As soon as we receive that money," Brown said, "the employees will receive the money that's owed to them."
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THE INTERNET WINS AGAIN!

Social media is having fun with Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia as the President participated in the opening of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology.

At the gala, Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Trump put their hands on a glowing globe.

They kept their hand on the bright orb for about a minute and the meme world rejoiced.

OTHER MEMES: Best memes from the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner

Even the Church of Satan went in on the 'Twitter-fun,' wanting everyone to know that the "orb" photo isn't a ritual of theirs or has anything to do with their organization. Just in case you were wondering.

Check out some of the best memes inspired by Trump and the glowing orb in the images above ...
AUSTIN -- The Texas Senate has scrapped much of a proposal to revise how the state funds education in place of a plan to create a school voucher program for children with disabilities.

The bill passed the Senate 21-10 at 12:50 a.m. Monday, marking the second time in two months the chamber has approved legislation that would allow parents to use public school dollars to subsidize their child's tuition at a private school.

"It's heartbreaking," said Sen. Larry Taylor, a Friendswood Republican and Education Committee chairman sponsoring the bill. "This would empower some of those parents to have some leverage."

The new language, added on the Senate floor late Sunday night, now includes money for charter school facilities, autism grant funding and programming for special education students transitioning out of school. The changes also reduce the amount of new money into education from about $1.9 billion to about $500 million during a tight budget cycle amid lower-than-expected state revenue.

The changes come to House bill 21, the lower chamber's flagship proposal to begin a multi-year process of rehabbing the state's school funding formula after the Texas Supreme Court called the system constitutional but in need of improvement. The House measure deleted outdated pieces of the formula, reduced recapture and added weights to allocate more money per student with dyslexia or learning English as a second language.

The Senate hijacked the bill shortly after it arrived in the upper chamber, adding to the bill a school voucher program, which the House has opposed, throwing the fate of the school finance fix into jeopardy.

Advocates say parents should not be trapped in a school that is failing them, while opponents argue vouchers would drain public funds from public schools.

"The version of the bill approved in the House had the backing of teacher groups and public education advocates and could provide much needed additional funding to our chronically underfunded neighborhood public schools," said Kathy Miller, president of the left-leaning Texas Freedom Network. "But now that Patrick's Senate has mangled it, HB 21 is nop longer about school finance. Now it is simply a voucher scheme that hands public dollars, with zero accountability, to private schools."

Disability rights advocates have declined to speak for or against the prospect of a school voucher bill for students qualifying for education, but said many public schools do not offer special education services. The bill would not require private schools to provide public education.

The Senate's preferred school voucher bill, Senate Bill 3, has languished in a House committee without a vote. The House voted overwhelmingly earlier this year to ban funding a voucher program in the next biennium, sending a message to the Senate that a school voucher bill would be dead on arrival in the House.

"We missed an opportunity here," said Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, who said the Senate could have done more this year to fix the state's beleaguered school finance system.

The bill would also create a committee to study best approaches to rebuilding the state's school funding formula, although the Senate has passed similar legislation that is up for a House vote Monday.
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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Copiii cu nevoi speciale din Stefan Voda au conditii de reabilitare mai bune, datorita UE si Fundatiei Soros Moldova
People who lost loved ones in a fungal meningitis outbreak traced to tainted steroids were stunned when a pharmacy executive was acquitted of murder charges in 25 deaths, and some legal experts are questioning whether the vote by the jury was unanimous, as required in federal criminal trials.

The verdict found Barry Cadden guilty of conspiracy, mail fraud and other charges but acquitted him of the most serious charges he faced under federal racketeering law: second-degree murder.

But on the verdict form , the jury wrote numbers next to guilty and not guilty on those counts, leading some observers to suspect the jury was divided. For example, for many of the murder acts, 8 was written on a line next to guilty and 4 was written on a line next to not guilty, making it appear as if eight jurors voted to convict Cadden and four voted to acquit him.

Complicating that is a handwritten notation that appears on some pages of the verdict form, indicating a check mark means unanimous. The jury put check marks next to not guilty on all 25 second-degree murder counts.

Some legal experts believe the numbers could represent an earlier division among jurors before they reached a unanimous decision. But others believe the numbers show the jury remained divided on those counts.

The numbers are so quizzical  it is just out of left field, said David Schumacher, a former federal prosecutor in Boston who was deputy chief of the healthcare fraud unit that prosecuted Cadden. Ive never seen anything like it.

Cadden was the president and co-founder of the New England Compounding Center in Framingham. A 2012 outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections in 20 states was traced to contaminated injections of medical steroids made by NECC. The tainted drugs killed 64 people and sickened about 700 others. Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee were hit hardest.

When the verdict was read aloud in court March 22, only Judge Richard Stearns and his clerk had seen it. Neither prosecutors nor Caddens lawyers saw the form until after the verdict was entered into the record.

Once that happened, it was too late to do anything about it, said Daniel Medwed, a professor of law and criminal justice at Northeastern University. Medwed said it would be highly unlikely for prosecutors to try to challenge the not guilty verdicts now.

Once someone is acquitted of a charge and that is formally entered, then double jeopardy attaches and you cant be tried again for the same crime, he said.

A spokeswoman for federal prosecutors wouldnt comment on whether theyve considered challenging the not guilty verdicts. Caddens lawyer, Bruce Singal, also declined to comment.

The only people who know for sure what the numbers mean are the jurors, and their identities havent been released.

The verdict form has baffled the families of people who died in the meningitis outbreak.

When they saw that the verdict form seemed to indicate that a majority of jurors had voted guilty, they were confused, upset and hurt, said Ray Gipson, whose wife of 45 years, Gayle Gipson, died after receiving an injection for back pain at a Michigan pain clinic.

We couldnt make heads nor tails out of it, he said. It was so confusing to us that we had no idea what the hell they were talking about.

Before deliberations, the judge told jurors their verdict must be unanimous as to whether Mr. Cadden is guilty or not guilty on each of the charges.

Just before the verdict was announced, the judge looked at the verdict form and noted aloud that in some places the jurors indicate how they voted in terms of a division.

That need not be read, just the verdict itself, he said.

After the verdict was read, the clerk first asked the jury foreman, then the jury, to affirm it was correct, which they did.

Schumacher, the formal federal prosecutor, said the judge may have assumed the jury rendered all unanimous verdicts, despite the handwritten numbers.

The jurors were not polled individually, leaving some to wonder.

At the end of the day, only the jurors know for sure what they were intending to communicate with respect to those numbers, Schumacher said. Who knows what it means?

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
There will be no sunlight on the records of an auto insurance fund that touches every Michigan driver.

The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down an appeal from a coalition of health care, labor and consumer groups. The groups want to open the books to understand how the state Catastrophic Claims Association calculates rates.

The insurance fund was created to reimburse insurers for claims that exceed $545,000. Owners pay a fee on every vehicle each year, on top of regular insurance. Starting July 1, the rate will rise to $170 from $160. The assessment increased by $10.00 because assets set aside to pay existing claims produced returns less than anticipated.

All auto insurers operating in the state must pay the fee. The Livonia-based group collects funds to reimburse auto insurers for personal injury protection claims that exceed $545,000 per claim. It paid out $1.1 billion in 2015, mostly for brain and spinal cord injuries, multiple fractures, and back and neck injuries.

The state appeals court last year said the Catastrophic Claims Association is a public body, but lawmakers carved out a public records exemption.

Richard Bernstein was the only Supreme Court justice who wanted to hear an appeal.

Since 1979, there have been more than 34,400 claims reported to the MCCA, which will cost an estimated $83 billion.

Michigan is the only state that requires drivers to buy unlimited medical benefits.
Travelers Claim University, founded in 2007, is working to change the way its claims professionals do business through the use of drones to assist in property inspection and claims analysis.

The nearly 200,000-square foot facility in Windsor, Conn., offers hands-on technical training and leadership development to more than 11,000 claims employees, and through its drone training courses, it has already trained nearly 150 drone operators. It expects to train several hundred more by the end of this summer.

We see the drones as really another technology tool and the quiver of our claim professionals, said Patrick Gee, senior vice president of auto, property and catastrophe claims at Travelers. Weve really changed the way we do work over the past few years.

The Claim University training facility contains automobiles and heavy-equipment such as cranes, backhoes and bulldozers, as well as two fully-furnished homes, building mechanical systems and a medical lab, according to Travelers website. These resources teach claims professionals how to efficiently identify damage and accurately estimate the cost of repairs, the website states.

The drone training program was initially launched in the spring of 2015 in anticipation of the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) commercial drone regulations, which took effect in August 2016. The classes allow claims professionals to access hands-on training in which students learn how to operate drones, as well as take the FAA exam in order to become certified to fly drones.

Weve been really excited about the use of drones for many years, Gee said, adding that many insurance carriers are now also thinking about using drones to aid in property inspection associated with risk control, preloss or the claim process after a loss.

Indeed, Insurance Journal previously reported that Frankenmuth, Mich.-based Frankenmuth Insurance announced in May it has obtained licenses through the FAA to operate drones for use by claims and commercial lines loss control teams to aid in inspecting roofs and other areas of structures.

The carrier stated in a press release that select claims and loss control team members have completed FAA Remote Pilot Airman certification training to operate the drones in Michigan and Ohio, where they will be used initially, and plans are in development to expand usage in other Midwest and Southeast states where the carrier does business.

Additionally, BetterView, an insurance technology startup that captures and analyzes data from drones, stated in April that it has performed more than 6,000 roof top inspections for insurers since its inception two years ago, as previously reported by Insurance Journal. The San Francisco, Calif.-based company has software that streamlines the inspection process using a network of more than 4,000 drone operators.

While 2016 was a big year for testing drones, we have seen insurers allocate budget dollars in 2017 to move from concept to real production use, and in 2018 we expect to see a significant ramp up in the use of drones by insurers and reinsurers, David Lyman, BetterView co-founder and CEO, previously told Insurance Journal.

The benefits of drone usage in the claims process are two-fold, Gee explained. Drones can improve efficiency as well as safety.

Smartphones have apps with the geo-special tools we use to assess properties and measure things even before we go to the customer location, he said. When you add the drone technology, it really creates a much safer environment that dramatically expedites the claim process in terms of our ability to pay our customers more quickly and help them recover from losses as soon as possible.

This is because the use of drones can mitigate the need for a third-party to inspect roof damage. Instead, drones can survey roof damage in real-time, and photos or videos can be sent to claims professionals phones, tablets or other electronic devices to assist in the claims process.

Oftentimes when were doing a property inspection, we might encounter a very high or complex roof, Gee said. That might require us to bring in a vendor that has special rigging for that type of situation. In the case of a drone, we can use it, fly up and inspect that property without having to actually setup a second visit. We can take care of everything the first time which really expedites the claim process.

However, there are challenges for insurance carriers to keep in mind. One of the biggest challenges, Gee said, are the many rules relative to the FAA guidelines. The FAA website lists basic guidelines an operator must know for flying drones both for commercial or recreational use under the small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) rule.

For commercial purposes, the drone operator must be at least 16 years old, pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center and be vetted by the Transportation Safety Administration. Additionally, the drone must be registered with the FAA and weigh less than 55 pounds.

From an exterior perspective, as were out inspecting losses, probably the biggest challenge is sometimes airports, Gee added. There are many airports around the U.S., and the FAA builds a buffer zone in and around those airports. Sometimes we cant use the drones if were too close to an airport.

Travelers expects the FAA to reduce restrictions around buffer zones for the use of drones to inspect individual properties at a very low altitude and anticipates the release of additional guidelines regarding the use of drones to fly over catastrophe areas in the future, which could provide additional benefits for the insurance industry, he said.

Right now, you cant fly over people. You really need to keep the drones in your visual line of sight, but that could possibly be relaxed in the future and provide even more capabilities for the industry, Gee explained. Well be able to use [drones] even more than we can today in the field.

Watch the interview with Insurance Journals Elizabeth Blosfield on Insurance Journal TV.
Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and BMW have reached a proposed settlement that would compensate owners of 15.8 million vehicles for money they lost due to the massive recall of Takata airbags.

In documents filed Thursday with a federal court in Miami, the automakers agreed to pay $553 million to compensate owners and widen their efforts to make sure vehicles are being repaired. The court must still approve the settlement.

Takatas airbag inflators can explode with too much force, hurling shrapnel into drivers and passengers. The inflators are blamed for at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries worldwide. The problem touched off the largest automotive recall in U.S. history involving 42 million vehicles and 69 million airbag inflators.

The settlement would compensate owners for things like lost wages or child care while they were taking their vehicle in for the recall repair. Owners could also be compensated if they paid for a rental car or for vehicle storage while they were waiting for a car to be repaired. Owners may also get payments of up to $500 each.

The settlement would also require the automakers to step up their efforts to locate owners and educate them about the need to complete the recall repairs. As of April 28, only 32 percent of Toyota owners, 31 percent of Subaru owners, 18 percent of Mazda owners and 16 percent of BMW owners had completed the repairs, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Automakers would be required to provide free rental cars to owners of the highest-risk cars. U.S. safety regulators have determined that older cars are at the highest risk, since a chemical Takata used in its air bags can break down over time when its exposed to humidity. The 2002-2006 BMW 3 Series, 2003-2006 Mazda6, 2005-2008 Subaru Legacy and 2003-2007 Toyota Corolla are among the vehicles covered by this settlement that are considered the highest risk.

The settlement affects 9.2 million Toyota vehicles, 2.6 million Subaru vehicles, 2.3 million BMW vehicles and 1.7 million Mazda vehicles. The recall affects vehicles as far back as the 2000 model year and as recent as the 2016 model year.

Toyota would pay the most under the settlement, at $278.5 million.

Nissan, Honda and Ford are also part of the ongoing federal court case, but plaintiffs attorney Peter Prieto wouldnt say Thursday whether he is talking to those companies about similar settlements.

Japanese auto supplier Takata Corp. pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court in February. The company has agreed to pay $1 billion in penalties for concealing defects with its airbags.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
AKRON, Ohio - The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office has released the identities of the five children killed last week in an Akron house fire.

Officials and relatives previously named the five children who died May 15 in the fire on Fultz Street, but the medical examiner's office did not release their identities until Monday. The medical examiner's office previously released the identities of their parents, who were also killed.

Jered Boggs, 14; Daisia Huggins, 6; Kylle Huggins, 5; Alivia Huggins, 3; and Cameron Huggins, 1 died in the fire along with their mother Angela Boggs, 38, and her longtime boyfriend Dennis Huggins, 35. All seven victims died of smoke inhalation, the medical examiner's office said.

Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire, which equaled a 1994 blaze as the deadliest in the city's history.

The State Fire Marshal's Office is still awaiting test results on evidence collected at the scene. Investigators do not yet have enough information to determine a preliminary cause of the fire, a fire marshal's spokeswoman said.

Investigators seized gas cans, clothes and other items Thursday while searching two Hillcrest Street houses as part of the investigation. No arrests have been made in connection with the fire, police said.

Akron Fire Chief Clarence Tucker said Monday that investigators could not "rule out the possibility of arson" due to the severity of the blaze. The Akron Fire Department, Ohio Fire Marshal's Office and police are working to determine its cause.

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Brecksville City Council will let voters decide whether to allow medical marijuana businesses in town.

(Bob Sandrick, special to cleveland.com)

BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - Voters here will decide in November whether to ban the growing, processing and selling of medical marijuana in the city.

City Council last week placed the issue on the Nov. 7 ballot. For passage, the proposed marijuana ordinance would need 55 percent of the vote, as required by Brecksville's charter.

The ordinance must go to voters because it would amend the city's zoning code. In Brecksville, voters decide all zoning issues.

Last year, the Ohio General Assembly passed a law allowing patients to use medical marijuana if approved by a doctor. House Bill 523 also authorizes municipalities to establish their own marijuana regulations.

For example, local governments can restrict locations where marijuana is cultivated, processed and sold, or they can ban the growing and selling of marijuana altogether. However, municipalities cannot stop patients from using medical marijuana.

The proposed Brecksville ordinance would ban "cultivation" - the growing, harvesting, packaging and transporting - of medical marijuana in all zoning districts. The ban would apply even to medical marijuana cultivators with a state certificate of operation.

The ordinance would also prohibit "dispensing" medical marijuana, which means packaging the drug and selling and-or delivering it to patients.

"Processing" -- or packaging, selling and delivering marijuana plant material directly to a state-licensed dispensary -- would also be banned.

In addition, the ordinance would prohibit marijuana "manufacturing," defined as turning harvested marijuana into marijuana extract for use by patients.

A handful of Ohio communities, including Worthington, Hamilton, Tipp City and Oakwood, have already permanently banned marijuana cultivators, processors and dispensaries. In October, Bay Village City Council voted to ban the practice.

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Cleveland police car.png

A study released Monday says Justice Department-led police reform efforts may reduce civil litigation against police departments.

(cleveland.com file photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A study from a Texas university says the federal intervention with local police departments favored by President Barack Obama's Justice Department -- and the ones likely to be phased out with the election of Donald Trump -- may lead to a reduction in civil rights lawsuits against a city.

The study released Monday looked at the number of civil cases filed in 23 jurisdictions between 1990 and 2013. All of the jurisdictions had law enforcement agencies enter into consent decrees with the Justice Department.

It says such court-mandated reforms "may contribute to a modest reduction in the probability of (civil rights) filings occurring." It says intervention could lead to as much as a 43 percent reduction in civil-rights lawsuits after the Justice Department intervenes.

Cleveland was one of the surveyed jurisdictions, though the study notes that the numbers from here, as well as numbers from Albuquerque, New Mexico, acted as a sort of "control group." Neither jurisdiction was subject to Justice Department oversight between 1990 and 2013, as Cleveland did not enter into its settlement until 2015, and Albuquerque in 2014.

The study says there seems to be some benefit of Justice Department oversight.

"It remains to be seen, however, whether these changes are lasting or lapsing in the long term," the study says.

Nevertheless, the study may be used by proponents of the effort to reform the Cleveland police department, which has been underway since 2015. The Justice Department settled with the city following an 18-month investigation that found officers too often used unconstitutional force against suspects and residents.

Cleveland has paid at least $13.2 million in settlements resulting from accusations of police misconduct since November 2014, when officer Timothy Loehmann shot Tamir Rice while the 12-year-old was paying for an airsoft pellet gun. It is also on the hook for millions more in jury verdicts that have yet to be paid.

The idea that Cleveland's consent decree could save taxpayers money in the long run has been a talking point for the team monitoring the city's progress in reforming the police department, especially as the city looks at paying millions of dollars to hire more officers and upgrade its aging technology.

Chief U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr., who oversees Cleveland's consent decree, also believes the reform could save the city money in litigation costs.

"We don't have to go too far to understand that this could reduce lawsuits and the possibility of lawsuits being effective against the City," Oliver said at a hearing in January. "That is a clear possibility."

The study released Monday was conducted by John Worrall, a criminology professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, as well as Zachary Powell and Michele Bisaccia Meitl, two doctoral students at the university. Little research has been done to see the long-term monetary impact of such police reform efforts.

It says the amount of civil-rights litigation in a city may "indicate some degree of community sentiment toward the local police department," which is why the researchers focused on civil rights litigation.

The researchers note that there have been few studies that provided empirical evidence of the effects of consent decrees. It also notes that every city has its own legal environment and community sentiment, both of which could impact the number of civil rights cases filed.

The study recognizes its own limitations. It says it may not have captured all cases where police were accused of abuse, as not all cases result in litigation. It also says the study only measured jurisdictions with consent decrees and did not compare increases or decreases in litigation in cities that did not undergo Justice Department-mandated reform.

"We caution readers to interpret our results exactly as they appear: ... civil rights filings seem to decline in terms of risk after DOJ intervention," the study says. "We do not make any claim as to the DOJ's effect on use-of-force incidents, citizen complaints, or other potential indicators of inappropriate police behavior."

The reforms were a key tool used by Obama's Justice Department to impose reforms on police departments that were found to have violated the civil rights of residents. Jeff Sessions, Trump's attorney general, has made it clear he does not favor those types of court-mandated reforms.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments section.

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A rendering of the commercial/housing development to be built on Front Street in Berea.

(DiGeronimo Companies )

BEREA, Ohio - Baldwin Wallace University and the DiGeronimo Cos. are partnering on a new mixed-use development that will add student housing and retail to the heart of the city.

The four-story 64,000-square-foot development on Front Street, scheduled to open in fall 2018, will include 16,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, which will be owned and leased by DiGeronimo, an Independence firm.

Student housing would be on the top three floors, which will be owned by BW.

The project will replace buildings housing U.S. Bank, Papa John's Pizza and China House at 102 to 118 Front Street.

The campus bookstore from the lower level of the Strosacker Hall student union will be relocated to the ground floor of the new development, which is located adjacent on BW's south campus adjacent to the Kulas Musical Arts Building. The bookstore will include a Starbucks, the university said. DiGeronimo will announce additional tenants at a later date

The top three floors will house 131 students in 81 units. The student housing will include a mix of studio and doubles as well as six accessible units.

The developer's Front Street Group LLC's purchase of 118 Front Street for $1.8 million transferred on May 17, according to county records.

"BW is excited to be part of a creative development that is good for the University and good for the City of Berea," BW President Robert Helmer said in a statement. "This novel collaboration will expand the attractive, contemporary housing options available to BW students and, at the same time, provide vibrant economic development for downtown Berea."

Berea's master plan calls for BW to be a bigger part of downtown Berea to encourage more students and families to patronize businesses, Mayor Cyril Kleem said in a statement.

Kevin DiGeronimo, principal of the development company, said in a statement that he has been working on this vision for bringing a mix of student housing and retail uses to the campus and city for more than three years.

This U.S. Bank branch is one of three businesses that will be razed for a new student housing/commercial development.

Last fall some residents expressed concerns about the project, including parking and maintaining historical elements, to the city's planning commission.

The project, designed by the GPD Group, received approval from city's architectural review board, planning commission and city council.

In the next couple of months, the DiGeronimo Companies will be finalizing architectural plans, with input from BW and the city, and working with existing businesses to help in their relocation. Demolition of current structures at the site is expected to begin this summer.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland City Council on Monday refused to accept petitions calling for repeal of an ordinance that allowed for tax dollars to go towards improvements at Quicken Loans Arena.

Accepting the petitions, given that the city already has entered into a contract on The Q deal with Cuyahoga County and the Cleveland Cavaliers, would "unconstitutionally impair an already executed and binding contract," Deputy Clerk of City Council Allan Dreyer said in a memo to the Greater Cleveland Congregations, a social activist group that led the petition drive.

Ultimately the city agreed to take custody of the petitions, but they are not considered filed in terms of triggering the referendum process.

The petitions, circulated in Cleveland by the Greater Cleveland Congregations and several other groups, was an effort to stop The Q deal unless greater benefits to aid neighborhoods is worked into the deal.

The coalition gathered 20,000 signatures in less than 30 days toward repealing the ordinance that authorized the deal.

Cleveland City Council approved the deal last month in a 12-5 vote. Mayor Frank Jackson signed the ordinance into law the next day, and signed contracts on the deal later that same week.

The coalition sought to file petitions with the clerk of council following a news conference on the front steps of City Hall. The GCC, along with the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus, Service Employees International Union Local 1199, AFSCME Ohio Council 8 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 268, have called for a community benefits agreement to be attached to The Q improvements deal that would target money into neighborhoods for job development, community improvement and for help addressing mental health and addiction issues.

Speaking at the news conference, Rev. Jawanza Colvin of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church told the crowd that the support for the petition drive shows the public wants more, particularly in neighborhoods that continue to wrestle with issues like unemployment, poverty and crime.

"We say with a loud voice: A better deal or no deal at all," Colvin told the crowd.

Afterward, when the group sought to deliver the petitions to the clerk of council, Colvin and Rev. Richard Gibson were rejected. Among those meeting them in the foyer was Council President Kevin Kelley, who said their lawyers advised that the petitions should be rejected.

That drew an angry response from Colvin.

"You all are better than this," he said. "I am trying to afford you every respect you are due."

But Colvin viewed the rejection as outrageous.

Gibson, along with Colvin, held out their arms, ready to be handcuffed, saying if council wouldn't accept the petitions, they would not leave.

"We are ready to go to jail," Gibson said.

Kelley told them that would not happen and eventually the GCC leaders broke away to discuss their next move. They hoped to meet with attorneys for the city and perhaps with their own.

Eventually the city agreed to take custody of the petitions, but they are not considered as formally filed, Kelley said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man is wanted in connection with a weekend bank robbery on the city's East Side.

Cory Perkins, 47, is charged with first-degree aggravated robbery in the Saturday incident.

He is accused of robbing the PNC Bank on Broadway Avenue near East 71st Street in the South Broadway neighborhood.

Perkins walked into the bank and approached a teller behind the counter, according to court documents.

He slid the employee a note that implied he was armed and would hurt the employee if they did not turn over cash, documents say.

The worker turned over an undisclosed amount of money and Perkins took off in a green 2007 Acura with a silver-colored hood. A Cleveland police report detailing the incident was not

A warrant for Perkins' arrest was issued Sunday and he remains at large.

He has a history of felony convictions in Cuyahoga County, including involvement in a vast checking account fraud scheme investigated by Rocky River police, court documents say.

Perkins was sentenced to nine months in prison after pleading guilty in April 2016 to counts of money laundering and aggravated theft, documents say.

One of Perkins' 15 co-defendants in the case coordinated with an employee at a check-cashing business to obtain information that would allow him to print fraudulent checks, records say. Members of the ring would then cash those checks at banks and check-cashing businesses around Cuyahoga County.

Court documents say that at least $140,000 was illegally obtained through the scam. Officers executing a search warrant in July 2016 seized printers, blank checks and more than $4,000 in cash from the co-defendant's home, records say.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments section.

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Ford Motor reportedly shuffled its senior leadership team, with plans to replace CEO Mark Fields with executive chiefJim Hackett as a steep stock price decline prompted a review of management, reports said on Monday, citing sources.

The changes were reported by both Forbes and the New York Times, citing unnamed officials.

"We are staying focused on our plan for creating value and profitable growth. We do not comment on speculation or rumors," a Ford spokesman said in response to CNBC's emailed request for comment.

Last week, sources told CNBC that the automaker was planning to cut 10 percent of its jobs around the world in a bid to increase profits and lift the stock, which is hovering near a five-year low.

Ford's share price has dropped nearly 40 percent since CEO Mark Fields took the job in 2014. Hackett is currently chairman of Ford Smart Mobility, a Ford Unit started to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services, according the Ford website. He was named to the position March 10, 2016.

Read the full New York Times report here.
U.S. President Donald Trump's budget proposal this week will include massive cuts to Medicaid and to other anti-poverty programs, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the planning.

The proposed cuts to Medicaid, which provides health care to people with low incomes, would come in at more than $800 billion over 10 years, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating that would cut off benefits for around 10 million people over the period, the report said.

It would also indicate Trump was rejecting some Senate Republicans' calls to not reverse the Medicaid expansion under the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act, the report said.

The full Washington Post article can be read here.

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One for his first international trip as president, including stops in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, Brussels and at the G7 summit in Sicily, from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. May 19, 2017. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

President Donald Trump's two-day visit to Israel, which begins Monday morning, should have been the easiest stop in his first overseas trip. After all, he ran a pro-Israel campaign and his election was welcome news in Israel. Trump's decision to tap three Orthodox Jews  Ambassador David Friedman, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and adviser Jason Greenblatt  only solidified their favor. "We do not have a greater friend than Donald Trump," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters after a meeting with the president at the White House in February. But now Trump, who left a firestorm of political controversy back home, finds his troubles aren't limited to the domestic front. From compromising Israeli intelligence to backtracking on a promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to a diplomatic scuffle over the Western Wall, Israel's once-clear support of the Trump administration is less certain.

1. Compromising Israeli Intelligence

On Tuesday, three government officials told NBC News that Israel had been the source of ISIS-related intelligence about a laptop bomb threat that Trump had given Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The link to Israel, first reported by The New York Times, came a day after it was disclosed that the president had passed on the information during a meeting with Lavrov at the White House two weeks ago. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters last week that Trump's disclosure was "wholly appropriate." In response, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, said, "The security relationship between Israel and our greatest ally the United States, is deep, significant and unprecedented in volume." But former chief of the Israeli intelligence, Danny Yatom, told a Tel Aviv radio station that, if true, Trump's disclosure was likely to cause "heavy damage" to Israeli and American security, especially if it reaches the Iranians. "There will be a loss of faith between the intelligence services," he said.

2. The Western Wall

Then, in what should have been a historic win, the White House announced that Trump will be the first sitting President to visit the holy site of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. But his administration's inability to agree on whether the wall was located in Israel led to yet another diplomatic blunder. Also, according to Israel's Channel Two News, U.S. representatives in Jerusalem turned down a request to have Netanyahu tag along with Trump, saying the president was making a "private" visit to the Western Wall. "This isn't your territory," one of the American reps reportedly told the Israelis. "This is in the West Bank. It is a private visit by the president, and it's not your business." The statement roiled the Israelis, who asked the Trump administration for clarification. "They (the comments) do not reflect the U.S. position, and certainly not the president's position," a White House spokesman said.

3. Moving the U.S. Embassy

Adding to the tensions is the uncertainty over where the U.S. will have its embassy. Last September, then-candidate Trump pledged to Netanyahu "that the United States, under a Trump administration, will finally accept the long-standing Congressional mandate to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State of Israel." Tied to Trump's assurance is the promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. The United States has kept its embassy in Tel Aviv since Israel was founded in 1947 because Jerusalem is considered disputed territory between Palestinians and Israelis and considered the capital for both. However, since 1995 when Congress passed a law mandating the embassy be moved to Jerusalem, every six months the president has had to sign a waiver delaying the move for reasons of national security. The most recent waiver expires June 1, just a little over a week after Trump's visit. Recently, the administration has become more cautious in its comments about relocating the embassy. "The president, I think rightly, has taken a very deliberative approach to understanding the issue itself, listening to input from all interested parties in the region, and understanding what such a move, in the context of a peace initiative, what impact would such a move have," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd recently.

4. "The Ultimate Deal"

Yet, despite all of the current tensions, Trump still believes he can broker "the ultimate deal" between the Israelis and Palestinians. He told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier this month that he had heard "that perhaps the toughest deal to make" is the one between Israel and Palestine but said he felt his administration had a "very, very good chance" to get it done. "Let's see if we can find the solution. It's something, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years. But we need two willing parties," Trump told Abbas. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi told Trump on Sunday that the president had a "unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible." Trump replied: "I agree." But some past presidents have also expressed confidence in their ability to bring the two sides together. President Barack Obama was so certain that peace in the Middle East would occur under his watch that he told the United Nations in his 2010 address that it was possible the dream of a Palestinian state could be realized in the next year. After two concerted efforts, Obama left office without having accomplished his goal.

5. Building a new coalition: U.S., Israel and Sunni Arab states
Workers labor on the production line at the Mitsubishi Motors factory in Laem Chabang, Chonburi Province, Thailand.

Trade-dependent emerging markets may not take much of a hit from the Trump administration's protectionist rhetoric, even if talk becomes action, analysts said.

At the G-7 meeting on Saturday, President Donald Trump has agreed to include a pledge to fight trade protectionism in a final communique due to be released later on Saturday at the end of a summit of Group of Seven leaders, a G-7 source told Reuters. In a post on Twitter, Trump lauded the summit's outcome, and the group's commitment to eliminating trade-distorting practices.

Yet Chetan Sehgal, director of global emerging markets at Templeton Emerging Markets, noted recently that emerging markets were no longer as dependent on the West for trade.

"Now intra-emerging markets are more important than just the U.S.," Sehgal said. "The trade within emerging markets has picked up much more than the trade with the U.S."

He pointed to data indicating that nearly 60 percent of emerging markets' exports head to other emerging markets, while the portion going to developed markets has fallen to around 40 percent.

Additionally, Sehgal noted that many emerging market companies had moved up the value chain and were no longer just assemblers of Western goods.

"Like 15 years back, the emerging markets used to have 15-20 percent of the world's patent applications but now it's nearly 45 percent," he said. "The next leg of growth is going to be fought based on intellectual capacity on patents and how you move up the technology curve. And I think emerging market companies are able to do that and therefore protectionism, which was important for trade earlier, is now no longer so much of a factor. "

There have been other signs that the U.S. may not be setting the global trade agenda.

On Sunday, 11 of the nations which signed on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal agreed to assess options to proceed "expeditiously" without the U.S.

TPP had been considered all but dead after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the pact, a broad 12-nation trade deal, which he claimed was a "disaster" that would hurt U.S. manufacturing.

Indeed, although he ran on an anti-globalization agenda, since the election, Trump has since reneged on some of his protectionist campaign rhetoric, such as a vow to label China a currency manipulator on "day one."

But he has continued to target other U.S. trade partners, complaining about the U.S.'s free-trade agreement with South Korea and instituting plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, after first threatening to terminate it entirely.

Others noted a similar divergence in the economic fortunes of the U.S. and emerging Asia .

In a note last week, Singapore bank DBS pointed to China's One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative to build networks of trade and infrastructure across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

The bank contrasted that with Trump's oft-repeated and controversial plan to build a "big, beautiful wall" to block out its Southern neighbour Mexico.

The OBOR project is "the antithesis of Trump's wall with Mexico  and it's not just a metaphor, both the Wall and the OBOR are plans for action  a contrast so sharp and so binary it's impossible for anyone to sit on the fence," DBS said.

It noted that Asia exports more than it imports, but generally puts the surplus in investments such as U.S. Treasurys.

For OBOR to get off the ground, DBS said, Asia will need to start investing its surpluses at home, instead of the low-yielding U.S.

By CNBC.Com's Leslie Shaffer; Follow her on Twitter @LeslieShaffer1

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
The latest political scandal to hit Brazil is likely to put an end to President Michel Temer's term before the end of 2018, an analyst told CNBC on Monday.

Michel Temer has been under growing pressure to resign since new corruption allegations emerged last week. Temer said a tape, which appeared to show the president condoning the payment of hush money to a lawmaker, was doctored. Anti-Temer protestors took to the streets over the weekend and Brazil's bar association has voted to back Temer's impeachment.

"Very few people believe that he's going to stay in until the end of his term in end of 2018," Marcos Casarin, head of Latin America macro research at Oxford Economics, told CNBC, stating that there's a "100 percent" chance Temer will leave before the end of his mandate.

"He's obviously going to deny the facts but the recordings are quite conclusive and they were made public on Thursday evening and Friday and I think everyone has made up their minds and had enough time to digest the news," Casarin said.

Temer took the helm of the Brazilian presidency following the impeachment of former President Dilma Rouseff, also due to bribery allegations.
Bill Gates makes sure to stay on top of the latest news in science, technology and energy  three fields he says are the most promising for anyone looking to make a difference in the world. To make sure he doesn't miss a beat, the billionaire reads every evening. If you're interested in making better use of your down time, and especially if you have more of that this summer, consider a book the Microsoft co-founder himself recommends. "I hope you'll find that [these books] make you think deeper about what it means to truly connect with other people," Gates writes on his blog, "and to have purpose in your life." Here are five books Gates recommends you read this summer:

1. "Born a Crime," by Trevor Noah

In this best-selling book, Noah, best known as the comedic host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," recalls his difficult coming of age as a biracial child in apartheid South Africa. While the story is tragic, Gates says, Noah's "moving stories will often leave you laughing."

"As a longtime fan of 'The Daily Show,'" Gates writes, "I loved reading this memoir about how its host honed his outsider approach to comedy over a lifetime of never quite fitting in."

2. "The Heart," by Maylis de Kerangal

This novel, Gates read after his wife Melinda recommended it, follows the story of a young man who, after getting into a car accident, is declared brain dead. His parents struggle with the decision on whether or not to donate his heart, which is still beating.

The Microsoft-co founder, who usually reads nonfiction books, says it is "closer to poetry than anything else" and recommended it to his friends.

3. "Hillbilly Elegy," by J.D. Vance

This best-selling memoir, which is set to become a major motion picture, explores what American poverty looks like today. Vance, a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, shares his experience growing up in a working-class Rust Belt town.

"While the book offers insights into some of the complex cultural and family issues behind poverty, the real magic lies in the story itself and Vance's bravery in telling it," writes Gates.

4. "Homo Deus," by Yuval Noah Harari

Gates recommended one of Harari's books, "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind," last summer. In this follow up, Harari explores the future of mankind, and specifically what would happen if humans eradicated war, sickness and poverty.

"'Homo Deus' argues that the principles that have organized society will undergo a huge shift in the 21st century," Gates writes, "with major consequences for life as we know it. "I don't agree with everything Harari has to say, but he has written a smart look at what may be ahead for humanity."

5. "A Full Life," by Jimmy Carter

Former President Carter examines his life as a businessman, politician and humanitarian. He shares his regrets, which include leaving the U.S. Navy and losing his bid for re-election, as well as his the lessons on success he learned as President, a successful businessman and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. "The book will help you understand how growing up in rural Georgia in a house without running water, electricity, or insulation shaped  for better and for worse  his time in the White House," Gates writes.
Current high valuations of many assets are forcing investors to look for new solutions.



Thematic investments, that benefit from long-term societal trends, can help investors to better navigate through the daily ups and downs of the financial markets.



Demographics, transformational socioeconomic and political developments, as well as technological and scientific progress are at the core of these themes. But as always, the devil is in the detail. What is at the heart of these core themes and where is there scope for investment?

A publication, just published by experts at Credit Suisse, highlights five long-term themes, "supertrends", expected to dominate in the coming years and provide investment opportunities:
Bitcoin added more than $200 Monday at one point amid a major New York conference on digital currencies, following a surge in weekend interest from Asian investors.

The cryptocurrency briefly leaped more than 11 percent past $2,100 and $2,200 to hit an all-time high of $2,289.21, according to CoinDesk.com. Bitcoin was last trading near $2,236, about $400 short of doubling in value for May.

On Monday, the bitcoin news site kicked off its two-and-a-half-day digital currency conference, Consensus. The third annual conference is expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees to New York.

"There is a lot of excitement and announcements of new projects which is contributing to the euphoria," said Brian Kelly, CEO of BKCM.

Bitcoin one-month performance

Source: CoinDesk

Also on Monday, an alliance for a digital currency system called ethereum announced 86 new members, including financial communications company Broadridge, clearinghouse DTCC and consulting firm Deloitte. Units of non-financial firms Samsung, Merck and Toyota also joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, which counts JPMorgan, Intel and Microsoft among its initial members.

The alliance seeks to develop technology and standards for ethereum, which some see as a potential structure for a decentralized, next-generation internet.

"What we're seeing is people realizing that there's a macro impact to how we operate the economy potentially," Andrew Keys, head of global business development at blockchain software developer ConsenSys, told CNBC in a phone interview.

Blockchain is the financial accounting system underpinning bitcoin, ethereum and other digital currencies.

In addition to Consensus, at least two other conferences on cryptocurrencies are being held in New York this month: the Ethereal Summit  attended by 471 people last Friday  and the Token Summit scheduled for Thursday.

Investors typically use bitcoin to buy other digital currencies, and interest in those assets helps drive up bitcoin's price.

On Monday, bitcoin trade volume in U.S. dollars accounted for more than 32 percent of bitcoin trading, up from 26 percent last Monday, according to CryptoCompare.com. Trade volume in Chinese and Japanese currencies moderated to 16.95 percent and 34.2 percent, the website showed.

Over the weekend, bitcoin topped $2,000 for the first time as trade volume from Japan jumped to 55 percent from 40 percent last week. Analysts also noted bitcoin prices on Chinese exchanges narrowed a recent trading gap with the U.S.-dollar price on expectations that Hong Kong-based Bitfinex is expected to soon restore easy conversion between bitcoin on its exchanges to U.S. dollars.

Japanese authorities increasingly recognize bitcoin as a legal currency  major retailers began accepting it in April.

Several billion in U.S. dollars have flowed into bitcoin in the last week, bringing its market value to more than $37 billion Monday, according to CoinDesk.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that bitcoin was about $400 short of doubling in value for May.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was slightly higher at around 2.250 percent, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond held at 2.914 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

U.S. government debt prices were relatively flat on Monday as President Donald Trump tours the Middle East on his first foreign trip.

President Trump began his trip in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and is expected to arrive in Israel today in an attempt to re-energize the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

He'll meet with leaders from both Palestine and Israel, according to Reuters. Trump will then fly onto Italy, the Vatican and Belgium during his time abroad.

Meanwhile, in the central bank sphere, a number of Fed members spoke or are slated to speak on Monday.

Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker was in Philadelphia where he commented on the "link between physical and economic wellbeing" at the Jefferson College of Health Professions and Jefferson College of Pharmacy Commencement Ceremony. Though, he did not speak on monetary policy.

Then, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said Monday it is wrong to think central-bank interest- rate policy can fix all the economy's problems.

In brief remarks opening a conference at his bank, he told attendees that when looking at persistent disparities in the U.S. economy, he believes "we probably can't solve these problems with monetary policy."

Fed Governor Lael Brainard is set to deliver remarks later in the day.
U.S.-based Huntsman Corp and Switzerland's Clariant AG are combining to create a chemical manufacturer with a market value of more than $14 billion, they said on Monday, after years of tentative mutual approaches.

The deal creates a global specialty chemicals company that is 52 percent own by Clariant shareholders and valued at around $20 billion when including debt, Clariant said in a statement.

Reuters reported in March that Clariant and Huntsman previously ended merger talks late last year over a disagreement about who would play the lead role.

Many European companies have embarked on deal making as growth in the chemicals industry has slowed. European businesses have particularly suffered, losing market share to rivals in Asia, where demand is growing faster, or to North America, where energy is cheaper.

Clariant Chief Executive Hariolf Kottmann and Huntsman CEO Peter Huntsman said they had developed a professional and personal friendship eight years ago, preceding intensified talks over the past five weeks that resulted in a combination of the two companies.

" Hariolf and I had discussions as friends and as business colleagues. But this is the first time in all those years that we actually engaged our teams to actually get a deal done," Huntsman told journalists on a conference call.

The deal combines Clariant, a Pratteln, Switzerland-based maker of aircraft de-icing fluids, pesticide ingredients and plastic colouring , with Woodlands, Texas-based Huntsman, whose chemicals are used in paint, clothing and construction.

Peter Huntsman will become CEO of the combined company, called HuntsmanClariant, while Kottmann will become chairman. The combined company will be headquartered in Switzerland, although its operational centre will be in Woodlands, Texas.

Kottmann has spent several years restructuring Clariant. He divested underperforming businesses including textile and paper chemicals in 2012 and placed more responsibility with lower level managers for faster decision-making.

In mid-2015 he started carving out Clariant's plastics and coatings business into a separately managed entity.

Plastics and coatings will be an integral part of the new company, Kottmann said, though he reiterated that it could be sold to fund any further takeovers.

Investor pressure had been growing on management to identify a growth strategy for Clariant, which was formed in the mid 1990s from parts of Switzerland's Sandoz and Germany's Hoechst.

A source familiar with the transaction said the combined group would use its bigger fire power to pursue further deals.

Kottmann said in the call that all of the businesses of the new enlarged entity would merit "strategic thinking".

Citi and UBS advised Clariant on the transaction, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Moelis acted as Huntsman's financial advisors. European peers BASF, Solvay,

European peers BASF, Solvay, Evonik and Lanxess have agreed multi-billion takeovers since mid-2015. A $130 billion merger and three-way split between U.S. groups Dow and DuPont is underway, while industrial gases groups Linde and Praxair are seeking to combine.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC on Monday that he saw signs that Saudi Arabia continues "liberalizing their society" and relaxing some of the restrictions on women under the strict interpretation of Islamic law that rules the kingdom.

Ross, a billionaire who made his fortune investing in distressed assets, was back in Washington after joining President Donald Trump over the weekend in Saudi Arabia where a number of business deals were sealed, including a Saudi arms agreement that could end up being worth $350 billion over 10 years.

"At one of the sessions where a lot of contracts were awarded, there was also some panel discussions," Ross said on "Squawk Box."

"One of the panelists was the woman who is the head of the Saudi Arabian stock exchange," he said. "That's a very unusual event and to my knowledge the first time a woman has been the head of an exchange in that region and for sure the first time in Saudi."

Ross was referring to Sarah Al-Suhaimi, who was appointed in February as board chair of the Saudi Stock Exchange, also called the Tadawul. She is the chief executive officer of NCB Capital, the investment arm of Saudi banking giant National Commercial Bank.

The Commerce secretary took Al-Suhaimi's role in the business community there as a sign that Saudi Arabia was continuing to value women more than in the past. "Clearly there's a big sea change underway. There's no question that they're liberalizing their society," he argued.
Former Ford CEO Mark Fields was faced with an "impossible timeframe" to turn the Michigan-based automaker around and should have been given more time, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Monday.

Earlier, Ford said Fields would retire on Monday and Jim Hackett, chairman of Ford Smart Mobility, would replace him. Ford's board reportedly began discussing the change earlier this year as the company's market capitalization fell behind Tesla 's.

Fields, who spent nearly three years at Ford's helm, was criticized during an annual shareholder meeting earlier this month for Ford's sluggish financial results.

"He had a difficult situation. He was told to develop an autonomous car. He's told to be a worldwide guy. You do have peak auto in the U.S. and U.S. is really where Ford has made its biggest strides. So, it's kind of an impossible situation," Cramer said on "Squawk Box."

"I was not surprised," He added. "If you judge a guy by a stock price, I guess he had to go."

Later on "Squawk on the Street," Cramer said it was unfair for Fields to be ousted as the company had the impossible task to compete in the autonomous car space with Google's Alphabet and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Executive Chairman Bill Ford said in a statement on Monday that Hackett's appointment will "transform Ford for the future," calling him a "true visionary who brings a unique, human-centered leadership approach to our culture, products and services that will unlock the potential of our people and our business."

Ford held a news conference on Monday morning to discuss the changes.
Defense stocks took off on Monday after President Donald Trump signed a nearly $110 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia. The deal will be worth $350 billion over 10 years.

On Monday, Lockheed Martin closed up more than 1 percent and General Dynamics closed up about 1 percent. These stocks, along with Raytheon and Northrop Grumman , hit all-time highs earlier in the day.

Additionally, the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) closed nearly 1 percent higher.

Jet maker Boeing also signed a handful of deals with Saudi Arabia during Trump's weekend visit, involving the sale of military and passenger aircraft. Its stock closed up more than 1 percent.

These types of arms deals have caused defense stocks to rally in the past, according to CNBC analysis using Kensho.

One month after about 40 U.S.-Saudi Arabia arms deals  going back to 2009  the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF was up 3.3 percent, on average, almost double the return of the , according to data compiled by Kensho.

"The key, and as yet unknown, issue will be (1) when/if all the various items mentioned are put under contract and (2) when they are to be delivered," Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr wrote in a note to clients.

"Given the generally extended period required to finalize foreign arms contracts, we'd expect little impact on 2017 results, with some potential benefit in 2018 and more in 2019," Rumohr said.

Lockheed Martin is slated to be the biggest potential winner after this news, with Raytheon being a "potential dark horse winner," should its Patriot missile be purchased, Rumohr said.

Trump's deal with the Saudis solidifies a decades-long alliance with the world's largest oil exporter and will be worth $350 billion over 10 years.

Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the deal "will directly contribute to [Saudi Arabia's] Vision 2030 by opening the door for thousands of highly skilled jobs in new economic sectors."

 CNBC's Javier David contributed to this report.

CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is a minority investor in Kensho.

Correction: President Donald Trump signed a nearly $110 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia. An earlier version misstated the figure.
watch now

One of the failures of the Republican Party is the way they let the birther movement metastasize  and that ultimately helped Donald Trump make it to the White House. Brendan Nyhan professor at Dartmouth who studies the spread of false political beliefs

Experts on political misinformation see things differently. They worry that the unfounded speculation and paranoia that infect the Russiasphere risk pushing liberals into the same black hole of conspiracy-mongering and fact-free insinuation that conservatives fell into during the Obama years. The fear is that this pollutes the party itself, derailing and discrediting the legitimate investigation into Russia investigation. It also risks degrading the Democratic Party  helping elevate shameless hucksters who know nothing about policy but are willing to spread misinformation in the service of gaining power. We've already seen this story play out on the right, a story that ended in Trump's election. "One of the failures of the Republican Party is the way they let the birther movement metastasize  and that ultimately helped Donald Trump make it to the White House," says Brendan Nyhan, a professor at Dartmouth who studies the spread of false political beliefs. "We should worry about kind of pattern being repeated."

Anatomy of a conspiracy theory

These theories are spreading because the Russia situation is murky  and Democrats are out of power
TEL AVIV, Israel  President Donald Trump arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday, hoping to help push forward what he's described as the "ultimate deal"  peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

"Welcome, our good friend," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while greeting Trump after he stepped off Air Force One.

More from NBC News:

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Despite the formality of the occasion, Netanyahu and Trump swapped banter on the red carpet.

"What is the protocol?" Trump asked. "Do you have any idea?"

"I think they'll just tell us where to stand," Netanyahu replied as they walked toward their predetermined spots to listen to the national anthem.

Trump later said he was "very, very honored" to be visiting the country, highlighting that he came "to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the state of Israel."

He added: "We have before us a rare opportunity to bring stability, security and peace to this region and its people  defeating terrorism."

Trump's two-day visit will include separate meetings with Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump also plans to visit the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important key Jewish holy site.

In April, Trump said he was convinced that an end to the violence was within reach.

"I want to see peace with Israel and the Palestinians," he told Reuters a week before meeting with Abbas at the White House. "There is no reason there's not peace between Israel and the Palestinians  none whatsoever."

White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trump's stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive.

The last round of peace talks, led by then-President Barack Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, fell apart in 2014.

While en route to Tel Aviv, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson previewed the stop as a continuation of the president's push for unity in the fight against terrorism, as well as an opening step in the quest for peace between Israel and Palestine.

"I think he feels like there's a moment in time here," Tillerson said, referring to Trump. "We have the opportunity to advance the peace discussions between the Israelis and the Palestinians  I think the president has indicated he's willing to put his own personal efforts into this if the Israelis and the Palestinians are ready to be serious about engaging as well."

In his welcoming remarks to Trump, Netanyahu said "Israel's hand is extended in peace to all of our neighbors, including the Palestinians."

Trump ran a pro-Israel campaign and his election was welcome news in Israel. The presidents decision to tap three Orthodox Jews  Ambassador David Friedman, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and adviser Jason Greenblatt  only solidified their favor.

Ivanka Trump tweet

"We do not have a greater friend than Donald Trump," Netanyahu told reporters after a meeting with him at the White House in February.

However, from compromising Israeli intelligence to backtracking on a promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to a diplomatic scuffle over the Western Wall, Israel's once-clear support of the Trump administration is less certain.

Israel has also expressed concern about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Trump announced Saturday in Riyadh. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant, called Saudi Arabia "a hostile country" and said the deal was "definitely something that should trouble us."

Palestinian activists are calling for a "Day of Rage" when Trump visits the West Bank on Tuesday. The demonstrations are meant to draw attention to a month-long hunger strike by hundreds of prisoners being held by Israel, and to protest what many Palestinians say is unfair U.S. support for Israel.

Trump's first foreign trip began in Saudi Arabia and takes him, after Israel, to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis, to Brussels for a NATO summit and finally to Sicily for a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major industrial nations.

Monday's flight  direct from Riyadh to Tel Aviv  was in itself historic. It marks the first time Air Force One was able to fly directly between the two nations, which do not have diplomatic relations.

Netanyahu said he hoped "that one day an Israeli prime minister will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Riyadh."
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Ford - CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports that the automaker will announce that it's replaced CEO Mark Fields. The automaker's new CEO will be Jim Hackett, former chief executive of Steelcase and currently chairman of the autonomous vehicles unit at Ford. The news comes amid profit margins at Ford that trail those of rivals and a nearly 40 percent drop in Ford's stock price since Field took over three years ago. Ford has scheduled a news conference for 9:45 a.m. ET.

Huntsman  U.S.-based Huntsman and Switzerland's Clariant are combining in a more than $14 billion merger of specialty chemical companies. The all-stock transaction will create a company that will be 52 percent owned by Clariant shareholders.

Royal Bank of Scotland - RBS is trying to reach a last-minute settlement with investors who sued the bank, accusing it of misleading them over a 2008 capital increase.

Amgen  The biotech company does not expect an experimental osteoporosis drug to win FDA approval this year, following a trial which showed a higher rate of heart problems.

PPG Industries - Akzo Nobel shareholders are taking the Dutch paint maker to court over its rejection of a $29.5 billion takeover bid from PPG. Elliott Advisors is leading the effort to convince judges to order a probe into alleged mismanagement by Akzo's board.

Boeing  The jet maker signed a handful of deals with Saudi Arabia during President Trump's weekend visit, involving the sale of military and passenger aircraft.

Berkshire Hathaway  Berkshire got a bullish mention in this weekend's Barron's, which said Warren Buffett's company could see double-digit gains in its stock over the next 18 months.

Blackstone  The private equity firm and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund announced plans to create a $40 billion infrastructure fund, investing mostly in U.S. projects.

General Electric  GE is also among the companies inking new deals in Saudi Arabia over the weekend, with GE signing $15 billion in agreements involving power, health care, and energy.

Apple  Apple is being sued for patent infringement by a small Boston-based company called Universal Secure Registry over technology used in its Apple Pay service.

Ciena Ciena was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Stifel Nicolaus, which said the maker of networking equipment is in a position to benefit from improving market trends, as well as recent contract wins and possible profit margin improvements from new products.

Qualcomm  JPMorgan Chase upgraded the chip maker' stock to "overweight" from "neutral", citing the benefits of the soon-to-close deal to acquire NXP Semiconductors (NXPI).

Mylan  Barclays upgraded the generic drug maker's stock to "overweight" from "equal weight, with the expected approval of a generic version of multiple sclerosis treatment Copaxone among the positive factors.
Markets in Europe ended on a mixed note Monday, as investors kept a close eye on President Donald Trump's first visit overseas, while digesting individual stock news. The pan-European Stoxx 600 fluctuated between gains and losses throughout trade, ending down 0.09 percent provisionally. Sectors pointed in opposite directions at the close.

Justin Chin | Bloomberg | Getty Images

On the bourses front, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended in the black, up 0.34 percent, boosted by slight weakness in the British pound . France's CAC 40 failed to hold onto gains, closing 0.03 percent down, while Germany's DAX ended 0.15 percent lower, with a sharp decline in Dialog Semiconductor 's shares weighing on the index. In peripheral Europe, Italy's FTSE MIB closed 1.15 percent down. On Monday, telecoms were Europe's top performing sector, closing up more than 1 percent. This followed news that Softbank and Saudi Arabia's main sovereign wealth fund raised $93 billion to invest in technology, including artificial intelligence and robotics. In chemicals, Clariant was one of the biggest talked-about stocks on Monday after the Swiss group announced an all-stock deal to merge with the U.S.-based Huntsman Corp., creating a chemicals giant worth over $14 billion. Despite rising as much as 9 percent in earlier trade, Clariant pared some of its gains to close up 3.45 percent. The manufacturing company Lafargeholcim appointed Jan Jenisch as its new chief executive officer, which sent the company's shares over 6 percent higher. Insurer Aegon ended trade at the top of the STOXX 600, finishing 6.5 percent up, after agreeing to sell some of its U.S. business to boost its balance sheet.

By contrast, shares of the biopharma firm UCB tanked 18 percent, causing the health-care sector to close in the red. This follows news that a new osteoporosis drug trial had a higher rate of serious heart-related side-effects. Elsewhere, oil prices were higher on Monday, on the back of hopes that leading exporters would agree to extend the output cut - as OPEC members gear up for a meeting in Vienna this Thursday. Despite paring some gains near Europe's close, Brent remained higher at $54 per barrel, while U.S. crude was hovering around $50.78.

On the agenda: Trump and Europe

After spending the weekend in Saudi Arabia, President Trump began the next leg of his trip abroad, arriving in Israel on Monday where he is expected to meet the leaders of both Israel and Palestine during his visit.

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Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn plans to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee for documents related to their investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, a source close to Flynn confirms to NBC News.

Given calls from various members of Congress for Flynn to be investigated or prosecuted, the source noted it would be "highly imprudent" for him to respond to the subpoena for documents.

Flynn's response is expected to note that he is invoking his constitutional rights and it is not an admission of guilt.

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Flynn was fired in February after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior White House officials about his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
CNBC takes a look at the importance of the visit for politics and the markets.

U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting Europe for the first time since taking office at a time when the markets are worried about the sustainability of his presidency.

President Trump will start his European tour in the political heart of Brussels. He is scheduled to meet with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday morning.

According to Aarti Shankar, policy analyst at Open Europe, this meeting will be the "moment to see how President Trump engages with the bloc."

There have been some tensions between Europe and the U.S. since President Trump took office with the latter telling European countries they should follow the U.K.'s example and turn their back on the European institution.

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Trump's protectionist approach has also stalled negotiations on a EU-Us trade deal  the so-called TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership).

Shankar told CNBC that "there might be some room to discuss trade arrangements for the future". However, above all it could be a moment "to reset" EU-U.S. relations.

Once this meeting is over, President Trump will head to NATO's headquarters, slightly outside Brussels. There, he will participate in his first NATO meeting with other heads of state. Trump has softened his stance on the transatlantic organization since calling it "obsolete" but has repeatedly demanded other NATO members to step up their contributions.

"It will be a priority for Europe to understand what role the U.S. wants to play in NATO," Shankar said. "I'm not sure if Brexit will come up," she added.
Israel's economy has gone through several transformations since the country's founding, almost 70 years ago. Jaffa oranges symbolized the country's exports until the 1970s. Textiles played a large role and it is known internationally for its diamond trade and its strong position as an arms exporter. Now the high-tech boom that Israel has been experiencing for some two decades has the potential to make it a player in many industries where traditionally it has not figured very prominently, says Avi Hasson in an interview with CNBC. He was, until April, chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority, as the Office of the Chief Scientist was rather pointedly renamed last year.

Israeli special combat soldiers conduct a training exercise using virtual reality (VR) battlefield technology to simulate Hamas tunnels leading from Gaza to Israel at an Israeli Army base in Petach Tikva, Israel. Rina Castelnuovo | Bloomberg | Getty Images

"Traditional definitions of high-tech and low-tech are out of date. Everything is getting technologized. There's not a single sector that's not being disrupted, or that doesn't benefit from innovation," says Hasson. He tells how, during his six-year term, he fielded daily visits from executives of multinational companies from all kinds of industries, seeking new technology. Israel's edge in innovation is illustrated by the country's number two ranking on the subject in the World Economic Forum's 2016-2017 Competitiveness report. Israel's overall competitiveness ranking was 24th, ahead of some major economies, like China and South Korea but well behind most of Western Europe, the US and several Asian economies. The relative health of Israel's high-tech industry is itself hotly debated among analysts and observers. The Innovation Authority's 2016 report, looking at Israel's relative drop in three leading indices in 2015, even sounded a warning: "It is difficult to ignore the overall picture indicating erosion in Israel's competitive situation." The mood has considerably brightened since then, with the industry raking in record investments in 2016 and then in March this year seeing the biggest deal in its history with Intel's acquisition of autonomous driving technology company Mobileye. Whatever the fluctuations in its relative global standing, high-tech remains leading in the Israeli economy. It makes up about half of the country's industrial exports. But, warns Hasson, it may not be enough. "It's a tremendous achievement, world leading, high productivity etcetera. But it only employs about nine percent of the workforce and the other parts of the economy are not performing as well, for example in their productivity, in their connectivity to the global value chains," notes Hasson. He says that macro-economic data shows that there is a big productivity gap between some traditional industry sectors in Israel and their peers in the OECD. Also, the ability of Israel's more traditional industries to access international markets is limited.

The Innovation Authority actively tries to address that problem. He says: "We've created several programs that are oriented toward the traditional industries, like food and steel and textile and plastic, really trying to ignite innovation in those sectors. The same goes for the services sector, things like financial and also construction." Traditional industries have many different reasons for not always being able to innovate as quickly as they would like to. They have, for one, much less access to capital, both domestically and internationally than the high-tech sector. "When you come and say let's do a high-risk R&D project that in three years' time, if successful, will take you to the international market, there's a leap of faith that needs to happen," says Hasson. The Innovation Authority has introduced measures to mitigate that risk. Israel, "is never going to be a manufacturing powerhouse," like the U.S. and Germany, says Hasson. But that doesn't mean it cannot have its success in other industrial fields, helped by high-tech.

"Textile used to be a huge industry in Israel, I'm talking thirty years ago, and then it all but disappeared," says Hasson. "Today there are 15,000 people working in textile industries in Israel. But if you look into the companies, these are not low-tech companies. It's smart fibers, nonwovens, all sorts of pretty high-tech textiles. The same thing goes for food, and the same would go for plastics by the way, which has done remarkably well in terms of its global performance." The innovation potential is not limited to fields Israel is already involved in. High-tech brings new industries to the country, says Hasson. This can happen when large international companies acquire Israeli high-tech ones. He mentions Mobileye and other autonomous driving technology firms as an example of how Israel can gain access to entire new industries: "Ten years ago Israel wasn't a player in automotive, now I would claim it's a leading player. Why? Mostly because the car has become digital, connected and autonomous and that part we know how to do even if we're not automotive experts. The same goes for digital health and a lot of sectors where the players are looking for innovation. Today Israel stands out as at least a place to visit when you're considering expanding."
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Iraq is the big holdout country that could thwart Saudi Arabia's and Iran's wish to extend the OPEC-led oil production cut by a further nine months, according to RBC's Helima Croft. "Getting Iraq on board is going to be interesting.I think Iraq in the end will get on board but they might make it difficult along the way," said Croft, noting that the country's oil minister, Jabbar al-Luaibi, had fought hard - and ultimately to no avail - to stop Iraq from having to take the second largest hit to its production figures in the deal brokered between OPEC and non-OPEC producers last November. Iraq's financial woes have been exacerbated in recent years by ongoing attempts to eject militants from fundamentalist jihadist group ISIS from within its borders. The country took a $5.34 billion loan last year to shore up its balance sheet yet is still struggling to pay its civil servants, according to RBC's Croft, speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box on Monday.

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Iraq also remains one of the countries that could still raise production levels, says the energy analyst, highlighting the speed with which the Iraqi prime minister weakened Saudi Arabia's and Iran's declaration last week that they would back a nine-month extension to the existing agreement. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that he would back an extension but refused to commit for a determined period of time. Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih is in Baghdad today to discuss the potential extension following his Iraqi counterpart's recent comments that he would support only a six-month extension. Turning to oil prices which have been steadily moving higher since the start of the month on the back of speculation that the deal will be renewed and were sitting at above $50 per barrel in early trade on Monday, Croft says that she expects them to grind higher still. However, having released the news about supporting a nine-month extension a good ten days prior to the OPEC meeting, Saudi Arabia and Iran have potentially put paid to a potential further jump in the price unless they pull another rabbit out of the hat, she adds. "If you want a price rise they're probably going to have to go deeper. Do you roll over 1.8 million barrels or do you throw in another 500,000? That's how you'd move in significantly higher coming out of OPEC," Croft opined.

Peshmerga forces take security measures as smoke and flames rise after Daesh's attack on an oil-well in Kirkuk's Bay Hassan village, Iraq on July 31, 2016. Hejar Resit | Andolu Agency | Getty Images
White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (C) sits alongside U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (2nd L) as they prepare to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Saudi delegation at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

Jared Kushner: the young, pragmatic, hardheaded businessman out to modernize the US government and moderate the worst tendencies of his father-in-law  Donald Trump. But what if, instead, Jared is not a panacea for the chaotic White House, but one of its biggest problems? As the Trump administration's been sent into a death spiral over the firing of FBI Director James Comey last week  a failed move to curtail the Justice Department investigation into contact between his campaign and the Russian government  Kushner hasn't been the "adult in the room" urging caution and scrupulousness. To the contrary, he's been urging aggression and retaliation. And the White House's reaction to the appointment of Robert Mueller as a special counsel in the Russia inquiry, including a possible attempt to use ethics rules to limit the scope of his investigation, shows that somebody in the White House is deeply worried about what might happen if Kushner were included in the probe.

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As Trump deals with scandals surrounding his former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn and his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, now the family businessman could have another problem right inside his own house.

Kushner's getting mighty antsy about special counsel Robert Mueller

It was surprising enough, to people who had bought into the narrative that Kushner (and wife Ivanka Trump) were steadying influences on the president, that he hadn't warned Trump not to fire FBI director James Comey  a move that anyone could have predicted would blow up in the administration's face. (In fact, Kushner appears to have been "generally supportive" of the firing, according to the New York Times.) By now, though, it's clear that Kushner (at least sometimes) is the person who wants to lash out at the investigators. Here's what happened (according to reports from the New York Times) when the Trump administration found out that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had appointed Mueller as a special counsel to lead the Trump/Russia probe: Most of those gathered recommended that the president adopt a conciliatory stance and release a statement accepting Mr. Rosenstein's decision and embracing a swift investigation that would clear the cloud of suspicion hovering over the West Wing. Mr. Kushner  who had urged Mr. Trump to fire Mr. Comey  was one of the few dissenting voices, urging the president to counterattack, according to two senior administration officials. After a brief discussion, however, calmer heads prevailed, and Mr. Trump's staff huddled over a computer just outside the Oval Office to draft the statement that was ultimately released, asserting the president's innocence and determination to move on. Trump's eventual statement was actually much less conciliatory than prior presidents have been. Yet Kushner wanted it to be even harsher  despite the existing concerns about independence at the Department of Justice. It's also interesting that, according to Reuters' Julia Edwards Ainsley, the White House is considering trying to hobble Mueller  using a regulation barring Mueller from investigating anyone his former law firm had represented. In practice, that would be Kushner and former campaign head Paul Manafort. Legal experts said the ethics rule can be waived by the Justice Department, which appointed Mueller. He did not represent Kushner or Manafort directly at his former law firm. If the department did not grant a waiver, Mueller would be barred from investigating Kushner or Manafort, and this could greatly diminish the scope of the probe, experts said. For all the reporting that President Trump is still deeply committed to Mike Flynn, this proposed "solution" to the Mueller investigation wouldn't protect Flynn. It would protect Manafort, who has been out of the Trump family's orbit for quite some time. And it would protect Kushner.

Kushner's closely connected to Mike Flynn  and fairly connected to Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the intermediate-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2's launch test in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, May 22, 2017.

North Korea has disclosed a series of images of the Earth it says were taken by a camera carried aboard a ballistic missile during the country's latest test.

The state-run KCNA news agency said Monday that Kim Jong Un had expressed his "great satisfaction" over Sunday's test and suggested that the weapons should be "rapidly mass produced in a serial way to arm" his military.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the North's state-run Rodong Sinmun published 58 images that were allegedly taken by a camera aboard the missile, describing them as "an apparent bid to show off its missile atmospheric re-entry technology."

KCNA added: "Viewing the images of the Earth being sent real-time from the camera mounted on the ballistic missile, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un said it feels grand to look at the Earth from the rocket we launched and the entire world looks so beautiful."

More from NBC News:

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The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 310 miles and reached a height of 350 miles Sunday before plunging into the Pacific Ocean, the Associated Press reported.

A White House official told NBC News that the missile was of a type that was last tested in February and that it had a shorter range than the missiles North Korea launched more recently.

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting Sunday to discuss the latest launch, which came hours after new President Moon Jae-in named his new foreign minister nominee and top advisers for security and foreign policy.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that Seoul and Washington believe Sunday's test provided North Korea with unspecified "meaningful data" on its push to improve the credibility of missile technology.

But spokesman Roh Jae- cheon said the allies believe more analysis is required to verify whether the test showed the North had achieved a breakthrough in re-entry technology.

There is skepticism about North Korea's claims about its re-entry technology, which is needed to return a warhead to the atmosphere from space so it can hit its intended target.

North Korea has rejected all calls to curtail its nuclear and missile programs in recent years, calling them legitimate self-defense.

It has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

Sunday's missile test follows the launch of the Hwasong-12 missile last week which North Korea claims can carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

North Korea regularly threatens to destroy the United States which it accuses of preparing for invasion. South Korea hosts 28,500 U.S. troops to counter the threat from the North, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Monday it was cutting 600 jobs, its biggest headcount reduction in almost two decades, as it seeks to return to profitability in an industry

battered by falling ticket prices.

In addition to cheaper tickets - the result of low fuel prices that led airlines to increase capacity - premium Asian carriers like Cathay and Singapore Airlines Ltd have had to contend with competition from mainland Chinese airlines that are expanding international routes aggressively.

The job cuts are the first step in a three-year reorganization plan announced this year by Hong Kong's flagship carrier. It posted an annual loss last year, its first since 2008, and is expected to be in the red again this year. Singapore Airlines, which made a loss in its latest quarter, has also

announced a strategic review.

"We have had to make tough but necessary decisions for the future of our business and our customers," new Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Rupert Hogg said in a statement.

The cuts represent 25 percent of management staff and 18 percent of non-managerial positions at its Hong Kong head office. The company had some 33,700 employees globally as of March.

Shares in Cathay rose 2 percent after the news and have climbed 13.3 percent for the year to date.
Two former associates of President Trump  Paul Manafort and Roger Stone  have turned over documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee in its Russia investigation, a congressional source with direct knowledge told NBC News.

Earlier this month, the committee sent document requests to Manafort and Stone, as well as Carter Page and Mike Flynn, officials said previously. The requests sought information pertaining to dealings with Russia. Page has not yet complied, the congressional source said, and Flynn plans to assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination as a reason not to comply with a committee subpoena, a source close to him has said.

The committee's letter to Page asked him to list any Russian official or business executive he met with between June 16, 2015 and Jan. 20, 2017. It also asked him to provide information about Russia-related real estate transactions during that period. And it seeks all his email or other communications during that period with Russians, or with the Trump campaign about Russia or Russians.

Read the full NBC News story here.
Microsoft came to dominate the computer industry not through desktops, but through its moneymaker Windows. Then Apple became the world's most valuable public company thanks not only to mobile phones, but also to the App Store.

Now, a company like Tesla could be poised to do the same thing to cars, technology investor Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz told Bloomberg View columnist Barry Ritholtz.

"There's no existing legacy car company in the world today that would say that's the case. They would all say that they are best at making cars, and that the software is a component that goes in the cars," Andreessen said. "Our thesis is, no, what's actually going to happen is the value will flow to the software layer. The entire experience of being in the car will be defined by software."

Andreessen's comments come amid a massive shakeup at Ford , where a new CEO, a self-driving-car expert, was suddenly installed on Monday. The high-profile shuffle, days after Andreessen's interview, highlighted the rise of self-driving vehicles  which rely not only on sensors but also on algorithms that collect data and make predictions.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told students in Berlin that a "too weak" euro is behind Germany's big trade surplus, which has been a point of contention with the Trump administration.

Merkel's comments come ahead of Friday's gathering of G-7 heads of state in Italy, and trade has been a thorny issue as the U.S. takes a new tougher stance.

"It definitely lit a fuse under the euro today," said Boris Schlossberg, BK Asset Management managing director, foreign exchange strategy. The euro had been lower, after last week's 2.5 percent gain, but Merkel's comments before a group of secondary-school students reversed those losses and sent it to a six-month high of $1.1274.

The German chancellor's remarks came in response to a question while she was appearing on a panel discussion on how Germany could build a closer relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron. She was asked how to deal with the trade imbalance between the two euro zone leaders, and she said part of the blame falls on the policies of the European Central Bank.

Merkel also had discussed the challenges facing the European Union over the U.K.'s withdrawal, according to reports. She said her main goal was to keep the EU together and that means Germany would need to help Macron be successful.

"The euro is too weak  that's because of ECB policy  and so German products are cheap in relative terms. So they're sold more," she was quoted as saying.

While her comments were on topics important to Europe, a wider message was conveyed, said Schlossberg.

"At this point ... they can afford to have a little bit of a stronger euro. I think she's just playing politics with Trump, and saying we're doing our part," he said.

The euro has been rising, in part on the recovery of the European economy and the surge of investment interest in the euro zone. The U.S. dollar, meanwhile, has been waffling as traders speculate on how much of Trump's pro-growth agenda can be passed amid controversies surrounding his campaign and Russia. Analysts say the euro could break the U.S. election high of $1.13 and move to $1.15.

"I think she's just giving it lip service. The last thing she wants is a strong euro," said Schlossberg. "She realizes the euro needs to be around these levels for a long time for the European economy to heal."

Later, Jens Weidmann, who heads the German Bundesbank, said easy money policies from the ECB are still appropriate, but he also said the ECB should not postpone removing stimulus because of the state finances in some countries. Weidmann is a member of the ECB governing council.

When G-7 finance ministers met earlier this month, trade was not a formal agenda item. At the insistence of the U.S., language in the finance ministers' communique contained a promise to promote free trade but removed strong language used last year, vowing to avoid protectionism.

According to reports, other delegates pressured the U.S. not to turn away from international cooperation on trade, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the U.S. wants to retain the right to react if other countries don't play fair.

Trump will be arriving at the G-7 meeting after striking a number of trade deals in Saudi Arabia this past weekend. The president is now in Israel and will head to Brussels before going to G-7.

"I think Merkel's just trying to defend or anticipate the criticism," said Schlossberg. Germany ran a $65 billion trade deficit with the U.S. last year. "[The deficit] exists because of the quality of their products, not because of any manipulation of currency."

But Merkel may not have been deliberately speaking to Trump, said Marc Chandler, chief foreign exchange strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman.

"For me, this is not new news. This is a standard line Germany has," Chandler said. "The fact the euro rallied on it is just a sign of market psychology. ... [T]his is standard fare for Germany. 'The surplus is not our fault. This weak euro is the ECBs problem.'"

Chandler said Merkel also promoted more investment in Germany as a solution to the surplus.

"The chancellor may be as surprised as anybody at the market's response. The question was really about German foreign policy in light of Macron's election," he said. "The G-7 is important because it's heads of state."

However, Chandler said he does not expect much headway to be made there.

"The key issue is about trade and protectionism. I don't think anything changes," he said. "I'd say G-7 heads of state has nice photos, but substance, not so much. The meetings are important. Trump is still an unknown quantity for Europe."
Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York and founder of Bloomberg LP, speaks to the class of 2017 at Villanova University.

In honor of graduation season, CNBC Make It is rolling out the speeches and advice that America's leaders are most excited to share with the Class of 2017. Follow along using the hashtag #MakeItNewGrads. Business magnate Michael Bloomberg, a man worth an estimated $48.9 billion, says that when he was 22, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his career. In a commencement speech at Villanova University on Friday, the former mayor of New York City shared how he navigated the transition from school to the workforce. "Now, if you are sitting out there thinking to yourself, 'OMG, what am I going to do with my life?'" Bloomberg says, "don't worry." "When I graduated from college, I didn't know what I wanted to do. And after I graduated from business school, I still didn't know what I wanted to do."

Michael Bloomberg Ilya S. Savenok | Getty Images

Bloomberg earned a degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1964. Two years later, he received an MBA from Harvard. The first decision he made after business school, he says, was one of the most important of his career. It's advice he thinks every college graduate should take to heart: Don't take a job based on salary, he says, but on how much you think you can grow at a company.

Take the job you'll most enjoy working at, and then work like crazy. Michael Bloomberg founder of Bloomberg LP, former mayor of New York

After deferring military service during the Vietnam War, Bloomberg took a job in the vault of investment bank Salomon Brothers. The role paid significantly less than other similar opportunities at the time, Bloomberg says, and the work, counting stock and bond certificates, was grueling. "It was a pretty lowly start for a Harvard MBA," he wrote in his 1997 autobiography, "Bloomberg on Bloomberg." "We slaved in our underwear, in an un-air-conditioned bank vault, with an occasional six-pack of beer to make it more bearable." But Salomon Brothers was known for its culture of meritocracy, and Bloomberg felt he could grow professionally there.
China's "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) initiative might bank on the development of infrastructure to boost its standing as a growing superpower, but the real value could be the soft power it affords the world's second largest economy.

A train at the Urumqi South railway station. China is spending on high-speed rail projects as part of its "One Belt, One Road" initiative. Zhang Peng | LightRocket | Getty Images

Announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, "One Belt, One Road" comprises of two routes  the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The routes link China to Europe by way of Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa. Through building infrastructure and networks, from high-speed railways to university accommodation, China aims to boost free trade and development in regions traversed by OBOR. Yet despite the exuberance of Chinese media in covering the recent Belt and Road Forum in Beijing  including plenty of mentions that OBOR would bring about "win-win" results  progress made in OBOR-linked infrastructure projects could be telling a different story.

Slow, but not necessarily steady?

Given the broad nature of OBOR in terms of scope and objective, assessing infrastructure projects linked to the initiative as a whole proves difficult. This is further complicated by the vast number of private, public and international institutions involved in the initiative. "Chinese government officials and business executives, especially those at state-owned enterprises, frequently go out of their way to describe various activities as adhering to the principles of OBOR, even when those connections are rather tenuous," the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said in a 2016 report.

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With some 65 countries involved in OBOR, whether or not "win-win" results can be achieved depends on a host of variables, including political risks, ease of doing business and economic stability in partner countries. A large proportion of projects remain in the planning or tendering phase, according to the EIU's report. Several high profile initiatives, however, have stalled. Agatha Kratz, an associate policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told CNBC that a number of high-speed rail projects under the OBOR umbrella "have been agreed upon, but have seen little or no concrete development." One of those projects is China's plan to develop a rail network that links it with Southeast Asia  crawling through Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Agreements on the stretch of the railway in Thailand were made in 2010 but negotiations are still taking place, according to Kratz. "This particular project saw a lot of ups and downs as it was going to be financed by China and built by Chinese companies, but the Thai government finally decided to finance it itself (while) still using Chinese technology," Kratz said in an email. "The official line now is that the project will start construction in 2017, but I'm sure there could be some more delays." For Thailand the railway would allow the country to develop outside of the Bangkok hub. "The economic benefit (of the railway) is much higher than financial return," Transport Minister of Thailand Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told Xinhua last December, referring to how more tourism and investment is expected to roll into regions in the country beyond Bangkok. Other Southeast Asian rail projects have faced a similar fate. While work in Laos reportedly began in 2016, Kratz indicated that progress could be minimal. In Indonesia, the Bandung-Jakarta line is unlikely to meets its 2019 completion deadline as work has yet to begin. Given how infrastructure projects require time before returns materialize, later stages of projects can be put at risk, especially if the "commercial and political coalitions supporting a deal  change," added Ja Ian Chong, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore.

The Pakistani army undertakes security measures ahead of the opening of a trade project in the Gwadar port, west of Karachi on November 13, 2016. The port is a key part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Metin Aktas | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Besides delays, some OBOR initiatives, such as the development of the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), face terrorism and security risks. The project in Pakistan involves the construction of energy, road and port infrastructure, including the Peshawar-Lahore-Karachi railway network and Gwadar airport. However, CPEC construction sites have been targeted by extremist factions in Pakistan, and the threats to security could be set to continue, Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy experts Shi Zhiqin and Lu Yang wrote in an article last December, warning that it was "uncertain" if Pakistan would be able to maintain the security of the new transportation routes. China and Pakistan have already cooperated on big projects, including a port on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar. Though India has not embraced the plan and may join with other countries such as Japan on their own effort. Pakistan has deployed almost 15,000 personnel for the safety of Chinese employees working on CPEC, John Calabrese at the Middle East Institute wrote in an article last December. This enhanced security cooperation between China and Pakistan takes place against growing tension between India and Pakistan, Calabrese said, adding that OBOR could "inadvertently heighten threat perceptions." In a statement made at the Belt and Road Forum, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif cautioned against politicizing CPEC, which he said aimed to build "a peaceful, connected and caring neighborhood." India, which chose not to send an official delegation to the forum earlier this month, clearly disagrees. India and China fought a brief but bloody border war in 1962 and India and Pakistan have engaged in three conflicts since independence.

The real value of "One Belt, One Road"

The real benefits of OBOR to China could be the international clout it stands to gain as its attempts to spearhead international policy and improve relations with OBOR partner countries. Tim Summers, senior consulting fellow of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, said that China's soft power push with emerging economies grappling similar aspirations towards development were most likely to be successful.

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Chinese leaders appear to recognize the country's public image problem. Liu Yanhua, a counsellor of the State Council, acknowledged in a speech at an OBOR seminar earlier in the week that China had faced backlash despite investing billions in infrastructure in some countries due to its lack of attention to the environment and local communities. Soft power was first openly acknowledged as a part of China's agenda in 2007, when then-President Hu Jintao called for the country to employ the concept at a party congress. Soft power is as important in the OBOR equation as investing in hard infrastructure, said Gong Xue, senior analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. The Chinese government knows it has a shortfall of soft power and has invested in think tanks, scholarships, culture and the media in a bid to correct this, Gong said. "The Chinese government has sensed the international investment environment is changing  (This has led) them to pay attention to details such as the response from civil society, the role of business actors, language and cultural barriers in their investment plans," Gong said in an email. "(T)he metaphor of Silk Road is itself a sort of soft power, conjuring images of a past age of openness, connectivity, peaceful trade, cultural exchange ... in which China was a central player," Summers added. Alongside the big business present at last weekend's forum were a number of leaders from the world's major non-governmental organizations, including United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.

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Mark Sutton, CEO of International Paper, the top maker of paper and packaging in North America, started near the bottom.

Sutton graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University. He joined International Paper in 1984 as an engineer at the Pineville, Louisiana, mill and has been with the company ever since. He became CEO in 2014.

Of his early days, Sutton said he chose LSU primarily because he wanted to get an engineering degree and stay in his home state.

For high schoolers weighing their college options, in-state schools can be far more affordable than a private university. Families with students in four-year private colleges spent about $43,900 in 2015-16; at four-year public colleges, it was less than $20,000, according to the College Board. (For in-state students at LSU, tuition is less than $10,000 a year.)

Still, Sutton recalls, the transition was overwhelming.

With more than 25,000 students, the school was "almost a city unto itself," he said, and at that capacity, Sutton's freshman dorm had to be housed in LSU's illustrious Tiger Stadium.
"This was an opportunity missed," said Michael Lamb, Pittsburgh's city controller, who has called on Uber to share the traffic data gathered by its autonomous vehicles.

Blame is being pointed in many directions. While Mr. Peduto had trumpeted his relationship with Uber's chief executive, Travis Kalanick , he didn't get any commitments in writing about what the company would provide for Pittsburgh. That became an issue in Pittsburgh's Democratic mayoral primary this month, with Mr. Peduto's challengers criticizing his relationship with Uber and one calling the company a " stain " on the city. (Mr. Peduto won the primary.)

Nine months later, Pittsburgh residents and officials say Uber has not lived up to its end of the bargain. Among Uber's perceived transgressions: The company began charging for driverless rides that were initially pitched as free. It also withdrew support from Pittsburgh's application for a $50 million federal grant to revamp transportation. And it has not created the jobs it proposed in a struggling neighborhood that houses its autonomous car testing track.

"You can either put up red tape or roll out the red carpet," Bill Peduto, the mayor of Pittsburgh, said in September . "If you want to be a 21st-century laboratory for technology, you put out the carpet."

When Uber picked this former Rust Belt town as the inaugural city for its driverless car experiment , Pittsburgh played the consummate host.

The deteriorating relationship between Pittsburgh and Uber offers a cautionary tale, especially as other cities consider rolling out driverless car trials from Uber, Alphabet's Waymo and others. Towns like Tempe, Ariz., have already emulated Pittsburgh and set themselves up as test areas for self-driving vehicles. Many municipalities see the experiments as an opportunity to remake their urban transportation systems and create a new tech economy.

Yet Pittsburgh shows the clash of private-versus-public interests that can result. The lessons are college course level "101," said Linda Bailey, the executive director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

Uber "is a business, and they want to make money," she said. "With Pittsburgh, we learned we need to present the city's needs upfront."

Uber said it was open to a deal with Pittsburgh but had yet to see a draft of proposed commitments the city is seeking from the company. Uber said it planned to share some data collected by its autonomous vehicles with the city this year, though Pittsburgh officials say the data Uber shares with other cities is insufficient.

The company, which still has allies in Pennsylvania's state and county government, said it had created 675 jobs in the greater Pittsburgh area and had helped local organizations like a women's shelter, among other moves.

"Uber is proud to have put Pittsburgh on the self-driving map, an effort that included creating hundreds of tech jobs and investing hundreds of millions of dollars," the company said in a statement. "We hope to continue to have a positive presence in Pittsburgh by supporting the local economy and community."

Pittsburgh's frustrations with Uber are encapsulated in the Hazelwood neighborhood along the Monongahela River, where the company opened a driverless vehicle testing track last year. From the second floor of the neighboring Center of Life church, the track is in full view. Sky-blue Volvo S.U.V.s with large revolving lidar devices on their roofs navigate around shipping containers and stoplights. The area is enclosed by a chain-link fence wrapped in a black tarp.

When Uber picked the site in 2016, a company representative told community leaders that it wanted to hire from the neighborhood. Tim Smith, a pastor at the Center of Life church and the head of a neighborhood group, said he had given Uber a list of job candidates, including a mapping engineer and technicians.

Since then, Mr. Smith said, he has been told that applicants should go through Uber's general jobs site. None have been hired.

"We have been underserved for decades, and now there are people who live right on the other side of that fence that are missing out," he said.

Uber has benefited Pittsburgh in some ways. The company has raised Pittsburgh's profile, and its Advanced Technologies Center there, which Uber opened for driverless research in 2015, has revived the former steel mill neighborhood known as the Strip District.

Yet city officials and residents are reconsidering even those benefits, especially as Uber has recently grappled with several controversies. Those include a Justice Department criminal investigation into Uber's use of a software tool to deceive law enforcement. Some Pittsburghers also objected to Mr. Kalanick's being a member of the Trump administration's business advisory council this year.

In January, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, a nonprofit representing bus drivers and riders, organized a #DeleteUber social media campaign and a street demonstration against the company's decision to continue airport service when taxi drivers had halted rides to protest the Trump administration's travel ban.

Molly Nichols, executive director of the group, said Uber had called to ask her to cancel the protest, which ultimately went ahead.

"The warning signs about Uber's questionable business practices were all over the place, and the mayor should have recognized that and worked harder to create a partnership that was more equitable," Ms. Nichols said.

She added that there might be longer-term problems from autonomous vehicles, including automation's effect on Uber's 4,000 drivers in the city. Parking fees also make up about 15 percent of Pittsburgh's revenue, and the city has not said how those funds would be replaced if fewer people owned and parked cars and used driverless services instead, she said.

Mr. Peduto, a third-generation Pittsburgher, has perhaps had the most noticeable change of heart.

Mr. Kalanick first approached Mr. Peduto in 2015 with plans to start driverless trials in Pittsburgh. At the time, Mr. Kalanick had hired away more than three dozen researchers and robotics experts from the city's Carnegie Mellon University, upsetting some faculty and officials. Mr. Peduto defended Uber and said he shared Mr. Kalanick's vision.

The two exchanged texts frequently. In September, Mr. Peduto became the first passenger to hail a driverless car and posted a photo of himself grinning in the back seat of an Uber car.

"It was inspiring, and we knew in Tempe, the innovation center of Arizona, we wanted to have that kind of partnership," said Mark Mitchell, the mayor of Tempe, where Uber began testing driverless cars last fall.

But hidden from the public was Mr. Peduto's simmering frustration with Uber. In early 2016, Uber had indicated it would support Pittsburgh's application for a federal grant to redo local transportation, according to Mr. Peduto. He asked Uber to commit private funds to enhance the proposal. Uber said that the request had come too late and that the desired amount  $25 million  was too much. Pittsburgh didn't win the federal competition.

In January, Mr. Peduto was also surprised to get billed for a ride home in an Uber autonomous vehicle. "Travis Kalanick had told me the rides would be free and a service for the public," he said.

Uber said it had always intended to charge for driverless rides.

Still, there are signs that Uber is trying to improve some relations. The company said it had agreed to work with Hazelwood residents on an art installation along the black chain-link fence surrounding the test track. This month, Uber officials also invited Mr. Smith, the church pastor in Hazelwood, to discuss job training for young adults.

"I'm cautiously optimistic," Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Peduto, who has stopped texting Mr. Kalanick, said Uber and other self-driving car companies remained crucial to Pittsburgh's ability to break from its steel industry past. He said he was now talking to Ford, which is investing $1 billion in a Pittsburgh-based driverless technology company, Argo AI, about signing commitments on data sharing and work force development. Ford declined to comment.
Portugal Finance Minister Mario Centeno has not excluded the possibility of becoming the next president of the Eurogroup following media reports that he could replace the current Dutch leadership.

Speaking exclusively to CNBC, Centeno said he has unfinished business to do in Lisbon but "not necessarily" of his own.

When asked if he prefers Brussels cuisine to Portugal's, Centeno said: "The cuisine in Lisbon is much better, but I won't be losing that anyway."

The group that includes the 19 finance ministers of the euro area is currently lead by the Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem who needs to be replaced after losing a general election. Until now, every president of the so-called Eurogroup has been a sitting finance minister.

This would mean that if Centeno was to take on the position, he would still keep his role as Portugal's finance minister and therefore enjoy Lisbon's cuisine. However, Centeno stressed that it is up to the 19 euro countries to decide who is going to replace Dijsselbloem.

"It's a decision to be taken by the 19 members of the Eurogroup," he said.
Business has been booming for online counseling start-up Talkspace ever since President Donald Trump was elected.

Talkspace, which launched in 2012, has been growing 70 to 80 percent faster than projected since November 2016, according to CEO and co-founder Oren Frank. Most of the callers have been millennials, with an average age between 33 and 34.

On Election Day itself, the company had five to seven times more customers than usual, and it had three times the normal volume on January 20, Inauguration Day.

"There's been a lot of anxiety and stress, which may have been there before," Frank said. "But it's definitely been triggered by Election Night and the Inauguration."

Talkspace lets people work with mental health professionals over the internet. Plans  which start at $32 a week and don't take insurance  allow customers to select a therapist who they correspond with online.

The company has treated over half a million people, according to Frank. Most patients check in with their therapist one to two times a day  which can be as small as an email exchange  and have access to video-chat sessions if necessary.

"We think psychotherapy is something everyone and anyone should have access to," he said.

It isn't clear if the customers are calling in because of Trump or because of general stress these days, Frank points out.

But Talkspace's current customer base is about 75 percent Democrats and 20 percent Trump supporters, Frank said. It's also seen a bump in requests from minority, LGBT, Muslim and Jewish customers. More people also feel anxiety over uncertainty about health care, specifically Obamacare.

The company is also seeing more women requesting therapy. About 70 percent of their clientele are now women, which has "expressed itself even more dramatically past the election," Frank said.
Sen. Mitch McConnell Aaron P. Bernstein | Reuters

The fate of the Republican drive to repeal and replace Obamacare  and of the 24 million more Americans who could be uninsured if they succeed  now lies with obscure, complex Senate rules. One rule in particular will determine what Republicans can include in the bill, how much of Obamacare they can repeal, and perhaps whether the bill can pass at all. And the last-minute additions that got conservatives on board with the House version of the American Health Care Act might run into trouble, according to experts and recent legislative precedents. If those provisions are thrown out, it could once again put the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare in jeopardy. The ensuing fight would pit conservatives against moderates and institutionalists and make it more difficult for the Senate to pass a plan that House Republicans can stomach. More from Vox:

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It's becoming increasingly clear that Jared Kushner is part of Trump's Russia problem

Trump's big Islam speech in Saudi Arabia was uncharacteristically inoffensive It's a predicament seven years in the making, since Republicans started swearing to repeal Obamacare as soon as they took control of the government. Trump's unlikely ascent to the White House gave them that chance.

Republicans have already tacitly conceded that they can't fully repeal the law because of these limitations. But some of Obamacare's parts that they are most eager to roll back, such as its insurance regulations, could also be tricky to undo under reconciliation's rules.

But with a slim majority in the Senate, they chose to use "budget reconciliation"  a process that allows a bill to pass with only 50 votes but comes with restrictions that make it less than ideal for complex policymaking  to pass their plan. Then a messy debate in the House led to an ungainly compromise of a bill, one that risks running afoul of the rules governing reconciliation now that the legislation is in the Senate. The result is that the fate of the whole enterprise could now rest with the Senate's parliamentarian. Obamacare, in other words, may live or die on the Byrd Rule  a 20-year-old quirk in the Senate's rules that most Americans have never heard of.

The Senate is using budget reconciliation to pass its health care bill

Republicans swept into power this year and pledged to immediately get to work on their long-promised goal of repealing Obamacare. But they had one problem: They held only 52 seats in the Senate; under the usual legislative process, where a bill can be filibustered and held up if 40 senators oppose it, Democrats could block any repeal plan. The Senate got rid of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. But Senate traditionalists refused to nix the legislative filibuster, and so Republicans turned to "budget reconciliation"  a process designed for spending and revenue bills that requires only 50 votes to move a bill  to repeal and replace the health care law. Reconciliation was designed to make sure the Senate could more easily pass bills dealing with the federal budget, particularly if Congress wanted to reduce the deficit, without the threat of a filibuster from the minority party. (The process begins with a congressional resolution instructing committees in the House and the Senate to draw up legislation that saves the federal government a set amount of money.) So the special privileges under reconciliation come with conditions. Those conditions, meant to make sure reconciliation is actually used for bills that affect the budget, are the next obstacle the American Health Care Act will have to overcome. But those restrictions are a hurdle to any plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Overhauling the health insurance system, as the law did, includes all sorts of provisions that have nothing to do with federal spending or revenue. Republicans have already tacitly conceded that they can't fully repeal the law because of these limitations. But some of Obamacare's parts that they are most eager to roll back, such as its insurance regulations, could also be tricky to undo under reconciliation's rules.

The Byrd Rule of budget reconciliation will determine what Republicans can actually do in their health care plan

The restrictions of reconciliation will set the parameters of the Senate's health care debate  and are already proving difficult for lawmakers to navigate and limiting what ideas they can consider. The Senate, for example, needs to come up with a bill that will save the federal government as much money, or more, as the House version. That's going to be a problem for the health care bill  senators want to bolster the financial assistance for lower-income people buying private insurance and soften the House bill's Medicaid cuts, which will cost more money. If they increase spending, they must offset it somewhere else, perhaps by delaying the repeal of Obamacare's taxes. They also have to make sure that the bill actually saves money. There was a brief panic last week that the House bill didn't achieve that goal, which also would have put the whole enterprise at risk because the bill wouldn't comply with the Senate's rules. The mother of all conditions is known as the Byrd Rule. The rule came about in the 1980s, after Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a Democrat, grew frustrated with reconciliation. His colleagues were using it to advance all sorts of policies, not just those related to spending and revenue. So he introduced his standard for what can be included in a reconciliation bill, which has since been enshrined in federal law. A bill being considered under reconciliation has to check every box of the six-part Byrd Rule. If it fails any one of those tests, it must be stripped out. The provision must change federal spending or revenue. If the bill does not meet the budget resolution's instructions to reduce the federal deficit, any provision that results in either increased spending or decreased revenue is removed until it does meet those targets. The provision must only affect policies that fall under the jurisdiction of the specific committees that were instructed in the budget resolution. The provision's effect on spending or revenues must be more than incidental to its policy impact. The provision cannot increase the federal deficit at some point in the future, beyond the typical 10-year "budget window" that is used to evaluate legislation. The provision cannot change Social Security. Most of the time, if part of a bill fails that six-part test, that provision is removed and the rest of the legislation is allowed to advance. But some violations can be considered "fatal"  meaning that the entire bill would need 60 votes to pass. Those could include any provisions that violate No. 3, on the issue of jurisdiction, I'm told. Congress is said to have controversially exempted itself from part of the health care bill because the bill would otherwise have been risk of such a fatal Byrd Rule violation. Member benefits, like their health insurance, fall under a different committee's jurisdiction, one that wasn't included in the budget resolution. Without the exemption, the bill could have lost its 50-vote privileges in the Senate. The American Health Care Act has been shaped by those restrictions since the beginning. The original version of the House bill, which failed before House Speaker Paul Ryan could bring it to the floor in late March, didn't touch most of Obamacare's regulations. Senate aides told me this was because of the Byrd Rule. It was only after House conservatives revolted, helping to sink the bill the first time, that the compromise of allowing states to waive those rules emerged. But that step is also where the bill might run into trouble in the Senate. The first step there will be what's known as a "Byrd bath." Republican and Democratic staff will go through the House bill with Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough and make their arguments about which provisions violate the Byrd Rule and which ones don't. "Because some of these questions will be matters of gray, the question is interpretation of the Byrd Rule given past precedent," Sarah Binder, who studies Senate procedure at George Washington University, told me. "Both parties will try to convince her of their position for or against a Byrd Rule violation."

The AHCA's changes to Obamacare insurance rules are at risk under the Byrd Rule

After House Republicans failed to muster support for their bill in late March, conservatives and moderates came up with a compromise that allowed the bill to squeak through. They agreed to allow states to waive some of Obamacare's insurance rules, such as the prohibition that insurers charge sick people more than healthy people, as long as they met certain conditions. That amendment proved to be just enough to get conservatives on board and barely let the bill squeak through the House. But it could have a Byrd problem. Democrats and other outside experts believed the Obamacare waivers aren't permissible under reconciliation, either because they don't have a budget impact or because any impact would be incidental (1 and 4 on the Byrd list). Those provisions, they argue, are intended to alter how the insurance market works, not to reduce federal spending or increase revenue. So even if there might be an impact  say, if fewer people buy insurance with federal assistance, which would reduce government spending  it is an afterthought. That's not their purpose. "I have argued for a long time, having gone through a number of Byrd baths in my lifetime, if it's a regulatory change at the state level, or private industry level, it's hard to make the case that that will have a direct federal budgetary consequence," Bill Hoagland, a former Senate Budget staffer who now works at the Bipartisan Policy Center, told me. That would be bad news for the GOP bill. Its fate could rest on how the Congressional Budget Office scores the legislation, Hoagland told me. As a general rule, regulatory changes would likely not be permissible under the Byrd Rule, as he said. Especially if no states took those waivers  as some moderate House Republicans suggested  then there would be no budgetary impact, and the provision would likely be struck. But if the CBO concludes that a number of states would take the waivers, and the resulting impact on the federal budget is sizable enough, the parliamentarian may be able to justify the waivers under the Byrd Rule. The bill does make a specific pot of money, $8 billion, available only to states that seek waivers. "It'll come down unfortunately to CBO, when they put out the cost estimate on that bill," Hoagland said. "Is it big or is it small?" Several Republican governors, including Wisconsin's Scott Walker, have signaled they'd be interested in a waiver. But CBO is in the midst of its formal evaluation of the House bill, with a final analysis due on May 24. What it projects states would do will be crucial to making the waivers work under the Byrd Rule.

Some Senate conservatives want to overrule the parliamentarian if needed. But senior Republicans aren't on board.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, arrest an immigrant in San Clemente, California. Lucy Nicholson | Reuters

Before Donald Trump was elected US president, Eulalio Vasquez was doing a good job of living the American dream. A native of the Dominican Republic, he arrived in New York aged 18, worked in a supermarket, a Nabisco factory and ultimately found a commercial niche lifting the spirits of his fellow immigrants in the south Bronx. He began as a clown, performing at children's birthday celebrations at weekends. That led to opportunities to sell party supplies and then to run a hall that specialises in the elaborate baby showers popular in the Hispanic community: fiestas with food, drink and music on the scale of a wedding. But business slowed for Mr Vasquez after Mr Trump gained power. Unnerved by a president who had called for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, Hispanic families once willing to fork out $5,000 or more on baby showers began cutting back, bringing their own food and decorations to parties instead of buying them from Mr Vasquez. He reckons his revenues have fallen 30 to 40 per cent.

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"They say, 'Just give me the basics'," says Mr Vasquez, who is now a 47-year-old US citizen with a family of his own. "A party is not a necessity and they are afraid of being deported. The business has been hit very hard." Mr Vasquez has plenty of company in Hispanic business circles. Mr Trump's election in November has led to a sharp fall in consumer spending in the communities that are home to the estimated 11m undocumented immigrants in the US  a majority of them Hispanic  as well as tens of millions of others with whom they share bonds of blood or country, according to executives familiar with the market. From New York to California, officials of Hispanic chambers of commerce contacted by the Financial Times say double-digit revenue declines are becoming common at "mom and pop" retailers, bars, restaurants, nightclubs and a variety of service providers in immigrant neighbourhoods. More from the Financial Times

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Government enforcers take aim at compliance officers Many Hispanic consumers are too scared to spend as they once did, say the business leaders who know them best. They are saving money in case they or their loved ones are swept up  rightly or wrongly  in the president's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. They are avoiding businesses they think will be targeted by immigration agents  either because they are undocumented themselves, or because they fear being perceived as such and subjected to the attendant humiliation. "For our businesses that serve the Hispanic immigrant community as customers, they are telling us that their business is down anywhere from a third to a half," says Carlos Gomez, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, which represents 480 businesses in the states of Missouri and Kansas. "The immigrant community is very afraid. They don't know what is going to happen. My feeling is that people go to work and go home. They don't want to be out." The mood of the Hispanic community matters to marketers because of its size and youth. An estimated 57m Hispanics live in the US and the Census Bureau expects that number will grow to 119m by 2060. About 60 per cent of Hispanics are members of the millennial generation or younger, according to a report last year by the Pew Research Center, making them the youngest major racial or ethic group in the US. A sign at a bus stop offering immigration services in Jackson Heights, New York. Businesses in heavily Hispanic areas have reported a slowdown as locals fear being caught up in raids  Getty

By 2020, Hispanic buying power will reach $1.7tn, according to the University of Georgia's Selig Center for Economic Growth. In recent years, leading US companies ranging from Walmart to McDonald's and Ford have spent billions of dollars collectively on marketing aimed at winning over Hispanic consumers. In 2015, Target launched a US advertising campaign based on Spanish words that have no English translation. "The Hispanic market is driving the growth of a majority of categories from financial to retail to automotive to telecoms," says Linda Lane Gonzalez, chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies and president of her own marketing company in Miami. "For the past 10 to 15 years, it has been a business imperative." A more fearful and furtive Hispanic consumer is bad for corporate America. The development also creates complications for investors trying to track retail activity. A mystery of the Trump era has been the disparity between data showing rising consumer confidence and sales figures suggesting they are pinching their pennies. Millions of Hispanic consumers retreating into the shadows could be part of the explanation. "It is very likely that we are surveying fewer of them and we are getting a worse measure of their sentiment," says Giovanni Peri, an economist at the University of California, Davis, who specialises in migration issues. "This is a new situation, the last five months."

Anxiety grows

Mr Trump began worrying Hispanics as soon as he announced his candidacy in 2015, pledging to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep out "killers" and "rapists" he said were arriving from points south. During his campaign, he called for a nationwide deportation force to expel as many undocumented immigrants as possible. Although his administration has backed away from mass deportations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers made 41,318 arrests during the first three months of the Trump presidency, up 38 per cent from the same period of 2016. Anxieties have reached the point where immigrants in Hispanic communities are failing to report rapes and other crimes for fear of attracting the attention of the authorities, according to police in cities such as Los Angeles and Houston. Law enforcement officials and community activists alike say they fear that the results could make the streets of immigrant areas less safe. "All these people talking about law and order will give more power to the criminal elements," says Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles. "What people don't see is that vulnerability and that lack of trust in any authority. You are giving more power to the unscrupulous." Marketing executives familiar with the Hispanic community say the impact of Mr Trump's immigration policies extends well beyond the ranks of the undocumented, a category that includes 5.6m Mexicans, 1.8m Central Americans, 650,000 South Americans and 450,000 people from Caribbean countries, according to Pew.

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Probably another 25m-30m Hispanics in the US, about half of the total population, have their papers in order but are related to someone who is undocumented, says Carlos Santiago, president of an eponymous consultancy that has advised companies such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Walmart and AT&T on multi-cultural marketing. Deportation looms as "a family challenge" in the Hispanic community, potentially requiring people to provide financial assistance to an undocumented relative or care for children other than their own, Mr Santiago says. Before Mr Trump was elected, he adds, surveys showed Hispanics were generally more optimistic about their economic prospects than non-Hispanics. Now, the opposite is the case. "When we look at the numbers on optimism we can discern that this is not only an issue touching the less acculturated or the recent immigrants," Mr Santiago says. "It could be their grandparents or their second generation [who are undocumented]. They all feel that they are not welcome in this country." The pressure on Hispanic families comes at a particularly sensitive time, according to Nancy Tellet, a market researcher and chair of the AHAA research committee. Even before Mr Trump's election, she says the trauma of the financial crisis was causing Hispanic millennials to lose trust in institutions and instead put their faith in family  blood relatives in particular. So dramatic was this "narrowing of trust circles" that she found Hispanic millennials were "distrusting marital partners and delaying marriage". A protest outside an immigration detention centre in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in February  Getty

In this context, the possibility that an undocumented relative will be deported becomes "the ultimate fear  the fear of families being torn apart", she says. "People say [during interviews] that family is where your happiness comes from, where your satisfaction comes from. People would say, 'I don't have friends, I have cousins'." Under Mr Trump, the level of trust in immigrant areas has deteriorated even more, said Eduardo Giraldo, a Colombia-born insurance agent in the New York borough of Queens. A past president of the local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he has been working with other business leaders to discourage immigrants from withdrawing funds from banks and keeping cash in their homes, warning that the money could be confiscated if they were deported.

Adapting to a new reality

Next door to Mr Giraldo's second-storey office in the polyglot Jackson Heights section of Queens, Santanu Barua, a Bangladeshi, is facing a similar crisis of confidence. Business is down 20-30 per cent at the tutoring centre where he teaches because immigrant parents "are a little confused" about what awaits them under Mr Trump, he says. Their children worry, too, about whether they can stay in the US. "The little kids didn't know it before," he says. "But they do now." Elvis Silverio, a Dominican-born nightclub owner in Jackson Heights, says he is finding that immigrants no longer even want to work in an immigrant area. He suspects they think it is safer to take construction jobs in less Hispanic parts of New York. "I called the other day to the employment agency for a line cook and no one came over," he says. "They are afraid to go into areas that are going to be hit by immigration." How long the bad times will last is a matter of debate in the Hispanic business world. Mr Santiago, the marketing strategist, suspects that many immigrants will eventually give in to "cabin fever" and start going out again, provided the political situation does not deteriorate further. In the meantime, there is little to do but adapt to circumstances. Erasmo Ponce, a native of Mexico known in New York as the "tortilla king", says he is selling his wares in Canada to make up for a local decline in business. Bars and restaurants that once ordered three cases at a time  each with 960 tortillas  have scaled back to one or two. "Production isn't going down because we are sending [tortillas] outside the US," he says. "We are looking for new customers. We are using social media." Mr Vasquez, the Bronx clown-turned- party organiser, says he is spending more money on advertising and is handing out flyers promoting his business. Mr Giraldo, the Queens insurance agent, says such resilience can be expected from people who often have survived harder times in their homelands. "That's why New York didn't get down after 9/11," he says. "The immigrants have seen killings and bombs and tanks. They were the ones who were willing to go back to work. People can like it or not like it, but these communities are here to stay." Watch: Sessions says we shouldn't protect immigration felons
Donald Trump on Monday denied an allegation that major media organizations never reported: that he had identified Israel as the source of U.S. intelligence he shared this month with top Russian officials.

"Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or name Israel," the president said as he stood next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a meeting in Jerusalem.

Gesturing toward reporters gathered in the room, Trump complained that "they're all saying I did" mention Israel. The reporters got "another story wrong," he said.

In making the comments, which he seemed to tack on at the end of planned statements to the press, Trump shifted attention back to U.S. troubles that he and his team were hoping would fade as they travel around the Middle East and Europe this week.

The Washington Post first reported May 15 that Trump had revealed intelligence at the closed-door meeting earlier this month with Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S. The newspaper never said that he mentioned Israel as the source of that intelligence.

Several news outlets citing unnamed U.S. officials  subsequently reported that Israel was the source of the intelligence.

CNBC could identify no major news media accounts that said Trump himself had identified Israel as the source.

Trump has admitted to sharing intelligence with the Russian diplomats related to terrorism threats. However, he has never commented on whether the information was classified.

Last week, The New York Times reported that at the same meeting, Trump also called ousted FBI Director James Comey a "nut job" and told the Russians that firing him relieved "great pressure." The White House did not deny the Times report.

Trump had fired Comey, whose agency was investigating the Trump campaign's connections to Russia, the day before his meeting with Moscow officials.

Correction: President Donald Trump was speaking before a meeting in Jerusalem. An earlier version misstated the location.

Watch: Flynn allegedly misled investigators
JERUSALEM  President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared together Monday and vowed to make a renewed effort at peace with the Palestinians and to confront Iran.

"I wanted you to know how much we appreciate the American change in policy on Iran," Netanyahu said as the two leaders delivered joint statements at the prime minister's residence here, but took no questions from reporters.

"We can hold back Iran's march in this region and thwart Iran's unbridled ambition," Netanyahu added.

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Trump's Israel visit: Major security in Jerusalem, Bethlehem

Trump said he wanted to work with Netanyahu to take on the "threat of (the) Iranian regime...causing so much violence and suffering."

With Trump standing beside him, Netanyahu also called Jerusalem the united and eternal capital of Israel and said Israel protects the holy sites of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

He thanked Trump for becoming first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall.

"You noted so succinctly that common dangers are turning former enemies into partners, and that is where we see something new and potentially very promising," Netanyahu said of possible peace with the Palestinians, nothing the "reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East."

"It will not be simple, but for the first time in many years, and the first time in my lifetime, I see a real hope for change," the prime minister added.

For his part, Trump said he wanted to reaffirm the "unbreakable bond of friendship" between the two nations and told Netanyahu that he was "deeply moved" by his visit to the Western Wall earlier Monday.

"It will leave an impression on me forever," Trump said.

"We want Israel to have peace," the president added, saying of the Israeli prime minister, "He's working very hard at it. It's not easy ... America stands ready to assist in every way we can."
Donald Trump's proposed budget for fiscal year 2018 (which begins on October 1 of this year) is not out yet; it's set to be released on Tuesday, May 23.

But from the administration's "skinny budget" released in March, as well as scattered leaks to the press by the administration and Congress, we have a pretty good idea what might be in it:

An assumption of 3 percent annual economic growth due to tax cuts, which reputable experts say is spectacularly unlikely; 1.8 percent growth is what real forecasters project.

"Trillions" in cuts to various programs, including, "food stamps, Medicaid and federal employee-benefit programs." The Medicaid cuts are above and beyond the $880 billion in ten-year cuts contained in the Republican health bill.

Billions in cuts to life-saving biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health

Big, unnecessary increases to Trump's pet programs, including a nearly 9 percent increase in defense spending, a 7 percent increase in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (including border wall and deportation funding) and a 6 percent increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Almost comically large cuts to every other federal agency: a 31 percent cut to Environmental Protection Agency budget, 21 percent to Agriculture and Labor, 18 percent to Health and Human Services, 16 percent to Commerce, 13 percent to Housing and Urban Development, 13 percent to Transportation, and 12 percent to Interior.

A particularly massive 28 percent cut to the State Department, in particular foreign aid funding that even conservative foreign policy types think is essential.

New funding for voucher programs and private schools alongside a nearly 14 percent cut to the Education Department, including eliminating loan forgiveness for students who go on to do public service.

More from Vox:

The case for impeaching Trump  and fast

It's becoming increasingly clear that Jared Kushner is part of Trump's Russia problem

Trump's big Islam speech in Saudi Arabia was uncharacteristically inoffensive

This is not a serious plan. It is not something that has much, or any, shot of becoming law. And while that in itself is not too remarkable in a budget document, the fact that an administration is putting out a doomed policy proposal this egregiously unpopular and easy to attack is remarkable.

The budget is a political non-starter

For one thing, most of these changes would require passing appropriations bills, which can, and definitely would, be filibustered by Democrats in the Senate. Slashing the EPA budget or cutting the Department of Agriculture by 21 percent or funding a border wall  that would all have to go through a process that requires 60 Senate votes, and it's simply inconceivable that eight Democrats would defect and support cuts and immigration crackdown funding this draconian.

As the White House learned in the end-of-April government shutdown fight, the filibuster gives Democrats a ton of leverage on run-of-the-mill funding issues. In that dispute, Republicans tried to win a phaseout of Planned Parenthood spending and funds for a border wall, and got neither. The threat of a Democratic filibuster in the Senate was too powerful.

What's more, a lot of this policy agenda is certain to engender vehement opposition from Republicans in the House and Senate. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has already declared the cuts to the State Department "dead on arrival." While Republicans on the Hill are generally eager to cut the EPA, some have said they think Trump's desired cuts go too far. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), the chair of the House Agriculture Committee, condemned Trump's proposed cuts to the Agriculture Department. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) has recoiled at the Medicaid cuts in the House health care bill, suggesting he'd oppose further cuts in a spending package.

There are ways around the filibuster barrier. The most obvious is budget reconciliation, the special process currently being used to shepherd through the health reform package. That allows policymakers to pass legislation with only 51 votes in the Senate, evading a filibuster. But there are severe restrictions on what the process can be used for. In general, for reasons relating to which committees get "reconciliation instructions," it likely can't be used for regular appropriations, making programmatic cuts like the ones Trump wants for the Agriculture Department or State, or funding boosts like one for a border wall, untenable.

Most importantly, you can only use reconciliation once per fiscal year. The plan had been for the FY2017 reconciliation bill to be health care reform, and then FY2018 bill to be tax reform. Designing a tax reform package is extremely tough, with Republicans disagreeing about whether to adopt "border adjustment," whether to let companies deduct interest payments on debt, whether to include the child care provisions Trump wants, whether to cap itemized deductions, and many, many more.

Adding drastic new budget cuts on top of that carries some advantages with it. The cuts could help pay for a tax reform plan that actually cuts revenue, rather than being revenue-neutral. But putting together a tax plan is a delicate enough endeavor without introducing a lot of contentious issues surrounding how much to cut Medicaid and food stamps and other "mandatory" programs which the reconciliation process can cut. Using the process for cuts as well as taxes could make achieving each vastly harder.

The political logic behind the budget is baffling

All of which raises the question: if these proposals are basically doomed, why is Trump making them? In the case of the Obama administration, this wasn't a hard question to answer. After Republicans retook the House in 2010, most of Obama's legislative agenda was doomed.

But he still put together proposals like the American Jobs Act (a $447 billion plan to cut payroll taxes and fund billions in infrastructure and other stimulus spending), universal pre-K for 4-year-olds paid for by a cigarette tax hike, a "Buffett rule" to increase taxes on the very wealthy, and wage insurance to help unemployed people who take a new job paying less than their old one.

Obama didn't propose these plans because he thought they could pass. He knew very well they couldn't. But he also knew that they were popular, and easy things for him and other Democrats to campaign on. People love to hear that the president wants to spend money to give them jobs in tough economic times, to make the rich pay their fair shares, to help their young kids get to pre-K without paying exorbitant tuition.

That's why Obama made doomed proposals. So why is Trump doing it? These plans are hardly crowd-pleasers. Sure, he ran on the border wall, and defending veterans. But slashing Medicaid? He explicitly promised not to do that. Cutting the Agriculture Department? That's a slap in the face to pro-Trump states like Iowa with large farm industries. Slashing medical research? That's something it's easy for patient groups to mobilize on, with very little to no political upside for Trump.

The best explanation I can see is that Mick Mulvaney, Trump's budget director, is a true believer, a Tea Party type genuinely motivated by an urge to slash federal spending. That's his prerogative, and there's no indication Trump himself is interested enough to force Mulvaney to change course. But if Trump just keeps allowing the conservative hardliners on his team to define his budget policy, he'll be giving his political opponents easy material to campaign on without getting anything in return.

Commentary by Dylan Matthews, senior correspondent at Vox. Follow her on Twitter @dylanmatt.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
Twitter has "kicked around" the idea of creating a special premium or subscription membership service, and isn't taking that business model off the table.

That's according to CEO Jack Dorsey, who spoke to Twitter investors Monday at the company's annual shareholder meeting in San Francisco. Dorsey was asked if Twitter would consider a Twitter membership model that would presumably include access to special features or services.

Dorsey said yeah, this is an idea the company has considered in the past and that it's something it would consider in the future, too.

Here's his full answer:

"Yeah so this has been kicked around for quite some time. We do believe that there is a real importance that Twitter is accessible to everyone in the world no matter what their economic stature is and where they are in life, so the general case has been to make Twitter free and open. We're always talking with our customers around what could be and what they'd like to see, and this is an idea that has come up. We don't have any particular plans to announce today but we're always looking at those patterns, that feedback and understanding if it's the right thing to do for the greater Twitter audience."

Reuters reported back in March that Twitter was considering a premium version of Tweetdeck, and there are many Twitter diehards out there who would probably pay for special features. (There's even a group that wants to buy the company and run it as a co-op, so yeah, there are lots of Twitter enthusiasts who might pay a few bucks per month to use the service.)

It's an interesting idea, at the very least.

Other news from Twitter's meeting: Three board members  Chairman Omid Kordestani, Marjorie Scardino and Bret Taylor  were all re-elected for another three-year term. And Twitter's board rejected a proposal that would have required the company to consider a sale to its own users, who want to turn Twitter into a co-op.

By Kurt Wagner, Recode.net.

CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.
Much attention is on Ford 's new CEO, Jim Hackett, but some industry watchers are also keeping a keen eye on two executives who report to him, with the thought that they may be poised to replace him in a few years. Joseph Hinrichs and James Farley were both named to top positions on Monday, running Ford's global operations and business units, respectively. They will be key players in whatever strategy Hackett implements over the next several quarters. Being longtime industry veterans, they may likely provide a counterweight to Hackett, who built his career largely outside the auto industry. Hinrichs has operations experience, having risen through the ranks in various manufacturing, logistics, and material planning functions. Farley, on the other hand, comes from a sales, marketing and customer-care background, with experience in higher-end auto brands. Both have deep international experience. And though Hackett has the CEO job now, either Farley or Hinrichs could end up with that post in a few years, said Barclays analyst Brian Johnson, in a note sent Monday. "First, we'd suspect that new CEO Jim Hackett will likely be a medium-term CEO," wrote Johnson, "with a successor to be groomed over the coming years (perhaps in 3-4 yrs)." With Farley and Hinrichs "now respectively managing the business units and some of the key business functions, it appears both are vying to take over as CEO after Hackett's work is complete," Johnson said. "Both have big challenges and perhaps the board's thinking is this will motivate them to cut deeper, act faster, etc." Under Hackett, Johnson expects potentially more cost cutting, possibly even more than was seen under Mark Field's tenure as CEO.

Joe Hinrichs David Orrell | CNBC

"If there was one area where Ford was admittedly soft in more recent years," Johnson said, it was around exceeding expectations of profitability." It might be one of the factors putting downward pressure on Ford stock. Ford stock has been down roughly 16 percent over the last year, whereas shares of GM, Toyota, Volkswagen and Honda are all up. Pushing costs down might improve results, he added, which is something Hinrichs will be well-positioned to do when he takes over as executive vice president of global operations on June 1. General Motors has surpassed expectations in its earnings forecasts and quarterly results, whereas Ford's record has been more mixed. "For example, profits on the new F-Series, while solid, appear to be less than they could be due to decisions on commodities, such as steel and aluminum," Johnson said. "A new role of head of global operations would allow these issues to be addressed." Since 2012, Hinrichs has been executive vice president and president for the Americas, running Ford's North American and South American business units. Prior to that, Hinrichs was group vice president and president of Asia Pacific and Africa beginning in December 2009, and served as chairman and CEO of Ford China from November 2010 to December 2011. At a time when China has become the world's largest car market, experience there can hardly hurt. Hinrichs oversaw the construction of nine new manufacturing plants in the region, introduced about 50 new vehicles to those markets, and was responsible for partnerships with Asian companies, such as China's Changan and JMC, as well as Japan-based Mazda . Prior to that, Hinrichs held a number of positions in manufacturing, operations and labor affairs, first in North America and then around the world, including serving as CEO of Ford Canada for a time. He started at Ford in 2000, running the Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. As for Farley, he will also take on his new role on June 1, assuming the title of executive vice president, global markets.

Jim Farley Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
watch now

The retail industry is wielding a new weapon in its long-running battle against a border adjustment tax: the U.S. dollar. The Retail Industry Leaders Association, one of the trade groups leading the fight, commissioned a study slated to be released Monday arguing that the border tax proposal  which would effectively impose a 20 percent tax on imports  could disrupt foreign exchange markets and result in higher prices for consumers. The analysis by Capital Economics, an independent consulting firm, estimated the U.S. dollar would need to appreciate by 25 percent in order to offset the new tax. But it predicted the greenback would likely rise by only single digits instead. For consumers, that could translate into a price hike of 2.1 percent, the report warns, with even bigger jumps for certain types of goods, such as apparel. "Like all things that seem too good to be true, it is," the report states. "There are many reasons to believe that this adjustment is unlikely to occur, especially in the short run, but even over the medium to long run."

Shoppers carry bags while walking through the Scottsdale Quarter shopping mall in Scottsdale, Arizona. Caitlin Ohara | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The study will likely become a key talking point during the hearing Tuesday in the House Ways and Means committee on leveling the tax playing field for American businesses. The border adjustment tax is expected to dominate the discussion, and the retail industry has led the charge to get rid of the idea. Executives from national chains such as AutoZone , Target and JCPenney have descended on Washington in recent months to express their opposition in meetings with President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill. The border tax idea generally is opposed by big U.S. chain retailers, which largely import what they sell, but widely supported by U.S. manufacturers, which say they can't compete with cheap imports. "The new border adjustable tax is a dangerous and untested proposal built upon deeply flawed economics," RILA spokesman Brian Dodge said. "The report shows the inevitable harm it will cause American families and businesses and it should give pause to lawmakers considering taking such a gamble with America's economy." The border adjustment tax is a centerpiece of the tax reform blueprint outlined by House Speaker Paul Ryan and championed by Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas). It allows U.S. businesses to deduct the cost of goods made in America but not those purchased overseas, which in effect raises the price of doing business. The measure is expected to raise more than a trillion in tax revenue, which would help finance a cut in the headline corporate rate to 20 percent.

Border tax seen boosting US investment
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a slightly higher open on Monday as President Donald Trump tours the Middle East on his first foreign trip. Dow futures traded 11 points higher, while S&P and Nasdaq futures gained 0.25 points and 4.25 points, respectively. President Trump began his trip in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and delivered a speech in Israel in an attempt to reinvigorate the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Trump will then fly to Italy, the Vatican and Belgium during his time abroad.

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

In earnings news, Booz Allen Hamilton posted results before the bell, while Agilent and Nordson are also expected to report. No major data is expected to be released on Monday. In the central bank sphere, a number of U.S. Federal Reserve members are expected to speak on Monday. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari is set to speak at the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute Conference, with Fed Governor Lael Brainard also set to deliver remarks. Elsewhere, Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker will be in Philadelphia where he will be commenting on the "link between physical and economic well-being" at the Jefferson College of Health Professions and Jefferson College of Pharmacy Commencement Ceremony.

watch now
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran must immediately stop its financial and military support for "terrorists and militas" and he reiterated that it never be permitted to possess atomic arms.

"Most importantly, the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weaponnever, everand must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias, and it must cease immediately," Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

The United States brands Iran a "state sponsor of terrorism". It says Tehran's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, Houthi rebels in Yemen's civil war and the Hezbollah Shi'ite political party and militia in Lebanon have helped destabilize the Middle East.

Trump flew to Israel from Riyadh earlier in the day, on the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office in January.

In his speech at Rivlin's official residence, Trump said he was deeply encouraged by his conversations with Muslim world leaders in Saudi Arabia.

"Many expressed their resolve to help end terrorism and the spread of radicalization. Many Muslim nations have already taken steps to begin following through on this commitment," he said.

"There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran," Trump told Rivlin.
President Donald Trump spoke of the potential to broker peace in the Middle East on the second stop of his first foreign visit.

In an address just after Air Force One landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, Trump described a "rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people." He expressed his wish to "reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the State of Israel."

Trump pledged to fight the "evil ideology" of terrorism and "create a future of harmony, prosperity and peace."

Trump's two-day visit to Israel will include separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump also plans to visit the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important key Jewish holy site.

White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians during Trump's stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive.

Speaking just before Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that, "the peace we seek (in the Middle East) is a genuine one." Referring to Trump's journey from the first stop of his overseas tour, Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu added that, "I hope that one day an Israeli prime minister will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Riyadh."

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said that the "Middle East needs a strong United States."

Read more:

Trump's Israel visit: 5 key issues

Trump aims to rally Muslims around the fight against terror, rejects 'lecturing' the Middle East
The Star Trek franchise is one of the most popular science-fiction properties.

World mints continue to tap the popular culture mainstay as subject matter for new collector coins, including two recent coins from Canada and Tuvalu.

Perth Mint

The Perth Mint has issued a Proof .9999 fine silver dollar for Tuvalu showcasing an episode in the original program, Mirror, Mirror.

One of Star Treks most iconic episodes, Mirror, Mirror aired for the first time in 1967 during the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series.

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The episode uses the evil counterparts of some of Star Treks most beloved characters to explore the darker side of humanity and the premise that everyone has two sides to their personality.

Last minted in 1909, Indian Head cent still a collector favorite: Our first monthly issue of the summer is rich with Indian Head cent insights, along with 'State quarters' for world coin collectors  a fascinating contrast.

The coins obverse depicts the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, the denomination, and 2017.

Designer Jennifer McKenna created the reverse, which portrays a color image of mirror Spock and Spock prime facing each other as they appear in Mirror, Mirror.

The two Spocks appear against a backdrop of the planet Earth bisected by a sword. The design also includes Spocks uniform insignia and the Perth Mints traditional P Mint mark.

The coin is housed in a Star Trek themed case that lights up when the lid is opened, within a Star Trek themed shipper. Each coin is accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.

The coin weighs 31.107 grams, measures 40.6 millimeters in diameter, and has a maximum mintage of 3,000 pieces.

The Next Generation

One of the RCMs newest coins celebrates the 30th anniversary of the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The award-winning television series introduced an unforgettable cast of characters, including one of the most feared antagonists: the Borg, subject of a new Canadian Proof .9999 fine silver $10 coin.

The reverse design combines color and engraving for a tribute to the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The field includes a close-up of a Borg cube vessel. Against this engraved background, a colorful depiction of a tension-filled scene finds a Borg cube locking onto the USS Enterprise with its green tractor beam, as part of their pursuit to assimilate technology, worlds and even beings. The reverse also includes the words STAR TREK, CANADA and the year 2017, all engraved in a Star Trek font.

The coin weighs 31.39 grams, measures 38 millimeters in diameter and has a mintage limit of 10,000 pieces.

Distributor Talisman Coins offers both coins, priced in U.S. funds, to American collectors.

The Tuvalu Star Trek coin is available for $74.95 each. The Canadian coin is available for $79.95 each. Quantity discounts are available for both coins.

To order, visit the Talisman Coins website.
May 22, 2017

 Nearly 25 years after they flew into space together, Michael Foale and Ellen Ochoa entered the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on Friday (May 19) as inductees.



Standing under the retired space shuttle Atlantis, a vehicle on which they both flew missions, Foale and Ochoa were celebrated at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida in front of an audience of their fellow astronauts, family members, friends and the general public.



"I was so happy to hear he and I were going to be inducted together," said Ochoa, referring to her 1993 space shuttle Discovery crewmate Foale. "He'd already had one mission and he passed along all kinds of helpful information that helped a rookie like me know where to focus and hopefully not be too surprised when the flight happened  because being surprised in space is really not a good thing, as [he] found out."





Ochoa, who was the first Hispanic woman to fly in space, logged more than 40 days on her four missions, studying solar activity and helping to build the International Space Station. Foale, who holds dual citizenship, was the first Brit to spacewalk and at one time held the record for the most time in orbit by an American.



Foale spent more than a year off Earth, almost 374 days, on his five shuttle missions and one Russian Soyuz flight, conducting solar observations, servicing and upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope and becoming the only astronaut to live on both the Russian Mir and the International Space Station. It was during his 1997 stay on the Russian orbiting outpost that he learned firsthand how a surprise in space could redefine the mission.



"That mission I thought was just going to be a ho-hum for me research mission, but it wasn't," said Foale, describing his experience surviving the impact of an uncrewed supply spacecraft with the Mir station. "The Progress collision, the depressurization, the loss of power and attitude control  I described it as tumbling  followed by various attempts of recovery, turned that mission into the most eventful, and, I think to some extent due to the camaraderie I developed with [cosmonauts] Vasily Tsibliyev and Alexander Lazutkin, was one of the most rewarding experiences in a weird and odd way, even though so much trouble befell that mission."



Foale's background as an astrophysicist enabled him use the stars to gauge the space station's spin rate, providing key information to ground controllers and advise his crew mates on how to use the Mir's thrusters to bring the orbital complex under control.







Michael Foale and Ellen Ochoa pose with their plaques after being inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. (NASA/Kim Shiflett)

"His cool under stress was brilliantly demonstrated," stated Charles Bolden, Foale's STS-45 crewmate and the former NASA Administrator, while inducting Foale into the Hall of Fame on Friday.



Foale, who just returned from the U.K. mourning the death of his mother weeks earlier, said that he was grateful she knew he was to be honored before she died.



"It's a great honor for me from my predecessors, my peers and my colleagues that are here today and around me. So thank you, really, on behalf of my mom, and from me for bestowing that to me," Foale said.



Ochoa was inducted by Michael Coats, who preceded her as director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.



"Whether it was the time critical and complex operations during her four space shuttle missions or testifying before Congress or deliberating over difficult personnel decisions, Ellen has always thoughtful, well-informed and decisive," said Coats, who entered the Hall in 2007. "Her outstanding leaderships skills has benefited our space program during very turbulent times, and hopefully will continue doing so for many years to come."







Michael Foale and Ellen Ochoa display their U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame medals. (Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex)

Foale and Ochoa comprise the 16th group of space shuttle astronauts to enter the Hall, and their addition brings the total number of inductees to 95.



"Today's induction is even more meaningful as this the first class of inductees to join the Astronaut Hall of Fame since its beautiful home opened last November right here at this facility," said Therrin Protze, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's chief operating officer, referring to the attraction "Heroes and Legends, featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, presented by Boeing."



In addition to the public ceremony, they were celebrated at a gala hosted by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation on Saturday.



"It is a thrill to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame," Ochoa said. "While the spotlight today is on astronauts, we know that we are simply the ones who represent everyone in the NASA community who have made NASA's achievements possible, and that the biggest role we play throughout our careers, and actually throughout our lives, is inspiring the next generation, who'll go on to accomplish more than we can imagine."
Congressional Map Discriminated Against African-Americans, Justices Say

The Supreme Court gave voting rights activists in North Carolina an important victory this morning, upholding a lower court ruling that the state legislature packed African-American voters into two congressional districts in an effort to dilute their voting strength elsewhere.

The 5-3 decision, written by Justice Elena Kagan, attracted an unusual coalition. Justice Clarence Thomas, widely considered the courts most conservative justice, joined with the courts four liberals in the judgment.

The Raleigh News and Observer reported that is not clear how the decision may impact questions over the districts used to elect the state legislature, and whether lawmakers will be required to draw new maps and hold legislative elections in 2017.

North Carolina adopted new congressional district maps in February 2016 to address the lower courts ruling. Those maps, which were used to elect members of Congress last fall, maintained the delegations 10-3 split favoring Republicans.

Common Cause is pursuing a related redistricting case in North Carolina. Common Cause v. Rucho accuses the Republican-led legislature of unconstitutionally configuring districts to discriminate against Democratic voters.

We applaud the Supreme Court for clearly affirming that racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional, Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, said shortly after the decision was announced. Sadly, state lawmakers responded to rulings against their unconstitutional racial gerrymandering by then gerrymandering along partisan lines. The result has been rigged elections that continue to deny North Carolina voters of their constitutional right to have a voice in choosing their representatives. Thats why challenging partisan gerrymandering is so important now. We are hopeful that the court will find that like racial gerrymandering, partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

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RALEIGH  The US Supreme Court on Monday ruled that North Carolina lawmakers unconstitutionally gerrymandered two of the states congressional districts along racial lines. The decision affirms a lower court ruling in 2016 that ordered the districts to be redrawn.

In response to that ruling, state lawmaker redrew North Carolinas congressional maps last year, that time claiming they would not consider race at all. Instead, legislative leaders openly boasted they would gerrymander along partisan lines to give Republicans maximum advantage. Their rationale was that while various court rulings have made it clear that racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional, the US Supreme Court has not yet made a decisive ruling on the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering.

Common Cause is among the plaintiffs challenging the NC legislatures partisan gerrymandering scheme in the case of Common Cause v. Rucho. That potentially landmark trial is set to begin on June 26 in Greensboro.

The following is a statement from Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause NC:

We applaud the Supreme Court for clearly affirming that racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional. Sadly, state lawmakers responded to rulings against their unconstitutional racial gerrymandering by then gerrymandering along partisan lines. The result has been rigged elections that continue to deny North Carolina voters of their constitutional right to have a voice in choosing their representatives. Thats why challenging partisan gerrymandering is so important now. We are hopeful that the court will find that like racial gerrymandering, partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

Common Cause NC is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging citizen participation in democracy. Online: CommonCauseNC.org




Thanks to Kaspersky, we now know that 98% of the Windows machines infected by WannaCry/WannaCrypt were running Windows 7. Since, once it gets a foothold, the malware can infect an entire network, most of the attention was focused on LAN based attacks. My previous blog was about using the Windows firewall as a defensive measure.

But any malware can spread in multiple ways so there is always a need for anti-malware software on Windows PCs. The May 12th blog post, Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks, in which Microsoft announced the release of a bug fix for Windows XP, mentioned that

For customers using Windows Defender, we released an update earlier today which detects this threat as Ransom:Win32/WannaCrypt.

Problem is, the term "Windows Defender" has two meanings.

When dealing with Windows 8.1 and 10, it refers to a program that defends against all types of malicious software. When dealing with Windows 7, it refers to software that only protects against spyware. Microsoft offers Windows 7 users companion software, their Security Essentials, for dealing with other types of malware.

So, when Microsoft touts Windows Defender as protecting against WannaCry/WannaCrypt, how does that apply to Windows 7 users?

Not at all.

Michael Horowitz Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 7

Sources close to the company tell me that Windows 7 users who want to be protected from WannaCry, need to install Microsoft Security Essentials. Or, of course, a third party anti-virus program.

If you search for Microsoft Security Essentials with your favorite search engine, you may end up at this download page which forces you to chose between an amd64 version and an x86 version without explaining what the terms mean. You are far better off downloading it from this page, which offers multiple languages and clear choices between 32 and 64 bit.

Considering recent events, a full scan with Security Essentials is probably called for. Expect it to take quite a while.

Michael Horowitz Microsoft Security Essentials found a Medium level threat

I had no experience with MSE on Windows 7, and the first time I ran a full scan with it, there was a false positive (above).

I am a big fan of the free, portable software provided by Nir Sofer at nirsoft.net. One of his programs, Mailpassview, was detected by Security Essentials as a medium level threat. MSE is not the first anti-malware program to object to software from Mr. Sofer. With other programs, it was a trivial thing to whitelist the Nirsoft software.

Not with Security Essentials. Not only was "Quarantine" the recommended action, it was the only action. Security Essentials wasn't interested in my opinion at all.

Michael Horowitz Security Essentials experienced an error during or after quarantining a EXE file

Adding insult to injury, when I did quarantine the program, there was an 80508023 error (above). What does that mean? Use some other anti-malware software.

- - - - -

UPDATE May 22, 2017: Just after this article was published, Martin Brinkmann of Ghacks.net published this: NirSoft.net Review (Tech Sites We Love), an overview of the software from Nir Sofer.

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Get in touch with me privately by email at my full name at Gmail. Public comments can be directed to me on twitter at @defensivecomput
Hero behind Akshay Kumar-starer Airlift dies in Kuwait

Prominent NRI businessman Mathunny Mathews, who was instrumental in the safe evacuation of stranded Indians during the Iraqi invasion in 1990 and inspired the Akshay Kumar-starer film Airlift, died on Saturday in Kuwait.

NRI businessman Mathunny Mathews. Photo courtesy: Facebook page of Mathunny Mathews

81-year-old Mathews, who hailed from Kumbanad in Pathanamthitta district, was ailing for some time, said reports.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar expressed his condolences and said it was an honour to portray him onscreen.

Extremely sad news, was an honour to portray him onscreen. Thoughts and prayers with his family  #RIPSunnyMathew https://t.co/WtrMvvRlRN  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 21, 2017

Expressing his condolences, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said today that during the 1990 Gulf war Mathews had helped thousands of Indians to flee the gulf nation and his services would always be remembered.

Mathews had done yeoman service to bring his countrymen, who had lost everything in the war, safely back, Vijayan said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Photo courtesy: kerala.gov.in

"He provided food and drinking water to the stranded Indians and we remember it with gratitude," Vijayan said.



The V P Singh government had in 1990 carried out the biggest evacuation during the gulf war when over 1.50 lakh Indians had been safely brought back by flight. At that time Mathews had functioned as the Central Government's "unofficial representative" in Kuwait to coordinate the evacuation process, the Chief Minister said.



Popularly known as 'Toyota Sunny', Mathews left for Kuwait 1956 at the age of 20 in search of a job. He joined as a typist in the Toyota company and rose to become its Managing Director when he retired in 1989.
President Tony Tan boosts bilateral ties between Singapore and Poland

President of Singapore Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam is in Poland to boost bilateral trades between the two countries. He is leading a delegation of businessmen, students and representatives of trade agency IE Singapore and Singapore Business Federation (SBF).

Speaking at a tea reception in Warsaw, the President said, Singapores entrepreneurial spirit is well and alive in the central and eastern European region.

Speaking about the relations between Singapore and Poland, he said, Ties between Singapore and Poland have gradually strengthened over the years and there is mutual interest to do more.

President of Singapore Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. Photo courtesy: Wikimedia

The President also reflected on growing people-to-people ties between the two countries citing exchange programmes between Singapore and Poland universities.

He said, The Singaporean community in Poland is a small one. But this is not a bad thing in itself.

Tant added, It is easier for Singaporeans based in Poland to know one another well and stay as a close-knit group. Every Singaporean in Poland plays an even more important role of being Polands window into Singapore.

Bilateral trade between Singapore and Poland amounted to SGD962.1 million in 2016, which had doubled from 10 years ago. Poland is Singapores 14th largest EU trading partner. There are also 66 Polish companies in Singapore.

There is a plan for signing of three Memoranda of Understanding at the Poland-Singapore Business Forum.The Polish Investment and Trade Agency will sign partnerships with SBF and IE Singapore to promote information exchange in advanced manufacturing, the digital economy, as well as logistics and infrastructure development.

Singapore research agency A*STAR and the Polish National Centre for Research and Development will also sign an agreement to encourage greater exchange and sharing of scientific knowledge.

President of Singapore Dr Tan arrived in Warsaw on Sunday for the first-ever state visit by a Singapore head of state to Poland. He will be in Poland until Tuesday, after which he will head to the Czech Republic. Dr Tan will leave Czech Republic on Saturday.
Shortage of IT talents in Singapore despite abundance of jobs

There is an abundance of jobs in the information-and-communications technology (ICT) sector, particularly in areas such as virtual and augmented reality and data analytics.

However, there appears to be a shortage of talent here who are able to take on these jobs, according to a study by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Future Jobs, Skills and Training Unit.

The report also outlined the term jobs adjacency  transferable ICT skills that can be used in roles outside the sector, said Todayonline in a report on Monday, May 22.

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia

The study found that the sought-after jobs in the sector were in these seven areas:

- Cyber security;

- User interface and user experience;

- Data analytics;

- Network engineering;

- Virtual and augmented reality;

- Artificial Intelligence

- Digital transformation project management.

The study identified four transferable ICT skills that workers may use in non-ICT jobs, including those outside the tech industry: SQL, Java as well as the C and C++ programming languages. For example, those with SQL skills could use them in jobs such as management and business intelligence analysts or marketing managers.

Social network analysis. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Retrenched workers who have these skills can be nudged towards such roles in other sectors, Patrick Tay, NTUC's assistant secretary-general and the FJST Unit director, told Todayonline.

The labour crunch experienced by the industry is due to employers seeking experienced professionals with specialised skills. While institutes of higher learning have expanded their ICT syllabus to meet industry needs, there will be a "time lag," said Tay.

The ICT sector is also still being hit by collateral effects from other sectors which are consolidating and offshoring. This include oil and gas, and offshore and marine. Layoffs may continue, but noting the rise of digital jobs, Tay said any digitally disrupted sector, such as logistics and food and beverage, will require ICT.

Therell be a sharp increase in demand for such services, he said.
Overview:

There are 46 Parliamentary constituencies in the East Midlands. Currently the Conservatives hold 33, and Labour 13.

Unusually, there arent that many Conservative targets here (unless theres a truly astonishing landslide next month) as the is already in such a strong position. The list of realistic prospects is little changed from two years ago.

It may be a long shot to talk about Labour gains but there are three constituencies in the region where they face majorities under 2,000, so weve included them just in case.

The Liberal Democrats were within a few hundred votes of two seats here in 2010, but they disappeared from contention two years ago. Barring an actual miracle its very unlikely that theyll get anywhere, and we have not listed any targets.

Method:

Welcome back to our series on the election battlegrounds! As in 2015, well be taking a region-by-region look at the seats which could change hands and offering our suggested lists of target seats for each party.

These lists arent predictions of gains: rather, theyre just seats which we think could be competitive. They might be official party targets, have a small majority, or be subject to other factors which could leave them open to change.

Amongst the resources well be using to steer us through these murky waters are Electoral Calculus, UK Polling Report, Number Cruncher Politics, and Election Polling, whilst all Leave vote share estimations are from Chris Hanrettys very helpful constituency-by-constituency charts. Were also keeping an eye on the work of many other pollsters, psephologists, and analysts, some of whom our assistant editor has collated onto a Twitter list.

Battleground Rating: 3/10

Targets by party:

(NB These are our own suggestions of potential attack seats for each party  including those officially designated as targets and others where the incumbent has a relatively small majority, or local factors are at play which may open the seat to change.)

Conservatives:

Bassetlaw: This would be a reach  the Labour incumbent, John Mann, is a relatively high-profile MP and has very publicly disowned Jeremy Corbyn. Hes also one of the doughty handful of Labour MPs to back Leave, which may weaken the power of Theresa Mays strong Brexit positioning and the ability of the Tory candidate to win over UKIPs substantial bloc of 2015 voters. The lack of a UKIP candidate this time may also boost Manns vote, as it gives voters who just wont vote Tory fewer options. Talked of as a possible scalp, but Electoral Calculus only give the Conservatives a four-in-ten chance here.

Gedling: Vernon Coaker, who has previously held the Shadow Defence and Northern Irish briefs, added more than 1,000 votes to his majority last time but it still stands just under 3,000 in a seat which had a Conservative majority of over 10,600 in 1992. This seat is estimated to have gone 56 per cent Leave and UKIP took almost 7,000 votes at the last election, so their unwinding may help put the Tories over the line. Electoral Calculus tips a Tory gain with 56 per cent probability.

Mansfield: A much bigger ask, a lot will hinge on the Conservatives winning a big chunk of the almost 12,000 voters who backed UKIP in 2015. This is the sort of seat where Theresa Mays tough line on Brexit is meant to resonate: more than seven voters in ten voted against EU membership (est.). Electoral Calculus has this on a knife-edge, headlining with a Conservative win but with Labour ahead by a nose in the odds.

North East Derbyshire: UKIPs surge at the last election meant the Conservatives only crawled forward here, cutting Labours vote from about 2,500 to just under 1,900. The seat is estimated to have gone 62 per cent Leave, so if the Tory candidate can woo even half of UKIPs 7,600 voters from last time that would put them comfortably over the line. Electoral Calculus is confident of a Tory gain.

Nottingham South: Prior to the UKIP surge and the Lib Dem collapse, this was a competitive prospect for the Tories: after 2010 the Labour majority stood at just 1,772. Now its much more formidable at just under 7,000, and even if the Conservative somehow took every one of UKIPs 4,900 voters from last time it wouldnt be enough in this Remain-leaning (est.) seat. Electoral Calculus think the Tories will put on votes but Labour will hold their ground and thus the seat.

Labour:

Derby North: Amanda Solloway won this seat for the Tories by the razor-thin margin of 41 votes two years ago, so if Labour are going to gain anywhere its here. This constituency is estimated to have voted Leave, so Solloway must hope that the Prime Ministers firm stance on Brexit wins over some of UKIPs 6,500 2015 voters. Despite Labours recent rally in the polls Electoral Calculus still doesnt think theyre in a position to make gains and predicts a Tory hold.

Lincoln: Karl McCartney added a few hundred to his majority last time, but it still stands at a slender 1,443. As usual, a lot will depend on how UKIPs vote at the last election (5,700) breaks this time in a decidedly Leave seat. As in much more marginal Derby North, Electoral Calculus thinks the Conservatives will hang on.
Four years ago, the TaxPayers Alliance reported that in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories.

Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts.

Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply dont apply in the same number as Labour supporters.

To help remedy this, every fortnight we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented.

         

Judicial Appointments Committee  Commissioners

It is widely acknowledged that our judiciary is among the very best in the world, unrivalled for its integrity, professionalism and independence. The JAC is an executive non-departmental public body established by the 2005 Constitutional Reform Act. It has a vital role selecting candidates for appointment to the judiciary through fair and open competition. JAC Commissioners recommend candidates solely on merit, from the broadest possible pool of talent. This important work must be led, as it is now, by a capable and effective group of Commissioners who work as a team to deliver the highest calibre of judicial appointments.

Time: 17-28 days per annum

Remuneration: 338 per diem plus expenses.

Closes: 13 June

         

Economic and Social Research Council  CEO/Executive Chair

We are seeking an inspirational social scientist with international standing and proven track record to lead the ESRC  initially as its CEO and subsequently as its Executive Chair as it is established as one of the nine Councils within UK Research and Innovation in April 2018. As part of UK Research and Innovations Executive Committee the Executive Chair will have an important role in determining how these benefits are manifested in UK Research and Innovation and a critical role in championing and increasing the impact of the social sciences within UK Research and Innovation, government and the UK more widely.

Time: Full time.

Remuneration: Dependent upon skills and experience.

Closes: 16 June

         

Ofcom  Board Member

This Board Member will be expected to have a good understanding of broadcasting policy issues, content regulation and be a clear advocate for the consumer in the context of devolved policies in the nations and regions. They will, in the context of the new Members of the Ofcom Board being appointed by each of the devolved administrations, reflect the needs of consumers and citizens in England and be able to work with their colleagues from the devolved Nations on policy and consumer issues. This will demand a good understanding of the legislative environment in which Ofcom operates and of the wider public policy environment.

Time: Up to two days per week.

Remuneration: 42,519 per annum.

Closes: 16 June

         

Pubs Code Adjudicator  Deputy Adjudicator

The Pubs Code governs the relationship between large pub-owning companies and their tied tenants. The Code regulates the relationship between around 11,500 tied pub tenants and the large pub-owning businesses which rent the pubs to them and sell them tied products. The Code governs their relationships with tied pubs, but not with their managed houses or free-of-tie pub tenants. Tied tenants have the right to take disputes regarding the Code to the PCA. The Adjudicator has statutory powers to arbitrate Code disputes and award compensation if a breach is found. The Adjudicator can also investigate suspected systemic abuses of the Code and may impose sanctions on one or more pub-owning companies following an investigation.

Time: Full time.

Remuneration: 80-95,000 per annum.

Closes: 22 June

         

Regulatory Policy Committee  Chair

We are seeking to appoint a new Chair of the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC). The RPC is a small advisory Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It provides independent, expert advice on the quality of analysis and evidence supporting regulatory changes that affect businesses, charities and voluntary organisations. The Committee is an essential part of the better regulation system providing stakeholders, in particular business, with confidence that the costs and benefits from regulatory change have been properly considered. The RPC is seeking to recruit a new Chair to lead the Committee and to assure the quality, consistency and proportionality of the Committees opinions.

Time: Ten meetings a year plus additional duties.

Remuneration: 500 per diem up to 20,000 per annum.

Closes: 22 June

         

Department for Communities and Local Government  Housing Ombudsman

The Housing Ombudsman has responsibility for investigating complaints against social landlords in accordance with the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. Housing is an important part of everyones lives and issues relating to our homes can have a huge emotional impact. The Housing Ombudsman plays an important role in ensuring the fair resolution of disputes, aiming to resolve problems quickly and efficiently. Rented housing plays a vital role in the nations housing and we are keen to see that tenants experience good standards of service regardless of whether their landlord is a local authority, housing association or private landlord.

Time: Full time.

Remuneration: Up to 120,000 per annum.

Closes: 23 June

         

National Portrait Gallery  Chair

The chief role of Trustees is to assist the Chair in meeting the Boards overall responsibilities under the Charities Act and in accordance with the guidance issued by the Secretary of State. Trustees offer guidance and expertise on the Gallerys strategy and its practical implementation. They must be positive advocates for the Gallery, representing it to ministers, officials at DCMS, and others. They must also assist the Chair in ensuring that the Gallerys affairs are conducted with probity The new Chair will naturally need enthusiasm for the Gallery, a love of art and an interest in the Collection, an ability to champion the importance of scholarship to the future of the Gallery and a strong interest in its learning mission and to act as an ambassador for the Gallery. They will need to devote sufficient time and energy to have the necessary impact, and a clear understanding of any potential for conflict of interest between this public role and their own professional activity.

Time: Two days per month (equivalent) plus extras.

Remuneration: Reasonable expenses.

Closes: 23 June

         

Valuation Tribunal Service  Chair

The Valuation Tribunal Service is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). It was established under the Local Government Act 2003 to provide administrative support, procedural advice and central direction to the Valuation Tribunal for England. It has a strong corporate identity and clearly delegated powers and responsibilities. The VTS employs around 80 staff and is able to encourage the spread of best practice across the organisation, leading to better public service delivery.

Time: 24 days per annum.

Remuneration: 8,839 per annum.

Closes: 23 June
Theresa May reminds voters this morning that the Brexit negotiation begins only eleven days after polling day. It may end without an agreement. If so, Britain will go on to WTO, as the usual phrase has it. Given last Junes high turnout; the referendums impact on British politics; our impending departure from the EU in less than two years; the impact of Brexit on this election and its implications for us all, it is surprising that there has been so little probing in detail of what going on to WTO would mean.

Today, ConservativeHome takes a break from focusing almost exclusively on the election, and opens a week-long series on what going on to WTO might be like. Lee Rotherham argues on this site today that the language of crashing out of the EU, used so often by Brexits opponents, is misleading  that WTO, or Most-Favoured Nation Status (MFN), as it can more accurately be called, is less like falling off a cliff than a walk to a beach. He concludes that WTO could actually be preferable to a fully-fledged free trade agreement, writing that civil servants must now be steered away from is the obsession of dashing towards an FTA at at any price, without ever actually costing the default alternative.

Tomorrow, Christopher Howarth will cover what WTO might mean for finance and data. On Wednesday, William Norton will examine its implications for agriculture. On Thursday, Lee will return to the site, covering tariffs and rules of origin. And on Friday, Mark Wallace will look at quotas and trade deals. There is a mass of other subjects to be covered, and we will return to some of them in due course, but it seemed best to us to start by trying to tackle some of the main issues that WTO would raise for the economy and prosperity.

One point is clear at the start. The Prime Minister says that no deal is better than a bad deal, a form of words now written into the Conservative manifesto. This is a statement of the obvious. But, as Lee suggests this morning, the choice will almost certainly not be so clear. It could well be that the negotiation eventually concludes not with a big fully-fledged trade deal, complete with no tariffs for the goods of either party, but with a WTO settlement based on a mass of smaller deals: in other words, arrangements to provide legal stability and a smooth flow of goods between Britain and the EU27  based, in turn, on those that are already in place now, some of which are bilteral, others of which are backed up by international standards and norms.

This site supports that fully-fledged trade deal, for reasons that we have set out previously. But, as we put it, the absence of tariffs comes last, not first. They are the end-point of a successful negotiation, not its starting-point. They are the icing on the cake. A smooth flow of goods; legal certainty, continuity, stability  this, as ever, will be what most voters and businesses are looking for. These are far from being incompatible with WTO. We hope you enjoy the series.
CORNWALL, Ontario  This Friday, May 19, Cornwall Ramada welcomed guests to the first annual Strong Female Performances for SASS event.

With Sexual Assault Awareness Month wrapping up shortly, the evening featured a wide range of performances  all in celebration of the female experience and the education of sexual assault.

Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) Executive Director Angela Vinet says that shes impressed with the support of women in the community.

Its really nice to see them supporting us and having a voice, said Vinet.

With funds from the event going directly back to the organization to support programming, organizer, Amanda Marini-Rohde says shes hoping to make it really big next year. Marini-Rohde had previously been involved with the Vagina Monologues and says that she was on the hunt for something new.

The mission of the Vagina Monologues really resonates with me, and there was an empty spot in my heart for it, said Marini-Rhode. I had to fill that void and give people a platform to talk about their personal experiences.

Having the connection with the arts community was helpful in the planning stages of the event, allowing guests to learn more about sexual assault through song, dance, poem, and even comedy.

Sexual assault is something that most women have dealt with to some degree in their lifetime, said Vinet.But I think great things can happen when women get together.
May 22, 2017, 11:08 am

It is hard for me to parse the news on Trump. I made it clear I thought he was an egregious and unsuitable candidate in advance of the election, but I would like to evaluate what is going on in the Administration based on actual facts rather than my preconceived notions.

What makes this hard is that the whole Russia thing the media is obsessed over is almost certainly total BS. It is, to my eyes, the Obama birth certificate of this election (sort of Karmic given Trump was about the last man standing after Joe Arpaio in publicly supporting the whole birth certificate thing). It is not just me who thinks the Russia thing is absurd, Glenn Greenwald, certainly no friend of Republicans, agrees.

So given that the #1 story about Trump is probably completely bogus, is all the rest? Is Russia representative of a general trend in poorly sourced attack stories on the Administration, or is it a distraction from substantial and real problems that are getting less play. I have been suspicious that the answer is the latter and Megan McArdle has reinforced this opinion with this devastating wake-up call to Conservatives:

But for connected conservatives in DC, the media isnt the only source of information about this administration. Id venture to say that most of them have by now heard at least one or two amazing stories attesting to the emerging conventional wisdom: that the president either cant, or refuses to, follow any kind of policy discussion for more than a few minutes; that the president will not be told no, or corrected about anything, forcing his staff to take their concerns to the media if they want to get his attention; that the infighting within the West Wing is unprecedentedly vicious, and that those sort of failures always stem from the top; and that his own hand-picked staffers have no respect for him, indeed they seem to palpitate with contempt for him. They hear these things from conservatives, including people who were Trump supporters or at least, Trump-neutral. They know these folks. They know, to their sorrow, that these people are telling the truth. They can also compare what theyre hearing to what they heard, both on and off the record, during the last Republican administration. Even in Bushs final days, when the financial crisis was in full swing and his approval ratings hovered around 25 percent, there was nothing like this level of dysfunction inside the White House, this frenzy of backbiting leakage. So even though they agree with conservative outsiders that the media skews very liberal, and take all its pronouncements about Republicans with a heavy sprinkling of salt, they know that the reports of this administrations dysfunction arent all media hype. They have seen the media report on their own work, and that of their friends; they know what sort of things that bias distorts, and what it doesnt. Washington conservatives know that reporters are not making up these incredible quotes, or relying only on Democratic holdovers, or getting bits of gossip from the janitor. They know that the Trump administration is in fact leaking like a rusty sieve -- from the top on down -- and that this is a sign of a president who has, in just four short months, completely lost control over his own hand-picked staff. Which is why the entire city, left to right, is watching the unfolding drama with mouth agape and heads shaking.... So what conservatives here know is that the freakout in Washington, which looks from afar like a battle between Trump and the establishment, is actually one side screaming in amazement as the other side turn their weapons on each other.

Read the whole thing, as they say. During the campaign, I took an analogy from WWI in which the Germans were being dragged down by an Austro-Hungarian Empire that could never seem to win a battle even against small or dysfunctional armies like Serbia, Russia, and Italy. The Germans joked in black humor that they were shackled to a dead man. Similarly, I wrote last year that in nominating Trump, the Republicans had shackled themselves to a suicide bomber. I actually underestimated the problem -- I thought he would just lose the election big, but now he is blowing up the Republican agenda in a much more thorough way.
Matt Rourke / Associated Press

Between 2014 and 2016, AT&T invested $325 million in its Connecticut networks, on the heels of the giant divesting its Connecticut landline telephone operations in October 2014 to Norwalk-based Frontier Communications.

AT&T pegged at $60 million its investment in the Bridgeport-Stamford corridor, with the money going toward both new cell sites and adding network capacity to existing infrastructure.
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In the immortal words of Meat Loaf, Id do anything for love, but I wont do that.

Many have ruminated over what that is. But for Republican Art Linares, it might be potentially risking a safe seat in the deadlocked state Senate to move in with his fiancee, Stamford Democratic state Rep. Caroline Simmons.

Right now were both committed to living in our districts and serving the people of our districts, said Linares, who is from Westbrook.

There has been speculation that Linares could relocate to Stamford and form an exploratory committee for statewide office in 2018, when he and Simmons are each up for re-election.

A lot of couples have to live separately because of their work, Linares said.

The couple is scheduled to wed Oct. 14. Theyre registered at Bloomies and could use a NutriBullet PRO 900 series  in case you were wondering. Linares took out a full-page ad in The Advocate in December asking Simmons to marry him. Hes 28 and shes 31.

As of now, Im very excited for my pending nuptials with Caroline and couldnt be happier, he said.

Linares chuckled when asked if the delicate equilibrium in the state Senate, which is tied for the first time since 1893, could be disrupted by love. Republicans and Democrats each hold 18 seats.

Thats very funny, he said.

A bit of trivia: Meat Loaf once called Stamford, Westport and Redding home.

Drivers ed

Tesla is putting the PAC in battery pack.

Thwarted the last two years from selling its electric vehicles directly to Connecticut consumers, the Silicon Valley company has taken the rare step of forming a political action committee in the state for its latest legislative push.

Tesla Connecticut PAC is paying for targeted postcard mailings to some 26,000 households, many of which are in the districts of state lawmakers who are either opposed or are leaning against removing a regulatory hurdle preventing direct sales.

Two of the targeted senators are Fairfield Republican Tony Hwang and Branford Democrat Ted Kennedy Jr., each of whom has aspirations for higher office.

Dont let Connecticut fall behind, read a sample postcard provided by Tesla. American electric car company Tesla is a leader in the 21st century economy and wants to create new, good-paying jobs in Connecticut. Unfortunately, an archaic state law prevents them from selling to consumers.

Tesla is trying to sustain momentum for a bill that would bring Connecticut into line with New York and Massachusetts so it can operate dealerships here. After its narrow passage by the Finance Committee, the measure is idling in the House. Its opposed by the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association, which has disputed Teslas economic projections and said that the electric car company wants special treatment.

RNC boss to help state GOP fund-raise

Even the political ATM that is Connecticut  and specifically Greenwich  needs an occasional deposit.

Enter Ronna Romney McDaniel, who is making her first fundraising foray as Republican National Committee chairwoman to the state Wednesday evening. The niece of 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will raise money for the Connecticut Republicans during a reception and dinner at the Greenwich home of RNC member Leora Levy.

For $5,000 a plate, GOP contributors can have dinner with McDaniel, who was previously the state party chairwoman in Michigan and helped flip the blue state for Donald Trump in the presidential election. For the more frugal, there are $500 and $1,000 options.

It was a really good fundraising opportunity for us, said J.R. Romano, Connecticuts GOP boss.

Romano said the party is looking to emulate the success McDaniel had in Michigan.

Its beyond Trump, Romano said. Theyve made inroads in the Legislature. Our hope is that Connecticut will fall in line with what happened on those Rust Belt states, and those states are better off for it. Well be the next so-called blue state to go red.
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STAMFORD  A Kennedy is scouting a new frontier  Connecticut governor.

Ted Kennedy Jr. looked the part of a presumptive candidate for the states highest office Sunday in Stamford, where he joined fellow Democrats in commemorating the upcoming 100th birthday of his late uncle, John F. Kennedy.

The second-term state senator from Branford was a special guest at a local party fundraiser, the latest far-flung excursion from Kennedys home district as he builds support for a potential 2018 candidacy.

The son of the late liberal lion Edward M. Kennedy told Hearst Connecticut Media in a wide-ranging interview the next governor must cultivate a better environment between the public and private sectors to create jobs.

When I think about the skill set that I would potentially bring, it would be my ability to work and bring these groups together that have been traditionally antagonistic and distrustful of one another, Kennedy said. We need a better economic climate in our state. We need jobs.

Kennedy, 55, the subject of national intrigue because of his lineage, said he expects to make a final decision on the race after the legislative session ends next month.

Ive said that Im seriously considering the opportunity, but at this point in time at the end of the session Im trying to manage over 30 pieces of legislation in the Public Health and Environment (committees), said Kennedy, the vice chairman and co-chairman of the respective committees.

That hasnt stopped Kennedy from crisscrossing the state with political aides, who have sought to correct at least one media report and one former colleague from saying that he wont run. Kennedys string of appearances has taken him to Fairfield, Woodbridge, Litchfield, New Britain and the northeastern part of the state.

A logjam of politicians awaits Kennedy if he decides to vie for the job of fellow Democrat Dannel P. Malloy, who is not running for re-election.

I think hes got a bright future no matter what he chooses to do, said Carlo Leone, Kennedys Democratic Senate colleague from Stamford.

Kennedys wife, Kiki Kennedy, is from Stamford. He was joined Sunday by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, both D-Conn., as well as the citys mayor, David Martin. When Kennedy arrived at the Old Town Hall, he was greeted by black and white photos of his notable forebears, highlighted by JFK, who was born May 29, 1917.

These pictures, oh my God, he said in Kennedy cadence.

Kennedy said it was refreshing to focus on his uncles life, rather than his 1963 assassination.

For years, our family has really wanted to focus the nations attention on his birthday, as opposed to that tragic day in November, Kennedy said.

Next year figured to maybe be a new act for Camelot, with Kennedy entertaining a run for governor and his cousin, Chris Kennedy, vying for Illinois governorship. But his cousin is learning a name only goes so far in politics, with the union machine reportedly trying to shove the Robert F. Kennedy son out of the race.

Kennedy said theres no unspoken family rule that would preclude multiple Kennedys from running for governor and that the wealth of billionaire candidate J.B. Pritzker could be a motivating factor for Illinois Democrats.

Chris is a great candidate, Kennedy said. Hes a pro-business candidate and obviously wants to shake things up, and whenever that happens, people are going to take sides.

Kennedy made headlines earlier this year when he introduced a bill that would automatically enroll all Connecticut residents in an organ donation program upon their deaths unless they opt out. The stalled measure was aimed at reducing the number of deaths for people on organ donation lists, but drew the ire of many people. Kennedy said he was trying to catalyze a conversation, and that at least 24 European nations have an opt-out provision on the books.

I knew it was going to be a controversial proposal, he said. We need people with ideas and we need to expand our organ donation. I've been criticized, saying that this is kind of a government takeover of the organ donation process. Some of my ideas may be good and some of them may not be good.

When Kennedy was 12, he was diagnosed with bone cancer, which forced doctors to amputate his right leg below the knee and fit him for a prosthetic limb. Enduring two years of chemotherapy, Kennedy was the subject of a made-for-television movie in 1986.

The Wesleyan- and Yale-educated health care lawyer vaulted onto the political stage in 2014, when was easily elected to fill the Senate seat of retiring Democrat Edward Meyer, a former federal prosecutor appointed by Kennedys late uncle, Robert F. Kennedy.

In 2014, Kennedy faced criticism after the state Democrats kicked in an additional $207,000 into his race despite spending limits as a publicly-financed candidate. Of the additional funds, $88,000 came from Kennedy relatives and business associates.

nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
OXFORD  Some recent visitors to an Oxford reservoir got a much different view than they were expecting.

On Tuesday, a Waterbury man was arrested for allegedly exposing himself on the trails along Seymour Reservoir #4, in front of an adult female victim and a juvenile victim, according to a release from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protect State Environmental Conservation Police.
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Federal investigators on Monday began looking into last weeks Metro-North Railroad derailment amid speculation that excessive heat may have contributed to the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched two investigators and said it would determine whether the low-speed derailment in Rye, N.Y., that injured a dozen passengers Thursday warrants a broader investigation, including hearings and a full report.

We are sending a team to assess whether further investigation is needed, said Eric Weiss, an NTSB spokesman.

Weiss declined comment on media reports indicating that last weeks heat wave  temperatures suddenly soared into the high 90s  may have misaligned the rails and caused the derailment.

A New Haven Line train derailed near the Rye, N.Y., station as it rounded a curve at a slow speed, sending four passengers to the hospital and leaving eight others with minor injuries.

The train was carrying 185 passengers and traveling from Stamford to Grand Central Terminal when it derailed, causing five of its 12 cars to come off the tracks. The train did not tip over, but the accident damaged about 800 feet of track.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially called the accident a minor derailment with no injuries, which drew a quick rebuke from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

A derailment with reported injuries should never be considered minor, Blumenthal said in a statement. Metro-North must explain how a train in a low-speed area jumped the tracks, injured passengers and triggered delays throughout the rail system.

Blumenthal added The NTSB must immediately investigate to determine how this occurred and why Metro-North allowed it to happen.

Although the official cause of the accident has not been determined, speculation centered on high temperatures.

Several media reports said a 10 mph speed limit had been placed on the curve after inspectors found a heat kink in the tracks. Other reports indicated the train was traveling above that speed limit when it derailed.

Metro-North spokeswoman Nancy Gamerman declined comment on the accident, whether a speed limit was in place or if a problem had been spotted prior to the derailment.

During a morning meeting of MTAs Metro-North Committee, Cathy Rinaldi, Metro-Norths vice presdient, said the cause is under investigation by Metro-North. Rinaldi said she planned to meet with the NTSB later in the day.

Jim Gildea, chairman of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, said its possible heat caused a problem with the tracks.

It is early on, but I do believe that heat is a legitimate cause of a derailment, especially coming off extreme heat changes, Gildea said. I am not an expert, however, but the theory that heat expands metal does make sense to me.

Climate Central, a research group that monitors the impact of climate change, reported in an article published on its website that rising global temperatures threaten roads, pipelines, power and rail lines.

The article noted that waves of extreme heat could bend and buckle rails into what experts call sun kinks. Intense heat expands the metal, curving and misaligning rails that become a danger to the trains gliding over them.

Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group and a transportation columnist for Hearst Connecticut Media, also thought heat could be a factor.

The hot tracks explanation makes sense, but doesn't explain how it happened at a slow speed, Cameron said. It sounds like the track moved out from under the cars, not the train moving off the track.
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BRIDGEPORT  A vehicle history tracking service appears to confirm police claims that the sport utility vehicle driven by 15-year-old Jayson Negron had been reported stolen.

Negron was shot to death and his passenger, 21-year-old Julian Fyffe, was wounded on May 9 by officer James Boulay after police said Negron attempted to hit Boulay with the car.

Police said officers had pulled the car over because it was reported stolen.

Carfax, an independent vehicle history company, states that based on information on the vehicle supplied by Hearst Connecticut Media, the 2012 Subaru Forester was reported stolen on April 12. The companys records indicate the sport utility vehicle was recovered on May 10  the day after Negron was killed and Fyffe was wounded.

Last week, Michael Rosnick, an attorney representing Jayson Negrons father, told Hearst Connecticut Media, It appears that the vehicle was not stolen.

Rosnick did not provide evidence at the time in support of his claim, which contradicted statements from local and state police. And he declined to comment on the Carfax report.

Fyffes lawyer, Peter Finch, did not return calls seeking comment.

Fyffe has said last week that he had no knowledge about whether the car had been stolen.

Hearst Connecticut Media obtained sufficient vehicle information to commission a Carfax report, which according to the company relies on a combination of sources including DMV and insurance records.

Rosnick said last week that Boulay used excessive force when he shot and killed Negron. He also argued that Boulay and his fellow officers were never in danger, and that Negron never led them on a chase.

Those claims and the entirety of the shooting incident are under investigation by state police, who have declined to comment further on the case.

The 2012 Subaru Forester was purchased in Milford and had one owner, according to Carfax records.
Ask a small business owner what the secret is to success, and you might be surprised by their answer. Small businesses owners aren't relying on cutthroat competition or trade secrets. Instead, they're depending on other small businesses to openly share what's working.

At 21 years old, Jutta Zeisset decided to take over her family's chicken farm, located in the 2,000-person town of Weisweil, Germany. Over a decade later, the operation has grown from two to 30 employees and includes a museum, a cafe and a shop.

Despite the remote location, Jutta has a regular customer base. Reservations for brunch at her cafe are hard to come by. She credits digital channels and tools with much of this. Facebook has allowed her to attract customers and potential employees who would have otherwise been difficult -- and expensive -- to reach.

Jutta recognized the opportunity she had to inspire and teach other local business owners. She created a Facebook group, which currently boasts 450 members, and started giving seminars across Germany about how to grow rural businesses using digital media.

Her story highlights the importance that communities hold for many small business owners. These communities are sources of connection, support and advice. And while Jutta's rural location might be unique, the stories I've heard from business owners across the world are similar. Small business owners share a desire to learn from and teach other businesses.

Related: A Small-Business Guide to Facebook Advertising (Infographic)

Businesses learn from each other.

The latest results from the Future of Business survey, an ongoing collaboration between Facebook, the OECD and the World Bank, illustrate exactly what we have heard from small businesses: that they are building communities by teaching and learning from each other. In fact, 42 percent of businesses told us that learning from each other is one of the primary ways they learn how to run their business in a mobilized economy, coming second only to online searches (64 percent).

In this mobile-centric economy, business owners must learn new ways to reach and acquire customers. For time-strapped small business owners, who often act as the CEO, the customer service team, and everything in between, this isn't easy. So, we're excited to see that businesses are turning to each other to learn. We believe that the experience of starting and running a business makes these entrepreneurs uniquely positioned to teach others about what drives success.

Related: How Your Small Business Success Is Linked to Facebook's Success

Connection matters.

At Facebook, we've been thinking about connection and community since we started. To build the strongest community of business owners possible, we're doing more of exactly what those business owners have done -- turning to small business owners to learn how they build communities.

Victor Lezama started PC Landing Zone in Muskogee, Oklahoma, after 20 years in the military. He's passionate about Facebook's ability to help him reach potential customers in his town and equally as passionate about helping other businesses do the same. To help, Victor established an open-door policy. He welcomes any local business owner in and answers questions about technology, digital marketing, or simply running a business.

Business owner Omar Taha founded Start Up Muslim, a global platform connecting Muslim startups all over the world. This single Facebook group connects 16,000 people, providing mentorship and knowledge to help Muslim startups enhance their businesses.

Related: Facebook Just Gave Small Businesses a Bunch of New Tools

These connections between small businesses matter. Not only because they establish places for business owners to find advice and support, but more importantly because the things they learn from other businesses can help their own business grow. And when small businesses succeed, they create more jobs and foster local economic growth.

We'll continue to strive toward helping businesses create meaningful connections with to both their customers and their communities. Because those connections matter to business owners, to their communities, and to the economy. And they matter to us.

Related:



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Innovation is sought after by most businesses. It is an aspiration of companies seeking to be leaders and brands of choice. But, the sad truth is that much of what is touted as innovation is often simply a desire to be ahead of the curve and too frequently represents incremental product and service benefits or features rather than real innovation.

Innovation signals that a company is able to break into the marketplace, generate impressive sales and draw top talent and investors, all while continuing to be relevant and successful for the foreseeable future. Innovation is more than something new and improved, but rather represents a completely different approach to solving a problem or creating a gain, says Patricia Newcomb, director of Ohios Small Business Development Center at The Entrepreneurs Center.

Equally important, innovation is tied to both attracting new customers and retaining existing customers, particularly with todays intense competition in most every category. We know if you want buyers to make a change, particularly if they have not purchased from you in the past, you have to provide something dramatically better than the current competition, explains Bruce Hall, CMO of Eureka! Inventing.

Related: How Small Companies Are Keeping Global Giants on Top of Their Game

Establishing a culture and process to support innovation is one way to prepare a business to compete. Startup companies are great sources of innovation because they are lean, agile and able to test user and maker hypotheses more quickly, Newcomb says.

Innovation was more than just a possibility to these entrepreneurial ventures  they did it:

Rent the Runway created a new fashion retail model by offering people the ability to rent top designer labels for one-time use, making haute couture available to a wider audience

created a new fashion retail model by offering people the ability to rent top designer labels for one-time use, making haute couture available to a wider audience WeWork introduced and popularized social and hip shared workspaces that provide community activities, mutual business promotion and shared services, which have become especially attractive to millennials, freelancers and entrepreneurs

introduced and popularized social and hip shared workspaces that provide community activities, mutual business promotion and shared services, which have become especially attractive to millennials, freelancers and entrepreneurs Teledoc was the first to provide on-demand remote medical care via mobile devices, the internet, videoconferencing and phone, thereby offering greater access to healthcare for the uninsured, people with busy schedules or those living in remote areas

was the first to provide on-demand remote medical care via mobile devices, the internet, videoconferencing and phone, thereby offering greater access to healthcare for the uninsured, people with busy schedules or those living in remote areas Kickstarter created the platform for global crowdfunding, which revolutionized fundraising and evened the playing field for individuals and smaller ventures

Failure fuels innovation.

The difference between fostering innovation in small vs. large companies is perhaps best described in terms of the role failure plays in corporate culture, explains Newcomb. Large companies can afford the costs, but often struggle to create an innovative environment, and may take longer to bring new products to market because they have developed a culture intolerant of failure. Small companies, on the other hand, offer a more nurturing cultural environment, but often cant take on the financial risk to truly innovate.

Most successful businesses try to diversify their offerings by investing in new products and services, but most of these experiments fail because they cannot recreate startup environments. Having limited resources is grueling, but it's also an opportunity to focus, to be ruthless about metrics and to know when to pivot or stop, says Steven Kuyan, managing director of Future Labs at NYUs Tandon School of Engineering.

Related: Why This Founder Says You Shouldn't Be Afraid to Go Big

No less important, while large companies may have an advantage based on depth of talent, cash for investment and access to technology, the cost of doing business in some cases has dropped, which lowers barriers to entry. Small companies can often use the same tools as large companies. For example, Hall points out that concept tests that may have cost $7,500 in the past can now be done for just $400 using online resources.

Meaningfully unique opens new markets.

To be considered truly innovative, a product or service must be meaningfully unique or be protected as intellectual property, according to Hall.

Meaningfully unique is essential for small businesses. Hall explains that large companies like Proctor & Gamble and AT&T can successfully release a new product because they have name recognition and an existing customer base. Small businesses have to rely on free press and word-of-mouth, which is why unique concepts are make-or-break for startups and small businesses.

A few examples of recent meaningfully unique business ideas:

Energous : Truly wireless charging technology that delivers power via radio bands so that you can charge multiple devices at a distance

: Truly wireless charging technology that delivers power via radio bands so that you can charge multiple devices at a distance Freemie : Hands-free, mobile breast milk pump that you cant actually see when in use

: Hands-free, mobile breast milk pump that you cant actually see when in use Saltwater Brewery: Edible six pack rings made from the byproducts of the beer-making process, which sea animals can eat

As a rule, a product must be sufficiently new and innovative in order to be protected as intellectual property. This makes simply owning a patent a cue to investors that your product is unique and worth taking a look at. Recent examples of innovative products protected as intellectual property include:

Cornerstone Research Group : The No-Oven, No-Autoclave (NONA) composites technology creates a radically new way to make composite materials used to expedite the manufacturing of large aerospace parts and tooling, oil and gas structures, and more.

: The No-Oven, No-Autoclave (NONA) composites technology creates a radically new way to make composite materials used to expedite the manufacturing of large aerospace parts and tooling, oil and gas structures, and more. Vicis: The ZERO1 football helmet reduces impact severity better than any others on the market.

Related: This Innovation Expert Tells You How to Develop Strong Teams

Ideas aren't enough -- innovation requires speed and delivery.

Smaller companies need rapid cycle development -- fail fast, fail cheap -- because this tactic lowers cost, increases speed in determining viability and offers a greater chance at success in a shorter period of time, Hall says.

Perhaps the most important component of innovation is to deliver. No matter how fabulous or cutting-edge your idea may be, Kuyan advises, you need to be able to get it to customers, market-fit and ready to give your investors a return.

It's easy in the early stages for a startup to perceive false signals from early traction, especially if the startup is in an industry in which the founders already have a network that is leading to early success, Kuyan cautions. Delivering success requires a healthy pipeline of inbound sales, where customers are actively seeking out your product or service.

Remember: At the end of the day innovation isnt simply a marketing catch-phrase. Its a way of life for many business owners and an absolutely vital aspect of survival and success.

Related:

Stanford's Seed Transformation Program for Entrepreneurs Launches in India For the First Time

When It Comes to Innovation, Go Big or Go Home

Everything You Need to Know About the Apple Campus



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
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Every politician wants to be seen as one of the people, a regular person, a human being.

Not every politician goes on a late night show and asks the host for help with accomplishing that goal.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz may have made that mistake.

CHALLENGING CRUZ: Democrat taking on Cruz, targeting Trump in Senate campaign

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert says that the Texas Republican and one-time presidential candidate asked the host before a 2015 appearance if he could humanize him. Story continues below





PageSix.com reported that Colbert, speaking to his audience at New York magazines Vulture Festival on Saturday, joked to the crowd, Step 1, dont ask anyone to humanize you. Thats something humans dont ask.

NO CRUZ, NO PROBLEM: Groups hold search for 'missing' Ted Cruz

Then, Colbert offered Cruz some actually helpful advice - don't launch into a stump speech and don't let the audience recognize any talking point or stump speech. Cruz told the comedian that would be tough to do.

"I said, So is being human', Colbert said, before noting that Cruz immediately went into his stump speech on the show that night.

So, the lesson here is humanizing is hard for some people.

Scroll through the gallery to see real and fictional humans who look like Ted Cruz




https://www.lusakatimes.com/2017/05/22/the-curious-case-of-the-prophets/

Lusaka TimesMay 22, 2017Prophet Bushiri prayed for all African nations and their leaders to ensure that peace prevails on the continent.The last few decades have seen a massive mushrooming of churches and people claiming to be prophets sent by God. It is a common sight these days to see men of the collar doing miracles or lack thereof. Every other day there seems to be a new prophet on the block ready to perform mind-blowing miracles, like turning water into oil, or making women without wombs give birth. It seems like the more miracles one is able to perform the more one is revered by his followers. A friend of mine once told me a story of an acquaintance who was a seasoned illusionist from childhood, who is now swimming in riches, thanks to having reinvented himself as a man of God or man of gold depending on which side of the fence you are sitting on.Just the other week the Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili exercised her powers and deported Prophet Uebert Angel, a man known for stunning miracles like enabling unearned monies to be supernaturally credited to people`s bank accounts by angels. In defending her decision, she said, Only men of God, be it pastors, missionaries and prophets preaching the true gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ will be allowed in the country. My ministry wants to see sanity in the body of Christ. It is taking people for granted, especially those desperate for spiritual attention. Is the gospel for the rich people only? What about the poor Zambians? Some prophets just want to come and extort money and go back, which my ministry will not allow. She was prompted into action after she heard that the Zimbabwean prophet was charging K2,000 for a Millionaire Academy meeting he was scheduled to conduct in Zambia.Her decision attracted a backlash from his followers resulting in her being bombarded with a lot of unprintables. Prominent among the people who reacted angrily to the ministers decision was Malawian prophet Shepherd Bushiri who even went as far as threatening to personally sort out the minister, it remains to be seen if he will carry out his threats. Bushiri has carved out a niche for himself as a leading miracles man, chief among his recent miracles was walking on thin air, which perhaps explains his reaction.I have friends and relatives who have tithed and given their all to their already rich pastors and are still wallowing in poverty 10 years after the tithing and the so-called planting the seed, while their prophets and pastors continues living it large. When they ask their pastors why their seed didnt germinate they are accused of lacking faith.Prophets with larger than life lifestyles have become popular these days. It is a common sight to see modern charismatic preachers and prophets leaving their big mansions while putting on their million dollar suits as they drive their super expensive cars on their way to the bank, to deposit money contributed by their mostly poor church members.Godfridah Sumaili surely has a good case in her quest to protect the miracles seeking gullible masses who keep on flocking into churches run by Pastorpreneurs (entrepreneurs who sets up churches as a business venture), apparently spurned on by unemployment, poverty and diseases. But this raises a question; how easy is it to tell who is and who is not a false prophet? Please somebody tell me where the standard she used to arrive at her decision, before I become another victim of a money hungry conman using the bible to get rich. It seems like the hunt to perform the best miracle is the new gold rush. Did I hear somebody say, go deeper papa? I can maybe go deeper if you equally dig deeper in your pocket. When you pay it will show!
STORY LINK GBP EUR Exchange Rate Tumbles as Merkel Decries ?Weak? Euro

Current Interbank Exchange Rates

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The Pound Euro (GBP EUR) exchange rate plummeted over half a cent in trade today following comments from German Chancellor Angela Merkel.In a panel with a group of students at Kurt Tucholsky high school in Berlin today Merkel was discussing building a closer relationship with new French President Emmanuel Macron when she was asked about the trade imbalance between the two largest economies in the Eurozone.In responding Merkel said;The euro is too weak -- thats because of ECB policy -- and so German products are cheap in relative terms, so theyre sold more.Merkel also partly blamed the Germanys trade surplus on lower oil prices which lowered the import costs of Germany. Adding that if fuel costs were around 50% high then wed soon have a lot more imports.The comments sent the Euro soaring as markets hope that a set of proposals laid out by German and French finance officials will help to balance trade in the Eurozone and make each countrys economy more competitive.Meanwhile the Pound was weakened today by the latest polling data which suggested that Labour was rapidly catching up to the Conservatives.Sundays YouGov poll placed Jeremy Corbyns party just 9 points behind the Tories, doing much to erase the 24 point lead that Theresa May enjoyed at the start of the election, following an outcry against a social care proposal that her opposition labelled a dementia tax.This cast considerable uncertainty over the Brexit process as Mays expected parliamentary majority disappeared overnight.This was compounded further by threats by the UK government to walk away from Brexit talks should it find negotiation terms to be unfavourable.Of particular concern to UK officials is the divorce bill that will be imposed on Britain by the EU to ensure that it meets its previous obligations to the group.The size of the bill has led to great debate over recent weeks, with some analysts suggesting that the payment could be anywhere between 50bn and 100bn and is the main source of contention between the two sides.Brexit Secretary David Davis said in an interview with the Sunday Times;We dont need to just look like we can walk away, we need to be able to walk away, under the circumstances, if that was necessary, we would be in a position to do it.Looking ahead the GBP EUR exchange rate is likely to retreat again on Tuesday as the UK Government releases the latest Public Sector Borrowing figures, with the public deficit expected to swell from -4.36bn to -8.15bn in April.Meanwhile the Euro may cede some ground tomorrow as Germanys latest Manufacturing PMI is expected to have slipped from 58.2 to 58.0 this month.At the time of writing the GBP EUR exchange rate was trending around 1.1576 and the EUR GBP exchange rate was trending around 0.8638.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

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Opening dates, hours and new policies set for 2022 ski season

A price increase on all day and season passes at Seven Springs, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain ski areas goes into effect on Nov. 20.
Jeremy Corbyn loves to portray himself as a man of principle and, above all, a man of peace.

How strange then, that he finds it so impossible to condemn the IRA terrorists who waged a vile 30-year campaign of death and destruction against the British public.

Five times yesterday he was invited to denounce these ruthless killers. Five times he refused, offering nothing but weasel words about being opposed to 'all bombings'.

The comments by Mr Corbyn on Sky News will fuel concerns about his stance towards the IRA

Indeed, he even had the audacity to suggest the British government was to blame for the Troubles by 'seeking a military solution' in Ulster.

In the twisted Corbyn narrative  peddled by Marxists for years  the terrorists were heroic freedom fighters, who had no choice but to take up arms against an oppressive state. Perhaps he should try telling that to the families of those killed at Enniskillen, Hyde Park, or Omagh.

We also learned that Mr Corbyn lobbied vociferously on behalf of the deadly Balcombe Street gang after their imprisonment and was arrested in 1986 during a demonstration at the Old Bailey against the 'show trial' of Brighton bomber Patrick Magee. So close did he become to the men of violence that he was investigated by MI5 as a possible collaborator.

In addition, it was revealed that Mr Corbyn's ex-girlfriend Diane Abbott spoke in the 1980s about her fervent hopes for an IRA victory, saying 'every defeat of the British state is a victory for all of us'. In a Corbyn government, this woman would become Home Secretary. It beggars belief.

Mr Corbyn, pictured with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in the 1980s, invited him to parliament weeks after the Brighton bombing

Weeks after the IRA bombed the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1984, Mr Corbyn invited Sinn Fein chief Gerry Adams to speak in parliament

The truth is that while Mr Corbyn says he's a man of peace, he actively condones violence when it's directed against his own country. That certainly makes him a hypocrite  some would say a traitor.

It's bad enough that he has risen to be leader of Her Majesty's Opposition. The thought of this IRA cheerleader becoming Prime Minister is simply grotesque.

Taxing problem of care

Labour's sneering characterisation of Theresa May's social care proposals as a 'dementia tax' is both mendacious and deeply offensive.

Firstly, this is not a tax at all. It is an acceptance that those who can afford it must shoulder some of the cost of the care they receive in old age  otherwise the system will collapse under the weight of our ageing population.

Secondly, saying this is about dementia is an insult to millions of elderly people whose minds are perfectly acute but just need a helping hand.

True, many will be disappointed that the lifetime care cap has been scrapped and that some better-off pensioners must contribute more for home help. And those who have not saved will receive free care, while the prudent will have to pay.

But no one with assets of less than 100,000 will face charges and the threat of being forced to sell the family home has mercifully been lifted.

Needless to say, Labour is being utterly duplicitous. Its plans to slash inheritance tax allowance affects far more families and would mean people being able to pass on much less to their children. Unlike Mrs May's proposals, that's a real tax.

Police chiefs are allowing revellers at music festivals to have illegal drugs tested in special tents to make sure they're 'safe' to take. Surely the police are supposed to crack down on hard drugs, not give them an official seal of approval? What next  kite marks?

Segregated cycle lanes have increased congestion and worsened pollution. Now the College of Paramedics warns they could cost lives because they slow down ambulances. Isn't it time to abandon this cycle 'superhighway' experiment and admit that it was a stupid mistake?
Furious members of the Carlton Club  spiritual home of the Tories  are worried that Theresa Mays anti-complacency message has been defied by the establishment in Londons St Jamess.

They are concerned about the clubs hubristic decision to hold a celebratory champagne dinner on June 8  starting hours before polls across the country even close.

Posh invites have been sent out for the event at the members-only club, which was founded in 1832 as the original home of the party before Conservative Central Office was set up.

Furious members of the Carlton Club  spiritual home of the Tories  are worried that Theresa Mays anti-complacency message has been defied by the establishment in Londons St Jamess

Not surprisingly, there is deep disquiet at Tory HQ, too, over the crass timing of the event

Though the club says it continues to uphold these [Tory] values in its day-to-day activities, an appalled member tells me: Are they mad? It sends entirely the wrong message. Its arrogant complacency. Every Tory member should be knocking on doors and hitting the phones up until the very last minute on polling day in order to try to secure every last vote  not drinking to victory before we know whats happened.

Not surprisingly, there is deep disquiet at Tory HQ, too, over the crass timing of the event. Particularly since publicity surrounding this premature victory party might remind voters of the aristocratic chumocracy of the Cameron government.

For David Cameron was a member of rival Whites club  where his stockbroker dad had been chairman  only to resign because, being men-only, he felt its image was at odds with his wish to be seen as a modernising Tory leader.

Lets hope the Carlton Club, which is filled with solid constituency members and is described as Vintage Conservative, learns from this blundering mistake.

A funny tale from Jess Phillips after days doorstep canvassing as she defends Birmingham Yardley for Labour

Barbs out for Labour's Jess

A funny tale from Jess Phillips after days doorstep canvassing as she defends Birmingham Yardley for Labour. I was given a huge cactus by one voter  and five days later Im still picking tiny barbs from my arms. Shes convinced the plant was a present from a supporter of her Lib Dem rival.

Veteran Tory John Redwood, who first stood as an MP 35 years ago, seems trapped in a time-warp. In a questionnaire delivered on his behalf, voters are urged: Thinking of May 9, 2017, who would you prefer to be prime minister  Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn?

May 9? That was almost two weeks ago. Surely he means June 9?

Sulky Tory Remainer Anna Soubry has clearly been wrestling with the problem of how to portray herself as she fights to be re-elected in the seat of Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire.

Theres no clue to voters  who were pro-Leave in last years EU referendum  that shes been a pro-Brussels, rebel anti-Brexiteer. Equally, the word Conservative has been consigned to the bottom corner of Vote Soubry posters. Instead, the phrase Standing with Theresa May is given most prominence.

Is this being two-faced, or just that Soubry has been forced to eat a lot of humble pie, considering that Mrs May sacked her from the government last year?

Truism of the week: While Theresa May rejects suggestions that her bold and honest vision for Britain should be coined Mayism, Jeremy Corbyn is also in denial  that his hard-Left manifesto is Maoism.

A Challenge from the darth side

Among the 12 candidates challenging Theresa May in her Maidenhead constituency on June 8 is Lord Buckethead, who describes himself as an inter-galactic space lord.

Representing the Gremloids Party, he took the name and Darth Vader-esque appearance from the 1984 sci-fi film of the same name. Thirty years ago, a similarly named candidate stood against Margaret Thatcher in Finchley  and won 131 votes.
Weve all been there. Youre getting ready for work or an evening out and realise youve missed a step.

Maybe you meant to put on sun protection before your make-up but forgot, or, having applied make-up, realise your skin could have done with a face mask.

The good news is that exciting new technologies are turning traditional beauty regimes on their heads.

Forget the old-fashioned way of doing things, theres a whole range of products promising you can condition your hair before you shampoo it, apply fake tan after make-up, and even put on body moisturiser before you get out of the shower. But do they work as well? We put them to the test.

Big beauty advice changes include putting on face masks after foundation and moisturising while still in the shower

REVERSE YOUR REGIME FOR THICKER HAIR

Reverse hair washing  using conditioner before shampoo  has been a trend for a while. Devotees claim it leaves hair shinier and fuller.

PRODUCT

Tresemme is the first mass-market brand to create products specifically designed to be used in this order, with their Beauty-Full Volume Reverse System Pre Wash Conditioner and Shampoo.

We knew many women who want volume shy away from conditioning products that weigh hair down, says Peter Bailey, of Unilever, the maker of Tresemme.

Their solution is a conditioner designed to leave polishing actives on hair, before using a shampoo that washes away the weight of the conditioner but not the softness.

VERDICT

I followed the instructions  conditioner first, concentrating on the ends, wait for a minute, then rinse and shampoo. The combination left my hair volumised and soft.

But the good news is Im not convinced you need specifically designed shampoo and conditioner  simply switch the order of your usual products.

FACE MASKS AFTER FOUNDATION

Face masks used to be a weekly ritual  something you did on a pampering night in  but the creation of the sheet mask that you can use after your make-up? It sounds ridiculous.

PRODUCT

Charlotte Tilburys Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask is a dry mask that uses revolutionary technology, developed by Canadian brand Nannette de Gaspe, to impregnate vitamins, floral extracts, peptides, oils and butters into your skin. As its dry, it can be used over the top of a fully made-up face.

VERDICT

The mask has loops that you hook over your ears so it stays in place. Its comfortable and feels soft, but youd never guess it was capable of transforming your skin in 15 minutes. After using it, my skin felt soft, but not greasy, fine lines were smoothed and any dry skin disappeared. My make-up looked fresher, too.

MOISTURISE IN THE SHOWER

I know I should use moisturiser or body lotion daily, but my morning routine is such a scramble, the last thing I want to do when Ive dried off is to ply my body with cream and wait for it to sink in before getting dressed.

PRODUCT

Sanctuary Spa Wet Skin Moisture Miracle is a body cream designed to be applied to wet skin. Sanctuary is owned by the makers of fake tan brand St Tropez. It claims the cream  applied to wet skin  locks in twice the moisture, up to twice as fast as regular creams.

VERDICT

Apply to wet skin as soon as you turn off the shower. The formulation  thinner than a cream, thicker than a lotion  was easily applied, then I dried myself as usual. No stickiness, soft skin and a subtle perfume.

SERUM TO SEAL IN SUPER SKIN

Serums have been hailed as the answer to almost any skincare woe. With a lighter, thinner consistency than creams and higher levels of active ingredients, the idea is that they are the workhorses of any skincare regime.

PRODUCT

U.S. cosmeceutical brand DCL has created Hydra Boost Finishing Serum a super-hydrating hyaluronic acid-based gel applied on top of other treat-ment products to enhance benefits.

VERDICT

I tried using this over make-up, but it didnt really work  it felt sticky and, when I tried to rub it in, started to peel off my make-up. However, using it on top of my moisturiser seemed to super-charge its effect, leaving my skin glowing.

SUN TAN LOTION ON TOP OF MAKE-UP

Were told we should reapply sun cream every couple of hours for full protection against harmful, ageing rays  impossible if youve got a full face of make-up. But thats where the new sprays come in.

PRODUCT

Try Biodermas Hydrabio Moisturising Anti-UV Mist SPF 30 (6.75, landyschemist.com), La Roche-Posay Anthelios Anti-Shine Invisible Fresh Mist Spray SPF 50 (pictured, 11.90, escentual.com), or Garnier Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Face Mist SPF 50 (6, boots.com).

VERDICT

I love the idea of these protectors, but there are subtle differences. The Bioderma isnt an aerosol, so you get more of a spritz  great for a hot day  while the Ambre Solaire and La Roche-Posay products gave a matte, weightless finish, which works well over make-up. It isnt the most effective way of applying protection, but its far better than wearing none at all.
Melania Trump's outfit choices are the hit of Saudi Arabia, according to local press.

Images of the Sunday edition of Arab News have begun circulating on Twitter, bearing the headline: 'classy and conservative' in reference to the first lady's style displayed on her first foreign trip with her husband Donald Trump.

The praise comes despite Melania's decision not to wear head scarves during the tour of the country, less than two years after the president slammed former first lady Michelle Obama for failing to cover her head.

Arrival: Melania Trump has been praised by a Saudi Arabia newspaper for her style since arriving in the conservative country on Saturday

Hitting the headlines: Despite refusing to cover her head, the media praised her 'classy and conservative' outfit choice

Compare: The first lady disembarked from Air Force One in Riyadh on Saturday in what is believed to be a $1,495 black Stella McCartney jumpsuit

The paper included an image of Melania disembarking from Air Force One in Riyadh on Saturday in all-black.

The outfit, believed to be a $1,495 black Stella McCartney jumpsuit, was cinched at the waist with a wide gold belt.

The jumpsuit looked very much like an abaya, a loose overgarment worn by many Saudi women.

Stephanie Grisham, Melania's spokesperson explained to CNN that this similarity was intentional.

'If you look at her style, it's still very much her and her style of dress but being sensitive to the place and host nation for sure,' she said.

Changing up: Later that night she was seen in a long magenta gown with long cape sleeves

On her own: Melania made solo appearances in the country on Sunday, including a tour of the American International School

Business: Melania wore a beige trench coat style dress cut off at the knee for the tours

Next stop: She also visited an all-women General Electric service center, tweeting along the way

The Arab news article also quoted a Jeddah shope owner named Nahed Andijani, who said: 'When I saw her arrival pictures wearing a modest outfit respecting our culture, I was like, "This looks so much like my abaya!"'

Later that evening she changed into a magenta floor-length gown with billowing long sleeves.

On Sunday, Melania went off on some solo excursions in the city while her husband was meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council.

She stopped by the American International School where she greeted pupils and spoke with teachers, joined by the Saudi Education Minister, Ahmed Al Eissa.

She also visited an all-women General Electric service center and sported a beige trench coat style dress cut off at the knee during the tours.

Another change: Ahead of the Arabic Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center, Melania was seen dressed in a white pantsuit

Change of heart? Less than two years ago, Trump blasted Michelle Obama for not wearing a headscarf in Saudi Arabia

She took to Twitter during the events, praising the school's 'international perspective and education to children.'

The praise of Melania's style comes despite her and her step-daughter Ivanka's decision not to wear headscarves in the conservative country.

Melania's predecessor Michelle Obama also did not cover her head when she accompanied then-President Barack Obama on a condolence visit in January 2015 after the death of King Abdullah.

Donald Trump tweeted his disapproval at the time, saying: 'Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf (sic) enemies.'

Melania's spokesperson told CNN that wearing the headscarf 'was not required' and that 'nobody asked her to', so she decided to go without.
When it comes to packing for short holidays, it can be a struggle deciding what to take and what to leave behind.

So to help women out, Australian finance guru and lifestyle blogger, Canna Campbell, recently posted a video with her top tips for packing light for a trip.

Ms Campbell recently packed for a five day trip to London so she used the opportunity to share what she packed and why.

Australian finance guru and lifestyle blogger, Canna Campbell, recently posted a video with her top tips for packing light for a trip

1. LOOK AT YOUR ITINERARY AND THE WEATHER

The first tip? Go over your itinerary and check the weather before you pack.

'I knew what days I was meeting with people, what days I was filming and what days I had dedicated to things like catching up with girlfriends,' Ms Campbell said.

As a result, Ms Campbell avoided packing unnecessary items and only packed clothes suitable for those occasions and appointments.

By checking the weather ahead of time she was also able to pack clothes suitable for the cooler weather.

The first tip? Go over your itinerary and check the weather before you pack

2. PRE-ORGANISE YOUR OUTFITS

After checking her itinerary, Ms Campbell pre-organised her outfits ahead of time.

'I knew exactly that from Monday I would be wearing these jeans, with that jacket and that top and those shoes,' she explained.

'Now that made me feel really calm knowing that I packed everything I needed and wasn't doubling up on anything.

'Also that I wasn't missing any key accessories or items of clothing that would leave me stuck.'

'I knew what days I was meeting with people, what days I was filming and what days I had dedicated to things like catching up with girlfriends,' Ms Campbell said

3. STICK TO A COLOUR PALETTE

Ms Campbell stuck to a colour palette so all of the clothes she packed worked well together.

'I didn't throw in any rogue random colours and everything I put in my suitcase matched,' she said.

'If I decided to change my outfits for each day it didn't matter because most of the tops went with the pants, shoes, jackets and handbags.'

Ms Campbell stuck to a colour palette so all of the clothes she packed worked well together

4. PACK COMFORTABLE, VERSATILE CLOTHING

Ms Campbell was also sure to pack items of clothing that she could dress up and dress down and items that were practical and comfortable.

She also packed two handbags which she said were perfect for a five day trip.

'I took this handbag with me which is one of my favourite handbags,' she said referring to a Gucci beige bag.

'Because of this gold chain it meant that it really dressed an outfit up if I was going to a meeting. It's also really practical and hands-free. It makes life so much easier.'

The second handbag was her black Givenchy Nightingale handbag.

'Again this is a really classic handbag that I could wear at night with my leather jacket,' she said.

'I took this handbag with me which is one of my favourite handbags,' she said referring to a Gucci beige bag

'Again this is a really classic handbag that I could wear at night with my leather jacket,' she said

Ms Campbell also packed four pairs of practical shoes including two pairs of Chanel ballet flats, a pair of plain white Lacoste running shoes and heel boots.

'The ballet flats went with all different shades I packed within my colour palette. The thing with ballet flats is they are still incredibly feminine and pretty and make an outfit look quite smart and put together but they are also incredibly comfortable for walking around in,' Ms Campbell said.

'Because we were going to a show I packed one pair of heels and I checked the weather so I knew what to pack.

'I took a nice pair of beautiful boots and these are actually really budget friendly. These were great because I could wear them with black tights and jeans.'

'The ballet flats went with all different shades I packed within my colour palette,' she said

'I took a nice pair of beautiful boots and these are actually really budget friendly. These were great because I could wear them with black tights and jeans,' Ms Campbell said

5. PACK ITEMS THAT ARE CREASE-FREE

Ms Campbell's top tip is packing clothing that does not crease to save time and to avoid looking unprofessional or crumpled.

'Because things in suitcases get squished and squashed and crumpled I packed easy things,' she said.

Items Ms Campbell mentioned included a jumper that looked 'chic' for all occasions and a lace top as lace doesn't crush.

'Another great item for night time was a little coat which was really nice and warm. It is very chic and it's great for wearing over pants and over a dress with stockings,' she said.

'Leather jackets are great too because they don't get too crushed. Any creases that are there will drop off on a coat hanger for a few hours.'

Ms Campbell's top tip is packing clothing that does not crease to save time and to avoid looking unprofessional or crumpled (pictured with her lace crease-free top)
Countryfile's Matt Baker knows the script; you're offered a much-loved regional dish, you digest a morsel of it and then wax lyrical about how delicious it is.

Except last night's episode of the BBC show saw the popular presenter come unstuck after he was served up a medieval fish and apple pie in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Viewers squirmed as Baker gingerly shovelled a spoonful of the centuries-old pastry recipe - something he'd earlier described as sounding 'horrific' - into his mouth, and promptly looked like he might be sick.



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Eat up! Matt Baker couldn't hide his dislike of a centuries-old fish and apple pie recipe on Countryfile last night. The presenter, 39, admitted he thought the combo sounded 'horrific' before he sampled it on screen

What do you mean you don't like it? Historian Karen McKusker looks on as Baker tries to compose himself after chomping on the unappetising pie

Pie's the limit! Baker told viewers that the pie, which uses the apples grown in the Clyde Valley's orchards smelled like a mince pie, only with fish

The pie - a marriage of salmon and apple - was served up by local Clyde Valley historian Karen McKusker, who had picked the pie from a collection of recipes that had been handed down through local families over the centuries.

Baker clearly wasn't impressed by the pie's pairing, telling McKusker: 'A fish and apple pie? That sounds horrific.'

After supping on an apple and tomato soup, which he appeared to enjoy, Baker then turned his attention to the pie - leaving several million viewers at home watching his agony as he chewed and gurned until it had been digested.

Do you want apples with that? Local historian Karen McKusker first offered the presenter a tomato and apple soup, which he liked, before viewers watched him struggle to hide his disgust at the fish and apple pie

Baker told McKusker politely that the pie tasted 'weird', quipping 'imagine what it tasted like the first time they made it'

He called the pie, which he said smelt like a festive mince pie only with fish 'weird' and added: 'Its alright. Theres a lot going on in there.'

Fans of the show at home clearly understood where Baker was coming from and couldn't relate to the dish's appeal either.

On Twitter, @Carthedon wrote: 'This American lady obviously translated it wrong deep fried mars bars ok but fish and apple pie is crossing a line.'

@dalehay added simply: 'Fish and apple pie... *stomach turns*'
Elated new parents told of their astonishment after filming their 13-week-old baby daughter appearing to say 'I love you'.

Footage of new mum Claire Reid, 28, from Scotland, with baby daughter Ellie shows the little girl gazing up at her mother.

When beauty therapist Claire tells Ellie 'I love you', the baby seems to repeat her mother's words right back to her.

The clip shows Claire open-mouthed in astonishment, while Ellie's dad Grant, 32, an engineer from Glasgow who was working away at the time, said he was 'so shocked' when Claire sent him the video via Whatsapp.

New parents Grant and Claire Reid (above with their baby scan) from Scotland, have revealed their astonishment after their 13-week-old baby daughter appeared to say 'I love you'

Grant said: 'I was working away in Inverness when Claire sent me the video. I couldn't believe it.

'Ellie had just turned 13 weeks old when the video was taken so it really is unbelievable.

'I watched the video and straight away I said "Oh my God". I was just so shocked.

'You can see she is trying to copy what Claire is saying and it comes out so clear.

'We sent the video to our friends and family and they were all completely shocked too,' he said.

Claire (above with daughter Ellie) in the special moment caught on camera, which she sent straight to Ellie's dad, Grant

The video shows daughter Ellie (above) staring intently at her mother and then appearing to repeat what she says

Claire (above with Ellie) is shocked when her baby daughter appears to say the words 'I love you' back to her

While it certainly sounds an awful lot like Ellie is saying the magic words to her mum, babies typically say their first words between the ages of 12 to 18 months, and begin to master a few simple words like 'mama' and 'dada'.

According to the NHS, babies do not start speaking in full sentences until they reach the age of around one and a half to two years old.

Ellie Reid was born weighing 7lb 11oz at Scotland's Forth Valley Royal Hospital on 23rd January.

Grant says: 'Ellie (above with Claire) had just turned 13 weeks old when the video was taken so it really is unbelievable'

He continued: 'I watched the video and straightaway I said 'Oh my God'. I was just so shocked. You can see she is trying to copy what Claire is saying and it comes out so clear'

New mother Claire (above) says that 17-week old Ellie 'hasn't said anything since. It was just a fluke in the moment'

The amazing footage shows Claire appearing to cry in shock after her young baby daughter tells her she loves her back

The new parents say they will show Ellie (above in sheep pyjamas) the footage when she is older

'Claire is always interacting with Ellie and she always talks to her but this is the first time Ellie has responded,' said Grant.

The video was filmed at the end of April, when little Ellie had just turned 13 weeks old.

New mother Claire added that the now 17-week old Ellie 'hasn't said anything since. It was just a fluke in the moment'.

'She makes cute little noises and I think in that instance she was just trying to copy the noises I was making,' she said.

'We will show her the video when she's older, but that's a long way off yet.'
Grantchester viewers were left unnerved last night after James Norton's vicar character looked almost identical to a sinister psycho the actor once played in Happy Valley - thanks to a very distinctive coat.

James Norton's role as terrifying Tommy Lee Royce in BBC police thriller Happy Valley saw him regularly wearing the black wool jacket with leather shoulders...but viewers clearly didn't anticipate Norton's latest character, gentle vicar Sydney Chambers, going for a similar look.

On Twitter, fans of both shows said the coat had brought the two opposing characters from different dramas a little closer together than they'd liked.

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Good and evil...wearing the same coat: James Norton plays Sidney Chambers in the current series of Grantchester but viewers say the black wool jacket he wore in last night's episode made him look identical to Tommy Lee Royce, the sinister character he played in Happy Valley

'They shouldn't have put him in that jacket!' Norton's vicar Sidney Chambers looked remarkably similar to his one-time character from Happy Valley

@ClaireMeredith wrote on Twitter: 'Has Tommy turned up in #Grantchester tonight @jginorton? #recylcledjacket'

While @rmoomin84 thought the jacket was a fail on the part of the wardrobe department: '#Grantchester costume department really should've picked a different jacket for Sidney, it's all gone a bit Tommy Lee Royce tonight.'

@irishtiboo penned: 'Good to see Tommy Lee Royce's donkey jacket is getting another airing!'

The donkey jacket is back! Eagle-eyed viewers didn't miss the similar-looking jacket

Psychopathic killer Royce shot Norton to fame in Sally Wainwright's drama, as his character antagonised Sarah Lancashire's Sgt. Catherine Cawood.

The character is in sharp contrast to the Reverend Sidney Chambers, a gentle man of god, who, in last night's hour-long installment of the ITV drama went in pursuit of Ronnie Maguire (Charlie Higson) following the theft of money from Tessa Peake-Jones's Mrs Maguire.
Mermaids might be mythical but this person's makeup looks incredibly realistic.

Channing Carlisle, a makeup artist from the US, uses some clever makeup tricks to create shiny fish scales on her leg.

The 23-year-old, who is moving to Los Angeles in August to attend the Cinema Makeup School, posted the picture on her Twitter account and it has since gone viral, with over 51,000 people sharing it and over 195,000 liking the post.

A woman has turned herself into a mermaid using special effect products and popular makeup brands - and her effort has gone viral with hundreds of thousands of people sharing it

The self-taught makeup artist used special effects products and popular makeup brands to achieve the look and it has been receiving a lot of attention on social media.

While some said it's the 'most beautiful' artwork they'd seen, others were more critical of its gruesome element and said mermaids 'don't look like that' because they don't look like 'they're rotting'.

It seems the majority of Twitter users were positive about Channing's makeup skills, though, with people saying they 'keep staring' at it to try and find a flaw in her work.

Channing Carlisle posted the picture to Twitter and it has since gone viral with over 51,000 shares

The self-taught makeup artist uses special effects products and popular makeup brands to achieve her incredible looks

The 23-year-old, (above) from the US, says she got bored and decided to turn herself into a mermaid. She has become popular on social media for her makeup talents

People flocked to Twitter to tell Channing what they thought of her makeup skills - and whilst the majority praised her work, some people felt it wasn't a true representation of what mermaids look like

Channing is moving to Los Angeles in August to attend the Cinema Makeup School and hopes to continue her career as a makeup artist

She regularly updates her Instagram page with pictures of the effects she creates (like above) and has over 4,000 followers

One person said that it makes their 'skin crawl' in such a way that they think it's actually real.

Channing, who posts her work on Instagram, spoke to the Metro about the responses she has received, saying: 'I was surprised at people's reaction. I even said on my personal Facebook account when I uploaded it that I didn't like how it turned out.'

She continued: 'I'm super into realism and that's how you really trick the eyes.

'People have a hard time deciphering it.'
A woman whose mother has just four months left to live has shared a heartbreaking video asking for funds to contribute to her life-saving treatment.

Kate Colgan, 25, from Lytham near Blackpool, is aiming to raise 150,000 to fund immunotherapy treatment, an alternative to chemotherapy, to save her mother's life.

Kate's 54-year-old mother, Janet, has stage 4 terminal stomach cancer and immunotherapy isn't available on the NHS so she's currently being treated at The Hallwang clinic in Germany but Kate explains that the family is going to run out of money soon.

Kate Colgan, right, 25 from Lytham near Blackpool, is aiming to raise 150,000 to fund chemotherapy to save her mother Janet's life, left. Janet has stage 4 stomach cancer and Kate, holding her new daughter, wants to raise money to pay for immunotherapy

Speaking in the video as she chokes back tears, Kate explains: 'Her stomach tumour is growing quite rapidly and mum can't eat anymore and the only option we have now is to quickly shrink the stomach tumour before it kills her.

'The only way we can do that is with aggressive chemo here [in Germany] and back in the UK. But we are going to run out of money soon so please donate and do whatever you can. Without you, she's not going to make it.'

On her Just Giving page, which has so far raised 22,608, Kate explains that her family were dealt the 'cruelest hand imaginable' last September when her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal stomach cancer; the exact cancer that Kate's grandmother died of.

Kate said: 'History was repeating itself. I cannot begin to describe the fear that we felt hearing the consultants say she has only 12 months to live. The cancer has also spread to the lymph nodes and peritoneum.'

Speaking in the video as she chokes back tears, Kate explains: 'Her stomach tumour is growing quite rapidly and mum can't eat anymore and the only option we have now is to quickly shrink the stomach tumour before it kills her'. The video has since gone viral on social media with tens of thousands of views

Kate, who was pregnant with her first child at the time, said: 'What should have been the best time of my life, quickly turned into the worst. My mum is not only a wonderful mum, but also my best friend.'

WHAT IS IMMUNOTHERAPY? Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment designed to boost the body's natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses substances either made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function. From cancer.net Advertisement

Kate explains that not only is the cancer resisting chemotherapy but Janet also experiences agonising bone pain, permanent ringing in her ears, and is 'doubled up with stomach pain' every time she eats.

'I fear she wont get the nutrition she needs to stay strong. Without help she will die,' added Kate.

With a background in clinical science, Kate began to research immunotherapy.

Speaking about the treatment, Kate explained: 'In simple terms, immunotherapy stimulates your own immune system to work harder or smarter to attack cancer cells.

'There are cases where patients have gone into remission or been cured.'

Kate, who has just welcomed her first child (pictured being held by Janet), said: 'What should have been the best time of my life, quickly turned into the worst. My mum is not only a wonderful mum, but also my best friend'

Kate, who describes her mother as 'loving, down to earth, and very humble lady who puts her family first', concluded: 'Over the years she has made many sacrifices to give my brother and I the opportunities she didnt have, expecting very little in return.

'She has so much to live for, especially her granddaughter. Please, make a donation to save her life, even if its a 1.'
A Florida teen has hit out at her private high school principal after he told her that her natural Afro was a 'distraction' to fellow students and must be 'fixed.'

Jenesis Johnson, 17, was informed by Lynn Burgess, assistant principal at North Florida Christian in Tallahassee, that her full, natural hair was 'not neat' and 'needs to be put in a style.'

'It is fixed,' she told WCTV of his demands, insisting that her natural hair already meets these criteria. Still, if she does not meet the demands of the North Florida Christian administration, she risks losing her enrollment at the private high school.

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'It is fixed!' Jenesis Johnson, 17, was recently told by her school's assistant principal that she must change her 'extreme' hairstyle or risk her enrollment

A strict school: North Florida Christian, where Johnson is a junior, has a student handbook that prohibits 'faddish and extreme' hairstyles

The demands from the school came as a surprise to the Florida teenager, particularly as she has been wearing her hair in an Afro style 'on and off' since seventh grade - and daily for the past seven months.

While Johnson admitted to her hair being large, she assured WCTV that she always sits in the back of the classroom, so as to not obstruct anyone's view.

She added that the uproar over her locks began several weeks ago, when a teacher asked her: 'How long are you rocking that hairstyle?' The teacher's inquiry then prompted other students to ask Johnson about the styling and upkeep of her Afro.

Just two days later, Johnson was called into the assistant principal's office and informed her hair went against school policy.

In her criticism of Johnson's hair style, the assistant principal pointed to the North Florida Christian school handbook, which states, 'No faddish or extreme hairstyles, and hair should be neat and clean at all times. The administration will make the decision on any questionable styles.'

The extensive handbook later specifies, for 'Young Men' in particular, that 'No fad haircuts are allowed. This includes but is not limited to Mohawks, designs cut into hair, colored tips, or Afros that if stretched would reach beyond the eyebrows or the collar.'

Interestingly, an archived version of the student handbook for the 2014-2015 school year makes no mention of Afro hairstyles.

Many, including Johnson and her mother, Lisa, are questioning not whether the rule exists - but why it exists in the first place.

'You might say that it didn't fit the handbook,' Lisa told WCTV. 'But I saw, and what she heard is a woman telling her that she's not pretty; her hair does fit society.'

Why now? Johnson, who has been wearing an Afro hairstyle since seventh grade, doesn't understand why her hairstyle is just now being discriminated against

An uncertain future: Johnson (left) and her mother Lisa (right) are not the first to draw attention to a school's discriminatory hair-related policies

The school has yet to respond to requests for comment.

North Florida Christian is not the only school whose hair-related policies have caused an uproar. Earlier this year, students at Mystic Valley Regional Charter in Malden, Massachusetts were at risk of suspension if found to be wearing hair extensions, including braids.

The Massachusetts attorney general later sent a letter to the school, demanding they they cease 'subjecting students of color, especially black students, to differential treatment' regarding the school's hair and make up policy.

However, as North Florida Christian is a private institution, they do not have to comply with anti-discrimination laws - a fact that leaves Johnson concerned for both her own academic future, and the future of others.

'It hurts me. It's hurting me. For my people behind me, the younger ones, they're going to have hair like me,' she told WCTV. 'Why can't they wear their natural hair?'

Johnson and her mother are still deciding how they will proceed for the coming school year.

While Johnson was allowed to finish the semester with her natural hairstyle, the school informed her that if she does not alter her Afro, they will issue her a refund for the coming term.
He is recently engaged and is now enjoying a sun-soaked break with his beautiful bride-to-be.

So it is of little wonder that Dave Clarke struggled to keep a smile off his face as he strolled through Cannes with his glamorous new fiancee.

Dave, 32, who dated Princess Beatrice for ten years before their split last summer, beamed as he disembarked from a private boat and walked hand-in-hand with Lynn Anderson towards the exclusive Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc today.

Smitten: Dave Clarke, who dated Princess Beatrice for ten years, walks hand-in-hand with fiancee Lynn Anderson towards the exclusive Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cannes today

Relaxed: The couple, who are understood to be recently engaged, smiled and chatted as they strolled from the private boat along the jetty as they joined in the glamour of the film festival

Look of love: Dave and Lynn caught eyes as they disembarked the boat along the Riviera

Royal red carpet: Princess Beatrice is believed to be staying in Cannes with her mother, Sarah Ferguson. Last night the mother and daughter attended a glittering charity fashion event

Former flame: Dave Clarke and Princess Beatrice dated for ten years but split last summer

The couple are likely to be relieved that Beatrice and Dave ended their relationship so amicably as there is a possibility they could run into each other on the Riviera.

Beatrice, 28, is believed to be staying in the region with her mother, Sarah Ferguson, and taking in the excitement of the 70th annual Cannes Film Fesitval.

Last night mother and daughter joined stars including Bella Hadid, Naomi Campbell and Kendall Jenner at the glittering Fashion For Relief charity event, with Beatrice making a statement in an embroidered midnight blue skirt and soft black blouse.

Meanwhile Dave and Lynn, 31, appeared to be to be swapping all-out glamour in favour of a relaxed day on the coast.

Travelling in style: Dave, centre, and Lynn, right in the black top, arrived at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc with a group of friends in a private speed boat

Ever the gentleman: Dave made sure his fiancee got on the jetty before he left the boat

Beaming: Dave looked in great spirits as he met and chatted with friends on the jetty

Summer sun: Lynn, left, and Dave dressed for the occasion in light fabrics and sunglasses

Lynn, a New York advertising executive, showed off her enviably long legs in a pair of flowing white trousers, which she paired with a simple black strap top, white slide shoes and black sunglasses - although there was no sign of an engagement ring.

The pair met in the US, where Dave is an executive for cab app Uber and she was a director of partnerships and portfolio products at NBC Universal in New York.

It is said that she is currently between jobs and has been spending a vast amount of time with Dave, dubbed by Beatrice's mother, Sarah, the Duchess of York, as 'Mr Smiley'.

Inseparable: Dave Clarke reached for his beautiful fiancee's hand as they walked

Head over heels: Dave and Lynn held hands as they made their way to the A-list hotel

For his part, sources described Dave as being 'smitten' and has, it seems, quickly got down on one knee.

A friend of Beatrice, who is currently splitting her time between London and the US, told the Mail that she is 'super happy' for her former love.

'Of course Beatrice was told and she is super happy for Dave,' they said. 'They were friends when they split up and will always remain friends.'
A high school senior says she was almost arrested at school, then barred from walking at graduation for showing her shoulders.

Summer, who goes to Hickory Ridge High School in North Carolina, wore a green shirt to school last week. The garment, which has a round neckline, reveals the tips of her shoulders as well as her collarbones.

The honor student told WCNC school officials asked her to change even after she covered up with a friend's jacket, leading to an argument that escalated and culminated with the suspension.

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How it began: Summer, who goes to Hickory Ridge High School in North Carolina, wore a green shirt revealing the tip of her shoulders and her collarbones to school last week

Summer, who has a 4.4 GPA and a full scholarship to attend a major university, said she was eating lunch when the school's principal came up to her and asked if she had brought a jacket.

The teen replied: 'I think my shirt is fine,' according to the suspension notice.

In response, the principal told her the shirt left her lower back exposed, and said she wasn't obeying the dress code, after which the student defended the shirt one more time, the document states.

Summer said she borrowed a friend's jacket and zipped it up, presumably remedying the situation.

But she told WCNC the principal asked her to change out of the shirt and into another outfit, and to go to the control room to do so.

At this point, the teen said, Summer told the principal she wouldn't comply unless the school called her mother, due to previous issues between the student and the principal.

But no one was able to get in touch with the mother, according to Summer. The student then said she was with classmates inside the school's auditorium when the principal dismissed everyone but her.

That is when the school's officer got involved, according to the teen.

Conflict: The honor student said school officials asked her to change even after she covered up with a friend's jacket, leading to an argument that led to a suspension

Account: At one point, she recounted the school's officer standing five feet from her with his hand on his gun, and said the principal threatened to have her arrested if she didn't comply

'[The SRO] was within five feet of me, he had his hand on his gun. [The principal] said "I'm gonna give you an ultimatum. We have tried to call your mother. You either come with me to the control room to change your shirt or we will arrest you," ' she told WCNC.

The teen said she stayed in her seat and tried to call her mom once more, at which point the principal told the officer to arrest the studentbut according to Summer, the mother called back before that could happen.

Officials eventually gave the teen a 10-day suspension after taking her to the control room and barred her from participating in any senior activities, which include graduation, the teen said.

'It's just sad because I worked so hard for four years to walk across that stage,' she added. 'We have drug dealers walking across that stage, we have sex offenders walking across that stage and then the 4.4 student who showed her shoulders can't.'

Punished: Officials at the school (pictured) eventually gave the teen a 10-day suspension and barred her from participating in any senior activities, which include graduation, the teen said

School administrators attributed the suspension to 'insubordination'not a dress code violation, WCNC reported.

The teen, who is on a pre-med track, said the principal might still expel her, while her mom intends to appeal the decision.

A school spokesperson reached by the network declined to comment.

Hickory Ridge High School, which observes strict rules prohibiting off-the-shoulder tops among other garments, made headlines earlier this year for another dress-code-related incident.

An impressive 45 students were sent to the principal's office for wearing leggings as pants, with shirts that school officials thought were too short.
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Michaella McCollum, one of the Peru Two drugs mules, has shown how she's enjoying her new-found freedom, taking a shopping trip at Birmingham's Bullring this afternoon.

However, unlike most of the shoppers who surrounded her, McCollum, who negotiated her way out of her jail term for attempting to smuggle cocaine out of Peru, had a unusual companion - a bodyguard who appears on The Jeremy Kyle Show.

Looking blonde and tanned, the 24-year-old wandered through the shopping centre while filming a documentary about her life.

Safe shopping! One-time drugs mule, Michaella McCollum, 24, enjoys a day out at Birmingham's Bullring - but keeps a bodyguard by her side throughout the trip

Keeping a close eye: McCollum, wearing a double denim ensemble, looked relaxed as she was filmed for a forthcoming documentary about her life. Right: the Northern Irish former convict enters the shopping mall in Birmingham

McCollum looked relaxed, in spite of the extra security, wearing a double denim skirt and shirt combo with pristine white trainers.

The one-time drugs mule was released on parole in March 2016 after serving less than half of her sentence but was initially required to stay in Peru, where she carried out voluntary work.

Shoppers looked on, largely none-the-wiser, as Michaella McCollum, who was convicted in 2014 of attempting to smuggle cocaine into Spain from Peru, browsed shops with a camera crew in tow

The high-profile 24-year-old is clearly enjoying her newfound freedom; she's been seen at a string of events including Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers's MMA fight earlier this month

Spotted: McCollum's bodyguard offers a cautious glance as the pair make their way up the escalator

Safety first: The controversial star has made media headlines since her return to the UK last summer

The documentary will let McCollum tell her side of the story and reveal what life in a Peruvian women's prison was really like

The scent of freedom! McCollum browses the goods, stopping to smell some upmarket fragrance while her protector looks on

Her friend Melissa Reid - who also admitted to trying to smuggle cocaine - was released from prison in June last year, flying back to Scotland shortly afterwards.

Earlier this month, McCollum was in the crowd to watch a heavily-tattooed Aaron Chalmers, 29, star of Geordie Shore, makee his MMA debut against Greg Jenkins as part of the Brett McDermott vs Ruben Wolf undercard at Genting Arena in Birmingham.
Kylie Jenner has riled up fans of High School Musical with a recent photo shoot.

The 19-year-old reality star recently featured in a shoot for Flaunt magazine that appeared to be Barbie doll themed, complete with blonde hair and plenty of pink.

But it isn't the popular Mattel toy that came to mind for many viewers of the shoot, rather they were reminded of a certain hot pink-loving character once played by Ashley Tisdale.

Taking a break: Twitter users are comparing a recent Kylie Jenner photo shoot to the style of Sharpay Evans from High School Musical

Get the look: The character, played by Ashley Tisdale, is known for her flamboyant style

High School Musical's Sharpay Evans was best remembered for her domination of the drama department, her schemes and, possibly most of all, her flamboyant outfits.

The teen antagonist from the popular film series was often spotted in ultra-feminine, mostly pink outfits - not to mention in frequently pink surroundings.

The comparisons have since become a bit of a trend on Twitter, where users are generally in consensus over the fact that Kylie can't compare to their favorite film drama queen.

'I know Kylie is feeling herself but there's only room for one Sharpay Evans on this earth,' declared one user.

Not a fan: Users on Twitter noticed the similarities and declared there is 'only room for one'

Another look: Kylie brought back the Juicy Couture track bottoms for the Flaunt shoot

Hard looks: Sharpay is also known for dominating the drama department at the fictional school

Another wrote: 'Sharpay is THE queen Kylie.... MEH,' while others quoted from Fabulous, the song that Sharpay sings by the pool in High School Musical 2.

The photos of Kylie, taken by Brendan Forbes, see the curvy teen in skimpy outfits showcasing her ample curves, such as a hot pink swimsuit.

In one shot, she is seen posed on a deck chair in a bright pink halter top and string bottoms by Bunny Holiday, adding Charlotte Olympia bow heels and a large Chanel bracelet.

She brought back the Juicy Couture track bottoms for the Flaunt shoot; she sported a snakeskin and hot pink version with a Danielle Guizio crop top.

The 19-year-old later shared the photos, along with the caption - 'life in plastic it's fantastic' - which is a lyric from the 1997 hit song Barbie Girl by Aqua.

Sing along: Other users quoted lyrics from the song Fabulous that Sharpay sings in the film

Making her way: Ashley revealed in 2015 that she came up with some of the character's outfits herself

The photo spread, titled 'So many margaritas, so little feeling,' was featured in the magazine's The Cadence Issue.

As for Ashley Tisdale, she wouldn't be misguided in taking a bit of credit for any influence on Kylie, as she had a lot to do with her most famous character's style.

'I invented some of [the outfits] in the movies  I would take a skirt and wear it as a tube dress, and it became a staple outfit, which is so crazy,' she explained to PeopleStyle in 2015.

'I created the character... through her clothes. I wore the dress with pants underneath and a belt and it was this one specific moment in [High School Musical]. It's so funny how the stuff that you have so much fun with in a fitting actually happens and it becomes a part of a culture phenomenon; it's so weird.'
Queen Letizia lived up to her glamorous-yet-regal reputation as she arrived at the Reina Sofia Alzheimer Foundation 40th anniversary celebrations in Madrid on Monday.

The 44-year-old royal exuded stylish elegance in a buttoned-up burgundy leather peplum jacket, paired with a crisp white pencil skirt and towering heels.

Her mother-in-law, former Queen Sofia, who is patron of the charitable foundation, chose a sartorial blue patterned two-piece skirt suit for the occasion, finished off with a complementary azure necklace.

The royal pair greeted each other warmly as they arrived at the foundation centre.

Queen Letizia looked chich in leather blouse and a white pencil skirt as she arrived at the Reina Sofia Alzheimer Foundation 40th anniversary celebrations in Madrid on Monday

The family, including King Felipe and former King Juan-Carlos, all attended the day celebrating the longevity of the charity and its important research work.

King Felipe looked dapper in a suit as he hugged his parents before embarking on the informative day.

King Juan-Carlos, who abdicated to allow his son to take over his duties as King, was also in attendance and posed for pictures sporting an eye-catching orange tie.

Queen Letizia warmly greeted her mother-in-law; the pair exchanged a kiss and a hug before heading inside

The elegant monarch greeted her mother-in-law, former Queen Sofia, warmly

Both carried boxy clutch bags for the day of informative talks and reflection on charity work

Queen Sofia, who is patron of the charitable foundation, chose a sartorial blue patterned two-piece skirt suit for the occasion, finished off with a complementary azure necklace

The quartet headed inside for a presentation from staff about the charity's work and its future plans.

The Reina Sofia Alzheimer Foundation was founded 40 years ago as one of the former Queen's many social and welfare initiatives.

She is Executive President of the Queen Sofia Foundation, while also being the honorary president of the 'Foundation for Aid against Drug Addiction' and the 'Royal Board for Handicapped Persons', and heading up the 'Queen Sofia College of Music'.

King Felipe looked dapper in his pinstripe suit as he sported his now-trademark beard

King Juan-Carlos conversed with his son and daughter-in-law before embarking on the day

King Felipe spoke to foundation leaders about the effective work of the charity

Queen Letizia smiled lovingly at her mother-in-law as she guided her to the centre spot

King Juan-Carlos, who abdicated to allow his son to take over his duties as King, was also in attendance and posed for pictures sporting an eye-catching orange tie

The royals looked at a model of the foundation buildings and heard about its plans for the future.

Letizia, who previously worked as a journalist and news anchor, now dedicates her time to a portfolio of causes in representation of the royal family.

Wearing a dash of deep red lipstick to match her statement jacket, the beautiful Queen wore her brunette tresses poker straight over her shoulders.

The quartet headed inside for a presentation from staff about the charity's work and its future plans

The Reina Sofia Alzheimer Foundation was founded 40 years ago as one of the former Queen's many social and welfare initiatives

A presentation on the foundation's grounds and future plans was given by leaders to the family

The former Queen is Executive President of the Queen Sofia Foundation, while also being the honorary president of the 'Foundation for Aid against Drug Addiction' and others

Staff and volunteers for the foundation beamed as they posed for pictures with the royals

Just last week the Spanish royal family gathered again for the first Communion of Queen Letizia and King Felipe's younger daughter Princess Sofia, 10.

The family couldn't have looked prouder as they joined Princess Sofia for the Communion at the Asuncion de Nuestra Senora Church in Madrid.

Resplendent in a mint green coat dress, Queen Letizia gazed fondly at her youngest daughter as they posed for photos outside the church on a sunny Wednesday morning.

Like her sister, Princess Leonor, Princess Sofia was taking part in the ceremony alongside her classmates in a parish church - a move that broke with royal tradition.

The Spanish royal family couldn't look prouder as they joined Princess Sofia, 10, for her first communion. L-R: King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia of Spain, her grandmother Menchu del Valle, Princess Sofia of Spain, Queen Letizia's mother, Paloma Rocasolano, Konstantin of Bulgaria, Princess Leonor of Spain, King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Letizia's father, Jesus Jose Ortiz pose for the photographers before the First Communion of Princess Sofia of Spain at the Asuncion de Nuestra Senora Church

A major social occasion for the Spanish crown, royals traditionally take their first Communion alone at the Palacio Real in Madrid, with nobody else receiving the sacrament at the same event.

The Communion was, nevertheless, a family affair with King Felipe, Letizia's grandmother Menchu del Valle, Letizia's mother, Paloma Rocasolano, Konstantin of Bulgaria, Princess Leonor, King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Letizia's father, Jesus Jose Ortiz, all joining the young lady on her big day.

Princess Sofia proudly wore her school uniform, whilst her big sister, who is heir to the throne and was a guest on her sister's big day, looked chic in a pleated pastel blue dress and matching Pretty Ballerinas blue pumps.

Queen Letizia, who never puts a sartorial foot wrong, looked chic in an embroidered coat dress, which her husband matched his tie to.

Meanwhile, the Queen's glamorous mother, Paloma, displayed her trim figure in a fitted white suit offset with silver heels.

The two young girls co-ordinated their hairstyles, plumping for half-up, half-down braided 'dos - a look their mother often favours.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia were certainly proud parents as they joined their daughters outside the church on Wednesday

Queen Letizia and her two daughters were three of a kind as they left the church following the service

WHAT IS COMMUNION? There are seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church. There are three that initiate an individual and welcome him or her into the family of Christ  Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. Baptism is the foundation of the Sacrament of initiation and frees one from original sin. Confirmation is the second Sacrament of initiation and is a ritual that signifies strengthening of one's faith. Communion is the third and in this Catholics partake the Body and Blood of Christ to be a part of his sacrifice. These three Sacraments serve to confirm, strengthen, and increase one's faith and closeness with the community of Christ. Taken from beau-coup.com Advertisement

The whole family were also recently seen together when they celebrated Easter mass in Mallorca last month.

It is one of the biggest celebrations in the Catholic calendar and the Spanish Royal Family kept up their tradition of spending the Easter holiday on the island of Mallorca.

King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters, Princess Sofia and Princess Leonor, made for the picture-perfect family as they arrived at Palma cathedral on the Balearic isle along with Queen Sofia.

It was the first time that Princess Leonor, 11, and Princess Sofia, nine, have been spotted at a public engagement for several months; they are on the island for the family's annual holiday at the Marivent Palace royal holiday residence.

Hundreds of well-wishers were keen to catch a glimpse of the young princesses as they clambered over each other to snap a photo of the young royals on their camera phones.
They're the deep-fried crunchy snacks we munch on before feasting on Chinese food.

But not many people realise the very unusual main ingredient that is used to make takeaway favourite prawn crackers - and it isn't the shellfish that gives them their name.

In fact, a little-known vegetable called cassava is crucial to the making of the tasty Chinese snack, despite the fact it is toxic to humans in its raw state.

Prawn crackers, which are also known as shrimp puffs, are the focus of one segment on tonight's Food Unwrapped. They are a popular snack in southeast and eastern Asia

The making of prawn crackers is the focus of a segment on tonight's episode of Food Unwrapped on Channel 4.

Co-presenter and farmer Jimmy Doherty ventures to Thailand to find out exactly what goes into the snack, including how much of the shellfish they really contain.

It turns out that the crackers contain much more prawn meat than you might expect: between 21 to 38 per cent in a typical cracker.

But the main ingredient apart from the oil used to fry the crackers in is tapioca starch, which comes from the obscure cassava.

This is what gives prawn crackers their very unique texture.

The unusual cassava root vegetable (pictured) is the source of the much more well-known tapioca, which is what gives prawn crackers their unique texture

Despite causing stomach pain if eaten raw, cassava, which is safe to eat when cooked, is a very important source of food in much of the world.

In fact, the UN estimates that it is the third most important calorie source in the tropics and feeds half a billion people.

On tonight's show, food scientist Doctor Sue Bailey explained why tapioca starch is used to make prawn crackers.

'You need a really high-starch product  so something like the tapioca has about 96 per cent starch.

'Starch is very, very good at absorbing moisture and that's key to making a good prawn cracker.'

Later in the show, Doherty visits a factory in Corby that produces nearly 30 tonnes of the Chinese snack every week.

Worker Stuart revealed: 'There are actually prawns in prawn crackers  the rest is tapioca, a little bit of sugar a little bit of salt.

'They may have some condensed milk or egg.'

Food Unwrapped airs tonight at 8pm.
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In a gripping photo series, a New York-based photographer documented her parents' battle against cancer to share the precious moments in between the struggle in order to inspire others.

Nancy Borowick, 31, photographed Laurel and Howie Borowick for the last four years of their lives as the couple supported one another through their painful journey.

They both were battling stage 4 cancer at the same time; Laurel with her third round of breast cancer and Howie with an inoperable pancreatic cancer.

The Mail published part of the series as the Borowick family started their journey in 2012. Howie died in December 2013; Laurel 394 days later in December 2014.

Now Nancy is releasing The Family Imprint, a book compiling the complete collection showing the intimate last moments of her parents' lives, including her own wedding, weekly chemotherapy sessions, warm embraces and their deaths.

For Nancy, through capturing her parents living with cancer, she hopes to spread a message about the strength of family, love, support and hope.

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Nancy Borowick, 31, documented the last years of her parents' lives as they battled stage 4 cancer together. Howie Borowick (left) had pancreatic cancer and Laurel Borowick (right) had breast cancer for the third time. This image of the couple is one of Nancy's favorites because it shows their support for each other but also their individual struggle during their weekly chemotherapy sessions

Howie was diagnosed with an inoperable pancreatic cancer in December 2012. His wife of 34 years, Laurel was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 when she was 42 years old. In 2011, she was told it returned for the third time. Pictured: Laurel playing with tufts of hair after Howie helped her shave her head

The two became rocks for each other during the few years they had left. Pictured: Howie dancing around the family home in order to make Laurel laugh

The Borowick family became introduced to cancer at an early stage. Laurel was 42 years old when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997.

In 2011, Laurel was given the devastating news that her breast cancer returned and she had the sickness for the third time.

A year later in December 2012, Howie was told he had an inoperable cancer in his pancreas.

Instead of crumbling under the weight of the taxing disease, the couple of 34 years became rocks for one another.

The photos reveal the special moments shared between the two, including attending chemotherapy sessions hand-in-hand, trying to get the other to laugh, celebrating birthdays and rejoicing over good scan results.

A particularly touching moment is when Nancy was able to have both of her parents at her side for her wedding, after bumping it up by a year to ensure they could be there for the special day.

The images show the funeral of Howie, who was laid to rest sporting his favorite jeans, hat and his beloved New York Giants jersey. He died in December of 2013.

Just one day short of her husband's first death anniversary, Laurel died in December 2014, in her own bed surrounded by family.

Nancy said she wanted to share with others the joys that life can have, even in the face of death.

Nancy bumped up her wedding a year early so both of her parents could escort her down the aisle on her special day

Nancy said: 'One thing I realized very quickly is that this wasn't a story about cancer. The story we were living is one of family and hope. I realize it's obviously a sad story but I feel hope'

Howie and Laurel receiving a phone call that informed them that their latest scans showed their tumors were shrinking

Speaking to the DailyMail.com, Nancy said: 'I never intentionally decided to do this but as a photographer it happened organically. Photographing them allowed me to understand what was happening.

'One thing I realized very quickly is that this wasn't a story about cancer. The story we were living is one of family and hope. I realize it's obviously a sad story but I feel hope.

'When I was cleaning out the family home with my siblings, we were going through things and kind of figuring out who our parents were. They never wanted to be defined by their cancer. They were so much more than their sickness.'

She added to CNN: 'One of the best gifts my parents gave us was not only this awareness of time but what they did with that time. And having that awareness of time is a very special kind of perspective. It shapes my every day.'

Stage 4 cancer is the final stage of the disease. It means that the cancer has spread to other organs or other parts of the body.

Breast cancer occurs when cells divide and grow in an irregular way. Breast tumors grow slowly and by the time a lump can be felt, it could have been growing for up to 10 years, according to Susan G Komen.

Between 50-75 percent of breast cancers begin in the milk ducts, about 10-15 percent begin in the lobules and a few begin in other breast tissues.

The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 26 percent and it's estimated that 40,450 women will die from breast cancer this year.

A year after his diagnosis, Howie died in December of 2013. He was buried in his favorite jeans, hat and his beloved New York Giants jersey

Nancy said: 'When I was cleaning out the family home with my siblings, we were going though things and kind of figuring out who our parents were. They never wanted to be defined by their cancer. They were so much more than their sickness'

Pancreas cancer can be classified by where the cancer is located, endocrine or the exocrine, with most cancer arising in the latter.

It affects equal numbers of men and women, almost always after age 45 and around 40,000 people are expected to die of the disease yearly.

The pancreas, a six-inch organ sandwiched between the stomach and the spine, is where the hormone insulin is produced  this helps mop up the sugar in our blood, allowing it to enter our cells, where it can be used for fuel.

According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, pancreatic cancer is expected to jump from the fourth most common cancer killer to the second by 2020 in the United States.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics in the UK show an eight percent rise in the number of people with pancreatic cancer since 2012.

There is some evidence that eating large amounts of sugar is associated with an increased risk of cancer  including pancreatic cancer  developing in the first place: this is linked to weight gain and diabetes.

There seems to be a subset of people with diabetes that is caused by pancreatic cancer and shows up several years before other symptoms occur.

A review of 35 studies published in the European Journal of Cancer in 2011 concluded that evidence 'strongly supported' that type 2 diabetes could be an early symptom and a contributing factor to the disease.

Type 2 diabetes occurs if the pancreas stops producing enough insulin or the cells in the body become resistant to insulin.

Just one day short of her husband's first death anniversary, Laurel died in December 2014, in her own bed as her family members hugged her

Nancy said throughout her parents' last years, she not only took photos but recorded conversations, trying to preserve every moment. She said: 'The recordings revealed profound recollections on important things in life and advice'
The first ever data on gender reassignment surgeries in the United States shows demand is skyrocketing.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons found a nearly 20 percent increase in vaginoplasties, phalloplasties, top surgery and contouring operations in just the first year of reporting.

In 2016, more than 3,200 surgeries were performed to help transgender patients feel more like themselves.

Surgeons in the field claim that figure is a conservative estimate - and would likely three times higher if all hospitals had a uniform way of documenting such surgeries.

And they believe celebrity transitions have been a driving force in this shift.

The first ever data on gender reassignment surgeries in the United States shows demand is growing. Gearah Goldstein is pictured here speaking with her plastic surgeon, Dr. Loren Schechter, about her gender confirmation surgery

Dr. Loren Schechter (pictured) says he's seen a dramatic increase in the number of transgender patients seeking surgery in the past few years. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported the number of gender confirmation surgeries for the first time, and found more than 3,200 procedures were performed in 2016

Its only in the last couple of years that weve seen this dramatic increase in demand for procedures, its certainly a subject thats more talked about, Dr Loren Schechter a board-certified plastic surgeon whos been practicing gender-reassignment surgery for two decades, told Daily Mail Online.

Its really the reason why the society is recognizing and collecting data.

WHAT IS FEMALE-MALE GENITAL SURGERY? A phalloplasty is the construction of a penis using skin flaps from the thigh, groin or abdomen, and scrotum construction using the labia. Nerves can be connected to a reconstructed urethra, and the clitoris can be repositioned to sit at the base of the penis. Sexual intercourse is possible post-surgery, sometimes using a prosthesis to create an erection, though some patients say that is not necessary. Advertisement

This is the first time that the ASPS is formally collecting the numbers and theyre probably a conservative estimate of procedures. I wouldnt be surprised if it was double or triple.

Increasingly, insurance companies are offering coverage for surgery for patients with gender dysphoria - a disconnect between how an individual feels and what their anatomic characteristics are.

Gender confirmation procedures can include everything from facial and body contouring to reassignment surgeries.

As Chicago-based Dr Schechter explains, there is no one-size-fits all treatment.

Gender transitions usually include more than just surgery.

Plastic surgeons often partner with other experts to provide comprehensive care, such as doctors who specialize in hormone therapy or urology and with mental health professionals who help patients through the emotional aspects of their transition.

Male to female genital surgery is called vaginoplasty; female to male genital surgery is called phalloplasty. There are various techniques and ways to perform each procedure.

Inspired by her own gender transition, Goldstein is now an advocate for transgender youth

She always felt a disconnect between her body and who she knew herself to be. With the help of a team of experts, she was able to make a transition that allows her to live her life as her true self

But before 2014, Dr Schechter says, there were just six board-certified plastic surgeons trained in performing both male to female genital surgery and female to male.

Our surgical society is trying to not only meet the patient demand but also the surgeon demand, he explains.

MY EXPERIENCE OF REASSIGNMENT SURGERY Gearah Goldstein worked with Dr. Schechter throughout her transition. Goldstein knew from a very early age that that her gender did not align with her body. Now, she says, she feels that she can live her life as the person shes always been. For transgender people, like myself, surgical options are a corrective treatment, not cosmetic, Gearah said. The types of surgeries someone has is very personal and private, and you wouldnt even know someone had surgery if you saw them walking down the street. Its not about how were perceived by the public, but how we perceive ourselves. Goldstein is now an advocate for transgender youth. She says everyone has a unique story, but that her experiences help her understand what someone with gender dysphoria is feeling and how it can become an unbearable burden. She adds that gender confirmation, whatever that means for the individual, can be truly life-changing. It has been a lifelong journey for me. Growing up, there wasnt even a word for transgender. There were no role models or anyone to tell me that I could do something about this feeling of being disconnected from the body I was born with, said Gearah. The reality that I lived through has allowed me to assure the next generation that there is nothing abnormal about what theyre feeling. Advertisement

Up until recently, there were only about half a dozen surgeons who offered both [vaginoplasties and phalloplasties].

The numbers are increasing, but one of the barriers is that theres been no formal training program.

A few years ago it wasnt very easy to find a hospital which would let them perform these procedures - be it for religious reasons or lack of insurance coverage, which makes it very expensive...

Despite the lack of provisions, surgeons and research, Dr Schechter insists the landscape has changed for patients with gender dysmorphia.

Not that its easy to transition at this point, but its certainly different, he said.

Access to care has dramatically improved here in the states thanks to more insurance coverage - and societal attitudes have changed.

They dont necessarily feel as isolated or alone as they might have done years ago.

Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons undergo intense training to help these patients address the incongruity between their bodies and the gender they know themselves to be.

Surgical therapy is one component of the overall care of the individual, said Dr. Schechter. It takes a team of experts across different disciplines working together to provide comprehensive care. I often partner with doctors who may prescribe treatments such as hormone therapy and mental health professionals who help patients through their transitions.

Choosing a team of experts can be a difficult path to navigate. ASPS President Debra Johnson, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Sacramento, California, says it is crucial to choose a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to ensure the highest safety and training standards.

Board-certified plastic surgeons undergo rigorous training that is designed to not only provide the safest and best quality care, but also give patients a variety of options when it comes to gender affirming surgeries, said Dr. Johnson. Our goal as plastic surgeons is to help get transgender patients to a place where they feel the most comfortable.

Dr Johnson added: I haven't been surprised by the increase in gender confirmation surgery. These potential surgical patients have always existed, but previously they had to pay out of pocket for their care, which some just could not afford. After new federal legislation was passed, health plans had to offer these surgeries as part of their coverage plans. So patients who couldn't previously afford surgery are finally able to gain access.
Mother Anna, from Gloucestershire, said: 'She's not giving up, so neither will we'

It means it is agony for her to eat and she has had 3 operations on her throat

The youngster has blisters in her throat the size of 10p pieces

She was diagnosed with rare genetic condition

Jasmine Ritchie's skin is so delicate that the slightest touch can make it tear

A four-year-old girl with a rare condition has been nicknamed 'butterfly girl' - because her skin can tear off with the slightest touch.

Jasmine Ritchie is covered with painful blisters and is so fragile her mother cannot hug her or hold her hand.

Even eating is an agonising process for the brave little girl, as the inside of her throat is covered in sores.

Jasmine is one of just 5,000 people living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) in the UK.

She wears bandages all the time as any friction can cause her delicate skin to flare up.

Her mother Anna, 38, from Leonard Stanley, Gloucestershire, called her 'the bravest little butterfly I know'.

Jasmine Ritchie, from Gloucestshire, has epidermolysis bullosa which is extremely life-limiting

'She battles with EB every day of her life,' she said.

'Living with EB makes us appreciate the smallest of milestones in Jasmine's life, ones that we initially thought she may never reach  a cuddle, a crawl, a spoonful of food, going to school.

'Every day she shows us that she's not giving up, so neither will we.'

When Jasmine was born, Mrs Ritchie and her husband Iain were overjoyed and had no concerns about their daughter. But after a blister was spotted on her knee, tests were carried out to identify what the cause of it was.

Mrs Ritchie said: 'I just thought she was overdue and her skin was delicate, but when they took a blanket off her she'd kicked all the skin off her feet.

'Within 48 hours three or four teams from Birmingham Children's Hospital did biopsies and blood tests - they suspected she had EB.'

They were heartbroken to discover it meant Jasmine's condition is incurable.

It was difficult for the couple to accept their little girl would face a life of painful, open wounds and sores which form where her exceptionally fragile skin is damaged.

Her parents, Anna and Iain, can only hug their daughter Jasmine when she has bandages on

The reception year pupil cannot join in with school friends playing because of her condition

In some cases with EB - which is genetic - internal linings and organs are also affected and infections can occur.

Mrs Ritchie said: 'As soon as I fell pregnant you map out your life and imagine how it's going to be.

'When she was a baby you had to cuddle her with a pillow.'

The couple, who have a seven-year-old daughter Amelia, provide round-the clock care for Jasmine.

Her feet are bandaged and her torso and elbows are also wrapped in protective fabric, which has to be changed every day.

Mrs Ritchie said: 'We have to lance or drain every blister that we find and then bandage her every day.

Mrs Ritchie tries to make life as normal as possible for Jasmine (left), pictured here with sister Amelia

'Every single day her feet have been bandaged, they have never been out of bandages.'

Mrs Ritchie said it breaks her heart that her little girl cannot run around like other children.

'Jasmine can't come for walks with us, we have to put her in a wheelchair. If she walks any distance her feet are at risk.

'She can't go to the play park like other children, and when I see her running my heart is thumping in my chest.

'There have been instances when children wouldn't go near here. But she's very strong willed and got a strong personality.'

Jasmine has already had three operations on her throat to make eating less uncomfortable.

'She is quite proud to say she can't eat apples,' said her mother.

'The scar tissue causes narrowing of the oesophagus, we have to avoid anything crispy, no toast with crusts, anything that could be rough.

'She has blisters in her throat the size of 10p pieces.

'I just don't know how she eats. She's very resilient.'

Mrs Ritchie said the family had to make lifestyle adjustments - such as avoiding hot weather which causes Jasmine agonising blisters - but try to give their daughter as normal a life as possible.

'If it is too hot it could cause spontaneous blistering, she explained.

'We do avoid hot places in the summer. Beaches are difficult because of sand getting in her blisters.

Smiling: There is currently no known cure for EB but the family remain hopeful

'She can go swimming but we have to spend two hours changing her bandages afterwards.

'We just want to giver her a normal life, so she can do everything that her sister does.'

Her big sister is extremely patient and protective over Jasmine.

'Amelia is very understanding and will educate her friends on how to handle her,' said Mrs Ritchie.

'She's very patient. We have to adjust and she does too.'

The family live in hope that a cure will be found for the devastating condition.

'There is no cure for EB, but I truly believe that there is one, and one that will be found in Jasmine's lifetime,' said her mother.

WHAT IS EB? Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a general term used to describe a group of rare, inherited skin disorders that cause the skin to become very fragile. Any trauma or friction makes the skin blister. EB affects around one in every 50,000 people worldwide. There is no cure, with treatment focusing on relieving pain and treating complications, such as infections. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

Mrs Ritchie and her friend Julie Crews will be taking on a 100-mile charity walk in a bid to raise funds for DEBRA, which supports individuals and families suffering from the debilitating illness.

The walk, from London to Brighton, could take up to 36 hours and the pair were training regularly to help them prepare, calling their campaign Blisters for Butterflies.

Mrs Ritchie said: 'We've put ourselves through a lot of pain and discomfort, but realise that it's still pretty insignificant compared to the blisters that Jasmine endures every day.

'It is for this reason that there is nothing that will stop us reaching the end, even if we have to crawl to the finish.'

To donate to Mrs Ritchie's fundraising walk visit here.
An occasional glass of wine does not benefit your heart, according to a review of 45 studies.

Previous studies have suggested moderate drinkers have lower heart disease rates than teetotallers, leading to the widespread myth that the occasional indulgence boosts our heart health.

Yet, alcohol abstainers in these past studies may have been former drinkers who quit or cut down due to an existing health concern, and are therefore less healthy than moderate drinkers irrespective of their alcohol consumption, the review found.

Healthy older people may also be more inclined to enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink than those with existing health problems, the research adds.

This gives the false illusion of an association between moderate drinking and better health, the researchers said.

Lead author Dr Tim Stockwell, director of the Center for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, said: 'The notion that one or two drinks a day is doing us good may just be wishful thinking.'

An occasional glass of wine does not benefit your heart health, according a 45 study review

EATING CHEESE DOES NOT RAISE YOUR HEART ATTACK RISK Eating dairy does not raise the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, a team of international experts have found. Even full-fat cheese, milk and yoghurt do not increase the danger, a meta-analysis of 29 studies revealed. The research team, including the University of Reading, concluded that dairy has only a neutral impact on human health. Ian Givens, professor of food chain nutrition at Reading University, said: Theres quite a widespread but mistaken belief among the public that dairy products in general can be bad for you, but thats a misconception. 'While it is a widely held belief, our research shows that thats wrong.' Dr Givens added that public health warnings have seen people shun full-fat versions of cheese, milk or yoghurt, in the mistaken belief that they could harm their health. Young people, especially young women, risk damage to their bones and osteoporosis by drinking too little milk, which can deprive them of calcium, he said. Advertisement

Researchers followed more than 9,100 adults from the UK aged between 23 and 55.

They found that moderate drinkers - defined as those who had up to two alcoholic beverages a day - had a lower risk of heart disease than nondrinkers.

Yet, this was not the case when the researchers analysed the drinking habits of younger people - aged 55 or less - and then followed them to an older age when they are more at-risk of heart disease.

The researchers argue that while past studies suggest nondrinkers are less healthy than those who drink moderately, this is likely due to our health influencing our drinking habits, resulting in people with poor health choosing to abstain.

Dr Stockwell, said: 'We know that people generally cut down on drinking as they age, especially if they have health problems.

'People who continue to be moderate drinkers later in life are healthier.

'They're not sick, or taking medications that can interact with alcohol.

'We can't "prove" it one way or the other. But we can say there are grounds for a healthy skepticism around the idea that moderate drinking is good for you.'

The researchers also revealed that people's drinking habits change over time, with few people typically being lifelong alcohol abstainers.

Their results also showed than nondrinkers of any age tend to be in poorer physical and mental health compared to those who drink moderately and do not smoke. They are also typically less educated, which is an important factor in lifetime health, the researchers said.

The review is published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

These findings contradict a recent study by the University of Cambridge that found men and women who drink moderately - no more than 14 units a week - are at less risk of heart problems than teetotallers.

Yet, adults who exceed this limit  defined as heavy drinkers  greatly increase their risk of common heart complications, they found.
Dr Daniel Ubani killed David Gray in 2008 after giving him ten times the correct amount of diamorphine at his home in Cambridgeshire while he worked as a locum

Easier language tests may be given to foreign nurses as hospital managers warn too many are being turned away on their basis of their English.

Senior managers and recruitment agencies are campaigning for regulators to reduce the pass rate.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which regulates more than 680,000 nurses and midwives, is gathering information concerning whether the tests should be changed, which will be discussed at a board meeting later this week.

Yet, some are concerned compromising standards could hinder patient safety.

One in 10 NHS nursing positions is unfilled, with 13 per cent of the workforce coming from overseas, according to statistics from the Institute of Employment Studies published last year.

A petition to reduce the pass rate from seven to 6.5, out of a possible nine, has been signed by more than 3,600 nurses, Nursing Times reports.

The importance of fluency in English was exposed by the 2008 death of David Gray, 70, at the hands of German GP Daniel Ubani, who had flown in to do his first locum shift.

He had not faced any checks on his competence or ability to speak English and gave the pensioner from Cambridgeshire ten times the safe dose of diamorphine.

The laws have since been tightened, but repeated cases have shown mistakes still happen.

Hospital managers warn too many foreign nurses are being turned away due to their English

NURSES SET TO VOTE ON THEIR FIRST EVER STRIKE IN NHS HISTORY Nurses will hold a ballot this autumn over industrial action in a row over pay. In a further sign of anger, they are plotting a 'summer of protests' outside hospitals and Parliament. These will include rallies and marches in an attempt to galvanise the support of other nurses and the public. The unprecedented measures were announced by nursing leaders on May 13 at the Royal College of Nursing conference in Liverpool. They were agreed after an online poll involving 50,000 nurses in which 91 per cent voted in favour of industrial action. A further 78 per cent said they are prepared to stage an all-out strike. Nurses are furious over a one per cent pay cap enforced by the Government in 2015 that is due to last until 2019/20. The average salary for a nurse is around 23,300 although those in the most senior roles can earn 35,000. Advertisement

Febin Cyriac, the managing partner of a UK healthcare recruitment firm, which targets nurses from overseas, started the campaign.

He told MailOnline: 'Many Indian, Filipino or Middle Eastern nurses come to the UK to do their masters in nursing.

'They may have 15 to 20 years of experience of nursing in their native country, but they can't work as a nurse in this country because of their language standards.

'The nurse's language capacity is the same, but every test attempt produces a different score. It doesn't mean they can't speak English.

'We're turning away good candidates.'

NHS trust senior managers have also called on the regulator to lower the pass rate.

Jackie Daniel, chief executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation trust, has written to the head of the NMC asking for the system to be reviewed.

This comes after regulators rejected 102 out of 104 nurses from the trust based on their language skills.

Ms Daniel argued the NHS is too short staffed to afford losing overseas nurses to countries such as the United States and Canada, which accept a 6.5 pass rate.

Last month a report by the healthcare staffing agency HCL Workforce Solutions said the current language requirements were 'unjustified'.

Across a sample of 14 NHS trusts, around 50 per cent of its approximate 2,000 nurses have either dropped out or been removed since November 2014 due to failed tests, the report stated.

Delays and repeat tests mean it is taking one year on average between recruitment and deployment, the report said.

Campaigners are calling for language test pass grades to be reduced from seven to 6.5

Yet, Joyce Robins from Patient Concern, said: 'The notion of dropping the standards in this way fills me with trepidation - it is really worrying,' The Telegraph reported.

'Communication is such an important part of healthcare, and it is already often where things go wrong. I don't think we can afford to take risks like this.'

Stephanie Aiken, deputy director of nursing at the Royal College of Nursing, said: 'Whilst we welcome the review of the current requirements, clear communication is vital in nursing and so the NMC must make sure tests remain rigorous.

'Our health services are reliant on overseas nurses and we need to make sure they are all able to deliver the right standard of care.

'We will not accept any quick fixes designed to make up for the shortage of nurses in the UK.

'Lowering language requirements is not the answer  we need better pay and better working conditions if we are to retain valuable staff and attract more people into the profession.

'As we leave the EU, the Government needs to focus on building a sustainable, home-grown workforce if it is to avoid the staffing crisis getting even worse.'

An NMC spokesperson said: 'Patient safety is always our first priority and as such, the code requires all nurses and midwives to have the necessary command of English in order to practice safely and effectively.

'While we are aware of some concerns about our English language policy, we do not currently have any hard evidence on which to base a change.

'However, as a responsible regulator that continually looks at the suitability of all the standards we set, we have committed to looking at this standard and gathering further evidence over the coming months.'

Language tests for overseas nurses were introduced in 2007.

Until last year, those who came to the UK from the EU were not required to sit them.

Last year also saw the rules relax somewhat as nurses and midwives from abroad were able to take a set of language tests in two sittings, with the best score being carried forward to their final grade.
A long-held tradition of the delivery room is a partner cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn, but a recent trend has parents skipping the moment all together.

There has been an increase of mothers deciding on a lotus birth, where the umbilical cord is left attached to the placenta until it falls off on its own.

The method is hailed by some as a 'natural' option with a wave of benefits, such as easing the transition from the womb to the world and giving the child an extra supply of nutrients.

However, doctors are warning against the postpartum fad because they claim it can lead to bacteria and an infection.

There has been an increase of mothers deciding on a lotus birth, where the umbilical cord is left attached to the placenta until it falls off on its own. Doctors are warning against the practice because it can lead to an infection

#ipuwhenua by @soultribeink #handmadelovemade #lotusbirth A post shared by Ginkgo Philippa (@blue_storm) on Apr 30, 2017 at 1:43am PDT

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLOOD FROM UMBILICAL CORD Scientists are exploring the benefits of the blood taken from the umbilical cord of a baby. What makes this particular blood so valuable is that it contains large amounts of stem cells, which the body uses to make blood cells. The cord's blood stem cells are younger and more flexible compared to adult stem cells. Cord blood contains embryonic stem cells. They can be made into more specialized cells and can reproduce copies of themselves almost indefinitely. Currently, there is research into a host of applications  from growing new organs to curing paraplegia. In theory, stem cells treat disease by replacing damaged or diseased cells They are used in bone-marrow transplants to treat leukemia  but in these cases, donor blood taken in the usual way is used to harvest the stem cells. Advertisement

The main purpose of a lotus birth is to allow the baby to obtain all the nutrients the placenta has to offer, such as stem cells and recover blood, before the placenta dries up.

Advocates of the lotus birthing method believe infants are put under unnecessary stress when they are cut off from the remainder of the blood supply that is flowing through the cord from the placenta.

According to this ideology, this means babies come into the world of their own accord, as well as letting him or her get any of the remaining goodness from the placenta.

After the baby and placenta are delivered, the pouch is placed in a container and is carried around with the infant.

The cord will remain attached to the newborn until it falls away naturally, a process that may take up to 10 days.

The trend of lotus birthing first made headlines in 2008 and even then, medical experts were quick to try and shut down the practice.

The British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warned against the method after a small number of women in the UK were opting to have lotus births.

A spokesperson said at the time: 'If left for a period of time after the birth, there is a risk of infection in the placenta which can consequently spread to the baby.

'The placenta is particularly prone to infection as it contains blood. Within a short time after birth, once the umbilical cord has stopped pulsating, the placenta has no circulation and is essentially dead tissue.

'If women do opt for umbilical non-severance, the RCOG strongly recommends that their babies be monitored carefully for any signs of infection.'

To keep the placenta smelling fresh and clean, potpourri and rock salt is sprinkled on top of the pouch (pictured)

The tree of life... This amazing photograph by @ilzeferreirafotografia of newborn with placenta still attached. The forgotten chakra, the placenta has been keeping baby living and growing for the last 9 months. The cruelty of immediate clamping, cutting and forcibly removing this life giving organ from the mother and baby is sad and detrimental to baby's physical and emotional health. #gentlebirth #lotusbirth A post shared by Empowering Births Australia (@empowering_births_australia) on Apr 21, 2017 at 3:29am PDT

Lotus birth praises the 'magical' perks of leaving the umbilical cord uncut and there is research that shows there are benefits of having the cord remain - but no longer than three minutes.

The brief pause after birth could benefit most newborns by delivering them a surge of oxygen-rich blood.

Obstetricians suggest waiting 'at least 30 seconds to 60 seconds after birth,' for all healthy newborns to boost their health.

It's common in the U.S. for doctors to cut the cord almost immediately, within 15 to 20 seconds of birth, unless the baby is premature.

An extra half minute may not seem like much, but a lot of oxygen-rich blood reaches the baby through the umbilical cord shortly after birth, Dr. Maria Mascola of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice previously said.

It may flow for up to five minutes, she said, but much of the placental blood transfers in that first minute.

Delaying clamping the umbilical cord by just three minutes reduces anemia in children, by allowing the child to receive more transfused blood containing iron.

This provides them with a healthy blood volume for the transition to life outside of the womb, it is believed.

Anemia, which can impinge mental performance, affects more than 40 percent of all children under the age of five in the world.
Mother-to-be: Brave Katie Smith, 31, is eight months pregnant with her first child

Katie Smith is almost eight months pregnant with her first child.

As he kicks and moves inside her  she knows its a boy  she places her hand on her swollen belly and smiles happily.

But her happiness is tempered by the understanding that the pregnancy  specifically the pregnancy hormones  could make her brain cancer life-threatening.

Having this baby means so much to me, says Katie, 31. But I dont know if Ill still be around to see my son start school, learn to drive or fall in love.

Just months before she became pregnant, Katie was diagnosed with a slow-growing but malignant brain tumour.

Some cancers, such as breast cancer, can grow in response to oestrogen, a hormone produced in high quantities during pregnancy.

The cancer cells have receptors that take up the hormone oestrogen and this sparks changes within the cell, meaning the cancer can potentially accelerate, explains Dr Kieran Breen, director of research at the charity Brain Tumour Research.

But we dont know if these receptors are present in brain tumour cells, or if a brain tumour cell will react to hormones triggered by pregnancy.

For Katie and her husband, Luke, 32, a learning development manager, this made the decision to have a baby the toughest of their lives.

The couple met in June 2012. We clicked right from the start, and talked about wanting to settle down and start a family, she says. They married in July 2015, embarking on a dream honeymoon tour of the U.S. Three months later, they were given Katies shocking diagnosis.

As Katie explains: Id suffered the occasional migraine over the previous year, but they werent bad enough to worry me. On honeymoon I had a few moments of dizziness. I assumed they were down to low blood sugar. The headaches I blamed on too much sun and alcohol, or my hormones because Id stopped taking the Pill.

After the couple returned home to Stourbridge in the West Midlands, Katie started a new job as head of English in a special-needs school. Within weeks she was suffering from constant headaches, and she blamed the stress of her new job.

United: Katie and husband Luke (pictured left) decided to have a baby, although she has been given a 50/50 chance of survival to the age of 40

Post-surgery: Just months before she became pregnant, Katie was diagnosed with a slow-growing but malignant brain tumour

One day I also experienced a strange pins and needles sensation, which spread from my little finger up my left arm.

I went to the GP three times and saw different doctors, and they all diagnosed migraines. One day, the pain was so bad I vomited. My mum took me to A&E, but I was told it was migraine and given strong painkillers.

Four days after going to A&E, Katie was so exhausted she went back to the GP.

This time, I saw a different doctor, who conducted tests including holding my hands out and walking in a straight line. I sailed through, but while he said he wasnt overly worried, he referred me for an urgent MRI scan.

Katie had the scan a week later, and was told it would take 14 days for the results.

The next day, I arrived home at 7pm and my GP rang. She said: We have found something; there is a lot of pressure on your brain, and you must go to hospital immediately.

At the hospital, the doctors gave me a high dose of a steroid to reduce the swelling in my brain. Then one said: We are almost certain it is a tumour.

I felt utter horror  but I also felt relieved there was a reason for the terrible pain.

The doctors were not sure if the tumour was cancerous or benign. But I had another MRI and a CT scan that night to see if it was a primary or a secondary tumour which had spread from elsewhere.

I said to Luke: You do realise that if its secondary, Im a gonner, and we both had our first cry.

Their big day: The loved-up pair pictured in a sweet embrace on their wedding day in 2015

In happier times: Sadly, Katie became ill with headaches on her honeymoon in August 2015

The tests revealed a 6cm primary tumour at the front of Katies brain. She was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, a specialist centre for neurological surgery, and a week later, Professor Garth Cruickshank, a consultant neurosurgeon, removed 90 per cent of the tumour in a five-hour operation.

A month later, she received the biopsy results: it was a Grade Two cancer, malignant but slow-growing. I was so relieved I actually gave Luke a high five.

But the professor said three things could happen: nothing may change; it could grow back and remain Grade Two  or it could grow back and become a high-grade malignant tumour. And there was a one in three chance it could return in five years.

Katie was told to come back for another scan, so they could check the tumour hadnt returned. Then, in an unfolding nightmare, my mum, Jan, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma at the end of January. Her condition is incurable.

I realised her time was limited, and I wanted her to hold a baby of mine before she died.

Luke and I talked endlessly about it. I didnt know if I should bring a child into the world knowing it was potentially going to lose its mum at such a young age.

Defiant: I dont know what will happen in the future. But no one can take the joy of my baby away from me, Katie says of her mindset

When we returned to see Professor Cruickshank, I asked: Can we start trying for a family now? He said: If you are going to do it, nows the time.

I had just turned 30 and I asked: What are my chances of reaching 40? He said: I think 50/50.

When we left, Luke just broke down and that was the hardest thing for me to see because hed been so positive until that point.

Over the next few weeks, Katie and Luke and I had many emotional conversations about whether they should try to have a baby: In the end, we decided to go ahead and live our married lives as we would have done if we had not discovered the brain tumour.

If the tumour grows, I could have chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I only plan six months ahead  up to the time of my next scan. Ive accepted that I probably wont see my sons milestones. Katie Smith

Seven months later, in September 2016, Katie was pregnant. She is classed as a high-risk pregnancy because she has epilepsy  its not clear whether it was brought on by the surgery or the tumour  and is being monitored closely.

To keep herself occupied as she recovered from her surgery, Katie entered a national competition, to write a childrens book. Her book, The Pumpkin Project, won  I couldnt believe it! recalls Katie, and now my book has been published.

Her baby will be delivered by elective caesarean on Saturday. After hes born, Ill have brain scans every six months, she says.

If the tumour grows, I could have chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I only plan six months ahead  up to the time of my next scan. Ive accepted that I probably wont see my sons milestones.

As Kieran Breen explains, more research into brain tumours is desperately needed. There are 16,000 new cases diagnosed in the UK each year, and they kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer, he says.

Around 80 per cent of people with breast cancer survive up to five years after treatment; in brain tumours its just 20 per cent.

Katie adds: I dont know what will happen in the future. But no one can take the joy of my baby away from me.

braintumourresearch.org; The Pumpkin Project is published by Hodder Childrens, 6.99.
After ten weeks of severe sciatica, I developed a right-sided limp, then overnight developed foot drop in my right foot.

The doctor said I would have the condition for the rest of my life. The MRI showed a problem with a lumbar vertebra and age-related degeneration. I am 74.

M. Hurst, Stockport

Foot drop is a muscular weakness or paralysis that makes it difficult to lift the front of the foot and toes, which may cause you to trip over your toes when you walk.

Its often caused by damage to the nerves supplying the muscles of the lower leg  this nerve damage will have occurred in the lower part of the spine.

The technical term for this is lumbosacral radiculopathy, or lumbar spine disease.

Sole trader: Foot drop is a muscular weakness or paralysis that makes it difficult to lift the front of the foot and toes, which may cause you to trip over your toes when you walk

This is not uncommon and occurs when theres pressure on one or two nerve roots as they exit the spine. In older people, the most common cause of this nerve compression is degenerative arthritis of the spine, also known as spondylosis.

This occurs gradually, over many years, when the cushioning discs between the vertebrae degenerate and the joints of the vertebrae suffer wear and tear.

In an attempt to repair the damage, bone forms at these joints. This narrows the openings through which nerves pass, causing them to be pinched.

When this occurs at the lowest two vertebrae, it can result in weakness of the leg  hence your limp  and foot drop.

Your MRI scan revealed the problem, ruling out cancer in the bone, damage from osteo-porosis and other causes of nerve root entrapment.

The specialist may also have arranged for you to have nerve conduction studies  a way of measuring how bad the damage is to the major nerves that supply the muscles of your leg. A decision will have been made as to whether major spinal surgery could relieve the pressure on the affected nerve roots, but it appears this was not an option in your case.

However, it is a relief to hear that your pain, previously severe, has settled.

Though it wont undo the damage that has already been done to the nerves, I believe that physiotherapy (which helps improve posture and muscle strength and allows patients to make the best of the function they have) and a commitment to the exercises you are taught, are your best prospect. Best of luck.

I had a stroke eight years ago and take 75mg of Plavix daily. The problem is it makes me cough, and its got worse in the past two years.

Certain foods trigger it, such as toast. At times the cough is so bad its frightening and I fight for breath.

E. Jones, Granada, Spain

Plavix is the brand name of the drug clopidogrel  it is often prescribed after a stroke to reduce the risk of blood clots.

Common side-effects include itching, eczema, rash, headache, joint pains, bruising, diarrhoea and changes to your sense of taste. Some patients have complained of coughing, but  from my own experience in practice and from reading the literature  I wouldnt say that it is common.

Side-effects: Plavix is the brand name of the drug clopidogrel  it is often prescribed after a stroke to reduce the risk of blood clots, but comes with side-effects

Id question, therefore, whether its the Plavix causing this symptom or a different drug. With your history of stroke, you may also be taking a tablet to reduce blood pressure (to help minimise the chance of another stroke).

Drugs called ACE inhibitors  such as enalapril, captopril and lisinopril  are commonly prescribed for this, and at least 10 per cent of patients taking these drugs are troubled by a persistent dry cough.

If your doctor were to agree this could be behind your symptom, then you could switch to another blood pressure drug that doesnt have this side-effect. There are also reports that atorvastatin  one of five statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs  can cause coughing, so if youre taking this, talk to your doctor about taking a different type.

But if youre not taking any other medication, then the Plavix could be to blame, but perhaps in a less direct way. Like aspirin, Plavix can trigger increased acid secretion by the stomach lining. This in turn increases the chance of acid reflux, where stomach acid leaks into the oesophagus (gullet).

Though typically associated with heartburn, acid reflux can also irritate the lining of the oesophagus, throat, voicebox and windpipe, triggering a cough.

This is especially likely when you have an additional minor irritation such as a sharp intake of breath or crusty toast. If this were the cause of your cough, an effective acid suppression drug might be the answer.

I would advise you to have a discussion with your GP about changes to your stroke prevention regimen that might minimise or eradicate this maddening symptom.

BTW, OLDER DOCTORS CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU!

It was disconcerting  no, alarming  to read the recent research that found that elderly patients admitted to hospital under the care of doctors over the age of 60 are more likely to die in the subsequent month than if the doctor is under 40. After all, I am one of those older doctors.

The study was carried out in the U.S. and involved hospitalists  hospital physicians responsible for the overall care of patients.

In the UK we do not have this specialty and it may be that the findings cannot be translated here.

Older doctors are also much more likely to rely on experience when making decisions, and this may not reflect changes in care raining down thick and fast

Another difference is that in the U.S. litigation is rife, and younger doctors may practise in a more aggressive manner, ordering more investigations and referrals, as they have a career ahead of them to lose in contrast to senior colleagues.

Nevertheless, the implication of the research is that as they get older, doctors find some of their skills fade away and they may be less good at keeping up.

Older doctors are also much more likely to rely on experience when making decisions, and this may not reflect changes in care raining down thick and fast.

Not only has eminence-based medicine given way to evidence-based medicine, but so also must experience-based medicine give way to diagnosis and treatment based on what technology tells us.

And yet all doctors are aware that its easy to know what to do in medicine, but harder to know what not to do. It may be that older doctors find it easier, with the confidence of experience, to say: Lets do nothing for now and watch and wait. Perhaps thats what were seeing in this studys findings.

And who wants to be kept alive at all costs, especially in a state of dementia or loss of independence?

Younger doctors may find it harder to stand back and allow nature to take its course, which older doctors, having seen it all, may well be prepared to allow; yet sometimes that is exactly what is needed.




Fiona Frenchs story makes for shocking reading. For 40 years, the social scientist from Edinburgh was given repeat prescriptions for benzodiazepine drugs to treat her epilepsy.

These tranquillisers, which include brands such as Xanax, Restoril and diazepam (formerly known as Valium), are commonly prescribed by GPs for pain, anxiety, sleeplessness or depression.

They also have a muscle relaxant effect, which is why Fiona was given them because her type of epilepsy caused short, shock-like jerks.

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Addiction across the nation: Thousands of UK residents are thought to be hooked on benzodiazepine drugs (posed by model)

Because benzodiazepines (nicknamed benzos) are highly addictive, under long-standing guidelines patients should be put on such drugs for only four weeks.

Long-term use can also lead to problems with memory and concentration, anxiety and depression as well as sleepiness and unsteadiness. But as the Mail has previously highlighted, thousands of people are being prescribed these drugs for months and even years.

Fiona, 61, was on the drugs for four decades.

The doctors I see these days seem very puzzled that I was ever put on them at all, she says. But shes paying the price, for the medication has caused her mental and physical harm.

My adult life has been destroyed by these drugs, she says.

To add insult to injury, when Fiona managed to wean herself off this medication (like many others, she had to go it alone, as there is virtually no support for innocent drug addicts), she suffered terrible long-term withdrawal symptoms that doctors suggested were all in her mind.

Hers is hardly a unique experience. Up to a third of those who quit benzodiazepines experience bizarre symptoms, according to Malcolm Lader, emeritus professor of clinical psychopharmacology at the University of London Institute of Psychiatry.

And yet, too often these patients are told their symptoms are medically unexplained  or even a sign of mental health problems.

Fiona was studying teacher training at university when she was diagnosed with epilepsy at 19 and put on benzodiazepines.

Personal story: Fiona French was given prescriptions for benzodiazepine to treat epilepsy, but it sparked a four-decade story of dependency

Within two months of starting I made my first suicide attempt. I suddenly felt desperate and wanted a way out, she says. I couldnt explain why my personality had changed so suddenly and dramatically.

I would spend large chunks of the day asleep in bed and developed a fear of being alone. I was told that my symptoms were that of depression, and I believed it. I kept taking the tablets, thinking they would make me better. It never entered my head that it could be the drugs that were making me ill.

In her 20s, having had to drop out of her course, she managed to get an administrative job. But I never felt any better despite taking all these pills and it was a struggle just to get through every day, says Fiona.

SYMPTOMS WORSE AFTER QUITTING

The symptoms were bad enough when she was on the drugs, but even worse if she tried to come off them.

In 1981, Fiona saw a neurologist who said he thought the benzodiazepine pills  she was taking nitrazepam  were making her depression worse and she should be put on other drugs to treat her epilepsy.

But Fiona had to stop taking her new medication after a few weeks as she had become so restless, agitated, highly anxious and unable to sleep.

It was only years later that I made the discovery that benzos were addictive and what I had experienced was, in fact, drug withdrawal, she says.

Back on the nitrazepam and, despite her chronic exhaustion and anxiety, Fiona managed to study. I was determined to turn my life around, she says. After I graduated in 1992, I got a job at Aberdeen University and then worked in the NHS doing research around medical training and workforce planning for 20 years.

The work was demanding and all the time Fiona struggled with feelings of depression  despite the medication she was prescribed.

When she reached her 50s, she noticed problems with her memory, so when she developed irritable bowel syndrome, she retired.

In 2012, a new doctor advised her to come off nitrazepam as it was no longer recommended for epilepsy. With no advice or support from her GP on how to do this, over four months Fiona gradually reduced her dose before finally stopping altogether.

Dangerous: 250,000 UK people are prescribed bonzodiazapine drugs for more than 6 months

While this minimised the immediate withdrawal symptoms, it was not the end of the story. I noticed I was slowing down and becoming less able to function over the next few months and was worried that I was becoming more depressed again, says Fiona, who is divorced.

I had to stay in bed with the curtains drawn all day as I became sensitive to daylight and couldnt stand the noise of the radio or TV.

I struggled to even read a book. Every nerve in my body was screaming out. Even wearing underwear was painful  the pressure was like a burning sensation. I felt as if someone was torturing me day and night.

For the next three months I felt so ill I couldnt even make a phone call. I was totally isolated.

In January 2014, she summoned the strength to take a taxi to see her GP, only to be told it was impossible that her symptoms could be due to withdrawal from benzodiazepines, but were all down to depression.

Her GP did agree to refer her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist told me it couldnt possibly be withdrawal effects from the drugs and told me to think of my symptoms as being like ME, says Fiona. But a leading expert in this field is in no doubt her symptoms were caused by the medication.

lack of support for patients

For too long, there has been a culture of denial among doctors  alongside a litany of broken promises by political leaders.

The shameful fact is that there are hundreds of thousands of people in this country who, like Fiona, have become innocently hooked on drugs such as benzodiazepines and opioid painkillers prescribed by their doctors, only to find themselves abandoned to their fate, with virtually no support or advice from the health service on how to come off these drugs.

It is the scandal no one talks about, which is why the Mail is backing a campaign, led by the British Medical Association (BMA), the Royal College of Psychiatrists and 17 other leading medical organisations and patient groups, for a national 24-hour helpline for those who have become dependent on prescription pills.

Benzodiazepines are one of the most shocking examples of whats going wrong.

Latest figures show there were 12 million benzodiazepine prescriptions handed out in the UK in 2015  with an estimated million-plus Britons taking them long-term, according to evidence published by the BMA in April.

Latest figures show there were 12 million benzodiazepine prescriptions handed out in the UK in 2015  with an estimated million-plus Britons taking them long-term

Up to 30 per cent of people who are on a benzodiazepine such as diazepam have trouble coming off it, according to Professor Lader. In rare cases, withdrawal can even prove fatal. One such death was reported this month in the journal Annales Pharmaceutiques Francaises, though the exact physical cause was not explained.

Around a third of those with withdrawal problems develop hypersensitivity, according to Professor Lader.

The brain starts to wake up, and it over-wakes, he says. Sounds appear loud and lights appear brighter. They also have a symptom whereby they feel very unsteady and they will walk round the room holding on to the walls.

Even guidelines from treatment watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) warn that benzodiazepine withdrawal can cause confusion, toxic psychosis, convulsions or a condition resembling delirium tremens  the latter referring to the symptom seen in alcoholics.

PATIENTS TOLD ITS ALL IN THEIR MIND

These are among the plethora of bizarre disabling problems suffered by Fiona French and countless others. And yet, as she discovered, these withdrawal effects are too often labelled by doctors as medically unexplained  they are dismissed as all in the mind.

As Marion Brown, a psychotherapist working with the BMA on its campaign, explains: There is a pattern in patients notes where doctors dont believe that their withdrawal symptoms, such as pain, fits and psychiatric disorders such as panic and obsessiveness, are associated with the drugs.

GPs come to regard these victims as heart-sink patients [who exasperate or defeat their doctors by their behaviour] whose problems are psychological.

All too often doctors fail to take note of the fact they have been on benzodiazepines for years.

The medics dismiss the problems as medically unexplained symptoms [MUS] or give patients psychiatric drugs such as anti-depressants, which only worsen the problem by putting their brain chemistry even more off-balance and stall their chances of recovery. Its quite horrifying.

This denial goes right to the top of the NHS. In February, the Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health put out guidance on MUS, saying symptoms are presentations caused, or exacerbated, by mental health problems such as anxiety, depression or personality disorders.

MPS ENDLESS BROKEN PROMISES

Doctors use the unexplained label as a cop-out, says Barry Haslam, who has long campaigned for benzodiazepine victims following his own experience of ten years on them.

Haslam, a retired accountant from Oldham, Lancashire, says the symptoms are unexplained because the medical professionals have never wanted to take responsibility; if they did, they might be sued on a massive scale.

This is not a medical problem. It is a political problem that needs a political solution.

For decades, politicians have promised much yet failed to deliver. Back in 1994, Mr Haslam received a personal letter from David Blunkett, then Labours Shadow Secretary of State for Health, describing benzodiazepine over-prescription as a national scandal. Blunkett pledged that a Labour government would act to ensure justice for victims of the drugs. But after Labour won the 1997 General Election, it did no such thing.

Labour was not the first political party with empty promises. In 1993, the Conservatives announced that GPs should be given local targets for reducing benzodiazepine prescriptions. Nothing came of this.

In 2008, Haslams campaigning colleague Michael Behan, a researcher for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tranquilliser Addiction, pointed out that as a backbench Labour MP, Dawn Primarolo had asked more than 50 questions pressing for compensation for victims.

SCANDAL BY NUMBERS - 2-4 weeks is the maximum time that bonzodiazepines should be prescribed - 250,000 UK people are prescribed the drugs for more than six months - 6-18 months is the time is takes to see the effects of withdrawal symptoms - 800,000 people have wrongly been prescribed ant-depressants long-term Advertisement

But according to Mr Behan, after Primarolo was made Minister for Public Health, her department did not move one iota. More hollow words came from David Cameron who, as prime minister in 2011, declared: Tranquilliser addiction is an extreme problem in our country . . . We must deal with the problem at source.

Mr Haslam persuaded his local health authority to fund a withdrawal support service for the 5,000 people in Oldham stuck on long-term prescriptions.

Now, along with a spin-off service in Bury, it remains Englands only NHS-funded facility.

In 2012, Anne Milton, then Conservative junior minister for health, visited. She had promised a year earlier: We need to make sure that weve got the right services in place to give people the help they need to get off these drugs.

But again, Mr Haslam says, no practical changes occurred. In 2013, Anna Soubry, Miltons successor at the Department of Health, made a remarkably similar declaration in a radio interview, saying that the issue of prescribed drug dependence has not been sexy. The time has now come for us to put it up the agenda.

Yet today the problems are as bad as ever. Public health ministers come up to Oldham, see the service at work and promise things  then they return to the Westminster bubble and do the opposite, says Mr Haslam

Paul Flynn, a Labour MP and vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform, adds: The history of politicians broken promises for action on these drugs is so bad it threatens to give cynical opportunism a bad name.

But he is optimistic that change will finally happen. Now we have a broad base of people supporting the helpline, including medical experts, former ministers and members of the House of Lords. I think the pressure will prove persuasive.

In the meantime, patients such as Fiona French have to turn to the internet in order to find support. I joined a group called Benzo Buddies and that has been my lifeline for the past three years, she says.

Four years after quitting her pills, Fiona is still troubled by crippling symptoms.Ive lived a half-life, but I had hoped things would improve in my retirement, she says.

Instead Ive been left to cope alone with terrible withdrawal symptoms and permanent neurological damage. These days I can hardly walk and I spend most days in bed. I look back on my life and there are big chunks I cant remember. Its too late for me  and maybe doctors didnt know about these effects back in the Eighties  but they do now. So why are these drugs still being prescribed?

Im not a vengeful person; all I want is an acknowledgement that my symptoms have been caused by these drugs.

She takes comfort from the BMAs campaign for a helpline and specialist services for prescription drug dependency. This is the first time the medical profession has acknowledged there is a problem with prescribed drugs and that people need help coming off them, she says.

You dont expect prescription drugs to do you harm, but I feel I was chemically poisoned by them.

Additional reporting: JO WATERS.




Women who are exposed to polluted air and stressful situations during their pregnancy are more likely to have children with asthma, a new study claims.

Boys whose mothers were exposed to both of the risk factors were more likely to develop the condition by age six.

Researchers at Mount Sinai said there was already a known link between the race of the mother and the likelihood of being exposed to air pollution.

Now the experts are saying these factors contribute to the respiratory health disparities that ethnically mixed urban populations commonly have.

Women who are exposed to polluted air while they are stressed, have an increased chance their children will have asthma, a new study claims

Lead author Dr Alison Lee, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said the research was done to examine why these factors contribute to poor respiratory health in urban communities.

She said: 'We know from prior research that lower income, ethnically mixed urban populations are more greatly burdened with asthma and other respiratory health problems.

'Given that populations disproportionately exposed to ambient air pollution are also more likely to be exposed to social stressors such as financial strain, discrimination, housing difficulties, and crime or violence, we were particularly interested in combined effects of both factors starting in early development, even in pregnancy.'

The study looked at more than 700 women who were primarily African-American and Latina, and were pregnant and living in urban settings.

TOP 10 US CITIES WITH THE WORST AIR POLLUTION The United States is in the WHO's top 20 when it comes to countries with the least polluted air. However, this doesn't mean America is immune to having smoggy air. The American Lung Association compiles a list of the most polluted cities every year. For 2017, California leads the country for having the most cities with polluted air. Here is the top 10 most polluted cities in the United States by ozone: 1. Los Angeles-Long Beach, California 2. Bakersfield, California 3. Fresno-Madera, California 4. Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, California 5. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona 6. Modesto-Merced, California 7. San Diego-Carlsbad, California 8. Sacramento-Roseville, California 9. New York City, New York 10. Las Vegas, Nevada Advertisement

The researchers found that being exposed to high amounts of air pollution during a woman's second trimester increased the odds for the child developing asthma.

When this was combined with mothers reporting being stressed during this time period, boys had an increased chance of having asthma.

Dr Lee added: 'Prevention is not a matter of eliminating stress but rather, we need to develop strategies to reduce stress to more normative levels - for example, implementing prenatal programs that provide resources to address the more prevalent stressors or to promote better coping strategies, particularly among disadvantaged, high-risk populations.'

In a recent study by experts at the University of California, Berkeley, they found a correlation between children and teenagers exposed to high levels of traffic pollution and premature aging and asthma.

Those with higher levels had a specific type of DNA damage called telomere shortening - the main cause of age-related break down of our cells.

Telomeres are vital to our health - they can be described as the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces.

'Children may be especially vulnerable to the effects of telomeric DNA damage due to their physical development as well as developing immune system,' wrote Dr John Balmes from the University of California, Berkeley, and his colleagues who carried out the study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

A new study by the Imperial College London found the first evidence that diesel fumes can cause coughing and shortness of breath.

It was known that people with asthma are worse affected than those in less polluted areas.

Researchers can now explain the effect of diesel particles, which are so tiny that the body mistakes them for natural molecules and draws them deep into the lungs.

They discovered diesel fumes trigger a receptor in the airway, starting a chain reaction which causes nerves in the lungs to fire wrongly.
Sacked Aam Aadmi Party minister Kapil Mishra is trying to create a parallel force to take on AAP by joining hands with rebel and disgruntle leaders along with former members of India against corruption.

With currently no one on his side, Mishra sought help of ex-AAP members who quit the political outfit citing corruption in the cadre, to join hands and clean the party.

He claimed he was trying to reclaim the party from a handful of corrupt people.

Sacked Aam Aadmi Party minister Kapil Mishra is now trying to create a parallel force to take on AAP by joining hands with rebel and disgruntle leaders

Sources close to Mishra said he is in touch with former party members and is also seeking support from disgruntled leaders and MLA.

It can be seen as attempt to create a parallel force against current chair-holders.

Urging all the former AAP members to stake their claim, Mishra said the party was an amalgamation of the people who wanted to fight corruption and Kejriwal's lackeys, adding it is about time that all those who left should unite and make the AAP 'corruption-free and Kejriwal-free' for the betterment of the people.

Swaraj Abhiyan Founder Yogendra Yadav and Co-Founder Prashant Bhushan

Launching a campaign to clean AAP, Mishra called on all former party members and people to join the endeavour.

Flashing a number 786***7300 , the sacked AAP leader urged the masses to give a miss call on the mentioned phone number to help in cleansing his party and hence Delhi.

'I would like to make an appeal to all my friends and colleagues of the Anna agitation period who fought against corruption, the ones who left their jobs for the party and then later left the outfit because they felt betrayed, the ones who think that leaders like Ashish Talwar, Sanjay Singh, Durgesh Pathak, Dilip Pandey have hijacked the party and are running the political organisation according to their will without thinking of the party workers and common man,' he said.

Mishra has apologised to former senior AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav

Mishra called on those struggling within the party not to lose hope. Even as he made new money-laundering allegations against senior AAP leaders, Mishra took time out to say he wanted to 'apologise' to former party members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav for not hearing their concerns before chief Arvind Kejriwal threw them out of the party.

'I profusely apologise to former senior AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. We should have paid heed to their views back then. I would like to request them to save the party. Let's clean AAP and eliminate the corrupt from the party,' he said.

Sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra addressing to the media at Rajghat in New Delhi

Launching another attack on AAP, Mishra claimed that the Russia trip of two party leaders were sponsored by a businessman, who was linked to several firms involved in Rs 400-crore scam.

In a series of tweets, he claimed Sheetal Prasad Singh was in the business of High Security Registration Plates and also alleged that the Rs 400-crore scam was in the same business in Delhi.

'Sheetal Prasad had close links with the companies involved in the scam,' he alleged.

Several people from some of these firms also had links with hawala operators from across the world, he added.

Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra

He also claimed the AAP, when it first came to power, set up a panel to investigate the scam. Then, the AAP government in Delhi had decided to cancel the contract of Rosmerta HSRP Ventures Pvt Ltd.

However, when AAP came to power again in 2015, it did not take any action against the firm.

Mishra who is adamant on exposing the alleged scams in the AAP cadre, took to the Twitter and hinted his day's agenda while pointing fingers at two leaders of Kejriwal bandwagon.

'So who has sponsored Russia trip of Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh? Did AK (Kejriwal) knew about it?,' Mishra tweeted and asked nine questions to Kejriwal.

Meanwhile, Sheetal Prasad Singh refuted the allegation levelled against him and said he has no connection with the company about which Mishra was talking about.

But he admitted he took senior AAP leaders to Russia to attend his relatives wedding there.
Delhi's beat constables are set to get 'smart'.

In a bid to strengthen grassroots policing, Delhi Police will provide these cops smart handheld devices with information to map crime and identify criminals in various localities.

Beat constables are considered the backbone of policing on the ground as they repeatedly patrol an area forging link with the local community and often being the first on the scene in response to a crime.

Delhi Police C4i control room where more than 1000 CCTV camera are housed

They have exhaustive knowledge of a locality's geography as well as demography and are responsible for creating a network of informers.

As per the plan discussed with the home ministry, Delhi Police will equip beat constables with internet-connected smartphones.

The move will put to an end a tiresome process of paperwork while also helping the cops chart crime zones.

The department has around 8,000 beat constables who have to maintain logbooks of all unlawful activities taking place in their areas.

The internet-based system on smartphones will replace the beat register where a constable has to make entries about his day-to-day activities.

In police terminology, a beat is the territory that a cop patrols.

According to a senior police officer, beat constables usually keep tabs on activities under more than 60 separate categories, including pick-pocketing, snatching, theft, repeat offenders, previous offenders and thieves arrested from the area.

The digitisation process will create a data bank of criminals and will also help identify crime-prone zones for area-specific solutions.

Delhi Police will provide its beat cops with smart handheld device

'We are trying to create a data bank at the grassroots level. This will include all the details related to crime and criminals.

'Now this will also help us in formulating our strategy and will be an everlasting resource as new cops would be able to log in anytime and fetch the data,' said a senior officer associated with the project.

Explaining the usage and benefit of digitisation, the officer said that if a team is patrolling a particular area and spots a suspicion person, then they can immediately check the details of wanted criminals in the vicinity.

A policeman guards at the Red Fort in Old Delhi, India

Cops will also be able to snap photos of a crime spot, accident site, etc. The data will be stored on a secured network which can be accessed by senior officials.

According to source, Delhi Police has discussed the matter with the home ministry and has already put forward a demand for setting up the digitisation process.

This is in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of smart policing and digitisation.

The PM had coined the acronym SMART for police forces at a DGPs' conference in Assam three years ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision for smart policing and digitisation

'By 'SMART' policing, I mean S for strict but sensitive, M for modern and mobile, A for alert and accountable, R for reliable and responsive and T for techno-savvy and trained,' he had said.

As part of the proposal, Delhi Police will also set up a separate call centre and data management hub with a secured network. The home ministry is yet to clear the project.

According to a source, the beat digitisation process is likely to cost about Rs 9 crore while another Rs 3 crore would be needed for setting up the call centre.
Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir as a shield against stone pelters, has been awarded a commendation by the Army chief for his achievements in the counter-insurgency operations even before finalising its probe into the April 17 incident.

'Major Gogoi of 53 Rashtriya Rifles has been recently awarded Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card for his sustained distinguished service till now in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir. The inquiry into the jeep incident is still under finalisation,' official Army sources said in India.

Army officials said while awarding the officer, the force had considered all 'factors including notable performance of the officer and overall emerging indicators of the court of inquiry'.

On April 9 troops from 53 Rashtriya Rifles tied up one Farooq Ahmad Dar on their jeep's bonnet as a 'human shield'

Sources in the Valley said the award indicated that keeping in view the sensitivities involved and the feelings of comrades, the officer would be given a clean chit by the Army brass.

Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand said. Sources said Major Gogoi was given the award during Gen Rawat's visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week.

The Army Chief's 'Commendation Card' is considered a prestigious award and is given for distinguished services and devotion to duties.

Gogoi is an Army Service Corps officer deployed in the valley with 53 Rashtriya Rifles

Gogoi is an Army Service Corps officer who has been deployed in the valley with 53 Rashtriya Rifles unit for the last one year.

After Gogoi used a human shield to protect his convoy including 23 personnel including polling staff from a stone-pelting mob, the troops deployed in Kashmir valley are believed to feel safe and happy about his actions.

The officer has also told the court of inquiry that his only motive behind the action was to save his men and he managed to do so without any blood shedding, which seems to have been accepted by the top brass.

Sources said the Army holds inquiries into all such allegations as it has to provide protection to its men and women from any future investigations into these incidents which may be ordered sometimes even after 10 years.

Captain Amarinder Singh said that Gogoi deserved his award

A video, showing the man tied to an Army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9, had triggered public outcry, prompting the Army to institute a probe.

The CoI was tasked to look into the circumstance that prompted Major Gogoi to tie the youth to the jeep's bonnet as a human shield.

While serving forces' personnel and people in general have hailed the acts of the officer and Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who served in the Army as a captain, called for an award for him, but there are few like former northern Army commander Lt Gen HS Panag who protested against the method used by him.

The major had reportedly come up with the idea to escape stone-pelting mobs during the by-election to Srinagar (pictured - Farooq Ahmad Dar)

BJP MP Paresh Rawal says Booker winner Arundhati Roy should be tied to an Army jeep after saying 'Indian aggression' in Kashmir is 'shameful'

Bollywood actor and BJP MP Paresh Rawal found himself in the middle of a Twitter storm after commenting on social media that writer Arundhati Roy should be tied to an Army jeep, in a reference to the incident last month where an Army convoy strapped an alleged stone-pelter to one its vehicles as 'human shield' against rowdy mobs in Kashmir.

'Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie up Arundhati Roy!' the Lok Sabha member from Gujarat tweeted late on Sunday.

It wasn't clear what context he was speaking in, but it is suspected that the tweet came in the backdrop of Roy's recent visit to Srinagar, where she reportedly called 'Indian aggression' in Kashmir 'shameful' and, according to Geo TV, said, 'New Delhi's oppression cannot subdue Kashmiri struggle.'

His comments drew condemnation from many users on Twitter, some seeing it as an attempt to incite violence by an elected public representative.

Human rights activist Shabnam Hashmi said an FIR against Rawal should be filed immediately.

Congress general secretary Digivijay Singh hit out at the BJP, asking, 'Why not (tie) the person who stitched PDP-BJP alliance?'

Roy is a vocal activist known for her strong stance against human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Arundhati Roy, author and political activist

She won the Man Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel 'The God of Small Things'. Her second novel, 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness', will be published in June.

Rawal's comment has been retweeted around 6,500 times and has received over 12,000 likes.

Many Twitter users chipped in with more names they would like to see treated in that manner.
On Tuesday, in a red letter day for investors, the FTSE 100 passed the 7500 mark for the first time.

It marked the climax of a strong run for the blue-chip index, which has gained around 2000 points in the past 15 months.

Despite fears of waning investor sentiment since the EU referendum, the index has largely been pushed forward by a fall in the pound as many firms listed on it make their earnings overseas.

But as the UK continues to navigate its way through an increasingly aggressive minefield of domestic and global political problems, can the FTSE's run last, or has the time to bet on Britain's blue-chips stocks now passed?

One of the biggest short-term risks to the FTSE's well-being, perhaps, lies in next month's general election  almost 46billion was wiped off its value when Theresa May called the vote last month.

Markets hate uncertainty, and the FTSE is unlikely to get stability until it is clear who will lead the UK and how they will do it.

But Michelle McGrade, chief investment officer at TD Direct Investing, believes the election is unlikely to hit the FTSE 100 too much, regardless of who wins.

For investors particularly worried about timing their entry to the FTSE 100 due to short-term volatility, she advises having a diverse mix of stocks and investing regularly.

She added: 'If you invest in a broad variety of FTSE 100 stocks regularly, this averages things out and allows you to count on the long-term forward movement of markets.'

But long-term threats to the FTSE 100 also exist, namely, the UK's divorce from the EU.

With Brexit sabre-rattling already upsetting markets on numerous occasions, one wonders whether such volatility will only increase when the UK's departure starts to take a more definite shape.

Election fever: Markets hate uncertainty, and the FTSE is unlikely to get stability until it is clear who will lead the UK and how they will do it

Ian Williams, economist and strategist at Peel Hunt, said many of the Brexit-related blips have come because companies are still learning how to react to it, and that common sense will prevail once the negotiations have progressed, with market reaction becoming more muted and easier to pin down.

But perhaps the biggest threat comes from overseas in the form of a certain US president.

Growing fears around Donald Trump's ability to deliver on pledges to cut taxes and raise infrastructure expenditure to $1trillion have already led the FTSE to retreat from the 7500 mark.

However, with the FTSE 100's current 4 per cent dividend yield far surpassing the 1.2 per cent being offered by ten-year Government bonds, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said it still makes sense to buy into UK companies.

He added: 'If central banks around the world do finally stoke accelerated growth, then the FTSE 100's mix of banks, miners and oil firms make it as good as any to play such a trend.'

Stephen Bailey, a fund manager at Liontrust Asset Management, said a way to avoid the question of whether or not the FTSE 100 will continue to rise is to focus on firms which are well suited to change.

He said: 'Companies such as the life insurers are well placed to benefit from long-term changes, which will mean more demand for savings and pension products.'
A team of salvage experts hoping to recover billions of pounds worth of gold from deep-sea shipwrecks are looking for investors to back their treasure hunt.

Britannias Gold has launched a 5m equity fundraising for their exploration of ships sunk in the First and Second World Wars.

Records of which ships carried gold have been lost, but Britannias Gold believes it has found them by analysing the timing of departures and records of US banks that were expecting to receive shipments.

The firm is focusing on 20 shipments in the North Atlantic, which it believes could contain as much as 4.5bn worth of gold.

The minimum investment is 1,000 and Britannias believes that although any gold found is lawfully owned by the British Government, precedents set by other large salvage operations mean that potentially the bulk of its value would be kept by the firm and its investors.

It will initially focus on three shipwrecks just off the west coast of Ireland, but is keeping their names secret to keep away rival salvagers.

In 2013, US salvagers recovered 48 tons of silver from merchant ship Gairsoppa which was hit by a torpedo from a German U-boat near Ireland in 1941.
The owner of British Airways has hit out at Heathrow Airport over its plans to nearly double the number of UK destinations it will offer after expansion.

Heathrow has written to the Government asking it to ringfence a proportion of the slots it expects to become available  if a third runway is built  for flights to and from UK destinations.

Flights within the UK accounted for 6 per cent of Heathrows total passenger numbers last year. It argued that introducing more destinations could dramatically increase this figure.

Flying into trouble: BA owner IAG said that the best way to encourage domestic flights would be to ensure Heathrow is fairly priced

It said it plans to offer 14 UK destinations, up from the current eight. But BA owner International Airlines Group said: Its not in Heathrows gift to increase domestic flying from the airport.

Airlines, not airports, decide where to fly based on profitability.

The airline group said that the best way to encourage domestic flights would be to ensure the airport is fairly priced.

It added: Its hard to make routes viable if airlines are charged more at Heathrow than any other airport. If costs are low, flights will follow.
TAX DEAL

Formula 1 owner Liberty Media reportedly paid just 6.9m in tax last year despite having underlying profits of 350m and turnover of 1.4bn.

The company books revenues at its UK companies which are in turn funded by large loans from its offshore businesses.

Driving force: The company books revenues at its UK companies which are in turn funded by large loans from its offshore businesses

The interest from the loans is then used to reduce profits for tax purposes.

INSOLVENCY RISK

Discount fashion chain Store Twenty One is expected to declare insolvency this week after its largest backer, the State Bank of India, decided to withdraw support.

CEO HUNT

The boss of Direct Line, Paul Geddes, is said to be in the running to become the next chief executive of ITV, following Adam Croziers decision to quit.

DEBT DOUBTS

Former BHS owner Dominic Chappell will appeal a court decision to place his investment firm Retail Acquisitions into insolvency.

PAY PROBLEMS

Ben van Beurden, chief executive of Shell, will face a grilling over his 7.4m pay packet at its AGM this week.

TECH FRAUD

A technology firm backed by Elton Johns husband David Furnish has become the subject of a major fraud investigation. Lawyers are looking into claims that millions of pounds were funnelled from software developer Ve Interactive into separate companies owned by founder David Brown, his ex-wife and his girlfriend.

WALKIE TALKIE

Investors from Hong Kong are reportedly eyeing up a 50 per cent stake in the Citys Walkie Talkie skyscraper.
A Texas woman has been accused of dumping a body in a ditch after stealing a hearse from outside a store.

Police arrested Tanya Ray Albrecht, 28, from Bryan, Texas, six-and-a-half hours after she allegedly stole an unmarked tan Suburban being used as a hearse.

A man who was with her, Adam Craig Crow, 27, was also arrested.

The hearse driver had left the vehicle running and gone inside the store to buy a newspaper around 5.30am Friday when Albrecht reportedly climbed into the car and drove off, according to the Bryan-College Station Eagle.

She picked up Crow approximately 30 minutes after stealing the vehicle, according to the newspaper.

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Tanya Ray Albrecht, 28, left, and Adam Craig Crow, 27, right, were arrested Friday afternoon and were charged with the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after Albrecht allegedly stole a hearse

Courtesy of KBTX

The body and the stretcher it was on were dumped along a rural road 12 miles away from where the car was stolen. Police found the body just after 7am.

The identity of the corpse has not been released.

Police were on the lookout for the hearse and stopped it 20 miles away from where it was stolen, six-and-a-half hours later.

Friday's arrest was the second time Albrecht, pictured, has been arrested in Brazos County. She was given a drug paraphernalia charge two months ago

Officers from the Brazos County Sheriff's Office arrested Albrecht and Crow, who was driving at the time.

Both were charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a state jail felony, and using a fake license plate after they allegedly used a black marker to change a 3 into an 8 on the car's license plate, according to police.

Crow was also charged with driving without a license.

In addition, Albrecht was charged with abuse of a corpse. The Class A misdemeanor has a maximum punishment of a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

This is Albrecht's second arrest in Brazos County. Two months ago she given a drug paraphernalia charge, according to the Eagle.

Crow has been arrested at least 14 times in the county, according to the paper.

Albrecht and Crow were both being held in the Brazos County Jail, Albrecht on $12,000 bond and Crow on $9,000 bond.

Bryan Sgt. Jason James told the Eagle Albrecht might not have known the SUV was being used as a hearse when she stole it, since it was unmarked.

He said the case was still under investigation Saturday night.
The parents of a young girl who was brutally raped and murdered have urged authorities to keep her killer behind bars.

Lauren Hickson was just four-years-old when Neville Towner, then 23, sexually abused her, smashed a rock over her head and drowned her in a creek in Emu Plains, western Sydney, in 1989.

Towner was convicted of Lauren's murder and sentenced to life without parole but that was later changed by a judge to allow parole after 20 years, 9 News reported.

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Lauren Hickson (pictured) was just four-years-old when she was brutally raped and murdered by Neville Towner in 1989

Lauren's parents have urged authorities to keep her killer behind bars after being advised the parole authority were intending to release Neville Towner

He could walk free next month after applying for parole, with Lauren's parents Derek and Jurina Hickson advised the State Parole Authority were intending to release him.

Mrs Hickson is horrified her daughter's killer may soon be allowed back into the community after the parole authority meets in mid-June.

'God forbid what he'll do [if he is released],' she told 9 News.

'Children should be protected, but they're not.'

Mrs Hickson told The Daily Telegraph Towner did not deserve a second chance and called on the government to step in keep him in prison.

'I'm a mother who has lost a child through the most devastating and heinous crime that this country has seen and I can't understand why he is going to get out of jail,' she told the paper.

Lauren's killer Neville Towner was convicted of Lauren's murder and sentenced to life without parole but that was later changed by a judge to allow parole after 20 years

'If they let him out, I'm going to be too frightened to go anywhere.'

Victim's rights advocate Howard Brown will be making a submission against Towner's release to the parole authority on behalf of Lauren's parents.

'All the indications I have is that he hasn't been given sufficient treatment from preventing from reoffending,' Mr Brown told 9 News.
A 24-year-old woman who died after being struck by a minibus while changing a tyre had moved to Sydney one day earlier to live with her best friend.

Tegan Miller, an insurance underwriter originally from the Central Coast, had just left her new home in Cammeray on Sydney's lower North Shore at 12.30am on Sunday to drive into the city when she was forced to pull over with a flat tyre.

The minibus hit both the car and Ms Miller as it rounded the corner on the Warringah Freeway and she died at the scene.

Earlier this month, Ms Miller posted her excitement at moving to the city on her Facebook page, saying: 'Living with people who I love is going to be amazing and I can't wait for the fun to begin!'

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Earlier this month, Ms Miller posted her excitement at moving to the city on Facebook, saying: 'Living with people who I love is going to be amazing and I can't wait for the fun to begin!'

The minibus (pictured) hit both the car and Ms Miller as it rounded the corner on the Warringah Freeway and she died at the scene

On Wednesday she said she was counting down the days until she could move in to the new house with her best friend.

Ms Miller relocated from the Central Coast to Cammeray on Saturday, the day before the tragic crash.

After she stopped her car to check the flat tyre, a man driving another vehicle pulled over to help her.

His vehicle was also damaged in the accident, but he walked away from the crash uninjured.

Ms Miller died at the scene.

Tegan Miller (pictured) had just left her new home in Cammeray on Sydney's lower North Shore at 12.30am on Sunday when she was forced to pull over with a flat tyre

On Wednesday she said she was counting down the days until she could move in to the new house with her best friend

Ms Miller relocated from the Central Coast to Cammeray on Saturday, the day before the tragic crash

Debris from the accident lay across four lanes on the freeway after the crash. Ms Miller's car is pictured

Debris from the accident lay across four lanes on the freeway after the crash.

The minibus is believed to have come around the corner of the freeway and collided with both parked cars and the woman.

Police are investigating and have performed mandatory drug and alcohol tests on the driver of the bus.

The minibus is not believed to have been carrying any passengers at the time of the crash.

After Ms Miller stopped her car to check the flat tyre, a man driving another vehicle pulled over to help her

The man's car was also damaged in the crash, but he walked away uninjured

The minibus is believed to have come around the corner of the freeway and collided with both parked cars and the woman

The minibus is not believed to have been carrying any passengers at the time of the crash
The relationship between accused drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury and her fiance Scott Broadbridge appears to be crumbling under the pressure as the 22-year-old sits behind bars in a Colombian prison.

Impassioned phone calls between the pair were aired on Channel Seven's Sunday Night as Mr Broadbridge desperately tried to contact his fiancee after he flew to Bogota to visit her.

Cassie is heard telling him 'we're not going to last' as the 23-year-old said: 'You are pushing me away from you.'

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Mr Broadbridge (pictured) was filmed making an emotional phone call with his imprisoned fiancee Cassie

The 23-year-old suspects Cassie was set up to traffic cocaine by a couple named Karen and June Doshal, who allegedly bought the cleaning business Cassie worked for

Scott Broadbridge (left) claims his fiance Cassie Sainsbury (right) was undertaking regular trips to Sydney to meet clients and was paid $1800 a week in cash before she was arrested at the El Dorado Airport in Colombia

When asked why she believed the pair's relationship would not last, Cassie said: 'Can't you already tell?'

'Everything is telling me I should just walk away,' he told the Sunday Night reporter.

But despite their struggles, Scott says he will remain dedicated to his fiancee whether she is found innocent or guilty.

When questioned on what he would do if Cassie were to be sentenced to 20 years behind bars, Scott was unwavering in his devotion.

'I'll wait. She would do the same for me,' he said.

'I am willing to be there through to the end, and I've told her that. That's how I feel.'

It also comes as Cassie was outed as a former sex worker by colleagues at a western Sydney brothel.

A woman who allegedly worked alongside the 22-year-old Club 220 in Penrith told 60 Minutes Cassie regularly flew from Adelaide to work at the brothel.

The woman, who spoke anonymously, said Ms Sainsbury worked as a prostitute called 'Claudia' for the second half of 2016.

In an internet advertisement for 'Claudia', she described herself as '19 years old classy, fun and ready to please and in Sydney for a short time'.

It is unclear if her fiance had knowledge of her alleged secret profession.

Cassie claims the cleaning business originally belonged to her uncle, Neil Sainsbury (pictured) but he claims he has never owned any business, and says Cassie 'may have had knowledge of what she was doing' when she walked into the airport

Cassie's time in a Colombian prison (pictured) has put strain on her relationship with Scott, who says 'everything is telling me I should just walk away'

Mr Broadbridge also defended Cassie's patchy story that she was flown around the world at the expense of a mystery cleaning company which was paying her $1800 per week in cash.

He claims his fiancee had been undertaking regular trips interstate to 'meet clients' since a cleaning company Cassie claimed was owned by her uncle Neil was bought by a couple, Karen and June Doshol.

In his interview with Sunday Night, he explained the details of Cassie's employment, and shared his fears that her new employers had set her up, and used fake names.

'I'm getting under suspicion that there was possibly fake names given,' he said, noting he had tried hard to find Cassie's employers but nothing had come up.

'Yeah, so I think maybe this was quite a long process. You know, close to a year in the making,' he said.

'Build Cassie's trust up and then, you know, sent her to you know, this country.'

Further investigation of electoral records revealed no Karen or June Doshol, deepening the mystery of who the Adelaide woman was working for.

According to the Sunday Night report, Cassie had undertaken numerous trips over the past eight months to meet clients in Sydney, before the Doshol's offered her the chance to meet some international clients.

The couple flew the 22-year-old to London via Hong Kong, before moving her on to Los Angeles.

Scott is struggling to maintain his relationship with Cassie now that she is behind bars

In a recorded phone conversation between Cassie and Scott, she is heard telling him: 'We're not going to last'

They then allegedly told her she needed to go via Colombia in order to get back to London.

It was at the airport in Colombia, where she was preparing to return to London, that she was pulled aside by customs officers, who found 5.8kgs of cocaine hidden in 18 packets of headphones.

Cassie has claimed the cleaning company was owned by her uncle, former military investigator Neil - something he has vehemently denied.

'I've never owned a cleaning business, I've never owned any business,' he said.

'My niece Cassie has never been employed by me, never been employed by anyone I know.'

Neil added he had 'zero tolerance to people that use drugs or are involved in drugs', and suggested Cassie was not tricked, as she claimed, but knew what she was doing when she walked into the El Dorado Airport.

'I just don't honestly believe that she was naive at all. I think she... perhaps she may have had knowledge of what she was doing - complete knowledge,' he said.
An Australian man has died descending Mount Everest after suffering from altitude sickness.

Francesco Enrico Marchetti, 54, had reached around 8,000m altitude on Sunday morning before turning back after feeling unwell.

'The climber breathed his last at an altitude of 7500m on the Tibetan side when he was descending to lower camps,' Tibetan Mountaineering officials told the Himalayan Times.

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Australian man Francesco Enrico Marchetti (pictured) has died after descending Mount Everest suffering from altitude sickness

Marchetti (left) lived in Queensland with his wife Sandy (right), who was studying at Griffith University

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, with a peak of 8,848 metres

Marchetti had been attempting the North Col route up the mountain, and was only about 800 vertical metres from the summit of the world's tallest mountain.

He was an experienced climber and had been on a trip to Everest earlier this year.

The 54-year-old was a machining lecturer at a university in Queensland where he lived with his wife.

Francesco Enrico Marchetti (left), 54, had reached 8,000 vertical metres before turning back feeling unwell

Marchetti is the second Australian to die from altitude sickness in the past year

What is altitude sickness? Altitude sickness occurs when an ascension happens too quickly and the body is unable to adjust to reduced oxygen and increased air pressure. In severe cases altitude sickness can cause a build up of fluid in the lungs and brain which can be fatal. Advertisement

Marchetti is the second Australian to die from altitude sickness on the mountain in the past year, as Melbourne woman Maria Strydom passed away due to a lack of oxygen in May of 2016.

She had returned to Camp 4, the last camp before the mountain's summit, where she spent the night but died from lack of oxygen the following day.

The 34-year-old South African national taught at Monash University in Melbourne and was an experienced climber.
A Russian man has been seriously injured in a revenge attack after he allegedly insulted a Mexican community in videos he posted to social media.

A mob of angry residents from Cancun, Mexico, threw rocks at Aleksei Makeev, 42, while chanting 'You're going to die' and 'I'm going to cut your head off', as they inched closer to the half-naked Russian, who was hiding in his apartment.

Police managed to rescue Makeev, who was seriously injured and doused in blood, but also opened an investigation into a man who was allegedly stabbed by the Russian when he entered his apartment, Reuters reported.

Aleksei Makeev, 42, has been seriously injured in a revenge attack, after 'insulting' a Mexican community in videos he posted to social media. He is pictured sitting atop a fence while trying to flee the mob

The mob shouted: 'You're going to die' and 'I'm going to cut your head off', as they inched closer to the half-naked Russian, who was hiding in his apartment

As the attack unfolded, other community residents recorded it on their phones and provided commentary on social media.

'Cut off [the Russians] head! Toss him in a ditch,' one commentator chanted. 'Finish him off! Get it over with!'

Residents say Makeev - who had been called #LordNaziRuso online - has been terrorizing Mexicans since his arrival. Aquaworld Cancun, where he worked as a scuba instructor, dismissed him because 'his behavior had begun to turn aggressive.'

Mexico's National Immigration Institute has been trying to deport the Russian native for two years. In a statement, it said that Makeev came to its attention last year after a number of run-ins with law enforcement due to his aggressive behavior.

The Cancun residents have shunned him ever since he started posting insulting videos about them, in which he showed off his knives and insulted Mexicans - sometimes surrounded by swastika labels. In one video, he appears to be putting his middle finger up at a girl - who looked about three or four years old - while saying: 'Look monkey, you must remember this.'

As the mob inched closer to Makeev's apartment, other community residents recorded it on their phones and provided commentary on social media

They yelled, 'Cut off [the Russians] head! Toss him in a ditch,' and 'Finish him off! Get it over with!'

In the videos he posted to his Youtube channel and Facebook page, he showed off his knives and insulted Mexicans - sometimes surrounded by swastika labels. This is a picture he featured in one of his Facebook videos, which was posted on March 23

Impatient with the authorities' slow intervention, the Mexican community decided to put matters in their own hands and attempted to lynch him.

Bats and rocks in hand, they rioted as they approached Makeev's home and broke down his windows and door. When they managed to enter his home, they repeatedly beat him, so much so that almost every inch of his body was covered in blood and he became unconscious.

Had authorities apprehended the Russian earlier, the mob may not have had to intervene, residents claim.

One resident, Fabricio Rechy, showed the police some of the videos - most of which have since been taken offline - he'd posted.

'None of this would have happened if they had just taken notice when I asked them to,'Rechy told the Daily Beast.

Speaking of the resident who was found dead amid the chaos, he said: 'That boy would still be alive, unfortunately, this is a national problem in Mexicothe lack of authority, and the authorities inaction. I hate to say it, but we are used to corruption here in Mexico.

'There just isnt any trust,'he said. 'People prefer to take justice into their own hands than deal with authorities. Thats how this works.'

Makeev was also under the watchful eye of authorities in his home country, Russia. In 2013, the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2013 put him under review after an online video showed him shoving an elderly woman and child.

He was also reportedly placed in a Russian psychiatric facility for his unstable behavior as a result, the Daily Beast reported.

Police managed to rescue Makeev, whose body looked like it has been doused in blood. They also opened an investigation into a man who was allegedly stabbed by the Russian when he entered his apartment, Reuters reported. Pictured are members of the Municipal Police as they attempt to contain an angry mob that tried to lynch the Russian citizen
Ministers spent more than 50,000 of taxpayers money enforcing a 60 fine against parents who took their daughter to Disney World during term time.

The money was spent fighting Isle of Wight father Jon Platt in a landmark Supreme Court case over whether the break was legal.

Until recently, families have been allowed to take their children out of school for short breaks  but this was banned in 2013 by former education secretary Michael Gove.

Mr Platt, 46, argued that because his daughters attendance was otherwise exemplary, the single week off should be permissible within the law.

But judges sided against him, meaning schools, councils and local courts will now be obliged to enforce similar fines against parents for term-time breaks.

Final ruling: John and Sally Platt at the Supreme Court last month. Mr Platt argued that his daughters attendance was exemplary so one week off should be permissible within the law

The judgement is a blow for many low-income families, who cannot afford to pay for holidays during the expensive peak time of the school summer holidays.

And yesterday, critics questioned why the government had spent so much money to enforce fines on law-abiding families.

David Hedley, a campaigner from Nottinghamshire who was fined for taking his children on a much-needed family break between his wifes cancer treatments, said: Its a complete waste of taxpayers money.

The rules should never have changed in the first place. There is just no need for it. It should be a given that if there is a special circumstance, parents should be allowed to take a child out of school.

The Department for Education spent 50,000 on this case when at the same time budgets are being squeezed.

They are spending the time and money on the wrong issues. That 50,000 could have been spent buying textbooks. They wasted all this money just to prove that they are not wrong. Its madness.

The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show the Department for Education spent 50,439 on the case.

The sum was mostly made up of fees to lawyers working on the Supreme Court case, with thousands billed to the taxpayer for drafting the case and providing advice. One 80 bill from a lawyer was for a telephone call and research while another charged at 260 was for providing email advice.

A third, for 60, was charged for reading through the draft case.

More than 14,000 of the total sum was also spent on High Court costs. The money was paid on behalf of Isle of Wight Council, which made the initial prosecution and was supported financially by the government.

Mr Platt lost the case last month, with judges deciding regular attendance meant in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school.

Because other courts are obliged to take the decision into account, it means term-time holidays are now illegal, even if the child has a good attendance record. It is likely a ban will be fully implemented by schools across the country.

A Department for Education spokesman said: We are pleased the Supreme Court unanimously agreed with our position  that no child should be taken out of school without good reason.

As before, headteachers have the ability to decide when exceptional circumstances allow for a child to be absent but todays ruling removes the uncertainty for schools and local authorities created by the previous judgment.
Mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest will make Australia's single biggest philanthropic donation with $400 million for a variety of social and scientific causes.

The announcement was made at a ceremony hosted by film star Russell Crowe and attended by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday morning.

"It will change the lives of thousands of people here in and around the world," Mr Turnbull said.

Once Australia's richest man, Forrest's empire is now believed to amass $4.3 billion.

Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest (pictured) announced an Australian philanthropic donation record of $400 million on Monday morning

Forrest (left) kisses the hand of wife Nicola (right) after announcing his $400 million donation

Forrest (left) announced the record donation alongside wife Nicola (right) in a press conference with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Hollywood star Russell Crowe

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (left) and Hollywood actor Russell Crowe (right) attended the press conference

Turnbull (center) and Shorten (right) all smiles after Forrest (left) makes record donation of $400 million to various social and scientific causes

Where is the donation going? Fact-box * $75 million for coordinating world cancer institutes to make lethal cancer history for the coming generation. * $50 million towards building stronger communities. * $75 million for higher education and breakthrough research. * $75 million towards giving every child their best chance. * $50 million towards creating equality of opportunity amongst all Australians. * $75 million towards removing modern slavery from human history. Advertisement

Mr Forrest said the $400 million was a very large proportion of what he and his wife Nicola earned.

"We're doing it because it's very timely in all of the fields which we're donating to," he said.

Mr Forrest admits America has a much stronger philanthropic culture than Australia, but times are changing.

There was an irony in the fact Australians have the most naturally generous hearts and mateship attitude but there was a cynicism about philanthropy.

He recalled his first public donation after years of secretive pledges.

"The immediate response was that's been done for tax and it had nothing to do with tax," Mr Forrest said.

The 55-year-old and his wife Nicola established the Minderoo Foundation in 2001, with the ethos that "by giving a hand up, not a hand out, we can empower communities".

Russell Crowe (pictured) labeled Forrest's donation as 'incredible' and says it has been his 'great pleasure' to be involved with his philanthropic work

Former Prime Minster Tony Abbott (left) congratulates Forrest (right) for his record donation

Turnbull (pictured) called the donation a 'game changer' and said it took 'great love' for Forrest to devote such a significant portion of his wealth to helping others

Turnbull (left) and Shorten (right) put aside their differences to praise Forrest for his record donation

Andrew Forrest (pictured) established the Minderoo Foundation in 2001 aimed at increasing Aboriginal rights

Crowe (left) greets Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Anthony Albanese (right)

Turnbull (right) joined Forrest (left) to announce the donation that will help various causes including cancer research

Forrest (right) and wife Nicola (left) have supported over 250 initiatives through their foundation

Minderoo has supported more than 250 initiatives both within Australia and internationally, including fighting modern slavery, ending Indigenous disadvantage, and ensuring all children in Australia "thrive by five".

The Forrests and daughter Grace founded the Walk Free Foundation in 2012, which aims to end slavery, which affects more than 45 million people.

Mr Forrest built his fortune in mining after founding Anaconda Nickel Ltd, now known as Minara Resources, in 1994, before founding Fortescue Metals Group in 2003, the world's fourth largest and Australia's third-largest iron ore miner behind BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

Forrest (left) was praised by Turnbull (right), saying Australia could be 'much less well off' without his generosity

Forrest (left) says he and wife Nicola (right) are donating a 'large proportion of our earnings'

He is chairman of Fortescue, having stepped down as CEO in 2011 to focus on philanthropic work.

This year, he was Western Australia's finalist for Australian of the Year.

The 55-year-old and his wife Nicola established the Minderoo Foundation in 2001, with the ethos that 'by giving a hand up, not a hand out, we can empower communities'.

Minderoo has supported more than 250 initiatives both within Australia and internationally, including fighting modern slavery, ending Indigenous disadvantage, and ensuring all children in Australia 'thrive by five'.

The Forrests and daughter Grace founded the Walk Free Foundation in 2012, which aims to end slavery, which affects more than 45 million people.

Mr Forrest built his fortune in mining after founding Anaconda Nickel Ltd, now known as Minara Resources, in 1994, before founding Fortescue Metals Group in 2003, the world's fourth largest and Australia's third-largest iron ore miner behind BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.
A two-year-old boy has been killed after he was struck by the family car in South Australia.

The accident occurred on a rural dirt track south of Port Pirie when the mother of the boy stopped at the request of her son, who needed to go to the toilet.

Police investigations are ongoing, yet it's believed the vehicle was still in drive as the mother assisted her son.

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A two-year-old boy has been killed after he was struck by the family car in South Australia

The accident occurred on a rural dirt track south of Port Pirie when the mother of the boy stopped at the request of her son, who needed to go to the toilet

The silver SUV is thought to have rolled forward, hitting the boy, who died at the scene.

'It's a very tragic and devastating set of circumstances for the family, the community in general, everyone involved - it's not a good situation at all,' Sergeant Stephen Griggs from South Australia police told 7 News.

The incident occurred around 11.30am on Sunday as the boy's infant sister accompanied the mother and her son in the car.

Emergency services were called to the scene yet failed to save the boy's life.

'It's early stages in the investigation and we're not 100 per cent sure, but it would appear the vehicle was still in drive as the driver got out to assist the child and the vehicle has come into contact,' Sgt Griggs added.

Although not injured, the mother was taken to the Port Pirie hospital where she was treated for shock.

An aerial shot of the scene highlights where the incident happened on Port Davis Road

Sergeant Stephen Griggs addressed media following the 'tragic and devastating' accident

On hearing the devastating news, the father of the boy rushed from work to be with his partner.

The road was closed for a prolonged period on Sunday as investigators worked to distinguish what exactly happened.

Port Davis Road was the scene of another fatal accident involving a child four years earlier.

A two-year-old girl was killed in a road accident after running from her home's driveway.
Thousands of passengers were stuck in long queues at Australian international airports after passport systems failed in what was believed to be a 'global' shutdown.

Check-in desks and custom counters at the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane international airports were rendered almost useless on Monday morning, causing chaotic scenes.

Queues stretched the length of the check-in halls and almost out the entry doors.

Thousands of people were stuck in long queues at Sydney Airport (pictured), Brisbane and Melbourne airports on Monday morning after passport systems failed

Passengers seeking to fly overseas out of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland airports were delayed on Monday morning (pictured is Sydney Airport)

Queues stretched the length of the check-in hall at Sydney Airport (pictured) and almost out the entry doors

Passengers took to social media seeking answers for the delays with Sydney Airport telling passengers via Twitter: 'Airlines are experiencing check-in delays due to a system issue. Check with your airline for latest information. Thanks for your patience'.

The system went down about 7.30am but was back in operation about 11.30am.

The system crash also affected Auckland Airport, on New Zealand's North Island.

'Check-in delays right now as Immigration NZ's national system has gone down. Updates to follow - thanks for your patience this morning,' a tweet from Auckland Airport said.

The Daily Telegraph reported an airport staff member at Sydney Airport had suggested what had occurred was a 'global' matter.

Frantic passengers had feared they would miss their flights during the system crash.

'Stuck in the immigration tech outage. Flight to LAX [Los Angeles] won't leave without us will it?', one person wrote to Virgin Australia on Twitter.

A tweet from Auckland Airport on Monday morning explaining delays to check-in

Passengers were urged to be patient while passport systems were restored (pictured is Sydney Airport)

The passport system failure was reportedly a 'global' shutdown (pictured is Sydney Airport)
Melania Trump doesn't think White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer is doing a good enough job defending her husband as she keeps tabs on media reports surrounding the president's performance, it has been reported.

While Melania has spent her first few months as First Lady in New York, she often speaks to Trump on the phone and relays how the chaos looks from outside the Washington bubble, according to close associates who spoke toPolitico.

'She was really concerned that Spicer was not doing a good job, that they were not proactive in defending the president,' according to an outside adviser who is close to the president.

It remains to be seen whether Sean Spicer's position will be limited upon Trump's return to the US, with the president threatening to cancel press briefings amidst the White House's conflicting accounts surrounding the sudden dismissal of FBI director James Comey.

Melania Trump (left) doesn't think White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (right) is doing a good enough job defending her husband

Melania (pictured arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday) has taken an active role in alerting the president to stories she thinks are damaging

Melania has expressed her concerns about Spicer's performance, it has been reported. She also thinks leaks from within the administration are 'unacceptable'

While Melania is often seen as an outsider who is removed from her husband's work, the 47-year-old has taken an active role in alerting the president to stories she thinks are damaging.

Alongside the president's trusted advisers, which include Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Melania often speaks to the president on the phone at night, according to aides and friends of the President.

She is particularly concerned about Spicer's performance, with one outside adviser telling Politico: 'The leaks bother her. She believes a lot of people are more interested in serving themselves than him.'

Spicer's position has been reportedly hanging in the balance for weeks, and he could be relegated to a less public role after Trump returns from a five-stop diplomacy tour through the Middle East and Europe, Politico reported.

With the White House plagued by damaging leaks, Melania is also troubled by West Wing aides who have criticized the president.

The former modelling agent Paolo Zampolli, who introduced Melania to Trump in 1998, said the First Lady was protective of her husband and considered the leaks 'unacceptable'.

One administration official recently told the Daily Beast: 'Every day [Trump] looks more and more like a complete moron.

'I wish he'd grow a brain and be the man that he sold himself as on the campaign,' they added.

First Lady Melania Trump high-fives a child during a visit to the American International School

Mrs Trump, dressed in a beige trench coat style dress, answers questions from pupils

She also visited the All-Women Business Process Services and IT Center in Riyadh where she met and spoke with some of its 1,000-strong female employees

Melania, who is accompanying her husband on his first international trip as president, issued a statement before she left.

It read: 'This will not just be an opportunity to support my husband as he works on important matters of national security and foreign relations, it will also be my honor to visit and speak with women and children from different countries, with different perspectives.'

During their welcome in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, the First Lady looked on as Trump stood among a line of ceremonial sword dancers.

The last four presidents confirmed their first trips abroad to Canada and Mexico, but Trump is going big before going home

On Sunday, Melania visited the American International School in Riyadh where she greeted pupils and spoke with teachers.

She was joined by the Saudi Education Minister, Ahmed Al Eissa, and the two were given a tour of the site.

She also visited the All-Women Business Process Services and IT Center in Riyadh where she met and spoke with some of its 1,000-strong female employees.

The first lady tweeted that she had been honored to meet the 'incredible women' staff of the GE Saudi center, where 'great strides being made towards the empowerment of women.'
Jeremy Corbyn is too 'uncertain and unsure' about Brexit to be trusted with the negotiations, Theresa May will say today.

She will warn that Labour's leader propped up as PM by the SNP and Lib Dems would have a 'weak hand' in the talks that will start just 11 days after the election.

'We need someone representing Britain who is 100 per cent committed to the cause,' the Prime Minister will say.

'Not someone who is uncertain or unsure, but someone utterly determined to deliver the democratic will of the British people.'

Jeremy Corbyn is too 'uncertain and unsure' about Brexit to be trusted with the negotiations, Theresa May will say today

Several ministers laid into the Labour leader over the weekend, as the Conservatives stepped up their verbal assault on him over Brexit.

Boris Johnson warned that Mr Corbyn would be no match for Brussels if he was in charge.

MIXED-SEX WARDS PLEDGE DROPPED A key pledge to scrap mixed-sex hospital wards has been dropped by the Conservatives despite its inclusion in the 2010 and 2015 manifestos. Critics say mixed-sex wards are an affront to patients' dignity, but the pledge to end them was absent from the latest Tory manifesto. Following a Daily Mail campaign to end the 'wards of shame', the Government banned the practice and in 2011 began fining hospitals that breached the rules. But the number put on mixed-sex wards has trebled in two years to 8,000 in the 12 months to the end of March. Advertisement

The Foreign Secretary told ITV's Peston on Sunday: 'I think they're going to look at him, and they're going to have him for breakfast. And I think it would be deeply damaging to the interests of this country.'

Brexit Secretary David Davis called the Labour leader 'incredibly indecisive' and said Labour's policy on Brexit had changed 'half a dozen times'.

In a speech today to launch the Conservatives' Welsh manifesto, Mrs May will say: 'There are just 17 days to the election, and negotiations will begin 11 days after that.

'The UK's seat at the negotiating table will be filled by me or Jeremy Corbyn. The deal we seek will be negotiated by me or Jeremy Corbyn. There will be no time to waste and no time for a new government to find its way. So the stakes in this election are high.

Theresa May will warn that Labour's leader would have a 'weak hand' in the talks if elected prime minister propped up by a coalition

'Our future prosperity, our standard of living, our place in the world, and the opportunities we want for our children  and our children's children  are either in the strong hand you grant me by supporting my candidates in this election ... or the weak hand of Jeremy Corbyn, backed by the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the SNP who don't want Brexit to succeed.

KNIGHTHOODS WILL BE LOST IF 'INTEGRITY' TEST IS FAILED Theresa May has said she will strip people of their knighthoods if they fail to meet the 'standards of integrity' expected by the public. The Prime Minister said that if re-elected, she would order a review of the honours system by the Cabinet Office that would also make sure local heroes were given the recognition they deserved. Mrs May said she wanted to ensure the public had 'full confidence' in honours. 'What we've seen, sadly, is a limited number of instances where the public would feel that someone has been given an honour and then perhaps not met the standards of integrity that they would expect,' she told The Sunday Telegraph. Her comments follow widespread criticism of business tycoon Sir Philip Green and banker Fred Goodwin. Advertisement

'Every vote for me and my team in this election will be a vote to strengthen my hand in the negotiations to come. Every vote for any other party  Labour, the Liberal Democrats or Plaid Cymru  is a vote to send Jeremy Corbyn into the negotiating chamber on our behalf.'

Yesterday Mrs May also said that Britain will stake a claim for a share of the EU's assets worth billions of pounds.

The PM said the UK has financial 'rights' as well as 'obligations', and is entitled to a slice of Brussels assets, including the European Investment Bank.

Government officials suggest the UK's share of the bank's assets are worth around 10billion, or 16 per cent of the total.

Today the remaining 27 EU member states will sign off their legally binding negotiation position. Formal talks are expected to begin on June 19.

Senior Eurocrats have suggested they will demand Britain pay 100billion euros (85billion) or more, and refuse to engage in trade talks until the bill is settled.

Yesterday it was reported that the bill could rise even higher as anonymous officials said Britain also owed money from 2007 to 2013.

But Mr Davis said the negotiations would be plunged into 'crisis' if the EU refuses to discuss trade until Britain agrees to pay up, raising the prospect he could walk away entirely.

Brexit Secretary David Davis called the Labour leader 'incredibly indecisive' and said Labour's policy on Brexit had changed 'half a dozen times'

He told The Sunday Times: 'We don't need to just look like we can walk away. Under the circumstances, if that was necessary, we would be in a position to do it.' On the question of money, he added: 'I don't know what a moderate number of billions is. I'm sufficiently poor to think 1billion is a lot of money.'

FARRON: STOP THE FOCUS ON MY FAITH Tim Farron criticised 'odd' scrutiny of his religious beliefs as he refused four times to deny abortion was wrong yesterday. Weeks after he also attracted controversy for his views on gay sex, the Christian Lib Dem leader accused journalists of 'banging on' about the issue. On Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday yesterday, Mr Farron was asked about comments he made in 2007 that abortion was 'wrong'. Asked four times to clarify his views, Mr Farron simply repeated that he believed in legal access to abortion. Advertisement

Mr Davis attacked Eurocrats with 'axes to grind' for the poisonous briefings to European and UK newspapers at the start of the general election campaign  thought to have come from Martin Selmayr, chief of staff for European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

The leaks sparked a backlash from Mrs May, who accused officials of trying to influence the election. Mr Davis said: '[The briefing] was out of line and they know that. That's not the way to approach dealing with a major country like the United Kingdom.

'There are plenty of people in the European Union who want this to succeed. There may be some who want it to fail. I'm of the view that the likeliest outcome is the outcome we are looking for.'

Mr Davis also rejected suggestions that ministers would give full rights to remain in Britain to any EU citizen who has spent any time living here, including access to benefits.

But he said the offer to the 3.5million EU nationals already living here would be 'as generous as it is possible to be'.
Simon Cowell has revealed that his beloved pooch, Squiddly, has been diagnosed with gender dysmorphia by the vet

As televisions most famous talent show judge, Simon Cowell is famed for his no nonsense, straight-talking decision making.

Alas, the same cannot be said for his dog.

The Britains Got Talent star has revealed his beloved pooch, Squiddly, has been diagnosed with gender dysmorphia following a routine trip to the vet.

The Cairn terrier, four, has started cocking her leg when urinating, and mounting female mutts at any given opportunity which, according to animal behavioural experts, could be a habit picked-up by her brother Diddly, and step-brother, Freddy.

Last night Cowell told the Mail: Squiddly has been diagnosed with gender dysmorphia which, apparently, is now a thing.

The vet thinks perhaps she has picked-up behavioural habits from her brother, Diddly, meaning she now cocks her leg like a boy when she wees and has started humping the occasional dog.

Unfortunately, for example, she took a real shine to Sinittas female puppy.

There isnt really anything that can be done, and obviously I still love her no matter what.

Squiddly is a very happy little dog, albeit one who thinks she is a boy.

Yesterday, Sinitta was quick to back-up the 57-year-olds assertions.

She said: I can vouch for this; Squiddly ignored my red toy poodle puppy Scarlet when they first met but started mounting her the second time.

Simon said it was a sign of affection.

Gender dysmorphia  a condition in which a person experiences discomfort or distress due to the sense of mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity - is not typically a phenomenon found in animals.

Sinitta said: I can vouch for this; Squiddly ignored my red toy poodle puppy Scarlet when they first met but started mounting her the second time

However, there are said to be three main causes of gender identity: genetics, hormones and environment, and bitches hormones can be seriously disturbed after they have been spayed.

Similarly, environmental factors include upbringing and social milieu  Squiddly has interacted almost solely with her brothers, and has started copying their behaviour.

Another possible factor is the current celebrity-led trend of dressing dogs in jumpers and designer jackets.

Indeed, young Squiddly has been seen in a veritable array of snazzy woollen knits over the years.

She was most recently seen trotting into the London Palladium alongside her famous owner for an early round of BGT auditions, wearing a fetching pink sleeveless jumper.

According to canine behaviourists, a probably reason for Squiddlys leg-cocking could be down to an over-secretion of testosterone whilst in the uterus, resulting in slight masculinisation.

Squiddly took a real shine to Sinittas female puppy

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that falls under the androgen group and is found in almost all mammals and whilst usually associated with male dogs, it is also secreted by the ovaries in females.

However, Colin Tennant, Chairman of the Canine & Feline Behaviour Association, was last night sceptical  but thought alpha, high ranking Cowells own behaviour may have affected Squiddly.

He said: I think this diagnosis is proffered by a person not quite understanding dog behaviour so Simon, at best, is being misled.

Bitches can and do cock their legs sometimes and bitches humping dogs and/or bitches is again not unusual.

I have seen many bitches executing male type behaviours, and they are idiopathic to the best of my knowledge.

Dogs wearing clothes is not related to sexual activity but more a psychological interpretation of the owners mindset anthropomorphically.

But dogs can be influenced by how we behave so in a general way a high ranking homosapien male may influence a dogs status and rank by confidence and observed behaviour.

Dog-lover Cowell got Squiddly and Diddly in 2013 and inherited Yorkshire terrier, Freddie, from his mother, Julie, following her death in 2015.

He has long-championed dog acts on Britains Got Talent  the current series of which is averaging nearly nine million viewers [must ref]  and was thrilled when double act Ashleigh and Pudsey won the hit talent show in 2012.
Almost 30 people are being treated for injuries after a 25-tonne truck smashed into a tram packed with morning commuters in Melbourne, with 17 people being treated in hospital.

Emergency services were called just after 8am on Monday to the scene near Melbourne Zoo and Royal Park at inner-north Parkville.

The number 58 tram was derailed, while the truck ended up on its side, photographs from the scene show.

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A truck smashed into a tram about 8am on Monday morning in Parkville in Melbourne's inner-north

A woman is pictured being treated by paramedics at the scene in Parkville

The truck had been recently filled with fuel and diesel leaked at the scene. A dozen firefighters arrived to secure the leak and clean up the spillage

A man believed to be the truck driver is being interviewed by police at the scene

Victoria Ambulance said paramedics were treating 29 people, mostly for minor injuries.

Four people were taken to The Alfred Hospital, four were taken to St Vincent's Hospital, and three were taken to Footscray Hospital. Three people were taken to The Royal Melbourne Hospital. All 14 people taken to hospital had minor injuries and were in a stable condition.

The remaining 15 people were assessed at the scene and not taken to hospital, a Victoria Ambulance spokesperson said.

Senior Sergeant Stephen Wilson said 17 people had been taken to hospital.

A woman is treated at the scene for arm injuries on Monday morning

The tram was completely derailed from the line in Parkville, inner-north Melbourne

The truck driver suffered cuts and bruises but is otherwise unharmed

He said he believed one had suffered a broken arm, while others had lacerations, strains and sprains.

However, Sgt Wilson said they were 'very, very lucky' injuries weren't worse, considering the 'significant derailment' of the tram.

The truck driver suffered cuts and bruises but is otherwise unharmed.

Sgt Wilson said 46 people were on the tram at the time.

Passengers on Reddit have been describing the horror smash.

Alyssa High, who was on the tram when a truck collided with it on Elliot Avenue, is pictured

Fire crews are pictured at the scene to contain and clean the fuel leak

Investigations are continuing and it is not certain what caused the crash

The truck was upturned but the driver suffered only cuts and bruises

The tram is pictured at the scene in a clean-up expected to last until Monday evening

The tram is pictured after being derailed on Monday morning about 8.10am

'The tram driver and a few passengers had been banged up, a few people with minor cuts. Lots of people dazed or shaken. I didn't see the driver,' a passenger wrote on Reddit.

'It felt like the truck was going pretty fast, there was glass everywhere, and also dirt,' another said.

A passenger said it 'did not look like anyone was really badly injured' but ambulances and fire trucks were on the scene.

The truck, carrying soil, was turned on its side after smashing into the tram shortly after 8am on Monday

Passengers are pictured after a truck smashed into a tram and derailed the carriages

The truck had recently filled with fuel and diesel had spilled at the scene.

There were 12 firefighters on the scene to stop the leak and clean up the spill.

Sgt Wilson estimated it could be 10 hours, or about 8pm, before the tram can be pulled off the road.

The tram is pictured after being derailed in inner-north Melbourne

Emergency services are pictured at the scene where a truck smashed into a tram

Senior Sergeant Stephen Wilson said there were believed to be 46 people on the tram

It's understood no one is seriously injured, but at least 14 have been taken to hospital

A man believed to be the truck driver is pictured at the scene

Peak hour traffic on Monday afternoon is expected to be seriously affected.

The exact cause of the collision is being investigated.

Sgt Wilson said it appeared one of the drivers had gone through a red light, but he could not say for sure there had not been a malfunction.

Traffic has been closed on Elliot Avenue in both directions between Flemington Road and Royal Parade from Racecourse Road to Macarthur Road, VicRoads said.

'Emergency Services are on site and traffic is heavy through the area. Best to avoid the area if possible,' VicRoads reported.

Tram passengers and emergency crew are pictured. Nobody has been seriously injured

The truck, reportedly carrying soil, was turned on its side in the smash
Facebook is allowing users to share death threats, videos of self-harm and pictures of animal torture, it emerged yesterday.

Leaked company documents reveal staff moderating the social media website are told not to delete such content.

Secret slides detailing permissible posts also suggest videos of violent deaths do not always need to be deleted because they can help create awareness of issues such as mental illness.

The rules, which affect 2billion users, are contained in more than 100 internal training manuals, spreadsheets and flowcharts

Secret slides detailing permissible posts include photos of animal abuse and torture, which can be shared

Facebook is allowing users to share death threats, videos of self-harm and pictures of animal torture

And moderators do not have to censor death threats as long as they are regarded as generic or not credible.

Among the examples allowed are: **** off and die, little girl needs to keep to herself before daddy breaks her face and I hope someone kills you.

Yesterday campaigners said more needed to be done to ensure children were protected from the disturbing content.

WHAT THEY WON'T DELETE Generic death threats Photos of animal abuse or torture Hand-made images of sexual activity Videos of abortion (without nudity) Live-streaming videos of self-harm Advertisement

Facebook has an age restriction of 13 but many younger children lie on their profiles so that they can keep up with their friends.

Margaret Morrissey, of Parents Outloud, said: The effect on children of this content will be disastrous. I know there are age restrictions but these are irrelevant  kids always find a way round them.

I have no doubt that children are inclined to copy whatever they see online. And allowing people to post violent threats will only encourage cyber bullying. The next government needs to crack down on web companies which allow such content.

It may be that imposing fines is the only way to stop it.

The slides, obtained by the Guardian, say photos of non-sexual physical abuse do not have to be deleted or actioned unless there is a sadistic or celebratory element.

Moderators do not have to censor death threats as long as they are regarded as generic or not credible

These images feature on the slides 'credible violence', allowing for posts advocating violence

The leaked manual uses diagrams to give examples on what counts as permissible content

Monika Bickert, Facebooks head of global policy management, told the Daily Mail the social media site was 'building better tools to keep our community safe'

The rule follows the logic that leaving it on the website increases the chance of the victim being rescued. Photos of animal abuse and torture can also be shared.

Meanwhile all hand-made art showing nudity and sexual activity is allowed  although digitally made art showing sexual activity is not.

Facebook said it protected minors by hiding upsetting content and gave adults a choice by labelling it as disturbing.

The rules, which affect 2billion users, are contained in more than 100 internal training manuals, spreadsheets and flowcharts seen by the newspaper.

Moderators say they are overwhelmed by the volume of work, and often have just ten seconds to make a decision.

One source told the newspaper: Facebook cannot keep control of its content. It has grown too big, too quickly.

The manuals also say videos of abortions are allowed as long as there is no nudity.

Former Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said of Facebook, On child abuse they are still getting this very wrong'

And Facebook will allow users to livestream attempts to self-harm because it doesnt want to censor or punish people in distress.

In one of the leaked documents, Facebook justifies its rules, saying users commonly express disdain or disagreement by threatening or calling for violence in generally facetious and unserious ways.

Last night Monika Bickert, Facebooks head of global policy management, told the Daily Mail: Keeping people on Facebook safe is the most important thing we do. In addition to investing in more people, were also building better tools to keep our community safe.

'Were going to make it simpler to report problems to us, faster for our reviewers to determine which posts violate our standards and easier for them to contact law enforcement if someone needs help.

Former Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said yesterday: On child abuse they are still getting this very wrong. It is only likely to be in exceptional circumstances that continued sharing of child abuse is essential to the identifying and rescuing of a child.
Cassandra Sainsbury's uncle has denied ever employing his niece in a lucrative cleaning business she claimed paid her $1800 a week in cash and flew her around the world for business meetings.

Neil Sainsbury, a former military investigator, said his 22-year-old niece's claims were completely fabricated.

'That's a claim that I categorically deny. I've never owned a cleaning business, I've never owned any business,' he told Seven's Sunday Night.

'I think it needs to be made perfectly clear that my niece Cassie has never been employed by me, has never even been employed by anybody I know. And like I said, I've never owned a business whatsoever.'

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Cassandra Sainsbury's uncle has denied ever employing his niece in a lucrative cleaning business she claimed paid her $1800 a week

Her uncle denied he was responsible for flying Ms Sainsbury to Colombia, where she was caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in her suitcase at El Dorado International Airport on April 11.

Mr Sainsbury said he believed his niece was guilty.

'I just don't honestly believe that she was naive at all. I think she... perhaps she may have had knowledge of what she was doing - complete knowledge... I believe she was aware of what she was doing,' he said.

Ms Sainsbury's father Stuart admitted he doubted his daughter's story.

He said Ms Sainsbury had planned a holiday to Colombia with her fiance for months, adding further doubt to claims the trip was last-minute and forced upon the young Australian.

Cassie claims the cleaning business originally belonged to her uncle, Neil Sainsbury (pictured) but he claims he has never owned any business, and says Cassie 'may have had knowledge of what she was doing' when she walked into the airport

Ms Sainsbury's fiance Scott Broadbridge told Sunday Night his 22-year-old fiance's cleaning job required her to fly to Sydney, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and most recently Colombia.

Mr Broadbridge said she was paid $1800 each week to travel and work for the company, and claims to have seen the payments in her bank account.

He told Sunday Night the cleaning business was sold by Ms Sainsbury's uncle and bought by a couple named 'Karen and June Dolsholt'.

He said the new owners paid Ms Sainsbury $1800 in cash each week.

Mr Broadbridge said Ms Sainsbury was paid $1800 each week to travel and work for the company, and claims to have seen the payments in her bank account

Ms Sainsbury's fiance Scott Broadbridge claimed his 22-year-old fiance's cleaning job required her to fly to Sydney, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles and most recently Colombia

Sunday Night revealed they could not find anyone by those names on the Australian electoral roll, or in any other record searches.

According to Ms Sainsbury's story, the cleaning business sent her overseas in April to meet with international clients.

Mr Broadbridge vouched for his fiance and said the new owners of the cleaning business could have lied to her about their names and intentions.

Scott Broadbridge (left) claims his fiance Cassie Sainsbury (right) was undertaking regular trips to Sydney to meet clients and was paid $1800 a week in cash before she was arrested at the El Dorado Airport in Colombia

The 23-year-old suspects Cassie was set up to traffic cocaine by a couple named Karen and June Doshal, who allegedly bought the cleaning business Cassie worked for

Cassie's time in a Colombian prison (pictured) has put strain on her relationship with Scott, who says 'everything is telling me I should just walk away'

Scott is struggling to maintain his relationship with Cassie now that she is behind bars

In a recorded phone conversation between Cassie and Scott, she is heard telling him: 'we're not going to last'

Mr Broadbridge told Sunday Night he considered walking away from his fiance.

In a recorded phone call between Mr Broadbridge and his fiance, Ms Sainsbury also expressed her doubts, telling him she didn't think their relationship would last.

Despite their predicament, Mr Broadbridge said he was dedicated to his fiancee.

He said he would wait for her even if she was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
Jeremy Corbyn was accused of 'siding with Britain's enemies' last night after refusing five times explicitly to condemn the IRA.

The Labour leader was pressed repeatedly in a television interview to say he unequivocally opposed Republican terrorism.

But he refused to condemn the IRA directly, saying only that he opposed all bombing. And he blamed Britain for seeking a military solution in Ireland during the Troubles.

Mr Corbyn, pictured with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in the 1980s, invited him to parliament weeks after the Brighton bombing

The comments by Mr Corbyn on Sky News will fuel concerns about his stance towards the IRA

His comments enraged campaigners. Kenny Donaldson of Innocent Victims United said: 'Jeremy Corbyn continues to treat the innocent victims and survivors of Provisional IRA terrorism with contempt.

'He is the only politician our organisation has requested to meet with  on four occasions now  who refuses to even acknowledge correspondence.

'Within the Labour Party are many honourable representatives who know and understand what terrorism is.

'But it is a source of huge concern that their leader, who seeks to be our prime minister, is an apologist for terrorism.'

Weeks after the IRA bombed the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1984, Mr Corbyn invited Sinn Fein chief Gerry Adams to speak in parliament

WE DON'T NEED MPS, SAY UKIP UKIP leader Paul Nuttall claimed yesterday it 'doesn't matter' how many MPs a political party has. Mr Nuttall insisted Ukip still has a 'great future' despite having no seats in the House of Commons, and having been virtually wiped out in local elections earlier this month. Recent polls put the party's vote share at just 2 per cent, but Mr Nuttall said Ukip could be 'bigger than it's ever been before' after the election. Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, he said Ukip's new role was to act as the 'guard dogs' of Brexit. Asked how he could hold government to account if his party fails to win any seats, Mr Nuttall countered: 'It doesn't really matter how many MPs you have ... if you think back to 2013, we forced the then Prime Minister David Cameron into offering a referendum. We didn't have an MP at that time ... I predict after this election Ukip will go up substantially and we will do very well.' Advertisement

The TV interview prompted further scrutiny of the links between Republican terrorists and Mr Corbyn and his Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.

It also emerged that Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott told a pro-Republican journal in 1984 that 'every defeat of the British state is a victory for all of us'.

Mr Corbyn's disastrous interview was a major blow to Labour on a day when opinion polls put him closer to 10 Downing Street than at any point since he became party leader.

With less than three weeks to go until the election:

- The Conservative poll lead fell to single digits amid concern over the party's social care plans;

- Mr Corbyn refused to say he wanted immigration to fall;

- Boris Johnson claimed the EU would have Mr Corbyn 'for breakfast' in Brexit talks;

- Theresa May announced plans to strip knighthoods from wrongdoers.

At a press conference in London on Friday shadow chancellor John McDonnell was challenged over comments from 2003 in which he demanded people 'honour' Republican terrorists

Last week Mr McDonnell apologised for comments he made in 2003 at an event to honour IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.

CIVIL WAR OVER TRIDENT SUBS Labour's muddled stance on defence was thrown into further confusion yesterday as Jeremy Corbyn refused to guarantee he would keep all four Trident submarines. He told the BBC that Labour was 'committed to Trident' but did not specify the number of vessels, which was also not stated in his party's manifesto. When pressed if he would renew all four submarines, he responded: 'It is clear what is said in the manifesto.' In a further party split, his foreign affairs spokesman Emily Thornberry claimed support for Trident could not be guaranteed in any post-election review  but defence spokesman Nia Griffith said Labour was 'absolutely committed' to the nuclear deterrent. Advertisement

It was reported at the weekend that MI5 opened a file on Mr Corbyn over his links to the Republican movement.

It was also claimed that he petitioned for better treatment in prison for Hugh Doherty, a member of the Balcombe Street gang, which carried out a wave of attacks in England in the 1970s.

Yesterday the Sunday Times reported that Miss Abbott told a pro-Republican journal in 1984 that Ireland 'is our struggle  every defeat of the British state is a victory.'

Interviewed yesterday by Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Mr Corbyn was asked repeatedly to 'condemn unequivocally' the IRA. First he said 'bombing is wrong' and denounced 'all bombing' without specifically mentioning the IRA.

Asked again if he would condemn the IRA without 'equating it' to other violence, he said: 'No. I think what you have to say is all bombing has to be condemned and you have to bring about a peace process.'

Mr Corbyn played an Er hu a Chinese violin during a visit on Sunday to the Pagoda Arts and the Wah Sing Chinese Community centre

When the question was repeated, the Labour leader added: 'In the 1980s Britain was looking for a military solution in Ireland: it clearly was never going to work, ask anyone in the British Army at that time.'

WOULD LABOUR CUT MIGRATION? THEY WON'T SAY! The Labour leader refused five times yesterday to commit to cutting net migration if he wins the election. Jeremy Corbyn was accused of having a 'shambolic' stance on the issue after he failed to say whether numbers would go up or down if he becomes Prime Minister. Pressed repeatedly on live television, he said net migration would 'probably be lower' but added that he didn't want to 'start making predictions'. Labour's manifesto promises to end free movement after Brexit, but the party has suggested in recent months that any EU migrant who has a job would still be allowed to come to Britain. Last week Theresa May renewed the Tories' previous commitment to reducing net migration to the tens of thousands, but Labour's manifesto contains no immigration target. Quizzed by Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge, Mr Corbyn first said he wanted an immigration policy 'based on fair migration', the 'needs of society' and the 'rights of family reunion'. When asked for a 'direction of travel', he said he didn't want to 'get into the numbers game'. Last night Tory candidate Steve Baker said Mr Corbyn's stance was 'shambolic', adding: 'With just over two weeks to go before the election, it is clear he has no plan to get a good Brexit deal and no plan to control immigration.' Advertisement

Asked again, he said he 'condemned all those that do bombing, all those on both sides'.

Finally, he said: 'There were Loyalist bombs as well. I condemn all the bombing by both the Loyalists and the IRA.' He insisted he wanted peace in Ireland and had worked hard for it.

Security minister Ben Wallace, who served in Northern Ireland with the Scots Guards, said: 'People up and down the country will rightly be outraged that Jeremy Corbyn won't unequivocally condemn the IRA for the bloodshed, bombs and brutal murders they inflicted on a generation of innocent people.

'Jeremy Corbyn has spent a lifetime siding with Britain's enemies, but he and his extreme views could be leading our country and representing it abroad.'

Mr Corbyn had a role in a hard-Left magazine that celebrated the 1984 Brighton Bombing, which killed a Tory MP and four others.

He denied being general secretary of the London Labour Briefing when it published an editorial saying the attack showed 'the British only sit up and take notice when they are bombed into it'.

Mr Corbyn admitted he was a reader and contributor to the magazine but denied being on the editorial board at the time of the bombing.

Yesterday's TV interview also exposed Labour's chaotic position on freezing working age benefits.

Mr Corbyn said he would end the freeze because it's 'very, very unfair on those people in receipt of those benefits'.

But Mr McDonnell refused to say the freeze would end and the Labour election manifesto makes no mention of this.
The tattooed boyfriend of a young mother-of-two who was found dead in a home in western Sydney has been charged with breaching an apprehended violence order.

Police were called out to a home in Kingswood shortly after 12am on Sunday and found Hayley McClenahan-Ernst, 21, in cardiac arrest.

NSW ambulance paramedics called to the scene were unable to save her life. The cause of her death has not yet been determined, but police have said that they are treating her death as suspicious.

Her partner, 21-year-old Max Spencer, reportedly told neighbours she had hit her head on a coffee table and asked to use their phone to call triple zero.

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Pregnant mother-of-two Hayley McClenahan-Ernst, 21, found dead in a home in western Sydney on Sunday morning. Her death is being treated by police as suspicious

Her partner, 21-year-old Max Spencer, reportedly told neighbours when he went for help that she had hit her head on a coffee table. He has been charged with breaching an AVO order

Police were called out to a home on Derby Street, Kingswood, shortly after 12am on Sunday and found Ms McClenahan-Ernst (pictured), 21, in cardiac arrest

Neighbour Ashley Egtbert said the young woman, who was pregnant with her third child, was sitting in an unnatural upright position as if she had been propped up.

Ms Egtbert told the Daily Telegraph that from what she could see Ms Mcclenahan-Ernst had no blood, bruising or signs of injuries.

Ms Egtberts Her fiance Kevin followed the emergency operator's instructions but was unable to find a pulse. Her cause of death has not yet been determined.

Mr Spencer was arrested and taken to St Marys Police Station where he was later charged with breaching an AVO.

He was refused bail and will appear at Penrith Local Court on Monday in relation to the AVO charge.

It is believed there were a number of people in the house at the time police were called who are also helping police with enquiries

Neighbours said Ms McClenahan-Ernst (pictured with boyfriend Max Spencer) was sitting in an unnatural upright position when they came over to help before paramedics arrived

Superintendent Greg Peters said Mr Spencer was assisting police with their inquiries.

'He is cooperating... I believe they were in a relationship, I'm not sure if they were actually living together,' Peters told Fairfax Media.

'The cause of death is unknown at this point in time.'

It is believed there were a number of people in the house at the time police were called who are also helping police with inquiries.

'I know she had been out with her family - whether it was her family or his family - during the night, before they came back to the house,' Superintendent Peters said.

Police are treating the death as suspicious.

Ms McClenahan-Ernst's (pictured) cause of death is still unknown, but police are treating her death as suspicious
From the moment Pippa Middleton stepped from her vintage car at St Mark's Church in Englefield, followed by a tulle-puffed train of guipure lace, it was clear that this would be The Dress of 2017.

With a high, regal neckline embroidered with tiny pearls, delicate capped sleeves, a tight bodice to show off the famous 'Middleton Middle' and the billowing skirt, which was so exquisitely crafted it appeared to be seamless, this couture gown was a knockout.

But did we expect anything less? Like everything else about Pippa's wedding, her choice of designer would have been made with laser-sharp calculation. So, who better to call upon to design it than Giles Deacon, the darling of the British fashion scene?

Pippa Middleton in her wedding dress designed by Giles Deacon

Who shone: Pippa's mother Carole (left) wore a similar number in sky blue to the Royal Wedding in 2011. Princess Eugenie (centre) kept it simple in an on-trend navy dress and Jane Matthews the mother of the groom's eau de nil coat dress showed off her St Barths tan

Who got it wrong: TUT! Tut! James Middleton's TV presenter girlfriend wore a 4,000 Emilia Wickstead (left) dress (and 700 Jane Taylor fascinator) very nearly as white as the bride's. Bad form. Kate's (right) dated 5,000 Alexander McQueen gown made her look frumpy, despite a classy Jane Taylor hat (1,200) and 7,500 Kiki McDonough earrings

Sky high: One guest opted for a particularly bold feather fascinator paired with a sheer blue blouse and white skirt

Making a statement: Colourful bright get-ups were a go-to for many a guest - many pairing their accessories with eye-popping dresses, cropped blazers and a conservative heel

Deacon is a quietly spoken 47-year-old, who was born in Darlington and grew up in the Lake District.

He is so down to earth, he is more often seen in Nando's near his home in North London than in louche members' clubs in Soho.

Deacon may look like a stocky Cumbrian farmer  his father was an agricultural salesman  but what Giles can do with a bolt of hand-printed silk has broken many a heart on the front row.

Bold and bright: While some guests kept it elegant and classy, others couldn't resist making a splash in eye-watering, psychedelic prints

Neutrals and pastels: Others kept it classic in trenches and dresses in pastels, creams and beiges with matching heels, hats and fascinators

Not quite right: Some guests ripped up the rule book as they donned coats with oversized buttons and bizarre get-ups featuring traffic light colours

Although a former winner of British Designer of the Year, Deacon's career began to take off only after he made the decision 18 months ago to shelve his ready-to-wear line and concentrate on creating modern couture gowns for the rich and famous.

He has dressed Hollywood actresses Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Beckinsale, and his own girlfriend, Gwendoline Christie, the magnificent 6ft 3in Game Of Thrones actress.

'I always enjoyed making the big, special pieces for the show, and those were the things we were selling, so I thought: 'Why not do what you love most?' ' he explained.

Now at his atelier in East London, he is busy producing couture gowns for 50 to 60 of the world's wealthiest women, from Saudi princesses to CEOs of tech companies.

Day dresses start from 8,000 and evening dresses from 24,000, with the most complex wedding creations stretching to 120,000.

Pretty in pink: One guest opted for a pastel pink pleated number with simple gold heels and an elegant up-do

One guest donned a knee-length red dress with cupped sleeves while Serena Hood wore a long sleeved number in blue with chic gold heels
A top pediatrician has questioned whether poor families should be encouraged to have fewer children to keep them out of foster care.

Bond University dean of medicine Peter Jones argued Australia needed to reduce the number of children in care after it tripled from from 14,000 to 43,399 in 20 years.

'We need to ask politically charged questions, such as should we be developing policies that encourage disadvantaged families to have fewer children,' he wrote.

Top Australian pediatrician Peter Jones (pictured) questioned whether poor families should be encouraged to have fewer children to keep them out of foster care

The Bond University dean of medicine said mothers should not be given subsidies to have more than two children, with the money instead spent on supporting mums (stock image)

Professor Jones wrote in an article in the Australian Journal of Medicine, published on Monday, that placing children in care often did more harm than good.

'Children in care experience significantly poorer mental health outcomes than children who have never been in care,' he wrote.

He pointed to studies showing up to 60 per cent of children who'd been in care had mental health disorders and they were less likely to finish school - and there was 'no evidence' care made it better.

Professor Jones said instead of putting children in care too early, resources should be invested in supporting disadvantaged mothers and strengthening their family.

'We need to aggressively invest in young vulnerable mothers when they have their first child in disadvantaged circumstances,' he said.

'Not wait until there have been documented problems with child neglect before the child protection and social services systems react.'

The number of Australian children in care after it tripled from from 14,000 to 43,399 in 20 years

Professor Jones suggested this would be easier if poorer families had less children and were not given subsidies to have more than two children.

'If that's the societal norm, why are we having uncapped child support subsidies given to people in socially disadvantaged situations?' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'Our current system is set up such that we give more and more welfare. That doesn't lift people out of poverty.

'You need to invest in people so they become independent. They don't become independent by having multiple children to multiple partners who get taken away.'
Simon Danczuk has split up with his fiancee just weeks after they were pictured looking very much in love on holiday.

Charlene Meade, 31, confirmed she had ended the relationship with the politician on social media and described it as the best decision I have made.

It comes just weeks after Mr Danczuk was also dumped by Labour after party officials told him he would not be endorsed as a candidate for Rochdale in the upcoming General Election, with the 50-year-old confirming he would run as an independent.

The couple were seen walking hand-in-hand through Alicante, Spain, in April, with Ms Meade donning a revealing black bikini and lacy sarong.

Charlene Meade, right, 31, said on social media she had split up with fiance Simon Danczuk, left, and said it was the 'best decision she had made'

The controversial politician, 50, pictured left and right with estranged wife Karen, was also recently dumped by Labour who would not endorse him as a candidate for the General Election

But the mother-of-two said she ended the relationship some days ago, although she has yet to go into detail as to why.

She wrote on Twitter: I want to put it out there as @SimonDanczuk hasnt yet. I ended the relationship some days ago. I have my reasons. I wish him luck.

I feel totally fine. It was the right and best decision I have made.

The care worker met Mr Danczuk through social media and they are believed to have been dating since December.

Ms Meade, of Yorkshire, previously spoke about having a wedding abroad and starting a family with the politician.

Earlier this month the controversial MP was told by party officials he would not be endorsed as a candidate for Rochdale, which he has held since winning it from the Liberal Democrats in 2010.

Meanwhile Ms Danczuk, pictured left and right, also failed in a bid to stand for Labour in the election when she was not chosen to fight for the Bury North seat

Mr Danczuk was suspended from the Labour Party in 2015, pending an investigation, after a newspaper reported he had sent explicit messages to a 17-year-old girl.

A Labour party spokesman said: 'After considering the case of Simon Danczuk in detail and speaking to him in an interview, the Labour Party's NEC endorsement panel today unanimously recommended that he should not be endorsed as a Labour candidate.

'He will not be able to stand as a Labour candidate in any constituency at the general election.'

Meanwhile his estranged wife Karen,well known for her selfie pictures on social media, failed in her bid to be selected as a Labour candidate for the Bury North constituency, with James Frith being chosen as a candidate over her.

The Danczuks divorced in 2015. Since then, Mr Danczuk has been linked to a string of women.

Last year it was reported Mr Danczuk had sex with a 22-year-old woman on his desk in his constituency office after meeting just days earlier on Twitter.

According to The Sun, the politician declined to comment on the split.

Mr Danczuk was also accused of rape this month over an alleged attack on a woman in Westminster last year, but said the claims were 'totally false'

Mr Danczuk was also accused of rape earlier this month after a woman alleged he attacked her in Westminster last May.

The father-of-four was reported to police but he has slammed the allegations as 'totally false'.

He told the Daily Mail: 'At a time when Im being aggressively leant upon not to stand as an independent, so as to give the Labour Party an easy ride, I cant help but find the timing of these allegations deeply suspicious.

There is only a day to go before candidates have to submit nomination papers and some people desperately want to stop me.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had received a complaint but that no arrests had been made a inquiries were continuing.
Pippa's wedding wasn't the only coveted invitation this weekend.

Lady Melissa Percy, the Duke of Northumberland's daughter, held a raucous rival party on Saturday night at Syon House, her family's ancestral London home. Missy, as she's known, had muscular topless waiters serve guests including Prince Harry's ex Chelsy Davy, who wore a revealing black two-piece.

Her brother Earl Percy chose to attend his sister's 30th over the nuptials of Pippa, a close friend with whom he shared a house at Edinburgh University. Missy divorced Thomas Van Straubenzee, godfather to Prince George, last year.

Missy Spencer and Chelsy Davey at Lady Melissa Percy, the Duke of Northumberland's daughter, birthday party on Saturday

It was Missy Percy's 30th birthday this weekend. She had a big party at Syon Park, which included dinner served by topless waiters!

Princess Charlotte has a new playmate. Prince William's willowy ex Olivia Hunt, 34, now married to lawyer Nicholas Wilkinson, has given birth to their first child: a daughter named Edie. 'They're absolutely delighted,' says a friend of the couple, who attended Pippa's nuptials.

William courted Olivia at St Andrews before he had ever glimpsed Kate Middleton on the catwalk in her famous see-through dress.

Suki strips off on 'open top' safari!

Going topless used to be reserved for the beaches of the Mediterranean, but model Suki Waterhouse and former TV presenter Poppy Jamie stripped off on safari in Africa.

Suki Waterhouse and former TV presenter Poppy Jamie stripped off on safari in Africa

Suki Waterhouse (L) and Poppy Jamie attend The London Evening Standard British Film Awards at Claridge's Hotel late last year

Suki, 25, former girlfriend of Hollywood star Bradley Cooper, shared this photo with her fans online. Perhaps the daffy socialite, who was wearing just a pair of khaki shorts, misunderstood the term 'open-top' as she travelled in the convertible vehicle in Kenya?

The plastic surgeon's daughter is on holiday with Poppy, 26, with whom she set up an accessories brand.

I wonder which cheeky monkey took the snap?

The Countess of Carnarvon, whose Hampshire castle, Highclere, is where Downton Abbey was filmed, has found out her butler Luis has an imaginative streak.

'He has a tendency, in the temporary absence of a formal guide, to conduct castle tours in his own inimitable style,' she reveals. 'Any unsuspecting victims are shown entrances to tunnels, which he says run all the way to Newbury (six miles away), paintings by 'Van Cabbage' and a large silver platter, which I apparently won at Wimbledon.'
Taxpayer's money is being squandered on luxury hotels and first class travel by United Nations health chiefs, it was revealed yesterday.

More was spent on staff travel by the World Health Organisation than on tackling malaria, tuberculosis or AIDS, leaked documents showed.

The WHO, the UN agency responsible for fighting disease worldwide, is funded by taxpayers through the Department of Health. Yet its 'out of control' staffers, indulging in first class flights and five-star hotels, have sent the travel bill soaring.

The revelations will pile pressure on the Department of Health  which funds the WHO with money that could otherwise go on the NHS  to urgently investigate.

First class flights and five star hotels contributed to the World Health Organisation's 153m annual bill from last year. Britain gives the WHO 129m annually, more than every country except the US (file pic)

Britain gives the WHO more money than any other country except the United States, paying 129million annually.

As well as the Department of Health, the money comes from Britain's overseas aid budget and several other departments. The WHO has asked for even more to fund its responses to health crises worldwide.

Despite the WHO's pleas for increased funding, the organisation's director-general Dr Margaret Chan recently jetted to West Africa to praise health workers on triumphing over Ebola  and checked into the presidential suite at the five-star Palm Camayenne hotel in Conakry, Guinea. The suite normally costs 800 per night. It was also alleged that Dr Chan 'often' flies first class.

Documents leaked to the Associated Press news agency reveal the WHO's travel bill for staff is $200million (153million).

By comparison, it spent only 55million tackling AIDS and hepatitis last year. On malaria, it spent 47million, and to fight tuberculosis, it invested 45million.

More was spent on staff travel by the World Health Organisation than on tackling malaria, tuberculosis or AIDS, leaked documents showed (file pic)

Last night Conservative candidate Peter Bone said: 'If they are effectively spending NHS money on luxury hotels and first class travel, then this is absurd and completely wrong.' Joyce Robins, of NHS campaign group Patient Concern, said: 'It makes you sick. This money could be used to help patients, not wasted on people enjoying themselves in fancy hotels.'

The WHO's staff travel budget of 153million is the equivalent of the salaries of 6,600 NHS nurses, or 27,200 hip replacements.

The agency has rules to keep travel costs down. But it concedes compliance with the rules has been 'very low', with greedy staff routinely booking themselves perks such as business-class flights.

In an extraordinary admission, the agency's director of finance Nick Jeffreys told an in-house seminar: 'We don't trust people to do the right thing when it comes to travel.'

During the Ebola disaster in West Africa, the WHO's travel costs rocketed to 180million. Dr Bruce Aylward, who directed WHO's response to Ebola, racked up more than 300,000 in travel expenses during the crisis, sometimes flying by helicopter to visit clinics instead of travelling by jeep, according to internal trip reports he filed.

Dr Ashish Jha, director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard University, said: 'When you spend the kind of money WHO is spending on travel, you have to be able to justify it. I can't think of any justification for ever flying first class.'

A WHO spokesman said 'the nature of WHO's work often requires staff to travel', insisting costs had been reduced by 14 per cent last year and adding that the travel policy was recently updated to eliminate the first-class option in future.

The Government declined to comment.
No more foreign aid money will be wasted, the foreign aid minister has vowed

No more foreign aid money will be wasted on nice-to-do vanity projects such as the Ethiopian version of the Spice Girls, the foreign aid minister has vowed.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel suggested wasted aid cash would instead by handed to the military to carry out defence-related missions that help with development.

Miss Patel, who is in charge of Britains ballooning 13billion overseas aid budget, said there were many areas in which the deployment of soldiers could be re-classified as aid spending.

She revealed she persuaded Theresa May to rip up the rules on foreign aid spending in the Tory election manifesto.

The Conservative manifesto published last week pledged new rules to spend it (aid money) more effectively.

Now Miss Patel will work with colleagues to redefine what counts as aid and make sure it is being spent much more strategically.

One crazy example she highlighted was the rule on clearing landmines from former war zones.

If the job is done by civilians, it counts towards Britains commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of its national income on aid.

But if it is done by the military it does not count and other projects have to be funded to make up the gap.

We have changed that now but we believe there are many other areas where we can do exactly the same, she told the Sun on Sunday.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel suggested wasted aid cash would instead by handed to the military to carry out defence-related missions that help with development

Miss Patel is pushing for the Royal Navy to be allowed to be on stand-by with food and medical supplies to act quickly in the event of a natural disaster.

Currently if a typhoon or tsunami is forecast to hit a region, it is forbidden for ships to be there ready to act.

She said: It makes my blood boil. Everyone in development knows that if you prepare you get a better outcome.

We have to use our development much more strategically to tackle the big global challenges we face. Taxpayers need to know Im taking back control of spending decisions.

The Daily Mail exposed how millions of pounds was poured into a five-strong Ethiopian girl band, dubbed the Spice Girls.

This was despite warnings it may be a waste of money, and critics in the country saying the money was enough to run the initiative for 154 years.

In January, Miss Patel pulled 5.2million of funding for the band after the newspaper revealed it was getting the second injection of taxpayers cash.

The Daily Mail exposed how millions of pounds was poured into a five-strong Ethiopian girl band, dubbed the Spice Girls

She said yesterday: I dont think we should be spending aid on nice-to-do vanity projects.

Im making sure we stop that and am working with other government departments that spend money on aid to make sure they are spending money in the best national interest, too.

Speaking about the girl band, she added: Before we support any project we have to ask, how does this look? How can we justify to the British taxpayer we are setting up a girl band?

They might be doing advocacy for womens rights by we are not interested in the nice-to-do advocacy programmes. We need to get into communities and empower women ourselves.

Miss Patel said some of the amounts being spend on third-party contractors were bonkers, adding: Its the kind of stuff that keeps me awake at night.

She said she had gone through the departments entire spending to make sure taxpayers were getting value for money.
Critics called for a public inquiry into the HS2 rail link last night after its PR chief spent tens of thousands of pounds on coasters, T-shirts and tickets to party conferences.

As part of its lobbying efforts, hundreds of pounds were also spent on social media monitoring to track what people were saying about the high-speed line on forums such as Twitter and Facebook.

Five members of the management team  including its PR chief  spent 83,000 on Whitehall credit cards in 2015.

Critics called for a public inquiry into the HS2 rail link last night after its PR chief spent tens of thousands of pounds

Last night, one MP demanded a root-and-branch review of HS2 to see whether taxpayers were getting value for money.

The company behind HS2 came under fire this month after it emerged that as well as its own PR department it used 17 other PR firms and 12 consultancies.

But a Freedom of Information request has now revealed how HS2s in-house spin machine is spending its money.

It shows that corporate affairs director Janine Mantle was the biggest spender, with a large portion of her budget spent taking HS2 Ltds PR offensive to party conferences.

She spent 5,055 on passes to the Labour conference, 4,250 on passes to the Tory conference and just under 2,000 on passes to the SNP conference, even though HS2 will not go beyond York.

A total of just under 6,000 was spent on hotels for the party conference season.

She also spent 933 and 566 for coasters for workshops, and 388.80 on T-shirts for an event at Euston.

Other purchases included 51.69 on a guide to the Freedom of Information Act.

A computer generated image of artist impression of the proposed HS2 station at Euston in London

The company behind HS2 came under fire this month after it emerged that as well as its own PR department it used 17 other PR firms and 12 consultancies

Cheryl Gillan, MP for Chesham and Amersham, said: The accountability of HS2 must be seriously questioned as this use of precious public funds cannot be justified.

'A new Government should conduct a root-and-branch review to assess its value for money, the competence of its senior personnel and its governance.

Construction on the first phase of the scheme from London to Birmingham is set to begin this year.

A spokesman for HS2 said: 'HS2 has a legal obligation to consult affected communities, support the bills passage through parliament, and help people and the supply chain understand how the project affects them.

'To this end, HS2 has engaged the support of various technical, logistical and event companies, while always ensuring value for money for the taxpayer in any communications spend.'
Britain's smallest city is battling to stop a new budget Premier Inn hotel, saying it would threaten its cultural identity.

St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales, is famed for its coastal views, 12th century cathedral, historic city centre and independent shops, and is bidding to become the UKs 2021 City of Culture.

A protest was launched after plans were revealed by hotel giant Premier Inn to build a 63-bedroom hotel.

St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales, is famed for its coastal views, 12th century cathedral (pictured), historic city centre and independent shops

The citys population is less than 2,000 and the petition already has more than 1,000 signatures.

The petition, by the No Premier Inn St Davids group, claims the hotel would pave the way for more big chains within our beautiful city and undermine local businesses.

A spokesman added: Premier Inn wont support local businesses, it will undermine them.

The hotel would be part of a development that also includes 75 new homes.

James Anderson, of planning consultancy Turley which is working on the plans, said: Feedback is important to us and we are looking forward to talking residents through the latest plans.
The BBC is facing its first major row with its new regulator, over the amount  or rather lack  of information it makes public.

Ofcom is preparing to give the broadcaster a formal dressing down after it refused to say how many people complained about its controversial King Charles III drama.

The programme, adapted from a West End play, showed Princess Diana as a ghost, suggested that Prince Harry was not Prince Charles son, and depicted the Duchess of Cambridge as a ruthless villain who smokes.

According to insiders, almost 40 people lodged complaints about the programme the morning after it aired, amid concerns that the BBC was bullying the Royals.

Ofcom is preparing to give the BBC a formal dressing down after it refused to say how many people complained about its controversial King Charles III drama

However the BBC has remained tight-lipped about the level of public fury  despite being funded by the licence fee.

A spokesman for the broadcaster said: We take complaints seriously but they cant be judged by volume alone. When we have significant numbers we respond on the audiences section of the website.

The broadcaster refused to say what it counts as a significant number but it is understood to be 100 complaints.

The BBCs refusal to make the numbers public comes in defiance of Ofcoms warnings.

King Charles III was the TV adaptation of a play by Mike Bartlett. Pictured is the depiction of Princess Diana's ghost in the stage version at the Almeida Theatre, London

The watchdog made it clear before it took over from the BBC Trust that the broadcaster should publish complaints figures as a matter of course, because it is paid for by the public.

Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997

Kevin Bakhurst, a former BBC News controller who is now an Ofcom director, said in February that the BBC has an underlying issue about transparency.

And Ofcom boss Sharon White said in March that the BBC should protect viewers by publishing the figures.

We wont hesitate to intervene if we have concerns. And well oversee how the BBC handles its own complaints, to make sure people are treated fairly.

I personally am also very keen to see the BBC resume publishing its complaint numbers, which is good for transparency, she told a media conference in Oxford.

Ofcom does not have any legal powers to force the BBCs hand over the complaints figures.

However, executives have already had a war of words behind the scenes about the BBCs defiance of this request and the watchdog is preparing to step up the pressure.

Ofcom will give BBC bosses a formal dressing down, either in a strongly-worded letter or by summoning them for a meeting.

A spokesman for the watchdog said: We will shortly be setting requirements for how the BBC ensures transparency and accountability in regard to its editorial complaints.

The BBCs stand-off with Ofcom is a clear signal of the culture shock the BBC faces now that it is not regulated by the BBC Trust.

The Trust used to act both as the BBCs governing body and its cheerleader, and was frequently criticised for being too soft.

However, Ofcom does not have the cheerleading job and has made it clear that it will take a much tougher stance.

Pictured: Prince Harry with Prince William, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall attending the opening of the Invictus games together

Last month, Miss White set out stringent new targets on news, arts and religious programming as part of a sweeping crack down to make sure it lives up to its role in British society.

The broadcaster will be forced to pay up to 250,000 a time if it does not meet the new quotas, under the dramatic plans laid out by Ofcom.

Ofcom is not the first organisation to raise concerns about the BBCs secretive approach.

Last year, Karen Bradley, the outgoing Culture Secretary, accused the BBC of a lack of openness and transparency.
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has come out guns blazing following accusations that he plagiarized in his master's thesis on homeland security.

The denial followed a CNN report Saturday saying Clarke, who built a following among conservatives with his provocative social media presence and strong support of President Donald Trump, failed to properly attribute his sources at least 47 times in his 2013 thesis, titled 'Making U.S. security and privacy rights compatible'.

The sheriff denied the claims and called the reporter who broke the story a 'sleaze bag'.

The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, confirmed Sunday that it's reviewing the allegations.

Clarke recently claimed he was appointed an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security.

Milwaukee County Sheriff and controversial Trump supporter David Clarke (pictured with Trump in November 2016) has denied he plagiarized content in his master's thesis on homeland securty

A CNN report claims Clarke's 2013 thesis (pictured) failed to properly attribute his sources at least 47 times

Clarke argued that the accusations were political in nature, writing in an email to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that 'only someone with a political agenda would say this is plagiarism'.

The DHS hasn't confirmed Clarke's appointment as assistant secretary, which the tough-talking, cowboy hat-wearing sheriff announced Wednesday during an appearance on a Wisconsin radio talk show.

Clarke said he would act as a liaison between DHS Secretary John Kelly and state and local government officials, including mayors and law enforcement, as well as people in the private sector.

The Naval Postgraduate School removed his thesis from its online archive on Friday, Lieutenant Commander Clint Phillips, a school spokesman, told the AP on Sunday.

Clarke took to Twitter calling the CNN reporter, Andrew Kaczynski (pictured), who broke the story, a 'sleaze bag'

The CNN story - broken by Andrew Kaczynski, the senior reporter for the network's KFILE investigative team - said Clarke lifted language from several sources, and footnoted those sources, but did not use quotation marks to show he had used passages verbatim.

This is despite school guidelines saying that material quoted word-for-word must be set off with quotation marks, or presented as indented text for longer passages, and be followed with a proper citation.

Among publications he allegedly took from was George W Bush's book Decision Points and papers put out by The Pew Research Center and the Homeland Security Affairs journal.

Clarke's thesis was replaced on the school's online archive with a message saying, 'This item was removed from view at the discretion of the Naval Postgraduate School'.

Clarke also linked to a story in which Republican Kentucky senator Rand Paul labeled Kacyznski 'an idiot' for claiming he made up quotes by the founding fathers for his book

Clarke also referred to the reporter as a 'hired gun' in a post in which he linked to a story published on a site called GotNews, which is run by conservative provocateur Charles 'Chuck' Johnson

The message directed viewers to the archive's policies page, which listed several potential reasons for taking an item down, including not meeting 'the School's guidelines for plagiarism, research methodology or integrity of research'.

A Sheriff's Department spokeswoman, Fran McLaughlin, told the newspaper that Clarke followed the school's system for writing papers and that the CNN report was biased.

She declined to provide additional information when asked by the AP on Sunday, saying in an email, 'The sheriff said to follow national media for his response to this smear.'

Phillips said the Naval Postgraduate School's 'standard operating procedure' is to take down a thesis anytime questions are raised about its validity while the school conducts an internal academic review.

He said that review will be 'very thorough,' and declined to speculate on how long it will take or the potential consequences for Clarke.

'I can't comment on the status of his degree or even on the status of the thesis at this point,' he said.

The school's 2013 and 2017 honor codes define plagiarism as: 'Submitting material that in part or whole is not one's own work without proper attribution. Plagiarism is further defined as the use, without giving reasonable and appropriate credit to or acknowledging the author or source, of another person's original work'.

Fans of the sheriff, who shot to controversy by describing Black Lives Matter protest groups as blood thirsty and hateful, poked fun at CNN's coverage of his college report.

'Is this a joke? Sheriff David Clarke cited his sources. CNN calls this a scandal? Get real,' one said.

Clarke (pictured in July 2016 at the Republican National Convention) claims he has been given a job as an assistant secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, but the DHS has yet to confirm this

The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, removed Clarke's thesis from its online archive as it investigates the claims

Clarke built a following among conservatives with his provocative social media presence and strong support of President Donald Trump (pictured leaving Trump Tower after a meeting with the then-President elect in November 2016)

It was a time of turmoil for Clarke and the sheriff's office even before the job announcement and the plagiarism allegations.

Seven workers at the county jail he oversees are at the center of a criminal investigation into death of 38-year-old Terrill Thomas, who prosecutors say was deprived of water as punishment and died of dehydration in April 2016.

Clarke has not commented on the details surrounding Thomas' death, and issued a press release in September of 2016 citing an internal investigation of the case as the reason for his silence.

The Milwaukee County prosecutor's office is considering charges against those staffers, based on a jury's recommendation after a week-long inquest.

Clarke wasn't among the seven because prosecutors say he wasn't directly involved in the events leading up to the inmate's death. But the death happened under his leadership, which his critics say was sufficient cause for Clarke's firing.
It's not unusual for sisters to spend their lives competing with one another.

But Scots twins Louisa and Christina Thomson are to take sibling rivalry to the next level  by going head-to-head for the Miss Great Britain crown.

They will be the first sisters to compete against one another in the final of the pageant in September.

Scots twins Louisa (left) and Christina Thomson are to take sibling rivalry to the next level  by going head-to-head for the Miss Great Britain crown

The 27-year-olds, from Glenrothes, Fife, are both nurses, drive identical white Mercedes cars and dress the same

Christina said: 'We are not identical twins but we do look very alike. It probably won't be easy for the judges'

Miss Stirling Louisa, a mental health nurse, said: 'Everyone keeps asking if we will find it tough competing against each other but we don't think of it like that.

'To be taking part alongside my twin just makes it even more special.'

Miss Dundee Christina, a paediatric nurse, said: 'If only one of us can win, then I hope Louisa is the winner  and Louisa hopes it is me.'

The 27-year-olds, from Glenrothes, Fife, are both nurses, drive identical white Mercedes cars and dress the same. One of the few differences is Christina has a ten-month-old daughter, Amelia.

They will be the first sisters to compete against one another in the final of the pageant in September

Louisa said: 'We like the same things, we often say the same things at the same time and, two years in a row, we bought our mum the same birthday present.'

Christina added: 'We are not identical twins but we do look very alike. It probably won't be easy for the judges.'

Jemma Simmonds, of Miss Great Britain, said: 'This is the first time, as far as we are aware, we have ever had sisters in the competition, let alone twins. Both girls impressed us.'

The sisters are not the first twins to enter a beauty pageant  Rina and Roma Chibany came first and second in Miss Lebanon 2012 at the age of 21.
Clint Eastwood speaks on stage during a presentation during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival

Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood has hit out at political correctness, claiming one of his greatest films could not have been produced in today's climate.

The 86-year-old regaled the Cannes Film Festival also predicted a possible return to acting and decried what he perceives to be the world's collective loss of sense of humour.

Eastwood was honored with several screenings of his films, including one marking the 25th anniversary of 'Unforgiven.' In a conversation on Sunday, the 86-year-old director said he would revisit acting 'someday.'

The last time Eastwood appeared on screen was 2012's 'Trouble With the Curve.' Before that, he starred in his own 2008 film, 'Gran Torino.'

Eastwood didn't talk about current political events, but while discussing his then-controversial 1971 film 'Dirty Harry,' he waded into a topic he's touched on before: political correctness.

'A lot of people thought it was politically incorrect,' Eastwood said of 'Dirty Harry.' 'That was at the beginning of the era that we're in now, where everybody thinks everyone's politically correct. We're killing ourselves by doing that. We've lost our sense of humour.'

Sofia Coppola's remake of Don Siegel's 1971 film 'The Beguiled,' which starred Eastwood, is to premiere this week in Cannes, but Eastwood sounded unfamiliar with Coppola's movie.

He's currently preparing to direct 'The 15:17 to Paris,' about the foiling of a 2015 Islamic State group attack on a train heading to the French capital from Brussels.

Three Americans, two of them off-duty members of the military, contributed to the subduing of the gunman. Eastwood said the film suited today's 'strange times.'

Festival-goers mobbed Eastwood's talk. Warner Bros. executives, including studio head Kevin Tsujihara, sat in the front row.

Eastwood as Harry Callaghan in controversial 1971 film 'Dirty Harry'

'A lot of people thought it was politically incorrect,' Eastwood said of 'Dirty Harry'

Much of the conversation, moderated by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan, touched on Eastwood's attitudes about moviemaking.

'If you have good luck with your instincts, you might as well trust them,' Eastwood said. 'It's an emotional art form. It's not an intellectual art form at all.'

Eastwood has waxed lyrical on the theme of political corectness before.

Last year, he hailed Mr Trump as a foe of political correctness and 'the kiss-ass generation'.

'We're really in a pussy generation. Everybody's walking on eggshells,' he said. 'We see people accusing people of being racist and all kinds of stuff.

'When I grew up, those things weren't called racist. Secretly everybody's getting tired of political correctness, kissing up.'

Eastwood has previously spoken at the Republican party convention, where he baffled audiences in 2012 by addressing an empty chair that was supposed to represent President Barack Obama.
Cruise firms were deluged with complaints yesterday after overcharging guests by thousands of pounds.

Customers had their bank accounts emptied as holiday payments were taken twice.

Passengers with P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess Cruises were affected by the technical error blamed on finance company Elavon.

Hundreds of disgruntled holidaymakers bombarded the companies Facebook pages. One said she was now very overdrawn because the firm had helped itself to an extra 5,000.

Passengers with P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess Cruises were affected by the technical error blamed on finance company Elavon and had their holiday payments were taken twice

Last night Peter Hardman, 63, of Preston, told the Daily Mail: My wife and I booked a weeks cruise in the Norwegian fjords, and on March 22 we paid the balance of 3,313.

Then on Friday, they tried to take another 3,313. I wasnt very happy about it, and told my bank not to pay the money, but the bank said they had the right to take it.

Another customer Claire Duncan wrote on P&Os Facebook page that she was absolutely livid, saying: Travelling in two weeks time and full cost of cruise has been charged again.

This is absolutely a security breach, you have failed to keep your clients information secure.

And Jan McDermott wrote: I too am fuming as 5,000 has been taken from two of my accounts. Who has that amount of spare money? This needs resolving and compensation offered to everyone affected.

Ann Denise Gilbert said: I had to pay the double-glazing company and did not have enough money in my account to do so. Also, the surprise cruise for my husbands 70th is no longer a surprise because P&O emailed him to tell him about the mistake of deducting money from our joint account.

Irene Frith said 900 had been taken from her, leaving her short of money to buy my grandchildrens birthday presents. She added: Im furious and will be taking this up with P&O.

One customer wrote on P&Os Facebook page that she was 'absolutely livid'

P&O said it would refund customers but many complained it would take days for the cash to be returned.

Customer Patricia Hunt said: Our account was wiped out. We had booked for a weekend away, as I have been ill the past six months, so my hubby wanted to cheer me up. [Our] card was declined, we were so embarrassed.

On Cunards Facebook page, Stuart Roberts wrote: I awoke this morning to being 1,500 down via four separate transactions. David Blake, a customer of Princess Cruises, wrote: Outrageous. 822 of my account this morning.

The firms said: On Friday we were made aware of a one-off technical error made by Elavon, our third-party payment processor, in relation to card payments for cruise bookings with Cunard, P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises. Refunds are already being processed and we are working with Elavon at the highest level to investigate how this happened and to ensure that this could not happen again.

Any charges incurred by guests as a result of this issue will be refunded. Once again we apologise to those guests who were affected by this error.
This is the Italian teacher who allegedly imported five kilograms of cocaine worth $1.1 million into Australia in a bag with a false bottom.

Elisa Salatino, 39, touched down in Melbourne International Airport from Rome on February 12, when Australian Border Force officials allegedly uncovered the drug hidden in one of her bags.

Salatino has appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on May 22 to face charges with a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.

Elisa Salatino allegedly imported five kilograms of cocaine worth $1.1 million into Australia

Salatino spoke through an Italian interpreter and made no application for bail.

She is charged with importing and possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.

The bag had been fitted with a false bottom made out of a piece of plywood, the Australian Federal Police will allege they discovered during an x-ray.

Further tests are being conducted to determine the exact weight and purity of the substance.

Australian Border Force officials allegedly uncovered the drug hidden in one of her bags with a false bottom made out of a piece of plywood

Salatino has appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on May 22 to face charges with a maximum sentence of life in prison

A Facebook post from one day before her arrest shows a smiling Salatino with the accompanying message: Happy Weekend.

According to Italian media, Salatino works as a special education teacher in the province of Brindisi.

Her brother claimed she was flying to Melbourne for a refresher course as part of her teaching.

An order has been made for her to appear in court in person on September 8 for a half-day contested committal hearing.

Salatino has appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on May 22 to face charges with a maximum sentence of life in prison
First Lady Melania Trump praised the 'empowerment of women' at an all-female, General Electric service center in Saudi Arabia, where women famously are not allowed to drive.

Melania, who is accompanying President Donald Trump on his first international visit since entering office in January, told 200 female employees she tried to find balance between her role of First Lady and mother.

Accompanied by Majid Al-Qasabi, Minister of Commerce and Investment, Melania also encouraged the women to work together and educate their children well.

First Lady Melania Trump praised the 'empowerment of women' at an all-female, General Electric service center in Saudi Arabia

Melania told 200 female employees she tried to find balance between her role of First Lady and mother

The GE service center was recognized by the US State Department for hiring a staff of 1,000 women to take on finance, accounting, human resources, supply chain and more

Accompanied by Majid Al-Qasabi (center), the Minister of Commerce and Investment, Melania also encouraged the women to work together and educate their children well

Her message appears to echo that of First Daughter Ivanka Trump, who is also accompanying the president on his five-stop diplomatic tour

The GE service center was established in 2013, and recognized by the US State Department for hiring a staff of 1,000 women to take on finance, accounting, human resources, supply chain and more.

Melania wore a tan, knee-length shirt dress, and posed with seven women dressed in abayas, the loose-fitting, full-length robes local women are required to wear in public in Saudi Arabia.

Concerning her roles, she told the women, 'It is about finding the balance.'

Later on Twitter, she wrote 'Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women.'

Her message appears to echo that of First Daughter Ivanka Trump, who is also accompanying the president on his five-stop diplomatic tour through the Middle East and Europe.

During a roundtable on women's economic empowerment, Ivanka (pictured) praised Saudi Arabia's progress but said 'there's still a lot of work to be done'

Saudi Arabia, which applies a strict form of Sunni Islam, is well known as the world's most gender-segregated nation. Pictured, Ivanka at a welcome ceremony on Saturday

During a roundtable on women's economic empowerment, Ivanka said: 'Saudi Arabia's progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging but there's still a lot of work to be done and freedoms and opportunities to continue to fight for.'

'The stories of Saudi women, such as yourselves, catalyzing change, inspire me to believe in the possibility of global women's empowerment,' she said.

'Around the world women continue to achieve unprecedented levels of rights and freedoms. Today you all stand on the frontlines of the fight for gender equality.'

Saudi Arabia, which applies a strict form of Sunni Islam, is well known as the world's most gender-segregated nation.

Women live under the supervision of a male guardian and need his permission to travel, study and get some health treatments.

Since the late King Abdullah declared in 2011 that women could join the government advisory Shura Council, the situation for women has gradually started to change in line with moves to diversify the economy, employ more women and cut reliance on oil.

Women in Saudi Arabia cast their votes for the first time ever in the 2015 municipal elections.
A 65-year-old man has died after he was found floating face-down in large swell at a popular beach break south of Sydney.

Surfers in the water struggled to bring the elderly man to the shore at Sandon Point, just north of Wollongong, due to the heavy surf and rocky terrain.

They eventually made it to dry land, where a group of off-duty lifesavers performed CPR as they waited for paramedics to arrive.

Tragically, they were unable to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency services arrived just before 8am.

A man, 65, has died after he was found floating face-down in the water at Sandon Point Beach

Off-duty lifesavers performed CPR when he was brought to the shore, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful

Surfers in the water struggled to bring the elderly man to the shore due to the large swell and rocky terrain (pictured on Monday morning)

'Despite the efforts of all at the scene the man was unable to be revived,' a NSW Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia in a statement.

'It is unknown what happened, the man potentially suffered a medical episode.'

'There are no apparent suspicious circumstances.'

Daren Weidner, duty officer of First Life Saving Illawarra, praised the efforts of those who attempted to save the Bellambi man's life.

Paramedics said 'despite the efforts of all at the scene the man was unable to be revived'

A sign at the popular beach warns surfers about a 'drop off, strong current and shore dump'

The man is said to be a well-known figure in the community and an experienced surfer

'They have done a fantastic job in a pretty traumatic situation,' Mr Weidner told the Illawarra Mercury.

'They brought him to shore across the rocks in quite difficult conditions.'

The man is reportedly a well-known figure in the community and a respected surfer at the world-class break.

The swell was forecast at 1.5 to 2 metres at the beach - which features a lengthy wave breaking to the right from a rocky point.

Daren Weidner, duty officer of First Life Saving Illawarra, praised the efforts of those who attempted to save the Bellambi man's life
Indonesian parole authorities have indicated they are happy to see Schapelle Corby leave the country after the media circus surrounding her time in Bali.

Her long-time parole officer Ni Ketut Sukiati says she will be relieved when Corby returns home to the Gold Coast ahead of her deportation on May 27.

'Please no more foreigners like this. It makes us so busy ... We're tired. Please just one Corby,' Ms Ketut Sukiati said, Perth Now reports.

It is likely Mr McLeod's role in protecting Corby (pictured) will involve shielding her from the anticipated media frenzy and unauthorised photos

John McLeod (pictured) is believed to be the bodyguard tasked with protecting Schapelle Corby as she returns to Australia

Mr McLeod was snapped at the airport clutching a passport and preparing to fly to Bali

'She didn't want to talk. She was angry all the time like she was stressed. Even while here with us, she is mad at us.'

Meanwhile, the man believed to be responsible for convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby's safe return to Australia has been pictured arriving at Brisbane airport for his flight to Bali.

John McLeod, director of personal protection company Tora Solutions, was seen clutching his passport as he prepared to fly to the Indonesian island to act as security guard to Corby.

Mr McLeod has worked as a bodyguard to countless celebrity clients including Leonard Cohen, Roger Federer, Lady Gaga and even the Dalai Lama and is thought to have been tasked with protecting Corby as she heads home to Australia after 13 years.

The celebrity bodyguard (pictured) is known to have provided security detail for big-name celebrities visiting Australia including Roger Federer and Lady Gaga

He has been employed by many big-name celebrities visiting Australia and provides VIP security to those needing protection on the Gold Coast.

It is likely Mr McLeod's role in protecting Corby will involve shielding her from the anticipated media frenzy and taking of unauthorised photos.

Bodyguard Adrian Gard had been previously employed by Corby to protect her from Indonesian media following her release on parole in 2014.

Corby's family have revealed the 39-year-old is 'afraid' of her long-awaited return to Australia and has taken to hiding in her Bali villa during her last few days in Indonesia.

She has been pictured wearing a sarong to cover her face as she comes in and out of her home and has pleaded with media to stop harassing her.

He has been employed by many big-name celebrities visiting Australia and provides VIP security to those needing protection on the Gold Coast, including tennis star Roger Federer (pictured with Mr McLeod)

It is likely Mr McLeod's role in protecting Corby will involve shielding her from the anticipated media frenzy and unauthorised photos (McLeod pictured here with Roger Federer)

Writer Tony Wilson has said Corby is suffering from serious mental health issues and will struggle with her notoriety upon returning home.

'She hates people staring and pointing at her. And she hates people pointing cameras at her. Her eyes were always darting constantly She freaks at all of that,' he told the Courier Mail.

The reporter questions how Corby would handle even the mundane task of going shopping back at home with people staring at her.

Corby is due to return from the Indonesian island to Australia on Saturday May 27, after serving nine years for drug trafficking.

Corby's family have revealed the 39-year-old is 'afraid' of her long-awaited return to Australia and has taken to hiding in her Bali villa during her last few days in Indonesia
A security guard who worked in Iraq has been jailed for an unprovoked violent assault on an Asian woman walking her dogs late at night in Sydney.

Jing Song and her partner told police Steven Burke yelled out comments such as 'Asians should go home', but the now 34-year-old denies saying the words.

Burke pleaded guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm on Ms Song just after 11pm on October 3 last year in Mosman on Sydney's lower north shore.

Steven Burke, 34, (pictured) pleaded guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm to the woman in the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday

In the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday, magistrate Karen Robinson jailed him for at least nine months, noting the injuries and the women's account of the 'racial slur'.

But Burke was later released on bail pending an appeal to the District Court.

The women had left their home with their dogs when Burke, who was walking his animals, called out to them, crossed the street and yelled at them.

He punched Ms Song up to five times in the face and kicked her in the stomach.

Steven Burke (centre) leaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Monday

About 11pm on a Monday, Burke hurled racist slurs at the two women before approaching them from the opposite side of the street

'The circumstances of the incident show, in my view, an unprovoked, unwarranted attack on (Ms Song) who was only going about her business taking her dogs out for a walk late at night in a quiet residential street.'

Ms Robinson referred to the 'particularly disturbing' video footage showing Ms Song screaming in pain.

She suffered significant facial injuries, had to have surgery for multiple fractures, was off work for more than six weeks and suffered emotional trauma.

Burke (left and right) lived in Mosman at the time of the attack but previously worked as a security guard in Iraq, the court heard

Steven Burke (left and right) leaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Monday

Steven Burke pictured attempting to cover his face with his hand as he leaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Monday

Burke, who had no criminal history, had worked in the security industry and spent time in Iraq, which led to him being traumatised, his lawyer submitted.

He had been hospitalised for post-traumatic stress disorder and his mental health destabilised in the lead-up to the assault.

The magistrate was told Burke had not taken his prescribed medication on that day and had been self-medicating with 'an enormous amount of alcohol on a daily basis'.

Before the assault, he had drunk three-quarters of a bottle of bourbon.

The former security guard pleaded guilty in Downing Centre court on Monday
A Hobart woman who suffered serious burns to more than half her body during an alleged domestic violence attack has briefly regained consciousness.

Nicole Evans, 20, was flown to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital after her boyfriend allegedly doused her in a flammable liquid and set her alight on April 24.

Tasmania police had described her condition as life-threatening and said she was not expected to emerge from the coma for months.

But on Monday Ms Evans briefly woke up before losing consciousness again and still remains in a critical condition.

Nicole Evans (pictured) briefly woke up from an induced coma on Monday a month after she was doused in flammable liquid and set alight at a home in Hobart

Ms Evans' fiance Matthew John Davey, 34, (pictured right with Ms Evans) has been charged over the backyard incident

It's alleged Davey (left) doused Ms Evans (right) with an accelerant and set her alight in a backyard shed

'The woman regained consciousness for a short time last night but is now unconscious and remains in a critical condition,' police said on Monday.

Friends of Ms Evans say she suffered burns to more than 50 per cent of her body.

Ms Evans' fiance Matthew John Davey, 34, has been charged over the backyard incident and has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance in the Supreme Court in Hobart on June 13.

It's alleged Davey doused Miss Evans with an accelerant and set her alight in a backyard shed.

He is charged with causing grievous bodily harm and is also accused of hitting Miss Evans in the face and throwing a can at her.

Davey pleaded not guilty to all of the charges when he appeared in court the day after the attack.

Davey (pictured with Ms Evans) is charged with causing grievous bodily harm and is also accused of hitting Ms Evans in the face and throwing a can at her

Hundreds of people have donated to a GoFundMe page set-up to support Ms Evans and her family during her recovery

He did not apply for bail.

An interim family violence order and restraint order have been lodged with the court, Tasmania Police said.

A GoFundMe page has been pledged more than half of a $50,000 target to help pay for Ms Evans' treatment.

Hundreds of people have so far donated to the page.

Ms Evans is clinging to life after the horrific attack at a home in Hobart on April 24

'Nicole would have done the same for anyone she loved or cared for,' Hobart woman Sheena Mclean said on the site.

'It's a waiting game for everyone especially her family and money should be the last of their worries. So thank you to everyone from Nicole's family.'

Loved ones have sent their support to Ms Evans, calling her a 'natural beauty' and a 'beautiful soul'.

National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero.
A Floridian mother is blaming her son's mental health issues on a teacher who discussed a show that deals with suicide.

The woman - who does not want to be identified - says the teacher at Clay High School in Green Cove Springs, Florida, told his students, including her son, to 'check out' Netflix's hit show 13 Reasons why. After her son watched the series, he began to to self-harm and wrote down 13 reasons why he wanted to commit suicide.

His mom discovered the notes and sent him to a psychiatrist to be evaluated, according to a News 4 Jax report.

'When I went to talk to the school about it after he was released from the MHRC (mental health resource center), I had written notes that he had made,' the concerned mother said.

'He was creating a 13 reasons why list and told us that he, at that point, was having thoughts of suicide -- that he didnt want to live.'

Scroll down for video

A Floridian mother, who does not want to be identified, is blaming her son's mental health issues on a teacher who discussed a show that deals with suicide

Thirteen reasons Why is about Clay Jensen - played by Dylan Minnette - and his friend Hannah (pictured), who commits suicide because of how she's treated at school

The mom believes the teacher instigated the conversation but her son's school says otherwise. According to the Clay County School District, the students brought up the show and told their teacher to watch it. He then discussed the series with them afterwards but did not encourage an in-depth conversation.

Thirteen reasons Why is about Clay Jensen - played by Dylan Minnette - and his friend Hannah, who commits suicide because of how she's treated at school. Before her death, she records the reasons she decided to kill herself on a cassette tape and sends these to the 13 people she believes contributed to her suicide.

While the show - which is executive produced by Selena Gomez - has been positively reviewed, it has also drawn concern over how it has handled controversial, mature content like the issue of suicide, even though the producers issue a strong warning that the series 'covers several difficult issues,' before the first episode begins.

But this mom says such warnings are not enough to curb suicidal thoughts. In fact, she says, it glorifies them. Now, she's considering changing her son's school and is uncertain of how else to help him.

Speaking of the local facilities that help deal with mental issues, she said: 'I know theyre overbooked, understaffed and hard to get an appointment.

'Especially for children that need ongoing extra stuff. They dont have time or resources for it.'

The mom is saying the teacher prompted the discussion about the series, which inspired her son to watch it. But the school rather claims the students prompted the discussion and the teacher simply had a follow-up conversation after he watched it. Pictured is a scene showing the high school students who attended Hannah's school

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255
During an event with Ivanka Trump, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates pledged $100million to the First Daughter's proposed Women Entrepreneurs Fund - on the same weekend her father signed a record arms deal with the Saudis.

The fund, which Ivanka first proposed during her trip to Berlin, Germany, will be run by the World Bank to help female entrepreneurs with the capital and networking resources necessary to kickstart their businesses.

But Saudi Arabia is known as the world's most gender-segregated nation and women, who are famously barred from driving, live under the supervision of a male guardian.

News of the $100million pledge came on the heels of a report claiming Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner intervened during a $110-billion arms deal to get Saudi Arabian officials a better price.

Kushner paused a meeting with the Saudis in the White House and called the CEO of Lockheed Martin, which makes a military weapon that was on offer, the New York Times reported.

During an event with Ivanka Trump, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates pledged a total of $100million to the First Daughter's proposed Women Entrepreneurs Fund

Ivanka pitched the idea to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim in April. He praised Ivanka's 'incredible' leadership on Sunday

During a roundtable on women's economic empowerment, Ivanka (pictured) praised Saudi Arabia's progress but said 'there's still a lot of work to be done'

She is joining her father on his first international trip. News of the $100million pledge drew inevitable comparisons to President Trump's criticisms of the Clinton Foundation

He allegedly asked Marilyn Hewson, 63, to cut the price of a radar system designed to shoot down missiles, to which she responded saying she would 'look into it.'

Ivanka, who is accompanying her father on his first international trip as president, said: 'As a female leader within the Trump administration, my focus is to help empower women in the United States and around the globe.'

News of Ivanka's fund broke in April, when she took up German Chancellor Angela Merkel's invitation to attend the Women's 20 Summit and pitched the idea to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

On Sunday, Kim said: 'We thought it was a fantastic idea. But we had no idea how quickly this would build. This is really a stunning achievement.

'I've never seen anything come together so quickly, and I really have to say that Ivanka's leadership has been tremendous.'

The $100million will be geared specifically towards women in the Middle East, and Kim said the money would be counted towards a $1billion women's empowerment fund the World Bank hopes to announce at Julys G-20 Summit.

While the money will be controlled by World Bank and not Ivanka, critics were quick to raise President Trump's repeated attacks on the Clinton Foundation during the presidential campaign.

Saudi Arabia donated between $10 to $25 million to the Clinton Foundation, according to its website - which Donald Trump called 'pay for play donations' during the campaign. None of the donations were made while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State.

In a June 2016 posting on Facebook, Trump said, 'Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays. Hillary must return all money from such countries!'

In a June 2016 posting on Facebook, Trump said Hillary Clinton should return money donated to the Clinton Foundation from Saudi Arabia

News of the $100million pledge came on the heels of a report claiming Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner intervened during a $110-billion arms deal to get Saudi Arabian officials a better price

On Sunday, Ivanka spoke at a roundtable on women's economic empowerment, and credited Saudi Arabia's progress before adding: 'There's still a lot of work to be done and freedoms and opportunities to continue to fight for.'
A woman is 'lucky to still have her life' after suffering serious facial and body injuries when she was attacked by a man in a brutal carjacking.

The 21-year-old had stepped out of her luxury car on Friday night when the man forced himself into the driver's seat and bashed her, 3AW reported.

The man sped off, with the woman horrifically dragged by the moving car down Wickford Road in Tarneit, west Melbourne, about 10.30pm.

A 21-year-old woman was attacked by a man in a brutal carjacking in Wickford Road, Tarneit (pictured)

She was rushed to nearby Werribee Hospital for treatment.

'It's quite scary to think people are going to do this just to get a car,' Victoria Police Detective Senior Constable Steven Robinson told the Herald Sun.

'The victim is very lucky to still have her life.'

The paper reported a man has been charged in relation to the incident, although the man thought to have stolen the vehicle has yet to be caught.

Police investigating the carjacking have retrieved the woman's Audi vehicle and are calling for witnesses to come forward.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
Indonesian police have arrested dozens of men accused of holding a 'gay sex party' at a gym and sauna in the capital Jakarta.

Officers raided a venue called Atlantis in the late hours of Sunday and halted an event they dubbed 'The Wild One', arresting 141 men including one Briton and one Singaporean.

While homosexuality is legal everywhere in Indonesia except conservative Aceh province, which is ruled by Sharia law, police said up to 10 men could be charged under the country's harsh pornography laws.

The arrests mark the country's latest crackdown on the LGBT community after a similar raid in Surabaya, the second largest city, earlier this month.

Police in Indonesia have arrested 141 men for holding a 'gay sex party' in a gym and sauna in the capital Jakarta, and say 10 could be charged under anti-pornography laws

A 20-year-old and his 23-year-old partner were also sentenced to 85 lashes each for having gay sex in Aceh province after being found in bed together back in March.

Speaking about the latest raid, a police spokesman said: 'Our officers did an undercover investigation and raided the place on Sunday.'

Pictures circulating online showed topless men sitting crammed in a room next to gym equipment after the police raid.

The men facing charges include the alleged organisers of the event as well as men suspected of being prostitutes and striptease dancers.

Those found guilty of breaking the laws face up to 10 years in jail.

A spokesman for Amnesty International told Mail Online: 'Ambiguously worded laws on pornography are being exploited to deliberately target LGBTI people, denying them the basic right to privacy and the right to enter into consensual relationships.

'As well as dropping the absurd charges against the individuals involved in this incident, the Indonesian government must revise its pornography laws so that they cannot be misused in this way.'

The arrests come after a similar raid in Indonesia's second city of Surabaya earlier this month, in which 14 men were arrested over another 'gay party' and forced to take HIV tests

Two men in Aceh province, which incorporates Sharia into its legal system, were sentenced to 85 lashes each earlier this month after a vigilante group caught them having gay sex

The other detained men are still being questioned by police as potential witnesses in the case, the detective said.

Since last year, ministers, hardliners and influential Islamic groups in Indonesia have been lining up to publicly denounce homosexuality.

Eight men detained in the Surabaya raid are still facing charges under anti-porn laws, which can be interpreted to include erotic dances.

All 14 of those arrested were paraded in front of television cameras and subsequently forced to have HIV tests.

The men in Aceh province were caught having sex after a vigilante group burst into the boarding house where they were staying in provincial capital Banda Aceh.

Shaky phone footage of the raid that circulated online showed the vigilantes kicking, slapping and insulting the men, with one of them slumped naked on the ground during the attack.

While caning is a commonly-used punishment for violating morality laws in Aceh, the men's sentencing earlier this month marked the first time it was used for gay sex.

Aceh is the only province in Indonesia to have incorporated Sharia into its legal system after passing laws back in 2015.
Two boys have been taken to hospital after overdosing on Xanax in a car park at the Gold Coast on Monday morning.

The two underage boys were with four friends when emergency services were called to reports of an overdose about 11am.

The group was at the Mal Burke Car Park on Hicks Street, Southport, when they overdosed on Xanax  a drug used to treat anxiety disorders.

The group was at the Mal Burke Car park on Hicks Street, Southport, when they overdosed on Xanax

While it is possible to overdose on Xanax, death and extreme injury is unlikely.

Common symptoms include extreme drowsiness, a lightheaded feeling, and muscle weakness.

Paramedics assessed six people when they arrived at the car park, and took two to Gold Coast University hospital for further assessment.

Common symptoms of Xanax overdose include extreme drowsiness, a lightheaded feeling, and muscle weakness

The two boys were transported in a stable condition, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

The remaining four people did not require further treatment.

Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia officers were called to the scene but there were no arrests made.
The FBI are now investigating the fatal stabbing of a black, US Army lieutenant at the University of Maryland as a possible hate crime.

Sean Christopher Urbanski, 22, a white student at the University of Maryland who was a member of the Facebook group 'Alt Reich: Nation', is accused of murdering Richard Collins III at 3am on Saturday.

University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell said he enlisted the FBI's help after Urbanski was revealed to be a member of the Facebook group, where members often post racist memes.

Collins, who was commissioned to join the Army through the school's ROTC program earlier this week, was due to graduate as a business major at the neighboring Bowie State University on Tuesday.

Sean Christopher Urbanski (left) faces murder charges for the fatal stabbing of Richard Collins III (right) early Saturday. The FBI are now investigating whether it was a hate crime

Collins was waiting for an Uber near a bus stop on Regents Drive near Montgomery Hall with two friends - both University of Maryland students - on the College Park campus at 3am.

Urbanski approached and screamed, 'Step left, step left if you know what's best for you,' according to charging documents.

When Collins responded 'No,' Urbanski stabbed him once in the chest. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Urbanksi fled the scene, but police stopped him shortly after the stabbing and the victims' friends identified him as the attacker.

Urbanski, who was not scheduled to graduate this week, faces charges of first- and second-degree murder as well as first-degree assault, police said.

He is currently being held without bail, with his first hearing scheduled for June 15.

Urbanksi (above) fled the scene, but police stopped him shortly after the stabbing and the victims' friends identified him as the attacker. He is currently held without bail

Collins (pictured in 2015) was commissioned to join the Army through the school's ROTC program earlier this week

He comes from a lineage of service members dating back four generations. Collins studied business at Bowie State and was due to graduate on Tuesday

The suspect was described as intoxicated and incoherent by Sgt Rosanne Hoass of the university police. Police also found the folding knife at the scene.

The victim and suspect did not know each other, and police called the attack random and unprovoked.

While Hoaas initially said police did not have any reason to believe race played a role, Mitchell said in a press conference on Sunday they soon discovered Urbanski was a member of the Facebook group.

'Suffice to say, it's despicable. It shows extreme bias against women, latinos, members of the Jewish faith, and especially African-Americans  which brings up questions of the motive in the case,' Mitchell said of the Facebook page.

University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell (above) called the 'Alt Reich: Nation' Facebook page that Urbanksi joined 'despicable'

The stabbing was captured on surveillance cameras and Maryland Gov Larry Hogan said the state is working closely with the school as it investigates the stabbing.

Mitchell, the police chief, said the attack has spread fear across the university.

'If I'm a person of color I would certainly look at this as something that could happen to me. In fact, I know on Facebook our students are saying that,' Mitchell said.

Collins studied business and had been commissioned as a second lieutenant through the ROTC program to combat weapons of mass destruction.

Collins, who comes from a lineage of service members dating back four generations, was remembered as 'kind soul' on Facebook.

Brian Douglas, who recently became close to Collins when they took a class together, said the man was looking forward to graduation.

'He was just nice, just a good, young man all around. You can't find those too often in today's society,' Douglas said.

Ciera Sorrell, who also took a class with Collins, said his killing shocked the Bowie State community.

'Everyone is in disbelief,' she said. 'He seemed so excited to get to live his life and he doesn't have that chance anymore,' she said.

A student from the neighboring Bowie State University was waiting for an Uber with two friends - both University of Maryland students - when he was fatally stabbed in the chest

The victim was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said the attack was random and unprovoked and that the victim and suspect didn't know each other

The attack came as the University of Maryland hosted visitors for graduation festivities.

'I'm shocked,' Rosey Ugo Edeh, who was in town to see her daughter graduate, told The Baltimore Sun. 'This is a weekend of pure bliss and celebration for seniors.'

During Sunday's University of Maryland graduation ceremony, School President Wallace Loh led students and their families in a moment of silence for the slain Bowie State student.

Loh called it a 'senseless and unprovoked assault,' The Baltimore Sun reported.

'We are still in shock that a young man, so full of promise, should have his life cut short, so suddenly,' Loh said. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and with the entire Bowie State University community.'

Bowie State's President, Mickey Burnim, called the fatal stabbing 'a tragic loss of life'.

'Our first thoughts of condolence go to the family for this tremendous loss of a son, who had the promise of a bright future.

'Our prayers of concern also extend to those within the Bowie State University community as we try to cope with this tragic loss of life,' Burnim said in a statement.

Dr. Artie Lee Travis, vice president for student affairs at Bowie State, said the school hopes the investigation moves forward as quickly as possible.

'Hate has no place in America,' Travis said. 'Hate has no place on a college campus, where young minds are coming together to try to change the world,' he said.
Shocking footage of a rodeo rider being trampled by a massive bull during a tournament has been revealed.

Rohan Markham, 24, was competing in the Professional Bull Riders event in Rockhampton, Queensland, on Saturday when he was thrown off a bull named Moonshine.

Footage shows the rookie rider managing to stay on for about 10 seconds before he is tossed right under the animal's legs.

Moonshine crushed Markham's stomach and the rodeo rider was left with a torn liver and a damaged pancreas from the impact.

Rohan Markham, 24, was competing in the Professional Bull Riders event in Rockhampton, Queensland, on Saturday

After he was trampled, Markham managed to get up and walk a few metres before collapsing to the ground, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

He was rushed to hospital and remains in a serious but stable condition.

Markham posted on Facebook following the incident and said he will be a 'bit sore for a while' with a Grade 4 tear to his liver.

Professional Bull Riders is an international bull riding organisation based in the United States.

Saturday's tournament was held at the Great Western Hotel in Rockhampton with riders flying in from all over Australia.

Footage shows the rookie rider managing to stay on for about 10 seconds before he is tossed right under the animal's legs

Markham (pictured) posted on Facebook following the incident and said he will be a 'bit sore for a while' with a Grade 4 tear to his liver




Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has shared her belief that the investigation into the Trump campaign's ties with Russia now involves a cover-up.

Appearing on Face The Nation on Sunday, Feinstein, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said she was eager to get to the root of why FBI Director James Comey was fired by the president, insisting that the question has still not been answered despite repeated attempts from the White House to address it.

Asked by CBS host John Dickerson whether she thought the probe into Trump's ties with Russia involves 'cover-up question' in addition to examining any inappropriate connections which predate the election, Feinstein said: 'I think that's right. It does.'

She stopped short of mapping out exactly what she believes was covered up but went on to say that the president gave her a different reason for firing Comey than the one he gave publicly, which was that Comey mishandled the FBI's probe into Hillary Clinton's emails.

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Senator Dianne Feinstein said on Sunday that she believes investigations into Trump's ties with Russia could now expose a potential cover-up

Feinstein said she wants to hear directly from ousted FBI Director James Comey about what how much the president asked him about his probe into General Mike Flynn

'I know what the president told me when he called to say that he was firing him and that turned out not to be the reason.'

She also made a direct appeal to former Director Comey to appear before the Judiciary Committee in order to answer her questions.

'What I want to know from him is how many times did he meet with the president or talk with the president on the phone, what was he asked by the president, was he asked in any to alter the investigation, what was he asked about General Flynn, questions like that.

'I think it's important for the American people to know what may be behind some of the actions that have recently been taken,' she said.

Comey has not been seen or heard from since he was unceremoniously fired by the president on May 9. He has agreed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee after the Memorial Day congressional recess.

Trump insists that he fired him for on the advice of the recently appointed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

The reason, he said, was Comey's poor handling of the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was President Obama's Secretary of State.

The FBI first publicly said it would not bring charges against her, an unprecedented and widely criticized move given the bureau's traditional position not to speak publicly about people they weren't prosecuting, and then his later decision to revive the probe and publicly announce it a week before the election.

Many were not satisfied with Trump's reasoning and questioned the timing of the decision which came in the midst of Comey's investigation into whether campaign insiders colluded with the Russians to sway the election in his favor.

Suspicion was raised again when The New York Times cited a memo, read aloud over the phone but which no one outside the FBI has seen, which Comey is said to have written after a private meeting with the president in February.

The memo apparently details how Trump implored Comey to drop his probe.

Feinstein, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the root of why Comey was fired has still not been 'fettered out'

On Sunday night, Feinstein called for Comey to back reporting of the memo up with testimony which the American people could see and hear.

'Rather than have all these memorandums and issues circling around that we need to put the facts before the American people.

'The big fact is did the president fire comey because of his investigation and he was worried about what the investigation might conclude.

'That, if so, that borders on a very serious charge so we need to flush that out. We need to see what the response is and it's got to come to Director Comey himself.'

General Mike Flynn resigned as National Security Adviser in February after facing scrutiny for lying to Vice President Pence about his Russian connections

Feinstein slammed the president for labeling the former FBI chief a 'nut job', lambasting the remark as a 'horrible thing for the president to say'.

'Director Comey is in no way shape or form a nut job. He's a very strong man, he's a very principled man. I happen to believe he made a couple of mistakes. I suspect he thinks he's made a couple of mistakes. Whether that deserved his termination or not is not up to me.

'The fact is he has been terminated but the reason for the termination has really not been fettered out and that's what needs to be, before the American people, clear and distinct.'

Feinstein said had already written to the former FBI boss to ask him to appear before the committee.

'I would hope that even though he is going before the intelligence committee, that he would also do this because our questions would be separate and distinct.'

She also made a direct plea to the president to stop tweeting and 'think about what you say', saying that otherwise he risked having a House and Senate that are constantly on edge.

'There's one thing about this president and I'd really like to say it meaning well, and that is - stop the tweeting and think about what you say because you're reflecting in a big pool.

Feinstein also lampooned the president (above in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday) for his constant use of Twitter and urged him: 'Think about what you're saying'

'The Senate and the House has to feel a sense of stability from day to day. We can't feel the anxiety that goes with not knowing what may happen next, what may be said next, and we need to depend on our president for truth. That is really important.'

The Justice Department investigation, which Comey launched, into the administration's links with Russia is now being led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller who has been appointed as a special prosecutor.

There are two separate ongoing investigations in to the same possible collusion.

The first is being carried out by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which Comey will testify as part of.

The second is by the Senate Judiciary Committee and this is the investigation Feinstein was referring to as she appealed to Comey to take part. It is this investigation which will focus specifically on whether Trump pressured Comey to drop his probes into General Flynn and if he fired him as a result of the FBI's Russia probe.


Kim Jong-un has warned he is ready to mass-produce missiles capable of reaching US military bases after North Korea's latest test launch.

The dictator watched on as his Pukguksong-2 missile flew 310 miles and reached a height of 350 miles before plunging into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday.

Kim smiled broadly as the rocket was fired near the county of Pukchang in South Phyongan province and posed for pictures with military officials, even appearing to throw some bizarre gang signs with his hands.

He later hailed the trial as a success, 'approved the deployment of this weapon system for action' and said that it should 'be rapidly mass-produced.'

Kim Jong-un has warned he is ready to mass-produce missiles capable of reaching US military bases after North Korea's latest test launch (pictured)

The North Korean leader ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday. He later posed with some of his military officials and even appeared to throw a gang-sign with his troops

The dictator watched on as his Pukguksong-2 missile flew 310 miles and reached a height of 350 miles before plunging into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday. Kim observed the launch in person and was pictured examining the rocket launcher yesterday (above)

Kim hailed the trial as a success, 'approved the deployment of this weapon system for action' and said that it should 'be rapidly mass-produced'

US President Donald Trump, travelling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

The North Korean leader ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday.

The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its 'adaptability under various battle conditions' before it is deployed to military units.

'Viewing the images of the Earth being sent real-time from the camera mounted on the ballistic missile, Supreme leader Kim Jong Un said it feels grand to look at the Earth from the rocket we launched and the entire world looks so beautiful,' KCNA said.

North Korea has significantly accelerated its missile tests over the past year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that poses a threat not only to South Korea and Japan - which together host about 80,000 U.S. troops - but also toward an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its 'adaptability under various battle conditions' before it is deployed to military units

North Korea has significantly accelerated its missile tests over the past year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that poses a threat not only to South Korea and Japan. Pictures show the rocket blasting up more than 300 miles

Kim Jong-un watched the launch on television monitors which appeared to show satellite imagery

It's moving ahead with its nuclear weapons program as well.

The North conducted two nuclear tests last year. It claims one was a hydrogen bomb and the other device created a more powerful explosion than any the North has previous tested. Satellite imagery suggests it could be ready to conduct its next test - which would be its sixth - at virtually any time.

Pyongyang's often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington or other U.S. cities.

North Korea's media, meanwhile, have stepped up their calls for even more missile launches because of what Pyongyang claims is an increasingly hostile policy by President Donald Trump.

Kim Jong Un supervised the test which also verified the functioning of the solid-fuel engine for the Pukguksong-2 missile and ordered it for deployment in field action

The Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 310 miles before landing in waters off North Korea's east coast, South Korea's military said on Sunday

The launch verified the reliability and accuracy of the solid-fuel engine's operation and stage separation and the late-stage guidance of the nuclear warhead which was recorded by a device mounted on the warhead, KCNA said

'The Trump administration would be well advised to lend an ear to the voices of concern that are heard from the U.S. and the international community,' the North's Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Sunday.

'Many more 'Juche weapons' capable of striking the U.S. will be launched from this land. This is the DPRK's answer to the Trump administration.'

'Juche,' in this usage, refers to domestically produced and DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The rocket was blasted off from a beach in North Korea and Kim Jong-un is said to have watched footage from a camera that was strapped to the missile

North Korea has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programmes, even from China, its lone major ally, saying the weapons are needed for legitimate self-defence

In an interview with 'Fox News Sunday' U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is 'disappointing' and 'disturbing.'

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting after the launch, and its Foreign Ministry said the launch 'throws cold water' on efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

At the request of diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea, a United Nations' Security Council consultation on the missile test will take place Tuesday.

North Korea a week earlier had successfully tested a new midrange missile - the Hwasong 12 - that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

Kim Jong-un was joined by smiling military officials as he observed his latest rocket launch today

The dictator spoke with officials before the launch and later declared the test was 'successful'

Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea

Kim Jong-un waves as military officials cheer during the test launch in North Korea yesterday

Solid-fuel missiles have their fuel loaded in them before being moved into place, allowing them to be launched faster and with more secrecy

Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea and represents another big advance toward a viable ICBM.

David Wright, an expert on North Korea's missiles and nuclear program who is with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the latest missile could have flown farther but was fired on a 'lofted' trajectory, which sends the missile high up so that it will land in the open seas rather than flying over or splashing down near neighboring countries.

He noted the Pukguksong-2's solid fuel is of particular concern.

Solid-fuel missiles have their fuel loaded in them before being moved into place, allowing them to be launched faster and with more secrecy.

Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, are fueled at the launch site in a process that can last an hour and requires fueling and other vehicles. That makes then easier to spot and easier to destroy than the solid-fuel variety.
A Salvation Army volunteer and regular amphetamine user who believed he was an angel has pleaded guilty to strangling his partner to death almost five years ago.

Michael Lyall Johnson, 45, on Monday pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to the murder of his partner Deborah Balbi, 38, inside their Adelaide apartment in 2012.

It was originally thought Ms Balbi had died of a drug overdose but after a lengthy police investigation, it was eventually determined she was strangled.

Mr Johnson, a devout Christian who attended church regularly, had stabbed Ms Balbi in the back with a hunting knife just two weeks before he killed her, the Advertiser reported.

Devout Christian and meth user Michael Johnson (pictured), 45, will be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to murdering his partner five years ago

Deborah Balbi, 38, (pictured), was strangled to death by Mr Johnson inside their Adelaide apartment in December, 2012

Mr Johnson, a Salvation Army volunteer, had stabbed Ms Balbi in the back with a hunting knife just two weeks before he killed her

He was placed on an 18-month good behaviour bond in 2011 for assaulting Ms Balbi, and repeatedly beat her during their abusive, drug-fueled relationship.

After maintaining innocence in September last year, Mr Johnson changed his plea to guilty after forensic investigations showed she had serious bruises to her neck.

The court previously heard that Mr Johnson, who attended church regularly, thought he was an angel or Messiah as a result of his methamphetamine abuse.

The 86-year-old mother of murder victim Deborah Balbi will travel from Italy to Adelaide to be in court when her daughter's killer faces sentencing submissions.

Prosecutor Emily Telfer told the court that Mary Balbi had made arrangements to be in Australia for two weeks during the sentencing process.

She said a number of victim impact statements would be presented to the court.

Defence counsel Craig Caldicott is also seeking a psychiatric report on his 45-year-old client with the case adjourned until July 3 to allow time for it to be prepared and considered.

Mr Johnson posted this letter with words of affirmation to his Facebook page in 2015, before he was arrested, captioning it: 'THANKYOU DEB THANKYOU forever <3'
Distressing pictures that portray a Sydney house fire have offered a stark reminder to the devastating effects of a house fire.

The chilling images are from a blaze that happened at a Paddington terrace in November of last year that swept right through the home.

The fire began after a clothes dryer had set alight, which was caused by a build up of lint in the appliance, firefighters informed neighbours.

'The house was gutted by a fire that started in the dryer, we were told it [the cause] was lint,' one local resident told Daily Mail Australia.

The kitchen looked unrecognisable as it was completely destroyed by the huge fire at the Paddington terrace

The burnt out clothes dryer that started the fire. The blaze could have been prevented if the clothes dryer was cleaned to the standards of NSW safety officials

Luckily no one, including the family renting the home, were harmed during the fire that happened around 10.30pm at night.

'The residents had just come over from North America, there were a mum, dad and two kids. They had no injuries but were pretty distressed,' the neighbour revealed.

'I was in bed when I heard voices outside when my flatmate said there was a fire so we all got up and evacuated across the road.'

'All the neighbours were rousing themselves and evacuating.'

The images reveal the extensive damage the fire caused, with seemingly no room in the property undamaged.

The kitchen area was left completely unrecognisable as debris was left scattered across the floor.

The graphic photos highlight the severe damage caused from neglecting simple safety recommendations from fire officials.

Fire & Rescue NSW warn homeowners to the dangers of the responsible appliance and recommended that all owners of a clothes dryer to clean away lint before or after every use.

The row of terraces on Greens Road in Paddington where the huge blaze occurred

The distressing images reveal the extent of the damage as the whole ground floor appears to be completely wiped out

The dishwasher sits in a pile of rubble inside the unrecognisable kitchen at the family's home

The contents of the fridge were completely scorched in the shocking wreckage

The home was destroyed throughout with this photo revealing the smashed windows at the front of the terrace

Smoke seeps out of the property as neighbours evacuated their nearby homes in the sought after postcode

Fire crews attend the scene who informed neighbours that the fire was caused because of lint build up in a clothes dryer

The blaze lights up the front room of the home as one daring neighbour stands in the doorway to capture a photo

This bedroom was burnt to a cinder as the occupying children were lucky to escape unharmed

The glass in the bathroom door was shattered as the bathroom was also left ruined

The wooden window frames were a far cry from their original state as some hung from the brickwork

The paintwork of the property blistered and left a speckled effect throughout the house
He was savaged for appearing to curtsy like a 'sparkly princess' and ridiculed endlessly for his off-beat dancing during a traditional Saudi sword ceremony.

And as President Trump's time in Riyadh came to an end on Sunday night, the many meme-inducing moments from the first two days of his inaugural overseas tour peaked.

Twitter users went wild as photographs emerged of the president placing his hands on a glowing orb with King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the World Center for Countering Extremist Thought.

The orb lit up as the leaders laid their hands on it, apparently activating a wall of computers in front of them which are programmed to monitor and target terrorist activity online.

Officially, it marked the opening of the center which the president heralded as a world first in joint efforts with the Middle East to crack down on violent radicalism.

The internet, as ever, had other ideas.

The visit on Sunday capped off the first leg of the president's first overseas tour. He will travel to Israel on Monday.

Donald Trump was joined by King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who all placed their hands on the globe at the World Center for Countering Extremist Thought on Sunday in front of a packed room of gathered officials

First Lady Melania Trump resisted as the three men put their hands on the globe, each of them wearing very different facial expressions

The internet erupted into memes mocking the unlikely scene. They compared it to something out of Lord of The Rings

Another borrowed from The Wizard of Oz and imagined the scene as a construct of the Wicked Witch of the West's imagination

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that politics really is Harry Potter pic.twitter.com/PtLQeHQVwD  Jules (@Julian_Epp) May 21, 2017

Others were immediately reminded of scenes from Star Wars

There were also references to the Illuminati among the numerous jokes

One quick-witted user labeled it the New World Orb-er after being egged on by another

Those who couldn't think up a meme were still grateful for the material which capped off a weekend of meme-inducing moments for the president in Riyadh

Officially, the globe lighting up marked the opening of the World Center for Countering Extremist Thought. By touching it, the world leaders activated a wall of computers which are programmed to trigger worrying material on the internet
Two parents have ended up in the Family Court after the father wanted to name their newborn son after Darth Vader.

The mother and father, referred to in court documents under the pseudonyms Ms Furst and Mr Koruba, had argued over the boy's middle name when he was born.

And 18 months later they have landed in the Family Court in Sydney to decide what his surname should be after splitting up.

Two parents have ended up in the Family Court after the father wanted to name their newborn son after Darth Vader (stock image)

'The question of what name the child would be given by the parents had caused considerable difficulty between the parties,' Justice William Johnston said in his judgement earlier this month, Sydney Morning Herald originally reported.

The parents had agreed on a middle name referencing the father's African heritage, before the father later pushed for his middle name to be Vader, after the Star Wars character, with the surname Koruba.

The mother refused and the father eventually signed the birth certificate using the original middle name and Ms Furst's surname.

Now, as Ms Furst prepares to move with the boy to her native Germany with Mr Koruba's consent, the father has pushed in the Family Court for the son's surname to be hyphenated Furst-Koruba.

But Ms Furst argued the surname would be 'too exotic' and 'odd' for her traditional culture.

The parents have ended up in the Family Court (stock image) in Sydney over his surname

'She said that she was also concerned that the child would be embarrassed by a last name which differed so much from that of herself and her family and from others in the area where he is likely to be,' Justice Johnston said.

'She thought this might cause the child some confusion of identity.'

Mr Koruba later said he would be satisfied if his family name could be included as a second middle name for the boy, instead of as a hyphenated surname.

But the mother said that would make both his middle names 'exotic' in Europe.

'She said that she could accept that it would be in the child's best interests to bear one African name for the purposes of identifying the child's African heritage but she considered that two African names for the child would be 'too exotic',' Justice Johnston said.

The father had pushed for the boy's middle name to be Vader after the Star Wars character

She said she would be happy to replace his current middle name with Koruba.

But the father said this was 'mean and petty minded'.

'The child will be moving to live in quite a different culture and for him to have a visible symbol in the form of two names denoting his African heritage would be in his best interests,' Mr Koruba argued, Justice Johnson said.

Justice Johnson ordered Koruba to be added as a second middle name in order to 'promote the likelihood of the child having a meaningful relationship with his father, connection with his paternal family and serve as a reminder of his background, culture and heritage.

'I do not accept that the addition of his father's family name would be likely to cause him embarrassment let alone potentially be alienating.'
A sex offender who was a suspect in Daniel Morcombe's abduction will remain behind bars after he argued he should be released and remain under supervision.

Douglas Brian Jackway, 40, has been in jail for much of his adult life for the sexual assault of two children, aged nine and 10, in the early 1990s.

In April 2106, he had an annual review of his indefinite sentence where the court heard he tried to leave his jail unit with the intention of assaulting Morcombe's killer, Brett Peter Cowan, who tried to point the finger at Jackway during his trial.

On Monday, Jackway was told he was still considered a danger to the community after he again applied to be released and remain under supervision, according to the Gladstone Observer.

Douglas Brian Jackway, 40, has been in jail for much of his adult life for the sexual assault of two children in the early 1990s

In April 2106, he had an annual review of his indefinite sentence where the court heard he tried to leave his jail unit with the intention of assaulting Daniel Morcombe's (pictured) killer, Brett Peter Cowan

'Even with a supervision order in place the psychiatric evidence is that the risk of reoffending is only reduced to a moderate level,' Justice Sue Brown said at the Brisbane Supreme Court.

Daniel, 13, was taken at a bus stop on the Sunshine Coast in 2003

'The fact remains that there is a real risk that his inability to control his level of impulsivity and responses to emotional stressors'.

His case will again be looked at in 2018 and he could be released at a later date.

Jackway was jailed in 1995 after he abducted a nine-year-old boy and sexually assaulted him in nearby bushland in Gladstone, Queensland.

He was released in 2003, but returned to jail a year later after details of the rape of a 10-year-old girl in 1991 came to light.

During his 12 months out of prison, Daniel Morcombe was abducted and although Jackway had an alibi, Cowan tried to pin the murder on him.

Cowan (pictured) tried to point the finger at Jackway during his trial, but was found guilty of murder, indecent treatment of a child and interfering with a corpse

Daniel, 13, was taken at a bus stop on the Sunshine Coast in 2003 and after an eight-year search, Cowan was found guilty of murder, indecent treatment of a child and interfering with a corpse.

In 2016, a court heard Jackway had received more negative attention in jail after being falsely implicated in the teenager's disappearance.

The court heard he had threatened to harm Cowan at the Wolston Correctional Centre in Brisbane, where they are both serving time.

The court heard he had threatened to harm Cowan at the Wolston Correctional Centre (pictured) in Brisbane, where they are both serving time
Chinese investors are snapping up a quarter of new properties on the market as younger, cashed-up buyers arrive.

They are part of a growing number of foreigners casting their eyes to Australia as a nearby source of wealth with an enviable lifestyle.

'We say limited English, unlimited bank accounts,' Melbourne real estate agent Tim Heavyside told Sunday Night of many buyers - even in the outer suburbs.

Monica Zhao, who paid $5 million for an investor visa, is one of many young and rich Chinese investors snapping up a quarter of new properties on the market

Often they are seeking out happy Australian lifestyles away from their overcrowded homes with houses close to good schools for their children.

But so many others are just looking to own property that 20 per cent of homes bought by Chinese investors are left empty.

'They're looking at buying a property this year and another one the year after and another one, and they just want to continue doing it,' Yellow Brick Road chairman Mark Bouris said.

'Even if they themselves as individuals don't benefit from it, it goes to their children and their broader family.'

Ms Zhao inspected this $6.5 million house overlooking the ocean in Dover Heights

She was in search of her second Sydney home as she already owned a flat, and was impressed with the beachside house's lavish interior

Chinese investors are setting records for luxury property sales, with waterside mansions selling for up to $70 million around the country.

But Mr Bouris claimed eye-watering prices at the top end didn't have much of an effect on the average Australian family struggling to compete in the suburbs.

'I'll be honest, I couldn't give a rat's a**e about the rich people who have to pay more money because they're competing against the Chinese. Couldn't care less,' he said.

'The demand and supply is different for every segment, so just because somebody is willing to pay for Packer or Murdoch's house for $25 million I don't think that affects the price of a house in Punchbowl.'

She's one of many who not only want to buy Australian property but hope to eventually live there - she already sent her son to school at an elite private school

Sisters Maggie and Christie Zhao, who own a lingerie brand, were also filmed on a luxury property trip in search of homes their could use to send their children to school

Mr Bouris said Chinese buyers were 'dragging the economy along' and creating jobs from buying new developments, which they are allowed to under foreign investment laws.

'They can't buy property under the foreign investment review board rules, so they must be local Asian people. What do I say? I say they're Australians and that's the way it is, they've got more money to spend,' he said.

Not so for wealthy young Shanghai businesswoman Monica Zhao, who got a special investor visa for spending more than $5 million in Australia.

As she checked out a $6.5 million house overlooking the ocean in Dover Heights, she said she was looking for a 'comfortable and lovely' suburb for her second Sydney home.

Mark Bouris (pictured with model Monika Radulovic) said Chinese buyers were 'dragging the economy along' and creating jobs from buying new developments

Real estate agents argue rich buyers don't affect prices of family homes because they are different markets and those buying in the suburbs are legal immigrants

She's one of many who not only want to buy Australian property but hope to eventually live there - she already sent her son to school at an elite private school.

Her cousins are next, planning to start their own Australian portfolio next year.

Sisters Maggie and Christie Zhao, who own a lingerie brand, were also filmed on a luxury property trip in search of homes their could use to send their children to school.

They said they felt like Australians were nicer than other countries and welcomed them with open arms.

Real estate agent Monica Tu said she was selling the 'Chinese Australian lifestyle', which was the biggest appeal for any wealthy investor

While in Sydney the pair dressed up for the Randwick races (pictured), at lobster at fine restaurants, and went shopping for luxury clothes and jewellery

While in Sydney the pair dressed up for the Randwick races, at lobster at fine restaurants, and went shopping for luxury clothes and jewellery.

They also attended an extravagant Chinese New Year party attended by billionaire Asian property developers that was thrown by real estate agent Monica Tu.

Ms Tu said it was all part of selling the 'Chinese Australian lifestyle', which was the biggest appeal for any wealthy investor.

The sisters looked at luxury Gold Coast apartment development Jewel for their portfolio

Prices range from $600,000 studios to the $20 million penthouse

'China is quite polluted and it's overcrowded, it's such a big population, and 90 per cent of my buyers... love the school system here,' she said.

'It's not a Chinese invasion. Chinese love to buy properties so if they don't buy Australian properties they will buy Canadian properties, English properties, it's just in their blood, they love to buy properties.'

The sisters also looked at luxury Gold Coast apartment development Jewel, with prices ranging from $600,000 studios to the $20 million penthouse.

'The Chinese are the ones with all the cash so we're happy to have them,' one of its agents said.
Rags-to-riches Hollywood star Rebel Wilson's 'world collapsed' when a series of magazine articles painted her as a fake and a liar, a Melbourne court heard.

The Supreme Court of Victoria heard on Monday that Wilson was 'cut to the core' when she discovered 1.5 million people had read an online article claiming she lied about her age, name and childhood.

Wilson is suing Bauer Media, publisher of Woman's Day, for defamation over a campaign of eight articles published in three days during 2015.

Rebel Wilson's 'world collapsed' when a series of magazine articles painted her as a fake and a liar, a Melbourne court heard

Wilson is suing Bauer Media, publisher of Woman's Day, for defamation over a campaign of eight articles published in three days during 2015

Her lawyer Matthew Collins QC, in his opening address to an all-female jury, said the articles were timed to coincide with the pinnacle of Wilson's career, during the release of Pitch Perfect 2, in which she had a starring role.

Wilson flew in to Melbourne from the U.S. for the three-week trial, and was in court on Monday accompanied by her sister Anna, 25.

Mr Collins told the jury about Wilson's working-class Sydney childhood and the hardships she'd faced in making it in Hollywood, years after she'd had a dream about winning an Oscar while ill with malaria.

Wilson flew in to Melbourne from the U.S. for the three-week trial, and was in court on Monday

'She thought she'd never been hit with such nastiness, coincided to time with the pinnacle of her career,' Mr Collins said

Wilson (pictured left) is seen leaving the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Monday

He said those dreams were shattered when Bauer Media published 'grubby articles' that defamed her.

'She thought she'd never been hit with such nastiness, coincided to time with the pinnacle of her career,' he said.

The court heard the Fat Pizza star was subsequently fired from a number of movie roles.

Ms Wilson is seen speaking with reporters outside court on Monday amid her defamation trial against Woman's Day
A Comancheros bikie who stabbed a father in the chest in an unprovoked attack as his terrified daughter watched on has been jailed for a minimum of four years.

On Monday, the District Court ruled Raymond Patrick Harley Jones showed no remorse for his crime, and still had links with the outlaw club despite his claims of 'disconnection,' The Advertiser reported.

Judge Geraldine Davison said she found no evidence to believe Jones' claims, especially considering his late stepfather had spent his entire life within the criminal scene, also known as a 'gypsy joker.'

Raymond Jones (pictured) was found guilty in his absence in the District Court of South Australia in October 2016 of stabbing a man

Jones (pictured) stabbed a man in the arms and chest in Blakeview, north of Adelaide, in February 2015

'This was a serious offence of its type, occurring in the presence of a young child upon a man who was obviously trying to remove himself from the situation,' she said.

'There was no justification whatsoever (for this) gratuitous violence that could have had more serious effects than it did.'

'You have shown no contrition, no remorse and no recognition of your offending.'

The 30-year-old was due to stand trial in October 2016, yet on the first day of his trial, he fled after removing his electronic monitering bracelet.

During his time on the run, he taunted SA Police with a string of social media posts.

He was captured two months later, having been convicted during his time at large.

A court heard that after a young girl saw her father being stabbed by Jones (pictured) she now screams everytime she sees a tattooed person

Judge Davison said she was satisfied 'beyond reasonable doubt' that Jones remained a member of the Comancheros.

She said Jones' continuous history of violent offending, along with his persistent drug use, meant he had little hope of rehabilitation.

Judge Davison sentenced Jones to 5  years with a four-year non-parole period.

In her decision, she took into consideration the trauma the seven-year-old girl had suffered in the aftermath of the frenzied attack which was revealed in a victim impact statement read by prosecutor Carmen Matteo last month during sentencing submissions in the District Court of South Australia.

Jones (pictured) went on the run for almost two months after skipping the final day of his District Court of South Australia trial

Jones (pictured at left) will face court again next month for further sentencing submissions

'To watch her change so dramatically has been heartbreaking,' the victim impact statement said.

The statement added the girl has night terrors and that whenever she sees a tattooed person, she screams.

The young girl was seven at the time her father was stabbed in the chest and arms by Comancheros gang member Raymond Jones in Blakeview, north Adelaide.

'Daddy, he has got a knife', the terrified girl screamed from the back seat of a car as her father sat in the driver's seat on February 25, 2015.
Dozens were injured when a bomb exploded at a hospital in Bangkok on the third anniversary of the 2014 military coup.

It comes just days after a devastating blast ripped through a shopping centre in southern Thailand.

Monday's bomb went off in a reception room for retired civil servants at the Phramongkutklao Hospital about 11am.

Police said pieces of the bomb, including traces of a battery and electric wiring, were found at the scene.

At least 24 people were injured when a bomb exploded at Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok

Thai soldiers secure the area as patients are escorted to safety after the bomb exploded

'It's confirmed to be a bomb,' Deputy police commissioner Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said.

'We must convene a meeting before saying anything further, but at this time, I can confirm it was a bomb.'

Kamthorn Aucharoen, commander of the police's explosive ordnance team said: 'We found the pieces that were used to make the bomb.

'Right now, authorities are checking out closed circuit cameras.'

A Thai forensic expert is seen placing evidence into a vehicle from the site of the bomb blast

Deputy police commissioner Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said pieces of the bomb including traces of a battery and electric wiring were found at the scene

Three people were left with serious shrapnel injuries to the face and neck, but most of the victims had minor wounds, a government spokesman said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast.

Suspicion is likely to focus either on political dissidents opposed to military rule or Muslim separatists based in the south of the predominately Buddhist country.

'Please don't connect this with any other incidents because they may or may not be connected,' the government spokesman said.

'We have to wait for officials to investigate details from surveillance cameras in the area.'

Monday is the anniversary of a May 22, 2014, military coup that toppled a democratically elected government and ended months of unrest, including sometimes deadly street demonstrations.

Police officers and others gather in front of the entrance of the military-owned hospital

Packaged items of evidence are collected by officers and loaded into a vehicle parked in front of Phramongkutklao Hospital

Since the coup, the junta, known as the National Council for Peace and Order, has clamped down on dissent and ramped up prosecutions under sedition and royal defamation laws.

Police are already hunting suspects behind two other blasts in recent weeks.

Around 50 people were wounded when two bombs were detonated in a shopping centre in Pattani in Thailand's south on May 9.

Another bomb last week injured two people outside the National Theatre.

The bomb went off in a reception room for retired civil servants at the Phramongkutklao Hospital about 11am on Monday
Donald Trump's first budget will make a trillion dollars of cuts on food stamps and Medicaid alone - but will include a $1.6billion pledge to build his long-promised Mexican border wall.

The president's financial blueprint for 2018, which will officially be revealed on Tuesday, also includes a wave of reductions to benefit programs such as Medicaid, federal employee pensions, welfare benefits and farm subsidies.

It includes $1.6 billion for construction of a wall between the US and Mexico, as well as $300 million for additional immigration agents as part of a $2.6 billion hike for border security programs.

The planned cuts include $193billion from food stamps over the coming decade - a drop in spending of more than 25 percent.

US president Donald Trump, pictured, will make almost one trillion dollars of savings from cuts to food stamps and Medicaid

It will be implemented by slashing eligibility and imposing additional work requirements, according to talking points circulated by the White House.

The program currently helps about 42 million people across the country.

Trump is also targeting the Medicaid health program that provides care to the poor and disabled, and nursing home care to millions of older people who could not otherwise afford it.

The House had a bitter debate on health care before a razor-thin 217-213 passing in early May of a GOP health bill that included more than $800 billion in Medicaid cuts over the coming decade.

The food stamp cuts are several times larger than those attempted by House Republicans a few years back and comprise the bulk of a 10-year, $274 billion proposal that's labeled as welfare reform.

According to people familiar with the plan, Trump's budget includes a total of $1.7 trillion in cuts over 10 years from so-called mandatory programs.

That includes reductions in spending on pensions for federal workers and higher contributions toward those pension benefits, as well as cuts to refundable tax credits paid to the working poor.

People familiar with the plan were not authorized to discuss it by name and requested anonymity.

The fleshed-out proposal follows up on an unpopular partial release in March that targeted the budgets of domestic agencies and foreign aid for cuts averaging 10 percent - and made lawmakers in both parties recoil.

A section of the current US border wall is pictured in Sonora state, Mexico. Trump plans to build a much larger barrier

The new cuts are unpopular as well, with Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, saying: 'We think it's wrongheaded.

'Production agriculture is in the worst slump since the depression - 50 percent drop in the net income for producers. They need this safety net.'

Trump's budget promises to balance the federal ledger by the end of a 10-year window, even while exempting Social Security and Medicare retirement benefits from cuts.

To achieve balance, the plan by White House budget director Mick Mulvaney relies on optimistic estimates of economic growth and the surge in revenues that would result, while abandoning Trump's promise of a 'massive tax cut.'

Instead, the Trump tax plan promises an overhaul that would cut tax rates but rely on erasing tax breaks and economic growth to end up as 'revenue neutral'.

It would create three tax brackets - 10 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent - instead of the current seven.

Key Republicans are not interested in another round of cuts to the Medicaid rogram.

'I would think that the health care bill is our best policy statement on Medicaid going forward,' said Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the program.

Details on Trump's budget will not be publicly released until Tuesday, but Mulvaney has briefed Republicans about what's coming and his staff has provided targeted leaks to the media.

A full budget submission by the administration to Congress is months overdue and follows the release two months ago of an outline for the discretionary portion of the budget.

Aworker stacks copies of 'Analytical Perspectives Budget of the U.S. Government Fiscal Year 2018' onto a pallet at the U.S. Government Publishing Office's plant

It covers defense, education, foreign aid, housing and environmental programs, among others. Their budgets pass each year through annual appropriations bills.

An earlier blueprint from Trump proposed a $54 billion, 10 percent increase for the military above an existing cap on Pentagon spending, financed by an equal cut to nondefense programs.

Those cuts rang alarm bells for many Republicans, who were particularly upset about proposals to eliminate community development block grants, slash medical research and eviscerate foreign aid.

Trump's GOP allies rejected such cuts when wrapping up long-overdue legislation for the current budget year, which ends September 30.

There is little sign they will have a change of heart now, especially with Trump's administration in turmoil and his poll ratings at historic lows.

'The budget's a starting point. We'll go to work from there,' said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Republicans controlling Congress have delayed action on their companion budget measure, waiting for Trump to go first.

Republicans hope this year's budget debate would grease the way for a major overhaul of the loophole-cluttered tax system.

But House conservatives also want to embark on a round of cuts to benefit programs and are open to Trump's suggestions for cuts to mandatory programs such as federal employee pensions.

Presidential budgets are mere suggestions, and the White House has discretion to assume higher economic growth rates of up to 3 percent or so under Trump's agenda of tax changes, loosened regulations and infrastructure spending.

Tuesday's budget will also include proposals such as paid leave for parents after the birth or adoption of a child, a $200 billion infrastructure plan that Trump officials claim could leverage up to $1 trillion in construction projects.
Women in Paris are too frightened to enter so-called 'no go zones' where migrants and drug dealers have been harassing women, it has been reported.

The troubled district of Chapelle-Pajol, in the east of the French capital, is said to have become more and more dangerous for women over the past year as young African and Arab men flood the area.

An 80-year-old woman from the district claimed she was sexually assaulted walking home one night while another, 38, said the cafe below her apartment has become an exclusively male venue.

The troubled district of Chapelle-Pajol, in the east of the French capital, is said to have become more and more dangerous for women (file photo of Champs Elysees in Paris)

Some women living in the region claim they cannot leave their houses without being verbally abused by migrant men, Le Parisien reported.

One woman told the website her 12-year-old daughter has been banned from walking the streets ever since she got caught in the middle of a brawl between migrants.

Dozens of women turned out in Paris to protest against the so-called 'no go zones' last week.

'The problems in the area are real,' Clare Rougy, one of the demonstrators, told The Local.

She went on: 'It is aggressive and you see men fighting in the streets. Women do not feel safe.'

The women include 50-year-old Natalie, who has been living in the area for 30 years.

She told Le Parisien: 'The atmosphere is agonising, to the point of having to modify our itinerary, our clothes. Some even gave up going out.'

Meanwhile Aurelie, 38, whose local cafe has become a 'men only' venue, said: 'I have to listen to a lot of remarks when I pass in front, especially since they drink a lot.'

An 80-year-old woman from the district claimed she was sexually assaulted walking home one night (file photo of central Paris)

Meanwhile Babette de Rozieres, candidate for the right-wing Republicans party, told the crowd how her home district has 'gone downhill'.

SOS La Chapelle, who organised the protest, launched an online petition urging Paris authorities to highlight the harassment, drug-dealing and crime plaguing the area. It has so far been signed by more than 18,000 people.

The city's mayor Anne Hidalgo has acknowledged the problem, saying: 'We will not tolerate an area being prey to acts of discrimination against women.

'That does not correspond to the values of Paris nor of the Republic. I wish to inform local residents that we are entirely at their side and that our action will not falter until the situation returns to normal.'
Rolf Harris has arrived at court for his indecent assault trial three days after he was released from jail

Rolf Harris has appeared in court at his sex attacks trial three days after he was released from jail.

The Australia-born former TV star, who was released from HMP Stafford on Friday morning, is on trial accused of indecent assault at Southwark Crown Court.

The 87-year-old wore a hearing loop as one of his alleged victims gave evidence via video link today.

Harris is accused of groping a 13-year-old girl after she had been invited to join youngsters in the audience of BBC show Saturday Superstore on New Year's Eve 1983.

His lawyer today questioned the alleged victim, who is now in her 40s, and suggested she had come forward to police in a bid to claim compensation money.

She replied: 'This has never been about compensation.'

She described the 'horrendous' investigation and said coming forward had been 'probably the hardest decision I have made in my life'.

'All I want is, finally, vindication and justice for the people that this has happened to over the years,' she said.

The former entertainer gets out of his car at outside the central London court this morning

Harris waved to photographers as he arrived at court with his niece, Jenny Harris, this morning

Harris used a hearing loop to follow proceedings as his accuser gave evidence via videolink

It is the first time Harris has appeared in person in court. He denies four charges against three women between 1971 and 1983. He previously appeared via video link.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court had previously been told Harris had already been convicted and sentenced for other offences in 2014.

Judge Deborah Taylor told jurors on Thursday: 'He (Harris) will no longer be appearing in the court via video link and he will be attending what remains of his trial in person next week.'

Harris - awarded an MBE in 1968, an OBE in 1977 and a CBE in 2006 - is also alleged to have indecently touched a 14-year-old girl in 1971 after she asked him for an autograph at a music event for children in London.

He allegedly pulled the girl onto his lap and slipped his hand up her skirt as her father stood nearby at the Lyceum theatre in London's West End.

Harris is also accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old schoolgirl after being paid 100 to appear on ITV celebrity show Star Games in 1978, telling her she was 'a little bit irresistible'.

Jurors heard he attacked the youngster again in a car, pushing her legs apart to grab her following the filming at Jesus Green in Cambridge.

Celebrities including Michael Aspel, Tony Blackburn, and Rula Lenska also appeared at the 'It's A Knockout'-style show.

The Australian singer and artist seemed in good spirits after spending the weekend at home
Marco Rubio has claimed the American people 'got what they voted for' in Donald Trump and should not be surprised by the drama emerging from Washington over the Comey memo and the president's alleged Russian links.

The senator ran for the White House himself but dropped out of the race after losing the Republican primary to Trump in his home state of Florida.

But now after a series of blunders from the billionaire, Rubio has launched a thinly-veiled criticism of the presidency, saying: 'I don't understand why people are that shocked.'

It comes just days after Trump faced a barrel of questions about a memo written by his former FBI director that accuses the president of undue interference in the bureau's probe into Michael Flynn and a report that claimed the president shared classified information with the Russians.

Marco Rubio ran for the White House himself but dropped out of the race after losing the Republican primary to Trump in his home state of Florida. He has now criticized the presidency, saying: 'I don't understand why people are that shocked'

According to CBS News, he added: 'This president ran a very unconventional campaign. I was there for a big part of it at the beginning alongside being one of his competitors. And that's what the American people voted for.

'And in essence, you know, this White House is not much different from the campaign.'

Last week Trump's spokesman told reporters over and over again that the president had been 'clear' in his statements rebutting the unflattering news stories and has nothing more to add.

'The president has been very clear that the account that was published is not an accurate description of how the event occurred. I'm not going to give any other comment on that,' Sean Spicer said in response to one reporter's Comey question.

He offered similar versions of the line in response to nearly every question having to do with Comey, who has not publicly spoken, and the Russians.

The White House side-stepped a barrel of questions last week about a memo Donald Trump's former FBI director wrote that accuses the president of undue interference in the bureau's probe into Michael Flynn and a report that claimed the president shared classified information with the Russians

Former FBI director James Comey accused President Donald Trump of asking him to close a federal investigation into disgraced general Mike Flynn during a February 14 meeting in the Oval Office.

'I hope you can let this go,' Trump told Comey, according to a copy of a memo read to a New York Times reporter.

Comey reportedly wrote the memo immediately after he met with Trump, as part of an effort to document situations in which the president sought to interfere in the FBI's operations.

Speaking yesterday, Rubio branded the White House drama as 'unique' and 'different than anything we've confronted.'

He said: 'We'll have to deal with these issues. These issues come up, these questions every single day.

'And I do think the White House would benefit from some systems in place that perhaps avoid some of the unnecessary friction points that come up on a daily basis.

'But this is also the political environment we now live in, too.'

The Comey memo, which has not yet been produced in its entirety, came on the heels of a report that Trump shared classified information with two Russian diplomats during an Oval Office meeting last week.

A Washington Post article claimed Trump shared top secret intelligence provided by a foreign ally with Vladimir Putin's foreign minister and the Russian ambassador to the United States.

The Kremlin says that did not happen. Trump's national security advisor, also in attendance, says the conversation was 'wholly appropriate.'

Neither he nor Spicer would say whether Trump gave out classified information - only that it would be the president's prerogative if he did.

Rubio added: 'Did in fact you keep memos? What do those memos say? And why did you write them? And what was your feeling?

'And the American public deserves to know the answers to that. I think that's fair to the president. I think that's fair to former Director Comey. And I think that fair to the country.'

James Comey reportedly said in a memo that met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on February 14 and the president asked him to abandon a federal probe into disgraced former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn

President Trump (left) had fired Flynn (center) just one day earlier, after a series of leaks established that the retired general lied to the vice president about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States; They are pictured with White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus (right) outside transition meetings in Palm Beach, Florida on December 21

Donald Trump (left) jokes with disgraced general Mike Flynn (right) on October 18, 2016

Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said that he would be prepared to issue a subpoena to the IRS for Comey's memo

Spicer refused to address lingering questions on the matter during a gaggle with reporters traveling on Air Force One after the president's Coast Guard commencement address.

Asked about Putin's claim that his government has a transcript of the conversation that could prove Trump's innocence and a related assumption that the Russians had recording devices on their person in the Oval Office, Spicer said he was 'not aware of anything on that.'

'I don't have any update on that. But I think we put out a statement very clearly about the President does not believe that is an accurate representation,' he said once again.

He would not say whether the White House would like the transcript to be made public.

'The Secretary of State, the National Security Advisor and the Deputy National Security Advisor have been very clear with their recollection of that meeting, with their account of that meeting,' he stated.

The charges against Trump have dominated the discourse in the days leading up to his first foreign trip. Trump has kept a low profile as he prepares for the high-wire act that will take him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Italy, Belgium and The Vatican.

Last week the president defended himself on Twitter. He went to battle with the media over the accusations in a speech last Wednesday morning.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US President Donald Trump, and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak (L-R) talking during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House

Spicer rebuffed a suggestion on the flight back from Connecticut that Trump was in hiding.

'I think that we put out a statement last night very clear what our position was. I think there's been a lot of questions that other people have -- that are out there talking about this or that in terms of what was appropriate with respect to some of the stuff that Director Comey did or did not do,' he said.

'But the White House has put out a statement very clearly with our account.'

The White House's statement read: 'The President has the utmost respect for our law enforcement agencies, and all investigations. This is not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the President and Mr. Comey.'

The White House also steered reporters toward McCabe's congressional testimony from last week.

'There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date,' McCabe told Florida Sen. Marco Rubio during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.

'Simply put, sir, you cannot stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing, protecting the American people and upholding the constitution,' he added.

It remains unclear whether McCabe was referring to an investigation into the possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, which is separate from the investigation into Flynn.

Andrew McCabe, the acting FBI director who took over when Comey was fired, told a Senate panel last week that 'there has been no effort to impede our investigation to date'

Angus King (right), an independent Maine senator who caucuses with the Democratic minority, said on CNN that the Comey memo could form the basis for impeachment proceedings, 'because obstruction of justice is such a serious offense'

Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, tweeted last week: '@GOPoversight is going to get the Comey memo, if it exists. I need to see it sooner rather than later. I have my subpoena pen ready.'

Hours later, he fired off the letter to McCabe.

Chaffetz cited the New York Times report, which stated: 'Mr. Comey created similar memos -- including some that are classified -- about every phone call and meeting he had with the president, the two people said.'

Chaffetz wrote: 'If true, these memoranda raise questions as to whether the President attempted to influence or impede the FBI's investigation as it relates to Lt. Gen. Flynn.

'So the Committee can consider that question, and others, provide, no latter than May 24, 2017, all memoranda, notes, summaries, and recordings referring or relating to any communications between Comey and the President.'

An FBI agent's notes are often held up in court as credible evidence, according to the New York Times.

The existence of Comey's memo puts the former lawman on offense and the president on defense, with the White House denying that the president ever sought to influence an FBI investigation from the Oval Office

Only five days ago the president was warning Comey not to leak anything to the press, saying there might be 'tapes' of their conversations

Comey and Trump talked on February 14, according to the Times, one day after Flynn was forced out of his National Security Advisor position for lying about the nature of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US.

Comey recounted the meeting, claiming Trump said: 'I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.'

'He is a good guy,' Comey remembered Trump saying, according to the Times. 'I hope you can let this go.'

An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the existence of any contemporaneous memo written by Comey following his February 14 meeting in the Oval Office.

But if the memo is genuine, it would represent a turnabout from Trump's warning to Comey last week about the potential existence of 'tapes' of their conversations.

Comey's friends immediately started leaking to reporters that the former top cop was 'not worried about any tapes' of talks between him and the president.

'If there is a tape, there's nothing he is worried about,' one Comey confidant told CNN.

DOES TRUMP RISK IMPEACHMENT FOR 'OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE'? As the president's Democratic critics in Congress continue their drumbeat of attacks against him  and their demands for a special prosecutor to probe his alleged Russia ties  the existence of Comey's memo could give them the weapon they have been waiting for. The U.S. Constitution reserves the process of presidential impeachment for cases in which the Oval Office occupant can be prosecuted in the Senate for 'high crimes and misdemeanors.' Obstruction of justice is a federal felony, and would qualify  as it did in the articles of impeachment drawn up against Richard Nixon, who later resigned. Liberal constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that Trump obstructed justice first when he allegedly asked for a guarantee of loyalty, again when he threatened Comey with 'tapes' of their conversations, and a third time when he fired him a week ago. Tribe described Nixon's obstruction offenses as a 'forecast' of Trump's future actions: 'making misleading statements to, or withholding material evidence from, federal investigators or other federal employees; trying to interfere with FBI or congressional investigations; trying to break through the FBI's shield surrounding ongoing criminal investigations; dangling carrots in front of people who might otherwise pose trouble for one's hold on power.' The federal obstruction law defines the crime as an action by someone who 'corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, influences, obstructs, or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice.' As the Times story's first shockwaves spread over Washington, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer asked Maine Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, if Americans are 'getting closer and closer to the possibility of yet another impeachment process.' 'Reluctantly, Wolf, I have to say yes simply because obstruction of justice is such a serious offense,' King replied. Advertisement

Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN that the same demand Chaffetz outlined with respect to Comey's memo should apply to any recordings of their meetings that Trump might possess.

'We should give James Comey 72 hours to produce those memos, or the FBI 27 hours to produce the memos. If they aren't produced, they should be subpoenaed,' Castro said.

'By the same token, we should give the White House 72 hours to produce those tapes, if they exist. And if those aren't produced, then they should be subpoenaed.'

In another bizarre portion of Comey's memo, as it was read to a Times reporter, the president complained that classified government information had been repeatedly leaked to the news media and urged him to consider jailing the reporters involved.

That suggestion reportedly came at the top of the Trump-Comey meeting, just after the president had asked Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to clear out of the Oval Office so the two men could speak privately

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was 'shaken' by news of Comey's memo, and warned: 'History is watching'

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said on the Senate floor shortly after the Times story broke that he was 'shaken' by the news.

Speaking in a somber tone, Schumer said: 'We are only one day removed from stunning allegations that the president may have divulged classified information to a known adversary.'

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump has either abused his power or committed felony obstruction of justice  or something in between

'Concerns about our national security, the rule of law, the independence of our nation's highest law enforcement agencies, are mounting. The country is being tested in unprecedented ways. I say to all of my colleagues in the Senate, history is watching,' Schumer said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi piled on, saying in a statement that '[i]f these reports are true, the President's brazen attempt to shut down the FBI's investigation of Michael Flynn is an assault on the rule of law that is fundamental to our democracy.'

'At best, President Trump has committed a grave abuse of executive power. At worst, he has obstructed justice,' Pelosi claimed.

The Times reported that Comey had a reputation as a cautious note-taker who believed his written recollections of meetings, when put to paper immediately afterward, could help answer questions about events that weren't otherwise recorded.

It's unclear if Comey made similar notes after he met Trump for an intimate dinner on January 27.

Comey's associates have claimed that Trump asked his FBI director during that meeting  twice  for a pledge of loyalty. Trump has denied that claim flatly.
Jeremy Corbyn today appeared to praise the IRA - saying there was 'bravery' within the 'nationalist community'.

The Labour leader 's comments came as he again refused to unequivocally condemn the group, or describe it as a terrorist organisation.

The veteran left-winger's refusal to condemn the IRA has sparked accusations that he is 'beyond the political pale' and unfit to be PM.

Mr Corbyn was quizzed at Labour's cultural manifesto launch in Hull over his views on the IRA - whose campaign of shootings and bombings slaughtered civilians and terrorised communities.

He refused to unequivocally condemn the the group, saying simply that he condemned 'all acts of violence in Northern Ireland from wherever they came'.

And asked if the IRA is a terrorist organisation, he refused to answer and said there was 'bravery both in the unionist community and the nationalist community'.

Mr Corbyn, pictured with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in the 1980s, invited him to parliament weeks after the Brighton bombing

The Labour leader, pictured in Hull today for the party's cultural manifesto launch, refused to describe the IRA as a terrorist organisation and instead praised the 'bravery' of nationalists

He said: 'We have a devolved administration in Northern Ireland and I think we should recognise that peace was achieved by a lot of bravery both in the unionist community and the nationalist community  people that walked a very difficult extra mile when they were under pressure from their communities not to do so.

'Both republicans and unionists walked that extra mile and brought us the Good Friday agreement and we should use this election as thanking those that brought about the Good Friday agreement.'

It comes after Mr Corbyn refused five times to say he unequivocally opposed Republican terrorism during an interview on TV yesterday.

He also blamed the British government for seeking a 'military solution' in Ireland during the Troubles.

Sinn Fein's president Gerry Adams jumped to Mr Corbyn's defence, saying he was on the 'right side of history' in supporting Irish republicans.

He said: 'What he did was very modest, what he did was very fundamental.

'He recognised the rights of the people who voted for Sinn Fein and I think he was vindicated by subsequent events.

'Because where he led - others followed.'

The comments by Mr Corbyn on Sky News will fuel concerns about his stance towards the IRA

But others rounded on the Labour leader.

Security Minister Ben Wallace, who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, said: 'It is a disgrace that a man who wants to be Prime Minister cannot describe the IRA as terrorists, and to suggest otherwise is an insult to the victims and relatives whose lives were devastated by the IRA's murderous campaign of violence.

'Anyone who has ever experienced the fear and horrendous aftermath of indiscriminate bombings and shootings will know that the IRA were ruthless terrorists.

'Anyone who has had to experience the horror of picking pieces of bodies off the streets, or had to bury a loved one, after one of their attacks will know that Mr Corbyn is dangerously deluded and morally bankrupt.

'No ifs, no buts, the IRA were terrorists who murdered hundreds of people and ruined thousands more lives. If Jeremy Corbyn cannot say that then he is unfit to be Prime Minister.'

DUP leader Arlene Foster will insist the Labour leader is not fit to be PM due to his 'close' ties to the terrorist group's 'political representatives' during its reign of terror in the 1980s.

Weeks after the IRA bombed the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1984, Mr Corbyn invited Sinn Fein chief Gerry Adams to speak in parliament

Kenny Donaldson of Innocent Victims United said: 'Jeremy Corbyn continues to treat the innocent victims and survivors of Provisional IRA terrorism with contempt.

'He is the only politician our organisation has requested to meet with  on four occasions now  who refuses to even acknowledge correspondence.

'Within the Labour Party are many honourable representatives who know and understand what terrorism is.

'But it is a source of huge concern that their leader, who seeks to be our prime minister, is an apologist for terrorism.'

The TV interview prompted further scrutiny of the links between Republican terrorists and Mr Corbyn and his Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.

It also emerged that Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott told a pro-Republican journal in 1984 that 'every defeat of the British state is a victory for all of us'.

At a press conference in London on Friday shadow chancellor John McDonnell was challenged over comments from 2003 in which he demanded people 'honour' Republican terrorists

Mr Corbyn's disastrous interview was a major blow to Labour on a day when opinion polls put him closer to 10 Downing Street than at any point since he became party leader.

In a speech in London later, former Northern Ireland first minister Ms Foster will say: 'While Theresa May is well within the political mainstream and has proven herself to be a solid and reliable unionist, Jeremy Corbyn is beyond the political pale.

CIVIL WAR OVER TRIDENT SUBS Labour's muddled stance on defence was thrown into further confusion yesterday as Jeremy Corbyn refused to guarantee he would keep all four Trident submarines. He told the BBC that Labour was 'committed to Trident' but did not specify the number of vessels, which was also not stated in his party's manifesto. When pressed if he would renew all four submarines, he responded: 'It is clear what is said in the manifesto.' In a further party split, his foreign affairs spokesman Emily Thornberry claimed support for Trident could not be guaranteed in any post-election review  but defence spokesman Nia Griffith said Labour was 'absolutely committed' to the nuclear deterrent. Advertisement

'It is hard to take seriously the democratic credentials of a man who was so close to the political representatives of the IRA at the height of the Troubles.

'It is hard to see much good coming for the Labour Party from the coming election except the replacement of their leader.'

Last week Mr McDonnell apologised for comments he made in 2003 at an event to honour IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.

It was reported at the weekend that MI5 opened a file on Mr Corbyn over his links to the Republican movement.

It was also claimed that he petitioned for better treatment in prison for Hugh Doherty, a member of the Balcombe Street gang, which carried out a wave of attacks in England in the 1970s.

Yesterday the Sunday Times reported that Miss Abbott told a pro-Republican journal in 1984 that Ireland 'is our struggle  every defeat of the British state is a victory.'

Interviewed yesterday by Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Mr Corbyn was asked repeatedly to 'condemn unequivocally' the IRA. First he said 'bombing is wrong' and denounced 'all bombing' without specifically mentioning the IRA.

Asked again if he would condemn the IRA without 'equating it' to other violence, he said: 'No. I think what you have to say is all bombing has to be condemned and you have to bring about a peace process.'

Mr Corbyn played an Er hu a Chinese violin during a visit on Sunday to the Pagoda Arts and the Wah Sing Chinese Community centre

When the question was repeated, the Labour leader added: 'In the 1980s Britain was looking for a military solution in Ireland: it clearly was never going to work, ask anyone in the British Army at that time.'

WOULD LABOUR CUT MIGRATION? THEY WON'T SAY! The Labour leader refused five times yesterday to commit to cutting net migration if he wins the election. Jeremy Corbyn was accused of a 'shambolic' stance after he failed to say whether numbers would go up or down if he becomes PM. Pressed repeatedly on live television, he said net migration would 'probably be lower' but added that he didn't want to 'start making predictions'. Labour's manifesto promises to end free movement after Brexit, but the party has suggested that any EU migrant who has a job would still be allowed to come to Britain. Last week Theresa May renewed the Tories' commitment to reducing net migration to the tens of thousands, but Labour's manifesto contains no target. Quizzed by Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge, Mr Corbyn first said he wanted an immigration policy 'based on fair migration' and the 'rights of family reunion'. When asked for a 'direction of travel', he said he didn't want a 'numbers game'. Tory candidate Steve Baker said Mr Corbyn's stance was 'shambolic', adding: 'With just over two weeks to go before the election, it is clear he has no plan to get a good Brexit deal and no plan to control immigration.' Advertisement

Asked again, he said he 'condemned all those that do bombing, all those on both sides'.

Finally, he said: 'There were Loyalist bombs as well. I condemn all the bombing by both the Loyalists and the IRA.' He insisted he wanted peace in Ireland and had worked hard for it.

Security minister Ben Wallace, who served in Northern Ireland with the Scots Guards, said: 'People up and down the country will rightly be outraged that Jeremy Corbyn won't unequivocally condemn the IRA for the bloodshed, bombs and brutal murders they inflicted on a generation of innocent people.

'Jeremy Corbyn has spent a lifetime siding with Britain's enemies, but he and his extreme views could be leading our country and representing it abroad.'

Mr Corbyn had a role in a hard-Left magazine that celebrated the 1984 Brighton Bombing, which killed a Tory MP and four others.

He denied being general secretary of the London Labour Briefing when it published an editorial saying the attack showed 'the British only sit up and take notice when they are bombed into it'.

Mr Corbyn admitted he was a reader and contributor to the magazine but denied being on the editorial board at the time of the bombing.

Yesterday's TV interview also exposed Labour's chaotic position on freezing working age benefits.

Mr Corbyn said he would end the freeze because it's 'very, very unfair on those people in receipt of those benefits'.

But Mr McDonnell refused to say the freeze would end and the Labour election manifesto makes no mention of this.
Deanha Neely, 32, beat Derek Taylor with a hammer and an axe as part of 'ruthless and calculating' plan, a court heard

A call girl who murdered her 71-year-old boyfriend for his money wrote herself a love note after the killing, reading, 'Go to the bank and let the fun begin!', a court heard.

Deanha Neely, 32, beat Derek Taylor with a hammer and an axe as part of 'ruthless and calculating' plan to get her hands on a 45,000 payout he won in a civil legal battle, it was alleged.

Mr Taylor suffered a fractured skull in the beating during which his killer also wrapped a length of cable twice around his neck and put a black plastic bag over his head. His body was found by police over a fortnight later hidden under a tarpaulin.

In the aftermath of the murder, Neely, from Colne, Lancashire, frittered away some of Taylor's cash on drugs and in Primark, the jury heard.

To make it appear as if he was still alive, she also logged onto his Facebook page and posted a series of message purporting to be him claiming the couple were heading out on a road trip in his motorhome, it was said.

One posted on the day of the killing on January 2 this year read: 'Going away for a few days or so to relax and see the new year year in, can't wait'.

Another later that day said: 'Well I'm set off and raring to go, I've wanted to get away for a while now and it's finally happening, bring on the nice meal and cold beer after a long drive.'

Derek Taylor, 71, suffered a fractured skull in the beating during which his killer also wrapped a length of cable twice around his neck and put a black plastic bag over his head

Preston Crown Court was told the tragedy occurred after Mr Taylor befriended Neely and asked her to move in with him at his motorhome (pictured above) parked inside a industrial unit in Blackburn

One even tagged Neely herself in a post and said: 'A quick stop and recharge the batteries before setting off again, no cold beer for me yet as probably going to be driving for a good few hours yet? God I wish Deanha could drive and it was me with my feet up on the dash board relaxing to the radio and not her, ha ha.'

Preston Crown Court was told the tragedy occurred after Mr Taylor befriended Neely and asked her to move in with him at his motorhome parked inside a industrial unit in Blackburn.

She had a severe addiction to heroin but in a bid to help her get clean, Taylor would try and ration her intake of drugs.

Prosecuting Guy Gozem QC told the jury: 'She was penniless and he was a lonely old man, who knew and used local prostitutes. Having met Deanha Neely Derek Taylor wanted her to live with him - and to give up both prostitution and drugs.

He said: 'But that was much easier said than done. Tomorrow was always the day she was going to give up - or cut down.

'At the end of October 2016 Derek Taylor received about 45,000. It was money that he'd been waiting for for some time - and that is a fact that the defendant must have been well aware of.

'You may very well conclude that Deanha Neely came up with a solution to all of her problems - to be completely rid of Derek Taylor, but to gain free access to the things she was interested in.

'His money in the longer term would put her in position where she would be very comfortable.'

Prosecuting Guy Gozem QC told the jury: 'She was penniless and he was a lonely old man, who knew and used local prostitutes.' Pictured above, Deanha Neely

In the aftermath of the murder, Deanha Neely (pictured left and right), from Colne, Lancashire, frittered away some of Taylor's cash on drugs and in Primark, the jury heard

In the days before the killing, Neely was overheard saying: 'He's a prick - I'm only with him for his money'. Police found Taylor's body on January 18 after the victim's son-in-law said he was concerned about his whereabouts.

They discovered Neely had transferred 7,500 from Taylor's bank account and found the handwritten note saying 'Go to bank - let the fun begin' along with a list of items from Primark which had already been purchased.

Neely also took a sim card from the victim's mobile phone and put it in her own device and used it to reply to a text message Taylor had received.

Mr Gozem said: 'Sadly, she would do anything for heroin. She saw a chance of ridding herself of the man who was trying to control her heroin use - and at the same time getting her hands on his money, which would provide her with more heroin in the longer term.

Police found Derek Taylor's body on January 18 after the victim's son-in-law said he was concerned about his whereabouts. Pictured above, Mr Taylor with his pet

He said: 'As she put it - 'Let the fun begin'. It may be that Deanha Neely would be a very different person if not that she was a slave to heroin but very sadly for Derek Taylor and his family, the truth is that the way she behaved that day demonstrates it was ruthless, it was deadly, it was cold and it was calculating.'

When arrested Neely said to police, 'You don't know what it was like, it was horrible'.

Later while being held on remand at Styal Prison, she told a prison officer: 'He was coming at me with a hammer Miss, I thought he was going to kill me Miss. I just grabbed an axe it was just there.

'I said 'sorry' to him, left the weapons next to the body and a sheet over him, then left, locking the door. I only did it because he was strangling me to the point of unconsciousness.

'Then I was coming round and saw him coming at me with a hammer. I genuinely thought this time he was going to kill me and that's when I grabbed the axe. It was self-defence, me or him.'

Neely denies murder but admits causing Taylor's injuries saying she suffered a 'loss of control'

Her defence lawyer Christopher Tehrani QC said Taylor was 'obsessed' with Neely and would give her drugs to make her stay with him.

He added: 'He knew the extent of Miss Neely's desperate and wretched drug addiction and that was what drew her back to him, his promise to supply her with drugs that her body craves. You may think that the only option she had was to return to him or as a prostitute on the streets of Blackburn and we suggest to you that that is no choice.

'He asked for sex, she said: 'give me more drugs' and and the next time she saw him he was armed with hammer. She had never seen him in such an aggressive and violent state of mind. She feared for her own personal safety.

'The last thing she remembers is seeing him lying on the floor, and she believed he was dead. The fact Miss Neely accessed Mr Taylor's bank account and all other matters really do not take this case any further at all.

'All that she took from bank accounts was all that was necessary for her and possibly some friends to feed her addiction to those drugs.'

Neely denies murder but admits causing Taylor's injuries saying she suffered a 'loss of control.'

The case continues.
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She capped off her big day with an ostentatious evening bash that saw guests party till the early hours of Sunday morning.

And just over 24 hours on, it appears Pippa Middleton and her new husband have had precious little time for sleep, as they were pictured looking somewhat bleary-eyed at Los Angeles International Airport.

The newlyweds were spotted chatting with fellow travellers while in transit from Britain to the Pacific Islands, where they will be spending their honeymoon on a private hideaway once owned by Marlon Brando.

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It appears Pippa Middleton and her new husband have had precious little time for sleep since her wedding day, as they were pictured at LAX Airport in the US looking slightly bleary-eyed

The newlyweds were spotted chatting with fellow travellers while in transit from Britain to the Pacific Islands, where they will be spending their honeymoon

Pippa is pictured left and her new billionaire hedge fund manager husband James Matthews, right, at LAX Airport in the US

The new Mr and Mrs James Matthews were seen mingling with fellow passengers while travelling through LAX Airport

The weary couple celebrated their nuptials on Saturday, which was followed by an evening bash where guests partied till 4am

Waving for the cameras: Pippa Middleton and James Matthews smile after their wedding at St Mark's Church in Berkshire

It is thought that Pippa and James Matthews will arrive today at Tetiaroa, a two-and-a-half square mile necklace of coral islets encircling a crystal-clear lagoon.

It is unclear which flight the newlyweds took to get to LAX, but they subsequently boarded an Air New Zealand flight at Los Angeles, bound for Tahiti.

It was while filming Mutiny On The Bounty in 1962 that Brando was bewitched by the atoll, 30 miles north of Tahiti. He bought it for a mere 15,000 four years later with his French Polynesian wife, Tarita.

Following his death in 2004, it was turned into The Brando, a luxurious eco-resort costing from 3,000 a night.

Its 35 thatched villas each have an outdoor bath, an infinity pool and a rocking chair for two, with seawater air-conditioning, solar electricity and generators running on coconut oil.

On Saturday night, the new Mr and Mrs James Matthews pulled out all the stops to give their guests a night they'd never forget.

Photos revealed how hundreds of VIP guests watched as footage of Pippa and her billionaire hedge fund manager husband was beamed onto the back of her family's 6million Berkshire mansion in a dazzling display during the reception.

The newlyweds' faces were projected onto the windows of Bucklebury Manor along with psychedelic lights and, at one point, what appeared to be the silhouette of a shapely dancing woman against a green background.

At one point James was shown in his hunting gear - an apparent nod to his lengthy campaign to win the affections of his bride - as guests partied until 4am.

It is thought that Pippa and James will arrive today at Tetiaroa, a two-and-a-half square mile necklace of coral islets encircling a crystal-clear lagoon

Atoll Idyll: Tetiaroa was once owned by Marlon Brando and his Polynesian wife Tarita, his co-star in the film Mutiny On The Bounty

Eco Luxury: The resorts most expensive villa, which is 2,648 sq ft, has three bedrooms  and costs an eye-watering 10,000 a night. It comes with a 236 sq ft pool

Taking the plunge: Newlyweds Pippa and James can swim among turtles in a spectacular lagoon or lounge in their own pool

Married Bliss: The Brandos villas all have king-size beds and overlook coconut trees and a pristine white beach. Each villa has been decorated in a tasteful style to match the stunning surroundings of the island

Pippa wore a stunning Giles Deacon gown to wed hedge fund manager James Matthews at St Mark's Church on Saturday

After the formality of the ceremony at St Mark's Church in Englefield, guests including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and his girlfriend Meghan Markle, and tennis ace Roger Federer danced the night away until 4am at the magnificent glass marquee erected at the Middleton estate for the occasion.

The pictures also capture the elaborate lighting in place inside the marquee, attendees had enjoyed a lavish meal before watching a Spitfire flypast to celebrate Pippa and James' marriage as dusk fell over the Berkshire countryside.

Ms Markle did not make an appearance at the church service on Saturday morning, but Prince Harry later slipped away from proceedings to collect his partner, and the pair were snapped discreetly making their way into the reception by car.

They reportedly sat apart during the evening event lavishly staged in a glass marquee at the Middleton family home in the Berkshire village of Bucklebury.

But her appearance will encourage the belief held by many royal watchers that the Queen's grandson will pop the question to his partner.

Pippa and James exchanged vows at St Mark's Church in Englefield, before heading to the bride's family home in a vintage Jag for a spectacular party with their nearest and dearest.

In addition to Pippa's royal relatives, high profile guests included Princess Eugenie, Donna Air, the girlfriend of her brother James, Vogue contributor Serena Hood, and tennis ace Roger Federer and his wife.

Pippa's sister the Duchess of Cambridge helped to make sure her big day went off without a hitch, shepherding the adorable page boys and flower girls - including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and perfecting the bride's train before she swept down the aisle.

The bride and groom's faces were beamed onto the windows of the mansion on repeat for hundreds of guests to see

Spectacular floral displays and banquette style seating heaped with green cushions were visible inside the temporary venue

Guests at Pippa and James's wedding enjoyed a spectacular Spitfire flypast as dusk fell in Berkshire on Saturday evening

A smiling Prince Harry drove his girlfriend Meghan Markle to the evening reception just in time for the Spitfire flypast

Prince William and Harry were both at the ceremony - Prince Harry later slipped away to pick up his girlfriend Meghan Markle, who joined the reception later in the evening
A shocking video shows the moment a 14-year-old girl is allegedly forced to marry a man 20 years older than her at the back of a Melbourne mosque.

The video seized by police from the alleged grooms phone shows the traditional Islamic ceremony by a prominent Muslim marriage cleric last year.

Imam Ibrahim Omerdic, 62, has faced court accused of forcing a minor to enter marriage.

In video shown in court and obtained by 7 News, a timid teenage girl sits quietly as her groom-to-be signs papers presented by the Imam.

Video has exposed the moment a 14-year-old child is allegedly forced into marrying a man 20 years older at the back of a Melbourne mosque

The underage girl's mother watches on, after the groom allegedly paid to marry her daughter with a $1,480 gold necklace.

The Imam asks the child bride if she takes the man - who she reportedly met only a few days prior - 'to live together and live according to Islam.'

She answers 'yes' and is told by the Imam that as a wife, she now has a duty to 'obey' her husband.

Family and Communities Services received 60 reports of illegal ceremonies involving 57 children between 30 December 2014 and January 31 2017, 7 News reported.

The underage girl's mother contently watches the marriage in the video, after the groom allegedly paid to marry her daughter with a $1480 gold necklace

The Imam who allegedly forced an underage child into marriage Ibrahim Omerdic (pictured), 62, has faced court where video video seized by police from the groom's phone was shown

A total of 23 children wed in illegal ceremonies were under the age of 16, including four under the age of ten.

'It is deeply disturbing to think little girls pre-puberty are being considered for marriage and for people to be organising that marriage,' FACS Minister Pru Goward told the network.

Laura Vidal from anti-slavery group The Freedom Partnership said children being forced into marriage leads to serious impacts.

'The long term impacts of people being forced into marriage can be quite serious including forced or unwanted pregnancies, withdrawal from education,' she said.
Is it a bird or is it a plane? Those looking up to the skies today will be surprised to learn it's neither, instead the shape they will see coming towards them is the real-life British superman.

Fraser Corsan, 42, from Bristol, will soar through the air in a planned-jump from a plane and is expected to hit speeds of 250mph while braving temperatures of -137C,

The 42,000ft leap will see him leap out of the aircraft wearing a high-tech wingsuit, falling from a height of eight miles above sea level. It is all for a good cause, as Mr Corsan hopes to smash four world records while raising 1million for charity.

Fraser Corsan, 42, from Bristol, will soar through the air in a planned-jump from a plane and is expected to hit speeds of 250mph while braving temperatures of -137C,

Fraser can attempt the challenges thanks to him having a heart 50% bigger than the average human's and a lung capacity of seven litres instead of six

The slightest mistake with his gear would give him just seconds to save himself before he blacks out from lack of oxygen or the immense G-force.

All of which makes the challenge, known as Project Cirrus, arguably even more extreme than Felix Baumgartner's Stratos skydive in 2012.

It is all for a good cause, as Mr Corsan hopes to smash four world records while raising 1million for charity

Speaking to The Mirror, Mr Corsan said: 'We are pushing the boundaries. If you go any higher the pressure drops off so much your lungs won't work, so you would need to wear a pressurised suit.

He said: 'The wind chill will take the temperature down so far that alcohol would actually freeze.'

The jump from a plane at 37,000ft is happening today in Davis, California.

Less than a week later, he will sit in a sleeping bag suspended from a hot-air balloon as it climbs to 42,000ft before making the highest wingsuit flight.

During the second jump, he also aims to fly 20 miles, the record is 19, in 10 minutes  with the longest previous time being nine minutes, six seconds.

Fraser can attempt the challenges thanks to him having a heart 50% bigger than the average human's and a lung capacity of seven litres instead of six.

That helps pump oxygen round his body more efficiently.

The 42,000ft leap will see him leap out of the aircraft wearing a high-tech wingsuit, falling from a height of eight miles above sea level

His childhood ambition was to fly the Harrier Jets he watched flying over his Dorset home from the nearby RAF base at Yeovilton.

But he was 'gutted' at 16 when he discovered he was colour blind, ruling out a career as a pilot.

He contented himself by becoming an air accident investigator before taking up skydiving.

His nylon wingsuit, inspired by the flying squirrel, requires enormous skill and strength to fly.

But married Fraser has made 1,300 jumps, spent 56 hours in free fall and has flown 7,800 miles. He said: 'I love to fly, it's man's oldest dream.

'The views and the cloud formations are breathtaking. You are a bird.'
A London-bound flight was plunged into chaos when a man was struck down by heat stroke just moments after the plane's air conditioning unit failed - but passengers were still charged 1.80 for a bottle of water.

The passenger lay on the ground for two hours with his head poking into the aisle after throwing up in the toilets in the sweltering Monarch Airlines jet, according to witnesses.

Other travellers said the flight from Barcelona to London Gatwick last night was 'hotter than Spain' - where temperatures hit the mid-twenties over the weekend.

The passenger who was suffering from heat stroke lay on the ground for two hours, pictured, after rushing form his seat and throwing up during the London-bound Monarch Airlines flight

Before the flight passengers were said to have skipped the queue while waiting to check in, pictured

The man is said to have jumped up during take-off before rushing to the toilet.

He then came out of the cubicle but was so ill that he was unable to make it back to his seat and instead sat on the ground outside the toilet.

The queasy passenger in his 20s then lay on the floor for the next two hours as he was given bread and water by cabin crew before landing at Gatwick Airport, according to other travellers.

It rendered the front toilets unusable for the duration of the journey as the man was slumped behind the cockpit door.

Before the flight passengers were said to have skipped the queue while waiting to check in adding to the overall chaos.

Sam Neve, 23, who was visiting Barcelona for a long weekend, told MailOnline: 'Normally when you get off in a hot country the heat hits you on the way out - but this hit you on the way in.'

Sam, a content executive from London, said the temperatures on board were hotter than those he experienced over the weekend while visiting Barcelona with a friend.

Sam Neve, a content executive from London, pictured, said the temperatures on board were hotter than those he experienced over the weekend while visiting Barcelona with a friend

He continued: 'There were a lot of issues before the flight and the main thing was that the air conditioning wasn't working until the engines were ready for take-off.

'It meant the cabin was really warm to begin with and before we reached cruising altitude a man in his late 20s got up and rushed to the toilet.

'He then sat on the floor and there was then an announcement saying the front toilets were unavailable.

'He was handed an oxygen tank and stayed by the door for the rest of the two-hour flight.

Monarch Airlines told MailOnline that a customer 'felt unwell shortly after take-off' and was 'looked after' by the crew (stock photo)

'The cabin crew told us they thought he was suffering from heat stroke but there was no emergency landing.

'He was offered water and bread and they covered him with a blanket while he lay on the floor behind the pilots door.'

The man is thought to have got off the plane as normal after the jet landed at Gatwick 20 minutes late - although passengers said he looked 'dazed and confused'.

A Monarch Airlines spokesman told MailOnline: 'A customer felt unwell shortly after take-off on Monarch flight ZB275 from Barcelona (BCN) to London Gatwick airport (LGW).

'The Monarch crew looked after the customer for the duration of the flight and he disembarked as normal on arrival into London Gatwick.'
A British actress who killed a policeman two years ago has been arrested after a drunken rampage in a Thai nightclub.

Anna Reese, who starred in The Tsunami Warrior and Brown Sugar 2, 'began throwing things' after arguing with a group of men in the Bangkok venue last night.

The 30-year-old is reported to have became aggressive when the bill came at around 12.30am.

She allegedly stormed out of the club and tried to flee in her top-of-the range white BMW but rear ended a parked Mitsubishi.

Anna, who blamed her behavior on family problems, was being tested for other substances Monday morning, the police are reported as saying.

Anna Reese - who starred in The Tsunami Warrior and Brown Sugar 2 - arrived at the Bangkok nightclub where she 'began throwing things' after an argument

Reese stormed out of the club and tried to flee in her top-of-the range white BMW but rear ended a parked Mitsubishi

Footage recored by onlookers shows the bare-footed actress (pictured on a different night) in a wet t-shirt screaming incoherently in a drunken rage

Footage recorded by onlookers shows the bare-footed actress in a wet t-shirt screaming incoherently in a drunken rage as police arrive to arrest her.

She was held in a cell after being too drunk to be questioned and today charged with drunk driving after testing positive for alcohol.

Colonel Arkom Chantanalat, chief of Huai Khwang police, said Reese had confessed to drink driving.

He said: 'At this moment, we have charged her with driving under the influence. We have also sent her to the police hospital for narcotics testing.

'When we have the full evidence we can start a court case. She has been released with a 20,000THB (450) bond.'

The tearful actress appeared the next morning in front of the media and apologised.

She said: 'I have many issues. I have to take care of my family, and my siblings.'

In June 2015, Reese was charged with causing death by reckless driving after she ploughed into a parked police car, killing 44-year-old inspector Napadol Wongbandit.

In June 2015, Reese (pictured) was charged with causing death by reckless driving

Colonel Arkom Chantanalat, chief of Huai Khwang police, said Reese had confessed to drink driving

The tearful actress appeared the next morning in front of the media and apologised

'I have many issues,' Anna said to journalists after her arrest. 'I have to take care of my family, and my siblings'

He was found dead with a cracked skull in the driver seat after the actress slammed into the rear end of his car, propelling the squad car into a tree along the road before it landed back on the motorway road.

The actress had a meltdown after the crash and refused to be arrested and tested for alcohol at the scene saying she was ''not ready.''

Reese then refused to pay the THB6.2 million settlement requested by Napadol's family - saying she would only pay a maximum of THB2 million.

Reese avoided jail and was ordered to do community service - parking outrage from the public who claimed the 'rich and famous' could avoid justice.
Kader K (pictured) was left in a coma after her husband tied a noose around her neck and dragged her through the streets of Hamelin, Germany

A man who tied a noose around his wife's neck and dragged her through the streets from the back of their car has gone on trial for attempted murder.

Kader K., 28, sustained serious injuries when she was dragged over asphalt and cobblestones of Hamelin in Germany at high speed from the back of a VW Passat driven by Nurettin B.

Their two-year-old son Cudi watched screaming as he witnessed his mother's ordeal through the back window.

Kader K. was only saved when the rope snapped outside a fast-food restaurant in the town and passers-by rushed to her aid.

She lay in a coma for weeks after the brutal attack in November last year but is now fit enough to appear to Hanover State Court to see her ex stand trial for attempted murder that could put him behind bars for life.

'I have hardly experienced a case where the intention to kill is so clearly visible,' said her lawyer. 'It is an absolute miracle that she is alive at all.'

The couple have Kurdish roots and married in March 2013. Their son was born in January 2014 and in May 2015 they parted.

Nurettin, 39, who is a German citizen, is said to have had strained relations with his ex wife including when they met to discuss Cudi's upbringing and maintenance payments.

It is alleged that a month before the attack in Hamelin he told her: 'One of you two will soon no longer be alive.'

Kader K. was only saved when the rope snapped outside a fast-food restaurant in Hamelin (file picture)and passers-by rushed to her aid

On the evening of November 20 a quarrel over money escalated into the brutal attempt on her life.

She was stabbed before the rope was looped around her neck, it is claimed. She was struck over the head with the blunt side of an axe before he accelerated the car and drove her around the town, prosecutors say.

After the rope broke in front of the Golden Chicken Grill restaurant he drove with his screaming child to the local police station where he told a bemused desk officer: 'It was me, it was me.'

Kader K. was only released from hospital six weeks ago. She has suffered brain damage and will need years of constant therapy.

Her lawyer, Roman von Alvensleben, said her son also suffered severe psychiatric trauma at witnessing this mother's ordeal.

After the rope broke in front of the Golden Chicken Grill restaurant he drove with his screaming child to the local police station where he told a bemused desk officer: 'It was me, it was me' (file picture)

'He constantly wakes in the night and yells 'mama, ouch, mama, ouch'.

'She wants to testify in court even though she barely remembers the evening. She can no longer bring herself to say her ex-husband's name, referring to him only as 'the perpetrator.'

Nurettin B.'s lawyer Matthias Waldraff said: 'It is a horrible, extreme event, but it does not indicate a cold-minded, sober-thinking perpetrator, but someone whose soul was completely destroyed. Nurettin B. Suffered from an extreme emotional tension.

'The act was the result of a very complex prolonged development, at the end of which helplessness was turned into hatred.'

The defendant this morning admitted trying to kill his ex wife on the first day of his trial and through his lawyer said he 'deeply regretted' what took place.

But he said the act was not planned beforehand. According to his account, he had the axe and rope in the car for gardening work.

Originally he had intended to kill himself after giving back their son to his ex-girlfriend, he claimed.
A woman suffered brain injuries which left her unable to walk and talk after a buzzard flew into a lorry's windscreen and caused it to crash into the back of her car.

Michelle Munt, now 34, was on the A414 near St Albans when the bird hit the HGV travelling behind her and smashed its windscreen, causing the driver to crash into her Smart car.

The force of the smash sent her car careering into the central reservation.

Michelle Munt, now 34, was on the A414 near St Albans when the bird hit the HGV travelling behind her and smashed its windscreen, causing the driver to crash into her Smart car

After the freak accident doctors discovered that Ms Munt had suffered a diffuse axonal brain injury, leaving her struggling to walk, talk and remember day-to-day activities.

She said: 'It was just really unlucky. There's nothing anyone could have done. You could say it was the buzzard's fault, but it's not nice to speak ill of the dead.

'For a long time, I had problems speaking and my memory was awful. I was weak down my left side and suffered double vision. But slowly, over time, a lot of that has come back. I will never be the same again, but I'm still a pretty good version of myself.'

In December 2014 at around 8.30am, Ms Munt was travelling down the A414 from her home in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, to Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, where she was then working as a student liaison officer when the crash took place.

Although Ms Munt cannot remember much from the accident, she understands that she was drifting in and out of consciousness when paramedics arrived. Because of the heavy traffic, she was taken to the Royal London hospital, east London, by air ambulance (pictured)

She said: 'The road was quite busy, as there had been some traffic on the motorway earlier that day and people were taking an alternative route.

'I started to slow down, because there was a queue building up in front of me, but behind me, the bird flew into the truck - smashing the windscreen, so the driver couldn't see what was happening in front of him.

'He didn't realise that I was stopping, so he crashed into the back of me and we went from the inside lane straight into the central reservation.'

Although Ms Munt cannot remember much from the accident, she understands that she was drifting in and out of consciousness when paramedics arrived.

Ms Munt was sedated and wrapped in bubble wrap to control her temperature while in hospital

Because of the heavy traffic, she was taken to the Royal London hospital, east London, by air ambulance.

Sedated and wrapped in bubble wrap to control her temperature, she was then taken for MRI and CT scans, as her partner James Gray, 40, who works for an accessories company, sat by her beside.

The scans revealed that she had had a very small bleed at the base of her brain, but doctors believed it had stopped and she would not need surgery.

She had also suffered compression to her spine and damage to the discs in her neck, leaving her struggling to move.

She said: 'I couldn't really move for about six days and I don't remember anything from the accident or the first few days. The first thing I remember is a few days in, when someone asked me if I knew who my partner was. I couldn't speak, but I nodded to make it clear I did.'

Ms Munt is pictured with her partner James Gray, who works for an accessories company

Ms Munt was kept in hospital for 10 days, after which she needed a crutch, as she struggled to walk, as well as experiencing memory problems.

'We knew I had concussion,' she said. 'But we didn't know how bad it was. I couldn't remember things for very long. There was a test they kept doing. It was always the same four words - horse, red, velvet and church. I could never remember them. They would say them, then say another sentence and then ask me to repeat them and I would really struggle.

'I really struggled with word finding. My language skills were badly interrupted. Often words didn't mean what I thought they meant. I struggled to spell words. I couldn't even think what letter words began with, so I couldn't look them up on the internet.

Initial scans revealed that she had had a very small bleed at the base of her brain, but doctors believed it had stopped and she would not need surgery

'I became really anxious. I was never an anxious person before, but I started having complete and utter meltdowns.

'After a while, I started to notice I was getting double vision. They said that I might not have noticed it for a while, because when your brain is trying to cope with so much, you start to ignore certain things. It caused balance issues as well. It was very weak all down my left side.

'I was quite worried, because although I had never had concussion before, this felt like more than that.'

After further tests, in February 2016, Ms Munt was diagnosed with a diffuse axonal brain injury - where lesions occur on the white matter in the brain.

After further tests, in February 2016, Ms Munt was diagnosed with a diffuse axonal brain injury - where lesions occur on the white matter in the brain

'I felt validated at that point that there was something there, but by the time I was diagnosed, I felt like I was on the right track. A year had passed and I had come to terms with it. I had make enough of a recovery to carry on from that point,' Ms Munt said.

She has slowly worked to rebuild her strength, through pushing herself to walk more and more, and with the help of a speech and language therapist, she is able to talk clearly.

Following the accident, Ms Munt was put in touch with brain injury charity Headway, who helped with mindfulness courses

'There isn't necessarily any treatment for this,' she said. 'You can have therapy and things like that, but it often just takes time. Straight after the accident, I could only speak in a really high pitched voice, as the muscles in my throat had completely seized up. Working with the speech and language therapist did help with that.

'They think the brain is still developing into your 40s. They said it was probable that my brain would start to heal itself and it really has. I'm not the same but I am doing well.'

Following the accident, Ms Munt was put in touch with brain injury charity Headway, who helped with mindfulness courses and support groups.

She was also inspired to write her blog jumbledbrain.com about her experience, to help others who have suffered brain injuries, and hopes it will help her work towards her dream of writing full-time as she had to give up her job after the accident.

She said: 'I get so many people contacting me to say how much it has helped them.

'They send me messages saying that they know exactly what I am talking about but they haven't been able to express it themselves. They have passed it onto their friends and family to help explain what they are facing.'

For more information about Ms Munt's blog, visit jumbledbrain.com
Chinese state-run media has declared reports that the government killed CIA sources as 'a sweeping victory.'

Communist mouth piece the Global Times applauded the killings in an editorial published today.

The New York Times reported that between 18 and 20 sources for the Central Intelligence Agency were jailed and killed from 2010 to 2012.

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The Chinese government impaired US spying operations in China by killing or imprisoning 18 to 20 CIA sources from 2010 to 2012, according to a report by the New York Times. (Stock photo of Chinese soldiers)

The report revealed that the Chinese killed at least a dozen people providing information to the CIA over a two-year-period.

One source was shot and killed in front of a government building in China, three officials told the newspaper, saying that it was designed as a message to warn others about working with Washington.

Investigators remain divided over whether there was a spy within the CIA who betrayed the sources or whether the Chinese hacked the CIA's covert communications system.

The editorial in the Global Times said: 'If CIA spying operations in China were crippled, the US has nothing to be proud of.

'If this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud China's anti-espionage activities. Not only was the CIA's spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong.

It can be taken as a sweeping victory.'

However it also said that the authenticity of the New York Times' report remains unknown.

The breach was considered particularly damaging, with the number of assets lost rivaling those in the Soviet Union and Russia who perished after information passed to Moscow by spies Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen. Ames was active as a spy in the 1980s and Hanssen from 1979 to 2001.

The CIA declined to comment when asked about the Times report on Saturday.

The Chinese activities began to emerge in 2010, when the American spy agency had been getting high quality information about the Chinese government from sources deep inside the bureaucracy, including Chinese upset by the Beijing government's corruption, four former officials told the newspaper.

The information began to dry up by the end of the year and the sources began disappearing in early 2011.

As more sources were killed the FBI and the CIA began a joint investigation of the breach, examining all operations run in Beijing and every employee of the U.S. Embassy there.

The origin of the intelligence brief still has not been identified and investigators are divided over whether the Chinese hacked the CIA's communications system or if someone within the CIA betrayed Chinese sources

The investigation ultimately centered on a former CIA operative who worked in a division overseeing China, but there was not enough evidence to arrest him.

Some investigators believed the Chinese had hacked the CIA's covert communications system.

Still others thought the breach was a result of careless spy work including traveling the same routes to the same meeting points or meeting sources at restaurants where Chinese had planted listening devices, the newspaper said.

By 2013, US intelligence concluded China's ability to identify its agents had been curtailed, the newspaper said, and the CIA has been trying to rebuild its spy network there.
Star Wars extras who appeared only fleetingly on screen continue to earn a lucrative living having appeared in the historic movie which turns 40 this week.

Fans of the film, which is now known as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, which was released in May 1977, are desperate to own memorabilia of anyone who appeared in the movie - even if it was a non-speaking part.

British actor Nick Joseph appeared as General Arhul Hextrophon at the end of the first movie as a medal bearer.

British actor Nick Joseph, pictured centre, had a non-speaking role in Star Wars and was on screen only for a few seconds, but 40 years later, his autograph is worth cash

Joseph appeared as General Arhul Hextrophon at the end of the first movie as a medal bearer

Joseph and the other extras are invited to appear at Star Wars conventions across the globe

Despite only appearing briefly on screen, Major Arhul Hextrophon was made into a toy

He appeared in shot with the film's main stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.

As a result, he is invited to appear at Star Wars conventions across the globe - with organisers often paying for flights, accommodation and expenses, with the actors then taking a percentage of the merchandise sold.

On eBay, it is possible to buy signed photographs from many of the extras.

Speaking to the New York Post, Joseph said was once asked to sign an urn containing a woman's ashes. The fan said the urn contained his mother's ashes.

Derek Lyons, who is an antiques dealer in real life, also appeared briefly in Star Wars

According to Joseph: 'He wanted to put it on his mantelpiece. You get some weird people.'

Star Wars conventions are massive business, with fans of the movies dressing up as their favorite characters in elaborate costumes.

Over the past 12 months, Joseph has appeared at 21 conventions.

Derek Lyons also appeared in the iconic movie as a Massassi Temple Guard and later as a Medal Bearer. Although, in his professional life is an antiques dealer, but for many people, his appearance in the Sci-Fi hit is the major talking point.

Pam Rose also appeared in the movie as Leesub Sirlin - and was made into an action figure

He said: 'When I mentioned that I was in the movie, people would just go mental.'

He said he got paid $850 for his first convention in 2006 on top of his expenses.'

Pam Rose, who recently retired from a casino in London. She said: 'I don't need the money. I do it because I like it.'

She appeared as Leesub Sirlin and was only on screen for a few seconds. Despite that, she was immortalized as an action figure.

Her scene was in the cantina - which did not have any music - that was added in post-production.
A Gold Coast teacher repeatedly threatened to reveal a colleague at a Catholic school had had an abortion if she wouldn't continue having sex with him, a court has heard.

The man is standing trial at the Southport District Court on three counts of rape after allegedly forcing himself on the woman on three occasions between December 2014 and February 2015.

The man pleaded not guilty to all charges on the opening day of the trial on Monday.

The schoolteacher allegedly threatened to reveal a colleagues personal information if she didn't have sex with him (stock picture)

The court heard the pair had started a relationship in April 2013, shortly after which the woman became concerned about the man's controlling behaviour.

Crown prosecutor Michael Connelly said the man began tracking the woman's menstrual cycle to determine when the couple should have sex to increase the chance of the woman falling pregnant.

When the woman, who has two sons from a previous relationship, did become pregnant in August 2013 she decided she did not want to have the child and arranged to have an abortion in South Australia.

Mr Connelly told the court the man then threatened to send an email to the staff and parents of pupils at the Catholic school where they both worked, saying she'd had an abortion.

The man is standing trial at the Southport District Court (pictured) on three counts of rape

The woman cancelled the appointment but would eventually go through with an abortion while visiting family in South Australia in December that year.

From there, Mr Connelly said the man repeatedly threatened to expose the woman and release explicit videos and photos of the pair if she wouldn't keep having sex with him and attempt to fall pregnant again.

The court heard that in December 2014 and February 2015, the man allegedly raped the woman on three occasions.

It is alleged he forced himself on the her on three occasions over three months (stock picture)

Mr Connelly said the South African-born man also issued the woman an ultimatum to either marry him, become 'friends with benefits' or a third option he described as 'worse than the worst thing you can imagine'.

'He effectively blackmailed her into submission,' Mr Connelly said.

'She told him in no uncertain terms that he was trying to destroy her.'

The woman gave evidence in closed court on Monday and the trial continues on Tuesday.
Three people accused of killing a six-year-old boy in Mississippi were denied bail Monday as prosecutors consider whether to seek the death penalty against one of them.

Madison County Justice Court Judge Bruce McKinley refused to give co-defendants Byron McBride Jr., Dwan Wakefield Jr. and D'Allen Washington a chance to get out of jail, saying he believed they were dangerous and might flee.

The three are accused in the Thursday shooting death of Kingston Frazier. Frazier was asleep in the back of his mother's car when it was stolen from a supermarket parking lot in Jackson. The car was found abandoned in a muddy ditch hours later in suburban Gluckstadt, with Frazier's body in the back seat, shot multiple times.

Dwan Wakefield (left), D'Allen Washington (center) and Byron McBride (right) were denied bail on Monday. The three teens stand accused of murdering six-year-old Kingston Frazier last week

Court papers obtained by The Associated Press show Wakefield told investigators after his arrest Thursday that the 19-year-old McBride stole the car and shot Frazier. Family members of McBride and Wakefield asserted their innocence Monday to reporters after the hearing.

Byron McBride Sr. criticized reporters for identifying his son as the person who shot the boy.

Frazier (pictured) was shot to death after the three teens stole his mother's car, which he was left in while she went shopping on Thursday in Canton, Mississippi

'No weapon was found on my son,' the father said. 'How can you name my son? It's wrong. My son didn't kill that boy, but y'all are going to kill my son.'

District Attorney Michael Guest had said Friday that investigators were still looking for the gun used in the crime. Monday, he wouldn't say if the weapon had been found.

Wakefield's aunt, Eva Roby, said the accusations don't fit her nephew's character.

'I'd put my life on it that he's innocent,' Roby said. 'I know Dwan.'

Wakefield and Washington are ineligible for the death penalty because they are 17, but are being charged as adults and could face life in prison without parole. Both were high school students at the time of their arrest.

Guest told reporters after the hearing that prosecutors haven't decided yet whether they will seek the death penalty against McBride, though he promised to 'bring swift justice.'

'As the investigation concludes and we have a chance to look at everything, we will sit down with the family and make that decision,' Guest said.

Amos Archie, Frazier's great-uncle, declined to say whether Frazier's family wants Guest to seek the death penalty.

Frazier's mother Ebony Archie is seen above collapsing after learning of her sons' death on Thursday

A Mississippi Highway Patrol tow truck hauls away the car in which Kingston was found dead

After his arrest, Washington said that it was McBride who shot Frazier (left and right) to death

Frazier's mother, Ebony Archie, was present for the hearing but declined to speak to reporters. She was visibly shaking at points and was physically supported by family members as she walked out of the courtroom.

'She's struggling,' Amos Archie said. 'She lost her son. It's painful. It's painful for her mother and father and it's painful for all our family. We believe in God. We believe justice is going to be done.'

The courtroom was filled with dozens of family members and friends of both the victim and the accused. The three defendants appeared by video from inside the neighboring county jail. Two were represented by a public defender, while one was represented by a private lawyer.

County Prosecutor Pamela Hancock told McKinley that he should deny bail to all three. Washington was ineligible for bail because he's currently under indictment for armed robbery charges in a separate incident.

Family members were visibly distraught after learning the six-year-old had been found dead last Thursday

The boy's grandfather Walter Williams reacts to the news that his grandson was found dead on Thursdya

Family members were distraught at hearing the news that Kingston had been killed on Thursday

'From what I've gathered, he is not only a flight risk but a special danger to others in the community,' McKinley said in denying bail to Wakefield. He repeated similar reasons for denying bail to McBride. McBride told McKinley that he had previously been convicted of commercial burglary.

Washington's lawyer, Warren Martin, questioned whether charges against his client should properly be filed in Madison County, since the car was stolen and boy kidnapped in neighboring Hinds County. Guest, though, says Madison County charges are proper because the boy's death happened there. Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, who attended Monday's hearing, said he intends to seek additional charges against the three defendants in his county.

The judge set June 26 preliminary hearings for all three.
Housny Bouliaz, 18,was convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault and jailed for three and a half years

A failed asylum seeker who tried to rape a young woman in a car park was only stopped after three have-a-go heroes spotted his vile attack.

Moroccan Housny Bouliaz, 18, who has a string of convictions, pounced when he saw a lone woman walking home after a night out and dragged her into a dark car park in Canterbury, Kent.

However, he was halted from carrying out his vile crime when friends Edd Withers, Charlie Vanstone and Sam saw him grab the woman off the street.

Homeless Bouliaz, who had not been deported after his asylum application was rejected, fled the scene and evaded police.

He was only caught when he and two other failed asylum seekers took part in the mugging of a student in March, four months after the sex attack.

Bouliaz was convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault after a trial at Canterbury Crown Court and was jailed for three and a half years.

Judge Heather Norton told him: 'You are well-practised and predatory and are willing to take risks to meet your offending needs.

'You are a person who preys on vulnerable people in order to commit these offences and get funds to sustain your drug habit.

'It is likely at the end of your sentence you will be deported - but that's not a matter for me.'

Friends Sam Eagleson, Edd Withers (left) and Charlie Vanstone (right) stopped Bouliaz when they saw him grab the woman off the street

Describing the sex attack, Mr Withers, 30, said he was working for his cake delivery firm and was with Mr Vanstone, 23, and Mr Eagleson, 23, when they saw Bouliaz and the girl.

He said: 'I only just saw it out the corner of my eye, but it just didn't look right.

'We went over there and he was literally in the process of assaulting the young woman.

'He was lying on top of her and no one knows really what might have happened.

'Charlie started to film the guy and then chased after him when he ran away.

'The girl was very shaken up by it, we were just in the right place at the right time.

'It's frightening, but I've been in Canterbury for ten years now and nothing like this has ever happened to anyone I know.'

Mr Vanstone added: 'We were pretty angry about what we'd seen.

At Canterbury Crown Court, Judge Heather Norton told Bouliaz: 'You are well-practised and predatory'

'Before he ran off, Bouliaz was denying what he was up to, but it was clear that he was about to have sex with the victim.

'Canterbury is a pretty loving city, but obviously it can attract the wrong people.'

John Barker, defending, said his client made his way to Europe after he claimed when aged eight his mother threw hot oil over him, leaving him permanently scarred.

Boulaiz has convictions which began in 2013, including thefts of bikes, robbery, attempted robbery and making threats to kill after attacking a man.

He was also jailed for five weeks for his part in the robbery of Canterbury University student Ting Yo Lin as he walked home from a pub.

Boulaiz, fellow Moroccan Yassine Hamadoni, 20, and Algerian Adil Nazar, 27, used a ploy known as 'hugger mugging' - where they pretend to befriend their victim before robbing him of his 600 phone.

Hamadoni was on bail at the time and had previous convictions for burglary last October and 10 shoplifting offences dating back to 2013.

He was also convicted of a sex offence in London last year and was sentenced to two years behind bars.

Kitchen porter Nazir, who is appealing his asylum rejection, has convictions for causing criminal damage and shoplifting in 2014 and was jailed for 20 months.
A 22-month-old toddler is recovering from surgery after she was raped by a 45-year-old man in India.

The girl, from a slum in East Delhi, was playing outside her house when neighbour Hare Ram Yadav, 45, a tailor, picked her up and took her to his house where he lived alone on May 7.

Once inside Yadav raped the girl for 15 minutes before returning her bloodied and crying to her parents' house.

A 22-month-old girl was forced to have surgery after being raped by her 45-year-old neighbour in a slum in east Delhi, northern India (pictured, the girl with her mother)

The girl's mother said her daughter (pictured together) was playing outside the family home when she was taken by Hare Ram Yadav, a tailor who lives next door

The mother said she was feeding her eight-month-old child at the time of the attack (together right), while the father (left) was at work at a tea stall

Her 20-year-old mother was inside feeding her eight-month-old daughter at the time, while her father, 28, was working running a small tea stall.

Her mother heard her loud cries and rushed outside, thinking she had fallen while playing but was devastated to see her condition.

She said: 'She was howling and was not able to walk. I'd never seen her crying like that. It was definitely different.

'I held her in my arms and asked her what was wrong several times. I thought she needed the toilet and when I took her to the washroom she was bleeding profusely.

'I wiped her but the bleeding wouldn't stop. I was really scared and was screaming for help and then her father came home and we took her to hospital.'

Speaking about Yadav, the father added: 'I did not know him personally but I'd obviously seen him in the area. I thought he was a friendly and playful man.

'I was so shocked when I got to know something like this has happened with my daughter. He's an old man, and she's a toddler who's only just started walking, she can't even talk.'

The toddler was first taken to Jain Charitable Hospital where doctors confirmed she was raped and referred her to a government hospital.

She was admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, where police were called. On May 8 doctors decided to operate.

Dr Yogesh Kumar Sarin, pediatric surgeon, said: 'It was confirmed that she was sexually abused and due to the size of the toddler, she suffered injuries.

The girl's mother said she only realised something was wrong after she heard her daughter crying outside. She took the girl to the bathroom, where she discovered her injuries

Police have since charged Yadav with rape and sexual assault and say he has confessed to attacking the girl (pictured)

The girl's mother said her family is being shunned since the attack, and they now plan to move so their daughter will never have to find out what happened to her

'She has been operated for her injuries and is currently doing fine. A few follow up appointments will determine if there will be any permanent damage.

'However, psychological trauma is more difficult to handle in such cases. We are giving counselling to the family to deal with the situation.'

Gandhi Nagar Police arrested Hare Ram on the same day and charged him with rape and sexual assault.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said: 'He has confessed his crimes and is now in police custody and sent to a different jail in West Delhi.'

The toddler's mother is now scared how her neighbours will react.

She said: 'Several people have already commented, some have said she'll never be able to conceive but I have to ignore their comments.

'They see us in a different way now, as if we have committed a crime, as if we're the criminals. It angers me.

'I tell them to show mercy on my daughter and direct the anger towards the man. A person who has gone through this humiliation can understand the pain we are in.'

She said the incident has changed her daughter and she's now wary of strangers.

'She's really scared of people now,' she added. 'She wouldn't even go to her father; she's petrified of men. She doesn't go out to play anymore.

Doctors said the family are being offered counselling in order to deal with the psychological trauma of the rape

The little girl was playing on this street in east Delhi when she was taken by her neighbour and raped for 15 minutes

Pictured is the hospital in Delhi where the girl underwent surgery for injuries sustained during the violent rape

'Earlier she loved playing outside but we won't let her now. Every night, her screams haunt me of the pain she must have suffered at that time.

'I could not even sleep for several nights until doctors said she'll be fine. Now I don't let her leave my side.'

The couple have decided not to tell her about the incident when she grows up and plan to move house to avoid people talking.

'I will never tell her what happened as it will shatter her soul. I do not want her to face the humiliation from society so we've now decided to move home.

'I will not be able to take it if someone taunts her or tries to ruin her life by reminding her of what happened.

'All we want is justice now. How could a man be so cruel towards children? I cannot even imagine the pain and trauma she must have suffered. She is such a small girl.

'If a man like him is not punished strictly, it will only encourage others. I hope the accused will be punished with the strictest punishment.'
A masterplan for an exclusive Muslim enclave in Brisbane featuring a mosque and apartments has sparked community outrage.

The Australian International Islamic College has lodged plans to add a mosque, 120 residential apartments, childcare and retail space within its existing site at Durack, in the city's southern outskirts.

Residents opposed to the plan for a Muslim community have lodged a petition with Brisbane City Council, arguing it's incompatible with the area's multicultural values.

The Australian International Islamic College (pictured) wants to create a Muslim enclave

The plans lodged with Brisbane City Council feature a two-storey mosque

Residents say the Australian International Islamic College's plans are incompatible with the area's multicultural values

'The apparent exclusivity of the proposed development to a religious group will offer hardly any benefit to the community it is situated in as a whole and is inconsistent with the multicultural community that already exists in the suburb,' the petition, cited by the South-West News, stated.

Labor councillor Steve Griffiths said he was opposed to the development proposal for 724 Blunder Road, however he stressed this was on planning and not religious grounds.

'The impact on other local residents amenity appears well beyond that expected of its use as community facilities - educational purposes,' he said in a submission obtained by Quest Newspapers.

The plans, seen by Daily Mail Australia, include a proposal for a two-storey mosque covering 1,970 square metres.

The plan includes a proposal for a mosque, residential apartment and retail space on the site

A mosque is included in plans for a Muslim enclave on the site of the Islamic school

It would include a three-storey aged care and residential building, 3,000 square metres of retail space and 120 residential apartments, on top of new classrooms and a childcare centre for 2,000 students.

The existing site is already home to the college, which caters for students from kindergarten to year 12.

It is near Inala, which is home to a large Vietnamese community, and the Wacol prison, which both fall with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's Inala electorate.
Achtung! This week's Spanish Plume weather forecast is set to spark an invasion of ferocious German wasps dive-bombing poor old Blighty.

The soaring temperatures, following a warm spring and mild winter, have created a perfect cocktail of weather for the fearsome stingers.

Pest experts warned today that a heatwave could see a buzzing, biting summer hell as squadrons of the yellow and black striped terrors zoom across the Channel to attack holidaymakers and people enjoying barbecues and picnics.

But if householders find nests being built under roof tiles, in the loft or even in the back garden, the advice is to leave well alone - and don't try to smoke 'em out.

If wasps feel threatened, the colony will swarm out and attack - and the German variety, bigger than our wasps and sporting a black triangle on their faces, are particularly ferocious.

The weather warming up after a mild winter is proving ideal for the biting blighters but if you find a nest in your home, call a local pest control firm or the council and don't try to tackle it yourself.

In the past, people have set fire to their houses trying to smoke out wasps - last year a man set fire to a nest by using a blowtorch in Reading, Berkshire, causing hundreds of pounds damage to his home.

Fire chiefs say it shows how easily you can wreak havoc by disturbing wasp nests at this time of year.

Unlike honey bees which are reared in hives, wasps make their home in gaps and crevices in roofs and walls or even in holes in the lawn or flower beds.

Fire bosses are warning people not to try DIY methods to get rid of wasp nests because they could end up setting the house ablaze.

A Wiltshire fire brigade spokesman said: 'We even had one chap who spotted a wasp nest in the branches of one of his favourite trees in the garden. He lit a petrol-soaked rag to smoke them out. But when he poked the burning rag into the nest, it set light to the 20ft tree and the flames spread to his conservatory - and he was stung several times by the angry wasps into the bargain.'

In a similar incident two years ago, a Hertfordshire family tried to smoke out a wasps nest but ended up burning down their garden shed and having to dial 999.

A crew from Watford fire station fought the flames with hoses and the family were left looking at a bill running into hundreds of pounds after the shed was wrecked.

A brigade spokesman said 'It's a good opportunity to remind people to be very careful. The family did have a garden hose on standby but it was not enough.'

Our native British wasp species and their German counterparts reach a population peak in late summer and colonies can contain up to 10,000 insects.

They can instantly send out alarm signals to mobilise the entire nest to sting an intruder - which can be someone trying to smoke them out.

With hot weather forecast today, it's shaping up to be a bumper season for wasps and other bugs, say experts.

An exceptionally mild winter, combined with an early and warm start to spring, have created ideal breeding conditions.

As a result, experts say the number of wasps, flies, ants and fleas could be about to soar.

Homeowners are being urged to keep good hygiene habits and take suitable precautions to try and avoid an infestation over the summer.

Ian Urquhart, who runs Advanced Pest Management, said 'The numbers of many pests in the UK are naturally diminished by cold winters, but the weather has been very different this year and it has been much milder than normal.

'Many will have come out of hibernation early to seek food and begin the reproduction process, and that will have continued through a warm spring.

'Pests that would usually remain dormant for much longer could have become active sooner, potentially leading to more prolific breeding trends and a larger population.

'We will only know for sure later in the year, but it could be that we are facing a bumper season for insects.'

His prediction follows another winter with above-average recorded temperatures, with the average temperature for winter 2016/17 recorded as a mild 5C.

Similar conditions after winter 2015/16 contributed to a spike in summer pest activity and Mr Urquhart, a committee member for professional register Basis Prompt, believes this year could see even more.

'Most insects benefit from warmer weather, which allows for longer periods of ideal conditions for egg-laying and hatching.

'The mild winter will have allowed more fly pupae to survive and hatch as soon as the warmer weather sets in, while ants are likely to emerge in greater numbers as temperatures rise.'

He predicts an increase in the number of wasps this year, following a warm and dry autumn in 2016.

'Female wasps usually die off as the queen enters hibernation, but their activity last year will have continued well into the autumn.

'This will have given them more time for breeding and will enable more queens to come out of hibernation this year.'

Stephen Jacob, chief executive of PROMPT, said, 'Pests are always on the lookout for food so cleaning up mess and ensuring bins are emptied regularly are simple precautions that we should all be taking.'

Around three in 100 people suffer severe reactions to a wasp or hornet sting.

Unlike honey bees which can only sting once, wasps and hornets can attack repeatedly, injecting their victims with venom.

There are seven species of wasp in the UK, the most frequently seen in gardens are the common wasp and the German wasp.

Their nests are made from chewed wood pulp and saliva and are often found underground or in a hollow tree, corner of a garden shed or loft.

If it is a 'bad' wasp summer, chemists and GP surgeries will be braced for people seeking treatment for stings and bug bites.

But a spokesman for the East of England ambulance service asked people to think twice before calling 999 when they get bitten or stung by insects.

'Most insect bites and stings, although they can be painful, are not dangerous and can be treated at home.

'To help reduce the volume of 999 calls and to improve the availability of ambulances to those members of the public who are suffering from serious illnesses and injuries, we're urging people to consider whether their sting is really an emergency.

'In the majority of cases, stings can be treated at home in the first instance. If your symptoms persist over several days then we'd advise you to contact your GP. Alternatively your local pharmacist may be able to advise you further on what treatment would be best for you.

'To treat a bite or sting at home, try washing it with water and applying a cold compress to help reduce itchiness and swelling.

'For bee stings, you can remove the sting itself with tweezers. If it's painful, over-the-counter tablets such as anti-histamines and paracetamol can help. There are also creams and sprays available at the pharmacist.

'Naturally there are some cases when someone will suffer a severe allergic reaction to a sting.

'If there is swelling or itching anywhere else on the body after being bitten or stung, or if the person is wheezing or have difficulty swallowing, they may need emergency medical treatment so it's vital in these cases that 999 is dialled as soon as possible.'

Two women were recovering today after they were nearly stung to death by a huge swarm of bees in a scene straight out of a Hollywood horror film.

They screamed in pain as they suffered hundreds of stings in the terrifying attack while walking through a field in the village of Preston near Canterbury, Kent.

Tina Hill, 50, who was with her friend Sue, said 'We were suddenly surrounded by the insects and we were stung repeatedly on our faces and necks in the field in Grove Road.

'Hundreds of bees were on my head, face and my neck and they were even trying to get into my mouth.

'It was like something out of a horror film. The pain was like the worst migraine in the world combined with intense sunburn.

'The field was marked as a rambler route so we hadn't thought anything of it when we first went down there.'

Tina, a therapist from Romford, said they ran screaming in agony and terror to the nearest house and a man answered when she hammered frantically on the door.

'When I got to his doorstep I just collapsed. He helped us inside and moved us around from room to room.

'The bees were still clinging to me and after they stung me they would die, and he was brushing them off and getting rid of them.

'It was carnage, there were all these dead bees over the floor - but it was them or me.'

The severely traumatised women were taken to the urgent care unit at Kent and Canterbury hospital where doctors removed 57 stings from Tina's rapidly-swelling face and neck.

She said 'The doctors were stunned. They hadn't seen anything like that before. But they said luckily I had a good heart and I would recover.'

They were discharged from hospital 24 hours later but Tina still has a numb face and mouth.

The two women were visiting Canterbury for a friend's 70th birthday weekend, and both enjoy exploring rambler walks.

Tina is calling for the Ramblers Association, now called The Ramblers, to erect warning signs.

'There should be a sign up there where there is a walkway.

'If it was child and they got stung, that would kill them.

'There should be something a a warning to let people know of the bees.

'If it wasn't for the man who let us into his home, I don't think I would be here.

'You see things like this on films, it was terrifying - they were relentless.

'I feel very lucky and blessed that someone took us in when we were surrounded by bees.

'Such kindness - these days you don't get that and for him to take me and my friend in, covered in bees....I keep thinking how lucky I was. It's restored my faith in people.'

Canterbury Beekeepers Association member Michael Roberts says the number of stings the women suffered could have been fatal.

'That level of bee stinging is life-threatening and very unusual.

'Bees are normally docile and only sting if you disturb them, but may also

do so if you get too close to their hive entrance and in particular their line of flight for pollen and nectar.

'The problem is that a bee dies when it stings, so for them it is a last resort.

'One sting attracts other bees and promotes another sting as pheromones are released by a dying bee.

'If you try and fend off bees by flailing your arms it just exacerbates the problem further and scent or aftershave tends to attract bees too.

'The best advice is to walk away quickly on the first sting.'

Experts say a swarm of bees with a new queen often leaves a hive to form a new colony elsewhere, and if they are disturbed during their search they feel threatened and can attack.
Thai authorities will prosecute anyone who even looks at online material deemed insulting to its monarchy, the country's authorities have announced.

Earlier this month, the country threatened to sue social media giant Facebook over photos showing its controversial king walking through a German shopping centre in a crop top.

The footage of King Maha Vajiralongkorn strolling around Munich with a woman was widely shared on the social network.

It remains unclear how police are going to identify viewers who look at forbidden content. According to the law, authorities have to ask for cooperation from internet service providers (ISPs).

The country, which has a 'technology crime suppression police division', previously warned Internet users they could face legal action for liking or sharing content.

Thai authorities will prosecute anyone who even looks at online material deemed insulting to its monarchy. Pictured: Footage of Thailand's king wearing a crop top in a German shopping centre, which was shared online

Earlier this month, the country threatened to sue social media giant Facebook over the photos of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (pictured) wearing the crop top in Munich

'The division will be the one to decide whether going in and viewing illegal content violates the law or not,' said deputy police spokesman Major General Songpol Wattanachai.

'Authorities will ask people to cooperate not to view illegal content.'

The monarchy is a powerful and widely revered institution in Thailand. King Bhumibol Adulaydej, who died last year aged 88, was widely loved and considered semi-divine by some.

His son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, ascended the throne in December.

Article 112 of Thailand's criminal code says anyone who insults the king, queen, heir or regent will be punished with up to 15 years in prison for each offence.

Since a coup on May 22, 2014, the junta has been accused by human rights groups of using the laws as a way to silence its critics and of applying them more widely.

The military government has also tried to pressure messaging services and social media firms, including Facebook, to help remove content critical of the monarchy.

Article 112 of Thailand's criminal code says anyone who insults the king, queen, heir or regent will be punished with up to 15 years in prison. Pictured: Footage from 2007 shows Prince Maha throwing a birthday party for his pet poodle Fufu

Even describing that content could be an offence under the lese-majeste laws. The laws limit what news organisations based in Thailand, including Reuters, can report.

Earlier this month, authorities warned Facebook Inc to take down content deemed threatening to security or violating lese-majeste laws or face legal action.

Internet users have also been warned that they could face legal action for liking or sharing content critical of the monarchy.

'It has gone to a new level of aggression when even viewing now is considered a crime even though there is no law criminalizing viewing content insulting to the monarchy,' said Sunai Phasuk, senior Thailand researcher at Human Rights Watch.

'It shows the willingness of authorities to go beyond the bounds of the law,' Sunai said. 'It might be a case of picking on some to scare others.'

'In practice, police must state their evidence to ask to see traffic data,' Morakot Kulthamyothin, president of the Thai Internet Service Provider Association, told Reuters.

According to the Computer Crime Act, authorities must have grounds to believe that a crime has been committed in order for ISPs to hand over a user's traffic data.

The act says ISPs must keep users' traffic data for up to 90 days.

The country, which has a 'technology crime suppression police division', has previously warned Internet users they could face legal action for liking or sharing content insulting to the monarchy
These are the injuries sustained by a South African student who claims to have single-handedly fought off the axe-wielding murderer who killed his brother and parents in a frenzied attack at their home.

'Superficial' cuts to the arms and body of Henri Van Breda were described as 'most likely self-inflicted' following the murders of his family  for which he is on trial.

Van Breda, 22, survived virtually unscathed from the horrific attack at his family home in South Africa two years ago, as this picture taken on the morning after the bedroom slaughter shows.

These are the injuries sustained by a South African student who claims to have single-handedly fought off the axe-wielding murderer who killed his brother and parents

Martin and Teresa van Breda (pictured right) were killed in a brutal attack in their home in South Africa in January 2015. Henri Van Breda (left) is accused of murder

The former physics student is wearing a pair of sleeping shorts as he sits in the back of an ambulance at the crime scene where he claims to have watched as his loved ones were set upon by a masked intruder.

Senior forensic pathologist Marianne Tiemensma has told Cape Town's High Court that clean, straight cuts made by a kitchen knife found at the scene do not support his account of the chaotic night his family were left dead and dying.

Van Breda claims he disarmed the killer who had left his family dead and dying, and chased him out of the family's home, before blacking out after falling in the pursuit.

'The stab wounds could have been self-inflicted, they were superficial and not fatal,' the pathologist told the court.

'It is unlikely the victim was attacked because there are no defence wounds.'

Van Breda (pictured) survived virtually unscathed from the horrific attack at his family home in South Africa two years ago

The bodies of Teresa (left) and her husband Martin (right) were discovered at their home in January 2015

'These stand in strong contrast to the fatal injuries the rest of the family suffered,' the pathologist added.

Van Breda's younger sister Marli, suffered more blows from the 4kg axe than any of her relatives during the attack, and also suffered a near-fatal cut to her jugular vein.

She is listed to give evidence against her brother, although reportedly remembers little about the night of the attack in January 2015.

The court has heard how the schoolgirl was found with typical defensive wounds to her wrists.

However, her brother showed no wounds from fighting off an armed attacker, nor signs that he had suffered concussion, which would have accounted for him falling unconscious.

Dr Tiemensma told prosecutor Susan Galloway that Van Breda had also recalled much more detail about the night's events than a concussion patient would normally remember.

Van Breda's sister Marli (pictured) was left fighting for her life and in a coma after the brutal 3am attack

Van Breda (pictured in court) claimed an intruder broke into the house before carrying out the attack

But other wounds found on Van Breda were not necessarily self-inflicted, she added.

These included a swelling above his eye, clearly seen in this picture obtained by Mail Online, grazing to his back and bruises to his leg.

The eye injury might have resulted from a 'blunt blow' the court heard.

A neighbour told the trial last week of a 'loud and aggressive' shouting match between 'male voices' coming from the Van Bredas' house in the hours leading up to the killings.

His sister Marli was attacked but narrowly escaping death despite having her jugular vein slashed

In his own account of the night of the murders, Van Breda (pictured) claimed that he single-handedly wrestled the murder weapon out of the masked intruder's hands and threw it at him as he fled the scene

In his own account of the night of the murders, Van Breda claimed that he single-handedly wrestled the murder weapon out of the masked intruder's hands and threw it at him as he fled the scene.

However, a fingerprint expert revealed not a single print had been recovered from the axe suggesting that it had been 'wiped clean' or whoever had handled it had worn gloves.

Sergeant Jonathan Oliphant did find prints belonging to Van Breda on a kitchen knife found at the scene, but absolutely no sign of prints or scuffing on any of the perimeter walls at the property.

The intruder, who Van Breda claims had an accomplice, must have accessed the house in the middle of the high security estate, via a wall, defence lawyers previously stated.

Emergency call operator Janine Philander (pictured) initially mistook Van Breda as a prankster

Dr Michelle Van Zyl, an emergency doctor, today told the trial that she examined Van Breda twice in the hours after the killings and found him 'friendly and jovial'.

Noting his injuries, the doctor recorded his demeanour as 'confident, not emotional, conversing casually and relaxed with staff.'

She also recorded 'a slight smell of alcohol' on his breath as she looked at his wounds.

Dr Michelle Van Zyl, an emergency doctor, today told the trial that she examined Van Breda twice in the hours after the killings and found him 'friendly and jovial'

Earlier, the trial heard from an emergency operator who answered a call from Van Breda some hours after the horrific attack, which she initially dismissed as a prank.

Janine Philander told the court that Van Breda 'wasn't anxious or agitated or any other such thing; he was just cool and calm.'

Van Breda denies three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and perverting the course of justice.

He stands to inherit a share of a $22million (AUD) fortune if he is cleared of having a part in the murder of his parents, Martin and Teresa and brother, Rudi.

The trial continues.
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Shocking images capturing the atrocities of war have emerged in a book examining why soldiers carry out brutal acts during conflicts.

The pictures include Chinese prisoners being bayoneted to death, families being rounded up and slaughtered in Vietnam and German victims of rape during the Second World War.

Disturbing images also show Nazi executions in Poland and the Ukraine as well as torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The author of a new book outlines a number of factors that could explain why such atrocities took place - from the way in which soldiers are indoctrinated, to the living conditions they endure and the tactical and military situation on the ground.

Shocking images capturing the atrocities of war have emerged in a book examining brutal acts carried out by soldiers. One shows Japanese soldiers bayoneting prisoners to death in the former Chinese capital of Nanking in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War

One picture shows Vietnamese women and children huddled together before being killed by American soldiers in the My Lai massacre of March 1968. Several hundred civilians were murdered in the atrocity

Disturbing images also show the horrors of Second World War. They include this harrowing picture of a young Polish girl crying over the body of her dead sister

The pictures also show American guards and their prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraqi in 2004. One shows a detainee being threatened with a dog

Economic and political conditions in the countries involved are also counted among the factors that may have sparked the violent actions.

The images are examined in the book, Beyond Duty: The Reasons Some Soldiers Commit Atrocities by Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr, published by Fonthill Media.

The book focuses on the behaviour of five groups in history including the Japanese Army in China in 1937 - the start of the second Sino-Japenese war between China and the Empire of Japan which came to an end, along with the Second World War, in 1945.

In just six weeks, hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were slaughtered by the Imperial Army in and around Nanking, which was then the capital of China.

Another group examined by Zapotoczny is the Einsatzgruppen - paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass killings, primarily by shooting.

Nazi behaviour in Russia during the war is also analysed along with the actions of the Red Army after it had swept into Berlin in 1945.

Zapotoczny also examines pictures from the My Lai massacre - one of the most notorious incidents of the Vietnam War. Up to 500 unarmed civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers during the episode in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968.

Harrowing war photographs show a Japanese soldier preparing to behead a Chinese soldier in the late 1930s in Nanking, China

Separate photos show Russian soldiers appearing to harass women in Berlin in 1945 after the Red Army had swept into the German city

Most of the women were children or elderly, and some of the bodies were later found to be mutilated. Details only came to light publicly in 1969, prompting widespread outrage and fueling opposition to the war.

The book also focuses on the American guards who tortured inmates at Abu Ghraib in 2004. Photos depicting abuse at the Iraq jail began to emerge in 2004, with some detainees claiming to have endured physical and sexual abuse, electric shocks and mock executions

Zapotoczny's book shows horrifying pictures of Chinese women who were raped by Japanese soldiers in Nanking. Others show a Japanese guard preparing to cut off a Chinese soldier's head and bayoneting Chinese people in a pit.

Separate photos show Russian soldiers appearing to harass women in Berlin in 1945 and Vietnamese women and children huddled together before being killed at My Lai.

'The history of warfare is filled with accounts of brutality. The behaviour of any human being is, of course, a very complex phenomenon whether in war or in peace,' said Zapotoczny in the book's preface.

Nazi soldiers carry out a mass execution of Polish hostages in retaliation for an attack on a police station by Poland's underground resistance

A member of the Einsatzgruppen - a Nazi death squad that carried out mass executions - prepares to shoot a prisoner in the back of the head in Ukraine during the Second World War

'After a close analysis of these soldiers, I have identified five principle factors that had the greatest influence, either directly or indirectly, on the many members.'

Zapotoczny said that examining such factors may help to predict the actions of others in the future should similar circumstances arise.

'The idea for this book sprang from my graduate thesis, which examined the actions of the Japanese Army and the actions of the German Einsatzgruppen during World War II.

'Together, the factors supported each other and crystallised into a modus operandi that resulted in atrocities and bestial acts on civilians. The soldiers who committed atrocities became violent criminals.

Photos depicting abuse at Abu Ghraib began to emerge in 2004, with some detainees claiming to have endured physical and sexual abuse, electric shocks and mock executions

The images have been released in the book, Beyond Duty: The Reasons Some Soldiers Commit Atrocities by Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr, published by Fonthill Media. A Second World War picture in the book shows soldiers and civilians moving through Berlin, Germany

'While these are different situations in many ways, there are similar factors that allowed most of the soldiers in these groups to abuse or kill men, women, and children in cold blood,' he added.

'Historians, in large part, have described in great detail the actions of these groups, but they have not adequately dealt with the factors that contributed to those actions.'

Published by Fonthill Media, Beyond Duty: The Reasons Some Soldiers Commit Atrocities by Walter S. Zapotoczny Jr is now available to order.
A 21-year-old pregnant woman found dead in Sydney's west shared a long kiss with her boyfriend during a night out bowling shortly before her death.

Hayley Mcclenahan-Ernst and her boyfriend Max Spencer, also 21, were captured on closed-circuit TV cameras embracing and kissing in the final hours of her life.

Police are still investigating her sudden death at the home in Kingswood, in Sydney's west on Sunday morning.

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Ms Mcclenahan-Ernst was a mother-of-two and pregnant with her third child when she died

Max Spencer is pleading not guilty to breaching an apprehended violence order

Spencer was later arrested and charged with breaching an apprehended violence order against his girlfriend, who was a mother-of-two.

Documents obtained at Penrith Local Court show he had a lengthy history of violence against Ms Mcclenahan-Ernst and was on parole at the time.

The couple had also engaged in an argument about infidelity on the night of her death when she fell and hit her head on concrete, Nine News reported, adding she had moved into the home two weeks earlier.

Spencer did not appear at his first court mention at Penrith on Monday but his lawyer Ben Archbold entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.

Police were called out to a home on Derby Street, Kingswood, shortly after 12am on Sunday and found Hayley Mcclenahan-Ernst (pictured), 21, in cardiac arrest

Max Spencer on the night of his arrest when he was charged with breaching an AVO

It is believed there were a number of people in the house at the time police were called who are also helping police with enquiries

He did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.

Mr Archbold asked on Monday that Spencer receive a psychological assessment while in custody and the matter was adjourned until July 3.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, police were called out to a home on Derby Street, Kingswood, where they found Ms Mcclenahan-Ernst, who was pregnant with her third child, in cardiac arrest.

New South Wale ambulance paramedics called to the scene were unable to save her life.

Police were called out to this bungalow on Derby Street, Kingswood shortly after 12am on Sunday morning after concerns were shown for the condition of the woman, aged 21

Ms Mcclenahan-Ernst's (pictured) cause of death is still unknown

Superintendent Greg Peters said a man, 21, was assisting police with their inquiries.

'He is cooperating... I believe they were in a relationship, I'm not sure if they were actually living together,' Peters told Fairfax Media.

'The cause of death is unknown at this point in time.'

The man was arrested and taken to St Marys police station where he was later charged with breaching an AVO.

It is believed there were a number of people in the house at the time police were called who are also helping police with enquiries.

'I know she had been out with her family - whether it was her family or his family - during the night, before they came back to the house,' Superintendent Peters said.
Donald Trump landed in Israel late on Monday morning in advance of a whirlwind two-day visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

He arrived from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Air Force One  flying direct, as no other planes are permitted to do  following a 48-hour lovefest with leaders from dozens of Arab nations.

The second leg of Trump's nine-day excursion will put a spotlight on his vaunted efforts to bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians  a prospect that the billionaire businessman has called the 'ultimate deal.'

He said alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in a Jerusalem photo-op that even challenges like a belligerent Iran with nuclear ambitions can be an 'opportunity' as Tehran's saber-rattling 'has brought many other parts of the Middle East toward Israel.'

'You have a great opportunity right now,' Trump told him. 'There's a great feeling for peace throughout the Middle East. I think people have just had enough. They've had enough of the bloodshed and the killing.'

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived Monday in Israel, on the heels of a successful two-day visit to Saudi Arabia

Air Force One arrived around midday at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv

Trump, center, got familiar with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and President Rueben Rivlin, left, during Monday's welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv

Trump pledged upon his arrival in Tel Aviv that he was there to ''reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the state of Israel'

Even Arab leaders, Trump said, have told him the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is so great that they are finding themselves siding with the Jewish state.

'The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon  never ever!' Trump said outside the president's ceremonial residence in Jerusalem.

He demanded that Tehran 'must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias. And it must cease immediately.'

The president will face tough questions Monday and Tuesday from an Israeli government that had been aligned with him during his campaign  even after pledging upon his arrival that he would 'reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the state of Israel.'

'The people of Israel are excited by your arrival  and have great expectations,' Rivlin told him during an arrival ceremony on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport.

'The world needs a strong United States. The Middle East needs a strong United States. Israel needs a strong United States,' Rivlin said, each crescendo outdoing the last.

'And may I say, the United States needs a strong Israel.'

Monday's arrival couldn't have been more different from Saturday's spectacle in Riyadh, in one major respect: The uniformed Israeli Defense Forces soldiers included many women who held machine guns next to their skirts.

In Saudi Arabia, the only females visible on the airport tarmac were two small girls holding bouquets and a single U.S. Secret Service agent.

First Lady Melania Trump (left) and Israel's President Reuven Rivlin (right) stood next to Donald Trump as he signed the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem

IDF forces on the tarmac Monday in Israel (foreground) included some female soldiers wearing uniform skirts  a sight that was unthinkable on Trump's previous stop in Saudi Arabia

Cultural schisms aside, Trump warmed to the Saudis over the weekend, praising their hospitality and assuring the Arab world in a landmark speech that despite his past advocacy for a 'ban' on Muslims, America is not in a terror war with all of Islam.

That hasn't sat universally well with Israelis who see Islamist theocracies as existential threats.

But Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu clung Monday to Trump's anti-terror message.

'Yesterday in Saudi Arabia you delivered a forceful speech of clarity and conviction,' he said. 'You called on all nations to drive out terrorists and extremists. ... For 69 years Israel has been doing precisely that.'

He thanked Trump for the 'powerful expression of your friendship to Israel' that his trip represents.

And he made what, for him, has become an ordinary but plaintive entreaty toward Palestinians.

'Israel's hand is extended in peace to all our neighbors,' he said, but only in the services of 'a genuine and durable one in which the Jewish state is recognized, security remains in Israel's hands and the conflict ends once and for all.'

A marching band and a military honor guard was on hand for Trump's arrival

Trump and the first lady held their hands over their hearts for the playing of the U.S. national anthem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left), his wife Sara (second left) and David Friedman (third L), the new United States Ambassador to Israel, awaited the president's arrival

Security personnel with a sniffer dog inspected the tarmac, part of the elaborate security measures in place for Trump's two-day stop

Trump has become adept at playing to Netanyahu's lifelong tensions, the same ingrained historical fears of a repeated Holocaust that preoccupy Israel to the point where its national anthem  played Monday and sung by everyone on the tarmac except the Trumps  is the only such song on earth written in a minor key.

On Monday he promised Israelis that he would work toward 'a future where the nations of the region are at peace and all of our children can grow  and grow up strong, and grow up free from terrorism and violence.'

And Trump has, since taking office, made a 180-degree turn away from his campaign position that Jews should continue to build settlements in the contested West Bank region.

He told DailyMail.com one year ago that 'I don't think there should be a pause' in settlement construction, saying that Palestinian militants had fired 'thousands of missiles' into the Jewish state.

Less than two weeks after he moved to Washington, Trump's administration was cautioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop making 'unilateral actions that could undermine our ability to make progress, including settlement announcements.'

Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have since visited the White House, and he will see both of them in the next 24 hours.

In tow will be Jared Kushner, Trump's Orthodox Jewish son-in-law and lawyer David Friedman, who is the new U.S. ambassador.

Trump will meet with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) first on Monday. He will sit down with Palestine's Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (right) on Tuesday

The president said in January that Kushner would help him broker a Mid-East peace deal since he 'knows the region, knows the people, knows the players.'

On the eve of his inauguration, Trump pointed to Jushner in the audience of a VIP dinner, saying with quasi-paternal glee: 'If you can't produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can.'

The Trump Itinerary Monday, May 22 (all times local) 12:15 p.m.: Air Force One lands in Israel followed by official ceremony 1:10 p.m.: Helicopter takes Trump to Jerusalem 1:15 p.m.: Meeting with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin 2:30 p.m.: Visit Church of the Holy Sepulchre 3:15 p.m.: Visit the Western Wall 4:00 p.m.: Check in at the famed King David Hotel 6:00 p.m.: Meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 7:15 p.m.: Netanyahu hosts official dinner including Melania Trump and Sara Netanyahu Tuesday, May 23 (all times local) 10:00 a.m.: Meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem 1:00 p.m.: Wreath-laying at Yad Vashem 1:30 p.m.: Address at the Israel Museum 4:30 p.m.: Departure from Ben Gurion Airport for Italy Advertisement

Even a year ago, when he was less skeptical about West bank settlements, the president thought the most elusive peace plan on the planet was more than just a pipe dream.

'I would love to see if peace could be negotiated,' he told DailyMail.com in May 2016.

'A lot of people say that's not a deal that's possible. But I mean lasting peace, not a peace that lasts for two weeks and they start launching missiles again.'

Trump was pursuing a buddy relationship with Netanyahu as a businessman for years before he entered politics  even making a campaign ad for him in 2013.

But three years later in a presidnetial debate, the future Oval Office occupant declared that he would be 'neutral' in the fight between Arab and Jew.

That began a downward slide, in public at least, pointing to troubles behind their long friendship.

By last week, even before Trump's tour de force in Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu was forced to order his cabinet ministers to attend Monday's welcome pageant.

And he spent much of Sunday, The New York Times reported, wrestling with conservative ministers in his coalition in order to approve modest measures targeted at improving economic conditions in the West Bank  an olive branch of sorts for Trump, if not for Abbas.

Tel Aviv's Palestinian wrangling may end up being less of a focus in real life, however, than Israel's growing fear of a nuclear Iran, and on measuring and managing tensions created by Trump's enthusiastic promotion of 12-figure arms deals with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

In Riyadh, as elsewhere in the Arab world, it's common to refer to Israel only as 'the Zionist entity.'

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with reporters on a flight with Trump to Israel aboard Air Force One on Monday morning

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday that Israel needn't worry, even after its energy minister said the weapons sales are worrisome.

'There has been nothing entered into with the arms sales agreements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, or any of the other countries, that do not fully allow us to fulfill our commitments to Israel and the longstanding security arrangements we have with Israel,' Tillerson said.

'I'm sure we can answer those questions and address the concerns they have.'

Tillerson also addressed the potential fallout from an embarrassing episode last week that saw Trump egg-faced after he unwittingly shared Israeli intelligence about ISIS terror plots with Russian officials.

Asked if the president planned to offer an apology to Netanyahu and Rivlin, he said: 'I dont know that theres anything to apologize for.'

'To the extent the Israelis have any questions, or clarification, I'm sure were happy to provide that,' he said.

Israeli honor guards stand to attention before the arrival of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion Airport

Trump delivered a speech in Riyadh on Sunday, urging the Arab world to rid the world of violent Islamic terrorists

Trump tried to calm the waters and diffuse the news of his Arab triumph, meeting first with Rivlin and then visiting the Western Wall.

Later comes a bilateral meeting with Netanyahu and a private dinner.

Then the next round of fireworks may erupt on Israeli television sets as pictures showing Trump with Abbas are beamed westward from the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

Bookending his visit will be a brief visit to Yad Vashem  likely only 15 minutes  and then a speech at the Israel Museum to complement his Saudi spotlight moment.

Trump praised Israel on Monday as 'a nation forged in the commitment that we will never allow the horrors and atrocities of the last century to be repeated.'

He embraced Netanyahu in a half-hug, forearm to forearm  near enough to be heard over the wind but not too close for comfort.

Rivlin sounded the day's most an optimistic note in his early afternoon photo-op with Trump.

'We are praying for peace, and we are pushing for peace for the last 100 years,' he said. 'And with God's help, somebody will bring us peace, all together.'

Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest place of prayer

Trump heard a lesson about the site's significance from Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz (center right) and Mordechai Elias (center left), who leads the Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Trump's visit to the Western Wall made him the first sitting U.S. president to pray at Judaism's holiest site. He left a prayer note there in accordance with Jewish custom.

Located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Western Wall is a section of one of four original retaining walls King Herod built in the first century B.C. to support the Temple Mount.

It is also the only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple, which stood in Jerusalem until the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. as they put down a Jewish revolt.

It has been U.S. policy for the last 50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel, making a visit to the wall a political minefield.

But Trump, clad in a navy suit, red striped tie and black kippah, strode into the Western Wall Prayer Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday before placing his hand on the stone wall and praying for 30 seconds.
Arthur Collins faces trial over an acid attack a London nightclub that left two people blinded in one eye

TOWIE star Ferne McCann's ex-boyfriend faces trial this autumn over an acid attack at a London nightclub that left two people blinded in one eye.

Arthur Collins, 25, is alleged to have been involved in the shocking incident at Mangle in Hackney, after acid was thrown across a dancefloor as revellers celebrated the Easter weekend.

It left a 22-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man blind in one eye and 22 people injured, 18 requiring treatment at a specialist burns unit.

Collins spent a week on the run and was reportedly tasered by police as around 30 officers stormed an address in Northamptonshire where he was found on April 23.

The defendant, from Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, faces with 14 counts of GBH with intent and one count of throwing corrosive fluid on a multiple persons with intent to do GBH.

Andre Phoenix, 21, from Tottenham, north London, was also charged in connection with the attack during the early hours of April 17.

He faces seven counts of throwing corrosive fluid on a person with intent to do GBH.

Today Collins, on crutches and wearing Adidas grey tracksuit bottoms and a green bomber jacket, and Phoenix in a grey Nike jumper appeared at Wood Green Crown Court via videolink from HMP Thamesside.

The pair did not enter pleas as defence requested more time to assess the evidence.

A trial, expected to last two weeks, will feature evidence from several doctors, was set for October 9.

Today Collins, on crutches and wearing Adidas grey tracksuit bottoms and a green bomber jacket, and Andre Phoenix in a grey Nike jumper appeared at Wood Green Crown Court via videolink from HMP Thamesside (pictured, court artist's impression)

Ferne McCann, 26, confirmed during a TV interview last month that she was pregnant with Collins' baby and plans to raise the child as a single mother (pictured, pair on hoiday together)

Ferne McCann, 26, confirmed during a TV interview last month that she was pregnant with Collins' baby and plans to raise the child as a single mother.

The father-to-be was supported in the public gallery by a large number of his friends and family including his brother.

Judge Peter Ader said: 'Gentlemen we have a date for your case now, the trial date will be the 9 October, do you understand.

'In the meantime your lawyers will come and see you and there will be some other hearings.'

Collins and Phoenix are due to next appear via videolink in June when they are expected to enter pleas.
Cats in a Danish village are being rounded up after an outbreak of 'feline AIDS', it has emerged.

Authorities are trying to capture all feral cats in Snder Onsild, southwest of the town of Hobro in central Jutland.

It comes after nine animals were found to have feline immunodeficiency virus - often referred to as feline AIDS.

Cats in a Danish village are being rounded up after an outbreak of 'feline AIDS', it has emerged (file picture)

Residents have been urged to keep their pets indoors while the round-up takes place with officials reportedly ready to put down any cat that tests positive.

Any cat that tests negative will be house in a cat shelter, according to the local Nordjyske newspaper.

Experts carry out a blood test to diagnose the virus, which cannot be caught be humans.

Authorities are trying to capture all feral cats in Snder Onsild, southwest of the town of Hobro in central Jutland (file picture)

Vet Sren Haubro told Nordjyske the virus weakens the cat's immune system with symptoms including mouth infections and sickness.

It can take up to ten years for the animals to show signs.

The round-up will b egin next month with an animal protection group and cat shelter working with local authorities.
A Monash University lecturer has been suspended after an exam was posted online with an answer that said Chinese government officials 'only speak the truth when they are drunk or careless'.

University students were outraged at the exam, which was posted to students in the Melbourne institution's human resources management class, reported CGTN.

The question read: 'There is a common saying in China that Government officials only speak the truth when...?'

To receive a mark, students must have answered: 'they are drunk or careless'.

Students at Monash University were asked to complete a 'common saying in China', which stated Government officials only told the truth when they were drunk

A screenshot from the exam shows one student answering: 'they have had statements approved by the party', but is marked incorrect.

Under the explanation for the answer, the quiz reads: 'to speak the truth could upset a superior and destroy a bureaucrats career'.

Another question in the exam which earned the ire of international students asked: 'In China, what has been identified as a major barrier to modernisation and the introduction of new technology and industrial reform?'.

The correct answer on the test was: 'a lack of skilled workers, especially managers'.

Following a multitude of complaints, Robert Brooks, the Deputy Dean of Education, issued an 'immediate withdrawal' of the exam.

Another question in the controversial exam claimed the country suffered from a 'lack of skilled workers'

'Some of the questions are unsatisfactory and do not reflect the beliefs and views of Monash university,' he wrote in an email to students.

'As a result this quiz is immediately withdrawn and we will be in touch with you next week as regards alternative assessment arrangements.'

A spokeswoman from the Chinese embassy told The Australian that the Melbourne Chinese consulate was involved, and 'dealing with the issue'.

The University has 4400 undergraduate students from China, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Monash University for comment.
A Ghanaian asylum seeker has been charged with raping a woman at knifepoint in front of her horrified boyfriend days after learning he was going to be deported from Germany.

Erik X. is accused of forcing his way into the tent of a couple camping in Siegaue nature reserve where the River Sieg flows into the Rhine, near Bonn in western Germany.

Police say he threatened them with a tree saw, ordered them to hand over their valuables and then raped the 23-year-old woman, forcing her boyfriend to watch.

A Ghanaian asylum seeker identified as Eric X has been charged with raping a woman at knifepoint in front of her horrified boyfriend days after learning he was going to be deported from Germany. Police released an efit image (left) of the suspect after the attack at Siegaue nature reserve (right)

The public prosecutor's office has now officially charged the 31-year-old, whose full name has been withheld under Germany's strict privacy laws, with aggravated rape and predatory blackmail.

Erik X. received a notice from the German authorities ten days before the alleged rape that he would face deportation to Italy - where he originally entered the Schengen zone - because his asylum application had been rejected.

Police say he entered the camping area at night and stole a blanket, backpack and duffel bag as well as a machete-like tree saw.

Just after midnight on April 2, he cut open the tarpaulin of the tent the couple, from the Stuttgart area in south-western Germany, were staying in.

According to the police investigation, he dragged the blonde woman out of the tent, threatening her with the tree saw to stop the boyfriend from intervening.

Erik X. is accused of forcing his way into the tent of a couple camping in Siegaue nature reserve where the River Sieg flows into the Rhine, near Bonn in western Germany (pictured)

Her boyfriend eventually managed to alert the police. The attacker fled towards the Rhine. Both of the victims are currently receiving psychological care.

Erik X. was spotted days later walking along River Rhine in the Bonn neighbourhood of Beuel, holding one of the items he was accused of stealing.

He denied the offence despite reports his DNA matched samples found at the scene.

His lawyer Martin Moersdorf said: 'We discussed the case, discussed the evidence, but at the present time I advised my client not to comment on the allegation.'

The trial is set to start in September in Bonn.
A toddler found wandering a street in the middle of the night in Kentucky, has been reunited with his family.

Motorist James Crisp was driving about 2am on Saturday in Lexington when he saw the two-year-old boy walking in the middle of Maywick Drive, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

'It was surreal,' Crisp told the newspaper. He said he stopped and opened the door to talk to the boy, who climbed in and said 'Go bye bye.'

Crisp said no one else was on the street and there were no houses with lights on so he called 911.

A toddler found wandering a street in the middle of the night in Kentucky, has been reunited with his family. Motorist James Crisp was driving about 2am on Saturday in Lexington when he saw the two-year-old boy walking in the middle of Maywick Drive (file above)

Lexington police Lt. Andrew Daugherty said officers responding to Crisp's 911 call canvassed the neighborhood trying to find the boy's home, but were unsuccessful.

Crisp stayed with the child for more than an hour as police worked to try and find the toddler's parents.

'He pushed every button on the dashboard,' Crisp told the Herald-Leader.

'He was a bundle of energy. He had more energy than I did.'

Crisp said no one else was on the street so he called 911. Lexington police Lt. Andrew Daugherty (file above) said the toddler's mother called 911 hours later reporting that her son was missing. Police reunited the boy with his family

The child's mother later called police to report the youngster missing Saturday morning after the family awoke to find him gone, Daugherty stated.

Detectives will determine if any charges are warranted and it's unclear how the toddler was able to leave the home.

The child nor his mother have not been publicly named by police.
The dentist husband of a missing lawyer has appeared in court accused of plotting to poison her.

Dr Majid Mustafa, 47, came before magistrates in Hull after his wife Renata Antczak went missing more than three weeks ago.

He and another man, 45-year-old Robert Lipinski, are jointly charged with conspiracy to administer a noxious substance to Mrs Antczak and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to a Dariusz Kleinert.

Polish-born Renata Antczak was reported missing after leaving her home in Hull in April. She is pictured with her dentist husband Majid Mustafa, who is accused of plotting to poison her

Mustafa appeared in court today accused of conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and conspiracy to administer a noxious substance

Lipinski is further charged with conspiracy to administer a noxious substance to Anna Lipinski.

Mustafa and Lipinski spoke only to confirm names and addresses as they appeared in the dock today.

Mustafa acknowledged his eldest daughter Magda and other family members who sat in the public gallery.

The pair were remanded in custody and will appear at Hull Crown Court on Monday, June 19.

Humberside Police have said that the case remains a missing persons investigation and are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.

Forensic officers have searched the homes of both of the men charged and removed their cars for further examination. They also searched Mustafa's dental practice in Hull.

Mrs Antczak's daughters Magda and Victoria have appealed for information on their mother

Mrs Antczak has not been seen since leaving her house after dropping her 11-year-old daughter at school earlier that day. Mustafa was remanded in custody today

Mrs Antczak, 49, was last seen on April 25 when she returned to their home in Hull after taking 11-year-old daughter Victoria to school.

A friend of hers told the Mail last night: 'Renata is a cultured, intelligent, educated and beautiful woman, with class.'

He said she had spoken of being bugged before she suddenly went missing.

She is understood to have asked her husband for a divorce in March and wanted to return to Poland, making plans to enrol Victoria at a Polish school.

Mustafa said he had travelled to Poland just before Easter to ask Mrs Antczak's family why she wanted a divorce.

He had claimed his wife could have travelled to Poland to join a 'cult' after she left a letter titled 'liberation ritual' in the family home.
A Massachusetts charter school policy of banning hair braid extensions has been suspended for the rest of the year by the school's board of trustees.

The policy at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden was considered racist by some students and parents.

The trustees' decision on Sunday to back off the provision in the school's hair and makeup rules followed a state attorney general letter to the school, saying the policy was illegal because it singled out students of color.

The American Civil Liberties Union had also filed a complaint against the school with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, saying the rule is discriminatory.

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden, Massachusetts, pictured, suspended its ban on hair braid extensions Sunday after the board of trustees met for two hours to discuss a letter from the state attorney general's office which called the ban unlawful

The issue came to light earlier this month when the parents of twin 15-year-old girls Deanna and Mya Scott, center, said their daughters were punished for wearing hair extensions. The twins are pictured with their adoptive parents Aaron, far left, and Colleen Cook, far right

The trustees met privately for over two hours Sunday while opponents of the policy protested outside, according to the Boston Globe.

The board unanimously voted to suspend the ban on hair braid extension through the end of the year.

'The school will continue to work with the attorney general's office to ensure that the uniform policy reflects our longstanding commitment to the rights of all of our students,' the school's Interim Director Alexander Dan said, reading from a statement.

The issue came to light when the parents of twin 15-year-old black girls said their daughters were punished for wearing extensions, while white students hadn't been punished for violations of hairstyle regulations.

Since April, twin sisters Deanna and Mya Scott, 15, had been banned from track, the Latin Club and all school events after they came to school with braided hair extensions.

Though there was some satisfaction at the school's decision Sunday, Aaron Cook, the twins' father, was cautious, according to the Globe.

'We are viewing this as a step in the right direction,' he said.

Since April the twins, pictured with Colleen Cook, had been banned from their school events like track and Latin Club because they came to school with braided hair extensions

When the controversial policy came to light earlier this month, the Scott twins said they believed their school's hair policy was racist.

'What they're saying is we can't wear extensions, and the people who wear extensions are black people,' Deanna told CBS Boston.

Mya told the station that she was 'excited to be celebrating my culture because I have white parents and it's very important to participate in the culture'.

The twins were adopted by Colleen and Aaron Cook, who were both outraged over the 'discriminatory' hair code.

'I'm angry, I feel like my children are beautiful, they're black, they should be proud of themselves, I'm very proud of them,' Colleen said.

Aaron said the policy 'specifically discriminates against African-American children as it relates to hair extensions'.

'You typically do not see Caucasian children with hair extensions. The fact that it's in the handbook does not make it a non-discriminatory policy,' he added.

Though there was some satisfaction at the school's decision Sunday the twins' father was cautious, saying: 'We are viewing this as a step in the right direction'

But Dan told CBS that the policy was simply meant to minimize fashion expenses for families.

Dan had said the extensions were prohibited because they are expensive and 'could serve as a differentiating factor between students from dissimilar socioeconomic backgrounds'.

The school administrator added that the policy is one that is consistent with the institution's desire to create an environment 'that celebrates all that students have in common and minimizes material differences and distractions'.

Both girls received multiple detentions and weren't allowed to go to any of their school functions. The girls had received up to 14 detentions and risked suspension and expulsion for not taking out their hair extensions, according to NBC News.

After the trustees' decision, Dan said students would be allowed to resume all school activities, but he did not clarify if detentions would be removed from students' records.

The twins, pictured, received up to 14 detentions for not taking their extensions out. After the trustees' decision to suspend the ban and allow students to return to school activites, it was not clear whether detentions would be removed from students' records

Earlier this month, the Cook family decided to seek help from the ACLU, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Attorney General's office.

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice Education Project Director Matthew Cregor wrote a letter to Dan detailing three ways in which the school's policy may have violated the federal anti-discrimination law.

First, Cregor wrote that the twins' parents 'expressed concern that white students who dye their hair are not facing the same consequences as black students with braids or extensions'.

Cregor then wrote that 'unlike the jewelry and nail polish prohibited in your code, braids and extensions are worn primarily by African-American and Afro-Caribbean students, raising concerns of discriminatory treatment'.

Lastly, he added that it's not clear how braiding, 'a deep-rooted cultural practice of people of African descent, can be put in the same category' as unnatural hair colors that they school deems 'distracting'.

Another issue Cregor addressed was that the school's hiring policies may also be discriminatory, since only one black teacher works there out of the 156 employed.
A woman has been filmed unleashing a racist tirade on an Asian Australian woman on a Sydney train.

The passenger had asked the woman to stop littering as the train travelled through the city's north, according to ABC News.

'You've got the rubbish on your f***ing head and your f***ing bags,' the woman appeared to say as she pointed her finger at the terrified passenger.

A woman with a history of vilifying Asian Australians has been filmed unleashing another racist tirade on a Sydney train

'No Americans, not anybody else - only Asia. Where's the f***ing money come from?' the woman said, though it is unclear what point she was trying to make.

The woman filming, who was also of Asian background, told the ABC she was too scared to become involved in the ugly incident.

According to the broadcaster, the abuser is the same woman who was captured on film and prosecuted for abusing an Asian couple in a Sydney park in 2015.

She approached the couple and demanded they give up their seat for another woman - because they were Asian and she was Anglo-Saxon, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The woman can be heard screaming obscenities including: 'You take all the f****** jobs.'

The woman can be heard screaming obscenities including: 'You take all the f****** jobs'

The woman in question bears a striking resemblance to another woman filmed in a separate incident of bigotry in 2015.

In that video, she sits beside a young Australian woman of Asian heritage and labels her a 'f****** ugly f****** ch***' and accuses her of being a drug dealer.

'We all know what you are - China Take your f****** luggage and p*** off. F****** ch***,' she can be heard saying.

'I'm Jewish from Israel and you are f****** nothing.'

After the latest incident, Sydney Trains CEO told the ABC: 'What I saw there was terrible victimisation.'

He urged commuters to report any similar incidents to authorities.
The daughter of a big game hunter who was crushed to death when an elephant fell on top of him has posted a tribute on Facebook.

Carmen Botha, 21, uploaded an image of herself as a child alongside father Theunis as the pair clutch a rifle and rest their hands on a dead gazelle.

The post appeared on Sunday with no caption, and quickly drew hundreds of likes and comments from people sending their condolences.

Carmen Botha, 21, the daughter of big game hunter Theunis who was crushed to death by an elephant, posted this image of herself and her father on Facebook in tribute

Theunis (left) was leading a hunting group in Zimbabwe when a female elephant was shot and fell on top of him, crushing him. He was remembered online by daughter Carmen (right)

Paul Scott wrote: 'We are sending prayers from England to you and your family.'

Meanwhile Moses Mohale added: 'My heartfelt condolences. God help you and your family in these tough times.

'Trust in Him, He promised that He will never leave or forsake us.'

Theunis, 51, a well-known safari leader and hunter from South Africa, died during a hunting trip in Gwai, Zimbabwe, when his group came across a breeding herd of elephants.

The group opened fired on the elephants, which got spooked and charged them.

One female elephant is then reported to have picked up Botha with its trunk.

In an attempt to save Botha one of the hunters shot the elephant, but this caused the dying animal to fall on top of him, crushing him to death.

Botha is survived by his wife Carika and their five children, all who live in Tzaneen, South Africa.

Theunis was a well-known hunter and ran a company offering the experience to others. Carmen posted several images of herself with what appears to be hunting trophies online

Theunis is survived by wife Carika (together left) and their five children (Carmen pictured right), all of whom live in the city of Tzaneen, South Africa

Carika is expected to make the trip to Zimbabwe in the next few days to identify her husband's body and then bring him home.

Botha was a highly regarded houndsman, and frequently led leopard and lion hunting safaris with his pack of dogs for his company Game Hounds Safaris.

The website says he pioneered the traditional European-style 'Monteria hunts' in southern African countries.

He was a well known hunter in Zimbabwe, and often traveled to the United States to recruit wealthy Americans to take part in big game trophy hunting in Africa.

Carmen appears to take after her father, having posted several images of herself on Facebook alongside dead animals, including a boar and a monkey.

She also appears to own at least one pet dog and is pictured alongside several cows, as her family are reported to be ranchers.
The last unidentified victim of the 1992 Los Angeles riots now has a name: Armando Ortiz Hernandez.

The 18-year-old Hernandez was identified last month through fingerprints, Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Ed Winter said Friday.

'We tried many, many times over the years. Every couple of years, someone would pick up the file,' Winter said, according to the Los Angeles Times. 'Finally, we did it.'

The last unknown victim of the 1992 LA riots has been identified as Armando Ortiz Hernandez. Above, police form a line to prevent looters from getting inside a building during the riots on April 30

The prints were sent to a special FBI squad that specializes in identifying the victims of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina or the 9/11 attacks. Hernandez had a few minor arrests in L.A. County and Anaheim which the FBI was able to use to identify him.

Hernandez died of 'inhalation of smoke, soot, carbon monoxide and thermal burns,' Winter said. His body was found May 2, 1992, inside a Pep Boys auto parts shop that was set ablaze during the riots in South Los Angeles.

The shop was set on fire on the first day of the riots, April 29, 1992.

Investigators have said they were able to lift a single fingerprint from Hernandez's left middle finger.

Hernandez had one family member, a sister in Mexico who has since been informed of his death.

The looting and violence that would turn into one of the deadliest race riots in American history was sparked after a jury acquitted four white police officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King.

Video shot by a citizen captured officers repeatedly striking, kicking and using a stun gun on King, even after he was on the ground.

A total of 58 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured during several days of violence.

Officer Jorge Marcias was the cop who found Hernandez's body.

He said he was patrolling in the area on May 2 when a 10-year-old boy approached him and said 'there a dead guy' in the burned down Pep Boys.

'He pointed to a burnt-out pile of rubble on the west side of the street, which I believe was either Figueroa or Vermont. I asked him to show me where, and we approached the still-smoldering structure.

'The boy pointed beyond some fallen girders, which had fallen at acute angles ostensibly from the roof, when the roof had given way, sealing the victims fate. I had to duck-walk under the maze of obstacles, including the blackened steel beams, until I reached the remains.

'I never forgot this person or the young boy that first led me to the body,' Macias told the Los Angeles Times.

Hernandez's remains were cremated and buried in a mass grave at the L.A. County cemetery with other unclaimed bodies.

Since the gas station was set on fire on purpose, Hernandez's death was ruled a homicide. Twenty-three of the homicides related to the riots - including Hernandez's - have still not been solved.

Authorities believe Hernandez was inside the Pep Boys when it was set on fire. They found a pair of blue underwear, remnants of a pair of blue jeans and a .38-caliber bullet casing inside the store.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted that President Trump would get an 'enormous boost' from his first foreign trip, as the touched down in Israel Monday after spending the weekend in Saudi Arabia.

Gingrich, a key ally of the president's, said the trip is going smoothly in part because Trump has restrained himself from one of his favorite mediums and also stayed away from reporters, who the former House speaker called 'midgets,' 'pygmies' and 'voyeurs,' during an interview on Fox & Friends.

'You'll notice, he's not talking to the news media, he's not tweeting randomly, he's not doing the things that allow his enemies to get at him,' Gingrich said Monday morning.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (left) suggested President Trump (right) could get an 'enormous boost' from his current foreign trip

Newt Gingrich suggested President Trump's (pictured) foreign trip has been successful so far, in part, because the president has stayed off Twitter and away from reporters

In the run-up to Trump's departure from Washington on Friday, his administration was drowning in negative news coverage, stemming from his firing of FBI Director James Comey and then an ill-timed Oval Office meeting with top Russian officials.

However, since his arrival in Saudi Arabia, Trump seems to have gotten, at least partially, back on track.

Gingrich suggested that Trump could use his travels as a much-needed reboot.

'If it continues how the first several days have, I think the president is going to come home with a better understanding of what he should do,' Gingrich surmised.

The former Speaker gave credit to Trump's 'very professional team' for putting together, 'very methodically,' the five-county trip, which will see the president off to Italy, Vatican City and Belgium after he departs Israel.

'If the president comes back home and applies those lessons to health care, to tax policy, to job creation, to infrastructure, you'll see a new and dramatically more dynamic Trump administration,' Gingrich said. 'And the country may follow.'

After spending the weekend in Saudi Arabia, President Trump (left) arrived in Israel today. Here he's speaking alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (right) in Jerusalem

'The news media may not, but the country will follow,' the longtime Republican politician added.

Gingrich was also aghast with how the news media treated the president.

'It's ironic that if you're the king of Saudi Arabia, the prime minister of Israel, the president of Egypt, you treat Donald Trump with enormous respect as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, and yet the reporters treat him with contempt,' he began.

'The reporters are pygmies, they're little midgets,' he said. 'They've spent their lifetime as voyeurs watching the people do real things.'

The former speaker suggested that the president stop giving access to reporters who disrespect him.

'It strikes me that the president ought to establish a new rule and say, look, if you're determined to be a midget, that's fine, but you're not going to be at a press conference with me or my staff and I think they need to have a much tougher attitude toward the media,' Gingrich advised, suggesting this would cause reporters to fall in line.

But Gingrich also suggested that Trump just be Trump, calling the president an ideas guy, and someone who will get deals done to improve the world and bring jobs back to the United States.

'If he keeps pulling rabbits out of his hat like he has so far he's going to come home a much bigger figure and a much more historic figure,' Gingrich predicted.
David Gallacher has been jailed for kicking a pregnant Muslim woman in the stomach so that she miscarried her unborn twins

A 'shabby racist' has been jailed for nearly four years for repeatedly kicking a pregnant Muslim woman in the stomach before she miscarried her unborn twins.

David Gallacher attacked Samsam Haji-Ali and her husband Abdullah Sulamain in the car park of the Co-op in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire in August last year.

The 37-year-old racially abused her as she sat in the car, before kicking her in the stomach despite her shouting 'I'm pregnant'.

He then set upon Mr Sulamain, hitting him across the head.

Prosecutor Christopher Wing said Gallacher told the expectant mother: 'You come here with your clown outfit on, you f***ing people, you are the f***ing problem in this place'.

The court heard when Mr Sulamain went to try and calm Gallacher, he was hit across the head with a wine bottle and bag of ice. He received a four-inch cut, which later required stitches.

Sentencing Gallacher, Judge Francis Sheridan said: '(He) swung the bottle towards her before he kicked her.

'She told him she was pregnant, and he continued to kick her again, after he was told she was pregnant.'

The sentence means Gallacher will be eligible for automatic parole after serving less than two years in prison and will spend the rest of the term on licence.

The shocking attack happened outside this Co-op store in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire

The woman was left rolling around on the floor in agony, and miscarried on August 24 last year.

He added: 'This lady's pregnancy was absolutely fine before she attended that shop and the defendant kicked her again in the stomach having been told she was pregnant.

'There was a racial element to this attack. The defendant is a shabby racist on the language that he used towards this lady.'

He continued: 'She is left rolling around on the ground in agony and later found there is bleeding before she lost the baby.'

Judge Sheridan said he would leave it to others to decide whether the crown needed medical evidence to prove the link between the attack and the miscarriage, or whether common sense was enough.

The judge branded Gallacher a 'shabby racist' as he jailed him for nearly four years today

He said he was of the view that 'the loss of that baby was a direct result of a kick to the stomach of a pregnant woman'.

Addressing Gallacher, he added: 'You are a thug and a racist to boot.

'It is time you learnt that your vile conduct and abhorrent views are a thing of the past.

'This county will not bow to the views of racists, because decent society demands that intolerance is shown to all racists of any sort, however they chose to express their hatred of others, or dislike of others and the abuse that goes with it.'

The judge said he had not awarded compensation in the case because he 'simply could not put a price on the lost baby'.

Mr Wing told the court that, when questioned by police, Gallacher claimed he was not a racist because he 'taught himself Muslim' and speaks to members of the Muslim community.

Wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans, Gallacher of no fixed address, appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court, and spoke only to confirm his identity and plead guilty.

He admitted two counts of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and three counts of assaulting a police officer during his arrest on September 14 last year.

He was jailed for three years and seven months for the race attacks, and four months for the officer assaults.

When arrested Gallacher was aggressive, spat at officers, and attempted to bite them, telling them he had Hepatitis B.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday in Israel that the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is so great that other Arab nations are finding themselves siding with the Jewish state.

And Israeli President Reuven Rivlin told reporters that his nation's 'dream' of living in peace with its neighbors could easily become 'a nightmare' if radical Islamists aren't held in check.

'The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon  never ever!' Trump said outside the president's ceremonial residence in Jerusalem.

He demanded that Tehran 'must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias. And it must cease immediately.'

U.S. President Donald Trump ( left) and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (right) spoke Monday in Jerusalem about the threat posed by ISIS, Iran and Syria

Trump told Rivlin that he believes Iran must 'never' be armed with a nuclear weapon

Rivlin said a nuke in the hands of newly re-elected Iranian president Hassan Rouhani could turn Israel's peaceful-coexistence 'dream' into a 'nightmare'

The two men had just finished a bilateral meeting about regional security issues. Iran was on both of their minds.

Rivlin said Israelis 'must be sure that we don't go to sleep with a dream and wake up with a nightmare  with Iran, ISIS and Hamas in our borders.'

'In order to dream, we need to be sure that Iran is out! Out of our borders, out of Syria, out of Lebanon.'

Iran has spent years building a nuclear program with the goal of producing a weapon capable of reaching Israel, according to international observers.

A staple of annual military parades is a medium-range ballistic missile rolling on a truck, with the words 'Death to Israel' painted on it in Arabic.

ISIS, too, has become an existential threat to Israel as it operates in parts of Syria that are as close as 25 miles from the border.

Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions are on display every year with military parades like this one, a month ago, that included a missile with the words "Death to Israel" displayed nearby

Trump and Rivlin were accompanied by first lady Melania Trump to the site of a ceremonial tree planting behind Rivlin's residence, marking the occasion of the U.S. president's visit

'There is a price that must be paid by those who violate the most basic values that make us human,' Rivlin said, speaking of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad (pictured) and his use of chemical weapons against civilians

The U.S. launched guided missiles last month against the airfield used in those strikes, and Rivlin said more are needed

'You marked the defeating of ISIS as one of your top missions,' Rivlin told Trump on Monday, reflecting on their private talks.

'This is a most important objective. Israel will do everything in its power in order to assist you in this mission,' he said.

The Israeli president also praised Trump's April decision to strike a Syrian air base that had been used to launch chemical weapons against civilians  and called for more military action in the future.

'There are "red lines," as it happened in Syria, that must never be crossed,' Rivlin said.

'There is a price that must be paid by those who violate the most basic values that make us human. Further action must be considered in [the] face of the horror that is still taking place on the other side of our border.'

Trump pledged greater cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem.

'Both Israel and America face common threats,' he said, 'from ISIS and other terrorist groups, to countries like Iran that sponsor terrorism and fund and foment terrible violence, not only here but all over the world.'

Trump said Monday that in talks with King Salman of Saudi Arabia (pictured at right) and other Arab leaders, he learned that many are so alarmed at iran's belligerence that they now have 'common cause' with Israel

Trump arrived in Israel on Monday from Saudi Arabia, and will next go to Rome for a Papal audience before visiting Brussels and Sicily for NATO and G7 meetings

he cited 'a strong consensus among the nations of the world, including many in the Muslim world,' that Iran in particular is becoming an unsustainable aggressor against Israel.

'I was deeply encouraged by my conversations with Muslim world leaders in Saudi Arabia, including King Salman, who I spoke to at great length,' he said.

Trump came to Israel directly from Riyadh, where he addressed 55 leaders of Arab and other Muslim-majority nations about the global terrorist threat. He also held bilateral meetings with Gulf nations and the president of Afghanistan.

'There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran,' he told Rivlin on Monday.

'And it is indeed a threat. There's no question about that.'

Rivlin and Trump posed for cameras at a ceremonial tree-planting behind the residence and then went to visit the Church of the Hoily Sepulchre, which Christian tradition holds was built on the site of Jesus Christ's burial and resurrection.

Trump's first foreign trip as president is being called the 'monotheism hattrick' in Washington, D.C. circles because he is visiting some of the holiest sites in Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

Later on Monday the president will visit Jerusalem's Western Wall. On Tuesday he will lay a wreath at the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

On Wednesday the president will have an audience with Pope Francis in Rome.
James Pennington, above, of Denver, was charged with felony assault after allegedly removing a transgender woman's testicles with an Army surgical kit

A transgender woman who asked an amateur surgeon to remove her testicles has defended the man who is now facing felony assault charges.

The woman, who is only known as Jane Doe, has written a letter to clear the name of James Lowell Pennington, who performed the operation in Denver.

Pennington, 57, has been charged with felony assault according to Denver Police and he is being held on foot of a $50,000 bail bond.

A police affidavit said James Lowell Pennington, 57, removed the testicles and sutured the opening while the woman's wife witnessed the 90-minute procedure.

The wife called 911 about three hours later when blood poured from the incision.

The affidavit says the testicles could not have been reattached because of the lag between the procedure and the 911 call.

Pennington was arrested Thursday on suspicion of first degree assault causing serious bodily injury and is jailed without bond.

In a letter to 12 News, the woman wrote: ' Three days prior to writing this I had an unlicensed operation done in my home to remove my testicles. There was a complication during the operation and while the operation was successful in its purpose, I started to bleed heavily afterward and my spouse was forced to call emergency medical services. Shortly thereafter the man who did the operation on me was arrested, and shortly after that his name was released to the press who have now released several stories painting the man as a monster and me as a victim.

The victim was rushed to Medical Center of Aurora (above) but doctors could not reattach her testicles

'I am here to verify that I am indeed a victim. However, I am not a victim of 57 year old James Lowell Pennington who is the suspect in this case. I am a victim of a society and healthcare system that focuses on trying to demonize transgender people and prevent us from getting the medical transition we need instead of trying to do what is best for us. Arranging a back-alley surgery was out of pure desperation due to a system that failed me.

'Do not paint me as a victim of naivety or obsession and do not paint Mr. Pennington as a monster.'

According to the woman, she was 'assigned male sex at birth' but has been female since she had any sort of gender identity.

The woman said she tried to be a devout Christian and follow the Bible and then attempted to be a gay man, which did not work.

The woman said she contacted Pennington because he was willing to perform the operation.

She said: 'I had been abandoned and tossed aside by a highly transphobic system and was kept year after year from completing my transition. Mr. Pennington presented me an opportunity to achieve this goal. He offered me a kindness which the environment I live in denied me.

So, no, I am not a victim of Mr. Pennington, nor is Mr. Pennington a monster. I will not be pressing charges against him because of this. I hope the District Attorney is kind to him, and while I hope he never operates again because of how dangerous it turned out to be, that he is not harshly sentenced.I am one of many victims of a society and healthcare system which focuses on trying to bully and discourage transgender people into the shadows instead of realizing that we are here, we are real, and we deserve and absolutely need these medical resources.'

She added: 'As long as this system continues in its present form there will continue to be events like this. Until this system is fixed and transgender people are encouraged and able to get the care we need, there will always be cases like me.'
A veteran Texas police officer has been accused of asking an 18-year-old woman for nude photographs of herself in return for waving her traffic ticket violations.

Officer Michael Coppock, 33, a cop from Baytown near Houston, allegedly offered to change two violations to just warnings if she sent him the pictures.

Investigators say Coppock ticketed the driver for speeding and having an expired registration.

Officer Michael Coppock allegedly told an 18-year-old driver that he would change two traffic tickets to warnings if the teen sent him naked pictures of herself (file photo)

Although Coppock has not yet been charged, the allegations against him were laid out in search warrants and other documents.

Less than an hour after pulling the teen over, he apparently began contacting her through social media and text messages.

KHOU revealed investigators have viewed screenshots of online conversations which have been described as 'coercive.'

The station has also confirmed a that Coppock is the target of both a criminal and internal affairs investigation.

Coppock is still on the Baytown Police force as a member of the SWAT team, but he has been pulled from patrol duty during the investigation.
The Green Party wants to give cash hand-outs to millionaires and introduce a four day week, according to their manifesto.

The party today laid out plans to to take steps towards introducing a universal basic income - although did not say how much this would cost.

If rolled out the radical plan would see every British citizen get money from the state - no matter how rich they are.

Caroline Lucas, pictured today at her manifesto launch in London, wants to bring in a universal basic income which would give cash handouts to everyone, even millionaires

Some countries have eyed up the plans to introduce a universal basic income in order to deal with fears the rise of robots will lead to mass unemployment and poverty.

But the policy would be massively expensive and some experts have warned that it is simply unworkable.

Caroline Lucas, the party's joint leader and only MP, said the policy is part of creating a 'new kind of economy'.

What is a universal basic income? It is a cash payment made to all citizens or residents of a country, regardless of whether they work or not or how wealthy they are. The benefit has attracted a lot of discussion as some experts believe it is a way to ensure people have money and security even if they are kicked out of their jobs by robots. But some experts have warned that the benefit would be hugely expensive and could be a disincentive to work. Earlier this year Finland became the first country in Europe to introduce a form of universal basic income. Under the scheme, 2,000 jobless people will receive 560 euros (485) every month for two years.. Advertisement

Launching the manifesto today in Soho, central London, she said: 'We face challenges that we cant possibly pretend to fix in 100 days or even 1,000.

'Threats to our economic future and our security. Threats to the planet

'But by working together and standing up for what matters we can change the course of history.

'While other parties ignore the environment, Greens will protect it

'We will transform people lives with bold policies like a basic income and shorter working week.'

The party's manifesto states that the party will 'take steps towards the introduction of a universal basic income, including a government sponsored pilot scheme, as a means to increase security and avoid the poverty trap.

But it did not spell out how much the commitment would cost or who would be first in line to get it.

Some experts have been highly critical of the scheme, which they warn will be hugely expensive.

Green Party joint leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, at the launch in Soho in Lonodn today, say they are unveiling a plan for a new economy

Ms Lucas and Mr Bartley with the manifesto in Soho in London today. Experts have warned that a universal basic income would be hugely expensive.

Professor Patrick Minford, from Cardiff University's Business School, told the BBC earlier this year: This is not a workable scheme because it's far too expensive.

GREEN PARTY MANIFESTO AT A GLANCE: Take steps towards introducing a universal basic income Introduce a four day working week and abolish zero hour contracts Scrap Britains Trident nuclear deterrent Hold a referendum on the Brexit deal and keep freedom of movement Increase the overseas aid budget from 0.7 per cent of GDP to one per cent. Scrap university tuition fees and raise the school starting age to seven Introduce rent controls and scrap letting fees Introduce a wealth tax and a Robin Hood tax on financial transactions Tougher environmental protections and replace fracking with clean energy Advertisement

It creates a tremendous tax, a disincentive for the average person further up the income scale who's paying for it all.

Ms Lucas also repeated her party's threat to thwart Brexit by holding another referendum on the deal.

And she wants to scrap Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent - seen as crucial to the country's national security.

Ms Lucas said: 'We will defend free movement and we will give the British people an explicit option to remain part of the EU as part of a 'ratification referendum' on the Brexit deal.'

The Green Party also wants to dramatically increase the amount of money going into Britain's foreign aid budget - from 0.7 per cent of national income to one per cent.

They also promise to scrap university tuition fees and delay the age children start school at to seven years-old.

The party also wants to introduce rent controls and scrap letting fees.

The manifesto also promises tougher environmental controls and to replace fracking with clean energy initiatives.
A new initiative introduced by Woolworths supermarket will see shoppers rewarded with free groceries in exchange for reviewing products.

Following a successful trial late last year the grocer giants will invite the online community to contribute their thoughts on products as part of a new testing club.

So far customers signed up to the program have saved over $100 within a few months from sampling a range of products including soups, lamb shanks and crackers.

A new Woolworths initiative will see shoppers rewarded with free groceries

Anyone in Australia is able to sign up who has a Woolworths Rewards card.

Gemma Howells, senior Own Brand portfolio manager at Woolworths said the supermarket moguls are looking for shoppers who represent the average Australian customer, according to Newscorp.



Another intake for The Bunch will take place at the end of June. Once members have been selected they are notified when new samples are available.

They can then claim the sample, which is loaded onto the rewards card. The shopper collects the item during their next trip to the supermarket and when they scan their card, the cost of the item is subtracted from the final total.

Customers will have the chance to review products in exchange for free samples

Posting feedback is optional, however, the more active a reviewer is on the website the more free samples they will receive which is rated on a gamification system with different Bunch levels.

'The more you sample and review, the more people interact with you and like what you're doing, the higher you go. At the highest level people will get a sample every other week, then on top of that are first-come, first-served samples.

'What we've seen is our most active users are getting an opportunity to sample each week. It could be anything. The whole point is variety.'

Following a successful trial late 2016 the feedback will help development teams find out which products customers favour

She said consumers are able to try new and existing products and give feedback as a guide to Woolworths product development teams.

'Instead of just receiving bite-size samples in store, were giving customers the opportunity to try full-sized portions for free in their own homes.

'In exchange, we want them to cook, experiment and test them with their family and friends, then decide what they think of them and share their honest ratings and reviews on The Bunch.'
A millionaire Republican donor and Donald Trump supporter has been convicted of sexual battery in Washington DC for an incident on the eve of the president's inauguration.

John Joseph Boswell, 70, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse in a DC court last month after allegedly touching two maids in his hotel suite inappropriately on January 19.

Boswell, who is CEO of Independent Stave Company - the worlds largest wine-and-whiskey barrel manufacturer, was accused of approaching the first worker from behind in his room at the Mayflower Hotel and 'rubbing her buttocks', the Washington Post reports.

'This is very nice stuff, I like that!' he said, according to a police report of the incident.

John Joseph Boswell (pictured), a millionaire Republican donor and Donald Trump supporter, has been convicted for sexual battery in Washington DC for an incident on the eve of the president's inauguration

The maid, who is an African immigrant and still works at the hotel, froze when she was grabbed and said 'sorry sir' before another cleaner came in.

The Post reports the maid immediately jumped away from Boswell when her colleague entered the room, before she ran out physically shaking.

The second maid, according to the police report, was then also touched inappropriately by the married father-of-three.

The newspaper cites a police report stating Boswell 'placed his hand on the top of her shoulder' while she was making the bed. But the maid then ordered him to sit down.

Neither of the workers reported what happened, however the next day another co-worker told a manager and then police were contacted.

The 70-year-old was then arrested at his hotel room about 6.30pm on January 20 and hauled away by police. He was released from the DC Superior Court on January 21, and when he left the courthouse he was initially thought by a crowd outside to be one of the 200 or so anti-Trump protesters arrested on the day of the inauguration.

Boswell, 70, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual abuse in a DC court last month after allegedly touching two maids in his hotel suite inappropriately on January 19

The incident took place in the Mayflower Hotel (pictured in 2008) on January 19 this year

However, someone quickly shouted out - the Post reports - he was a 'sex offender', which prompted the crowd to quickly turn.

Boswell was then pelted with fruit and other garbage. He was hit in the face with an orange slice.

When the 70-year-old appeared in court he pleaded guilty, despite telling the Post he was innocent by claiming he 'patted' the maid on the 'lower back' in a 'friendly gesture'.

But in an email sent to Boswell's legal team, assistant US attorney Vivian Kim painted a different picture.

'He took advantage of [her] while she was working, vulnerable, and alone,' Kim wrote, according to the Post.

Boswell was sentenced to 10 days behind bars and six months probation, but the jail time was suspended.

Boswell (left and right) was accused of approaching the worker from behind in his room at the Mayflower Hotel and 'rubbing her buttocks'

Boswell was staying at the hotel during Donald Trump's inauguration. This picture from the hotel's Instagram account shows what it looked like inside on January 20

The 70-year-old, who earns $600,000 per month according to court records and lives in a 14,000-square-foot, $7million Palm Beach mansion, was fined $50.

Judge Michael Ryan also granted Boswell special dispensation to be allowed to travel out of the country while he was on probation. The 70-year-old went on holiday to the Bahamas in April, and is reportedly set to visit the Dominican Republic later this month.

In contrast to Boswell's jet-setting few months since the sexual assault, one of the maid's has been forced to move apartments after receiving an 'aggressive' visit from the CEO's legal team, the Post reports.

A co-worker who spoke to the newspaper said the two women never discussed what happened in the room with each other, and the first maid would cry whenever she spoke to anyone else about it.

Boswell, according to the Post, has donated more than $120,000 to 'Republican candidates and conservative groups' since 1992. He supported Marco Rubio and Ben Carson during the Republican primaries, before he embraced Trump in time for the inauguration and traveled to Washington to celebrate it.

The two maids both still work at the hotel. They have not been named publicly.
Retired railway clerk Stanley May, 74, a lifelong supporter of Co-op, hit his head on the floor and died two days later

Co-op has been fined 400,000 after the death of a devoted customer who slipped on water from a leaking display that had been faulty for nearly two days.

Retired railway clerk Stanley May, 74, a lifelong supporter of the supermarket, hit his head on the floor and died in hospital two days later.

A court heard that the water leaked from a faulty sandwich chiller but customers had not been prevented from entering the area at the branch in Truro, Cornwall.

Staff had mopped up the water and engineers had been called the day before the accident but the water continued to leak.

On the day Mr May fell in July 2015 the leaking chiller had not been reported as a maintenance issue and the only control method was a wet floor sign.

The supermarket giant admitted failing to protect customers under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was also ordered to pay 50,000 court costs.

Mr May, a grandfather and father-of-three, was a stalwart of his local community and a lifetime user of the Co-op.

He even attended the re-opening of the store opposite his home in India Queens, Cornwall.

Speaking after the case outside Truro Crown Court, his daughter, Victoria Parsons, 49, said: 'We're absolutely devastated with the loss of dad.

'He was a very special person - and my mum died a month after he did. She couldn't cope with the loss of her beloved husband.

'He was a regular at the Co-op and a member of the Co-op.'

Victoria Parsons, daughter of Stan May and his granddaughter Emily Parsons aged 20, outside of the Truro Crown Court in Cornwall

She added: 'We would like everyone to learn that this could have so easily been avoided - if they had kept an eye on that water my dad would still be alive today.

'If anything could come out of this, please just think of water on the floor. It sends me into panic attacks now seeing it.'

Judge Simon Carr said: 'What happened was easily avoidable.

'It was a problem that would've been identifiable by anybody present and working in the store.

'The company tried to address the problem but did so inadequately.'

He said specialist pads were not in use when they should have been, the chiller should have been turned off and the aisle closed or a member of staff constantly present to keep an eye on the leakage.

Instead, staff cleaned the leak on an ad hoc basis.

The Judge paid tribute to Mr. May as 'an exceptional man' who was in 'good health'.

Defending the Co-operative Group Ltd, Keith Morton QC said the company pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

The Co-op said: 'We deeply regret the death of Mr Stanley May. No words can help ease his family's loss. We have privately expressed our regret and apologised to them. Pictured above, the store in Cornwall

He added that the Truro store and the company as a whole had a 'great safety record' and has the lowest incident rate for customer accidents according to a report looking at six supermarket chains.

Standing with her 20-year-old daughter Emily, Mrs Parsons added: 'I totally accept what the Co-op have said, they have been extremely helpful in this case.

'They didn't make us go to court, they admitted liability straight away. They have been extremely helpful to the family.'

Mr. May was a local historian and avid collector who worked as station clerk at Newquay for 31 years.

In 2012 he was given an award by his local council for his community and history work.

He also spent 20 years as branch treasurer for St John Ambulance and was a former parish councillor and chairman.

The Co-op said: 'We deeply regret the death of Mr Stanley May. No words can help ease his family's loss. We have privately expressed our regret and apologised to them.

'The health and safety of our customers is always of paramount concern. We accept things went wrong and have acted on the lessons learnt from Mr May's tragic death.'

The court also heard that the company made a significant donation to a local charity of the family's choice.
This is the awkward moment Israel's prime minister tried to stop one of his politicians from taking a selfie with US President Donald Trump.

Trump was being escorted down the red carpet at Ben-Gurion International Airport by Benjamin Netanyahu when one of his team seized the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime snap.

Lawmaker Oren Hazan, a politician with a reputation for inappropriate antics, whipped out his mobile phone for a picture with the US president who is on a two-day tour of Israeli and Palestinian territories.

An irate Netanyahu was filmed trying to grab his arm but Hazan, who was not even invited to the lavish welcome ceremony, had already taken the photo.

Benjamin Netanyahu tried to swat away lawmaker Oren Hazan (right) who whipped out his mobile phone for a picture with the US president at Ben-Gurion airport

Israel's embarrassed prime minister tried to stop one of his politicians from taking a selfie with US President Donald Trump on the red carpet shortly after he arrived in the country

One Israeli TV commentator branded Hazan a 'disgrace' while the Jerusalem Post declared it a 'national embarrassment'. Pictured left to right: Sara Netanyahu, Bejamin Netanyahu, Trump and his wife Melania at Ben-Gurion airport

One Israeli TV commentator branded Hazan a 'disgrace' while the Jerusalem Post declared it a 'national embarrassment'.

Mr Hazan still posted the photo on his Facebook account with the caption: 'Thank you, Mr President - it was my pleasure!'

The bizarre incident came as Netanyahu declared his country's relationship with the US was stronger than ever as Donald Trump touched down in Tel Aviv.

Tweeting from his official account, the Israeli leader wrote 'ever stronger' next to a photo of himself, Trump, Melania Trump and his wife Sara all shaking hands.

Trump had earlier hailed the two countries' 'unbreakable bond' and vowed to secure the 'ultimate' Middle East peace deal.

The trip to Israel has so far unfolded without a hitch, despite an incident prior to Trump's arrival in which a motorist mowed down five people in Tel Aviv.

The bizarre incident came as Netanyahu declared his country's relationship with the US was stronger than ever

President Trump (pictured alighting Air Force One with Melania) arrived in Israel to much pomp and fanfare on his two-day visit to Israeli and Palestinian territories

Trump (pictured at Ben-Gurion airport today) had earlier hailed the two countries' 'unbreakable bond' and vowed to secure the 'ultimate' Middle East peace deal

Dignitaries and Israeli officials lined the red carpet for President Trump's much anticipated arrival

Trump had asked Netanyahu whether he was allowed to pose for photos as they strolled past dignitaries and politicians, to which the prime minister threw up his hands and replied: 'Who knows?'

Trump promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while campaigning for president last year.

Since taking office he's backed away from that promise, saying the issue needs more study. His response to Bennett was a curt 'that's a good one.'

Israel captured east Jerusalem 50 years ago and claims the area - home to sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites - as part of its capital.

The Palestinians also claim east Jerusalem as their capital and previous U.S. administrations have said the area's fate must be decided through negotiations.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan informed Trump of a possible attack in Tel Aviv that transpired while the president was airborne. A car crashed into a crowd of pedestrians, injuring three people.

Trump (pictured with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin) had earlier asked Netanyahu whether he was allowed to pose for photos as they strolled past dignitaries and politicians, to which the prime minister threw up his hands and replied: 'Who knows?'

Trump promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while campaigning for president last year

'You know that it's possible that today it was also a terror attack. We're still investigating a ramming in Tel Aviv,' Erdan said, even though police had already said the incident was a car accident.

Before boarding the Marine One helicopter for Jerusalem, the premier's wife, Sara Netanyahu, told first lady Melania Trump that they had a lot in common with the Trumps.

'The majority of people in Israel, unlike the media, they love us, so we tell them how you are great, and they love you,' Mrs. Netanyahu said.
Police in Arizona are searching for a man accused of chasing children while wearing a menacing mask and brandishing an ax.

Authorities in Glendale are asking for the publics help in identifying the suspect who showed up at San Martin Apartments on Wednesday and chased several terrified children who were playing outside in broad daylight.

Police say they got a 911 call at around 1.45pm on May 17 saying a tall man with a thin build and what was initially described as a clown mask jumped over a fence into the apartment complex at 6800 North 67th Avenue.

Masked menace: Police in Glendale, Arizona, recovered this Guy Fawkes-style mask in a local field after getting reports about a masked man threatening children

Deadly weapon: Police also found this ax, which the mystery perpetrator was said to have been carrying while chasing kids in Glendale on May 17

Several kids had an early release from school that day and were playing outside their apartment building when the masked stranger wielding an ax appeared in the yard and began chasing them, according to multiple local news reports. No children were injured.

One of the victims, Ruben Moody, quoted the intruder as telling him, 'You better run because we are coming for you.'

'I turned around an all of a sudden I see a clown go by and then he just starts running at me,' another boy, Dominic Altman, tells ABC15. 'I thought I was going to die today.'

Responding officers later searched the area and recovered a Guy Fawkes-style mask and a real ax in a nearby field, but there was no sign of the perpetrator.

The incident took place at San Martin Apartments at 6800 North 67th Avenue in Glendale

Police say they are not sure whether the suspect was playing a sick practical joke, or whether he was actually trying to hurt children.

We definitely are concerned that there's possibly someone out there trying to hurt children, Sgt. Scott Waite, with the Glendale Police Department, tells AZFamily.com.

Wednesday's incident was the second report of a masked suspect in the Glendale area last week.

If the perpetrator is arrested, he will likely face felony aggravated assault charges owning to the fact that he came armed with a deadly weapon.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says his quest this year to visit every state he hadn't traveled to before is about building relationships, not politics.

The 33-year-old billionaire said in a Facebook post last night that some users have asked if the trip means he's running for public office.

Zuckerberg said he's not running for anything. Instead, he said the visits around the country are in order 'to get a broader perspective.'

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post that some users have asked if his trips to every state means he's running for public office. He said the visits around the country are in order 'to get a broader perspective'

A portion of the post also gives stories of specific visits the 33-year-old billionaire has had in various parts of the country

Zuckerberg visited Ford Rouge Plant in Dearborn, Michigan to start his Great Lakes portion of the United Sates tour

'Some of you have asked if this challenge means I'm running for public office. I'm not,' he wrote.

'I'm doing it to get a broader perspective to make sure we're best serving our community of almost 2 billion people at Facebook and doing the best work to promote equal opportunity at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.'

He said Facebook is looking to connect users beyond people they already know in their network. He writes that it may be important that the platform connects users to 'people you should know.'

'There's a widely held myth that if people in other places just had better information they'd make better decisions' he wrote.

'I've found this is generally wrong and the people I've met are rational. Now, it's true we're all missing some information that would help us make better decisions no matter where we live.

He said Facebook is looking to connect users beyond people they already know. He writes that it may be important that the platform connects users to 'people you should know'

The social media guru feeding a cow at the Gant family farm in Blanchardville, Wisconsin

Eating bratwurst and cheese curd in Madison, Wisconsin. Zuckerberg says Facebook is exploring models for building better and different connections

'But the people I've met have good reasons for the decisions they make based on their experiences and those of their friends and family.'

He describes those as people outside a user's social circle that as he says 'provide a new source of support and inspiration.'

Zuckerberg says Facebook is exploring models for building those connections.

'My hope is that we can help more people build positive relationships with people who expand their sense of possibility,' he said.

Attending Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Zuckerberg listens intently to the sermon. 'My hope is that we can help more people build positive relationships with people who expand their sense of possibility,' he said

Zuckerberg watches the rodeo with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. Zuckerberg announced on Facebook in January that he was challenging himself to visit people in all 50 states

'I believe that if we do this, we will make progress on a lot of our greatest opportunities and challenges.'

Zuckerberg announced on Facebook in January that he was challenging himself to visit people in all 50 states.

In April, Zuckerberg dined with the Moore family in Newton Falls, about 55 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio, The Vindicator of Youngstown reported.

The multi-billionaire brought a meal of chicken, fish and cannoli for desert with him.

In April, Zuckerberg dined with the Moore family in Newton Falls, about 55 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio. The multi-billionaire brought a meal of chicken, fish and cannoli for desert with him

Earlier that day, Zuckerberg visited with Muslim college students in Dearborn, Michigan, a Detroit suburb populated largely by immigrants from the Middle East.

The next day, Zuckerberg spent time in South Bend, Indiana, with Mayor Pete Buttigieg, one of America's youngest mayors and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

The social media pioneer also met with people recovering from opioid addiction in Dayton, Ohio.
The grieving mothers of Lindt cafe siege victims Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson have blasted the New South Wales police for waiting until someone was killed before storming inside.

Rosie Connellan and Jane Dawson are outraged at how the 16-hour standoff at Sydney's Martin Place was handled in mid-December 2014.

Their displeasure was broadcast on the ABC the night before an inquest was due to deliver the findings into their deaths at the hands of Islamist gunman Man Monis.

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Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson was shot in the head near the end of a 16-hour siege in 2014

Tori Johnson's mother Rosie Connellan (pictured) said she could not forgive the police

Ms Connellan, whose cafe manager son Tori Johnson was fatally shot in the head, is upset the police waited for someone to die before storming the city cafe at 2am.

'I can't forgive people for that trigger. I'll never be able to understand how you can make a calculated decision to wait for someone to die,' she told Four Corners, broadcast on Monday night.

Mr Johnson left behind a long-time partner Thomas Zinn while Katrina Dawson was a wife and mother to three children.

They were the casualties of the siege, which saw 18 people taken hostage at Martin Place in Sydney on the morning of December 15, 2014.

Jane Dawson, whose talented barrister daughter Katrina was killed as police stormed the cafe, was also upset at the poor police response.

Talented barrister Katrina Dawson was killed at the end of a 16-hour siege at the Lindt cafe

Jane Dawson (pictured right with husband Alexander) said the police response was 'outrageous'

'It's outrageous. It's outrageous. These are people they should be protecting,' she said, with her husband Alexander by her side.

'They should be saving them from death or serious injury.'

New South Wales coroner Michael Barnes is due to deliver his inquest findings on Wednesday into the police response to the siege, on December 15 and 16, 2014.

It involved a politically-motivated gunman who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Cafe manager Tori Johnson was shot dead while barrister Katrina Dawson died as police stormed the Sydney cafe at 2am, following a 16-hour standoff.

Islamist gunman Man Monis protesting outside Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court in 2009, five years before he took 18 people hostage inside the Lindt cafe

Amirah Droudis was found guilty in November 2016 of murdering Man Monis' ex-wife in 2013

The gunman, who was shot dead by police, had sought political asylum in Australia in 1996 and was granted a visa in 2001.

Four Corners also showed footage of Man Monis in a swimming pool with the children by his ex-wife, who was killed in April 2013.

This woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was set alight and killed by Monis' Muslim-convert girlfriend Amirah Droudis after he had failed to convince bikies to murder his ex-wife.

She was found guilty of murder in November 2016 in a judge-only trial in the NSW Supreme Court.

The ABC aired footage of Monis having a day out with friends as part of an alibi to convince police he hadn't killed his ex-wife.
The heartbroken father of the 18-year-old girl killed in last week's Time Square rampage left behind a touching note among the flowers and candles at her memorial over the weekend.

Alyssa Elsman died after being mowed down by out-of-control driver Richard Rojas on Thursday while visiting New York City with her 13-year-old sister, Ava, and their mother.

Their father, Thomas Elsma, drove 13 hours from Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday to leave behind a framed note at the growing memorial for his daughter.

'Alyssa loved this city ... she loved Times Square,' the lengthy note reads.

'She would appreciate all your kind words but she would also tell us all to get back up and continue. That's how full of life my daughter was.'

The grieving father, who left the touching open letter on top of the NYPD concrete barrier with a rosary, also wrote:

'This impromptu memorial dedicated to our daughter and seeing and talking to you many of you has helped me cope with our loss.'

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Alyssa (above) graduated from high school in 2016. She and sister Ava, 13, were taking in the sights of Times Square when Richard Rojas plowed through the crowd with his car in the packed tourist hub

Thomas Elsman, the father of victim Alyssa Elsman, traveled 13 hours in his car to Times Square and left behind a framed note (above) for his daughter over the weekend

The grieving father also placed the touching open letter on top of a NYPD concrete barrier (above) that has been signed by dozens of people leaving their condolences

Thomas (above) drove 13 hours from Kalamazoo, Michigan to leave the note at the growing memorial for his daughter. In it, he wrote: 'I have a hole in my heart that can never be filled. 'My world changes when you came into it and it is unexplainable with you leaving it.'

In addressing his slain daughter, he wrote: 'I look at myself and will never understand how I could ever have made such an angel... Im (sic) glad you got your mothers looks.

'I always have the answers.. But I am blank... I have a hole in my heart that can never be filled.

'My world changes when you came into it and it is unexplainable with you leaving it.'

Rojas, a 26-year-old Bronx native, mowed down 23 pedestrians at the popular tourist hub, killing the high school student and leaving dozens of others.

The former Navy electrician with a troubled history crashed his maroon Honda Accord into a crowd milling on a sunny spring day.

Rojas, 26, is accused of deliberately mowing down a crowd of people in Times Square

Rojas reportedly told police, 'You were supposed to shoot me. I wanted to kill them.'

Law enforcement sources say that Rojas appeared to have smoked the synthetic drug, also known as K2, before to the crash.

He told police once in custody that God made him carry out the attack, according to sources cited by CNN.

He left the military in 2014 and never served overseas. He was charged with one count of murder, 20 counts of attempted murder and five of aggravated vehicular homicide.

At the time of the horrific incident, the teen had only been in the tourist mecca for a few minutes when tragedy struck.

Rojas was arraigned Friday in court, charged with one count of murder, 20 counts of attempted murder and five of aggravated vehicular homicide

On Saturday, her father said that there's no words to describe how he feels.

'Numb. There's no words. I want to scream,' Elsman told Fox 5. 'I want to not be here. But I have other kids, I know I have to be strong in this.'

'My first born daughter is gone. My heart died in New York yesterday.'

Elsman's younger daughter Ava is still in the hospital with a fractured pelvis, broken leg and a collapsed lung. 'The doctors have been great here,' he said. 'She's recovering and in good spirits.'

He said Ava has been told about her sister's death and that 'she's just as shocked as we are right now.'

'I've always told friends, 'How do you handle the loss of a child?' Now I'm in that same boat.'

He said his daughters loved New York and they would come every year with their mother.

'This is their third trip out here, they love it,' he said. 'Times Square is her favorite place. There's no words.'

As for Rojas, Elsman said, 'If it were an accident, I would forgive. The fact that I found out he was on drugs, and also today in court said 'I wanted to kill everyone' and wanted to go suicide by cop, that's intent.

'He knew what he was doing. And I don't care what happens to him. He could walk into traffic right now and I wouldn't shed a tear.'

'If it's an accident, an old person, a medical emergency, I would forgive. He knew what he was doing. Twelve-and-a-half million people in the city and he hits my daughter.'
Thirteen students at Carleton College in Minnesota have been suspended over a hazing incident that involved 'extreme drinking' as part of an initiation into a secret social club, school officials say.

A letter from Carleton College President Steven Poskanzer to students, faculty and staff says the hazing on April 28 was part of an initiation into a secret coed social club called DTX, which is an apparent reference to the Delta Tau Xi fraternity in the movie 'Animal House,' The Star Tribune reported.

Police are investigating the incident along with an alleged sexual assault that followed the hazing at the private liberal arts college.

The school declined to talk about the assault allegation and how, or if, it was connected to hazing.

Thirteen students at Carleton College (file above) in Minnesota have been suspended over a hazing incident that involved 'extreme drinking' as part of an initiation into a secret social club, school officials say.

A letter from Carleton College President Steven Poskanzer (file above) to students, faculty and staff says the hazing on April 28 was part of an initiation into a secret coed social club called DTX, which is an apparent reference to the Delta Tau Xi fraternity in the movie 'Animal House'

'We are greatly troubled by these events,' the letter reads. 'We are continuing to investigate actions relating to this incident that resulted in harm to college students.'

'Hazing is a serious problem at colleges and universities around the country,' the letter continued.

'Further, we will examine and strengthen our education programs and awareness about hazing and alcohol abuse as we move forward.'

The letter did not reveal who the students involved were and it did not disclose any details about how the initiation was carried out. It also did not detail if any students were harmed during the incident.

An investigation by the school found that the student code of conduct was violated as it forbids hazing and other actions that threaten the health, well-being and safety of others.

Poskanzer stated that the punishment for the 13 students includes an immediate three-trimester suspension, community service and alcohol education.

The letter did not reveal who the students involved were and it did not disclose any details about how the initiation was carried out. It also did not detail if any students were harmed during the incident. File above of Carleton College

Poskanzer's letter said that the 'event on campus that has severely compromised' Carleton College's '(fundamental value of mutual respect involved hazing and extreme alcohol consumption as part of initiation into a secret coed social club.'

The liberal arts college of about 2,000 students in Northfield, about 40 miles south of Minneapolis, doesn't have fraternities or sororities.

The club involved in the incident is not sanctioned by the college.

The letter from Poskanzer encourages anyone with information to contact 1-507-222-4075.

The school policiy does permit students aged 21 years or older to consume alcohol on campus.

However, the policy reads, 'Students are expected to make responsible decisions concerning the use of alcohol. The college recognizes and abides by all state laws, and will cooperate fully with civil authorities.'
A man has been accused of killing his girlfriend while he was attempting to commit suicide.

Victor Carl Sibson, 21, appeared in court Sunday facing a second-degree murder charge for the killing of his girlfriend Brittany-Mae Haag, 22, in their shared Anchorage, Alaska, apartment.

Prosecutors say Haag was trying to prevent Sibson from killing himself when he shot himself and the bullet traveled through his head and hit Haag in the chest on April 19.

Victor Carl Sibson, 21, left, allegedly killed his girlfriend, Brittany-Mae Haag, 22, right, as he shot himself in the head. The bullet traveled through his head and hit Haag in the chest on April 19. She died in the hospital

Hospital testing later found that Sibson was also drunk at the time, with a blood-alcohol content at over 0.3, according to Alaska Dispatch News.

Assistant District Attorney James Fayette said he believes Haag was 'unintentionally killed', according to KTUU.

'What we have is a struggle-for-the-gun suicide attempt that resulted in Mr. Sibson putting a bullet through his own skull... followed by the extreme-indifference killing of a domestic partner,' Fayette said according to ADN.

Sibson, pictured in court Sunday, was indicted on May 16, by the Anchorage Grand Jury on a count of second-degree murder

Sibson, left, appeared in court Sunday where a judge entered a not guilty plea on Sibson's behalf. If he is convicted, Sibson could face up to 99 years in prison for killing Haag, right

Both Haag and Sibson were taken to the hospital where Haag died from her injuries. Sibson was treated for life-threatening injuries and was released from the hospital less than a week later, according to ADN.

Sibson was indicted by the Anchorage Grand Jury on a count of second-degree murder on May 16 after police forwarded potential charges of first and second-degree murder.

Authorities were looking for Sibson until he turned himself in to the Anchorage Police Department Friday.

In court on Sunday, a judge entered a not guilty plea on Sibson's behalf. The 21-year-old told the judge he is unemployed and could not afford a lawyer.

Sibson was jailed for lack of $250,000 bond.

If convicted, he could face up to 99 years in prison, according to KTVA.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255
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Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall  the holiest site where Jews can pray  and left a prayer note there in accordance with Jewish custom.

He made the highly symbolic visit to a site which symbolizes the Middle East's tinderbox nature before saying he believed in the possibility of a peace deal and saying that the danger of Iran meant there was 'a lot of love out there' for Israel from unlikely Muslim countries.

Located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Western Wall is a section of one of four original retaining walls King Herod built in the first century B.C. to support the Temple Mount.

It is also the only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple, which stood in Jerusalem until the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. as they put down a Jewish revolt.

It has been U.S. policy for the last 50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel, making a visit to the wall a political minefield.

But Trump, clad in a navy suit, red striped tie and black kippah, strode into the Western Wall Prayer Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday before placing his hand on the stone wall and praying for 30 seconds, slipping a note inside a crack between the stones.

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Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest place of prayer

Trump heard a lesson about the site's significance from Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz (center right) and Mordechai Elias (center left), who leads the Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Shmuel Rabinovich, the Rabbi of the Western Wall, led the president and his son-in-law Jared Kushner through a brief lesson about the location's significance while first lady Melania Trump and daughter Ivanka Trump looked on.

Jared later followed his father-in-law to the wall while the Rabbi's wife accompanied Ivanka and Melania to the 'women's prayer section' nearby, in keeping with the gender-segregated Orthodox custom.

Ivanka closed her eyes and said her own prayer. The first lady placed her hand on the wall and slipped a note between the stones. She converted to Judaism to marry Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, and the couple received rabbinical dispensation to allow them to fly to the Middle East and travel on the Sabbath.

Kushner prayed alongside White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Afterward, President Trump stood in the plaza and read a section of Psalms with the rabbi, joined by Mordechai Elias, the director general of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.

Melania Trump offered her own prayer at the sex-segregated 'women's section' of the wall; like her husband, the first lady slipped a prayer note between the stones

Ivanka Trump wrote on Twitter: 'It was deeply meaningful to visit the holiest site of my faith and to leave a note of prayer'

Ivanka Trump, who converted to Orthodox Judaism before marrying Jared Kushner, stood in prayer after the president was done

The White House has not yet said what the president or first lady wrote on the prayer notes they left at the Western Wall

After the visit, President Trump read a section of Psalms with the rabbi, joined by Mordechai Elias, the director general of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation

The women as they left the Western Wall after their visit. The wall is known as Judaism's holiest prayer site

President Trump left a note at the Western Wall in accordance with Jewish custom. Press secretary Sean Spicer told a pool reporter that he would find out what the note said

The day before her trip to the Western Wall, Ivanka Trump met with Saudi Arabian women to talk about their vision for the future

Trump is in the midst of a nine-day trip, the first international journey of his presidency, visiting places that are significant to Muslims, Jews and Christians

HOLIEST SITE IS SYMBOL OF RELIGIOUS DIVIDE The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is considered the holiest site where Jews can pray. The limestone structure located in Jerusalem, is the only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. during the first Jewish-Roman War. The wall was erected in 19 B.C. by King Herod who built it to support the Temple Mount - a hill which is considered the 'holiest site' in Judaism - but also a significant religious site for Christians and Muslims. It has also been a disputed site between the Jewish and Muslim community since the early 20th century. Palestinians believe the 'wall' is only the 191 ft structure which faces the Jewish prayer site. However, Israelis argue it includes the entire retaining wall of the Temple Mount, which stretches 1591 ft. Jews are known to exclusively use the term 'Western Wall' in reference to the holy site, while Christians and Muslims also refer to it as the 'Wailing Wall'. The 'Wailing-place' was a translation of El-Mabka, or 'the Place of Weeping,' the traditional Arabic term. The term has since become derogatory to Jews after it was introduced by the British after they took control of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire in 1917. The name refers to the practice of Jews weeping at the site over the destruction of the Temples. Advertisement

Amid tight security, Mr Trump was not accompanied by Israeli leaders and went alone to the wall.

It followed a clash between the US and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu over the status of Jerusalem after the White House refused to say whether it considered the wall to be part of Israel.

Yesterday US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: The wall is part of Jerusalem. He did not elaborate on the delicate question on whether the Trump administration would change US policy over the status of Jerusalem, which both Israelis and Palestinians want to claim as their capital.

Barack Obama visited the Western Wall in 2008, when he was a presidential candidate.

The note he left behind was stolen and later published.

'Lord,' it read, 'protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.'

The White House has not said what Trump wrote on his own prayer note, but press secretary Sean Spicer told a pool reporter that he would find out.

Jewish Israelis see the entirety of Jerusalem as their 3,000-year-old capital. Old Testament scripture teaches that King David made Jerusalem the capital of a unified kingdom of Israel about 1,000 years before the birth of Christ.

But Palestinians, who are about one-third of modern Jerusalem's residents, claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a yet-to-be-recognized Palestinian nation.

Barack Obama visited the Western Wall in 2008, when he was a presidential candidate, guided by the same Rabbi who helped Trump; the note Obama left behind was stolen and published

Jared Kushner (right) prayed alongside Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old city

White House staff and officials prayed at the wall on the historic trip. The president will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday

President Trump prayed at the wall for approximately 30 seconds before leaving his note of prayer

It has been U.S. policy for the last 50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel, making a visit to the wall a political minefield, but Trump took the risk

The White House said last week that Trump would go to the Western Wall without any Israeli politicians in tow. Netanyahu had asked to join the visit

The president will meet with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday morning and will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening

East Jerusalem is also home to al-Aqsa mosque, which is Islam's third-holiest site. The other two, the mosques in Mecca and Medina, are both part of modern-day Saudi Arabia.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Muslims refer to the Western Wall as the 'Buraq Wall' because they believe the Prophet Muhammed tied his winged horse, named 'Buraq,' to the wall during the Prophet's Night of Ascension.

Trump's visit to Israel and the West Bank is meant as a peace overture, and the White House has been careful not to appear partisan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The president is meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening, and with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday morning.

The White House said last week that Trump would go to the Western Wall without any Israeli politicians in tow. Netanyahu had asked to join the visit.

Earlier Monday, Ivanka Trump expressed her excitement about visiting Israel following what she called an 'amazing and historic' trip to Saudi Arabia

For the last 50 years it had been US policy to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel. Rex Tillerson told reporters 'The wall is part of Jerusalem' when asked if he agreed with United Nations Nikki Haley who said it was part of Israel

From left to right: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and chief economic advisor Gary Cohn leave notes at the Western Wall

President Trump talks with Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the Western Wall Monday afternoon

The White House has been careful not to appear partisan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Trump said Monday evening in Jerusalem that that he sees 'a lot of love' for Israel among Arab nations that have typically been standoffish at best in their attitudes toward the Jewish state.

The president has spent the day parlaying a weekend full of meetings in Saudi Arabia into a rationale for a new Middle East peace framework  one that uses the region's pervasive fear and hatred of Iran as the basis of what he called 'a new level of partnership.'

'We're going to have very productive discussions, in my opinion, with the leaders of other nations,' Trump said at the famed King David hotel, referring to Muslim countries. 'And I feel strongly about that, because there's a lot of love out there.'

'People from all nations  even nations you would be surprised to hear  they want to stop the killing. They've had enough.'

A LOT OF LOVE: Donald Trump said Monday that Iran's belligerence and nuclear ambitions have created a chance for a common purpose among Arabs and Jews, laying the groundwork for a new Middle East peace framework

Trump did not mention the names of specific potential partners other than Saudi Arabia, whose King Salman played host to him for two days before his arrival Monday morning in Tel Aviv.

The president stood alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and delivered brief remarks between a bilateral meeting and a private double-date dinner with their wives.

Trump said leaders of Gulf states and other Muslim-majority countries who spoke with him in Riyadh share Israel's goal of stabilizing the Middle East and are willing to work in tandem with Israel on a set of related objectives.

He mentioned 'defeating the evils of terrorism, and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering.'

'These leaders voice concerns we all share,' Trump insisted, 'about ISIS, about Iran's rising ambitions and rolling back its gains, and about the menace of extremism that has spread through too many parts of the Muslim world.'

Netanyahu praised Trump's change in direction from the Obama administration's negotiating posture with Tehran.

'I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran,' he said.

'I believe that together we could roll back Iran's march of aggression and terror in this region, and we can thwart Iran's unbridled ambition to become a nuclear weapons state.'

Netanyahu said he agrees that strange bedfellows in the Islamic world could unite with Jews to keep Iran in check

'Common dangers are turning former enemies into partners, and that's where we see something new and potentially something very promising,' he explained.

'The Arab leaders who you met yesterday could help change the atmosphere, and they could help create the conditions for a realistic peace.'

Trump also connected his new paradigm to the persistent problem of animosities between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, saying he is counting on a 'renewed effort' to emerge from his visits to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

'It's not easy,' he said. 'I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all.'

'But I have a feeling we're going to get there eventually. I hope.'

Trump will leave Israel late tomorrow for Rome, where he will have an audience with Pope Francis.

But first he will face a different kind of Middle East negotiating test: a sit-down meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas. Both Abbas and Netanyahu have visited the White House this year.

RED FACES ON THE RED CARPET AS ISRAELI POLITICIAN SNAPS A SELFIE WITH TRUMP

This is the awkward moment Israel's prime minister tried to stop one of his politicians from taking a selfie with US President Donald Trump.

Trump was being escorted down the red carpet at Ben-Gurion International Airport by Benjamin Netanyahu when one of his team seized the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime snap.

Lawmaker Oren Hazan, a politician with a reputation for inappropriate antics, whipped out his mobile phone for a picture with the US president who is on a two-day tour of Israeli and Palestinian territories.

An irate Netanyahu was filmed trying to grab his arm but Hazan, who was not even invited to the lavish welcome ceremony, had already taken the photo.

Benjamin Netanyahu tried to swat away lawmaker Oren Hazan (right) who whipped out his mobile phone for a picture with the US president at Ben-Gurion airport

One Israeli TV commentator branded Hazan a 'disgrace' while the Jerusalem Post declared it a 'national embarrassment'.

Mr Hazan still posted the photo on his Facebook account with the caption: 'Thank you, Mr President - it was my pleasure!'

The bizarre incident came as Netanyahu declared his country's relationship with the US was stronger than ever as Donald Trump touched down in Tel Aviv.

Tweeting from his official account, the Israeli leader wrote 'ever stronger' next to a photo of himself, Trump, Melania Trump and his wife Sara all shaking hands.

Trump had earlier hailed the two countries' 'unbreakable bond' and vowed to secure the 'ultimate' Middle East peace deal.

The trip to Israel has so far unfolded without a hitch, despite an incident prior to Trump's arrival in which a motorist mowed down five people in Tel Aviv.

The bizarre incident came as Netanyahu declared his country's relationship with the US was stronger than ever

President Trump (pictured alighting Air Force One with Melania) arrived in Israel to much pomp and fanfare on his two-day visit to Israeli and Palestinian territories

Trump (pictured at Ben-Gurion airport today) had earlier hailed the two countries' 'unbreakable bond' and vowed to secure the 'ultimate' Middle East peace deal

Dignitaries and Israeli officials lined the red carpet for President Trump's much anticipated arrival

Trump had asked Netanyahu whether he was allowed to pose for photos as they strolled past dignitaries and politicians, to which the prime minister threw up his hands and replied: 'Who knows?'

Trump promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while campaigning for president last year.

Since taking office he's backed away from that promise, saying the issue needs more study. His response to Bennett was a curt 'that's a good one.'

Israel captured east Jerusalem 50 years ago and claims the area - home to sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites - as part of its capital.

The Palestinians also claim east Jerusalem as their capital and previous U.S. administrations have said the area's fate must be decided through negotiations.

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan informed Trump of a possible attack in Tel Aviv that transpired while the president was airborne. A car crashed into a crowd of pedestrians, injuring three people.

Trump (pictured with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin) had earlier asked Netanyahu whether he was allowed to pose for photos as they strolled past dignitaries and politicians, to which the prime minister threw up his hands and replied: 'Who knows?'

Trump promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while campaigning for president last year

'You know that it's possible that today it was also a terror attack. We're still investigating a ramming in Tel Aviv,' Erdan said, even though police had already said the incident was a car accident.

Before boarding the Marine One helicopter for Jerusalem, the premier's wife, Sara Netanyahu, told first lady Melania Trump that they had a lot in common with the Trumps.

'The majority of people in Israel, unlike the media, they love us, so we tell them how you are great, and they love you,' Mrs. Netanyahu said.
A firefighter was almost killed while tackling a blaze at a gas station.

Dramatic video footage shows the entire front of the building in Iron Mountain, Michigan, collapse, trapping the fireman underneath.

The man, who has not been named, was trapped for around two minutes as other rescuers frantically tried to free him by removing the burning hot debris that had fallen around him.

An Iron Mountain firefighter escaped serious injury after being trapped by a building collapse while responding to a blaze that destroyed the EZ Stop Mobil gas station and Burger King

The facade of the building came down unexpectedly trapping a fireman beneath it

Rescue workers scrambled to pull the fireman out as flames from the building began to spread

Onlookers applauded when they realized the firefighter had been rescued, and was standing while crew members helped to get him medical care.

The firefighter was treated for burns at Dickinson County Memorial Hospital and released.

Fire crews were dispatched just after 3pm on Saturday afternoon after there were reports of smoke coming through the building.

Flames were seen shooting through the roof as the blaze consumed the entire EZ Stop storefront and a portion of the Burger King restaurant.

The firefighter, who was not identified, was trapped for about two minutes

When the wall fell, trapping the firefighter, several people ran to the rescue to pull the man from underneath

The man and another injured firefighter are reported by the Iron Mountain Fire Department to be 'doing good'

It was soon after crews arrived on scene that one was caught out by the falling portion of the building.

A second Iron Mountain firefighter suffered smoke inhalation and both were transported to hospital.

The fire was declared under control at about 6pm and all fire crews cleared the scene at about 8.15pm.
An independent investigation into sexual misconduct at the elite New Hampshire prep school St Paul's found credible allegations against 13 former faculty and staff.

St. Paul's School released a report Monday detailing allegations against a dozen men and one woman who worked at the prestigious institution between 1952 and 1999. The list includes former teachers, chaplains, a counselor and an admissions officer accused of a range of misdeeds.

A few were fired, but most were quietly 'moved on' with letters of recommendations for their next jobs, according to the Boston law firm Casner & Edwards.

Sweeping probe: St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, released a report on Monday backing sexual misconduct allegations against a dozen men and one woman who worked at the school between 1952 and 1999

'Put simply but starkly, several former faculty and staff sexually abused children in their care in a variety of ways, from clear boundary violations to repeated sexual relationships to rape,' the report says.

It goes on to state that the impact on the students, the tolerance by those who knew and the lack of awareness by most of the faculty and leadership 'is all equally troubling.'

St. Paul's requested the investigation last year following news reports about Howard White, who was fired from St. George's School in Rhode Island for sexual misconduct in 1974 and had previously worked at St. Paul's.

The former Episcopal priest pleaded guilty last week to sexually assaulting a student during trips to Boston in 1973 while working at St. George's School and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

White was a chaplain and teacher of sacred studies at St. Paul's, where he is accused of repeatedly raping a 15-year-old boy who accompanied him on a six-week long summer trip. David Duncan, the attorney who represented him in the Boston case, declined to comment.

Rector Michael Hirschfeld, a 1985 graduate of St. Paul's, said reading the details of the allegations was 'sickening and disheartening.'

'For me as the head of the school, the institutional failure to take care of kids is hard to think about, and of course I think about the survivors and how hard it must have been for them to not feel supported by the school,' he said. 'Some of this occurred when I was a student here, and I was completely oblivious to it.'

Howard White, left, a former chaplain and teacher of sacred studies at St. Paul's, where he is accused of repeatedly raping a 15-year-old boy, pleaded guilty last week to sexually assaulting a student during trips to Boston in 1973 while working at St. George's School

One of the few accused faculty members who was fired was the Rev. Douglas Haviland, who worked at St. Paul's from 1947 to 1950 as a chaplain, teacher and house master.

Alumni described him 'creeping around' the dorm at night molesting boys and said students routinely scrawled gay slurs about him in chalk on the floors of campus buildings in an effort to alert the administration.

One student who was regularly taken by Haviland to his room for late night 'prayer sessions' killed himself in 1949 after other students hazed him about the abuse, they said.

At the time, the school sent a letter to parents saying Haviland was fired because of 'homosexual advances towards certain of the boys under him.' He died in 1971.

The 13 substantiated cases also include allegations against Edward 'Larry' Katzenbach, who taught English and history from 1971 to 1995.

Familiar faces: The school's alumni include Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and former FBI Director Robert Mueller (right), who last week was appointed as special counsel in the Russia probe

Investigators concluded Katzenbach, who died in 1997, committed 10 acts of sexual misconduct, including exposing himself to several female students and grabbing one girl's breast.

That student said she reported the 1974 incident to an administrator at the time and was asked, 'What did you do to make him behave that way?'

In 2000, a group of alumni from the class of 1975 provided the school with a list of 22 faculty and staff members accused of misconduct.

Infamous case: In 2015, St Paul's made national headlines when recent graduate Owen Labrie was convicted of misdemeanor sexual assault and other charges involving a female freshman

Though the school told the group the investigation would be 'far ranging and the chips will have to fall where they may,' only three people were investigated in part because the school wanted to 'preserve the reputation of SPS and any deceased former faculty member who was unable to defend himself,' according to the report.

Hirschfeld said the school's response in 2000 was discouraging, but said the alumni group's efforts led to improvements in faculty training and a zero-tolerance policy for those seeking to use students in any way. He said the report 'provides us a starting point for healing.'

The school's alumni include Secretary of State John Kerry and former FBI Director Robert Mueller, who last week was appointed as special counsel tasked with investigating Russian interference in the presidential campaign.

In 2015, St Paul's made national headlines when recent graduate Owen Labrie was convicted of misdemeanor sexual assault and other charges involving a female freshman.

Prosecutors say he assaulted the girl as part of game of sexual conquest. The school has denied it could have prevented the assault, but it has since taken steps to 'prevent and reduce risky adolescent behavior.'
Days after the Washington Post reported investigators have identified a senior White House advisor as a significant person of interest in the Russia probe, 'Morning Joe' Scarborough said Donald Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was the likely target.

The Post report Friday identified the official as someone close to the president, and also characterized the person as a senior White House advisor  effectively narrowing down the choices to a very small number of people.

A New York magazine contributor tweeted on Friday, 'It's jared Kushner have confirmed this with four people. I'm not speculating'

Scarborough hosted a discussion about the possible identity of the person  saying at one point: 'I would have it narrowed down to two.'

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, right, looks on during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and leaders at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

'I had also picked up and reported several weeks ago that there were people inside the White House, his rivals, Steve Bannon, who was going around telling reporters he didnt have to worry about Kushner because Russia would take care of him,' Scarborough said to back up his case.

Then he hedged, bringing up White House counsel Don McGahn  though he immediately backed off.

'Thats there. Also you have to look at  since we've said Jareds name, we might as well  the other person, Don McGahn has been in the middle of everything from the very beginning. Im not suggesting that he is one of those, but if you were narrowing it down to one, two, three, four,' he said.

On Monday's show on MSNBC, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius declined to identify the person of interest, indicating that the newspaper didn't know  but then proceeded to speak about Kushner meeting with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. and fired national security advisor Mike Flynn.

MSNBC cohost Joe Scarborough (r) mentioned Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner as one of two people he said could be a White House person of interest in the FBI's Russia probe

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius declined to identify the person of interest, indicating that the newspaper didn't know  but then proceeded to speak about Kushner

Jared Kushner (C) is seen during the Arabic Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh on May 21, 2017

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (L) and Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President take part in a welcome ceremony upon the US President's arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on May 22, 2017, as part of his first trip overseas

'Without talking about who this significant person of interest is, because we don't know,' Ignatius said, 'there are some facts that emerged weeks ago that I think are going to get more attention.'

He continued. 'Jared Kushner, now senior advisor to the president, we know met with Ambassador Kislyak, accompanied b Mike Flynn back during the transition period.'

'Jared's purpose in those meetings was to see if he could find a channel to the Russians to talk about the scope of possible policy that the new administration,' he said.

He noted that Kushner has offered to testify to a congressional panel conducting its own probe of Russian election interference.

Another Post reporter taking part in the discussion, Robert Costa, declined to speculate.

'It's an important story, because the Post is not yet ready to report the name of the significant person of interest,' he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with top military officials May 19, 2017 in Sochi, Russia. Vladimir Putin is spending a busy week in Sochi looking into Army Forces development and the defence-industrial sector, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

President Trump went back to his initial explanation for his sudden firing of FBI Director James Comey on Comey's handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails Thursday

'Top leaders on Capitol Hill know that there are new turns in this federal investigation into Russian interference,' he added.

Kushner is a senior advisor to the president. He was traveling with President Trump in Israel on Monday, and accompanied him to visit holy cites in Israel including the Western Wall.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said last week the probe was now a 'criminal investigation,' after attending a closed briefing with deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein.

The shock to the body is that this is now a criminal investigation.

Following his meeting with Kislyak during the transition, Kushner met with Sergey Gorkov, president of Russia's largest state-owned commercial bank, CNN reported in March.

It has been under U.S. sanctions for three years. Gorkov got promoted to his post as chairman of VneshEconomBank, or VEB, by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA - MAY 10, 2017: President Donald Trump of the United States, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Russia's Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak (4th L) during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House. Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

President Donald Trump (L) of the United States and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House. Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Gorkov graduated from the Russian academy of Federal Security Service, which trains people to serve in the FSB, Russia's security service.

The bank said in a statement to CNN that the company met with Kushner in his business role, not in his role as a Trump advisor.

'During 2016 the bank's management repeatedly met with representatives of the world's leading financial institutions in Europe, Asia and America ... including the head of Kushner Companies, Jared Kushner,' the bank said.

Ignatius described on air the episode when Kushner was trying to set up a channel of communications to Putin. 'I'm told that Kislyak said, "I'm not the person that can answer this question. But I'd like to put you in touch with the person who can ... So there was a subsequent meeting with a banker... very, very connected in Kremlin circles,' Ignatius said.

'Those events, whether they have anything to do with this latest wrinkle in the investigation, will be part of where this goes,' he added.

Before the Post's bombshell, previous reports have indicated a focus on campaign officials and Trump associates who are no longer there.

Among those being targeted is Flynn, who was revealed to have had Russia contacts during the transition and who also spoke at an RT banquet in 2015 where he was seated next to Putin.

Flynn will invoke his 5th Amendment rights and won't comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
A high school senior who was celebrating her 'skip day' with a friend in New York City is fighting for her life after she was one of the 21 people struck by a driver in Times Square.

Jessica Williams, 19, was a few short weeks away from graduation at New Jersey's Dunellen High School when she and her 18-year-old friend, Destiny Lightfoot, were ran down by 26-year-old Richard Rojas last Thursday.

The 19-year-old suffered a broken leg and pelvis and is currently in hospital in a critical condition, Williams' cousin, Nicole Guild explained in a GoFundMe page.

'Her spleen was removed yesterday and the damage to her face was stitched up today,' Guild wrote, providing an update on her cousin's condition.

Jessica Williams (pictured), a high school senior, was in Manhattan on her 'skip day' when she one of more than 20 people hit by a car on Thursday

Williams is pictured in a hospital bed after she had her spleen removed during surgery following the Times Square crash

'Her leg is still broken and will require surgery at a later time. They have her sedated pretty heavily to keep her comfortable.

'She is strong, she is a fighter and she will pull through this.'

Guild also shared a picture showing the high school senior in a hospital bed.

By 10am on Monday, more than $18,000 had been donated to help the family cover costs of her hospital stay and recovery.

The 19-year-old high school student from New Jersey remains in hospital in a critical condition

Eighteen-year-old Alyssa Elsman from Michigan was killed in the crash. Rojas' car is pictured after it came to a stop on a security barrier

Her aunt, Lisa Williams, told the New York Daily News the entire family understands the fight Jessica is facing.

'Its gonna be a very rough road,' the 56-year-old said.

'The family is really worried about caring for her long-term. Were just living it one day at a time.'

Williams' friend, Lightfoot, was also struck, but her injuries were less severe.

Williams' friend, Destiny Lightfoot (left and right) was with her at the time but did not get hurt as badly

26-year-old Richard Rojas drove his car (pictured) through the crowds of people in Times Square on Thursday

Rojas was charged last week with one count of murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide over the collision in Times Square on Thursday.

Eighteen-year-old Alyssa Elsman from Michigan was killed in the crash.

Footage of the shocking incident showed the 26-year-old plowing through crowds of people in the middle of Manhattan before he crashed to a stop.

Rojas was charged last week with one count of murder, 20 counts of attempted murder, and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide
When an knife-wielding masked men stormed into her parents' shop, one brave little girl picked up her toy gun to defend her daddy.

The knife-wielding man was caught on security footage running into the convenience store in the Dandenong North, near Melbourne, around 7pm on Sunday and demanding cash.

He entered the milk bar and began allegedly making threats for cash yelling at the store owner, who is father of the four-year-old 'Quick. Cash money.'

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An armed masked man (pictured) entered the milk bar and made demands for cash

He allegedly yelled at the store owner who is the father of the four-year-old 'Quick. Cash money'

The little girl, four, saw the robbery unfolding on a CCTV monitor in a room behind the stop.

When she saw the danger, she grabbed her plastic toy gun and wanted to protect her father, her mother said.

'When my little one saw the CCTV inside on the big TV, she wanted to protect her daddy.' her mother said.

The armed man made a getaway on foot.

He wasn't wearing gloves and has left behind a series of fingerprints for police, who are hunting the suspect.

The four-year-old girl (pictured) attempted to defend her father by reaching for her toy gun as the intruder escaped the scene

The knife-wielding man (pictured) arrived at the Dandenong North milk bar on foot and ran off into the night making off with cash
A British-based designer claims North Korea has tried to intimidate him into halting his plans to make a Kim Jong-un action figure.

Karl Holmstrom, who lives in Belfast, claims Pyongyang may have attempted to derail his bid to raise money to produce a toy version of the dictator.

The 32-year-old is trying to raise 12,000 to produce the figure - but says he has received 'two really strange' phone calls ordering to cease his activity - while he has also been the victim of an attempted email hack.

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A British-based designer claims North Korea has tried to intimidate him into halting his plans to make a Kim Jong-un action figure. Karl Holmstrom released a promotional video (pictured) to market his product

Karl Holmstrom, who lives in Belfast, claims Pyongyang may have attempted to derail his bid to raise money to produce a toy version of the dictator

The 32-year-old is trying to raise 12,000 to produce the figure - but says he has received 'two really strange' phone calls ordering to cease his activity - while he has also been the victim of an attempted email hack

Holmstrom, a Swedish national who has lived in Belfast for three years, released a promotional video in a bid to get his project off the ground. At one point it jokingly states: 'Get your Kim Jong-un action figure today, nuclear missiles sold separately.'

Describing the sinister phone calls, Holmstrom told the Belfast Telegraph: 'The line was really bad and they had a thick accent. There was no threats or anything, it was short and they insisted the campaign was removed.

'I can't be sure these people were actually calling from the North Korean embassy. But then yesterday there was actually a hacking attempt on my email. I could tell, as when I tried to log in yesterday it was locked.

Holmstrom, a Swedish national who has lived in Belfast for three years, released a promotional video in a bid to get his project off the ground

Holmstrom has vowed to continue crowd-funding efforts for the project, which was inspired by the film The Interview

'I thought they were prank calls at first, but when the email hack followed, I'm not sure what to think.'

Holmstrom has vowed to continue crowd-funding efforts for the project, which was inspired by the film The Interview.

The 2014 film, starring James Franco and Seth Rogan, imagines a fictional plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

The North Korea embassy in London did not respond to requests for a comment, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
The 'delighted' sister of Chelsea Manning said she is yet to speak to the former soldier  but 'absolutely' expects her to have a good life following her release from jail yesterday.

Manning, 29, had been behind bars since 2010 and was sentenced to 35 years in prison in August 2013 after being convicted of leaking classified military and diplomatic documents.

The Oklahoma native was pardoned by President Obama in January and released from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com at her Oklahoma City home last week, Casey Manning Major, 40, said she was delighted that her sibling is now free and has a 'great life' ahead.

Delighted sister: Casey Manning Major, 40, (pictured in her hometown of Oklahoma City, OK) told Dailymail.com she is happy her sister Chelsea Manning is a free woman

Manning Major said she is yet to speak to Chelsea, as she revealed she is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, but hopes to visit her sister in her new home in Maryland

'Of course I'm delighted she's free  of course,' said Manning Major. She added: 'Absolutely she'll have a great life now, of course.'

Manning Major, who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, said she is yet to speak to her sister but does hope to visit her at her new home in Maryland when she can.

She said: 'No, I haven't [spoken to her], not yet. I'm undergoing chemo at the moment but when I can go to see her, of course I will. Of course.'

Manning, who was born Bradley Manning to parents Brian and Susan in Phoenix, Arizona, in December 1987, has spent the last seven years in jail  much of it at the maximum security US Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth.

Originally charged with 22 offenses under the Espionage Act, she was convicted on 17 of the original counts and amended versions of four others.

Big debut: Chelsea Manning posted the first photo of herself since she began to transition in prison on Instagram on Friday, showing off her new pixie-cut and wears a navy blue v-neck dress

Military prison: Chelsea (above in 2013) has been behind bars since 2010, when she was first charged with giving classified government materials to WikiLeaks

During the trial, Manning Major appeared on the witness stand to paint a disturbing picture of a shared childhood blighted by their parents' alcoholism.

Aged 11 when Chelsea, then Bradley, was born, she told the court how she had been forced to assume responsibility for her younger sibling.

She said: 'In the middle of the night I would get up and make a bottle, change a diaper, rock him back to sleep.

'My mom wasn't getting up. My dad wasn't getting up.'

At age 18, Manning Major moved out with her younger sister to live with their mother in Wales, UK, after their parents divorced.

After Manning moved back to the US aged 17, she lived first with her father now 61, and his second wife  also called Susan  before moving into the Potomac, Maryland home of her aunt Deborah van Alstyne.

Despite later going on to describe her time with her aunt as one of the most stable times of her life, in 2007, Manning dropped out of college and joined the army.

Freedom: Manning shared a photo enjoying her first weekend out of prison with the caption: 'Its the freakin #weekend! Chillin with my peeps playing Forza'

Bubbly: Chelsea capped off her day with a $150 bottle of Dom Perignon champagne on Thursday, writing: 'Here's to freedom and a new beginning.'

Food for thought: Manning posted another snap of herself enjoying her first post-prison lunch, a piece of pizza

Having completed her basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, she went on to complete stints at Fort Huachuca in Arizona and Fort Drum in New York before being deployed to Iraq in 2009.

It was there she accessed the classified material she would later pass to Wikileaks, including the 400,000 files that would later become known as the Iraq War Logs.

Arrested in May 2010 and held at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, she was transferred to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia the following July, and imprisoned there until her trial.

It was also during her time there that she announced her decision to transition, with her lawyer releasing a statement on August 22, 2013  the day after she was sentenced to 35 years in jail.

Manning, who has spent time on suicide watch during her incarceration, celebrated her first day of freedom with pizza and champagne, both documented on her Instagram account.

She also posted the first photo of herself since her transition, showing off a new blond pixie haircut, red-painted lips and a conservative navy blue dress.

Her costs are being covered by the Chelsea Manning Welcome Home Fund, which currently totals $164,271.

The money, raised by supporters via GoFundMe in just five months, is being administered by her attorney Chase Strangio and Manning Major.
Police in Colorado are investigating the deaths of a local engineer and aspiring actress, her estranged husband and the couple's 4-year-old son, whose bodies were found inside their Erie home on Saturday.

While law enforcement officials in Erie were awaiting the results of autopsies to release the causes of death, a message posted on Boulder County District Attorney's Facebook page on Saturday afternoon revealed that he was investigating a murder-suicide involving a child and gun violence.

District Attorney Stan Garnett made no direct references to the deadly incident in Erie and the status update was later deleted.

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Family tragedy: Police in Erie, Colorado, on Saturday found the bodies of Stacy Farrar, her 4-year-old son, Ian (pictured together, left) and her husband, John (pictured with his wife, right)

Crime scene: Officers were summoned to the Farrars' home on Gordon Court in Erie (pictured) by a relative Saturday morning

On Sunday, the Boulder County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as John Paul Farrar, 48; Elizabeth Stacy Farrar, 40, and 4-year-old Ian Connor Farrar.

The tragic discovery was made on Saturday morning after a relative of the family called police at 11.30am summoning officers to 1973 Gordon Court in Erie.

Responding officers entered the two-story, four-bedroom house situated at the end of a cul-de-sac and came upon the bodies of the parents and their young son, reported the Boulder Daily Camera.

Police stated in a news release they are not searching for a suspect and have no reason to believe there is a danger to the general public.

A couple of hours after the grisly find, Boulder County District Attorney Garnett took to Facebook and wrote the following post: 'My staff sees a lot of sadness, daily. But nothing compares to a murder/suicide crime scene with a young child victim. Guns available to anybody  and domestic violence, the root of so much tragedy and despair.'

According to her biography posted on her website, Elizabeth Farrar, who went by Stacy, was born in Southern California but grew up in Colorado.

Star: Stacy Farrar, 40 (far left), was a budding actress who had only recently left her job as an aerospace engineer to make a short film. In the photo above, Stacy is pictured having a meal with her co-stars, Michael Vasicek and Marian Rothschild

Doing what she loved: In this snapshot from the set, Stacy is pictured doing a scene with a child actress

She earned a Bachelors degree in physics and a Master's degree in geological sciences from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and was hired by Ball Aerospace as an engineer building satellites.

After spending more than a decade in the aerospace industry, Farrar change course and embarked on an acting career; at the time of her death, she was in the middle of shooting a short film, titled Collision, which she wrote, co-produced and was starring in.

On Friday, on the eve of her death, Stacy had posted photos on her Facebook page showing her in scenes shot on the first day of filming.

Her co-star Marian Rothschild shared additional photos of a beaming Stacy enjoying a casual meal together with fellow actor Michael Vasicek.

Mystery deaths: While law enforcement officials in Erie were awaiting the results of autopsies to release the causes of death, a message posted on Boulder County District Attorney's Facebook page revealed that he was investigating a murder-suicide involving a child and gun violence

Still crying about the insanely tragic loss of talented actress, friend Stacy Farrar. Just worked with her yesterday on her film. Beyond sad,' Rothschild wrote in a Facebook status update.

Troubled relationship: Stacy and John had recently divorced after 18 years of marriage, according to their friends

Another co-star Tyler Cone told CBS4 he and the rest of the cast knew something was amiss when Farrar, who was known for her professional attitude, failed to show up on set on Saturday.

John Farrar, Stacy's husband and the father of her son Ian, worked as a biological science technician at Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona specializing in invasive weeds.

Friends said the couple had recently divorced after being together for nearly 18 years. After completing her first film, Stacy was planning to move to New Mexico.

Some neighbors in Erie described John, who went by JP, as kind and funny, while others suggested he seemed to be having some emotional problems.
Parents of LGBTQ children were kicked out of a famous marriage market in Shanghai on May 20 as onlookers branded their children as 'abnormal.'

Photos and video footage shows the group of parents all with LGBTQ children, sat with rainbow umbrellas and advertisements with their child's picture on it.

The Shanghai marriage market is famous for parents trying to find a spouse for their child however police became enraged when the parents started to ask for matches for their children.

Caring: The parents brought rainbow umbrellas and showed off pictures of their children

Their presense attracted many people who were interested in their children and their lives

Mother's love: One parent told an onlooker that she just 'wanted her son to be happy'

On May 20, mothers of LGBT children went to People's Park in the heart of Shanghai to find matches for their children and also raise awareness of the difficulties LGBTQ people in China face.

It was organised by two LGBT rights groups.

According to Sixth Tone, it was the first time that parents of LGBT children tried to join the famous marriage market.

The market is famous for its meetings between parents who take their childrens' CVs and photos and try to find the perfect match.

One of the organisers Rela posted a video to social media site Weibo of the parents attending the market.

At first they were welcomed by people interested in what they were doing. One of the mothers can be seen telling others that she 'wants her child to be happy and that's all a mother wants.'

Her message appears to be welcomed by one onlooker who tells her that 'It's not a problem, that's understandable.'

However things escalated with one man telling the parents that their children were 'abnormal'.

The parents were also there to raise awareness of LGBTQ issues

However after some time, the parents attracted some negative attention and questioning

They were later escorted off the premises by police who said they needed a permit

They were also asked about their children's sexual activities.

The police were called and told the parents that they did not have a permit to be there and so they had to leave the area immediately.

People have spoken about the parents on Chinese social media.

One user wrote: 'They have really touched by heart. Parents coming out in public to defend and help their children.'

While another commented: 'This is very heart-melting to me. While the majority of the public sees these mothers as lunatics, they are doing something brave for their daughters. Choices of sexual orientation are personal and why can't we accept their choices.'

And one user said: 'I hope people can treat gays and lesbians as normal. And I hope there is a day when my partner and I can hold hands in public.'

Homosexuality was declassified as a mental illness 15 years ago in China.

However in Beijing, LGBTQ activists have been unable to organise a pride in the city due to pressure from officials.

According to a study by the UN Development Program, only 5 percent of China's LGBT population is open about their sexual gender or identity at work.
A British tourist could lose her leg after she sliced it open in a horrific motorbike crash in Thailand.

Jenni Evans, 22, was travelling through the country with her boyfriend Joe when the pair came off the bike on the island of Ko Pha Ngan.

Jenni, who suffers from Crohn's disease, is now stranded on the island of Koh Samui and may need an amputation if her family cannot raise 100,000 to fly her home for treatment.

Jenni's mother Andrea is terrified the cut could get infected and warned the spread could be 'life threatening'.

'She's scared and in pain and she needs to be brought back home,' said a worried Andrea. 'She needs to start treatment for her Cohen's disease in the next few weeks.

Jenni Evans (pictured), 22, was travelling through the country with her boyfriend Joe when the pair came off the bike on the island of Ko Pha Ngan

Jenni's mother Andrea is terrified the horrific cut on her leg (pictured) could get infected and warned the spread could be 'life threatening'

Andrea, 53, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, went on: 'Jenni was a passenger on the bike but due to some kind of misunderstanding about British driving licences she was not insured to be on the bike.

'She has suffered from Crohn's disease since she was 13 so she took out specialist insurance to cover that but they won't pay for her to come home now.

'Any reasons about why Jenni isn't covered would be just speculation at the moment.

'We've looked at her insurance and read all the small print and we can't see what the problem is.

'We need to get her back as soon as possible. Anyone looking at that picture of her wound can see how horrendous it is.

'At the moment Jenni is incredibly exposed to infection and there is a real risk she could lose her leg.

Jenni, a former family information officer at Barnsley Council, had been travelling with her boyfriend, who also suffered injuries following the crash, since March and had been to Vietnam before arriving in Thailand.

Jenni, a former family information officer at Barnsley Council, had been travelling with her boyfriend since March and had been to Vietnam before arriving in Thailand

Jenni's mother Andrea told of how she took out specialist insurance for her Crohn's disease but the company will not pay for her to come home now

Speaking about the trip, Andrea, said: 'It was the trip of a lifetime for Jenni (pictured). She planned to do lots of travelling in the next couple of years

The family has already raised more than 15,000 through a crowdfunding page set up two days ago.

Since the accident, Jenni's dad, Paul Evans, has flown out to see his daughter.

Speaking about the trip, Andrea, said: 'It was the trip of a lifetime for Jenni. She planned to do lots of travelling in the next couple of years.

'The stress we're going through now is hellish.

'It's on my mind 24/7. We just need to find a way to get her home before something even worse happens.'

The family has now started a fundraising page to help get Jenni back over to the UK.

Andrea, who is also mum to Sarah and Annabel, added: 'The money needs to be raised as quickly as possible.

'This is a terrible accident that could have happened to anyone.

Since the accident, Jenni's dad, Paul Evans, has flown out to see his daughter who is currently stranded in Koh Samui

WHAT IS CROHN'S DISEASE? The symptoms of Crohn's disease vary, depending on which part of the digestive system is inflamed. Common symptoms include: recurring diarrhoea

abdominal pain and cramping, which is usually worse after eating

extreme tiredness (fatigue)

unintended weight loss

blood and mucus in the faeces (stools) Less common symptoms include a high temperature, nausea and vomiting, joint pain and swelling, irritation of the eyes, areas of painful and swollen skin, and mouth ulcers. Some people experience severe symptoms, but others only have mild problems. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

'Our Jenni could have easily been someone else's daughter, granddaughter or friend.

'You think it will never happen to your girl, that it will always be some horror story that you read in a paper, but this is our reality now.

'We are so very grateful for the outpouring of support we've had so far but we really need all the help we can get to bring Jenni home and get her the help that she so desperately needs.'
President Trump seems to have caused some unrest at home while on his quest to bring peace to the Middle East.

Video of President Trump touching down in Tel Aviv on Monday shows the First Lady very clearly slapping at her husband when he tried to hold her hand at Ben Gurion Airport.

Melania was walking a half-step behind her husband at the time and managed to rebuff his advance without showing any clear emotion or breaking her stride, while the commander-in-chief responded by using the rejected hand to carefully adjust his tie.

It was unclear if this unexpected resistance was the result of any personal turmoil, or simply because of the carpet's narrow size.

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No peace: Video shows President Trump reaching out to hold the First Lady's hand at Ben Gurion Airport in tel Aviv on Monday (left) and being rejected (right)

Distant: President Trump and the First Lady also kept their hands to themselves while exiting Air Force One (above)

All in: Melania got involved in a four-way hand hold with Prime Minister Netanyahu, his wife Sara and her husband just moments after rebuffing President Trump

Finger hug: Moments later, Melania and President Trump did hold hands with the First Lady leading him by the finger to their awaiting helicopter (above)

President Trump delivered a brief speech soon after his arrival in Tel Aviv, where he was greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara.

President Rueben Rivlin and his wife Nechama were also on hand when Air Force One touched down.

It was a brief visit however, with President Trump and the First Lady departing just seconds after his speech to move on to the next destination.

Whatever underlying issue led to the First Lady's rejection of her husband's attempt to hold hands appeared to have resolved itself by the time the two were leaving Tel Aviv on Monday.

Melania could be seen graciously extending a small part of her hand to President Trump after the pair said farewell to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara.

Video showed the First Lady as she wrapped two of her fingers around one of her husband's fingers for a few seconds while leading him towards their awaiting helicopter.

She also got involved in a four-way hand hold with Prime Minister Netanyahu, his wife Sara and her husband, with the four laying their hands on top of one another as they posed for a press photo.

Close: Melania and President Trump also kept their hands to themselves while in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon (above at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre)

No go: There was also no hand holding at the residence ofPresident Rivlin (above)

Hand-in-hand: Melania did hold hands on Monday with Nechama Rivlin on Monday (above)

Melania and President Trump also kept their hands to themselves while in Jerusalem on Monday afternoon.

The two were first seen not holding hands while touring the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before walking the streets of the Old City, where again their hands did not meet.

Their final stop was the Westrern Wall, where due to law and tradition holding hands was not a possibility for the couple as men and women are segregated at the site.

President Trump became the first sitting president to visit the holy site, where he was accompanied by the Western Wall's rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovitz.

Melania meanwhile visited the women's side of the Wall with her stepdaughter Ivanka.

Photos also showed the First Lady and President Trump while they toured the residence of President Pivfin and his wife.

The couple again did not hold hands, though Melania was later seen walking hand-in-hand with Nechama Rivfin through the halls of the estate.

Western Wall: Trump became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall on Monday (above)

Other Western Wall: Melania also visited the holy site, visiting the women's section of the wall (above)

Melania's swat was not the only incident of note to occur during President Trump's hour-long stop in Tel Aviv either, with a local politician also causing a bit of a stir when he snapped a selfie at the ceremony.

Oren Hazan, who has become known in the region for his inappropriate antics, pulled out his cell phone as President Trump walked past him on Monday before snapping a photo.

Prime Minister Netanyahu could be seen trying to grab Hazan's arm in a bid to foil the unplanned photo op, but his attempt ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Hazan, who was not invited to the event, later posted the photo on Facebook, writing: 'Thank you, Mr President - it was my pleasure!'
A waitress fired from Chiltern Firehouse after being found naked in Orlando Bloom's bed is a wannabe Romanian actress who arrived in Britain two months ago, MailOnline can reveal.

Viviana Ross, 21, reportedly enjoyed 'a night of passion' with the the Pirates of the Caribbean star, 40, in his luxury suite at the end of her shift at the celebrity hangout.

But she was found by her manager after the Hollywood actor had left the next day and was given the sack for 'fraternising with clients', according to a close friend.

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'Good lover': Waitress Viviana Ross, 21, pictured, was reportedly sacked from Chiltern Firehouse after being found naked in Orlando Bloom's room following a night of passion

'Sexual tension': Pirates of the Caribbean star Bloom reportedly asked wannabe actress Viviana back to his room where they began kissing and he 'made the first moves', said a friend

Axed: Viviana, from Romania, pictured, was a waitress at the celebrity hangout, the Chiltern Firehouse, in London, until her sacking on Saturday after being found naked in Bloom's bed

Upcoming star: Viviana, posing provocatively in a sexy Facebook photograph, enjoyed a night of incredible sex with the Hollywood actor after he invited her to his room and has no regrets

The source said rising star Viviana was 'hurt' by the sacking but did not regret the 'night of incredible sex'.

'She said she had an amazing time and his body was very good. He was an exceptionally good lover,' they revealed.

Brunette Viviana, a 5ft 7in actress who came to the UK from Romania two months ago to pursue a film career, is said to have met the star while she served him drinks during her Friday night shift.

She then bumped into him afterwards and they spoke for a while.

Bloom reportedly asked her back to his room where they began kissing and he 'made the first moves', said the friend.

The source claimed that 'sexual tension' between the pair had been growing up over Orlando's five-day stay at the venue.

Miss Rosss friend said: After her shift on the Friday night she got changed into normal clothes, left the bar and bumped into Orlando outside.

'They chatted and he asked her to join him in his room for a drink. Of course she said Yes. She said it was like fireworks were going off between them.

'Hed been staying at the hotel for five days and the sexual tension had been building up. In the morning he left early for an interview and Viviana stayed in bed but that was a mistake.

Miss Ross was caught by the general manager who allegedly let himself into Blooms suite.

Within an hour she received a text message saying she was sacked. The friend added: Its a shame because she is very hard-working and she was well liked.

Chiltern Firehouse informed Viviana she was sacked by text an hour after a manager found her in Orlando's room, the source continued.

The aspiring actress, who has family in Ireland, regularly posts sexy selfies on Instagram and posts words of wisdom on Facebook.

She recently posted a quote from Ashton Kutcher, which said: 'The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being really thoughtful. And being generous. Everything else is crap! I promise you! It's just crap that people are trying to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don't buy it. Be smart, be thoughtful, and be generous.'

Meeting up: Pirates of the Caribbean star Bloom, pictured on Sunday in Malibu, was staying at the celebrity hangout Chiltern Firehouse in London when the sexual encounter took place

Five-star venue: Bosses at Chiltern Firehouse, pictured, informed Viviana she was sacked by text an hour after a manager found her in Orlando's room for fraternising with the clients

Night of passion: The source claimed that 'sexual tension' between the pair had been growing up over Orlando's five-day stay at the venue

Attraction: Orlando reportedly asked Viviana back to his room where they began kissing and he 'made the first moves', according to the friend

There has been no shortage of famous romances for the handsome Brit since he shot to fame in the early Noughties.

He dated actress Kate Bosworth on/off between 2002 and 2006. He was then linked to Spanish beauty Penelope Cruz before falling for Aussie supermodel Miranda Kerr in 2007.

They wed in 2010 before divorcing in 2013. They share a son, Flynn.

The actor attended the Los Angeles premiere of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on Thursday.

He is reprising his role as dull-witted pirate Will Turner in the new film, his first appearance since 2007's At World's End.

In the latest installment main character Captain Jack Sparrow has to overcome perhaps his toughest challenge yet, as he is being pursued by old rival Capitan Salazar and his crew of ghost pirates, who are determined to kill every pirate at sea.

Salazar, who is played by Spanish hunk Javier Bardem, is on his trail and hoping to collect a bounty on his head - or worse.

Ex-wife: Orlando first met supermodel Miranda Kerr in 2007. They wed in 2010 before divorcing in 2013. They share a son, Flynn

First and last: Kate Bosworth (left) was Orlando's first famous girlfriend, dating on/off between 2002 and 2006. He began a romance with Katy Perry last year after meeting at the Golden Globes. They split earlier in 2017

To save his sorry hide he has to find the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that grants total control over the seas.

Geoffrey Rush's Captain Barbossa are also appearing.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is scheduled to be released on May 26.

MailOnline has contacted Chiltern Firehouse and Orlando Bloom's representatives for comment.
Former prime minister John Howard has praised his Liberal successor Tony Abbott but failed to mention Malcolm Turnbull once in an interview about the government's leadership.

ABC 7.30 host Leigh Sales asked the former Liberal leader if his party was likely to return to Mr Abbott, as the federal government trails Labor in the opinion polls.

Mr Howard, Australia's second-longest serving prime minister after Sir Robert Menzies, was quick to praise Mr Abbott during a 25-second answer.

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Former prime minister John Howard has said he 'likes and admires' Tony Abbott

Leigh Sales on 7.30 had asked John Howard if Tony Abbott could be prime minister again

'I like and admire Tony a lot and I think he did a great thing leading the government, the Coalition, back into government after years in opposition but I dont think theres any appetite for change and I just want to see everybody making a contribution,' he said.

Like Sir Robert, Mr Howard and Mr Abbott are the only two Liberal leaders since the party was formed in 1944 to have led the conservative side of Australian politics into government from opposition at an election.

Mr Howard sat for an ABC interview before attending a dinner in Canberra on Monday night to mark the 75th anniversary of Menzies' 'Forgotten People' speech.

His 1942 radio oration was about the forgotten middle class who were represented neither by big business nor big unions.

John Howard failed to mention Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) once by name

Like Robert Menzies and John Howard, Tony Abbott led the Liberal Party back into government

Robert Menzies (pictured in 1941) delivered a speech about the Forgotten People in 1942 shortly after being dumped as a first-term prime minister

Like Mr Abbott in September 2015, Menzies was also dumped as a first-term prime minister.

Menzies resigned as a wartime prime minister in 1941 after losing the confidence of his colleagues.

However, he formed the Liberal Party in 1944 before returning to power in 1949 for a record 16-year period as prime minister.

In the most recent Newspoll, taken after the Budget, the Turnbull Government trailed Labor 47 per cent to 53 per cent after preferences.
Pictured in his pram during a trip to seaside, it is almost impossible to imagine that this curly-haired little boy would grow up to become one of Britain's most notorious killers.

But newly-published photos show Moors Murderer Ian Brady as a fresh-faced youngster at the time he lived with a foster family.

Brady - who killed at least five children with his lover Myra Hindley in the 1960s - was adopted in his home city of Glasgow before moving in with his mother and stepfather in Manchester in later life.

A newly-published shows Brady holding the baby of a friend of his foster parents, John and Mary Sloan. It is understood the photo was taken three years before he began his murder spree

Another photo shows Ian Brady aged 18 months old during a trip to the seaside. The Moors Murderer denied in later life that his childhood could explain his crimes

There has been argument among criminologists over the role his childhood may have had in shaping the serial killer he would go on to become.

At a very young age, Brady went to live with a couple called John and Mary Sloan, who his mother Peggy Stewart paid to look after him in his school years.

Growing up without a father and away from his mother, some psychologists have suggested the feelings of rejection at a young age may have created the monster he turned into.

But some of those who met him in prison and exchanged letters with him during his half a century behind bars claim he rejected this argument.

Religious studies teacher Dr Alan Keightley, who has written a book about Brady, said: 'He would get upset at writers who suggested the Sloans were anything other than loving and caring foster parents.

'Whatever else happened in his life, he never forgot what they had meant to him, and he never forgave himself for how badly he repaid them.'

Brady denied in later life that his horrific crimes could be attributed to an unhappy childhood

Another photo shows him at the home of his mother, who he went to live with in Manchester after a number of court appearances for petty crime in his home city of Glasgow

His mother, Margaret 'Peggy' Stewart put him up for adoption after his birth in Glasgow. He did not know his father, although claimed to have met him once when he was young

Dr Alan Keightley added: 'He recollected that he was never treated as an outsider. He called Mrs Sloan 'Ma' and Mr Sloan 'Da', and their children looked on him as a brother.

'Even after the Sloans had a fourth child of their own, Brady, then aged four, still felt secure.

'His upbringing was little different from any other slum child of that generation, growing up in the war and in the grim years immediately after.'

Another correspondent with Brady, journalist Peter Gillman, told the Sunday Times that Brady dismissed 'fashionable stereotypical excuses and scapegoats in childhood'.

One of the newly-released photos shows Brady aged 18 months in a pram, the other shows him, three years before his killing began, holding a baby believed to be the son of a friend of the Sloans.

Brady died at Ashworth high security hospital last week after spending 51 years behind bars for the murders he committed in the 1960s.

Search teams scour Saddleworth Moor for Brady and Hindley's victims in the 1960s
Donald Trump could have taken the easy route with his first foreign trip.

He could have flown over to friendly neighbours Canada, knocked off a few eye-pleasing photo ops with Justin Trudeau, said how much he loves maple syrup and smashed a few positive headline home runs.

But nothing President Trump ever does is easy, for anybody.

Instead, he decided to jet into Saudi Arabia, the very heart of the Muslim world, and give the leaders of 55 Muslim states some much-needed home truths.

It was an extraordinary moment to watch the President of the United States stand in Riyadhs King Abdul Aziz Conference Center and let his audience have it right between the eyes about their responsibility for tackling terror groups like ISIS.

Donald Trump could have taken the easy route with his first foreign trip, but he decided to jet into Saudi Arabia and let his audience have it right between the eyes about their responsibility for tackling terror groups like ISIS

Instead of jetting to Canada or something simple, he jetted into the a room of the world's most powerful Muslim leaders and told them his opinion about terrorists. And they applauded

A better future is only possibly if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists, Trump said, in an unusually calm, measured but emphatic tone.

Drive. Them. Out. Drive them out of your places of worship, drive them out of your communities, drive them out of the holy land, and drive them out of this Earth!

Wow.

Yes, yes, YES.

Whatever you think of Trump, and he is currently right up there with the most divisive people in history, this was a stunningly bold and courageous thing to do.

This, remember, is a guy whos not exactly Mr Popular in the Muslim community. Someone who many assume hates all Muslims because he wanted them banned from America.

Now hes in a room surrounded by hundreds of the most powerful Muslims in the world and arrogantly expects them to listen to his opinion on what to do with Muslim terrorists.

Yet they did listen, intently.

And at the end of the speech, many of them applauded.

Why? Because Trump perfectly summed up the reality of the global war on Islamist terror: it will only be defeated by decent, law-abiding Muslims renouncing and denouncing the vile extremists in their midst and preventing them from radicalizing vulnerable minds to their medieval cause.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilisations, Trump said, choosing his words not only very carefully but very differently to the ones he so recklessly tossed around about Islam and Muslims during his election campaign. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

He called Islam one of the worlds great faiths, dismissed Islamists as the footsoldiers of evil, stated that 95% of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim, and urged his audience not to wait for American power to sort out the problem.

Muslim majority countries must take the lead in stamping out radicalization, Trump beseeched.

Then he played the unifying religious card.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing, then we will not only be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

By now, his message was crystal clear: the people doing all this terror may claim to be Muslims but theyre not real Muslims and their violent interpretation of Islam is not real Islam. So lets all work together to sort these snivelling little b*****ds out.

Some have criticized Trump for not publicly whacking his Saudi hosts about their abysmal human rights record.

Yet think about this for a moment; imagine if Trump had indeed devoted chunks of his speech to slamming the Saudis for their undeniably grotesque treatment of women, gays and political prisoners?

THAT would have been the headline today, not his rally cry for the Muslim world to root out terrorists.

Trumps greatest asset  apart from his business acumen that helped land a new $100 billion arms deal with the Saudis  is his shrewd marketing brain.

Trumps great asset is his shrewd marketing brain. He knew exactly what he needed to say, what NOT to say, and he got the media narrative he wanted

He knew exactly what he needed to say, and crucially, what NOT to say, to get the media narrative he wanted. And he got it.

The president also indicated that his ugly campaigning rhetoric about Muslims and Islam was just that: ugly campaigning rhetoric. That doesnt excuse it, but it hopefully confines it to the dustbin of campaigning history where so much ugly rhetoric ends up.

Nobody watching this speech could possibly conclude that Trump hates all Muslims.

No, he hates Muslim terrorists. Or rather, those members of groups like ISIS who choose to hijack and twist the faith of Islam and its true meaning for their own nefarious, barbaric gain.

By making that distinction, he gave 1.6 billion Muslims a choice: you can either help root out these extremists, or turn a blind eye and be part of the problem.

We can only overcome this evil, he said, if the forces of good are united and strong and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfils their part of the burden.

Hear bloody hear.

This was the best speech I have heard from President Trump, both in content and delivery.

In fact it was the best speech I have heard from Donald Trump, period.

He clarified his view of Islam and Muslims in a way that was vitally important, and on a platform that ensured the whole Muslim world heard it loud and clear.

And the Presidents message was a simple one: Drive. Them. Out.

Like all Trump messages, it was unambiguous, easy to remember and very effective.

We must stop what theyre doing to inspire, said Trump, because they do nothing to inspire but kill.

Exactly.

They say a week is a long time in politics. In this hectic, chaotic Trump presidency, a day seems like a lifetime.

Last week, he had a shocker as he foolishly dug himself into an ever-deeper hole on Russia and fired FBI director James Comey, and in the process made everyone, even friends and allies, fear he has no clue what being a president actually entails.

This week, with his impressive performance in Saudi Arabia and now Israel, Trump has shown that when he exercises self-control and plays to his strengths, hes not just up to the job of president, he has the potential to be a genuinely transformative one.

I much prefer the latter Trump.

This version will go a lot further to Making America Great Again than treating the Oval Office like a gossip canteen for the nations enemies, or pointlessly trashing the fake news media and US intelligence agencies whove shown they have infinite capacity for revenge.

Next time those impulsive, self-destroying demons hit your mischievous tweeting fingers Mr President, I urge you to take your own advice: Drive. Them. Out
Jeremy Corbyn's climate-change sceptic brother has been campaigning with a prominent leave-supporting Labour MP.

Photographs have emerged of Piers Corbyn, who has previously embarrassed the Labour leader with remarks about anti-Semitism and Donald Trump, canvassing with Kate Hoey in her south London seat.

The 70-year-old, who staunchly supported Brexit, featured in an image posted by Ms Hoey of activists out and about in Vauxhall.

Piers Corbyn, pictured back left, has been pictured out campaigning with Labour's Kate Hoey in south London

Alongside the image, Ms Hoey, one of the Labour politicians who campaign for Leave in the EU referendum, tweeted: 'Such a well organised group @VauxhallLab good fun too!'

Piers caused trouble for his brother in the past when he waded into the row over Ken Livingstone comments about Hitler being linked to Zionism before he 'went mad and killed six million Jews'.

He complained at that time about there being 'too much sensitivity' surrounding anti-Semitism.

'I think Ken has been misunderstood, because he has been talking actual history which now looks incomprehensible,' he told the Evening Standard.

Condemning the BBC's coverage of Labour's election campaign recently, Piers suggested the corporation was 'evil'.

Piers has also voiced support for Donald Trump, despite his brother condemning the US president.

A post on his website after the bomshell US result last November said: "Whatever you may have heard or feel about Donald Trump his election is an amazing revolution and vote of no-confidence against the corrupt self-serving political establishment bubble, mainstream media and opinion manipulators in the USA and the world.

'This election is strangely reminiscent of my brother, Jeremy Corbyn's, epic victories in Labour - on many different policies but nevertheless against the establishment bubble.'

The meterologist is an outspoken climate change sceptic, also a view the Labour leader does not appear to share.
Two police officers stabbed by teen terrorist Numan Haider are suing Australia's domestic security agency for failing to warn them that he was a threat.

The 18-year-old stabbed both officers, one from Victoria Police and one from the Australian Federal Police, in a savage attack outside Endeavour Hills police station in Melbourne, on September 23, 2014.

Haider was shot dead in the attack.

Officers had arranged to meet the teenager regarding the cancellation of his Australian passport, but claim they weren't properly briefed on Haider's history and the danger he posed, the Herald Sun reported.

Two policemen, one from AFP and one from Victoria Police, are intending to sue ASIO for failing to provide them adequate information ahead of their disastrous meeting with Numan Haider (pictured)

The two men, both in their 40s, say ASIO did not provide them with important information prior to their meeting with Haider.

They were part of a joint counter-terrorism team, and wanted to speak to Haider because he was showing signs of radicalisation.

With only the knowledge that the boy had no criminal record and had co-operated with law enforcement in the past, the officers, known only as A and B, decided to take a gentle approach to confronting Haider.

They claim ASIO had information which would have altered their approach, including a picture of the 18-year-old holding a shahada flag, which bears a declaration of Islamic faith, and the symbol of which appears on the Islamic State flag.

Among the claims is that the two men, in their 40s, had not seen a photograph of Haider holding an Islamic flag and had believed he was of little danger to them

The meeting between police and Haider in 2014 quickly turned south, and the 18-year-old stabbed both officers before he was killed by a single bullet to the head

An inquest into Haider's death heard that the officers knew little about the teen, and other police officers corroborated their story despite a denial from an ASIO agent

The two officers also claim ASIO and the AFP met regarding the upcoming meeting without the pair.

An ASIO agent fronted a coronial inquest into the death of Haider and claimed she had provided the information to the officers, but she has been contradicted by others, including police officers.

The officers claim they had not seen the picture until it made its way on to the front page of the paper, the day after the attack.

During an inquest hearing in April, a team leader within ASIO known only as 'Natalie Mayfair' said she was concerned about her own officers confronting Haider at the time as he had access to a knife.

She claimed she had no specific knowledge that he could be a danger to other law-enforcement officers, The Age reported.
The body of a missing Duke University student has been found in woods along a Massachusetts highway near his hometown.

Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Monday that the state medical examiner has informed him that the body found Saturday afternoon in dense woods and thick underbrush near Interstate 495 was 20-year-old Michael Doherty, of Franklin, Massachusetts.

Authorities say they've found no evidence of foul play in Doherty's death but the investigation continues.

Doherty would have been a junior this fall at the university in Durham, North Carolina.

He was last seen leaving a party in his Massachusetts hometown in the early morning of May 14.

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Medical examiners in Massachusetts have confirmed Monday that the body of Michael Doherty (above), 20, was found in the woods on Saturday

His disappearance sparked a nearly weeklong search of swampy areas of Franklin and neighboring Bellingham.

Police found Doherty's remains at 2:30 pm on Saturday.

The junior - who had just arrived home for summer - was last seen after a party on Sunday at 1:30 am.

He'd planned for his brothers to pick him up but since he stayed later at the party, they were sleeping and didn't respond to his phone call when he was ready to leave.

A low-charged phone in hand and wearing a blue Nike T-shirt, black pants, and sneakers, the brown eyed 5ft10-inch student braved the heavy rain and decided to take a short cut through the woods to arrive home.

His disappearance sparked a nearly weeklong search of swampy areas of Franklin and neighboring Bellingham

The junior - who had just arrived home for summer - was last seen after a party on Sunday at 1:30 am

On Sunday morning, his parents called the police upon realizing he had not returned home.

Police, firefighters and volunteers intensely searched, by ground and by air, the wooded, swampy areas where he was last seen.

They found his sneakers and shirt on the side of a marsh in the woods.

It was not until Sunday that two civilian searchers alerted authorities when they found the body of a white male in the woods near a busy highway in Franklin.

Doherty's parents, Nancy and Dan, have been left 'devastated' since his disappearance, but have been hopeful he would return home.

'We just want our son home. We are devastated, heartbroken and we wouldn't wish this on anyone ever and we just want our son home.'
This is the shocking moment a group of masked gunmen shot at people in a supermarket in southern China's Guangxi province.

At least two men were injured in the incident which took place on May 17. One was shot in the chest, local policemen confirmed.

Officers are now investigating the cause of the attack and looking for the suspects.

A group of gunmen fired towards a supermarket where at least 10 people were watching TV

Surveillance footage suggested the incident took place at a supermarket in Mudong town in Bobai county in May 17 at around 10:20pm.

At least four masked gunmen emerged from a white minivan that stopped right in front of the store before they started shooting at the people inside.

The suspects can be seen carrying weapons.

At the time of the attack, there were over 10 local villagers watching television at the back of the store, a relative of the injured onlookers told Sohu News.

The villagers were unaware of the attack when the white minivan stopped in front of the shop

It was not until the gunmen started shooting, they hid and ran to the back of the store

At least two people were injured and one got shot at the chest, according to the local police

'The man who got shot in the chest was standing at the entrance when the gunmen started shooting,' said the relative.

The assailants then got back into their vehicle and drove off.

The attack was about 20 seconds long, as shown on CCTV.

Villagers found five bullet-like objects at the supermarket after the attack.

The motive behind the attack remains unknown but policemen are looking into the cause.
Hacker Kim Dotcom is saying that he knew murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich  and Rich gave the political party's trove of emails to Wikileaks.

'I knew Seth Rich. I know he was the Wikileaks source. I was involved,' Dotcom cryptically tweeted on Saturday.

Conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Rich, who was gunned down in D.C. last July, are again swirling thanks to Dotcom's bold, and unsubstantiated claims, and a debunked news report from local station Fox5.

Internet hacker Kim Dotcom took to Twitter over the weekend and said he was involved in releasing the Democratic National Committee's emails to Wikileaks, along with murdered staffer Seth Rich

Online mogul Kim Dotcom said over the weekend that he knew Seth Rich and knew that the staffer was Wikileaks' source, of which there is zero evidence

Seth Rich was shot in the back last July in D.C. Conspiracy theories have swirled around about his death, as some try to make a connection between Rich and Wikileaks' release of Democratic National Committee emails, which most believe were hacked by the Russians

Last Monday, Fox5 ran a piece in which an individual, Fox New legal commentator, Rod Wheeler, said it was 'confirmed' that Rich had ties to Wikileaks.

Wheeler was identified as the Rich family's investigator. In reality, Wheeler's investigation has been funded by a third-party, and the Rich family sent him a cease and desist.

'As weve seen through the past year of unsubstantiated claims, we see no facts. We have seen no evidence. We have been approached with no emails and only learned about this when contacted by the press,' Rich's family said in a statement. 'We are a family who is committed to facts, not fake evidence that surfaces every few months to fill the void and distract law enforcement and the general public from finding Seths murderers.'

People on the right have been trying to connect the dots between Rich and Wikileaks, as it would provide an explanation for why Rich was killed, and also taint the storyline that Russia was behind the Democratic National Committee hack.

Since the Fox5 story came out, not only did Rich's family refute the claims, but D.C. officials pushed back.

Big name conservatives including Sean Hannity have been fanning the flames of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory. The Fox News personality later invited Kim Dotcom on a future show

'This is a robbery that ended tragically,' Deputy Mayor Kevin Donahue told the local NBC affiliate News4. 'That's bad enough for our city, and I think it is irresponsible to conflate this into something that doesn't connect to anything that the detectives have found.'

'No Wikileaks connection,' he enunciated.

But just as NBC, along with CNN and the Washington Post  including a deep dive by the Post's Dave Weigel on how the Rich story really is 'fake news'  tried to drown the conspiracy theories, Dotcom and several figures on the right brought it back.

Dotcom, a German-Finnish internet entrepreneur known for founding Megaupload, jumped into the conversation Friday, four days after the Fox5 story ran.

'If Congress includes #SethRich case into their Russia probe I'll give written testimony with evidence that Seth Rich was Wikileaks source,' Dotcom tweeted.

It was then a back-and forth on Twitter with Fox News host, and prominent President Trump supporter Sean Hannity, that got Dotcom to articulate a second time, that Rich was Wikileaks' source.

Shortly thereafter, Hannity called on Dotcom to be a guest on his television and radio shows and demanded that Congress look into the young staffer's murder.

'Is it possible that one [of the] greatest lies ever told is soon exposed?' Hannity mused, previewing an 'announcement' that Dotcom planned to give.

According to an account from Radar Online, Dotcom will release more information on the matter Tuesday, once he talks to his lawyers.

Hannity also suggested that, 'Complete panic has set in at the highest levels of the Democratic Party,' though offered no proof.

On Sunday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich chimed in.

'We have this very strange story here of this young man who worked for the DNC who was apparently assassinated at four in the morning having given Wikileaks something like 23,000  Im sorry, 53,000  emails and 17,000 attachments,' Gingrich said on Fox News Sunday.

'Nobodys investigating that, and what does that tell you about what was going on, because it turns out it wasnt the Russians, it was this young guy who, I suspect, who was disgusted by the corruption of the Democratic National Committee,' the former House speaker continued.

'Hes been killed, and apparently nothing serious has been done to investigate his murder. So, Id like to see how [former FBI director Robert] Mueller is going to define what his assignment is, and if its only narrowly Trump, the country will not learn what it needs to learn about foreign involvement in American politics,' Gingrich added.
President Trump denied ever mentioning Israel during an Oval Office meeting he held with top Russian officials where he revealed a security threat.

In doing so, Trump pushed back on reports that the classified information he passed could compromise a key ally  while himself bringing up the Russia saga during a day of successful photo-ops at some of the world's holiest religious sites.

The Washington Post initially reported that Trump passed highly classified information during his May 10 meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak.

'I never mentioned the word or the name Israel,' Trump said.

The reporting never suggested Trump said the name Israel  although it subsequently emerged that the information Trump provided could have compromised Israeli intelligence sources.

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President Trump brought up the Russia saga during a meeting with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when he denied mentioning the word 'Israel' during a meeting with top Russian officials in May

Trump brought up the Russia saga himself during a meeting with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump and Netanyahu addressed reporters briefly before their joint meeting began.

When reporters started yelling questions, press minders from both delegations tried to cut off the event and move reporters and photographers away.

Trump held up his hands in order to give himself time to respond, pausing until it was quiet enough for him to speak.

'I never mentioned the word or the name Israel. Never mentioned during that conversation,' Trump said.

'They're all saying I did, so you have another story wrong,' Trump continued, taking a shot at the media.

'Never mentioned the word Israel,' Trump added.

President Trump is accused of giving highly classified information to the Russians at the Oval Office. He pushed back before a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

'Intelligence cooperation is terrific. It's never been better,' Netanyahu said following Trump's comment.

His statements could be construed as confirming that Israel was in fact the source of the information, something the U.S government has not said publicly.

The New York Times reported May 16 that the information Trump provided came from Israel. The information was about an ISIS plot. Trump wrote on Twitter that he has an 'absolute right' to reveal information to fight terrorism.

There have been reports that the Israelis were angered by the disclosure.

Netanyahu assured the press there has been no effect on cooperation between the U.S. and Israel. 'Intelligence cooperation is terrific. It's never been better,' Netanyahu said.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived Monday in Israel, on the heels of a successful two-day visit to Saudi Arabia

Donald Trump landed in Israel late on Monday morning in advance of a whirlwind two-day visit to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

He arrived from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Air Force One  flying direct, as no other planes are permitted to do  following a 48-hour lovefest with leaders from dozens of Arab nations.

The second leg of Trump's nine-day excursion will put a spotlight on his vaunted efforts to bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians  a prospect that the billionaire businessman has called the 'ultimate deal.'

He said alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in a Jerusalem photo-op that even challenges like a belligerent Iran with nuclear ambitions can be an 'opportunity' as Tehran's saber-rattling 'has brought many other parts of the Middle East toward Israel.'

'You have a great opportunity right now,' Trump told him. 'There's a great feeling for peace throughout the Middle East. I think people have just had enough. They've had enough of the bloodshed and the killing.'

Air Force One arrived around midday at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv

Trump, center, got familiar with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and President Rueben Rivlin, left, during Monday's welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv

Trump pledged upon his arrival in Tel Aviv that he was there to ''reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the state of Israel'

The president will face tough questions, though, from an Israeli government that had been aligned with him during his campaign  even after pledging upon his arrival that he would 'reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the state of Israel.'

'The people of Israel are excited by your arrival  and have great expectations,' Rivlin told him during an arrival ceremony on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport.

'The world needs a strong United States. The Middle East needs a strong United States. Israel needs a strong United States,' Rivlin said, each crescendo outdoing the last.

'And may I say, the United States needs a strong Israel.'

Monday's arrival couldn't have been more different from Saturday's spectacle in Riyadh, in one major respect: The uniformed Israeli Defense Forces soldiers included many women who held machine guns next to their skirts.

In Saudi Arabia, the only females visible on the airport tarmac were two small girls holding bouquets and a single U.S. Secret Service agent.

First Lady Melania Trump (left) and Israel's President Reuven Rivlin (right) stood next to Donald Trump as he signed the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem

IDF forces on the tarmac Monday in Israel (foreground) included some female soldiers wearing uniform skirts  a sight that was unthinkable on Trump's previous stop in Saudi Arabia

Cultural schisms aside, Trump warmed to the Saudis over the weekend, praising their hospitality and assuring the Arab world in a landmark speech that despite his past advocacy for a 'ban' on Muslims, America is not in a terror war with all of Islam.

That hasn't sat universally well with Israelis who see Islamist theocracies as existential threats.

But Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu clung Monday to Trump's anti-terror message.

'Yesterday in Saudi Arabia you delivered a forceful speech of clarity and conviction,' he said. 'You called on all nations to drive out terrorists and extremists. ... For 69 years Israel has been doing precisely that.'

He thanked Trump for the 'powerful expression of your friendship to Israel' that his trip represents.

And he made what, for him, has become an ordinary but plaintive entreaty toward Palestinians.

'Israel's hand is extended in peace to all our neighbors,' he said, but only in the services of 'a genuine and durable one in which the Jewish state is recognized, security remains in Israel's hands and the conflict ends once and for all.'

A marching band and a military honor guard was on hand for Trump's arrival

Trump and the first lady held their hands over their hearts for the playing of the U.S. national anthem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left), his wife Sara (second left) and David Friedman (third L), the new United States Ambassador to Israel, awaited the president's arrival

Security personnel with a sniffer dog inspected the tarmac, part of the elaborate security measures in place for Trump's two-day stop

Trump has become adept at playing to Netanyahu's lifelong tensions, the same ingrained historical fears of a repeated Holocaust that preoccupy Israel to the point where its national anthem  played Monday and sung by everyone on the tarmac except the Trumps  is the only such song on earth written in a minor key.

On Monday he promised Israelis that he would work toward 'a future where the nations of the region are at peace and all of our children can grow  and grow up strong, and grow up free from terrorism and violence.'

And Trump has, since taking office, made a 180-degree turn away from his campaign position that Jews should continue to build settlements in the contested West Bank region.

He told DailyMail.com one year ago that 'I don't think there should be a pause' in settlement construction, saying that Palestinian militants had fired 'thousands of missiles' into the Jewish state.

Less than two weeks after he moved to Washington, Trump's administration was cautioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop making 'unilateral actions that could undermine our ability to make progress, including settlement announcements.'

Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have since visited the White House, and he will see both of them in the next 24 hours.

In tow will be Jared Kushner, Trump's Orthodox Jewish son-in-law and lawyer David Friedman, who is the new U.S. ambassador.

Trump will meet with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) first on Monday. He will sit down with Palestine's Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (right) on Tuesday

The president said in January that Kushner would help him broker a Mid-East peace deal since he 'knows the region, knows the people, knows the players.'

On the eve of his inauguration, Trump pointed to Jushner in the audience of a VIP dinner, saying with quasi-paternal glee: 'If you can't produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can.'

The Trump Itinerary Monday, May 22 (all times local) 12:15 p.m.: Air Force One lands in Israel followed by official ceremony 1:10 p.m.: Helicopter takes Trump to Jerusalem 1:15 p.m.: Meeting with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin 2:30 p.m.: Visit Church of the Holy Sepulchre 3:15 p.m.: Visit the Western Wall 4:00 p.m.: Check in at the famed King David Hotel 6:00 p.m.: Meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 7:15 p.m.: Netanyahu hosts official dinner including Melania Trump and Sara Netanyahu Tuesday, May 23 (all times local) 10:00 a.m.: Meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem 1:00 p.m.: Wreath-laying at Yad Vashem 1:30 p.m.: Address at the Israel Museum 4:30 p.m.: Departure from Ben Gurion Airport for Italy Advertisement

Even a year ago, when he was less skeptical about West bank settlements, the president thought the most elusive peace plan on the planet was more than just a pipe dream.

'I would love to see if peace could be negotiated,' he told DailyMail.com in May 2016.

'A lot of people say that's not a deal that's possible. But I mean lasting peace, not a peace that lasts for two weeks and they start launching missiles again.'

Trump was pursuing a buddy relationship with Netanyahu as a businessman for years before he entered politics  even making a campaign ad for him in 2013.

But three years later in a presidnetial debate, the future Oval Office occupant declared that he would be 'neutral' in the fight between Arab and Jew.

That began a downward slide, in public at least, pointing to troubles behind their long friendship.

By last week, even before Trump's tour de force in Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu was forced to order his cabinet ministers to attend Monday's welcome pageant.

And he spent much of Sunday, The New York Times reported, wrestling with conservative ministers in his coalition in order to approve modest measures targeted at improving economic conditions in the West Bank  an olive branch of sorts for Trump, if not for Abbas.

Tel Aviv's Palestinian wrangling may end up being less of a focus in real life, however, than Israel's growing fear of a nuclear Iran, and on measuring and managing tensions created by Trump's enthusiastic promotion of 12-figure arms deals with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

In Riyadh, as elsewhere in the Arab world, it's common to refer to Israel only as 'the Zionist entity.'

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with reporters on a flight with Trump to Israel aboard Air Force One on Monday morning

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday that Israel needn't worry, even after its energy minister said the weapons sales are worrisome.

'There has been nothing entered into with the arms sales agreements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, or any of the other countries, that do not fully allow us to fulfill our commitments to Israel and the longstanding security arrangements we have with Israel,' Tillerson said.

'I'm sure we can answer those questions and address the concerns they have.'

Tillerson also addressed the potential fallout from an embarrassing episode last week that saw Trump egg-faced after he unwittingly shared Israeli intelligence about ISIS terror plots with Russian officials.

Asked if the president planned to offer an apology to Netanyahu and Rivlin, he said: 'I don't know that there's anything to apologize for.'

'To the extent the Israelis have any questions, or clarification, I'm sure we're happy to provide that,' he said.

Israeli honor guards stand to attention before the arrival of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion Airport

Trump delivered a speech in Riyadh on Sunday, urging the Arab world to rid the world of violent Islamic terrorists

Trump tried to calm the waters and diffuse the news of his Arab triumph, meeting first with Rivlin and then visiting the Western Wall.

Later comes a bilateral meeting with Netanyahu and a private dinner.

Then the next round of fireworks may erupt on Israeli television sets as pictures showing Trump with Abbas are beamed westward from the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

Bookending his visit will be a brief visit to Yad Vashem  likely only 15 minutes  and then a speech at the Israel Museum to complement his Saudi spotlight moment.

Trump praised Israel on Monday as 'a nation forged in the commitment that we will never allow the horrors and atrocities of the last century to be repeated.'

He embraced Netanyahu in a half-hug, forearm to forearm  near enough to be heard over the wind but not too close for comfort.

Rivlin sounded the day's most an optimistic note in his early afternoon photo-op with Trump.

'We are praying for peace, and we are pushing for peace for the last 100 years,' he said. 'And with God's help, somebody will bring us peace, all together.'

Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest place of prayer

Trump heard a lesson about the site's significance from Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz (center right) and Mordechai Elias (center left), who leads the Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Trump's visit to the Western Wall made him the first sitting U.S. president to pray at Judaism's holiest site. He left a prayer note there in accordance with Jewish custom.

Located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the Western Wall is a section of one of four original retaining walls King Herod built in the first century B.C. to support the Temple Mount.

It is also the only remaining portion of the Second Jewish Temple, which stood in Jerusalem until the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. as they put down a Jewish revolt.

It has been U.S. policy for the last 50 years to not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel, making a visit to the wall a political minefield.

But Trump, clad in a navy suit, red striped tie and black kippah, strode into the Western Wall Prayer Plaza in Jerusalem's Old City on Monday before placing his hand on the stone wall and praying for 30 seconds.
A headteacher has put her job on the line after boycotting annual SATs tests for 11-year-olds because they will be 'too stressful for pupils'.

Jill Wood said she was willing to breach her contract to fight the controversial national curriculum tests for the sake of the children's emotional well-being.

The head of Little London Primary School in Leeds, West Yorkshire, decided to take the 10 and 11-year-old pupils on educational visits instead of sending them into the exam hall and called the tests a 'ridiculous and unnecessary strain'.

Little London Primary School headteacher Jill Wood, pictured, said she is scrapping SATs tests for 11-year-olds to reduce their stress levels

The school in Leeds has around 340 pupils and Mrs Wood said they 'should not be put under more pressure', raising concerns about their mental wellbeing

Mrs Wood said: 'The country is spending billions on children's mental health, so why are we putting them under pressure?

'We just felt last year we had children sobbing in exams and it upset me so much, I just said 'I can't do this again'. They are a ridiculous, unnecessary strain.

'I'm in breach of my contract of employment - but I feel very passionately about it.'

After she consulted with parents and governors, the decision was taken not to participate in this month's exams.

The school instead opted to measure progress using alternative methods, including learning checks throughout the year and assessments at the beginning of July.

While Mrs Wood stressed she was not against assessments, she argued that SATS made no sense when schools had free reign over how they measured performance during the rest of the year.

WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO HEADTEACHER? Mrs Wood admits she knows she has put her job on the line by refusing to make children sit the tests. The SATs are legally required to be taken by the Standards Test Authority and both the Government and Leeds City Council said the matter is in the hands of the school governors. The governors could take action against Mrs Wood, including removing her from her job. But the head said she consulted with the board before taking this decision and so appears to have their full support. Advertisement

She also said they held no weight at secondary schools, which did their own assessments in Year 7.

Mrs Wood said: 'If one school is measuring in bananas and the other is measuring in pineapples, how can we all sit standardised assessments?

'Why do we test our children in May anyway? There is another two-and-a-half months of learning time.'

Mrs Wood added: 'Schools should be accountable, but there is a better way.'

Education Secretary Justine Greening announced plans last week to scrap the national curriculum tests taken by six and seven-year-olds from the next school year.

The Department of Education said it would not sanction Little London Primary School or Mrs Wood for banning SATS tests but warned their OFSTED result could be affected.

A spokesperson for the department said it would be down to the local authority Leeds City Council to sanction Mrs Wood.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: 'There is nothing we would essentially do otherwise than writing to the STA [Standards Test Authority] and governing body and say she has not complied with the statutory duties.

'Formal disciplinary action would be in the hands of the governing body and the local authority.

Many parents agreed with the headteacher on social media and said children were under too much pressure

Others praised the head for 'standing up for what she believes in' and putting children's health above test results

But others criticised her for not following the same rules that apply to other schools

'The issue for the school is that having no data would affect their rankings in the school tables and in terms of an OFSTED rating - that would be an issue for the school.

'The school could still provide assessment data, but OFSTED might see this as insufficient evidence - and this would affect the school's performance in its OFSTED report.'

The school received a 'Good' rating following an inspection in October 2014.

It has around 340 pupils and the latest OFSTED report stated 54 of its pupils speak in a different language and over 70 per cent of pupils don't have English as their first language.

The Department of Education said it was not going to sanction the school, but Leeds City Council said it was in breach of its legal duty while the Standards Testing Agency is believed to have contacted the governors to ask for an investigation

Steve Walker, Director for Children's Services at Leeds City Council, said the authority had reminded the school it had a legal duty to stage the exams.

He said: 'We have worked with the Standards Testing Agency to ensure the school are aware of their legal duty with regards to SATs.

'The Standards Testing Agency regard this as a maladministration and will have contacted the governing body of the school who should investigate and respond accordingly.'

OFSTED have been contacted for comment.
An Alabama army vet who killed his wife in front of their daughter last week before turning the gun on himself had tried to get help for PTSD - and failed - just days earlier, it has emerged.

Joshua Stiles shot wife Brittany on May 16 in the culmination of a week-long domestic dispute. But his sister, Jennifer Johnson, says that the tragedy is the fault of a dysfunctional care culture, not her brother.

'It shouldn't be this hard to get help,' she told AL.com. 'He was trying to get help to be a better person, a better husband, a better man, a better father.'

Murder-suicide: Joshua Stiles (left) shot his wife Brittany in front of their daughter (both right) last Tuesday before killing himself. His sister says that he didn't get support for his PTSD

Death: Stiles fled before crashing his truck (pictured) and shooting himself. His sister said he'd tried to get himself committed but there were no beds available in the places he called

Stiles, 30, of Russellville, Alabama, had struggled with PTSD and depression for years before the fatal shooting, which occurred in front of his daughter, Mary-Jane, 2.

The Afghanistan veteran then fled the scene, leading to a 40-minute police chase that ended when police burst his tires with spike trips.

He crashed into a pair of trees, then shot himself.

But all of this could have been avoided, Johnson says, if he'd been able to receive the mental health care that he badly needed.

Help: His sister, Jennifer Jordan (pictured) said he needed help for PTSD, which he'd had since childhood due to father issues, and which had become worse since Afghanistan

Stiles had contacted a mental health facility days before the shooting, but was told he would need to make an appointment.

Johnson then contacted Decatur Morgan Hospital, but even though Stiles was willing to commit himself, she was told there were no beds available.

Even the Department of Veterans Affairs was no help, she said.

'They said they would send him some paperwork to fill out,' she explained. 'They said if he was feeling suicidal he should go to the emergency room.

'At that moment he wasn't feeling suicidal. He just knew he was struggling with PTSD and depression.'

Stiles had suffered PTSD even before his deployment in Afghanistan, Johnson said, because their father was locked up when they were children after pleading guilty to sodomy of a young female family member.

'He always blamed himself and felt guilty for what his father did,' Johnson said.

The siblings spent years in foster care, and Stiles felt like he had been abandoned by his mother - although Johnson said that 'wasn't really the case'.

People think he was a monster, but he's not a monster. He was sick and he felt like he had nothing to live for Army Sgt Eric Shaw, who led Stiles' team for three years in Afghanistan

But his problems became more severe after he joined the military. 'He just came back different,' she said.

Army Sergeant Eric Shaw lead Josh's team in in Afghanistan from 2013-2016, when Stiles was honorably discharged.

'He had a big heart and he loved everybody,' Shaw said. 'He would give his shirt off his back, even if that was all he had to give you. We used to sit up at night in Afghanistan and play video games and talk about life.'

Shaw said: 'That place will do something to you. We all battle our own little demons. He's been battling his since he was a kid. Josh was a troubled soul in the beginning of his life.'

Big heart: Stiles' friends and family said that he was a kind and generous man - but that he'd been 'fighting demons' in the years before his murder-suicide

'People think he was a monster, but he's not a monster,' Shaw added. 'He was sick and he felt like he had nothing to live for.'

Around 20 veterans a day commit suicide in the US.

'We've got to do better at educating veterans about what we can do to help them when they leave military service,' Amy Burks, a VA social worker, said.

Johnson added: 'I'm not defending his actions. I just want people to see the mental health system is failing people.

'He came to me for help and I wish I could've done more. I didn't for one second think he was capable of something like that.'

If you need to speak to a counselor, or know someone who does, the Veterans Crisis Line runs a 24-hour prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

It is also open to non-veterans.

There is also a text messaging service available on 838255, or an online chat service available on the Veterans Crisis Line website.
A husband and wife drowned themselves after leaving a note saying they were getting 'no help' for her mental health problems, an inquest heard today.

Retired nurse Jennifer Slack, 63, and her husband Graham, 62, tied themselves together and jumped into the River Yare at Gorleston near Great Yarmouth last September.

Their bodies were spotted by a bird watcher on the morning after their bodies washed up on mud flats at nearby Breydon Water.

The inquest in Norwich heard that Mrs Slack had battled anxiety and depression for more than 20 years, but her condition had worsened after the death of her father in March last year.

The bodies of Jennifer and Graham Slack were recovered by rescue teams, pictured, from the River Yare near Great Yarmouth after they drowned following a 'suicide pact'

She expressed fears to her GP on September 22 that she had suicidal thoughts which led to her doctor writing to the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation trust asking her for to get an urgent appointment with a psychiatrist.

But the dictated letter from Dr Donna Machin of the Park surgery in Great Yarmouth was not marked as 'urgent' as it should have been, meaning here was a delay in it being typed up so it didn't arrive for four or five days.

Det Sgt Craig Lovatt of Norfolk Police said the couple's car was found in the harbour car park at Gorleston with a note on the seat written by retired pipe fitter Mr Slack.

The note said: 'If you have found this, then we have jumped. My wife has anxiety and depression and we feel there is no help.'

Two other suicide notes were found by police on a table at the couple's home in Bradwell near Great Yarmouth along with their passports, financial paperwork and cash to pay for their funerals.

Det Sgt Lovatt said in a statement: 'All the information which was laid out led to the conclusion that this was a premeditated act to end their lives. The house was immaculate.'

The inquest heard how the couple, who had been married for 38 years and had no children, did little socialising with other people.

One neighbour who had lived next door for 20 years said he had never seen anyone visiting their house

Mr Slack's cousin Lesley Moore said in a statement that the death of Mrs Slack's father had left her as the main carer for her 92-year-old mother.

She said: 'I knew that Jenny suffered from anxiety and depression and Graham cared for her. Despite this they enjoyed life and travelled to London for musical shows and went on holiday in the UK.

'They were devoted to each other, perhaps more so as they had no children.'

An inquest heard they jumped into the river because Mrs Slack was getting 'no help' with her mental health issues

Mrs Moore said she last saw them out shopping two weeks before they died. She said: 'Graham tapped me on the shoulder and we had a brief conversation. He mentioned that Jenny was not too great and a had a problem shaking.'

Mrs Moore said she had checked the couple's sat nav system in their car after they died and found that they had programmed in a trip to notorious suicide spot Beachy Head in East Sussex two days before they drowned.

She said she believed the couple had made the trip as she had checked their mail and found two fixed penalty fines for going over the Dartford Crossing without paying a toll fee.

The inquest heard that Mrs Slack had been on anti-depressants for many years and had gone to see her GP Dr Machin in June last year, saying she was feeling low after the death of her father.

As a result her medication was increased and she was referred to a Well Being service run by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust from Northgate Hospital, Great Yarmouth.

She had a telephone appointment with mental health nurse Karen Slatcher on July 28 when she was offered advice, but did not express any intention of suicide,

Mrs Slack was also offered a face to face appointment, but said she would prefer to speak by phone

The inquest heard that she saw her GP again the following day and said she felt better.

She had a second telephone appointment with Ms Slatcher six days later and stated she did not want to be involved with the service any more and she was discharged.

Mrs Slack told her GP she was continuing to feel better on August 11 and her medication was reduced.

But on September 22 she returned to her GP with her husband saying she had been having 'bad weeks' and 'fleeting suicidal thoughts'.

She explained that she had lost her confidence, was having regular panic attacks and shaking.

Dr Machin described Mrs Slack and her husband as 'becoming more desperate.'

Rescue teams took the bodies away in a private ambulance, pictured, and police found a suicide note in the couple's car nearby

She added that Mr Slack had told her they had received an inch high pile of A4 papers giving advice about mental health.

But she said: 'He raised his hands in desperation saying they were keen to see someone.'

Dr Machin said she decided to make an urgent referral for Mrs Slack to see a psychiatrist, but she did not refer her to the mental health crisis team as she had not spoken about 'clear plans' for suicide.

She said she was horrified to discover after the couple's deaths that the letter had not been marked as urgent and had been placed in a routine pile for typing up and sending.

Norfolk coroner Jacqueline Lake recorded a conclusion that the deaths were suicide.

She said it was 'unfortunate' that the letter referring Mrs Slack to a psychiatrist was not marked up as urgent when it should have been.

Mrs Lake said she would be contacting the surgery to find out what steps it had taken to ensure that a similar mistake could not happen again.
Loving father: Chris Whitfield raised the North Korean flag at his new home just to make moving house easier for his three sons

The North Korean flag that's baffled Teesside was put up by a dad - simply because his kids liked the look of it.

Everything from secret nuclear launch bases to a holiday home for dictator Kim Jong Un were mooted by conspiracy theorists for the flag's appearance in Ingleby Barwick.

But dad Chris Whitfield, 40, raised it just to make moving home easier on his children.

'When we moved in there was a flag pole, and I asked the kids what they would like to put up there - they picked the North Korean flag,' said Chris.

Mr Whitfield's three sons Daniel, 14, Zac, 11, and Lucas, eight, chose which flag to fly and they immediately agreed on North Korea.

Neighbours have been left wondering if the threat of North Korea might be closer to home than they could have imagined after the secretive state's flag appeared on a flagpole on their street

'I said they could have anything they wanted but that's the one they liked the look of.'

But after people gave the working dad grief for the flag, dejected Chrissaid: 'The flag is coming down.'

'I don't know when I will get it down, but it will be coming down.

'I had some idiots come around when the kids were not here, saying 'why have you got that up?'.

'It was just a bit of fun.

'I've got a few things to replace it though, including a pirate flag.'

Neighbours were split over Chris' move, after he moved onto the estate just weeks ago.

One said: 'I hope he keeps it up, I think it's hilarious.'

But another labelled it 'inappropriate due to the oppressed Asian state teetering on the brink of nuclear conflict with the West'.

A nearby workman added: 'I can't think of anything less suitable to put up a flag at the moment - you are just asking for trouble.'

The red-and-blue flag was raised on top of a 20ft flagpole outside a detached house in a suburb of Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside. Wild speculation on social media has led to suggestions that the house could be a holiday getaway pad for the dictator, Kim Jong-Un

Following the backlash, Chris joked that he may be forced to seek 'diplomatic immunity' after hoisting the red and blue flag 20ft above his Sober Hall Avenue home.

'I had even been thinking about getting a little flag on my car!' he added.

In a bid to solve the mystery, the Gazette even contacted North Korea's embassy in London - however a diplomat replied: 'Why would it be strange anyway for our flag to be up?'

Critics of the shut off state have accused it of stockpiling nukes and starving citizens, while elections only have one candidate - Kim Jong Un.

Despite that, Chris said about North Koreans: 'I've got the absolute utmost respect for them even if it is probably the worst country on the planet to live in.'
A Sydney brothel madam has claimed Cassie Sainsbury was forced into sex work to make ends meet but wasn't popular with clients because she was 'a bit tubby'.

It has been revealed Sainsbury, 22, worked as a prostitute at 220 Gentleman's Club in the city's west before she was allegedly caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in Colombia.

Advertising her services under the name 'Claudia', she promoted herself as '19 years old... classy, fun and ready to please.'

But Pamela Feranchi, who employed Sainsbury in the months leading to her arrest, painted a far different picture of her time at the brothel - claiming she was 'depressed'.

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A Sydney brothel madam has claimed Cassie Sainsbury was forced into sex work to make ends meet but wasn't popular with clients because she was 'a bit tubby'

It has been revealed Sainsbury, 22, worked as a prostitute at 220 Gentleman's Club in the city's west before she was allegedly caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in Colombia. Above, the picture accompanying 'Claudia's' online profile

'Sometimes she would cry in the corner eating pizza, chips and gravy. She wasn't the most popular girl, God love her, she was a bit tubby, even though she was a personal trainer,' Ms Feranchi told The Daily Telegraph.

Sainsbury allegedly told Ms Feranchi she had cancer and was forced to become a prostitute because she was drowning in debt.

'She was a complete mess, you could tell she did not want to be there but she had big money problems,' she said.

'She told some of the other girls her mother was no longer alive and me that she had been diagnosed with cancer, she broke my heart.'

Pamela Feranchi (pictured), who employed Sainsbury in the months leading to her arrest, said: 'She wasn't the most popular girl, God love her, she was a bit tubby'

A photo of five girls with their backs to the camera is pictured on 220 Gentleman's Club in Penrith, Western Sydney, where Sainsbury worked as a prostitute

Sainsbury reportedly began working at the Sydney brothel in August last year before disappearing from the roster around five months later. She was later arrested in Colombia

Sainsbury's friends also claimed her former partner, who was told she had the disease, helped her pay her 'medical bills' before they split, the paper reported.

Mr Feranchi's claims come after a former colleague at the brothel alleged Sainsbury tried to financially benefit from her mother's supposed illness and death.

'She said her mum was suffering from MS and was in a private hospital in Sydney, that she didn't have private health insurance but Cassandra had done a deal with the hospital for reduced fees but she'd run up quite a debt,' she told Nine News.

'Then she had a phone call saying that her mum was dying, and then another call saying her mum had died, passed away from MS all while she was at the brothel.'

Cassie Sainsbury reportedly worked as a prostitute for five months before she was allegedly caught with 5.8kg of cocaine

'That one there is Cassandra 100 percent. I know that outfit,' the unnamed woman said pointing to the 'Claudia' profile. Pictured, a room inside the Sydney brothel

A woman claiming to be her former colleague revealed Sainsbury worked as a prostitute at the 220 Gentleman's Club (pictured)

The former colleague said she and others donated money towards Sainsbury's mother's funeral, only to find she was still alive when news broke of her arrest.

'We've been really scammed. It's not like she just mentioned it once or twice, Cassandra would go on and on about it,' her former colleague said.

'I think she's manipulative, I think she's a compulsive liar and I think she's conniving.

'Don't be fooled by the tears and the blonde hair and the big boobs. She's not this small town girl from Adelaide.

'Cassandra is not the naive sweet little blonde girl that everybody thinks she is - she is a good liar.'

The bombshell revelations Sainsbury had worked as a prostitute came to light when the former colleague told Channel Nine the pair worked together at the 220 Club.

The brothel advertises 'a world of sophistication and elegance' with the 'best possible adult experience'

Sainsbury's friends also claimed her former partner, who was told she had the disease, helped her pay her 'medical bills' before they split

Under the pseudonym 'Claudia' her online profile included a photo of a woman wearing suggestive black and red lingerie with her hands placed on her waist.

'That one there is Cassandra 100 per cent. I know that outfit,' the unnamed woman claimed.

'I remember when she showed us she bought it. I've seen that photo, that is Cassandra.'

'Different girls that you can have and different type of girls that can make your fantasies come true,' 220 Gentleman's Club said on its website, where it promotes this picture of a woman

Sainsbury claimed she worked as a personal trainer on her Facebook page during the period she worked as a prostitute in Sydney's west

Sainsbury's former colleague claimed the 22-year-old (pictured) had lied to them in the past for her own financial gain

Ms Sainsbury claimed she was a personal trainer on her public Facebook page during the period she worked as a fly-in-fly-out sex worker.

Channel Nine revealed documents that confirmed flights from South Australia to Sydney which matched dates she worked as a prostitute.

Ms Sainsbury's fiance Scott Broadbridge reportedly bought flights for his partner to travel interstate for the work.

220 Gentleman's Club, where Sainsbury worked, advertises a scantily clad woman with her hands tied behind her back with ribbon

Ms Sainsbury's fiance Scott Broadbridge reportedly bought flights for his partner to travel interstate to work at the brothel

The former colleague said she and others donated money towards Sainsbury's mother's funeral, only to find she was still alive after the 22-year-old was arrested in Colombia

The brothel advertises 'a world of sophistication and elegance' with the 'best possible adult experience' at rates of $150 per 30 minutes or $250 per hour.

'Different girls that you can have and different type of girls that can make your fantasies come true,' it said.

'Our selection includes mature, talented, beautiful and friendly Sydney cougars that will tempt you and no man will be able to resist.'

Some of Sainsbury's travel expenses to Sydney from her hometown of Adelaide were reportedly paid on a credit card in the name of her fiance, Scott Broadbridge
Convicted fraudster and former Nigerian state governor James Ibori has won a High Court declaration that he was unlawfully detained by Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

But Ibori, who claimed 4,000 in damages for breaches of his human rights, is only entitled to a nominal 1, a judge ruled.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, sitting in London, declared that Ibori was unlawfully held for one day, 18 hours and 10 minutes from December 20 to 21 last year.

The judge said the Home Secretary 'failed to have regard to her limits to detain' as attempts were made to claw back millions from the fraudster.

A free man: James Ibori (right) pictured laughing and smiling with friends as he walked from Huntercombe prison, near Nuffield in Oxfordshire, in December

Ibori (pictured right raising his hand), is a former Wickes cashier. He blew millions on luxury homes, a 12.6m private jet, boarding schools and exclusive hotels

Ibori, a former London store cashier at the DIY store Wickes, was jailed for fraud totalling nearly 50m in April 2012.

He evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police, but was arrested in Dubai in 2010 and extradited to the UK.

He was only half way through his 13-year sentence for fraud and money-laundering when he was released from prison last December.

He has refused to give up the money he stole, and still owns a 2million three-bedroom apartment on Abbey Road in St Johns Wood, North London, opposite the recording studio used by the Beatles.

In rejecting Ibori's bid for thousands in compensation, the judge ruled: 'There is no compensatory loss to Mr Ibori and I fix nominal damages at 1.'

Ibori was extradited to the UK for trial in February 2012 and prosecuted on the basis of evidence from the Metropolitan Police.

He pleaded guilty to 10 serious criminal charges over the appropriation of massive amounts of public funds during his two terms as governor of Delta State, Nigeria.

He was sentenced in April 2012 at Southwark Crown Court to 13 years imprisonment, and an order for his deportation as a foreign criminal was made in May 2015.

Having spent time in custody in the United Arab Emirates, he was due to be conditionally released from prison on December 20, 2016.

But the Home Office indicated that there was no intention to deport Ibori to Nigeria until he handed over at least 57m 'proceeds of crime'.

Ibori was jailed for fraud totalling nearly 50m in 2012. He evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police, but was arrested in Dubai in 2010 and extradited to the UK

An email stated 'we cannot deport Mr Ibori until the confiscation matter has been resolved'.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd had tried to keep Ibori locked up until he had handed back at least 18million of the proceeds of his crimes.

But the High Court ruled this was an abuse of her powers, and ordered Ibori to be freed.

On December 21 last year, the day after his due release date, High Court Mrs Justice May ordered Ibori to be freed on conditions, describing the attempts to detain as 'quite extraordinary'.

The judge said: 'You don't hold someone just because it is convenient to do so and without plans to deport them.'

A Home Office application that Ibori be electronically tagged and subject to strict curfew conditions was also rejected after the judge accepted arguments that the Home Secretary was attempting to misuse her immigration and deportation powers.

Ibori was only half way through his 13-year sentence for fraud and money-laundering when he was released from prison last December

He launched his claim for damages for false imprisonment and breach of his rights under the 1998 Human Rights Act not to be unlawfully detained

Ibori left the UK under his own steam on February 3, 2017, but also launched his claim for damages for false imprisonment and breach of his rights under the 1998 Human Rights Act not to be unlawfully detained.

Ruling on Monday that Ibori had been held unlawfully for almost two days, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said it followed a failure to hold effective confiscation proceedings.

It was in the context of awaiting the making of an assets confiscation order, and likely subsequent efforts to 'recoup' a sum estimated to be at least 57m, that the decision to detain Ibori was made.

The judge ruled: 'In this case, the secretary of state has been wrong-footed by the failure of the prosecution to achieve determination of its confiscation proceedings against Mr Ibori prior to his release from prison on licence.'
Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs are at risk of extinction thanks to the increasing popularity of a rival breed which starred in Downton Abbey, according to a top breeder.

Millions of viewers watched Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, save a paddock of pigs from dehydration in the fourth series of the period drama in 2014.

Her love for the animals was sparked and by the final series of the hit ITV drama, aired in 2015, she took up the 'unladylike' hobby of pig breeding.

The eldest daughter in the Grantham family chose to breed the Oxford Sandy and Black rather than its Gloucestershire rival- and in just two years the number of breeding Old Spot sows has halved.

Millions watched Lady Mary take up the 'unladylike' hobby of pig breeding during the final series of the hit ITV drama in 2015. Pictured, she jumps to action to save some dehydrated pigs

There are now just 709 left, according to the British Pig Association - small enough to class the breed as 'at risk'.

Gloucestershire Old Spots were once on the endangered list, with just 176 breeding sows in the UK in 1967.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of breeders and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, numbers had soared to 1,430 by 2014.

But by 2016, there were just 709 registered pedigree sows - less than half the number of two years before.

Pictured: Lady Mary, an Oxford Sandy and Black, who was named after the Grantham family's eldest child after appearing in Downton Abbey in 2015

Between Lady Mary the pig (pictured) and Lady Mary the character, Oxford Sandy and Black's were given enough attention that their numbers have increased since the programme aired

Leading breeder Judy Hancox, 58, believes the high-profile appearance of Oxford Sandy and Blacks has accelerated the demise of the Old Spot.

'The Gloucestershire Old Spot has been done to death, it has been very fashionable for a long time,' she said.

'The Oxford Sandy and Black just took over from the Gloucestershire Old Spot. They are still around but there is only a finite number of breeders.'

Meanwhile, the Oxford species has seen a small increase in popularity, increasing from 550 registered sows in 2014, to 567 in 2016.

A Gloucester Old Spot (left) next to its rival, an Oxford Sandy and Black (right).

For the love of pigs: A climactic scene in the fourth series of the drama saw Lady Mary save a paddock of pigs from dehydration - getting her evening dress thoroughly ruined in the process

Both breeds appear on the 'at risk' list produced by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) due to their small numbers.

The Old Spot was the first species in the world to be listed by the European Union's protected food names scheme.

Judy, who runs Butts Farm Rare Breeds in South Cerney, Gloucestershire, provided one of the actual pigs which appeared in Downton Abbey in 2015, which she has since named 'Lady Mary'.

She said the Downton story line was a 'big turn up' for the Oxford breed, adding: 'It is one of those things. They have had a lot of publicity lately.

These are the pigs that appeared in Downton Abbey that Lady Mary had to rush to save, with help from suited and booted heartthrob Charles Blake

Dirty hobby: Lady Mary lost a heeled shoe and ruined an evening dress but showed she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty in the tense but slightly ridiculous scene, aired in 2014

'Oxford Sandy and Blacks becoming popular is a contributing factor to the demise of the Old Spot.'

Now aged six years old, Lady Mary is producing one litter a year and is in retirement at her Cotswolds home.

Proud owner Judy said the sow was 'royalty' on the rare breed farm, where she has kept pigs for 26 years.

THAT'S THE SPOT: FACTFILE ON THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE OLD SPOT :: The pigs are white and must carry at least one clearly defined black spot to qualify as a Gloucester Old Spot breed :: The breed was called old spots in 1913 because the pig had been known to exist for as long as anyone could remember ::They originated around Berkeley Vale on the southern shore of the River Severn and were frequently kept in orchards :: They are known for being extremely docile and hardy, although their vision is impaired by their large lop-sided ears The Gloucester Old Spot breed was called old spots in 1913 because the pig had been known to exist for as long as anyone could remember :: Females have excellent mothering skills which allow them to raise large litters of 10 or more piglets :: The breed produces succulent and tender meat which has recently become popular in gastropubs and restaurants :: It was the first breed of any species in the world to be given Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status by the EU because of the special qualities of its meat :: It is a rare breed but has survived on low numbers since the 1920s :: Princess Anne is passionate about the rare breed and in 2009 became patron of the Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders Club :: Her Gloucester Old Spot was killed by a wild boar in January 2015 at Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire Advertisement

Marcus Bates, chief executive of the British Pig Association, said: 'Both are at risk of extinction, the threshold is 1,500 Gloucestershire sows and there are 709 - there is a long way to go.

'The situation has been a lot worse than it is today. In 1967 there were only 176 Gloucestershire sows.

'They were saved by a very dedicated group of breeders, if you think back to that sort of era, Sgt Pepper had only just been released, Greenpeace didn't exist, conservation was less mainstream than now.'

Breeding Gloucestershire Old Spot sows (pictured) had soared to a population of 1,430 by 2014. But by 2016, there were less than half that number left

Tom Beeston, chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, said: 'We have had a massive decline in the past two years.

'The real problem is all native breed pigs are in decline at the moment.

'There are 11 native breed pigs and seven that declines quite quickly on top of previous years. It is quite worrying.'

He said there were steps the general public could take to reduce the risk of pigs further declining, including asking in restaurants and butchers' shops where the meat came from.

Mr Beeston added: 'It seems to be there are more Gloucester Old Spot products being sold around the country but the numbers were declining.'
Jose Anthony Caracciolo, 50, pleaded guilty in September 2014 to first-degree aggravated sexual assault. He has now been jailed for 20 years

A convicted sex offender has been sentenced to 20 years in jail after sexually assaulting and getting a 12-year-old girl pregnant.

Jose Anthony Caracciolo, 50, is already behind bars and serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for transporting the girl out of state for sex, and had pleaded guilty in September 2014 to first-degree aggravated sexual assault.

Investigators with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office first became aware of Caracciolo's crimes in New Jersey in April 2013 after police in the town of Egg Harbor looked into the girl's pregnancy.

In July 2012, police found that Caracciolo was going by an alias 'Joe Crillo' and had traveled from New York to New Jersey before taking the girl to Poconos in Pennsylvania to have sex with her.

Caracciolo has a lengthy criminal history. He was initially was wanted out of California for failing to register as a sex offender and is already serving a 25-year sentence

According to NJ.com, investigators heard phone calls between the victim and Caracciolo in which he admitted being the father of the child.

In some of the calls he even expressed his worry that text messages between the two of them could be discovered by the youngsters's parents.

Caracciolo, who already had a long criminal history, was wanted in California after failing to register as a sex offender in the state.

He was eventually tracked down to New York City, where he was arrested in September 2013 and jailed in 2016.

Under the terms of the No Early Release Act, Caracciolo must serve at least 17 years before he's eligible for parole, and is required to register under Megan's Law, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

He will be under parole supervision for the rest of his life.
The shocking moment a wheelchair-bound man claiming to be a former soldier launched into a racist tirade against a New Yorker for speaking Spanish to his mother has been captured on camera.

Hector Torres, a 44-year-old from Brooklyn, was waiting for a flight in Reno Airport in Nevada when he was speaking to his mother on the phone.

But he was forced to put the phone down and start filming after hearing a man behind him mutter a series of racial comments.

The video starts with Torres explaining to the man, not that he needed to, why he was speaking Spanish.

'I'm speaking to my mother in Spanish because that's her language,' he is heard saying, before being cut off by the abuser.

Scroll down for video

A man, identified as 'Mike', has been caught on camera launching a racist tirade against another man at Reno Airport in Nevada

'I don't give a s***, shut up, shut up, shut up,' the abuser said in the video, before rolling back in his wheelchair and giving the man the finger.

'Learn how to f***ing speak English, you live in America a piece of s*** like you can kiss my motherf***ing a**.'

The abuser, who is identified as 'Mike', then notices he is being recorded and tries to slap the man's phone out of his hand.

Torres then said, 'you just assaulted me', which seemed to set Mike off once more.

The video starts with Mike yelling at his fellow passenger for speaking to his his mother on the phone in Spanish

Hector Torres (left), a 44-year-old from Brooklyn, was waiting for a flight in Reno Airport in Nevada when he was speaking to his mother (right) when he was abused

'You are a f***ing piece of f***ing s***. Kiss my a**, motherf***er,' he said.

'The fucking sp*c can kiss my a**.'

'Mike' then rolled away for a few seconds, before he came back after Torres asked him what he had done wrong.

'Talking that stupid f***ing Spanish round (sic) here, when everyone else is a f***ing English speaking American.'

Torres then continues to try to talk to 'Mike' for a few more minutes, but the former soldier remains aggressive and keeps shouting at him.

The 44-year-old father from Orlando continued to record for the next few minutes as 'Mike' moved away, but he then returned after seeing he was still being filmed.

'Mike' continued to hurl abuse at Torres and repeatedly gave him the middle finger in the lounge

The abuse continued until a police officer arrived (left). When the cop began speaking to 'Mike', he claimed he was the one who was being abused

'You going to be a YouTube professional now with your tape?' he asked Torres, who is heard replying: 'I'm waiting for an apology and it gets erased.'

Mike then charged towards Torres and said: 'There will never be an apology, because your a f***ing sp*c that talks s*** in America, where I fought and almost died for it, so f*** you.'

Seconds later a security guard arrived on the scene, and Mike immediately claimed he was the one who was being attacked.

Torres said he tried to ignore Mike's comments while he was on the phone with his mother before he started recording, but one set him off.

'Trump is going to fix this. He doesn't understand this is Trump's America now,' Torres told Buzzfeed 'Mike' said.

The news website claims Torres was offered the chance to press charges against 'Mike', but he denied.

Eventually, he was able to board his flight. 'Mike', who was booked on the same plane originally, opted to catch a later one.
A doctor who examined Henri Van Breda after his parents and brother were murdered in a brutal axe-attack said the accused killer was 'jovial' and smelled of alcohol.

The ex-Perth student, who now lives in South Africa, claims to have single-handedly fought off an axe-wielding murderer in a frenzied attack at their home.

Michelle Van Zyl, an emergency doctor, told the trial she examined Van Breda twice in the hours after the killings and found him 'friendly and jovial'.

A doctor who examined Henri Van Breda (left) in the hours after his parents and brother (right) were murdered in a brutal axe-attack said the accused killer was 'jovial' and smelt of alcohol

Dr Michelle Van Zyl, an emergency doctor, today told the trial that she examined Van Breda twice in the hours after the killings and found him 'friendly and jovial'

Noting his injuries, the doctor recorded his demeanour as 'confident, not emotional, conversing casually and relaxed with staff.'

She also recorded 'a slight smell of alcohol' on his breath as she looked at his wounds.

The 'superficial' cuts to his arms and body have been described as 'most likely self-inflicted' following the murders of his family  for which he is on trial.

Van Breda, 22, survived virtually unscathed from the horrific attack at his family home two years ago, as this picture taken on the morning after the bedroom slaughter shows.

These are the injuries sustained by a South African student who claims to have single-handedly fought off the axe-wielding murderer who killed his brother and parents

Van Breda (pictured) survived virtually unscathed from the horrific attack at his family home in South Africa two years ago

The former physics student is wearing a pair of sleeping shorts as he sits in the back of an ambulance at the crime scene where he claims to have watched as his loved ones were set upon by a masked intruder.

Senior forensic pathologist Marianne Tiemensma has told Cape Town's High Court that clean, straight cuts made by a kitchen knife found at the scene do not support his account of the chaotic night his family were left dead and dying.

Van Breda claims he disarmed the killer who had left his family dead and dying, and chased him out of the family's home, before blacking out after falling in the pursuit.

'The stab wounds could have been self-inflicted, they were superficial and not fatal,' the pathologist told the court.

'It is unlikely the victim was attacked because there are no defence wounds.'

The bodies of Teresa (left) and her husband Martin (right) were discovered at their home in January 2015

Van Breda's sister Marli (pictured) was left fighting for her life and in a coma after the brutal 3am attack

'These stand in strong contrast to the fatal injuries the rest of the family suffered,' the pathologist added.

Van Breda's younger sister Marli, suffered more blows from the 4kg axe than any of her relatives during the attack, and also suffered a near-fatal cut to her jugular vein.

She is listed to give evidence against her brother, although reportedly remembers little about the night of the attack in January 2015.

The court has heard how the schoolgirl was found with typical defensive wounds to her wrists.

However, her brother showed no wounds from fighting off an armed attacker, nor signs that he had suffered concussion, which would have accounted for him falling unconscious.

Dr Tiemensma told prosecutor Susan Galloway that Van Breda had also recalled much more detail about the night's events than a concussion patient would normally remember.

Van Breda (pictured in court) claimed an intruder broke into the house before carrying out the attack

His sister Marli was attacked but narrowly escaping death despite having her jugular vein slashed

In his own account of the night of the murders, Van Breda claimed he wrestled the murder weapon out of the intruder's hands

But other wounds found on Van Breda were not necessarily self-inflicted, she added.

These included a swelling above his eye, clearly seen in this picture obtained by Mail Online, grazing to his back and bruises to his leg.

The eye injury might have resulted from a 'blunt blow' the court heard.

A neighbour told the trial last week of a 'loud and aggressive' shouting match between 'male voices' coming from the Van Bredas' house in the hours leading up to the killings.

In his own account of the night of the murders, Van Breda claimed that he single-handedly wrestled the murder weapon out of the masked intruder's hands and threw it at him as he fled the scene.

Emergency call operator Janine Philander (pictured) initially mistook Van Breda as a prankster

However, a fingerprint expert revealed not a single print had been recovered from the axe suggesting that it had been 'wiped clean' or whoever had handled it had worn gloves.

Sergeant Jonathan Oliphant did find prints belonging to Van Breda on a kitchen knife found at the scene, but absolutely no sign of prints or scuffing on any of the perimeter walls at the property.

The intruder, who Van Breda claims had an accomplice, must have accessed the house in the middle of the high security estate, via a wall, defence lawyers previously stated.

Earlier, the trial heard from an emergency operator who answered a call from Van Breda some hours after the horrific attack, which she initially dismissed as a prank.

Janine Philander told the court that Van Breda 'wasn't anxious or agitated or any other such thing; he was just cool and calm.'

Van Breda denies three counts of murder, one of attempted murder and perverting the course of justice.

He stands to inherit a share of a $22million (AUD) fortune if he is cleared of having a part in the murder of his parents, Martin and Teresa and brother, Rudi.

The trial continues.
This video shows the skilled moment a pilot landed a helicopter ambulance on a crash barrier in Norway to attend the scene of a crash.

The incredible feat came after a van left the road near the Storvasselva Hammar tunnel in Snillfjord, trapping the driver in the vehicle.

Joining other emergency services on the scene, the air ambulance landed on the crash barrier, allowing a doctor on-board to safely leap out.

According to local press the van driver was eventually freed from his vehicle following the crash. He survived with only minor injuries.

There was only one vehicle involved in the accident.

The pilot told journalists that 'It wasn't really difficult, I had to balance a bit but it's not a very difficult landing'.

The helicopter prepared to land on the crash barrier after the crash in Norway

The precarious position of the helicopter allowed a doctor on-board to safely leap out

The incident occurred four years ago, but has since re-emerged on Reddit.

Discussing the impressive manoeuvre, one commentator said: 'That's some impressive skill from the pilot, you'd probably get all sorts of wind changes around those hills and valleys.'

Another said: 'This is pretty difficult. If the skid catches on anything and the pilot raises the collective (pitch of the rotors) to take off, he could violently roll the helicopter as the caught skid acts as a pivot point and accelerates the roll.

'This is called a dynamic rollover and can happen to experienced pilots.'
A report by a local newspaper in Sweden has claimed 90 per cent of shootings in the country are carried out by people with foreign backgrounds.

According to research done by newspaper Dagens Nyheter, 90 out of the 100 offenders and suspected offenders have at least one foreign-born parent, the vast majority having roots in the Middle East and North Africa.

In around half of the cases, the men were born in Sweden whilst others came to the country at a young age.

The study looked at 53 convicted and 47 suspected perpetrators involved in shootings in public places which have taken place since 2013.

According to research done by newspaper Dagens Nyheter, 90 out of the 100 offenders and suspected offenders have at least one foreign-born parent, the vast majority having roots in the Middle East and North Africa

Amir Rostani, a sociologist at Stockholm University, said: 'The fact is that street gangs, and violence are phenomena that occur in some areas, and most of the people who live in these areas are of foreign descent.'

Around 80 per cent of the men have roots in the Middle East and North Africa, with offenders having ties to Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, Somalia, and Eritrea, Breitbart reported, citing the Swedish newspaper report.

Lars Korsell, co-author of the 2016 report 'Criminal Networks and Gangs', noted: '[The background of offenders] is not something that the government has ever asked us to examine.'

Sweden, which had a record 163,000 asylum applications in 2015, saw an increase in anti-migrant attitudes last year with a number of arson fires targeting refugee centers.

Last week three fires in southern Sweden were apparently aimed at refugees and are being investigation as arson.

No injuries have been reported and no arrests have been made.

But police said in separate statements last Wednesday that more than 300 asylum seekers have been evacuated after overnight fires in Vaxjo, Borrby and Malilla.

The European Network Against Racism spokesman Georgina Siklossy said: 'In terms of immigration and integration policies it appears that Sweden is more progressive than other countries, but the tide is also turning.

'A number of restrictions to existing migration and integration policies have been introduced, and the media discourse has shifted from positive welcoming of refugees and asylum seekers to portraying migration, and by extension, migrants, as a problem.'

She added: 'This also has an impact on people who have lived in Sweden for two or three generations and continue to be regarded as "alien elements"'.

A report by a local newspaper in Sweden has claimed 90 per cent of shootings in the country are carried out by people with foreign backgrounds

Elsewhere in Sweden, there are issues not just with ordinary crime, but with terrorism - resulting in a terror level currently set at 'elevated'.

Police say at least 300 Swedes have gone to Syria and Iraq for training as jihadis.

They include Mohammed Tofik Saleh, 34, an Iraqi-born Swiss citizen who was arrested on February 11, authorities say.

It's believed that he and Mahamad Laban, 45, a Lebanon-born Danish citizen, were plotting an attack in Europe when they were arrested in Turkey.

Officials say they had both been training with ISIS since 2014.

And on February 3, a Swedish court turned over evidence found in the country that was believed to be connected to the 2016 Brussels attacks.

That evidence was found in Malmo - a city whose police chief, Stefan Sinteus, asked locals in an open letter this month to help cops stem the 'upward spiral of violence.'
A woman whose twin toddlers died in a fire while she went to buy marijuana will spend one year in jail.

Heather Ace, 25, of Batavia, New York, was given the maximum sentence for endangering the welfare of a child. She was sentenced Monday in Batavia Town Court.

Though she was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, she plead guilty to only one count in February.

The judge said it was the most tragic case of child endangerment he has seen and she should have arranged for child care, according to WHEC.

Heather Ace, 25, pictured, of Batavia, New York, was sentenced to one year in jail for endangering the welfare of a child

Ace left her twin two-year-old sons Michael and Micah Gard, pictured, locked in their bedroom while she left the house to buy pot and alcohol and to visit a friend

Her home caught fire last May, which killed her two-year-old sons Michael and Micah Gard.

Ace had left them locked in their bedroom alone for about 90 minutes while she went out to buy pot and alcohol and visited a friend, Genesee County Sheriff's deputies said.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to WGRZ.

Ace told the court Monday she 'fell back on God' after the fire.

'Whatever happens today is what God wants. I can only show you I've tried to get better,' she said according to The Daily News.

Her lawyer, Benjamin Bonarigo, asked the judge for probation so she could continue to see her 6-year-old.

But Assistant District Attorney Melissa Cianfrini said that because Ace kept changing her story, the DA's office pushed for jail time, according to WIBV.

'There really is no sentence that will bring back these children,' she said.

Ace, pictured leaving the courthouse Monday, told the court she 'fell back on God' after the fire

She said: 'Whatever happens today is what God wants. I can only show you I've tried to get better'

Ace, pictured, was sentenced Monday in Batavia Town Court. She was given the maximum sentence for her charge

Ace's home caught fire last May, pictured, and her two sons were killed
Donald Trump said Monday evening in Jerusalem that that he sees 'a lot of love' for Israel among Arab nations that have typically been standoffish at best in their attitudes toward the Jewish state.

The president has spent the day parlaying a weekend full of meetings in Saudi Arabia into a rationale for a new Middle East peace framework  one that uses the region's pervasive fear and hatred of Iran as the basis of what he called 'a new level of partnership.'

'We're going to have very productive discussions, in my opinion, with the leaders of other nations,' Trump said at the famed King David hotel, referring to Muslim countries. 'And I feel strongly about that, because there's a lot of love out there.'

'People from all nations  even nations you would be surprised to hear  they want to stop the killing. They've had enough.'

A LOT OF LOVE: Donald Trump said Monday that Iran's belligerence and nuclear ambitions have created a chance for a common purpose among Arabs and Jews, laying the groundwork for a new Middle East peace framework

Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shook hands after delivering press statements before their official diner in Jerusalem

Trump did not mention the names of specific potential partners other than Saudi Arabia, whose King Salman played host to him for two days before his arrival Monday morning in Tel Aviv.

The president stood alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and delivered brief remarks between a bilateral meeting and a private double-date dinner with their wives.

Trump said leaders of Gulf states and other Muslim-majority countries who spoke with him in Riyadh share Israel's goal of stabilizing the Middle East and are willing to work in tandem with Israel on a set of related objectives.

He mentioned 'defeating the evils of terrorism, and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering.'

'These leaders voice concerns we all share,' Trump insisted, 'about ISIS, about Iran's rising ambitions and rolling back its gains, and about the menace of extremism that has spread through too many parts of the Muslim world.'

Iran regularly shows off ballistic missiles like this one, with a message reading 'Death to Israel'  and as it marches toward being able to deliver nuclear warheads, other Arab states are also beginning to feel threatened

Netanyahu praised Trump's change in direction from the Obama administration's negotiating posture with Tehran.

'I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran,' he said.

'I believe that together we could roll back Iran's march of aggression and terror in this region, and we can thwart Iran's unbridled ambition to become a nuclear weapons state.'

Netanyahu said he agrees that strange bedfellows in the Islamic world could unite with Jews to keep Iran in check

'Common dangers are turning former enemies into partners, and that's where we see something new and potentially something very promising,' he explained.

'The Arab leaders who you met yesterday could help change the atmosphere, and they could help create the conditions for a realistic peace.'

Trump visited Jerusalem's famed Western Wall to pray on Monday, making him the first sitting U.S. president to do so

Trump and Netanyahu relied Monday on the counsel of Jared Kushner (center), Trump's Orthodox Jewish son-in-law

Trump also connected his new paradigm to the persistent problem of animosities between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, saying he is counting on a 'renewed effort' to emerge from his visits to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

'It's not easy,' he said. 'I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all.'

'But I have a feeling we're going to get there eventually. I hope.'

Trump will leave Israel late tomorrow for Rome, where he will have an audience with Pope Francis.

But first he will face a different kind of Middle East negotiating test: a sit-down meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Both Abbas and Netanyahu have visited the White House this year.
A court on Monday overturned an order for a Connecticut financier to pay nearly $90,000 in attorney fees racked up by a British television host during a long-running and bitter international child custody dispute.

The Connecticut Appellate Court issued the decision in the custody case between Peter Rinfret and Melissa Porter.

A lower court judge ordered Rinfret to pay Porter's attorney fees after Rinfret withdrew a custody lawsuit that the judge said was filed 'in bad faith.'

Custody proceedings remain pending in England.

Rinfret is chief executive of Boston-based telecommunications company Flyp Inc.

He once served as an aide to the late US Ambassador to Russia Robert Strauss and an aide to Senator Orrin Hatch.

A court on Monday overturned an order for Peter Rinfret (right), a Connecticut financier, to pay nearly $90,000 in attorney fees racked up by a British television host, Melissa Porter (left), during a long-running and bitter international child custody dispute

Rinfret and Porter once lived together in Greenwich, Connecticut, and had a son in 2010, before Rinfret's divorce from his wife, Cindy, was finalized, according to court records.

In July 2011, Rinfret and Porter agreed they would move to London, according to Monday's court ruling.

While in Stockport, England, in September 2011, Rinfret 'surreptitiously' took the boy's passport from Porter 'with the intent to abscond with the minor child ... and bring him back to the US,' the appellate court said.

A series of legal actions soon began.

Porter is known for hosting the BBC's 'To Buy or Not to Buy' and 'Escape to the Country'

Porter won an order from a court in Stockport, England, that prohibited removal of the boy, Pierce, from England and Wales.

Rinfret then filed a legal action in the UK against Porter under a child abduction and custody law.

He also sued Porter for custody in Connecticut.

An agreement was reached in December 2011 to dismiss Rinfret's case under the abduction and custody law and move the custody dispute to England's family court.

Porter was given temporary custody of Pierce, with Rinfret assured reasonable contact time with the boy.

Rinfret withdrew the Connecticut lawsuit in December 2014, with the intent to keep pursuing custody in British courts.

Judge Jane Emons later ordered Rinfret to pay Porter's attorney fees of nearly $90,000, saying Rinfret's claims 'were entirely without color and ... he continuously, for over a four year period ... acted in bad faith.'

Rinfret's lawyer, Carlo Forzani, said the appellate court made the right decision.

'He didn't do this in bad faith,' Forzani said.

'The child is a citizen of Connecticut. He did it because the child had been detained in England and he wanted the child back in Connecticut.'

It wasn't clear if Porter plans to appeal Monday's decision.

His father, Pierre Rinfret, was an economic adviser to Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, and a Republican candidate for New York governor who lost to Mario Cuomo in 1990.

Porter is known for hosting the BBC's 'To Buy or Not to Buy' and 'Escape to the Country.'

Messages seeking comment were left for her lawyer, Thomas Cassone.
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The reins of his horse clutched firmly in one hand, Martin Whitley releases his golden eagle on a quest for prey.

Mr Whitley, 49, is bringing a 4,000-year-old sport from Mongolia to the wilds of Dartmoor.

The tradition of horsemen using golden eagles to hunt food is today practised only by a small number of Kazakh nomads in the remote mountains of Western Mongolia.

The famous mounted Kazakh golden eagle hunters now have a rival - Martin Whitley from North Bovey on Dartmoor

Mr Whitley has combined 'Tommy', a retired thoroughbred racehorse ,with a beautiful golden eagle named Artemis

Mr Whitley gallops after Artemis on his retired racehorse as the bird of prey scans the terrain of Dartmoor National Park

He has run his falconry for 20 years but decided only last year to let visitors try their hand at hunting with a golden eagle

There, hunters wear traditional costumes featuring fur from the marmots, foxes and wolves they catch.

Mr Whitley opts for more typically British riding garb as he uses his eagle Artemis to hunt crows, rabbits and hares.

As well as extremely sharp talons, Artemis  named after the Greek goddess of hunting  has a 7ft wingspan, weighs 12lb and is capable of reaching 200mph during a hunting dive.

Mr Whitley gallops after Artemis on his retired racehorse Tommy as the bird of prey scans the terrain of Dartmoor National Park.

He has run his falconry, Dartmoor Hawking, in North Bovey, Devon, for 20 years but decided only last year to let visitors try their hand at hunting with a golden eagle.

Clients have come from across Europe and North America to try their hand, as it is thought to be the only place outside of the borders of Western Mongolia and Kazakhstan where eagle hunting can be seen.

It is thought to be the only place outside of the borders of Western Mongolia and Kazakhstan where eagle hunting can be seen

Experienced horse riders can mount one of Mr Whitleys two retired racehorses, while new riders are placed on a cob, Ted

Artemis  named after the Greek goddess of hunting  has a 7ft wingspan, weighs 12lb and is capable of reaching 200mph

Visitors to Mr Whitleys falconry are encouraged to start slowly by first learning how to handle a small hawk before working their way up to Artemis.

Experienced horse riders can mount one of Mr Whitleys two retired racehorses, while new riders are placed on a cob, Ted.

Mr Whitley said: As far as I know we are the only people offering an experience like this.

'If you even want to see anything like it youll have to travel all the way to Kazakhstan.

'I have been doing it for fun for many years and people started asking me if I could teach them, so I decided to incorporate it into my business.

'Another thing that makes the experience special is that we use old racehorses, which is really exhilarating.

In the Altai range in Western Mongolia there are thought to be only around 70 Kazakhs who still practise hunting with eagles

The reins of his horse clutched firmly in one hand, Mr Whitley releases his golden eagle on a quest for prey

Visitors are encouraged to start slowly by first learning how to handle a small hawk before working their way up to Artemis

While its a difficult skill to master, everyone who comes ends up flying a bird from horseback, which is what its all about.

'The reason so few people hunt in this way is because you need so much space. But being on Dartmoor, we are set in the perfect location.

Sessions costs from 185 a day but conditions are very different to those in the Altai mountain range in Western Mongolia, where there are thought to be only around 70 Kazakhs who still practise hunting with eagles.

The birds are not bred in captivity but taken from the nest when young. A typical hunt can last days  in temperatures as low as minus 40C.
A haunting photograph has captured the moment a busker was led to his death by drug dealers who savagely tortured him and left him to die.

A concerned member of the public took the chilling photo showing Paul Pass and his friend Mark Andrews being kidnapped by Abdulmalik Adua, 17, and Rezwan Islam, 19, following a row over drugs.

Just one hour later, Mr Pass was dead after being stabbed in a main artery and beaten with a guitar so ferociously the wood splintered.

In the same sickening and brutal ordeal, Mr Andrews was made to drink his own urine and had washing up liquid forced down his throat before he managed to escape and dial 999.

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A concerned member of the public took this haunting photograph, showing Paul Pass and Mark Andrews led away by Abdulmalik Adua and Rezwan Islam

From left, Rezwan Islam, Abdulmalik Adua and Bilal Ebrahim Moosajee, subjected their victims to sickening abuse

The gang targeted Paul, 49, and plied him with drugs in exchange for taking over his home - part of a nationwide crimewave dubbed 'cuckooing', which keeps dealers off the streets and away from the public eye.

The vulnerable addicts had been lured to a supermarket in Gloucester to meet the dealers, who offered to sell them drugs.

Three of Paul's friends could see he was being exploited by the pair so robbed Adua, from Woolwich, London, and Islam, from Gloucester, of drugs and cash in an attempt to reclaim his flat.

But they did not realise the lengths the furious dealers would then go to to take revenge.

Adua and Islam attacked and robbed the men and the following day Islam met Bilal Ebrahim Moosajee, 19.

They lured Paul and Mark to meet them under the pretence of supplying them with more drugs.

The court heard they stamped out a burning cigarette on Mark's face before stabbing him in the hand.

Paul's acoustic guitar was smashed over his head and he was stabbed in the leg, severing an artery and bleeding to death within an hour.

The trio stole Mark's mobile phone but he managed to escape to a payphone and dial 999, but by the time paramedics arrived, his friend had died.

The thugs targeted Paul Pass, 49, and plied him with drugs in exchange for taking over his home

Moosajee admitted kidnap and manslaughter but Adua and Islam denied charges of murder, supplying Class A drugs and GBH.

Islam also faced charges of kidnap and robbery, and a jury convicted the evil pair of everything brought against them after a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Detective Chief Inspector Julie Mackay told the court members of the community were instrumental in bringing the trio to justice, as people came forward with vital information following an appeal.

She also described the horrific scene in Mr Pass' flat and the huge investigation involving 100 officers from three counties.

'It was a very bloody and tragic scene. Straight away you could see this was a very vulnerable man,' she said.

'Immediately I wanted to know why did he have to die like this? They were both subjected to a horrible ordeal.'

Abdulmalik Adua and Rezwan Islam were caught on CCTV outside Paulk Pass' flat

DCI Mackay added: 'We should be very clear that Paul Pass was a vulnerable drug user who was ruthlessly exploited and brutally killed by serious and organised criminals who had no hesitation in resorting to extreme violence.

'Paul's friends wanted to reclaim his flat because they realised he was being taken advantage of.

'What they didn't realise was the lengths to which the people they stole from with were willing to go and the consequences it would bring.

'The fact Paul Pass and Mark Andrews were willing to meet up with Islam and Moosajee the day after the theft in the hope of scoring more drugs shows how dependent and vulnerable to exploitation they were.

'What happened next was horrific. Adua and Islam tortured the victims and made showed absolutely no concern for the condition they left the men in, Adua simply commenting that he wished Paul would die.

The trio could be seen wearing hoodies as they stood outside Mr Pass' home

'I was really encouraged by the reaction of the public in the area of Paul's home during our investigation and the help we received from witnesses.

'I understand that where drugs are concerned people may not want to get involved but as a society we should not turn a blind eye to this - the criminals coming into our county can cause serious issues for everyone.'

The three teenagers will be sentenced at a later date.
A 19-year-old man was arrested in Dallas after police say he accidentally shot dead his girlfriend and injured another woman during a violent fight with another man outside a nightclub.

Police responded to the Tiger Cabaret Club located in the 9000 block of ERL Thornton Freeway in Dallas at around 3.50am Sunday after getting reports of shots fired.

Officers who arrived on the scene discovered 18-year-old Natalie Tavares, a mother-of-one, lying mortally wounded next to a car. She was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries a short time later.

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Deadly mishap: Police in Dallas say Aldo Saucedo, 19 (left), accidentally shot and killed his 18-year-old girlfriend, Natalie Tavares (right), outside a club Sunday

Crime scene: Police responded to the Tiger Cabaret Club located in the 9000 block of ERL Thornton Freeway in Dallas at around 3.50am Sunday after getting reports of shots fired

Chain of events: Saucedo allegedly got into a fight with another man inside the nightclub, which later spilled outside and culminated in the shooting

The person responsible for firing the deadly shots was later identified by police as Tavares' 19-year-old boyfriend, Aldo Saucedo.

Saucedo reportedly got into a dispute with another man inside the club, which later spilled into the parking lot and resulted in the 19-year-old grabbing a handgun and opening fire.

But the shots missed Saucedo's intended target, and instead struck his girlfriend and a second female victim, who was later hospitalized with non-life-threatening injures.

Saucedo remained at the scene and was arrested by police on charges of murder and aggravated assault.

Tavares and her boyfriend, Saucedo, have a toddler son together. She is also survived by her parents and a sister.

According to witness accounts, the incident began unfolding inside the nightclub when Saucedo and the other male patron got into a fight, reported the station CBS DFW.

Saucedo then left, went to get his car and pulled up to the front of the establishment.

Young mom: Tavares and her boyfriend, Saucedo, have a toddler son together (right)

Family in mourning: Natalie (second left) is survived by her parents and older sister

Tavares was standing by the driver's side of the car talking to Saucedo when the man from the club came up to the 19-year-old and punched him, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Dallas Morning News.

That is when, police say, Saucedo grabbed his gun and opened fire, fatally shooting his girlfriend multiple times.

Saucedo then allegedly ran after the man believed to be his intended target and continued firing away.

Tavares was later transported to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, where she was pronounced dead.

Saucedo reportedly confessed to the shooting when questioned by police. He is being held in jail on $1million bail.
A high school senior will not be allowed to participate in her high school's graduation ceremony because she is pregnant.

Maddi Runkles, 18, from Boonsboro, Maryland, goes to Heritage Academy, a small private Christian school in Hagerstown.

She discovered she was pregnant in January, just a few days after receiving a college acceptance letter, according to the New York Times.

But after she announced her pregnancy, Runkles was suspended for two days.

School officials also removed the 18-year-old from her position on student council and told her she wouldn't be able to join the rest of the senior class at graduation in June.

Maddi Runkles, 18, pictured, from Boonsboro, Maryland, will not be allowed to participate in her high school's graduation ceremony because she is pregnant

She says she feels she has been treated more harshly than students who have been suspended for other reasons.

'Some pro-life people are against the killing of unborn babies, but they won't speak out in support of the girl who chooses to keep her baby,' Runkles told the Times, speaking about her school.

Runkles discovered she was pregnant in January and when she told her school, they suspended her for two days, took her off the student council and barred her from the graduation ceremony in June

'Honestly, that makes me feel like maybe the abortion would have been better. Then they would have just forgiven me, rather than deal with this visible consequence.'

Her situation shows the tension within Christian organizations that oppose abortion and don't support sex before marriage. They have difficulty dealing with pregnant teens.

Anti-abortion organization Students for Life says Runkles shouldn't be punished for her pregnancy, but should be praised for choosing to keep the baby.

'There has got to be a way to treat a young woman who becomes pregnant in a graceful and loving way,' Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins told the Times.

According to the paper, she tried unsuccessfully to persuade Heritage Academy to change the decision.

Heritage Academy Administrator David Hobbs issued a statement calling Runkles' pregnancy 'an internal issue about which much prayer and discussion has taken place'.

The 18-year-old told the Times that the child's father does not go to Heritage and the two do not plan on getting married.

Runkles, pictured, says she feels she has been treated more harshly than students who have been suspended for other reasons and anti-abortion organization Students for Life has said Runkles shouldn't be punished, but praised for deciding to keep the child
Prince Harry left tens of thousands of German schoolchildren distraught as they could not understand a single word of his speech in their final school exam.

Students in the Western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia had to listen to a speech by Prince Harry as part of their final exams in English to finish their secondary school education.

Yet local media reported that tens of thousands of pupils could not understand a single word of Prince Harry as he 'muttered' a lot in his speech.

Teachers also complained that Prince Harry was mumbling too much.

Prince Harry left tens of thousands of German schoolchildren distraught as they could not understand a single word of his speech in their final school exam

The German Educator's organisation 'Teachers North Rhine-Westphalia' gave the entire central examination the verdict of 'inadequate'.

Spokesman Jochen Smets said: 'Even the bright students have failed in the exercises.'

Prince Harry, pictured with brother William at the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews on Saturday, left students 'distraught' as they struggled to understand his speech during an exam

Chairwoman Brigitte Balbach of the teacher's collective even went a step further and said that even teachers who have English as their mother tongue would have had problems understanding it.

Dario Schramm, 16, from the town of Bergisch Gladbach was one of the many students who complained about Prince Harry's speech.

He launched a petition calling for a new exam to be taken and has already garnered more than 40,000 supporters within a few days.

Mr Schramm said: 'One of four key aspects of the exam was the listening test. For this, we listened to two podcasts, including a speech by Prince Harry. Both podcasts were very difficult to understand, there were very loud background noises.'

Bernd Hinke, head of the of the Anne-Frank school in Dusseldorf, witnessed the desperation of the students up close.

He said: 'The students were beside themselves, there were tears and great disappointment.'
Lipinski is also accused of plotting to poison his own wife Anna, 38

Renata Antczak, 49, from Hull, East Yorkshire, has been missing since April 25

The hunt for a missing lawyer took another twist yesterday when her dentist husband appeared in court accused of plotting to attack a male friend of his wife.

Majid Mustafa, 47, and his alleged co-conspirator Robert Lipinski, 45, were charged following new evidence, a court heard.

Both men are accused of a bid to poison Mustafa's missing wife Renata Antczak, 49, as well as a conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent against Dariusz Kleinert, a friend from her native Poland.

Lipinski, a keen bodybuilder, is also accused of plotting to poison his wife Anna, 38.

Polish-born Renata Antczak was reported missing after leaving her home in Hull in April. She is pictured with her dentist husband Majid Mustafa, who is accused of plotting to poison her

Mustafa, a dentist who has practised in Hull for 13 years, gave his 23-year-old daughter Magda the thumbs-up as he was led into custody by guards following a brief appearance at Hull Magistrates' Court.

Police insist they are still treating the mystery disappearance of Mrs Antczak almost a month ago as a 'missing person inquiry' and have no evidence to indicate whether she is alive or dead.

Her sister Danuta Szulc, 61, a farmer who lives near the city of Lodz in central Poland, said she was 'shocked' by the latest developments.

She said: 'I do not even think that my sister is dead. I hope it will somehow be cleared up that she is alive somewhere. If there is no body there is always hope that my sister is alive.'

The identity of the third man in the plot emerged following the court hearing in Hull.

Robert Lipinski, 45, a keen bodybuilder, is also accused of plotting to poison his wife Anna, 38

Businessman Mr Kleinert, 54, became close friends with Mrs Antczak after she started to train as a therapist for a homeopathic health treatment called TimeWaver.

She would return to Poland for a week each month and worked alongside Mr Kleinert on the alternative medicine.

Speaking to the Mail from an undisclosed location, Mr Kleinert said: 'I am deeply worried about Renata's safety. I am also concerned that my life is in danger, but I remain under armed police protection.

'I have been friends with Renata for two years. I was contacted by both the UK police and the Polish police because they were concerned about my personal safety after the disappearance of Renata.'

Asked if he was having an affair with Mrs Antczak, he said: 'I was only an acquaintance of Renata, so I don't know why all this has happened.'

Mustafa appeared in court today accused of conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and conspiracy to administer a noxious substance

He added: 'I met Dr Mustafa and his wife to see if some medical equipment could help their daughter. It responded very well to Renata and their children. But her husband couldn't be diagnosed for technical reasons.'

Lipinski and his wife were said by neighbours to be friends of Mustafa and mother-of-two Mrs Antczak. Both Polish couples lived in Hull and have had their homes searched by police.

Mrs Antczak dropped Victoria, 11, off at school on April 25 and left the family home in Hull on foot at 1pm. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Mrs Antczak's daughters Magda and Victoria have appealed for information on their mother

Neighbours said Lipinski and his wife were a friendly and hard-working couple. They did alternate shifts working as factory packers and on farms while sharing the care of their ten-year-old daughter Vanessa.

One neighbour said: 'They would be the poster couple for the Remain camp  a friendly and hard-working family who have integrated well here.

'He was obsessed with his silver Chrysler car and was always washing it. They owned the house and did a lot of work on it.'

Mrs Antczak has not been seen since leaving her house after dropping her 11-year-old daughter at school earlier that day. Mustafa was remanded in custody today

Lipinski appears to be a keen bodybuilder, and has posted several pictures of himself flexing his biceps on Facebook. Yesterday he needed a Polish interpreter to explain proceedings to him in court.

He was jointly charged with Mustafa of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Dariusz Kleinert between March 1 and May 19 this year.

Both men were charged with conspiracy to administer a noxious substance to Mrs Antczak, and Lipinski is accused of the same offence against Anna Lipinski.

District Judge Frederick Rutherford told the defendants the case was being sent to Hull Crown Court and their next appearance would be on June 19.
A heated argument broke out on a Ryanair flight when a passenger urinated in a bottle when all of the plane's toilets were out of order.

Cabin crew were filmed arguing with the man on the flight from Leeds Bradford to Faro, Portugal, after the urine allegedly 'splashed' on an attendant's jacket.

Witnesses said the flight was running late and all three toilets on the plane became out of order during the trip, leading to the passenger relieving himself in the bottle.

A heated confrontation was filmed between Ryainair staff and a passenger on a flight from Bradford to Portugal after he 'urinated in a drinks bottle' because the toilets were out of order

In the footage, revealed by The Sun, the passenger can be heard telling the crew he was 'only having a little pee' and 'stopped when he was told to'.

But the Ryanair staff continue to argue with the passenger, with one asking 'If I go and pee on your luggage, would you like that?'

Witness Sue Francis told The Sun the man had been ordered to pay a 90 euro fine by a stewardess before other crew got involved.

Mrs Francis, 57, of Stockton-on-Tees, said: 'I was scared because I didn't know how it was going to end  I'd never seen anything like it.

'The young lad was absolutely desperate for the toilet and he did the right thing by trying to do it out of people's view.'

She claimed the man was ordered to 'clean up the mess' and was later told by the captain he would be arrested in Portugal after landing.

Mrs Francis told the Sun four police officers boarded the plane after it landed and that she stayed with the passenger and tried to explain the situation.

Ryanair confirmed the incident took place and said police in Portugal detained the 'disruptive passenger'

She said: 'I explained that had the plane been serviced in the first place they would have known the toilets were faulty and none of this would have happened.'

Friends of the man could be heard shouting 'he paid 150 for this flight' as the row continued, while another shouted 'all the toilets are out of bounds'.

As the footage ends, one of the crew noticed the incident was being filmed and attempted to grab the camera.

The footage was taken by Mark Byrne, a friend of the passenger, who described the situation as an 'absolute joke' and said the staff's behaviour was 'appalling'.

Ryanair said the situation arose because of a 'disruptive passenger' who was 'detained by police upon arrival'.

The airline said it did not tolerate 'unruly or disruptive behaviour' and added the matter was in the hands of police in Portugal.
A group of women have been caught on camera vandalizing a store in Oklahoma and abusing a clerk.

Local authorities are looking for three women who walked into a Midwest City, Oklahoma gas station in the area, trashed it and spat on the clerk working the register before they left with a friend.

In the video, the first two women - one wearing a pink shirt and the other a black one - can be seen getting into a verbal disagreement with two other women who walk into the store.

Authorities are looking for three women - two pictured - in connection with an incident at a gas station in Midwest City, Oklahoma

The women - the third is in white - were accompanied by a man in black who tried to diffuse the tension in the store

Things eventually turn physical when the woman in pink knocks over a rack close to the door, sending objects rolling across the floor.

As the duo walk out the store doors, one of the women they had the earlier altercation with - in a peach shirt - throws a punch and follows after the pair.

A third woman in a white shirt soon comes into the store with a man in a black tank t-shirt and proceeds to yell at a clerk behind the register before shoving a shelf at her.

The first two women - one wearing a pink shirt and the other a black one - can be seen getting into a verbal disagreement with two other women who walk into the store

The woman in pink knocks over a rack close to the door, sending objects rolling across the floor

As the duo walk out the store doors, one of the other women throws a punch and follows after the pair

As the store staff try to calm her down, the woman picks up the shelf and tosses it at a clerk, sending items flying behind the register.

The third suspect paces around the store, with her male friend and concerned bystanders in tow, before stopping at a chip shelf and slamming it to the ground. Bags of chips scatter everywhere.

She next throws another shelf before her friend apprehends her and carries her flailing body to the exit.

The third woman walks into the store with her male friend trailing behind her

She repeatedly assaults the clerk behind the register by throwing different objects at her

Her friend apprehends her and carries her flailing body to the exit. The other two women walk back into the store and cause more havoc on the shelves

As another clerk comes and walks the girls and their friend out the store, the woman in white spits on him as her last act

The first two women come back into the store to aide their friend who has escaped the man with them and swings at a small shelf on the register, sending object crashing into the clerk.

As another clerk comes and walks the girls and their friend out the store, the woman in white spits on him as her last act.

Local authorities are hoping for any information on the crime, which they've said counts as assault, battery and vandalism.
White Nationalist Richard Spencer had his gym membership terminated after a professor also working out at the time confronted him over his 'alt-right' views.

Georgetown University professor Christine Fair was at the Old Town Sport&Health Club just outside DC last Wednesday when she saw the alt-right figure.

The professor recognized Spencer almost immediately, and was quick to go up to him and challenge his controversial views.

'I confronted Richard Spencer, aka the Neo Nazi who has moved his hate operations to Alexandria, Virginia,' Fair wrote in a blog about the encounter.

White Nationalist Richard Spencer (pictured) had his gym membership terminated after a professor also working out at the time confronted him over his 'alt-right' views

'First, I want to note that this man is a supreme coward. When I approached this flaccid, sorry excuse of a man and asked "Are you Richard Spencer," this pendulous poltroon said "No. I am not."

'But of course he was.

'Second, I exploited the full range of my first amendment entitlements by telling him that this country does not belong to white men.

'As a white woman, I find his membership at this gym to be unacceptable. I found his membership at this gym to be an unfair burden upon the women and people of colorand white male allies of the same. I also loudly identified him as a neo-Nazi.'

Georgetown University professor Christine Fair (left and right) was at the Old Town Sport&Health Club just outside DC last Wednesday when she saw the alt-right figure

White supremacist Richard Spencer is pictured speaking to reporters in Maryland on February 23, 2017

WHO IS RICHARD SPENCER? Spencer is a white nationalist who rose to infamy last year after footage of him leading a Trump victory party emerged. In the footage, he was heard shouting, 'Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory,' as the audience gave Nazi salutes. He found himself back in the headlines on January 20, when he was punched in the face while giving an interview to Australian television in Washington at the inauguration. The alt-right founder has previously made comments about America being a country for white people, and the need to preserve white dominance around the world. Advertisement

The professor then continued in her post to detail what happened when Spencer called for help.

'This pusillanimous s***bird actually requested one of the African American Female Trainers to help him escape from my confronting him. Seriously?' she wrote.

'This superior race of a white man needed the help of a female African American? What kind of martial race member is he?'

Fair went on in her blog post to accuse the gym's general manager of taking Spencer's side.

'Best part of this event this evening: the General Manger accused me of creating the "hostile environment" for hollering in a non-threatening way at this Nazi a**hole,' she wrote,

'He has no idea what hornets nest he has kicked over.

Fair said she would confront Spencer again even though she has received a slew of hateful message from internet trolls

Spencer (pictured in November 2016) popularized the term 'alt-right' to describe a fringe movement that is loosely a mix of racist, anti-Semitic and anti-immigration views

The gym's general manager didn't immediately respond to a call for comment.

Spencer told BuzzFeed the gym's decision was unfair and said he wasn't there to 'do politics.'

'I'm really a model gymgoer. I don't bother anyone. I don't talk to anyone. I really just go and lift weights,' he said.

'I didn't want to get into a confrontation. I don't come to the gym to do politics. But she started screeching and yelling all this stuff.

'I can't believe she's a professor. She's an imbecile.'

Spencer popularized the term 'alt-right' to describe a fringe movement that is loosely a mix of racist, anti-Semitic and anti-immigration views.

Fair said she would confront Spencer again even though she has received a slew of hateful message from internet trolls.
Search crews and a fisherman recovered the body of Neng Thao, 18, from the San Joaquin River in Fresno, California this weekend after the teen drowned.

The teenager, who had been at a family gathering at the river's edge, had been due to graduate from his high school with honors next month as class valedictorian.

Neng and his cousins went for a swim in between family celebrations taking place throughout the day, but the teen was swept away by the river's fast current.

Neng Thao has been identified as the 18-year-old man who drowned in the San Joaquin River Saturday afternoon after he was swept away by the current

Thao was set to graduate as valedictorian from Edison High School on June 5 and was bound for U.C. Berkeley in the fall

Officials say the river is currently at double its normal level - its highest in decades, after a wet winter.

'This river is very, very dangerous,' said Todd Tuggle, Deputy Chief with the Fresno Fire Department. 'This is a unique year. We haven't seen anything like this in 20 years.'

'If you're at a point where you're chest high or deeper, your chances of being washed downstream are extremely high,' he said.

'The water right along the shore is just a couple feet deep, but the flood channel from the river immediately drops to approximately 10 to 15 feet deep.'

Emergency crews were called at 4:30pm on Saturday but the young man's body was not found until 6:15pm

Even then, it took rescuers some 20 minutes to dive and pull Neng to shore and into an ambulance. By that time, he had no pulse, Tuggle said, and he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Neng, left, was at the river celebrating his older brother's graduation from Fresno State

Neng, with his parents, was described as 'a California high school senior with a promising future'

'He had so many awards waiting for him at the ceremony,' Neng's brother, Touyee Thao told KSEE. 'And now we won't get to see him at his graduation.'

'He was very promising,' Touyee said. 'A leader in the community and a potential leader in the future.'

The Mayor of Fresno, Lee Brand, had worked with Neng with the city's Youth Commission.

'This is a heartbreaking loss for our entire community,' Brand said in a statement. 'Neng made a positive impact on everyone he met and we are all deeply saddened by the news of this tragic loss.'

Thao had been accepted to the University of California, Berkeley, according to a GoFundMe page raising money for a funeral, and planned to major in political science and pre-med.

His dream, according to the page, was to become a pharmacist and maybe someday run for public office.
The temperamental teenager whose brazen attitude and complete disregard for authority made her a household name after an appearance on 'The Dr. Phil Show' in 2016 has landed her first summer job.

Danielle Bregoli will be embarking on a national tour in the coming months according to TMZ, with her team already securing two venues for the teenager to appear at this summer.

The youngster, known to many as the 'Cash Me Outside' girl, is still ironing out the details of her show, but it will reportedly involve lip syncing and a question-and-answer segment with the audience before finishing off with Danielle roasting guests.

And for that three-part stage act, Danielle would be pocketing up to $50,000 at each stop, assuming she plays to a sold-out crowd.

It is a pretty impressive first job for Danielle, who just turned 14 in March.

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A star is born: Danielle Bregoli (above) is launching a national tour this summer that will earn her up to $50,000 at each stop

In the beginning: Danielle shot to fame after a September appearance on 'The Dr. Phil Show' where she challenged the audience to a fight, saying: 'Cash me ousside, how bow dah' (above)

A star is scorned: She recently mocked David Spade on Instagram, saying she thought he was a waiter when she met him earlier this month (above)

News of the tour comes two months after reports first surfaced claiming that Danielle was poised to take home $1million as a result of her viral video fame.

That claim was viewed as ridiculous and outrages by many, but now seems to be a low estimate given how quickly the teenager has found success on a number of platforms.

Danielle has also ditched her hometown of Boynton Beach, Florida and headed west to Hollywood, where she is developing a number of projects. and signed a deal for her own reality show

More recently, she launched a YouTube channel, where in the past three weeks she has garnered over 1million views on each of the six videos she posted on the site.

The most popular are her two roasts, with a video in which she mocked the fashions at the annual Met Ball closing in on 5million viewers three weeks after the event and another in which she criticized the lip-syncing videos of fellow teens on the Musical.ly app being watched over 1million times in just its first three days.

Danielle does not hold back in the videos either, going after her famous and non-famous subjects with the same disapproval in foul-mouthed attacks where she makes fun of their clothing, facial features and anything else that comes to her mind.

In the description section of the Met Gala video, Danielle wrote: 'If any celebrities feelings were hurt in the making of this video, good.'

Danielle has also been the subject of some mockery by celebrities as well, with David Spade joking that her 15 minutes of fame were up after meeting the teenager at event.

Spade, 52, also admitted to being a bit upset by how 'underwhelmed' Danielle was to meet him.

Danielle responded by reposting Spade's photo and writing: 'No lie, I thought dis guy was the waiter.'

She currently has a combined total of over 11million followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, numbers that are continuing to rapidly grow.

It is Instagram where Danielle has managed to find the most success however, amassing 9.8million followers as of May 22.

That is more than double any of the women who appear on any of Bravo's 'Real Housewives' franchise.

This gets her some hefty paychecks for promotions, which she has been doing more and more frequently these days.

Those posts tend to contain less profanity than her personal uploads on the site.

The bodyguard: Danielle has moved from Florida to Hollywood as her career takes off, and now travels with her bodyguard Frank (pair above earlier this month)

Cheesy: Danielle (above eating a pizza with Cheetos) has amassed 9.8million Instagram followers, made paid appearances around the country and signed a reality show deal

Running commentary: A YouTube video of the teenager roasting celebrities at the Met Gala has been viewed over 4million times in three weeks (above)

Danielle's path to fame has been unlikely from the start, beginning with her first appearance on 'The Dr. Phil Show' last September in a segment about out-control teenagers.

She was 13 at the time, and studio audience quickly turned on the youngster as her mother detailed how Danielle would frequently run away from home and steal her credit cards.

That only seemed to embolden Danielle though, who referred to the studio guests as 'w****s' and eventually challenged them to a past-show fight, screaming: 'Cash me ousside, how bow dah.'

As a result of that one line, Danielle's interview quickly went viral, and from there an Internet celebrity was born.

She managed to stay in the news with antics like getting into a fist fight on a Spirit Airlines flight, an incident that was conveniently caught on camera an d earned her a lifetime ban from the budget airline.

Officers have also been to the Florida home she shared with her equally opinionated mother Barbara Ann for lewd and lascivious behavior, general disturbances, fraud and obscene calls.

Police were called 51 times last year alone for a range of offenses including stolen cars, verbal threats and domestic tiffs.

Those days seem to be past Danielle however, who now travels around with her very own bodyguard, Frank Dellatto.

She recently posted a photo of the two in Los Angeles and wrote: 'My catchin people ousside days is over. Get em Fwank.'

Danielle then added: 'jk I'll still fucc ya a** up too #dontmesswitus.'
An anonymous 4 Chan poster claims that internet hacker Kim Dotcom's allegations that murdered Democratic aide Seth Rich was the source of Wikileaks has sparked 'complete panic' within the DNC.

The nameless individual, who claims to have spent 20 years working in DC, said the latest conspiracy theory, that Rich was killed because he was the source of the DNC leaks, had terrified high ranking officials.

Conservative TV host Sean Hannity has since repeated the claims that 'panic has set in at the highest levels of the Democratic Party.'

'I know for certain that the Seth Rich case has scared the s**t out of certain high ranking current and former Democratic Party officials,' the 'insider', who has provided not information to back up his claims or that he works in DC, wrote on the controversial discussion site 4 Chan.

An anonymous 4 Chan poster says that internet hacker Kim Dotcom's allegations that murdered Democratic aide Seth Rich was the source of Wikileaks has sparked 'complete panic' within the DNC

The nameless individual, who claims to have spent 20 years working in DC, wrote that he had never seen 'such a panicked reaction'

They added that this was why DNC executives had 'backed away from impeachment talk.'

'They know the smoking gun is out there, and they're terrified you will find it, because when you do it will bring the entire DNC, along with a couple of very big name politicians,' he added.

Conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Rich, who was gunned down in D.C. last July, are again swirling thanks to Dotcom's bold, and unsubstantiated claims, and a debunked news report from local station Fox5.

Seth Rich was shot in the back last July in D.C. Conspiracy theories have swirled around about his death, as some try to make a connection between Rich and Wikileaks' release of Democratic National Committee emails, which most believe were hacked by the Russians

Conservative TV host, and Trump supporter Sean Hannity, repeated the claim that 'complete panic' had set in at the DNC

Last Monday, Fox5 ran a piece in which an individual, Fox New legal commentator, Rod Wheeler, said it was 'confirmed' that Rich had ties to Wikileaks.

Wheeler was identified as the Rich family's investigator.

In reality, Wheeler's investigation has been funded by a third-party, and the Rich family sent him a cease and desist.

'As we've seen through the past year of unsubstantiated claims, we see no facts. We have seen no evidence. We have been approached with no emails and only learned about this when contacted by the press,' Rich's family said in a statement. 'We are a family who is committed to facts, not fake evidence that surfaces every few months to fill the void and distract law enforcement and the general public from finding Seth's murderers.'

People on the right have been trying to connect the dots between Rich and Wikileaks, as it would provide an explanation for why Rich was killed, and also taint the storyline that Russia was behind the Democratic National Committee hack.

Since the Fox5 story came out, not only did Rich's family refute the claims, but D.C. officials pushed back.

Internet hacker Kim Dotcom took to Twitter over the weekend and said he was involved in releasing the Democratic National Committee's emails to Wikileaks, along with murdered staffer Seth Rich

Online mogul Kim Dotcom said over the weekend that he knew Seth Rich and knew that the staffer was Wikileaks' source, of which there is zero evidence

Big name conservatives including Sean Hannity have been fanning the flames of the Seth Rich conspiracy theory. The Fox News personality later invited Kim Dotcom on a future show

'This is a robbery that ended tragically,' Deputy Mayor Kevin Donahue told the local NBC affiliate News4. 'That's bad enough for our city, and I think it is irresponsible to conflate this into something that doesn't connect to anything that the detectives have found.'

'No Wikileaks connection,' he enunciated.

But just as NBC, along with CNN and the Washington Post  including a deep dive by the Post's Dave Weigel on how the Rich story really is 'fake news'  tried to drown the conspiracy theories, Dotcom and several figures on the right brought it back.

Dotcom, a German-Finnish internet entrepreneur known for founding Megaupload, jumped into the conversation Friday, four days after the Fox5 story ran.

He said he knew murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Rich who 'gave the political party's trove of emails to Wikileaks.'

'I knew Seth Rich. I know he was the Wikileaks source. I was involved,' Dotcom cryptically tweeted on Saturday.

'If Congress includes #SethRich case into their Russia probe I'll give written testimony with evidence that Seth Rich was Wikileaks source,' Dotcom tweeted.

It was then a back-and forth on Twitter with Fox News host, and prominent President Trump supporter Sean Hannity, that got Dotcom to articulate a second time, that Rich was Wikileaks' source.

Shortly thereafter, Hannity called on Dotcom to be a guest on his television and radio shows and demanded that Congress look into the young staffer's murder.

'Is it possible that one [of the] greatest lies ever told is soon exposed?' Hannity mused, previewing an 'announcement' that Dotcom planned to give.

The anonymous DC insider has since added that the DNC was 'near open panic' about such claims.

'To even mention this name in D.C. Circles [sic] will bring you under automatic scrutiny. To even admit that you have knowledge of this story puts you in immediate danger. If there was no smoke there would be no fire. I have never, in my 20 years of working in D.C. Seen [sic] such a panicked reaction from anyone.'

He added that both Podesta and Hillary Clinton had received anonymous calls and emails from people who shared their belief in the conspiracy theory.

According to an account from Radar Online, Dotcom will release more information on the matter Tuesday, once he talks to his lawyers.

Hannity also suggested that, 'Complete panic has set in at the highest levels of the Democratic Party,' though offered no proof.

On Sunday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich chimed in.

'We have this very strange story here of this young man who worked for the DNC who was apparently assassinated at four in the morning having given Wikileaks something like 23,000  I'm sorry, 53,000  emails and 17,000 attachments,' Gingrich said on Fox News Sunday.

'Nobody's investigating that, and what does that tell you about what was going on, because it turns out it wasn't the Russians, it was this young guy who, I suspect, who was disgusted by the corruption of the Democratic National Committee,' the former House speaker continued.

'He's been killed, and apparently nothing serious has been done to investigate his murder. So, I'd like to see how [former FBI director Robert] Mueller is going to define what his assignment is, and if it's only narrowly Trump, the country will not learn what it needs to learn about foreign involvement in American politics,' Gingrich added.
Palestinian activists are calling for a 'day of rage' as President Donald Trump prepares to visit Bethlehem in Palestinian-controlled territory on the the next day of his Middle East trip.

Palestinians are holding a general strike in connection with a hunger strike being carried out by Palestinian prisoners in protest of conditions of their confinement

One faction, the Palestinians prisoners affairs committee is also calling for a 'day of rage,' the Associated Press reported.

The hunger strike reached its 36th day on Monday, calling for 'the voice of the prisoners to be heard by the president. Dozens of Palestinians were injured during West Bank protests Monday, Haaretz reported.

A Palestinian behind a burning tire during clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Hebron, 22 May 2017. Demonstrators protested in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Some Palestinian factions have called for a so-called 'Day of Rage' on Tuesday

A group of 850 Palestinian prisoners are hunger striking. The call for a 'day of rage' includes clashing with Israeli forces at checkpoints and shutting down roads.

On Monday, at least nine Palestinians got shot or injured at a checkpoint, according to the paper.

Tuesday is the second day of a two-day planned visit for the President, who on Monday became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall.

President Obama went there as a senator before he got elected president.

Trump was set to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the Palestinian-controlled city where Jesus is said to have been born.

Trump is followed by a massive security presence wherever he goes in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Palestinians throw stones at Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron, 22 May 2017

KICKING THE TIRES: A Palestinian kicks a tire during clashes with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Hebron, 22 May 2017

Palestinians throw stones at Israeli troops during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron, 22 May 2017

His vase of operations at the famed King David Hotel has special security accommodations.

"The presidential suites have independent air conditioning in case of a gas attack and are built to withstand a RPG [rocket-propelled grenade]," operations manager Sheldon Ritz told NBC News.

Suites can go for $5,700 night, and a constant police presence is on the lookout for intruders. 'But still the U.S. is bringing rocket-proof glass to put in front of the window,' he said.

He said the hotel room Trump is using is even built to withstand the collapse of the entire building.

Members of the Israeli security forces patrol at an entrance to Jerusalem's Old City before the expected arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Jerusalem May 22, 2017

A security agent keeps a position outside as U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tour the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem May 22, 2017

Trump and Netanyahu relied Monday on the counsel of Jared Kushner (center), Trump's Orthodox Jewish son-in-law

Trump visited Jerusalem's famed Western Wall to pray on Monday, making him the first sitting U.S. president to do so

Trump also plans to give remarks at Yad Vashem and at the Israel Museum on Tuesday.

Trump visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

Trump said Monday evening in Jerusalem that that he sees 'a lot of love' for Israel among Arab nations that have typically been standoffish at best in their attitudes toward the Jewish state.

'We're going to have very productive discussions, in my opinion, with the leaders of other nations,' Trump said at the famed King David hotel, referring to Muslim countries. 'And I feel strongly about that, because there's a lot of love out there.'

'People from all nations  even nations you would be surprised to hear  they want to stop the killing. They've had enough,' he said.

Nevertheless, there have not been signs evident that Trump has brokered any breakthroughs to restart serious discussions between the Israelis and Palestinians.

'It won't be simple, but for the first time in my lifetime, I see a real hope for change,' said Netanyahu.

'We must take advantage of the situation. There are many things that can happen now that would never have been able to happen before,' Trump said.

On Wednesday he flies to Rome, in advance of an audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City.

Trump called for 'a renewed effort at peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all but I've a feeling we'll get there eventually.'
Devon Arthurs (pictured), an 18-year-old man arrested for allegedly killing two of his former friends in Florida, said he did so because they were neo-Nazis who disrespected his recent conversion to Islam

A man arrested for allegedly killing two of his former friends did so because they were neo-Nazis who disrespected his recent conversion to Islam.

Devon Arthurs told the Tampa Police Department he killed Jeremy Himmelman, 22, and Andrew Oneschuk, 18, on Friday because they disrespected his new religion.

The Tampa Bay Times reports a police document states the 18-year-old carried out the killings because he 'wanted to bring attention' to widespread anti-Islam sentiments.

The report states Arthurs was also angry with the US for bombing Muslim countries around the world.

'I had to do it,' he said, according to the police document. 'This wouldnt have had to happen if your country didnt bomb my country.'

He was arrested after stand-off with police at a nearby smoke shop, where Arthurs held two customers and an employee hostage with a semi-automatic pistol for a short time.

The 18-year-old bragged about killing his roommates and 'blasting their heads', the New York Post reports, while he had the hostages.

He was also asked by police if anyone was hurt, to which he responded: 'The people in the apartment, but they're aren't hurt, they're dead.' He then allegedly said 'Allah Mohammed' as he was being led away by officers.

Arthurs then took police to the apartment, where the two bodies were found. They had gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

Arthurs told the Tampa Police Department he killed Jeremy Himmelman (left), 22, and Andrew Oneschuk (right), 18, on Friday because they disrespected his new religion

Arthurs was arrested after stand-off with police at a nearby smoke shop (pictured), where Arthurs held two customers and an employee hostage with a semi-automatic pistol

The Times reports the police document explains why Arthurs killed the two men.

Prior to the incident, he stated: 'he had been privy to neo-Nazi internet sites threatening to kill people, and he had developed a thinking that he should take some of the neo-Nazis with him.'

They also found another roommate, Brandon Russell, crying at the apartment. Russell was wearing his military uniform, according to the Times, as he had just returned from National Guard duties.

During a search of the apartment, investigators found: 'a cooler full of a white, cake-lake explosive... explosive precursors including potassium chlorate, potassium nitrate, nitro methane and more than a pound of ammonium nitrate in a package addressed to Russell.'

Empty casings that could potentially be used in bomb making were also found.

When police searched Russell's room, they found white supremacist and Nazi materials, as well as a framed photograph of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

Andrew Oneschuk made this picture of himself and a group of men in fatigues while holding a Donald Trump flag his 'cover photo' on Facebook

When asked what the explosives were for, Russell reportedly said he was used them in 2013 while part of a science club at college that launched homemade rockets and balloons.

But FBI Special Agent Timothy A. Swanson dismissed that claim in a report, according to the Times.

'Based on my training and experience, HMTD is too energetic and volatile for these types of uses,' Swanso wrote.

He has since been charged with possessing an unregistered destructive device and unlawful storage of explosive material.

Arthurs is facing is facing two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and three counts of armed kidnapping. He remains jailed without bond.

He is due in court at 10am on Wednesday.
A New Jersey man charged with murdering his mother on New Year's Eve before jumping out of a window and falling four stories is set to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

Michael Metro appeared in court for his arraignment on Monday strapped to a stretcher with his hands and feet in handcuffs as he was accompanied by emergency medical personnel and police officers.

Police say the 49-year-old who was wearing a tan colored prison jumpsuit during his initial court appearance murdered his mother, Kathleen Metro, 69, in the apartment they shared on East 50th Street in Bayonne on December 31, 2016, NJ.com reported.

During the Monday morning hearing, his attorney Chris Orriss told Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez, 'I do anticipate filing an affirmative defense of insanity.'

Michael Metro (above on Monday in court), a New Jersey man charged with murdering his mother on New Year's Eve before jumping out of a window and falling four stories, is set to plead not guilty by reason of insanity

Police say the 49-year-old who was wearing a tan colored prison jumpsuit during his initial court appearance (above) murdered his mother, Kathleen Metro, 69, in the apartment they shared on East 50th Street in Bayonne on December 31, 2016

On the night of the elderly woman's death, police found her son in the courtyard of the public housing complex where they lived about 10.50pm.

He had significant injuries to his upper body, and officers noticed that the window to their apartment was open.

When officers went inside to investigate further, they found the 69-year-old woman dead in the building, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said at the time of the incident.

The medical examiner's office in Newark determined that her cause of death was asphyxiation and her death was ruled a homicide.

On the night of Kathleen Metro's (above) death, police found her son in the courtyard of the public housing complex after he jumped out of their fourth floor window. Police went inside the building and found her dead

On Monday, the suspect signed papers releasing his medical records from two facilities as the judge gave his attorney until June 2 to file the not guilty by reason of insanity motion.

The state can either contest or not contest the motion once Orriss files it with the court.

If the state fights the motion, the judge will decide on whether Metro is not guilty because he was insane at the time of the incident, NJ.com reported.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Najma Rana said during the hearing that the state has no plea offer for Metro. Authorities have not released a motive in the crime.

A GoFundMe page established to assist with the funeral costs for his mother said her death was a 'tragedy'.
Turkey summoned the U.S ambassador on Monday to protest the treatment of Turkish security officials in the United States during a visit by President Tayyip Erdogan last week, the foreign ministry said.

A brawl erupted between protesters and Turkish security personnel outside the Turkish ambassador's residence during Erdogan's visit to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.

Turkey blamed the violence on demonstrators linked to the militant Kurdistan Workers Party - while Washington's police chief described the incident as a 'brutal attack' on peaceful protesters.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement the conduct of Turkish security personnel during the incident was 'deeply disturbing.' It confirmed the U.S. ambassador in Ankara had been summoned by the Turkish government to discuss the 'violent incidents.'

The Turkish foreign ministry said it summoned the U.S. ambassador to protest 'aggressive and unprofessional actions' by U.S. security personnel to the security team of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Video captured Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (center) watching as his government security detail and several armed individuals violently clashed with protesters on Tuesday

The protesters had gathered on Embassy Row in a peaceful dissent of the Turkish leader's policies on a range of issues such as his government's stance toward the Kurds and Armenians to his perceived assault on the country's democratic institutions

'It has been formally requested that the U.S. authorities conduct a full investigation of this diplomatic incident and provide the necessary explanation,' the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said that lapses of security experienced during Erdogan's stay in Washington were caused 'by the inability of U.S. authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official programme,' adding that incidents would not overshadow what was otherwise a 'very successful' visit.

Police have said 11 people were injured, including a Washington police officer, and two people were arrested for assault. At least one of those arrested was a protester.

Washington said last week it was voicing its strongest possible concern to Turkey over the brawl. U.S. Senator John McCain, one of the leading foreign policy voices in Congress, on Thursday called for the expulsion of Turkey's U.S. ambassador.

A video had captured Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan watching as his government security detail and several armed individuals violently clashed with protesters.

The incident occurred outside the residence of the Turkish ambassador with the president watching for a few seconds before turning to go inside.

The video, recorded by Voice of America's Turkish service, showed security forces brutally kicking and punching protesters before Erdogan emerges from a black Mercedes in the driveway to watch the incident.

It remains unclear if Erdogan communicated with the assailants while he was sitting in the car.

He turns to head inside the Turkish ambassador's residence but not before stopping to look back one last time.

Roughly two dozen protesters had gathered outside of the embassy in a peaceful protest of the Turkish leader's policies on a range of issues such as his government's stance toward the Kurds and Armenians to his perceived assault on the country's democratic institutions.

Social media was ablaze with witnesses reporting on the chaotic scene, which occurred in the middle of rush hour traffic along stately Embassy Row.

The video showed two men bleeding from the head and men in dark suits punching and kicking protesters, some lying on the ground.

Because the altercation took place in broad daylight, many wonder if the US will charge the security personnel and other Erdogan supporters involved in the attack - all of whom could potentially claim diplomatic immunity.

Because the altercation took place in broad daylight, many wonder if the US will charge the security personnel and other Erdogan supporters involved in the attack - all of whom could potentially claim diplomatic immunity (Erdogan is pictured on Thursday in Istanbul)

Eleven people were injured, including a police officer, and nine were taken to a hospital, after men in suits brutally kicked and punched the protestors. Several of the attackers claimed diplomatic immunity

Erdogan turned away from the brawl and headed inside the Turkish ambassador's residence but not before stopping to look back one last time

Erdogan was in Washington, DC to meet with President Donald Trump (pictured together on Tuesday), who praised him as a loyal ally in the battle against Islamic extremism. The White House has remained silent on the episode

The Turkish Embassy claimed on Wednesday that Erdogan's bodyguards were acting in 'self-defense' during the incident and the protesters were affiliated with the terrorist group PKK.

But a protest leader denied that anyone involved had any ties or sympathies to the PKK.

'We are communicating our concern to the Turkish government in the strongest possible terms,' said Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman.

Erdogan was in Washington, DC to meet with President Donald Trump, who praised him as a loyal ally in the battle against Islamic extremism.

The White House has remained silent on the episode, with White House press secretary Sean Spicer referring reporters to the State Department.
Australia's peak Muslim body is accused of stripping $45 million in taxpayer funding from Sydney's largest Islamic school.

Malek Fahd Islamic School is in a bitter legal battle with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils - accusing the body of charging inflated rent, payments for services that were never provided and taking out interest-free loans and over two decades.

It comes as the school continues to fight for $19 million in annual federal funding, which was cut by the government last year after the school's extensive ties to the AFIC were revealed.

Sydney's Malek Fahd Islamic School (pictured) is in a bitter legal battle with Australia's peak Muslim body. The school is accusing the council of stripping $45 million in taxpayer funds

It comes as the school continues to fight for $19 million in federal funding, which was cut after the school's links to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils was revealed (young schoolboy pictured protesting the AFIC and former president Hafez Kasseem)

According to court documents obtained by The Australian, the school alleges AFIC took $45.14m from its accounts in 'gratuitous' withdrawals since 2000.

Lawyers for the school in Greenacre, in Sydney's southwest, last week accused the AFIC of using it as a 'milking cow that never runs dry' to finance other projects.

The school's rent skyrocketed from up to $67,500 in its first decade to $900,000 in just one year - a staggering increase of more than 13 times.

Court documents allege the huge rent increase coincided with demands for a loan valued at over $1 million to secure a $7.1 million property at Condell Park.

'The loan was not documented, the loan was unsecured ... AFIC breached the fiduciary obligations it owed to MFIS,' the school claims.

The school is accusing the national body of charging inflated rent, interest-free loans and payments for services that were never provided over two decades, court documents show

According to court documents, the Condell Park property was sold three years later in 2003 with a profit of over $3 million, but no action was allegedly taken to reduce the rent, repay the loans or account for the huge financial gain made by the AFIC.

But Keysar Trad, a former president of AFIC, told The Australian the school's claims were 'grossly inflated'.

AFIC has staunchly defended its transactions over the years, saying it did not breach any of its alleged duties to Malek Fahd.

'The relevant transactions were appropriate in their terms, and well suited to the particular and novel interests and practical realities facing the parties at the time,' AFIC's statement of claim says.
A Perth student has been has been found unconscious in a pool of her blood in her apartment stairwell after a night out with friends.

Mehreen Ahmad, who is a Pakistani National from the U.S. in her 30s, was discovered at the apartment on Murray Street at 2.05am on Saturday with life-threatening injuries, according to 7News.

She remains in intensive care at Royal Perth Hospital, police said.

Mehreen Ahmad, who is a Pakistani National from the U.S. in her 30s, was found unconscious in a pool of her blood on Saturday morning (pictured)

The primary education student was discovered in her Perth apartment stairwell (pictured)

Police allege Ms Ahmad, who is studying primary education, was attacked by Eduardo Santos Abrahao Filho  who she met earlier that night.

Ms Ahmad was out with friends when the group returned to her apartment, police said.

The international student then left to buy cigarettes but didn't return, officers told 7News.

Blood was later found on multiple levels of the stairwell, police said.

Eduardo Santos Abrahao Filho, 27, has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

He has been refused bail and appeared in court on Sunday, police said.

Ms Ahmad's family are traveling from their home in Dubai to be with her in Perth.

Police allege Ms Ahmad (pictured) was attacked by Eduardo Santos Abrahao Fiho who she met earlier that night
A couple starved their 13-month-old daughter to death and left their ten other children as well as two pet dogs in a house strewn with feces, according to police reports.

Kristen Meyer-Aleman and Alejandro Aleman from Loxahatchee, Florida,have been charged with aggravated child abuse and first-degree murder for allegedly neglecting their children and starving their toddler Tayla, who weighed seven pounds at the time of her death - 15 pounds less than the average weight of a 13-month-old girl.

Detectives say the condition Tayla was found in, resembles that of a concentration camp. Autopsy results showed that the little girl had died from exhaustion due to neglect. She was found without a tooth in a mouth, and a large red rash around her genitals, and had also been suffering from multiple strains of influenza, E. Coli, pneumonia, and a bacteria known to cause skin infections, according to the Palm Beach post.

But the Alemans deny knowing the extent of the filth they reportedly left their children in.

'She was small. In my mind, I didnt think I was doing anything wrong,' Meyer-Aleman said during her interview with detectives.

Kristen Meyer-Aleman (pictured) is the mother of a 13-month-old little girl who starved to death

She and her husband Alejandro Aleman (pictured) have been charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse after investigators found their home, which had ten children and two dogs, covered in human waste

The Alemans were arrested in September, five months after Tayla had died. Detective were awed when they found the couple living with ten children - including one who was born after Tayla died - in a home that had no food, a carpet that had been blackened by human waste and a five-foot pile of clothes reeking of urine and feces, according to the Palm Beach post.

Police also charged the couple with animal neglect after they found a dog in a cage, standing in a two-inch heap of waste.

During their interrogations, Aleman admitted that he never held his children until they were two because he 'doesn't do' babies.

'I wont hold a baby until, until like 2 years old,' Aleman said. 'I dont do little kids. I dont.'.

He also added that he was 'scared' of them.

The Alemans could face the death penalty if found guilty but Tayla's father didn't seem to grasp the gravity of their charges as he was interviewed.

'Aggravated child abuse of my daughter and murder of my daughter  wow,' Aleman said in the audio tapes. 'Thats a nasty charge, a really nasty charge.'

He then went on to question whether it was illegal to not send his daughter to the doctor. To which the detectives responded: 'Yes. Its called medical treatment.'

Meyer-Aleman's tone was much different, even crying as the detectives probed further into her family life.

'I dont think anybody understands what it has done to me,' she said. 'It has killed me inside.'

At the beginning of the interrogation, the female investigator, Detective St Jean, was sympathetic, even asking if the mother-of-ten had suffered from postpartum depression.

But in the latter part, the Floridian mother's tears didn't seem to win her over.

St. Jean said: 'I dont think you are an animal and I dont think you are a monster, but only an animal and a monster would sit there and let their child shrivel up and die like that.'

Florida Department of Children and Families have been caring for the Aleman's kids - who would reportedly beg for food from their neighbors - since Tayla's death.
The boss of one of Britains biggest banks says customers are getting a bad deal from the banking industry and he wants politicians to intervene.

In a rare and scathing attack on his rivals, TSB boss Paul Pester said the industry was dominated by a handful of big players, reducing choice and service.

Drawing comparisons with telecoms and energy sectors, he said it was almost impossible for customers to switch banks and the industry had become complacent.

He said: In the sectors that matter most to consumers a handful of big, established players have a stranglehold on their market.

TSB boss Paul Pester said the industry was dominated by a handful of big players, reducing choice and service for customers

They are taking customers for granted, pushing up bills, trapping them on poor deals, bamboozling them with jargon and making it almost impossible to switch.

Its time for change, and for consumers, not businesses, to be put at the centre of the industries that people value the most.

This will not only be good for individual consumers, it will be good for the whole economy.

Earlier this month, the Financial Conduct Authority watchdog said it would review how retail banks make money.

Last year the Competition and Markets Authority said banks should share customer data with new entrants to spur competition, but many felt its recommendations did not go far enough.

Drawing comparisons with telecoms and energy sectors, he said it was almost impossible for customers to switch banks and the industry had become complacent

Calling for reforms yesterday, TSB said consumers dont know how much they are paying for their accounts, or if they could get a better deal elsewhere.

Customers are punished for shopping around, it claimed, while switching services dont include overdrafts.

The bank, which has more than five million customers, wants politicians to help consumers shop around, know what they are getting, and help them switch more easily.

Mr Pester, 53, added: Once consumers are empowered to vote with their feet, complacent businesses will need to up their game and become fit for competition.

If businesses are forced to learn these lessons at home they will become more dynamic and better able to compete on a global platform.

Ultimately that will mean a stronger UK economy that works for everyone.

His plea comes as industry experts have warned about a ticking time-bomb from a boom in interest-free credit cards.

Earlier this month there were 67 deals on the market charging zero interest on balance transfers for two years or more  up from none five years ago.

In a sign of possible growing willingness to intervene in such markets, the Conservative party has promised to review the cost of energy and deliver competitive and affordable energy costs.
Since he made hearts swoon emerging from a lake in breeches and a dripping wet cotton shirt as dashing Mr Darcy in the BBCs Pride And Prejudice, Colin Firth has come to be seen as the quintessential Englishman.

However, I can reveal that the 56-year-old, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance as George VI in The Kings Speech, wants to become an Italian.

In a fit of pique after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Mamma Mia! star Firth has applied to the Italian embassy in London for citizenship of our fellow EU country.

Colin was horrified by Brexit and is worried about the consequences, a source tells me.

Firths spokesman confirmed: Colin applied for dual citizenship (British and Italian) in order to have the same passports as his wife and children.

Colin Firth, pictured left in Venice and right with Italian wife Livia, has applied to the Italian embassy in London for citizenship because he is 'horrified by Brexit'

The Hampshire-born teachers son, left, has been married to Italian film producer Livia Giuggioli, 47, right with Firth, for 20 years

The Hampshire-born teachers son, who played Mark Darcy in the three Bridget Jones films, has been married to Italian film producer Livia Giuggioli, 47, for 20 years.

The couple live with their two sons  Luca, 16, and Matteo, 13  in Chiswick, West London, but also have a holiday home in the Umbria region of Italy.

Firth began to learn Italian after he started courting Livia and speaks the language fluently.

In an interview with an Austrian newspaper last autumn, he said of Brexit: For me this is a disaster of unexpected proportions. Brexit does not have a single positive aspect. Many colleagues, including Emma Thompson, are, like me, enthusiastic Europeans, and we still cannot believe it.

Despite growing up in the picture-postcard village of Grayshott, said to have inspired sets for the BBCs Lark Rise To Candleford, Firth has said he does not consider himself rooted in Britain.

I dont feel planted here, he said in 2010. I feel very connected to America. My mother grew up there and I spent a year in high school in the U.S. Growing up, I felt almost American in lots of ways.

The Hampshire-born star, who came to prominence as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice in 1995, pictured, is said to have lost faith in the Lib Dems are their u-turn on tuition fees

The actor was a supporter of the EU-fanatic Liberal Democrats and appeared in a 2010 party political broadcast opposite Nick Clegg.

But he reportedly later withdrew his backing for the Lib Dems after their U-turn on student tuition fees, which he described as profoundly disillusioning.

Firth will be allowed to retain his British passport because this country  as well as Italy  permits dual citizenship.

Other EU states, such as Germany and Spain, require people to give up their foreign nationality before they can become citizens.

Drug smuggler 'Mr Nice' left just 19,000 in will

He was one of the worlds biggest cannabis smugglers, but Howard Marks, who died last year aged 70, left just 19,000 in his will.

After being released early from a 25-year jail sentence in the U.S., he wrote a bestselling book called Mr Nice, which was turned into a film starring Rhys Ifans.

Marks used 43 aliases and ran his business through 25 companies trading worldwide.

Howard Marks, pictured, left just 19,000 in his will after outstanding affairs around his 325,000 estate were settled

At one stage, he was thought to be controlling 10 per cent of the worlds cannabis. His largest shipment was 30 tons of Thai marijuana.

Probate records reveal he left a gross estate of 325,000: after his outstanding affairs were settled, this produced a net of 19,000 to be shared by his three daughters, Amber, Myfanwy and Francesca, and son Patrick.

Marks claimed most of the money he made from drugs had been confiscated or spent on legal fees.

Well, they do say that crime doesnt pay.

Riddle of the missing George Gently finale

Call for Inspector George Gently! It was billed as a two-part farewell to the policeman played by Martin Shaw, below, but the second episode of the BBC1 drama has mysteriously disappeared from our screens.

The programme was due to air on consecutive weekends following last Sundays opener, but I hear the final episode was pulled owing to compliance issues.

Its thought the Seventies drama featuring a fictional charismatic, promiscuous Labour politician in the Harold Wilson government may be in breach of broadcasting guidelines if it was aired during the General Election.

The second episode of a two-part farewell to Inspector George Gently, pictured, has mysteriously disappeared from the schedule

At one point, one of the characters exclaims: With a great leader, Labour could sweep to power, which is the best thing that could happen to this country.

The BBC tells me: The second final episode of George Gently had not been scheduled, its a stand-alone episode.

The final ever episode of George Gently will transmit later this year on BBC1, as a big finale.

Commons Speaker John Bercow signalled his dislike of tradition by declining to wear a full fig uniform and letting the clerks dispense with their wigs.

Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is seen by some as a possible successor to the unpopular Bercow, sends out a warning that he would not like to see the Houses doorkeepers similarly liberalised.

They wear white bow ties, long black tailcoats, brightly polished shoes and badges of office.

All this matters, says Rees-Mogg. It shows they are protecting something special.

They are not store detectives at Grace Brothers.

Philip May might do the boy jobs at home, but he is not averse to mucking in with the odd girl job, and has carried out his first solo official duty for his wife, unveiling a plaque at a 500,000 community hall.

Campaigning Theresa May couldnt be at St Andrews church in Sonning, Berkshire, where she lives.

Prince Philips self-styled title as the worlds most experienced plaque unveiler could be under threat.
A teen jailed for killing her allegedly abusive dad has reached a plea deal with prosecutors that will release her to a treatment center.

On Monday, Bresha Meadows, 15, pleaded 'true' to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, according to the Huffington Post.

Bresha has been behind bars for ten months after shooting her father, Johnathan Meadows, 41, in the head as he lay sleeping shortly before 4am on July 28 in the family's Warren, Ohio home. She was 14 at the time.

Bresha Meadows pleaded 'true' to a charge of involuntary manslaughter on Monday for the killing of her allegedly abusive father

Bresha Meadows, 15, killed her allegedly abusive father, Johnathan, on July 28, 2016

Bresha (pictured) allegedly told her mother 'You're free' after she shot her father

Bresha was charged with aggravated murder but supporters rallied around her, given her father's history of allegedly abusive behavior that was backed up by some family members, including Bresha's mom, Brandi, who had a restraining order against her husband in 2011 but eventually returned to him.

The case was a flash point for advocates of domestic violence victims, who said that fighting back often results in punishment for the victims.

According to the terms of the deal, Bresha will be released to the Bellefaire JCB residential treatment center in Shaker Heights. There, she will receive treatment for six months. If all goes well, she can then go home, reported NBC News.

Johnathan Meadows (pictured), was shot and killed by his 14-year-old daughter, Bresha, allegedly after years of domestic violence against the girl's mother

Bresha will be moved from jail to the Bellefaire JCB residential treatment center in Shaker Heights (above)

Her defense attorney also said her record will be sealed at age 21. 'She will go into adulthood with a clean record,' Ian Freidman told the outlet.

Bresha's dream is to go to college and become a veterinarian, according to the Huffington Post.

He said the plea deal was a best case scenario and Bresha was reacting well.

Bresha and family pose while she is still in jail, she will be released into a treatment center in July

'She smiled today, and for the first time you really felt that smile was genuine. She started to talk about her future for the first time. And she's pleased to know that her case may help other kids in her same situation,' he said.

Over 29,000 people had signed a petition to free the teen from jail.

'She made multiple desperate pleas for help throughout her young life. Despite her best efforts, Bresha could not find an alternative to keep her family and herself safe. We must stop punishing people who survive abuse and offer real alternatives for safety from violence,' said the petition.

Meadows' brother, James Blount (left), said the murder 'had nothing to do with abuse', and his sister, Lena Cooper (right), said he was killed 'in his sleep'

Bresha shot her father with his own .45 caliber gun and then told her mother 'Now mommy, you're free,' one of Bresha's aunts, Sheri Latessa, told WKBN.

Brandi has said that the family had suffered abuse from Johnathan for years and that he would get drunk and menace everyone with a gun.

'I am so sorry she had to go through this,' said Brandi Meadows in August 2016, according to NBC News. 'She is my hero. She helped me; she helped all of us so we could have a better life.'

In the documents for the restraining order issued in 2011, Brandi listed abuse she claimed she suffered during her 17 year marriage: 'He has cut me, broke my ribs, fingers, the blood vessels in my hand, my mouth, blackened my eyes. I believe my nose was broken.

'If he finds us, I am 100 percent sure he will kill me and the children...My life is like living in a box he created for me, and if I stepped out of that box, he's there to put me back in that box.'

Mourners were seen outside a church on to say farewell the 41-year-old father in 2016

Some family members, including Bresha's cousin Ja'Von Meadows-Harris and Brandi's sister, who is a police officer, backed up the accounts of violence.

Meadows-Harris told Cleveland.com he too had been abused by Johnathan when he lived with the family for five years when he was younger.

'God forbid if I told a teacher,' Meadows-Harris, now 27, told the outlet. 'He'd probably kill me.'

He also said he witnessed violence against his aunt Brandi, including a beating that allegedly happened as Brandi held the then-baby Bresha curled in her arms.

He eventually said he told a social worker about the beatings but nothing happened to Johnathan. 'I don't think she believed me,' he said.

Brandi Meadows, the girl's mother and wife of the dead man, has praised her daughter - calling her a 'hero' and saying she 'saved' the entire family

However, Johnathan's sister, Jonathan's sister Lena Cooper, did not agree with the assessment that Johnathan was abusive, telling NBC News, 'My brother was not a violent monster. It is a plot and my family is not agreeing to a plea deal.'

Before the plea deal, Cooper said: 'My niece needs help. She shouldn't be out walking around. I love her. But there is something wrong here. A child doesn't just shoot her father. She has psychological problems,' she told Cleveland.com.

She also denies that her brother would abuse the family.

'That's what's so disheartening... this was cold and calculated, my brother was murdered,' she told Fox 8. 'He was murdered in his sleep, there were no signs of abuse or anything else in that house.'

His brother also didn't believe claims of abuse. 'This had nothing to do with abuse,' James Blount told the outlet.

'No. He drank a little bit, he had the way he did things, but my brother wouldn't.'

Johnathan Meadows was shot by his daughter while they were inside their family home (pictured) in the early morning hours

Sheri Latessa, one of Bresha's aunts, said the family had suffered years of abuse at Johnathan's hands and after the shooting Bresha had turned to her mother and said 'you're free'

Johnathan was shot once in the head in the early hours of July 28 at his home in Ohio (pictured) before dying of his injuries

In 2011, Brandi filed for a protective order in order to keep her husband away from herself and her children. She also said she had been to a hospital 15-20 times over the years due to abuse, according to Cleveland.com.

Police records show that officers were called to the property after reports that Johnathan had tried to kill Brandi and their three children.
A five-year-old in China has ripped up 5,500 worth of bank notes after he was left at home alone by his parents.

The boy's parents were shocked to find the torn up notes when they returned to their house in Qingdao on May 20, reports Huanqiu, an affiliation with the People's Daily Online.

The father took the notes to the bank however once there, he was told that they could only replace them if he could reconstruct the notes.

Costly: The five-year-old had been left at home unattended when he ripped up the notes

The child found the 50,000 yuan of hidden cash while he was left alone at home

According to reports, the child found the hidden cash while he was left at home unattended.

The five-year-old played with the cash worth 50,000 yuan (5,500) before then tearing it up into tiny pieces.

The father surnamed Gao told reporters that he had tried to take the pieces to the bank and exchange them for new notes.

Serious consequences: According to his father, the money was a loan from the bank

However workers at the bank told him he would have to stick all of the pieces together before they would give him fresh cash.

Mr Gao says that the pieces are too small making him unable to reconstruct them.

He told reporters: 'I carefully tried for two days, but really can only put together a few. Some were torn into three pieces while others were torn into a dozen.'

According to the father who is a businessman, the money was a loan from the bank.
Most people have spent part of their childhood playing with Lego. But it seems that some adults are simply not prepared to pack away the lovable toy bricks once they own a home of their own.

A series of photos has been released showing how the toy can be incorporated into people's homes, in a useful and colourful way.

They cover everything from keyring holders and kitchen splashbacks to an entire staircase banister consisting of almost 20,000 pieces.

A stairway to lego! This bespoke staircase banister made entirely out of Lego pieces

Stephen Jury, a spokesman for Plentific, the home services website which identified the photos, said: 'People are always looking for new and exciting ways to revamp their homes, and Lego has provided just the tool for homeowners to design their own unique decorations around the house.'

He added: 'With hundreds of different colours and shapes, carrying out decoration work using Lego bricks provides unlimited options and ensures each design is customised to the homeowners taste.'

Architect Felix Grauer, 30, who designed a Lego keyring holder has been playing with Lego since he was a child.

He now regularly uses Lego in his architecture work, to construct things and see how they work - albeit on a smaller scale.

He explained how he designed the keyring holder, saying: 'I initially had the Lego on the keyrings in my pocket and then decided to attach them to a board.

'The keyring holder was really easy to make and I keep it inside the door of my flat. As soon as I get in I put the key on the board and it works really well.

'I use it for the keys to my home and for my scooter. I have different coloured lego attached to each keyring to know which key is which.

Light up your life with Lego! A solid colour of the toy brick is used for this working lamp

A Lego keyring and holder is a useful addition to the home, says designer Felix Grauer

Nimuno Loops is a sticky tape that allows Lego and similar brick-style toys to be built around corners

It follows the launch of Lego compatible tape earlier this year.

The sticky tape - called Nimuno Loops - allows Lego and similar brick-style toys to be built around corners, upside down and on objects.

Co-founder Pierre Swart recently visited the London HQ of MailOnline to give us the first UK demonstration of the prototype tape, which is expected to sell for around 12 when launched in August.

The tape's launch could see interior designs using lego become even elaborate.

Go large! This Lego wall partition used more than 55,000 Lego bricks and included a star detail

This bright utensils pot is a useful way of storing items such as salad servers and whicks

The Danish company first started manufacturing the toy bricks in 1949 and have since become a firm stable of most people's childhood.

The brand has also grown to include movies, games, competitions and amusement parks.

Host a dinner part with a difference using a dining table made out of Lego bricks
Norway is making drastic changes to protect a 'doomsday' seed vault on an Arctic island after surprise floods shocked scientists last year.

The deep freeze vault is meant to safeguard the world's food supplies by protecting millions of seeds of crops from nuclear war or disease.

Fewer visitors will be allowed to the site to limit human body heat and electronics have been banned from the entrance to cut down heat sources.

Those managing the vault hope to keep temperatures as low as possible to avoid a catastrophic flood.

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The Global Seed Vault houses nearly one million samples and is the world's biggest collection of agricultural biodiversity. But warming global temperatures are proving to be an unforeseen adversary as a sudden flood caused by melting permafrost shocked scientists last year

THE SVALBARD DOOMSDAY VAULT The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is buried on an island off of Norway's northern coast. It already stores nearly one million samples of seeds, which represent 13,000 years of agricultural history. The vault provides a last resort back-up to a network of seed banks around the world, which store seeds but can be threatened by war, accidents and natural disasters. Permafrost and thick rock ensure seed samples remain frozen even without power. The vault aims to secure millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available in the world today. Advertisement

Even the smallest increase in temperature within the vault, such as the heat from a light bulb, could tip the balance and melt more of the building's surrounding permafrost.

Waterproof walls are also being added to the building and floodwater trenches are being dug outside to channel future catastrophic floods away from danger.

The water from last year's melt, limited to the 15 metre (50 ft) entrance hall, had no impact on the seeds.

Some of the water that flowed in re-froze and had to be chipped out by workers from the local fire service.

The melt was a wake up call for those managing the vault on the Svalbard archipelago, about 1,000 km (620 miles) from the North Pole.

'Svalbard Global Seed Vault is facing technical improvements in connection with water intrusion,' Norwegian state construction group Statsbygg, which built the vault that opened in 2008, said in a statement on Saturday.

'The seeds in the seed vault have never been threatened.'

Protected crops stocked in the vault include rice, maize, potatoes and wheat.

They are stored more than 110 metres (360 ft) inside the mountainside, where natural permafrost keeps the vault's freezers cool.

An underlying problem with the flood was that permafrost around the entrance of the vault, which had thawed from the heat of construction a decade ago, has not re-frozen as predicted by scientists, vault spokeswoman Hege Njaa Aschim said.

Fewer visitors will be allowed to the site to limit human body heat and electronics have been banned from the entrance to keep temperatures as low as possible, as even the smallest heat source could cause another catastrophic flood

Temperatures in the Arctic region have been rising at twice the global average in a quickening trend that climate scientists blame on man-made greenhouse gases.

Svalbard has sometimes had rain even in the depths of winter when the sun does not rise.

'There's no doubt that the permafrost will remain in the mountainside where the seeds are, but we had not expected it to melt around the tunnel,' said Marie Haga, head of the Bonn-based Crop Trust that works with Norway to run the vault.

Ms Haga said the trust had so far raised just over $200 million (154 million) toward an $850 million (655 million) endowment fund to help safeguard seeds in collections around the globe.

'That is an extremely cheap insurance policy for the world,' she said.

While the flooding didnt reach the vault itself, meaning the seeds were unharmed, the breach has experts questioning how climate change will affect the strongholds long-term survival
New Zealand will launch its first ever test rocket tomorrow as the nation makes plans to join the commercial space race.

The nation has never had a space programme - but could soon be launching commercial rockets more often than the US.

Commercial space company Rocket Lab plans to launch 50 rockets a year from New Zealand within just a few years.

Engineers work with the Electron rocket (pictured) at the launch site on the Mahia Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand

ELECTRON ROCKET Electron is a two-stage rocket launcher designed for one-use commercial programmes. The rocket is equipped with the first oxygen/kerosene engine to use 3D printing for all its primary components. The rocket has a diameter of 1.2 metres (3'11) and is 17 metres tall (56ft). Rocket Lab built the vessel using carbon composite materials to make it both strong and lightweight. The rocket will be tested for the first time today from a remote peninsula in New Zealand. Advertisement

Founded by New Zealander Peter Beck, the company was last week given official approval to conduct three test launches from a remote peninsula in the South Pacific nation.

Rocket Lab originally planned to launch the Electron rocket sometime today but heavy winds have forced the company to postpone until tomorrow.

The firm has a ten-day launch window, meaning the test will be conducted between May 22 and June 2.

'So far, it's only superpowers that have gone into space,' said Simon Bridges, New Zealand's economic development minister.

'For us to do it, and be in the first couple of handfuls of countries in the world, is pretty impressive.'

Rocket Lab sees an emerging market in delivering lots of small devices, some not much bigger than a smartphone, into low Earth orbit.

New Zealand has never had a space programme but could soon be launching commercial rockets more often than the United States. Pictured is the Electron Rocket

The satellites would be used for everything from monitoring crops to providing internet service.

The company hopes to begin commercial launches later this year and eventually launch one rocket every week.

It plans to keep costs low by using lightweight, disposable rockets with 3D-printed engines.

It's a different plan than some other space companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX, which uses larger rockets to carry bigger payloads.

The venture has left New Zealand officials excited and struggling to keep up.

Electron Rocket (pictured) was designed by the California-based company Rocket Lab and features a 3D-printed engine

Politicians are rushing through new space laws and the government has set up a boutique space agency, which employs 10 people.

Bridges said that if Rocket Lab is successful, it could change people's perception of New Zealand from a place full of farms and nice scenery to a technologically savvy nation on the rise.

He said the space industry could soon bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each year and rival industries like wine and kiwifruit.

He envisions spinoff companies and many high-paying jobs, much of it built on the back of Rocket Lab.

Pictured is the launch site for the Electron rocket on the Mahia Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand

The company's Electron rocket is unusual in many respects. It carries only a small payload of about 150 kilograms (331 pounds).

It's made from carbon fiber and uses an electric engine. Rocket Lab says each launch will cost just $5 million, a tiny fraction of a typical rocket launch.

Unlike SpaceX, which aims to build a rocket that's fully reusable, Rocket Lab's rockets are disposable.

Beck said they are light and use relatively little fuel. Customers who have signed up so far include NASA and Moon Express.

'Space has always held a fascination for me,' said Beck. 'Not enough people go out on nice starry night and look up.'

The light-weight rocket will be launched today from the Mahia Peninsula on the northern island of New Zealand

Both Beck and Bridges are careful to temper expectations for the test launch, which is scheduled to take place within a 10-day window.

They say there could be delays and things could go wrong.

Rocket Lab, which is privately held, has received about $150 million (116 million) in venture capital funding, including an undisclosed amount from Bessemer Venture Partners in Silicon Valley.

Bessemer partner David Cowan said that for years, the trend was for both rockets and satellites to get bigger and bigger, until many satellites were the size of a bus or even a house.

Needs have changed rapidly over the last few years as technology has allowed tiny, cheap satellites to be put into lower orbits, he said.

Cowan, who is flying to New Zealand to witness the launch, said he was impressed with how local officials and everyday folks seem to be embracing the idea.

On a recent visit to a sheep farm, he said a farmer who had no idea about his involvement in the project was eager to tell him how New Zealand would be launching a rocket.

Eric Stallmer, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Commercial Spaceflight Federation, said a couple of other companies are also trying to fill the niche that Rocket Lab is aiming for but there is plenty of potential for growth.

Rocket Lab plan to launch 50 rockets a year within a few years. Pictured is the launch site for the Electron rocket on the Mahia Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand

'There was a big hole in the market,' Stallmer said. 'We are pretty excited about what Rocket Lab is doing.'

He said the U.S. is launching fewer than two-dozen commercial rockets a year and remains a world leader.

Still, he thinks Rocket Lab's goal of 50 or more launches a year sounds ambitious, and would take several years to achieve.

Beck said the benefits of its launch site at Mahia Peninsula on the North Island include its location on a sliver of land that's almost surrounded by water and clear skies that are free from much air traffic.

Bevan Cutler, who moved to the area a couple of months ago and bought the Mahia Beach Store, said it's a beautiful place with lots of holiday homes.

People come for the surfing, fishing and diving.

Some folk are upset the launches could result in the temporary closure of roads and fishing grounds, he said.

Others are excited about the prospect of new customers and business opportunities.

Most, he said, are waiting to see what happens with the first test launch.

'It could have fairly large implications moving forward,' Cutler said. 'We just don't know yet.'
Art historians have finally solved the identity of Leonardo da Vinci's mother nearly five centuries after the artist's death.

Da Vinci's mother, Caterina di Meo Lippi, was an orphan living in a farmhouse with her grandmother on remote hills a mile from Vinci when she became pregnant.

New research reveals that the vulnerable girl was only 15 years old when she was seduced by an older lawyer and became pregnant with Leonardo.

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Da Vinci's mother, Caterina di Meo Lippi, was an orphan living in a farmhouse with her grandmother when she became pregnant with Leonardo (pictured)

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CATERINA DI MEO LIPPI? Art historians discovered da Vinci's mother was an orphan called Caterina di Meo Lippi who was just 15 and living in a farmhouse with her grandmother on remote hills a mile from Vinci. Caterina's father, Bartolomeo Lippi, disappeared when she was young. She was brought up by her grandmother who then died in 1451 so she then moved in with her uncle and aunt. She was only 15 years old when she was seduced by an older lawyer and became pregnant with Leonardo. Leonardo, who who was born on 14 April 1452, was probably brought up in Ser Piero's father's house. Caterina was married off to a local farmer called Antonio di Piero Buti. Caterina went on to have a second son and four daughters. More than 40 years later Caterina went to stay with her son in Milan where she died, documents reveal. Advertisement

Art historians have long struggled to find out about the life of the artist's mother with speculation that she was a slave from Africa or China but new research reveals the truth is closer to home.

According to a new book by Professor Martin Kemp, emeritus professor of art history at Oxford University local girl Caterina became pregnant with a 25-year-old lawyer called Ser Piero da Vinci who was working in Florence.

Dr Kemp said he was 'a young man on the make' who took a few weeks off in July 1451 when he met Caterina, writes The Times.

'Nice summer's evening probably in the fields  and that was it', said Dr Kemp.

Caterina 'was a peasant fallen on bad times, and you cannot be much lower in the social pile than that.

'To be a 16-year-old with an illegitimate son and no house was about as bad as it gets', he said.

Caterina's father, Bartolomeo Lippi, disappeared when she was young.

She was brought up by her grandmother who then died in 1451 so she then moved in with her uncle and aunt.

Leonardo, who who was born on 14 April 1452, was probably brought up in Ser Piero's father's house, which Dr Kemp discovered by looking through archives, namely tax returns, which noted there was an illegitimate son living in the house.

These documents suggest art fans have been visiting the wrong site - the Casa Natale in Anchiano which is two miles from Vinci.

Caterina was living on remote hills a mile from Vinci (pictured) when she was seduced by a with a 25-year-old lawyer called Ser Piero da Vinci who was working in Florence

Leonardo, who who was born on 14 April 1452, was probably brought up in Ser Piero's father's house in Vinci. Caterina was married off to a local farmer called Antonio di Piero Buti

HOW DID THEY FIND HER? Researchers found the identity of Caterina di Meo Lippi by looking through archives in Florence and Vinci. Documents showed that Ser Piero da Vinci, a 25-year-old lawyer from Florence took a break from work in July 1451. This was believes to be the time when Caterina was impregnated. They found Leonardo was brought up in Ser Piero's father's house by looking at tax returns and found information about Ser Piero's illigitimate son 'born of him and Caterina'. Looking through Milan funeral records, they found notes about a woman called Caterina from Florence 40 years later. This matches a note in Leonardo's notebook in 1494 which says 'Caterina came to stay'. Advertisement

'Ser Piero was making a career in Florence so he didn't want a infant baby dragging around. And the grandfather lived in very decent circumstances. They were families of landowners and notaries', said Dr Kemp.

'The grandfather appears to have behaved beautifully. When Leonardo moves to Florence he was always known as Leonardo di Ser Piero da Vinci', he said.

Caterina was married off to a local farmer called Antonio di Piero Buti and Ser Piero da Vinci was also married to someone else.

Caterina went on to have a second son and four daughters.

The findings are detailed in a new book Mona Lisa: The People and the Painting which Dr Kemp wrote with economist and art researcher Giuseppe Pallanti.

More than 40 years later Caterina went to stay with her son in Milan where she died, documents reveal.

Researchers found a note written by Leonardo to pay her funeral expenses and Milan funeral records relate to someone called Caterina from Florence. Pictured is da Vinci's Vitruvian Man

'There is a note in Leonardo's notebooks, in 1494 in Milan, saying 'Caterina came to stay',' Dr Kemp said.

Researchers found a note written by Leonardo to pay her funeral expenses and Milan funeral records relate to someone called Caterina from Florence.

'You put those three things together, and she died within a year of arriving at Leonardo's', said Dr Kemp.

Dr Kemp described her end as 'quite a romantic end to what is otherwise a melancholy story.'
With an estimated 90 per cent of the world's internet users using them every day, emoji are becoming more and more important in how we communicate online.

Now, an expert in language and communication has gone so far as to say that emoji can help men and women get on better with each other.

Professor Vyvyan Evans claims that emoji help to clarify the meaning of messages, so that they don't get misconstrued.

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Professor Vyvyan Evans said: 'If a woman sends the message "Fine, do whatever you want" on a smartphone and adds the "angry face" or "disappointed face" emoji, it gives the recipient a non-verbal cue, a metacomment, showing him how to interpret the words

READING BETWEEN THE LINES WITH EMOJI Adding emoji can help clarify what the woman is actually feeling, rather than having to read between the lines, according to Professor Evans. Professor Evans said: 'If a woman sends the message "Fine, do whatever you want" on a smartphone and adds the "angry face" or "disappointed face" emoji, it gives the recipient a non-verbal cue, a metacomment, showing him how to interpret the words. 'A guy can't miss it and there is very little room for misunderstanding.' Advertisement

In his new book, 'The Emoji Code', Professor Evans, who is a freelance language and communication consultant, says that men should use emoji to communicate with their partners.

Professor Evans writes: 'Men frequently take a statement by their significant other at face value when, in fact, there is an underlying meaning.

'For example, when a guy says to a woman, "I'm going out with my mates," and the woman replies, "Fine, do whatever you want," she is actually testing his judgement.

'She is saying, "You should know me well enough by now to know that I will not be fine with that."

'Understanding that communicative intention is key to a harmonious relationship.'

Adding emoji can help clarify what the woman is actually feeling, rather than having to read between the lines, according to Professor Evans.

Professor Evans added: 'If a woman sends the message "Fine, do whatever you want" on a smartphone and adds the "angry face" or "disappointed face" emoji, it gives the recipient a non-verbal cue, a metacomment, showing him how to interpret the words.

'A guy can't miss it and there is very little room for misunderstanding.'

Research last month from mobile dating app Clover suggests that the use of emoji can have a powerful effect on the way users interact with each other. And the findings showed a definite divide between the sexes in the types of emoji women and men like to send and receive

Professor Evans goes so far as to claim that emoji are almost essential for communication online.

He said: 'As online communication takes over from aspects of face-to-face interaction, we need to use emojis to better express ourselves, to help people relate to us and to successfully convey our personality.

'People who don't use emojis are challenged in a digital context in the same way that you would be if you were unable to change the tone of your voice.

EMOJI USE IN ONLINE DATING Last month, mobile dating app Clover analysed data from its users to see which emoji get the most responses when used to start up a conversation. Clover analysed 90 million messages from three million users. It found that just 10 per cent of conversations start with a message that contains an emoji. Women were found to reply five per cent more often to an opening message with an emoji. Men were found to reply eight per cent more often. Advertisement

'If you don't use them it might be because you don't realise how much your messages are being misunderstood.'

In particular, Professor Evans says that people in the UK have benefited from the rising use of emoji.

He added: 'Brits tend to be emotionally a bit more reticent than other nations.

'They are less open with other people, so often prefer to use emojis.'

Professor Evans recently worked with Barclays on a study that found that as well as helping to express emotions, emoji can help people to approach awkward topics.

He said: 'Emojis are what I call mean-proof.

'Because they are cartoon-like glyphs it is very difficult to threaten someone or to take offence using an emoji.

Clover analysed 90 million messages from three million users. Pictured - the emojis women men are most likely to respond to

'Even if you send an angry face to someone, it's not the same as threatening physical violence, they don't have the same menace.'

Last month, mobile dating app Clover analysed data from its users to see which emoji get the most responses when used to start up a conversation.

And the findings suggest the choice of emoji used can play a crucial part, with definite lines drawn between those favoured by men and women - as well as how each gender is likely to respond.

Clover found that just ten per cent of conversations start with a message that contains an emoji. Pictured - the emoji men are most likely to respond to

Women are least likely to respond to the phallic eggplant, clapping, flexed bicep and the fist bump.

Men, however, will be put off by the vulcan salute, ring, crying face and pile of poo emoji.

The team examined 90 million messages from three million users to see if emoji had an impact on whether people were likely to respond to the tentative first messages sent by admirers.

And their findings suggest that emoji do seem to play a part.
A wind farm with the world's biggest turbines has been switched on to supply power to 230,000 UK homes.

Each of the farm's 32 turbines stands at a mighty 640ft (195m), which is higher than London's Gherkin tower.

The colossal structures, each with blades that are 262ft (80m) in length, are located off the coast of Liverpool in northern England.

A wind farm with the world's biggest turbines (pictured) has been switched on to supply power to 230,000 UK homes

WORLD'S BIGGEST WIND TURBINES Known as MHI Vestas turbines

Stand at 640ft (195m) tall

Rotator has larger circumference than the London Eye

Each blade is 262ft (80m) in length

Output of eight megawatts

One rotation of the blades is enough to power a house for 29 hours

One turbine produces more energy than all of Vindeby, the world's first offshore wind farm in Denmark Advertisement

Dong Energy's Burno Bank Extension wind farm, which overs 40 square kilometres (15 square miles), is the first to make commercial use of the gigantic MHI Vestas turbines.

Each turbine has an output of eight megawatts and one blade rotation is enough to power a house for 29 hours.

And in just 24 hours, the turbines can generate 260,000kwh - enough to power hundreds of homes for a month.

The rotator of each turbine alone is significantly bigger than the London Eye.

The blades were made in the Isle of Wight, transition pieces that link the towers together were built in Teesside while assembly took place in Belfast.

Each of the farm's 32 turbines (pictured) stands at a mighty 640ft (195m), which is higher than London's Gherkin tower

The circumference of the turbine's rotator alone (left) is significantly bigger than the London Eye (right)

Dong Energy said just one of the structures can generate more energy than all the turbines of Vindeby, the world's first offshore wind farm in Denmark.

The company's prototype turbine broke the energy generation record for a commercially available offshore wind turbine on December 1st, 2016, when it produced 216,000 kWh over a 24-hour period.

Chief executive Henrik Poulsen said: 'Burbo Bank Extension showcases the rapid innovation in the offshore wind industry.

'Less than 10 years ago at Burbo Bank, we were the first to install Siemens 3.6mw wind turbines and in this short time, the wind turbines have more than doubled in capacity.

'Pushing innovation in this way reduces the cost of electricity from offshore wind and will help to advance the offshore wind industry across the world.'

Colossal structures (pictured), each with blades that are 262ft (80m) in length, are located off the coast of Liverpool in northern England

The Burbo Bank farm, which covers 40 square kilometres (15 square miles) off Liverpool Bay, links to a power station in St Asaph in northern Wales via an export cable

Dong Energy is building a new operations facility in Merseyside that will serve both Burbo Bank Extension, and the existing wind farm in the area, Burbo Bank.

Up to 75 jobs will be created during the construction of the facility, while around 45 people will be permanently employed at the site once it is operational, later this year.

Steve Rotheram, metro mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: 'The offshore wind industry has a huge contribution to make to the growing UK based supply chain, and utilising our renewable energy sources is vital to ensuring the Liverpool City Region cements its position as a low-carbon leader.'
Almost 100 years ago, Albert Einstein proposed a controversial theory in quantum physics, known as 'spooky action at a distance.'

His idea suggests that there is something missing in the theory of entanglement  the idea that two physically separated particles can have correlated properties.

Now, a scientist is hoping to prove that Einstein was right, by using something that isn't usually associated with quantum physics  the human consciousness.

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Entanglement suggests that two physically separated particles can have connected properties, even if they are light years apart (artist's impression pictured)

SPOOKY ACTION AT A DISTANCE In quantum physics, entangled particles remain connected so that actions performed by one affects the behaviour of the other, even if they are separated by huge distances. This means if you measure, 'up' for the spin of one photon from an entangled pair, the spin of the other, measured an instant later, will be 'down' - even if the two are on opposite sides of the world. Entanglement takes place when a part of particles interact physically. For instance, a laser beam fired through a certain type of crystal can cause individual light particles to be split into pairs of entangled photons. The theory that so riled Einstein is also referred to as 'spooky action at a distance'. Einstein wasn't happy with this theory, because it suggested that information could travel faster than light. Advertisement

Entanglement suggests that two physically separated particles can have connected properties, even if they are light years apart.

Any signal that passes between the two particles would need to travel faster than the speed of light.

Einstein believed that this implied that there was something missing in the entanglement theory  although he could not work out what it was.

In the hope of completing Einstein's theory, physicist John Bell created a test in 1964, called the Bell test.

His experiment involves creating two entangled particles and sending them in different directions, with a device measuring the spin of each particle.

A random number generator is used to change the settings on the device, meaning it is impossible for each particle to know the other's setting.

Measurements are taken for several randomly entangled pairs.

If Einstein is right, and there is a spooky action at distance, then the results of the measurements would be backed up in more of the experiments.

Unfortunately for Einstein, so far, all such experiments have suggested that he was wrong, and that spooky action at a distance does not exist.

But some scientists have argued that even random number generators may not be truly random, and could be controlled by an underlying mechanism that has not yet been discovered in physics.

Dr Lucien Hardy, a quantum physics research at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada now hopes to bypass this mechanism, using an unexpected tool  the human mind.

Dr Hardy has suggested an experiment in which the two particles are 100 kilometres apart, with 100 humans at either end, each hooked up to a headset that can read their brain activity.

Dr Lucien Hardy, a quantum physics research at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada now hopes to understand the mechanism using an unexpected tool  the human mind

USING THE MIND IN QUANTUM PHYSICS Dr Hardy's experiment would involve two particles 100 kilometres apart, with 100 humans at either end, each hooked up to a headset that can read their brain activity. The brain activity signals are used to control the settings on each measuring device. He then hopes to take a huge number of measurements at each particle to find the small fraction in which the brain signals caused changes to the settings before they arrived at their destination. He believes that if the amount of correlation between the measurements is different to previous Bell tests, it suggests that a spooky action at distance does exist. Advertisement

The brain activity signals are used to control the settings on each measuring device.

Dr Hardy then hopes to take a huge number of measurements at each particle to find the small fraction in which the brain signals caused changes to the settings before they arrived at their destination.

He believes that if the amount of correlation between the measurements is different to previous Bell tests, it suggests that a spooky action at distance does exist.

Speaking to New Scientist, Dr Hardy said: '[If] you only saw a violation of quantum theory when you had systems that might be regarded as conscious, humans or other animals, that would certainly be exciting.

'I can't imagine a more striking experimental result in physics than that.

'We'd want to debate as to what that meant.'

As well as proving that Einstein was right, such a finding could also question the existence of free will.

Dr Hardy told New Scientist that even if physics controls the material world, if the human mind is not made of that same matter, we could overcome physics with free will.

Almost 100 years ago, Albert Einstein proposed the controversial theory in quantum physics, known as 'spooky action at a distance'

He said: 'It wouldn't settle the question, but it would certainly have a strong bearing on the issue of free will.'

Professor Nicolas Gisin, from the University of Geneva would like to see Dr Hardy's experiment performed, but has question using unstructured brain signals to control the settings.

He says that this is the same as using a random number generator, and that it would be better to perform the experiment using conscious thought.

Speaking to New Scientist, Professor Gisin said: 'There is an enormous probability that nothing special will happen, and that quantum physics will not change.

'But if someone does the experiment and gets a surprising result, the reward is enormous.

'It would be the first time we as scientists can put our hands on this mind-body or problem of consciousness.'
The world's first robocop has been unveiled in Dubai and will be patrolling streets from tomorrow onward.

The 5 ft 5in tall robot can read facial expressions and will be used by members of the public to report crime and pay traffic fines.

Multi-lingual crime-fighting robots will make up a quarter of the city's police force by 2030, according to officials.

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The first robot police officers will patrol Dubai from tomorrow. Pictured is a prototype at the GITEX annual computer and electronic trade show at the Dubai World Centre held in 2016

REAL-LIFE ROBOCOP Real-life RoboCops will be patrolling the streets of Dubai alongside police. The android, which is equipped with face recognition technology, will be used by members of the public to report crime and pay traffic fines. The robot police officer has the ability to scan faces from 20 metres away and bears a touchscreen on its chest which members of the public can use to contact the police. It also has a microphone which feeds directly to the Dubai Police call centres. Advertisement

The robocop is part of the Emirates' planned robot police force and was unveiled at a three-day long Gulf Information Security and Expo Conference on Sunday.

The conference finishes tomorrow at which point the robocop will be released onto Dubai streets to tackle real crime.

'The launch of the world's first operational Robocop is a significant milestone for the Emirate and a step towards realising Dubai's vision to be a global leader in smart cities technology adoption', said Brigadier-General Khalid Nasser Al Razzouqi, Director-General of Smart Services for the police in Dubai.

'With an aim to assist and help people in the malls or on the streets, the Robocop is the latest smart addition to the force and has been designed to help us fight crime, keep the city safe and improve happiness levels', he said.

The announcement about plans for a robot police force was made at the 11 Best Police Practices Forum held in Dubai in March.

Brigadier Abdullah Bin Sultan, director of the future shaping centre of Dubai Police, told Gulf News: 'We are looking to have more robots in future to handle policing.

'By 2030, we are keen to make robots around 25 per cent of the total police force.

Addressing the forum, Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, Dubai Police commander-in-chief, said: 'We hope to achieve our goals to be have a smart police.

'Police robots have been tested by some police forces in the world and we are planning to have them in future.'

The robot police officer has the ability to scan faces from 20 metres away and bears a touchscreen on its chest which members of the public can use to report crimes.

It also has a microphone which feeds directly to the Dubai Police call centres.

'We planned for a security system for the future of the city to tackle future crimes,' he said.

'By 2025, Dubai will be one of the best five cities in the world on security level.'

He added that 50 per cent of police buildings will be self-powered by 2030 and that the police plan to build a DNA data bank.

The robot is equipped with an innovative touchscreen tablet on its chest which members of the public can use to report crimes

'By 2030, there will be no mysterious or unknown crimes in Dubai and the police will have the biggest DNA data bank in the country,' he said.

Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razouqi, general director of the smart services department at Dubai Police, added: 'We are looking to make everything smart in Dubai Police.

'We are aiming to implement many smart police mechanisms, including the smart police station and robots, and adopt artificial intelligence.

'By 2030, we will have the first smart police station which won't require human employees.'

The multi-lingual crime-fighting robots will make up a quarter of the city's police force by 2030, according to officials

A prototype robot was first unveiled at the GITEX annual computer and electronic trade show at the Dubai World Centre in October, 2016.

Earlier prototypes of the robots have been developed with the aim of offering assistance to tourists on the streets and in shopping malls in Dubai.

Dubai Police, IBM's supercomputer, Watson, and Google have all contributed to the unique design of the robot police officer.

Dubai Police, IBM's supercomputer, Watson, and Google have all contributed to the unique design of the robot police officer
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Roborace, the firm hoping to kick-start the future of driverless racing, has demonstrated its electric, 200-mile-per-hour (320km/h) self-driving car on a public track for the first time.

The futuristic vehicle completed a lap of the Paris ePrix circuit ahead of the city's 2017 Formula E race, which took place on Saturday.

The demonstration saw the car complete 14 turns of the almost 2 kilometre (1.2 mile) track while driven entirely by AI and sensors.

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Roborace, the firm hoping to kick-start the future of driverless racing, has demonstrated its electric, 200-mile-per-hour (320km/h) self-driving car on a public track for the first time

KEY SPECIFICATIONS The Robocar weighs almost 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lbs), and measures 4.8 metres long (15.7 ft) and two metres wide (6.5 ft). Four motors, each with 300kW of power and a 540kW battery, allow the car to reach dizzying speeds of over 320kph (200mph). A number of technologies allow the car to 'drive' without a driver, including five lidars, two radars, 18 ultrasonic sensors, two optical speed sensors and six AI cameras. It is powered by Nvidia's Drive PX2 brain, which is capable of up to 24 trillion AI operations each second. Advertisement

Roborace CEO Denis Sverdlov said the demonstration was a major milestone in the development of autonomous racing: 'Roborace is the only company in the world right now testing driverless technologies on city streets without a human in the car  this is something truly unique.'

The vehicle, which weighs almost 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lbs) and is powered by four 300kW motors, uses a number of technologies to navigate.

These include five lidars, two radars, 18 ultrasonic sensors, two optical speed sensors, six AI cameras, GNSS positioning and a powerful Nvidia Drive PX2 'brain' processor, capable of 24 trillion AI operations per second.

Roborace first revealed the stunning 4.8-metre-long (15.7 ft), two-metre-wide (6.5 ft) vehicle at March's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Two of the Robocars will go head to head in a race later this year, setting up the potential for a race series dedicated to driverless cars.

Mr Sverdlov, alongside Roborace Chief Design Officer Daniel Simon, unveiled the futuristic car on stage during a keynote address on the evolution of autonomous vehicles.

The futuristic vehicle completed a lap of the Paris ePrix circuit (pictured) ahead of the city's 2017 Formula E race, which took place on Saturday

Saturday's public demonstration saw the car whip around 14 turns of the almost 2 kilometre (1.2 mile) track driven entirely by AI and sensors

Mr Sverdlov said: 'This is a huge moment for Roborace as we share the Robocar with the world and take another big step in advancing driverless electric technology.

'I am so proud of the entire team and our partners and particularly the work Daniel has done creating this beautiful machine.

'It was very important for us that we created an emotional connection to driverless cars and bring humans and robots closer together to define our future.'

The car is the brainchild of Mr Simon, an automotive futurist who creates vehicles for Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters, including Tron Legacy and Oblivian.

The vehicle, which weighs almost 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lbs) and is driven by four 300kW motors, uses a number of technologies to navigate its way around a circuit unaided

Technologies guiding the vehicle include five lidars, two radars, 18 ultrasonic sensors, two optical speed sensors, six AI cameras, GNSS positioning and a powerful Nvidia Drive PX2 'brain' processor, capable of 24 trillion AI operations per second

Two of the Robocars will go head to head in a race later this year, setting up the potential for a race series dedicated to driverless cars

Mr Simon said: 'Roborace opens a new dimension where motorsport as we know it meets the unstoppable rise of artificial intelligence.

'Whilst pushing the boundaries of engineering, we styled every single part of the Robocar.

'We take special pride in revealing a functional machine that stays true to the initial concept shared, a rarity in automotive design and a testament of our determination. It's a great feeling to set this free.'

Roborace first revealed the stunning vehicle, dubbed 'Robocar', at March's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

Roborace provides an open AI platform for companies to develop their own driverless software and push the limits in a safe environment

The series is designed to be a test of intelligence, so all teams will use the same 'Robocar' programmed with their own software

Roborace provides an open AI platform for companies to develop their own driverless software and push the limits in a safe environment.

The series is designed to be a test of intelligence, so all teams will use the same 'Robocar' programmed with their own software.

The 'brain' of the Robocar is the Nvidia Drive PX2, which uses AI to tackle the complexities of autonomous driving.

It uses deep learning for 360-degree situational awareness around the car, to determine precisely where the car is, and to compute a safe and efficient trajectory.

Denis Sverdlov, CEO of Roborace (pictured left), and Daniel Simon, the designed of the car (pictured right) unveiled the car

Roborace will continue to use DevBots for demonstrations and testing, introducing the Robocar into public displays during the remainder of 2017

Rob Csongor, Vice-President of automotive for Nvidia said: 'Roborace and NVIDIA today push the boundary to accelerate the development of deep learning systems for safer passenger and commercial vehicles.'

To date, Roborace has been performing demonstrations with its development cars, known as 'Devbots.'

In their last outing, the cars were put on display on a custom-built city street track at Formula E's ePrix in Buenos Aires.

Roborace will continue to use DevBots for demonstrations and testing, introducing the Robocar into public displays during the remainder of 2017, with two Robocars taking to the track together later this year.

The car is the brainchild of Mr Simon, an automotive futurist who creates vehicles for Hollywood sci-fi blockbusters, including Tron Legacy and Oblivian

The firm has not said how much the car cost to make, and did not specify when it would be hitting the track
Intelligence is one of the most investigated traits in humans, but so far, only a handful of genes have been associated with the trait.

Now, researchers have made a major advance in understanding the genetic underpinnings of intelligence, uncovering 52 genes for the trait, 40 of which are new discoveries.

In particular they found that many people with these genes are more likely to have other traits, including being tall, thin and unlikely to smoke.

Scientists hope the findings could provide new biological insights into brain function and understanding, and help to define the genetic component of IQ.

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Researchers have made a major advance in understanding the genetic underpinnings of intelligence, uncovering 52 genes for the traits, 40 of which are new discoveries

KEY FINDINGS The study uncovered 40 new genes, most of which are mainly expressed in brain tissue. The results showed that people with the genes were more likely to have high educational achievements, and were also likely to be taller, not to smoke, and to have autism spectrum disorder. In contrast, people with the intelligence genes were less likely to have Alzheimer's disease, depressive symptoms, smoking history, schizophrenia, high body mass index, or obesity. Advertisement

The findings also turned up a surprising connection between intelligence and autism that could one day help shed light on the condition's origins.

Taken together, the new batch of "smart genes" accounted for 20 percent of the discrepencies in IQ test results among tens of thousands of people examined, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Genetics.

"For the first time, we were able to detect a substantial amount of genetic effects in IQ," said Danielle Posthuma, a researcher at the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research in Amsterdam, and the main architect of the study.

"Our findings provide insight into the biological underpinnings of intelligence," she told AFP.

An international research team led by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam studied genetic data from over 78,000 individuals.

The data included information on DNA genotypes and intelligence scores, which led the team to discover new genes and biological routes for intelligence.

Despite high heritability estimates of 45 per cent in childhood and 80 per cent in adulthood, until now, only a few genes had been associated with.

But the new study uncovered 40 new genes, most of which are mainly expressed in brain tissue.

Professor Posthuma said: 'These results are very exciting as they provide very robust associations with intelligence.

'The genes we detect are involved in the regulation of cell development, and are specifically important in synapse formation, axon guidance and neuronal differentiation.

'These findings for the first time provide clear clues towards the underlying biological mechanisms of intelligence.'

The results showed that people with the genes were more likely to have high educational achievements, and were also likely to be taller, not to smoke, and to have autism spectrum disorder.

In contrast, people with the intelligence genes were less likely to have Alzheimer's disease, depressive symptoms, smoking history, schizophrenia, high body mass index, or obesity.

Dr Suzanne Sniekers, who also worked on the study, said: 'These genetic correlations shed light on common biological pathways for intelligence and other traits.

'Seven genes for intelligence are also associated with schizophrenia; nine genes also with body mass index, and four genes were also associated with obesity.

The study showed that the genetic influences on intelligence have an effect, with smoking cessation (stock image)

BRAIN SCANS REVEAL INTELLIGENCE Researchers at the University of Warwick found the more variable a brain is, and the more its different parts frequently connect with each other, the higher a person's IQ. Using MRI analysis on thousands of people's brains, the research found that the areas of the brain associated with learning and development show high levels of variability, meaning they change their neural connections with other parts of the brain more frequently. On the other hand, regions of the brain which aren't associated with intelligence - the visual, auditory, and sensory-motor areas - show small variability and adaptability. Advertisement

'These three traits show a negative correlation with intelligence.

'So, a variant of gene with a positive effect on intelligence, has a negative effect on schizophrenia, body mass index or obesity.'

The researchers stress that future studies will be needed to clarify the exact role of these genes in intelligence in order to gain a more complete picture of how genetic differences lead to differences in intelligence.

Professor Posthuma added: 'The current genetic results explain up to five per cent of the total variance in intelligence.

'Although this is quite a large amount of variance for a trait as intelligence, there is still a long road to go: given the high heritability of intelligence, many more genetic effects are expected to be important, and these can only be detected in even larger samples.'
Chimpanzees are humans' nearest living relatives, but where the last chimp-human common ancestor lived has been debated for years by anthropologists.

Researchers in the Balkans have now discovered 7.2 million-year-old fossils, which they believe belonged to pre-humans.

The findings suggest that the split of the human lineage occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean and not - as customarily assumed - in Africa.

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Researchers have analysed two known specimens of the fossil hominid Graecopithecus freybergi - a lower jaw from Pyrgos Vassilissis, Greece (pictured), and an upper premolar from Azmaka, Bulgaria. They believe the fossils belonged to pre-humans

WHERE DID HUMANS ORIGINATE? For decades, scientists have thought that humans originated in Africa. Modern humans (Homo sapiens) likely split from an apelike ancestor in east Africa around 200,000 years ago, the theory suggests. These early humans colonised the planet by spreading out of Africa around 50,000 years ago. The theory is popular because almost all of the fossils of early humans who lived between 6 and 2 million years ago come from Africa. But new studies analysing 7.2 million-year-old teeth found in Greece and Bulgaria suggest that the animals were pre-human ancestors. This means that modern humans could have originated in the Mediterranean and not Africa. Advertisement

Until now, researchers have assumed that the lineages between great apes and humans diverged five to seven million years ago and that the first pre-humans developed in Africa.

But two studies by an international team of researchers led by the University of Toronto outline a new scenario for the beginning of human history.

The team analysed two known specimens of the fossil hominid Graecopithecus freybergi - a lower jaw from Pyrgos Vassilissis, Greece and an upper premolar from Azmaka, Bulgaria.

Using computer scanning, they were able to visualise the internal structures of the fossils and demonstrated that the roots of premolars are widely fused.

Professor Madelaine Bohme, who led the study, said: 'While great apes typically have two or three separate and diverging roots, the roots of Graecopithecus converge and are partially fused - a feature that is characteristic of modern humans, early humans and several pre-humans including Ardipithecus and Australopithecus.'

Using computer scanning, the researchers were able to visualise the internal structures of the fossils and demonstrated that the roots of premolars (pictured) are widely fused

WAS EUROPE ONCE A SAVANNAH? Before the development of the Sahara in North Africa, the researchers believe that Europe was a vast savannah. The researchers studied microscopic fragments of charcoal and plant particles, called phytoliths. Many of the phytoliths studied were found to derive from tropical grasslands and savannahs. The study marks the first time that such grasses have been discovered in Europe. Professor Nikolai Spassov, who also worked on the study, said: 'In summary, we reconstruct a savannah, which fits with the giraffes, gazelles, antelopes, and rhinoceroses that were found together with Graecopithecus.' Advertisement

The lower jaw, which the scientists have nicknamed 'El Graeco', has additional dental root features, suggesting that the Graecopithecus freybergi might belong to the pre-human lineage.

Mr Jochen Fuss, who also worked on the study, said: 'We were surprised by our results, as pre-humans were previously known only from sub-Saharan Africa.'

An analysis showed that the Graecopithecus fossils were 7.24 and 7.175 million years old  several hundred thousand years older than the oldest potential pre-human from Africa, the six to seven million year old Sahelanthropus from Chad.

Professor David Begun, co-author of the study, added: 'This dating allows us to move the human-chimpanzee split into the Mediterranean area.'

The researchers believe that the evolution of pre-humans may have been driven by dramatic environmental changes.

The lower jaw was discovered in Pyrgos Vassilissis, Greece while the upper premolar came from Azmaka, Bulgaria

An analysis showed that the Graecopithecus fossils were 7.24 and 7.175 million years old  several hundred thousand years older than the oldest potential pre-human from Africa, the six to seven million year old Sahelanthropus (artist's impression pictured) from Chad

WAS THE ORIGIN OF MAN MULTI-REGIONAL? One theory on the origin of man suggests that modern humans developed in multiple regions around the world. The theory claims that groups of a pre-human ancestor made their way out of Africa and spread across parts of Europe and the Middle East. From here the species developed into modern humans in several places at once. According to the multi-regional theory, different races arose in different regions as a result of natural selection as these populations evolved into modern humans. The argument is supported by fossil evidence of early and pre-human ancestors found across Europe and the Middle East over the past 100 years. But some scientists question whether these bones belonged to true pre-human ancestors or just early humans that had travelled from Africa. The two new teeth studies add fresh evidence to the multi-regional theory. Advertisement

Based on geological analyses of the sediments in which the two fossils were found, the researchers found that the North African Sahara desert originated more than seven million years ago.

Although geographically distant from the Sahara, an analysis of uranium, thorium, and lead isotopes in individual dust particles showed an age between 0.6 and three billion years and suggests an origin in Northern Africa.

The dusty sediment also had a high content of different salts.

The researchers said: 'These data document for the first time a spreading Sahara 7.2 million years ago, whose desert storms transported red, salty dusts to the north coast of the Mediterranean Sea in its then form.'

Researchers believe that Europe was once a savannah, which fits with the giraffes, gazelles, antelopes, and rhinoceroses that were found together with Graecopithecus

Based on geological analyses of the sediments (pictured) in which the two fossils were found, the researchers found that the North African Sahara desert originated more than seven million years ago

This graphic shows the sites around the world where the oldest human remains have been found

WAS EVOLUTION DRIVEN BY WEATHER CHANGES? The researchers believe that the evolution of pre-humans may have been driven by dramatic environmental changes. Based on analyses of the sediments in which the two fossils were found, the researchers found that the North African Sahara desert originated more than seven million years ago. Although geographically distant from the Sahara, an analysis of uranium, thorium, and lead isotopes in individual dust particles showed an age between 0.6 and three billion years and suggests an origin in Northern Africa. The dusty sediment also had a high content of different salts. The researchers said: 'These data document for the first time a spreading Sahara 7.2 million years ago, whose desert storms transported red, salty dusts to the north coast of the Mediterranean Sea in its then form.' Advertisement

Before the development of the Sahara in North Africa, the researchers believe that Europe was a vast savannah.

The researchers studied microscopic fragments of charcoal and plant particles, called phytoliths.

Many of the phytoliths studied were found to derive from tropical grasslands and savannahs.

The study marks the first time that such grasses have been discovered in Europe.

Professor Nikolai Spassov, who also worked on the study, said: 'In summary, we reconstruct a savannah, which fits with the giraffes, gazelles, antelopes, and rhinoceroses that were found together with Graecopithecus.'

Professor Bohme added: 'The incipient formation of a desert in North Africa more than seven million years ago and the spread of savannahs in Southern Europe may have played a central role in the splitting of the human and chimpanzee lineages.'

She calls this hypothesis the North Side Story, recalling the early thesis of French palaeoanthropologist, Yves Coppens, known as East Side Story.

Before the development of the Sahara in North Africa, the researchers believe that Europe was a vast savannah (stock image)
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Elon Musk's 'Boring Company' plan to build a network of tunnels under major cities has come under fire repeatedly from experts claiming it is impractical and would be impossible to implement.

Now, Musk has hit back, publishing an FAQ on the company website outlining how it plans to achieve his vision.

'The key to making this work is increasing tunneling speed and dropping costs by a factor of 10 or more  this is the goal of the Boring Company,' it says.

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Musk recently revealed it has begun work on its first tunnel beneath Los Angeles , which will stretch from LAX to Sherman Oaks when complete.

MUSK'S BETTER BORING PLAN Elon Musk has outlined how his Boring Company will work, claiming: Tunneling costs must be reduced by a factor of more than 10 Key to this is smaller tunnels that can be dug more quickly Will work to increase the speed of the Tunnel Boring Machine Envisions a new breed of smaller, more powerful TBMs with triple the power of current machines that can tunnel continuously Advertisement

'Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight and won't fall on your head,' it explains.

'A large network of road tunnels many levels deep would fix congestion in any city, no matter how large it grew (just keep adding levels)'

Musk recently revealed it has begun work on its first tunnel beneath Los Angeles, which will stretch from LAX to Sherman Oaks when complete.

It has been just six months since Musk first revealed his radical plan to beat LA's notorious gridlock  and now, the entry hole, staging area, and starting tunnel for the first Boring Machine, 'Godot,' is complete, Musk says.

Critics have slammed the plan as completely unrealistic as it would require a mass of permits and huge disruption as hundreds of tunnels and access 'lifts' are dug.

It is also unclear if the machine has actually been used to dig anything - with images of an electric 'sled' having been filmed in another nearby tunnel SpaceX has been using to test pods for Musk's Hyperloop.

However, Musk says the area is ripe for innovation.

'Currently, tunnels are really expensive to dig, with some projects costing as much as $1 billion per mile,' the new FAQ says.

'In order to make a tunnel network feasible, tunneling costs must be reduced by a factor of more than 10.'

Musk envisions a new breed of smaller, more powerful Tunel Boring Machines with triple the power of current machines that can tunnel continuously

The key to this is smaller tunnels that can be dug more quickly, the FAQ says.

'To build a one-lane road tunnel, the tunnel diameter must be approximately 28 feet.

A snail is effectively 14 times faster than a soft-soil TBM. Our goal is to defeat the snail in a race

'By placing vehicles on a stabilized electric sled, the diameter can be reduced to less than 14 feet.

Reducing the diameter in half reduces tunneling costs by 3-4 times.

'Secondly, increase the speed of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).

'TBMs are super slow.

'A snail is effectively 14 times faster than a soft-soil TBM.

'Our goal is to defeat the snail in a race.'

Musk envisions a new breed of smaller, more powerful TBMs with triple the power of current machines that can tunnel continuously.

Tunneling costs must be reduced by a factor of more than 10, Musk says. The key to this is smaller tunnels that can be dug more quickly, he claims

'In the United States, there is virtually no investment in tunneling Research and Development (and in many other forms of construction).

'Thus, the construction industry is one of the only sectors in our economy that has not improved its productivity in the last 50 years,' it concludes.

In several photos and videos shared on social media today, Musk revealed that work on Godot is well underway, with the entry hole, staging area, and staring tunnel complete. 'First tunnel for The Boring Company begins,' Musk wrote, alongside a photo of the entryway

Elon Musk's 'Boring Company' has begun work on its first tunnel beneath Los Angeles. The video above reveals a look at the project's 'cutterhead,' along with the staging area, and the first test run of the tunnel's 'electric sleds'

THE FIRST TUNNEL The tunnels will all be named according to a 'poems & plays' theme, Musk said. Boring Machine 1 has now officially been dubbed Godot. According to Musk, it will run from LAX to Culver City, Santa Monica, Westwood, and Sherman Oaks. Advertisement

In a series of posts today, Musk revealed a glimpse at the processes that are bringing the first tunnel to life, in the first stages of a network that will 'cover all of greater LA.'

Musk also offered a look at a test run of the tunnel's 'electric sleds,' which will ferry cars at 125 miles per hour to bring passengers from Westwood to LAX in just five minutes.

Last week, Musk solicited help on Twitter to come up with names for his boring machine.

And, after a flurry of suggestions ranging from 'Snoop Dug' to 'Tunnely McTunnelface,' Musk settled on a theme of 'poems & plays.'

Boring Machine 1 has now officially been dubbed 'Godot.'

In several photos and videos shared on social media today, Musk revealed that work on Godot is well underway, with the entry hole, staging area, and starting tunnel complete.

'First tunnel for The Boring Company begins,' Musk wrote, alongside a photo of the entryway.

It's been just six months since Musk first revealed his radical plan to beat LA's notorious gridlock  and now, the entry hole, staging area, and starting tunnel for the first Boring Machine, 'Godot,' is complete, Musk says

'Full length of first tunnel will run from LAX to Culver City, Santa Monica, Westwood, and Sherman Oaks.

'Future tunnels will cover all of greater LA.'

In the posts, he also gave a look at the boring machine segments being lowered into the starter tunnel.

These are now 'going through final assembly,' according to Musk, and will eventually be 'a few hundred feet long.'

And, Musk shared a video of the rotating cutterhead, which is currently operating at standard industry speed  but, he says the firm is 'planning to jack this up by a factor of ten or more.'

The skate will be lowered into a network of tunnels Musk hopes to bore under major cities around the world. The 'skates' would work on electric tracks, reaching speeds of upto 130mph

A hypnotic video also shared today reveals what it could one day be like traveling through the tunnel at high speed.

Starting the post with a warning that the video could cause motion sickness or seizures, Musk wrote:

'This is a test run of our electric sled that would transport cars at 125 mph (200 km/h) through the tunnels, automatically switching from one tunnel to the next.

'Would mean Westwood to LAX in 5 mins.'

Musk also shared a photo of his pet snail alongside the impressive machine, writing:

THE CHALLENGES MUSK'S 'BORING' PLAN WILL FACE Musk has an uphill battle ahead if he's serious about tunnelling under LA. Digging under cities takes a lot of time because the densely packed earth and rock underground is poorly mapped. 'Our recent experience with tunnels in the US is that neighbours worry, you run up against various environmental laws, and you just never know what's underneath the Earth,' Michael Manville, who studies urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Wired. The hole is legal because it has been dug on private property. At the TED conference in Vancouver, Musk showed off a new video of electric 'skates' transporting cars in a narrow tunnel under a city before raising them back to street level in a space as small as two parking spaces. Behind him a Tesla car can be seen on one of the 'skates' But extending the tunnel further than SpaceX's headquarters would require more discussion, paperwork, and LA City council approval. 'We're just going to figure out what it takes to improve tunneling speed by, I think, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 percent,' he said during a recent Hyperloop design competition at SpaceX. 'We have no idea what we're doing - I want to be clear about that.' Advertisement

And, Musk shared a video of the rotating cutterhead, which is currently operating at standard industry speed  but, he says the firm is 'planning to jack this up by a factor of ten or more

'NANNIE' THE BORING MACHINE Nannie, the boring machine Musk was mulling buying: It was used to dig a tunnel to prevent sewage from overflowing into the Anacostia River The machine Musk bought is believed to be Nannie, a machine is 26 feet in diameter and about 400 feet long, weighing around 1,200 tons. It was used by Washington's water utility to dig a tunnel to prevent sewage from overflowing into the Anacostia River. The machine is named after Nannie Helen Burroughs, nationally prominent Black educator, Church leader, and suffrage supporter who founded the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington DC. The 1,248 ton machine created a 23-foot diameter tunnel beginning at RFK Stadium that ends at the Poplar Point Pumping station in Southeast, approximately 100 feet underground. It goes underneath the Anacostia River, CSX railroad tracks, and the Green Line. The entire project - which traverses underground 13 miles from Bloomingdale to DC Water's Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in Southeast - is designed to supplement the existing sewer system by capturing excess storm water and curb area flooding. After phase one, the Anacostia River Tunnel will serve as a storage tank for water until the storms pass - it can hold more than 38 million gallons of combined sewage, according to DC Water. By the end of phase two, expected to occur in 2022 or 2023, storm water will be piped to Blue Plains for treatment before its release through the Northeast Boundary Tunnel. Advertisement

'The race between Gary, our pet snail, who lives in a pineapple, and Godot, our tunnel boring machine, begins soon!'

Last month, Musk revealed the first details of the project at the TED conference in Vancouver.

A video showed off the electric 'skates' transporting cars in a narrow tunnel under a city before raising them back to street level in a space as small as two parking spaces.

Inside the tunnels, Musk said cars could travel as fast as 200 kilometers per hour (roughly 130mph) according to Axois .

'You should be able to go from say Westwood to LAX in 5-6 minutes,' the Tesla and SpaceX founder said.

He admitted he is spending only 2-3 percent on the tunnel effort, which was 'mainly interns'.

He started the talk by admitting 'I ask myself that frequently' when asked why he was boring.
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It's hard to believe that this lengthy dinner table once served passengers aboard an airship.

But 81 years ago, before its catastrophic crash, the vast 804-ft-long Hindenburg was the very height in luxury for wealthy transatlantic travellers.

More like a flying cruise ship than anything remotely resembling a modern-day plane, the German Hindenburg - touted as a symbol of national strength by Nazi propagandists when it launched in 1936 - boasted 72 sleeping berths, a crew of 40 flight officers, as well as ten stewards and cooks.

Passengers enjoyed gourmet meals served on fine china around a table in the 47ft-long dining room, with other luxury amenities on-board including a cocktail bar and smoking lounge.

And though it might have seemed at the time like the future in air travel, the dream quite literally came crashing down when, on May 6, 1937, its tail exploded as the vast vessel came down to land over Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36. Incredibly, 62 passengers survived.

These fascinating images capture the Hindenburg's roomy interiors, and offer a glimpse into an ambitious concept that was ultimately doomed to fail.

This lengthy dinner table once served passengers aboard the 804ft-long Hindenburg airship, a German symbol of pride when it first took flight in 1936

Its vast passenger quarters boasted observation windows that opened for fresh air and taking photos. It also featured 72 sleeping berths, a crew of 40 flight officers, as well as ten stewards and cooks

The swastika-stamped Hindenburg, pictured over New York in 1937, was touted as a symbol of national strength by Nazi propagandists at the time

The dining room tables invited passengers to three meals a day with white linen, fresh flowers, sterling silver, and porcelain china service created for the ship. Other luxury amenities on-board included a cocktail bar and smoking lounge

This photo, taken on May 6, 1937, captures almost the split-second the giant airship's tail exploded as the vessel came down to land over Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36

The airship's hydrogen helped the fire spread quickly, consuming the craft in barely a minute while horrified onlookers witnessed the disaster from the ground
The Twin Peaks revival made its debut Sunday on Showtime with the first of 18 episodes.

Agent Dale Cooper (played by returning lead Kyle MacLachlan) was back for the revival set in the weird little hamlet of Twin Peaks, Washington, a quarter-century after first appearing on ABC.

Cooper in the original series was investigating the death of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) and they were reunited at the beginning of the revival.

Series revival: Kyle MacLaclan was back as Agent Dale Cooper as Twin Peaks returned Sunday on Showtime

The two-hour show started with a young Agent Cooper and Laura sitting together in a stark room with red curtains.

'Hello Agent Cooper,' Laura said in a garbled voice that was subtitled.

She reached a hand out, snapped her fingers and then said, 'I'll see you again in 25 years'.

The scene then switched to a high school hallway where the familiar picture of homecoming queen Laura was displayed in a glass trophy case.

Homecoming queen: Laura Palmer in a garbled voice spoke with Dale

Different dimension: Dale late spoke with Laura in a room with red curtains and she revealed that she was dead

Face off: Laura took her face off while talking to Dale

The show's memorable theme music by Angelo Badalamenti, 80, was then heard along with the iconic titling.

The action alternated between Twin Peaks, New York City and Buckhorn, South Dakota.

A student and his girlfirend Tracey were about to have sex when they were killed in New York City when a glass box became filled with darkness and a demonic being emerged that burst out and killed them.

Cable show: Twin Peaks originally aired on ABC with the revival airing on Showtime

Evil doppelganger: Dale's evil doppelganger took his place while the agent remains missing

Big city: The story moved to New York City where a student was paid to monitor a glass box

Making out: The student and Tracey took their clothes off and started making out in the box room

Glass box: The glass box was watched by multiple cameras and a human observer

Dark moment: The box was filled wtih darkness and a figure appeared and broke out of it

Meanwhile police investigating a missing person case in Buckhorn found librarian Ruth Davenport decapitated in her bed.

Forensics investigator Constance found fingerprints in her apartment matching William Hastings (played by Matthew Lillard).

The school principal was arrested and begged police to tell him what was going on.

Under arrest: William Hastings was arrested after his fingerprints were found in Ruth's apartment

He was visited by his wife Phyllis in jail and she informed him that she knew about his affair with Ruth.

Bill claimed that he only had a dream of being with Ruth but wasn't actually at her apartment when she was murdered.

A creepy man was then seen in the jail before phasing out of existence.

Jail visit: Bill was visited by his wife who revealed she knew about his affair with Ruth

Viewers learned that Dale has been trapped in the Black Lodge for the past 25 years while his evil doppelganger has been roaming around in his place.

The doppelganger has grown out his hair and wears a snakeskin shirt and black leather jacket.

He shoots and kills Phyllis and schemes to keep away from the Black Lodge.

Pure evil: Evil Dale was desperate to stay out of the Black Lodge

Dale and Laura have another conversation and she informs him that she's indeed dead.

To prove her point Laura removes the front part of her face to reveal a bright white light underneath.

Dale asks Laura when he can leave and she kisses him and whispers something in his ear before screaming and being ripped away.

Tender moment: Laura kissed Dale before screaming and being ripped away

The Arm then appears in another red-curtained room and speaks to Dale.

'Do you remember your doppelganger?,' The Arm asked.

Dale then had a flashback of being attacked by Bob in the original TV series finale.

He remembers: Dale remembered being attacked by Bob and his evil doppelganger

'He must come back in before you can go out,' The Arm said.

The evil Dale earlier drove out into the woods in grey Mercedes-Benz and picked up young couple Ray and Darya.

After learning of their planned betrayal, he shot Darya to death.

Surreal conversation: The Arm talked to Dale about his circumstances

The revival also showed original cast member Richard Beyner as hotel owner Ben Horne arguing with his brother Jerry, played by David Patrick Kelly.

They were joined by new hotel employee Beverly, played by newcomer Ashley Judd.

Evil Dale also had an accomplice in Chantal Hutchens, played by newcomer Jennifer Jason Leigh.

New employee: Ashley Judd played new hotel employee Beverly

Evil accomplice: Jennifer Jason Leigh played evil Dale's accomplice Chantal Hutchens

Chantal was glad to hear of Daria's death as she was 'getting jealous of that b****'.

Dale was then shown talking to The Arm again in the timeless dimension.

The Arm issued the warning: 'Bob. Bob. Bob. Go now! Go now!'.

Trapped in time: Dale was trapped in rooms with red curtains

Dale moved through a curtain corridor and was told to find Laura.

A man warned that something was wrong and The Arm revealed it has a doppelganger.

Dale opened a curtain and saw his doppelganger driving a car in the desert.

On the road: Dale opened curtains and saw his evil doppelganger driving in the desert

Rearview mirror: The evil Dale was driving in the desert and checked his mirror

The Arm's doppelganger then attacked Dale who phased out before drifting into the Glass Box in New York City.

The student and Tracey at the same time were shown going into the room in a time displacement.

Dale fell through and the box turned empty again.

In the box: Dale after being attacked by The Arm's doppelganger drifted into the box in New York City

Time displacement: The student and Tracy were seen again in a time displacement before they were attacked by the figure in the box

The episode combining Part 1 and Part 2 ended at The Bang Bang Bar.

Shelly, played by original cast member Madchen Amick, sat with a group of friends drinking shots together.

She stood up for James Hurley, played by James Marshall, who was Laura's secret boyfriend before her death.

Favorite waitress: Shelly, played by Madchen Amick, was at The Bang Bang Bar with friends at the end of the episode

Shelly told her friends that James was in a motorcycle accident and was 'just quiet now.'

'James is still cool. He's always been cool,' Shelly said as the Chromatics performed Shadow.

Also back for the revival were Richard Beymer, David Duchovny, Sherilyn Fenn, David Patrick Kelly, Sheryl Lee, Peggy Lipton, Harry Dean Stanton, Russ Tamblyn, Ray Wise and Grace Zabriskie.

They were joined by such newcomers as Jim Belushi, Michael Cera, Richard Chamberlain, Laura Dern, Tim Roth, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Vedder and Naomi Watts.

Still cool: James Hurley was still cool after a motorcycle accident

Haunting song: The Chromatics performed Shadow at The Bang Bang Bar

Murder scene: Action also took place in Buckhorn, South Dakota where a librarian was missing

In bed: Police were shocked to find a corpse in bed with a severe eye wound

More shocking: The authorities were further shocked when they found the head was decapitated

The light: Laura took off her face and Dale was lit up the bright light inside her

Original architects Mark Frost and David Lynch co-wrote this new series, with Lynch directing, surely guaranteeing that Twin Peaks Redux will replicate its predecessor's Lynchian mix of the macabre, campiness and conspicuous obscurity.

The original series eventually - though not nearly soon enough for its viewers - revealed who had killed homecoming queen Laura Palmer.

But that was never the point.

The point was to transport the audience to a Twin Peaks-addled state of mind, where those viewers would be constantly challenged, provoked, amused and confounded.

After its explosive launch in April 1990, the series hemorrhaged audience. By June 1991, Twin Peaks seemed as lifeless as Laura Palmer. ABC pronounced it dead, leaving only a cult of loyalists to grieve over the corpse.

Back: The Twin Peaks revival made its debut on Sunday, the first of 18 episodes. Here is David Duchovny in a scene

Back in his black suit: Kyle returned for the revival as Agent Cooper who remains missing

For anyone now who wants to discover or refresh themselves on what the fuss was all about, those 30 episodes are available for bingeing on Netflix.

It's worth recognizing that the home for Twin Peaks was a mainstream broadcast

Twin Peaks helped pave the way for the inventive, bizarre and mind-bending pleasures Peak TV is now offering more and more of - shows like American Gods, Sense8 and Mr Robot.

The question before was 'Who killed Laura Palmer?'

The big questions facing Twin Peaks this go-around: Can it hold its own against the stiff competition?
Wonder Woman is set to hit theaters on June 2, and two new clips were released in anticipation of its debut.

And over the weekend, Buzzfeed and IGN debuted exclusive content from the upcoming film, that features Gal Gadot as Diana, princess of the Amazons.

In each clip, the 32-year-old actress showcased her best defense and fight skills.

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Preparing to fight: In the Buzzfeed clip debuted over the weekend, Gal Gadot, 32, gained intense battle training

In the Buzzfeed clip, Gal as Wonder Woman looked feminine fierce in a gold, one-strap outfit with a skirted bottom.

During the scene, the Israeli actress went up against her aunt, General Antiope.

Moneyball star Robin Right, 51, plays the mythological character, who's responsible for training the princess for war.

Fighting hard! Moneyball star Robin Wright, 51, plays her aunt General Antiope, who's also responsible for training her

'Harder! You're strong than this Diana,' she tells her niece.

The two began to battle it out, swords swinging back and forth. After Diana knocks out her aunt's sword, she gets distracted and looks away.

In an instant, General Antiope pushes her to the ground.

'Never let your guard down!' she began. You expect a battle to be fair? A battle will never be fair!' she yells, as she goes after her niece.

As Gal backs away in fear, she crosses her forearms and sends her aunt soaring backwards.

Trademark position: After falling at the arms of her aunt, she eventually protects herself by crossing her forearms

It worked! She sends Robin soaring in the air

In the next clip, Gal appears to have taken what she's learned and is ready to use it.

It's late in the evening, and she approaches General Erich Ludendorff, played by Danny Huston, 55.

'Oh what a surprise,' he begins. 'Strange. Unfortunately I have another matter to attend to.'

He then proceeds to shoot the princess, who blocks the bullet and bounces it back, harming him in the process.

Not scared: In the next clip, Gal appears to have taken what she's learned and is ready to use it

Fail: It's late in the evening, and she approaches General Erich Ludendorff, played by Danny Huston, 55. He points a gun at her, shoots, but it bounces back to him

Putting her practice to use: The two engage in battle

'What are you?' the injured general asks.

'You will soon find out,' answers Gal.

The two began to engage in a serious fight, swords swinging back and forth.

'As magnificent as you are, you are still no match for me,' says the general, as he attempts to stab her with his sword.

'We'll see about that,' she says boldly, holding the sword in her to prevent it from piercing her chest.
She cemented her A list status in 1994 hit Pulp Fiction.

And Uma Thurman reminded onlookers of her timeless star quality as she attended the Fashion for Relief event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu on Sunday.

The stunning actress, 47, oozed effortless elegance in a strapless Giorgio Armani Prive gown in aqua coloured silk gauze and tulle embroidery, and complemented the gown by styling her hair into vintage waves.

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Turning heads! Uma Thurman reminded onlookers of her timeless star quality as she attended the Fashion for Relief event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu on Sunday

Show-stopping with Donatella Versace! The stunning actress, 47, oozed effortless elegance in a strapless white dress and vintage waves

The scallop-edged bustier hugged her generous curves perfectly, and was cinched in at the waist to show off her slender midriff.

Boasting a slash to the top of her toned thighs, the sequin-encrusted gown was embellished with feather detail to add a further retro touch.

Accentuating her impressive stature, she teamed it with a pair of delicate silver sandals.

Angelic: The scallop-edged bustier hugged her generous curves perfectly, and was cinched in at the waist to show off her slender midriff

Queen: Uma had one of the most coveted seats for the row, right on the front row, and looked poised to perfection as she arranged her statuesque frame elegantly on the seat

Beauty: She lent forward to chat to other viewers, and looked regal

And making the most of her natural beauty, she went for minimal make-up and wore her golden locks in vintage Hollywood finger curls.

The mother-of-three posed alongside Donatella Versace, who followed suit in a glitzy tassel detail dress, with cut-out panels across her waist.

Uma had one of the most coveted seats for the row, right on the front row, and looked poised to perfection as she arranged her statuesque frame elegantly on the seat.

She fastened a pretty red flower behind her ear, which added a touch of colour to her dazzling look.

Pop of colour: She fastened a pretty red flower behind her ear, which added a touch of colour to her dazzling look

Effortless: making the most of her natural beauty, she went for minimal make-up and wore her golden locks in vintage Hollywood finger curls

The Kill Bill star, who herself was spotted by a modelling scout aged 15, took to the catwalk for Naomi Campbell's fundraising fashion show, and blew kisses to the audience.

She sashayed down the aisle, with her intricately embellished dress moving beautifully around her legs as she walked.

The legendary actress, who received an Academy Award nomination for her spell-binding performance as a gangster's moll in Pulp Fiction, accessorised with a pair of drop earrings.

Model behaviour: The Kill Bill star, who herself was spotted by a modelling scout aged 15, took to the catwalk for Naomi Campbell's fundraising fashion show, and blew kisses to the audience

Birds of a feather: The feather detailing on the bottom of Uma's dress was simply sensational

Diamonds are a girl's best friend: The legendary actress accessorised with a pair of drop earrings

Classy lady: Uma posed for photos against the red backdrop of the show like a pro, looking the picture of elegance

Uma posed for photos against the red backdrop of the show like a pro, looking the picture of elegance, and she flashed one of her famous smiles that cemented her as a sex symbol in the nineties.

Uma laughed and chatted with other guests, including legendary British supermodel Erin O'Connor, 39, who wore a floral velvet dress which grazed her ankles.

She shared a warm embrace with actor Jeremy Renner, 46, and the trio looked to be deep in conversation with Donatella Versace.

Crushed velvet: Uma laughed and chatted with other guests, including legendary British supermodel Erin O'Connor, 39, who wore a floral velvet dress which grazed her ankles

Hugs: She shared a warm embrace with actor Jeremy Renner, 46

The trio looked to be deep in conversation with Donatella Versace

Adding a splash of colour was Salma Hayek, whose husband Francois-Henri Pinault is the chairman of Groupe Artemis, which owns Gucci, YSL, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney amongst others.

Salma pulled off a statement pink wig, teamed with a Gothic-inspired black frock embellished with flowers.

Thurman has a busy year of work, and will star in Lars von Trier's new serial killer movie The House That Jack Built shooting in Sweden.

Pink sensation! Adding a splash of colour was Salma Hayek pulled off a statement pink wig, teamed with a Gothic-inspired black frock embellished with flowers

The actress will appear alongside Matt Dillon and Bruno Ganz for the controversial Danish director's first feature since 2013's Nymphomaniac, which also starred Thurman.

'Uma and Lars first worked together on Nymphomaniac and complimented each other in an exceptional way; I can't wait to see which character they'll create together this time,' producer Louise Vesth said in a statement.

Elvis Presley's grand-daughter Riley Keough of Mad Max fame has also joined the cast.

Due out in 2018, The House That Jack Built is set in the 1970s and stars Dillon as Jack, an extremely intelligent serial killer who considers murder to be an art form.

In the know:Salma's husband Francois-Henri Pinault is the chairman of Groupe Artemis, which owns Gucci, YSL, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney

Naomi Campbell is fronting the twelfth Fashion For Relief event which sees her pool together her international showbiz resources to host the show that will see her and a bevy of others don items donated by some of the world's most well-regarded fashion houses.

Naomi founded the charity 12 years ago and has previously used her status to help fight against Ebola and help out following natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

According to Vogue, this year's proceeds will enable Save the Children to provide life-saving food, shelter and medical treatment to children around the world, including those who have been affected by the conflict in Syria.

Models with a cause: Bella was joined by the likes of Kendall Jenner, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell who was hosting the event and founded the charity 12 years ago
House Rules contender Troy has revealed he was brutally assaulted in not one, but two terrifying armed robberies.

The 46-year-old, who stars on the home renovation show with his partner Bec, revealed to New Idea that the incidences occurred while he was working as a supervisor at a small club a year ago.

He recalled how the robbers burst into the venue late at night with their faces covered and armed with knives and guns.

'The whole experience traumatised me': House Rules contender Troy has revealed he was brutally assaulted in two armed robberies while working as a supervisor at a small club (pictured with partner Bec)

He said he tried to reason with them, but the thieves did not believe there was a time delay on the safe.

'The robbers didn't believe me so they started hitting me. They punched me in the jaw and the ribs - it was terrifying,' he said.

Although he made it out of the nightmare alive, Troy was the victim yet again in another club robbery shortly after.

'I thought I was alright, but it wasn't until a couple of nights later that I didn't feel safe at home. The whole experience traumatised me,' he said.

Now working as a painter, Troy said the assault left him so badly affected that he stopped working at the club.

Ordeal: He recalled how the robbers burst into the venue late at night with their faces covered and armed with knives and guns

Trauma: 'I thought I was alright, but it wasn't until a couple of nights later that I didn't feel safe at home'

Badly affected: Troy said 'Being uneducated, to work my way up to supervisor was a real achievement. This experience took all that away from me'

'Being uneducated, to work my way up to supervisor was a real achievement. This experience took all that away from me,' he added.

Troy revealed that little things can set him off and he now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the episodes.

Meanwhile, Troy and Bec momentarily ended their relationship during an episode of the show as a result of stress and pressure from the renovation.

The couple have since reunited and are set to see their newly renovated home in Monday night's episode of House Rules.
Kirsten Dunst showed off her sartorial style on Sunday as she was seen arriving at LAX with Jesse Plemons.

She flaunted her natural blonde tresses as she rocked a 70's style look.

The 34-year-old wore a buttoned down shirt and some flared high-waisted jeans.

Stylish couple: Kirsten Dunst showed off her sartorial style on Sunday as she was seen arriving at LAX with Jesse Plemons

She added a pair of sunglasses to her casual chic look and decided to go make-up free for her travels.

Her husband-to-be looked laid back in a pair of light denim jeans and a pink shirt as he was seen carrying his guitar.

The couple fell for one another after meeting during season 2 of FX's Fargo.

Pretty thing: The 34-year-old wore a buttoned down shirt and some flared high-waisted jeans

Retro: She flaunted her natural blonde tresses as she rocked a 70's style look

The duo played married high school sweethearts Peggy and local butcher Ed.

They are pretty private about their romance, however the Friday Night Lights actor did gush about his wife-to-be in October 2015 at the PaleyFest panel in New York.

'It was a gift,' he said at the time.

'I loved Kirsten's work for a long time, and I was really excited once Id met her, and shes a great person. We're both actors that just  have fun with the material.'

Au naturel: She added a pair of sunglasses to her casual chic look and decided to go make-up free for her travels

Music man: Her husband-to-be looked laid back in a pair of light denim jeans and a pink shirt as he was seen carrying his guitar

Meanwhile, the blonde beauty has two films coming out this year.

She is set to star in a Western drama called The Beguiled, which is set in Virginia during the Civil War.

She will also be in the thriller Woodshock which follows a woman who falls deeper into paranoia after taking a deadly drug.

True romance: The couple fell for one another after meeting during season 2 of FX's Fargo
As the weather presenter on Today she is used to being put in all manner of weird and wonderful situations.

But Natalia Cooper proved the old adage 'never work with children and animals' on Monday when a rambunctious police puppy would not stop licking her face.

Natalia was introducing four new police dog recruit puppies during her weather report, when the K9 she was cradling became more than interested in Natalia's face.

Today's Natalia Cooper got up close and personal with a rambunctious police puppy who would not stop licking her face on Monday

'Have a look at these guys,' she said. 'These are the new police dogs - they were born about 11 weeks ago and they're all from the X litter so they all have names starting with X.'

Natalia then introduced the three puppies, which were held by their police trainers.

But when the camera panned back to Natalia, the dog she was holding, aptly-named X-treme, was obviously ready for his 15 minutes of fame.

Dog-gone: The dog Natalia was holding, aptly-named X-treme, was obviously ready for his 15 minutes of fame

As she spoke, the police pooch threatened to jump out of the presenter's arms as he crawled up her chest to lick her face.

Despite Natalia's best efforts, he would not cease and desist.

'In my hands here we have X-treme and one day he will be an extremely tough and brave police dog, but right now he's just extremely adorable and cuddly and licking my face.'

Right to remain cute: The police pooch threatened to jump out of the presenters arms as he crawled up her chest to lick her face

From the safety of the 'drool-free' studio, Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson were quick to offer commentary on the hilarious scene.

''We just saw him turn a corner - whatever she's got in her ear, he likes,' Karl said.

Lisa replied with; 'Maybe that's the one that's going to lick criminals to death.'
Ashley Tisdale was sizzling when she took to the pink carpet ahead of the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The 31-year-old actress opted for an intricate black top, which featured lace paneling at the sides.

The sexy cami featured thin black straps and structuring around the bust.

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Smoldering: Ashley Tisdale was sizzling when she took to the pink carpet ahead of the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday

It also featured keyhole detailing at the front, and a cut-out back.

Ashley completed her look with a pair of wide-leg pleated pants, which draped onto the floor.

She carried a small black handbag and accessorized with stacked black and gold bangles.

The former High School Musical star also layered a series of gold necklaces and wore large gold hoop earrings.

Looking good... The stunning star opted for a smoky eye and nude lip, completing her bombshell look

Working the pink carpet... Ashley completed her look with a pair of wide-leg pleated pants, which draped onto the floor

Her long highlighted blonde hair was parted in the middle and worn in loose waves.

The stunning star opted for a smoky eye and nude lip, completing her bombshell look.

Earlier in the day, Ashley had taken to Instagram to share a photo of herself and former Glee actress Lea Michele standing on the tarmac in front of a private jet.

'Las Vegas here comes trouble! @leamichele and I are ready for the #BBMAs,' she captioned it, adding flame and explosion emojis.

Taking off: Earlier in the day, Ashley had taken to Instagram to share a photo of herself and former Glee actress Lea Michele standing on the tarmac in front of a private jet

In the photo, Ashley is wearing a white T-shirt printed with 'Gucci', black jeans and black boots.

Meanwhile, Lea, 30, is seen in a white tank top and blue and white patterned wrap skirt with a high split.

Both girls have one arm wrapped around each other, and the other thrown up into the air.
Vanessa Hudgens looked like an Old Hollywood icon as she hit the red carpet for the Billboard Awards on Sunday.

The Grease: Live star wore a pink satin dress with large bows from Marchesa.

And the High School Musical vet wore her hair short and simple.

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Lovely: Vanessa Hudgens looked like an Old Hollywood icon as she hit the red carpet for the Billboard Awards on Sunday

Glam slam: The Grease: Live star wore a pink satin dress with large bows from Marchesa

'I can't wait to see Cher!' she told E! News during the pre show.

As far as co-hosting the show with Ludacris at the T-Mobile Arena she said they are very excited.

'We're both having fun, we want to have a great time,' she told Jason Kennedy.

A fan: 'I can't wait to see Cher!' she told E! News during the pre show

And she said she went old Hollywood glam because, 'I thought I would chic it out a little tonight.'

Hudgens also said there would be 'many, many' wardrobe changes.

'I feel I change by hair so often from belly button to chin. So now it's short,' she said.
They featured on a raunchy cover shoot for W Magazine in 2012.

And according to New Idea magazine, the chemistry between Tom Cruise and Abbey Lee, 29, is still strong.

Ahead of the 54-year-old's promotional trip to Australia for The Mummy, the actor called the blonde beauty 'to arrange a catch-up.'

'He called to arrange a catch-up': Australian model Abbey Lee is set to enjoy the company of 'charismatic' Tom Cruise in Sydney

'When he (Tom) found out he was coming to Australia to promote his new film The Mummy, the first people he called was Abbey to arrange a catch-up,' New Idea reported.

'Abbey's been filming in Bogota, Colombia, but jumped at the chance to come back to Australia and show Tom some of her favourite spots.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Tom and Abbey's management for comment.

Close pals? 'When he (Tom) found out he was coming to Australia to promote his new film The Mummy, the first people he called was Abbey to arrange a catch-up,' New Idea reported

The reports come five years after Tom and Abbey posed together for the cover of W Magazine, in 2012.

Featuring alongside Lithuanian model Edita Vilkeviciute, the actors put on a raunchy display for the publication's June issue.

The trio took on a rock and roll vibe to promote Tom's Rock of Ages film.

Tom opted to go shirtless, sporting just a pair of slim-fitting jeans, hung low on his hips.

Raunchy: The reports come five years after Tom and Abbey posed together for the cover of W Magazine, in 2012. Featuring alongside Lithuanian model Edita Vilkeviciute (left), the actors put on a raunchy display for the publication's June issue

A series of tattoos covered his muscular chest, and several edgy necklaces worked with the rock and roll vibe.

The ex-husband of Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes completed his look with eye makeup, consisting of kohl-rimmed liner.

Abbey, donning a skimpy leopard-print bra and Daisy Dukes that revealed her trim pins, embraced Tom while nuzzling into his neck.

Tom returned the favour, placing one hand on Abbey's lean legs.

Final straw: According to The Courier Mail, Tom's wife at the time Katie Holmes, 38, was left so angered by the shoot, that it proved to be the final straw for their marriage

Edita was also seen a black corset and high-cut briefs placing a hand provocatively at the zipper of the actor's jeans.

According to unnamed sources, there was speculation that Katie Holmes, Tom's wife at the time, was left so angered by the shoot, that it proved to be the final straw for their marriage.

The Courier Mail reported at the time that Katie, 38, filed documents with lawyers shortly after, citing 'irreconcilable differences'.

However, it has also been widely reported that Scientology played a key role in the breakdown of the relationship.

The publication went on to claim that the cover and it's accompanying pictures left Katie feeling embarrassed, speechless and disgusted.

Former flame: Prior to his union with Katie, Tom was married to Australian actress Nicole Kidman from 1990 to 2001
She's the veteran TV host, who's known for her calm demeanour and bright smile.

And while Lisa Wilkinson makes a living as an outspoken Today show co-host, the 57-year-old once struggled with self-confidence as a young girl after being bullied at high school.

In a candid interview with Woman's Day this week, the mother-of-three recalled how relentless physical and emotional attacks at high school crushed her self-esteem.

Bullied: While Lisa Wilkinson (pictured here in the 70s) makes a living as an outspoken Today show co-host, the 57-year-old once struggled with self-confidence as a young girl due to bullying

'I still don't know how I survived it because every day I went to school and I didn't know if I was going to get beaten up,' the former Campbelltown High School student said.

'I look at photos of myself back then and think, I wish I could reach into that photo and hug that girl and say, "just hold on, it's going to be OK. And you're going to have an amazing life."'

Lisa was eventually able to break free from self-doubt and build confidence and would later become once of the most-recognised faces on Australian television.

'I still don't know how I survived it because every day I went to school and I didn't know if I was going to get beaten up,' the former Campbelltown High School student said

'I just had to dig deep and back myself. I didn't have a lot of confidence when I started out, but i thought I had a bit of talent,' she said. 'So I decided to put my head down and work hard. And I discovered that confidence comes when you feel like you're starting to achieve things that make you personally happy.'

This month she celebrates 10 years on the Today show, hosting alongside Karl Stefanovic.

And that anniversary paired with Mother's Day had Lisa Wilkinson in a nostalgic mood last week, with the breakfast host posting a throwback photo on Instagram.

The photo showed a fresh-faced Lisa in 1998, smiling broadly as she cradles her three children, then toddlers, Billie, Louis and Jake, whom she shares with husband of 25 years Peter FitzSimons.

Memory lane: Lisa posted an adorable photo to Instagram on Mother's Day, which showed her doting over her three children Jake, Louis and Billie, in 1998

'Flashback to 1998... and the full cup of motherhood crazy with three kids under 5. Still feels like yesterday. And without a doubt the best gig going,' she captioned the post.

'Happy Mother's Day to all. Really hope the day is special for you. Xxx.'

Lisa's followers were quick to gush over the gorgeous photo with one fans quick to remind the star that she looked remarkably similar in 1998 to how she looks in 2017.

'Flashback to 1998...and the full cup of motherhood crazy with three kids under 5. Still feels like yesterday. And without a doubt the best gig going,' she captioned the post. Lisa is pictured with Louis, Billie, Jake and husband Peter FitzSimons

Ageless: 'Wow...you are the same Lisa..but those little ones...cant say the same,' one fan said, while another offered: 'Lovely photo. you are the quintessential Aussie mum.' pictured are Billie, 19, Jake, 23 and Louis 21

Heart on sleeve: In the lead-up to Mother's Day, Lisa became emotional during a live segment on Friday's Today show

'Wow...you are the same Lisa..but those little ones...cant say the same,' one fan said, while another offered: 'Lovely photo. you are the quintessential Aussie mum.'

In the lead-up to Mother's Day, Lisa became emotional during a live segment on Friday's Today show.

When Karl asked Lisa about her perception as a mother and 'what her children thought of her as a mum, the brunette TV veteran replied with: 'That she is trying really hard because I think you always feel like I'm getting it wrong.

'...There is no rule book, you just try and do the best that you can. That's what all mums are doing every day, and that's why we're celebrating them.'
For the most part, Braith and Jodi Anasta had remained on friendly terms following their split in December 2015 after three years of marriage.

But things turned sour after Braith joked on the The Kyle and Jackie O Show in March that Jodi probably sold her engagement ring to 'buy a few bags', later clarifying he meant 'handbags'.

And from a recent Instagram snap, it appears the former couple's public feud has gotten worse, with the ex-NRL star calling his new girlfriend Rachael Lee 'the most incredible mother'.

Braith and Jodi share three-year-old daughter Aleeia, and it was previously reported that he has custody Monday to Friday while she takes over on weekends.

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'You are the most incredible mother': Braith Anasta (left) took his feud with ex-wife Jodi to the next level after calling his girlfriend Rachael Lee (right) 'the most incredible mother'

Taking to Instagram a week ago to wish his personal trainer girlfriend a happy 30th birthday, Braith wrote: 'Happy 30th birthday to my beautiful princess @rachaelleex.

'Congratulations on this milestone baby. You are the most amazing woman and incredible mother.

'Not a day goes by that I don't thank my lucky stars for Aleeia and I having you in our lives. We hope you had the best birthday possible, we love you!!' Braith concluded.

The caption featured alongside a photo of the couple gazing at one another adoringly, while seated in the shallow end of a swimming pool.

Sending a message? Taking to Instagram a week ago to wish his personal trainer girlfriend a happy 30th birthday, Braith said he and daughter Aleeia were 'lucky to have her in their lives'

Custody arrangement: Braith and Jodi (pictured) share three-year-old daughter Aleeia, and it was previously reported he has custody Monday to Friday while she takes over on weekends

While Jodi Anasta did not respond to Braith's post, she did however take to her own Instagram account to share a keepsake from their daughter Aleeia.

A photo of a handmade Mother's Day card given to the Neighbours actress was captioned: 'Happy Mother's Day to all the gorgeous mumma's out there!'

The card featured the text 'Mum love you lots xxx Aleeia' in glitter, and was decorated with several kids' stickers.

'Love you lots Aleeia': While Jodi Anasta did not respond to Braith's post, she did however take to her own Instagram account to share her Mother's Day card from Aleeia

In March, Braith was talking on-air to Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson when his failed marriage with Jodi was raised in conversation.

Braith joked that buying an engagement ring was a 'bad investment' and wished he had got it back.

The retired NRL star then said he had no idea what Jodi had done with the ring.

'(She) probably hocked it, bought a few bags or something with it,' he said, pausing before adding: 'Handbags'.

Jodi allegedly told police she consumed cocaine during a bizarre episode in 2009.

Finding love again: Braith and Jodi announced their split in December 2015, and the retired NRL star began dating Bondi-based personal trainer Rachael the following year

'Pillar to post it went down like a lead balloon,' Braith later told the KIIS radio hosts, confirming Jodi was upset by his on-air joke.

In March, Jodi's representative told Daily Mail Australia she had not sold the engagement ring and was keeping it for their daughter.

Jodi responded to Braith's off-colour joke by posting a Michelle Obama quote to her Instagram which read: 'You don't stoop to their level'.

He said what? Back in March, Braith made an off-colour joke about his ex-wife selling her engagement ring to buy 'a few bags', later clarifying he meant 'handbags'

Blended family: Braith's girlfriend is also a mother to six-year-old son Addison

Following her recent split with Double Bay socialite Warren Ginsberg, Jodi said she is 'enjoying' the single life.

Speaking to The Sun-Herald, Jodi explained she hopes to find love 'naturally' and will not be joining dating app Tinder.

'Right now I'm just focusing on work,' she said. 'I have a beautiful little girl, and if something comes my way so be it.'
A waitress was reportedly sacked from her job at Chiltern Firehouse after a manager found her naked in Orlando Bloom's room following a night of passion.

According to The Sun, Viviana Ross, 21, joined the Pirates of the Caribbean star, 40, in his five-star suite after the end of her shift at the popular celebrity hangout in London's Marylebone.

But she was found by her manager after Orlando had left the next day and was given the sack for 'fraternising with clients', according to a close friend.

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'Good lover': Viviana Ross, 21, was reportedly sacked from Chiltern Firehouse after being found naked in Orlando Bloom's room on a Saturday morning following a night of passion

The source told The Sun she was 'hurt' by the sacking but did not regret the 'night of incredible sex'.

The friend added: 'She said she had an amazing time and his body was very good. He was an exceptionally good lover.'

Viviana, who came to the UK from Romania two months ago to pursue a film career, is said to have met the star while she served him drinks during her Friday night shift.

She then bumped into him afterwards and they spoke for a while.

Meeting up: Viviana Ross, 21, joined the Pirates of the Caribbean star, seen on Sunday in Malibu, after the end of her shift at the popular celebrity hangout in London's Marylebone

'Sexual tension': Orlando reportedly asked Viviana back to his room where they began kissing and he 'made the first moves', according to the friend

Five-star venue: Bosses at Chiltern Firehouse (pictured) informed Viviana she was sacked by text an hour after a manager found her in Orlando's room

Attraction: Orlando reportedly asked Viviana back to his room where they began kissing and he 'made the first moves', according to the friend

Night of passion: The source claimed that 'sexual tension' between the pair had been growing up over Orlando's five-day stay at the venue

Ex-wife: Orlando first met supermodel Miranda Kerr in 2007. They wed in 2010 before divorcing in 2013. They share a son, Flynn

First and last: Kate Bosworth (left) was Orlando's first famous girlfriend, dating on/off between 2002 and 2006. He began a romance with Katy Perry last year after meeting at the Golden Globes. They split earlier in 2017

Orlando reportedly asked Viviana back to his room where they began kissing and he 'made the first moves', according to the friend.

The source claimed that 'sexual tension' between the pair had been growing up over Orlando's five-day stay at the venue.

Chiltern Firehouse informed Viviana she was sacked by text an hour after a manager found her in Orlando's room, the source continued.

There has been no shortage of famous romances for the handsome Brit since he shot to fame in the early Noughties.

Bloom's dating history 2002 - 2006: Orlando dated Kate Bosworth 'on-and-off' for four years 2006: The hunk was linked to Penelope Cruz briefly 2007 - 2013: Began dating Australian Miranda Kerr and they married in 2010 before divorcing in 2013. They share a son, Flynn 2013: Linked to Romeo & Juliet co-star Condola Rashad 2014: Linked to Selena Gomez, sparking a nightclub brawl with her ex Justin Bieber 2015: Spotted on dates with Brazilian model Luisa Moraes 2016: Began dating Katy Perry after meeting at the Golden Globes. Split in early 2017 Advertisement

He dated actress Kate Bosworth on/off between 2002 and 2006. He was then linked to Spanish beauty Penelope Cruz before falling for Aussie supermodel Miranda Kerr in 2007.

They wed in 2010 before divorcing in 2013. They share a son, Flynn.

The actor attended the Los Angeles premiere of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on Thursday.

He is reprising his role as dull-witted pirate Will Turner in the new film, his first appearance since 2007's At World's End.

In the latest installment main character Captain Jack Sparrow has to overcome perhaps his toughest challenge yet, as he is being pursued by old rival Capitan Salazar and his crew of ghost pirates, who are determined to kill every pirate at sea.

Salazar, who is played by Spanish hunk Javier Bardem, is on his trail and hoping to collect a bounty on his head - or worse

To save his sorry hide he has to find the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that grants total control over the seas.

Geoffrey Rush's Captain Barbossa are also appearing.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is scheduled to be released on May 26.

MailOnline has contacted Chiltern Firehouse and Orlando Bloom's representatives for comment.
Karl Stefanovic's dad has told New Idea he has 'nothing to do with' his sons despite attending Peter's wedding to Sylvia Jeffreys in April.

But while Alex Stefanovic was indeed on the guest list, photos reveal the 70-year-old was seated away from other close family, in the third row.

In apparent confirmation of a 'family feud', Karl and Peter's mother Jenny Stefanovic was seated on the opposite aisle and in the front row.

Family feud? Karl Stefanovic's father recently told New Idea he has 'nothing to do with' his sons, despite attending Peter's wedding to Sylvia Jeffreys in April (pictured)

Jenny enjoyed a close-up view of her son Peter, 34, as he exchanged vows with his blushing bride Sylvia in the Kangaroo Valley.

Meanwhile, it appears that Alex was seated alongside his new partner Carmel Floro several rows behind.

It comes after New Idea revealed a supposed Stefanovic 'family feud', which began after Alex's divorce from Jenny 25 years ago.

What's going on? Alex Stefanovic (top left) was on the guest list, but was seated in the third row. Meanwhile, Karl and Peter's mother Jenny was in the front row (pictured in a white dress)

The best seats? Alex (left) was seated alongside his new partner Carmel Floro at the wedding

'They walked away from me 25 years ago following my divorce from their mother. We've barely spoken since. That's the reality,' Alex said.

He continued: '(Karl's) embarrassed about me because I'm fat, I'm bald and I'm poor.'

Despite only recently attending the wedding, Alex said he 'won't see Karl or his brother Peter again in this life, maybe next.'

'We've barely spoken since. That's the reality': It comes after New Idea revealed a supposed Stefanovic 'family feud', which began after Alex's divorce from Jenny Stefanovic 25 years ago

He claimed his famous sons 'sided' with Jenny following their separation, and that he had been unfairly portrayed as the family 'villain'.

According to Alex, Karl will also not allow him access to his grandchildren, saying he has only met 17-year-old Jackson once.

Channel Nine previously declined to comment on Alex's interview.

Bombshell allegations: Alex claimed his famous sons 'sided' with their mother Jenny following their divorce, and that he had been unfairly portrayed as the family 'villain'

Family bond: Karl and Peter (right) are understood to have a close relationship with Jenny
Kyle Sandilands has rushed to the defence of his 26-year-old girlfriend Imogen Anthony after journalist Andrew Hornery called her a 'nobody who ambushed Australia's most prestigious fashion event' in his column over the weekend.

On Monday's Kyle And Jackie O Show the 45-year-old shock jock took aim at the Fairfax writer, branding him a 'bully'.

'What a hater this clown is,' Kyle began his rant.

What a hater! Shock jock Kyle Sandilands took aim at the Fairfax gossip columnist Andrew Hornery over his unflattering article about his 26-year-old girlfriend Imogen Anthony

In his story, gossip columnist Hornery wrote that Imogen's 'greatest claim to fame is that she dates radio's King of the Kids, middle-aged shock jock Kyle Sandilands'.

Kyle hit back on air, calling Hornery a 'no one' who should not have an 'opinion on fashion'.

'I can't understand why journalists give any opinion on fashion. I don't even know why he's commenting,' he said. 'You're a no one.'

'A bully': Gossip columnist Hornery wrote that Imogen's 'greatest claim to fame is that she dates radio's King of the Kids, middle-aged shock jock Kyle Sandilands'

Making headlines: Imogen made headlines throughout fashion week wearing outrageous outfits, including a phallic top with a mini skirt and thigh high boots

'You're older than me Andrew. Why are you talking about a 'nobody' so much in your article? I don't get it,' he added.

Imogen made headlines throughout fashion week for her outrageous outfits which included a black sleek maxi dress matched with a bejeweled gimp-like mask, a bright pink mini dress and a phallic top with a mini skirt and thigh high boots.

Andrew made light of a specific situation that saw the Maxim cover girl sashay her way to the front row of a TAFE students' work, but was asked to move to the back.

He suggested in his article that she had a 'diva moment' and stormed out swearing after she was told to move to the fifth row.

Moment: In his article, Hornery made light of a specific situation that saw the Maxim cover girl sashay her way to the front row of a TAFE students' work, but was asked to move to the back

Upset: He suggested that she stormed out swearing after being told to move to the fifth row

However, Kyle revealed that it was at that moment Imogen received a phone call with bad news that her grandfather had suffered a heart attack at her family farm, and sadly later passed away.

Over the weekend, Imogen herself hit back at Hornery for his harsh article.

She wrote: 'Maybe Kyle and I should just break up now after six years and be unhappy without each other so I have a fighting chance at 'being my own person' ey?'

Sad news: But Kyle revealed that it was at that moment Imogen received a phone call with bad news that her grandfather had suffered a heart attack

'If only you truly knew': Imogen took to Instagram to hit back at Hornery and his 'scathing' article

'This post might mean absolutely jack s**t to you, but if only you truly knew,' Imogen concluded.

Imogen took to Instagram again on Sunday night and revealed to her fans that she and her family had received heartbreaking news.

'This weekend had really hit me for six. Just remember to tell those closest to you that you always love them. Life is way too short, and you never know what could happen tomorrow xx' she said.
She's the former Miss Universe Australia who has captured the heart of hunky Rugby Union player, Quade Cooper.

And Laura Dundovic showed exactly why as she stopped by a local cafe to grab a coffee in Brisbane on Monday.

The 29-year-old showed off her toned and tanned pins in a black frayed mini skirt from Ksubi.

Leggy lady! Former Miss Universe Australia Laura Dundovic flaunted her slender pins in a denim miniskirt as she stepped out for a coffee in Brisbane on Monday

She paired the ripped denim skirt with a black and white striped T-shirt.

Wearing minimal makeup for her coffee-run, Laura let her long flaxen locks hang loosely by her shoulders.

She also finished her casual ensemble with a pair of strappy sandals.

Back to her boyfriend: Laura appeared to be getting coffee for her and her boyfriend Quade

With her sunglasses back on to protect her eyes from the bright Brisbane sun, Laura smiled broadly as she strolled out of the cafe with her 'pick-me-ups' in hand.

Laura won the Miss Universe Australia in 2008 and represented the country at that year's Miss Universe competition, in which she placed in the top-ten.

Casual: Wearing minimal makeup for her coffee-run, Laura let her long flaxen locks hang loosely by her shoulders

She also took part in the first season of I'm A Celebrity...Get me Out Of Here, lasting 17 days in the South African jungle.

Laura and Quade have been dating for just under three years and the pair relocated to France in 2015 while Quade played for rugby side Toulon.

Quade now plays for the Queensland Reds.

Beauty: Laura won the Miss Universe Australia in 2008 and represented the country at that year's Miss Universe competition, in which she placed in the top-tep

.
She's tipped as one of the frontrunners to win the latest season of MasterChef Australia.

But before finding fame on reality TV, Eloise Praino dealt with tragedy when both of her parents battled cancer.

The 32-year-old told Woman's Day that her dad was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012, while her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years later.

Sad: MasterChef's Eloise Praino told Woman's Day has told of her dad was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012, while her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two years later

'It was one to the next, it was awful,' she told the magazine.

Eloise moved in with mum Dorina for 18 months to care for her while she underwent a mastectomy and chemo.

Thankfully, her dad overcame his leukemia and Dorina is now in remission.

Read all about it: Find out the full story on Eloise's family tragedy in Woman's Day magazine

Eloise is currently slaying on MasterChef.

Last week, she, Sarah and Sam battled it out in the immunity challenge on Tuesday's episode.

The contestants were challenged to make the most impressive waffle dish, with the winner heading into a battle against a top chef for the immunity pin.

It's on! Eloise is currently slaying on MasterChef and she battled it out with Sarah and Sam in the immunity challenge last week

Sarah kept with her Malaysian roots by cooking classic waffles with a coconut jam and mangoes.

Sam made coconut waffles with caramelised bananas and chocolate sauce.

Eloise took a different approach, deciding on a savoury option with waffles and fried chicken and a sticky chilli soy caramel.

Chicken tonight! Eloise's chicken and waffles won her the task, and she later took part in a cooking challenge against chef Charlie Carrington for immunity

As Sarah's waffles were under-cooked and Sam's dish was overwhelmingly sweet, Eloise made it through to the second round to cook for the immunity pin.

Eloise was going up against 23-year-old chef Charlie Carrington and she got the upper hand in the challenge by getting to choose the pantry.

With a score of 28 out of 30, Eloise became the first person in this season of MasterChef to win the immunity pin.
It's the Channel Nine reality show filled with explosive drama.

And as viewers of The Last Resort take in everything from a sexless marriage to paternity questions, new claims suggest much of the TV drama has been contrived by producers.

A new report by NW magazine alleges that Network producers caused upset among the cast by setting them up to cheat.

Drama: A new report by NW magazine this week claims The Last Resort producers caused upset among the cast by setting them up to cheat

During one particular night, producers reportedly swapped lighthearted icebreaker cards with very inappropriate questions.

Rather than your standard 'get to know you' games, castmates were reportedly instructed to 'fantastise' about one another.

'I was quite upset because the questions were quite normal to begin with - they were romantic,' Gold Coast star Sharday said.

Not happy: 'I was quite upset because the questions were quite normal to begin with - they were romantic,' Gold Coast star Sharday (pictured) said

'The boxes were then taken away by producers - and the questions they put in there were confronting, like, 'if you could choose anyone at the table to sleep with, who would you choose?'

She added: 'The atmosphere change really quickly and things just spiralled from there... [the producers] wanted to force us to answer [the questions]. We said we didn't want to, but we were told we had to.'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Network Nine for comment.

The blonde beauty had to listen to co-star Lucy confess that Sharday's partner Josh is her ideal fantasy.

Awkward: Sharday was forced to listen to co-star Lucy (pictured with partner Carl) confess that Sharday's partner Josh is her ideal fantasy

Not holding back: Lucy said Josh was her ideal hook-up buddy

The report comes after it was revealed that the show has become one of Channel Nine's biggest flops in years.

The premiere episode attracted just 414,000 metro viewers.

The Last Resort did worse than Seven's Kiss Bang Love, which attracted 513,000 viewers for its premiere last year.

In fact, numbers were even lower than The Biggest Loser's premiere, which until now was considered the biggest reality TV bomb of the year.

The Last Resort has attracted controversy for one of its stars, Sharday, lied about the paternity of her daughter Tylah to 'destroy' her boyfriend Josh after they had a fight.

And while Sharday's paternity deceit went so far that Josh missed the birth of his own daughter, the scheming blonde says it was all worth it for a spot on reality TV.

Scandal: The Last Resort has attracted controversy for one of its stars, Sharday McAvoy, lied about the paternity of her daughter Tylah to 'destroy' her boyfriend Josh after they had a fight

Saying that she has 'no regrets' about her actions, the 27-year-old told Daily Telegraph that 'everything happens for a reason.'

'I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason,' said the aspiring model.

'So yes, as much as I wish I didnt say it because he missed out on so, so much, at the same time I wouldnt say I regret it because we wouldnt have had the chance to go on the show.'

Worth it? Sharday's paternity deceit went so far that Josh missed the birth of his own daughter, but the scheming blonde said it was all worth it for a spot on reality TV

Truth: After Tylah was born, Josh requested a paternity test which later confirmed he was the biological father of Tylah

The vengeful vixen chose to lie to Josh about the paternity of their child during a heated breakup argument more than two years ago.

After the child was born, Josh requested a paternity test which later confirmed he was the biological father of Tylah.
He's a devout Scientologist, known just as much for his controversial beliefs as his blockbuster roles.

And as Tom Cruise jetted into Sydney on Monday, ahead of The Mummy's Australian premiere, the actor fit in a quick visit to Scientology's Australasian headquarters in Chatswood.

Shortly after, the 54-year-old was spotted alone on the balcony of his luxurious hotel overlooking Sydney Harbour.

Just Cruise-ing by? Tom, 54, cut a lonely figure on the balcony of his Sydney hotel on Monday, after a quick visit to Scientology's Australasian headquarters in Chatswood

Tom sported a crisp white dress shirt teamed with slim-fitting trousers and dress shoes.

Gazing out over Sydney Harbour, the star appeared deep in thought.

Looking to have a quick breather ahead of The Mummy's Australian premiere, Tom carried a large water bottle in one hand.

A lot on your mind, Tom? The Mummy star appeared deep in thought as he gazed out over Sydney Harbour

Suave: Tom sported a crisp white dress shirt, slim-fitting trousers and dress shoes

Just hours beforehand, Tom landed in Sydney via private jet.

Following his arrival, the Mission Impossible star made a getaway in a black Range Rover.

Causing quite a scene, Tom's security team blocked a major tunnel in an effort to avoid paparazzi.

Recharging: Looking to have a quick breather ahead of The Mummy's Australian premiere, Tom carried a large water bottle in one hand

Promotional trip: Just hours beforehand, Tom landed in Sydney via private jet

The Cross City Tunnel, a 2.1 km tunnel tollway, was momentarily blocked by cars at around 10.30 am, so no one could pass or follow the actor and his team from the airport.

A video obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia, saw the Cross City Tunnel, which connects the Western and Eastern Distributors blocked off.

Several black Range Rovers were seen stationed at the entrance for a period of time, blocking traffic, before eventually proceeding through the tunnel.

Getaway: Following his arrival, Tom made a getaway in a black Range Rover

It is believed Tom was in the first vehicle, followed by his security team.

A spokesperson for Transurban, in control of the Cross City Tunnel told Daily Mail Australia shortly after: 'From the footage shown in the data control room, there is no way of identifying the passenger.

And from a privacy issue, should the identity be known, it would be withheld. There was congestion for around five to 10 seconds.'

Smooth move? Causing quite a scene, Tom's security team blocked a major tunnel in an effort to avoid paparazzi

A-list treatment? The Cross City Tunnel, a 2.1 km tunnel tollway, was momentarily blocked by cars at around 10.30 am, so no one could pass or follow the actor and his team from the airport

Following the congestion, Tom and his entourage headed to Scientology's new Australasian headquarters, located in Chatswood, in Sydney's lower north shore.

The religion's sprawling new venue is regarded as their 'biggest spiritual centre outside of the United States'.

Facilities include 60 'auditing' or spiritual counselling rooms - where technology called 'e-meters' are used, a chapel, grand auditorium, production studio, and an office devoted to L. Ron Hubbard.

Devout: Following the congestion, Tom and his entourage headed to Scientology's new Australasian headquarters, located in Chatswood, in Sydney's lower north shore
He's the Byron Bay-born male model who was recently paid a whopping $100,000 to saunter down the catwalk for one minute during Fashion Week in Australia.

Now Jordan Barrett has strutted his stuff alongside some of the world's most famous supermodels at a charity event on Sunday in Cannes.

After jetting out of Sydney following a successful run at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the 20-year-old was in the south of France for the Fashion For Relief runway show, held at the 70th Cannes Film Festival.

Dapper: Jordan Barrett has strutted his stuff alongside some of the world's most famous supermodels for a charity event on Sunday

The fashion show, hosted by 90s modelling icon Naomi Campbell, was star-studded affair attended by the who's who in an effort to raise money for the Save The Children charity.

On the red carpet, dashing Jordan turned heads in a navy blue suit and blazer by Salvatore Ferragamo, with a pair of black glasses frames that held his luscious honey back away from his face.

His pants tapered just above his ankles to draw vision to his navy lace-up calf leather shoes.

Confidence: The 20-year-old was in the south of France for the Fashion For Relief runway show at the 70th Cannes Film Festival

Chiseled good looks: On the red carpet he turned heads looking dashing in head-to-toe Salvatore Ferragamo, with a pair of black glasses frames holding his luscious honey back away from his face

However, the real show was on the runway where the models, including host Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Kendall Jenner and Jordan's good pal Bella Hadid flaunted their incredible figures in the latest trends.

Wearing a black leather jacket with patches of multiple tones of denim, Sydney boy Jordan had blue steel confidence.

His edgy ensemble was matched with leather pants with silver zips, as well as a pair of black boots.

Blue steel-like confidence: Jordanoozed a blue steel-like confidence in a black leather jacket with patches of multiple tones of denim

Edgy ensemble: The Sydney boy's edgy ensemble was matched with leather pants with silver zips, as well as a pair of black boots

Ahead of making his appearance on the runway, he was photographed shirtless on a luxury yacht having fun with his friends a bikini clad Bella Hadid and film producer Mohammed Al Turki.

At the end of the show, the models donned printed black and white T-shirts from Italian brand Diesel's Child At Heart collection to raise money for the cause.

Naomi has used her statues to help the organisation fight against Ebola and helping communities rebuild after natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Typhoon Haiyan.

For a cause: Other models who walked the event included host Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Kendall Jenner and Jordan's good pal Bella Hadid

Strutting his stuff: Before the event he was photographed shirtless on a luxury yacht having fun with his friends a bikini clad Bella Hadid and film producer Mohammed Al Turki
It is one of the most anticipated reboots in the history of television.

And as excitement reached fever pitch over the new season premiere of Twin Peaks on Stan on Monday, one of Sydney's favorite gelaterie Gelato Messina provided a cool reminder of one the show's most loved icons.

Messina's popular Newtown store suspended normal service to transform into the Double R Diner - the eatery that was made famous in the '90s David Lynch cult classic - in terms of both its decor and its menu.

Double the fun: One of Sydney's favorite gelatarias Gelato Messina has well-and-truly gotten into the Twin Peaks spirit

Cult: Messina's Newtown, Sydney store closed down normal service on Monday, transforming into the Double R Diner - the eatery that was made famous in the 90s David Lynch cult classic

Take two: Not only was the menu reconstructed to offer only Twin Peaks-themed fare, the venue itself was transformed into an almost exact replica of the television eatery

The original: The RR Diner was a centrepiece of Twin Peaks which followed an investigation into the murder of popular homecoming queen Laura Palmer

Not only was the menu reconstructed to offer Twin Peaks-themed fare, the venue itself was transformed into an amazing replica of the television eatery.

The gelateria offered a range of confections with names that were sure to give fans of the show a kick.

One flavour of gelato on offer was She's Dead Wrapped In Plastic - the words that kicked off the show's central mystery - a vanilla gelato with raspberry gel and a blueberry sheet.

Yum: The gelataria offered a range of confections with names that were sure to give fans of the show a kick

There was the She's Dead Wrapped In Plastic - the words that kicked off the show's central mystery - vanilla gelato with raspberry gel and a blueberry sheet

Impeccable taste: Special agent Dale Cooper, knew that the Double R was the place to get a 'damn good cup of coffee'

Cult java: Messina recreated that sentiment with Damn Good Cup of Coffee a donut gelato with a coffee caramel crunch

Slice: Norma, the owner of the Double R was known for her cherry pie on and Messina's honoured that with Norma's Incredible Cherry Pie

Special agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlan, knew that the Double R was the place to get a 'damn good cup of coffee,' and Messina recreated that sentiment with a donut gelato with a coffee caramel crunch.

Norma, the owner of the Double R was known for her cherry pie on and Messina's Norma's Incredible Cherry Pie urged fans to tuck into a Cherry sorbet swirled with shortcrust gelato and layered with cherry compote.

If there was any doubt about interest in the reboot, one only needed to take a look at the front of the venue with fans lining up around the block, clambering to get their hands on a David Lynch inspired confection.

Fans lining up around the block, clambering to get their hands on a David Lynch-inspired confection

Flat-out: Those that were lucky enough to get inside looked ecstatic as they surveyed the scene with one fan looking very pleased, carrying two confections in her hands

Wrapped: The waitstaff also looked the part, decked out in accurate Double R uniforms, and they looked just as excited as the hungry customers as they served

Fans lucky enough to get inside looked ecstatic as they surveyed the scene, with one fan unable to choose a favourite, carrying two confections in her hands.

The waitstaff also looked the part. Decked out in accurate replica Double R uniforms, they looked just as excited as the hungry customers as they served.

Messina's store in Richmond, Victoria will follow suit with a Twin peaks revamp on Thursday.

Next: Messina's store in Richmond, Victoria will follow suit with a Twin peaks revamp on Thursday

Iconic: Twin Peaks follows an investigation into the murder of popular homecoming queen Laura Palmer in the fictional Washington town

Mystery: Headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlin,the investigation soon takes many left-of-centre twists and turns

Twin Peaks followed an investigation into the murder of popular homecoming queen Laura Palmer in the fictional Washington town of the title.

Headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlin, the investigation took many left-of-centre twists and turns.

Starting out as a crime drama, the narrative incorporated horror, the supernatural and surrealist themes, underpinned by David Lynch's idiosyncratic direction.

Often regarded as one of the greatest television dramas ever made, Twin Peaks ran for two seasons from 1990 to 1991 and was followed with a prequel film in 1992, Fire Walk With Me.

The first four of the Twin Peaks reboot premiere on Stan on Monday.

Messina closed down normal service on monday to get its Twin Peaks on

Anticipation: While starting out as a crime drama, the narrative also went on to incorporate horror, supernatural and surrealist themes
Lisa Vanderpump was the Grand Marshall of the Long Beach Gay Pride Parade on Sunday.

The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star dressed up in a lively outfit for the event with a white suit and a matching cape hat was adorned with red and pink feather boas.

And she told DailyMail.com that her mission to leave the planet a better place is strong.

You glow, girl: Lisa Vanderpump was the Grand Marshall of the Long Beach Gay Pride Parade on Sunday

A pal: Vanderpump and Drag Queen Jewels attend Long Beach Lesbian And Gay Pride Festival at Marina Green Park

'In light of the climate and what's going on in the world in the LGBT community, as a heterosexual woman and an advocate for gay rights, I was honored to be asked to be the Grand Marshall of the Long Beach Gay Pride Parade today,' she said.

Lisa, 56, added sit was a great opportunity as the WeHo parade was cancelled this year for the Resistance March.

'While we continue to move forward with gay rights there is still a long way to go and we need to keep fighting,' she said.

Her words: 'While we continue to move forward with gay rights there is still a long way to go and we need to keep fighting,' she said

'I have always been focused on philanthropy and I'm lucky to have a husband who is also. Our focus is to leave this world in a better place.

'I can only do so much and it really was heartwarming to have a conversation today with the manage of the Pulse Night Club. What happened there was completely horrific and should never have happened.

'Life should be about embracing each other and having compassion. I will therefore do whatever I can to stand up for others forever.

'As we saw with Yulin, if you shout from the rooftops you'll be heard.'

The star was seen with Drag Queen Jewels.
Caitlyn Jenner ran errands in Malibu on Sunday determined to look her best while doing so.

The transgender celebrity, 67, pulled a blue brush through her hair as she walked to the shops on the sunny Southern California day.

The former husband of Keeping Up With The Kardashians momager Kris Jenner was in full make-up with her brunette locks styled in loose curls.

On the go: Caitlyn Jenner ran errands in Malibu on Sunday pulling a blue brush through her hair as she walked to the shops on the sunny Southern California day

Jenner strode out in knee-length blue denim shorts paired with a white top that had black stripes on the sleeves.

The I Am Cait reality star wore flat sandals and she wore pink polish on her toe and finger nails.

She carried a large black holdall and sported sunglasses.

Dressed for summer: The reality star, 67, strode out in knee-length blue denim shorts paired with a white top that had black stripes on the sleeves and a pair of flat sandals

Jenner is back home in Malibu after a tour to promote her recently published tell-all The Secrets Of My Life.

Her trip took her to several cities around the U.S. as well as to London.

The former Olympian once again spoke about how she'd contemplated suicide as she battled with her gender identity issues during an appearance on the British television show Loose Women last Wednesday.

Jenner also admitted admitted her life had been all about 'hiding' until she finally came clean about her desire to live as a woman, bringing her 23-year marriage to Kris Jenner to an end.
Jennifer Garner looked pretty as a petal as she arrived at church in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The mother-of-three wore a very feminine navy blue dress and nude heels for her day out. The 45-year-old accessorized with a chic black handbag and a pair of designer sunglasses.

She was seen with her mother Patricia Ann as well as her kids. Then later met up with Ben Affleck and his mom for lunch.

Lovely: Jennifer Garner looked pretty as a petal as she arrived at church in Los Angeles on Sunday

Cute: The mother-of-three wore a very feminine navy blue dress and nude heels for her day out as she strolled with her mother Patricia Ann

Mothr son time: Affleck was seen strolling beside his mother, Christine Boldt

The brunette beauty was seen walking with her parents while Affleck was seen strolling beside his mother, Christine Boldt.

Affleck looked shabby chic in a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt and some grey trainers as he sipped on a to go coffee.

Their family day out comes after the actress filed for divorce from Affleck.

Effortless: The 45-year-old accessorized with a chic black handbag and a pair of designer sunglasses

Ben's mom: Here Garner is seen with Affleck's mother Christine

According to Page Six it was mutual: 'It was amicable. In California, one spouse has to serve the other, but they [technically] filed together without lawyers. It was as coordinated as can be,' an insider said.

However, the 13 Going On 30 actress has been keeping herself busy recently as she is currently promoting her latest film, Wakefield.

She just appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert where the duo reminisced about Garner babysitting Colbert's daughter, Madeline.

Family day out: Despite the divorce the families are still amicable

Beautiful day: The trio walked around in the lovely Californian sun; on the far left is Ben's mom and in the middle is Jen's mom

Keeping up: Her kids followed her closely as they headed out in the hot LA sun

Sunday funday: The families all walked to the church together

The two spoke about how they met in 1996, while guest-starring in the ABC show Spin City.

Apparently Colbert and his wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert, needed some help with their daughter, which is when Garner babysat for them while also going out for auditions.

'Then one day you came and you said, "I got a new agent!"'the host recalled.

And we said: '"That poor thing" because you were so nice, you are so nice. We thought, "Los Angeles will devour her."'

'And it did,' Garner added laughing. 'It did, yes it devoured me, but I'm okay. I'm all right.'

Mother hen: Jennifer was seen leading the way for everyone
Jaimie Alexander passionately kissed her boyfriend Airon Armstrong on Sunday at the Studio City farmer's market.

The 33-year-old actress and the 39-year-old stuntman were every bit the picturesque couple putting on an affectionate public display after shopping together.

The South Carolina-born, Texan-raised star - who relies on stylist Kemal Harris - donned a summery white off-the-shoulder dress with eyeball sandals.

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Lip lock! Jaimie Alexander passionately kissed her boyfriend Airon Armstrong on Sunday at the Studio City farmer's market

Still going strong: The 33-year-old actress and the 39-year-old stuntman were every bit the picturesque couple putting on an affectionate public display after shopping together

Jaimie showcased her shorter angular cut courtesy of hairstylist Michael Sparks and colorist Heather Cie back on May 10.

Alexander (born Tarbush) and her 6ft2in bearded beau - who's called her 'bad ass' - were spotted buying fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers during their sunny outing.

The Women's Marcher was previously engaged to her Loosies co-star Peter Facinelli from 2015-2016.

And Airon - sporting khaki shorts and a navy T-shirt - last romanced a Canadian model, who remains branded on his Instagram account.

Breezy: The South Carolina-born, Texan-raised star - who relies on stylist Kemal Harris - donned a summery white off-the- shoulder dress with eyeball sandals

Boom! Jaimie showcased her shorter angular cut courtesy of hairstylist Michael Sparks (R) and colorist Heather Cie back on May 10

Sunny outing: Alexander (born Tarbush) and her 6ft2in bearded beau - who's called her 'bad ass' - were spotted buying fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers

Pointing: The Women's Marcher was previously engaged to her Loosies co-star Peter Facinelli from 2015-2016

Blending in with the crowd: And Airon - sporting khaki shorts and a navy T-shirt - last romanced a Canadian model, who remains branded on his Instagram account

The Broken Vows stunner openly refers to Armstrong as her '#MCM,' 'handsome guy,' 'beautiful soul,' and 'bright light' for her 1.1M social media followers.

Jaimie has been romantically linked to the four-time SAG Award nominee as far back as September 17 when they were first spotted strolling through Manhattan arm-in-arm.

Alexander fell for the fight coordinator on the set of Blindspot where he serves as Sullivan Stapleton's stunt double and choreographs 'the majority' of fight scenes.

Valentines: The Broken Vows stunner openly refers to Armstrong as her '#MCM,' 'handsome guy,' 'beautiful soul,' and 'bright light' for her 1.1M social media followers

SoHo: Jaimie has been romantically linked to the four-time SAG Award nominee as far back as September 17 when they were first spotted strolling through Manhattan arm-in-arm

Twinning! Alexander fell for the fight coordinator on the set of Blindspot where he serves as Sullivan Stapleton's (R) stunt double and choreographs 'the majority' of fight scenes

More to come! On May 10, NBC officially renewed their FBI action thriller - on which she plays tattooed amnesiac Alice 'Remi' Kruger - for a third season

On May 10, NBC officially renewed their FBI action thriller - on which she plays tattooed amnesiac Alice 'Remi' Kruger - for a third season.

Airon's utility stunt work can next be viewed in Bong Joon-ho's star-studded adventure Okja, which begins streaming June 28 on Netflix.

And the Brink beauty will next reprise her role as the Asgard warrior goddess Lady Sif in Thor: Ragnarok, which hits UK theaters October 27 and US theaters November 3.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton stars: Airon's utility stunt work can next be viewed in Bong Joon-ho's adventure flick Okja, which begins streaming June 28 on Netflix
Jill Duggar Dillard has revealed a friend was tragically kidnapped and murdered in Central America.

The reality star, 26, who has just returned to the United States after completing Christian mission work with her husband Derick in Central America, wrote on her family's website on Monday that her friend's body had been found by a river.

In a blog post dated May 15, Jill, who has since returned to the United States, wrote: 'We received a phone call on Monday from a friend here in Central America informing us that one of our other good friends (a fellow Christian) had been murdered the day before and that his family had found his body down by the river earlier that morning!'

Tragic: Jill Dillard has revealed how a friend was tragically kidnapped and murdered while she and her husband Derick were completing Christian mission work in Central America (pictured in an episode of Counting On in 2016)

'As you'll recall from our last email, we talked about these friends of ours who we'd had the opportunity to invite into the hospitality house for a meal recently as they have been going through a really tough time after the death of his grandmother and murder of his 20 year old cousin and then the stroke his daughter had when she received the news.

'Now they have been spending most of the time in their home for fear of being kidnapped or killed as violence has escalated in their area.

'Even though we had spoke with our friend and his family about the realities of the dangers here, and especially in their area right now, we were shocked when we learned of his kidnap and murder.

'We've had them into our home three times in the past couple weeks!'

Support: Jill and her husband have been in Central America these last few months, engaged in their Christian mission work

She added in the post of the funeral proceedings: 'After our regular church service last night, Derick was able to attend the funeral service with some people from church while Israel and I (Jill) stayed back at the house.

'Typically funerals are held in a family member's home and last several hours into the night. Our friend's funeral was held in their area and Derick and some men from church were able to share some words of encouragement with the family and guests. We have cried and continue to grieve the loss of our dear friend.'

Jill and her husband have been in Central America these last few months, engaged in their Christian mission work.

'So grateful to be back': On Sunday, Jill revealed she and Derick had returned home to the United States

It's not their first time in South America doing mission work either.

The couple welcomed son Israel in April 2015, and earlier this year announced they are welcoming a second child - a boy.

On Sunday, Jill revealed she and Derick had returned home to the United States.

'So grateful to be back in the States and get to go to our church this morning @crosschurch #Israeliswithgrandma #lovetheUSA,' she said in a selfie of herself and her husband.
Her role as glamorous Betty Draper in the television series Mad Men cemented her star status.

And January Jones took a break from her hard work as a Hollywood actress as she relaxed by the pool in California on Sunday.

The 39-year-old beauty took to Instagram with a saucy snap of herself topping up her tan, where she couldn't resist flaunting her peachy posterior in a sizzling red swimsuit.

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Bottoms up! January Jones, 39, took to Instagram with a saucy snap of herself flaunting her peachy posterior in a sizzling swimwear as she relaxed poolside in California on Sunday

The blonde bombshell stood at the edge of the pool and stared into the distance, while the scooped red Cami and Jax swimwear showed off her derriere and toned legs.

A stylish straw hat cast a shadow over her pretty features in the sexy snap, which she jokingly captioned: 'I say "please don't" but then post on Instagram.. #basic #california.'

In another image, the camera was aimed in front of January, as she showed off her busty assets in the one-piece which was tucked into a pair of shorts.

'HEY!!', the South Dakota native enthusiastically captioned the snap.

A post shared by January Jones (@januaryjones) on May 21, 2017 at 4:29pm PDT

'HEY!!': In another image, the camera was aimed in front of January, as she showed off her busty assets in the one-piece which was tucked into a pair of shorts

Life is good! However, the poolside frolicking didn't stop there as she later changed into a skimpy bikini to continue her sunny antics

Capturing it on film: January donned a tiny bandeau bikini top and printed high-waisted bikini bottoms as she jumped onto an awaiting float in a fun boomerang clip

However, the poolside frolicking didn't stop there as she later changed into a skimpy bikini to continue her sunny antics.

January donned a tiny bandeau bikini top and printed high-waisted bikini bottoms as she jumped onto an awaiting float in a fun boomerang clip.

The Stateside star threw her arms in the air and kicked back her legs as she made her descent into the pool.

Having fun: The Stateside star threw her arms in the air and kicked back her legs as she made the descent into the pool

January, who previously mentioned she was happier watching TV at home with her son, 5, than going on a date, seemed to be having a fabulous time as she enjoyed a day off work.

January welcomed Xander in September 2011 but, for personal reasons, has never publicly revealed the identity of his father.

She talked about his birth in an interview with Red magazine last month, saying: 'My younger sisters and my mom and my doula were in the room; my brother-in-law and my dad were next door.

Fame journey: Her role as glamorous Betty Draper in the television series Mad Men from 2007 to 2015 cemented her star status

Doting mother: January welcomed Xander, now five, in September 2011 but, for personal reasons, has never publicly revealed the identity of his father

'I only wanted women with me,' the celebrity said, adding, 'it was a 30-hour process but it was awesome. I'd love to do it again.'

She appears to be enjoying some down time after wrapping filming on the third season of her comedy drama, The Last Man On Earth.

The show stars Will Forte as someone who appears to be, quite literally, the last man on earth after a virus wipes out nearly all of the human race,

The last episode in the third season aired on Fox on April 2.
She hit headlines earlier this month when she displayed her unairbrushed derriere in all its glory while on the beach in Mexico.

And Kim Kardashian proved she was still proud of her natural curves on Sunday night as she slipped into a figure-hugging frock to film Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in LA.

The 36-year-old flaunted her enviably slim waist and famously rounded curves in a slinky black maxi dress as she glamorously headed to set for her appearance.

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All eyes on me: Kim Kardashian proved she was proud of her natural curves on Sunday as she slipped into a figure-hugging frock to film Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in LA

The reality star was the picture of confidence in the glittering dress, which clung to her famous hourglass curves from head to toe.

Remaining simple in style, the ensemble pulled into thin spaghetti straps and a classic round neck, to let her sensational figure take centre stage.

Tightly clinging to her figure all the way down, the black number drew attention to her impressively tiny waist and famously ample derriere as she strutted on to set.

Gorgeous: The reality star was the picture of confidence in the glittering dress, which clung to her famous hourglass curves from head to toe

Curvaceous: Tightly clinging to her figure all the way down, the black number drew attention to her impressively tiny waist and famously ample derriere as she strutted on to set

Adding towering black heels and leaving her hair in big and bouncy waves, Kim exuded glamour as she happily chatted to producers on her way inside.

Kim looked in good spirits as she seemingly embarked on yet another TV project - having awkwardly watched herself be voted the 'Most Annoying Celebrity' on US game show Family Feud on Friday.

Taking to Snapchat, the reality queen simply shared a clip of the moment which saw her score the highest amount of points in the category, to the delight of the studio audience - but remained silent on the matter herself.

All eyes on me: Kim Kardashian proved she was still proud of her natural curves on Sunday as she slipped into a figure-hugging frock for a stint of filming in LA

Back to her best: Adding towering black heels and leaving her hair in big and bouncy waves, Kim exuded glamour as she happily chatted to producers on her way inside

Caught out: Kim looked in good spirits as she filmed another TV project - having awkwardly watched herself be voted the 'Most Annoying Celebrity' on Family Feud on Friday (above)

Kim has been making a full return to her working commitments, after taking a lengthy break from the limelight following her traumatic heist in Paris back in October.

Finally speaking out on the event on Keeping Up With The Kardashians last month, Kim revealed the anxiety she was feeling in the run up to identifying the men that robbed her.

Kim learned after pin-pointing the suspects that they had been 'following' her for a whole year, and had unsuccessfully tried to rob her on a previous trip to the French capital with husband Kanye West.

Comeback kid: Kim has been making a full return to her working commitments (pictured at the Met Gala), after taking a lengthy break from the limelight following her traumatic heist in Paris

'One guy admitted to driving them and one inside admitted it,' she revealed. 'Just by their height and weight, I could tell who from this lineup was in the room with me. I was able to see who confessed'.

'They had been following me and they had attempted to rob me last time I was in Paris, but my husband was with me,' she said.

'They had been following me from the year beforeit's just so scary to know that this would have happened to me at some point.

Adding that she finally felt like she had started to recover from the shocking incident, she added: 'I'm just really happy that I got it over with and I'm done. I can prepare and protect myself even more in the future.'
Back in 2006, her raunchy displays on Big Brother and later lad's mag stardom were impressive.

And while Krystal Forscutt, now 30, still flaunts her ample assets on social media, she's long since traded in topless cover shoots for life as a wife and mother.

'It took me a long time to realise it was OK if I wanted to stop,' the parent to two-year-old Sonny told New Idea this week.

Throwback! Busty Big Brother 2006 star turned lad's mag queen Krystal Forscutt still looks stunning at age 30, and is now a mother and wife, going by Krystal Hipwell

Still got it! Although the DD-cup, surgically enhanced beauty still flaunts her assets on social media (R), but she gave up modelling for the likes of FHM and Ralph long ago (L, in 2007)

Her charismatic, bikini-clad displays turned heads and shocked politicians on the prime time iteration of the show.

But her most infamous turn came via completely nude displays on Big Brother's 'Adults Only' late-night segment - which moved to Big Brother 'Premium' online after pressure from politicians led to Channel 10 scrapping the experiment.

That hardly effected Krystal, who was the belle of the lad's mag ball for the next four years.

Twinning! She has settled down to family life, but was once known for flaunting the matching boob jobs she got with her mother (pictured here in 2006 with mother Karen, L)

Speed dial! After rising to fame via nude displays on the reality show's 'Adults Only' late-night counterpart, she appeared on over 20 lad's mag covers, but 'retired' from modelling at age 23

The likes of FHM, Zoo and Ralph had her on speed dial, with the stunner appearing on over twenty magazine covers, before curiously announcing her 'retirement' from modelling at just 23.

These days, the 30-year-old insists she's grown stronger, wiser and more independent.

Now going by Krystal Hipwell, after marrying the man of her dreams, the beauty spends her time caring for her adorable son Sonny.

Yummy mummy! Now, She is the mother of adorable two-year-old Sonny

That's confidence! Krystal still flaunted her tanned, slender frame even while pregnant with Sonny

Hunky hubby! She's married to hunky hubby Neil and the pair own a gym in Sydney together

But never one to sit idly by, she also told New Idea that she runs a gym in Sydney with her husband Neil.

Speaking less-than-fondly of her days as a bikini model, she admitted to getting 'tired' and simply craved normality.

'I got to a point where I was completely over it,' she told the magazine.

'I took so many opportunities purely because they were there. They fell at my feet and I took them - I never really thought some of them through properly.

If you've got it! She's got no issues flaunting her ample assets, but did reveal It took her 'a long time to realise it was OK' to stop doing magazine covers

Over it! 'I got to a point where I was completely over it,' she told New Idea
He's the Australian actor best known for his role as Wolverine in the long running X-Men series.

And on Tuesday, Hugh Jackman touched down in Japan to continue his press tour for the latest Wolverine installment, Logan.

Arriving at the Narita International airport in Tokyo, hundreds of fans were gathered with signs and posters waiting for the 48-year-old's arrival.

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Just landed: On Tuesday, Hugh Jackman touched down in Japan to continue his press tour for the latest Wolverine installment, Logan

What a welcome: Arriving at the Narita International airport in Tokyo, hundreds of fans were gathered with signs and posters waiting for the 48-year-olds arrival

Looking sharp: Arriving alongside wife, Deborra, Hugh donned a casual and comfortable airport outfit

Arriving alongside wife, Deborra, Hugh donned a casual and comfortable airport outfit.

Wearing a blue jumper and black tracksuit pants, the star looked well rested and excited to meet his fans.

Hugh was also seen with a black backpack and sunglasses, shielding his eyes from the camera flashes.

Too bright: Hugh was also seen with a black backpack and sunglasses, shielding his eyes from the camera flashes

Stylish: Deborra also showcased her chic airport style with a large oversized navy button up top and 3/4 length striped pants

Deborra also showcased her chic airport style with a large oversized navy button up top and three-quarter length striped pants.

Getting into the spirit and embracing the Japanese culture, the mother-of-two wore opened-toe leather clogs for the arrival.

Matching with her husband of 21 years, Deborra also wore black sunglasses and kept her blonde locks tied back.

One of the nice guys: Known as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, the actor didn't disappoint his fans taking pictures and signing autographs for them

Smile: Even though he'd just touched down, the Logan actor took some time to smile with fans and even sport the peace sign

Known as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, the actor didn't disappoint his fans taking pictures and signing autographs for them.

The Hugh lovers ranged from young to old and all attempted to push their way through to the front to meet the Australian star.

Hugh took his time meeting as many supporters as he could, even posing with the signature Japanese peace sign in photos.

Selfie time: The Hugh lovers ranged from young to old and all attempted to push their way through to the front to meet the Australian star
He shot to fame in 2014 after his mugshot was shared online.

And now 'hot felon' Jeremy Meeks has been rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kate Moss and Bella Hadid, attending the star-studded Fashion For Relief gala in Cannes on Sunday night.

The 33-year-old wore a black tuxedo jacket with nothing underneath, showing off the tattoos on his neck and chest.

On the guest list: 'Hot felon' Jeremy Meeks rubbed shoulders with the likes of Kate Moss and Bella Hadid as he attended the star-studded Fashion For Relief Gala in Cannes on Sunday night

The convict turned model teamed the smart jacket with tailored trousers, allowing a hint of his boxers to show at the top, before adding a pair of black brogues to finish.

Jeremy smouldered at the camera as he posed for photographs at the event, demonstrating his modelling prowess.

The glamorous Fashion For Relief event, hosted by Naomi Campbell, saw some of the most famous faces in the fashion world gather to raise money for Save The Children.

Model behaviour: The 33-year-old smouldered at the camera as he posed for photographs at the event

Bella, Kate, Kendall Jenner and Heidi Klum were among those who stormed the catwalk at the glitzy bash.

Other celebrities in attendance include Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman, Lewis Hamilton and Princess Beatrice.

Jeremy's appearance at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival comes after he was blocked from entering the UK last month.

He was sent back to New York's JFK airport after being stopped by Border Force officials on arrival at Heathrow.

Glamorous event: Bella, 20, led the glamour as she stormed the catwalk at the charity event

A-list: Kate Moss and Kendall Jenner were among the famous faces at the bash in Cannes

Glitzy event: The glamorous Fashion For Relief event, hosted by Naomi Campbell, saw some of the most famous faces in the fashion world gather to raise money for Save The Children

Speaking to DailyMail.com about the incident, he said: 'I'm very, very saddened and confused. I went down there [London] with high hopes for the experience and the UK.

'I really wanted to go there. I still don't understand quite what happened but I know there's no ill will. They're [Border Force] doing their job.'

Asked what had happened to him, Jeremy, who described the incident as 'a little mix up', said: 'They just detained me and interrogated me and searched me.'

But he also said he doesn't believe the episode will put an end to his fledgling modelling career, saying he planned to travel again: 'Oh of course [I'll come back from this]. Of course. God is good.'

Barred from UK: Jeremy's appearance at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival comes after he was blocked from entering the UK last month

Jeremy had been set to spend a week in London to do a series of photoshoots, according to his manager.

He and his wife had also been due to attend a launch party to celebrate his first cover shoot for British magazine, Man About Town.

The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for street terrorism [gang activity] and a misdemeanor charge of resisting/obstructing justice.

The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'.

Since being released from jail in March 2016, Meeks has embarked on a career as a model and appeared on the catwalk at Phillip Plein during New York Fashion Week in February.

Hot felon: The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, and the pictured went viral
They tied the knot in a romantic ceremony two years ago.

And Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan celebrated their anniversary by enjoying a day of wine and cheese tasting on the Isle of Fernando's on Sunday.

The destination where Take Me Out contestants jet out to for their date is actually the resort of Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife.

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Taking her out: Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan celebrated their anniversary by enjoying a day of wine and cheese tasting on the Isle of Fernando's on Sunday

The couple documented the romantic day out on their respective social media pages as they celebrated the milestone a few days early on the island- no doubt due to their busy schedules of late.

Michelle, 29, shared snaps of her and her beau enjoying a wine tasting session, captioning a picture of them tucking into a cheese platter with the word 'Anniversary', followed by a love heart emoji.

Meanwhile Take Me Out: The Gossip host Mark, 30, posted clips of the scenery going past them as they travelled to another vineyard, describing one mountain as the Isle of Fernando's hills.

Anniversary: The couple documented the romantic day out on their respective social media pages as they celebrated the milestone a few days early

Tasty: Mark and Michelle enjoyed an array of tasty snacks as they visited vineyards

Scenic: Mark, 30, posted clips of the scenery going past them as they travelled to another vineyard, describing one mountain as the Isle of Fernando's hills

Day out: He later said they were on their way home to watch his ITV2 spin-off show, as well as posting a snap of his pizza dinner

He later said they were on their way home to watch his ITV2 spin-off show, as well as posting a snap of his pizza and ice-cream dinner.

Mark was reunited with Michelle in South Africa last week, as the actress continues to shoot new scenes for the third series of Our Girl.

The presenter shared a loved-up snap of him and his wife watching the sunset, which he captioned with the words: 'Perfect setting with the perfect person. Can't beat a SA sunset!!'

Mark and his wife Michelle, 29, are set to spend several months apart this year, as she shoots scenes for Our Girl at a range of far-flung locales.

'Perfect setting with the perfect person': Mark was delighted to be reunited with his wife, Michelle last week after jetting out to South Africa, where she's been filming Our Girl

Wedding day: The couple got married in a romantic ceremony in Suffolk two years ago

Earlier this month, the brunette beauty took to Instagram to reveal that she has completed shooting scenes in the Himalayan nation of Nepal - and the experience left her with 'a totally different perspective on life'.

Sharing a shot of herself smiling while sitting on the steps of a breathtaking ancient temple, the actress wrote: 'Last day in Nepal... what an amazing eye opening journey. Coming away with a totally different perspective on life.

'Feeling very blessed and thankful. #itsthelittlethings #glasshalffull #ourgirl3.'

Michelle, who plays Lance Corporal Georgie Lane in the programme, is also set to jet off to Malaysia to film the popular series.

It's a wrap: Last weekend, Michelle took to Instagram to share a shot of herself in Nepal on Sunday, as she revealed she'd finished shooting scenes for her series Our Girl in the country

Mark will not join her on set for the majority of the time, as he has commitments in Essex, Spain and Los Angeles.

Michelle said she will be away for three months, before returning to attend some events in the summer and then jetting back out again - which is thought to be up to eight months in total.

Despite bring plagued with break-up rumours over the course of their two year marriage Mark recently insisted that his wife is 'the most important thing in my life'.

The TV presenter explained that although maintaining a long-distance romance can be hard, the loved-up couple work hard at keeping their four-year relationship 'exciting'.

Long-distance: Michelle is believed to be spending up to eight months away filming

Mark told MailOnline: 'It doesnt matter what the job is, you make it work. You work around it. The most important thing is your personal life, especially if youre in a relationship. Your relationship comes first.'

The former TOWIE star went on to say that working on different continents can actually have its benefits.

He added: 'It's exciting, it keeps it exciting  separate careers makes the time you spend together more special.

'We do the old Face Time, Whatsapp, talk on the phone. Were always in contact. Its easy  its 2017 theres always a way to stay in contact.'
They are known for sharing their idyllic getaways with fans, by posting endless holiday snaps on social media.

And Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey certainly showed no signs of stopping on Sunday as they documented even more of their sun-soaked Mexico break on Instagram.

Posing in a number of skimpy bikinis and swimsuits, the 27-year-old Made In Chelsea star showed off her famously toned figure and enviable womanly curves as she continued to relax in the sunshine with her beau.

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Here we go again: Louise Thompson and Ryan Libbey showed no signs of stopping their usual bikini displays on Sunday as they documented even more of their Mexico break on Instagram

First stripping to a skimpy pink bikini, the brunette showed off her enviably toned stomach as she lounged playfully on a pink flamingo inflatable in the pool.

Sporting a cleavage-flashing plunging top, Louise then stylishly added contrasting gingham bottoms which lengthened her famously long and lean legs as she draped herself across the float.

Not stopping there however, she then slipped into an equally saucy swimsuit in a second snap - to draw attention to her peachy derriere as well as her fit figure.

All eyes on me: Not stopping there, she then slipped into an equally saucy swimsuit in a further holiday snap - to draw attention to her peachy derriere as well as her fit figure

Posing seductively with her back to the camera, the E4 star revealed her floral one-piece was both backless and of a thong cut - leaving plenty of sun-kissed skin and her enviably rounded behind on show.

Keeping the look casual by sweeping her hair into a low bun, she added mirrored cat-eye sunglasses in a finishing touch of glamour as she documented her time away for fans.

Proving her more playful side however, she later shared a further image which saw her fail to pull off one of her trademark sexy poses in the sea.

Bikini babe: Proving her more playful side however, she then shared a further image which saw her fail to pull off one of her trademark sexy poses in the sea

Another day, another snap: Louise and Ryan posed for yet another swimwear-clad snap as they got their week off to a glorious start in Mexico

While her rock hard abs took centre stage as she posed on the stunning tropical beach, Louise cocked her head back in laughter as the breeze flipped her hair all over face - ruining her next post.

Taking the joke in her stride, she captioned the image: 'When you try to look fit and fail. Bye bye Tulum, you've been tasty.'

With Ryan, 26, displaying his own impressively muscular chest in an array of loved-up photos of the couple, Louise then responded by paying tribute to her boyfriend in one final post.

Getting involved: Personal trainer Ryan, 26, displayed his own impressively muscular chest in a pool snap of his own

Besotted: He was also quick to share a number of loved-up snaps of the couple, including one of Louise kissing him in the sunshine

Accentuating her gym-honed waist in a crochet cut-out swimsuit, it was Louise's soft smile captured the most attention as she enjoyed another romantic holiday with the personal trainer.

Gushing of her beau in the caption, she confessed: 'When you're with the right person it shines right through you.'

Louise and Ryan began dating last summer, just months after the brunette split from long-term ex Alik Alfus in May.

Happy: Louise then responded by paying tribute to her boyfriend in one final post - captioning a post of her smiling off camera: 'When you're with the right person it shines right through you'

Speaking to OK! earlier this year, the reality star admitted she had kept her relationship with Ryan a secret at first in order to avoid judgment - with the pair staying in separate hotels while they filmed in the South of France last year.

She explained: The production team found out I had a secret boyfriend while we were over there and were pretty annoyed at me! But they said theyd forgive me if I got Ryan to join the show.

Admitting she had wanted to avoid inevitable backlash for embarking on a romance so soon after Alik, she continued: 'We actually kept our relationship to ourselves for about five months.

I didnt want people judging me for moving on so quickly after Alik. Ryan didnt even come to my house for the first five months because I didnt know how my brother Sam would react.

Still going strong: Louise and Ryan began dating last summer, just months after the brunette split from long-term ex Alik Alfus in May

However the pair have put on a united front ever since, and are now known for their selection of holiday photos and fitness videos on their Instagram pages.

Yet, their activities online have not come without scrutiny - after Louise's brother Sam exposed their methods of capturing such idyllic snaps.

Taking to Snapchat in January, the blonde MIC star shared a snap of the couple posing in the pool - flanked with professional photographers and a full lighting team to capture the winning shot.

Sam, who is currently dating co-star Tiffany Watson, has since embarked on a number of parodies of his sibling - slipping into several of her bikinis and mocking her sexy poses on his own page.
He shocked the racing world when he announced his early retirement, aged 31, to concentrate on his wife and family.

But Formula 1's Nico Rosberg looked the picture of happiness as he announced another imminent addition to his family with childhood sweetheart wife Vivian.

The intimate photos, taken at the couple's Monaco flat depict the joyous couple cradling Vivian's blossoming bump, with their Alaia, 2.

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Happy: Formula 1's Nico Rosberg looked the picture of happiness as he announced another imminent addition to his family with childhood sweetheart wife Vivian

The sweet photos were taken in order to support Nico's favourite charity foundation Viva Con Aguai, which is dedicated to helping those in the world's worst poverty have access to clean drinking water and sanitation.

32-year-old Vivian looked the picture of elegance in a ruffled chiffon maxi dress, which fell in tiers to her ankles and highlighted her rounded bump.

Little Alaia looked cute as a button in a netted skirt adorned with gold discs, cherry embossed cardigan and bow headband.

The sweet photos depict the trio's excitement at their new arrival, with little Alaia seen to kiss her mother's stomach in one shot.

Excitement: The sweet photos depict the trio's excitement at their new arrival, with little Alaia seen to kiss her mother's stomach in one shot

Handsome Nico could not have looked prouder of his beautiful wife, as he flashed a dazzling grin and placed his hand protectively on her bump.

Speaking about the couple's upcoming bundle of joy, Nico said, 'We are very happy and it is a very nice time for us.

'Since my career has now ended, we will have more time together as a family. It is the greatest gift to give new life together.

'Having two children will be very exciting. I am glad that I can support Vivian in this.'

Doting: Handsome Nico could not have looked prouder of his beautiful wife, as he flashed a dazzling grin and placed his hand protectively on her bump

Nico announced his retirement from his sport in December 2016 citing that he wanted to concentrate on his family.

He first met Vivian when they were children, as Nico's parents are friends with Vivian's family.

After drifting apart for several years, the pair reconnected in 2003 and soon became romantically involved, marrying in July 2014.

Nico was sponsored as the Mercedes Benz driver on an 18 million a year contract, and won the world champion F1 title last year, beating his rival British racer Lewis Hamilton.
She is turning the milestone age of 50 in October.

But Kate Walsh proved her figure was as gorgeous as ever Sunday, as she topped up her tan on the beach in Ibiza.

The Grey's Anatomy actress displayed her trim frame and womanly curves in a skimpy black bikini as she relaxed in the sunshine during her girls' holiday.

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She's got it: Kate Walsh, 49, proved her figure was as gorgeous as ever Sunday, as she topped up her tan on the beach in Ibiza

The TV star confidently displayed her envy-inducing figure as she cooled off from the Spanish heat by paddling in the sea.

Slipping into a skimpy triangle top, the redhead showed off both her enviable assets and trim frame as she faced towards the sunshine to top up her tan.

Paired with matching black bottoms, Kate then drew attention to her long and lean legs as she relaxed overseas with a group of gal pals.

Relaxing: Kate has been taking time off from her recently busy schedule to holiday in Ibiza and the neighbouring Formentera with a group of gals pals

Leaving her face bare and sweeping her hair into a messy bun, the ABC star let her natural beauty and radiant complexion shine through as she took time off from her recently busy schedule to holiday in Ibiza and the neighbouring Formentera.

Kate had been absent from the limelight in recent years after her long-running show Private Practise, in which she played Dr Addison Montgomery, was cancelled.

However the actress returned to TV in full force this year, after starring in the hit Netflix series 13 Reasons Why.

The Selena Gomez-produced show proved a hit with the much sought-after teen audience - but also caused a huge amount of controversy, after depicting a graphic suicide of its protagonist Hannah.

Back to her best: After years out of the limelight following the cancellation of Private Practise, Kate returned to TV earlier this year in hit series 13 Reasons Why

However Kate recently came forward to defend the show to Coveteur, explaining it was only beneficial that young people of today are aware of such tragedies.

She said: 'Its an important show, and its important for our times.

'[Its important] to develop language around it and communication, particularly around that time period when teenagers are supposed to be separating from their parents and becoming more individuated, rebelling, and becoming secretive and private.'

She continued: 'Its very important to try and find a framework and develop ways to give young people the space they need to grow but also stay in touch and understand, and look for clues and signals when things may be going off track.'
They first embarked on a romance in 2012, after Emily's surgeon father Dr Ruaraidh MacDonagh performed an operation on Peter to remove kidney stones and Peter went on to meet the family.

And Peter Andre, 44, and his wife Emily, 27, looked more loved up than ever as they enjoyed a Greek getaway to the famously romantic island of Santorini.

Strolling along the idyllic white sands of the stunning isle, the pair made quite the photogenic couple as they enjoyed a boat trip.

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Cute couple: Peter Andre, 44, and his wife Emily, 27, looked more loved up than ever as they enjoyed a Greek getaway to the famously romantic island of Santorini

Smooch: The couple, who fell pregnant with their first child Amelia after a year of dating, shared a kiss on their boat trip in an endearing display of affection

The couple, who fell pregnant with their first child Amelia after a year of dating, shared a kiss on their boat trip in an endearing display of affection.

Emily wore a chic pair of pastel pink chiffon trousers for the occasion, which clung to her slender legs as she ambled along the beach.

Letting her waist length brunette hair fall freely down her back, she carried her belongings in a white tote and slipped a pair of brown sunglasses over her face.

Chic: Emily wore a chic pair of pastel pink chiffon trousers for the occasion, which clung to her slender legs as she ambled along the beach

Rapunzel: Letting her waist length brunette hair fall freely down her back, she carried her belongings in a white tote and slipped a pair of brown sunglasses over her face

Dapper: Peter looked handsome in his casual beach attire, which consisted of a denim shirt with rolled up sleeves showing off his muscular arms, and a pair of long white linen shorts

Hot mama! She paired the trousers with a white cropped tank top, which gave a glimpse of her enviably flat stomach

She paired the trousers with a white cropped tank top, which gave a glimpse of her enviably flat stomach.

Peter looked handsome in his casual beach attire, which consisted of a denim shirt with rolled up sleeves showing off his muscular arms, and a pair of long white linen shorts.

He shielded his eyes from the sun with some aviator shades, and carried a white trilby hat in his hand, which he was later seen to put on.

Loved up: The couple melted hearts with their display of affection on their boat trip

Tactile: The pair put on a tactile display as they lovingly snuggled up to one another on the boat, which cruised along the isle's dazzling blue waters

The pair put on a tactile display as they lovingly snuggled up to one another on the boat, which cruised along the isle's dazzling blue waters.

They chatted intently and took selfies on Peter's phone, eager to document their romantic excursion, which allowed for the couple to have some child-free time together.

Both unable to keep their beaming grins off their faces, the husband and wife looked the picture of happiness.

Alone time: They chatted intently and took selfies on Peter's phone, eager to document their romantic excursion, which allowed for the couple to have some child-free time together

Yummy mummy: The beauty looked incredibly slender, despite the fact she only gave birth to the couple's second child, Theodore, in November last year

Emily looked incredibly slender, despite the fact she only gave birth to the couple's second child, Theodore, in November last year.

Pete could not take his eyes off his beautiful wife, as they gazed out over the Greek horizon together.

Viewers of Peter's reality show My Life were won over by Emily's sweet and gentle nature and her great relationship with his children from his previous marriage to Katie Price.

Infatuated: Pete could not take his eyes off his beautiful wife, as they gazed out over the Greek horizon together

Embrace: Both unable to keep their beaming grins off their faces, the husband and wife looked the picture of happiness

She's a keeper! Viewers of Peter's reality show My Life were won over by Emily's sweet nature and her great relationship with his children from his previous marriage to Katie Price

Being stepmother at the age of 27 is something Emily admits is difficult as she does not want to clash with Katie over discipline and parenting styles.

She told OK! magazine: 'When youre a step-parent and youre sharing kids with their other parent its hard and I dont want to impose my parenting methods on his kids when he might not agree with them.'

However, her concerns are unfounded, as she maintains a wonderful relationship with Peter's other children Junior, 11, and Princess, 9.

Difficulty: Being stepmother at the age of 27 is something Emily admits is difficult as she does not want to clash with Katie over discipline and parenting styles

Happy family: However, her concerns are unfounded, as she maintains a wonderful relationship with Peter's other children Junior, 11, and Princess, 9

Emily and Peter wed at Mamhead House in Exeter on 11 July 2015, and it was captured on film by Head High Productions.

They released an intimate video of the wedding last year to mark their first anniversary.

They haven't ruled out having a third child together, with Emily stating to OK!: We need a bit of a break and to give the kids that weve got our time. When Theo is older and more settled then maybe in a few years well consider it, so never say never.

Mark of an era: Emily and Peter wed at Mamhead House in Exeter on 11 July 2015, and it was captured on film by Head High Productions
He was in Australia last week to promote his highly anticipated film, Baywatch.

And now Zac Efron has talked to NW magazine about what it was like to star in the incredibly raunchy movie opposite The Rock.

Opening up about his new role, the 29-year-old heartthrob also expressed how dressing in drag was the toughest stunt he's ever had to do.

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He's done it all! Opening up about his new role, 29-year-old Zac Efron expressed how dressing in drag was the toughest stunt he's ever had to do

Steady now: 'I've never taken more falls in life,' he shared about having to walk in women's pumps

'I've never taken more falls in life,' he shared about having to walk in women's pumps.

'I rode a motorcycle on the beach, I jumped off a pier, held my breath under water for two or three minutes, but walking in heels was by far the hardest. I must have face-planted a dozen times. I had band-aids everywhere!'

Zac's character Matt Broady, the cocky former Olympic swimmer, gets into some trouble and his ultimatum is to be sent to Baywatch to become an everyday lifeguard.

Heartthrob: Zac's character Matt Broady, the cocky former Olympic swimmer, gets into some trouble and his ultimatum is to be sent to Baywatch to become an everyday lifeguard

Initially a great alternative to other punishments, Matt is quickly shocked that his job involves acting undercover as a woman to help combat the beach's drug infested image.

Keeping tight lipped on those relationship rumours with on-and-off-screen love interest, Alexandra Diddario, Zac did however confirm that he did do up to 100 push-ups before each scene.

Referring to them as, 'pumping up before takes,' the Hollywood star said that it was a must for achieving the Baywatch look.

What a catch: Keeping tight lipped on those relationship rumours with on-and-off-screen love interest, Alexandra Diddario, Zac did however confirm that he did do up to 100 push-ups before each scene

A real lifeguard! Zac poses alongside co-star Alexandra and lifeguards at Bondi beach last week

The original show ran from 1989 to 2001 and starred David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson, who's also made a cameo in the new and adapted script.

Admitting to watching the raunchy show as a kid, Zac said that he remembers those close motion shots of Pamela running on the beach, and that she was the only reason he would watch.

'Pammy is frozen in my mind,' said Zac.

'For that reason alone, I would always have Baywatch on.'

Iconic: Admitting to watching the raunchy show as a kid, Zac shared that he remembers those close motion shots of Pamela running on the beach, and that she was the only reason he would watch

Zac also shared that he took filming the iconic role seriously but hopes people will laugh at him when watching the movie released June 1.

'I want to be made fun of, and be everything that's wrong with being a man right now,' Zac told news.com.au.

'I felt like it was an opportunity to take ... this cocky, ripped, Olympic athlete douchebag and watch him go through change in life, where he becomes a man.'
On Wednesday's The Last Resort, Sarah and Keelan left the other couples stunned, quitting, and leaving the relationship 'Councillors' to explain their exit.

Now, the 25-year-old blonde beauty has revealed there was much more to quitting the show than the other contestants and audiences were told.

'I was in such a state that I was just like, "we have to get out of here - this is not working for us at all,"' she told New Idea this week, finally breaking her silence.

Speaking out! The Last Resort's Sarah has broken her silence on leaving the show, revealing partner Keelan's alcohol addiction wasn't the only reason they quit

During the episode that ended the Canberra lover's run, the remaining couples were summoned to a surprise meeting.

At the time, relationship specialists Sandy Rea and Michael Myerscough revealed that Sarah and Keelan had left as a result of his drinking issues.

But the blonde has now revealed it was far more than that, insisting that the other couples gave them 'very little support.

Shockingly, none of the other embattled duos had reached out to contact her since filming wrapped way back in December, revealing Jodie, 34, would have been the only person who cared that they left.

Explanation! At the time, relationship specialists Sandy Rea (pictured) and Michael Myerscough told contestants that Sarah and Keelan had left as a result of his drinking issues

Outcast! But the 25-year-old has now revealed it was far more than that, insisting that the other couples gave them 'very little support

'It would have been so easy for the girls to outcast me,' she revealed, 'I don't have kids, I'm not their age, but Jodie took the time to be like "Oh, hang on - she's still here!'

While Sandy Rea and Michael told contestants Keelan's drinking was the only reason for their departure, Sarah insisted their was more to it.

'For a long time, he thought I was just nagging him and on his back about it - but it really was more of a problem and I think even he realised that,' she told the publication.

Easy! 'It would have been so easy for the girls to outcast me,' she revealed, 'I don't have kids, I'm not their age'

Addiction: 'For a long time, he thought I was just nagging him and on his back about it - but it really was more of a problem and I think even he realised that,' she said of Keelan's alcohol addiction

Please help! 'We had to step back and seek help that we both needed individually before Sandy and Michael could work on us as a couple,' she added, explaining her departure

'We had to step back and seek help that we both needed individually before Sandy and Michael could work on us as a couple.'

She was also shocked that Keelan was provided alcohol on the show, despite producers being aware of his addiction.

Sarah admits she would have stopped 'pouring the wine' too if she could have her time again.
She's made no secret of her desire to fall pregnant again at the age of 54.

And Tina Malone was spotted in Cyprus visiting Consultant Gynaecologist Dr. R. Gazvania - the man she credits for helping her fall pregnant with her three-year-old daughter Flame at 50.

Flashing her stomach at the doctor, who is expert in IVF and egg donation abroad, the ex Shameless star appeared to be having an intent conversation with him at the Merit International Hotel in Northern Cyprus on Saturday.

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Looks intense: Tina Malone was spotted in Cyprus visiting Dr. R. Gazvania - the man she credits for helping her fall pregnant with her three-year-old daughter Flame at 50

Family outing: The doctor was later seen to accompany the family on an outing, with her toyboy husband Paul, 35, and Flame in tow

The doctor was later seen to accompany the family on an outing, with her toyboy husband Paul, 35, and Flame in tow.

Tina, who also achieved the seemingly impossible by losing a staggering 11.5 stone over six years, looked slimmer than ever in a pair of form-fitting patterned trousers.

The sighting comes after Tina spoke of her desires for a third child last year, as the deadline for keeping her eight embryos frozen rapidly approaches their 10 year mark.

Making plans? The ex Shameless star appeared to be having an intent conversation with the gynaecologist, and at one point showed him her stomach

Chatting away: The sighting comes after Tina spoke of her desires for a third child last year, as the deadline for keeping her eight embryos frozen rapidly approaches their 10 year mark

Slimline: Tina, who also achieved the seemingly impossible by losing a staggering 11.5 stone over six years, looked slimmer than ever in a pair of form-fitting patterned trousers

Speaking of her dreams on Loose Woman last year, the actress said that Paul was reluctant to allow her to follow through with her plans - but could be swayed if she bought him an Aston Martin car.

She said: 'Ive got to be honest, its a big debate People speak about the sleepless nights - sometimes I wake up and wait for her to wake up at 2 in the morning.

'The doctor told me I am fit and healthy enough to have another child. My husband says if I buy him an Aston Martin, I can have another one. I told him Id want triplets for that!'

Time is ticking: Speaking to The Mirror last year, she said she had hoped to be pregnant by January of this year

Concern: However, Paul is worried about the strain of undergoing gestation at her age again: 'Paul is worried... I had pre-eclampsia the last two times and that can kill'

Expert advice: The doctor appeared to be giving Tina a sought-after opnion

Hopes and dreams: Tina looked to be pouring her heart out to the doctor

Her wish is long overdue; in an interview with The Mirror last July, she had said she hoped to be pregnant by January of this year.

However, Paul is worried about the strain of undergoing gestation at her age again:

'Paul is worried about the health implications. He says: "Youre not putting your body under that trauma again, you had pre-eclampsia the last two times and that can kill."'

Hard bargain: Speaking of her dreams, the actress said that Paul was reluctant to allow her to follow through with her plans - but could be swayed if she bought him an Aston Martin car

A new sibling? Tina's daughter Flame could have a new playmate in future

Tina has been open about the difficulty she has faced with backlash from the public, but revealed that she is happier and healthier than ever.

When asked if she had any regrets over her late second pregnancy on This Morning, she said: 'I have no regrets. I gave up smoking, lost 11.5 stone to have IVF.

'My blood pressure and cholesterol are better than ever. I used to be drinking and doing drugs. It's about being healthy.'

Happy: Tina has revealed that she is healthier and happier than ever
Twin Peaks had been away 26 years and was famously mysterious and bizarre even then, so no one had a clue what its return would be like.

In fact the new series was exactly as we should have expected  not like the original or the follow-up as fans had speculated but a continuation of the two, although still absolutely modern and unique.

Above all Season Threes two-hour debut was pure David Lynch: thrillingly chilling, maddeningly cryptic, wildly imaginative, and just plain odd. It wasnt just one of the characters who asked: please tell me whats going on?!'

The new series of Twin Peaks was exactly as we should have expected  not like the original or the follow-up as fans had speculated but a continuation of the two, although still absolutely modern and unique

This might not have been a total triumph but it was at least a relief for those of us who feared its time had gone and that over the last quarter of a century Twin Peaks had been so influential it would now be at best redundant if not an embarrassment  like a tribute act to itself.

Sustaining the impact for another twenty episodes might prove over-ambitious (or virtually impossible) but Lynch and his co-writer Mark Frost had reminded everyone why the best show of all time was not The Wire, The Sopranos, or Breaking Bad as todays generation debate, but Twin Peaks.

Here are twelve of the highlights.

Fans got a glimpse of the distinctive curtain and carpet in The Red Room, the surreal limbo between the White and Black Lodges where the hero (and post-modern Cary Grant of the piece) FBI Agent Dale Cooper had become trapped

1. The theme-tune

Angelo Badalamentis simple but haunting motif remains one of the evocative openings ever made, transporting you straight back to 1990 and 91 and the impact it had had on us and contemporary television.

2. The least helpful Previously introduction ever

Despite 26 years away, Lynch was hilariously uninterested in providing a summary of previous storylines as a reminder to viewers whod seen but not re-watched it, or for any newcomers foolish enough to have been born since it was first screened. There was no sign of what most fans would have thought the original was about (and even Lynch himself had said)  namely the mystery of Who Killed Laura Palmer? Just a glimpse of the distinctive curtain and carpet in The Red Room, the surreal limbo between the White and Black Lodges where the hero (and post-modern Cary Grant of the piece) FBI Agent Dale Cooper had become trapped.

A giant told Agent Cooper in the disturbing reverse speak Lynch pioneered in the original

3. The black and white Eraserhead-esque opening

Its safe to say Lynch did not elect to go for a high action start as Series One had. In 1990, it had taken only minutes for the body of local schoolgirl Laura Palmer to be discovered, wrapped in plastic with her corpse revealing numerous shallow wounds, bite marks, and having probably been raped by three men. Now a giant told Agent Cooper in the disturbing reverse speak Lynch pioneered in the original that sounded like Swedish not necessarily being spoken backwards: Listen to the sounds. It is in our house now. It all cannot be said aloud now.

I understand, said Cooper, which itself was hard to fathom.

4. The glass box in New York

Whats the glass box for? asked a typical Twin Peaks bombshell bringing coffee to a typically handsome Twin Peaks hunk occupying a huge, futuristic, industrial-looking apartment.

I really dont know, he said appropriately.

I heard it belongs to some billionaire. Im supposed to watch the box and see if anything appears inside.

Whats the glass box for? asked a typical Twin Peaks bombshell bringing coffee to a typically handsome Twin Peaks hunk occupying a huge, futuristic, industrial-looking apartment

Eventually, she proved too much for him to resist and he took his eye off the box, which we knew inevitably would prove a mistake as you will see further down.

5. Several brief appearances by old characters

Dr Jacoby, Ben and Jerry Horne, Hawk, Leland Palmer, Agent Andy and his wife Lucy Brennan all made fleeting cameos, the highlight being the news that Andy and Lucy had named their son Wally.

6. The Log Lady (R.I.P)

Catherine Coulson passed away in 2015 so it was particularly poignant to see one of Twin Peaks most iconic characters return, albeit with severe, short, hair looking already ill, phoning Deputy Chief Hawk to tell him: This is a message from the log. Something is missing to do with Agent Cooper.

Agent Cooper is missing ! Lucy gasped later when she heard.

The stars turn and the time presents itself. Watch carefully, The Log Lady continued. Stop by. I have coffee and pie for you.

Wearing a leather jacket and snake skin shirt, he looked like a cross between Michael Madsen and Johnny Cash with a fake tan, with leathery skin, long bikers hair and black pupils

7. Our albeit dark reunion with Agent Cooper

As Lucy had confirmed Cooper had never met Wally or, like us, been seen by the people of Twin Peaks, for 26 years. Having traded his soul to save Annie (Heather Graham) when his nemesis Windom Earle had taken her into The Black Lodge, Cooper had become possessed by the demon spirit Bob responsible for driving Leland Palmer into killing his daughter Laura. Unsurprisingly Dale had changed somewhat.

Wearing a leather jacket and snake skin shirt, he looked like a cross between Michael Madsen and Johnny Cash with a fake tan, with leathery skin, long bikers hair and black pupils. Are you going to kill me now? asked Daria, a typical, scantily-clad, young beauty. Yes, Dale/Bob said, shooting her in the eye, as he had another victim. Even his bizarre, blob, version of the Ace of Spades was scary.

8. The moments of sheer terror or horror

Even when we knew it was coming David Lynch proved no one could produce images of terror or horror more disturbing than he could. After an agonisingly slow build-up, a ghostly, twitching, alien dervish appeared trapped in the glass box in New York, before exploding out of it and scything into the faces of the kissing couple feet away. In Buckhorn, police uncovered Bobs previous victim  her eye shot out, her head severed from a bloated, grotesque, corpse. Uh oh, said one of the officers  a very Twin Peaks response.

In Buckhorn, police uncovered Bobs previous victim  her eye shot out, her head severed from a bloated, grotesque, corpse. Uh oh, said one of the officers  a very Twin Peaks response

9. The decaying, char-grilled, hobo floating out of the jail cell in Buckhorn

You had to be there, long story etcTypical Twin Peaks weirdness.

10. Dale Cooper meeting Laura Palmer in the Red Room

Hello Agent Cooper, greeted Laura Palmer, older but unmistakably the victim of Coopers case in Twin Peaks, in reverse-speak. Do you recognise me?

Are you Laura Palmer? he asked, although they had never met of course.

I feel like I know her but sometimes my arms bend back, she said enigmatically. I am dead yet I live  demonstrating by pulling her face off to reveal a blinding, white, light.

You can go out now, she revealed, before walking over to him seductively (for a corpse), slowly kissing him on the lips, whispering something indecipherably, and then being sucked into the air, screaming her face shaking, flying presumably to her fate in either the White or Black Lodge.

Hello Agent Cooper, greeted Laura Palmer, older but unmistakably the victim of Coopers case in Twin Peaks, in reverse-speak. Do you recognise me?

11. The electric talking arm tree

Only David Lynch would replace the famous tiny dancer in The Red Room who claimed he was The Arm by a thin electric tree with what looked like a ball of chewing gum for its head.

I am The Arm, it said. And I sound like this. Do you remember your doppleganger?

Agent Cooper had a flashback to himself and Bob cackling demonically. He must come back in before you can go out!

It was no great surprise when the Bob version of Cooper later said he wasnt going to but Dale at least was back in the real world  hurled out by the tree through the floor, via the glass box.

12. The scene-stealing Jennifer Jason Leigh

The star of Quentin Tarantinos The Hateful Eight made such a brief appearance you can only assume she will return in future episodes. Still it was nothing if not memorable  walking up to Bob/Cooper, opening her gown, and pressing herself against him as he sat on the bed.

Oh youre nice and wet! he said  the epitome of what is still Twin Peaks trademark: the permanent mix of sex and death.
She's taking the screen as iconic heroine Wonder Woman.

And Gal Gadot truly embodied the style of a strong woman Sunday, attending a press conference for the upcoming film in Culver City, California with her Marvel cast-mates.

At the event, the 32-year-old actress was white hot, donning a sleeveless turtleneck and wide-leg slacks that put her superhero physique center stage.

Bright beauty! Gal Gadot radiated confidence in a wonderful white look during a Wonder Woman press conference with castmates in Culver City, California Sunday

Gal radiated confidence on stage, donning head-to-toe white.



Up top her sleeveless turtleneck showed off the star's ultra-toned arms.

Her thin stems were covered with wide-legged trousers the Israeli-born beauty spiced up with a pair of glittering silver shoes.

Flex! The Israeli born beauty's sleeveless turtleneck showed off her ultra-toned arms

Royal flush! The former Fast And Furious starlet exuded a rosy glow

Stand up gal: Clearly excited to share her answers, the model-turned-actress stood up to talk during the press conference. Film director Patty Wright sits to her right

A rosy glow and effortless tresses topped off the starlet's chic look.

During the panel, the former Fast And Furious staple stood up to deliver several of her answers, clearly excited to share her feelings.

Gal was joined by castmates Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, and Connie Nielson, who all exuded elegance.

Director Patty Wright turned heads in a sassy orange dress paired with silky, straight locks.

The Wright stuff: Robin Wright, 51, was beautiful in simple jeans and a creme cardigan

Girl power! Wonder Woman's leading ladies were all there - Gal Gadot stars, who plays Wonder Woman aka Diana Prince, Connie Nielson who plays Queen Hippolyta and the lovely Robin Wright as General Antiope

A man worth Pine-ing over! The ever-handsome Chris Pine was there to talk about his character Steve Trevor

Gal said she felt fated to play the Marvel icon, telling Collider in March, 'Somehow I think that I always wished to play Wonder Woman, without even knowing it myself.'

'What I [would] like to do, is to show the stronger side of women, because I feel that theres not enough stories being told about strong women, and independent women, and little did I know that five years later, Id land the part [of Wonder Woman].'

Wonder Woman arrives in theaters June 2 2017.
She stormed the catwalk at the Fashion For Relief gala on Sunday night.

And Kendall Jenner looked as stylish as ever as she met up with Naomi Campbell on Monday during the Cannes Film Festival.

The 21-year-old put on a leggy display as she stepped out in a one-shoulder floral Zimmermann playsuit for a day out in the French resort.

Flirty look: Kendall Jenner looked as stylish as ever as she met up with Naomi Campbell in Cannes on Monday

The brunette beauty showed off her slender figure in the flirty number, which was cinched in at the waist.

She off-set the floaty dress with a pair of classic white trainers, while adding an oversized tan Hermes bag from vintage store What Goes Around Comes Around to finish off the ensemble.

Wearing her tresses tied back into a pony tail, she covered her pretty features with a pair of silver cat eye sunglasses.

Warm embrace: The model flashed a big smile as she greeted pal Naomi with a hug, having taken part in her Fashion For Relief runway show on Sunday night

Pals: The 21-year-old looked delighted to see her friend as they met up in the French resort

Kendall flashed a big smile as she greeted pal Naomi, having taken part in her Fashion For Relief runway show on Sunday night.

Naomi, 47, also went for a feminine ensemble, wearing a summery white lace dress for the outing.

She teamed the maxi dress with a pair of sturdy sandals, accessorising the look with a fringed handbag.

Stylish: The 21-year-old put on a leggy display as she stepped out in a one-shoulder floral Zimmermann playsuit for a day out in the French resort

Pretty in pink: The brunette beauty showed off her slender figure in the flirty number as she headed to her boat

Chic: She off-set the floaty jumpsuit with a pair of classic white trainers, while adding an oversized tan bag to finish off the ensemble

Beauty: Wearing her tresses tied back into a pony tail, she went for a minimal make-up look

Glam: Kendall shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of silver cat-eye sunglasses

The supermodel was later seen enjoying a boat ride with a male pal, before hopping on board a yacht as she enjoyed a much deserved break following her fundraising efforts.

Kendall was just one of the famous faces at the Fashion For Relief charity event, with Bella Hadid, Kate Moss and Heidi Klum also among those taking part.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashian's star upped the fashion stakes as she appeared in a total of four stunning outfits at the bash, which was held in aid of Save The Children.

She looked incredible in the dazzling set of statement pieces, which she wore with her usual poise in front of banks of cameras.

Boat: Kendall was seen enjoying a boat ride as she left her hotel on Monday

Relaxed: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star looked happy and relaxed as she enjoyed some down-time during the Cannes Film Festival

Admiring the view: She was seen looking out to see as she enjoyed the boat ride

Kicking back: Kendall looked remarkably fresh despite her busy schedule in Cannes

Soaking up the rays: She was able to enjoy the sunshine while on board the boat

Making a move? Kendall appeared to have some suitcases with her as she hopped on board

Back on dry land: Kendall, who showed off her natural beauty with a minimal make-up look, looked to be in good spirits

Kendall was seen hanging out backstage in an intricate grey slip dress, before changing into a black one-sleeved Alexandre Vauthier top that boasted a dramatic train which fell down to the floor and trailed behind.

The glamorous event, which will take place during Cannes Film Festival, saw Naomi and co slipping into items donated by some of the world's most well-regarded fashion houses.

She founded the charity 12 years ago and has previously used her status to help fight against Ebola and help out following natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

According to Vogue, this year's proceeds will enable Save the Children to provide life-saving food, shelter and medical treatment to children around the world, including those who have been affected by the conflict in Syria.

Stylish: Naomi also went for a feminine ensemble, wearing a summery white lace dress for the outing

Model behaviour: Kendall gave Naomi a big hug as they met up during the Cannes Film Festival

Effortless: Naomi teamed her maxi dress with a pair of sturdy sandals, accessorising the look with a fringed handbag

Busy lady: The twelfth Fashion For Relief event on Sunday night saw Naomi pool together her showbiz resources to host a glamorous runway show

High spirits: Naomi seemed to be in good spirits as she chatted to a male pal

Having a rest: The supermodel enjoyed a much-deserved rest following her fundraising efforts

Catching up: The 47-year-old shared a laugh with a male friend during the boat ride

Looking good: Naomi showed off her natural beauty during the outing in Cannes

Wave: The supermodel waved at fans as she walked along the jetty to her boat

Travelling in style: Naomi looked effortlessly cool as she took a boat ride

Glossy locks: The model made sure her hair didn't blow out of her place during the boat trip

Day off: She looked pleased to have some downtime following the Fashion For Relief gala

Wrapping up: Naomi was seen wrapping up in a towel to keep warm from the sea breeze

Sea breeze: She covered up her dress as she began to feel the cool wind while out at sea

Having a laugh: Naomi was seen chuckling away during the boat trip, seemingly in high spirits following the success of the Fashion For Relief gala

Catching up: Naomi appeared to enjoy being out at sea while soaking up the sunshine

Helping hand: Naomi was helped off her boat following the short journey
She spoke out to defend her wild night at a strip club last week.

And new images from her racy stint as a pole dancer prove Jennifer Lawrence certainly knows how to put on a show.

The Oscar winner, 26, hit strip joint the Beverly Hills Club in Austria with a group of pals for a birthday bash and turned pole dancer as she whipped off her top to reveal a bralet underneath.

Golden girl gone wild! Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence certainly knows how to put on a show as proven on her wild night on the pole at an Austrian strip club last month

She appeared completely at ease as she took the place of the usual professionals and swung provocatively around the stage.

She then got on all fours and crawled across the ground, much to the delight to the male revellers looking on in the club, before spanking herself with a fistful of cash.

Back on the pole she tried out some of her best stripper moves - throwing her hair around sexily as she gyrated up and down.

However, it seems the star came over a tad dizzy at one point, and had to be helped up by a mystery man.

Before she stripped off her top, the star was seen wiggling her behind in a miniskirt to the amusement of her pals watching on.

X(rated)-Men! The actress, 26, hit strip joint the Beverly Hills Club in Austria with a group of pals for a birthday bash and turned pole dancer as she whipped off her top to reveal a bralet underneath

Private dancer! Jennifer was also grinding up to a man on stage at the strip joint

Up close: The beauty then wrapped her arms around the partygoer as they danced to the music

Too many clothes: Jennifer started out in a waistcoat-style top before deciding to free up and take it off

Heely good: The star strutted around the pole in a pair of killer boots as the audience lapped up the show

One of her best performances: She appeared completely at ease as she took the place of the usual professionals and swung provocatively around the stage

Hair flick: Jennifer - known for her goofy sense of humour - put on a provocative display as she wildly flicked her blonde locks around

Oops: The star appeared to get a tad dizzy and slipped down the pole to the floor - and had to be helped up my a reveller

She also clambered over a barrier without her blouse, showing off her toned stomach as she joked with her group of friends.

With drinks littering the tables in front of them, Jennifer - who is dating director Darren Aronofsky - was seen gesticulating and chatting to another male pal.

After footage from the big night out emerged online last Wednesday, The Hunger Games beauty was unapologetic as she addressed a video which surfaced showing her writhing around on the dance floor at strip joint Beverly Hills Club.

Taking to Facebook just hours after the footage was published, Lawrence had a perfectly sassy response.

Down low: She then got on all fours and crawled across the stage, much to the delight to the male revellers looking on in the club

Money talks: The beauty then really got into her latest role and spanked herself with a handful of cash

Stage show: Alone of the stage, the actress appeared in her element

What did you think? A scantily-clad Jennifer headed back to her group after her big performance

Let me have a break: After her show, she appeared eager to laugh about her dancing skills with her friends

Here I come: The actress hopped over the barrier to get to her seat

Almost: Jennifer appeared a tad tipsy as she got her boot caught on the barrier

Be honest! Jennifer chatted to a male friend back at her table - but he appeared more interested in his phone

Turn the music up! The star appeared to shout as she got back to her seat

Chat: Jennifer lent closer to her occupied friend to have a chat

'Look, Nobody wants to be reminded that they tried to dance on a stripper pole by the internet.

'It was one of my best friend's birthdays and I dropped my paranoia guard for one second to have fun. I'm not going to apologize, I had a BLAST that night.'

And J-Law insisted she wasn't only wearing a bra on the night out - insisting it was a designer top.

'PS that's not a bra it's an Alexander Wang top and I'm not gonna lie, I think my dancings pretty good. Even with no core strength.' she quipped.

Not sorry: After footage of her night out emerged last week, Jennifer spoke to defend her wild night out

Letting her hair down: The clip from inside x-rated venue Beverly Hills Club was reportedly taken on April 27 while Lawrence was in the Austrian city filming Red Sparrow

The actress took to Facebook with a statement after Radar Online published a video of her seemingly drunk and dancing raunchily at a strip club

'Jennifer seemed drunk, crawling on all fours around the stage and bending over for men to ogle' a fellow reveler told Radar.

At certain points, the Silver Linings Playbook star certainly looked unsteady on her feet as she dances raunchily behind a handsome male companion.

The star's pole dancing took place to Rihanna's Love on the Brain track.

Reports suggested that Lawrence and her group ordered Beluga vodka and were knocking back drinks all night.

According to an eyewitness the Joy star arrived around 11 pm with three men, a woman and a bodyguard and partied until 4am.

The night out was reportedly on April 27 while Lawrence was in the Austrian city filming Red Sparrow.

'Jennifer seemed drunk, crawling on all fours around the stage and bending over for men to ogle' a fellow reveler claimed

Birthday fun: According to an eyewitness the Joy star arrived around 11 pm with three men, a woman and a bodyguard to the club in Vienna and partied until 4am

Her 48-year-old boyfriend, producer-director Darren Aronofsky was not with her for the wild night.

It's no surprise that Lawrence is wary about private life as the actress was one of the victims of a massive celebrity photo hack in 2014 when private snaps meant for her boyfriend at the time Nicholas Hoult leaked online.

'Just because I'm a public figure, just because I'm an actress, does not mean that I asked for this. It does not mean that it comes with the territory,' The actress told Vanity Fair at the time.

'It's my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can't believe that we even live in that kind of world.'
She's looking for love as the 2017 Bachelorette.

And it appears Sophie Monk is keen to find someone that matches her 'Aussie Bogan' style, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The 37-year-old personality is said to be looking for someone as down-to-earth as her, remaining in constant contact with producers in the lead-up to filming.

Soul mate: Sophie Monk is reportedly keen to find someone that matches her 'Aussie Bogan' style on the new season of The Bachelorette, according to The Daily Telegraph

Sophie, who has been enjoying a relaxing holiday in Canada recently, has reportedly been eager to keep in touch about her potential suitors.

Despite enjoying snowball fights and mountain bike rides while away, the star has also been chatting with the production team behind the romance show.

'Producers have been calling her to find out what she wants, and she is giving them free rein with casting the right guy for her,' a source told Confidential.

Creative control? The 37-year-old personality is said to be looking for someone as down-to-earth as her, remaining in constant contact with producers in the lead-up to filming

The new Uber: Not one to shy away from her comical ways, the blonde beauty often uploads humorous and corny offerings on social media, including those from her recent trip to Canada

Not one to shy away from her comical ways, the blonde beauty often uploads humorous and corny offerings on social media.

During her getaway she used her Instagram captions to her advantage, making jokes that her bathtub was a boat and her horse was her version of Uber.

Another insider revealed it played into the producer's desire for 'honesty', claiming: 'Sophie is an open book and she is absolutely going to be herself on The Bachelorette'.

Producer's dream? Another insider revealed to the publication that Sophie's 'honesty', was a producer's ideal, saying: 'Sophie is an open book and she is absolutely going to be herself on The Bachelorette'

It comes after reports from Woman's Day that her diva-like antics had the behind-the-scenes crew 'freaking out'.

'She has demanded her own personal runner to be on hand solely to deliver her special meals,' a source told the publication.

'She's the first one to get business class on the trips,' the insider continued, adding that Sophie's 'obviously the highest paid Bachelor or Bachelorette ever.'

However, Channel Ten slammed the claims, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'The rumours about Sophie published today are ridiculous and false.
He was branded the 'hot felon' after his police mugshot went viral back in 2014.

And Jeremy Meeks looks to be keeping up reputation for smouldering good looks, showing off his tattooed torso as he wandered around shirtless at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.

The 33-year-old rocked a pair of snug-fitting combat trousers, worn just below the waist to show off the top band of his black boxers.

Smooth criminal: 'Hot felon' Jeremy Meeks showed off his tattooed torso as he wandered shirtless around the Cannes Film Festival on Monday

Holding his black T-shirt in one arm, the convict turned model pounded the streets in a pair of black boots wearing his trademark steely gaze.

A light layer of stubble highlighted his chiseled cheekbones as he mingled among the crowds.

On Sunday night, Jeremy rubbed shoulders with the likes of Kate Moss and Bella Hadid while attending the star-studded Fashion For Relief gala.

Out and about: The 33-year-old rocked a pair of snug-fitting combat trousers, worn just below the waist to show off the top band of his black boxers

Brooding: Holding his black t-shirt in one arm, the convict turned model pounded the streets in a pair of black boots wearing his trademark steely gaze

Conviction: A light layer of stubble highlighted his chiseled cheekbones as he mingled among the crowds

He teamed a smart jacket with tailored trousers, allowing a hint of his boxers to show at the top, before adding a pair of black brogues to finish.

Jeremy smouldered at the camera as he posed for photographs at the event, demonstrating his modelling prowess.

The glamorous Fashion For Relief event, hosted by Naomi Campbell, saw some of the most famous faces in the fashion world gather to raise money for Save The Children.

Luxury: Jeremy wore a black tank top and his familiar pair of combat trousers while posing at the entrance of the Majestic hotel in Cannes

Poised: The former criminal tucked his thumbs into his pockets as he showcased his plentiful tattoos

On the guest list: Jeremy rubbed shoulders with the likes of Kate Moss and Bella Hadid as he attended the star-studded Fashion For Relief Gala in Cannes on Sunday night

Model behaviour: He smouldered at the camera as he posed for photographs at the event

Bella, Kate, Kendall Jenner and Heidi Klum were among those who stormed the catwalk at the glitzy bash.

Other celebrities in attendance include Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman, Lewis Hamilton and Princess Beatrice.

Jeremy's appearance at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival comes after he was blocked from entering the UK last month.

He was sent back to New York's JFK airport after being stopped by Border Force officials on arrival at Heathrow.

Glamorous event: Bella, 20, led the glamour as she stormed the catwalk at the charity event

A-list: Kate Moss and Kendall Jenner were among the famous faces at the bash in Cannes

Glitzy event: The glamorous Fashion For Relief event, hosted by Naomi Campbell, saw some of the most famous faces in the fashion world gather to raise money for Save The Children

Speaking to DailyMail.com about the incident, he said: 'I'm very, very saddened and confused. I went down there [London] with high hopes for the experience and the UK.

'I really wanted to go there. I still don't understand quite what happened but I know there's no ill will. They're [Border Force] doing their job.'

Asked what had happened to him, Jeremy, who described the incident as 'a little mix up', said: 'They just detained me and interrogated me and searched me.'

But he also said he doesn't believe the episode will put an end to his fledgling modelling career, saying he planned to travel again: 'Oh of course [I'll come back from this]. Of course. God is good.'

Barred from UK: Jeremy's appearance at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival comes after he was blocked from entering the UK last month

Jeremy had been set to spend a week in London to do a series of photoshoots, according to his manager.

He and his wife had also been due to attend a launch party to celebrate his first cover shoot for British magazine, Man About Town.

The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for street terrorism [gang activity] and a misdemeanor charge of resisting/obstructing justice.

The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'.

Since being released from jail in March 2016, Meeks has embarked on a career as a model and appeared on the catwalk at Phillip Plein during New York Fashion Week in February.

Hot felon: The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, and the pictured went viral
Die-hard fans got their first glimpse of him as a younger version of Harrison Ford's roguish smuggler on Sunday.

And Alden Ehrenreich was spotted on the set of Star Wars' Han Solo movie on Monday as he prepared to film a thrilling landspeeder chase.

The actor, 27, sat in a deep blue speeder and kept his head down as he enjoyed some down time in between takes.

Need for speed: Alden Ehrenreich channelled a young Harrison Ford as he sat in a blue landspeeder on the set of the Han Solo prequel

Alden wore a tattered white waistcoat and a black long-sleeved top as he sat in the vehicle.

The actor wore his chestnut hair in a bouffant 70s do in an attempt to emulate Harrison Ford, who played the smuggler in the original trilogy and 2015's The Force Awakens.

In the Star Wars universe, landspeeders are the most popular method of transport on planet and hover above the ground.

Alden's speeder had slick silver racing stripes going down the side, with boosters at the back of the vehicle.

Roguish smuggler: The actor, 27, (pictured yesterday) wore a tattered white waistcoat and a black long-sleeved top as he sat in the vehicle

Retro: On Monday, Alden wore his hair in a 70s-style bouffant in a bid to emulate the style worn by Harrison, 74, in the original trilogy

Getting from A to B: In the Star Wars universe, landspeeders are the most popular method of transport on planet and hover above the ground

The space-age craft has a patch of exposed engine at the side of the speeder and the vehicle boasts a set of vents.

Alden sat back against an off-white and blue padded seat and was surrounded by a giant blue structural piece.

Even though the vehicle has wheels, it appears they are hidden from view by a pebbly surface, giving some clues as to what kind of planet will appear in the film.

Special effects: Speeders hover above the ground as they move and even though Alden's vehicle had wheels, they will be edited out in the final cut

Scratched and worn: Alden's speeder had slick silver racing stripes going down the side, with boosters at the back of the vehicle

Alden clutched a normal car steering wheel, which was covered in a green material as it will be edited out of the final cut.

The worn-looking speeder was also joined on set by two bigger vehicles, which could be chasing the young Han.

Members of the production crew wheeled around the massive props on set, as well as blue prototypes, which could be used in CGI.

Retro look: Alden sat back against an off-white and blue padded seat and was surrounded by a giant blue structural piece

An actor half dressed in Imperial stormtrooper armour sat on a bulky grey speeder, which was emblazoned with the symbol of the evil Empire.

He wore a camouflage poncho on top of his white and black armour, like the heroes wore in the forest moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi.

This could suggest some of the action will be set on a planet with forests.

High-octane chase: The worn-looking speeder was also joined on set by two bigger vehicles, which could be chasing the young Han in the spin-off film

Enemy vehicle: An actor half dressed in Imperial stormtrooper armour sat on a bulky grey speeder, which was emblazoned with the symbol of the evil Empire

The large vehicle rises higher than Alden's and is a similar shape to heroine Rey's speeder in The Force Awakens.

The actor had to lean forward to grab the handles of the vehicle, which look similar to a motorbike's.

The other speeder looked incredibly bulky and was made out of two large cuboid shapes with rounded sides.

Imposing shape: The large vehicle rises higher than Alden's and is a similar shape to heroine Rey's speeder in The Force Awakens

Extras: Members of the cast walked around in camouflage gear and black dressing gowns as they filmed the highly-anticipated film

Sharing a joke: An actor in an extremely bulky speeder sat and had a laugh with his cast mates on set

The speeder, which looks like it could be used by the military, was covered in industrial bolts and vents around the front.

There was one man in the massive vehicle, which trundled along behind the other two.

He looked like he was secured in a protective cage and his crash helmet rested beside him on the bonnet.

Encased: The man looked like he was secured in a protective cage and his crash helmet rested beside him on the bonnet

Cumbersome: There was one man in the massive vehicle, which trundled along behind the other two

Members of the cast walked around in camouflage gear and black dressing gowns as they filmed the highly-anticipated film.

On Sunday, Alden was spotted looking just as brooding as the silver screen idol as he got to work on the as-yet-to-be-named prequel.

Alden's face appeared to be dotted with scratches and red marks, hinting that he's hit the ground running with an action scene.

Picking up: The spin-off film will follow the adventures of a young Han and Chewy who bump into Llando Calrissian, a character who appears in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi

Having a rest: A member of the cast wanders around the expansive set and texts while wearing a black dressing gown

Big shoes: Alden was spotted looking just as brooding as the silver screen idol (pictured left in 1977) as he got to work on the as-yet-to-be-named prequel

As well as a number of extras, Diego Luna was seen on set - the actor that played Cassian Andor in the 2016 Star Wars spin off film Rogue One.

He sported a long khaki trench, military clothing and a pair of dark shades as he strolled through the set.

A mix of actors and technical crew congregated on the set of the new film, with the techies sporting luminous high vis vests to get to work on the set pieces and the actors wearing piloting garb.

Also filming: As well as a number of extras, Diego Luna was seen on set - the actor that played Cassian Andor in the 2016 Star Wars spin off film Rogue One

A statement on the film's website said: 'The movie will explore the duo's adventures before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, including their early encounters with that other card-playing rogue from a galaxy far, far away, Lando Calrissian.'

The 'duo' likely refers to Han and Chewbacca.

Written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan, it will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel and co-produced by Kiri Hart, Susan Towner and Will Allegra.

Lawrence Kasdan and Jason McGatlin will executive produce.

Before the Han Solo spinoff comes out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released. That sequel is slated for December 15, 2017 and stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and the late Carrie Fisher.

Last Jedi picks up immediately after the closing shot of The Force Awakens.

The first Star Wars spinoff from Disney was 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Older Han: Ford as Solo alongside Chewbacca in the Falcon in 2015's The Force Awakens
She has been delighting onlookers with a series of chic ensembles during her appearance at the 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival.

And Ashley Benson continued her sartorially savvy streak as she stepped out in the French Riviera on Monday.

The Pretty Little Liars star, 27, looked sensational as she paraded her lengthy pins in a pair of thigh-skimming black shorts, while donning a plunging canary yellow tie-up blouse.

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Parading her pins: Ashley Benson, 27, made for a leggy display as she headed out in Cannes on Monday to put in an appearance at the 70th Annual Film Festival

Ashley made for a very leggy display thanks to her scanty attire and only emphasised her legs further by donning a pair of nude barely-there heels on her feet.

She teamed her mini shorts with a stylish low cut blouse that boasted an eye-wateringly low-cut neckline, with it tying together in a knot underneath her bust and in line with her waist.

The daring style teased a look at her ample assets underneath, despite Ashley's attempts to conceal her cleavage with her hand as she headed out with a male companion by her side.

Ashley accessorised her latest look with a long gold pendant that was layered with a chunky choker-style necklace on top and she rocked a pair of huge mirror-tinted shades to keep the strong sun rays at bay.

Busty: She teamed her mini shorts with a stylish low cut blouse that boasted an eye-wateringly low-cut neckline, with it tying together in a knot underneath her bust and in line with her waist

She slung a plush Yves Saint Laurent bag over one shoulder - no doubt toting her essentials for the day in the chic design.

The actress wore her blonde tresses down past her shoulders in tousled waves and sported a minimal make-up look that was completed with a slick of nude pink lipstick across her lips.

She has been enjoying a well-deserved break of late, now that filming for Pretty Little Liars has come to an end.

The show wrapped in October last year, but a slew of episodes for its final season are still yet to air.

Risque: The daring style teased a look at her ample assets underneath, despite Ashley's attempts to conceal her cleavage with her hand as she headed out with a male companion by her side

Chic: Ashley accessorised her latest look with a long gold pendant that was layered with a chunky choker-style necklace on top and she rocked a pair of huge mirror-tinted shades

Ashley starred as Hanna Marin in the show, alongside Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell and Troian Bellisario - who had all marked the series coming to an end by getting tattoos of the first letter of their character's name on their fingers.

The plot of the show is loosely based off a mystery book series with the same title about the murder of a girl named Alison, who was the leader of a popular clique.

The death of Alison haunts the girls as they start to receive notes from a mysterious villain, only known as A.

Ashley's latest appearance at the film festival comes after she turned heads while exploring the town, located in the South of France, over the weekend.

Fun in the sun: Ashley Benson enjoyed some well-earned down-time as she hit the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France with a group of friends on Sunday

Smiling as she strolled through the streets on Sunday, the screen star looked lovely in a blue and white off-shoulder shirt.

Ashley teamed her stylish garment with a pair of stone-wash blue 'mom'-style jeans and black leather heeled boots.

The Pretty Little Liars beauty accessorised with an envy-inducing YSL clutch bag in navy blue, subtle gold jewellery and a pair of mirrored aviator shades.

Ashley wore her blonde locks in lightly-tousled waves and opted for natural make-up to accentuate her pretty features.

Riviera glamour: Smiling as she strolled through the streets, the screen star, 27, looked lovely in a blue and white off-shoulder shirt

Twice as nice: Proving one outfit simply isn't enough when it comes to the glamorous Cannes Film Festival, Ashley later switched into a second ensemble

Proving one outfit simply isn't enough when it comes to the glamorous Cannes Film Festival, Ashley later switched into a second ensemble.

The actress dazzled once again as she slipped into a chic black jumpsuit, which she teamed with towering nude strappy sandals.

Ashley seemed in good spirits as she arrived at Martinez Beach for an afternoon of relaxation - no doubt enjoying some time to herself after her busy working schedule has now freed up slightly.

Pretty Little Liars debuted in June of 2010 on the ABC Family network.

Keeping it casual: Ashley teamed her stylish garment with a pair of stone-wash blue 'mom'-style jeans and black leather heeled boots

Plenty to smile about: The Pretty Little Liars beauty accessorised with an envy-inducing YSL clutch bag in navy blue, subtle gold jewellery and a pair of mirrored aviator shades
She's best known for her big roles in Downton Abbey and Disney's Cinderella.

But Lily James, 28, took on a different acting challenge on Monday, jogging around the streets of Vienna while filming a mineral water advert.

The English actress rocked a pale pink hoodie which she rolled up to showcase her perfectly toned tummy.

Athletic chic: Lily James revealed a hint of her toned tummy as she jogged through Vienna in a pair of snug-fitting leggings for a mineral water advert on Monday

A pair of grey workout leggings highlighted her slim legs as she pounded the streets in a pair of grey trainers.

She completed her slick workout look with a set of white headphones and tied her brunette locks back in a bun.

In one hand she held a bottle of Voslauer, an Austrian mineral water brand, as she ran past banks of photographers.

Limbering up: A pair of grey workout leggings highlighted her womanly legs as she pounded the streets in a pair of grey trainers

Toned: The 28-year-old completed her slick workout look with a set of white headphones and tied her brunette locks back in a bun

Lily was recently spotted in a rather different outfit - period costume from the 1940s - while filming scenes for Guernsey, a film set during the Second World War.

With a pair of gloves and a ladylike handbag, Lily looked incredibly proper as she filmed scenes for the movie, which comes out in 2018.

The picturesque waters of Clovelly Harbour, Devon provided a stunning backdrop for filming, as Lily got into character by staring dreamily into the distance.

Super cool: In one hand she held a bottle of Voslauer, an Austrian mineral water brand, as she ran past banks of photographers

Clear complexion: Lily looked stunning in her workout gear as worked through the scenes of the advert

Lily's career exploded after she featured as Natasha Rostova in the acclaimed BBC adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace.

She has also admitted that she would like to reprise her role as Lady Rose Aldridge (MacClare) in a big screen adaptation of Downton Abbey.

Describing her time playing Lady Rose as 'incredible', she revealed that she missed her costume - in particular the accessories.

Centre of attention: Lily flicked a victory sign at the cameras as she picked up speed during the filming

Getting ready: The actress looked super-cool as she limbered up for her short jog with a bottle of water in one hand

High profile: Lily's career exploded after she featured as Natasha Rostova in the acclaimed BBC adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace

The actress is set to star in action thriller Baby Driver later this year, as well as the Winston Churchill movie Darkest Hour.

Lily has been dating actor Matt Smith, 34, since 2014, and they are regularly spotted out and about together in London.

Matt, who first became a household name in 2009 when he replaced David Tennant to become the 11th Doctor Who, recently starred as Prince Philip in Netflix's Golden Globe winning series The Crown.

Big plans: She has also admitted that she would like to reprise her role as Lady Rose Aldridge (MacClare) in a big screen adaptation of Downton Abbey
Cheryl Burke says the girls on Dance Moms are 'traumatized' because of the 50-year-old choreographer's legal troubles.

But on Monday, Abby Lee Miller spoke about the Dancing With The Star vet's comments to Us Weekly.

Abby, who was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison, responded to Cheryl's claims, calling it 'a joke.' She added that Cheryl 'needs to watch her mouth.'

Abby Lee Miller spoke about about Cheryl Burke's comments to Us Weekly; the comments were that the Dance Girls kids are 'traumatized' by Abby's legal trouble

Abby, the former instructor for the hit reality show Dance Moms, was hit with the heavy sentence for bankruptcy fraud.

She is set to start her sentence on June 23 at the Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, California.

Cheryl replaced Abby on the show in March.

Abby calls her comments 'a really rough statement,' adding that she 'would never say that about Cheryl.'

Not bothered: Abby, who was sentenced to 366 days in federal prison, responded to Cheryl's claims, calling it 'a joke;' Cheryl pictured on May 15 at a Dancing With The Stars taping

Cheryl, who replaced Abby on the show after she quit, told Us Weekly last week: 'The girls are so precious, and I feel like they are traumatized from what has happened.'

She added: 'It's important for me to still be strict and do what I do.'

Although Cheryl has been a professional dancer on Dancing With The Stars for 19 seasons, Abby told Us Weekly doesn't think she's qualified to take over.

Focused: Cheryl, who replaced Abby on the show after she quit, told Us Weekly last week: 'The girls are so precious, and I feel like they are traumatized from what has happened'

Abby told US Weekly that 'Doing a show for three weeks is nothing like doing a show for seven seasons.'

She continued to defend herself to the publication.

Abby said that not only were producers and a choreographer on set during filming for Dance Moms, there were also 'some type of child advocate service person who's the tutor/social worker.'

Adding that the person watches 'everything that's said, everything that goes on. So how could any traumatizing be going on? That's ridiculous.'

Last year, Abby plead guilty to one count of failing to report more than $10,000 worth of US dollars' worth of Australian currency after bringing $120,000 into the states; she also plead guilty to one count of bankruptcy fraud.

She was initially facing 19 more counts of fraud relating to her failure to disclose her earnings from Dance Moms and other money when she filed bankruptcy.

Drama: Abby told US Weekly that 'Doing a show for three weeks is nothing like doing a show for seven seasons;' pictured leaving a court house
AMC has unveiled the trailer for the third season of Fear The Walking Dead.

With just two weeks to go until it returns to TV screens, the preview gives a taste of the gory drama to come and shows how chaotic the series is going to be in its third installment.

'Face what you fear. Fear what you become,' seems to be the official tagline for the impending 16-episode season.

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It's back: AMC has dropped the trailer for the third season of Fear the Walking Dead with the official tagline 'Face what you fear. Fear what you become,'

Madison and Travis are seen stumbling upon a safe location in Baja, Mexico, stocked with food and supplies.

'This is the safest place to live in a world gone mad' Madison is told by one of the residents.

In season three fans will get to meet new characters Troy and Jake Otto who take some of the characters into their family ranch.

But Colman Domingo's character Victor Strand is outside of the community's walls and appears to be running into some serious trouble, being dangled over the ledge of a dam by militia.

Fear what you become: Nick emerges into a walker wasteland as the trailer opens

Madison and Travis are seen stumbling upon a safe location in Baja, Mexico, stocked with food and supplies

'This is the safest place to live in a world gone mad' Madison is told by one of the residents

Nick and Madison finally reunite after a couple of near-misses last season.

Madison is seen stabbing someone (who appears to be new cast member Daniel Sharman (Troy) in the eye) and Nick is seen shooting a man on the ground.

Meanwhile, Luciana is in a bad state after being shot in season two.

The official synopsis for season three reads: 'As Fear the Walking Dead returns for season three, our families will be brought together in the vibrant and violent ecotone of the U.S.-Mexico border.

'International lines done away with following the worlds end, our characters must attempt to rebuild not only society, but family as well. Madison (Kim Dickens) has reconnected with Travis (Cliff Curtis), her apocalyptic partner, but Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) has been fractured by her murder of Andres.

Nick and Madison finally reunite after a couple of near-misses last season. The pair can be seen fighting walkers side-by-side

In deadly hands: Colman Domingo's Victor Strand makes a return in season three

'Madisons son mere miles from his mother, Nicks (Frank Dillane) first action as a leader saw Luciana (Danay Garcia) ambushed by an American militia group  the couple escaped death, but Nick no longer feels immortal. Recovering both emotionally and physically, Strand (Colman Domingo) has his sights set on harnessing the new worlds currency, and Ofelias (Mercedes Mason) captivity will test her ability to survive and see if she can muster the savagery of her father.'

It will be the last season from co-creator Dave Erickson, who leaves at the end of the series.

Season three will also see a female villain rising into power, as revealed by Erickson in an interview with Comicbook.com.

Fear The Walking Dead season three hits screens on June 4 on AMC.

Face of fear: Strand faces death as he's dangled over the walkway of a dam
Kendall Jenner has been living it up in Cannes this week.

But on Monday her promotional team behind Kendall + Kylie clothing line was hard at work sharing fresh images of the 21-year-old supermodel in her new designs.

The Vogue model sizzled in a Latex bustier dress that looked like it was made for the very brave. It retails for $395.

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Haute look: Kendall Jenner modeled a Latex dress from Kendall + Kylie on Monday

A new look: A tank top and jeans were worn by Kylie

Jenner sat on a vintage convertible car as she gazed into the camera.

The Calabasas native touched her chest, bringing attention to her pretty gold necklace.

Keeping the vibe youthful, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star added a cap.

Sister: Sister Kylie also shared a video that showed herself in a black dress

Cool customer: The number was skintight as it hugged her enviable curves

More: The 19-year-old was on the same vintage orange car Kendall leaned on

The reality diva was leaning on a vintage sedan in a flattering orange tone that matched her dress.

And the shoot was not done in LA; rather it must have been shot in a tropical location because the foliage was lush.

Bright: A shirt and the Latex dress are seen here from the collection

The K girls love denim: Here is a pre-washed micro mini skirt from the line

NSFW: Also in the line is this shiny black bra that's supposed to be worn as a top

Accessories: These cell phone cases have phone numbers on them

The family was recently in Costa Rica, so that could have been the setting.

Sister Kylie also shared a video that showed herself in a black dress. The number was skintight as it hugged her enviable curves.

The 19-year-old was on the same vintage orange car Kendall leaned on.

The site has a description of the company the girls launched.

'KENDALL + KYLIE is global lifestyle brand created by beloved style icons and fashion authorities, Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

Taking France by storm! Kendall with Bella Hadid at Cannes; they attended the Fashion for Relief gala dinner during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu

Model claps: With Natalia Vodianova, Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Natasha Poly

'With a unique and simply unparalleled presence across the digital landscape, Kendall and Kylie have defined themselves as two of the most popular icons and personalities of this generation.

'Their clothing captures the unpredictable essence of today's young fashion lover: confident, stylish, on trend and in charge.

'Starting in 2012, the Jenner sisters launched a highly successful juniors collection with Pacsun, sprouting numerous follow-up seasons and an unabashedly loyal fandom.

'Three years later, Kendall and Kylie collaborated with Topshop to create a series of California-inspired capsule collections, exclusive to the British-born retailer.'

They came out with another line in 2016 as well.

Meanwhile, Kendall has been splashing about in France with her sister Kourtney.

Yesterday she was seen hugging model Naomi Campbell.
She's a proud mother to two darling children, Jackson and August.

Yet, Charlize Theron, 41, enjoyed a night away from mother duties as she sizzled in a plunging white gown for the Chopard Trophy photocall at Hotel Martinez alongside fellow screen sirens Salma Hayek, 50, and Marion Cotillard, 41, on Monday night in Cannes.

The South African beauty was striking in her beaded full-length gown which oozed Great Gatsby vibes as she was adorned in eye-catching Chopard jewellery.

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A vision: Charlize Theron, 41, (L) enjoyed a night away from mother duties as she sizzled in a plunging white gown for the Chopard Trophy photocall at Hotel Martinez alongside fellow screen siren Salma Hayek, 50, on Monday night in Cannes

Rock on! Adding another touch of sparkle was Batman: The Dark Knight Rises star Marion Cotillard, 41, in a strapless full sequin Halpern ensemble

The Oscar winner looked sensational in her 1920s inspired number that highlighted her slender statuesque figure with it's flapper-style fringing as she walked along the black carpet.

She teamed her glittering look with statement diamond Chopard jewellery which was sure to make her the talk of the night while arriving with her numerous diamond necklaces, rings and statement earrings.

Letting her jewels do the talking, she slipped on a pair of metallic heels while her blonde locks were slicked back into a chic chignon.

Striking: The South African beauty was striking in her beaded full-length gown which oozed Great Gatsby vibes as she was adorned in eye-catching Chopard jewellery

Glam gal: The Oscar winner looked sensational in her 1920s inspired number that highlighted her slender statuesque figure with it's flapper-style fringing as she walked along the black carpet

Picture perfect: Charlize (L) and Co-President of Chopard Caroline Scheufele posed on the black carpet

Elsewhere, Salma put on an eye-popping display in her all black look which accentuated her ample cleavage.

The Mexican beauty - who is married to fashion businessman Francois-Henri Pinault - stunned in her slimfit jumpsuit that was slashed to her navel to showcased a steamy lace bustier.

The petite beauty's look hugged her pins as she slipped on a pair of peep-toe platform to add inches to diminutive height.

Eye-popping: Elsewhere, Salma put on an eye-popping display in her all black look which accentuated her ample cleavage

Racy: The Mexican beauty - who is married to fashion businessman Francois-Henri Pinault - stunned in her slimfit jumpsuit that was slashed to her navel to showcased a steamy lace bustier

Hell for leather: The Dogma star wrapped a leather waist belt around her outfit

What a beaut! She worked a glamorous beauty look with a slick a red lip which offset her slicked back ponytail to showcase her statement tassel earrings

Golden: Salma highlighted her subtle skin with a dusting of bronzer across her cheeks

Ring to it: Salma sported a statement jaguar ring across her manicured mitts

Power-dressing: She swapped her usual thigh-grazing threads for an eighties inspired one-piece

She worked a glamorous beauty look with a slick a red lip which offset her slicked back ponytail to showcase her statement tassel earrings.

Adding another touch of sparkle was Batman: The Dark Knight Rises star Marion Cotillard, 41, in a strapless full sequin Halpern dress.

She accessorised her iridescent attire with a striking diamond collar around her neck while her locks we styled off her face for full impact.

Meanwhile, Juliette Binoche, 53, had swapped the Palais des Festivals for the Hotel Martinez in her velvet floor-length gown.

Striking: Juliette Binoche had swapped the Palais des Festivals for the Hotel Martinez in her velvet floor-length gown

Screen siren: Her seventies inspired look featured billowing sleeves and daring cutout in the midst of her chest

Beaming: The acclaimed actress smiled as she made her way onto the carpet

Her seventies inspired look featured billowing sleeves and daring cutout in the midst of her chest.

Other stars at the exclusive bash included up-and-coming actress Anya Taylor-Joy, George MacKay, Oscar-winner Colin Firth and wife Livia.

Elsewhere, Charlize's appearance comes as her most recent role was in the hit film The Fate Of The Furious, which was released to theaters in April in which she played the villainous Cipher.

She recently wrapped two films: Tully and American Express; Tully is set to be released next year.

Making a statement: Anya Taylor-Joy stunned in her floor-length halterneck look at the bash

Camera ready: The X-Men starlet wowed at the event as she showcased her delicate diamonds at the event

Chic: The 21-year-old's number featured a daring cutout in the midst of her bust

Attention-grabbing: Her ensemble featured a white A-line skirt that fell all the way to the floor

Going for gold: The British-Argentinian beauty accessorised her golden embellished number with a frog ring

Fix up, look sharp! George MacKay - who was dressed in Burberry - was honoured during the evening

While she certainly glows with natural beauty, in October, Theron gave an interview to British Vogue about her beauty regimen, which she revealed she schedules around childcare.

'I have a baby and a toddler, so the mornings are rough,' said she. 'I have really learned to take care of my skin at night, so the mornings really are often just a hot washcloth, brushing my teeth and putting sunblock on. I mean literally, thats it.'

On the other hand, 'I can do a little more at night - its usually when the kids are asleep and I have a bit more time to myself. The idea of not washing or exfoliating at least two times a week is just - I cant imagine that.'

Perfect pair: Colin Firth, 56, attended the bash alongside his long-term love Livia, 47

Orange you glad you came: Colin's wife brightened up the evening in an orange and black look

Suit you! The Mamma Mia donned a dapper two-piece suit beside his other half

She recently discussed how she is determined to keep their lives as normal as possible so now never leaves home for more than a week at a time as she wants to give her adopted children as normal an upbringing as possible.

The Fate Of The Furious star refuses to go on long-running tours like many other A-listers due to the effect it could have on her kids.

Blonde beauty Charlize added that when it is impossible, such as during movie shoots, she will drag them along with her and put them in a local school.

Award-winning: Charlize awarded Hammersmith native George with the Chopard Trophy

Triumph! The stunner later awarded Miami-born Anya with a similar honour in the evening

All smiles: Although Charlize showcased her impressive pout rising stars Anya and George couldn't contain their joy

Posing up a storm: The two recipients of the evening 's festivities stopped for photos together

Suit up! The pair looked picture perfect in their dazzling ensembles

She told OK: 'I try to do press around my kids' schedule, and not (be away) more than six or seven days. There's no need to travel with two small children on a trip like that. When you work on a film that's different. We pack up and find schools and stay together as a family.'

While she may have a staggering estimated net worth of $120 million and can afford to have an army of helpers at her beck and call, she insists her life is similar to other fatherless families.

Speaking about balancing work and parenthood, the South African stunner said: 'I don't think my life is that much different on that level than any other single working mum.'

Party people: French-English actress Stacy Martin (L) and former Dutch model Marpessa Hennink arrived at the party in style
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They have been married for more than a decade and appeared on the Graham Norton Show together last week.

And Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban indulged in a sickly sweet PDA at the premiere of her new movie The Killing of a Sacred Deer at the Cannes Film Festival.

The actress, 49, who wowed in a ballerina-style gown, hugged, kissed and nuzzled her man on the red carpet outside the Palais des Festivals on Monday night.

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Too much? Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban indulged in a sickly sweet PDA at the premiere of her new movie The Killing of a Sacred Deer at the Cannes Film Festival

Loving couple: Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban enjoyed a close embrace at the premiere at Palais des Festivals on Monday

Nicole and Colin Farrell also oozed chemistry when they shared a look at the premiere.

The Moulin Rouge actress gave the actor a cheeky smile on Monday as she arrived at the premiere in a crisp white tutu-esque design that cascaded to the ground.

The dress cut off at the ankles, allowing Nicole's shiny black heels to peep out from under the hem of the garment delicately.

The oversized romantic skirt was coordinated with a tight-fitting black bodice, with unusual straps that stretched from her navel to her shoulders in a V shape.

Gorgeous gown: The oversized romantic skirt was coordinated with a tight-fitting black bodice, with unusual straps that stretched from her navel to her shoulders in a V shape

Close friends: Nicole shared a moment with her on-screen husband Colin Farrell at the premiere, when the pair enjoyed an embrace

In the mood: Keith couldn't keep his hands off Nicole, who was married to Tom Cruise for 11 years and was romantically linked to Robbie Williams in the early noughties

Snuggling: Nicole rubbed her face beside husband Keith as the singer wrapped his hand around her waist, showing off his wedding ring

Blingy couple: As Keith leaned in to kiss his wife, he showed off three hoop earrings on his left side, coordinating with Nicole's massive diamonds

Amorous display: Nicole's hand fell below Keith's tailbone as the loved-up couple posed for photographs on the red carpet

Pick of the lot: Earlier in the evening, Nicole shared a special moment with her on-screen husband Colin Farrell when she placed her hand on his shoulder in a supportive gesture

She wore her strawberry blonde mane scraped behind her shoulders, showing off her flawless features which were adorned with a pair of diamond earrings.

Nicole wore a matching bejeweled bracelet and ring, and sported darkly painted nails, adding to the dramatic flair of the ensemble.

She painted her pout with a splash of bright red and kept her complexion typically pale, with a dusting of bronzer across her sculpted cheekbones.

Gracious couple: The former American Idol judge kissed Nicole's hand as she blushed and looked demure in her ballerina-style gown, which featured straps that went from her navel to her shoulders in a V shape

Pride: Keith and Nicole held each other tight as they walked the red carpet and appeared to be completely wrapped up in the moment, showing off Nicole's tiny plaits in her hair

Lots of love: Keith and Nicole held hands on the red carpet and stared lovingly into each others eyes, and the actress also shared a special moment with her colleague Colin Farrell (right)

Beloved: Nicole had her time to shine on the red carpet as Keith looked adoringly at his wife

Touchy feely: The couple have been known for their amorous red carpet appearances and have been criticised in the past for their PDA

Adoring: Keith looked amorously at his wife as they walked the red carpet

Hug it out: The pair cosied up despite the fact that they were being watched by hundreds of people

Sweet nothings: Keith and Nicole chose the very public moment to engage in an intimate chat

Harmony: The pair looked like they were in a world of their own, global media be damned

Colin looked dapper in a black tuxedo and swept his chestnut waves back from his face as he glanced at Nicole.

Rock star Keith dressed to impress in a black suit with a thin matching tie.

He wore his edgy locks down and looked head over heels in love with his wife.

Cleans up well: Rock star Keith dressed to impress in a black suit with a thin matching tie and wore his edgy locks down and looked head over heels in love with his wife

Forward: The stars, who met in 2005 but started dating six months later, put on a handsy display as Keith kissed the actress's hand

Tight embrace: Nicole looked emotional as she thre her arms around Keith at the red carpet premiere of her film

Cosy pair: The couple were criticised for their levels of PDA at the Oscars this year and the ACM Awards in April

The couple showed how close they are when they held hands and stared into each others eyes.

Colin only had eyes for the Lion star, and continued to look at her while she had her head turned.

The premiere was clearly a momentous occasion for the pair, who looked meaningfully at each other as they posed for the cameras.

History of PDA: Nicole and Keith have been known to be a little too handsy on the red carpet and were criticised for their amorous displays when they started acting inappropriately on the Oscars (right) and AMC Awards (left) red carpets

Happy family: The couple have two children, who were born in 2008 and 2010 and Nicole said she won her Oscar because of her split with Tom Cruise

Can't keep my eyes off you: Nicole, who wore her light blonde hair poker straight, leaned over and grinned at Colin as they posed for a group shot on the red carpet

Meaningful: Nicole looked down as she placed both hands on Colin's shoulders in support and the actor reciprocated by placing his left hand on top

Making a statement: Nicole Kidman and co-star Colin oozed chemistry as they shared a look at their premiere of The Killing of a Sacred Deer at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday

Sharing a moment: Nicole and Colin locked eyes at the premiere and the pair shared a smile as they walked the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals

Beauty: Nicole wore her strawberry blonde mane scraped behind her shoulders, showing off her flawless features which were adorned with a pair of diamond earrings

Beguiling: Colin couldn't help but look at his co-star, even when her attention was diverted - they were joined by their onscreen son, Sunny Suljic (right)

Age-defying: Also attending the screening was Andie MacDowell, who is ten years Nicole's senior yet could quite easily be in her thirties

The pair posed with child actor Sunny Suljic at the premiere at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.

Nicole took Colin's hand as the pair ascended the steps to the theatre and were followed by legions of photographers.

The star, who oozed Hollywood glamour, posed patiently for the cameras in her gorgeous gown.

Star: Nicole took Colin's arm as the pair ascended the steps to the theatre and were pursued by photographers

Hollywood glamour: Nicole proved she was every inch the A-lister as she patiently posed in her stunning gown

The Killing Of A Sacred Deer is a psychological thriller-horror film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and has been selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the Festival, with a release date set for November 3.

It follows the story of a prominent surgeon [Farrell] who adopts a teenager into his family - but as the teen's actions grow increasingly sinister, the doctor is forced to make a terrible decision.

Taking to the Graham Norton show last week, Nicole went red-faced after discussing her risque scenes with Colin Farrell in the new movie, as she sat alongside husband Keith Urban.

Standing out: Irish producer Andrew Lowe, Irish producer Ed Guiney, Nicole, Colin, Sunny and Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos posed as they arrived

Birds' eye view: Nicole commanded attention at the screening in her daring ensemble

Co-stars: They walked the red carpet with Sunny Suljic and Raffey Cassidy, who represent the younger cast members in the movie

She initially began talking about another upcoming movie with Colin, The Beguiled - which is also set to debut at Cannes - where Nicole spoke about a scene with the two of them enjoying a sponge bath.

'Considering what Colin and I did in The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, that was nothing,' she cheekily replied, before jokingly adding: 'Can we move on? My husband is on the show!'

Host Graham also asked if she ships masses of outfits out to Cannes ahead of her arrival.

Ballerina chic: Nicole wore a statement skirt - a crisp white tutu-esque design that cascaded to the ground and expanded as it did so

Sleek: The actress wore her strawberry blonde locks slicked behind her head

Stepping out: Nicole led the way alongside her fellow movie stars

Cast members: Sunny Suljic, Colin Farrell, Raffey Cassidy, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, and producer Ed Guiney posed

Wowing the crowds: At one point, Nicole didn't seem to want to leave those watching from outside

Oscar-winner: Nicole looked radiant at the screening of the new film, set for release on November 3

In they go: The cast entered the screening for the big reveal

All smiles: The cast seemed to get on well as they waiting to enter their film premiere

On his arm: Colin was seen helping Nicole climb the red carpeted stairs

Deer-ly beloved: The cast of The Killing Of The Sacred Deer gathered to introduce the event

Looking sharp: Nicole channeled Black Swan with her dramatic look

After party: Nicole and Keith later attended the official after party for The Killing Of The Sacred Deer

'I prepare; but I pretty much just pack and go and hope for the best. Luckily Keith is very good with a needle and thread!'

Nicole walked the red carpet alongside film Greek film director, Yorgos Lanthimos.

The Australian actress later posed with co-stars Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic and Barry Keoghan.

Earlier on Monday, the Australian actress commanded attention as she arrived in a figure-flattering exquisite peacock inspired gown which fell at a stylish midi-level.

Nicole certainly set the momentum for the glamorous red carpet affair in the sensational dress which cinched in her tiny waist.

The strappy detailing, which fell off her shoulders, bared her flawless decolletage as she posed up a storm.

A-lister: Nicole , 49, commanded attention as she arrived in style at the photocall of the movie at the Palais des Festivals in France earlier in the day

The straight cut garment which flared out at the hip showcased her slender physique with its layers of peacock printed material in hues of dark green, pink, purple and golden.

Adding some depth to the eye-catching dress was its intricate detailing, which also consisted of impressively fine embroidered stitching.

The ombre effect from its base colour of moss green to dark grey contrasted her porcelain skin to perfection.

All eyes on her: The Australian actress commanded attention as she arrived in a figure-flattering exquisite peacock inspired gown which fell at a stylish midi-level

This is how it's done! Nicole certainly set the momentum for the glamorous red carpet affair as she arrived in the sensational dress which cinched in her tiny waist

Flashing flesh: The strappy detailing, which fell off her shoulders, bared her flawless decolletage as she posed up a storm

Loving life: Nicole was absolute vision as she made a beaming appearance at her upcoming flick's photocall

Upcoming: The Killing Of A Sacred Deer, also starring Colin Farrell, is a psychological thriller-horror film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and has been selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the Festival, with a release date set for November 3

Nicole looked utterly glamorous for the daytime affair as she worked her centre parted platinum blonde tresses, which were styled in slight beachy waves.

The Oscar winner relied on her natural features for the star-studded photocall - opting for a douse of pink blusher, which complemented her pink pout and mascara laden eyes.

Nicole proved to be absolutely sensational as she posed up a storm for the camera in a pair of metallic green strappy heels which boosted her already statuesque height.

Statement style: The straight cut garment which flared out at the hip showcased her slender physique with its layers of peacock printed material

Dream team: The blonde beauty was joined by talented director behind the film, Yorgos Lanthimos

Co-stars: Nicole looked sensational as posed alongside the film's other stars (L-R) Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy and Sunny Suljic

Mane attraction: Nicole looked utterly glamorous for the daytime affair as she worked her centre parted platinum blonde tresses, which were styled in slight beachy waves

Gone with the wind: While many would find wind in the hair annoying, Nicole effortlessly used it to her advantage

Beautiful: The Oscar winner relied on her natural features for the star-studded photocall - opting for a douse of pink blusher, which complemented her pink pout and mascara laden eyes

Impressive dress: Adding some depth to the eye-catching dress was its intricate detailing, which also consisted of impressively fine embroidered stitching

Nailing the look: Nicole sported an immaculate deep red manicure for the occasion

She chose well! The ombre effect of Nicole dress boasted a base colour of moss green to dark grey - contrasting her porcelain skin to perfection

Flying the flag: Nicole has been a role model for other pale-skinned beauties
Kendall and Kylie Jenner have new drops for their Kendall + Kylie clothing line.

And on Monday they talked to W magazine about inspired them.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars named Paris Hilton and Christina Aguilera as inspirations.

A fan: Kendall Jenner said old family friend Paris Hilton inspires her as she talked to W

Haute look: Jenner modeled a Latex dress from Kendall + Kylie on Monday

Simple but stylish: Kylie modeled a tank top and pre-washed jeans

Kendall said: 'Paris is a family friend, so like our big sisters we have always admired her fashion sense.'

Paris helped Kim become famous over 10 years ago. The two had a falling out but seem to be close friends again.

The Vogue model added: 'At my 21st birthday party, I wore a dress inspired by the one Paris wore in 2002 at her 21st birthday party. She was there to celebrate with me that night and loved my look.'

Deja vu: The Vogue model added: 'At my 21st birthday party, I wore a dress inspired by the one Paris wore in 2002 at her 21st birthday party. She was there to celebrate with me that night and loved my look'

Longtime pals: Kendall and Paris at Chris Brown's Kick Ball Charity game in Glendale in 2014

Kylie said: 'The denim mini skirt in our Drop2 collection is inspired by Christina Aguilera circa 2000. I dressed up as her for Halloween this year. She is amazing!'

This comes just as new designs drop from K + K.

The Vogue model sizzled in a Latex bustier dress that looked like it was made for the very brave. It retails for $395.

They were like peanut butter and jelly: Paris and Kim Kardashian in 2006

Jenner sat on a vintage convertible car as she gazed into the camera.

The Calabasas native touched her chest, bringing attention to her pretty gold necklace.

Keeping the vibe youthful, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star added a cap.

Lovely: The bustier dress sells for $395 on kendall-kylie.com

Sister: Sister Kylie also shared a video that showed herself in a black dress

Cool customer: The number was skintight as it hugged her enviable curves

More: The 19-year-old was on the same vintage orange car Kendall leaned on

The reality diva was leaning on a vintage sedan in a flattering orange tone that matched her dress.

And the shoot was not done in LA; rather it must have been shot in a tropical location because the foliage was lush.

The family was recently in Costa Rica, so that could have been the setting.

She looks up to Xtina: Kylie said: 'The denim mini skirt in our Drop2 collection is inspired by Christina Aguilera circa 2000. I dressed up as her for Halloween this year. She is amazing!'

Sister Kylie also shared a video that showed herself in a black dress. The number was skintight as it hugged her enviable curves.

The 19-year-old was on the same vintage orange car Kendall leaned on.

The site has a description of the company the girls launched.

'KENDALL + KYLIE is global lifestyle brand created by beloved style icons and fashion authorities, Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

'With a unique and simply unparalleled presence across the digital landscape, Kendall and Kylie have defined themselves as two of the most popular icons and personalities of this generation.

'Their clothing captures the unpredictable essence of today's young fashion lover: confident, stylish, on trend and in charge.

Taking France by storm! Kendall with Bella Hadid at Cannes; they attended the Fashion for Relief gala dinner during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu

Model claps: With Natalia Vodianova, Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Natasha Poly

'Starting in 2012, the Jenner sisters launched a highly successful juniors collection with Pacsun, sprouting numerous follow-up seasons and an unabashedly loyal fandom.

'Three years later, Kendall and Kylie collaborated with Topshop to create a series of California-inspired capsule collections, exclusive to the British-born retailer.'

They came out with another line in 2016 as well.

Meanwhile, Kendall has been splashing about in France with her sister Kourtney.

Yesterday she was seen hugging model Naomi Campbell.
If Teresa Giudice can be believed, she's already been engaged 19 times.

So Danielle Staub must be hoping it's lucky number 20 - after accepting the proposal of boyfriend Marty Caffrey.

Caffrey popped the question in front of the Real Housewives Of New Jersey cameras this past weekend, reports E! News.

Lucky number 20? Real Housewives' Danielle Staub 'engaged to longtime boyfriend Marty Caffrey'

Multiple sources confirmed the news, with one telling the outlet: 'The day he proposed, Danielle said her life is now perfection.'

It is yet not known if the proposal will feature on the upcoming eighth season of Real Housewives - which will feature Danielle's return to the show.

The 54-year-old found fame on RHONJ, where her tumultuous relationship with arch-enemy Teresa Giudice played out during the first two seasons.

Set to wed: Multiple sources confirmed the news, with one telling the outlet: 'The day he proposed, Danielle said her life is now perfection'

The two had several altercations, including the infamous table flipping fight where Teresa called mother-of-two Danielle a 'prostitution whore' seven years ago.

In another row Teresa raged: 'You were f***ing engaged 19 times!'

Meanwhile two-time divorcee Danielle split from her previous fiance - ex military man Joe Masalta - in late 2015. The two had met on Tinder.

Following the split Masalta leaked a tape to the media of a ranting woman spewing vile racial abuse. He claimed the woman on the tape was Staub.
Cougar Kate Moss did not take her 30-year-old boyfriend Count Nikolai von Bismarck to Cannes this week, but shes still getting her fill of toyboys.

The 43-year-old clothes-horse was pictured sunning herself in a red bikini on a private boat in the French Riviera with topless model Jordan Barrett, 20.

The Australian-born hunk, whom Vogue calls Model It Boy of the New Era, is accustomed to the company of older women.

Kate Moss, right, was pictured sunning herself on a private boat in the French Riviera with topless model Jordan Barrett, 20, left

Supermodel Moss, centre, was also pictured looking slightly less comfortable on a boat in Cannes yesterday

He was even romantically linked to blonde bombshell Lara Stone, 13 years his senior, last year.

Jordan captions the image: Obviously strictly business . . . clearly thats all. Lets hope Nikolai is not the jealous type.

Fergie and Bea join the Cannes crowd

The Duchess of York once strutted down the catwalk at the request of Naomi Campbell for the super-models charity show Fashion For Relief.

Two years on, the 57-year-old opted to take part as a mere spectator at the bash in Cannes.

Sarah Ferguson, right, donned an emerald green gown alongside daughter Princess Beatrice in royal blue, left, at the Save The Children Fashion for Relief at the Cannes Film Festival

Wearing an emerald green fishtail grown with lace detailing, she was joined by her daughter Princess Beatrice, who sported a royal blue dipped hem skirt with gold stitching, blue high heels and a clutch bag emblazoned with her name.

The 28-year-old was invited to Pippa Middletons wedding on Saturday, but didnt go because she was attending a World Economic Forum in Jordan.

She put business before pleasure, says a friend.

Unlike her younger sister, Princess Eugenie, who attended Pippas nuptials with her boyfriend Jack Brooksbank.

Trim Lily shows off her tummy

Cinderella star Lily James claims the reason her waist was so small in the 2015 Disney film was because she was wearing a corset, rather than digital trickery.

To prove how naturally petite she is, the 28-year-old former Downton Abbey actress  dating fellow thesp Matt Smith  showed off her tiny midriff shooting an advert in Vienna.

Cinderella star Lily James proved how tiny her waist is by flashing her tummy, pictured, while shooting an advert in Vienna

Ugh, it's a vampire Crowe

Libidinous actor Russell Crowe was up to his old tricks again in Australia.

The Gladiator star nuzzled his beautiful co-star Annabelle Walliss back and appeared to kiss her neck while promoting their new film The Mummy at the weekend.

Russel Crowe was pictured nuzzling co-star Annabelle Wallis's back while promoting their new film The Mummy

The 53-year-old New Zealander, who is separated from the mother of his two sons, denies hes dating author Terri Irwin, widow of Crocodile Hunter Steve.

Oxford-born Annabelle, 32, meanwhile, is consciously coupling with Coldplays Chris Martin.

What a tangled web...

The BBC is already on thin ice with the Royals after its unflattering King Charles III drama.

So head of BBC4, Cassian Harrison, was asking for trouble after sneaking a snap of Buckingham Palaces interiors at the launch of a season about the Royal Collection.

He was collared by a flunky and ordered to delete his photo on the spot. BBC presenter Andrew Graham-Dixon admitted the series, focusing on the art treasures of Charles I and II, lacks one contemporary participant.

We would love to have the perspective of Prince Charles, he appealed.

Good luck with that.
Javier Bardem went shirtless with his wife Penelope Cruz while enjoying the swimming pool at their Miami hotel on Sunday afternoon.

The Oscar-winning couple were both wearing swimsuits to better soak up the sunshine on the deck.

The Madrid-born 43-year-old - who relies on stylist Cristina Ehrlich - paired a black open-backed top with white bikini bottoms.

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Stripped down: Javier Bardem went shirtless with his wife Penelope Cruz while enjoying the swimming pool at their Miami hotel on Sunday afternoon

Talented twosome: The Oscar-winning couple were both wearing swimsuits to better soak up the sunshine on the deck

Lazy Sunday: The Madrid-born 43-year-old - who relies on stylist Cristina Ehrlich - paired a black open-backed top with white bikini bottoms

And the Canary Islands-born 48-year-old flaunted his stocky 5ft11in frame in a grey 'Podenco' T-shirt and black swim trunks.

At one point, the Last Face actor playfully wielded a purple noodle as he chatted with pals poolside.

Bardem later donned yet another grey T-shirt featuring his favorite heavy metal band AC/DC alongside Cruz (born Sanchez) who threw on denim cut-offs.

Not pictured Sunday were the Spanish pair's six-year-old son Leo and three-year-old daughter Luna.

Relaxed: And the Canary Islands-born 48-year-old flaunted his stocky 5ft11in frame in a grey 'Podenco' T-shirt and black swim trunks

Flotation device: At one point, the Last Face actor playfully wielded a purple noodle as he chatted with pals poolside

Rock on: Bardem later donned yet another grey T-shirt featuring his favorite heavy metal band AC/DC alongside Cruz (born Sanchez) who threw on denim cut-offs

Parenthood: Not pictured Sunday were the Spanish pair's six-year-old son Leo and three-year-old daughter Luna

Penelope and Javier - who began dating in 2007 - will celebrate seven years of marriage in July.

The acting duo later took a scenic cruise around the bay in a small motorboat with friends.

Bardem was in Florida visiting Cruz as she films her role as the late designer Gianni Versace's sister Donatella in FX's American Crime Story: Versace.

The three-time Golden Globe nominee has been hard at work on the third season of Ryan Murphy's true crime anthology series.

Still going strong! Penelope and Javier - who began dating in 2007 - will celebrate seven years of marriage in July

Sightseeing: The acting duo later took a scenic cruise around the bay in a small motorboat with friends

Day off: Bardem was in Florida visiting Cruz as she films her role as the late designer Gianni Versace's sister Donatella in FX's American Crime Story: Versace

On May 15, the Zoolander 2 funnywoman shared a behind-the-scenes selfie with her 1.8M Instagram followers of one of her many platinum blonde wigs for the role.

Donatella took over the Italian fashion label following the 1997 murder of the 50-year-old openly gay designer (Edgar Ramirez) by serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss).

Versace was shot twice in the head on the front steps of his now-famous South Beach home, The Villa Casa Casuarina, and Cunanan committed suicide eight days later.

Glamour! The three-time Golden Globe nominee has been hard at work on the third season of Ryan Murphy's true crime anthology series (pictured last Wednesday)

Blonde ambition! On May 15, the Zoolander 2 funnywoman shared a behind-the-scenes selfie with her 1.8M Instagram followers of one of her many platinum wigs for the role

Pictured in 1996: Donatella took over the Italian fashion label following the 1997 murder of the 50-year-old gay designer (Edgar Ramirez) by serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss)

RIP: Versace was shot twice in the head on the front steps of his now-famous South Beach home, The Villa Casa Casuarina, and Cunanan committed suicide eight days later

Due out in 2018! The 10-episode installment - also starring Ricky Martin, Max Greenfield, and Annaleigh Ashford - is based on Maureen Orth's 2000 book Vulgar Favors

The 27-year-old Californian - whose motive is still unknown - also ended the lives of four others during the same three-month period.

The 10-episode installment - also starring Ricky Martin, Max Greenfield, and Annaleigh Ashford - is based on Maureen Orth's 2000 book Vulgar Favors.

But first, audiences can catch Penelope as Pilar Estravados in Kenneth Branagh's remake of Murder on the Orient Express, which hits UK theaters November 3 and US theaters November 10.

Who-done-it: But first, audiences can catch Penelope as Pilar Estravados in Kenneth Branagh's remake of Murder on the Orient Express, which hits UK/US theaters in November

Ghostly: The Golden Globe winner currently plays undead pirate hunter Captain Salazar in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which finally hits UK theaters this Thursday

The Golden Globe winner currently plays undead pirate hunter Captain Salazar in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which finally hits UK theaters this Thursday.

And the upcoming drug lord meets cute with journalist biopic Escobar will mark Cruz and Bardem's seventh onscreen collaboration.

The couple previously co-starred in Jamon, Jamon (1992), Not Love, Just Frenzy (1996), Live Flesh (1997), Don't Tempt Me (2001), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), and The Counsellor (2013).
It's nice to see Jaclyn Smith's marriage of almost 20 years to Brad Allen is going so well.

The 71-year-old beauty and the 62-year-old doctor took a romantic trip to Europe last week and she has been documenting their travels on Instagram.

The two have been in Vienna and Berlin.

In love: It's nice to see Jaclyn Smith's marriage of almost 20 years to Brad Allen is going so well. The 71-year-old beauty and the 62-year-old doctor took a romantic trip to Europe last week and she has been documenting their travels on Instagram

Her first photo was shared on Friday and showed the two out front of a historical building.

'Hello from Berlin! Brad and I are finally taking a vacation and we are having so much fun!' the brunette wrote.

'If you have any recommendations for must-see attractions, send them our way!'

Matchy: Next they are seen side-by-side at an outdoor cafe. 'When you accidentally coordinate your outfits with the surrounding scenery,' wrote the Rage Of Angels star

Next they are seen side-by-side at an outdoor cafe.

'When you accidentally coordinate your outfits with the surrounding scenery,' wrote the Rage Of Angels star.

'Such a delicious lunch at the #adlon! #spripes #brandenburggate #lunchtime #berlin #vacation,' added the Love Boat star.

Distracted: Their next image was of the two of them inside a large, modern-looking building. 'Taking in the beauty of the #reichstagdome

Their next image was of the two of them inside a large, modern-looking building.

'Taking in the beauty of the #reichstagdome, built by architect Norman Foster. What a sight! I couldn't even take my eyes off of it long enough to pose with Brad,' added the Windmills of the Gods star.

Her last image, shared Monday, was of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

History: Her last image, shared Monday, was of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna

Jaclyn wrote: 'We have ventured to Vienna!

'You can hardly capture the overwhelming beauty of St. Stephen's Cathedral in a photo, but I still had to share.

'It has stood watch over the city for more than 700 years, and Mozart was married here in 1782.'

The good old days: The brunette designer worked with Fawcett - who died from cancer in 2009 - on Charlie's Angels with Kate Jackson

This comes after the two took a 'spontaneous road trip' to the Arizona desert where they enjoyed 'a great weekend' exploring Sedona.

'Going the distance is just great because you build a history together and memories,' Jaclyn said.

'Looking back over time is wonderful. We have similar values and upbringing; spiritually, we think the same.'

It did her well: Jaclyn was with Charlie's Angeles for its entire run from 1976 until 1981

But the star said they also like to spend time in their LA mansion. 'Brad and I love home. I feel very loved and protected,' she said.

looked incredible when she hit a charity event on May 11 in Beverly Hills.

The 1970s sex symbol was flawless in a white blouse, pinstriped skirt and heels as she supported a fundraiser for the Farrah Fawcett Foundation at Barneys New York.

The brunette designer worked with Fawcett - who died from cancer in 2009 - on Charlie's Angels.

Still stunning! Jaclyn Smith looked incredible when she hit a charity event on Thursday night in Beverly Hills

Also at the event was Raquel Welch and host Alana Stewart.

She wrote on Instagram: 'Barneys hosted the 2nd annual fundraiser for the @farrahfawcettfn. What an incredible turnout and amazing event! Farrah would be thrilled  #farrahfawcett #charliesangels #standuptocancer.'

Last month the actress told Closer Weekly one of her secrets to staying so young looking.

The TV movie queen said she downs a very healthy green blended drink every morning. The ingredients include broccoli, spinach and kale.

The brunette bombshell, who designs clothes and accessories for Kmart, told the weekly: 'I love green drinks, but I blend not juice so I get the pulp.'

Smith added: 'I use broccoli, kale, spinach, green apple, avocado, water, and a squeeze of lemon.'

Jaclyn was with Charlie's Angeles for its entire run from 1976 until 1981.

She told the same publication how she keeps her marriage together.
Last week Pyongyang launched an intermediate-range missile named the Hwasong-12 its longest-range missile yet, according to analysts.

North Korea fired off an "unidentified projectile" Sunday according to South Korean defence officials, a week after its latest missile launch.

"North Korea fired an unidentified projectile at Pukchang, South Pyongan province in the afternoon today," the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

There was no further information given about the nature of the projectile.

Last week Pyongyang launched an intermediate-range missile named the Hwasong-12 its longest-range missile yet, according to analysts.

It was its 10th launch this year, after dozens in 2016, as it accelerates efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed "won't happen".

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across the South and Japan.
The widow of the Islamist movement Hamas' killed military commander Mazen Faqha speaks alongside the group leader Ismail Haniya in Gaza City on May 11, 2017

A court in the Gaza Strip on Sunday sentenced three men to death over the assassination of a Hamas military commander that the Islamist movement accused Israel of masterminding.

After a trial that lasted four days, two of the accused were sentenced to be hanged and one to be shot, the military court announced.

The assassination of Mazen Faqha in the middle of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on March 24 shocked the Islamist movement and raised the possibility of a new round of violence with Israel.

Hamas immediately blamed its arch-enemy, with which it has fought three wars since 2008, and implemented strict border restrictions on those seeking to leave the Palestinian enclave.

Israel has not confirmed or denied the accusations.

In Sunday's court ruling, the chief suspect, Ashraf Abu Leila, 38, was sentenced to hang after being convicted of murder.

Hisham al-Aloul, 44, was also sentenced to hang, and Abdallah al-Nashar, 38 and who had been a member of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's presidential guard, will face the firing squad. They were convicted of collaborating with Israel.

Al-Aloul had entered the court yelling pro-Hamas slogans such as "long live the resistance".

The verdict was announced by the head of the military court, Nasser Suleiman, with none of the accused's relatives present.

They were led away by security forces as onlookers gathered to watch.

The verdicts cannot be appealed.

Faqha, 38, had been in charge of forming cells for Hamas's military wing in the occupied West Bank.

He had spent years in an Israeli jail before being released as part of a 2011 prisoner exchange deal.

After the arrest of the main suspect, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya pledged that "punishment will be carried out against the murderer".

Last week, Hamas released what it said was a recording of the confessions of the accused.

Images allegedly showed three men, presented as the murderer and his two accomplices, confessing to their roles, although their faces did not appear.

No independent bodies had access to the suspects, and the images and recordings were impossible to verify.

"Widespread coercion, torture and routine deprivation of detainees' rights by Hamas security services in Gaza call into question whether these confessions were in fact voluntary or may have been extracted under duress," Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch director for Israel and the Palestinian territories, said last week.

- Death penalty criticism -

Shortly after Faqha's killing, the security services launched a campaign against so-called collaborators.

On April 6, Hamas hanged three men accused of collaborating with Israel in cases unrelated to Faqha's death.

Executions in the Gaza Strip have drawn intense international criticism, though Hamas has pressed ahead.

Hamas says Faqha played an important role in major assaults, including a suicide attack in the Israeli settlement neighbourhood of Gilo in east Jerusalem in 2002 that killed 19 people.

They were part of a wave of suicide attacks that killed hundreds of Israelis during the second intifada, or uprising, between 2000 and 2005.

Israel sentenced him to nine life sentences plus 50 years, but he was released in a 2011 deal for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier Hamas had held for five years.

The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli blockade for a decade, while Egypt's crossing with the enclave has also remained largely closed in recent years.
Billy Horschel shakes hands with Jason Day after beating him in a playoff during the Final Round of the Byron Nelson

American Billy Horschel parred the first playoff hole to beat world number four Jason Day on Sunday to win the PGA Byron Nelson tournament, registering his first victory since 2014.

Horschel came into the tournament having missed four consecutive cuts but turned his fortunes around with some incredible putting this week at the TPC Four Seasons resort near Dallas.

Australia's Day missed a short putt on the 18th hole that would have extended the playoff to hand Horschel the victory.

"That's not the way I wanted to win it," said Horschel. "Four missed cuts to come in here and I played this well -- someone is looking out for me."

Both Horschel and Day finished 72 holes on 12-under par 268. Day fired a two-under 68 Sunday while Horschel shot 69, each finishing one stroke ahead of American James Hahn, who was third after shooting 71.

American Jason Kokrak finished fourth on 270.

Horschel had the top putting percentage this week while world number four Day had made 95 percent of his putts inside five feet this season before missing what appeared to be a routine four-footer to drop the playoff.

Billy Horschel plays his shot from the 15th tee on May 21, 2017

"When you're in the position like that, you have to go for it and try to win," Day said.

"I can't just lag it down there two feet short and keep going back and forth. Overall, it was a pretty good week, but obviously I'm disappointed that I didn't get the win."

Day, Horschel and Hahn all played in the final group, creating a match-play type scene.

Horschel's two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th moved him back into a tie for the lead with Day while Hahn's par on the hole all but ended his chances. Both Day and Horschel parred 17 and 18.

"I came here without any type of momentum, and the only thing I can hang my hat on was my practice sessions for the last several months have gone well leading to the tournaments," Horschel said.

Danny Lee of New Zealand (68), American Sean O'Hair (68), An Byeong-Hun of South Korea (69) and American Bud Cauley (70) shared fifth on 272.

Canada's Nick Taylor (65), Joel Dahmen (67), Matt Kuchar (69) and Cameron Tringale (72) were another stroke back.

World number one Dustin Johnson never made a serious run and finished tied for 13th at 274.

Defending champion Sergio Garcia, who won his first major title last month at the Masters, shot 74 and finished in a tie for 20th.
Mining billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest is donating US$298m to social and scientific causes

Mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest Monday made the biggest single philanthropic donation in Australian history, giving away Aus$400 million (US$298 million) to a variety of social and scientific causes.

The Australian founder and chairman of iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group said he and his wife Nicola were making the donation as an act "of love".

"We're doing it because it's very timely in all of the fields which we're donating to," the 55-year-old said at a ceremony in Canberra hosted by Hollywood star Russell Crowe.

Some Aus$75 million has been earmarked towards fighting cancer, with the rest aimed at initiatives including tackling modern slavery, improving education and creating better equality of opportunities.

"This is the biggest single philanthropic gift in our history," said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"It is a game-changer in the Australian philanthropic community. And it will change the lives of thousands of people here in and around the world."

Turnbull added that he hoped it would inspire others "to show their love by helping those who we can support and we can advance through that commitment of love for mankind".

Philanthropy in Australia has gathered steam in recent years, with gambling mogul James Packer in 2014 setting up a foundation to give away Aus$200 million.

But it still pales in comparison to the much stronger philanthropic culture in the United States, spearheaded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet's Giving Pledge movement.
US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after speaking to reporters in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017

US President Donald Trump visited Jerusalem and the Western Wall on Monday as he sought ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the opportunity to again lash out at Iran.

Trump became the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall in the disputed city, placing his hand on one of the most sacred sites in Judaism in a highly symbolic move.

Trump's visit is part of his first trip abroad as president, and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia where he urged Islamic leaders to confront extremism while also criticising Iran.

It comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump landed in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon, welcomed by officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He later travelled by helicopter to Jerusalem and, in remarks at President Reuven Rivlin's residence, launched another salvo against Iran, Israel's arch-enemy.

Trump visit to the Middle East and Europe

"The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said.

"And it must cease immediately."

When meeting Netanyahu, Trump said Iran should have thanked the United States for the 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and world powers because it led to the lifting of sanctions.

"Instead of saying thank you to the United States, they now feel emboldened," Trump said.

In Tehran on Monday, Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ridiculed US strategy in the Middle East, dismissing Trump's summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia as "just a show".

- Tight security -

Security was extremely tight for the Israeli leg of the visit, with police deploying some 10,000 officers.

The alleys and passageways of Jerusalem's ancient Old City, which Trump visited later in the day, were essentially under lockdown.

Trump toured two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on May 22, 2017

The first was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, wearing a black skullcap, he made his symbolic visit to the Western Wall, placing what appeared to be a written prayer or note between its stones, as is custom.

He was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders during the visit to the site in east Jerusalem.

Allowing them to do so could have led to accusations that Washington was implicitly recognising Israel's unilateral claim of sovereignty over the site, which would break with years of US and international precedent.

The status of Jerusalem is ultra-sensitive and has been among the most difficult issues in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

- Enormous challenge -

Before dinner at Netanyahu's residence, Trump again spoke of a "renewed effort at peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians," but avoided delving into details of the conflict.

"I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all, but I have a feeling that we're going to get there eventually, I hope," he said.

US President Donald Trump reacts to a reporter's question after he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the press ahead of a bilateral meeting at a hotel in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017

Speaking earlier, he said: "We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace."

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in vowing "we will get it done".

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

- Embassy move unclear -

At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

People walk past a banner in support of US President Donald Trump on the day of his visit in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election.

Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

However, the United States remains Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.
Japan logged a trade surplus in goods of $4.3bn in April, marking the third straight month in the black

Japan posted a trade surplus for the third straight month in April helped by a further rise in exports including to the United States, official data showed Monday.

American President Donald Trump has vowed to root out "unfair" trade practices around the world and target countries, including Japan, that contribute to America's nearly $50 billion a month trade deficit.

Trump has assailed Japan for allegedly devaluing the yen to boost exports, grouping it with countries he says are taking "advantage" of the US.

Despite the rhetoric, Washington -- which cooperates closely with Japan on a range of global and security issues -- has yet to make a formal request for bilateral trade negotiations in specific sectors with Tokyo.

In April, Japan logged a trade surplus in goods of 481.7 billion yen ($4.3 billion), the finance ministry said, marking the third straight month in the black.

Overall exports rose 7.5 percent thanks to brisk shipments of chip production machines, steel and motors, while imports jumped 15.1 percent on the back of growing domestic demand.

Japan said last week that its economy -- the world's third largest -- grew 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2017, its fifth straight winning quarter and the longest expansion in more than a decade.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been trying for years to rejuvenate growth and end an extended period of on-and-off deflation through a policy blitz of easy money, stimulus and reform.

"Domestic demand is getting strong, which helped increase imports, while global economic recoveries boosted Japanese exports," said Japan Research Institute economist Yusuke Shimoda.

"The trend -- strong figures in both exports and imports -- is likely to continue for now," Shimoda told AFP.

The ministry said Japan's exports to the US gained 2.6 percent due to strong auto shipments, marking the third straight year-on-year increase.

"If Japan's exports to the US continue to expand, it could be used as evidence for the US argument over trade," Shimoda said.

He added that Trump may focus on trade rows in a bid to deflect media attention away from repeated national security questions surrounding his administration.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a veteran Reagan-era trade negotiator with protectionist credentials, met his Japanese counterpart, Hiroshige Seko, in Vietnam on the sidelines of a regional trade meeting on Saturday.

The two agreed to "promote mutually beneficial trade, fight trade barriers and trade distorting measures," Seko said, adding that they did not discuss bilateral issues.

Last month the US and Japan kicked off talks aimed at achieving a new economic relationship in line with Trump's vow to focus on bilateral trade deals rather than multilateral ones that he says have damaged the US.

Also last month Trump's administration kept Japan on a Treasury Department watch list covering foreign exchange policies of US trading partners, exerting tacit pressure on Tokyo to buy more American-made goods and services.
Hollywood star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 70 in July but the march of time has not dimmed his optimism

Arnold Schwarzenegger has four Hummers and likes nothing better than getting up at 5am to ride his Harley Davidson to the beach for breakfast.

Yet "The Terminator" star insists that should not stop him being an environmental evangelist.

"Saving the planet is also about technology," the former California governor told AFP, putting his foot on a chair and wagging a skull-ringed finger to make his point.

Three of his Hummers run on hydrogen, vegetable oil and bio-diesel and he's hoping to put an electric engine into the fourth.

"You know one day soon we are going to have hydrogen-fuelled planes. We can get rid of this dirty diesel tomorrow.

"I hate it when environmentalism comes down to 'you can't do this and you can't do that'. There's a bad habit of shaming, guilt and finger pointing. 'Don't smoke this, don't take a jacuzzi and don't take a plane.' Everything's bad."

Which is why Arnie is giving it an injection of his legendary pumped-up positive attitude.

"We didn't blame anyone" when Schwarzenegger the young bodybuilding Mr Universe was a pin-up of the "physical fitness movement 40 years ago", he said.

"We didn't say he's fat or she's got a big ass. We celebrated the body."

Now on top of the global R20 network of regional leaders he has put together to fight climate change, Schwarzenegger the activist has got behind a new documentary at the Cannes film festival by the son of undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau which he also narrates.

"Wonders of the Sea 3D" will make "people fall in love with the ocean", he declared. "And if they love it they will protect it," he said.

- 'We can do it!' -

"The oceans give us half the food we eat and half the oxygen we breath and we better protect that. Seven million people die every year because of pollution."

Even such apocalyptic statistics cannot survive long in the white heat of the Austrian-born star's can-do charisma.

"Look, we can do it, we can save the planet with people power and positive attitude.

"If you want people to change you got to make them feel good about it.

"I had a very clear vision as a kid of what I was going to do," he recalled.

"I was going to be a bodybuilding champion, go to America and get into the movies. And I was going to make millions of dollars."

It all came true, and then some.

"But I never thought I would have the biggest movie of the year with 'Terminator 2', and that I would be doing comedy or politics."

Nor has the march of time dimmed his optimism.

Asked about turning 70 in July, Schwarzenegger joked, "Are you asking because you want to send me a birthday gift? I like Montecristos (cigars), No. 2s."

Schwarzenegger looks a good two decades younger, and says his secret is that he "works out every day and I really love my life.

"One month I make a movie, fly to South Africa for a bodybuilding conference, pump up some students and get my eighth honorary degree.

- Trump in 'Stone Age' -

"Then you make a few more million dollars in a real estate deal and get up at 5am and ride your motorcycle to Santa Barbara for breakfast. How can you not feel good about your life?"

"Imagine not enjoying what you are doing. That's terrible. That's the reason for depression," he said.

Only when you mention Donald Trump does Schwarzenegger's incredible positivity flicker. Specifically "The Apprentice" television show, whose ratings plunged when Arnie took over when Trump left to run for the US presidency.

Trump blamed Schwarzenegger, tweeting that Schwarzenegger "isn't voluntarily leaving 'The Apprentice', he was fired by... his bad ratings".

Arnie said viewers were put off by its association with Trump, the show's executive producer.

That the two men find themselves at war over climate change has added extra edge.

Trump is "back in the Stone Age" on the environment, Schwarzenegger told AFP.

"When I hear he wants to bring coal back.... The next thing he'll want to bring horses and buggies (carts) back," he said.

His assessment of his fellow Republican's time in the White House is withering: "So far nothing has got done since he became president."

Yet he won't be tempted by talk that it is time to call in the Terminator. "Look, I wish Trump good luck. We should support the things he wants to do that are good."

But if the call ever came? "I was not born in America (so can't be its head of state). But if I had been, yes, I would run for president. That's clear."
The three deaths on Everest over the weekend bring the toll to five so far this season, which has been hit by unpredictable weather, strong winds and unusually cold temperatures

Rescuers on Everest found the body of a missing Indian climber on Monday, taking the toll from a deadly weekend on the world's highest peak to four.

Three other climbers died on Everest over the weekend, one of the deadliest episodes since an avalanche swept through base camp two years ago, killing 18. All the fatalities appear to be related to altitude sickness.

Indian climber Ravi Kumar, 27, reached the summit on Saturday but lost contact shortly after. His Nepali guide managed to reach Camp 4, just below 8,000 metres, but sustained severe frostbite.

"A search and rescue team have seen his body," Thupden Sherpa of Arun Treks and Expeditions told AFP. Sherpa said that Kumar's body was spotted about 200 metres (650 feet) from the main route and the team was assessing the feasibility of retrieving it.

An American doctor Roland Yearwood and Slovak climber Vladimir Strba both perished on Sunday above the 8,000 metre mark -- an area known as the mountain's "death zone" where the thin air heightens the risk of altitude sickness.

An Australian climber died on the Tibet side of the mountain, local media reported, quoting the Tibet Mountaineering Association.

The 54-year-old from Queensland was reportedly hit by altitude sickness after reaching 7,500 metres and died as he was trying to descend. His name has not yet been officially released.

- Ongoing climbs -

More than a dozen climbers have been rescued from the 8,848 metre (29,030 foot) mountain in the last three days after running into difficulties on the world's highest peak, helicopter rescue operators told AFP.

The season has been marked by strong winds and unusually cold temperatures, the weather calmed over the weekend, opening a narrow window for climbers to make a bid for the top.

Despite the large numbers crowding towards the peak, there have been no reports of long queues.

Over a hundred climbers are expected to attempt to summit from Nepal's south side on Monday before the weather changes in the next few days and brings strong winds, according to forecasts.

"Today there might be as many as 150 climbers reaching the top from the Nepal side, but it isn't a record number," Ang Tsering Sherpa, head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, told AFP.

In 2012, 255 climbers summited from both sides of the mountain in a single day, Sherpa said.

Legendary Swiss climber Ueli Steck died in late April while on an acclimatization climb, and 85-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan perished in May while attempting to reclaim his title as the world's oldest person to summit Everest.

More than 120 climbers have successfully summited Everest from the south side so far this season, with another 80 reaching the peak from the Tibet side.

Mount Everest

Hundreds are still waiting to summit before the monsoon arrives in early June, marking the end of the short spring climbing season.

Last year Everest claimed the lives of five climbers, while a total of 640 people summited from both sides of the mountain.
China tops the list of new displacements due to disasters, with 7.4 million people driven from their homes

More than 31 million people were displaced in their own countries by conflict, violence and disasters in 2016, with China and the Democratic Republic of Congo among the worst affected, a new report by a monitoring center said Monday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo had a spike of 922,000 new displacements caused by conflict last year, more than Syria with 824,000 and Iraq with 659,000, said the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Disasters displaced three times more people than conflicts, with most of the 24 million people affected hit by sudden-onset weather hazards such as floods, storms, wildfires and severe winter conditions.

China tops the list of new displacements due to disasters, with 7.4 million people driven from their homes, followed by the Philippines (5.9 million), India (2.4 million) and Indonesia (1.2 million).

These displacements are expected to increase in the future as the impact of climate change becomes more acute, said the report.

Jan Egeland, the head of the NRC, said the shocking figures show the need to focus as much on people displaced inside their countries than on refugees who flee across borders.

The Democratic Republic of Congo had a spike of 922,000 new displacements caused by conflict last year

"Internally displaced people now outnumber refugees by two to one. It is urgent to put internal displacement back on the global agenda," said Egeland.

Afghanistan ranked fourth in terms of displacement caused by conflict, with 653,000, followed by Nigeria with 501,000 and Yemen with 478,000.

Of the 6.9 million people driven from their homes due to conflict, 2.6 million live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Internal displacement is overshadowed by the current global focus on refugees and migrants, said the monitoring centre.

More aid was spent last year on refugee resettlement than in the countries where the crises began, it added.

There was a total of 40.3 million people displaced by conflict and violence in their countries by the end of 2016 -- a figure that has nearly doubled since 2000 and has increased sharply over the last five years.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (R) flies to Russia Monday to meet his hero Vladimir Putin, seen together on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Lima in 2016, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy further away from longtime ally the United States.

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in relations with Russia since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling his country's decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

"Russia must cease to be at the margins of Philippine diplomacy. Overdependence on traditional partners has limited our room to manoeuvre in a very dynamic international arena," Duterte told reporters before leaving.

"This is a strategic oversight that has led to many missed opportunities for our country. I am determined to correct this."

The trip will also be personal for Duterte, who has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as his "favourite hero" and proclaimed a bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting. The pair are due to meet on Thursday.

Since assuming the presidency Duterte has sought to build strong alliances with China and Russia while moving away from the United States, the Philippines' former colonial ruler and most important military ally.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the United States, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea and called for the withdrawal of US troops from the Philippines.

US military ties have been loosened even though China is expanding its presence into Philippine-claimed waters in the South China Sea.

Duterte said last week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had threatened to go to war with the Philippines over the territorial row.

But Duterte, a self-described socialist, has been determined to reduce the Philippines' reliance on the United States and build much closer ties with China and Russia.

"My visit underscores the independence of the Philippines foreign policy and the firm resolve to broaden the horizons of friendship and cooperation with other nations," he said on Monday.

China and Russia have supported or at least not criticised Duterte's controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that he may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

- 'Ideological flow' -

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war.

On a state visit to China last year he announced the Philippines' "separation" from the United States.

"I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world -- China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," he said at that time.

Duterte and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November.Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

"The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid," Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

Duterte said last week one of the top priorities of his trip to Russia was to secure precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

He had also previously said he hoped the Philippines would soon be able to start acquiring other Russian weapons.

The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but until Duterte took office relations remained relatively low-key.

This was partly due to Manila's alliance with the United States.

Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just $226 million, according to government data, while Philippine-US trade was worth more than $18 billion last year.

Duterte's visit to Moscow will be a "propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia", analyst Richard Javad Heydarian told AFP.

"It will be their way of poking the eye of America."
Taiwanese gay rights campaigner Chi Chia-we has been fighting for marriage equality for decades, lodging his first petition in 1986

A court ruling in Taiwan this week could make the island the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, in a decision that would give activists around the region new hope in their quest for equality.

A panel of grand justices will announce its verdict on Wednesday in a landmark case that centres on whether Taiwan's current law on the issue is unconstitutional.

Campaigners are nervous but optimistic after years of court appeals and lack of progress in parliament.

For one man, the battle has lasted decades.

"I feel 100 percent confident about a positive outcome," said Chi Chia-wei, 59, one of two parties petitioning the constitutional court.

"I am optimistic but I wouldn't be overly excited. This should have happened long ago," said the activist who made his first submission for recognition of gay marriage in 1986.

At the centre of the case is a clause in Taiwan's Civil Code which says an agreement to marry should be made between a man and a woman.

Chi wants the court to rule on whether that contravenes elements in Taiwan's constitution which guarantee equality and freedom of marriage.

No caption

The decision is binding, so a ruling in his favour would pave the way for same-sex unions to be legalised.

The other party bringing the case is the Taipei city government, which has been rejecting marriage applications by same-sex couples and is seeking clarification of the law.

Jennifer Lu and her partner of four years tried to marry in August of 2014.

"Everyone is really looking forward to the decision, not only in Taiwan but across Asia," said Lu, an activist with rights group Taiwan LGBT Hotline Association, citing campaigns in Japan and South Korea.

- Divided society -

Taiwan is seen as one of the most progressive societies in the region when it comes to gay rights, and momentum has been gathering since President Tsai Ing-wen -- who has openly supported marriage equality -- came to power last May.

The legislature has also made more progress than ever, with proposals to amend the Civil Code passing the first reading in December.

But the debate has also highlighted deep divisions in society. Conservative and religious groups have argued that allowing same-sex unions would destroy family values.

"We have our structure of husband and wife, man and woman, and they want to change this," said Sammy Yu, a spokesman for a group called Stability of Power.

Even if the marriage equality ruling does go in their favour, some activists say there is still a long road ahead for complete acceptance for Taiwan's gay community

"Marriage is not just about love, and feelings. It is also about the continuity of the human race," he told AFP at a protest last week outside the office of the Judicial Yuan, which oversees Taiwan's legal system.

At the protest, a mother read a speech saying same-sex couples cannot provide good homes for children while two dozen protesters held black umbrellas and banners reading: "Traditional marriage is not unconstitutional."

Meanwhile, across the street, students at a girls' high school waved a big rainbow flag from behind the gate.

If the court deems the law should be changed, it will likely set a deadline for parliament to amend the code, says Victoria Hsu, a lawyer representing activist Chi in his petition.

But Hsu -- who also heads campaign group Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights -- is worried that instead of changing the Civil Code, the judges will lean towards enacting a separate law for same-sex unions.

Although it would represent progress, it may mean gay people would not be granted the same spousal status as heterosexual couples, she says.

"As long as you don't have spousal status, there will always be some rights that you're deprived of, or instances where you are treated as second-class citizens," Hsu told AFP.

While supporters desperately hope the ruling goes in their favour, some also say there is still a long road ahead for complete acceptance, due to strong resistance from the conservative camp.

"I think the gay community might have an even harder time. There will be a lot of pushback," says law student David Chen, 27, who identifies himself as bisexual.

"They don't understand we are just like them. There's nothing different about us."
It is three years since the coup that brought the junta to power in Thailand. Dissent is banned and government critics risk arrest if they speak out, but in private conversations with AFP journalists some people are prepared to say what they think

Three years after their latest coup, Thailand's arch-royalist military is firmly dug-in.

Dissent is banned, a junta-appointed legislature makes the law -- and awards the army an ever-burgeoning budget -- while a new constitution gifts the military power to write the script for Thailand's next 20 years.

But discontent lingers and is at its sharpest in the country's poor but populous northeast, where the lacklustre economy and strict curbs on free expression are biting hard.

The rice-farming region, known as Isaan, is home to a third of the country's population and some of its poorest provinces.

People here voted in droves for Yingluck Shinawatra, whose elected government was toppled on May 22, 2014, by army chief turned premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha.

These days junta critics risk arrest if they speak out -- while soaring prosecutions under the country's draconian royal defamation law are also stifling debate.

But in conversations with AFP reporters, opinions from Isaan varied from outright anger at Prayut's autocratic agenda to acceptance of army rule as a bitter tonic to years of violent street protests.

Yet all expressed a longing for a return to democracy and a chance to have their voice heard once again.

The old man

"I want democracy, but the junta won't let it happen," said a 73-year-old man from Buriram province, who requested anonymity for fear of arrest.

"I want democracy, but the junta won't let it happen," said a 73-year-old man from Buriram province, who requested anonymity for fear of arrest

"Nowadays we are under them, we cannot speak much. Even talking like this can land me in jail."

"I cannot do anything, speaking in groups of five or six people is not allowed," he said, referring to a junta ban on political gatherings to head off protests.

"The Prime Minster talks a lot but he doesn't achieve anything," he said of junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who gives televised primetime addresses every Friday night to the nation.

"I'm not sure if (other Thais) want democracy because I don't know what is in their hearts. But I want it."

The rice farmer

"At first we thought (Prayut) was a dictator, said 53-year-old Wassana Leepan, a farmer in Khon Kaen province, a heartland for the now silent pro-democracy 'Red Shirt' street movement.

"But later he did what previous governments have done, which was help rice farmers. It's a way for (the army) to campaign for themselves. They do good things and then villagers like them."

Farmers from the agrarian northeast formed the bedrock of support for the ousted government, which lavished Thailand's poorest region with agricultural subsidies and other rural stimulus programs.

Farmers from the agrarian northeast formed the bedrock of support for the ousted government, which lavished Thailand's poorest region with agricultural subsidies and other rural stimulus programs

The junta has tried to stave off fresh political unrest with more than $1 billion in cash handouts of its own.

"The junta gave us three things: 800 baht ($23) per rai (around half an acre) to harvest rice, money for fertilisers and then money when we had a drought," explained Wassana.

"I admit that they helped," she said.

"But I still want an election... we want to be able to express what we like, who will be good for us.

"With elected politicians, if they are not good then at least they will not stay in power for more than four years anyway."

The professor

"If we want to conduct seminars, in terms of environmental issues or in terms of decentralisation issues, we cannot do that. We have to ask for permission (from authorities)... mostly they do not allow us," said Sataporn Roengtam, an assistant professor of public policy at Khon Kaen Universisty.

"We have to be really concerned about the presentation of our ideas."

"This government always claims that they are working for the public interest... but in terms of local interest they don't care about who will lose out from their projects, where those people go or what will happen to their families"

"The first thing that you cannot do is (violate) lese majeste," he told AFP, referring to a draconian law that bars criticising Thailand's monarchy with up to 15 years in prison per offence.

"The second thing you have to be really concerned about is critiquing the Prime Minister," he said of junta chief Prayut.

"We are not free to express things that we should be able to voice, such as when we think something is unfair."

"This government always claims that they are working for the public interest... but in terms of local interest they don't care about who will lose out from their projects, where those people go or what will happen to their families."

The 'som tam' seller -

"It's good that it's peaceful and there isn't any chaos. But (ingredients) are at least 50 percent more expensive," said Srisupan Boonprom, who sells one of Isaan's most famous dishes: a spicy papaya salad known as som tam.

The junta has taken the most heat for failing to revive the kingdom's flagging economy, which is one of the worst performing in Southeast Asia.

"I want elections and a return to democracy, because then many things will be better like they were before when we used to have elected representatives."

"Other people also complain that the economy is getting worse. My customers come here and eat and I hear them complain that the economy is bad," said the 52-year-old, who runs a restaurant in Khon Kaen province.

"I haven't gotten a lot of profit (since the coup) because things are so expensive."

"I want elections and a return to democracy, because then many things will be better like they were before when we used to have elected representatives."
Hainan Airlines and its parent HNA Group have been among the most acquisitive players in a wave of overseas investments by Chinese companies in recent years

China's Hainan Airlines, which has poured billions of dollars into overseas acquisitions, announced plans Monday to buy 19 Boeing aircraft for $4.2 billion to help meet skyrocketing travel demand by Chinese consumers.

The company said in a statement to Shanghai's stock exchange that it would buy 13 Boeing 787-9 passenger jets and six 737-8s, citing the continued "rapid growth" in China's travel market as incomes rise.

It plans to issue 15 billion yuan ($2.18 billion) in bonds to help fund the deal.

Chinese airlines have seen booming business in recent years, rushing to expand their fleets and route networks amid growth that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts will take China past the United States to become the world's largest air-travel market by 2024.

Hainan Airlines and its parent HNA Group have been among the most acquisitive players in a wave of overseas investments by Chinese companies in recent years.

HNA is a sprawling conglomerate with interests in aviation and tourism.

Last year alone, HNA purchased Brazil's third largest airline Azul, Swiss airline catering company gategroup, and stakes airline Virgin Australia and Portuguese national airline TAP.

A unit of privately held HNA announced in October plans to buy the aircraft leasing business of US-based CIT Group Inc. for $10 billion.

The Chinese government has encouraged companies to invest overseas to open up new markets.

Many companies obliged, pouring billions into overseas purchases to such an extent that Chinese authorities became worried over capital flight and the impact on the slumping yuan currency.

The government has since reversed course, denouncing "irrational" investment abroad and putting restrictions on fund outflows.
Despite advances, about 544 million Africans still live in poverty, according to a report by the African Development Bank

Africans are seeing a steady improvement in the quality of their lives, with some countries even nearing world averages, says a wide-ranging report out Monday on the continent's future.

While large portions of the continent's 1.2 billion people live in poverty, many of Africa's 54 nations have made significant progress in health, education and standard of living.

"At least a third of African countries have now achieved medium to high levels of human development," said the report published by the African Development Bank, referring to a composite measure of a nation's condition.

"North Africa has the highest levels, approaching the world average, but all sub-regions have seen steady improvement" since the turn of the 21st century, it added.

Despite the advances, some 544 million Africans still live in poverty, according to the report titled "African Economic Outlook 2017".

Rwanda recorded the most progress, followed by Ghana and Liberia in the fight against poverty since 2005. One of Rwanda's key efforts was a community-based health insurance system that by 2010 had covered nearly 9 in 10 of its people.

At the same time, north African nations Egypt and Tunisia have health insurance systems that cover 78 percent and 100 percent respectively of their residents.

Spending on education, which is considered key for development, is above six percent of gross domestic product in South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique and Tunisia. While Nigeria puts less than one percent of its GDP into schooling.

According to World Bank figures, European Union nations spent an average of 4.9 percent of their GDP on education in 2013.

- 'Potential for prosperity' -

In central Africa, where school completion rates for girls are the lowest on the continent, the gap with boys is increasingly narrowing. Nearly three times as many girls finished secondary education in 2014 than a decade prior.

A report by the African Development Bank highlighted education as one of the bright spots in moves to improve African development

Gender equality is on the rise in several nations -- including Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda -- where women "achieve almost equal levels of human development as men," the report said.

While there are bright spots in Africa's move toward better income, education and health, serious challenges remain in the fight against poverty.

One of the main ones is the lack of access to cooking fuel, electricity and sanitation. The needs may not come as a surprise given some 645 million people in sub-saharan Africa live without electricity.

The future is also not very bright for many of the continent's young people, nearly half of whom are unemployed. One of the key problems is that many receive an education that does not give them marketable skills.

"The greatest contributor to economic growth is not physical infrastructure, but brainpower, what I refer to as 'grey matter infrastructure'... Stunted children today leads to stunted economies tomorrow," African Development Bank President Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina said in 2016.

The report sees reasons to be hopeful for the economy this year, predicting a 3.4 percent expansion after weak 2.2 percent growth in 2016.

However, the future rebound assumes that "the recovery in commodity prices is sustained, the world economy is strengthened and domestic macroeconomic reforms are entrenched," the report said.

East Africa remains the continent's economic powerhouse, driven in large part by Ethiopia. Overall, Africa remains the second most dynamic region in the world behind developing nations in Asia.

The continent's middle class, which the report estimates at 350 million people, "represents a vast source of potential for prosperity."
Rebel Wilson, who starred in "The Bridesmaids" and "Pitch Perfect", is suing Bauer Media group for articles in 2015 that claimed she lied about her name, age and background in order to advance her Hollywood career

Hollywood star Rebel Wilson on Monday accused an Australian publisher of portraying her as a serial liar in a series of articles she said cost her lucrative movie roles.

On day one of a defamation trial in Victoria state's Supreme Court, Wilson's barrister Matthew Collins told the jury that Bauer Media "tore down an Australian star to sell magazines".

"They refused to let the facts get in the way of a good story," he said, The Age newspaper reported.

"This defendant knows that what it wrote was simply false."

The Sydney-born actor, who starred in "The Bridesmaids" and "Pitch Perfect", is suing the media group for articles in 2015 that claimed Wilson lied about her name, age and background in order to advance her Hollywood career.

The publisher owns magazines Woman's Day, Australian Women's Weekly and OK Magazine.

Collins said the actor, who flew to Melbourne from the United States for the trial, had been robbed of acting opportunities as a result of the stories.

"The phone just stopped ringing," he said.

The trial is expected to run for three weeks and include testimony from Wilson's family.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem May 21, 2017

Israeli ministers have approved measures aimed at improving the Palestinian economy and facilitating crossings, rare moves said to be at Donald Trump's request hours ahead of the US president's arrival.

An Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity that ministers were responding to a Trump request to present him with "confidence-building measures" ahead of his talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday.

In a statement, Trump's administration welcomed the moves, saying he "has been encouraging both sides to take steps that improve the environment for peace making."

"He has expressed particular interest in taking steps to improve the Palestinian economy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

In what the Israeli official described as a "gesture for Trump's visit, which does not harm Israel's interests", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet on Sunday approved the enlargement of a Palestinian industrial zone on the edge of the southern West Bank.

He said that the possibility of extending Israel Railways services to the northern West Bank city of Jenin would also be examined.

They also gave the nod to streamlining transit procedures at Shaar Ephraim, a busy crossing point in the northern part of the occupied West Bank for Palestinian labourers with permits to work in Israel.

The official said that opening hours for passage across the main Jordan River bridge linking the Palestinian territory and the neighbouring kingdom were to be extended to 24/7.

There would also be reforms to Palestinian land use in urban areas in the 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control.

He did not elaborate but Israel's Haaretz daily said the intention was to allow construction of "thousands of Palestinian homes" in the area where for years it has been almost impossible for Palestinians to get Israeli permits to build on their own land.

Haaretz said that at Sunday night's meeting Education Minister Naftali Bennett and justice minister Ayelet Shaked, of the religious-nationalist Jewish Home party, "objected vehemently" to the building plans.

In an apparent attempt to calm opposition from within Netanyahu's coalition government, seen as the most right-wing in the country's history, the security cabinet also approved setting up a committee to work for retroactive legalisation of wildcat Israeli construction in the West Bank, the official said.
A Filipino taxi driver displays a religious icon inside his vehicle in Manila

Philippine authorities have banned hanging rosaries and religious icons off car dashboards because of safety concerns, prompting an outcry from the Catholic Church which insists they offer divine intervention on the nation's chaotic roads.

The ban, which will take effect on Friday, is part of a wide-ranging new law aimed at eliminating distractions for drivers.

These include talking or sending messages on mobile phones, putting on make-up, and eating or drinking coffee while driving, according to Aileen Lizada, spokeswoman for the national transport regulatory agency.

But it is the ban on the religious icons and trinkets -- which visitors to the Philippines inevitably see hanging off rearview mirrors in taxis and the colourful mini-buses known as jeepneys -- that has stirred the most controversy.

Roughly 80 percent of the Philippines' 100 million people are Catholic, a legacy of centuries of Spanish colonial rule that ended in 1898, and the religious icons in vehicles are seen by many as offering God's protection while driving.

"This is an overreaction, insensitive and lacks common sense," Father Jerome Secillano, executive secretary for public affairs at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, told AFP on Monday.

"With these religious images, drivers feel they are safer, that there is divine intervention and they are being guided and protected."

Piston, an association of jeepney drivers and owners, also criticised the plan, saying there was no data showing rosaries and religious trinkets caused accidents.

"Do not meddle with the drivers' faith in God," Piston president George San Mateo told AFP.
A Thai police forensics team leaves a Bangkok hospital that was struck by a small bomb on May 22, 2017

A bomb struck a Bangkok military hospital on Monday and wounded 21 people -- one seriously -- three years to the day after the Thai army seized power in the politically unstable kingdom.

The small device -- which police said was potentially deadly -- went off near the VIP section of King Mongkut hospital as patients and their families waited for prescriptions, shattering glass and sending smoke into the corridors.

Hospital director Saroj Keokajee said the "low intensity bomb" injured 21 people, among them retired military officers.

"Eight people were admitted to hospital to observe their condition... among them is one woman who needed surgery because of shrapnel buried in her jaw," he said.

Thailand has remained starkly divided since the May 22, 2014 coup, but dissent has broadly been smothered by a military with sweeping security powers.

While it was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, Thailand has a long history of bomb attacks on symbolic dates -- carried out by militant political factions or separatists linked to an insurgency in the Muslim-majority south.

Investigators said the bomb may be linked to two other similarly small devices that went off in recent weeks, one outside Bangkok's National Theatre a week ago and another left in a Bangkok bin in early April.

Both were too low yield to cause significant injury. But police said Monday's device, while similar in size, was more serious because it was packed with nails.

"The people who did this are brutal," national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda, told reporters. "If they (the nails) had directly impacted, they could cause death."

Thailand bombing

The clinic in central Bangkok is often used by serving and retired members of the armed forces but also treats civilians.

Saroj said no senior military officers were near the blast.

Regardless of the motive, the blast will raise the political temperature in Thailand where violence had declined under the military's stranglehold.

- Forced stability -

Despite a veneer of stability Thais remain divided and uncertain over the future three years after the ousting of the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra.

Protest and political gatherings are banned while dissidents have been rounded up on charges of sedition or breaching junta orders, or under draconian royal defamation legislation.

Militant elements among pro-democracy groups have either been arrested or gone to ground.

Thailand remains starkly divided since a coup in 2014

The one region where daily violence and large bomb blasts persist is the country's "Deep South", where Malay Muslim militants have fought a long insurgency.

But they rarely strike outside their region -- an exception being in August 2016 when a series of coordinated blasts hit a string of tourist towns.

The country's notoriously fractious domestic politics have incubated the worst violence.

Over the past 10 years Thais have witnessed repeated rounds of deadly protests, a string of short-lived governments and two military coups that deposed elected leaders.

The junta says its 2014 coup -- the 12th time generals have successfully seized power -- was needed to bring stability and root out corruption.

But critics say the military is deeply hostile to ousted premiers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, whose parties have won every poll since 2001.

Their billionaire clan is popular among Thailand's rural and urban poor and they have urged a return to elections.

But the Shinawatras are hated by Bangkok's military-backed elite, who accuse the family of corruption and nepotism.

In a statement on Facebook to mark the coup Yingluck decried a lack of "concrete reform" and warned that three years of military rule risked becoming a "waste of time".
Indonesia is seeing growing hostility towards its small LGBT community despite homosexuality being legal in most of the Muslim-majority country

Indonesian police have detained 141 men including several foreigners for allegedly taking part in a gay sex party at a sauna, an official said Monday, the latest sign of a backlash against homosexuals in the Muslim-majority country.

Officers late Sunday raided a building in the capital Jakarta that houses a sauna and a gym, and halted what they said was a sex party promoted as "The Wild One".

Pictures circulating online showed topless men sitting crammed in a room next to gym equipment after the raid. Police said four foreigners were among those arrested -- one Briton, one Singaporean and two Malaysians.

"Our officers did an undercover investigation and raided the place on Sunday," senior detective Nasriadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP.

Indonesian police show evidence from the recent raid during a press conference at a police station in Jakarta

Homosexuality and gay sex are legal everywhere in Indonesia except in conservative Aceh province, but Nasriadi said that 10 of those arrested in the Jakarta raid could be charged under the country's tough anti-pornography laws.

The raid is further evidence of growing hostility towards Indonesia's small lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Since last year, ministers, hardliners and influential Islamic groups have been lining up to publicly denounce homosexuality.

- Growing backlash -

Those who face being charged include the alleged organisers of the event as well as men suspected of being prostitutes and striptease dancers. Those found guilty of breaking the laws face up to 10 years in jail.

The other detained men are still being questioned by police as potential witnesses in the case.

Nasriadi said people attending the event had to pay an entry fee, which included admission to a striptease show on one floor of the building, and that the main "sex party" took place on another floor which was dimly lit.

Legal aid groups accused police of refusing to let those arrested get dressed before transferring them to a police station and during subsequent questioning

Some of the detainees were Monday paraded in front of the media at a press conference wearing black masks, while a coalition of legal aid groups condemned the arrests and the mens' treatment.

The coalition, which is representing the men, accused police of refusing to let those arrested get dressed before transferring them to a police station and during subsequent questioning.

They also accused the police of taking naked pictures of the men and spreading them on social media, adding: "These arrests are a bad precedent for other gender and sexual minorities."

But Nasriadi denied that police had taken pictures of the arrested men, insisting: "We work professionally."

The backlash against the homosexual community began in early 2016, and activists believe it was triggered by widespread media coverage of a decision in the United States to legalise same-sex marriage.

Recent examples include a raid earlier this month on a suspected gay sex party in the city of Surabaya. Eight men were named suspects following the raid and face being charged with the anti-porn laws.

And last week an Islamic court in Aceh sentenced two men to be publicly caned for having gay sex, the first time such a punishment has been handed down for homosexual activities in the conservative province.
State-run Chinese manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation said they formally launched an ambitious project to jointly develop a long-haul jet to challenge Boeing and Airbus

China and Russia on Monday launched an ambitious project to jointly develop a long-haul jet to challenge Boeing and Airbus, just two weeks after the successful test flight of the first made-in-China large passenger plane.

State-run Chinese manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said they formally established the previously announced joint venture in Shanghai on Monday.

Plans for the wide-body jet were first unveiled last June when visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin met China's Xi Jinping in Beijing, and Chinese state media have previously quoted officials saying the project could be worth between $13 billion and $20 billion.

"The establishment of the joint-venture company symbolises the important progress made in the China-Russia long-range wide-body passenger aircraft project," COMAC chairman Jin Zhuanglong said in a statement.

"We will cooperate sincerely with UAC, unite as one, and strive to make the .... project a model of Sino-Russian cooperation."

China had already logged a key milestone in the country's ambitious journey to compete with the world's leading aircraft makers in early May with the test flight in Shanghai of COMAC's narrow-body C919 jet.

The 168-seat C919, built for shorter regional routes, represents nearly a decade of effort in a government-mandated drive to reduce dependence on European consortium Airbus and US aerospace giant Boeing.

Airbus and Boeing dominate China's market for passenger jets, which is growing in leaps and bounds as travel demand by Chinese consumers skyrockets.

Aviation analysts, while acknowledging the C919 as a technical milestone for China, have warned that it faces a tough task challenging against Boeing and Airbus, with their deep market penetration and long history of performance.

- Chinese travel takes off -

But with the China-Russia jet, which Chinese media reports say will be called the 929, Beijing will have the benefit of working with UAC, parent of passenger-jet manufacturer Sukhoi and other established Russian aviation brands.

COMAC's statement said the aircraft will be able to seat 280 passengers and have a range of 12,000 kilometres (7,450 miles).

That would put it in direct competition with Boeings 787 and the Airbus A350.

China's state-run Global Times newspaper late last year quoted UAC president Yury Slyusar as saying the project would be worth between $13 billion and $20 billion, with each side contributing half.

In Monday's joint statement, Slyusar said the project is "testimony to China and Russia's determination to engage in long-term cooperation".

COMAC said last year the planned jet could take its first flight in seven years, with deliveries beginning three years after that.

Previous Chinese aerospace projects have suffered lengthy delays.

China is expected to become the world's largest aviation market within several years, and President Xi has stressed the importance of Chinese-made jets handling much of that growing traffic.

Airbus has estimated China will need nearly 6,000 new planes worth $945 billion in the next two decades, with Boeing's forecast even more optimistic at more than $1 trillion.
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Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged $100 million to a women's business fund supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president who Monday wound up a visit to Riyadh.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced the donation from both oil-rich Gulf states on Sunday, during a meeting between Ivanka Trump and a group of Saudi women, a member of the US delegation said.

The idea of a fund providing microfinance to women in underdeveloped countries was floated by President Donald Trump's daughter and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a conference in Berlin last month.

Kim said the donation along with other pledges from the United States and other countries will allow the World Bank to announce the creation of a $1-billion fund for women empowerment during the G-20 summit in July.

"This is really a stunning achievement. Ive never seen anything come together so quickly," he commented, according to the source.

The US president flew to Israel on Monday after a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.

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US President Donald Trump speaks during a welcome ceremony upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on May 22, 2017, as part of his first trip overseas

US President Donald Trump spoke of a "rare opportunity" to bring stability to the region as he landed in Israel on Monday to seek ways to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

Trump also hailed the "unbreakable bond" between the United States and Israel as he spoke at a brief ceremony at the airport in Tel Aviv after landing.

"On my first trip overseas as president, I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between the United States and the state of Israel," Trump said.

He said later: "We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace. But we can only get there working together. There is no other way."

Trump will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day and travel to the occupied West Bank on Tuesday to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
An Iranian woman casts her ballot for the presidential elections at a polling station in Tehran on May 19, 2017

Iran's coalition of reformists and moderates has swept to power in major cities across the country, results showed Monday, redrawing the political map and amplifying the resounding re-election of President Hassan Rouhani.

The coalition now has control of the six largest Iranian cities, including Tehran, the holy city of Mashhad and tourist hotspot Isfahan -- and could capture more when final results are announced.

Almost all major cities were previously in the hands of conservatives, but Friday's vote showed that new tactics by the reformist camp were helping them beat the system's restrictions.

The intelligence services and conservative-dominated judiciary can effectively veto candidates, and have blocked hundreds of reformists over the years.

That left many voters unsure who to back in the past, so the reformist leadership started providing lists of their preferred candidates, sharing them via social media.

This tactic showed resounding success at parliamentary elections in 2016, when the reformist "list of hope" swept all 30 seats for Tehran.

They repeated the trick at the weekend, taking all 21 council seats in the capital and displacing the conservatives for the first time since 2003.

"This trend for lists has just now reached other cities," said Ali Tajerinia, a former reformist lawmaker in Mashhad.

"In 2013, we won the presidential election but not the city councils. This year, we were successful in both," he told the Aftabe Yazd reformist newspaper.

Reformists joined forces with the more centrist faction after their movement was decimated by a brutal crackdown against anti-regime protests in 2009.

Two of its key leaders remain under house arrest, while the godfather of the movement, former president Mohammad Khatami, is banned from appearing in the media.

But Khatami's influence remains strong, and he has thrown his support behind moderate cleric Rouhani, helping him win a resounding re-election victory over hardliner Ebrahim Raisi.

- 'Must protect this trust' -

The moderate-reformist coalition has also taken power in symbolic cities such as Shiraz, Yazd and the port town of Bandar Abbas.

"The people have voted and put their trust in the reformists after many years," said Zahra Nejadbahram, one of six women elected to the Tehran city council.

"We must protect this trust in any way possible," she told the Shargh daily.

Among the newly elected officials gaining attention was a 42-year-old street sweeper who joins the Rasht city council on the Caspian coast.

In Khoramabad, a city of 500,000 near the Iraqi border, a 60-year-old bird seller took first place after a simple campaign that involved walking the streets from dawn to dusk introducing himself to people.

Iran's presidential and council elections were held alongside each other on Friday.

Councils in Iran look after day-to-day affairs such as public transport, infrastructure and cultural centres.

Women have boosted their presence on councils in many parts of the country, doubling their number in the capital.

In the traditional Sunni-majority province of Sistan-Baluchistan, the total number of female city and village councillors increased from 185 to 415, according to the ISNA news agency.
Air Force One carrying US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump approaches for landing at Ben Gourion Airport in Tel Aviv on May 22, 2017

US President Donald Trump was said to have blazed a new trail between the Arab world and Israel Monday, with his plane believed to be the first to fly directly from Saudi Arabia to the Jewish state.

Trump left Riyadh for Tel Aviv ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in hopes of seeking ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace.

A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel told AFP he was not aware of any flight taking that course before.

Israel has no diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia despite informal ties on certain levels, particularly around shared concerns over Iran.

Any links are diplomatically delicate, with the Arab world strong supporters of the Palestinian cause. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries to have signed peace deals with Israel.

Israeli citizens, however, can travel to Saudi Arabia and thousands of Muslims attend the annual hajj pilgrimage there, flying with stopovers in neighbouring countries.

A plane carrying reporters accompanying Trump had to stop in Cyprus rather than fly directly.

Former aviation authority head Avner Yarkoni told AFP that while Israel would see no problem in a direct flight from Saudi Arabia, there was no reason Trump's precedent would open the way for a new route between Israel and the Gulf region.
US President Donald Trump speaks at Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh on May 21, 2017, calling on all countries to work together to isolate Iran "until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace"

The yawning gap between Tehran and Washington has grown even wider with US President Donald Trump's latest efforts to isolate Iran, which accused the United States of "milking" Saudi Arabia for petro-dollars.

Trump's choice of Saudi Arabia, Iran's bitter regional rival, for his first official foreign visit reflects the deep antagonism of his administration towards the Islamic republic.

The US president signed a giant list of deals, worth a total of $380 billion, including $110 billion for weapons that will invariably find their way into the numerous conflicts of the region -- including Syria, Yemen and Iraq -- where Riyadh and Tehran often find themselves on opposing sides.

Trump also vilified Iran as the greatest source of instability in the Middle East, though many observers noted the irony that his claims came on the same day that 41 million Iranians enthusiastically took part in elections, with a sizeable majority backing President Hassan Rouhani and his policy of engagement with the world.

Relations with the US and Iran have been under deep freeze since the Islamic revolution of 1979, which deposed the Washington-backed shah.

Trump's team is dedicated to reversing his predecessor's efforts at rapprochement with Iran, which saw a nuclear deal signed in 2015, lifting many sanctions.

"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said in Riyadh on Sunday.

He called on all countries to work together to isolate Iran "until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace".

Analysts fear tensions are growing out of control.

"Battlelines are being drawn and it's worrying, especially when it comes just a day after the election victory of Rouhani which showed a real dynamic in favour of democratisation and opening in Iranian society," said Azadeh Kian of Sciences Po University in Paris.

- 'Bastion of democracy' -

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who spearheaded the nuclear negotiations, reacted sarcastically, comparing this weekend's elections in Iran to the lack of democracy in Saudi Arabia.

"Iran -- fresh from real elections -- attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy and moderation," Zarif tweeted, referring to the US president.

A supporter of newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani flashes the sign for victory as he takes to the streets to celebrate his victory in downtown Tehran on May 20, 2017

Is that a serious foreign policy, he asked, or is the US "simply milking" Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars?

Tehran sees itself as the vital force holding back the advance of the Islamic State jihadist group both in Syria and Iraq, and finds it hard to comprehend US bellicosity.

Shiite Iran regularly points to the Saudis' fundamentalist Wahhabi creed and their efforts to spread it around the Muslim world as the root cause of violent Sunni jihadism.

"Unfortunately, with the hostile and offensive policies of American officials, we see once again the reinforcement of terrorist groups in the region... and the dictators that support them," said Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on Monday.

The US and its Arab allies in the Gulf respond that Iran and Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has helped perpetuate the chaos.

And they say Iran's support for Lebanese militia Hezbollah and Shiite Huthi rebel forces in Yemen are deeply destabilising.

But Iran's Press TV wrote on Sunday that the aggression coming from Riyadh this weekend ultimately reflected the Saudis' realisation that they are losing in conflicts across the Middle East.

"The Riyadh regime has... failed to achieve its objectives despite going to great expense," it wrote in an editorial.
A general view taken on May 21, 2017, shows the Dome of Rock at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a UNESCO heritage site, in the Old City of Jerusalem

Donald Trump was on Monday to become the first serving US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, located in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

The city is revered by three major faiths but mired in political, as well as religious, disputes and its status is one of the thorniest issues of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

- Whose capital? -

Jewish Israelis consider Jerusalem to be their 3,000-year-old capital and the inalienable birthright of Jews everywhere. Since the destruction in ancient times of two separate Jewish temples in the city and the exile of the Holy Land's surviving Hebrews, Judaism has looked for a return of its people to their biblical home. According to scripture, King David made Jerusalem the capital of a unified kingdom of Israel around 1000 BC.

The Palestinians, who make up about a third of the modern city's population, claim east Jerusalem as the capital of the state to which they aspire. It also has great religious significance for Muslims as it houses the al-Aqsa mosque complex, Islam's third-holiest site.

- City of controversy -

A 1947 United Nations plan prescribed partitioning British-run Palestine into three separate entities: a Jewish state, an Arab state and a separate enclave, or "corpus separatum", consisting of Jerusalem, nearby Bethlehem and holy places in the vicinity to be under UN control. The proposal was accepted by Zionist leaders but rejected by the Arabs.

Following the departure of the British in 1948, the Jews declared an independent state of Israel, followed by fighting with local Palestinians and neighbouring Arab states.

At the end of the war, east Jerusalem was in Jordanian hands while the new Jewish state set up its capital in the west.

The two sides were divided by barbed wire, sandbags and machinegun emplacements until the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel seized and occupied the eastern zone.

It declared the whole city its eternal and united capital and in 1980 annexed east Jerusalem, a move never recognised by the international community.

- Capital without embassies -

Until the annexation, ruled as a breach of international law by the United Nations, 13 countries maintained their embassies in Jerusalem: Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, The Netherlands, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela.

They all relocated to Tel Aviv, where other states had their legations.

Costa Rica and El Salvador returned to the city in 1984 but headed back to Tel Aviv in 2006.

- US policy on holy city -

In 1995 the US Congress passed an act stating "Jerusalem should be recognised as the capital of the State of Israel and the United States embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999."

Since then, implementation has been blocked by succesive US presidents.

Trump vowed during his election campaign to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and to recognise the disputed city as Israel's capital. He has since backed away, saying the move was still being studied.

The traditional US position on the city has been that its status must be negotiated between the two sides.
A child receives treatment on May 15, 2017 in Yemen, where a cholera outbreak has killed 315 people in less than a month

Cholera has killed 315 people in Yemen in under a month, the World Health Organization has said, as another aid organisation warned Monday the outbreak could become a "full-blown epidemic".

The WHO has recorded another 29,300 suspected cases of cholera in 19 provinces across the war-torn country from April 27 to Sunday, it said on Twitter late Sunday.

"Cholera continues to spread in Yemen," it said.

Save the Children on Monday warned that, at the current rate, more than 65,000 cases of cholera are expected by the end of June.

"Save the Children staff in Yemen are warning that a deadly cholera outbreak could become a full blown-epidemic," it said in a statement.

An epidemic refers to the spread of a disease in excess of normal expectancy, according to the WHO.

Cholera is a highly contagious bacterial infection that is spread through contaminated food or water.

"The upsurge comes as the health system, sanitation facilities and civil infrastructure have reached breaking point because of the ongoing war" in Yemen, Save the Children said.

It said the cholera response is "massively underfunded", calling for "urgent financial support".

Yemen's conflict has killed more than 8,000 people since March 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign against Shiite rebels in support of the government.
Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas accused US President Donald Trump on Monday of smearing the name of Palestinian "resistance" to Israeli occupation during a speech on Islam.

Addressing Muslim leaders in Riyadh on Sunday, Trump called for unity against "Islamic terror", specifically naming Hamas and the Islamic State group.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said Trump's remarks were "aimed at besmirching the reputation of the Palestinian resistance".

The movement refused to be treated as a "terrorist" organisation, he told AFP.

Senior Hamas official Mushir al-Masri said Trump was "aligning himself with the policies of the (Israeli) occupier".

In his speech, Trump called on Muslim leaders to confront "the crisis of Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds".

He specifically named Sunni jihadist groups IS and Al-Qaeda and Lebanon's armed Shiite movement Hezbollah alongside Hamas.

Hamas used force to seize control of the Gaza Strip from secular Palestinian rivals in 2007 after winning an election.

It is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and Israel, with which it has fought three wars in the Gaza Strip since 2008.

Trump arrived in Israel Monday and is due to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day.

He is to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas Tuesday as he seeks ways to restart moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, seen here at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Lima in November 2016, says he is not running for office but wants to learn more about people's "hopes and challenges"

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg says he is not running for public office but is making a series of public appearances "to learn about people's hopes and challenges."

The co-founder of the world's biggest social network sought to dampen speculation he is running for president, fueled by his campaign-style appearances around the United States.

"My personal challenge this year is to visit every state I haven't spent time in before to learn about people's hopes and challenges, and how they're thinking about their work and communities," Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post late Sunday from Newport, Rhode Island.

"Some of you have asked if this challenge means I'm running for public office. I'm not."

Zuckerberg said he wants "to get a broader perspective to make sure we're best serving our community of almost two billion people at Facebook" and to help understand how to get the most from the philanthropy he set up with his wife, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

In recent months, Zuckerberg has been increasingly in the public eye, discussing social and political issues in general as well as the role Facebook plays in the world.

In a February post, Zuckerberg said Facebook can play a role in bringing people together as they face fractious politics and anti-globalization sentiment.

In his message Sunday, Zuckerberg said his public appearances have included meetings with recovering heroin addicts, juvenile detainees and community leaders in disadvantages parts of the country.

His discussions brought him to conclude "that our relationships shape us more than we think" and that social networks, whether online or not, are important.

"This isn't a scientific study and it requires further research, but I think there's something to this idea that your relationships shape your path more than we realize," he wrote.
US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City on May 22, 2017

Donald Trump on Monday became the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall in the disputed city of Jerusalem, placing his hand on one of the most sacred sites in Judaism.

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray. Trump, wearing a black skullcap, paused in front of it, then placed what appeared to be a written prayer or note between its stones, as is custom.

He was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders during the hugely symbolic visit.

Allowing them to do so could have led to accusations that Washington was implicitly recognising Israel's unilateral claim of sovereignty over the site, which would break with years of US and international precedent.

Security was tight, with the usually bustling Old City, where the Western Wall is located, essentially on lockdown and the plaza leading to the site cleared.

Trump was accompanied by the Western Wall's rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovitz, during the visit.

Trump's daughter Ivanka, who converted to Judaism and is married to one of the president's top aides, Jared Kushner, also visited the women's side of the wall.

Trump, who is Protestant, is the first US president to have Jewish members of his immediate family.

Under strict interpretation of Jewish law, men and women must pray separately there. The rule has been repeatedly challenged by progressive Jewish movements seeking equal prayer rights.

The Western Wall is the last remnant of the supporting wall of the second Jewish temple, built by King Herod and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

It is situated below the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site, referred to by Jews as the Temple Mount and considered their holiest.

The visit to the Western Wall drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump, prays at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City on May 22, 2017

The status of Jerusalem is ultra-sensitive and has been among the most difficult issues in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem, where the Western Wall is located, and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

The traditional US position has been that Jerusalem's status must be negotiated between the two sides.

Trump's visit to the wall came as part of his first trip abroad as president. The trip includes stops at important sites for Christians, Muslims and Jews.

The first leg of his trip was in Saudi Arabia, while later stops will include the Vatican.

Before visiting the Western Wall, Trump toured the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

A group of Christian Mexicans visiting Jerusalem to see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre discussed ways to get out of the Old City with Israeli police, after being told they could not visit.

Mauricio Guerra, one of the group of six, said he was "very disappointed" to not be able to visit the site as he only had one day in the city.

"We have travelled here to see the church," he said on Monday morning.

"We as Mexicans have Trump as our neighbour and now he is following us here as well," he laughed to AFP, with Trump having pledged to build a wall between the United States and Mexico during his campaign.

"He is our cross (to bear)," he said, holding his arms wide.
A South African big-game hunter was crushed to death when an elephant picked him up and then fell on him after being shot, Zimbabwean officials said

A South African big-game hunter was crushed to death when an elephant picked him up and then fell on him after being shot, Zimbabwean officials and media reports said Monday.

Theunis Botha, 51, a professional hunter who specialised in hunting with hounds, died on Friday in western Zimbabwe.

He was leading a group of hunters on state-owned land in the Gwayi region when they disturbed a breeding herd and were charged by four female elephants.

One elephant lifted Botha up with her trunk, and a fellow hunter shot the animal dead, the News24 website said.

As the elephant collapsed, it crushed Botha, giving him fatal injuries.

His body was taken to Hwange mortuary.

Simukai Nyasha, spokesman for Zimbabwe's parks and wildlife management authority, confirmed the death to AFP.

"The unfortunate incident happened when the hunting party got in the middle of a breeding herd of elephants and were attacked by female elephants," he said, adding that the hunt was authorised.

A spokeswoman for Botha's company "Big Game Safaris", based in Limpopo, South Africa, declined to comment to AFP, but said a statement would be issued later this week.

Botha led regular "trophy hunts" for clients, often from America, who pay thousands of dollars to shoot leopards, giraffes, elephants and other animals.

A father of five, Botha's family-run company was set up in 1983 and operates in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia.

Another South African was killed by a crocodile last month while hunting in southern Zimbabwe.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the raid by gunmen late Saturday on the guest house run by Swedish charity Operation Mercy in the heart of the Afghan capital

Kabul police said Monday they were investigating a "terrorist" attack on an international guest house that left a German aid worker and an Afghan guard dead and a Finnish woman kidnapped.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the raid by gunmen late Saturday on the guest house run by Swedish charity Operation Mercy in the heart of the Afghan capital.

"We are investigating this as a terrorist attack," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP, adding the identity of the attackers was not confirmed.

Kabul police chief Hassan Shah Frogh suggested the Taliban may have been behind it, but the insurgents have yet to comment on the attack.

"There is a possibility that the Taliban plotted the attack, but why would they (Taliban) resort to such actions?" Frogh told local Tolo News.

"It is clear whenever they suffer major casualties or their commanders and high profile officials are arrested, then the Taliban resort to such action."

But Taliban insurgents are currently ramping up their annual spring offensive, with their strength growing more than 15 years after they were toppled from power by the US-led invasion of 2001.

Authorities in Helsinki on Sunday said they had contacted the family and employer of the kidnapped Finnish woman and were investigating the incident in coordination with their counterparts in Kabul.

"At the moment, the identity of the kidnappers in not known. Finland urges immediate release of the kidnapped person," the Finnish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Operation Mercy works with local Afghan communities in areas such as reducing infant mortality and women's empowerment.

The kidnapping of foreigners has been on the rise, but the threat of abduction is even greater for Afghans.

Kabul is plagued by criminal gangs who stage abductions for ransom, often targeting foreigners and wealthy locals, and sometimes handing them over to insurgent groups.

Aid workers in particular have increasingly been casualties of a surge in violence in recent years.

Judith D'Souza, a 40-year-old Indian employee of the Aga Khan Foundation, a prominent NGO that has long worked in Afghanistan, was rescued last July nearly a month after she was abducted near her residence in central Kabul.

Katherine Jane Wilson, a well-known Australian NGO worker, was kidnapped in April last year in the city of Jalalabad near the border with Pakistan. Wilson was released in March this year.
Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, at a press conference in Tehran on May 22, mocks US strategy in the Middle East and dismisses Donald Trump's summit with Arab leaders as "just a show"

Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani ridiculed US strategy in the Middle East, dismissing Donald Trump's summit with Arab leaders as "just a show" and insisting that missile tests will continue.

"Our missiles are for our defence and for peace, they are not offensive. Know that while there is a technical need to conduct missile tests, we will do so and we will ask the permission of no one," Rouhani told reporters in Tehran.

His comments followed fierce critism from the US president during visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel.

"Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said in Jerusalem.

Rouhani, who defeated hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi in Friday's presidential election, responded by ridiculing decades of US strategy in the Middle East.

"When they attacked Afghanistan, they made a mistake. When they attacked Iraq, they made a mistake. When they imposed sanctions on us, they made a mistake," he said.

"If you know of a case where America acted correctly, you tell me."

He said the only sensible move by Washington was the nuclear deal it signed with Iran in 2015, when the US "talked with respect" and reached a "win-win result".

"If American chooses another path, it will fail again. There is no doubt in this."

He said Iran was still forming its judgement of the Trump administration.

"We are waiting for this government to settle... I hope it can settle so that we can have a better judgement about those in Washington," said Rouhani.

Asked about Trump's summit with Arab leaders on Sunday, Rouhani said it was "just a show with no practical or political value of any kind".

In a jibe at the billion-dollar deals signed between Trump and the Saudi government, he said: "You can't solve terrorism just by giving your people's money to a superpower."

He added that it was Iran's allies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq that had been leading the fight against the Islamic State group and other jihadists.

"Those who have fought terrorists are the Syrian and Iraqi people. Iran has stood by their side and continues to do so," he said.

"The American people have not forgotten the blood spilt on September 11. They will not allow it to be traded for billions of dollars," he added, accusing the Saudis of promoting the extremism behind jihadist groups.

- 'No to destruction' -

Focusing on the domestic situation at the start of his press conference, Rouhani criticised his hardline opponents for claiming they were the true keepers of the Islamic revolution.

Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani, at a press conference in Tehran on May 22, says his victory was a show of support for his message of "unity and moderation"

"No one has the right to confiscate the revolution," said Rouhani, boosted by his election victory.

"The people said no to destruction... and said yes to unity, moderation, engagement and wisdom."

He made veiled criticisms at security agencies that control large swathes of the Iranian economy and have sought to block his efforts to privatise and attract foreign investment.

"The people know... that without competition on the basis of quality, not on the basis of political or security power, that our economy cannot progress," he said.
Mobs in the largely tribal Jharkhand state set upon victims with sticks and fists over two days of violence as rumours spread on social media that a gang was kidnapping children, police said

Indian police said Monday they had arrested nearly two dozen people on charges including murder and rioting after a wave of lynchings in an eastern state that left eight dead.

Mobs in the largely tribal Jharkhand state set upon victims with sticks and fists over two days of violence as rumours spread on social media that a gang was kidnapping children, police said.

The brutality of the murders -- captured potently in one viral image showing a bloodied man on his hands and knees begging for his life -- has sparked outrage and allegations of police negligence.

Jharkhand has been on edge since the lynchings, just the latest in recent months across India, where mobs have publicly murdered people for inter-faith marriages and alleged offences involving sacred cows.

Prashant Anand, police superintendent in the state's main city of Jamshedpur, said locals in two neighbouring districts attacked "any outsider irrespective of his community" after baseless rumours spread on WhatsApp and social media.

"We have so far arrested 20 people, five for lynching and 15 others for rioting or clashing with the authorities," he told AFP.

Distraught relatives of the victims have clashed with authorities since the attacks last week, demanding a speedy investigation into the murders.

Local authorities have launched a public awareness campaign, distributing flyers to dispel rumours about the child kidnapping racket.

Police have been criticised for not responding quickly to dispel the misinformation, or to assure villagers about the safety of their children as fear took hold.

The National Human Rights Commission, India's main rights watchdog, Monday said Jharkhand law enforcement agencies had failed to perform their duty.

"A civilised society cannot allow such heinous crimes to occur where human lives are taken by angry mob merely on suspicion of them being anti-social elements," it said.

Child trafficking is a major problem in India, particularly in rural areas. Victims are sold off to work in factories or as beggars and prostitutes.

India's indigenous tribes often suffer the worst rates of poverty, malnutrition, education and life expectancy.
China sought to dispel concerns about its ambitions in mineral-rich Antarctica on Monday, with an official saying Beijing has no plans to start mining in the vast continent.

China's expanding activities in polar regions is a focal point as Beijing hosts the annual meeting of the Antarctic Treaty for the first time.

Some 400 delegates from 42 countries and 10 international bodies were attending the forum, which kicked off Monday and ends June 1.

China's expanding activities in polar regions is a focal point as Beijing hosts the annual meeting of the Antarctic Treaty for the first time

WHAT IS THERE? There are known reserves of oil and coal as well as mineral deposits in Antarctica, although detailed knowledge of these mineral deposits is sketchy. In the last 50 years of scientific research, no large deposits of mineralized rocks have been found. Mining in Antarctica would be very difficult, dangerous and expensive as the climate is so harsh, the ice is very thick and Antarctica is very remote from major centres of population. Advertisement

'There is still a gap between the goal of peaceful development of Antarctica's resources and our understanding of Antarctica,' Lin Shanqing, deputy head of the State Oceanic Administration, told reporters on the sidelines of the forum.

Lin did not answer a question on what he meant by peaceful resource development but he stressed that China's Antarctic expeditions 'focus on boosting our understanding of the Antarctic and to better conserve the Antarctic environment.'

'According to my knowledge, China has made no plans for mining activity in Antarctica,' Lin added.

Experts have raised concerns that China harbours a long-term goal of extracting resources from the continent, which the Antarctic Treaty currently forbids.

However, a protocol of the treaty forbidding raw material removal activity from the continent comes into review in 2048.

'2048 seems like a long way away, but ... there have been concerns raised that Beijing is pursuing a long-term 'hedging' strategy in case the continent is thrown open to resource development, including mining and oil and gas drilling, in the future,' Marc Lanteigne, lecturer on Chinese foreign policy at Massey University, told AFP.

'However, at present China is taking great care to stress the scientific aspects of its polar policies, promote cooperation with other governments, and dispel concerns that it is a revisionist power in Antarctica,' Lanteigne said.

Various countries maintain bases in Antarctica, a shared space for scientific research under the 1959 international treaty, which China joined in 1983.

China currently has four research stations on the continent and a fifth is planned for 2019, which would put China on par with the US in number of bases.

'Hosting the meeting in Beijing is an opportunity for China to acquire international acceptance of their (newly) prominent position in Antarctic affairs,' said Anne-Marie Brady, specialist in Chinese and polar politics at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

China may not be seeking any changes to existing Antarctic law in the immediate future, Brady told AFP.

But she noted they have been 'reluctant to expand conservation measures, as demonstrated by their opposition to proposals for marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean.'
Italy registered nearly 50,000 migrant arrivals by sea by mid-April, 97 percent of them from Libya, according to Rome.

Italy has signed a deal with Libya, Chad and Niger to try to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean by beefing up border controls and creating new reception centres in the African nations.

A joint statement by the interior ministers of the four countries said they had agreed to set up centres in Chad and Niger, key countries of transit for migrants who travel to Libya and on to Italy from sub-Saharan Africa.

The statement, released Sunday after an Italy-organised meeting in Rome, said the new centres in Chad and Niger, and the existing ones in Libya, would live up to "international humanitarian standards".

Rights groups have slammed the conditions of existing detention centres in crisis-hit Libya and questioned how the West can ensure such "international standards" are met and kept.

"Libyan legislation criminalises illegal immigration so it is not clear how these could be reception centres and not detention centres," Mattia Toaldo, a European Council on Foreign Relations expert, said Monday.

"The establishment of 'reception centres' in Niger and Chad is also questionable: is Europe outsourcing its border control to these countries? If so, in exchange for what amounts of money and coming from where?".

Toaldo also questioned why the deal was made by interior ministers and how they hoped to follow through on a commitment to "promote legal economic development" as an alternative to the wealthy trafficking trade.

- Brink of famine -

On Sunday the head of the United Nations refugee agency Filippo Grandi urged Libyan authorities to free all asylum seekers and refugees from its detention centres, slamming the conditions as "shocking".

While promising to try to step-up the UNHCR's presence, Grandi said it would take time for political and security reasons.

Libya has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. People smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business in the chaos which has engulfed the country since its 2011 revolution.

Italy registered nearly 50,000 migrant arrivals by sea by mid-April, 97 percent of them from Libya, according to Rome.

The Libyan coastguard is believed to have picked up close to 6,000 migrants attempting the perilous crossing this year and returned them to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Nigerians have made up the largest group of people fleeing for Italy since January. Two million people are teetering on the brink of famine in the country's northeast, home to the notoriously ruthless Boko Haram.

The jihadist group launched an uprising there in 2009 which has since spilled over into neighbouring Chad and Niger.
Drought has left Theewaterskloof Dam, some 100 kms from Cape Town, at less than 20 percent of water capacity

South Africa's Western Cape region which includes Cape Town declared a drought disaster on Monday as the province battled its worst water shortages for 113 years.

Boreholes will be drilled at hospitals in Cape Town, a popular international tourist destination, a mobile desalination plant will be tested and the natural aquifer at Table mountain will be tapped.

Southern African nations are reeling from a two-year drought which has affected over 40 million people, according to UN figures, and was caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon.

"(Regional leader) Helen Zille has officially declared the Western Cape a disaster area in response to the current drought crisis -- the worst since 1904," the Western Cape government said in a statement.

"The disaster declaration will accelerate... the province's strategy to ensure that taps do not run dry," said Zille.

The disaster alert will last for three months and can be extended if the crisis persists, the statement said.

"Our government wishes to assure the public that the declaration is no cause to panic."

The declaration will mean that authorities in the region can prioritise public funds for drought relief operations.

Two reservoirs in the Western Cape region are already completely dry according to official statistics.

The Karoo and West Coast areas of the Western Cape previously declared drought disasters in 2016, but Monday's announcement extends the scope of those emergency measures to the entire province.

In February Cape Town announced a crackdown on splashing and surfer shorts at the city's swimming pools in a bid to save water.

It also called on residents not to use more than 100 litres (22 gallons) of water daily.
Tunisian protesters gather outside the Tataouine governor's office on May 22, 2017, in solidarity with a sit-in outside an oil and gas installation in the same province to demand jobs

A young protester was killed Monday after a national guard vehicle "accidentally" ran him over in south Tunisia, raising fears of mounting social unrest in a region rocked by weeks of protest.

The death comes as tensions have risen between protesters and security forces outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station.

Protesters have been camping outside the desert installation in the Tataouine region for around a month, blocking trucks from entering, to demand a share of local resources and priority for jobs in the sector.

"The health ministry announces the accidental death of a young man, (run over) by the national guard. He was a protester," it told AFP.

Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators in El Kamour on Monday as they tried to storm the facility, local radio said, with another protest later reported in the city of Tataouine some 100 kilometres (60 miles) away.

The head of Tataouine hospital, Ibrahim Gharghar, said "around 50 injured" people were admitted, including one who was hit in the eye by a tear gas canister.

The death of the demonstrator came two days after soldiers fired warning shots in El Kamour to deter protesters.

It was the first escalation since President Beji Caid Essebsi said earlier this month the army would protect key economic installations from being disrupted by protests over social and labour issues.

Late Sunday, the defence ministry in a statement warned the army would use force against anyone who tried to enter these installations.

The statement warned "all citizens of legal proceedings in the case of clashes with military or security units" and of possible casualties in "the case of a gradual escalation of use of force".

"One must understand that attempting to enter by force an installation protected by the army... is not a peaceful act... It requires a reaction," ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati told Express FM radio on Monday.

- Army in Tataouine -

Tunisian protesters, here shown on May 16, 2017, have been camping outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station for around a month to demand a share of local resources and jobs in the sector

An AFP correspondent said clashes also erupted on Monday outside the Tataouine governor's office after residents staged a protest in support of the El Kamour sit-in.

Footage shared on social media showed at least one injured demonstrator, and ambulances arriving, sirens screaming, at the city hospital.

"We only went out to protest after violence erupted in El Kamour," one participant said, asking to remain anonymous.

He said a small group set fire to police and national guard stations in the city, which local media also reported.

"Everything is closed in Tataouine. Just the army is here -- police and national guard have left," he said.

"We have no problem with the army, who behave in a very civilised way," the protester added.

The AFP correspondent said the atmosphere remained tense in the city.

In Tunis, dozens gathered near the interior ministry to protest against the violence in El Kamour. There was a heavy police presence nearby.

Tataouine, around 500 kilometres south of Tunis, has been rocked in recent weeks by protests over unemployment and poverty, and perceived marginalisation of the country's periphery.

Last month, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed travelled to the region in an attempt to address concerns but was shouted down and forced to leave a heated town hall meeting.

Dozens of protesters interrupted his speech with cries of "Work! Freedom! National Dignity!" -- a slogan from the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In January 2016, Tunisia was rocked by some of the worst social unrest since the 2011 protests that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.

Anger erupted after the death of a 28-year-old unemployed man who was electrocuted when he climbed a power pole while protesting in the central town of Kasserine.

That unrest had echoes of the public anger after the death of a young fruit seller who set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010 in protest at unemployment and police harassment.
Former US national security advisory Michael Flynn is a key figure of interest in several probes into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 election

President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn defied a Senate subpoena Monday for documents on his links to Russia, saying it came amid a stream of "outrageous allegations" that "feed the escalating public frenzy against him."

But Flynn quickly faced fresh accusations from a top Democrat saying he misled the Pentagon about his Russia contacts one year ago.

Elijah Cummings, the senior Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said Flynn failed to report to Pentagon investigators payments he received from Russian bodies or attending a gala with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a gala in Moscow.

Citing internal Pentagon documents, Cummings said they "appear to indicate that General Flynn lied to the investigators who interviewed him in 2016 as part of his security clearance renewal."

The revelation ratcheted up pressure on Flynn, the former defense intelligence chief who has become a key target in the explosive probe into links between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 election.

In a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Flynn's lawyer Robert Kelner said Monday that he was invoking his constitutional protection against self-incrimination in refusing to comply with their subpoena.

"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes it clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him," Kelner said.

"He is the target on nearly a daily basis of outrageous allegations, often attributed to anonymous sources in Congress or elsewhere in the United States government."

- Risking contempt charges -

The refusal to comply risked Flynn being cited for contempt of Congress. But in a joint statement, the panel's chairman Senator Richard Burr and vice chair Senator Mark Warner only said they were "disappointed" in Flynn's stance.

"We will vigorously pursue General Flynn's testimony and his production of any and all pertinent materials pursuant to the committee's authorities," they said.

Flynn is one of a number of Trump associates being examined in separate investigations into Russia's election interference by the Department of Justice and several committees in Congress. The main focus of the probes is whether any of them colluded with Moscow.

But increasingly Flynn is being probed for his own allegedly deceptive behavior about contacts he had with Russians before and after the election.

Investigators are examining Flynn's paid trip to Moscow to attend an RT television gala in 2015, where he sat with President Vladimir Putin, and his multiple communications with Russia's US ambassador last December after the election.

Flynn was fired as White House national security advisor in February, just weeks into the job, amid concerns that he may have been compromised by those contacts.

Kelner told the Senate panel that if Flynn complies with the documents subpoena, he risks giving up the ability to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights if he is ordered to testify in person, or in any of the investigations.

The lawyer reiterated his offer for Flynn to testify "should the circumstances permit, including assurances against unfair prosecution," which analysts interpret as seeking immunity for his client in exchange for testimony.

- Flynn misled Pentagon -

Cummings, however, only widened the accusations against the retired lieutenant general in a letter addressed to Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the Oversight Committee.

The Democratic congressman said a March 2016 Pentagon report on Flynn's security clearance application showed that Flynn claimed his trips abroad were funded by US companies, when documents show that RT paid for the December trip to the Moscow gala.

In addition, Cummings charged, Flynn did not report his meeting with Putin, reporting only that he had "insubstantial contact" with foreign nationals.

"It is difficult to understand how General Flynn could have believed that his dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin was an 'insubstantial contact'," Cummings wrote.

Cummings told Chaffetz that the Pentagon report supported his demand that the committee issue a subpoena to force the White House to turn over documents relating to Flynn.

Meanwhile, Chaffetz postponed, after speaking with James Comey, a hearing initially set for Wednesday at which the sacked FBI chief had been invited to testify.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura told the Security Council that "important gaps remain between the parties on major issues" following the sixth round of peace talks in Geneva last week

Despite little progress in the latest round of Syrian peace talks, negotiations are set to resume in June, the UN envoy said Monday.

Staffan de Mistura told the Security Council that "important gaps remain between the parties on major issues" following the sixth round in Geneva held last week.

The Syrian government and the opposition took part in four days of indirect talks aimed at ending the war that has killed more than 320,000 people since 2011.

De Mistura said all sides were ready to return to the table for a new round of talks "which we intend to target sometime in June."

The envoy said the talks are to lay the groundwork for "a real negotiation" and expressed hope that this "will be possible before too long."

Hopes for a breakthrough were dim when the negotiations opened last week, with the fate of President Bashar al-Assad still a major stumbling block.

The opposition insists that Assad must leave power as part of any peace deal but the government has rejected the demand.

A series of expert-level talks will take place to pursue discussion on a range of issues including the thorny matter of a new constitution, but the UN envoy stressed that these would not be decision-making meetings.

"We are not seeking to draft a new Syrian constitution in Geneva," said De Mistura. "We are laying foundations for the time when the Syrians can do that."
South Sudan President Salva Kiir, pictured on May 18, 2107, has vowed the army will lay down arms, but warned that his troops would defend themselves if attacked

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir declared a unilateral ceasefire Monday as he launched a national dialogue, a controversial bid to end a civil war that excludes his rival Riek Machar.

It is not the first time Kiir has vowed the army will lay down arms in the three-year conflict, and he warned that his troops would defend themselves if attacked.

"I am also once again declaring a unilateral ceasefire effective from today, so that we can create an environment for an inclusive dialogue and so that we can transport humanitarian aid to famine struck areas," Kiir said at the opening of the national dialogue.

However he told army commanders "you have the right to defend yourself".

A 94-member steering committee was sworn in "to conduct consultations as widely as possible to give the people of South Sudan (a chance) to air out their views and aspirations to restore peace in their country."

The process -- first announced in December -- has been hampered by financial constraints as well as disagreements over the set-up of the steering committee.

Kiir himself will be overseeing the dialogue, a fact which has drawn criticism from opposition groups and activists, and has refused to have his foe Machar take part.

South Sudan has been at war since December 2013 when Kiir fell out with Machar, accusing him of plotting a coup.

"Everybody is welcome to participate in the national dialogue except Riek Machar. Riek Machar will come and cause another war in Juba," said Kiir.

"But if he has a delegation ... let them appoint these people to come to Juba. We guarantee their safety and so that they don't fear their lives."

Three years after the power struggle led to war in the world's youngest country, a peace deal signed in 2015 is in tatters, and all efforts to end fighting have failed.

The conflict has evolved beyond the two main protagonists, breaking down along ethnic lines and drawing in different actors and local grievances.

"A national dialogue could be critical in ensuring a representative discussion of the major issues that affect South Sudanese and on the way forward for the future," said Amanda Lucey, a peace building researcher at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies.

"However, there are serious concerns over the legitimacy of the process."

The UN last month slammed a "callous and blatant disregard" for a ceasefire promised by Kiir in March.

Several government offensives in recent weeks have led to intensified fighting around the country, sending tens of thousands fleeing with reports of atrocities at the hands of Kiir's army.
Iraq, which relies on revenue from crude sales for the vast majority of government funds, was hit hard by the fall in oil prices, which came as it wages a costly war against the jihadists

Iraq has agreed to a nine-month extension of a production cut pact among OPEC members that is aimed at boosting crude prices, the country's oil minister said on Monday.

"We are in agreement with the kingdom (of Saudi Arabia)... to continue the production cut" for another nine months, Jabbar al-Luaybi told a news conference in Baghdad alongside the Saudi energy minister, Khalid al-Falih.

"After our conversation with the prime minister, he gave the green light to his excellency (the Iraqi oil minister) to approve" the nine-month extension, Falih said.

At the end of November, the 13 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1, initially for six months, to reduce a supply glut.

Then in December, non-OPEC producers led by Russia agreed to reduce their own output by 558,000 barrels per day.

OPEC members and Russia will meet on Thursday and are expected to extend the production cut agreement.

"After the historic agreement last November which restored balance to the markets, the oil industry began to recover in a major way, but not completely," Falih said.

Iraq, which relies on revenue from crude sales for the vast majority of government funds, was hit hard by the fall in oil prices, which came as it wages a costly war against the jihadists.
A handout picture provided by the Saudi Royal Palace on May 22, 2017, shows US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump waving as they board Air Force One before leaving Riyadh for Israel

Saudi King Salman on Monday described US President Donald Trump's visit to the Muslim kingdom in the Gulf as a "turning point" in relations between the two countries.

Trump on Monday concluded his landmark visit to Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January, during which the allies announced arms deals and investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

"This is a turning point in relations between the two countries," Salman told his council of ministers, according to state news agency SPA.

He said relations between the two countries will advance from a partnership to the "level of strengthening consultations, cooperation and coordination on all fronts".

The king also praised an "historic agreement" between Gulf monarchies and Washington "to take firm measures to target the financing of terrorism" and the setting up of a Riyadh-based centre for this task, SPA said.

The ministers also hailed the launch of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh on Sunday.

Dubbed "Etital", Arabic for moderation, the centre "embodies the kingdom's great efforts and its ongoing fight against terrorism", SPA reported.

In his first foreign speech, Trump on Sunday urged Muslim leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion, describing the struggle against extremism as a "battle between good and evil".
A Moroccan boy holds a flag during a demonstration against corruption, repression and unemployment in the northern city of Al-Hoceima on May 18, 2017

Morocco's interior minister led a large government delegation Monday to the northern city of Al-Hoceima which has been rocked by months of protests demanding jobs and economic development.

Al-Hoceima is in the Rif -- a long-neglected ethnically Berber region that was at the heart of a 2011 movement for reform that saw King Mohammed VI cede some of his powers.

It has witnessed a wave of protests since the death in October of fishmonger Mouhcine Fikri, 31, who was crushed in a garbage truck as he tried to protest against the seizure of fish he had caught out of season.

A flurry of government ministers have visited Al-Hoceima in recent months, promising projects to boost the local economy.

On Monday, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit and seven other cabinet members toured the city where they visited construction sites and held talks with local officials, an AFP journalist said.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Aziz Akhannouch was also seen touring the port, the city's main economic hub.

"There are solutions for all the problems," Akhannouch said, pledging the government's support to fishermen in the region.

But such promises appear to fall on deaf ears in the region, where weeks of public anger have led to the creation of a new movement demanding economic inclusion for the Rif.

On Thursday, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Al-Hoceima led by Nasser Zefzafi, who heads the movement known as Al-Hirak al-Shaabi (Popular Movement).

Zefzafi has repeatedly said his group would continue to "resist" until authorities "respond to our demands" for the economic and social development of the region.
Yahya Jammeh (C), pictured in 2016, ran everything from bakeries to farms during his tenure as Gambia's president and was regularly accused of taking over successful businesses for his own gain

The Gambia's longtime former ruler Yahya Jammeh stole at least $50-million from the state, the country's justice minister said Monday, in the first major anti-corruption move by the country's new president.

It is the first time the new government of the small west African nations has put a figure to the amount it believes Jammeh plundered from state coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after 22 years in power.

"President Yahya Jammeh personally or under his instructions directed the unlawful withdrawal of at least $50 million," said Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou, describing withdrawals from The Gambia's central bank and linked with state-owned Gamtel between 2013 and 2017.

"We have today obtained a court order freezing or placing a temporary hold on the known assets in the country of former President Yahya Jammeh and companies directly associated with him," Tambadou added.

The court order concerns 88 bank accounts in Jammeh's name or those of his associates, Tambadou told journalists, along with 14 companies linked with the former strongman.

Jammeh ran everything from bakeries to farms during his tenure and was regularly accused of taking over successful businesses for his own gain.

Monday's order was designed to prevent Jammeh "liquidating or dissipating assets," the minister added, confirming the order applied only to the former leader's assets in The Gambia.

Last Tuesday Gambian police said three cousins of the former president would face theft charges after selling off his cattle, raising suspicions that his contacts still in the country were under scrutiny.

"These discoveries are just a tip of the iceberg," Tambadou told a press conference.Interior Minister Mai Fatty accused Jammeh of taking $11 million after leaving in January, adding he also took luxury cars piled onto a Chadian cargo plane, but the claim was not backed up by the rest of the cabinet.

The Gambia's longtime opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections in April, easily defeating Jammeh's party which has been cast into the electoral wilderness by his departure.

That came after the stunning ouster of Jammeh by President Adama Barrow in a December presidential election, a result which the defeated leader fought for weeks until the threat of a regional military intervention.

Meanwhile police continue to investigate dozens of forced disappearances under Jammeh's rule, with victims clamouring for justice.

The Gambia's National Assembly was long derided for acting as a rubber stamp for Jammeh's decisions, but hopes are high for a revitalised chamber with a raft of fresh faces elected.
Protesters gathered outside US Citizenship and Immigration Services in Little Haiti May 21 to call for extended temporary protection service

More than 58,000 Haitians who stayed in the United States with a special protected status since a catastrophic 2010 earthquake will be allowed to stay another six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday.

The Haitians were facing orders to return home from July 23 if the department did not renew their so-called Temporary Protected Status, granted after a magnitude 7 earthquake destroyed much of the capital Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010.

Activists had been hoping for a longer extension -- as much as 18 months -- and warned that six months is not long enough for destitute Haiti to prepare for an influx of more than 50,000 people.

The quake killed tens of thousands and displaced more than one million people. Since then the country has struggled against hurricane disasters, political turmoil and a sweeping cholera epidemic to rebuild and shore up its economy.

Having TPS allowed the Haitians to remain in the United States past the expiration of their visas and work legally.

DHS officials said there are around 58,700 Haitians living in the US under temporary protected status.

Many do not have up-to-date Haitian travel documents, which has posed a problem to ending their status.

Before the extension expires in January, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly will decide whether to grant another one or terminate it, his department said in a statement.

"I believe there are indications that Haiti -- if its recovery from the 2010 earthquake continues at pace -- may not warrant further TPS extension past January 2018," Kelly said in the statement.

"TPS as enacted in law is inherently temporary in nature, and beneficiaries should plan accordingly that this status may finally end after the extension announced today."

Haitian Women of Miami, an advocacy group, said it was disappointed that the extension was only six months rather than 18.

"As we have stated numerous times, Haiti is in no position to safely absorb an additional 50,000 persons, nor to make up for the remittances that would be curtailed," it said in a statement.

"Haitian immigrants will continue to live in fear and will be further pushed in the shadows," it added.

As part of a general crackdown on illegal immigration, the government has been deporting Haitians who do not have temporary protected status, raising protests from pro-immigrant groups.
The US Supreme Court rejects a North Carolina congressional redistricting scheme, ruling that race was used to dilute the strength of African-American voters

The US Supreme Court on Monday said Republican legislators in the state of North Carolina illegally used race to draw up congressional districts that would dilute the strength of African-American voters.

In a 5-3 ruling, the top US court agreed with plaintiffs who said that the redrawn electoral boundaries deliberately targeted minority voters to diminish their political power.

"A state may not use race as the predominant factor in drawing district lines unless it has a compelling reason," Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the majority opinion.

The ruling is important because North Carolina is a "swing state," one that vacillated between voting for Republicans and Democrats.

African-American voters traditionally support the Democratic Party, while Republicans have an advantage with whites voters.

North Carolina redrew its congressional map in 2011, shortly after Democratic President Barack Obama, a target of the conservative Tea Party movement, lost his majority in the US House of Representatives.

According to The Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization that submitted a friend-of-the-court brief, the North Carolina state legislature intentionally packed thousands of black voters into two congressional districts where they already consistently elected Democratic candidates.

By raising the populations of voting-age African-Americans in those districts to above 50 percent, "the General Assembly sought to diminish the impact of black voters in other parts of the state," the Center said.

North Carolina insisted that it made good-faith efforts to abide by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlaws racial discrimination in the US electoral process.

The law requires states to take into account their minority populations -- generally prohibiting reducing minority-voting power through redistricting -- but not make that the defining principle in drawing up electoral maps.

Conservative justice Neil Gorsuch, recently appointed to the top US court by President Donald Trump, did not participate in the decision.

Redrawing electoral maps to gain political advantage -- a practice known as gerrymandering -- is a long-used tool by US political parties.

The term comes from the name of a 19th-century US vice president, Elbridge Gerry, who as governor of Massachusetts carved up electoral districts into what looked like a salamander. The press dubbed the map The Gerry-mander.
A man walks past a television showing a news report on North Korea's latest missile test in Seoul

The UN Security Council on Monday vowed to push all countries to tighten sanctions against North Korea as it prepared for a closed-door meeting called in response to the latest missile launch.

In a unanimous statement backed by China, Pyongyang's ally, the council strongly condemned the test-firing on Sunday and instructed the UN sanctions committee to redouble efforts to implement a raft of tough measures adopted last year.

The council also agreed to "take further significant measures including sanctions" to force North Korea to change course and end its "highly destabilizing behavior".

The US-drafted statement was agreed on the eve of the emergency meeting requested by the United States, Japan and South Korea to discuss a course of action on North Korea.

The United States has for weeks been negotiating a new Security Council sanctions resolution with China, but US Ambassador Nikki Haley said last week that no final draft text had been clinched.

"This is the same movie that keeps playing. He continues to test. We've got to do action," Haley told MSNBC television.

"You know, some say, oh, but sanctions haven't worked. First of all, when the entire international community speaks with one voice, it does work," she countered.

"It lets them know that they are on an island and we're all against them and that they need to correct their behavior."

North Korea on Sunday launched the Pukguksong-2, which was described by Washington as medium-range missile, from Pukchang in South Phyongan province.

It traveled about 310 miles (500 kilometers) before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea's armed forces.

- UN urges halt to tests -

The launch was the latest in a series this year as Pyongyang steps up its efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States.

"These actions threaten regional and international security," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"We call on the DPRK to stop further testing and allow space to explore the resumption of meaningful dialogue."

North Korea's missiles and nuclear tests

The United States says it is willing to enter into talks with North Korea if it halts its nuclear and missile tests.

Sunday's missile test came as US President Donald Trump was on his first trip abroad, visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican.

The latest missile tested uses solid fuel that allows for immediate firing, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.

So far almost all the North's missiles have been liquid-fueled, meaning they have to be time-consumingly filled with propellant before launch.

Solid fuel missiles can be fired far more rapidly, dramatically shortening the time available for any attempt to intervene and prevent a launch.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said "with pride" that the Pukguksong-2 was a "very accurate" missile and a "successful strategic weapon," KCNA said, adding he "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action."

The launch "completely verified" the reliability and accuracy of the device, and its late-stage warhead guidance system, KCNA said, adding the test results were "perfect."

People watch a screen showing news coverage of the Pukguksong-2 missile rocket launch at a public square in central Pyongyang on May 22, 2017

The test-firing came just one week after the North launched a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead."

After that launch, the council met to discuss tightening sanctions but there was no concrete action.

During last week's closed-door meeting, China insisted that there be no mention of a resolution in remarks read by the council president at the end of the meeting, diplomats said.

North Korea has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

The Security Council adopted two sanctions resolutions last year to ramp up pressure on Pyongyang and deny leader Kim the hard currency needed to fund his military programs.
South Korea's ousted president Park Geun-Hye was due in court Tuesday to face trial over the massive corruption scandal that led to her stunning downfall

South Korea's ousted president Park Geun-Hye went on trial Tuesday over the massive corruption scandal that led to her downfall.

A grim-faced Park, wearing a blue trouser suit, a badge with her prisoner number, and no make-up, walked into the courtroom at Seoul Central District Court, avoiding meeting the glance of her longtime secret confidante and co-accused Choi Soon-Sil.

The trial, expected to last for months, is the final act in the drama that engulfed Park, the daughter of a dictator who went on to be elected president herself before she was sacked by the country's top court in March.

Presiding judge Kim Se-Yun asked her: "What is your occupation, the accused Park Geun-Hye?"

She responded: "I don't have any occupation."

The fallen head of state was brought to the building in handcuffs, transported from a detention centre in a justice ministry bus, with at least six guards.

Park, 65, was impeached by parliament following revelations of her involvement in a massive graft scandal centred on Choi, her friend of 40 years, and implicating some of the country's top businessmen, including Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong.

Soon afterwards she was detained and indicted.

Tuesday's opening session was Park's first public appearance since she was taken into custody in March.

The trial could shed new light on the ties between Park and the bosses of the family-run conglomerates who allegedly bribed her.

Park faces 18 charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power for offering policy favours to tycoons who bribed her secret confidante.

Choi, the daughter of a shadowy religious figure who was Park's mentor for years, is similarly accused of using her presidential ties to force top firms to "donate" nearly $70 million to non-profit foundations which she then used for personal gain.

Park is also accused of letting Choi, who has no title or security clearance, handle a wide range of state affairs including senior nominations and even her daily wardrobe choices.

Choi is currently on trial for bribery and abuse of power, as is Samsung's Lee.

Park has denied all wrongdoing, blaming Choi for abusing their friendship.

Park Young-Soo, who led the special prosecutors who investigated the case, has said the proceedings will be "the trial of the century".

Park is the third former South Korean leader to stand trial for corruption following Chun Doo-Hwan and Roh Tae-Woo, who served jail terms in the 1990s for charges including bribery and treason.

In addition, ex-president Roh Moo-Hyun -- the mentor of new leader Moon Jae-In -- killed himself after being questioned over graft.
LYON, France (AP) - Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas is preparing to sell top scorer Alexandre Lacazette and says the player has a verbal agreement to join Spanish club Atletico Madrid.

The 25-year-old Lacazette has two years remaining on his contract but has made it clear he wants to leave.

"Alex has a verbal agreement with one club, Atletico. We have accepted Alex's demand to speak exclusively with this club," Aulas said after Saturday's season-ending 3-3 home draw with Nice. "But the quid pro quo of this exclusivity is that the transfer is done on our terms. For the time being, after two direct contacts, the offer is not completely in line with what we wish for."

The 25-year-old Lacazette scored twice on Saturday for a personal best tally of 28 league goals in a season. He also reached 100 league goals for Lyon and 129 overall since coming through the club's youth academy and making his debut during the 2009-10 campaign.

"I think it's the right time (to leave). I want to discover something new, test myself and go up a level," Lacazette was quoted as saying Saturday in L'Equipe magazine. "I want to see if I can answer the questions people are asking of me and keep improving."

Lacazette, who has scored 76 league goals in the past three seasons, is also close friends with Atletico top scorer Antoine Griezmann.

However, it remains to be seen whether Champions League semifinalist Atletico can actually sign Lacazette this summer.

Atletico is challenging a FIFA transfer ban that prevents the club from signing any players in the coming offseason.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport is hearing the appeal, but said a verdict is not expected immediately.

Atletico and FIFA previously agreed to seek a CAS verdict by June, before the summer trading period opens.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Dorothea Lange was driving by a pea pickers' camp on the California coast when she stumbled across a weary mother and her many children huddled in a lean-to.

It was 1936, during the throes of the Great Depression, and Lange took out her camera.

The image she titled "Migrant Mother" became the late photographer's most famous work, capturing the dirt and despair of that era through the eyes of a 32-year-old woman who had just sold her car tires for food.

In this photo taken Thursday, May 11, 2017, the iconic photograph Migrant Mother looks out at the exhibit "Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing," at the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, Calif. The three major themes of the Lange display are the Great Depression, the home front during World War II and the urban decline and postwar sprawl in California. Running through August 13, the exhibit includes 100 of Lange's photographs, including recognized works as well as new, improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

The photograph, digitally scanned and enlarged, is a dominant feature of a new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California called "Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing." The exhibit of 100 of Lange's photographs includes Dust Bowl migrants, Japanese-Americans incarcerated during World War II, the homeless and postwar urban decline.

The show also features the work of three modern photographers - Ken Light, Janet Delaney and Jason Jaacks - who were influenced by Lange's work.

Drew Johnson, who curated the show, said Lange's focus on poverty is timely in an age of economic disparity. The forced relocation of Japanese-Americans during WWII echoes today's debate over proposed travel bans, he said, and her postwar work on changing cities precedes battles over gentrification in places like San Francisco and Oakland.

"We live in troubled times, as you know, and I think it is impossible not to visit the exhibit and make some connections to things happening today," Johnson said. "It shows how a photographer can assume the role of activist to try to instigate social change."

Lange, born in 1895 in Hoboken, New Jersey, ran a portrait studio in San Francisco in the 1920s before becoming a pioneer of documentary photography.

She understood the concepts of blending in as well as standing out. She wandered the streets of New York City as a child, quietly observing others though she walked with a limp from polio. As an adult, her circle included leftists she met in Bohemian San Francisco.

When the Great Depression hit, Lange had only to look outside the windows of her studio in downtown San Francisco for subjects. One of her earliest and most recognized works is "White Angel Breadline," showing a lone man with a tin cup facing away from a San Francisco soup kitchen in 1933.

Her most famous photograph was of 32-year-old Florence Owens Thompson, a mother of seven, at a pea pickers' camp in the town of Nipomo, near the California coast.

An exhausted Lange was driving from Southern California to her home in Berkeley when she stumbled upon the family. Thompson had just sold her tires so her family could eat. She was sitting in a tent with her children, a baby at her breast.

The Lange exhibit includes six other pictures made just before "Migrant Mother."

The major themes of the Lange exhibit are the Great Depression, the home front during WWII, and urban decline and postwar sprawl in California.

Lange was known as a photographer of great empathy, someone who spent time with her subjects and took meticulous notes of their lives for detailed photo captions.

Ken Light, a social documentary photographer and photojournalism professor at the University of California, Berkeley, says if Lange was alive today, she would be documenting homeless tent cities, the U.S.-Mexico border and poverty in California's Central Valley.

"Revisiting stories she did so well because these stories, they don't disappear," he said.

Documentary photographer Janet Delaney said Lange would be following the issue of homelessness, but her work may not have resonated in today's world.

"I think we all have image fatigue," Delaney said. "It's a tough story to get out."

The Oakland museum houses the largest collection of Lange's work, including 25,000 negatives and 6,000 prints that it received as a gift 50 years ago from Lange's husband, Paul S. Taylor. The exhibit coincides with the 50th anniversary of her death and the gifting of the archive.

Lange lived most of her life in liberal Berkeley. She battled the effects of polio, which she contracted at age 7, for the last two decades of her life and died of esophageal cancer in 1965.

Visitors have a chance to hear from Lange herself, in segments of a 2014 documentary by Lange's granddaughter Dyanna Taylor.

"In every direction that you look, the camera is a powerful instrument by saying to the world, 'This is the way it is. Look at it, look at it!'" she said.

The exhibit runs through Aug. 13.

In this photo taken Thursday, May 11, 2017, is a 1942 photograph called Japanese Children with Tags that is in the exhibit "Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing," at the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, Calif. The three major themes of the Lange display are the Great Depression, the home front during World War II and the urban decline and postwar sprawl in California. Running through August 13, the exhibit includes 100 of Lange's photographs, including recognized works as well as new, improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

In this 1942 photo taken by Dorothea Lange and provided by the Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor, is Shift Change, 3:30 pm, Coming out of Yard 3, Kaiser Shipyards. The photo is part of a new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California called, Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. The exhibit, which runs through August 13th, includes 100 of Lange's photographs including recognized works and new improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (Dorothea Lange/Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor via AP)

In this 1942 photo taken by Dorothea Lange and provided by the Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor, is Manzanar Relocation Center, Manzanar, California. The photo is part of a new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California called, Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. The exhibit, which runs through August 13th, includes 100 of Lange's photographs including recognized works and new improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (Dorothea Lange/Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor via AP)

In this 1934 photo taken by Dorothea Lange and provided by the Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor, is May Day Listener, San Francisco. The photo is part of a new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California called, Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. The exhibit, which runs through August 13th, includes 100 of Lange's photographs including recognized works and new improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (Dorothea Lange/Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor via AP)

In this 1938 photo taken by Dorothea Lange and provided by the Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor, is Ex-Slave with a Long Memory, Alabama. The photo is part of a new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California called, Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. The exhibit, which runs through August 13th, includes 100 of Lange's photographs including recognized works and new improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (Dorothea Lange/Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor via AP)

In this 1933 photo taken by Dorothea Lange and provided by the Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor, is White Angel Breadline, San Francisco. The photo is part of a new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California called, Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. The exhibit, which runs through August 13th, includes 100 of Lange's photographs including recognized works and new improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (Dorothea Lange/Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor via AP)

In this 1938 photo taken by Dorothea Lange and provided by the Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor, is Gas Station, Kern County, California (Lettuce Strike). The photo is part of a new exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California called, Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing. The exhibit, which runs through August 13th, includes 100 of Lange's photographs including recognized works and new improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (Dorothea Lange/Collection of the Oakland Museum of California, gift of Paul S. Taylor via AP)

In this photo taken Thursday, May 11, 2017, is a letter from John Steinbeck and his book, "The Grapes of Wrath," in the exhibit "Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing," at the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, Calif. The three major themes of the Lange display are the Great Depression, the home front during World War II and the urban decline and postwar sprawl in California. Running through August 13, the exhibit includes 100 of Lange's photographs, including recognized works as well as new, improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

In this photo taken Thursday, May 11, 2017, are part of a series of pictures of the iconic Migrant Mother in the exhibit "Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing," at the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, Calif. The three major themes of the Lange display are the Great Depression, the home front during World War II and the urban decline and postwar sprawl in California. Running through August 13, the exhibit includes 100 of Lange's photographs, including recognized works as well as new, improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

In this photo taken Thursday, May 11, 2017, is a display case of books, jewelry and trinkets depicting the iconic Migrant Mother in the exhibit "Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing," at the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, Calif. The three major themes of the Lange display are the Great Depression, the home front during World War II and the urban decline and postwar sprawl in California. Running through August 13, the exhibit includes 100 of Lange's photographs, including recognized works as well as new, improved unframed prints that have been digitally scanned. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The Latest on North Korea's missile test (all times local):

9 a.m.

North Korea has confirmed details of its latest missile launch.

A man passes by a TV news program showing a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 21, 2017. North Korea on Sunday fired a midrange ballistic missile, U.S. and South Korean officials said, in the latest weapons test for a country speeding up its development of nuclear weapons and missiles. The letters read: "North Korea launched a missile on April 29." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The official Korean Central News Agency said Monday morning that the military had tested a medium-to-long range ballistic missile called the Pukguksong-2.

KCNA said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post.

South Korea and the U.S. earlier described Sunday's missile as medium-range. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it flew eastward about 500 kilometers, or 310 miles.

KCNA said the purpose of the test was to verify technical indexes of the weapon system and examine its adaptability under various battle conditions before deployment to military units for action.

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4 a.m.

Diplomats say the United Nations Security Council plans to hold urgent consultations on the latest North Korea missile test.

The council diplomats say the closed discussion was requested by the United States, Japan and South Korea and will take place Tuesday. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been officially announced.

U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea fired a medium-range missile Sunday that appears to be similar to one the country tested earlier this year.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the rocket flew eastward about 500 kilometers (310 miles). The U.S. military tracked the missile before it fell into the sea.

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11:35 p.m.

U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea has fired a medium-range missile, the latest ballistics test by a country speeding up its development of nuclear weapons and missiles.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the rocket was fired Sunday from an area near the North Korean county of Pukchang and flew eastward about 500 kilometers, or 310 miles. The U.S. Pacific Command says it tracked the missile before it landed in the sea.

White House officials traveling in Saudi Arabia with President Donald Trump said the system that was tested, which was last launched in February, had a shorter range than the missiles fired in North Korea's most recent tests.

The latest launch comes a week after North Korea successfully tested a new midrange missile that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

People watch a TV news program showing a file image of a missile launch by North Korea, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 21, 2017. North Korea on Sunday fired a midrange ballistic missile, U.S. and South Korean officials said, in the latest weapons test for a country speeding up its development of nuclear weapons and missiles. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

People watch a TV news program showing a file image of a missile launch conducted by North Korea, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 21, 2017. North Korea on Sunday fired a midrange ballistic missile, U.S. and South Korean officials said, in the latest weapons test for a country speeding up its development of nuclear weapons and missiles. The letters read: "It does not seem to be an ICBM missile." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday:

1. TRUMP URGES MIDEAST NATIONS TO DRIVE OUT 'ISLAMIC EXTREMISM'

The president uses a speech in Saudi Arabia to describe the fight as a "battle between good and evil" rather than a clash between the West and Islam.

FILE - In this Thursday, July 21, 2016 file photo, residents of the Kisenso district receive yellow fever vaccines, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The World Health Organization routinely spends about $200 million a year on travel, far more than what it doles out to fight some of the biggest problems in public health including AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press, published Sunday, May 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

2. WHERE TRUMP IS HEADED NEXT

The president is set to visit Israel on a two-day trip, and on his agenda is the elusive pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

3. CONGRESSIONAL PANELS PLEDGE THOROUGH PROBE INTO COMEY FIRING

They say the American people need a full airing as to why the former FBI director was ousted.

4. NORTH KOREA FIRES MEDIUM-RANGE MISSILE

The launch comes a week after Pyongyang successfully tested a new midrange rocket it says can carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

5. NICKI MINAJ KICKS OFF BILLBOARD AWARDS

Drake, who is also slated to perform, walks into the ceremony an early winner, picking up 10 awards in an announcement made earlier.

6. WHICH U.N. AGENCY SPENDS BIG ON TRAVEL

As the cash-strapped World Health Organization pleads for more money, its chief flies first class and stays in a 5-star hotel, The AP finds.

7. WHO VOWS MORE AID FOR SYRIANS

Visiting a refugee camp in Jordan, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley says the Trump administration wants to step up help for the millions of people displaced.

8. WHY BRAZILIANS CALL FOR PRESIDENT TO RESIGN

They urge Michel Temer to step down after the highest court opened an investigation into allegations he endorsed the payment of hush money to a jailed former lawmaker.

9. CLINT EASTWOOD SAYS HE MIGHT ACT AGAIN SOME DAY

The actor regales the Cannes Film Festival with stories from his long career, predicts a possible return to acting and decries the rise of political correctness.

10. RINGLING'S FINAL SHOW COMMENCES AFTER 146 YEARS

Animal rights activists targeted the circus, saying that forcing animals to perform and transporting them around the country amounts to abuse.

Ivanka Trump delivers remarks to the Tweeps 2017 event, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Riyadh. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The same technology that keeps kids glued to their smart phones is being used by some schools as protection against sexual assaults . Using apps, victims and bystanders can alert school officials, police or parents to trouble. While the systems can be used by kids pranking each other, app developers and school officials say most claims end up being credible. Reporting happens as events unfold and administrators can respond immediately.

The real challenge is money. Not all schools can afford the apps, some of which base their cost on the number of users or size of a student population. However, school insurance companies increasingly are picking up the tab, seeing the apps as a tool to mitigate risk.

Experts also warn that these apps should never be considered the sole way for a school to address the issue of student sexual assault.

Here are a few of them:

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STOPit : New Jersey-based creator Todd Schobel launched this app in 2013. His inspiration was Amanda Todd, a 15-year-old who committed suicide after posting a video on YouTube in which she held up flashcards describing how her topless image ended up on the Internet, triggering a relentless barrage of bullying. The app - championed by Amanda's mom - allows victims and bystanders to report anonymously to administrators, teachers and virtually anyone the school deems appropriate. There are no parental controls. Users can send either a single text or have a two-way chat, and can attach pictures, screenshots and video. The person who receives the alert can forward the information to law enforcement or suicide response teams, depending on the risk. The app stores all evidence and notes regarding incidents in a secure cloud-based server so school administrators can collect and analyze it over time.

Number of users: More than 2.5 million in K-12, according to the company.

What it costs: Schools pay $1 to $5 per head for the app, depending on the size of the student body. Some school insurers also have begun paying for the software for their clients' use because they see it as a way to mitigate risk.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play.

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ANONYMOUS ALERTS: The name pretty much says it. Students can overcome the social pressures associated with "ratting out" peers by sending in anonymous tips. This app has dropdown menus, asking users what type of school they attend and where the incident took place, where it be a bus, hallway or gym. Students can either send school administrators a single text or have back-and-forth conversations. They also can attach pictures, social media screenshots or video. The president of the company, Gregory Bender, created his first emergency messaging system after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The computer software for his latest app - launched in 2013 to address all kinds of bullying - also collects alerts from students over time so schools can monitor trends.

Number of users: Around 5 million in K-12 schools, according to the company. It is available only to participating schools with a license.

What it costs: 50 cents to $2 per head.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play and Chromebook Store.

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CIRCLE of 6: Created by sexual assault survivors, this one was born out of the White House's "Apps Against Abuse" challenge in 2011. Though the company Tech 4 Good initially developed the app for colleges, it now has been customized for use by younger students. After downloading the app, students pick six trusted friends to join a "circle." If they are in a precarious situation, users click an icon that sends a prewritten text message telling their friends they may need help and what kind. The app also includes informative links about sexual abuse and national hot lines. Prince William County Public Schools, the second-largest school district in Virginia with some 90,000 students, signed up its K-12 schools in 2016. The district says it doesn't know how many students have downloaded the app, but developers say it's the first grade school in the U.S. to sign on. Circle of 6 was customized and designed to provide an extra layer of protection for younger kids, with parental permission required for those under 13 to download the app.

Number of users: 350,000 (mostly colleges)

What it costs: $1 to $3 per head.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play.

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KNOWBullying: This mobile app is for parents, aimed at helping initiate difficult conversations about bullying and harassment with kids. It also helps parents look out for different warning signs - not only to help identify if their kids may have been bullied, but also if they might be doing the bullying. It initially was created for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Number of users: Around 30,000

What it costs: Free.

Available for download: Apple's App Store or Google Play.

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McDowell reported from Minneapolis.

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If you have a tip, comment or story to share about student-on-student sexual assault at K-12 schools, please email: schoolhousesexassault@ap.org
FOREST GROVE, Ore. (AP) - A pair of Oregon school districts were intent on identifying warning signs that students might be contemplating a campus shooting when they stumbled on a threat far more pervasive yet much less discussed - sexual aggression among classmates.

So the districts adapted the same early-intervention approach used to handle potential school shooters: Based on observations or tips, staff now quietly keep an eye on kids they worry are sexually aggressive. The school enlists parents to understand why the child is acting out and intervenes if behavior threatens to escalate, whether the student is a kindergartener or about to graduate.

This awakening puts the districts at the forefront of grassroots efforts to grapple with a sensitive and complex challenge that elementary and secondary schools mostly avoid.

Shawnee Mission East High School seniors from left, Katie Kuhlman, Katherine Crossette, Natalie Roth, Hannah Breckenridge, Kendall Dunbar, Ireland Hague and Brena Levy stand for a photo in front of their campus in Prairie Village, Kan., on May 15, 2017. The friends organized a campaign to wear black clothing to class in hopes of drawing attention to the issue of school sexual assault after girl reported being attacked by a male student in a bathroom the previous fall. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A yearlong Associated Press investigation uncovered about 17,000 official reports of sexual assaults by students over a recent four-year period, a figure that doesn't fully capture the problem because such violence is greatly under-reported and some states don't track it. There is no K-12 equivalent to the federal law that requires colleges to track sexual assaults, provide services to victims and devise prevention programs.

The AP also found that only 18 states required training for teachers, school administrators or students focused on peer-on-peer sexual assaults.

To fill the void, technology companies have joined school districts, students and parents in trying novel solutions.

"I think it's important - we all do - to show that sexual assault can affect every single person, no matter who they are, no matter what their story is," said Brena Levy, a high school senior and student organizer in Kansas.

In Oregon's Forest Grove School District, administrators who were scanning for threats encountered situations such as unwanted groping that they didn't know how to handle.

"The principals were just asking 'What should we do?'" said Kimberley Shearer, coordinator for the new Sexual Incident Response Committee at the 6,000-student district, located between Portland and the Pacific Ocean.

Experts who have treated young sexual offenders stress the value of early intervention, and research cites the importance of a culture that encourages students to report incidents without fear of retaliation. That kind of trust is essential in Forest Grove, where school officials have learned the difference between age-appropriate experimentation and dangerous sexual behavior, Shearer said. Officials can monitor social media, but the kids know what's really going on.

To discuss the more serious cases, a group of school administrators meets regularly in the basement of district headquarters with local law enforcement and child protection officials, as well as a psychologist. The program not only helps victims, but also counsels students who are sexually aggressive.

Student welfare is one concern. Legal exposure is another. If school officials do nothing after learning of an assault - even one off-campus - and the student attacks someone else, a lawsuit could be devastating.

Forest Grove's program follows the pioneering work of the much-larger Salem-Keizer School District, which developed the sexual incident committee model in 2009.

Another approach to increase safety involves "bystander intervention." The concept is to create a retaliation-free atmosphere that encourages students to raise their voices not just if they see an assault, but also if they spot disrespectful behavior that could escalate.

In Kentucky, an organization known as Green Dot has been preaching an intolerance for violence using positive peer pressure, much the same way designated driver campaigns focus not on blame but rather on safe solutions.

Research published this year suggests the approach is working. Surveys of nearly 90,000 Kentucky high school students show sexual violence decreased significantly where a district implemented the program.

Meanwhile, millions of students are using apps to send anonymous text messages and photographs to school administrators. Because school officials can communicate in real time with whoever is reporting an incident, they can step in immediately.

Students also have begun organizing on their own, prodding reluctant school districts to respond.

Last September, police began investigating after a Kansas district received a report a boy had attacked a girl in a school bathroom. Students and parents found out a week later, when the local news broke the story; the district said it didn't go public because no one else was at risk.

A group of students at Shawnee Mission East High School in suburban Kansas City rallied classmates to wear black clothing the next day. Several hundred students participated - as did more than a dozen other schools. The students kept going, leading assemblies and inviting speakers to discuss consent and sexual violence.

In Oklahoma, sustained student pressure led a district to hire victim advocates.

Three girls said that after they reported being assaulted, they were harassed by other students and had to leave Norman High School because officials did nothing to stop the bullying, according to a lawsuit they settled with the district. The district said it investigated, suspended the boy accused and responded to one bullying case.

Students remained concerned and as many as 600 walked out of class in November 2014 and lined several city blocks, where they were joined by local residents.

Days later, the superintendent of Norman Public Schools, Joe Siano, announced changes, including new advocates at both district high schools, and the district has since added two more advocates for its four middle schools.

Sexual assault cases can be challenging - especially if they're off-campus, as most of the Norman attacks were - and Siano said he has come to understand that the district could have done a better job handling the girls' trauma.

"If student voices don't impact how you ... make decisions," Siano said, "then I think you're probably in the wrong business."

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Pritchard reported from Los Angeles, Dunklin from Dallas. Contributing to this report were Emily Schmall in Dallas; Robin McDowell in Minneapolis; Michelle R. Smith in Providence, Rhode Island; and Juliet Linderman in Baltimore.

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If you have a tip, comment or story to share about student-on-student sexual assault at K-12 schools, please email: schoolhousesexassault@ap.org. See AP's entire package of #SchoolSexAssault stories here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/SchoolhouseSexAssault

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Contact reporters on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lalanewsman , https://twitter.com/ReeseDunklin and https://twitter.com/gflaccus

Shawnee Mission East High School seniors from left, Katie Kuhlman, Katherine Crossette, Natalie Roth, Hannah Breckenridge, Kendall Dunbar, Ireland Hague and Brena Levy gather for a photo in front of their campus in Prairie Village, Kan., on May 15, 2017. The friends organized a campaign to wear black clothing to class in hopes of drawing attention to the issue of school sexual assault after girl reported being attacked by a male student in a bathroom the previous fall. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Motivational banners hang in the common area of Forest Grove High School as students head to classes in Forest Grove, Ore., on May 4, 2017. Forest Grove and another Oregon school district were intent on identifying warning signs that students might be contemplating a campus shooting when they stumbled on a threat far more pervasive yet much less discussed _ sexual aggression among classmates. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Motivational banners hang in the common area of Forest Grove High School as students head to classes in Forest Grove, Ore., on May 4, 2017. Forest Grove and another Oregon school district were intent on identifying warning signs that students might be contemplating a campus shooting when they stumbled on a threat far more pervasive yet much less discussed _ sexual aggression among classmates. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Sexual Incident Response Committee members meet at Forest Grove School District headquarters in Forest Grove, Ore., on May 4, 2017. The group meets regularly to discuss more serious sexual incident cases they are monitoring as part of the SIRC program for the school district. The group includes school and district administrators, local law enforcement, juvenile social workers, child protection officials and a psychologist. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2014 file photo, students, parents and grandparents hold signs during a protest across the street from Norman High School in Norman, Okla. Three girls said that after they reported being assaulted, they were harassed by other students and had to leave Norman High School because officials did nothing to stop the bullying, according to a lawsuit they settled with the district. The district said it investigated, quickly suspended the boy accused and responded to one bullying case. The boy pleaded no contest to rape charges in one incident and served time. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Danielle Brown, right, and her aunt, Stacey Wright, pose for a photo in Norman, Okla., on May 15, 2017. Brown, with help from her aunt, organized a 2014 protest over her high school's handling of sexual assault reports. Three girls, including an acquaintance of Brown's, said that after they reported being assaulted, they were harassed by other students and had to leave Norman High School because officials did nothing to stop the bullying, according to a lawsuit they settled with the district. The district said it investigated, quickly suspended the boy accused and responded to one bullying case. The boy pleaded no contest to rape charges in one incident and served time. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Danielle Brown, left, and her aunt, Stacey Wright, hold with a "#YesAllDaughters" banner in Norman, Okla., on May 15, 2017. Brown, with help from her aunt, organized a 2014 protest over her high school's handling of sexual assault reports. Three girls, including an acquaintance of Brown's, said that after they reported being assaulted, they were harassed by other students and had to leave Norman High School because officials did nothing to stop the bullying, according to a lawsuit they settled with the district. The district said it investigated, quickly suspended the boy accused and responded to one bullying case. The boy pleaded no contest to rape charges in one incident and served time. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

A hand-painted message is written on a classroom window at Forest Grove High School in Forest Grove, Ore., May 4, 2017. Experts who have treated young sexual offenders stress the value of early intervention, and research cites the importance of a culture that encourages students to report incidents without fear of retaliation and with the expectation that adults will do the right thing. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
As someone who has studied bobcats for almost four decades, wildlife ecologist John Litvaitis remembers many times returning from the field without spotting a single one of these solitary and shy creatures that often hunt at dusk.

But bobcats are less elusive now as their numbers rise and they become more comfortable around humans.

Joining the likes of foxes, coyotes and even mountain lions in rare cases, bobcats are making a home in small towns and suburbs - and realizing there is plenty to eat in the cities.

A small, likely juvenile, bobcat is perched on a power pole in a residential neighborhood of Victorville, Calif. Bobcat numbers have almost tripled nationwide since the 1980s to as many as 3.6 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, the most recent national survey.

THE RISE OF THE CAT The naturally bobtailed cats - as big as medium-sized dogs and known for brown or rust-colored fur with black and white spots on their bellies - also are benefiting from warmer Northeast winters that allow for easier hunting, as well as expansion of public lands that increased prey, including white-tailed deer. Bobcat numbers have almost tripled nationwide since the 1980s to as many as 3.6 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, the most recent national survey. Advertisement

They have turned up in recent years in such places as Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city; Waverly, Iowa; and outside Los Angeles.

They have been spotted below backyard bird feeders, waltzing along streets in search of their next meal and, increasingly, as roadkill.

A website that Litvaitis set up to understand the bobcat rebound in New Hampshire features hundreds of amateur photographs - of a cat lounging on someone's lawn, another stalking a chipmunk, a third sitting contentedly after gobbling up a guinea fowl and peacock.

'They are back in New England and at least as abundant as they were 100 years ago, if not more,' said Litvaitis, who conducted much of his research while at the University of New Hampshire.

'They are adapting to a landscape that has changed. You have roads and people everywhere, and they have figured out how to get along with most of that.'

The resurgence of Lynx rufus comes during a shift over the past several decades from treating bobcats as vermin to be exterminated to being considered a top predator worthy of protection.

In contrast with the 1970s, when 40 states had no bobcat protections and bounties were common, most now put strict limits on hunting and trapping bobcats.

As many as eight, including New Hampshire, completely outlaw both.

The naturally bobtailed cats - as big as medium-sized dogs and known for brown or rust-colored fur with black and white spots on their bellies - also are benefiting from warmer Northeast winters that allow for easier hunting, as well as expansion of public lands that increased prey, including white-tailed deer.

Smithsonian Zoo officials say when the zookeeper called Ollie the bobcat for a morning feeding at 10.30am, but she did not respond, causing a three day hunt earlier this year

Bobcat numbers have almost tripled nationwide since the 1980s to as many as 3.6 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, the most recent national survey.

'Bobcats have been a real success story in wildlife conservation in the past several decades. They are at the point now that they are growing or stable across their range,' according to Nathan Roberts, a wildlife research scientist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who co-authored the survey.

In New Hampshire, Litvaitis said, that is exactly what has happened.

He estimates bobcat numbers dropped to as low as 150 in the late 1980s, which prompted the state to ban hunting in 1989.

Numbers have increased ever since. A University of New Hampshire/New Hampshire Fish and Game survey estimated their population in 2013 at 1,400.

The bobcat's success also reflects its ability to eat almost anything and thrive almost anywhere, from cornfields to swamps to suburban parks.

With cottontail rabbits declining in New Hampshire, they shifted to preying on plentiful wild turkeys and squirrels.

'They are clever animals and creative animals,' said Roberts, who has attached GPS collars to 60 bobcats in the past three years in Wisconsin.

'We had one animal in particular in a small town that spent all of its time in town going from bird feeder to bird feeder.'

Not everyone is rolling out the welcome mat.

A bobcat clutches a saguaro as he starts to slide down the trunk on a ridge in Tucson, Arizona

In Massachusetts, police last month said they shot and killed a bobcat that had attacked two large dogs and was coming after officers.

Farmers in New Hampshire have shot bobcats.

'Many people enjoy seeing them, but for others they are a nuisance,' according to Patrick Tate, a wildlife biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

'Complaints about bobcats preying on domestic chickens have increased, requests from the public to trap and relocate bobcats have risen, and instances of road-killed bobcats have become common throughout the state.'

Many states have considered reintroducing hunting and trapping to help regulate growing populations.

The New Hampshire proposal to offer 50 permits annually was withdrawn last year, over concerns that bobcat traps could ensnare Canada lynx, considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

In Illinois, however, hunting and trapping resumed last year.

'There has been a lot of conservation to get us back to this season,' said Neal Graves, president of the Illinois Trappers Association.

'It's something we haven't been able to do for 40 years.'
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippines' top diplomat sought Monday to downplay President Rodrigo Duterte's pronouncement that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would go to war with Manila if it insists on drilling for oil in the disputed South China Sea, saying they were not threatening each other but talking about preventing conflict.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters there was no bullying and the context of frank talks last week in China - the details of which he said he could not discuss -"was on how to avoid conflict" and "how to increase trust and mutual respect."

"There was no language or even tone that would lead any of the two presidents to believe that there was disrespect for them or their country," he said.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano addresses staff of the foreign affairs department during the flag-raising ceremony Monday, May 22, 2017 in suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. The Philippines' top diplomat has sought to downplay President Rodrigo Duterte's pronouncement that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would go to war with Manila if it insists on drilling for oil in the disputed South China Sea, saying they were not threatening each other but talking about preventing conflict. Cayetano said Monday the context of talks last week in China was how to avoid conflict and there was no language or tone of disrespect.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Cayetano said Duterte apparently talked about his meeting with Xi just to respond to a barrage of criticisms that he has been soft on China and has refused to raise the Philippines' arbitral victory last year that invalidates most of China's claims in the South China Sea.

He said that after his return next week from a trip to Russia with Duterte he will explain the context of the two leaders' exchange to lawmakers and a Supreme Court justice, who have urged the Philippines to file a diplomatic protest over the alleged war threats and to ask the United Nations to demand that China comply with the arbitral ruling.

"My interpretation in the meeting is that there was no bullying or pushing around or it wasn't a threat," Cayetano said.

He said Duterte is committed to "protect every single inch of our territory" and Filipinos should trust him on how he will do it.

Duterte said in a speech late Friday at a coast guard event in southern Davao city that he raised the Philippines' arbitral victory against Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea and told Xi Manila intends to drill for oil there.

"I said when we were face-to-face, 'That is ours and we intend to drill oil there.' No beating around the bush," Duterte said. He said the reply was: "Well, we are friends. We do not want to quarrel with you. We would want to maintain the present warm relationship. But if you force the issue, we will go to war."

"Please do not do that because that is ours," Duterte further quoted Xi as saying. He said he replied, "But I have the arbitral (award)." Xi then reportedly said: "Yes, but ours is historical and yours is legal of recent memory. We had that since the Ming dynasty."

Duterte said he replied that "that's too far away" and it is "almost alien to us to hear those words because we were never under Chinese jurisdiction."

Xi reportedly responded: "Well, if you force the issue, we'll be forced to tell you the truth." And when Duterte asked what that was, Xi reportedly said: "We will go to war. We will fight you."

Duterte's spokesman, Enesto Abella, said Monday that Duterte's first and last priority is national interest and the well-being of Filipinos, and that China and the Philippines are committed to peaceful resolutions of their disputes.

"We are very clear that we are not giving up our claim of sovereignty and sovereign rights over certain islands in the South China Sea. At the same time, these matters are pursued in the context of maintaining peace and prosperity in the region," Abella said.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano kneels to pray as he joins staff of the foreign affairs department at the flag-raising ceremony Monday, May 22, 2017 in suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. The Philippines' top diplomat has sought to downplay President Rodrigo Duterte's pronouncement that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would go to war with Manila if it insists on drilling for oil in the disputed South China Sea, saying they were not threatening each other but talking about preventing conflict. Cayetano said Monday the context of talks last week in China was how to avoid conflict and there was no language or tone of disrespect.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Iron ore mining magnate Andrew Forrest said Monday he was donating 400 million Australian dollars ($300 million) to charities in what has been described as a new record in Australian philanthropy.

Forrest, the 55-year-old chairman of Fortescue Metal Group, and his wife, Nicola, announced the money will be spent on cancer research, Australian university research, supporting disadvantaged people including Aborigines, and fighting slavery around the world.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the donations as "the biggest single philanthropic gift in our history and the largest donation by living Australians."

Iron ore mining magnate Andrew Forrest arrives at Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, May 22, 2017. Forrest said Monday he was donating 400 million Australian dollars ($300 million) to charities in what has been described as a new record in Australian philanthropy. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)

"It is a game-changer in the Australian philanthropic community and it will change the lives of thousands of people here in Australia and around the world," Turnbull told a ceremony at Parliament House.

Forrest, whose fortune was estimated by Forbes magazine this year at $4.3 billion, said the cash donations would be made "both immediately and over the next several months."

"I've been very fortunate with my wife Nicola to be able to accumulate capital and then as soon as we could commence giving it away," Forrest said.

"We had a slightly unsustainable business model previously where we'd actually borrowed money to give it away and fortunately we don't have to do that now thanks to the strength of the iron ore sector," he said.

"I just simply say to all Australians, give what you can and if it isn't money, time is just as valuable," he added.

Sarah Davies, chief executive of Philanthropy Australia, the country's peak body for philanthropy, said Australia did not have the United States' tradition of philanthropy which she described as the "gold standard." But the culture of giving in Australia was changing for the better, she said.

"Why this announcement matters in Australia is that it's the single largest philanthropic commitment in Australia from living donors, and it's part of the trend of more and bigger donations that we've seen in recent years," Davies said in a statement.

"But it's not just about the size of donations, this commitment also shows how philanthropy is becoming more strategic about achieving positive social change, which is all part of how the philanthropic sector in Australia is coming of age," she added.

The previous largest single donation to a charitable fund in Australia was AU$200 million made in 2014 by gambling billionaire James Packer, chairman of Crown Resorts, to be spent on the arts and Aboriginal communities over a decade.

Forrest and his wife were the first Australians to join "The Giving Pledge" movement founded by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffett, the head of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The pledge commits billionaires to donate most of their wealth to charity.

Iron ore mining magnate Andrew Forrest, left, gives a speech at Australia's Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Monday, May 22, 2017, as actor Russell Crowe looks on. Crowe was master of ceremonies at the event. Forrest is donating 400 million Australian dollars ($300 million) to charities in what has been described as a new record in Australian philanthropy. The 55-year-old chairman of Fortescue Metal Group and his wife, Nicola, announced Monday the money will be spent on cancer research, Australian university research, supporting disadvantaged people including Aborigines, and fighting slavery around the world. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)
North Korea test launched a ballistic missile that landed in the Sea of Japan, seen as a direct challenge to the new South Korean president, who took office earlier this month, as U.S., Japan and European navies gathered for military showcases in the region.

In other images from the Asia-Pacific region last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping posed with world leaders as China hosted the Belt and Road Forum at Yangi Lake in the outskirts of Beijing.

The global "ransomware" cyberattack hit computers at 600 locations in Japan, but appeared to cause no major problems as Japanese started their workweek.

In this Sunday, May 14, 2017, photo, a TV news program shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea on Sunday test-launched a ballistic missile that landed in the Sea of Japan, the South Korean, Japanese and U.S. militaries said. The launch is a direct challenge to the new South Korean president elected four days ago and comes as U.S., Japanese and European navies gather for joint war games in the Pacific. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

A Kashmiri boy used plywood to shield himself from stones and glass marbles during clashes between Indian policemen and protesters in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir. The protesters were demanding the release of all political prisoners from Indian prisons.

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This gallery was curated by Associated Press photo editor Hiroshi Otabe in Tokyo.

In this Monday, May 15, 2017, photo, Japan's destroyer JS Sazanami, left, the United States' Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Sterett, center, and South Korean destroyer ROKS Dae Jo Yeong, right rear, are anchored in the waters off RSS Singapura Changi Naval Base in Singapore. As part of the Republic of Singapore Navy's 50th anniversary celebrations, 28 foreign warships from 20 countries gathered at the naval base and its surrounding waters to mark the occasion. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)

In this Monday, May 15, 2017, photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping, front row third right, waves with leaders attending the Belt and Road Forum as they pose for a group photo at the Yanqi Lake venue on the outskirt of Beijing. They are, front row from left, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi, Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and second row from third left to right, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool, File)

In this Wednesday, May 17, 2017, photo, members of the Chinese honor guard stand in formation before a welcome ceremony for Argentina's President Mauricio Macri at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

In this Monday, May 15, 2017, photo, people walk in front of the headquarters of Hitachi Ltd., center, in Tokyo. The global "ransomware" cyberattack hit computers at 600 locations in Japan, but appeared to cause no major problems as Japanese started their workday Monday even as the attack caused chaos elsewhere. Hitachi spokeswoman said emails were slow or not getting delivered, and files could not be opened. The company believes the problems are related to the ransomware attack, although no ransom appears to have been demanded so far. They were installing software to fix the problems. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)

In this Friday. May 19, 2017, photo, a Kashmiri boy shields himself from stones and glass marbles with plywood during a clash between Indian policemen and protesters in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir. Government forces fired tear gas during clashes with Kashmiri protesters in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir after Friday prayers called by separatist leaders against the continuous detention of woman separatist leader Asiya Adrabi, chairman of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, or Daughters of the Nation. They also demanded the release of all political prisoners from Indian prisons. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File)

In this Friday, May 19, 2017, photo, a city bus crew member stands next to his bus as he is illuminated red by the tail lights of other vehicles in rush hour traffic in Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)

In this Friday, May 19, 2017, photo, a woman in traditional geisha dress uses a fan to block the sun as she joins others to parade down the street to Asakusa Shrine in the compound of Sensoji Temple prior to the annual Sanja Festival, one of the three major festivals in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

In this Tuesday, May 16, 2017, photo, supporters of Jakarta Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama who was imprisoned for blaspheming Islam, hold candles during a protest outside the High Court in Jakarta, Indonesia. The imprisonment of Ahok, a Christian politician, has triggered an outpouring of anger and support around Indonesia. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, File)

In this Thursday, May 18, 2017 photo, women dressed in South Korean traditional "Hanbok" attire adjust their hair to take pictures at the Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty, in Seoul, South Korea. Wearing a "Hanbok," mostly rented, has become a fashionable trend among the youth commonly seen at palaces and other traditional places. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

In this Friday, May 19, 2017 photo, a family member of fallen Sri Lankan government soldier pays homage at the national war heroes memorial in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka marked the eighth anniversary of the end of its bloody civil war on Friday with much of the legacy and divisions created by more than quarter-century of violence still intact. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, File)

In this Saturday, May 20, 2017, photo, Japan's Shiro Ken, right, lands a right on the face of Mexican champion Ganigan Lopez in the third round of their WBC light flyweight boxing world title match in Tokyo, Saturday, May 20, 2017. Ken won the title by a 2-0 decision. (AP Photo/Toru Takahashi, File)

In this Saturday, May 20, 2017 photo, Willem Britz of Japan's Sunwolves gets tackled by Tendai Mtawarira of South Africa's Sharks during their Super Rugby match in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)

In this Friday, May 19, 2017, photo, a woman carrying an umbrella crosses a bridge on a pond at Kiyosumi Gardens in Tokyo. The temperature in Tokyo soared to 26.3 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Stefanie Fry had finished her lunch break at home and was getting ready to drive back to work in February when she saw two people run by in her rearview mirror.

Probably just kids playing, she thought.

When she turned around, she saw a white police officer slam a black man to the ground, yelling at the man to stop and put his hands up. The man got up, ran the other direction and appeared to stumble, landing on the pavement again. She said she saw a silver and black gun fall to the ground, perhaps from the man's hoodie or pants pocket.

FILE - This Feb. 14, 2017, file photo shows a memorial set up in a neighborhood near where Nashville Officer Josh Lippert shot Jocques Clemmons in Nashville, Tenn. Lippert, a white Tennessee police officer who shot a black man to death during a pursuit, was cleared of charges based largely on the testimony of a witness. (AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise, File)

The officer tried to kick the gun away, Fry told investigators, but the man grabbed the gun and ran again. Seconds later, the officer fired three gunshots.

Prosecutors leaned heavily on Fry's recollections when they decided not to charge Nashville Officer Josh Lippert for killing 31-year-old Jocques Clemmons after a traffic stop at a public housing development.

The case is different from other police shootings of black men that have come under scrutiny over the past few years because it involves a lone witness who backed up the officer's account.

Without Fry's testimony, "we would have had the officer's statement and we would have had a (surveillance) video that would not have clearly established that what was in his hand was a gun," said Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk. "It would've been a much different call, and might have taken even longer than this to come to a conclusion."

Lippert shot Clemmons twice in the back and once in the hip.

Clemmons' family and the NAACP are outraged. The family's attorney, Michael Hoskins, contends Fry, who police say is white, fabricated her account. They say Clemmons didn't have a gun on him.

Clemmons' fingerprint and DNA tests on the gun were inconclusive. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that generally speaking it can be tough to produce usable prints and DNA from a gun.

Hoskins questioned how Fry could've witnessed the whole encounter from where she was parked. He thinks her story was so close to the police account that it was coached.

"We don't believe that the witness that they produced, Ms. Stefanie Fry, is telling the truth," Hoskins said.

Fry didn't return a telephone message for comment.

The day after prosecutors declined to file charges, "Justice for Jocques" marchers left a coffin at the front gate of Mayor Megan Barry's home with a sign that said, "You let this happen" alongside the names of Barry and Police Chief Steve Anderson.

Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith said federal authorities are reviewing the case.

Clemmons' death reignited conversations about whether the police can be trusted here, a swift change in a city where racial tension hasn't boiled over into riots and violence the way it has in other cities.

Prosecutors said Lippert did the right thing by picking up Clemmons' gun after shooting him because he was the only officer there, was in a neighborhood, and wasn't immediately sure how injured Clemmons was.

Lippert told investigators that once Clemmons picked up the gun and made eye contact, he had a "me or you look in his eye." Clemmons started turning toward Lippert and the barrel of the pistol was coming toward him, he said. Then he fired at Clemmons.

"I'm sorry and I feel, you know, terrible and I mourn the loss of this man," Lippert told investigators. "It's at my hands. I know that. But he was a lethal threat to me. And without a doubt, I'm telling you, if I didn't do what I did, you'd be burying me."

Officials noted there was another person who left the passenger side of the SUV that Clemmons was driving after Clemmons and Lippert began to scuffle. Funk said he tried to set up an appointment to talk to the man, but he did not show up. It's possible there is more information on the man in a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation report on the incident. A judge has said she will order that report to become public shortly.

Critics of Lippert are also calling for him to be fired, citing his disciplinary record. Lippert has been suspended 20 days over his five years as a Nashville officer.

In one case, Lippert used unnecessary physical force to take a black driver out of a car during an October 2015 traffic stop, earning him an eight-day suspension, records show.

Prosecutors said Lippert's past record didn't matter.

"Whatever Officer Lippert's prior history was, any officer faced with that situation, when someone arms themselves with a deadly weapon that can be used in the middle of a physical altercation, that officer has to assume that they're picking it up for a reason, and that is because they could hurt the officer," Funk said.

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Sheila Burke in Nashville contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump may have a tough time carrying out plans to kill a popular program that has helped build fire stations, provided meals to needy children and more. Plenty of lawmakers - including some key Republicans - enthusiastically support the Community Development Block Grant program.

Trump's 2018 budget blueprint calls for abolishing the 4-decade-old program, saying it's not well targeted to poor areas and hasn't demonstrated results. It was among billions of dollars in proposed cuts to domestic and foreign aid programs aimed at offsetting more spending for the military and border security.

But a number of Republican lawmakers who oversee government spending told The Associated Press they oppose eliminating the block grants, which fund programs in their districts.

In this photo taken May 19, 2017, Cindy Gustafson helps pack bags of food for the Backpack Buddies program at Second Harvest Food Bank in Nazareth, Pa. The program faces a loss of federal funding under the budget proposed by President Donald Trump's administration. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

"I've fought strenuously to preserve CDBG funding in the past because I realize its importance in meeting the needs of our seniors and people with lower incomes in our communities," said Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania. Dent is a Republican member of the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing spending on the Housing and Urban Development Department, which administers the program.

Dent's district includes parts of Northampton County, north of Philadelphia, where $20,000 of CDBG money is used to support a pilot program called Backpack Buddies. Run by Second Harvest, it serves about 500 children at local schools and family centers in the county. Each Friday, they get bags stuffed with boxes of macaroni and cheese, cans of fruit and other food to last the weekend.

Tim Herrlinger, director of the county's community and economic development department, says the grants provide critical assistance.

People "don't realize that the ripple effect is now you've got kids who are fed, and their moms and dads and grandparents are fed," Herrlinger said. "And they have streets that are safe to drive on. And if you have needs for disabilities, you have curb cuts and ramps and things that make the quality of life better."

Last year, $3 billion in grants were awarded nationwide for a variety of projects - from building affordable housing to improving infrastructure such as sidewalks and ramps for people with disabilities. The money also helped pay for meals for seniors and enrichment and support programs for low-income children, like the one in Pennsylvania.

Trump's 2018 budget blueprint released this spring would eliminate all funding. The White House is expected to release a more detailed budget plan on Tuesday. But ultimately, it's Congress that controls spending. With Democrats overwhelmingly opposing Trump's proposed cuts, support for the CDBG program from Republican lawmakers - especially those on the powerful Appropriations committees - could keep the program alive.

Republican Rep. David Valadao of California, on the Appropriations subcommittee with Dent, has pledged support for the program. At least two Republicans on the Senate Appropriations housing subcommittee, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and John Hoeven of North Dakota, also back CDBG grants.

Valadao called them a "powerful tool" for local communities. Capito said the program helped rebuild disaster-stricken areas in West Virginia. Hoeven says it's been valuable in North Dakota and he supports it, but also wants to make sure dollars are spent "properly and efficiently."

Critics say the block grant program is fraught with wasteful spending and has strayed from its original purpose of providing housing assistance and economic development in poor communities.

"This money is a big slush fund that just gets dumped on state and local governments," said Robert Rector, senior research fellow for domestic policy studies, family and community at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Programs like CDBG are "very, very ineffective because you have one level of government raising the revenue and another level of government spending the money, and that is a recipe for inefficiency."

Audits conducted by HUD's Office of Inspector General turned up problems in at least a dozen communities last year that were awarded CDBG money. Among the concerns: millions of dollars not being used appropriately and weak accounting and procurement procedures.

The block grant program was created in 1974 under President Gerald Ford. CDBG projects are required to meet certain criteria - chief among them that they are targeted to lower-income areas. But local officials have flexibility about how and where to use the money.

In California, about $100,000 a year in CDBG money has been used in Goleta in southern Santa Barbara County to pay for new sidewalks, storm drains, parks, crosswalks and bicycle paths in the city's Old Town area, which has the largest concentration of low-income residents.

"It doesn't seem like a lot of money," said Claudia Dato, the city's senior project manager who oversees its block grant program. "But the money really does help real people and, in many cases, thousands of people."

Other CDBG projects include: a rebuilt public housing facility in Montgomery, Alabama, and repairs to more than 100 homes for low-to-moderate-income residents of Dayton, Ohio. In Indianapolis, such money has been used to help build a new home for the Dover Recovery House, which takes in women suffering substance abuse, including homeless and uninsured women.

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Associated Press writer Robert Jablon in California contributed to this report.

In this photo taken May 19, 2017, Michael Balsama, left, is among the volunteers packing bags of food for the Backpack Buddies program at Second Harvest Food Bank in Nazareth, Pa. The program faces a loss of federal funding under the budget proposed by President Donald Trump's administration. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

In this photo taken May 19, 2017, bags of food packed by volunteers at the Backpack Buddies program are seen at Second Harvest Food Bank in Nazareth, Pa. The program faces a loss of federal funding under the budget proposed by President Donald Trump's administration. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

In this photo taken May 19, 2017, bags of food packed by volunteers at the Backpack Buddies program are seen in at Second Harvest Food Bank in Nazareth, Pa. The program faces a loss of federal funding under the budget proposed by President Donald Trump's administration. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Five-year-old Nico Rosenblatt cannot speak and struggles to learn because of a rare genetic condition, yet thrives when surrounded by other children in a regular classroom, according to his parents. However, they say neither the public school system nor a charter school in the nation's capital could provide an inclusive environment for him.

"It's a fundamental question of civil rights and access to education for us," said Karen Hoerst, Nico's 35-year-old mother. "It's really about: Does our kid who happens to have a developmental disability deserve to be educated alongside his peers or not?"

The Trump administration has been promoting school choice, saying it can also benefit special needs students. But charter schools, funded with public money, often are criticized for keeping out students with disabilities because they may be more expensive to educate and because they tend to have lower academic results. A 2012 federal study, the most recent data available, said students with disabilities accounted for 11 percent of those in traditional public schools and 8 percent in charter schools, although figures vary greatly across states and cities.

In this photo taken May 8, 2017, David Rosenblatt, left, 36, a freelance labor researcher, his wife Karen Hoerst, right, 35, a union organizer, and their son Nico, 5, play at Westminster Park in Washington. Nico Rosenblatt cannot speak and struggles to learn because of a rare genetic condition, yet thrives when surrounded by other children in a regular classroom, according to his parents. However, they say neither the public school system nor a charter school in the nation's capital could provide an inclusive environment for him. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Researchers disagree about the reasons for the divide. Some say it is a result of charters being less likely to classify students as having special needs and families of special needs kids being less likely to apply in the first place. Others say charter schools tend to prefer students who are more likely to succeed.

The debate over inclusion of special needs students is likely to intensify with Trump and his education secretary, Betsy DeVos, seeking to expand access to charter as well as private schools.

Marcus Winters, associate professor in the school of education at Boston University, analyzed traditional and charter schools in New York and Denver and found that students with special needs were less likely to switch schools if they were attending a charter elementary school than a traditional public school.

"My work has shown that that concern is at best overstated," Winters said. "It's not to say that that doesn't happen, that has never happened and I do think that the charter sector could do an even better job in recruiting and retaining such students, but the widespread concern that charters are systemically not serving those students is not consistent with the research that we have so far."

Elizabeth Setren, a researcher at MIT, studied Boston charter schools and found that they were twice as likely as traditional public schools to remove a student's special need classification and three times as likely to move the student into a general education classroom. Despite that, attending charter schools increased special needs students' test scores and the likelihood of graduating high school.

Kevin Welner, a professor of education at University of Colorado Boulder, says charter schools cherry-pick students because they need to demonstrate academic success to stay alive and get funding.

In a two-year study, Welner identified 14 different ways in which charter schools can shape enrollment. They range from steering families away, not advertising the school in high-need neighborhoods, setting conditions for enrollment as well as counseling students out, or in other words urging parents to find a different school for their child.

Lauren Rhim, executive director at the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools, said new and small charter schools can indeed face struggles in serving special needs students. But she insisted that similar problems exist in the broader public school sector.

"There are charter schools that are amazing and are doing a great job and are trying new things and creative and innovative things, and then you have the other end of the continuum where there are charters that are counseling out and then you have everything in the middle," Rhim said. "The truth is complicated. Similar to public schools, there is so much variability, there is not one answer."

In the case of Nico, who started a pre-K program when he was 3, a charter school initially looked like a good option.

After public school officials in D.C. offered to place Nico in a self-contained classroom in his neighborhood school, his family decided to try a charter school called Bridges, which had a reputation for being inclusive. After one year, Nico was moved into a general-education classroom and fell in love with it. Using a special communication device, he would repeat the names of his favorite classmates.

"The difference for him and his level of interest and excitement about going to school was incredible," said Hoerst, a union organizer. "He was so much more motivated about going to school."

But toward the end his third year at Bridges, the school insisted that Nico would have to spend more time in a self-contained setting because of limited resources to support him in a regular classroom, the family said. They are now thinking about relocating.

"To me this is one of the examples of what the dangers of this school choice environment are, that with the lottery and the waiting list and everything, they are in a seller's market," said David Rosenblatt, 36, who is Nico's father. "They see every student as someone they could replace with the next person on the waiting list."

Paula Evans, chairwoman of an advocacy group that specializes in Nico's condition, called Angelman syndrome, says his story fits a familiar pattern. Only an estimated 15 percent of children with the syndrome in the United States have a full-time inclusive placement, 20 percent are placed in self-contained classrooms and 50 percent study in both environments.

Michelle Lerner, spokeswoman for District of Columbia public schools, said she cannot comment on individual cases, but said the district strives to provide an inclusive environment for students as long as their needs are met. Bridges declined to comment.

Hoerst insists it is Nico's fundamental right to study alongside other children.

"And for us that answer should be really clear and it is incredibly disappointing that the answer is up for debate in both public schools and charter schools."
ISTANBUL (AP) - A leading human rights group has slammed Turkey for dismissing tens of thousands of public employees after last summer's failed coup, saying the move has had a "catastrophic impact" on their lives and means of earning a living.

In a report published Monday, Amnesty International said that the massive crackdown following the July 15 coup attempt has left teachers, academics, doctors, police officers and soldiers branded as "terrorists," unable to return to their careers, and has forced them to rely on savings, the support of friends or family or take on irregular jobs.

More than 100,000 public servants have been dismissed and banned from civil service through decrees issued under the state of emergency for alleged connections to groups listed as terror organizations. More than 47,000 people have also been arrested for alleged links to the coup.

The government says the purge is necessary to weed out followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for orchestrating the coup, and combat terror.

The government has also said it is forming an appeals commission to review the cases of those who insist they were wrongfully dismissed. But Amnesty said the commission lacks independence to make it effective.

Amnesty says the dismissals have been arbitrary and links to terror groups unproven, devastating the lives of the individuals and their families. The purged employees have had their passports canceled, blocking them from seeking employment abroad.

"The authorities must end these arbitrary dismissals immediately, and reinstate all those who are found not to be guilty of wrongdoing," said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty's researcher on Turkey. "Those who have been dismissed should be given access to a swift and effective appeal procedure in order that they can clear their names, be compensated and return to their careers."

On Monday, authorities raided the homes of academic Nuriye Gulmen and teacher Semih Ozakca in Ankara and detained them. The two had been on a hunger strike - refusing food but drinking liquids - for more than 70 days to protest their dismissals under the state of emergency.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's main opposition party, called for their immediate release and for them to be reinstated to their former jobs, accusing the government of regarding "anyone who stands up for their rights as a threat."

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This story has been corrected to show that the surname of one of the hunger strikers is Gulmen, not Akman.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte left Monday for a four-day official visit to Russia, where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and witness the signing of several agreements, including on defense cooperation and trade.

In his departure speech, Duterte said the visit underscores his independent foreign policy and desire to forge closer ties with Russia, which "must cease to be on the margins of Philippine diplomacy."

"Overdependence on traditional partners has limited our room to maneuver in a very dynamic, international arena," he said. "This is a strategic oversight that has led to many missed opportunities for our country. I am determined to correct this."

Since taking office last June, Duterte has lashed out at then-President Barack Obama and his administration for criticizing his war on drugs, which has left thousands of suspected drug offenders dead. But he has been on friendlier terms with President Donald Trump.

Contrastingly, he has reached out to China and Russia - whose leaders he met recently - in a dramatic shift in foreign policy for the Philippines, Washington's longtime treaty ally.

"Russia is a country that we must work with - there are opportunities that cannot be ignored," Duterte said. "With its geographic footprint in the Asia-Pacific region and its strategic interest in the region, a positive engagement is required to find areas of synergies and interests."

Ties between the two countries were established 40 years ago, but Duterte said the doors of cooperation have opened "ever so slightly" and "now we can work together to open those doors even wider."

Legislators, Cabinet officials and business leaders are accompanying him on the trip.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad said Duterte will meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday and they will discuss economic partnership and other areas of cooperation. Duterte will discuss political, military and defense cooperation during his meeting with Putin on Thursday.

The trip is at the invitation of Putin, whom Duterte met in Peru in November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific leaders' summit.

Duterte is also expected to deliver a policy speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, bring Filipino business leaders to the Philippine-Russia Business Forum and meet with the Filipino community in Russia.

In a sign of warming bilateral ties, the two countries will set up offices of their defense attaches in each other's capitals, Natividad said.

Agreements to be signed during the visit include those on defense cooperation, military and technical cooperation, a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, an extradition treaty, and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of security between the two countries' national security councils.
BEIJING (AP) - China confirmed Monday that it is investigating six Japanese citizens, following a Japanese news report that Chinese authorities had detained six men possibly for spying.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing that six Japanese nationals are suspected of engaging in "illegal activities," but did not give details.

Japan's Kyodo News reported earlier that three Japanese were detained in Shandong province and three in Hainan province - two regions with major Chinese naval facilities - in March.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday that China told Japan that authorities detained six Japanese in Hainan and Shandong provinces in March for violation of domestic law. He said he would not provide further details.

China has periodically detained Japanese citizens on suspicion of spying, including four in 2015.

Last December, a Chinese military-run newspaper lashed out at Kyodo for publishing photos of an under-construction aircraft carrier and suggested that the incident highlighted the need for China to better protect its military secrets, even though satellite images of the vessel were publicly available at the time.

China's government and state media have repeatedly warned of the country's vulnerability to foreign spies. Beijing, the capital, has encouraged neighborhood patrols and offered cash rewards of more than $70,000 for tips about foreign agents, while the national government has introduced an annual "National Security Education Day" and disseminated cartoon posters warning government workers to stay vigilant against attractive foreigners who might seek to seduce them.

China's government crippled a U.S. spy network in China by killing or imprisoning more than a dozen CIA sources between 2010 and 2012, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Hua, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, declined to comment about the Times article on Monday but said that as a general matter, China's state security apparatus investigates threats to national security and carries out its duties effectively and according to law.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday:

1. EXPLOSION AT CONCERT BEING TREATED AS TERROR ATTACK

The blast at an arena in northern England during an Ariana Grande show kills at least 19 people and injures dozens. The singer is unhurt.

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2016 file photo, Ariana Grande performs at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. Police say there are "a number of fatalities" after reports of an explosion at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in northern England on Monday, May 22, 2017.. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP, File)

2. TRUMP OPENS FIRST VISIT TO ISRAEL

The president says he sees a growing recognition among Muslim nations that they share a "common cause" with Israel in countering threats posed by Iran.

3. FLYNN REBUFFS CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENA

Trump's former national security adviser invokes his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in the investigation into Russia's election meddling.

4. TRUMP'S BUDGET RELIES ON DEEP DOMESTIC CUTS

Included in the president's $4.1 trillion proposal are huge cuts to food stamps.

5. JURY SELECTION UNDERWAY IN BILL COSBY'S TRIAL

The panel that will decide the sex assault case begins to take shape with the selection of five jurors, three white men and two white women.

6. WHERE PROTESTS ARE GROWING MORE HOSTILE

Capping a violent day in Venezuela, demonstrators set fire to the late President Hugo Chavez's childhood home in the western part of the country, a lawmaker says.

7. SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN VOTING DISTRICTS

The justices declare that race played too large a role in the creation of two congressional districts in North Carolina.

8. WHAT'S ROILING WORLD OF DRUG TREATMENT

Remarks by a top U.S. health official reignite a quarrel: Does treating opioid addiction with medication save lives? Or does it trade one addiction for another?

9. SLAYING PROBED AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME

A prosecutor asks for patience as authorities investigate the stabbing of a black Army officer, allegedly by a white student, on the University of Maryland campus.

10. WHO'S OMNIPRESENT AT CANNES

Nicole Kidman has four films at the festival, unveiling a new chapter in her already-considerable acting career.

President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Albania's parliament has approved a government shakeup as part of a compromise worked out between political parties before next month's parliamentary election.

The unanimous vote on Monday came after President Bujar Nishani issued decrees naming the opposition's recommendations for deputy prime minister and six other ministerial posts: interior, education, health, social wellbeing, finance and justice.

A three-month opposition boycott of parliament ended last week with an agreement between the governing Socialist Party and the opposition-led Democratic Party that was mediated by U.S. and European Union officials.

The vote on the Cabinet reshuffling, was held in a special session.

The agreement postponed the election by one week and allows the opposition, which voiced concern that Prime Minister Edi Rama could manipulate the process, to monitor voting.
BRUSSELS (AP) - The Latest on European Union finance ministers' meeting on Greek debt (all times local):

1:105 a.m.

The eurozone's top official says an agreement to give Greece the next batch of bailout cash it needs before a summer repayment bump has not been reached, but that it's close.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, left, and Bruno Le Maire, right, Economy minister of France address the media during a joint press conference after a meeting in Berlin, Germany, Monday, May 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Jeroen Dijsselbloem said at the conclusion of a meeting of the single currency bloc's 19 finance ministers that Greece has made "huge progress" on implementing the policy package required of it in return for the money it needs to avoid going bankrupt. He said Monday that Greece still has a few actions to undertake while the institutions overseeing the country's bailout still have to make some checks.

He also said an agreement on Greek debt relief measures was not possible and that further discussions will need to take place before the next meeting of the so-called eurogroup in three weeks, by which time he hopes that the International Monetary Fund will get on board with Greece's bailout program.

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4:20 p.m.

The eurozone's top official says a decision on whether Greece has done enough to get its hands on the next batch of rescue money that it's due from its bailout program could emerge later Monday.

However, Jeroen Dijsselbloem sought to downplay expectations that a debt relief package for the cash-strapped country is imminent.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the eurozone's 19 finance ministers, Dijsselbloem said if "all goes well," then a deal about the disbursement can be secured.

Under the terms of the Greek bailout program, the country has to enact a series of economic reforms in order to get the bailout cash. Its creditors in the eurozone also said they would offer the prospect of debt relief if the country meets its side of the bargain.

"I expect, and (am) working on a deal today but it won't be the end deal," Dijsselbloem said. "We've always said the final concrete decision on extra debt relief measures will come at the end of the program, which will be next year."

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3:30 p.m.

The European Union's top economy official says a deal to unlock further financial help and debt relief for Greece is near and may emerge at a meeting of finance ministers from the 19-country eurozone.

Pierre Moscovici said before the eurogroup meeting that a deal is "doable" and that it's time to "open a new phase, a new page" with regard to Greece.

Moscovici said he'll be presenting a "positive" update to finance ministers about Greece's recent efforts to meet the terms of its international bailout. The European Commission is one of the monitors of Greece's bailout program.

Last week, lawmakers in Athens approved another package of austerity and reform in order to get its next batch of bailout cash and a start on debt relief discussions.

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12:15 p.m.

The German and French finance ministers say they're confident of an agreement to unlock further aid for Greece.

But Germany's Wolfgang Schaeuble is sticking to his insistence that further-reaching debt relief is a matter for the future. Schaeuble and new French counterpart Bruno Le Maire were traveling together to Brussels on Monday for a gathering of eurozone counterparts following a meeting in Berlin.

On Thursday, the Greek parliament approved new creditor-demanded measures that will impose further income losses on austerity-weary Greeks.

Le Maire says it's "important there be a solution that reassures the Greek people and of course reassures Greece's creditors."

Schaeuble insisted that "structural reforms are the decisive thing" to improve Greek growth. He said that "extra measures if required" would come after the bailout program expires next year.

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12 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron says his new administration will push for an international debt relief deal for austerity-weary Greece.

Macron's office says that he spoke Monday with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and stressed "his determination to find an accord soon to lighten the burden of Greek debt over the long term." The phone conversation was the first contact between the two since Macron's election earlier this month.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, named last week, is joining EU finance ministers for talks Monday and Tuesday expected to focus on Greece's debt problems.

Athens hopes that the ministers will agree this week on a deal on easing Greece's debt repayment terms.

Successive Greek governments have slashed spending in return for bailout money to avoid bankruptcy.

A worker writes on a piece of paper at the entrance of Athens' main fish market with a Greek flag in the background, on Monday, May 22, 2017. The German and French finance ministers say they're confident of an agreement to unlock further aid for Greece. But Germany's Wolfgang Schaeuble is sticking to his insistence that further-reaching debt relief is a matter for the future. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
MILAN (AP) - Looking to regain his place on Japan's national team, Keisuke Honda says he will leave AC Milan when the Serie A season ends next weekend.

After scoring with a free kick in Milan's 3-0 win over Bologna on Sunday, Honda posted on Twitter in Italian: "Dear Milanisti, thank you. Thank you for these 3 1/2 years which were a constant challenge but which permitted me to improve as a man."

Honda adds: "I will leave Milan at the end of this season but I hope to see you again soon, perhaps in a different role than a player. In the meantime I will continue to dedicate myself day after day to reach my goals."

Milan's forward Keisuke Honda scores a goal during the Italian serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Bologna at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, Sunday, May 21, 2017. (Matteo Bazzi/ANSA via AP)

The 30-year-old Honda appeared in only seven Serie A matches this season, with one goal.

Milan forward Keisuke Honda, center, celebrates with his teammate Riccardo Montolivo after scoring during the Italian serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Bologna at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, Sunday, May 21, 2017. (Matteo Bazzi/ANSA via AP)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani on Monday called relations with the United States "a curvy road," saying he hoped the Trump administration will "settle down" enough for his nation to better understand it.

Rouhani also criticized Saudi Arabia after it just hosted President Donald Trump's first foreign trip, saying that the kingdom "has never seen a ballot box" while Iran just hosted a successful presidential election in which over 40 million people voted.

"The Americans do not know our region, that's what the catch is," Rouhani said in response to a question from The Associated Press. "Those who provide consultations or advice to the Americans, unfortunately, they are the rulers who either push America awry or with money, they just buy some people in America."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 22, 2017. Rouhani, a cleric whose administration struck the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, decisively won a second term in Friday's election. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Rouhani decisively won a presidential election on Friday, securing another four-year term. The vote served as a referendum on Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, as well as a vote of confidence that his government will be able to help the country's sputtering economy. Trump has threatened to try to renegotiate the deal.

Rouhani said that Iranians are "waiting for this government to become stable intellectually" and that "hopefully, things will settle down ... so we could pass more accurate judgments."

"Unfortunately, Americans have always made mistakes in our region," Rouhani said. "When they attacked Afghanistan (and) Iraq, when they made sanctions against Iran. In Syria, they made mistakes, and also in Yemen."

Rouhani further criticized the Saudi summit that Trump attended on Sunday, describing it as a "show-off" that "will not have any political and practical values."

"The issue of terrorism cannot be solved through giving money to superpowers," Rouhani said.

Rouhani made a point to stress that Trump's visit came amid Iran's presidential election, saying that such elections "are not in their (Saudis') dictionary."

"I hope that the day will come that Saudi Arabia will adopt this path," he said. "They should have polling stations in place for the people and let the rulers not be on a hereditary basis. They should be picked by the people."

The Sunni kingdom and Shiite power Iran haven't had diplomatic relations since early 2016. That's when Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shiite cleric and protesters in Iran attacked two of the kingdom's diplomatic posts. Saudi Arabia immediately cut diplomatic ties and other Sunni Arab countries in the Gulf have taken a harder line on Iran since.

Trump repeatedly has criticized Iran in speeches on his first foreign trip. In Israel on Monday, he warned of "the threat posed by Iran" through the possibility of it acquiring nuclear weapons and its support of militant groups.

Also Monday, the foreign ministers of France and Germany said their countries want to work with Iran following Rouhani's re-election but are pressing Tehran to keep to the nuclear deal and to help deescalate Mideast conflicts.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France is convinced that Iran under Rouhani will have "an important role in the pacification" of the region. "We expect Iran to behave responsibly ... not to support terror," said his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel.

At the Tehran press conference, Rouhani also defended Iran's ballistic missile program, something heavily criticized by Trump's new administration. The Trump administration in February sanctioned more than two dozen people and companies in retaliation for a ballistic missile test, warning it had put the Islamic Republic "on notice."

"The U.S. leaders should know that whenever we need a missile test because of a technical aspect, we will test," he said. "We will not wait for them and their permission."

Rouhani added: "Our missiles are for peace, not for attack."

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Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; Geir Moulson in Berlin and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 22, 2017. Rouhani, a cleric whose administration struck the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, decisively won a second term in Friday's election. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks in a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Protesters linked to anti-government Shiite rebels have pelted the motorcade of the U.N. envoy to Yemen with rocks, shoes and eggs as the Mauritanian diplomat was leaving the airport at the capital, Sanaa.

The envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, was not hurt in the Monday incident. His bodyguards fired in the air to disperse the small group of protesters.

The United Nations has been seeking to mediate a political settlement in Yemen to end a war pitting forces loyal to the country's internationally recognized government and backed by a Saudi-led coalition against Iranian-backed Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, and loyalists to a former president.

The war has killed more than 10,000 civilians and led to the displacement of some 3 million Yemenis.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court won't hear Indiana's appeal of a ruling that threw out the conviction and death sentence of an Indiana man for the 1988 slayings of his wife, her ex-husband and her 10-year-old son.

The justices on Monday left in place a federal appeals court ruling that said jurors should have heard evidence that one of the victims was seen alive after the time prosecutors allege Wayne Kubsch committed the killings.

Indiana officials said the appeals court misinterpreted the law.

Kubsch was first convicted in 2000, but the Indiana Supreme Court set aside his death sentence and convictions and ordered a retrial. He was convicted again after a second trial in 2005.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Monday made it easier for companies to defend themselves against patent infringement lawsuits in a ruling that places strict limits on where such cases can be filed.

The justices ruled unanimously that patent owners must bring lawsuits only in states where the targeted company is incorporated. The issue is important to many companies that complain about patent owners "shopping" for favorable courts in other parts of the country to file lawsuits.

The case involved an appeal from TC Heartland, an Indiana-based food sweetener company sued by Kraft Foods in Delaware. Lower courts refused to transfer the case to Indiana.

But the Supreme Court's ruling will have the biggest impact on federal courts in eastern Texas, where more than 40 percent of patent lawsuits are now filed. Local rules there favor quick trials and juries tend to be more sympathetic to plaintiffs.

The ruling is a blow to so-called patent trolls - shell companies that buy up patents and force businesses to pay license fees or face expensive litigation. Many of those cases now may have a tougher time getting to trial or result in jury verdicts that are less generous.

Companies including eBay, Kickstarter and online crafts site Etsy had urged the high court to restrict where such cases can be filed, saying they have been sued repeatedly in courts hundreds or thousands of miles away from corporate headquarters. Even Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller led a coalition of 17 states calling for an end to so-called forum shopping in patent cases.

Groups representing inventors and patent owners said new restrictions would place burdens on patent holders and encourage infringing behavior and piracy.

Writing for the court, Justice Clarence Thomas relied on a 1957 Supreme Court case that said patent cases can be brought only where the defendant company is incorporated. He said the federal appeals court in Washington that handles patent appeals was wrong to say that Congress had changed those rules.

The ruling is a "seismic decision" that will affect patent litigation around the country, said John O'Quinn, a Washington, D.C., lawyer specializing in patent law. He said it may lead to a surge in patent cases in Delaware, where many companies are incorporated due to favorable state law.

That shift will mean a dramatic decline in cases at the federal courthouse in Marshall, Texas, where hundreds of patent lawsuits are filed each year.

Justice Neil Gorsuch did not take part in the case, which was argued before his confirmation.

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This story has been corrected to show that Scott Keller's title is solicitor general.
JERUSALEM (AP) - As President Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the hallowed Western Wall on Monday, it remained unclear whether his administration was changing longstanding U.S. policy by declaring the wall's location to be Israel, versus Jerusalem.

Heading to Israel on the second stop in the president's nine-day tour of the Middle East and Europe, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson addressed questions over whether the administration is considering a change in policy, after top officials offered conflicting views.

"The wall is part of Jerusalem," he said, declaring an undeniable fact accepted by all sides. He didn't elaborate on the more delicate question: whether the administration would change U.S. policy over the status of Jerusalem.

President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The president arrived at the wall Monday afternoon, donning a yarmulke, as is the tradition at Jewish holy sites. His wife, Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, accompanied him. Ivanka Trump converted to Judaism to marry Kushner, an orthodox Jew.

Trump pressed his right hand against the wall and closed his eyes, seemingly in prayer. He called it a "great honor" to be the first sitting president to visit the holy site.

Israel captured the Old City, home to important Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious sites, along with the rest of east Jerusalem in the 1967 war. The U.S. has never recognized Israeli sovereignty over territory occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem. For this reason, U.S. officials refuse to say that the wall is part of Israel.

Israel, which previously controlled west Jerusalem, claims all of the city as its eternal capital and this week is celebrating the 50th anniversary of what it calls the city's "unification." The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

Given the competing claims, the U.S. says the city's fate must be worked out through negotiations and like most countries, it maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem. During the campaign, Trump pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem, but has since walked back that promise.

The latest controversy stemmed from a dust-up last week between American and Israeli officials planning for Trump's visit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked to join Trump on his visit of the Western Wall, but was rebuffed. An Israeli TV station quoted an American as telling the Israelis that the wall is not in Israeli territory, enraging Trump's Israeli hosts.

The dispute deepened the following day when Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, declined to say whether the Western Wall is in Israel, dismissing the question as "a policy decision" that he would not answer.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer, later asked about McMaster's comments, said "It's clearly in Jerusalem." He said the issue would be discussed during Trump's trip.

But hours later, Nikki Haley, Trump's U.N. ambassador, asserted that the wall is part of Israel.

"I don't know what the policy of the administration is, but I believe the Western Wall is part of Israel and I think that that is how, you know, we've always seen it and that's how we should pursue it," she told the Christian Broadcasting Network.

For Jews, the Western Wall, a retaining wall from the biblical Jewish Temple, is revered as the holiest site where Jews can pray. Israel controls the wall, the nation's top tourist site, and treats it like Israeli territory, routinely holding solemn state ceremonies there.

It is widely assumed that Israel would retain control over the site under a potential peace deal. But complicating any deal is the adjacent hilltop site revered by Muslims as the "Noble Sanctuary" and Jews as the "Temple Mount." The compound is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, and is where the Jewish Temple once stood. It is considered the holiest site in Judaism.

The competing claims sometimes spill over into violence, and the U.S. has withheld recognition of Israeli control of the area until there is a deal.

Both sides have been intensively lobbying Trump. At an airport greeting ceremony, Israeli Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the religious nationalist Jewish Home Party, asked Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.

The White House tried to play down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trump's stop, casting the visit as symbolic.

A screen on the official White House website previewing upcoming statements by Trump and Netanyahu noted the location as "Jerusalem, Israel." No explanation was given for the dateline.

The Trump administration had said before the president's trip that he wouldn't recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a pledge he had made during the campaign.

But people familiar with Trump's plans said officials might offer a subtler gesture to recognize Israel's strong feelings about Jerusalem being its eternal capital.

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Salama reported from Washington.

President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Ivanka Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City Monday,May 22, 2017. (Ronen Zvulun, Reuters Pool via AP)
CESENA, Italy (AP) - American motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden died, the Maurizio Bufalini Hospital announced on Monday, five days after he was hit by a car while training on his bicycle. Hayden was 35.

Last week, the hospital announced Hayden had severe cerebral damage and multiple traumatic injuries.

"The medical team has verified the death of the patient Nicholas Patrick Hayden, who has been undergoing care since last Wednesday May 17 in the intensive care unit of the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena following a very serious polytrauma which occurred the same day," the hospital statement said.

FILE - In this Friday, June 14, 2013 file photo, Nicky Hayden, of the U.S sits in his garage at the Montmelo racetrack in Montmelo, outside Barcelona. The Maurizio Bufalini Hospital has announced that American motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden has died, five days after being hit by a car while training on his bicycle Hayden was 35. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

Hayden, who was in Italy following a race at nearby Imola, was transported to the Bufalini facility following the incident on the Rimini coast on Wednesday.

The black Peugeot car that hit Hayden had its front windshield smashed. Judicial authorities have opened an investigation into the incident and questioned the 30-year-old driver of the Peugeot.

Hayden won the MotoGP title in 2006, finishing narrowly ahead of Italian great Valentino Rossi.

In a MotoGP career spanning 2003-16 with Honda and Ducati, Hayden posted three victories and 28 podium finishes in 218 races.

After switching to the World Superbike championship last year, Hayden finished fifth in the 2016 standings.

Hayden was 13th in Superbike this season, riding for the Red Bull Honda team.

Hayden was born in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Several family members had flown in from the United States, including Hayden's mother and brother.

FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2006, file photo, United States Honda rider Nicky Hayden holds a U.S. flag after winning the world championship GP at the Cheste racetrack near Valencia, Spain. The Maurizio Bufalini Hospital has announced that American motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden has died, five days after being hit by a car while training on his bicycle Hayden was 35. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 file photo, Honda MotoGP rider Nicky Hayden holds up his hand during an official pre-race press conference ahead of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island, Australia. The Maurizio Bufalini Hospital has announced that American motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden has died, five days after being hit by a car while training on his bicycle Hayden was 35. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - In a story May 19 about a historical document related to the death of the former sheriff who is credited with killing Billy the Kid, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by Dona Ana County, erroneously reported the date of the coroner's jury report. The document is dated Feb. 29, 1908, not July 9, 1908.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Document details death of lawman who killed Billy the Kid

Officials in a southern New Mexico county say they have found a document inside a box of old records that sheds a little more on light on the death of the Old West lawman who gained fame for killing Billy the Kid

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN

Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A century-old document found inside a box of unarchived records in a southern New Mexico county is shedding a little more light on the shooting death of the Old West lawman who gained fame for killing Billy the Kid.

Dated Feb. 29, 1908, the nearly illegible handwritten coroner's jury report refers to the investigation of the death that day of Pat Garrett, who served as sheriff in Lincoln and Dona Ana counties before being appointed as a customs collector along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Historians have searched for years for additional official documents beyond court records and newspaper articles from the time that assigned blame for Garrett's shooting death since some have their own theories about who pulled the trigger.

Signed by several justices of the peace and coroners, the document states that Garrett was reported dead in Dona Ana County in the territory of New Mexico about five miles northeast of Las Cruces.

They found that "the deceased came to his death by gunshot wounds inflicted by one Wayne Brazel."

Some historians have said that the one witness to the shooting never testified and records show Brazel was acquitted after a one-day trial in which his attorney successfully argued self-defense.

The document was found in November by Angelica Valenzuela, the records and filing supervisor with the county clerk's office, as part of a preservation effort that involved records spanning the last half of the 1800s through the mid-1960s.

"She knew as soon as she saw it that it was worth gold," county spokesman Jess Williams said of the signed jury report.

Pointing to the discovery, the county is seeking additional grant funding for its work to preserve historical records and make them more accessible.

"Our goal is to provide full access to the public," said County Clerk Scott Krahling. "Since family roots run deep in Dona Ana County, our hope is that these documents enrich our stories and get more people excited about our history and culture."

For now, the document is locked away in a safety deposit box. The county is planning a public unveiling next month.

Arizona State University professor emeritus Robert Stahl is among those who have written in support of more preservation funding for the county.

"Once they are found, filed and made available, hundreds of historians, genealogists and just 'plain folk' will come from all over the world and spend millions of dollars each year to get their eyes on what you have," he wrote. "You are sitting on a gold mine in more ways than one."

Local historian Christopher Schurtz is among those who have combed through the county's records, which include everything from Old West files to the city of Las Cruces' original plat.

"As a historian, I believe the more that the people who hold these records make this stuff available and the more that is preserved, the better," Schurtz said.

As part of the effort, the clerk's office plans to institute one-hour, supervised appointments for people interested in viewing archived historical documents.

The most significant items uncovered during the archival process will be turned over to the state records center in Santa Fe for long-term preservation, officials said.

Thousands of documents still have to be reviewed, Krahling said.

"We know some of what we have, and it's pretty exciting," he said.
A leading figure in the "alt-right" movement had his gym membership revoked after a Georgetown University professor confronted him during a workout and called him a neo-Nazi.

Professor C. Christine Fair told The Associated Press on Monday that the Old Town Sport&Health club in Alexandria, Virginia, informed her that it terminated the membership of white nationalist Richard Spencer following last Wednesday's confrontation.

The gym's general manager didn't immediately respond to a call for comment. Spencer told BuzzFeed the gym's decision was unfair and said he wasn't there to "do politics."

Spencer popularized the term "alt-right" to describe a fringe movement that's a loose mix of racist, anti-Semitic and anti-immigration views.

Fair said she would confront Spencer again even though she has received a slew of hateful message from internet trolls.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Latest on comments made by a Mississippi lawmaker over the removal of Confederate monuments (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

The mayor of New Orleans says a Mississippi lawmaker's remark about lynching shows the city was right "to tackle the issue of race head-on" by removing Confederate statues.

Democratic Mayor Mitch Landrieu's comments came Monday in response to a Facebook post by Mississippi Republican state Rep. Karl Oliver. In the post Saturday, Oliver said Louisiana leaders should be lynched for removing Confederate statues.

Oliver apologized for his comments Monday.

Several Mississippi officials, Republican and Democratic, condemned Oliver's original post. Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn stripped Oliver of a committee vice chairmanship.

Three statues removed in New Orleans were of Confederate figures and a fourth honored white supremacy.

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1:40 p.m.

A New Orleans City Council member says a Mississippi lawmaker committed a crime by saying Louisiana leaders should be lynched for removing Confederate monuments.

Councilman James A. Gray II represents a majority African-American district and supported the recent removal of four statues - three of Confederate figures and one that honored white supremacy.

Gray says calling for a lynching "is inciting the murder of American citizens, and that's a crime that ought to be prosecuted."

Mississippi state Rep. Karl Oliver, who is white, apologized Monday for a Facebook post he wrote Saturday in which he mentioned lynching as punishment for removing Confederate statues.

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11:15 a.m.

A Mississippi lawmaker says he was wrong to call for Louisiana leaders to be lynched for removing Confederate monuments and is asking for forgiveness.

Republican state Rep. Karl Oliver of Winona says in a statement Monday that he wants to apologize to his colleagues and to the state of Mississippi.

Oliver set off a wave of criticism after posting on his Facebook page Saturday night that the destruction of monuments is "heinous and horrific" and that Louisiana leaders should be lynched.

The post was in response to the removal of three Confederate monuments and a monument to white supremacy in New Orleans.

Oliver says he was expressing his "passion for preserving all historical monuments" but that the word lynching is never appropriate.

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10 a.m.

A Mississippi lawmaker is saying Louisiana leaders should be "lynched" for removing Confederate monuments.

Republican state Rep. Karl Oliver of Winona says in a Facebook post that the destruction of monuments is "heinous and horrific." He accused Louisiana officials of acting in a Nazi-like fashion.

The post was made Saturday night, after three Confederate monuments and a monument to white supremacy were removed in New Orleans.

Oliver did not immediately respond to email and phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment Monday.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and House Speaker Philip Gunn, also Republicans, issued statements Monday condemning Oliver's post.

Gunn says using the word "lynched" is "inappropriate and offensive." He called on Oliver to apologize.

Bryant says Oliver's language is "unacceptable and has no place in civil discourse."
ST. LOUIS (AP) - A group of St. Louis Catholics filed a lawsuit against the city Monday over a local ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on "reproductive health decisions," saying the law could force employers or landlords to go against their religious beliefs.

The law, enacted in February, bars employers from hiring or firing people based on whether they have had an abortion, get pregnant outside of marriage, or use contraceptives or artificial insemination. Landlords also can't refuse to rent to someone based on those criteria.

Opponents say they law makes St. Louis a sanctuary city for abortion. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Roman Catholic grade schools operating under the Archdiocese of St. Louis; Our Lady's Inn, a home for pregnant homeless women; and a private company whose owner is Catholic. It seeks to stop the city from enforcing the ordinance.

St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson speaks at a news conference Monday, May 22, 2017, announcing a federal lawsuit to stop a St. Louis ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on "reproductive health decisions." The suit says the law enacted in February infringes on freedom of religion rights of those who oppose abortion. Behind Carlson are attorney Sarah Pitlyk, left, of the Thomas More Society, a non-profit law firm that filed the suit, and Peggy Forrest, executive director of Our Lady's Inn, which provides services for pregnant women who are homeless and is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. (AP Photo/Jim Salter)

"Passage of this bill is not a milestone of our city's success," St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson said at news conference outside the federal courthouse where the lawsuit was filed. "It is rather a marker of our city's embrace of the culture of death."

Carlson said the archdiocese and its affiliates, including the schools, will not comply with what he called a "vile bill."

Although the law doesn't apply to religious organizations such as churches, Sarah Pitlyk, an attorney for the nonprofit anti-abortion law firm the Thomas More Society, said it would still prevent the archdiocese from hiring only teachers who support Catholic teachings on abortion. Pitlyk also said there's no exception for faith-based "crisis pregnancy centers" such as Our Lady's Inn, and no provision for private companies led by devout Catholics, such as O'Brien Industrial Holdings LLC and its owner, Frank Robert O'Brien Jr.

A spokesman for Mayor Lyda Krewson said the city had no comment on the lawsuit.

Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green, who sponsored the ordinance, has said it wasn't sparked by any specific case or current law. Rather, she viewed it as a way for the city to stake out its opposition to future laws enacted in Missouri, where Republicans now control all corners of government. A measure that would have effectively overturned the St. Louis ordinance subsequently failed in the Legislature.

Washington, D.C., Boston and the state of Delaware all enacted laws in recent years prohibiting discrimination based on reproductive health decisions. But Pitlyk said the St. Louis law is unprecedented in its breadth, creating a protected class "based on social opinion."
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - President Donald Trump's U.N. ambassador wants a shift in the way the United Nations and aid groups support Syrian refugees.

Nikki Haley says the focus should move to supporting roads, schools and hospitals in neighboring countries that have been overwhelmed by millions of refugees.

Haley says a lack of coordination among aid agencies has led to duplication of efforts and inefficiencies as Syria's civil war drags into its seventh year.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , speaks to a crowd of US foreign service members at the American embassy in Amman, Jordan on Monday, May 22, 2017. Haley is pledging additional support for refugees fleeing Syria's long civil war. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh, Pool)

She's drawing a distinction between short-term humanitarian aid - like food and health supplies - and development assistance that helps countries boost their infrastructure to accommodate refugees.

Haley is touring refugee camps and cross-border aid missions this week on a trip to Jordan and Turkey. She says she'll work on changing the situation when she returns to the U.N.

Nikki Haley, center, US ambassador to the United Nations, speaks to Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi in Amman, Jordan on Monday, May 22, 2017. Haley is pledging additional support for refugees fleeing Syria's long civil war. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh, Pool)

Nikki Haley, center, American ambassador to the United Nations, meets with Iraqi and Syrian refugees in an after school program partially funded by the US in Amman, Jordan on Monday May 22, 2017. Haley is pledging additional support for refugees fleeing Syria's long civil war. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh, Pool)
LONDON (AP) - Russia faces the strong possibility of being excluded from a second Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping scheme.

The International Paralympic Committee said on Monday it remains unconvinced Russia has adopted a new anti-doping culture and implemented the changes required to prove it is cleaning up in time for the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang.

The Russian Paralympic Committee claims it has fulfilled 62 of 67 criteria on the IPC reinstatement plan. But the IPC said if Russia "does not meet its obligations in full by early September then there is a strong chance" of the team missing out on South Korea.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven listens during a press conference, in London, Monday, May 22, 2017. The International Paralympic Committee says there is a "strong chance" that Russia will be banned from the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang because of the country's doping scandal. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

"This is not quite a final warning, but it is saying we are running out of time fast," IPC President Philip Craven said. "With each day that passes there's time to sort this one out."

The IPC remains concerned about Russia's "closed" cities where many athletes train but that limit access to drug testers, a matter in the control of the government rather than the Paralympic organization in Russia.

"Ultimately, Russia has to restore confidence in the wider sporting world," Craven said. "The RPC and Russian authorities need to build trust in their actions and prove to us all that from now on sport really is about morals over medals and not the other way round."

Russia remains critical of the IPC's demands that it must demonstrate a change of culture and mentality in a country that denies there was a state-orchestrated doping operation.

"Such statements are of an extremely subjective and vague nature," the Russian Paralympic Committee said, "and make it extremely hard to discuss the road map in terms of concrete dates and measures."

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven listens during a press conference, in London, Monday, May 22, 2017. The International Paralympic Committee says there is a "strong chance" that Russia will be banned from the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang because of the country's doping scandal. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven speaks, during a press conference, in London, Monday, May 22, 2017. The International Paralympic Committee says there is a "strong chance" that Russia will be banned from the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang because of the country's doping scandal. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - A New York City steakhouse is suing a Pennsylvania eatery for trademark infringement.

Peter Luger Inc. filed a lawsuit last week against Scranton's Carl von Luger Steak & Seafood restaurant.

The lawsuit says the owner of the Scranton restaurant, Robert Dickert, once worked at the Peter Luger steakhouse in Brooklyn, which was established in 1887.

Dickert opened the Scranton restaurant in 2011, but the lawsuit claims the restaurant brands itself as "an age old family tradition" and uses the phrase "since 1887."

The suit calls that "a blatant attempt" to trade on Peter Luger's "famous marks and sterling reputation."

The complaint seeks unspecified damages and a judgment prohibiting use of the Carl von Luger name.

A woman who answered the phone Monday at Carl von Luger's said Dickert wasn't commenting.
NORTHFIELD, Minn. (AP) - Officials at a small private college say they suspended 13 students over hazing at an initiation into a secret social club that involved extreme alcohol consumption, and police are investigating a reported sexual assault that followed.

Carleton College said it suspended the students for three trimesters, or one academic year, for violating the school's code of conduct. Their actions "compromised the safety of at least 13 fellow students" in the incident in the early-morning hours of April 28, the school said.

The school also announced the reported sexual assault but gave no details, citing privacy. Monte Nelson, the chief of police in Northfield, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Minneapolis, said it came from a female student who said she was assaulted by a male on April 28.

Nelson said the alleged sexual assault was reported to police May 3. He said police aren't investigating the alleged hazing.

The school gave no details of the hazing and didn't say how students were harmed. The dean of students, Carolyn Livingston, didn't reply to a call Monday seeking comment. Carleton has no fraternities or sororities.

"Carleton has strong policies prohibiting hazing," President Steven Poskanzer and Livington wrote in a May 18 email to students, faculty and staff. "We will not condone such behavior. Further, we will examine and strengthen our education programs and awareness about hazing and alcohol abuse as we move forward."

It's the second time a college in Northfield has made headlines in recent weeks. At nearby St. Olaf College, hundreds of students boycotted classes and protested after a black student found a racist and threatening message left on her vehicle's windshield last month. Administrators said a student later confessed to fabricating the note.

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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - A suspect in the first murder in Vermont's capital city in nearly a century pleaded not guilty Monday and was ordered held without bail.

Jayveon Caballero, 30, waved to his supporters when he was brought into a Barre courtroom while wearing a red T-shirt and restrained with chains. He entered a not-guilty plea to second-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Markus Austin. As he was led out of the courtroom, he said, "I love you," to the supporters.

Vermont Superior Court Judge John Pacht ordered Caballero held without bail pending another hearing later this week.

Jayveon Cabellero, left, wears chains on his wrists and ankles as he departs Vermont Superior Court, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Barre, Vt., following his arraignment on second-degree murder charges in the Jan. 22, 2017 shooting death of Markus Austin, in Montpelier, Vt. Cabellero is being held without bail after pleading not guilty to the second-degree murder charge against him. (Stefan Hard/The Times Argus via AP, Pool)

Montpelier Police Chief Anthony Facos has said Austin's slaying was the first murder in Montpelier since the 1920s, when a woman shot her husband. Montpelier, with about 7,500 residents, is the smallest state capital in the country.

Caballero was arrested this month in Deltona, Florida, where police say he fled after the Jan. 22 shooting. Austin's body was found in the parking lot of a Montpelier apartment complex located just under a mile (1.2 kilometers) from the Vermont Statehouse.

Police say Austin was involved in an altercation with Caballero's girlfriend outside a bar in Barre before he was shot once in the chest several hours later. Caballero then went to White River Junction, where he got on a bus to New York City, authorities said.

Caballero's supporters, some of whom called themselves the "J Team," described him as a good man who got caught up in a night that the mother of Caballero's toddler daughter called a "disaster."

"We all make mistakes. He's not a bad person. He's got the biggest heart in this world," Shannae Harvin said outside court.

Facos on Monday wouldn't say how police tracked Caballero to Florida.

"This was a case that certainly shocked all of us," Facos said. "We threw everything we had it right from the get-go when it occurred. It doesn't change the character of Montpelier at all."

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This story has been corrected to show Caballero is 30, not 29.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Factories in an industrial park in Haiti's capital have been closed since thousands of workers took to the streets last week demanding pay increases.

Industrialists and government officials met Monday in the park, where a police presence was heavy and factories were empty.

Garment workers say their wages at Port-au-Prince factories are not enough to support their families amid a depreciating currency and a rising cost of living.

A Friday protest which first shuttered the factories occurred days after an increase in the price of gasoline.

Workers are demanding 800 Haitian gourdes per eight-hour work day. Based on current exchange rates, that's roughly $12.47 per day. They now earn 300 gourdes, or $4.67.

Social Affairs and Work Minister Roosevelt Bellevue says "we can't put up the minimum salary that much."
WARREN, Ohio (AP) - A 15-year-old girl charged in the fatal shooting of her sleeping father pleaded "true" to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced Monday to one year in jail.

The girl's attorney has said she shot her 41-year-old father last July to stop him from abusing the family.

The girl, who has been in jail since the shooting and had been charged as a juvenile with aggravated murder, will serve two more months in jail. Trumbull County Family Court Judge Pamela Rintala also ordered her to undergo mental health treatment.

Assistant county prosecutor Stanley Elkins said the plea deal came after witnesses who were at the scene of the shooting changed their testimony.

He said those who were in the house had told police the girl had not been abused.

The girl's attorney, Ian Friedman, said her father was abusive to her mom and that she and her siblings witnessed it every day.

He said the teen shot her father once in the head with his .45-caliber handgun as he slept on a living room couch at the family's home in Warren, roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Cleveland.

The Associated Press generally does not name juveniles accused of crimes.

Friedman described the father as controlling and said he required his wife to constantly remain near him.

The girl's 41-year-old mother told WJW-TV in Cleveland last year that she filed for a protective order against her husband five years ago but later dismissed it. The mother called her daughter a hero for her actions.
JERUSALEM (AP) - As he hopscotches through the Middle East, President Donald Trump is urging Israel and its Arab neighbors to unite around a "common cause": their deep distrust of Iran.

Trump's first trip abroad has highlighted the extent to which strident opposition to Iran now serves as an organizing principle in his efforts to remake America's relationship with the Middle East.

He leaned heavily on concerns over Iran's destabilizing activities in the region during his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Tehran's long-time foe. During meetings Monday in Israel, which considers Iran its biggest threat, Trump said Arab nations' own worries about Tehran could ultimately lead to new regional support for a Middle East peace deal.

President Donald Trump speaks during a joint statement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

"There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran," Trump said as he opened talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But it's unclear how thoroughly Trump has thought through what his anti-Iran policy will look like in practice. Will it force him to make good on his promise to unravel President Barack Obama's nuclear agreement with Iran? How will his support for anti-Iran allies in the Middle East square with his relationships with allies that also signed deal? Does overtly siding with the Saudis over Iran mean the U.S. will automatically take the kingdom's side in proxy Sunni-Shia battles in the Middle East?

Jon Alterman, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Iran's willingness to meddle in the Middle East also requires Trump to consider this: "How do you escape a dynamic whereby Iran keeps doing cheap, asymmetrical things that force you to do expensive things?"

When Obama grappled with these questions he landed firmly in the other camp. Obama pushed the Saudis to "share the neighborhood" rather than vie for influence in a destabilizing cycle of proxy conflicts. Pointing to wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, he warned that stoking the divisions could ultimately mean forcing the U.S. to intervene.

Telling allies that Iran is the source of problems "would mean that we have to start coming in and using our military power to settle scores. And that would be in the interest neither of the United States nor of the Middle East," Obama told The Atlantic last year, explaining his policy.

That approach - and the diplomacy and nuclear accord it spawned - did little to endear Obama to leaders in Israel or Saudi Arabia. Trump appeared to have learned that lesson. On Monday, he was greeted with lavish praise from Netanyahu.

"I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran," the prime minister said.

Yet Trump has yet to bring about the kind of change to America's Iran policy that he promised as a candidate, when he declared that Obama's nuclear agreement was "the worst deal ever negotiated." He repeatedly promised that if elected, he would withdraw or renegotiate the deal.

Four months into Trump's tenure, the nuclear deal is intact. The State Department has informed Congress that Iran is complying with the accord. And last week, the Trump administration extended all of the sanctions relief Iran received as part of the deal.

Trump has taken a hard line on Iran's ballistic missile program as Washington fears it could target American interests in the Middle East. On the same day Trump extended sanctions relief under the nuclear accord, he levied new penalties for the missile program.

In Saudi Arabia and Israel, leaders appeared wholly unconcerned by Trump's continuation of the nuclear deal, apparently confident that the president's tough talk will ultimately be backed up with action.

The tensions with Iran that Trump is tapping into on his first foray abroad run deep.

Gulf Arab countries long have been suspicious about Iran, from the United Arab Emirates' long-running dispute over Tehran seizing several Persian Gulf islands in 1971 to Bahrain's simmering anger over a 1981 coup attempt it blamed on the newly formed Islamic Republic.

The Obama administration's nuclear negotiations further fueled Gulf nations' worries about Iran's regional intentions, especially as it backs Shiite militias fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and supports the government of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Israel, meanwhile, has long been alarmed by Iranian calls for its destruction, Iran's development of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel and Iran's pursuit of a nuclear program. Netanyahu was among the fiercest critics of the nuclear deal, arguing that it would not prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability and ignored Tehran's other provocative behavior.

Israel is especially concerned about Iran's rising influence across the Middle East, particularly its involvement in the civil war in neighboring Syria. Iran has sent troops and weapons to Syria, and its proxy militia Hezbollah has also sent forces to fight alongside Syrian government troops.

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EDITOR'S NOTE - Julie Pace has covered the White House and politics since 2007. Follow her at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

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Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) - PBS is collaborating with the BBC on a special live event this summer where cameras will try to catch bears, wolves, eagles and other wildlife in their natural habitat in Alaska.

"Wild Alaska Live" will air over three nights on PBS on July 23, 26 and 30. Cameras placed in the Tongass National Forest, the Kenai Fjords National Park, in Hallo Bay and other locations will hunt for wildlife as the show discusses how the state's human population interacts with nature.

The show is similar to "Big Blue Live," a 2015 event focused on marine life in California's Monterey Bay. That was another partnership with the BBC, said Beth Hoppe, chief programming officer at PBS.

In this undated image released by PBS, a brownbearcatchessalmonatBrooksFallsKatmaiNationalParkandPreserve in Alaska. PBS is collaborating with the BBC on a live nature series set in Alaska this July, where cameras will attempt to capture bears, eagles, wolves and whales in their natural habitat. (GarethWildman/PBS via AP)

"Live natural history has really caught on for them," Hoppe said. "For them, it's a big spectacle. For us, it's a way to dip our toes into the space."

Brothers Chris and Martin Kratt of the PBS Kids series "Wild Kratts" will host the event.

PBS has a run of natural history and science programming lined up for its "Summer of Adventure." Next month will see the start of multi-part series "The Story of China" and "Big Pacific," the latter on the ocean's "most guarded secrets." ''Nature's Great Race" details stories of migration, and PBS will also show travelogues in Cuba and Ireland.

Through the adventure programming and other series, PBS is emphasizing family friendly viewing at a time it sees competing broadcast networks getting away from that notion, Hoppe said. An adaptation of "Anne of Green Gables" did well for the network last fall, and PBS has agreed to air two other films in a related trilogy. PBS is also planning a three-hour version of "Little Women."

"It's a good thing to emphasize right now," she said.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The principal of an Oklahoma high school is apologizing after its yearbook featured a quotation attributed to Adolf Hitler.

Students at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City discovered the quote when they got the books earlier this month. Graduating seniors chose quotes to pair with their portraits.

A quote listed above Hitler's name says, "If you want to shine like the sun, first you have to burn like it." Some translations of Hitler's manifesto "Mein Kampf" include similar wording, though the author of the quote is disputed.

It appeared in the yearbook directly below a quotation attributed to Anne Frank, the Holocaust diarist who perished in a Nazi death camp.

The principal sent parents a letter last week accepting blame for the gaffe and saying the school was buying stickers students could place over the offending quote.
Boris Johnson has launched a fresh onslaught on Jeremy Corbyn warning he could not be trusted to lead the Brexit negotiations if he gained power in the General Election on June 8.

As the latest clutch of opinion polls showed the Conservatives lead over Labour narrowing, the Foreign Secretary said Labour had no clear position on Britains future relationship with the EU.

We are at a critical phase in the history of this country. We have to get Brexit right. I am genuinely alarmed by the idea that it could be handled in just 11 days after the election by Jeremy Corbyn, he told ITVs Peston on Sunday.

Who do you want negotiating our Brexit deal: Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn and a coalition of chaos? pic.twitter.com/hdkoJFjVVn  Conservatives (@Conservatives) May 20, 2017

I do not for the life of me understand how he is supposed to go and sit at that table in Brussels on day one of the talks when he hasnt got a clue whether he wants to stay in the single market or the customs union and he has a completely unintelligible position on immigration.

They are going to look at him and have him for breakfast. It think it will be deeply damaging to the interests of this country.

Mr Johnson also defended controversial plans set out by Theresa May in the Conservative manifesto to overhaul the system of funding social care, saying the Prime Minister had shown bravery in addressing a crucial issue.

.@BorisJohnson refuses to be drawn on when immigration will be brought down to 'the tens of thousands' #Peston pic.twitter.com/mt3jZsnT5T  Peston (@itvpeston) May 21, 2017

This is necessary. We face another two million over the age of 75 in the next ten years. We have to do something about the huge costs of social care, he said.

I think it is a mark of Theresa Mays bravery and candour with electorate that she is doing this. It shows the strength and purpose she will bring to everything she does if we are re-elected.

Under the Conservative blueprint, the planned 72,000 cap on care costs would be scrapped. Instead people would not have to pay for their care if they have assets of below 100,000 - including the value of their home - rather than the current threshold of 23,500.

While payment would be able to be deferred until after a person has died, those receiving care in their own homes will for the first time be liable to pay and not just those in residential care.

Theresa May launched the Tory manifesto in Halifax (Danny Lawson/PA)

Mr Johnson acknowledged that there were concerns about the plan but insisted that the broad thrust was right: Whatever happens, people are going to be able to live in their own home. They will have that anxiety taken away and they will be able to pass on a minimum of 100,000 to their kids.

I do understand peoples reservations and the questions people are asking about some of the detail of this but the broad thrust right. The broad thrust has got to be brave, to be resolute and take on the problem.

Mr Johnson refused to be drawn on whether the Cabinet had been consulted in the proposals.

There were all sorts of consultations about the manifesto. You wouldnt expect me to go into detail, he said.

Mr Johnson defended Mrs Mays decision to retain the target of reducing net migration to below 100,000-a-year  even though the Conservatives in government consistently failed to meet it  saying it represented a sensible level of immigration, although he would not say when it could be met.
US president Donald Trump said he never mentioned the word or the name Israel during a recent conversation with top Russian diplomats.

Speaking alongside Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump was referencing revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat during a recent meeting in Washington with Russias foreign minister and ambassador.

Earlier on Monday, on Mr Trumps first visit to Israel as president, he said he sees a growing recognition among Muslim nations that they share a common cause with Israel in their determination to counter threats posed by Iran.

Arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mr Trump expressed his hope for co-operation among US allies in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuwith accompanied by President Rueven Rivlin (Oded Balilty/AP)

Israel was his second stop on a nine-day tour aimed to test the waters for reviving the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mr Trump, who had previously suggested that it would be easier than anticipated to solve the conflict that has vexed his predecessors for decades, said that conditions were right in both Israel and the Arab world to strike what he has called the ultimate deal.

We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, Mr Trump said upon his arrival in Tel Aviv.

President Donald Trump, centre is welcomed by Israeli President Rueben Rivlin, on arrival ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport (Evan Vucci/AP)

His first stop was a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

In a statement following the meeting, Mr Trump addressed his meetings the previous day with Arab and Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, and said that there is growing realisation that they share a goal with Israel in their determination to defeat extremism and deter the threat posed by Iran.

Mr Netanyahu called Mr Trump a true friend to Israel and expressed optimism about the presidents role in the Middle East peace process.

However, obstacles have emerged that may complicate the relationship between the White House and Israel.

Mr Trump, wearing a black skullcap, became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall on Monday.

He touched it in prayer and, adhering to tradition, placed a note in a deep crevice.
Tory attempts to refine their planned shake-up of social care funding have only added chaos to cruelty, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has said.

Mr Farron insisted that nine out of 10 homes still risked having to be sold to pay for treatment under a so-called dementia tax.

He accused Prime Minister Theresa May of offering weasel words on the matter until she secures a landslide majority to push through heartless changes.

Theresa May will introduce a dementia tax, forcing the sale of family homes to fund social care. Sign our petition: https://t.co/O7BOEnXfaR pic.twitter.com/WSOVtSfSRq  Liberal Democrats Media (@LibDemPress) May 22, 2017

The comments came after the Tories said they would consult on imposing a cap on social care costs.

Mr Farron told the Press Association: They have added chaos to cruelty. We already knew that the Conservatives were coming for your home, we now know that they are still coming for your home.

Theresa May stood up and said a bunch of weasel words and said trust me until the election.

Mr Farron dismissed Tory claims that no one would be forced to sell their homes, saying: They have already said that, they have said you can defer it until you pass away.

.@timfarron - As Theresa May has made clear herself, nothing has changed and her heartless dementia tax remains in place. pic.twitter.com/DkyKRRvP9m  Liberal Democrats Media (@LibDemPress) May 22, 2017

There is no clarification in this whatsoever, other than that Theresa May is clearly panicking.

She has attempted some media management today, she has failed catastrophically and what we see is chaos, instability and weakness.

The Tory manifesto committed the party to get people to pay for their own care if they have combined savings and property valued at more than 100,000.

We are calling on @theresa_may to drop her dementia tax plan NOW - join us at: https://t.co/sdVdwiSEVV  Liberal Democrats Media (@LibDemPress) May 22, 2017

If they wish to keep their home, payment can be deferred until after they die when it will be deducted from their estate.

Lib Dem research shows that, overall, 90% of homes in England would be liable to be sold under such conditions, and in the poorest 10% of local authority areas it would be 50%.

The party said that only one of the 356 dwellings sold in the Prime Ministers local authority area this year would be exempt from such an initiative.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron (Yui Mok/PA)

Mr Farron said: The dementia tax will be to Theresa May what the poll tax was to Margaret Thatcher. The moment she thought she was invulnerable she has chosen to do something so heartless I think it will bring her down.

Its just cruel. Nine out of 10 homes in this country will be susceptible to the dementia tax, and it is not just older people who get dementia  I have had friends of mine who have had dementia in their 40s and 50s.

What about people with multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, and other long-term conditions?

The Lib Dem leader has launched a national protest campaign against the Tory plans with an open letter to health and older peoples charities.

Mr Farron faced noisy protests from Labour activists when he arrived for a public meeting in Vauxhall, south London.

People with Labour placards demonstrated against Lib Dem support for the bedroom tax and the coalition with the Tories between 2010-2015.
President Michael D Higgins and Pope Francis have urged world leaders to recognise the need for new and effective responses to global challenges.

The two heads of state met in the Vatican where they discussed migration, climate change, sustainable development, the failure to prevent ever increasing threats of conflict and poverty.

They also talked about the need to achieve social cohesion, values of solidarity and global responsibility in Brexit negotiations, the Presidents office said.

A spokesman said the issues were of mutual concern to both Mr Higgins and the pontiff.

Prime Minister Theresa May is to join President Donald Trump and newly-elected French president Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan at the G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily this week.

President Higgins gave Pope Francis a 'climate bell' by Vivienne Roche, inspired by the President's call to action on climate change. pic.twitter.com/5MCXuhAEgq  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) May 22, 2017

The pope and Mr Higgins urged them to recognise the sense of urgency on global issues.

They called on them to see the need to craft new and effective responses to global challenges.

In particular, they agreed on the need to turn commitments on which the public had placed their trust into outcomes and action, a statement from the Presidents office said.

Pope Francis has been "a compelling voice tirelessly awakening us to the web of interdependencies that weaves humanity together." pic.twitter.com/HWFKefLaJx  President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) May 22, 2017

Since being elected in 2011 Mr Higgins has quoted the pope on a number of occasions and also referred to the the globalisation of indifference, a phrase used by the pontiff about the handling of the migrant and refugee crisis in the Mediterranean.

Mr Higgins spokesman said the two men also discussed their shared conviction that new connections between ethics, economy and ecology must be at the core of all work of social and intellectual reconstruction in this new century.

He said they also agreed there can be no resolution to global issues world without an engaged alternative to the globalisation of indifference.

Later, in a speech at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, President Higgins said he had discussed Brexit with the Pope and he said it was important for people to face up to the difficulties it poses.

Sabina Higgins, Irish President Michael D Higgins and Pope Francis in the Vatican City (Maxwell Photography/PA)

As with the great task of building peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, there are those who will say that the challenges currently facing Europe are too deep and complex to solve, Mr Higgins said.

And, as with Northern Ireland, it is important that we do not evade difficulties, that we face them in a spirit of truth and honesty, while keeping our eyes firmly set on the ideal and the greater human values guiding our actions.

President Higgins said he and the Pope also discussed the urgent and wider task of building new paths of hope and renewal for European citizens.

He paid tribute to the Pope and said he has been an indispensable voice of humanity and clarity.

Mr Higgins also said he was looking forward to the Popes planned visit to Ireland next year.

And he said many people will be inspired, strengthened and challenged by it.
Manchester United have announced they will face Sampdoria in a friendly at Dublins Aviva Stadium as part of their pre-season preparations this summer.

The meeting with the Serie A side will take place on August 2 and be the seventh fixture of Uniteds summer schedule.

Jose Mourinhos men begin with five matches in the United States, against the LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Manchester United

They are then set to head to Norway to face Valerenga in Oslo at the end of July.

United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said on Monday: The team has a good variety of games over the summer, playing in great stadiums and allowing a large number of our global family of fans to see live games across the world.

The pre-season programme has been put together to ensure the manager and his squad have a great platform to prepare for next season with games against top class opposition.
Former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will invoke his 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination and will not hand over documents to the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, sources said.

Mr Flynns decision comes less than two weeks after the US Senate Intelligence committee issued a subpoena for his personal documents.

Legal experts have said Mr Flynn is unlikely to turn over the documents without immunity because he would be waiving some of his constitutional protections by doing so.

Mr Flynn has previously sought immunity from unfair prosecution to co-operate with the committee.

Mr Flynn was sacked as US National Security Adviser earlier this year (Andrew Harnik/AP)

The Senate committee is one of several congressional inquiries investigating possible collusion between Russia and US president Donald Trumps 2016 campaign.

Mr Flynn is also the target of other congressional investigations as well as an ongoing FBI counter-intelligence probe and a separate federal investigation in Virginia.

Mr Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was sacked from his position as Mr Trumps national security adviser in February.

At the time, Mr Trump said he sacked Mr Flynn because he misled senior administration officials, including vice president Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials.

Members of key congressional committees are pledging a full public airing as to why former FBI director James Comey was ousted amid an intensifying investigation into Russias interference with the US election.

Both Republican and Democratic politicians said they will press Mr Comey in hearings as to whether he ever felt that Mr Trump tried to interfere with his FBI work.

Others are insisting on seeing any White House or FBI documents that detail conversations between the two, following a spate of news reports that Mr Comey had kept careful records.
Sinn Fein has called for an Irish unity referendum within five years.

The republican party said ending partition of the island between Northern Ireland and the Republic had gained a new urgency following the Brexit vote.

The party added the north should enjoy designated special status within the EU after the UK exit.

Sinn Fein's Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill with party leader Gerry Adams and Michelle Gildernew (right) during the launch of the Sinn Fein 2017 Westminster Manifesto at the Junction in Dungannon, Co Tyrone (Liam McBurney/PA)

This election is an opportunity to tell the Tories we are against Brexit, against cuts and for Irish unity - @moneillsf pic.twitter.com/VIcRuSEfZK  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) May 22, 2017

The remaining 27 member states have declared that Northern Ireland can resume membership if the island is united.

Sinn Fein leader Michelle ONeill predicted another groundbreaking poll on General Election day on June 8.

The manifesto said: Sinn Fein believes there should be a referendum vote on Irish unity within the next five years.

The imposition of Brexit and cuts from the Tories demonstrates the unjust and undemocratic nature of partition and the union. Ending partition has now taken on a new dynamic following the Brexit referendum.

We have a credible alternative to Brexit with our case for the north to secure designated special status within the EU - @moneillsf pic.twitter.com/CbVGC2qJlw  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) May 22, 2017

The party said the EU had shown itself flexible in handling different forms of integration and relationships for member and non-member states.

It added: Designated special status would preserve access to the single market and customs union, ensure that we retain the Common Travel Area and maintain access to all EU funding streams.

The electoral blueprint promoted a message of anti-austerity, integrity and respect.

It supported frontline health service staff, a secure education system, an all-Ireland charter for fundamental rights and help for farmers.

The choice is clear vote for parties that will sit with the Tories or vote for Sinn Fein and a new Ireland - @moneillsf pic.twitter.com/qN8tSwdjny  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) May 22, 2017

Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU by a majority of 56% to 44%, although large swathes of unionist territory opted to leave.

Mrs ONeill said Northern Ireland was being treated as collateral damage by the Tories and dubbed it the most important election of a lifetime.

The party is defending four seats and hopes to win more.

Irish unity is firmly on the agenda and rights and equality are centre stage - @moneillsf  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) May 22, 2017

She added: This is going to be another momentous election.

Sinn Fein abstains from taking its Westminster seats and has been heavily criticised by rival nationalists the SDLP.

Mrs ONeill added: We are proud abstentionists and we think other nationalists should do the same.

The choice is clear vote for parties that will sit with the Tories or vote for Sinn Fein and a new Ireland - @moneillsf pic.twitter.com/qN8tSwdjny  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) May 22, 2017

She said the SDLP had not been effective at Westminster.

They have not stopped Brexit, they have not stopped the triggering of Article 50, they have not stopped Tory cuts.

The leader said Sinn Fein wanted to be in powersharing devolved government at Stormont as a bulwark against Tory cuts.

The administration collapsed earlier this year.
Leaders of the 27 remaining EU states have approved tough guidelines for chief negotiator Michel Barnier for Brexit talks due to start after the June 8 General Election.

Mr Barnier said he aimed to hold the first round of negotiations with the UK in the week of June 19 and report back to the European Council summit of June 22-23, exactly a year after the referendum vote to quit the EU.

EU leaders meeting in Brussels agreed there must be sufficient progress on the status of expatriate citizens, the UK-EU border in Ireland and Britains payment of a divorce bill, estimated at up to 100 billion euro (86 billion) before any talks on a future trade deal.

#Article50 negotiations: we'll be open & transparent. Our 1st priority: protect rights of EU citizens in UK & UK citizens in the EU. #Brexit pic.twitter.com/AA07dsB3v2  European Commission  (@EU_Commission) May 22, 2017

At a Brussels press conference, Mr Barnier told reporters the agreement was a demonstration of determination and confidence backed not only by all 27 national governments, but also by the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament.

We are ready and well prepared, said Mr Barnier. We have a clear mandate supported by all 27 member states.

We have a solid resolution of the European Parliament, we have excellent working relations between the EU institutions. We have a negotiating team. All structurals are in place.

From R-L: French Minister for European Affairs Marielle de Sarnez, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders (Virginia Mayo/AP/PA)

A Brexit working group will meet for a few days from Tuesday to finalise EU negotiating positions on key topics in the first phase of talks, said Mr Barnier.

These positions will be sent to the UK, he said. I expect this to happen very quickly after the election. In line with our transparency policy, we will publish our position papers and negotiating documents.

Mr Barnier said he hoped to get around the negotiating table with the UK team as soon as possible and looked forward to talks taking place in a positive atmosphere.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said: The EU wants to start negotiating just 11 days after the General Election on June 8.

Corbyn doesnt even want to control our borders, but he could be in charge of the Brexit negotiations in less than three weeks #bbcelection pic.twitter.com/SFjtNwQrJ8  Conservatives (@Conservatives) May 22, 2017

Brexit is central to our future as a country and there will be no time for a new government to bed in - we have to be ready to hit the ground running.

We also need a government which will return control of our money, borders and laws to the UK.

The deal we reach will need independent and impartial enforcement. But an ideological obsession in Brussels with one-sided jurisdiction by the European Court of Justice  in the UK, after we have left the EU  is not acceptable and will not work.
By Ian Simpson

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - Police have charged a white University of Maryland student with the on-campus stabbing death of a newly commissioned black U.S. Army lieutenant, and the FBI is investigating the case as a possible hate crime, authorities said on Sunday.

The suspect, Sean Urbanski, of Severna Park, Maryland, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of Second Lieutenant Richard Collins III, 23, early on Saturday, University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell said.

Urbanski, 22, approached Collins and two friends on a campus sidewalk and told Collins, who was commissioned as an officer on Thursday, "Step left, step left if you know what's good for you," Mitchell said.

When a puzzled Collins said, "No," Urbanski stabbed him in the chest, the police chief told a news conference. Collins, who was to graduate from Maryland's Bowie State University on Tuesday, was pronounced dead at a hospital, he said.

An investigation showed that Urbanski was part of the Alt-Reich Facebook group, which carries racially and sexually charged material, and triggered a probe into whether Collins' death was a hate crime, Mitchell said.

The Facebook site "is despicable. It shows extreme bias against women, Latinos, members of the Jewish faith, and especially African-Americans," he said.

Gordon Johnson, the special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's field office in Baltimore, said: "We are here to evaluate that, as an ongoing concern with respect to whether or not this was a hate crime."

Police arrested Urbanski on the campus, which is in College Park, Maryland, Washington suburb. He also is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Michael Perry)
BEIJING, May 22 (Reuters) - China will eventually allow private companies to invest in the country's oil and gas storage, the government said in a blueprint document for its energy sector that mainly underscored earlier pledges on reforming heavily monopolized oil and gas industries.

Beijing has previously said it would take steps such as pushing to open upstream oil and gas exploration to private companies, help split natural gas sales from gas pipeline operations and lift the output of higher quality oil products.

That comes as China pushes to overhaul state-owned enterprises, including with the introduction of so-called mixed ownership of state firms, as part of the most far-reaching reforms of its sprawling and inefficient state sector in two decades.

"We are expecting specific measures (on energy sector reform) to follow after the State Council releases this overarching guide," said Lin Boqiang, an academic specialised in energy at Xiamen University.

"(But) this is the first time that China said it would encourage private capital in oil and gas storage facilities."

In the document released late on Sunday, the State Council said it would aim to ramp up government investment in the country's oil storage facilitates, while also allowing non-state firms to operate storage. It did not give further details.

China has been building underground caverns capable of holding a substantial chunk of its expanded strategic oil reserves by 2020, as it looks for new storage methods away from expensive and exposed above-ground tanks in crowded coastal regions.

The blueprint document also said the State Council would set up a "management system" to regulate crude import licences.

The rest of the paper mainly repeated earlier government plans on reforming the energy sector.

(Reporting by Meng Meng and Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Joseph Radford)
By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU, May 22 (Reuters) - Two more climbers have died on Mount Everest, taking the death toll on the world's highest mountain in the past month to at least five amid mountaineers' safety concerns, officials said on Monday.

A 54-year-old Australian, Francesco Enrico Marchetti, died on the Tibetan side of Everest, while Vladimir Strba, 48, of Slovakia, perished near the Balcony in the south in Nepal, officials said. Both climbers died on Sunday.

Marchetti died due to apparent altitude sickness about 8,300 metres (27,230 feet) above sea level while on his summit approach, said Navin Trital of the Expedition Himalaya company that coordinated logistics for the climber.

"He fell sick and died while being brought down to a lower camp," Trital told Reuters in Kathmandu. He said he was unable to give details because of poor communications with the team.

Strba died at around 8,400 metres (27,500 feet) in the "death zone", on the Nepali side where the air is very thin, Tourism Department official Gyanendra Shrestha said on Monday.

He also said the exact circumstances leading to Strba's death were not clear.

An American climber died on Sunday, while contact has been lost with an Indian after he scaled the peak on Saturday.

On April 30, a famed Swiss climber fell to his death near Mount Everest while preparing to climb the world's highest mountain. An 85-year-old Nepali man died at base camp earlier this month while trying to set a record for the oldest climber.

This year's Everest expeditions have been confronted by bad weather and high winds.

"There have been deaths on both sides. While few details are provided , it appears these were associated with altitude, not weather," American blogger and climber Alan Arnette said in a post.

Nepal has cleared 371 climbers to Mount Everest in the current season, which ends this month. Nearly 200 climbers went to Tibet, from where the 8,850 metre (29,035 feet) Everest Summit can also be climbed. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Paul Tait)
By Linda Sieg

TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - Japan on Monday protested against a letter to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from a U.N. independent expert raising concerns that planned legislation targeting conspiracies to commit terrorism and other crimes could allow police to trample civil liberties.

The lower house of Japan's parliament is expected to approve the bill as early as Tuesday, setting the stage for enactment.

The government says the legal changes are needed to ratify a U.N. treaty aimed at battling international organised crime and fighting terrorism, as Tokyo prepares to host the 2020 Olympics.

Opponents see the proposals as part of Abe's agenda to tighten the government's grip at the expense of individual rights.

The content of the May 18 letter from Joseph Cannataci, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, was "clearly inappropriate and we strongly protested," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference.

"It is not at all the case that the legislation would be implemented arbitrarily so as to inappropriately restrict the right to privacy and freedom of speech," he added, reiterating that Japan needed the legislation to ratify the U.N. treaty.

In the letter released on the website of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Cannataci referred to concerns that the bill's broad scope might "lead to undue restrictions to the rights to privacy and to freedom of expression."

He asked Abe for information on the accuracy of such concerns and the compatibility of the draft law with international human rights norms and standards.

Critics including the Japan Federation of Bar Associations have also warned the changes, combined with a recent widening of legal wiretapping and courts' reluctance to rein in police surveillance powers, could deter grassroots opposition to government policies.

The lawyers' group has expressed concern that ordinary citizens would be targeted, despite government assurances to the contrary, and that the crimes governed by the law include acts unrelated to organised crime or terrorism.

Japanese governments have tried to pass similar legislation three times since 2000, when the United Nations adopted a Convention against Transnational Organised Crime.

But Abe's ruling coalition, with a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, looks likely to enact the bill this time, despite loud opposition protests.

A Kyodo news agency survey published on Sunday showed voters are split over the controversial bill, with support at 39.9 percent and opposition at 41.4 percent. (Reporting by Linda Sieg; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
By Ludwig Burger, John Miller and Greg Roumeliotis

ZURICH/FRANKFURT, May 22 (Reuters) - U.S.-based Huntsman Corp and Switzerland's Clariant AG are combining to create a chemical manufacturer with a market value of about $14 billion, the deal coming together after years of tentative mutual approaches.

The HuntsmanClariant speciality chemicals company will be 52 percent owned by Clariant shareholders and valued at around $20 billion when including debt, Clariant said in a statement.

Many European companies have turned to dealmaking as growth in the chemicals industry has slowed. European businesses have particularly suffered, losing market share to rivals in Asia, where demand is growing more quickly, or to North America, where energy is cheaper.

Huntsman, controlled by the eponymous Mormon family, is best known for inventing the clam-shell styrofoam box for McDonald's Big Mac burgers.

Based in the Texan town of Woodlands, Huntsman chemicals are also used in paint, clothing and construction. Clariant makes aircraft de-icing fluids, pesticide ingredients and plastic colouring.

The ownership split broadly reflects the relative weighting of each side's equity market value, though the U.S. group is larger in terms of revenue.

The companies are stressing their equal footing in the deal.

Peter Huntsman, the son of the company founder, will become chief executive of the combined group while Clariant CEO Hariolf Kottmann will be its chairman.

The combined company will be headquartered in Switzerland, although its operational centre will be in Woodlands.

Clariant shares jumped as much as 9.7 percent to a 15-year high of 22.89 Swiss francs, but retreated to stand up 3.5 percent at 1525 GMT, while Huntsman stock was little changed after initial gains of up to 5.6 percent.

Though Clariant's CEO said the deal had the backing of a group of Bavarian families that own almost 14 percent between them in the Swiss group, some analysts said Clariant might attract a higher bid.

"We think a counterbid might give higher upside for Clariant shareholders than the planned merger," said Baader Bank Analyst Markus Mayer, without elaborating.

GETTING THE DEAL DONE

Reuters reported in March that Clariant and Huntsman had previously ended tentative merger talks late last year over a disagreement about who would play the lead role.

Kottmann and his counterpart Huntsman said they had developed a professional and personal friendship as long as eight years ago. Intensified talks over the past five weeks had resulted in a combination of the two companies.

"Hariolf and I had discussions as friends and as business colleagues. But this is the first time in all those years that we actually engaged our teams to actually get a deal done," Huntsman told journalists on a conference call.

Kottmann has spent several years restructuring Clariant. He divested underperforming businesses including textile and paper chemicals in 2012 and placed more responsibility with lower level managers for faster decision-making.

In mid-2015 he started carving out Clariant's plastics and coatings business into a separately managed entity.

Plastics and coatings will be an integral part of the new company, Kottmann said, though he reiterated that it could be sold to fund any further takeovers.

Huntsman, for its part, will continue to pursue the planned initial public share offering of its pigments and additives business known as Venator.

UNDER PRESSURE

Investor pressure had been growing on management to identify a growth strategy for Clariant, which was formed in the mid 1990s from parts of Switzerland's Sandoz and Germany's Hoechst.

A source familiar with the transaction said the combined group would use its bigger fire power to pursue further deals.

Like Clariant and Huntsman, several rivals have taken steps to separate businesses and some are facing questions about their strategy as the remaining core business is seen as lacking critical mass, putting them potentially in play in M&A terms.

Among them, W.R. Grace, which competes with Clariant in process catalysts that speed up throughput of petrochemical reactors, split itself into two listed companies last year, spinning off GCP Applied Technologies.

Ashland, whose products include resins for tank and pipe linings and thickeners for sauces and ice cream, listed its Valvoline engine oil unit on the stock exchange last year.

European peers BASF, Solvay, Evonik and Lanxess have agreed multi-billion takeovers since mid-2015.

A $130 billion merger and three-way split between U.S. groups Dow and DuPont is underway, while Dutch paint and coatings group Akzo Nobel AKZO.AS is fighting an unwanted approach by U.S. rival PPG.

Citi and UBS advised Clariant on the transaction, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Moelis acted as Huntsman's financial advisers.

(Editing by Keith Weir and Mark Potter)
By Ivana Sekularac

BUDVA, Montenegro, May 22 (Reuters) - Tiny Montenegro will take a huge step towards integrating with the West when it becomes the 29th member of NATO this week, but it risks paying a heavy price for spurning Russia.

For nearly a decade after Montenegro split from Serbia in 2006, Moscow cultivated close ties with the former Yugoslav republic, and money poured in from Russian investors and tourists.

It was a love affair underpinned not just by commercial and diplomatic logic but also by historic, religious and linguistic ties between the two Slav countries.

"Back in 2006 Montenegro was advertised as a desirable destination for Russians, because it is a beautiful country and an Orthodox Christian one," said Vadim Verhovski, a Russian investment banker who, with partners, has invested 25 million euros ($28 million) to buy land near the coastal town of Budva.

Now the romance has turned to rancour. Montenegro blamed Russia for an alleged plot to assassinate its prime minister last October which officials said was aimed at blocking its entry to NATO. The Kremlin called that absurd.

In April, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned of a "surge of anti-Russian hysteria" in Montenegro.

The chill is hitting tourism: latest available data, for March, showed Russians accounted for 7.3 percent of all tourist overnight stays that month compared to nearly 30 percent in March 2014 and 19.2 percent in March 2016.

Advertising hoardings in Russian, promoting luxury apartments with views of the Adriatic, were once ubiquitous along the coastal highway. Now they have vanished, and Russian-language signs have largely disappeared from shops.

Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said a recent Russian ban on imports of wine from Montenegro was linked to its NATO membership. Moscow said it had discovered banned pesticides in the wine.

"We are prepared for any decision (by Russia) and nothing is going to deter us from the path we decided to take," Markovic told reporters.

In an emailed statement to Reuters, he said: "The Balkans for centuries has been the scene of a struggle between the West and the East. Like other states in the region, Montenegro has strong links with the East, but in the 2006 we made a key decision that we would like to adopt Western standards and values."

HANDY LOCATION

For a country of just 650,000 people with 2,000 military personnel and an area smaller than Connecticut, Montenegro has strategic value out of proportion to its size.

Its dramatic Adriatic coastline, the source of its appeal to tourists, is also attractive in strategic terms because of its easy access to the Mediterranean.

A former senior government official, who declined to be named, said Moscow made an official request in September 2013 to use the Montenegrin port of Bar as a naval logistics base en route to Syria. After pressure from NATO, the government declined.

"The strategic position of our country is important (to NATO) and especially the Adriatic Sea," Markovic said.

When the alliance welcomes Montenegro at its summit in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, it will mark its first expansion since neighbours Albania and Croatia joined in 2009.

The country is surrounded by NATO members or hopefuls, except for Serbia, which maintains military neutrality.

"Montenegro may be small, but its presence at the NATO summit as a new member is a message to the Western Balkans to show (that) the path towards Europe is open," a senior NATO official told Reuters. "It is also a message to Donald Trump that NATO is growing, it has new friends."

DIVISIVE ISSUE

Still, NATO is a divisive issue among Montenegro's own people. Many see Russia as a historic friend - a traditional ally against the Ottoman Empire, and the first nation to establish diplomatic relations with Montenegro in 1711.

Many remember a 1999 NATO bombing raid that killed 10 people in Montenegro, part of a wider intervention by the alliance to end Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic's campaign of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

"A vast majority (of people) supports Russia, you cannot exclude emotions," said Dragan Krapovic, mayor of Budva, which counts around 1,000 Russians in a population of 16,000.

"Russia supported Montenegro's independence referendum, and many people invested money after that. Now they feel cheated," he said.

Since the October election, Montenegro has been in political paralysis, with all opposition parties boycotting parliament. Some analysts fear that NATO membership could deepen the crisis.

"The move could even prove to be destabilising from a domestic perspective, given deep societal divisions on the subject," said James Sawyer of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy.

"The good governance reforms that are supposed in theory to be part of the NATO accession process have largely been cosmetic, while many other important reforms remain to be done."

Verhovski, the Russian investor, bought 13 hectares of land south of Budva a decade ago, to build a tourist complex including a hotel and villas. Bogged down by the process of getting permits, he has yet to lay a single brick, but he hopes to finally start construction this year.

"There is a lot of potential in Montenegro for investment in infrastructure, for example, or ski resorts. Montenegro has a lot to offer. And we hope that with NATO membership it will become more predictable for investors," he said.

"Russians will continue to come to Montenegro. Maybe in the short run less Russians will come, but in the long run I believe they will continue to come. Where else they would go?" ($1 = 0.8938 euros) (Additional reporting by Robin Emmott in BRUSSELS, Yeganeh Torbati in WASHINGTON, Aleksandar Vasovic in BELGRADE and Petar Komnenic in PODGORICA; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
MOSCOW, May 22 (Reuters) - The following are some stories in Russia's newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

VEDOMOSTI

www.vedomosti.ru

- The lower house of Russia's parliament, the State Duma, is considering a draft law to strip those convicted of terrorism and extremism of Russian citizenship. Parliamentarians say that there may be nowhere to deport those who only have Russia's citizenship, the daily writes.

- Russia's flagship air carrier Aeroflot is among the world's top 20 air companies, the newspaper said, citing sources in the company.

- The board of directors of Russia's largest gas company Gazprom has proposed increasing pay to board members by 23 percent year-on-year. Thus, the chairman of the board will be paid as much as 31.1 million roubles ($548,428), or 20 percent more year-on-year.

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- President Vladimir Putin may visit France on May 29 to open an exhibition dedicated to Russian Tsar Peter the Great in Versailles, the daily reports, citing sources.

- Pharmaceutical Group R-Pharm and company Natsimbio, a subsidiary of state-controlled conglomerate Rostec, will launch a joint venture to produce anti-HIV infection drugs.

- The daily runs an article by ex-finance minister Alexey Kudrin on the "destructive economic myths" about Russia.

NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA

www.ng.ru

- Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the founder of the Open Russia movement, has called on Putin from a Russian opposition forum held in Vilnius to impose a presidential-parliamentary form of government by 2024 which would allow the opposition to gain influence, with the current Kremlin leader holding immunity.

($1 = 57.1602 rub) ($1 = 56.7075 roubles) (Reporting by Margarita Popova; Editing by Denis Pinchuk and Dmitry Solovyov)
MANILA, May 22 (Reuters) - The Philippines and China played down on Monday a warning by President Rodrigo Duterte that China would go to war if the Philippines drilled for oil in the disputed South China Sea.

The outspoken Philippine president has been facing criticism at home for being what some people see as too soft on China over a long-running territorial dispute.

Duterte met China's President Xi Jinping for talks in Beijing last week and later said Xi had warned him there would be war if the Philippines tried to explore for oil in a disputed stretch of sea.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said their meeting was frank and friendly, and the discussion was largely about preventing conflict, not threatening it.

"The conversation was very frank. There was mutual respect, there was mutual trust," Cayetano told reporters.

"The context was not threatening each other, that we will go to war. The context is how do we stabilise the region and how do we prevent conflict."

He added: "I will not contradict the president's words. I am just telling you ... my interpretation: there was no bullying or pushing around, it was not a threat."

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also sought to make light of Duterte's comments, noting he and Xi had agreed to "strengthen communication" on important bilateral issues.

China was willing to work with the Philippines to handle disputes peacefully, she told reporters.

Duterte made no mention of the issue during an unusually news briefing on Monday before he left for Russia.

Duterte's critics have made much of his refusal to push China to comply with a ruling last year by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, at the end of a case brought by the Philippines against China, which was largely in favour of the Philippines. China has never recognised the case.

The court said the Philippines had a sovereign right to access offshore oil and gas fields in its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Duterte's rivals have likened his refusal to insist that China abide by the ruling as akin to surrendering sovereignty.

Senate minority leader, Frank Drilon, said the government "should not allow our country to be bullied and threatened," while former foreign minister Albert del Rosario said Manila should do joint maritime patrols with traditional ally the United States, an idea he said Duterte had jettisoned as part of his "full embrace of China".

Duterte chafes at what he considers Philippine subservience to the United States and has sought to engage more with China, which has promised loans and investment that will be vital to his ambitious $180 billion infrastructure overhaul.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Saturday urged the government to file another international arbitration case over the reported Chinese threat, and also lodge a complaint with the United Nations.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said the Philippines was "very clear that we are not giving up our claim of sovereignty and sovereign rights".

(Reporting by Karen Lema and Martin Petty im MANILA and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Robert Birsel)
BERLIN, May 22 (Reuters) - The German Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Berlin should have an interest in not isolating itself with its stance on Greece and the question of debt relief for Athens.

The comments came after German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a Social Democrat, demanded that the euro zone make a concrete commitment on debt relief to Greece, effectively criticising conservative Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble's tough stance.

Speaking at a regular government news conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission were not far apart in their assessment on Greece.

"Germany should have an interest in not isolating itself too much...," Schaefer said.

A spokeswoman for the conservative-led finance ministry added that everybody wanted a solution "in the interest of Greece", adding it was up euro zone finance ministers to find a solution during talks in Brussels later on Monday.

Euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund will seek a deal on Monday on Greek debt relief that balances the IMF's demand for a clear "when and how" with Germany's preference for "only if necessary" and "details later". (Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Michael Nienaber,)
JAKARTA, May 22 (Reuters) - Indonesian police have detained 141 men in a raid on what authorities described as a gay prostitution ring run from a club in the north of Jakarta, a police spokesman said on Monday.

Police spokesman Argo Yuwono said in a statement those detained had "violated pornography laws".

He said 10 suspects, including the owner of the club and several staff members, had been charged, while the others were being questioned.

Sunday night's raid came amid concerns over a backlash against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

Rights activists condemned the raid as a violation of privacy.

"These detentions set a bad precedent for gender and sexual minorities," Legal Aid Jakarta, a coalition of lawyers and activists, said in a statement.

The group said the men were humiliated by police and many were strip-searched, photographed and marched naked from the venue into police vehicles. Photos were then shared on social media, the group added.

The detentions follow a similar raid earlier this month in Indonesia's second-largest city of Surabaya, where officials published the results of HIV tests of several men suspected of gay sex, media said.

Homosexuality is not illegal under Indonesian law, but the LGBT community has come under pressure since government officials expressed reservations last year about activism by its members.

Two men were sentenced to public caning last week in the ultra-conservative province of Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra island after being convicted of engaging in gay sex. It was the first such ruling since anti-homosexuality laws were introduced in the province in 2014.

Aceh is the only Indonesian province that criminalises same-sex relations and that uses Islamic law as its legal code in addition to the national criminal code.

Indonesia has strict anti-pornography laws under which offenders can face up to 15 years' jail. The maximum penalty for downloading pornographic material is four years' jail or a two billion rupiah ($150,350) fine.

($1 = 13,300 rupiah) (Reporting by Agustinus Beo da Costa; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Nick Macfie)
By Tsvetelia Tsolova

SOFIA, May 22 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's small stock exchange plans to start trading shares of foreign companies later this year and will set up a secondary market to trade Bulgarian government bonds, aiming to boost liquidity and attract investment, its chief executive said.

Vasil Golemanski said the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, which uses Deutsche Boerse's Xetra trading platform, plans to offer trading in up to 80 foreign companies that are already listed on the German exchange, within two to four months.

The bourse will set up a special board, BSE International, to trade the foreign shares, which will be denominated in euros and transactions will be cleared by Frankfurt-based Clearstream.

The bourse is also preparing to launch trades in Bulgaria's 3.2 billion euro ($3.6 billion) government securities issued on the local market by September, Golemanski said in an interview at the Reuters Central & Eastern Europe Investment Summit.

"This is the problem with our market - the liquidity is low. If we do not boost the liquidity and the trading volumes, we cannot expect to have a more developed market. This is the key to success," Golemanski said in the interview at the bourse's offices.

The Bulgarian exchange has a market capitalisation of just 9.3 billion levs ($5.3 billion). Directly offering shares of Frankfurt-listed European and U.S. companies would boost volumes and cut the cost of trading these equities for Bulgarian institutional investors, Golemanski said.

Bulgaria's financial regulator has already approved the trading rules for BSE International but has yet to approve the rules for the secondary market of state bonds, he said.

"This is a business initiative to prop up the volumes and we expect that it will also boost trades in shares of the Bulgarian companies too," Golemanski said .

Foreign and local investors say Bulgaria's stock market, marred by low turnover and few quality listings, would get a boost if the government floated stakes in the Balkan country's big energy companies.

State-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding, with assets worth over 6 billion levs, controls the country's sole nuclear power plant, as well as its biggest thermal power generator and the public providers of electricity and natural gas.

"What we hear from foreign investors, as well as from Bulgarian investors is that they want to see companies from the energy sector. Even a small stake of 10-20 percent put on the market would constitute a significant share in terms of volume in which they can invest and seek liquidity," Golemanski said.

Different governments have considered such an option, but never took action. Third-time Prime Minister Boiko Borisov, whose government took office earlier this month, has said he would support capital markets, but has not provided details.

"We aim to convince the owner - the state - to list as many of these types of companies as possible. What the state will decide is another matter," Golemanski said.

Follow Reuters Summits on Twitter @Reuters_Summits ($1 = 1.7509 leva) ($1 = 0.8956 euros) (Editing by Radu Marinas and Susan Fenton)
PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - France wants to develop its political dialogue with Iran in the hope that it will lead to constructive efforts to solve regional crises, its foreign ministry said on Monday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran.

Trump singled out Iran on Sunday in Saudi Arabia as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East sending a tough message to Tehran the day after pragmatist Hassan Rouhani won a second term as Iran's president.

Foreign Minister "Jean-Yves Le Drian will work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises," the ministry said in response to question on whether Paris agreed with Trump's call to isolate Iran.

Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties.

It has said it backs Trump's call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but has reassured France's commitment to its implementation, including the lifting of sanctions.

New French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Rouhani for his re-election on Saturday and said this reinforced the hope his government would apply the international nuclear agreement. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Toby Chopra)
BERLIN, May 22 (Reuters) - Iran must stop supporting armed groups in Syria and Iraq that contribute to the destabilisation of the Middle East if it wants good relations with the West, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Monday.

"In many conflicts in the region Iran plays a difficult role, especially in Iraq and Syria," Gabriel told a news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

"The message must be that we are ready to work with the new government but we expect Iran to behave responsibly in the region, to support not terror but the politics of peace," Gabriel said, referring to the re-election of reformist President Hassan Rouhani.

"When that happens then confidence in the place as an investment location will return."

Le Drian urged Iran to vigorously implement a 2015 nuclear agreement with six powers that resulted in a lifting of most sanctions in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt and Hans-Edzard Busemann; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Paul Carrel)
PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Russia's Vladimir Putin at the palace of Versailles outside Paris on May 29 to inaugurate an exhibition marking 300 years of Franco-Russian diplomatic ties, a French presidency official said on Monday.

Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under former President Francois Hollande with Putin cancelling his last planned visit in October after Hollande said he would see him only for talks on Syria.

The two countries have been at odds on Syria and Moscow's backing of President Bashar al-Assad. France has also been one of the key European Union countries to push for sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

Putin and Macron agreed in their first phone call on May 18 to continue discussions on Ukraine and Syria despite their conflicting views.

During the presidential election campaign, Macron was viewed as having a tougher line on Russia than his main rivals, although he has said it was vital to continue talking to Moscow.

He backed expanding sanctions against Russia if there were no progress in implementing the long-stalled Minsk peace accords for eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists.

In an interview with Challenges magazine on May 18, Russia's Ambassador to France Alexander Orlov said Moscow hoped Macron would show his autonomy compared to Hollande.

"Russia is ready to take the first step with the new French president ... to overcome the reciprocal mistrust of recent years," he said. (Reporting by Michel Rose and John Irish; Editing by Richard Balmforth and GV De Clercq)
By Parisa Hafezi and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin

DUBAI/LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help, responding to criticism of the Islamic Republic from U.S. President Donald Trump who is visiting the region.

Trump called for a U.S. alliance with Muslim countries on Sunday aimed at fighting terrorism, singling out Iran as a major source of funding and support for militants in the Arab world.

Rouhani, a pragmatist who won last week's presidential election, hit back hard by dismissing the summit as a "ceremonial (event) that had no political value and will bear no results".

"Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran?" he said at a news conference.

At a weekend summit in Riyadh, Trump accused Iran of funding and arming "terrorists, militias and other extremist groups" in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and backing President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war.

Rouhani, who fronted Tehran's deal with six major powers in 2015 to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, said the U.S. administration lacked knowledge about the Middle East.

"Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all ... We are waiting for the new U.S. administration to find stability and continuity in its policies," Rouhani said.

"The problem is that the Americans do not know our region and those who advise U.S. officials are misleading them."

Rouhani said Iran was the vital force behind the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and repeated Iran's official stance that the United States and Saudi Arabia are funding "terrorism" in the Middle East.

"Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Russia. But who funded the terrorists? Those who fund terrorists cannot claim they are fighting against them," he said.

Tehran and Riyadh are involved in proxy wars across the region, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.

FRAGILE DIPLOMACY

Already fragile diplomatic and trade ties between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite-dominated Iran were severed last year, after Saudi Arabia executed a Shi'ite cleric and as a result protesters ransacked the Saudi embassy in Iran.

"Buying arms or building weapons won't make a country powerful. Military power is only a part of strength and we are fully aware of that. But the foundation of power is national strength and this only happens through elections," Rouhani said.

"Maybe it will help if Saudi leaders let their people to decide over their country's fate by casting their vote ... It will make them (rulers) stronger."

He said Iran welcomed better relations with its regional neighbours and pledged to fulfil his campaign promises of opening Iran to the world and delivering freedoms to the Iranian people.

"The Iranian people voted for moderation as they know a prosperous economy and jobs can only happen through investment, and investment through freedom and interaction with the world," he said.

Rouhani's efforts to open up Iran to less hostile relations with the West still have to be couched in the rhetoric of anti-Americanism that has been a pillar of Iranian rule since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Iran's most powerful authority - Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - has ruled out normalisation of ties with the United States.

Iran's economy has slowly recovered since the lifting of sanctions last year but deals with Western investors are few and far between as foreign investors are cautious about trading with or investing in Iran, fearing penalties from remaining unilateral U.S. sanctions.

Washington last week imposed new sanctions on Iran, over its ballistic missile programme.

"The Iranian nation has decided to be powerful. Our missiles are for peace and for defence ... American officials should know that whenever we need to technically test a missile, we will do so and will not wait for their permission," Rouhani said, repeating Iran's commonly expressed stance on the programme.

"America's dream on ending Iran's missile programme will never come true." (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Louise Ireland)
By William Maclean

DUBAI, May 22 (Reuters) - The images from the same night broadcast around the Middle East speak as loudly as the words. On the one hand: the young people of Iran, dancing in the streets to mark the re-election of a pragmatist, men and women together.

On the other: the president of the United States, swaying through an all-male "sword dance" under the stars with the absolute rulers of Saudi Arabia, where publicly calling for any form of political change risks prosecution.

President Donald Trump told admiring Arab absolute monarchs and military strongmen in a gilt chamber at the weekend that he wanted "peace, security and prosperity", and the United States was not there to tell them how to run their own countries.

He joined them in berating their arch-foe Iran, and signed a $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that put him firmly on one side of the sectarian divide fuelling most of the Middle East's wars.

The contrast between the two scenes was noted by Iran's newly re-elected president, Hassan Rouhani, who has sought to reach out to the West while batting back hardliners at home.

"Buying arms or building weapons won't make a country powerful," Rouhani told a news conference on Monday.

"The foundation of power is national strength and this only happens through elections. Trump saw millions of Iranians took part in an election, but he visited a country whose people have not seen a ballot box and don't know what an election is."

"PRE-OBAMA ERA ON STEROIDS"

Trump's attempt to orchestrate a Muslim and Arab coalition against Iran was a repudiation of the regional policy of his predecessor Barack Obama, whose administration held the first direct talks with Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Although Washington and Tehran were still a long way from normalising their relations, Obama reached an accord to lift sanctions in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme, which Trump repeatedly slated as "the worst deal ever signed".

By swinging American policy back to firm support for the Sunni Arab states, Trump has jettisoned that carefully constructed balance, said Jean-Marc Rickli, Head of Global Risk and Resilience at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

"We are back in the pre-Obama era, on steroids," he said. "Under Obama you had this attempt of the USA playing the external balancer in the region. Now the regional balancer has gone. The balancer has chosen his camp."

Just as dramatically, Trump also repudiated the policies of Obama's Republican predecessor George W. Bush, who promised to spread democracy across the Middle East in a landmark 2003 speech that declared "freedom can be the future of every nation".

Trump told his audience of autocrats: "We are not here to lecture you. We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship."

COMPLEX MIDDLE EAST

Washington's alliance with the mainly Sunni Muslim countries of the Arab world against Shi'ite Iran is decades old. But in practice the United States has had to improvise in recent years when choosing its friends in a more complex Middle East, where enemies can appear on either side of the sectarian divide.

Washington and Tehran are still frequently on opposing sides, most notably in Syria, where Iran supports the government of President Bashar al-Assad. But elsewhere, notably Iraq, U.S. forces are fighting on the same side as Shi'ites close to Iran.

Obama's outreach to Tehran reflected that reality. But those subtleties were cast aside on Sunday when Trump nodded approvingly as Saudi King Salman described Iran as the "tip of the spear" of terrorism in the Middle East.

A senior U.S. official defended the initiative, citing "a common threat from terrorist organisations as well as from Iranian subversion throughout the region".

In fact, most of the militant groups U.S. troops have fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, such as al Qaeda, Islamic State and the Taliban, are Sunni Muslims who consider Shi'ite Iran their enemy.

The timing of Trump's uncompromising call for a U.S.-backed axis against Iran was particularly awkward because it coincided with the re-election of Rouhani, swept to a second term on his promises to seek rapprochement with the West.

Although democracy in Iran has clear limits - all candidates must be vetted by a hardline body and the unelected supreme leader can veto policies of the elected government - it still goes further than in most of the countries that attended Trump's speech, a fact noticed across the region.

U.S. arms deals for Iran's Sunni foes help bolster the case of Rouhani's hardline opponents, who say any detente with the West is dangerous folly.

The Riyadh summit showed that the "passivity" of Rouhani's government "has emboldened the enemies of Iran," wrote Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Kayhan, a newspaper closely associated with security hardliners who opposed Rouhani.

"Small and weak countries that could not imagine a fight with Iran, are now publicly talking about forming a military alliance against it."

The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the powerful Iranian security force that supported Rouhani's hardline opponent in the election, has the power to stir up confrontation across the region to undermine Rouhani at home.

"All the indicators point to a further arms race in the region and on the rhetorical level we are on a path of escalation," said Rickli. "You just need a small trigger that can escalate the situation on the ground.

"I would not be surprised to see an increase in hostilities in Syria and Yemen. Also, the IRGC might want to foster pro-Shi'a groups in Bahrain and some parts of Kuwait to regain power after the elections," Rickli said.

Putting a huge arms deal at the centre of the visit also plays into the hands of foes who say U.S. policy is driven mainly by money.

Saudi Arabia is both the world's biggest exporter of oil and one of the world's biggest importers of military hardware made in the West. Trump boasted about the jobs that would be created at home by the arms deals he signed.

"We will make sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defence companies, the greatest anywhere in the world," Trump said in his speech.

"Doubling down on Saudi Arabia has a lot to do with trade and investment considerations. The supporting allies, anti-terrorism and anti-Iranian rhetoric provides a cover for that," said Richard Dalton a former UK ambassador in the Middle East.

But the policy could be counter-productive, he said.

"Furthering more enmity with Iran, rather than seeking common ground and interests at a time when Iran is ready to reach out diplomatically on the region's long-term problems, is going to work against the long term aim of a peaceful and stable Middle East." (Additional reporting by Katie Paul in Riyadh and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London; editing by Peter Graff)
By Mohamad Bazzi

May 22 (Reuters) - In his speech before dozens of Muslim leaders who had gathered in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, President Donald Trump toned down his harsh rhetoric against Islam and urged the leaders to "drive out" Islamic extremists from their societies.

Trump even distinguished between the majority of the worlds 1.8 billion Muslims, and the Islamic militants who wreak havoc, at one point noting that most of their victims have been Muslim. "This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations," he said in the Saudi capital. "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people, all in the name of religion, people that want to protect life and want to protect their religion. This is a battle between good and evil."

The speech was lauded as a foreign policy success for Trump, but thats largely because the bar was so low. As a presidential candidate, Trump had called for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration to the United States and declared in a TV interview that "Islam hates us." In his speech, Trump steered clear of such invective, but he echoed former President George W. Bushs famous declaration after the September 11, 2001 attacks, "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."

More broadly, Trumps speech - like his administrations muddled strategy to fight Islamic State and other jihadist groups - failed to address one of the root causes of extremism: the very monarchs, autocrats and strongmen who assembled to hear Trump. For decades, America pursued the path that Trump seems to favor in the Middle East - stability and security cooperation, at the expense of democracy. And that approach failed.

Previous U.S. presidents, including Bush and Barack Obama, had urged Arab and Muslim leaders to adopt political reforms and respect human rights. But on Sunday, Trump changed course and pledged a new approach: he would no longer chide authoritarian U.S. allies for failing to advance democracy and safeguard political rights in their societies. "Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption," he said. "And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms - not sudden intervention."

Trump declared that defeating extremist ideology and terrorism "transcends every other consideration." Thats the kind of rhetoric the authoritarian leaders in the room longed to hear from the Obama administration, which urged its Arab allies to respect the desires of their people.

Obama inherited a decades-old U.S. policy of supporting autocratic regimes - like Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and several other Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf - in exchange for political stability, security cooperation and access to oil. Virtually all governments in the Middle East rely on vast security agencies to keep them in power, using the U.S.-led "war on terror" as a cover to silence any opposition. These regimes put on a veneer of stability for the West, but their political systems are corrupt and calcified.

Obama took up the lofty oratory of democracy promotion in a much-celebrated speech to the Muslim world he delivered in June 2009. "America does not presume to know what is best for everyone," Obama said at Cairo University. He expressed his belief that all people yearn for certain things, including freedom of speech, confidence in the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a transparent government.

He was right: If the United States has any hope of nurturing political reform in the Arab world, it must support an impartial judiciary, civil society movements and a free press - the institutions that help democracy thrive. But just months after his speech, the Obama administration became remarkably quiet on democracy promotion and was reluctant to criticize U.S. allies like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Obama also fell into the trap of favoring stability, partly because he was trying to withdraw U.S. troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was a political realist who became reluctant to disrupt American alliances with the regions authoritarian rulers.

For a short time, it seemed that the era of rule by strongmen in the Middle East was coming to an end. After the popular Arab uprisings in late 2010 and early 2011, the strongmen of the Arab world began to teeter and fall, one by one. A new generation of revolutionaries had fostered a revitalized sense of Arab identity united around demands for broad political and social rights.

As the protests that began in Tunisia spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria, each uprising was inspired by the others. The protesters no longer accepted a social contract in which they effectively made peace with government repression, arbitrary laws, state-run media and censorship, and single-party rule, in exchange for security and stability.

But the revolutions devolved into large-scale bloodshed in Syria, Libya and Yemen. In Egypt, the military in 2013 ousted the countrys first democratically elected president, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, and replaced him with a general. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has turned into a strongman, who suppressed all opposition and launched a crackdown that precipitated an insurgency by Islamic militants in parts of Egypt.

Trumps policies risk exacerbating a danger that many in the Arab world and the West have failed to grasp. While authoritarian rule appears to provide stability over the short term, it breeds discontent and affirms the idea that violence is the only way to be heard. Rulers who demonize all Islamists and other opponents as militants nurture a self-fulfilling prophecy, allowing them to repeat the pattern of repression that leads to more radicalization. And without addressing those root causes, Trumps call on Muslim leaders to "drive out" extremists is doomed to fall short. (By Mohamad Bazzi)
BRASILIA, May 22 (Reuters) - Brazil's Chief Justice Carmen Lucia Rocha decided on Monday that the Supreme Court will only rule on the suspension of an investigation of President Michel Temer when the federal police determines whether a key tape recording was edited.

The court opened an investigation on Friday based on a conversation, in which Temer appears to condone corruption, that was secretly recorded by billionaire meatpacker Joesley Batista, owner of JBS SA, as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors. Temer said the recording was tampered with and has called on the court to suspend the probe. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Dan Grebler)
By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, May 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Monday to confirm Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, one of the U.S. politicians most closely acquainted with China, as President Donald Trump's ambassador to Beijing.

One of Branstad's first challenges will be pushing China to take a harder line against North Korea, which said Monday it successfully tested what it called an intermediate-range ballistic missile, although U.S. officials and experts questioned the extent of the country's progress.

Branstad assured lawmakers during his confirmation hearing he would take a firm line with the Chinese government on issues from North Korea to trade disputes and human rights, despite years working closely with Chinese officials.

Branstad said his long ties would help him push Beijing on difficult topics, including North Korea and thorny trade issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called Branstad, 70, an "old friend" after decades of dealings on agricultural trade during his long career in politics in Iowa, an important farming state.

The vote was 82-13, with all 13 of the votes against the Republican president's nominee coming from Democrats.

Washington has been trying to persuade China to agree to new sanctions on Pyongyang, which has conducted dozens of missile firings and tested two nuclear bombs since the start of 2016.

Trump has warned that a "major, major conflict" with North Korea is possible over its weapons programs, although U.S. officials say tougher sanctions, not military force, are the preferred option.

Branstad's move to Beijing will end his 22-year-long tenure as Iowa's governor. The longest serving state governor in U.S. history, Branstad is currently serving his sixth nonconsecutive four-year term.

He is due to be replaced in Des Moines by Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, who would be the state's first woman governor. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by James Dalgleish)
In yet another exception to the banking sector single shareholder limit, the Central Bank has allowed one of the shareholders of Sri Lankas Amana Bank PLC to own up to 30 percent of the issued shares of the bank.

In a disclosure filed with the Colombo Stock Exchange last Friday, Amana Bank said the Central Bank had granted approval for Islamic Development Bank (IDB)the banks fourth

largest shareholderto own up to 29.99 percent of the voting shares by acting in concert with

one of its funds.

Currently IDB has 120.4 million shares or 9.62 percent stake in Amana Bank, Sri Lankas first non-interest based Islamic bank, being its fourth largest shareholder.

According to Central Bank regulations, one party or parties acting in concert can own up to 10 percent in a bank. This can be extended up to 15 percent with special approval from the regulator, but must be brought down to below 10 percent during a period stipulated by the regulator.

In recent times, the Central Bank had allowed several banks to have their key shareholders own even beyond 70 percent such as in the case of Union Bank PLC and Cargills Bank Limited. But they must gradually bring those

stakes down to the regulatory limits over time.

The issue of higher stake by a single party arises as Amana Bank early this month announced a rights issue of one new share for every existing share held, priced at Rs.3.80 a share, to raise Rs.4.75 billion to meet its minimum regulatory core capital requirement.

The bank said, IB Growth Fund (Labuan) LLP (IBGF), a subsidiary of Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), whose ultimate parent is IDB, has agreed to participate in its rights issue.

The decision was consequent to an investment agreement signed between the parties on 18th May, 2017, at a meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Amana Bank said in a stock exchange filing.

IBGF is the party with which Amana Bank has been in talks since last year

for capital infusion.

The bank had not mentioned in its filing that who would not subscribe to their rights allowing IBGF to buy additional rights. The bank is required to meet its minimum regulatory core capital of Rs.7.5 billion by June 30, 2017.

While the promoters of the bank could devolve their rights to IBGF for want of capital, there could also be a significant amount of unsubscribed rights because the existing shareholders are unlikely to subscribe to a share with a premium to its market price.

At the last weeks close, Amana Banks share closed at Rs.3.60 whereas the rights shares are issued at Rs.3.80.

Given the performance of the share price and the non-receipt of dividends since going public in December 2013, shareholders may not show appetite to contribute for any fresh capital calls by the bank.

By March 31, 2017, Amana Banks core capital stood at Rs.5.3 billion. The forthcoming rights issue proceeds would push the banks core capital base above the Rs.10 billion.

As at March 31, 2017, Amana Banks promoters, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad and AB Bank Limited held 14.44 percent stake each in the bank while Akbar Brothers Private Limited and Expolanka Holdings PLC held 9.98 percent and 7.22 percent stakes respectively being the third and the fifth largest shareholders.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2017, Amana Bank reported earnings of Rs.66.6 million or 5 cents a share, recording a 74 percent increase from the same quarter, last year.
By Zahara Zuhair

Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO), together with Indias Mahindra & Mahindra Ltds Farm Equipment Sector (FES), launched the new range of tractors - Mahindra Yuvo to the local farmers recently.

Group CEO Gahanath Pandithage said that after doing a few testings they introduced this product to the local market and they have brought in 1,000 units which will be priced at Rs.1.7 million.

This is the fifth tractor module DIMO and Mahindra are launching together in Sri Lanka and will be introducing two more modules within this year.

Pandithage said that they have been selling 300-400 tractors monthly.

The features of the product as noted were: it is extremely versatile and can be used across more than 30 different farming applications and it boasts of more coverage, faster operations and better quality of work.

Moreover, it was noted that Yuvos advanced technology helps serve the diverse needs of rural and local farmers, from land preparation to harvesting as well as post-harvesting requirements and helps them do more, faster and better.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd Vice President/Head of International Operations AFS South Asia Sanjay Jadhav said that Yuvo is one of the most versatile Agri Specialist tractors currently available in the market.

This is a superior tractor; it will help the farmers, benefit them for better productivity, better yield and low maintenance, he said.

Mahindra Yuvo has been designed based on consumer insights from varied farming applications across different countries, he said.

Jadhav said that this product was introduced in India in December 2016 and they have sold 26,000+ units so far.

He said that the Sri Lankan market is very competitive and they currently hold the number two position with close to 19 percent of market share.

He further said they are working towards boosting their market share in Sri Lanka. Improving the market share means making your product popular among the buyers. It is all about how you are able to convince the farmers why to buy. We are also manufacturing implements, so the tractor coupled with implements will help to further enhance. So we and the DIMO team will be working closely in terms of reaching the famers and helping the farmers, he said.

He said they also plan to work with the local agriculture ministry to improve productivity through mechanisation.

He said that what the farmers do manually currently, by offering this innovative tractor they intend to provide solutions from land preparation to sowing. He said that just like the prosperity centres India has to help its farmers, they will be having discussions with the ministry to have few prosperity centres in Sri Lanka as well.

The farmers in this centre can come with the soil, so we test this soil in a laboratory. The agronomist guides the farmers. So we want to work on this, at least to have a few prosperity centres in Sri Lanka, he said.

DIMO Chairman and Managing Director Ranjith Pandithage said that with this new offering, DIMO aims to take a leap in providing modernized farming solutions, with better output and more income.

More features of the tractor as noted were: Mahindra Yuvos advanced transmission offers a unique 12F x 3R gear box, offering multiple speed choice to farmers while using any implement. A full constant mesh gear box along with an ergonomically designed, car-like side shift gear system makes driving effortless. Planetary reduction in Yuvo makes it a very robust tractor. The operator platform and deluxe seat, levers and pedals designed for easy reach and minimum efforts, will allow long hours of fatigue-free working for the farmers.

DIMO is the only authorized distributor for Mahindra Tractors in Sri Lanka, spanning a relationship of 27 years.
edotco Group edotco recently became the first to utilize bamboo in the construction of a telecoms tower, which was installed on a rooftop in the Uttara region of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Developed in collaboration with Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET) and deployed by edotco Bangladesh Co.Ltd., the noteworthy use of this renewable resource keeps in pace with the pulse of innovation which is in the DNA of edotco. This milestone also reinforced edotcos foothold at the forefront of sustainable and green engineering.

The research and development which was led by Professor Dr. SyedIshtiaq Ahmad, Professor of Civi lEngineering in BUET,focused on the design and viability of bamboo as an alternative material to traditional steel structures in telecommunications.

Professor Dr. Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad of BUET commented, We are very pleased to see the installation of the first bamboo telecoms tower in our country. Bangladesh is a country with plenty of natural resources, including bamboo which is a renewable material. Being able to use these resources in efforts to contribute to the countrys technological progress is a natural course of action to take. Feasibility studies showed that bamboo is a good material choice for telecoms tower due to its properties. We thank edotco for believing in such an initiative that contributes to nation building and conservation of the environment.

Studies indicated that untreated bamboo has the ability to bear the weight of concrete while possessing the rigidity and tensile strength to support its own weight, making it a material for telecom structure. It can withstand gusts of up to 210km/h, with an expected lifespan of approx. 10 years with proper maintenance. A bamboo tower takes around 12 days to construct, and consumes less energy to manufacture compared to traditional steel towers. The structure has a capacity to house up to 8 antennas at a time, enabling co-location.

As an added bonus, bamboo being inherently light, allows for easy transportation and installation of structures on roof tops without putting any additional stress on the building. The deployed structure underwent a chemical treatment as a measure to protect it from termite and mould attacks as well as adverse climate conditions. To ensure the successful deployment of the bamboo telecoms tower, edotco has trialed the unique solution at an experimental demo site in Kanchpur, Dhakalast December.

edotco is always experimenting with materials and innovative solutions to address the challenges of the telecommunications infrastructure industry. The bamboo telecoms tower is our latest innovation which we conceptualized utilizing natural, sustainable resources to build telecommunications infrastructure to lessen the impact on the environment. We are pleased that we have developed this solution in partnership with BUET, and hope we can continue to collaborate in other areas. Its also testament to the quality of human capital in Bangladesh that we were able to pioneer this in Dhaka, said Suresh Sidhu ,CEO of edotco Group.
Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, in an interview with Daily Mirror , speaks about the reason for the present deadlock in the conduct of the local authorities elections, the Provincial Council elections pending and controversy surrounding dual citizenship. He shared the following:

The local authorities elections is long overdue. What are the reasons for such an inordinate delay?

There are three factors that matter in conducting these elections. Actually, the reason is not the introduction of the mixed election by enacting a Bill in 2012. The Bill was signed into an Act in 2012. Yet, it became operational only in 2013. After it was signed into an Act in 2012, a National Delimitation Committee was appointed. While the committees work was in progress, the Act was made operational in 2013. By that time, the elections were overdue even for some local bodies constituted after an electoral process in 2008. We could have conducted the elections under the old proportional representation system. But, it turned impossible after the subject minister at that time made the Act operational in 2013, providing for the elections to be conducted only under a mixed system. That is the starting point of this delay. By 2013, the term of the Vavuniya Urban Council expired. The term of the Jaffna Municipal Council had expired at the time. It was extended for a period of one year.

In the meantime, the delimitation committee worked out its report. In January 2015, the new government came in. There were objections to the recommendations in the report. Then, the new minister appointed a committee to address them. It is not the Asoka Peiris committee. It was a different one. Present Speaker Karu Jayasuriya was the Minister. After that, the new committee submitted its report on August 21, 2015 to the President. He gazetted it. Then, only we became aware of the electoral wards created. We received the gazette notification in October the same year. Then, one would ask why steps were not taken in October to conduct the elections.



Actually, what are those reasons?

Apart from the creation of electoral wards, there is yet another factor that matters. Apart from the Local Authorities Elections Act, there are three other laws governing elections to the local bodies - the Municipal Council Ordinance, the Urban Council Ordinance and the Pradeshiya Sabha Act. These three laws provide for the constitution of local bodies by the subject minister issuing a gazette notification. In this gazette notification, the boundaries of local bodies and the number of members representing each of them should be announced. This gazette notification only gives the legal effect to the local authorities. As long as this is not done, we cannot conduct the election.

In the formulation of the new election law providing for the mixed system, the then Elections Commissioner, starting from 2010, submitted recommendations to be incorporated in it to avert practical concerns in conducting polls. Little attention was paid for it. When this Act became operative in 2013, I, as the Elections Commissioner, informed the authorities concerned of serious flaws in the Act. One was related to the authorized agent of a political party assigned for the handing over of nomination papers. In the new Act, there is no interpretation of it. The authorized agent or the party secretary could hand over nomination papers as mentioned in the Act. Yet, who is this authorized agent? It is not interpreted. There are minor discrepancies and we have identified 56 such shortcomings altogether.

Some argue that these shortcomings could be rectified by the Elections Commission by issuing a fresh gazette notification. There are provisions for it in the new Act. I believe only the judiciary should rule over it. The gazette notification should be issued to constitute the local bodies with the specification of boundaries and the number of members.

Then, there is another Act No. 1 of 2016 providing for the reservation of 25% of the slots for women. That too has to be gazetted by the Minister. The mere creation of electoral wards will not suffice for conducting the election.

We cannot play the match merely by having the stadium only. We need to have the wickets in place, boundary lines have to be laid, scoreboard has to be installed and we need a dressing room as well. In this instance, the ground has been levelled and grassed sparsely. As the Elections Commission, we can organize the matter, however, Parliament and the government for that matter have to prepare the turf, the wicket and everything.



What are the initiatives you have taken to prevail upon the government in this regard?

We have written to all those concerned repeatedly and informed the political parties. We do not find them keen to address the outstanding issues. The postponement of elections is a grave assault on democracy. It is a right enshrined in the Universal Human Rights Declaration.



What are the other serious defects in the present law for conducting the election?

We have a serious issue in counting postal votes. The new Act provides for centralized counting. It means counting has to be done at the polling booth itself. For an electoral ward, there may be five postal votes only. Then, if all those votes were for a single party, their identity would be revealed virtually. So, we need a mechanism to mix up normal ballot papers with postal ballot papers before counting. Then, identity of postal voters could be preserved.

Another aspect is that the polling staff have to be assigned for counting too in terms of the Act. The staff could be replaced only if there were objections from the polling booth agents. In certain instances, we find polling booth agents representing only one party in the fray. If they do not object, we would not be able to replace any staff member even in the event of his misconduct.



However, there is perception in the country that elections could be conducted as per the Asoka Peiris Committees submission. What are your views on this?

That is the question that needs to be asked. That report has been worked out, but it alone does not suffice. We conveyed it to all concerned. Yet, the public have been given the impression that only the Elections Commission was delaying the polls. Politicians are aware of the

actual position.

They hold talks with us. Yet, they are critical on us. It is regretful to note that some politicians are being critical of the Elections Commission for political ends. We are not able to counter every remark by politicians. In that case we are helpless. Wherever we go, be it a funeral or a wedding, those present approach us and ask why elections are not conducted. The reason being, giving legal effect to the new election system. Another reason is not addressing other shortcomings.



How prepared are you to conduct the elections in case these issues are addressed?

We are always ready to do it. We are ready for it.



The terms of three PCs will expire this September. There is a talk about plans to postpone elections. How do you respond to this?

The terms of three councils will end in September. Then, elections have to be conducted. It could be postponed only on two grounds. One is, by declaring a state of emergency under the Public

Security Ordinance.

Or else, fresh legislations should be brought before Parliament to introduce a new election system. A postponement could be sought till the enactment of such legislations. Our view is that the elections should not be delayed.

The Supreme Court has ruled that any electoral process is linked up with the franchise of people. Franchise is linked up with sovereignty in terms of constitutional provisions. Peoples franchise is compromised in the event of postponement of elections. In case the election is postponed, one may go to court.

Then, the Elections Commission will give its opinion to the court that such postponement is an affront to peoples franchise and democracy. We, as the Election Commission, cannot go to court on our own. But, we could express our view. If the election system is to be changed, the elections pending have to be conducted under the existing system during the interim period rather than postponing.

As for the LG elections, we are in a deadlock. Actually, it is not postponement though some people call it so. The key is with the LG Ministry. They have locked up everything. They have the responsibility to act. They have to issue two gazette notifications.



What is your view on dual citizens being barred from seeking seats in Parliament?

It is a matter now before court. It is not appropriate for me to comment.



What has the Elections Commission got to say?

We have to say one thing. A lot of people ask whether it is possible for the elections authorities to reject a nomination list containing the name of a dual citizen. Nevertheless, we could reject a nomination list in conformity with provisions of the Parliamentary Election Act. It has outlined specific reasons to be considered in rejecting a nomination paper.





The Act says , Rejection of nomination papers.

(1) The returning officer shall, immediately after the expiry of the nomination period, examine the nomination papers received by him and reject any nomination paper

(a) that has not been delivered in accordance with the provisions of subsection (4) or subsection (5) of section 15; or

(b) that does not contain the total number of candidates required to be nominated in terms of Article 99(3) of the Constitution; or

[S 19 (1) (b) am by s 4 of Act 15 of 1988.]

(c) in respect of which the deposit required under section 16 has not been made; or

(d) where the consent of one or more candidates nominated or the oath or affirmation, in the form set out in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, of one or more candidates, has or have not been endorsed on the nomination paper.

[S 19 (1) (d) subs by s 4 of Act 15 of 1988.]



(e) where the signature of the secretary in the case of a recognised political party, or of the group leader in the case of an independent group does not appear on the nomination paper or where such signature has not been attested as required by subsection (3) of section 15.

(1A) Objections to a nomination paper may be made to the returning officer between 12.00 and 1.30 in the afternoon of the last day of the period of nomination, and no such objection shall be entertained by the returning officer after 1.30 in the afternoon of that day.

[S 19 (1A) ins by s 4 of Act 15 of 1988.]

(2) Where any nomination paper has been rejected by the returning officer under subsection (1), the returning officer shall inform the secretary of the recognised political party or the group leader, as the case may be, who had submitted such nomination paper the fact of such rejection. The decision of the returning officer to reject such nomination paper shall be final.

It is regretful to see a debate in this regard. We cannot dispute the eligibility of Geetha Kumarasinghe to become an MP or her dual citizenship because it is a matter before the courts now.

Apart from these; for any other reason; a returning officer cannot reject a nomination paper. He can do so on ex facie evidence only. He cannot have any inquiry.





There is a debate going on that the entire Galle district list of the UPFA would be made nullified in case MP Geetha Kumarasinghe lost her seat over her dual citizenship. Your comments....

We are amazed to note the emergence of such a debate. The law is clear in this regard. Our Additional Commissioners also released a communique clarifying this.



What are the plans being made by the Commission to improve voting rights of people?

We have sought arrangements to enable anyone to vote as soon as he/she completes 18. Today, though you complete 18, you cannot vote till you become 19. That is due to the only annual registration of voters, because it takes one whole year.

If an election is declared today, only those registered with the 2016 list could vote. It means only those born before May 31, 1998 can vote.

They should be more than 19 years old, not 18. We propose to prepare supplementary registers within every four months after the annual registration is done. That is for the benefit of the youth. It should be introduced as legislation to be enacted by Parliament.

We have submitted yet another proposal. There are polling stations inaccessible to voters with disabilities.

For example, a voter confined to wheelchair cannot ascend steps to reach polling booths. We need arrangements be made to deliver him a ballot paper where he waits. We also propose to reserve one fifths of slots for woman office bearers in a political party.

We seek arrangements regarding details on election expenditures to be submitted to us by candidates and parties.
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 20.05.2017 -

The Indian Defence Ministry on Saturday cleared the decks for private sector players to build military equipment such as fighter jets, submarines and armoured vehicles in India.



It finalised the broad contours of a policy that would work as a template for cooperation between Indian and foreign firms for military hardware. The government had released its defence procurement procedure in March 2016 but without a key chapter on the strategic partnership model that would govern collaboration between foreign vendors and Indian companies for defence manufacturing. The ministry held a series of meetings with defence equipment manufacturers and industry associations before finalising the model.
REUTERS, 21st MAY, 2017-Iranian hardliners indignant at President Hassan Rouhanis re-election vowed on Sunday to press their conservative agenda, with some saying his caustic campaign trail attacks on their candidate would bring a backlash.

Rouhani won decisively with 57 percent of the vote on Friday, with promises of more engagement with the outside world, more economic opportunities for Irans youth, as well as social justice, individual freedoms and political tolerance.

The president, known for decades as a conciliatory figure, remade himself on the campaign trail as a reformist political street fighter, accusing hardliners of brutality and corruption in language that frequently strained at the boundaries of what is permitted in Iran. At one point, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called rhetoric in a TV debate unworthy. In his victory speech, Rouhani continued to sound his defiant note, saying the nation had chosen the path of interaction with the world, away from violence and extremism.

Some conservatives were further angered when Rouhanis supporters danced and sang in the streets in some cities on Saturday evening to celebrate his victory. Men and women participated together, testing the strict rules meant to enforce sexual segregation in public in Iran.

Rouhanis defeated rival, hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of Khamenei, said in his first comments after the election that the almost 16 million voters who supported him must not be ignored.
Issuing a statement National Bhikku Front (NBF) urges the President to resume the free treatments for clergy at at Sri Jayewardenepura (SJP) Hospital yesterday.

In a letter sent to President Maithripala Sirisena NBF has showed their displeasure over the hospital decision and raised their concerns on the free health care service in the country.

The NBF General Secretary Ven. Wakamulle Uditha Thera said the SJP hospital had carried out a good quality practice however, are now charging from the monks who are seeking treatment out of five km radius.

The NBF has condemned the hospital authority's decision and said during a time when the country celebrated the International Vesak Day the move had sent negative message to the world that the government is not providing medical assistance to the Monks in the country.

The countrys population of clergy is less than 100,000 a 0.43% percent of the total population. In that context it is very low population that seeks treatment from Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital. It is a discriminatory judgement not only in the health sector but also affects our culture, Ven. Thera said.

Further, Ven. thera said the hospital was constructed in 1984 with the Japanese funds was then agreed to treat the clergy free of charge.

Therefore Ven. thera requested from the President to withdraw the circular immediately.(Thilanka Kanakarathna)
A proper interpretation is needed from legal experts to determine the validity of today's Cabinet reshuffle as it is questionable whether it has gone beyond the provisions set out in the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said today.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a media briefing that his party would seek legal advice on this matter.

He said according to the 19th Amendment, the Cabinet had to be limited to 48 with 45 deputy ministers but however, the number of Cabinet portfolios had exceeded 48.

We will consult our lawyers to find out whether the limit is based on the number of ministers in the Cabinet or on the number of posts, Mr Dissanayake said adding that a reshuffle would serve no purpose because what was needed was a policy change.

He said the President had told the new ministers that the reshuffle would generate new expectations but new expectations could be fulfilled only through a policy shift.

"If the reshuffle was done to fulfil the peoples expectations of getting rid of corrupt politicians, then former finance minister Ravi Karunanayake should have been removed while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is responsible for covering up the bond issue, Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake who is responsible for wasting millions of rupees on the ministry office, Arjuna Ranatunga who is alleged to be connected to deals in the Port and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya who is alleged to be connected to the controversial coal purchase deal should not be allowed to remain in the Cabinet, Mr. Dissanayake said.

This reshuffle he said is aimed at satisfying some persons in the government and to make it in tact till 2020. (Yohan Perera)

Video by RM
Leo Burnett Sri Lanka, commemorated the UN international Vesak day with its apple dansala at Bauddhaloka Mawatha Vesak Kalapaya for the 7th consecutive year. This year, the dansala featured a mural of apples to celebrate this very special Vesak celebration held in Sri Lanka under the patronage of world leaders. The mural was created from the donation of apples received from 3000+ donors. Leo Burnett contributed 2 apples for every apple that was donated, resulting in the distribution of nearly 10,000 apples.

The agencys Managing Director Ranil de Silva, along with a cross-section of Burnetters representing the diversity of the agency comprising people from a cross section of religions, ethnicities and agency departments came together to set up the mural and to distribute the apples to the community. Numerous people representing friends of Burnetters, the agencys business partners, clients and team members contributed apples to help create this unique mural of apples. The agencys office was also decorated with traditional Vesak lanterns and the team got together on Vesak day to light lamps to celebrate this very special day.

Commenting on this years Vesak celebrations, Ranil de Silva  Managing Director, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka said: Vesak is an important religious festival that we are proud to jointly celebrate as a team each year. I am delighted that the diversity of people represented in the team came together once again to celebrate this important festival. This year the mural we created with apples was a unique feature in our long-standing tradition of conducting an apple dansla for the last 7 years. Apples are an important symbol of the agencys history. It is how Leo Burnett welcomed visitors to his office in Chicago 80 plus years ago. This tradition continues at every Burnett office around the world, including our office in Colombo. Although cynics mocked that it wouldnt be too long until Leo Burnett started selling apples on the street corner instead of giving them away, the agency was able to overcome the economic uncertainty of the time and grow and thrive. We are honoured to have the opportunity to uphold the late Leo Burnetts tradition in Sri Lanka with our apple dansala which serves as a reminder of the companys early beginning.

Vesak marks the birth, enlightenment and the attaining of nibbana of the Buddha. The significance of Vesak lies in the Buddhas teachings of cessation of suffering and universal peace to all humankind.
Medical Negligence at Rajiv Gandhi Govt. Hospital in Chennai, Causes Death of a Sri Lankan

Rizviya, the deceased mother

Medical negligence is not unheard of and patients have died under such circumstances all around the globe. In this day and age one would think that doctors have no bias against a patients nationality. However, a Sri Lankan family learned the hard way that there were doctors who showed no concern for a suffering patient. On April 26, a Sri Lankan family of four left for India on vacation. Sitty Rizviya Zubair (51) with her sons Arshad Abdul Kalam M. Feroze (34), Amzal Abdul Kalam (29) and daughter-in-law Mrs. Amzal (21), had planned to go abroad to do some shopping before the Ramadan festive season and before Rizviya moved into her new house. However, three days before they were scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka, they met with an untimely accident and were rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where they were not given any form of emergency treatment and which resulted in Rizviyas death.

The Accident



On Sunday, April 30, after shopping at the Pothys, Arshad ordered an Uber to take them back to their hotel, the Eastern Palace Hotel in Mannady. As the driver was unfamiliar with the route, Arshad sat in front to direct him, a route he had become familiar with after many years of visiting Chennai. In the back seat sat his mother, his sister-in-law and his younger brother. While travelling along a bridge at Chennai Kamarajar Salai, Arshad felt the car speed up all of a sudden. Instinctively holding on to the dashboard and the hood of the car, he started screaming at the driver to hit the breaks. We were on a bridge and there was a bend going to the left. We were going at a normal speed and then suddenly the car started speeding. Then, instead of taking the bend the car just went straight and hit the barricades. Arshad told the Daily Mirror.

Mrs. Amzal who had been having a quiet conversation with her mother-in-law too felt the car suddenly speed up. I felt the car hitting the pavement and I could hear my brother-in-law screaming at the driver to hit the breaks. Then I hit my head on something and fell unconscious. Since I was seated in the middle, I had nothing to hold on to. She did not remember what happened after that until she awoke at the hospital.

Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital

Amzal who had been sleeping during the ride, woke up to his brothers screams and the impact of the car hitting the pavement. He said that he too could not remember anything that happened between the time of the accident and waking up in hospital.

According to Arshad, the car had accelerated so much that it had gone over the pavement, hit the barricades which consisted of iron bars, broken the boundary wall and flown off the bridge. I felt like a piece of paper flying in the wind, he said. Below them was a two-way road with a small pavement in the middle. The car flew over one road and toppled on to the second road landing upright. Upon landing, Arshad, the only passenger who was conscious throughout the incident despite being injured, saw the driver lying unconscious on his lap and quickly exited the vehicle. Ignoring his bleeding left arm, he looked towards the passenger seat where he saw Amzal, Mrs. Amzal and his mother unconscious and mumbling in pain. Screaming their names he put his hand through Amzals window which was smashed and patted his cheeks trying to wake him. Failing to do so, he opened the door and carried Amzal towards the divide of the two roads. By then, pedestrians and motorists had come running to their aid. Together they slowly pulled out Mrs. Amzal who was screaming that her shoulder and arm were in pain. Placing her next to her husband they tried to open Rizviyas door which was jammed, resulting in her being slowly pulled across the seat out of the vehicle.

Mama was conscious and when she tried to move she started screaming that her back was hurting. Arshad said.

I then took my brothers wallet, cell phone and everything else that had fallen in the car. Mama was screaming that she couldnt stay there, so I was trying to calm her down until the ambulance arrived. The tarred road was very hot, so she couldnt even stretch her legs. Someone splashed water on her and my sister in laws face because they were about to faint. While I was speaking to the police, my brother suddenly stood up and was looking around. When I shouted his name he didnt hear me, he looked like he was in shock. Finally when I got his attention, I told him to take our shopping bags out of the boot of the car. To this day he does not remember doing this.

When the ambulance arrived, Rizviya was taken in a stretcher while a few passers-by had to carry Mrs. Amzal into the ambulance. According to Arshad, before the ambulance doors were closed, the driver held onto the door and asked them to forgive him.

Whilst in the ambulance, Arshad made two quick calls to Sri Lanka, one to Mrs. Amzals father who had family friends living in Chennai and the second to his wife, informing them of the accident.

Mama was in severe pain in the ambulance. She had been given oxygen and was coughing up blood. She was screaming that her back was hurting while Mrs. Amzal was in pain because her shoulder was hurting. Amzal was saying he couldnt breathe during the ride to the hospital. We soon arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital. said Arshad.

The police informed Arshad that on a weekday, that particular road they had landed on was usually very busy and had it not been a Sunday, they would have suffered worse injuries.

Arrival at the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital



Our people also suffered there no? So let them be a bit, thats ok

Once they arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Arshad filled in the admission forms and his family was transferred inside one by one. They were admitted to the hospital at 4.30pm. Before they were transferred inside, he was told by a nurse to remove any valuables on his mother, brother and sister-in-law, which he did. As he was expecting the arrival of the Indian family friends (who wished anonymity) who were only ten minutes away, he waited in the reception area to hand over whatever valuables he had at hand as he preferred to keep them with friends rather that in a locker offered to him by the hospital. During this time, Arshad spotted two female hospital staff members entering the room and asking the nurse about the patients that had just been admitted.

Upon hearing that they were Sri Lankans, the staff members had laughed and said, Our people also suffered there no? So let them be a bit, thats ok. At that time there were no other patients in the area, so I could hear them very clearly.

As his wife had called and informed the hotel about the accident, a few hotel staff members had been sent to the hospital to see how their guests were doing. After the arrival of the hotel staff, came Sithy*, her daughter Fathima* and son-in-law, Mrs. Amzals family friends. Once everyone had arrived, Arshad was taken into a ward in a wheelchair where he saw his mother lying on a bed. To her left was the driver and to her right lay Amzal, while Mrs. Amzal lay on a bed opposite her.

(*names have been changed to protect identities)

Treatment and the Doctors Attitude

The family was not taken to an ICU or an Emergancy Treatment Unit, instead they were taken to a casualty ward where there were other patients in a normal condition. As there was a doctors strike that day, there were only three or four doctors in the ward.

When I went in, I slowly walked towards my mama to check on her condition. She was screaming, saying her back, neck and chest were hurting. She had the oxygen mask on and it was covered with blood because she was coughing up blood. When she turned to the side and tried to breathe, she would cough up more blood. When we told the doctor she was coughing blood, he told us to lift the oxygen mask for her to spit it out. I told mama to slowly spit out the blood and not to panic, otherwise her blood pressure would go up. At the same time, my brother was screaming that he couldnt breathe and I had to try to calm him as well,said Arshad.

He further said, The ward doctors would keep coming in to check on my mother and brother before leaving. They didnt give them any emergency treatment. I tried to tell Amzal not to stiffen his body but to loosen up and that he might be able to breathe more easily. My mother could hear him shouting and asked me to go and ask someone to give him oxygen and to get my wounds treated because my left arm was bleeding. She also told me to go and sit somewhere and rest because I was injured as well.

When we spoke to a female doctor sitting at a desk, she said we were not the only patients there and that they had to take care of the others too. But the other patients looked to be normal and they werent screaming in pain like we were, he added.

Sithy had gone up to a lady doctor twice and asked her to help Rizviya and both times the doctor said she would come but she never went to Rizviyas side. I went to the doctor a number of times to tell her to see the emergency patients but they treated us indifferently, she said.

Then suddenly, Mama was screaming that her neck hurt and I had to massage her neck. She was also feeling hot and because there was nothing to fan her with, I had to blow air through my mouth. Then Fathima found a piece of cardboard and we fanned her with that, Arshad said.

As Rizviyas condition worsened, doctors continued to treat the patients indifferently. Mama was turning this way and that, saying she couldnt breathe and her chest was paining. I asked the doctors if they could at least fix a tube so that she would be able to breathe but they didnt do anything.

The patients had only been given a drip and no emergency treatment had been performed on the family.

When we asked them to do something, the doctors said they couldnt do anything until there was a scan or an X Ray. So we told them to do the scans. Then they were asking us to pay for them, said Sithy. The Indian family friends and hotel staff collected what money they had and received the remaining amount from Arshad and paid for the X rays and scans to be done. Even after paying them and showing the receipts, they didnt do the scans or immediately take us to be X rayed, Mrs. Amzal said.



Half an hour before her passing, Rizviyas pulse started dropping. Desperately, Arshad ran to the nearest doctors and cried for help saying that his mother was going to die. It was only then the doctors rushed to her side. They were doing CPR on her chest. She started to pray and her legs were feeling cold. Then a male doctor came and took me away. They told me to go and sit on a bed. Then a few doctors gathered around her and nurses had also appeared. They brought the manual oxygen, which they were pumping with their hands. Only then did they attempt to fix a tube. When they did this, the blood flowed through the tube. When they were putting in the tube they brought a machine which showed the pulse. The plug wasnt working and they had to find somewhere else to plug it. Then a lady doctor jumped on to my mother and started giving her CPR. When they tried to give her shock treatment, they didnt have the gel and I could hear the nurse shouting for someone to bring the gel. Once they got the gel, they couldnt carry out the treatment because it was too crowded due to the beds and people. They had to push the bed towards the corner of the hall where there were two blinds but I could still see the machines from where I was sitting. The Indian family friends followed them to that corner. Only at the last minute did they start running around and trying to do something, he said.

According to Sithy, in her last minutes Rizviya said, I can feel my soul leaving me. She was saying her prayers and closed her eyes. At that moment Fathimas phone began playing the Maghrib Azaan (call to prayer). A small smile appeared on Rizviyas face and she passed away. Even though she had passed away, the doctors and nurses kept trying to give her treatment. Up to the time that her pulse dropped, they didnt do anything for my mother. She was only given the drip and oxygen. None of us was treated. My mother passed away at around 6.30pm. From 4.30 they didnt try and give her any form of treatment, Arshad said.

Sithy too backed up the fact that proper treatment was not given to Rizviya or to the others. I never thought she would pass away there. I went up to the doctors a number of times to tell them to do something. Only in the end, when her soul was leaving her body were they trying to save her. They were climbing on top of her and giving CPR and getting all sorts of machines and tubes. I had gone up to them so many times and told them to have a look at her and they never showed any concern. They had given her oxygen and a drip but there were other treatments that should have been done. They never checked to see what was wrong with her.

While Rizviya was taken to the other side of the hall, Sithys son-in-law, the hotel staff and the others who had come managed to take Amzal for an X Ray. He too was only given a drip and no treatment was done. After the scan, he was brought back to his bed. Amzal was in a lot of pain and he was shouting that he couldnt breathe but they never gave him oxygen, said Sithy.

According to Amzal, he was not examined nor did the doctors ask him any questions about his pain. He could hear his brother talking to the doctors and his mother and wife screaming but he was unable to do anything. A doctor came up to me and I told him I couldnt breathe and needed oxygen but all he said was that I didnt need oxygen and that I was OK. But I wasnt, I was suffering.

When Mrs. Amzal was finally taken for a scan it was Sithy, Fathima and another who had to take her for the scan.

When they took Mrs. Amzal for the MRI scan, they had to wait outside the scanning room for half an hour in a corridor. Then Fathima noticed something off about Mrs. Amzals facial expression and quickly went to notify someone. After speaking to a nurse they learned that Mrs. Amzals pulse was dropping. The nurse went to inform the doctor of this and was told to give a small injection, which was done at that time. After the injection the doctor said shell be alright, but the fact that there was no doctor around at that time was very irresponsible, because we did not even know what was happening to her. said Sithy. After the MRI scan she and her daughter had to wheel Mrs. Amzal to the ECG scan and for the X Rays. There had been no hospital staff to help them take the patient to get the necessary scans.

Mrs. Amzal had been slipping in and out of consciousness but still remembers hearing her husband and mother-in-law screaming in pain. She said the only time she felt a little bit better was when her father had arrived at the hospital and rushed to her side. Our family had informed everyone they knew of the accident and had asked anyone who was in India to come and check on us. So many people came to help us even though the hospital staff was not helpful. Our family had told anyone and everyone who was in India to come and check on us, said Arshad. Arshad realized how differently they were treated while observing the way the drivers injuries were tended to. They were treating him with more care. There were so many medicines on the table next to his bed and they were checking his pressure and his condition was much better than my mothers. His condition was actually quite similar to mine but they didnt give me any treatment.

Speaking of the inconsiderate nature of the doctors, Sithy said, When we were looking for something to fan Rizviya with, they couldnt even spare a file or a piece of paper. They were just scribbling things down on pieces of paper. How many times did I go up to the lady doctor but she just scolded me saying they had other patients as well. They just didnt care and were very rude.

I could have taken them to another hospital, said Sithy. But at the time there was no one else for me to properly discuss it with. No one in the hospital came up to me and said, they are in a serious condition, if you want, you can take them to another hospital. There was no one to advise or help us at that time. They kept trying to chase us out of the ward. But since we didnt know what would happen to the three remaining patients. we refused to leave. I was scared that I would return to their dead bodies, she added.

She further said that she had never seen anything like this before and it felt like she was watching a film. Watching something like this and not being able to do much was very difficult. The way they were treating them angered me so much but I had to control my anger because if I expressed it, I didnt know if they would have acted worse.

Arrival of Former Mla Hasan Ali And the Entrance of a Senior Doctor.



Through family connections, Former Member of Legislative Assembly (M.L.A), Mr. Hasan Ali heard of the accident and rushed to the hospital along with his wife. The sight of the ward and the condition of the three Sri Lankans made him very distressed. He immediately started making arrangements for the family to be transferred to the Sooriya Private Hospital. Mr. Ali saw to it that Mrs. Amzals condition was checked to ensure that she was fit enough to be transferred. Then he called the Sooriya Hospital Managing Director(MD) and told him that they needed three beds in the ICU. Although the doctors were off duty, the hospital had organized for all their specialist doctors to arrive and prepare themselves for the incoming patients. It was thanks to him that we are alive. If he wasnt there, I dont know what would have happened to us, said Arshad. Sithy too had expressed her gratitude for Mr. Alis arrival as she was able to see a major improvement in the situation because of him.

While Mr. Ali was trying to organize their transfer, Arshad lay on a bed to rest. At this point a senior doctor in his fifties entered the ward. The other doctors in the ward were quite young compared to him. Some other doctors were crowding behind him which was when I realized that he was important. They were doing their rounds I think. He came up to my bed and asked the other doctors if I was also a patient from the accident case. They told him I was. When he asked about my condition the female doctor sitting at the desk told the senior doctor that I was fine and was taken care of. She was looking at me while saying this. When they were about to go, I called the senior doctor and told him, Excuse me doctor but I wasnt treated at all. I wasnt even touched. They havent done any X Rays or scans for me and my entire body is paining. He was quite shocked when I said this to him. He asked me what time we were admitted and I told him at 4.30. Then he turned to the doctors and asked them what they were doing without treating us for so long. He then held my left hand, on it there was a masking tape that said MASS No.4 which had meant that I was emergency patient number 4. Then in a loud voice he asked the doctors why we hadnt been treated first. The female doctor at the desk said,  There were a lot of patients and we couldnt treat them. The senior doctor then said that they were normal patients and that the emergency patients should have been given first priority. He then checked me and said that I should be taken for a scan. Afterwards, he turned around to the group of doctors. I could hear him questioning them. Then he said one patient has already passed away. How are you going to take responsibility for this? How are you going to answer to this? some doctors were just looking down and the others were not saying anything. Arshad said.

Sithy, who had been close by when the senior doctor entered the ward, could hear him ask the other doctors why the emergency patients werent being treated. However, before she could hear anymore, a doctor came up to her and told her that she should not stay so close when the doctors were having such a conversation and told her to move away.

Afterwards, the doctor continued his rounds and checked on Amzal before he was on his way. This was at around nine oclock. However, even though they were told to perform the scans, they were done slowly and not in an efficient manner. By then, Mr. Ali had planned to move the three patients out of the hospital. He had spoken to the police and the hospital. However, the hospital said all the formalities needed to be taken care of before the patients could be transferred. Mr. Ali and the others in the hospital did not wish to leave the patients as they were afraid they would die. Although the hospital was delaying their departure, Mr. Ali managed to have the patients discharged. An ambulance had been arranged to take the patients to the Sooriya Hospital and at 11.30pm the three injured were rushed to the private hospital.

Arriving at the Sooriya Private Hospital

Upon arriving at the hospital, the hospital MD was there to greet them along with a number of doctors. Arshad, Mrs. Amzal and Amzal were taken straight to the ICU. I couldnt raise my arms because they had gone numb, so the doctors had to cut open my shirt to examine me. One doctor was checking my eyes and another was pressing me everywhere, asking where it hurt and was noting down my answers. They brought the scanning machines and X Rays to us and we werent required to move.

The patients noted the huge difference in the way they were treated at the private hospital. The MD stayed at the hospital till around one oclock in the morning and there were doctors and nurses monitoring them constantly.

All three patients agreed that the treatment they received at the private hospital was excellent. I felt so bad that we were getting this treatment when my mother didnt get it. The government hospital didnt give her proper treatment or ease her pain. I can accept that it was her time to go but my mind would have been more at ease if I knew the doctors had done everything in their power to save her, said Arshad.

Rizviyas cousin brother, Mrs. Amzals father and other relatives organized the funeral proceedings and worked together with the police to bring Rizviyas body to the private hospital where the funeral was to be conducted. After all the paperwork was done and the requirements were met, she was finally brought to the private hospital on the evening of May 1. The MD of the hospital gave a special place in the mortuary for the Islamic funeral rites to be conducted and a small area in the hospital for the prayers and recitals.

Injuries sustained

Arshad, Amzar and Mrs. Amzal spent three to four days in the ICU at the private hospital. The doctors advised Arshad to rest for six weeks as his left shoulder was slightly dislocated but which would heal automatically. On the left side of the chest, his ribs, muscles and tissue were damaged due to the impact and his left lung was swollen. When I breathe and sneeze, I can feel my lungs knocking against my ribs. I dont have the strength to get up on my left side, I have to lean on my right side. When i walk for about two or three minutes, it starts to hurt behind my ribs and I start sweating and feeling dizzy, he said.

Mrs. Amzal has suffered from a lower right arm fracture, for which she had to undergo surgery where a plate was inserted. In two years, she can have an operation and have the plate removed. She has also suffered a clavical fracture on her left shoulder, which the doctor said will take six months to heal. I cant turn to my left or right side. The doctors have told me not to move too much, otherwise flesh can grow on my shoulder and Ill have to have another operation. She is also suffering from internal injuries that will heal over time. The doctors have advised her to rest for six months.

Amzal suffers from internal injuries. He has crack on his ribs and backbone and his lungs are inflamed. He also has a muscle sprain and needs to lie on a pillow on his right side. The doctors have advised him to rest for two months. Both he and his wife find it difficult to sneeze and cough.

The three victims are now in Sri Lanka recovering from their injuries, but one thing theyll never recover from is Rizviyas death

Dept.HC wont get involved with the investigations...

-The Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission



According to Mrs. Amzals father, the Minister (Consular) from the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai H.M.K. Herath, arrived at the private hospital on the May 1. He was informed by the family of the accident and was told of the treatment that the Sri Lankan patients received while at the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital.

However, when speaking to the Daily Mirror Mr. Herath denied any knowledge on the government hospitals treatment of the patients and implied that the commission was not looking into the matter. There were no complaints about the treatment by the hospital and we were not told anything. We only knew that it was an ordinary traffic accident and that investigations had been concluded. There was no concern raised about the hospital. Whatever assistance that we could have extended here, it was done for the time being, he said.

When asked whether anyone was taken into custody with regard to the investigation, he said, The embassy wont get involved with the investigations if they are not conducted properly. There was no complaint from the relatives or the family members, we were not told and our assistance was not sought in that case. The family members also told us it was an accident. We voluntarily went and assisted them and helped them with the funeral and other related issues. We guided them on how to do the death registration. But our assistance was not requested with regard to the investigation.

No response from Rajiv Gandhi Hospital

Although the Daily Mirror made a number of calls to the hospital, we were unable to get a statement from them. In the course of four days, several calls were made to eight different numbers and more than half those calls were left unanswered. When the call was finally answered, we were met with rude and unhelpful responses and were not transferred to any senior member or director of the hospital. At one point, when we mentioned that we were from Sri Lanka, the receiver of the call would disconnect without any response.
Oman Air, the National Carrier of Sultanate of Oman, is celebrating the latest in a string of prestigious wins, following the presentation to the airline of the Best Arab Air Carrier supporting Arab Tourism award. The 2017 Arab Tourism Media Awards ceremony organised by the Arab Centre for Tourism Media was held at Roda Al Bustan Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

On behalf of Oman Air, Mahfood Al Harthi, Senior Vice President Sales (GCC, Middle East and Africa) of Oman Air received the award and commented:

Oman Air is pleased and proud to accept the Best Arab Air Carrier supporting Arab Tourism award and we would like to thank the judges and everyone else at the Arab Tourism Media Awards for this accolade.

Since last year, Oman Air saw the introduction of 11 aircrafts joining the airline's fleet. And with the addition of the new aircraft Oman Airs fleet currently stands at 52. This will not only offer more people a superlative passenger experience, but also enable even more people to visit Oman and discover for themselves the unique beauty and timeless culture of this wonderful country, which is increasingly renowned at an international level as a distinguished tourist destination.

The airline continues to be recognised for its award winning on board experience; winning an array of industry awards in 2016 to add to its growing collection and continue its progress to becoming a successful, sustainable company of the highest quality: To Become the Best.

Recently, the National Carrier has been voted recently the Best In-Flight Duty Free provider in the Middle East by readers of the German passenger services industry publication, Pax International Magazine. In addition, awards in 2016 include Worlds Leading Airline  Economy Class at the World Travel Awards in the Maldives, and Foreign Airline of the Year by Sector to the Middle East at the annual KLIA Awards, introduced in 2006 to recognize the best in Malaysian aviation industry. The coveted Signum Virtutis, the seal of excellence, from the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards 2016 and winner for the best airline in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The accolades are not limited to the passenger operation; Oman Air Cargo was also awarded Best Cargo Airline for Valuable Goods  North and East at the India Cargo Awards 2016 held in Delhi.
PATA Chairman Andrew Jones (left) and Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga. Pic by Damith Wickramasinghe

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

Weaknesses of Sri Lanka Tourisms policies and research were on open display at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit, which concluded at Jetwing Blue hotel in Negombo, yesterday.

According to PATAs upcoming Asia Pacific Business Forecast for 2017-2021, international visitor arrivals into Sri Lanka are expected to grow by an average 10.4 percent annually between 2017 and 2021. And nearly reach the 3.7 million mark by 2021, PATA Chairman Andrew Jones said.

The latest objectives of Sri Lanka Tourism are for Sri Lanka to attract 4.5 million tourist arrivals by 2020 at a compounded annual growth rate of 21.72 percent, a goal which Sri Lanka is unlikely to achieve for several years even after 2020, judging by PATA data, which indicates a 12.75 percent growth rate until 2021.

Historical data collected by Sri Lanka Tourism too points towards steeply falling growth rates in successive years, down 14.5 percent in 2016 as higher base tourist arrivals become unsustainable without promotional efforts.

Policies and targets for Sri Lanka Tourism are formulated with the assistance of a Tourism Advisory Council comprising of leading tourism companies, highlighting that the private sector in tourism too is disconnected from reality.

PATA seems to have more credible data than Sri Lankan tourism authorities as it operates extensively across Asia Pacific. Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Paddy Withana recently admitted that no market research has been conducted in Sri Lankas key tourism markets.

The need for tourism research was on centre stage at the PATA summit, with Skylight Intelligence Global Advisory Council Senior Executive Advisor Joseph Naaman noting that research methods fit to analyse modern tourism trends are needed.

You need to ask the right questions from the beginning. In certain cases, doing a simple survey is enough, but in most cases, you need to go beyond simple surveys into research techniques to get the attribution that is needed, he said in response to a question whether governments should only publish simple arrival statistics.

While Sri Lanka Tourism has been following one of the key recommendations of Naaman to some extent, by collecting and publishing some key statistics collected by third parties annually, the authorities have not analyzed and combined these different statistics to create sophisticated, actionable data and to identify trends, which Naaman advocates.

He also said that tourism authorities who have limitations in their ability to spend on massive market research drives have newer research tools available for low costs.

You dont need a US$ 50 million budget to do some of these things. Specially digital listening, you can do for tens of thousands of dollars. Its really not that much, he said.

He also noted that research efforts need to be sustained at regular frequencies.

Mirror Business in several of our stories have pointed out the critical deficit of tourism research in the country, which tourism authorities seem to only pay lip service to.

Tourism Australia Social & Content Marketing Global Manager Jesse Desjardins emphasised the need for national tourism authorities to collaborate with different stakeholders, instead of creating critics.

Desjardins superior, Tourism Australia Deputy Chairman Andrew Fairley, who was visiting Sri Lanka a fortnight ago, too had pointed out the lack of tourism research by the state authorities.

Sri Lanka Tourism is now gearing up for mega promotional campaigns and strategies running into billions of rupees without the research to rationalize spending.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau has failed to reply within the stipulated time frame to a Right to Information application by Mirror Business requesting the information that was used to create these plans.
In the early 1960s, when the Civil Service was transformed to the Administrative Service, two important things took place. Firstly, it emancipated a horde of playwrights, lyricists and performers who had been inhibited by a largely colonialist government. Secondly, and just as importantly, those playwrights, lyricists, and performers were empowered to carry on with their artistic careers. Both these points, trivial as they appear to us today, were important especially to our playwrights in that they inadvertently pushed them to improve upon our stylised theatre.

To be sure, not all of them went beyond that stylised theatre. But the few who did, ended up emulating the English kitchen sink drama. They scandalised and sent audiences running out of the hall in droves, but they became as easy-to-infer as the morality plays they were rejecting. To this hodgepodge, then, came a set of other playwrights and critics, who sought to transcend the ideological boundaries of both theatre forms. Few survived from this crowd. Very few.

Premaranjith Tilakaratne, whose death on Thursday, May 11 went by largely unnoticed and unreported, belonged to that few. He was one of the biggest parvenus our theatre bred. None of his plays, even the most popular ones, was restaged. He belonged to a twilight world, between the morality plays of the fifties and the political plays of the seventies. It is a testament to his individuality that he rejected both these. He did not leave behind a theory that bred its own disciples, but then he would have hated the idea of disciples fawning on his work.

"He was one of the biggest parvenus our theatre bred. None of his plays, even the most popular ones, was restaged. He belonged to a twilight world, between the morality plays of the fifties and the political plays of the seventies. It is a testament to his individuality that he rejected both these. He did not leave behind a theory that bred its own disciples, but then he would have hated the idea of disciples fawning on his work"



His biography has been sketched out elsewhere, but a brief perusal helps us understand the person beneath the artiste. Premaranjith was born in 1937 in Ratnapura. Having attended two local schools, he was later sent to Sri Palee in Horana and Dharmapala Vidyalaya in Pannipitiya. His father, a teacher, became his figure of destiny: he always remembered him as an incongruous figure, driven by values he adhered to at all costs, at times even by resorting to force. He taught me honesty, integrity, and fairness, he remembered in one of those conversations, We fought, we argued, we refused to talk with each other frequently. It was after I entered the theatre that I understood who he really was.

They never had shared interests: the father doted on Sirisena Wimalaweeras dramas and nadagam, both of which the son disliked so much that he ended up being captivated by the movies. Because Sri Palee closed only on Wednesdays, he and his friends would bunk classes and hitch a ride to the Regal, to watch the latest John Ford and John Wayne feature. They were all caned for this later on, of course. Ironically though, it was the cinema that would get Premaranjith to think about the theatre. He broke into his field when he and a friend of his from Dharmapala, Wickrema Bogoda, went to see the rehearsals of Sugathapala de Silvas Boarding Karayo. Sugathapala later became his ideological foe: the first time they met, he had angered the man by questioning his commitment to realism. That encounter persuaded him to carve his own path, and with a cast that included Bogoda, Tony Ranasinghe and G.R. Perera, he wrote and directed Waguru Bima in 1963. This was followed in 1964 by a contemporary retelling of the father-son conflict in Sinhabahu, Wahalak Nethi Geyak.



Two more plays followed  Thoththa Baba (1965), an adaptation of Joe Ortons Entertaining Mr. Sloane that was briefly banned for its homosexual undertones, and Ammai Appai (1966), an adaptation of Strindbergs The Father  before he abandoned his fixation with the family, the father, and the son with a musical about a set of wayfarers who had no families, no fathers, and no sons.

That musical, Kontare, an adaptation of West Side Story, projected and affirmed Premaranjiths wildest fantasies: everything he stood for in his field came out in gushes and torrents there. With a cast as stellar as the publicity material (including Swineetha Weerasinghe, Sunethra Sarachchandra, Anula Bulathsinhala, Lucien Bulathsinhala, Nawanandana Wijesinghe, and Elson Divithurugama), it opened to rave reviews (Bradman Weerakoon was among those who liked it). For the Puerto Ricans and the White Americans at the heart of the original musical, he substituted the Sinhalese, the Tamil, Colombo and outside-Colombo folk.

His subsequent work was more literary, including an adaptation of Strindbergs Julie (1977) and a novel take on a Nurti tragedy, Sri Wickrema, the latter of which was staged during J. R. Jayewardenes presidency and raised rumours (baseless as they were) that he was currying favour with the authorities.



Because he was so open to the West (more so than either Sarachchandra or Sugathapala), he was doted on by the English press: A. J. Gunawardena, Tissa Devendra, and Wimal Dissanayake never failed to praise his plays. This (for some obscure reason) alienated the vernacular press, which sided with his ideological foes to such an extent that he was, as he told me, belittled and cast aside.

A deeply committed administrator, Premaranjith was always aware of the realities of life. When I put to him that he could have pursued the theatre more, much more, he fired back gently: But whod look after my family? Whod worry about the finances, the strains of a middle class household? We were jobholders, not aesthetes. We didnt muck around in the middle of the night begging with a tin cup. We had a life to lead. And in a way, that life, tumultuous as it was, saw him as a faithful husband, a devoted father, and a flawed but well meaning and responsible human being.



In one sense he could be a contradictory personality as well, as when in the very same conversation he lambasted those who viewed the arts as a secular activity and then lambasted our cultural texts. He also had his preferences: his favoured artistes from here, for instance, included Premasiri Khemadasa and Shelton Premaratne (music), W.A. Silva (literature), Vasantha Obeyesekere and H. D. Premaratne (cinema). When I asked him why, he replied, Because they were all primarily visual.

What he meant there, which I took some time to realise, was that these artistes went beyond the written word and cultural constraints. Once when he got Sarachchandra to listen to the songs from West Side Story, for instance, Sarachchandra had irritably commented, It is nothing but cacophony! That cacophonic or rather polyphonic quality was what the man aimed at. He realised it most vividly in Kontare. His only attempt at a movie script ended up a failure. Piyasiri Gunaratne, a friend of his from Sri Palee, had ventured to direct a story about a prostitute (it would feature Anula Karunathilake and Cyril Wickramage). As Premaranjith pointed out to me, however, the script he was asked to write was watered down, filtered, and butchered. In the end, that movie, Mokada Une, was critically acclaimed but became a box-office disaster. Neither Piyasiri nor Premaranjith got involved with a movie here thereafter. He led two other lives, as writer and translator. I have not read his translations, revealing as they are of his fondness for naturalism (he translated Zola heavily). He didnt author an original piece of writing. The sole exception was his autobiography Durgaya, published last June. Sadly though, he never launched it.



A few months ago, at the behest of some friends and acquaintances, he set about planning a media campaign to get it released. And not for nothing: his book was finding its way to a vast number of readers. An official ceremony would have got his story out there even more. That ceremony, as he planned it, was to be graced by Professor Sunanda Mahendra and other like-minded writers. As things stood, though, it was never meant to be. He had scheduled it for April 7, but had to delay it because of a surgery -- one he would not recover from.

I visited Premaranjith Tilakaratne for the last time on November 3. I remember the date because it was at his residence that I got the news of Amaradevas passing away. I remember it because I was so numbed and upset that I blurted out, They are leaving us! I remember it because Premaranjith, who could be sentimental and unsentimental at the same time (a rare quality), replied, That is the way of the world.

An entire generation started leaving us in 2015. Premaranjith belonged to that generation. He was not a populist. He couldnt be. A populist panders to the conventional wisdom. He didnt. He preferred instead to critique and to cross off. In the end he triumphed, on account mainly of the respect he won from even those hed alienated. To be sure, he earned enough invective to be a cynic. But then he was never a cynic. He was always a realist and a pragmatist.



UDAKDEV1@GMAIL.COM
Minister Mangala Samaraweera receives his letter of appointment from President Maithripala Sirisena

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

The appointment of Mangala Samaraweera as the countrys Finance Minister yesterday drew positive responses from the private sector, which insisted that he should continue the reform process that has already been set in motion.

At a time when we were starving for positive news, we view his appointment positively and we wish him very well. Our key expectations are for policy continuity as well as vigour in implementing policies, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Samantha Ranatunga said.

Samaraweera in his Twitter accounts said he was deeply humbled by the trust place on him by President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in creating a robust flourishing and modern economy.

Most investors have been complaining about Sri Lankas policy consistency, which has become a victim of party politics in the unity governmenta scenario that contributed to foreign direct investments in 2016 slumping by 34.4 percent year-on-year to US $ 445 million.

Meanwhile, Colombo Stockbrokers Association President Ravi Abeysuriya too shared sentiments similar to that of Ranatunga.

We are very hopeful and positive that things will be better. We are looking forward to a consistent policy framework and implementing the policy reforms that have already been announced, he said.

Abeysuriya noted that some desirable reforms have been communicated by former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake recently, including through the 2017 budget. The government is attempting to broad base the income taxation and liberalize the foreign exchange regimetwo key reforms Karunanayake was attempting to push throughalthough his approach to foreign exchange reforms without widespread stakeholder engagement drew criticism last month.

Karunanayake saw some success in improving the governments revenue to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio up to 14.9 percent from the 11.5 percent level that prevailed when former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Finance Minister.

But improved government finances came at a considerable political cost, as the higher indirect taxes slapped on people through the increase of value-added tax drew massive public discontent.

Meanwhile, several political observers noted that the future policy direction from the Finance Ministry would depend on who Samaraweera selects as his deputy, since the minister is believed to have limited experience on the subject.

Ranatunga noted that Samaraweera has able department heads and ministry advisors at his service as well. It is not yet clear which government departments, agencies and enterprises will fall under Samaraweera, who enjoys relatively an untainted reputation. Speculation is rife that several gazette notifications are due over the responsibilities of some of the reshuffled ministers.

Samaraweera was an effective Foreign Minister, who attempted to reconcile the nation and gave Sri Lanka breathing space at the United Nations Human Rights Commission. He was also instrumental in Sri Lanka regaining the GSP Plus trade concession from the European Union. Karunanayake, who held the Finance portfolio till yesterday, brought the countrys budget deficit down to 4.4 percent of GDP in 2016 from 7.4 percent in the previous year though higher taxes, better tax collection and expenditure cuts.

He was recognized as the Best Finance Minister of the Asia Pacific for the year 2016 by the UK-based The Banker magazine.

One of the major criticisms of Karunanayakes time in the Finance Ministry was his repeated attempts to invade into the spheres of operation and the independence of the Central Bank.
REUTERS: Saudi Arabias energy minister said yesterday that extending the current agreement on global oil supply cuts until March next year, and adding one or two small producers to the pact, should be enough to reduce oil inventories.

We believe that continuation with the same level of cuts, plus eventually adding one or two small producers will be more than adequate to bring the five-year balance to where they need to be by the end of the first quarter 2018, Khalid al-Falih told a news conference in Riyadh.

OPECs aim is to reduce global oil inventories to the industrys five-year average.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers originally agreed to cut production by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) for six months from Jan. 1.

Oil prices have gained support from reduced output, but high inventories and rising supply from producers not participating in the accord, such as the United States, have limited the rally, pressing the case for extending the curbs.

Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC member Russia, the worlds top two oil producers, have agreed on the need to prolong the current deal on cuts, which expires in June, until March 2018.

An OPEC panel reviewing scenarios for the oil producer groups meeting last week looked at the option of deepening and extending the agreement to reduce crude output, in an attempt to drain inventories and support prices.

The panel, the Economic Commission Board (ECB), does not set policy and its meeting precedes the gathering of OPEC and non-OPEC oil ministers on May 25 to decide whether to extend beyond June 30 their deal to reduce output.

The size of the extra supply cut being mulled by the ECB was not immediately available. OPEC sources have said that while a larger cut by existing participants was considered unlikely, one could still be debated and the size of the supply reduction could increase from 1.8 million bpd if more non-OPEC countries come into the deal.

OPEC has been urging other producers to join the supply pact and, together with participating non-member countries, meets to set policy on May 25 in Vienna. Turkmenistan, along with Egypt and the Ivory Coast, are due to attend the meeting on Thursday, sources have said.
The Malaysian High Commission in Sri Lanka is working to catalyze around US $ 200-300 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) from Malaysia to Sri Lanka over the coming years. Our target is to bring around US $ 200-300 million in investments to Sri Lanka over the next few years, Malaysian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Zaidi Wan Abdullah said, noting that this is a fraction of the US $ 15 billion FDI outflows from Malaysia.

Addressing the media yesterday at the Malaysian High Commission in Colombo, he said that a Malaysian firm is waiting for the Sri Lankan governments approval to construct a US $ 100 million theme park.

Noting the interest of Malaysian tourism firms to invest in Sri Lanka, Abdullah stressed on the need for proper marketing of the tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka and Malaysia have similar tourist attractions, but some Sri Lankan attractions are much, much better than in Malaysia, but they are not marketed, he said.

He added that the Malaysian state-owned energy giant, Petronas is looking to invest heavily in Sri Lankas energy sector to construct and manage power plants and a gas terminal in the Hambantota port, while many Malaysian companies are now interested in investing in Sri Lankas health sector.

In the agriculture sector of Sri Lanka, we are looking at how this can be developed into commercially-oriented agro industries. Were not looking at mature industries like tea and rubber, but others with potential, like vegetables, fisheries and marine farming, he said.

Acknowledging that interest for investment opportunities in Sri Lanka is rising daily in Malaysia, Abdullah noted that inconsistent policies and obsolete regulations on foreign exchange, foreign ownership of land, etc. are causing concerns.

There are concerns of policy consistencies. The (Sri Lankan) government has said that policies will become consistent over the next two years. Not just Malaysians, but many others are standing by to see where Sri Lanka is moving towards, he said.

Malaysian entities have invested over US $ 2 billion in Sri Lanka with the Axiata groups investment in Dialog Axiata PLC and the Khazana Funds investment in John Keells Holdings PLC, to name a few. This is Abdullahs first stint as a High Commissioner. He was previously posted to Malaysias missions in Spain, Libya and the UK. (CW)
REUTERS: Sri Lankas tea output rose 20 percent in April compared to a year earlier after rains ended a six-month drought that had lasted to February, the state-run Tea Board said yesterday.Production in the first four months of the year edged up 1.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Sri Lanka Tea Board Director General S.A. Siriwardena said rains were good in March and April, helping lift production.

Sri Lanka faced its worst drought in 40 years in the six months to February, hurting the island nations economy. Tea is Sri Lankas top agricultural export and a major foreign currency earner. Siriwardena said he expected the 2017 output to be more than 2016s 292.36 million kilogrammes if the weather conditions continued to be favourable. In 2016, agriculture contracted 4.2 percent from 2015 when it had expanded 4.8 percent. Agriculture accounts for about 8 percent of the countrys gross domestic product.

Sri Lankas tea output hit a seven-year low in 2016, falling 11.1 percent in its third straight year of declining production due to adverse weather. Tea export volume dropped to a 14-year low in 2016, broker data showed.

Export earnings fell 5.3 percent to US $ 1.26 billion in 2016 from US $ 1.33 billion in 2015. Sri Lanka recorded its highest earnings of US $ 1.63 billion in 2014. Russia was the largest importer of Sri Lankan tea in 2016, followed by Iran and Iraq.

Turkey dropped to fourth position in 2016 from second in 2015. Export volumes to other major buyers such as the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Syria and Kuwait fell last year, the broker report said.
Children neglected, their education disrupted, families torn apart - as they all grapple with poverty and the grief of losing their loved ones

Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology(CKDu) has been the subject of much scientific research in the recent past. Though its cause is unknown its consequences are certain. CKDu kills the victim gradually and the family of the victim falls apart alongside, unable to bear the socio- economic burden. CKDu is incurable though the progression of the disease can be slowed down through treatment. It is rampant in areas dependent on farming. Generally the breadwinner, the father of the family contracts the disease. The whole family grapples with the disease trying to cure the victim. When the victim succumbs to the disease misery aggravates. Children drop out of school or neglect schooling to take care of the farm lands. Lands owned are sold or leased out to meet the daily financial requirements. As there is no income the son moves to Colombo to take up odd jobs, ultimately falling prey to drugs and alcoholism. Mothers migrate as housemaids. When one member is diagnosed with CKDu it also points to an inevitable truth that there could be others in the family with CKDu

If there is a family of ten, seven would have contracted the disease

- Harshana Suranga Seneviratne, a university student from Girandurukotte



Thus socio-economic consequences of contracting CKDu are manifold. When Thilanga was in Grade 10 his father was diagnosed with CKDu and he had to stay back to take care of the field. His teacher noticed Thilangas absence for two weeks and visited his house to discover the father ailing from CKDu. When the teacher inquired from the father about his sons absence the father said, The child had at least a meal a day because of me. I cant go to work in the field now. I cant provide food. So I have no other option but to ask my only son to stay back and work in the field.

Harshana Suranga Seneviratne, a university student from Girandurukotte narrating his experience at a discussion organized by the Law and Society Trust said that families are compelled to pawn their only bicycle, mortgage their house or plot of farm land as a consequence of the economic hardships resulting from the disease. Sometimes their children who are just 14 or 15 years in age come to Colombo and work as labourers in construction sites, he said.

Where the father is absent, the mother more often than not seeks foreign employment. Children drop out of school. There is a high chance that they will come to Colombo in search of employment and become drug addicts or drunkards. One day we will be talking about why this man turned into such an addict. Isnt it better to prevent the consequences? he added.

Speaking to Daily Mirror he narrated the sad plight of a young man in his early twenties who succumbed to the disease. After he was admitted to hospital, doctors said that his condition had worsened and was not treatable. Then he was discharged and subsequently passed away. His mother died unable to bear the grief. Ultimately their funerals were held on the same day, he said.

He further said that in a family there were several members with CKDu which made the impact worse. If there is a family of ten, seven would have contracted the disease, he said.



Causes unknown, but assumed

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research numerous hypotheses have been put forward though none has been proven. Over the years research has pointed out that pesticides, fertilizers, drinking contaminated water, snake bites, fungal toxins, bacterial toxins, heavy metals, fresh water fish, heat and dehydration could be possible causes. It has also been suggested that CKDu is multi-factorial.

Meanwhile local villages have come to conclusions about the cause of the disease through their experiences. Ven. Thissapura Ananda of the Girandurukotte Rakkitha Viharasthanaya who has donated a kidney and visits the Kandy Nephrology Unit every now and then for follow ups said that drinking contaminated water was the main cause for CKDu. Speaking about the diverse views on the causes of CKDu he said that people believed cooking food in aluminum utensils and consuming fresh water fish caused CKDU.

Drinking contaminated water is the main cause for CKDu

-Ven. Thissapura Ananda of the Girandurukotte Rakkitha Viharasthanaya

Farmers should be aware of the direction of the wind when spraying weedicides, so as to prevent the chemical reaching the skin of the sprayer. But Ven. Ananda pointed out that farmers did not follow such practices due to convenience and ultimately put their lives at risk. Farmers generally spend the whole day at the farm. They chew betel, drink a plain tea, and have their lunch at the field. Thus the risk of contamination is high, he said. He further said that the attitude to maximize cultivation in the available plot to receive maximum profits has led to the current state of affairs.

Terrance Gamini, an Activist based in the North Central Province who has worked at the laboratory of the Anuradhapura General Hospital for 25 years said by about 1993 people were diagnosed of CKD though they were not diabetic or hypertension patients. This was the time when agro-chemicals were used widely, he said, implying that the use of agro-chemicals was the main cause.

For the past four years Gamini has been involved in conducting clinics in villages. Along with the assistance of specialist doctors they have organized clinics in Anurahapura, Pollonnaruwa and Vavuniya. Speaking about his observations in these villages he said that the main short coming that led to the aggravation of the disease was the lack of clean water for drinking. Farmers are hesitant to drink water because of the abnormalities of the water found in that area. For instance, Rajanganaya is an area where water is abundant. But agro-chemicals are used abundantly as well. Annually 50kg of agro chemicals is sprayed on an acre of banana plants, he said.

When malnutrition and dehydration combine CKDu is aggravated

- Terrance Gamini, an Activist

Reminiscing his young days Gamini said that when they were thirsty they used to cup water from a nearby spring and drink. Back then springs and waterways running through farms were not polluted. After the introduction of agro-chemicals we have become hesitant to drink water as the water that runs by is polluted. Now farmers work without drinking water, and they get dehydrated. They suffer from malnutrition as well. When malnutrition and dehydration combine CKDu is aggravated, Gamini noted.

Explaining further on how kidneys are affected Gamini said that usually when a person vomits continually for several days his kidneys shut down temporarily because of dehydration. However the person recovers once saline is administered. But if a person doesnt drink water for a longtime, it is worse than dehydration, he said.

He further pointed out that in areas where water is obtained mainly through tanks the concentration of the water increased and became undrinkable, once the rainy season has passed. People in these areas dont even drink one litre a day, he said.

Highlighting certain misconceptions which aggravated the disease Gamini pointed out that as CKDu is considered to be incurable people do not go to clinics and test themselves. Then when the condition becomes worse and visible, when the areas around your eyes, knees, and stomach are swollen the victim consults a doctor to discover that his kidneys are 90% dysfunctional, and will die within a month. If you diagnose the disease in the initial stages you can prevent the disease aggravating without taking any medication. But when we hold a clinic only the elderly take part, others are occupied, he said.

Some also believe that CKDu is caused by medicine prescribed for diabetes and hypertension. As a result those who have been on medication stop taking them. If you stop the drug for hypertension your kidney will become dysfunctional within a year, Gamini pointed out.

Gamini believes that consuming freshwater fish does not cause CKDu. Substantiating his claim he indicated how fishermen who fish in the Padaviya tank consumed at least 2kg of fish a day, and that there has not been a single case of CKDu reported.

They are hesitant to admit that CKDu is caused by fertilizers and agro-chemicals because multi-national companies have sealed their lips!

- Sena Ranasinghe from Girandurukotte

Sena Ranasinghe, the President of the Trading Society of Girandurukotte told Daily Mirror that 98% in Girandurukotte were farmers and that even children have been diagnosed of the disease. The water here contains calcium oxalate, fluoride, arsenic and cadmium. If we decide to stop using pesticides tomorrow it will take another 300 years to remove the pesticides that have already been absorbed by the ground. Only 30% is absorbed by plants when pesticides are used. Ten percent evaporates. The rest 60% gets added to ground water, he pointed out.

Glyphosate is banned now. But there are other pesticides which are fifteen times more severe which are available in markets. The cause is clear, but they are not admitted in public. They are hesitant to admit that CKDu is caused by fertilizers and agro-chemicals because multi-national companies have sealed their lips! alleged a bitter Ranasinghe.



Prevention

Chronic Kidney Disease can be prevented by controlling the risk factors. However in the case of CKDu as the cause is unknown controlling risk factors is not possible, though assumed risk factors can be controlled, which may or may not yield positive results. A patient diagnosed with latter stages of CKDu will have to undergo either a kidney transplant, or dialysis(haemo-dialysis and peritoneal dialysis).

Once the condition is aggravated you have to undergo haemodialysis every three days. But there are no facilities in government hospitals. Some people undergo hemodialysis only once in four days. Some dont do it at all. A person above 60 years of age is not given the facility to undergo haemodialysis, said Gamini.

He further revealed that there was an acute shortage of dialysis machines in the Anuradhapura Hospital. There are 25 haemodialysis machines in the Anuradhapura Hospital. You can only do a total of 75 dialyses a day. As a person has to undergo this treatment every three days only 250 can really benefit. It is only when one of the 250 dies that another gains access. This is the reality, Gamini noted.He said that if haemodialysis was considered to be the solution, then at least 500 machines were needed.

Chronic kidney disease can be diagnosed through a blood test. Pointing out the disparity of benefits between city dwellers and villages Gamini said that though the technology to take 25 tests out of 1ml of blood is available, it was not available in villages where the need is direly felt.

Ranasinghe believes that the only viable solution is filtered water. Filters are being set up everywhere in the village.Though people drink filtered water they use toxic water when cooking. Then the purpose behind setting up filters is lost, he said. He further explained that as only women attended awareness programmes men were not aware of the value of a filter, and therefore people did not purchase filters which are lifesaving equipment in the area.

Children and others in the families of those diagnosed with CKDu should be directed to doctors

- Amitha Ekanayake, President of the Women Farmers Association in Dambarawa

Amitha Ekanayake, the President of the Womens Farmers Association in Dambarawa said that people should adopt good health practices. Vegetables and fruits may contain traces of agro-chemicals. Therefore they should be washed well, she said.

She further added that children and others in the family of those diagnosed with CKDU should be directed to doctors early on.



Addressing CKDU

Meanwhile the government provides several concessions to those affected. The Ministry of Social Welfare provides Rs.3000 for a family with a CKDU patient. According to Lalith Bandara, the Assistant Secretary to the President, who is attached to the Presidential Task Force, this amount will be increased to Rs. 5000.

If one of the parents has died of CKDu the child who is pursuing his advanced level studies will be given Rs. 3000 monthly through the Presidential fund. At the moment around 100 students benefit, he told Daily Mirror.

Combating CKDU is considered to be a cross ministerial duty. We have introduced a loaning facility for those pursuing self-employment through the Ministry of Social Welfare. There is a programme in place by the Ministry of Housing and Constructions to build houses for low income CKDu victims. The budget has allocated Rs.500 million for this purpose. The Ministry of Water Supply has targeted to provide clean water to areas where the need is direly felt by 2020,Bandara said. He added that there was a shortage of specialist doctors and nursing staff to treat CKDu.

Further, the budget for 2017 has allocated Rs. 750 million to the Ministry of Health, to address the issues of CKDu. A further Rs. 100 million has been allocated to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to facilitate research mainly in CKDu. According to data collected by the Ministry of Health 26 943 CKDu patients were detected by December 2015.

The most number of patients are reported from Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. There are also patients from Badulla, Moneragala, Trincomalee, Ampara, Mannar, Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Kurunegala and Hambanthota.
Tourism Development and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga shied away from accounting for the numerous foreign tours of tourism officials at the cost of millions of rupees in taxpayer money over the past two years despite noting their lack of contribution to Sri Lankas tourism industry.

Speaking at the Pacific Asia Travel Association Annual Summit, he admitted that tourism growth was driven by tourists coming to Sri Lanka recommending the island to their friends and acquaintances.

Just seven years ago, we had less than 500,000 tourists arriving in the country, today that figure has risen to over two million. I would like to point out that except for a brief international media campaign in 2014, this growth has essentially been driven by word of mouth on social media, he said.

When Mirror Business inquired why tourism officials went on foreign tours spending millions of rupees in public funding, if their efforts did not contribute to the development of tourism in Sri Lanka, Amaratunga said that it was because they had to find a way to promote the destination.

That is because we had advertising programmes. We had to find a way to sell our destination, he said.

This indicates that the government had either not constantly evaluated the effectiveness of officials going on foreign tours or it had knowingly allowed officials to go on foreign tours with no return for the investments.

The Tourism Development Ministry has so far failed to respond to a Right to Information request by Mirror Business to ascertain the public fund spending patterns of officials on foreign visits, as well as the appeal against the failure to provide information.

For nearly a decade, Sri Lanka Tourism had spent mostly on such travel to promote Sri Lanka at foreign trade shows, instead of formulating a long-term sustainable integrated destination promotion campaign.

Amaratunga complained of the lack of funds and the past regime for not having a successful, continuous destination promotion campaign.

However, Sri Lanka Tourism had saved up Rs.2 billion in funds that lay outside the Treasury control until 2016, spent billions of rupees each year and Amaratunga had suspended the tender process of a massive integrated promotions campaign in October 2015 citing corruption, despite the insistence of multiple officials to the contrary.

Meanwhile, Amaratunga said that an advertising campaign on major channels such as Al Jazeera, Sky News, Bloomberg and BBC will start soon, since the past debts with these media companies are now being settled. These dues exceeded US $ 500,000. Now were going to start a media campaign. A complaint that came was many people around the world were not aware where Sri Lanka is and what Sri Lanka can offer, Amaratunga said.

Sri Lanka Tourism plans to start a social media campaign worth approximately Rs.500 million this year and a Rs.3 billion long-term campaign in the future, along with a Rs.800 million media plan.

Sri Lanka got revenues of US $ 3.52 billion in 2016, up 18 percent year-on-year. (CW)
President Donald Trump made a splashy debut on the world stage here Saturday, ushering in a new era in U.S.-Saudi Arabian relations by signing a joint strategic vision that includes $110 billion in American arms sales and other new investments that the administration said would bring hundreds of thousands of jobs.



It was a great day, Trump said. He cited tremendous investments in the United States . . . and jobs, jobs, jobs.



While initial details were scant, the agreements signed included a U.S. letter of intent to support Saudi Arabias defence needs with sales of a number of items - naval ships, tanks and other vehicles - that were the subject of agreements under earlier administrations, as well as some new items that had never passed the discussion stage, such as sophisticated THAAD missile defence systems.



Trump was received like visiting royalty from the moment Air Force One touched down in Riyadh on Saturday morning, after an all-night flight from Washington, where he hoped to leave behind the growing Russia scandal threatening his presidency. there was public silence from the U.S. delegation on the issue of human rights in Saudi Arabia, which has imprisoned peaceful critics of the government and has sharply restricted the rights of women. Ahead of the visit, Trumps advisers said the president did not intend to lecture his hosts.



By Philip Rucker, Karen Deyoung , (c) 2017, The Washington Post  May 21, 2017 - RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -
Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs William E. Todd called on Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Monday.

Todd is the senior-most US State Department Official visiting Sri Lanka under the new US administration.

Mr. William Todd also met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday afternoon and is secluded to meet new Foreign Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

Foreign Affairs Ministry said the purpose of the visit is to work on strengthening US-Sri Lanka relations and discuss US support for the reform, reconciliation and development agenda of the National Unity Government of Sri Lanka.
During the second half of the 19th century, Prussian historian Leopold Von Ranke popularized a school of thought known as Primacy of foreign policy, (Primat der Aussenpolitik) which called for the strict subordination of domestic factors to the external needs of the State. He argued that foreign policy should be able to override domestic opposition. Rankes thought became so influential that Bismarck became one of its adherents. He observed: Foreign affairs are a purpose of themselves, I rate them higher than all other matters.

Though Rankes idea was questioned lately, the basic conception of a states foreign policy being driven by its external needs often at the expense of domestic considerations, remains influential. For instance, modern day neo-realists, the dominant school of international relations theory follow the same intellectual tradition. They do not dispute the existence of competing imperatives at the domestic level, but argue that external forces would overpower domestic factors.

"Mass- political mobilization that influences state policy and elects governments take place solely in Sinhala and Tamil"



Modern day commonsensical politicians though take this with a pinch of salt. There are two main reasons. One is the virulence of systemic forces (or the anarchy itself) in the international system have lessened thanks to global institutions and globalization. Today few countries face a realistic threat of losing sovereignty or being swallowed up by a powerful state- because retributive cost of such an adventure is heavier than in 19th century Europe. Second, with the spread of democracy and universal suffrage, and now the emergence of a new form of mass politics and proliferation of social media, few politicians could insulate himself from societal pressure without losing the next election. Some of the most pivotal events in recent months, from Donald Trumps abandonment of Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was part of Obama administrations pivot to Asia to check China and chaos in the EU and Brexit , paradoxically in the wake of an increasingly troublesome Russia, can only be explained by the function of those domestic factors which have overwhelmed milder systemic imperatives.

"Modern day neo-realists, the dominant school of international relations theory follow the same intellectual tradition"



The plus point of the era of mass politics is that foreign policy is no longer a monopoly of the government, when it risked being manipulated by a cabal of elites to advance their interests. The downside of this changing status quo are charlatans  such as the likes of Wimal Weerawansa who asked the public to hoist black flags to protest Modis visit and self-interested political pundits doing a hack job for a disgruntled joint opposition - could sway public opinion, often against the very public interest. This dynamic was manifest during and after the Indian prime ministers visit. Sri Lankas self-interest in fostering a greater connectivity with India, especially at a time the Indian economy is growing more than seven per cent and Sri Lanka is looking for investment and technology is self-evident. Infusion of Indian investment is felt more than ever as the government here is going through a period of fiscal consolidating, cutting down on state-led infrastructure development, which was a key driver of economic growth under the former regime. A greater confluence of Indian and Sri Lankan interests would also make India less suspicious of the Chinese economic presence in the island. The objective here is not to reiterate those reasoning -- which have already been dealt with in detail by many others in this newspaper and elsewhere -- but to highlight the troublesome potential of this anti-India demagoguery.



Leave aside politicians, who generally make their statements driven by party-political considerations, and the party stooges who may be eyeing a foreign ministry post in a future Rajapaksa government. There is a third group, who deserves a sympathetic hearing: They are the old school bureaucrats, business leaders, nonpartisan academics, all nice people, who have however failed to shed their ambivalence, (if not contempt) to old India of its Hindu growth rate. Their failure to keep up with the change is due to their insulation from a fast- changing wider world. They have thrived in their insular little cocoons and want this country to remain the same. They may have brilliant minds, but a closer look at the successful states would reveal, more than the intellectual brilliance, it is the right ideological disposition and a dose of pragmatism that were at the root of success. Otherwise, our SWRD, N.M, Colvin and Indias Nehru and Krishna Mennon were world class intellectuals, but they were also shackled to their ideological dogmas and deprived their countries an early opportunity of economic take-off.



All in all, the current sorry status quo is a pointer to the penury of our intelligentsia. But that may not be the worst of the problems. In an increasingly inter-connected world, Sri Lanka could well import the top rung of its intelligentsia as long as a forward looking government centralize its policy priorities; and that the country develops a labour force that can easily absorb new technology and global capital.

The real danger however is when this demagoguery spewed in vernacular reach the public. In an era of proliferation of information, average public is bombarded with too much information and misinformation that they cannot easily distinguish between the two. It was argued the recent Brexit vote was swung by misinformation; such as inflated figures of British payment to the EU, the number of immigrants, and hearsay on a Turkish entry to the EU etc. The Sri Lankan electorate is far more vulnerable.Anti-India demagoguery is aimed at them. In the absence of the government pre-emptively and pro-actively countering that narrative, the public would be swayed by misinformation.

On that count, vernacular press too has a role. Companies may conduct hiring interviews and NGOs would churn out reports in English, but English is no longer the language that matters in politics. Mass- political mobilization that influences state policy and elects governments take place solely in Sinhala and Tamil. English media too count very little except as a ready source for embassy staffs write reports to their missions.



However, the Sinhala media has remained an onlooker rather than a proactive agent of this change. (Tamil media is mired in its North centric-ethnic politics.) Their inability to infuse a fresh thinking to the public is troubling. If nothing else, it would be in the interest of media to play an enhanced role for even to sell more copies, a country should have more opportunities.

In the long run, though, the solution lies in reforming our antiquated education system. Our education system is a great equalizer, but for some reasons it has failed to keep up with the change. Our schools should prioritize on teaching Science, Technology and Mathematics, (plus English). In addition, we need a curriculum that provides children with a more nuanced world view, a wider political and economic outlook. A comparative politics, economics, current affairs course, that would not only introduce various systems, but would also explain why some having promised of an equalitarian paradise, reigned over mass murder, gulags and economic stagnation, would help fill that void. When we were in school there was a subject called social studies, which was envisaged to offer some exposure to the world, but instead it had a syllabus that made students parrot which king built which tank in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. That is not the kind of knowledge that helps students to succeed. The antiquated and often intolerant student politics in our universities are a reflection of that failure. If Sri Lanka fails to fix this mess, even without another war, we will blow away another chance of economic take off.

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The government should reveal the reason for replacing its Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake who was not long ago awarded the title of Finance Minister of the Year for Asia-Pacific-2016 by The Banker magazine, the joint opposition said today.

Commenting on the Cabinet reshuffle, JO National Organiser, MP Dullas Alahapperuma said after naming Minister Karunanayake as the Best Finance Minister a few a months ago it is a mystery as to why he had to be removed.

The government should also clarify why Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera was removed. He was described as the person who was in the forefront of achieving reconciliation while helping war heroes to escape the electric chair, he told Daily Mirror.

The MP said they were of the view that the Cabinet reshuffle was based on achieving two objectives  it was to strip Minister Arjuna Ranatunga from the portfolios of Port and Shipping and to give Minister Mangala Samaraweera the media portfolio.

He said there were objections from inside and outside government against the sale of state resources, especially the agreements to lease the Hambantota Harbour to China and the Trincomalee oil tank farm to India.

Minister Ranatunga was one of those who objected to these agreements and was clearly an obstacle to signing these two agreements. Therefore, he was given another portfolio, the MP said.

He said the government was determined to bring in Constitutional reforms by hook or by crook and to achieve this, it needed a media minister similar to the like the one from 1994 to 2000.

This government is following the footsteps of President J.R. Jayewardene and planning to hold a referendum instead of holding elections. The government is not allowing the mandate of the people to be to operate and keep postponing local government elections. This is why it needs a media minister with the experience to move the constitution-making process forward, the MP said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)
During his first stop-over, US president Donald Trump signed a $110 billion defence deal with the Saudis and, while commenting on the outcome of his visit, stated:

That was a tremendous day. I just want to thank everybody. But tremendous investments into the United States, and our military community is very happy, and we want to thank you and Saudi Arabia. But hundreds of billions of dollars of investments into the United States and jobs, jobs, jobs.

Interestingly, Trumps predecessor Barack Obama had cancelled a $115 billion deal with the Saudis. Trump, during the presidential election campaign, had promised to take a tougher line against the Saudis, holding them responsible for 9/11.

The change of heart towards the Saudis is being attributed to two factors - the role played by Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner; and second, the businessman in Trump was impressed by the Saudi offer of $40 billion in American infrastructure.

Unlike his predecessors, Trump did not even pay lip service to human rights issues.

In his address at the Arab-Islamic-US summit, the US president said: We are not here to lecture - we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship."

Good ties between Washington and Riyadh do not hurt India. In fact in the past, US pressure on Saudi Arabia has been helpful for India. The extradition of Abu Jundal in 2012 is believed to be the result of US pressure on the Saudis.

Trump, during his speech at the summit, sought to de-link terror from religion, mentioned India as one of the victims of terror. "India, Russia, China, and Australia have all been victims," the US president said.

Trumps predecessor Barack Obama had cancelled a $115-billion deal with the Saudis. Photo: Reuters

But what would worry India and a number of other countries which have strengthened ties with Iran is the US presidents all out attack on the country. Said Trump: It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

This attack on Iran evoked strong reactions, with the Iranian foreign minister tweeting: "Iran - fresh from real elections - attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?

New Delhi would hope that Trump moderates his stance on Iran, given New Delhis economic and strategic interests in a stable Iran.

Trump also had a brief meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Before the trip, it was believed that the Saudis would organise a bilateral meeting. The two leaders shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before the summit at the King Abdulaziz conference centre in Riyadh.

While sections of the media may pay attention to this, it is inconsequential. Even if Trump and Sharif had a brief bilateral meeting, beyond symbolic value there is not much to pay attention to.

In conclusion, New Delhi should welcome Trumps reconciliatory tone towards the Islamic world and strong ties between the US and GCC countries.
Much of the hyperventilating around Indias non-participation in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been sound without substance, easily seen when we discuss the most important aspects: money and jobs.

Commentators seem to forget that BRI is completely disconnected from India when it comes to roads or rail. Without trade flowing through India, the most important benefit for ordinary Indians through this massive infrastructural project  jobs, jobs, jobs  was never going to happen.

The only way for that connectivity to happen would be a road that ran from Lhasa to Leh, through Srinagar, Baramulla and on to Lahore  requiring merely the solution to both the Tibetan and Kashmiri conflicts. Indias full participation in BRI is as distant a dream as the amicable resolution of these issues.

On the other hand, despite political posturing, India is  and will be  institutionally involved in BRI, most concretely through the Asian Infrastructural Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB), formerly known as the BRICS Bank.

India is a founding member of the AIIB with the second highest shares (8.52 per cent) after Chinas (30.34 per cent), and the president of the NDB is an Indian, KV Kamath. AIIB has already started investing in BRI, while the NDB is also poised to do so  as soon as it sorts itself out. If India really wanted to object, this is where it would matter.

The sound of silence is rather pronounced, indicating that Indian protests are merely words and posturing, not of substance.

Secondly there is the well-known Newton-Pavlovian Law of Salivation. This states that when you drop a few billion dollars for a project, a businessman will forget everything  including national interest  as they salivate over a vision of the profits. This law is beautifully illustrated by Gautam Adani, who  the Indian government states  is going to lead our response to BRI.

Curiously enough this has not led Adani to shut down the Adani Shipping China Co Ltd in Dalian, China. If anybody is willing to bet that Indias big businessmen will not invest in BRI initiative, can you please introduce them to me?

In all of this sound and fury about opportunities (that are far out of reach) and the participation by Indian government and businesses (which remain unaffected), what is ignored is the failure of our strategic alternative.

In a sense the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) and the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) MVA were similar to BRI  creating a movement corridor that would link the countries, create jobs and enhance trade (though lower in its ambitions to build infrastructure).

The SAARC MVA foundered on the toxic India-Pakistan relationship. We can blame Pakistans suspicions and hostility for that failure, but the failure of the BBIN MVA was all ours.

Despite Modi choosing Bhutan as the first foreign country to visit after becoming the prime minister, the BBIN MVA showed a total disregard for Bhutans concerns. A tiny country, with little over 7,00,000 inhabitants, and only one road running from east to west, Bhutan has a near fanatical concern with its environment. Its Constitution mandates that at least two-thirds of the land has to be under forest cover.

The idea of its roads being opened to (possibly unrestrained) traffic from Bangladesh, India and Nepal was a nightmare. The local truck drivers, taxi associations and environmentalists rebelled.

Despite many assurances by India, pleas by the Asian Development Bank, and Bhutans own PM (whose party has two-thirds majority in the National Assembly), the legislature rejected the BBIN MVA.

I am told that we will continue to pursue this, and while voting, Bhutanese parliamentarians went out of their way to say that they were rejecting the initiative but were confident that the relationship was robust enough that it would not be harmed.

Nevertheless it takes a certain genius to propose an initiative so spectacularly stupid that our friendly ally  whose security we guarantee and whose roads we have built and maintained  is forced to reject it. Only Modis government is capable of such greatness.

This is the disaster that India would have worn around its neck at the launch of BRI. China  a country whose ruling party managed to murder by starvation 40 million of its own citizens through the Great Leap Forward  has managed to present itself as an attractive global actor with whom the world wishes to work with. India, a liberal democratic country with an open (if strained) society could not even convince three of its closest countries to do so.
President Hassan Rouhanis landslide victory in the presidential elections is good news for Iranians as well as for India. It should assist Iran to become more democratic, moderate and prosperous over time, but that is not a given.

His challenge is to overcome significant hurdles on his path, which arise from domestic politics, and an equally difficult challenge thrown up by the Donald Trump-led United States.

Economic reforms

Rouhani came to power in August 2013 promising economic reform. Despite vast oil resources, Irans economy has remained moribund because it has not been able to get technology to exploit its resources effectively, or exploit the market when oil prices were riding high.

He set about the process by working out the nuclear deal with the US and other Western powers so as to persuade them to lift sanctions, which badly affected the Iranian economy. The sanctions have been lifted, but low oil prices are thwarting recovery. But the bigger problem is Irans domestic politics.

The country is, at best, a quasi-democracy. Its system is structured so as to maintain the power of the clergy and their allies, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). At the top is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has a veto on virtually everything.

A supporter of Hassan Rouhani flashes a victory sign while celebrating his victory in the presidential election, in Tehran, Iran. (AP)

The legislature has two wings  the lower house or Consultative Assembly and the upper house, the Guardian Council. The former is like a regular Parliament with legislators elected through secret ballot. The latter has 12 members, of which half are clergy chosen by the Supreme Leader and the other half are jurists chosen by the lower house. The Guardian Council has a veto on all legislations.

The Supreme Leader is elected for life by an Assembly of Experts, a group of 88 top clergymen who are elected once in eight years through direct voting. In addition, there is the powerful Expediency Council of some 30-40 people chosen by the Supreme Leader to assist him in managing the system.

Ebrahim Raisi, the candidate Rouhani defeated, is a former judge and was spoken of as a potential successor to the 78-year old Khamenei. Both Rouhani and Raisi are clerics, and the latter has been a member of the Assembly of Experts since 2006.

Importance for India

The Iranian situation shows that elections alone do not make a democracy. The power of the Rouhani government is severely constrained at every step by the clergy. The IRGC, which is a parallel military organisation, complete with an army, navy and aerospace wings, has extensive business interests and serves as the storm trooper of the clergy. They are involved in domestic repression, and support Assads forces against the ISIS.

Developments in Iran can have an important fallout in India. Last year, oil imports hit record levels and Iran became the fourth biggest oil supplier to India. This was because of the lifting of sanctions. Given its oil and gas resources and proximity to India, Irans importance in the energy sector cannot be underestimated.

But oil is not the only factor in India-Iran relations  connectivity is. India has two projects in mind  the Chabahar port and related development scheme aimed at developing links to Central Asia and Afghanistan, and the International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) to connect western Indian ports through a multi-modal network to Europe via Iran.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modis May 2016 visit, the two countries signed a $500 million (Rs 3,200 crore) agreement to develop the Chabahar port and fund a railway line to Zahedan. Further India indicated its interest in building an LNG plant in Chabahar economic development zone. New Delhi also returned $6 billion (Rs 3,900 crore), which was owed to Iran on the oil account during the sanction period.

Smoothening edges

The problem is that there are still rough edges to the India-Iran relationship. A deal to develop the Farzad B oil fields remains stuck. Little or nothing has been done on the INSTC front, except the running of test cargoes to Russian destinations. Properly pursued it can be Indias answer to Chinas One Belt One Road, which also aims to use Iranian routes and already exploits the Russian ones.

Given the potential Iran offers, India has reasons to worry about the US-Iran dynamics. Should relations deteriorate, India may once again be forced to curtail its Iranian commitments, just as it had to do in the2007-2015 period.

Given New Delhis compulsions to maintain good ties with the US, it would not like to buck Washington, and will thereby cede the ground to China which is unlikely to follow any new US lead in Iran.
In the wake of a sting operation by India Today that exposed the alleged Pakistani funding to separatists in Kashmir, pro-Pakistani hawk Syed Ali Geelani has suspended his colleague Naeem Khan from the basic membership of Hurriyat Conference-G.

While the sting operation shows Khan, who also heads the National Front, purportedly confessing to receiving funds from Pakistan in order to incite violence in the Valley, the veteran separatist leader has contested the authenticity of the video footage, terming it doctored and fake.

Interestingly, much like India Today, Geelani is unwilling to buy into Khans claims. The National Front and its chairman were suspended from both Kashmir and Azad Kashmir chapters of Hurriyat-G with immediate effect on May 20, within hours of Khan having given a clarification to media against the India Today expose.

But then Geelanis plea to suspend Khan is contradictory, if not necessarily nonsensical.

In a statement, Geelani said Indian media is biased and untrustworthy and that the baseless sting operation is to mislead the international community and drag Pakistan into their frivolous game. If the report is baseless and misleading, what prevented Geelani from trusting Khan?

Well, the reason is simple. With the National Investigative Agency (NIA) having started a probe into the alleged Pakistani funding, Geelani has distanced himself from Khan in a bid to keep the NIA at bay, lest the noose tightens around the Hurriyat-G supremo and his family. Yes the Geelani family.

Call it nepotism or coincidence, but Geelanis family has been a beneficiary of the unrests in Kashmir. After the mass agitation of 2010, during which 120 civilians were killed in the Valley, Geelanis son Naeem Geelani permanently returned from Pakistan after spending 12 years in the country.

And theres a bigger coincidence. During the peak of the 2016 uprising, exactly on the day when Geelani asked Kashmiri youth to make the Jamia Masjid Chalo protest call a success, his grandson Anees Ul Islam, son of Altaf Fantoosh (Geelanis son- in-law and executive member of Hurriyat G) appeared for an interview for a government job, almost tailor-designed for him by the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party-led government.

In December 2016, Anees secretly joined Sher-e-Kashmir International Convection Complex (SKICC) as a Research Officer, at an annual salary of more than Rs 12 lakh and other incentives.

Aneess recruitment would have remained a tightly-kept secret, but in March 2017, the Times of India exposed the muck. The news of rules being bent to recruit Geelanis grandson spread like wildfire.

It was an almost-backdoor recruitment. Though, in a bid to shield Geelani, the government came out with statement that SKICC received 196 applications out of which 35 candidates were shortlisted, neither the list nor the names of those finally selected were ever made public.

Subsequent news reports about such nepotism revealed that government had kept Anees identity confidential at SKICC to the extent that he was introduced as a relative of late chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Amid startling revelations, many started questioning why Geelani sounded like a changed man since last winter. And there was plenty of circumstantial evidence to prove this.

On December 6, 2016, when the united Hurriyat was religiously issuing protest calendars, it also issued special handouts inviting tourists to Kashmir. Tourism amid protests? May be grandpa wanted normalcy restored on the boulevard, lest his dearest grandson faced inconvenience in reaching his palatial office on the banks of Dal.

But then, as already reported by a section of media, it had been an open secret that Geelanis son-in- law, Altaf Fantoosh was allegedly close to the government through some middlemen like prominent businessman Mushtaq Chaya and secretary tourism Farooq Ahmed Shah, who chaired the committee that recruited Anees.

While Chaya would frequently visit Geelanis residence, the Hurriyat started to mellow down protest programmes to be more tourism-friendly.

So if there were allegations that Fantoosh sought undue incentives from the government, why didnt Geelani, a leader of integrity, ever bother to hold an inquiry?

If Naeem Khan has been suspended on mere allegations, Geelanis grandson getting a job through bending of rules is a hard fact.

Do leaders believe seeking undue favours from the government of India in the name of the Kashmir issue is permissible, like Maale Ghanimath, while funding from Pakistan is forbidden fruit because NIA may tighten the noose?

Allegations of funding from both India and Pakistan are not new to Kashmir politics. Even former spymaster AS Dulat endorses it in his book Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years.
Lynching is a practice in which a mob takes the law into its own hands. The practice has a long history, but the term "lynching" originated during the American Revolution with Col Charles Lynch and his group in Virginia, who formulated their own rules to confront criminal elements in a turbulent, lawless time.

India might be passing through a turbulent period in the context of social relations, but the state has enough means at its disposal to maintain law and order when and where it wishes to. However, in the last three years of the Narendra Modi regime, India has witnessed a number of horrific lynching incidents and they are becoming more and more regular.

The recent one has at least nine men being mercilessly beaten to death by rampaging mobs in Jharkhand in the last week, even in the presence of police forces. Among the victims, there was a group of Muslim cattle-traders.

Modi came to power in May 2014 and since then the Sangh Parivar has been enjoying state protection and patronage to pursue its ultra-nationalist Hindutva agenda, clearly mocking at Indias secular Constitution.

Mobs are being regularly mobilised to wage attack on places of worship of minorities, to protesting outside liberal academic campuses demanding closure, and even to harm Opposition leaders and activists by branding them as anti-Hindu and/or anti-national.

In the last three years, the ruling party and its cohorts have given priority to two of their pet socio-political programmes - Love Jihad (also called Romeo Jihad) and Cow Protection (Gau Raksha), which aim at mobilising mobs and dispensing instant "justice".

Vigilante groups in the name of protecting Hindu "sisters" from Muslim boys and protecting "mother" cows from Muslim traders have spread the reign of terror in many parts of India, particularly in BJP-ruled states.

The Sangh Parivar is carrying out an open campaign, alleging the existence of a grand plan by Islamist groups encouraging Muslim boys to seduce Hindu girls and marry them so as to convert them to Islam.

The Love Jihad campaign mobilises insecure Hindus who are suspicious of the Muslim community in general and also encourage them to dispense vigilante justice.

In the beginning of May 2017, an aged Muslim farmer, Ghulam Mohammad, was allegedly murdered by members of a vigilante group in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, on suspicion that he helped another Muslim man elope with a Hindu girl. This extremist militant Hindu vigilante group is Hindu Yuva Vahini and its founder is the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, himself.

The Hindu Yuva Vahini group was formed in 2002, but its attacks on Muslim men in relationships with Hindu women have become more common and brazen after Yogi Adityanath became the state's CM.

By appointing Adityanath, a vigilante leader, as CM of Indias largest state, Modi has sent the signal that his regime supports and promotes majoritarian vigilantism.

Not only in public places and parks, this group has taken its "anti-Romeo" vandalism to peoples homes as well.

By appointing Adityanath, a vigilante leader, as the CM of Indias largest state, Narendra Modi has also sent the signal to the country that his regime supports and promotes majoritarian vigilantism.

In many other BJP-ruled states, like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, there is explicit official support to vigilante groups against the so-called Love Jihad and "cow slaughter". Particularly, the gau rakshak groups are running amok in almost all parts of the country in the name of cow protection.

The victims of the marauding gau rakshaks comprising Hindu upper castes have been mostly Dalits and Muslims. Since the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri on the night of September 28, 2015, many incidents of savagery of such vigilante groups on Muslims and Dalits have taken place - in Daltonganj in Jharkhand, Unain in Gujarat, Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, Sonepat in Haryana, Reasi in Jammu and Kashmir, Chittorgarh and Alwar in Rajasthan and recently even in the nations capital itself, Delhi.

The regularity of lynching in different parts of India in recent years is not due to lawlessness in the country but because of the state-sanction behind it. The present regimes political philosophy of "Hindutva" professes a pro-lynching ideology and promotes pro-lynching discourse.

Hindutva politics achieved its political success by primarily accusing the Congress for its so-called minority appeasement policies for decades. Though this alleged policy of minority appeasement is not based on fact and completely overlooks the terrible socio-economic deprivation of Indias Muslims, it has not stopped Hindutva goons from believing that Muslims have gotten away with too much of freedom and privileges before and that they need to be controlled now.

Mob rule plays a key part in the strategy of Hindutva politics of social control. Lynching by the mob is not to punish a crime, but to enforce inter-group control and to keep the idea and practice of upper-caste Hindu domination.

In this context, it does not matter whether the victim is guilty of wrongdoing or not - the lynching serves a larger political objective. It also helps the government to pursue its own narrow and divisive political objectives without being directly blamed for it.

That is the reason why the usually verbose Modi maintains strategic ambiguity when the country expects him to take a principled position on the barbaric acts of Hindu vigilante groups.

Last year, when he was forced to rebuke the gau rakshaks due to growing international criticism, he was not very categorical in his condemnation. The Sangh Parivar and some of their "social scientists" usually explain the trend within the rubric of justice and crime control, and blame dishonest policing and ineffective judiciary.
As the sea of blue rose like a mighty ocean of counter-politics, Jantar Mantar in the heart of New Delhi became the site of an alternative politics, this time led from the front by the Bhim Army.

A relatively new entrant in national politics, the Bhim Army is a two-year-old outfit run by young, educated Dalit youths to reclaim BR Ambedkar and fight the saffronisation of politics. And, reclaiming is exactly what they are good at, with some added muscle thrown into the potentate.

The national curiosity about the Bhim Army reached a fever pitch as the leader of the group, the 29-year-old lawyer and activist, Chandrashekhar, with the nom de plume Raavan, electrified the air with his strong speech to assert pride in being a Dalit.

After the clashes in Saharanpur, western Uttar Pradesh, where Thakurs and Dalits clashed over respective icons  Maharana Pratap and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar  Chandrashekhar had been missing, only to resurface in Delhi and address a crowd of thousands of Dalit youths, academics, students and rights activists.

It was a moment of civil disobedience attaining great political significance in the heart of the national capital. (Photo: Bhim Army/Facebook)

It was a moment of civil disobedience attaining great political significance in the heart of the national capital. And it was engineered, popularised and indeed spearheaded by the Bhim Army, the new force in Dalit identity politics.

Who are the Bhim Army

Founded by Chandrashekhar Raavan and Vinay Ratan Singh, the Bhim Army started as a group running a school for Dalit children, and providing them with a sound education which the government-run schools were failing to impart. In July 2015, the first school was set up, and within two years, the number of schools run by the Bhim Army has shot up to over 300, run by Dalits for fellow Dalits and other children from underprivileged backgrounds.

During the Una procession of Dalits against the lynching of four dead cow-skinners in Gujarat, the Bhim Army extended its support to the cause that was led by Jignesh Mevani. Chandrashekhar saw the need to fuse the ideological opposition to saffron terror, perpetrated by the motley gangs of Thakurs, cow vigilantes, assorted Hindutva goons among others, with strong displays of civil disobedience and what he calls muscle.

The Bhim Army became a one-stop destination for Dalit complaints and grievances  big and small  as the youth wing flaunted its distance from the powerless Dalit elite, such as BSP chief Mayawati and BJP MP Udit Raj. However, after Yogi Adityanath, a Thakur himself, was ensconced as the UP chief minister, things took a nastier turn.

The Saharanpur incidents

The clashes between Yogi-emboldened Thakurs and Ambedkar-asserting Dalits in Saharanpur, western Uttar Pradesh, which saw a number of Dalit homes being burned down, several injured and one death, had their inception in a war of iconography.

Thakurs had objected to a statue of Ambedkar, saying that a statue that pointed its fingers (classic Ambedkar pose with Constitution in one hand and raised finger on the other) couldnt be allowed to be put up, as Thakur women used the streets. They didnt allow a procession to celebrate Ambedkar because apparently the Dalits didnt get permission to conduct the same.

On April 20, almost a week after Ambedkar Jayanti, the Thakurs, under the garb of celebrating the birthday of the Dalit icon, took out a procession in order to chant slogans such as UP mein rehna hoga, to Yogi-Yogi kehna hoga, and Jai Shri Ram, and especially went through areas with Jatav and Muslim population.

Chandrashekhar, leader of the Bhim Army.

On May 5, the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, the Thakurs wanted to take out a procession to mark Rajput/Hindu/Kshatriya pride. This was the day when Adityanath called the Mughal emperor Akbar an invader and lauded Rana Pratap as a son of the soil.

When challenged by the Dalits, because the Thakurs too lacked an official permission, clashes broke out.

The Thakurs, flummoxed by the direct assertion by Dalits, were taken aback, and resorted to arson. In the ensuing violence, as many ground reports suggest, several youths from both communities were injured, and were subsequently hospitalised. One Thakur man, Sumit Singh, died  some say because he suffocated himself accidentally, while others cry conspiracy to murder Thakurs.

FIRs have been filed against youths of both communities, but on May 9, Dalits organised a protest meet in Saharanpur city to demand justice for the injuries and arson committed on May 5 by Thakurs. This May 9 mahapanchayat was called by the Bhim Army, and messages from its leader Chandrashekhar were circulated on social media to mobilise the districts Dalit youth.

As clashes between Dalit youths and uncooperating police under the ruling BJP broke out, the Saharanpur violence became a national headline. Protesters attacked a Maharana Pratap memorial and cops being beaten up by angry Dalit youths went viral on social media.

From Saharanpur to Jantar Mantar

After this Chandrashekhar went underground, only to surface at the Jantar Mantar rally, which saw Delhi turning into a tide of blue. An articulate lawyer steeped in the ideologies of Dalit leader Kanshi Ram and the architect of Indian Constitution, BR Ambedkar, Chandrashekhars Bhim Army derives its name from the word that symbolises Dalit pride and identity  Bhim, from Ambedkars first name Bhimrao.

Photo courtesy: Dalit Camera/Facebook.

Slogans such as Jai Bhim, RSS jiski Mummy Hai, Who Sarkar Nikammi Hai, The Great Chamar, among others were seen and heard at Jantar Mantar. Socia media portals such as Dalit Camera, among others, livestreamed the procession and the speech, even as mainstream TV media maintained a deafening silence on the politics of blue.

Print media paid its due, however. Newspapers such as The Telegraph, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times and others, covered the rally, and wrote extensive reports on the Rise of the Dalit Bhaiya.

A new beginning?

Is the Bhim Army a new, ideologically charged phase of the Dalit, anti-caste, anti-saffron, anti-communal politics? Chandrashekhar made a rousing speech in which he fronted his Raavan to counter the saffron brigades Ram, and he was joined in by thousands of students, particularly the JNU student leaders, as also academics, human rights activists, writers, journalists, and many others.

While UP police has tried branding Chandrashekhar into a Naxal, the leader is not swayed. He says: If protesting against the RSS is becoming a Naxalite, then I am one.

Is the Bhim Army a receptacle of the hurt and oppressed youth of India, including but not limited to the Dalits?
Thank you.

I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting todays summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived.

You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader  American President Franklin Roosevelt  King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. King Salman: your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy  and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens.

Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey here today. You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send the warmest regards from my country to yours. I know that our time together will bring many blessings to both your people and mine.

I stand before you as a representative of the American people, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic faith.

In my inaugural address to the American people, I pledged to strengthen Americas oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.

Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperity  in this region, and in the world.

Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.

And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leaders  unique in the history of nations  is a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect. To the leaders and citizens of every country assembled here today, I want you to know that the United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce.

For Americans, this is an exciting time. A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country: in just a few months, we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies  many of whom are here today.

Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the crown prince, and the deputy crown prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation.

Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.

This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase  and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations.

We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond.

Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology  located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combatting radicalisation, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership.

I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the leaders present today to the White House, and I look forward to working with all of you.

America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all.

Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet historys great test  to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism.

Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred.

And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples.

Gods help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practice terror and spread its vile creed. At the same time, we pray this special gathering may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East  and maybe, even all over the world.

But this future can only be achieved through defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it.

Few nations have been spared its violent reach.

America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks  from the atrocities of September 11 to the devastation of the Boston bombing, to the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.

The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims.

But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence.

Some estimates hold that more than 95 per cent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.

We now face a humanitarian and security disaster in this region that is spreading across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering and depravity can begin to capture its full measure.

The true toll of IS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams.

The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures. It should increasingly become one of the great global centers of commerce and opportunity.

This region should not be a place from which refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.

Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the worlds great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern onesincluding soaring achievements in architecture.

Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage.

All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty. And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art.

The entire region is at the center of the key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz.

The potential of this region has never been greater. 65 percent of its population is under the age of 30. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home.

But this untapped potential, this tremendous cause for optimism, is held at bay by bloodshed and terror. There can be no coexistence with this violence.

There can be no tolerating it, no accepting it, no excusing it, and no ignoring it.

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith.

Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

If we do not act against this organised terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorisms devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing  then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

This is a battle between Good and Evil.

When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims  we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy.

But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong  and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden.

Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.

America is prepared to stand with you  in pursuit of shared interests and common security.

But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children.

It is a choice between two futures  and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

For our part, America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts. We will discard those strategies that have not worked  and will apply new approaches informed by experience and judgment. We are adopting a Principled Realism, rooted in common values and shared interests.

Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption. We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes  not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms  not sudden intervention.

We must seek partners, not perfectionand to make allies of all who share our goals.

Above all, America seeks peace  not war.

Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion.

The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.

Many are already making significant contributions to regional security: Jordanian pilots are crucial partners against IS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition have taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Lebanese Army is hunting IS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory. Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners. In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland. Qatar, which hosts the US Central Command, is a crucial strategic partner. Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue to enhance security in the region. And courageous Afghan soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices in the fight against the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country.

As we deny terrorist organisations control of territory and populations, we must also strip them of their access to funds. We must cut off the financial channels that let IS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.

I am proud to announce that the nations here today will be signing an agreement to prevent the financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center  co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another historic step in a day that will be long remembered.

I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council for blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation last year. Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing sanctions on one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah.

Of course, there is still much work to do.

That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians.

Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory  piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED.

And political leaders must speak out to affirm the same idea: heroes dont kill innocents; they save them. Many nations here today have taken important steps to raise up that message. Saudi Arabias Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development.

The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the battle for hearts and soulsand with the US, launched a center to counter the online spread of hate. Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment and radicalism.

I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees. The surge of migrants and refugees leaving the Middle East depletes the human capital needed to build stable societies and economies. Instead of depriving this region of so much human potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young people hope for a brighter future in their home nations and regions.

That means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better life  including women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities.

For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once againand make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.

In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican  visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible  including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them.

But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all threesafe harbour, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

Among Irans most tragic and destabilising interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime  launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.

Responsible nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate IS, and restore stability to the region.

The Iranian regimes longest-suffering victims are its own people. Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.

Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.

The decisions we make will affect countless lives.

King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this great moment in history, and for your massive investment in America, its industry and its jobs. I also thank you for investing in the future of this part of the world.

This fertile region has all the ingredients for extraordinary success  a rich history and culture, a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit of enterprise. But you can only unlock this future if the citizens of the Middle East are freed from extremism, terror and violence.

We in this room are the leaders of our peoples. They look to us for answers, and for action. And when we look back at their faces, behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice.

Today, billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great question of our time.

Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil? Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology? Will we let its venom spread through our societies? Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?

If we do not confront this deadly terror, we know what the future will bring  more suffering and despair.

But if we act  if we leave this magnificent room unified and determined to do what it takes to destroy the terror that threatens the world  then there is no limit to the great future our citizens will have.

The birthplace of civilisation is waiting to begin a new renaissance. Just imagine what tomorrow could bring.

Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine and commerce to inspire humankind. Great cities built on the ruins of shattered towns. New jobs and industries that will lift up millions of people. Parents who no longer worry for their children, families who no longer mourn for their loved ones, and the faithful who finally worship without fear.

These are the blessings of prosperity and peace. These are the desires that burn with a righteous flame in every human heart. And these are the just demands of our beloved peoples.

I ask you to join me, to join together, to work together, and to FIGHT together  BECAUSE UNITED, WE WILL NOT FAIL.
CULPEPER  A Culpeper woman was found guilty last week of unlawfully feeding buzzards at her Third Street home.

Judy Kelley Schoniwitz told General District Judge Dale Durrer that she had no intention of putting out food to attract vultures to her highly populated neighborhood, but they just showed up when she started feeding homeless cats.

Durrer said that Virginia law does not take intent into consideration when it comes to feeding wildlife and said he was forced to find Schoniwitz guilty. He fined her $300, but suspended all but $75 of that amount.

Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries officer Owen Bullard testified that he had been called to the Schoniwitz resident in 2016 following complaints from neighbors, the town of Culpeper and the Culpeper Police Department that the defendant was putting out food that was attracting vultures.

He said he found multiple bowls of cat food on Schoniwitz front porch and warned the woman to stop leaving food out unattended and to clean up the mess. Bullard further testified that the scavengers we making a mess of the neighborhood, defecating in pools, on cars and on houses.

I warned her to remove the attractions, he said.

Schoniwitz admitted that she was putting food out, but not for buzzards, only for birds and the stray cats that came to her door.

After the warning, traps were placed on her property and 25 cats were removed by animal control, she said.

There are no cats there now, she told the judge.

People were dropping cats off at my house because they know I love animals and that I would feed them, she said after the trial.

Schoniwitz testified that she had tried her best to get the buzzards to stay away, but that this area had always been a roost and the birds were prone to take up residence there.

We used firecrackers to try and scare them away and now they are gone, she said, adding that her porch and yard are now clean.

Schoniwitz blamed neighbors for feeding cats in the open and said the vultures were also attracted to nearby dump bins.

She introduced loaf bread wrappers and a partial sack of birdseed that Judge Durrer duly inspected.

This is what I was putting out for the birds, Schoniwitz said. Buzzards dont eat bread and birdseed.

But Bullard, who entered into evidence photographs of buzzards sitting on a front porch railing and eating in the yard, said that nine months after the original complaint, he was called back and again found evidence that the defendant was putting out food that was attracting vultures. At that point, he gave her a summons for unlawfully feeding wildlife.

I didnt know I was doing anything wrong, Schoniwitz told the court. I certainly didnt want to cause my neighbors any problems.

Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Chris Morehouse had a number of witnesses ready to testify, among them town police Maj. Chris Settle, town Public Works Director Jim Hoy and several neighbors.

However, Schoniwitz agreed to allow the state to proffer the evidence.

Schoniwitz said that she will likely appeal Durrers decision to circuit court.
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New Delhi: Traders association CAIT today asked the government to set up a working group to help non- corporate sector adopt the new GST regime. "Though trade and industry stands in support of GST (Goods and Services tax) but regrettably so far no concrete steps have been taken to take stakeholders into confidence," the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in a statement.

The national body representing non-corporate sector requested Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to draw a comprehensive plan to enable seamless transition of traders to the GST regime from the current manual processes.

The GST Council last week finalised the tax rates on various items and services to be levied under the GST regime that is likely to be rolled out from July this year. "Realising several disparities and ambiguities in the classification of items under different GST tax slabs, the CAIT has suggested the formation of a high level committee of senior officials and representatives of trade and industry to iron out such disparities to facilitate smooth transition to GST," the statement said.

CAIT has suggested to form a special working group comprising representatives from Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology to ensure easy availability and access of technologies and tools to adopt GST system, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to train non-corporate sector and other government bodies like Department of Financial Services, Reserve Bank of India.

"CAIT understands that it is important for all relevant stakeholders and decision makers to collectively execute strategies and plans to transform country into One Market with the help of successful roll out of GST tax regime," it said.
Mumbai: Abhishek Bachchan is currently facing a major career lull, with his last release being 2016's 'Housefull 3'.

Though the actor has Prabhudeva's 'Lefty,' Ram Gopal Varma's 'Arrest' in his kitty and is rumoured to be playing Sahir Ludhianvi in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's biopic on the revered writer, seems like the fresh lease of life isn't reflecting in his brand endorsements.

Apparently, the actor is finding it extremely difficult to fetch A-list brand endorsement deals, thanks to his current market standing.

A close source reveals, "The talent agency of the actor is pitching him hard to get A-list brands but seems his current market value is hampering the business possibilities."

One can only hope that this talented actor has a career reinvention with great roles coming his way.
Mumbai: A truly International collaboration, 'The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir,' directed by Ken Scott and starring Indian actor Dhanush, rolled in Mumbai this week.

The film is based on The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir who got trapped in an IKEA wardrobe by Romain Puertolas.

The shooting has commenced earlier this month and is expected to be shot in Mumbai (India), Brussels (Belgium), Rome (Italy) and Paris (France).

Speaking about the film, actor Dhanush says, So happy to be a part of this film with collaborators from 3 continents, looking forward to an extraordinary journey ahead.

Producer Luc Bossi of Brio Films says, 'The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir' is also an out of the ordinary production adventure, creating through its producers, locations and talent a unique bridge between India, Europe and Hollywood. Its cast reunites actors from more than 15 countries and an International Indo-French-Belgian-Italian crew with a common passion and goal to tell a universal story full of laughs and emotions.

Adds Aditi Anand of Little Red Car Films, What an incredible experience to be working with a power packed crew and cast chalk full of talent. Couldn't have asked for more!

Taking the enthusiasm further, Director Ken Scott adds, "I'm super excited to be working with Dhanush who is so talented and great great great to work with.

Starring the inimitable Dhanush in the titular role of the 'Fakir', the film, as the name suggests, marks an extraordinary journey in the life of Aja aka Ajatshatru (Dhanush).

After the death of his mother, the 'Fakir' takes on a journey to track down his father, a man he never knew. The quest takes him to Paris and soon, he realizes his destination is all set to change his journey.

From falling in love to brushing shoulders with a Hollywood star to dodging hitmen and being held as a hostage in a bureaucratic war, the Fakirs life goes hilariously awry the moment he steps into the Parisian soil, despite his best intentions.

Other than Dhanush who shot to fame internationally with his single Why this Kolaveri' and has been hugely appreciated in films like 'Raanjhanaa', 'Shamitabh' and more, the film also stars French actor Berenice Bejo (known for the Oscar Winner 'The Artist'), American actor Erin Moriarty (last seen in 'Blood Father' with Mel Gibson) and Somalian-American actor Barkhad Abdi ('Captain Phillips') amongst others.

The film has music by Nicolas Errera, while Amit Trivedi has also composed two Hindi songs in the film. Vincent Mathias is the DOP, and the production design is by Alain-Pascal Housiaux and Patrick Dechesne, costume design is by Valerie Ranchoux and Philippe Bourgueil will be editing the film.

The film is produced by Brio Films, Vamonos Films, M! Capital Ventures, Little Red Car Films, Impact Films, Aurora Global Media Capital, Scope Pictures, TF1 Studio and Aleph Motion Pictures. The screenplay of the film is by Puertolas and Luc Bossi (Brio films) and has a conglomeration of production houses from 3 different continents.
Mumbai: Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda who will share screen space for the first time in Vinod Bachchan's Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, under the Soundarya Production banner, recently wrapped up the Lucknow schedule of the family entertainer.

While shooting the film in the city at a real location, Gaurav Krishna Bansal, an IRTS (Indian Railway Traffic Service) director had approached producer Vinod Bachchan to show him few poems that he had written hoping to get it featured in the movie starring Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda.

Producer Vinod Bachchan says, While shooting the film at a real location in Lucknow, Gaurav Bansal (IRTS Director) had approached me with few poems that he had penned which I found it very interesting. I made him meet director Ratna who was equally impressed with one song. Since we wanted to incorporate that in the movie, we asked him to rework it in the format of a Bollywood song and it has come out nicely.

Directed by Ratna Sinha, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana has been penned by Kamal Pande. The movie which went on floors last month in Allahabad will see this unusual and exciting fresh pairing create fireworks on screen.

Produced by Vinod Bachchan under the Soundarya Production banner, the shooting of Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana starring Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda is currently underway.
Mumbai: Smt. Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation and the co-chair of the Jio MAMI Film Festival today announced the addition of a new category of Award, to be introduced from this year.

The Award for Excellence in Digital Content has been created to provide a platform for young talent to showcase their storytelling abilities via short films, using the digital medium. The first set of Awards in this category, will be given at this years edition of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

A one of its kind Award, it will take its participants from script to screen; from facilitating mentorship in script development, to finance and finally, also provide a platform for exhibition and distribution. The only criteria for this Award is that applicants must be between the ages of 21-35 years.

Announcing the new Award, Smt. Ambani said, Last year, Jio dedicated to the nation, one of the worlds most comprehensive and powerful digital networks. Today, I am privileged to introduce The Jio MAMI Reliance Foundation Award for Excellence in Digital Content. We hope that this Award will encourage young talent to break the boundaries of their creative prowess and take Indian cinema to new and greater heights, especially in the digital space. With the Award, were giving our young talent tangible encouragement and support to showcase their showcase their talent.

Twenty-five participants will be shortlisted and mentored by celebrated Indian filmmakers over two days at an all-expenses paid residential Masterclass in Mumbai to guide them towards their final cut. From these, the top ten will receive a prize money of Rs. 2,50,000 each, upon completion of their short films. In addition, to promote the talent digitally and provide these youngsters with a wide platform, all ten films will be premiered on Jio. This will give millions of Jio viewers a chance to savour the creativity of the young film-makers.

These 10 finalists will also get an opportunity to showcase their short films at this years edition of the JioMAMI Festival. The two best films will receive the JioMAMI Reliance Foundation Gold and Silver trophies at the Jio MAMI 2017 closing gala.

A special website, www.jiomamistudios.com has been created for the registration of entries. All participants, who submit their entries by June 20, 2017 in the form of a synopsis and a one-liner script, will be eligible to attend an online Masterclass (webinar).
Mumbai: Shruti makes her third and final Cannes appearance attending the premiere of 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties' adapted from author Neil Gaiman's short story.

Ms. Haasan most certainly made her presence felt and how at Cannes 2017 with her smashing red carpet looks.

After doing two appearances for her film 'Sangamithra', the trilingual magnum opus scheduled to go on floor in August, Shruti was seen attending the premiere of 'How To Talk To Girls at Parties' starring Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman, directed by John Cameron Mitchell.

She attended the premiere as a special guest of celebrated British novelist, Neil Gaiman, who wrote the short story that was the film's inspiration.

Says an insider source, 'Neil Gaiman has been one of Shruti's all-time favorite novelists. She's followed his work extensively and they had a chance to connect a short while ago over Twitter. They met in LA and stayed in touch via mails and messages. When Neil realized Shruti was in Cannes, he was thrilled and invited her to attend the premiere of the film as one of his special guests. She was delighted to go be a part of his big celebration and attended the premiere on May 21."

Neil has gone on record previously talking about how much he appreciates Shruti as an artist, to the extent that he has even stated that he would gladly pen a musical only if it starred Shruti.

"We first encountered each other on Twitter about a year or so ago. I think I had mentioned how much I want to visit India, and Shruti offered to help show me the country. She's an enormous fan of my writing, and has sent me lots of clips, both of her work in films and music, and of things and performers, she thought I should see or would enjoy. And I, in turn, have sent her books and things to read ahead of the crowd. She's a delight, really smart and grounded, and her music is remarkable" he was quoted.

Talking about attending the premiere on Neil's invitation, Shruti says, "I was super happy to be invited for the film. Neil is my favorite writer and I loved the film as well."

The best of Cannes - getting to hang with my most favourite writer @neilhimself A post shared by @shrutzhaasan on May 21, 2017 at 11:14pm PDT

Shruti sported yet another black look and totally made it work, this time in a Valentino ensemble with jewelry by Chopard and wit Christian Louboutin shoes and clutch. She was styled by Shreeja Rajgopal with hair and make-up by Tarryn Kelly.

Sunshine and ice  In Valentino and @chopard styled by @shreejarajgopal for #cannes70 A post shared by @shrutzhaasan on May 21, 2017 at 6:46am PDT

Her look at Day 1 at Cannes was breathtaking too!
Deepan, a short filmmaker and VFX supervisor exclaimed that his sole aim is to tell a different story to the audience. In his maiden directorial Uyil Ondru, he has written a gripping story about the murder of a well-known politician. I dont see any dearth of commercial films, so I wanted to try something different. Science fiction is my favourite genre and I decided to make my first film in the same genre, begins Deepan.

Jointly produced by Maayah Media Work and Aarmzii Films, the film is in the pre-production stage and the shooting will commence by the end of May or the first week of June. We started our work three months ago. Vaidesh Hariharan plays the hero. Through simulation, his character would travel to six different worlds.

A lot of research on the politicians murder has gone into the film and we have also added fictional elements to it, explains producer Armstrong Praveen.

Armstrong says that his team is planning to launch the film in a grand manner. Whats unique is that we will launch the title of the film through virtual reality. Music director Fred Allen and cinematographer Ganesh Dhoni are part of the technical team, he asserts.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed a plea in the Delhi High Court against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran in the Aircel Maxis case.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Maran brothers and others on the plea filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) against their discharge in the Aircel-Maxis case.

The ED on May 3rd moved the Delhi High Court challenging the special court's order discharging Dayanidhi Maran, his brother and others in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.

On February 3, the ED moved to the Supreme Court against the special court's order on Aircel-Maxis case which discharged the Maran brothers and other accused without furnishing the bail bond properly.

The ED also urged the apex court to not release the properties attached in the case.

The Patiala House Court, a day before discharged former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran after it found insufficient evidence to prosecute them.

The Maran brothers were accused by investigating agencies of helping Malaysian group Maxis to acquire Aircel in exchange for a kickback of approximately Rs. 700 crore.

The court also discharged Kalanithi's wife Kavery Kalanithi, South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) Managing Director K. Shanmugam and two companies - SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) in two different cases.

The CBI Court on December 19 last year deferred pronouncing its orders against the Maran brothers and others to December 22.

A special 2G court had earlier on September 17, 2016 dismissed the applications filed by the ex-telecom minister and his brother, challenging its jurisdiction to try the Aircel-Maxis deal case in which they have been summoned as accused.

Pronouncing the order, the court had then said, "There is no manner of doubt that by the standard of subject matter and periodicity of the alleged crime, the case fairly/squarely falls within the description/ designation of the 2G scam."

The Maran brothers challenged the jurisdiction of the special 2G court in both cases lodged by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI.

The Enforcement Directorate alleged that two firms, South Asia FM Limited (SAFL) and Sun Direct TV Private Ltd. (SDTPL), had received Rs. 742.58 crore as "proceeds of crime" from Mauritius-based firms and that the two firms were then allegedly controlled by Kalanithi Maran.
The Satyanarayanapuram police arrested all the four persons and also took the victims friends Akhil and Ajay into custody. (Representational Image)

Vijayawada: In a shocking incident, a minor girl was intoxicated and gangraped by four youths at Madhura Nagar four days ago. The city police cracked the case within hours after the complaint was lodged and arrested the accused.

At about 8 am on Tuesday, the 16-year-old girl met her friend Patibanda Akhil, 20, a hotel management student, and his friend Ajay Samuel, 19, and went on a joy ride on the pretext of going for tuitions.

They went to an isolated place at Mustabad after visiting some shopping malls. Akhil and Ajay had brought beer and allegedly forced her to drink. The duo left the girl at BRTS Road at about 8.30 pm.

While the girl was struggling to find her way home, she was spotted by a group of four persons. Pothaboina Srikanth, 21, who works as a technician at Orange Internet cafe, offered to drop her home.

Along with Srikanth and the girl, his friends Cheduvumoragula Abhishek, 20, a technician in a dialysis centre; Kollipara Suneel, 21, technician at Orange internet cafe; and Mogonda Pavan Kalian, 21, who works with aluminium doors, went to Abhisheks house at Madhuranagar at Tadepalli in Guntur district on bikes.

The four friends bought beer and forced the intoxicated girl to drink again. The four friends then took turns to rape her. On Wednesday morning, they dropped her near Gunadala.

The girl, by the time, had recovered from drinking and noted the bike number. She went to her grandparents house first and narrated her ordeal.The grandparents informed her parents, who lodged a police complaint on Thursday morning.

The Satyanarayanapuram police arrested all the four persons and also took the victims friends Akhil and Ajay into custody. Deputy commissioner of police G. Palaraju said they slapped cases against the four friends under Sections 376(D), 366, 34 of IPC and also under section 6 of the POCSO Act against the four.

The girls friend Akhil was also booked under the POCSO Act as he sexually exploited the girl and Ajay Samuel was booked for helping Ajay.
Nashik: The Nashik police has arrested a 26-year-old labourer who allegedly raped his five-year-old daughter on Saturday night after returning from a wedding in a drunken state. The police also arrested the labourers mother, who allegedly strangled the girl after she had been rendered unconscious by the sexual attack in a bid to cover up her sons crime.

According to the police, the grandmother had dumped the girls corpse behind a school, found the body during a stage-managed 'search' with the help of a nephew and finally got a fake case registered with the police hours after alleging that the child had been abducted, raped and killed by unknown persons.

According to the police, the labourer had picked up the victim at a time she was sleeping with the grandmother and took her to a separate room to rape her.

The grandmother, after getting rid of the body, went to the police station and stated that her granddaughter was picked up from her house, raped and strangled behind the ZP primary school.

The police recorded her complaint and registered cases against unidentified assailants under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. A dog squad was summoned which showed the way back to the house. Police then separately questioned the father, grandmother and an uncle and found discrepancies in their versions and then strongly interrogated the trio after which the father allegedly confessed to the crime.Sources said that the alleged rapist's wife was staying with her parents due to a dispute. The daughter was staying with her father and grandmother in their house. The police arrested the accused, while angry villagers held a rasta roko at Nashik Phata on Vani-Nashik road.
The victim, identified as Sajid Khan, 24, was a resident of Santhoshnagar. His body was found with injuries on the head, stomach and chest.(Representational Image)

Hyderabad: An autorickshaw driver was hacked to death at Balapur early on Monday. The killers stabbed him with broken beer bottles and hit him with a stone on the head. The victim, identified as Sajid Khan, 24, was a resident of Santhoshnagar. His body was found with injuries on the head, stomach and chest.

Sajids family said he got a phone call at night, probably from an acquaintance, who asked him to come out of his house. Sajid went to meet the caller at an open plot in the Kurmalguda area, where they drank alcohol. The attackers and Sajid must have consumed alcohol before the murder. said a senior official of Meerpet police station.Police suspects that Sajid was killed in a revenge attack.
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is set to sue Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today under an additional defamation suit worth Rs. 10 crore, after the latter's counsel Ram Jethmalani confirmed that Jaitley was called a 'crook' after being instructed by his client to do so.

The fresh suit was filed today in the Delhi High Court after Jethmalani accused Jaitley of being 'guilty of crimes and crookery'.

Earlier on Thursday, amidst an ongoing tense round of cross-questioning between Jailtey and Jethmalani, the former was perturbed after being referred to as a 'crook' by the 93-year-old veteran lawyer, in his defamation case against the Aam Aadmi Party convener, resulting in a verbal spat between the two parties.

Baffled by the 'abuse' hurled at him, Jaitley further demanded a clarification from the senior counsel whether this was the result of a personal tiff, to which Jethmalani clarified that the term was used under the instructions of Kejriwal.

Developing on this premise, senior advocates Rajiv Nayar and Sandeep Sethi, who were representing Jaitley, alleged that the matter was transcribed as a duel between Jaitley and Jethmalani, rather than Jaitley and Kejriwal.

Jaitley had filed a criminal defamation complaint against Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for allegedly defaming him in the Patiala House Court, while a civil defamation case was filed in the Delhi High Court.

Jaitley had also filed the suit seeking Rs 10 crore in damages after Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders accused him of alleged irregularities and financial bungling in the DDCA, of which Jaitley was the president for about 13 years until 2013.

Earlier in March, in a major jolt to Kejriwal, a Delhi Court put the former on trial in the criminal defamation case. The court had also framed a notice against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders in this case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass framed defamation notice against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders. Meanwhile, Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. (ANI)

The hearing regarding the fresh suit is likely to take place in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday.
New Delhi: A special court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of an alleged middleman arrested in the Election Commission bribery case involving AIADMK (Amma) faction leader TTV Dhinakaran.

Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry said it was not appropriate to grant bail to Sukesh Chandrashekar at this stage as it was a serious crime and he could tamper with the evidence.

The court also said the investigation of the Delhi Police Crime Branch was going on and the agency was probing the recovered CD containing alleged conversation between Dhinakaran and Chandrashekar, who was arrested on May 16.

The court, which was scheduled to hear the bail pleas of Dhinakaran and his close aide Mallikarjuna on Monday, listed the matter for May 26 after the AIADMK faction leader's counsel sought an adjournment.

Chandrashekar had filed the bail application claiming he was falsely implicated and made a scapegoat in the case and that he was ready to join the probe.

The police opposed his bail plea saying they were probing the recovered CD allegedly containing telephonic conversation of Chandrashekar and Dhinakaran.

It said the allegations were grave and they have to make more arrests in the case.

Both the accused had earlier refused consent to give their voice samples to the police to compare it with those contained in the CD recovered during the investigation.

Dhinakaran, Mallikarjuna, Chandrashekar and suspected hawala operators Nathu Singh and co-accused Lalit Kumar, are currently in judicial custody.

Dhinakaran was arrested here on the night of April 25 after four days of questioning for allegedly attempting to bribe unidentified Election Commission (EC) officials to get the undivided AIADMK's 'two leaves' election symbol.

His faction had hoped to obtain the symbol for the bypoll to the RK Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu, which was later on cancelled by the EC after the alleged irregularities were reported in the media.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who was elected from the constituency.

The EC had frozen the AIADMK's symbol after two factions of the party -- one led by Dhinakaran's aunt Sasikala and the other by former chief minister O Panneerselvam  staked claim to it.

Dhinakaran has been accused of allegedly arranging the money from undisclosed sources and getting it transferred from Chennai to Delhi through illegal channels.

Mallikarjuna was arrested for allegedly facilitating a Rs 50-crore deal between Dhinakaran and Chandrashekar.
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley with GOC of Baramulla based Division, Maj Gen RP Kalita during a visit to the forward areas of Rampur Sector of North Kashmir on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday paid glowing tribute to the three soldiers who laid down their lives while foiling an infiltration bid by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Naugam area.

He said the evil designs of terrorists had been successfully foiled by the armed forces.

"Infiltration bid by terrorists in the Naugam sector, Kashmir valley has been successfully foiled. Nation is proud of our soldiers.

"In the Naugam operation our soldiers killed 4 terrorists & foiled their evil design. Tributes to our 3 martyred soldiers," Jaitley said on his official Twitter handle.

In the #Naugam operation our soldiers killed 4 terrorists & foiled their evil design. Tributes to our 3 martyred soldiers.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 22, 2017

The gunbattle ensued when alert army jawans foiled an infiltration bid by militants as part of an operation launched on May 20.

Four militants were also killed in the fierce shootout that began along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir's Naugam sector.
New Delhi: In the wake of the horrifying Jharkhand lynching case, where a mob claimed 6 lives over suspicion of kidnapping, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deteriorating law and order condition in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states.

Gandhi took to the Twitter to express his dismay over the incident and urged the Prime Minister to explain his position in the regard.

"From Rajasthan to UP, Haryana and now Jharkhand. BJP-ruled states are descending into chaos and lawlessness. Will the PM answer?" tweeted Gandhi.

Meanwhile, around 19 individuals have been arrested after 7 people were beaten to death by a violent mob in two separate incidents in Jharkhand's Singhbhum district over suspicion of being child-lifters.

According to the police, rumours on social media led to the "unfortunate and unprecedented" incidents of sheer brutality.
Tumkur: State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief B S Yedyyurappa is once again in thick soup over claims of promoting untouchability, as he had a meal that was allegedly prepared and brought to him from a nearby hotel at a Dalit's home, instead of the food prepared by them.

During his visit to Tumkur district on Friday, the former chief minister, who was accompanied by other party members, visited the residence of a Dalit family where he allegedly ate 'idlis' from a nearby hotel and not the food prepared by the family.

Claiming his act would spark off negativity in the community, a young man from the family lodged a complaint with the police.

Dismissing claims of disrespecting the family, a BJP spokesperson dubbed the allegations as a political move, adding that those who raised the issue must immediately apologise to the family.

Yeddyurappa received flak over a similar situation earlier in Tumkur where he was photographed eating "tatte idli" at a Dalit's house at Gubbi.
Bengaluru: Downplaying allegations against Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief BS Yedyyurappa of eating breakfast brought from a nearby hotel at a Dalit household in Tumakuru, the BJP while defending its chief said the allegations are purely politically motivated.

"The Congress and the JD (S) are losing ground in Karnataka. To compensate for this, they are fabricating charges against Yeddyurappa. The allegations are totally false," BJP leader S Prakash told ANI here.

Drawing upon the former Chief Minister's efforts in uplifting the socially backward strata in the state, Prakash said the former has always propagated social harmony, rather than gaining support purely as a means of 'votebank politics'.

"During his tenure as CM, Yeddyurappa implemented around 25 to 30 schemes for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It is this popularity that is being targeted by the opposition. I'm sure the Dalit community will not misunderstand," he added.

During his visit to Tumakuru district on Friday, the former Chief Minister who was accompanied by other party members visited the residence of a Dalit family where he allegedly ate idlis from a nearby hotel and not the food prepared by the family, thus inviting trouble on grounds of promoting untouchability and caste discrimination.

Claiming his act would spark off negativity in the community, a young man from the family lodged a complaint with the police.

Dismissing claims of disrespecting the family, a BJP spokesperson painted the allegations as a political move, adding that those who raised the issue must immediately apologise to the family.

Yeddyurappa had received flak over a similar situation earlier in Tumakuru where he was photographed eating "tatte idli" at a Dalit's house at Gubbi.
Besides Gupta, Kropha and Samria, the court also convicted the firm KSSPL and its managing director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia. (Photo: Representational Image)

New Delhi: Former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and two serving senior officials were today sentenced to two year imprisonment by a special court for irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Madhya Pradesh to a private firm.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs one crore on Madhya Pradesh based Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL), which was the beneficiary of the allocation of Thesgora-B/Rudrapuri coal block in the state.

Its Managing Director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia was awarded three-year jail term by the court for misrepresenting facts in its application before the Ministry of Coal (MOC), which was then headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Besides Gupta, who was the Coal Secretary from December 31, 2005 to November 2008, then joint secretary K S Kropha and then director K C Samaria in the MOC were handed down the punishment for cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption.

They became the first public servants to be convicted and sentenced for the coal block allocation scam, unearthed during the previous UPA regime.

Besides the jail term, Special CBI Judge Bharat Parasher also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each on the three bureaucrats in the case.

Ahluwalia, KSSPL Managing Director, who has been sentenced to a three-year jail term, has also been directed to pay a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

While holding them guilty of multiple offences, the court said Gupta, Kropha and Samria had entered into a "criminal conspiracy" with KSSPL and Ahluwalia to commit "criminal misconduct

" for procuring coal block allotment in favour of KSSPL.

All the convicts were, however, granted bail on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and one surety of like amount soon after the sentence was announced, to enable them move the High Court challenging the trial court verdict.

The court had on May 19 convicted all the five but acquitted the Chartered Accountant Amit Goyal in the case.

It noted that Gupta made "dishonest misrepresentation" before the then Prime Minister, who had retained the Coal Ministry portfolio.

The court said Singh, who had to act only upon the recommendations of the Screening Committee of which Gupta was the chairman, had no reason to presume that the then Coal Secretary had recommended a non-compliant firm for coal block allocation.

CBI had in October 2012 lodged an FIR in the matter, but on March 27, 2014, it had filed a closure report in the case. The court had rejected the closure report on October 13, 2014 and summoned Gupta and others as accused.

The CBI had alleged that the firm had misrepresented its net worth and the existing capacity, adding that the state government had also not recommended the firm for the allocation of any coal block.

The court had on October 14 last year framed charges against the accused.

As many as ten more coal cases are pending against Gupta and the proceedings are going on individually. The Supreme Court had last year dismissed his plea seeking a joint trial in all these cases.
New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and the other accused in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case, moved the special CBI court for bail in New Delhi on Monday.

The special CBI court has issued a notice to the CBI to reply on the bail plea of all the accused including Virbhadra and his wife Pratibha.

The next date of hearing is 29th May.

Earlier on May 8, Virbhadra and other accused were summoned by the court in regard with the same case.

Pratibha Singh withdrew her plea, which had alleged that the CBI hadn't obtained permission from the state government to procure documents used to prepare the chargesheet.

Pratibha's counsel had earlier on April 24 argued whether witnesses and documents that were collected during the investigation could be part of the chargesheet and if the court could read them for the purpose of taking cognizance.

The counsel also moved an application seeking consideration of these terms, while also requesting not to take cognizance of the chargesheet.

A day after being booked by the CBI special court, the Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring against him and asserted that all charges levied against him were fabricated.
Amit Shah, like Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday, denied reports that the Tamil superstar was going to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that many people meet the PM. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Sunday said that superstar Rajinikanth was welcome to join the saffron party if he wished to.

According to reports, Amit Shah said to a news channel, Every good person is welcome to join politics, but added that only Rajini could decide when to enter politics.

Amit Shah, like Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday, denied reports that the Tamil superstar was going to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that many people meet the PM.

Shah also denied that he had spoken to Rajinikanth about joining BJP.

Shahs comments came days after Rajinikanth in an interaction with fans said that he is a Pachchai Thamizhan and asked them to be prepared for war. Last week, the superstar said he would join politics if 'God wants me to'.

A number of BJP leaders have warmed up to the idea of Rajinikanth joining the party. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan had welcomed the star to join the BJP, and the partys Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Sounderajan had on Sunday said that BJP would be strengthened if Rajinikanth joined the party.

But Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday also said he was not aware of any possible meeting between actor Rajinikanth and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rajinikanth is a great actor. Modi is a great leader. If he wants to meet the Prime Minister, there is no problem", Naidu told reporters in Bengaluru.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Sunday said that superstar Rajinikanth was welcome to join the saffron party if he wished to.

According to reports, Amit Shah said to a news channel, Every good person is welcome to join politics, but added that only Rajini could decide when to enter politics.

Amit Shah, like Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday, denied reports that the Tamil superstar was going to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that many people meet the PM.

Shah also denied that he had spoken to Rajinikanth about joining BJP.

Shahs comments came days after Rajinikanth in an interaction with fans said that he is a Pachchai Thamizhan and asked them to be prepared for war. Last week, the superstar said he would join politics if 'God wants me to'.

A number of BJP leaders have warmed up to the idea of Rajinikanth joining the party. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan had welcomed the star to join the BJP, and the partys Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Sounderajan had on Sunday said that BJP would be strengthened if Rajinikanth joined the party.

But Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday also said he was not aware of any possible meeting between actor Rajinikanth and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rajinikanth is a great actor. Modi is a great leader. If he wants to meet the Prime Minister, there is no problem", Naidu told reporters in Bengaluru.

But Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief S Thirunavukkarasar said that he believes that Rajinikanth, who is his friend since 35-40 years, will float his own party.
Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal posted the matter for arguments on May 29 after the CBI said they needed some time to file a reply to the bail pleas. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh on Monday appeared as accused in a special court here in connection with a nearly Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case and sought bail.

Besides the 82-year-old Congress leader and his wife, the other accused, who have been charge sheeted in the case by the CBI, also appeared before the court and moved their respective bail pleas.

Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal posted the matter for arguments on May 29 after the CBI said they needed some time to file a reply to the bail pleas.

The Chief Minister, clad in a grey safari suit, came to the court amid tight security and was accompanied by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who was present during the court proceedings.

As the hearing commenced, a battery of senior advocates, including RS Cheema, Ramesh Gupta and Rebecca John, who were appearing for these accused, moved the bail applications.

The CBI prosecutor told the judge that they needed some time to go through the bail pleas and file a response.

After the hearing, Digvijay Singh, while talking to scribes outside the court premises, launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that he was using agencies like the CBI, ED and NIA to clamp down on the opposition.

"Modi is trying to clamp down on the opposition using the tools of CBI, NIA and ED and putting fake cases against them.

Their own leaders spent over Rs 500 crore in marriage while the demonetisation drive was on and their own people are involved in terrorism," he said.

"He is framing innocents. The CBI was a caged parrot; now so is the NIA and ED. The directors are given extensions as carrots," Digvijaya Singh said.

The CBI has chargesheeted Virbhadra Singh, his wife, Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, Managing Director of Tarani Infrastructure Vakamulla Chandrasekhar and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia for the alleged offences including criminal conspiracy, forgery and corruption.

The charge sheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who was arrested in the case and is presently in judicial custody. Chauhan did not move bail plea today.

The court had on May 8 summoned them after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI.

The CBI charge sheet, running into over 500 pages having around 225 witnesses and 442 documents, has claimed that Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister.

Chauhan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 9 last year in a separate money laundering case related to the DA case.

The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court, which on April 6, 2016 had asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.

On November 5 last year, the apex court had transferred Singh's plea from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but simply transferring the petition in interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment.
Saluting the valour and bravery of the constable, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant said people like Naveed Shah would continue to join the outfit. (Photo: Representational Image)

Srinagar: The Hizbul Mujahideen claimed on Sunday that the Jammu and Kashmir police constable who decamped with four assault rifles has joined them.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Hizbul Mujahideens operational spokesman Burhanuddin welcomed Syed Naveed Mushtaq Shah into their fold, and congratulated him for his act.

Saluting the valour and bravery of the constable, he said people like Naveed Shah would continue to join Hizbul.

On Saturday evening, Naveed Shah fled with 4 rifles  his own and those of 3 of his colleagues, from Chandpora village in Budgam district, where he was deployed to guard a facility belonging to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

Police officials were quoted as saying by the Indian Express that they could not confirm whether Shah had fled, but admitted that there could be no other reason he would disappear with 4 rifles, than to join the militants.

Subsequently, a manhunt has been launched for him, said the report.

But this is not the first incident of a constable fleeing to join militant ranks.

In January 2016, Shakoor Ahmad, a policeman posted as a DSPs personal security officer, decamped with four rifles.

He was arrested later from Kulgam, said the report.

In March 2015, Naseer Ahmad Pandit, a policeman from Pulwama, also joined Hizbul after fleeing with two rifles.

Significantly, he had been posted as a guard at then PWD minister and senior PDP leader Altaf Bukharis home.

Pandit, who was part of slain militant Burhan Wani's group and posed for a picture that went viral, was later killed in an encounter in Shopian district, said the report.
Bengaluru: Heavy rains, accompanied by gusty winds, on Saturday night brought down over 100 trees at various parts of the city, crushing two-wheelers and cars parked under them. The thundershowers threw normal life out of gear and affected traffic all over the city. Power supply too was hit badly as trees fell on power lines and transformers.

Shanthakumar

Body not yet traced

Search operations continued on Sunday for Shanthakumar, a labourer, who was feared washed away. A resident of Mandya, he was supervising the construction of a stormwater drain at Kurubarahalli when the incident occurred.

The rescue operation began at Saturday midnight, but the body had not been found till late on Sunday night. Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George said that that 50 rescue personnel and 30 BBMP workers, with the help of six earthmovers, were scouring the stormwater drain to recover the body.

He said Mayor G. Padmavathi and BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad are monitoring the operations. Compensation will be given to the family of the deceased, but the focus now is to recover the body, he said.

Mr P.L. Ramakrishna, regional officer, Fire and Emergency Services (West zone), said that rescue work using machines had stopped and manual operations had begun to find the body.

BBMP control room flooded with calls

Till Sunday evening, the BBMP control room had recorded over 200 complaints. 117 complaints were of tree fall and 80 of water logging, said BBMP workers manning the control room.

Over 70 complaints were from the BBMP west zone, 16 from the east, four from Dasarahalli, seven from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, eight from Yelahanka and 12 from South. There were no complaints from Bommanahalli and Mahadevpura zones. Because of heavy rains and strong winds, over 20 parakeets were reported dead near Orion Mall on Dr Rajkumar Road.

Sleepless night for people

Stormwater drain overflowed and flooded houses nearby in Nandini Layout, Kempegowda Layout, Malleswaram, Vayalikaval, Basavanagudi, Mahalakshmi Layout, Basaveshwara Nagar, Byatarayanapura and Yeshwanthpur.

City plunges into darkness

Nearly half of the city plunged into darkness as trees fell on electric poles and transformer lines, affecting power supply. Bescoms helpline 1912 again turned dead. Angry citizens vented their anger on social media sites. Bescom maintained that it will revamp the helpline in association with the Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd.
Left front activists clash with the Police personnel during their law violation protest against State Government, at Howrah near Kolkata on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: Several Left party activists and police personnel were injured in clashes at various places in the city and in neighbouring Howrah during a 'March to Nabanna' (state secretariat) programme on Monday.

The march to the secretariat in Howrah district was organised by the Left parties to protest against what they called attack on democracy, and unemployment and lawlessness in the state during Trinamool Congress rule.

The Left activists tried to break police cordons at various locations including Mayo Road, Dufferin road, Hastings in the city and Foreshore Road and Santragachi in Howrah.

They allegedly hurled stones at the police prompting the force to fire tear gas shells and order lathi charge.

Water cannons were also used to disperse the workers at Santragachi in Howrah.

The police said that the Left workers were asked not to proceed towards the state secretariat. "But they did not listen to instructions and hurled stones at security personnel, in which several policemen were injured."

The Left party sources on the other hand said many of their leaders including former state minister Kanti Ganguly, Foward Bloc leader Naren Chatterjee and a number of workers were injured when the police resorted to the unprovoked batoncharge.

Some journalists covering the programme were allegedly beaten up by the police.

A senior police officer when asked about it said, "I was not there but we have received some complaints in this regard. We will look into it".

Earlier in the day at least 12 CPI-M leaders including three MLAs - Sujan Chakraborty, Ashok Bhattacharya and Tanmay Bhattacharjee were detained when they tried to enter the state secretariat ahead of the 'March to Nabanna' programme.

The Left leaders headed for the secretariat from the assembly in three cars and had managed to cross the security cordons. The police, however, recognised them at the north gate of the secretariat and a scuffle took place between them there.

The leaders were then detained and taken to Shibpur police station in Howrah.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not present at the secretariat as she was in Birbhum district for an administrative meeting.

CPI-M state secretary and politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra and Left Front chairman Biman Bose staged a sit-in at Mayo Road in protest against the police action.

Mishra said, "Everything is being done according to the chief minister's instruction. But they (the TMC government) cannot stop us this way. A protest day will be observed tomorrow throughout the state."

Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee called the Left programme a "drama" and said it was nothing but an attempt by the CPI-M to justify its existence.

"The CPI-M has been reduced to a signboard," he said.

"They (CPI-M) do not work for the state. Instead they are holding this programme when the chief minister is trying to develop the state," he said.
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned Kashmiri separatists for the second day on Monday in connection with its probe into the role of LeT chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA further questioned Farooq Ahmad Dar alias 'Bitta Karate', Javed Ahmed Baba alias Prince alias Gazi in Srinagar regarding their involvement in raising, collecting and transferring funds through hawala and other channels for terror funding in Kashmir.

The central probe agency is probing all aspects of funding of separatist leaders and the use of these funds in fuelling the unrest in the Valley, the NIA spokesperson said in a statement.

The NIA has also collected details of 13 accused charge-sheeted so far in the cases in the Valley in the recent past, pertaining to the damage caused to schools and public property as part of the larger conspiracy to perpetuate violence and chaos in Kashmir.

Substantial progress has been made and the probe is continuing, the spokesperson said in a statement.

The NIA team, headed by the Additional Director General, had asked Naeem Khan, Farooq and Baba to appear before it for their explanation on an expose on a television channel where they had claimed to be receiving funds from Pakistan.

After initial reluctance, the three separatists fell in line and were questioned separately by the team of NIA, which named them in its Preliminary Enquiry (PE) on Saturday.

In a statement, the NIA's spokesperson said that the agency questioned Dar at Srinagar regarding the hawala and terror funding issue.

The NIA team will also be gathering evidence collected by the Jammu and Kashmir Police about the burning of schools as Khan had claimed that the educational institutions were targeted as per the plans hatched from across the border.

The schools were targeted last year after banned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8.

Besides these three, NIA has named Saeed and Geelani in the PE, which precedes the filing of a case.

Khan, who was suspended by Geelani from Hurriyat yesterday, was seen on television during the sting operation purportedly confessing to receiving money from Pakistan-based terror groups.

The NIA's PE alleged that the separatists were receiving funds from the LeT chief to carry out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting security forces with stones, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments.

The NIA took cognisance of the news item related to a recording of conversations between a TV reporter and leaders of separatist groups operating in the Kashmir Valley in this regard.
New Delhi: Muslims resorting to triple talaq will face "social boycott" and an advisory will be issued to the 'Qazis' that they should tell the grooms that they will not resort to such a form of divorce, a prominent Muslim body told the Supreme Court today.

Dubbing triple talaq as an "undesirable practice" in the Shariat or Islamic law, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said a dispute between husband and wife should be settled through "mutual interaction" and a code of conduct on this has been released by it, keeping in mind the tenets of the Shariat.

The AIMPLB, which filed an affidavit, said that in order to discourage triple talaq as a form of divorce, it has decided to "socially boycott" those Muslims who resort to saying talaq in one go and reduce such divorce incidents.

It told the apex court, which had heard the pleas challenging the practice of triple talaq at length for six days, that it has already passed a resolution in its working committee meeting on April 15-16 against the practice of triple talaq.

"The stand of Shariat is clear about divorce that the pronouncement of divorce without any reason and that three divorces in one go are not the correct method of pronouncement of divorce. Such a practice is strongly condemned by the Shariat," it said.

In its affidavit, AIMPLB said it has decided to issue an advisory through its website, publications and social media platforms asking the Qazis (judge of a Sharia court) to tell the bridegroom at the time of executing the 'Nikahnama' (marriage contract) that they would not resort to 'three divorces in one sitting' in case of differences, as this is an "undesirable practice in Shariat".

"At the time of performing Nikah (marriage), the person performing the Nikah will advise the bridegroom/man that in case of differences leading to talaq the bridegroom/man shall not pronounce three divorces in one sitting since it is an undesirable practice in Shariat," the affidavit filed by

AIMPLB secretary Mohammad Fazlurrahim said. "At the time of performing 'Nikah', the person performing the 'Nikah' will advise both the bridegroom/man and the bride/woman to incorporate a condition in the 'Nikahnama' to exclude resorting to pronouncement of three divorces by her husband in one sitting," it said.

The AIMPLB said it would start a "grand public movement" to ensure that the people desist from pronouncing divorce without any reason and that in case of necessity, only one divorce should be resorted to and in any case three divorces in one go should not be resorted to.

"Every effort should be made to convey this message to all segments of Muslims, especially to the poor population, and the help of Imams and orators of the mosques should be called for," it said.

The AIMPLB affidavit would be perused by a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar which had reserved its verdict on the triple talaq issue last week.

The apex court had on May 18 reserved its verdict on a bunch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq among Muslims after hearing the parties including the Centre, the AIMPLB and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board for six days during the ongoing summer vacation.

During the hearing, it had asked Muslim bodies how a practice like triple talaq could be a matter of "faith" when they have been asserting that it is "patriarchal", "bad in theology" and "sinful".

The board has also released a code of conduct for the husband and wife in the matter of divorce keeping in mind the tenets of Shariat.

Giving details of code, the Board said it emphasised that a marital dispute should be settled by mutual interaction.

"If the issue is not resolved mutually, then the elders members of both families should try to settle the dispute amicably. If the efforts of dispute settlement bring in no good result, then divorce may be resorted to and even then, the pronouncement of divorce should only be one," it said.

With regard to the pronouncement of divorce, the board said the members of its working committee unanimously expected that the Indian Muslims would ensure that they will practice the Islamic Shariat in the matter of divorce.

"Marriage is a permanent and durable kind of relationship but sometime such a situation arises where the relations between husband and wife becomes so serious that indwelling becomes impossible. In such a situation, the separation between the two becomes the inevitable option.

"For that, one of the methods suggested by the Islamic Shariat is divorce. But every possible effort should be resorted for the betterment of relations before pronouncement of divorce," the resolution passed by the board said.

It has also issued guidelines for the husband and wife at the time of dispute and said that if there are differences between spouses, they should try to resolve the dispute mutually.
New Delhi: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday accused Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of practising "vote bank politics" by keeping silent on the issue of triple talaq.

He also lashed out at Congress leader Kapil Sibal for comparing Muslims' "faith" in triple talaq to those of Hindus in Ram temple, calling it "disgraceful. Prasad said Sibal compared a "social bane" to the majority community's "belief".

In an interaction at Aaj Tak, he said Rajiv Gandhi might have "bowed" under pressure on Muslim women's rights but Prime Minister Narendra Modi will stand solidly with them. He was apparently referring to the Shah Bano case in which a 62-year-old Muslim woman was divorced by her husband. She filed a criminal suit in the Supreme Court and won alimony. However, she was subsequently denied the alimony when Parliament reversed the judgement.

Naming prominent women leaders, including BSP chiefMayawati, he said their "silence" was a clear example of vote bank politics.

Incidentally, it was Gandhi's death anniversary today. Triple talaq is not a matter of religion but gender equality, Prasad said.

He also downplayed reports of confrontation between the government and the judiciary but added that the former is doing doing its job and the latter has to do its own.

The government is working on digitisation of courts, he said, adding that it is appointing "justice friend" to help dispose cases older than 10 years.
Lucknow: The trial in the politically- sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case by a special CBI court will resume here on Monday, following a Supreme Court order to it to hear the case on a daily basis and deliver the verdict in two years.

The Supreme Court had on April 19 directed the special court to start the proceedings within a month and deliver its verdict within two years.

The CBI court during its first hearing in the state capital granted bail to five VHP leaders named as accused, including Ram Vilas Vedanti, who appeared before it on Saturday.

Besides Vedanti (59), those who appeared before the CBI court here on Saturday were VHP leaders Champat Rai (71), Baikunth Lal Sharma (88), Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (79) and Dharmdas Maharaj (68). CBI special court judge S.K. Yadav allowed their bail pleas asking each of them to furnish two sureties of `20,000 and a personal bond of the same amount.

The Supreme Court had last month directed that BJP stalwarts, including L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, will face trial on conspiracy charges in the demolition case.

It had dubbed the demolition of the monument as a crime which shook the secular fabric of the Constitution and allowed CBIs plea on restoration of criminal conspiracy charges against the VVIP accused.
Chennai: With the number of tobacco consumers seeing a rise across the country each year, the Central government had only last year implemented an 80 per cent pictorial warning policy, in the hope of it evoke a sense of fear among cigarette users.

Following various surveys conducted over the year, it was seen that there has been a decline in the number of consumers in the state. The second phase of GATS will be released next month, said Prasanna, state consultant for National TB Control Programme.

Though the progress is slow, the state public health department ensures that the law is enforced. The state has been seeing a steady decline in the number of smokers, Kulandaisamy, director, department of public health.

Though there was a pictorial warning earlier as well, the increase in its size is slowly making a difference, he said, adding that Tamil Nadu was one among the only two states in the country to see a 10 per cent decline in the number of consumers over the course of the past one decade.

Implementation of the 80 per cent pictorial warning is good, but is in itself not enough. Also, education at school level is the need of the hour, said Dr Prasanna Kumar Thomas, a pulmanologist.

Reiterating the necessity for eradicating tobacco on an individual level, Dr E. Vidhubala, an associate professor in the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control at the Cancer Institute, said many refrain from letting go with the misconception that it is difficult to do so. Anyone can quit smoking. An individual who has quit should get proper love and counselling from family members and loved ones else he/she may get back to the bad habit, she said.
Chennai: Accusing the rival Edappadi K. Palanisami camp of enacting drama on booting out V. K. Sasikala from the AIADMK, the OPS camp on Sunday sought to know the reason behind animal husbandry minister P. Balakrishna Reddy meeting the interim general secretary of the party in Bengaluru prison.

While D. Jayakumar, one of the senior most ministers in the EPS government, publicly says the family of Ms Sasikala has been sidelined in the AIADMK, his colleague Mr Reddy meets her in jail, the OPS camp said on Sunday, accusing the rival camp of not being serious on merger talks.

I dont know why such drama is being enacted? One minister says Sasikala and her family is not in the party, but another minister meets her in Bengaluru jail. Why such drama? We have no clue on who the EPS camp wants to cheat? Rajya Sabha MP Dr V. Maitreyan told reporters.

Mr Maitreyan, one of the first leaders to have joined Mr Panneerselvam after he rebelled against Ms Sasikala on February 7, also accused the EPS camp of not being serious on merger talks.

However, another member of the OPS camp, 'MaFoi' K Pandiarajan said there were indications that the EPS faction is considering implementing their demands like expelling Ms Sasikala from the AIADMK and ordering a probe into the "mysterious" death of J Jayalalithaa.

Immediately after the cancellation of Dr R K Nagar by-polls, both factions of the AIADMK expressed interest in a merger but things have not moved anywhere for the past one month. And in a clear indication that the merger talks have failed, Mr Panneerselvam had on Friday knocked at the doors of the Election Commission demanding that it restrain the V K Sasikala faction of the AIADMK from using the party headquarters on the Avvai Shanmugam Salai here. However, the EPS camp has been reiterating that both factions should unite for the sake of the party.
Bengaluru: After the Karnataka Government passed a resolution to rename the Doddbommasandra main road in Vidyarayanyapura after Lt Col Niranjan EK, who lost his life in the 2016 Pathankot attack, Minister of Bengaluru Development and Town Planning KC George on Monday said that they will be naming another road in his honour.

"You must understand under what circumstances they have written the letter. Col Niranjan's name was recommended, we have highest respect for him. That's why we passed the resolution to name a road after him," George said.

"We wanted to name a road after Niranjan, but this road was already named for a freedom fighter Pete Siddappa Tiruvu," he added.

Reportedly, in January, Karnataka Aam Aadmi Party and residents of Vidyaranyapura started an online petition to rename the road after Lt Col Niranjan EK.

"He laid down his life fighting terrorists in Pathankot. His family, friends and neighbours remember him as devoted to the army and dedicated to his country. We want to keep this martyr's memory alive. Lt Col Niranjan grew up in Vidyaranyapura, Bengaluru, his family currently lives there. We request you to rename a prominent road "DoddaBommasandra" in the locality after him," read the petition on change.org.
Chennai: Dead stray dogs packed in gunny bags and put out in the open in the city corporations dog shelter in Kannamapettai near T Nagar led to an argument between locals and workers in the shelter last week.

Following the recent clash, residents of the nearby neighbourhoods - Kamarajar colony, Lalithapuram, Muthurangan street - demand closure of the pound fearing disease outbreak citing alleged unhygienic practices in the burial ground.

According to the staff, close to 400 dogs have been buried in the facility since its inception in 2014.

The facility at Kannamapettai spread over two acres was the first dog shelter run by a civic body in the state. "Ever since its inauguration in 2014, residents have opposed it," one of the staff in the shelter told DC.

The issue reached a vantage point recently when workers allegedly left two dead dogs unattended in a gunny bag. Clicking pictures of the Carcass (available with DC), a group gathered outside the shelter and picked up an argument with the staff there. A petition was sent to the City Police commissioner by the local DMK functionary, J. Karunanidhi demanding the closure of the shelter.

The dogs are a menace. People from other neighbourhoods come and leave their sick dogs at the shelter and it has increased the stray dogs in our area.

There is also the issue of stench, T. Sengammal (59), a resident of Kamarajar colony said.

When contacted, Dr Sollin Selvam, veterinarian, in-charge of the shelter, said that it was true that the dead dogs were kept in the open last week. The dogs had died of heat stroke. But, our staff were cleaning up the kennels early in the morning when residents clicked pictures. The dogs were going to be buried in a few hours. But, the men simply wouldnt listen, the doctor said.

The doctor said that the shelter has been at the receiving end of an unjust target by the residents. Even when there is a stray dog in the neighbourhood, public come and argue with the staff. They argue that dogs shouldnt be buried. But, we have a burial ground and we are operating by the government rules, he said.

Staff at the pound says that they couldnt get away with unhygienic practices as alleged by the residents as dog owners and animal rights activists visit almost every day. On Monday, the trees and bushes in the burial ground were being cleared to make more space for the burial of dogs.
Work on the Picket Road (above, right) has been going on forever and is likely to miss the May 31 deadline. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Is the city prepared for the monsoon? It's the question that we ask every year and every year the answer is the same: No. The weathermen have predicted that the monsoon will be like last year, which means heavy to very heavy rains on certain days for short durations; the deluge and subsequent flooding on September 21, 2016, had shown how unprepared the city was.

Some 20 dilapidated buildings have been issued notices but not demolished yet. Some parts of the 370-km of drains have not been de-silted, and certain old sewerage lines are on the verge of giving up.

No major road repairs have been done, only potholes filled. Encroachments on nalas have not been removed and no new storm water drains have been constructed. The city has barely moved an inch in the last one year.

When this newspaper asked residents to comment on the GHMCs monsoon preparedness, many said their complaints had not been attended to. Mr A, Janardhan Rao of Moulali said that on May 9. when a thunderstorm hit the city, drainage water from the nala connecting to Banda Cherruvu overflowed onto the roads.

"At midnight, sewerage water entered houses because the nala was blocked. Till today no one has removed the dirt which smells bad. Bacteria and mosquitoes have increased in such unhygienic conditions and residents are falling sick. If this is not attended to, the entire colony will be deluged with sewer water when it rains, he said.

Mr Shiva Ram of SR Nagar pointed to the damaged roads. Both sides of the road were dug up at SR Nagar Lane 16 for repairs 15 days ago. People have problems commuting and pedestrians can't walk.

Mr V. Sampath Kumar pointed to a dead tree that could fall during the rains. Its in a residential area in Ganeshnagar, Ramanthapur. It may fall any time and should be removed to avoid a big accident; children play here all the time."

The GHMC responded to these complaints by saying it has released Rs 27.84 crore for its monsoon action plan and inspected dangerous areas. "GHMC engineers have conducted joint inspection along with the traffic police to identify spots across the city that need repairs. Some 48 teams have been pressed into action only to fix the potholes. We have allocated 121 teams who will work 24x7 during the monsoons. The civic body has 19 emergency teams to clear tree branches which may fall after rains, said municipal chief Dr B. Janardhan Reddy. It sounds impressive but whether it is adequate and will work will be seen when the heavens open up.

What GHMC has done so far
Chennai: BJP seems to be wooing superstar Rajinikanth left, right and centre. After partys powerful president Amit Shah, Monday saw Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari reiterating the BJPs position on the Tamil film icons entry into politics.

I have very good relations with Rajinikanth. I meet him whenever I am in Chennai. The last time we discussed politics, he said he was not fit for it. However, if he does join, which I will absolutely look forward to, I would like to tell him that BJP has an appropriate position for him, Mr Gadkari told a television news channel.

However, the former BJP president, who is a trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, refused to elaborate on appropriate position comment.

These are all important political questions. Neither am I an authority, nor am I a decision maker. The party president and party parliamentary board will take a decision, Mr Gadkari told the channel, when probed further on the issue.

His comments came a day after Mr Shah, who is said to be very particular in roping in Mr Rajinikanth to be the partys face in the next elections, welcomed the Superstars entry into politics and said the BJPs doors were always open for him.

Speculation about the superstar's entry into politics gained momentum after the actor told his fans last week to get ready for war. Mr Gadkari went on to say that Rajinikanth has a strong support base and is a great human being.

To a question in BJP MP Subramanian Swamy's comments that if Rajinikanth joins BJP he Swamy stay away from TN politics, Mr Gadkari said Mr Swamy has his independent opinion.

I don't want to comment on it. But as a friend to Rajinikanth, I would like to tell him that BJP would welcome him with open arms, Mr Gadkari said.
Chennai: AIADMK, which wrote itself into history when it retained power in the summer of 2016 bunking a three-decade old trend led by charismatic J. Jayalalithaa, completes one year in office on Monday and it seems to have more woes and problems than achievements to flaunt.

Prime uniqueness of the regime is that it has seen three chief ministers  J. Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palanisami  for the first time in the history of the AIADMK. The government led by Mr Palanisami, which was sworn in after the hopes of late Jayalalithaas aide V.K. Sasikala to rule from the Fort St George came crashing down after the Supreme Court convicted her in disproportionate assets case, seems to be uncomfortable and unstable due to the split in the ruling party.

Political instability that erupted when Jayalalithaa was wheeled into Apollo Hospitals on the night of September 22, 2016, only multiplied after her demise on December 5, 2016, leading to a split in the AIADMK and their rivalry reaching the doors of the Election Commission in New Delhi. The enthusiasm and joy in the AIADMK camp after it achieved a historic feat of returning to power after its founder M. G. Ramachandran gave way to sadness and political instability within four months.

Both factions - one led by former chief minister O. Panneerselvam and the other headed by incumbent Edappadi Palanisami  have filed a petition in the EC claiming that they are the original AIADMK and they should be allotted the magical two Leaves symbol.

The factional fight led to the EC freezing the symbol and allotting separate symbol for both factions in the Dr R K Nagar by-polls, which was cancelled due to large-scale violations of model code of conduct.

The split in the AIADMK and frequent changing of chief ministers led to dampness in administration and caused several embarrassment to the government starting with the Marina revolt, confinement of MLAs at a resort in Kuvathur, the flood of money recovered during the R K Nagar polls and few industries allegedly moving out of the state due to demands for huge sums as bribe.

People who are at the helm are very new when it comes to handling responsibilities. Though they were ministers, then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and her team of officers did much of the work. And the incumbent Chief Minister is more interested in saving his seat than looking after administration. He is trying to keep his position intact and there is no visible administration, political analyst Ravindran Duraisamy told Deccan Chronicle.

And the party and the government suffered another embarrassment when Delhi police arrested deputy general secretary T. T. V. Dhinakaran for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official to get a favourable order for his faction in the two leaves symbol case.

With his government surviving on a wafer-thin majority, Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisami is reluctant on convening the Assembly and political observers say inefficiency has creeped into every sector of the administration. Sensing political opportunity, the Opposition parties led by leader of Opposition in the Assembly M. K Stalin have been putting the government on the mat on every issue - be it Neet, hydrocarbon extraction, farmers issue, drought and ineptness of government in handling crisis situation.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP T. K. S. Elangovan says the AIADMK Government is afraid of facing the Assembly due to its vulnerable position. There is no governance in Tamil Nadu. In the year that has passed, three months were spent in Apollo Hospitals and the rest was devoted to power struggle. The chief minister and the ministers seem to be worried more about the party than the people of Tamil Nadu. They are interested only in continuing in power, Mr Elangovan said.

However, VCK general secretary and writer Ravikumar says the suffocating atmosphere of the Jayalalithaa administration has given way for ministers to function and take decisions independently. He also says there is space for people to protest against the government on various issues in the Edappadi Palanisami regime.

People are able to at least show their dissent and see the way ministers like (K.A.) Sengottaiyan are functioning. He has brought good changes in the school education system and this would not have happened under Jayalalithaa administration, Mr Ravikumar said.

On the positive side, the government did act on some of its election promises by closing down in all 1,000 Tasmac shops and implementing some welfare schemes announced by late chief minister Jayalalithaa. The AIADMK government also came for appreciation for its work after Cyclone Vardah hit the Chennai Coast in December last year.
New Delhi: While the Opposition parties are now busy formulating their strategy to put up a joint candidate for the coming presidential election, the ruling BJP said Sunday it was yet to take a decision on its candidate.

The BJP also virtually rejected ally Shiv Sena's suggestion of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as the NDA candidate for the post.

Saying that the BJP had taken no decision yet on who would be the NDA's presidential candidate, party chief Amit Shah said in an television interview: Even if I have a name on my mind, it has to be discussed within the party first. He also ruled out Mr Bhagwats name, saying the RSS had itself ruled out any such idea.

Suggestions for a second term for President Pranab Mukherjee have also come from some of the Opposition parties, but the government, sources say, is unlikley to agree. The Congress, the party to which Mr Mukherjee belonged before being elected to the top constitutional post, has also not officially reacted to this suggestion.

Sonia tries to rope in Sena for Presidential candidate

Congress president Sonia Gandhi held talks with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Janata Dal (Uni-ted)s president Nitish Kumar, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI senior leader D. Raja and West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee on putting up a joint candidate for the post of President.

Mrs Gandhi is likely to hold talks with some other leaders this week, including BSP supremo Mayawati. The Opposition camp is also trying to reach out to the estranged BJP ally, Shiv Sena, whose ties with its senior party in Maharashtra have been deteriorating.

However, the ruling NDA coalition seems to have an advantage after some non-NDA parties, including Jagan Mohan Reddys YSR Congress and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), sent out signals that they were ready to back the NDA candidate as the countrys next President. The AIADMK, Tamil Nadus ruling party, is also yet to declare its support.

The Presidential election must be held before July 24, when President Mukherjees term ends. The Monsoon Session of Parliament is also likely to begin after the presidential elections.

The names of former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and JD(U) veteran Sharad Yadav are doing the rounds as possible Opposition nominees. NCP supremo Sharad Pawars name, sources said, was also discussed by the Opposition camp, but the Maharashtra politician has said that he did not want to contest the poll.

The Opposition, sources said, wanted to put up a candidate who has impeccable secular credentials, and who could maintain secular supervision of the Indian Constitution.
Chennai: Is it the electoral alliance or 'mascot' that could help the saffron party gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu ? It is an ambition that the BJP has been nurturing for decades and which has become the object of DMK's ridicule.

The BJP, which has been experimenting with alliances since 1998 in the state, appears to be in a perpetual mood of forging electoral ties, despite its attempts all these years had only worked against its advantage. If it was not the AIADMK (in 1998) or the DMK (1999), the party found Vijayakanth's DMDK indispensable in facing the elections and it forged a six-party alliance in 2014 Lok Sabha election. While it formed an alliance with caste groups in 2011 Assembly election, it had to fight the 2016 Assembly election in the company of Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi.

Its alliance dynamics did not work in its favour nor the poll results. Now the latest factor holding the BJP in sway is 'superstar' Rajinikanth. As if echoing the views expressed by the state leaders, the party's national chief Amit Shah, himself admitted on Sunday that the actor is welcome to join the BJP.

Perhaps, the BJP sees an opportunity to grow. Every electoral alliance it makes, it is the BJP that is at disadvantage. The party is yet to work in the spirit of grow alone, go alone, says a senior leader in the party. It is impossible for the party to win in election without alliance because both the Dravidian majors have been wielding money and muscle power, he added. Also, the party should mould leaders at regional level and also take the Narendra Modi government's welfare schemes to the people so as to make inroads into minds of voters.

Another senior contended that the party may not have made its choice between former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam or the faction headed by CM Edappadi K. Palanisami, at this juncture, but see the developments that would unfold.BJP will gain the upper hand.

As far as the Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan is concerned, the BJP is making all efforts to form an alternative front. People of Tamil Nadu are searching for an alternative to DMK and AIADMK....they want to boycott both parties.. there is a vacuum in state politics, with people dissatisfied with both fronts, he said.
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah on Sunday said the Narendra Modi government has delivered in all fields, from launching satellites into space to providing LPG cylinders to the poor, as he asked party leaders to inform the masses about its "successes".

In his inaugural address at a national workshop for party's spokespersons drawn from across the country, he said the government has worked a lot to uplift and empower the poor, Dalits and the backwards and it was now the spokespersons' job to reach out to the masses with this.

The workshop comes ahead of an over 20-day-long event the party will launch from May 26 to mark the government's third anniversary.

Senior BJP leaders and ministers, including general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Piyush Goyal besides the party's media head Anil Baluni, addressed the over 200 leaders.

The BJP president will leave for Telangana on Tuesday as part of his 95-day tour across the country to strengthen the organisation.

Sending out a message, he will pay floral tributes to the late party secretary in the state, Gundagoni Mysaiah Goud, who was gunned down by Naxals in 1999.
Our Cold War history is now offering scientists a chance to better understand the complex space system that surrounds us. Space weather  which can include changes in Earth's magnetic environment  are usually triggered by the suns activity, but recently declassified data on high-altitude nuclear explosion tests have provided a new look at the mechanisms that set off perturbations in that magnetic system. Such information can help support NASAs efforts to protect satellites and astronauts from the natural radiation inherent in space.

From 1958 to 1962, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. ran high-altitude tests with exotic code names like Starfish, Argus and Teak. The tests have long since ended, and the goals at the time were military. Today, however, they can provide crucial information on how humans can affect space. The tests, and other human-induced space weather, are the focus of a comprehensive new study published in Space Science Reviews.

The tests were a human-generated and extreme example of some of the space weather effects frequently caused by the sun, said Phil Erickson, assistant director at MITs Haystack Observatory, Westford, Massachusetts, and co-author on the paper. If we understand what happened in the somewhat controlled and extreme event that was caused by one of these man-made events, we can more easily understand the natural variation in the near-space environment.

By and large, space weather  which affects the region of near-Earth space where astronauts and satellites travel  is typically driven by external factors. The sun sends out millions of high-energy particles, the solar wind, which races out across the solar system before encountering Earth and its magnetosphere, a protective magnetic field surrounding the planet. Most of the charged particles are deflected, but some make their way into near-Earth space and can impact our satellites by damaging onboard electronics and disrupting communications or navigation signals. These particles, along with electromagnetic energy that accompanies them, can also cause auroras, while changes in the magnetic field can induce currents that damage power grids.

The Cold War tests, which detonated explosives at heights from 16 to 250 miles above the surface, mimicked some of these natural effects. Upon detonation, a first blast wave expelled an expanding fireball of plasma, a hot gas of electrically charged particles. This created a geomagnetic disturbance, which distorted Earths magnetic field lines and induced an electric field on the surface.

Some of the tests even created artificial radiation belts, akin to the natural Van Allen radiation belts, a layer of charged particles held in place by Earths magnetic fields. The artificially trapped charged particles remained in significant numbers for weeks, and in one case, years. These particles, natural and artificial, can affect electronics on high-flying satellites  in fact some failed as a result of the tests.

Although the induced radiation belts were physically similar to Earths natural radiation belts, their trapped particles had different energies. By comparing the energies of the particles, it is possible to distinguish the fission-generated particles and those naturally occurring in the Van Allen belts.

Other tests mimicked other natural phenomena we see in space. The Teak test, which took place on Aug. 1, 1958, was notable for the artificial aurora that resulted. The test was conducted over Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean. On the same day, the Apia Observatory in Western Samoa observed a highly unusual aurora, which are typically only observed in at the poles. The energetic particles released by the test likely followed Earths magnetic field lines to the Polynesian island nation, inducing the aurora. Observing how the tests caused aurora, can provide insight into what the natural auroral mechanisms are too.

Later that same year, when the Argus tests were conducted, effects were seen around the world. These tests were conducted at higher altitudes than previous tests, allowing the particles to travel farther around Earth. Sudden geomagnetic storms were observed from Sweden to Arizona and scientists used the observed time of the events to determine the speed at which the particles from the explosion traveled. They observed two high-speed waves: the first traveled at 1,860 miles per second and the second, less than a fourth that speed. Unlike the artificial radiation belts, these geomagnetic effects were short-lived, lasting only seconds.

Such atmospheric nuclear testing has long since stopped, and the present space environment remains dominated by natural phenomena. However, considering such historical events allows scientists and engineers to understand the effects of space weather on our infrastructure and technical systems.

Such information adds to a larger body of heliophysics research, which studies our near-Earth space environment in order to better understand the natural causes of space weather. NASA missions such as Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), Van Allen Probes and Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) study Earths magnetosphere and the causes of space weather. Other NASA missions, like STEREO, constantly survey the sun to look for activity that could trigger space weather. These missions help inform scientists about the complex system we live in, and how to protect the satellites we utilize for communication and navigation on a daily basis.

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ICSE and ISC candidates will now be able to have digital versions of their marksheets and certificates for accessing them anytime and anywhere.

"Unlike the old practice when the candidates had to download the scanned image of the hard copy of marksheet, all they have to do now is to open an account with 'http://digilocker.gov.in' and give their mobile number and follow the steps thereafter," Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) Chief Executive and Secretary Gerry Arathoon told PTI today.

From this year, the council will also make digitally signed copies of the statement of marks and the pass certificates available to candidates via digilocker in addition to the traditional hard copies, Arathoon explained.

In addition digitally signed migration certificates will also be made available to ISC candidates.

"The signed documents can be mailed in the same way the hard documents are presented for professional/career reasons.

"The documents will be stored in Digital locker (digilocker) of each candidate. Digital Locker is a service that provides dedicated personal electronic space in a government-owned public cloud storage where a candidate keep his/her documents for ever," he explained.

CISCE has partnered with the department of electronics and information technology to extend the digilocker facility to Class 10(ICSE) and 12(ISC) examinations candidates in affiliated schools.

The service will be introduced from this year itself.

Aadhar card numbers of the candidate will be necessary for uploading the documents - registration certificates, admit cards, mark sheets and pass certificates on the system.

"This is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mission for a /digital India and we know it will be popular among the students as the present young generation is far more tech savvy than you and me," Arathoon said.

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The next Surface that could see daylight this week in Shanghai might be called simply Surface Pro.

Microsoft and Apple are going one on one in its 2-in-1 market this year. While the Redmond Giant is prepping a hardware refresh to its existing generation, the Cupertino based rival is working on something which would prove to be a major overhaul of its current models.

The big changes include a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro featuring no bezels and other features/products by early June, this week is however particularly important for Microsoft as the software giant will hold a new event on May 23 to announce its latest Surface plans.

Rumors have also suggested that the company is prepping itself for a product unveiling, but the existing leaks and speculations are very unlikely to generate excitement among Microsoft fans.

The new Surface Pro is almost here!

The next Surface that could see daylight this week in Shanghai might be called simply Surface Pro and represent a makeover of the current Surface Pro 4, mostly under the hood.

Because of this, Microsoft is now planning to launch new hardware upgrades like Kaby Lake chips, more RAM and storage, while the rest of the features and overall design will remain more or less the same.

Rumors are also present that Microsoft could be betting on the Alcantara fabric that it praised so much during the Surface Laptop unveiling. This means the Surface Pro could come with a similar cover as well, though the company could go for the same strategy as for the existing model and offer it as an optional premium accessory.

Also the most important proof is that that no big news is planned for the Shanghai event is that no live streaming is planned, so Microsoft will most likely publish a press release when the event is over.

Microsoft might be in a bit of a problem because with no major upgrades on the radar, and with Apple now getting ready to launch a substantially redesigned iPad Pro, Microsoft might have a hard time to remain relevant in the 2-in-1 fight against its Cupertino rival.

As far as the laptop clash goes, a new-generation Surface Book is projected to launch in the fall, possibly alongside a completely overhauled Surface Pro as well, while Apple could unveil its several new devices next month, including not only the iPad Pro, but also hardware upgrades for its MacBook Pro lineup.

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The corners of the phone seem to be reinforced to protect the delicate parts of the S8 Active.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has been a super duper hit all over the world. In fact, Samsung is finding it hard to cope with the excessive demand of its highly desirable phone. Despite that, Samsung is readying the rugged version of the S8 for people who wish to take that incredible hardware in their adventure trips.

According to a post by Wireless Power consortium, the Galaxy S8 Active is retaining the bezel-less display without the curves. In fact, the phone is more akin to the LG G6 than any version of S8. It features a robust body with IP68 certification, making it suitable for use in harsh conditions.

The phone also retains the iris scanner and the front camera from the original S8/S8+. The corners of the phone seem to be reinforced to protect the delicate parts of the S8 Active.

Unfortunately, the rear of the phone hasnt been revealed in the photo which could house the fingerprint scanner. However, it seems that the S8 Active will have a 5.8-inch screen with a resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 pixels. There could be a Snapdragon 835 chipset under the hood along with 4GB of RAM. The battery could be larger than the standard S8, like last year S7 Active.

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Protoype of the spiral antenna integrated into a cotton shirt. Inset: SEM images of the multi-material fiber structure. (Image: MDPI)

Scientists have created a smart T- shirt that monitors the wearer's respiratory rate in real time, without the help of any wires or sensors.

The innovation paves the way for manufacturing clothing that could be used to diagnose respiratory illnesses or monitor people suffering from asthma, sleep apnea or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The key to the T shirt, created by researchers at Universite Laval in Canada, is an antenna sewn in at chest level that is made of a hollow optical fibre coated with a thin layer of silver on its inner surface.

Unlike other methods of measuring respiratory rate, the new T shirt works without any wires, electrodes, or sensors attached to the user's body.

The fibre's exterior surface is covered in a polymer that protects it against the environment. The antenna does double duty, sensing and transmitting the signals created by respiratory movements.

The data can then be sent to the user's smartphone or a nearby computer.

As the wearer breathes in, the smart fibre senses the increase in both thorax circumference and the volume of air in the lungs, researchers said.

"These changes modify some of the resonant frequency of the antenna. That is why the T shirt does not need to be tight or in direct contact with the wearer's skin," said Younes Messaddeq, professor at Universite Laval.

"The oscillations that occur with each breath are enough for the fibre to sense the user's respiratory rate," said Messaddeq.

"Our tests show that the data captured by the shirt is reliable, whether the user is lying down, sitting, standing, or moving around," he said. To assess the durability of their invention, the researchers washed the T shirt.

"After 20 washes, the antenna had withstood the water and detergent and was still in good working condition," Messaddeq added.

The study was published in the journal Sensors.

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The massive global cyber attack that wreaked havoc in computer systems earlier this month caused plenty of visible disruption, not least in Britain's National Health Service.

But in the brave new inter-connected world heralded by the internet of things (IoT), so-called "ransomware" attacks could have as their source something quite mundane and yet present in ever more modern households.

In a not so far-off future, the source of a software glitch with serious consequences for the simple consumer could be anything from a connected coffee machine or refrigerator to a techie toy or an outsmart-you television.

Web-connected gadgets are becoming all the rage with tech-aware professionals.

But the mere idea that it only needs a hacker to give the software a malevolent tweak to send them on the blink with disastrous consequences may yet threaten the development of such goods' popular take-up.

"Regarding last weekend's attack there is no risk for connected objects. That in particular hit systems running Windows ...and today there are no mass market gadgets with Windows loaded in order to function," says Gerome Billois, a consultant with Wavestone.

"In contrast, there have already been massive attacks on connected objects," Billois told AFP.

The Mirai malware strain made from hacked IoT devices including badly secured routers and internet connected cameras recently infected hundreds of thousands of poorly secured connected objects.

The idea was not to stop them from working but to transform them into zombies or botnets with a view to using them as relay stations for future cyber attacks.

Last week at a timely cyber security conference in The Netherlands, American wunderkind Reuben Paul, just 11, stunned an audience of security experts by hacking into a teddy bear via bluetooth to show how interconnected smart toys "can be weaponised".

His prowess showed just how easy it is for tech savvy individuals to use everyday objects to harvest data or use them as spy holes for covert surveillance.

According to documents released in March by Wikileaks, US intelligence can hack smartphones, computers and smart, web-connected TVs, to pilot them and eavesdrop.

"All the other connected objects can be pirated, that has been shown, be it a coffee machine, a refrigerator, a thermostat, electronic entry systems, the lighting system...," warns Loic Guezo, a cyber security analyst for southern Europe with Japanese security software company Trend Micro.

Mikko Hypponen, head of research at Finnish security specialists F-Secure, has for his part come up with his eponymous Hypponen's Law.

This states that "once a device is described as 'intelligent', you can consider it as vulnerable."

- Neglected security -

The future might well spell connected cars -- but they too are subject to potential remote hacking, the consequences of which barely need stating.

When hackers lurking with their laptops have finished conjuring what havoc they might wreak on distant roads there are plenty of other things to which they could turn their attention.

These include vases which tell you when they need fresh water, insulin pumps -- or how about sex toys?

So, the worried tech consumer may be asking him or herself -- can a cyber hacker deprive me of my morning slug of caffeine?

Or maybe keep my thermostat blocked at 10 Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) -- a chilling thought -- or even take over my GPS if I don't hand over a ransom?

Theoretically, yes, specialists tell AFP.

"The logic of a cybercriminal is to make money," says Wavestone's Billois. Such an individual will not feel the need to make do with small-scale attacks.

Connected TVs, having rapidly become widespread, are an ideal portal for making ransom demands.

"Tomorrow, one can imagine devices which attack your connected house, bringing it under control, and then you get sent a message by another channel," muses Guezo.

All that would required would be to perfect the sort of virus one can find on offer within the murky confines of the "darknet", off the beaten track for day to day netizens.

Cyber security specialists are very much aware of the need to keep working on solutions offering protection as more and more homes go "smart" and "connected" with various boxes as add-ons to their usual routers.

The specialists' plan is to work with the makers of connected goods in order to incorporate a security interface right from the start, thereby offering what the profession calls "security by design".

Some experts feel that, in the rush to bring fascinating and cutting edge technologies into the home, the need for commensurate security has been rather left behind.

"It is extremely difficult to calculate the solidity of a connected object in terms of cybersecurity," Billois regrets.

"As a consumer it is today impossible to know if you are buying a secure connected object or not," he adds.

"There's no label such as a made in Europe kind of tag guaranteeing an object won't catch fire, or won't pose a risk to children."

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The upcoming Nokia 9 model is expected to operate on Android Nougat 7.1.1. (Photo credits: PhoneDesigner)

Nokia is yet to release its previous range of Android-powered smartphones Nokia 3, 5 and 6 in India, while new leaks regarding the successors to those models have begun surfacing online.

The successors to the devices are tipped to be known as Nokia 7, 8 and 9. The models were recently spotted on the Geekbench with the title Unknown Heart, revealing bits of details of the devices.

Now images of third smartphone in the list, the Nokia 9, have appeared online on a website called frandroid.com

The upcoming Nokia 9 smartphone (Photo: frandroid.com)

The upcoming Nokia 9 smartphone (Photo: frandroid.com)

According to the specifications posted by the website, the Nokia 9 model will feature a 5.3-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) display, powered by Snapdragon 835 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. It is expected to offer up to 64GB storage option.

The handset will come with a dual 13MP rear camera with dual-LED flash support, USB TYPE-C and 3.5mm headphone jack.

In the listing on the GeekBench, the Nokia 9 is tipped to be a high-end smartphone incorporating "ARM implementer 81 architecture 8 variant 10 part 2048 revision 1" which belongs to that of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC.

On the other hand, the Nokia 8 is expected to have a Snapdragon 660 SoC at its heart. There are rumours that there will be at least three high-end Nokia smartphones to use Snapdragon 660 processors. This one could be one of the variant of Nokia 8.

The Nokia 7 listing on GeekBench suggests that the smartphone could use the Snapdragon 630 processor. Earlier, there were reports that the Nokia 7 would have a Snapdragon 660 SoC, but the new listing shows a SD 630 SoC.

All the upcoming models are also expected to operate on Android Nougat 7.1.1.

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Washington: Former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will decline to comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 US election, according to media reports on Monday.

Flynn will invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal and Fox News reported, citing sources close to Flynn.

The retired lieutenant general, a key witness in the Russia probe, planned to inform the panel of his decision later on Monday, the reports said.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is conducting one of the main congressional probes of alleged Russian meddling in the US presidential election and whether there was any collusion between President Donald Trumps campaign and Russia.

The committee first requested documents from Flynn in an April 28 letter, but he declined to cooperate with the request.

The US intelligence community concluded in January that Moscow tried to sway the November vote in Trump's favor. Russia has denied involvement and Trump insists he won fair and square.

Flynn was forced to resign in February, after less than a month on the job, for failing to disclose the content of his talks with Sergei Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States, and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Flynn and other advisers to Trumps campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the US presidential race.

Flynn has acknowledged being a paid consultant to the Turkish government during the campaign.
Washington: As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump railed against President Barack Obama for failing to utter the words "radical Islamic terrorism."

He accused the foundation run by Bill and Hillary Clinton of corruption for accepting charitable contributions from Saudi Arabia and chastised first lady Michelle Obama for not covering her head during a visit to the Kingdom. Now that he's president, Trump has changed his tune.

The president now finds himself adjusting to the nuances of Middle East diplomacy, where inflammatory campaign slogans no matter how popular among some voters can be the cause of major disruptions now that he holds office.

Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, at the start of his first trip abroad as president, has produced a number of statements that run counter to the harsh, anti-Muslim rhetoric from his 2016 campaign.

While many presidents adjust their commentary once they depart the campaign trail and travel abroad, Trump's speech to Gulf Arab leaders featured a much softer tone than his large-scale rallies last year.

The most glaring contradictions:- RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM: THEN: Trump routinely railed against Obama and Democratic campaign rival Hillary Clinton for failing to use the specific phrase, "radical Islamic terrorism." In an August 2016 speech, for example, Trump said Obama's 2009 speech to the Muslim World in Egypt lacked "moral courage" and was replete in naivet?. "Anyone who cannot name our enemy is not fit to lead this country.

Anyone who cannot condemn the hatred, oppression and violence of radical Islam lacks the moral clarity to serve as our president," he said. Obama had declined to use the term because he said he didn't want to connect terrorist groups like the Islamic State to the religion of Islam and said it would unnecessarily anger Arab allies fighting terrorism and alienate Muslims at home.

NOW: Trump called on Muslim leaders to address "the crisis of Islamic extremists" and referenced "the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds." But he failed to the use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" in his major speech on Sunday in front of more than 50 leaders of Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

Trump spoke about the devastation that violent extremists have unleashed across the Middle East but made clear that he believes it's up to leaders of those countries to act to contain the problem.

ISLAM:

THEN: Trump declared in a March 2016 interview with CNN that, "I think Islam hates us" adding that, "there's a tremendous hatred there." It was just one of a series of inflammatory statements about one of the world's major religions that included a call to surveille mosques and a proposal to ban all foreign Muslims from entering the US "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."

"Frankly, look, we're having problems with the Muslims, and we're having problems with Muslims coming into the country," he told Fox Business Network last March following a series of attacks in Brussels. "You need surveillance, you have to deal with the mosques whether we like it or not," he added. "These attacks, they're not done by Swedish people, that I can tell you."

NOW: Trump struck a far less caustic tone in Sunday's speech, expressing that "young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred. And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples."

He said, the biggest victims of terrorism are the "innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence. Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim."

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS:

THEN: During his 2016 campaign, Trump frequently assailed rival Hillary Clinton's ties to the Clinton Foundation, which received millions in donations from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and several other Mideast nations.

In a June 2016 posting on Facebook, Trump said, "Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays. Hillary must return all money from such countries!" During an October general election debate in Las Vegas, Trump went further: "It's a criminal enterprise," he said of the Clinton's charitable foundation.

"Saudi Arabia giving $25 million, Qatar, all of these countries. You talk about women and women's rights? So these are people that push gays off business off buildings. These are people that kill women and treat women horribly. And yet you take their money" ''don't you give back the money you've taken from certain countries that treat certain groups of people so terrible?"

NOW: The World Bank announced Sunday at an event with Trump's daughter and White House adviser, Ivanka Trump, that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had pledged $100 million for the bank's proposed Women Entrepreneurs Fund, which was first proposed by Ivanka Trump.

SAUDI ARABIA:

THEN: Trump had plenty of harsh words for Saudi Arabia before his election. He accusing the kingdom of wanting "women as slaves and to kill gays" in a Facebook post and suggested they were being behind the Sept. 11 terror attacks. "Who blew up the World Trade Center?" he asked during one Fox News appearance. "It wasn't the Iraqis, it was Saudi take a look at Saudi Arabia, open the documents," he demanded. "If you open the documents, I think you're going to see that it was Saudi Arabia, it wasn't Iraq."

NOW: Trump heaped praised on the Saudis Sunday, describing the country as a "magnificent kingdom." "I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts," he said in his opening. "I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your people, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this sacred place."

HEADSCARF:

THEN: Trump lashed out at Michelle Obama on Twitter in 2015 when she opted against wearing a headscarf on her visit to Saudi Arabia. "Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," Trump tweeted at the time, including a short-hand spelling for "enough."

NOW:

First lady Melania Trump and the president's eldest daughter Ivanka showed off their locks, following in the footsteps, not only of Michelle Obama, but of female leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May. Melania even opted to show a little leg on day two of their trip, wearing a dress that ended just below the knees.
Tokyo: North Korea says it's ready to deploy and start mass producing a new medium-range missile capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases there following a test launch it claims confirmed the missile's combat readiness and is an "answer" to President Donald Trump's policies.

The missile tested on Sunday is believed to be capable of reaching Japan and several major US military bases in the country.

North Korea's media said that more missiles would be launched and that they're the country's answer to the Trump administration. Trump, travelling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

The missile, which was described by Washington as medium-range, was fired from Pukchang in South Pyongan province and travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to the South's armed forces.

The rocket used a cold-launch system, KCNA said. The technology uses compressed gas to propel a missile upwards before its engine ignites in mid-air. It is considered safer and also makes it easier to hide the launch location.

A spokesman for Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters that South Korean and US intelligence authorities "assess that North Korea secured meaningful data in advancing the reliability of its missile technology through yesterday's missile launch". But he added: "Our position is that the stable re-entry of the warhead needs more verification."

The US, South Korea and Japan sharply denounced the launch and jointly requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which will be held Tuesday.

The launch came just one week after the North fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead".

Analysts said that at 4,500 kilometres the Hwasong-12 had a longer range than any previous ballistic missile launched by the North, putting US bases on the Pacific island of Guam within reach -- and that it could serve as a platform to develop a long-range ICBM.

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across South Korea and Japan but is accelerating efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed, "won't happen".

The launches, and a threatened sixth nuclear test have fuelled tension with the Trump administration, which has warned that military intervention was an option under consideration, sending fears of conflict spiralling.

But so far Washington has opted for sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while looking to China, the North's closest ally, to help rein in Pyongyang.

Seoul's foreign ministry slammed the "reckless and irresponsible" weekend firing as "throwing cold water on the hope and longing of the new government and the international community" for denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's new President Moon Jae-In has previously taken a more conciliatory line towards Pyongyang than his conservative predecessors, but has reacted strongly to the latest two missile tests.
A panel of grand justices will announce its verdict on Wednesday in a landmark case that centres on whether Taiwans current law on the issue is unconstitutional.(Photo: AP) (Photo: AP)

A court ruling in Taiwan this week could make the island the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, in a decision that would give activists around the region hope for equality.

A panel of grand justices will announce its verdict on Wednesday in a landmark case that centres on whether Taiwans current law on the issue is unconstitutional. Campaigners are nervous, but optimistic after years of court appeals and lack of progress in parliament. For one man, the battle has lasted decades. I feel 100 per cent confident about a positive outcome, said Chi Chia-wei, 59, one of two petitioners.
The near-vertical 12-metre rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's south-east ridge and was the last great challenge before the top. (Photo: Tim Mosedale/Twitter)

London: A famous feature of Mount Everest called 'The Hillary Step' has collapsed, potentially making the climb to the world's highest peak even more dangerous and time-consuming, mountaineers have confirmed.

The near-vertical 12-metre rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's south-east ridge and was the last great challenge before the top. The Hillary Step was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale Mount Everest in 1953.

British mountaineer Tim Mosedale confirmed the news of the Step's demise on a Facebook post after reaching the summit on May 16, dubbing the loss as "the end of an era".

"It is associated with the history of Everest, and it is a great shame a piece of mountaineering folklore has disappeared," Mosedale said. "It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," he wrote on Facebook.

"This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there anymore," he added. Mosedale believes the Step was most likely a victim of Nepal's 2015 earthquake, the 'BBC News' reported.

Mountaineers claim that the snow-covered slope will be much easier to climb than the notorious vertical rock-face, but loose rocks could also make it difficult and time-consuming.

This could create a bottleneck that causes mountaineers to wait at the bottom for hours, leading to life-threatening situations for those already battling low oxygen and frostbite conditions at the top of the world.
Trump, in his address at the Riyadh Summit, repeatedly slammed Iran claiming that it funds arms, trains militias. (Photo: AP)

London: Rejecting Donald Trump's continuous attacks on Tehran, Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif Khonsari said that the US President should rather discuss how to prevent Saudi Arabia from carrying out another 9/11 attack.

Trump, in his address at the Riyadh Summit, repeatedly slammed Iran claiming that it funds arms, trains militias that spread destruction and chaos" and pointed to Iran's support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad as he committed "unspeakable crimes."

The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasised that Trump himself had earlier suggested that Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 attacks.

A majority of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi citizens and speculations have suggested that members of the Saudi hierarchy were involved in the attack, reports the Independent.

During the presidential campaigns ahead of elections, Trump had repeatedly condemned the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran and had promised to 'dismantle the disastrous mistake.'

However, it was found that Tehran was complying with the obligations under the agreement. This has led to speculations that the Trump administration may try to impose unilateral sanctions on Tehran following a religious ideological difference leading to proxy wars between the Sunni Saudi, and Shia Iran.
London: A 32-year-old call girl allegedly murdered her elderly lover with an axe and hammer to steal the  45,000 (Approximately Rs 37,00,000) in order to keep herself on drugs.

According to a report in Daily Mail, Derek Taylor, 71, whose body was found two weeks after his death under a tarpaulin, had suffered a fractured skull. He was wrapped with a length of cable twice around his neck and plastic bag over his head.

Taylor was seeing Neely to get away from his loneliness. Being aware about her drug habit, Taylor tried to help her to get rid of drugs and invited her to stay with him in motor home at Lancashire, the court heard.

The Preston Crown Court heard that the accused, Deanha Neely, kept the victim alive through his Facebook for at least two weeks after his death. As she already had his ID and password, Neely kept posting about their gateway trip on motor home.

While arguing in court, the prosecutor Guy Gozem QC told the jury that the accused was penniless and hardcore drug addict who could go any extent to quench her drug thirst.

Taylor wanted Neely to give up both prostitution and heroin. However, she was disinterested and murdered Taylor, so that she could get more drugs from his money which he had won in a civil legal battle, Gozem said.

In court, Neely accepted harming Taylor, but denied the murder charges. She said Taylor tried to kill her with a hammer as she had refused sex, and the victim was killed in self defence.

Neelys defence lawyer Christopher Tehrani QC in his argument to the court said, Taylor was 'obsessed' with Neely and would give her drugs to make her stay with him.

Taylor understood the extent of Neely's desperation for drugs and that was what drew her back to him. Due to her addiction, Neely had to either approach Taylor or engage in prostitution for money whenever she wanted drugs, Tehrani said.
A policeman center, sits near the gate of a foreign guesthouse in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo: AP)

Kabul: A German woman and a security guard were killed after unknown gunmen attacked a guest house in Kabul.

The incident took place on Saturday night in Ayoub Khan Mena area in PD7 when armed attackers stormed the house, reports the Tolo News.

Citing officials, Tolo News reported that a second woman, a Finnish national, is missing and might be kidnapped.

The two women reportedly worked for Operation Mercy, a Swedish relief and development organisation.

National Directorate of Security (NDS) force is investigating the incident.
Trump added that Muslim leaders must do more to confront extremism. (Photo: AP)

Riyadh: United States President Donald Trump, during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-US summit, acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism and asked countries to ensure that terror groups don't find sanctuaries on their soil.

The President further pledged to work alongside the West Asian nations to combat extremist ideology in the region as all the countries from the US to India, Australia to Russia - have been "victim of terrorism and have suffered repeated barbaric attacks."

Without naming Pakistan, Trump said, "every country must ensure that terrorists don't find any sanctuary on their lands."

While addressing the leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries on Sunday afternoon in his first speech on a foreign soil, Trump, meanwhile, called on the Middle-eastern countries to combat the crisis of Islamic extremism emanating from the region.

Terming the fight against terrorism as a "battle between good and evil," and not a clash between "the West and Islam," Trump sought to chart a new course for America's role in the region - aimed at rooting out terrorism.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations," Trump said.

"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil," he added.

Trump added that Muslim leaders must do more to confront extremism.

"The nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries and for their children," he said.
Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders invited to Riyadh for a special summit that he brought 'a message of friendship and hope and love'. (Photo: AP)

Riyadh: US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Muslim countries to deny sanctuary to extremists and called for the international isolation of Iran, which he accused of fuelling "sectarian conflict and terror".

"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said in a major speech in Saudi Arabia.

"Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it... and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they so richly deserve."

Trump, visiting the kingdom at the start of his first foreign tour since taking office, told dozens of Muslim leaders invited to Riyadh for a special summit that he brought "a message of friendship and hope and love".

He appealed to Muslim nations to ensure that "terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil" and announced an agreement with Gulf countries to fight financing for extremists.

He said Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations "have born the brunt of the killings and the worst of destruction in this wave of fanatical violence".
US President Donald Trump speaks during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv, accompanied by Israel's President Reuven Rivlin, center, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Jerusalem: Israeli ministers have approved measures aimed at improving the Palestinian economy and facilitating crossings, rare moves said to be at Donald Trump's request hours ahead of the US president's arrival.

An Israeli official told on condition of anonymity that ministers were responding to a Trump request to present him with "confidence-building measures" ahead of his talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday.

In what the official described as a "gesture for Trump's visit, which does not harm Israel's interests", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet on Sunday approved the enlargement of a Palestinian industrial zone on the edge of the southern West Bank. He said that the possibility of extending Israel Railways services to the northern West Bank city of Jenin would also be examined.

They also gave the nod to streamlining transit procedures at Shaar Ephraim, a busy crossing point in the northern part of the occupied West Bank for Palestinian labourers with permits to work in Israel.

The official said that opening hours for passage across the main Jordan River bridge linking the Palestinian territory and the neighbouring kingdom were to be extended to 24/7. There would also be reforms to Palestinian land use in urban areas in the 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control.

He did not elaborate but Israel's Haaretz daily said the intention was to allow construction of "thousands of Palestinian homes" in the area where for years it has been almost impossible for Palestinians to get Israeli permits to build on their own land.

Haaretz said that at Sunday night's meeting Education Minister Naftali Bennett and deputy foreign minister Ayelet Shaked, of the religious-nationalist Jewish Home party, "objected vehemently" to the building plans.

In an apparent attempt to calm opposition from within Netanyahu's coalition government, seen as the most right-wing in the country's history, the security cabinet also approved setting up a committee to work for retroactive legalisation of wildcat Israeli construction in the West Bank, the official said.
The IAI on Sunday said the latest contract was for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems. (Photo: Indian Navy)

Jerusalem: Israel will supply advanced long-range air and missile defence systems to four Indian Navy ships under a USD 630 million deal to be jointly executed with Bharat Electronics Limited, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said.

The announcement of the deal came ahead of a possible visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July.

Israel last month bagged a USD 2 billion deal  its largest ever - to supply the Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems, with the IAI taking the lion's share of it worth USD 1.6 billion.

The IAI on Sunday said the latest contract was for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems.

The LRSAM is a joint development by the IAI and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It comprises several state-of-the-art elements, advanced phased-array radar, command-and-control system, launchers and missiles with advanced radio-frequency (RF) seekers.

The system provides the ultimate protection against avariety of aerial, naval and air borne threats. It is currently operational with the Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy and the Israel Defence Forces. The Indian Army is also likely to deploy it soon.

The LRSAM was last week successfully tested in India as part of an operational interception trial aboard an Indian Navy ship "demonstrating again the system's operational capabilities in a representative scenario with genuine target", a statement from IAI said.

"All components of the weapon system have successfully met the goals set to them", the company said. The contract will be carried out, for the first time, with Indian government-owned BEL which will serve as the main contractor in the project as part of the Make in India policy.

"The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India's defence forces, reinforcing IAI's global leadership position in air and missile defence systems.

The inclusion of Indian governmental company BEL for the first time, is a step up in our relationship with the Indian industry as part of the 'Make in India' policy," IAI's president and CEO, Joseph Weiss, said.

"This unique project represents the close collaboration between India's DRDO, IAI and the defence forces of both countries. We will proceed to implementing it with joint efforts," Weiss added.

"We take pride, along with our partners in India, in the great results of the trial conducted last week, which reestablishes the System's reliability and quality as well as its advanced technological capabilities," Boaz Levi, IAI's executive vice president and general manager of systems, Missiles and Space Group, said.
The president's address was the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first overseas trip since his January swearing-in. (Photo: AP)

Riyadh: President Donald Trump on Sunday implored Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to extinguish "Islamic extremism" emanating from the region, describing a "battle between good and evil" rather than a clash between the West and Islam.

In a pointed departure from his predecessor, Trump all but promised he would not publicly admonish Mideast rulers for human rights violations and oppressive reigns.

"We are not here to lecture - we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship," Trump said, speaking in an ornate room in the Saudi capital. "Instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all."

The president's address was the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first overseas trip since his January swearing-in. For Trump, the trip is a reprieve from the crush of controversies that have marred his young presidency and an attempt to reset his relationship with a region and a religion he fiercely criticised a candidate.

During the 2016 US campaign, Trump mused about his belief that "Islam hates us." But on Sunday, standing before dozens of regional leaders, he said Islam was "one of the world's great faiths."

While running for the job he now holds, Trump heartily criticized President Barack Obama for not using the term "radical Islamic extremism" and said that refusal indicated that Obama did not understand America's enemy.

In his Saudi speech, Trump condemned "Islamic extremism," ''Islamists," and "Islamic terror," but not once uttered the precise phrase he pressed Obama on.

Some of Trump's wording on the issue also changed from his prepared remarks. A White House official later said that was not intended and attributed it to the president being "just an exhausted guy."

Trump made no mention of the disputed travel ban, signed days after he took office that temporarily banned immigration to the US from seven majority Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. Both the original order and a second directive that dropped Iraq from the banned list have been blocked by the courts.

In some ways, Trump delivered a conventional speech for an American politician. He pledged deeper ties with the Middle East to tackle terrorism and encouraged more economic development in the region. He heralded the ambitions of the region's youth and warned that the scourge of extremism could tarnish their future.

Trump offered few indications of whether he planned to shift US policy to better fight terrorism. There were no promises of new financial investment or announcements of increased US military presence in the region. The president put much of the onus for combating extremists on Mideast leaders: "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities."

White House officials said they considered Trump's address to be a counterweight to Obama's debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo. Obama called for understanding and acknowledged some of America's missteps in the region. His speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticised by a number of America's Middle East allies as being a sort of apology.

Trump's remarks came in a meeting with dozens of regional leaders who gathered in Riyadh for a summit with Trump and Saudi King Salman.

The king has lavished praise and all the trappings of a royal welcome on the new American president, welcoming in particular Trump's pledge to be tougher on Iran than Obama was. Indeed, Trump and Salman were in lockstep on the threat Iran poses to the region when they addressed their fellow leaders: Trump accused Iran of "destruction and chaos" and the king said its rival "has been the spearhead of global terrorism."

The Saudis' warm embrace was welcome change for the besieged White House. Officials spent the days before Trump's departure dealing with a steady stream of revelations about the federal investigation into his campaign's possible ties to Russia and the fallout from his firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The president, who is known to tear asunder the White House's plans with a provocative tweet or offhand comment, has largely stuck to the script for opening days of the trip. Apart from Sunday's address, he's made no substantial remarks, other than exchanging pleasantries with other leaders.

Before the speech, Trump held individual meetings with leaders of several nations, including Egypt and Qatar. His meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi underscored their burgeoning kinship. Trump praised al-Sissi for the April release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi, detained in the country for nearly three years.

Al-Sissi invited Trump to visit him in Egypt, adding, "You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible." As the participants laughed, Trump responded: "I agree."

The president then complimented al-Sissi's choice of footwear: "Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes" after their brief remarks to the media.

Trump cut short his program in Saudi Arabia, abruptly skipping an event aimed at highlighting how social media can be used to combat extremism. He sent his daughter, Ivanka, instead.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged USD $100 million to a women's business fund supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president who Monday wound up a visit to Riyadh.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced the donation from both oil-rich Gulf states on Sunday, during a meeting between Ivanka Trump and a group of Saudi women, a member of the US delegation said.

The idea of a fund providing microfinance to women in underdeveloped countries was floated by President Donald Trump's daughter and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a conference in Berlin last month.

Kim said the donation along with other pledges from the United States and other countries will allow the World Bank to announce the creation of a USD $1-billion fund for women empowerment during the G-20 summit in July.

"This is really a stunning achievement. I've never seen anything come together so quickly," he commented, according to the source.

The US president flew to Israel on Monday after a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.
Six Iraqi soldiers killed and four injured in Suicide attack by Daesh militants in Mosul. (Photo: Representational/ AFP)

Mosul (Iraq): At least 17 Iraqi soldiers were killed in separate suicide attacks by Daesh militants in Mosul on Sunday.

Six Iraqi soldiers were killed and four others injured after a bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into Iraqi forces in northwestern Mosul, killing six soldiers and injuring four others, Anadolu news agency reported citing a local security official.

In another suicide attack, three soldiers were killed after bomber detonated his vehicle at anti-terrorism forces in Mosul's al-Najjar district.

The official said added that eight soldiers were also killed and nine others injured in two suicide bombings also killed eight soldiers and injured nine others in Mosul.

"The terrorist organization is using the bad weather conditions to carry out suicide attacks against Iraqi forces," the official added.
President Donald Trump delivers a speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit, at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center. (Photo: AP)

Jerusalem: US President Donald Trump said Monday during a visit to Jerusalem that Iran must never be allowed to have nuclear weapons while also denouncing Tehran's support for "terrorists".

"Most importantly the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said in remarks at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's residence. "And it must cease immediately."

Trump's remarks were his latest salvo against Iran since starting his first foreign trip after taking office.

On the first leg of his trip in Saudi Arabia, Trump lashed out at Iran, accusing it of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation.

Trump arrived in Tel Aviv earlier Monday and is due to hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later in the day.

He will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday as he seeks ways to restart moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

His criticism of Iran was sure to find a welcome audience among Israeli leaders who consider the Islamic republic their arch-enemy.
US envoy Nikki Haley cited Trump's stepped-up action to try to hasten a political solution to the war, including a strike punishing Assad's forces for using chemical weapons that the Syrian opposition and its backers have enthusiastically applauded.

Zaatari Refugee Camp (Jordan): His skull and jaw wrapped in bandages, the young Syrian refugee stared nonchalantly into a small black box at a supermarket in this sprawling, dust-swept refugee camp. The box scanned his iris to identify him, charged his account and sent him on his way.

If the boy noticed US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley watching intently from just a few feet away, he didn't show it. But Haley would later tout the iris-scanners as a fraud-cutting tool boosting efficiency for the more than USD 6.5 billion the US has spent helping those whose lives have been upended by Syria's harrowing civil war.

Yet as Haley pledged Sunday that the US would increase support, her message was diluted by President Donald Trump's own vow to put "America First," his planned budget cuts and hardline position on admitting refugees.

"We're the No. 1 donor here through this crisis. That's not going to stop. We're not going to stop funding this," Haley said. "The fact that I'm here shows we want to see what else needs to be done."

It was a theme the outspoken ambassador returned to over and over in Jordan at the start of her first trip abroad since taking office. In her stops here and in Turkey - another Syria neighbour - Haley is witnessing first-hand the strains placed on countries absorbing the more than 5 million Syrians who have fled the Islamic State group, President Bashar Assad's government, or both.

She climbed into the trailer of an 18-wheeler staged at the Ramtha border crossing less than a kilometre (0.6 miles) from Syria, inspecting boxes of peas, tuna and canned meat stacked shoulder-high. The truck was to join 19 others in a convoy into opposition-held territory in Syria, carrying supplies from UN agencies and other groups, many US-funded.

"This is all in the name of our Syrian brothers and sisters," Haley told aid workers in a nearby tent, swatting away flies in the summer heat. "We want you to feel like the US is behind you."

The US president's message to Syrians couldn't be more different. Trump, who was in Saudi Arabia on his first overseas trip, once called his predecessor "insane" for letting in Syrian refugees. As president, he tried to bar them from the US, describing them as a national security threat.

A court blocked that move, but the number of Syrian refugees admitted has nonetheless dropped, from 5,422 in the four months before Trump's inauguration to 1,566 in the four months since then, US statistics show.

And Trump has called for drastic cuts to US funding for the United Nations and its affiliated agencies - such as those aiding people still in Syria and those who've fled. Trump plans to release his budget blueprint Tuesday, but his initial proposal in March called for a one-third cut to diplomatic and overseas programming while boosting the US military by USD 54 billion.

Haley told reporters accompanying her to Jordan that the US was "not pulling back" and was in fact "engaging more." She cited Trump's stepped-up action to try to hasten a political solution to the war, including a strike punishing Assad's forces for using chemical weapons that the Syrian opposition and its backers have enthusiastically applauded.

She echoed Trump's defence of his plan to temporarily halt refugee admissions from all countries - which was also blocked in court - by saying the US needed to protect Americans by first improving its refugee-vetting capabilities. And she pointed to a group of women in the camp who'd overwhelmingly told her their hope was to return to Syria, not relocate to the US.

"So our goal is how do we get these people back home to a safe place?" Haley said. Still, the situation in Zaatari Refugee Camp - like in others in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq - tell the story of Syrians who see no quick resolution to their plight.

In Zaatari, half of the 80,000 refugees are children, and a dozen babies are born here per day, according to UNICEF, the UN's child welfare agency. 35 per cent of marriages involve a child under 18, a reflection of the economic hardships families in the camp face.

Many of the younger children wander unsupervised through the camp, where gusts of dust occasionally reduced visibility to just a few feet as Haley's motorcade rolled through the streets, passing sparse, white-corrugated buildings accorded a bit of cheer by colourful murals painted on their walls.

As ambassador, Haley plays a key but only partial role in the Trump administration's decision-making on Syria, refugees and humanitarian aid. But her role at the UN puts her at the centre of the debate about how the global community takes on the crisis.

After all, it's successive UN Security Council resolutions that created the legal framework for aid groups to send aid into Syria, with or without Assad's consent.

At the Marka military airport in Amman, Haley went aboard a cargo plane to get a rare look at high-risk operations to airdrop wheat, lentils and cooking oil into Assad-controlled territory in Deir el-Zour, which is completely surrounded by the Islamic State group.

In a sign of Moscow's outsize influence in the Syria conflict, both the aircraft and the company that flies it on behalf of the World Food Programme are Russian. "It's smiles and tears," said David Beasley, WFP's executive director. "It really is."
US President Donald Trump travelled to Jerusalem on Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, but also used the visit to again lash out at Iran.

Mr Trumps visit is part of his first trip abroad as President and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to confront extremism while also criticising Iran.

He expressed his hope for cooperation among US allies in the Middle East. Mr Trump, who had previously suggested that it would be easier than anticipated to solve the conflict that has vexed his predecessors for decades, said that conditions were right in both Israel and the Arab world to strike what he has called the ultimate deal. We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, he said upon his arrival in Tel Aviv.

He later travelled by helicopter to Jerusalem and, in remarks at Israeli President Reuven Rivlins residence, launched his latest salvo against Iran. The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon  never ever  and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias, Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump became the first sitting US president on Monday to visit the Western Wall in the disputed city of Jerusalem, placing his hand on one of the most sacred sites in Judaism. The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray.

Mr Trump, wearing a black skullcap, paused in front of it, then placed what appeared to be a written prayer or note between its stones, as is custom. He called it a great honour to be the first sitting President to visit the holy site.

He was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders during the hugely symbolic visit. Allowing them to do so could have led to accusations that Washington was implicitly recognising Israels unilateral claim of sovereignty over the site, which would break with years of US and international precedent.

Many firsts for Trump
The Pakistani national carrier has attracted attention lately over seizure of narcotics on board its flights. (Photo: Representational/ AFP)

Islamabad: Twenty kilogrammes of heroin was seized from a plane of Pakistan's national carrier PIA at the Islamabad international airport on Monday, a week after narcotics was found on another flight of the troubled airliner at a British airport.

Pakistan International Airlines spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said security personnel at Benazir Bhutto International Airport seized heroin from the flight PK-785 just as it prepared to take off for London. Five persons have been detained.

Because of the development, the flight's departure was delayed by more than two hours, the spokesperson said. The Pakistani national carrier has attracted attention lately over seizure of narcotics on board its flights.

Last week, heroin "concealed in packets" was seized from a PIA Boeing 777 plane at the UK's Heathrow airport. Its 14- member crew was interrogated for hours after it landed there.

The back-to-back incidents have dent the reputation of the airline. It has become a source of embarrassment for the Pakistani government and lawmakers have demanded that it be privatised.

PIA has been incurring losses running into billions of rupees and its reputation has nosedived. The acting CEO of the airline, German national Bernd Hildenbrand, was recently stopped from going out of Pakistan, and he and two other top officials were investigated for alleged corruption in the sale of aircraft and its parts.

Also last week, a pilot came under scrutiny after he invited a young Chinese woman passenger into the cockpit during a flight from Tokyo to Beijing. She reportedly remained in the cockpit for two hours.
Jadhav, the 46-year-old former naval officer, has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged espionage and subversive activities. (Photo: AP)

Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution calling for the implementation of the death sentence handed down by a Pakistani military court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The resolution moved by Mufti Said Janan of the Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) was signed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat Islami, Awami National Party, the Qaumi Watan Party, and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

The resolution claimed that Jadhav was a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent "involved in subversive activities in Pakistan" and had admitted his crimes before the interrogation team.

He was arrested by Pakistani intelligence agencies on charges of "spying", the resolution said.

The assembly demands that the provincial government should recommend to the federal government to implement the death sentence?in accordance with the Pakistani laws, it said.

The resolution comes just days after the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed the Indian request for consular access to him.

India moved the ICJ against the death penalty on May 8. Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India.

The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.
The hearing of the case was conducted by a three-member bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal on Monday.

A three-member special bench of Pakistans Supreme Court, formed to monitor Joint Investigation Teams proceeding over the Panama leaks, on Monday adjourned the hearing of the case till June 7.

The hearing of the case was conducted by a three-member bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal on Monday. JIT head Wajid Zia submitted the interim report pertaining to Panama case probe in Supreme Court.

After the bench reviewed the report, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said the court has full confidence in the team and its work. He asked the JIT to inform the court if any hurdles are created by an institution or if any department refuses to cooperate. Justice Ejaz Afzal directed the head of JIT Wajid Zia to complete the investigation in 60 days. He asserted that the probe period will not be extended under any circumstance. The court will neither defy law nor it will sell it for fame, he added. The bench also rejected PTIs plea to conduct hearing of the court in open court and share the report.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife on Monday sought bail after appearing before a court as accused in the Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case against them.



The court posted the matter for May 29 after the CBI sought time to file its response to the bail applications moved by the senior Congress leader and his wife Pratibha, who are charge-sheeted in the case.



The CBI had recently charge-sheeted Singh and others for amassing assets worth around Rs 10.30 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income during 2009-11 when he was Union Power Minister.



In the charge sheet running into 500 pages, Singh and others are charged with forgery and corruption among other illegalities. The CBI has mentioned 225 witnesses and 442 documents to support its case in the charge sheet.



Singh was accompanied to the court by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh who accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using agencies like the CBI and ED to clamp down on the opposition.



"Their own leaders spent over Rs 500 crore in marriage while the demonetisation drive was on and their own people are involved in terrorism. He is framing innocents. The CBI was a caged parrot; now so is the NIA and ED. The directors are given extensions as carrots," Digvijay told reporters outside court premises.



The CBI had in September 2015 named Singh, his wife, LIC agent Anand Chauhan and his brother C L Chauhan as the accused in its FIR.



The LIC agent has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, which registered a case on the basis of the CBI FIR, on charges of money laundering in the case. Chauhan, who is presently in judicial custody, was accused of investing Singh's money in life insurance policies and help him launder money. The money was invested in insurance policies claiming this money to be Singh's agricultural income.



On April 3, the ED had attached a Rs 27.29 crore worth farmhouse in south Delhi purchased by Singh, whose "funding came through shell companies" floated by an industrialist.



The total attachment by the ED in connection with its money laundering probe against Singh now stands at Rs 35.22 crore, the first being in March 2016 when assets worth Rs 7.93 crore that included a south Delhi flat were seized.



The attached properties included a Rs 27.29 crore worth farmhouse in south Delhi purchased by Singh, whose "funding came through shell companies" floated by an industrialist, the ED had said earlier.


Security forces have recovered arms and ammunition from the forest area in Handwara area of Kupwara district where a brief encounter took place with militants last night, police said today.



Troops of 6 Rashtriya Rifles noticed some suspicious movement in Kehmal forest area of Handwara yesterday and challenged the heavily armed militants, a police official said.



He said the militants opened firing towards security forces, who retaliated forcing the ultras to flee from the spot.

There were casualties in the brief exchange of firing between the two sides, the official said.



During the search of the encounter scene, the army personnel recovered a pistol, two pistol magazines, 40 rounds of ammunition, one power bank with battery charging cable, a binocular, seven dry batteries, an axe and a walking stick, he said.



Police have registered a case under various sections of law in connection with the incident.
A 48-year-old fisherman who was mauled by a pack a stray dogs in the coastal village of Pulluvila near Thiruvananthapuram died on Monday. The deceased, identified as Joseclin, was at the beach on Sunday night, to haul his fishing net, when a pack strays chased and attacked him, leaving him with serious injuries.



Joseclin was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital where he died in the early hours of Monday. He is survived by his wife and three children.



The incident triggered protests in the Pulluvila neighbourhood and local residents blocked traffic on the Thiruvananthapuram-Poovar road. They said despite recurring attacks of stray dogs on residents in the area, no measures were being taken to address the issue of piling waste which has aggravated the stray menace in the region.



A local unit of the Congress party called for a hartal in the area while protesters under the local church said they would protest on the road with the deceased fishermans body.



The incident comes nine months after a 64-year-old woman, Siluvamma, was mauled to death by strays in Pulluvila. The attack, in August last year, had parts of her arms and legs bitten off by the strays. Residents of the area maintained that the number of strays was rising as they feed on large amounts of raw meat waste and leftover food being dumped in the area.



Over the past nine months, hundreds have suffered injuries in stray attacks in the area but the government, despite announcement of fresh Animal Birth Control (ABC) drives, has failed to effectively address the issue, the protesters said.



A Supreme Court-appointed panel, in August 2016, said over a lakh people were bitten by dogs in the state during 2015-16. The stray have in the past led to widespread protests and culling of strays by vigilante citizen groups.




The Supreme Court today sought responses from the Centre and the Manipur government on a plea by parents of a youth who was killed in a road rage case in 2011 by Ajay Meetai, the son of present Chief Minister N Biren Singh.



The parents alleged that they fear for their safety.



A vacation bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Navin Sinha asked the union home secretary and the chief secretary of Manipur to respond by May 29 on the plea by Irom Chitra Devi, mother of Irom Roger.



Meetai, son of the chief minister, has been awarded five years jail term under section 304 (culpabale homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC for firing at Roger in a road rage incident on March 20, 2011.



Roger had allegedly not allowed Meetai to overtake him in his SUV. The incident irked Meetai who fired at Roger who later died.



The plea, filed through advocate Utsav Bains, alleged that the parents of the victim were fearing for their safety in the state ruled by BJP through Biren Singh. Moreover, no lawyer was willing to appear on their behalf in the high court which is hearing the appeal against conviction.
The 'sanyasi' whose genitals were chopped off by a woman he allegedly tried to rape two days ago has been shifted to a special cell at the government medical college here, police said today.



Gangeshananda Theerthapada, alias Hariswami, was shifted to a "police cell" at the hospital after a magistrate remanded him in custody till June 3, they said.



The 54-year-old accused, who suffered critical injuries in the private parts and underwent an emergency surgery after the woman attacked him with a knife, is now recovering, police said.



Meanwhile, the 23-year-old law student, who defended herself from the rape bid, has been shifted to the state-run Nirbhaya home here.



She had told police that she had been raped by the man, who claims to be a 'sanyasi', for the last six years and she was forced to take the extreme step after he tried to repeat the offence once again on the night of May 19.



Hariswami, known to the girl's family, had been frequenting her house in Pettah in the city for several years to perform 'pujas' aimed at bringing "relief" to her paralysed and bed-ridden father, police said, quoting the victim.



During those visits over the last six years, the accused would allegedly rape the girl, whenever he found a chance, according to the police.



A case had been registered against him under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) as well as IPC 376 (punishment for rape).



City Police Commissioner Sparjan Kumar said the woman's parents had alleged that the man had cheated them of money to the tune of several lakhs of rupees.



"But they are yet to give any written complaint in this regard. So, no action has been taken so far", he said.



Asked about media reports stating that the mother was aware of the attacks on her daughter, Kumar said the young woman had not given any statements against her mother to police so far.



He also dismissed reports that the mother had been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
India's armed forces must fight the next war with indigenous solutions, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said today as he made a strong pitch for developing the domestic defence industry.



The army chief also called for greater synergy between industry and the armed forces to develop quality equipment and military platforms.



"Indian armed forces must fight the next war with indigenous solutions," he said while addressing a seminar organised jointly by the army and the Indian Technical Textile Association.



Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani told the gathering that the National Textile Corporation will have a specialised facility to develop clothes and other gear for the armed forces.



"There must be effective engagement between the armed forces and the industry," the army chief added.



He also referred to combat dress and boots being supplied to the US Army by the Indian private sector and said there was a lot of scope for cooperation between the army and the domestic textile industry for developing dress material and other gear for the forces.



"There is huge budget with the Army that has been spent on textiles. It is high time that we look for indigenous solutions," he said.



His comments come two days after the defence ministry broadly finalised a much-awaited policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.



India is a leading importer of arms and military platforms globally and the current government has been maintaining that indigenisation of defence manufacturing is a priority area.



Rawat said discussions at the seminar must not be confined to files and official papers and practical steps must be taken to boost cooperation between the armed forces and the textile industry.



Irani said there must be cohesive alignment of cooperation between the textile industry and the armed forces.
China today said there is no change in its stance on admission of non-NPT states into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), marring Indias chances of entering the 48-member elite club at its crucial meeting next month.



China's support is crucial for India as new membership in the NSG is guided by the consensus principle.



"China's position on the non-NPT members participation in the NSG has not changed," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing.



She was responding to a question about the chances of Indias admission into the grouping during the next month's plenary session expected to take place in the Swiss capital, Bern.



"We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 Seoul plenary session and following building consensus as well as inter-governmental process is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issue in a two-step approach," Hua said.



After India applied for membership in the NSG, Pakistan -- the all-weather ally of China -- also submitted its membership bid with Beijing's backing.



While India is backed by the US and a number of western countries, China maintained that new members should sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).



India is not a signatory to the NPT. India says it will not sign the NPT as it regards it discriminatory.



After a series of meetings between officials of India and China, Beijing backed a two-step approach which stipulates that the NSG members first need to arrive at a set of principles for the admission of non-NPT states into the NSG and then move forward with the discussions on specific cases.



Analysts here say that with the bilateral discord between India and China increasing, especially after India's boycott of last weeks Belt and Road Forum (BRF), Chinas stand on Indias admission into the NSG as well as on the UN listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar will be further hardened.



Chinas Belt and Road (BR) initiative is being opposed by India as it includes the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which traverses through Pakistan- occupied Kashmir.


Uttar Pradesh police on Monday registered a case of murder in the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari, who was found dead near a guest house in the state capital on last Wednesday.



Tiwari's elder brother Mayank lodged a complaint in the Hazratganj police station here seeking registration of a murder case against unknown persons.



Mayank, in his FIR lodged with the police, said that his brother had told him that he was working on some file, which could unearth a big scam and expose many Karnataka officials.



''My brother was being pressurised to sign some papers...he had declined to sign them...that was why some people were exerting pressure on him,'' Mayank claimed in the FIR.



He also said that Anurag was a ''honest'' officer and had been ''transferred seven to eight times in his ten year career,''.



Mayank also claimed that Anurag was a ''late riser'' and had not been a morning walker. Initially the police officials here had suggested that Tiwari might have been knocked down by a speeding vehicle during morning walk.



Police sources here said that a special team of the state police would be leaving for Bengaluru shortly to gather detailed information about the IAS officer and also ascertain the veracity of the allegations made by his family members.



''The superiors of Anurag Tiwari may be quizzed also,'' said a senior official here on Monday.



Tiwari's family members also met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath here on Monday and sought a CBI probe into the matter. ''We have been assured by the chief minister that a thorough investigation will be conducted in the matter,'' Mayank said.



Sources said that the state government was likely to recommend to a CBI probe in the case.



Tiwari, who was commissioner, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department in Karnataka, was found dead here on Wednesday. His body was found lying on the side of the road a few metres away from the Meerabai Guest House.
Dalits in a village here have threatened to convert to Islam, alleging that the police were targeting them following a clash with upper caste Thakurs over the construction of a drain.



Members of the community in Keshopur village had on May 16 clashed with Thakurs. Several persons, mostly Dalits, were injured in the violence, following which police complaints were filed by both sides.



The Dalits in the village staged a protest and alleged that the police discriminated against them when it came to taking action.



They threatened to convert to Islam "if justice is not done" by Saturday.



SDM Pankaj Kumar Verma told PTI that the incident was being probed "in a fair and an unbiased manner".



Verma said disputes over drains and water channels are normal in rural areas but "they do not lead to such inter- caste clashes".



"We have appealed to both sides to show restraint and have faith in authorities," he added.
To ensure that people belonging to economically weaker sections get at least one square meal a day, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is thinking of introducing a 'thaali' priced at just Rs 5.



"The thaali will consist of rice, chapattis, daal, a vegetable dish and papad. All this will be made available at a price of Rs 5," UP minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary told PTI.



Chaudhary holds the charge of the dairy development, religious affairs, culture, minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj departments in the Adityanath government.



The minister said that during a recent official tour to Chhattisgarh he happened to taste a Rs 5 meal, which was being provided by the government of that state.



"I tasted a Rs 5 thaali while on tour. I was moving from one institution to another. We made a stoppage that was spontaneous and not pre-planned. It was there we had the Rs 5 meal," Chaudhary said.



He said the food was clean, hygienic and tasted really good.



"I was satisfied with the food and overall cleanliness of the place," Chaudhary said.Last month, the Madhya Pradesh government had also kick- started its 'Deendayal Rasoi Yojana', to provide subsidised meals to the poor at Rs 5 per plate at some select outlets.



The ambitious scheme of the MP government was launched on April 7, simultaneously in Bhopal and Gwalior.



In Tamil Nadu, Amma Unavagam (Amma Canteen) is a food subsidisation programme run by the state government that is quite popular among the people.



Under the scheme, municipal corporations of the state run canteens that serve food at low prices.
Their joy knew no bounds when they were given new books and satchels and the teachers also took a few extra classes to teach them the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions during VIP visits to the schools.



Their joy was, however, short-lived. The new books and satchels were taken away by the authorities. Reason. The VIP did not visit.



This cruel joke was played with the students of a government primary school at Gureh village in Uttar Pradesh's Banda district, about 200 kilometres from here.



According to the reports, the district education authorities had got new books and satchels distributed among the children on getting information that chief minister Yogi Adityanath might pay a visit to the school during his visit to the district on Saturday.



The school building was decked up and the teachers were asked to prepare the students for the visit. Extra classes, a rare phenomenon in government schools in UP, were also held for the students so that they might answer the questions.



The chief minister did visit Banda on Saturday but owing to his pressing engagements failed to visit the school. As soon as it became clear that the chief minister's visit has been cancelled, the authorities took away the books and satchels.



District authorities said that they had no information about the matter but promised to look into the same.



A more or less similar incident had occurred at another UP village in Deoria district a few days back at the house of the slain BSF jawan Prem Sagar. Sagar was among the two jawans, who were killed in Poonch sector Jammu & Kashmir a few days back. Their bodies were also mutilated by the Pak army.



The local administration in Deoria district had installed an air conditioner at the martyr's house, changed the curtains on the doors and windows and also placed comfortable sofas and carpets in the room where the chief minister was to meet the family.



Within half an hour of Adityanath's departure from the village, all the AC, curtains, sofas, towels- were taken away by the officials.












The AIMPLB today told the Supreme Court that it has issued "guidelines for the husband and wife at the time of dispute" which has to be followed, days after the court reserved its verdict on a clutch of pleas challenging triple talaq.





Giving details of the guidelines framed by it, the AIMPLB told the apex court that if there are differences between a husband and his wife, they should first try to mutually resolve the issues by keeping in mind the provisions of the Shariat (Islamic law) and try to overlook the mistakes of others.





It said in the second step, if the dispute is not resolved mutually and no desired results are achieved, then there may be a "temporary withdrawal".





"In case of failure of the first two steps, then senior members of both families should try to reconcile or one arbitrator may be appointed from each side for resolution of the differences," the fresh AIMPLB guidelines said.





It said "the Muslim community should boycott such persons socially who have pronounced three divorces (talaq) in one go, so that such incidents may be minimised".The affidavit of AIMPLB said that only if the dispute still remained unresolved, the husband may pronounce one divorce during the period of purity of his wife and leave his wife till the time her waiting period (iddat) ended.





"If a favourable situation arises during the waiting period, the husband should retain her and then both of them should live as spouses. If the husband does not retain his wife during the waiting period, then the marriage will be automatically dissolved after the lapse of waiting period and both of them will be free and authorised to start a new life," the board said.





It, however, clarified that if the wife is pregnant during the waiting period, then the period will extend till the time of delivery and the husband will have to bear the expenses incurred during waiting period and in case the dower (dowry) has not been paid, then he has to pay it immediately.





"If they reach any amicable settlement after the wait period, then both of them may restore their relationship by the solemnisation of their marriage afresh with mutual consent along with a new dower," the guidelines said.





The board has also suggested a second way to annul the marriage in which the husband should pronounce one divorce during the period of the purity of his wife, followed by another divorce in the second month and the third divorce in the third month.





"If they (husband and wife) reach an amicable settlement before the pronouncement of the third divorce, then he has to retain her and restore the previous marriage," it said, adding that if the wife is not willing to live with her husband then she can terminate the relationship by Khulaa (a form of divorce initiated by the wife).

From "social boycott" of Muslims who resort to triple talaq to the appointment of an arbitrator to settle marital disputes are some features of the new guidelines issued by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for married couples.
Uttar Pradesh government on Monday recommended a CBI probe into the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari.



''We have recommended a CBI probe in the matter,'' said a senior state home department official here.



The family members of Tiwari had demanded a CBI probe into the death saying that they had no faith in the police investigation.



After his body was found under mysterious circumstances five days ago, Anurag's family had alleged that he was murdered at the behest of corrupt officers as he was about to expose a "scam" in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru where he was posted as commissioner.



Post-mortem examination had indicated that Anurag, 36, had died of asphyxia but police had said that an SIT team probing the case was awaiting the test reports of his viscera and blood samples and heart to find the exact cause of the death.



Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra today said that the UP police had registered a murder case against unidentified persons in the matter following a complaint by the officer's brother Mayank Tiwari.



Mayank, who along with his mother met the chief minister to press for a CBI probe, alleged that the scene of crime had been washed and the mobile phone was found in an unlocked condition.



"We demanded a CBI inquiry in order to find out why he was killed," his mother Sushila Devi told newspersons after meeting the chief minister.



""We are not satisfied with the police probe.... The chief minister has assured us that justice will be done," Mayank said.



Hours after the meeting, a senior police officer told PTI that the government has recommended a CBI probe in the case.



Mayank had written to the Prime Minister's Office too demanding a CBI inquiry into his brother's death.



In his letter, he said Anurag was an honest officer and wanted to work for the betterment of the society. "A few days back, Anurag had told me that he had stumbled upon a major scam in the Food and Civil Supplies department of Karnataka, which he wanted to inform the PMO and CBI," he wrote.

He also alleged that there was pressure on Anurag to withdraw the report which could have nailed senior officers and ministers, had it come in the public domain.



Sushila Devi made a fervent appeal to the prime minister and chief minister demanding justice for her son.



She said that she wanted to know why an honest officer was killed. She also said that her son never went for morning walk, countering the police which had suggested that he may have gone out for a morning walk when he died.



The UP police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death on May 18.

The issue has taken a political colour after opposition members raised the matter vociferously in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to question the law and order situation under the BJP government. The Assemly premises are hardly a kilometre from the spot where his body was found.



However, an Uttar Pradesh Minister said in the House that the officer was about to expose a major scam under the Congress government in Karnataka.



Tiwari, a 2007-batch IAS officer, was staying at the Meera Bai guest house with a batch mate after attending a mid-career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.




India has pipped Japan to become the second largest stainless steel producer in the world after China, an industry body said today.



"Our sustained efforts in collaboration with industry has made this possible" the Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) said.



India overtook Japan as the second-largest producer in 2016, according to data released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) at their annual conference held on May 14-19, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan, ISSDA said in a statement.



ISSF is a non-profit research and development organisation founded in 1996 and serves as the focal point for the international stainless steel industry.



India's stainless steel production rose to 3.32 million tonne for 2016 showing an impressive growth of about 9 per cent over 3 million tonnes in 2015, it added.



"This is a great moment for the Indian stainless steel industry. ISSDA urges continuous policy support from the government to take the Indian stainless steel industry to newer heights. ISSDA will continue to work with all stakeholders to promote stainless steel based solutions for sustainability and growth," ISSDA president K K Pahuja said.



"Several government initiatives like 'Make in India', smart cities, focus on improving sanitation and waste management facilities, building new infrastructure etc is likely to give a strong push to the stainless-steel industry in future," he further added.



"National Steel Policy released by the Ministry of Steel will give impetus for long term benefits. Increase in exports of stainless steel from India to the world market especially Europe and Americas has established Indian producers capable of producing quality material from their latest state of the art mills meeting stringent quality parameters," he said.



ISSDA is India's apex stainless steel industry association which has been leading key industry initiatives and causes to enhance domestic demand in architecture, building and construction, automotive, railways and transport together with the process industry.
At least four youths were detained today after the police scuttled their demonstration at the premises of a college here. In a separate incident, security forces fired teargas shells to disperse student protesters in Kashmir's Baramulla district.



"Four youths were detained by plain-clothed policemen soon after a group of students assembled near the main gate of S P College along Maulana Azad road in the heart of Srinagar to stage a protest," a police official said. It is not clear whether the detained youths are students of the college, he said.



The officials said intense clashes were also reported between students and law enforcing agencies from Palhallan area of north Kashmir's Baramulla district today. The clashes erupted when students of government higher secondary school in the village took to streets demanding the release of arrested students.



"Police rushed to the scene to chase away the protesters but they came under stone pelting," the officials said, adding police fired teargas shells and used batons to restore law and order. No one was injured in the clashes till last reports were received, they said.



The confrontation between the students and the security forces remain unabated in the valley since the April 15 police raid on a degree college in Pulwama township of south Kashmir. The clashes have also affected the academic activities in most of the colleges.
Kodagu is not just known for its serene landscape and picturesque surroundings, but also for the valour of its people. Rightly, the district boasts of several military heroes. The statues of such brave men can be seen in Madikeri. The Sudarshan Circle in Madikeri is flanked by the statue of Field Marshal K M Cariappa and the equestrian statue of Subedar Guddemane Appayya Gowda.



One of the earliest revolutionaries from Kodagu, Appayya Gowda, was hanged by the British in 1837. His contemporary revolutionaries from Kodagu included Subedar Naalnaad Mandira Uthayya, Chetty Kudiya and Shanthalli Mallayya who were imprisoned for many years by the British. Further along the main road, you can see a circle with the statue of General K S Thimayya. If you take the deviation to the right, you will find Major M C Muthanna Circle near the town hall and Squadron Leader A B Devaiah Circle near the private bus stand.





The first family



In Kunda, near Gonikoppal, lived the Kodandera family, hereditary chieftains of a group of villages. I M Muthannas Coorg Memoirs mentions that Naad Parupatyagar (native village official) Kodandera Kuttayya was the grandson of Diwan Mandepanda Thimmaiah. Between 1901 and 1909, he was the assistant commissioner and highest ranked native official in the then Coorg province. When his wife Dechy, or Dechamma, passed away, a locality in Madikeri was named as Dechur in her memory.



Two members of this family, Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa and General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya, rose to become the chiefs of the Indian Army. Hence, the Kodandera family came to be considered as the first family of Kodagus military heroes. Field Marshal Cariappa was the son of Kuttayyas younger brother Madappa, who worked in the revenue department. General Thimayya was the grandson of Kuttayya.



Born in 1899, Field Marshal Cariappa, the Grand Old Man of the Indian Army, studied in the Madikeri Government Central High School and then in the Madras Presidency College. He gained admission at Daly Cadet College, Indore, in 1919 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in Bombays 88th Carnatic Infantry, during World War I. The following year, he served in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and was promoted as a lieutenant.



He became the first Indian army officer to attend the Staff College in Quetta. He married Muthu Machia, a forest officers daughter, had a son K C Nanda Cariappa, who later rose to the rank of air marshal, and a daughter, Nalini. During World War II, Cariappa was awarded the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became the first Indian to become a brigadier.



Cariappa also served as Indias first commander-in-chief (C-in-C) between 1949 and 1953. Now this position rests with the President of India. He represented India as its high commissioner in Australia and New Zealand from 1953 to 1956. In 1986, he was made a field marshal. Thus, he became one of the two Indian army officers to hold this rank. He died in 1993.



General Thimayyas actual name was Subayya, while Thimayya was his fathers name. He was born in Madikeri in 1906. Admitted to the then Prince of Wales Military College in Dehradun, he was one of the six Indian cadets who underwent training in Royal Military College, Sandhurst, England. In 1926, he was commissioned into the Indian army. In 1935, he married Codanda Nina and the couple went to Quetta. During the Quetta earthquake that year the couple rendered outstanding humanitarian service.



During World War II, Thimayya was awarded Distinguished Service Order (DSO). He represented India during the Japanese surrender. Between 1953 and 1955, Thimayya was the chairman of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. He gained international fame for the way he handled the exchange of the prisoners of war (POWs) held during the Korean War. In 1954, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. Between 1957 and 1961, he was the chief of the Indian army.



In 1964, he was appointed Commander of the United Nations Forces in Cyprus, where he passed away. Cyprus released a stamp in his memory, and later, his wax statue was displayed in Singapore. Both Cariappa and Thimayya are iconic figures in India.





Fond memories



According to Major General Arjun Muthanna, a great grandson of Kuttayya, Cariappa and Thimayya belonged to a generation of Indian officers who stormed the bastion of Indias colonial masters and deftly navigated unchartered situations. Both had huge responsibilities thrust upon them at a relatively young age and rose to the challenge. Cariappa, commissioned as a lieutenant when Indians were just being permitted to become British Indian Army officers, would Outbritish the British, probably to be accepted and treated as an equal by the British officers.



A strict disciplinarian, he demanded punctuality and proper dress code. He was fiercely nationalistic and moulded the Indian Army into its current apolitical position.



In 1948, the Kashmir situation grew tense and war was imminent. Lieutenant General Cariappa became the head of the Western Command and led Lieutenant General S M Shrinagesh and Major General Thimayya. It was during this war that Thimayya helped India secure Ladakh.



Cariappas contemporary and friend, Lieutenant General Nathu Singh, was first offered the post of C-in-C but he declined and stated that his senior Cariappa, who won the 1948 war for India, was more eligible for the post. It was on January 15, 1949 that the three centuries old colonial army became a national army. That was the first time an Indian, General Cariappa, was made chief of the Indian armed forces.



Every morning, Cariappa paid his respects to the portrait of his parents and the statue of a jawan. He was ever thankful to the soldiers for protecting the country. Hence, he was called the soldiers general. Cariappa would go to the war front, even after retirement, in order to motivate the troops.



Muthanna narrates a personal anecdote about the Field Marshal, When I called on him at his residence, in Madikeri, in May 1986, to invite him for my wedding, I was wearing a half sleeve shirt and trousers as appropriate for the hot summer day. After accepting the invitation, he commented on my attire saying Youre an officer in the army arent you? In which case, you should be wearing a coat and tie. I had no response and thought in my mind Im calling on my family elder. Pat came his next comment, as if hed read my mind, In case youre calling on me as a relative you should be wearing our traditional dress of kupya. He walked the talk. He was always dressed formally as a respect to the person who was visiting him.



Thimayya was charismatic, approachable and had great interpersonal skills. When Thimayya visited his Dehradun alma mater as an alumni, one of the cadets there wanted to know how to address the general. Thimayya simply replied Call me Timmy, referring to his nickname!



Some of the other military heroes of Kodagu are: Major Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna, who was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously, and Squadron Leader Ajjamada Bopayya Devaiah, nicknamed Wings of Fire, the only Air Force personnel to be awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously so far.
Parents of some students of a government-run primary school here today locked their teachers inside the building, demanding that it be ungraded to senior secondary level.



The protest come close on the heels of a hunger strike by a group of girls in Rewari, around 80 from here, to pressure authorities to upgrade the school in their village.



The parents alleged that a staff crunch in the school in Khirbi village was affecting studies of their wards and that teachers were irregular in taking classes.



Some of them said the children in the village had no option but to travel to Hodal, Bhiduki and Hassanpur for further studies.



They shouted slogans against the Education Department, alleging that political leaders and authorities paid no heed to their repeated requests for upgrading the school.



District Education Officer Anil Sharma rushed to the scene and assured the protesting parents that there demands will be met.



Sharma said the school will be upgraded as soon as it meets the criteria laid down by the government.



"The department has already started the process of recruiting more teachers for the school," he said.
Major Leetul Gogoi, an Army officer who took the controversial decision of using a Kashmir youth as a human shield in front of an Army vehicle, has received a reward from the Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat.



 Major Gogoi has been awarded Chief of Army Staff's commendation card for sustained efforts on counter insurgency operations, said Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand.

The commendation was awarded very recently, said another officer, without giving out a specific date.

The Army instituted a Court of Inquiry on the incident following the hue and cry that the incident triggered. Sources said the inquiry found him not guilty as no one in the Army would be entitled for any awards pending any inquiry.

 While awarding the officer, all factors including notable performance of the officer and overall emerging indicators of the Court of Inquiry have been well considered. The Court of Inquiry is under finalisation, said an officer.

In the past he received support from Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi and Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh, who was one of the senior politicians to stand behind Major Gogoi consistently.

 I am happy to hear of possible bravery award for human shield officer Major Gogoi. Hope it is true. The officer deserves it, tweeted Singh on Monday.

Major Gogoi was posted in the Army Service Corps in Srinagar when he took the decision that catapulted him in the eye of a major storm.

On the day of repolling for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency bye-election on April 9, the local Army commander received an emergency message from the civil administration to rescue a team of 12 election staff, 9 ITBP soldiers and two Jammu and Kashmir policemen, who were trapped inside a polling booth. He entrusted Gogoi with the job.

The polling booth in Budgam area was targeted by several hundred stone-pelters including the ladies, who were hurtling stones from the roof-top. Instead of opening a fire, which could have aggravated the situation, the officer thought of using one of the stone pelters as a human shield.

He picked up Farooq Dar, a 36-year-old, who was tied before the lead vehicle of the convoy. Once everyone came out to the safety, he was handed over to the local authorities.

Dar, however, has a different story to narrate. He claims he was picked up when he was on way to his sister's house, where a bereavement had occurred. Dar also claimed he was moved around 10-12 villages before being let off.

A video of the incident went viral in the social media, sparking criticism. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehboba Mufti sought a report from the state police. As the police filed a First Information Report against the army, the army ordered its own internal inquiry.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today accused the previous governments in the state of discriminating on the basis of caste and religion and said that secularism does not mean being obsessed towards one particular faith.



Adityanath also claimed that due to vote-bank politics, patriots like Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan and Abdul Hamid did not find their due place in textbooks.



Replying to a discussion during the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's Address in the UP Legislative Council, Adityanath said that his government did not discriminate on the basis of religion or caste.

But, the previous governments had shown discrimination, he alleged.



"If we are really secular, then this does not mean that we should be obsessed towards one particular community," Adityanath said.



Attacking the SP and BSP, he alleged the previous governments in UP had divided the society on the basis of caste and religion.



Adityanath went on to say that "it was because of the vote bank politics that Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan and Abdul Hamid never got any place in textbooks".



"Our government believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' There is no caste or religion for us," Adityanath said.

He also expressed concern over the exodus of youth from the state.



Our government will arrest the exodus of the youngsters and they will get respectable jobs in the state, he said.



He said technical and vocational education along with skill development training will be imparted, so that 7-10 lakh youngsters can be given jobs.



Adityanath also advised the opposition to not view the Governor's address from a political prism as he did not belong to any political party.



Governor Ram Naik had earlier been bombarded with paper missiles by opposition members on the first day of the state Assembly session.



Terming law and order as a major challenge, Adityanath said that when criminalisation of politics and politicisation of criminals take place, a "peculiar" situation emerges.



"Our government will establish the rule of law and take strict action against criminal elements," he said.

The chief minister advocated revival of student union elections.



"The elections to students' unions should take place, but as per the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Commission. It will be good, if all the universities and colleges conduct the elections within a week's time," Adityanath said.



"A system should be put in place, where the students can from an open platform declare who deserves to be elected and the non-deserving person will automatically be out," he said.



We are also going to convene a meeting soon to decide an uniform syllabus for higher education, Adityanath said.



The chief minister reiterated that his government was committed to waive off farmers' loans.

Adityanath said that his government will start a joint venture to enhance regional air connectivity in different cities.



He announced that 30,000 constables and 2,000 sub inspectors will be recruited. "There is no place for corruption in UP. In the previous regimes there had been anomalies in police recruitment," he said.



He also took a dig at SP, saying during its rule, the uniform that school children wore resembled the dress of home guards.



"The previous SP government had designed a dress for school children, in which they looked like homeguards. Our government will give new uniform to the children in the new academic session," Adityanath said.
India Infolines (IIFL) Special Opportunities Fund has garnered commitment of approximately $250 million within just three months of its launch.



The fund was launched in February 2017 to generate long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity related instruments of to-be listed companies.



IIFL Special Opportunities Fund is a close ended scheme under Category II Alternative Investment Fund. The fund, by raising a commitment amount of $250 million within just three months of launch, makes it one of the largest collection from an AIF fund so far. Following the success of the first Series, the company has plans to launch IIFL Special Opportunities Fund  Series 2, IIFL said.



We provide a plethora of differentiated innovative products across asset classes backed by strong holistic research. Within this space, we are one of the largest players across asset classes, whether real estate, fixed income or equities. IIFL Special Opportunities Fund is a unique offering focusing on pre-IPO and IPO space which has been introduced in India for the first time, IIFL Asset Management business CEO Amit Shah said.



Over the last few years IPO makers have done very well and many IPOs have given triple digit returns. However investors have found it difficult to access the IPO markets and benefit from it. IIFL Special Opportunities Fund is the first attempt to create an organised pool of capital to access this market. We are excited to be the first asset management company to introduce this unique offering to the investor community,IIFL Asset Management business chief investment officer Prashasta Seth said.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is "just creating confusion among Muslims at large."

This is how a woman who has opposed triple talaq in the Supreme Court reacted today on the Muslim body's latest affidavit.



The AIMPLB's stand that there will be "social boycott" of those resorting to triple talaq drew sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) which said such an advise was "not sufficient".



"The AIMPLB has no locus to issue any such advisory for the Qazis or advice for grooms. It is a registered NGO which does not govern or employ the Qazis. It is just creating confusion among the Muslims at large," advocate Farah Faiz, who has opposed triple talaq in the apex court, said.



She said the AIMPLB does not have "any legal or religious sanctity" to issue such an advisory as its job is to work for social reform only and not govern the Muslims of the country.



Faiz said as per the Shariat law, Qazi's presence is not mandatory for Nikah and any Maulvi or a person can perform the marriage between two consenting adults.



She said anybody, who has the authority to issue any such guideline or advisory, is the Parliament which can enact a law to regulate marriages among Muslims.



Her view was shared by senior advocate Anand Grover, who on behalf of the BMMA said "As far as we are concerned, this (practice of triple talaq) has to go.



"This (AIMPLB) is a private organisation and its advise to the Qazis does not apply to all. What if a husband does not agree to the advise," he asked.



"Somebody may not agree to what a Qazi is saying in the Nikahnama. This is not sufficient at all. The advise does not apply to everybody," he said.



Senior advocate Amit Singh Chadha, who represented one of the first petitioners in the matter, Shyara Bano, refused to comment on the issue, saying "the matter is subjudice" and the Supreme Court will decide on it.



The AIMPLB, in its fresh affidavit filed in the apex court, has said that Muslims resorting to triple talaq will face "social boycott" and an advisory will be issued to Qazis to make the grooms aware that they will not resort to such a form of divorce.



Dubbing triple talaq as an "undesirable practice in Shariat", the AIMPLB said the dispute between husband and wife should be settled by "mutual interaction" and a code of conduct for them has been released by it keeping in mind the tenets of Shariat.



A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar had on May 18 reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the constitution validity of triple talaq among Muslims.
Twenty people have been arrested in connection with last week's lynching of seven persons in Jharkhand.



State Home Secretary S K G Rahate said a probe has been ordered into the two incidents of vigilantism in Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharswan district and Nagadih in Jamshedpur, that claimed four and three lives respectively.



The lynchings were allegedly sparked by suspicions that the victims were child lifters.

18 persons were arrested today in connection with the lynching incident at Nagadih on May 18, and the subsequent violence on May 20.



The other two were held yesterday in connection with the lynching of four persons of a community in Seraikela-Kharswan.



Rahate told mediapersons in Ranchi that social media sites are being monitored and a WhatsApp group admin has been questioned.



The report of the probe, to be conducted by the Kolhan division commissioner and DIG, would be submitted within a month, he said, adding that an FIR has also been lodged.



He said the incidents were triggered purely by rumours and villagers, in an act of vigilantism, took the law into their lands.



A Jamshedpur report quoting an official release said the Kolhan DIG Prabhat Kumar has been asked by the home department to suspend the officers-in-charge of Rajnagar police station and Bagbera police station with immediate effect.



On May 20, protests at Mango area in Jamshedpur against the Rajnagar incident turned violent and prompted the police to open fire in the air and hurl tear gas shells to disperse the mob.



Raids were on to apprehend the other culprits involved in the two incidents, Kumar said, adding that security forces, including a company of RAF have been deployed in the two areas.



The Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum district Amit Kumar has sought the cooperation of the people to share information about the miscreants, including their photos on social media and promised to protect the identity of those providing it.



He also directed the sub-divisional officers of Dhalbhum and Ghatsila, block development officers, deputy superintendents of police and panchayats to organise gram sabhas over the next one week from tomorrow to alert the people against social media rumours.
Uday Kotak, the promoter of Kotak Mahindra Bank, has sold close to 1% stake in the bank for close to Rs 1,700 crore, a move aimed at cutting down his stake to comply with RBI regulations.



Following the transaction, the shareholding of promoter and promoter group now stands at 31.03%. Uday Kotaks holding has reduced to 30.74% after the deal.



As per details available, Uday Kotak sold 1.8 crore shares at Rs 937.35 per share totalling Rs 1,687 crore. The biggest buyers from Uday Kotak included Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (10.65 lakh shares), Capital World Growth and Income Fund (26.55 lakh shares), and American Funds Insurance Series Growth Income Fund (20.26 lakh shares).



Uday had sold close to 1.5% in the bank to Canada pension funds Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ). Earlier this month, the company had raised over Rs 5,600 crore through a qualified institutional placement at Rs 913.24 per share.



As per a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), promoters of Kotak Mahindra Bank have to reduce their stake to 30% by June 30, 2017, and to 15% by March 2020.
The Centre on Monday turned its back on Prime Minister Narendra Modis election promise of fixing the minimum support price for farm produce after adding 50% to the cost of cultivation.



Our prime minister said at every election meeting that when we come to power, farmers income will increase 1.5 times, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh told reporters here.



Now, it is a different matter that some people think that increasing farmers income means hike in MSP. Whosoever thinks on these lines  god be with them, Singh said at a press conference to brief the media on the achievements of the government in the last three years.



The minister said that the minimum support price was one of the components that would lead to increase in farmers income, but was not the only factor. Singhs comments run contrary to Modis assurances during his election rallies across the country ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.



If NDA comes to power, it will ensure remunerative prices to the farmers by adding 50% profit into the peasants input cost. We will fix the MSP of crops incorporating 50% profit in farmers cost of production including seed, irrigation, manure, and labour, Modi had said at a rally in Pathankot on April 25, 2014.



The BJP manifesto for 2014 states that the party will take steps to enhance profitability in agriculture, by ensuring a minimum of 50% profits over the cost of production, cheaper agriculture inputs and credit.



A committee chaired by noted agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, in its report submitted to the government in 2006, had recommended fixing MSP after adding 50% to the cost of cultivation.



Singh listed introduction of neem coated urea, creating a national agricultural market, encouraging honey bee rearing, and promotion of indigenous cattle breeds as the steps the Modi government had taken to ensure that farmers get a better deal.
Foxconn Technology Group, Taiwan-headquartered worlds largest contract manufacturer of mobile phones, including that of Apple products, has evinced interest to set up a manufacturing and assembly plant in Bengaluru, according to two sources close to the development.



According to official sources in the Taiwan consulate, the companys decision comes as a natural progression following the commencement of iconic Apple iPhones in Bengaluru by Wistron, another Taiwan-based company recently.



Foxconn has already announced to set up 12 factories in India and create about 1 million jobs. Bengaluru is an ideal place where electronic manufacturing ecosystem is already in place with the presence of major public and private companies, a Taiwan consulate official told DH. This will be Foxconns third such facility in India after Navi Mumbai and Sri City.



When contacted, the sources privy to the development said, Foxconn has expressed its willingness to work with the Karnataka government. The company finds the government in Karnataka as very proactive led by an young and dynamic IT minister Priyank Kharge who is very much interested in expanding the states manufacturing capability in electronic sector, the sources said.



The Foxconns decision comes at a time when Apple iPhones leading original equipment manufacturer Wistron started its manufacturing facility in Bengaluru. DH reported last week that Wistron commenced trial assembly of the iPhone SE smartphone at its Peenya plant. The complete Made in Bengaluru product will hit shelves in June first week.



Commenting on the decision, Karnataka IT and BT minister Priyank Kharge said, Karnataka has always framed policies which will help companies to set up units here. We have got solid support with the arrival of Apple and its OEM Wistron. Foxconns decision to invest in Bengaluru is a natural corollary to that.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deteriorating law and order situation in BJP-ruled states.



From Rajasthan to UP, Haryana & now Jharkhand, BJP-ruled states are descending into chaos & lawlessness.Will the PM answer? Rahul said on Twitter tagging reports of lynching of a man in Jharkhand.



The Congress recalled the killings of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri, Pehlu Khan in Rajasthan, the gang rape and murder of a young woman in Haryana, the flogging of Dalits in Una in Gujarat and assault on a nomadic family in Jammu as instances of intolerance of the majority under the Modi government.



This practice is licence to kill, which would even make James Bond blush, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.



Since the Modi government came to power in 2014, atrocities against Dalits have increased by 38%, Singhvi said quoting the National Crime Records Bureau data.



In 2013, there were 39,408 cases of atrocities against the Dalits, this had increased to 54,355 in 2015, he said adding that BJP-ruled Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were among the top four states as far as crimes against Dalits were concerned.


Winemaker and vintner Sula Vineyards has joined hands with Bengalurus Heritage Winery, in a bid to strengthen its market presence in Karnataka, which is the companys second largest market in the country, after Maharashtra.



Sula Vineyards Vice President  Marketing Cecelia Oldne said, The association with Heritage is the start of interesting times for Sula. We are impressed with the quality of wines coming from this region. While Heritage will continue to produce its popular wines, soon we will be ready to launch the first Sula wine from this region. Further, the company will focus on developing wine tourism at the vineyards of Heritage. Wine tourism at the Nashik vineyards contributes to 25% of the companys revenues. The facility saw about 2.5 lakh visitors last year.



Wine tourism is picking up in a big way in India. This year, the company plans to develop wine tourism at the Heritage vineyards, as Bengaluru and surrounding areas have a sprawling customer base for such activities, Cecelia said.





Stacking up the rack



On the back of a strong sales and distribution channel, the company is ready to expand its product portfolio, with additions from its production as well as imports.



The most interesting addition to its suite  Indias first grape spirit whiskey from the house of Sula  will be launched in July.



Last year, Sula introduced brandy, so whisky was the natural step this time around, she said, adding that the new product  Eclipse  has great value proposition.



Currently, 60% of Sulas retail comprises its own wine and brandy production, and the remaining comprises imports.

Sula selections, which is the companys import arm, currently has around 35 labels, and we have a lot of launches lined up this year. It is one of our focus areas. Last year, imports shot up by 70%, she said, adding that vodka will be a new addition to the range that already offers rum and tequila alongside wine.
An incident of rape of two tribal girls in the Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh came to light on Monday as the accused tried to hush up the crime by paying compensation to the victims citing tribal customs.



According to Chintapalli Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Pulipati eight men have raped the two girls offered Rs 50,000 as compensation to keep their mouth shut. A mandal (block) elected representatives son Varun and a head constables son Nagender were among the eight accused.



According to the police, the two girls, along with their male relatives, went to a village in Tajangi village on Saturday evening. On their way back they took shelter under a closed shop as it was raining and dark. Eight youths, headed by Varun and Nagender, came there and misbehaved with the girls. When the boys tried to resist they were beaten and driven away by the culprits. They then raped the girls one after another.



The girls somehow reached home and their parents made a complaint with the village elders. But the elders instead of informing the crime to the police invited the accused to the village for a compromise and finally settled the issue for Rs 50,000. However the girls refused compromise and wanted stern action on the rapists. Few social organizations working in the tribal area got wind of the incident and made a complaint to the police after reaching Chintapalli on Monday.



Finally Chintapalli police registered case against the eight youths under stringent sections including the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act along with rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.



We are sending the girls for medical examination. We have formed teams to bring to book all the eight accused who are absconding, DSP Anil said. Visakhapatnam district superintendent of police Rahuldev Sharma told reporters that justice will be done for the girls and compensation will also be paid as per norms.
US President Donald Trump sought to defend himself against criticism that he provided Israeli intelligence to Russia as he met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today.



Trump, responding to a journalist's question on the subject alongside Netanyahu, said "I never mentioned the word or the name Israel."



"Never mentioned during that conversation," he said. "They're all saying I did, so you have another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel."



Netanyahu then said "intelligence cooperation is terrific. It's never been better." The Washington Post reported last week that Trump revealed what it said was highly classified information on the Islamic State group during a recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Moscow's Washington ambassador Sergey Kislyak.



It said that Trump told Lavrov about a specific IS bomb threat. A US administration official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that the original intelligence came from Israel, which was initially reported by the New York Times.



After the news emerged, Trump took to Twitter to insist he had the "absolute right" to share "facts pertaining... to terrorism and airline flight safety" with Russia.



But the episode raised concerns that it could corrode trust among allies who shared classified information with the United States on the understanding that it will go no further.



Israel has sought to downplay the concerns, saying security ties with the United States will continue to be strong.



The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than USD 3 billion per year in defence aid, and the two countries share highly sensitive intelligence on common enemies.
With a black skullcap on his head, Donald Trump today prayed at the Western Wall in the Old City of East Jerusalem, becoming the first sitting US president to visit one of the most sacred sites in Judaism.



Trump visited the Western Wall in a private capacity and was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders. He arrived at the site accompanied by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner.



Respecting the Jewish custom, he and Kushner visited the men's prayer area, and Melania and Ivanka visited the women's section. The two sections are separated by a barrier.



The US president was briefed about the significance of the site by Mordechai Eliav, the director-general of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.



Trump paused in front of the wall and then slipped a note with a prayer between its stones, as is custom. He then stood by the wall for several minutes silently with his right hand resting on its blocks. He smiled briefly and removed his hand.



The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray. It is situated below the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, considered to be Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina.



Security was tightened in and around the area with all the major roads in Jerusalem completely gridlocked.



Earlier, Trump visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where according to Christian tradition Jesus was buried and resurrected.
A sessions court on Monday convicted the last accused in the rape case of a student of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) on the Jnanabharati campus of Bangalore University

in 2012.



A fast-track court had sentenced six people  Yellaiah (23), Eeraiah (20), Shivanna (20), Doddeera (19), Maddura (20) and Rama (20)  in the case and awarded life imprisonment to them in September 2013. There were eight accused in the case, including a juvenile who was tried under the Juvenile Justice Act.



Raju, a resident of Ramanagaram and the last accused in the case, was at large after the incident. The police arrested him in September 2013, while the trial began in 2014. The court examined 33 witnesses out of the 52 listed.



Rajeshwari Hegde, the sessions judge, found him guilty of the offence and sentenced him to life imprisonment, S N Hiremani, public prosecutor in the case, said.



Raju and the other suspects were sandalwood thieves. They also robbed people entering the BU campus late in the night. The victim and eyewitnesses confirmed Rajus identity.



The police had seized a sweater belonging to Raju and had sent it for examination. The mud stains on the sweater matched the sample taken from the spot where the rape had occurred.



The victim, then a second-year student at NLSIU, had gone with her male friend inside the forest area about 2 km from Gandhi Bhavan around 10 pm when the incident took place on October 12, 2012. The suspects, who were drunk, threatened the two, robbed their valuables and gang-raped the woman.
Walls of the entrances to the KR Market Metro station will be designed to resemble the Bengaluru fort, with authorities keen to make Namma Metro part of Bengalurus heritage and culture.



The Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL), which is executing the work, is working on cladding the outer walls of the south-west entrance with Mysore Gold Stone, a soft granite similar in looks to the stones of the fort wall.



Bangalore Metro Rail



Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola had previously said that the market station will be designed in such a way that it will stand in harmony with the historical structures in the area.



Balancing act



The Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and the BMRCL have come up with designs to develop the KR Market Metro station and surrounding area in such a way that urbanisation is balanced with the culture represented by surrounding monuments.



Our work is monitored and suitable changes are being made at every step when required, KRIDL executive engineer Nagaraja said. Nagaraja said the first phase of the work consisting of concretisation of KR Road, constructing footpaths and utilities have been completed. Toilets and other public utilities will be constructed in the next phase of the project. All our works contribute to the plan to make the stations accessible, he said.

Transit hub



A DULT official said that there was a proposal to integrate all modes of transportation. Next to the Metro station is a very significant bus station that connects half of the city and it is essential that both are integrated. Also, key monuments of the city, like Bengaluru fort and Tipus summer palace are at walking distance from the Metro station. So, we are looking at providing a safe environment for pedestrians, the official said.


Four officials of the Prisons Department were suspended on the charge of dereliction of duty on Monday after undertrial prisoner Mohammed Rahman Hussain (25), a Bangladesh national accused in illegal immigration case, escaped from the district prison on Sunday evening.



District Jail Superintendent Mari Gowda said told DH that G M Mahesh and A S Koutker, both chief warders and R M Patil and Nandish, head warders, have been suspended for dereliction of duty.



The possibility of Hussain escaping from the prison by jumping the wall is slim as no rope or any metal tool was found on the premises of the prison. So, he must have managed to escape from the main gate of the prison during the change of shifts. A case has been registered with the Jayanagar police in this regard, he added.



Gowda said the Bhadravathi Old Town police had arrested Hussain from near the railway station on April 15 as he had no visa and other documents a foreigner should have. He was produced before the court in Bhadravathi and remanded in judicial custody. He had appeared before the court on May 20 and had returned to the prison.


Grandmothers of students will be invited to narrate stories at the government schools in Rajasthan.



The secondary education department has issued an order to conduct storytelling sessions by the grandmothers for the students of Class I to Class V.



The department will provide some sample storybooks to the schools. The selection of grandmothers will be based on their willingness to visit the school. And, in the absence of the grandmothers, senior teachers will be asked to narrate stories.



The sessions will be part of Bal Sabhas, held every Saturday in schools. Apart from performing cultural activities, students will now get an opportunity to listen to the stories from grandmothers of their friends, Deputy Director of secondary education Arun Kumar Sharma said.



The move is an attempt to revive an age-old tradition of grandparents narrating stories to kids.

We could have asked the teachers to tell the stories. But the idea is to find a storyteller in their own grandparent. This will encourage students to listen to more stories while they are at home, Sharma added.



Educationists welcomed the idea, but with a note of caution.Such initiatives are much needed at a time when technology has dominated our lives. Children will get moral education and affection while listening to tales from the grandparents. But the department should ensure that the stories selected for the session have no religious or political affiliation, Educationist and Social Activist Charanjeet Dhillon, associated with Bal Bhawan, Jaipur, told DH.




Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife on Monday appeared in a special court here in connection with a Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case against them and sought bail.



The court posted the matter to May 29 after the CBI sought time to file its response to the bail applications moved by the senior Congress leader and his wife Pratibha.



The CBI had recently filed a charge sheet against Singh and others for amassing assets worth around Rs 10.30 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income during 2009-11 when he was the Union power minister.



In the charge sheet running into 500 pages, Singh and others have been charged with forgery and corruption among other illegalities.



The CBI has mentioned 225 witnesses and 442 documents to support its case in the chargesheet.

Singh was accompanied to the court by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using agencies like the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to clampdown on the Opposition.



Their own leaders spent over Rs 500 crore on a marriage while the demonetisation drive was on... Their people are involved in terrorism. He (Modi) is framing innocents. The CBI was a caged parrot. Now, so is the NIA and the ED. Its directors are given extensions as carrots, Digvijay told reporters outside the court premises.



Background



In September 2015, the CBI had named Singh, his wife Pratibha, LIC agent Anand Chauhan and his brother C L Chauhan as the accused.



The LIC agent has been arrested by the ED, which registered a case on the basis of the CBI FIR, on charges of money laundering.



Chauhan, who is presently in judicial custody, has been accused of investing Singhs money in life insurance policies and help him launder money.



On April 3, the ED had attached a farmhouse worth Rs 27.29 crore in south Delhi purchased by Singh, whose funding came through shell companies floated by an industrialist.



The total attachment by the ED in connection with its money laundering probe against Singh now stands at Rs 35.22 crore, the first being in March 2016 when assets worth Rs 7.93 crore, that included a south Delhi flat, were seized.






Veteran BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Monday came down heavily against his party member Sushil Modi while defending friend Lalu Prasad Yadav.



The move saw immediate retaliatory action from Sushil, the former deputy chief minister, who demanded that the Shatru (enemy) of the BJP be kicked out of the party immediately.



Asking Sushil to refrain from indulging in negative politics, four-term MP Sinha tweeted: Time to substantiate your claims... or pack up! Cant just keep feeding media with one night stories & sensationalising. Enough is enough (sic).



Sinha, who enjoys far more cordial relations with leaders like Lalu and Nitish Kumar than other BJP colleagues, was miffed with Sushils series of charges against the RJD chief and his family.



Expressing shock over the media reports of income tax raids at 22 places of Lalu and his aides, the Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib hoped that there should be follow-up reports as to what had been unearthed so far.



Our BJP surely believes in honesty & transparency, which seldom go together, but must go together. An allegation is ONLY THAT unless proved! (sic), read Sinhas another tweet. Sinha, who served as a cabinet minister in the Vajpayee regime and won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with highest margin in Bihar, was denied ministerial berth in the Narendra Modi government, apparently due to his closeness with L K Advani.



When allies like Nitish have refrained from defending Lalu, the BJPs Shatru has jumped in to defend the RJD chief in dubious land deals. Such traitors should be shown the door, Sushil, who was pained due to a series of attacks from the enemy within, tweeted in Hindi.



The Twitter war refused to die down when Lalus younger son and Bihars Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, too, slammed Sushil.


The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has joined hands with the UKs Art and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to come up with a viable town planning model to check erasing of rich and diverse tangible cultural heritage of India amid rapid urbanisation.



To start with, the council will conduct a two-day workshop on the topic jointly with the AHRC on May 24 and 25. As many as 21 scholars from the UK and 31 from India will take part in the event.



Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Bhubaneshwar in Odisha, Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, Madurai and Chennai in Tamil Nadu, and Warangal in Telangana will be taken up for case study of ancient cities which are losing their cultural heritage due to rapid urbanisation.



The overlaps and divergences between London and Mumbai will also be discussed at the workshop through the lens of heritage and rapid urbanization.



The UKs city of Sheffield, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Manchester and Peterborough will also be taken up as case studies at the workshop by the UKs team of scholars.



Most of the Indian cities are in a competitive mood to grow, particularly in post-independence era, leading to various problems, including housing and civil amenities. Even after 70 years of Independence, we are yet to start our Swachch Bharat project. Rapid urbanisation in India is posing a threat to heritage and monuments, ICHR chairman Y Sudershan Rao told reporters.

He said that the workshop will discuss the problems.




BJP national president Amit Shah arrived in Hyderabad on Monday on a three-day visit named Palle Palleku BJP (BJP for every village).



Sending a strong message to the Majlis, Shah met families of those who suffered at the hands of the Razakars during the liberation of Hyderabad in Teratpalli.



He later unveiled the statue of Gundugoni Mysaiah Goud, a local BJP leader who died fighting the Peoples War group in 1999.



Shah then met booth level committee members in the block and the village, and had lunch with Dalits.

The BJP will come to power in Telangana. The gathering of the national president and the village-level booth committee members on one platform is the beginning of that change, he said addressing the cadre in Teratpalli.



He said 4 lakh BJP workers were spread all over the country to conduct similar exercises to rejuvenate the grassroot level cadre.



Taking potshots at the K Chandrasekhar Rao government, Shah said lack of individual toilets in villages was an indication that the Centres schemes were not implemented in the state.



According to state BJP president K Laxman, Shahs visit is aimed at strengthening the party at the grassroot level for the 2019 elections.



There is a political vacuum in the state and the BJP wants to fill the void, he said.

Shah is expected to visit Telangana again in September.




Their joy knew no bounds when they were given new books and satchels. The teachers also took a few extra classes to teach them the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions when VIPs visit schools.



However, their joy was short- lived. The new books and satchels were literally snatched away by the authorities. Reason: the VIP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, did not visit the school.



This cruel joke was played with the students of a government primary school at Gureh village in Uttar Pradeshs Banda district, about 200 km from here.



According to reports, district education authorities distributed new books and satchels among the children on getting information that the chief minister may pay a visit to the school during his visit to the district on Saturday.



The school building was decked up and the teachers were asked to prepare the students for the visit. Extra classes, a rare phenomenon in government schools in Uttar Pradesh (UP), were also held for the students so that they may answer questions.



The chief minister did visit Banda on Saturday but owing to his pressing engagements failed to visit the school. As soon as it became clear that the chief ministers visit has been cancelled, authorities took away the books and satchels.



District authorities said that they had no information about the matter but promised to look into the same.



A similar incident took place in another village in Deoria district a few days ago in the residence of slain BSF jawan Prem Sagar. The jawan was among those who were killed by the Pakistan army and their bodies mutilated in Poonch sector of Jammu & Kashmir recently.



The local administration in Deoria district had installed an air conditioner at the martyrs house, a carpet was rolled out, curtains on the doors and windows changed and comfortable sofas were placed in the room where the chief minister was to meet the family.



Within half an hour of Adityanaths departure, all these things  the AC, curtains and sofas  were all taken away by the officials.


The government on Monday sought public opinion on whether Bitcoin, recently in news for hackers demanding this mode of payment to rectify Ransomware encrypted data on computers, be banned in India.



Whether Virtual Currencies (VCs) should be banned, regulated or observed?, the government asked on its website www.mygov.in. Suggestions can be given by May 31, it said.



In case VCs are suggested to be regulated, what measures should be taken to ensure consumer protection or to promote its orderly development?



It has also sought to know from the citizens which appropriate institution(s) should monitor/regulate the VCs?



In the wake of a phenomenal rise in the value of the anonymous currency, the government has sought to know from the people what should be the effective self-regulatory mechanism which can protect consumers.



Bitcoin is a form of digital currency, created and held electronically. No one controls it, no one regulates it. Bitcoin does not exist in any printed form, but produced online. It hit a record high on Friday with one unit trading above $2,000 on bitcoin trading platform BitStamp.



RBI advisory



Worried over taxation, security risks, losses due to the volatility and money laundering, the Reserve Bank of India had late last year issued an advisory prompting some Indian bitcoin traders to suspend their operations.



The government for its part had set up a committee headed by finance ministry in March this year to examine the current status of virtual currencies in India and abroad and suggest measures for dealing with such currencies, including issues relating to consumer protection and money laundering.



The committee has representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Reserve Bank of India, NITI Aayog and State Bank of India.



Ban in China



Japan recognises bitcoins, while United States and Canada support the currency. Switzerland says it may treat bitcoin as foreign currency, but China had banned its banks from trading recently.
After being away from the glare for a long time, Union minister Smriti Zubin Irani was drafted by the BJP brass to announce a 20-day mega programme to celebrate the Narendra Modi governments third anniversary.



The textiles minister turned up at the BJPs 11, Ashoka Road headquarters on Monday, second time in less than a month, to announce that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will now seek peoples feedback on his governments welfare schemes through Jann ki Baat.



After winding up the press conference, she rushed for her own ministrys official interaction with reporters on the achievements of the last three years. Every other Union minister is doing this exercise to inform people mid-way to the 2019 general elections.



Smriti was called by the BJP to hold a press meet on April 24 on Shahs drive to expand the partys base in states where its presence is abysmal. That brought her back on the partys roll call for Union ministers tasked with reaching out to the media. Modi, in the last Cabinet reshuffle on July 5, 2016, had taken away the high-profile HRD portfolio to shift Smriti to the less hyped textiles ministry.



Since May 26, the government and the BJP will celebrate, in Iranis words  MODI FEST which when expanded reads Making of Developed Indias Festival.



Through Jann ki Baat, a phrase borrowed from Modis Mann ki Baat radio broadcast, people will be encouraged to send messages to the prime minister on their take on different schemes such as Jan Dhan, Mudra, Ujala and crop insurance, and give suggestions for good governance, the Union minister said.



The programme will roll out with Modi inaugurating development projects in Assam, followed by an address at a rally in Guwahati on May 26.



So far no other engagement of the prime minister has been tagged with anniversary celebrations as the better strategy is to have his ministers and the party engage in media blitzkrieg, noted a BJP leader.



BJP general secretary Arun Singh, who jointly addressed the media, said more than 450 party leaders, led by party president Amit Shah and including the council of ministers, NDA chief ministers, state ministers and other office bearers, will hold 900 events across the country.




The government would soon introduce a new payment system for tollbooths, charging users only for the amount of distance they travel on a highway.



The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is working on the policy that would tailor the fee to the number of kilometres travelled against the practice of charging them for the entire stretch of the tolled highway running upto 60 or 70 kilometres even if they were to exit the road midway.

The ministry would pilot the system in access-controlled highways and expressways.



Without changing the existing toll fees, the new policy would only alter the system to charge the vehicles from the point of entry to the point of exit by measuring the kilometres, an official from the ministry told DH.



The rationale behind rolling out the system in access-controlled highways is that they have only limited entry and exit points, the official added, pointing out that it is easier to measure the distance travelled using the radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on the vehicle. If, for instance, a vehicle with RFID enters the tollbooth of an expressway, a camera would read the tag and registration number. The same would also be noted by a camera at the exit point, enabling officials to calculate the distance and dock the amount from the pre-paid RFID tag.



In the proposed system, every exit and entry point along the toll road would have an RFID tag reading camera.



Several countries have introduced the system, which eases the burden on the commuters since it is pay-per-use, the official said. The ministry is planning to introduce the system on the 135-km-long Eastern Peripheral Expressway covering several cities in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh closer to Delhi.


The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government on Monday recommended a CBI probe into the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tewari.



The officer was found dead near the Meerabai Guest House in Lucknow on Wednesday. The government has decided to recommended a CBI probe in the matter, said Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar. The decision to hand over the case to the premier investigating agency came a few hours after Tewaris family met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and sought a CBI probe.



Earlier in the day, the Lucknow Police registered a murder case after Tewaris elder brother Mayank lodged a complaint. The FIR states that Tewari had told Mayank that he was working on some file, which could unearth a big scam and expose many officials in Karnataka.



My brother was being pressurised to sign some papers... He had declined to sign them...that is why some people were exerting pressure on him, Mayank stated in the FIR. He also said that Anurag was an honest officer and was transferred seven to eight times in his 10-year career.



Interestingly, Mayank has claimed that Anurag was a late riser and not someone who goes for a morning walk. Initially, the police suggested that Tewari might have been knocked down by a speeding vehicle while he was out for a walk.



A source said a special team of the state police would leave for Bengaluru shortly to gather detailed information and also ascertain the veracity of the allegations levelled by Tewaris family.



Superiors may be quizzed



Tewaris superiors may be quizzed, said a senior officer in the UP government.

The postmortem report has failed to ascertain the cause of death. Asphyxia, cause? Hence, viscera and blood preserved for chemical analysis and heart preserved for histopathological examination, the report concluded.






Shanta Kumar, the excavator operator who was washed away in a drain on Saturday night near Kurubarahalli, remained untraceable even on Monday despite an intensified search operation.



As many as 250 personnel comprising BBMP engineers, firemen, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) searched various locations in vain. The search operation that commenced from Kurubarahalli on Sunday night finally reached Kambipura.



A renewed effort began on Monday with the search team forming two teams and setting out in two boats to search for the missing person. The boats finally reached Byramangala lake where an extensive search began. The rescue teams roped in 24 excavators to trace the missing person.



BBMP chief engineer (SWD) Siddegowda said the search operation did not yield any result. The teams reached Byramangala lake. There was no success though. We will focus on the lake, said Siddegowda.



Mayor G Padmavathi said stormwater drains have been neglected over the years. The only way for water to flow out is through stormwater drains in Bengaluru. Chennai has a robust system where all the water drains out easily. We must make sure encroachments are removed from the stormwater drains. The National Green Tribunal order redefining SWDs must be adhered to strictly, said Padmavathi.



Shanta Kumar, a native of Maddur, had rushed to get his electrical equipment inside the desilting machine in a stormwater drain near Kurubarahalli when it began to rain on Saturday night. Before he could come out, the water level increased suddenly. Fearing for his life, he tried to jump out of the vehicle but a strong current swept him away.


The BBMP has learnt no lessons from rain-related floods of the past. There are 633 stormwater drains (SWDs) measuring 856 km in the city.



The BBMP started the work to remodel SWDs and fence them in 2004, but so far it could complete only 142 km. Recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah performed the groundbreaking ceremony to remodel 192 km of SWDs at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore. Still, 522 km SWDs need to be fenced.



Most rain-related mishaps take place near lakes and SWDs, but no measures were taken to fence them and remove constructions within their buffer zones. Even the shoulder drains prove dangerous as they are not properly covered or the damaged slabs are not replaced.



A former Palike engineer associated with the project told DH he had identified 233 vulnerable points and had emphasised that these points must be covered urgently to prevent flooding.



All my recommendations were consigned to the dustbin. The fallout of trashing my recommendations is there for everyone to see. There is one more rain-related death, while flooding and waterlogging happen in many parts of Bengaluru, said the engineer.



He pointed out that there were three major challenges in remodelling drains. There is absolute lack of political will. After the flooding in Electronics City last year, some efforts were made. But by and large, the lackadaisical attitude remains in the administration, he said.



The engineer said the two other problems were land issues and lack of funds. It is the land-related issue, mainly encroachment by the high and the mighty, which is holding back the political masters from taking tough decisions, he said.



SWD expert A S Kodandapani lamented that noted engineer Ashwathnarayanas report on SWDs is gathering dust, despite paying him lakhs of rupees for consultancy.



Palike never has the practice of looking at the contour and slope, while remodelling SWDs. Engineers in BBMP do the work only to fill their coffers. Such shoddy job causes accidents, said Kodandapani.


Kangana Ranaut to play 80-yr-old in her directorial debut Teju
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A girl and her mother were subjected to a torturous two-and-a-half-hour hoax in Barnstaple's Poundworld last week during which they were ridden like horses by members of staff and forced to lick their feet by a prank caller who was impersonating a charity worker.

Naomi Desmond, 24, and her mother Pamela Desmond, 55, had gone into Poundworld in Barnstaple on Saturday, May 13, to do some last minute shopping ahead of their holiday.

At 4.30pm a man purporting to be from a charity based in Cork, Ireland, called the store and told staff to close it for a team training exercise that would involve entering two members of the public into a competition.

Naomi and her mother were the only shoppers in the store and we told they could win 3,000. They were then taken by the manager into the store room at the back of the shop, where they spoke to the caller.

Naomi said: "He was asking us who were and where we worked and stuff like that, but I obviously didn't want to disclose where I worked so I just said I worked in a cafe."

The prank caller, who managed to dupe both the staff and Naomi and her mother, then made them carry out a serious of "humiliating and embarrassing" tasks around the store.

The manager and another member of staff were told to tie string around Naomi and Pamela's ears, throw water over them, draw on their faces with pens and make them crawl around the store on their hands and knees. The mother and daughter were also ridden like horses around the store and told to lick the staff's feet.

Throughout the hoax Naomi and her mother were referred to by the two female members of staff as "ugly and "beast" and in return had to refer to the manager as "beautiful lady".

"I started to think this was a scam and my mum then mentioned this to the staff and eventually we left saying if this was a prank we would want compensation. The manager asked to take my number and promised to let me know what happened," she said.

Naomi then received a call on her mobile from the prank caller. "The manager must have been contacted by him again and given him my number.

"He said to go back to the store and when you arrive, you have to knock on the door on your hands and knees. You have ten minutes left to win the money."

Naomi and her mother then returned as did as instructed and the ordeal continued for another half an hour. Eventually the manager of the store called the company's HR and was told to contact the police.

According to her daughter, Pamela who is 55 and has one arm, is horrified by the ordeal. "We are both too scared to go into pound world now. I had to go in again to get these special straws for the holiday because it was the only place where I could get them, and I had to go in with accompanied with other people because I was scared," Naomi said.

"I sustained injuries, my knees were red raw and I had marks on my wrists, arms and back," she added.

A Poundworld spokesperson said: "We apologise unreservedly to our customer for their experience at our Barnstaple store, which our team also fell victim of.

"The incident has been referred to the police and we are assisting them with their enquiries.

"We have conducted our own investigation and re-issued guidance to our stores around the verification of telephone calls to help ensure something such as this does not happen again in the future."

Poundworld has apologised to the family and offered them a 200 Poundworld voucher.

"That was it. It's ridiculous," said Naomi. "We want to sue but we can't because the police don't know who it is," she said.
When we first saw trailers of War Machine, the Brad Pitt starrer Netflix Original, the concept of a post-war satire; the story of an hedonistic fool in a powerful position, was quite intriguing. And yes, we have thoroughly enjoyed Pitt's slick and witty version of Rusty Ryan in the Ocean's franchise, or even his mad portrayal of nazi-killing Lt Aldo Raine in Inglorious Bastards. There is also no doubt that Pitt has made his mark as one of the most notable actors in Hollywood, but his take on a real-like four-star General, one who had a pretty distinguished yet complicated military record, failed to impress.

War Machine is a film that has a confused identity. On one hand it is an end-of-war parody about a holier than thou military general, while on the other hand, it highlights the historic American political attitude of subtly invading countries in crisis, in the garb of peace. However, it tries too hard and misses on both fronts.

General Glen McMahon (Brad Pitt) is a high ranking military officer who is a stickler for systems organisation. He is a committed military man who never wavers from his routine of morning runs and single daily meals. Come to think of it, his mechanical lifestyle does add an element of absurdity and humour to the script. He also tends to generalise everything which is funny; there's a scene in which he asks his IT systems head to repair his electronic razor, which is ludicrously comic. Many such small instances make for a good opening (say first half hour) for the film.

McMahon is tasked on a "reconnaissance" mission to Afghanistan by the Obama administration (at the time of elections), which is looking to wind up a decade long invasion of the country. Chosen for his reputation as an order-following naive mule, McMahon is assigned in Afghanistan just as a representation of the US military might, but things progress very differently. The film, as most of you may know, is inspired party by Michael Hastings' non-fiction book called 'The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War In Afghanistan'. The book details Hastings' time spent with General Stanley McChrystal and his team back in 2010. Hastings' account included over 20 hours of audio recordings and self-witnessed accounts of the various frivolities of McChrystal and his team.

While the character of McMahon (General McChrystal in real life) is set up well at the very beginning, it's difficult to see Pitt and his unnatural lip pout throughout the film. One keeps hoping he would give up the weird lower lip extension, as it barely adds to the character he is trying to portray.

War Machine could have been more impactful if it had truly tried to highlight General McChrystal's accomplished war record, his position as the driving force behind the Pentagon's most secretive black ops, as well as his alleged involvement in various administrative cover-ups, but instead it focusses too hard to make Pitt sound and look funny, which he stops being after a point in the film.

But, as we said before, the movie does have a few funny moments; one where Pitt pretends not to hear a superior on video call or another where he tries to force his idealistic, self-important opinions on others. These do make the movie worth a one-time watch. Although, we dont promise these bursts of humour will hold your attention for too long.

There is a scene in the movie where the narrator (the film is narrated from the perspective of Michael Hastings) is heard saying, "You can't build a nation at gunpoint." This truly resonated with us, but its impact didn't last long, as the film tries too hard to be satirical.

There's also an instance inspired by one that happened to McChrystal in real life - a meeting with President Obama aboard Air Force One, wherein the General was reprimanded by the President for publicly dissing Vice President Joe Biden's counterterrorism approach in Afghanistan. In the movie, the meeting never happens and all McMahon gets to do is shake hands with the President. Altering facts for a film based on real-life is risky, and especially annoying when one goes back and reads the original article, only to find out that the meeting actually took place.

The culmination of the movie (and General McChrystal's career) happens after an expose in Rolling Stone, which captured the General and his posse having a wild time all over Europe, while openly criticising the then administration. The timeline of these incidents is not well established, leaving the viewer a little confused.

Overall, we would say that War Machine is a decent one-time watch, provided misinterpretation of facts from the real story is okay with you. We think the makers of the film had a real good, powerful story in their hands and it could have been a big one for Netflix. Sadly, War Machine is average at best. As for Brad Pitt, he failed to recreate the magic of Inglorious Bastards.

PS: Don't miss Ben Kingsley as President Karzai.
Jia Yueting is going to remain as the CEO of LeEco, but he's no longer in control of the holding company, Leshi Internet & Information Technology Corp.

LeEco founder, Jia Yueting has resigned from the post of CEO, from the companys publicly listed unit, Leshi Internet & Information Technology Corp, says a report by Reuters. The founders resignation comes during a tough period for the company, after it reported last year that rapid expansion had led to a cash crunch for the company. Its worth noting that Yueting will remain the CEO of the LeEco business, still.

Further, the Reuters report say the company has brought its loans down by almost half from a whopping 10 billion yuan (approx. Rs. 100 billion). Yueting will be replaced at the helm of the parent company, by Liang Jun, who has been an executive at Lenovo for a long time.

LeEco has been almost silent since Yueting announced the cash crunch publicly. The company hasnt launched many products since, and didnt have the best showing with its acquisition, Faraday Motors, either. In a recent meeting with journalists in India, the companys new Country Head, Alex Li, reiterated LeEcos commitment to India.

Li announced the launch of LeEcos new Super4 TVs in the country. However, the TVs seem to be under the coming soon status on both LeMall.com and Flipkart. The company has laid off most of its staff in India as well, but still have establishments in Bangalore, while its Delhi and Mumbai units are skeletal at best. There have also been reports about the companys content partnerships falling through in the country.

When it had first launched here, LeEco had said it wants to produce original content in the country. Its business model has historically revolved around its content service, which include the LeEco suite of apps. These have been down in the country for a while now, although in an interview with Digit earlier, Li told Digit that the company will have them back up soon.
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By GEORGE PLAVEN

East Oregonian

PENDLETON, Ore.  As more wind and solar projects take shape in Eastern Oregon, the Umatilla Basin finds itself caught between interests.

On the one hand, Oregon utilities must provide an increasing amount of energy from renewable sources, and green energy developers are eager to build around the region. Farmers, however, worry about a mess of transmission lines crisscrossing their property to connect to the power grid, cutting over fields and taking valuable land out of production.





. . .
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SEATTLE (AP)  A jury has awarded $9.5 million to the family of a Washington man who died in a collision with a fire truck.

The Kitsap Sun reports lawyers from the fire district argued that Jason Foster had been driving unsafely when he crashed his motor scooter into a crossing fire truck. Foster's lawyers, however, argued he had been operating sensibly and had the right of way.





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SEATTLE  A food-distribution warehouse at 815 S. 96th St. has sold for $25.6 million, according to King County records.

The seller was an LLC related to Panattoni, which acquired the property in 2013 for $4.2 million. Panattoni redeveloped the site, adding two buildings.





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Permafrost melt threatens 'Doomsaday' seed Vault in Norway

Norway is boosting the flood defences of its Global Seed Vault on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard after water entered the entrance tunnel last year.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a gene bank built underground on the isolated island in a permafrost zone some 1,000 km from the North Pole, was opened in 2008 as a master backup to the world's other seed banks.

Samples from seed collections around the world have been deposited in the world's largest repository, deep inside a mountain, to safeguard against wars or natural disasters wiping out global food crops.

But now it is under threat, as unseasonably high temperatures last year caused the permafrost to melt, sending water into the access tunnel. No seeds were damaged but the facility is to have new waterproof walls in the tunnel and drainage ditches outside.

The vault stores seeds from crop species from around the world. Dried and frozen, it is believed they can be preserved for hundreds of years. Although most countries keep their own supplies of key varieties, the Global Seed Vault acts as a back-up.

Scientists at the facility describe the vault as the most important room in the world. If a nation's seeds are lost as a result of a natural disaster or a man-made catastrophe, the specimens stored in the Arctic could be used to regenerate them.

For example, in September 2015, Syria's civil war prompted the first withdrawal of seed deposits from the vault. The seeds, including samples of wheat, barley and grasses suited to dry regions, were requested by researchers elsewhere in the Middle East to replace seeds in a gene bank near the Syrian city of Aleppo that was been damaged by the war (See: Syria conflict prompts first withdrawal from doomsday seed bank).

Norwegian government spokeswoman Hege Njaa Aschim told the BBC that the reason the vault was built on Svalbard was because the permafrost was thought to be permanent.

She said the problems emerged last October when the temperatures, instead of being -10C or colder, were hovering around 0C.

"It was like a wet summer in Norway," she said.

"Inside the mountain it's safe but the problems we have experienced are just outside and in the front of the tunnel, which is the entrance. So yes, maybe something has changed in the permafrost, but we don't know, and that is what the climate researchers are looking into. We have to follow them carefully."

The new measures announced include drainage ditches on the mountainside to stop water from accumulating around the access tunnel, while waterproof walls inside the tunnel itself will provide extra protection for the vaults.

In addition, Statsbygg, the agency that administers the vault, is to carry out a research and development project to monitor the permafrost on Svalbard.
For the graduates walking across the stage at Troy Universitys Dothan Campus Spring Commencement, their academic achievements and professional plans come along with civic responsibilities.

Dothan Area Chamber Foundation President Danny Sharp, the keynote speaker at the ceremony Sunday at the Dothan Civic Center, told the group of more than 100 graduates that its not enough just to provide for themselves and their families.

We all have to work to provide for our families and pay our bills, but outside the work world are many opportunities and, I believe, responsibilities to serve  chambers of commerce, service organizations, civic clubs, boys and girls clubs, food banks, church outreach ministries and others, Sharp said. There are over 400 nonprofit agencies in our area alone with the single purpose to make someones life better, a little easier, safer.

Sharp, whose volunteer work includes stints with the Dothan Exchange Club, Dothan Rotary Club, Dothan Area Food Bank and Catholic Social Services, said the need for volunteers and leadership is especially strong in the Wiregrass.

Spend a day or two with me and I will show you need  need to read, need to eat, help in making better decisions, help in turning ones life around, he said. Each of our communities needs leadership. Why not you?

Sharp said only one in four adults in the region have a college degree, which speaks highly of the graduates work ethic and dedication.

I know that you will do well, and my wish is that you will do well right here in this area, because you living, working and raising your family here makes us all better, he said.

Sharp is a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial Alfred Saliba Realty.
This June 3rd, Quintessence Theatre, An Tain Art Centres Theatre Company in Residence, create a physical, innovative re-telling of the very legend from which the Tain derives its name.

Blending movement, dance, live music and storytelling, Quintessence, in association with the Tain March Festival, take this epic of ancient Irish literature and breathe vivid new life into it by telling the story through the eyes of the royal warrior Queen Mebd.

Witness her armys march on Ulster, Cuchulainn's herculean defiance, the five-day fight that finally saw the defeat of Ferdia on the sword of his brother Cuchulainn, and the battle of the bulls!

An Tain Arts Centre Director Paul Hayes says We are really looking forward to seeing what Quintessence will do with this ancient tale. We are producing the show in association with the Tain March Festival and it promises to be a wonderful night at the theatre.

Warrior of the Tain takes place in the studio theatre on Saturday 3rd June at 8pm and tickets are 12 and 10 concession, available from An Tain Arts Centre, Crowe Street, Dundalk.

Booking on 042 9332332 or online at www.antain.ie
The South Armagh man suspected of involvement in the murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe will be deported from the United States no later than Thursday.

The Irish Times are reporting that the man, who was held over the weekend at the Hudson County Correctional facility in New York, is set to arrive back in Ireland on Wednesday or Thursday at the latest this week.

The man, who is understood to be in his 20s, was detained by immigration officials in New York last Thursday. He cannot be named for legal reasons, and was detained last Thursday by Homeland Security on allegations he overstayed his visa in the US.

It is understood the man had been working in the construction industry in New York and hiding out in the Irish community.

The suspect was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, a branch of the department of homeland security, for violating immigration rules.



It is understood the arrest, first reported by the Irish Daily Star, was made as part of a targeted operation following co-operation between gardai and immigration officials in New York - effectively side-stepping the extradition process.

Its understood the man will be arrested once he arrives back in the country.
When co-working space provider Hub Australia launches its second Sydney site, early next year, its national footprint will have nearly doubled. Founder and CEO Brad Krauskopf spoke to Dynamic Business about his vision for Hub Hyde Park, a 4200 square metre space at 223 Liverpool Street. He also discussed his future plans for Hub Australia and shared his predictions on the future of the co-working movement.

DB: How would you quantify the success of Hub Australia to date?

Krauskopf: Weve been pioneering co-working in Australia since 2010, when we open our first site at Donkey Wheel House in Melbourne. From that time, the business has grown to four locations across Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, including Hub Hyde Park at 223 Liverpool Street, which will be our second Sydney site after Hub William Street. The new site will bring our Sydney footprint to over 5000 square metres and over 10000 square metres nationally.

In terms of members, weve seen strong growth yearly and currently have over 1,100 Hub Australia members nationally  an innovative and inspiring community we are really proud of! Once Hub Hyde Park opens we expect to support 2,000 members. Beyond the space and customer service, the main reason for our growth has been our focus on helping members grow their business and attract and retain staff.

DB: What motivated you to launch a second space in Sydneys CBD?

Krauskopf: Weve experienced strong demand for co-working space from the Sydney business community and, with a tightening office market and changing work practices, there is an appetite for flexible and well-designed office space. Australians recognise the various benefits of co-working  for instance, they are customisable and can adapt as our business grows, there are opportunities to further business and personal networks. Furthermore, they are an inspiring place to work and also bring clients.

DB: Whats your vision for the new site and have you had any sign-ups?

Krauskopf: Were passionate about helping businesses grow. We want to create an engaged community at Hub Hyde Park which will help our members grow their businesses and skills. The site will feature state-of-the-art design and facilities including an event space, parents room, gym relaxation space and parking. Additionally, members and their guests will have access to a private roof top terrace and a licensed cafe with views over the park and the surrounding city.

Weve had a number of expressions of interest, which is fantastic this early in the process and we hope to reveal some of the exciting businesses that will call Hub Hyde Park home, later this year.

DB: How are you responding to a growing number of co-working services?

Krauskopf: Hub Australia is the local co-working pioneer and weve been at the forefront of the sectors growth in Australia, which I believe has given us unique insight into what Australians need from a co-working space. We look at overseas trends and interpret them for the local landscape, and our mission is to create a home for growing businesses.

Our main point of difference is our focus on growing businesses, this is most often recognised by our members who highlight that Hub Australia is key for the attraction and retention of staff. This focus flows through to how we design and manage our spaces, and how we build and nurture the company. We dont measure success by size, but strive to create an engaged community through a diverse member base, inspiring and flexible work environments and creative member programming. This in turn propels business growth for our members.

DB: For a co-working space to succeed, what are some must-haves?

Krauskopf: I believe a co-working space needs to have an engaged community at its core and what helps drive this is inspiring but functional design, a diverse member base, a vibrant culture and a central location with good transport links. I also see member programming as a must. We find our regular business, networking and social events for members encourage connection and collaboration.

DB: How has co-working evolved? What will the next evolution look like?

Krauskopf: While co-working spaces were initially used just by freelancers and start-ups, we are now receiving more enquiries than ever before from large companies and corporates. At our Hub Southern Cross space, which opened late last year, Australia Post took significant space for its Innovation Team to connect with growing businesses. Sensis and Suncorp have also chosen to base teams at Hub Southern Cross, and Hub Hyde Park will include the provision of several spaces specifically designed to meet the needs of corporate teams.

I expect the next evolution of co-working will see growth beyond the co-working space. Organisations will look to ways that they can bring co-working spaces into their own corporate headquarters and multi-tenanted corporate towers.

B: What about the next evolution of Hub Australia  what will that look like?

Krauskopf: Were currently focusing on securing further locations in Melbourne and Sydney and establishing a space and community in Brisbane. In the coming year our members will also see expanded learning, wellness and social programming, and the introduction of member services that support their growth.

See also: Diverse co-working ecosystems generate innovation and huge amounts of B2B trade
PwC has topped LinkedIns list of top 25 Australian companies for 2017, with second, third and fourth places going to KPMG, Westpac Group and The Commonwealth Bank.

The list is a showcase of the companies that are most sought-after by professionals, based on data collected by the network, including actions by its members.

It is interesting to note that all the new additions to the list for 2017, including Westpac and CIMIC group who are in the top ten, are Australian-born, reflecting Australian professionals desire to work for homegrown companies said Jason Laufer, Director of Talent and Learning Solutions at LinkedIn, Australia and New Zealand.

Australias top companies all have a strong employer brand that is central to their recruitment. We know that a companys culture and purpose are key drivers for attracting great talent, but also retaining employees. Companies that are developing and sharing content through their employees networks are actively demonstrating their employer brand to potential candidates.

Many of the top companieshave one thing in common: they reward their employees well. From some offering birthday leave to wellbeing programs and an open dress code, corporate culture has become overloaded with perks and gifts in order to help their workers stay in the company and grow within it too. The most common perks include flexible working hours and parental support.

Laufer identified some of the interesting things that the top 25 companies are giving their employees:

PwC has a strong focus on flexibility and offers floating public holidays which allows employees to pick whether they take state-based public holidays off, or choose another day instead.

has a strong focus on flexibility and offers floating public holidays which allows employees to pick whether they take state-based public holidays off, or choose another day instead. REA Group has created a space in their Melbourne office built for welcoming dogs, so that employees could bring their pets to work on certain days.

has created a space in their Melbourne office built for welcoming dogs, so that employees could bring their pets to work on certain days. CottonOn encourages their staff to take Empower Hours so they can go out and do their own thing such as surfing before work.

Its not just perks that differentiates these companies, Laufer added. They are also helping their employees transform by providing the opportunity to work on meaningful projects and creating an environment that encourages them to innovate and take intelligent risks.

The full list of LinkedIns Top Companies 2017 is below:

PWC Australia KPMG Australia Westpac group Commonwealth Bank Wesfarmers Qantas CIMIC Group Deloitte Australia Macquarie Group Telstra Virgin Australia Suncorp Group Scentre Group Downer Lendlease REA Group AMP Vodafone Australia National Australia Bank Origin Energy Cotton On Group Lion Woolworths Group BHP Bank of Queensland

LinkedIn Top Companies 2017  further information
One small section of a 798-page bill titled the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 was clearly written by lobbyists for the forest products industry. Buried on page 366 is this statement:

To support the key role that forests in the United States can play in addressing the energy needs of the United States, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall, consistent with their missions, jointly establish clear and simple policies for the use of forest biomass as an energy solution, including policies that reflect the carbon-neutrality of forest bioenergy and recognize biomass as a renewable energy source, provided the use of forest biomass for energy production does not cause conversion of forests to non-forest use.

In a piece for ClimateCentral.org titled Spending Deal Overrides Climate Science on Wood Energy, John Upton explains that this change is intended to put the burning of wood (biomass) on the same footing as clean renewable energy sources like solar and wind:

Congresss bipartisan spending agreement could fund federal government operations for less than a year, but its effects on climate policy could persist through future presidential administrations. [The] appropriations bill directs several federal agencies to develop consistent policies that would, in many circumstances, define wood energy as being as friendly for the climate as solar or wind power, despite its heavy climate impacts. While burning wood for energy can help with the disposal of waste and reduce fossil fuel use, it releases more heat-trapping carbon dioxide than heavily polluting coal.

Warren Cornwall at Science goes further, explaining that the move goes against the beliefs of the scientific community and suggesting that policy matters like this should be the scientific community who decides what is and what isnt carbon neutral:

[C]ritics charge the carbon math for these power plants is far more complicated, and that the amendment seeks to replace scientific judgment with a political declaration. The Senate is on the verge of mandating that its carbon neutral, and it isnt, says Philip Duffy, president and executive director of the Woods Hole center, a nonprofit climate research group in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He helped write the letter and recruited scientists with backgrounds in climate, energy, and forest ecology to sign it. It should be the scientific community and the engineering community, and not the Senate or another legislative community, saying whats carbon neutral. The letter notes that burning wood releases more carbon dioxide than coal for each unit of power produced. And theres no assurance all that carbon will wind up back in trees and the ground, the scientists caution. Logged land could be put to other uses, new forests might be managed differently than the ones they replaced, and insect infestations or droughts could make it hard to reestablish trees.

After Uptons piece came out, Andrew Johnson, vice president of TSI, manufacturer of process equipment used in the engineered wood and biomass industries, wrote a rebuttal. His argument is that carbon locked up in wood will be released into the atmosphere when the wood eventually rots  which is true  which makes the burning of wood carbon neutral. Trees take carbon from the atmosphere to build structure (wood, bark, and leaves), all of which is returned to the atmosphere when it decomposes or is burned.

However, what Johnson doesnt address is the way in which this happens. As Upton points out in a piece at Grist, while its true that decomposing wood does release carbon, it does so near the earths surface where it is quickly taken up by plants and trees. On the other hand, both burning coal and wood shift carbon from near the Earths surface into the atmosphere, where it traps heat, while doing little to directly promote forest growth.

Perhaps the biggest problem, however, is that government policies like these encourage countries to exploit wood as an energy source rather than investing in clean, renewable energy sources that go beyond carbon neutrality and actually release no carbon at all. With the burgeoning carbon pellet industry, which depends on the burning of wood to generate heat and electricity, this is already happening, particularly in Europe.

This new law used appropriations legislation to enact energy policy and its gone largely under the radar. But, as I said at the beginning, it seems quite evident that this part of the bill was written by forest product industry lobbyists and not scientists because the forest product industry stands to reap huge profits as the pellet industry continues to grow. And its that industry that will stand to gain the most if their customers are able to claim burning their pellets is carbon neutral. This is particularly true if, like in parts of Europe, this sort of policy leads to big tax breaks and other incentives to promote the use of bioenergy like the burning of wood.

At the end of the day, its a backhanded way of picking winners and losers and delivering profits to a specific industry, something Republicans only hate when its done by Democrats.

[CC photo by Scott Smithson | Flickr]
The Softbank Vision Fund on Saturday announced that it had closed its first major funding round raising more than US$93 billion in capital from the Gulf states, as well as tech stalwarts Apple, Qualcomm and others.

Softbank, which last fall launched the fund with backing from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, said it has received new commitments from the Mubadala Investment Fund from the United Arab Emirates.

The Softbank Vision Fund, which has targeted a $100 billion close within six months, also received commitment pledges from Foxconn and Sharp. Softbank increased its original commitment of $25 billion to $28 billion. Saudi Arabia has pledged to commit $45 billion to the fund.

Coincidentally, the announcement came while the Saudi Royal Family was hosting Donald Trump on his first overseas trip as U.S. president. During his visit, Trump announced a massive arms deal with the Saudis, and they agreed to make major investments in the U.S.

Softbank Chairman Masayoshi Son previously met with Trump during the presidential transition period, following the funds launch.

Softbank has adopted a long-term investment strategy, Son indicated, noting that solving many of the worlds current problems would require patient long-term capital and strategic investment partners with the resources to nurture that success.

Softbank has long made investments in transformative technologies and has supported disruptive entrepreneurs, he said.

The fund plans to take majority and minority stakes in public and private firms, ranging from startups with new technologies to established companies needing substantial funding for growth.

Fund Structure

The fund will be advised by wholly owned units of SBG, known collectively as SB Investment Advisers, and will be led by Rajeev Misra, who will serve as chief executive of SB Investment Advisers. Misra will play a critical role in all fund transactions, with support from a highly experienced international team. Offices will be located in London, San Carlos and Tokyo.

Nizar Al-Bassam and Dalinc Ariburnu of newly formed Centricus, which advised on structuring the fund and raising capital, will continue advising the fund.

The fund will have the right to buy certain investments already acquired by Softbank, including 24.99 percent of its holding in ARM, as well as investments in Guardant Health, Intelsat, Nvidia, One Web and SoFi.

The fund likely will be active across many sectors, including IoT, robotics, artificial intelligence, mobile, communications infrastructure and telecom, computational biology, cloud computing, consumer Internet and financial tech.

The fund will invest in various countries around the world and will not focus particularly on the U.S. or any other single country.

Demand for Capital

The Softbank Vision Fund announcement reflects the growing demand for capital needed to get new ideas off the ground, while at the same time, a lot of funding has been sitting on the sidelines, in pursuit of the right vehicle.

There is a growing sense that the next information technology paradigm is overdue and being delayed due to a lack of capital, remarked Michael Jude, a program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

The Trump administration has signaled a willingness to work with businesses to accelerate technology, particularly if it helps grow U.S. employment, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Softbank is betting on its ability to leverage a more friendly economic tax and political environment, Jude said.

Large amounts of sovereign wealth and corporate cash have been bottled up over the last several years, observed Paul Teich, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Both Apple and Qualcomm have set aside large cash reserves, he told the E-Commerce Times.

This deal enables those companies to place large bets without having a huge direct impact on individual funding rounds, Teich said.

Emerging services that have a physical component, particularly transportation, need to scale fast in order to be competitive, and hardware is still very difficult, he noted.

A company that wants to build a new chip requires a baseline of $100 million, Teich said. A firm that wants to build an IoT sensor platform has to build and deploy a lot of devices during the alpha and beta phases in order to get enough data to feed into deep learning analysis.
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An anti-public lands official in Utah said Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke has already made up his mind to repeal Bears Ears National Monument, a move experts say could be against the law.

According to a report from E&E News, Zinke has already told some officials in Utah that he will recommend revoking Bears Ears National Monuments protected status. This suggests the Trump administration has already made up its mind about the outcome of its so-called review of national monuments created under the Antiquities Act, for which it is ostensibly soliciting public comments.

The Department of the Interior is claiming no decision has been made about Bears Ears, but the E&E report dovetails with news that Zinke mostly met with opponents of the monument while in Utah, as well as the Trump administrations presumptive goal of stripping its protected status.

Meanwhile, a new paper from legal scholars concludes that President Trumps abolition or diminution of a national monument would be against the law. Such a move would also undermine tribal sovereignty and undercut the appointment of official tribal representatives to the newly created Bears Ears Commission, which is supposed to help govern the management of the monument.

What was the point of Zinkes Utah visit?

Ever since his confirmation hearing, Sec. Zinke has been talking up the importance of visiting Utah to see how locals feel about Bears Ears National Monument, which was established by President Obama in 2016 in response to a coalition of Native American tribes seeking to preserve thousands of priceless archaeological sites.

But when Zinke actually spent time in and around Bears Ears, tribal leaders and other defenders of public lands felt their voices were not heard, with at least one Navajo leader barred from a meeting by Utah Highway Patrol troopers.

During Zinkes trip, Sen. Orrin Hatch, who lobbied for President Trumps executive order targeting national monuments, insultingly claimed the Indians do not understand the implications of the monument designation they championed for years, and suggested they take [his] word for it that its status should be changed.

More than 70 percent of voters in Utah supported monument protection for Bears Ears. On a national level, 90 percent of voters support presidential proposals to protect lands as monuments, while 69 percent oppose efforts to stop this practice. But the Trump administration appears to care little for the views of the American peoplenot to mention the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, signer of the Antiquities Act, whom both Zinke and the president himself have claimed to revere.

Trumps anti-monument order could open the floodgates.

The visit to Utah came not long after Trump signed an executive order that would subject at least 27 national monuments to review and potentially reduced protection. It was a push to rescind or shrink Bears Ears that reportedly motivated the Trump administrationencouraged by Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz and other Utah politiciansto sign the recent order in the first place, but the move could have widespread repercussions.

The action primarily targets monuments designated since the beginning of 1996 that are 100,000 acres or larger, but could end up affecting more than 50 monuments established in that span, including sites like Colorados Browns Canyon National Monument. And once the roadwork has been laid to revisit those monuments, countless others will be at risk.
Although not on most peoples radar here, New York is one step closer to becoming the first state to have genetically modified, non-sterile insects released outside without cages.

Last week, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-APHIS) ended the public comment period for its most recent environmental assessment of the proposed field release of a genetically engineered (GE) diamondback moth, an insect that causes serious damage to cruciferous crops such as broccoli and cauliflower. The release would be the first open-air trial in the U.S. of a GE agricultural pest created with a technology that doesnt use sterility as a way to control population.

USDAs assessment supports the permit application by Dr. Anthony Shelton of Cornell University and paves the way for trials that would take place on the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in bucolic upstate New York. Although the comment period occurred in the middle of planting season, the USDA did not honor a request by Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York and Food & Water Watch for a 30-day extension to allow interested parties to properly assess the complex report. Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York Liana Hoodes described the lack of an extension as unfortunate for the farmers of the region who may be significantly affected by these trials.

If the permit is approved, Cornell will be able to release up to 30,000 GE moths per week for three to four months for up to two years. The modified moths are imported from Oxitec, Ltd., the same British company that engineers the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which is at the center of a fierce controversy in the Florida Keys.

Oxitecs designer moth uses the same technology employed with their modified mosquitoes that have already been released in Brazil, Panama and the Cayman Islands. As in those programs, the male GE moth is not sterile but instead carries an engineered trait designed to kill most of its female offspring. However, although approximately 99 percent of the females will not survive to adulthood, many will die on the target crop, which raises concerns about ingestion of the tiny GE larvae by livestock, wildlife and humans if the process is eventually put into widespread use. In addition to this obvious ick factor, watchdog organizations have also questioned the use of tetracycline as the agent that switches off the lethality gene in the laboratory, citing antibiotic resistance among other issues.

This phase of the project follows closed cage trials that Cornell conducted in 2015. Critics of the open release proposal point out that data from those experiments have still not been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Consumer advocate groupsincluding the Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Consumers Union, GeneWatch UK and Friends of the Earthhave written to Cornell and asked for more details about the earlier trials.

Doing this new environmental assessment without releasing previous data is irresponsible, Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety senior policy analyst, said.

On the last day to submit comments, the USDA had received nearly 600 responses to their assessment of the open release plan, the overwhelming majority of which were opposed to granting the permit. About 40 commentersprimarily academics and conventional farming and biotech industry representativesexpressed support. Among those who asked the USDA to reject the proposal, commenter Jessica Visconti of Paramus, New Jersey, made a very simple plea: Do not do this, she wrote.
Flooding breached a supposedly impregnable Arctic doomsday vault containing a collection of seeds stored for an apocalypse scenario last week, after warmer-than-average temperatures caused a layer of permafrost to thaw.

Buried into a hillside on the Norwegian archipelago, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault contains more than 930,000 different varieties of seeds intended to ensure the safety of humanitys food supply in the event of a global disaster.

50,000 Seeds Deposited to 'Doomsday Vault' Housing World's Largest Collection of Crop Diversity https://t.co/gQYWDKIRA9 @Greenpeace  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) February 26, 2017

While no seeds were damaged, and while minor flooding does occur at the vault every year, the Norwegian government will redesign the vault to protect against increasingly extreme future flooding.

It was not in our plans to think that the permafrost would not be there and that it would experience extreme weather like that, government official Hege Njaa Aschim told The Guardian.

Drainage ditches will be constructed on the mountainside to prevent melt water from Platafjellet accumulating around the access tunnel and to protect against water intrusion resulting from any climate change, according to a Crop Trust press statement.

For a deeper dive:

The Guardian, Washington Post, Quartz, BBC, Popular Science, NPR, Vox, Mashable

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News.
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Car tyres slashed in Douglas

Police are appealing for information after a car had its tyres slashed while parked in Douglas.

The black Chrysler Grand Voyager was parked in the Ballaughton Meadows area when the damage occurred.

Officers say an unknown sharp implement has been used to cause the damage between May 8th and 13th.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Police Headquarters on 631212.
A proposal for a Trump initiative for the economic development of the West Bank and Gaza By Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Shimon Shapira and Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah

Since the Oslo Accords in 1993, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been allocated international aid to maintain the territories administered by the Palestinian Authority (PA). In 2016, the Congressional Research Service wrote that the PA was among the worlds largest per capita recipients of foreign aid. Yet, billions of dollars contributed by the donor countries evaporated because of lack of transparency, corruption, and inefficiency. The mismanagement was made worse by the provision of resources for goals that do not serve the Palestinian economy but are related to the PAs terror infrastructure, such as funds for convicted terrorists or their families. In 2016, this alone amounted to $300 million. It is not surprising that despite all the money that has poured into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the situation there has only worsened. The economy of these territories has stagnated with only slow economic growth for prolonged periods of time. As a result, the PA suffers from under-development, virulent poverty, pandemic housing problems, unemployment, lack of adequate medical care, inadequate educational institutions, a catastrophic infrastructure, ecological and environmental hazards due to the pollution of water sources and aquifers  all of which became ammunition for radical Islamic organizations, which have taken advantage of the plight of much of the population to incite against Israel, the Jews, and foreign powers associated with the Jewish state, mainly against the United States. International terrorist organizations and their state supporters have exploited this situation, particularly in the Gaza Strip. On the one hand, the military arm of Hamas works with the Northern Sinai branch of ISIS, providing training, weapons, and medical assistance. On the other hand, Hamas has been a major beneficiary of Iranian military assistance including rockets aimed at Israels cities. While Israel nonetheless allows about 900 truckloads of good per day to enter Gaza through border crossroads, this has still required Israel to impose border restrictions on the Palestinians, stemming from Israels concern for the security of its citizens. Proposal The suggested strategy to adopt in order the lower the political tensions in the area would be the creation of an atmosphere of cooperation, which in turn will make it easier for both parties to begin a real cooperative process and finally allow peace to prevail between Palestinians and Israelis. It is the opinion of the authors of this paper that the Trump administration should play a leading role in ameliorating the situation and creating the proper atmosphere to allow the two parties to reach a future agreement. To defuse the hostile environment, it is of the utmost importance that the U.S. propose an improved economic recovery plan to the Palestinians that will generate a situation in which Palestinians will not allow the extremists to rule their lives. The recovery must not be another cash handout to the Palestinians, but rather a program aimed at improving Palestinian infrastructures. Instead of bigotry, hatred, and violence, the Palestinians will begin to see a steady supply of electricity, better water quality, improved healthcare, economic growth, and educational benefits  national accomplishments as a result of the economic recovery led by the Trump administration. It is of prime importance that the Trump Administration nominates a high ranking coordinator whose responsibility will be to lead the recovery plan designed by his team and their Palestinians counterparts. In essence, the U.S. will have to present a (multi-billion USD) package deal to be disbursed over the next few years to create growth, employment, prosperity, and recovery. All projects would be implemented by U.S. firms working with local sub-contractors. The areas of activity are as follows: Roads and Railways: It is important to renovate the transportation infrastructure to allow for improved connection between the different parts of the PA. It would be beneficial to rethink a highway that would link Gaza to the West Bank and link the PA to the highway reaching Amman, Jordan. Electricity: Today the Palestinians are entirely dependent on electricity provided by Israel. The alternative could be to build power stations in the PA or at the border with Israel, powered by gas provided from Israeli/Palestinian wells in the Mediterranean Sea and constructed by U.S. companies. Port and Airport: These are essentials to assure the autonomy of the PA. However, due to security reasons, a more sound proposal would be for the U.S., in concert with Israel, to assure the security of those installations, once they are built and operational. Housing and Urbanization: Palestinian cities are a city planners nightmare. Re-organizing the cities/refugee camps to best serve their citizens should be a priority. The Gaza Strip is one of the densest areas in the world. The only way to survive the demographic outburst is by rebuilding Gaza as a new Hong Kong by dismantling the existing refugee camps and building instead a modern complex of high-rise towers together with the required infrastructure (kindergartens, schools, playgrounds, healthcare clinics/hospitals, and municipal services). In the new political situation, it is inconceivable that a situation will be allowed to exist by which a Palestinian refugee living in his own state will still be considered to be a refugee. Alternative plans have explored the possibility of building artificial islands in the Mediterranean facing Gaza and linked by bridges to the mainland to gain reclaimed territory over the sea and build high rise towers on them as well. Water Supply: The PA suffers from a lack of water. This can be addressed in multiple ways. First, repair the Palestinians urban water infrastructure. As much as 33 percent of Palestinian cities water is lost through leakage or mismanagement. Unauthorized water wells proliferate, leading to the salinization or crashing of aquifers. Assist the PA in managing the drilling. The U.S. could request Israel to augment its desalination capacity to provide the PA with purified water. Second, new desalination plants can be constructed in the PAs territory. Financed by a joint U.S.-Gulf state fund. Sewage Treatment: Sewage has reached the deep aquifer and polluted most of the wells in the West Bank and Gaza and also penetrated the Israeli aquifer. The pollution has reached catastrophic proportions endangering the Dead Sea. The technology to change this situation currently exists, the failure to exploit the capacity emanates from Palestinian political considerations. Construct water treatment plants to recycle waste water for use in agriculture instead of using fresh water. It is imperative to take care of the sewage leaking to the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and the Negev desert. Healthcare: Creating a complete healthcare system from scratch. Building new hospitals on the borders with Israel while renovating existing ones in Gaza and the West Bank. Tourism: Encouraging the establishment of hotel networks around religious and other tourist sites in the West Bank, and along the seashore in Gaza. Special attention should be given to religious sites like Bethlehem and Qasr al-Yahud. These eight areas of activity comprise the primary areas of focus for this blueprint and outline the scope of effort between its potential partners. It is essential that Israel is a full partner in the planning of this initiative. Israel has vital security concerns in Area C in the West Bank which contain vital defense facilities. There is sufficient space in Areas A and B for new construction. European donors have not always been cognizant of these interests. But there are also wider considerations for this plan. In recent years, goods from the West have reached Israeli ports, where they were re-routed to the West Bank and Jordan and then eastward to the Arab world. Economic planning must take this regional dimension into account. In the future, it is conceivable that Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan could serve as a regional hub. After considering a number of alternatives, it is clear to the authors that the best long-term political and economic solution to the future status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is the establishment of a confederation linking the West Bank and Jordan. This will provide economic and geostrategic depth to Jordan and the Palestinians and a viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Finally, what happens in the Gaza Strip will have implications for Northern Sinai, which has been the heart of Egypts present security challenges. Thus at a certain stage, the concerns of both Egypt and Jordan must be taken into account as this initiative unfolds. Conclusion Implementing this plan holds the promise of creating the desired atmosphere in which the Palestinians can feel confident and ready to co-exist with their Israeli neighbors through the good services of the Trump Administration. Defusing the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians definitely serves the goals of the U.S. and certainly carries a deep impact on U.S. national security. It will provide a firewall for containing further Iranian expansion into the Southern Levant with the active support of Russia. The advantages of such a situation are enormous compared to the risks of confrontation which transcend Israels borders. Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Shimon Shapira is a senior research associate at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. He edited the Jerusalem Center eBook Iran: From Regional Challenge to Global Threat. He served as bureau chief to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the military secretary to the Prime Minister. Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah, a special analyst for the Middle East at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, was formerly Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence. Home
Government punishes disfigured combat vet thousands of dollars - for working By Rachel Alexander

Ellis Jerry Majetich served our country in both the Army and the Marine Corps. He was Security Team Leader, Captain's Orderly and Squad Leader with Weapons Company 1/7 during Desert Shield/Storm and a Tactical Team Leader with PSYOP, 7th Group during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In October 2005, his vehicle was struck with an IED. He suffered incredible injuries, including 100 percent face and scalp burns. He was unrecognizable. Majetich was honorably discharged and given several awards, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His recovery has been a long, uphill battle. He has had 73 surgeries, including extensive facial reconstruction. Parts of his fingers have been amputated; his right hand is basically a nub. He was eligible for full-time disability, but Majetich thought if he was capable of working and supporting himself, he would. He discovered Drexel Hamilton, a Wall Street firm that trains returning combat veterans in finance. Up until then, it hadnt been easy for him to find a job. He had no ears, and many employers did not want to deal with his appearance. Things finally started to look up for Majetich, and he married a longtime friend. He had no idea of the bureaucratic financial nightmare he was about to embark upon. He told me that he has received nothing less than outstanding medical treatment from the VA. But I am skeptical about its administrative side. About two and half years ago, Majetich received a bill from the Social Security Administration for about $68,000. He was told that he must repay disability income that he had wrongly received. But he hadnt done anything wrong. When Majetich began working, he asked the Social Security Administration to discontinue the disability income. He was told that the pay would continue for six months, on a sort of trial period before being stopped, and would not have to be repaid. After the six months passed, the pay continued but was reduced a little. He immediately went to the agency again to tell them this, and was informed that his benefits had been halted and whatever he was receiving was because he was a combat veteran, or for his children because they were in college. He told them that he did not believe this was a proper benefit and that everything should stop, but they refused. Over the next year, Majetich went or called the Social Security office 13 times, which was documented in their computer system, telling them to stop paying him. If he attempted to pay them back, all payments made were simply paid back to him. On one of the last few trips there, his then-fiancee came with him and they both refused to leave until the agency produced something in writing showing he was entitled to the benefits. After almost an hour of research, the agency admitted he was right and finally agreed to halt the benefits. While Majetich was receiving the extra pay, he used it for what they told him it was for. He paid for his childrens schoolbooks and helped with their rent and other expenses. Majetich again went to the Social Security office to at least try and have part of the $68,000 written off  but in the fine print there were three rules in order to have any part of the bill withdrawn. First, that it was a mistake by SSA. This was easy, it obviously was. Second, the SSA had to have been notified of their error. Again, easy, as shown in their own computer system, Majetich had been in their office 13 times to do this. But, ah, that third and final clause: Were you financially capable of living without the benefit? Due to the work Majetich was doing, he could have survived without it. He began paying Social Security back $2,000-$2,500 every month. About a month before his wedding, Majetich received a bill from the IRS for about $9,800 saying that because he wasnt entitled to the Social Security payments, they were being taxed. He dutifully paid the IRS debt off last year. But then his disability pay from the VA stopped. When he inquired about it, he was told that he had been overpaid $17,600 because he never told them about a 2009 divorce to a previous wife. They said hed received an extra $200 a month for his spouse after the divorce  curiously providing him with no evidence of this. But Majetich did tell the VA of his divorce immediately after it was finalized, because he didn't want his ex to have any access to his records. The response? It was a different division of the VA and the two departments did not communicate with each other. How are veterans supposed to know they have to contact several different branches within the VA? He was told there are five different branches that should be notified with any marital changes, dependent changes or moves (the VA Medical Center, the VA Regional Office, Vocational Rehabilitation, Benefits and Finance) None of these offices use the same computer system and their computer systems cannot communicate with each other! The VA said they sent Majetich a letter last October notifying him of this action and how to set up a payment plan  but the letter was sent to an address he had seven years ago. Majetich was told if he didnt set up a payment plan with the VA, he would not receive his $3,360 monthly payments for the next six months. But without this money, how could he pay Social Security back every month? He eventually obtained a partial benefits payment, but in return the veteran had to set up a monthly repayment plan of $1,400 for the next year. In the past two and a half years, Majetich has received approximately $96,000 in bills from the government, of which he has paid back $55,000 so far. He now must pay Medicare premiums, since he is no longer receiving Social Security. This is ridiculous considering someone who is considered 100 percent disabled is not charged premiums! Considering what Majetich went through due to his injuries, and the extensive efforts he took in order to clear up the disability payments, he should not be penalized for the governments gross mistakes. He is one of the last Americans this should happen to. Majetich is still undergoing extensive medical procedures. He is being treated for pre-cancerous cells on his lip and is waiting to receive laser treatment on his lips where the skin grafts are ripping at the corner of his mouth. He needs surgery on his right elbow for heterotopic ossification, where bone forms in the soft tissues, typically after a trauma or burn. He also needs surgery on what remains of his right hand to loosen the tendons, because it puts his hand into a fist and pulls it down at the wrist, causing significant pain. Some medical issues he will live with the rest of his life. If he reads more than an article or something brief that requires comprehension, he has severe headaches due to traumatic brain injury. When he's overtired, his speech slows down and it is very difficult for him to speak. He aches from his injuries. He suffers from PTSD that worsens when he takes pain medication. How do you fix this? Ellis Majetich doesnt want pity. There needs to be a veterans advocate for seriously injured veterans. Congress can do this. And the rules need to be standardized across the board within the VA. Overall, the VA has provided Majetich with excellent medical care. But the lack of communication within the agency and with veterans is a real problem that needs work. All Majetich wanted to do was work to support himself and his family, instead of having taxpayers pay for his regular living expenses. President Trump said he is fixing problems within the VA. He or Congress need to fix this one, fast. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. Home
They serve at the pleasure of the president By Dr. Robert Owens

How does impeachment of a president work? The House of Representatives acting as a super grand jury votes an indictment or impeachment. The Senate acting as a jury decides whether or not the charges brought warrant conviction. If the president is convicted by the Senate he is removed from office. If two thirds of the Senate fails to vote to convict the charges are dropped. In that case the president was still impeached but not convicted. In 1868 the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson. This was the first time any president was impeached. Contrary to popular belief President Nixon was never impeached. He resigned while the Watergate debacle was still under investigation. President Clinton was impeached but like Johnson he was not convicted by the Senate so he remained in office until the end of his term. Why is this history lesson appropriate for May 22, 2017? Because I believe President Trump is going to be impeached. Why was Andrew Johnson impeached? Although there were eleven articles of impeachment the main reason and primary cause was that he fired Edwin M. Stanton from the office of Secretary of the Department of War. Congress had passed a law: the Tenure of Office Act. This became law in 1867, over the veto of President Andrew Johnson. It denied the president the power to remove any executive officer who had been appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate, unless the Senate approved the removal during the next full session of Congress. The act was significantly amended on April 5, 1869. Congress repealed the act in its entirety in 1887. In 1926, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional even though it had been repealed almost forty years before. All appointees of the executive office serve at the pleasure of the president. He hires them, and even though the major ones must be confirmed by the Senate, he can fire them. Andrew Johnson missed being convicted by the Senate by one vote. Why was Bill Clinton impeached? In this case there were only two articles of impeachment: lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. President Clinton was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. Needing a two-thirds majority to convict the prosecution failed to achieve even a majority. On the first charge of perjury, 45 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted not guilty, and on the second charge of obstruction of justice the Senate was split 50-50. However, others who were not as politically attuned were not so lenient. In April 1999, U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright found Clinton in contempt of court for giving false testimony in the Paula Jones sexual harassment trial and fined him more than $90,000. Once he lost his presidential immunity he was disbarred from practicing law in Arkansas and was also disbarred from practicing law in front of the Supreme Court. Additionally he was fined $25,000 for his testimony in the Lewinsky incident. Now the impeachment drums are beating again. Democrats determined since November 8th to declare the Trump victory illicit by any means necessary are planning a coup. The RESIST! Movement with its Antifa bully boys dressed in black hiding behind masks has no legs. The American people will tire of their over-the-top antics and eventually they will spawn their own backlash in a call for law and order. However, the political hacks, the perpetually re-elected in Congress are a horse of different color. Theyre biding their time waiting for enough blood to stain the water. Theyre waiting for their stenographers in the ABCCBSNBCPBSCNNMSNBC Cartel to give them enough political cover. Then theyll pounce. Andrew Johnson was a Democrat impeached by a Republican Congress after the Civil War when the Democrat Party was completely discredited. The Republicans had a super majority and still they couldnt convict. In Bill Clintons case Republicans voted with Democrats not to convict even though some on both sides of the aisle gave speeches saying they knew he was guilty and repudiating his actions. In the case of President Trump his political enemies have been field testing charges since day one. They say Russians hacked the election, and even though Hillary won the popular vote these hypothetical Russians were trying to elect Trump. They say President Trump colluded with the Russians to steal the election. Even though months of hearings and armies of investigative reporters have been chasing this mirage there is still no evidence. Now he fired the Director of the FBI, and he supposedly gave classified information to the Russians. Everyone admits he has every right to fire any of the political appointees in the executive branch, and President Putin is offering to give the official transcripts of the meeting between Mr. Trump and the Russian ambassador which prove no classified information was shared. However innocence may not be enough to avoid impeachment just as it might not be enough to avoid conviction. Why? Because the Ryan Rhinos control the house and the McCain/McConnell Never Trumpers control the Senate. Donald Trump is the one thing none of the elites of the Washington Swamp can abide: a non-politician who beat them all at their own game. They cannot afford to let anyone see behind the curtain and find out how the sausage is made. They are dedicated to the proposition that government is too complicated for an average Joe to understand. While Mr. Trump is far from an average Joe he is not one of them. He didnt go to the right schools, he didnt pay his dues on the hustings, and he shines the light on the fact that they arent as special as they want us to think they are. As I have said many times, I think the first 535 names out of any phone book would yield a Congress at least as good as what we have. What we have now is the best Congress money can buy. Under the Telephone Book Party we would at least have a few regular people in there. Watch the news. Try to discern the fake from the real. Tempests in teapots and phony scandals will continue to ruffle the waters until the Government Party is ready to overthrow the Country Party. I believe impeachment will come. What will be the reaction of those riding the Trump train? Will it be despair and withdrawal or rage and confrontation? Over the years I have offered one piece of advice repeatedly. Keep the faith. Keep the peace. We shall overcome. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com  2017 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home
My Pilgrimage, Chapter Thirteen: American Traitors Crying Treason! By Michael Moriarty

Why are the Democrats and the Bush Family Republicans In Name Only claiming Trump is a Traitor and Worthy of Impeachment or, down in Texas, just refusing to defend or support their fellow Republican, President Donald Trump?!

The Democrat Partys Co-Conspirators Both of these above-mentioned sides-of-the-aisle are committed to creating The Progressive New World Order to be directed by the United Nations! The New World Order

is a level of American treason

far beyond anything

that President Donald Trump

might be accused of. The truth of this increasingly insane war between Trumps Executive Branch and the Legislative Dems and RINOs of Congress is that neither Trump nor Fox News will counter-attack the New World Order Activists with the treasonous nature of their own, fundamental but hidden objective! That objective? Abandoning the United States

For

A New World Order

And

The United Nations! Why?! Here is Perry Stone and one, very entertaining description of The New World Order: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR1DHQeWZPk Here is Donald Trumps own explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYozWHBIf8g. Trumps complete awareness of the New World Order Conspiracy and the clarity of his vision is why he was elected! It is also why The President has been and is still being increasingly attacked so treasonously! At even greater length, Trump details the global power struggle. Particularly about the Hillary Clinton, Trump is not exaggerating! My one direct experience with the Clinton Administration was a meeting between NBC and the Attorney General Janet Reno of the Clinton Administration. Reno had declared a kind of war on what she termed television violence. At that meeting she included in her definition of television violence legal conversations merely describing crimes! As she herself put it, They talk about nothing but violence! Its an undeniable step in the direction of curtailing freedom of speech. Following that meeting, I called for a press conference to expose the Clinton Administrations Un-Constitutional efforts to control American television. There is no mention

of that press conference

in my Wikipedia biography! No explanation

of why I chose to leave

the NBC Program Law and Order

long before they concocted an excuse

To fire me. Why? I suspect

that most of the contributors to Wikipedia

are in favor of

a Progressive New World Order. Wikipedias most recent description of my leaving Law and Order claim I threatened to sue Janet Reno?!?! You dont sue a government official no matter who you are! You just tell the truth about their insanity and corruption and then wait for the administration to be voted out of office!! Little did I know that Ira Glasser, President at that time of the American Civil Liberties Union and my invited guest at the press conference that he would predict, Michael, because of this press conference, you will be ostracized! Both Ira and his prediction were right! It happened. I was, indeed, ostracized. On both coasts! I left Law and Order because of that warning and because NBC refused to support my protest against the Clinton Administration. The behavior of the Clintons and Janet Reno was, yes, transparently Un-Constitutional and therefore treasonous! That conduct has been repeatedly corroborated by Hillary Clintons chronically criminal behavior!! In addition, Wikipedia claims that on the Howard Stern Show I promised to return to Law and Order if Dick Wolf was fired?! During the program, I remember that Wolfs name was played with, i. e. Dick The Wolf and Wolf The Dick but I never recall demanding Wolfs dismissal from NBC. Im eccentric but I hope Ive never been that petty. Dick was following orders! What else could he do and still keep his own creation alive?! I foolishly expected NBC to support my protest and possibly expand it! We were dealing

With Un-Constitutional

And therefore CRIMINAL behavior

By the Clinton Administration! I am, however, grateful to Wikipedia for crafting a new biography for me that now mentions my trade magazine advertisements and the now surprising plug for my book, The Gift of Stern Angels, in which I write at length about my departure from Law and Order. As for NBCs claim that I was fired because of erratic behavior?! I had already quit publically! I had announced that decision in those aforementioned trade ads which stated clearly my decision to leave Law and Order and, as I recall, America! As for my laughter during this so-called erratic behavior?! One of Law and Orders and that particular episodes witnesses testified to having had one of his vital organs removed while he slept on a park bench?!?! Who is really going to believe that?! The possible writer of that episode, Arthur Fornay? Apparently he described my laughter as erratic behavior?! I was unavoidably laughing at a still-hilarious plot device that had lines like, I woke up without my liver! Or was it a kidney? Who cares. The NBC networks claim

that my leaving had nothing to do

with Janet Reno?!?!?! WOW! Thats bold. No wonder Dick Wolf also had to claim that Law and Order had become less violent as if the meeting with Janet Reno had no effect on anyone. Oh! To further update my Wikipedia biography? I still live in Camada. Ive been sober now for over ten years! As for this article, American Traitors Crying Treason?! Just give CNN ten minutes of your time and youll see and hear that New World Order, know-it-all network follow their bosss orders and try every scammy and scummy device possible to have Donald Trump impeached! No scar on Ted Turners eternal reputation will be deeper than the obvious orders hes given and is still giving to his employees to crucify Donald Trump! Im not a fan of Donald Trumps personal style but what has happened and is happening to him, so far, is a bloodless crucifixion. What CNN is secretly praying for?! Only God and the Devil might know. 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
Climate federalism:

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) signed an executive order on Tuesday directing regulators to formulate rules cracking down on electricity sector carbon emissions.

The order requires state officials to convene a working group on carbon emissions and issue a report by the end of the year on potential regulations to limit power plant greenhouse gases.

Any final regulation, according to the order, should be trading ready in case the state decides to enter a regional carbon pollution trading program in the future.
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Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter

A 20-year-old man who was stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend in a car park has been named.

Hosam Eisa had been to the cinema with Salma Begum, 19, when he was set upon at the Waterloo Road car park in Romford .

Police were called to the scene near to the Brewery Shopping Centre shortly after 4.30pm on Thursday (May 18).

Witnesses to the crime described how Miss Begum was left kneeling by her boyfriend's side as she desperately tried to revive him.

Despite the best efforts of the London Ambulance Service , he was pronounced dead at hospital at around 5.30pm.

Speaking to Italian newspaper Gazzetta di Mantova, Miss Begum said: "Hosam didn't know them, I have no doubt about this.

"I was completely paralysed by fear. I could not move, scream or run away. Then they fled running and other people arrived to give us aid, but it was too late."

Two men have been charged with murder following Hosam's death.

Che Pullen, 19, of Loom Grove, Romford , and a 17-year-old man from the Romford area will appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
Turkeys path towards the membership in the European Union and the prospect of its permanent place among Western democracies have both reached a dead end. This disappointing development was not preordained albeit all knew that Turkeys EU membership was always going to be a difficult endeavor mostly due to prejudices existing on both sides.

The launch of Turkeys membership talks was possible thanks to a democratic wave initiated by a coalition of political parties in 1999 and revitalized by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2002. The accession talks won the support of 74 percent of the Turkish population in 2005 and hopes were high that Turkeys membership in the EU could for once prove that Islam, democracy and modernity could work hand in hand. Turkey and the EU would have decisively refuted the idea of the clash of civilizations advanced by writers such as Samuel Huntington.

The decision of EU leaders to formally freeze the accession talks was a milestone in a problematic journey. It was the first time when the process was put on hold for a candidate country, in case of Turkey it was frozen due to continuing violations of fundamental freedoms. As a result, the historic opportunity for both the EU and Turkey has thus lost almost all realistic prospects.

According to experts, the responsibility for this failure is on both sides. First, the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy blocked the desire of the Turkish people to join the bloc and during the 2007-2012 period, he exploited the widespread opposition to Turkish membership for his populist agenda. On top of that, the EU has never successfully addressed the latent conflict in Cyprus, a divided island, which also contributed to the loss of trust.

So where do we go from here? The formal freeze from the EUs side is very likely to trigger more tensions in the mutual ties with Turkey and mainly inside Turkey. This will probably have a bearing on the refugee deal of March 2016, in which Turkey pledged to tame the flow of illegal migrants to Europe in return for financial assistance, resettlement, and visa liberalization.

In any case, Ankara and Brussels will have to create a new framework for their relations. If the EU is interested in having a say in Turkish affairs, the new framework should include a revised set of good governance conditions tied to a program of comprehensive trade liberalization. The proposed modernization of the Turkey-EU customs union provides such an opportunity. However, the new beginning should for now start without the discussion of human rights issues. Instead, it should focus on the rule of law and the implementation of pro-market reforms in Turkey that would lead to a fair and predictable economic climate.

How Turkey and Europe Lost That Loving Feeling  Op-Ed by Sinan Ulgen  Carnegie Europe.

(The Analysis can be downloaded here)
Gente

Eugenia Martinez de Irujo asegura que no le ha dado permiso a Patricia Donoso para llamarse Cayetana de Alba
NATO still has a long way to go to ensure it is credible enough to deter its adversaries

Much has been made of NATOs efforts to increase its credibility in the face of challenges from Russia and the Middle East and to reassure eastern allies that the alliance will come to their defence on the event of war. However, whilst improvements have been made to NATOs overall deterrence policy, there is much still to do. Without further work, there is a danger NATOs deterrence policy will turn into a Potemkin village: painted in bright colours and looking impressive at first glance but lacking substance behind the facade.

In order to inform this process the European Leadership Network (ELN) convened a select group of senior alliance officials and experts in Brussels in order to identify the primary points of oversight. Based on this consultation, the ELN has produced an issue brief examining the strengths and weaknesses in NATOs deterrence posture.

The conclusions can be summarised around five major themes.

Challenge to political unity. Deterrence credibility in the eyes of opponents cannot be divorced from the quality of leadership and perceptions about the Alliances political cohesion or lack thereof. Fundamental disagreements about the relevance of common values such as democracy, rule of law, or a sense that some major NATO members, including the US, may prefer purely transactional or selective engagement with other NATO partners, will be noted by opponents as evidence that the Alliance may be easier to divide during a crisis.

There are serious shortfalls in institutional and political knowledge regarding deterrence. The report finds that since the end of the Cold War understanding of deterrence among alliance and member state personnel has atrophied considerably. A combination of the retirement of senior personnel and a focus on expeditionary operations has left the alliance without the institutional understanding of deterrence needed to effectively operate its interlocking aspects. This has serious ramifications, in terms of securing political commitment to deterrence, ensuring coherent strategic communication, and in managing civilian-military relations. This lapse in education also effects the utility of arms control, a critical aspect of security in the Euro-Atlantic now little understood in national security circles.

NATO deterrence still has some serious credibility gaps. Whilst the Wales and Warsaw Summits did much to update NATO deterrence policy in light of new challenges much remains to be done to ensure that NATO deterrence is fully credible. The ability of NATO to reinforce its eastern members in the event of conflict remains untested and will rely on significant investment in infrastructure. Much remains to be defined about NATOs response to cyber-attacks against its members. Alliance nuclear posture has remained largely unchanged, including an unclear linkage between nuclear and conventional aspects of deterrence. Finally, the collective deterioration of alliance and member state expertise on Russia has led to a corresponding lack of understanding on sending and understanding strategic signalling to/from Moscow.

The Russian challenge is not being met effectively. The specific challenges posed by the Russian Federation in 2017 require a reappraisal of all NATO deterrence aspects. In particular the report argues that NATO must re-accept managed escalation as a tool of credible deterrence, whilst accepting and clearly communicating that restraint is not a weakness. These policies must be combined with a commitment to transparency and confident strategic communication, and to maintaining a disciplined dialogue with Moscow.

NATOs current deterrence policy contains inherent risks. Asymmetries remain in NATO and Russian understandings of deterrence and escalation, including the use, through detonation or otherwise, of nuclear weapons. Failure to understand these differences is dangerous, leading to misinterpretation and unwanted escalation, possibly to the point of conflict. This risk is further heightened by the continued possibility of unintended escalation following an accident involving the armed forces of the two sides. Finally, there remain substantial spoilers in the NATO-Russia relationship. These include technological drivers of instability such as offensive cyber capabilities, ballistic missile defence and cruise missiles, the application of which in terms of deterrence remains contested.

NATOs modern deterrence is not yet fully formed either in conception or in implementation. It faces challenges, diverse risks and apparent serious instabilities that deserve to be more squarely addressed.

It is in NATOs interest to move from the present highly unstable relations with Russia (with the possibility of unwanted and uncontrolled escalation from a minor incident to a major conflict) towards a stable and sustainable mutual deterrence relationship, in which there will be less incentive for either side to engage in risky behaviour and less risk of vicious spirals of confrontation.

The opinions articulated above represent the views of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Leadership Network or any of its members. The ELNs aim is to encourage debates that will help develop Europes capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security challenges of our time.
As the general mood of risk appetite picked up at the start of the week the Pound New Zealand Dollar exchange rate came under renewed pressure.

With jitters over political developments in the US easing the appeal of the risk-sensitive New Zealand Dollar improved, although the future of Trumps much-anticipated infrastructure investment and fiscal reforms remains unclear.

Demand for the Pound, meanwhile, weakened in response to news that the Conservative lead in the polls had narrowed significantly in the last week to just nine points.

This undermined investor confidence that the Tories will cruise to an increased majority in June, putting fresh pressure on Sterling.

As Arnaud Masset of Swissbank noted:

Confidence has been damaged recently over Prime Minister Theresa Mays propositions to amend the social care system and revelations that its introduction was kept in the strictest confidence, putting into question the unity of the Conservative party. Knowing that Sterling has been rallying strongly on anticipation of a stronger Tory majority following the elections, investors are naturally trimming their bullish bets on the Pound.

A smaller majority, or a greater divide amongst the Tories, could result in more fraught path towards Brexit, increasing the risk of the UK leaving the EU without a replacement trade agreement in place.

Downside pressure on the Pound could mount if Tuesdays public sector net borrowing figure proves discouraging, with forecasts pointing towards an increase in government debt.

Given the post-referendum weakness of Sterling and the uncertainty surrounding the matter of Brexit any widening of the UK deficit could extend the losses of the GBP NZD exchange rate.

The appeal of the Kiwi, meanwhile, could weaken if Aprils raft of New Zealand trade data fails to encourage investors.

Forecasts point towards a narrowing of the trade surplus on the month, with both exports and imports thought to have fallen in April.

This could put renewed pressure on the New Zealand Dollar, denting confidence in the health of the domestic economy.

Any upside surprise, however, may prompt the GBP NZD exchange rate to slump further and discourage speculation over the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) adopting a more dovish policy approach.

Demand for the New Zealand Dollar is also likely to remain tied to wider market developments, particularly if there are any further developments in the political scandal currently hanging over the White House.

GBP NZD Data Releases

23/05/17:

09:30 GBP Public Sector Net Borrowing (Pounds) (APR)

23:45 NZD Trade Balance (New Zealand dollars) (APR)

23:45 NZD Exports (New Zealand dollars) (APR)

23:45 NZD Imports (New Zealand dollars) (APR)

25/05/17:

09:30 GBP BBA Loans for House Purchase (APR)

09:30 GBP Gross Domestic Product (QoQ) (1Q P)

09:30 GBP Gross Domestic Product (YoY) (1Q P)
Hi all,



Firstly, a big thanks to all posters out there and a special thanks to the moderators, without whom I don't think I could have applied for a visa.



I applied for my wife's settlement to the UK last week in Saudi Arabia and after giving the pile of documents to the young lady she returned the online visa application form (the one that has the signature, attached photo and bar codes). We did challenge her but she still didn't include it in the application.



I left the centre unsure of what effect it may have on our application.



Has anyone else faced a similar situation?



Thank you in advance



djamaluddin
WASHINGTON  A sizable majority of rural Americans backed Donald Trumps presidential bid, drawn to his calls to slash environmental rules, strengthen law enforcement and replace the federal health care law.

But many farmers are nervous about another plank in Trumps agenda: His vow to overhaul U.S. trade policy, including his intent announced Thursday to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Trumps message that NAFTA was a job-killing disaster never had resonated much in rural America. NAFTA had widened access to Mexican and Canadian markets, boosting U.S. farm exports and benefiting many farmers.

Farm Country went on red alert last month when it looked as if Trump wasnt even going to pursue a NAFTA rewrite: White House aides had spread the word that the president simply would withdraw from the pact.

Mr. President, Americas corn farmers helped elect you, Wesley Spurlock of the National Corn Growers Association warned in a statement. Withdrawing from NAFTA would be disastrous for American agriculture.

Within hours, Trump softened his stance. He wouldnt actually dump NAFTA, he said. Hed first try to forge a more advantageous deal with Mexico and Canada  a move that formally began Thursday when his top trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer, informed Congress of the administrations intent to renegotiate NAFTA.

As a candidate, Trump defined his America First stance as a means to fight unfair foreign competition. He blamed unjust deals for swelling U.S. trade gaps and stealing factory jobs.

But NAFTA and other deals have been good for American farmers, who stand to lose if Trump ditches the pact or ignites a trade war.

The U.S. has enjoyed a trade surplus in farm products since at least 1967, government data show. Last year, farm exports exceeded imports by $20.5 billion.

You dont start off trade negotiations  by picking fights with your trade partners that are completely unnecessary, says Aaron Lehman, a fifth-generation Iowa farmer who produces corn, soybeans, oats and hay.

Many farmers worry that Trumps policies will jeopardize their exports just as they face weaker crop and livestock prices.

It comes up pretty quickly in conversation, says Blake Hurst, a corn and soybean farmer in northwestern Missouris Atchison County.

That countys voters backed Trump more than 3-to-1 in the election but now feel it would be better if the rhetoric (on trade) was a little less strident, says Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

Trumps main argument against NAFTA and other pacts was that they exposed American workers to unequal competition with low-wage workers in countries such as Mexico and China.

NAFTA did lead some American manufacturers to move factories and jobs to Mexico. But since it took effect in 1994 and eased tariffs, annual farm exports to Mexico have jumped nearly fivefold to about $18 billion.

Mexico is the No. 3 market for U.S. agriculture, notably corn, soybeans and pork.

The trade agreements that weve had have been very beneficial, says Stephen Censky, CEO of the American Soybean Association. We need to take care not to blow the significant gains that agriculture has won.

The U.S. has run a surplus in farm trade with Mexico for 20 of the 23 years since NAFTA took effect. Still, the surpluses with Mexico became deficits in 2015 and 2016 as global livestock and grain prices plummeted and shrank the value of American exports, notes Joseph Glauber of the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Mexico has begun to seek alternatives to U.S. food because, as its agriculture secretary, Jose Calzada Rovirosa, said in March, Trumps remarks on trade have injected uncertainty into the agriculture business.

Once word had surfaced that Trump was considering pulling out of NAFTA, Sonny Perdue, two days into his job as the presidents agriculture secretary, hastened to the White House with a map showing areas that would be hurt most by a pullout, overlapped with many that voted for Trump.

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.

I tried to demonstrate to him that in the agricultural market, sometimes words like withdraw or terminate can have a major impact on markets, Perdue said. I think the president made a very wise decision for the benefit of many agricultural producers across the country by choosing to remain in NAFTA.

Trump delivered another disappointment for U.S. farm groups in January by fulfilling a pledge to abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which the Obama administration negotiated with 11 Asia-Pacific countries. Trump argued that the pact would cost Americans jobs by pitting them against low-wage Asian labor.

But the deal would have given U.S. farmers broader access to Japans notoriously impregnable market and easier entry into fast-growing Vietnam.

Philip Seng of the U.S. Meat Export Federation notes that the U.S. withdrawal from TPP left Australia with a competitive advantage because it already had negotiated lower tariffs in Japan.

Trump also has threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports, thereby raising fears that those trading partners would retaliate with their own sanctions.

Farmers know theyre frequently the first casualties of trade wars. Many recall a 2009 trade rift in which China responded to U.S. tire tariffs by imposing tariffs on U.S. chicken parts. And Mexico slapped tariffs on U.S. goods ranging from ham to onions to Christmas trees in 2009 to protest a ban on Mexican trucks crossing the border.

The White House declined to comment on farmers fears. But officials say theyve sought to ease concerns by, for example, having Agriculture Secretary Perdue announce a new undersecretary to oversee trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

Many farmers are still hopeful about the Trump administration. Some hold out hope that he will negotiate ways to improve NAFTA.

Many, though, still worry that Trumps planned overhaul of American trade policy is built to revive manufacturing and that farming remains an afterthought.

So much of the conversation in the campaign had been in Detroit or in Indiana and focused on manufacturing jobs, said Kathy Baylis, an economist at the University of Illinois. The importance of American farm exports never made it into the rhetoric.
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The Boeing Co. ignored warnings and provided lax supervision to an overworked and inexperienced staff that caused $4 million in damages to Air Force Ones oxygen system last year, the U.S. Air Force concluded in a critical report detailing systemic problems with the companys San Antonio maintenance facility.

Boeings demanding performance schedule caused mechanics to feel overwhelmed and pressured, the Air Force wrote in a 23-page investigative report led by Brigadier General Carl A. Buhler. Boeing supervisors also pushed mechanics to complete tasks for the purpose of showing progress, which compromised quality.

Air Force One arrived in San Antonio in April 2015 for heavy maintenance and the crew was 24,000 hours behind schedule within a few months, the investigation found. To make up for lost time, mechanics worked 12-hour shifts up to 7 days a week for months leading up to the accident, according to the March 6 report obtained by the Express-News.

In addition to the direct actions that caused the mishap, I find by a preponderance of evidence that Boeing ignoring cautions and warnings, inadequate oversight, and a failure to absorb or retain the critical oxygen cleanliness training procedures substantially contributed to the damages, the Air Force found after a five-month investigation.

The Air Force disclosed May 9 that three Boeing mechanics at its Port San Antonio facility had contaminated the Boeing 747-200Bs oxygen system in April 2016, creating a fire hazard that had to be fixed at the companys Seattle facilities.

The trouble began when the company decided in 2012 to transfer the contract servicing the executive fleet from Wichita, Kansas to San Antonio where the personnel were less experienced. While Boeing had three years to bring its Texas staff up to speed, 172 of its employees lacked the minimum requirement of 5 years of experience by the time they took over the work in 2015, the report said.

The Air Force granted Boeing a waiver on its experience requirement on March 31, 2015, but it came with a caveat.

Boeing was required to provide adequate oversight to control the risk of its inexperienced workforce in San Antonio, the report said. Although Boeing attempted a few mitigation measures, Boeing ultimately failed to exercise adequate oversight over the (planes) depot maintenance operations, contributing to the mishap.

Boeing said it immediately disclosed the problem and covered all of the costs to repair the VC-25A plane  one of two modified 747s used by the White House as Air Force One.

We didnt hide anything. We elevated it ourselves, we caught it ourselves, we fixed it ourselves, said Boeing spokesman Ben Davis.

The report is accurate and factual, Davis said. We supported the investigation and  took swift action to self-report the incident to the Air Force.

Three Boeing mechanics contaminated some of Air Force Ones oxygen systems by using improperly sanitized equipment, which could have caused a fire on the plane. The mechanics werent trained to do the sanitation work they performed on the equipment, and supervision demanded by the Air Force was not provided until much of the damage had been done.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said the military still plans to service the executive fleet in San Antonio. The Air Force is confident Boeing has improved its oversight practices and can provide safe and effective heavy maintenance for the VC-25A, the report said.

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.

The report reprimanded the mechanics involved in the incident for using tools contaminated with oxygen on the 747-200Bs oxygen system. One mechanic had completed training on proper methods for maintaining oxygen systems just weeks before the incident. Such contamination could have led to a fire in the airplane, according to the report.

Davis said the mechanics did not follow the standards laid out in their training. Neither Davis nor Buhlers report said whether or not the employees were fired or otherwise disciplined.

Weve been serving the Presidential Fleet for over 50 years, Davis said. Its a responsibility we take seriously.

rdruzin@express-news.net
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There are swathes of color in Cuerpo Cubano/Cuban Body, a multimedia group exhibit of work by six artists from the island nation, specifically in the abstracted nudes of Elias Acosta, where the graceful lines of the human body emerge from oceanic depths of greens and blues.

Photographs of a Santeria ceremony and the backstage preparations of a folkloric dance group by Angel Pena provide additional pops.

But for the most part, the exhibit at Bihl Haus Arts is dominated by a subdued palette of black, white and gray; sepia and olive green. Its not what one might expect from artwork produced in a Caribbean country.

We talked about this, that theyre not intense, vivid colors, said curator Liam Nodal, speaking in Spanish. But we didnt want to bring commercial art. We wanted to show work with symbolic weight, a more poetic register.

The exhibit, which offers a glimpse into the art scene of Cienfuegos  a city on the southern coast of Cuba about 160 miles from Havana  also features works by Adrian Rumbaut, Camilo Villalvilla, Vladimir Rodriguez and Omar G. Valenti. In a sense, its a follow up to Icons, a show by Rumbaut at Bihl Haus in 2012.

Kellen McIntyre, executive director of the gallery, first saw Rumbauts work at the home of a board member, a relative of the artists who lives in San Antonio. Not long after, a group from Bihl Haus traveled to Cuba for the Havana Biennial in 2012 and then also to see Adrians work, McIntyre said. The visit resulted in the solo exhibition. Then in 2015, a second Bihl Haus group returned to the island. This time they spent more time in Cienfuegos, and McIntyre returned with plans for a group show.

Most Americans, particularly collectors, think all artists are from Havana in Cuba, and theres a half dozen or a dozen of them that people recognize, McIntyre said. And we started realizing, Theres hundreds of wonderful artists throughout the island.

The works in the show all deal with the body, either literally or metaphorically.

Thinking about the show, I think of not just the Cuban physical body, but the island is a body of land; the water that separates the U.S. and Cuba is a body of water, McIntyre said. Theres the body politic and how different our body politic is from theirs.

With travel expenses covered by Bihl Haus, Nodal and Rumbaut  a married couple  and Villalvilla were able to come to San Antonio to install the show. The exhibition was limited by what they could bring on the plane  mostly rolled up canvases and drawings in tubes and photographs. More than 50 works, including a series of postcard-sized engravings by Rodriguez of ant-like human figures engaged in various tasks, had to be framed after arrival.

In Rumbauts work, the artist layers pieces of cut canvas to create an underlying ghost image. The effect looks like embossed leather.

I dont believe in the flat surface to paint, Rumbaut said, speaking in English. I like different possibilities.

In a star-shaped painting from a series titled Simbolos, soportes y peldanas ( Symbols, Supports and Stairs), the face of Marilyn Monroe emerges through a tangle of bodies painted on the surface. Rumbaut frequently uses images of the actress and Che Guevara as a reference to the era of the Cuban revolution. Another piece from the series features a mash-up of the two icons  Monroes face with Guevaras signature beret and wavy hair.

In Cuerpo sobre simbolo ( Body Over Symbol), Rumbaut alludes to the mingled history of the United States and Cuba. A seated female nude facing away from the viewer represents the motherland. Raised elements of the Cuban and American flags form a labyrinth across her back.

Its my tribute to my family in Cuba and the United States, Rumbaut said in Spanish. The labyrinth is the relationship between the two countries.

Past, present and future intermingle in Villalvillas works. In a mixed-media painting from the artists Polvo de estrellas ( Stardust) series, an astronaut wears a flight suit with a pair of enormous white wings attached at the shoulders. The piece, which includes notes and measurements written in white on the canvas, is a plan for a future sculpture, said Villalvilla, an architect. In another image from the same series, an indigenous African man in traditional dress stands alongside an astronaut. The two figures are holding hands.

The image of the winged astronaut relates the works to the artists Sueno roto ( Broken Dream) series. In 1980, Cuba sent an astronaut into Earths orbit through the Soviets Interkosmos space program,and all the kids of my generation thought we would have a future of astronauts and rockets, Villalvilla said in English. But what happened  our present  is very different.

In La victoria de la democracia (Victory of Democracy,) from that series, an astronauts helmet hovers above the Winged Victory in place of the Greek sculptures missing head. An air hose attached to the helmet branches out like a vine. Villalvilla drew the image in graphite on marble  remnants from a building project  than dropped it so the stone would would shatter.

While looking at the works, Villalvilla points out that his plans for the sculpture call for wings three times the size of the astronaut wearing them  an important detail.

Most of the time, reality is little compared with the dreams, but we keep dreaming, he said. Thats the idea.

Cuerpo Cubano/Cuban Body continues through July 2, Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Road, 210-383-9723, bihlhausarts.org.

lsilva@express-news.net
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The rockets, each 2 feet long, exploded from the ground and took off into the evening sky above Terrell Wells Middle School. Dozens of students and teachers cheered.

Alma Ramos, a sixth-grade science teacher at the Harlandale Independent School District campus, warmly gripped a students shoulders before moving on to help with the next launch.

It is a source of connection with them. I get to know them at a different level, Ramos said. Some that have issues with attendance, they try to make it better so they can come for Launch Pad.

At a school where 84 percent of students are economically disadvantaged and attendance rates are a constant concern, programs such as Launch Pad might explain Terrell Wells high performance in the latest analysis by Children at Risk, which annually ranks schools in Texas biggest cities.

The Houston-based nonprofit graded Terrell Wells with a B but ranked it first on its list of what it calls Gold Ribbon middle schools in Bexar County.

Children at Risks ranking system weighs the poverty rate and other characteristics of a schools enrollment to compare its state standardized test scores to schools with similar demographics. For high schools, it also takes into account graduation rates, SAT and ACT scores and the percentage of students participating in advanced courses.

This years rankings, which will be released today, were computed using last years test scores. They reveal standout San Antonio schools  Burke Elementary School on the far West Side in Northside ISD, for example, ranked as the No. 1 Gold Ribbon elementary school  but they also indicate, as in previous years, that public education here lags behind other Texas metropolitan areas overall.

In the San Antonio area, 43 percent of the ranked schools got an A or B, up from 42 percent last year and 40 percent the year before that  but still behind this years 48 percent in the Houston and Fort Worth areas and 51 percent in Austin.

Yet San Antonio came out ahead of Austin in the proportion of schools tagged Gold Ribbon, 3.4 percent to 2.7 percent.

We take great pride in identifying and celebrating these Gold Ribbon schools because theyre truly defying the odds, said Andy Canales, director for the nonprofits Center for Social Measurement and Evaluation.

Claire Treacy, a project coordinator at the center, said San Antonio is improving.

In general, things look better, she said. They look more positive for San Antonio.

A consistent standout, San Antonios Young Womens Leadership Academy received an A+ rating and, even after getting an A+ last year, was ranked as having improved the most in San Antonio. The rankings put it as 10th in the state among middle schools.

Los Reyes Elementary, in Northside ISD, jumped from 25th best elementary in San Antonio last year to sixth this year. Elm Creek Elementary in Southwest ISD jumped from 35 to 14.

Children at Risk has been critical of San Antonio ISD, which did slightly worse overall this year: 75 percent of its ranked schools received Ds or Fs, compared with 72 percent last year. Still, the district had four Gold Ribbon elementary schools and a Gold Ribbon middle school, Mission Academy, that were not on the list last year. The citys only Gold Ribbon high schools this year  Fox Tech and Travis Early College High School  are in SAISD, although the rankers noted that both only enroll students who are in magnet programs.

Mission Academy, serving pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, is SAISDs newest neighborhood school. It opened nine years ago to address growth on the Southeast Side, near Brooks City Base. Some of its first kindergarten students are graduating this year from eighth grade, a cohort that includes Robert Rios, 13, who spent Fridays science period drawing solar systems and star formations.

I like seeing the teachers, my old teachers from elementary school, he said.

The junior high portion of the school is so small  one and a half hallways  that transition time can be extended and core instruction time lengthened, Principal Noemi Davila said. Many struggling students benefit from academic mentoring as an elective, but overall time for electives is shorter and some teachers, such as science teacher Michael Martinez, try to infuse art into their classes.

That setup suits Robert, who loves to draw. Creating artwork has helped him understand things like the phases of the moon and the structure of an atom. Inspired by the Disney and Pixar animated films, he is going to Brackenridge High School next year for its media and film program.

His classmate Gabriel Gonzalez, 14, has only been at Mission since his family moved to the area four years ago, but he said the school contributed to his desire to become an aerospace engineer.

Everythings so interactive, and we have a lot of technology, which really helps us out, Gabriel said. He said the school made learning fun by giving students incentives, such as movies and dances, for behavior and academic performance.

Gabriel also will attend Brackenridge next year, for the schools early college program.

The teachers commitment, in an academic culture that encourages them to express their opinions and collaborate with administrators, helps Mission Academy stand out, Davila said. The school is small enough that teachers form relationships with the students, and parents get involved, Davila said.

Mission has also benefited from the districts new curriculum, which allows teachers to customize lessons and create interactive plans, Davila said. The schools new technology includes laptops Robert and his classmates use to look up information for their scientific drawings.

SAISD Superintendent Pedro Martinezs five-year turnaround plan is in its second year, and Children at Risk continued to express optimism about its success.

We are already well aware that there are schools that have needs and challenges, and we are on our way to moving forward with that, district spokeswoman Leslie Price said. We certainly welcome all data, and any kind of analysis we will certainly review.

Terrell Wells Principal Jessie Gipprich sees San Antonios overall improvement reflected in her schools own climate, which has succeeded in fostering personal connections and a sense of intimacy. She said the climate at her school has changed drastically in the past few years, into a more nurturing one.

Programs such as Launch Pad, an after-school club about space that is a partnership with the Communities in Schools nonprofit, keeps students interested and involved. Letza Martinez, 12, said her grades improved after she joined it.

Personally, I was like, I dont want to do research after school, I want to be with friends and have fun, she said. But once I got into it, it was even more fun than anything else.

With some students, we face challenges with having little or no contact with the parents, Gipprich said. Sometimes we need to provide clothing and supplies  and we have that, but its not always easy. We might have a student where every day they need pencils and paper or foods and snacks.

We dont give up on the kids, Gipprich said. We know what we have, and we do the best we can.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net; amalik@express-news.net
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While his votes outpaced his nearest competitors by 15 percentage points, a crowded field sent Greg Brockhouse into a runoff with Melissa Cabello Havrda for the City Council District 6 seat.

Its basically a new campaign, Brockhouse, 44, said of the June 10 runoff.

He wants to get his Round 1 voters back out and remind them to go vote again, since several of them thought I won already. Rather, Brockhouse secured 36 percent of the vote compared with Havrdas 21 percent. Havrda, 42, didnt win a single precinct outright but still came in second overall.

Early voting begins May 30.

Brockhouse, a former mortgage-bank executive and consultant who worked with the San Antonio police and fire unions and became a prominent voice against the failed city streetcar project, vows to be an aggressive representative of the district, which stretches from West Commerce Street to neighborhoods surrounding Government Canyon.

In 2010, the district had the largest Hispanic or Latino population, according to a city of San Antonio report, and its overall population increased by 30.7 percent between 2000 and 2010.

Before running for the council, Brockhouse said he left the consulting world and released his contracts to send a message that he wasnt running to represent anyone besides the residents of District 6.

He said his consulting experience makes him an asset to the mayor and the council, that hell be able to be frank and honest in discussions. He wants to have as many discussions as possible in the open, rather than in executive session behind closed doors.

Im not elected to represent Districts 1 through 5 or 7 through 10, added Brockhouse. Based on a direct mail survey sent out to residents, Brockhouse says public safety is the top concern of people in the district, followed by streets, drainage and traffic issues.

Havrda, an attorney, also wants to be an advocate for the district but seeks to be more collaborative. She describes herself as a consensus builder and points to her past experiences working in then-Mayor Ed Garzas constituent services office as well as her nonprofit work and having grown up in the district as an added bonus for understanding the area.

She wants to put a senior center inside Loop 410 and focus on preserving green space and finding ways to bring better transportation options to the sprawling district. She wants to add another field office and continue a block-walking program after the runoff.

Both candidates wanted to see more money for the district in the bond issue that won voter approval May 6. Havrda said she would work with state legislators to find other funding to bring to District 6, and Brockhouse said he would make sure bond projects progress on time and under budget.

Outgoing District 6 Councilman Ray Lopez endorsed Havrda in the runoff. Brockhouse ran against Lopez in 2013, a stint Brockhouse said helped him learn about the community.

While Havrda didnt win any precincts in the May 6 race, she said her second-place finish shows she went far and wide.

I didnt focus on one or two areas, I spread my message to every part of the district, Havrda said. It speaks to my own diversity and appeal to different kinds of people.

Unlike the May 6 election, which had eight candidates vying for a single seat, the runoff gives District 6 voters a choice of only two competitors.

Its a different ballgame, she said. You have a 50/50 shot with every voter.

frahman@express-news.net

Staff Writer John Tedesco contributed to this report.
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When Elise Lauderdale heard that the owner of her apartment complex planned to powerwash the entire building, she had a feeling it might end badly for the barn swallows nesting on her balcony.

Sure enough, one day after the eggs hatched, Lauderdales boyfriend called her at work. The powerwashing crew had blasted high-pressure water at the nest, leaving behind a soggy bundle of mud and sticks and three dead barn swallow nestlings. Lauderdale cried as she and her boyfriend buried them on a grassy overlook nearby.

I was really good up until I buried them, she said. It all hit me. I guess its because I do care about animals so much, but it just hit me really hard.

Not only did the nests destruction disturb Lauderdale, but she knew it was probably illegal.

While researching anything she could find to save the birds, Lauderdale had stumbled upon a relatively obscure 100-year-old federal law that protects most birds in the U.S. from being killed or traded. During nesting season, which in Texas lasts from spring to early fall for most species, the law prohibits people from harassing birds or harming their nests.

The law is the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or MBTA, one of the first laws passed in the U.S. to protect wildlife. It grew out of a convention between the U.S. and Canada in 1916 when both countries agreed to protect birds that cross their borders. Today, the act protects hundreds of species, including barn swallows.

Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $15,000, six months in prison or both. Those who knowingly violate the act can get a felony charge carrying a $2,000 fine and up to two years in prison.

At Brackenridge Park a few weeks ago, Alesia Garlock invoked the MBTA when she saw a man with his family yelling and throwing sticks at birds nesting in a tree near the banks of the San Antonio River.

I told them, Hey, dont do that! Garlock said. He said, Why not? Its a federal offense, I said.

Garlock is a birdwatcher who enjoys photographing the tricolored herons, great egrets, cattle egrets and snowy egrets that build groups of nests called rookeries.

Theyre going to be gone within a month, Garlock said. If the babies are here, give them another month.

All these birds are protected under the MBTA. The act is often credited with saving the snowy egret from extinction after hunters seeking its plumage for womens hats nearly wiped it out in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Unlike its better-known cousin the Endangered Species Act, the MBTA does not only protect rare species standing eye to eye with extinction. Many birds on the list are common, some annoyingly so.

Barn swallows, for one, are sometimes seen as a nuisance for building nests in clusters under eaves, bridges and garages. They are extremely common and live all over the world.

Another bird on the list is the brown-headed cowbird, which bird lovers hate for its absentee parenting habits. Cowbirds lay their eggs in other species nests and watch from afar as their young crowd out the hatchlings of those other species.

Even worse is the common grackle, which some San Antonians call the H-E-B bird. At dusk, they fill parking lots with clicking, screeching, poop-dropping swarms.

Its like a bad Hitchcock movie every time I go to the Quarry or the river, said Amy Hardberger, a St. Marys University law professor who teaches environmental ethics in her classes. I, personally as an animal lover, dont find a particular value for grackles.

While the MBTA requires treating all species on the list equally, in reality, there is a heightened caring and awareness of things that are majestic and also things that are less common, Hardberger said.

You have to make a differentiation between the word of the law and the goal and desire of the law, she said. This is an ethical conversation, and is there a hierarchy in ethics.

Thats probably why the MBTA seems to be used on a case-by-case basis. An Audubon Society primer called its enforcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arbitrary and difficult.

In 2015, special agents and wildlife inspectors with the USFWS were involved with 600 MBTA cases across the country, according to its most recent law enforcement report. Some of these ended in fines and jail time.

One recent case in Texas involved an East Texas farmer who spread feed corn laced with pesticides over his fields, trying to kill feral hogs. It worked, but wildlife agents also found dead bird carcasses, according to the USFWS. The farmer pleaded guilty to misdemeanors of violating the MBTA and unlawful use of pesticides.

In another case from 2015, USFWS agents worked with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in a sting operation to buy owls, hawks and bird parts. Four people got seven years probation and had to pay $7,000 in restitution to an unnamed wildlife rehabilitation center in San Antonio, according to USFWS.

Undercover USFWS agents also bought 35 dead hummingbird carcasses that year from a vendor selling them as chuparosas, or romantic good luck charms. That unnamed vendor got four years probation and $5,000 in fines and had to pay $1,000 restitution to the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

Those are all a bit more extreme than what happened on Lauderdales porch at the Honey Hill Apartments near Loop 410 and Bandera Road. On Thursday, the San Antonio Express-News called and emailed the apartment offices and those of its owner, Denver-based Catalyst Multifamily Management. The company did not respond.

Lauderdale said she tried her best to warn them before it was too late. After getting a notice May 3 about powerwashing, Lauderdale called the management office to put it on notice about the MBTA. Someone took her number and said they would tell the crew about the birds.

Just to be sure, she made signs in black marker on orange craft paper reading Warning! Baby Birds! Please, be careful. Another sign spelled it out in more detail: These birds and their nest is protected under (the MBTA), a federal law it is illegal to kill them.

After she returned to find the dead nestlings, she went to the office in a fury, wanting to talk to the manager and assistant manager, who she said were nonplussed.

They were very dismissive of it even after I had the legal paperwork, she said. They just kind of flipped through it really casually and handed it back to me.

So she called the TPWDs San Antonio law enforcement office. In a phone interview last week, Game Warden Jonathan Balderas said he called the apartment offices just to inform them they cant be doing that, cant be messing with an occupied nest.

Because the law is federal, enforcement would have to come from USFWS, Balderas said. Whether that agency will get involved is unclear.

Lauderdale said that after Balderas called, she noticed that the powerwashing crew had stopped blasting the swallow nests, though a few had been spray painted. She was not sure if that harmed the nestlings.

Its too late for the ones that are on my patio, but at least for now it appears the others that werent taken down  might be safe, she said.

bgibbons@express-news.net

Twitter: @bgibbs
AUSTIN  The Texas House voted 91-50 Sunday night to restrict which restrooms transgender students can use in public schools, with advocates calling it an issue of privacy and safety and opponents saying its ugly discrimination against vulnerable children.

Ive lived through the separate-but-equal period.  I remember those days. Bathrooms: White. Colored, said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, who opposed the proposal.

I can tell you, as an African-American, how deeply I felt discriminated against, she said. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you never have to walk in those shoes.

The House hasnt acted on a separate, Senate-passed bathroom bill that would specify that people use restrooms, dressing rooms and locker rooms in government buildings, schools and universities that align with the sex on their birth certificates.

House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, opposed that bill, citing concerns shared by the business community that the state economy could suffer from boycotts if the Legislature approves a measure seen as discriminatory  particularly with San Antonio set to host the NCAA Final Four next year.

Rep. Chris Paddie, the Marshall Republican who offered the bathroom amendment to a bill on school safety, said there is absolutely no intent to discriminate and I would argue nothing in this language discriminates against anyone.

In fact, it makes sure that there are reasonable accommodations for all children, Paddie said.

The House gave preliminary approval to Senate Bill 2078 after Paddies bathroom amendment was added to it. The bill already has passed the Senate. After another House vote, it will return to the Senate for consideration of House changes.

The vote was largely along party lines. Rep. Sarah Davis of West University Place was the only Republican to vote against the proposal. No Democrat voted for it.

Paddies proposal would say that students who dont want to use the restroom associated with their biological sex would have to be given access to a single-occupancy facility. That could include a multi-occupancy restroom that no one else is using. It also would apply to locker rooms and changing facilities. Transgender students wouldnt have the option of using the multi-occupancy restroom associated with their gender identity, Paddie said.

We want to make sure that we provide definitive guidance to our school districts, Paddie said. Asked about how his proposal relates to the aim of the original measure, House Bill 2078, Paddie said, I think its absolutely about child safety.

The bathroom issue has arched over the legislative session as a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and, more recently, of Gov. Greg Abbott.

Resolution of that issue, along with changes to the local property tax system, are key to lawmakers finishing their work by May 29 and avoiding a special session.

Patrick days ago threatened to force a special session if lawmakers dont pass both issues in the regular session. His leverage comes from his ability to stall important legislation in the Senate, over which he presides.

Abbott, the only one who can call a special session, also wants lawmakers to pass both issues but has said he believes that they can do so in the regular session. Straus said in a statement that Abbott said he would demand action on this in a special session if lawmakers didnt address the issue.

Straus in his statement didnt specifically address the Final Four but said Paddies amendment will allow us to avoid the severely negative impact of Senate Bill 6, the measure approved by the Senate.

Weve said all session that any bathroom legislation is unnecessary and would be perceived as discriminatory, said Jeff Coyle, director of government and public affairs for the city of San Antonio. It does not reflect our values as a city. But we dont know how the NCAA views this amendment and cant speak for them.

San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor did not respond to a phone call or a text message seeking comment.

Dan Quinn of the Texas Freedom Network, which opposed both the broader bathroom bill and Paddies amendment, said its hard to predict what would happen with the NCAA if the amendment becomes law.

It sure doesnt help, Quinn said. Certainly this is discriminatory against transgender Texans.

The amendment considered Sunday was cast as a last chance for the House to act on such a measure, but some lawmakers disagreed publicly on whether it was actually a bathroom bill and whether it targets transgender children.

Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, said theres no question that the proposal is an attack on transgender people, and he expressed concern for transgender students who already may be harassed, mistreated and sexually assaulted and who may attempt suicide.

This is shameful, Moody said, adding that transgender people dont cause problems in restrooms. This has never been a problem until some people pretended that it was.

Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, said he has heard from parents of transgender people who fear more tragedies if the proposal passes. They tell him, If the full weight of the state government comes down on my child, I am scared.

Rep. Jason Villalba, a Dallas Republican who opposed the Senate bathroom bill, contended that the amendment is not the bathroom bill. What it is, is an attempt to protect those who are different. He said it could provide privacy for children who want privacy because they may have surgical scars or physical defects.

Democrats scoffed, saying its purely about Republicans desire to rack up a vote to appeal to their Republican primary voters.

This is just more red meat for the base, more red meat for the March voter, at the expense of kids, said Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin.

Straus, in his statement, said Paddies amendment will allow schools to continue to handle sensitive issues as they have been handling them.

Members of the House wanted to act on this issue, and my philosophy as speaker has never been to force my will on the body. Gov. Abbott has said he would demand action on this in a special session, and the House decided to dispose of the issue in this way, Straus said. He didnt vote on the proposal, as is typical because he presides over the House.

The other high-profile priority of Abbott and Patrick that remained hanging  changing the local property tax system  was addressed by the governor during an appearance Sunday in The Woodlands.

The House gave its final OK on Sunday to a proposal by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, that is intended to ensure that taxpayers get more information about their local tax rates and how to press for changes.

The proposal doesnt include automatic rollback elections if cities and counties raise local property tax revenue by 5 percent or more, as contained in a bill approved by the Senate. Automatic elections are opposed by local officials who say the change would hamper their ability to pay for important services including public safety.

Bonnen said there wasnt enough House support to pass a rollback change, but Abbott said that element is important.

As you know, I want to see the rate rollback part of property taxes achieved, Abbott told the Texas Tribune after an event in The Woodlands. And so we still have more work to do on property taxes. The session is not yet over.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who authored Senate Bill 2, the property tax measure that passed the Senate, heralded Abbotts remarks.

Without Senate Bill 2 as passed by the Senate being considered by the full House, there will be no property tax relief coming out of the 85th Regular Session, said Bettencourt, R-Houston.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
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AUSTIN  Working to avoid a special session, state lawmakers made progress on crucial issues Saturday when negotiators said they have reached consensus on a must-pass state budget and the Texas House advanced property tax changes.

There also was buzz that the House would consider a version of the so-called bathroom bill today, addressing another issue thats dangling as the regular session races to its May 29 end.

The packed weekend follows Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks threat that he would force a special session unless his priorities are addressed, including property tax reform and the bathroom bill, which would require people to use public bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates.

Gov. Greg Abbott, the only one who can call a special session, has said he wants passage of property tax changes and a bathroom bill but that he believes that lawmakers can get the job done by the end of the regular session.

Lawmakers still have work to do. The budget for the next two years must be approved by the House and Senate after being backed by their negotiating teams, which worked into the night Saturday to finalize details.

Among high points, budget negotiators agreed on how to pay for their spending plan, which was a tight one thanks to revenues affected by the uncertain oil and gas industry and past decisions to cut taxes and set aside big money for transportation.

After tangling over whether to dip into the rainy day fund, as the House proposed, the two sides agreed to spend close to $1 billion from it on one-time items. That spending would include $75 million for the Alamo redevelopment project, the amount requested by Land Commissioner George P. Bush. All told, the budget includes $87.8 million in Alamo-related spending.

The budget also would rely on $1.8 billion that would be made available by slightly delaying the transfer of money constitutionally dedicated to transportation, pushing the expense to the next fiscal cycle. That fiscal maneuver, proposed by the Senate, initially got harsh pushback from House leaders.

Among other provisions, the budget agreement would provide more funding for Abbott priorities that had been given short-shrift, including

$236 million he wanted for his initiative on high-quality prekindergarten. That proposal initially got no money from either chamber.

Negotiators also opted against a dramatic change in higher education funding that had been proposed by the Senate targeting so-called special items that are paid for outside of formulas. The agreement would continue special-item funding for two years while higher education funding is studied. Special items characterized as startups would be cut by 50 percent if theyd been in existence for more than eight years, in order to make the point that special items arent supposed to last forever.

There also is more action needed on the tax measure, which requires another House vote before going to the Senate for consideration.

The House isnt poised to deliver all the tax changes Patrick has sought.

It gave preliminary approval to a proposal that is meant to give taxpayers more information and empower them to press for changes if they dislike a proposed tax rate.

But it didnt vote on automatic rollback elections that the Senate has approved under Patrick and that are opposed by cities and counties.

There werent votes in the House to pass a rollback change, said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton. He attached his transparency provisions to another Senate tax bill with 136-0 approval in the House.

Similarly, some have said a bathroom proposal considered in that chamber could be restricted to schools. Patrick, calling it a matter of public safety and privacy, earlier championed Senate passage of a measure to specify that people must use restrooms, dressing rooms and locker rooms in government buildings, schools and universities that align with the sex on their birth certificates.

Asked about the Houses action Saturday on the property tax measure, Patrick spokesman Alejandro Garcia accentuated the positive.

The lieutenant governor has used his leverage effectively, and he is watching the House and the action they are taking on the key issues he identified (last) week including property taxes, privacy, life, school choice and school finance, first responder and veterans issues and photo voter ID. The lieutenant governor has already been successful in his goal of a conservative budget that does not use rainy day funds for ongoing expenses, Garcia said.

Bonnen said the provisions benefit taxpayers.

Itll give them a level of information and transparency and clarity on property taxes that has never, ever existed, and it will empower them to advocate with their local governments on their taxes with information theyve never had before, Bonnen said.

His proposal includes provisions aimed at ensuring that taxpayers know whether their bills will increase under a proposed tax rate, by how much and which local taxing entities are responsible, allowing them a better opportunity to press for changes if theyre not satisfied.

Cities and counties, which had argued that automatic rollback elections would impair their ability to properly fund services including public safety, were satisfied.

We are grateful that the House did the right thing: reform the appraisal process without putting public safety, infrastructure and other much-needed local community priorities at risk, said Jeff Coyle, director of government and public affairs for the city of San Antonio.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said, Hopefully, the Senate will concur in it (the House action), and things will come out better for taxpayers as well as allow us to make the decisions weve got to make  as we struggle with all the issues weve got to face.

The Texas Municipal League can live with this version, said its executive director, Bennett Sandlin.

Paul Sugg, legislative director of the Texas Association of Counties, said, We support transparency throughout the entire process. Having more citizens engaged in what counties are doing when theyre setting a tax rate or adopting a budget is critically important. This is what representative government is about.

Also Saturday, the House took action that could address one way Patrick could force a special session over his priority issues.

Patrick claimed the leverage by saying he wouldnt allow Senate action on a so-called safety net bill for state agencies under sunset review until his demands were met.

Agencies under review are put on a course to be abolished unless lawmakers vote to continue them. The safety net bill would save agencies that dont get a legislative vote in the regular session.

But the House amended another bill with the safety net provisions, which would allow the agencies to continue even if the main bill doesnt pass. The Senate still would have to agree to the House amendment.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
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Sometime this year the first works by a collection of San Antonio artists will go up at the Convention Center. The new acquisitions will serve to explore a timeline of San Antonio beginning with HemisFair 68, telling the citys story for millions of tricentennial guests from near and far.

Mi Vida, a seminal piece by artist Jesse Trevino, will be among them.

Last seen during a 2009 retrospective, the painting has been the focus of talks in San Antonio, Dallas, Washington, Mexico City and Madrid, and several key San Antonians, including city arts, museum and tricentennial officials, have been interested in its national and international exposure.

That Mi Vida has a future at all is remarkable  its survival due largely to San Antonio businesswoman Cindy Gabriel, who bought the home to which it was attached in 2000 for $60,000.

Trevino lived on Mistletoe Avenue on the citys Northwest Side when he painted Mi Vida on Sheetrock, that ubiquitous interior wallboard that is essentially paper atop pulverized, compressed gypsum. The mural is more than 40 years old, but Gabriel says the Sheetrock was date-stamped, putting its age at 77.

Its not a surface on which a national treasure important to the story of Mexican Americans and the U.S. veterans experience should have been painted. But the house is where Trevino healed and relearned to paint with his left hand, the only one he had after Vietnam. It makes the works provenance more impressive.

He composed the stunning 8-by-14-foot mural over several years. Art aficionados and other experts told Gabriel there was no way it could be saved. She finally stopped listening to the doomsayers and in 2002 called in knowledgeable carpenters armed with ordinary construction tools and lots of Mexican ingenuity, she says. They framed the area in front of the wall to secure the structure, then buzzed away, detaching it with its 2-by-4 framing still intact.

It has survived since then by being treated like a sheet of glass. Gabriel hired noted art preservationist Anne Zanikos, who sheathed Mi Vida with a thin, honeycombed aluminum mesh to protect its integrity.

Gabriel is now concerned about its ability to travel, given that its going places.

It will move into the Convention Center, on loan to centers Public Art Collection, curated by city public art project manager Henry Estrada and independent art historian Ruben Cordova.

At least 13 other local artists will be included, said Debbie Racca-Sittre, director of the citys Department of Arts & Culture. Together, theyll serve as a San Antonio historical record of sorts that begins with two magnificent HemisFair murals by Juan OGorman and Carlos Merida.

Racca-Sittre described Trevinos work as important and emphasized the spaces in the Convention Center will be used as if in a museum, curated as such with panels that put work in context. The city is negotiating sales for a collection that will expand over time, she said. More local, national and international art will grow outdoors as well.

After the tricentennial, Mi Vida will be part of a Smithsonian exhibition, too. One of its curators, Melissa Ho, was in town last week to see it. Officials there wouldnt confirm details, but Ho is listed as curator of a show called ONE THING: VIET-NAM, Art and Americas War, 1965 to 1975, to open in 2019.

Gabriel says Mi Vida will travel to two Smithsonian affiliates before heading home in 2020.

To get it to this point in its life was not an overnight project, just like Jesses journey, she said. Trevino came back without hope but found it over time in his art.

San Antonio attorney Louis Escareno, who spurred conversations about Mi Vida in the U.S., Mexico and Spain, is thrilled a series of fortunate events will lead to its national and international exposure.

The endorsement of Dallas-based retired Maj. Gen. Albert C. Zapanta, national chairman of the Hispanic War Veterans of America, helped. He wrote to the Smithsonian to plead that it acquire Mi Vida, characterizing it as an important portrayal of a national story.

For those like Trevino who found ways to cope after Vietnam, Mi Vida also represents the power of motivation to overcome adversity, a story worth retelling on the big, open spaces of the Convention Center and beyond.

eayala@express-news.net

Twitter: @ElaineAyala
AUSTIN  Rep. Lyle Larson has been trying to tighten ethics restrictions on the governors office for years, with predictable results when the official youd like to rein in has the power of life and death over everyones legislative proposals.

The San Antonio Republicans most recent effort, aimed at what he calls a pay to play system of governors appointing large donors to high-profile posts, hit a brick wall in the Texas Senate after being approved in the House.

Some senators he approached as sponsors didnt want the governor to get the wrong message that it was about his administration, which its not, Larson said. Its just about general ethics reform.

It may not be about Gov. Greg Abbotts administration, but Larsons bill certainly would affect it.

House Bill 3305 would prevent governors from appointing someone who had given the governor more than $2,500 in the previous year, and it would restrict appointees to giving no more than $2,500 a year while serving.

As reported in the Express-News last year, Abbotts appointees collectively have put more than $8.6 million in his campaign coffers since 2000, the year before he resigned from the Texas Supreme Court to run for attorney general. About a quarter of his appointees were donors.

Larson said he hasnt heard from the governor about the bill, but his people have indicated that theyre not real happy about it.

An Abbott spokesman didnt respond to a request for comment.

In previous legislative sessions, Larson has pushed legislation to put term limits on statewide elected officials; require them to resign if they run for another office long before the end of their term; and pay for the cost of their security detail on trips outside the state for personal or political reasons.

Former Gov. Rick Perry called him into his office for a talking-to over the term-limits and security legislation in 2013, as Larson has recounted before, and little wonder. Perry, Texas longest serving governor, racked up millions of dollars in out-of-state security costs while running unsuccessfully for president.

Then and now, Larson insisted, his legislation hasnt been directed at the governors whose party he shares. Instead, he said, its the right thing to do and Republicans will wish they had done it when a Democrat is elected governor.

All of us will regret that we didnt pass this in future years when people of the opposing party ascend to that office, and theyre raising tens of millions of dollars from the people they appoint to these offices, Larson said.

Even if lawmakers had passed Larsons bill, Abbott could have vetoed it  a power he holds over all legislation coming through the Legislature. A governors opposition also can be an important factor in keeping a bill from coming to his desk at all.

Larson is hoping theres no retribution coming his way, although he said he is being warned by others that he should be looking for a safety net for his bills on issues including management of water resources.

Even without pushing proposals that raise controversy, thats not unusual this late in the session, which ends May 29. Lawmakers often look to attach provisions of their lifeless legislation to other measures that look like they may pass.

I dont know exactly where its starting, but a lot of people are saying that my bills are in jeopardy because of that. People that are in the water world are saying, You might want to add your bills to other bills, he said. I dont know if the threat is real or its imagined, but people are talking about it.

If his bills die, Larson said, theres always the next regular session in 2019 if the ugly head of politics is raised.

In 18 months, those concepts will still be on the table, he said. Its just delayed.

The same is true of the legislation regarding the governors office, which Larson sees as being in line with Abbotts call for ethics reform at the beginning of this legislative session. Abbott made the issue an emergency item, one of only four given that designation.

He said I want to clean this mess up, and I want comprehensive ethics reform. This falls within the parameters of the challenge he gave to all of us, Larson said. Its just unfortunate that people take it personally. But its not about him. Its about the system.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
This investment secures the financial future of the business and is a major step forward in the execution of the vision conceived only three years ago, he said
A SMALL but select yarding is a commonly quoted description of sales with light numbers, and the combined agents sale at Manjimup last week certainly fitted the description small when just 61 cattle were penned between the three agents.
Im originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Yep. The Mistake on the Lake.

Admittedly, its not the most romantic thing in the world to be from Americas industrial & rural middle, but some great individuals have come out of Cleveland, such as Paul Newman . . . well, ok, its really just Paul Newman. But its a great city, and the people there are very nice, even if the rivers do occasionally catch fire due to industrial waste.

Dane Huckelbridge

I currently live in Paris, France . . . but Im not acing any French exams.

I like France quite a bit, although the language can be tough. Im fairly conversational in it, but I make quite a few mistakes, and the subjunctive tense . . . forget about it. I think I have gotten better though, and I only speak French with my wifes family these days. Thats actually how I know Ive improvedtheyve recently started correcting my many egregious mistakes.

My wife and I cant even agree on where we met.

I, being a somewhat whimsical American, love to say we met at a French cafe. My wife, being a somewhat pragmatic French woman, often says we met in a bar. Fact of the matter is, it was an old French cafe that turned into a bar at night, so I guess were both right. Either way, she was not impressed with my dancing, and it took a lot of convincing to finally get a date. Im glad she gave in!

I have a soft spot for sausage dogs

I dont have a dog at present, but if I ever get one, I think Id like a Dachshund. Plus, there are plenty of sausage-based names you could choose from.

I became a writer in part thanks to a mysterious tropical illness.

Its true! Before my final year at university, I lived with a family of cacao farmers in the Dominican Republic, and taught literacy classes at a nearby village. I loved it there, but I started feeling ill about halfway through. The illness continued after I returned to the States, and instead of finding a job after graduating from university, I felt so bad I went home to Ohio to recover. While I was there, I made the mistake of going to the library to distract myself, then I made the even bigger mistake of beginning to write a novel, and all these years later, I finally got a different novel published. It took me a while, I guess.

My family is originally from a little village in Somerset.

Ive spent most of my life repeating to strangers my strangely Hobbit-sounding last name, which happens to come from a village in Somerset called Middlezoy. My ancestors skipped town back in the 1800s after they lost the land they farmed, and moved from southwestern England to southwestern Illinois, where they started a new farm and picked up right where they left off. And that farm is still in my family, all these years later.

The best thing Ive ever eaten is lobster tacos. Yes, they exist.

Ive always been a big fan of trying new foods, and it would be hard to say what my favorite kind of food is. In terms of a single dish, though, I once took a cross-country American road trip with a friend, and we ended up in Mexico, in Baja, on the Pacific. We found a place that served tacos made with roasted lobster tails right over the ocean, and that was it. Best thing I ever ate. Id drive across the country just to try them again.

I collect pipes. No, not THOSE kinds of pipes.

Tobacco pipes! I have quite a few, both corn cob and briar, although I try to limit my smoking, as it isnt the healthiest of habits. But it is rather nice from time to time, particularly if you have a fireplace and/or grandpa nearby.

I also write non-fiction books.

The thing about writing novels is that, even though its important to me, it also slowly drives me nutsand sometimes not even slowly. Partly for that reason, I like to write non-fiction historical books as well. I find it tends to balance things out, and keeps me away (for the most part) from the usual liquid writerly temptations. If idle hands are the devils playthings, a half-finished novel must be Satans Sony PlayStation. Although ironically, the last two books I wrote were about beer and whiskey. Go figure.

Im secretly hoping youll read CASTLE OF WATER.

Wait, did I just say that out loud? Dangit. Well, cats out of the bag. But in all seriousness, I hope that if you do acquire a copy, that it proves to be an enjoyable readIve heard it pairs well with French wine, unspeakable longing, and little green bananas. Cheers!
For 300 years the Russian Romanov Tsars had been the most magnificent rulers in Europe when in 1917 they were swept away by the Russian Revolution. One hundred years after their brutal murder the story of Nicholas II and Alexandra, their family and jewelled Faberge eggs continue to hold a fascination for the world. After they were deposed the Bolsheviks shot the Tsar and his immediate family and servants keeping their deaths a secret until 1926. During construction work in July 1991 workers found nine skeletons in a shallow grave in Yekaterinburg, Russia. They were identified as the remains of the Imperial Royal Family. Here are ten things you might not know about the Russian Revolution.

Stephen Davis

1) Nicholas II is generally considered to have been incompetent shallow and weak at the colossal task of ruling the enormous Russian Empire. On the other hand Nicholas II had enormous personal charm, love of family, deep religious faith and strong Russian patriotism and spoke Russian, French, German, Danish and English tinged with a slight English accent.

2) The Empress Alexandra was German by birth and only six when her mother died and her Grandmother, Queen Victoria, took over her upbringing and education. More English than German after she became Empress of Russia she insisted on taking afternoon tea and cakes at exactly 4.00.

3) The Romanovs were the wealthiest family in the world and it is the Imperial Easter eggs made by Faberge that are most identified with their splendour. The Russian jeweller produced sixty-four jewel encrusted eggs for the Romanovs and most of these survive to the present day. HM Queen Elisabeth II has three Imperial Easter Eggs the Colonnade Egg Clock, the Basket of Flowers Egg and the Mosaic Egg in the Royal collection.

4) The Tsars children had an Englishman, Charles Sydney Gibbes, as their English teacher. After the murder of the Imperial Family he underwent a religious conversion returning to England to set up a Russian Orthodox Church in Oxford. In the church he put on display the objects and icons he had brought out of Russia, some of which had been gifts from the family, including a pair of the Tsars boots that stood by the altar.

5) Although the death of the Tsar, Tsarina and their five children are the best know there were in fact sixty five members of the family alive at the time of the revolution in 1917. Eighteen were killed by the Bolsheviks and the remaining forty-seven went into exile. The Tsars sister, Xenia, settled in Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park and died in 1960.

6) Prince Felix Yusupov, the murderer of the mad monk Rasputin, studied at Oxford University where he was a member of the Bullingdon Club and established the Oxford University Russian Society which exists to this day.

7) The Russian Revolution was in fact a pair of revolutions that led to the eventual rise of the Soviet Union. The Russian Empire collapsed with the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II and was replaced by a provisional government in February 1917. The second revolution in October removed the Provisional Government and replaced it with a communist state.

8) Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks (Communists) was of noble birth with the right to be addressed as "Your Excellency". He and his wife spent one year in London in 1905 living in Tavistock Place, Bloomsbury. Lenin spent most mornings at the Reading Room at the British Museum plotting the overthrow of the Russian Royal Family.

9) Lenin, considered to be the father of the Soviet Union, read Virgil, Ovid, Horace in the original in the original Latin and liked to compare his enemies to characters in novels.

10) The DNA of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was used to identify the remains of the Romanovs. Prince Philips grandmother and the Tzarina's grandmother were sisters. The remains of the Emperor and his immediate family were interred at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Saint Petersburg in 1998. The ceremony was attended by the Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The British royal family was represented at the funeral by Prince Michael of Kent.

About Stephen Davis

Stephen Davis began his writing career aged 27 with a column in the South Wales Western Mail. A regular contributor to business magazines, he is also the author of two business books as well as a sought-after speaker and broadcaster on business issues. He is author of The Tsars Banker and I Spy The Wolf, in a series that follows the fortunes of the Tagleva family between 1912 and 1946.

See: www.thetsarsbanker.com and www.facebook.com/thetsarsbanker/
Kim Kardashian West's mother and sister have both offered to be her surrogate.

Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian West

The 36-year-old beauty - who has daughter North, three, and son Saint, 17 months, with husband Kanye West - has made no secret of the fact she wants another child but was previously warned by her doctors it wouldn't be safe for her to conceive again because of the health problems she's experienced in her last pregnancies.

And in scenes aired on 'Keeping With the Kardashians' on Sunday (21.05.17), her mother Kris Jenner, 61, explained how her own doctor her told her she no longer has viable eggs, but that doesn't mean she can't carry a baby.

Kim then asked: "Do you want to carry mine?"

Kris replied: "If I really thought that I could carry it for you and it would be born OK, I would do it in two seconds. I really would."

But Kris wasn't the first family member to offer to carry an embryo to term for Kim and Kanye, as 38-year-old Kourtney Kardashian - who has children Mason, seven, Penelope, four, and Reign, two, with former partner Scott Disick - also volunteered.

She told Kris: "I already offered myself. So, don't act like you're the only Mother Theresa in here!"

Kris had gone to have her fertility checked out after she received a letter from a lawyer acting for a married couple, who had been unable to conceive naturally and wanted to buy eggs from the family matriarch because she has an "impressive track record in producing successful and outstanding offspring."

The momager was flattered by the letter, but Kourtney found the request "ridiculous".

She said: "It's definitely a compliment that somebody wants to purchase your eggs, but she's 61.

"I don't think she has any eggs. That is absolutely ridiculous."

Meanwhile, Kim's friend Chrissy Teigen - who has openly spoken about her own fertility problems prior to getting pregnant with her and John Legend's daughter Luna, now 13 months - previously offered to be a surrogate for her pal.

She said: "I would be her surrogate in a second. I really enjoyed the pregnancy process - I loved it. Yes. In a heartbeat.

"I did IVF - science is miraculous these days, anything is possible. I hope whatever she does is gonna work out for the best, and it's gonna be beautiful either way."

Kim was previously warned she could "bleed to death" if she fell pregnant again.

She told her doctor: "Lately I've been thinking I would love to maybe have another baby. But like I had two really difficult pregnancies and really difficult deliveries so getting pregnant again it's something that does concern me."

Butthe medic warned: "Here's what I think, your pregnancies, you had toxaemia, you had a retained placenta, very traumatic, we're always worried about the next serious complication. I think the potential fear of the whole situation is legitimate.

"You never know that you might not have the same type of problem that might be more serious this time. You're always taking a little bit of a chance. There are situations where retained placenta could be life and death."

Her mother Kris bluntly added: "You could bleed to death."
I had been struggling to move the material I had written for stand-up on to the next stage, which I felt was a one-woman show. It seemed audiences were ready to laugh at my expense but I wanted to turn the characters and scenarios I had experienced during my time living with a debilitating illness, into an act which had more substance and depth and not just a send up. I was introduced to theatre-maker Tara Robinson, and this is when I feel Gutted was born!

Gutted by Chris Payne

Gutted is a one-woman show about my journey since being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, an Inflammatory Bowel Disease. During the show you meet the people I shared my illness with in and out of hospital, the support network, the NHS; moments of strength and laughter and the moments of loneliness and shame. And there is a love story thrown in for good measure!

Tara and I worked well together from day one. Taras job was to get all these characters and ideas from out of my head and onto paper. My job was to get over the embarrassment of initially doing stand-up to her at 10am cold sober in her front room with her not knowing much else about me. Not long after Tara and I were making our first wave of progress, I upped and left London with my husband to move to the Peak District- my new theatre circuit would be Manchester. It was around this time Tara made contact with Petra Tauscher who was now resident as Creative Producer at the soon- to-be-opened HOME theatre in Manchester. HOME took us under their wing, giving us space to run initial R&D in their offices and later in their spanking new rehearsal room.

Following a couple of successful R&D sharings and funding from Arts Council England, I popped off to have a baby and then returned to share our work with a run at HOME in May 2016. Gutted was well received with sell out nights and warming feedback. By this point we had brought on board IA (Ileostomy and Internal pouch Support Group) as sponsors. I had always wanted to take this story as a piece of theatre into hospitals, into the space which housed the very beginnings of my journey. Towards the end of last year, thanks to the Wellcome Trust and IA (and a lot of hard work from Tara), we took Gutted on a short tour around the country to UK hospitals, performing in their lecture theatres, conference centres- any space they could fit it in! It was a great success and we managed to reach audiences that perhaps never would have accessed the show in regional theatres or felt encouraged to go see theatre which relates to their own lives and stories.

And one year on, and 11 years on from when I was first diagnosed, we bring Gutted to Edinburgh festival, after a return to HOME theatre in Manchester for 4 nights in July. Its been a long time coming but through Gutteds journey Ive come to call myself a theatre maker, not just an actress. Through telling this life story I have in fact created a whole new path for my creativity and have met some wonderful people within the industry along the way.
Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis is about motherhood - its beauty, challenges, horror, isolation, humor - and its identification as one of the largest influences on the human experience. I pretty much made the entire piece in my head, while being attached to a hospital-grade breast pump and sitting on my toilet in my small New York City bathroom. I couldnt find any time or space to go to the rehearsal studio since I was working and raising two kids, so I would periodically write down things my kids said, experiences that happened, feelings that surfaced. The breast pump literally spoke to me, so I wrote that down too. When I finally moved out of NYC (after 15 years) and found a place (and actual time) to rehearse, Tense Vagina poured out of me in several hours. And then while making the piece, I found the courage (and time) to seek treatment for the post-childbirth urinary incontinence I was quietly experiencing. At my first appointment at the Pelvic Floor Rehab Center of New England, my new physical therapist put her fingers in my vagina and diagnosed me with a tense vagina. That was it. Piece done!

Sara Juli by Kristofer Alan Thompson

I premiered the hour-long solo in a sold-out run in Portland, Maine at the wonderful experimental performance space, SPACE Gallery in October 2015. The Portland Press Herald reviewed the piece to say, Her dialogue throughout was funny and poignant, blending the absurd and the tragic. From there, Tense Vagina received a New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) NEST Touring grant to bring the work to 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and The Dance Complex in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2016, I was invited to additional opportunities at The Asheville Masonic Temple in Asheville, North Carolina; American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina; and the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, Maine. Tense Vagina had its NYC premiere in a sold-out run in October 2016 at The Chocolate Factory Theater. The New Yorker described it, Like a standup routine performed in a supine position while doing Kegel exercises.

The work uses a lot of humor, movement, song, text and audience interaction to peel a layer back and reveal all that is awesome and all that sucks when it comes to being a mother. Its not a classical ode-to-motherhood show that pulls from traditional themes around the beauty of being a mother, but rather focuses on the parts of motherhood that are taboo such as: loss of bladder control, copious tears, extreme loneliness, monotony and dildos, to name a few. The narrative is anchored in sharing the physical therapy I received at The Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Center of New England. It sheds light on the embarrassment and humor from the treatment of my post-childbirth urinary incontinence. The show has a bit of something for everyone: song, stand-up comedy, free snacks, karaoke, dildos, and an uninterrupted hour to think about your own or someone elses vagina.

In January 2017, I performed a shorter version of the piece at the Association of Performing Arts Professionals in New York City. Underbelly Producer, Marina Dixon attended and subsequently invited the show to Edinburgh this summer. Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis will receive its international debut August 3-27, 2017 for 22 performances by Underbelly at Cowgates Ironbelly.

Tense Vagina: an actual diagnosis will be playing at the Edinburgh Fringe from Thursday 3rd  Sunday 27th August 2017 (not 9th, 14th, 21st) at 16:10 at Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly).
Bryan Cranston is curious to see how his new animated movie 'Isle of Dogs' will look on a screen.

Bryan Cranston

The 61-year-old actor plays a dog in the Wes Anderson-directed movie and Bryan has admitted to being unsure about the project because of its unusual creative process.

He shared: "I read little snippets of it, I saw the picture of my character, and things like that, and I know the general story and what we recorded, but I wasn't aware of other recordings, just like actors are not always aware of other scenes that are being shot, and I don't know how it will all come together. We'll see how it turns out."

But Bryan feels the new movie is typical of the director's work.

Asked about his character, he told Collider: "I'm a dog. I'm me. I'm kind of a scruffy dog. I'm not a purebred. I'm a mutt, who it turns out to have a dalliance.

"It's a sweet, odd film, and it's what you'd expect from Wes Anderson."

The actor also compared Wes to fellow director Robin Swicord, who helmed the 2016 movie 'Wakefield', which Bryan also starred in.

Reflecting on his experiences of working with Wes, Bryan said: "He's a fascinating human being, a nice guy, and a person you would not think is from Texas.

"Speaking of 'Groundhog Day', I was in a recording session with Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Edward Norton and Wes Anderson. It was interesting and weird and fun.

"Wes has his image of what that's going to be, like Robin had her image of what 'Wakefield' was going to be. Even though they're in different genres, the work is the same."
The National Retail Federation has asked US Congress to focus on updating the existing federal income tax system through comprehensive reform rather than moving toward a consumption tax. Under either approach, Congress should reject a proposed $ one trillion border adjustment tax that would drive up prices for consumers and cost the economy jobs, NRF said.The most important aspect of any tax reform measure is its impact on the economy, jobs and the consumer, NRF senior vice president for Government relations David French said, noting that consumer spending represents two-thirds of the economy and that retail supports one out of four US jobs.

The National Retail Federation has asked US Congress to focus on updating the existing federal income tax system through comprehensive reform rather than moving toward a consumption tax. Under either approach, Congress should reject a proposed $ one trillion border adjustment tax that would drive up prices for consumers and cost the economy jobs, NRF said.#

Tax reform that shifts the burden of the corporate tax to the consumer would present an unnecessary risk to our nations economy. Instead, we support a reform of the current income tax structure by providing a broad base and low rates. We believe that approach rather than a shift toward a consumption tax would bring the greatest economic efficiency and stimulate economic growth without causing the economic dislocations inherent in the transition to a new tax system, French said.Frenchs comments came in a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee, which is scheduled to hold a hearing on How Tax Reform Will Grow Our Economy and Create Jobs. The hearing is expected to focus on the Better Way tax reform proposal sponsored by Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis, and committee chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas.The Ryan-Brady plan would transition the US from its longstanding income tax system toward a consumption tax system. French said studies conducted for NRF show that it alone would cause retail spending and employment to decline for an estimated six years. The plan also includes a proposal for a 20 per cent border adjustment tax on imports, which French said would cause an even steeper decline in spending. NRF is leading the retail industrys opposition to the BAT proposal, which is expected to be the subject of an additional hearing next week.We believe there are better options for tax reform that would achieve economic growth and not shift the burden to the consumer, French said. He recommended that lawmakers consider as examples the 1986 Tax Reform Act enacted during the Reagan administration and the Tax Reform Act of 2014, which was proposed by former Ways and Means chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich, but never saw passage.NRF is the worlds largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, main street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the US and more than 45 countries. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
HON PM BAINIMARAMA OPENING STATEMENT AT PETERSBERG DIALOGUE





Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.

Your Excellency, the German Environment Minister,Excellencies, distinguished colleagues,Bula vinaka and a very good morning to you all.It is a wonderful privilege for me to be in Berlin - the great capital of Germany - for this very important event - the 8th Petersberg Climate Dialogue.This Dialogue has become a regular feature of international climate diplomacy. And I attached the highest importance to it as the incoming president of COP-23.The Petersberg Dialogue was a critical path to the historic agreement we all reach in Paris at the end of 2015. And I want to congratulate and thank the German Government and particularly Chancellor Merkel for her vision and leadership of our collective effort to advance the range of responses to climate change that we all know need to be made.After further success in Marrakesh, we are now into the implementation phase. Which is why the theme of this dialogue is so appropriate - working together on solutions. Because as I keep saying at every opportunity, only by the entire world coming together as one to address the impacts of climate change can we effectively tackle this crisis. One that affects every person on earth and especially those in vulnerable countries like Fiji.I am convinced that when we act in the interest of the most vulnerable, we are acting in the interests of us all. Because as I also keep saying, we are all vulnerable and we all need to act.Fiji would not be able to give voice to the most vulnerable as president of this process without the help of Germany. Indeed, the combination of Europe's largest economy and a small island developing state like Fiji, is symbolic of the kind of cooperation that we need to succeed. It is a partnership rooted in the firm belief of both our nations that the fates of the developed and developing world are inter-connected.To put it simply, we are all in the same canoe together. And the sooner that idea takes root around the world, the sooner we can provide hope and security for our own children and succeeding generations.Today is all about dialogue - the Petersberg Dialogue. And we have our own name for this process. We call it Talanoa and we intend to bring it to COP23 Fiji in Bonn. Along with the Bula spirit and Fijian culture that has made our nation famous.Talanoa is the Pacific concept of a process of inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue that builds empathy and leads to decision making for the collective good. It is not about finger pointing and laying blame. It is about genuinely listening to each other, learning from each other, sharing stories, skills and experiences. And we are convinced that this very Pacific process will help us all work together on solutions - as your theme so appropriately highlights.As I said in Bonn on Thursday, I intend as incoming President to do the following: To work with Morocco to design the process for the Facilitative Dialogue of 2018 in Poland. And to work with Poland to ensure its success.I also commit to making demonstrable progress on the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement. And to advance all other aspects of our collective effort across a broad front. Whether it is increasing the take-up of renewable energy, providing affordable insurance for those who are most vulnerable or boosting the development of sustainable agriculture. All the while focusing on the impact of climate change and the urgent necessity to strive towards remaining within the 1.5 degree Celsius boundary.We understand that at COP23, there is a formal and informal process. And I have made it a large part of my mission as incoming president to ensure that we bring together governments at every level and the people they govern, whether it is the private sector, civil society or ordinary men and women across the world. So in Bonn I will be dividing my time between what we are calling the Bula Zone - the formal negotiations - and the Bonn Zone - which is where much of the action will be. And where we can encourage the non-state actors to further initiatives that connect the global and the local.Excellencies, while I have said that I will be president for everyone, it is only natural given the part of the world I come from, that we want to see climate action in the Pacific. We have a particular interest in our oceans and seas because they are our lifeblood.Rising sea levels, as well as ocean acidity and warmer waters have a direct effect on our reefs and fish stocks and the prosperity of our coastal communities. So oceans and climate change aren't separate. They are interlinked. A point that I will be making very strongly in June when I co-chair - with Sweden - the World Oceans Summit in New York.I will also be emphasising as the year unfolds the absolute imperative of a technological and business transformation that can make the economic lives of our people better, while at the same time, reducing emissions. We are excited by some of the advances in renewable energy, battery storage, electric vehicles and other innovations. And the challenge is to take these innovations and scale them up so that they can become more accessible around the world.Excellencies, I want to close with an expression of thanks on behalf of every Fijian for the support of the German Government, for the companionship and solidarity of those of you gathered here to seek solutions by working together and to commit to playing my part as your president.I said in Bonn during the week that I wanted to be a peoples' president and I meant it. And in this process, I know that I draw my power from you. It is the power of collective wisdom, and with it, I am certain we will succeed.
Prabhas Clears The Air Around His Bollywood Debut

Speaking about his Bollywood debut, Prabhas said, "Right now, my priority is to spend as much time as I can with my friends and family. After that, I would start preparing for my character in Saaho. Then, we will see what happens ."

Prabhas Reveals The Best Compliment He Has Received For Baahubali

"I think the fact that Rajamouli sir wrote the character of Baahubali for me has been the biggest compliment in itself. [Before I started shooting] I would always wonder how I would ever be able to justify a character of such stature."

Prabhas On The Monetary Issue He Faced During The Making Of Baahubali

"At first, the movie was supposed to be shot over two years (smiles), so yes, circumstances were tough back then. It wasn't an easy phase. My friends and family suggested me to take up other work, but I had faith in Rajamouli sir. Tough times call for tougher decisions."

Does He Regret Missing Many Film Offers Owing To Baahubali?

When asked about the same, Prabhas politely said, "Not at all! I would have given even seven years of my life for a film like this. [Right at the beginning], I realised that this is one film that would require all my dedication and determination."

You Have Also Gained Our Respect, Prabhas!

"Imagine, only the action portions of the film took 300 days to be filmed. The schedules were extremely tough, as different portions [of the film] needed me to look different. So, if anything, I have gained immensely as an actor from the series," further added Prabhas.

Will Prabhas Star In Baahubali 3?

"I think the film's producers would be the right people to answer this question (about the possibility of a third part). As for me, of course, I'd love to live the character of Baahubali time and again. That question shouldn't even come up.

Does Baahubali Success Gives Him A High?

"Honestly, I am still not out of Baahubali mode. Once I am done with it, I will let you know more [about what I'm feeling]," Prabhas smilingly replied.

Prabhas Denies To Give Any Update On Saaho

When asked about his upcoming film, Saaho, the actor denied to reveal much about the film and said, "Right now, all I can say is that it's an action-packed love story, but it's too early to talk about it. I will let you know more details soon.

Prabhas On His Wax Statue

Prabhas has become the only South Indian star to get a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Bangkok. When asked about his experience, he said, "It's a great feeling. After Baahubali, lots of things have been happening [in my life] and lots of things have changed."
Mammootty

This one has to be the most special one among the lot. Actor Mammootty, who has been ruling the industry for the past 30 years along with Mohanlal took to Facebook to wish the actor on the special day.

Heartiest birthday wishes to the king of Mollywood #HappyBirthdayMohanlal pic.twitter.com/X29GXYWpb1  Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 21, 2017

Virender Sehwag

This one came as a big surprise to many. A birthday wish from Virendar Sehwag rightly proves Mohanlal's pan Indian popularity. Virendar Sehwag has tagged Mohanlal as the king of Mollywood in his wishes for Mohanlal.

Dulquer Salmaan

Dulquer Salmaan, one of the most loved young celebrities of Mollywood, had a special birthday wish for Mohanlal. Along with the birthday wish, he has also stated that he has been so lucky to receive most number of awards from him.

Dileep

Janapriya Nayakan Dileep did send out his heartfelt birthday wishes to Mohanlal on the special day. He send out a short yet sweet message written in Malayalam, to his dear brother..

Prithviraj

Prithviraj had a short yet a very impactful birthday message for Mohanlal. He took to Facebook to wish Mohanlal by sending out the message 'Happy Birthday 'L'. He also posted a photo, which has Prithviraj and his wife Supriya posing with Mohanlal.

Manju Warrier

Actress Manju Warrier, who will next be seen with Mohanlal in the films Villain and Odiyan, took to her Facebook page to send out a long message on the special day.

Nivin Pauly

Nivin Pauly, the young superstar of Mollywood, wished Mohanlal on the special occasion. He also posted a photo, which was taken during the success bash of Mohanlal's film Oppam.

Jayaram

Jayaram, who shares a special rapport with Mohanlal also took to social media to wish 'Lalettan' on the special day. Here is how he wished the complete actor..
It's now the time of folklores/period based movies down South or at least appears so, post the Baahubali bonanza. With the announcement of mammoth projects such as Mahabharat and Ramayan in multiple Indian languages, Sangamithra is the latest one to join the bandwagon.

Sangamithra, a period film being directed by Sundar C, has Jayam Ravi and Arya in the lead. However, the movie seem to emphasize more on the female character which will be donned by Shruthi Hassan.

The film hit the headlines due to its heavy duty promotion which involved the team to launch the movie and its first look at the Cannes festival. Well, that's the way to seek attention of our industry folks and fans

Being produced by Thenandral Films, which is rumoured to be made at an astounding budget of 200 Cr, the movie will have Oscar award winner, AR Rahman, composing the sound track of the movie with Baahubali and Enthiran fame, Sabu Cyril handling the art direction department.

Some of the personalities associated with the movie made use of Twitter, one of the most powerful social platforms and enlightened the audiences about the arrival of a magnum opus venture.

The executive producer of the movie, Aditi Ravindranath tweeted: "And look whose joined us at @Festival_Cannes @arrahman sirrrrrrrr #SangamithraAtCannes!! @ThenandalFilms #thrilled"-Sic

The official handle of Thenandral films also tweeted: "Team #Sangamithra en route to Cannes! Stay tuned for more updates!#sundarc @arya_offl @khushsundar @actor_jayamravi @aditi1231"-Sic

Meanwhile Jayam Ravi, the lead actor of the movie seemed too exicted: "Off to Cannes for the launch of #Sangamitra A dream come true"-Sic

"Sangamithra is a tale which goes back to 8th century AD, tellingthe trials of tribulations of the protagonist Sangamithra, whose beauty is unparalleled, and her journey to save her kingdom. It is a story of many kingdoms, many equations, many relationships, told in an ambitious, larger than life, visually extravagant manner."

"Sangamithra is being aimed at being the crown of Tamil films, an ode to the oldest language in the world. While this is a piece of fiction, there are unexplored chapters in India's ancient history which will be opened through Sangamithra in the most visually beautiful manner. Sangamithra is a film which will be told in two parts". - An extract of the press release from the film-makers.

The movie is expected to go on floors in the month of August and will be shot in Telugu and Tamil simultaneously while the movie will also have a dubbed Hindi version.
Leading borrowers from across the region gathered in the plush surroundings of Hong Kong's famous China Club as FinanceAsia honoured the outstanding achievers from its annual fixed income poll.

The poll, a survey of some 344 leading Asian bond investors, taken in the second half of last year, picked out the borrowers who had impressed the most by country as well as by sector.

Click here for a gallery of photographs from the event.

The awards were handed out on the evening after our annual Borrowers and Investors Forum and ahead of our inaugral Green Bonds Asia-Pacific gathering.
VIENNA, July 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

New all-time high for Vienna: The Austrian capital recorded almost 7 million visitor bednights between January and June 2017 - 4.2% more than for the same period the previous year.

"City breaks to Vienna continue to boom: The city established a new record in the first half of 2017, with visitor bednights increasing 4.2% to around 6,924,000," according to Norbert Kettner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/538501/Vienna_Tourist_Board_Danube_Island.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/538502/Vienna_Tourist_Board_Hofburg.jpg )



Vienna's highest-volume source markets in the first half of 2017 were Germany with 1,420,000 bednights (+3% on the same period the previous year), followed by Austria (1,360,000, -1%), the USA (396,000, +8%), the United Kingdom (305,000, +3%), and Italy (294,000, -7%). These were followed in places 6 to 10 by Switzerland (214,000, +/-0%), Russia (211,000, +34%), France (204,000, +18%), China (175,000, +45%) and Spain (174,000, -2%). Particularly high growth rates were also recorded for Australia (67,000 bednights, +19%), India (64,000, +15%) and Brazil (63,000, +21%).

Vienna currently has 64,000 hotel beds. The average occupancy rate of Vienna's rooms from January to June 2017 was 69%, with over 80% of all bednights attributable to international guests. Now Vienna's objective is to increase overnight stays to 18 million by the year 2020. The meetings industry also has an important role to play, accounting for 12% of the total volume of bednights in 2016. Some 4,000 congresses, corporate events and incentives were held in Vienna last year - again a new record. For the eighth time in a row, the latest Mercer "Quality of Living" survey ranked Vienna in first place worldwide.

Further information:

Vienna Tourist Board

Isabella Rauter

Tel.: +43-1-211-14-301

E-mail: media.rel@vienna.info

http://www.vienna.info

http://b2b.vienna.info


Highly interactive training module designed to drive behavioural change and ease compliance efforts

LONDON, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Wombat Security Technologies (Wombat), the leading provider of cyber security awareness and training, today announced the launch of its latest module, GDPR: A Practical Overview, designed to help organisations avoid regulatory fines and preventable breaches by improving employee understanding of sweeping new European privacy laws.

Several years in the making, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a major update to Europe's data protection regulations designed to boost individuals' privacy protections and improve organisations' data handling and security practices. It has huge implications, not just for organisations based in the European Union, but any which store, process or share the data of European citizens. Those failing to comply could face maximum fines of up to 4% of global annual turnover, or 20m, whichever is higher.

The GDPR deadline for compliance is set to come into force in just a year's time, 25 May 2018, but Gartner has warned that by the end of 2018, at least 50% of companies that would be affected by GDPR will not be in full compliance with the regulation*. That's where Wombat's GDPR: A Practical Overview module comes in, offering a highly interactive and effective way to improve your employees' data handling skills and awareness of the new legislation.

Unlike many other training platforms which might focus on telling the learner what not to do, Wombat's modules utilise Learning Science Principles which combine concepts and procedures to help users engage and quickly understand. The modules are context based, delivered in bite-sized chunks (5-15 minutes in length) and provide immediate feedback to drive lasting behavioural change.

The Wombat GDPR module content has been developed with help from multiple subject matter experts including, leading information security consultants BSI Cybersecurity and Information Resilience.

The module is also mobile ready and WCAG 2.0 AA compliant, meaning it is accessible to all users.

"With Verizon's latest Data Breach Investigations Report revealing almost 2,000 recorded breaches last year including 20 where over a million records were lost, organisations need to improve their data handling and security capabilities ahead of new European privacy regulations," said Joe Ferrara, President and CEO, Wombat Security.

"Wombat's GDPR: A Practical Overview training module turns what could be your organisation's weakest link, its staff, into its strongest asset, thanks to a highly effective methodology that helps users understand by doing, rather than passively learning right from wrong. With just a year to go before the GDPR finally comes into force, now's the time for organisations to get proactive about managing compliance and reducing the risk of data breaches by driving real behavioural change among their workforce."

The module includes the following key areas of learning:

Why the GDPR was developed by lawmakers

Why all employees have a role to play within the GDPR

employees have a role to play within the GDPR How the GDPR classifies personal data

What type of organisation the GDPR applies to

What is considered a data breach

Penalties for non-compliance

New individual privacy rights for individuals regarding data consent, access and erasure

Key data security and data privacy guidelines

The roles and responsibilities of the Data Protection Officer

Four key areas to increase compliance and decrease risk: accountability; data mapping; detecting and reporting exposure; data erasure

"GDPR: A Practical Overview is just one of many training modules that we believe employees should complete to ensure they are protecting corporate data effectively," said Joe Ferrara.

*Gartner Says Organizations Are Unprepared for the 2018 European Data Protection Regulation -- http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/3701117

About Wombat Security Technologies

Wombat Security Technologies provides information security awareness and training software to help organizations teach their employees secure behavior. Their SaaS-based cyber security education solution includes a platform of integrated broad assessments, as well as a library of simulated attacks and brief interactive training modules. Wombat's solutions help organizations reduce successful phishing attacks and malware infections up to 90%. Wombat, recognized byGartneras a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training Vendors, is helping Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 customer in industry segments such as finance and banking, energy, technology, higher education, retail and consumer packaged goods to strengthen their cyber security defenses.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/460997/wombat_security_technologies_logo.jpg
TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Japan posted a merchandise trade surplus of 481.7 billion yen in April, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. That was shy of expectations for 520.7 billion yen, and it was down from the downwardly revised 614.0 billion yen in March (originally 614.7 billion). The April figure was down 40.6 percent on year from the 811.259 billion yen surplus in April 2016. Exports were up 7.5 percent on year to 6.329 trillion yen - missing forecasts for an increase of 8.0 percent after rising 12.0 percent in the previous month. Exports to Asia surged 12.2 percent on year to 3.448 trillion yen, while exports to China alone advanced an annual 14.8 percent to 1.187 trillion yen. Exports to the United States added an annual 2.6 percent to 1.232 trillion yen, and exports to the European Union gained 2.2 percent to 717.834 billion yen. Imports jumped an annual 15.1 percent to 5.847 trillion yen versus expectations for a gain of 14.8 percent but down from 15.8 percent a month earlier. Imports from Asia were up 10.2 percent on year to 2.831 trillion yen, while imports from China alone advanced 7.5 percent to 1.430 trillion yen. Imports from the United States climbed 9.8 percent on year to 645.493 billion yen, and imports from the European Union gained 5.4 percent to 656.762 billion yen. The adjusted trade surplus was 97.6 billion yen, missing forecasts for 259.6 billion yen and down from the downwardly revised 106.4 billion yen surplus in March (originally 172.2 billion yen). Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Lebring / Austria (ots) -*Revolutionary co-extruded polypropylene backsheet *ISOVOLTAIC's solution for high efficiency modules *Developed in collaboration with BorealisISOVOLTAIC launches the innovative ICOSOLAR CPO 3G, a co-extruded polypropylene (PP) solar backsheet during the upcoming exhibition Intersolar Europe in Munich (www.intersolar.de). For the development of this revolutionary backsheet ISOVOLTAIC, market and technology leader for solar backsheets, and Borealis, a leading provider of innovative polyolefin solutions for the global energy industry, have joined forces. In leveraging their respective areas of expertise, the two companies have now developed new and revolutionary products for the photovoltaic industry.ICOSOLAR CPO 3G - the solution for high efficiency modules: The new ICOSOLAR CPO 3G backsheet is manufactured by ISOVOLTAIC, based near Graz, Austria, using Borealis' solar grades QuentysTM produced in Schwechat, Austria. These polypropylene (PP) grades form the core layer as well as the outer layers of the backsheet. The backsheet's performance-enhancing benefits extend the lifetime of PV modules and ensure greater operational reliability due to:- Increased module output thanks to excellent reflectivity - Superior water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) and acetic acid permeability - Outstanding hydrolytic stability and insulation propertiesBecause there are no adhesive layers, the risk of inner-layer delamination is eliminated. Furthermore, co-extruded PP, as a single-step production technology, ensures the highest production quality and homogeneity, and reduces manufacturing complexity. This further increases its appeal as a replacement for conventional PET based backsheets.Visit us at Intersolar Europe, stand A2.132 to learn more about ICOSOLAR CPO 3G. www.isovoltaic.comAbout BorealisBorealis has been a leading provider of polyolefin solutions for the energy industry for over 50 years. Its expanding portfolio of products and services is based on unique and proprietary technologies that create real value for customers and enable step-change innovations. Borealis provides services and products to customers around the world in collaboration with Borouge, a joint venture with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). With its head office in Vienna (Austria), the company currently employs around 6,600 and has operations in over 120 countriesQuentys is a trademark of the Borealis group.About ISOVOLTAICISOVOLTAIC AG is a world market and technology leader in the development and production of backsheets, a key component of photovoltaic modules. It has to date produced over 250 million square metres of backsheets in its 30 years in the industry and significantly shapes established industry standards with its ICOSOLAR products. ICOSOLAR backsheets provide long-term protection for solar cells so that they can convert sunlight into usable energy for a long time. ISOVOLTAIC employs around 150 people at four corporate locations, including its headquarters in Lebring (Austria) and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Changzhou and Suzhou (China). ICOSOLAR is a trademark of ISOVOLTAIC AG.Originaltext: ISOVOLTAIC AG digital press kits: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/126686 press kits via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_126686.rss2Contact for further information: Klaudia Schober ISOVOLTAIC AG Head of Human Resources & Corporate Communications E-mail: klaudia.schober@isovoltaic.com Tel.: +43 (0)5 9191-9702


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The rally in crude oil prices continued Friday on a weaker dollar and hopes the Federal Reserve will goose the U.S. economy with low interest rates for the foreseeable future.



With inflation sagging, the Federal Reserve will find it hard to make the case for further interest rate hikes. The central bank has said it intends to raise rates once more this year and three times in 2018, but analysts now regard this as too ambitious.



The Labor Department said its consumer price index was flat in June after edging down by 0.1 percent in May. Economists had expected consumer prices to inch up by 0.1 percent.



Paul Ashworth, Chief U.S. Economist at Capital Economics, said, 'Earlier this week, Chair Janet Yellen reiterated that the Fed would be watching the incoming inflation data particularly closely over the coming months.'



'On the basis of June's data, it is getting harder for the Fed to continue claiming that this is a temporary drop off,' he added.



U.S. retail sales unexpectedly decreased for the second consecutive month in June. The Commerce Department said retail sales fell by 0.2 percent in June after edging down by a revised 0.1 percent in May.



Meanwhile, signs are starting to point to a drop in U.S. production after furious output in the first half of the year.



Weekly data showed U.S. inventories tumbled the most in ten months as refinery activity picked up.



August West Texas Intermediate crude rose 46 cents, or 1%, to settle at $46.54 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange for the session. Prices surged more than 5% this week.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Regulatory News:

OSE Immunotherapeutics SA (Paris:OSE) (ISIN: FR0012127173; Mnemo: OSE) announced today the appointment of Aurore Morello, Ph.D., as Immunology Researcher, and Riad Abes, Ph.D., as CMC Project Manager, further strengthening the Company's R&D team, based in Nantes.

Dr. Morello holds a Ph.D. in cellular biology and physiopathology, and will serve as an immunology researcher at OSE Immunotherapeutics. She received her doctorate focused on cancer immunotherapy at the CNRS of Bordeaux*. Prior to joining OSE Immunotherapeutics, Dr. Morello was a post doctorate researcher at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She has significant expertise in CAR T-Cell immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors.

Dr. Abes holds a Ph.D. in cancer immunology**, and joins OSE Immunotherapeutics as a project manager and developer, specializing in monoclonal antibodies. Dr. Abes brings several years of experience in both academic research in immunology and at biotechnology companies, including the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies, from R&D to clinical development phase.

 We are pleased to welcome Aurore and Riad to the OSE Immunotherapeutics team. With their high scientific and industrial levels, these new talents will bring their experience to advance our products from preclinical to clinical phase , said Bernard Vanhove, Chief Operating Officer of OSE Immunotherapeutics, in charge of R&D and International scientific collaborations.

*UMR 5164, CIRID (Composantes Innees de la Reponse Immunitaire et Differenciation)

** Centre de recherche des Cordeliers (Cancer, immune control and escape), UMRS 872

ABOUT OSE IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS

Our ambition is to become a world leader in activation and regulation immunotherapies

OSE Immunotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative immunotherapies for immune activation and regulation in the fields of immuno-oncology, auto-immune diseases and transplantation.

The company has a balanced portfolio of first-in-class products with a diversified risk profile ranging from clinical phase 3 registration trials to R&D:

In immuno-oncology

Tedopi, a combination of 10 optimized neo-epitopes to induce specific T activation in immuno-oncology - Currently in registration Phase 3 trial advanced NSCLC HLA A2+ patients EU /US Orphan Status in the US - Registration expected in 2019 A Phase 2 with Tedopi in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor in NSCLC is considered in 2017

to induce specific T activation in immuno-oncology - Orphan Status in the US in NSCLC is considered in 2017 OSE-172 (Effi-DEM), new generation checkpoint inhibitor targeting the SIRP-a receptor In preclinical development for several cancer models.

In auto-immune diseases and transplantation

FR104, CD28-antagonist in immunotherapy Phase 1 trial completed - For the treatment of autoimmune diseases and for use with transplantation Licensed to Janssen Biotech Inc. to pursue clinical development.

CD28-antagonist in immunotherapy - For the treatment of autoimmune diseases and for use with transplantation to pursue clinical development. OSE-127 (Effi-7), interleukin receptor-7 antagonist In preclinical development for inflammatory bowel diseasesand other autoimmune diseases.License option agreement with Servierfor the development and commercialization.

The portfolio's blockbuster potential gives OSE Immunotherapeutics the ability to enter global agreements at different stages of development with major pharmaceutical players.

Immunotherapy is a highly promising and growing market. By 2023 Immunotherapy of cancer could represent nearly 60% of treatments against less than 3% at present and the projected market is estimated at $67 billion in 2018 **.

There are more than 80 autoimmune diseases that represent a significant market including major players in the pharmaceutical industry with sales towards $10 billion for the main products. The medical need is largely unmet and requires the provision of new innovative products involved in the regulation of the immune system.

*Citi Research Equity

**BCC Research

Click and follow us on Twitter and Linkedln

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains express or implied information and statements that might be deemed forward-looking information and statements in respect of OSE Immunotherapeutics. They do not constitute historical facts. These information and statements include financial projections that are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by OSE Immunotherapeutics' management in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate.

These forward-looking statements include statements typically using conditional and containing verbs such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "target", "plan", or "estimate", their declensions and conjugations and words of similar import.

Although the OSE Immunotherapeutics management believes that the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, the OSE Immunotherapeutics' shareholders and other investors are cautioned that the completion of such expectations is by nature subject to various risks, known or not, and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of OSE Immunotherapeutics. These risks could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those discussed or identified in the public filings made by OSE Immunotherapeutics with the AMF. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.

This press release includes only summary information and should be read with the OSE Immunotherapeutics Reference Document filed with the AMF on 28 April 2017 under the number R.17-038, including the annual financial report for the fiscal year 2016, available on the OSE Immunotherapeutics' website.

Other than as required by applicable law, OSE Immunotherapeutics issues this press release at the date hereof and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information or statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522005581/en/

Contacts:

OSE Immunotherapeutics

Sylvie Detry, +33 143 297 857

sylvie.detry@ose-immuno.com

or

Contacts media: Alize RP

Caroline Carmagnol Laetitia Abbar

+33 647 389 004

oseimmuno@alizerp.com
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Citi Monday issued a statement regarding its settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice related to conduct within Banamex USA, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Citi. 'We are pleased to resolve these matters which conclude all remaining open inquiries conducted jointly by the DOJ and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts concerning the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance conduct of Citigroup and related entities, including BUSA. The settlement includes a non-prosecution agreement and a Forfeiture Amount of roughly $97 million, for which Citi is fully reserved. 'Citi previously announced a BUSA settlement in July 2015 with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and California's Department of Business Oversight. At that time, we also announced our intention to wind down banking operations at BUSA, subject to a satisfactory liquidation plan. That liquidation plan was submitted to the FDIC and received a non-objection. As a result, BUSA anticipates ceasing banking operations as of June 30, 2017. 'Among our most serious obligations as a bank is to achieve the strongest possible system for anti-money-laundering and sanctions compliance to protect the integrity of the financial system, and we continually take steps to strengthen and enhance our BSA and AML programs.' 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.
Leading Luxury Lifestyle Group Continues Rapid Global Expansion with Nine New Hotel Signings; Announces Plans to Triple Existing Portfolio by 2022

NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group, home to its Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and soon-to-launch Unscripted Hotels brands, today announced another year of unprecedented international growth with nine new hotels expected to open in new destinations by the end of 2020.

"We signed more new hotel deals in the last six months than any other year in the company's history," said Dream Hotel Group chairman Sant Singh Chatwal. "After significant investment and repositioning from ownership to hotel brand and management, Dream Hotel Group now boasts its strongest portfolio ever, and we look forward to continuing to build on our success and expand our brands at a rapid rate."

Dream Hotel Group has 16 hotels open today and a robust pipeline of 26 additional properties, including these nine new locations, which, when open, are expected to bring the company's total property and room count to 42 and 10,034, respectively. With the largest and most active pipeline in the company's history, Dream Hotel Group is on track to increase its global footprint by 230 percent over the next four years, tripling its existing portfolio by 2022.

"These nine new developments are a testament to the strength of our brands, and I am proud to announce another record year of strategic growth momentum for the group," remarked Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group. "We are finding that our lifestyle brands resonate well in both established and emerging destinations, and every step into a new market demonstrates our unwavering commitment to forging new and enriching partnerships with potential owners and developers across the globe."

Newly signed locations include primary and secondary markets around the world-from Dallas to Delhi, Upstate New York to Vietnam, the Maldives to the Dominican Republic-and represent $750 million in new hotel development, all with independent development partners.

The news follows that of the highly anticipated summer launch of Dream Hotel Group's newest lifestyle brand, Unscripted, which is on track become the fastest-growing new brand in the company's history. A new hospitality concept for the progressive creative traveler, Unscripted will open its first location in Durham, North Carolina in July 2017.

Dream Hotel Group signed nine new hotel deals in the last six months, including:

Dream Oceanami Villas & Spa (Vietnam) - Fall 2017 - Developed by Beegreen Group, Dream Oceanami Villas & Spa marks the first of four new locations to open in Vietnam. Located in Long Hai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the resort will feature 347 villas and eight dining and nightlife venues, including the brand's signature Dream Beach Club, fronting the South China Sea on a one-kilometer stretch of pristine beach.

Unscripted Cocobay Da Nang -Fall 2017 - Developed by Vietnam-based Empire Group, the 160-room Unscripted Hotel will feature three dining and nightlife venues. The Cocobay complex will be the largest integrated resort complex in Vietnam with a walking street of shops and restaurants, a water park, a performing arts center, luxury apartments and residences, a beach club and eight hotels, including Unscripted Cocobay, all overlooking the South China Sea.

The Chatwal Lodge - Late 2018 - Located in Bethel, NY, The Chatwal Lodge will be the second location to debut in The Chatwal collection of luxury hotels. Developed by Dream Hotel Group, the resort will feature 50 exquisite accommodations on 23 acres, including private villas, suites and rooms, and world-class culinary experiences crafted and managed by renowned chef Todd English and others to be announced soon.

The Chatwal Maaga Maldives - 2019 - Developed by local entrepreneur Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings, and the first of two new Dream Hotel Group locations in the Maldivian Islands, The Chatwal Maaga Maldives will feature 80 ultra-luxury villas, six private beach villas and two presidential villas, as well as three unforgettable culinary venues bringing fine dining and casual barefoot elegance to the lagoon's edge in picturesque North Ari Atoll.

Unscripted Dallas-Fort Worth - 2019 - Developed by Newstream Hotels & Resorts, the five-story hotel will feature 134 guestrooms and four restaurants and bars, including a rooftop lounge. Located in the town of Flower Mound, adjacent to Lake Grapevine and six miles north of DFW Airport, Unscripted Dallas-Fort Worth marks the first ground-up build and second U.S. location for the Unscripted Hotels brand.

Dream Delhi - 2019 - Developed by Asrani Inn & Resorts Private Ltd., Dream Delhi will feature 179 rooms and multiple food and beverage outlets, including a Food Hall concept by internationally renowned chef Todd English.

The Time Dominican Republic - 2019 - The Time Dominican Republic marks the group's first location in the Caribbean. Set to open in 2019, the upper-upscale resort hotel will feature luxurious beachfront guestrooms and suites, multiple dining and nightlife venues, and a spa.

Unscripted Dominican Republic - 2019 - Also slated to open in 2019, Unscripted Dominican Republic will feature spaces guestrooms and suites, and multiple food and beverage outlets.

Dream Gasveli Maldives - 2020 - Developed by local entrepreneur Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings, Dream Gasveli Maldives resort will feature 500 villas, eight experiential dining and nightlife venues, including the brand's signature Dream Beach Club, a 20,000-square-foot wellness spa, and more than a dozen designer brand retail outlets for exclusive duty-free shopping on site.

Dream Hotel Group also signed letters of intent to open hotels in the following markets: Austin, Phoenix, Orlando, Monterey and Long Island City, as well as the United Kingdom, Central America and Vietnam.

The company plans to sign more than 150 hotels and resorts across all its brands - Dream, Time, The Chatwal and Unscripted - in the next four years, continuing to solidify its burgeoning global portfolio.

About Dream Hotel Group

Dream Hotel Group is a hotel brand and management company with a rich, 30-year history of managing properties in some of the world's most highly competitive hotel environments.Home to its Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels brands, Dream Hotel Group encompasses three business lines: Proprietary Brands, Hotel Management and Dining & Nightlife. The company is committed to the philosophy that forward-thinking design, service and guest experiences should be available across all market segments.Dream Hotel Group is dedicated to offering travelers an authentic connection to their chosen destination through a truly original approach. For more information, visit www.dreamhotelgroup.com. Follow @dreamhotelgroup on Twitter.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/514621/Dream_Hotel_Group_Sant_Singh_Chawal.jpg
According to the Complaint, during the Class Period, Citizens Financial made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: that its employees were falsifying information related to the Citizens Checkup program; that the Company's reported Citizens Checkup figures were exaggerated; and that as a result of the above, Citizens Financial's statements about its business, operations and prospects, were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. On March 29, 2017, the Wall Street Journal reported that certain Citizens Financial employees acknowledged that Company employees faked "financial checkup" meetings with customers. The Company stated that the "Citizens Checkup" program resulted in 400,000 scheduled appointments in 2016, but the report stated that former employees said they falsified information due to the Company's pressure to meet certain program expectations. Following this news, Citizen Financial's stock price dropped materially, which harmed investors according to the Complaint.

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.
AURORA, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 05/22/17 -- BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, recognized Nina Means as the 2017 BERNINA Fashion Fund Recipient at Saturday night's Austin Fashion Week Runway Show. During the event, Nina was presented with a BERNINA 560 (B 560) sewing machine, a value of $3,399. The BERNINA Fashion Fund is a partnership between BERNINA and Austin Fashion Week that was established in 2014 to support local emerging designers who show incredible talent.

"It's our pleasure to present Nina Means with a BERNINA 560," said Amy Sherfinski, Director of Marketing for BERNINA of America. "This 5 Series machine offers designers a wide variety of features and functions including an optional embroidery module and compatibility with BERNINA's cutting-edge DesignWorks Software Suite."

The B 560 features a five-inch high-resolution color touch screen to navigate its wide range of features and functions. It features a simple yet classic design that sewists will appreciate, along with 476 total stitch patterns, an automatic thread cutter and a stitch width up to 9 mm. The B 560 also offers an optional embroidery module and is compatible with BERNINA's cutting edge software, DesignWorks. The DesignWorks Software Suite features the CutWork, PaintWork and CrystalWork components that can transform the B 560 from an embroidery machine into a mixed media tool. With CutWork, shapes, patterns and designs can be cut from multiple layers of fabric. PaintWork allows the application of pen drawings to fabric and textiles. CrystalWork gives the ability to create crystal applique patterns for textiles and garments. For more information, visit www.bernina.com/5series.

"I am so grateful to BERNINA for having chosen me as the 2017 BERNINA Fashion Fund Recipient and am honored to receive the BERNINA 560 sewing machine," said Nina Means. "I'm excited to start using my new BERNINA and experience, first-hand its many features. I'm confident that it will support my future collection endeavors perfectly."

Durham North Carolina native Nina Means, took an unconventional path into the fashion industry after a career in public health. She took a leap of faith moving to Italy to learn under masters in apparel design. Upon her return back to the United States, and after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology, she secured an internship with Rebecca Taylor and designed for American Eagle Outfitters and H by Halston. The Nina Means Collection is an expression of elegant minimalism, fashion that is comfortable yet elevated. For more information about Nina Means, visit Facebook: facebook.com/shopninameans; Twitter: @ninameansusa or Instagram: nina_means.

About BERNINA

Founded in Switzerland more than 100 years ago, BERNINA is the world's premier manufacturer with a proven reputation for offering quality state-of-the-art sewing, quilting and embroidery machines, overlockers, and embroidery software. BERNINA's leadership is marked by an impressive number of ambassadors, industry leaders, influencers and bloggers, who chose to partner with the company. BERNINA products are sold in the United States through a network of over 400 fully trained independent dealerships that also offer support and education. Select BERNINA and bernette machines, and BERNINA software can also be purchased online. BERNINA products are designed for beginning to advanced sewists and priced to meet a variety of budgets, with new products being introduced every year. You can follow BERNINA on Facebook: www.facebook.com/berninausa, Instagram: @BERNINAUSA, and Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/WeAllSew, and read BERNINA's WeAllSew blog at www.weallsew.com. To learn more about BERNINA and to find a Dealer, visit www.bernina.com or call (630)978-2500.

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Media Contacts for BERNINA of America, Inc.:

Joanne Tedesco

(312)780-7210

Email Contact



Lia Antonetti

(312)780-7218

Email Contact




EcoIntense GmbH, a Berlin, Germany-based provider of health and safety, environmental management and sustainability solutions, closed a 22m equity growth funding.

Backers included One Peak Partners and investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, the growth-focused private investment team within Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

As part of the investment, Berlin-based BBAF Business Angels Fondsgesellschaft and Swiss family office Wecken & Cie sold their respective shareholdings in EcoIntense to new investors.

The company will use the funds for international growth and product development.

Led by founder and CEO Markus Becker, EcoIntense provides EcoWebDesk, a SaaS based platform that enables businesses to manage all processes and tasks relating to health, safety and environment (HSE) as well as sustainability, whilst also meeting legal compliance requirements.

The company currently employs more than 90 staff at its headquarters in Berlin with additional offices in the German states of Bavaria and Lower Saxony, as well as in Austria and the United States.

FinSMEs

22/05/2017
As we anticipated in March 2017, Florismart, a London, UK-based online marketplace for professional florists across Europe, is raising a growth funding round.

According to a note, the company raised 1.3m in funding from Beaubridge, an independently owned and managed private equity growth firm, which made the investment under EIS, alongside CEO Steve France and Chairman Abraham Wijnperle.

An added 1m under EIS will be invested in the summer to complete the 2.3m round.

The funds, raised via the CoInvestor platform, will enable the business to expand faster and add new customers.

Founded in 2015, Florismart is an online flower market for exporters, wholesalers, and growers. Currently operating in the United Kingdom and Germany, the marketplace creates a digital, real-time ecosystem that connects flowers grown locally and all around the world with a variety of suppliers.

Florismart then gathers, packages, and takes care of the delivery.

Since its inception in 2015, the company has experienced a cumulative average growth of 113% and now has 850 independent florists signed up.

FinSMEs

22/05/2017
An analysis of rating agency, Care, on the bad loan trend of select 13 public sector banks doesnt offer any firm direction on the future path of the problem. It says, while overall bad loan ratio has stabilized, one needs to wait and watch for two more quarters to get a trend that is sustainable. Out of the 13, eight have shown a decline in NPA ratio (non-performing assets) over December 2016 while five have witnessed an increase.

Eight of out of the 13 still have GNPAs above 10 percent, while the remaining have above 6 percent. According to the rater, the Asset Quality Review (AQR) initiated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under former governor, Raghuram Rajan, and implemented from Q4 of FY16 resulted in massive jump in NPAs. The figure doubled to Rs 2.33 lakh crore for these 13 banks compared with Rs 1.16 lakh crore in March 2015.

In reality, it is not true to say Rajans directive to banks to clean up bank balance sheets by March, 2017 resulted in higher NPAs, it only forced banks to report the actual NPAs that were so far hidden in their balance sheets. In other words, bad loans were always there, but hidden under technical adjustments. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) step brought this chunk out to public scrutiny.

Now that March-deadline for the RBI has passed, have banks reported all of their NPAs keeping to the central bank deadline? Only the next quarter earnings (June) will tell us that. In all likelihood, the sharp pace of rise NPAs must have peaked for many banks, but there are more skeletons waiting to come out of the closet for some others. This is in the case of certain regional-centric banks, which have been most vulnerable to political influence when it comes to lending operations and soft approach to defaulters.

The Care analysis doesnt take into account the State Bank of India (SBI) numbers that came on Friday. As noted in an earlier piece, SBI numbersboth in terms of NPAs control and bottom line growth, is a silver lining for the industry that is locked in the bad loan battle. But, that doesnt mean that the pain of other banks is over. They have a big battle still left to be fought. The next big thing one to watch out for in the NPA battle is how the recent NPA ordinance promulgated by the Narendra Modi government work for the benefit of banks for bad loan resolution. The government has given more power to the RBI to directly involve in case-by-case NPA resolution and enforce the Insolvency Act, if a firm fails to repay money borrowed from banks within a certain deadline.

There is skepticism whether the RBI can make any difference with its power to direct. There are concerns on a regulator coming between the banker-borrower relation and the power of banks to take commercial decisions. Also, in the event of loss to banks, they will need capitallots of it. Will the RBI be in a position to nudge the central government to fork out additional capital to fill the fund-gap? These are all questions that need answers. But, if the RBI can miraculously tackle the NPA crisis, it will be a win-win for both the public sector banks and their majority ownerthe government. But for this the government and RBI need to act fast. According to a report in DNA (read here ), even after a fortnight of the NPA ordinance, banks are still awaiting formation of oversight committees, which are instrumental in taking the process ahead.

Secondly, whether the government has the ability to wrestle rich and influential defaulters remains a question. It has made some progress in the Kingfisher-Vijay Mallya case, but recovery has not been significant so far (Mallya owes Rs 9,000 crore to 17 banks). There are several other large-corporate wilful default cases where promoters have taken the banking system for a ride. Beyond the victory of wrongdoer and the politics of the process, at the end of the day what is critical is to see whether the money is coming back to banks.

Thirdly, addressing the existing stock of bad loans is fine. Bad loans happen in any industry. But there is a need for a long-term plan to avoid future generation of problematic loan defaults that arent due to genuine reasons of business stress, but an outcome of the political-corporate nexus. State-run banks are easy targets for the tax evaders to misuse as compared with privately owned institutions. As mentioned in the above-mentioned DNA piece, a comparative study of the earnings of private sector banks and PSBs reveals this. The solution is simple: To let go of government control of state-run banks and let private parties run these institutions. This will free the government from the annual ritual of funding these banks and the banks from the micromanagement by government in their commercial decisions. India cannot afford a soft approach on the issue of NPA resolution. At the end of the day, banks are dealing with public money.

The fight against bank loan defaulters needs to be deeper, not cosmetic. The government needs to pick and choose problematic banks and kick off the process of selling them. Also, stringent action is needed to recover money from willful defaulters, not just leave the banks at the mercy of courts. Modi needs to do a real surgical strike to fight bad loans, not random shots at the targets.
New Delhi: Former coal secretary HC Gupta was awarded two-year-imprisonment by a special court in a coal scam case on Monday.

Special CBI Judge Bharat Parasher also sentenced two senior government officials, KS Kropha and KC Samaria, to two-year imprisonment.

Besides the jail term, the court also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each on the three convicts.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs one crore on the firm Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd, while its managing director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia was awarded three-year jail term.

Ahluwalia will also have to pay a fine of Rs 30 lakh.

All the convicts were granted bail soon after the sentence was announced to enable them move the high court.

Gupta and two serving senior officials were earlier convicted by the court for irregularities in the allocation of the Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to a private firm.
Firstpost journalist Bindisha Sarang has won the Citi Journalistic Excellence Award --India for 2017 for her reporting on demonetisation.

Bindisha's report, written along with BV Rao, spoke about how Prime Minister Narendra Modi aborted his plan to calibrate bank ATMs with Rs 100 notes before announcing demonetisation. The prime minister announced the ban on Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes late on 8 November 2016, sending the people of the country into a panic. In the subsequent days, there was a scramble for currency notes as bank ATMs were not recalibrated to dispense new notes and not enough Rs 100 notes were available.

You can read the report here.

Started in 1982, Citi gives away Citi Journalistic Excellence Award or CJEA to financial and business reporters across many countries the financial services major operates in. Winners would get an opportunity to participate in a special study seminar in New York city, administered by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and supported by Citi. This year the seminar will be conducted between 30 May -8 June.

About 24 Indian publications had sent in their articles in 2017 for CJEA, which is in its third year in India. Goutam Das from Business Today won CJEA from India along with Bindisha. Ritwik Mukherjee from the Financial Chronicle was the runner up.
Washington: Facing rough weather amid large-scale layoffs and visa curbs in the US, the Indian IT industry body Nasscom has stepped up its lobbying with the American lawmakers significantly with an over one-third increase in money spent on such activities.

According to the latest lobbying disclosure reports filed with the US Senate, the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) paid a total amount of US $1,50,000 (nearly Rs 1 crore) to its two registered lobbyists in the first quarter of 2017.

This marks a significant rise from US $1,10,000 paid to the two lobbyists in the previous quarter ended December 2016. The amount was same for each of the four quarter of 2016.

Among the two lobbyists, The Lande Group was paid US $50,000 in January-March quarter of 2017 -- the same as the money paid in each of the four quarters of 2016.

However, the other lobbyist, Wexler & Walker, a unit of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, LLC was paid US $100,000 in the first quarter of 2017, as against US $60,000 in the previous three-month period and in many of the previous quarters.

As per the lobbying disclosure report, the "specific lobbying issues" undertaken by this lobbyist included those related to immigration. The "general issues" included tax and trade matters.

The houses of Congress and federal agencies with whom it lobbied on behalf of Nasscom, which itself acts as a lobby group for the US $150 billion Indian IT industry, included the US Senate and the US House of Representatives.

On the other hand, Lande Group covered a larger number of "specific lobbying issues", including with several federal agencies, as per its first-quarter disclosure report.

These included "high skill immigration, green cards, visa processing, US-India relations, US-India matters, tax reform, (and) border adjustment tax".

In addition to the Senate and the House of Representatives, The Lande Group also did lobbying with the White House Office, the US Trade Representative, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the departments of state, commerce and homeland security.

Nasscom took a delegation of the Indian IT industry earlier this year to the US to engage with members of the Trump administration on issues like clampdown on work visas and flow of skilled manpower between the two nations.

During the visit, Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar had said the debate in the US over H-1B visas has become a political and emotive issue as there is a "yawning gap" between the facts and perception and the Indian IT firms contribute immensely to the US economy and jobs creation.

He met several influential American lawmakers, opinion builders, members of the think-tank community and government officials to discuss H-1B visa issues, among other matters.

The visit of the Nasscom delegation came in the wake of the ongoing debate in the US and moves to curtail the use of H-1B visas, widely used by Indian IT majors.

The US recently also accused top Indian IT firms TCS and Infosys of "unfairly" cornering the lions share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system, a charge vehemently countered by Nasscom.

Close on the heels of this accusation, Infosys went on to announce plans to hire 10,000 Americans, though this move was described by some as an act to appease US President Donald Trump's administration which has tightened the rules of H-1B visa programme to stop its abuse.

An analysis of the lobbying disclosure reports filed for Nasscom shows that the Indian software industry body paid US $440,000 to the two registered lobbying firms in 2016.

The Lande Group has been lobbying on behalf of Nasscom since third quarter of 2010, while Wexler & Walker registered itself as a lobbyist for the industry body in October 2015.

Previously, Hill and Knowlton had registered itself as a lobbyist for Nasscom way back in February 2003 but that association got terminated in first quarter of 2008.

Since the beginning, the lobbying issues for Nasscom have included "immigration and technology issues of interest to the Indian software industry".

The total lobbying expenses for Nasscom in the year 2015 was US $270,000, while it was even lower at US $140,000 in 2014 and US $150,000 in 2013.

The amounts were US $115,000 in 2012, US $75,000 in 2011 and just US $40,000 in 2010. The lobbying expenses for Nasscom stood at US $60,000 in 2006, US $100,000 in 2005, US $180,000 in 2004 and at US $200,000 in 2003.
Kolkata: The decision to put cinema tickets under the 28 per cent tax bracket in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime has raised questions over the survivability of Bengali films.

"28 percent GST on movie ticket is shocker. 14 times more than the current rate for bengali films. How will industry survive!!??," tweeted producer Mahendra Soni, co-founder of Shree Venkatesh Films, which has at least 100 movies to its credit including National Award winners "Chokher Bali" (late Rituparno Ghosh) and "Memories in March".

Soni's views were endorsed by filmmakers Srijit Mukherji and Kaushik Ganguly in retweets.
(This is the first in a two-part series about the Maharashtra government policies for rural development)

If the government of Maharashtra has its way, this state could become the largest milk producer in the country within a few years time. This could mean that Uttar Pradesh could be gently nudged aside, and so could Gujarat. Currently, Maharashtra is Number 7 among milk producing states in the country. I plan to make it Number One, says, Mahadev Jankar, Maharashtra's Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries (see chart below).

In fact, he has already begun making moves that have all the states cooperatives in a funk. A fortnight ago, he issued directives to all the cooperatives in the state to sell the milk produced by them directly to the state government. The reason? It is the state that gives the cooperatives land and grants. The state offers it many facilities as well. Yet, many milk producers prefer to sell their milk to brands like Nandini (from Karnataka) and Amul (from Gujarat).

Moreover, many cooperatives have tried to create their own brands and their own marketing setups which has made the entire milk operational costs for these cooperatives much higher than it outhgt to be. For instance, Maharashtra has around 80 brands. Having 80 brands means replicating marketing and brand building costs 80 times. Market shares shrink. Markets become fragmented. Not surprisingly, all the brands in this state have remained stunted.

Another offshoot of this fragmented approach was to meet these costs from money that should have gone to farmers. Thus, while Gujarats cooperatives were paying their farmers anywhere between Rs.26-31 per litre, Maharashtras cooperatives were paying farmers just Rs 18-20. This low payment to farmers resulted in unfortunate consequences. Since the farmers were not being paid enough, they did not acquire more cattle. And the other consequence was the inevitable disenchantment with cooperatives, because they felt that they were being cheated. Since the entire milk distribution network (as well as farm produce networks of APMC) were controlled by people very closely connected with cooperatives, the bitterness that small farmers felt was inevitable.

Contrary to the belligerent and shrill cries of some parties  especially the Shiv Sena and the Congress  the present government does not believe in loan write-offs which have penalised the honest and taught them to become dishonest. The state government realised that a better way to reward farmers was to take them out of the clutches of cooperatives and pay them more than what they used to get. So, Jankars ministry decided to pay Rs 24 a litre for cows milk and Rs 33 per litre for buffaloes milk.

It all started on 17 October, 2016, when the Fadnavis government decided to enter into a pact with NDDB to set up a processing plant in Vidarbha, and set up milk collection centres around that region. The MoU between the state government and NDDB envisaged an investment outlay of at least Rs 230 crore. The first procurement at higher prikces began almost six months ago. Then, with periodic increases in prices, the final price currently being offered is Rs 24 for cows milk and Rs 33 for buffalos milk.

The result has been electrifying. Farmers decided to switch loyalties from the cooperatives which paid them less to the state government. Compared to the 90,000 litres of milk that the government procured before Jankar assumed charge of this ministry, the state currently collects over 11 lakh litres a day. I have a target reach a collection of two crore litres (an increase from 1.1 tonnes a day to 20 tonnes per day). I hope to do that within the next 7-8 months, adds Jankar. We have invested around Rs 750 crore in this business, and are already very active in 11 districts. In a short time, we shall cover all districts.

In one fell swoop, Jankar dispelled any thoughts that some politicians had about making a land grab for the vast lands that Aarey and Mahanand Dairies had.

Jankar has now decided to promote two brands under Aarey  Aarey Bhushan and Aarey Shakti. The former will be a premium product and will be charged a premium price as well. The latter would be the regular milk that people consume. Our plan is to focus on the premium brand, and use the proceeds to give the farmers a price that is higher than Rs 31. If possible, we would like to double the price to farmers even from the current level, he adds.

Meanwhile, just around a fortnight ago, Jankars ministry sent a directive to all milk cooperatives in the state to sell their milk within the state and not to milk distributors outside the state. The cozy deal that cooperatives had with Amul and Nandini is sought to be broken.

With higher prices that are being offered by the state government on the one hand, and the directive forbidding Maharashtras milk cooperatives not to sell milk outside the state, many cooperatives are in a state of funk. Most of these cooperatives are owned by either the NCP or the Congress. This has squeezed their cashflows considerably.

Behind this revamping of the states milk production, processing and distribution business, there are obviously some very canny political objectives in mind. First, the increase in milk prices helps fulfil the prime ministers stated vision of doubling farm income by 2022. Through milk procurement pricing alone, a good part of this objective is being achieved. Secondly, at a time when both the Congress and the Shiv Sena have been criticizing the government for being farmer unfriendly, the BJP is out to show farmers that it is bring back dignity into their lives, by making them profitable and capable of standing on their feet, and not living on doles.

And milk is not the only strategy that is being used.

It is being used in the areas of building cow shelters for old and non-lactating cows, accelerating poultry farming and fisheries. The bugle has been blown. The war for the farmers hearts has begun more fiercely than ever before. But more on that later.

(Part II tomorrow on: How Jankar has equally big plans for cow shelters, Animal Care Centres, rearing of goats and pigs, poultry and fishery)
New Delhi - Tata Sons on Monday announced appointment of Aditya Birla Group's Head of Strategy, Saurabh Agrawal as Group Chief Financial Officer.

One of the leading investment bankers in India, Agrawal will join Tata Sons with effect from July 2017, the company said in a statement.

"He brings deep capital markets knowledge and valuable cross-industry experience to this critical leadership role in the Tata group," Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said.

Agrawal's expertise will help Tata group in driving rigour and synergy in capital allocation decisions, investment management as well as consolidation and optimisation of the group's business portfolio, he added.

An IIT Roorkee and IIM Calcutta alumni, Agrawal has over two decades of experience in the industry. He was also the head of the corporate finance unit of Standard Chartered Bank in India and South Asia, and the head of the investment banking division in DSP Merrill Lynch.
Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali have previously worked together during Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, where the actress starred in a song, and Mary Kom, where Bhansali was one of the producers. Now, it is being reported that the duo will come together for one of Bhansali's upcoming projects.

DNA reports that this project will be a 'women-oriented' film, and that Chopra will play the title role. This film will be produced by Bhansali, and while work on it has begun, the name has been kept under wraps.

In January 2017 it was reported that Chopra would star in this project opposite two actors. Speculations about her starring in Gustakhiyan, yet another of Bhansali's upcoming films, were rife at this time, according to the same Mumbai Mirror report. "Priyanka will meet Bhansali again at his office next week and is expected to sign on the dotted line only in February. The duo has been discussing scripts for the last one year. They're very fond of each other," says the source quoted in the report.

Priyanka Chopra will be seen next on the silver screen as Victoria Leeds, the antagonist of Baywatch, which also stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. Her show Quantico has been renewed for a third season. She has also signed her second Hollywood film A Kid Like Jake, where she will star with Jim Parsons and Octavia Spencer.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, on the other hand, is working on period drama Padmavati which stars Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor. His film faced several issues with respect to shooting, and his sets in Jaipur and Kolhapur were damaged. In Jaipur, the director was also assaulted by members of the Karni Sena. Bhansali had to confirm that there was no love scene between Rani Padmini (Deepika Padukone) and Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh), following this incident.
The internet hadn't fully recovered from Sonam's stunning Shimma saree, which she sported on her first day at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, and her second look is already out. For her final Cannes appearance, Sonam chose a gorgeous, soft-pink Elie Saab dress, which looks elegant and dramatic in equal parts.

Decode: Tint Caresse Rose Blossom + Peach blossom, True Match Lumi Liquid Highlighter Rose, La Palette Gold, Lumi Powder Rose #LifeAtCannes pic.twitter.com/tsIWmoQkUc  L'Oreal Paris India (@LOrealParisIn) May 21, 2017

Sonam, who is known to make bold fashion statements every now and then, chose this custom-made embellished number. She was styled by her sister, Rhea Kapoor. Although she always surprises everyone with her avant-garde fashion sense, this look proved that she doesn't need to try hard to make heads turn.

Sonam paired the dress with jewelry from Kalyan Jewellers, staying true to what she said about incorporating Indian elements in her outfit, in an earlier interview. She went for a loose hair bun which added oodles of grace to her look. The boat neck accentuated her flawless bone structure as she delicately posed for the shutterbugs.

Sonam is at the festival as a representative of the makeup brand Loreal, along with Deepika Padukone and Aishwarya Rai, who slayed the red carpet with their attires as well. The Indian entourage at Cannes has been dishing out the best looks we've seen so far.
New Delhi: Hindi film actor Kajol may cease to be a member of the Prasar Bharati board for repeatedly missing meetings.

Kajol was appointed a part-time member of the board, which oversees the functioning of public broadcasters All Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan, last year.

According to the provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act, members who are absent without taking permission for three consecutive board meetings are understood to have "vacated the office".

The Information and Broadcasting ministry (I&B) had sent a letter to Prasar Bharati seeking details on whether Kajol had attended recent meetings, sources said.

It was learnt the actress - who starred in superhits such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai - had not turned up for three consecutive meeting held this year, without apparently notifying the board.

The I&B ministry is now examining the matter, the sources said. The issue of Kajol's repeated absence had also figured in a recent meeting of the Prasar Bharati board.

The actor was nominated as a member of the board last year for three years. A spokesperson for the actor said she had missed the meetings because of several factors.

"Unfortunately she had not been able to attend the last 3-4 meetings due to prior professional commitments and also due to a family emergency on medical grounds through most of this year," the spokesperson said, adding that she had attended earlier meetings. She regrets that she has been unable to attend the last few meetings due to circumstances beyond her control," the spokesperson said.
Priyanka Chopra's latest Hollywood film Baywatch has been given an 'A' certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification. Baywatch, one of the most anticipated movie of the year, was going to be a fun, raunchy action comedy, but couldn't clear the censor board with a U or U/A certificate.

The chairperson of the board, Pahlaj Nihalani, explained in a DNA interview that the rationale behind the certification was not to wipe out the bikini images. The real concern of the board members was the frequent usage of cuss words and smutty language.

He also said that the original Baywatch series which had David Hasselfoff and Pamela Anderson in it, ran on Satellite television for years. Indians had access to the original series as well, so there was no reason for the board to raise concern about the skimpily clad women.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the film has been recommended five cuts in total, one visual and four verbal. Nihalani has mentioned in the same report that all cuss words have not been cut out, some of them are crucial to the film's plot and add flavour to the dialogues.

The original Baywatch series was based on Los Angeles County lifeguards and therefore was shot mostly on the beach-side. It had iconic shots of slow-motion beach running. The drama series also went on to become one of the most-watched series of all times.

Baywatch is set to hit Indian theatres on June 2.
Amid massive speculation about whether superstar Rajinikanth will join Tamil Nadu politics, pro-Tamil groups have been protesting outside his house in Chennai and have even burnt effigies of the Tamil superstar. Security has also been beefed up outside the actor's house.

Rajinikanth's remarks hinting at joining politics have triggered massive buzz and also outrage, among pro-tamil groups, who claim the actor should not join TN politics as he is Kannadiga and not Tamilian.

Security increased at Rajinikanth's house as Tamilar Munnetra Padai protests on hints of him joining politics,say Kannadiga shouldnt rule TN pic.twitter.com/ZXfi7Cs1fm  ANI (@ANI_news) May 22, 2017

Meanwhile, different political parties have expressed their views over his entry into politics. BJP president Amit Shah said that Rajinikanth was welcome to join BJP but he should first decide on entering politics. When he has to enter politics, how can I decide that? From our end, every good person is welcome to join politics, Shah said at an India Today event on Sunday.

Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani took a dig at Rajinikanth for not raising his voice against those in Karnataka for protesting against colleague Sathyaraj ahead of release of his recent film Baahubali, reports PTI. Speaking to reporters, he sought to know why Rajinikanth had not spoken up when a group of people in Karnataka threatened to prevent the release of Baahubali featuring Sathyaraj in the cast and was now swearing by Tamil.

India Today reports, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President Su Thirunavukkarasar said, "As a friend who has known him for 35-40 years what I think is he will not join any national or regional party. He will only float a new party."

The superstar, on his part, went out of his way to assert that he is a Pachai Tamizhan (true Tamil) in a recent speech. He asserted firmly: I want to state this clearly: questions are raised about my non-Tamil origins. Im 67 years old now, I was in Karnataka only for the first 23 years of my life. I have been living among you for the last 44 years in Tamil Nadu. Though I came here as a Marathi or Kannadiga, you have showered love, affection, name and fame and made me whatever Im today. Today I have become a Pachai Tamizhan to the core. My ancestors were from Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu.

(with inputs from agencies)
Superstar Rajinikanth is back under the Tamil Nadu political spotlight, following his 5-day meet and greet with his fans. The actor spewed enough punchlines on the concluding day to make his fans whistle and clap and stirred Tamil Nadus murky politics. Rajinikanth said that the political system is rotten and it needs a clean-up.

Rajinikanth gave broad hints that he may join politics to clean-up the Augean stables. The actor said: Iam a mere tool. I serve as an actor today. Whatever role God gives me tomorrow, I will stay true to that. Right now, I have my own responsibilities and job. So too you have yours. So go back to your places and look after your families and attend to your duties. We will see when the war comes.

But what caught the politicians attention was that he went out of his way to assert that he is a Pachai Tamizhan (true Tamil). The superstar asserted firmly: I want to state this clearly: questions are raised about my non-Tamil origins. Im 67 years old now, I was in Karnataka only for the first 23 years of my life. I have been living among you for the last 44 years in Tamil Nadu. Though I came here as a Marathi or Kannadiga, you have showered love, affection, name and fame and made me whatever Im today. Today I have become a Pachai Tamizhan to the core. My ancestors were from Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu.

Also read: Rajinikanth and TN politics: Being a superstar is very different from being a successful politician

Rajinikanths Pachai Tamizhan speech has made his fans happy but irked the mainstream political parties and fringe groups in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Fringe groups opposed to Rajinikanth's political entry, have threatened to March towards his house. Security has been increased at Thalaivar's residence.

Though critical of the political system, he sang praises of Tamil politicians like MK Stalin, Anbumani Ramdoss (one of Rajinikanths biggest critics), Thirumavalavan and Seeman. It was a delicate balancing act, because most of these politicians want to put an end to cinema stars ruling Tamil politics.

They also feel Rajinikanth is BJPs and Prime Minister Narendra Modis Trojan Horse, to break the Dravidian parties hold over the state electorate.

However Tamil Nadu politics is once again on the boil, with focus back on superstar Rajiniakanths entry into politics.

A section of his fans are euphoric while another group believe that this is his typical cry of wolf, but it never materialises. Rajinikanth has been threatening to enter politics, ever since he spoke against the Jayalalithaa first government (1991-96), and his famous statement even God cannot save Tamil Nadu if the AIADMK was re-elected.

Then Rajinikanths mentor Moopanars TMC and DMK led by Karunanidhi came to power. Rajinikanth got full credit for the DMK government coming to power. But in 2001 state elections, DMK lost, AIADMK was swept back to power and Rajinikanth made peace with Jayalalithaa.

The superstar once again concentrated on his film career and gave mega hits like Chandramukhi, Sivaji, Endhiran etc.

But if you watch his late 90s and early 2000 films, it is fully loaded with sly political one-liners hinting about his coming into politics, God willing.

The superstar never held any fan meet for the last eight years, and six of these years Jayalalithaa was the chief minister.

The Rajinikanth meet and greet with his fans has sped up his possible entry into Tamil Nadu politics. The point of all discussion today is  will he or wont he join politics? Many are still skeptical about Rajinikanths imminent entry into politics. The buzz is that he has told his friends that he will enter politics to fill the political vacuum created by the death of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi being no longer active in politics.

Rajinikanth wants to test the waters and that is the reason for his meet and greet with fans. The superstar is closest to the Hindutva ideology and has always been in the inner circle of BJP stalwarts like LK Advani and now Prime Minister Modi. Please note Modi a few months back had personally dropped in to Rajinikanths house to invite him to spearhead the party in Tamil Nadu.

The grapevine has it that Rajinikanth is toying with the idea of starting his own political party, which will have the tacit support of BJP central leadership. The idea is that if he joins BJP it has no grass root support in a Dravidian state which also has a strong Muslim and Christian population.

Sumanth Raman, noted political observer pointed out: The recent fan meetings seem to give an indication that he is likely to take the plunge. I think he will start his own party and will have an alliance with BJP during elections, which both the Dravidian parties (DMK & AIADMK) has done in the past. I think being an actor does not guarantee success in politics but it gives a head start as people know and adore him.

However Kollywood sources say that Rajinikanth is still not ready to jump into politics. His big budget film, the Shankar directed 2.O is getting ready for a 2018 Republic Day release. Rajinikanth is a shrewd businessman at heart and knows that if he jumps into politics, his film career will go kaput.

Please note MGR, NTR and Jayalithaas last films, which released after they jumped into the murky world of politics, bombed.

Meanwhile last Saturday at the Tamil Nadu box-office, SS Rajamoulis Baahubali 2, quietly broke the long standing record of Rajinikanths 2010 film Endhiran's lifetime theatrical collection of Rs 110 cr. A prominent theatre owner from Chengalpet area (which is Rajinikanths highest collecting trade territory) said: Yes Baahubali 2 has broken all existing box-office records including Thalaivars 7-year old Endhiran record in gross, net and footfalls. But we are not making a hue and cry over it, as Rajinikanth holds a special place in our hearts and hopefully 2.O will break Baahubali 2 records.

For Rajinikanth commercial cinema is what keeps him going. His next film, said to be a gangster film based in Mumbai and directed by Pa.Ranjith, of Kabali fame, will start rolling by the end of the month. The film is produced by his son-in-law Dhanush and his Wunderbar banner. Another veteran producer who understands Kollywood said: There is tremendous pressure on him from BJP to fill up the political vacuum in the state. According to their internal surveys carried out by the party, Rajinikanth can boost their chances and keep Stalin and others away from capturing power in the state. I feel he will take the right decision.

Rajinikanths close buddy Raj Bahadur, who was the driver in the Karnataka State Bus (Route No.10A), when Rajini was the conductor, told a Tamil news channel:  Rajini was in Bengaluru 10 days back for a wedding in the family. We met and talked about politics for hours. I asked him if he had made up his mind and he said Yes, now Im ready, having deeply studied politics for the last 20 years. Im sure Rajinikanth will make a firm decision soon.

Meanwhile the grapevine is abuzz that Rajinikanth will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his proposed New Delhi trip, later this week. BJP President Amit Shah has said that the party would welcome Rajinikanth, but first the superstar has to take a call on his entry into politics.

Everybody is eagerly waiting for Rajinikanth to make up his mind and if he takes the plunge it will be a game changer in Tamil Nadu politics.
In a hilarious video shared on Instagram by Shah Rukh Khan's manager Pooja Dadlani, Khan is seen practicing his speech earnestly for the Ted Talk that he gave in Vancouver on 28 April this year.

What is unique about this video are the locations in which it is shot. At the breakfast table  with a plate of eggs and bacon and a glass of orange juice in front of him while he eats, in the balcony, in bed under a fluffy white blanket, on a plush couch, sitting, standing, sleeping.

The video ends with a short clip of the standing ovation that Khan received by the audience at the close of his speech in Vancouver.

Khan reposted the video that was shared from his managers account and as per his usual quick wit, put it up on Instagram and Twitter with the caption "U have made my practice sessions public! Now everyone will know I am not smart."

U have made my practice sessions public!!! Now everyone will know I am not smart. A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) on May 20, 2017 at 9:31am PDT

As expected, the internet is gushing over the video which makes Khan even more relatable. Him preparing for an important event in his life and giving it the importance it deserves has managed to make him even more endearing.

The snippets from the video are just a small part of the 18 minute speech that he delivered last month. Khan's talk was highly lauded. He compared humanity to himself  'an ageing movie star.' The topic of his parents and their death when he was just 14 was also touched upon, peppered with a touch of melancholic humour.

He talked about the internet being a double edged sword, being both the place where 'freedom and revolution' were taking place along with the place from where exponential hate and negativity flowed. The place where 'reality became virtual,' and the 'virtual became real.'

His talk ended with some beautiful thoughts on the workings of the world, and some motivational lines that would make for great quotable quotes. Poignant, well thought out albeit slightly over rehearsed, his Ted Talk turned out to be a phenomenal success, and looking at the practice that went behind the final speech  it is no wonder that Khan is still one of the most loved and respected artists in Bollywood.
By A. Ananthalakshmi and My Pham

| HANOI

HANOI Asian countries disagreed over a China-backed free trade deal at talks on Monday, raising questions over a target for concluding negotiations by the end of the year.The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) would create a free trade area of more than 3.5 billion people, bringing together China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand as well as Southeast Asian nations.The RCEP talks, which began in 2012, have been given new impetus by the U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement. China is not part of that deal.The main focus of RCEP is reducing tariffs, which India in particular is nervous about, and while it might have provisions for greater freedom of movement, this is another big sticking point.Trade ministers from the 16 countries negotiating RCEP met in Hanoi on Monday. The negotiations followed a weekend of talks among Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries that were overshadowed by fears of U.S. protectionism under President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda. Malaysia said some progress was made in Hanoi and that the RCEP negotiations remained on track. In a statement, its trade ministry said two out of 20 chapters of the RCEP agreement have been concluded and that some of the remaining chapters were nearing conclusion.

"The ministers acknowledge that RCEP is currently the only mega free-trade agreement (being) negotiated globally and are of the view that efforts must be exerted to conclude the negotiations expeditiously," Malaysia said. However, officials involved in the talks privately expressed doubts over the target of completing the discussion stage by the end of 2017 given the disagreements that surfaced. India in particular is reluctant to give up on tariffs, they say. "They are concerned that major tariff elimination will cut revenue and their competitive position, especially against China," said one official who did not want to be identified as the talks were private.INDIA GUARDS TARIFFS

India refused to offer any additional tariff reductions on Monday, the officials said."We have already mentioned what we want and it's that model with which we will be going forward. We insist on that," India's Trade Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said at the talks' close. She said there has been "incremental progress" and that India was willing to put in a "lot of effort" to reach a comprehensive and meaningful deal.

India wants greater freedom of movement in the RCEP framework, but that's a problem for other countries, the officials said. The RCEP proposes no protection for labour rights or the environment. "There's still a long way to go," New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay told Reuters. "There is a renewed desire to find a way to a high quality outcome. But it's going to take a lot of hard work to get it done by the end of the year."Ministers of the RCEP countries will next meet in the Philippines in September. Members of the TPP trade deal agreed on the sidelines of the meeting to pursue it despite Trump's decision to abandon the agreement in favour of bilateral arrangements with Asian countries. (Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Richard Lough)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Barbara Lewis

| ZUG, Switzerland

ZUG, Switzerland OPEC nations that deliver some of the lowest cost production will be relatively insulated from an early peak in oil demand caused by any faster-than-expected roll-out of electric vehicles, Glencore's (GLEN.L) chairman said on Monday.Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meet this week in Vienna to decide whether to extend output cuts to reduce oversupply.Glencore is among the mining companies that anticipate electric vehicles could have a much earlier impact than previously thought, which is beneficial to them as suppliers of copper, cobalt and other minerals, but negative for oil firms."Historically the view was oil demand would increase beyond 2040," Glencore Chairman Tony Hayward, who was formerly head of oil major BP (BP.L), told journalists at Glencore's headquarters in Zug.

"With the progress companies have made with electric vehicles, it's quite likely that (peak in oil demand) will come forward," he said."It's probably not very good news for the oil industry and quite good news for the mining industry."Asked whether OPEC still had the power to react to the potential glut in supply, he said expensive deepwater oil and Canadian tar sands, rather than OPEC crude, would be forced out of the market.

"OPEC ultimately has the lowest cost curve in the market and there will be space for it in the market."Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg said it was good for Glencore that its portfolio contained little oil and he saw the potential for a doubling in demand for copper.

That is one of the commodities whose supply Glencore dominates, with production of around 1.4 million tonnes, rising to 1.8 million tonnes, when capacity is increased in Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia in 2018 and 2019. Glasenberg said that if the world manages to achieve a 90-95 percent share of electric vehicles by 2035, that could nearly double world copper consumption from around 23 million tonnes per year now.The International Energy Agency has said it will review its electric vehicle (EV) use and oil demand forecasts after India and China flagged new policies in favour of electric cars and vehicles using other alternatives to gasoline. (Editing by Alexander Smith)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New Delhi: On Monday, the Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and the Manipur government on a plea by parents of a youth who was killed in a road rage case in 2011 by Ajay Meetai, the son of present Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The parents of the deceased youth alleged that they fear for their safety.

A vacation bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Navin Sinha asked the Union home secretary and the Chief Secretary of Manipur to respond by 29 May on the plea by Irom Chitra Devi, mother of Irom Roger, who was killed by Meetai.

Meetai, son of the chief minister, has been awarded five years jail term under section 304 (culpabale homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC for firing at Roger in a road rage incident on 20 March, 2011.

Roger had allegedly not allowed Meetai to overtake him in his SUV. The incident irked Meetai who fired at Roger who later died. The plea, filed through advocate Utsav Bains, alleged that the parents of the victim were fearing for their safety in the state ruled by BJP through Biren Singh.

Moreover, no lawyer was willing to appear on their behalf in the high court which is hearing the appeal against conviction.
Hamid Ansari, a Mumbai-based engineer was the first Indian national to be tried and convicted by a Pakistani military court in January, 2016 for espionage, a year before Kulbhushan Jadhav's conviction came to light. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, while floating a request for consular access to Jadhav in January this year, had made the same appeal for Ansari at the time. However, even as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced provisional measures putting Jadhav's execution on hold, Ansari, who was sentenced to three and a half years, languishes in a Peshawar prison.

Reacting to the ICJ's verdict with silent sobs, Fauzia Ansari, Hamid's mother, said that she hopes that The Hague-based court's interim verdict on Jadhav would pave way for dialogue involving other Indians trapped in Pakistan. Fauzia said she's extremely pleased with the Indian government for their prompt and successful intervention in Jadhav's case, and hopes that now maybe her son would return to her  close to five years after he went missing.

"I had met Sushma Swarajji earlier this year, and she said that she was treating Hamid's case as priority. I obviously understand that Kulbhushan is a death row convict, and the immediacy in his case is much more. But now, after the international court's verdict, I'm certain that authorities will help us too. Of course, they will help us. Why won't they?," asked Fauzia.

When asked about the developments in Hamid's case after his conviction came to light last January, Fauzia broke into tears. "There have been no developments whatsoever, none positive," she said and added, "We have tried to get a visa to Pakistan, at least 30 to 35 times, and each time our application was rejected. We filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court through a Pakistani lawyer after we learnt of Hamid's conviction. We argued that Hamid has been in custody of the Pakistani military for three and a half years, that he has already served the three-year sentence awarded to him, and that he should now be set free. But the high court dismissed our petition stating that it did not have jurisdiction over military court orders. If the court doesn't have the power to challenge the military, who are we?"

A teacher by profession, Fauzia lives in Mumbai's Andheri suburb with her husband Nihal, who is a former banker, and their older son who works as a dentist. Their younger son, Hamid, now 32- year-old, went missing in November, 2012. A few months before his disappearance, Hamid had met a Pashtun girl over the internet from a conservative tribe in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan. The two fell in love, but the girl soon informed Hamid that her father planned to marry her off, and pleaded with him to save her. Hamid sought help of locals in the girl's region, and learnt that the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was quite porous, and that he could easily enter Pakistan via Kabul.

On 4 November, 2012, Hamid left for Afghanistan telling his parents that he would work as an airport manager in Kabul. However, six days later, he went missing. It was only fourteen months after his disappearance that Hamid's family, through a local Pakistani journalist, learnt that he had illegally crossed the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and within an hour after he checked into a Pakistani hotel, he was picked up by the local police, and handed over to the Pakistani military. The family, through the journalist, engaged a lawyer and filed a habeas corpus petition in the Peshawar High Court. It was following the Pakistani lawyer's efforts that the family, over three years after Hamid's disappearance, learnt that he was alive, in custody of the military, convicted of being an Indian spy.

"Uncertainty over life hurts more than death, you know," said Fauzia, "And after over three years of this haunting uncertainty, last year, we earned the privilege of knowing that our son is alive. He is lodged in a Peshawar prison. Our Pakistani lawyer has met him a couple of times. He gave Hamid food, medicines, clothes and some money. The authorities had taken away his spectacles even though his eye power is -6.5. The lawyer got a pair made and gave it to Hamid. He's a 95-year-old man, our Pakistani lawyer, and he has not taken a rupee from us for the two petitions he has filed on our behalf. He says it's the right thing to do."

Fauzia said that through the Pakistani media, she learnt that Hamid was attacked on three occasions for being an Indian after the Kashmir valley unrest in July last year. Through the Pakistani lawyer, the family brought this to the high court's notice, after which the court directed the prison superintendent to take the necessary measures to ensure Hamid's security. The superintendent also assured that Hamid would be safe.

Fauzia said, "We respect the law. We understand that Hamid had made a mistake by entering Pakistan without legitimate papers. He was at fault, yes. He should have anticipated the consequences. But he has served his sentence already. They awarded three years, but he has already been in their custody for over four and a half years now. It's time he is let off. We also understand the political rivalry between India and Pakistan. But a mother's yearning understands no boundary, nor does humanity. That's why Pakistanis - the journalist and lawyer - are helping us. And on humanitarian grounds, we plead with the Pakistan government to return our son. He has paid for his mistake. We all have."

The author is a journalist and author of The Front Page Murders
New Delhi: Aiming to boost the party's outreach in rural areas, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is set to hold a direct dialogue with farmers in outer Delhi villages from 25 May on the new land-pooling policy.

"The AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal will hold a direct dialogue with the farmers of Najafgarh and Matiala areas on 25 May on the land-pooling policy (LPP)," Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said.

He said that a similar dialogue with farmers will also be held in other regions, including Narela, Burari, Kirari, Bawana and Badli.

"In his interaction with the farmers, Kejriwal will mainly talk about the benefits of LPP. He will also address the problems of farmers," Rai said.

Rai also said that such dialogues would help the party strengthen its base in rural areas of the city.

"After 15 June, a convention of party workers will be organised in each Assembly constituency and the chief minister will take part in every convention to strengthen the party's booth level approach," he added.

Meanwhile, the residents of 89 villages, which have been declared as urban areas under the Delhi government's LLP, met Kejriwal and lauded the government for the move.

A delegation of villagers led by Harichand Gahlot, president National Kisan Sanjha Manch, met Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia and praised the new policy which they said would boost development of rural areas in the capital.
Lucknow: A special CBI court has set 24 May as the next date of hearing in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

The court postponed Monday's hearing as Satish Pradhan, one of the six accused, did not appear before it.

On 20 May, the special CBI court began day-to-day hearing in the politically sensitive case and granted bail to the five VHP leaders named as accused in it.

The Supreme Court had on 19 April directed the special court to start proceedings in the matter within a month and deliver its verdict within two years.

The CBI court had earlier issued summons to six accused persons, of whom five including Ram Vilas Vedanti (59) appeared in the court and sought bail.

Special CBI court judge SK Yadav allowed their bail plea, asking each of them to furnish two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount.

Besides Vedanti, those who appeared in the CBI court on Saturday were VHP leaders Champat Rai (71), Baikunth Lal Sharma (88), Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (79) and Dharmdas Maharaj(68).

That day too, Pradhan, the sixth accused, did not appear.

The Supreme Court had in April directed that senior BJP leaders, including L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, will face trial on conspiracy charges in the Ayodhya case.
Bengaluru: A conman was arrested for allegedly cheating and raping a homemaker in the city's western suburb, the city police said on Monday.

"Accused Prasanna Kumar, 31, was arrested on Saturday on a complaint from the victim on 15 May that he raped her at least seven times over the last six months and took Rs 20 lakh from her promising to cure her younger son suffering from epilepsy," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, MN Anucheth told reporters.

A local court on Monday sent Kumar to a five-day police custody till 26 May for interrogation on the case, registered against him under Sections of 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), 384 (extortion), 504 (breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insulting a woman's modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Kumar approached the 35-year-old single woman in November 2016 and asked her to donate for a physically-challenged association and befriended her subsequently.

"I gave him Rs 200 and wrote my name and my mobile number in the receipt book he had with him. He called me on the mobile and offered to solve my personal problems, including treating my 4-year-old son's illness," recalled the victim in her complaint.

On the pretext of curing her son and claiming to be an astrologer-cum-healer, the man had been visiting her house regularly over the last six months.

"On one occasion, he asked me to take off my clothes and took pictures of my naked body on his mobile phone. He threatened to upload my nude pictures on the social media and blackmailed me to have sex with him forcibly. He also asked me to smoke a cigarette saying he would see forms of goddesses in fumes," she cited in her complaint.

The victim borrowed huge amounts from her relatives and friends, saying she needed the money for her son's treatment in a private hospital in the city.

"Kumar also took about 300 grams of gold jewellery to conduct some rituals to free her from the bad times she was going through," said Anucheth, citing from the complaint.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a plea filed by a group of lawyers for lodging an FIR on the allegations made in a purported suicide note of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul. The court slapped a fine totalling Rs 2.75 lakh on the petitioners.

The high court said the petition filed by lawyers group 'National Lawyers' Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms', some other lawyers and a law student "did not vouch for the authenticity" of the purported suicide note.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on each of them, totalling to a fine of Rs 2.75 lakh, saying the petitioners were "busy-bodies" making "wild allegations".

The court, however, did not initiate criminal contempt proceedings against the petitioners, as was sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The judge rejected the plea saying it was based on "mere hearsay" as none of the 11 petitioners had affirmed any of the facts alleged in their plea.

The court noted that while the petition was based on the purported suicide note, "none of the petitioners have seen the original letter or accessed it".

"None of the petitioners can vouch for the authenticity of the note," it said, adding no one appeared to be ready to "stick their neck out" or "vouch for anything" in the plea.

The court said the petition has been filed merely on information received on instant messaging platform WhatsApp and was "without any basis".

The petitioners, represented by advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, said it was for the police or the CBI to ascertain whether the letter was original and the allegations contained in it were true.

The lawyer said his clients believed it to be true and that was why the petition was filed.

The court refused to accept the contention saying "none of the petitioners were in a position to affirm any of the facts alleged in the petition".

"In view of the above, it appears that petitioners are mere busy-bodies and have filed the petition making wild allegations. The petition is dismissed with costs of Rs 25,000 on each of the petitioner," the court said.

Pul had committed suicide on 9 August last year and his body was found hanging in the official residence of the Chief Minister at Itanagar.

After months of intense political developments, Pul had taken over the reins of Arunachal Pradesh on 19 February, 2016 for a brief period but had to relinquish the job following a Supreme Court order in July 2016.

The plea had sought lodging of the FIR and a "cautious and discreet" probe against some former and serving persons holding constitutional posts, as also against some politicians.

The Supreme Court on 23 February had allowed Pul's widow, Dangwimsai Pul, to withdraw her letter for CBI or National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the allegations.

Later, she had written a fresh letter to Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi and M B Lokur seeking permission to lodge an FIR for probe into graft charges against highly-placed persons, contained in Pul's alleged suicide note.

This letter was not addressed to Chief Justice of India J S Khehar and the second senior-most judge Justice Dipak Misra.
New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and others appeared before a court in New Delhi on Monday and sought bail in a disproportionate assets case worth over Rs 10 crore.

Singh and others appearing before special judge Virender Kumar Goyal were summoned by the court, which listed the matter for the next hearing on 29 May.

To show solidarity with Singh, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was also present at the hearing.

The court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file a reply on the bail plea of the accused.

Apart from Singh, the others accused in the case are Life Insurance Corporation agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Lawan Kumar Roach, Vakamullah Chandrashekhar and Ram Prakash Bhatia, who were also summoned.

The CBI in its chargesheet said that the chief minister was in possession of assets worth Rs 10,30,47,946.40 in his own name as well as in the names of his family members.

Singh has failed to give a satisfactory answer regarding the assets which did not tally with his known income, the agency said.

The court while issuing summons to the accused on 8 May, had observed that during the period between 28 May 2009 and 26 June 2012, Virbhadra Singh, as Union Minister of Steel and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, committed criminal misconduct.

The chief minister's wife Pratibha and the eight other accused abetted the offence by investing his money in the names of his family members, the probe agency added.

Co-accused Pratibha Singh intentionally and actively abetted Virbhadra Singh in "investing his ill-gotten and unaccounted money in her and their children's names", the court observed.

The senior Congress leader was accused of trying to justify the income as agricultural.

The other accused allegedly tried to legitimise his disproportionate assets by creating false documents in the shape of a Memorandum of Understanding, sale proceeds and others.

Chauhan was instrumental in depositing the unaccounted money in LIC policies, the agency alleged.
The online registration for admission into colleges affiliated with Delhi University will start at 5 pm on Monday. The university will have online registration for 60 undergraduate courses across 62 affiliated colleges.

Students can begin their online registration process by logging in to www.ug.du.ac.in and pay the registration fee.

According to a NDTV report, 54,000 seats across the university will be available through online registration between 22 May and 12 June.

While stating that further details of the registration will be updated on the university website soon, the report also suggested students to keep their documents ready while feeding the information online to save time and quicken the admission process.

The first cut-off will be out on 20 June, while the academic session is expected to begin on 20 July.

Another NDTV report noted that last year's online registration process had many issues like people getting wrong infomation at the later stages of the admission process. There were issues of many students confirming several registrations under one roll number too.

To put an end to the issue, the university has put an end to multiple registrations this year.

According to a report in The Hindu, the university will have "open days" at the North Campus, from 10 am and 1 pm between 22 May and 31 May, to guide and counsel students. The university will also launch a helpline 011-27006900 to deal with student-related queries.
Aurangabad: Eight people belonging to two separate marriage parties were killed in Siwan and Aurangabad districts of Bihar on Monday. Eleven others were injured.

In Aurangabad, five people of a marriage party were killed and 10 others injured when the bus they were travelling in was hit by a speeding truck.

The passengers in the bus were returning after attending a marriage ceremony in Bangre village under Madanpur police station on Sunday night, Deputy Superintendent of Police P N Sahu said.

The mishap took place on NH 2.

The speeding truck hit the bus from behind, Sahu said. Two people died on the spot while three others died at the Sadar hospital, he added.

In another incident in Siwan, three people on two motorcycles were killed after they were hit by a speeding truck near Toka village.

The deceased were also returning after attending a marriage function when a speeding truck laden with sand lost control and hit them.

Raghunathpur police station Station House Officer (SHO) Ashok Kumar said the deceased have been identified as Akhilesh Tiwari, Binod Pathak and Sujit Bind of Rakauli village in Siwan district.

The driver of the truck managed to flee while his helper was injured, the SHO added.
Editor's Note: Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, 10 kilometres to the west of Ernakulam, were once bustling commercial hubs till the late 20th Century. Today, the various ethnic communities that had made this place home are struggling to stay relevant, trying to keep their businesses and traditions. In this multi-part series, Firstpost looks at these communities and their place in the history of Mattancherry. This is the sixth part of the series.

A sudden surge in militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s drove tourists from the Valley to Kerala. Kashmiris themselves supplemented the Kerala Tourism Departments bid to project the state as an alternate destination by moving along with the tourists with their exquisite collection of handicrafts and antiques that tourists to the Valley cherished. They have successfully created a mini Kashmir in all the tourism hotspots in Kerala.

The states commercial capital of Kochi that welcomed ethnic groups from various parts of the country since centuries received the Kashmiris too with its traditional warmth. Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, which beckons tourists from all over the world, gave them ample chance to flourish in their business.

They didnt have to struggle much to settle down in Mattancherry as the Jews who occupied a sizable part of the area had started returning to their homeland by then. The Kashmiris filled the vacuum by taking over the shops and houses vacated by the Jews, who began the reverse migration after the creation of Israel in 1948.

There are about 5,000 Kashmiris in Mattancherry now, according to Kurshid Geelani, president of Kashmiri Traders Welfare Association. He told Firstpost that almost all of them were traders selling various Kashmiri products like handicraft shawls, carpets, jewellery and antiques.

Unlike other ethnic communities in Mattanchery, the Kashmiris have no plans of settling down permanently in Kochi. Like the Jews, they have a strong longing for their homeland. They say they have only one home  Kashmir.

Home is where our roots are. We cannot abandon our roots because of violence. We have left our state not because of conflicts but in search of business opportunities outside. We will go back when we lose business here, says Mohammed Rafiq, 35, who runs a Kashmiri handicrafts shop at Jew Town.

As permanent settlement is not on their agenda, the Kashmiris have not built any institutions in the places of their current residence like the Gujarathis, Kutchi Memons, Konkanis, Jains and Tamils, who have made Mattancherry their home by establishing their exclusive places of worship, schools, colleges and other institutions.

Kashmiris have also not developed any specific geographic location to live together as a community. They are scattered throughout Mattancherry and Fort Kochi. Most Kashmiris have left their families behind in Kashmir. They go home mostly during off-season and return after spending a few months with their families.

The Kashmiris in Mattanchery have also not formed any socio-cultural organisations to bind them together. They have only a business body to protect their commercial interests. Sajid Khatai, who came to Kochi 17 years ago, said that they did not feel the need for a cultural organisation as all the Kashmiris in Kochi were businessmen, who keep on moving depending upon the opportunities.

My father was the first Kashmiri to set a shop in the city 45 years ago. As his business flourished, all my uncles and many family members moved to Kochi. All of them have left the city now. Many of them have gone to Bengaluru. Now, only my brother and I are here in Kochi, he told Firstpost.

Sajid said they may also leave Kochi if the business doesnt pick up. The business is now passing through a dull phase. He attributed this to a steady fall in foreign tourist arrivals due to lingering global recession and the Kerala governments decision to shut down foreign liquor bars.

The rising competition in the handicrafts trade is also causing problems to Kashmiris, who are mostly small traders. The big players, who have a large network, have been cornering business by offering commissions to tour operators and guides leaving the small players in the lurch.

The burden of terrorism that Kashmir bears has also been weighing heavily on the Kashmiri traders. The local community started viewing them with suspicion after a Kashmiri trader was arrested in Idukki in 2008 for his alleged links with Hizbul Mujahideen.

A Kashmiri journalist, who came to Kochi on a reporting assignment in 2009, was detained for 10 hours by the state police. A group of academics, who came to the state last year for a conference, was turned away from a hotel in Kochi branding them as Pakistanis.

However, the local Kashmiris have not taken these incidents seriously since they have been facing similar problems in other parts of the country too. Syed Farooq, who came to Kochi 13 years ago, said he had no problems with the locals.

We are very happy in Mattancherry. The people are friendly and peace loving. They dont fight each other. They like our food, especially our tea, which is made with saffron. Many of them have visited Kashmir and liked the place, Syed said.

Kochi is one of the best places in India to live and to do business. It provides ample opportunities to everybody to flourish. But we cannot live our homes, says Syed.

Part 1: Century-old settlements fight to retain historical legacy

Part 2: Big retail, local players push entrenched Gujarati trader community towards migration

Part 3: Persecuted for centuries, Konkanis found home in a small plot of land in Kochi

Part 4: Tamils of Dhobi Khana rue at younger generation seeking white collar jobs

Part 5: Kutchi Memons, driven out of their homeland, rebuilt businesses in Kerala
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday registered a murder case in the death of a Karnataka-cadre IAS officer in Lucknow, hours after his family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded a CBI probe.

Earlier, the family members of the officer met the chief minister and pressed for a CBI probe.

"We are not satisfied with the police probe. We have requested the CM to recommend a CBI probe," Mayank told reporters. Tiwari, 36, was found dead on 17 May, his birthday, under mysterious circumstances near a guest house, where he was staying, in the high-security Hazratganj area here. His family had alleged foul play. He was posted as commissioner in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru.

"My son was very honest. Corrupt officers did not like him. They must have somehow got him murdered," Tiwari's father B N Tiwari had alleged in Bahraich, his native place.
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday recommended a CBI probe into the death of Karnataka-cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari after his family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of the investigation by the state police.

After his body was found under mysterious circumstances five days ago, Anurag's family had alleged that he was murdered at the behest of corrupt officers as he was about to expose a "scam" in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru where he was posted as a commissioner.

A post-mortem examination had indicated that Anurag, 36, had died of asphyxia but police had said that a SIT team probing the case was awaiting the test reports of his viscera and blood samples and heart to find the exact cause of the death.

Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra on Monday said that the UP police had registered a murder case against unidentified persons in the matter following a complaint by the officer's brother Mayank Tiwari.

Mayank, who along with his mother met the chief minister to press for a CBI probe, alleged that the scene of crime had been washed and the mobile phone was found in an unlocked condition.

"We demanded a CBI inquiry in order to find out why he was killed," his mother Sushila Devi told newspersons after meeting the chief minister.

"We are not satisfied with the police probe.... The chief minister has assured us that justice will be done," Mayank said.

Hours after the meeting, a senior police officer said that the government has recommended a CBI probe in the case.

Mayank had written to the Prime Minister's Office, too, demanding a CBI inquiry into his brother's death.

In his letter, he said Anurag was an honest officer and wanted to work for the betterment of the society. "A few days back, Anurag had told me that he had stumbled upon a major scam in the Food and Civil Supplies department of Karnataka, which he wanted to inform the PMO and CBI," he wrote.

He also alleged that there was pressure on Anurag to withdraw the report which could have nailed senior officers and ministers, had it come in the public domain.

Sushila Devi made a fervent appeal to the prime minister and chief minister demanding justice for her son.

She said that she wanted to know why an honest officer was killed. She also said that her son never went for a morning walk, countering the police which had suggested that he may have gone out for a morning walk when he died.

The Uttar Pradesh police had constituted a SIT to probe the death on 18 May.

The issue has taken a political colour after opposition members raised the matter vociferously in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to question the law and order situation under the BJP government. The Assembly premises are hardly a kilometre from the spot where his body was found.

However, an Uttar Pradesh minister said in the House that the officer was about to expose a major scam under the Congress government in Karnataka.

Tiwari, a 2007-batch IAS officer, was staying at the Meera Bai guest house with a batchmate after attending a mid-career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.
Last week, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa sent a personal letter to nearly 12,000 officers of the Indian Air Force (IAF), asking them to be prepared for operations "at a very short notice". The 'personal' letter is believed to be the first of its kind written by an Indian air chief  though it is known that two army chiefs, Field Marshal KM Cariappa in May 1950 and General K Sundarji in February 1986, had sent similar letters to the Indian Army officers.

Of course, in his personal letter, the air chief has written on a plethora of issues, all intended to boost the morale of his officers, but the timing of his letter seems to be influenced by the deteriorating relations with Pakistan and heightening of insurgency in Jammu & Kashmir.

In fact, the air chiefs letter assumes further significance amidst reports that India may be forced to fight a two-front war in the future, given Chinas increasing bellicosity. Reports suggest that faced with a two-front war scenario against Pakistan and China, the IAF will deploy its latest Rafale combat aircraft  36 of them are to be procured from France  at Ambala in Haryana (keeping in mind Pakistan) and Hasimara in West Bengal (to meet the Chinese challenge).

It may be noted in this context that in January this year, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bipin Rawat had said that the Indian Army was prepared to simultaneously fight a two-front war against Pakistan and China.

"As far as the armed forces are concerned, we are asked to be prepared for a two-front war and I think we are capable of carrying out our task in whatever manner that we may be asked to do so by the political hierarchy," Rawat said.

All these lead to three questions: Will there be a war? If there is a war, will it be a two-front war? And if it is a two-front war, how will India, particularly the IAF, perform?

In regard to the first question, the possibility of a war with Pakistan cannot be ruled out. Wars, in the ultimate analysis, are 'rational choices' by the States; this means that leaders of the States are rational, responsible and accountable when they go to war, whether in defence or offence. And, as long as wars are the rational choices, their likelihood is less.

But when a State does not have rational decision-makers, as seems to be the case with Pakistan (given the increasing religious radicalisation of its Army, which, in turn, has established its preponderance in the nations decision-making), a war on India on the western front is always a distinct possibility.

In the event of a war with Pakistan, will China help Pakistan? Such a scenario is highly unlikely because of three reasons. First, unlike in Pakistan, Chinese leaders  though authoritarians  are reputed to be among the most rational actors. In order to make itself the worlds most preeminent power, China needs to strengthen its economic might first, and that requires cooperation and economic interactions with the major powers of the world, including India.

India-China relations no longer centre on one or two issues, where New Delhi and Beijing have serious differences; their relationship needs to be seen holistically and here both converge on many global issues.

Secondly, China had belied similar apprehensions of siding with Pakistan during the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, much to the disappointment of Islamabad. And those were the years when India-China relations were virtually non-existent (following the 1962 War). Compared to the situation prevailing then, India-China relations now are not only normal but also multipronged.

Thirdly, two-front wars have been almost a rarity in the recent history. One may argue that in this century, the United States has fought both in Afghanistan and Iraq simultaneously, but strictly speaking, both these countries were in the midst of civil wars and American intervention was meant to support one faction against the other; these cannot be called full-fledged wars against Afghanistan or Iraq.

And that brings us to the third question, of whether the Indian Air Force can fight a two-front war credibly. Here, the word 'winning' is avoided deliberately as modern wars are going to be non-nuclear, very short and intense; the world community at large will not allow a full-fledged war among the major powers to continue for months without risking a World War III.

That is why even the tiny Taiwan (which China describes as its renegade province) is not scared of China as it is confident that its military is strong enough to resist the Chinese forces for at least a week, during which time the world community will surely intervene to stop the war.

Against this backdrop, it may be highlighted here that in his letter last week to his officers, Dhanoa talked of preparing for operations "with our present holdings". What he implied was that India's present holdings may not be good enough, but still, we have to do our duty with what we have.

It is equally noteworthy that as the deputy air chief last year, Dhanoa had clearly admitted that the IAF did not have enough numbers in case a two-front war involving China and Pakistan broke out.

Almost half of the fighter planes currently in use by the IAF are set to be decommissioned over the next nine years. Presently, IAF has 35 active fighter squadrons against a government authorised strength of 42 Squadrons (going by IAFs estimate, India actually needs 45 squadrons), though, according to the latest Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Defence, the actual strength may be down to 25 squadrons.

As the Committee has pointed out, of the 25 active fighter squadrons, 14 are equipped with MiG-21s and MiG-27s, which will retire between 2015 and 2024. Thus, the strength will be reduced to just 11 squadrons by 2024.

The Committee is right to conclude that the widening gap occurs because the rate at which fighter aircraft are retiring after completion of their total technical life exceeds the rate at which their replacements are being inducted into the IAF.

The only saving grace, however, is that the IAF has contracted for 272 Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft to form 13 Squadrons and the delivery of these aircraft is likely to be completed by 2020. This means that the air Force will be able to add 13 squadrons in its kitty only by 2020.

Of course, there are additional plans for the series production of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, development of the fifth generation aircraft with Russia and acquiring of the Rafale. But, overall, the situation is far from satisfactory.

Roughly speaking, India may have a distinct advantage over Pakistan  our Army capability is around twice that of Pakistan, IAF is 1.6 times bigger and Indian Navy is around three times more capable  but when it comes to China, the situation is just the reverse. So, on paper, India fares poorly vis-a-vis the combined might of Pakistan and China until and unless we increase by at least 50 percent our capital-budgetary allocations for our armed forces.

However, all this is not to suggest that we will not be able to hold our ground in a short two-front war (as already explained, there will be a short war, if in case there is one).

Talking specifically of the IAF, we will have an initial advantage over even the Chinese as unlike ours, their air force planes will be taking off from high altitude airfields and hence would carry less amount of ordinance and fuel payload (the Chinese do not have enough mid-air refuellers), affecting their performance.

Along with MiG-29s, Mirage-2000s (both versatile air fighters), C-17 Globemaster-III transport aircraft (manufactured by Boeing) and the Lockheed Martin-manufactured C-130J Super Hercules airlifters, our air assets also include the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, that has a range of 3,000 km on internal fuel and can carry out a 3.75 hour combat mission.

The Su-30s are extraordinary fighters with both range and speed  2120 km/h  and can easily move between the Pakistan and China without undergoing any refueling and rearming; they can strike targets in Tibet as well as Pakistan.

Indias double advantage over its adversaries is provided by the BrahMos cruise missiles, which have changed the nature of air power considerably. With a speed of Mach 2.8, that translates to 952 meters per second, these missiles make virtual radars of the enemies defunct in the sense that even if they are detected at a range of 30 kilometres, they will give the enemy less than 30 seconds before they are tracked, illuminated and shot down.

The result could be that the BrahMos missiles can cause incalculable damage to the enemys defences, tanks, air bases, ships, and command and communication centres, a task which, earlier, was assigned to a fighter pilot with jet fighters. And, what is more important, the BrahMos missiles are produced in India itself, in a joint venture with Russia.

In conclusion, the IAF can defend the country in a short and sudden two-front war. However, things will be uncertain if the war gets prolonged.
Srinagar: The police should devote special attention to ensuring that the educational schedule of students is not disrupted under any circumstances, Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra said amid recurring incidents of student protests.

Vohra also asked the police to ensure that the students are immunised from influences which have the potential of vitiating their academic careers, an official spokesman said.

He made the remarks at a meeting with the newly-appointed Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Muneer Khan who called on him at Raj Bhavan, the spokesman said. Kashmir has been witnessing recurring protests by students in various parts over the last few months.

Khan briefed the governor about the internal security situation in the Valley, particularly in south Kashmir, the spokesman said.

Advising close surveillance on all fronts, the governor asked Khan to ensure that his force plays a "prompt and pro-active" role in solving the problems faced by the people at large.

Meanwhile, former minister GH Mir and MLA Bandipora Usman Majeed also met the governor separately.

Mir held discussions with the governor about the security environment in the state, the spokesman said.

Majeed discussed with the governor issues relating to the maintenance of peace and normalcy in the state and matters relating to the balanced development of Bandipora constituency, the spokesman said.

Appreciating Majeed's concerns, the governor urged him to continue sustained efforts for promoting a peaceful environment which would enable the development and welfare of the people of his area, he said.
Jamshedpur : Police on Monday arrested one person for allegedly posting objectionable materials in the social media in connection with post-child lifting related violence here on Saturday, officials said.

The arrested person, a resident of the industrial township of Adityapur, had posted objectionable materials in Facebook on the violence at Mango, East Singhbhum district Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police, Anoop T Mathew told at a joint press conference.

A protest against Thursday's lynching of four persons in suspicion of being child-lifters turned violent in Mango and several other areas of Jamshedpur on Saturday.

"We are interrogating the person," they said adding that a case has been registered against him under IPC and IT Act.

He was one of the 18 persons arrested on Monday in connection with the lynching.
Jamshedpur (Jharkhand): Two people were arrested in connection with Thursday's lynching of four persons in Rajnagar police station limit of Seraikela-Kharswan district, police said. "We have arrested two persons involved in the lynching of four persons in Shobhapur and Sosomouli villages under Rajanagar police station after villagers suspected them as child lifters on Thursday," deputy superintendent of police Deepak Kumar said.

The more things change the more they remain the same pic.twitter.com/yO3uYdcP3V  Aditi (@awryaditi) May 21, 2017

The arrests were made when the two accused, Dinesh Mahato and Dhannajay Jyotishi, were entering their village Padnampur, he said.

Apart from the Rajnagar incident, three more youths were lynched on the same suspicion Nagadih in East Singhbhum district the same day. An elderly woman was also injured and now under treatment in Tata Main Hospital here.

Meanwhile, situation in trouble-torn Mango area here was peaceful today, Sub-Divisional Officer (Dhalbhum), Manoj Ranjan said.

A protest by a group of people against the lynching turned violent yesterday leading to imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPc in Mango and three other police station areas Jamshedpur from 10 pm on Saturday to 6 am Sunday.

Police personnel patrolled in the affected areas where adequate force including RAF have been deployed to maintain law and order.
It is quite unlikely that the name of Mohammed Naeem would register in the minds of many Indians. But if one were to only turn to the national pages of some newspapers, one would find a photograph that has been doing the rounds of social media. The photograph is of a man, barely in his thirties, surrounded by a group of men. The man, his torso bare, is splattered with blood. It seems from the photograph the man was beaten so much, he was barely able to fold his hands and pray for mercy. But, as the photo testifies, he is trying anyway. If one were to juxtapose this particular photo, to the countless daguerreotypes that emanated from some of the southern states in the US, during the early years of the twentieth century, we will find a similar pattern: brutal photographs that depict the myriad ways black men were tortured and lynched. These photographs then ended up in the hands of their white captors, who kept them as souvenirs. Those photos spread via postcards. Now in India, photos of men like Naeem  who was lynched and tortured in a village in Jamshedpur on the mere suspicion of him being a child kidnapper  they spread via Whatsapp forwards.

One has to ask at this juncture, an oft-repeated, but nevertheless, a pertinent question: what exactly is happening in India? From Dadri, to Una, to Saharanpur, to Alwar, and now to Jamshedpur. From the issue of cattle trading, to love jihad, to beef consumption, to absolutely baseless rumors of child kidnappings. The regional areas are diverse. The reasons for the lynching, in keeping with the nations cherished ideal of diversity, are manifold too. However, curiously, the victims of these lynchings are only Dalits and Muslims, and invariably so.

Underneath this all lies a curious paradox of modern India: on one hand is the narrative of new India, a narrative that our prime minister is so fond of espousing, a narrative about cleanliness, and start-ups, and digitised cities. And yet, ensconced within this narrative, and sitting closely beside it, is the other picture: that of India in its atavistic form, of vast hinterlands filled with vigilante marauders, a land where the cow is more sacred than human life, a land where mythology and rumor overrides rationality. To many commentators, vigilante groups are only but a fringe. And just as a fringe, they ought to be neglected. There is a reason why such an argument does not hold ground.

To begin with, the idea behind the characterisation of these vigilante groups as a fringe element, is the basic political distinction between what a legitimate form of violence is, and what is not. This distinction is the bulwark of the Enlightenment principle wherein the characteristic of modernity lies in outsourcing every form of violence to the state. Therefore, in the case of capital punishment for example, it is the state that has the right to the life of an individual, and not another individual. This exercise of violence by the state, of course, has certain fixed boundaries. But because of the sense of legitimacy that the state enjoys, more often than not, it escapes difficult questions when these boundaries are transgressed. So CRPF personnel burning over 160 homes in Tadmetla, in Bastar, in March 2011, or the widespread use of pellet guns in Kashmir, are, of course, non-events that the state chooses not to indulge our attention in.

In contrast, while vigilante mobs, do not enjoy that legitimate status, yet, curiously, their violence somehow seeks to uphold the narrative of the state. Hence, although outside of the purview of the state, these vigilante groups seek to protect a social order which they perceive to be is in danger of crumbling down.

A naked sense of power

The ways in which vigilante mobs operate in India today are in sync with vigilante groups operating elsewhere in the world. In India, for instance, if closely studied, these groups have a particular idiom through which they seek to carry out their activity. First and foremost, vigilante violence is brazenly open. Whether it is in Jamshedpur recently, or in Dadri, or Una, it was an open 'secret' as to who these men were, and what they were doing. Most importantly, these violent acts have all been captured in camera, via mobile phones, and the same images have been transmitted via Whatsapp. And what is written underneath each and every form of violence is a clear marking out of who an enemy is. This brazenness of their acts, and the clear cut distinction between the self and the other, speaks, more than anything else, about a naked sense of power.

Interestingly, these Indian vigilante groups are quite common to the vigilante groups that operate in certain parts of Africa. In 1998, for example, in the commercial Nigerian city of Aba, shoemakers and traders, angry with the incompetence of the local governments inability to reign in violent criminal gangs, decided to take the matters into their own hands. These men branded together and formed a vigilante group called The Bakassi Boys. Initially comprising young traders and funded by the local traders associations, these Bakassi Boys unleashed a reign of terror in Aba. Seeing themselves as protectors who have gotten a divine sanction to rid the city of Aba from criminal marauders, Bakassi Boys publicly executed dozens of criminals, most of them belonging to different tribes. These executions were brazen, conducted in the public, in broad daylight, and attracted large scale attention from the common people. Most importantly, owing to this public form of their executions, these Bakassi Boys enjoyed a certain popularity among the locals of Aba, where they were regarded as god sent men out to make the city clean. A case in point are also the infamous Ku Klux Klan's (who although carried out their activities in the thick of the night) iconography that seemed to give them a moral legitimacy among the southern whites: draped in large, white, capes, riding horses, and carrying burning crosses with them. These idioms both made them into a sort of a cult, and also endowed them with a religious authority, an authority that contained within it forms by which they would exercise their power over the blacks, in essence, show them their place in the world.

Majoritarian pride

In India, whether it were the karsevaks during the early days of the Babri Masjid row, or the present group of self-proclaimed protectors of cow  with their saffron robes, and swords, atop motorbikes  the codes of authority that tie them together is the same. It is invariably an upper-caste, masculine, Hindu idiom of power. But what is most frightening of all, are not these vigilante groups out there in the open, but that there is complete silence from the political authorities, and at the same time, from people at large  making them fringe and mainstream at the same time. With a few token pronouncements, the ruling dispensation distances themselves from these groups. But what they do not distance themselves from is the idea that gives these vigilante groups their moral legitimacy: the idea that seeks to uphold a sense of Hindu majoritarian pride, a pride that is always, invariably, constructed in opposition to the Dalits and the Muslims. And in the larger publics indifference to these acts of violence, vigilante groups carry on and the cycle continues.

The other aspect that needs an equal attention is the chosen ideal that fuels these groups. Because the victims are either the Muslims, or the Dalits in the case of Una and Saharanpur, much like the case was with the Ku Klux Klan in the United States, in India it is ostensibly about position. The Hindi word that is actually apt, and which is also extremely difficult to translate into English, that is in operation here, is aukaad. This particular word, beautifully colloquial, captures the predicament of the minority in this new India. At once, it signals ritual submission to the upper-caste, male, Hindu sense of privilege and position, and when invoked by these vigilante groups, signals the need to assert that supremacy, to show the others to a place where they belong.

It is rather unlikely that any eulogies will be sung for Mohammed Naeem, and as a person he is, perhaps, forever, frozen behind the pixels of those brutal photographs. And oscillating between violence, to outrage, to placid indifference, the issue of vigilante mobs in 21st century India seems to have frozen as well.

The author is a Delhi-based writer and an independent journalist. His debut novel, Darklands, is slated to be published by Penguin Random House in the fall of 2017. He is at present a doctoral fellow in the Delhi School of Economics
New Delhi: An army major, who had tied a Kashmiri man to a jeep in Kashmir, has been awarded by army chief Gen Bipin Rawat for his 'sustained efforts' in counter-insurgency operations.

The army chief's Commendation Card for Major Leetul Gogoi comes even as a court of inquiry into the tying of the Kashmiri man to the jeep's bonnet purportedly as a shield against stone-pelters was going on.

"Major Gogoi has been awarded Chief of Army Staff's Commendation Card for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations," army spokesperson Aman Anand said. Gogoi was awarded during Gen Rawat's recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

A video, showing the man tied to the army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on 9 April, had triggered a public outcry, prompting the army to institute a probe.

The CoI was tasked to look into the circumstance that prompted Major Gogoi to tie the Kashmiri youth to the jeep's bonnet as a "human shield".
New Delhi: With concerns being raised about the situation in Kashmir, the top BJP leadership on Sunday said the government was working on a plan to return the state to normalcy and would find a permanent solution to the issues troubling the valley.

BJP President Amit Shah said that the problem in Jammu and Kashmir was not widespread but centered around just "three and a half districts".

Addressing an Aaj Tak Editors round-table, Shah said that the central government was formulating a "course of action" to resolve the situation.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told a gathering in western Sikkim's Pelling town that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government would find a permanent solution to the issues besieging the Valley.

Blaming Pakistan for trying to destabilise and weaken India through violence in Kashmir, he said that Kashmir - along with its people - belonged to India.

"I want to assure you that our government will find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue," the Minister told the gathering.

"The truth is that Kashmir belongs to us, Kashmiris belong to us, and Kashmiriyat also belongs to us."

Rajnath asserted that India wants cordial relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan.

BJP President Amit Shah also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "made more efforts to improve relations with Pakistan than any other government".

"The Narendra Modi government did more than anyone else to have good relations with Pakistan. But the efforts for good relations should be from both sides.

"The Prime Minister made efforts, but we did not get results. We have to protect the interests of our country and we are doing that," he said.

"We want good relations with all neighbours, but only after making our borders safe."

Shah said the BJP government was making every effort to bring peace to Kashmir Valley, which has been on the boil for the past many weeks.

"We are maintaining strict vigil on Kashmir. Don't see the past six months, you have to see Kashmir from 1989 to 2017. There are many such spells of three months, six months, one year, where such incidents have occurred, security forces have got the situation under control," he said.

"The problem in Kashmir is a problem of three and a half districts," Shah said, apparently referring to two south Kashmir districts and Srinagar where violent anti-government protests have been rampant.

"We are formulating a course of action, give us some time," he said, expressing confidence that security forces will bring the situation under control.

The situation has worsened due to protests by college and school students in Srinagar and parts of south Kashmir.
Thiruvananthapuram: The 'sanyasi' whose genitals were chopped off by a woman he allegedly tried to rape two days ago has been shifted to a special cell at the government medical college in Thiruvananthapuram, police said on Monday. Gangeshananda Theerthapada, alias Hariswami, was shifted to a "police cell" at the hospital after a magistrate remanded him in custody till 3 June, they said.

The 54-year-old accused, who suffered critical injuries in the private parts and underwent an emergency surgery after the woman attacked him with a knife, is now recovering, police said.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old law student, who defended herself from the rape bid, has been shifted to the state-run Nirbhaya home here. She had told police that she had been raped by the man, who claims to be a 'sanyasi', for six years and she was forced to take the extreme step after he tried to repeat the offence once again on the night of 19 May.

Hariswami, known to the girl's family, had been frequenting her house in Pettah in the city for several years to perform 'pujas' aimed at bringing "relief" to her paralysed and bed-ridden father, police said, quoting the victim. During those visits over the last six years, the accused would allegedly rape the girl, whenever he found a chance, according to the police.

A case had been registered against him under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) as well as IPC 376 (punishment for rape). City Police Commissioner Sparjan Kumar said the woman's parents had alleged that the man had cheated them of money to the tune of several lakhs of rupees. "But they are yet to give any written complaint in this regard. So, no action has been taken so far," he said.

Asked about media reports stating that the mother was aware of the attacks on her daughter, Kumar said the young woman had not given any statements against her mother to police so far. He also dismissed reports that the mother had been taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Lucknow: The family members of an IAS officer, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the state capital last week, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday seeking a CBI probe into the death.

The family members, including the brother and sister-in-law of the Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the death of Tiwari.

Emerging out of their meeting with Yogi Adityanath, a family member told reporters that the Chief Minister had extended his sympathies to the bereaved family and assured them of a positive approach towards their demand for a CBI probe.

The family members earlier reached Lucknow from Bahraich and drove straight to the state guest house where the 2007 batch IAS official had stayed for two days before his death, on his 35th birthday.

There have been conflicting versions and loose ends in the police probe into Tiwari's death so far.

The 72-hour deadline for the Special Investigating Team (SIT) has also passed but there have been no major leads.

The family has alleged that Tiwari, who was posted as food and civil supplies commissioner in Karnataka, had been murdered as he was about to expose a multi-crore scam.

Mayank Tiwari, brother of the deceased official, has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention for a fair probe into the circumstances leading to the death of Anurag Tiwari.
A farmers' protest led by Left workers clashed with the Kolkata Police on Monday after they were stopped from marching towards the state Secretariat, TV reports said.

The police had to resort to lathicharge and use tear gas shells against the clashing workers, which also included top leaders like former Leader of Opposition Surjakanta Mishra, according to CNN-News18.

The Left had announced that it would lead a farmers' rally to the state secretariat to protest against the policy of the Mamata Banerjee government.

The police had imposed Section 144 ahead of the protest in Kolkata. Around 2,000 additional policemen and troops from the Rapid Action Force were deployed in the city ahead of the rally.

Twenty of our MLAs reached the gate of Nabanna (Secretariat building) to protest against the rising unemployment, farmers' distress and other issues but the police did not let us in. They forcefully stopped us and later put us in police vans. They are not disclosing whether we are in police custody or not," Left leader Sujan Chakraborty told IANS.

The Left also took potshots at the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

"The chief minister has fled from the city. Is she not bothered about the plight of the farmers here? She has turned the state into a prison," he added.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose claimed that several of their MLAs participating in the protests were arrested and demanded their unconditional release.

"...They have been arrested and are being taken to Alipore court. We condemn their arrest and demand their unconditional release," he said.

However, the police have not confirmed the arrests.

The BJP too slammed the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, calling for president's rule in West Bengal.

However, the TMC hit back at the Left Front over the issue.

Speaking to India Today TV, senior party leader Saugata Roy criticised BJP's call for imposing president's rule and claimed that the party has lost its mental balance after its defeat in the recently-concluded municipal elections. Roy further alleged that the Left Front is holding the rally only to remain relevant and assert its existence.

Roy also added that the police had not used brute force against the protesting workers and that the situation had come under control quickly.

With inputs from IANS
Human rights are a matter of both democracy and hypocrisy, certainly in India.

Two recent examples, India's flat-out fight for one of its own and its flat-out denial of human rights violations aimed at entire communities, highlight it as nothing else.

There is little ground for dispute that a country must stand by one if its own, as India has done for Kulbhushan Jadhav, accused of espionage by Pakistan and sentenced to death by that country's loaded judicial system. Ace Indian lawyer Harish Salve argued India's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague and won the man a reprieve, even if temporary, on 18 May.

Salve was feted by India's leaders and media. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj praised his handling of the matter and highlighted the fact that the pricey lawyer had accepted only a token fee of one rupee for the cause-case. The media has since remained on overdrive, with one newspaper praising the "piano-playing lawyer".

A couple of years ago, the same newspaper had praised Salve in a headline: "Harish Salve: The man who saved Salman Khan from going to jail." So be it.

Surely, though, if a country can stand by one of its own so admirably, so publicly, in front of the world, taking on arch-enemy Pakistan, scoring brownie points at home at a time of a slowed economy and growing joblessness, it would have the courage to own up to its ills in a vaunted democracy?

Far from it. India's human rights hypocrisy is staggering, and it's not a matter of this government or that. India has practised such hypocrisy in the face of any human rights query at any global forum, and during its four-yearly universal periodic reviews under the aegis of United Nations, through all runs and flavours of government, from Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

At India's third such periodic review earlier this month  sparsely reported by most media in India except to highlight attorney general Mukul Rohatgi's swashbuckling performance in front of United Nations' Human Rights Council  India's position was: there's nothing wrong with India or its human rights record.

It bears repetition as Rohatgi's response still has free-thinking citizens and the human rights world reeling from its Zimbabwe-ness, or China-ness, if you prefer that brazen application of dictatorial blindsiding.

There is no Afrophobia or racism in India, maintained Rohatgi, because "we cannot have a racist mindset" as India is a land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautama Buddha. Even a child would demolish that assertion with a shallow reading of events since the Partition, not to mention Gandhi's assassination: evidently a Gandhian and very Buddhist act of peace and piety.

"As such, the concept of torture is completely alien to our culture and it has no place in the governance of the nation," maintained the attorney general. Cases and convictions in the courts of India and the well-documented and validated records of human rights organisations, both Indian and global, point to the opposite.

Numerous instances of torture of non-combatants in Chhattisgarh, for instance, is a matter of pursuit of India's National Human Rights Commission; and has formed a substantive bulk of petitions in the Supreme Court against state-sponsored vigilante groups in Chhattisgarh. Let us take some more names in India's torture chronicles and that of human rights abominations: Assam, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, etc.

India is yet to ratify the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment  commonly called CAT. Not that signing a document or ratifying an undertaking has ever really stopped a country from doing anything it wanted. But this is about appearances, right? About wanting to be seen as good, and doing good.

(I'm not even going into our easy attitude towards torture: the routine glorification of torture for decades by India's film industry, as the upright police or army officer extracts a confession from the baddies, when a kiss, intense cuddle, or feminist statement faces the wrath of censors. In private police and armed forces, officers admit to the routine use of torture and a tool of judicial extension for the sake of law and order, internal security, and national security.)

In the blaze of adverse publicity over cow-vigilantism, openly encouraged by adjuncts of the Hindu nationalist Far Right, India's attorney general reiterated: "India is a secular state with no state religion." And then, last week, we had the incident in Jharkhand.

Similar blandishment accompanied statements on every manner of victimisation, from gratuitously gunning for non-governmental organisations to aggressively putting down dissent. Free speech and expression, which exists despite the government, on the sheer strength of citizens, civil rights organisations and upright members of the judiciary who uphold constitutional imperatives, was trotted out, ironically, as a virtue of government, not a citizen's right valiantly fought for each day.

But it's all global now, all out there. Human rights review, Jadhav, the whole lot. There are fewer places to hide even within the shadows of our denial.

Here's another thing, an ironical cut, and perhaps an unintended one.

What India has effectively done in Jadhav's case, admirable as it may be for the sake of public patriotism and loyalty of a country to one of its own, and its cascading effect on domestic political leverage by the government of the day, is the very thing India has shied away from doing all these years: "internationalise" its animosity with Pakistan.

To maintain at every opportunity that everything between India and Pakistan, including the festering sore of Jammu & Kashmir, is nobody else's business; not that of the United Nations, or any other multilateral agency or a third country.

The Jadhav incident has officially made it the world's business. And I for one am delighted with this possibility: if India has done poorly with Kashmir and Pakistan these past seventy years, maybe it's time for the world to take a look-in, stop the bleeding of our citizens  non-combatants and armed forces alike  and stop the bleeding of our economy.

(Of course, this precludes the earliest ceasefire and line of control along Kashmir and India's border with Pakistan, effected with the help of United Nations and its agencies; and the Indus Water Treaty brokered by the World Bank, but what's a factual oddity or two for an ostrich?)

And as far as human rights go, all that India has done for itself in front of the world and its own citizens who are still able to think freely and express themselves is buy time, as it has done for Jadhav. Not credibility, just time.

The author is an award-winning writer of several books, a columnist, and consultant to think-tanks and media. He tweets @chakraview
Mumbai: Kisan Kranti, a state-level coordination committee of different farmers' outfits on Monday said that they would go ahead with a state-wide farmers strike from 1 June, in a bid to draw the state government's attention to their problems.

"Over 200 farmer representatives gathered at Puntamba village in Ahmednagar district and decided to go ahead with the agitation," Kisan Kranti spokesperson Dhananjay Dhorde told PTI.

The farmers are going to go on a strike, raising a slew of demands from loan waiver to free electricity.

Earlier, over 2,000 farmers who mobilised support from various gram panchayats across 40 villages in districts of Ahmednagar, Nashik and Aurangabad had announced they will not to sell the farm produce in market if their demands were not heeded by 31 May, Dhorde said.

A farmer activist, who attended Monday's meeting, claimed that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was 'dividing' the farming community, by inviting some farmers from Ahmednagar district, who are affiliated to BJP, to Mantralaya for a meeting.

The chief minister recently convened a meeting of some BJP-affiliated farmers at Mantralaya, after which they declared that they were withdrawing the proposed agitation, the activist said.

"This was an attempt to create a rift between the farmers, who are firm on their decision to not send their produce like milk or vegetables to the urban areas," he said.

The strike would involve not selling agri produce in market and not engaging in any fresh crop growing activities, Dhorde said.

"Last month, we had the first 'gram grabha' at Puntamba which was convened after a specific demand by farmers. Such gram sabha meets were held in various parts of the state," Dhorde said.

"We prepared a charter of demands about problems faced by farmers. We have sought pension for farmers and a 100 percent subsidy for drip irrigation. The demands were submitted to the local tehsildar," he said.

"If the government doesn't act on our demands by 31 May, no agri produce will be brought to market and we will also desist from activities including sowing new crop," he said.

The farmers' demands include loan waiver, free electricity, appropriate price for their produce, grant for irrigation and higher price for milk. The agitation will not involve any political party or leaders, Dhorde said.

"Once the strike begins, farmers have decided to produce only for their own consumption and not for the market. They also plan to stop supply of food grains, cereals, fruits and milk to markets," he said.

"We decided to launch the agitation as the government is not sensitive to farmers' issues. Farmers are committing suicides year after year and nobody is bothered. It is time to prove our worth," he said.

The announcement of the farmers agitation comes in the backdrop of an Opposition agitation against the BJP-led state government, demanding loan waiver to farmers.
As summers start setting in Jammu and Kashmir, security forces expect more encounters and gun fights in the Valley as militants, waiting across the Line of Control, gear up for the snow to melt so that they infiltrate on the Indian side. This year, compared to the last, will witness relatively less infiltration bids.

On Saturday, the army engaged a group of militants, who were trying to infiltrate, and cornered them around Kisan post in Naugam sector of Kupwara district. The encounter, which lasted more than 24 hours, ended on Sunday evening and left seven people dead, including three soldiers.

"Two soldiers were martyred on Saturday afternoon and one terrorist was also killed but by the evening the firing stopped. It resumed on Sunday and two more terrorists were killed and one soldier was martyred," defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia told Firstpost.

"They (infiltrators) were trying to enter our side and we stopped them right at the LoC and a gunfight ensued," he added. "The search operations have been called off." The intelligence apparatus in Kashmir has warned that there is a likely possibility of an increased presence of militants (from Pakistan side) along the LoC this summer. The security agencies, according to sources, have sought help from the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) to track the militants who are waiting to infiltrate the LoC.

The Indian Army strengthened the technical intelligence gathering infrastructure, supported by NTRO, to track the movement of the militants and stop them from entering the Valley. It has, so far, yielded tremendous results. It has also made infiltration harder for the militants and an army officer told Firstpost that "only a human error can make it possible for them to enter the Valley". As the likelihood of infiltration bids continue, the gunfights along the LoC are likely to increase.

Of the 371 attempts made by the militants to infiltrate the Valley in 2016, only 119 were successful. The numbers have drastically gone down this year, with not even two dozen militants attempting infiltration in the first four months. However, Lieutenant General JS Sandhu, Commander of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, recently said there are more militants waiting at launch pads in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in the areas facing Poonch and Rajouri district in Jammu than in Kashmir. About 150 militants, Sandhu said, are waiting near the LoC in PoK to sneak into the Valley.

Interestingly, there have been attempts by militants to infiltrate from South of the Pir Panjal range this year, and there have been more than 60 attempts of ceasefire violations till April. The army has been taking preemptive action to prevent infiltration. This has led to an increase in the number of ceasefire violations this year in that area.

It is an unusual shift as most of the infiltration bids used to happen from either Baramulla or Kupwara district, which together share a good part of the treacherous 740-km-long LoC, which has witnessed major tensions following the beheading of two soldiers allegedly by Pakistan army's Border Action Team (BAT) on 1 May. Defence minister Arun Jaitley last week asked troops to maintain "tight vigil" along the LoC to thwart attempts of infiltration and give "strong and befitting" reply to any misadventure from across by Pakistan. He was on a visit of the LoC in Rampur sector of Baramulla district.

With temperatures expected to rise in Kashmir in coming days, there is going to be even more heat at the borders as Pakistan pushes more militants into the already simmering Valley.
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday imposed a ban on mining on the Narmada riverbed and formed a committee of experts to suggest measures to prevent ecological damage to the river, considered as the lifeline of the state.

The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the condition of rivers in the country. He was speaking at a programme last week on the conclusion of a campaign to conserve the Narmada river in MP. The state government has also banned the use of machines for mining in all rivers across Madhya Pradesh.

"A committee, which includes experts from IIT-Kharagpur and headed by Cabinet minister Rajendra Shukla, has been formed to make suggestions about mining in the Narmada river," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters in Bhopal.

"We have decided to completely ban mining in the Narmada river till this committee gives its report," he said. Chouhan said the committee would make recommendations, after conducting a scientific study, to prevent any ecological damage to the river.

The chief minister also said that vehicles found involved in illegal mining would be confiscated henceforth, instead of a fine being imposed on them.

The BJP-led state government has been under attack over illegal sand mining on the banks of the Narmada river. The Congress alleged that illegal mining had been going on under political patronage. State Congress chief spokesperson KK Mishra alleges that the decision to ban mining has been taken just before the rains to benefit those who have stored the sand illegally.

Mishra also alleged that a large quantity of sand was being illegally excavated from the banks of the Narmada in the chief minister's home district of Sehore. The state government had earlier held the 'Namami Devi Narmade Sewa Yatra', a river conservation campaign, which started on December 11 last year and concluded last week on 15 May.

During the yatra, the chief minister announced a complete ban on mining activities around Amarkantak, the origin of the river Narmada.

The yatra covered 1,831 km on the river's southern bank comprising 548 villages/towns and 1,513 km on the northern bank comprising 556 village/towns in 148 days.
Actor and BJP parliamentarian Paresh Rawal, in a tweet, said that instead of the "stone pelter", who was tied to an Indian Army jeep and paraded, author and activist Arundhati Roy should have been tied to the jeep. Needless to say, the disagreeable tweet, kicked up quite a storm on social media. The reason behind the tweet, which came out of nowhere, was not known. The tweet was retweeted and liked over a thousand times.

Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy !  Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 21, 2017

@SirPareshRawal Am deeply moved by your empathy that brings every character to life in movies. But I'm shocked by your ability to be so violent with words!  Priyanka Borpujari (@Pri_Borpujari) May 21, 2017

His tweet receieved widespread condemnation with a few seeing it as an attempt to incite violence by an elected public representative. Senior Congress leader and former state unit chief for Goa, Digvijaya Singh reacted to the tweet as well:

@SirPareshRawal Why not the person who stitched PDP/BJP alliance ?  digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 22, 2017

Senior journalist Sagarika Ghose reacted to the tweet as well:

We have a wide variety of choices ! https://t.co/rpciWyhLha  Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 21, 2017

Wonderful sir, too good. You really are a model parliamentarian https://t.co/rPjPWRYC3Q  Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 22, 2017

Rawal, who is a National Award-winner, became a BJP MP from the Ahmedabad East constituency during the 2014 general election. The BJP in coalition with PDP (Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party) is currently in power in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. The video, Rawal is referring to, was reportedly shot in the Beerwah area of Budgam district, where miscreants disrupted polling during the bypoll to Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency by pelting stones.

It was widely shared on social networks in Kashmir and it drew widespread condemnation, including from former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah. In the clip, an army soldier was heard saying, "Those who throw stones will meet the same fate." The video showed the army jeep moving ahead of an army patrol, while some villagers could be overheard that the youth had been picked up by the army.

Here's the video as well. A warning can be heard saying stone pelters will meet this fate. This requires an urgent inquiry & follow up NOW!! pic.twitter.com/qj1rnCVazn  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 14, 2017

The video was tweeted out by Abdullah in April and created quite a storm where a large number of people accusing the former chief minister of defaming the army. The widespread outrage led to an investigation by the Army following which it was revealed that the man in the video was a carpet weaver, Farooq Ahmad Dar, who was on his way to attend a funeral at his sisters house. The army unit involved in the act was 53 Rashtriya Rifles.
Sheikh Nabi Ahmed, an Indian national, who was arrested in Pakistan for not possessing travel documents, is a Mumbai-based businessman, the Mumbai police said.

Ahmed resides in Jogeshwari (East) with his family. The address on Ahmed's passport is of Jogeshwari (East) but according to the Meghwadi Police, Ahmed sold his property almost five years ago and has now shifted to someplace in Jogeshwari (West), the police added.

When contacted, Mumbai police spokesperson Rashmi Karandikar said, "It is the matter of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)."

He was arrested on 19 May for not possessing proper documents. Ahmed has been booked for violating Article 14 of Pakistan's Foreign Act. He has been booked for illegal entry and stay in the country under Foreigners Act 1946 and sent to jail on judicial remand.

According to Pakistan police, the Indian national was walking along Nazimuddin Road in Islamabad's Sector F-8 when he was stopped at a check post. Police demanded to check his visa documents after he told them that he was an Indian. However, Ahmed could not produce any document and was taken into police custody.

The arrest came days after the International Court of Justice stayed the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities" against the country.

Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India.

With inputs from PTI
Agartala: After attending a two-day meeting of the state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "The Modi government as part of the 'Aacche Din' slogan is making two Indias -- shining for the rich people and full of miseries for the poor people".

"At a time the Modi government is celebrating three years of its office, the government statistics says that over 12,000 farmers committed suicide every year since 2014 due to debt burden and the government's anti-farmer policies," he said.

"When the annadata (food provider) is in distress, how can the country grow? The government has taken anti-farmer steps by not increasing the minimum support price, import duty and input costs."

Another CPM politburo member and former General Secretary Prakash Karat also attended the two-day meeting of the state committee. The meeting discussed the next assembly polls in Tripura.

Tripura, one of the two states (including Kerala) where the CPM-led Left Front is in power along with other Left parties, goes to polls in February next year.

Yechury further added: "As part of the 'Aacche Din' package the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised to generate two crore new jobs every year. But very few new jobs have been created. On the other hand, thousands of people are losing their existing jobs."

He said around 56,000 jobs have been laid off by the major information technology companies in the country. "According to a survey by an international agency, 50 to 60 percent of the total of 40 lakh people engaged in the information technology sector might lose their jobs in the coming years."

"What celebration do they (BJP) want to hold on 26 May (on completion of three years)? This must be a celebration of failure and betrayal. Modi is taking the country into a dark past," complained Yechury.

"On the industrial front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 'Make in India', 'Startup India', 'Digital India' and many more things. But no significant investment has been made in the last three years," the CPM leader said.

The Left leader said that rural, urban and services sector employment is declining rapidly. "The allocation in rural job scheme (MGNREGA) has been reduced to such an extent that around 20,000 people each year in the past three years did not get wages."

The CPM General Secretary said that when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power, one percent of Indians possessed 49 percent of the country's GDP, but in the BJP regime one percent Indians have 58.4 percent of the GDP.

"The PDS (Public Distribution System) is now in doldrums. Kerosene oil and sugar, both essentials for the common man, are being removing from the PDS supplies. People's legal entitlement like MGNREGA is being curtailed."

Furthermore, Yechury said that according to a recent survey of an international body, out of 195 countries, India ranked 154 in the Global Burden of Disease Study, after Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Criticising the BJP government's "appeasement towards corporate sector", Yechury said the loans taken by the corporate houses has crossed Rs 11 lakh crore. Total loan taken from various banks by corporate houses stands at 37 percent while it is only 14 percent by the peasantry sectors in the Modi regime.

"It is good that the government is against triple talaq. But why is the BJP government silent about the women's reservation in Parliament and Assembly despite it having majority in the houses."

It said the Modi government has "miserably failed" in dealing with the Jammu and Kashmir issue, and stressed on the need for a political settlement.

"Dialogue and engagement is a must to solve the Jammu and Kashmir crisis. The government has also backtracked from its commitment given to the all-party delegation headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh that visited the violence-hit state in September last year," Yechury said.
Lucknow: A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was gunned down by unidentified bike-riding assailants in Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Monday. A passerby suffered a gunshot injury in the Sunday night incident. It took place near Balak Baba Mathia on the Lalganj-Gopalpur road, the police said.

Sumer Singh was on his way to a pre-wedding function along with his friend Chunnu Misra when the assailants shot him in the head. The injured passerby was identified as Bhutaili Yadav. Singh was a former district secretary of the SP and his wife Sunita Singh is a gram pradhaan (village head).

The police reportedly reached the crime scene after several hours which caused an angry mob to raise anti-police and anti-government slogans.
New Delhi: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has submitted a detailed report to the home ministry stating the circumstances that led to the killing of 25 of its personnel by Naxals in April in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.

The report talks about the apparent failure of the commanders on ground against the huge build up of the Maoists and they being unable to study the pattern of movement of the patrol party that led to the deadly incident on 24 April near Burkapal in Sukma, officials said.

They said the report chronicles the sequence of events that led to the incident and added that the attacking Naxals took the aid of locals to target the patrol party. The report, they said, will now be studied by the ministry after which some heads may roll and some senior officers could be posted in the Bastar region of the state to lead the operations.

The CRPF has deployed 28 battalions (about 28,000 personnel) for conducting anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Monday told the Supreme Court that it would issue an advisory to qazis to tell bridegrooms that they will not resort to triple talaq to annul their marriage.

In an affidavit, AIMPLB said it has decided to issue an advisory through its website, publications and social media platforms asking qazis to tell bridegrooms at the time of execution of nikahnama (marriage contract) that they would not resort to "three divorces in one sitting" in case of differences as it was an "undesirable practice in Shariat".

"At the time of performing nikah (marriage), the person performing the nikah will advise the bridegroom/man that in case of differences leading to talaq the bridegroom/man shall not pronounce three divorces in one sitting since it is an undesirable practice in Shariat," the affidavit filed by AIMPLB secretary Mohammad Fazlurrahim said.

"At the time of performing nikah, the person performing the nikah will advise both the bridegroom/man and the

bride/woman to incorporate a condition in the nikahnama to exclude resorting to pronouncement of three divorces by her husband in one sitting," it said.

The affidavit would be perused by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar which has reserved its verdict on the issue of triple talaq last week.

The apex court had on 18 May reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq among Muslims after hearing parties including the Centre, the AIMPLB and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) for six days in summer vacation.

During the hearing, the apex court had asked Muslim bodies as to how can a practice like triple talaq be a matter of "faith" when they have been asserting that it is "patriarchal", "bad in theology" and "sinful".

The move to submit the affidavit to the apex court at this stage was not received well from AIMWPLB.

Speaking to Times Now, AIMWPLB chairperson Shaista Amber said that the submission of the affidavit was an attempt to mislead people. "No matter how much they explain to the Supreme Court, they can't prove that the rights given in Quran are being followed 100 percent. This is in someway freeing male-dominated society. They are misleading the court," she said.

She also accused the AIMPLB of not wanting to give women their rights.

However, Shamsuddin Tamboli, president of Pune-based Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal, said he saw this affidavit as a positive as it could create awareness among people. However, he was skeptical on whether the advisory will have any effect.

"AIMPLB does not represent the entire Muslim community. I doubt whether muftis and qazis will accept this order. But at least the AIMPLB has accepted the problem. But for people like us, there is need of ban," Tamboli told Times Now. "There is a need to provide justice to Muslim women," he added.

With inputs from PTI
Lucknow: In a move likely to trigger a political storm, the Bharatiya Janta party government in Uttar Pradesh is all set to end the 20 percent quota for minorities in social welfare schemes.

The quota was fixed by the earlier Samajwadi Party government.

Sources said that Social Welfare Minister Ramapati Shastri had approved the proposal on Monday and that it was only a matter of time, and technicalities, before the same is placed before the Cabinet for approval.

BJP said that it had always maintained it was not against any faith or religion but was against the politics of appeasement.

"There is no rationale of quota in schemes on the basis of religion; we are in favour of doing away with it. Development should be guided by the principle of benefit for all," the minister said while confirming the move to do away with the quota.

Minorities, mainly Muslims, in the state get 20 percent quota in schemes of departments like sugar development, micro irrigation, horticulture, agriculture, animal husbandry, rural development, basic education, panchayati raj, medical and health, public works, tourism, higher education and youth welfare, among others.
New Delhi: Delhi's Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) on Monday said that it has summoned suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra to join the probe in the alleged Rs 400 crore water tanker scam.

"We have called Kapil Mishra at 11 am on (Tuesday) for questioning," ACB Chief Mukesh Kumar Meena told IANS.

Earlier, the ACB had questioned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's political adviser Vibhav Patel in the alleged water tanker scam on 17 May.

The ACB had summoned Patel on 14 May after rebel and sacked Delhi water minister told the ACB that two persons, Patel and Ashish Talwar who were close to Kejriwal, were responsible for the delay in action in the water tanker scam.

However, during his questioning Patel had denied any involvement in the matter. So, the agency has called Mishra for cross-questioning.

Mishra had earlier recorded his statement with the ACB on 11 May, after he submitted evidence in support of his allegations.

The Rs 400-crore water tanker scam involving alleged favouritism shown in the allotment of contracts to private water tanker operators supplying water to areas falling outside the Delhi Jal Board's network happened under the previous Congress government in the city.
Lucknow: Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said the BJP's clarion call 'Sabkaa Saath, Sabkaa Vikaas' is actually a 'samajwadi' (socialist) slogan.

He also said that the people of the state want that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth become a 'samajwadi'.

Participating in a discussion in the Legislative Council on the governor's address, Akhilesh said, "You talk about 'Sabkaa Saath, Sabkaa Vikaas'. This is a samajwadi slogan. We do not know that whether the chief minister wants to erase samajwadi or associate with it. The people of the state want him to become a samajwadi."

The former chief minister claimed that the good work done by the Samajwadi Party government cannot be matched with that of any other previous dispensations.

"The target before the current government is to perform better than the previous Samajwadi Party government. Along with Uttar Pradesh, there is a BJP government at the Centre too. So, there should be no shortage of resources for the chief minister," he said.

"GST will fill the coffers of the government. Owing to demonetisation, there is a lot of money with the Centre," Akhilesh said and asked the chief minister to try to bring resources from the Centre.

The SP leader said that Adityanath is talking about new excise policy, e-tendering and metro rail and he has got an opportunity to create history.

Asserting that his government had completed the Lucknow Metro Rail project, Akhilesh said, "Now the chief minister is talking about metro rail projects in Gorakhpur and Jhansi. We

will wait to see the completion of the project."

Raising the issue of cow protection, he said, "We are of the view that the government should shut down all slaughter h ouses and stop export of meat. But this will not happen, as you (BJP government) do not have the courage to do so."

Attacking the state government on loan waiver to farmers, Akhilesh said, "Your words to the people and those inside the House are different."

On the Mathura's Jawahar Bagh incident, Akhilesh said, "It is alleged that we had settled people in Jawahar Bagh. The reality is that people in disguise of saints had come there."

"We complied with the court's order and tried to evict people from Jawahar Bagh in a peaceful manner. We had faith in the saints and thought that they are good people," he added.
Hyderabad: BJP national president Amit Shah arrived in Hyderabad on Monday on a three-day visit to Telangana, aimed at strengthening the party in the state ahead of the 2019 elections.

BJP state president K Laxman, party's floor leader in the Telangana assembly G Kishan Reddy and other leaders welcomed Shah at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

From the airport, he left for Nalgonda district by road. During his visit to Nalgonda and Yadadri-Bhongir districts over the next two days, Shah will participate in various programmes.

The BJP leader will meet family members of Gundugoni Mysaiah, a BJP activist who was killed by Maoists in 1999.

He will also visit the houses of Dalits in Nalgonda villages.

Shah will on Tuesday visit Gundrampalli village to pay tribute to those killed by 'razakars' or volunteers of the Nizam before Hyderabad state's merger with the Indian Union.

He will also address booth level committees in the two districts.

The BJP president on the last day of his trip will return here to address a meeting of party workers of Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

The BJP is gearing up to make a serious bid to wrest Hyderabad seat from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has been winning this seat since 1984.

State BJP leaders are confident that Shah's visit will change the political map of the state. They hope that the BJP will come to power in the state in 2019.
Days after former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti's homes were raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the senior Congress leader reportedly told media that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime did commit wrong doings.

Speaking at an event in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district, Chidambaram said that wrongdoing happened in the UPA regime, Republic TV reported. "During the 10 years of the UPA government, we have done many good things. At the same time, I will not say that no wrongdoing happened. There is only one place where mistakes dont happen  the place we finally reach," Chidambaram was quoted saying by the channel.

Chidambaram made the statement in front of the Congress cadre on Sunday. The senior Congress leader, however, was quick to add that many positive things happened when Congress was ruling the country. "Many positive things happened during the 10 years of Congress rule," he said.

Responding to Chidambaram's statements, BJP leader Suryah told Republic TV that former finance minister's statements reeked of fear. "All these statements being made by Chidarambam are out of panic and fear. This admission of wrongdoing is shocking," The Financial Express quoted Suryah as saying. Suryah further added that such an admission by a senior leader was alarming.

"It is alarming that he admitted to wrongdoing in the UPA regime in such a casual tone," he said.

The veteran politician is under the CBI scanner for allegedly receiving money from INX Media which is owned by Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukerjea to scuttle a tax probe.

CBI sleuths fanned out across 14 locations including the Chidambarams' properties in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Gurgaon on 16 May. The investigating agency had filed an FIR against Karti, Indrani and Peter Mukerjea on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

The agency did not rule out investigating the alleged role of Chidambaram. It was alleged that Karti received money from INX Media for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it in a case of violation of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) conditions to receive investment from Mauritius.

Later, in a statement, Karti said he "has never interceded on anybody's behalf to the Government of India". "This is a completely bogus and fabricated charge. I am being harassed politically. I will face this politically," Karti said. Chidambaram had issued a strong statement in response to the raids saying that the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son.

FIPB approval was granted in "hundreds of cases", the senior Congress leader said. "The government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends... The government's aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organisations," he said.

He asserted that he would continue to speak in public and write for publications.

With inputs from agencies
The main Opposition party  the Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK)  is organising a mega political event on 3 June to mark the diamond jubilee of its leader M Karunanidhis entry into the state Assembly. It is also the 94th birthday of the leader, who has been the chief minister of the state five times and still continues to be the president of the party.

It was in 1957 that he was first elected to the state Assembly and has never tasted defeat in any election since, even when his party was mauled in the 1991 election that immediately followed the assassination of the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. A massive rally is planned and this is being seen as a show of strength by Karunanidhis son and heir apparent MK Stalin. It has been a long wait for Stalin, who is now the executive president of the party  a post created for him as Karunanidhi isn't in the best of health.

He is believed to be unable to speak or recognise people, suffering from almost total memory loss. He reportedly also has breathing difficulties and needs respiratory support through a tracheotomy. It is as yet unclear as to whether Stalin's takeover of the party had his consent.

Stalin's ascension to the top post of the party was expected, but Karunanidhi was not ready to abdicate. In fact, at one of the rallies  televised by the party's official TV channel  held a couple of years ago, he started with his customary greetings to all party functionaries by their designation and when he came to Stalin's name, he referred to him as "my dear boy who has so far been the treasurer of the party and hereafter..." He trailed off when the cameras focussed on Stalin's beaming and expectant face. But Karunandhi left it to the imagination of the roaring crowd.

Stalin was evidently becoming impatient and his supporters had once compared Karunandhi to Aurangzeb. Had the DMK had won the elections in 2016, the wheelchair-bound Karunandhi would have sat in the seat of the chief minister for the sixth time, but that was not to be. Open differences between the son and the father began cropping up on many issues as Stalin started to assert himself.

Now that Stalin is firmly at the helm of affairs of the party, his leadership will be inevitably compared with that of his father. Karunandhi is known for his political acumen and even fox-like strategies. He was able to keep a crowd spellbound with his oratory. To him, only personal and political interests mattered.

In 1976, his government was unceremoniously dismissed and his party leaders including his son were put behind bars under the draconian Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). But in 1980, he had no qualms with forging an alliance with Indira Gandhi to fight the polls declaring, "Nehruvin Makale vaa, Nilayaana aatch thaa (Nehrus daughter Indira, please come and give us a stable government)." But everyone knew that the alliance was in fact to escape from the corruption charges found to be true by the Sarkaria Commission appointed by Indira.

Again, he used to call the BJP the Hindu fundamentalist and Hindi chauvinist upper caste party, describing it as a party of Pandara Paradesikal  a party of beggars and saffron sadhus. But he had no hesitation in aligning with the very same BJP to be a part of the NDA when it came to power  power to which Karunanidhi would cling until the final days of the term. He declared that the BJP was not untouchable.

IN 1991, his party was dismissed on allegations that he gave a free hand to the Sri Lankan Tamil rebels, the LTTE, which resulted in Rajiv's assassination. But when the Congress formed the UPA government, the DMK was back as a coalition partner, demanding and getting lucrative ministerial berths. When the civil war in Sri Lanka was at its peak, Karunanidhi, who claimed to be the world leader of the Tamil race, suddenly undertook a fast to force India to intervene, but ended the fast in just two hours. However, he had already lost the goodwill of the people for not doing enough to prevent a genocide on the island.

He has always had the quick wit and sharp brain to justify anything he did. His critics may call it political opportunism but he always believed in the Machiavellian doctrine: That the end justifies the means.

Stalin has to prove a lot and the path ahead is a difficult one. The party is no longer a party of workers who worked for just a cup of tea and nothing else in return. The prominent leaders of the party have their own vested interests to look after  their sons and grandsons occupying important positions amid a lot of in-party squabbles. Stalin is considered a bit brash. Even while his father was active, he made the popular actress Khushboo quit much against the wishes of Karunanidhi. Her sin: She said the the successor to Karunanidhi should be democratically chosen.

Stalin, of course, has proved an able administrator as Mayor of Chennai Municipal Corporation, but a state is not a municipal corporation and there was also his father as chief minister to support him through his mayoral tenure. Already there are murmurs in the party that he has not been clever enough to exploit the split in the ruling AIADMK following the death of party supremo J Jayalalithaa. It was, his critics say, Stalin's tactless approach in forging an alliance that resulted in his party's defeat in 2001 in spite of the good governance the DMK gave the state.

Stalin's elder brother MK Alagiri is still a thorn in the flesh. He was expelled from the party as he had been voicing opposition to Stalin being anointed as the heir apparent. He is licking his wounds. Although for now he is contained and is lying low, his hold on the southern district cannot be totally overlooked.

For the event on 3 June, Stalin has invited leaders of all political parties and chief ministers of all states. But he has not invited the BJP, which is seen by many as a tactless act drawing comparison with his fathers approach. The AIADMK government can rule for another four years, but is in the middle of a very precarious existence. Stalin has to pad up and get ready, because this will be a massive test of his leadership.

The author is a member of senior faculty, Asian College of Journalism
New Delhi: Best efforts would be made to address all environmental issues, including "contentious" ones, in a "meticulous and scientific" manner, Union minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday after taking charge as environment minister following the death of Anil Madhav Dave last week.

Noting that air and water pollution were a "matter of concern" for the whole country in general and Delhi and NCR in particular, he said they would be addressed on "on priority".

Dave, 60, passed away on 18 May after suffering a cardiac arrest. The government subsequently handed over additional charge of the ministry to Harsh Vardhan, who also handles the science and technology portfolio.

"Though I have taken over the charge of the environment ministry today, it is a sad moment for me because we have recently lost one of our dear friends, who was a great human being, lover of environment and dedicated soul who spent even the last moments of his life working for this ministry in spite of his severe illness...I pay my heartfelt tributes to the memory of my dear friend Anil Madhav Dave," Harsh Vardhan, who also looks after the earth sciences ministry, said.

He said his ministry would take forward the "great work" initiated by his predecessor with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We will ensure that we put our heart and soul into ensuring that all issues related to environment protection, preservation, strengthening, improvement, related to wildlife, rivers, most contentious issues, global warming and climate change... we (will) do our best," the minister said.

Harsh Vardhan interacted with senior officials of the ministry, including the environment secretary.

He also took a tour of the "environment-friendly" ministry building, inaugurated a biodiversity exhibition and interacted with school students.

Besides, the minister planted a sapling on the premises of the ministry in Dave's memory.

Plant trees if you want to cherish my memories, Dave had said in his will while emphasising that he did not want any statue, memorial or award instituted in his name.

Harsh Vardhan, however, did not talk about the contentious issue of Genetically Modified (GM) mustard which was recently approved for commercial use by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), a body of the ministry that evaluates GM crops.

Dave was to take the final call on the approval of GM mustard.

"Being the minister of science and technology and earth sciences, I will make sure that all the researchers that have taken place in science and its outcomes, can help us strengthening the issues of this ministry, that they are all aptly applied in this ministry," he said.

He said the environment ministry would also take the help of Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar, a former environment minister, to ensure that environment protection becomes a mass movement.

He asserted that his ministry would involve every student and make him or her a messenger of positive health and environmental messages.

"We will put our heart and soul into ensuring that all the international issues and concerns are also very meticulously and scientifically addressed.

"I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reposing his faith in me and giving me the charge of the environment ministry," he said.

Later, an official statement issued by the ministry said Harsh Vardhan, during his interaction with officials, focused on policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity protection, pollution prevention, promoting circular economy for waste management through "Reduce, Recover, reuse and Recycle" concept among others.

Noting that commitments made by India in the Paris Agreement was another "important challenge", the environment minister asked all officers to continue to strive hard to overcome the challenge. He also stressed the need for sharing the "good work" with the people.

The minister underscored the importance of the government's mission to integrate environmental concerns and development policies and programmes and balance the two for India's sustained growth and progress.
The Shiv Sena has said that the proposed expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur  named the Samruddhi Corridor  will lead to a rise in farmer suicides in the state, if the government forcibly takes away their irrigated land for the project.

"The government machinery is being misused to build this expressway which has caused a severe law and order issue. Protesting farmers are being beaten up and threatened with imprisonment if they hinder government work. The only thing left now is to cut off the heads of the protesters," the Sena said, in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana on Monday.

It has said that Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis wears a smiling mask on his face all the time, but his real face comes out when he sneers at farmers' woes.

"Thousands of farmers have revolted against this project. They do not want to sell their mother (irrigated land) but if you are forcing them to do so, your intentions are wrong. Those who could not take revenge of our soldiers' mutilation should not hurt farmers too," it said, referring to the mutilation of a soldier's body along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.

"Farmers are already committing suicide and the numbers will only increase due to this project. Does the government intend to make a Guinness World record in farmer suicides? You cannot lead farmers to the grave with your atrocious policies," it added.

The Sena said that the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was a dream project of late Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari took it ahead. But at that time, farmers from Panvel to Pune didn't protest against the project.

"We have never objected to development. But it should not come at the cost of farmers' lives. Had we been opposed to development, we would not have created scores of roads and flyovers in Mumbai. Development is the need of the hour but farmer suicides have to be stopped first. Their loan should be waived," it said.

The 702-km expressway will pass through Nagpur, Buldhana, Amravati, Wardha, Washim, Thane, Aurangabad, Akola, Bhiwandi and Nashik districts and will cut down the travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai by half.

Farmers in Sinnar and Igatpuri tehsils of Nashik district, besides those in Shahpur and Kalyan tehsils of Thane district, are up in arms against the expressway passing through their farmlands. They have blocked roads several times and held rallies against the project, fearing forcible acquisition of their land by the government.
New Delhi: Union minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday took over the charge of the environment ministry that fell vacant after the death of Anil Madhav Dave.

Dave had passed away on 18 May after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 60. The government had subsequently handed over the additional charge of the ministry to Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan.

After taking charge, Harsh Vardhan planted a sapling on the premises of the ministry in memory of Dave.

Plant trees if you want to cherish my memories, Dave had said in his will while emphasising that he did not want any statue, memorial or award instituted in his name. Dave was to take the final call on the approval of GM mustard.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), a body of the ministry that evaluates genetically modified crops, had on May 11 recommended the commercial use of GM mustard. It was then left to the environment minister to take a final call on the issue.
When 59-year-old KR Subramaniam of Tamil Nadu's Namakkal decided to "end his life", he did so with a detailed account of his life so far.

Born in July 1978, Subramaniam wedded in 1986 and fathered a daughter and a son. According to his suicide note dated 6 May, written in Tamil, Subramaniam explained that in 1992, he borrowed some money from his father in law, pledged some of his wifes jewellery in the banks and began a business called PSK Engineering along with one R Periasamy. By 2000, he had fallen out with other members in PSK Engineering, especially one Thennarasu, and began his own firm in the name of Abirami Contractors.

"Thennarasu continued to create trouble for me and my employees and tried to give me a bad name. Thennarasu had been close to education minister Palaniappan, Apoorva IAS and an IG for the past six years," wrote Subramaniam. He alleged that this group prevented him from winning tenders for construction of government buildings and other contracts.

Despite this, he stated, he won the tender to build the Pudukottai Medical College and completed the job within 12 months, when the original estimate was for a time period of 18 months. During the building process though, Subramaniam alleged that the PSK Engineering team along with government staffers at the Public Works Department stalled his work and even attempted to attack him. "They have also spread false rumours that I am connected with health minister Vijay Bhaskar and am using their proximity to authority and monetary power... I am in no way connected with the health minister... Thennarasu takes commission from contracts in exchange for getting contracts and tenders. Every contractor knows about him and that he is a benami of education minister Palaniappan... He is also the one who has given false information to Income Tax (Department) for ride (raid), he alleged.

The people who came to conduct the IT raid, according to Subramaniams note, called him a benami, threatened him and disgraced him and his family by giving out his name to the media. "I am heartbroken and have not slept or eaten for the past 28 days. I have arrived at the decision to take my own life," he wrote.

Subramaniam also alleged in his note that a deputy commissioner of Income Tax named Karthik Manickam had "kept me in his office room from 11 am to 5 pm in Chennai and used abusive language, threatened and scolded me in the worst possible manner. He threatened me saying that if I did not accept that I was a benami of the health minister, he would ensure that he would make my life a living hell."

Subramaniams family has refused to meet any journalist and a blanket of police protection has been thrown around their home in Namakkal, as investigations into his death continue.

IT notice to KR Subramaniam by Firstpost on Scribd

KR Subramaniam Suicide Letter by Firstpost on Scribd

Mystery "suicides" and "accidents"

Subramaniam's suicide note may read as a typical one for professionals who work with the despaired and suicidal. But senior leaders from the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Amma) as well as its rival faction led by O Panneerselvam, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma), agree that Subramaniyan was a known aide of former health minister Vijay Bhaskar. "He was his manager and all of us knew it," said one senior leader who did not wish to be named, adding, "What is happening in Tamil Nadu? How many more deaths are we going to witness?"

What this senior leader was referring to was also a series of mysterious "accidents" that took place in late April. On 24 April, a security guard was killed and another was badly injured as armed robbers broke into late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaas sprawling Kodanadu estate. Five days later, on 29 April, the key accused in the robbery, Jayalalithaas former driver C Kanagaraj was killed in Salem in a road accident. On the same day, another key accused KV Sayan was grievously injured in an accident in Kerala. So far eight people have been arrested by Tamil Nadu police in connection with this robbery and murder.

These developments appear eerily coincidental especially when the chain of events in the political course of the state is taken into account since the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016. With the AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, Jayas close aide, as well as her nephew TTV Dhinakaran in Bengaluru and Tihar jails respectively, the ruling party is unravelling from within. And political hawks say, there is enormous money and power at stake here.

A murky history of political suicides

Historians of Tamil Nadu politics would not be surprised at this turn of events. "Political suicides" date back to as early as 1991 when retired director general of police Dorai Raju allegedly took his life, fearing arrest as the first Jayalalithaa government swept to power. Dorais family had denied rumours at the time that he had consumed poison to end his life.

The reason behind Dorais death was what appeared to be the likely arrest of former home secretary R Nagarajan, a key official in the previous Karunanidhi government. The Padmanabha murder case of 1990 was heating up  the Karunanidhi government faced charges that they helped the killers of Padmanabha, the leader of the rebel Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), a pro-Eelam outfit based in Sri Lanka that opposed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) headed by Prabhakaran.

Padmanabha was killed in Chennai along with 14 others in June 1990. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M Karunanidhi was the chief minister at the time, R Nagarajan the home secretary and Dorai Raju was the IG (crimes) when the murder took place. It was alleged that these three had gone slow on the investigations, thus allowing the perpetrators of the crime to escape to Sri Lanka. A court verdict subsequently exonerated Nagarajan but the Jain Commission report indicted Karunanidhi and Nagarajan.

The Jain Commission report had this to say on the case:

"As regards to the Padmanabha killing he (Nagarajan) stated that he informed the chief minister of the news on the telephone in Tamil Nadu House in Delhi. He had no details at that time, so he could not convey the details to the chief minister. He got the information at 8.45 pm and immediately informed the chief minister. At 9.30 pm, commissioner, city police contacted him and gave some details that the assailants escaped in a white Ambassador car. The then DGP alerted the police, and IGP (crimes) Dorai Raju was put in charge of tracing out the assailants.

"At about 10.45 pm, the DGP again contacted him. At that time when details were available, he asked what steps were taken to apprehend the culprits. The DGP informed him that the chief minister had asked him that the police need not evince keen interest to trace them out till his arrival the next day for further instructions. The then deputy commissioner of police (law and order) Madras City and two other officials contacted him. He told them that they may keep in touch with the DGP. BBC reported in the night that LTTE had no hand in the shootout on the basis of the version of DGP, thereupon he questioned the DGP. (The) DGP denied the BBC version. When he asked about chief minister's instruction to DGP from DIG (CID) Jaffar Ali, he also confirmed it. In the law and order meeting next day, IG (Crimes) Dorai Raju informed that the assailants snatched one Maruti van belonging to some passerby at Villupuram near Railway Gate and the passerby met him (at) the office.

"On 20 June 1990, the chief minister returned from Delhi and took up the special law and order totally and he informed the IG (Crimes) and the DIG/CID to meet him every day and inform (about) the progress in the investigation. Only weekly reports were received in the Secretariat which reflected no progress. There was slackness on the part of the Crime Branch and the culprits escaped to Sri Lanka."

Two other murky "suicides" have been witnessed in Tamil Nadu in the recent past. In July 2001, Ramesh Narayanan, better known as "Anna Nagar" Ramesh as he lived in the Chennai suburb of Anna Nagar, committed suicide jointly with his wife and three daughters. Soft drink bottles laced with pesticide were found at the scene of the suicide.

Then chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who had just come back to power following a DMK tenure, stated in the state Assembly that Rameshs death was not suicide. This statement hinted at the timing and circumstances surrounding Rameshs death  an investigation had been launched by the Jayalalithaa government into what is now known as the Rs 7 crore Flyover Scam in which DMK scion MK Stalin was implicated on corruption charges. Ramesh, Stalins close friend and aide, was also charged with extortion by another contractor. In his suicide note, of which the Chennai police released only parts, Ramesh had written: I request the chief minister to intervene and tell the police not to foist false cases on ordinary people like me. My wife and I took this decision ten days ago and we are implementing it now. We think it is better to end our lives than face these cases and be labelled in the press as one who received commissions. The DMK charged the police under Jayalalalithaa as having harassed and tortured Ramesh into taking his own life.

Sadiq Batchas case is also well known in Tamil Nadu. As investigations into the 2G scam were on, Batcha, a close friend of key accused A Raja, was found hanging in his Chennai house in March 2011. A suicide note recovered stated that he was "embarrassed" at the raids on his home and the properties in connection with the 2G scam, due to his proximity to Raja. He termed his friend Raja and his wife as "good people". The case was transferred to the CBI by the Tamil Nadu police as rumours and speculation swirled over his death. The CBI finally closed the case as a suicide as they could find no evidence of murder.
Allies in the Maharashtra Assembly, the Shiv Sena and BJP once again locked horns in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, trading barbs ahead of the Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections due on Wednesday.

The two alliance partners are pitted against one another in the maiden election for the Panvel corporation, which was recently elevated from a council to a corporation by the state government. While Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spared no-one his scathing criticism including the BJP, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tread a cautious line and sought to sell his party's developmental agenda.

Thackeray, who had supported the passage of GST bill in the Maharashtra Assembly, was scathingly critical of the Maharashtra government. Addressing a rally in Kamothe on Sunday evening, Thackeray cautioned the people against voting for it's ally in Centre and State government. If the lotus blooms in Panvel, then the city will turn into muck, Thackeray said according to a report in Hindustan Times.

Thackeray has threatened to quit the alliance at several occasions and has been criticising the BJP on various fronts, from farm loan waivers to the Centre's policy towards Pakistan.

"I will not waste a second to kick away power when time comes... We are committed to the well-being of farmers and people. If once we get into the battle field against you, we will not back out till we win," Thackeray had said.

Thackeray also criticised the BJP's ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur Samurddhi Expressway project and said, "the project may be good to bring both capitals nearer, but it is wrong to take away lands of farmers forcibly for the Expressway. Make farmers prosperous first and then carry out your project."

In a veiled attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over note ban and his poll promises, Thackeray said that despite demonetisation there has been no decline in black money or cross-border terrorism, as promised by Modi.

Hinting at severing ties with the BJP, although not for the first time, Thackeray said, We are not seeking anything from BJP. The people will give us their support, according to The Indian Express. Reiterating his family connection with the city, he reiterated his poll call for the elections, "I have come to Panvel to win."

Apparently the BJP had tried to iron out differences with its embittered ally and forge an alliance ahead of the PCMC polls. However, Shiv Sena refused to budge from its stand and is fighting the election against BJP in alliance with the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana (SSS), according to another report in The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the BJP has been towing the development line in it's poll campaign, refraining from overtly targeting Shiv Sena. "We are contesting only on development issue. CM will reassure that the new corporation will be the face of development of the state government,'' said Panvel BJP MLA, Prashant Thakur, according to The Times of India.

Fadnavis too, in his Sunday rally, sought votes on the basis of his government's work. He said that the BJP has fulfilled all it's promises to the people and will continue to do so. He urged the people to give his party a clear mandate to ensure hurdle-free development, The Indian Express report quoted him as saying.

The Panvel municipal corporation has 78 seats under it. BJP is contesting in 75 seats with its alliance partner Republican Party of India (Athawale) RPI(A) in two seats and Peoples Republican Party (PRP) in one. The Congress is contesting in 18 seats, its ally Bhartiya Shetkari Kamgar Paksh (BSKP), better known as Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP) in 48 and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 12 seats. The Shiv Sena is contesting 68 seats, while its partner SSS is contesting in five seats.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: The CPM on Monday condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government for the alleged assault on Left party workers by police during their march to the state secretariat in Kolkata.

The Left party termed it as "anti-democratic" attitude of Mamata Banerjee and her government.

According to CPM politburo, over 900 protesters were "grievously" injured in the alleged attack. More than 100 of the wounded are in "critical" condition, it added.

The Left party also alleged that policemen were involved in the attack on the "peaceful" protesters and roughed up its women workers.

"The politburo strongly condemns this anti-democratic attitude of the state government and the chief minister who is disregarding the issues of growing hardships being imposed on the livelihood of the people of West Bengal," the party said in a statement.

The CPM said that the party will stage protests to condemn the police "brutality" against "peaceful" demonstrators.

Several Left party activists and police personnel were injured in clashes at various places in Kolkata and neighbouring Howrah during a march to state secretariat on Monday against the West Bengal government's policies.

The protest was called to highlight alleged attack on the democracy, unemployment and lawlessness in the state during the Trinamool Congress rule.

The activists tried to break police cordons at various locations and allegedly hurled stones at the cops, prompting the force to fire tear gas shells and order lathicharge.
You can pardon Nitin Gadkari for sounding like an enthusiastic marketing agent for BJP because when it comes to Rajinikanth, it happens. In an interview to CNN-News18, the Union minister reacted to the possible entry of the superstar into politics, saying: "He is welcome in politics and it's my request to him to think about BJP. There is an appropriate place for him in BJP." Gadkari, however, shied away from articulating what that "appropriate place" is.

Gadkari's gushing invite was followed by BJP president Amit Shah who too indicated that the doors to the BJP were open for Rajinikanth should he decide to take the plunge into politics. It's uncharacteristic for the senior BJP leadership to indulge in over-the-top atithi devo bhava unless some amount of behind-the-scenes homework has already been done.

It is almost taken for granted that the saffron party will be Rajinikanth's choice should he embrace politics. And, even if he does not join the party but chooses to launch an independent outfit like actor Pawan Kalyan did in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in 2014, he is most likely to ally with the BJP.

That's because the two Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu  AIADMK and DMK  rule themselves out. Even though Rajinikanth has done business with DMK by criticising J Jayalalithaa before the 1996 elections and letting his fan clubs help carve out a DMK victory, his expression of regret for doing so makes a repeat next to impossible. By calling the episode a "political accident", Rajinikanth would not have pleased DMK leadership either.

AIADMK is a lesser natural ally even though Rajinikanth supported its alliance with BJP in 2004. It's, in fact, more difficult to do business with AIADMK, especially in the light of Rajinikanth's emphasis on clean politics. A significant number of top AIADMK leaders are alleged to be embroiled in corrupt deals, something that came out during the Income Tax raids on the properties of health minister C Vijayabaskar. During the RK Nagar bypoll, documents revealed that there was a plan to distribute Rs 89 crore at the rate of Rs 4,000 per voter in the constituency. The O Panneerselvam camp has reportedly been nudging the Centre that there are sufficient grounds to dismiss the Edappadi Palaniswami government on charges of corruption.

Also given that VK Sasikala and TTV Dinakaran are still seen as exerting some kind of invisible influence over some sections of the party leadership, the EPS camp cannot be a natural ally for Rajinikanth.

The OPS camp presents a different set of problems. The merger talks between the OPS and EPS factions of AIADMK fell on the issue of kaun banega mukhyamantri (who will be the chief minister), among other things. Given that a more aggressive OPS prides himself as the new "Mr Clean" of Tamil Nadu politics, it is highly unlikely that he will want to play second fiddle to a political novice like Rajinikanth. Having been number two all his life, he will want nothing short of the top job.

Those are the issues that will crop up since the BJP seems keen to accommodate both Rajinikanth and AIADMK. BJP needs both as they bring different strengths to the table. While Rajinikanth is certain to bring a significant chunk of votes cutting across caste and religious lines, AIADMK helps BJP with its cadre base.

It is a no-brainer that Rajinikanth will be the face of such a rainbow alliance should it take shape. But will the likes of OPS and EPS agree to work under the superstar? Will the actor agree to canvass for tainted candidates if they are fielded? It will be an alliance that looks strong on paper but weak in execution on the ground.

BJP, Rajinikanth and AIADMK can also ignore the subtext of the Tamil nationalism that is more cultural, linguistic and ethnic, at its own peril. DMK under MK Stalin is certain to highlight that the alliance will indicate New Delhi dictating Chennai. This will only end up exposing the faultlines within the formation.

The most important question, however, is whether Rajinikanth is willing to do the legwork for BJP and what does he get in return. Is he willing to risk his larger than life, demi-god status for elevating a party and its alliance to power? The "why does he have to do it" has not been suitably answered yet.

For the BJP, Rajinikanth is the only winnable choice. Kamal Haasan could have been an option but he is seen as too much of a "straight shooter" in BJP circles. Haasan has a mind of his own and is an atheist, and both won't work for BJP. Another star Vijay whose popularity is second only to Rajinikanth and Haasan and is known to have a political interest was also considered.

A lot will now depend on the course that Rajinikanth decides to take. If it is yet another one of his utterances which will see him chickening out, he would have only wasted a lot of air time, print and cloud space. But if Rajinikanth plans to do business with the political ecosystem of Tamil Nadu, he will have to soon answer his own question, asked in his inimitable style: "Howw iss it?"
Hyderabad: Alleging that agriculture sector was the worst hit under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last three years, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla on Monday said his party will undertake nationwide protests against the "anti-agriculture mindset" of the BJP.

"Agriculture sector is the worst hit under the Modi regime. The way farmers are deprived of their dues, the way farmers are committing suicide, the way the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been curtailed. This has never happened and this is one community which is under complete distress," Shukla told reporters in Hyderabad.

Accusing the Modi government of being totally insensitive towards farmers, Shukla demanded that the Centre needs to become sympathetic towards farmers or else Congress will soon hold nationwide protests.

He also criticised Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao over arrests of farmers and handcuffing them in Khammam district of the state.

In Telangana also farmers are on a weak ground. KCR is adopting similar policies of Modi government. Congress will take up this cause and will fight on the streets," Shukla said.

According to him, Congress is the one party which has decided to fight for the (cause of) farmers. Unless farmers get justice we will keep on fighting on their issues.

Quoting a report, the Congress leader, said 35 distressed farmers are committing suicide everyday in the country and since Modi government came to power in 2014 over 14,000 farmers have committed suicide.

Regarding farm loan waivers, he said the UPA government had waived Rs 80,000 crore farm loan and accused that the BJP government has written off Rs 1.54 lakh crore loans of their 'businessmen friends'.

"BJP government is not ready to come to the rescue of debt-ridden farmers and is denying them 'farm loan waiver'," Shukla asserted.

The BJP government buys less wheat from Indian farmers while it imports wheat by reducing import duty, he said adding "during UPA government wheat was exported and foreign exchange was earned benefiting farmers."

On Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Shukla alleged that certain private companies were only getting all the benefits and not the farmers.

"Premium paid to companies is many times more than the compensation paid to farmers. He further questioned the Modi government on not giving any account details on where the amount to the tune of thousands of crores collected in the name of Krishi Kalyan Cess and Swachh Bharat Cess was spent.

"You are collecting Krishi Kalyan Cess and Swachh Bharat Cess. Woh paisa kaha ja raha hain Modi government iska 'Hisab-kitab' nahi de rahi hain. (The Modi government is not revealing the checks and balances of the cess being collected) It is a serious matter. Where that money is spent nobody knows," Shukla claimed.
Lucknow: With the recent caste clashes in Saharanpur giving Maywati an opportunity to regain lost ground among her support base, the BSP chief will visit the scene of

violence on Tuesday.

Mayawati's visit to the trouble-torn area comes in the backdrop of the Dalit outfit Bhim Sena staging a massive dharna in Delhi over the issue.

The organisation of Dalit youths across seven states in northern India, was founded by a young lawyer Chandrashekhar two years ago, and shot into prominence during the clashes.

After the BSP's drubbing in the recent Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, it will be Mayawati's first attempt to reach out to her Dalit constituency.

She will leave for Saharanpur from Delhi by road to visit Shabbirpur village in Badagaon area, a party release issued here said.

Mayawati had last week denounced the Yogi Adityanath government for the clashes alleging that it had failed to fulfil its foremost constitutional duty of providing security to people.

Earlier this month, one person was killed and around 15 were injured as members of different castes clashed over the the garlanding of Rajput king Maharana Pratap's statue.

Around 20 to 25 upper caste 'thakur' community youths of Shabbirpur village were on their way to attend a function for garlanding the statue of Maharana Pratap organised in Simlana village under Badgaon police station area when Dalit locals objected to playing of loud music, triggering an exchange of heated words.

The altercation soon snowballed into a full-blown clash with both groups throwing stones and bricks at each other. A police team somehow pacified the upper-caste youths and asked them return but they came back with more people to Shabbirpur village and indulged in brick batting and arson, torching 15 to 20 houses of the scheduled castes.

As many as 16 people from both sides were injured in the incident. Sumit Rajput (35), who suffered injuries in the violence, died later.

Enraged over the killing, an angry mob torched several houses of Dalits in the village and also set afire several police and other vehicles.
New Delhi/Patna: Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Monday came out in support of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying that "enough of negative politics and mudslinging".

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi responded with a demand that the "enemies of the party" (Sinha) must be "removed" at the earliest.

"Enough of negative politics and mudslinging by opponents on our political leaders, be it Kejriwal, Lalu (Prasad) Yadav or Sushil Modi," Sinha said in a series of tweets.

Backing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor, Sinha said, "Individually I hold all political leaders, especially Kejriwal, in high esteem for their credibility, struggle and commitment towards society."

The BJP leader's remarks came at a crucial time when the party has been accusing both the leaders of being involved in corruption cases.

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Modi has been accusing Lalu Prasad and his children  Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti  of being involved in corrupt land deals.

Kejriwal has been accused of being involved in corrupt practices by suspended AAP legislator Kapil Mishra.

Sinha, taking a dig at his own party the BJP, said: "Our BJP surely believes in honesty and transparency, which seldom go together, but must go together. An allegation is only that unless proved."

Sinha, who represents the Patna Sahib constituency in the Lok Sabha also said that it was "high time to substantiate your claims.. or pack up! Can't just keep feeding media with one night stories and sensationalising. Enough is enough".

Slamming Sinha, Modi said that it was not necessary to believe the actor and the party must remove such "traitors".

"It is not necessary to believe the man who is famous. The traitors must be sent out immediately," Modi tweeted.

"When Nitish (Kumar) didn't come out in support of Lalu (Prasad), in his support the enemies of BJP has jumped now," Modi said.

Sinha has been criticisng the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections after he was sidelined in the party.

He has backed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Kejriwal on several occasions.
New Delhi: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a grand 'Modifest' in 900 cities across the country from 26 May to 15 June to highlight the central government's achievements in the three years of the Narendra Modi government.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani said: "The government is going to celebrate the three years of the historic mandate it got in 2014."

"In order to highlight the government's achievements under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a series of dialogue programmes would be held in 900 cities across the country between 26 May and 15 June," the BJP leader said.

She said the programme, which has been named 'Making of Developed India' or 'Modifest', would be kicked off by Prime Minister Modi from Guwahati in Assam on 26 May.

According to the BJP, events across the country would also be addressed by Union Ministers, parliamentarians, BJP chief ministers, state ministers and several senior party leaders.

Irani said a 'Jan Ki Baat' programme has also been arranged so that the people can share their messages with the Prime Minister directly.

"A 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' programme would also be held where the beneficiaries of the government's several schemes would participate," Irani said.

Senior BJP leader Arun Singh, who was present at the conference, said that several senior leaders of the party would attend the programmes.

"The party has also organised intellectual summits in the cities in which the party's ministers would participate and interact with the people," he said, adding that a programme on Swacch Bharat Abhiyan has also been decided at every venue.

Singh said BJP President Amit Shah would attend the programme between 2-4 June in Kerala, on 6 June in Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from June 8 to 10 in Chhattisgarh, and from 12-13 June in Arunachal Pradesh.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the 'Modifest' in Jaipur and Mumbai, while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj would attend the programmes in Delhi and Lucknow, he said.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would attend 'Modifest' in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu will go to Bhubaneswar and Chhattisgarh, while Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu would participate in the events in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
Islamabad: Twenty kilogrammes of heroin was seized from a plane of Pakistan's national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines at the Islamabad international airport on Monday, a week after narcotics was found on another flight of the troubled airliner at a British airport.

Pakistan International Airlines(PIA) spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said security personnel at Benazir Bhutto International Airport seized heroin from the flight PK-785 just as it prepared to take off for London.

Five persons have been detained.Because of this development, the flight's departure was delayed by more than two hours, the spokesperson said.

The Pakistani national carrier has attracted attention lately over seizure of narcotics on board its flights.

Last week, heroin "concealed in packets" was seized from a PIA Boeing 777 plane at the Heathrow airport. Its 14-member crew was interrogated for hours after it landed there.

The back-to-back incidents have dented the reputation of the airline. It has become a source of embarrassment for the Pakistani government and lawmakers have demanded it to be privatised.

PIA has been incurring losses running into billions of rupees and its reputation has nosedived.

The acting CEO of the airline, German national Bernd Hildenbrand, was recently stopped from going out of Pakistan. Along with two other top officials, he was investigated for alleged corruption in the sale of aircraft and its parts.

Also last week, a pilot came under scrutiny after he invited a young Chinese woman passenger into the cockpit during a flight from Tokyo to Beijing. She reportedly remained in the cockpit for two hours.
By Jonathan Stempel

The original manuscript that became the basis for Alcoholics Anonymous is the subject of a new lawsuit by the organization, which wants to reclaim it before it can be auctioned next month.According to a complaint filed in New York on Monday, the working draft for AA's basic text, known as the Big Book and describing the famous 12-step program to help people stop drinking and stay sober, is scheduled to be auctioned on June 8 by Profiles in History in Calabasas, California.But the plaintiff Alcoholics Anonymous World Services said the seller, Ken Roberts, had no right to consign the manuscript because it had been gifted to AA in 1979, though because of the "extreme negligence" of others was never turned over.AA said it learned about the gift in 2007, three months after Roberts bought the manuscript for $992,000 at Sotheby's, and sued after he refused its demand to turn over the manuscript rather than sell it.

Profiles in History has estimated that the manuscript could fetch $2 million to $3 million.The lawsuit filed in a state court in Manhattan names the auction house, Roberts and QuestRoyal Fine Art, a New York gallery that displayed the manuscript this month, as defendants."The manuscript is an original, historical document of unique importance to AAWS, and undeniably is a critical piece of its history," and the defendants "are wrongfully detaining the manuscript for their own pecuniary gain," the complaint said.

Roberts and a spokeswoman for Profiles in History did not immediately respond to requests for comment. QuestRoyal declined to comment.The Big Book, also known as "Alcoholics Anonymous," was written mainly by AA co-founder William Wilson, better known as "Bill W."

First published in 1939, it is in its fourth edition and has sold more than 30 million copies, according to AA's website. The group has more than 2.1 million individual members.AA said Bill W.'s widow inherited the original manuscript after his 1971 death, and gifted it to Barry Leach in 1978, who the following year gifted it back to AA upon his death, which occurred in 1985.The case is Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc v Roberts et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 652676/2017. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang)

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Ankara: Amnesty International on Monday accused Turkey of implementing "arbitrary dismissals" of public sector workers in a series of purges since last year's failed coup.

Over 100,000 people from the public sector including members of the judiciary and armed forces have been dismissed since the attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July, the rights group said.

They have all been dismissed by decree under the state of emergency put into force a few days after the failed putsch bid.

The emergency has been renewed three times and will expire on 19 July. But Erdogan said on Sunday it would continue until there was peace, without giving a time limit.

In a report titled 'No end in sight', Amnesty criticised the dismissals which it said were "carried out arbitrarily on the basis of vague and generalised grounds of 'connection to terrorist organisations' ".

The organisation urged the government to put in place a "prompt and effective appeal mechanism for those already dismissed".

The dismissed public sector officials Amnesty spoke to described a lack of evidence presented to them after finding their names on a list published in the official gazette.

"None... have been provided with any explanation of the reason for their dismissal beyond the generalised allegation contained in the decrees," Amnesty wrote.

The organisation conducted 61 interviews including 33 dismissed individuals and met Turkish authorities, trade union representatives, NGOs and lawyers.

The government insists that those dismissed have access to an appeals commission, whose members were confirmed last week will hear their cases.

But Amnesty said that the commission was not an "effective domestic remedy", and urged Turkish government to establish a "genuinely independent, impartial, transparent and effective appeal mechanism".

It criticised the position many found themselves in with limited ability to find work with their passports being cancelled.

The report also said, "Some of the measures including the barring of individuals from all forms of public service and the routine cancellation of passports would violate rights even in the cases where dismissal was justified."

According to Amnesty, of those dismissed more than 33,000 are teachers and other employees of the education ministry while over 24,000 are police officers and others from the interior ministry.

Over 8,000 are members of the armed forces, more than 5,000 are academics and include those working in the higher education sector as well as over 4,000 judges, prosecutors and justice ministry officials, it added.

Apart from sacking, more than 47,000 have been arrested over alleged links to the movement led by US-based Muslim Cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused of ordering the failed coup.

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, strongly denies the charges but Turkey alleges his group is a terror group which it dubs the Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO).

Although western governments and human rights activists have hit out at the crackdown, Ankara defends the purges as necessary to clear individuals with alleged malicious intent inside the public sector.
By William Maclean

| DUBAI

DUBAI The images from the same night broadcast around the Middle East speak as loudly as the words. On the one hand: the young people of Iran, dancing in the streets to mark the re-election of a pragmatist, men and women together.On the other: the president of the United States, swaying through an all-male "sword dance" under the stars with the absolute rulers of Saudi Arabia, where publicly calling for any form of political change risks prosecution.President Donald Trump told admiring Arab absolute monarchs and military strongmen in a gilt chamber at the weekend that he wanted "peace, security and prosperity", and the United States was not there to tell them how to run their own countries.He joined them in berating their arch-foe Iran, and signed a $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that put him firmly on one side of the sectarian divide fuelling most of the Middle East's wars.The contrast between the two scenes was noted by Iran's newly re-elected president, Hassan Rouhani, who has sought to reach out to the West while batting back hardliners at home."Buying arms or building weapons won't make a country powerful," Rouhani told a news conference on Monday."The foundation of power is national strength and this only happens through elections. Trump saw millions of Iranians took part in an election, but he visited a country whose people have not seen a ballot box and don't know what an election is.""PRE-OBAMA ERA ON STEROIDS"

Trump's attempt to orchestrate a Muslim and Arab coalition against Iran was a repudiation of the regional policy of his predecessor Barack Obama, whose administration held the first direct talks with Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Although Washington and Tehran were still a long way from normalising their relations, Obama reached an accord to lift sanctions in return for Iran curbing its nuclear programme, which Trump repeatedly slated as "the worst deal ever signed".By swinging American policy back to firm support for the Sunni Arab states, Trump has jettisoned that carefully constructed balance, said Jean-Marc Rickli, Head of Global Risk and Resilience at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. "We are back in the pre-Obama era, on steroids," he said. "Under Obama you had this attempt of the USA playing the external balancer in the region. Now the regional balancer has gone. The balancer has chosen his camp."

Just as dramatically, Trump also repudiated the policies of Obama's Republican predecessor George W. Bush, who promised to spread democracy across the Middle East in a landmark 2003 speech that declared "freedom can be the future of every nation".Trump told his audience of autocrats: "We are not here to lecture you. We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship."COMPLEX MIDDLE EAST

Washington's alliance with the mainly Sunni Muslim countries of the Arab world against Shi'ite Iran is decades old. But in practice the United States has had to improvise in recent years when choosing its friends in a more complex Middle East, where enemies can appear on either side of the sectarian divide.Washington and Tehran are still frequently on opposing sides, most notably in Syria, where Iran supports the government of President Bashar al-Assad. But elsewhere, notably Iraq, U.S. forces are fighting on the same side as Shi'ites close to Iran.Obama's outreach to Tehran reflected that reality. But those subtleties were cast aside on Sunday when Trump nodded approvingly as Saudi King Salman described Iran as the "tip of the spear" of terrorism in the Middle East.

A senior U.S. official defended the initiative, citing "a common threat from terrorist organisations as well as from Iranian subversion throughout the region".In fact, most of the militant groups U.S. troops have fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, such as al Qaeda, Islamic State and the Taliban, are Sunni Muslims who consider Shi'ite Iran their enemy.The timing of Trump's uncompromising call for a U.S.-backed axis against Iran was particularly awkward because it coincided with the re-election of Rouhani, swept to a second term on his promises to seek rapprochement with the West.Although democracy in Iran has clear limits - all candidates must be vetted by a hardline body and the unelected supreme leader can veto policies of the elected government - it still goes further than in most of the countries that attended Trump's speech, a fact noticed across the region.U.S. arms deals for Iran's Sunni foes help bolster the case of Rouhani's hardline opponents, who say any detente with the West is dangerous folly.The Riyadh summit showed that the "passivity" of Rouhani's government "has emboldened the enemies of Iran," wrote Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Kayhan, a newspaper closely associated with security hardliners who opposed Rouhani.

"Small and weak countries that could not imagine a fight with Iran, are now publicly talking about forming a military alliance against it."The Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the powerful Iranian security force that supported Rouhani's hardline opponent in the election, has the power to stir up confrontation across the region to undermine Rouhani at home."All the indicators point to a further arms race in the region and on the rhetorical level we are on a path of escalation," said Rickli. "You just need a small trigger that can escalate the situation on the ground. "I would not be surprised to see an increase in hostilities in Syria and Yemen. Also, the IRGC might want to foster pro-Shi'a groups in Bahrain and some parts of Kuwait to regain power after the elections," Rickli said.Putting a huge arms deal at the centre of the visit also plays into the hands of foes who say U.S. policy is driven mainly by money.Saudi Arabia is both the world's biggest exporter of oil and one of the world's biggest importers of military hardware made in the West. Trump boasted about the jobs that would be created at home by the arms deals he signed."We will make sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defence companies, the greatest anywhere in the world," Trump said in his speech."Doubling down on Saudi Arabia has a lot to do with trade and investment considerations. The supporting allies, anti-terrorism and anti-Iranian rhetoric provides a cover for that," said Richard Dalton a former UK ambassador in the Middle East.But the policy could be counter-productive, he said."Furthering more enmity with Iran, rather than seeking common ground and interests at a time when Iran is ready to reach out diplomatically on the region's long-term problems, is going to work against the long term aim of a peaceful and stable Middle East." (Additional reporting by Katie Paul in Riyadh and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London; editing by Peter Graff)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Germany must help new French President Emmanuel Macron to succeed, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, saying she hoped he manages to fight unemployment in France and adding that the best way to counter populists was to solve problems.

Macron is due to meet unions on Tuesday to discuss labour reform. He has said he intends to use executive decrees as soon as this summer to reform labour laws in a country where unemployment remains high at 9.6 percent.

Asked about Germany's large trade surplus during an event at a school in Berlin, Merkel said her country could invest more even if domestic demand is already the driving force of economic growth.

The centre-right chancellor added that reasons for the surplus included a euro that is weak due to the European Central Bank's expansionary monetary policy and a low oil price.

On Saturday, Merkel's Social Democrat (SPD) rival had said that he would model his campaign for the upcoming federal election on that of Macron, an outsider who was voted in as French President two weeks ago.

Martin Schulz, trying to regain momentum after a shock election loss in Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia last week, the SPD's third defeat this year, said Macron's win showed a pro-European campaign could work.

"I will do exactly the same. We need a strong impulse for Europe that also stirs up a new enthusiasm for Europe," he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.
Jerusalem: Israeli ministers have approved measures aimed at improving the Palestinian economy and facilitating crossings, rare moves said to be at Donald Trump's request hours ahead of the US president's arrival.

An Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity that ministers were responding to a Trump request to present him with "confidence-building measures" ahead of his talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday.

In what the official described as a "gesture for Trump's visit, which does not harm Israel's interests", prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet on Sunday approved the enlargement of a Palestinian industrial zone on the edge of the southern West Bank.

He said that the possibility of extending Israel Railways services to the northern West Bank city of Jenin would also be examined.

They also gave the nod to streamlining transit procedures at Shaar Ephraim, a busy crossing point in the northern part of the occupied West Bank for Palestinian labourers with permits to work in Israel.

The official said that opening hours for passage across the main Jordan River bridge linking the Palestinian territory and the neighbouring kingdom were to be extended.

There would also be reforms to Palestinian land use in urban areas in the 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control.

He did not elaborate but Israel's Haaretz daily said the intention was to allow construction of "thousands of Palestinian homes" in the area where for years it has been almost impossible for Palestinians to get Israeli permits to build on their own land.

Haaretz said that at Sunday night's meeting Education Minister Naftali Bennett and deputy foreign minister Ayelet Shaked, of the religious-nationalist Jewish Home party, "objected vehemently" to the building plans.

In an apparent attempt to calm opposition from within Netanyahu's coalition government, seen as the most right-wing in the country's history, the security cabinet also approved setting up a committee to work for retroactive legalisation of wildcat Israeli construction in the West Bank, the official said.
Islamabad: A Pakistani woman parliamentarian has claimed that the 2012 Taliban attack on Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was "scripted".

Mussarat Ahmadzeb, a member of parliament from Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said that the entire saga of Malala writing for BBC and later the attack were part of a plan.

"The attack on Malala was scripted way before the incident (in 2012)," she told right-wing Urdu newspaper Ummat in an interview.

Ahmadzeb, who is the daughter-in-law of former ruler of semi-autonomous state of Swat, doubted if any bullet was lodged in Malala's head.

"She (Malala) was shot in the head but no bullet was found in the Computerised Tomography (CT) scan in Swat. But yes, then the bullet got stuck in her head in CMH (combined military hospital) Peshawar," she later said in a tweet.

She also alleged that medics involved in the treatment of Malala were given land by the government to build houses. "The medics who did the CT scan along with the doctor who

examined her, all were awarded plots by the government," the PTI lawmaker said.

Ahmadzeb claimed that Malala could not read and write when she was shown as writing stories for BBC as Gul Makai. She alleged that an American lived in the house of Malala for three months to train her for the future role.

It was not immediately clear why the lawmaker was giving the statement attacking Malala and her efforts.

Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Shafqat Mahmood said that his party had already disowned Mussarat in 2014 along with two other lawmakers for violating party discipline.

"During the protest against election rigging, three MNAs (Members of National Assembly) -- Mussarat Ahmadzeb, Gulzar Ahmed and Siraj Muhammad -- refused to abide by party laws

(and were disowned)," Mahmood told media.

Yousafzai, 19, became a global symbol of the fight for girls education after being shot in the head in October 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education.

The Pakistani education activist survived the attack and became an advocate for millions of girls denied formal education around the world. In 2013, Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai co-founded the Malala Fund to bring awareness to the social and economic impact of girls education, and to empower girls to demand change.

She became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate in December 2014, sharing the honour with Indian children's rights and education advocate Kailash Satyarthi.
Brasilia: Brazil's bar association has called President Michel Temer's impeachment, after a tape surfaced in which he agreed to bribe former Speaker Eduardo Cunha into silence.

In a statement, the Order of Attorneys of Brazil (OAB) said that its federal council decided on Sunday to call for Temer's impeachment and urged the Chamber of Deputies to begin the process, Xinhua news agency reported.

The OAB's federal council has representatives from Brazil's 27 states, among which 25 voted for impeachment, one against and one abstained.

The legal body also said that it had formed a commission to analyse the documents released last week by the Supreme Court, after the tape was turned over by business mogul Joesley Batista, owner of the JBS meatpacking giant.

The Supreme Court has also opened an investigation against Temer for alleged obstruction of justice.

The OAB's rapporteur, Flavio Pansieri, said that Temer had forsaken his duty to report crimes that he had heard during his meeting with Batista in March.

In 1992, the OAB called for the impeachment of then-president Fernando Collor de Mello, who resigned before being impeached on corruption charges.

In 2016, the legal body also called for the impeachment of former president Dilma Rousseff.

By Sunday, the Chamber of Deputies had received at least nine requests for Temer's impeachment.

However, Temer has refused to resign, claiming that Batista's tape had been doctored and that he has done nothing wrong.
Washington: The US city of Chicago is launching a campaign in response to President Donald Trump's threats to cut off funding for sanctuary cities, the media reported.

Sanctuary city is a broad term applied to jurisdictions with policies in place to limit cooperation or involvement with federal immigration actions, reports CNN.

Many US cities, counties and some states have a myriad of informal policies and laws that qualify as "sanctuary" positions.

"One Chicago" was established on Sunday afternoon in response to the growing needs of the city's refugee and immigrant populations.

The campaign slogan reads: "Three million residents, three million stories, one Chicago".

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and several others kicked off the event at the DuSable Museum of African American History.

Emmanuel spoke of his grandfather, who travelled to the US when he was 13-years-old.

"He came because this country represented something that Moldova would never stand for," CNN quoted Emmanuel.

"This country, the place he calls home, the place my grandfather said without a word of English, his grandson is the mayor. This is the greatest city in the greatest country in the world."

Democratic representative Luis Gutierrez was also at the event and spoke of a city that "protects immigrants, that cherishes immigrants, that allow immigrants to really prosper".

The campaign will "facilitate access to resources and support for Chicago's residents, including its immigrant and refugee communities."
SANTIAGO Chileans are increasingly growing their own cannabis for medical purposes as the conservative South American nation begins loosening legal prohibitions on the formerly illegal plant.In 2015, Chile legalized the use of medical marijuana, following a wave of other Latin American nations that are slowly making the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of cannabis easier.Earlier in May, pharmacies in the capital city of Santiago began selling cannabis-based medicines, the first time such treatments have been offered by drugstores in Latin America.Boosters of the plant are making sure Chileans with chronic pain have the know-how to grow marijuana, even as doing so occupies a legal gray area.

In Santiago on Friday, Chile's pro-cannabis Daya Foundation hosted a workshop teaching those with medical conditions how to grow the plant on their own.Last year, the foundation inaugurated the largest medical marijuana farm in Latin America under the supervision of Chile's Agriculture and Livestock Service."Almost a century of prohibition filled us with misinformation and, worse, stopped millions of people who could have received relief from using this plant," said Ana Maria Gazmuri, a 1980s soap opera star and advocate of holistic medicine, who heads the foundation.

"So today this has changed in Chile and we can say, additionally, that we are leaders in Latin America in the development of medical cannabis."Among those who attended the workshop on Friday was Carlos Antonio Ortiz Diaz, a 49-year-old miner with glaucoma.

"No medicines have given me results up to now. I have to change them every month, and I don't see any improvement," he said."With cannabis, I'm using it two times a week on average, and the pain has diminished a bit."Chile's Congress is currently debating a bill that would explicitly allow people to grow their own plants, and Argentina and Colombia are following similar paths.Uruguay became a global pioneer when it legalized the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of marijuana in late 2013. Pharmacies in that country will begin legal sales of recreational cannabis from July. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Gram Slattery; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

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Beijing: China defended its right to investigate actions threatening national security but declined to comment on a report that authorities killed or jailed up to 20 Central Intelligence Agency sources.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that Beijing had systematically dismantled Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) spying operations in China beginning in late 2010, in one of the worst intelligence breaches for USA in decades.

At least a dozen CIA sources were killed between late 2010 and the end of 2012, including one who was shot in front of colleagues in a clear warning to anyone else who might be spying, the Times reported, citing 10 current and former USA officials.

In all, 18 to 20 CIA sources in China were either killed or imprisoned, according to two former senior American officials quoted.

The paper called it a grave setback to a network that, up to then, had been working at its highest level for years.

"As for as the situation mentioned in the New York Times report, I'm not aware of that but I can tell you that Chinese security authorities are following their legal mandate to carry out investigations about organisations, personnel and actions that harm Chinese national security and interests," said Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying, in a news briefing.

"For these normal discharges of official duties by Chinese security organisations we have no comment on that," she said.

The Global Times, a state-run newspaper, said the authenticity of the Times report "remains unknown". But it added, "if this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud China's anti-espionage activities".

"Not only was the CIA's spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong. It can be taken as a sweeping victory," the nationalist daily said.
Beijing: China called for dialogue to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula after North Korea carried out a new missile test.

"The (UN) Security Council has clear stipulations prohibiting DPRK against using ballistic missiles and China opposes this as well," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing, using the initials of North Korea's official name.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula is complex and sensitive. We urge all sides to avoid provoking each other and continue on the right track of dialogue and consultation," she said.

North Korea on Monday declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after a weekend test, as it seeks to develop an intercontinental rocket capable of striking US targets.

China, Pyongyang's main diplomatic and economic ally, has come under pressure to use its influence to compel North Korea to rein in its missile and nuclear programmes.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday in response to the latest ballistic missile test.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said last week the United States was working with China on a new sanctions resolution.

Meanwhile, North Korean state airline Air Koryo has abruptly halted its new route between Pyongyang and the Chinese border city of Dandong, local airport and ticketing officials told AFP.

It was not clear when the suspension started or the reason for the decision. North Korea's state news agency had announced the new service on 28 March.

A woman at a local air ticketing company confirmed the suspension, saying that they "informed us to stop selling tickets about one month ago. They didn't tell us why."

Air Koryo flights on older routes, between Pyongyang and the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shenyang, were still available online. No one answered the phone at the airline's Beijing office.
Geneva: Despite impassioned pleas from several countries, the World Health Organization's annual assembly refused to even discuss admitting Taiwan to the meeting, under pressure from China.

Self-governing Taiwan, which China sees as a renegade province awaiting reunification, has been invited to attend the WHO's main annual meeting as an observer every year since 2009, but this year it did not receive an invitation.

Relations with China have become increasingly frosty since Taiwan's Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took power almost a year ago and China has sought to block the island from a string of international events.

In an interview with AFP, Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said he was "very, very disappointed" to be excluded from the meeting.

Representatives from 11 of WHO's 194 member countries, including Nicaragua, Paraguay and Belize, put forth a proposal on Monday  the first day of the to give Taiwan the status of a permanent observer.

But the assembly decided without a vote to reject the proposal, leaving the issue off the agenda.

Pro-Taiwan protesters were demonstrating in front of the United Nationa as the gathering was under way.

Robert Browne, the health minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines which was among the countries pushing the proposal, warned that the exclusion of Taiwan eroded the credibility, integrity and effectiveness of the assembly.

His counterpart from Palau, Gregorio Ngirmang, agreed, asking the assembly how he could be permitted to represent the 17,000 citizens of Palau at the meeting "while we ignore the 23 million people in Taiwan."

But China hailed the decision to leave Taiwanese observer status off the agenda, insisting that was Beijing's decision alone.

"Taiwan is part of China. Questions regarding Taiwan are China's internal affairs," the Chinese representative at the meeting said.

Under Tsai's Beijing-friendly predecessor Ma Ying-jeou, across-strait agreement was reached allowing Taiwan to sit in the World Health Assembly as an observer.

"The political foundation for Taiwan to participate in the assembly this year is not there anymore," the Chinese representative said.

He rejected the notion put forth by the 11 countries that blocking Taiwan could hamper international cooperation and the rapid exchange of information on health matters.

He added that the real agenda was to help Taiwanese authorities to manipulate health issues in an attempt to expand their so-called international space and challenge the One China principle.
Riyadh: US President Donald Trump had a brief encounter with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday and said he was pleased to meet him.

The interaction took place before the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Riyadh, GEO News reported.

The US President shook hands with Prime Minister Sharif and exchange of pleasantries took place between the two leaders.

During the brief meeting, Trump said that he was very pleased to meet Prime Minister Sharif to which the Pakistan Prime Minister responded that the feeling is mutual.

King Salman Bin Abdulaziz also warmly welcomed Sharif.

Trump addressed the summit which was attended by leaders from 55 countries.

Prime Minister Sharif arrived in Riyadh to attend the summit on the invitation of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.

After departing Islamabad in the morning, Sharif arrived along with his delegation, which comprises several government officials and media persons, including Foreign Affairs' adviser Sartaj Aziz and lawyer Akram Sheikh.

The summit is being attended by around three dozen leaders of Islamic countries, including the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Malaysia, and presidents of Afghanistan, Egypt, as well as Trump.
The Riyadh Declaration issued by Saudi Arabia at the conclusion of the first Arab-Islamic-American Summit frequently referred to Iran and terrorism in the same breath, and has promised to raise a 34,000-member-strong joint force to fight against terrorism in Syria and Iraq.

For reasons as-yet-unknown, Yemen has been left out of these countries blighted by terror. The declaration has attracted sharp criticism from Irans foreign minister Javad Zarif, who questioned whether US president Donald Trump is pursuing a serious foreign policy or just milking $480 billion worth of Saudi money.

The way the first Arab-Islamic-American Summit was turned into an anti-Iranian show was perhaps most visible in the speeches made at the event. This will likely irritate Pakistan and Turkey as both countries seek to engage with Iran, instead of confronting it. This is also contrary to what the Saudis were propagating for months under their 2030 vision to diversify the Saudi economy. The 15 US-Saudi mega deals signed during the visit have once again proved that Saudi Arabias regime security overshadows a sustainable economic agenda.

In a very carefully constructed itinerary for his first state visit, Trump has connected all Semitic religions that otherwise are thought to be in the midst of a civilisational clash. This is completely at odds with what he has been advocating through his election speeches that have earned him the sobriquet of "the worlds most famous Islamophobe", as Al Jazeeras Mehdi Hassan has described him.

The visit has received unprecedented media coverage from both sides: Those who oppose and support Trump. This was among the most important visit Saudi authorities have hosted in the past many years since they have apparently been in a state of panic given the Iran-American rapprochement started by the Barack Obama administration, at the cost of Americas Gulf allies. Trumps Israel visit will largely take place amid less noise, with more substance.

Trump attended three back-to-back summits: The Saudi American summit, GCC-American Summit and Arab-Islamic-American Summit. Obamas GCC policy has proven to be disastrous for the US' regional standing and a wake-up call for its Arab allies, who in the past three years have tried to find new partners, new alliances and new guarantees to protect them from threats they believe to be emanating from Iran. Saudi relations with major Asian powers  India, China and Japan  have been upgraded to fill the gap left by the US and other western powers.

The visit marks a departure from what should ideally be just a bilateral engagement. It has come to resemble a strong multilateral and regional diplomatic offensive. Some 50 Muslim countries attended the Arab-Islamic-American Summit, and there will be another one in 2018.

Trump used the opportunity to describe Iran in almost exactly the manner that Saudi Arabia would have wanted from American leadership. Trump said, "From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror... Bolstered by Iran, (Bashar al) Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the US has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime  launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated."

Electoral rhetoric aside, Trump has to deal with the real world in which the American response to the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Syrian crisis has alienated American allies in the region and has allowed Russia, China and other countries to fill the gap Americans had voluntarily left.

These summits were his best opportunity to change not only his personal credibility but also American credibility. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League had recently renewed their offer to Israel to accept the 1967 border to start the suspended peace process. Hamas, the most powerful militant group operating from Gaza has accepted the 1967 border, removing the destruction of Israel rhetoric from its official policy statement, Meethaq. The Obama administration failed in its endeavour to generate confidence from either side in the conflict.

The reason Hamas has made such a huge compromise in its anti-Israel policy is because Hamas has allegedly been denied arms and finance from Iran until such time as it sufficiently distances itself from Saudi Arabia and supports Assad in Syria. The Saudi and American leadership now has both sides in its corner, in order to facilitate the peace process.

Syrias unresolved conflict and continued humanitarian crisis was Obamas badge of disgrace he carried with him when he left the White House.

Perhaps, Obamas pursuit for a nuclear deal with Iran led him to believe that the agreement would support a political process in Syria and Iraq. This was proved otherwise. Now, Saudis are more worried about Iranian proxies reaching the Jordanian border and threatening both Saudi and Jordanian security. Trump was quick to reassure Saudis and Jordanians by ordering another airstrike to target Syrian forces and Iranian proxies just days before his visit.

Many believe that by his actions, Trump is reassuring his Arab allies that the US has not withdrawn from the region. But the real issues are yet to be addressed.

The declaration to raise 34,000 military personnel to fight against terrorism and extremism in Syria and Iraq requires not only the consent of their respective governments, but also extensive military training and equipment, for which the Saudi and American role is always questioned. Interestingly, the declaration talks about the future deployment of these forces in Iraq and Syria but not in Yemen where a direct Saudi-led military coalition is facing a deadlock in the absence of an agreeable political roadmap.

The 15 deals worth $300 billion have once again called into question the much-hyped 2030 economic vision launched by Saudi Arabia last year. The deals are clearly to bring back American control of the region, not necessarily to help and upgrade Saudi capabilities.

The main problem is yet to come when all 50 Islamic countries have to balance the Riyadh Declaration and their ongoing engagement with Iran, particularly Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia and Central Asian countries with whom Iran has been maintaining good relations. The Saudi-Iran rivalry aside, the summit appears to be more of a political exercise than a real strategic exercise "to open the way for wider prospects for their mutual future ties", which many countries would prefer to do without such summits.

Avoiding frequent anti-Iran references in the summit would have served the purpose better.
Jerusalem: Even before US president Donald Trump began his trip to Israel, he already may have made history.

The president's flight from Riyadh to Tel Aviv on Monday was believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The president landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport for a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories as part of his first trip abroad since taking office.

An Israel Airport Authority spokesman said he was not aware of any direct flights ever having landed in Israel from the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia doesn't recognise Israel and the two states don't have diplomatic relations. There are no direct flights between the two countries and flights from either country bypass the other's airspace.

While neither country is in a position to dictate to Trump where to fly, his arrival nonetheless reflects the warming relationship between them. The two countries have

reportedly developed covert ties based on their shared concerns over Iran's growing regional influence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently boasts of his behind-the-scenes cooperation with moderate Sunni countries that are believed to include Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

The only direct flights from Israel to Arab states are to Egypt and Jordan, both of which signed peace treaties with Israel.

During his visit, Trump is expected to make a push to relaunch long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. He is slated to meet separately with Netanyahu

in Jerusalem and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.

As part of his approach, the president has expressed interest in forging a regional perspective involving Israel and the broader Arab world to help resolve the decades-long

conflict. His visit to Saudi Arabia, and speech to leaders from over 50 majority-Muslim countries Sunday, is reflective of that.

In Saudi Arabia, the president called on the Muslim world to combat radicalisation. He said that if Christians, Muslims and Jews join forces, "peace in this world is possible, including peace between Israel and the Palestinians."
Tel Aviv: US president Donald Trump on Monday said that there is a "rare opportunity" to bring security and peace to the Middle East as he arrived in Israel from Saudi Arabia to reaffirm America's "unbreakable bond" with the nation.

"I have found new reasons for hope," said Trump upon arriving at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

"There is a rare opportunity to bring security and peace to the region, but we can only get there by working together," said Trump who arrived here from Riyadh in what is believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Trump went on to say that he met with leaders from across the Arab world in Saudi Arabia and reached "historic agreements" in the fight against terror.

"On my first trip overseas as President, I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm the unbreakable bond between US and Israel," Trump said during a welcome ceremony at the airport.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump on what he called a "truly historic" visit, which he viewed as a "powerful expression of your friendship".

Netanyahu applauded Trump's call for nations to do more to fight terrorism during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

"Israel shares the commitment to peace that you made yesterday. The peace we seek is genuine and durable, in which the Jewish state is recognised, security remains in Israels hands, and the conflict ends once and for all," he said.

"I hope this trip is a step on the path toward reconciliation and peace," he stressed.

The Israeli leader also noted that it was the first time that a US President has chosen to come to Israel during his first foreign trip after taking charge.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin thanked Trump for his "commitment to Israel's ability to face the threats of today and of tomorrow".

The Israeli president emphasised that while the world, the Middle East, and Israel all need a strong United States, "the United States also needs a strong Israel".

"In the Middle East, an area that suffers from terrorism and madness, the alliance between the United States and Israel shines like a beacon of liberty and progress," Rivlin said.

Trump left for Jerusalem immediately after the welcome ceremony for his meeting with Rivlin at the President's House amid heightened security with all the major roads in Jerusalem completely gridlocked.

The US president is scheduled to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister this evening and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.

He has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take.

At a summit in Riyadh on Sunday, Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth".

Pointing at Iran-Israel and Saudi Arabia's main foe in the region, the US President accused Tehran of fueling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

The US President has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor Barack Obama.

He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their presence might hamper the search for peace.

During his election campaign, Trump had expressed views that seemed to fit neatly with those of the right-wing Israeli government of Netanyahu favouring expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and a tough line towards Palestinian aspirations for independence.

However, after taking charge of Presidency his statements have been rather nuanced on the issue of settlements as well as regarding moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, causing some heartburn among his right-wing supporters here.

Trump is expected to visit the Western Wall, located in the Old City of East Jerusalem, later today in a private capacity in what would be the first such visit to Judaism's holiest site by a sitting US President.

He will also visit the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre where according to Christian tradition Jesus was buried and resurrected.
Tehran: US president Donald Trump's recent anti-Iran remarks were aimed at "milking" Saudi Arabia, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday.

"Iran, fresh from real elections, attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy and moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) of $480 billion?" Zarif tweeted.

The remarks by Zarif came in response to Trump's anti-Tehran comments in Riyadh on Sunday and his arms sale deal with Saudi Arabia.

Iranfresh from real electionsattacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B? pic.twitter.com/ahfvRxK3HV  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 21, 2017

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump called on the regional countries to isolate Iran, which had "fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror".

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri on Sunday refuted the comments by US secretary of state Rex Tillerson for urging a policy shift in Tehran's conduct during President Hassan Rouhani's second term.

The only way to peace in the Middle East is a pull-out of the US forces from the region, Xinhau news agency quoted Jazayeri as saying.

During his Saudi Arabia visit, Tillerson on Saturday said he hoped the re-election of Rouhani would prompt changes to Tehran's approach to "terrorism and human rights".

Tillerson at a news conference with Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh, urged Iran's re-elected President to dismantle the alleged "network of terrorism" and to end ballistic missile tests.

In the reaction, Jazayeri urged the US to end the "aggressive and terrorist operations against independent states" by the assistance of "reactionary regimes" in the region.

Besides, no factor could hinder Iran's defence programmes, he said, describing the boosting of the country's missile defence systems as a top priority.
Riyadh: The United States president and the king of Saudi Arabia on Sunday inaugurated a Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology, based in the Saudi capital Riyadh, aiming to fight radical ideology, especially on the internet.

The centre will monitor the information exchanged on the internet, especially through social networks, and try to promote moderation and curb hate speech, Efe reported on Monday.

President Donald Trump and King Salman bin Abdulaziz, along with other leaders such as Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, visited the modern establishment, where dozens of experts monitor digital communications, as shown by Saudi state television.

The television chain said that it is the world's first centre of its kind.

The United States and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also signed a memorandum on Sunday to create another centre to combat the financing of terrorism.

Its objectives include identifying, tracking and sharing information about terrorist financing networks, according to a statement from the United States Treasury Department.

US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin said, "This new Terrorist Financing Targeting Centre will enhance existing tools and cooperation with partners in the Gulf to forcefully address evolving threats."

"Treasury will offer the vast expertise of our Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to this creative new effort," he added.

According to the memorandum, the centre is dedicated to cut funding for terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, the Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Afghan Taliban and its Haqqani network, among other groups.
Washington: President Donald Trump has instructed the Pentagon to "annihilate" the Islamic State in Syria in a bid to prevent escaped foreign fighters from returning home, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday.

The move to encircle then kill as many jihadists in place as possible  rather than letting them exit a city and targeting them as they flee  reflects an increased urgency to stop battle-hardened jihadists bringing their military expertise and ideology back to European capitals and other areas.

The president has "directed a tactical shift from shoving Islamic State out of safe locations in an attrition fight to surrounding the enemy in their strongholds so we can annihilate Islamic State," Mattis said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

"The intent is to prevent the return home of escaped foreign fighters."

Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to quickly defeat Islamic State, signed an executive order soon after taking office giving his generals 30 days to come up with a revised plan to wipe the jihadists out.

The review resulted in the new "annihilation campaign" and saw commanders gain greater autonomy to make battlefield decisions.

Critics of Barack Obama's administration frequently complained of White House micromanagement and a lengthy approval process causing delays on the ground.

Mattis called foreign fighters a "strategic threat" should they return home and said the annihilation effort would prevent the problem from being transplanted from one location to another.

Arming the Kurds

The US-led coalition has been battling Islamic State since late summer 2014, supporting local fighters on the ground with a combination of considerable air support, training and weaponry.

Trump this month authorised the United States to arm the Kurdish faction of an alliance fighting Islamic State in northern Syria, much to the consternation of Turkey, which views them as terrorists.

Though the jihadists have lost 55 percent of the territory they once held in Iraq and Syria and over four million people have been liberated, Islamic State still controls the Syrian stronghold Raqa, swaths of the Euphrates River valley and other areas including a small part of Mosul in Iraq.

Operations in Syria are further complicated by the country's tangled knot of groups fighting in the civil war.

Russia joined that conflict in late 2015 to prop up president Bashar al-Assad, bringing a new dimension of complexity and risk.

General Joe Dunford, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted the US is working successfully with Russia to "deconflict" military operations in Syria.

The two sides established a hotline to inform each other of their forces' location to avoid any mishaps.

Dunford hinted the US had a "proposal" to further enhance deconfliction, but he didn't give any details.

"My sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to deconflict operations and ensure that we can continue to take the campaign to IS and ensure the safety of our personnel," he said.

Separately, the Pentagon announced that Dunford has been nominated to serve a second two-year term in his job as the country's top military officer.
Riyadh: US president Donald Trump and his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism, a White House statement said on Monday.

In a brief meeting on the sidelines of the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh on Sunday, "Trump welcomed Ghani's leadership in Afghanistan on fighting terrorism and implementing key reforms", Tolo News quoted the statement as saying.

"The president (Donald Trump) commended the brave service of Afghan security forces as they fight to secure their country," it said.

The US has been considering sending additional troops to help prop up the Afghan security forces, after a Taliban attack on a military base in Balkh province in April, which left over 150 soldiers dead.

There are currently 8,400 US troops and 5,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan, and 3,000 additional troops are considered for deployment in the country.

Afghanistan has been facing instability for years with government troops fighting the Taliban as well as other "terrorist" groups, including the Islamic State militant group, in the country.

US and NATO forces in the country are in a non-combat role and train, advise and assist government troops.

It is expected that an announcement on a revised US policy on Afghanistan and an increase in troops could be made at the upcoming Brussels meeting on security which is scheduled for later this week.
On his ongoing first state visit, Donald Trump delivered a message to the Muslim world in a speech to 50 Arab and Muslim readers in Riyadh. Termed in some quarters as being 'politically correct' and 'uncharacteristically inoffensive', the US president appeared to have hit all the right notes with his audience. And this isn't limited to the nine references to god that Trump made over the course of his address.

Veering between the George W Bush-esque "This is a battle between Good and Evil" and the more measured and considered Barack Obama-esque "This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations", Trump trod brand new  for him at least  statesman-like turf with such lines as:

"When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims  we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy."

Deep. Touching. Perhaps even moving.

But the president would go on to throw water all over his newfound statesman-like stature with what would follow.

"But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three  safe harbour, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region," he said. To the untrained eye, this would look like a reference to Pakistan. "I am speaking of course of Iran." Close, but no cigar.

Something seems amiss. As The Independent noted, "he blamed Iran  rather than (Islamic State)  for 'fuelling sectarian violence', pitied the Iranian people for their despair a day after they had freely elected a liberal reformer as their president... The Shiite Hezbollah were condemned. So were the Shiite Yemenis. Trumps Sunni Saudi hosts glowed with warmth at such wisdom." After his shopping list of charges against Tehran, Trump finally called on 'all nations of conscience' (like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan presumably) to 'work together to isolate Iran'.

Taking sides in the Saudi Arabia-Iran dispute is not new, however, for a speech  at the outset of which, themes like peace, prosperity and partnership were bandied about  to take such an anti-Shia turn, while not unexpected, does little to inspire much faith in Trump's idea of regional peace and partnership. Iran-Saudi rivalries have stemmed from the Shia-Sunni rivalry. By extolling the virtues of Saudi Arabia (conveniently forgetting to mention that it is the home of Wahhabism that drives some of the world's most virulent terrorist groups, and a financier of many of those) while demonising Iran, Trump may have further widened the regional Shia-Sunni schism.

And the following caveat cannot have gone down well in Tehran either:

"(The newly-signed US-Saudi agreement) includes the announcement of a $110-billion Saudi-funded defence purchase  and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defence companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations."

Coming at a time when Trump is doing all he can to roll back the nuclear deal painstakingly put together by the previous administration, expect Iran not to take this latest missive lying down.
US president Donald Trump made a 30-minute speech on Sunday in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh as part of his first state visit since taking office.

Trump's speech, preceded by a traditional Quranic reading, held Iran responsible for global extremism, urged the international community to isolate Iran and called on Arab and Muslim states to freeze channels of funding for groups including the Sunni Muslim Islamic State and Shiite Hezbollah.

Here is the speech reproduced in its entirety:

Thank You.

I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting todays summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived.

You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader  American President Franklin Roosevelt  King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. King Salman: your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy  and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens.

Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey here today. You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send the warmest regards from my country to yours. I know that our time together will bring many blessings to both your people and mine.

I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith.

In my inaugural address to the American People, I pledged to strengthen Americas oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.

Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperityin this region, and in the world.

Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.

And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leadersunique in the history of nations  is a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect. To the leaders and citizens of every country assembled here today, I want you to know that the United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce.

For Americans, this is an exciting time. A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country: in just a few months, we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies  many of whom are here today.

Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation.

Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.

This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase  and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations.

We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond.

Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology  located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combatting radicalisation, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership.

I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the leaders present today to the White House, and I look forward to working with all of you.

America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecturewe are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all.

Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet historys great testto conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism.

Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred.

And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples.

Gods help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practice terror and spread its vile creed. At the same time, we pray this special gathering may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East  and maybe, even all over the world.

But this future can only be achieved through defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it.

Few nations have been spared its violent reach.

America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks  from the atrocities of September 11th to the devastation of the Boston Bombing, to the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.

The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims.

But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence.

Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.

We now face a humanitarian and security disaster in this region that is spreading across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering and depravity can begin to capture its full measure.

The true toll of IS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams.

The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures. It should increasingly become one of the great global centers of commerce and opportunity.

This region should not be a place from which refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.

Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the worlds great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern onesincluding soaring achievements in architecture.

Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage.

All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty. And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art.

The entire region is at the center of the key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz.

The potential of this region has never been greater. 65 percent of its population is under the age of 30. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home.

But this untapped potential, this tremendous cause for optimism, is held at bay by bloodshed and terror. There can be no coexistence with this violence.

There can be no tolerating it, no accepting it, no excusing it, and no ignoring it.

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith.

Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

If we do not act against this organised terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorisms devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing  then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

This is a battle between Good and Evil.

When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims  we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy.

But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong  and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden.

Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.

America is prepared to stand with you  in pursuit of shared interests and common security.

But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children.

It is a choice between two futures  and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

For our part, America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts. We will discard those strategies that have not worked  and will apply new approaches informed by experience and judgment. We are adopting a Principled Realism, rooted in common values and shared interests.

Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption. We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes  not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms  not sudden intervention.

We must seek partners, not perfectionand to make allies of all who share our goals.

Above all, America seeks peace  not war.

Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion.

The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.

Many are already making significant contributions to regional security: Jordanian pilots are crucial partners against IS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition have taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Lebanese Army is hunting IS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory. Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners. In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland. Qatar, which hosts the US Central Command, is a crucial strategic partner. Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue to enhance security in the region. And courageous Afghan soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices in the fight against the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country.

As we deny terrorist organisations control of territory and populations, we must also strip them of their access to funds. We must cut off the financial channels that let IS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.

I am proud to announce that the nations here today will be signing an agreement to prevent the financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center  co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another historic step in a day that will be long remembered.

I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council for blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation last year. Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing sanctions on one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah.

Of course, there is still much work to do.

That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians.

Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory  piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED.

And political leaders must speak out to affirm the same idea: heroes dont kill innocents; they save them. Many nations here today have taken important steps to raise up that message. Saudi Arabias Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development.

The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the battle for hearts and soulsand with the US, launched a center to counter the online spread of hate. Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment and radicalism.

I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees. The surge of migrants and refugees leaving the Middle East depletes the human capital needed to build stable societies and economies. Instead of depriving this region of so much human potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young people hope for a brighter future in their home nations and regions.

That means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better life  including women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities.

For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once againand make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.

In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican  visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible  including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them.

But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all threesafe harbour, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

Among Irans most tragic and destabilising interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime  launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.

Responsible nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate IS, and restore stability to the region.

The Iranian regimes longest-suffering victims are its own people. Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.

Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.

The decisions we make will affect countless lives.

King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this great moment in history, and for your massive investment in America, its industry and its jobs. I also thank you for investing in the future of this part of the world.

This fertile region has all the ingredients for extraordinary success  a rich history and culture, a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit of enterprise. But you can only unlock this future if the citizens of the Middle East are freed from extremism, terror and violence.

We in this room are the leaders of our peoples. They look to us for answers, and for action. And when we look back at their faces, behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice.

Today, billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great question of our time.

Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil? Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology? Will we let its venom spread through our societies? Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?

If we do not confront this deadly terror, we know what the future will bringmore suffering and despair.

But if we actif we leave this magnificent room unified and determined to do what it takes to destroy the terror that threatens the worldthen there is no limit to the great future our citizens will have.

The birthplace of civilisation is waiting to begin a new renaissance. Just imagine what tomorrow could bring.

Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine and commerce to inspire humankind. Great cities built on the ruins of shattered towns. New jobs and industries that will lift up millions of people. Parents who no longer worry for their children, families who no longer mourn for their loved ones, and the faithful who finally worship without fear.

These are the blessings of prosperity and peace. These are the desires that burn with a righteous flame in every human heart. And these are the just demands of our beloved peoples.

I ask you to join me, to join together, to work together, and to FIGHT together  BECAUSE UNITED, WE WILL NOT FAIL.

Thank you. God Bless You. God Bless Your Countries. And God Bless the United States of America.
Jerusalem: US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem on Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than "people have thought".

Trump's visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion.

It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem.

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

em and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6 pm (15.00 GMT).

Enormous challenge

"I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu said on Sunday.

"We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace."

The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the "ultimate deal" is possible, vowing "we will get it done".

"It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

Criticism of Iran

At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election.

Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state.

Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv  at least for now  and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for "honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism".

He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.
President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to "annihilate" the Islamic State in Syria in a bid to prevent escaped foreign fighters from returning home, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday. The move to encircle, then kill as many jihadists in place as possible  rather than letting them exit a city and targeting them as they flee  reflects an increased urgency to stop battle-hardened jihadists bringing their military expertise and ideology back to European capitals and other areas.

The president has "directed a tactical shift from shoving the Islamic State out of safe locations in an attrition fight to surrounding the enemy in their strongholds so we can annihilate Islamic State," Mattis said .

"The intent is to prevent the return home of escaped foreign fighters," he added.

Mattis also dismissed talks of the militarily offensive plan probably instigating human rights violations in the battle zone. The New York Times quoted him as saying, "I want to emphasise here there has been no change to our rules of engagement, and there has been no change to our continued extraordinary efforts to avoid innocent civilian casualties."

However, Trump's idea of shifting the war from one that of attrition to planned offensive in Syria has its critics.

An analysis piece in Germany's Deutsche Welle quoted experts as saying that believe the the shift in strategy can lead to mounting civilian death toll and displacement of people.

The new plan is in sharp contrast with the restraint applied by the Barack Obama administration during the early days of the civil war. Such a strategy was slammed by many as micro-management by Washington. As The New York Times op-ed noted, the Obama era doctrine emphasised on reducing or even avoiding civilian deaths in at least countries where the US was not in direct conflict.

"The rules required that a target had to pose a threat to Americans and that there be near certainty that no civilian bystanders would die," noted the article. The article further added that while the shift has formally been announced only now, it has been visible on ground zero since Trump took over as president from Obama.

While civilian death toll rose by three time in March as compared to January, the strategy helped push the Islamic State out of the 55 percent of the total land it once controlled in 2014.

However, Trump's strategy to finish Islamic State once for all may have other implications as well.

It is being reported that the US is supporting the Kurdish rebel group YPG in North Iraq, in its fight against the Islamic State. Kurds have been fighting for an independent Kurdistan in north Iraq, Syria and South of Turkey since the last four decades.

However, the strategy to back Kurds strained ties with traditional ally and NATO member Turkey, which is facing a long-standing Kurdish independence struggle.

Experts fear such a strategy may lead to a new ethnic civil war after the Islamic State is defeated.

"The Americans are talking about tactics, but the strategy is based on the US relying on a Kurdish militia to so-called 'liberate' nearly purely Sunni and Arab areas in the name of fighting IS. The US is laying the groundwork for long-term ethnic warfare in Syria as the Kurds pursue a land grab of Arab territory," Khaled Yacoub Oweis of the German institute of International and Security Affairs told Deutsche Welle.

Experts unanimously believe that the Trump strategy will intensify the conflict and that no one can offer a definitive time of an end to this six-year-long war.

With inputs from AFP
Washington: President Donald Trump's budget would drive millions of people off of food stamps, part of a new wave of spending cut proposals that already are getting panned by lawmakers in both parties on Capitol Hill. Trump's blueprint for the 2018 budget year comes out Tuesday. It includes a wave of cuts to benefit programs such as Medicaid, federal employee pensions, welfare benefits and farm subsidies. A

All told, according to people familiar with the plan, Trump's budget includes USD 1.7 trillion over 10 years in cuts from such so-called mandatory programs. That includes cuts to pensions for federal workers and higher contributions toward those pension benefits, as well as cuts to refundable tax credits paid to the working poor. People familiar with the plan were not authorised to discuss it by name and requested anonymity.

Cuts include a whopping USD 193 billion from food stamps over the coming decade a cut of more than 25 percent implemented by cutting back eligibility and imposing additional work requirements, according to talking points circulated by the White House. The program presently serves about 42 million people. The food stamp cuts are several times larger than those attempted by House Republicans a few years back and comprise the bulk of a 10-year, $274 billion proposal that's labeled as welfare reform. The fleshed-out proposal follows up on an unpopular partial release in March that targeted the budgets of domestic agencies and foreign aid for cuts averaging 10 percent and made lawmakers in both parties recoil. The new cuts are unpopular as well. "We think it's wrongheaded," said Mike Conaway, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, when asked about looming cuts to farm programs.

"Production agriculture is in the worst slump since the depression 50 percent drop in the net income for producers. They need this safety net," said Conaway, R-Texas. Trump's budget plan promises to balance the federal ledger by the end of a 10-year window, even while exempting Social Security and Medicare retirement benefits from cuts. To achieve balance, the plan by White House budget director Mick Mulvaney relies on optimistic estimates of economic growth, and the surge in revenues that would result, while abandoning Trump's promise of a "massive tax cut."

Instead, the Trump tax plan promises an overhaul that would cut tax rates but rely on erasing tax breaks and economic growth to end up as "revenue neutral." It would create three tax brackets 10 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent instead of the current seven. Trump is also targeting the Medicaid health program that provides care to the poor and disabled, and nursing home care to millions of older people who could not otherwise afford it. The House had a bitter debate on health care before a razor-thin 217-213 passage in early May of a GOP health bill that included more than $800 billion in Medicaid cuts over the coming decade. Key Republicans are not interested in another round of cuts to the program.

"I would think that the health care bill is our best policy statement on Medicaid going forward," said Greg Walden, R-Ore, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the program. Details on Trump's budget will not be publicly released until Tuesday, but Mulvaney has briefed Republicans about what's coming and his staff has provided targeted leaks to the media.

A full budget submission by the administration to Congress is months overdue and follows the release two months ago of an outline for the discretionary portion of the budget, covering defense, education, foreign aid, housing and environmental programs, among others. Their budgets pass each year through annual appropriations bills. An earlier blueprint from Trump proposed a $54 billion, 10 percent increase for the military above an existing cap on Pentagon spending, financed by an equal cut to non-defence programs. Those cuts rang alarm bells for many Republicans, who were particularly upset about proposals to eliminate community development block grants, slash medical research and eviscerate foreign aid. Trump's GOP allies rejected such cuts when wrapping up long-overdue legislation for the current budget year, which ends on 30 September.

There's little sign they will have a change of heart now, especially with Trump's administration in turmoil and his poll ratings at historic lows. "The budget's a starting point. We'll go to work from there," said Sen John Hoeven, R-ND, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Republicans controlling Congress have delayed action on their companion budget measure, waiting for Trump to go first. This year's budget debate, Republicans hope, would grease the way for a major overhaul of the loophole-cluttered tax system.

But House conservatives also want to embark on a round of cuts to benefit programs and are open to Trump's suggestions for cuts to mandatory programs such as federal employee pensions. Presidential budgets are mere suggestions, and the White House has discretion to assume higher economic growth rates of up to 3 percent or so under Trump's agenda of tax changes, loosened regulations and infrastructure spending.
Thats what a sign in Matt Bjurmans Milan coffeehouse advertised. I ordered one, more to honor the thought that goes into creating a house special than in hopes of discovering a great new thing.

But it was a great new thing. Traffic was slow that morning at the Milan Coffee Works, so Bjurman passed it to me before he added the usual shot of vanilla syrup so Id get the full taste of the bourbon. I usually drink my coffee black, he remarked, but this is so intense I have to drink this with milk.

Take a hit of this stuff, and youll wonder if its legal to serve without a liquor license. The coffee was perfumed throughout with toasty toffee-bourbon flavor. I later tried it with the added vanilla and its just as good, especially if you take your coffee with sugar, but the vanilla masks the bourbon.

Bjurman ages green coffee beans in oak barrels that have only recently been drained of very fine small-batch bourbon. He sources them from Tippins Market in Saline, which gets them from distilleries participating in its private-label bourbon program. Dominic Aprea, Tippins beverage manager, drives down to Kentucky to collect the barrels as soon as theyre emptied. Within twenty-four hours theyre filled with beans, which then sit there soaking up flavor for four to six weeks. Bjurman says that the first time he tried roasting barrel-aged beans, he was afraid his roaster might explode from the fumes. He uses each barrel only once, but sometimes passes them on to Original Gravity Brewing Company next door, where they infuse beer with the mingled flavors of bourbon and coffee.

Bjurman didnt invent this ideabarrel aging is a hot trend out in the Seattle area, he says, and even Starbucks is debuting a version of barrel-aged coffee there. But Milan Coffee Works is the first roastery in this area to try it.

Soon Ann Arborites will not have to go all the way to Milan to get a bourbon latte. Bjurman will be selling them at his new Coffee Works outpost on Packard (Marketplace Changes, p. 67). He and Aprea also sell barrel-aged beans under the label Barrel Guys.

Milan Coffee Works, 802 County St., Milan. 657-9899. Wed.-Fri. 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Mon. & Tues. milancoffeeworks.com
Paris: French president Emmanuel Macron will host Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks at the Versailles palace on 29 May, the French presidency said, as the countries look to reset strained relations.

The meeting, confirmed by the Kremlin, will coincide with an exhibition celebrating 300 years of Franco-Russian ties since the visit of Russian tsar Peter the Great to France in 1717.

The visit comes three weeks after Macron's election and seven months after Putin, 64, cancelled a trip to Paris for the opening of a Russian cathedral complex near the Eiffel Tower in a spat with then president Francois Hollande.

The socialist leader had said Russia's bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo could amount to war crimes. Speaking last Friday, Russia's ambassador to France, Alexander Orlov, said Moscow had a "positive perception" of Macron, 39, describing him as "very intelligent, realistic and pragmatic".

"I think he's not very ideological compared with his predecessors," Orlov told a meeting of business leaders. "With him we have more chances of moving forward than before." The Kremlin said in a statement that the two men would discuss combatting terrorism and settling the crises in Syria and Ukraine.

Orlov, in an interview with the French business magazine Challenges, said Syria was "the most burning" issue. Macron "seems more determined than Francois Hollande," he said, adding: "We now must go forward in (peace talks in) Geneva where France can play a greater role."

He added of the new French president that "with him we're dealing with a real head of state -- brilliant, competent, intelligent."

Macron's election campaign was subject to repeated cyberattacks and his aides accused the Kremlin of mounting a "smear campaign" against him. Thousands of emails and documents were dumped online by hackers shortly before midnight on the last day of campaigning and were then relayed by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

Paris prosecutors have opened a probe into the attack. The Putin-Macron meeting will follow Donald Trump's first trip abroad as US president, with stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel as well as the NATO headquarters in Brussels and a G7 summit in Italy.

Orlov told the business leaders that Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was convinced after meeting with Trump earlier this month that the US leader wants to normalise relations with Russia. "But the American establishment and media have conducted a hysterical campaign against Trump to prevent him from making steps towards Russia," Orlov said.
Baghdad: Two Iraqi officers say an attack on a military training center in Diyala, north of Baghdad, has killed at least four soldiers and wounded four more, including two officers.

The officers say six attackers struck the base on Monday morning. Five detonated suicide vests once inside the center and the situation is now under control, the officers added.

The officers spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but it resembles similar strikes carried out by the Islamic State. The attack comes as Iraqi forces are closing in on the last of the Islamic State held neighborhoods in western Mosul nearly three years after the extremists overran almost a third of Iraq in 2014.
Vienna: India on Monday once again asked oil cartel Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to stop charging premium from its Asian buyers saying oil producers should not subsidise others at the expense of countries like India.

Reiterating New Delhi's decade-old demand, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said OPEC should work towards "responsible price", which would allow major consuming countries to provide energy to the common people.

"Higher prices will force them to go for alternate forms of energy which would be slowing down the demand for crude oil," he said in his address at the 2nd high-level meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue here.

"During my last visit to Vienna for the 6th OPEC International Seminar in 2015, I had raised the issue of 'Asian Dividend not Asian Premium'.

"The issue of Asian Premium still continues to exist. Our companies pay billions of dollars on this account. They still don't understand the rationale of this cross-subsidisation of tariff between West and the East," he said.

Pradhan's predecessors, particularly Mani Shankar Aiyar, had in past vociferously raised the issue of OPEC members charging the so-called premium from Asian buyers but the cartel has refused to act on the issue.

OPEC, Pradhan said, should treat Asian markets as primary markets. "It's strategy of incentivising western markets in the past did not result in retaining those markets."

Stating that OPEC member countries are in the business of selling oil and not subsidising it, he said, "don't subsidise others at our expense."

"I urge the OPEC and through you also to non-OPEC countries to purposefully consider this," he said.

The oil cartel, which accounts for over 40 percent of world's oil supplies, should work towards 'responsible price', he said, adding dialogue between producers and consumers help better understand each other's perspectives.

Pradhan said India is growing consistently at over 7 percent and the growth rate in the energy sector is 7-8 percent, which is double the rate of many developed markets.

With increasing demand and consumption, India is increasing imports and also its refining capacity.

"Today, our annual refining capacity is 235 million tonnes of which 194 million tonnes of products are consumed domestically, while the rest is exported. At the same time, our energy consumption is expected to double in the next 15 years.

"We are in fact net exporters of gasoline, naphtha, jet fuel and gas oil. We are in the process of increasing our refining capacity to around 310 million tonnes by 2023. India is fast becoming a refinery hub," he said.

Also, Indian firms are investing about USD 80 billion in petrochemicals in next 3-5 years.
Gandhinagar: Four African countries - Ivory Coast, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance in Gandhinagar in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched in November 2015 in Paris to create a platform for promotion of solar energy across prospective ISA member countries.

Leaders from Ivory Coast, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti signed the framework agreement during a ceremony on the sidelines of 52nd African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Annual General Meeting at Mahatma Mandir.

Apart from these four African nations, Republic of Nauru, a small country which had signed the framework agreement for ISA earlier, submitted its declaration of ratification to Jaitley.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaitley said that he was happy that more countries were coming forward to join ISA to protect the environment.

"Solar Alliance was conceived in 2015 between India and France at the time when both the nations signed the Paris declaration. With today's ceremony, about 31 countries have signed the agreement while at least six nations have ratified it," said Jaitley.

"Need for energy is very distinct in Asia and Africa, as significant economic development is yet to take place here. We need energy and simultaneously, we need to protect the environment. I firmly believe that Solar Alliance will be an important milestone for economic development" he added.
Iran accused the United States on Monday of selling arms to "dangerous terrorists" in the Middle East and of spreading "Iranophobia".

"America is reinvigorating terrorists in the region by its hostile policies," state television quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi a day after US president Donald Trump signed an arms deal with Tehran's arch-foe Saudi Arabia and singled out Iran as a source of support for militants.

"America should stop selling arms to dangerous terrorists," Qassemi added.

On Sunday, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had criticised Trump for sealing an arms deal and other investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars with Saudi Arabia, Tehran's arch-rival in the Middle East.

Zarif's comments came hours after Trump, who is visiting Saudi Arabia, urged Arab and Islamic leaders to unite and defeat Islamist extremists. Trump singled out Iran as a key sponsor of militant groups, sending a tough message to Tehran the day after Hassan Rouhani won a second term as Iran's president.

"Iran - fresh from real elections - attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?," Zarif wrote in a Twitter post, referring to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have long accused each other of sponsoring militias aligned to their competing sects of Islam in conflicts across the Middle East.
Tehran: Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani on Monday called relations with the United States "a curvy road," saying he hoped the Trump administration will "settle down" enough for his nation to better understand it.

Rouhani also criticised Saudi Arabia after it just hosted President Donald Trump's first foreign trip, saying that the kingdom "has never seen a ballot box" while Iran just hosted a successful presidential election in which over 40 million people voted.

"The Americans do not know our region, that's what the catch is," Rouhani said in response to a question from The Associated Press. "Those who provide consultations or advice to the Americans, unfortunately, they are the rulers who either push America awry or with money, they just buy some people in America."

Rouhani decisively won a presidential election on Friday, securing another four-year term. The vote served as a referendum on Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, as well as a vote of confidence that his government will be able to help the country's sputtering economy. Trump has threatened to try to renegotiate the deal.

Rouhani said that Iranians are "waiting for this government to become stable intellectually" and that "hopefully, things will settle down ... so we could pass more accurate judgments."

"Unfortunately, Americans have always made mistakes in our region," Rouhani said. "When they attacked Afghanistan (and) Iraq when they made sanctions against Iran. In Syria, they made mistakes, and also in Yemen."

Rouhani further criticised the Saudi summit that Trump attended on Sunday, describing it as a "show-off" that "will not have any political and practical values."

"The issue of terrorism cannot be solved through giving money to superpowers," Rouhani said.

Rouhani made a point to stress that Trump's visit came amid Iran's presidential election, saying that such elections "are not in their (Saudis') dictionary."

"I hope that the day will come that Saudi Arabia will adopt this path," he said. "They should have polling stations in place for the people and let the rulers not be on a hereditary basis. They should be picked by the people."

The Sunni kingdom and Shiite power Iran haven't had diplomatic relations since early 2016. That's when Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shiite cleric and protesters in Iran attacked two of the kingdom's diplomatic posts. Saudi Arabia immediately cut diplomatic ties and other Sunni Arab countries in the Gulf have taken a harder line on Iran since.

Trump repeatedly has criticised Iran in speeches on his first foreign trip. In Israel on Monday, he warned of "the threat posed by Iran" through the possibility of it acquiring nuclear weapons and its support of militant groups.

Also Monday, the foreign ministers of France and Germany said their countries want to work with Iran following Rouhani's re-election but are pressing Tehran to keep to the nuclear deal and to help de-escalate Mideast conflicts.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France is convinced that Iran under Rouhani will have "an important role in the pacification" of the region. "We expect Iran to behave responsibly ... not to support terror," said his German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel.

At the Tehran press conference, Rouhani also defended Iran's ballistic missile program, something heavily criticised by Trump's new administration. The Trump administration in February sanctioned more than two dozen people and companies in retaliation for a ballistic missile test, warning it had put the Islamic Republic "on notice."

"The U.S. leaders should know that whenever we need a missile test because of a technical aspect, we will test," he said. "We will not wait for them and their permission."

Rouhani added: "Our missiles are for peace, not for attack."
Tehran: Reformist candidates swept municipal elections in Iran's capital, taking all 21 seats in Tehran as president Hassan Rouhani won a second term, state media reported.

Their win in Friday's election marks the first time reformists have totally controlled Tehran's municipal council since such votes began in 1999.

Iranian media also reported similar big gains for reformists in other major cities, signaling a groundswell of support for slowly changing governance in the Islamic Republic.

Iranian municipal councils choose mayors and decide on budgets and development projects. While leaving day-to-day operations to mayors, the councils play an important role in local oversight of municipal activities.

Iranian state television reported that Mohsen Hashemi Rafsanjani, a son of the influential late former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, won more than 1.7 million votes to come in first among the candidates.

Rafsanjani's vote total surpassed all the votes received by hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi in his failed presidential bid against Rouhani.

The sweep means reformists can replace Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who had been a presidential candidate before withdrawing to support Raisi.

Rouhani, a cleric whose administration struck the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, decisively won a second term in Friday's election. His success at the polls likely carried reformist candidates to victory in other municipal elections as well.

The reformist daily newspaper Shargh reported that reformists also are leading in other major cities in Iran, like Isfahan, Kerman, Mashhad, Semnan, Shiraz, Tabriz and Zahedan.

Each province's governor announces the final results of the municipal elections and tallying results from those votes always take more time than presidential polls.
Jerusalem: State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said on Sunday it has closed another major deal worth $630 million with India to supply advanced long-range air and missile defence systems for four ships of the Indian Navy. The deal, a major boost to the Make in India campaign, will be jointly executed with the Indian government's Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and comes close on the heels of Israel's largest defence contract ever worth $2 billion to supply the Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems.

IAI said the $630-million contract is for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems. The LRSAM is a joint development by IAI and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation. It comprises several key state-of-the-art elements, advanced phased-array radar, command-and-control system, launchers and missiles with advanced radio-frequency (RF) seekers.

The system provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and airborne threats. It is currently operational with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Israel Defence Forces. The Indian Army is also likely to deploy it soon. The LRSAM was last week successfully tested in India as part of operational interception trial aboard Indian Navy ship "demonstrating again the system's operational capabilities in a representative scenario with genuine target", a statement from IAI said.

"All components of the weapon system have successfully met the goals set for them," the company said. The contract will be carried out, for the first time, with Indian government-owned BEL which will serve as the main contractor in the project as part of the Make in India policy.

"The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India's defence forces, reinforcing IAI's global leadership position in air and missile defence systems. The inclusion of Indian governmental company BEL for the first time is a step up in our relationship with the Indian industry as part of the Make in India policy," IAI's president and CEO, Joseph Weiss, said."This unique project represents the close collaboration between India's DRDO, IAI and the defence forces of both countries. We will proceed to implement it with joint efforts," Weiss added.

"We take pride, along with our partners in India, in the great results of the trial conducted last week, which reestablishes the system's reliability and quality as well as its advanced technological capabilities," Boaz Levi, IAI's executive vice-president and general manager of systems, Missiles and Space Group, said. Israel in April closed a two billion (USD) defence deal with India, with IAI taking the lion's share of it with contracts worth $1.6 billion.
PARIS France wants to develop its political dialogue with Iran in the hope that it will lead to constructive efforts to solve regional crises, its foreign ministry said on Monday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump lambasted Tehran.Trump singled out Iran on Sunday in Saudi Arabia as a key source of funding and support for militant groups in the Middle East sending a tough message to Tehran the day after pragmatist Hassan Rouhani won a second term as Iran's president.

Foreign Minister "Jean-Yves Le Drian will work towards developing political dialogue that should be part of a constructive approach with regard solving regional crises," the ministry said in response to question on whether Paris agreed with Trump's call to isolate Iran.

Paris, which is at odds with Iran over the crisis in Syria, took one of the hardest lines against Tehran during negotiations between Iran and major powers in 2015, but has been quick to restore trade ties.

It has said it backs Trump's call to strengthen the monitoring of the deal, but has reassured France's commitment to its implementation, including the lifting of sanctions. New French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Rouhani for his re-election on Saturday and said this reinforced the hope his government would apply the international nuclear agreement. (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Toby Chopra)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Riyadh: Melania Trump praised the "empowerment of women" at a General Electric all-female service centre in the Saudi capital on Sunday, saying the women should work together and educate their children well.

She is accompanying US President Donald Trump on his first international visit since taking office in January, and told 200 female employees she tried to find balance between her role of First Lady and mother.

"It is about finding the balance," she told the women, who took pictures of her with their smartphones.

Later on Twitter, she wrote "Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women."

Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women. pic.twitter.com/bXdES83w3P  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 21, 2017

She earlier visited the American International School of Riyadh and gave out books. The school, unlike most others in the conservative kingdom, has both male and female students of different nationalities.

Saudi Arabia is well known as the world's most gender-segregated nation, where women live under the supervision of a male guardian and need his permission to travel, study and get some health treatments.

Since the late King Abdullah declared in 2011 that women could join the government advisory Shura Council, the situation for women has gradually started to change in line with moves to diversify the economy, employ more women and cut reliance on oil.
Caracas: Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro said that his US counterpart Donald Trump is deeply involved in "terrorist" activities, and the ongoing violence in his country is due to Washington trying to take "political control".

On Sunday, Maduro said on his weekly radio-television show that his country is facing an "attack by violent forces," "intolerance and generalized destruction," and that behind all this turmoil is "the imperialist hand of Donald Trump", Efe news reported.

"Trump has his hands infected and stuck deeply into this conspiracy and this attack that has as its objective taking political control in Venezuela, recolonizing Venezuela," Maduro claimed.

He also called on his supporters to stage a "great march for peace" on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Public Ministry reported the death of a 23-year-old man in western Trujillo state after he was allegedly shot in the chest during a demonstration on Saturday.

The ministry said that Trujillo prosecutor Jose Luis Molina had been instructed to investigate the death of Edy Alejandro Teran Aguilar during a demonstration in the city of Valera, adding that an 18-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman had been injured in the protest.

Authorities also said that on Saturday night "several armed people arrived at the site (of the protest) and fired ... at the group of demonstrators" and, minutes later, the victims were transported to a local hospital.

With Teran's death, the number of fatalities in the ongoing wave of protests in Venezuela stands at 47.

In another statement, the Attorney General's office said that it will investigate the incident in which another 23-year-old man was run over by a vehicle at a protest on Francisco de Miranda Avenue in eastern Caracas.

At least 120 people were injured on Saturday during protests staged in the Caracas metro area, and three of them are in "delicate condition," the Venezuelan opposition said, accusing state security officials of perpetrating the "violence."

Opposition lawmaker Jose Manuel Olivares said at a press conference that "yesterday (Saturday), just in ... Caracas, there were more than 90 people injured," adding that in the nearby town of San Antonio de los Altos there were "30 people injured in the demonstrations."

For almost two months, Venezuela has been experiencing a wave of popular protests against the Maduro government that, aside from the 47 deaths, have resulted in hundreds of people injured and arrested.
Zaatari Refugee Camp: America's ambassador to the United Nations is getting a firsthand look at the refugee crisis spilling over from Syria's civil war.

Nikki Haley visited a refugee camp in Jordan on 21 May.

She says that the Trump administration wants to step up help for the millions of people displaced.

However, Haley's message is at odds with President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda, keeping in mind his planned budget cuts and his hardline position on admitting refugees.

Haley toured the Zaatari refugee camp and inspected a convoy of humanitarian aid set to cross the border into Syria. She also got a rare look at a high-risk operation to airdrop supplies into besieged territory surrounded by the Islamic State. Her trip abroad is her first as UN ambassador.
Seoul: North Korea on Monday confirmed the "successful" launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, Pyongyang's state media reported, adding that the weapon was now ready to be deployed for military action.

State-run Korean Central News Agency said the North's leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw Sunday's missile test, which has sparked a fresh chorus of international condemnation and threats of tougher UN sanctions.

The missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, a land-based version of Pyongyang's submarine-launched weapon, using solid-fuel that allows for immediate firing, KCNA said.

"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, (Kim Jong-Un) approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," KCNA said.

"Now that its tactical and technical data met the requirements of the Party, this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the KPA Strategic Force," Kim said, referring to the North's army, according to the KCNA report.

The missile, which was described by Washington as medium-range, was fired from Pukchang in South Pyongan province and travelled about 500 kilometres (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, according to the South's armed forces.

KCNA said the test "aimed to finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action."

The results of the test were "perfect", KCNA added.

The United States, South Korea and Japan sharply denounced the launch and jointly requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the matter.

The launch came just one week after the North fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which according to Pyongyang flew almost 800 kilometres and was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead.

Analysts said the Hwasong travelled further than any previous ballistic missile launched by the North.

The 14 May launch was seen as a significant step forward as the North accelerates efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

The launches, and a threatened sixth nuclear test, have fuelled tension with the administration of United States president Donald Trump, who has vowed that such an ICBM launch "won't happen".

He warned that no option is off the table in dealing with the North's weapons program, although Washington has so far opted for sanctions and diplomatic pressure, while looking to China, the North's closest ally, to help rein in Pyongyang.

Seoul's foreign ministry slammed the "reckless and irresponsible" firing as "throwing cold water on the hope and longing of the new government and the international community" for denuclearization and peace on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's incoming left-leaning government has taken a more conciliatory line with Pyongyang than its conservative predecessors, but has reacted strongly to the latest two missile tests.

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across South Korea and Japan.

With an imputed range of 4,500 kilometres, the Hwasong-12 also puts United States bases on the Pacific island of Guam within reach.

With inputs from AFP
"Viewing the images of the Earth being sent real-time from the camera mounted on the ballistic missile, supreme leader Kim Jong-un said it feels grand to look at the Earth from the rocket we launched and the entire world looks so beautiful."

Surreal and ironic, these lines mimic beautifully the dialogue of Bond villains  brilliant and insane in equal measure, hatching a grand plan to first 'purify' the world and assume total controlexcept this is real. These were the lines uttered by North Korean state media as their dictator tested his newest plaything. Most dictators are fond of games. Kim likes playing with nuclear warheads.

On Sunday, Kim announced to the world that North Korea now possess a new range of intermediate ballistic missiles capable of reaching major US military bases in Japan and South Korea.

North East Asia, an area where the US has stationed more than 80,000 troops, is now within the dictator's reach.

This indicates that North Korea is rapidly adding to its missile arsenal and it is only a matter of time before it builds an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching US mainland with a nuclear warhead attached to its nose. And, if anyone had even an iota of doubt, the tin-pot dictator has made it clear that these missiles are an answer to Donald Trump's "policies".

This is the 11th missile test by Pyongyang in 2017, according to the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, which collects data on missile launches. Not only is it an astonishingly high number, it points to a total failure of diplomacy and sanctions, twin tools that the world's major powers have deployed to rein in a renegade nation.

What makes this launch interesting is that Pukguksong-2, as it has been named, was propelled by a solid fuel engine and seems to be an updated version of a submarine-launched missile that was test-fired last February. Reuters reports that Sunday's missile was launched from a location near Pukchang, 60 kilometres northeast of Pyongyang. The missile reportedly flew about 500 kilometres, reached an altitude of around 560 kilometres and dipped into the Pacific Ocean near Japan's exclusive economic zone, causing no immediately noticeable damage to ships or airplanes.

To recall, the 14 May test-firing was conducted with a liquid-fuel propelled engine and the missile covered a distance of over 700 kilometres. This not only to a diversification of portfolio but more menacingly, a fast maturing of North Korea's missile program. Some experts feel that successive test-firings point to a competition between teams developing solid and liquid fuel engines.

Reuters quotes Kim Dong-yub, a Seoul-based military expert, as saying: "I think the team to develop liquid fuel missiles are being pitted against the solid fuel team. The liquid fuel team succeeded on 14 May so the solid fuel team went for another round to achieve success. That is why the speed of North Korea's missile development is going beyond imagination."

Experts point out that compared to liquid-fuel propelled missiles, solid-fuel powered missiles can be launched quicker, are more stable compared and more difficult to detect. John Schilling, an aerospace engineer and rocket specialist, was quoted by Washington Post as saying that Pukguksong-2 could be launched on five minutes' notice, compared with 30 to 60 minutes for older missile types. "All these factors would make it much harder to find and preemptively destroy the Pukguksong-2," he said.

It is precisely the scenario which Barack Obama had preempted when he warned his successor that North Korea would be his greatest security and strategic challenge. The problem is, one doesn't know if Donald Trump is up to the task.

Simply put, North Korea is the biggest crisis facing the world right now. It is a threat the world can no longer ignore. It can be argued that Pyongyang's determined effort to go nuclear has little to do with Donald Trump's ascension to the Oval Office. Obama, too, had no answer on how to tackle it, preferring to mask his limitations in the fulsome rhetoric of 'strategic patience'.

Trump's rise to power, however, has triggered a churn that has led to a rapid deterioration of the crisis. In his cavalier style, the US president has managed to press a few red buttons that has sent an already paranoid Kim into a state of delusional frenzy. He believes that an attack led by US forces is imminent and nuclear weapons are his only insurance against that eventuality.

To a certain extent, Kim is not far from truth.

Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi's fates would have taught him that only a well-developed nuclear arsenal may provide him the leverage and security that he needs against the might of United States and that too, in a geopolitical location where the US  through Japan and South Korea  wields considerable influence.

Soon after Kim's regime conducted a nuclear test in January 2016, the BBC pointed to a commentary in North Korea's state-controlled media which clarified the reasons that drive Kim's paranoia: "History proves that powerful nuclear deterrence serves as the strongest treasured sword for frustrating outsiders' aggression. The Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq and the Gaddafi regime in Libya could not escape the fate of destruction after being deprived of their foundations for nuclear development and giving up nuclear programmes of their own accord."

Kim's father Kim Jong-il, the so-called "supreme leader" of DPRK, may have gravitated towards relinquishing nuclear weapons if a hard bargain was pressed  a move that came close to fructifying under former US president Bill Clinton  but the 30-year-old Kim has fewer reasons to comply. What's more, for him a nuclear arsenal is not only a strategic requirement but also a political necessity.

As Katharine Moon, chair of Korea Studies and Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution writes in Project Syndicate, "DPRKs current leader is different. His political survival depends on his countrys nuclear power. The talisman-like effect of the Kim name has weakened considerably in his country, and the new rich feel entitled to more money and a better lifestyle. They can buy most anything  except nuclear weapons. Those belong to Kim, and are thus his only source of domestic legitimacy."

The question is, how to deescalate the crisis?

In the few months that Trump has been at the helm, he has already left his imprint on US foreign policy  and it is the hallmark of a man who veers from crisis to crisis, swaying like pendulum, guided by his own impulsiveness, incoherence and self-contradictionshaving assumed power by tapping into the popular discontent against the ills of globalisation, the snake-oil seller has finally gotten his comeuppance in the White House where he has proved himself to be a disastrous administrator.

The world cannot afford a nuclear war, much less between a paranoid dictator and an incoherent US president but so far, we have not seen any steps being taken towards deescalation. Most disconcertingly, this is such a tinderbox of a conflict that even mere bluster can trigger Kim's hands and Trump, if nothing else, is the master of bluster.

There are signs that Trump's foreign policy is not entirely different from Obama's but his inconsistent rhetoric may prompt the iridescent Kim into launching a preemptive strike. Given the destructive ballistic power at his command and the geopolitical vulnerability of North East Asia, it would make the Hiroshima tragedy look like a tea party.

As Economist rightly surmises, a surgical strike against North Korea would not be fruitful. Rather, it would be a disaster. "Its nuclear devices are hidden, possibly deep underground. Its missiles are dispersed on mobile launchers. Tokyo is just across the Sea of Japan. Seoul, the capital of peaceful, capitalist South Korea, is only a few kilometres from the border. Northern artillery and conventional missiles could devastate it; a conflict could rapidly turn nuclear and kill millions."

What is needed, therefore, is less rhetoric and more of calm diplomacy. It might be too late to denuclearise North Korea but a freeze on its program is not impossible.

For that to happen, the revival of six-party dialogue (US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, North Korea) is imperative. The problem is, Trump has so far failed to show the leadership required for such a step.

After leading a campaign marked by anti-China rhetoric, he suddenly discovered Chinese president Xi Jinping to be a "great guy" with whom he apparently struck "terrific chemistry".

In doing so, he turned balance of power in Asia on its head and antagonised faithful allies Japan and South Korea. It is anybody's guess as to what turn the North Korea story will take. The portends are deeply worrying.
United Nations: The US, Japan and South Korea have called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting  to be held on Tuesday  to discuss North Korea's missile test on Sunday, diplomatic officials said.

The new missile test by Pyongyang comes just a week after the country fired a medium-range rocket on a high trajectory, ultimately landing in the ocean near Russia, and is the eighth missile test by the reclusive communist regime so far this year.

The North Korean army launched the missile in an easterly direction from a site near Pukchang at 4:59 pm local time, Efe quoted the North Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying.

The missile reached "a maximum altitude of 560 kilometers (347 miles) and traveled a distance of 500 km (310 mi.)," according to a statement by Pyongyang. The rocket appeared to have the characteristics of a Pukguksong 2, a medium-range ballistic missile fired for the first time by North Korea on Feberuary 12.

The US Pacific Command said that the missile fell into the Sea of Japan and that all indications are that it was a medium-range missile.

The repeated tests of weapons of mass destruction by Pyongyang have caused Washington to toughen its rhetoric since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, whose administration has suggested the possibility of staging a preemptive attack on North Korea, substantially increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Diplomatic officials did not say what the agenda would be for the Tuesday Security Council meeting, but on earlier such occasions the body has ended its deliberations with a unanimous condemnation of Pyongyang's challenges to the international community.

Meanwhile, North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency said that the latest missile test was a "success," adding that Pyongyang's leader, Kim Jong-un, observed the test.
Tokyo: North Korea says it's ready to deploy and start mass-producing a new medium-range missile capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases there following a test launch it claims confirmed the missile's combat readiness and is an "answer" to President Donald Trump's policies.

The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles) and reached a height of 560 kilometers (350 miles) Sunday before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea's media said more missiles will be launched in the future.

Trump, traveling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday. The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its "adaptability under various battle conditions" before it is deployed to military units.

Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action" and said that it should "be rapidly mass-produced."

North Korea has significantly speeded up its missile tests over the past year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that poses a threat not only to South Korea and Japan  which together host about 80,000 US troops  but also toward an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

It's moving ahead with its nuclear weapons program as well.

The North conducted two nuclear tests last year. It claims one was a hydrogen bomb and the other device created a more powerful explosion than any the North has previous tested. Satellite imagery suggests it could be ready to conduct its next test  which would be its sixth  at virtually any time.

Pyongyang's often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington or other U.S. cities.

North Korea's media, meanwhile, have stepped up their calls for even more missile launches because of what Pyongyang claims is an increasingly hostile policy by President Donald Trump.

"The Trump administration would be well advised to lend an ear to the voices of concern that are heard from the US and the international community," the North's Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Sunday. "Many more 'Juche weapons' capable of striking the US will be launched from this land. This is the DPRK's answer to the Trump administration.'"

"Juche," in this usage, refers to domestically produced and DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday" U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is "disappointing" and "disturbing."

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting after the launch, and its Foreign Ministry said the launch "throws cold water" on efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

At the request of diplomats from the US, Japan and South Korea, a United Nations' Security Council consultation on the missile test will take place Tuesday.

North Korea a week earlier had successfully tested a new midrange missile  the Hwasong 12  that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea and represents another big advance toward a viable ICBM.

David Wright, an expert on North Korea's missiles and nuclear program who is with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the latest missile could have flown farther but was fired on a "lofted" trajectory, which sends the missile high up so that it will land in the open seas rather than flying over or splashing down near neighboring countries.

He noted the Pukguksong-2's solid fuel is of particular concern.

Solid-fuel missiles have their fuel loaded in them before being moved into place, allowing them to be launched faster and with more secrecy. Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, are fueled at the launch site in a process that can last an hour and requires fueling and other vehicles. That makes then easier to spot and easier to destroy than the solid-fuel variety.
Rabwah: Marginalised, attacked and frequently hit by blasphemy charges, Pakistan's religious minorities are hoping the country's first census since 1998 will be a step towards greater political representation and rights.

In the congested Lahore district of Youhanabad, the largest Christian neighbourhood in Pakistan, activist Sajid Christopher says his community looks forward to standing up and being counted.

"The census will benefit us in two ways. Firstly we will be able to know about our exact population as so far there has been only guesswork," he told AFP.

"Secondly, our representation in parliament will be according to our population as our present representation in the democratic system is based on the census of 1981," he added.

Fast-growing Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, with an estimated 200 million people, but has not held a census for nearly two decades, despite a constitutional requirement for one every decade.

The count was delayed for years by politicians squabbling over the potential implications. Estimates are approximate and disputed, ranging from two to 10 million for Christians, and 2.5 to 4.5 million for Hindus.

Christopher's views were echoed by Nancy Stiegler, an advisor for the UN Population Fund who called the census a "powerful tool for planning" not only for minorities, "but all the population of Pakistan".

This desire for more accurate data goes to the heart of the controversy surrounding the census: that it will redraw political boundaries and force a redistribution of resources.

The process is not without complications - and not all religious minorities are eager to make themselves known. Pakistan's Ahmadis, a minority Islamic sect declared non-Muslims by law, number an estimated 500,000 and are victims of persecution and violence.

Banned from even calling themselves Muslim, they find themselves in a dangerous position when census officials arrive asking them to declare their religion.

When a Balochistan resident identified himself as Ahmadi to Pakistani census officials, they chased him out of the mosque where they had gathered families to be counted, Saleemuddin, a spokesman for the community, told AFP, without identifying the man for safety reasons.

In other cases, he said, census officials simply assume the Ahmadis are Muslim because their names are indistinguishable from the general population and tick that box on their behalf. It is a potentially dangerous move.

Under Pakistan's laws, "If I declare myself as a Muslim ... I can be imprisoned for three years," Saleemuddin said. Even those groups keen for recognition are wary, their suspicion fuelled by bitter experiences that run deep among Pakistan's minorities.

Citizens can declare themselves to be Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Ahmadi or "other". But Hindu rights activist Kapil Dev accused the

government of divisiveness by having a caste option in the census, when the community believes it should be recorded as one entity, while the Sikh faith failed to make it onto the survey altogether.

Radesh Singh Tony went to court in the northwestern city of Peshawar because there was no mention of Sikhism on the form.

The court ruled in the activist's favour, ordering the government to include Sikhs - but the count had already begun, and Radesh was not optimistic. "The government has a record of ignoring court orders," he told AFP.
In answer to Pakistan's alleged plan to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to find a solution to the Kashmir issue, Congress on Monday said that it was an impractical move.

According to The Indian Express, Congress leader PC Chacko said, A long-pending issue like Kashmir is not one to be solved by the ICJ. This is not practical since the two cases are very different from one another."

Chacko added that the Kashmir issue can only be resolved through bilateral talks and Pakistan is highly mistaken to think that ICJ can solve it.

The Congress leader said that in the matter of execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav, India had no choice but to approach the ICJ since consular access was denied. Earlier in May, the Ministry of External Affairs said that since Kashmir is an issue of terrorism India wants to resolve it bilaterally with Pakistan.

According to Deccan Chronicle, local media reports published in Pakistan said that top authorities in its government are seeking to move the ICJ to find a solution to the dispute with India over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the bone of contention between the two countries.

Earlier, Congress welcomed the ICJ decision that put a hold on Pakistan's execution of alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and said that the neighbouring country must respect the order. Party leader Anand Sharma said that the ICJ order was a matter of great relief for the people of India.

Sharma also slammed Pakistan over remarks of its Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria that ICJ has no jurisdiction to hear the case concerning Jadhav. "Pakistan's refusal to accept its jurisdiction betrays a mindset of disrespect to the Vienna Convention which Pakistan has brazenly violated," Sharma had said.
Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly unanimously passed a resolution calling for the implementation of the death sentence handed down by a Pakistani military court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The resolution moved by Mufti Said Janan of the Jamiat- i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) was signed by Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf, Jamaat Islami, Awami National Party, the Qaumi Watan Party, and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

The resolution claimed that Jadhav was a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent "involved in subversive activities in Pakistan" and had admitted his crimes before the interrogation team. He was arrested by Pakistani intelligence agencies on charges of "spying", the resolution said.

The Assembly demands that the provincial government should recommend to the federal government to implement the death sentence in accordance with the Pakistani laws, it said.

The resolution comes just days after the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed the Indian request for consular access to him.

India moved the ICJ against the death penalty on 8 May.

Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.
Berlin: The governments of Germany and China on Monday urged the US not to walk away from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Speaking alongside her Chinese counterpart, Germany's environment minister Barbara Hendricks told the media in Berlin that standing by the agreement would benefit Washington economically and politically, as US president Donald Trump's administration continued to revise the pact signed under his predecessor, Barack Obama, Efe news reported.

"We call on the US to remain within the Paris Agreement, as we believe that this is not only important for the agreement itself, but also for the US economy," Hendricks said ahead of the opening of the eighth Petersburg Climate Dialogue, a German government initiative aimed at allowing countries to discuss international climate policy.

The US upholding its commitment to the agreement would help tackle rising temperatures and ensure Washington could exercise its "influence" on the issue in future, she said.

The minister said a possible walking away from the agreement would not be good economically for the US.

Chinese politician Xie Zhenhua called on all countries to remain committed to the agreement, ensuring that China would stand by it, independent of Washington's final decision.

Trump's government has spent weeks studying a possible withdrawal from the climate change agreement and was looking to arrive at a decision in the coming days.

Hendricks pointed out that Chancellor Angela Merkel had spoken to Trump and asked him to keep the US within the framework, while Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel spoke to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the same topic.
Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District Nikolai Tsukanov said on May 18 that the inclusion of part of Karelia in the Arctic zone will open up new opportunities for the republic and bring in additional funds for infrastructure development.

TASS reported that Acting Head of Karelia Artur Parfenchikov spoke earlier in support of including Karelia's Loukhi, Kem and Belomorsk districts in the Arctic zone.

"Of course, the issue of including part of Karelia in the Arctic zone is not so simple," TASS quoted Tsukanov as saying. "I spoke with [Prime Minister] Dmitry Medvedev about this possibility a few days ago at a legal forum. It would create new opportunities and, most important, the chance to receive funds for social, industrial and transport infrastructure."

Tsukanov added that the matter of including part of Karelia in the Arctic zone would be discussed with members of the Federation Council and with the State Duma deputies.

A presidential executive order of May 2014 includes in the Arctic zone the Murmansk Region, the Nenets, Chukotka, and Yamal-Nenets autonomous areas, and the Vorkuta urban district in the Komi Republic.
Sao Paulo: Brazilians around the country staged demonstrations on Monday to call for their president to step down after the supreme court opened an investigation into allegations he endorsed the payment of hush money to a jailed former lawmaker.

The accusations against President Michel Temer have plunged Latin America's largest nation into crisis yet again, sending its currency and stocks plummeting and stalling a series of reforms designed to pull the economy out of a protracted recession. It's been just a year since Temer took over as president following the impeachment and removal of his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff.

Now, the calls are growing for Temer himself to be impeached or resign. The latest to join that chorus was Brazil's bar association, which voted late yesterday to submit a request for Temer's impeachment to Congress.

Unions, political parties and activists called for Brazilians to come out today to demand Temer step down, though protests in major cities were smaller than expected.

Hundreds of people huddled under umbrellas and building porticos to avoid the rain in Sao Paulo. Many said they have opposed Temer since he took over from Rousseff because they regard her impeachment as politically motivated and illegitimate. Today, they were protesting Temer's proposals to loosen labour laws and change the pension system as much as they were responding to the recent allegations.

"We're here to get Temer out of government because he is a coup-leader, because he is against teachers" and other workers, said Tatiana Camargos, a 41-year-old biology teacher.

In Rio de Janeiro, 150 people waved union flags on the boardwalk along Copacabana beach. They signed a giant banner with messages, such as, "Out with Temer" and "I want a better Brazil". Another 100 people marched to the house of Rodrigo Maia, speaker of the lower house of Congress, to call for Temer's ouster and immediate elections.

Temer has defied calls to resign, saying the recording was doctored and denying any wrongdoing. The recording appears to have Temer endorsing the payment of bribes to ex-House Speaker Eduardo Cunha in exchange for his silence. Cunha is serving a sentence after a corruption conviction.

Temer has asked the Supreme Federal Tribunal, Brazil's highest court, to suspend its investigation into him, something that it is unlikely to do.

Attorney General Rodrigo Janot, who has accused Temer of corruption and obstruction of justice in the case before the court, has said that a preliminary analysis of the recording showed that the conversation it contained was logical and coherent and its contents were consistent with the testimony of people cooperating with the prosecutor's office.

Some allied political parties have already withdrawn their support for Temer and others are considering it. The proposals to change the labour law and pension system have stalled in Congress amid the political turmoil, and many fear the country will remain in limbo for as long as Temer is in power.
Seoul: South Korean president Moon Jae-in's top security advisor on Monday voiced a need to resume talks with North Korea, though he said the dialogue must not get in the way of international sanctions against the communist state.

"We will have to try and gradually resume dialogue, starting with working-level talks," Yonhap news agency quoted Chung Eui-yong, the head of National Security Office, as saying.

"I believe we must review the possibility as I believe we could resume exchanges in various areas, such as personnel, social, cultural and sports, as long as they do not undermine the international framework of sanctions against North Korea," he said.

Moon has repeatedly stressed a need to engage the North through dialogue to rid the reclusive nation of its nuclear weapons, though he has also noted that the resumption of dialogue will only be possible under right conditions.

Chung reaffirmed that Seoul will not reward the North for its provocations, but again stressed the need for dialogue.

"We will sternly deal with any provocation. It is also important to enhance our defence capability to deter and prevent North Korea's additional provocations," he said.

Still, he insisted "we must restore dialogue (with North Korea) at an early date for a fundamental reduction of tension".

During his meeting with Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the minor conservative Bareun Party, Chung displayed his resolve to root out corruption in the defence industry, long blamed for eroding the country's military capabilities.

Chung said he plans to create a "defence reform" team under his office, which will mainly deal with corrupt practices in the industry, Joo said.

He also noted Moon's policy stance that Seoul will seek dialogue and negotiations with Pyongyang based on "overwhelming" military capabilities.
Berlin: A German court on Monday put on trial for war crimes a suspected former Syrian rebel commander accused of having tortured civilians while fighting for a militia linked to the Free Syrian Army.

The man, identified only as 42-year-old Ibrahim Al F, was arrested in April 2016 and faces life in jail if found guilty.

He allegedly joined the armed struggle against President Bashar al-Assad in 2012 and commanded a 150-strong neighbourhood militia in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

The prosecution charged that the militia looted homes in a northeastern city district and captured and mistreated civilians who resisted.

The accused, who remained silent in court, allegedly "personally tortured" two civilians who were later released for a ransom.

Prosecutors said at least one other victim was tortured to death, another "died in unclear circumstances", a third fled, and two were released for ransom.

German national news agency DPA reported the defendant was known as the "father of the wolf" and had supervised the torture.

Victims were suspended from ceilings with chains and beaten with iron rods and cables while being variously accused of being non-believers, regime spies or members of the Kurdish minority.

The suspect was arrested after one of his alleged former victims recognised him in the western German city of Muenster, DPA reported.

The trial in the western city of Duesseldorf is set to run until at least September.
Homs: The Syrian regime on Sunday regained total control of the central city of Homs with the evacuation of rebels from the last area they had controlled.

The Russian-supervised evacuation of the Waer district was the latest blow to the insurgents by regime troops backed by their Russian and Iranian allies.

Since December, the rebels have lost their former bastion of Aleppo and nearly all of the areas they controlled in Damascus.

This latest setback is mostly symbolic, however, as most of the rebels had been driven out of Homs in 2014 after two years of bombardment and stifling siege.

"The last bus (with evacuees on board) has left the Waer neighbourhood," Homs provincial governor Talal Barazi told AFP.

On Saturday, he had said that 3,000 evacuees, including 700 rebels, were due to be taken out of Waer.

"There are no more weapons or armed men in Waer...we can declare Homs to be a secure city," Barazi said, referring to the rebels.

He added that the Syrian security services had now entered the former rebel bastion.

The Russian-supervised operation began two months ago and has been carried out over several weeks.

Under the deal, opposition fighters are granted safe passage by the government out of Homs to rebel-held areas elsewhere in Syria.
By Philip Pullella

| VATICAN CITY

VATICAN CITY Several days after Pope Francis was elected four years ago, he was criticised by Donald Trump for returning to the Church-run residence he was staying at in Rome to pay his bill in person."I don't like seeing the Pope standing at the checkout counter of a hotel in order to pay his bill. It's not Pope-like!" Trump tweeted on March 19, 2013.On Wednesday, Trump will see for himself if the pontiff is papal enough when he walks down the frescoed halls of the Apostolic Palace. The venue of the meeting with Francis - who shunned the palace and lives in a Vatican guest house - will be the study he uses for official occasions.Their first meeting comes after Trump sparred with the pope on issues such as migration, climate change and Islam."I think it will be a moment of truth. The differences are real and they have not been invented by the media, as some Trump supporters have claimed," said Massimo Faggioli, professor of theology and religious studies at Villanova University.Last year, in response to a question about then-candidate Trump's views on immigration and his intention to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, Francis said a man who thinks about building walls and not bridges is "not Christian".Trump, who grew up in a Presbyterian family but does not attend church regularly, shot back that it was "disgraceful" for the pope to question his faith."If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS' ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president," Trump said during the campaign.

After Trump was elected, his barbs ended, and people close to Francis say he does not hold grudges and wants to turn the page."You have to distinguish between Trump the candidate and Trump the president," said Father Antonio Spadaro, a close associate of the pope's and editor of the prestigious Jesuit journal Civilita Cattolica."Francis does not divide the world between the good and the bad, he does not have this Hollywood-esque view of the world," Spadaro said in an interview.NO PLANS FOR A FIGHT

"I think it will be a frank and realistic meeting, not one revolving around preconceived concepts. It is not a meeting that is being held in order to fight. It is a desire to meet despite all of the things that preceded it," Spadaro said.

Earlier this month Francis told reporters he would be "sincere" with Trump despite their differences."There are always doors that are not closed. We need to find the doors that are at least partly open, go in, and talk about things we have in common and go forward, step by step," he said.One door that the Vatican hopes is still open is on climate change.In March, Trump signed an executive order dismantling environmental regulations enacted under his predecessor Barack Obama, but the Vatican is hoping Washington will not abandon the international Paris Agreement in 2015 aimed at shifting the global economy from fossil fuels.

Francis has made defence of the environment an important plank of his papacy, backing scientific opinion that global warming is caused mostly by human activity.Vatican sources said the pope's inner circle was heartened that Trump had toned down his previously harsh rhetoric about Muslims during his visit to Saudi Arabia at the weekend.As a candidate, Trump proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States. In office, he ordered temporary bans on people from several Muslim-majority countries, which were blocked by courts that ruled they were discriminatory.Trump at first did not plan to stop in Rome during his visit to Europe, which some in the Vatican saw as a snub. When he changed his mind, the Vatican squeezed him in at 8:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, an unusual day and an unusually early time.Francis holds his weekly audience with the general public on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in St Peter's Square. Vatican sources say it is significant that the pope did not cancel or delay it."His commitment to the people comes first," one senior source said, noting that because the square will be filled with people, Trump is expected to enter the Vatican though a tiny back gate used by employees instead of the usual entry used by heads of state."It will not be the solemn, triumphal entrance he may have wanted," he said. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

| JERUSALEM

JERUSALEM U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had come to Israel from a weekend visit to Saudi Arabia with new reasons to hope that peace and stability could be achieved in the Middle East.On the second leg of his first overseas trip as president, Trump was to hold talks separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.The U.S. leader visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's walled Old City and was due to pray at Judaism's Western Wall. He travels on Tuesday to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank at the end of a stopover lasting 28 hours.Netanyahu and his wife Sara, as well as President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli cabinet, were at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport to greet Trump and first lady Melania in a red carpet ceremony after what is believed to have been the first direct flight from Riyadh to Israel."During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope," Trump said in a brief speech on arrival."We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace, but we can only get there working together. There is no other way," he said.Trump's tour comes in the shadow of difficulties at home, where he is struggling to contain a scandal after firing James Comey as FBI director nearly two weeks ago. The trip ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.ARAB WELCOME

During his two days in Riyadh, Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to restrain Iran's influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican president's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. He also announced $110 billion in U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Israel shares the antipathy that many Arab states have towards Iran, seeing the Islamic Republic as a threat to its very existence."What's happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel," Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Rivlin.He also urged Iran to cease "its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias".But Iran's freshly re-elected pragmatist president, Hassan Rouhani, said regional stability could not be achieved without Iran's help, and accused Washington of supporting terrorism with its backing for rebels in Syria.He said the summit in Saudi Arabia "had no political value, and will bear no results".

"Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran? Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Syria. But who funded the terrorists?Rouhani also said Iran would continue a ballistic missile programme that has already triggered U.S. sanctions, saying it was for defensive purposes only."ULTIMATE DEAL"

Earlier, at the airport, Netanyahu said Israel hoped Trump's visit would be a "milestone on the path towards reconciliation and peace".But he also repeated his right-wing government's political and security demands of the Palestinians, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

Trump has vowed to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians -- something he has called "the ultimate deal" -- but has given little indication of how he could revive negotiations that collapsed in 2014.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters en route to Tel Aviv that any three-way meeting between Trump, Netanyahu and Abbas was for "a later date".When Trump met Abbas this month in Washington, he stopped shortly of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of U.S. policy. Trump has also opted against an immediate move of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime demand of Israel.A senior administration official told Reuters last week that Trump remained committed to the measure, which he pledged in his election campaign, but would not announce such a move during this trip.On Sunday, Israel authorised some economic concessions to the Palestinians that it said would improve civilian life in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority and were intended to respond to Trump's request for "confidence-building steps".The United States welcomed the move but the Palestinians said they had heard such promises before. Trump will have visited significant centres of Islam, Judaism and Christianity by the end of his trip, a point that his aides say bolsters his argument that the fight against Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil". (Writing by Jeffrey Heller)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
JERUSALEM U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran must immediately stop its financial and military support for "terrorists and militias" and he reiterated that it never be permitted to possess atomic arms."Most importantly, the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon - never, ever - and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias, and it must cease immediately," Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

The United States brands Iran a "state sponsor of terrorism". It says Tehran's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, Houthi rebels in Yemen's civil war and the Hezbollah Shi'ite political party and militia in Lebanon have helped destabilize the Middle East. Trump flew to Israel from Riyadh earlier in the day, on the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office in January.

In his speech at Rivlin's official residence, Trump said he was deeply encouraged by his conversations with Muslim world leaders in Saudi Arabia.

"Many expressed their resolve to help end terrorism and the spread of radicalization. Many Muslim nations have already taken steps to begin following through on this commitment," he said. "There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran," Trump told Rivlin. (Reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Luke Baker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Istanbul: Russia agreed to lift remaining trade sanctions against Turkey on Monday. These sanctions were imposed in the wake of the shooting down by Turkish air forces of a Russian warplane over the Syrian border in 2015.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said a corresponding accord was signed on the sidelines of a summit of Black Sea regional leaders in Istanbul by Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey Mehmet Simsek and his Russian counterpart Arkady Dvorkovich.

It said that the document was an important step towards the normalisation of economic relations and increasing trade volumes.

The Russian government in a statement confirmed that the document "on the lifting of bilateral trade restrictions" was signed in the presence of Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Russian premier Dmitry Medvedev.

There were no immediate details on the contents of the document but it is expected to again allow the import to Russia of tomatoes, a key Turkish agricultural export.

The 24 November, 2015 shooting down of the Russian plane led to an unprecedented crisis in ties and prompted Russia to impose a raft of sanctions against Ankara.

These included an effective ban on Russian package holidays to Turkey, ruining the 2016 tourism season in the country's south.

After a reconciliation deal in summer last year, relations have seen a rapid improvement with the two sides working together in a bid to end the Syria conflict.
Islamabad: In an unusual move, the US ambassador David Hale met with Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and underscored the importance president Donald Trump attaches to conquering extremism and vanquishing the forces of terrorism.

During the meeting, Hale thanked General Bajwa for his public commitment on 18 May that Pakistan is taking measures to ensure that militants do not use Pakistan's soil to conduct attacks against any country, the US Embassy said in a statement.

Hale noted Trump's call during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Saudi Arabia for a vision of peace, security, and prosperity, and unity in conquering extremism and terrorism, it said.

"....we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet history's great testto conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism," Trump had said at the summit.

During their meeting Bajwa offered renewed assurances that Pakistan would not permit its territory to be used to plan or conduct attacks against Afghanistan, the

statement said.

The ambassador and Bajwa reiterated their nations' commitment to a secure, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan, it said.

The statement said that Hale also affirmed Pakistan's role and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing safe haven to the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network and other terror groups.

Islamabad on the other hand blames Kabul for hosting Jamaatul Ahrar and other militants responsible for carrying out a wave of attacks in February that killed 130 people across Pakistan.
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

S

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
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Sunday that the United States may be "milking" Saudi Arabia of $480 billion after Washington signed major deals with Tehran's Gulf rival.

"Iran  fresh from real elections  attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?" Zarif tweeted.

Iranfresh from real electionsattacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B? pic.twitter.com/ahfvRxK3HV  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 21, 2017

It was the first Iranian reaction to US President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, and comes after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's re-election to a second term.

With inputs from AFP
Nokia is rumored to announce high-end smartphones in coming months. Now, live images of one of the phones that is said to be Nokia 9, has surfaced thanks to frandroid.com. Along with the images, the publication has also shared some important specifications of the phone.

The images dont show off the prototype phone completely but only highlights some of its parts. It looks like the phone is covered with a case in order to hide the design however, we can clearly see the dual rear camera setup along with LED flash. All flagships this year are sporting dual rear cameras and looks like Nokia 9 will not be an exception. The power button and volume rockers are present on the right side.

The Nokia 9 is expected to feature a 5.3-inch QHD (1440x 2560 pixels) display. It is said that the display offers 530-nits of brightness and there is an always on feature as well. A physical home button is present at the bottom the display with two capacitive home buttons on either side. This button will most likely double up as a fingerprint sensor.

A USB Type C port is present at the bottom along with the microphone. The phone is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and will run Android 7.1. Coming to the dual rear camera, Nokia 9 will pack two 13MP rear camera that offer monochrome view, color view or a snapshot using both sensors. The dual rear camera setup is vertical and is followed by LED flash. Moreover, the report also says that the smartphone will likely be shipped with earphones, a charger capable of delivering 5V to 2.5A, 9V to 2A or 12V at 1.5A and a Quick Charge 3.0 charger.

The Nokia 9 is rumored to be priced at $700. It is safe to say that more details of the phones design and specification will keeping surfacing in coming days.

Source
CHRIS PETER

DURING THE TIME OF OUR ANCESTORS, pig killing ceremonies were well known throughout Papua New Guinea, especially in the Highlands.

The pig killing ceremony is usually held during bride price ceremonies, election periods and on special occasions related to traditional beliefs, but the pigs killed on these occasions are not as many as the true pig killing ceremonies of before.

In the Highlands there were two signs of a forthcoming pig killing ceremony. The first is the cutting of trees and the assembling of firewood on hilltops. The other is the blowing of bamboo flutes.

Cutting trees and assembling firewood was a signal to inform the leaders of every tribe to prepare for the ceremony. The bamboo flutes were a signal for the women to dress in traditional bilas and come with bilums of food, and with pigs. Men normally carried bundles of sugarcane and bananas into the central part of the village.

On their way, the men blew their bamboo flutes in different styles and the women sang and danced.

The melodies from the bamboo flutes and the songs which were sung in the tribal dialect brought the different tribes together to exchange their food.

After two days or so, all the men from each tribe went to the nearby forest to cut trees and pitpit. Women went to the grasslands and collected kunai.

With this material they built three houses: a hausman for all the tribal leaders and their followers, a hausmeri for the women and children; and finally a house used for all the pigs brought by the different tribes.

When the houses were complete, the pigs were killed. Some were given to the masalai or spirits so there would be no disturbance from them.

When the people wanted to begin the main pig killing ceremony, they waited for fine weather. Then they started to slaughter the pigs.

When the pigs had been slaughtered the internal body parts - like the stomach, liver and heart - were taken by the women to a nearby creek to be washed and prepared for the mumu.

The main pig carcasses were prepared by men from different tribes. Then the raw pork was gathered with vegetables and greens, like ferns, and put into the mumu pit for cooking.

When the pork was cooked and ready, the big men of each tribe gathered and started the occasion with speeches.

They praised some of their neighbouring tribes and shamed or discouraged other tribes for not meeting expectations. In the end they called for their friends and families to come together and share the meal.

The pork was shared among individuals or groups according to status or by how special each person was to the owner of the meat.
Boeing (NYSE:BA) announced Sunday it had inked deals for both military and passenger aircraft with Saudi Arabia while President Trump visits the country.

The company said the country intends to order purchase P-8 maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (based on Boeings 737), and has agreed to buy Chinook helicopters and guided weapons systems.

Additionally, Boeing said it would negotiate the sale of up to 16 widebody airplanes to SaudiGulf Airlines. The airline began operating last year and currently uses a fleet of Airbus aircraft.

Boeing also said it would enter a joint venture with Saudi Arabia to provide sustainment services for a range of military platforms, supporting the kingdoms aerospace industry through its Vision 2030 plan. The initiative is based on three themes which includes a vibrant society, thriving economy and an ambitious nation, and aims to connect three continentsAfrica, Asia and Europe in an effort to boost international trade.

These announcements reaffirm our commitment to the economic growth, prosperity and national security of both Saudi Arabia and the United States, helping to create or sustain thousands of jobs in our two countries, said Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who also participated in the Saudi-U.S. CEO Forum.
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon announced Monday, a $17 million, five-year commitment to help teens across the U.S. find summer work.

The move is part of the firms more than $325 million global investment to equip young adults with the skills and experiences needed to help put them on a path to greater economic mobility later in life.

Its a moral and economic crisis that too many young people graduate high school without clear pathways to good jobs, Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase said in a statement.

We must make it a national priority to provide youth with the skills they need to succeed, and this starts by providing them with meaningful summer work. Our Summer Youth Employment Program does just that by exposing more students to jobs that teach them the skills they need to find careers in growing industries later on.

The company said $3 million of the $17 million investment will go to various organizations in 19 U.S. cities this summer to provide training and work experiences for young people. Some of those cities include Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Boston, MA; and Fort Lauderdale, FL.

However, according to a 2016 survey conducted by JPMorgan, the demand for summer employment remains higher than the number of available job opportunities. The report also found that the summer employment rate for teens across the U.S. has fallen to 34 percent, a near record low and a 20 percentage point drop since 1995. Though despite the creation of more summer gigs, only approximately 38% of teens and young adults were able to find work.

JPMorgan also predicts that by 2025, 65% of jobs in the U.S. will require some postsecondary education, training or credentialthat number is up from 28% of jobs in the 1970s.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer and demanded that Tehran immediately cease military and financial backing of "terrorists and militias".

In stressing threats from Iran, Trump echoed a theme laid out during weekend meetings in Saudi Arabia with Muslim leaders from around the world, many wary of the Islamic Republic's growing regional influence and financial muscle.

Trump has vowed to do whatever necessary to broker peace betweenIsrael and the Palestinians, dubbing a peace accord "the ultimate deal". But ahead of his Holy Land visit, he gave little indication of how he could revive talks that collapsed in 2014.

Trump will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Tuesday and the Palestinian leader said he hoped the meeting could be "useful and fruitful ... (and) will bring results".

But in the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinians rallied against Trump and burned his picture and an effigy of him.

Trump received a warm welcome in Riyadh from Arab leaders, especially over his tough line on Tehran, which many Sunni Muslim Arab states regard as seeking regional control.

In Jerusalem, in public remarks after talks with Israeli leaders on the first day of his two-day visit, he again focused on Iran, pledging he would never let Tehran acquire nuclear arms.

"What's happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel," Trump said at a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin.

In his comments to Netanyahu, Trump mentioned a growing Iranian influence in conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, where it either backs Shi'ite fighters or has sent its own forces.

Trump said there were opportunities for cooperation across the Middle East: "That includes advancing prosperity, defeating the evils of terrorism and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering."

He also welcomed what he said was Netanyahu's commitment to pursuing peace and renewed his pledge to achieve a deal.

Netanyahu, in his remarks, did not mention the word "Palestinians", but spoke of advancing "peace in our region" with Arab partners helping to deliver it.

Israel shares the antipathy many Arab states have toward Iran, seeing the Islamic Republic as a threat to its existence.

"I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran which you enunciated so clearly," Netanyahu, who had an acrimonious relationship with former U.S. President Barack Obama, told Trump at his official residence.

Trump, who is on his maiden foreign trip since taking office in January, urged Iran to cease "its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias".

REGIONAL STABILITY

Iran's newly re-elected, pragmatist president, Hassan Rouhani, said regional stability could not be achieved without Iranian help, and accused Washington of supporting terrorism with its backing for rebels in Syria.

He said the summit in Saudi Arabia "had no political value, and will bear no results".

"Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran? Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Syria. But who funded the terrorists?"

Rouhani noted the contrast between young Iranians dancing in the streets to mark the re-election of a leader seeking detente with the West, and images of Trump meeting with a galaxy of Arab autocrats, some of whose countries have spawned the Sunni militants hostile to Washington and Tehran alike.

He also said Iran would continue a ballistic missile program that has already triggered U.S. sanctions, saying it was for defensive purposes only.

Trump's foreign tour comes in the shadow of difficulties at home, where he is struggling to contain a scandal after firing James Comey as FBI director nearly two weeks ago. The trip ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

In Jerusalem's walled Old City, Trump toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest place where Israel allows Jews to pray in a city sacred to three religions.

Trump will have visited significant centers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity by the end of his trip, a point that his aides say bolsters his argument that the fight against Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil".

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Richard Lough and Alison Williams)
The Trump administration and the U.S. House of Representatives put off a major ruling on the future of ObamaCare subsidies Monday, telling a federal court they will need more time to decide how to proceed as the GOP awaits a score on its revamped health care bill this week.

The subsidies in question, known as cost-sharing reductions, are paid to insurance companies to compensate them for care given to low income individuals. About 7 million people on the exchanges in 2017 qualified for these subsidiesor 58 percent of enrollees, according to government data. Through the end of fiscal year 2016, more than $13 billion in CSR payments were made to insurers, according to the IRS budget office.

The GOP-lead House of Representatives brought the suit against the Obama administration about three years ago under the guise that the payments were not authorized by Congress and therefore should be considered unconstitutional. The government appealed a ruling by a District Court that sided with the GOP.

Until a decision is made, the Trump administration will continue paying these subsidies to insurers. Last month, the ousted Molina Health (NYSE:MOH) CEO, Dr. J. Mario Molina, threatened to completely pull out of the exchanges if the government did not continue funding cost-sharing reductions. As one of the largest insurers on the exchanges, Dr. Molina told FOX Business at the end of April the marketplace would collapse under those circumstances.

Multiple insurance companies, including Aetna (NYSE:AET) and Humana (NYSE:HUM) have already pulled out of the ObamaCare exchanges due to the damaging costs. Additionally, Anthem (NYSE:ANTM) also announced it intends to pull out of most, if not all, of the marketplaces is currently participates in by 2018.

Meanwhile, the House has advanced a GOP-led measure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as the American Health Care Act, which is expected to be sent to the Senate for a vote after receiving a cost analysis by Wednesday from the Congressional Budget Office. The new health care bill would phase out CSRs by 2020.
In an interview Sunday on CBS Face the Nation, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio reacted to calls for less drama from the White House saying thats what the American people voted for.

But In Trump We Trust author Ann Coulter took issue with Rubio, telling the FOX Business Networks Stuart Varney, Its preposterous because, I mean, to blame the chaos on Trump himself, no, hes being viciously, violently attacked because he took on both political parties.

Asked if Trump deserves some of the responsibility because of his tweets and comments he has made off the cuff, Coulter reacted, No, I love the tweets. Almost everything that everyone else dislikes about Trump are what I consider his strong points.

Coulter says by battling with the president, the media is losing its power and influence.

I dont think they have as much power as they did when they took out President Nixon, so part of their rage is that theyre losing their power because of the internet. But no, I dont think they will ever stop.

Coulter then issued a warning to Trump if he didnt keep his promises, saying, I hope Trump notices that if he doesnt keep his promises Republicans will be wiped out in the midterm elections, Democrats will have the House of Representatives and they absolutely will impeach him.

Coulter puts much of the blame on Congressional Republicans for stalling President Trumps agenda.

Of course I blame the Republicans in Congress the most, but we always knew that. I knew they were traitors, again, working for the lobbyists, the Chamber of Commerce and Wall Street and not for the American people. And we knew that Trump would have a tough road to hoe. But he was supposed to go down and be a bull in a china shop and were still waiting.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Monday there is great opportunity for striking a lasting peace deal in the Middle East thanks to President Trumps first foreign trip to the area.

If Trump came to the region and said, put aside for the new term, put aside human rights, put aside promoting democracy, we want to focus on fighting radical Islamic terrorism without mentioning the word radical, and focus on cornering or countering the Iranian nuclear aspirations, Barak told FOX Business Liz Claman.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded President Trumps new policy on Iran and the administrations bold decision to act against the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

I want to tell you also how much we appreciate the reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East, Netanyahu said during joint remarks with Trump.

On Saturday, Trump inked a $110 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia to strengthen the alliance between the two countries against ISIS. Despite his displeasure of the U.S.-Saudi Arabian multi-billion-dollar deal, Barak said it is part of the reality of the new Middle East.

We have to cease the opportunity to try to reach this understanding with the wider region about the common objective, but that cannot fly without Israel and the Palestinians finding a way move forward on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, he said.

When asked whether he was worried if new leadership in Saudi Arabia would be a threat to the Holy Land, Barak said, I am worried, but America is committed to Israeli equality to military edge.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new addition to his race car graveyard on his North Carolina farm.

Its Wonder Woman  or at least whats left of her paint scheme on the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford driven by Danica Patrick recently at Kansas Speedway, where it was the unfortunate centerpiece of a fiery, violent wreck.

Patricks car was destroyed in the accident that also took out the cars of fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Joey Logano and Aric Almirola, leaving Almirola with a compression fracture in his back.

Earnhardt long ago started collecting wrecked race cars that he places in his graveyard on his expansive property. He said he was contacted by a member of Patricks team who offered to contribute the Wonder Woman car.

Meanwhile, it also led to a brief but humorous Twitter exchange between Earnhardt and former Cup driver Mark Martin, who questioned if perhaps it was time for Earnhardt to consider retiring his farm truck to said graveyard.
The ritual began when arlba tandagme, the village spy, reported to the chief that there was surplus of pigs.

The surplus pigs signalled to the people that it was time to thank all those who had helped in raising the pigs and offsetting the debt in pig meat.

This ritual became extinct when Christianity was introduced. It was observed when people saw that there was a surplus of pigs in the pigs huts and the womenfolk were having a hard time looking after them.

THE buga bolum or thanksgiving ritual in the Kuman Nagane dialect was the centre of the famous pig killing ceremony practiced by the Mitnade people of the Gembogl District in Simbu province.

The chief called for the kua ombuno (bird call initiation) which acted like the official launching of the pig killing ceremony. Young boys aged seven to 14 met the birds ancestor for the first time and had their ears and noses pierced before the call of the mourning dove was played on the kuakumba (bamboo flute).

The blowing of the mourning doves call on the kuakumba acted like a jingle for the pig killing. This call was used because of its soft, low, cooing pitch which signals a warning, good and bad news together in that one call.

When the mourning doves call is heard, everyone went into hiding. It was believed that if they saw the flute played, their pigs would become malnourished, a disgrace and an embarrassment to the family concerned.

While the kua ombuno initiation was in progress, the older men and male youths of the village wandered into the forest to cut the paipai trees for use in the pig killing ceremony. The wood was carried to a mountain ridge and left to dry in the sun.

Paipai wood is white in colour and when spread on the mountain slope the landscape is as white as snow. The white wood on the slopes also acted as an advertisement for the pig killing.

After gathering the paipai, a special hut was built for the buga bolum. A yomba or mondo tree similar to a kwila was used as the pillar post. Attached to it was a mushroom-shaped frame covered with special bush ferns.

Four posts supported the frame but the hut had no walls. And buried beneath the pillar post was a magic stone believed to possess super natural powers for breeding pigs. The thanksgiving ritual was performed in that hut.

Buga kurak, or the offering of the pigs heart to the spiritual beings, was observed after the completion of the buga bolum hut. This rite was always done in pairs because the people believed the partnership system brought harmony and success.

The buga kurak rite acted as an official invitation to the spiritual beings. The people believed the spirits helped raise the pigs and deserved to be acknowledged and invited to the buga bolum.

The biggest and the fattest pig was slaughtered and its heart taken to a sacred ground oven away from the village.

The heart was wrapped in a soft breadfruit leaf and placed on the hot stones. This was to allow the blood from the heart to drop onto the stones. The pigs heart symbolised love and care and the blood symbolised life.

A chant was cited: Good spirits, we have all worked together in raising the pig. We now bring this heart so we can eat it together and continue to raise more pigs in the future.

The pair doing the rite served and ate the cooked pigs heart. The hot stones covered in cooked blood were buried neatly in the sacred ground oven. The buried stone with the cooked blood acted as the monument for the pig killing ceremony.

The ceremony continued with a traditional singsing immediately after the buga kurak.Pigs were slaughtered and cooked in ground ovens. Each family donated a part of the cooked meat to the buga bolum hut. The cooked meat, symbolic of appreciation, was piled on top of the buga bolums frame.

Then a yodel summoned the mortal and immortal beings to gather in front of the buga bolum hut. The men shouted in unison and the women hullaballooed in the Simbu way to show their approval as ende dugane (the high priest) made his entrance.

Using a ladder, he climbed to the roof of the buga bolum hut.

Then he chanted: We are eating with those who have helped in our successes and bit a piece from part of the donated meat and called out a family name.

The high priest had to eat a piece from all the donated pigs. In so doing, he accomplished the thanksgiving ritual on behalf of the mortal and immortal beings. The high priest was special and unique because he had the ability to eat a whole pig. It was a hereditary role.

Everyone returned to their huts after the ende dugane thanksgiving. In their huts they shared the remaining meat. The meat debts were offset by untying twine knots that acted as the debt record keeping system.

A knot represented different parts of the pig and each had its own value. For example, pigs legs and backbone were more valuable than the arms and skin; so there were bigger knots for the valued parts and smaller knots for the least valued parts. As each part of the pigs meat was offset a knot would be untied until all the knots are untied.

The last celebration was igum gamba beglkua, the mud fight. It was the mourning period for all the pigs that were slaughtered in the ceremony.

Everyone was covered in mud and ash and went around rubbing mud and ash on each other until evening. The cooked pigs meat was heated in the ground oven, served and eaten to complete the pig killing ceremony.

After this ritual, everyone went about their normal daily routine again in preparation for the next pig killing ceremony in seven to 14 years time.
At least 19 people were killed and around 50 others were injured Monday when an explosion rocked an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England.

Greater Manchester Police said in a statement that they were treating the blast as a "terrorist incident until police know otherwise."

Britain's terrorist threat level has been set at "severe" in recent years indicating an attack is highly likely.

British Transport Police said an explosion occurred in the foyer of Manchester Arena at 10:30 p.m., around the time the concert finished. Arena management tweeted its own statement, which said the incident took place "outside the venue in a public space."

Some witnesses reported hearing two blasts, a discrepancy that could not immediately be reconciled. Around three hours after the attack, police tweeted they would be carrying out a controlled explosion in a park near the arena.

Spokesman Joseph Carozza said Grande, who was performing at the arena as part of her "Dangerous Woman" world tour, was "okay" and added, "we are further investigating what happened."

Witnesses described panic as concertgoers rushed to get out of the arena. Video from inside the arena showed people screaming as they made their way out amid a sea of pink balloons.

Concertgoer Sasina Akhtar told the Manchester Evening News that Grande had just finished her last song when "there was an explosion behind us at the back of the arena. We saw young girls with blood on them, everyone was screaming and people were running. There was lots of smoke."

David Richardson, who attended the show with his 13-year-old daughter, told the MEN that he heard two explosions just after the show.

"It was about 40 feet behind us near one of the exits. We just thought it was people messing about then it happened again. Another explosion sounded. Then we saw the smoke. Everyone just fled."

Majid Khan, 22, said she heard a "huge bomb-like bang that hugely panicked everyone and we were all trying to flee the arena."

"Everyone was in a huge state of panic, calling each other as some had gone to the toilet whilst this had gone off, so it was just extremely disturbing for everyone there."

Another witness, Oliver Jones, 17, told Sky News he was in the bathroom when he heard "a loud bang."

"The bang echoed around the foyer of the arena and people started to run," Jones said. "I (saw) people running and screaming towards one direction and then many were turning around to run back the other way. Security was running out as well as the fans and concert goers."

Manchester Victoria station, which is under the arena, was also evacuated and all trains were canceled, though there were no initial reports of injuries there.

Stranded concertgoers reportedly were waiting for rides home in nearby bars and hotels. Sky News reported that some city taxi drivers were offering free rides to help clear traffic out of the city center.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham tweeted a message urging people to follow the Twitter hashtag "RoomforManchester" if they were in need of a place to stay.

The Dangerous Woman Tour is the third concert tour by Grande to support her third studio album, Dangerous Woman. From Manchester the tour was to move through Europe, including Belgium, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and France, through the summer with stops in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and on to Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia and more.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Billy Bush doesnt say much about his former employer, NBC, in his in-depth interview with The Hollywood Reporter but he does claim that "plenty of people" at NBC knew about the 2005 tape that featured him and Trump discussing women in a lewd manner.

The audio was published by the Washington Post on Oct. 7, 2016, just two days before the second presidential debate between then-candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Many questioned the timing of the leak, speculating that politics played a role in the release of the years-old recordings.

Though Bush said little else about his employers knowledge of the damaging tapes, his brother Jonathan spoke out against the network.

Jonathan Bush lamented to The Hollywood Reporter, "NBC News and [their] crocodile outrage: 'We are so disappointed with Billy. I think Billy was angry, notwithstanding his own devils to reckon with. You build an identity and reputation over 15 years, and you lose it over 15 hours. And you don't get to be part of it. You don't get to say, 'Hey, wait a minute.'"

BILLY BUSH SPEAKS OUT ABOUT TRUMP TAPE

Billy Bush admitted to The Hollywood Reporter he would have liked to address his "Today" show viewers as the scandal broke.

"I would have welcomed addressing the audience.

Sources told The New York Post after the tape leaked that Bush was bragging about the existence of the recording of a conversation between him and Trump.

I never shared knowledge of the tape with anyone who didn't already know of its existence. And that was plenty of people, he said.

NBC did not immediately return Fox News request for comment regarding who at the network may have known about the tape.

Bush said he was shown the tape three days before the rest of the world heard it.

Looking back on what was said on that bus, I wish I had changed the topic. I wish I had said: Does anyone want water? or It looks like its gonna rain, Bush admitted.
Although Anthony Bourdain may have adopted New York City as his headquarters, even the travel guru doesnt know everything about the seemingly never-ending metropolis.

On Sunday nights episode of Parts Unknown, Bourdain explored the boroughs diverse ethnic, cultural and, of course, culinary scenes.

Queens was recently named one of the best food capitals of the world for its diverse collection of restaurants. Its also got more languages within its borders than anywhere else in the world.

Bourdains whirlwind tour from coast to coast highlights some of the boroughs must-see (and must-eat) spots.

Bourdain arrives at the Roosevelt Avenue subway station to eat Ecuadorian food at one of the many food carts along the street. The street food scene is rich in Queens, and visitors should not have any problem finding treats  just follow the scents.

Later in his journey, Bourdain shares a Korean meal in Flushing with two of Queenss best restaurateurs: Joshua Smookler of the delectable, bone-warming Mu Ramen and Cosme Aguilar of Casa Enrique, the only Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant in the city. (Their two restaurants are located in Long Island City, not far from MoMAs contemporary art satellite MoMA PS1.) Flushing is home to a particularly good line-up of Asian eateries. Visitors should stop in the neighborhood to take part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony.

Further in Queens, Bourdain dines at one of Jackson Heights best known eateries Lhasa Fast Food  a Tibetan joint shoved between two electronics shops  with Himanshu Kumar Suri, half of the hip-hop group Swet Shop Boys. (The other half of the group is Riz Ahmed of newly found Star Wars fame, by the way.) Elsewhere in Jackson Heights, the Jackson Diner is one of the citys best-loved places for Indian food. Theres an all-you-can-eat buffet that sets visitors back only $10.

Bourdain also makes a stop at Neirs Tavern  a bar which many may have already seen without ever realizing it. Part of Goodfellas was filmed in the bar, which dates back to the late 1800s.

At the very tip of Queens, Bourdain visits the Rockaways, exploring the beach communitys devastation after Hurricane Sandy and the gentrification that threatens to take over. The beach is one of the best escapes for New Yorkers who feel trapped in the city.

Visitors (and locals) who want to follow Bourdains lead and venture through all of Queenss diverse neighborhoods are probably best served by buying a subway pass. Be sure to delve into the wealth of culture from all around the world concentrated in Queens by doing something immersive like taking a cooking class.

But those who are nervous should relax and take a note from Bourdain. During his visit, while eating Jamaican beef patties and losing money at a horse race, he proclaimed the whole borough of Queens to be a judgement free zone.
With over 70 movie roles to his name, actor Danny Trejo can also add taco and donut shop entrepreneur to his credits.

It began in Los Angeles with the opening of Trejos Tacos in March 2016, then expanded to a mobile operation-- Trejos Truck-- and Trejos Cantina. Now, the Pacoima, Calif. natives latest endeavor, Trejos Coffee & Donuts, which opened May 17, showcases a sweeter side of traditional Mexican flavors.

Trejo told Fox News he feels blessed every day to be able to do what he loves as an actor and also to open and operate restaurants  something he and his late mother had always wanted to do.

With clever donut names like Gringo, Abuelita, O.G., Lowrider, and of course the "Machete," Trejo's Coffee features more sophiscated pastry flavors than your average Krispy Kreme. If it takes off, the From Dusk Till Dawn" stars food company could make Trejos brand worth $100 million, according to Eater. A spokesperson for Trejo's food company says they now employ over 100 people.

BEHOLD THE WILDLY COLORFUL SUSHI DONUT

The actor is set to open two more Trejo's Taco locations this year and maintain his presence at every Rams home game (he's an avid fan) with Trejo's Taco truck.

Trejo has been playing some rough characters on-screen for over 30 years, but in real life, he was a pretty serious bad guy. He started doing drugs at 8-years-old, heroin by 12, went from juvenile hall and for 11 years, he was in and out of jail -- then finally a stint at San Quentin prison. He was released in 1969 at 25-years-old.

Fox News spoke with the 73-year-old Trejo about his recently opened shop in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, his commitment to hiring at-risk youth and why he chose to fearlessly throw himself into the city's increasingly crowded donut scene.

Fox News : Youre a successful actor, arguably one of Hollywoods most prolific, so why go into the food industry?

Danny Trejo: My mom was a great cook. When my family was absolutely dead broke she could go the cupboard and whip up some meal with two boxes of stuff. We always joked about starting a restaurant, but my dad, he was like the Mexican Archie Bunker [a fictional character from the 1970s American television sitcom All in the Family]. Every time we talked about a restaurant, he would say,"Hey, we got a kitchen right there. Why dont you whip us up a blue plate special?" This was the 50s and women didnt work. So, we would always joke and talk about a Trejos tacos, but that was it.

Then I was doing a film called Bad Ass and the producer was a guy named Ash [Ash R. Shah]. He saw that I was a foodie, so, he said "Why dont you start a restaurant?" I said, "Yeah, Trejos Tacos." But then he came to me with a business plan. I have two women I work with, because behind every good man, there better be a great woman. I showed the plan to my agent and secretary, and they looked over it. They said this was the first business plan that someone brought to me that I didnt have to put up $500,000 for.

We started it with Trejos Tacos and it soared. Then Trejos Truck, then Trejo's Cantina, and now Trejos Coffee & Donuts, and weve sold out of the donuts every day since weve opened.

Fox News: Why the donuts and coffee?

Danny Trejo: California is a donut spot and I love the police. Theyre the first ones in in the morning. The LAPD pick up a dozen and take them back to the station. Theyre so cool. They dont accept anything for free.

SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS

Fox News: Why do you think your food businesses have been so successful?

Trejo: People ask me if its because Im a celebrity that my places are popular. I say, "Well, they may come in because of that, but the food better be good if you want them to come back." Ive known celebrities whove started restaurants, but then they fold because people think they can just live on the celebrity name, and you cant. Its got to be good food.

Our concept was that maybe theres seven or eight people all heading out for a meal, but inevitably someone is a vegan, or cant eat gluten, so you have a hard time finding a restaurant. Weve got gluten-free, weve got vegetarian, weve got vegan, and then we have our regular carne asada, carnitas and pulled-pork tacos. Weve got three menus.

I started with gluten-free because Ive got two step-kids whore autistic. And I started working with them and a doctor told me that gluten isnt good for autistic kids. So, we have a gluten-free menu. Parents bring their kids in so they can all eat dinner together. Weve also got gluten-free donuts available as well.

Fox News: Any cool projects coming up?

Danny Trejo: Next month, were opening a Trejos Cantina next to the Pasadena Playhouse. In August were opening in the University Southern California (USC) Village, and I want to open one in the new Rams stadium in Inglewood.

Right now Im doing a film called Social Security. Its like a Die Hard in a senior citizen home. We want to get a lot of actors who havent worked for a while because of their age. You know in Hollywood, once you hit 40, if you havent already got a name, youre not working -- and its worse if youre a woman. Id love to get Betty White to hit someone in the head with a bed pan. I just finished a movie called Margarita Man.

Fox News: You stay in good shape. How do you work off the donuts?

Danny Trejo: I walk. I lift a lot of weights. Ive got to stay at 180 pounds.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Fox News: Are you still working with Los Angeles communities facing drug addiction problems?

Trejo: I still work for Western Pacific Med Corp. [a narcotic treatment center] that detoxes heroin patients. We go to schools and talk to young people. The reality is that the good Lord put me in this position to be a spokesman. When you work with young people, first you have to get their attention. Thats impossible because they have none. Then you have to keep their attention. And thats impossible because they have none. You have to show them that youre cool, but if youre ten years older than them, you automatically lose your cool.

My message is that alcohol and drugs will ruin your life and education is the key to anything you want to do.

The gift the good Lord has given me is that when I walk onto a campus, I have everybodys attention. Not Danny Trejo, but the guy from Heat, Desperado, if youre Mexican, the guy from Blood In, Blood Out, or Spy Kids, that guy has their attention. They want to hear what I have to say.

Fox News: Do you employ some of the recovering addicts in your restaurants?

Trejo: Our restaurants are full of what we call second chancers. Theyre all people whove been in some kind of trouble, but now theyre great. They go through our training. I tell them its your job to keep them [customers] coming back.
You probably dont give your breasts much thought every day. But if you notice they look different from a friends, you might have questions, including what these "odd" breast things might say about your health. In fact, boob variation is pretty typical from woman to woman. That said, its important to know what is and isnt worth getting checked out. Heres what falls into the realm of completely normal, plus when you should talk to a doctor.

1. Your boobs are lumpy.

Some women just have lumpy breasts. Therese Bartholomew Bevers, MD, FAAFP, a professor of clinical cancer prevention and medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center and prevention outreach programs at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, likened breasts to a bag of peas. It feels naturally lumpy, but women should be looking out for change, if there is something different that you never noticed before, she tells SELF. A concerning lump may also feel different from the other lumps in your breast. If you were feeling a bag of peas and a rock was in there, thats a different feeling lump, Bevers said.

You shouldn't panic and assume its cancer if you suddenly feel a new lump: Susan Hoover, MD, FACS, a surgical oncologist in the Breast Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, told SELF that some women form breast cysts that are usually benign (meaning noncancerous) that can also make breasts feel lumpy. But it's very important to feel your breasts regularly so you can flag any new changes to your doctor. As Richard Reitherman, MD, PhD, medical director of breast imaging at MemorialCare Breast Center at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, urged, Examine them frequently so you know all the nuances."

2. You have sore boobs.

Usually this just means youre about to have your period or are on your period, and it should go away on its own each month, Hoover said. But, she added, breast soreness can be related to caffeine from coffee, sodas, and chocolate, as well as a badly fitted bra. Bevers said breast soreness is very common, noting that doctors may not even find the cause of the pain  it can just go away one day. But, if youre suffering from sore boobs, Hoover recommended using a heating pad on your breasts and making sure your bra fits well. (If youve recently gained or lost weight, it might be time for a new size, she said.)

In rare cases, sore breasts can be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer, but Bevers said its typically accompanied by other symptoms, like breast swelling and puckered skin that resembles the surface of an orange.

Related: 8 awesome things every woman should know about her boobs

3. You have bumps on your boobs.

The vast, vast, vast majority of these are totally normal skin issues, Reitherman told SELF. Bevers agreed. Very commonly, bumps on the breast are not a breast problem, but more a skin problem, like a sebaceous cyst, she said. You may also notice bumps around your nipple, which are known as Montgomerys glands  those are totally normal.

But if you notice scaliness, redness, and itchiness on your nipple or breast, point it out to your doctor  it could be a sign of a rare type of breast cancer known as Pagets disease.

4. One boob is bigger than the other.

Totally normal, womens health expert Jennifer Wider, MD, told SELF. Its quite common for breasts to be slightly different sizes, she said. Most people wouldn't notice the difference, but it occurs in more than half of all women. This typically happens when your breasts are developing, but you can also gain or lose more size in one boob versus the other with weight gain and loss, Bevers said.

But if you find that one breast is suddenly larger than the other and youre not sure why, flag it for your doctor. Asymmetry can be a sign of breast cancer because a large mass could make one breast look larger than the other, Bevers said. (However, she noted, if this is the case, you normally would be able to feel a lump.)

Related: Why you should touch your boobs more often

5. You have stretch marks on your breasts.

Like stretch marks in other parts of your body, boob stretch marks are just a part of life. These usually happen when your breasts grow during a quick weight gain (like pregnancy) and can even happen when your breasts are developing in puberty, Jaime Lewis, MD, medical director for Breast Surgical Services at UC Health in Cincinnati and assistant professor of surgery at UC College of Medicine, told SELF. You're not the only one with boob stretch marks: Reitherman said they're very common.

Related: 9 weird nipple things that are completely normal

6. You have some skin tone variation.

Just like the skin on the rest of your body, its pretty normal for the skin on your boobs to vary in color. Lewis said your breasts skin tone can change due to hormones, sun exposure, and even medication. The vast majority of skin discolorations are nothing, Reitherman said. Still, if you have a skin tone variation on your boobs and it doesnt go away, it's not a bad idea to ask your doctor about it. Its probably more likely to be a skin problem than an actual breast problem, but it doesnt hurt to have it checked out, Bevers said.

Doctors stress that, when in doubt, you should always have whatever weird breast things you notice checked out. While it could be something, its likely nothing. It just doesnt hurt to ask.
The American Revolution  American Revolution I  was fought to secure independence from British colonialists.

American Revolution II is being fought today to undermine the presidency of Donald Trump and return to a corporate structure the Left finds desirable. So profound is the difference between the Left and the rest that there isnt any issue that merits separation.

The call for revolution is heard in the political precincts of the Democratic Party where the prevailing sentiment is Resistance. No matter the issue  even when Trumpians try to appease Dems with their modified version of ObamaCare  the response is rejection.

One might assume that on matters such as national security, the revolutionary guard might be willing to compromise at least temporarily, but you would be wrong. The fight is relentless.

Most Americans who do not read the New York Times are unaware of the deep schism in the political arena. Trump is regarded as anathema. For the Revolutionaries, the 2016 election was illegitimate despite Trumps Electoral College victory. The Left cannot be disabused of this notion.

In fact, like most Revolutionaries, they have challenged all of the existing institutions and assumptions about the past. The radical agenda that worries about where grown men should urinate has taken its battle to every corner of the culture. Trump made a point of challenging political correctness which the Left translates as racist, but for average Americans, Trumps position resonates as common sense.

Even gestures designed to forestall attacks within the United States  like the immigration ban from eight war-torn nations where documentation of new arrivals doesnt exist  were interpreted as a blanket ban against Muslims, and yet another illustration of the Presidents bigotry.

In the febrile mindset of the Revolutionaries, Trump is a danger  presumably a danger to the Republic itself  though they are the ones promoting violence on American campuses when voices are invited that challenge left-wing suppositions about the nation. The Revolutionary even works to undermine the First Amendment, once the bulwark of radical sentiment. Now the view is submit or be chastened by revolutionary hostility.

Despite the claim by Pollyannaish analysts, this movement will not pass any time soon. Trump is and will remain the target until he is out of office. For the Revolutionary, all acts are permitted since Trump brought fascism to Amerika. Of course, most of the self-described Robespierres could not possibly define the evil that drips so naturally from their lips. Trump is the embodiment of the evil and every act, however benign, is further evidence of fascistic leanings.

On a moments notice the Revolutionaries can be roused to action. Intersectionality or the left-wing alliance network has fostered ties among unlikely bedfellows. For example, Black Lives Matter has joined with the Muslim Brotherhood to condemn Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

As is the case in past revolutions, radicals often devour their own. We are not in that stage yet. But the cultural signals are synchronized from Stephen Colbert to Whoopi Goldberg for a very unpleasant unfolding of this revolutionary cycle with many getting hurt and the Republic weakened.

In the case of American Revolution I the umbilical cord was cut, but America grew strong; in the case of American Revolution II the nations institutions are being tested and it is hard to see a positive outcome over the horizon.
To her credit, First Lady Melania Trump did not wear hijab, a head covering, when she accompanied her husband the president on their recent state visit to Saudi Arabia.

Her head was bare, her hair was long, she was proudly, determinedly, naked-faced--and she wore elegant, flowing, pants.

Women have been killed in The Kingdom and in parts of the Muslim world for appearing like this in public.

Imprisoning women in moving sensory deprivation isolation chambers is a violation of basic human rights.

Melania lived. These rules don't apply to her nor should they.

In my view, they should not apply to Saudi women either. After all, burying women alive in public, imprisoning them in moving sensory deprivation isolation chambers, is a violation of basic human rights.

Please recall: In 2016, when Iran held American sailors captive in the Persian Gulf, that they forced the sole female Navy sailor to don hijab on board. This is how Barbary pirates once treated their captured Christian female slaves.

Adopting, willingly, such non-Western customs which subordinate and hobble women or voluntarily "pretending" that one is a Muslim when that isn't the case  this is typical dhimmi behavior. In other words, to appease the aggressor, to stave off punishment or death, infidels trapped in Muslim lands (Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, the wrong kind of Muslims), have, and still do, pre-emptively obey Sharia law or tribal customs.

Melania, like First Lady Michelle Obama before her, did not conduct herself as so many other high-profile Western non-Muslim women have in the past. Both politicians and celebrities -- Hillary and Chelsea Clinton on a visit to Yasser Arafat; Condoleezza Rice on a visit to Tajikistan; Laura Bush on a visit to Saudi Arabia; Madonna, three Kardashian sisters, and Rihanna, etc.  have foolishly donned hijab as a gesture of respect for this custom which subordinates women.

However, Clinton, Rice, and Bush, and more recently the UKs Teresa May and Germanys Angela Merkel, have also gone bare-headed in visits to Saudi Arabia. They do not seem to be following a consistent script.

Pay attention: the Saudis did not seem offended by the bare faces and heads of the First Lady, Melania, and First Daughter Ivanka Trump.

And why is that? Perhaps one reason is we can be reasonably sure the Saudis really liked President Trumps deal of $110 billion worth of radar systems, artillery, tanks, armored personnel carriers, ships, patrol boats, Blackhawk helicopters, missiles and missile defense systems.

Another reason could be President Trump describing the 9/11 attacks on America as barbaric and referring to the devastation of the Boston Bombing and the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando as the true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas.

Saudis might respect this view. After all, they exiled Bin Laden from the Kingdom, even as they also exported extreme Wahhabi-Sunni ideas globally.

Meanwhile, hijab-free Ivanka Trumps meeting with a group of Saudi women allowed them to appear with her in a photo, wearing only their long, black abayas and headscarfs. For a moment, they, too, were liberated from their confining face veils. And they were smiling.

I hope that Melania and Ivanka Trump continue to give Saudi women and women throughout the Islamic world more reasons to smile as they continue to follow this naked-faced script.

In his speech, the president, with his regal and bare-headed wife seated nearby, also called for promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better lifeincluding women.

Lets hope this includes acting to ban the burqa in America.
It took a while, but President Trump eventually coaxed a smile out of Pope Francis as the two polar opposites met for the first time at the Vatican Wednesday. Who could blame the pontiff for initially withholding the winning grin that has captivated much of the world since he assumed the papacy in 2013.

The two men  both of whom stunned the world by their rise to the pinnacle of power  could not be more different in their core beliefs, nor similar in their unpredictability.

The president wants to strengthen Americas borders by building a wall with Mexico; Francis has made helpless, homeless migrants his priority, and says anyone who erects barriers between people cannot be a Christian.

In one important respect Trump and the pope share a deep bond: each has disdain, if not outright disgust, for the traditions of his office.

Americas CEO has pledged to put America first and rescind trade deals that dont benefit the U.S.; the Vicar of Christ believes the most powerful nations, especially the United States, should do more to help poorer ones.

Trump has vowed to rebuild the military; the pope thinks the use of armed force is inherently immoral.

Trump was, until he became president, the poster child for self-made wealth and affluent living; Francis has called on rich people to give away their fortunes in order to attain salvation.

In one important respect, however, Trump and the pope share a deep bond: each has disdain, if not outright disgust, for the traditions of his office.

Trump has shocked official Washington with his ill-thought-out statements, his indifference to accuracy, and his savage assessment of the working press. He has managed to weld together Democrats, some Republicans, liberals and nearly all the Beltway media into a coalition dedicated to his downfall.

Francis, too, signaled instantly after his 2013 elevation to the Throne of Peter that he was a different, perhaps radical leader. He refused to move into the papal residence, made his own phone calls, expressed doubt about the Churchs centuries-old disapproval of homosexuality, rebuked, and in some cases, removed cardinals and bishops who challenged his unorthodox views. Alarmed, a few conservative members of the curia have put up resistance, bolstered by harrumphing in right-wing Catholic publications that fear Francis is going too far, too fast.

As a result of their separate eccentricities, both men deal with a constantly swirling whirlpool of rumors, resentment, rebellion and malicious leaks around them.

Trump tweets his smallest thoughts and resentments like a recluse in a dark room. Francis tosses aside Church magisterium like yesterdays newspaper. In so doing, each has shaken the foundations of the institution he was elected to preserve, while also inspiring legions of rabid supporters starved for what they view as long-overdue change.

Advance delegations worked overtime to ensure the summit would go smoothly, and initial indications are that it did. The two men had little trouble agreeing, for instance, that Christians in the Middle East needed to be protected from persecution. Whether they found any common ground on the rights of refugees and immigrants might take a while to find out.

Trump looked happy enough after his audience with the pope, calling it the honor of a lifetime. Of course, the president has been known to roll back big declarations in the past. And it remains to be seen if his good humor survives his return this weekend to Washington, where he will face a less decorous reception from his political opponents.
Setting out on his first foreign trip, President Trump said he wants to bring safety, opportunity and stability to the war-ravaged Middle East"--something many presidents have tried, but no president has done.

The President will be in Israel on May 23  an important date because its the eve of Jerusalem Day, the day Israel recaptured Jerusalem in the Six-Day War, ending 1,897 years of gentile control of the capital of Israel.

Many speculate Trump will use this opportunity to fulfill a campaign pledge to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Moving the embassy would tell the world that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, recognition Congress wanted the Clinton Administration to give in 1995.

The reason the embassy has not moved is security concerns that it would incite the Palestinians in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority remains steadfast in its efforts to retake East Jerusalem and establish it as the capital of a new Palestinian state, presumably with no Jewish residents. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently said about Jews in Jerusalem: Al-Aqsa is ours and so is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. They have no right to desecrate them with their filthy feet. We wont allow them to do so and we will do whatever we can to defend Jerusalem.

U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would have enormous diplomatic significance, but would be largely symbolic  it would change nothing on the streets of Ramallah.

Given that both Jordan and Turkey recently have warned of dire consequences if the U.S. moves its embassy, Trumps visit may or may not result in a change of address for the American ambassador. U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would have enormous diplomatic significance, but that significance would be largely symbolic. It would change nothing on the streets of Ramallah.

And those streets in Ramallah are dedicated to terrorists: among them Yahya Ayyash, the man who developed Palestinian suicide bombs; Abu Sukkar, who killed 15 innocent people when he loaded a refrigerator with explosives and detonated it in Zion Square in Jerusalem in 1975; and more recently, Muhannad Halabi, a 19-year-old Palestinian who stabbed two Israelis to death in the Old City of Jerusalem.

If Trump wants to bring stability to Israel and to the Palestinian Authority, he should follow the money the U.S. sends to the Palestinian Authority either through direct aid or through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The relief money that the U.S. and Europe send every year is the ongoing support that allows the Palestinian Authority to act as a terrorist state.

At a recent White House speech, Abbas said: Mr. President, I affirm to you that we are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace.

Yet the terrorists who kill Jews are on the public payroll: Abbas is the architect of the Palestinian Authoritys pay for slay program, in which families of terrorists receive monthly checks that increase based on the severity of the crime against Israelis. The payments equal 30 percent of the total foreign aid sent to the Palestinian Authority. If you are a U.S. citizen, these are your tax dollars at work.

In 1949, the UN designed UNRWA to help refugees of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. At the start, UNRWA supported 750,000 people; in 2017, UNRWA supports 5 million people, including the fourth and fifth generation of Palestinian Arabs who evacuated from Israel in 1948.

UNRWA operates 59 refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza; it is the largest UN agency and its largest donor is the United States. It has been rightly criticized for maintaining the refugee status of people for generations, instead of resettlement and a path to a productive life. After 68 years, it is time to look for another solution.

And for that solution, we look to President Trumps speech on May 23, the eve of Jerusalem Day, when all of Israel will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.

Recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital would send a powerful signal to Palestinian leaders, who, during his meeting with Abbas at the White House, President Trump urged to speak in a unified voice against incitement to violence and hate  to value and respect human life, and condemn all of those who target the innocent.

Whether he fulfills his campaign pledge to move the embassy or not, may God grant the President unusual wisdom and the boldness to help bring "safety, opportunity, and stability to the war-ravaged Middle East.

Gordon Robertson is the CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network, and executive producer of the upcoming film, IN OUR HANDS: The Battle for Jerusalem, in theaters for one night only on May 23.
President Trumps trip to one of the most conflicted regions in the world reveals a far-sightedness, focus and pragmatism that few detractors can discredit. Within the region - where I have traveled recently - the Presidents visit is welcomed as a thrilling and meaningful opportunity by both the people and leaders in the Middle East.

During a visit to Giza, Egypt, last month, I was approached by a number of uniformed Egyptian Army officers, Kuwaiti officers in civvies and non-military Arab men in trendy jeans, neon T-shirts and fresh-from-the-barber buzz-cuts. When I asked them what they thought of President Trump, I was greeted with beaming smiles and thumbs-up all round.

Good! Good!

When I asked them if they thought that President Trump is an enemy to Muslims, like many in the U.S. believe, they shook their heads vigorously, No. And one Egyptian Officer, speaking for his group of fellow officers, explained further: No! He is not an enemy to the Muslims. He is not an enemy to the good Muslims. He is an enemy to the bad Muslims, to Daesh (ISIS)! The berets bobbed up and down, in unison. Not one of them disagreed.

Trump's first foreign tour represents a longed-for shift in foreign policy from the eight years of the Obama Doctrine, which was viewed in the Middle East as a policy of pandering to the Shia Islamist superpower of Iran at the expense of traditional Sunni allies.

A few days later, I visited Al Azhar Universitys Observatory in Cairo and again, I asked about the American president.

We know Candidate Trump is not President Trump, I was told by one scholar and university leader.

During my time in Egypt, I repeatedly encountered similar responses: President Trump is respected and seen as a welcome change to his predecessor. And his first foreign tour represents a longed-for shift in foreign policy from the eight years of the Obama Doctrine, which was viewed in the Middle East as a policy of pandering to the Shia Islamist superpower of Iran at the expense of traditional Sunni allies.

President Trumps dramatic tour and speech condemning extremist terror is no less welcome than President Obamas speech at the University of Cairo in June 2009. Obamas speech, however  in spite of its rhetorical splendor  was not matched by action. Many of Americas traditional allies were horrified to see the Muslim Brotherhood come to power in Egypt and the U.S. seek an accommodation with Iran under Obamas leadership.

This is why President Trump has been so well received in the region. Unlike Obama, Trump is seen to possess wasta, best translated from Arabic as influence, or, more crudely, pull.

In the Middle East, wasta matters more than guns, gold or even lineage. And President Trump, with his non-rhetorical, pragmatic and business-like approach, is viewed as someone who knows where to throw his wasta.

The president arrived in Saudi Arabia as the final $100 billion of a $300 billion arms deal was finalized. The new armaments will be focused on curbing the hidden hands of Iran, both in deterring ISIS at the Kingdoms northern borders and taming the Houthi insurgency that is devastating next-door Yemen.

Days before Ramadan begins in the Muslim World, President Trumps visit indeed bodes well for a new Islamic year.

In Israel, reassurances of a U.S. commitment to contain and disempower the over-confident Islamic Republic of Iran will be welcome. An Israeli minister and a former IDF General have openly called for the assassination of Irans ally Assad after the revelation that his regime is using crematoria to conceal and/or accelerate the execution of protestors.

The contrast between President Obamas debut in the Middle East and President Trumps could not be greater. Where Obama was about oratory, Trump is about execution. Love him or hate him, President Trump leaves a besieged White House behind to find solidarity in one of the worlds most conflicted and complex regions.

As the president goes about his business  exercising Americas wasta to best effect  let us hope we Americans at home will hopefully gain a refreshing perspective, both of the Middle East, and of ourselves.
AUBURN  More than 50 SUNY administrators and faculty, local high school faculty, parents and students filled Cayuga Community College's Business and Industry Center Monday afternoon to hear State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon discuss the New York State Excelsior Scholarship.

Those in attendance had the opportunity to ask questions, voice their concerns and learn about the scholarship program, the state's tuition-free degree program. Reardon called the scholarship a "real game changer."

"The jobs of tomorrow will require more than a high school education," Reardon said. "There used to be a time in the not so distant past where you could get a high school education and you could have a good, solid job and you could take care of your family for the rest of your life. Those days are coming to a close."

Many people who attended the meeting asked questions about their own personal circumstances, such as considerations for students with disabilities.

Mick Elliott, a recent graduate of Onondaga Community College who hopes to attend SUNY Geneseo in the fall, came to the meeting to learn the "ins and outs" of the scholarship program. He asked a question about exceptions made for students who are not able to graduate on time because of lack of required classes.

Cayuga Community College President Brian Durant said SUNY makes it a priority to provide students with the classes needed to graduate on time.

Elliott said he was not completely satisfied with the answer he was given, but understands the scholarship program is still in its early stages.

The Excelsior Scholarship application will be available June 7. Eligible students will have six weeks to apply.

In order to qualify to receive the scholarship, students must live in New York state for one year prior to applying and meet a certain income criteria.

For the first year of the program, students who come from families making $100,000 or less will be eligible. The amount will increase to $110,000 for the 2018-2019 school year and increase again in 2019-2020 to $125,000.

The aspect of the scholarship program Reardon emphasized the most was the requirement that students graduate on time. According to Reardon, nine percent of students enrolled in two-year schools graduate on time, while 39 percent of students enrolled in four-year schools graduate on time.

"This scholarship is aimed at making sure students have the opportunity to go to state schools and that they graduate in a timely fashion," Reardon said. "That is the motivating factor behind this scholarship."

Students who receive the scholarship must take at least 12 credits during both the fall and spring semesters, with a total of 30 credits each academic year. Students must also maintain "good academic standing," which can vary based on the program and the school.

Students also must agree to live and work in New York state for the same number of years they received the scholarship.

Students who do not stay in New York state for the required amount of time or fail to graduate on time will have their scholarship converted to a 0-percent interest loan, which they get 10 years to pay off.

"This scholarship is like any other scholarship or grant programs alive," Reardon said. "It has parameters. They all have parameters."
Most presidents budgets are dead on arrival in Congress. It happened to Obama and Bush, and there are those who hope it happens to President Donald Trump.

That would be a huge mistake.

President Trump is submitting a budget that balances in ten years, making many of the tough choices to get the nations finances back on track without touching Social Security or making changes to Medicare beyond rooting out fraud.

Every GOP Member of Congress ran on limiting the size and scope of government, and bemoaning the ever-increasing national debt and the impact it will have on our childrens economic future must be part of Republican candidate training schools.

The truth is that in spite of all the political rhetoric, the Obama presidency, with the agreement of Congress, has left our nation $20 trillion in debt with $500 billion-plus annual deficits for as far as the eye can see. Interest due on the $20 trillion amounts to almost $500 billion annually in interest payments alone, and if left unchecked, those payments are projected to top $1 trillion within the next ten years.

Our nation must get our fiscal house in order now, or else we may never have another opportunity, and President Trump has provided a pathway to bring our nation back from the brink of insolvency. The GOP Congress should work closely with him to bring their joint visions of our nations economic priorities into law.

The truth is that in spite of all the political rhetoric, the Obama presidency, with the agreement of Congress, has left our nation $20 trillion in debt with $500 billion-plus annual deficits for as far as the eye can see.

The hard fact is that the past decades $10 trillion in deficit spending has produced the worst economic growth as measured by Gross Domestic Product in our nations history. You read that right, in the past decade our nations economy grew slower than even during the Great Depression. This stagnant, new normal, low-growth economy is leaving millions of working age people behind who have given up even trying to participate, and has led to a malaise where many doubt that the American dream is attainable.

President Trumps vision restores economic growth to a three percent rate on average  a rate that has not been reached since 2005  through a combination of regulatory and tax reform, revamped trade policies, and a downsized effective federal government focusing on job growth priorities.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney described this shift in government spending focus in an on-the-record conference call Monday as, looking through the lens of the taxpayer.

On education spending, Trump focuses on school choice funding to empower parents to make choices for their kids rather than leaving children trapped in bad schools just because they live in the wrong part of town. And to help re-engage people who have dropped out of the workforce or who are trapped in low-wage jobs, the President expands funding for apprenticeship programs that have proven successful in increasing opportunities for those who want to work.

Border security, including funding the wall on the southern border, and national defense spending are also increased so that our nation can be secure allowing the economy to grow. And the President demonstrates his commitment to veterans by upping dollars to the Department of Veterans Affairs coupled with a renewed commitment to wring out corruption and incompetency from the system. Mulvaney specifically focused on the taxpayer lens test when mentioning the Presidents commitment to ensure that disabled veterans get the assistance they need.

The Trump budget takes the bold step of ending funding for any program not currently authorized by Congress. By recognizing the basic Constitutional principle that Congress sets the programmatic priorities and it is not only irresponsible, but illegal to continue to fund programs that are not authorized to exist.

It is imperative that the GOP Congress work with the President using this budget as a guidepost, and together create a coherent spending plan which meets their joint priorities. After that agreement is reached, they should join shields and bring Senate Democrats into the negotiations, making necessary compromises to get Democratic votes without sacrificing GOP spending priorities.

Unlike the recently completed government funding debacle where Senate Minority Leader Schumer successfully institutionalized another six months of funding for Obamas agenda, President Trump and Congressional Republican leaders must call Schumers bluff that he will shut the government down. But they can only do this if they are in alignment before those negotiations begin.

The President and OMB Director Mulvaney have crafted a remarkable starting point for this process, and the GOP Congress needs to embrace it and work with them to create a spending plan that restores Americas economic growth and sets the stage for the renewal of hope for millions of Americans who believe that opportunity has been outsourced overseas.

President Trump has lit the path to restore the American dream and get our economy moving again. Now it is up to Congress to join him on that path, turning away from our current direction and the fiscal abyss that looms ahead.
President Donald Trump will arrive in Israel Monday for the second leg of his inaugural foreign trip as chief executive facing several obstacles as he strives for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal that has eluded so many of his predecessors.

Trump's two-day visit will include meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as visits to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site.

On the eve of Trump's visit, Netanyahu's Security Cabinet approved several confidence-building measures, including construction permits for Palestinians near their cities in parts of the West Bank that had previously been off limits, a senior official told the Associated Press. Under interim agreements, 60 percent of the West Bank, known as Area C, site of Israel's settlements, is under Israeli control and Palestinian development there has mostly been forbidden by Israel.

Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with protocol, the official said the package also includes economic concessions and opening the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.

White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trump's stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive. Yet Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State group (ISIS) with top Russian officials, without Israel's permission.

Israel also has expressed concern about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Trump announced Saturday in Riyadh. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant, called Saudi Arabia "a hostile country" and said the deal was "definitely something that should trouble us."

Trump's first overseas trip as president comes as the dynamics between the United States and the region's players are moving in unexpected directions.

While Israeli officials cheered Trump's election, some are now wary of the tougher line he has taken on settlements: urging restraint but not calling for a full halt to construction. Trump has retreated from a campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other presidents who have made similar promises.

Palestinians, who viewed Trump's victory with some trepidation, are said to have been pleasantly surprised by Trump's openness during a recent meeting with Abbas in Washington.

A senior official who was part of the Palestinian delegation said Trump is planning to try to relaunch peace talks, with a goal of reaching an agreement within a year. The Trump administration rejected a request from the Palestinians to push for an Israeli settlement freeze, but promised to sort out the issue during peace negotiations, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official close to Abbas, said Trump was a "serious president" who "seeks to have a real deal, not just managing the conflict."

David Friedman, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, told the newspaper Israel Hayom that Trump's goal at the start is simply "to begin a discussion that would hopefully lead to peace."

Friedman attended a celebration Sunday with Netanyahu of Israel's capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, days after the White House declined to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area.

The area is home to sensitive religious sites, including the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray. Israeli officials are on edge over the U.S refusal to say the Western Wall is part of Israel.

Israel considers the entire city to be its capital. The international community says the fate of east Jerusalem, claimed by the Palestinians, must be resolved through negotiations.

The last round of peace talks, led by then-President Barack Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, fell apart in 2014.

Trump has handed son-in-law Jared Kushner and longtime business lawyer Jason Greenblatt the assignment of charting the course toward a peace process, a departure from the practice of previous U.S. administrations that typically gave secretaries of state those responsibilities.

The low-profile Greenblatt, who spent about two decades as a lawyer at the Trump Organization before joining the White House, has traveled to the region twice since the inauguration and is in weekly contact with pivotal players from both sides.

Aaron David Miller, a Middle East peace adviser to Democratic and Republican secretaries of state, said that despite Greenblatt's positive reviews in the region, there are limits over how much influence he, or any American officials, can have over the process.

"The issue over many years has not been the mediator in the middle  it's the guys sitting on the other sides of the mediators," said Miller, now a vice president at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Israeli officials say they are largely in the dark about what ideas Trump might present for peace or what concessions he may demand. Hard-liners who dominate Netanyahu's government grew particularly concerned when White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster voiced support last week for Palestinian "self-determination."

Naftali Bennett, leader of the nationalist Jewish Home Party, lamented "a kind of change in the spirit" of Trump's positions since he was elected in November. He urged Netanyahu to reject Palestinian statehood and insist that Jerusalem remain under Israeli sovereignty forever.

While Netanyahu in the past has expressed support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, he has been vague about this goal since Trump took office.

After his stay in Israel, Trump will head to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis, to Brussels for a NATO summit and to Sicily for a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major industrial nations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Monday invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, rebuffing a subpoena for documents from a Senate panel probing Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

Flynn's attorneys said the "escalating public frenzy against him" and the Justice Department's recent appointment of a special counsel have created a legal minefield for him.

"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him," the attorneys wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Flynn's decision comes less than two weeks after the Senate intelligence committee issued a subpoena for Flynn's documents as part of the panel's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

Sources close to Flynn emphasized that the decision is not evidence of guilt or wrongdoing.

Experts say records can be viewed as testimony and that providing them could be seen as waiving Fifth Amendment constitutional protections.

Flynn has previously sought immunity from "unfair prosecution" to cooperate with the committee.

The Senate committee is one of several congressional inquiries investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 race and possible collusion between Russia and President Trump's 2016 campaign. Flynn is also the target of other congressional investigations as well as an ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe and a separate federal investigation in Virginia.

Former FBI director Robert Mueller was brought in last week to serve as special counsel overseeing the FBI's Russia investigation. This is separate from the Senate committees' work.

Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, was fired from his position as Trump's national security adviser in February. At the time, Trump said he fired Flynn because he misled senior administration officials, including the vice president, about his contacts with Russian officials.

Members of key congressional committees are pledging a full public airing as to why former FBI Director James Comey was ousted amid an intensifying investigation into Russia's interference with the U.S. election.

Comey was fired by Trump earlier this month. The former FBI director agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee after the Memorial Day holiday.

Fox News Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ahead of President Trumps two-day visit to Israel, one minister expressed concerns Sunday over the U.S. $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, which was finalized over the weekend.

Yuval Steinitz, a senior cabinet member and close confidant to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called Saudi Arabia a hostile country and added that the deal was "definitely something that should trouble us."

Steinitzs concerns came as Trump made his way to the U.S. strongest Middle Eastern ally. Trump signed the big arms deal in Riyadh on Saturday and Sunday called for unity between the U.S. and Middle Eastern nations in the fight to stamp out extremism.

Aside from talks about the deal with Saudi Arabia, Trump is expected to address several key issues with Israeli leaders, including laying the ground work for a possible peace deal with the Palestinians. Trump also plans to visit the Holocaust memorial and the Western Wall during his time in Israel.

Trump has not said how he plans to broker a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians as he seeks the so-called ultimate deal. Though, senior adviser Jared Kushner and business lawyer Jason Greenblatt have been put in charge with coming up with some sort of plan to get a deal on the table.

White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trump's stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive. Yet Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State with top Russian officials, without Israel's permission.

While Netanyahu in the past has expressed support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, he has been vague about this goal since Trump took office.

A senior official who was part of the Palestinian delegation said Trump is planning to try to relaunch peace talks, with a goal of reaching an agreement within a year.

The Trump administration rejected a request from the Palestinians to push for an Israeli settlement freeze, but promised to sort out the issue during peace negotiations, according to the official.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
You may have gotten the impression that the coverage of President Trump is kinda sorta pretty negative.

Thats not quite right: Its overwhelmingly negative. Stunningly negative. Head-shakingly negative.

Thats according to a new study by Harvards Shorenstein Center, a widely respected operation that chronicles media coverage.

And adding to the sharply negative tone is the sheer volume. Its not your imaginationDonald Trump is the most heavily covered president ever.

The center examined the coverage of Trumps first 100 days in three major papersthe New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Postand the main newscasts of CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News.



The top line figure: Some 80 percent of these stories and segments had a negative tone, 20 percent positive (beyond those that were neutral). That is bad. In fact, its twice as negative as the coverage of Barack Obamas first 100 days, and much more negative than that for George W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well.

And the differences are stark when you drill down by news organization.

At CNN and NBC, 93 percent of the stories were negative in tone toward Trump, the study says. Put another way, their main newscasts could find only 7 percent of stories worth being positive toward the president.

CBS wasnt far behind, at 91 percent negative. Then there was the New York Times (87 percent) and Washington Post (83 percent).

The Wall Street Journal clocked in at 70 percent negative.

And Fox News was, well, fair and balanced. The study found Bret Baiers Special Report to be 52 percent negative and 48 percent positive toward Trump. The network that is often derided by the rest of the media for being too pro-Trump was actually the fairest, according to the Harvard researchers.

Whats more, issues matter. Its telling that 96 percent of the coverage of immigration was negative, along with 87 percent of the coverage on health care and Russias impact on the election. Some 81 percent of the coverage on Trumps fitness for office was negative. Those are all subjects with a pretty clear media narrative. By contrast, only 54 percent of the stories on the economy were negative.

Even in the presidents best week of the period examined, when he ordered airstrikes against Syria, his coverage was 70 percent negative.

Overall, say the researchers, the coverage of President Trump was negative even by the standards of todays hyper-critical press.

And all of this resonates in a very loud echo chamber. On the national networks studied, 41 percent of the stories involved Trump. That means of everything going on in the world, more than four out of 10 stories dealt with this presidentthree times the usual level, Shorenstein says.

And Trump was the featured speaker in nearly two-thirds of these reports, talking or tweeting. So if Trump seems inescapable, he is.

Why? He drives ratings, pure and simple. Boring presidents dont rate as much airtime. And whether you like or loathe Trump, its fair to say hes never boring.
A senior White House official strongly pushed back on a Politico report claiming first lady Melania Trump has been encouraging her husband to make a change at the White House press office.

The senior administration told Fox News this is not the case, especially regarding the reported claim that she was unhappy with Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

Politico had reported that Melania Trump was growing frustrated that the presidents press aides were not doing enough to protect him. An adviser told the website that the first lady was concerned that Spicer was not doing a good job.

However, a senior administration official told Fox News that this was not the case.

The first lady joined her husband on his first foreign trip this week and plans to host her own events during the stops in the Middle East and Europe.

Fox News Serafin Gomez contributed to this report.
Vice President Pence returned Monday to Capitol Hill to pursue President Trump's legislative agenda at home as the president works to strengthen U.S. alliances abroad -- remaining perhaps Trumps most steady advocate amid a turbulent period for his administration.

Spokesman Marc Lotter told Fox News the vice president would discuss Trumps tax and 2018 budget plans during meetings with lawmakers, while downplaying the notion that Pence's past life as a House member puts him in any unique deal-making position.

The vice presidents experience on Capitol Hill  is definitely something that helps, Lotter said Monday on "America's Newsroom." But ultimately what were talking about is the presidents agenda, something that hes talked to the American people about  and something that Vice President Pence hopes to get pushed over the finish line.

The deference sounded like quintessential Pence, touting the boss and trying to avoid the political subplots that have slowed the presidents agenda in the first five months.

On Sunday, Pence gave the commencement speech at Notre Dame University after the school president, Rev. John Jenkins, made clear he didnt want Trump, whom he thinks has anti-Muslim views, to deliver the speech.

The greatest honor of my life is to serve as vice president to the 45th president of the United States of America -- President Donald Trump, Pence said after dozens of students had walked out on his speech.

The vice president also praised Trump for a speech the president made earlier in the day in Saudi Arabia in which Pence said the president spoke out against religious persecution of all people of all faiths and condemned the oppression of women.

To be sure, Pence already had done much heavy lifting for Trump before going to Capitol Hill on Monday, ahead of the presidents budget proposal being released later this week.

Pence helped bring conservatives to the ticket in November and was instrumental in getting the GOP-led House to pass White House-backed legislation that dismantles ObamaCare.

And while Pence appears beyond reproach in Trumps hunt to find whos behind destructive White House leaks, he couldnt avoid becoming ensnared in the controversy about whether Trump and his associates colluded with Russia during the 2016 campaign.

Shortly after winning the White House, Pence defended incoming-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn against accusations hed talked with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about easing economic sanctions on Russia, only to learn that Flynn had misled him on the matter.

Flynn was fired in February, but some news reports continue to raise questions about whether Pence knew about such discussions and in fact was covering for Flynn.

And recent reports about Flynn telling the Pence-led presidential transition team the he was under investigation for ties to Turkey has added to speculation about Pences ties to the Russia meddling, now under federal investigation.

Pence continues to defend himself, particularly on learning about Flynns lobbying in Turkey. He told Fox News in March that hearing that story today was the first I heard of it.

And last week, Pences office told Politico: The vice president stands by his comments in March upon first hearing the news regarding General Flynn's ties to Turkey and fully supports the president's decision to ask for General Flynn's resignation.

Pence again appeared off-guard a few weeks ago when Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

The vice president publicly said Trump made the decision based on the recommendations of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

However, the president later said he had planned to fire Comey regardless of the DOJ recommendation.

A slew of critical media reports last week, in the wake of the Comey firing, only fueled speculation about whether conservatives might see Pence as a desired alternative to Trump in the Oval Office. Pence incidentally started a leadership PAC last week, stoking renewed interest in his future plans.

The political action committee, though, will in fact be used to cover Pences travel to promote Republican candidates during the 2018 congressional midterm races. And sources quickly dismissed speculation about a presidential bid.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court struck down two congressional districts in North Carolina Monday because race played too large a role in their creation, a decision voting rights advocates said would boost challenges in other states.

The justices ruled that Republicans who controlled the state legislature and governor's office in 2011 placed too many African-Americans in the two districts. The result was to weaken African-American voting strength elsewhere in North Carolina.

In recent years, the Supreme Court has ruled for civil rights groups and black voters in challenges to political districts in Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia.

A Democratic group led by former Attorney General Eric Holder is focusing on redistricting challenges to counter political gains Republicans have made since the 2010 census and the redrawing of electoral districts that followed.

In North Carolina, both districts have since been redrawn and the state conducted elections under the new congressional map in 2016. Even with the new districts, Republicans maintained their 10-3 edge in congressional seats.

A separate challenge has been filed to the redrawn districts, this time claiming that politics played too much of a role in their creation. The Supreme Court has never ruled that a partisan gerrymander violates the Constitution.

Justice Elena Kagan, writing for the court, said the state did not offer compelling justifications to justify its reliance on race in either district.

The issue of race and redistricting one is a familiar one at the Supreme Court and Kagan noted that one of the districts was "making its fifth(!) appearance before this court."

States have to take race into account when drawing maps for legislative, congressional and a host of municipal political districts. At the same time, race can't be the predominant factor without very strong reasons, under a line of high court cases stretching back 20 years.

A three-judge federal court had previously struck down the two districts. The justices upheld the lower court ruling on both counts.

The court unanimously affirmed the lower court ruling on District 1 in northeastern North Carolina. Kagan wrote that the court will not "approve a racial gerrymander whose necessity is supported by no evidence."

The justices split 5-3 on the other district, District 12 in the southwestern part of the state. Justice Clarence Thomas joined the four liberal justices to form a majority. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito and Anthony Kennedy dissented. Justice Neil Gorsuch did not part in the case.

The state insisted that race played no role at all in the creation of one district. Instead, the state argued that Republicans who controlled the redistricting process wanted to leave the district in Democratic hands, so that the surrounding districts would be safer for Republicans.

"The evidence offered at trial...adequately supports the conclusion that race, not politics, accounted for the district's reconfiguration," Kagan wrote.

Alito said in dissent that the evidence instead shows that the district's borders "are readily explained by political considerations."

Voting rights advocates said the ruling supports their arguments in yet another case pending before the Supreme Court that challenges North Carolina's state legislative districts. A federal court had previously thrown out 28 state House and Senate districts as illegal racial gerrymanders.

But earlier this year the Supreme Court temporarily halted an order to redraw those legislative districts. The justices could act on the challenge to the state districts as early as next week.

The lawyer leading the challenge to the state districts, Anita Earls of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, said Monday's ruling has clear implications for that case.

"It's abundantly clear that what the state of North Carolina did in drawing its legislative districts cannot withstand constitutional muster," she said in a phone interview.

The court action comes at a time of intense political division in the state, highlighted by legal battles over moves by the GOP-controlled legislature to pass laws limiting some of the powers of North Carolina's new Democratic governor, Roy Cooper. Democrats have hoped that a redrawing of state districts could help them erode veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Cooper issued a statement applauding Supreme Court for supporting "a level playing field and fair elections" for voters.

"The North Carolina Republican legislature tried to rig Congressional elections by drawing unconstitutional districts that discriminated against African Americans and that's wrong," Cooper said.

The Rev. William Barber, the president of the North Carolina NAACP who has sued separately over voting rights, said the high court's ruling shows that the General Assembly "engaged in systemic racism and cheated to win elections."

Holder said the National Democratic Redistricting Committee that he leads "will aggressively pursue new cases to end similar illegal racial gerrymandering in other states."
Texas moved one step closer Sunday night to enacting its own version of North Carolinas controversial bathroom bill.

The states House of Representatives added the measure as an amendment to a bill regarding emergency operations in schools. The amendment requires students to use the bathroom of their biological gender in schools.

This is unlike a previous bill in the Texas legislature, which was similar to the North Carolina 'bathroom' bill and required people to use the restroom matching their biological gender at all publicly owned facilities. That bill passed the state Senate, but has been held up in the House.

Instead, House lawmakers tacked on the bathroom provisions to SB 2078, a bill meant to outline certain school safety requirements and standards. The bathroom amendment was added as a way to improve the privacy, dignity and safety of students, according to the author Republican State Rep. Chris Paddie.

The amendment requires schools to provide a single occupancy bathroom for students who dont want to use the bathroom of their biological sex. It does allow those students to use a multi-occupancy bathroom if no one else is using it.

In debate on the House floor, opponents argued the bill discriminates and questioned whether the single bathrooms will be equal to multi-occupancy bathrooms and whether the amendment is appropriate for the bill.

The bill as filed is about disasters, and terror attacks and emergencies. How does your amendment fit into this bill? asked Representative Joseph Moody, a Democrat from El Paso.

I think its absolutely about child safety, Paddie said.

Moody went on to tell Paddie that transgender students have never attacked anyone in a bathroom. Moody said statistics on bullying, sex crimes, harassment, and violence in bathrooms show transgender students have only been victims.

Paddie argued the bill gives equal protection to transgender students.

Its about the safety of the same child that you just referenced, that is a transgender child thats assaulted. Its about that student as well. This amendment treats all students the same, Paddie said.

The bill now goes to the Senate. If it passes, Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign it.
Cornell University students have presented their final renderings of a proposed new building for Sterling Nature Center with an estimated $2 million price tag.

Jim D'Angelo, director of the center, said the students from the university's Design Connect program presented their recommendation at the current interpretive center, the Jensvold House, on Saturday following their semester-long study and design project. Students presented initial ideas in March, and used the public's feedback to create their final product.

The proposed plan is made up of three phases, with the first phase including a new interpretive center, a mowed pond path and a new entrance plaza and event terrace. The new center would be built across from the current parking lot. It would include a cafe and terrace, an event space underground, and a ramp-accessible deck on the roof with views of Lake Ontario and the nature center's pond.

The estimated price tag for the new building and plaza space is about $2 million. Cayuga County has approximately $200,000 slated for a new building.

"It's kind of an interesting design, and we just have to see what is affordable and what we can do," D'Angelo said. "In their final report, they did include some grant sources, so that's good. At least they're giving some options for us to follow and follow up on, and see what other things we can do."

Besides the new building, students proposed two additional phases involving renovations to the Jensvold House, expanding the center's parking lot, adding in a playground and creating various green technology opportunities. Those two phases in total cost approximately $223,000.

The county has considered a new interpretive center in the Sterling Nature Center's Functional Management Plan for 2016-2025, due to the scope of work needed on the Jensvold House. The roof needs replacing, among other things, and with asbestos laden throughout, the project is costly. Besides that, D'Angelo has struggled for years with a meeting space that holds between 20 and 30 people, when he would like it to hold at least 100.

Students estimated that preserving the 1860 former home of a Fort Ontario lieutenant in the Spanish-American War, to cost about $119,000. In their presentation, they suggested the property be renovated and utilized as an event space to generate income for the center. D'Angelo said he's still concerned with cost.

"It's another financial obligation," he said. "That's what we're running into, is how much can we afford with the current building, and either renovating it, or building the new building, and which would be the best option. I think everyone has agreed with building a new building."

Though the new building is a costly proposal, D'Angelo said he liked the designs. He said he likes how students incorporated wind turbines and solar panels into the proposal. It's a nice mix, too, he said, of outdoor spaces, and he thinks it's a good idea to have a walkway on the roof of the new building.

D'Angelo said he wants to share the design ideas with the nature center's friends groups, and with Gary Duckett, superintendent of the county's parks and trails and buildings and grounds. The county may decide to apply for grant funding that would allow a professional engineer to create a design plan using what Design Connect students developed. Following that, D'Angelo hopes the county could apply for more grant funding to actually build a new structure.
President Trump, during high-stakes meetings in Jerusalem, said Monday that a shared international concern over Iran is driving Israel and Arab states in the region closer while further alienating Tehran from the global community.

We are more than friends  we are great allies, Trump said, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The pleasantries between the two continued as the Israeli leader told Trump how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran and the reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East.

Trump arrived in Israel after a weekend swing through Saudi Arabia, Irans main rival in the region. The Iranian threat has been a chief theme of the U.S. presidents remarks as he seeks to reassure Middle East allies and bring them together toward common goals -- including the "rare opportunity" of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran, Trump said, speaking earlier alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

He said theres a great feeling for peace throughout the Middle East, and suggested a potential warming by other countries toward Israel could be one benefit to the long-running tensions over Iran.

On the sidelines of Monday's meetings, Trump was still dealing with the fallout from a report a week ago that he divulged classified information in a meeting with Russian diplomats -- supposedly intelligence that came from Israel. Trump, though, told reporters Monday that he "never mentioned the word or the name Israel" in his conversation with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador.

"So you have another story wrong," he said.

Various reports, quoting anonymous officials, have said Trump did share classified information with Russian diplomats about the threat posed by the Islamic State group, and several have said that information came from Israeli intelligence. But news accounts have not accused Trump of naming Israel as a source of the information.

Netanyahu said that U.S.-Israeli intelligence cooperation is "terrific," attempting to dismiss concerns that the incident violated the confidentiality of an agreement with Israel.

On Monday, Trump also placed a note in the Western Wall, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to visit one of Judaism's holiest sites. Trump stood alone in front of the wall with his hand on it before tucking a note between the cracks.

First lady Melania Trump, the president's daughter Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner joined Trump at the Western Wall as well as during a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The church was built to commemorate the location where most Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried.

Even Trump's flight path was a potential first, with his travels from Riyadh to Tel Aviv thought to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Trump explicitly said Monday that Saudi King Salman would love to see peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

We have a rare opportunity to bring stability and peace in this region, defeat terror and create a future of peace, Trump said after speeches from Rivlin and Netanyahu upon arriving. We can only get there by working together  there is no other way.

Trumps remarks came after Netanyahu expressed his willingness to make peace with the Palestinians.

Israel shares commitment to peace  already made with Egypt and Jordan, he said. Peace we seek is durable in which the Jewish state is recognized, security remains in Israels hands and conflict ends once and for all.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. After hosting Abbas at the White House in March, Trump boldly stated that achieving peace is "something that I think is, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years."

"But we need two willing parties," he continued. "We believe Israel is willing. We believe you're willing. And if you both are willing, we're going to make a deal."

White House aides have tried to play down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trump's stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive.

The Associated Press contributed this report.
President Donald Trump's trip to Israel on Monday may have already made history even before Air Force One touched down in Tel Aviv.

Trump took a direct flight from Riyadh to Tel Aviv, believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The two countries do not have diplomatic relations and Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel as a state.

Trump arrived at Ben-Gurion International Airport to start the second leg of his first foreign trip since taking office. Trump will also be visiting the Palestinian territories during his two-day trip in Israel.

TRUMP'S FIRST FOREIGN TRIP: SCHEDULED STOPS IN SAUDI ARABIA, ISRAEL AND BEYOND

An Israel Airport Authority spokesman said he was not aware of any direct flights ever having landed in Israel from the kingdom. There are no direct flights between the two countries and flights from either country bypass the other's airspace.

The only direct flights from Israel to Arab states are to Egypt and Jordan, both of which signed peace treaties with Israel.

While neither country is in a position to dictate to Trump where to fly, his arrival nonetheless reflects the warming relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The two countries have reportedly developed covert ties based on their shared concerns over Iran's growing regional influence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently boasts of his behind-the-scenes cooperation with moderate Sunni countries that are believed to include Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Trump and First Lady Melania Trump when they arrived in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu said in a speech that he hopes "that one day an Israeli prime minister will be able to fly from Tel Aviv to Riyadh."

Trump highlighted the "rare opportunity" he has to work with leaders in the region to ease tensions that have mounted over the years.

"We have a rare opportunity to bring stability and peace in this region, defeat terror and create a future of peace," Trump said shortly after his arrival.

"We can only get there by working together  there is no other way," he said.

WHY TRUMP'S PROMISE TO MOVE US EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM IS SO CONTROVERSIAL

Trump is expected to make a push to relaunch long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians during his visit. He is slated to meet separately with Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.

Trump said in March that peace between the two states is only possible with "two willing parties."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nevermind the videos of Turkish security officers in Washington stomping protesters.

The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs now says the real problem with last week's shocking brawl outside the Turkish Embassy was U.S. law enforcement's actions.

The government on Monday summoned the U.S. ambassador in Ankara and delivered a "written and verbal protest" over what it called the "aggressive and [unprofessional] actions taken ... by US security personnel" toward the "close protection team" in D.C. last week.

That sound you hear is the gasping of U.S. lawmakers -- already outraged over Turkish bodyguards' violence toward demonstrators in a normally serene Washington neighorhood.

This is really rich," Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., told Fox News on Monday, in response to the Ministry statement.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tweeted, Cant make it up in reference to the ambassador summons.

The Turkish government's attempt to shift blame comes after their bodyguards were captured on video hitting and kicking protesters in D.C., as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looked on from afar.

The ministry is now requesting a "full investigation of this diplomatic incident," citing "lapses of security" during Erdogan's stay in Washington allegedly "caused by the inability of US authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official program."

But U.S. lawmakers say that's hardly the case.

"D.C. Police intervened when Erdogans security thugs attacked Americans peacefully exercising their first amendment rights outside the Turkish Embassy," Lofgren said.

Lofgren referred to video from the scene that showed U.S. officers struggling to protect protesters.

Lofgren added: The security thugs should not have been released from jail as they were clearly a flight risk. They should be charged with assault and arrested if they ever try to enter the U.S. again.

Lofgren also criticized President Trump, who is on his first overseas trip as commander-in-chief, for not directly addressing the incident, though his State Department has condemned the violence.

The latest statement from the Turkish government could inflame an already tense situation, as multiple lawmakers have called on the Trump administration to punish Turkey severely.

McCain suggested last week that we should throw their ambassador the hell out of the United States of America.

And Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., warned the Turkish government there could be financial consequences if they failed to punish the security officials involved in the incident.

Graham and Leahy, who oversee the U.S. foreign aid budget, sent a letter on May 18 to the Turkish ambassador to the U.S. Serdar Killic warning there could be potential implications for assistance to Turkey should this matter be given less than the highest attention and consideration it deserves by the Government of Turkey.

The State Department confirmed on Monday that the Turkish government summoned U.S. Ambassador John Bass to the Foreign Ministry.

The conduct of Turkish security personnel last week was deeply disturbing, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. The State Department has raised its concerns about those events at the highest levels.

Turkey is now claiming the protesters were associated with the PKK.

But D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said earlier the violence appeared to be unprovoked. The U.S. Secret Service announced last week it is investigating the brawl, which sent nine people to the hospital.

D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department also told Fox News on Monday that the investigation remains active and is being conducted jointly by the Department of States Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Secret Service, and MPD.

MPD added: All three law enforcement agencies are actively sharing information and will remain in contact as the investigation proceeds.

Fox News' Rich Edson contributed to this report.


When it comes to traveling for design inspiration, cities like Paris and Rome are no-brainers. Even farther destinations like Marrakech and Copenhagen constantly seem to catch the eyes of curious creativesand manifest in trends and collections stateside. But there's plenty of inspiration to be found somewhat closer to home.

We asked several of our favorite designers for the most inspiring cities right here in the United States, a.k.a. the land of the free, home of the brave.

From the Art Deco buildings of Miami Beach to the Shingle-style homes of Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the midcentury bungalows of Palm Springs, these cities offer design, architecture, and hospitality that's downright inspiring. The best part? They're much more accessible than an international flight. So the next time you're looking for the right destination for a weekend trip, consider these cities first.

New York

"I think New York City is the most inspiring city in the U.S.," says designer Grace Rosenstein. "I moved here two years ago and find myself walking down new streets every day feeling incredibly blessed to live here. Between the culture, the architecture, the museums, and the fashion, there is endless creativity and passion that radiates in this city."

Jon Maroto and George Nunno, founders of Soho-based Flair Home, agree. "New York inspires us every day," they say. "It is constantly in flux: neighborhoods, people, businesses. New York City is the dynamic balance of respect for the traditional juxtaposed against the desire to be new and individual. There is a new barrage of imagery and inspiration every time you step out your door."

Chicago

"I'm inspired by Chicago's dense, unique architecture history," says designer Rena Cherny of RC Studio. "The city is filled with landmark buildings designed by the greats: Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Chicago Seven. The multicultural food, art scene, and creative energy of downtown is incredible!"

Provincetown, Massachusetts

"Provincetowns light has drawn artists to this storied peninsula for decades," says Eddie Ross, designer and style director of ATGStores.com. "After spending a Sunday morning on the lawn of my favorite inn, painting the play of light where sky meets water, I know why. Theres a particular brilliance of light in this place that inspires me to dream."

Miami Beach

"I love the pastel color palette and Art Deco architecture," says Sasha Bikoff of Miami Beach. "It is a real throwback, as you are immediately transported to the glamorous Miami Vice and Scarface era."

Boston

"The scale of 18th-century Beacon Hill, with a background of a vibrant rising skyline, is so inspirational," says designer Marshall Watson. "There is a sense of the city being grounded in thought and principle, where education, history, and preservation are cherished."

Charleston, S.C.

Watson couldn't choose just one city, though: "With a preservationist organization so strong that it literally saved its own city from the intrusive gas developers, I have to say Charleston, too."

Portland, Oregon

"Portland is a fantastic city to visit for a weekend away," says designer Emilie Munroe of Studio Munroe. "It provides a uniquely wonderful intersection between urban and natural environments, with a thriving cityscape nestled by the Willamette River, the Columbia River Gorge, and Mount Hood. The food, bar, and coffee scene is incredible, and there are great design shops set within each of the unique neighborhood districts."

San Fransisco

"For color and light inspiration, I love San Francisco," says Anne Hepfer. "The hues at different times of day are awe-inspiring."

The American West

It's not technically a city, but globe-trotting designer Michelle Nussbaumer says, "While New York is at the top of my list, because it is the most internationally diverse city in the world, I still find unparalleled inspiration from the open spaces of the Great American West." Here, mountains in the Professor Valley, near Moab, Utah.

More: The 6 Cities You Shouldn't Move to Right Now
NASA have released chilling details about how Cold War nuke tests affected our planet.

Several nuclear tests were carried out by the US and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 60s.

But its only now that scientists are realising what the true fallout was.

The military exercises replicated the same devastating effects that solar storms can have on our planet  including blackouts and communication failures.

Detonating explosives at heights of between 16 and 250 miles above our planets surface temporarily distorted the Earths magnetic field line.

This directly impacted satellites by damaging onboard electronics and disrupting communications and navigation signals.

Utility companies in Hawaii were strained and several satellites near test sites stopped working.

For years, extra radiation - which is what caused the satellites and electronics to fail - lay trapped inside Earth's magnetosphere, a region surrounding Earth that defends us from solar flares.

The nuke tests were behind some very strange sights in our skies, too.

One triggered an aurora similar to the Northern Lights to appear over the Equator instead of the poles.

The findings, published in Space Science Reviews, is a chilling prediction of what a nuclear conflict might have in store for humanity.

It's well known how the immediate - and grisly - aftermath could wipe out entire nations.

But as we've become increasingly reliant on technology - it's apparent that nuclear war could be even more devastating to civilisation.

Aside from the radiation that would wipe out vast swathes of life on Earth, all power and satellite systems could be completely warped - sending us back to the Stone Age.

The findings come as tensions between the US, Russia, China and North Korea escalate.

Many fear World War 3 might be on the cards as Kim Jong-Un threatens weekly tests of missile launches.

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and 24 ballistic missile tests in 2016 alone, defying six UN Security Council resolutions banning any testing.

But scientists have said that there are bigger fish to fry..

Solar flares shooting from the Sun have enough power to cause the same sort of mayhem without any human input.

For now, the findings are being used to understand how radiation coming from the other side of the magnetosphere is affecting our planet.

"The tests were a human-generated and extreme example of some of the space weather effects frequently caused by the Sun," said Phil Erickson, assistant director of MITs Haystack Observatory, Westford, Massachusetts, and co-author on the paper.

"If we understand what happened in the somewhat controlled and extreme event that was caused by one of these man-made events, we can more easily understand the natural variation in the near-space environment."

This story originally appeared in The Sun.
The worlds first operational Robocop started its tour of duty Sunday in Dubai  the first in the emirates planned robot police force, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Robocop, five feet five inches tall and weighing 220 pounds, speaks six languages and reads facial expressions.

He can chat and interact, respond to public queries, shake hands and offer a military salute, Brigadier-General Khalid Nasser Al Razzouqi, Director-General of Smart Services with the Dubai Police told the Mirror.

Residents can use the Robocop to pay fines or report crimes, and it also can transmit and receive messages from police headquarters.

The launch is a significant milestone for the Emirate and a step towards realizing Dubais vision to be a global leader in smart cities technology adoption, Al Razzouqi said.

With an aim to assist and help people in the malls or on the streets, the Robocop is the latest smart addition to the force and has been designed to help us fight crime, keep the city safe and improve happiness levels, he added.
A United Airlines passenger wearing a Make America Great Again hat delayed his flight by several hours while yelling insults at others on board and refusing to sit in his assigned seat.

United Flight 87 was scheduled to depart from Shanghais Pudong International Airport in China for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Sunday evening, but upon boarding the aircraft, an unidentified man in a red MAGA cap allegedly sat in someone elses seat and refused to move, reports NBC Bay Area.

A source for NBC New York added that the man had initially asked to be upgraded to first class, but when the crew couldnt accommodate his request, he sat down in some empty seats near the rear of the plane and refused to allow any other passengers to sit in his row.

WHAT DOES NEW 'BASIC ECONOMY' SEATING MEAN FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS?

In footage from the incident which has since been posted on social media, the man can be seen yelling at other fliers, and even accuses an unidentified man of being a moron who dont know how to speak English. (Warning: Footage contains mild profanity.)

A fellow passenger, Clark Gredona, wrote on Facebook that the man had also berated some of the female passengers and crew, calling one Hillary and accusing her of being a lesbian.

As a result of the mans actions, all of the passengers aboard the flight were forced to de-plane after authorities arrived to talk to the man wearing the red hat.

The man left the plane shortly thereafter, according to United. Gredona added that passengers were shouting Lock him up! as the man was escorted off the plane.

While boarding United flight 87, from Shanghai to Newark, a customer refused to comply with crew member instructions and became increasingly disruptive when asked to deplane the aircraft, United told Fox News via email. For safety and security reasons, local law enforcement was called to assist and the customer eventually left the aircraft on his own accord.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

But the drama didnt end there. Due to the delay, the flight was forced to make an unscheduled stop in San Francisco to switch crews.

The flight eventually arrived in Newark at 2:22 a.m. EST, more than eight hours after it was scheduled to touch down Sunday evening.

In their statement, United also thanked its passengers and crew for their patience during the ordeal.

Were grateful for the patience shown by our customers who endured the disruptive behavior of this passenger, as well as the exceptional poise and professionalism of our flight crew, wrote the airline.
If you plan to travel for Memorial Day weekend, be prepared to spend some time sitting in traffic.

AAA is predicting that 39.3 million Americans will hit the road, take a flight, or otherwise get out of town between Thursday, May 25 and Monday, May 29. That would be the highest level for Memorial Day weekend since 2005, according to AAA.

Airfares, hotels and car rental rates are all higher this Memorial Day compared to last year, up 9 percent, 18 percent and 7 percent, respectively. And despite higher gas prices, most traveling Americans  88.1 percent, or 34.6 million  will be reaching their destinations by car.

About 2.9 million Americans will be flying, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to last year.

Based on AAA travel bookings, Europe is a particularly popular destination this year: Rome, London, Dublin, and Paris are all in the top 10. However, family-friendly Orlando, Florida, took the top spot for Memorial Day destinations.

If you're still looking for a Memorial Day getaway, check out these options for cheap last-minute flights.
Harry Potter fans love checking out the real world sites featured in the films.

Whether its the real-life Reptile House at London Zoo where a python first spoke to Harry, Londons Leadenhall Market which doubled as Diagon Alley, or the imaginary Platform 9 at Kings Cross station, if it's been featured in the Harry Potter films, you can bet its become a major tourist attraction.

But theres one landmark that seems to be landing Harry devotees into big trouble.

HOW TO CELEBRATE HARRY POTTER'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN THE UK

Police in the UK are warning Harry Potter fans against walking along the live railway track in the Scottish Highlands, where the Hogwarts Express can be seen chugging along on screen.

There has reportedly been an increase in the number of intrepid fans crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which services the Jacobite steam train, and police warn theyre putting themselves in serious danger.

British Transport Police said it understands the fascination with the viaduct but people do not have any magical powers so there is nothing to protect them from being injured or killed by a passing train," the BBC reported.

Sgt Kevin Lawrence reiterated,Tourists from all over the world travel on the Jacobite steam train during the summer months to visit the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Alarmingly, visitors often get off the train at Glenfinnan and walk back along the line to take photographs. This is extremely dangerous.

He added: Much as we love Harry Potter, I would like to remind everyone that we are mere Muggles, and if you trespass on the railway and are struck by a train, the consequences could be extremely serious and probably fatal.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

A rise in the popularity of the viaduct is partly behind a 16 per cent rise in railway trespassing offenses in Scotland last year, police said.

And there have been a number of close calls. Five years ago, a steam train driver was forced to brake after seeing two women standing dangerously close to the train line, the BBC reported.

And in 2015, a couple and their child were seen running along the railway line.

This story originally appeared on news.com.au.
If Gov. Andrew Cuomo's inaugural Taste NY Craft Beer Challenge is any indication, New York likes its beers dark and boozy.

The governor's office has provided The Citizen with the five beers entered in the May 17 contest in New York City, as well as their scores by the event's panel of six judges. Cuomo, Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas, chef Mario Batali and the rest of the panel scored each beer in aroma, appearance, drinkability and flavor on a 1-to-5 scale.

Tying for No. 1, with 90 points each, were Three Philosophers Quadruple Ale by Cooperstown's Brewery Ommegang and Two Headed Stout by Sullivan County's Roscoe Beer Co. The former is a 9.7 ABV blend of a malty quad and a Belgian kriek (a sour cherry style), while the latter is an 8.0 ABV robust stout with "extreme notes" of roasted barley and dark chocolate, the brewery says.

Second place also saw a tie between Auburn's own Prison City Pub & Brewery and Rochester's Genesee Brewing Co. Prison City brewer Ben Maeso's entry marked yet another dark, high-gravity beer in the contest: Wham-Whams, a 10 ABV imperial stout with toasted coconut and vanilla bean. The beer has yet to be tapped at the Auburn brewpub.

Wham-Whams tied at 84 with Genesee's Dry-hopped Mosaic Cream Ale, a 6.4 ABV blend of an IPA and a cream ale. Rounding out the field was Southern Tier Brewing Co., of Lakewood, whose fruit-forward 6.0 ABV Nu Skool IPA finished with 75 points, the governor's office said.

The five breweries moved on to the Taste NY Craft Beer Challenge event by winning the competition's first round, a 10-day online vote that saw more than 42,000 votes cast in favor of more than 170 breweries across the state.

The governor's office also provided The Citizen each of the winners' online vote totals: 9,658 for Roscoe, 1,548 for Genesee, 1,218 for Southern Tier, 853 for Prison City and 835 for Brewery Ommegang.

Held during American Craft Beer Week, the challenge event saw Cuomo praise the state's craft beverage industry. The state has gone from 50 to 320 breweries and counting since Cuomo became governor in 2011; Cayuga County alone has gone from none to four. He has made legislation facilitating craft beverage production a priority of his administration.
The Air Force is the latest branch of the U.S. military to offer Gold Star families access to bases across the country.

Immediate family members of fallen military service members are now eligible to receive long-term access cards in a program that was started this month, according to Military.com.

"The chief of staff of the Air Force expressed consideration for more outreach to Gold Star families so they know they will always be part of the Air Force family," Brooke Brzozowske, an Air Force spokesperson, said to the website.

"These families have had access to and have received long-term care and support through the Air Force Families Forever program located with Airman and Family Readiness Centers," she added. "The base access cards will make it easier to access support services, attend ceremonies and events."

Before the program was instituted, Gold Star Family members were required to be escorted on Air Force bases by a current ID card holder -- despite the presence of survivor services programs that were designed for them.

Gold Star mother Sherry Wyatt of Columbia, Missouri, says that she could have used this program in the summer of 2015 when she attended a Blue Angels event at Whiteman AFB where her son, Army Staff Sgt. Sterling William Wyatt, was being honored after he was killed by an IED while serving in Afghanistan.

They were honoring our son, but we had to be escorted onto the base by his captain. He had to sponsor us, Wyatt said to Fox News. Had that not been the case, we would have had problems getting in for our own sons ceremony.

Officials say that the ID cards are for base access only and not for entrance into medical facilities, commissary services or Morale, Welfare, Recreation (MWR) activities. Also, all card applicants are subject to a background check before the ID cards are issued.

No word on whether the program benefits will be expanded at a future date.

The Gold Star Access ID program is an addition to the already established Dependent ID card system, which is issued to widows and children.

According officials that spoke with Military.com, both the Army and Navy have had similar programs in place since 2014 and have issued nearly 600 ID cards.

The Air Forces program began at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on May 1 and was then implemented nationwide on May 15.

Its great when any program is created that benefits Gold Star Families, Jim Frazier, whose son Jacob served in the Air Force, said to Fox News. His son was ambushed in a firefight while in Afghanistan back in 2003.

It also recognizes those who are fallen and those they left behind and thats important, he added. Im glad that the Air Force is finally starting a program like this.
The FBI is investigating a deadly weekend stabbing at the University of Maryland to determine whether it was a hate crime, law enforcement officials said Sunday.

University of Maryland student Sean Christopher Urbanski, 22, of Severna Park, Md., faces charges of first- and second-degree murder as well as first-degree assault after he allegedly attacked Bowie State University student Richard Collins III.

According to charging documents, Collins was waiting for an Uber with two friends on the College Park campus at around 3 a.m. Saturday when a screaming Urbanski approached the group screaming, "Step left, step left if you know what's best for you."

According to the documents, Collins said "no" and was stabbed in the chest with a folding knife. Urbanski was arrested at the scene after several witnesses identified him. Police said the suspect had been drinking.

University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell told a news conference Sunday evening that he had called in the FBI after learning that Urbanski was a member of a Facebook group called "Alt-Reich: Nation," where members leave racially charged posts.

Urbanski is white and Collins was black.

"We are here to evaluate that as an ongoing concern with respect to whether or not this was a hate crime," Gordon Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI Field Office in Baltimore, told reporters.

Mitchell, the police chief, said the attack has spread fear across the university.



"If I'm a person of color I would certainly look at this as something that could happen to me. In fact, I know on Facebook our students are saying that," Mitchell said.

Mitchell also told reporters that Collins was a senior at Bowie State and was set to graduate on Tuesday. Collins was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Dr. Artie Lee Travis, vice president for student affairs at Bowie State, said the school hopes the investigation moves forward as quickly as possible.

"Hate has no place in America," Travis said. "Hate has no place on a college campus, where young minds are coming together to try to change the world," he said.

Brian Douglas, who recently became close to Collins when they took a class together, said the man was looking forward to graduation.

"He was just nice, just a good young man all around. You can't find those too often in today's society," Douglas said.

Ciera Sorrell, who also took a class with Collins, said his killing shocked the Bowie State community.

"Everyone is in disbelief," she said. "He seemed so excited to get to live his life and he doesn't have that chance anymore," she said.

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh led students and their families in a moment of silence during Sunday's graduation ceremony.

"We are still in shock that a young man, so full of promise, should have his life cut short, so suddenly," Loh said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and with the entire Bowie State University community."

The two universities are approximately 12 miles apart.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Fox5DC.com
An Australian woman claimed her dream trip to visit her boyfriend in Hawaii turned into a nightmare when she was detained and put on a flight back home because officials read her diary and determined she was trying to immigrate to the United States illegally.

Molly Hill wrote in a lengthy Facebook post that she traveled from Melbourne, Australia, to Honolulu last Monday to spend time with her boyfriend. She obtained a tourist visa for 88 days and already bought a return ticket home for a later date.

But everything changed once she got off the plane in Honolulu and started talking to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents.

FLIGHT DISTURBANCE: AMERICAN AIRLINES PASSENGER DETAINED AFTER TRYING TO ENTER COCKPIT ON FLIGHT TO HAWAII, OFFICIALS SAY

"I was taken into an interview room and had every inch of my luggage searched..they understood that I have an American boyfriend and I spent about 6 hours in and out of the interrogation rooms," Hill wrote on Facebook.

"In the end they were convinced I wanted to immigrate illegally because my diary had notes like 'going away drinks' and 'last day at work,' things I got in order before expecting to be away for three months," she added.

Hill said after her visa was denied, she was handcuffed and sent to a detention center because there weren't flights back to Australia until the next morning. At the detention center, she claimed she was forced to undress in front of an officer and examined thoroughly before putting on a "prison uniform."

Hill compared the jail to the women prison in the popular television show "Orange is the New Black."

"I couldn't believe I was in the same place as the chick whose boyfriend convinced her to drive 70 pounds of heroin and meth over the Mexican border," Hill wrote. "I tried to sleep, but couldn't help hearing my 'bunkie' drain our toilet and chat to her boyfriend upstairs through the toilet pipes. Which was amusing until I realized that those two felons in love probably have a better chance of being together than my boyfriend and I haha."

She was released the next morning, which also happened to be her birthday. She called home and booked a flight back to Sydney for $620. She described the ordeal as a "surreal" few days that cost her "a big chunk of money, heartache and tears."

MISSOURI MOTHER SAYS UNITED ATTENDANT FORCED HER TO URINATE IN CUP

U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Fox News in a statement that Hill was denied entrance because she traveled to the U.S. to get married, not for vacation as she initially listed.

"Hill applied for admission as a visitor for pleasure (which means that she is only eligible to stay in the United States for a brief period of time) under the Visa Waiver Program. However, upon inspection, CBP officers found that Hill presented conflicting information and was determined to be inadmissible under the VWP," a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

"She was advised that she is no longer eligible for admission under the VWP and must obtain a valid, unexpired visa prior to subsequent entries to the U.S," according to the statement.

Hill, however, did not indicate in her Facebook post that she intended to marry her boyfriend during her three-month stay.

The spokesman said Hill was taken to an a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center because the airport closed for the night. Since she violated the law, officials couldn't put her in a hotel room.

"When a foreign national is found inadmissible, the traveler must remain in custody until the next flight back is available, in this case the following day. CBP operations at Honolulu are not 24 hours, so it cant hold travelers overnight," the spokesman said.

He added the officers acted with "respect, integrity [and] professionalism" in the case, denying reports that Hill was strip-searched at the airport.

The ordeal didn't deter Hill's boyfriend from coming to Australia. Hill posted a photo on Facebook on Saturday of the couple hugging at Melbourne International Airport.

"Ross is here for the week to visit (with no trouble from Customs!). Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and support. I obviously love Americans, just still in awe of how I was treated," Hill wrote

She added that she wasn't paid to do interviews with news outlets and that the ordeal cost her more than $2,000 because she couldn't get a refund for her original flight.
Pro-life students at a state university in California sued their school over alleged unfair allocations of mandatory student activity fees.

The Students for Life at California State University San Marcos, a pro-life group, and the organization's president, Nathan Apodaca, took the legal action after the university denied the group access for funds to host a pro-life speaker on campus.

"This is yet another example of a university using their power, along with student fees, to restrict speech they don't agree with or particularly like, giving credence to the emerging fact that tolerance does not apply to pro-life or conservative speech," Kristan Hawkins, president of the national Students for Life of America, said in a statement.

The university used almost $300,000 in student fees to fund two LGBT-friendly centers on campus -- the Gender Equity Center and the LGBQTA Pride Center -- during the 2016-2017 academic year. But the school denied the pro-life Students for Life group the $500 it requested to host University of North Carolina-Wilmington Professor Mike Adams to speak on the topic, "Abortion and Human Equality: A Scientific and Philosophical Defense of the Pro-Life View," according to Christian legal nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom.

Students at the university pay roughly $75 in mandatory student activity fees each semester. The Associated Students, Inc., nonprofit student-run auxiliary (which every enrolled student is a member of) has discretion to allocate these funds for student advocacy. The total amount of mandatory student activities collected by the university during the 2016-2017 school years is approximately $1.31 million.

"[Associated Students, Inc.] favors the viewpoints of two student community centers, the Gender Equity Center and the LGBTQA Pride Center, by allocating more than $296,000 to them, which is more than 53 percent of the Student Activity Fees allocated to fund student advocacy, and by creating special rules to favor only them -- including allowing the two centers to use Student Activity Fees to bring in speakers to advocate for certain viewpoints," the lawsuit says.

While the LGBT centers have hosted speakers, the university's Students for Life President Apodaca "disagrees with their viewpoints, which include advocating for abortion and sexually promiscuous behavior," the lawsuit says.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL'S OPTIONAL BIBLE STUDY CLASS CANCELED AFTER COMPLAINTS

Apodaca submitted an application for funds that would partially cover the cost of his group's proposed event, yet received an email that the application was denied.

"No explanation was provided," the lawsuit says. When Apodaca inquired, he was informed that grants could not be given to fund speakers fees and travel expenses.

"[The centers] are all departments of [Associated Students, Inc.] and have their own budgets to do their own programming," an Associated Students, Inc. representative responded to Apodaca, according to the lawsuit.

The university says it has a "diverse and open campus environment."

LIGHT FROM HEAVEN? PHOTO OF CRASH SITE BRINGS COMFORT TO GRIEVING FAMILY

"Cal State San Marcos is committed to fostering a diverse and open campus environment where a host of ideas and views can be discussed," Margaret Chantung, the interim vice president of California State University San Marco's communication office, told LifeZette in an email. "In addition, we take student complaints and concerns very seriously. Unfortunately no further comment is available at this time due to this ongoing litigation."

Yet the pro-life students have attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom on their side.

"Universities should encourage all students to participate in the free exchange of ideas, not concoct elaborate funding schemes to award their favored few with first-class status while denying even economy class to opposing views," Tyson Langhofer, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement.

Alliance Defending Freedom filed suit in the United States District Court Southern District of California May 17 against the university. The lawsuit names 17 individuals on the university's board of trustees and the university's Chancellor Timothy P. White, President Karen S. Haynes and many other administration officials, including those on the Board of Directors of Associated Students, Inc.

Click for more from LifeZette.com
Family and friends on Monday were remembering a California high school senior with a promising future who drowned Saturday afternoon, just two weeks before he was set to graduate as class valedictorian.

Neng Thao, 18, was swept away in the San Joaquin River in Fresno, hours after attending his older brothers college graduation. Neng and his cousins had planned to go for a swim between family celebrations taking place throughout the day.

Neng was pulled away in the rivers fast current, which officials described as its highest level in years due to a rainy winter, Fox 26 reported.

UTAH WOMAN DROWNS AFTER RESCUING HER 2 DOGS

Neng was a top academic scholar, his family said.

He had so many awards waiting for him at the ceremony, Nengs brother, Touyee Thao told KSEE. And now we wont get to see him at his graduation.

BOY KILLED IN CAR CRASH MONTHS AFTER HIS LITTLE BROTHER DROWNED

Neng was active in several organizations, and worked with Fresno Mayor Lee Brand as a mayoral appointee with the citys Youth Commission.

This is a heartbreaking loss for our entire community, Brand said in a statement. Neng made a positive impact on everyone he met and we are all deeply saddened by the news of this tragic loss.

He was very promising, Touyee said of his brother. A leader in the community and a potential leader in the future.
The number of concealed carry permits in the United States has topped 15 million over the last year, according to data collected by the Crime Prevention Research Center.

Thats the largest one-year increase ever in the number of permits issued, according to the research center. In July 2016, the center reported that 14.5 million people had concealed handgun permits. As of May of this year, the number is already 15.7 million.

John Lott, founder of the group and a Fox News columnist, said several states, including Arizona, Florida, Michigan and Texas, have seen a big jump in the number of gun permits issued. There are several reasons for the increase  most notably, a rise in women and minorities seeking to purchase handguns, Lott said.

"I think you're continuing to see a change in the composition of people who go and get permits," Lott said. "Women are growing at a much faster rate than men."

Between 2012 and 2016, Lott said, the growth rate for women was twice as much as it was for men. He also said minorities are purchasing handguns at a higher rate compared to previous years.

Firearms instructors are reporting an increase in the number of black women learning how to use guns around the country, as noted in an earlier Fox News report. Gun instructors who teach self-defense courses say more women are looking toward guns to protect themselves against crime.

In a May 10 statement to Fox News, NRA spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said women are the fastest growing segment of firearms buyers in the country.

"The NRA is a natural home for women firearms owners," Mortensen said. "Increasingly, women today dont want to rely on a spouse or neighbor for protection. They want to be able to protect themselves and their families."

The Crime Prevention Research Center  a nonprofit, gun advocacy research group  releases an annual report each July documenting firearm statistics by citing numbers provided by state agencies.

The center's official report for 2017 is due in July but Lott said data already collected shows a significant increase in permits in a number of states.

Arizona had 272,622 such permits in 2016 and 315,107 as of May 2017. Florida had 1,581,742 last year compared to 1,755,580 as of April 30.

Lott noted other factors contributing to an increase in permits.

"You're seeing states making it easier for people to go and get permits," he said.

In contrast, states like California and New York have among the toughest requirements for permits in the nation.

In Sacramento County, as of December 2016, residents are "required to pay $220 in application fees, pass a state criminal background check, take a 16-hour training course and have approval of the sheriffs department by having 'good moral character' and a good reason to have CCW," according to the center.
A man was arrested in Florida on Saturday after he allegedly slammed his vehicle into a Dont Drink and Drive patrol car while he was drunk.

Paul Wilkins, 63, of Crystal River, drove through cones at a traffic control point in Citrus County, according to the Citrus County Sheriffs Office.

At the time, dozens were enjoying the Pirate Fest in Citrus Country. Deputies were cautioning drivers about traffic jams in the area.

FLORIDA HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER CAUGHT ON VIDEO IS ARRESTED FOR FALSE POLICE REPORT

Wilkins car ran over cones and then rammed a detectives cruiser, pushing the vehicle into a police car that had recently been festooned with a dont drive and drive sticker.

Wilkins told deputies that he did not see the vehicles or the emergency lights flashing.

The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Wilkins for driving under the influence.

FLORIDA MURDER SUSPECT TELLS POLICE HIS ROOMMATES DISRESPECTED ISLAM

He was transported to the Citrus County Detention Facility in the back of the newly unveiled and now damaged 'a cop or a cab, you decide vehicle,' the Citrus County Sheriffs Office wrote in the post. This guy clearly didnt choose his ride wisely!

No one was reported injured in the incident.
A man in Florida who claimed to be a neo-Nazi convert told police he murdered his two roommates at their apartment because they "disrespected" his Islamic faith, police records revealed on Monday.

The suspect, 18-year-old Devon Arthurs, mentioned "Allah Mohammed!" during his arrest in Tampa on Friday night, Fox 13 reported.

He led police to the bodies after he released two customers and an employee he'd taken hostage at a nearby smoke shop, officers said.

Arthurs claimed he was angry at the world's "anti-Muslim" sentiments.

MURDER OF BLACK COLLEGE STUDENT INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME

He told police, "I had to do it. This wouldn't have had to happen if your country didn't bomb my country," the news station reported, adding that he claimed he and his roommates shared neo-Nazi beliefs before he converted.

The roommates were identified as 18-year-old Andrew Oneschuk and 22-year-old Jeremy Himmelman.

TIMES SQUARE DRIVER CLAIMS HE WAS 'TRYING TO GET HELP'

Both men suffered gunshot wounds, police said. The killings were an isolated incident, spokeswoman Janelle McGregor added.

Arthurs remained in the Hillsborough County jail without bail Monday on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and three counts of armed kidnapping.



The police report, which the Tampa Bay Times also obtained, described the moments when Arthurs allegedly took hostages at the smoke shop. Investigators said he flashed a semiautomatic pistol and yelled at the customers, "Do me a favor and get the f--- on the ground!" adding, "Why shouldn't I kill you?"

Click for more from Fox 13.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hartford is the latest American city to be on the verge of bankruptcy.

Leaders in the Connecticut capital have been soliciting proposals from law firms that specialize in Chapter 9 bankruptcy in anticipation of being strapped for cash in the citys budget, according to the Hartford Courant.

The city is facing a deficit of $65 million in 2018, which is on top of a $14 million shortfall this year, the paper said. Hartford City Hall is now reportedly seeking $40 million in state aid to close the gap.

Mayor Luke Bronin has hinted for months that filing for Chapter 9 could be a possibility and said during his budget release in April that he was not in a position to rule anything out, according to the Courant.

Some in the City Council apparently feel that inquiries with law firms on possible bankruptcy proceedings may not be the right approach.

"It's premature, Hartford City Council President Thomas TJ Clarke II told the newspaper. We haven't exhausted every option and every avenue for us to go down this road."

On Monday, the Council voted in favor of adopting a $612.9 million budget plan proposed by Mayor Bronin.

"None of the decisions we've had to make over the last two years have been easy, and it's hard to celebrate budgets that are bare bones, essential services only budgets. But that's the kind of budget the times demand," Bronin said Monday night according to the Hartford Courant. "I remain optimistic that our legislators from around the state will recognize that the capital city's health and growth is critical to Connecticut's health and growth."

Hartford, is just the latest city to mull over the bankruptcy option. Since 2010 a total of nine municipalities have filed for bankruptcy protectionwhich is on top of an additional 42 utilities, water districts, hospitals and other municipal agencies that have actually gone full-fledged bankrupt, according to a study from Governing.com.

Some of the larger municipalities that were forced to file for Chapter 9 were the cities of Stockton and San Bernardino in California, Central Falls in Rhode Island, the Pennsylvania state capital Harrisburg, and the largest metropolitan area on the list  Detroit, Michigan.

It was in July 2013 when the city of Detroit -- which was left with nearly $20 billion in debt after decades of mismanagement and loss of industry -- was forced to file the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Hartford has faced similar problems in recent years as more than half of the citys properties are tax-exempt and options for other sources of revenue being limited. Also, the city already has some of the highest property tax rates in the state which makes raising them to cover budget gaps out of the question.

Bronin told The Courant that its vital that the state helps them come back from the brink of bankruptcy.

"We've made clear for more than a year that Hartford's fiscal challenge cannot be responsibly solved at the local level alone with the tools that we have," Bronin told the newspaper, "and we continue to push hard to build a new partnership with the state of Connecticut to put our capital city on a path to solvency, stability and growth."

State House Majority Leader Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford, said that legislators are trying to support the city.

"Hartford going bankrupt would be the most catastrophic financial thing that ever happened in the state of Connecticut," he told The Courant.

"We will try everything in our power to hit the $40 million target," he added. "It keeps us up at night as much as it keeps you up at night and going bankrupt  would be terrible for the city. It would be terrible for the state. It's not something that any of us want to see and we're going to work very hard to make sure it doesn't happen."

Only one other city in the State of Connecticut has filed for bankruptcy previously.

In 1991, Bridgeport filed for chapter 9 but their petition was dismissed by a federal judge who determined that the city was capable of paying its bills.
The three suspects in the murder of a 6-year-old Mississippi boy -- who was the subject of an Amber Alert -- faced a judge Monday as prosecutors said one of the suspects could be looking at a death sentence.

Byron McBride, 19, along with 17-year-olds Dwan Wakefield and DAllen Washington, appeared via videoconference before the judge Monday morning in Madison County Justice Court in Canton. Prosecutors said the three kidnapped and killed 6-year-old Kingston Frazier, who was last seen early May 18 when his mother went shopping at a local grocery store.

Frazier was found shot to death in a stolen car hours after the Amber Alert went into effect, investigators said.

The judge said each defendant posed a danger to the community and decided against allowing bail. All three are facing capital murder charges for the alleged crime.

McBride could face the death penalty because he's over eighteen, according to Madison and Rankin County District Attorney Michael Guest.

Two of the defendants are facing a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole based on their age, Guest said. The third defendant based on his age is looking at a potential death sentence.

FLORIDA MURDER SUSPECT TELLS POLICE HIS ROOMMATES 'DISRESPECTED' ISLAM

In addition to the capital murder charge, Washington, who is a high school student, was currently out on bond for a pending felony armed robbery charge at the time of the alleged crime. McBride had a prior commercial burglary charged while Wakefield, who is also a high school student has no previous criminal record.

The courtroom was filled with family members of the victim and suspects.

Fraziers granduncle Amos Archie spoke shortly after the hearing, saying the family stood by the boy's mother.

Its a sad situation. We love Ebony dearly, we love Kingston dearly, its just totally sad for the community like I said, Archie said. Were pleased with everything the judge did, so we have no bad situation about that.

COLLEGE STUDENT'S MURDER INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE HATE CRIME

McBrides father shouted at a group of reporters while leaving the courthouse.

How can all of the world know that my son is the shooter and the second day my son is in jail ... my son did not kill that baby, he shouted while walking away.

Wakefields aunt, who did not want to be named, said she believes her nephew is innocent.

I believe hes innocent, she said. I know Dwan, I know hes innocent. My prayers are with the family of Kingston more than anything, Im a mother and hes a child so. I pray justice is served, she added.

A preliminary hearing for all three of the accused has been set for June 26.
A New York City steakhouse is suing a Pennsylvania eatery for trademark infringement.

Peter Luger Inc. filed a lawsuit last week against Scranton's Carl von Luger Steak & Seafood restaurant.

The lawsuit says the owner of the Scranton restaurant, Robert Dickert, once worked at the Peter Luger steakhouse in Brooklyn, which was established in 1887.

Dickert opened the Scranton restaurant in 2011, but the lawsuit claims the restaurant brands itself as "an age old family tradition" and uses the phrase "since 1887."

The suit calls that "a blatant attempt" to trade on Peter Luger's "famous marks and sterling reputation."

The complaint seeks unspecified damages and a judgment prohibiting use of the Carl von Luger name.

A woman who answered the phone Monday at Carl von Luger's said Dickert wasn't commenting.
New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill said Monday that he will not be participating in the city's annual Puerto Rican Day parade after organizers announced they will be honoring nationalist Oscar Lopez Rivera, who was released from prison last week.

"I usually do march in most of the parades with the fraternal organizations, but I'm not going to be marching this year," ONeill said to the reporters, according to the New York Daily News.

"I cannot support a man who is a co-founder of an organization that engaged in over 120 bombings," O'Neill said, referring to Lopez Rivera as a "terrorist."

O'Neill announced his decision just as law enforcement groups, including the NYPD's Hispanic Society and the Sergeants Benevolent Association, said they too will be skipping out on the festivities.

OSCAR LOPEZ RIVERA: CELEBRATIONS FOR FREED PUERTO RICAN NATIONALIST STIR CONTROVERSY

Lopez Rivera, who emerged from house arrest last Wednesday after his 55-year sentence was commuted by former President Barack Obama, was named Procer de la Libertad -- National Freedom Hero -- for this year's parade.

Organizers defended their decision to honor Lopez Rivera on Monday, assuring their decision wasn't made in haste.

"It will create awareness on issues, even if controversial, that affect us as a Puerto Rican community," organizers said in a statement. "We will continue to represent all voices, with an aim to spark dialogue and find common ground, so that we can help advance our community and build cultural legacy."

The parade down New York's Fifth Avenue will take place on June 11.

Lopez Rivera, now 74, was sentenced in 1981 after he was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, armed robbery, a weapons violation and four counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles. He belonged to the Armed Forces of National Liberation, or FALN, an ultranationalist Puerto Rican group that claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings in New York, Chicago, Washington and Puerto Rico during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Many NYPD officers were injured during those bombings.

Though Lopez Rivera was a member of the FALN, thousands of supporters have come to his defense nationwide. Many people see him as a freedom fighter who was imprisoned for seeking independence for Puerto Rico.

SLAIN MEXICAN JOURNALIST HAD GONE INTO HIDING RECENTLY, CONSIDERED LEAVING MEXICO

More than 30 New York City council members also signed a letter commending the parade board for honoring Lopez Rivera.

"We commend you for recognizing that Oscar Lopez Rivera represents the voice, tenacity and resolve of Puerto Rico and its people," the letter read.

"As countless families continue to struggle in Puerto Ricos current fiscal crisis, Oscar is a reminder of the hope that has always anchored the Island  and thats why we fully stand behind your efforts to honor him during this years 60th National Puerto Rican Day parade.

"Oscars presence will lift peoples spirits and bring attention to the challenges that must be immediately addressed on the Island," according to the letter.

New York has the largest Puerto Rican community off the island.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A public school in Michigan canceled an off-site Bible class after a parent complained -- yet school administrators are reviewing the study for possible reinstatement.

Children at Daisy Brook Elementary School, a public grade school in Fremont, Michigan, no longer have the option to attend a "Bible Release Time" class held at the local Fremont Wesleyan Church.

This set off an uproar among parents who had enrolled their children in the class.

"I don't agree with it because I don't believe it is a violation of the First Amendment," parent Britney TerVeer told Fox 17 West Michigan. "It's not on school property. Parents have to sign their kids. It's completely optional."

The Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists wrote a complaint letter to school officials, saying the Bible class must go, the local news source reported.

LIGHT FROM HEAVEN? PHOTO OF CRASH SITE BRINGS COMFORT TO GRIEVING FAMILY

"Bible Release Time is a program permitted by Michigan law, whereby children are released from school classes during school hours to attend religious instruction at a nearby location," a flyer for the class notes. "Pastor John Perkins will be conducting the Bible Release Time class in the Newago and Kent Counties."

A school van picks up the children from school to take them to church, where Pastor John Perkins leads the study.

For fourth grade students at Daisy Brook, the class was held once a month during the noon hour, according to the flyer. Parents had to give permission for children to attend.

The Bible class "is clearly designed to promote and support one particular religion, pastor, and church, and is thus an unconstitutional endorsement of religion," the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists wrote in a Facebook post on May 17. "Such programs are discriminatory and violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States."

Around 100 of the 400 students at Daisy Brook attend the Bible class, reported WZZM 13 News, a local ABC affiliate TV station. In Michigan, public school students are allowed two hours per week to attend religious instruction outside of school.

MORMON CHURCH PULLING THOUSANDS OF TEENS FROM BOY SCOUTS

"Just because other religions don't offer this kind of thing at school, it is unfair to take it away from the Christian religion," parent TerVeer told WZZM 13. "I brought my kids up in a Christian family my whole life, and I'd like to continue that."

Ken Haggart, the school district superintendent, hopes to continue the program in the future.

"It was recommended by school attorneys to discontinue the program for the remainder of year, allowing us to take time to make sure things are done correctly," Haggart stated.

Yet the advocacy organization that originally filed the complaint won't back down.

"Superintendent Ken Haggart just doesn't get it," the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activist (MACRA) wrote on its Facebook page on May 18. "White Christian privilege is ingrained in his DNA. The 'Bible Release' program is canceled for now, but in the fall, MACRA will place Daisy Brook on its list of schools for special monitoring to assure continued compliance with the law and Constitution."
"Stop killing each other." That was a 6-year-old boy's message to the people of St. Louis in a Facebook video that's been viewed more than 90,000 times.

"I'm scared to die," Jeffrey Laney, a kindergartener, said in the Facebook video that his mother, Leanndra Cheatham, posted last week. "I feel bad about people killing each other."

"Jeffrey saw me really sad when my cousin died," Cheatham told Fox News, of why her son implored people to stop the violence. "I didn't know he remembered or even listened when I talked about the death of my cousin."

Cheatham's cousin, 17-year-old Taylor Simpson, was killed in a drive-by shooting in University City last month.

"All these people are hurting and killing each other," the kindergartener says in the video. "We need to stop this."

WOMAN REPORTEDLY HIT BY STRAY BULLET WHILE ATTENDING CARDINALS GAME AT BUSCH STADIUM

Cheatham said she's received both negative and positive reaction to the video, but said it's mostly positive.

"A guy told me he doesn't trust my son, that he thinks he's a criminal. How can you not trust a 6-year-old without a criminal record?" Cheatham said. "But a man in Birmingham reached out to me and told me he didn't shoot someone in retaliation after seeing my son speak in the video."

Cheatham said her son Jeffrey often speaks this way, but felt that this video was different.

"I film my son a lot, if you look at my Facebook," Cheatham said. "But this time, I learned a lot about Jeffrey from that video."
The Pentagon on Sunday refused a request to add the names of 74 U.S. sailors who died in a 1969 ship collision to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington.

Survivors and relatives of those killed have been pushing the Defense Department for years to add the 74 names to the wall because the ship had supported ground operations in Vietnam just weeks earlier and would have been sent back to the war zone after the exercise.

But Pentagon officials in a decision this month stuck to their position that the USS Frank E. Evans victims are precluded from being added to the wall because the accident occurred outside the Vietnam combat zone. The ship turned into the path of an Australian aircraft carrier and was split in half.

Instead of granting an exemption to the war zone rule, the Pentagon has offered to pay tribute to the fallen sailors by listing their names on a memorial plaque to be placed inside the education center to be built near the wall. But with less than half of the $130 million cost of the center raised so far, the offer is being dismissed by some Evans survivors.

It was a decision that angered retired Navy Master Chief Lawrence Reilly Sr., an Evans survivor whose 20-year-old son, also named Lawrence, was among those killed.

"I'm not happy with the whole thing," the 92-year-old WWII and Vietnam veteran said from his Syracuse home. "It's a bad deal."

The Pentagon's latest rejection came after the Evans survivors pinned their hopes on Navy records that the group said showed the ship had been awarded a Vietnam Service Medal for June 2, 1969, a day before the accident. The medal was only given to ships and sailors who served in the Vietnam combat zone. But the Navy's review of its records last fall determined there was no documentation to support such a claim.

The Evans sailors "do not meet the established criteria for the inscription of their names on the wall," Navy Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said. "The deputy secretary of defense extensively reviewed information and records to make an informed decision."

The Evans veterans say the Pentagon has previously granted exceptions to the eligibility criteria for adding names to the memorial, including for dozens of Marines who were killed when the plane carrying them back to Vietnam from leave in Hong Kong crashed during takeoff.

The Evans group's effort has the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who got involved two years ago on behalf of the four sailors from his state who died in the collision.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Virginia whiz kid received her masters degree on Saturday before she is set to graduate high school.

Stephanie Mui, 17, of Fairfax, Va., received a masters degree in mathematics from George Mason University on Saturday and, according to the school, was the youngest among more than 8,700 graduates at the spring commencement.

As a student she is sharp, very sharp. She impresses everyone, said Sean Lawton, an associate professor at George Mason who taught Mui. As a human, she is mature, polite, observant and careful. She works hard and does not give up.

Next month, Mui will graduate from Oakton High School in Fairfax County. In the fall, the teen plans to attend New York University as a doctoral candidate where she received a full research fellowship.

Mui, whose parents are engineers, said math comes naturally to her. Mui said she was debating geometry proofs with her father while she was in the first grade, according to George Mason University.

FATHER, SON GRADUATE FROM WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY TOGETHER

In fourth grade, she passed the College Boards College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) for calculus, which covers skills that are usually taught in a one-semester college course, according to the College Boards website.

Mui began taking college classes after the fifth grade. She started at Northern Virginia Community College where she received her associate's degree at age 13.

After community college, Mui enrolled at George Mason, which touts itself as Virginias largest public research university. She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from the university last year.

YOUNGEST TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY GRAD SAYS HE HAS NO REGRETS AT ALL

Mui was worried that the students at George Mason would treat her differently because of her age.

I didnt try to hide it, Mui told Fox 5, I just never brought it up. But if people ask, I tell them.

She said she has no regrets.

Im really glad I did it, Mui said of her educational journey. I like being challenged.
A bomb exploded at an army-run hospital in Bangkok on Monday, wounding more than 20 people, Thai authorities said.

Investigators confirmed the blast was caused by a bomb after they found remnants of batteries and wires on the ground floor of Phramongkutklao Hospital, said Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, the deputy national police chief.

"We can confirm at this stage that it is a bomb," Ransibrahmanakul said.

At least 21 people were wounded, one of them severely, said Lt. Gen. Saroj Kiewkajee, a hospital official. Thirteen people were discharged soon after the explosion.

Though the explosion came on the anniversary of the May 22, 2014 military coup that overthrew a democratically elected government, authorities are not connecting the two incidents at this time.

"Please don't connect this with any other incidents because they may or may not be connected,"said Sansern Kaewkumnerd, a government spokesman. "We have to wait for officials to investigate details from surveillance cameras in the area."

It's unclear who is responsible for the attack at the hospital, which is run by the military but is also open to civilians.

Since the 2014 coup, at least six explosions have occurred in Bangkok. Last Monday, a bomb went off in front of the country's National Theater. Last month, a similar explosion took place in front of an old government lottery office.

Most of the bombs in Bangkok caused only minor damage except for a blast on August 17, 2015, that killed about 20 people near a popular Hindu shrine.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
China reacted to the revelation it had purged a network of CIA informants with a victory lap, boasting that the execution of a dozen spies within the last seven years was a triumph for its anti-espionage activities.

The network was terminated between 2010 and 2012, The New York Times reported Saturday, with 12 or more people killed and several more imprisoned. Without providing confirmation, the Global Times newspaper, which is published by the official Peoples Daily, said in an editorial smashing the ring with extreme prejudice was a sweeping victory.

If this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud Chinas anti-espionage activities, read the editorial. Not only was the CIAs spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong.

THE LATEST: SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS NKOREA MISSILE TEST

It can be taken as a sweeping victory. Perhaps it means even if the CIA makes efforts to rebuild its spy network in China, it could face the same result.

If true, the action would be one of the worst security breaches in the U.S. intelligence services in decades. The Times reported that the saga still unnerves the CIA, and although investigators questioned a Chinese-American who left the CIA just before the crackdown began he was allowed to return home to Asia and no charges relating to turning on fellow agents have ever been filed.

While the CIA has undoubtedly carried out its own assessment of what happened, the Times article prompted former insiders to speculate about what caused the demise of the spy network.

This would indicate an internal, insider threat type of person who was spying for the Chinese, former CIA Deputy General Counsel for Operations Robert Eatinger told Fox News. Eatinger was Acting General Counsel of the CIA from 2009 to 2014 and now runs his own law firm, SpyLaw Consulting.

Former CIA clandestine officer Mike Baker agreed.

When you start losing a number of assets, especially when they are all compartmentalized away from each other, you have to assume that one possible explanation is youve got a counterintelligence problem, that there is someone with knowledge on the inside - a molea traitor, Baker said.

Asked whether the incident represents an ongoing vulnerability to Chinese infiltration of the CIA, Eatinger pointed out if somebody is very smart and cautious they can get away with this for a very long time.

The CIA declined to comment on the disappearing CIA informants in China.

Eatinger agreed with the Chinese editorial, saying the incident certainly has a chilling effect on U.S. efforts to spy on Beijing.

Its tougher to get new people to talk to you, and the ones you have may stop talking and go away, particularly if you cant protect their identity," he said.

The fact that the story took several years to get into the media could be attributable to CIA employees retiring and finally being able to discuss it publicly, Eatinger added.

Baker said there is no good reason to be talking about this now, unless, and this is speculation, its to let the Chinese know that we're on to something to create movement on the other side. Such a strategy could be acceptable tradecraft.

But Baker worried that its also possible that CIA sources revealed the story to reporters because of a cultural problem within the intel community. Segments of the community have been battling with the Trump administration, through a series of leaks.

NORTH KOREA THREAT: EXPERTS PAINT DARK PICTURE OF WHAT FALLOUT OF PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE MAY LOOK LIKE

Even if what people believe that what they are leaking is OK because its simply political and about Trump, there is an overall impact on the cultureit lowers the barit starts to normalize the idea of leaking or talking about other, more sensitive things, he said.

The revelations come amid several incidents of attempted Chinese recruitment of Americans to spy on Beijings behalf, including a 28-year-old applicant to the CIA who had studied in China during his college years. Glenn Duffie Shriver was imprisoned for attempting to sell national defense secrets to Chinese agents for about $70,000.

After he was convicted and imprisoned, Shriver starred in FBI videos warning American students of the dangers of Chinese recruitment.

"If someone is offering you money and it feels like you don't have to do anything for that money, then theres probably a hook in there that you're not seeing, Shriver said in one FBI video.

The Shriver case reportedly led the CIA to think twice about recruiting Americans who studied in China, which in turn made it harder to recruit qualified CIA officers.

Theres a far greater scrutiny of anyone who has spent time in China as a student, particularly on the longer-term programs, former CIA deputy assistant director for East Asia and the Pacific Dennis Wilder told Newsweek.

Meanwhile, a veteran State Department employee was charged in March with making false statements to the FBI about gifts she received from Chinese spies, including an iPhone, a laptop and international travel.

Intelligence gathering is a high risk world, Baker told Fox News. Thats why its such an emotional issue for the agency. People die. Its very serious. Its never helpful if people cant keep their mouths shut.
Iran's newly re-elected president Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that his country will continue its ballistic missile program despite criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The U.S. leaders should know that whenever we need a missile test because of a technical aspect, we will test," Rouhani said in a news conference. "We will not wait for them and their permission."

"Our missiles are for peace, not for attack," he added.

The remarks came three days after he won Iran's presidential election, securing another four-year term. On Sunday, Trump also made a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that urged leaders in the Middle East region to combat extremism.

Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God, Trump said.

The president, to a crowd that included leaders of more than 50 Muslim-majority countries, said his goal isn't to "lecture" people how to live, but to offer "partnership."

"Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all," Trump said.

On Monday, Trump touched down in Israel for the second part of his foreign trip, the first one since taking office. He met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem and said in a statement after the meeting that Israel and Muslim nations have a growing realization that they share a "common cause" of combating "the threat posed by Iran."

Trump also criticized Iran earlier in the trip for spreading "destruction and chaos" throughout the region. His comments were echoed by Saudi King Salman, who declared: "The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism."

Rouhani countered the comments by saying the United States does not understand the region.

"Those who provide consultations or advice to the Americans, unfortunately, they are the rulers who either push America awry or with money, they just buy some people in America," Rouhani said in response to a question by The Associated Press.

Iran's president added that Iranians are waiting for Trump and his administration to "be civil" and "settle down" so the nations could better understand each other.

Rouhani also slammed Saudi Arabia, saying that the kingdom "has never seen a ballot box" while Iran just hosted a successful presidential election in which over 40 million people voted. He also called the Saudi summit a "show-off" convention that "will not have any political and practical values."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
North Korea said Monday that it is ready to mass produce a new medium-range missile that has the capability of reaching Japan and major U.S. military bases after its latest launch it claimed confirmed the rockets combat readiness.

North Korea launched the solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile Sunday. It reached a height of 350 miles before splashing into the Pacific Ocean. The isolated country said it is an answer to President Trumps policies.

North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un ordered and watched the launch, according to state media. The report said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its "adaptability under various battle conditions" before it is deployed to military units.

Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action" and said that it should "be rapidly mass-produced."

North Korea has vowed more missile tests in the face of international sanctions and satellite imagery has shown that it may be preparing for a sixth nuclear missile test. North Korea a week earlier had successfully tested a new midrange missile  the Hwasong 12  that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday" Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is "disappointing" and "disturbing."

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting after the launch, and its Foreign Ministry said the launch "throws cold water" on efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

China, one of North Koreas only allies, urged all sides to exercise restraint, Reuters reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In an age often characterized by short attention spans and controversies with relatively short life spans, circumspection and cautiousness are usually assets for politicians. Weighing in definitely on fleeting flashes of emotion is meaningless at best, and can create lasting image problems at worst. So it is no surprise that our congressional representative, John Katko, is often quite judicious with his words. As a moderate Republican in a district with a razor thin Democratic edge, he must stand with a proverbial foot in each aisle.

Katko has been hesitant to meet with anything other than a limited selection of his constituency. Regardless of his attempts to control the discussion, his recent public meeting at OCC was still rather boisterous. To his credit, Katko understood that the rush to repeal Obamacare was poor judgement, and voted accordingly. He clearly knows that the senior citizens of his district, which make up no small part, count on affordable health care and need to be assured of coverage. This point aside, as the number of Trumps other failed policies are panned by Democrats and Republicans, and new criminal allegations from both sides of the aisle begin to stack up, Katkos silence grows louder every day. A quality that would be an asset under normal conditions, is becoming something of a liability.

U.S. Rep. John Katko is no stranger to criminality. As a talented former federal prosecutor, he has special experience dealing with the complex psychology of criminals and the corrupt. Given his history and expertise, it is all the more troubling that Mr. Katko has not offered a more resolute stance on the continuously expanding White House scandal machine. As noted in previous columns, the best he has offered has been limp concern. In the same manner, he neither approves nor disapproves of Trumps actions while president.

Any political science 101 student can tell you that our system is based on a sacred covenant between the elected leaders and the governed. The leader agrees to protect and serve the governed, and they in turn, submit to his governance. When that covenant is broken, the social contract no longer is valid, and governed can retract their submission. Thus the power delegated to the leader evaporates with his legitimacy.

The facts being still unknown, opinion is still divided regarding whether or not Trump has broken his end of the social contract by conspiring with a foreign government to infringe on the fundamental rights of Americans to enjoy a free election, or obstructing justice by attempting to interfere with an investigation, or whether he gave Israeli military secrets to Russia, among other things. When the smoke clears, many of our other elected leaders will likely be judged by their relationship and conduct relative to Trump. When the verdict of our time is finally delivered, voters shall judge if Mr. Katko let his fear of Trump keep his mouth shut, or if the love of his country and district moved him to finally speak up.
The U.S. ambassador in Ankara was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey said, over what it called "aggressive and unprofessional actions" by U.S. security personnel against Turkish bodyguards in Washington during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit last week.

The Monday move appeared to be in retaliation for calls in the United States for strong action against the Turkish security officers. The officers were seen hitting and kicking protesters outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington during Erdogan's visit.

Two Turkish bodyguards were briefly detained after the incident. They were later set free and returned to Turkey.

TILLERSON WAITS ON EMBASSY BRAWL; MCCAIN SAYS 'LOOK AT THE CLIP'

U.S. Ambassador John Bass was given a "written and verbal protest" over the treatment of two security officers for being "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices," a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said.

The two officers were part of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's security detail, according to the statement.

The Turkish ministry said it had requested that U.S. authorities conduct "a full investigation of this diplomatic incident and provide the necessary explanation."

"We can confirm the Turkish Foreign Ministry convoked our Ambassador to Turkey to discuss the violent incidents involving protestors and Turkish security personnel on May 16," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. "As we noted previously, the conduct of Turkish security personnel last week was deeply disturbing. The State Department has raised its concerns about those events at the highest levels."

The Turkish ambassador should be "thrown the hell out of Washington," Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) told "Fox News Sunday."

"Those were his people and Erdogan's people that were sent out there. That's not America and it's not allowed in the United States of America," he said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also spoke on "Fox News Sunday" about the incident.

"We did call the ambassador of Turkey into the State Department to discuss what occurred with them and express our view that this is simply unacceptable," Tillerson revealed.

Tillerson said an investigation has to conclude before it's decided if the ambassador should be expelled.

Turkey has said that the demonstrators were responsible for the incident. Its embassy claimed the demonstrators were associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PPK).

The PPK has waged a three-decade-long insurgency against Turkey and is considered a terrorist group by the United States.

Fox News' Rich Edson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A United Nations agencys go-it-alone decision to facilitate an international patent application from North Korea for production of the embargoed chemical sodium cyanideused in making nerve gas continues to spark concern among close observers of U.N. sanctions against the rogue regime, nearly a week after the U.N. body dismissed the issue as outside the bounds of U.N. sanctions resolutions.

At the same time, the bellicose behavior of the rogue dictatorship of Kim Jong Un was continuing to escalate, with yet another illegal ballistic missile firing over the weekend to add to a long string of defiant gestures aimed at accelerating development of nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

In that context, a number of experts contacted by Fox News formed part of a growing consensus that the patent facilitation process was not the most troubling issueamong other things, North Korea already has thousands of tons of chemical weapons at its disposal.

The bigger concern was that the World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO, had made no mention of the international application to the U.N. Security Council committee coordinating North Korea sanctions, nor to the U.N. Panel of Exports that reports sanctions violations to the committee.

Nor, apparently, did WIPO feel it had any need to do so. The application first came to the Geneva-based U.N. agency in November, 2015.

The patent action by the World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO, an obscure U.N. agency in Geneva, was first revealed by Fox News on May 15.

At the time, the coordinator for the U.N. Panel of Experts told Fox News that his group has no record of any communication from WIPO to the Committee or the Panel regarding such a serious patent application, and declared that the panel had officially opened an investigation into this matter. When the investigation will be concluded was not disclosed.

A day later, WIPO in a statement decried the Fox News story as inaccurate and erroneous, and reiterated an assertion already made in the story that WIPOs secretariat communicates with the relevant U.N. oversight committees as necessary.

WIPO also reiterated that it has put strict procedures in place to ensure full compliance with all requirements in relation to UN Security Council sanction regimesthough it didnt say what they were, or how they were triggered, only adding its as necessary comment.

Atop that, WIPO made the sweeping assertion that patent applications are not covered by the growing number of sanctions resolutions passed since North Korea first exploded an illegal nuclear device in 2006.

To buttress its case, the agency cited a general exemption for patents issued by the U.S. in the context of its own sanctions against North Koreaan action that took place, as WIPO admitted, prior to WIPOs publication of the cyanide application.

A U.S. Treasury spokesperson subsequently told Fox News that the exemption applied only to U.S. sanctions in North Korea and was not in any way connected to this North Korea issue with WIPO.

What was more at stake, however, as the world continues to struggle with controlling the excesses of the belligerent North Korean regime, is whether far-flung U.N. agencies with various technical mandates feel they have any obligation to behave as part of the U.N. when its highest values of global peace and security are at stake.

One of the experts contacted by Fox News noted that the U.N. Security Council in 2009 had urged all States, relevant United Nations bodies and other interested parties, to cooperate fully with the [sanctions] Committee and the Panel of Experts, in particular by supplying any information at their disposal about implementation of a 2006 sanctions resolution against North Korea. That resolution specifically included sodium cyanide as a banned chemical.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2009 RESOLUTION

The expert, who asked for anonymity, is affiliated with the Alpha Project, a specialized sanctions support unit in London that works with U.N. sanctions panels, the European Union and other organizations on improving and analyzing sanctions and improving trade controls where sanctions are applied.

The word urged, however, in diplomatic parlance has the force of a strong suggestion.

As another expert, a former U.S. official familiar with sanctions issues, told Fox News: "As a technical legal matter, they probably have a strong case that they are not violating anything. The key issue isn't that they are violating the rules but that they should be exercising more care and diligence in countries under sanction."

That stance was doubly underlined by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, who last week issued two separate statements on the WIPO controversy. In the first, she declared that a common sense reaction would be for WIPO to inform [the U.N. Security] Council of such patent applications. Its failure to do so may have dangerous consequences.

Late last week, after WIPO published its rejoinder to Fox News, Haley issued another statement that indicated U.S. unhappiness with the agencys intransigent stance, declaring that the U.S. continues to be concerned about the way the World Intellectual Property Organization has handled North Koreas patent application for the production of sodium cyanide.

All parts of the UN system, Haley added, need to support the Security Council in its efforts to respond to the grave threat of North Koreas weapons of mass destruction programs.

In particular, she urged all U.N. agencies to be transparent and apply the utmost scrutiny when dealing with these types of requests from North Korea and other rogue nations.

Not responding coherently or transparently, however, has long been the hallmark of WIPO under its imperious and idiosyncratic Director General, Francis Gurry.

In 2012, he galvanized an even bigger uproar when he shipped, by circuitous means, U.S.-made computers and servers to North Korea and Iran, once again without notifying U.N. sanctions committee officials.

At that time, he was able to claim a narrow legal right to do so, though U.N. investigators expressed amazement at the notion of shipping the equipment to countries whose behavior was so egregious it forced the international community to impose embargoes.

In their report, they noted that as far back as 1974, WIPO had signed an agreement with the U.N. that expressly said WIPO agrees to cooperate in whatever measures may be necessary to make coordination of the policies and activities of the United Nations and those of the organs and agencies within the United Nations system fully effective.

What was a jaw-dropping deviation from that document in 2012, however, now looks more like a deep-seated habit.

The question for the U.N. may be whether it feels its a habit the rest of the world must continue to afford.
A big game hunter died Friday in Zimbabwe when a member of his hunting group fired their gun at an elephant striking it and causing it to fall on him.

The group had gone for a walk in the afternoon near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park when three elephants stormed the group, News 24 reported. A fourth elephant stormed the group from the side and was shot. The animal grabbed 51-year-old Theunis Botha with its trunk, then collapsed and fell on him.

Botha had "unknowingly" approached the elephant herd, a wildlife official told The Associated Press. Simukai Nyasha, spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said Botha was on a 10-day, licensed hunt.

TRAVEL COMPANY CEO: ZOOS 'NOT APPROPRIATE IN 2017'

Botha was a specialist in hunting leopards with hounds. Game Hounds Safaris, Bothas company, said in a statement that he pioneered the hunts using packs of dogs in southern Africa.

Botha was well known in Zimbabwe and helped recruit Americans for trophy hunting, News 24 added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A seminar on calculating indirect rates for government contractors will be held by the University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This session includes a detailed look at how indirect rates are established, what they are used for and by whom, as well as how the indirect rate structure can be established to maximize company profits and its competitive advantage. Fee is $75. Call 540/654-1383 to register and for more information.

A workshop called How to Get Started on Social Media Marketing Strategy will be held May 30 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. by the University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development. The workshop is designed for small business owners who are not using social media to market their businesses and those who are not using social media effectively. Fee is $30. Call 540/654-1383 to register and for more information.

Fredericksburg Giant Store managers presented Chancellor Elementary School with a grant for $5,790 last week. The grant comes to Chancellor Elementary School as a result of its outstanding performance in Giants A+ School Rewards Program during the 2016-2017 school year.

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative recently awarded $16,000 in LEARN scholarships to local students exhibiting these qualities.The program awards scholarships to select graduating high school seniors from the communities served by REC.

MISSION BBQ co-founders Bill Kraus and Steve Newton announced the donation of $61,618 to Semper Fi Fund last week. The check was presented at the Stafford location.

On May 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized Wegmans Food Markets as an outstanding Safer Choice Retailer. For the third year in a row, this award was given to Wegmans for fostering awareness of the program and committing to offer cleaning products that meet EPA standards.

Robert D. Samuels, Inc./Expert Home Electric of Fredericksburg has earned the home service industrys coveted Angies List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of customer service to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2016.
John P. Jack Ackerly III, one of Virginias foremost Civil War preservationists, died Thursday at his Richmond home. He was 82.

An attorney who served as rector of the University of Virginia from 1998 to 2003, Ackerly loved Virginia historyespecially its role in the Civil Warand devoted years to trying to save the states battlefields from development.

He helped found and was the pro bono legal advisor to the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, a national nonprofit group created in Fredericksburg. Established in 1987, APCWS later became the Civil War Trust, the countrys largest battlefield preservation outfit.

Ackerly was one of 11 APCWS board members who voted in 1988 to fight a subdivision and industrial office park proposed on Culpeper Countys Brandy Station battlefield. Against steep odds, that project and a later Formula One racetrack were defeated and 2,157 acres of the 1863 cavalry battlefield were saved. That land, and part of Culpepers Cedar Mountain battlefield, is now being considered for a state park.

In 2013, Ackerly received one of the preservation worlds high honors: the Ralph A. Happel Award, given by the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust for notable contributions to battlefield preservation. The award, given infrequently, is named for a Fredericksburg historian who dedicated his life to interpreting and studying the regions Civil War battlefields and their stories.

In CVBTs early days, Ackerly offered legal and organizational advice to the Fredericksburg-based group, which focuses on preserving local battlefields.

A former president of the LeeJackson Educational Foundation, Ackerly advised the Richmond Battlefields Association and was a member of the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission, which organized the 2009-2015 commemoration of the states multifaceted participation in the countrys deadliest conflict.

SAVING THE BATTLEFIELDS

Ackerlys contributions are outlined in a book about the modern save-the-battlefields movement, by journalist Bob Zeller, to be published next month by Knox Press.

Fighting The Second Civil War: A History of Battlefield Preservation and the Emergence of the Civil War Trust recalls the pivotal 1987-1988 meetings by APCWS directors that launched what became a national campaign.

An uncompromising warrior

Another historian and author, Robert K. Krick of Fredericksburg, shared this appreciation of Ackerly, who was instrumental in preserving most of the May 1862 battlefield at McDowell between Staunton and Green Bank, W.Va.

Having walked across every battlefield in Virginia with Jack, I can attest that he most loved McDowell and its mountains, where he also hunted. The groundhogs of Highland County surely are the only creatures in the commonwealth who will not mourn Jacks untimely demise.

Jim Lighthizer, president of the Civil War Trust, called him an uncompromising warrior.

All who care about preserving our nations history owe [Mr. Ackerly] a debt of gratitude, he told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

A former president of the Richmond Civil War Roundtable, Ackerly also served on the boards of the Museum of the Confederacy, the Historic Richmond Riverfront Foundation and the Rockbridge Historical Society.

Ackerlys survivors include his wife, Mary Wall Ackerly; two children, Mary Hoge Anderson and John Paul Ackerly IV, both of Richmond; a brother, Benjamin C. Ackerly of Richmond; and four grandchildren.

His funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Second Presbyterian Church, 5 N. Fifth St., Richmond.
A young man who made national news after being accused of posing as a doctor was ordered Monday to serve a year in prison for crimes he committed in Stafford County after skipping bond in Florida.

Malachi A. LoveRobinson of West Palm Beach, Fla., who turned 20 earlier this month, was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison with all but a year suspended. Judge Charles Sharps sentence was above the recommended state sentencing guidelines, which called for a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

LoveRobinson previously pleaded guilty in Stafford Circuit Court to making false statements to obtain credit and passing a forged document. He 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 from Kargar Motors at 3316 Jefferson Davis Highway.

The victim was with Love Robinson at the time, according to the evidence presented by prosecutor Michael Hardiman, but was unaware that she was being duped. Employees at the business recognized LoveRobinson from his Florida troubles and called the Sheriffs Office.

LoveRobinson had already used the womans information to purchase a car in Florida that he drove to Virginia. He was released on bond in Florida and was not supposed to leave the state.

LoveRobinson made national headlines and earned the nickname Dr. Love in February 2016 when he was accused of operating a fake medical practice in West Palm Beach: New Birth Life Medical Center and Urgent Care. Court records state that an undercover officer visited the facility and received a physical exam and medical advice.

About a month after that arrest, LoveRobinson was arrested again. He was accused that time of stealing $35,000 from an 86-year-old woman after making a house call to treat her for stomach pain.

In Stafford on Monday, defense attorney George Marzloff asked Sharp to sentence his client to the eight months he already served. In court records, LoveRobinson claimed he has received mental health treatment and was diagnosed as having delusions of grandeur.

Hardiman argued that LoveRobinson must still be suffering from the ailment, pointing out court records that show LoveRobinson claims to have graduated from Harris University in Florida, which doesnt exist. Hardiman said LoveRobinson also falsely claimed to have received a doctorate from Arizona State University.

His lies are not a harmless thing, Hardiman said. Even while on bond, he was out victimizing a woman and a business.

Once LoveRobinson completes his Virginia sentence, he will be returned to Florida to face his charges there.
Phyllis Whitley emailed the married couple Sunday afternoon to ask if everything was OK.

She had driven by their Spotsylvania County home earlier in the day, only to see police cars and yellow tape blocking the driveway. The yellow tape was still there when she passed the house again a couple hours later after running errands.

I hope everybodys OK, Whitley recalled writing to Patsy and Guy Prudhomme, who live about a mile away from her off Gordon Road.

She never heard back.

Later, Whitley would learn that Guy Prudhomme, 65, was allegedly shot and killed by a neighbor over what the Sheriffs Office called a property boundary dispute. The news shocked her and other residents, who knew Prudhomme as a loving father of six adult children and an astute businessman with an engaging personality.

In all the time Ive known them, I havent heard anything negative about their dealings with anyone, Whitley said Monday.

Larry Keith Johnston, 80, was charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of his neighbor. Both homes share an access point on Young Lane, which splits off into two driveways.

A dispatcher reported that the victim had been shot in the chest and was lying in the driveway. Hes not breathing, the dispatcher said minutes after the shooting.

Groundskeepers were mowing grass and planting flowers on the victims 8-acre property at the time of the shooting. One of Prudhommes children was scheduled to get married at the 6,791-square-foot home overlooking the Ni River Reservoir this summer, Whitley said.

Sheriffs Lt. C.A. Carey called it a cut-and-dried case, saying authorities have found all the evidence they need. The suspect had marked the property line with metal stakes as part of the dispute, he said.

Prudhommes friends and business associates said they were unaware of any issues with the neighbor.

Hunter Scott, managing broker of Re/Max Allegiance in Fredericksburg, said he met the neighbor at a social gathering at Prudhommes home a few years ago. It was just small talk if it was anything, he recalled of the conversation.

Attorney Craig Buck, who represented Prudhomme when he bought the Spotsylvania home, also said his client and friend never mentioned problems with the neighbor. Its just so strange, he said.

Prudhomme was CEO of Columbia Property Capital, which refurbishes and sells old properties in Washington. Friends say he moved to Washington about a year ago, but still dropped by his Spotsylvania home some weekends.

Prudhomme lived an interesting life, his friends said.

He was born on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. He grew up in South Africa and lived in India before moving to Fredericksburg, Buck said.

While living in South Africa and India, Prudhomme owned a textile business that produced many of the marching band uniforms in the United States, Buck said. Hes not sure exactly why Prudhomme moved to the Fredericksburg region, but that the family made the decision while looking at a world map.

Theyve got the whole world in front of them, he said. And where do they pick? Fredericksburg.

Whitley said Prudhomme wanted his children to receive an education in the U.S. He became an American citizen about five years ago.

Prudhomme founded the Fredericksburg Real Estate Investors Association, and Buck said he met him at the groups first meeting about a decade ago. He expected to receive a sales pitch, based on his experiences with other similar groups.

Instead, he recalled, It was a man with this strange name and strange accent, but he was the genuine article. He wasnt trying to sell anything.

Buck said Prudhomme did not have experience in the real estate business but went to a lot of seminars to pick up the trade.

Within six or seven years, Prudhomme had rehabbed and sold some 150 properties in the Fredericksburg region before setting up shop in Washington, said Scott, the Re/Max broker.

He was a really engaging gentleman, Scott said. He was very, very much of an extrovert. He enjoyed people.

Whitley, past president of the Fredericksburg Sister City Association, said Prudhomme hosted exchange students and other visitors from Fredericksburgs sister city in Frejus, France. He also held several events for the organization at his Spotsylvania home.

They were just really a grand family, she said. We just feel for them.

He was a really engaging gentleman. ... He enjoyed people. HUNTER SCOTT
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PHOENIX (AP)  A federal appeals court has ruled that the Arizona Department of Corrections violated an inmate's constitutional rights after an officer read his outgoing legal mail, a practice legal experts say is common across the state.

In an opinion released by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Milan D. Smith Jr., wrote that the department's mail inspection policy interferes with the confidential relationship between a criminal defendant and his or her attorney guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. The ruling said the department's policy improperly "calls for page-by-page content review of inmates' confidential outgoing legal mail."

Corene Kendrick, a staff attorney for the nonprofit public interest law firm Prison Law Office, said Friday that the 9th Circuit's decision will apply to all states under its jurisdiction.

"It's a problem for attorneys because we have certain ethical obligations to ensure confidentiality and that puts us in a bind if we know that our mail to and from our client is actually being read versus just scanned," Kendrick said.

Prisons across the country routinely inspect incoming and outgoing mail for contraband, but legal mail is considered to be sacrosanct because of its constitutional implications. A long series of federal court decisions over several decades have clarified the rights of prisoners to send and receive legal mail without undue interference.

Kendrick said Arizona got around that by saying it officers had to read the legal mail to ensure that there wasn't any non-legal content that might be deemed "contraband."

Thursday's 9th Circuit ruling also held the department didn't prove its policy is justified by a threat to prison security.

The court was considering a legal challenge by death row inmate Scott Nordstrom for the second time. Nordstrom most recently said an officer read his confidential letter to his attorney rather than simply scan it. He first appealed to the 9th Circuit in 2013 for the same reason and won, but decided to take up the case again after claiming the district court did not follow the appeals court's instructions.

Nordstrom is on death row for six murders committed during two Tucson robberies in 1996.

Arizona Department of Corrections spokesman Andrew Wilder referred questions about the ruling to the state's attorney general's office. The attorney general's office declined to comment.

Stephen Pevar, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, questioned what prisons could possibly fear from inmates sending out letters to their attorneys.
Scottish wheat growers are being urged not to gamble and cut back sharply on their T2 flag leaf fungicide sprays as disease is easily visible in many crops.

Dry spring weather has limited the spread of diseases but more rain in May has brought with it the threat of wet-loving disease septoria leaf blotch moving up crops.

Fiona Burnett, disease expert at Scotlands Rural College, warns septoria can be seen on leaf four of most wheat plants, while yellow rust is creeping into some crops near the east coast.

The dry weather has helped limit disease, but it is too big a gamble for growers to be cutting back too much on fungicides at T2, she says.

See also: How to manage septoria disease in wheat

Prof Burnett adds in low disease situation growers could reduce dose rates rather omit any of the elements of a T2 fungicide spray.

She suggests most stick with a SDHI-azole-chlorothalonil mix at T2, with the first two elements having a systemic action allowing them to flow through the green leaves while the latter protects leaves from infection.

Those growers threatened by yellow rust may need to add in a strobilurin or could look to switch azoles from that used in their earlier T1 spray to give the maximum level of disease control.

These T2 sprays, which are usually applied in Scotland in the last few days of May and into the first week of June, are key in keeping the crop free of disease for about three weeks until a T3 ear spray.

Two new SDHI-azole combinations Ascra (bixafen+fluopyram+prothioconazole) and Elatus (solatenol+prothioconazole) have been introduced this season aimed at the T2 slot to join other options such as Adexar (fluxapyroxad+epoxiconazole) and Aviator (bixafen+prothioconazole).
Jones said plan is to play Friday since also chance of rain Thursday

The Indians playoff motto is a familiar and simple one: Survive to play another game. The Indians did just that with a 60-23 win over Rock Hill this past Friday...
Story Highlights 81% say state of moral values is "only fair" or "poor"

77% say the state of moral values is getting worse

Views have been consistently negative, at least since 2002

WASHINGTON, D.C -- Americans' ratings of U.S. moral values, consistently negative through the years, have slipped to their lowest point in seven years. More than four in five (81%) now rate the state of moral values in the U.S. as only fair or poor.

Since Gallup first asked in 2002 whether the nation's moral values were getting better or getting worse, the percentage saying worse has always been well above the majority level, ranging from a low of 64% in November 2004 to a high of 82% in May 2007. Over the past six years, it has stayed within a five-point range, reaching a low of 72% in 2013 and 2015 before climbing to this year's high of 77%.

Gallup's question about the current state of moral values getting better or worse has been asked over the same 16-year span as the question about the overall state of moral values. The combined percentage saying moral values are only fair or poor through the years has generally aligned with views about moral values getting worse.

The percentage of those having a positive view of the country's moral values -- either excellent or good -- peaked at 26% in November 2004, the same time that a high of 27% of people said the state of moral values was getting better. The individual highs that year were 4% excellent and 22% good.

Americans' low regard for their nation's moral values was evident in questions extending back well before the current questions were first asked 16 years ago. In 1991, 63% of U.S. adults said they were dissatisfied with the ethics and moral standards of the American people. In a 1996 poll, 39% said the state of moral values in the country today was somewhat weak, and 39% said it was very weak.

Social Moderates Most Negative, but Liberals' Ratings Also Low

Americans who define their views on social issues as liberal have seen their ranks grow from 21% in 1999 to 30% this year, reflecting the movement of the public toward acceptance of liberal positions on several moral values-related issues. Americans now support liberal views in record numbers on 10 different social issues.

With public opinion on those issues moving in a liberal direction, and with major Supreme Court rulings in recent years supporting abortion rights and gay marriage, social conservatives have always been more likely than liberals to say the state of moral values is poor and more likely to say it is getting worse. But even among liberals, in no year have more than a third described moral values as excellent or good, and only in 2009 -- a few months after Barack Obama's first presidential inauguration -- did less than a majority say it was getting worse.

The percentage of social liberals who thought moral values were getting worse stayed below 60% for most of Obama's presidency but rose to 71% this year with Republican Donald Trump's inauguration. The change from a Democratic White House to a Republican one also contributed to a substantial drop in pessimism among social conservatives. Seventy-seven percent -- an 11-percentage-point drop from last year -- now say moral values are getting worse.

With the percentage of moderates saying moral values are getting worse now up to 86%, 2017 is the first year social conservatives are not the group most likely to think values are worsening.

Attitudes Differ Widely by Age, Locale

No majority of any major demographic group views the state of moral values as good or excellent, but opinions differ significantly when looking at those who rate the state of the nation's values as poor. The overall average for the 16 years that Gallup has been asking the question is 42% saying poor, but that rises above 50% among a few groups and drops to a third or less among others:

Major differences occur by age. About half (51%) of those aged 65 and older believe moral values are in a poor state; 33% of those aged 34 and younger agree.

Fifty-four percent of those who live in a rural area, compared with 33% of those living a big city, say moral values are poor.

Thirty-one percent of those with postgraduate work say the country's moral values are poor.

Bottom Line

Though majorities of Americans say they are proud of their country and are satisfied with their overall quality of life, they are not as positive about the state of the nation's moral values. Even liberals, who seemingly should be pleased with the growing number of Americans who agree with their point of view on the morality of prominent social issues, are more likely to say things are getting worse than getting better.

Two possible reasons for the negativity among liberals in general and the rise in negativity this year among both moderates and liberals:

While social conservatives look at the decline in marriages, the increase in children born outside of marriage and the growing number of Americans identifying as nonreligious, social liberals have no lack of moral issues that concern them, including the position of blacks and racial minorities in the nation and the nation's efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness. Further, Trump's emergence has brought forth a barrage of articles from liberal publications about the coarsening of moral values.

Americans are not necessarily thinking about moral values in terms of abortion, gay marriage or other social issues that produce legislation and Supreme Court rulings. Polls in 2010 and 2012 that asked respondents to cite the most important problem with moral values found that the reason most often cited was lack of respect or tolerance for others, with poor parenting also frequently mentioned.

With both conservatives and liberals criticizing the other side for lack of respect and with Americans of all backgrounds able to find some moral issue to deplore, there seems to be little chance of a substantive change in the near future to the longstanding trend of Americans having overwhelmingly negative views about the state of moral values.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.
Even though New Zealand is geographically pretty close to Australia, it has a very distinct cultural character when compared to its fellow Commonwealth nation. This is certainly the case when it comes to what you might call online gambling NZ-style.

Gambling is fairly closely regulated in New Zealand so it is pretty important to understand a bit of the history and current status quo in the island state.

A regulated gambling industry

Gambling in New Zealand Falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Internal Affairs. With New Zealanders wagering more than NZ$2 billion a year, this represents a substantial amount of money that is supposed to be returned to the community under New Zealand law.

Interestingly, the largest cross-section of the New Zealand gambling industry is actually operated by state-owned institutions. One of the reasons for this is that all public gaming is supposed to return profits from these activities to communities.

At the same time, not all gambling activities are legal in New Zealand. Horse racing betting, for example, was declared illegal in 1920. It remains fairly tightly regulated.

Lotteries, on the other hand, have undergone quite a transformation in the last century. The national governments introduction of the Golden Kiwi lottery in the early 1960s seems to have been intended to revitalize this game. Further developments in the 1980s led to even more modern Lotto games.

Since July 2009, all pokies have to have what is known as Player Information Displays and, The purpose of which is to keep gamblers informed as to how long they have in playing the game, how much money they may have lost and to encourage them to take periodic breaks from the games. Organisations such as Responsible Gambling work to create more public awareness of the risks of gambling and, in general, and offer assistance to citizens who find themselves addicted to them. The state of online gambling in New Zealand The state of the law on online gambling in New Zealand is problematic for the industry.

The 2003 Gambling Act governs gambling in New Zealand. It sets the parameters for permissible gambling as well as the forms of gambling that are illegal. This definition essentially covers most forms of online casinos that typically operate using computers and mobile devices.

What the future holds

Bear in mind that the rationale for such restrictive gambling legislation is the social challenges that gambling tends to be associated with. Perhaps addressing these social challenges more directly may lead to more reforms sooner than later.
Councilwoman Suzie Price and Vice Mayor Rex Richardson are in the running for the city's top political post.
BoMacks BBQ Express and bottling kitchen has had its sauce in Costco stores in Albany and Eugene for three weeks, and Kendra Knebel, whose family owns and operates the Albany barbecue joint and catering operation, is thrilled.

Youre not a little fish anymore. Youre in with the big dogs, she said.

She said that sales have been brisk. In its first week, the sauce took first place among grocery items for the Albany Costco, Knebel said.

That was pretty exciting, but Albanys my back yard, so we knew we werent going to have a lot of trouble. We knew there would be a lot of local support, Knebel said. People here love hearing that somebody local is moving forward.

Additional Costco locations could be on the menu for BoMacks, though theres no rush, in part because theres more work to be done with packaging.

(BoMacks is being marketed as BoMack BBQ Sauce at Costco.)

They want to expand, but they want to give it time, she added. I think the relationship is we want to walk before we run. We want to make sure we know what the consumers and the members of Costco want. They are very excited about our products.

The next logical steps would be Salem and Roseburg stores, but Knebel is optimistic BoMacks sauce could eventually be offered in all 65 Costco locations in the Northwest.

That will be all dependent on sales, said Wendy Hiatt, general manager for the Eugene Costco, and formerly general manager of the Albany location for six years.

For now, BoMacks sauce is offered in Costco in a three-bottle package, with 42 ounces total. You get two originals and one Sweet & Sassy. Those have been our best sellers, Knebel said.

BoMacks BBQ sauces are sold in more than 80 stores including Wilco, Market of Choice and Made in Oregon locations.

BoMacks is working on creating larger bottles, and also focusing on making the sauce all-natural.

Knebel gave the credit to her customers  which include Costco workers  for getting her into the members-only warehouse chain.

Its unusual to get a call from corporate headquarters, but thats exactly what happened, Knebel said. The business relationship had been discussed since 2009.

They said, If you ever get that (sauce) in a bottle, let us know, Knebel said. They have been my cheerleader.  As big as they are, I feel theyre a community player. They love local.

Hiatt confirmed that Costco worked for years with Knebel on developing a product that would be a good fit for its stores.

We are always looking for local items that are a good fit for our warehouses and our members, Hiatt said. That includes Oregon beers and snacks from throughout the state, including Mountain House products made in Albany by OFD Foods.

With BoMacks, there was positive word of mouth, so to speak, among Albany Costco employees. All of us were aware of it and a lot of us ate there, and she shopped with us all the time, as well, Hiatt said.

BoMacks, which is named after Knebels eldest son, started in 2008 as a booth at festivals and at catering business, then opened up a downtown restaurant in December that year. There were no employees other than family members.

The Knebel family started a barbecue sauce bottling operation a few blocks away from the restaurant in 2013.

The restaurant portion of the business briefly moved to a former Texaco station on Highway 34 in 2015, but last September, BoMacks BBQ Express returned downtown, to a storefront adjacent to the bottling plant at 315 Lyon St. S.
Today: Albany McDonald's hiring day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Phoenix Inn Suites, 3410 Spicer Drive SE. Friendly, customer-oriented team members are needed for all shifts. The starting wage is $9.75. Applicants must have a food handler's card. McDonald's offers paid sick time, flexible work hours and assistance with college tuition. This is for the McDonald's at 3232 SE Pacific Blvd., which is being remodeled. The other McDonald's, at 1820 SW Pacific Blvd., also is hiring; those interested can apply in person at that restaurant.
Nov. 4, 1957  May 14, 2017

Douglas Wayne Burck went to be with his Lord, Sunday, May 14, 2017. He was 59.

Doug spent most of his life in the greater Albany area. He graduated from West Albany High School in 1976 and spent a number of years as a stock broker at Mid Valley Securities in Albany.

Later, he received his degree in education, graduating from Oregon State University in 1988.

In 1986, he married Joy Sharpe, the joy of his life.

Doug taught for a lifetime. His students varied in age from kindergarten to those in their 80s. He taught GED through Linn-Benton Community College, elementary school in Taiwan at Morrison Academy and at Albany Christian School. Mentoring/tutoring one on one was something he really loved.

He touched lives wherever he went.

In 2005, Doug and Joy moved to Prescott Valley, Arizona. While there, he worked with developmentally disabled adults. Doug loved the sunshine of Arizona but missed the green of Oregon so they moved back Christmas Eve of 2010, this time to Ruch.

Doug leaves behind his wife of over 30 years, Joy; three adopted sons, James Hsiau, Sanyoto Lokito and George Ambrose; brothers Don and Ken Burck; and a host of friends.

A memorial service was held on May 20 at Ruch Community Bible Church.
Dec. 4 1935  April 29th 2017

Marvin arrived in this world on December 4 1935 in Silver City, New Mexico. As soon as he could walk, he began the deliberate process of greying parents Archie and Berthas hair by wandering off with his wagon to explore the washes of the New Mexico desert.

By the start of World War II, brother Ray had arrived, and Archie moved the family to Oregon to work in the Kaiser Shipyard building Liberty ships, settling first in Vanport, then the St. Johns district of Portland.

Marvin was in school during these years, excelling in his math classes, and earning several marksmanship awards. Marv graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1954.

While in high school, Marv began his long career in the grocery business at a small North Portland market, where he worked until the mid-1960s, interrupted with a stint in the Army.

Marv met his future wife Patricia in 1955 through mutual friends. By 1958, wedding plans were being made when Marvs draft number came up, and he was off to boot camp in Kansas. Marv and Pat kept in touch during boot camp, and luck was with them when Marvs unit wound up with an extra week of liberty between boot camp and reporting for duty in West Germany. Marv and Pat married on November 29th 1958.

Marvs math and marksmanship skills landed him an artillery assignment during his Army tour. Off duty, Marv toured West Germany, photographing the sights, and partaking of Oktoberfest in Munich.

Marv returned to Oregon in 1960, and resumed his grocery career, but also enrolled in night classes to learn computer programming. By the time he graduated, second in his class, first son Jeffrey had arrived, and he couldnt afford a 50% pay cut to jump into a new career. Two years later, second child Sandra arrived. In 1968, Marv accepted a new opportunity with Albertsons. In late 1969, Marv was offered the assistant manager position at the Corvallis Albertsons, which became the manager position by the time he could get the family relocated to Corvallis in January 1970.

Marv continued with Albertsons through the summer of 1979, when he started working on opening his own supermarket. While working on those plans, the 7-Eleven franchise near the LBCC Albany campus became available, and Marv and wife Pat purchased the store, and put the family to work. The supermarket plans eventually fell through, but in 1988, the Highway 34 and Peoria Road location became available to open another small market, and in November 1988, Marv and Pat reopened the store as Marv's Corner Store. Marv and Pat operated Marvs Corner Store until they sold the store and retired in 2003.

Outside of work, Marv and Pat traveled to London, Spain, Mexico, and took several cruises, and in earlier years took the family on road trips. They also enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren, Jacob and Michaela.

Marv passed away peacefully, with family by his side the evening of April 29.

Marv is survived by his wife Patricia; children Jeffrey and Sandra and their families; and his brother Ray.

Marvs Memorial Service will be held June 3rd, at 1PM at McHenry Funeral Home in Corvallis.
Oregon's unemployment rate dipped to 3.7 percent in April: It was the lowest mark since the state started keeping comparable records in 1976.

The April 2017 rate showed significant improvement over the 5.0 percent rate in Oregon a year ago. And the state joblessness rate continues to be better than the U.S. rate, which was 4.4 percent in April 2017. (The numbers in this editorial all have been seasonally adjusted.)

This is all undeniably good news, as the state continues to add jobs as the economic recovery continues. And a peek deeper into the numbers shows more good news: Since April 2016, Oregon's construction sector posted the fastest growth of any of the state's major industries, adding 6,400 jobs, a 7.2 percent growth rate. This is particularly welcome, because the construction sector was among the hardest-hit during the recession.

Other winners among the state's leading economic sectors were transportation, warehousing and utilities (up 3,600 jobs, or 6 percent), professional and business services (up 8,700 jobs, or 3.7 percent) and health care, a sector which has demonstrated consistent growth, up 6,800 jobs, or 3.0 percent.

Economic sectors that suffered relatively minor job losses over the past 12 months in Oregon included government (down 700 jobs), wholesale trade (down 500 jobs) and information (with a loss of 300 jobs).

So the picture painted by the employment number is a cheery one  but it doesn't tell the entire story, especially if you're tracking the economic health of Oregon's rural counties.

In this regard, a new report from the Oregon Employment Department, "The Employment Landscape of Rural Oregon," is essential reading. And it's worth keeping that report in mind as you scan the latest sunny statewide employment numbers.

The big takeaway from the report is that Oregon's employment recovery has been uneven: Of the 23 counties that the report identified as rural (Benton County is considered urban), 17 of them have not recovered the jobs lost in the recession  and many of the jobs that have returned pay lower wages than the jobs that were lost.

Part of the issue here, of course, is that our economic attention tends to be focused on the state's populated areas: The report found that those 23 rural counties accounted for just 13 percent of Oregon's job total in 2016, "a small enough share to be lost in broader analyses of the state economy."

In other words, when you read reports celebrating another dip in Oregon's unemployment rate, it means that the job picture is bright in the state's urban areas  but that doesn't necessarily translate to good times outside the cities.

This isn't a new problem, although it tends to be hidden. The report found that unemployment rates typically are higher in Oregon's rural areas, dating back to 1990, which is as far back as the data goes. Since 1990, the long-run average of unemployment rates is 2 percentage points higher in rural areas (8.4 percent, as opposed to 6.4 percent).

The report concluded that rural areas likely always will have higher unemployment rates than urban areas, for a number of reasons: Rural areas depend on seasonal agricultural and resource industries, which tend to be seasonal. And rural workers who lose their jobs likely spend more time searching for work, simply because there aren't as many jobs available in those areas.

But that shouldn't mean that everyone in Oregon needs to move to a city to find work. A prosperous Oregon is one that has vibrant, creative economies in both its urban and rural areas.

It can be easy to overlook the economic trends at work in rural Oregon, overshadowed as they are by the urban numbers. But that doesn't mean the needs of rural Oregon should be ignored. (mm)
To the writer of this article. Donald Trump neglected to mention how euphoric Egyptians were when the president back then in 2013 was ousted. Nor did he mention that the demonstrations he is speaking of were wreaking havoc in the Raba area; I wonder if demonstrators would be allowed to do the same in your country? He also neglected to mention that the dissenters he speaks of are affiliated to a terrorist group that has killed many Egyptians. Wake up and see the reality.

The rest of the article is on track.

Politico

President Donald Trump walks with Saudi King Salman to a photo with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit on May 21, 2017, in Riyadh. | AP Photo

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia  President Donald Trump, a homebody by nature who spent four months in office before making his first trip abroad, said Sunday that he is planning a return trip to the Middle East, to visit Egypt.

We will absolutely be putting that on the list very soon, Trump said of an upcoming trip to Egypt, during a bilateral meeting with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, at the Ritz Hotel in Riyadh. The visit would mark the latest step in a major reset in American relations with Egypt  and a tighter embrace by the Trump administration of the authoritarian regime.

In the Sunday bilateral meeting, Trump did not bring up Sisis military junta that overthrew the democratically elected regime in 2013. Nor did he mention the demonstrators that the Sisi regime gunned down, or the Egyptian presidents crackdown on political dissenters.

He did, however, comment on Sisis shoes. Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes. Man, he said. It was not clear what, exactly, appealed to Trump about Sisis black mens dress shoes.

Weve really been through a lot together, positively, Trump said.

Trump met with Sisi in April, in the Oval Office, Sisis first official visit to the White House since his election in 2014. President Barack Obama never invited Sisi to the White House.

Egypt is secure and stable and is going very well with the cooperation of the United States, Sisi said, speaking through a translator.

Trumps next trip abroad is expected to be to the G20 conference in Hamburg in July. He did not say when he would be visiting Egypt, but he praised Sisi as his friend, and thanked him for helping organize the release of an American aide worker, Aya Hijazi, who spent three years in an Egyptian prison for human trafficking charges that were widely condemned by human rights groups. That release has been touted by the Trump administration  which has generally turned a blind eye to human rights violations around the world while heaping praise on authoritarian leaders  as an example of Trumps behind-the-scenes approach.

In the warm meeting between the two leaders, Sisi said to Trump, you are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible.

I agree! Trump responded, eliciting chuckles from the aides in the room.
Neighbours called police : Three dead in family drama in Bonn-Plittersdorf

Plittersdorf A child and a woman were found dead in Plittersdorf this morning. Then a 40-year-old man died after a confrontation with police.

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Three people died in a family tragedy in Plittersdorf on Monday morning. Police press spokesman Robert Scholten said neighbours had heard a loud argument in an apartment in a building on Martin-Luther-King-Strae at around 5.20am and called the police. When they arrived, no one opened the apartment door to them.

The police therefore asked the fire brigade to open the apartment and found two dead inside - a three year old child and a 39-year-old woman. According to GA information, a 40-year-old man, also registered at the address and the father of the child, had locked himself in the bathroom. Residents say the child is a girl. When police opened the door, Scholten says there was a short confrontation.

According to GA information, the man apparently charged at police with a knife. The police shot at the man with a pistol and the man also died. According to GA information, the man was already wounded before the police shot him. Investigations will determine which injuries were the cause of death.

According to GA information, up to now there was nothing unusual about the family. The police have also confirmed the family was not previously known to them and that they had not previously been called out to them. Scholten also said that there was nothing to indicate there had been previous violent incidents within the family.

Cologne police will take over the investigations for reasons of neutrality. Police are currently at the scene and several people have received emergency counselling.
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.
Alleged Samsung Galaxy S8 Active image leaked: Launch imminent News oi -Chandrika The rugged version of the Samsung Galaxy S8 is tipped to pack a bigger battery than that of the original one.

We all know that Samsung is going to launch an Active variant of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8. This variant is expected to sport a rugged look and it will provide better protection against unintentional drops. The device has already received WiFi certification, which suggests that it won't be long before Samsung makes an official announcement.

Earlier this month, it also made an appearance on User Agent String. Now, a picture claimed to be the Galaxy S8 Active has been spotted online. The Wireless Power Consortium, which is the same group behind the Qi wireless charging standard, has posted the image. It has further revealed that the phone has received certification for Qi. Given the source, this image actually could turn out to be legit.

Is Meizu M5C launching tomorrow?

As seen from the image, the phone doesn't have curved edges like the Galaxy S8. This makes sense since usually active variants have some differences in design to have the rugged nature. Additionally, the rugged version also comes without the infinity bezel-less display.

The Galaxy S8 Active is expected to withstand floor drops and falls. Moreover, the device is certified by IP68, which means it can be submerged in water as deep as nearly 5-feet for about half an hour.

Speaking of specifications, the handset will have the same features as the Samsung Galaxy S8. However, the rugged version is likely to pack a larger battery inside.

Now that it has made so many appearances online, we could see Samsung Galaxy S8 Active to be unveiled sometime in next month.

Source Via

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Make your Samsung Galaxy phone look great with these themes News lekhaka -Gizbot Bureau

Samsung phones are indeed the colorful one and no doubt it. Compared to other smartphones UI, Samsung's UI comes with lots of colors that sometimes makes us instantly happy.

Keeping up with this trend, we have collected three themes that you can apply on your Samsung smartphone to make it look more colorful. We have posted the link of the themes as well. But it's worth mentioning that you can only open with Samsung Smartphones.

[aire] The Blue



[IMG] Dream8 (LIVE)



AURORA Dark

SEE ALSO: Twitter is back online after global outage for an hour

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Revealed the actual look of the device

This new leaked image shows the smartphone in champagne gold color. We can also see a new pattern in the antenna lines which are U-shaped.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi Max 2 launch slated for May 25: Specs, features and price to expect

There is also changes in the camera setup where LED flash is located on the left portion of the sensor instead of right.

Larger display

As mentioned earlier, it comes with a large display of 6.44-inch device, so it may not be suitable for one hand usage. You can also see a fingerprint scanner on the rear which is exactly in the same position as expected.

Genuine images

If you observe the speaker grill, you will get to know that the number of holes on it is reduced in this upcoming phone. But there are two sets of grills surrounding the USB Type-C port and also we can see an audio jack in this device.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi Max 2 will not run on MIUI 9; No announcement made

We can consider this as genuine images since it matches with the blueprint which was found on the Taiwan's communications agency website.

Overall specs

To speak about the specs which got leaked earlier, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is said to be packed with two different processor variants- Snapdragon 626 and Snapdragon 660.

With same camera specs, they differ in storage options. The device houses a large battery of 5000mAh capacity and rumored to bear a price tag of 1499 ($220).
China killed, jailed 18 to 20 CIA sources in 2 years: US officials

Iran Press TV

Sat May 20, 2017 8:23PM

The Chinese government has killed or jailed between 18 and 20 CIA informants in the course of two years, US officials say.

An intelligence breach lasting from 2010 to the end of 2012 led to imprisonment or killing of the sources working for the US Central Intelligence Agency, two American officials told The New York Times as cited in a Saturday report.

The move systematically dismantled the agency's operations in the country by undoing the spy network.

The blow triggered a joint investigation by the CIA and FBI, code named "Honey Badger," in the north of the US state of Virginia.

The defeat could have been caused by a Chinese hacking of a CIA communications system or by a mole.

An FBI employee pleaded guilty to relaying sensitive technology information to Beijing for money and prostitutes last year.

During a recent visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump hailed the beginning of "a very, very great relationship" with Beijing.

He also accepted an invitation to pay a state visit to the Chinese capital "with pleasure."

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Report: China Killed, Jailed Up to 20 U.S. Spies In 2010-12

RFE/RL May 21, 2017

The Chinese government "systematically dismantled" CIA spying efforts in China from late 2010, killing or imprisoning at least a dozen covert CIA sources in the following two years, The New York Times reported on May 21.

The New York Times, quoting 10 current and former American officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades.

Some investigators believed there was a mole within the CIA, while others suspected that the Chinese had hacked the covert system the CIA used to communicate with its foreign sources. The debate remains unresolved, the newspaper said.

At least a dozen CIA sources were killed from late 2010 until the end of 2012, including one who was shot in front of colleagues in the courtyard of a government building as a warning to others, The New York Times reported.

In all, 18 to 20 CIA sources in China were either killed or imprisoned, according to two former senior American officials who were quoted.

Those losses were comparable to the number of U.S. assets lost in the Soviet Union and Russia because of the betrayals of two infamous spies, Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, the report said.

Western intelligence services have traditionally found it exceptionally hard to develop spy networks in China and Russia.

By 2013, the FBI and CIA concluded that China no longer had the ability to identify American agents, the paper reported.

Both the CIA and the FBI declined to comment.

The revelations come as the CIA seeks to determine how some of its highly sensitive documents were released two months ago by WikiLeaks, and the FBI examines possible links between the campaign of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia.

The Trump administration has appointed Terry Branstad, who is the governor of Iowa, as its ambassador to China, but he has not yet moved to Beijing.

With additional reporting by Reuters, AP, and BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-killed- jailed-us-spies/28500149.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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Saudi Border Security Program

Saudi Border Guard Development Program

The Saudi Border Guard Development Program is generally dubbed MIKSA for the Ministry of Interior Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bilateral negotiations with France for this project began in the early 1990s, when a deal with Thales' predecessor Thomson-CSF was first envisaged. The MIKSA proposal was the result of discussions between Saudi interior minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz and his French counterpart Charles Pasqua. They signed a protocol agreement in 1994, but the project remained stalled for years. As of 2006 Thales planned the installation of 225 radars, covering the entire 5,000 km of coastline and land border, along with 400 frontier posts, barracks for security forces, a score of helicopters, reconnaissance planes, and a control center in Riyadh.

The risk of violence insourcing back to Saudi Arabia from Iraq prompted construction a fence along the kingdoms northern border. That concept became a serious initiative in 2006, scheduled for completion by the end of 2009. In October 2006 Saudi Arabia's Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmed bin Abdel Aziz confirmed plans for a 560-mile security fence along the kingdom's border with Iraq. This came amid mounting concern about the deteriorating security situation in Iraq. Construction of the fence was scheduled to begin in 2007 and was anticipated to take five or six years to complete. The kingdom originally invited bids for the $500 million project in April 2006. The contract is part of the larger $12 billion MIKSA project to improve Saudi border security throughout the Arabian Peninsula.

Plans for the Iraqi frontier included building fences on either side of a 100-meter "no-man's land" containing concertina wire obstacles, ultraviolet sensors and night vision cameras with facial recognition technologies, and buried motion detectors. Command posts, helipads and observation towers linked with access roads were to be spaced along the frontier. The entire security strip would retain existing sand berms at the Iraqi border. The fence project would include 135 electronically controlled gates, although it was unclear if the barrier would seal the entire border or just major crossing points.

The original bids were submitted in October 2007, with the expectation that a contract would be awarded by the end of the year. However, the decision was delayed by the proposal to split the contract because of the rising cost of raw materials, which has increased the level of risk for bidders. The delay was also due to Riyadh seeking to standardize the systems it uses across a wider proposed network. The Saudi government had already invested upwards of $1.8 billion to improve security on the Iraqi border, according to the Saudi National Security Assessment Project. This included a 20-foot-high berm and a regularly patrolled six-mile wide security zone along 500 miles of the border.

With the backing of chancellor Angela Markel, the German side of EADS, working in partnership with RTCC [Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Co, the Saudi partner of EADS], won the first USD 907 million part of the contract which involved building a 900 km fence along the border with Iraq. Other firms that bid for the northern border fence contract include the local Al Arab Contracting Company and the local Al Mabani with the US' Raytheon. El-Seif formed a consortium with the US' DRS technologies for its bid.

The joint venture of Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company and the European Aeronautic Defense & Space Company won the SAR 3.4 billion contract to build a 900 kilometers long security fence along Saudi Arabia's northern border with Iraq. The JV received a letter of intent in mid June 2008 from the interior ministry. The contract covers two packages of work that the ministry had considered offering as 2 separate contracts. It had asked firms to bid for the separate packages. The first package covers the 900 kilometers, double lined fence and includes surveillance equipment, watch towers and electronic gates. Package two covers the civil works, including command centers, training centers and accommodation for border guards.

Ending more than a decade of exclusive bilateral negotiation between Paris and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia invited Raytheon, BAE Systems, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Finmeccanica and other major defence groups to bid alongside Thales for the lucrative MIKSA frontier security contract. The decision to open the competition for international competition reflected the desire of King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz to reinforce the transparency of public procurement, and the need to convince the USA that he was not seeking to cut traditional defence links with the USA.

Saudi Arabia signed a contract in 2009 to build a security fence to cover all of its borders with Iraq, totaling 9000 kilometers in length. Saudi Arabias decision on 30 June 2009 to contract the French-German group EADS N.V. to build a surveillance system for its 9,000 km of borders enabled Paris to save face. After being under contract for the northern border security, which is then under execution, EADS Defence & Security was awarded (as prime contractor) the border security program covering the full borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This contract was to be executed over 5 years and is the largest contract ever competed worldwide as a full solution. The project has been strongly competed through an international competition for several years.

The Saudi border guard will benefit from a leading edge solution, providing visibility and operational awareness for about 9000 km of borderline(mountains, deserts and sea borders). The solution will ensure border coverage is visible and managed at the sector level, while simultaneously providing situational awareness at the regional and national level. EADS Defence & Security will reinforce its global position as world leader of the Security market, including border surveillance, and will capitalize on all the expertise from its European roots. EADS Defence & Security has been strongly supported by the Al Rashid group for construction works.

'We are very pleased to have earned the trust and the confidence of the KSAgovernment. We are committed to dedicate all our capacities and capabilitiesto deliver this program on time and in the quality our customer expects. Thatincludes also long-term investments in the country' declares Stefan Zoller, CEO of EADS Defence & Security.

FLIR Systems received a $2.4 million order to supply sensor systems for the Saudi Border Guard Development Program. The company, based in Portland, Oregon, has been assigned by prime contractor EADS to deliver and install its HRC Multi-Sensor Systems to protect 9,000 kilometers of border fence.

Challenge in securing the borders lies in the difficult terrain - while the northern border comprises mostly flat, sandy deserts and gravel plains, the terrain in the southwest is mountainous. The Saudi-Yemeni border, at around 1,500 km in length, has been used as a gateway for smuggling and for people to illegally enter Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia launched an assault on Yemen's Shi'ite Muslim rebels -- known as the Houthis -- in early November 2009 after they staged a cross-border incursion that killed two Saudi border guards. Saudi troops pushed back the rebels, referred to as "infiltrators" by state television, and killed an unspecified number of the insurgents. At least 133 Saudi soldiers were killed over three months.

By October 2010 Saudi Arabia had established 119km of security barriers along Yemeni border to prevent smuggling and infiltration from Yemen. Deputy commander of the Saudi border guards on the Saudi-Yemeni border Abdul-Aziz al-Sabhi said the security barrier was erected in stages, with early results revealing that the rates of smuggling and infiltration have been significantly reduced. Construction of the border barrier began in 2003 but stopped in 2004 following complaints by Yemen, which said it violated an early border treaty. Some tribes straddle the border, and the Yemeni government protested, saying the tribes needed free access for grazing. The security barrier is a network of sandbags and pipelines 3 meters high and filled with concrete. It is monitored by electronic surveillance equipment.

Yemen's traditional business elite come from the southern, non-tribal areas of what was once North Yemen. But many of the top businessmen from Hadramawt actually live across the border in SaudiArabia, where the climate for their businesses is friendlier. The northern tribes have historically been unable togenerate an indigenous bourgeoisie, and their scare business activity was limited to illicit smugglingenterprises (including human trafficking across the Saudi border, a practice that continues today). Theeffective tribal capture of the Yemeni state has allowed tribal elements to translate their connections with power into money.

Security gaps at borders are clearly relevant for nationalstability and impact the broader international effort to combat extremist transnational movements. Initially the Saudi-Yemen border barrier was focused on stopping vehicles, but after the clashes in 2009 the focus shifted to fences to stop infiltrators coming across on foot. Al Qaedas Yemen-based branch has boasted of its ability to infiltrate the border and outwit Saudi Arabias network of informants in the area.

In 2013 Saudi Arabia resumed the project abandoned in 2004 to build a three-meter (10-foot) fence the length of its border with Yemen. Reports that the project was back on had already drawn condemnation from human rights activists who accused Saudi Arabia of dealing a new blow to its impoverished neighbour after deporting thousands of Yemeni workers under new labour regulations in recent weeks. The fence along the 1,800-kilometer (1,125-mile) border would consist of a network of sandbags and piping, fitted with electronic detection systems. By 2013 Saudi Arabia was forecast to spend over $20 billion by 2018 on border fence security systems. Bordered by Yemen and Iraq, Saudi Arabia would use border perimeter security, including physical fences, electronic fences, surveillance and listening equipment as well as closed circuit camera (C3) systems

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Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 21, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 23 strikes consisting of 74 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 16 strikes consisting of 29 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, seven strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed six ISIS oil tanker trucks, five ISIS wellheads, three ISIS oil tanks, an ISIS oil storage tank and a fighting position.

-- Near Hawl, a strike destroyed seven fighting positions and a mortar site.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, three strikes destroyed three ISIS oil tanker trucks and two ISIS wellheads.

-- Near Raqqa, five strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, two vehicles, an ISIS staging area and a construction vehicle.

Officials also reported today that two May 19 strikes near Raqqa destroyed three fighting positions and a vehicle and damaged an ISIS supply route.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted seven strikes consisting of 45 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged five ISIS tactical units; destroyed 12 fighting positions, eight medium machine guns, four rocket-propelled-grenade systems, an ISIS fuel truck, a vehicle, an ISIS trailer, an ISIS staging area and an artillery system; and damaged 18 ISIS supply routes and a fighting position.

-- Near Sinjar, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two vehicles.

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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Pacific Partnership 17 Visits Khanh Hoa

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170521-02

Release Date: 5/21/2017 6:38:00 AM

By Lt. j.g. Emily Wilkin, Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

KHANH HOA (NNS) -- Pacific Partnership 2017 kicked off in Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, on May 19, for the final stop of Pacific Partnership 2017, with the arrival of the U.S. expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Fall River (T-EPF-4).

This is the eighth time in eleven years that this event has taken place in Vietnam. This year's events in Khanh Hoa include personnel from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. Sailors and crew from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's destroyers J.S. Izumo and J.S. Sazanami will also join mission personnel for the Khanh Hoa mission stop.

The Government of Vietnam approved Khanh Hoa province as a destination for Pacific Partnership, and the province collaborated with central government agencies and Pacific Partnership planners to organize the week and a half event, with the aim of enhancing humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HA/DR) and to promote the comprehensive partnership between the United States and Vietnam as well as collaboration among partner countries.

"We are especially excited to be working with our friends in Khanh Hoa during Pacific Partnership's second visit to the province. I anticipate robust interaction working alongside our Vietnamese counterparts while conducting engineering projects at schools and clinics and medical exchanges," said Captain Stanfield Chien, PP17 mission commander. "Our time here is about building relationships and the capability and capacity to work together in the future and join in community engagement activities."

In a continuation of the crisis management and response activities from PP16, Vietnamese and PP17 personnel will conduct Subject Matter Expertise Exchanges (SMEE), provide training for Nha Trang city's life guards, complete renovations of the Hoa Mi and Son Ca Kindergartens, and complete the delivery and installation of solar water heaters for the medical assistance facility located in the vicinity of Nha Trang. Also, the Seventh Fleet Band will perform at Yen Sao Park as well as Thanh Nien Park, and PP17 personnel will have a music performance at the Phan Chu Trinh Secondary School.

"After several very productive days in Da Nang, we're glad to see Pacific Partnership 17 cooperation continue in Khanh Hoa. These activities will improve collective capacity and regional cooperation to respond to a disaster. Another very important part of Pacific Partnership is the high-level medical cooperation and knowledge exchange, thanks to over sixty international medical experts," said U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius.

PP17 recently concluded a mission stop in Da Nang, Vietnam earlier this week.

Now in its 12th year, Pacific Partnership continues to enhance regional partnerships and host nation relationships through civil-military cooperation, medical exchanges, and inter-government agency coordination.



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Hamas sentences three to death over killing top commander

Iran Press TV

Sun May 21, 2017 12:34PM

The military court in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip has handed death sentences to three Palestinians convicted of the assassination of one of the high-ranking military commanders of Hamas resistance movement earlier this year.

The Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza announced on Sunday that the court found Ashraf Abu Leila, the prime suspect in the assassination of 38-year-old military commander, Mazen Fuqahaa, guilty of premeditated murder, treason and conspiracy with hostile foreign parties, and sentenced him to death by hanging.

The others were identified as Hisham al-Aloul, 44, who was also sentenced to death by hanging, and Abdallah al-Nashar, who will be executed by the firing squad. They were all convicted of collaborating with the Israeli regime.

Aloul was convicted of conspiracy and treason as well as involvement in the killing of the senior Hamas commander.

Nashar was found guilty of treason and conspiracy, and leaking information about Fuqahaa's movements and his hangouts.

Chairman of the Hamas-run military judiciary, Brigadier General Nasser Suleiman, said Sunday's verdicts were final and could not be appealed according to the rules of the Military Field Tribunal.

Speaking at a press conference in Gaza City on May 11, the new chief of Hamas political bureau said Palestinian security forces in the Gaza Strip had detained Fuqahaa's assassin.

Ismail Haniyeh stated that a fair and appropriate punishment would be handed out on the basis of the movement's judicial principles, and in honor of Fuqahaa, all Palestinian martyrs as well as all prisoners in Israeli jails.

The Hamas chief stressed that the Israeli regime was behind the criminal act.

"The Israeli occupation is the entity that gave orders regarding Fuqahaa's assassination. The killer has confessed to the crime and spelled the assassination out in details," Haniyeh pointed out.

Fuqahaa was shot in the head four times at the entrance to a residence in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City on March 24.

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas political bureau, said the assassination was carried out with a gun equipped with a silencer.

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Taliban raid checkpoints, kill 20 policemen in southern Afghanistan

Iran Press TV

Sun May 21, 2017 9:46AM

Taliban militants have killed at least 20 Afghan policemen and injured more than a dozen others during attacks on checkpoints in Afghanistan's volatile south.

Afghan officials said the attacks occurred early on Sunday, when the militants stormed multiple security outposts in the southern province of Zabul.

"This morning, a group of Taliban militants armed with heavy and light weapons launched coordinated attacks on several police checkpoints in the Shah Joy district of Zabul Province, killing 20 policemen," said Bismillah Afghanmal, the provincial governor.

A district official said that at least 15 police officers also sustained injuries in the fighting and that reinforcements were sent to secure the area.

The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks on its website.

A couple of days earlier, the Taliban militants launched attacks on parts of the central-eastern Afghan city of Ghazni, driving a Humvee packed with explosives into the entrance of a district governor's compound in the assaults.

The latest development comes just a month after the Taliban killed at least 135 security forces in northern Balkh Province, in the deadliest raid on an Afghan military base.

In late April, the militant group announced the start of its so-called spring offensive, a heightened campaign of bombings, ambush attacks, and other raids across Afghanistan that begins as weather conditions improve.

Over 1,000 members of Afghan security forces as well as over 700 civilians have so far been killed this year, according to Afghan authorities and figures cited by the US-based Congressional watchdog Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).



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Clashes along Kashmir border kill four

Iran Press TV

Sun May 21, 2017 7:24AM

A gun battle between Indian soldiers and militants has claimed the lives of four people in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

An Indian army spokesman said the fatalities had occurred during a military operation on Saturday in Naugam area in Kupwara district, nearly 120 kilometers northwest of Kashmir's main city of Srinagar.

Referring to the militants, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said, "Two terrorists attempting infiltration into our side in Kashmir in Naugam sector were eliminated. Two soldiers were also martyred in the exchange of fire."

"A vast area has been cordoned off and additional reinforcements have been rushed to assist the already-deployed troops," Kalia added.

Indian-controlled Kashmir is one of the world's most heavily militarized areas in the world. More than 500,000 Indian soldiers are regularly deployed in Kashmir to crack down on protesters.

Over the past months, Indian and Pakistani forces have engaged in similar clashes along the Line of Control, the de-facto border that divides Kashmir between the two countries. Each side accuses the other of provocation, and the conflict has led to the death of many soldiers and civilians on both sides.

The Muslim-majority region has witnessed an increase in mass protests and violent attacks since early July 2016, when Burhan Wani, a top figure in a pro-independence group, was killed in a shootout with Indian troops.

Nearly 100 people have lost their lives and more than 12,000 have been injured in the ensuing crackdown by the Indian army.

The crackdown has failed to halt the protests against Indian rule in Kashmir.

The region is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory.

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Militants Attack Afghan Forces In South As Gunmen Storm Kabul Guesthouse

RFE/RL May 21, 2017

Afghan officials say militants attacked several checkpoints in the country's south, killing at least 20 security forces, as gunmen stormed a guesthouse in the capital, Kabul, killing a foreign aid worker and a local security guard.

Gul Islam Seyal, spokesman for the provincial governor in Zabul Province, said on May 21 that the battles began late the previous day when dozens of Taliban fighters launched coordinated attacks on security posts in the Shah Joy district.

He said at least 10 other security forces, including national and local police officers, were wounded.

Seyal said the Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the attacks, also fired mortar rounds on the provincial capital, Qalat.

The attacks in the south came as officials said a German woman and an Afghan security guard were killed and a Finnish woman kidnapped from a Kabul guesthouse overnight.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack late on May 20 on the guesthouse in central Kabul run by the Swedish charity Operation Mercy.

"A Finnish lady was kidnapped from [a] police district last night at 11.30. A German lady and an Afghan guard were killed," said Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

He said Kabul police have begun an investigation.

Finnish authorities confirmed that one of its citizens had been kidnapped, adding that they were investigating the incident in coordination with Kabul authorities.

"At the moment, the identity of the kidnappers is not known. Finland urges immediate release of the kidnapped person," the Finnish Foreign Ministry said in a May 21 statement.

Operation Mercy is an NGO that works with rural communities on issues such as reducing infant mortality and women's empowerment.

Aid workers have become increasingly targeted across Afghanistan, especially in Kabul, in recent years.

Judith D'Souza, a 40-year-old Indian employee of the Aga Khan Foundation, was rescued in July, one month after she was kidnapped near her residence in Kabul.

Katherine Jane Wilson, an Australian aid worker, was kidnapped in April in the city of Jalalabad. She was released in March.

The spate of attacks came as Taliban militants launched their annual spring offensive in late April, prompting a new surge of fighting in the country.

With reporting by AFP and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban- attack-zabul/28500188.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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Trump Calls For Coalition To 'Stamp Out Extremism,' Slams Iran During Landmark Speech

RFE/RL May 21, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a "coalition of nations" in the Middle East to come together with the aim of "stamping out extremism" during a landmark speech on May 21, the second day of his visit to Saudi Arabia.

In his address to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, before more than 50 regional leaders, Trump also accused Iran of fueling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and called for its international isolation.

Trump put the onus in the fight against extremism on the region, telling Muslim leaders that they must "drive out" the terrorists in their countries

"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists," he said. "Drive them out. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of the holy land."

Trump promised "that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust."

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations," Trump said. "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil."

"We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship," Trump added. "Instead, we are here to offer partnership based on shared interests and values."

Much of the focus during the summit was on countering what Gulf states see as the threat from Iran, which opposes Saudi Arabia in a range of regional conflicts from Syria to Yemen.

Sitting alongside Trump, Saudi King Salman declared, "The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism."

Trump himself criticized Tehran for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying Tehran's support allowed Assad to commit "unspeakable crimes" during Syria's six-year civil war.

"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said.

"Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it," he added.

Earlier on May 21, Trump met with leaders of the countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh. The Gulf Cooperation Council consists of six Arab nations which are traditional allies of the United States -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Trump's address was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president.

The speech is one of the key moments of his first foreign trip, which will also take him to Israel, Vatican City, a Group of Seven meeting in Sicily, and a NATO gathering in Brussels.

It was closely watched given the anti-Muslim comments by Trump during his presidential campaign and his attempt after his inauguration to institute a temporary U.S. entry ban on nationals and refugees from several Muslim-majority countries, although not including Saudi Arabia.

After leaving Saudi Arabia, Trump will arrive in Israel for a May 22 meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a visit to the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-saudi-muslim- speech-iran-israel-vatican/28500059.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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Philippine President Duterte Vows Not to Buy US Arms, Mulls Turning to Russia

Sputnik News

12:24 21.05.2017

The Philippines will not buy weapons from the United States because of excessive conditions laid down by the American side, President Rodrigo Duterte said.

DAVAO (Sputnik)  The Philippines will not acquire arms from the United States, since Washington makes excessive conditions which complicate the trade, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said in the interview with Russian media.

"Russia sells arms, it does not impose any conditions. When Russia sells arms this is the arms. You need it, I will give it to you Can you do that with America? No. Because the president says he will give and the State Department said No. And the congress says no, he violates human rights, so we keep a distance. If that is the way, so be it I will not ask for mercy for that alone. I can go to Russia," Duterte said.

On Monday, the Philippine president is expected to arrive in Moscow with an official visit. Until now there have been no agreements on military cooperation between the Philippines and Russia, since Manila has traditionally acquired weapons from the United States.

On May 15, Philippines Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana said that the acquisition of US arms had become problematic since Washington was hampering this issue, imposing a number of conditions on Manila.

 Sputnik

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German Aid Worker, Afghan Security Guard Killed in Kabul

By Ayaz Gul May 21, 2017

Unknown gunmen have killed a German aid worker and her Afghan security guard in Kabul before kidnapping a Finnish woman who worked for an aid organization.

A Finnish Foreign Ministry spokesperson is reported to have confirmed a Finn has been taken hostage, and that there is no information yet on the kidnappers.

There has been no claim of responsibility.

The overnight violence took place outside a guesthouse on the Darulaman road of the capital city, housing staff of the Swedish charity Operation Mercy, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.

Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said a third foreigner was rescued and an investigation into the incident is under way.

Incidents of kidnapping for ransom in Kabul have long posed a challenge for Afghan authorities and have discouraged foreign nationals from moving freely in the city.

Separately, Taliban insurgents have killed 20 Afghan police personnel and wounded at least a dozen more in the volatile southern province of Zabul.

Provincial Governor Bismillah Afghanmal told VOA the casualties occurred late Saturday after insurgents attacked security outposts in the Shajoy district. He added that assailants also suffered major casualties but gave no figures.

The governor said fighting was still raging in the area. Security officials have confirmed to VOA the Taliban has overrun several outposts.

The conflict zone is located on the main highway linking Kabul with the southern city of Kandahar.

Local officials are reported to have made calls to Afghan television stations in their bid to seek attention after failing to get hold of senior authorities for help.

A Taliban spokesman, while claiming responsibility for killing Afghan forces and capturing outposts, said its fighters are currently attacking more than a dozen "enemy" posts in the area to try to capture them.

The Islamist insurgency has ramped up its so-called spring offensive across Afghanistan in a bid to extend its territorial control. The Taliban controls or influences nearly 50 of 407 Afghan districts.

The fighting comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is considering whether to send additional troops to the embattled country to strengthen NATO's existing mission of training, advising and assisting Afghan security forces to enable them reverse insurgent gains.

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Trump in Saudi Arabia, But Back Home Focus Still on Comey Firing

By Ken Bredemeier May 21, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump focused Sunday on a major address to Muslim leaders at a summit in Riyadh, but back home the day's news shows were dominated by talk of his firing of FBI chief James Comey and investigations into the Trump campaign's links to Russia.

Two key Trump officials, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, told interviewers that at a May 10 White House meeting with two Russian diplomats, Trump brought up Comey's ouster the day before in an effort to show how "distracted" he had been by Comey's investigation of possible Trump campaign collusion with Moscow interests to help him win the election.

According to a New York Times report Friday, Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Moscow's U.S. ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, that Comey was "a real nutjob" and that his removal would relieve "great pressure." Some opposition Democratic lawmakers say that Trump's dismissal of the official investigating him amounts to obstruction of justice, an impeachable offense.

Another Times story said Comey's notes from a February meeting with Trump the day after he fired his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, showed that he urged Comey to drop his probe of Flynn's calls to Kislyak.

McMaster told ABC, "The gist of the conversation was that the president feels as if he is hamstrung in his ability to work with Russia to find areas of cooperation because this has been obviously so much in the news."

Tillerson told Fox News that Trump was also trying to convey to the Russians that he was "not going to be distracted by all these issues at home that affect us domestically."

Republican Senator John McCain, a frequent Trump critic, told Fox News that he was "almost speechless" that Trump would describe Comey in such negative terms. The White House has not denied Trump's attack on Comey while condemning leaks of the Oval Office meeting.

"I don't know why someone would say something like that," McCain said, but stopped short of saying Comey's firing was an effort to impede the FBI's investigation.

"I don't think it was a wise thing to do," McCain said. "Mr. Comey was highly respected and highly regarded and so I can't explain it."

Even with Trump dismissing Comey, Robert Mueller, Comey's predecessor as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the country's top law enforcement agency, was named this past week as special prosecutor to investigate Russia's meddling in the election and whether any Trump aides colluded with Moscow to boost Trump's chances of defeating his Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton.

The U.S. intelligence community has concluded Moscow hacked into the computer of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta, with the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks subsequently releasing thousands of his emails in the weeks just before last November's election, depicting embarrassing behind-the-scenes efforts by Democratic operatives to help Clinton win the party's presidential nomination.

Another Republican lawmaker, Senator Marco Rubio, said, "If any president tries to impede an investigation ... no matter who it is, by interfering with the FBI, yes, that would be problematic. That would be not just problematic, it would be obviously a potential obstruction of justice that people have to make a decision on."

Rubio said, however, that he would reserve judgment until he has heard Comey's public testimony before a congressional panel in the coming weeks about his contacts with Trump.

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US, Israeli airmen fortify airlift capabilities

By Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Public Affairs / Published May 22, 2017

NEVATIM AIR BASE, Israel (AFNS) -- Two C-130J Super Hercules along with about 80 Airmen attached to the 86th Airlift Wing from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, deployed to Israel in support of exercise Juniper Falcon from May 7-18, 2017.

The 37th Airlift Squadron conducted airlift integration training with the Israeli Air Force. The integration was designed to build interoperability and maintain the enduring partnership between the U.S. and Israel, which has been developed during decades of cooperation.

"This is a great opportunity for us work with our Israeli partners to exchange ideas and concepts and the meaningful cultural aspect that comes with those discussions," said Maj. Libby Music, the 37th AS detachment commander.

The training sorties, which focused on bilateral air interoperability and joint service integration through low level flying, assault landing, and airdrop of cargo and personnel from the U.S. and host nation forces, gave the 37th AS pilots the chance to take part in flights unique to the region. The training also allowed them to become more familiar with the airspace and region that their Israeli partners are charged to defend.

"The biggest takeaway for us is the unique exchange of air tactics, drop zone and landing zone operations and maintenance procedures between our two militaries," said Capt. Wesley Dembek, the 37th AS deputy of operations. "This is also a great opportunity for us to train in an austere environment that challenges us to adapt and become more familiar with the region."

Juniper Falcon exercises that have been executed annually since 2011. The exercises were combined to increase joint training opportunities and capitalize on transportation and cost efficiencies gained by aggregating forces.

Juniper Falcon is one of many exercises completed between U.S. European Command and the IDF.

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Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, May 22, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 22 strikes consisting of 72 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 18 strikes consisting of 29 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three ISIS barges, two ISIS wellheads, a vehicle, an ISIS oil storage tank and an ISIS oil processing equipment item.

-- Near Raqqa, 13 strikes engaged 12 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 11 fighting positions, nine vehicles, two supply caches, a mortar system, an ISIS headquarters; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Tabqah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of 43 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Kirkuk, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions.

-- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and a sniper; destroyed 18 fighting positions, nine medium machine guns, six vehicle bombs, four rocket systems, three rocket-propelled grenade systems, three heavy machine guns, a command-and-control node, a vehicle, a supply cache, a mortar system and a tunnel; damaged 15 ISIS supply roads, a fighting position; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

Additionally, two strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on May 20 that closed within the last 24 hours:

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, a strike destroyed an ISIS headquarters and an ISIS staging area.

-- Near Mosul, Iraq, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed four vehicles, two heavy machine guns, two fighting positions and two vehicle bombs.

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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15th MEU, America ARG one step closer to deployment

US Marine Corps News

By 2nd Lt. Maria Arnone and 1st Lt. Maida Zheng | May 22, 2017

The America Amphibious Ready Group and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit set sail for their second at-sea period, Composite Training Unit Exercise, May 1-17, 2017, where a series of missions both familiar and new were laid out before them, ready to be hurdled. The tasks ahead would be more complex and the pace the Navy-Marine Corps team would have to transport from ship-to-shore would be rapid, but when the ships pulled off the pier, the ARG/MEU came out of the gate running.

This training, emphasizing speed, simplicity and surprise, is building an elite combined-arms team prepared to thrive in uncertain, chaotic conditions with an expeditionary mindset bringing proven capabilities to combatant commanders to accomplish a wide range of tasks.

Through ship-to-shore connectors, the Marine Air-Ground Task Force is able to transport massive equipment and masses of supplies ashore, bearing the full force of kinetic combat power or humanitarian assistance  as applicable.

The training period began with the flex of the 15th MEU's muscle as Marines from the Ground Combat Element conducted a large-scale raid on San Clemente Island. Combining MEU assets from all three ships of the ARG, Battalion Landing Team 1/5 leveraged support across the entire MAGTF to include transporting two full companies of Marines staged aboard USS America (LHA 6) and USS San Diego (LPD 22), as well as indirect fire support by delivering two M777 Howitzers from USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) to San Clemente Island; ultimately leaving the enemy forces occupying the island, hopeless.

"We are developing capabilities to better operate in a decentralized manner on complex terrain, and in the information environment," said Col. Joseph Clearfield, 15th MEU commanding officer. "Decentralized operations win in combat, and everything we are doing leads to the operational and tactical synergy of our naval, air, and ground forces. The goal is a flexible, effective, and fearsome force  the enemy will not like seeing us on the battlefield."

The ability for the Blue-Green team to cross wide expanses of ocean and remain off shore, striking an adversary from a place and time of choosing, enables the Landing Force Commander and ARG Commodore both maneuver space and a secure base for operations to support U.S. citizens and its allies against committed enemies or disasters that threaten the core of life as many innocent civilians around the world know it.

Redirecting their energy to providing humanitarian aid, the Blue-Green team rallied its subject matter experts, venturing to Los Angeles, Calif., to a simulated embassy for coordination with the Ambassador and his country team.

"We were asked to support by providing humanitarian assistance -- distributing water, food and hygiene kits to people in need," said Lt. Col. Richard Alvarez, the officer in charge of the forward command element. "We also heightened security measures at the embassy in effort to keep the embassy personnel safe from rioters and outside threats."

Ultimately the security situation in the country deteriorated to the extent that the Department of State issued an ordered departure of all U.S. citizens. It was then that Combat Logistics Battalion 15 was called in as the main effort to provide a military assisted departure, bringing U.S. citizens in the affected area to safety.

The 15th MEU partnered with the America Amphibious Ready Group is comprised of a team whose combined skill allows them to execute a variety of mission sets  from appropriately defending the amphibious task force, to disaster response and coordinated air and ground strikes.

"Every day posed new challenges requiring the MEU staff to work collaboratively with our Navy brothers and sisters," said Maj. Jeff Brewer, the 15th MEU intelligence officer. "Exercise controllers did a tremendous job tying in mission accomplishment to the ability of Marines and Sailors to truly integrate. I have never been involved in an exercise where so much was riding on teamwork," he added.

As COMPTUEX has come to an end, a lot has been accomplished and with each pre-deployment exercise, the 15th MEU and America ARG continue to prove a high level of readiness and ability to respond when called upon. COMPTUEX was just a small showing that the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and America Amphibious Ready Group are fit to go the distance as they approach their upcoming deployment.

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5 security forces killed in ambush in NW Afghanistan: Official

Iran Press TV

Mon May 22, 2017 4:12PM

Unknown gunmen have attacked a security convoy in northwestern Afghanistan, claiming the lives of at least five members of the local police, an Afghan official says.

Karim Yuresh, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Faryab, said the assailants ambushed the military convoy on Monday and killed a group commander along with four of his bodyguards.

The incident took place when the commander, identified as Sadat, and his men were on their way to a funeral in Kohistanat district, according to Yuresh.

The spokesman also said that an unspecified number of the attackers had been killed or wounded in the battle.

No group or individual has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in the northwestern province, but both the Taliban and Daesh-affiliated militants are active there and have lately stepped up attacks on Afghan security forces, government officials and pro-government figures.

In a separate development on Monday, gunmen fatally shot a deputy chief of a provincial clerical council in the eastern Logar Province. Mawlavi Abdul Ghafor was killed near the provincial capital, Puli Alam, while on his way to a mosque for morning prayers.

A day earlier, Taliban militants killed at least 20 Afghan policemen and injured more than a dozen others during coordinated attacks on security checkpoints in the country's volatile southern province of Zabul.

In late April, the militant group announced the start of its so-called spring offensive, a heightened campaign of bombings, ambush attacks, and other raids across Afghanistan, which begins as weather conditions improve.

Taliban increases its attacks across Afghanistan every spring, targeting government officials and US-led foreign forces in the country. Many ordinary people also often fall victim to the attacks.

Over 1,000 members of Afghan security forces as well as over 700 civilians have so far been killed this year, according to Afghan authorities and figures cited by the US-based Congressional watchdog Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

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In Israel, Trump Slams 'Terrible' Iran Nuclear Accord

RFE/RL May 22, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump slammed a "terrible" nuclear deal signed with Iran and said the country must stop supporting "terrorists and militia" and must "never ever" acquire nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 22, Trump said the 2015 international nuclear accord made Iran feel "invulnerable" and that its support of violent groups in the Middle East created an opening for Israel to move toward countries in the Gulf, even those which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

"We gave [Iran] a lifeline, we gave them wealth and prosperity, and the ability to continue with terror," Trump told reporters as he headed into a meeting with the Israeli prime minister just hours after he arrived in Israel and delivered an upbeat message about the prospects for progress toward peace in the Middle East.

"During my travels, I have seen many hopeful signs that lead me to believe that we can truly achieve a more peaceful future for this region and for people of all faiths and all beliefs, and frankly all over the world," he said.

Trump, on his first trip abroad since taking office in January, arrived from Saudi Arabia earlier in the day for a two-day visit to Israel and said there is a "rare opportunity" to bring peace to the Middle East.

At a welcoming ceremony on the tarmac shortly after arriving in Tel Aviv, Trump said he wanted to "reaffirm the unshakable bond" between the United States and Israel.

In a meeting earlier in the day with his Israeli counterpart, Reuven Rivlin, Trump suggested that Iran's actions had sparked concern among other countries in the region, which are eager curb Tehran's influence, and made them more sympathetic toward Israel.

"Most importantly the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said.

"And it must cease immediately  Now we must work together to build a future where the nations of the region are at peace," Trump said, adding he had "found new reasons for hope" during his trip, which began in Saudi Arabia on May 20.

Netanyahu thanked Trump for what he called a "powerful expression" of support for Israel, noting that he is the first U.S. president to make Israel a stop on his first trip abroad.

"May your first trip to our region prove to be a historic milestone on the path towards reconciliation and peace," Netanyahu said, later praising Trump for his "reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East."

Iranian President Hassan Rohani, who led Tehran's delegation that signed the deal with six major powers to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, said the U.S. administration lacked knowledge about the Middle East and that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help.

"Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran?" Rohani, who won last week's presidential election, told a news conference.

"Americans resorted to many different methods against Iran but failed in all. ... We are waiting for the new U.S. administration to find stability and continuity in its policies."

Trump also became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Jerusalem's Old City -- first stopping at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, considered the holiest Christian site in the world.

Wearing a black kippah -- a Jewish skullcap -- he visited the Western Wall, touching the ancient wall that is considered one of Judaism's holiest sites in a part of Jerusalem that Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. It considers all of Jerusalem its indivisible capital, a status that is not recognized internationally.

The president was joined on the visit by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew who went to the wall shortly after Trump and said prayers.

Trump is seeking progress toward what he has called the "ultimate deal" -- a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Peace talks have been stalled since 2014.

Shortly before landing on Air Force One with Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: "We have the opportunity to advance the peace discussions between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

In Riyadh on May 21, Trump attended a summit of leaders of mainly Muslim counties and called for a "coalition of nations" in the Middle East to come together with the aim of "stamping out extremism."

Trump told the leaders that a "better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive them out. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of the holy land."

Trump is to hold talks with Netanyahu later on May 22 and meet with Abbas in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, on May 23.

Trump's aides have played down expectations for a major breakthrough, however, saying the visit should be seen more as a symbolic gesture.

Tillerson told reporters en route to Tel Aviv that any three-way meeting between Trump, Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was for "a later date."

In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, U.S. Ambassador David Friedman said Trump's goal for now is simply "to begin a discussion that would hopefully lead to peace."

Before Trump arrived, Israeli authorities approved some economic concessions to the Palestinians that the U.S. president had requested.

"The security cabinet has approved economic measures that will ease daily civilian life in the Palestinian Authority after [Trump], who arrives tomorrow, asked to see some confidence-building steps," a cabinet statement said on May 21.

The concessions included construction permits for Palestinians in sections of the West Bank that are under Israeli control, areas where Palestinians have previously been barred, officials said.

Israeli media reported the concessions also included keeping a border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan open 24 hours a day.

Israel is a longtime staunch U.S. ally, but Trump is still likely to have some tough discussions.

He may be asked for explanations following media reports that he disclosed highly classified intelligence that Israel obtained about the Islamic State (IS) militant group to top Russian officials without Israel's permission.

Israel also expressed concern about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Trump announced on May 20 in Riyadh, with one official saying it was "definitely something that should trouble us."

Trump has also backed off of a vow made during his presidential campaign to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Palestinians regard Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War, annexed It, and declared all of the city as its capital, a move never recognized by the international community.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-israel-palestinians -jerusalem-west-bank-saudi/28501378.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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More Than 31 Million Internally Displaced in 2016

By Margaret Besheer May 22, 2017

More than 30 million people were displaced within their own countries last year, says a new report.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center and the Norwegian Refugee Council cite conflict, criminal violence and natural disasters as the driving force behind the uprooting of tens of millions.

"When a family is pushed out of their home, sometimes for years, it is a sign something is wrong in a nation, the locality, but also in international relations," Norwegian Refugee Council Director-General Jan Egeland told reporters at the launch of the report Monday.

Nearly seven million people were newly displaced last year alone.

The Democratic Republic of Congo topped the list of conflict-driven dislocation, with more than 922,000 new IDPs in 2016, exceeding Syria and Iraq, which came second and third, respectively.

Egeland said North and South Kivu and Kasai province were responsible for much of the displacements. He said despite a massive international presence in eastern Congo, the United Nations has its largest peacekeeping mission there with 22,000 troops and police, funding for humanitarian appeals has dwindled and the Congo's problems have fallen off the top of the international agenda.

The other countries topping the list were Syria (824,000 displaced), Iraq (659,000), Afghanistan (653,000), Nigeria (501,000) and Yemen (478,000).

"In 2016, one person every second was forced to flee their home inside their own country," Egeland said. "Internally displaced people now outnumber refugees by two to one," he added.

"We need to acknowledge that without the right kind of support and protection, a person internally displaced today may become a refugee, an asylum seeker or an international migrant tomorrow," said Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director.

Criminal violence is fueling displacement in places like Central America, where drug violence caused more than 200,000 new movements in 2016 in El Salvador.

Storms, floods, drought, wildfires and other natural disasters are also forcing people from their homes. The numbers are on the rise, with three times as many people displaced due to these factors in 2016 than in 2015. Researchers fear these figures will grow as countries cope with climate change and more extreme weather events.

Bilak said the international political response and funding is not in line with the needs and must be dramatically scaled up.

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Trump Assails Iranian Aggression on Visit to Israel

By Steve Herman, Ken Bredemeier May 22, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump assailed Iranian aggression and military ambitions Monday on his first visit to Israel as the American leader, drawing quick approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump attacked the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama for agreeing to the 2015 international deal restraining Iran's nuclear weapons program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions against Tehran, a pact the Jewish state adamantly, but unsuccessfully, opposed.

"I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran," Netanyahu told Trump at the end of a day of meetings and ceremony. "I want want to tell you also how much we appreciate the reassertion of American leadership in the Middle East."

Trump attacked Iran throughout the day, saying, "Instead of being thankful, saying thank you" for the nuclear deal, Iranians "now feel emboldened," with signs of Tehran's fighters, money and weapons in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. "We not only gave them a lifeline, we gave them wealth and prosperity. It was a terrible thing for the United States to enter into that deal."

Before private talks with the Israeli leader, Trump also took the occasion to deny that when he was meeting with top Russian diplomats in Washington earlier this month he had unmasked Israel as the U.S.'s clandestine source for highly classified information about a potential Islamic State airplane terrorist attack.

"Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or the name Israel, never mentioned it in that conversation," Trump said. "They were all saying I did, so you had another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel." News accounts of the White House conversation said that Trump had mentioned enough information that Russia would be able to figure out the source for the covert information, which later was revealed as coming from Israel.

Earlier, Trump said, "This moment in history calls us to strengthen our cooperation as both Israel and America face common threats from ISIS and other terrorist groups to countries like Iran that sponsor terrorism and fund and foment terrible violence - not only here - but all over the world.

"Most importantly," he added, "the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon - never ever - and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias. And it must cease -- immediately."

Trump met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin ahead of his talks with Netanyahu and visited important symbols of both the Jewish and Christian faiths.

The U.S. president arrived in Israel after a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where Trump said King Salman assured him the Saudis want peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and roadblocks imposed against Iranian threats.

"There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran and it is indeed a threat. There is no question about that," Trump told Rivlin.

In Tehran, newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran wants terrorism uprooted in the Middle East and says it is ready for interaction with its neighbors to restore peace in the region.

In his remarks, Rivlin, referring to the prospects of peace in the Middle East, yet fears about Iran, said, "We must be sure we don't go to sleep with a dream and wake up with a nightmare."

At a welcoming ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport Tel Aviv, Trump said there is now a "rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace" to the Middle East.

Netanyahu referenced Trump's speech to Muslim leaders in Riyadh on Sunday on the need for a united fight against terrorism. The Israeli leader said his country shares the same commitment to peace and has its hand "extended in peace to all our neighbors, including the Palestinians."

Trump has indicated a desire to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations that broke down in 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters traveling with the president that Trump "feels like there is a moment in time here" and an opportunity to advance the process.

"I think the president has indicated he's willing to put his own personal efforts into this, if the Israelis and the Palestinian leadership are ready to be serious about engaging as well," Tillerson said.

Trump's schedule Monday included a visit to the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site, and a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where tradition says Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb. On Tuesday, Trump has talks scheduled with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Trump said in March that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is "maybe not as difficult as people have thought," though he has not given any indication of how he might approach the issue differently. He has tasked his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner with leading the effort for the White House.

Trump said during his campaign for president that the best way to negotiate an agreement is taking what he called an "objective" approach to the serious and extremely emotional issues keeping both sides apart. But he has said continued Israeli settlements in the West Bank that Israel seized in the Six-Day War in 1967 do not help the peace process, and has backed off his promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia was his first overseas stop as president.

He spoke at a gathering of dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at a regional summit in Riyadh Sunday, telling them the U.S. wants a coalition of nations "who share the aim of stamping out extremism."

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Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships

Lockheed Martin Corp., Baltimore, Maryland, was awarded a $1,955,776,266 fixed-price-incentive firm target modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2301 on 20 December 2019 for the detail design and construction of four Multi Mission Surface Combatant ships (MMSC). The awarded contract includes associated cost-plus-fixed-fee class design and related material and firm-fixed-price integrated data environment. The MMSC is based on the freedom variant of the Navy Littoral Combat Ship class, and was procured by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) under the auspices of the Navy's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

The detail design and construction of four Multi Mission Surface Combatant ships is part of the Foreign Military Sales agreement between the U.S. and the KSA. This sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the U.S. by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner. Only foreign military sales funds from the KSA will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in Marinette, Wisconsin (50%); Washington, District of Columbia (17%); Baltimore, Maryland (9%); Moorestown, New Jersey (7%); Clearwater, Florida (2%); Beloit, Wisconsin (1%); Salt Lake City, Utah (1%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (1%); Fitchburg, Massachusetts (1%); Hampton, Virginia (1%); areas outside the U.S. (8%); and other areas in the U.S. (2%), and is expected to be complete by June 2026. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract 25 July 2018 worth $450 million by the US government for the production of the Multi-Mission Surface Combatant for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Company will begin the detailed design and planning for construction of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatants (MMSC) that will be built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will acquire four Multi-Mission Surface Combatants as part of a larger agreement between the United States and KSA to enhance global security and stimulate economic progress in the two regions. MMSC uses the COMBATSS-21 Combat Management System, built from the Aegis Combat System Common Source Library, enabling anti-air and anti-surface capabilities in a small surface combatant platform.

Joe DePietro, Vice President, Lockheed Martin Small Combatants and Ship Systems, said: We are pleased the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has selected the Multi-Mission Surface Combatant to support its Royal Saudi Naval Forces fleet. The MMSC provides the Royal Saudi Naval Forces a lethal and highly manoeuvrable multi-mission surface combatant, which features the flexibility of the Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship steel mono-hull with expanded capabilities that include an integrated Mk41 Vertical Launch System, an increased range of 5,000 nautical miles and speeds in excess of 30 knots, making it capable of littoral and open ocean operation, and able to confront modern maritime and economic security threats.

The US State Department made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) Ships and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $11.25 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on October 19, 2015.

The Government of Saudi Arabia requested a naval modernization program to include the sale of Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships and program office support. The Multi-Mission Surface Combatant program would consist of:

Four (4) MMSC ships (a derivative of the Freedom Variant of the U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Class) that incorporate five (5) COMBATSS-21 Combat Management Systems (four (4) installed, one (1) spare) with five (5) TRS-4D Radars (four (4) installed, one (1) spare)

Five (5) Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) (Mode 4- and Mode 5-capable) UPX-29 (four (4) installed, one (1) spare)

Five (5) Compact Low Frequency Active Passive Variable Depth Sonar (four (4) installed, one (1) spare)

Eight (8) MK-41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) (two (2) eight-cell assemblies per ship for 16 cells per hull)

Five-hundred thirty-two (532) tactical RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) (one hundred twenty-eight (128) installed, twenty (20) test and training rounds, three hundred eighty-four (384) spares)

Five (5) AN/SWG-l (V) Harpoon Ship Command Launch Control Systems (four (4) installed (one (1) per ship), one (1) spare)

Eight (8) Harpoon Shipboard Launchers (two (2) installed four-tube assemblies per ship)

Forty-eight (48) RGM-84 Harpoon Block II Missiles (thirty-two (32) installed, sixteen (16) test and training rounds)

Five (5) MK-15 Mod 31 SeaRAM Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) (four (4) installed, one (1) spare)

One-hundred eighty-eight (188) RIM 116C Block II Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) (forty-four (44) installed, twelve (12) test and training rounds, one hundred thirty-two (132) spares)

Five (5) MK-75 76mm OTO Melara Gun Systems (four (4) installed, one (1) spare)

Forty-eight (48) 50-caliber machine guns (forty (40) installed (ten (10) per ship), eight (8) spares); ordnance; and Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) Global Positioning System/Precise Positioning Service (GPS/PPS) navigation equipment

Also included in this sale in support of the MMSC are: study, design and construction of operations; support and training facilities; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; communications equipment employing Link 16 equipment; Fire Control System/Ceros 200 Sensor and Illuminator; 20mm Narwhal Gun; Nixie AN/SLQ-25A Surface Ship Torpedo Defense System; MK-32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes; WBR-2000 Electronic Support Measure and Threat Warning System; Automatic Launch of Expendables (ALEX) Chaff and Decoy-Launching System; ARC-210 Radios; Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS); Automated Digital Network System; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.

In addition, this case would provide overarching program office support for the SNEP II to include: U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support, and other related elements of program support to meet necessities for program execution. The estimated value of MDE is $4.3 billion. The total estimated cost is $11.25 billion.

This proposed sale would contribute to the foreign policy and national security goals of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic regional partner, which has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. This acquisition would enhance the stability and maritime security in the sea areas around the Arabian Peninsula and support strategic objectives of the United States.

The proposed sale would provide Saudi Arabia with an increased ability to meet current and future maritime threats from enemy weapon systems. The Multi-Mission Surface Combatant ships would provide protection-in-depth for critical industrial infrastructure and for the sea lines of communication. Saudi Arabia would use the enhanced capability to keep pace with the rapid advances in technology and to remain a viable U.S. coalition partner in the region. The proposed sale of this equipment and support would not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor for the Multi-Mission Surface Combatant would be Lockheed Martin Corporation of Bethesda, Maryland. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale.

In January 2016 Saudi Arabia rejected an offer from the US Navy to build four frigates  the latest move in an ongoing negotiation over price and schedule. The ships, known as the Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC), were the largest part of Saudi Arabia's $16 billion plan to replace and modernize the kingdom's eastern fleet in the Persian Gulf. The modernization plan includes the four frigates, along with six smaller corvette-sized ships, all operating Lockheed Martin Sikorsky MH-60R helicopters. The helicopters are to cost $1.9 billion. A number of smaller vessels and aircraft also were in the plan.

Negotiations had been underway between Washington and Riyadh over the MMSC package, which includes weapons, logistics, training and other services. Reportedly, the Saudis balked at the $11.25 billion price tag for the MMSC package and were unhappy with the time it would take to complete detail design of the ships, carry out systems integration, build the vessels, deliver them and install infrastructure improvements in the kingdom. The first ship would be delivered in about seven years, which the Saudis reportedly think is excessive. Washington was expected to return to the bargaining table with counter offers.

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Increasingly Broke IS Resorts to Fire Sale

By Rikar Hussein May 20, 2017

With so-called Islamic State (IS) revenue streams drying up as it continues to lose territory in Syria and Iraq, IS is resorting to a fire sale by liquidating whatever marketable products it can, Iraqi prosecutors say.

The Iraqi Higher Judicial Council said in a recent report that prosecutors' interrogations with a group of captured IS members tell of how IS is dumping goods on Iraqi markets in hopes of making quick profits needed to continue military operations.

"Confessions of this group clarified that the organization has recently resorted to an indirect mechanism of funding by sending goods to its suppliers who will later sell them to retailers," the report said.

Before it started to lose territory, IS generated millions of U.S. dollars in illicit revenues by smuggling oil and gas and implementing a harsh system of taxation in areas it controlled.

But as the U.S.-led coalition pounded IS's tankers and oil infrastructure, U.S. Treasury Department and Iraqi oil officials say IS oil revenues have plummeted by as much as 90 percent from a high of $80 million monthly in 2015.

And as IS flees areas in Iraq and Syria, its ability to tax residents has been stifled. Recent reports say cash-strapped IS has stopped paying the salaries of its fighters in some areas.

Iraqi authorities say IS is dumping on markets cheap food supplies that are close to expiry for a quick sell out.

"The retailers sell the goods in the Iraqi market under the banner of 'Special Offer' to attract more customers," the Judicial Council said.

The products are entering Iraq from neighboring countries through a system of smuggling by trucks that had enabled IS to keep Mosul running before a U.S.-backed offensive began pushing IS from the city last year.

But merchants say the cheap IS goods are forcing prices to plummet and profits to fall.

Dlshad Abdullah, an Iraqi merchant from Irbil who imports household supplies from China to northern Iraq, told VOA that tradesmen are alarmed.

"What I have noticed the last three months is that there have been some goods in the market much below the usual rates," Abdullah said. "People usually pay over $600 to buy an air conditioner, but there have been cases were they were sold for $120."

Abdullah said traders "have to be cautious of buying goods that are oddly cheap" because they cannot guarantee their authenticity.

Experts say the dumping of goods by IS shows the group's increasing financial desperation.

Ghayath Surchi, a spokesman for the Kurdistan Patriotic Union in Mosul, told VOA that IS fighters crammed in neighborhoods of old Mosul are depending on looting stored supplies in homes they confiscated from residents.

"IS was in control of Mosul's trade center until about a month ago and allowed tradesmen of the neighborhood to flee if they agreed to hand over their goods," Surchi said.

Sarhang Hamasaeed, director of Middle East Programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, said with IS on the run, it will be interesting to see if IS can replicate its financial empire as it regroups.

"As IS loses ground, its expenses also go down because it wouldn't need to pay and expend on the same functions of running a government and matters of public," he said adding that IS may go back to the rudimentary tactics of trying to extort money from locals.

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NYT's spy in China story full of narcissism

Source:Global Times Published: 2017/5/22 0:13:39

The Chinese government allegedly killed or imprisoned more than a dozen CIA sources between 2010 and 2012, dismantling US spying operations in the country, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

According to the article, "Investigators were bitterly divided over the cause. Some were convinced that a mole within the CIA had betrayed the United States. Others believed that the Chinese had hacked the covert system the CIA used to communicate with its foreign sources." The report included a sensational detail that one source "was shot in front of his colleagues in the courtyard of a government building - a message to others who might have been working for the CIA."

This NYT article has been widely quoted, yet its authenticity remains unknown. If CIA spying operations in China were crippled, the US has nothing to be proud of. But the NYT report portrayed the people that spied for the US as innocents, but the Chinese national security forces as merciless. The report also claimed "China has been particularly aggressive in its espionage in recent years."

If this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud China's anti-espionage activities. Not only was the CIA's spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong. It can be taken as a sweeping victory. Perhaps it means even if the CIA makes efforts to rebuild its spy network in China, it could face the same result.

As for one source being shot in a government courtyard, that is a purely fabricated story, most likely a piece of American-style imagination based on ideology.

It is worth noting that the NYT report comes at a time when Sino-US relations are relatively smooth with some unsolved problems. The first round of China-US diplomatic and security dialogue will be held in June. Many American political elites are willing to see more friction between China and the US. Now with the latest report, they have found a new angle to stir up distrust between the US and China over espionage.

It is well known that the US is the world's largest intelligence-gatherer. It not only defines the moral standards of spies based its own national interests, but also tries to make these standards universal. The NYT report seems to be a white-knuckle beginning for a new version of Mission: Impossible: American spies who worked in China disappeared, and some of them died miserably. However, no one knew the reason for their deaths. The journalists who wrote the report must have been deeply addicted to the franchise.

The CIA has apparently increased its espionage activities in China, which will inevitably lead to China simultaneously strengthening its counterintelligence efforts. No matter how Americans see it, international law will affirm that China's anti-espionage activities are just and legal, while the CIA's spying is illegitimate.

When the US media is keen on hyping up "catching Chinese spies," they should forego their moral narcissism when reporting CIA espionage in China. It's absurd that under their description, the US is always the noble side whether it is catching spies or sending spies.



Posted in: EDITORIAL

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North Korea test-fires what appears to be ballistic missile

Iran Press TV

Sun May 21, 2017 1:21PM

North Korea has test-fired what appears to be a ballistic missile amid heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula over Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs.

"North Korea fired an unidentified projectile from a site this afternoon from the vicinity of Pukchang in Pyeongannam-do (South Pyeongan Province)," South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Sunday, quoting a statement released by the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The South's military further said that it could not yet identify the type of the newly launched missile, the second in a week and the eighth this year, but it added that the rocket traveled some 500 kilometers.

"Our military is closely monitoring signs for additional provocation by the North Korean military and we are keeping a full military readiness," it went on to say.

On May 14, the North test-fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile, which landed in the sea between North Korea and Japan, sparking a new wave of international condemnation, particularly from Tokyo. North Korea claimed that the missile, capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead, traveled almost 800 kilometers before diving into the sea.

Analysts believe that the May 14 mid-range missile flew further than any other previous ballistic missile test-fired by Pyongyang, describing it as a leap forward for the North, which is striving to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

An ICBM, by definition, is a missile with a minimum range of 5,500 kilometers, designed primarily to deliver nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, an official from the White House, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia with US President Donald Trump, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Washington had been aware of the launch, adding that the projectile was believed to be a range ballistic missile (MRBM).

The official also played down the Sunday's launch, noting that its range was less than those recently launched by the North.

"We are aware that North Korea launched an MRBM. This system, last tested in February, has a shorter range than the missiles launched in North Korea's three most recent tests," the official said.

The United States Pacific Command also said in a statement that it had "detected and tracked" the mid-range ballistic missile, which had been launched by Pyongyang at about 09:59 a.m. Hawaii local time and landed in the Sea of Japan.

The Japanese military issued a statement, saying it was analyzing the height and trajectory of the ballistic missile.

Seoul and Washington have voiced concern over the North's missile and nuclear programs, which Pyongyang says aimed at defending itself against US aggression.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have considerably increased in the past several weeks. Washington, concerned by the North's rapidly-developing missile and military nuclear programs, has sent a provocative strike force to the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang has said it is combat-ready. The two sides have recently traded a barrage of military threats.

At the heart of the recent tensions, Washington has called on China, which is also North Korea's major economic benefactor, to help mount pressure on Pyongyang in an attempt to abandon its nuclear program. While Beijing has opposed any military action against the North, it has long maintained that Pyongyang should not have a military nuclear program and has recently increased pressure on North Korea by imposing sanctions of its own.

Pyongyang, already under a bundle of sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs, says it would not abandon its missile and nuclear programs unless the US ends its hostility toward the North.

The United Nations Security Council imposed its first array of sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 and has boosted the so-called deterrent measures in response to the country's five confirmed nuclear tests and a pair of long-range missile launches. The North has already threatened to conduct a sixth nuclear test.

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N Korean Missile Falls 250 Miles Away From Japan's Western Shimane Prefecture

Sputnik News

17:24 21.05.2017(updated 17:29 21.05.2017)

North Korea's recently launched ballistic missile fell short of reaching Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to Tokyo.

TOKYO (Sputnik)  The ballistic missile, launched by Pyongyang on Sunday, fell down 400 kilometers (248 miles) away from Japan's western Shimane Prefecture, Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said.

"We believe that the missile fell down 700 kilometers [434 miles] away from the Oga peninsula in the Akita prefecture and 400 kilometers away from the Oki island in the Shimane prefecture," Inada said as quoted by the Kyodo news agency.

Earlier in the day, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which reportedly flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan short of reaching Japan's exclusive economic zone. This is the eighth missile launch carried out by North Korea in 2017 in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. The US Pacific Command said that it was a medium-range ballistic missile, which did not pose a threat to North America.

The previous launch was carried out by Pyongyang last Sunday, when North Korea tested a ground-to-ground intermediate ballistic missile that fell in the Sea of Japan outside Japan's special economic zone. Pyongyang said it had launched the Hwasong-12 missile, which had flown 787 kilometers (489 miles).

 Sputnik

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North Korea Fires 'Unidentified Projectile'  South Korean Military

Sputnik News

11:58 21.05.2017(updated 12:58 21.05.2017)

South Korean Joint Chief of Staff said that North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile on Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  North Korea has launched an unidentified ballistic missile on Sunday, the South Korean Joint Chief of Staff said in a statement.

"North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile in the eastern direction at around 4:59 p.m. [7:59 GMT] from the vicinity of Pukchang in Pyeongannam-do (South Pyeongan Province)," the statement reads, as cited by the Yonhap news agency.

South Korea and the United States are analyzing the details of the launch, including the exact trajectory of the missile and its type, the statement explained.

Following the suspected launch, South Korean President Moon Jae-in convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council, the agency reported.

According to the South Korean Joint Chief of Staff, the projectile flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles), with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reportedly saying that the missile fell into the Sea of Japan without reaching the country's exclusive economic zone.

Tokyo also convened an urgent meeting of the country's National Security Council, the local Kyodo News reported.

The latest missile test was conducted by North Korea on May 14, with a ballistic missile falling in the Sea of Japan short of reaching the Japanese exclusive economic zone.

The ballistic missile launch, which was carried out by Pyongyang on Sunday, posed a threat to aircraft and vessels and violated the resolutions of the UN Security Council, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference.

"This missile launch poses a threat to the security of aircraft and seacraft and, moreover, it is a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The ongoing provocations from North Korea are unacceptable and we lodge a strong protest with North Korea," Suga told reporters.

Earlier in the day, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which reportedly flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan short of reaching Japan's exclusive economic zone.

 Sputnik

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North Korea says freshly-tested missile ready for deployment in action

Iran Press TV

Mon May 22, 2017 5:11AM

North Korea says a medium-range ballistic missile it recently test-launched is ready for deployment in action.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday that the country's leader Kim Jong-un had overseen the Sunday test-launch of the Pukguksong (Polaris)-2 ground-to-ground missile and "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action."

KCNA quoted Kim as voicing his "great satisfaction" with the test and hailing its results as "perfect."

He was further cited as describing the Pukguksong-2 as a "very accurate" missile and a "successful strategic weapon."

KCNA said that the missile launch "completely verified" the reliability and accuracy of the device, and its late-stage warhead guidance system.

The Pukguksong-2 was first launched in February. It uses solid fuel that allows for immediate firing, unlike almost all of Pyongyang's missiles, which are liquid-fuelled.

The second test-launch, on Sunday, was conducted near the county of Pukchang in North Korea's South Phyongan Province. The missile flew eastward about 500 kilometers and reached an altitude of 560 kilometers, according to an official with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another official with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheons said on Monday that Seoul and Washington believed North Korea secured "meaningful data in enhancing the credibility of its missile technology" by conducting the Sunday test.

North Korea regularly carries out missile tests. It has also conducted five nuclear tests. Last week, North Korea successfully launched a KN-17 medium-range missile.

The Sunday missile test was the 10th since US President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January.

Pyongyang, under an array of sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs, says it is developing arms as deterrence against US hostility. North Korea has further vowed that it would not abandon its missile and nuclear programs unless Washington ended its enmity toward Pyongyang.

Unsettled by North Korean missile and military nuclear programs, the United States has adopted a war-like posture against Pyongyang in recent weeks, sending a strike group to the Korean Peninsula and conducting joint military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries Japan and South Korea.

The Trump administration has warned that military intervention in North Korea is an option being considered.

Last Monday, the United Nations Security Council demanded that Pyongyang conduct no further missile tests.

The council is scheduled to meet behind closed doors on Tuesday. The meeting has been requested by the US, South Korea, and Japan.

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North Korea Successfully Launches Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile

Sputnik News

01:28 22.05.2017(updated 01:41 22.05.2017)

North Korea announced it has successfully conducted a test launch of another intermediate-range ballistic missile.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  North Korea successfully test fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, media reported Monday.

According to Yonhap news agency, citing the North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the launch of ground-to-ground Pukguksong-2 missile was observed by the country's leader Kim Jong Un.

The technology applied in submarine-launched ballistic missiles was used in the launched missile, according to the same outlet.

The reports added that, Kim approved the deployment of the missile for action.

On Sunday, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which reportedly flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan short of reaching Japan's exclusive economic zone. The launch was carried out in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

 Sputnik

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South Korea Says Pyongyang's New Missile Not Capable of Reaching US Territory

Sputnik News

21:55 22.05.2017(updated 22:11 22.05.2017)

Seoul military sources asserted on Monday that Pyongyang's most recent weapons test was a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), incapable of reaching the US island territory of Guam.

Following a Sunday missile launch by the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK), the country's state-run media claimed that the test had been successful, and that it was now possible for the country to strike US territory.

South Korea, however, stated after the DPRK launch that the MRBM, with a range of no more than 1,500 miles, is not able to reach the closest US territory of Guam, some 2,200 miles away.

The mid-Pacific Ocean island of Guam is used by the US as a staging platform and refueling depot for long-range bombing missions and other East-Asian military operations.

Officials in Seoul asserted that DPRK claims about the range of its missile test were false.

"It's believed to be an MRBM in terms of the flight distance when launched at a normal angle," said Army spokesman Colonel Roh Jae-cheon, according to Yonhap.

The test on Sunday was identified as a solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 MRBM missile, and during its flight it rose to an altitude of some 350 miles and traveled over 300 miles down range, before falling into the East China Sea.

Pyongyang's state-run KCNA media claimed that the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, was personally involved in the event.

"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, cited by Yonhap.

South Korean military officials, backed by weapons experts around the globe, caution that DPRK missile technology, while advancing rapidly, is not as accurate or powerful as Pyongyang has claimed, citing repeated launch failures and atmospheric reentry incapability.

 Sputnik

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Israel to bag over $600mn in military deal with India

Iran Press TV

Sun May 21, 2017 5:52PM

The Israeli regime has inked an arms deal worth $630 million with India to provide the Indian Navy with an advanced long-range surface-to-air missile system.

According to a statement released by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) on Sunday, the Israeli company will provide the Indian state-owned aerospace and defense company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) with the naval version of the aerial defense system Barak 8, which means "lightning" in Hebrew, to be installed aboard four Indian Navy ships.

It added that the contract of Barak 8, technically known as LR-SAM system, included the procurement of radar, missiles, and a command and control board for the missile system.

The system is said to eliminate any type of airborne threat, including aircraft, choppers, anti-ship missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), cruise missiles and warplanes. Last week, the Indian Navy successfully tested the system aboard one of its ships.

"The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India's defense forces, reinforcing IAI's global leadership position in air and missile defense systems," the military exporting giant said in the statement.

The Sunday deal came a month after the IAI announced that it had struck a mega arms deal with New Delhi worth nearly $2 billion to provide India's army and navy with a missile defense system, including medium-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers, communications and control technology. The company described it then as the "largest" military deal Israel had ever signed.

New Delhi and Tel Aviv signed an agreement back in February 2015 to jointly develop the missile system for the Indian army.

Israel has been supplying India with various weapons systems, missiles and drones over the past few years, making India one of Israel's largest buyers of military hardware.

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Tillerson calls on Rouhani to stop Iran's ballistic missile tests

Iran Press TV

Sun May 21, 2017 4:32AM

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to end the country's ballistic missile tests in what is Washington's first reaction to his re-election.

Tillerson made the remarks during a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart on Saturday following Rouhani's landslide election victory and winning a second term in office through presidential polls held on Friday.

He repeated a Western accusation that Iran supports terrorism, saying, "What I would hope, is that Rouhani... use that (new) term to begin a process of dismantling Iran's network of terrorism, dismantling its financing of the terrorist network, dismantling the manning and the logistics and everything that they provide to these destabilizing forces that exist in this region."

"We also hope that he puts an end to their ballistic missile testing," Tillerson said on the first day of a visit by President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia where he signed a whopping $110 billion weapons deal with the Saudi kingdom.

Tehran has always said its missile tests pose no threat to any country and that they are conducted to boost Iran's defense capabilities, enhance national security and promote regional peace and stability.

The United States and its allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, have always drawn massive criticism for supporting and financing terrorist groups, which have carried out numerous terrorist attacks in the Middle East, throughout Europe and elsewhere.

Since 2011, the Saudi regime has also been sponsoring Takfiri terrorists fighting against the Syrian government, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced.

Trump, who arrived in Riyadh on Friday, signed an arms deal with the Saudi kingdom that has been pounding Yemen since March 2015, an assault that has so far left 12,000 people dead, most of them civilians.

The pact includes a $6 billion contract to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters in Saudi Arabia. It also includes a $1 billion THAAD missile system and a contract for four multi-mission warships worth $11.5 billion.

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Iranians voted for moderation, reason in elections: Rouhani

Iran Press TV

Mon May 22, 2017 12:51PM

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the Iranian people voted for moderation and reason in the recent twin elections in the country.

The president made the remarks in the presence of representatives of domestic and foreign media in his first press conference on Monday since his landslide election victory and winning a second term in office.

Rouhani described the turnout in the elections as "unprecedented in Iranian history," saying if all of those who had stood in long line at the polling stations had succeeded to vote, the figure would have increased to 45 million. Some 42 million ballots were cast in the presidential election.

Iranians cannot be deceived by unreasonable promises

Rouhani said the lies in the presidential campaign failed to yield results, adding that the Iranian nation dismissed destructive efforts and imprecise remarks.

The Iranian president stated that Iranians proved that they cannot be deceived by unreasonable promises, adding that the Iranian people would never accept national media being under the influence and control of one particular party and faction.

He said the high turnout of the Iranian people in the recent polls proved that they wanted to convey the message that they are one nation and want to be heard.

"The people said 'yes' to unity and balance," he stressed.

Iranians voted for economic development

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani noted that Iranians voted for plans to develop the country's economy in recent elections and announced that no one has the right to impose their own will on others.

The Iranian president, a pro-reform candidate, won a resounding reelection victory on Saturday with 23,549,616 votes or 57 percent of the total ballots. His main rival in the four-man race, Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, a principlist, secured 15,786,449 votes or 38.5 percent of the ballots.

Iran's 12th presidential election and the 5th City and Village Councils Elections were held simultaneously on Friday at some 63,500 polling stations inside the country and 310 others in 102 countries. Reformists also prevailed in the council elections in Tehran and the city of Mashhad.

In his first televised speech on Saturday following his landslide election victory, Rouhani said the Iranian nation had chosen the path of interaction with the world devoid of violence and extremism.

Iranians clearly and explicitly sent their message to the world through the Friday elections, he said, adding, "Our nation wants to live in peace and friendship with the world, but at the same time, it will accept no humiliation or threat."

'Saudi gathering, show without political value'

Referring to the Arab Islamic American Summit, which convened in Saudi capital city of Riyadh on Sunday, Rouhani said that the gathering, which hosted 55 countries, was "just a show" without any political value.

"The Iraqi, Lebanese and Syrian nations have stood against terrorists and Iranian diplomats and advisors have been helping them," the Iranian president added.

He said no one can claim that stability would be restored to the region without Iran's role, adding, "The US administration has never fought terrorism, but the American people are certainly against terrorists and don't want terrorism in the world."

"We are waiting for the new US administration to reach a mental stability. American [officials] were wrong about our region," Rouhani said and expressed hope that the US administration would consider the interests of its own people.

Iran-US ties

Answering a question, Rouhani described relations between Iran and the United States as "a tortuous road" over the past 40 years, saying, "The Americans have applied different types of methods against Iran and have always suffered a defeat and been unsuccessful."

The US will face defeat once again if it refuses to respect the Iranian nation, he added.

Terrorism

In response to another question, Rouhani said violence and extremism posed serious dangers to the Middle East and the entire world, adding, "The era of meddling in others' internal affairs, the era of war against other countries and the era of giving money to terrorist groups has come to an end."

He noted that terrorism has been gradually receding over the recent years, but the complete eradication of the ominous phenomenon requires more time.

Rouhani emphasized that all countries have reached an understanding that unity in the fight against terrorism is the right path, adding that Iran has been and would be in the forefront of the anti-terror campaign.

US-Saudi deal

Elsewhere in the presser, Rouhani was asked about a recent arms deal between the US and Saudi Arabia worth almost $110 billion, which is set to reach $350 billion over 10 years, plus a series of other deals.

He recalled that Saudi Arabia had given nearly $100 billion to former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, during Iraq's imposed war on Iran in the 1980s.

"Saudi Arabia may think that it should buy weapons but we do not need to purchase arms. We are manufacturing weapons and are capable of producing any type of weapons we need," the Iranian president said.

"I think Saudi Arabia will not be able to use such weapons and will be forced to bring American advisors to its own region," he added.

Rouhani expressed hope that the Saudi government would choose the "best path."

Iran's missile program for defense, peace

In response to a question about recent comments by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who called on the Iranian president on Saturday to end the country's ballistic missile tests and its support for terrorists, Rouhani said these were just "dreams."

"For their own defense, their weapons and their requirements, the Iranian people will neither appeal to anybody nor get permission from anyone," the Iranian chief executive pointed out.

Iranians have made their decision and want to always be powerful and strong, he said, adding that if Iran did not possess weapons and missiles, some would "make a miscalculation" as they had done in the past, and caused war and chaos in the region.

He reiterated that Iran's missile program was aimed at promoting peace not aggression.

"US officials must know that we will test missiles whenever we need a missile test from a technical point of view and will not wait for their permission," Rouhani said.

Iran reached the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the P5+1 group of countries and accepted the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 in order to be able to boost its defense power, he said.

Under the JCPOA signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China - plus Germany in 2015, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231 was adopted on July 20, 2015 to endorse the JCPOA. Under the resolution, Iran is "called upon" not to undertake any activity related to missiles "designed to be capable of" delivering nuclear weapons. Iran says it is not involved in any such missile work and has no such warheads.

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Iran asks US to stop arming 'main terror sponsors'

Iran Press TV

Mon May 22, 2017 9:53AM

Iran has urged the US to stop supplying arms to "main sponsors of terrorism" after President Donald Trump clinched a massive military deal with Saudi Arabia on his first visit to the Middle East.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi called on Washington on Monday to abandon its "policy of warmongering, meddling, Iranophobia and sales of dangerous and useless weapons to the main sponsors of terrorism."

"Unfortunately, under the hostile and aggressive policies of the American statesmen, we are witnessing a renewed strengthening of terrorist groups in the region and miscalculation of the dictatorships which support these groups," he said.

Qassemi hit out at Trump's accusations that Iran was funding, arming and training "terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region."

"Once again, by his meddling, repetitive and baseless claims about Iran, the American president tried to encourage the countries of the region to purchase more arms by spreading Iranophobia," the spokesman said.

"It is surprising that Iran is being accused of destabilizing the region by a country which has been an accomplice to the Zionist regime's crackdown on the oppressed Palestinian nation through all-out arms, financial and intelligence support for decades," Qassemi said.

In recent years, the US "has been complicit in the massacre of the defenseless Yemeni people through arming certain Arab regimes in the Persian Gulf," he added.

The official touched on US role in "creating and cultivating Takfiri-terrorist currents, including Daesh" and strongly criticized "deceitful stances, meddlesome statements, and destructive measures" of the new US administration.

Such measures, he said, are aimed at "confronting people's rule on their destiny in the regional countries and consolidating the position and superiority of the Zionist regime."

"US support and that of its regional allies for terrorists is so obvious that their escape forward and accusations of terrorism support against others have no buyers," Qassemi said.

"If financial, arms and intelligence resources of Daesh, Nusra Front and other terrorist groups are cut, they will be finished easily. They resist because these countries' support for the terrorists continues," he added.

His remarks came a day after Trump ended his visit to Saudi Arabia where arms deals worth $110 billion were signed.

Qassemi said, "Regional countries, instead of spending billions of dollars from their people's assets on an illusory American support, had better think about the real stability, welfare, tranquility and peace of their people and spend these exorbitant sums on development and constructive regional cooperation."

Qassemi deplored that "certain regional countries, instead of depending on the power of their people and regional cooperation capacities, have set heart on the support of big powers."

Those countries, he said, "are paving the way for vital infrastructures of the regional countries to weaken and collapse, a case in point being the deplorable situation of Yemen and destruction of Syrian infrastructures by Takfiri terrorists."

Trump's accusations against Tehran came shortly after Hassan Rouhani was re-elected president.

Qassemi said the US and its allies "should know that Iran, as a democratic, stable and powerful country enjoying popular support, is a harbinger of peace, tranquility and good neighborliness in the region and a front-runner in the global fight against violence and extremism," and that Tehran would not go off this course with the hostile rhetoric of those countries.

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Rohani Criticizes Trump's Saudi Summit, Says Vote Shows Iranians Want Engagement

RFE/RL May 22, 2017

Iranian President Hassan Rohani has criticized a summit of Muslim countries that was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, calling the meeting in Saudi Arabia a "a show with no meaning."

Rohani spoke at a news conference on May 22, three days after winning a second term in an election he said showed that Iranians favor "moderation" and engagement with the world.

Trump addressed dozens of leaders of Muslim states in Riyadh on May 21, urging leaders to fight against Islamic extremism and calling for the isolation of Iran, which he accused of fueling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror."

"The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind," Rohani said.

"You can't solve terrorism just by giving people's money to a superpower," Rohani added, referring to the multi-billion-dollar deals signed between Washington and Riyadh during Trump's visit to Riyadh.

Rohani's remarks came as Trump trained more criticism on Iran in a visit to Israel on May 22, saying that Tehran must stop supporting "terrorists and militia" and must never acquire nuclear weapons.

"Most importantly, the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training, and equipping of terrorists and militias," said Trump, speaking at Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's residence, hours after he arrived in Israel.

Iran's support of Shi'ite allies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen have sparked concerns among Sunni-majority states and Israel, all of which are eager curb Tehran's influence.

But Rohani said stability in the Middle East without Iran's help was impossible and accused the United States of "lacking knowledge" of the region.

"Who can say regional stability can be restored without Iran? Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran?" he said.

Rohani said ties with Washington were "a curvy road," saying he hoped the Trump administration will "settle down" so "we could pass more accurate judgments."

Rohani also defended Iran's ballistic-missile program, which has been heavily criticized by the Trump administration.

"The U.S. leaders should know that whenever we need a missile test because of a technical aspect, we will test," he said. "We will not wait for them and their permission."

He added: "Our missiles are for peace, not for attack."

Rohani sounded confident after the election, in which he soundly defeated hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi and two other candidates.

"We wanted to tell the world that on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, we are to ready to have interaction," he said.

However, Rohani's power to implement policy is limited because under Iran's theocratic system, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has final decision-making authority.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-rohani-criticizes -trump-summit/28502553.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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Iran's Rouhani Criticizes Trump, Recent Saudi Summit

By VOA News May 22, 2017

Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that Iran's relationship with the U.S. is a "curvy road," and called President Donald Trump's summit in Saudi Arabia this past weekend "just a show."

Rouhani also said that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without his country's help.

"The Americans do not know our religion, that's what the catch is," Rouhani said in response to a question from AP.

Rouhani said he hopes the Trump administration will "settle down" enough for his nation to better understand it.

Rouhani was re-elected in a landslide win Friday, after his first term saw a major nuclear arms deal with world powers in 2015. Trump has threatened to try to renegotiate the deal.

Sunday, Trump delivered a speech in Saudi Arabia, pushing for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism, which he called "a battle between good and evil."

In that address, Trump also took aim at Iran, accusing Tehran of contributing to instability in the region.

"The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind," Rouhani said. The Iranian president criticized Trump's decision to visit Saudi Arabia, noting that the kingdom "has never seen a ballot box" while Iran just had another successful presidential election in which over 40 million people voted.

In response to the recent billion-dollar deals signed between Trump and the Saudi government, Rouhani said, "You can't solve terrorism just by giving your people's money to a superpower."

Rouhani also defended Iran's ballistic missile program, which has been highly opposed by the Trump administration. "The U.S. leaders should know that whenever we need a missile test because of a technical aspect, we will test. We will not wait for them and their permission," he said.

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Islamic State Territory In Mosul Shrinks, But Heavy Fighting Looms In Old City

RFE/RL May 20, 2017

Iraqi military officials say the territory controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants in western Mosul has been reduced to 8 square kilometers, but the area includes the Old City, where the heaviest fighting of the campaign is likely still to come.

Iraqi special forces on May 20 said their troops had taken the area assigned to them but added they were ready "to support any other forces if we are ordered to by the prime minister."

Local reports say the militant group is now clinging to three neighborhoods -- Al-Shafaa, Al-Zinjiji, and the Old City. The districts are aligned along the western bank of the Tigris River.

The current offensive is aimed at capturing the densely populated and narrow Old City, where an estimated 500 IS fighters are believed to be holding out and using civilians as human shields.

The Old City houses the mosque where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his so-called caliphate in 2014.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum's regional gathering in Jordan on May 20, Iraqi President Fuad Masum said he hoped Mosul would be fully liberated "in the next few days."

Iraqi forces backed by U.S. and coalition air support in October began the battle to liberate Mosul, the last major stronghold of the IS extremists in Iraq.

The eastern half was retaken earlier this year, and troops are facing fierce IS resistance in more heavily populated western Mosul.

IS fighters captured Mosul in 2014 as they gained wide swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in battles against government troops.

However, U.S.-led coalition forces have made major gains against the group, both in Mosul and in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the last major IS stronghold in that country.

The United Nations on May 18 said that up to 200,000 more people could flee Mosul as fighting in the city intensifies.

"The numbers of people who are moving are now so large, it's becoming more and more difficult to ensure civilians receive the assistance and protection they need," UN humanitarian coordinator Lise Grande said.

And despite the government forces' gains in Mosul, two deadly bomb attacks claimed by IS in other parts of Iraq killed at least 27 people.

Near the oil-rich city of Basra, a suicide bombing at a checkpoint killed at least eight people  five civilians and three soldiers -- and wounded 41 others on May 19, the local military commander said.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement, saying it targeted Shi'ites.

The militant group also claimed responsibility for the double suicide bombings in the capital, Baghdad, that killed at least 19 people and injured 33.

With reporting by AP, dpa, Al-Masdar Al-'Arabi and The Independent

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/mosul-iraq-islamic-state- baghdadi-old-city/28499673.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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Iraqi Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters take back 7 villages west of Mosul

Iran Press TV

Sun May 21, 2017 4:23PM

Iraqi fighters from Popular Mobilization Units have liberated seven villages on the western outskirts of Mosul as pro-government forces and army soldiers cooperate to expel Takfiri Daesh terrorists out of their last urban stronghold in the country.

The media bureau of the volunteer forces, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi, announced in a statement on Sunday that the fighters had established full control over al-Mesabas, al-Niliya, Sadet Zawbaa and Thara al-Owaiset villages south of Qairawan region, Arabic-language Shafaaq news agency reported.

Hashd al-Sha'abi forces later won back the village of Northern Ayn Fathi west of Mosul following bitter clashes with Daesh militants. The fighters also shot down a Daesh drone as it was flying over the village of Hatamiya north of Qairawan.

The Popular Mobilization Units also managed to liberate Tal Qasab village north of Qairawan, killing 10 Daesh members and destroying two vehicles rigged with explosives.

Additionally, Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters reclaimed control over Ayn Ghazal village north of Qairawan, and began an operation to clear the area of hidden bombs.

Director of Daesh administrative affairs killed in airstrike

Meanwhile, Director of Daesh Administrative Affairs for Iraq's Nineveh and northern Syrian Raqqah provinces has been killed in an airstrike carried out by Iraqi fighter jets in the western part of Mosul.

The Directorate of General Military Intelligence said in a statement on Sunday that Muhammed Mujbil al-Jawari died in an aerial assault against al-Zanjili neighborhood last night.

Brigadier General Mohamed al-Jubouri from the Interior Ministry's elite rapid response forces also said the troops had killed 20 Daesh Takfiris, including senior militant commanders, as they repelled a terrorist attack against Mosul's Old Bridge.

Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units have made sweeping gains against the Takfiri elements since launching the Mosul operation.

The Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19.

The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement says over 526,000 people have been displaced amid an operation by Iraq's military and volunteer fighters to drive Daesh terrorists out of western Mosul.

The ministry said in a statement on Friday that 526,233 civilians had experienced forced displacement in the face of the offensive, noting that the refugees had been accommodated in camps set up in the southern, eastern and liberated western parts of Mosul.

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Libya: UN chief urges all sides to restore calm in aftermath of deadly attack on southern airbase

20 May 2017  United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the military escalation at the Brak al-Shati air base in southern Libya and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and restore calm, the UN chief's spokesman said today.

"[The Secretary-General] is particularly disturbed by the high number of fatalities as well as reports of summary executions of civilians, which, if confirmed, may constitute war crimes," said a statement from Stephane Dujarric, which added that the continued insecurity in Libya is a reminder that there is no military solution.

News reports suggest that perhaps more than 100 people have died as a result of Thursday's attack on the airbase, mostly soldiers but also civilians. This is the latest flare-up of violence in the North African nation since the civilian uprising in 2011 led to the ouster of long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The UN Spokesman said Mr. Guterres urges all key Libyan stakeholders to re-commit to the political dialogue and engage constructively towards that goal.

"The Secretary-General appreciates the efforts of a number of regional and neighbouring countries for their contributions aimed at strengthening the dialogue between key stakeholders in support of the overall UN-led process," the statement concluded.

In the aftermath of the attack Martin Kobler, the top UN official in Libya and the Head of the UN Support Mission known as UNSMIL, strongly condemned the deadly incident as a "vicious attack [that] undermines political efforts."

"I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place. Summary executions and targeting civilians constitute a war crime, which may be prosecuted by the International Criminal court (ICC)," Mr. Kobler said.

The Special Representative stressed that this vicious attack must not lead to further, serious conflict. There is no military solution to Libya's problems. "I call upon all parties to condemn this attack and not to allow it to undermine intense efforts to find peaceful political solutions." he added.

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Joint Statement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America Issued

Saudi Press Agency

Monday 1438/8/26 - 2017/05/22

Riyadh, Sha'ban 26, 1438, May 22, 2017, SPA -- The joint statement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America is issued as follows:

"Joint Statement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America"

1. At the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump of the United States of America paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Saturday, May 20, 2017 to Monday, May 22, 2017.

2. During the visit, the two leaders reviewed the strong historical and strategic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States, which have grown and flourished over the past eight decades in the political, economic, cultural military, security, energy, and other fields. The leaders observed that the two countries have developed a productive partnership built upon trust, cooperation, and shared interests.

3. The two leaders praised the contribution of this visit to strengthening the relations between the two countries, in order to achieve greater stability, security and prosperity. The leaders declared that they stand together to thwart our common enemies, to strengthen the bonds between us and to chart a path towards peace and prosperity for all.

4. The two leaders agreed to a new strategic partnership for the 21st century in the interest of both countries by formally announcing a Joint Strategic Vision for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, charting a renewed path toward a peaceful Middle East where economic development, trade, and diplomacy are hallmarks of regional and global engagement.

5. The two countries announced their plan to form a Strategic Joint Consultative Group, hosted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the President of the United States of America, or their appropriate designees, to chart the course of this strategic partnership.

6. The two countries agreed the Strategic Joint Consultative Group will meet at least once a year, altemating between the two countries, and it will review areas of cooperation.

7. The two countries shared a desire to address threats to their shared security interests. Thus, the two countries sought to embark on new initiatives to counter violent extremist messaging, disrupt financing of terrorism, and advance defense cooperation.

8. The two sides expressed their desire to expand cooperation hope that responsible governments willing to commit to peace will build upon these efforts to realize these objectives. The two sides predicted violent extremists who threaten peace in the Middle East will find a growing group of regional partners arrayed against them, confronting their aggression and sowing the seeds of peace.

9. The two sides acknowledged a robust, integrated regional security architecture is critical to their cooperation. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America intend to expand engagement with other countries in the region over the coming years and to identify new areas of cooperation.

10. The two countries welcomed the achievements during this visit, including the signing of a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding that will be fruitful for the peoples of the two countries and future generations, promoting security, stability and prosperity in the region.

11. The leaders noted the growing and advanced volume of two trade exchange between the two countries, joint investments in economic projects and infrastructure, and the provision of facilities and incentives for these investments.

12. The two leaders also indicated that this strategic partnership as well as economic and investment cooperation will generate a large number of high quality jobs in both countries.

13. The two leaders stressed the importance of investment in energy by companies in both countries, and the importance of coordinating policies that ensure the stability of markets and an abundance of supplies.

14. The two leaders discussed the close cooperation between both countries to ensure the preservation of maritime security, including protecting the safety of navigation in key international waterways, particularly Bab Al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz.

15. The two leaders affirmed their determination to eliminate Daesh or ISIS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations and to fight terrorism using all instruments.

16. The two leaders expressed the commitment of their countries to vigorously confront the attempts of terrorist organizations to legitimize their criminality, and to counter the roots of terrorist ideology.

17. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to broad security cooperation and exchange of information to serve their interests and safeguard their security.

18. The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to in curb the flow of foreign fighters and cutting off funding supplies for terrorist organizations.

19. The two leaders noted Saudi Arabia's achievement in detecting and disrupting 276 terrorist plots prior to their execution, including operations against the United States and friendly countries.

20. President Trump praised the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in deterring the terrorist organizations' attempts to target the Kingdom, pointing out the attempts of terrorist organizations to cause a rift in relations between the two countries. The Kingdom was one of the first countries to suffer from terrorism: since 1992, more than 100 terrorist attacks have occurred in Saudi Arabia.

21. The two leaders affirmed their determination to unite and integrate efforts between the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism.

22. The two leaders also agreed on the need to contain Iran's malign interference in the internal affairs of other states, instigation of sectarian strife, support of terrorism and armed proxies, and efforts to destabilize the countries in the region.

23. The two leaders also stressed that Iran's interference poses a threat to the security of the region and the world, and that the nuclear agreement with Iran needs to be re-examined in some of its clauses. The Iranian ballistic missile program poses a threat not only to neighboring but also a direct threat to the security of all countries in the region as well as global security.

24. The two sides also stressed the importance of reaching a comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The leaders agreed to do everything they can to promote environment that is conductive to advancing peace.

25. The two sides stressed the need to work to resolve the crisis in Yemen. President Trump commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for providing humanitarian and relief aid to the Yemeni people.

26. As for the crisis in Syria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stressed its support of President Trump's decision to launch missiles at Shayrat Mirbase from which the Syrian regime launched its chemical attacks on Khan Shaykhun. The two sides emphasized the importance that the Syrian regime adhere to the 2013 agreement to eliminate its entire stockpile of chemical weapons. The two sides emphasized the importance of reaching a permanent solution to the conflict in Syria based on the Geneva declaration and Security Council resolution 2254 in order to maintain the unity and integrity of Syrian territory so that it can be a country that represents the entire spectrum of the Syrian community and free from sectarian discrimination.

27. The two leaders expressed their support for the Iraqi government's efforts in eradicating ISIS, uniting the internal front to combat terrorism that poses a threat to all Iraqis, and preserving the unity and integrity of Iraqi territory, as well as the importance of stopping Iranian interference in the Iraqi internal affairs. The two sides noted the importance of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq and seeking to develop them.

28. Regarding Lebanon, the two sides stressed the importance of supporting the Lebanese state to enforce its sovereignty on all of its territory, disarm terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, and bring all weapons under the legitimate supervision of the Lebanese army.

--SPA

20:43 LOCAL TIME 17:43 GMT

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Suicide Blast Near Ahrar al-Sham Militants' HQ in Syria Leaves 45 Dead

Sputnik News

21:38 21.05.2017(updated 21:39 21.05.2017)

At least 45 people were killed and 30 wounded by suicide bombing in Syria's Idlib province.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik)  A suicide blast near the headquarters of Ahrar al-Sham military group in the Syrian Idlib province left on Sunday at least 45 people dead and about 30 injured, a local source told Sputnik.

"At least 45 people were killed and 30 were injured in the blast against the headquarters of 'Lions of Islam Brigade,' which belongs to Ahrar ash-Sham in Idlib's eastern neighborhood of Seraqeb," the source said.

The source did not specify, whether there were civilians among the victims, however, noted that a commander of the group had been killed.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

On December 29, 2016, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ahrar al-Sham was among the opposition groups, that agreed to join the nationwide Syrian ceasefire between the Syrian government and opposition factions on December 30.

Earlier in the day, media reported citing an Ahrar al-Sham statement that a terrorist had driven a motorbike up to the headquarters, detonated a bomb attached to the motorbike and then came inside and detonated an explosive attached to himself.

 Sputnik

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Live-fire drill to simulate repelling Chinese blitzkrieg

ROC Central News Agency

2017/05/21 22:18:00

Taipei, May 21 (CNA) The live-fire phase of the annual Han Kuang exercises is set to kick off Monday, combining all branches of the armed forces in repelling a simulated blitzkrieg from China to test the the military's combat and defense capabilities.

As in previous years, the 33rd Han Kuang drills are divided into two parts: computer-simulated war games and live-fire exercises.

The computer war games began on May 1 and concluded on May 5. The live-fire drills will take place from Monday through Friday and involve all three branches of the military -- Army, Navy and Air Force -- to test their coordinated response to simulated assaults by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).

This year's exercises will feature multi-directional attacks by PLA launched from sea and air, while the Republic of China (ROC) armed forces respond by undertaking a joint operation to repel enemy attacks.

The Marines will play PLA in an simulated amphibious attack, using a fleet of Taiwanese amphibious assault ships and landing crafts.

In an anti-amphibious landing exercise, the island's artillery and mortar units will be deployed to fend off the attacking forces and protect the nation's shores.

The Army's attack helicopters, M60A3 tanks, and Thunderbolt-2000 rocket artillery will also respond to repel landing troops and defeat the enemy.

One of the live-fire drills will be held Thursday on the outlying islands of Penghu in the Taiwan Strait, simulating a scenario in which the PLA launches an amphibious landing on Penghu.

President Tsai Ing-wen () is expected to be present to observe the drill in Penghu.

On Friday, a drill will be staged in which the military forces fend off a blitzkrieg by PLA air forces on Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung.

Some of Taiwan's most advanced weapons systems are to be deployed as part of the drill to protect Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, including Mirage 2000s which will take off from Hsinchu Air Base, indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF) from Tainan Air Base, and F-16s from Hualien.

In addition, the Coast Guard Administration is scheduled to hold a defensive drill on Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba, the largest island in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, ) Wednesday through Friday.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Ko Lin)

Enditem/sc

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Trial Of Alleged Turkey Coup Ringleaders Begins Amid Criticism From Rights Group

RFE/RL May 22, 2017

Turkey has begun the trial of more than 220 suspects accused of being among the ringleaders of the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in July 2016.

Twenty-six former generals are among the defendants in the trial, which started in May 22 at a vast courtroom at a prison outside Ankara.

Erdogan's government claims that the July 15 coup attempt was orchestrated by the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a claim he strongly denies.

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, is one of the 221 suspects named in the indictment. He is one of nine who are not in custody, with the others appearing in court.

The case is being heard in Turkey's largest courtroom, which was purpose-built on the premises of a prison complex in Sincan, outside the capital, for trials connected to the coup attempt. It has space for more than 1,500 people.

The suspects were brought into the courtroom by security forces in front of television cameras. Security was tight, with a drone flying overhead and armored vehicles at the site.

Dozens of demonstrators holding Turkish flags booed at the suspects, shouting "we want the death penalty" and holding placards saying: "For the martyrs and veterans of July 15, we want the death penalty."

The former generals charged include former Air Force chief Akin Ozturk and Mehmet Disli, the brother of senior ruling party lawmaker Saban Disli.

Also on trial is Colonel Ali Yazici, Erdogan's former military aide.

Erdogan's office says 248 people were killed in the failed coup -- a figure that does not include 24 alleged coup plotters who were killed during the violence.

The trial is one of many being held across the country to judge Turks accused of involvement in the coup attempt, in what is the biggest legal process of Turkey's modern history.

In February, the Sincan courtroom hosted the opening of the trial of 330 suspects accused of murder or attempted murder on the night of July 15.

State Of Emergency

More than 47,000 people have been arrested on suspicion of links to the Gulen movement in an unprecedented crackdown under a state of emergency that was imposed in the wake of the coup attempt.

The state of emergency has been renewed three times and is due to expire on July 19. But Erdogan said on May 21 it would remain in place until there is "peace and welfare," and asserted that it had not affected civil rights.

The trial started on the same day Amnesty International published a report accusing Turkey of implementing "arbitrary dismissals" of public sector workers in a series of purges since the failed coup.

In the report titled No End In Sight, the rights group criticized the dismissals, which it said were "carried out arbitrarily on the basis of vague and generalized grounds of 'connection to terrorist organizations.'"

More than 100,000 people from the public sector, including members of the judiciary and the military, have been fired since the attempted coup.

The Amnesty report says that more than 33,000 of those dismissed are teachers and other employees of the Education Ministry, while more than 24,000 are police officers and others from the Interior Ministry.

More than 8,000 are members of the military, at least 5,000 are academics, and some 4,000 are judges, prosecutors, and Justice Ministry officials, it says.

The rights group said that all those who lost their jobs were dismissed by decree under the state of emergency put into force several days after the failed plot.

Amnesty urged Ankara to put in place a "prompt and effective appeal mechanism for those already dismissed."

With reporting by AP and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-amnesty- criticizes-mass-dismissals/28501548.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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The Texas House passed a whittled down though still controversial bill Sunday night that would bar transgender students from using school bathrooms that best align with their gender identity.Refusing a more wide-ranging ban the Senate favored, the House voted 91-50 to tack the bathroom-related amendment onto a separate piece of legislation, Senate Bill 2078, which would require school districts to share details of their emergency disaster plans with the state.Rep. Chris Paddie, a Republican from Marshall, authored the amendment that he said would allow all students access to a single-stall bathroom or empty multi-stall facility, including those who are shy, have a colostomy bag or have other reasons they might want privacy. When Democrats pressed Paddie on how his amendment was relevant to a bill about school emergency preparations, such as for a gunman on campus or a tornado, Paddie said it concerned students' safety.The bill now goes before the House a third time for a procedural vote as early as Monday and will then return to the Senate, which will vote either to accept the House's changes or request a conference committee to iron out differences.The issue was part of a larger push by conservative Republican leaders in the Senate to restrict a person's bathroom access in public schools, government-owned buildings, and college campuses based on the sex listed on their birth certificate. The Senate approved legislation to that effect in March, but the House refused to take up Senate Bill 6, one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's flagship bills this session.Patrick, who threatened to force a special session over the issue, has contended it is a matter of privacy and safety for women, but transgender rights' advocates said a "bathroom bill" of any kind would target trans people for discrimination and harassment. It is already against state law to assault someone in a bathroom or elsewhere, and some cities, including Houston, have local ordinances that offer more protections in public bathrooms. The business community strongly opposed SB 6 as well, on the grounds that it would damage the Texas economy and cost jobs.On Sunday, few Republicans defended Paddie's measure before the vote, but several Democrats tore into the amendment as a throwback to the state's history of racial discrimination, particularly Jim Crow-era laws that mandated separate bathrooms for black and white Texans."This is shameful. We all know what we're doing, and everyone watching knows, too, no matter what code words are being used," said Rep. Joe Moody, a Democrat from El Paso who unsuccessfully tried to derail the bill by raising a procedural question about the amendment's germaneness to the underlying bill.Democratic Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston, the longest-serving African American and woman lawmaker in state history, held up a historic picture showing "white" and "colored" bathroom signs. She reminded her colleagues that former state Sen. Barbara Jordan, the civil rights icon and Houston native, had to use a separate bathroom at the Capitol when Jordan was a legislator."Bathrooms divided us then, and it divides us now," Thompson said. "We talk about how God created life. God created transgenders, too."House Speaker Joe Straus, who called the Senate bill "manufactured and unnecessary," said Sunday's scaled back measure was enough to address the issue this session and would help sidestep the need for a special session."I believe this amendment will allow us to avoid the severely negative impact of Senate Bill 6. Members of the House wanted to act on this issue and my philosophy as Speaker has never been to force my will on the body," Straus, a San Antonio Republican, said in a statement. "Gov. Abbott has said he would demand action on this in a special session, and the House decided to dispose of the issue in this way."After the vote, the Texas Association of School Boards came out in favor of the Paddie amendment."The House has approved a common-sense solution regarding the use of restrooms and other facilities in public schools," said Grover Campbell, TASB's associate executive director for governmental relations. "The language captures in law a solution many districts already use locally, seeking a balance between ensuring privacy and security for all students and respecting the dignity of all students."He added that many school districts already make separate bathroom facilities available to transgender students when necessary."School districts need the flexibility to determine the accommodations that work in each individual case, as student demographics and school facilities will play a large part in how a campus meets it student's needs," Campbell continued in the statement.However, LGBT advocates, some of whom watched the debate from the House gallery, said the amendment will further alienate transgender students from their peers."Transgender youth deserve the same dignity and respect as their peers, and this craven attempt to use children as a pawn for cheap political points is disturbing and unconscionable," said JoDee Winterhof, the Human Rights Campaign's senior vice president for policy and political affairs.The vote was a long time coming for some of the House's most socially conservative members, even as they said Paddie's proposal did not go far enough. For months, they tried to get broader legislation, similar to the Senate's version, on the House floor for a vote. Dozens of GOP members eventually coalesced around a bill by Rep. Ron Simmons of Carrollton that would have prohibited cities, counties and public school districts from enforcing non-discrimination ordinances when they involve multi-occupancy restrooms or locker rooms. It won praise from Abbott, who called it "thoughtful" in his first public comments on a bathroom-related proposal.However, Simmons's bill never won committee approval before a key House bill-approval deadline passed, effectively killing the lawmakers' efforts on that front. That forced Republicans to find a still-viable bill to attach the bathroom language to as an amendment. By the weekend, the chamber's GOP majority settled on adding Paddie's initiative to SB 2076.
It soon will be against the law in Colorado to lock people in jail when they are picked up on mental health holds.The legislation signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper on Thursday also increases funds for a network of crisis-response teams, walk-in mental health treatment centers and transportation to treatment from rural areas. The legislation, which takes effect Aug. 9, was passed in combination with a state human services department budget request to spend $9.5 million in marijuana tax funds, which will pay for two-person mobile crisis teams to intervene in mental health-related police calls, among other new services.Colorado had been one of only six states that allowed putting people who are suicidal or having mental health episodes behind bars. The law, Senate Bill 17-207, bans the use of jails to house people who are a danger to themselves or others but have not committed any crime.
Oregon budget writers plan to meet Tuesday with state health officials to discuss concerns that the state has kept thousands of people on Medicaid while their eligibility is in question.The state's failure to check that as many as 115,000 Medicaid recipients still have incomes low enough to qualify for the costly benefits they have been receiving was disclosed Wednesday, first by The Oregonian/OregonLive and then by the secretary of state's office.Lawmakers scheduled the meeting after Secretary of State Dennis Richardson on Wednesday called for Oregon Health Authority leaders to tell lawmakers the potential budget impact of the situation.Richardson issued his alert after The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that the state dispensed millions of dollars in Medicaid assistance to thousands of Oregonians without conducting routine annual eligibility checks, or "redeterminations." The state did conduct initial qualification checks. The newspaper also reported that auditors at the secretary of state's office recently launched an investigation into the situation, after learning about it while working on a separate audit.Oregon received several waivers from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to skip the redeterminations starting in 2013, as part of the triage of the failed launch of Cover Oregon and the workload from the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.The state cannot legally kick someone off Medicaid until it determines the person is ineligible. But the last waiver only extended to June 2016. Richardson and Oregon Audits Division director Kip Memmott pointed out that nearly a year later, the Oregon Health Authority still has not determined the eligibility of thousands of Medicaid enrollees. Health authority officials said on Tuesday that they are conducting their own eligibility analysis which they plan to complete by the end of the month."As of May 1, 2017 preliminary analysis by the (Oregon Health Authority) has identified approximately 86,000 individuals, representing about 8 percent of the state's entire Medicaid population, who have not undergone the federally required annual benefit eligibility determination process," Richardson and Memmott wrote in a one-page "auditor alert" issued Wednesday morning. "About 14,100 people have been sent renewal notifications but have not returned applications. The preliminary analysis did not clearly identify why the remaining 71,600 have not been redetermined."On average, an individual on Medicaid costs the state and federal government $430 a month. If 86,000 individuals are ineligible to receive that coverage, the total coverage cost could be approximately $37 million a month, according to Richardson and Memmott."(Oregon Health Authority) should work with the federal regulatory authorities to ensure federal Medicaid funding is not jeopardized while (the Health Authority) resolves these eligibility determination issues," Richardson and Memmott wrote.The Oregonian/OregonLive story and Richardson's auditor alert prompted both Democrats and Republicans to comment on the state's Medicaid program during a floor session on Wednesday.Rep. Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, said he was "frustrated and disappointed" with the news article because it seemed like "a politically motivated attempt to grab headlines and not necessarily an attempt to inform the public about this brand new concern that we've been having in this state.""This is something that the Oregon Health Authority has been proactively working with in a bipartisan effort to reduce this problem," Rayfield said. Health officials have kept lawmakers updated on the Medicaid eligibility problems, and "it appears the only person who has not been aware of this is our secretary of state."Rayfield noted that he and three other Democratic lawmakers from the Legislature's budget writing committees met with the secretary of state's office last week to provide information about Medicaid eligibility. Richardson said the lawmakers asked him to delay the release of the auditor alert -- initially planned for last week -- and he agreed."It was not an unreasonable request," Richardson said. "But I didn't realize at that point OHA's budget was being considered tomorrow." A public hearing on an Oregon Health Authority spending bill had been scheduled for Thursday, but it was cancelled.Republicans also chimed in during the House floor session on Wednesday, pointing out that news of the Medicaid eligibility issues came at a politically sensitive time. Rep. Julie Parrish, R-West Linn, said the Legislature should make sure the state has a grasp on the actual number of people eligible for Medicaid, before passing a package of health care taxes to fund a budget shortfall in the program."We're having conversations about how much money to raise in hospital provider taxes, in insurance taxes, in (coordinated care organization) taxes and all manner of taxes based on a (Medicaid population) number that may or may not be correct," Parrish said.
Texas GOP Chairman Tom Mechler announced his resignation Saturday, citing personal reasons. It's effective immediately, he said."Friends, this job is hard. The time commitment, financial commitment, stress and overwhelming responsibility takes its toll," Mechler said in his resignation letter. "After a lot of prayer and reflection, Ive decided that it is time for me to focus on my family."Mechler, an oil and gas consultant from Amarillo, also said he has experienced financial struggles over the past two years due to the downturn in oil prices. But it was the distance from his family  he estimated he has spent 80 percent of his time away from home  that ultimately led him to his decision, he wrote.Speculation began swirling Wednesday that Mechler was preparing to step down, and party officials had said he would respond to the rumors Saturday. A number of potential candidates to finish Mechler's term had already started gauging support from the State Republican Executive Committee, which will make the choice in early June.Mechler has served as chairman since 2015, when he took over after his predecessor, Steve Munisteri, went to work for the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. Mechler won re-election a year later, easily defeating challenger Jared Woodfill, the former chairman of the Harris County Republican Party.Mechler's tenure has been prominently defined by the 2016 presidential election, during which he worked to get Texas Republicans on board with the controversial GOP nominee, Donald Trump. It was not an easy task  the state's junior U.S. senator, Ted Cruz, had waged a long, bitter battle against Trump throughout the primaries.In his resignation letter, Mechler warned Texas Republicans against descending into warring factions, both after the presidential race and a still-unfolding legislative session. The party, he said, "needs to work harder than ever to come together.""A party that is fractured by anger and backbiting is a party that will not succeed," Mechler wrote.The SREC will pick Mechler's replacement at its next quarterly meeting, which is scheduled for June 2-3 in Austin. At least three potential candidates have surfaced: James Dickey, the chairman of the Travis County GOP; Rick Figueroa, a party activist from Brenham who is close to Mechler; and Mark Ramsey, an SREC member from Spring.Shortly after Mechler announced his resignation, Figueroa told The Texas Tribune he is very likely to run. Figueroa, who unsuccessfully ran for Republican National Committeeman last year, is believed to be Mechlers choice to take over.Ramsey, the chief of staff to state Rep. Valoree Swanson of Spring, told the Tribune he is considering a campaign for chairman but has not decided yet.Mechler did not endorse a successor in his resignation letter but encouraged the SREC to pick someone who will continue to work to grow the party."If we do not engage in the diverse communities across Texas, we will lose the state, then the nation, and there may be no coming back," Mechler wrote.With Mechler's announcement imminent, the Texas Democratic Party issued a statement bidding him farewell, questioning whether he was departing because the state's Republicans are "more divided than ever," among other things."It's a damn shame Tom Mechler may be leaving the Texas Republican Party," Gilberto Hinojosa, the Democrats' chairman, said. "Personally, I always enjoyed our exchanges because he made Democrats look so good."
On Friday, in the morning, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC received Mr Neil Laurie, Clerk of the Parliament, for the presentation of four bills for Assent.

In the afternoon, at the Brookfield Showground, Kenmore, the Governor attended the Brookfield Show.

In the evening, at St Thomas Church, Toowong, the Governor and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended a reception in support of the Church Restoration Appeal where His Excellency addressed guests.

Following, the Governor assumed duty as the Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Honourable Chief Justice Catherine Holmes assumed duty as Acting Governor of Queensland.

Following, at the Concert Hall, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey attended the Queensland Symphony Orchestras (QSO) Maestro Concert: QSO, Haydn and Sibelius.
On Saturday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC ceased duty as Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and resumed duty as Governor of Queensland, and the Honourable Chief Justice Catherine Holmes ceased duty as Acting Governor of Queensland.

In the evening, at Brisbane City Hall, the Governor and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the National Trust Gala Dinner where His Excellency addressed guests and presented a 2016 National Trust Queensland Heritage Award.
Description

GIS - 22 May, 2017: A Bee reserve zone and organic honey production, in view to boost the apicultural sector and promote sustainable agricultural development, were launched last week at Les Salines, Petite Riviere Noire. This initiative of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security aims to further encourage beekeepers to fully explore and expand this potential sector.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Mahen Seeruttun, highlighted that apiculture should become an important sector of the economy and contribute in job creation and economic growth. He underscored that this project is in line with Government`s commitment towards promoting sustainable agriculture and safe food production in the country.

The Minister recalled that in view of promoting apiculture in Mauritius, an Agreement was signed last year between his Ministry and the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology. In this context, he added, 17 000 melliferous plants have been planted in bee reserve zones in Bras dEau and Petite Riviere Noire. This measure, he added, will increase the productivity of honey and will also enhance the ecosystem.

Mr. Seeruttun also proceeded with the distribution of organic beehive and beekeeping kits to beekeepers. L ast year, some 185 beekeepers were trained in beekeeping and 210 beekeepers received kits comprising organic beehive, hat and veil, smoke and hive tool .

With regards to organic honey production, the Minister pointed out that it involves environmentally smart agricultural practices, which endorses food security and food safety. He underlined that planters and beekeepers should conform to norms and conditions when they are engaged in organic food and honey production. He encouraged them to use more organic techniques and equipment rather than chemical products in local food production.

In a bid to give a boost to beekeepers, Mr. Seeruttun stated that his Ministry is working for the benefits and interests of beekeepers both in Mauritius and Rodrigues and that necessary support will be given to their endeavours but they should also tap opportunities for export.
Description

GIS - 22 May, 2017: Air tickets, travel documents and participation fee were handed over to the Mauritian nominee of the Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting, Dr Ramisha Veeren, on 19 May 2017 at the MITD House, Phoenix in presence of the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun.

In her address, Minister Dookun-Luchoomun congratulated the nominee for her dedication and hard work that has culminated in this extraordinary opportunity and privilege of participating in this international platform. She u nderlined that this high level meeting will contribute to make Mauritius more visible in the field of academics as well as promote the country as an education hub of high quality.The Minister highlighted that such endeavours are pivotal to uplift the education sector of Mauritius and cited Dr Veeren as a vivid example that academics in Mauritius are indeed engaging in research.

The Education Minister urged Dr Veeren to be a role model by inspiring young Mauritian students to engage in scientific learning and research. Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun underscored that this empowering experience will enable the Mauritian representative to promote dissemination of knowledge and innovative ideas to advance the goals of research on the local landscape.

On her part, Dr Ravisha Veeren underlined that participating in this international platform is an opportunity to acquire more knowledge about the field of chemistry and to share what Mauritius has to give in the field of science. To be on that platform will provide evidence of the existence of Mauritius as a research country, she underscored.

Landau Nobel Laureates Meeting 2017

The annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, set up in 1951, aims at bringing together young scientists from all over the world to meet and interact with Nobel Laureates. This years meeting is scheduled from 25 to 30 June 2017 in Germany, on the theme of Chemistry.

The objective of the Meeting is to provide a platform for close interaction between the young researchers and Nobel Laureates and for the transfer of knowledge between scientists of different generations, cultures and disciplines. The scientific programme of each Lindau Meeting is based on the principle of dialogue. The different sessions including lectures, discussions, master classes and panel discussions are designed to activate the exchange of ideas and experience among the participants.

This years meeting will bring together some 400 international young scientists from 76 countries. The opportunity to join the annual gathering of Nobel Laureates at Lindau is provided exclusively to outstanding young scientists  undergraduates, PhD students, and post-doc researchers. In order to participate in the meeting, they have to pass a multi-step application and selection process.
Has or had authorized access to an organizations network, system or data

Has intentionally exceeded or intentionally used that access in a manner that negatively affected the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the organizations information or information systems

Careless or Uninformed Users Undertrained Staff Accident-Prone Employees Negligent Workers Mismanaged Third-Party Contractors Overwhelmed Personnel



Malicious Users Undertrained Staff Accident-Prone Employees Negligent Workers Mismanaged Third-Party Contractors Overwhelmed Personnel



Utilize the Information Security Team

Heed the Information Security Team

Hire Trusted Personnel

Cultivate a Culture of Trust

Effectively Communicate

Appreciate Personnel

Train Personnel to Defend the Organization

Principles of Least Privilege

Limit Access According to Duties

Segregate Administrative Duties Based on Roles

Address Cybersecurity in SLAs (service level agreements)

COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf software)

Data Encryption

Network Segmentation

Predictive Artificial Intelligence

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)

Identity and Access Management

Data Loss Protection (DLP)

User Activity Monitoring

Co-Chaired: DNI and U.S. Attorney General

Agencies with Classified Networks are Required to Establish Insider Threat Detection and Prevention Programs Aligned with NITTF

NITTF Provides Assessments, Training, Assistance, Education

Earlier this month, I was in Washington, D.C., presenting at ISC2s annual CyberSecureGov Conference , which has become a top-notch federal government cybersecurity event. As I was looking through the agenda after my session, one title grabbed my attention:The presentation, which highlighted new research from The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT), was groundbreaking in many respects. While the report highlights critical infrastructure sectors, the findings and solutions also apply to state and local governments, and other private-sector companies in numerous ways. ICIT is a leading cybersecurity think tank that bridges the gap between the legislative community, federal agencies and critical infrastructure leaders. They do this with a wide variety of legislative briefs, research reports, events and other materials that offer outstanding insights and action steps. Their extensive list of free legislative briefs and research reports can be found here The presenter on insider threats was a respected colleague who Ive known for several years  Mr. Parham Eftekhari , co-founder and senior fellow at ICIT, who has been working with technology and security leaders in the federal government for more than 15 years.Describing the insider threat challenges we faced, Mr. Eftekhari said this: Critical Infrastructure leaders and policy makers are just now beginning to understand the potential for catastrophic digital and cyber-kinetic incidents at the hands of insider threats. As the authors point out, mitigating malicious and non-malicious insiders must be a top priority not only for our government, but for all private-sector organizations. This publication is a powerful asset for any organization looking to build or improve an insider threat mitigation program.Starting with definitions, the presentation used a definition by US CERT, which states that an insider threat:Varieties of insider threats include:While none of these definitions is new or surprising, the real examples shown were much more eye-opening. For example, look at these real screen shots from the deep Web:The primary author of the insider threat paper is James Scott, co-founder and senior fellow at ICIT. The new brief is titled:  In 2017, the insider threat epidemic begins .On recommendations, Mr. Scott said, The best protection against insider threat is a basic level of layered security-by-design endpoint protection paired with a combination of solutions that secure data according to its value, according to the principle of least privilege, and according to role-based access controls, as well as other technical controls, and that monitor personnel and users using bleeding-edge artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and solutions that automate cyberhygiene and ensure verifiable accountability trails.The solutions offered in the report are vast as well as rather complex. They include these nontechnical controls, such as:Policies, procedures and guidelines:Technical Controls:Other resources include the National Insider Threat Task Force This is not the first time, nor will it be the last that this insider threat topic is brought up in the Lohrmann on Cybersecurity & Infrastructure blog. As a reminder, this topic was even hot back in 2010 when I wrote the blog:  Are you an insider threat?  forI also wrote my views on Edward Snowden , which havent changed much, touching on insider threat topics as well. Yes  some good has come from Snowden, but the ends do not justify the means, in my opinion.Other good reports and publications on addressing insider threats are available at:Regardless of your views on individuals such as Edward Snowden or interest in national defense issues surrounding insider threats, we all face similar insider threat challenges in our workplaces. The many reports and presentations offered for free by ICIT are an outstanding set of resources that I highly recommend your teams take time to review.I also want to give a shout-out to the ICIT Annual Forum ( www.icitforum.org ) June 7 in D.C.The insider threat issues within cybersecurity and physical security are increasing worldwide. Small, medium and large-sized organizations need to take immediate action to address this growing challenge. These materials can show you how.
(TNS) -- While Apple's introduction of the iPhone in 2007 and the explosion of the smartphone market have helped to sustain the computer chip industry for a decade, industry leaders gathered in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., this week believe autonomous cars will fuel chip manufacturing for the next decade and beyond."The industry is at a new inflection point," David Anderson, a top executive with SEMI, the chip industry's largest supplier trade association, said, referring to the development of self-driving cars and other Internet-of-Things inventions. "It really positions us well for some long-term growth."Anderson, who is president of SEMI Americas, was one of nearly 400 people attending SEMI's annual technical gathering, the Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference.Anderson said more people registered for the four-day event at the Saratoga Springs City Center  380  than ever before."We had a record year," Anderson said.Anderson said a lot of that has been driven by the participation of the auto industry in SEMI and the chip industry in general. The conference moved to Saratoga Springs several years ago because of the proximity to SUNY Polytechnic Institute and GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 chip factory.New cars today already have all sorts of new chips and computing power on-board, but the autonomous cars of the future will have on-board servers for data analysis and other heavy computing.Chips will be more in demand as cars become equipped to communicate with one another as well as with "smart cities" that will help guide traffic around congested areas, avoid potholes and accidents and provide updates on weather and other real-time events. New York state just recently began allowing the testing of autonomous vehicles on its roads for the first time.And the demand won't just be for processing chips but also memory chips, wireless radio chips, power converters and analog sensors. Boosting demand will be all the new infrastructure that will be needed to allow autonomous cars to operate, including new data centers and cloud computing, which will require more memory chips than ever before to save all the information gathered.GlobalFoundries is uniquely poised because it operates an older chip fab in Vermont that it acquired from IBM in 2015 that specializes in making sensors on 200 millimeter silicon wafers.Although the technology used to make analog sensors is not as sophisticated as the 300 millimeter process used for cutting edge chips, 200 millimeter fabs will be in high demand as the use of sensors in self-driving cars grows exponentially."We're seeing a resurgence in that," Anderson said of 200 millimeter manufacturing. "And we can't build enough new fabs to supply the memory (chips) required."
(TNS)  One of the biggest problems Petersburg, Va., has faced over the past several years has involved utility billing. Due to malfunctioning water meters and uneven billing practices, citizens have experienced repeated problems with their water bills.These problems cropped up again last week, when multiple residents reported more problems with their bills. Many of them were disputing bills that that had fluctuated abnormally. The city sent out a letter last week saying residents with one inch meters had been undercharged for the past year. Though Jack Berry, an assistant city manager, made a presentation to City Council last week showing how many of the meters were malfunctioning. On top of all of this, the city collection rate for water bills has been as low as 70 percent in recent years.The city is hoping that new computer systems they are slowly converting will provide the answer to these water meter and billing problems. In a meeting at city hall, Dileep Rajan, a data analytics specialist currently working for the city, talked at length about how the city is currently working on improving utility billing using technology."Nobody trusts their water bill today," said Rajan. "If we want to go from 70 percent [water billing collection rate] to 90 percent, we can't do it using spreadsheet after spreadsheet."The city is evaluating potential software that will better connect the meters to the billing system, providing accurate data on the exact bills. Currently most of the city data is housed in an outdated BAI Municipal software system. It houses city payroll, general ledger, treasury, and utilities. A larger project that the city is working on is converting all that data over to OpenGov, which is the new financial data reporting site the city launched last year. Though in the immediate future, the city is looking at two options in regard to the utility software: either taking utilities out of the BAI system entirely, or better connecting utilities to the BAI system using more efficient software."We're evaluating software that could connect the meters and the billing software in the BAI system, with real time accuracy," said Rajan. "We will have a decision on it in the upcoming months."When the city entered into a contract with Johnson Controls in 2015 to provide the new water meters, the Johnson Controls software did not match up with the city's current BAI system. The Robert Bobb Group has auditors looking at that contract, as Rajan notes that Johnson Controls was "never called on" the fact that the software didn't match up.With better software, city water customers will be able to trust their bill. Rajan and other officials envision a software that allows customers to see their water usage on their phone or computer."Right now, there is too much noise about whether the data is being captured effectively," said Rajan.The current billing software does not allow this data to be easily read or transmitted. The new billing software will communicate between utilities department and the BAI system much more effectively.New utility billing is just one of many ways the city is hoping to use technology to strengthen its internal financial systems. In addition to OpenGov, which launched last year, the city is working on implementing another arm of that program in CityWorks, which would allow citizens to see how capital projects are being funded. CityWorks will also provide valuable crime and fire data to law enforcement and emergency services.
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(TNS)  Facebook conversations about a proposed Lake Okeechobee reservoir appears to violate Florida's sunshine laws because it involved three members of a South Florida Water Management District advisory board, according to the First Amendment Foundation.Nyla Pipes of Port St. Lucie, Newton Earl Cook of Tequesta and Mikhael Elfenbein of Englewood  all members of the Water Resources Advisory Commission (WRAC)  talked to each other about the reservoir in posts, comments and replies on Pipes' Facebook page in April and May.Only a court can decide whether they broke the law, "but this definitely appears to be a violation," said Barbara Petersen, head of the First Amendment Foundation, a Tallahassee nonprofit dedicated to open government. "If they're talking back and forth about an issue, that's a meeting; and by law, it has to be announced beforehand and be open to the public."They can express their opinions on social media, she said, but "they just can't talk with each other on Facebook about commission business."State law forbids two or more members of an elected or appointed board from discussing matters that may come before them for action outside of a public meeting that has been announced in advance. The law includes advisory panels like the advisory commission; and according to a 2009 Florida Attorney General's opinion, it includes Facebook conversations.A knowing violation is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine up to $500. A noncriminal violation is punishable by a fine up to $500. Anyone convicted of breaking the law, or who pleads no contest, can be removed from office by the governor."Unfortunately, theres no enforcement mechanism under the sunshine law," Petersen said. A person would have to file a lawsuit or ask the local state attorney to investigate.On at least five occasions, the Water Resource Advisory Commission trio talked about the reservoir the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott funded in May through Senate Bill 10. The water district, advised by WRAC, will work with the feds to design, build and manage the reservoir to help curtail Lake Okeechobee discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.Here's one excerpt of the conversation, which Elfenbein posted as "Mike Elf":Cook wrote: "(T)his revised reservoir plan just passed will not help either the St. Lucie nor the Caloosahatchee during rain events, especially from February to August. ... (A)nyone claiming this project will have any major impact on the reduction of the discharges to the estuaries is either misinformed or lying."Pipes responded: "Newton Earl Cook. ... I agree with your assessment 110 percent. This Reservoir is only one piece of the pie, and does nothing by itself."Pipes wrote: The reservoir "might slow down funding for other projects," in the thread at 4:33 a.m. in a post two days later,Elfenbein responded: "Nyla Pipes not only the funding for other projects, but also the timeliness of their completion."He later added: "We all know hindsight is 20/20 but the timing of (Senate Bill 10) may result in extra discharges in future years as a result of not sticking with (the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project) and completing the projects based on the ids (Integrated Delivery Schedule)."Former Attorney General Bill McCollum opined in April 2009 that "members of a city board or commission must not engage on the citys Facebook page" or on any "privately maintained electronic bulletin board or blog ... in an exchange or discussion of matters that foreseeably will come before the board or commission for official action."The water district, which did not return TCPalm's calls and emails seeking comment, doesn't mention Facebook in the information it gives incoming advisory commission members. It only warns against discussing issues "in person, by phone or by email" outside official meetings. Pipes said the district didn't warn her about Facebook, and called it a "gray area," despite the Attorney General and First Amendment Foundation opinions.Pipes and Cook said they don't think the law applies to Facebook and Elfenbein, citing his busy schedule as head of the Foundation for Balanced Environmental Stewardship, declined to comment by deadline.Pipes, director of the nonprofit grassroots clean-water advocacy group One Florida Foundation, said she's "not going to quit advocating" and Cook, head of the nonprofit hunting advocacy group United Waterfowlers-Florida, said he's "not going to stop posting on the Internet."Pipes said her Facebook page "is an open site, so the public isn't kept from getting on it." Cook said, "I've never heard that I can't be on Facebook or the web, on an open forum. These aren't discussions in the corner of a back room, which is what Sunshine is meant to stop. But I guess no one's thought about Facebook and the sunshine law before."Petersen said the "open site" argument doesn't hold water."Yes, anyone can comment on a Facebook post, but how do you know the conversation is going to take place?" she asked. "And what if you don't have Facebook or even a computer? The public has a right to be present at meetings and to be heard."2017 the Treasure Coast Newspapers (Stuart, Fla.). Visit the Treasure Coast Newspapers (Stuart, Fla.) at www.tcpalm.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS)  Borough officials arent sure time spent on the clock should mean time spent on social media.Council is considering enacting a social media policy that would govern when and what borough employees  including temporary summer help, such as teenage lifeguards  can share on social media.If theyre on borough time, employees need to conduct themselves accordingly, Borough Manager Dan Madgar said. We just want to make sure everything is clean and above board.Madgar suggested the ordinance and reviewed it earlier this month with council. But several members had questions, he said, so the topic has been delayed for review. He said he expects council will vote on the ordinance in the coming months.The policy came at Madgars recommendation, said council President Mike Deelo.The idea behind a social media policy is to provide some guidance for people as to when and where its appropriate to engage in social media, Deelo said.Madgar said the main impetus is the hiring of a lot of summer interns and temporary employees. Social media policies are common in school districts and in private businesses. Some local communities  such as Sewickley  have policies that extend confidentiality, nondisclosure and workplace harassment policies to the internet.For instance, in 2014, Sewickley Council adopted a policy that required employees who posted personal opinions on Twitter, Facebook or blogs to state that their views do not reflect the views or opinions of the borough. That policy also focused heavily on how employees interacted with co-workers and residents on social media, Borough Manager Kevin Flannery said at the time.Madgar said there hasnt been an issue that was the impetus for the suggestion. But, for instance, a teen horseplaying at the pool could post a picture or commentary about something they see and cause an issue, he said.We can joke about something in person that someone else would take offense to online, Madgar said. We want to make sure that a young person doesnt put themselves in a position that could create an issue for them later or that would reflect negatively on the borough.
(TNS)  Dissemination of information and communication are among the top priorities for emergency responders in a disaster situation.An eye in the sky can also help.The Pueblo County Sheriffs Office took full advantage of the digital age of social media and drone technology last week as floodwaters threatened Beulah Valley after a quick-hitting rain and hailstorm.We used social media extensively during the floods to pass along safety messages, road closures and where we set up an evacuation reception center at the Beulah School, Gayle Perez, public information officer for the Pueblo County Sheriffs Office, said Friday.It provided situational awareness so they had an idea of where things were happening as it was happening.Mark Mears, the sheriffs Emergency Services bureau chief, said Pueblo County School District 70 allowed emergency responders to use a drone to get a better look at flooding.Mears said he needed someone to fly along North Creek to help assess the damage during the Beulah Flood.It was very effective for us. It was good to be able to get overviews from above the flooded areas. We got great pictures of culverts that were washed out, as well as damage from undercut roads, Mears said.Having that different view is important to show the damage and what really happened to the roads.This is the first time a drone has been used in this way by the sheriffs office.Mears said the sheriffs office is looking into a state homeland security grant to purchase a drone program of its own.We believe that this would be very effective in search and rescue applications, hazmat incidences and anything where you can get above an accident scene, Mears said.Perez said that on May 10, the first day of the flood, the offices Facebook posts reached 18,416 people. The total audience reached, including sharing, was 19,148 people.The office reached 25,860 people the next day through its direct post and an additional 742 through sharing.Facebook activity about the flooding tapered down May 13, with 12,607 people reached including shares. The sheriffs offices average reach in nonemergency situations is between 5,000 and 7,000.That shows us that folks are turning to social media during events like this, Perez said.The activity during the flood on the sheriffs offices Twitter account was similar.Perez said on the first night, one of the nine tweets sent that night reached 6,036 people.The sheriffs office posted 17 tweets the next day, with the highest reach being 20,000 people.Perez said 10 tweets on May 13 reached 3,200 people.The sheriffs office averages three to six tweets a day, reaching 500 to 1,000 people.The sheriffs office mainly used Facebook and Twitter during the flood, but also posted information on its website, puebloemergency.info.Social media allows for our messages to get out there more quickly to those affected by the emergency or crisis, and also for their friends and family near and far to be able to check on what is happening, Perez said.The sheriffs office also posted pictures and maps of the flooding to give people a closer look at the situation.Perez said the fact that social media is a source of information 24 hours a day seven days a week is critical in situations such as the flood.Other agencies can also pick up and share our information so that a larger audience can be informed, Perez said.Perez said the sheriffs office will also explore other forms of social media, such as Instagram and Snapchat.The sheriffs office used social media extensively during last years Junkins Fire and Beulah Hill Fire.Based on that experience, we gained a lot of followers who now turn to our social media pages during an emergency or crisis situation pretty regularly, Perez said.It was a natural for us to again use it for the flooding in Beulah.
Just to name a few:

Mary Caitrin Mahoney  July 6, 1997

Mary Caitrin Mahoney was a former White House intern up until 1995. She then became a night manager of a Starbucks and became friends with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, who frequented the cafe.

Mahoney she was killed at the coffee store during a shooting that was described as a robbery, though nothing was taken. Mahoneys co-workers, Emory Allen Evans and Aaron David Goodrich. A man named Carl Derek Havord Cooper was arrested and charged with their murders in March 1999. Cooper pleaded guilty and said he went to Starbucks to rob the store after it had closed. He said he ordered Mahoney, Evans and Goodrich to the back of the store, but he claimed Mahoney attempted to grab his gun. Cooper said thats when he shot her and the other two employees and then made his escape, fearing the gunfire would alert authorities. Goodrich made the confession after a 54-hour interrogation. He later recanted, but was found guilty.

Mahoney was shot five times, once in the back of the head, with the key to the safe in her hand. The safe, which held $10,000, wasnt touched. Despite the Starbucks location in a densely populated neighborhood, no one reported hearing gunfire, sparking speculation that the gunman used a silencer.

The murders took place during pre-trail media coverage of Paula Jones lawsuit against Bill Clinton for sexual harassment.

During his trial, the Washington Post reported Cooper told FBI agents, I swear on my fathers grave and my sons life that I didnt do Starbucks.

Gareth Williams  Aug. 16, 2010

Gareth Williams, a transatlantic MI6 spy  whose dead body was found naked, padlocked and stuffed in a 32-inch by 19-inch duffel bag that was sitting in his London bathtub  had illegally hacked secret data on Bill Clinton, according to the U.K. Sun. The news site noted, [H]is death is still one of Britains most mysterious unsolved cases.

Scotland Yard had announced the death as a suicide, saying he locked himself in the bag.

But his DNA wasnt found on the lock. There were no palm prints on the edge of his bathtub.



Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2016/08/clinton-death-list-33-most-intriguing-cases/#Vpodsp7CEJQ2lhRB.99

Charles Ruff  Nov. 20, 2000

Charles Ruff, 61, an influential lawyer in Washington, D.C., who defended Clinton during his Monica Lewinsky scandal and impeachment trial, reportedly died after an accident at his Washington home. One report said he was found unconscious outside his shower. Other reports indicated he had a heart attack.

Charles Wilbourne Miller  Nov. 17, 1999

Charles Wilbourne Miller was vice president and board member for Alltel, the company that created the White Houses Big Brother computer system.

As WND reported, an Arkansas medical examiner concluded suicide after Wilbourne Miller, 63, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in a shallow pit about 300 yards from his ranch house near Little Rock. Police found a .410 gauge shotgun near Millers body and a Ruger .357-caliber revolver submerged in water. Investigators concluded the Ruger was the weapon used by Miller to kill himself. Yet, two rounds in the handguns cylinder had been spent. How could a suicide victim use two weapons or even fire two shots to kill himself?
The first Veefil-RT has been installed in Jiangsu Province, a leading innovation economy in east China, close to the financial centre of Shanghai.

China is currently one of the most dynamic EV markets globally. The Government is keen to stimulate sales, with a range of subsidies and purchase advantages available. Plus, the country has developed a methodology that enables it to bring new automotive models to the market rapidly. We see China as an exciting market; our Veefil-RT charger is China-ready and we are actively seeking partners in the country.

Paul Sernia, Tritiums Commercial Director
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STAMFORD  Royal Bank of Scotland plans to lay off 15 employees in July, continuing cuts that have eliminated hundreds of positions in the past two years.

Reported by RBS last week to the state Department of Labor, the new reductions at RBS Americas headquarters at 600 Washington Blvd. affect positions in departments including IT, operations and legal.

The layoffs constitute the latest stage of a 2015 downsizing plan. Since the beginning of 2015, RBS has eliminated about 600 Stamford positions.

We anticipate additional terminations throughout 2017, RBS Americas human resources head Ronni Greenberg wrote in a May 18 letter to the Labor Department.

RBS officials declined to comment Monday on the layoffs. They have also declined to comment on the companys current number of employees in Stamford.

Despite the extent of the layoffs, RBS officials have said in earlier statements they plan to maintain the Stamford offices.

In line with the strategy to make RBS stronger, simpler and more sustainable, we are reducing the size of the bank to focus on our core customers, products and locations, RBS officials said in a statement last year. This includes our trading and sales hub in Stamford.

In an interview last month, Stamford Mayor David Martin said he did not think the layoffs suggested that RBS would soon leave the city.

I am hopeful that they will continue to keep a presence in Stamford, he said.

One of the United Kingdoms big four banks, the Edinburgh-headquartered RBS has faced major headwinds in recent years. Struck by billions in legal and conduct charges, it took a $8.7 billion loss in 2016. Its prospects have since improved with the reporting of an approximately $337 million profit in the first quarter of 2017  its first such gain since the third quarter of 2015.

Another European banking institution, UBS, has also downsized its Stamford operations. Throughout last year, it moved its employees from an approximately 700,000-square-foot complex across the street at 677 Washington Blvd. to offices that it leases within RBS building. About 900 UBS employees remain in Stamford.

The 677 Washington Blvd. complex that UBS formerly occupied now stands vacant. A Beverly Hills, Calif., investment firm bought the propertys mortgage last month for about $54 million. Lenders backing the loan took an approximately $100 million loss on the deal.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott
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BRIDGEPORT  St. Vincents Medical Center is undergoing another leadership change, its fourth in five years.

Vicki Briggs, the hospitals chief operating officer, has been appointed its president and chief executive officer, effective July 1. As the head of the hospital, she will also oversee operations at its affiliates, St. Vincents College, St. Vincents Special Needs and the St. Vincents Medical Center Foundation.

Briggs will replace Vincent Caponi, who announced his retirement effective June 30.

Caponi has been president and CEO of St. Vincents for less than a year, having been named to the position in July 2016 following the departure of Dr. Stuart Marcus. Marcus, in turn, had served as president of the hospital since 2012, but took over the umbrella organization in 2014 when Susan Davis stepped down.

St. Vincents is part of Ascension, the largest nonprofit and Catholic health system in the U.S.

I would like to thank the extraordinary group of medical professionals, staff, and Connecticut residents who made me feel at home during my tenure at St. Vincents and will no doubt continue to inspire me in my future endeavors, said Caponi. Vicki has been a vital partner by my side here, and her passion and commitment are unmatched. She is well equipped to lead St. Vincents into the future.

Briggs formerly served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at St. Vincents Health System in Birmingham, Ala., a member of Ascension. Over the course of her career, she has had responsibility for 22 hospitals.

Since my arrival to St. Vincents, I have been inspired by our associates and physicians commitment to our mission, our patients, and the community, Briggs said. St. Vincents has been a beacon of hope and care since 1905, and continuing that critical role is a responsibility that I take on with great humility and reverence.

ktorres@hearstmediact.com; 203-330-6227
Total pro move. Photo: Eddy Chen/Food Network

Tonight is the night: Chef Stephanie Izard will either take her place among the Iron Chef pantheon, or, alternatively, she will not. Since she was a little girl, chef Izard explains, she has dreamed of this moment. Can someone beat three Iron Chefs in a row? chef Izard wonders, expositorily. Im here to show that its possible.

But is it possible? Alton Brown and friends will be the judges of that. The chairman explains how tonights Gauntlet finale will go down: Upstart Izard will compete in a series of three separate battles against three different Iron Chefs, using three distinct special ingredients. If, by evenings end, her cumulative score from all three battles exceeds the combined score of the collective Iron Chefs, she will live forever in the village of the gods. If she does not, she will go home to Chicago and live there, I guess.

Heres the competition: Iron Chef Bobby Flay, the first American Iron Chef and hero of the alsoFood Network show, Beat Bobby Flay. Do you know the premise of that show? It is the same as this. He is joined by original Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, and Iron Chef Michael Symon, who seems delighted to be here, as he always is.

There is no time to dillydally: The first secret ingredient is  peppers! This is an ingredient I was not expecting! says chef Izard. Which Iron Chef she will be cooking peppers against, though, is entirely up to her, and because she is a chef of honor, she goes with southwestern star Bobby Flay. If Im going to go up against Iron Chefs, Ive got to beat them at their own game, she says. Bobby Flay smirks. After all, he has built his entire career on peppers and smirking.

Im going to use as many peppers as I possibly can, huffs chef Izard. Her plan is to make scallion pancakes, only with peppers, instead of scallions, and then use them as taco shells for Asian-style pepper-marinated beef tacos. Its a globalized world! Since the main thing shes learned so far is that to be Iron Chefworthy, you have to use the ingredient like a million times in one plate  true!  she is using all the peppers in all of the ways. This seems like a sound strategy.

King of the Peppers Bobby Flay, on the other hand, is hard at work on the most classic pepper dish there is, chiles relleno  which he is stuffing with eggplant, goat cheese, and jalapeno pesto and then giving a real simple fry. Anybody can just make a hot, spicy dish, but chiles have flavor, he muses. Chiles have feelings. They want all their personalities to be appreciated. Chiles: Theyre just like us.

Bobby Flay, making his 4,575th appearance on a competitive cooking show. Photo: Eddy Chen/Food Network

Frankly, I dont know what to think, but luckily, tonights judges seem to have a lot of opinions. Exceedingly French chef and restaurateur Ludo Lefebvre, for example, loves chef Izards beefy pepper taco, although he does worry that if he were eating it blind, he might not understand zee pepper concept. Veteran Iron Chef judge Anya Fernald mostly agrees. Next is Bobby Flays Veracruz-style chile relleno, which is also extremely delicious, and perfectly peppered. As Ludo muses, Frenchly, You use very well, zee pepper.

Who is the winner? That is a revelation for another time. For now: on to the second secret ingredient, which is  cheese! Chef Izard boldly picks Iron Chef Symon as her next competitor. With another 45 minutes on the clock, chef Izard settles on a plan for a simple blue-cheese ice cream, which is very on brand, assuming her brand is making very strange ice creams. This round, I want to pull back just a bit, she explains, and theres nothing more restrained than a classic blue-cheese ice cream. For his part, Iron Chef Michael Symon is going for a straightforward cheese-filled pasta with a brown-butter chicken-liver sauce. Hmmm, that sounds weird, says chef Izard, like she isnt the one grating Parmesan cheese into a simmering vat of chocolate.

Michael Symon: Just happy to be here. Photo: Eddy Chen/Food Network

Then everything goes wrong for everyone. Chef Izard goes to test her blue-cheese ice cream, and finds that it is a soupy, salty, partially frozen mess. I dont even know what to do! she mumbles, frantically moving her soup ice cream from one ice-cream maker to another. This might be the end of my Iron Chef gauntlet. Meanwhile, Iron Chef Symon is just affably bopping along, stuffing his tasty-looking tortellini with no problem, when he abruptly decides to scrap the whole thing and start over with new and better pasta dough. Eleven minutes to go!

Turns out, everything is totally fine. Chef Izard coats her perfect blue-cheese ice cream in chocolate parm sauce. Chef Symon finishes his perfect second round of pasta. All is well.

The only snag, says Ludo Lefebvre at judgment, is that the one cheese he doesnt like is blue cheese  pause  pause  unless it is in chef Izards bizarro ice cream, which is transcendent. I really like it; its genius! he raves. You have some ball, like we say in my country. After they figure out what he is talking about, everyone laughs uproariously.

Alas, it turns out that Iron Chef Symon has significantly less ball. No one thinks his tortellini with brown-butter liver sauce is very creative, even if it is good. Anya Fernald feels it does not exude an essence of cheese.

Time for the final battle. The opponent: Iron Chef Morimoto. The ingredient: tilefish. It is a nightmare. Morimoto is a fish champion. And tilefish is a fish. Im just going to make food that tastes good and hope that my flavors can get me through this, says chef Izard, breaking down the 25 sea beast for a creative interpretation of laksa, a spicy noodle soup. Only, instead of making regular noodle noodles, shell make experimental noodles out of extruded tilefish. She is also doing a tilefish dumpling, and assorted accoutrements, including grilled pineapple and spicy ceviche.

Here is what Iron Chef Morimoto makes: everything. Tilefish with uni and XO sauce steamed in bamboo leaves, and also steamed tilefish cheeks with black beans, and also a tilefish crudo with grilled bell peppers and fresh mozzarella, and also grilled tilefish soup, and then rice with tilefish bones and soy sauce, just for good measure. Classic underachiever. The problem is that there are a lot of components, any one of which could cause problems and ruin the whole thing. (To avoid this situation in my own life, I generally try to do almost nothing.)

Careful  careful  Photo: Eddy Chen/Food Network

Soon enough, it is time for final judgement. Chef Izard, youre up first. Again. Ludo Lefebvre loves the exotic flavor of her broth; and if fish noodles do not look that good, they are extremely delicious, taste-wise. Anya Fernald wonders if maybe there could have been fewer of them? Whatever, theyre great. Very tilefish-y.

Now it all depends on Iron Chef Morimotos multi-dish tilefish extravaganza, and the verdict is mixed: the steamed tilefish with the XO sauce wasnt tender enough, but the uni was good; the presentation on the black-bean fish cheeks was lovely, but the beans were too beany. The fish soup was perfect, so Japanese, so precious, but the crudo, while beautiful, wasnt fishy enough. This is going to be hard, sighs Ludo. Oh, Ludo. It always is.

The final tally: Iron Chef Bobby Flay won the first round, with 31/40 pepper points, compared to chef Izards 27. But chef Izard made a comeback in the second round, beating Iron Chef Michael Symon, with 32 cheese points to his 26. Shes ahead by two points, and theres still the Morimoto ruling to go. The chairman announces the news: In their head-to-head fish battle, Morimoto got 30 points, but chef Izard got 31, which means that, with a total of 90 points to the Iron Chefs collective 87, chef Izard is now officially an Iron Chef!

It all feels a little anticlimactic, honestly, after the six weeks of anticipation  but then, perhaps that is always how history feels, in the moment it is happening. Yes! Yes! Yes! cheers nowIron Chef Izard. Morimoto says shes going to be great. Bobby Flay says shell get a lot of work on reality television now, which is the greatest prize there is. Iron Chef Izard, she says, taking her place on the podium. I think I like the sound of that. And for once, in this cruel and unforgiving world, it seems that justice has been served.
The Montana Board of Investment is responsible for managing state and local government investments and public employee pensions that totaled $14.7 billion at the end of 2016.

The board needs astute members who understand investment markets, options and strategies  people who ask important questions and hold the boards professional staff accountable to the highest performance standards.

So its puzzling that Gov. Steve Bullock has vetoed a bill that merely required three of the nine voting board members to have at least five years experience in the investment field.

House Bill 533, sponsored by Rep. Virginia Court, D-Billings, required that three board members appointed after Dec. 31, 2018, have five years of professional investment experience.

The Gazette asked Court about the genesis of her bill. It was a 2014 recommendation from the legislative audit. In the 2015 session, Court introduced a bill calling for three of the nine board members to have at least 10 years of investment experience. The bill didnt get out of committee.

She reduced the requirement to five years in HB533, which passed final votes 75-24 in the House, and 32-16 in the Senate. Because two-thirds of each chamber voted for the bill, lawmakers now are being polled for a veto override.

Research on what peer states require of their investment board members showed that 10 years investment experience was common, Court told The Gazette.

We did not measure up to what other states were doing, Court said. She noted that the Montana BOI has, in times past, had three members with five years investment experience.

In his veto message, Bullock said HB533 would create an overconcentration in the financial industry that may present risks of micromanagement and conflicts.

Bullock wrote that he wanted the requirement to be two members with five years experience, instead of three members. The bill passed two weeks before the Legislature ended, but SB533 didnt reach the governors desk till May 1, because legislative leaders delayed signing it. Thus, Bullock was unable to issue an amendatory veto asking the Legislature to change the requirement from three to two.

Setting aside the question of why two investment professionals would be OK if three isnt, we find no good reasons in the veto message to explain why Montana shouldn't have three people who know the investment business well serving on this highly important public board.

SB533, Bullock wrote, further limits the pool of potential board members who meet the qualification requirements and may provide too much power in the hands of those from the investment sales, brokerage, banking or insurance industries.

Under Montana law, the board members must include representatives of the financial community, small business, agriculture, labor, an attorney and a member from each of the states two largest public pension boards. Some of those slots could be filled by Montanans who meet the representation criteria, along with having professional investment experience. Discussion at hearings on SB533 indicated that lawmakers believed there are plenty of candidates qualified to meet the five-years experience standard.

We call on lawmakers who voted for HB533 during the session, to support it again with a vote to override Bullocks veto. Historically, a governors veto is rarely overturned. Members of the governors party generally are loathe to block a veto.

If the veto override fails, Bullock still could and should recruit nominees who would fulfill the SB533 requirement. Having three investment professionals among the boards nine voting members simply makes sense.
He better start resting his voice now. Photo: Luke Sharett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Neil Gaiman, world-famous author of American Gods and a person who calls sushi a comfort food, has agreed to read all 8,000 pages of Cheesecake Factorys menu onstage for charity, bringing that classic work of American literature to life  Glamburgers, SkinnyLicious entrees, the Toasted Marshmallow Smores Galore cheesecake, and all. It wasnt Gaimans idea initially, but hes given his word to fellow writer and comedian Sara Benincasa, who asked him out of the blue, and seemingly halfway in jest, on Friday to do a dramatic reading.

Dear @neilhimself: for $500K to the charity of your choice would you read the Cheesecake Factory menu in its entirety onstage pls advise pic.twitter.com/0pptJKTaM0  Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) May 19, 2017

Because this is the War and Peace of chain-restaurant menus, Gaimans yes is contingent on people making good on that $500,000 contribution to a charity of his choice:

I have said Yes. If she makes it happen, for charity, I will do this thing. https://t.co/vkJWVDiYTJ  Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) May 20, 2017

Fans are already replying to the tweet to find out where they can donate money, and Benincasa says shes on it. Half a million dollars is, quite frankly, an insane amount  insane enough that Gaiman double-checked the fundraising rules:

Is this real American dollars, or Cheesecake Factory dollars?  Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) May 20, 2017

To go ahead and assume Cheesecake Factory contributions arent barred, if the company is even half as generous as it is with calories on the menu, this thing is definitely going to happen.
The towering breakfast sandwich at Sunday in Brooklyn. Photo: Bobby Doherty

In thousands of years, historians may regard modern brunch as the terminal stage of a soft civilization in decline. Now, however, there is no more important social meal, which is less about sustenance and more about making a declaration of leisure. Within brunch, of course, are many subgenres: the boozy brunch, the lox brunch, the really boozy brunch, bottomless brunch, singles brunch, Scandinavian brunch, solo brunch, guys brunch, girls brunch, all-day brunch. In the end, the ideal brunch is one that balances culinary ambition with comforting pleasure, technical dexterity with a spirit of leisure, waits that are relatively reasonable, booze that isnt boring, and eggs in astonishing array. These are the New York City spots that do it better than anyone else.



The Absolute Best 1. Sunday in Brooklyn

348 Wythe Ave., nr. S. 2nd St., Williamsburg; 347-222-6722 Naming a brunch spot Sunday in Brooklyn is like naming an album Greatest Hits. Its ballsy and maybe even a little too on the nose. Thankfully, the brunch pleasure dome on Wythe Avenue delivers. Spanning three stories and serving 400 people on Sundays, chef Jamie Young slings cleverly fantastic brunch classics that you cant make at home. The sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich is a wonder of both architecture and gastronomy. Its the sausage, which is made from hog shoulder that is broken down in-house and scattered across the menu, that makes it superlative. Laced with sage (fresh and dried) and maple syrup, the meat is on just the right side of sweetness. But there are other treasures here, too. Malted pancakes, too often brunchs great sham, are here worth the $16, if only for the hazelnut-studded maple praline syrup that tops them. Nearly everything on the menu has a touch of ambition: hot-sauce hollandaise in the steak and eggs, pastrami-spiced black cod with rye sour cream, sambal in the Bloody Mary. All of it is good. You will wait, but that wait will be rewarded.

2. Upland

345 Park Ave. S., at E. 26th St.; 212-686-1006

Chef Justin Smillie has turned Upland into an embassy of opulent-yet-chill California. Though the Roman and Williamsdesigned space sparkles at night, it exists in a perpetual golden state during the day. Smillie isnt a flashy chef and his menu might make you think you could cook this stuff at home. Maybe you could, but it wouldnt be nearly so perfect: Could you shave some bitter chocolate onto glistening grapefruit and orange slices, shimmering with olive oil? Probs. Would you? Nah. Would the eggs you poach be as perfectly yielding, quivering under a layer of Meyer-lemon hollandaise? No. Smillies omelettes, fortified with Bulgarian feta and spinach, are good-natured. He places smoked salmon on a pizza with tangy soft Cloumage cheese, caper berries, and sunflower seeds, and it all seems effortless. Meanwhile, one is surrounded with New Yorkers intensely and intently cultivating weekend-chill vibes while the staff, professional as ever, conduct themselves with the firm friendliness of airline stewards.

3. Prune

54 E. 1st St., nr. First Ave.; 212-677-6221

Prune is famously crowded, and has fewer than two dozen tables. Its made bearable, though, by the staff, which can cross over from being professional into next-level hospitable (after being married at City Hall, my wife and I showed up with a small party of nine, unannounced; the GM pushed together a few tables, a manager actually ran to get us a cake at a nearby bakery, and we were eating the restaurants fluffy Dutch pancake with blueberries an hour after we arrived). The Bloody Mary list is famously exhaustive. There is Champagne. Opened in 1999, Prune is still a plum spot for that pancake, plates of smoked fish, slab-like Monte Cristo sandwiches and enough eggs (scrambled, coddled, rancherod) to last a lifetime.

4. Two Hands Restaurant & Bar

251 Church St., nr. Leonard St.; no phone

In 2014, Australian cafes invaded New York City. No blood was shed nor coffee spilled. Indeed, New Yorkers became, on the whole, perkier, friendlier, and even more caffeinated. Brunch also got better. No place better balances a laid-back vibe, airy disposition, Instagram friendliness, and serious cooking as Two Hands Restaurant & Bar, the Tribeca restaurant that is the larger, younger sibling to a Nolita cafe. The feel-good brunch is largely about virtue: a breakfast bowl with acai, granola, and blueberries; a bowl of Brassicas including charred broccolini, kale, and brussels sprouts, a top-heavy avo toast on sourdough with pickled shallots. Bright-green juices in Mason jars add to the air of healthfulness. But hot damn, the scrambled eggs with a tiara of watercress leaves on a slice of bread is just plain good. And the burger is, too. The ricotta pancakes, meanwhile, are topped with dollops of cashew ricotta and blackberries.

5. Paowalla

195 Spring St., at Sullivan St.; 212-235-1098

One reason the brunch canon remains so steadfastly conservative is one does not associate adventurous eating with leisure. But for those souls who awake with a taste for the unfamiliar, Floyd Cardozs Paowalla extrudes brunch through the Indian (specifically Goan) pantry in ways that are as enlightening and as unexpected as they are satisfying. So it is with bacon naan and bacon-cheddar kulcha. There are also traditional Indian breakfast items that are all-too-rare here, like the egg-and-cheese toast known as Egg Kejirwal. Cardozs own genius results in the dosa waffle  looks like a waffle, tastes like a dosa!  with sweet jaggery syrup.

Honorable Mentions

The spread at Barney Greengrass. Photo: Bobby Doherty

Barney Greengrass

541 Amsterdam Ave., nr. 86th St.; 212-724-4707

This venerable establishment doesnt serve a Bloody Mary, and on weekend mornings it can feel like youre marooned inside a tiny, desperately crowded train terminal. But the location (the brunch-mad Upper West Side), the selection of iconic breakfast-nosh classics (the bursting bagel bins, the shimmering slabs of lox, the legions of omelettes and egg scrambles), and the timeless gestalt (we once enjoyed our sturgeon-and-lox scramble sitting next to a stone-faced Philip Roth) make everything worthwhile.  Adam Platt

Cosme

35 E. 21st St., nr. Broadway; 212-913-9659

Go for the wet, purist bowl of huevos rancheros, the buttery, crumbly fried johnnycakes, and Enrique Olveras superb lamb barbacoa tacos, which we like to wash down with the intoxicating house Bloody Marias, made with tequila, instead of the usual cheap vodka, and real muddled tomatoes.  A.P.

Dimes

49 Canal St., nr. Orchard St.; 212-925-1300

This little taste of L.A. down on eastern Canal Street is perpetually jammed during the brunch-time hours, but the purist West Coast breakfast specialties  the power bowls, the egg tacos, the excellent scrambled-egg-and-avocado sandwich  are worth the wait.  A.P.

Estela

47 E. Houston St., nr. Mulberry St.; 212-219-7693

In our humble opinion, Ignacio Mattoss buzzy Nolita bar and restaurant is a much more peaceful, pleasant place to dine on weekend mornings than during the raucous evening hours. Even more important, the spare, carefully edited breakfast menu is a thing of beauty.  A.P.

Estelas breakfast sandwich is a classic. Photo: Melissa Hom

Joe Jr. Restaurant

167 Third Ave., at 16th St.; 212-473-5150

You cant guzzle Bloody Marys at this classic dining counter, but the wizard cooks will whip up a serviceable eggs Benedict in about five seconds, if you ask politely. No less an authority than Wylie Dufresne himself told us once that he likes to visit on weekend mornings, to listen to the vanishing short-order patois of the staff, and enjoy what he considers to be the finest glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice in New York.  A.P.

Okonomi

150 Ainslie St., nr. Lorimer St., Williamsburg; no phone

This is not your traditional Brooklyn brunch. Theres no hollandaise, the main attraction is a Japanese omelette called tamagoyaki, and theres no bacon in sight. The Williamsburg restaurants set multicourse meal includes roasted local seafood like bluefish, a duo of mild pickles, and the tamagoyaki, a soothing miso soup, and austere brown rice.  Chris Crowley

Reynard

80 Wythe Avenue, at N. 11th St., Williamsburg; 718-460-8004

In the early afternoon, theres no more agreeable place in Brooklyn than Andrew Tarlows dressed-down restaurant in the Wythe Hotel. The charm of the handsome room is obvious, and the food is brunchy in the right way, tweaked just enough to be interesting, and changing all the time. It doesnt hurt that the coffee is so good, or that the brunch cocktails go well beyond the basics.  C.C.

Russ & Daughters Cafe

127 Orchard St., nr. Delancey St.; 212-475-4880

The faux-deli setup is a little twee by downtown fresser standards, its true. But if you dont feel like gobbling your Russ & Daughters bounty (the lox, the sable, the endless delicious varieties of herring) outside on the sidewalk, or in the comfort of your own home, you could do an awful lot worse.  A.P.

Shopsins

Essex Street Market, 120 Essex St., nr. Rivington St.; no phone

Kenny Shopsin and his eclectic, voluble crew are avowed brunch haters, its true. But theres no more sprawling, creative, generally delicious short-order breakfast menu in the city (or possibly the world), and as long as the great man keeps this Essex Market operation open on weekday mornings, he makes the list.  A.P.

Toms Restaurant

782 Washington Ave., at Sterling Pl., Prospect Heights; 718-636-9738

The home-style diner Toms is, really, much better than it has to be. The endearing and long-tenured Prospect Heights institution draws long lines of eager customers no matter what, and could easily coast on its reputation. Instead, the egg creams are solid, the beef sausage is crisp and juicy, and the lemon-ricotta pancakes are even fluffier than you might hope. The coffee is diner-style, and infinite, and the service is friendly, efficient, and fast but never frantic.  C.C.

Vinegar Hill House

72 Hudson Ave., nr. Water St., Vinegar Hill; 718-522-1018

This seasonally focused secluded restaurant on a quiet street near Dumbo hits all of the farm-to-table must-haves  buttery grits, an egg sandwich, Bentons bacon  and offers an uncommonly secluded space in which to work off your hangover.  C.C.

This post has been updated throughout.
Once exclusive to a particular carrier in Samsung's home of South Korea, the Gear S3 classic LTE is now very close to officially launching in the US. The company has already revealed that this model of its latest smartwatch is headed to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. And now the first of those carriers has outed its release details.

AT&T will start selling the Gear S3 classic LTE this Friday, on May 26. You'll be able to purchase one for $249.99 if you sign a new two-year contract with the carrier. Alternatively, the watch can be yours for $17.50 per month if you opt for a 20-month installment plan. That adds up to $349.99.

If you also buy a Galaxy S8 or S8+ from AT&T, the Gear S3 classic (or the S3 frontier, for that matter) can be yours for just $49.99. This offer is only valid until June 30, though.

Source
These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales.
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MINTO, N.D.  Josh Hefta has 162 stops on his rural mail route in Walsh County.

"I've gotten to know a lot of people," he said.

One of those people is 94-year-old Alice Paschke, who lived alone on a gravel road.

Alice was just a nice lady, and she was out there by herself, Hefta said.

Last fall, Hefta started bringing Paschkes mail up to her house every day. She was getting slower. On a cold day in January, he knocked on her door and didnt hear anything. He knocked again.

I thought I could hear a faint somebody in the house," Hefta said.

Paschke had fallen 20 hours earlier and couldnt get up or reach the phone. She knew her one chance would be when the mailman would come to her door at about 12:45 p.m.

I said, Come in. I said, I need help, she recalled on Thursday. He saved my life. And that's a true story.

When he heard Paschkes cries for help, Hefta wasnt sure what to do. He wasnt sure if could break a door down. But thats what he did.

I hit it pretty good twice, and it popped up. Adrenaline I guess, he said.

Chet Paschke, Alices son, said Hefta even apologized for the damage to the door.

I told (Chet) that should be the last of your worries, Hefta said.

Asked what it was like when Hefta walked in to rescue her, Paschke said, I thought I was in heaven already.

Hefta was recognized for the lifesaving feat Thursday with the Postmaster General Award, the highest award a mail carrier can receive. He was bestowed the award in a ceremony at the post office in Minto, a town of about 600 people 30 miles north of Grand Forks. His name will also be added to the Heroes Wall at the Postal Service headquarters in Washington.

I'm quite honored, actually. I've never had anything like this happen to me. Pretty big honor, he said, noting that it was part of his training as a mail carrier to check on vulnerable people.

Paschke also made it to the post office Thursday, marking the first time she and Hefta have been reunited since that January day.

Just a good mailman, and I can't forget him, Paschke said. For the rest of my life, for as long as my memory works, I'm going to remember.

Now Paschke lives in a nursing home in Grafton, along someone else's mail route. So Hefta no longer gets a Rice Krispies treat and a can of Coke as a midday snack.

Now I got to pack my own drinks, Hefta said with a laugh.




Haiti - Technology : New software for revenue management at DGI





New Zealand technology business DataTorque has delivered its revenue management system (RMS) to help the Haitian government improve its collection of tax revenues.



"With 77% of Haitians living below the poverty line, DataTorques RMS is key to a range of initiatives that can help to make a significant difference to the countrys development potential," says Bill Chatwin, Managing Director at DataTorque.



The tax revenue project which began in February last year is part of the Haitian Governments fiscal reforms aimed at increasing the nations self-sufficiency.



"By making more tax revenue available to the Government, DataTorques RMS enables it to invest more in its citizens and infrastructure like schools and hospitals," says Mr Chatwin. "The new system increases compliance, transparency and revenue by simplifying and streamlining the collection of domestic taxes."



"While we have worked with governments in the Caribbean before, Haiti is our first Francophone project so we have partnered with C2D Services from Montreal to deliver the programme together," says Mr Chatwin.



Working in a French-speaking country has resulted in the build of a new translation engine for DataTorques software, which can now also be used elsewhere around the world [...]



DataTorque staff have enjoyed working directly with the Haitian Direction Generale des Impots and C2D on the ground in Haiti. We have also provided support to the Haiti based team from our headquarters in Wellington, New Zealand," says Mr Chatwin.



DataTorque and C2D Services have a six-year contract with the Government of Canada to install the Revenue Management System for Haitis tax authority, the Direction Generale des Impots. Global Affairs Canada provides funding for this programme and the Canada Revenue Agency provides advisory support.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politics : MHAVE on tour in Miami





Saturday, on the sidelines of the 214th anniversary of the creation of our national flag, Stephanie Auguste, Minister of Haitians Alive Abroad (MHAVE), accompanied by Limond Toussaint, the Minister of Culture met with two political personalities of Haitian origin: Senator of Florida, Daphne Campbell and Commissionner of Miami Dade, Jean Monestime.



This meeting enabled Minister Auguste to address several issues of importance with her interlocutors such as the extension of the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) program, which concerns nearly 60,000 Haitians living and working in the United States and on which the Trump administration is expected to vote on Tuesday, May 23, except if changes to maintain or not this program.



Note that the day before, the two ministers also met Marlene Bastien, one of the activists struggling for a better living conditions of the Haitians of the diaspora.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21004-icihaiti-flash-wyclef-jean-calls-on-fans-to-put-pressure-on-trump-administration.html



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politics : Towards cooperation between Paris and Port-au-Prince ?





During his recent visit to France, at the official invitation of the Mayor of La Rochelle, Jean-Francois Fountaine, as part of the celebration of the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20917-haiti-politics-mayor-chevry-celebrates-the-abolition-of-slavery-in-la-rochelle.html Ralph Youri Chevry, the Mayor of Port-au-Prince has signed with his counterpart a letter of intent providing for the revitalization of the existing cooperation between the two town hall for over 10 years and targeting areas such as : education, research and vocational training.



Concluding his tour in Paris, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20946-haiti-sports-mayor-of-paris-asks-for-the-support-of-the-mayor-of-pap.html Mayor Chevry took the opportunity to initiate preliminary discussions on a possible cooperation agreement between Port-au-Prince and Paris. The two sides agreed to deepen these discussions in Montreal at the next General Assembly of the International Association of Francophone Mayors, which will be held from 19 to 22 June in the capital of Quebec.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - DR : More than 5 billion pesos for the delivery of women from Haiti





More than five billion pesos (more than US $100 million) are spent each year by the Dominican Government for Haitian women who come to deliver in the Dominican Republic, revealed Dr. Nelson Rodriguez Monegros, Director of Health (SNS).



While acknowledging that health is a universal right, that people requesting a service must be assisted, expresses concern about the way pregnant women come from Haiti to give birth free of charge in inican Health Centers, through networks mafia networks composed of Dominicans and Haitians who trade their service...



He explains that it is not uncommon for pregnant women from Haiti come together as a group on the same day. "The fact that 10 Haitian women with a full-term pregnancy appear at the same time at a health center is not a coincidence but involves an organized structure that provides support to these women," adding that often the Center does not have sufficient capacity of reception which obliges to transport these women to other Centers...



Rodriguez Monegro reveals that between 80 and 90% of births in hospitals and in health centers of the border area are of Haitian origin, noting that most mothers after childbirth, remain illegally on the Dominican territory.



Dr. Monegro appealed to the armed forces and the Directorate General of Immigration to strengthen controls and regulations "because when a foreign helpless comes into our hospitals, we have no other choice than to provide services on humanitarian grounds, but the costs are no longer bearable."



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





84% of Haitian academics work abroad

Fritz Deshommes, Rector of the State University of Haiti (UEH), urged the authorities to put an end to the marginalization of Haitian academics, as it relates to major decisions affecting the future of the nation, pointing out that 84% of academics trained in Haiti, work abroad...



The Dominican Chancellery investigates

The Dominican Chancellery is investigating the reasons why Haiti once again prohibits the entry into its territory of products from the Dominican Republic. Hugo Beras, the Ministry's Communications Director, said he had no received notification from their Haitian counterparts for the measure, which affected for a few hours the bilateral trade between the two countries last Friday https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20991-haiti-economy-chaos-and-confusion-on-the-dajabon-border-market.html



Petit-Goave : new Police Commissioner

The commune of Petit-Goave has a new police commissioner Patrick Altime. He replaces Commissioner Serge Barreau who is transferred to Cite Soleil.



DR : Consular Assistance to 2 haitians

Last week, Minister Counselor Jacques Pierre Matilus, Consul Carl Edouard St-Remy, Vice Consul Jhonson Beauplan and Civic Officer Carlos Rodrigue once again visited the Samana Courthouse to attend the 7th hearing of compatriots Andios Simon and Reginald Marux, accused, since September 2016 of the assassination of the Italian citizen Toneatto.The representatives of the Consulate took the opportunity to address the Haitian population present, reminding them of their rights and duties in the host territory.



Towards gender equality

This Monday at the Hotel Montana, a series of meetings will be launched on the main orientations of the government on gender equality. These meetings are organized with the support of the Canadian Embassy, and focus on State institutions and civil society organizations.



Bad Weather : End of evaluation tour

Following the recent bad weather https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20994-haiti-security-bad-weather-rescue-operations-are-active-in-the-field.html Max Rudolph Saint-Albin Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities, at an evaluation tour, met at the Nippes Departmental Emergency Operation Center (COUD), the main local/public and private operators. After Miragoane, Charlier, St Marc and Dupuy, the Minister was welcomed at Anse-a-Veau, to see the damage of recent torrential rains.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : TPS extension for 6 months (official)





John F. Kelly, the Secretary of Homeland Security today announced his decision to extendfor an additional six months, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haiti. This extension is effective July 23, 2017 through January 22, 2018.



"After careful review of the current conditions in Haiti and conversations with the Haitian government, I have decided to extend the designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status for a limited period of six-months, said Secretary Kelly. Haiti has made progress across several fronts since the devastating earthquake in 2010, and Im proud of the role the United States has played during this time in helping our Haitian friends. The Haitian economy continues to recover and grow, and 96 percent of people displaced by the earthquake and living in internally displaced person camps have left those camps. Even more encouraging is that over 98 percent of these camps have closed.



Also indicative of Haitis success in recovering from the earthquake seven years ago is the Haitian governments stated plans to rebuild the Haitian Presidents residence at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, and the withdrawal of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti."



Secretary Kelly was particularly encouraged by representations made to him directly by the Haitian government regarding their desire to welcome the safe repatriation of Haitian TPS recipients in the near future. "This six-month extension should allow Haitian TPS recipients living in the United States time to attain travel documents and make other necessary arrangements for their ultimate departure from the United States, and should also provide the Haitian government with the time it needs to prepare for the future repatriation of all current TPS recipients. We plan to continue to work closely with the Haitian government, including assisting the government in proactively providing travel documents for its citizens."



Prior to the expiration of this limited six-month period, Secretary Kelly will re-evaluate the designation for Haiti and decide anew whether extension, re-designation, or termination is warranted. The Department of Homeland Security urges Haitian TPS recipients who do not have another immigration status to use the time before Jan. 22, 2018 to prepare for and arrange their departure from the United Statesincluding proactively seeking travel documentationor to apply for other immigration benefits for which they may be eligible.



"I believe there are indications that Haiti  if its recovery from the 2010 earthquake continues at pace - may not warrant further TPS extension past January 2018. TPS as enacted in law is inherently temporary in nature, and beneficiaries should plan accordingly that this status may finally end after the extension announced today."



Further details about this extension of TPS for Haiti, including the application requirements and procedures, will appear in a Federal Register notice later this week.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















New head for Castel UK

astel Frres has appointed Anne Burchett, the former UK head of Loire giant Vinival, to the new role of managing director for Castel UK.

We are delighted to welcome Anne Burchett to Castel,' said Alain Castel, head of the wine division for the Castel group. She has almost 20 years' experience in the wine trade, and brings with her excellent marketing and brand-building expertise coupled with a solid understanding of the UK wine market. The UK has always been a major target market for the Castel group, and while it is a highly competitive market, Anne has the knowledge and experience to enable us to achieve our strategic objectives in the UK.'
Camel Valley makes history with first growth PDO

By Lisa Riley

The European Union has elevated Camel Valleys Darnibole vineyards to the highest level of Protected Designated Origin (PDO), making it the first and currently only UK single vineyard to be awarded this accolade.

The elevated level of PDO followed five years of scrutiny by the 28 EU Member States after Darnibole was first awarded National Protection by the UK government in 2012.

The EU had agreed unanimously on the award at a meeting held on 25th April 2017, said the Cornwall producer, adding the Member States had been so impressed by the application that the area had been extended during the process from seven to 28 acres of south facing land in the Camel Valley  all part of the winerys vineyards.

Camel Valley said it had received great support in its quest for PDO for Darnibole from a number of sources ranging from DEFRA, MPs, MEPs and MWs.

Anthea McIntyre, MEP, said she was delighted to have offered her support to Camel Valley.

It is a very fine wine and deserves to stand on a par with many of the biggest names in the trade, she added.

Criteria involved for Darnibole achieve the highest level of PDO includes 100% Bacchus from Darnibole, no acidification or de-acidification, no sweetening, higher natural alcohol and hand picking (for harvesting). In addition, the wine must be made at the adjoining Camel Valley winery and must be compared with previous vintages to ensure typicity.

Most previous vintages of Darnibole Bacchus have won a gold medal and critical acclaim, so there is something that we consider to be special about that small area - it produces intense, steely Bacchus with a delicate restrained aroma, said Camel Valley winemaker Sam Lindo.

The other current PDO delimitations in the UK are England and Wales, but an application for PDO Sussex is pending with the EU.
Prosecco DOC Consorzio UK office to build on record exports

By Andrew Catchpole

Following record exports to the UK in 2016, the Prosecco DOC is looking to consolidate its growth in the UK, announcing the appointment of a dedicated press office, as part of a global rollout that has already seen similar support in China, USA and Germany.

Speaking at the London Wine Fair, president of the Consorzio Stefano Zanette told Harpers that he believed quality Prosecco would continue to grow across key markets, led by the UK, which has returned an average of 30 to 40% growth over the past few years.

Zanette also identified France as the market with strongest growth, up 70%, albeit from a much lower base, saying Prosecco sales were beginning to eat into those of its home-grown Champagne.

We dont know if the UK market will continue to grow as fast as it has done for the past few years, partially because of the uncertainty of Brexit, but we believe it will continue to remain as the most important market for Prosecco for the foreseeable future, said Zanette.

The UK currently accounts for 33% of Prosecco exports, at 410 million bottles, with 20% going to the US and 14% to Germany, with foreign exports delivering 75% of total Prosecco sales.

Addressing the question of potential price rises for DOC Prosecco, which cut permitted yields when its Doc status was granted in 2009, Zanette outlined the rise in production, which has been remarkable.

Production of DOC wines has risen from 1.5 million hl in 2011 to 3.5 million in 2016, with the Consorzio able to meet future fluctuations by further increasing the area under vine.

In the UK, the new press and marketing initiative will be fronted by Carl Steer of Switched On agency, based in Brighton, and will act to target the on- and off-trade with a series of events and tastings, while also providing feedback on the UK market to the Consorzio on trends in the UK.

We are looking to increase both the volume and value of Prosecco in the UK, but it is also important to protect the reputation of quality Prosecco, said Zanette.
LWF Day One: The big Brexit debate

By Jo Gilbert

Breaking down the cloud of uncertainty brought about by Brexit into manageable bite-sized pieces was the objective of panelists at this afternoons London Wine Fair industry briefing.

A panel of industry experts from political, economic, legal and business backgrounds framed the general Brexit debate hanging over the industry by looking at what can and cant be predicted, and also by prioritising some of the concerns.

One of the issues widely predicted to cause mass headaches following the referendum has been the effect of trade tariffs on producers exporting to the UK.

But from an economics point of view, Dr Swati Dhingra from the London School of Economics argued that non-tariff barriers such as foreign investment will have the far bigger impact on GDP.

If we leave the single market and the EU, the impact on tariffs would be between 1% and 3% - probably around 1.5%. But non-tariff barriers, such as a lack of foreign investment, have the much bigger potential to contribute to a reduction of GDP.

If foreign investment starts to dry up because companies no longer want to use the UK as big export platform, thats where the big effects come from.

However, it is more difficult to predict exactly what impact might be. It could be anywhere between 2% and 8% or perhaps more. It depends on how you interpret numbers.

The effect of such economic uncertainty on the UKs Spanish partners was highlighted by research carried out by co-panellist Dr Abel D. Alonso, from Liverpool Business School.

Dr Alonso gathered 215 responses from producers at a major wine fair recently in Spain, where the vast majority of respondents had some sort of export relationship with the UK.

86% of respondents highlighted uncertainty [as a Brexit-related concern], said Alonso. 49.2% said Brexit would have a negative impact on the Spanish wine industry, while 25.4% said there would be no major changes, and 25.4% said I dont know.

Some of the negative impacts on the Spanish wine industry included price increases due to higher import taxes, Spanish wine brands no longer being exported to the UK (as producers look for opportunities elsewhere) and an increased emphasis on non-EU wines.

WSTA chief exec Miles Beale concurred that non-tariff issues have the higher potential for negatively impacting the trade, pointing to the possibility of the restricted movement of goods.

Its the admin issues and getting the product from A to B which is going to be the real difficulty. If you take a hard line on customs borders, its hard to see how there will be a smooth flow of goods, he said.

He also referred to the impact of Brexit on tariff agreements with countries within the EU and around the world.

In the best-case scenario, the UK would be able to broker a deal with the EU to maintain its access to the current free trade agreement framework currently enjoyed within the trading block (and also other countries such as Chile, which the EU has negotiated a separate zero tariff agreement.)

However, Theresa May has already outlined intentions to pursue a hard Brexit, where the UK is essentially pulled out of the EU in April 2019 - two years after Article 50 was trigged  without the opportunity for such trade arrangements to be made.

In their place, the set of tariffs already negotiated between the EU and the World Trade Organisation would automatically come into effect, meaning that wine coming in from the rest of the world to the UK would follow the following price structure: 8.5p per bottle for 13% ABV or below, 10p per bottle for ABV between 13% and 15%, 21p for sparkling.

These tariffs would be instantly applied to wine coming from the EU and the rest of the world.

However, this is no different to what countries such as Australia already pay when exporting wine to the UK.

Compared to excise duty hikes imposed by our own government, (which are separate to tariffs), the WSTA argues that an additional 10p charged on wine coming to the UK is negligible.

Yes, tariffs matter but not as much as you might think, Beale observed.

With the devaluation of the pound coming through in the WSTAs Quarter 2 market report, compounded by inflation and excise duty hikes, the effects of Brexit are already being felt, Beale told the audience.

The length of time needed to recreate favourable trade agreements with places like Chile will also impact the trade, he said.

Spirits exports from the UK to the EU are almost the same as the amount of wine coming to the UK from the EU. So its entirely rational to reach an agreement that suits all parties. The problem is politicians. We need to make sure that as an industry, politicians know what we want.

Preventing patterns of trade changing is the WSTAs priority over the next two years and beyond.

In the meantime, thousands of statutes to replace EU law and thousands of transitional trade deals will need to be considered, according to law firm representative Guy Harvey and Dr Dhingra respectively.

This could be a blessing as well as a curse, Beale said when was pressed to offer some Brexit silver linings.

There are opportunities to free ourselves from some of the shackles that come with having to agree things with 27 other countries. But whether they will make up for the lack of the single market, Im not sure. And those benefits wont be felt any time soon, he said.
A woman was killed early Sunday morning when she was struck by a train in Miles City.

A 23-year-old woman from Butte died in the wreck, though she may have recently moved to Williston, North Dakota, said Dep. Spencer Anderson, of Custer County Sheriff's Office.

The incident involved a BNSF train and occurred at about 12:30 a.m. in area that was not a crossing, said Ross Lane, public information officer for BNSF Railway.

The empty coal train was westbound when the collision occurred.

The engineer saw something on the tracks and went into the emergency braking procedure. It can take a mile to stop a freight train and the train was not stopped in time, Lane said.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 GE Tax Takes $200M Bite out of Health Care

By Grassroot Institute @ 10:02 PM :: 539 Views :: Health Care, Taxes If we exempted medical care from the general excise tax it would save doctors and patients more than $200 million [a year]. And that would help keep doctors in our state, rather than having to flee the state to earn money elsewhere...." Read More..
loyees in Australia do not feel empowered to embrace the demands of the digital workplace, according to a new study by Microsoft While 66% of Australian respondents consider themselves to be mobile workers and spend at least 20% of their time working outside of their office, only 45% feel empowered by their organisations culture and management to be able to work together productively and collaboratively.Moreover, only 32% of respondents agree their organisation is committed at a leadership level to ensure every employee is included in closing the digital skills gaps within the workforce.The study, which involved close to 4,200 working professionals from 14 markets in Asia, sought to understand shifting employee behaviours and gaps in the workplace when it came to productivity, collaboration and flexi-work practices.Sharon Schoenborn, Director, Office Business Group, Microsoft Australia, said organisations need to rethink how they empower their workforce with the right culture, policy, infrastructure and tools to maximise their potential.This means enabling collaboration from anywhere, on any device. However, it is also critical for business leaders to evaluate and implement changes to counter cultural and management challenges that are hindering employees to work seamlessly from wherever they are, which will in turn, hinder an organisations growth and progress in the digital age," she said.The study also found that mobile professionals in the market are embracing flexi-work today, and organisations should look at new workplace practices, especially with the impeding influx of digital natives (born after 2000) entering the workforce for the first time.More than half of the respondents (72%) value work-life integration today, where the boundaries of work and life have blurred, but have enabled mobile professionals to be able to collaborate and work virtually.Schoenborn said as the nature of work changes, how employees collaborate and work together will be impacted as well.It is critical for business and HR leaders to seek ways to better empower individuals and remove barriers to collaborate for the digital age, especially when the Study clearly identifies gaps that can be minimised with technology, she said.However, it is also important for businesses to also bridge the leadership and employee gap with more focus on people and culture.Workplace shifts have undeniably resulted in new ways of work, where technologies have enabled increased collaboration between individuals and teams across geographies and groups. However, the study found there were certain gaps today that hindered collaborative and productive outcomes from teams.The top challenges included: Too many face-to-face meetings taking up productive time (24%) Teams are too rigid and not open to new ways of work (23%) Company-wide meetings are too impersonal in communicating organisational goals (20%) Teams are taking too long to respond to internal issues (20%) Team members are not accommodating with flexi-work schedules (16%)However, respondents feel that support from managers (41%), strong leadership and vision (38%) and diverse team members (31%) can help build more collaborative teams.
The Queensland Government will introduce the new offence of negligence causing death, following the deaths of two construction workers at Brisbane's Eagle Farm Racecourse.



Humberto Leite, 55, and Ashley Morris, 34, were killed when sandwiched between two slabs of concrete in a construction pit inside the renovated racecourse last year.



The new law follows an interim recommendation from the Best Practice Review of Workplace Health and Safety.



Employment Minister Grace Grace said the Independent Reviewer, Tim Lyons, had written to her advising of his preliminary view that the offence should be created.



The Governments support of this recommendation will mean that Mr Lyons can consult with stakeholders to determine the best practice model for introduction and implementation of the offence, rather than further considering the merits of its introduction, said Grace.



Of course, the scope of the review is much wider than this issue and includes an audit of work health and safety laws, procedures, inspections, investigations and prosecutions.



This announcement will allow Mr Lyons to comprehensively report to me, on these various issues, by the allocated date.



The Best Practice Review of Workplace Health and Safety is due to report to the Government by 30 June 2017.



After these tragic events last year, concerns were raised about public safety and workplace health and safety matters in Queensland and the effectiveness of current offences and penalties under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, said Grace.



We want to ensure our workplace health and safety laws are operating at best practice and the Government is prepared to make the relevant changes to ensure this is the case.



The Queensland Council of Unions has welcomed the proposal, with the QCU General Secretary Ros McLennan saying it would act as a deterrent for negligent employers who operate unsafe workplaces.



We have long called for tougher offences to make sure that dodgy bosses and their companies dont just get a slap on the wrist if their negligent actions have led to a workplace fatality, said McLennan.



Last year in Queensland there were 40 workplace fatalities notified to authorities. Just one death is one too many, and this deterrent will make sure that companies dont cut corners and put profits ahead of people.



We encourage the government to bring these laws into Parliament as soon as possible. These laws cant come soon enough because theres nothing more important than workers coming home safe after a days work.




The decision came immediately under fierce criticism from opposition parties and trade unions alike, as it will oblige all professional soldiers to participate in dangerous missions, including armed conflicts, abroad upon an order from the Defence Forces.

The Parliaments Defence Committee on Thursday approved a government proposal to increase the responsibilities of the Finnish Defence Forces.

The Defence Forces current responsibilities are to defend the country against military attacks, provide assistance to other authorities and participate in international crisis management operations.

The Defence Committee on Thursday agreed unanimously that the responsibilities must be expanded to ensure they are in line with the obligations set forth in the Lisbon Treaty. It called attention to the necessity of removing any legislative obstacles preventing the country from participating in assisting other member states and requesting assistance in the event of a crisis.

Finland, it stressed, would nevertheless continue to determine its security policy and make decisions on whether to provide or request assistance independently.

No agreement was, on the other hand, reached on the requisite amendments impact on personnel.

We disapprove of the governments decision to retroactively oblige personnel to participate in international, life-threatening missions outside the borders of Finland. The terms of collective agreements mustnt be revised retroactively, Mika Kari (SDP), a deputy chairperson of the committee, commented to Helsingin Sanomat.

The Finnish Union for Non-Commissioned Officers was similarly disappointed with the decision and argued that military personnel should not be required to participate in such missions without their consent.

The decision would effectively oblige professional soldiers to participate in warfare abroad in peacetime, Mika Oranen, the chairperson of the Union for Non-Commissioned Officers, summarised to Helsingin Sanomat.

The decision would unilaterally expand the terms and conditions of service for professional soldiers in an ultra-radical way, in a way that may even pose a threat to their life and well-being. It should inevitably also have an impact on our wages, he added.

Jari Rantala, the chairperson of the Finnish Officers Union, estimated that the obligation is unwarranted also because there should be no shortage of soldiers willing to take part in such missions voluntarily. He added that if the proposal wins the requisite parliamentary support the obligation should only apply to new employees.

His demands were rejected by Jussi Niinisto (PS), the Minister of Defence. Niinisto affirmed that the legislation will be applied to all military and civilian personnel employed by the Defence Command.

The Defence Forces personnel turnover rate is 300 per year. The transitional period would therefore be 30 years, he stated to Helsingin Sanomat.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Hanna-Kaisa Sadwinski  Handout

Source: Uusi Suomi
Almost a year ago, voters in Britain opted to leave the European Union. Now, as Brexit negotiations begin to heat up, both sides will have an interest in ensuring that climate and environmental policies do not get lost in the shuffle.

In fact, climate and environmental issues barely featured in the referendum campaign at all. But, nearly a year after the Brexit vote, the United Kingdoms climate and environment policies have become a source of both controversy and uncertainty.

The U.K. has long seen itself as a global leader on climate change. The government has publically committed to ensuring we become the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

But on paper, nothing has changed.

Even after the Brexit vote, the U.K. legislated carbon targets for 2030 that are more ambitious than the rest of the European Union, and clean energy technologies feature strongly in the U.K.s new industrial strategy.

This leadership position is now under threat, as the confusion and complexity of leaving the EU upends the political landscape. Much of U.K. environmental regulation is sourced directly from EU law. The current U.K. government plan is to transfer all existing EU rules into domestic British legislation, to maintain policy stability and avoid regulatory gaps emerging after leaving the EU.

Opponents of environmental regulation, however, sense an opportunity. A small but influential group that includes Brexit activists, Conservative politicians and media outlets, such as The Telegraph, have initiated a campaign calling for a bonfire of EU red tape. However, most of the regulations they want to see cut are not red but green: renewable energy rules that support the expansion of solar and wind power; energy efficiency product standards requiring kettles and vacuum cleaners to use less electricity; and habitat conservation rules that protect rare species. These campaigners see cutting environmental rules and social standards as a route to rebooting the U.K. economy after Brexit and gaining competitive advantage over other neighbouring economies.

Ironically, ditching EU environmental rules could be worse for U.K. competitiveness than retaining them, as Britain seeks to negotiate a new trade deal with the EU. Calls for deregulation have worried the U.K.s former European partners, who fear a race to the bottom could undercut the EUs own environment rules. Many environmental issues are also cross-border: If the U.K. rolls back air quality standards for factories and power stations, citizens in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam will breathe in the resulting pollution on top of those in London.

As a result, maintaining environmental standards will be a key condition for the future U.K.-EU trade deal. The consensus of the European Unions 27 heads of state calls for avoiding environmental dumping  or watering down environmental regulation in order to achieve an unfair trade advantage. The European Parliament explicitly says a future agreement with the U.K. is conditional on standards on climate and environment continuing to be met.

Beyond trade, there is also appetite for deeper climate and environmental cooperation to continue even after the U.K. has successfully brexited. Many European governments would like the U.K. to stay as part of the EU climate regime  otherwise other EU countries would need to recalculate, and potentially increase, their climate commitments. If the U.K. and EU continue to join forces at United Nations climate summits, their voices will be stronger than if each negotiates alone. Clean energy research and development, product standards and developing offshore electricity grids are seen as major areas for future cooperation.

But the messy politics of Brexit get in the way again. The Brexit negotiations will start by focusing on citizens rights, unpaid bills and the complex status of Northern Ireland; talks about the future relationship of energy, climate and the environment will have to wait until these contentious issues are resolved.

And while all sides recognise the mutual benefits of the U.K. continuing to participate in EU carbon and energy markets, EU leaders are keen to avoid Britain cherry-picking certain sectors of the single market as it leaves, to protect the integrity of EU rules. This means that carving out special deals on clean-energy trading or environmental goods and services will prove more difficult than expected.

As Brexit negotiations begin in earnest in a few weeks time, the scale of the political, diplomatic and regulatory challenges ahead is only now becoming apparent. Strong policies on climate and the environment are in the interests of both the U.K. and EU. They must not be left to become collateral damage in a difficult divorce.

Jonathan Gaventa is a Director of E3G, a leading European environmental think tank. He leads E3G's work on decarbonising the European energy system, with a focus on infrastructure and clean technologies. A UK citizen, Jonathan is based in Brussels.
The aid worker is believed to have been kidnapped after a group of armed men stormed a guest house run by Operation Mercy, an international relief and development organisation based in Sweden, shortly before midnight on Saturday, killing a German woman and an Afghan security guard.

No group has yet to claim responsibility for the attack. The Afghan Interior Ministry has released information indicating that the victim of the kidnapping is a woman, according to the BBC.

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has yet to confirm the link between the deaths and the kidnapping but said in a press release that it is investigating the kidnapping in collaboration with military and law enforcement authorities.

At the moment, the identity of the kidnappers in not known. Finland urges immediate release of the kidnapped person, a ministry spokesperson said in an earlier press release.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs also revealed that it has successfully contacted the loved ones and employer of the aid worker. No further details of the incident or the people involved in it will be disclosed at this time due to security, privacy and operational reasons, according to the press release.

Operation Mercy, meanwhile, has confirmed that one of its employees, a German national, was killed and that another, a Finnish national, is missing in Kabul.

Andreas Stefansson, a director at the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, described the incident as horrible and extremely regrettable in an interview with TT, the national wire service of Sweden, on Sunday.

Its very rare that aid workers are targeted in an attack. But sometimes foreign employees are in the wrong place at the wrong time, he commented.

Helsingin Sanomat writes, citing a spokesperson for the relief and development organisation, that the kidnapping victim had been in the country for roughly three months and was set to assume their duties as the organisation's deputy country manager in the near future.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs also calls attention to its travel recommendation by pointing out that wealthy foreign citizens can be targeted by kidnappers in Afghanistan. An estimated 35 Finnish civilians and 30 military personnel are currently in the country, according to its press release.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Shah Marai  AFP/Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
He points out that the fees would have an impact on both the education institutions and the learning outcomes of students.

Heikki Patomaki, a professor of world politics at the University of Helsinki, has expressed his reservations about recurring proposals to introduce tuition fees for higher education students in Finland.

Students are already defined partly as customers, but the adoption of tuition fees would literally turn them into paying customers, he writes in a blog on Puheenvuoro. When students have to pay for their studies, they become customers who expect something in exchange for their money  ultimately, degrees  regardless of whether or not they have studied accordingly.

Patomaki also argues that education institutions might be tempted to lower their student admission requirements if their funding was made contingent upon tuition fees  a phenomenon that according to him has already been identified in Australia and Great Britain.

The debate over tuition fees heated up, and briefly boiled over, last week following a seminar organised in Helsinki by the Finnish Economic Association.

Markus Jantti, a professor of economics at the University of Helsinki and the Institute for Economic Research (VATT), accused those claiming the introduction of tuition fees would not jeopardise the right to equal opportunity of being opportunistic, provoking a response from both his fellow participants and members of the audience.

Jantti announced after the seminar that he will move abroad to allow those who think more correctly to make statements. He is currently on a leave of absence from his professorship at the University of Stockholm.

He will thus become yet another high-level researcher to leave Finland during the term of Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre), highlights Helsingin Sanomat.

I wouldnt have come to Finland had I known about [the cuts in higher education funding], he said to the daily newspaper, shedding further light on the reasons behind his decision.

Antero Vartia (Greens) on Friday estimated that it would be justified if the highly educated contributed more towards their education costs because their educational background sets them up better to succeed in life.

Finns with higher education degrees have net lifetime earnings [] 400,000600,000 euros higher than the earnings of those with only upper secondary qualifications. All Finnish taxpayers, including low-income ones, contribute towards funding higher education, he wrote in a blog on Puheenvuoro.

He also stressed that tuition fees should not be introduced if they threaten become an obstacle to social mobility and the right to equal opportunity.

Niku Maattanen and Vesa Vihriala of the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (Etla), meanwhile, have voiced their support for a proposal to make student loan repayments contingent on the earnings of higher education graduates. The duo also argued at the seminar that tuition fees would be an efficient and just means for wiping out the budget deficit in higher education.

Patomaki doubts that the proposal would be an answer to growing inequalities.

The proposal, he says, fails to take into account of parents supporting their children financially: Those from lower-income households, meanwhile, would have to rely completely on loans. Previous experiences indicate that such people are more reluctant to run up debt than their peers from better-off households.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Anni Reenpaa  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
South Dublin Council must investigate the environmental impact of a visitor centre at the Hell Fire Club in the Dublin mountains before any decision is made on granting permission for its development.

An Bord Pleanala has directed the council to carry out an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at the site.

The decision followed the council and forestry agency Coillte, which is also involved in the project, seeking direction over whether such an inspection was necessary.

The council is in the process of securing permission to develop a single-storey and two-storey visitor centre that would accommodate tourists and visitors.

The 19m centre has been planned for a number of years.

Among the facilities it will provide are an exhibition space, an audio-visual experience and a cafe.

A treetop canopy walk has also been proposed.

The Hell Fire Club is a solidly built, desolate structure of two storeys, with a vaulted stone roof dating to 1725, according to ABP.

The building is fitted with gun loops on projecting bays to front and rear.

There are two passage tombs behind the former hunting lodge, which has been listed as a protected structure.

The planning board said the location was a sensitive but highly-frequented landscape.

"The board considered that the proposed development is such that further significant additional numbers of visitors will be encouraged to use the facilities provided.

"It is deemed appropriate that the effect of these, and other, impacts be properly assessed," it said.

The board added its decision to request a report was taken due to the prevalence of artefacts of cultural, historical and archaeological heritage throughout the general area and to the ecology of the area.

Objections

ABP's decision to seek an assessment means that the public will be able to lodge objections to the project. However, the council took the unusual step of suggesting to ABP that such an assessment should take place.

A separate proposal for the area, suggested last year, was that a cable car be installed to ferry people from Tallaght Stadium to the popular beauty spot. However, hopes of such a project were dampened when it emerged it would cost in the region of 50m to build.
Keith Hughes had to be restrained by four prison guards

A Mountjoy inmate punched a prison officer in the face and spat on him when he put up a violent struggle in his cell.

Keith Hughes (26) was being restrained for the spitting incident when he punched the guard.

Another officer was also sprayed in the face by the spittle.

Hughes assaulted the two officers after "something went off in him", Dublin District Court heard.

Hughes denied three counts of assault, but Judge Timothy Lucey found him guilty and gave him concurrent sentences totalling four months.

He was already serving a six-year sentence for robbery.

Dublin District Court heard the incident happened last July 19.

The first officer said he was on duty when Hughes was all-owed out of a close observation cell to have a cigarette.

When he was finished, the officer said: "All right, Keith, time to go back in."

The accused asked him to "tell the class officer that I want to see my solicitor at four o'clock", the court heard.

The officer said he would pass his request on.

Aggressive

"Almost like something went off in him, he said, 'You won't ask him, you'll tell him'," the officer said.

He repeated that he would pass the request on and at that point, Hughes became extremely aggressive, hurling abuse.

It was "the usual stuff - baldy git, all this type of stuff", he said.

There was "no reasoning" with Hughes, so he called three other officers for assistance and told the accused to go back into his cell, the court heard. He did so and the officers stood outside the open door.

Hughes did "a full inhale, as much as he could", and spat.

It hit the side of the officer's cheek and jaw and the four officers entered the cell.

Hughes came forward throwing punches and they used their "control techniques".

There were "arms and legs flying everywhere", the officer said.

As he was trying to grab Hughes' right arm, it came up and caught him on the side of the face.

The other officer said he was sprayed on the left side of his face when the first was spat on.

Four guards had "jumped on top of" the accused and pinned him to the bed and he reacted in self-defence, his solicitor said.

Hughes, who denied spitting, did not go into evidence.
A victims' rights group has hit out at the State for not taking crime seriously after it emerged that a group of convicted killers on day release enjoyed a hike up Croagh Patrick.

A total of 12 inmates from Loughan House, including four killers and six drug dealers, scaled the 764m peak.

They passed by members of the public during their trek, people oblivious to the fact that they were scaling the mountain alongside some of Ireland's most violent criminals.

John Whelan, a spokesman for Save (Sentencing and Victim Equality), said: "It highlights that the whole regime needs to be looked at.

"We need a proper change in sentencing and parole laws.

Battered

"When you hear in the news that somebody is jailed for life, nothing could be further from the truth."

Among the hikers were Dubliner Richard Kearney, who battered 72-year-old Mary Dillon to death with a rake, and Mick Connors, from Ferdia Park, Ardee, who beat his twin sister's boyfriend to death with a hammer.

Also on day release climbing the peak was James Keane, who blasted a close friend to death with a sawn-off shotgun following a five-day bender.

Paul Sheehan, who kicked and stamped on a man's head during a fatal attack, was also with the walking group.

Photographs, taken by the Sunday World, show the convicted killers in good spirits as they made their way up the famous mountain. All of the men are nearing the end of their prison sentences and arrvived by mini-bus for their jaunt shortly after 10am on Wednesday.

The group broke into threes and fours as the climb took a physical toll.

Croagh Patrick - nicknamed the Reek - is one of Ireland's most famous tourist attractions and, according to legend, St Patrick fasted on the site for 40 days in 441AD.

Killer Kearney was just 17 years old when he broke into the home of Mary Dillon and carried out his sickening murder.

The young thug concocted a web of lies to try to throw gardai off the scent and tried to blame another man for the 1998 killing.

However, he later received a sentence of life in prison.
Searches for the severed head of a convicted rapist who was murdered almost seven years ago are due to begin in Co Monaghan in the coming weeks, the Herald has learned.

It is believed James Nolan's body parts are scattered around different parts of the country, including at Tolka Valley Park in Finglas, where his torso was discovered by gardai on April 10.

Officers have finished their search at that location but sources say new searches are likely to take place at a lake in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, in the coming weeks.

"The information that gardai received indicates that Nolan's head may be at the Co Monaghan location. This is a live murder investigation," a senior source told the Herald.

A "mainly intact" torso was discovered about 1ft beneath the ground in Tolka Valley Park on April 10.

Specialist cadaver dogs were brought in from the UK to help in the Finglas search and these may also be used in the Co Monaghan operation.

The Herald first revealed in December that gardai had planned to carry out a dig in the north Dublin park because of details left in a 21-page suicide letter written by Nolan's killer and sent to family members.

Sources say that the torso discovery was made at almost exactly the same location described in the lengthy letter.

The letter states Nolan was strangled to death in Glasnevin Cemetery. His body was then taken to an address in north Dublin and cut into pieces.

The killer disposed of most of Nolan's body parts in Co Monaghan and at Tolka Valley Park.

Strangled

It is understood Nolan's severed arm, found washed up at Dollymount Strand, had been thrown into the Tolka River and then flowed out to sea.

Detectives are working on the theory that after being strangled to death by the man known to him, his body was dismembered, he was decapitated and his fingers were cut-off.

In 1986 he was jailed for 14 years when he was convicted of rape and false imprisonment.

The rape is considered one of the most savage to ever happen in Ireland and the victim was brutally attacked in front of her partner.
A 31-year-old man has been charged with killing his partner at their home in Co Kilkenny.

Latvian national Renars Veigulis, of Bridge Street, Freshford, appeared before a special sitting of Kilkenny District Court yesterday morning when he was charged with the murder of Rita Apine (29).

The mother-of-one was discovered with serious injuries at her home in Bridge Street last Sunday.

Caution

Ms Apine, who was also Latvian, was transferred to St Luke's Hospital but was later pronounced dead.

At yesterday's court hearing, Det Sgt Sean O'Meara gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

He said he arrested Mr Veigulis on Saturday evening and that he replied "no" when the charges were put to him.

Mr Veigulis was originally arrested on the afternoon of Ms Apine's death but released without charge last Monday before being re-arrested on Friday evening.

He was taken in an unmarked garda car to the courthouse in Kilkenny yesterday morning, accompanied by a number of marked patrol cars.

Tony Collier, defending, said that due to the seriousness of the charge a bail application could not be made at district court level.

An application was also made for legal aid. "He is not in a position to work, so there is a case for legal aid," Mr Collier said.

Legal aid was granted by Judge Colin Daly, and he remanded Mr Veigulis to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday.

Ms Apine and her daughter moved into the private rented house in Freshford late last year, having initially sought hous- ing from Kilkenny County Council.

They had previously lived at St Teresa's Terrace in the city.

Shocked

Locals in the quiet area of Bridge Street spoke of their shock following the killing.

A neighbour of Ms Apine, who did not want to give her name, said: "The mother had a little girl and you would often see them walking around the town.

"I'm honestly so shocked and saddened by it all.

"To have something like this happen here is really very tragic."

Ms Apine was not working but was hoping to learn to drive later this year and seek work when her daughter started pre-school.
A reconstruction of the Rescue 116 helicopter crash supports black box indications that its tail rotor clipped an island as the crew tried to avoid an obstacle not shown on their ground avoidance navigation system.

The wreckage of the Sikorsky S-92A is being painstakingly examined by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) at its Gormanston headquarters.

Ripped

It is expected the process will take several months, but all evidence from the wreckage so far backs the black box indications that therotor was virtually ripped off the helicopter when it clipped a structure on Blackrock Island off Co Mayo.

Out of control, the helicopter stayed aloft for several seconds before plunging into the sea 60 metres from the island.

The extent of the damage is such that the entire wreckage cannot be fully reassembled.

A preliminary analysis has indicated that the US-built helicopter almost avoided disaster in the early hours of March 14 thanks to the desperate reactions of the skilled flight crew, Capt Dara Fitzpatrick and Capt Mark Duffy.

They had swerved and climbed - following a warning from a winchman on board - after it was realised they were flying directly towards Blackrock Island and its steep cliffs as they headed towards Mayo to refuel for their role in a rescue mission.

Their reaction saw the helicopter's main fuselage clear the island, only for its tail, which was in a rotor-down position, to hit the island and shear off.

While the US-built helicopter was equipped with an advanced navigation system - Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) - Blackrock Island was not included in the programmed imagery.

The AAIU last month released the black box voice recordings from Rescue 116 which indicated that the crew received no warning from radar or the EGPWS that they were on a collision course with Blackrock Island.

The final voice recorded warned: "We're gone."

It is hoped the wreckage reconstruction and inputs from US and UK experts will allow the report into the crash to be ready by later this year or early next year.
Francis Doherty, of the Peter McVerry Trust, outside the modern and energy-efficient homes at St Agathas Court. Photo: Damien Eagers

Eleven apartments that lay empty for a decade will soon be ready to take in new tenants as part of a 57m regeneration vision for modern social housing.

St Agatha's Court in Ballybough in the north inner city was a half-derelict 1960s corporation building and a playground for vandals.

However, the Peter McVerry Trust (PMVT) has rejuvenated the 11 apartments at a cost of 1.5m.

This is only the first stage of an ambitious plan to renovate some of the 33,000 vacant properties in Dublin.

PMVT spokesman Francis Doherty said: "We are showcasing how quickly we can turn empty buildings into homes for the homeless.

"We're hopeful private landowners will come forward and enter the scheme.

"This will be a quick win in terms of housing delivery in the next couple of years.

"The homeowner will get market value for a sale, or if they choose to lease their home long-term they get a grant and a guaranteed rent."

The St Agatha's Court apartments are owned by Dublin City Council and leased long-term to the charity.

They will be available for social housing tenants at the end of the month.

But the apartments are just a tiny piece in a vast jigsaw, as the charity attempts to solve Dublin's homeless crisis against the backdrop of escalating rents.

Grant

The PMVT is asking homeowners to sell vacant properties at market value, or avail of a 40,000 grant to renovate homes - with the charity taking charge of each property's maintenance.

While rental and property prices climb, the charity said there were "plenty of properties" but many were disused.

"Peter McVerry will manage the contractor and the tenant and ensure properties are maintained," said Mr Doherty.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) estimates that 33,000 homes are vacant in Dublin, and around 200,000 properties are disused nationwide.

However, the national figure is believed to be much higher because the CSO does not take account of derelict homes.

Some properties are owned by those who cannot afford to renovate them, while others belonged to people who have died.

The PMVT said even homes without roofs and dilapidated properties have the potential to be rejuvenated.

"You're really talking two or three years worth of housing supply sitting empty in the city, waiting for someone to turn them round and get the properties back into the housing system," said Mr Doherty.

The Government has released 32m for the Renovating and Leasing Scheme (RLS) and 25m for the Buy and Renew Scheme (BRS).

Under RLS, the Government said it was possible to bring 800 properties back into social housing use this year.

The scheme will be funded with 140m up until 2021, when the Department of Housing estimates 3,500 properties could be secured for social housing.

If BRS is successful, the department plans to push the funding of this initiative up by as much as 50m next year, with estimates of up to 500 properties being renewed for social housing.

The PMVT, along with the department, also hopes to tackle social deprivation and dereliction in urban areas.

If St Agatha's is an indication, with its pristine magnolia exterior, beechwood panelling and royal blue front doors, social housing has a new face and is more palatable than ever.

"We are sending a message to people that we value them and we want to offer them the best homes we can secure," said Mr Doherty.

"The homes here at St Agatha's Court are all modern in design. Each property is energy-efficient, with its own parking space and bicycle locker.

Emotion

"Our architects looked at extra-value bay windows that let light pour into the rooms.

"They're in the heart of a community, with a health centre nearby, shops, a school.

"We see the emotion when people move in to our properties, they realise this is their home.

"We have sofas, TVs and even butter in the fridge and bread in the press ready for them."

Residents will not fit the stereotypical "homeless" label - some tenants are likely to have been renting and have lost their homes due to colossal price hikes.

At least one tenant will be taken from the street.

Most of the properties will house single men and women - the most difficult group to rehome - but there is also a townhouse for a couple or single parent and child. A lift will allow a disabled tenant to move in.

"We are looking to integrate people into the community," Mr Doherty said.

"These will be people from all backgrounds, who will be given a new future, and we want to see this expanded across the city."

The number of homeless children and families is now at its highest in history.

Department of Housing figures show that 1,069 families - including 2,134 children - are homeless in Dublin.

A total of 7,148 are experiencing homelessness.

Anyone with a vacant home should contact emptyhomes@pmvtrust.ie for information.
UPDATED

A disbarred Bristol, Tennessee attorney who stole nearly $800,000 from clients was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday.

Don W. Cooper pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft involving the estates of four clients in Sullivan County Criminal Court Monday, according to Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus.

Cooper stole a total of $763,000 from four estates, according to court documents. Cooper immediately began serving his sentence after he was sentenced.

He practiced law in Bristol, Tennessee for 40 years, primarily handling wills, estates and trusts. Cooper was suspended from practicing law in December 2015 for misappropriation of client funds, according to court documents.

At the request of Staubus, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began investigating Cooper in November 2015. Sullivan County Chancery Court Clerk Katie Priester aided in the investigation.

It found that between August 2012 and October 2013, Cooper pocketed more than $304,000 from the $1.3 million estate of Alva Frye. Between December 2008 and November 2009, Cooper stole $52,000 from the estate of Phyllis Pendergrass. The bulk of that money was supposed to go to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.

The investigation also found that from April 2006 to October 2015, Cooper took a total of $350,000 from seven trusts out of the $2 million estate of Anthony Tiller. And in 2010, he kept $57,000 from the sale of property belonging to the estate of Helen Shipley.

Cooper was disbarred in February and ordered to pay nearly $1 million in restitution to multiple estates and trusts.

A disbarred Bristol, Tennessee, attorney Don Cooper was sentenced to 15 years on theft charges in Sullivan County Criminal Court Monday.

Cooper pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft involving the estates of four clients, according to Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus. He immediately began serving his sentence today.

At the request of Staubus, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began investigating Cooper in November 2015. Agents learned that between August 2011 and November 2013, Cooper stole funds in excess of $60,000 from an estate he was hired to manage, according to the TBI.

Cooper was disbarred in February and was ordered to pay nearly $1 million in restitution to multiple estates and trusts. Shortly after a Sullivan County grand jury returned indictments charging Cooper with six counts of theft over $10,000 and one count of theft over $60,000.

Cooper turned himself in and was booked into the Sullivan County jail. He was released after posting a $15,000 bond.

Cooper was previously indicted in April 2016 on one count of theft over $250,000 and again in July 2016 on one count of theft over $10,000. Those charges involve the theft of funds from other estates for which he served as executor, according to indictments.

Return to HeraldCourier.com and read Tuesday's edition of the Bristol Herald Courier for more.
Moore Engineering advances on list

Moore Engineering, which has an office in Bismarck, moved up to No. 432 on ENR magazines list of Top 500 Design Firms for 2017, based on annual revenue.

Moore was 448 last year.

Local YPN selects top workplaces

The Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network has released its list of the Top 10 Young Professional Workplaces in Bismarck-Mandan.

Selected from the 20 nominees employing professionals under the age of 40 were Aetna, Applied Engineering, Bartlett and West, Basin Electric, Capital Credit Union, Doosan Bobcat, Gate City Bank, NISC, Starion Bank and Workforce Safety and Insurance.

This list recognizes businesses committed to recruiting and retaining young professionals.

Leadership project generates donations

Bismarck Cancer Center Foundation, Invisible Innocence, Furry Friends Rockin' Rescue, Fishin for the Cure, Dakota Childrens Advocacy Center, Sacred Pipe Resource Center, Theo Art School, Bis-Man Reel and Rec Club Take a Kid Fishing, Ministry on the Margins and Central Dakota Humane Society shared in more than $17,000 in donations and in-kind contributions as a result of a project of the Center for Technology & Business Womens Leadership Program.

Twenty women each received $100 seed money as a basis for the six-week philanthropic project that generated the contributions.
Incumbents appear to be re-elected to school board
Parrish licensed

Duncan Parrish, an engineer at KLJ in Bismarck, has earned his professional engineering license in North Dakota.

Parrish holds a bachelors degree in industrial engineering from Colorado State University.

Schnell achieves

Ryan Schnell, insurance agent for CCU Insurance Agency LLC in Bismarck, was a top-5 producer of FUMI personal lines insurance sales for Farmers Union Insurance during March.

Wasley on staff

Justine Wasley has been hired by NLR Property Management as community manager for Williston Senior I Apartments, Williston Senior II Apartments and Nokota Ridge Apartments.

Northrop with NDSA

Blaine Northrop has returned to the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, where he will serve as a deputy, supporting livestock law enforcement efforts statewide.

Northrop grew up near Fairfield, started work for the NDSA in 1992 and was its West River fieldman for 15 years. He most recently worked for the Nevada Department of Agriculture as the agricultural enforcement and brand inspection supervisor.

Hoffman at Bianco

Stacy Hoffman has joined Bianco Realty in Bismarck as a Realtor.

Awards from Sanford

Sanford Health in Bismarck awarded 10 Soaring to Excellence awards to employees and a department for going above and beyond.

Award recipients were Tissa Hanson, emergency department, Florence Nightingale Nurse; Amy Meyer, emergency department, Star Performance Nurse; Ione Eckroth, Spirit of Nursing Leadership; Jackie Farland, surgery, New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvements Nurse; Mary Waldo, emergency department, Exemplary Professional Practice Nurse; Chelsie Hammargren, emergency department, Structural Empowerment Nurse; Crystal Toepke, cardiology, Transformational Leadership Nurse; LeeAnn Roehrich, pediatrics acute, Distinguished Wisdom Keeper Nurse; Dr. Justin Reisenauer, emergency department, Friend of Nursing-Individual; and Patient Relations, Friend of Nursing-Department.
Two Century High School students have been accused of spying on girls in the school locker room.

The 15-year-old boys have been sanctioned by the school and issued juvenile referrals by the Bismarck Police Department for surreptitious intrusion.

Sgt. Mark Buschena said the boys were peering into the female locker room during the week of May 8. It's not clear whether any photos or video were taken. The case remains under investigation.

Bismarck Public Schools Superintendent Tamara Uselman said the students have been sanctioned but not expelled. She declined to elaborate.

The case was first investigated by Principal Steve Madler's office before it was turned over to the police on May 17, Uselman said. The school investigated it the same day it was forwarded to the police.

The office investigated it; they felt there was a reason to have the police investigate it, so its sitting in the hands of law enforcement right now," she said.

Further school consequences could follow the police investigation, Uselman said.

Buschena said the case will be referred to the Bismarck Police Youth Bureau or juvenile court.
HICKORY  Recruitment was a big part of Sundays meeting of the Hickory branch of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) at Hartzell Memorial United Methodist Church.

Membership is the life of any NAACP branch, Hickory NAACP President Sam Hunt said. Id like to see any person across Hickory join. Everybody will need some help at some time. If somebody is treating you unfairly on your job, with housing, whatever the issue is, were there to help you.

Founded Feb. 12. 1909, the NAACP is the nations oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil rights organization, according to naacp.org.

Appalled at the violence committed against blacks, a group of white liberals, including descendants of abolitionists Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard and William English Walling and Dr. Henry Moscowitz issued a call for a meeting to discuss racial justice.

Some 60 people, seven of whom were African-American (including W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell), signed the call, which was released on the centennial of Lincolns birth.

One thing Hunt suggested for the Hickory branch was to work on reaching out to more churches, reaching out through them to the surrounding communities to let them know how they can be involved.

Branch member Margaret Pope reminded everyone they also are ready to welcome people for any other organization or any other group.

We want to include everybody, Pope said. Its for the advancement of all people.

Morning Star First Baptist Church Pastor David Roberts said he was ready to latch onto Hunts passion for pushing more community involvement, there just needed to be a single vision.

Then wed know what were trying to do in Hickory. Ive already said I want us to do it collectively with leaders in the community, preachers and pastors, Roberts said. Were supporting this vision that God has given you for this branch, and I see some growth already. I believe in your leadership.

Roberts touched on one issue for the organization as a whole. He said the majority of the people involved with the NAACP are 60 or older.

They lived those struggles. They were there. Kids nowadays, their struggle is different, but they dont realize its the same under a different disguise, Roberts said. We have to find a way to reach them.

He appreciated the sincerity in Hunts direction for the Hickory branch.

Ill be bringing what we have worked out here, that we think the community might follow, Hunt said.

David Williams, new to the branch, said the reason he was at the meeting was because he liked the direction Hunt was taking the group as well.

I know his leadership will be good for this organization, Williams said. This is a new generation with social media, so we have to change our approach. There are so many things thats needed for this community, needed for the youth, and weve got to start somewhere right now and do it in a different type of way.

The next meeting of the Hickory NAACP will be June 11.

For more information, call Ida Clough at 828-322-6663 or email iblairclou@aol.com.
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About

Hinduism Today Magazine is a nonprofit educational activity of Himalayan Academy with the following purposes: 1. To foster Hindu solidarity as a unity in diversity among all sects and lineages; 2. To inform and inspire Hindus worldwide and people interested in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To protect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas and the Hindu religion; 5. To nurture and monitor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance; 6. To publish a resource for Hindu leaders and educators who promote Sanatana Dharma.
JRD Tata once said that watches could be set on the basis of Air India flight arrivals. Based on recent news, now it would be faulty. In fact, time is fast running out for Air India as a viable airline. We hear the familiar commentary  the in our time it was perfect, the corruption charges, and shockingly even the needed for our national security. For nearly three decades, we were told that all Air India needs is debt restructuring, professional management and some capital.

The three requirements are valid  but cannot be met by the government: for 30,000 crore reasons. Each paisa of the Rs 30,000 crore committed to propping up Air India has better use elsewhere. Air India will soar only if the governmental umbilical cord is severed and the ownership privatised. Divestment in this context has to be real, which is minimising government influence, and maximising value realisation from assets. Moreover, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has to be released from the inherent conflict of interest in running Air India and given the bandwidth to focus on the sectors policy and development in terms of infrastructure, financial viability, service and safety.

To begin with, doomed highways to nowhere solutions need discarding. Temporary holding structures dont work. Likely to fail also is a Hail Mary transfer to bank ownership hoping banks can realise value. Banks have enough on their plate, they have a patchy record of resolving NPLs and their ability to take independent, unpopular decisions is doubtful. Finally, seeking an investor willing to take on Air India with modified liabilities is a naive bet on finding an investor devoid of rational economic decision-making!

Successful divestment will have three stages: curating and valuing non-core assets, disposing of non-core assets and then a sale of airline operations.

Air India is sitting on prize real estate and other assets. As a first step, a top international firm should make a detailed inventory of all Air Indias real estate assets, and value them to nip malafide attempts to sell assets cheap. The same firm should review expected office requirements for the pure air operations of Air India and suggest rationalisation through consolidation and moving out of premium locations. This will create a disposable pool of real estate assets.

The second stage involves selling non-core assets. Maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), ground handling and catering subsidiaries should be immediately sold with existing employees and their core operating assets i.e. no real estate, hotels etc. The joint venture with SATs should be offered to SATs at reasonable premium for control - or put to bid if SATs declines. Simultaneously, based on identified disposable pool, Air Indias real estate assets need to be put on the block starting with excess land and hotels, and gradually covering prime office buildings that can be released over time. Air India metro head offices are a gold mine. The disposal process should be run independently by the department of disinvestment, albeit in cooperation with the ministry of civil aviation. Potential proceeds from non-core sales may run into thousands of crores.

This sets the base for stage 3 or airline sale. The three revival requirements were capital, restructured debt and professional management. Given poor financials especially the nearly Rs 50,000 crore debt, our expectations from the sale should be stopping further outflows. To attract buyers, 75% of the estimated proceeds of sale of non-core assets may be offered as restructuring pool to potential bidders. Bidders should then be asked to tender for 100% of Air Indias flight operations on the basis of minimum additional support (MAS). The MAS will be paid out to the investor after the bank restructuring has been agreed. Similarly, the bid conditions should also define both the compensation structure for use of Air India on national duty like evacuations. The lowest MAS wins. The winning investor would then negotiate with the banks on a restructuring package using the MAS and the restructuring pool of funds.

This will still leave the question of serving remote areas  but that is a relatively easy problem to solve, and for much less than Rs 30,000 crores.

While difficult, the certain alternative is never-ending government bail-outs in a hyper-competitive industry. Or in other words, death by a thousand cuts. Privatisation will potentially create a new Air India under the control of new management and will cap government support.

Air India must remain our national airline, just not as a nationalised burden on taxpayers.

S Misra is an investment banker based in Singapore

The views expressed are pesonal
The annual Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is back with its eighth edition. The festival quintessentially addresses a growing need to tell LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex) stories and link the community with the city.

The theme chosen this year by the festivals organisers is diversity. Festival director Sridhar Rangayan explains, While the quality of the films was an important factor, weve tried to look into the kind of diversity we could have included into our programming. This year, weve ensured that the films speak of our theme. Therefore, weve tried to include the various communities that comprise LGBTQI; the diversity of ethnicity in terms of other cultures and the diversity of abilities  as in people who are differently abled, and how being queer affects ones life. The festival will be held from May 24 to May 28, and the movies will be screened at Liberty Cinema, Marine Lines, and Alliance Francaise, New Marine Lines.

A still from the movie, Loev. (HT Photo)

In a first, the festival has managed to crowdsource `3 lakhs. Rangayan also shares that this is the first time the organisers received 1,200 film submissions, out of which 147 films will be screened. We have been able to shortlist not just short films, but feature-length films as well; the longest of which runs for 122 minutes. Movies from around 45 countries will be screened at the event, adds Rangayan. The four-day event will kick off with a movie titled Signature Move, starring veteran actor Shabana Azmi and American-Pakistani actor Fawzia Mirza. The film tells the story of Zaynab, an American Muslim lesbian, who hides her sexuality from her conservative mother, Parveen.

The festival this year has increased its cash reward for film-makers. The stakes are higher, because the competition has a cash prize of `2.25 lakhs. In fact, last years winner from Chennai, V Ramanathan, who won the Q award of `1 lakh, will be showcasing his short film Normalcy, which he co-produced with Kashish. We are happy to be able to support new film-making talents. We are excited to show the first production of Kashish, says Rangayan.

TOP FIVE PICKS Movie: Signature Move

Director: Jennifer Reeder

Venue: Liberty Cinema Date: May 24

Time: 9.30pm Movie: White Nights

Director: Razi Muhammed

Venue: Liberty Cinema

Date: May 25

Time: 7.35pm Movie: Chronicles of Hari (Harikatha Prasangal)

Director: Ananya Kasarvalli

Venue: Liberty Cinema

Date: May 26

Time: 7.35pm Movie: Play the Devil

Director: Maria Govan

Venue: Liberty Cinema Date: May 27

Time: 10:45pm Movie: Loev

Director: Sudhanshu Saria

Venue: Liberty Cinema

Date: May 28

Time: 9.30pm

REDEFINING IDEAS

Apart from the film screenings, Kashish will also include a host of other activities. Rangayan calls this as a complete cultural experience. We are having a performance of Vagina Monologues, and for the first time, they will include two smaller stories: one about a transgender and one about a lesbian. These will be performed by Mona Ambegaonkar and Gazal Dhaliwal, he says.

Besides Eve Enslers iconic play, Kashish will also showcase National Award-winning director Onirs video poetry series, which is a presentation of his poems. There will also be the trailer launch of a film called Evening Shadows, followed by a panel discussion titled Pride and Prejudice, which aims to talk about LGBTQI inclusion in media and corporate culture. When asked about the change in content over the years, Rangayan says, The audiences taste has matured. Gone are the times when they wanted romantic comedies and light stories. They now crave a more nuanced and edgier kind of film-making. They want to see films from diverse cultures. We dont want to see films from USA or UK. So this year, weve tried to include countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Kosovo, Israel and UAE.

A still from the movie, White Nights. (HT Photo)

PROBLEMS PERSIST

But the festival director also rues the lack of appropriate film representation of the LGBTQI community. While this year, the opening film is a Shabana Azmi starrer and includes the south Asian perspective, last year, the festival had to screen the Oscar-winning film Carol (2015) as its opening film for its audience. We are opening and closing the festival with south Asian content, and we want this to happen every year. Most Indian film-makers shy away from premiering at Kashish Film Festival because they dont want the LGBTQI tag. That needs to go away. We are happy that Signature Move decided to open with us. While Shabana Azmi will not be present due to a busy shooting schedule, we will have Fawzia Mirza, the lead actor of the film with us on the opening night, says Rangayan.

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Known by the pen name Herge, the Belgian cartoonist Georges Prosper Remi is the man behind the cult cartoon series The Adventures of Tintin. On his 110th birth anniversary, lets open our favourite Tintin comic book and remember its creator.

Herge was born on May 22, 1907, in Brussels, Belgium. In his childhood, he loved to draw and was adept at it, without any training. His schooling happened during World War I. After the war, he got to publish his first cartoon: The Adventures of Totor for the magazine Le Boy-Scout Belge.

It was in 1930 when Herge published the first Tintin book, titled Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Over the next five decades, Tintin became one of the most popular cartoon characters of the 20th century, accompanied by the always swearing Captain Haddock and the absent-minded, hard-of-hearing Professor Calculus, and, of course, the trusty dog Snowy.

Herge, the creator of Tintin, with a bust of the boy detective. (Wikipedia)

Tintin travelled across the world, from China in the East to America in the West. The brilliant wit of the comics dialogues and characters amusing quirks made this series a universal favourite.

By the time Herge died, on March 3, 1983, he had written 23 Tintin comics, leaving the world a far more enjoyable place.

By believing in his dreams, man turns them into reality.  Herge

Herge trivia



1.He created Tintin, a golden-haired teenage reporter and super-detective for the childrens supplement of the Belgian Catholic newspaper Le Vingtieme Siecle. Tintin moved into his own magazine in the year 1946.

2. Herge was inspired by the works of the French writer Jules Verne, who wrote such classic adventure novels as Around the World in Eighty Days.

3. He created the pen name by reversing his initials G and R (Georges Remi), making it RG or Herge.

4. Tintin explored the moon in 1954, i.e. 15 years before Neil Armstrong.

5. Herge created two other well-known series, Quick & Flupke (193040) and The Adventures of Jo, Zette and Jocko (193657).

6.Herge Museum was established in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, in 2009.

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Railway protection force (RPF) stopped 60 tribal children at Ratlam railway station in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday evening on suspicion that they were being trafficked or taken to Nagpur for religious conversion.

They also detained nine people accompanying the children.

The suspects, however, said the children were being taken to Nagpur for a cultural function and picnic as part of a summer camp with due permission of their parents.

Police was however not satisfied with their claim and detained them for further questioning.

RPF sources said even the children during questioning claimed they were on their way to a picnic in the Maharashtra city.

Police have asked the parents of the children to come over to Ratlam to shed some light on the whole episode.

Some right-wing groups, however, claimed that it was a case of conversion.

Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Sohan Viswakarma alleged children were being taken to Nagpur for conversion and demanded stern action against those involved in the incident.

Soon after the children were taken into protective custody on Sunday night, members of some right-wing groups also laid a siege at the RPF office.

Police, however, said it was not yet clear whether it was a case of conversion or trafficking.

Nothing has been established yet. We are now just questioning these nine persons, Krishnaveni Desavatu, SP GRP Indore, under which Ratlam falls, told HT over phone.

She said a police team was sent to Nagpur to verify the veracity of the claim of the suspects.

All the children are from Meghnagar in Jhabua district. Of them 28 are girls and 32 boys in the age group of 13 to 14 years.

They are now kept with the Childline India Foundation.

Police sources said the RPF acted on a tip-off from Childlines Ratlam office that three to four children were being taken suspiciously to Nagpur from Jhabua.

When we checked the train at the Ratlam station we found 60 children accompanying the nine persons, said RPFs Ratlam town inspector Rakesh Kumar.

Its not yet clear why the children were being taken to Nagpur, he told HT over phone.

The matter has been handed over to Government Railway Police (GRP) for further investigation, he said. But no case has been registered as yet.

We have asked the parents of the children to come here for questioning, Kumar said.

He said the children will be with the Childline till the time their parents come to take them.

In-charge of the Childlines Ratlam railway unit Rohini said the persons accompanying the children are neither their relatives nor their family members.

She said they alerted the police after an anonymous caller informed them that some children from Jhabua were being taken to some place under suspicious conditions.
Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has revealed her plans for a dream life - all she wants in her 70s is a happy family and a peaceful life.

Deepika Padukone arrives for the screening of the film 'Loveless' (Nelyubov) in Cannes. (AFP)

Deepika, who recently made an impressive appearance at the 70th Cannes Film Festival said, When I am 70, I will hopefully have a little home somewhere with beautiful view, lots of children and grand children and a good life. I want to a peaceful life. She was speaking in an interview with France 24.

Further sharing the experience of her Hollywood debut xXx: Return of Xander Cage, the Mastani of Bollywood said, it was because of her co-star Vin Diesel that she had all the amazing experiences. Let me set the record straight, he (Vin Diesel) is in love with me. He is adorable. He is the most amazing person I have ever met. He is generous, he is kind and he is the reason I have had all the amazing experiences. He is a friend for life, she said.

The 31-year-old actress grabbed all the eyeballs with her graceful two-day appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. While she wore a jewel-toned maroon creation by Marchesa Notte on Day 1, Day 2 was marked with a minimalistic chick green Brandon Maxwell thigh slit gown.

On the work front, Deepika will next be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati, alongside Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.

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Reports of whether Katrina Kaif would be a part of Thugs of Hindostan or not, were put to rest when actor Aamir Khan tweeted [on May 11] that she is finally on-board. And now, sources have confirmed that the 33-year-old will play the role of a dancer in the film, starring Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. After grooving to crazy beats in Chikni Chameli (Agneepath; 2011) and Kamli (Dhoom 3; 2013), Katrina fans would definitely be in for a treat with her new avatar in the film.

According to a report in DNA, Katrina will have a special dance number in the film that is scheduled to go on floors from June 1. This would be Katrinas second film with actor Aamir Khan, after the two shared screen space in the 2013 film Dhoom 3. Slated to release on Diwali this year, the film also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh, who played the role of Aamirs daughter in his film Dangal (2016).

Earlier, there were reports that Katrina will be playing a British girl in the film, however the makers had refuted these as rumours. Katrina is playing an out and out Indian role and is an integral part of the film. Since this is a period film, it will be her first Indian classical role, Pinkvilla.com had quoted a source as saying.

A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on May 16, 2017 at 12:13am PDT

Meanwhile, Katrina will also be seen alongside actor Salman Khan in Kabir Khans Tiger Zinda Hai and is shooting for the film in Abu Dhabi. Her film Jagga Jasoos, alongside ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor, will release in July this year.

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Overruling the Central Board of Film Certifications (CBFC) refusal to certify late actor Om Puris last film Rambhajjan Zindabad, the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) has recommended an adult certification for the film with a new title Omprakash Zindabad.

The film was denied certification by the CBFC, colloquially known as the Censor Board, ostensibly for being a satire on rape, for explicit and abusive language, and for references to castes and communities.

In its order, the FACT, a tribunal that hears the appeals filed by film makers or producers who are aggrieved by the CBFCs orders, also reproached the CBFC for denying certification to films that are eligible for A (Adult) certificate.

We commend to the CBFC that if a movie examined by it is capable of receiving certification with certain cuts, deletions, modifications and or additions in the disclaimer, then the CBFC may consider apprising the appellant of the same, the FACT headed by Justice Manmohan Sarin has said in its order.

It has also pointed out that doing so would save the appellant and the film producer avoidable expenses and appeal before the FACT, which of late has shown a rising trend.

In April, the FACT had come to the rescue of Lipstick Under by Burkha a film based on the theme of womens sexuality, which had been denied certification on similar grounds  the language was abusive and that it was demeaning to women  by the Pahlaj Nihalani-headed CBFC.

Nihalani, who had been quoted by publications stating that the filmmakers were taking advantage of the late actor Om Puris name, could not be reached for his comment.

In its order on Omprakash Zindabad, a satire based in Uttar Pradesh on the issue of compensation given to rape victims, the FCAT has noted that the films producers have agreed to changes, deletions and muting of objectionable words, along with a change in title, and deserves to be granted an A certificate.

The films title has been changed to Omprakash as a tribute to the late actor.

As many as 19 cuts and edits have been made to the film, which was slated for a January release; among these are muting the words izzat (honour) petticoat and replacing the words forward and backward with amir and gareeb (rich and poor).

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Should bitcoins be banned, regulated or subjected to self-regulation?

The government has sought comments on this question from the public for deciding the viability or other wise of Virtual Currencies (VC) or bitcoins.

Widening the scope of the debate on what is also referred to as Digital/Crypto Currencies, it has invited suggestions on its discussion platform MyGov, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2014.

The circulation of VC has been a cause of concern among central bankers the world over for quite a while now.

It has been expressed in various forums from time to time. Reserve Bank of India had also cautioned the users, holders and traders of VCs, including bitcoins.

In March, the finance ministry had constituted an Inter- Disciplinary Committee to take stock of the present status of VCs both in India and globally and suggest measures for dealing with such currencies.

Whether Virtual Currencies (VCs) should be banned, regulated or observed?, are among the questions posted on the MyGov platform.

In case VCs are suggested to be regulated what measures to promote orderly development of VCs and protect consumer, it has sought to know further.

Suggestions were also invited on how the VCs should be regulated and monitored.

In case VCs are not suggested to be regulated: What should be the effective self-regulatory mechanism? (and) What measures should be adopted to ensure consumer protection in this scenario?, the government asked public comments.

The comments can be made till May 31.

Last week, a domestic app-based bitcoin exchange Zebpay said it has had five lakh downloads on the Android operating system and is adding more than 2,500 users every day.

The company said it launched operations in 2015 to simplify bitcoin trade along with providing a seamless experience to Indian audience.

Bitcoins were in news recently as the global ransomware attack WannaCry infected computers running on older versions of Microsoft operating systems and the cyber criminals were demanded a fee of about USD 300 in crypto-currencies like bitcoin for unlocking the device.

MyGov has more than 1.78 million users and the platform gets more than 10,000 posts per weeks on various issues which are analysed and put together as suggestions for the departments concerned which are able to transform them into actionable agenda.
Oil rose on Monday, bolstered by confidence that top exporters will this week agree to extend supply curbs, with suggestions that the cuts could even be deepened.

Brent crude was up 50 cents at $54.11 a barrel at 0836 GMT, with U.S. light crude also up 50 cents at $50.83.

Both benchmarks have climbed more than 10% from lows hit earlier this month.

Prices have risen on expectations that a pledge by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers, including Russia, to cut supplies by 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) will be extended by six to nine months, instead of covering only the first half of this year.

The decision (to extend cuts) seems to be almost a done deal, said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Markets. There seems to be a very high harmony in the group.

The option of deepening the cuts was also being discussed ahead of a meeting of OPEC and other producers in Vienna on May 25, sources said.

Oil soared ... as rumours swirled that OPEC... was considering recommending the double whammy of a production cut extension and deeper cuts ahead of this Thursdays meeting, said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at futures brokerage OANDA in Singapore.

Deeper cuts are required to balance the market, according to some analysts who point to a slight rise in OPEC exports this year.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said it expects OPEC net oil export revenues to rise in 2017, partly because of slightly higher OPEC output.

But deeper cuts might serve to stimulate U.S. shale production, said Schieldrop at SEB Markets.

If you cut production, its no free lunch. You get something in the short term, but you get a backflip in the medium term, which is more production in 2018 and 2019, Schieldrop said, referring particularly to U.S. shale oil output.

Goldman Sachs says that the U.S. rig count for new oil production has jumped by 404 since May last year, representing a rise of 128%.

U.S. oil production has already climbed by 10%, or almost 900,000 bpd, since mid-2016 to 9.3 million bpd.

(Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein; Editing by David Goodman)
Saudi Aramco is strongly interested in a refining project with Indian state refiners, Dharmendra Pradhan, Indias oil and gas minister, said on Monday.

Were talking to our Saudi Arabian colleagues to invite investment from Aramco, Pradhan said at a Vienna press conference after meeting with Mohammad Barkindo, secretary general of The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

We want to create a global refining industry hub in India.

India, one of the worlds largest energy consumers, has sought to diversify its supply of not only crude but also gasoline and other refined products.

India, which has repeatedly pressed OPEC members for oil price stability, has offered staff and other technical assistance to Aramco, Pradhan said.

Barkindo, who took the top role at OPEC last year, did not directly address the potential Aramco investment in India, but said the group looks forward to rising Indian appetite for OPEC crude.

Our member countries look forward to continued demand growth in India, Barkindo said.
Uday Kotak, the billionaire head of Indias Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, sold a less than 1% stake in the lender in stock market transactions on Monday, complying with a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) order to cut his holding.

The RBI asked Kotak to lower his holding in the bank to 30% by end-June, 20% by end-December next year, and to 15% by March 31, 2020.

On Monday, Kotak sold 18 million shares in the lender for 16.87 billion rupees ($261 million), lowering his ownership of the bank to 29.79%, according to a regulatory filing.

In March, Kotak sold an about 1.5% stake in the bank to Canadas two largest pension funds - Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ).

Earlier this month, the bank raised about $900 million by selling new shares to funds, diluting Kotaks holding further.

Ahead of the deal on Monday, Kotak owned 30.74% of the lender.

Shares in Kotak Mahindra Bank, which has the third-highest market capitalisation among Indias banks, closed 0.4% higher at 941.25 rupees on Monday.
DEHRADUN: The Rudraprayag district magistrate will conduct a probe into the charges against helicopter companies overcharging Chardham pilgrims, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Monday.

He added that complaints regarding the firms charging double the prescribed air fare were brought to his notice. I have asked the district magistrate of Rurdraprayag to initiate a probe if helicopter companies are willfully overcharging airfare from pilgrims visiting the Chardham, Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of the Meet the CM programme at the BJP state office.

Pilgrims were complaining that the helicopter companies were charging Rs 11, 600 each for a trip to the Chardham against the prescribed airfare of Rs 6,500, he said.

Even when I am on tour, I am constantly in touch with the district magistrates of Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi, which constitute the Chardhams, he said, referring to his recent visit to Gangtok. And each complaint that is brought to our notice is taken note of.

Rawat refused to go into criticisms against the excise policy. It is clear from our excise policy that we have reduced the time of liquor sale by eight hours in as many as nine districts. We have imposed 2% cess on sale of liquor, which will be spent on road safety, women welfare and anti-liquor awareness campaign.

The government had ordered some liquor vendors to close shops, he said,reiterating his governments policy to curbing liquor sale. I dont think ban on sale and consumption liquor serves any purpose. During my recent visit to Ranchi, a hotelier told me that the entire tourism business and parties had shifted to Jharkhand due to the liquor ban in Bihar.

Some people were criticising the governments liquor policy for political reasons while others indulge in criticism just for the sake of it, he said.

Rawat dubbed as baseless the Congress allegation that there had been no progress on the CBI probe into the NH-74 land scam because the government was trying to protect a top leader. Had that been the case we wouldnt recommend a probe into that scamAll allegations about the government stonewalling the CBI probe are baseless, he said.

Referring to his Gangtok visit to attend a meeting of the chief ministers, Rawat said it was aimed to give a fillip to development in the frontier areas. It was the first-of-its-kind programme held since Independence, he said.

Rawat said he would interact with BJP workers on every second and fourth Monday. During such interactions with party workers, we get a number of crucial innovative suggestions from them. Besides, they (interactions) also help the government establish a dialogue with people in general and the party workers in particular, he added.

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Its all fun and games till a tragedy strikes. On Friday, Delhi Police took a step ahead in the direction of their campaign against drunk driving by collaborating with several pubs and bars in the city. Taking the message on digital screens inside these places, Delhi Police aims to address the issue where it is most visible. There are three screens at point of sale (the bar counter) and two screens at the most visible parts of the bar. Some of the places on board include Summer House Cafe in Aurobindo Place in Hauz Khas, Teddy Boy in Connaught Place and OTB: Cafe Out Of the Box across the city. The plan is to install these screens in the washrooms as well.

At an event to announce the initiative, Madhur Verma, DCP (crime branch), Delhi, said, This is the first time we are doing this campaign inside the bars. More than 25 bars have associated with us, and we expect more to join soon. We have been told that more than 2 lakh socially-active visitors visit these bars and pubs. He adds that the campaign is aimed at having a double-fold effect. First, when things are reinforced inside the bar, it makes a difference. Secondly, people will appreciate that Delhi Police has got reach inside the bar also, he added. Talking about how they decided to go digital, Verma said, We are using social media as a platform for our campaigns. Delhi Police is bringing about new strategies to use social media at an enhanced level. We do not want to miss any opportunity, and this one is a direct opportunity.

This move will also help strengthen police-public relations, feels Dependra Pathak, special commissioner of police, Delhi. We also intend to do our own advertisement with this kind of content. If we can project police-public interface issues and make people aware about that, it is going to improve the situation, he said.

For women safety, in case the network reception is poor or the app doesnt work, there is the number 100 and 1091 women helpline.

Special commissioner of police, Dependra Pathak and DCP Madhur Verma check out the digital screens. (Amal KS/Hindustan Times)

Gautam Bhirani, founder of Bar Talk, the ones integrating these messages on the screens told us, India is going digital. In a span of a few minutes, you can flash your picture with a dynamic message on these screens. Anyone clicking a picture at the bar who hashtags it will be integrated on the screens. Delhi Police is not only promoting campaign against drunk driving, they have also launched an app for women safety, called Himmat, information about which will also be displayed on the screens. The screens are interactive and play the content in real time. That means, if you tweet, or post something on Facebook from the restaurant, it can be flashed on the screen.

Restaurateurs Priyank Sukhija and Umang Tewari with DCP Madhur Verma. (Amal KS/Hindustan Times)

Priyank Sukhija, who owns 25 restaurants where this campaign is live, said, We, as restaurant owners, are a part of the society where we have a social responsibility. Incidentally, we are in the business to serve alcohol, but to remind people to be responsible, is our part. If you are drunk, we are going to get you a drop back.

Ola, the travel partner for the initiative, plans to incentivise rides by giving discount codes and cashback schemes to guests who book a ride from any of the partner restaurants. It not only promotes the idea of a safe ride home, but also engages the party-goers.

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The anti-corruption branch on Monday called asked water minister Kapil Mishra to join the investigation into the 2012 water tanker scam.

Mishra has been asked to meet the case investigating officer around 11 am on Tuesday, ACB chief MK Meena told reporters. This will be Mishras third visit to the ACB.

I am the main complainant in the case. I have submitted all documents and given a detailed statement. The ACB had interrogated CM Arvind Kejriwals private secretary Bibhav Kumar. They may have some queries and clarification related to Kumars questioning, said Mishra, confirming that he has been asked to join the probe.

Mishra said his complaint is against Kejriwal. The ACB had registered an FIR in the alleged irregularities related to the water tankers during the Congress regime in 2012.

The tanker scam hit headlines early this month after Mishra filed the complaint against Kejriwal, accusing him of the shielding the water mafia and scuttling the report of the fact-finding committee into the scam.

The former minister claimed Kejriwals close associates Bibhav Kumar and Ashish Talwar(partys former Delhi incharge) was allegedly behind delay in the submission of a report into the scam by the five-member committee.

On May 8, when Mishra went to the ACB to lodge his complaint, he had posed for photographs outside and showed a sealed envelope he reportedly later submitted to the ACB.

The envelopes cover read, Confidential. Role of Arvind Kejriwal and his close associates in tanker scam.

In August last year, the anti-graft unit had questioned former CM Sheila Dikshit in connection with the case.

Speaking to a news agency, the former Delhi CM denied any wrongdoing and said Mishras going to ACB was an internal dispute of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Kejriwal is yet to join investigation. The party has also denied any wrongdoing in the case.
The Iranian question continues to keep the geopolitical sands of the Persian Gulf and much of West Asia fluid and unstable. The landslide victory of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani in his re-election bid shows that the majority of Iranians continue to wish for a modern society and support Tehrans attempts to engage with the West and end years of economic isolation. However, Mr Rouhanis return to power has coincided with a speech by the United States president, Donald Trump, accusing Iran of spreading destruction and chaos, fuelling sectarian fires and being a source of regional instability. This bodes poorly for the future of Irans relations with the US and will make it harder for the Gulf to find a political balance between its Sunnis and Shias.

None of this will be welcome to Indias ears. New Delhi has long characterised its Gulf policy as a set of bilateral relations with a diplomatic goal of trying to ensure these separate threads dont get tangled. India has been nervous at the spread of sectarian hatred and religious extremism across West Asia. It is in Indias interests that Iran be brought in from the cold. Sanctions were helpful in bringing Tehran to accept the nuclear deal with the West. But sanctions will have the opposite effect on Iran when it comes to its involvement in Syria and Yemen. A policy of engagement makes more sense as Tehran sees its interests there in geopolitical terms. While Iran is now free of international sanctions, those imposed by the US remain in place and remain a major hindrance to India and other countries that wish to trade and invest in Iran.

The Trump administration has so far not taken any steps to walk away from the nuclear deal, but by throwing in its lot so strongly with Saudi Arabia and Israel it has weakened the US ability to act as a go-between and ensure regional stability  which is what a strategically-minded superpower would want to be. Iran is not an easy customer. Its record of making fiery and self-defeating threats against Israel, continuing anti-American rhetoric and earlier terror attacks against US targets means it has few friends in Washington.

Even India struggles to win friends and influence people in Iran because in the latter are multiple centres of power. But the re-election of Mr Rouhani and what he represents should be seen as evidence that a large part of that country still hopes to be accepted as a normal member of the global community and, therefore, engaging Iran still remain a viable long-term strategy.
Happiness lasted only a few hours for Fatehabads Monika Rani after the Haryana Education Board, Bhiwani, declared the wrong merit list on Monday at about 4pm.

According to the earlier results, Monika from Bhirdana village had topped Haryana, scoring 493 marks out of 500. Soon after, the list was withdrawn, with a new merit list declared later Monday evening.

While Monika, who wants to become a neurologist, refused to comment on the matter, her father Het Ram, a farmer by profession, said, This is a big joke done.

Haryana Board withdraws HBSE Class 10 exam result over merit list goof-up, suspends 2 employees

According to the new results, Yudhveer Singh of Lehranwali village in Sirsa has topped Haryana, scoring 499 out of 500 marks.

Talking with Hindustan Times, Yudhveers father Jasbir Singh said, We are happy, but are also feeling bad for the Fatehabad girls who got first and joint third position in results. I am a farmer by profession, but I can understand the feelings. I am also feeling proud of my son, he added.

Yudhveers mother Sarbjeet Kaur and brother Navdeep Singh also expressed their happiness. Yudhveer is a hard worker and a bright student. He studied for more than eight hours a day, they said. I want to become a pilot and I will study harder in the future, Yudhveer, a student of VN Senior Secondary School, said.

Goof-up

According to the first results declared by Haryana Board of Education, three girls from Fatehabad district  Monika Rani of Bhirdana village, Sakshi Karwasra of village Bhutankalan and Anjali of Tohana town  figured at the top three ranks.

Sakshis father Balwant Karwasra and Anjalis father Krishan Kumar refused to comment on the matter. But, Sakshi said she will get her answer sheet rechecked.
The Majha region of Punjab recorded the highest pass percentage in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class 10 board examinations, the results of which were declared on Monday, even though the state toppers do not belong to the 4 districts in the area.

Gurdaspur led the region with a pass percentage of 89.97, Amritsar with 83.95, Tarn Taran 80.62 and Pathankot 76.42. The topper from the region is Simranjeet Kaur, a student from Amritsar, with 97.54% marks.

There were 46 students from the Majha region in the merit list - 23 in Amritsar district, 12 in Gurdaspur, 8 in Tarn Taran, and 3 in Pathankot.

District education officer (SE) Amardeep Singh Saini told the Hindustan Times 15 girl students were among the 23 in the merit list from Amritsar and that it is a matter of pride.

In Gurdaspur, 22,962 students appeared for the exam out of 19,970 passed and in Amritsar 30,973 took it and 26,003 cleared. In Tarn Taran, 16,371 appeared and 13,198 passed and the least number of students - 8192 - appeared from Pathankot out of which 6260 passed.

Majha topper wants to teach

Apart from being a region topper, Simranjeet Kaur has bagged the 9th rank in the state. Kaur, the daughter of a driver, said she was always supported and backed by her father to shine throughout.

Scoring 634/650 was not a cake walk. I have put in a lot of hard work day and night to score that well. I owe my success to my teachers as I was not dependent on any tuition. I am currently pursuing non-medical and would become a meritorious professor one day, Simranjeet, a student of Navjot Modern Senior Secondary School, said.

The second position in the region was bagged by Devans Chand from Sacred touch Public High School with a 96.92% marks and Ishika Tripathi from New Lawrence High School scored 96.77% to get the third rank.

The same score was achieved by Tarn Taran girl Kajalpreet Kaur from BGSUS Senior Secondary School Khadoor Sahib (629/650).

Shruti Vohra, a student of Ropars DAV Public Senior Secondary School, secured 98.77% to top the Class 10 board exams.

Of the 3,30,437 candidates, 1,90,001 cleared the exam and as many as 37,963 students scored 80% and above marks. With a pass percentage of 63.97, girls in the state were ahead of boys, whose pass percentage is 52. 35.

The overall pass percentage this year slipped to 57.50 as against 72.25 last year.

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In the Class 10 examinations conducted by Punjab School Education Board, all the top five positions, in terms of pass percentage went to the schools located in the border districts of Punjab. Similar trend was witnessed in the XII results where schools in border schools performed better than the other districts.

Gurdaspur topped among the 22 districts with 86.97 pass percentage followed by Amritsar with 83.95 and Taran Taran with 80.62. The pass percentage of Pathankot is 76.42 and Ferozpur is 66.01.

The pass percentage in Sangrur is lowest with 42.85 and SAS Nagar second lowest with 44.73.

Ludhiana, which has the maximum students, 113 out of 379, in the merit list did not have an impressive pass percentage. The pass percentage is 48.96.

Patiala bagged second position with 52 students making it to the overall merit list. The districts pass percentage is 47.72. There are 23 students from Amritsar and 21 from Gurdaspur in the merit list.

Among the lowest are Fazilka and SAS Nagar with two students each in the merit list. Pathankot had just three while Muktsar and Kapurthala have just 4 students each in the merit list.

The PSEB chairman Balbir Singh Dhol said the pass percentage has improved and as usual the districts which have more options such as CBSE and other boards have not fared well in exams.

Pass percentage of languages

The maximum pass percentage among languages is in Punjabi (93.35%), followed by Hindi (92.46%) and English (78.68%). In Social Science the pass percentage is as high as 85.38%, whereas in Science the pass percentage is 78.83%. Mathematics has the lowest pass percentage of 71.82%.

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One of the most annoying workplace habits is being perpetually late. Being late can cause havoc in your professional life. It can destroy your professional reputation as it can make you look unprofessional, unreliable and a work shirker. It also creates the impression that you only play by your own rules and you are not a team player. If you have wondered why some people are always late, here are the answers. We got in touch with experts who list out the possible reasons for chronic lateness.

Perception of time

Few people perceive time differently. For them, time moves slow.

A study by a psychology professor from San Diego State University, US, Jeff Conte in 2001, suggested that some people have a slow internal clock compared to others. It means that their perception of time is slow when compared to others. People, for whom time runs slow, need to keep a constant check on their watch to ensure that they dont get late, says Dr. Manish Jain, psychiatrist.

Zoned out

Multi-tasking is one of the major reasons why people zone out.

One of the most common reasons for being late is being zoned out. Sometimes, when people focus their attention on a particular task, they tend to zone out, losing track of time in that process. If this is the case, then be proactive and set yourself a timer for every task. This will ensure that you only devote the required time for a task and dont zone out, says Dr. Anil Sethi, psychologist.

Miscalculating time

Dont trust your internal clock if you miscalculate time.

Some people just have bad judgment about how much time certain tasks will require. For example, while going to office, some people will take a route that has traffic jam thinking they wont encounter it, only to get late because of it. These people think that rush hour wont affect them. They underestimate time. Their internal clock doesnt work. If this is the case, then dont trust your internal clock. If your internal clock suggests a time period of 10 minutes for a certain task, then realistically it will take 20 minutes for that task, states Dr. Jain.

Sleep deprivation

Dont compromise on your sleep as it can make you disoriented.

The most unknown reason for people being always late is sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep makes you irritable and prone to error of judgments. And this [also] results in you reaching late to work. Sleep deprivation can also distort your sense of reality. Create a schedule, follow it and sleep on time, says Dr Jain.

Addicted to the rush

Procrastination also causes chronic lateness.

Some people are late because thats their set pattern. They get a rush from doing things last minute. Few people do this intentionally while some do this unintentionally. The rush lasts for a short time. Overall, its not healthy as it creates a situation of stress and panic. You might succeed accomplishing tasks last minute few times but not always. Sooner or later, youll end up failing spectacularly. If you dont value time then it wont value you as well, states Dr Sethi.

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Haryanas chief secretary (CS) DS Dhesi has warned the district administration officials of Gurgaon of strict action if the Hero Honda chowk sees a repeat of waterlogging this monsoon.

The memory of Gurgaon almost coming to standstill last July when the Hero Honda Chowk was waterlogged due to rain is still fresh in many minds. Dhesi held a progress review meeting with the district administration on widening of the Khandsa drain on Saturday.

The drain is roughly 40km long and passes through the city from Ghata to Najafgarh drain via Hero Honda Chowk.

After crossing national highway (NH) 8 near Hero Honda Chowk the drain turns into a chicken neck and fails to carry out the rainwater in a heavy downpour.

A a result, the NH-8 portion between Hero Honda Chowk and Kherkidaula turns mess every monsoon . Last year, the situation went out of control in terms of waterlogging, forcing chief minister Manohar Lal to take an aerial view of the situation on Gurgaons roads.

Ahead of the rains this year, Dhesis visit is understood as a warning to the district administration at the behest of the chief minister, to take necessary steps to prevent waterlogging.

The Badshahpur drain widening work in Khandsa village, expected to help prevent waterlogging, was planned on a war footing by the Haryana urban development authority (Huda), but the work is yet to begin.

D Suresh, divisional commissioner, Gurgaon, said that the CS has asked Huda to arrange for motor pumps, desilting of nullahs and other necessary measures to tackle waterlogging near Khandsa.

He gave clear instructions to officials in this regard, said Suresh.

Speaking on Dhesis meeting, Hardeep Singh, deputy commissioner, Gurgaon said, It was a review of the progress on Badshahpur drain to water from collecting on NH-8. He directed us to speed up the work as fast as possible.

He also asked Huda to get the Khandsa bottleneck cleared by offering alternative plots to the owners whose structures are in the way of widening the drain, he added.

Badshahpur drain is 30 metres in width but narrows to less than 10 metres width when it enters Khandsa.

Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said, We have made special provisions to resolve the waterlogging.

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The newly opened U-turn on the Hero Honda Chowk on national highway (NH) 8 is expected to halve the travel time on the seven-km stretch from Rajiv Chowk to Kherki Daula toll plaza, bringing it down to 15 minutes.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which constructed the U-turn, opened it to the public for a 24-hour trial on Friday. After the trial was found successful, the authority erected an overheard barrier to restrict heavy vehicles taller than 3.5 metres from taking the U-turn.

The U-turn will be used for traffic coming from Jaipur. Vehicles that have to cross the highway after passing through the Kherki Daula toll plaza can now take the U-turn at Hero Honda Chowk. They will not need to go to Rajiv Chowk to take a U-turn. That is why it has been built some 50 metres away from the centre of the under-construction flyover towards Kherki Daula, said a senior NHAI official.

Traffic coming from Sector 33/34, Subhash Chowk and Rajiv Chowk can also use this turn.

I work at Infocity in Sector 34 and on my way back in the evening, I can now take this exit to cross the highway and take a right and then left towards Sector 10. I will not need to travel three kilometres on the wrong side on the highways service lane towards Rajiv Chowk and then take the underpass, said Sunil Chauhan, a Sector 9A resident.

HT had reported about the U-turn on May 12. The Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) had asked NHAI to build it on May 11.

It is to help in a big way. The U-turn will save commuters time and distance travelled and will also decongest traffic at Kherki Daula toll. We are to connect the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and the Central Peripheral Road (CPR) somewhere close to Kherki Daula, which will add to the traffic volume. However, the U-turn will ease the traffic till the time the under-construction cloverleaf flyover at Hero Honda Chowk and underpass are opened for traffic, said Yashpal Yadav, Huda administrator.

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Meat shop owners in Jacobpura meat market held a protest on Monday at the Mini Secretariat in Gurgaon against pressure tactics allegedly adopted by some people in the area to get the market shifted.

According to members of the Jacobpura meat market association, while the market has been around for the last 70 years, there are now some people who are forcing them to keep their shops closed till the market is shifted somewhere else.

There are 15 shops selling chicken, mutton and fish in the Jacobpura market where around 500 persons are directly or indirectly connected with the trade. The market association said it wants the government to protect them from the people intimidating the shop owners in the area.

Traders and members of the association alleged that for the past three to four days, groups of people roaming in the area have been intimidating and threatening them, thus preventing them from running their shops.

We have been in this trade for many years and there is nothing else we can do. How am I supposed to survive? asked Rajesh, who works in a meat shop.

We are ready to shift the market provided the government provides us with an alternative space. The administration has also given us one and half months to get the licences required, said Pritam Bhagat, president of the market association.

On May 5, the state government had announced that strict action would be taken against shops selling meat without the required permissions from the authorities.

An official of the district administration said that they will look into the matter and the issues raised by the meat shop owners.
Annoyed with long power outages, residents of affected sectors are trying to mobilise other residents on the issue and are thinking of meeting deputy commissioner (DC) Hardeep Singh.

Residents of sectors 55, 56, 52, 14, 17, 21, 23, 27, 28, 45 and others have been dealing with power cuts that last from five to seven hours on an average. Many parts of the city have to gone through 14-hour power cuts in the last two days. The cuts are taking place despite assurances of uninterrupted electricity supply by power discom Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitaran Nigam (DHBVN).

Residents are raising the issue on social media and are thinking of giving a representation to the DC to improve the situation.

The DHBVN has failed to improve power distribution. The time has come to privatise power distribution on the lines of Delhi. The power cuts have been massive this year. This weekend, we did not have electricity for 10 hours. This is intolerable; such massive power cuts are purely a failure of the department, said Charu Jain, a social activist and Sector 55 resident, who is among those trying to arrange a meeting with the DC.

The time has come to fix the problem. Power tripping and long outages are affecting children who are trying to do their holiday homework, she said.

Tanmay Kumar Dey, a Sector 52 resident, said, Electricity went off at 6pm Sunday and returned at 8am on Monday. It only lasted for half an hour and again went off for two hours. In the past three to four weeks, power cuts have been stretching from seven to eight hours daily on an average. DHBVN officials are negligent in handling the situation. There should be action against erring officials.

It is sad that the DHBVN has not been able to improve its infrastructure. Power tripping continues to take place 10 to 15 times a day, resulting in long outages, said Sector 45 resident Sanjiv Saxena.

On Sunday, Gurgaon and other NCR areas received strong winds, resulting in damage to electricity wires and poles due to trees or branches falling.

Sanjiv Chopra, chief engineer, DHBVN, said, There were disturbances in the supply after the storm, but we restored the situation after the wind stopped.

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Twenty-five Indian doctors and their families, stuck in a hotel in Chinas Shenzhen city after their travel agent failed to pay the Chinese tour operator, will travel to India on Tuesday.

They are in Macau and will travel to Mumbai tomorrow, an Indian official at the Consulate in Guangzhou told IANS.

Macau is a Special Administrative Region of China.

The doctors are from Mumbai and were on a trip to China with their families.

According to a news report, Chinese tour operators refused to facilitate their return until their fee is paid after their Mumbai tour operator failed to make payments.

The doctors claimed the hotel authorities asked them to vacate their rooms on Sunday and forced them to remain in the lobby until they paid the entire money.
At 80, Jamaluddins memory is fading but he still remembers May 22, 1987 like it was yesterday.

Wo humaare aur humaare bachchon ke liye qayamat ka din tha qayamat ka (It was a day of doom for us and our children), Jamaluddin, who uses only one name, tells HT.

Thirty years ago, he lost his eldest son Qamaruddin allegedly to the bullets of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) of Uttar Pradesh.

The armed police team allegedly rounded up hundreds of Muslim men in Meeruts Hashimpura locality, picked out some of them, drove them to nearby water bodies in a truck and shot each of them. The force had been attacked a day before, during Hindu-Muslim riots, and apparently wanted to teach the community a lesson, activists say.

Historians and experts later described the killings as among Indias worst incidents of custodial violence. The trial began only in 1996, and two years ago all accused were cleared of all charges by a trial court in what activists have called a grave miscarriage of justice.

It took 28 years for the judgment to come and all of them were acquitted. It was a terrible day for us, Hazra, a 72-year-old woman who lost her eldest son, recounts.

Back in Hashimpura, a crumbling Muslim-majority neighbouring in the heart of Meerut, residents struggle to move on. Timber shops and textile workshops jostle for space in the maze of narrow streets with cheek-by-jowl tenements.

They dragged a man outside, shot him and threw him into the water. That sight caused mayhem. It was then that we realised that they had brought us here to kill us. When everyone refused to be dragged out of the truck, they opened fire at all of us. It was a bloodbath, says Babuddin, a textile worker now in his forties.

He says he was a teenager originally from Darbhanga in Bihar, and one of the few people who survived the alleged massacre. Babuddin became a witness in the trial that ended in 2015 with the acquittal of all accused on account of insufficient evidence.

Babuddin, a textile worker, was a teenager when the incident took place and became a witness in the trial. (HT photo)

A challenge to the verdict is pending before the Delhi high court.

We have asked for certain additional documents from the state that were relevant but had not been presented in the trial. The date is now fixed for 13th of July, said Vrinda Grover, advocate for the victims.

Many of the families arent hopeful of a breakthrough and say that the investigation was shoddy. It seems that the job of the investigative agencies was to defend and protect the people responsible for Hashimpura, says then Meerut superintendent of police Vibhuti Narain Rai who has written a book on the incident.

Back in Hashimpura, the local population is still traumatised from memories of that day and says that the PAC was organised and planned in its operation. The locality is almost U-shaped, making it difficult for people to flee, and the constant hum of handloom machines is a daily companion. Most houses are rundown with flaking paint, as if local residents have given up hope of a better life.

The spot near the Hindon where the Muslim residents of Hashimpura were brought by the PAC and shot. (HT photo)

My husband was reading the Quran. The PAC came, took away the book from him and told him to step outside. They said he would be back in two minutes. It has been thirty years now, said Zareena Bano, 68, with tears in her eyes. She lost her husband and her teenage son.

According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of men were sent to prison for weeks where they were interrogated and beaten up. There were no charges against any of us. They were beating us up just because we were Muslims, said Riyazuddin, who was amongst those sent to prison, when he was 14.

Babuddin says the killings happened in two phases  the first at the Gang Canal of Muradnagar, 40 minutes away from Hashimpura, and the second at the Hindon.

Babuddin says he was shot in his chest. Miraculously, he managed to survive. I was still alive when I was thrown into the river. I knew how to swim so I made way to a big rock and hid there. From there I could see how the PAC kept on killing people.

But despite the trial and the setbacks, some are hopeful in Hashimpura. Allah is watching everything. The accused know what they have done. The truth will come out one day, Zareena says.
After his Mann Ki Baat, it is time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to Jan Ki Baat  or voice of people. Of many things that Modi government has planned to mark its third anniversary in power, it plans to receive feedback through a programme called Jan Ki Baat.

This facility will be available at Making of Developed India Festival  or MODI Fest  that the government has planned countrywide as part of the celebration between May 26 and June 15.

There will be a special arrangement for Jan ki Baat at every Modi fest so as people can send their message directly to the PM, Union textiles minister Smriti Irani said.

The apps of Modi government schemes will be available for download at the fest, Irani said.

Mann ki Baat is a monthly radio programme through which the Prime Minister shares his views on a particular subject.

A festival of democracy will be organized at 900 places across the country to mark the third anniversary of the government. Apart from Modi fest, government has also planned a Sabka Saath sabka Vikas Conference of the beneficiaries of the Modi government schemes.

The Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas Conference will draw beneficiaries of the Modi government schemes. The government claims more than 25 crore people have been brought under the banking system through Jan Dhan Yojana.

During the festival of democracy, all chief ministers of BJP-ruled states will travel to the regions where the party is not in power.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will go to Bihar to highlight achievements of the NDA government. Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh will go to West Bengal, another state where the BJP is making a desperate bid to get a foothold. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will be in Kerala, while Haryanas Manohar Lal Khattar, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and Madhya Pradeshs Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be in Telangana, Tripura and Odisha, respectively.

About 450 leaders of the BJP will take part in the anniversary celebration, said BJP general secretary Arun Singh. Each one of them will attend two events.

All seven fronts of the party  Youth, ST, SC, OBC, Women and others  will also undertake programmes targeting their audiences. Cleanliness drives and public meetings are also being planned during this period.

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A special court in Guwahati on Monday pronounced all 14 accused, including former militants, elected representatives and government officials, as guilty in the first 2 cases registered by National Investigation Agency (NIA) related to terror-funding in Assam.

Special judge Rabin Phukan held the 13 accused in the first case and 2 in the second guilty of the all charges. One of the accused died during the hearing of the case.

The court would decide on the quantum of punishment on Tuesday.

The cases involve siphoning of several crores of Assam government funds to Dima Halim Daogah (Jewel), an Assam-based terror outfit now disbanded, for procurement of arms from abroad to carry out their activities.

A chargesheet was filed against 15 accused including Jewel Garlosa, former chairman of the DHD (J), outfits former commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai, the former chief executive member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) Mohet Hojai and RH Khan, a senior government officer. A supplementary chargesheet was filed in 2011 against another accused.

Mohet Hojai and other accused public servants, along with accused contractors committed criminal misconduct and defalcated huge sums of money from the funds available with the NCHAC, the chargesheet stated.

The agency registered the cases on June 5, 2009, after the investigation of 2 separate cases registered by Assam Police relating to recovery of a large amount of unaccounted cash were handed over to it.

The matter came to light following the arrest of 2 men, Phojendro Hojai and Babul Kemprai, both DHD (J) cadres, with Rs 1 crore in cash and arms in Guwahati in April 2009. The case was later handed over to NIA, which was formed after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks to investigate terror-related crimes across states, in June.

During its investigation, the NIA found the DHD (J) used elected representatives of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), government officials and contractors to siphon off crores of rupees meant for development work abroad using hawala networks.

The money was later used to procure arms for the outfit and carry out attacks on security forces and civilians.

The agency also recovered several weapons procured with the siphoned money during its investigation. They included 5 M-16 rifles made in Singapore and 1 9mm Beretta pistol.

The money was later channelised through hawala operators in Guwahati and Kolkata to arms smugglers who smuggled in arms and supplied to the DHD (J) to carry out acts of terror, it added.

In the second case, 3 people including members of the NCHAC were arrested following a recovery of over Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash from the car they were travelling in.

Both cases were tried together by the special court.

The DHD (J) was formally disbanded on November 27, 2012, after a 15-year long insurgency to create a separate state called Dimaraji comprising Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills (now renamed as Dima Hasao) districts of Assam.

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A CBI special court, at the north Bihar district headquarters town of Muzaffarpur, on Monday, issued a production warrant against former Siwan MP and senior RJD leader Md Shahabuddin, in a case pertaining to the murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, at Siwan in north Bihar, in May last year.

Hearing a petition for production warrant, filed by a DSP rank investigating officer, the court of special CBI judge Anupam Kumari granted the prayer and asked CBI officials to produce the former MP through video conferencing, on May 26.

Shahabuddin is lodged at present in the high security Tihar jail in New Delhi, as per a Supreme Court direction, on appeal from Ranjans widow and other complainants

The RJD ex-MPs name was mentioned by an accused, Md. Kaif, during his interrogation, in the context of the killing of Ranjan, who was shot dead near the Siwan railway station under town police station, on May 13 last year.

Court sources told HT that the IO of the case, Sunil Singh Rawat, urged the court to grant the warrant after finding material evidence against the former MP in the killing of Ranjan.

In his petition, Rawat has stated that the investigating team had collected sufficient evidence concerning the murder of Rajdeo. Hence, the court should grant a production warrant against Shahabuddin for interrogation to unravel the truth behind the murder, the sources said.

Special public prosecutor AH Khan, who accompanied Rawat to the court, refused to divulge details about the investigation findings to media persons.

A legal expert of local court, requesting anonymity, said the production warrant was issued only when the court was satisfied with the evidence indicated to be in the CBIs possession, against the alleged persons.

The CBI officials initiated the investigation against Shahabuddin after a writ petition was filed in the apex court by Asha Ranjan, wife of the slain scribe. The Supreme court directed the CBI officials to probe the case, including the role of Shahabuddin, after hearing the petition.

Notably, two of the seven accused persons in the scribe murder case, Md Kaif alias Bunty and Javed Bhatt alias Javed Mian, were granted bails by the court as the CBI failed to file formal charge sheets against them within the deadline of 90 days.
A man, on bail in a murder case of his brother, bludgeoned his wife to death allegedly for delay in serving him breakfast in Bihars Muzaffarpur district, 71 km north of state capital, Patna.

The incident, that took place on Sunday morning at Mohammadpur Sura village in Gaighat police station area, nearly 40 km east of Muzaffarpur, came to light when accused Subodh Rai, 55, reported the crime to his children.

Rai was arrested after his son Rishi Kumar informed the police about the incident.

The police recovered the body of Krishna Devi, 50, from Rais house and sent it to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hosptial, Muzaffarpur, for autopsy.

READ| In Bihars Muzaffarpur, mom sets afire three year old son for refusing to serve water

According to the FIR registered on the statement of Kumar, Rai and Devi had exchanged heated words in the morning over delay in serving breakfast. The matter was then settled after we and one of my uncles intervened. Son after my father had his lunch, he told us that he again entered into an argument with my mother when she was feeding cattle and, in a fit of rage, started hitting her with a brick. She died instantly, Kumar said in his complaint.

Kumar, eldest of Rais four children, said in the FIR that before narrating the incident Rais behavior was normal and he also had his bath.

READ| Bihar: Man kills wife for delay in serving food, arrested

Confirming the killing, senior superintendent of police Vivek Kumar said Rai had a criminal antecedent. He had killed one of his brothers 10 years back in a similar fashion and was currently on bail, the SSP said.

Gaighat police station SHO Rajesh Chaudhury said police were interrogating Rai for more details about the incident. But, he was maintaining silence since the incident, said Chaudhury.
A Twitter war broke out in the BJP on Monday as two senior leaders took potshots at each other over the partys campaign against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad.

Enough of negative politics & mudslinging by opponents on our political leaders, be it Kejriwal, Laloo Yadav or Sushil Modi, BJP parliamentarian Shatrughan Sinha tweeted.

High time to substantiate your claim...or pack up. Cant just keep feeding media with one night stories & sensationalising. Enough is enough.

BJPs Bihar leader Sushil Kumar Modi reacted with anger, sending out several tweets denouncing Sinha and demanding his expulsion from the party.

Sinha, a Bollywood actor-turned-politician from Bihar, had embarrassed the party on earlier occasions also, criticising senior leaders and taking contradictory stands.

The MP from Patna Saheb, Sinha was ignored by the party during the 2015 Bihar assembly polls for what the party believed was his close rapport with Lalu Parasad and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar. Sinha was not part of the partys campaign team.

The Kumar-led alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress trounced BJP in the polls.

In another tweet, Sinha wrote, Our BJP surely believes in honesty & transparency, which seldom go together, but must go together. An allegation is only that unless proved!

The BJP has attacked Lalu, accusing him of amassing assets in the name of his children that is disproportionate to their known sources of income. The income tax department has raided several locations over the charges.

Sinha said he holds all political leaders, especially Kejriwal, in high esteem for their credibility, struggle & commitment.

Kejriwal is also in the line of BJPs fire for allegedly benefiting one of his relatives through a government contract. One of his former ministerial colleague, Kapil Mishra, too, has accused the AAP founder of taking Rs 2 crore in cash from another minister, Satyendar Jain.

The star-politicians defence of the two leaders did not go well with Sushil Kumar Modi, who asked the party to show the doors to traitors.

BJPs Shatru has jumped to the defence of the benami properties of Lalu who is not even being defended by Nitish Kumar, Modi tweeted, using one part of the actor-politicians name which translates to enemy.

It is not necessary to trust every popular person. The traitors should be show the doors at the earliest.

Sinha, who earned the sobriquet Shotgun for his famous filmy retort khamosh (be silent), responded to Modis charge, saying that positive and constructive criticism should not be taken as rebellion.

Some people who are wholly & solely responsible for our partys debacle in Bihar are today crying hoarse, hoping to regain their lost image at the cost of some senior and popular colleagues who have an impeccable image, Sinha said.

Sinha asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah to take note of the unparliamentarily utterances of some people against a senior and party loyalist.

Sycophants criticise for the sake of criticism & get low & personal. I pray that God should spare them for they know not what they speak, he wrote in another tweet.

But Sushil Kumar Modi was unrelenting.

BJPs Shatru had boycotted the campaign in 2005, but we formed the government, he said on the micro blogging site, in an apparent reference to Sinhas decision to abstain from campaign after he was not named as the BJPs chief ministerial face.

Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav  facing graft charges -- came in support of Sinha to target Modi.

Jo apko Shatru kahta hai wah khud Sushil kaise hua. Unhe BJP mein aap aur Kirti Azad jaise aneko chune huye janpratinidhiyo se samasya hai (How can one who calls you an enemy, be a gentleman. He (Modi) has problem with all elected representatives, like you and Kiri Azad, in the BJP), Yadav tweeted in reply to Sinha.

Chief spokesperson of ruling alliance, JD (U)s Sanjay Singh, also backed Sinha, saying the man who launched BJP when it was merely a party of two MPs has been sidelined within the party. This reflects character of BJP.

Sinha had earlier termed the PMs decision to hold a road show during the UP assembly elections as a sign of desperation and termed demonetisation a well intended but badly executed move.
The Army has asked the government to consider building tunnels akin to the English Channel under the Brahmaputra because bridges can be targeted by enemy forces.

This recommendation comes less than a week before Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the 9.15-km Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Lohit  a tributary of the Brahmaputra  on May 26. Once opened, it will be the longest bridge in the country.

Lt Gen DS Ahuja, commanding officer of an Army setup in Shillong, said enemies invariably target strategic bridges in a bid to snap communication and disrupt the movement of troops, supplies and weaponry. Bridges become primary targets during wars. We could do with tunnels under the Brahmaputra, which virtually divides much of the Northeast into equal halves, he said at a two-day road show of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in the Assam capital on Monday.

Constructing two tunnels near Guwahati and Dibrugarh would be ideal, he added.

India has witnessed a palpable straining of ties with Pakistan and China in recent times, and air chief marshall BS Dhanoa has already asked IAF officers to be combat-ready.

Naveen Verma, secretary of the Department of North Eastern Region, said the idea of building such tunnels had come up during an informal discussion. It may be taken forward, he added.

While India already has three bridges across the river, a fourth  Bogibeel  is under construction.

The IWAI is also focussing on reviving river shipping, which was the most popular mode of transportation in the Northeast before Indias partition in 1947. An agreement on passenger and cruise services along coastal and protocol routes between New Delhi and Dhaka has fuelled hopes of reviving river routes in the region.

We are promoting business opportunities in areas such as dredging and cargo service on the Brahmaputra through Bangladesh. We are also negotiating with Bhutan to establish transport facilities on rivers such as Aie, Beki and Manas, IWAI chairperson Nutan Guha Biswas told HT.

An 891-km stretch of the Brahmaputra, from Dhubri in the west to Sadiya in the east, has been designated as national waterway no 1. Southern Assams Barak river, which caters to Mizoram and Manipur, is another important national waterway.

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A Special CBI Court in Delhi sentenced on Monday former coal secretary HC Gupta, convicted along with others in a Madhya Pradesh coal block allocation case, to two-year imprisonment.

Two former coal ministry officials -- KS Kropha and KC Samria -- were also handed two-year jail terms in the case of allocation of Thesgora B/Rudrapuri coal block to Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd (KSSPL).

The court also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh each on the former officials.

KSSPL managing director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia was slapped with three years in jail and a fine of Rs 30 lakh, and the company was directed to pay a fine of Rs one crore.

Later, all convicts were granted bail on furnishing personal bonds of Rs one lakh and a surety of like amount each to enable them to appeal to the high court against their conviction.

On May 19, Central Bureau of Investigation special judge Bharat Parashar held guilty Gupta, Kropha, Samria, the accused firm KSSPL and Ahluwalia of cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI had accused the company and others of misrepresenting facts, including inflating net worth, to acquire the coal block.

Gupta is facing trial in nine cases relating to the allocation of various coal blocks.

It was the third judgment by the special court exclusively dealing with the coal block allocation cases.

Over 20 other cases investigated by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are pending in court.

On April 4, 2016, the court awarded four-year jail terms to two directors of Jharkhand Ispat Pvt. Ltd. in a coal block allocation case.

On July 27, 2016, the court awarded three-year jail terms to two senior officials of Delhi-based Rathi Steel and Power Ltd. in a coal block allocation case.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha on Monday appeared before a court in New Delhi, which summoned them as accused after taking cognizance of the CBI chargesheet against him for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth around Rs 10 crore.

Pratibha and other accused, who have been charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the case, have sought bail, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

The probe agency asked for time to file a reply to the bail pleas from the court which fixed the matter for argument on May 29, PTI said.

The chargesheet, running into over 500 pages, claims that Singh amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate by 192% to his total income during his tenure as a Union steel minister.

The final report, filed against Singh and 8 others for abetment and forgery and under the prevention of corruption act, arrayed around 225 witnesses and 442 documents.

Singhs wife withdrew her application on May 1 from a special court in which she had urged the court not to take cognisance of the CBI chargesheet filed against the couple into a disproportionate assets case. She also alleged that the CBI hadnt obtained permission from the state government to procure documents used to prepare the chargesheet.

Her counsel had on April 24 requested whether witnesses and documents that were collected during the investigation could be part of the chargesheet and if the court could read them for taking cognisance.

A day after being booked by the CBI special court, the chief minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring against him and asserted that all charges against him were fabricated.

Besides the 82-year-old Congress leader and his wife, those asked to appear as accused were Chunni Lal Chauhan, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, Lawan Kumar Roach and Ram Prakash Bhatia.

The report also named Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) agent Anand Chauhan, who is in judicial custody at present, as accused. Chauhan was arrested by Enforcement Directorate on July 9 last year in a separate money laundering case related to the present case.

The Supreme Court transferred the case to the Delhi high court, which on April 6, 2016, asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.

On November 5 last year, the apex court transferred Singhs plea from the Himachal Pradesh high court to the Delhi high court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but simply transferring the petition in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment.

(With agency report)
Top leaders of the Hizbul Mujahideen are trying a patch-up with their former Kashmir commander Zakir Rashid Bhat who severed ties with the militant group a few days ago, intelligence agencies have said.

Bhat, better known by his alias Musa, released audio messages 10 days ago announcing his exit after the leadership criticised him for threatening to behead Hurriyat leaders for saying the separatist movement in the Valley was political and not religious in nature.

The goal of militants and separatists should be to establish Islamic rule, the 23-year-old engineering dropout had said.

The Kashmiri militant group is yet to name his successor.

Jammu and Kashmirs Intelligence agencies see the delay as a sign of his subordinates reluctance to take Bhats position, which would amount to picking sides in a feud between their former commander and senior leadership.

Sources in intelligence say Bhats departure was not because of ideological differences, as claimed by him. He and the Pakistan-based leadership didnt agree on the groups activities in the Valley.

Inputs suggest that orders passed on to Zakir (Bhat) and his team were not implementable and strategies formulated by him were not entirely acceptable to Pakistan-based leaders, a security official in Kashmir said.

These revelations, shared within the border states security establishment, are part of the intelligence agencies reading of the Hizbul feud.

Political murders and killings of those considered close to the establishment drove the two apart.

The difference of opinion being whether intimidation and political killings are the best way to sustain militancy in the valley, said a security official.

The other issue was funds.

Bhat wanted to step up activities and sought support from the outfits Pakistan-based leaders. Owing to the tightening grip of security agencies, funding of militant groups has taken a major hit, the official said.

The Kashmir Valley has seen a series of bank robberies in the last few months. Police have blamed them on Hizbul and Lashkar-e-Taiba, looking for funds to carry out attacks, buy weapons and pay informers.

A resident of Pulwama in south Kashmir, the hotbed of militancy, Bhat took over from Burhan Wani who was gunned down by security forces on July 8, 2016, triggering months of violence and street protests.

Our intention should be that, we have to achieve azadi to establish Islamic rule and not for secular state. If we are fighting for secular state then my blood wont be spilled for that purpose, he said in an audio message on May 13, announcing his exit.

Intelligence community in Kashmir point to Wani and Bhats contrasting leadership styles. While Wani used social media to influence youth to join militancy, Bhat used the medium to project a hardened stand against local police and their so-called informers.

Evoking Islam, jihad, Caliphate is not new to militant outfits in Kashmir. Insurgency here is also shaped by local realities such as shelter, funding, a network of informers, the security official said.

Agencies are keeping a close watch on the situation.

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The BJP rubbished on Monday swirling allegations in Karnataka that state chief BS Yeddyurappa and other leaders didnt consume the food made by a Dalit family during a party programme but ordered food from outside.

The saffron party  which is aiming to make inroads into the Dalit community  said the family itself had ordered food from outside because of too many guests. This came after the Congress and other parties alleged that the BJP state brass didnt consume the pulao made by the family and asked for idlis to be procured from outside.

 It was only when the delegation reached the house that it was found that the food had been ordered from outside. The leaders consumed that food as it would have disrespectful to refuse it, state BJP media convenor Shantaram said.

Yeddyurappa criticised both the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) for trying to make the incident a political issue. Leaders of both parties must first apologise to the family, he said.

The BJP is aiming to dislodge the Congress government in the southern state in elections scheduled for next year. We are conducting an outreach programme to meet people affected by the drought. Every morning the BJP leaders have breakfast at the house of a Dalit, said Shantaram.

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Marriage festivities turned into gloom following a freak accident, killing two persons and injuring four of a baraat (bridegrooms wedding entourage), after a tree fell on the makeshift shamiana (ceremonial tent) erected for the wedding, at Barev village in Bihars Gaya district, in the wee hours of Monday.

The tragedy, however, did not deter the grooms father Tarkeshwar Mistri and brides dad Sitaram Mistri, to solemnise the marriage of their children.

Police said the deceased were sleeping inside the shamiana when a huge branch of an old Ficus religiosa (peepul) tree fell on them. The deceased have been identified as Rakesh Sharma, 35, and his 18-year-old son Subhash Sharma. Both belonged to Dev Kali village in the district.

The four injured were admitted to the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College Hospital. Two of the injured had been identified as Bhopat Mistri and Manoj Mistri, station house officer of Mufassil police station Kamlesh Kumar Sharma told HT.

Police said the baraat had come from Bahera village under Guraru police station of the district, a distance of about 30 kms from the wedding venue.

Gaya city SP Awakash Kumar also confirmed the incident and said the bodies had been sent for post- mortem examination.

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An old trade route to export salt into the Kashmir valley from Western Punjab, the Mughal Road came into being in 1586 AD as the shortest route between Lahore and Srinagar for Mughal forces and caravans from Central Asia and beyond.

The widening of the Mughal Road began under Emperor Jehangir who appointed Iranian engineer Ali Mardan Khan to start construction work. To accommodate the needs of royal caravans of the Mughals, Khan was also asked to construct serais alongside the road such as the one seen above. (Waseem Andrabi/HT Photo)

Originally called the Old Imperial Road, fourteen halting stations (Paraves) were constructed on the 246 mile stretch between Lahore and Srinagar. These stations were Gujarat, Bhimber, Saidpur, Nowshera, Chingus, Rajouri, Thanamandi, Bheramgala, Poshiana, Aliabad Sarai, Hirpur, Shopian, Ramu, and Kanakpura. The journey from one station to another was completed in approximately one day.

One way traffic is allowed from each side every alternate day because of extreme weather conditions with vehicles needed to cross Pir-Ki-Gali before late evening. (Waseem Andrabi/HT Photo)

With numbers dwindling, magnificent Chinar trees are seen everywhere throughout the Kashmir valley along with the ruins of summer houses all of which owe their origin to Mughal vogue. The Mughal road is breathtaking to see as it winds around the Pir Panjal, also cutting through the Hirapur Wildlife Sanctuary which is a home to wild goat species known as Markhor which has its range spread wide from Afghanistan though Pakistan.

With minimum elevation of 5400 ft at Bafliaz and a maximum elevation of 11,500 ft at Pir-Ki-Gali, the stretch offers visual treats for tourists and trekking options for thrill seekers. (Waseem Andrabi/HT Photo)

Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb are among the Mughal emperors who have used this historic route. Emperor Jahangir who died on his way to the Kashmir valley wrote about difficulties of crossing Pir Pranjal and a waterfall in Hirapur in his autobiography Tuzuk-I-Jahangiri expressing that he had never seen such a beautiful waterfall. After the reign of Aurangzeb, the route was never used by the Mughal empire and its usage got limited to just the local people living in the vicinity.

Traditions and distinct lifestyles of the nomadic tribes of Pir Panchal region are a magnet for the evolving tourism circuit in the region after the reconstruction of the road which is also home to the now famous Mughal car rally circuit.
LEMMON, S.D.  A great old bar in a South Dakota border town will not die as expected, though its resurrection as a highfalutin' art gallery will certainly change up its history.

The Kokomo Inn was famous around those parts for decades  it had a cool name and it was the closest bar when 18 was the legal drinking age on the south side of the border and 21 was operative on the North Dakota side.

Who knows how many cans of watery 3.2 Schlitz or Hamms beer were popped open by those young kids with nice farm town manners, some with a hoked-up drivers license? But it was enough to make mention in the towns history book, and it was the bar where generations probably sipped their first served beer.

Noni Hoff, 53, of Lemmon, said she did, but thats not why she remembers the place so fondly. She was good friends with one of the Raba kids  the family that started it back in the '30s  and they ran in the front door on Main Street and out the back to the alley like the joint was a second home.

It was a place you could just go. Other bars came and went, but it was the one that was always there, she said. It was special, a place you could be comfortable in. You didnt have to dress up.

The doors closed about eight years ago after the death of the last Raba family member and the building eventually reverted to city ownership. The colorful Kokomo Inn sign painted on the buildings front faded in the west sun and the inside fell to wrack and ruin as rain and snowmelt made their way through the old roof.

Last summer, Lemmon scrap metal sculptor John Lopez got permission from the city to use the buildings exterior as a brick canvas for a mural to go along with turning the adjacent empty lot into Boss Cowman Square. The square honors the towns namesake, Ed Lemmon, famous for managing the largest fenced pasture in the world at 865,000 acres and bossing the single biggest cattle roundup in history.

The mural, painted by Nigerian artists, is a beautiful piece of work and, if the building ever went down, so would it.

Lopez works out of studio near Lemmon and had come to the conclusion that he needed a gallery for his internationally recognized work, a place to showcase his pieces and meet with clients. The Kokomo Inn, dilapidated and beloved, was right there waiting for him.

Wherever I had a gallery, I wanted it next to a park for landscaping and to create an experience. I didnt realize it would be the Kokomo, said Lopez, who acquired the title from the city and went to work.

Turns out work is a small word for the gargantuan undertaking the renovations required throughout this past hard winter. Hed hoped to save the roof, but in the end  actually the beginning  it was clear it had to be removed and the building gutted and shored up.

His vision was a place of open, white simplicity, where his sculptures would speak for themselves.

I want to be taken seriously, so that, when people walk in, theyll get it, he said.

He recently completed Custers Last Stand, which will be his permanent installation at the gallery. Its been four years in the making from iron and found pieces, including a propane tank, shovel heads, snow chains, plow disks and even a bar stool from the old Kokomo Inn. Its as complex, detailed and imaginative as any work hes done. The piece features two life-sized buffalo engaged in mortal conflict, inset with bronzed likenesses of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and Chief Sitting Bull looking toward each other.

The colonel would die that day in 1876 in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and Sitting Bull would ride on into history. Lopez tries to evoke the outcome in the expressions of the men and the stances of the buffalo in which the battle is being played out.

It goes beyond the gimmick; theres a story within a story, a sculpture within a sculpture, he says.

For now, the piece stands out in the prairie near his house, and soon it will be loaded up and moved into the gallery where it will fit the open space. Lopez is keeping the Kokomo Inn name out front  it is iconic in Lemmon and happens to be the actual name of another Indian, Chief Kokomo of the Miami tribe that once populated the lower Great Lakes region. Word is old George Raba took a liking to the name when he came across it in Indiana and it stuck.

It has stuck and withstands the test of time, just as Lopez believes in his sculptures along with his commitment to Lemmons history.

While he intends the gallery to be a showroom for his art, he is making one important exception. Canvas paintings by his Nigerian artist friends of mural fame, Jonathan Imafidor and Dotun Popoola, will be for sale in a week-long exhibit starting from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 10 and ending June 17 with live music and other events.

The public is invited. For those, like Hoff, who remember the Kokomo Inns heyday so well, it might be a strange transition walking through that door into the past.

Its awesome that he saved the building, but its hard. Its like going back to your parents house and finding someone remodeled it, Hoff said.
A Kerala court on Monday sentenced Devinder Singh alias Bunty Chor to 10-year rigorous imprisonment for burgling the house of an NRI businessman in the state capital four years ago.

Delivering the sentence, the Thiruvananthapuram additional sessions court said the charges of burglary, house break and destroying evidence have been proved against Singh. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on the notorious criminal and declared him a habitual offender.

Singh was caught five days after he broke into the house of businessman Venugopalan Nair and robbed him of valuables before escaping in the NRIs luxury car.

The super thief, who has more than 500 cases of theft against him, had cut through Nairs bullet-proof door and deactivated security alarms and CCTVs in order to carry out the burglary. However, one of the hidden cameras captured his image, which was later used by the police to nab him from a lodge in Pune.

During interrogation, he told the police that he had stolen the car to take revenge from Bollywood director Dibakar Banerjee who based his film Oye Lucky Lucky Oye on Singhs life.

During the trial, Singh tried his best to get out on bail but the prosecution opposed it, citing his habit of jumping bail and committing robberies. Later, Singhs counsel approached the court, saying he was suffering from acute mental illness. However, the doctors who examined him submitted a report saying he was mentally fit.

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Aap toh south Indian dikhti hai par aapki behen Indian dikhti hai. (You look like a south Indian but your sister looks Indian.)

These words from a decades-old conversation with a Delhi beautician came back to me when Tarun Vijay, a former BJP MP and ex-editor of the RSS publication Panchjanya, recently tried to defend India against charges of racism. If we were racist, he said, why would have all the entire south [India] which is complete you know Tamil, you know Kerala, you know Karnataka and Andhra why do we live with them? We have blacks, black people around us. (sic) Many south Indians revealed their own white-skin fixation when they protested against Vijays comment by objecting to being termed black. It is just as telling that most north Indians would be aghast if they knew that the racial descriptor black is used by Europeans and Americans not for people of African origin alone but for Indians too, and not just the dark-skinned among us. The offensive aspect of Vijays statement is not in these sensitivities though, but in his condescension, the implication that the north can choose whether or not to live with them, and in the othering of the south.

It was an attitude echoed all those years back by that woman who blurted out in shock on discovering that my comparatively light-complexioned companion was my sibling: You look like a south Indian but your sister looks Indian. Because in her view, the standard Indian is gora and from the north, a dark skin like mine could only belong to a southerner, and a southerner is, of course, the other.

Being a Malayali-born and living in Delhi, I am used to such remarks. In my school years, I remember a reader of The Statesman writing to the editor: south Indians are our guests and we should be kind to them. You southies have brains, we north Indians have looks, said a neighbour to Mum one day.

These comments, like the oily-haired, aiyyaiyyo-spouting, vibhuti-sporting Madrasi stock character in old Hindi cinema, are relatively innocuous manifestations of a problem so deep rooted that most of us scarcely notice it.

Historical happenstance has situated Indias capital in the north. The further concentration of political power here (thanks to an electoral system that gives you more seats in Parliament if your state sucks at population control) has given north India a major advantage over the rest of the country. As a result, studying the north has become a compulsion for other Indians, but the lack of a reciprocal effort from the majority in the north indicates a barely disguised sense of superiority. What else but ignorance born of indifference explains the vague collective conviction here that the south is somehow just one state, Madras?

Language, for me, is a tool of communication, not ego. I speak Malayalam and Hindi with equal affection. But I am tired of bigots who demand that every Indian ought to know Hindi. An audience member at the Taj Literature Festival 2013 slammed me and screenwriter Mushtaq Shiekh for conversing in English on stage, like speakers before us did. This is Agra, speak Hindi, he raged. What if a Kerala audience demanded that you speak only Malayalam? I replied in Hindi, before lecturing him at length in my mother tongue just for kicks. Such arrogance is fuelled by the Hindi is Indias national language lie that has been perpetuated by Goebbelsian propagandists, ill-informed journalists and citizens unaware of our language movement and Constitution.

I say all this before mentioning the subject of this series, #LetsTalkAboutRace, because racism in the Indian context is intertwined with language, colour, caste, economics, politics, history and more. Take colour, for one, in the Indian mindscape. White is a reminder of our colonisers, black the colour of African slaves; white is the dominant colour of todays superpowers, black we associate with a poverty-stricken wilderness; white is linked to Brahmins i.e. those who work in the shade, black to lower castes i.e. those who work under the sun. Its complicated and convoluted. North Indians, who tend to consider themselves universally gora-chitta, bombard light-skinned Madrasis with the inexplicable question, How can you be south Indian?, and are cruel to kallus among their own. Priyanka Chopra once spoke to me in an interview of the ordeal of being black in a Punjabi household. South Indians too deem light lovelier than dark. Meanwhile, suicides have been reported in both regions by victims of colour-related oppression.

Here though is a twist in my tale. My experience of colour prejudice pales in comparison with the crushing taunts thrown at one of my closest friends all his life. Kaala kauwa, kaala bhoot, kaala kaloota (black crow, black ghost, blacky), black as coal  he has heard it all, from classmates (in a respected Delhi school, mind you), neighbours, strangers, even relatives and friends. I saw his shoulders wilt in humiliation as a child, and each time my heart broke a little for him.

While writing this piece, I asked him why I was not similarly traumatised. Stressing his conviction that the epithets would have remained unchanged if he had been north Indian, he reminds me too that most Indians would not consider me as dark as he is. True. On the Asian Paints Shade Card of Complexions in every Indians head, I am 3.946 shades fairer than my friend and 5.217 shades darker than my sister. In the vocabulary of our contemptible version of racism, then, he is a kaala kauwa deserving ridicule, I merit sympathy, and my sister is crowned an Indian.

So, do I face discrimination as a south Indian living in the north? The answer, like I said, is complicated. It would be naive, however, to ignore the countrys systemic pro-north bias and skewed balance of political power; the so-called national medias Bollywood obsession, to the virtual exclusion of our other thriving film industries; a journalism scene in which the molestation of a major Malayalam actress this year received little attention, though a similar assault in north India would have attracted wall-to-wall coverage; and the deeply political import of that womans words from so long ago, Aap toh south Indian dikhti hai par aapki behen Indian dikhti hai.

Anna MM Vetticad is a journalist, social commentator, and journalism teacher based in Delhi. She is the author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic.

This is the sixth part of Lets Talk About Racism, a new HT campaign that addresses deep-rooted prejudices and discrimination in India. If you have faced racism, tweet using #LetsTalkAboutRacism or write to talktous@hindustantimes.com. HTs earlier series, LetsTalk About Rape and Lets Talk About Trolls, focused attention on crucial issues.
An army major, who was in the eye of a storm for allegedly tying a Kashmiri man to a jeep to use him as a human shield, has been awarded the army chiefs commendation card.

Confirming the development, army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand said the officer had been awarded the Chief of Army Staffs Commendation (COAS) card for sustained efforts in CI (counter insurgency) operations. Sustained efforts imply that the officer has been recognised for work done by him over a period of time.

Asked if the recognition was related to the jeep incident, Col Anand told HT, I reiterate he has been awarded for his sustained efforts.

While awarding the officer, all factors including notable performance of the officer and overall emerging indicators of the court of inquiry have been well-considered, army sources said.

The army found itself in the middle of a firestorm after the surfacing of a video clip that purportedly showed a man tied to the fender of a Rakshak jeep and paraded through villages. A day after the video clip surfaced on April 14, the army ordered a probe into the incident.

In the video, announcements of people being warned that this will be the fate of stone-pelters could be heard in the background. The incident had triggered outrage in Kashmir, with separatists saying it was on expected lines from an oppressor.

The incident had deepened the army-civilian divide and sparked violent protests in the militancy-hit valley.

Here's the video as well. A warning can be heard saying stone pelters will meet this fate. This requires an urgent inquiry & follow up NOW!! pic.twitter.com/qj1rnCVazn  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 14, 2017

The force and the government had defended the action ordered by Major Leetul Gogoi from Assam. Army officials had earlier said the troops were forced to take the extreme step to save themselves from stone-pelting, which has become one of the most common and frequent forms of protest in Kashmir since the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani.

The government also backed the army, with the countrys top law officer saying in April that the officer-in-charge did a smart thing and defused a nasty situation.

Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi had said the major was summoned by officials to a poll booth since they were surrounded by hundreds of suspected stone-pelters.

The poll booth is symbolic of democracy. He (the major) should not be criticised. The army should be applauded. They are guarding our northern and north-eastern frontiers admirably, Rohatgi had said in a statement.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a concall with officials of the J&K government on Wednesday.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said Major Gogois commendation would have a positive impact on the morale of soldiers.

Happy to hear of possible bravery award for 'human shield' officer Major Nitin Gogoi, hope it's true, the officer deserves it @adgpi.  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) May 22, 2017
Maternal healthcare expenses push 46.6% mothers in India into poverty  with the illiterate being especially susceptible  according to this December 2016 study by researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. The expenses include childbirth, antenatal care and postnatal care expenses.

Catastrophic expenditure is greater than or equal to 40% of a households non-subsistence income, i.e. income available after basic needs have been met, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The threshold of 40% can differ according to countries, said the WHO; the 2016 study has analysed the data at two thresholds: 10% and 40%.

As many as 63% households nationwide had a catastrophic maternal health expenditure of 40%, the study  which analysed data from the National Sample Survey Office  found. Among states and union territories (UTs), 65.7% households (among those where a woman had delivered) in Telangana were pushed into poverty  more than any other state/UT  due to childbearing expenses, followed by Chhattisgarh (53.7%) and Puducherry (53.4%).

Source: How Affordable is Childbearing in India? An Evaluation of Maternal Healthcare Expenditures

In the 10 years to 2014, out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending has pushed 50.6 million people back into poverty, IndiaSpend reported on May 8, 2017.

Illiterate, tribal households have least out-of-pocket health expenditure, yet most affected

Households where the mothers were illiterate were the most affected, with 61% of them being pushed into poverty  despite having the lowest maternal health OOP expenditure at Rs 3,600compared to 36.7% of households where women were graduates and above, who had an OOP expenditure of Rs 19,250.

More illiterate women prefer public hospitals for delivery in both rural (79.2%) and urban areas (67.7%), which possibly explains their low OOP.

Better education among pregnant women is correlated with lower prevalence of anaemia, IndiaSpend reported on September 17, 2016.

Among women of different social groups, women belonging to scheduled tribes (STs) had the least maternal OOP expenditure at Rs 2,962, but 71.5% of them were pushed into poverty. As many as 85% ST women in rural areas delivered in public hospitalsmore than any other social group.

Source: How Affordable is Childbearing in India? An Evaluation of Maternal Healthcare Expenditures

Scheduled castes/scheduled tribes had the highest proportion of pregnant women without antenatal care, IndiaSpend reported on February 22, 2017.

Centres funding cut for maternity benefit scheme may prove detrimental

The 2016 study holds relevance in the context of the central government announcement on May 18, 2017, that it is revising the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (Maternity Benefit Programme), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 31, 2016, by restricting the scheme to firstborns instead of first two live births as applicable earlier.

The programme aims to give Rs 6,000 to pregnant women for childbearing expenses. The scheme saw an increase of 226% in allocation in the 2017-18 budget from Rs 634 crore to Rs 2,700 crore. However, the government had estimated that the annual requirement for the maternity benefit scheme would be Rs 14,512 crore, according to this report in The Indian Express on February 18, 2017.

The 2016 study revealed that, on average, a woman incurred an OOP expenditure of Rs 8,543 on childbearing. There were huge variations among statesfrom Rs 2,801 in Uttarakhand to Rs 15,433 in Telangana.

The most vulnerable women who are trying to reach out for the government aid wont be able to get it, Tania Sheshadri, an independent community health researcher who works with rural women in Karnataka, told The Press Trust of India on May 18, 2017.

In most parts of the country, there is a two-child norm and a scheme like this will not benefit most women. The government should concentrate on quality care for pregnant women and make available the benefits to every woman who reaches a government health care centre.

A limitation of the 2016 study is that it does not consider the benefits of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY, motherhood protection scheme), a 12-year-old government programme focused specially on 10 states with low rates of institutional deliveryUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmirtermed as low-performing states (LPS).

Under the programme, pregnant women in rural areas who live below the poverty line are to be given cash assistanceRs 700 in high performing states and Rs 1,400 in LPSirrespective of the mothers age and number of children so that they opt for birth in a government or accredited private health facility.

JSY has failed to cover the poorest women, according to this 2014 analysis of JSY data by researchers from Georgetown University. As many as 60% women in Uttar Pradesh said they had to pay for certain public maternal health services, according to an assessment of JSY conducted by United Nations Population Fund in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in 2012, IndiaSpend reported in September 2015.

Devanik Saha is an MA Gender and Development student at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.

(This article was published in arrangement with IndiaSpend)
The Narendra Modi government is making two India -- a shining one for the rich and one full of miseries for the poor, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in Agartala.

The Modi government as part of the Aacche Din slogan is making two India(s) -- shining for the rich people and full of miseries for the poor people, he said on Sunday evening after attending a two-day meeting of the state committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

At a time the Modi government is celebrating three years of its office, the government statistics says that over 12,000 farmers committed suicide every year since 2014 due to debt burden and the governments anti-farmer policies, he said.

When the annadata (food provider) is in distress how can the country grow. The government has taken anti-farmer steps by not increasing the minimum support price, import duty and input costs.

Another CPI-M politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat, also attended the two-day meeting of the state committee. The meeting discussed about the next assembly polls in Tripura.

Tripura, one of the two states (including Kerala) where the CPI-M-led Left Front is in power along with other Left parties, goes to polls in February next year.

Yechury said: As part of the Aacche Din package the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised to generate two crore new jobs every year. But very few new jobs have been created. On the other hand, thousands of people are losing their existing jobs.

He said around 56,000 jobs have been laid off by the major Information Technology companies in the country. According to a survey by an international agency, 50 to 60% of the total of 40 lakh people engaged in the information technology sector might lose their jobs in the coming years.

What celebration do they (BJP) want to hold on May 26 (on completion of three years)? This must be a celebration of failure and betrayal. Modi is taking the country into a dark past.

On the industrial front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Make in India, Startup India, Digital India and many more things. But no significant investment has been made in the last three years, the CPI-M leader said.

The Left leader said that rural, urban and services sector employment is declining rapidly. The allocation in rural job scheme (MGNREGA) has been reduced to such an extent that around 20,000 people each year in the past three years did not get wages.

The CPI-M general secretary said that when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was in power one per cent of Indians possessed 49% of the countrys GDP, but in the BJP regime one per cent Indians have 58.4% of the GDP.

The PDS (Public Distribution System) is now in doldrums. Kerosene oil, sugar, both essentials for the common man, are being removing from the PDS supplies. Peoples legal entitlement like MGNREGA is being curtailed.

He said that according to a recent survey of an international body, out of 195 countries, India ranked 154 in the disease burden after Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Criticising the BJP governments appeasement towards corporate sector, Yechury said the loans taken by the corporate houses has crossed Rs 11 lakh crore. Total loan taken from various banks by corporate houses stands at 37 per cent while it is only 14% by the peasantry sectors in the Modi regime.

It is good that the government is against triple talaq. But why is the BJP government silent about the womens reservation in Parliament and assembly despite it having majority in the houses.

It said the Modi government has miserably failed in dealing with the Jammu and Kashmir issue, and stressed on the need for a political settlement.

Dialogue and engagement is a must to solve the Jammu and Kashmir crisis. The government has also backtracked from its commitment given to the all-party delegation headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh that visited the violence-hit state in September last year, Yechury said.
In the last 24 hours, more than 70 tribal kids have been detained by police and railway authorities on the suspicion that they were being taken to Nagpur for religious conversion.

Eleven tribal children from Madhya Pradeshs Alirajpur were stopped near Indore railway station by local police on Monday . Two of their escorts have also been arrested.

Choti Gwaltoli town inspector Sanju Kamle claimed that all the children were Hindus and were being taken for conversion.

Two cases have been registered against the childrens escorts - Harun, who is from Alirajpur and Alpesh,from Jhabua, under the MP Freedom of Religion Act Section 3,4 and also Section 363 of Indian Penal Code (punishment for kidnapping).

Acting on a tip off, police caught 11 children and their escorts near the Indore Railway Station. When police asked Harun and Alpesh about their relationship with the children, they said that they were escorting the children to Nagpur to attend a religious ceremony, Kamle said.

On late Sunday night, 60 tribal children from MPs Jhabua, who were being taken to Nagpur, were also stopped in Ratlam after doubts were expressed by right wing activists about their possible religious conversion. The Railway protection force (RPF) also detained nine people accompanying the children.

The suspects, however, said that the children were being taken to Nagpur for a cultural function and picnic as part of a summer camp with due permission of their parents.

However, the Police were not convinced of their claim and detained them for further questioning. RPF sources said that the children also claimed that they were on their way to a picnic in the Maharashtrian city during questioning.

Police have asked the parents of the children to come over to Ratlam to shed some light on the whole episode.

Some right-wing groups continued to maintain that it was a case of religious conversion.

Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Sohan Viswakarma alleged that the children were being taken to Nagpur for conversion and demanded stern action against those involved in the incident.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the mysterious death of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari.

The order came six hours after Tiwaris family members met chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded a CBI probe because they suspect foul play his death.

The state government has considered the demand of the family members of Anurag Tiwari and recommended CBI probe into the death of the IAS officer, Principal secretary, Home, Arvind Kumar told reporters at a press conference.

Family members of the officer had earlier shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a CBI probe into his death. The family is settled in Bahraich.

A 2007 batch IAS officer, Anurag was found dead under mysterious circumstances on the roadside near the state guest house in Hazratganj area on his birthday on May 17.

Anurag and his batchmate Prabhu Narain Singh, who is posted as vice-chairman at Lucknow Development Authority, had come to Lucknow after attending a mid-career training programme at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.

They were staying together at the state guest house when Anurag was found dead.

Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inquire into the mysterious death but even after three days the probe team failed to crack the case.

The deceased officers brother Mayank Tiwari said Anurag paid with his life for being a whistle blower.

My brother had exposed a major scam in the food and civil supplies department in Karnataka. There was pressure on him to withdraw the report. Several top leaders and bureaucrats would have been nailed had the report been made public. He had shared with the family members about the pressure tactics adopted by the people close to power and his harassment, Mayank said.

Anurag was serving as commissioner, food and civil supplies and consumer affairs, in Bengaluru. He was reportedly facing opposition from some of his senior officers over tenders.

Anurags mother Sushila Devi said, I have written a letter to the Prime Minister and chief minister demanding justice for my son. Anurag was an honest officer. The killers must be arrested.

Earlier on Monday, the police registered a case of murder. SSP Kumar ordered registration of an FIR after the family members of deceased officer filed a complaint in the case at the Hazratganj police station.

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After Rohingya Muslim community, it is now the turn of ethnic minorities to flee communal violence and intimidation in Myanmar.

Officials of the paramilitary Assam Rifles said some 300 people, mostly women and children, crossed over from Myanmar to Khaikhy and Lungpuk villages of southern Mizorams Saiha district on May 19. The district borders Chin and Rakhine states of Myanmar. The refugees, belonging to the same ethnic stock as the Mara tribe inhabiting southern Mizoram, had fled atrocities by a Myanmar-based ethnic insurgent group called Arakan Army.

The refugees said they are from Ralie village in Myanmars Chin state across the border. The insurgents drove them out but held back most of the males, a Major in the unit said.

Because of poor road network, two teams of Assam Rifles personnel reached the villages early morning on May 20. The local villagers had provided them food and shelter. We counted more than 200 people during profiling of the refugees, but another 77 came to Khaikhy village in the afternoon, a senior Assam Rifles officer said.

Another unconfirmed report said more than 100 people also crossed over into Nagaland to escape a battle between the Myanmar army and the mining mafia. Nagaland adjoins Myanmars Sagaing Division where ethnic minorities, mostly Christians, allegedly face persecution by majoritarian Buddhist groups. The Maras, also called Miram, are one of the 53 ethnic groups in Myanmars Chin state.

Later on Monday, the Mizoram government said it would let some 300 Myanmar refugees, driven out by an ethnic insurgent group in that country, stay for some days before Delhi has to deal with it.

We have sent a report on the status of the refugees to the (state) home department, Harleen Kaur, Saiha deputy commissioner, told HT on Monday.

The states home minister, R Lalzirliana said India and Myanmar have an agreement to let locals travel up to 15 km from the international border and stay for some time. The centre has to step in at some point of time, he said.

The Myanmar army has been at war with at least 20 armed insurgent groups catering to as many ethnic communities. The country has also experience communal violence between Buddhists and the Rohingya Muslims and between Buddhists and Christians along the border with India.

The Arakanese have been in a state of conflict with the Rohingyas since 2012, resulting in more than 200,000 Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar. China too has been bearing the burden of ethnic conflicts and intermittent wars between the Myanmar army and the insurgent groups

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More than 280 people, mostly women and children, from Arakan in Myanmar have taken refuge at two villages in southernmost Mizorams Siaha district, a senior police official said on Monday.

The official told PTI that over 200 people have taken refuge in Lungpuk village and 77 others in Khalkhy hamlet.

The Assam Rifles personnel posted in the border areas and the district administration provided necessary assistance to the refugees while the villagers of the two villages also made arrangements for food and lodging, the official said.

Siaha district superintendent of police had already reached Lungpuk village and made elaborate security arrangements, the official said.

The people from Ralie village fled Myanmar due to reported impending confrontation between the Arakan Army (AA) militants and the Myanmarse Army, the official said adding that the Assam Rifles officials had informed the Myanmarese army officials and appealed to the latter to ensure safety of the refugees in Myanmar.
Madhya Pradesh police registered a case against unknown people on Saturday after a youth in Satna district received a call from a man who allegedly offered him Rs 50 crore to join them in killing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally.

The caller claimed he was from Pakistan and used the number +79651219.

According to Satna police, the caller told Kushal Soni that he would be offered Rs 50 crore if he joined them to kill Modi during a rally in Mumbai. He said they had selected two people and needed a third person. They also offered him as much money as he wanted for the job.

Though initially Soni didnt take the call seriously, given the sensitivity of the matter, he later complained to the local police in Satna who forwarded the matter to the crime branch.

Superintendent of police Mithlesh Kumar said, We are investigating the matter. Things will be clear more after the investigation and if it was a hoax call or not.

During investigation, police found that the number belonged to Kazakhstan. Soni also handed over the call recording to the police. Reacting to the development, superintendent of police Mithlesh Kumar said, We are investigating the matter. Things will be clear after the probe reveals if it was a hoax call.

The incident comes after a man was arrested few days back in Satna for threatening on the phone to bomb the state Vidhan Sabha and the Bhopal railway station.
A pigeon with a tag bearing Chinese numbers has created a flutter in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh on the Sino-Indian border. Anjaw villagers captured the pigeon on Sunday.

We got information that villagers have captured a bird with tags. The forest department has been alerted to find out details, Mamata Riba, deputy commissioner of Anjaw, told HT on Monday.

Amid talk that the pigeon could be part of a Chinese plan to carry out surveillance, officials did not say whether the bird was also fitted with transmitters or cameras.

A picture of the pigeon with the tag on its left leg has been widely shared on social media. District officials said this was the first recorded instance of such a capture.

The tag on the bird could be for research purposes, said officials. Unless ascertained otherwise, we cant surmise on our own since the nature of tagging is apparently for research. We are waiting for the forest department report, Riba said.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh asked chief ministers of five Himalayan states and senior Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officials on Saturday to remain very vigilant against Chinese transgression along the border.

Addressing the first meeting of CMs of Himalayan states, which are located along the Sino-Indian border, in Gangtok, Singh sought improvement of basic infrastructure in the areas so that locals do not migrate.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modis two-day visit to home state Gujarat, where elections are expected by the end of the year, is scheduled to begin on Monday afternoon. This will be Modis fourth visit to Gujarat in this year.

Congress state unit chief Bharatsinh Solanki said the PMs frequent visits to Gujarat were a political compulsion to bolster a weak state BJP leadership.

Modi will preside over a couple of inauguration ceremonies and also attend the annual general meeting (AGM) of African Development Bank (AfDB).

He is scheduled to land at Bhuj around 2.30 pm and head to a foundation ceremony for two general cargo berths at Kandla Port.

Later, he will inaugurate Narmada water pumping station at Bhachchau for Kutch and address a public meeting.

On Tuesday, the PM will attend the 52nd AGM of the AfDB at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa is the central theme of the five-day meet. Apart from 54 African region members, this financial institute has 24 non-regional members.

Nearly 3,000 delegates, several heads of state, and finance ministers from 80 countries are expected to participate in the AGM.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, who is Indias governor to AfDB, will be the chairperson at the event. Seminars, exhibitions by private companies, and the release of African Economic Outlook 2017 are among the programmes at the event.

On the eve of Modis visit, Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel and 50 of his community youths tonsured their heads, raising the political heat in Gujarat. Patidars, a financially and politically influential community and BJP supporters for three decades, are up in arms against the state government seeking OBC status.
Heres a list of top news stories to look out for.

PM Narendra Modi on a two-day visit to Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Gujarat today to inaugurate some developmental projects and attend the annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group. During his visit, he will address two public meetings and launch projects at the Kandla Port and in Bhachau, both in the Kutch district which had borne the brunt of the 2001 earthquake. He will also meet some of the distinguished delegates of the AfDB Group.

Read the story here.

Special CBI court resumes Ayodhya case trial

The trial in the politically-sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case by a special CBI court will resume in Lucknow today, following a Supreme Court order to it to hear the case on a daily basis and deliver the verdict in two years. The CBI court during its first hearing in the state capital granted bail to five VHP leaders named as accused who appeared before it on Sunday. The apex court came down heavily on the CBI for a delay of 25 years in the trial and said, The accused persons have not been brought to book largely because of the conduct of the CBI in not pursuing the prosecution of the aforesaid alleged offenders

Enough negative politics: Shatrughan takes on critics targeting Lalu, Kejriwal

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and RJD boss Lalu Prasad, facing corruption allegation, have received a support from an unusual ally: BJPs Shatrughan Sinha. Enough of negative politics & mudslinging by opponents on our political leaders, be it Kejriwal, Laloo Yadav (sic) or Sushil Modi, Sinha tweeted on Monday. The actor-turned-politician said the allegations must be substantiated. High time to substantiate your claims..or pack up! Cant just keep feeding media with one night stories & sensationalising. Enough is enough!

Read the story here.

Pakistan mystery caller offers Rs 50 crore to man for killing PM Modi

Madhya Pradesh police registered a case against unknown people on Saturday after a youth in Satna district received a call from a man who allegedly offered him Rs 50 crore to join them in killing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally. The caller claimed he was from Pakistan and used the number +79651219. According to Satna police, the caller told Kushal Soni that he would be offered Rs 50 crore if he joined them to kill Modi during a rally in Mumbai. He said they had selected two people and needed a third person. They also offered him as much money as he wanted for the job.

Read the story here.

Govts push to link Aadhaar-based payments with MNREGA yet to succeed

Amid the NDA governments rush to expand the Aadhaar horizon, the unique identity-based payments in rural job scheme is yet to taste success. Only 44% of 10.2 crore workers in the Centres rural job scheme (MNREGA) received payments through the Aadhaar-based system till April 2017, in a stark reminder that the daily wage payment system in the countrys biggest work programme has a large scope for improvement. While 8.58 crore workers have voluntarily given their Aadhaar number to the ministry, only 4.5 crore people are being paid their daily wages through the system.

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Delhi airport the most inaccessible in India, increases overall travel time

Delhis Indira Gandhi International airport, the busiest in the country, is also the worst to access by a car. A study by the School of Planning and Architecture on accessibility to airports finds that reaching Delhi airport is far more difficult compared to other cities. Of the 60 airports surveyed, Delhi finished at the bottom when it came to variation in time taken to reach the airport under different circumstances due to slow speed. The study calculated the time taken to reach the airport from the city centre.

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Virbhadra Singhs disproportionate assets case hearing in Delhi

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is likely to appear as an accused before a special court in a nearly Rs 10-crore disproportionate assets case. Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal had issued summons against Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and others for appearance today. The charge sheet, running into over 500 pages, has claimed that Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister. In November last year, the apex court had transferred Singhs plea from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court.

Chinese paper says killing of CIA spies a sweeping victory for China

An influential state-run newspaper applauded Chinas anti-espionage efforts on Monday after the New York Times said China had killed or imprisoned up to 20 CIA sources, hobbling US spying operations in a massive intelligence breach. Chinas Global Times, published by the official Peoples Daily, said in an editorial that, if true, it was a victory for China. If this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud Chinas anti-espionage activities. Not only was the CIAs spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong, the paper said.

Read the story here.

N Korea says missile tests warhead guidance, ready for deployment

North Korea said on Monday it had successfully tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile to confirm the reliability of the late-stage guidance of the warhead, indicating further advances in the ability to hit US targets. The Norths KCNA news agency said leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test which also verified the functioning of the solid-fuel engine for the Pukguksong-2 missile and ordered it for deployment in field action.

Read the story here.

Opinion: Lets talk about racism | North Indians are gora-chitta, dark skin is for the South

Aap toh south Indian dikhti hai par aapki behen Indian dikhti hai. (You look like a south Indian but your sister looks Indian.) Being a Malayali-born and living in Delhi, I am used to such remarks. In my school years, I remember a reader of The Statesman writing to the editor: south Indians are our guests and we should be kind to them. You southies have brains, we north Indians have looks, said a neighbour to Mum one day.

Read the column here.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Manipur government on a plea by parents of a youth who was killed in a road rage case in 2011 by Ajay Meetai, the son of present chief minister N Biren Singh.

The parents alleged that they fear for their safety.

A vacation bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Navin Sinha asked the union home secretary and the chief secretary of Manipur to respond by May 29 on the plea by Irom Chitra Devi, mother of Irom Roger.

Meetai, son of the chief minister, has been awarded five years jail term under section 304 (culpabale homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC for firing at Roger in a road rage incident on March 20, 2011.

Roger had allegedly not allowed Meetai to overtake him in his SUV. The incident irked Meetai who fired at Roger who later died.

The plea, filed through advocate Utsav Bains, alleged that the parents of the victim were fearing for their safety in the state ruled by BJP through Biren Singh. Moreover, no lawyer was willing to appear on their behalf in the high court which is hearing the appeal against conviction.
Bollywood actor and BJP parliamentarian Paresh Rawal found himself in the middle of a Twitter storm on Monday after he said that writer Arundhati Roy be tied to an army jeep, suggesting she be used in a manner similar to a Kashmiri man in the Valley last month.

Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy!, the Lok Sabha member from Gujarat tweeted late on Sunday. It wasnt clear what context he was speaking in.

Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy !  Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 21, 2017

His comments drew condemnation from many users on Twitter, some seeing it as an attempt to incite violence by an elected public representative.

@SirPareshRawal Your acting was often commendable but your prejudiced mindset is condemnable. Telling d army to hide behind a brave woman is shameful  ziya us salam (@ziyaussalam) May 22, 2017

A still from a video showing a Kashmiri man tied to an army jeep in Kashmir. (Video grab)

The April incident in which a Kashmiri man was tied to an army jeep, ostensibly as a human shield, sparked outrage in Kashmir. The army launched a court of inquiry against a Major over the incident.

Rawal also endorsed a tweet by another user that suggested journalist Sagarika Ghose be treated similarly.

We have a wide variety of choices ! https://t.co/rpciWyhLha  Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 21, 2017

Roy is an award-winning writer whose views on Kashmiri separatism has been a cause for controversy. She has also been a strong critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who rose from the state where Rawal is now an MP.

Wonderful sir, too good. You really are a model parliamentarian, tweeted Sagarika Ghose in a seemingly sarcastic vein, quoting Rawals tweet.

Wonderful sir, too good. You really are a model parliamentarian https://t.co/rPjPWRYC3Q  Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 22, 2017

Ghose is among Indian personalities routinely targeted by trolls supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party for her political views. Roy is not on Twitter.

Rawals comments also drew support from many Twitter users, with some chipping in with more names they would like to see treated in that manner.

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A Samajwadi Party leader was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Uttar Pradeshs Ballia on Sunday evening.

Police said Sumer Singh (48) and his friend Manoj Mishra were going to Gopalpur village on a bike to attend a function, when they were waylaid outside Bahuwara village under Lalganj police station.

The incident comes barely three days after two leaders belonging to the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party and the SP were killed in separate incidents in the state.

SP corporator Ravindra Gujjar was shot by four unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Bhawaniram area while he was taking a late evening walk on Thursday.

On the same day BSP leader Kailash Chandra was shot dead at his house in Tigariya Bhood area in Amroha. Police said a pistol owned by him was found near the body.

Police suspect Sundays killing was the fallout of a land dispute.

Sing was first shot in the head from a pointblank range. Even after he fell on the ground, the assailants fired several rounds at him. He died on the spot.

Mishra, managed to flee from the scene.

Police said a passerby, Bhuleri Yadav, also sustained splinter injuries.

Inspector Jagdish Vishwakarma said investigations are on and a manhunt has been launched to nab the assailants. A case has been registered under relevant IPC sections, he added.

The killing sparked tension in Bahuwara, but police said situation is under control.

Singhs wife Sunita is the village head.
The Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM), to be held in Kota from May 24 to 26, will provide a platform for investors to explore horticultural projects, officials said.

The Kota division -- comprising Kota, Jhalawar, Bundi and Baran districts -- is a hub of horticultural crops.

Kota is the worlds largest producer of coriander; the division accounts for 95% of the herb production in Rajasthan, said Neelkamal Darbari, state principal secretary, agriculture and horticulture. A newer variety of coriander with higher oil concentration can be introduced in the division.

Storage and post-harvest management of coriander need to be improved. Manufacturing pharmaceuticals with coriander as an ingredient, and branding and marketing of the produce can be explored by investors, Darbari said.

The division is also the fourth largest producer of oranges and garlic in India. A growing production of garlic should attract processing units. she said. There is scope for investment in setting up cold storage structures, processing dehydrated garlic, producing its flakes and powder, and manufacturing medicines based on the crop.

The Kota region recorded 98% of the states orange production in 2015-2016, she said.

The division has a centre of excellence (CoE) focused on citrus fruits at Nanta in Kota district. There are opportunities in production, storage and processing of citrus fruits. There is potential for production of new varieties of oranges, such as Valencia and Jaffa, with higher pulp content, Darbari said.

Investors can take up branding and marketing of local crops. Production of value-added products, such as orange puree and juice concentrate, is also another area for investments, officials said.

The division contributes 24% of guava production in the state. Most farmers sell the produce locally in the absence of a procurement channel. Investors can explore production of guava jams, jellies and juices, officials said

Strawberry, pomegranate and dragon fruit can be grown in the division to improve farmers income, Darbari said.

Cultivation of medicinal plants, such as ashwagandha and Isabgol, can be promoted in the Kota division because of its favourable conditions.

GRAM will be organised by the state government and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
A 77-year-old retired botany professor visits Burthal village, 35km from Jaipur, on Sundays to monitor women working at a pond to grow a green alga  a non-flowering plant of a large assemblage that grows in water.

Pushpa Srivastava started a project  to grow spirulina, one of the most nutrient-rich foods  in 1999 with funds from the biotechnology department. The project was over in four years, but the botanist did not stop at that.

She formed Manjul Spirulina Samwardhan Sansthan, a society of which she is the president, and women of Burthal are its secretary, treasurer and members.

Srivastava, who taught botany at the University of Rajasthan and retired in 2001, comes to Burthal to oversee alga cultivation.

Some women stir the pond with iron devices, others collect the alga and wash it before the plant is dried into flakes and ground into powder.

Pushpa Srivastava , owner of the spirulina farm in Bhurtal. (Prabhakar Sharma/HT Photo)

The pond produces 20kg of spirulina, of which a major chunk is sold in powder form; its papad, namkin, biscuits and capsules (250mg and 500mg) are supplied to fixed customers.

Srivastava, who has written chapters in botany books on the role of spirulina in fighting malnutrition, anaemia and some diseases, said Rajasthan is suitable for growing the alga, which is in demand by pharmaceutical companies for food supplements and medicines.

Spirulina needs bright sunlight and temperature ranging from 20 degree to 36 degree Celsius to grow in artificial ponds.

Spirulina is priced in India between 700 and 1500 per kilogram; in international market, it fetches approximately 6000-7000 per kg. In India, the alga is grown in southern parts; I am the only one who is growing spirulina in Rajasthan, as of now, Srivastava claimed.

I want people to grow the alga but in 17 years, no one came forward to learn it, she said.

I work with 14 village women and pay them every moth 1000 each, but even they have not shown any interest in taking up spirulina cultivation, the professor said.

She has shown with research that spirulina has 49 major nutrients and can be used to treat diseases, such as diabetes and arthritis.

Taking one gram of spirulina is equivalent to eating one kg of fruits and vegetables, she said, underlining the algas nutritional value. But it should be taken only after consulting a doctor.

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The streets of Kolkata leading to Howrah turned into virtual battlefields on Monday afternoon with police firing tear gas shells, targeting water cannons and wielding lathis during the March to Secretariat agitation programme undertaken by 11 Left parties and organisations.

Chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, was out of the city. She went to Birbhum district to attend an administrative meeting. Clashes erupted between police and the agitators at various points in Kolkata and Howrah.

Read: TMC in a fix over rise of BJPs aggressive Hindutva in Bengal

Police had to resort to massive lathi charge and firing of tear gas cells as the agitators broke through two consecutive barricades and guard-walls. Clashes were reported at Mayo Road in central Kolkata, from where the main team of agitators lead by the CPI(M) state secretary, Suryakanta Mishra and Left Front chairman, Biman Bose, started marching towards the secretariat.

A barricade erected by the police on the way to the state secretariat in Howrah. (HT Photo)

Former minister Kanti Ganguly was injured in the scuffle. He was seen lying on the bare road under the sun.

The agitation programme came against the backdrop of the Left continuously facing erosion of vote share in all elections of Bengal since 2011. Traffic in the city was thrown out of gear in the city since midday.

Participants started pelting stones and bricks targeting policemen, who retaliated with lathi charge and firing of tear gas cells. At Betor in Howrah, water cannons were used to disperse the mob. Policemen were also seen picking up stone thrown at them by agitators and throwing them back at the pelters.

Police attack agitators on Mayo Road on Monday. (Samir Jana)

The agitation was supposed to start at 1 pm. But before midday, a team of CPI(M) legislators and supporters, lead by the leader of the Left parties in the Assembly, Sujan Chakrabarty suddenly arrived in front of the secretariat and tried to enter it through north gate. Though initially caught by surprise, a huge police team deployed there took control of the situation in minutes and after some minor scuffle, arrested Chakraborty, along with four other CPI(M) legislators.

While three team of agitators marched towards Nabanna from the Kolkata side, two teams started from Howrah.

CPI(M) politburo member and MP, Mohammad Salim said, After converting West Bengal into a police state, the chief minister fled from Kolkata to avoid facing the people. Police provoked us a peaceful agitation programme, said CPI(M) state secretary Suryakanta Mishra.

CPI(M) is completely isolated from the people. Drama and hooliganism are their only weapons, said Trinamool Congress secretary general and education minister Partha Chatterjee.

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A number of mobile applications have been introduced to help Muslims with their religious observances during the holy month of Ramzan which begins in May-end.

The apps promise to help the devout keep track of prayer, sehari (morning meal), and iftaar (evening meal) timings, besides recipes. Some of these are even ready to help find the right direction of prayers, vital for any devout Muslim.

Ramzan Apps on offer SEERAH APP: The Seerah App tells the story of the Prophets life from his birth to his migration to Medina. The app combines storytelling, interactive animation, and games to explore different moments in the Prophets life. RAMADAN LEGACY: This app provides a 30-day interactive Ramzan planner, a content feed for learning in Ramzan and a live social stream to share your Ramzan experience with other users around the world. ISLAMIC GPS: This app helps to find mosques and Islamic landmarks around the world. Designed to help you discover and connect the faithful with breathtaking Islamic heritage sights around the world in a completely enriching way. MUSLIM EMOJI: This app gives one access to over 100+ exclusive emoji which work with different messaging apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, email, and more. QURAN COMPANION: This app promises the smartest way to memorise the Holy Quran. With scientifically-backed learning techniques and games.

of these apps have already notched high downloads. And many more are being launched each day to cater to the needs of the fasting faithful. The apps are of both Indian and foreign origin.

Often scorned at by clerics, these apps have become essential tools for professionals on the move, aiding them to carry out their religious duties while balancing their work responsibilities.

Many of these mobile applications let you go through stories from the Prophets life and also essays on an Islamic perspective on various issues. Some others also guide one to appropriately place beds or do up a room, ensuring the feet do not point towards the holy Kaaba, said Mohd Israr, a sales manager with a private firm at Allahabad.

Praising the apps, Israr said that his work requires him to travel extensively. These apps not only help to read religious texts, but even inform one about the time of the prayer, locate the nearest mosque and even the right direction to offer prayers. For someone like me who keeps moving from one city to another often, these apps help in observing the holy month properly while also allowing me to carry out my work responsibilities, he added.

These apps have features like to-do lists that remind one to recite the five daily prayers, observe fasting rituals, do charity work and engage in social activities. All these are making these apps popular among the tech-savvy young Muslims.

Afreen, a post graduate student of Allahabad University, also gives these apps the thumbs up.

These apps contain special prayers for Ramzan, recipes for dishes to be prepared, even an animated compass to show you the direction to Mecca, besides a full audio Holy Quran translated into different languages as well as maps to halal restaurants and mosques around you. The wide range allows one to chose the best suited to ones needs. Most are free, some are paid while a few offer a range of free services but reserve some for premium paid customers, added the Civil Lines resident.

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Over two months ago, Uttar Pradesh minister SPS Baghel made a bungalow on Kalidas Marg his home despite rumours that whoever occupies the structure either fades into political oblivion, meets with a misfortune, or winds up in prison.

I may be a god-fearing man, but I am not superstitious, Baghel had told HT soon after conducting the grah pravesh at 6 Kalidas Marg on Ram Navmi day.

The minister, however, seems to be having second thoughts now. He has offered to vacate the bungalow on the grounds that it is too big for his requirements.

Baghel shrugged off suggestions that the structures sinister reputation had made him develop cold feet. My wife and two children are not going to live here. While my wife resides in Agra, my two children are expected to move out to pursue careers in medicine. This bungalow is huge. Two of my not-so-superstitious colleagues have expressed willingness to move in if I shift to a smaller accommodation, he told HT.

But if Baghel never required such a spacious bungalow, why did he take it in the first place?

What would you do if a friend asked for a favour? I have shared a long relationship with the people who have expressed a desire to move in, he said.

According to local legends, the 6 Kalidas Marg curse extends beyond politicians. Even officers who stayed here in the past have encountered ill-luck, further strengthening the notion that the bungalow is jinxed.

The bungalow is sandwiched between that of chief minister Yogi Adityanaths 5 Kalidas Marg residence and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Mauryas home on the same street. Previous occupants of 6 Kalidas Marg were Amar Singh, Waqar Ahmad Shah, Babu Singh Kushwaha with Javed Abidi.

Abidi, the last resident of the bungalow, was considered close to former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. However, he was sacked as the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board within months of moving in.

Kushwaha, an influential minister under former chief minister Mayawati, lost all his clout towards the end of the Bahujan Samaj Partys term. He was eventually named in the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam and thrown into prison.

Shah, another minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government, lapsed into a coma soon after moving in. He never returned to work.

A couple of bureaucrats  Neera Yadav and Pradeep Shukla  also ended up in jail.

However, Baghels friends and well-wishers seemed confident that he would beat the jinx. The minister, for his part, firmly believed that no misfortune was headed his way.

Every previous occupant of this bungalow who went to jail would have gone there anyway. Its not the house but the deeds of a person that determine his/her fate. In any case, our chief minister is a revered head priest, and I am sure no harm will come to me as long as I remain in his shadow, he had said then.

No other Yogi minister had even considered the idea of moving into the bungalow.

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At a time when ensuring cleanliness seems to be one of the priorities of the state government, cocking a snook at the drive is the sight of thousands of unclaimed vehicles parked on the premises of various police stations across the state.

Covered with multiple layers of rust and dust, the sight of pile of vehicles could be one of the reasons behind low ranking of UP districts in the recent cleanliness survey conducted by the Centre.

Such vehicles are often damaged beyond repair and recognition. Their windscreens are shattered, doors unhinged, tyres punctured and steering wheels broken. Over the time they get reduced to mere scrap, which also becomes an environmental hazard, said a senior transport department official.

Besides, they also occupy crucial public space such as roads and footpaths at many places, like ones on the busy roads outside Naka and Ghazipur police stations in Lucknow.

According to a statewide list compiled by the transport department and put on its official website more than 46,000 unclaimed vehicles (two wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers) are decaying inside or outside various police stations in the states 37 out of 75 districts.

More than 4,000 such vehicles are parked at several police stations in Lucknow alone. Kanpur Nagar tops the chart with 6515 abandoned vehicles. Agra, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Mathura Moradabad and Allahabad are among other prominent districts.

As many as 26,500 of the total unclaimed vehicles seized under various offences are the case property for the police.

Most of the vehicles parked at police stations are the ones impounded by police or the transport department in cases of road mishap, theft, crime or non-payment of taxes.

After they are brought to a police station, these vehicles are parked under an open sky exposing them to the vagaries of nature, said an official.

Sources said since a majority of these vehicles were a case property, the police were supposed to take care of them till the disposal of the cases in courts.

But the police are often forced to leave these vehicles to their fate because of lack of adequate parking space at police stations, they pointed out.

And since it takes a very long time for the courts to decide cases, these vehicles are often reduced to junk so much so that their owners never come to claim them even after the case is settled in their favour. Neither have they remained fit for auction by the time, they added.

Presence of abandoned dirty vehicles at police stations is a stark reality throughout the state and a scar on the Swachh Bharat Mission, said Sri Ram Arun, former DGP.

There are two problems. One police have to preserve these vehicles as legal evidence till the disposal of the court case, second, police stations do not have a separate yard or parking lot for them, he said.

The solution to the problem, he observed, was that there should be a fixed time limit for keeping such vehicles as case property as police stations. After that time limit, the police should hand over the vehicles to the legitimate owners or auction them after prior permission from the respective courts, Arun suggested.

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Two children, aged eight and nine, were allegedly beaten up, stripped, tonsured, garlanded with a string of shoes and paraded for stealing two chaklis from a shop at Ulhasnagar on Sunday as they could not control their hunger.

The shop owner, Mehmood Pathan, 69, and his two sons Irfan, 25, and Tavakkal, 20, were arrested and remanded in police custody till May 23. The childrens mother, who is a widow, works as a domestic help.

As childrens mother was away, to quench their hunger, they took two chaklis, which were barely worth Rs 2, from a jar in the shop and ate them. When Mehmoood came to know about it, he was furious and slapped them. He also called his sons to teach the children a lesson, said an officer from Hill Line police station.

The three then took the children to a barbers shop to shaved their heads, stripped them naked and assaulted them, said the officer. They garlanded the children with shoes and paraded them in Ulhasnagars camp no.5.

Instead of rescuing or helping them, the onlookers were busy recording the incident on their phones. After sharing these videos on WhatsApp and other online platforms, the videos became viral, said the officer.

The children were allegedly threatened and subjected to casteist remarks.They narrated their ordeal to their mother who filed a complaint against the shop owner and his two sons.

The officer said that the children were in a state of shock when they came to the police station and were crying.

 The three men also shot videos and circulated them on WhatsApp. The kids were paraded for 200 meters. It is shocking that local residents did not intervene, said Mohan Waghmare, senior inspector of Hill Line police station.

The three men have been booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the POCSO Act and Sections 355, 500, 323, 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

READ MORE

Child sex abuse in Mumbai: Maybe your child is not just acting funny

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Two parts of a 40-foot decomposed carcass of a whale washed ashore at two beaches  one at Juhu (20 feet) and the remaining 16 feet at Madh beach  on Sunday morning. This is the first such case in Mumbai this year.

Researchers from the Konkan Cetacean Research Team (KCRT) said the whale was most likely a Brydes whale, most commonly found baleen whale along the Indian coast. They have a sharp rostrum and variable falcate dorsal fins. They can grow up to 50 feet.

State forest officials and KCRT confirmed that the two parts were of the same whale. While the head and throat of the whale had washed ashore near Retreat Hotel at Madh beach, the remaining body and the tail were found near Novotel Hotel, Juhu.

The 20-foot portion that washed ashore Juhu beach on Sunday. (HT)

This was the 14th case of dead marine animal carcass washing ashore Mumbais beaches. Between 2015 and 2017, 74 carcasses have washed ashore along the citys coastline. Local residents informed us about half a carcass on Sunday morning and we immediately reached the spot. After researchers from KCRT collected tissue samples from the mammals body, we buried the mammal at one end of Juhu beach, said Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forest, state mangrove cell.

About Brydes whales Brydes Whales (Balaenoptera edeni) are the most common baleen whales along the Indian coast. Can be easily identified at sea by the presence of three ridges on the rostrum Have a sharp rostrum and variable falcate dorsal fins Can reach a maximum length of 15 metres (The carcass of the male Brydes whale that beached at Juhu was 11.3 metres in length  nearly 40 feet and weighed 20 tonnes) Known to feed on small schooling fish such as sardines Weight can be between 13-22 tonnes Population is less than 100,000 across the world Status  protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Source: The Konkan Cetacean Research team

Meanwhile, Madh residents told HT that the head and throat of a whale had washed ashore early on Sunday. Morning walkers and joggers spotted the mammal first and since it was open from one end, it emanated a horrible stench. Locals from the area informed the police. However, the body remained at the spot till late Sunday evening, said Arpita Tupdal, Madh resident.

Ghodke added that the forest department was informed about it only by late Sunday evening. Our team will be visiting the site on Monday morning to ensure that the carcass is buried, tissue samples are collected and a full report regarding the incident filed, he said.

Researchers said that the whale might have died a few weeks ago. While nothing can be said conclusively, it is clear that the whale could have died at least two weeks ago but not more than a month ago. The decomposition process also might have led to the splitting of the carcass, said Mihir Sule, member, KCRT. Small portions of the whale (approximately 4-feet) could have fallen at sea when the body split.

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In 1976, Londons JPL Gallery hit upon a unique plan for a collection of works. They distributed a standard deck of playing cards (including two Jokers) among 54 top British artists and asked each of them to create their own, distinctive version of the card they received.

Artists like Howard Hodgkin, John Hoyland, Patrick Heron, Allen Jones, Maggie Hambling and David Hockney, took up the challenge, contributing to create a Deck of Cards, a collection that represented British art in a cool, new way.

Last year, the idea got a reshuffle. The British Council commissioned 54 of Indias top artists to create Taash Ke Patte, a new deck of cards. Artists as varied as Jyoti Bhatt, Nikhil Chopra, Shilpa Gupta, Sudhir Patwardhan, Raqs Media Collective, Anjolie Ela Menon, Syed Haider Raza, Thukral & Tagra and Waswo X Waswo each extended their style to a 36 cm x 30 cm playing card.

The works were exhibited alongside the original 1976 Deck of Cards in London last year. On May 25, the 54 cards go under the hammer at Christies South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art sale. The set is expected to fetch 80,000 to 120,000 (Rs 67 lakh to Rs 1 crore). Heres a look at some of them, up-close.

Queen of Spades,

by Arpita Singh

Best known for her figurative oil paintings that explore the intersections between the private and public lives of women, Singhs detailed ink works reflect her time as a textile designer at the Weavers Service Centre in the 1960s, where she studied Indian cloth-making traditions. (Christies)

King of Hearts

by Krishen Khanna

Krishen Khanna is as well-known for his portraits of the overlooked and oppressed as he is for his eloquence, wit and charm. He depicts the King as a roadside Romeo, with an upturned collar, long hair held in place by a headband emblazoned with hearts, and a flower in his hand. (Christies)

Jack of Clubs

by Gulam Mohammed Sheikh

Gulam Mohammed Sheikhs practice is firmly rooted in the figurative-narrative tradition of Indian painting. His Jack of Clubs, rendered in his signature palette of pinks and greens, seems to be a self-portrait. The double-sided knave appears to be drawing himself into existence. (Christies)

5 of Clubs

by Ram Rahman

Ram Rahman, a photographer, designer, curator and activist, is the only one to turn his playing card into a photograph, with street photography. The card shows the closed doors of a shop, on which a dress and the numbers one through five have been painted. Note the clubs symbol in the lower right corner. (Christies)

5 of Spades

by Bhuri Bai

Bhuri Bai was one of the first women in her community  the Bhil tribe from central India  to paint on paper and canvas, rather than on the mud walls and floors of village homes. Her Five of Spades is characteristic of her work, with its flattened perspective, vivid palette and decorative dots and lines reminiscent of Bhil tattoos. (Christies)

3 of Hearts

by Shilpa Gupta

Shilpa Gupta card draws from her project, Dont See Dont Hear Dont Speak, a series of photographs, site-specific billboards and international performances that re-examine Gandhis famous three monkeys who see, hear and speak no evil. The card reflects her cynical realism in a world where ethical dilemmas are constant, and in which it can be easier to ignore violence than address it. (Christies)

Back of Card

by Thukral & Tagra

The back of each card in this deck was designed by the duo Thukral & Tagra, whose work explores issues of urbanisation and consumerism in India. The duo combine fantasy with reality and high culture with kitsch to present a vintage home appliance sprouting petals in the sky - a playful, unconventional commentary on Indian contemporary life. (Christies)

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Help is pouring in for the seven-year-old rape survivor and security guards daughter, who was denied a seat in the Right to Education (RTE) quota, which offers free education from class 1 to 8 for students from economically and socially weaker sections, on a technicality  she missed the application deadline by a few days.

Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday that the Class 2 student might drop out from school because she is unable to afford her fees and the education department is unwilling to accept her in the quota. Following this, many non-government organisations (NGOs) and citizens are now volunteering to assist the child by sponsoring her education.

A Facebook page  Bringing Change Through RTE  has been created by two entrepreneur sisters, Simi Prasad and Sanjita Srivastava, who are struggling to get the girl admitted to the RTE seat. Several people are reaching out to them through this platform.

After the story was published in HT, many people have contacted us. We are overwhelmed by the response. They want to help the child by paying her tuition fees or other accessories that she might need for school, said Prasad.The sisters are asking those interested in contributing for the cause to directly contact the school.

Last year, the sisters enrolled the girl in a private school at Andheri after she was brutally and repeatedly assaulted sexually by a family member. Following the incident in 2015, she had dropped out of another school. The sisters had noticed her playing near their office complex where her father was employed as a security guard. On learning of her trauma, they volunteered to admit her to school, but missed the deadline for the RTE quota admissions by a few days.

An Andheri school took her in the regular category, charging annual fees of Rs40,000 and later sought to transfer her to the quota under which they had vacant seats. But the education department refused to accept the transfer, said school authorities.

For its part, the education department is willing to put the child in touch with more NGOs, but refuses to consider her for the quota, despite 13,000 vacant seats. We understand the girls plight, but according to our rules, we can only fill these seats through online admissions, said Prakash Charrate, deputy education officer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). He said the BMC will try to find NGOs ready to give her financial assistance.

Disappointed with the flawed RTE admission process, Prasad said they are planning to file a PIL in the Bombay high court against the dilution of the act. The RTE entitles economically and socially weaker sections to free education from classes 1 to 8, but the departments skewed up implementation is depriving students of their right, said Srivastava. We are collecting signatures for an online petition to rectify the implementation of the RTE Act, she said.

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Pakistan on Sunday arrested Sheikh Nabi Ahmed, a resident of Mumbais Jogeshwari (East), making him the fourth from the city to be held by the neighbouring country in recent times.

In March last year, 46-year-old Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in Mashkel, Balochistan. Jadhav, who was part of Pakistans inter-services public relations, was accused of involvement in espionage and sabotage actives. On April 10, a military court in Pakistan sentenced him to death. India contended that Jadhav had been kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar and that his secret trial was a farce. The International Court of Justice stayed his execution.His childhood friends in Mumbai had started a campaign to rescue him. They are currently meeting prominent politicians in the state and country to keep up the pressure on the government.

Jadhav grew up in Parel. His family currently stays in Powai. His father and uncle were state police officers.

In 2012, MBA student Hamid Nehal Ansari, 30, was arrested for illegally entering Pakistan from Afghanistan to allegedly meet a girl he had befriended online. Hamid left home telling his parents that he would get a job in Afghanistan. They later found out that he planned to marry his online girlfriend.

Hamid suffered injuries after he was attacked thrice by other inmates at Peshawar Central Prison. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had directed the Indian high commissioner in Pakistan to seek consular access to him.

Hamid had studied engineering from MH Saboo Siddik College of Engineering in Byculla and went on to pursue an MBA from Rizvi College in Bandra. His mother Fauzia is a professor at a Mumbai college. She lives in Seven Bungalows, Andheri, with her husband Nihal.

The first Mumbaiite to be arrested in Pakistan was computer engineer Bhavesh Parmar, 32, who was held in 2005, while he was travelling via the Samjhauta Express. His story, however, had a happy ending as he was freed in 2012 and reunited with his family.

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The Bombay high court on Monday extended till June 7 the bail granted to model and actor Preeti Jain, who was sentenced to three years in jail by a lower court for plotting to kill film-maker Madhur Bhandarkar.

A vacation bench presided by Justice MS Karnik granted the prosecution time till June 7, the next date of the hearing, to respond to Jains plea.

On April 28 this year, a trial court had found Jain and two others guilty of conspiring to kill Bhandarkar. The court had convicted and sentenced Jain to imprisonment for three years. On the same day however, the court had granted Jain bail till May 25.

On Monday, Jains counsel, advocate Sujit Shelar, argued that the trial courts order on Jains conviction was erronous. Jains appeal argued the trial court had ignored loopholes in all major evidence presented by the prosecution. Shelar claimed that although the trial court had observed that the FIR against her Jain was faulty, that the prosecution had failed to establish a motive behind the crime, and the money trail was insufficient evidence, it had gone ahead with the conviction.

The case against Jain dates back to July 2004. She had lodged a complaint against Bhandarkar accusing him of raping her 16 times since 1999. She had alleged that Bhandarkar, under the pretext of giving her a lead role in his films, had raped her. Bhandarkar denied the allegations and subsequently, the Supreme Court had quashed the rape case against him in 2012.

Meanwhile, in 2005 however, Jain was arrested for conspiring to have Bhandarkar murdered. According to the police, the conspiracy came to light when Jain approached the Akhil Bharatiya Sena to recover Rs 40,000 that she had allegedly paid to one Naresh Pardeshi to kill Bhandarkar.

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In a boost to Mumbais economy, the Maharashtra Assembly unanimously cleared the Goods and Services Tax ratification bill. In a boost to the citys environment, 5.3 million kg of garbage was cleared from Versova beach over 85 weeks.

While model Preeti Jain got a reprieve as the court extended her bail in connection with a plot to murder Madhur Bhandarkar, Mumbaiite Nabi Ahmed was arrested in Pakistan.

1. Tejas Express: Indias first high-speed train leaves Mumbai, is now on its way to Goa

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off Indias first high-speed train, the Tejas Express, from Chatrapati Shivaji Station on Monday.

2. Nabi Ahmed is fourth Mumbai man to be held in Pak in recent times

Pakistan on Sunday arrested Sheikh Nabi Ahmed, a resident of Mumbais Jogeshwari (East), making him the fourth from the city to be held by the neighbouring country in recent times.

3. In pics: 85 weeks later, 5.3 million kg trash lighter, this is what Versova beach looks like now

Eighty-five weeks later and 5.3 million kg of trash lighter, Versova beach is now pristine. As many as 150 people participated in the worlds largest beach clean-up and cleared more than 16,000 kg of trash over the weekend.

4. Maharashtra Assembly clears GST bill, finance minister says it will strengthen states economy

After two days of discussion, the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday unanimously cleared the Goods and Services Tax (GST) ratification bill, paving the way for a uniform tax rates for goods and services across India from July 1. The bill will now be sent to the legislative council for approval and is expected to get the upper houses nod on Monday itself.

5. Bombay HC extends bail for actor convicted for conspiring to kill Madhur Bhandarkar

The Bombay high court on Monday extended till June 7 the bail granted to model and actor Preeti Jain, who was sentenced to three years in jail by a lower court for plotting to kill film-maker Madhur Bhandarkar.
The Shiv Sena said the proposed expressway between Mumbai and Nagpur, called the Samruddhi Corridor, will lead to a rise in farmer suicides in Maharashtra. It asked the government on Monday if it was trying to secure a Guinness World Record for farmer suicides.

The government machinery is being misused to build this expressway. Protesting farmers are being beaten up and threatened with imprisonment if they hinder government work. The only thing left now is to cut off the heads of the protesters, read an editorial in the Shiv Senas mouthpiece Saamana.

The 702-km expressway will pass through Nagpur, Buldhana, Amravati, Wardha, Washim, Thane, Aurangabad, Akola, Bhiwandi and Nashik. It is expected to halve the time taken to travel between Nagpur and Mumbai.

Farmers in Sinnar and Igatpuri tehsils in Nashik and those from Shahpur and Kalyan tehsils in Thane have protested as the expressway is expected to pass through their lands. They have blocked the roads several times and staged rallies against the project, fearing the forcible acquisition of their land by the government.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis wears a smiling mask on his face all the time, but his real face comes out when he sneers at farmers woes, added the editorial.

The farmers do not want to sell their mother [irrigated land]. You cannot lead them to the grave with your atrocious policies, it added.

The Shiv Sena said the Mumbai-Pune expressway, a pet project of late Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, was implemented by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. The party added that it didnt object to the project as farmers were not against it.

We have never objected to development. But it should not come at the cost of farmers lives. Had we been opposed to development, we would have not built scores of roads and flyovers in Mumbai. Development is the need of the hour but farmer suicides have to be stopped first. Their loans should be waived, it said.
With the state legislature passing the required legislations in its three-day long special session that ended on Monday, Maharashtra is all set to enter the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. The days leading to the session saw haggling between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its alliance partner Shiv Sena as the latter was worried over the financial situation of the civic bodies, such as Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), that would be losing their major revenue source with the octroi duty being scrapped with the introduction of the GST.

With political parties demanding that the civic bodies be compensated adequately, the government passed the Maharashtra Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to the Local Authorities) Act 2017 to safeguard financial interests of 27 municipal corporations in the state. The legislation provides for 8% hike in the compensation to the civic bodies every year even though the average increase of their revenue is little over 4%. The state government has assured that it would increase the percentage of the compensation every five to seven years on the basis of performance of these bodies in terms of tax collection.

In theory, this is a good step since it would ensure financial stability of the civic bodies that need funds to cater to the demands of the growing cities.

However, it would make more sense if the government takes this opportunity to clear the mess in the functioning of the civic bodies in the form of corruption and mismanagement and ensures that the taxpayers money spent by them is accounted for and properly audited.

Across the cities in Maharashtra, it is not difficult to see how elected representatives are running municipal bodies. There is little check on how money is spent. There is provision for audit but it is either not done regularly or not taken seriously. There are some exceptions but those ruling major civic bodies that have budgets ranging from Rs5,000 crore to Rs30,000 crore do not think it is necessary to audit their expenditure.

Unfortunately, everybody is well aware of what is happening in our local government bodies but none of the parties are willing to take any strong measures to put an end to the same.

During his tenure as chief minister, late Vilasrao Deshmukh had once publicly admitted that the standing committee (the panel that has financial powers to spend civic bodys money) in civic bodies was actually `understanding committee, pointing out all-party corruption in local government bodies. In several municipal corporations, one often sees amicable atmosphere among ruling and opposition parties as contracts of hundreds of crores of rupees are cleared.

Maybe chief minister Devendra Fadnavis can take an effective step in this direction since the GST regime has given the state government a chance.

Octroi duty, a major source of revenue of the civic bodies, will be scrapped with the introduction of the GST. The civic bodies will be relying on the government for compensation towards the same. The government can link the release of funds to financial discipline and efficient management of our civic bodies. There should be analysis of how the funds are spent and whether the projects built with that money are really worth it.

Why cant each rupee spent by the civic body be audited and the audit reports put on the website so that citizens know how their money is spent? After all, the functioning of the civic bodies directly affects the citizens. That is why, every time we see potholes on roads, we suspect a road scam. Will the GST regime change this?

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While talking to you, I am worried about my elephants. There are many visitors today, Mohammed Sajid Khan, a 56-year-old mahout at Mumbais Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan popularly known as the Byculla zoo, told HT. The veterinary officer in the zoo calls Khan the father and mother to elephants Laxmi and Anarkali, who are the oldest in the zoo.

Mohammed Sajid Khan with elephants Laxmi and Anarkali inside Byculla zoo in Mumbai on Friday. (Pratik Chorge/HT)

Khan gets worried like a parent if he is not around the two for a long time. He has been working in the zoo for the last three decades taking after his father Mohammad Shakir Khan who in-turn took the job from his father Mohammad Yusuf Khan. At the fag end of his career with just two more years before he retires, senior civic officials say that it is most likely that Sajid Khans 16-year-old son, Saif would take up the job after him.

Zoo elephants listen to their mahouts only and doctors say they get so attached to them that they like to be bathed, fed and taken care of only by the mahout.

Of the two, Laxmi, 56, is also infamous for her temperament as she keeps most of the staff, except Khan, at bay. Dr Devanand Shirshat, veterinary officer at the zoo, said, Even when I go near her to treat her, Sajid needs to be with me owing to her temperament. With Sajids family staying in the zoo and being familiar with the surroundings, it is only natural that his son will take up the job.

Bath time for the elephants at Byculla zoo is fun, thanks to Sajid. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

Like Khan, 50% of the employees working in the zoo have been there since generations. Zoo director Dr Sanjay Tripathi has also put up a proposal in the corporation to consider the family members as the first option when a staff-member retires. Tripathi said, Today, be it the hyena, the birds, the deer or the elephants, they are being taken care of people who have always been around them.

Remembering his fathers work at the zoo, Khan said, When I was working as a labourer at the zoo, my father used to be ruthless with me if I didnt do my work properly. I still remember when he got Laxmi from Bihar in 1990. I never went near the elephant enclosure, but had to take up the job after he retired.

Khans day starts with visiting the elephants. He touches at the base of their ears every day to check for fever. He also senses their mood, before bathing or feeding them. They are like us. They can be happy, sad or angry on any day, Khan said.

The elephants affection for their mahout is clear. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

Their breakfast after a nice bath includes 20 kilos of soaked grains with flour for each of them. In the afternoon, they feast on half a kilo of sugarcane as visitors throng to click pictures. The popularity of the newly-opened Humboldt penguin enclosure has also increased the number of visitors to the British-era zoo.

Officials say that Khan does not frequently take leaves, fearing for the elephants well being. I dont want their routine to get disturbed. They are everything to me, says Khan while adding, My family will always be grateful to these animals as they are the means to our survival. If the corporation gives the job to my son, I will be more than happy.

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After two days of discussion, the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday unanimously cleared the Goods and Services Tax (GST) ratification bill, paving the way for a uniform tax rates for goods and services across India from July 1. The bill will now be sent to the legislative council for approval and is expected to get the upper houses nod on Monday itself.

Historic day for Maharashtra as Assembly passes #GST Bill 2017.

Thanks to all parties & members!

We are a step closer to One Nation-One Tax! pic.twitter.com/Mj5kZBWwCM  Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) May 22, 2017

State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the new tax regime would help strengthen Maharashtras economy and would also eliminate the tax terrorism being faced by the common people. Mungantiwar claimed that the states economy was strong enough to adopt the GST and would not need compensation from the Centre against revenue losses after two years. I personally believe the revenue of the Maharashtra government will increase and after two years, we wont need any compensation for revenue losses, Mungantiwar said in the lower house.

The state government had called a three-day special session of the state legislature from Saturday to deliberate upon the GST bill.

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The Maharashtra government has stayed hike in ready reckoner rates in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) on land including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for a month to provide relief to developers struggling with slowdown in the real estate.

The decision was taken after representatives of the realty sector requested the government to reconsider the hike. The government has also asked the stamp and registration department to come out with revised rates. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he took the decision to encourage affordable housing projects. He added that for now, the rates will remain unchanged for only lands and not property in Mumbai.

Other municipal corporations such as Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayander, Bhiwadi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar, Vasai-Virar and Panvel will also benefit from the move in future, officials said.

The state government had in April announced a hike in ready reckoner (RR) rates by 5% to 7%. But on May 19, the decision was put on hold for a month considering the current slump in the sector after demonetisation.

The issue was raised by NCP legislator Jayant Patil in the state Assembly when the members were debating bill to ratify the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Municipal corporations charge builders on ready reckoner rates and the hike will have cascading effect on buyers. Since the move may harm affordable housing projects, the government decided to stay the hike for a month, Fadnavis told the legislators.

However, officials from the stamps and registration department said that the decision to stay the RR rates was taken for the entire MMR. Apart from eight municipal corporations, the decision will help builders and buyers from nine municipal councils  Ambernath, Kulgaon-Badlapur, Uran, Alibag, Pan, Matheran, Karjat, Khopoli and Palghar.

The officials also said that the decision to put fresh RR rates on hold was taken after the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI) requested the state government to take into account the current slump in the reality sector.

The government has also asked the stamp and registration department to suggest fresh formula for the RR rates. Until then, RR rates of the last year (2016-17) will continue to be used.

The ready reckoner (RR) is a guide published annually by the state government, which determines the rate of land and properties in the particular area, on which stamp duty and registration charges are levied. On April 1, the average RR rates were increased by 3.95% in Mumbai and 3.18% in Thane.

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A 28-year-old man recently lost Rs20,000 to fraudsters who posed as executives of a private bank and coaxed him into revealing his credit card details. The man outwitted the first caller by refusing to divulge his personal details, saying a bank would never call for such information. However, he was coerced into giving up his details by a second caller just moments later.

Sakinaka police said the man is a Vasai resident. On April 19, he approached them, saying fraudsters had called him on April 11 around 2 pm, seeking his bank details.

The man told the first fraudster that a bank would never ask for a persons credit card details. On hearing this, the fraudster hung up. However, soon after, his accomplice called. He gave the man a fake name and posed as the manager of a private bank in Borivli, said an officer from Sakinaka police station.

As the man actually did have an account in that bank, he assumed that this was a genuine call and gave up his credit card details, including the one time password (OTP). Following this, Rs20,000 was withdrawn from his bank account. He received messages from his bank informing him about the transaction, after which he realised that he had been duped. He got a second OTP number on his phone and the fraudster called again. This time, man did not answer, added the police official.

Both fraudsters then called the man, saying they wanted to redeem credit card points on his card. They told him he would get his money back.

Police registered a first information report (FIR) under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal code and 66C (identity theft) of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
The sewage that Mumbai pumps into the sea has high concentration of pharmaceutical drugs that are potentially disastrous for aquatic life, a first-of-its-kind study led by the Indian Institute of Technology  Bombay (IITB) revealed.

The source of the untreated pharmaceuticals discharged first into the sewers and then waste water treatment plants (WWTP) are households and hospitals.

When we consume any medicine, 30% is absorbed by the body, and about 70% gets excreted that goes into the sewerage treatment plants. But these treatment plants are not designed to treat medicines, said Sanjeeb Mohapatra, co-author, and doctoral student, Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, IITB.

Elevated levels of pharmaceuticals entering the creek before ultimately reaching the sea can affect aquatic life, and humans in the long run. Mohapatra said. For the study, the four-member team selected 12 commonly used pharmaceuticals from an initial list of 72 for seasonal monitoring at two WWTPs in the city. Results showed that the average load of pharmaceuticals on reaching the two treatment plants was 537 microgram per litre (ug/L) and 353 ug/L. In comparison, pharmaceutical concentrations in two similar WWTPs in the US  also part of the study  were found to be 50% less than Mumbais.

At present, there are no permissible limits set for the presence of pharmaceuticals in waste water in India or the US.

On treatment, 59% pharmaceuticals were removed before being released into the creek in the lagoon-based WWTP, while the advanced WWTP eliminated 85% pharmaceuticals. The US-based WWTPs were more efficient at removing pharmaceuticals at 10%-30%.

Researchers have attributed an increase in the intake of pharmaceutical drugs to growing incomes and consumption patterns resulting in a rise in lifestyle diseases.

Easy availability of medicines over-the-counter at pharmacy stores is another reason. For instance, earlier people would be willing to bear a headache. Today, the moment one gets a headache, he or she will pop a pill to get instant relief, Lokesh Padhye, co-author, and senior lecturer, department of civil and environmental engineering, University of Auckland, New Zealand, told HT.

High pharmaceutical concentrations and can aid in development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, also called superbugs.

With medicines targeted for different organs of the body, researchers said humans need higher concentration of medicines as compared to fish or any other aquatic form of life.

Such high concentration of pharmaceutical drugs when released into the water body acts as a poison for aquatic life and is carcinogenic. Some of these drug compounds can remain in fish tissues. When we consume fish, these compounds can get transferred to human tissues, said Mohapatra.

Previous studies, as stated in the paper, have shown that concentrations of some pharmaceuticals can adversely affect phytoplankton and algal growth, cause reproductive defects in aquatic wildlife including sex reversals, production of intersex individuals, alterations in mating, and prevention of gonadal maturation.

There is a need to upgrade existing waste water treatment facilities around the country so as to be able to treat pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants before effluents are released into the environment. As compared to Mumbai which has the sea, the situation is more worrisome for inland cities across the country, said Padhye.

With treated wastewater not released into rivers in Mumbai, co-author and IITB professor Suparna Mukherji said the possibility of contaminating drinking water sources is relatively low.

But many of the pharmaceuticals can have adverse effect on health of living organisms. Some are known to have endocrine disruptive (ED) effects where they affect the production of natural hormones, said Mukherji.

Mukherji added, If pharmaceuticals are present in our drinking water they can have chronic toxic effects when contaminated water is consumed over several years. They have been linked with increased cancer risk, increased incidence of birth defects, early onset of puberty, obesity and attention deficit disorder

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For three days, doctors at the civic-run Cooper hospital slogged to help a Sri Lankan national eject 12 gold pieces he had swallowed to evade suspicion by Customs officials. Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Faheem, 55, was arrested by the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) on Friday morning.

In the past, we have come across cases in which drugs were swallowed for smuggling. But in this case, the man swallowed metal pieces, said a high-ranking AIU official.

Faheem, who came from Columbo, was busted after he was asked to walk through a door frame metal detector (DFMD). The DFMD detected presence of metal inside his body. Initially, the passenger voluntarily ejected six pieces of gold. However, DFMD beeped when he walked through it again, the official said.

Faheem was taken to Cooper hospital after he confessed to swallowing 18 gold pieces before flying to Mumbai. It took four attempts for the doctor to recover 12 gold pieces, for which they used bowel cleaning procedure, the official said.

The officials recovered 505 grams of gold worth Rs14.90 lakh. Faheem was let off as the value of the gold was less than Rs20 lakh.

Smugglers swallow consignments on an empty stomach and later eat bananas and rice to eject them. However, such methods can be life-threatening. The accused is a frequent flier to Mumbai and buys clothes and fancy items for sale in Colombo, the official said.
Swabhimani Paksha, the NDA ally headed by farmers leader Raju Shetti, could be heading for a split as all is not well between him and Sadabhau Khot  his lone minister in the BJP-led state government.

Khot had skipped partys Mumbai-Pune march, which was organised to protest against the farmers issues, including the demand for farm loan waiver.

Moreover, Khot on Sunday campaigned for BJP candidates in the Panvel municipal corporation polls, ignoring that his party was contesting the polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena, another ally of the BJP. This has led to speculations that Khot will break away from his organisation and join the BJP soon.

The party has decided to reconsider its decision on Khots induction as a minister in the Fadnavis government as a nominee. Khot was inducted in the Fadnavis government as the minister of state for agriculture in July, last year, after a reshuffle in the ministerial council.

Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana is a farmers organisation that had supported the BJP through its political arm Swabhimani Paksha in 2014. The split could affect the organisation as Shetti, MP from western Maharashtra, may also quit the NDA in retaliation.

Shetti said that he didnt want to comment on what Khot was doing and was concentrating only on the Aatmklesh Yatra (repentance march), a march from Pune to Mumbai that he was taking out to repent the decision of supporting the BJP in the 2014 elections.

He, however, added that the party state executive committee will take a decision on Khots induction as their nominee in the BJP-led state government. The meeting will be held immediately after the march.

Shetti has been openly supporting the demand of waiving off farmers loans. He was also present at the farmers rally led by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in Nashik.

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Two unidentified people died and one suffered injuries after the car they were travelling in rammed into a truck on the old Mumbai-Pune highway near Lonavala.

Police said the car was travelling from Pune to Lonavala. As it was crossing a sharp curve near Lonavala around 6.30 am, the driver tried to overtake another vehicle.

The car collided with a tuck coming from the opposite direction, said an officer from the Lonavala city police station. Two people suffered severe head injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they died, he said.

The injured person was admitted to Lokmanya Hospital in Pune.

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You will not see Victorias in south Mumbai now because the state cabinet has approved the rehabilitation proposal for the carriage owners and drivers. Ninety-one owners and 130 drivers of the Victorias will now be given a compensation of Rs3 lakh or Rs1 lakh and a hawker license in south Mumbai.

After animal activists filed a public interest litigation, the Bombay high court in June 2015 had directed the government to ban the horse-drawn carriages and rehabilitate their operators by December 2015. The state had formed a committee headed by finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, which held two meetings and proposed the rehabilitation package. The cabinet approved it on Monday.

Victoria operators will be given hawkers licenses. According to a cabinet minister, the operators will preferably be given licences in south Mumbai. The cabinet has also appointed a committee to plan the rehabilitation of the horses. It will take the help of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and NGOs.

Though animal activists have welcomed the step, horse operators have expressed unhappiness over the compensation. "The compensation is nothing if we compare it to our business of so many years. We had no say in the procedure and had to settle for the amount. We demand more, said Hassan Allarakha, one of the carriage owners.

"It is a good decision by the government as Victoria operators wanted to shift to other professions. It had become difficult for them to run their business and maintain the horses. With the help of the new licences and compensation, the drivers and owners may start other professions. We will help them treat the sick horses and get a good compensation by selling the them outside Mumbai," said Ambika Nijjar, legal advisor for People for Animals, one of the petitioners.

READ MORE

Hold your horses: Activists ask govt to ban Mumbais Victorias

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After the Maharashtra legislature on Monday unanimously cleared the Goods and Services Tax (GST) ratification bill after two days of discussion, state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the state was capable of dealing with revenue losses and did not need any compensation from the Centre after two years. He further said that the states revenue was likely to go up by 2% with the introduction of the GST.

The state government had called a three-day special session of the legislature from Saturday to discuss and ratify the GST. The new tax will bring the countrys economy into a common platform and eliminate a string of central and state taxes. Under this, the Centre and the states will also collect the same amount on goods and services.

Mungantiwar said that Maharashtras economy was strong enough to deal with the losses from the GST and would not need any help from the Centre after two years. With the GST, the state revenue is expected to increase by 2%, which comes to around Rs50,000 crore. After two years, we wont need any compensation as there wont be any revenue loss, Mungantiwar said.

To substantiate his claim, he said that the states tax revenue was Rs87,000 crore in 2011-12, which is expected to reach up to Rs1.53 lakh crore in 2017-18. The non-tax revenue was Rs8,168 crore in 2011-12, which is expected to go up Rs20,156 crore in 2017-18.

He was replying to the concerns raised by the opposition, which said that Maharashtra was likely to incur an estimated loss of Rs15,000 crore with the GST coming into effect. With the Centre to compensate the state for the next five years, the Opposition on Sunday said that the state government was unlikely to be in a position to bear this additional burden after the stipulated time because of the losses.

Mungantiwar also said that it was baseless to assume that eating at restaurants was to become expensive with the implementation of the GST, keeping in mind the existing taxes. Under the GST, small restaurants having an annual turnover of Rs50 lakh will be charged 5%, AC restaurants will be charged 12% tax and AC restaurants serving liquor will be charged at 18%. I believe this will not affect your finances when eating out, he said.

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American rapper Nicki Minaj has been sending money to a village in India for the last couple of years for clean water, places where villagers can pray, learn technology and more.

On Saturday, Minaj posted a video on Instagram where an Indian man, surrounded by villagers, can be seen showing a newly installed hand pump.

Minaj wrote: This is the kind of thing that makes me feel the most proud. The money Ive sent to this village in India for the last couple years (via my Pastor Lydia Sloley), has gotten them a computer centre, a tailoring institute, a reading programme and two water wells.

We complain about the most ridiculous little things when some people dont even have clean water. Blessings to India. Our work is far from done. Ill tell you guys more about my charity work in the near future in case youd like to be a part of it. Love.

The location of the village is not mentioned.

The Anaconda hitmaker also shared photos of a few Indian women.

She captioned the images: Im so proud of our sisters in India. God is so good. Their desire was to have water wells and places where they can worship, places where they can learn technology, computers, reading, etc. Were just getting started. These women are us and we are them.

Earlier this month, Minaj announced that she would soon set up a charity to pay off her fans student loans and tuition fees.

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A 1987 batch Indian Administrative Service officer Debasish Panda on Monday took charge as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Greater Noida authority.

Panda was the principal secretary (Home) of Uttar Pradesh before the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath appointed him as CEO of Greater Noida.

Panda will also be resident commissioner of UP in Delhi. He took over the charge of Greater Noida authority after assuming office as resident commissioner in Delhi.

The Noida authority chief executive officer Amit Mohan Prasad held additional charge of Greater Noida authority, but now Panda will look after the Greater Noida and Prasad will remain as CEO of Noida and managing director of the Noida Metro Rail Corporation.

Greater Noida authority officials including additional CEO Vimal Kumar Sharma, ACEO Janardhan and general manager Leenu Sehgal gave a presentation to Panda at the administrative office in Knowledge Park-IV.

Greater Noida has many important issues to be dealt with properly. These issues are related with realty sector, finance and farmers agitations. My priority will be to bring solution to each issue that comes at my hand. The issues of homebuyers grievances, financial defaults of builders, debt of authority and farmers problems will be looked into and addressed, said Panda.

Panda had served as additional chief executive officer of the Noida authority between September 2003 and August 2005. He dealt with urban planning and developmental projects during his earlier stint in Noida.

I had dealt with urban town planning and industrial projects in Noida, but things have changed in this region over a period of time. Now there are multiple issues that require immediate solutions. My objective will be to understand all these issues in detail and then come up with solutions with the help of my team. Today, I had a brief interaction with my staff at the Greater Noida authority. Let me understand all issues and then I will come up with the solutions of each issue because every issue is important, said Panda.

Panda also met with Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway chairman Dr Prabhat Kumar in Greater Noida authority office.

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The idea to tamper with oil flow at petrol stations by installing an electronic chip, which results in less quantity of fuel being dispensed, was initiated by a technician who allegedly worked for more than 15 years at a filling station of Indian Oil Corporation in Lucknow.

Officials of the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh nabbed the accused, Ravinder, 40, and 23 others last month.

Officials said that the accused cut supply by 60ml in one litre, which would provide a profit of Rs15-Rs 20 lakh per month to owners of pumps that witnessed heavy rush. Owners of pumps with less customers made around Rs 5-Rs 7 lakh per month.

The accused was well versed with the electronics involved in oil dispensing machines. Officials said that he was tasked with fixing a snag in one such machine at the filling station, which resulted in the idea. He is a resident of Barabanki.

The accused installed the chip in the pulse unit (in picture) to slow down fuel supply. (HT Photo)

There are three main units in the machine  pulse unit, central unit and dispensing unit  used in oil supply. The chips would be installed in the pulse unit to slow down the supply of fuel.

A remote sensor was also used to send signals to the pulse unit and the dispensing unit. The chip would reduce the supply and the dispenser would show a false reading. The entire exercise would bypass the role of the central unit that regulates the oil supply.

According to the police, Ravinder was initially able to procure the chip but was unable to install it.

Remote sensor (in picture) was also used to send signals to the pulse unit and the dispensing unit. The chip would reduce the supply and the dispenser would show a false reading. (HT Photo)

Sources in the STF said, The seal on devices inside dispensing machines and mathematical calculation to control the supply were his obstacles. He befriended an engineer of Midco Company that deals with fuel dispensing equipment and the duo executed the plan together. It was started from the same filling station where he was working as a technician. Over a period of time, both of them spread their network across the state.

STF sources said that they trained others for installing the chips and the demand for the chips, which has a specific shape, started rising. He became an expert and started a nexus of technicians. In his chain, a technician would charge Rs 7,000 for installation and Rs 3,000 for procuring the chip.

Raj Kumar Mishra, deputy superintendent of police, Noida-STF, who was conducting raids in Gautam Budh Nagar district with other officials said, Since he started minting money, he went on to share this idea with people not only in UP but in other states as well. In fact, people in Bihar were working for him and his network was spread up to Mumbai, from where chips were sourced and later installed in fuel dispensers.

Ravinder came to spotlight a month ago when the STF came to know about the oil theft and arrested him and 23 accomplices.

The STF continued with raids and found that most filling stations in Muzaffarnagar were using these electronic chips. In one of the raid raids, a suspect told the police that he had procured the chips through courier from Purnia district of Bihar. The STF then went to Purnia and arrested an accused. The STF team found oil dispensing machines at his residence. They said that his job was to receive the chips sourced from Mumbai and supply them in UP.

Officials said the man based in Purnia was working in close association with Ravinder and was trained to install the chips. Sources said that these chips had to be replaced every two months.

Ravinder ran his operations for six years in the state before his arrest in April. He had become popular in the trade and was expanding his network to other states as well.



Mishra said that when raids were being conducted, people got to know and started removing the chips from the pulse unit, which is a part of the dispenser. These chips are fixed with a solder and on removal, leave a mark that shows that the device has been tampered with.

Meanwhile, the Allahabad high court on Monday lauded the role of the STF for breaking the oil nexus. In its order, it said that the role of weight and measurement department is suspicious, with regard to the installation of electronic devices in machines. The court has said that seals are installed by the weights and measures department and without tampering with these, it would not have been possible to tamper with the fuel supply.

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How long do you wait before you give up hope of justice?

Exactly 30 years ago, India witnessed the worst custodial killings since independence as an armed segment of the Uttar Pradesh police gunned down 42 Muslim men in a desolate region of Ghaziabad district on the borders of the national capital in an apparent show of strength as communal violence singed nearby Meerut.

The UP Provincial Armed Constabulary allegedly picked up young men from the Hashimpura neighbourhood in full public view from a hundreds-strong crowd, loaded them onto a truck and drove them to a nearby canal. The forces then apparently shot each person to death one by one, threw their bodies into the water and returned to the camp.

Twenty eight years later, a Delhi court acquitted all accused in the case, citing incomplete investigation and little material evidence. Shortly afterwards, a book by a senior police officer claimed the state government and top officers were involved in covering up the crime even before investigation had started full steam. Earlier this year, newspaper reports emerged that said the state police had destroyed crucial documentation while the trial was on.

I didnt know of this pogrom until five years ago. It ceased to make headlines decades ago and was neatly excised from public memory to be filed in one of scores of such conflagrations in a country riven by caste and religious faultlines. There is little outrage, or even surprise as victims wait for justice, and the grubby Meerut locality doesnt even make it to our discussions of riots and violence.

The experience is identical to that in Laxmanpur Bathe, where Dalit victims of a similar massacre have almost given up hope after a long and dispiriting trial that resulted in acquittals.

Hashimpura taught me that the history of anti-Muslim bias in India had a root far deeper and older than any single party or ideology. The Congress party was in power in UP, and at the Centre, in 1987. Since then, supposedly secular parties have come to power several times in both Lucknow and Delhi but the investigation hasnt moved. Senior IPS officer Vibhuti Narain Rai interviewed the alleged mastermind of the attack who was quoted as saying that he thought Muslims needed to be taught a lesson  an indictment of how deep the hate against minorities had penetrated.

But it would be a mistake to see Hashimpura as isolated or exceptional. As Rai repeatedly stresses in his book, seeing Muslims as aggressive or crime prone or thankless or in need of disciplining is a feeling thats far more pervasive that any civilised society would admit. It is this feeling that ensures neat divisions in supposedly egalitarian places such as schools, colleges or universities. This is why inter-faith marriage results in bloodbath or why our cities, and housing societies, are often cleaved on the basis of religion. This is why we find proxies to articulate our bias such as beef or non-vegetarian.

Had it happened in another time or area, Hashimpura would have been easy to categorise. It would have got more press, more sympathy, more champions of justice. Had we felt comfortable with pinning the category of the violence  a political party that apparently is pro-Hindu and anti-Muslim, cow, intolerance  we would have probably felt more enthusiastic with articulating our support for speedier justice.

But Hashimpura is complex and messy because all available accounts point to it being a burst of the everyday bias against Muslims. It exposes the hollowness of our secular chants and claims that India was a great place before certain ideologies and parties took root. It shows how communally charged our state, police and media can be, and how helpless the victims are in the face of this onslaught. It examines the society as constantly demanding proof of patriotism from particular sections while simultaneously denying them the dignity and camaraderie that comes with that patriotism and citizenship. This why Hashimpura lies forgotten. It is too discomfiting.

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India joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983. However, it is only this year, 2017, that it is hosting the annual meetings of the AfDB and its sister institutions, including of finance ministers of member countries, who comprise the AfDB board of governors.

The meetings, which open in Gandhinagar today, are important for India for more than one reason. First, they will be seen as a logical follow-up to the India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in 2015, attended by 40 African heads of state or government and representatives of all 54 countries from the continent. Second, after Indias boycott of Chinas Belt and Road forum, there will be a keenness to understand the Narendra Modi governments approach to its own connectivity, infrastructure and developmental projects, particularly in geographies where it competes with Beijing.

The AfDB meetings will be a useful reckoner in this regard. The five-day event will see 2,800 delegates arriving from Africa and elsewhere. The Gujarat government, keen to exploit opportunities for local business, has seen registration by 5,000 Gujarat-based business executives  representing industries as far apart as education and mining, health-care/pharmaceuticals and energy.

Like the Make in India Forum that was held in Mumbai in 2016, this is another example of the Modi governments determination to take marquee business and economy events outside the national capital, and encourage individual states to up their game. Yet, that is a collateral story.

The major theme of the AfDB week will be giving teeth to Indias engagement with a continent where, despite goodwill, it has hitherto lagged behind China in project execution. India-Africa trade doubled in the five-year period ending 2014-15, to reach US$ 72 billion. In the following year, it fell sharply to US$ 56 billion, a direct consequence of the end of the commodities boom that had led to a surge in Indian resources imports.

Even so, Indian private sector presence in Africa is significant. Investments amount to US$ 35 billion and range from automobile manufacture to drugs and pharmaceuticals, textiles to IT services, water treatment to petroleum refining. Africa remains a manufacturing frontier. Unlike China, Indian state agencies are more open to building local capacities in Africa. As an example, Indias Exim Bank has helped incubate similar institutions in five countries.

In Gandhinagar, India is expected to announce an agreement with the AfDB to route about 20 per cent of the US$ 10 billion that it has set aside for developmental credit to Africa. Some US$ 2 billion will be given to the AfDB to deploy, with the Bank acting as a sort of co-guarantor and co-lender, and giving local ownership and design to projects. Of course, project execution will still be undertaken by Indian companies through transparent contracting.

Also expected to be discussed is the Japanese and Indian proposal for the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor. Details are being finalised and a key announcement is expected only when the Japanese prime minister visits India later this year. In Gandhinagar, however, the Japanese deputy finance minister will be part of a dialogue on how India and Japan can work with and in Africa.

This is not a one-off. The Modi government is increasingly seeing value in combining with key partner countries  Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, France  to pool resources and technical skills in Africa and make a bigger impact. This is a gradual shift from the go it alone thinking that had initially influenced the Ministry of External Affairs Development Partnership Administration. The Japanese blueprint includes investments in the blue economy, on the east coast of Africa that is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, and an SEZ in Mombasa (Kenya).

Finally, of course, Africa is crucial to the India-fostered International Solar Alliance (ISA). Over a dozen of the ISAs 24 members are from Africa, the continental powerhouse of solar energy. Another 10 odd countries may choose Gandhinagar to indicate their willingness to sign on. That should give India some satisfaction.

Ashok Malik is distinguished fellow, Observer Research Foundation

The views expressed are personal
A pistol used by freedom fighter Bhagat Singh is back in Punjab and will be displayed at the Hussainiwala border museum in Ferozepur district. The Border Security Force (BSF) gave this information to the Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday.

Arun Kumar Tambe, a deputy inspector general of the BSF unit of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from where the pistol was recently retrieved, told the HC that orders were issued for the move on April 25 by the BSF headquarters. Hussainiwala houses a memorial to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, where they were cremated.

The pistol whose last bullet killed British Raj police officer John Saunders on December 17, 1928. (Photo courtesy Pankaj Goomar)

The information was given during resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate HC Arora seeking retrieval of the pistol from the BSF museum in Indore for displaying it at a museum in Khatkar Kalan, Bhagat Singhs native village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district, formerly Nawanshahr. All other articles related to Bhagat Singh are displayed there.

The last bullet fired from the .32-mm Colt automatic pistol killed British assistant superintendent of police John Saunders on December 17, 1928. The pistol was requisitioned by the BSF from the Punjab Police Academy in Phillaur in October 1969, where it had been since 1944, three years before Partition, on being received from the officials in Lahore.

In November 2016, an English daily reported about the pistol being displayed at the BSF museum in Indore.
The solid waste management system in the city has reached a breaking point with its only garbage processing plant at Dadumajra having processed only 700 of the 3,400 tonnes of garbage it received in the last 50 days.

The rest of the garbage (2,700 tonnes) has been thrown at the nearby dump, much to the chagrin of residents living in surrounding areas as they are complaining of an unbearable foul smell emanating from the unprocessed waste.

The city generates about 450 tonnes of garbage daily but the municipal corporation (MC) fails to lift it all, exposing its inefficient garbage collection system.

Officials of the Jaypee Group, which runs the Dadumajra processing plant, expressed ignorance about the gravity of the situation.

Plant in-charge Col KJS Sandhu (retd) said, We are processing the garbage we receive. When confronted as how much garbage has been processed in the last 50 days, he said, I am not aware of it but will look into the matter.

GARBAGE MATTERS 50 tonnes: Garbage city generates daily 3,400 tonnes: Garbage the plant received in last 50 days 700 tonnes: Garbage the plant processed during same period 2,700 tonnes: Garbage thrown in Dadumajra dump (NOTE: Not all garbage is lifted by MC due to inefficient collection system)

MC EXPRESSES HELPLESSNESS

Despite being aware of the situation the civic body has failed to do anything on the ground.

MC joint commissioner Manoj Khatri said, They are simply throwing the garbage in the dump, resulting in fires and causing inconvenience to residents of Dadumajra and nearby sectors. We will take up the matter during the National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing in Delhi on Monday.

The green tribunal had sent notices to the plant authorities and the MC seeking details about the garbage processed daily. Jaypee, whose contract for running the plant ended on March 31, had taken a U-turn saying they were ready to continue without charging processing fee (also called tipping fee). Earlier, the MC and Jaypee were at loggerheads over the issue of tipping fee that the firm was demanding.

Even as the company agreed to continue without tipping fee, it moved NGT demanding salvage value.

LOCALS COMPLAIN OF SMELL, SKIN DISEASES

Councillor Rajesh Kalia, who is a resident of Dadumajra, said, It is shameful on part of the MC that it is not taking any action against the plant authorities. I will send a representation to MC officials and if no action is taken we will hold a massive protest.

Kalia, however, does not represent Dadumajra as a councillor in the MC house.

Narinder Chaudhary, president, Dalit Chetna Manch, Dadumajra, said, We fail to understand as how MC can be so insensitive towards our area. The plant workers throw 100 tonnes of garbage in the dump everyday without processing it. Residents of our area complain of stink and are suffering from skin diseases, but nothing is being done.

QUOTES:

It is shameful that the MC is not taking any action against the plant management. If they dont take any action soon, we will hold a stir.

 Rajesh Kalia, councillor and Dadumajra resident

We are processing the garbage that we receive. I am not aware of it (how much garbage processed in 50 days) but will look into the matter.

 Col KJS Sandhu (retd), in-charge, Dadumajra garbage processing plant

They are throwing the garbage in the dump, resulting in fires and causing inconvenience to residents. We will take up the matter with NGT.

 Manoj Khatri, MC joint commissioner

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Days after Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) withdrew the notification for acquiring 94 acre land in Jandpur village in SAS Nagar, UT administrator and Punjab governor, VP Singh Badnore, has written a letter to Punjab chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, for handing over 2 acre land to UT.

This is the land where Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) was to construct a pumping station to supply additional 40 million gallon daily (MGD) water

In the letter, Badnore stated that, GMADA should hand over the possession of 2 acre land to Chandigarh MC as it has to construct pumping station and underground reservoirs at Jandpur village.

Also, the work of construction has been allotted to an agency and GMADA has not given us the physical possession. For this, Rs 2 crore has already been paid to GMADA on May 30, 2016.

City mayor, Asha Kumari Jaswal, said, I will also take up the matter with GMADA as residents should get round-theclock water supply by next summer.

On May 20, HT reported that even though previous Chandigarh mayor Arun Sood had promised in 2016 that city would get 24X7 water supply from 2017 summer onwards, residents may have to wait for another two years for uninterrupted water supply.

The setback comes as GMADA has withdrawn the notification for acquiring 94 acres in Jandpur village in SAS Nagar.

MC Chandigarh was to construct a pumping station to supply additional 40 million gallon daily (MGD) water at the village and had paid Rs 98 crore for it.

Greater Mohali Area Development Authority will now acquire land in Sinhpur village, Sector 114.

GMADA had also proposed a water treatment plant under Phase 5 and 6 from Kajuali water works at the proposed land.

Speaking to HT, UT administrator, VP Singh Badnore, said, I have written letter to punjab CM and hopeful that, we will get the possession soon.

MC COULD HAVE SAVED Rs 20 CRORE

Chandigarh municipal corporation could have saved at least Rs 20 crore, had they carried out study before allotting the work of pumping station at Jandpur village of SAS Nagar.

As per the experts, at least Rs 20 crore could have been saved, had the officials applied their minds to look into the possibility of bringing 40 MGD directly from Kajuali to Sector 39 by upgrading the pumping machinery at Kajauli only.

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The Punjab governments employment generation scheme seems set to enter the fast lane with two of Indias top cab aggregators, Uber and Ola, showing interest.

Both Uber and Ola, which offer app-based cab aggregation services in several major cities, have submitted their proposals to the directorate of employment generation and training under the Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar (AGAR) scheme of the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government. The two companies presented their detailed proposals on Monday, the last day for submitting applications, for generating entrepreneurship opportunities for unemployed youth in the state.



Detailed proposals have been received from the two cab service providers. Both companies are operating in Mohali, Patiala, Jalandhar and Amritsar in a limited manner. And, there is lot of scope to build on further and create employment opportunities. Their proposals will be processed in the next two-three days, said a senior government official.

The employment generation department had two weeks ago invited proposals from taxi service providers having an experience of at least three years and a fleet strength of 5,000 taxis as on March 31, 2017. The companies were asked to submit district-wise plans for the next five years along with potential for employment generation. The state cabinet, in its first meeting on March 18, had approved the job creation scheme to work out a system to provide one lakh taxis and other vehicles per annum to unemployed youth at subsidised rates.

The state government would stand guarantee and no collateral would be required. They would be expected to repay the loan in five years, according to the cabinet decision. As per indications, it is willing to stand guarantee for an amount of up to 1,500 crore under the scheme.

The state has 3.18 lakh unemployed youth, including 98,809 females, according to information available with field offices of the department. The scheme will cover persons of Punjab domicile in the age group of 18 to 45 years and having a valid driver licence.

The cab aggregators run car and motorbike taxi services with three models where any person having a vehicle can operate with them, cars are leased to drivers for daily/weekly rental or vehicle financing is facilitated for persons who operate with them. The income varies from 15,000 to 25,000 per month, depending on the model under which the vehicle is operated, said the official.

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One remembers French director Michael Hazanaviciuss The Artist, a beautiful black and white portrait of the silent Hollywood. He has now returned to the Cannes Film Festival  six years later that is  with his yet another gripping work, Redoubtable. A wonderful tribute to Jean-Luc Godard, Redoubtable has been adapted from a biography of the celebrated auteur penned by his former wife, Anne Wiazemsky.

A still from Redoubtable.

Hazanavicius movie revolves around the time when Godard was helming what is famously known as his revolutionary work, La Chinoise. The time was 1967, a turbulent period in French history, which saw a workers demonstration followed by a serious student unrest.

As the Festival enters its sixth day on Monday, Redoubtable has been one of the few films that impressed this critic. It has been executed with remarkable finesse, has noteworthy performances and it narrates the story of a marriage gone sour at times when the French literary circles were driven by unending contradictions. Godard was an integral part of it.

What is the story all about? Godards short but passionate marriage to an actress  who later became a fiction writer -- Anne Wiazemsky. She was almost 20 years younger than Godard, and was everything that the man was not. He was brooding, critical, restrictively conservative when it came to her (there is a scene where he asks Anne not to do a movie because every scene has a nude shot of hers and well, the poor director changes his script to have only the hero strip  a hilarious take that it then becomes) and so damn difficult when it came to other aspects of life and living.

In fact, much of the film is based on Annes biography, titled Un An Apres (One Year Later), and much of the celluloid work is seen from her point of view. She narrates much of it, indeed.

Godard was 37, and Anne barely 19, and the auteur was passing through a troublesome phase in his career. He was making La Chinoise, a movie influenced by Mao. She was acting in it, but when the the film runs into rough weather critically, Godard gets moody and irritable and argumentative. Nobody can win an argument with you says one of his friends.

The movies failure was followed by the unrest in 1968  a year that saw Godard and his friends like Francois Truffaut storming the Cannes Film Festival and forcing it to pull its curtains down, One is told that Truffaut, who had been declared persona non-grant by the Festival because of his acerbic criticism of French cinema, sneaked into Cannes to cause mayhem. Both felt that Cannes should not run when there was so much suffering all around.

Redoubtable is bound to do well in France and other parts of Europe.

At home, Godard was facing his own little tempest, and the relationship with Anne was hitting the rocks.

All this has been pictured most realistically  with a touch of wit and sarcasm (one often felt that the film was also an indictment of all things wrong with the French society then). We clearly see Godards fear of ageing , his nagging doubts about his own creative ability and his narcissistic tendencies. All these rob his life and marriage of peace  the political storm outside his home adding to his own disquiet.

Redoubtable is bound to do well in France and other parts of Europe. For much like Satyajit Ray and Tagore  who have been deeply ingrained in the psyche of an average Indian (certainly Bengali)  Godard and Truffaut will remain forever in these parts of the world.

And this is precisely what Hazanavicius told the media soon after his movie was screened on Saturday night. Anybody making cinema today owes something to Jean-Luc Godard. He unlocked so many doors, created so many spaces and made cinema possible for many people.

Annes account gives the movie a kind of rare insightfulness. The intelligence of Anne Wiazemskys account lies in the way she manages to retain the aspect of an intimate diary. She doesnt recount the story from the point of view of the woman she is now, but rather the woman she was then. There is a real Jean-Luc Godard who exists, but no one really knows him. My aim is not to create a carbon copy of Godard. I am inventing Jean-Luc Godard out of the Jean-Luc Godard created by Jean-Luc Godard. Anne Wiazemskys account is another variation of a Jean-Luc Godard also created by Jean-Luc Godard, the director quipped.

Finally, one can say with a lot of conviction that Hazanavicius has managed to make a film on a subject as heavy as Godard with a breeze. Nowhere did this critic feel Redoubtable too heavy or languid. Rather, it was lighthearted and even funny. Not an easy task, though.

(Gautaman Bhaskaran is covering the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival)

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China indicated on Monday it will not support Indias entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the elite blocs plenary meeting in June unless a universal formula is evolved for accepting applications from countries that have not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The inclusion of non-NPT countries, such as India and Pakistan, in the NSG should follow a two-step approach - evolving a universal formula for all such nations and then taking up each countrys application, China said.

Beijings stand ahead of the NSG plenary meeting at Bern in Switzerland indicates its opposition to Indias application will continue to impact bilateral ties, like it did last year.

Chinas position on the non-NPT members participation in the NSG has not changed, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing.

We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 Seoul plenary session and building consensus as well as (an) intergovernmental process (that) is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issue in a two-step approach, she added.

India officially applied for membership of the NSG, which controls trade in nuclear materials, equipment and technology in May last year.

The matter came up for discussion at the NSGs Seoul plenary session last June but Beijing scuttled New Delhis bid on the ground that it was not a signatory to the NPT regime.

China has reiterated its position on new applicants in the past but detractors say it is pursuing such an approach at the behest of its close ally Pakistan.

A statement issued in September last year had said that China supports the notion of two-step approach within the group to address the above question, i.e., at the first stage, to explore and reach agreement on a non-discriminatory formula applicable to all the non-NPT states, and to proceed to take up country-specific membership issues at the second stage.

It added: China wishes to see early commencement of an open and transparent inter-governmental process to undertake, in accordance with the mandate adopted by the NSG at its Seoul plenary meeting, a comprehensive and thorough study on the question of the non-NPT states' participation in the NSG in various aspects.

In February, foreign secretary S Jaishankar, who was in Beijing for a bilateral strategic dialogue, told Indian media that China was open to India joining the NSG but there were procedures and processes to be completed.

China said it had an open approach on Indias membership but that there were issues of procedures and processes, which they felt needed further clarification and discussions. So, they were not in a position to bring it to a finite conclusion. At the same time, they maintained in terms of Indias application, they had an open mind about it, Jaishankar had then said.
An influential state-run newspaper applauded Chinas anti-espionage efforts on Monday after the New York Times said China had killed or imprisoned up to 20 CIA sources, hobbling US spying operations in a massive intelligence breach.

The Chinese killed at least a dozen people providing information to the US Central Intelligence Agency between 2010 and 2012, dismantling a network that was years in the making, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

Chinas Global Times, published by the official Peoples Daily, said in an editorial in its Chinese and English-language editions that, if true, it was a victory for China.

If this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud Chinas anti-espionage activities. Not only was the CIAs spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong, the paper said.

It can be taken as a sweeping victory. Perhaps it means even if the CIA makes efforts to rebuild its spy network in China, it could face the same result, it said.

However the widely read paper, which is known for its strongly nationalist stance, said one part of the report was false.

As for one source being shot in a government courtyard, that is a purely fabricated story, most likely a piece of American-style imagination based on ideology, it said.

The Chinese government has yet to respond to the report.

The Ministry of State Security, which oversees anti-spying operations, has no publicly available telephone number and no website, unlike other Chinese ministries.

While the New York Times website is blocked in China, like those of many mainstream Western news organisations, the story has been widely discussed and its contents picked up in other Chinese media, especially by online news portals.

The story has attracted thousands of comments on Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, with many people expressing glee that the spy ring was broken.

Strike hard against spy traitors, protect the countrys security! wrote one Weibo user.

Well done! Good on you China, wrote another.
The body of Ravi Kumar, an Indian climber who went missing on Mount Everest two days ago, was found after an intense search lasting 36 hours, expedition organisers said on Monday.

This was the fifth death on the worlds highest mountain this season. A total of 45 people have lost their lives on Everest in the past four years.

A team of high-altitude guides spotted Kumars body on Monday morning in a 200-metre crevasse near the summit.

Climbers from the US and Slovakia also died on the Nepalese side of the mountain on Sunday.

According to Chowang Sherpa, managing director of Arun Treks and Expedition, the handling agency for Kumars expedition, it will be a very costly and risky affair to retrieve the 27-year-olds body from a height of 8,400 metres.

We have to dispatch at least 10 Sherpas to pull out the body. His family members have been urging us to retrieve the body at any cost due to insurance claim. Without the body, the insurance company will not pay the money, Sherpa told Hindustan Times.

It is not possible to retrieve the body immediately, he added.

Kumar had an insurance policy of Indian Rs 25 lakh. However, it will cost almost Rs 40 lakh to retrieve the body.

Helicopters cannot land at such heights as they can fly only up to 7,200 metres. Sending a team of Sherpas is one option but it is considered too risky.

According to Sherpa, Kumar and his guide reached the summit at 1.28 pm on Saturday. Kumar forced the guide to push towards the summit even though it was not the appropriate time for climbing, he said.

Lack of oxygen and extreme temperatures in the afternoon create a greater risk of death on the mountain. Sherpa said Kumar collapsed at 8 pm on Saturday due to low level of energy and oxygen while descending from the summit.

The guide left Kumar with supplementary oxygen as he could not walk. The guide descended to Camp IV to send a rescue team as he had suffered multiple injuries, including frostbite and snow blindness.

When three high-altitude guides reached the place where Kumar was believed to be, they couldnt find the Indian, said Sherpa. Climbers who were descending did not see him as well, he added.

Given the risks involved at such high altitudes, many climbing teams decide not to bring down bodies.

Nearly 300 people have died on Everest since the first ascent to the peak was made in 1953. It is estimated that more than 200 bodies are lying on the mountain.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran must immediately stop its financial and military support for terrorists and militias and reiterated that it never be permitted to possess atomic arms.

Most importantly, the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon - never, ever - and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias, and it must cease immediately, Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

The US brands Iran a state sponsor of terrorism. It says Tehrans support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias civil war, Houthi rebels in Yemens civil war and the Hezbollah Shia political party and militia in Lebanon have helped destabilise the Middle East.

Trump flew to Israel from Riyadh earlier in the day, on the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office in January.

In his speech at Rivlins official residence, Trump said he was deeply encouraged by his conversations with Muslim world leaders in Saudi Arabia.

Many expressed their resolve to help end terrorism and the spread of radicalisation. Many Muslim nations have already taken steps to begin following through on this commitment, he said.

There is a growing realisation among your Arab neighbours that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran, Trump told Rivlin.
North Korea fired a solid-fuel ballistic missile Sunday that can be harder for outsiders to detect before launch and later said the test was hailed as perfect by leader Kim Jong Un.

The official Korean Central News Agency confirmed Monday the missile was a Pukguksong-2, a medium-to-long range ballistic missile also launched in February. South Korea and the US had earlier described Sundays missile as medium-range.

The Pukguksong (Polaris)-2 is a land-based version of a submarine-launched missile. The missile advances North Koreas weapons capabilities because solid-fuel missiles can be fired faster and more secretly than those using liquid fuel, which much be added separately and transported to a launch site using trucks that can be seen by satellites.

The rocket was fired near the county of Pukchang in South Phyongan province and flew eastward about 500 kilometers (310 miles), an official from South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It reached an altitude of 560 kilometers (347 miles), the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.

The US Pacific Command said it tracked the missile before it fell into the sea.

KCNA said the test was intended to verify technical indexes of the weapon system and examine its adaptability under various battle conditions before deployment to military units. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch from an observation post and approved its deployment after analyzing the results with officials and finding them perfect, the state news agency said.

The February launch was the Norths first missile test after President Donald Trump took office. Sundays launch followed one a week earlier of a rocket that flew higher and for a longer time than any missile the North has previously launched and could one day reach targets in Hawaii and Alaska. North Korea called that launch a success test of a missile that could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday it was too early to know if the international pressures being exerted on North Korea to discourage its weapons programs were having an impact.

Were early in the stages of applying the economic pressure as well as the diplomatic pressure to the regime in North Korea, Tillerson said on Fox News Sunday. Hopefully they will get the message that the path of continuing their nuclear arms program is not a pathway to security or certainly prosperity. The ongoing testing is disappointing. Its disturbing.

South Koreas new president, Moon Jae-in, held a National Security Council meeting to discuss Sundays launch, which came hours after he named his new foreign minister nominee and top advisers for security and foreign policy. He did not make a public statement after the meeting.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch a challenge to the world that tramples international efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear and missile problems peacefully. He vowed to bring up the issue at this weeks G-7 summit in Italy.

At the United Nations, diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea said they requested a Security Council consultation on the missile test. The closed discussion will take place Tuesday. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting had not been officially announced.

Under third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been advancing its decades-long goal of putting a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Its two nuclear tests last year may have improved its ability to make nuclear weapons small enough to fit on long-range missiles. And each successful rocket launch is seen as improving or expanding the range and capabilities of its missile arsenal.

The test of a Pukguksong-2 might be part of attempts to stabilize the system before operationally deploying the missiles, said Kim Dong-yub, an analyst at Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

Kim said theres also a possibility that the North is conducting engine tests and other experiments as it pushes for the development of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile that could potentially reach the U.S. mainland. If the North ever obtains a solid-fuel ICBM, it would likely be a rocket powered by a cluster of several Pukguksong-2 engines, Kim said.

Missile tests such as Sundays present a difficult challenge to Moon, a liberal who took over as South Koreas president on May 10 and has expressed a desire to reach out to the North. Pyongyangs aggressive push to improve its weapons program also makes it one of the most urgent foreign policy concerns for the Trump administration.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Norths latest launch throws cold water on the expectations by Moons government to stabilize peace and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
Pakistan's top civilian investigation agency has launched a crackdown against social media activists for what it said was an "organised campaign against the armed forces", rounding up more than a dozen of them for questioning.

The powerful military has distanced itself from the drive ordered by interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, saying it had nothing to do with the move.

Over the weekend, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which comes under the interior ministry, initially detained six people, most of them active bloggers, to question them regarding their social media posts on the armed forces. Those arrested included a member of the ruling PML-N party. They were all subsequently released.

The action was taken by the FIAs counter-terrorism wing, instead of its cyber crime wing, under Pakistan's draconian cyber crime laws. The FIA said in a statement it had identified dozens of suspects involved in what it called an organised campaign on social media against the armed forces.

Military officials privately told the media they had nothing to do with the operation. "We are not part of this and neither were we consulted," said a senior official who asked not to be named.

The action was ordered by interior minister Khan around a week ago, after he took notice of online criticism of the armed forces following the May 10 announcement by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the militarys media arm, of the withdrawal of a tweet that rejected the governments notification on the findings of a panel that was set up to investigate a story published in Dawn newspaper last year.

An FIA official told the media that individuals would be charged only after a detailed forensic analysis of their social media accounts because it had become common for users to employ fake identities and post in other peoples names.

Forensic teams from the FIAs cyber crime wing have been examining the Facebook accounts of suspects, WhatsApp groups, blogs and websites where such a material was uploaded.

Media reported that so far, around 22 people, mostly from Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and the PML-N, were taken into custody by the FIA for interrogation regarding their posts on social media. But this number has not been officially confirmed.

In a related development, an Islamabad-based journalist who works for several foreign organisations has said he will approach the Islamabad high court through his lawyer, prominent rights activist Asma Jahangir, because the FIAs counter-terrorism wing had been harassing him.

Taha Siddiqui, who also reports for an Indian news channel, told the media that an FIA official had called him last week and asked him to come in for questioning.
US President Donald Trumps former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will decline to testify before or cooperate with a US Senate committee probing Russian interference in the 2016 elections and alleged collusion by Trump aides.

Flynn will plead the Fifth Amendment (of the US constitution) instead, according to sources close to him cited in multiple US media reports. This constitutional provision guarantees protection against self-incrimination.

The Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting one of the many investigations into the Russian meddling, had issued Flynn a subpoena earlier in May asking him to testify before the panel and also turn over relevant documents.

The same sources said Flynn will also tell the committee, later on Monday, he will only testify in exchange for immunity from criminal prosecution, an offer or demand that he put forth some time ago and that has found no takers yet.

Flynn was fired in February for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence about his interactions with Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak, who was also the reason why attorney general Jeff Sessions later recused himself from the Russia probe.

In multiple interactions with Kislyak, Flynn, who had by then been named the next NSA, had discussed the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia by President Barack Obama for the Russian interference the day they were announced.

Allegations of Trump campaign aides colluding in Russian meddling have dogged this White House from almost the start, and even the president, who has been insistent about his innocence, said last week he can only speak for himself.

There were reports last week, the day Trump left for his first overseas tour, that investigations now have a significant person of interest  a suspect not arrested or formally charged  in the case; who is a senior adviser to the president and close to him.

The suspect remains unidentified but speculation continues about some members of Trumps inner circle of senior advisers who are known to have had contacts with Russians during the campaign, and who are close to the president.

There arent too many to choose from.
Some students of the University of Notre Dame walked out of their graduation ceremony on Sunday in protest against Vice-President Mike Pence as soon as he began delivering his commencement speech.

They exited the auditorium wearing their graduation gowns and hats in a planned protest authorities were aware of, but did nothing to prevent. The protesting students were said to be over 100 in number, out of the few thousands gathered for the ceremony.

The university, which is Americas largest Christian college, had wanted to invite newly elected President Donald Trump as had been the tradition, but were forced by internal opposition  that included a signature campaign  and protests to settle for Pence.

The Washington Post pointed out that the protest was much smaller than what some other members of the Trump team have faced when they showed up to deliver commencement speeches, such as education secretary Betsy DeVos in Florida.

And President Barack Obama had faced hundreds of anti-abortion protestors when he gave the commencement speech at Notre Dame in 2009, just a few months into his first term. Vice-President Joe Biden also faced protests, although much smaller in scale.
The Australian government was giving a certain UFO group an indication that it might stop giving financial support anytime to them. With this, the UFO enthusiasts were pleading the government not to do this but will provide more proofs that terrestrial activities actually happen on Earth.

The recent reports have confirmed that a certain group named Tuggerah Lakes UFO Group is receiving grants from Australia's Social Services. However, the Minister of the Social Services, Christian Porter was surprised upon learning that the group has been receiving funds since 2013.

According to BBC News, the said UFO group has already received A$6,000 worth of funds since 2013 to support volunteers with disabilities. Because of this, Mr. Christian Porter stopped the giving of funds and payment to the group because of some suspicious causes.

Mr. Porter said that he ordered the stop of the funding because he needs more information and details about the aims and the nature of the said UFO group. He further shared that although these UFO enthusiasts seem to be very nice people, still, the purpose did not pass a common sense test.

The minister added that even if there are a lot of people and volunteers who are benefiting from the group, he still doesn't get the idea why the government needs to spend on things like UFOs. Since the money come from taxpayers of the country, Mr. Porter contended that it will all be useless if the finances will be spent on things like looking for the existence of extra-terrestrial life.

With this, the UFO group is still hoping that they will keep the funding and support from the government despite the controversy. It already has 800 members on its social media account with the purpose of sharing information and supporting network regarding UFO and related matters.

Perhaps, the government of Australia is demanding the group to provide more details about them as well as additional proofs that UFOs really exist. Moreover, The Australian reported that Mr. Porter has been claiming that even if the group has provided a lot of UFO sightings already, still they want to know more about the group.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Tuggerah Lakes UFO Group said that they can justify how the funds are being used. It was then made known to the public that the group needs to pick up elderly people to take to meetings, to purchase microphones and projectors in order to better facilitate their activities.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mr. Trump is reviving the traditional U.S. alliance with the Sunni Arab states even as Tehran reaffirms its intentions to dominate the Middle East.

***

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-middle-east-reset-1495403945

President Trump visited Saudi Arabia on his first trip abroad this weekend even as Iran re-elected Hassan Rouhani in a sham presidential vote. The timing may have been coincidental but the symbolism is potent.The timing comes full circle from the start ofThat tilt beganHe then spent two terms courting Iran in pursuit of his nuclear deal while downgrading relations with the Gulf Arabs, Israel and Egypt. Mr. Trumps weekend meetings and Sunday speech show he is reversing that tilt as he tries to revive U.S. alliances and credibility in the Middle East.Fridays vote in Iran was more recoronation than re-election. The unelected Guardian Council of mullahs disqualified more than 1,600 candidates. The remaining six represented the narrow ideological spectrum approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards. That includes Mr. Rouhani, who is often called a moderate in the West but has presided over continuing domestic repression and regional aggression.Mr. Rouhani will probably honor the broad terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, not least because it has provided the mullahs a much-needed financial reprieve from sanctions. The regime is likely to exploit the accord at the margins, however, including ballistic-missile launches and technical progress in secret that could allow a nuclear breakout when most of the accords major restrictions sunset in eight to 13 years.Contrary to Mr. Obamas hopes, there is no evidence that the nuclear deal has changed Irans hostility to the U.S. or its designs for regional dominance. The Revolutionary Guards continue to support Bashar Assads marauding in Syria, Shiite militias in Iraq, the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, and Houthis in Yemen. Tehran sees the Gulf states as a collection of illegitimate Sunni potentates who must bow before Shiite-Persian powerand the U.S. as the only power that can stop its ambitions.This is the strategic backdrop for Mr. Trumps visit to Riyadh, which was remarkable for the public display of support for the U.S. alliance. The Saudis have long preferred to cooperate with the U.S. in more low-key fashion. But they laid on a summit of regional Arab leaders, announced substantial ($110 billion) new arms purchases and investment in the U.S., and offered Mr. Trump the chance to deliver his first speech as President on U.S. relations with the Muslim world.The two countries also issued a public joint strategic vision declaration that called for a robust, integrated regional security architecture. The test of this vision will come in places like Syria and Yemen, but one early sign was the weekend launch of Saudi Arabias new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. This is a welcome development in the heart of Wahhabi Islam that nurtured Osama bin Laden and other jihadists.Mr. Trumps speech on Sunday was notable for its conciliatory tone, calling for a partnership with moderate Muslim states. The arch rhetoric of his campaign was gone as he invoked the shared desire of Muslims, Christians and Jews to live without fear of religiously motivated violence.He was also blunt in addressing Iran as a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room. Until Irans regime is willing to be a partner for peace, he added, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.All of this will reassure the Gulf Arabs and other U.S. allies who questioned Americas commitment during the Obama years of retreat. The Saudis are imperfect allies, but they are linchpins of the U.S.-led order in the Middle East, and their assistance is essential to defeating Islamic State in Syria.The U.S. has a stake in his success and in particular should help him prevail as soon as possible against the Houthis in Yemen.The eight-year decline of U.S. credibility in the Middle East cant be reversed in a single summit, but Mr. Trumps weekend in Riyadh is a promising start that will be noticed from Tehran to Damascus to Moscow.
China's two Sukhoi Su-30 intercepted an American aircraft even thought it was following international law. According to officials, United States' sniffer aircraft was on a routine mission of detecting radiation, over the East China Sea.

United States' WC-135 Constant Phoenix plane was on a routine mission on Wednesday when two Chinese fighter planes, Sukhoi Su-30, intercepted it. According to BBC, the WC-135 Constant Phoenix was checking for signs of radiation due to nuclear activity over the East China Sea, by 'sniffing' the atmosphere for signs.

Though the officials have not revealed whether the interception was unsafe, they have stated that it was extremely 'unprofessional' due to the speed, proximity and the drills of the Chinese aircraft. More so as the U.S aircraft was flying as per international law. The spokesperson of the Air Force, Lt Col Lori Hodge has said that the issue has been raised and it is "being addressed with China through appropriate diplomatic and military channels."

Notably, due to increased US activity over internationals waters and off the coast of China, the tension levels have increased. This is due to the disagreement of China, which claims territorial right over the region, and the US, which claims the area to be international seas or airspace, Bloomberg reported. Though China has not said anything regarding the recent incident, but China suspects that the US carries out such investigation regularly.

This is not the first time that Chinese fighter planes have stopped a US aircraft. In May 2016, another US aircraft was intercepted over the South China Sea by two Chinese aircraft. Moreover, in the past as well, United States used sniffer aircraft to detect possibilities of nuclear tests in North Korea.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The United States and Saudi Arabia just agreed and signed arm deals on the first day of President Donald Trump's state visit to the said Middle East country. According to reports, this is also an agreement to boost the ability of the kingdom to fight terrorism.

With the latest report, it was also claimed that this arm deals are worth US$110 billion and will be very beneficial to support Saudi's long-term security. It was recalled that there was a tension in the Gulf Region due to alleged Iranian threats which Saudi claimed was the source of terrorism.

Last May 20, President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have agreed with the arm deals with Saudi Arabia. According to CNBC, this deal will also help the U.S. military to reduce their work and part in conducting operations in the said region.

As the two countries signed the arm deals, this also marked a very important expansion in terms of the seven-decade-long security partnership between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. However, it was reported that the deals excluded details and information about the agreement with Riyadh which is regarded as one of the biggest defense spenders across the globe.

The arm deals between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. included $6 billion worth of 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters. Apart from this, previous reports confirmed that the U.S. is one of the major suppliers of weapons and arm to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

With this update was the report that the source and initiator of terrorism around the globe is Iran as claimed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Reuters reported that Saudi King Salman mentioned in his speech that Iran has been at the forefront of global terrorism. He also added that Saudi will not give way to those who are believed to be financiers of terrorism.

But this new arm deals with Saudi Arabia became very controversial when some rights groups have been reproachful of U.S. arms sales to Riyadh. Despite the mounting pressure that the U.S. is facing with the arm deals, the country is very firm to sustain its ties with Saudi Arabia as one of its traditional allies in Asia.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
On Tuesday, United States President Donald Trump will present his first budget proposal. Recent reports have indicated that massive changes will be brought in, especially to Medicaid and anti-poverty programs that the former President, Barack Obama had implemented during his tenure as the President of United States.

President Donald Trump is all set to present his first budget proposal on Tuesday. According to reports from The Washington Post, President Trump will be making gigantic changes to the anti-poverty programs and the Medicaid that former President Barack Obama had incorporated during his tenure in office.

Under the state-federal Medicaid program, Americans who are in the low-income bracket are provided with health care facility. However, President Trump's budget plan will have a bill passed, according to which, over the next 10 years, a cut of $800 billion will be made. This Medicaid cut is likely to affect 10 million people in the United States, Market Watch noted. Coming to the anti-poverty programs, President Trump wants the states to impose work requirements which will have the "people off welfare and back into the workforce" as he had said shortly after being sworn in as the President of the US.

It is worth mentioning here that President Trump is aiming to cut the Medicaid in spite of a number of Senate Republicans suggesting the opposite and proposing to continue with the expansion of the Affordable Care Act that was brought in by President Barack Obama. Notably, these budget proposals that President Trump will be proposing will be the central features of his budget plan along with the changes that he aims to bring into taxes and also the government's spending.

However, before any of the proposed changes are enacted into law, the Congress will have to approve the proposal put forth by President Donald Trump.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
T ake one dark, leaking Stoke Newington warehouse accessed via a doctors surgery and with no water  except through the rotten roof  no drains or electricity. Add a young architect on the lookout for a project nobody else wants to touch, and what do you get?

In this case a magazine-ready double-height home with a courtyard, which not only smashes through the ceiling for price per square foot in its area, but is now up for a major award.

This 1,300sq ft home proves there are still bits of London left that appear hopeless but where miracles can happen, so long as you are prepared for a slog and setbacks.

James Davies, 33, set up his own architecture practice in 2012 and did a few domestic projects. He owned a flat in Dalston and was on the lookout for something to develop  probably a difficult plot with little potential profit, so making it unattractive to other developers.

In summer 2014, he spotted a lot at auction. It was made up of a successful doctors surgery and a landlocked storage warehouse, a fairly simple L-shaped brick Victorian building, attached at the back.

The pitched slate roof of the warehouse leaked and the L had been filled in with a poor-quality lean-to. One major wall had no windows at all.

Davies went to view along with lots of other people. I saw at once that it was high enough to put in a mezzanine, he says. And that Id put windows in the blank wall, and rip out the lean-to, creating a walled courtyard within the L shape.

The problem was, he didnt want the surgery. His interest was only in the warehouse off it. Yet with no other access and no services whatsoever, it was a daunting proposition.

Davies contacted the vendor and expressed strong interest in just the warehouse. He also looked into getting services to it, into access, and into changing its planning use to residential. The vendor decided not to sell the parcel as a complete lot and withdrew it from the auction.

Davies designed a simple kitchen of grey Silestone and stained oak / Rory Gardiner

After protracted negotiation, Davies was able to strike a deal and just buy the part he wanted.

A year passed, during which, having got planning permission to convert to a home, he negotiated with the neighbouring block of flats for access, plus the right to dig a 100 yards-long services trench. He reckons all that cost about 50,000.

Next, the contractor he had hired dropped out, so he had to find another one quickly to create access and lay services. But getting power to the building turned into a major headache. The project had been initially surveyed as small, but when works were about to start, the energy supplier asked Davies to make a turning circle for a 10-ton truck, which cost him another 5,000. So, doing the services took several months instead of a few weeks. That was the worst part, he says, calmly.

By January last year all the services were in and concrete floors were poured, which would later be polished. Now the fun could begin. The old slate roof was removed and the slates carefully stored for reuse. Because of the Victorian walls, Davies worked with an engineer to insert an internal steel frame, plus a concrete ring-beam that holds everything together at the top. He rebuilt the roof with five big skylights and using the old slate.

Elegant steel trusses were set across the roof void, stopping the walls from bowing outwards. Because access is through quite a low arch from the flats next door, the trusses had to be designed so that two men could carry them in.

Finishing the house took a further eight months, and Davies was on site every day, sometimes just to sit and watch the light move.

Imagine an L shape where both legs are of equal length: one side is now a long, double-height living space that soars up into the roof pitch. Davies designed a simple kitchen of grey Silestone and stained oak, while the rest of the space is white and sparsely furnished, with gleaming polished concrete floors, looking out to the courtyard through industrial-style steel French doors.

He made the other leg two-storey, its top level reached by a run of birch stairs. On the lower level theres a double bedroom, bathroom and study. All are simple but elegant, with great views to the courtyard.

Above is a master bedroom with an en suite bathroom lined in birch, giving an understated, warm feel.

Difficult to put together, this house took two years but with its reclaimed granite setts, the courtyard looks as if it has been there forever. With sun coming from four sides, the quality of light inside the home is remarkable.

It is so calm and well designed that its hard to believe it was once a cold, dark leaky warehouse full of junk.

The house is shortlisted for a regional Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors home of the year award. Winners will be announced next Wednesday, May 24.

What it cost

Warehouse with no access or services in 2015: 530,000

Cost of laying on services: 55,000

Works excluding architects fees: 430,000

Value now: 1.38 million

Get the look

Architect: James Davies of paperhouseproject.co.uk

Structural engineer: Michael Humphreys at KB2

Builder: Hexagon Construction

Polished concrete floor: by Lazenby

Steel windows and doors: by West Leigh

Timber panelling: from TinTab

Reclaimed granite setts: from Stone UK

Underfloor heating: by Omnie

Bathroom fittings: from Reuter-shop

Worktops and splashback: by Roann

Large slate tiles in bathroom: from Topps Tiles

Sofa: from ikea.co.uk

Dining table and benches: from made.com

Lights in hallway and pendants in main room: from lightsy.co.uk

Track lighting: from modernlightingsolutions.co.uk
Do you dream of escaping the winter doldrums each year for a brief visit to a warm, sunshiny location? Does the idea of having to interact with a bunch of non-equestrians on a typical vacation make you want to just stay home? Theres a solution for you and its coming in 2018.

Earlier this month, the Horse Radio Network announced the Horselovers Cruise 2018. And its exactly what it sounds like: A cruise where your fellow vacationers are horse lovers like you. The four-night cruise will depart Miami on February 12, 2018 on the MS Enchantment of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean. This isnt a riding vacation, but it is a chance to meet like-minded people while on a relaxing getaway from the stresses of everyday life. That means that you can strike up a conversation with the person next to you on the pool deck and they probably wont get tired of hearing and sharing horse stories.



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This cruise is designed for horse lovers, but with a nod to the non-equestrian family members of horse lovers, too. Significant others may appreciate a vacation that doesnt revolve around a horse show or trail riding destination. Theres even a Horse Husbands Meetup on the schedule; presumably non-horsey wives of equestrians would be welcome to commiserate at that event, too.

The cruise will depart from Miami and stop in Nassau, Bahamas on day two. Limited spots for trail riding from Happy Trails Stables will be available that day for cruise participants. On day three, a stop in CocoCay, Bahamas will give vacationers some time for water recreation or lounging on the beach. Day four brings a visit to Key West, Florida before the ship heads back to arrive in Miami on the morning of the fifth day. The abbreviated schedule is by design, since participants most likely have to get back to their horses.

Find out more about the cruise at HorseLoversCruise.com, and dont forget to pack your sunscreen.

Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com
Explaining a joke kills the punchline, and analysing what's cool can become a clinical exercise  a dissection that removes the element of cool before the body is even cold. There's a fly-by-night fad, a trend soon forgotten, and then there's perennial cool, the marketing gift that keeps on giving. Being named the Coolest Hotel Group in SA for seven years in a row, we've learned how staying ahead of your customers' needs and wants helps to position your brand.

Before looking at what makes a brand cool, it's important to examine the differences between fads, trends and being cool; they're not all linked. A fad is something either created by or for consumers  the latest collectable toys or cards for kids, a particular fashion or hairstyle. A shrewd marketer can develop a product and enough hype around it to get it rolling, and its growth may be exponential, but then it's gone, consigned to the dustbin of history (unless there's a repeat, retro fad). Trends last for longer and they're more governed by consumer preferences. Trends can be marketed to, but they must be carried and supported by people. You can't create a trend without it being backed up by significant support. Cool, on the other hand, is an inherent quality, you can generate it, but, more often than not, you either have it or you don't.

It's easy to confuse cool with a snapshot moment: think of those iconic images of Audrey Hepburn or James Dean on coffee mugs around the world, forever sultry in black and white, aloof. The photographer captured a moment, but these images shouldn't be what defines cool. A better celebrity example to choose (sticking to that metaphor) would be Keith Richards, whose subversive attitude has defined the rock 'n roll lifestyle for decades. That's pretty cool.

Whether you're a hotel group, and app developer or a shoe producer, you no doubt want to tap into the power of being cool. In an age of viral videos, we've seen how easily mass attention can be stirred up. Rarely does this translate to sustainable profitability, the curious truth is that remaining true to your market and staying on trend to feed into the cool epithet is an ongoing process that incorporates a number of facets.

Flashy ads

Advertising is great for getting audiences to sit up, but few manage to keep this interest going. A great ad can reach millions of people  think of the Superbowl extravaganza every year and the immense amounts of marketing budget that go into securing ad space for the event  but do those ads translate into sales? In the case of local fast food company, Nandos, the advertising is very much part of their brand, witty, friendly and personable  it speaks to a mass market for whom the brand has become an aspirational part of their lives.

What we consider cool as a brand is not unusual: innovation, originality, authenticity and uniqueness. When you're dealing with a forever-young market made up of forward thinking, progressive individualists, you need to stay one step ahead.

Just Yahoo it

The world's iconic brands have built this into their marketing strategies, it's no good hitting the big time for a season and then drifting back into a market of product or service parity. You have to stand out. As unbelievable as it may seem now, Yahoo and others were determined to lead the race when it came to being the globe's leading search engine. Indeed, Google used to be Yahoo's official search engine, prior to Google becoming by far the bigger global brand. It's not limited to the customer-facing brand, every element of the brand including how employees are engaged with is innovative, original, authentic and unique, the kind of presentation that has become aspirational to competitors.

The main driver of marketing is your consumer  how your product is presented, how they interact with it  experience it  is what should govern your strategy. They have preferences, and you can develop what you're doing around those. By giving your customers what they want, how and when they want it, you're personalizing what you have to offer. They feel that you're speaking directly to them, and that's the Holy Grail of marketing. Your voice echoes theirs, your response is to their call.

Staying ahead is essential when it comes to trend-setting. Anticipating how customer needs evolve over time allows you to present what they want, before they even know they want it. For us, that means we're able to give a great stay experience, but the same is true of almost any product or service.

Sustainability means that this is not a finite process, but it's rather an ongoing process that will yield ongoing results, providing longevity to your reputation that can be harnessed for future success.

Scott Dunlop

Marriott
Hospitality Net today

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 After Correction, NYT Repeats Gender Segregation Error | Main | Where's the Coverage? Arabs the Occupiers, Colonizers of the Middle East, North Africa 

June 19, 2013

Guardian's Myopia Strikes LA Times

A post yesterday by my colleague, Adam Levick at CiF Watch, about the Guardian's myopic coverage of statements by Israeli politicians (Naftali Bennett, Danny Danon, Moshe Ya'alon) expressing skepticism about a two-state solution might just as well apply to the Los Angeles Times. Levick wrote about Harriet Sherwood's June 17 article:

. . . . Sherwood included no context about Palestinian views to balance her report  nothing about statements by Palestinian officials at odds with not only a two state deal, but to the existence of a Jewish state within any borders. While there are hundreds of examples available of Palestinian leaders advancing rhetoric fundamentally at odds with peace and co-existence which Sherwood could have cited, heres one mock Guardian headline which would accurately reflect a recent well-publicized example of Palestinian incitement and intransigence. The story reflected in the fake headline above is based on a very real report by Palestinian Media Watch, and covered elsewhere in the media:



A official, Jibril Rajoubpraised the use of violence against Israel. During an interview on a Lebanese TV channel [on May 2], the host referred to the negotiations game? with Israel, and Rajoub expressed the view that negotiations are held because the Palestinians lack military strength: ?I swear that if we had a nuke, wed have used it this very morning.?

The Los Angeles Times, like the Guardian, completely ignored Rajoub's statement saying he'd use nukes against Israel if he had them. Nevertheless, it found space for a 800-plus word story yesterday about the statements by Bennett, Danon, and Ya'alon. Batsheva Sobelman and Maher Abukhater report that Bennett's:

comments are the latest in a series of remarks by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government against the two-state solution, raising doubts about the prospects of peace talks the United States is trying to renew. . . . But Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, accused the Israeli government of intentionally undermining U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry's efforts to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.



"These are not isolated statements but a reaffirmation of political platforms and radical beliefs," Erekat said of the spate of downbeat remarks. "Israel has officially declared the death of the two-state solution." . . . Nabil abu Rudaineh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, described the statements, particularly Bennett's, as "dangerous."



"These statements are not only a message to President Obama's administration, which is exerting nonstop efforts to revive the peace process, but also a clear rejection of efforts to save what could be saved," Abu Rudaineh said.

But Rajoub's incitement is not dangerous? The Palestinian Authority's honoring of three terrorists serving 166 life sentences do not raise doubts about the prospects of peace? And none of these incidents, what most Israelis consider "a clear rejection of efforts to save what could be saved" are worthy of Los Angeles Times coverage? Whether you say "double standard" with a British or American accent, it means the same thing.

Posted by TS at June 19, 2013 07:27 AM

Rajoub also said, All of Israel is 'Occupied'

Yet the left doesn't want to talk about Palestinian Rejectionism. Meretz's 'Peace Partner' Rajoub: All of Israel is 'Occupied'

PA official Jibril Rajoub, touted last week as a man of peace? by Meretz, told an Arab station that all of Israel is "occupied Palestine."

Arutz Sheva

6/10/2013

Posted by: Ken Kelso at June 19, 2013 04:27 PM

why the surprise, these statements were on record for years and our government, including Rabin & Peres hid it from us hiding their head in the sand, figuring they didn't really mean it.

We have no partner in the media and no hope for peace.

When the Muslim Brotherhood is the new pet of world media, what are our chances to get some truth out there? almost none.

Posted by: ethan teitler at June 20, 2013 12:00 PM

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Best Western Hotels & Resorts has announced the acquisition of the Swedish chain Sweden Hotels, making the group the largest hotels network in the country. It now has 135 hotels in Sweden and 180 in Scandinavia. The aim of this collaboration is to strengthen the development of Sweden Hotels' private and individual hotels by giving them access to Best Western's digital platforms, distribution systems and loyalty programs.

Read the full article at hospitality-on.com
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The band have announced a date in Whelans in Dublin on October 11 as part of their full UK and European tour in support of their new album Melancholia Hymns, set to be released on September 15.

This is the British alt-rock bands second album after a four-year wait, following on from their 2013 debut album Blood & Chemistry. Fans can now pre-order the album from the bands official website.

The band have also released their new single Matter today from the new album. Listen to the new track here:

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The band will also be playing in Empire Music Hall in Belfast as part of the tour on November 9.

Tickets are priced at 16 for the Whelans gig and 14.85 for the Belfast show. Tickets are available to purchase this Friday May 26 at 10am from Ticketmaster and all usual outlets nationwide.
Chieftains fiddler, Tara Breen, is set to tutor and perform at the inaugural Belfast Summer School of Traditional Music, 21 July - 4 August 2017, alongside of wealth of famous names from the world of traditional music.

The aim of the festival is to bring the traditional music of both the Irish and Ulster Scots communities together to promote trad from all corners of Ulster, all within the confines of Belfasts Cathedral Quarter. They want to make world class traditional music tutoring available to young people of all backgrounds, with tutoring in 18 different instruments and disciplines over the course of the festival. Classes are available to anyone aged 6+.

Maria McAlister, Arts Development Officer for Traditional Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, added, The Arts Council is delighted to support this terrific school of music which shines a light on and celebrates the shared rich tapestry of musical traditions we are fortunate to have in Northern Ireland. This is truly an international line-up of tutors with wonderfully curated festival and I would encourage everyone to get involved.

In addition to musical masterclasses, there will be a wide range of activities over the course of the festival including lectures, talks, workshops, performances, demonstrations, recitals, sessions and showcase concerts.

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AUSTIN - Like a monster in a horror film, the bathroom bill is back. And it's time to kill it once and for all.

Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick repeated a promise he made at the beginning of the legislative session to hold the Texas Senate hostage over what he calls must-pass legislation. He won't relent until his hateful bill that denies transgender Texans access to public restrooms reaches the governor's desk.

He said he'd do everything possible to force Gov. Greg Abbott to call special session after special session until he gets his way. Bullying has always been a lesser included offense to bigotry.

Now is the time to contact your governor, senator and and state representative and tell them there are plenty of laws to protect us against criminal behavior in public restrooms. We don't need legislation that singles out one group of people for humiliation and discrimination.

RECENT: Buddy system rules Austin, and those friends don't come cheap

For months now, the Texas Association of Business and dozens of major corporations have lobbied hard to stop Patrick's bathroom bill, which was introduced by state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham.

Similar legislation cost North Carolina $3.76 billion in lost business, according to a detailed analysis by The Associated Press.

PayPal cancelled plans for a new facility that would have brought an estimated $2.66 billion to the state's economy. Dozens of convention planners and musicians canceled events, including a Ringo Starr concert that deprived a town's amphitheater of about $33,000 in revenue. The AP analysis only looked at actual losses from canceled projects.

Beyond the economics, though, most business people know hate and bigotry are simply bad for business. They understand that Patrick and Kolkhorst's claims that the law is needed to protect our women folk is as misguided as when lawmakers used the same excuse to justify segregation.

Supporters of Texas' bathroom bill say the law is necessary to protect women in public restrooms because cities like Dallas, San Antonio and Austin have guaranteed transgender people the right to use the restroom of their choice. When Houston voted on such a law, opponents ran ads suggesting that predators would use these equal rights protections to stalk victims.

RELATED: Legislature should keep Texas open for business

Yet tens of millions of people live in the 19 states and 200 cities and counties that have protected transgender rights for years. There is not one documented case of a sexual predator using transgender rights to commit a crime.

Most legal experts agree that current criminal statutes are more than sufficient to prosecute someone who stalks another person in a public restroom. Protecting transgender rights does not diminish the rights of others.

Access to a public restroom is critical for transgender people to live as their true selves. They frequently spend years living as the opposite sex before they undergo surgery.

If they are banned from using the bathroom of their choice during this transition period, they are forced to use the restroom that does not match their appearance. That subjects them to public humiliation and potential violence.

Transgender people consider Patrick and Kolkhort's bill an attempt to force them to conform to societal expectations and dress as their birth gender. It's an indirect way to deny them their rights to liberty and justice.

So why is Patrick rejecting the business community's pleas for restraint? Why is he ready to waste millions of dollars in taxpayer money for a special session to address a bill most Texas lawmakers want nothing to do with?

The answer can be found in a blog post written by Patrick's close ally and long-time supporter, Steven Hotze, president of the Houston-based Conservative Republicans of Texas.

"There are Texas Legislators who call evil good and good evil ... who would allow perverted men and boys, who sexually fantasize that they are women, to enter women's and girls' bathrooms, showers and locker rooms," Hotze wrote a day before Patrick's press conference.

Hotze urged Christian conservatives to pray.

"In the Name of Jesus, I prophesy and declare: May all the individuals serving in the state legislature, and their staff, who support, promote and practice sodomy and other perverted, sexually deviant lifestyles ... receive just retribution from God for their evil actions," he wrote. "May they be consumed, collapse, rot and be blown away as dust from their current positions because of their wicked works, thoughts and deeds."

RELATED: Business leaders to battle bigots in Austin

Hotze shared this blog post widely, and presumably with lawmakers.This is a pet issue for Hotze, who told a Christian conservative conference last year that LGBT people are "termites" that "get into the wood of the house, and they eat away at the very moral fabric of the foundation of our country."

Patrick himself often says he is a Christian first, a conservative second and a Republican third. Business leaders from across the state have repeatedly urged Patrick to let up on the culture war bills that bring Texas condemnation, but he reminds them that they are not his voting base.

One must assume his loyalty is to thought leaders like Hotze, who has convinced Patrick he's on a mission from God to stop Texas society from accepting transgender people's rights.

Business leaders who care about the separation of church and state, people who care about Texas' economic health and citizens who care about human rights must make their voice heard now. Texas business leaders need help. If you're not sure who represents you, click here for help.

There is a huge economic and business aspect to this issue. Millennials won't take jobs in places that discriminate, and corporations don't want to relocate to places where their employees won't feel comfortable.

More importantly, though, it's a human rights issue. One that we should all care about because once one group's rights are taken away, it's easier to take away the rights of the next group.
 Reuters Marks Six Day War Jubilee With Skewed Jerusalem Infographic | Main | More Missing Peace from The Washington Post 

May 21, 2017

New York Times Downplays Clash as Demonstration

The New York Times downplays a Palestinian attack in an incident Thursday that ended with an Israeli settler shooting dead one of the Palestinians who bombarded his car with rocks. The Times' online headline states that the Israeli fired on Palestinian protesters and ignores the Palestinian rock-throwing, as if the Israeli fired on demonstrators doing nothing more than waving flags:

Similarly, the print edition headline is "Protester Is Shot Dead By Settler in West Bank."

The article's first three paragraphs refers to "demonstration," "protest," "demonstrators" or "protesters" a total of six times to describe violent clashes in which Palestinians attacked soldiers and/or civilians with rocks:

An Israeli settler whose car was caught up in a pro-Palestinian street demonstration in the West Bank on Thursday opened fire on the protesters, killing a 23-year-old Palestinian man and wounding a news photographer. The protest, held in support of Palestinian prisoners on a hunger strike that has now lasted 32 days, was one of several marred by violence recently. At a protest near the city of Ramallah on Thursday, Israeli soldiers fired on demonstrators, wounding one Palestinian. The day before, a settler fired a gun at protesters blocking roads near Ramallah and throwing stones; a 19-year-old Palestinian was injured in that episode.

Though the second paragraph does refer to "several [protests] marred by violence," it fails to indicate that in the deadly incident Thursday Palestinians used violence, while the preceding paragraph did note the Israeli shooting, which was the result of the unmentioned Palestinian attack.

Not until the fifth paragraph does The Times acknowledge: "Israelis point to video images showing the settler's car, a small silver hatchback, being pounded by rocks and surrounded by dozens of demonstrators." The digital edition also provides a hyperlink to the video.

Contrast The Times' articles downplaying the Palestinians' attack on the Israelis to those of the wire services, which clearly state that Palestinians attacked the Israeli's car. The Associated Press, whose own photographer was injured, apparently by the Israeli, noted in the headline that the "protesters" engaged in violence citing a clash: "Protester killed, AP journalist wounded in West Bank clash."

It included in the first paragraph (not the fifth, like The Times') the fact that Palestinians were throwing rocks at the Israeli's car: An Israeli settler opened fire on Thursday at Palestinian demonstrators after his car was pelted with stones, killing a young man and wounding an Associated Press photographer who was covering the unrest, according to witnesses, video footage and medical officials. The shooting occurred at the Hawara checkpoint in the northern West Bank, where dozens of Palestinian protesters were demonstrating in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Hundreds of prisoners are taking part in the strike, which began on April 17. Security camera video from the scene shows a large crowd of demonstrators blocking a main road, preventing cars, including the one driven by the settler, from passing. As a Palestinian ambulance crosses into his lane, the man's vehicle lurches through the crowd, pushing into some of the protesters, prompting demonstrators to kick and pelt the vehicle with stones. (Emphases added.) Reuters, also referred to "clashes" in the headline, and likewise noted in the first paragraph that Palestinians were attacking the Israeli ("Palestinian killed as settler opens fire during West Bank clashes"). Reuters' story begins: A Palestinian man was killed in the occupied West Bank on Thursday when an Israeli settler opened fire as protesters crowded around his car and pelted it with rocks, according to multiple accounts. A Reuters photographer and other witnesses said hundreds of Palestinians had gathered near the city of Nablus to show support for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails. During their demonstration, they blocked a main road used by both Palestinians and Israeli settlers. The Israeli military said the Palestinians began throwing rocks at passing vehicles, including one belonging to a settler. (Emphases added.)

Posted by TS at May 21, 2017 06:22 AM

appreciate your more factual & trust worthy account: in a 6 month period i saw mass media report on alledeged loss of families & home poised through out contested areas. upon closer look it is the same woman-lost 8 husbands,32 children, ex-tended family 7 homes.THANK YOU for something real People need to see & hear palestinians don't want peace: death to the west, Israel, & America is their mission statement. Keep up your good work.

Posted by: w e teel at May 24, 2017 05:11 AM

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The information in this column is intended to provide a general understanding of the law, not as legal advice. Readers with legal problems, including those whose questions are addressed here, should consult attorneys for advice on their particular circumstances.

Q: When my mother dies, three siblings will inherit her home and land. My sister is the executor, and she and her husband want to turn the land into a nature preserve, with me as a one-third owner. I prefer to sell the land. As executor, can she do this?

A: No, she can't. After your mother dies, the three children will each inherit a one-third undivided interest in the property. In other words, you will be equal co-owners of the property.

If your mother's estate is large enough, you can offer to receive cash or other property from your mother's estate in lieu of a one-third interest in the land and home. That way, your siblings could create a nature preserve, if they want.

If that plan fails, you should notify your sister in writing that you want the property to be divided into thirds (which may not be possible, depending on the acreage, deed restrictions and value of the home) or you want it to be sold.

If she refuses, hire a lawyer.

Texas law allows co-owners of real estate to file suit to force the division or partition of land. Of course, any good relations between you and your sister will likely be destroyed once you are involved in litigation, so do your best to resolve the disagreement amicably.

Q: How can we move our home from our A/B Revocable Trust and put it in a Transfer on Death Deed? Is it necessary to use an attorney to effectuate this change?

A: The whole purpose behind a Transfer on Death Deed is to avoid probate, and that is exactly what your Revocable Trust is already doing. You will not be affording yourselves any new great advantage by signing a Transfer on Death Deed.

Importantly as well, you have a complicated Revocable Trust. The "A/B" you mentioned means that your trust creates a number of new trusts when one of you passes away. These new trusts are designed to save estate taxes and protect your properties from creditors, although there are other possible purposes. Depending on the size of your estate and your particular circumstances, it may be best to keep the present plan in place.

However, the tax laws have changed greatly over the past few years, and it may be better to consider a simplification of your estate plan. But without more information, it is impossible to say what is best for you.

Before you do anything, you need to assess whether removing your home from your Revocable Trust is the right thing to do. You should meet with an estate planning attorney to determine what the best plan is for you given your circumstances, the tax laws and the other types of properties you own.
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In terms of barbecue, Houston no longer plays second fiddle to Austin.

In Texas Monthly's much-anticipated list of "The 50 Best BBQ Joints" in Texas, released Monday, Houston-area pitmasters scored an impressive seven spots in the Top 50, including two in the Top 10 - tying with Austin.

Tejas Chocolate Craftory, in Tomball, ranked No. 6. And CorkScrew BBQ, in Spring, ranked No. 7.

Also placing in the Top 50: Killen's Barbecue, in Pearland; plus Gatlin's BBQ, Pinkerton's Barbecue, The Pit Room, and Roegels Barbecue Co., all in the Houston city limits.

"I think Houston barbecue is really on the rise," said Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly's barbecue editor. "It's exciting to see the places that are doing their own style, not strictly Austin style."

Houston, he says, is known for its pitmasters' creativity, their willingness to take Texas barbecue to new places - such as the barbecue-style pastrami smoked at both Tejas and Roegels.

The Houston-area nominees largely reflect the rise of "craft barbecue": urban, more expensive and Instagram-ready. The focus is on premium-quality meat - including pork and chicken, once sacrilege in Texas barbecue. Side dishes are frequently notable, and cocktails even appear on some menus.

More Information Top 10 of 'The 50 Best BBQ Joints' 1. Snow's BBQ, Lexington 2. Franklin Barbecue, Austin 3. Cattleack Barbecue, Dallas 4. Bodacious Bar-B-Q, Longview 5. Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor 6. Tejas Chocolate Craftory, Tomball 7. CorkScrew BBQ, Spring 8. Micklethwait Craft Meats, Austin 9. Evie Mae's Pit Barbecue, Wolfforth 10. Truth Barbecue, Brenham. The remaining 40 joints are not numerically ranked; they are sorted by city and then in alphabetical order. See More Collapse

Four of the seven Houston-area barbecue joints on the 2017 have opened in the past four years, and thus, are new to the list, which Texas Monthly last published in 2013.

Though the state has always appreciated smoked meats, the past decade has seen a steady surge of interest in Texas barbecue, both inside the state and out. "Its status is strong worldwide, with places continuing to open up across the world emphasizing Texas-style barbecue and trying to replicate our brisket," Vaughn said.

Houston barbecue owners at the top of the list were overjoyed Monday morning.

"I don't know what to say. Never imagined we'd make it that quickly. Very thankful," said Scott Moore Jr., who opened Tejas Chocolate Craftory with his brother Greg Moore in October 2015. (Their business, which began as a bean-to-bar chocolate confectioner, is almost certainly the only top barbecue restaurant in the state to offer house-roasted cacao truffles.)

"I remember reading the 2008 Top 50 list cover to cover," said Will Buckman, who owns and operates CorkScrew with his wife, Nichole. "This was even before we were cooking any barbecue. I thought it would be cool to be on this list. (Making the list in) 2013 was amazing. This is even better."

The magazine's No. 1 pick, Snow's, is in tiny Lexington (population 1,200) and is open only on Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or until the meat runs out. Overseen by barbecue legend Tootsie Tomanetz, 82, this is its second time at the top of the list.

Franklin Barbecue, the No. 2 pick, is overseen by Aaron Franklin, 39, author of a best-selling cookbook and winner of the 2015 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest. "The award shows that Texas-style smoked meats can attain the highest quality," said Texas Monthly food editor Patricia Sharpe. "Franklin is not just a pitmaster; he's a chef."

Vaughn said that one of the great joys of compiling the list is the inclusion of previously unheralded barbecue joints in small towns in Texas - and possibly giving an enormous boost to those small operators. "In barbecue, the profit margin isn't high," he said. "The more people you get in the door, the better chance some of these places will stay open."

He cited Flores Barbecue in the small town of Whitney, south of Fort Worth as an example. "Not a lot of people are driving through Whitney," he said. Now that the list is out, barbecue enthusiasts will make it a point to visit.

Houston Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid contributed to this report.
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It's not every day that royalty touches down in the Lone Star State. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, was in town for Virtuosi of Houston's gala concert and dinner, so Bayou City socials planned accordingly.

The duchess' jam-packed schedule began with a dinner hosted by Sallymoon Benz and Dr. Alan Bentz

Donae Cangelosi Chramosta and her daughter, Bella Chramosta, hosted high tea at Tony's the following afternoon for 50 Virtuosi of Houston supporters, including Alicia Maguire Smith, Deborah Duncan, Mandy Kao and Duyen Nguyen

"The best thing that happened the entire day was when the Duchess, who was seated behind this long head table, crawled underneath the table, just so that she could greet everyone," Donae says. "She was wearing this amazing scarf from one of her charities (Key to Freedom). That's what surprised me about her the most - how warm she was."

The Duchess, or "Fergie" to her friends, got her second taste of Tony's on Friday evening. Brian Teichman and Andrew Cordes opened their residence to a private audience in honor of renowned interiors and perfume authority Clive Christian and his daughter, Victoria Christian, who are fellow Brits and longtime friends of the Duchess. Lynn Wyatt, Carolyn Farb, Bobby and Wezy Dees, Tony Bradfield and Kevin Black and Sylvia Forsythe were included on the intimate list of invitees.

A thank-you note from the Duchess following the meal read, "I've never eaten such a cheese souffle, ever."

The small, festive gathering included Teichman's signature flaming baked Alaska, a surprise performance by a Houston Symphony keyboardist and a Richard Flowers' (Events Company) tablescape inspired by the duchess' family crest.

On Saturday night, the main event, Virtuosi of Houston pulled out all the stops at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston.

Mini fish and chips, Welsh rarebit and Scottish salmon (this was a "Celebrating the United Kingdom"-themed soiree, after all) circulated inside the sold-out space. For the program, chairs Donna Vallone and Staci and Dr. Quang Henderson took turns introducing honorees Margaret Alkek Williams, Monzer Hourani, Andrew Derry, Crispin Ward, the Christians and the Duchess.

"This is like the Oscars, right? I only have 30 seconds to speak? Well, too bad. I'm a red-head, and I do what I want," she joked good-naturedly.

In between prawns, Beef Wellington and a chocolate crown, more than eight musical selections were performed by Virtuosi of Houston's young chamber orchestra instrumentalists.

After the final piece, "A Beatles Symphony," Zarine Boyce proudly announced the organization's record-breaking funds raised: $400,000.

Wyatt hosted a farewell brunch for the Duchess and the Christians on Mother's Day at her River Oaks home. Guests reportedly sipped champagne and chilled asparagus soup before rounds of smoked salmon and apple tarts with creme fraiche.

Who else but our own steel magnolia could orchestrate such a royal send-off?
The piece: "Humanae"

The artist: Angelica Dass

Where: The Health Museum, through Sept. 5

Why: What looks like a playground of photographic building blocks turns out to be a thoughtful exercise in illustrating the beauty of human diversity.

The chromatic scale of more than 1,800 "spot" colors produced by Pantone have long been used by people who are picky about getting gradations of color perfect. The fashion design industry names a "Pantone color of the year" annually that drives trends across home design, as well.

But Brazilian activist and artist Angelica Dass has used a Pantone palette to create more than 4,000 portraits across 17 countries and 26 cities to illustrate that there's no such thing as black and white in the human race. Everyone falls somewhere in the warm, earth-toned browns, creams and pinks.

The Health Museum's installation from her ongoing "Humanae" project fills one gallery with a playground-inspired stack of wooden cubes containing 250 portraits, representing the scope of colors she has encountered and all the cities she has visited.

Dass photographs each volunteer subject in even light, with bare shoulders, then matches an 11-pixel-by-11-pixel spot from the middle of their noses to a Pantone color and drops the portrait into a block of that color.

Only two faces are a constant in her installations: Her father's, which is brown, and her grandmother's, which has a pinkish glow.

Dass launched "Humanae" about five years ago, thinking about the color of her family. She started with portraits of herself and her husband, a blond Spaniard.

"As you can see, I am brown with curly hair. But I'm very brown to be white. Because I am white, too," she said. "And I'm very brown to be a native Brazilian. I'm very proud to be who I am." (For the record, she's Pantone 75-22 c.)

Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Dass always felt the frustration of pinkish Crayolas labeled "flesh" or "skin." When she was older, taking a cousin to a fancy French school, people treated her as if she must have been a nanny or servant.

Brazil's long history of black slavery did not end until 1888. "The ones who were the slaves in the 1890s continued to be servants in the 1900s," she said. "Now people like me who have jumped a level in society have an opportunity to talk about it." Her father was an engineer; her mother, a teacher.

Dass attended art school to become a costume and set designer, then moved to Madrid 12 years ago and earned a graduate degree in photography.

"Humanae" crosses the boundaries between art and activism. With each city she visits, Dass usually sets up a studio to keep adding to the portraits. And her residencies often include community workshops. (At a city on the border of Switzerland and Italy where many refugees pass through, her temporary studio offered classes in Italian as part of its programming.)

Museum settings are fine and important, but she's happiest when "Humanae" gets staged outdoors. It has taken many forms, even covering the sides of buildings. "I really want, through these photos, to make noise in the streets," she said.





Bookmark Gray Matters. It's always felt the frustration of pinkish Crayolas.


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Come on May 27 for the barbecue and stay for a movie by a filmmaker with Pasadena roots.

This year's Memorial Day weekend barbecue at VFW Pearland Memorial Post 7109 will include a screening of a movie, "Last Man Club," that was partly filmed at the post on Sept. 25, 2014.

The film was written and directed by Bo Brinkman, a 1975 graduate of Pasadena High School, who lives in Los Angeles but also maintains a residence in Nassau Bay.

The screening coincides with the holiday release of the movie on DVD and digital HD, said executive producer Linda Pandolph, who will attend the screening at 2 p.m. at the post at 4202 W. Walnut St. in Pearland.

The barbecue festivities will begin Thursday night, May 25, as 25 to 30 teams of cookers set up shop in 20x30-foot spaces on the grounds of the post.

"They cook all night," said Bob Hansen, who was the post's commander when "Last Man Club" was filmed.

Hansen, 70, who lives in Pearland, hasn't seen the finished movie, but friends who saw it at River Oaks Theatre in Houston told him they spotted him playing pool in a scene.

"I think I had to make the same pool shot 10 or 12 times over about three hours," said Hansen. "Even I was tired."

The VFW scenes showcased Hansen and seven other members of the local post as extras, "and another eight watched," he said.

"It was wonderful. We had the best time," said Ron Risdon, the newly installed post commander, who danced in a party scene with a five-piece show band playing.

"We all blended in with the Hollywood actors and production crew. We truly enjoyed it," said the Pearland resident, who is 67.

On May 26, the barbecue cookers will enter the post and enjoy a party, before it opens the next day for meals from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. "or until the food runs out," said Hansen.

Cookoff awards will be announced at about 1 p.m., with the screening to follow.

"Everyone who is onsite, members of the public or VFW members, are welcome to attend the film showing at no charge," said Pandolph.

Brinkman got the idea for "Last Man Club" when he ran a live theater in New York City.

"I was in a cab and I looked over and saw four veterans in a Dodge Dart with a plastic flag stuck to the dashboard," he said.

The next day, Brinkman read a newspaper article about a group of soldiers who stashed a bottle of wine for the last surviving soldier to drink in toast to the others. That inspired Brinkman to write "Last Man Club" as a movie that also would pay tribute to his father, the late Chester Harry Brinkman Jr., who fought in seven major battles in the South Pacific during World War II.

The film won 22 awards at film festivals across the country, Pandolph said.

"It showed across the middle of the country in more than 30 theaters, with a great response from everyone."

The DVD can be pre-ordered on iTunes at apple.co/2p6PIlV, she said.

The cookoff is sanctioned by the International Barbeque Cookers Association.

For further information about the cookoff, visit http://bit.ly/2qCk3Ym.

Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net
Rescue crews are on scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a fully loaded Texas Department of Criminal Justice bus on Interstate 45 near Texas 242.

The crash happened around 1:25 p.m. on the northbound mainlanes, according to reports. TDCJ officials said a pickup truck hydroplaned and clipped the front right side of the bus.
JERUSALEM - President Donald Trump said Monday that he never told Russian diplomats during a May 10 Oval Office meeting that the classified information about the Islamic State he was sharing with them had come from Israel.

Trump veered off the script of his heavily choreographed visit to Israel during a brief media appearance alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Both men responded to a shouted question about Trump sharing Israeli intelligence during his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
AUSTIN - It appears Gov. Greg Abbott will get half of the "ethics reform" package that he wanted the Legislature to pass, key lawmakers said Monday.

Two of the bills likely died late Sunday when a deadline passed for a powerful House committee that sets the daily agenda. Those bills prevented lobbyists from concealing which legislators they wine and dine and made it a crime for ex-legislators who become lobbyists to pass on "official information" for two years after they leave office. That provision replaced an outright ban on lawmakers from becoming lobbyists for a two-year legislative cycle after leaving office.

State Rep. Todd Hunter, the Corpus Christi Republican who is chairman of the House Calendars Committee, confirmed that SB 502 and SB 504 did not have enough support on the panel.

A bill to prohibit anyone who is required to register as a state government lobbyist from running for, being appointed to or holding public office died weeks ago in the House General Investigating & Ethics Committee.

Sunday night, the Senate sent Abbott a bill to prohibit ex-lawmakers who become lobbyists from using their campaign accounts to make political contributions. The two other bills that are expected to get approval from both chambers require elected officials to disclose their government contracts, bond counsel work and legal referral fees; and revoke pensions of elected officials convicted of felonies related to their office.

Carol Birch, legislative counsel for Public Citizen, a liberal-leaning government watchdog group, said legislators "can't get away with calling this major ethics reform." An Abbott spokesman didn't return requests for comment.

The Senate passed a comprehensive ethics bill in early February, one week after Abbott made it one of his priority items in his State of the State address. Anticipating attempts to kill the legislation, lawmakers also filed six separate "single-shot bills" with the same provisions.

The House ethics committee didn't hold a hearing on the comprehensive ethics bill, as the chairwoman, state Rep. Sarah Davis, D-Houston, said it was too vulnerable to amendments intended to kill it.

'Dark money' bill

Two years ago, a similar ethics reform bill died when the House and Senate clashed over whether to require political nonprofit groups to disclose their largest political donors - contributions commonly referred to as "dark money." That has not been an issue this session.

State Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, was the House's lead sponsor this session on four of the six ethics bills.

Asked if the two bills - SB 502 and SB 504 - were dead, he replied: "I think that's probably right." Geren also cast doubt on whether they could be revived through amendments to the three ethics bills heading to Abbott for his signature.

"All of those were carefully crafted to be single-shot bills so they couldn't get loaded up, so it's going to be difficult to make any amendments to them other than changing the effective date," he said.

The Senate voted 30-0 on Monday to approve HB 501, which requires elected officials to disclose government contracts that they, their spouse or dependent children hold. That bill must return to the House for either agreement with Senate amendments or appointment of a conference committee to resolve the chambers' different versions.

'Official information'

SB 502 and SB 504 were the most controversial aspects of Abbott's ethics overhaul package, and their apparent death was not a major surprise.

Currently, lobbyists are required to fill out a report filed with the state Ethics Commission when they spend more than $114 per day on a legislator or state official. To avoid disclosure, lobbyists will take two fellow lobbyists to dinner, for example, and the lawmaker's tab is divided by three credit cards so it's not more than $114.

SB 502 lowered the threshold to $57 a day, and lobbyists who split checks each would be required to disclose how much they spent if the total tab is above that amount.

SB 504 originally required legislators to wait a full legislative session before they could lobby. Currently, there is no "cooling off period." Geren amended the bill to make it a crime for ex-legislators to pass on "official information" for two years after they leave office. Opponents questioned how that requirement would be enforced.

Craig McDonald, director of the liberal-leaning watchdog group Texans for Public Justice, said he doesn't consider bills officially dead until the Legislature adjourns on May 29.

"There's a lot of tricks the leadership can play in the end. If you had to take an assessment now, I'd have to say the governor so far has been an inadequate first responder to his ethics emergency," said McDonald. He referred to Abbott's announcement last January to make "ethics reform" an emergency item so the Legislature could take swift action.
The Legislature is expected to take its final votes on Houston's pension reform legislation within days after a group of House and Senate lawmakers Sunday night hashed out the differences between their chambers' versions and produced a final bill.

Stripped from the proposal that emerged Sunday evening were three amendments backed by firefighters and opposed by City Hall, said state Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican who carried the measure in the upper chamber and who was among the 10 lawmakers tasked with reconciling the bills. The excised amendments had been added earlier this month when the House followed the Senate in approving its version the reform package.

"It's a great bill that's good for the taxpayers, for retirees and for the employees," Huffman said late Sunday. "I think it is a good solution."

The development puts Mayor Sylvester Turner on the doorstep of a landmark achievement that he has made the central focus of his first year and a half in office and that aims to end a 16-year crisis that has increasingly imperiled the city's finances.

"There is only one step left for the Legislature to take," the mayor said late Sunday. "Houston needs their support for our police officers, municipal employees, firefighters and Houston taxpayers. We cannot afford to fail. I believe the Legislature won't let us down."

Firefighters pension chairman David Keller, whose board opposes the reforms, could not be reached for comment late Sunday, but he had hinted last week that what the conference committee produced might be unwelcome to his members.

In a statement released after the House named its five appointees to the conference committee - four of whom were authors or sponsors of the bill who had spoken against the firefighter-backed amendments - Keller said the Legislature was continuing its "punitive treatment of Houston firefighters."

In the end, nine of the10 members of the conference committee signed to indicate their agreement with the final bill, according to a photo of the document obtained by the Chronicle.

The stripped amendments would have given the firefighters more time to negotiate, exempted retired firefighters from benefit cuts - at an estimated cost of $400 million, city officials said - or made firefighter benefit cuts contingent on the passage of a $1 billion pension bond referendum that is expected to be held this fall.

That last provision already applies to the benefit cuts being made by the police and municipal pension funds, since the bond dollars are to be infused into their underfunded pensions, and were a key bargaining chip to get those groups to agree to a second or third round of cuts to their retirement benefits since 2001.

That year, the Legislature passed benefit increases that caused costs to skyrocket rather than increase slightly, as flawed studies had predicted, launching Houston's pension crisis.

Mike Ward and Andrea Zelinski contributed to this report from the Capitol.
AUSTIN - It took thoughts of suicide, nine days in a psychiatric hospital and his mother's pleas at a public hearing last fall for the Houston Independent School District to consider admitting Demarcus Fuller into special education.

After he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the district screened him and agreed he qualified for the coveted services that would give him personalized help, including access to a counselor and a special seat on the bus. Persuading his school to actually provide those services was another story, his mother said.

"They pretty much fought us at every step," said Nicole Rechner. His magnet school pushed her to take Demarcus home early multiple times a week and lacked a staff member who could de-escalate the 12-year-old's outbursts, she said. "The school was fighting every step."

As Rechner spent the months at war with Demarcus' school for services, lawmakers at the Texas Capitol have been mulling how to help students with disabilities in light of a 2016 Houston Chronicle investigation revealing the state forced schools to turn away tens of thousands of students who needed special education.

The investigation found the Texas Education Agency set a de facto 8.5 percent cap on the number of children who could receive special education, far below the national average of 13 percent of students receiving accommodations to help children overcome mental, physical or learning disabilities. The arbitrary limit, made without consulting lawmakers, federal officials or the public, made Texas the only state with a benchmark and the hardest place in the country to seek special education. Many families denied access to special education for their children decided to leave the state or switch schools in order to get services guaranteed by federal law.

Now, the governor has signed a bill, SB 160, banning, once and for all, any limits on the number of students enrolled in special education.

In the waning days of the legislative session, advocates for special ed also are pushing other key bills to ensure children who were refused services or who may need them in the future can get the help they need.

"This whole last year has been the biggest year in Texas special ed in a generation," said Steven Aleman, a policy specialist for Disability Rights Texas, while sitting in the House gallery moments after the chamber approved one such bill.

The biggest victory for families involved in special education was the passage of Senate Bill 160, which would bar the state from imposing a cap or benchmark on the number of students a school or district can enroll in special education. Passed unanimously in both chambers, he signed the bill Sunday.

Overlooked kids

Senate Bill 1153 would minimize a child's chances of getting overlooked for special education. As schools and districts struggled to adhere to the state's cap, schools would park struggling students in a Response to Intervention program that would offer some services, such as a reading specialist, but often keep students from special education screening, the investigation found.

If the bill becomes law, educators would have to notify parents they've entered their children into so-called RTI programs and explain what kind of intervention they have planned and for how long. The notice, advocates say, would serve as a red flag to parents to let them know their child may have a disability and allow them to consider whether more screenings are needed. Schools and districts are required to screen children for special education upon parents' requests, but under the cap, many have turned parents away or have played down parents' options.

The legislation, which was one vote away from passage as of Friday, also requires the state to track the number of students who are in RTI, which will help identify which schools and districts are housing students with disabilities there instead of advancing children with more dire needs to special education screenings.

Advocates are pleased with the success of these two measures, but they worry a third key bill will die in the session that ends May 29.

House Bill 3437 would have required the state to reach out to students who had been denied services under the state's cap. Lawmakers refused to go along with that but instead agreed to water down the bill to require the state send a letter to all parents declaring that the cap was a thing of the past and outlining how to get students screened for special education.

That idea won unanimous approval in the House Public Education Committee but fell victim to political gamesmanship earlier this month in the so-called "Mother's Day massacre" when conservative Republicans rejected a slew of non-controversial bills in retaliation against the House speaker just before Mother's Day. The Senate Education Committee has heard the bill but has yet to vote on it.

"Every day that goes by at this point just means its prospects are dropping dramatically, because the matter of time," said Aleman.

'More empathy'

Legislative leaders may be called back for a special session, but only the governor can set the agenda, which is unlikely to include special education.

The tenor of conversation about special education has changed under the pink dome this session, advocates say, noting that lawmakers have been receptive to their ideas, even if they haven't approved them all.

Access to special education is personal to Chris Massey. A lobbyist and public policy specialist with the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, he has a son in first grade with Down syndrome. His name is Matthew.

"I think there's more empathy," he said, noting he once had to bring Matthew with him to a hearing for a few hours and senators took a liking to him.

He and other advocates followed some 40 bills this year seeking to reform, beef up training, spend more money and collect more data on special education or children with disabilities. Most won't pass this session. But that's OK, he said, because this year has warmed lawmakers up to ideas for reforming special education.

"There has never been the amount, the diversity - the 'variety' I guess is a better word - of special ed bills to my knowledge ever in the Texas Legislature," he said.

Special education issues have a receptive audience this year in the House, where the newly appointed Public Education Committee chairman, Dan Huberty, is the father of a son with dyslexia, whom he talks about often. The Republican from Humble is in a battle with the Senate over House Bill 21, a measure that would change how the state funds education, including spending more money on children with dyslexia and autism.

The Senate has other ideas. After failing to gain support for a school choice measure allowing parents to send their children to private school using public funding, the chamber narrowed the plan to students who have disabilities.

That move heightened tensions with the House, where most members are opposed to so-called school voucher plans, in part because it would take money from public schools or because their constituents don't want them. Disability advocates say they aren't taking a position on the bill but said few private schools want or can provide services the public schools are required to survive.

If the House refused to approve the vouchers, money for dyslexia, autism and a revamp of the state's school funding will die until lawmakers come back in 2019.

"It's this little thing," said Chairman Larry Taylor, a Friendswood Republican who controls the Senate Education Committee. "This is not a choice that hurts anybody else's choice."

Transfer helps

HISD said it's working to improve special education services. The Board of Education commissioned a review of its special ed program, and the department is under new leadership amid revelations HISD admitted 7.3 percent of students into special ed.

Demarcus changed schools anyway, but he didn't need a voucher.

When the Chronicle first spoke with him and his mother last fall, Rechner had thought sending him to Baylor College of Medicine Academy would be good for him since he wanted to work in a crime lab. But he hated going to school and said he felt like they didn't want him there.

Once, he ran out of the school, and security guards had to chase after him. Asked what he wanted to be, he once said "homeless."

In March, his mother transferred him to Alexander Hamilton Middle School, where he is now meeting with a counselor every day. It's another school within HISD, and it works better for Demarcus, Rechner said. He does yoga there and meets every day with a counselor. When he gets upset, someone walks with him in the hall until he calms down.

Demarcus was sick once, she said, and it was the only time the school has called his mom to pick him up.
Decent people, do not avert your eyes.

I know it's tempting. I spoke to a breakfast group of mostly lawyers and judges last week, and after covering troubling political topics from the White House to the Texas House, one woman admitted she sometimes just tunes out news coverage. "Shame on me," she said.

"Yes, shame on you," I told her. But I understood what she meant. And the truth is, she's probably still better informed than most Americans.

Then, I read an Associated Press story in which a mother of three who worked at a Staten Island hair salon and voted for President Donald Trump said she hadn't followed damning developments rocking the administration because she didn't want to be depressed: "I don't want to feel that he's not doing what he said, so I just choose to not listen."

Again, on some level I understand. For many, Trump was the last hope they had for Washington. They cast aside any doubt about his character or lacking qualifications in hopes that somehow he would accomplish the magical changes on jobs, national security and affordable health care he promised. Sometimes, denial is an acceptable alternative to losing faith.

But the only thing worse than bad governance is an electorate that looks the other way.

Now, if you're among the 38 percent of Americans who, according to recent opinion polls, still think Trump is doing a swell job after the firing of the FBI director investigating his associates, read no further.

If you're OK with Democrats blocking a well-qualified conservative nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court simply because, as my kids sometimes claim, the other side did it first, fine.

If you fully back the recent antics of the so-called Freedom Caucus in the Texas House - say, sabotaging a bill to prevent shaming of public school children without lunch money, or forcing a rape victim to suffer the additional, likely unconstitutional, trauma of state-ordered burial or cremation of aborted fetal remains, I'm not talking to you. If you support Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's threat to hold the session hostage until the House passes his so-called bathroom bill telling us where to pee, move along.

If, however, you're troubled by any of the above, stay with me.

Hard to speak out

University of Texas Chancellor William McRaven, a retired four-star admiral and former Navy SEAL, said recently in a commencement speech: "Our nation, and indeed the world, is crying out for men and women of great character."

It's not that there's a shortage of these people. You are out there.

It's just that, in the age of social media, the 24-hour news cycle, high court rulings that declare wealthy corporations people, and perverse gerrymandering of congressional districts intended to protect incumbents, kill competition, embolden primary voters and disarm the general electorate - it may be harder than ever for a decent, fair-minded person to run for office, to speak out and influence policy. It may require more courage than ever for a government representative - elected, appointed or merely employed - to do the right thing.

The violence being done to bipartisanship, civility and honest debate both in Washington and in Austin is hard to watch. When I visited the Texas Capitol last week, I grew nostalgic remembering my first session as a reporter, when Democratic leadership in the House and Senate worked on hard issues with Republican Gov. George W. Bush.

Then, in the House chamber I heard moderate Republicans and Democrats, who want to focus on priorities such as the budget and education, repeatedly describe the showdown with ultra-conservative blocs as "war."

First step: Vote

Once-healthy debate over law and policy is now mired in self-righteous hypocrisy. Gov. Greg Abbott, pandering to those blocs, declared a bill banning "sanctuary cities" an emergency, even though clergy and law enforcement in major jurisdictions were united against it, and the Republican sponsor of the bill acknowledged in debate there was not a single sanctuary city in Texas.

House members who routinely champion deeply held religious beliefs on other issues refused Friday to provide an exception for the beliefs of Jews and others whose faith may not mesh with forced burial or cremation of aborted fetal remains. They also refused an amendment to ensure compliance with a sacred text: the U.S. Constitution.

The situation is disillusioning, and fighting for something better may seem futile to the point of foolish. But we must.

Voting is the first step. In Texas, only about 43 percent bothered to do so in November. But even for those faithful voters who always prioritize their most precious civic duty, it doesn't end there. You can't leave the voting booth and wash your hands.

Some follow-up is required. Don't forget the civic duty to pay attention.

The Fourth Estate is here to help. A well-reported newspaper article is nothing if no one reads it. And it can't exist if no one pays for it. I realize, dear reader, that there's a bit of preaching to the choir here. But the value of that article increases exponentially when it is shared and acted upon.

These days, it's easy to get stuck in an information silo - aggregating our news intake so that it does nothing more than confirm our beliefs and biases. Push yourself. Click the headlines you don't want to. Seek answers from primary sources: Did you know you can listen to debate on the House floor from the comfort of your own home?

One person can't track every issue. But at least pick an issue.

More than a march

Marches are inspiring, but action is where it's at. It's encouraging to see people showing up at U.S. senators' offices, and taking the mic at town halls, testifying in Austin, writing letters to the editor, or tweeting directly to power.

It's hard - I know. We're busy. We have work and school assemblies and sick family members and grocery shopping and the stress of our own lives to worry about.

But on that list of things to do, don't forget about your state and your country. They need you - perhaps more than ever.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that one month after pledging resources to fight violent crime in Harris County and the city of Houston more than 450 arrests have already been made.

The statement from Abbott doesn't include how this compares to previous months, but he said the arrests include 26 suspects from various robbery crews. The announcement comes after the governor's brief visit in early April to announce an operation dubbed Operation North Star.

During that visit Abbott said that crime in Harris County and Houston was increasing at "an alarming rate," citing a recent wave of violent and notable murders in the region.

He and Steven McCraw, Texas Department of Public Safety director, said Houston-area residents were living in constant fear.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo refuted those claims and said that crime had remained relatively flat in Houston for the last five years. The police chief did not comment on why the governor would make such statements, but said it goes against the data his department has collected.

Even so, a day after the governor's visit Acevedo confirmed his department would assign two squads to the state's initiatives.

Abbott's plans to reduce violent crime included redirecting Texas of Public Safety personnel from surrounding counties to Harris County and providing $500,000 in new funding from the Governor's Office to increase Texas Anti-Gang Center resources.

According to a press release from Abbott, the 450 arrests, included "26 suspects from 10 highly organized and coordinated take-over crimes."

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the arrests were made through Operation North Star.

"Operation North Star ... removed scores of violent offenders from our neighborhoods," he said. "I want to thank the team of law officers from DPS and other partner agencies that helped the Harris County Sheriff's Office make our community safer by zeroing in on violent criminals who pose a real threat to Texas."
On Saturday, April 29, waters began rising in southeast and south central Missouri. As quickly as the waters rose, first responders and volunteers sprang into action.

Ozark County was in one of the hardest hit areas. Their Emergency Management Director told me they realized how bad it was getting Saturday night around midnight. About this time, the James Bridge over the White River disappeared. With the bridge washed out, the Tecumseh Volunteer Fire Department had to split their territory in half and deploy two teams of firefighters. Even as some of their own homes filled with water, between Saturday night and Sunday morning, the teams conducted ten swift water rescues. When it was time for search and rescue, volunteer fire departments from across Ozark County pitched in to check house by house for people who may be stranded or hurt and help man the emergency operations center.

In Thomasville, one man had to rescue his elderly relatives by boat. Before the rain started, he moved his relatives to a house where he thought they would be safe. After all, the ground floor of the home was six feet higher than the 100-year flood stage. But as the night wore on, water was rising quickly in the home. The mans family was trapped in the second floor of the house. So, he tried to reach the house by tractor, but the water was too deep. Then he tried to reach the house by road grader, but the water was still too deep. Finally, the mans nephew arrived with his bass boat and they pulled their family to safety just in the nick of time.

For every story of heroism and selflessness over the past few weeks, there have been a hundred more just like it. Everyone Ive talked with has told me that the way the water came up was simply unbelievable. Whats more unbelievable is how even with homes destroyed, businesses flooded, farms that lost fence lines, fields that were washed out and livestock scattered everywhere, first responders and volunteers took care of their communities before they took care of themselves. Two firefighters from Ozark County lost their houses, but they were still out on the frontlines of the flood, helping everyone else.

In Reynolds County, Town & Country is the only grocery store. The flood put the store under three feet of water. When local members of the community heard that the Town & Country manager could use help clearing mud off the shelves and emptying the store of water-soaked food, they got right to work. With their help, the store would be up and running again sooner rather than later. Today, I got the good news that their hard work paid off. As of this morning, Town & Country has re-opened!

These are just some of the many stories Ive heard in the aftermath of flooding I hope we will never see the likes of again in our lifetimes. Whether it was the nurses from the VA hospital in Poplar Bluff who helped out at their local shelter or the students from Malden Beta Club collecting donations for folks down in Doniphan, I am grateful to every Missourian who helped their neighbors. As Ive said, we are Missouri Strong and we will work together to come back from this disaster even stronger than we were before.

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
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UPDATE  May 22, 2017: Police have charged Kenneth Hornby, 57, with sexual assault, sexual interference with a child and invitation to sexual touching. He will next appear in court on May 24, 2017.

Police are investigating after a child was allegedly sexual assaulted by a man in south Calgary.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, a five-year-old was riding his bike in an alley in the 3000 block of Elbow Dr. S.W. Police say the boy encountered a man who was looking into garbage bins. The man sexually assaulted the boy before releasing him. The child immediately went home and told his parents, who called police.

Police released a CCTV image of the suspect. He's described as Caucasian, about 50-years-old, with grey hair and a short beard. He was wearing a grey jacket, dark pants and carrying a black garbage bag.

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The child was taken to Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, a non-profit that supports children who are victims of abuse. The boy wasn't physically injured by the assault.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident or the man's identity to contact them.

Also on HuffPost:
A photo of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Riyadh made the rounds online on Sunday. The photo appeared to show him holding some sort of mysterious, glowing orb along with Middle Eastern leaders.

just some billionaires gathering in the dark and holding a glowing orb. probably fine  jon hendren (@fart) May 21, 2017

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Trump During the Campaign: "I will NEVER touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles." Trump Today: pic.twitter.com/eWoaDeXj8n  Nick Greene (@NickGreene) May 21, 2017

"Get ready to hit the buzzer when you know the answer, how many rights should women have" pic.twitter.com/VtkLsXBhQ0  TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) May 21, 2017

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble." pic.twitter.com/Zp7whnPzCk  Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 21, 2017

Not googling this and just assuming Trump has gone full Saruman evil wizard. pic.twitter.com/l3xenG5BQ0  Nick Amadeus (@NickAmadeus) May 21, 2017

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In reality, Trump was attending the opening of the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology along with Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when the photo was taken.

The state-of-the art centre aims to monitor and combat global extremism in real time.

During the opening, the leaders in attendance placed their hands on an illuminated globe as a gesture of their combined commitment to ending terrorism, and to officially activate the centre by launching a welcome video on the screens above.

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If there was any question about Celine Dion's complete and utter dominance in the music world, it was settled at the Billboard Music Awards last night.

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At the show on Sunday night (May 21), the queen of love ballads, dressed in an angelic Stephane Rolland ensemble, sang her iconic song, "My Heart Will Go On," from the movie "Titanic," to a crowd that roared in approval.

I love Celine Dion like can we not. I live. pic.twitter.com/1F7asdCI09  #AT (@andytelasai) May 22, 2017

The song was made even more poignant in light of the death of her husband, Rene Angelil, who died last year. Angelil, who also acted as Dion's manager, was the one who convinced her to do the song, much to her hesitation.

"I wanted to choke my husband. Because I didnt want to do it!" she revealed last week.

And then, of course, there are the lyrics and context of the tune, the emotion of which was palpable throughout.

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But singing one of her trademark songs was hardly the only impressive thing Dion did all night.

There was this jaw-dropping moment, where she paused her chats with the press backstage to stand in awe of another diva, the one and only Cher, who received Billboard's Icon of the Year award.

This was incredible backstage. An icon watching an icon. #BBMAspic.twitter.com/Z5YR6Xznb3  T.J. Holmes (@tjholmes) May 22, 2017

No wait, you need to look at it from another angle, where it shows how she had the press room join in on a Cher singalong. (To be honest, we were singing along at home too.)

INCREDIBLE MOMENT just now backstage at @BBMAs@celinedion stops to watch @cher perform and the press room joins in! #BBMAspic.twitter.com/8M93HGh4fb  Good Morning America (@GMA) May 22, 2017

Those raising-the-roof hands. Those bouncing shoulders. That "I do not care if you think I'm the cheesiest woman alive, I'm loving life and you can come along if you want" glance.

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Freaking. Amazing.

Last, but not in any way least in our northern hearts, was this incredible moment, when the queen of Quebec met the king of Toronto in an exchange that can only be described as Canadian gold.

Drake x Celine Dion  pic.twitter.com/VttP8pMWq5  DS (@DrizzySource) May 22, 2017

"I'm like, a year away from a Celine tat," Drake  who, by the way, became the winningest artist ever at the Billboard Awards last night with 13 trophies  tells Dion.

Yep, it's official  Celine's appeal literally has no bounds.

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The five things you need to know on Monday, May 22

1) BARNACLE BILL

Tory campaigns guru Sir Lynton Crosby famously told David Cameron he wanted to scrape the barnacles off the boat in 2015, dumping all the potentially risky and needless policies that hindered a smooth progress to victory. But thanks to her new manifesto policies on the elderly, Theresa May looks like shes holing her own general election ship below the waterline.

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The backlash against the social care plans, and the winter fuel allowance curbs, has been strong and swift, from within the Tory party and without it. Damian Green had a nightmare on Marr trying to explain, let alone defend, the proposals. Labour candidates (such as Clive Efford in London) already have leaflets attacking the Dementia Tax. On the BBC 10'clock News, there was footage of a voter telling May to her face on the doorstep: "Just a bit unnerved I have to say about the old people care policy".

The problems stem from a combination of poorly thought out policy (the plan read like a Green Paper not a manifesto pledge) and apparent complacency (our lead is so big that we can afford to have uncosted, far-from-oven-ready ideas). Add too that May appears to have also caught herself, as well as the opposition, by surprise in calling the snap election: both parties leaderships have struggled with a curtailed policy making process. The FT reports a senior Tory saying the social care plan wasnt really run by anyone outside the inner circle.

On winter fuel allowance, David Davis on Friday hinted at a serious rowback, talking about taking the cash from those who can afford it, rather than the manifestos line to focus the money on the least well off. In between is a whole swath of people who may be unhappy. On social care too, there may have to be some significant retreat to counter the dementia tax charge.

But May will take heart from our latest focus group (see below) among working class traditionally Labour voters: they back the idea of stopping the rich from getting fuel help, free school meals and tuition fee abolition. They also liked the idea of keeping 100k of assets before paying for social care. Dont forget the Sun, ever in tune with its readers has been pushing hard this idea of axeing rich pensioner perks. Means testing can be popular - it just depends where you set the cut-off point on who loses out.

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I also still think the Tories have something up their sleeves on the NHS, as May has yet to detail how many billions will go on what she said last week would be the most ambitious programme of investment in technology and buildings the NHS has ever seen (a line almost buried in her manifesto launch). They may need to reveal that sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, May today will try to wrest the narrative back on to Brexit by saying the UK has no time to waste in its talks with Brussels. I suspect shell fail, as the social care story will run for a few more days until either the Daily Mail comes out against it or until May issues a categoric clarification - or both.

2) SHARP FOCUS

Our latest HuffPostUK-Edelman focus group was in Bury South, a key northern marginal where Labours Ivan Lewis is defending a 5,000 majority. And the findings make for difficult reading for Jeremy Corbyn, as we again found life-long Labour voters tempted by the Tories for the first time.

The most striking thing was the sense of shame at talking about voting Conservative, with fears family and friends would react badly. Michelle, a school teacher and single mother, explained how she struggled to even write down the word Conservative when asked how she would vote. The family, my mum, I feel like if I uttered those words in front of my mum, shed disown me.for me to even think about a party that has gone against everything that Ive ever believed in, it is massive, a heavy heart.

Many didnt believe Theresa May was on the side of the north, and were unconvinced about the Northern Powerhouse. But a combination of distrust of Corbyns personal leadership, uncertainty about Brexit and a lingering worry that Labour misspends their cash, was forcing them towards what one of them actually called The Dark Side.

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Every single one of the eight women in our focus group would vote Conservative now, and many of the men. Elections analyst Ian Warren blogs for us about one incident when a Labour canvasser was berated on the doorstep thus: You ought to be f***ing ashamed of yourself for forcing me to vote Tory!

The polls have undoubtedly narrowed this weekend (and this morning ITV has a new Survation poll halving the Tory lead to nine points). Yet as Jess Phillips pointed out on Peston, piling up votes in some Labour areas is as much use as a chocolate fireguard if you end up haemorrhaging marginal seats like Bury South. And while the Labour poll bounce is real, some are pointing out Ed Miliband was also on 35% at this stage in the 2015 election.

Speaking of Labour leaders, we also asked our focus groups for reactions of the groups to the four current bookies favourites to succeed Corbyn: Yvette Cooper, Keir Starmer, Chuka Umunna and Lisa Nandy. Cooper underwhelmed them with her TV interviews, but got warmer reactions for her PMQs. Starmer was a write-off. But the women unanimously loved Chuka, while the men all put Nandy as their first choice. With June 9 the real date in many Labour minds still, thats food for thought.

3) FEES HIGH, HO-HUM?

While trying to target the grey vote, Labour is also strenuously pushing for the youth vote with the midnight deadline for registration for the general election looming tonight. And the party is certainly going for it on the issue of tuition fees, with a new pledge today to extend their promise to abolish them.

Students starting university this September will have their first year fees written off if Labour wins the election, ahead of full abolition in 2018. The move, to discourage students deferring until after tuition fees are abolished, is part of a 38 billion promise on fees. And its that huge price tag that shows just how much Corbyn is determined to define himself on the university issue - its bigger than any single item on Labours entire manifesto costings.

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Polls show that the tuition fee policy is popular among many of the public. However, our focus groups among both students and parents found real opposition to Labours plans. As one working class Labour voter put it: theres a lot out there who will see it as another easy meal ticket for three years of doing nothing. Its a massive strain on the budget.

The gamble is that enough young people will be motivated to actually get out and vote - defying years of previously poor turnout among the under-24s. Some analysts think part of the reason for the increased Labour vote in the national polls could well be some young people are telling pollsters they really, really will do it this time and bother to turn up to the voting booth. Lets see.

BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR

Watch this mums reaction as her son fires a Nerf gun bullet at her.

4) PROVO-CATION

Jeremy Corbyn was grilled by Sophy Ridge on SkyNews yesterday over his links to SinnFein and the IRA. His supporters thought he handled it well, getting across his long-held claim that he only wanted to promote peace in Northern Ireland - and saying that all bombing is wrong. But his critics have seized on his reluctance to condemn the IRA in particular (he also frequently talked about Ireland not northern Ireland), having been asked five times to do so.

The Telegraph also reminds everyone there were some very provocative pro-provo sentiments among some in the London Labour party in the early 1980s. One editorial of the London Labour Briefing magazine declared after the Brighton bombing Try riding your bike now Norman. Corbyn told Sky: I wasnt even a member of the editorial board. He may not have been in December 1984, but local and national paper cuttings claim he was indeed on the board in 1982 and 1983.

Corbyn made clear he has long represented the Irish community in his Islington constituency (I know he often reads Irish local and national papers on a Saturday morning). But being seen to be one one side in the Ulster conflict is something the Tories have long stored up as a weapon in this election, targeting many Labour voters already worried about his patriotism problem.

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John McDonnell has been even more outspoken than Corbyn in the past and has been forced to apologise for talking about honouring the IRA. On Friday, he repeatedly told PoliticsHome's Kevin Schofield: No cause is worth the loss of an innocent life. But even that use of innocent - was the loss of non-innocent life worth it? - risked fresh controversy. Colin Parry, whose 12-year-old son Tim died in the Warrington bomb blast in 1993, tells HuffPost UK: The things that people remember are him eulogising over people who did what they did. The rest is just background noise.

5) FACEBOOK FIENDS

Given the dominance that Facebook now has over much publishing online, the Guardians new Facebook Files have given a timely and fascinating glimpse into how it tries to police content. Thanks to 100 leaked internal training manuals and blueprints we learn that Zuckerbergs internet behemoth uses some automated systems to eliminate some content such as child sexual abuse or terrorism.

But whats left over is left to teams of moderators not algorithms and the human element shows how difficult the balance is between free speech and abuse. The Credible Violence manual notes that people commonly express distain or disagreement by threatening or calling for violence in generally facetious and unserious ways.

It also provides examples of where some statements are acceptable to keep on the site (Im going to kill you John!) and what should be removed (Im going to kill you John, I have the perfect knife to do it!). What will worry many is the complexity - and the fact that moderators sometimes have just ten seconds to decide whether content should be deleted.

Political parties are spending lots on targeted Facebook ads in this election (not always with great success - one candidates ads pop up in my feed even though Im not in his seat), we reported last week. Its not just Facebook, Google search is another prime target - Google Brexit today and the top item is a Tory ad stating: Corbyn negotiating Brexit? Its a risk not worth taking.

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It didnt get enough play but last weeks Tory manifesto talked about creating new global rules for the internet. Today, Tom Watson appears alongside Jeremy Corbyn in Hull to unveil plans for a 1 billion Cultural Capital Fund to upgrade the UKs cultural and creative infrastructure for the digital age.

COMMONS PEOPLE

Listen to our CommonsPeople podcast special on the main party manifestos. Including an ace quiz on the titles of previous manifestos since the 1950s. Click HERE.

If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox.
The student housing market is in crisis. Poor quality and overpriced accommodation is putting a strain on students pockets and lifestyles and we expect it to get worse before it gets better. With more people entering further education each year we can expect even greater strain put on current student housing stock and increased tenant competition.

Finding a place to live while at university has always been one of the biggest headaches for students around the world. But, with the OECD projecting eight million international student by 2025 - there is now a serious need to rethink about how we're going house the influx of those choosing to study away from home in the coming years.

Cost of living is too high, and the housing market isn't helping

It costs a lot to be a student these days. For example, London is the most expensive student city in Europe - tuition fees on average cost 9,250 per year and that's before you start paying 650 per room per month and your travel 90 per month. In total, it's estimated that one can spend almost 20,000 a year just on having somewhere to stay, study and to travel between the two.

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This rising cost of living is something the National Union of Students is concerned about. They've suggested that higher rent prices is piling financial pressure on students. These increased money worries is in part to blame for the rise in student mental health issues since 2012.

What's worse, our own research found that more than half of those interviewed couldn't find anything affordable when they looked for places. And we're not alone in seeing this. Rental prices are so high that The University of Bath is running a Cut the Rent campaign to fight the increased costs of student accommodation.

5* luxury student housing isn't serving the majority of students

The emergence of the privately-owned high-end, serviced student accommodation is not the ultimate solution to the student housing crunch. Last year institutions spent 4.3bn in upmarket halls of residence and were charging 650 per week for a single room. While there is some demand for this type of luxury student living and certain students willing to pay the price, this new type of accommodation does not serve the majority.

Students aren't asking for much from a place to live. When we asked students what they wanted from their accommodation what came back was the basic want of good wifi, a large bedroom and a double bed. Even a dishwasher and a tumble dryer could not crack the top 5 student accommodation desires let alone the desire to have a porter service, a gym and a nightclub on the ground floor.

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We need to see more development of affordable student housing that is decent and in a good location and, ultimately, that they can be happy to live in.

So what can be done!?

There's no silver bullet that will overcome this crisis but perhaps here's how we can make some progress:
It's that time again when the UK's politicians pitch their ideas for the future direction of the country. But while PR gurus seek to sell us on the latest tag line or manifesto commitment, the record of those in power sometimes slips into the background. And following seven years of Conservative-led government, there is plenty of a record for us to consider.

Let's consider what United Nations bodies have to say about the human rights record of the UK's government over the past couple of years. No partisan politics here; the bodies are made up of independent experts from around the world. No fake news either; the documents are all publicly available.

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Children

If anyone needs their rights protecting by the government, it's children. But UN bodies have had stark words on the government's performance here, especially on child poverty. A specialist committee wrote that it is 'seriously concerned' about the high rate of child poverty in the UK. More than this, it highlighted that the children worst affected are children with disabilities (or with a disabled parent), children in Wales and Northern Ireland and children from ethnic minority groups.

Racism

Even before a UN committee expressed its concerns about the referendum on Brexit leading to a 'sharp increase in the number of racist hate crimes', the UK was in the spotlight. The independent experts at the UN had taken note of government's ongoing failure to address the toxic atmosphere of racism and xenophobia in the country. Singling out newspapers for publishing 'extremely negative stereotypes of ethnic, religious or other minorities', the committee demanded action. And things have only got worse since.

Food Banks

Although it might not be obvious from the hundreds of thousands using food banks in the UK, the government has guaranteed everyone a right to food. It should come as no surprise, then, that the UN body in charge has expressed its concern that the government hasn't been living up to its promises. It is critical of the government's 'lack of adequate measures' to address the problem. It also recommends that the government reinstates a system of benefits for those that need them that are sufficient to cover the cost of living, including adequate food and housing.

Women

Surely with a female Prime Minister the UK doesn't have any issues with women's rights? Wrong. The UK has been criticised for its continuing failure to address violence against women. Singled out for attention are the levels of domestic violence and rape here, and the poor protections available for victims/survivors such as emergency shelters and legal assistance.

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Housing

United Nations committees try their best to be diplomatic. They have a special language of 'concern', and 'drawing attention' to an issue. So when a committee noted that it was concerned about the 'persistent critical situation' surrounding housing in the UK, people took notice. As the body made clear, this is an issue that has been obvious for a long time yet things seem to keep getting worse. In fact, the committee notes that part of the problem stems directly from the government's policy of cutting benefits. With the gloves off, they went on to comment how the government was failing on the standard of housing, on the 'exceptionally high' levels of homelessness, and on the out of control rental market.

Detention

Immigration is a topic that has been at the forefront of debates in the UK. But the government's policies have also caught the attention of UN monitoring bodies. One aspect of this is the use of detention facilities in the immigration process. In its own words, the committee noted that it was 'concerned that no fixed time limit on the duration of detention in immigration removal centres has been established'. This means that individuals can languish in a sort of prison with no idea how long they will be kept there. There has been a large campaign to address this cruel practice, but the government has yet to act.

Fair Trial

What of those rights that the UK has always claimed to be so strong at protecting? Great courts and the right to a fair trial is a staple of the UK's story. Yet, the UN body responsible for review that right expressed concerns about legal trials with significant secrecy surrounding the proceedings. That body of experts was also damning about people's basic ability to access the courts. With such serious cuts to the system of legal aid, the body recommended that the Conservative government review its reforms and address the weaknesses.

Benefit Sanctions

So unfair are the workings of the UK's benefits system, that even this has drawn the attention of a group of UN experts. Benefit Sanctions (a scheme of bureaucratic penalties in the Jobseekers system) are being used too often and disproportionately according to these independent reviewers. A Sanction can leave an individual without income for anywhere between 4 weeks and 3 years. Experts at the UN recommended that the UK put some basic due process measures into place in the system, but the government has stubbornly defended the harsh scheme.
My family and I have just returned from six incredible months in Mexico. Our kids are five and just three. Here is a run down of my ten best moments:

1.Seeing my kids get excited about ancient ruins. Our four year old son loves nothing more than a visit to an archaeological site. Monumental staircase? He'll zoom up faster than a mountain goat. Random pile of rocks? He'll be up it. Ancient pelota court? He'll inform you what happened there.

Hopefully we've instilled a love of exploration in the kids by visiting so many archaeological sites. We deliberately chose not to overburden them with too many facts because they're so small. We just let them revel in running around such interesting places....and snacks at the top of old monuments never went amiss either.

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2.Cenotes: a geographical wonder of the Yucatan Peninsula. They are basically huge, natural, pools of water. Some are open and some are entirely underground. We visited a number of these across the peninsula. The cenote highlight has to be when the kids both jumped from a two metre platform into the 90m deep cenote (in life jackets, obviously) as a group of locals watched in surprise and awe. They got a huge round of applause and after, this group of local men came up to ask us about our kids and tell us how incredible it was that they'd been able to do that.

3.The local zoo in Merida (where we were based for most of our trip) makes for an interesting visit. It has a playground, funfair rides and a teeny tiny train for kids to ride on. It also has a large collection of fairly miserable animals kept in pretty dire cages. On our first visit I'd asked the four year old to consider what he was seeing and try to compare it to London Zoo. He did and very quickly realised that this local zoo really wasn't a good environment for the animals due to the lack of space or facilities for them. I was really proud he could see the difference as he isn't always the most empathetic little chap!

4.We spent a month in Tulum studying Spanish and hanging out on the beach. There is nothing more delicious in life than seeing your little ones romp around a beautiful beach as if they have been there all their lives. They got so tanned, their hair went blond and unkempt and I just loved seeing them outside playing all day.

5.Spanish. Of course, living in Mexico we had to be willing to learn to speak the language. The kids now speak Spanish well enough to cope at school, to play, to understand tv and film and to correct my Spanish! The big one would often try out his new found ability in slightly strange places and we'd suddenly find him instructing cab drivers to go faster or informing waiters that he needed something. Even the little one could be sent off to get the bill in a restaurant or to order herself another drink.

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6.Trying new foods: from the BBQ market in downtown Oaxaca and the roast goat we conned them in to trying to the refried beans and the ceviche, the kids are a little (just a little) more adventurous when it comes to food than they were.

7.Celebrating Day of the Dead in Oaxaca. Day of the Dead is really important in Oaxaca and, by chance, we were there and the kids were in school. What an honour it was to be a part of a school procession rather than just watch from the sidelines with the tourists. The kids got dressed up and, as instructed, we bought lots of sweets for them to throw to the crowds as we walked along the roads behind our marching band.

8.We saw so many amazing animals in the wild. We were lucky enough to have dolphins swim alongside our boat when we were on a day trip from the island of Holbox. Our small girl was captivated and still talks about this. We saw crocodiles, flamingos and pelicans and the kids touched a puffer fish .

9.We also went swimming with turtles off the coast of Akumal. While the experience itself was truly phenomenal, what stood out for me was how our two year old behaved. She put on the snorkel and mask and accepted swimming out to sea in a life vest and happily put her head under the water to watch the turtles swimming below her.

10. Living in a foreign country and helping our kids to see that there's so much more to the world than just their home city. The planet is so big and cultures are so diverse. We had a great time talking to our children about different countries and cultures and seeing them drink it all in. One of the reasons we took this trip was to try and instil an interest, tolerance and understanding of different cultures in the kids. I think we succeeded.

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Less than two years ago, the issue of asylum was inextricable from that of Britain's membership of the European Union. Headlines decrying the "influx" of refugees onto the continent dominated the newsstands. Brexit campaigners claimed that the UK was at "breaking point". Yet somehow, despite negotiations for Britain's exiting of the EU underway and a General Election imminent, refugee policy has fallen off the political radar almost completely.

This is certainly not because the refugee crisis has ceased to exist. Poorly-crafted boats of men, women and children continue to attempt to cross the Mediterranean every day- just two weeks ago twenty people were feared to be dead off the coast of Sicily. But an analysis of the main parties' manifestos, or a glimpse at politicians' rhetoric in the run-up to the election, would not betray this at all.

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Let's examine this in more detail. The Conservatives make little mention of the refugee crisis in their manifesto. Indeed, the section of their manifesto dedicated to their approach to Brexit does not mention asylum arrangements whatsoever- perhaps surprising, since European co-operation on refugees is governed through various legal agreements such as the Dublin Regulations and the Asylum Procedures Directive, all of which will have to be renegotiated during the Brexit process.

What the Conservatives do promise, however, is of questionable legal validity. The party pledges to "reform asylum" by offering asylum to people who are displaced and fleeing conflict, but not to those who have fled conflict and made it to the UK. Presumably, this means that refugees that do undertake the life-threatening and traumatic journey to the UK will simply be repatriated upon their arrival. Given that the 1951 Convention on refugees, which they seem to have no intention of un-signing, explicitly prohibits expulsion of refugees at borders, this pledge is at best illegal, and at worst, utterly inhumane.

So what about the alternatives on offer? The Labour manifesto, to its credit, does acknowledge at various points that there is a problem with the current management of refugees, and says "we will review these arrangements" (it is not stated how these will be reviewed, and whether it will improve the situation). It also accepts that there is some kind of moral duty towards the world's most vulnerable people. But despite the promising preamble, the only pledge that follow is a commitment to "taking our fair share of refugees". The inclusion of the word "fair" renders the pledge so vague as to be completely devoid of any commitment. This is rather disappointing given the statements that Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously made about refugee resettlement.

The only main UK-wide party that makes a measurable commitment to refugees is the Liberal Democrats, who promise to resettle 50,000 Syrian refugees over the lifetime of the next Parliament. Upon first glance, this seems impressive- until it's remembered that, according to UNHCR, 33,972 people are forced to flee homes every day, and that Germany had 441,800 first time asylum-seekers registering in 2015 alone. Through this lens, offering to resettle 10,000 a year is hardly ambitious.

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Unfortunately for those fleeing persecution, our humanitarian responsibilities are not a popular political topic. For a politician navigating a hazardous political climate, making a real commitment to resettling refugees is like opening a Pandora's box, which offers very few electoral returns. Party strategists are aware of this, and do everything they can to avoid the issue becoming front and centre of any campaign.
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When I gave my first interviews as Commissioner one of the biggest talking points was something I consider to be a minor detail - the fact I don't have a (working) TV at my flat. It's a long story involving a broken aerial, but I don't miss it.

To my surprise I find I am in good company, as more people are giving up traditional televisions and watching programmes via streaming services like BBC iPlayer. That's how I do my viewing, when time allows, and from the top picks and most watched programmes that are promoted it is clear that crime and policing programmes, both factual and fictional, fascinate all of us.

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This week will see the broadcast of series two of the primetime BBC1 documentary The Met: Policing London. This is a powerful and intimate way to allow the public behind the scenes of the Met. In an organisation of more than 45,000 people and with tactics and jobs that have to remain confidential it can't show everything. However, it is an opportunity that we welcome to give the public we serve more insight in to how we police London's streets.

Of course it is always going to be a risk to let cameras in. I was part of the Met's Management Board when we agreed to series one and it was not an easy decision. We have no editorial control - as long as the filming does not jeopardise a criminal trial or expose covert policing tactics the BBC can show what they shoot. From the hundreds of hours of filmed material it is up to the BBC team to decide what makes it in to the programme. Some may assume press officers are chaperoning the crews and determining where they can go - this is not the case. With up to four crews in and around the Met at any one time for a year it would have been impossible to do that, even if we wanted to.

So yes, this TV access is a risk, but we also know the public are engaged by the challenges we face and how we tackle them. I think this is because policing, when you boil it down, is all about the people involved and their very human stories. People helping protect people from those trying to harm them.

Series one, shown two years ago, reached a cross section of viewers. Research showed that it had particularly resonated with young people and those from minority communities who said it had helped them to understand the range and complexity of policing. I believe we are the best police force in the world. We trust our officers doing the job and we should trust them with the scrutiny that a "fly on the wall" TV crew brings.

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I have been lucky enough to preview some of the programmes in the new series. It covers the stark reality of policing and the outstanding people doing their job day in day out. It shows our sensitivity in dealing with the most vulnerable of victims in a sexual assault case, the danger and fears of being at the heart of mass disorder, the investigative skill, time and effort to bring an offender to justice and the teambuilding of an officer who brings in expertise from around the Met to tackle prostitution blighting her local community. It shows officers wrestling with the effects of homelessness, mental health issues and drug and alcohol abuse. It shows the service, literally, as the service of last resort for the desperate.

We do not get to handpick who the cameras focus on - it is a decision for the programme makers. The episodes I have seen really made me proud. It showed that we did not have to supply producers with the best officers - because they are there in every corner of the Met. We see police people in all sorts of roles and from all kinds of backgrounds, doing great and usually very difficult work in tough circumstances. We also see them as people, relaxing and having fun as well as showing buckets of courage, integrity, humanity and sensitivity. The characters are found by the cameras, and not sourced for them by us.

Some viewers will find some aspects of what happens on our streets shocking. Inevitably a documentary will focus on what is dramatic and exciting at the expense of the routine, repetitive or humdrum. Viewers who does not know London might therefore get a somewhat slanted view of what happens. But I do think it gives a real insight into the life of the Met.

If, like me, you don't own a TV please try and catch this series on your computer or at a friend's house. This is an opportunity to see behind or even beyond headlines and get a feel for what policing London is all about. If it encourages just one more brilliant person to follow a career into policing then it has been worth it. If it gives one person more context about why we are making an arrest in their high street then it has been worth it. If it inspires one person to get involved in the fight against knife crime it has been worth it. Even if it confirms someone's negative views about what we do then it is worth making that a more informed opinion.

Finally I would like to thank the officers and staff who agreed to be filmed. It won't have been an easy decision - they too had no control on what the BBC would show. By allowing the cameras in to see them doing their jobs they have performed another valuable public service.

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Cressida Dick is commissioner of the Met Police in London
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It's November 2016 and Jack has just arrived at Heathrow after a very long flight. He's been away on business and is looking forward to seeing his wife and two kids. He smiles as he recalls their last Skype conversation yesterday. Working as a human rights lawyer was interesting but exhausting.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted ...

Police: "Sir we need to ask you a few questions."

Jack: "Yes sure."

Police: "Just a few checks that's all. Follow me."

It wasn't the first time Jack had been stopped. It was almost an airport ritual now, alongside collecting his luggage off the carousel, he came to expect hours of questioning. Jack again, joined the 500,000 that have been stopped under the Schedule 7 Act (2000) and detained, humiliated and questioned since it was introduced yet 99.98% of those stopped are never charged with an offence.

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Police: "We just need your passwords to your laptop and phone."

Jack: "Why would you want those? Can you explain what is going on and what I have done wrong? I'm very tired and just want to get home to my family."

Police: "I'm sorry but I will need those passwords."

Jack now angry and fed up: "You cannot do this. There is client confidential information on these devices, not to mention my own personal pictures and videos (as he recalls the video of his wife giving birth recently, something he clearly didn't want others to see ). I have done nothing wrong."

Police: "Sir it is compulsory for you to hand over the passwords and we don't need any cause for suspicion, but will arrest you if you don't hand over the passwords."

Jack: "So let me get this straight. I've done nothing wrong. You don't suspect me to have done so either, but you want my passwords to my devices, to essentially my entire life, and you will arrest me if I protect my clients and my own privacy?"

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Police: "Yes."

What would you do if you were Jack?

Would you hand over your passwords?

Would you allow your phone and laptop to become one of the 4,300 devices downloaded in Schedule 7 stops in one year alone (2015/2016).

Or would you fight for your civil liberties?

Jack: "Arrest me then...."

He is arrested and then later charged and released on bail on 17th May 2017 for wilfully obstructing or seeking to frustrate a search examination under Schedule 7 when he was detained at Heathrow in November.

Whilst we are sticking to hard facts and figures we should probably change Jack's name as 88.4% of detentions under schedule 7 are 'non-white'.

So whilst you were appalled at Jack's treatment are you equally appalled and outraged if we change Jack's name to Mohammed Rabbani and make him a director of CAGE?

You should be. The right to privacy still applies.

This isn't just a Muslim issue, or a non-white issue (though it clearly targets Muslims/non-whites more). It's an issue about civil liberties and standing firm for what is right and wrong. Law-abiding individuals have a right to insist on privacy when it comes to their passcodes. Yet without needing to be suspected of anything, anyone could be stopped under Schedule 7 and have all their information confiscated, both work and personal information. Stop and think for a minute what you have on your devices, are you willing to share your personal information just because you are told to for no reason or suspicion at all?

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Many may try and brush this off and say 'It'll never happen to me. I've never done anything wrong," but that's the thing, neither have Jack or Rabbani. Don't get me wrong, if you are suspected of a crime or have done something wrong then you should be detained, questioned and hand over your devices. But why does the law unfairly treat those who haven't?

This is why I stand with Mohammed Rabbani because we all have a #RightToPrivacy and individuals like this who stand firm and fight for all our rights whilst risking their own civil liberties so we don't lose ours should be supported.
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"Because fathers are parents too and deserve to spend more time with their new babies." Labour Party Manifesto, 2017

Page 48, point 14, in the new Labour Party Manifesto may have seemed a relatively small footnote in what was an otherwise stoic 'left-sided' document, but it's the first time I can remember 'fatherhood' being anywhere near the political arena. It is the sort of milestone that needs to create much wider debate about the role of fatherhood not just in politics, but in work, at home, and what real change means for modern dads.

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The policy outlined a plan to double paternity leave and increase paternity pay. Labour aren't the only ones with the same dad-focus here. In fact they are hot on the heels of the Liberal Democrats who themselves announced a similar policy a few days ago. The Tories have come in on the action too - and just today announced in their manifesto the intention to improve take up of Shared Parental Leave and improve flexible work arrangements for mothers, AND fathers.

Real change or political opportunism?

It's often difficult to separate the genuinely useful policies from the deeply cynical in the political world, but here we can at least acknowledge some effort in addressing a growing tension that modern dads feel. They want to provide more and have successful professional careers, and they also want to be giving better quality care at home. We've seen over the last few months how 72% of working dads are close to burnout or how other fathers are increasingly at risk of a 'fatherhood penalty' in trying to balance it all. Perhaps these separate insights aren't separate at all, and the politicians are starting to recognize their connection.

The real question is, will these changes make an impact?

A dog isn't just for Christmas, and a father isn't just for 'new' babies

Next level multitasking. Having a read while getting his nappy changed. #daddilifeoftheday by @eden_the_krenchie  A post shared by A Community Of Fatherhood (@daddilife) on Apr 23, 2017 at 9:20am PDT

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Double paternity is of course, on the face of it, a great start - as long as dads can afford it. There's something rather implicit, even rather conceited, in the manifesto that somehow 4 weeks will make that big a difference. On a relative basis, 2 extra weeks isn't going to make much impact.

When we look at child's performance - from the young, through to college, our Scandinavian neighbours (can I still call them that?) are still lightyears ahead of us, because they understand the real difference is when fathers are encouraged to spend much more time in those early months at home, not just a few weeks. Family is at the heart of the work/life balance equation in those countries, and their policies of shared leave and flexible working are reflective of that.

The Norwegian policy of parental leave for instance currently stands at 10 weeks for dads, 10 weeks for mums and 36 weeks to share. It is paid at 100% of earnings for 49 weeks or 80% for 59 weeks to eligible parents. The salary that will be paid is capped at 63,000 euros. Some employers top up to 100% pay for the whole period.

The Tory focus on Shared Parental Leave and more flexible work focus is actually the right longer term focus for a better parenting balance.

As much as it's encouraging that politicians are having the discussion on it, we need our employers to take the action on it, especially as there will be less EU legislation to bind a UK Government to push this along.

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The fuller effects of Brexit

Speaking of Brexit, Mandy Garner of Working Mums attended a recent roundtable of parental policy experts across the EU, and shared a revelation that 'Post-Brexit Britain will be left with an unbalanced, maternalist leave policy of long maternity leave with weak and marginalised parental leave.' Professor Peter Moss for UCL Institute of Education acknowledged it was doubtful there would be much movement legislation-wise with the government tied up with Brexit. As he explained further - 'the recent announcement about parental leave by the EU, including the guarantee of a minimum of 10 days of paternity leave, four months of non-transferable parental leave per parent to be paid at at least statutory sick pay level and five days per year per parent for caring for sick or dependent relatives to be paid at statutory sick pay level or more is unlikely to be carried through now to the UK. Though some of those improvements feel modest, they are at least grounded by EU law.

Honest conversations

Employees don't work for companies, they work for people so great managers are essential #hr #flexibleworking #management #manager #careerdevelopment #careerwomen A post shared by WMs (@workingmums.co.uk) on Apr 27, 2017 at 1:42am PDT
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You have saved your entire life for your pension. You put away funds every month with dreams of an early retirement, going travelling or relocating to a village in the countryside. But then you develop dementia. Instead of spending your carefully saved pension on the retirement of your hopes and dreams, or using it to support your family, you are left with no choice but to pay 1,000 per week for a place at a care home.

In fact, even if you had anticipated this alternative future, an investigation by Alzheimer's Society has revealed that it would take 125 years to save for the typical person's dementia social care bill - more than a lifetime.

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Dementia is a health condition caused by diseases in the brain. Yet unlike cancer or heart disease, dementia cannot be cured or effectively treated. Apart from some drugs that may reduce the symptoms of dementia for a limited time, the only support available is help to meet people's basic daily needs, such as washing, dressing and eating. So instead of support and treatment offered for free through the NHS, people with dementia are dependent on costly social care.

Surprisingly few people are aware that dementia care is often not funded by the state. More still have no concept of the weekly cost of a care home place. Yet even if you did know, and started to save for your care today, you would still have no prospect of covering the typical bill.

Converse to the growing number of people developing dementia, since 2009 there has been an estimated 4.6 billion cut to the social care sector. These slashed budgets yield stretched services, cut corners and avoidable mistakes that leave people with dementia neglected and suffering. On top of this, the shortfalls in funding by successive governments have left people affected by dementia and their families plugging the gaps. Joan, whose parents both live in a 2,000/week care home, is terrified of the future. She's calculated that all of her parents' savings combined with the sale of their bungalow will only pay for another four and a half years of care. The situation is unthinkable for her and her husband, who are both retired and live solely off their pension. No one should be forced to decide between supporting their parents and funding day-to-day life for themselves.

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Judith, whose mum Joan had Alzheimer's disease, saw her mother spend a staggering 500,000 on her dementia care. She was forced to spend almost all her savings to pay for her care, and only able to leave a fraction to her grandchildren as she had wished. By the end of her life, despite being unable to eat, speak or move anything but her eyes, Joan still wasn't applicable for state funding and paid for all her care until she passed away last August.

The social care crisis is a dementia crisis. With such a huge proportion of people with dementia dependent on social care, we urgently need a solution to ensure that everyone gets the right support when they need it. Currently, many people with dementia feel deserted by the state, and must rely on family members and carers for the support they need. Too many people like Joan are forced to give everything they own to care for a loved one. It's vital that the next Government creates a long term, sustainable system for funding dementia care.

In a series of videos we confronted the public with an alternative future of dementia. Their genuine shock shows that spending all they've saved for on care costs is not something people even consider as part of their future, despite one person developing dementia in the UK every three minutes: A different future - dementia doesn't care who you are
Sexual freedom.

Something that men often claim for themselves. Something that is defined as a male right, male privilege. Men should be promiscuous, they should look around at other women and girls, even when married or in a relationship. They should show off about their multiple sexual partners and expect congratulations when they are able to 'get' many women. They should catcall women and demonstrate their male virility through the sexual degradation of women on the street.

Well, at least this is how it has been explained to me by the many men I've met around the world.

But the thing is, if women do all of the above, they are not congratulated. They are not told, well done. They are instead criticised, they are told that they are whores.

And why is that?

Why are men entitled to sexual freedom, and women are not?

Why should women be punished and socially shamed when they engage in the same behavior, that men themselves engage in?

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This type of gender based discriminatory behavior is global. Throughout the world social and cultural structures and norms allow men to have multiple sexual partners while at the same time condemn and socially shame any woman thought to be sexually promiscuous. In many cases, violence, rape and harassment are justified against women who are thought to be 'too sexual'.

Because women who are perceived to be 'promiscous', or sexual in any way, are treated as if they have less value, or simply no value at all.

A woman who has 'no value', can then be harassed, violated, disrespected.

How many of us have heard of someone blaming a woman for being raped because of the way she was dressed? How many of us have heard of a woman being asked what she was wearing when she has complained about sexual harassment?

As if men have the right to degrade and disrespect women just because in some way she has 'made' herself look attractive. As if it's his right to be sexually aggressive and should she get in his way with her attractiveness, she should just understand, that he is going to attack her.

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In certain cases this control over women's sexual behavior is extreme. Throughout the Middle East, South Asia and some parts of the Caucuses, honor killings are prevalent. An honor killing comes from the idea that a woman should be a virgin before she is married and any perceived sexual transgression would result in shame being brought to her family. The only way to restore the honor to the family, is to kill her. There are cases where even when a woman is simply suspected of engaging in sexual behavior, she has been killed.

On one trip to Northern Iraq, I was told by a Kurdish Iraqi man, that a young women in his village had been killed, just because she had been seen talking to a man on the street.

I have repeatedly been told that the general perception in this part of the world is that all western women are whores. I've also heard that Russian women are whores, Ukrainian women too. In fact, I think the perception is more or less that any woman who has freedom to choose their clothes, their sexual partners or who has any freedom at all, are whores. 'You can do whatever you want with a western woman,' I have been told.

The endless sexual harassment that I have experienced as I have travelled through these parts of the world is evidence of how these men think that they can treat a woman who has freedoms.

Freedoms that they claim for themselves.

I wonder how many men think that they should 'expect' to be harassed? How many men think that if they go to a night club they should 'expect' to be raped? How many men have been threatened with sexual harassment for 'wearing such short shorts,' or have been asked 'well what were you wearing,' when they have complained about sexual assault?

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I wonder what they would do if they were?

In Argentina, I met with a lawyer working to stop the sexual trafficking of women and girls. He said, 'we won't stop seeing violence against women and girls until they have the same sexual rights as men.'

I couldn't agree more.

This shaming of women and girls needs to stop. Because as long as men have sexual freedom and women do not, extreme harm towards women and girls will continue to be justified on the basis that women have 'behaved in a sexual way.'
michaelquirk via Getty Images

This election isn't about the things it's supposed to be about. It's not about leaders, parties, candidates, rallies. It's not about wall to wall news coverage, interviews, speeches and gaffes. It's not about them. It's about us. Specifically what we, the electorate, think of ourselves. Do we have self-respect? Do we care for ourselves? Or do we have such low self esteem that we're willing to accept the worst? Are we, as a society, so depressed that we think things can't be any better than they are now?

The current government has contempt for the British people. Firstly, it called an unnecessary election simply because it thought it could win a bigger majority. Secondly, the Prime Minister has refused to engage in televised debates. She considers them unnecessary - she is ahead so why take the risk? Thirdly, the Conservatives are determined to announce as few policies as possible. Trust us, they say. Only we can deliver strong and stable leadership. We will make the right choices, no need to worry yourselves with difficult questions about policy.

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If the polls are correct we are fine with all this. We are fine with being taken for granted, of being laughed at. If the Conservatives can behave like this and be elected with a enlarged majority why would they be anything other than contemptuous of the British people?

And then there is the legacy of the last seven years. A NHS funding crisis worse than we've seen for a generation, with primary care trusts on the verge of bankruptcy, and computer systems so out of date they can be taken over by hackers. School budgets being slashed and class sizes rising. Libraries shut by the hundreds. Hundreds of thousands of people forced to rely on foodbanks. Homelessness up 50%. Council budgets decimated, leading to huge cuts; to social care, to assistance for the disabled, to care for the elderly and to youth support and social housing.

If you read about a far away country where these things were happening you'd think things were pretty bad there. You'd assume the government would get kicked out at the next election by an angry population demanding change. But in Britain polls suggest we are about to re-elect the government with an increased majority.

It's not that we like the things the government is doing. Polls suggest that most people want properly funded public services and an NHS that is publicly owned, not run for the benefit of corporations. We want decent libraries, proper care for the elderly, effective public transport, free childcare. But when Labour promises to deliver all those things, by asking the wealthy and large companies to pay a little more we dismiss it out of hand. Impossible. Impractical. Incompetent.

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We've come to dislike ourselves. We subconsciously feel that Britain is basically a bad country, that we don't deserve better, that nothing can really change. The best we can get is leaders who call themselves strong while they preside over national decline and have contempt for us, the population. Just like prisoners who come to trust their captors and fear the outside world, we trust the Conservatives no matter what they do to us and fear change because we don't think we deserve it.

All of this is connected to the question of leadership. A depressed, nervous and fearful people demands a 'strong' leader no matter how dangerous that leader's policies may be. A people that is confident, healthy and self-assured is less concerned about displays of strength. It prefers a leader who listens and engaged with people, who will strengthen others rather than promote themself.

Can we begin to get our self-respect back? Can we start to see ourselves as people who deserve better? It's not going to be easy. Britain has a history of being deferential to those in power, be they politicians, kings, banks or newspaper barons. For hundreds of years we've been treated as subjects rather than citizens and we've come to believe it ourselves.
Adoption, Attachment and trauma are linked. Adoption leads to a separation of a child from its primary carer, this is a trauma. When I first realised that my son had attachment issues through his adoption and poor foster care, I was told by a Children & Adolescent Mental health worker that there were no effective interventions that could help my son. She even sent me a photocopy of an article outlining the fact that young people with an attachment disorder were extremely likely to end up in borstal. No strategies were offered.

It seemed hopeless, that his fate was sealed. I was devastated. Looking at my 3 year old son, I saw no hope for his future. I refused to accept this bleak landscape and started on my 'quest' to find some answers that could give us all hope, give him a life, and a place in society. For he had committed no sin or wrong doing, he was a child. My son deserved better.

I researched attachment disorders, trauma and secondary trauma, believing that with knowledge comes power. I taught myself different ways of parenting my son, always having to adapt my approach as no one response worked for very long! This learning encouraged me to train as a counsellor and then after witnessing massive changes in my son after he received a therapy called Lifespan Integration, I decided to train in this therapeutic approach as well. Li integrates in a gentle but powerful way.

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For a number of years, I have become interested in neuro-plasticity, the fact that the brain can change and develop throughout our life, under the right conditions. We are not frozen in time, hope is not lost. Trauma actually changes the structure of our genes, and the heartening message is that this alteration to the gene is reversible, with the right environment.

I attended the Attachment & Trauma Conference (12th-14th May 2017) in London, along with 1200 other individuals. I found the developments in neuroscience and its application to therapy fascinating and reassuring, if at times too complex to fully take in! Dan Siegel (1) talked about integration being;

'.. the essential mechanism of health as it promotes a flexible and adaptive way of being that is filled with vitality and creativity. The ultimate outcome of integration is harmony. The absence of integration leads to chaos and rigidity'. Health and integration are linked.

Another interesting fact was that the body has the fight or flight impulse when faced with danger. The body has the freeze response and the flop response. This means that if people have ever been attacked but were left unable to fight, they should be free of shame and blame. This response to freeze or flop is part of our makeup, our survival mechanism. Many survivors of assaults feel that they should have fought back but couldn't. The research supports them - they literally could not fight. Instinct took over.

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Neuro- science and psychotherapy are meeting and talking. This is good news for all concerned. It has always been believed that therapy can help individuals in pain, but now the science is actually proving it. Images of the brain show how trauma can affect it, and research proves that maltreatment and longterm deprivation directly influences how affected individuals struggle with understanding in an empathic manner and that these individuals struggle with self regulation, according to Arduzzi et al (2) . What has been supposed is being proven.

As we become more aware of the brain and the body being linked, so therapy can adapt to embrace the new knowledge. This is exciting and amazing I feel.

(1) Siegel. D (2010): http://www.drdansiegel.com/abouinterpersonal_neurobiology/
Should Holocaust survivors forgive the Nazis? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Eva Kor, Holocaust survivor and forgiveness advocate:

Many of the people who survived the Holocaust have the "victim mentality," which is to me a poor me mentality with too much focus on what was done to me. They have extreme difficulty in getting rid of that feeling, that I was used as a human guinea pig, or I was used in slave labor, or I was not treated like a human being. It is understandable, of course. I was a good victim for many years. There is a lot of anger that comes with that. The question is, what does the anger do to you? Does it help you? Who are you hurting when you are angry? You are not hurting the perpetrator - you are helping the perpetrator by remaining the victim. You are only hurting yourself.

In my experience, anger is a seed for war. Healthy, happy people do not start wars. Some people take out their anger on their children, or on themselves. But if you look at people who forgive, they are at peace with themselves. Therefore, forgiveness is a seed for peace. When I forgave Mengele, and then all the Nazis, and then anyone who had ever hurt me, I felt a tremendous burden lifted from my shoulders. I realized that although I was liberated in 1945, I was not free until I forgave in 1995.

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I have spent a lot of time and effort promoting the idea of forgiveness because it helped me to heal. I am willing to do anything I humanly can to convince survivors to at least try it. I joke about it, but it's a fact: forgiveness is free. Therefore everybody can afford it. It has no side effects. It works. If people do not like how it feels to be free, they can always take their pain back and remain victims. But I have not found a larger platform where I can advocate it. If some organization would adopt the idea and help me advocate it on the world scene, I think it would help some survivors. But maybe it is too late. They have lived like victims for 70 years. What are the chances they will try something new?

I will just mention a guy by the name of Jack who is a survivor of Auschwitz. Very bitter. He said to me, "You know I carry with me two guns in my car at all times. One by my seat and one in my trunk." I asked him why. "Because," he said, "if I ever meet someone like a revisionist or a former Nazi who would cross my path, I will just blow them away". He distrusted the world that much and was that suspicious of everyone. He didn't believe there were good people in the world at all. He said, "I was all alone in Auschwitz, and I survived all alone." He had to be against the hardships of surviving Auschwitz all by himself. He was in the middle of that dog-eat-dog world where he couldn't trust anybody or rely on another human being to help him. All he could do is try to survive. Who can blame him? At least I had my twin sister with me to help keep some of our humanity intact. But mental health-wise, Jack did not survive in as good a condition as some of us.

That is a big problem for aging survivors who suddenly have a lot of health problems, and on top of that the emotional problem of feeling as a victim and not realizing they have the power to remove that victim mentality from their lives. With the simple act of forgiving the Nazis, they can live a much better life.

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Jeremy Corbyn speaking at Derby August 2016 - picture by Sharon Bull

Ashamedly, until a few years ago, I had very little interest in politics. Most election times I have been a voter, but only because I remembered my Dad's harsh tones, mortified by the one time I didn't. "What's the point?" I sheepishly said to him "MPs are all the same!"

The feeling of despair though after hearing the final result from the UK's election during the summer of 2015 was unbelievable for someone, who for many years could not have cared less which party was governing the country.

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FIVE MORE DAMNED YEARS - I read the headline news across one of the national tabloid papers from a newspaper stand later that day, nodding my head in agreement. In my eyes, the wrong party had won the Election, but would any other party have made any difference to my town, this country, or across the world? I doubt it, and yet the countless times the word"compassion" was bandied around in the candidate debates, used as a means to win hearts was laughable. Compassion - obviously scripted into manifesto pledges by their media moguls, encouraging voters to place a cross against his, or her name, as each one fought for the keys to 10 Downing Street.

Copyright - Junghee Choi

Compassion should be a key element in political decision making, however, it will take more than the word being cleverly marketed into the vote pulling speeches of politicians to address all the humanitarian issues in the UK, let alone across the world. This word's flippant use was sickening when we have so many unresolved problems that could have been tackled sympathetically a long time ago, but quite simply just continue to be ignored.

I watched the critical debate intently, prior to the vote for my country to go to war with ISIS (ISIL). I observed a packed house of commons, busier than I had ever seen it before, even though as a nation we have very little to be proud of with so many children living in poverty, families struggling to pay their bills, an NHS crying out for funding, visits to food-banks at a record high, homelessness on the increase and a substantial growth in mental health problems. These are all important matters that have been escalating for a number of years, but somehow have never been shown the level of importance, or support, as the recent fixation and urgency I was witnessing to go to war.

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I listened to the jeering, the cheering, flamboyant speeches, some riddled with propaganda, others articulated purely to fatten some of the MPs already inflated egos and it confirmed to me just how desperately this world is in need of a new breed of politicians. History repeated itself once more as a yes vote was declared to dispatch our bombing planes, despite the growing concern of the public. A conclusion, which seemed to be rushed through without time to take a breath, barely allowing anyone even a moment to think things through clearly, a swift knee-jerk reaction that will once again inevitably put more lives in danger.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ~ Albert Einstein

In utter despair, I once again muttered the same words I had used all those years ago to my Father, "MPs are all the same!" The excuse I had used for the one time I didn't vote during the Thatcher years, but was I so terribly wrong in my thinking? If I fast forward to the UK's 2015 election results and the sickening feeling I had in the pit of my stomach at the types of politicians, who would be ruling my country, the overwhelming feeling of fear and trepidation at what was at stake because of the outcome, then for me nothing much had changed since my early twenties. I had a lack of faith, respect and trust in the elected party, so it was easy to convince myself the new breed of politician I felt we so desperately needed, wasn't just around the corner. Once again, I believed that our voices, no matter how loud, would continue to fall on deaf ears with David Cameron's Conservative government.

At a time when I felt any hope of change seemed light years away, into the political ring stepped a softly spoken man by the name of Jeremy Corbyn. He didn't look like the politician we have all been groomed to believe would make a leader, and yet his passion and sincerity struck a chord with me like no other politician ever has. Here was a man, who shared the same principles as I did, but was being mocked by many of the MPs - across all parties, because in their eyes "He couldn't be a leader."

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Jeremy Corbyn - picture by Sharon Bull

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

This was when my interest in politics took on a completely new stance. I joined the labour party for the first time, and then attended one of his numerous leadership rallies. Hearing Jeremy speak on a warm sunny afternoon in August 2016 convinced me even more that this was the man who could turn present politics on its head and kick start the new breed of politician, which this world so desperately needs.
family center1.JPG

Tristan Reno and Warrick Holmes play a wall marble game at the newly renovated Moss Point Family Education Center.

(Myya Robinson)

MOSS POINT, Mississippi --- Families can dress up and walk the fashion runway, climb a rock wall, play a life size version of chess, or even use technology to take a virtual tour of places they have never been at the newly updated Family Education Center in Moss Point.

Hundreds of people took the time to tour the center on Saturday at a soft open house of the facility located at 3524 Prentiss Street.

"It is a milestone for the district," said Karen Logan, an active grandparent. "We are showing our commitment to our children, not just during the educational days of Monday through Friday, but giving them activities to do on the weekend and during the summer. This will not only keep their interests going but will also help them find out what their interests are. That way, they can look into a career choice, so that they are ready to compete in the world market. It gives them a great kick start."

"I love it," said Wilicia McCoy, who brought her two children to the open house. "I've seen some things that I couldn't believe like an actual sand box in a classroom. It really blew my mind, and the computer room is great as well. They (children) seem really into it. Every kid I have seen has a big grin on their face."

Those big smiles made school district officials feel as though the many hours of labor to make the center a reality was worth it. The district's maintenance department and volunteers throughout the district have spent the last month and a half refurbishing the building under the leadership of the center's new coordinator, Laura Harry and Federal Programs Director, Lydia Leggett.

The district has had a goal to bring life back to the old West Elementary site for several years now, and grant funding from Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Excel by 5 had been awarded to the district to refurbish the building.

Federal parental involvement funds contributed to the project as well. Providing a place where parents can come to play and learn with their children was one of the main focuses of the facility.

Fun at the boardwalk -- students enjoy the beach inside the newly renovated Family Education Center.

"I was excited when I walked into the main room, and I saw parents playing games and interacting with their children, and that's something that we are trying to do is bring our families together," said Leggett. "We need more of that, and when we get out parents involved, student achievement will grow."

District officials say they are in the beginning stages of outfitting a parent area in the building that will be complete with resources, materials, and a computer lab especially for parents.

"This is also a place for parents who may struggle with their children's homework, and not really understand what's going on," said Harry. "I can be available to help assist."

School-aged children are not the only age group district officials want to see enjoy the facility. They want to also accommodate those who fit in the birth to five years of age category. In addition to serving as the Family Education Center Coordinator, Harry also serves as Moss Point's Excel by 5 Manager.

Excel by 5 is a program that "emphasizes the important roles parents and early childhood educators play in the lives of children during their formative years." Harry says she is excited about working with local daycares to utilize the Moss Point center.

"We will be working very closely with them," said Harry. "We definitely want to start seeing the daycares come through this summer. Then, when school starts back, we will start seeing our pre-K, kindergarten, 1st grade, and on up begin to filter in for things like STEM (science, technology, engineering, and Math) lessons."

Children of all ages could be found throughout the facility Saturday enjoying a book in a reading nook, stacking blocks in the glow in the dark room, or just jumping around in a bounce house.

"It's a great day for Moss Point, and a great day for the entire county," said Logan. "I am proud to be a representative of a parent and a grandparent of children who came through the Moss Point School System. Great things are happening."

The center is free and open to the public, and specific hours are still being determined. For information about the center or how you or business could help contribute, call 228-475-7101.
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is visiting Hull today with his party pledging to set up a 1bn culture fund if it wins the general election.

Labour say it will be one of the largest ever arts infrastructure funds seen in the country, aimed at maintaining free entry to museums and art galleries and supporting small music venues hit by recent business rate hikes.

Along with deputy Labour leader Tom Watson, he is also expected to give more details on plans for 160m 'arts premium' to give every primary school pupil the chance to learn a musical instrument and take part in drama and dance.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Corbyn said: "I am delighted to be launching Labour's plan to guarantee a creative future for all in Hull, the UK's City of Culture.

"I am a firm believer in the transformational power of culture, as Hull has demonstrated by promoting regeneration through arts and culture, putting on world-class events which have attracted tourists from around the world.

"The Conservatives have hit the arts and cultural industries with huge funding cuts."

Mr Corbyn is scheduled to tour the Fruit Market area this morning to see the area's recent regeneration.

Mr Watson, who is also Labour's shadow culture secretary, studied politics at the University of Hull.

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He said: "As a former resident I'm proud to see Hull staging world-class cultural events and that it is attracting tourists from around the world who want to visit the UK City of Culture.

"Labour believes that cities like Hull have demonstrated that creativity can drive inward investment, regeneration and tourism as well as being an important expression of local and regional identity.

"Our thriving creative industries define how we are perceived overseas and make a vital contribution to our economy.

"Under the Tories, the arts and cultural institutions have been forced to absorb huge cuts; under Labour, they will get the investment they deserve.

"Our 1bn cultural capital fund will give museums, galleries and theatres in all parts of the country access to investment that can be used to upgrade and regenerate their buildings and facilities."

The idea for the UK City of Culture was initiated by Gordon Brown's Labour government and has been supported by successive coalition and Conservative governments.

Hull's year in the cultural spotlight in 2017 has been helped by government funding towards facelift work at the Ferens Art Gallery and the New Theatre.

The city has also been awarded 8m by the government to spend on culture-based legacy projects once the 2017 programme is over.

In their election manifesto, the Conservatives say they will continue the party's "strong support" for the arts with an emphasis on backing initiatives outside of London.

The Tory manifesto pledges to create a new cultural development fund and support for a UK city to make a bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Mr Corbyn is also due to visit Scarborough and Goole today before returning to a Hull for a rally in Zebedee's Yard in the city centre at 6pm.
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Hull is acting as an example to others by using its UK City of Culture status to reinvent itself.

Mr Corbyn launched his party's pledge to create a 1bn cultural capital fund in Fruit in Humber Street on Monday.

In a speech to party activists, local politicians and the media, he promised to deliver a "bold and inspiring programme to encourage creativity".

Referencing Hull's 2017 status, he said: "I don

't just want to see one city benefit from the transformative powers of culture every four years.

"Our cultural capital fund will help many cities like Hull benefit all the year round."

Mr Corbyn attacked Conservative cuts to the arts budget and pledged to review business rates for music venues to help young musicians realise their potential.

"The next Adele or Stormzy has to start somewhere," he said.

The Labour leader, who has seen his deficit in the polls narrow to within single digit figures of the Tories in recent days, praised the success of Hull's year in the spotlight, name checking the Blade and the Weeping Widow poppies structure.

And he offered a light-hearted assessment of last year's Sea of Hull event, saying: "In a very, very nice way, the people of Hull made an exhibition of themselves."

Speaking to the Mail later on his election battle bus, he said: "The city council here worked really hard to get the City of Culture status for Hull.

"I am really proud of what they have achieved and the way Hull is being regenerated through the City of Culture. The visitor numbers are way beyond expectations."

Mr Corbyn appeared to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the Fruit Market, ending his speech to party supporters with an upbeat assessment of the election campaign so far.

"Elections should be about proper debate and proper discussion and do you know what? I'm enjoying every minute of it."

He was handed a bottle of specially-brewed City of Culture beer by Councillor Denise Thompson before leaving Humber Street.

Hull's own political heavyweight John Prescott met Mr Corbyn with a warm handshake as crowds gathered to see the Labour leader in person.

Mr Prescott told the Mail: "You can see how the public react to him. He's full of decency and he loves Hull.

"Can you trust Theresa May U-turning all the time? I wouldn't trust her with our cat!"

"You can enjoy that on the journey to Scarborough," she said.
Jason Bean valued being able to become bowl eligible with Kansas
The IDEAT project launched by the Partit Nazzjonalista a few days ago offers a glimpse into how Maltese politics can be transformed through a digital platform which bridges the divide between the citizen and the Party that represents it.

IDEAT is built around an eDemocracy framework in which ICT serves as a tool of choice in order to, not only engage and communicate with the population, but empower it to be better equipped to participate in the democratic process.

Crowdsourcing is less a new idea than a new concept. It covers a wide array of tools that use the power and knowledge of crowds brought together through the Internet, especially by means of social media and other applications which primarily focus on bottom-up information flow. Citizens can take part in brainstorming, discussing, developing, and formulating ideas that used to be the limited domain of political elites.

This IDEAT project seeks to explore methods to obtain active citizen input in the policymaking processes - an input which has been severely curtailed by this government. It serves to empower each and every one of us, enabling our voice and ideas to be heard. Politics for the people can be more than just casting your vote when a general election comes by.

Politics for the people can be more than just casting your vote when a general election comes by

The platform has been online for just over 200 hours and has registered significant engagement:

1 visitor sees the platform every 37 seconds.

A new user registration occurs every four minutes.

A new policy proposals idea is received every six minutes.

Policy proposals were read 150,000+ since launch.

Over 30,000 votes were received to prioritise policy ideas submitted. Thats a vote every few seconds.

Citizens are engaged and spend around six minutes per session focused on the ideas of interest.

People want and expect empowerment. The IDEAT portal proposes a citizen-centric approach to using ICT whereby people are considered participant members of the society, active players in the formulation of ideas. Party leader Simon Busuttil is committed to transform IDEAT into a national reality if elected on the 3rd June.

Imagine a new government that is open to ideas, a government that immediately opens up its policy proposals for public consultation, fine-tuning and feedback. Imagine a government where the people (or social partners) dont just receive a fait accompli but are empowered to voice their positions and opinion immediately. The past few years have been rife of situations where the people were simply not informed, let alone empowered. IDEAT can address that, finally bringing our democratic values back to centre-stage through active participation and empowerment.

We will change the way we do politics.

We will transform the democratic processes that has lived undisturbed deep within our country for too long. We will choose Malta.

Visit www.forzanazzjonali.com/ideat to take the first step.
A rendering of the hotel proposed for the Lehovec property. The ZBA on Thursday denied the special permits for the project and the developer is weighing his legal options.

Failed Williamstown Hotel Applicant Weighs Legal Options



Engineer Charlie LaBatt discusses the height of a proposed hotel during a site visit to 562 Main St. on Thursday afternoon. Looking on are Zoning Board of Appeals members Keith Davis, left, and Andrew Hoar. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The attorney representing the applicant denied a chance to develop a Main Street parcel said Friday morning that it is "too soon to say" what, if any, remedy his client will pursue.

Williamstown attorney Donald Dubendorf said his client, Vipul "Vinny" Patel, was "disappointed" with Thursday's Zoning Board of Appeals decision denying him four special permits needed to develop a three-story, 77-room hotel at 562 Main St., the so-called Lehovec property.

"I think he was disappointed, as he has every right to be," Dubendorf said. "The board acknowledged the quality of his application on several occasions [Thursday] night, and the decision wasn't based on the quality of the application. That's concerning to me.

"I think we're entitled, as a community, to have applicants for projects large and small to be thoughtful about impacts. Every effort was made by Mr. Patel to assess impacts, assess ways those could be mitigated and overcome. That should have been more than sufficient to justify granting the application."

Dubendorf said he and Patel are considering all their options.

"Here's the reality: The reality is the board files its decision shortly," Dubendorf said. "Then there's a 20-day appeal period. That's the immediate time frame."

The two options for appeal are Land Court and Superior Court, Dubendorf said.

"Courts can fashion the remedy," he said. "They can do a number of things," including sending the application back for a hearing or issuing the permits itself.

"[The court overruling the local board] seldom happens. That would be extraordinary," he said.

Town Manager Jason Hoch on Friday declined to speculate about how the town would respond to an appeal.

"I think we will review the circumstances if they present themselves," he said.

On Friday, Dubendorf again went through the list of special permits sought and how Patel's application sought to address potential impacts.

The minor relief needed from the town's maximum height requirement was a result of the developer's desire to include a gabled roof he felt is more attractive for the Main Street (Route 2) corridor.

"If [the town] wanted a flat roof, I'd have built a flat roof," Dubendorf said.

The special permit sought for relief from internal planting requirements was addressed by the project's emphasis on plantings for screening purposes  not an uncommon tradeoff in town. And the impervious coverage special permit was, again, not an unusual request, and the application had a stormwater plan already approved by the town's Conservation Commission.

The sticking point appeared to be the fourth special permit: a use of land in the town's Limited Business zoning district that is not "by right" but rather "by special" permit according to the zoning table.

"They just don't want a hotel there," Dubendorf said. "It's that simple."

The comments of the members of the ZBA on Thursday appear to back up that assessment.

Members commented on the widespread opposition to the project from residents in the Colonial Village neighborhood, many of whom attended Thursday's hearing, continued from April 20.

"It's been an excellent proposal," said ZBA member David Levine, a Colonial Village resident who recused himself from last year's hearing on special permit applications for a different Main Street hotel project. "Don [Dubendorf] has done an excellent job, and Mr. Patel has been very accommodating.

"But it still comes down to putting 23,000 'residents,' transients, next to a residential neighborhood that already has 30,000 on the other side."

Levine, who calculated the 23,000 "residents" figure from a 40 percent occupancy rate in the 77-room hotel, voted in the 4-1 majority denying the special permit requests.

Dubendorf at Thursday's hearing told the board it was conflating the "not more detrimental than pre-existing conditions" standard the board uses when granting other permits with the standard for a special permit outlined in Section 70-8.4 in the town code.

"That's a higher standard than 8.4, the standard we were applying under," he said on Friday morning. "Those [8.4] standards you can meet."

Board member Keith Davis, the dissenting vote in the 4-1 decision, agreed with Dubendorf on the standard to be met and cautioned his colleagues about being arbitrary in their decision.

"This is an 8.4 decision," Davis said. "In a lot of respects, it's a Development Plan Review. You look at the standards and see how the applicant addressed them.

"I look at this, and I think the people have done a good job of trying to look at the development standards and fit something on that parcel that meets the development standards.

"If a developer wants to put something in our town, the only guideline they have is the development standards.  What are we telling any future applicant who wants to develop anything in town? I think we're being arbitrary and capricious if we say, 'You followed all the development standards, but we don't like your proposal.' "

The commercial reality hanging over Patel's application is that he likely is in a race with Navin Shah, the successful applicant for a hotel project at 430 Main St . (the former Grand Union site).

It is conceivable that only one  if any  of the proposed hotels could find the chain hotel that would partner on a major project in Williamstown. As a practical matter, whichever hotel gets built first probably would have to prove itself in the market before another chain would take the leap.

Given that time constraint, Thursday's decision puts Patel at a competitive disadvantage in his "race" with Shah.

Dubendorf acknowledged that on Friday and said there is no mechanism in either Land Court or Superior Court to seek an "expedited appeal" of a permit denial.

"The parties could fashion something that's faster," Dubendorf said, addressing a hypothetical. "From the court, you get the timing that you get. It's the willingness of the parties to behave in one way or the other," that can affect the time-frame of a potential appeal.
Email IC Arizona at azpoliticalintel-at-yahoo.comIC Arizona is a subsidiary of IntellectualConservative.com




iciHaiti - Diaspora : Address of the Consul Lesly Conde





Sunday, May 21, as part of the celebration of the 214th anniversary of our national bicolor, during a solemn Mass "Te Deum" celebrated in the Church of Our Lady of Peace in Chicago, the Consul General of Haiti Lesly Conde has delivered a message that we invite you to share.



Address by the Consul Lesly Conde :



"[...]



We are gathered here in the house of the Lord to commemorate a colossal event in both the history of Haiti and the history of mankind. It is always a pleasure to be in your company, and to bring you warm greetings from the Consulate General of Haiti in Chicago.



If we are gathered here to proudly commemorate the 214th anniversary of Haiti's flag, it is thanks to the invariable solidarity of the Church of Our Lady of Peace, and the Haitian Catholic Mission of the Archdiocese of Chicago. I am always willing to express the Community's profound gratitude.



This year, we are proudly commemorating the 214th anniversary of the Haitian Flag. The proud symbol of Haiti also represents universal freedom. When they gathered in Arcahaie on May 18, 1804, our ancestors were more than ever, determined to put an end to slavery, and make that heartless system of exploitation of humans by humans obsolete. The origin of our flag's colors holds a potent symbolism that speaks of courage, determination and defiance. When Jean-Jacques Dessalines tore the dreaded three-colored symbol of tyranny in order to create the two-colored flag that was to become the Haitian Flag, he and his men showed the entire world the way to freedom. Indeed, on May 18, 1804, this flag was raised in all its glory as the First Black Nation of the New World was born. Many came to our shores to breathe the air of freedom, and to get support for their own struggles. Today, no one speaks about that. Some would like us to pretend that our glorious past never happened. Others would want us to apologize for it while they wallow in their reminiscences of conquests and atrocities. We defeated slavery, and conquered freedom. No nation on earth has more reasons to be proud of its history than Haiti. Today, our flag is talking to us. It is urging us to remember the unity that it symbolizes. It is also showing us the way to a destiny which is worthy of our ancestors since it represents the triumph of bravery over tyranny. It is we who must be proud of our flag, and draw from it all the courage and determination we need in order to forge the destiny we deserve.



In closing, I want to thank this church and the Catholic Mission for their unwavering solidarity which allows us to commemorate our flag's 214th anniversary in God's house. Above all, I urge you to remain proud of our flag because it is the flag of freedom.



Thank you for your attention,



Lesly Conde

General Consul"



IH/ iciHaiti


















The Luddites were a group of English textile workers and weavers in the 19th century who destroyed weaving machinery as a form of protest. The group was protesting the use of machinery in a fraudulent and deceitful manner to get around standard labor practices.Luddites feared that the time spent learning the skills of their craft would go to waste as machines would replace their role in the industry.

These Luddites were workers but what happens if you happen to be CEO and arent on the leading-edge of tech? We now have our answer  you can be fired. Every company is going through transformation. Seven years ago if we were told an app could disrupt taxis using any persons car or disrupt hotel rooms by using any persons apartment, we would have laughed out loud.

Now, every company is being disrupted  I just was the keynote speaker at the Ideacom reseller event in New Orleans and discussed all these points and someone in the audience said that even the locksmith will be disrupted by smart home tech which unlocks doors from anywhere. Great point!

These ideas are not lost on Ford who just replaced their CEO who was lacking in tech smarts. Chief Executive Mark Fields will retire after 28 years with the auto maker. Fields will be succeeded by Jim Hackett, who was the executive chairman of Ford Smart Mobility for the past 14 months.

A few years back I had a candid conversation with James Buczowski, a Henry Ford Technical Fellow about the companys connected ecosystem experiments and the future. Here is an excerpt:

I asked the obvious question  how do you compete in the sharing economy with the Ubers of the world? He said he doesnt see a threat to family driving but perhaps younger, single people will choose ride-sharing over ownership. He then made the case that vehicle ownership equates to freedom.

While he has a solid point  most cars spend most of their time idle. What if ride sharing takes up 20% of the slack? Does this mean a commensurate drop in sales?

I asked about the competition from Silicon Valley  the Googles and Teslas of the world and he instead explained some of these companies are logical partners for their vehicles. I countered that cars are becoming more of a tech play and as they do, the Valley will be more competitive. He dismissed the idea explaining cars have always had a lot of technology and they will also have other components such as vehicle dynamics, a suspension and a body.

He went on to say the company sees opportunity for technology to improve in the battery, motor and drivetrain of vehicles.

We then discussed the companys decision to grow its Palo Alto research group to 125 people where they will focus on smart mobility, autonomous driving, data analytics, human machine interface and deep learning. He likened what they are doing in-part to extending Google Now.

When I first heard the news of this new center, I was a bit surprised because Michigan is where the company is headquartered and the state has been making a massive push to get more tech companies to relocate there. In this case, a local company decided to invest in California. It seems the reasons have to do with not only the ease of hiring the right people in the Bay area but perhaps more importantly learning how Silicon Valley works and applying the lessons learned back to Dearborn

Ford in other words is learning to better compete with the new entrants in the space by mimicking the cultural dynamics inherent in the startup culture of northern California.

In short, Ford seems to have thought through how to make better connected ecosystems. On the one hand though they seem to not be concerned about new entrants from the Valley but on the other, they seem to realize it is a big enough of a threat that they need to emulate best business practices from the area. Sure, they probably dont want to go on the record saying they are afraid that an Apple iCar will destroy them but every auto company has to be looking at what happened to Motorola in the cellphone space shortly after their failed Apple partnership.



This move to elevate Jim Hacket to CEO shows Ford is growing increasingly concerned about its future in a world where Tesla is becoming synonymous with future car and Google and Apple are spending billions in their core market.

This same concern should be taking place at the board and shareholder levels of all companies as Luddites have no future as CEOs in todays digitally transformed economy.

Speaking of Innovation & Transformation



Communications 20/20 will be held July 18-20, 2017 at Caesars Palace,

Las Vegas, Nevada and will focus on the next wave of technology and innovation that will transcend the importance of person to person contact, disrupting the future of the entire communications industry. Communications 20/20 will provide vital knowledge and insight through unique programming, hands on training, live demos, keynotes, exhibits and networking events.

This unique conference will allow for individuals and companies entrenched in the traditional communications ecosystem that want to understand how to adapt and profit from the new software-defined communications trends that will permeate through all industries and enterprises.
By Alyson Klein and Andrew Ujifusa

President Donald Trump swept into office in January with grand visions of dramatically expanding school choice. And he picked an education secretary, Betsy DeVos, who wanted to help him make it a reality. It looked like the biggest opportunity for choice in years.

That was, of course, before a swarm of very negative headlines concerning Trump, Russia, and the FBI, and the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Trump and Trump associates ties to Russia. All of that controversy is cutting into Trumps already sluggish popularity, and hurting his credibility on Capitol Hill.

We still dont know what the political fallout will be for the Trump administration and the GOP-led Congress at this early stage. But what does it all mean for a big school choice push that he promised on the campaign trail and since taking office? It depends on who you ask.

For Rick Hess, the director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute, the answer is: nothing good.

His numbers are terrible and hes hugely polarizing, so even before the last couple weeks you had an administration that was having real trouble filling positions and selling its ideas, he said. I dont think theres anybody on Capitol Hill that is going to take Trumps budget seriously. Trump is tremendously damaged on Capitol Hill. ... The idea that any of these guys, for the foreseeable future, is going to say, Wait a minute, the savvy Trump administration is rolling this out, weve gotta carry their water seems highly unlikly.

Whats more, DeVos and her team arent likely to be able to make up for those problems, at least right now, Hess said.

Youve got a bunch of people at the department who arent given a ton of clarity of what theyre doing, Hess said, pointing to a raft of still-unfilled political positions. You dont have a lot of political heft at the department. Its not like a department where they are going to say, Hey, the White House is embroiled, but weve got clear marching orders and a strong team, and were going to go off and run things.

However, AEI resident fellow Gerard Robinson, who served on Trumps education transition team and as Floridas schools chief, said several things will still work in favor of some kind of school choice expansion at the federal level.

He cited the continued growth of tax-credit scholarships and vouchers in states, as well the ongoing debates about and interest in choice among conservatives in Congress. And in contrast to Hess, Robinson highlighted DeVos experience leading the pro-voucher American Federation for Children, which he said has given DeVos unprecedented experience in private school choice for an education secretary.

Shes walking in with built-in state knowledge. So thats helpful for the narrative, Robinson said. Under this administration, it at least gives what I would call an executive link: If you want to work with us, then were interested in working with you.

Popularity Contest

Trumps budget does try to break significant new ground on school choice, through new grants and a voucher-focused initiative. And DeVos is likely to continue using the bully pulpit to promote choicein fact, theres a chance she could unveil at least the general outline of a school choice program in a speech Monday at an American Federation for Children gathering.

We already know that Trumps budget proposal includes plans to expand public school choice, charter school funding, and use a research and innovation fund to study and promote vouchers. Thats separate from any action Congress could take. There are two main potential avenues in Congress for tax-credit scholarships , for example, although both present challenges.

From Robinsons perspective, whats also crucial for any successful federal school choice push by Trump and DeVos is for lawmakers to ensure any federal expansion is optional for states. And state and local leaders should be consulted by those in Washington to see how the feds can be most helpful, he added.

I am not interested in a mandatory push, Robinson said.

But there may come a point, Hess said, where state-level school choice advocates who have been remarkably bipartisan will have to ask themselves: Do [we] really want our ideas being pushed by this administration?

Its worth pointing out that Trumps two most immediate predecessors arguably got their biggest K-12 accomplishments done when their approval ratings were high not just in absolute terms, but high compared to their approval ratings at other times in their presidency. For both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush, those big-ticket items got done early in their tenures.

In Obamas case, several of his signature education efforts like Race to the Top were either created or expanded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the stimulus, which Congress passed in 2009. Heres a historical view of Obamas approval ratings from Gallup :

Obama signed the stimulus into law on Feb. 17, 2009as it happens, Gallup reported his approval rating on the exact same day at 62 percent. While it hovered in that statistical area for a few more months, it wouldnt reach that level again for Obama after late 2009.

Meanwhile, Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act at the start of 2002, when he enjoyed unusually high approval ratings. Heres a chart of Bushs popularity from a historical perspective, again via Gallup :

Bushs popularity ratings should include the caveat that his approval ratings spiked dramatically right after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in Washington and New York, creating a unique political environment for the president. Still, as Bushs education adviser Sandy Kress has told us, those attacks ended up actually accelerating efforts to get the No Child Left Behind Act over the finish line , due to a desire to score a bipartisan policy win in the post-Sept. 11 atmosphere. And a lot of the work on NCLB had already been done in Congress throughout 2001, when Bushs approval ratings consistently clocked in at over 50 percent before the attacks.

Its also not uncommon, of course, for presidents to enjoy a honeymoon period in their popularity before circumstances become more difficult and more of the public sours on them.

On May 18, Gallup reported that 38 percent of those surveyed approved of Trumps job performance , compared to 56 who disapproved.

Education Legislation in Context

The House education committee has passed two education-related bills easily since the start of the year. Both are reauthorizations, one for juvenile justice and one for career and technical education, and both sailed through the committee easily with bipartisan support. And the political landscape for expanding the scope of vouchers in the District of Columbia, the only federally funded private school choice program, still looks promising given the Republican control of Congress. But neither the House nor the Senate education committees have begun tackling legislation on issues with trickier politics, like student-data privacy or higher education.

At this juncture, Trumps Republican counterparts in Congress are just looking for an opportunity to pass something traditionally conservative, said William Howell, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who studies federal education policy. But overhauls to health care and taxes, despite the challenges they face, strike me as much more plausible candidates than some comprehensive education reform at the federal level, Howell said.

And Robinson said that he didnt think Republicans would be able to quietly tuck a school choice expansion into a larger piece of legislation without Democrats raising a ruckus. He added that much will depend on how Speaker of the House Paul Ryan handles any such plan.

While Trump and DeVos can focus on administration-driven competitive grants, the bully pulpit, and other narrower avenues for school choice, such work isnt the stuff of legacy-making, sweeping education reform, Howell noted. Many conservatives might not mind, of course, if the administration steers clear of flashy education initiatives that could expand the federal impact on K-12. Lindsey Burke at the Heritage Foundation, for example, has said shes happy for the feds to back off big-time when it comes to their involvement in schools, even if that means staying away from a big school choice push.

Meanwhile, Maria Ferguson, the executive director of the Center on Education Policy, who served in the Education Department during President Bill Clintons tenure, noted that a Senate proposal similar to Trumps campaign pitch was voted down in 2015. And in general, she was unflinching in her views of how Trumps political woes will impact the issue.

His brand by the day is getting more and more toxic, Ferguson said. With the specter of doubt coming down darker and darker over the Trump administration, I just dont see how it happens.

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 in March in Orlando, Fla.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
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To unlock this article:
Governor Brown Issues Statement on Federal Transit Administration's Approval of Caltrain Electrification Project Funding

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following statement after the Federal Transit Administration announced that it intends to sign the Full Funding Grant Agreement for the Caltrain electrification project:

This shovel-ready project will help expand service on an already congested corridor, improve air quality and put thousands of people to work. Secretary Chao did the right thing on Caltrain. This is not only good for California, its good for America.



The administration lobbied the U.S. Department of Transportation, White House and Congress extensively on this issue and in March, Governor Brown met with both Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in Washington, D.C. to push for the approval of this grant agreement. Administration officials also held numerous meetings with local leaders, business groups and members of the California Congressional delegation. Additionally, Governor Brown penned two letters to Secretary Chao on the project: one in February ahead of his March meeting and another just last week. The Caltrain Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project is among the key infrastructure projects submitted to the federal government in February.




This Isnt Our Last Love Letter



Dear Don Don,

Way back in 92



I walked into the room and knew



Never felt this way before



I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes



And the feeling grew



As I took a seat I knew



A love that would have my heart



Forever



I knew



Way back in 92





They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true



We were the exception to that rule



Our love had no where to hide



A spark set fire



As if this is how the universe started





I never doubted our love or what we could do



Together we grew



Forming a bond everlasting



That became our glue



My euphoria was YOU



Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared



For how fortunate we were :



to have and to hold

through sickness and in health

Til death do us part



Until we are together again



This isnt our last love letter



I love you with all my heart and soul



Yours forever,



Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow)





Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus.









A True American Hero

I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus.



I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years.



I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years.

But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us.

In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about.



Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle.

I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life.

I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life.

No one will ever do what he did.

I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO





David Jurist

IMUS IN THE MORNING

FIRST DAY BACK!
We found out the basic outlines of President Donald Trumps blueprint for federal spending on schools last week . The administrations budget proposal for fiscal 2018, slated to be officially released Tuesday, would make significant changes to the U.S. Department of Educations priorities by prioritizing school choice and paring back Washingtons aid for teacher development and after-school programs.

But there are several key questions you should have in mind when the budget rolls out. Here are a few of them:

1) How will his school choice proposals work?

We know Trump wants to create a new $1 billion grant program under Title I spending for disadvantaged students to allow them to choose the public schools of their choice. But how would that funding work if it is outside the traditional Title I spending structure (which relies on formulas to get money to districts)? If it is optional, what will be the terms under which states would apply for the money? And would there be limits on which public schools they could use the money for?

And its not clear how, exactly, the Education Department would use the Education Innovation and Research fund to promote vouchers. Would most of the cash go for actually dispensing vouchers to students, or for research into vouchers? What would be the research standards the department would apply to voucher studies? And which students would be eligible for any voucher funds?

2) What share of the cuts will come from K-12 versus higher education?

Were focusing mostly on how the budget directly impacts public schools, but several of the biggest cuts in the budget could impact student loans and access to higher education. Trumps spending plan eliminates loan forgiveness for those in public service under certain conditions. Its unclear exactly under what terms the department would wind the program down, but any move along those lines could have a huge impact on many teachers with outstanding student loans.

Its also worth noting that Trumps budget would make cuts to two programs, GEAR UP and TRIO, that are designed to improve access to higher education for disadvantaged students in K-12, some as young as those in middle schools.

3) What will be the impact of budget plans for other agencies?

Not every program that affects education is actually in the Education Departments budget.



Just to highlight one example: Head Start is housed at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Trump administration so far hasnt shown a great deal of interest in early education. Lawmakers actuallly approved a small spending increase for Head Start for this spending yearwill the president give it more money, keep it flat like he proposes to do for special education grants at the Education Department, or cut it way down? (More on that general issue below.)

Its also worth watching school lunch programs at the Department of Agriculture and the civil rights division at the Department of Justice.

4) How will members of Congress react to the budget?

This is one of the most important questions in this situation, if not the most important one. Congress, including GOP lawmakers, already gave not-so-hot reactions to Trumps preliminary budget plan that came out in mid-March . And members of both parties will closely scrutinize the terms of any proposed school choice expansion. The education budget isnt likely to be at the center of any government shutdown fight, but could we see a squabble between Trump and Congress as this fiscal year approaches its final day of Sept. 30?

And its worth remembering that in the spending deal Congress agreed to for fiscal 2017, the one that runs out at the end of September, Congress actually provided increases to several programs Trump wants to cut or eliminate entirely for fiscal 2018.

In any event, well get a sense of lawmakers views when the House appropriations committee holds a hearing on the education budget proposal on Wednesday. The special guest? Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
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Sean Bean has died on screen an eye-watering 25 times. He has been flung from a satellite dish in Goldeneye, bombarded with arrows in The Lord of the Rings and beheaded in Game of Thrones.

He has perished so many times that his appearance in a drama is invariably a walking spoiler alert. His screen deaths have led to the creation of a website  dontkillseanbean.com  while a compilation of his most memorable demises has clocked up over two million viewers on YouTube.

So the actor says he was delighted to be offered his latest role as Father Michael Kerrigan, a compassionate priest who most definitely isnt under threat of a cruel and unusual death. Rather, he cares for a fractured, impoverished community in Broken, BBC1s potent new six-part drama.

The actor, who plays a compassionate priest in 'Broken', says it is refreshing he doesn't die on screen in his latest role (BBC)

Chatting to The Independent in the Queen Vic meeting room at BBC New Broadcasting House  could the venue be any more W1A?  the 58-year-old actor is far gentler than the fierce warrior roles with which has been most strongly identified.

Sporting a patterned green scarf over a purple shirt, he is wearing his hair and stubble long. Sweet and softly spoken, Bean is very far from mean.

The actor, who apparently receives lots of fan mail intended for Rowan Atkinsons creation, Mr Bean, begins by laughing about how Broken is a welcome change from his usual habit of coming to a sticky end on screen: Father Michael is always dealing with someone elses problems.

In a lot of films, Im always causing the problems and getting killed. This is the other way round. Its not disappointing  its quite refreshing!

In addition, Bean possesses a perhaps unexpected sense of lightness. For instance, he says that he has won over the audience that he feared might be his harshest critics: the priesthood.

Ned Stark, Bean's character in 'Game of Thrones', ends up being beheaded

He jokes: The priests I have spoken to have been very keen on Broken. I was on the cover of a recent issue of Jesuits Week. So they must be quite pleased with what Ive done!"

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They are not the only people who will be impressed by Beans performance. He is tremendously moving as Father Michael, a character still haunted by his deeply troubled past.

Previously so often used to portray war-weary fighters, Beans craggy features here are invested with a rare humanity and vulnerability. In an echo of what US President Bill Clinton used to say, the actors face seems to proclaim: I can feel your pain.

That is certainly one reason why McGovern was so eager to cast the actor as Father Michael. The writer previously worked with Bean on an acclaimed episode of Accused, for which the actor won an International Emmy Award for his performance as a cross-dressing teacher.

McGovern asserts that: Sean Bean is a great actor. Who was the movie mogul who said the Grand Canyon was a crock of sh*t compared to Steve McQueens face? Its the same with Sean Bean.

Bean as Alec Trevelyan in 'Goldeneye', a character flung to his death from a satellite dish

The writer proceeds to reveal that Bean was initially concerned that Father Michael might be seen as too inactive: I went to see Sean in the process of getting him onboard. He was worried that the character was passive. I said its not passivity. To hear a confession is not passive  you take the concern of the penitent. They go out lighter; you go out heavier.

The actor, who was also starred in Sharpe, Troy, Patriot Games and The Martian, was quickly convinced. He says he is delighted to be reunited with the highly-regarded writer of Cracker, Hillsborough and The Street: Jimmy and I have a great history together. Im going from playing a transvestite to a Catholic priest. I dont quite know what that says.

Bean thinks that this drama  and its title  will resonate: Its about this priest trying to draw people in. Its about a community that is broken.

"But its also about the state of the nation. This is whats happening in cities across the country. So Broken is a fitting title for those communities  and also from my character.

The actor passionately believes it is vital we tell the stories of those marginalised people who otherwise have no voice in society. Broken is a bit more representative of our country than Downton Abbey. Thats a good show, but it only represents one part of society in the past. This deals with the vast majority of people today. It is very important to get that across. Its brave of Jimmy to present that.

As Boromir in 'The Lord of the Rings' he was bombarded with arrows

It is crucial to show that because its happening right now. In many communities, people cant get jobs anymore. That started with the rise of cruelty in society and Mrs Thatcher destroying the mining, shipping and steel industries. Now that legacy is apparent in widespread unemployment and drug taking. There is no sense of community any longer. I think thats what Broken deals with.

The drama also emphasises the restrictions that Father Michael is operating under. He feels very frustrated, Bean confirms. His hands are tied. His community is largely jobless and poverty stricken, but he cant do very much about it. There is a frustration within him. He doubts what hes doing at times and thinks, Is this making any sense? He questions himself  which is a good thing.

In Broken, Jimmy is saying, If I were a priest, this is what Id do. Hes very radical in what he suggests the Catholic Church might do to make it a much more approachable place for the community rather than something strict and inaccessible.

Bean says he was helped a great deal every day on set by Father Dennis, a real life priest acting as an adviser: I have found the people associated with the Church very helpful.

They provide a real anchor for the community. Without trying to push things down people's throats, they're counsellors, an ear to listen to people's problems. More than anything else, they want to help.

McGovern, 67, chimes in that it was his intention to bring centre-stage a section of society that is usually confined to the wings: In England, theres a code of conduct, and if you dont understand it, you dont fit in. Theres a big debate about accessibility and diversity, but people ignore the fact that working-class people, black or white, just do not fit in.

The writer, who has always demonstrated great compassion in his work, continues that his scripts merely reflect his own background: I came from a big working-class family. I was Catholic, the fifth of nine children.

We were skint, broke. You need to be aware of the financial consequences of characters actions. We ignore this far too much. An example: How a woman, after a doomed relationship, throws her ring into a lake. Grow up. She would sell it. Its ridiculous.

McGovern goes on to lament the fact that the welfare state has been so eroded: I can understand why and how its happened, because its been abused. But for people who really need it, its a shame that its gone in our country. It was always there when I was a young man with a young family who was skint. It kept me alive. I just dont see why its not there now.

Before we part, we return to the subject of Bean's screen deaths. Which of his many memorable characters would he like to see brought back from the dead?

He cracks a smile. Id like to see Ned Stark, the character I played in Game of Thrones, resurrected. They brought Jon Snow back, so couldnt they bring Ned Stark back, too?

You should tell the producers that!

Broken begins at 9pm on BBC1 on Tuesday 23 May
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Remember the first Pirates of the Caribbean? There was so much to enjoy; a rip-roaring pirate adventure featuring a straight-forward story and loveable, fresh characters.

With the fifth instalment  Salazars Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tales)  Johnny Depps swashbuckling Jack Sparrow returns, once again sailing the seven ocean, chasing booty, and drinking rum. Nothing's changed. As a result, this quasi-reboot-retcon, which basically ignores the events of On Stranger Tides, retells an all-too-familiar story, just with new characters and improved CGI.

Fittingly, the film kickstarts with a hugely nostalgic prologue. The new young male lead Henry (played by Brenton Thwaites) has managed to locate his father, a returning Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, who is still trapped upon the Flying Dutchmen. Henry has travelled far to explain that, by finding the Trident of Poseidon, Davy Joness curse can be broken.

Knowing of Wills antics with the famous Jack Sparrow, Henry manages to locate the iconic pirate, who is imprisoned after a fun drunken set-piece featuring a failed bank robbery and some familiar faces. Also locked away is Kaya Scodelarios Carina Smyth (AKA the franchises new Keira Knightly), a feisty astronomer who most men believe is a witch because of her intellect. Thankfully, Sparrows pretty good at escaping the British, the trio eventually breaking out and embarking on their adventure to find the Trident.

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

Of course, things arent that simple. The titular Captain Salazar  played by a heavily CGId Javier Bardem  seeks revenge on Sparrow, the pair sharing a turbulent history explained through extensive flashbacks (featuring an awkward CGI young Johnny Depp).

Salazars scary but also rather awkward, as Bardems characters often are, the actor giving the villain some weight through a hefty performance. However, due to the growing number of story threads, the added inclusion of Geoffrey Rushs Barbossa, plus an empty love story, Salazars storyline is somewhat lost; a disappointment considering the franchises history of good villains.

Without a good foil, Sparrow  once again a unwilling role modal with a big heart  breezes through this adventure, cracking jokes that feel very familiar. The same can be said about the visuals, Norwegian duo Joachim Rnning and Espen Sandberg taking many cues from the previous films.

As you would expect from a movie with a $230 million budget, the CGI is wholly impressive (particularly Salazars ship that creeps along the ocean as a haunted carcass) but ends up dominating the final set-piece, taking away the threat as the screen becomes overwhelmed by effects.

Unfortunately, like Salazars ship, the fifth Pirates feels a little empty, haunted by the spectre of what came before. There are fun, inconsequential moments but nothing particularly memorable, the film running out of steam midway through as the aforementioned flashbacks take over.

Poor chemistry between Thwaites and Scodelario also dampens the affair, leaving Depp with too much to do. Perhaps, if Salazars Revenge was our first time meeting Jack Sparrow  or perhaps if Disney had left the franchise alone for another 30 years, like Star Wars (forget those dreaded prequels)  the film would have felt fresh. As it stands, Salazars Revenge lacks the spark that made the original 2003 flick so beloved.
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K-pop band BTS beat competition from the likes of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez to win the Top Social Artist prize at this year's Billboard Music Awards.

The seven-member group from South Korea, referred to as Bangtan Sonyeondan in Korean or Bangtan Boys/Bulletproof Boy Scouts in English, made their US red carpet debut at the event and later became the first K-pop group to win a Billboard Music Award.

In their acceptance speech BTS said they were honoured at the win and wanted to share it with their fans around the world.

"We still can't believe that we're standing here on this stage at the Billboard Music Awards," they said. "It's so great to see all the artists we admire. To be in this category with such great artists, we're just really honoured.

"And most importantly, this award belongs to all the people around the world that shine their love and light on us by the millions and make BTS proud. Please remember what we say, love yourself."

BTS's music - infused with R&B, hip hop and rap, along with socially conscious lyrical themes of anti-bullying and mental health have helped them rack up 9.7 million followers on social media, and YouTube videos that rack up an average of around 100 million views each.

They topped Billboard's Social 50 chart this year for 25 weeks since their first No.1 in October 2016, becoming the highest-ranking K-pop group on the Billboard 200 around the same time with their album Wings.

Billboard described the success of their recent title track 'Spring Day', which reached No.15 on the Billboard 'Bubbling Under 100' chart, as "unprecedented given K-pop's history on Billboard's singles charts".

Over the past four years BTS have released several EPs, two Japanese albums, and three Korean. While they currently have no plans to release any music in English, the group have performed sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

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Industry experts have suggested that a growing number of K-pop acts touring in the US is down to South Korea's diplomatic spat with China.

Ellen Kong, CEO of Elf Asia, a Hong Kong-based promotion company specialising in K-pop, said the impact of THAAD - China's opposition to the US-backed missile shield that is now housed in South Korea - had been "substantial".

"It's meant China is no longer a viable market for K pop touring acts," she told CNN.

Paul Han, co-founder of K-pop gossip site allkpop, which has 10 million monthly readers, added: "Around 8 years ago or so, it was very rare for K-pop artists to tour in the US, but now it has become quite common."

Seven K-pop concert tours took place in the US in 2013, rising to 14 over the next two years and then 20 in 2016. So far this year there have been 14 in 2017 alone, CNN reports, including one by G-Dragon, a member of the popular K-pop group Big Bang.
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The Conservatives are buying up Google ads to stop people reading about the controversy around its "dementia tax".

The party has come under huge pressure over its new care plan, which will see older people have to pay for the services they use. The controversial policy has been called a dementia tax, since it means people who need care as they get older will have to pay far more than they did before.

Now the party appears to be attempting to limit that controversy by stopping people reading about it. It is thought it is spending thousands of pounds to keep people from reading about the widespread opposition to the party  and encourage them to click on its own website instead.

UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images

Ads are being placed at the top of Google searches for "dementia tax" to direct people onto a special page on the Tory website.

"The so-called 'dementia tax'  get the real facts," the Google ad, which will show for anyone searching for the phrase, reads. "Social Care and your family: the truth about the Conservatives' plans."

Underneath the ad shows an array of stories about the dementia tax, all of them negative. The three top stories at the time of publication was a piece in The Guardian reporting that Theresa May is "under pressure" over the plan, a Financial Times report on the fact that senior Tories were "kept in the dark" over the dementia tax and an article in The Independent on Liberal Democrat claims that nine out of 10 homes would be sold to fund care costs under the policy.

The Google ads are unusual in taking on the terms defined by Labour, which first referred to the policy as a dementia tax. The Tories have mostly referred to the policy as its "social care plans"  which is the way it is defined when people click through on the ads.

 Theresa May wants to change the internet with new regulations

The ads presumably reflect growing concern that the dementia tax is losing the Tories votes. The page attempts to stem those concerns, arguing that the policy is required because the country is getting older and claims that the policy emerged because the Tories "have chosen to act, in the national interest".

It has been blamed in part for the shrinking lead that the Tories have over Labour. That has been cut into single figures since the Conservative manifesto and the dementia tax were announced.

And the policy has even been criticised by Conservative candidates, who say that it is playing badly during campaigns. Senior Tories were not even told about the policy before it was announced, according to the Financial Times.
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The majority of people in the UK are unaware of just how closely the government can monitor their online activities, a new report claims.

76 per cent of Brits are completely unaware of the highly controversial Investigatory Powers Act  also known as the Snoopers Charter  which allows the government to see everything we do online, according to virtual private network comparison site BestVPN.com.

23 per cent were unable to name any of the 48 government bodies that have access to their full browsing history.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

These include the police and the secret service, as well as the Department of Health, HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and even the Food Standards Agency.

33 per cent of respondents thought the government had no power to monitor online activities, and 59 per cent said they wouldnt consent to the government or third parties viewing and monitoring their digital activities.

However, 63 per cent of the 2,000 adults involved the the study, which was conducted in April, said they would only agree to being monitored in order to prevent criminal activity or a potential terrorist threat.

The public and parliamentary debate about the Investigatory Powers Act was overshadowed by Brexit so it is perhaps unsurprising that many people are not aware of the Governments extreme surveillance powers, Jim Killock, the executive director of Open Rights Group, told The Independent.

This has not been helped by the Home Office who recently carried out a secret consultation into policies that could affect our privacy and security.

The British public need to be made aware that the UK government has extensive powers to monitor their online activity en masse without any prior suspicion.

Civil liberties group Liberty described the introduction of the measures as a beacon for despots everywhere.

Theresa May is also planning to regulate the internet, allowing the government to decide what web users can post, share and publish online.

The Snoopers Charter recently passed without fuss from the public, said Douglas Crawford, digital privacy expert at BestVPN.com.

Now British intelligence agencies and law enforcement organisations have the power to survey data and digital communications, and online security experts have determined the government now has the ability to spy on us at any time.

Its clear the British public has a long way to go in order to become fully informed about the realities of online monitoring. Taking steps to ensure personal privacy is censored should be the first port of call.
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We are living through an incredibly exciting period for prosthetics. A pioneering brain computer interface that will allow veterans to control artificial body parts with their minds was recently announced by researchers in Virginia in the US. Meanwhile, Newcastle University in the UK is developing limbs which see objects in front of them and react at speeds more comparable with the real thing.

Projects like these are steadily helping people with prostheses to move more naturally and easily than ever before. But what few people appreciate is just how far back this field actually goes.

If you were thinking a couple of hundred years, or maybe since the medieval era, you wouldnt even be close. Amputations and prostheses date back to ancient times, and saw advances that were heralded as no less life-changing then as they are today. Its a fascinating story of gods, gladiators and the limits of human endurance that adds a whole other dimension to understanding this discipline.

Prosthetics begins

Warfare was not kind to the bodies of soldiers in Ancient Greece and Rome. It has been estimated that in Ancient Greece, about 80 per cent of seriously wounded soldiers died on the day of battle. Of the remaining 20 per cent, a third died of their injuries after returning home. It is not easy to make direct comparisons with modern times, but these figures are certainly likely to be much higher.

Whether survivors in the ancient era were injured in battle by a blade, spear or missile, or in camp by frostbite or trench foot, their arms, legs and extremities were incredibly vulnerable. In Ancient Greece, they benefited from simple surgical amputations as far back as the late fifth or early fourth century BC. The Hippocratic treatise On Joints attests to rudimentary amputations of fingers, toes, hands and feet, but cautions against amputating an entire arm or leg.

Around the same time, orthopaedic surgery had refined to the point that prostheses were starting to become available as alternatives to staffs, sticks and crutches. We see this in the account of the Graeco-Persian War (499-449BC) by the historian Herodotus, for instance. Herodotus recounts how the Persian diviner Hegesistratus, when imprisoned by the Spartans, amputated part of his own foot to escape his shackles, then procured a wooden replacement.

Egypt was using similar technology around the same period. Prosthetic toes made from wood or layers of fibre known as cartonnage have been recovered from burial sites, such as the one from a mummy near Luxor pictured below. They show signs of wear and tear, indicating that they were functional rather than purely cosmetic.

False toe on mummy found near Luxor (Egyptian Museum)

Surgical techniques advanced considerably during the Hellenistic period (323-31BC), the last era before Greek dominance gave way to Rome. These advances were thanks to medical practitioners at the Museion and Library in Alexandria making in-depth anatomy studies by dissecting and even vivisecting criminals sentenced to death.

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This improved their understanding of the circulatory system and led them to discover that blood vessels could be tied off to prevent bleeding, which meant that amputations could be done slowly and carefully. There was less risk that the patient would die of blood loss, and stumps were now more amenable to prosthesis use.

It is unlikely to be a coincidence that prostheses advanced at the same time. An artificial leg recovered from a tomb in Capua in southern Italy, dated to the late fourth or early third century BC, had a wooden core covered in bronze sheeting. This was held in place by a leather and bronze belt, which would have made movement easier.

Another example is the Roman general Marcus Sergius Silus. He lost his right hand during the Second Punic War (218-201BC), which was fought between the Romans and Hannibal of Carthage in latterday Tunisia. But rather than retire, Silus procured an iron hand which he subsequently used to bear his shield, transferring his sword to his left hand instead.

Battle of Zama in Second Punic War, Giulio Romano 1521.

Then and now

Surviving examples like these indicate that extremity prostheses were designed, commissioned, and manufactured to an individuals specific preferences. The same artisans that produced personalised armour and weapons likely produced personalised prostheses for wounded veterans.

Considering the ancient association of disabled people with crafts such as metalwork  epitomised by the Greek god Hephaistos and his Roman counterpart Vulcan  artisans may even have drawn on their own experiences of impairment to inspire their creations. Soldiers like Silus would duly have been able to defy their societies expectations and continue to play notable roles at moments of historical significance.

Hephaistos/Vulcan, engraved 1716 by E. Jeaurat (Wikimedia Commons)

We historians do have to speculate here to some extent: we dont know how soldiers acquired their prostheses, since medical treatises do not mention these procedures. Yet it seems probable that the technology improved due to the horrors of war  just as todays advances are partly a response to the unprecedented levels of multiple traumatic injuries that soldiers suffered in Afghanistan and Iraq. And then as now, prostheses were collaborative efforts between medics, technologists and artists.

After the ancient era, prostheses barely improved until the 16th century. That was when Ambroise Pare, the royal surgeon to four successive French kings, invented mechanical versions including knees and fingers capable of bending somewhat like the real thing.

So when we see the latest prostheses giving veterans an incomparable quality of life or helping athletes to achieve amazing things at the Paralympics, it is worth reflecting on the distance travelled. We have been trying to make amends for humanitys worst tendencies for 25 centuries. Long may such advances continue to be a vital consolation.

Jane Draycott is a Lord Kelvin Adam Smith research fellow in classics: ancient science & technology at the University of Glasgow. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
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Two prominent City of London figures have warned EU leaders about the dangers of stripping London of the lucrative euro clearing trade after Brexit.

A proposed move could cost investors 100bn (83bn) over five years, Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, said on Monday. Seperately, Michael Spencer, founder of broker Icap described the proposal as, "a real nasty piece of economic nationalism and protectionism".

Clearing is a process whereby trades go through an organisation known as a clearing house which holds collateral centrally and ensures transactions go ahead in the event of a default. It is designed to prevent a domino effect where the default of one counterparty causes a string of losses for others.

Clearing is a crucial part of the financial infrastructure and London is the dominant centre in Europe. Around 70 per cent of euro-denominated trades, with a notional value of 930bn (792bn), are cleared in the capital each day, according to a 2016 House of Lords report.

In The Times on Monday, Mr Rolet wrote that moving euro clearing out of London would increase, not reduce, levels of systemic risk and increase costs for European companies, diverting capital away from the European economy.

He added: London clears 18 major currencies and these multi-currency netting efficiencies meant LCH [London Stock Exchange's clearing house] saved its customers $21bn in capital last year. Strip out euro clearing and you lose these efficiencies, potentially increasing cumulative trading costs by 100bn over five years.

If Europe insists on trying to implement an artificial, inefficient location policy, it will only hurt the European capital markets and real economy.

The LSE boss said that moving clearing, which is estimated to support up to 100,000 jobs would, fragment global markets.

Also on Monday, Icap founder Michael Spencer told the BBCs Today Programme that ending euro clearing in London could damage Europe as well as the UK.

He said: I havent heard the Japanese phone up and say were not having yen cleared in London or the Australians phoning up and say enough of you clearing our dollars, well have that back.

So, this proposal in Europe to repatriate euro clearing to the eurozone, is nothing more than a real nasty piece of economic nationalism and protectionism. EU officials have taken an increasingly hard-line position on the clearing business as Brexit negotiations loom.

Last month, Manfred Weber, a political ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said: People expect that we do the euro business and all the business which is linked to the euro on European soil.

Mr Weber, who heads the European Peoples Party, the largest group in the European Parliament, said that it was not conceivable that euro-denominated business could remain in London.

The EU executive branch has not yet stated a clear position on the issue ahead of the upcoming Brexit negotiations, but proposals have been mooted.

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

In September EU officials began discussing plans to limit the number of euro trades that could be processed in New York so that similar restrictions can be placed on London when it is outside the EU.

The European Central Bank believes the clearing business must be within the eurozone to facilitate the supervision of activities that could endanger financial stability if not properly monitored.

In 2015, the ECB attempted to relocate clearing of euros to within the currency zone, but the European Court of Justice ruled that the bank did not have the competence to regulate the industry.
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Stricter cigarette packaging rules have come into force in the UK in a fresh bid to put people off smoking.

Under the new tobacco laws, all cigarettes must be sold in standardised green packaging - previously described as the ugliest colour in the world by researchers - specifically designed to discourage young people from taking up the unhealthy habit.

The packets must be 65 per cent covered with health warnings, including graphic images such as depictions of tobacco tar-stained-lungs.

Under the rules, packs must contain at least 20 cigarettes meaning smokers will be unable to buy cheaper packs of 10 once the law comes into force.

Menthol cigarettes are now also only sold in packs of 20, as part of a longer plan to phase out the flavoured cigarettes completely by 2020. The complete ban also includes skinny "lipstick-style" cigarettes and flavours such as vanilla and strawberry.

The initial phase out began last May when cigarette packaging was standardised under new rules, designed to prevent young people taking up the habit.

Tobacco companies were at the time given a year to sell old stock and fully implement the changes under the directive.

An estimated 700,000 premature deaths are caused by smoking each year, and cancer charities are backing the measures.

Deborah Arnott, the chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), said that overall, the UK is one of the countries with the fastest declining proportion of smokers, but rates among the most disadvantaged remain high.

She said: "If this is to change then a priority for the next Government must be to publish a new tobacco control plan with tough new targets, focused on tackling health inequalities."

However smokers' group Forest argues the new laws treat British tobacco consumers like "naughty children" and would make no difference to public health.

The groups director Simon Clark said: "The new regulations treat adults like naughty children. They infantilise consumers by attacking freedom of choice and personal responsibility.

"The new regulations are a disgraceful attempt to denormalise both the product and legitimate consumers.

Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Show all 4 1 /4 Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke5-reu.jpg Reuters Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke1-reu.jpg Reuters Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke2-reu.jpg Reuters Plain cigarette packaging comes into force Pg-23-smoke3-reu.jpg Reuters

"There's no evidence they will have the slightest impact on public health."

Last week, Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, was accused of using an immature trick to bypass the new strict plain packaging laws by rolling out durable tins looking like ordinary cigarette packets, ahead of the ban.

The 6 new laws on cigarettes that just came in
The country is reeling from the daily release of information about the potential actions and decisions of those in the Trump campaign. That is inflamed by the choices the President himself is making around those issues. The media has provided a continuous flow of fact, opinion and speculation on a 24-hour basis. It is exhausting and essential all at once. At times, it seems best just to turn it all off. But, then one thinks, what will I be missing in the unfolding story?.

On Thursday morning, May 18, 2017, a rare thing happened. Amidst the swirling energy, a familiar voice took an unfamiliar positon. It was Mike Barnicle , an American print and broadcast journalist, a social and political commentator and senior contributor on MSNBCs Morning Joe. He said that we need to be thinking and caring about the feelings of the 40% of our nations population who support President Trump. The wisdom contained in his remark for leaders didnt grab anyones attention on the set. But, it got ours. Though his thoughts and words were skipped over by others on the show at that moment, for us, it was a most important leadership insight.

Perhaps this failure has a longer history than the last campaign cycle. During the past 8 years as the country forged ahead with a more liberal agenda, we wonder if the inattention began then. While many were enthralled with the actions supporting womens rights, gay rights, civil rights, education, and health care, there were others who were feeling increasingly overlooked. Ferment simmered. Ignoring those who were not happy about these left leaning changes gave rise to a hostility that galvanized a group of anti-establishment voters. It is understandable. When the country is not going in the direction in which you believe it should, and you believe it is because of the establishment, the next action is to tackle the establishment, itself. So, here we are, living a scenario of daily disruptions, reversals, and drama, wondering who is being served and who is benefiting.

School Leadership: Listen to All

In a national poll approximately 40% of voters still support President Trump. Yes, his motives and decisions are being questioned and investigated and special counsel has been appointed. Yet, loyalty and, we concede, hope among his followers persists. These are those who think the issues of government leaks is more significant than Russias meddling in the election. But, there it is again. That center stage dynamic of framing things as either/or or right and left. The truth as we see it is that both are important.

Leaders who see the big picture are forced into the difficult place of not choosing sides. Their roles often demand they hold two truths that others perceive to be competing and find a way to move both forward. The key here is not to lose 40% of the nation or 40% of those in a school building, district, or community. 40% is not insignificant. By forging ahead with 51% for a positive budget vote, or a capital project or change curriculum, or schedules, or bus routes, while it may be legal and necessary, leaves 49% behind. Any public leader who survives and serves the school or district will struggle to stay connected to the minority while moving an agenda forward. Isnt it intriguing how the feeling of disconnection and disregard develops like a geometrical progression as growing numbers become disenchanted and alienated? Ah, it is the greatest skill of the leader that matters ....the ability and willingness to listen to all.

Build Organizational Capacity

While observing the damage this type of behavior has had on the citizens of our nation, it is a good time to think about how it plays out at home. How are people addressed and included when decisions are being made? How many decisions are made that leave dissenters behind? Think it takes too much time and energy to pay attention to those who are not supportive of you or your decisions? How much time does it take to deal with the aftermath when their dissatisfaction translates into behaviors? In a faculty when a change is made and not everyone was on board, doesnt it take time and energy to address the opposition of the unhappy ones? In a community when a decision to change bus routes is made, doesnt it take time and energy to deal with the unhappy ones? Rather than acting in response to negativity after the fact, why not invest in the people being affected by the decision ahead of time? Why not build capacity by investing in people before they feel unheard and marginalized?

Faculty and staff, parents and community members all affect the emotional environment in which students spend their days. Those unhappy with the school, the leader, the decisions contribute to a culture that does little to encourage children to engage in learning. When the adults are not engaged in contributing to the school community, the children pay a price.

So the awakening lesson from Mike Barnicle is an important one. Watch the voices of the hurt and angry ones who were ignored and who have risen as anti-establishment voices and remember it is only an exaggeration of the reality that can take place in school districts. Decide where time and energy is best spent. Forward motion requires continuity. It cant happen if the politics of the land or of the district or school become a pendulum, swinging back and forth between the shifting majorities. When the negativity and opposition rises, leaders need to become listeners. It is the only way forward without losing ground.

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 .

Photo by gajus courtesy of 123rf
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Theresa May has defended her education policy by telling a parent they could have all the evidence in the world but that headteachers told her grammar schools are good, it has been claimed.

The Prime Minister was attending a summer fete in her local constituency of Maidenhead on Sunday, when school governor and parent-of-two Karen Wespieser approached her to question the leaders controversial grammar school expansion plans.

It seemed too good an opportunity to miss, Ms Wespieser told The Independent, I thought Id kick myself if I didnt say anything.

Recommended Grammar schools scramble to prioritise poor in pupil admissions

Ms Wespieser  who happens to be Head of Impact at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) - said the Prime Minister was at the Maidenhead Duck Derby kissing babies, with her husband and no entourage.

I went over with my two-year-old in my arms - so she may perhaps have been slightly misled by the cause of my intentions  and I asked her how she planned to make grammar schools accessible to disadvantaged young people.

You could see her stance change from baby-kissing mode to campaigner mode, but she talked with me for five or ten minutes and we had a good exchange of views  with mine being slightly more evidence-based and hers being rather more anecdotal.

I guess she goes out to visit lots of different schools and she was giving me examples of those and where shed heard positive things about grammar schools.

Her closing comments were: you can have all the evidence in the world, but headteachers have told me grammar schools are good for disadvantaged pupils

That shut me up and closed the conversation down really. I felt Id had my fair time with her, there were other babies to be kissed and the fete organisers were looking on a little nervously.

The education researcher said she found it very troubling that an area with such a weight of evidence behind it was dismissed.

UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. 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Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. 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If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. 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I do appreciate that not all policies can be or should be evidence driven, but this is an area where I think the weight of evidence is so strong, its very difficult to argue against.

A study published by the NFER this year compared the results of pupils attending partially selective schools with pupils at similar, non-selective schools, concluding there was no academic benefit to be found for selective streaming.

Pupils with low prior attainment were significantly less likely to achieve five GCSE passes, including English and maths, than their peers at non-selective schools, the analysis found.

I think she ran out of arguments, said Ms Wespieser, she assumed I was a teacher but I said I was a parent and these are issues that will directly affect me and my family.

A photograph Ms Wespiesers husband had taken of the ten minute exchange sparked interest on social media, with several Twitter users questioning Ms Mays anecdotal evidence.

She was engaged, she listened to the discussion, she debated really well with me. And obviously kissed a lot of babies so was drawing lots of attention at the fete, said Ms Wespieser.

The Independent has contact the Conservative Party for comment.
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A drug addiction treatment centre claims to be helping patients give up heroin and cocaine with medical marijuana.

Cannabis is more frequently associated with getting high than getting sober  but the directors of one rehab facility in Los Angeles say it can reduce overall harm caused by drug use.

Some say it's hypocritical because, you know, you're supposed to go to rehab to get off drugs, Joe Schrank, founder of the High Sobriety clinic, told CNN.

But marijuana can really help people with pain management and other health issues, or it can help them be safer, he said.

Mr Schrank said a cannabis detox can be helpful for those with severe addictions because unlike with harder drugs, there is no known lethal dose.

The centre has so far treated around 50 people with the drug. Mr Shrank said it can help alleviate the distressing symptoms of going cold-turkey and reduce drug dependence in the long term.

However, the effectiveness of medical marijuana has not been scientifically proven and other rehab experts have warned against the use of one recreational drug to treat the abuse of another.

The controversial idea is a type of strategy known as harm reduction  policies and therapies that aim to reduce the harm people do to themselves or others due to drug use, as opposed to the all-or-nothing approach traditionally taken towards addiction.

 Hollywood sign changed to Hollyweed' to promote cannabis legalisation

Oxford University has launched a 10m research programme into the medical use of marijuana, which one of the universitys associate professors described as an area of huge untapped potential.

Cannabis is a Class B drug in the UK, but the cannabidiol CBD, which does not create the high associated with recreational use, has been reclassified as a medicine by the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

This means doctors can, in exceptional cases, prescribe medicines containing CBD to be manufactured or imported for a patients use.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

Studies suggest cannabidiol could in fact reverse some of the brain changes associated with heroin use, reported CNN.

Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, told the broadcaster her research had shown cannabidiol helps repair a neural system known as the glutamate transmitter system, which is harmed by opiates such as heroin.

Professor Hurd said marijuana is a treatment to consider for opioid addiction and other drugs, but called for more research into the subject, especially for its use in cocaine addiction.
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Theresa May has been accused of sending an "unlawful" letter of notification to Brussels over the UK's intention to leave the EU, prompting calls for a judicial review.

Dr Andrew Watt, a retired Scottish doctor, said Ms Mays notification to the head of the European Council Donald Tusk of the UKs intention to leave the EU on 29 March is void because the country never officially decided to leave the union.

He argued last years EU referendum was not a legally binding decision whereas according to Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, member states have to decide to leave the EU in accordance with relevant constitutional requirements before notifying Brussels of their intention.

Dr Watt said the UK never took the constitutional decision to leave the EU, making unlawful any later notice of withdrawal.

The appeal comes months after business owner Gina Miller won a legal challenge against the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which concluded the Government had to bring a bill before Parliament to begin the Brexit process.

In the Supreme Court ruling on the case, it was made clear the EU referendum on 23 June was not a decision, but only a notice of opinion from the British public on which Parliament then had to act.

The court stated: Both the Secretary of State and the Miller claimants proceed on the basis that the referendum result was not itself a decision by the UK to withdraw from the EU, in accordance with the UKs constitutional requirements.

In the Governments own submission to the Supreme Court, it accepted the high courts previous judgement, which was upheld, and stated: If the UK is to withdraw from the EU, Parliament must be asked to answer precisely the same question which was put by Parliament to the electorate and has been answered in the referendum, and must give the same answer in legislative form.

Donald Tusk showing the letter he received signed by Prime Minister Theresa May, which formally notified of the UK's intention to exit the EU (Reuters)

Yet responding subsequently to a Freedom of Information Request, the Department for Exiting the European Union stated in March the decision on leaving the EU was made in the referendum on 23 June.

Since Parliament only voted on a bill to notify Brussels of the UKs intention to withdraw from the EU, Dr Watt argues there was no lawful decision to leave the union, making the Article 50 notification letter unlawful.

Speaking to The Independent, Dr Watt said: "If, as I believe, Theresa May has misled the public, the Westminster Parliament and the European Union about a UK exit, it seems to me that she can expect to be in very severe political difficulty indeed. Her U-turn on social care will seem trivial by comparison.

He is now seeking a judicial review on the issue and has written to the European Commission in the hope Mr Tusk, who received Ms Mays letter formally notifying of the UKs intention to leave the EU, would take part as an interested party.

In the letter, seen by The Independent and sent to Christine Dalby, the acting head of representation of the European Commission in London, Dr Watt sets out the aim of a prospective application for a judicial review.

He urged the European Commission to make Mr Tusk aware of his application as a matter of urgency and described the resulting legal and political considerations as of enormous importance.

He also called on the European Parliament and the 27 members of the EU to be made aware of the issue.

Dr Watt said: "Donald Tusk, as President of the European Council, has a duty to ensure that everything done that relates to a UK exit or 'Brexit' is done in accordance with law. He is an ideal person to be an interested party in the prospective judicial review.

The retired doctor added he believed he has a good chance of success.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA 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 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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 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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

The administrative court will have to grant permission for the judicial review to go ahead once the application is made.

Last month, Dr Watt sent a letter before action to the Governments Legal Department informing it of his intention to seek a judicial review.

Oliver Gilman, a senior lawyer at the Governments Legal Department, responded to the letter and said the argument set out by Dr Watt was without merit and that the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 satisfied the requirement for a valid notice.

A government spokeswoman said: "The British people voted to leave the EU, and the government will deliver on their verdict.

"Its important to remember that Parliament backed the referendum by a margin of six to one and has already indicated its support for getting on with the process of exit to the timetable we have set out."
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Labour has pledged to scrap tuition fees for students starting university in September.

Leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the Conservatives of having held students back for too long by helping to treble tuition fees to more than 9,000 a year, claiming Labour wants to lift this cloud of debt by making it free for people to study at university in England.

The party said it would abolish fees from 2018 and write off the first year of fees for those planning to start university this September.

Those part way through their degree would pay no further fees for the remainder of the course.

 Labour's general election manifesto launch in 90 seconds

Labour estimated its policy to scrap tuition fees could benefit around 400,000 students from this autumn if numbers remain unchanged.

Recommended Labour will scrap university tuition fees if they win general election

The party added it would seek to provide free tuition for EU students and would seek reciprocal arrangements at EU universities as part of Brexit talks.

Labour is seeking to tap into the student vote, including those 18-year-olds sitting their A-levels and about to start university, as it bids to secure power at the general election.

Anyone hoping to have their say at the ballot box on 8 June must apply to register to vote by 11.59pm on Monday.

Electoral Commission data shows more than two million people have applied to register to vote since Prime Minister Theresa May announced her intention to call a snap election.

UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images

Mr Corbyn said: We will scrap tuition fees and ensure universities have the resources they need to continue to provide a world-class education.

Students will benefit from having more money in their pockets, and we will all benefit from the engineers, doctors, teachers and scientists that our universities produce.

Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner added: If students sitting their A-levels now want a say on their future they need to register to vote before tonight's deadline and vote Labour on 8 June.

A Conservative spokesman said: Only by getting Brexit right will we be able to help young people get on in life and make the most of their talents."

He added: There are now more students from disadvantaged backgrounds getting into university than ever before.

"But if Jeremy Corbyn is in charge of our Brexit negotiations, all of this will be under threat."
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Theresa May has refused to say how high the Conservatives' new cap on social care costs would be, after announcing an unprecedented U-turn on her manifesto plan to remove the limit.

The Prime Minister became increasingly flustered as she faced a barrage of questions from journalists, having seemingly watered down a key element of the Tory manifesto.

Asked by Channel 4 News' Michael Crick where she would set the limit, Ms May said: "We have not changed the principles of the policy we set out in our manifesto. Those policies remain exactly the same."

The Conservative manifesto's section on social care makes no mention of implementing a cap. Previously the Government's plan had been to introduce an upper limit of 72,000 on the lifetime cost of a person's care by 2020.

It said a green paper would be drafted to "address system-wide issues to improve the quality of care".

But Ms May told journalists at the launch of the Welsh Conservatives' manifesto: "The plans that we set out were very clear in the manifesto, you can look in the manifesto ... We said we would issue a green paper and of course within that green paper we'll be consulting on the details of the proposals.

"Nobody is going to have to pay for their care, nobody is going to have to pay for their care ... while they are alive. Nobody is going to have to lose their family home.

"We have not changed the principles we set out in the manifesto."

UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election AFP/Getty Images

She added: "We will have an upper limit, absolute limit, on the amount people will pay for care."

It came after a pair of polls showed Labour narrowing the gap on the Conservatives to just nine points, following the launch of Ms May's manifesto.

The Tories' lead has halved compared to a week ago, according to Survation, with Theresa May's party on 43 and Labour on 34.

The poll of 1,034 adults was taken over 19 and 20 May and showed people were more likely to say Labour had the best policies for older people and the NHS.

A YouGov poll had Labour on 35 per cent, their highest of the campaign so far, with the Tories on 44 per cent.
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A rattled Theresa May is facing damaging accusations of dishonesty after her humiliating U-turn on "dementia tax" left the Conservative election campaign in disarray.

In an evasive TV interview, the Prime Minister was asked three times why she was not being honest about her decision to agree to a cap on care costs  four days after her manifesto ruled it out.

Today marked the first time that the Prime Ministers character has become an issue in the election campaign, raising its head after the Tory lead narrowed to single digits in several polls.

Furthermore, she repeatedly refused to answer the crucial question of the level of any care cap  at one point referring to the policy as a concept.

In an extraordinary day, which brought the campaign to life, Ms May notably lost her cool as she ripped up her social care policy after just four days, speaking in front of Welsh Conservatives in Wrexham.

She said the Conservatives would introduce a cap on lifetime care costs  having insisted, when unveiling her manifesto, that one was not needed to protect older people from catastrophic care costs.

The climbdown came after Conservative candidates warned the policy was hugely unpopular on the doorstep and after it was widely branded a dementia tax.

Without a cap, once set at 72,000 by David Cameron, the homes of people in residential care with long-term conditions would have to be sold to pay their bills, after their deaths.

For the first time, it would include property-owning pensioners who receive care in their own homes  while cancer patients, for example, treated in hospital, receive free care.

UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. 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In Wrexham, a clearly flustered Ms May refused to accept she was performing a U-turn, at one point telling reporters: Nothing has changed, nothing has changed.

Instead, she accused Jeremy Corbyn of resorting to fake claims, fear and scaremongering over the impact of her plans  forcing her to clarify them.

Insisting they remained good and sensible plans, Ms May confirmed the U-turn by saying a consultation will include an absolute limit on the amount that people have to pay for their care costs.

Later, the BBCs Andrew Neil told her: Your manifesto rejects a cap, it gives a reason why you dont want a cap. Now youre going to have a cap.

You need to be honest, I would suggest, and tell the British people youve changed your mind.

Ms May insisted: Im being absolutely honest with the British people about the big challenge that we face. And absolutely honest with them about the need for us to deal with this now, to start fixing it now.

Earlier, Ed Miliband tweeted: This is now a character issue, as well as a care issue. When PM says 'nothing has changed' she is lying. If she lies about this what else?

Former Tory ministers who spoke with The Independent strongly criticised the Prime Ministers handling of the issue  some suggesting her U-turn had come too late to avoid damage.

 General Election Round-up: May 22

One said: Hopefully it will recede in peoples minds, but some colleagues are concerned that postal vote papers were already starting to go out at the weekend.

Will the change be too late for those who send their postal votes back straight away?

A second said: The damage has been done. The minute a doorstep conversation has to get into detail it's a problem. A campaign is not the time for detail.

And a third former minister said: The announcement was very badly handled. It needed more preparation, rather than trying to do it in the middle of an election campaign.

The Alzheimers Society expressed relief that all parties were now committed to a cap on care costs, but said only knowing the level of the cap would ease anxiety.

It is essential that we see action straight away. Over the last ten years, we have seen almost as many consultations, so the issue can no longer be kicked down the road, said Rob Burley, the societys director of policy.

The Liberal Democrats accused Mrs May of panic, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said her government was mired in "chaos and confusion".

Speaking with The Independent in Yorkshire, Mr Corbyn attacked the Conservative social care policy as irresponsible, unfair and unpleasant.

This is a proposal that really needs to be just dropped all together, the Labour leader said. We're proposing to put 2bn into social care immediately to plug the current gap and make sure there is funding there for the future.

It was pointed out the Conservative policy could still result in elderly people being asked to stump up six-figure sums for lengthy and complex care for conditions such as dementia, if the cap was set too high.

A few weeks ago, the Tories were believed to be considering a cap of around 85,000  already significantly higher than the 72,000 passed into law, but delayed, by Mr Cameron.

The U-turn also appears to blow a hole in Tory sums for easing the more immediate social care crisis, affecting the day-to-day care provided by local councils.

Labour put the cost of a cap and providing state help to people with more assets  up to 100,000 in the Conservative plan  at 3bn a year. Ms Mays proposals will only raise around 2bn a year.

In the BBC interview, the Prime Minister said she had clarified her policy because Mr Corbyn was misleading vulnerable people about it in order to sneak into No 10.

Mr Neil replied: So Jeremy Corbyn is now rewriting your manifesto? Thats what it sounds like. Youve reacted to him.

Ms May also revealed she planned to spend 10bn on new hospital buildings and technology, having earlier promised the most ambitious programme in NHS history.
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Theresa May has performed an extraordinary U-turn by watering down her "dementia tax", just four days after making it the centrepiece of her election manifesto.

A clearly flustered Prime Minister announced the Conservatives would pledge to introduce a cap on lifetime care costs, following widespread protests that more families would be forced to sell the homes of pensioners paying for their care.

The seemingly unprecedented reversal on a clear manifesto pledge comes after she threw out plans for the cap just last Thursday, insisting it was not necessary to protect older people from catastrophic care costs.

UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. Stormont and the political situation in Northern Ireland has been in limbo following the collapse of the power sharing executive due to the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme scandal which implicated the DUP Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Priti Patel, International Development Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Larry the Downing Street cat runs ahead of Michael Fallon Britain's Secretary of State for Defence as he arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, Britain, June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth REUTERS UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Michael Gove, Environment Secretary leaves 10 Downing Street on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon (C) leaves after speaking to the media in Parliament Square. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. Rex UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 09: DUP leader and Northern Ireland former First Minister Arlene Foster (C) holds a brief press conference with the DUP's newly elected Westminster candidates who stood in the general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A " Get May Out" demo took place opposite the gates of Downing Street, calling for May to resign, after the shock election results and Mays coalition with the DUP. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A demonstrator wears a mask depicting Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May, poses with a mock gravestone bearing the words "Hard Brexit, RIP", during a protest photocall near the entrance 10 Downing Street in central London AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters in London Reuters UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May flanked by her husband Philip delivers a statement outside 10 Downing Street in central Londo Getty UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party Theresa May leaves Buckingham Palace in London the day after a general election in which the Conservatives lost their majority Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 A TV cameraman watches the door of 10 Downing Street in London Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is greeted by his Office Director Karie Murphy as he arrives at Labour Party HQ in Westminster, London, after he called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying she should 'go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country' Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives at the Conservative Party's headquarters with her husband Philip in London REUTERS/Peter Nicholls UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ukip leader Paul Nuttall speaks during a press conference at Boston West Golf Club where he announced that he is standing down as party leader Joe Giddens/PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, leaves the counting centre for Britain's general election with her partner Jen Wilson in Edinburgh, Scotland REUTERS/Russell Cheyne UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale celebrates with candidate for Edinburgh South Ian Murray as he retains his seat at the Meadowbank Sports Centre counting centre in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks to the media at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, as counting is under way for the General Election Andrew Milligan/PA Wire UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, as counting is under way for the General Election PA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon reacts at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland EPA UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, arrives at the Labour Party's Headquarters in London REUTERS/Marko Djurica UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall leaves in a car following the vote count for the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Boston, England Anthony Devlin/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre in Maidenhead, England. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A policer officer enters a polling station in London AP UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A woman leaves after casting her vote at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery near Brighton, in southern England Getty UK General Election 2017 8 June 2017 A polling station sign is seen on a telephone box outside the polling station at Rotherwick Hall, west of London Getty UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 A woman walks past a general election display in the window of a betting shop in Camden on June 7, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow, Getty Images UK General Election 2017 7 June 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits Atherley Bowling Club during an election campaign visit on June 7, 2017 in Southampton, England. Britain goes to the polls tomorrow June 8 to vote in a general election. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 Election workers, George Gaunt and Luca Tragid deliver the first ballot boxes, on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh AFP UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Conservative party supporters during an election campaign visit to a bakery during an election campaign visit on June 6, 2017 in Fleetwood, north-west England. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another terrorist attack on the nation's capital Getty Images UK General Election 2017 5 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a general election campaign visit to a removals depot in Edinburgh AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Pro-Independence supporters hold a march through Glasgow AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn campaigns for the upcoming general election in Beeston, Nottinghamshire AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 3 June 2017 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts to supporters after a rally at Beeston Youth and Community Centre as he visits the East Midlands during the final weekend of the General Election campaign on June 3, 2017 in Nottingham, England. If elected in next week's general election Mr Corbyn is pledging to create a million new jobs and to scrap zero-hours contracts Getty Images UK General Election 2017 1 June 2017 Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader Ruth Davidson joins a selection of Scottish Conservative election candidates and activists during campaigning on May 1, 2017 in South Queensferry, Scotland. With only seven days to go until the general election on June 8th, polls are showing the SNP out in front and the Conservatives set to close in on Labour. Getty Images UK General Election 2017 29 May 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May canvasses in Richmond with Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith on May 29, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. After suffering defeat in the London Mayoral election Zac Goldsmith resigned over the Government's position on Heathrow expansion. He stood as an Independent but lost in a by-election to the Liberal Democrats. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to elect a new parliament in a general election Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron poses for a selfie taken by carer April Preston during a General Election campaign visit to the Barlow Medical Centre, in Didsbury, Manchester Yui Mok/PA UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at an election campaign event in Wrexham, Wales Reuters UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Labour's former deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, exit the party's general election campaign 'battle' bus as they arrive at an event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn walks with supporters between venues, before speaking again at another general election campaign event in Kingston upon Hull, northern England Getty Images UK General Election 2017 22 May 2017 An anti-fox hunting protester is taken away and arrested by police outside the venue where Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was due to launch the Welsh Conservative general election manifesto at Gresford Memorial Hall in the village of Gresford, near Wrexham, North Wales, on May 22, 2017. 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But the measure was dubbed a dementia tax, because the homes of sufferers would need to be sold to pay their bills, after their deaths, after the commitment to a cap on overall care costs of around 72,000 was dropped.

For the first time, it would include pensioners who own their properties who receive care in their own homes - while cancer patients, for example, treated in hospital, receive free care.

Ms May announced the hugely damaging U-turn as she launched the Welsh Conservatives manifesto, in Wrexham.

However, she refused to say at what level the cap might be said - underlining the state of panic and the last-minute nature of the U-turn. Facing her toughest questions on the campaign trail, the Prime Minister was accused by reporters of being "weak and wobbly" and of having published a "manifesto of chaos".

She also faced accusations that she had undermined her claim to be the tough leader to take Britain through the Brexit negotiations, having "buckled" so quickly when under fire.

But Ms May refused to admit she had performed a U-turn - despite rejecting a cap four days ago - telling her audience: "Nothing has changed, nothing has changed."

The Prime Minister insisted she was clarifying any doubt about our social care policy and the family home  repeatedly accusing Jeremy Corbyn of making fake claims about it.

These are good and sensible plans  they provide the beginnings of a solution to social care without increasing taxes on younger generations, she insisted.

Confirming the U-turn, Ms May added: That consultation will include an absolute limit on the amount that people have to pay for their care costs.

It was not clear whether the rethink would specifically ease the impact on pensioners receiving care in their own homes  or how it would be paid for.

Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, seized on the Prime Ministers claims that the principles of her policy were intact, saying: May's manifesto meltdown changes nothing.

As Theresa May has made clear herself, nothing has changed and her heartless dementia tax remains in place.

"This is a cold and calculated attempt to pull the wool over people's eyes. Theresa May still wants to take older people's homes to fund social care.

Andrew Gwynne, Labours election co-ordinator, branded the Prime Minister weak and unstable, adding: She is unable to stick to her own manifesto for more than four days.

And by failing to put a figure for a cap on social care costs, she has only added to the uncertainty for millions of older people and their families.

You cant trust the Tories - if this is how they handle their own manifesto, how will they cope with the Brexit negotiations?
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The system of clawing back care costs from the sale of peoples homes after they die is a postcode lottery that will need urgent review under Theresa Mays plans to overhaul payments for social care, according to the former pensions minister.

Steve Webb, the former coalition minister, made the claim after an analysis of responses from local authorities across the country on the deferred payments system  the way councils are currently meant to allow people put off paying their care home fees until the family home is sold.

Under the scheme, people living in residential care can, in some circumstances, ask the local authority to meet their care home bills and in return the council recover the money plus interest from the later sale of the family home.

But through replies to 140 Freedom of Information requests, Mr Webb said his data showed that 10 local authorities had not entered a single agreement since the scheme was introduced in 2015. They included Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea, Haringey, Lewisham, Lambeth, Ealing and Blackburn.

Mr Webb, the former Liberal Democrat politician who is now the director of policy at Royal London, said it was clear there is already a lottery as to whether people facing significant costs can exercise their legal right to defer their payments under the existing system.

The warning came as Conservatives defended a policy unveiled in their manifesto last week that means people with assets of more than 100,000 will have to make greater contributions to their care costs, both in nursing homes and in their own homes, although the payments can be deferred until after they have died.

An earlier commitment to introduce a 72,000 cap on care costs will be scrapped, but if the Conservatives return to power after the general election, the Government will offer protection from the cost of social care for people with assets totaling 100,000 or less.

Recommended Theresa May has blundered into scaring pensioners over social care

However, more people will be liable to contribute to the cost of being looked after, as the value of an elderly person's property will now be included in the means test for care in their own home.

Damian Green, the Work and Pensions Secretary and close ally of the Prime Minister, ruled out any rethink of the Conservatives manifesto pledge on social care despite polls showing the Tory lead over Labour has shrunk in the last week.

We have set out the policy, which we are not going to look at again, he added.

Ken Clarke, the former Tory minister, also rejected the phrase dementia tax when asked about Ms Mays social care policy on BBCs Radio 4s The World This Weekend. He said including the value of an elderly persons property in the means test for care in their own home was a sensible proposal to tackle the crisis in social care.

Mr Clarke said: The idea that, instead of somebody living in a half a million-million pound house contributing to their own care, younger people of working age who cant afford to buy a house should actually pay more tax  because thats what will happen to actually provide the quantity of social care that we need  is grossly unfair.

This is free market economics with a social conscience, and as a one-nation Tory its what Ive always believed in, but its got to be practical, competent, got to have some common sense.

UK General Election 2017 Show all 47 1 /47 UK General Election 2017 UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street for the 1922 committee on June 12, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May held her first cabinet meeting with her re-shuffled team today Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 DUP leader Arlene Foster stands alongside deputy leader Nigel Dodds as they hold a press conference at Stormont Castle as the Stormont assembly power sharing negotiations reconvene following the general election on June 12, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Discussions between the DUP and the Conservative party are also continuing in the wake of the UK general election as Prime Minister Theresa May looks to form a government with the help of the Democratic Unionist parties ten Westminster seats. 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Getty Images UK General Election 2017 12 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May (C, L) holds the first Cabinet meeting of her new team. Getty UK General Election 2017 11 June 2017 British Prime Minister Theresa May attends church in her constituency with her husband Philip May, a few days after disappointing results in a general election. Rex Features UK General Election 2017 9 June 2017 Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn leaves Labour Party HQ this morning, following a general election yesterday. Parliament is hung, with no individual party gaining an overall majority. Post general election reaction. 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Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A supporter wears a pair of Jeremy Corbyn decorated tights at a general election campaign event in Birmingham, central England, on June 6, 2017. Britain goes to the polls on June 8 to vote in a general election only days after another deadly terror attack in the nation's captial. AFP/Getty Images UK General Election 2017 6 June 2017 A picture taken in London, shows election leaflets from various parties displayed ahead of the United Kingdom's general elections. 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But Mr Webb said: Some local authorities clearly promote the scheme [deferred payments] and alert residents to their legal rights while others appear not to be doing so.

If far more people are going to face deferred charges in future because of the inclusion of the value of family homes in the means test for social care, the Government will need to investigate very quickly why the present system is not working properly. Otherwise there is a danger of building a new system on very shaky foundations.
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Theresa May has performed a stunning U-turn on her party's so-called 'Dementia Tax' social care policy  watering it down and saying she would introduced a cap on payments under the policy. But in her ten months as Prime Minister, Ms May has developed a reputation for quickly U-turning on policies.

Brexit

(PA (PA)

The Prime Minister campaigned for Remain during the EU referendum, arguing that Brexit would risk "Britains future. Our influence around the world. Our security. And our prosperity". You wouldn't know that today  Ms May is now the face of Brexit.

National Insurance rise

Philip Hammond was forced to scrap one tax change affecting the self-employed last year - and has now shelved another (House of Commons)

In Theresa May's first full Budget as Prime Minister, the Chancellor announced a rise in National Insurance for self-employed workers. The policy was panned as a White Van Tax by the press and it was pointed out that it broke a Tory manifesto pledge to never raise taxes. Days later, the policy was scrapped.

Workers on company boards

(Reuters)

During her campaign to be leader Theresa May said she would speak for workers and work for a fairer Britain. She only outlined one policy to this effect: companies would be forced to put workers on boards to give them a say in decision-making. Shortly after she became Prime Minister it was reported that the policy had been dropped, following lobbying from businesses. Hey-presto, the Tory manifesto effectively says putting workers on boards will be optional.

Holding an election

There were 28 cases of polling station impersonations alleged in 2017. (PA)

The Prime Minister and Downing Street repeatedly said she wouldn't hold an election, arguing that it would risk the stability of the country that was needed to deliver Brexit. Then, one day after MPs returned to Westminster after Easter recess, she called an emergency press conference and said she would be holding an election.

The Dementia Tax

(Matt Cardy/Getty) (Getty)

Not a full U-turn  the charge will still have to be paid, but the Prime Minister has said she will introduce a cap on costs. She has refused to say what the cap will be, and also refused to acknowledge that the new policy is a U-turn.
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More than 90,000 young people applied to vote on Sunday, the penultimate day of electoral registration before people head to the polls in June.

The figures provide a boost to Labour, which is more popular among younger voters, polls have shown.

Yet political experts urged caution when interpreting the figures, saying the number of successful applications was unlikely to be large enough to significantly alter the outcome of the election.

Some 90,200 18- to- 24-year-olds applied to vote in the 2017 general election on 21 May, as the registration deadline loomed close.

 General Election polls and projections: May 22

This compared to just 6,827 55- to- 64-year-olds, 2,628 65- to- 74-year-olds and 1,099 people over 75.

The figures came after a report found that if 18- to- 34-year-olds had turned out to the polling stations in similar proportions to the over-65s in the 2015 election, it would have been enough to deny David Cameron an overall majority.

The freshly-registered young voters joined 700,000 under 25-year-olds who have signed up to cast their ballots since the election was called.

Social media campaigns such as Grime4Corbyn, launched to reflect Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's popularity with grime artists such as Stormzy and JME, have urged young people to sign up to the list.

Labour would claim election victory if only people under 40 voted, despite being some 20 points behind overall, according to one YouGov poll.

Josh Dell from Bite The Ballot, a charity that encourages young people to engage with politics, said: These numbers clearly demonstrate that young citizens are engaging in the current election.

"For too long it's been the case that our youngest voters are dismissed and ignored by politicians. Regardless of who they choose to vote for on June 8, the election is a monumental opportunity for this demographic to demonstrate that their views and concerns must be heard.

 Theresa May refuses to say what cap will be with 'dementia tax' climbdown

Professor John Curtice, a political scientist at the University of Strathclyde, said people should be cautious when interpreting the statistics.

"It is disproportionately younger people [who have applied to appear on the register], but you have to realise that it's disproportionately younger people who are most likely to be missed off the register in the first place," he told The Independent.

"The people who are most likely to re-register are people who have moved address, these are much more likely to be younger people and younger people are much more likely to have been missed off the original household canvass."

He also said that a large proportion of the applications were likely to be unsuccessful, due to confusion about the registration process.

"Between January and April 2015 there were five million applications of which only 1,350,000 resulted in names being added to the register," he said,

"It's simply because one of the flaws in the system is you can't use it to check whether you're on the register. Therefore people end up applying even though they're already on it."

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He added that the level of registration appeared to be lower than before the 2015 general election.

"Two million applications or so have been received since the election was called. In May 2015 when there was an expected election, five million applications were made."
The Every Student Succeeds Act hands states plenty of flexibility to define school success, figure out new ways to intervene in their worst-performing schools, and set academic priorities for schools.

But some states have decided to punt these sorts of decisions back to local school boards in the coming years.

Kentucky s legislature this year weakened the states school takeover process and bolstered the powers of its local school boards to hire principals, select curriculum, and set a schools budget. Those powers have traditionally been left to the states education department and its many councils that for the last 30 years have governed their schools.

North Dakotas ESSA accountability plan, which it turned in earlier this month, leaves plenty of room for local school boards to decide their high school standard assessment, evaluate teachers, and determine intervention methods for schools.

And California will shift powers back to school boards to pick their own academic priorities and even decide whether to ask the state for help to improve academic outcomes. In 2013, the state upended its school funding formula to give school boards more flexibility in spending habits. (That policy has faced several hurdles .)

ESSA also requires state education departments to collect more data on school climate, teacher effectiveness, and school spending , but doesnt require states to do anything about glaring disparities or dismal outcomes between student groups and schools. That work will mostly be left up to local school boards.

We ... saw a really important and overdue reset in the roles of the federal, state, and local levels, said Thomas Gentzel, the executive director and CEO of the National School Boards Association. ESSA acknowledges that local school districts and leaders play a critical role.

Local school boards have seen a steady decline of powers over the last century, according to Michael W. Kirst, the state school board chair of California, who has written extensively about the history of education governance.

Graft scandals in the mid-1900s led many mayors and state officials to limit school boards powers or completely do away with them (New York City this month is debating whether to continue that states mayoral control setup.) Similarly, as states and then the federal government provided more funding for the nations public schools, power brokers at those levels wanted more say over the day-to-day operations of public schools.

The centralizing of education governance peaked in 2001 with the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act, which brought a top-down federal accountability movement that dictated how schools should judge success and then what districts should do when schools fail to meet those measures. ESSA is a sign that the trend is finally reversing itself, Kirst said.

The canary in the coal mine might have been the opting out of tests, Kirst said in a recent interview. This is a grassroots movement thats sort of like the tea party saying, This is too much federal oversight.

Kirst says that local school boards have a better understanding of local conditions that can be hindrances to academic improvement and give parents and teachers more opportunities to mobilize for change.

From his essay in 2004:

Local policymakers serve fewer constituents than state or federal officials and are much closer to citizens psychologically, as well as geographically. (Indeed, local officials understand better than anyone else their communitys zone of school policy tolerance.)

But as powers in some states shift back to the 90,000 school board members nationally, some experts warn that there are many flaws to the governance model.

School boards arent perfect, as Gene Maeroff wrote in his book School Boards In America: A Flawed Exercise in Democracy.

Most school board members serve on a voluntary basis (only a handful in the country get paid) and sometimes lack education expertise with occassional high-profile exceptions. Theres also a very low turnout for school board races, putting minority and special education communities especially at a disadvantage and well-financed teachers unions at a political advantage, Maeroff said in his book.

But Gentzel points out that local school boards set budgets and know the intimate details of central office staffs capacity to implement state and federal policy. Its in that vein, Gentzel said, that his organization has pushed for state departments in the coming years to beef up communication efforts with school board members.

Theyre not just another stakeholder that needs to be consulted, Gentzel said. Some state agencies get that more than others.

Because there are more than 13,000 school boards, theres very little research to determine their effectiveness. Its something my colleague Debra Viadero wrote about in 2007 , and its something Kirst raises concern about today.

I dont know what theyre doing, Kirst said. There are too many school boards and too few researchers.

Kirst said that as school boards receive more decisionmaking powers, they should look to broaden their conversations from debates over school construction, budgets, and superintendent contracts to ways of improving classroom learning.

And Kirst says there are some things state and federal governments did well that they should continue to do in the coming years such as protecting minority and special education students rights and funding research into innovative teaching and learning strategies.

Federal and state governments should stay the course on the good things theyve done... Kirst said. Thats not by telling them what to do, or constrain them even more or shame them even more by reporting all the bad things they do. But really try and build the capacity for teachers to teach and administrators to lead.

Video: ESSA Explained in 3 Minutes
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A 14-year-old girl was forced to marry a man 20 years her senior in a Melbourne mosque, a court has heard.

In video footage of the ceremony, the young teenager can be seen dressed in a light-blue headscarf in a tiny room hidden at the back of the suburban mosque as she waits in silence to be married to a man she has reportedly known for just a few days.

The ceremony took place last September but the film has come to light amid a dramatic increase in reports of forced underage marriages in Australia in the past few years.

Mohammad Shakir, now 35, sobbed in court as he pleaded guilty to going through a formal ceremony of marriage with a person not of marriageable age at Noble Park mosque last September.

Recommended Female Islamic clerics declare rare fatwa against child marriage

Australian network 7 News obtained the footage and reported the young bride was handed over for marriage by her parents in return for a AUD$1480 gold necklace.

The childs mother watches on as the ceremony takes place, with the man conducting the ceremony asking the girl: Do you take (this man) to live together and live according to Islam?

Yes, she responds quietly.

As a wife, you have a duty to obey your husband, the Imam tells the child bride after the ceremony as the groom signs papers.

The footage was found on the grooms phone by police who arrested both him and the Imam, named as Ibrahim Omerdic, who performed the ceremony when he was leader of the Bosnian Islamic Society and Noble Park Mosque.

As part of groom Shakir's plea, two charges against him that he had sex with the girl after the ceremony were withdrawn.

Shakir, who spent six months in prison awaiting the court case, shed tears after entering his plea during what was to be a pre-trial committal hearing, according to Australian media. The case was adjourned until September.

He was helped in court by a Burmese interpreter.

The teenager, who was in court, also wiped tears from her eyes.

Mr Omerdic, 61, also appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with conduct that caused a minor to enter into a forced marriage.

He was sacked after he was arrested in November and his marriage licence was revoked. His barrister said the defence will contest whether there was a marriage and whether there was any intention to perform a marriage ceremony.

Between December 2014 and January 2017, there were reports of 57 child brides in Australia, where the legal age for marriage is 18. The marriage of a person aged 16 or 17 where the other person is aged 18 or over is considered only in unusual and exceptional circumstances.

Of these children, 34 were aged 16-17, 12 were aged 14-15, seven were aged between ten and 13, while four were under the age of 10. The majority of these offences took place in the Sydney area.

In the past two years, the child welfare group, Plan International Australia, identified another 250 cases of underage marriage across Australia.

Because the offence of underage marriage was not criminalised until 2013, police cannot prosecute for instances which took place before then. However, the number of cases being investigated by Federal Police doubled in the past year to 69.

The penalty for forcing a child into marriage is up to 25 years in prison. Such unions have no validity in law and are mostly kept hidden.

Pru Goward, the Australian Governments Family and Community Services minister, told the Australian network: It is deeply disturbing to think of little girls, pre-puberty, being considered for marriage and for people to be organising that marriage.

Laura Vidal of The Freedom Partnership, which works to end modern slavery in Australia, said: The long-term impacts of people being forced into marriage can be quite serious, including forced or unwanted pregnancies (and) withdrawal from education.

The Board of Imams in Victoria issued a statement against forced and child marriages.

"Underage marriages are illegal in Australia. As Australian Muslims, we are required to observe and respect the laws of Australia," the statement said.

The statement added that imams should meet both the bride and groom in person before the marriage ceremony to ensure they are of marriageable age and both consented.

Forced marriage including underage marriage is also on the rise in the UK according to figures released jointly by the Home and Foreign Office.

Statistics revealed a 17 per cent increase in the number of children believed to have been forced into marriage, usually with a much older man, between 2015 and 2016.

In 2016, the Forced Marriages Unit in the UK gave advice or support related to possible forced marriages in 1,428 cases, with 26 per cent of these involving victims below the age of 18.

The report from the Government stated that the FMU had handled cases relating to 69 different countries, with the six highest volume countries being Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Somalia, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia
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President Donald Trump's first major budget proposal on Tuesday will include massive cuts to Medicaid and call for changes to anti-poverty programmes that would give states new power to limit a range of benefits, people familiar with the planning said, despite growing unease in Congress about cutting the safety net.

For Medicaid, the state-federal programme that provides healthcare to low-income Americans, Trump's budget plan would follow through on a bill passed by House Republicans to cut more than $800 billion over 10 years. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this could cut off Medicaid benefits for about 10 million people over the next decade.

The White House also will call for giving states more flexibility to impose work requirements for people in different kinds of anti-poverty programmes, people familiar with the budget plan said, potentially leading to a flood of changes in states led by conservative governors. Many anti-poverty programmes have elements that are run by both the states and federal government, and a federal order allowing states to stiffen work requirements for able-bodied Americans could have a broad impact in terms of limiting who can access anti-poverty payments - and for how long.

Numerous social-welfare programmes grew after the financial crisis, leading to complaints from many Republicans that more should be done to shift people out of these programmes and back into the workforce. Shortly after he was sworn in, Trump said, We want to get our people off welfare and back to work... It's out of control.

Trump's decision to include the Medicaid cuts is significant because it shows he is rejecting calls from a number of Senate Republicans not to reverse the expansion of Medicaid that President Barack Obama achieved as part of the Affordable Care Act. The House has voted to cut the Medicaid funding, but Senate Republicans have signalled they are likely to start from scratch.

The proposed changes will be a central feature of Trump's first comprehensive budget plan, which will be the most detailed look at how he aims to change government spending and taxes over his presidency. Although Trump and his aides have discussed their vision in broad brushes, this will be the first time they attempt to put specific numbers on many aspects of those plans, shedding light on which proposals they see making the biggest difference in reshaping government. Congress must approve of most changes in the plan before it is enacted into law.

Trump offered a streamlined version of the budget plan in March, but it dealt only with the 30 percent of government spending that is appropriated each year. In that budget, he sought a big increase in military and border spending combined with major cuts to housing, environmental protection, foreign aid, research and development.

But Tuesday's budget will be more significant, because it will seek changes to entitlements - programmes that are essentially on auto pilot and don't need annual authorization from Congress. The people describing the proposals spoke on the condition of anonymity because the budget had not been released publicly and the White House is closely guarding details.

The proposed changes include the big cuts to Medicaid. The White House also is expected to propose changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme, though precise details couldn't be learned. SNAP is the modern version of food stamps, and it swelled following the financial crisis as the Obama administration eased policies to make it easier for people to qualify for benefits. As the economy has improved, enrolment in the programme hasn't changed as much as many had forecast.

An average of 44 million people received SNAP benefits in 2016, down from a peak of 47 million in 2013. Just 28 million people received the benefits in 2008.

SNAP could be one of numerous programmes impacted by changes in work requirements.

Josh Archambault, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative think tank, said that giving states the flexibility to impose work requirements could lead to a raft of changes to programmes ranging from Medicaid to public housing assistance.

One of the encouraging things about putting this in the budget is that states will see if it works, he said. States will try it.

SNAP already has a work requirement, which typically cuts benefits for most able-bodied adults who don't have children. But states were given more flexibility during the recent economic downturn to extend the benefits for a longer period, something that split conservatives at the time.

Michael Tanner, a welfare expert at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the US government spends between $680 billion and $800 billion a year on anti-poverty programmes, and considering wholesale changes to many of these initiatives is worthwhile, given questions about the effectiveness of how the money is spent.

'We're not seeing the type of gains we should be seeing for all that spending, and that would suggest its time to reform the system, he said.

Many critics have said work requirements can include blanket ultimatums that don't take into account someone's age, physical or cognitive ability, or limitations put in place by the local economy. Benefits from these programmes are often low, and hardly replace the income someone would earn from a job. And critics of stricter work requirements also believe it could pave the way for states to pursue even stricter restrictions, such as drug tests, that courts have often rejected.

After The Washington Post reported some of the cuts Sunday evening, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Democrat-New York, said Trump was pulling the rug out from so many who need help.

This budget continues to reveal President Trump's true colours: His populist campaign rhetoric was just a Trojan horse to execute long-held, hard-right policies that benefit the ultra wealthy at the expense of the middle class, he said.

The proposed changes to Medicaid and SNAP will be just some of several anti-poverty programmes that the White House will look to change. In March, the White House signalled that it wanted to eliminate money for a range of other programmes that are funded each year by Congress. This included federal funding for Habitat for Humanity, subsidised school lunches and the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates the federal response to homelessness across 19 federal agencies.

Leaked budget documents, obtained by the think tank Third Way, suggested other ways the White House plans to change anti-poverty funding. These documents show a change in the funding for Social Security's Supplemental Security Income programme, which provide cash benefits for the poor and disabled. It's unclear, though, what those changes might look like. A White House official said the Third Way document was out-of-date and would not comment on specifics in their files.

Medicaid, SNAP, and the SSI programme are now classified as mandatory spending because they are funded each year without congressional approval.

Trump has instructed his budget director, former South Carolina congressman Mick Mulvaney, that he does not want cuts to Medicare and Social Security's retirement program in this budget, Mulvaney recently said, but the plan may call for changes to Social Security Disability Insurance, seeking ideas for ways to move people who are able out of this program and back into the workforce.

A key element of the budget plan will be the assumption that huge tax cuts will result in an unprecedented level of economic growth. Trump recently unveiled the broad principles of what he has said will be the biggest in US. history, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a Senate panel last week that these tax cuts would end up creating trillions of dollars in new revenue, something budget experts from both parties have disputed.

The tax cuts would particularly benefit the wealthiest Americans, as Trump has proposing cutting the estate tax, capital gains and business tax rates.

The indications are strong this budget will feature Robin-Hood-in-reverse policies in an unprecedented scale, said Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank.

The White House will use its presumed new revenue from the tax cuts combined with broad spending cuts to claim that its changes would eliminate the budget deficit over 10 years. The budget deficit is the gap between government spending and tax revenue, and there has been a deficit in the United States every year since the end of the Clinton administration.

But the Trump administration on Tuesday will say its plan to cut spending, roll back regulations and cut taxes will bring the United States back to economic growth levels that represent about 3 percent of gross domestic product.

Mulvaney told the Federalist Society last week that the economic growth is needed to balance the budget, because spending cuts alone would be seen as too draconian.

I think we've trained people to be immune to the true costs of government, Mulvaney said. People think government is cheaper than it is because we've allowed ourselves to borrow money for a long period of time and not worry about paying it back.

Combined, the tax cuts and spending cuts on anti-poverty programmes would signal a sharp reversal of Obama's legacy by pursuing big tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, a large increase in military spending and major changes to anti-poverty programmes.

Its premise is that the creation of more wealth will help all Americans succeed, and the Trump administration believes that some anti-poverty programmes have created a culture of dependency that prevents people from re-entering the workforce.

White House budget proposals are a way for an administration to spell out its priorities and goals, setting benchmarks for Congress to work with as they decide how much spending to authorise. Trump has an advantage working with two chambers of Congress controlled by his own party, but even many Republicans have said they won't back the severity of some of the cuts he has proposed, particularly in the areas of foreign aid.

Ron Haskins, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, who played a lead role in drafting the 1997 welfare changes in Congress, said Trump will need to find new support from Republicans in Congress if he is going to achieve the welfare-related overhauls he's seeking.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

I don't think the Republicans on the Hill are going to feel a strong compulsion to follow the president, Haskins said. They are not afraid of him.

In addition to the myriad cuts, the budget will include some new spending.

Beyond an increase in the military budget and new money for border security, the White House is expected to call for $200 billion for infrastructure projects and an additional $25 billion over 10 years for a new programme designed by Ivanka Trump that would create six weeks of parental leave benefits.

Copyright The Washington Post
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Donald Trump was exhausted during his first trip overseas as President and asked his daughter to attend a scheduled event in his place.

Ivanka Trump spoke at the tweeps youth forum in Riyadh, an event to discuss combating extremism on social media, instead of her father after a long day for the President of meetings, conferences and speeches.

Mr Trump abruptly skipped the event on the second day of his trip in Saudi Arabia and the day before he was due to meet with Israeli leaders to negotiate a peace process with Palestine.

A White House official was asked by reporters why Mr Trump had deviated from his prepared speech earlier that day to Muslim leaders about fighting Islamist terrorism.

Just an exhausted guy, she replied.

On the stage of the youth forum in the evening, Fox News anchor Bret Baier announced that the President would not attend the event, but there would be a "surprise guest" - his daughter.

Ms Trump gave a three-minute speech in his place, thanking the Saudi royals for their hospitality.

"Social media is an incredibly powerful tool which empowers the people," she said.

It was the second time in a week that the 35-year-old had stepped in to replace the President, after leading a White House meeting on human trafficking with members of Congress while her father was giving a commencement address for the US Coast Guard Academy.

Over the weekend, Mr Trump received the highest civilian honour in Saudi Arabia and bowed while he received it. His daughter and wife, Ivanka and Melania Trump, did not wear headscarves during the trip. He previously attacked former President Barack Obama for similar displays.

He also attacked his former rival for the White House, Hillary Clinton, for her "lack of stamina" when footage captured her being assisted into a car after a lengthy 9/11 memorial ceremony during a hot day in New York.

 Trump urges Muslim leaders to fight Islamic extremism

He has not faced criticism for his own exhaustion three days into the first overseas trip since his Inauguration.

During the weekend, the President signed a $109.7 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, pledged to visit Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and gave a speech on combating terrorism.

In his anticipated speech, he urged nations to engage in a fight between good and evil, and to drive them [terrorists] out, but also expressed hope that his speech could be the start of peace in the Middle East.

In an unexpected turn, he criticised the reckless pursuit of conflict and terror by Irans government, which victimised its own people and supported Bashar al-Assad in carrying out unspeakable crimes in Syria.

Mr Trump did not mention Saudi atrocities in Yemen, or the USs potential ties with Russia, who also carried out deadly air strikes in Syria.

Before he flew to the Middle East last week, Mr Trump fired former FBI director James Comey under the pretence that he was a showboat. Mr Comey had been leading up an investigation into potential ties between Mr Trump and his team with the Russians before and after the election.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused opposition protesters of setting a pro-government supporter on fire on the 50th day of the wave of protests, which has gripped the country.

Footage of the man being set alight was broadcasted on state television and the man, identified as Orlando Figuera, 21, has been treated in hospital for severe burns and several stab wounds.

About 46 people are also believed to have been injured during the protest

Witnesses to the incident said the crowd accused the man of being a thief.

According to reports, about 100 people, who were participating in anti-Maduro protests in Caracas, surrounded Mr Figuera, doused him in gasoline and set him alight in Plaza Altamira in the east of the countrys capital.

Images from the scene showed him running near naked with flames from his back.

"A person was set on fire, beaten up, stabbed... They nearly lynched him, just because he shouted out that he was a 'Chavista'," Mr Maduro said, referring to the ruling socialist movement set up by his predecessor Hugo Chavez.

On the same day, a young opposition activists died from a gunshot wound to his chest, raising the number of people killed to 48, including supporters of both sides, some bystanders and members of the security force, officials said.

The attorney generals office said the gunmen opened fire on an anti-government demonstration in the western city of Valera Saturday and shot dead 23-year-old Edy Alejandro Teran Aguilar.

Two other protesters were also wounded in the shooting.

Mass demonstrations against President Maduro have taken place across Venezuela for seven weeks with protesters demanding early elections in what has become increasingly violent demonstrations. In some cities, the protests degenerated into clashes between protesters and government troops and police.

Opposition demonstrators set on fire Orlando Figuera during a protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Caraca (CARLOS BECERRA/AFP/Getty Images)

Saturday marked the 50th day of unrest in the country and protesters with white shirts, homemade gas masks and flags draped around their shoulders shut down a main road bringing central Caracas to near standstill.

Speaking on his weekly television programme, President Maduro described the incident of the pro-government supporter being set alight as a hate crime and a crime against humanity.

The 54-year-old president claimed protesters are seeking a violent coup against him with the support of the US.

He accused President Donald Trump of being involved in a conspiracy to take political control of Venezuela.

"Venezuela is facing ... a coup movement that has turned into hatred and intolerance, very similar to Nazi fascism," he said.

LOCURA CRECIENTE  Prenden fuego a un ser humano en "manifestacion pacifica" de oposicion en Caracas Venezuela. Fascismo inoculado. pic.twitter.com/gG3DHGgmtD  Ernesto Villegas P. (@VillegasPoljak) May 20, 2017

Reacting on Twitter, Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas wrote: "Growing insanity. A human being is set on fire at a 'peaceful demonstration' by the opposition in Caracas.

Opposition to Mr Maduro accuse the Venezuelan President of having become a dictator, wrecking the economy and causing desperation by opposing an electoral exit to the political crisis. They say Mr Maduro has instead unleashed repression and torture against protesters.

The Venezuelan authorities have blocked a referendum last year, delayed state elections and are resisting calls to bring forward the next presidential election scheduled for late 2019.

In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Show all 22 1 /22 In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela A girl scavanges for food in the streets of Caracas Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela A man scavenges for food next to girls in the streets of Caracas. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is resisting opposition efforts to hold a vote on removing him from office. The opposition blames him for an economic crisis that has caused food shortages Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Venezuelans line up to get the 'Fatherland's Card' at Bolivar Square in Caracas Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela The mother of Venezuelan Rebecca Leon, who scavenges for food in the streets of Caracas, feeds her grandson at their house in Petare shantytown. Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan Rebecca Leon, who scavenges for food in the streets of Caracas, with her two-year-old son at her house in Petare shantytown Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Members of a pro-government community organisation work in an expropriated bakery in Caracas. Supported by popular militiamen, Venezuelan government inspectors oversee bakeries as bread comes out of the oven, to undermine an alleged plot to induce scarcity of this staple food Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Forensic police stand next to the body of a man outside a supermarket, where he died of a heart attack after waiting in a long line to buy food, in Caracas Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan opposition activists take part in a protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro at the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela National guard throws a tear gas canister during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Opposition supporter shouts at a police officer during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Opposition supporters clash with national guards during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela A boy wearing a t-shirt with the colours of the Venezuelan national flag, during a demonstration against President Nicolas Maduro's government at Foreign Affairs Ministery, in Buenos Aires, Argentina AP In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Protesters cover themselves from tear gas fired by the Venezuelan National Guard officers during a protest in Caracas AP In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Opposition supporters clash with national guards during a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan opposition activists take part in a protest -blocked by the National Guard- against the government of President Nicolas Maduro at the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela A Venezuelan national guard reacts to the effect of pepper spray during a protest of opposition supporters against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Opposition supporters holding a Venezuelan flag protest against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government during a rally in Caracas Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Opposition supporters clash with riot police during a protest against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Opposition supporters protest against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government during a rally in Caracas Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Venezuela's Supreme Court abandoned measures to seize power from the opposition-controlled legislature after the moves drew international condemnation and raised pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. The president of Venezuela's National Assembly Julio Borges dismissed the court's gesture and told reporters that nothing had changed and the coup continued Getty Images In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Venezuelans living in Peru and other protesters take part in a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government, outside the Venezuela embassy in Lima, Peru Reuters In pictures: The crisis in Venezuela Venezuelans living in Peru and other protesters take part in a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government, outside the Venezuela embassy in Lima, Peru Reuters

Seven in 10 Venezuelans reject Mr Maduros leadership, according to private surveys. The countrys economy has collapsed, in part due to the drop of the price of oil, its main revenue, and crime is rampant.

The opposition has accused members of government of benefiting from corruption and enriching themselves while Venezuelans suffer a crippling recession and are facing a shortage of basic items including food and medicine.

They say Mr Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez ruined the economy since coming to power in 1999.

Additional reporting from news agencies.
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Defence lawyers will argue female genital mutilation is a religious right in the first ever federal case on the practice in the US.

Two Detroit doctors and one of their wives have been charged with subjecting two seven-year-old girls to genital cutting.

The defendants are part of a religious and cultural community called Dawoodi Bohra, an Islamic sect based in India, which is accused of practicing FGM.

Recommended Two more charged in first US female genital mutilation case

It is the first federal case of its kind in the US, where FGM was banned in 1996.

Dr Jumana Nargarwala, 44, is alleged to have carried out the practice on young children for 12 years.

Dr Fakhruddin Attar, 53, is accused of letting Nargarwala use his clinic to carry out the procedure, while his wife Farida Attar, 50, is accused of holding the hands of at least two victims during the cutting procedures to comfort them.

They were charged with conspiracy, female genital mutilation and aiding and abetting.

A chart showing where FGM is banned in the world (Statista)

Their defence lawyers plan to put forward a religious freedom argument.

They maintain the doctors did not actually cut the girls, just scraped their genitalia, and argue the defendants are being persecuted by practicing their religion.

If the defence can show the procedure was just a nick and caused no harm, the defendants could be acquitted on religious grounds, legal experts told the Detriot Free Press.

Anti-FGM campaigner interview - London Live

According to court documents, the girls said they were told they were going to Michigan, for a special girls' trip. One of the girls said that after the procedure she could barely walk, and that she felt pain all the way down to her ankle.

The girls said their parents told them not to talk about what happened and one couple described it as a "cleansing" of extra skin.

The documents said the girls had scarring and abnormalities on their clitorises and labia minora.

FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Show all 12 1 /12 FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM A Pokot girl cries after being circumcised REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM The traditional practice of circumcision within the Pokot tribe is a rite of passage that marks the transition to womanhood and is a requirement for all girls before they marry Reuters FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM Pokot girls are encouraged to leave their hut and make their way to a place where they will take off their clothes and wash during their circumcision ceremony REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM A Pokot girl, covered in animal skins, walks to a place where she will rest after being circumcised in a tribal ritual in a village about 80 kilometres from the town of Marigat in Baringo County REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM Pokot girls, draped in animal skins, sit on rocks during their circumcision ceremony REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM A Pokot woman performs a circumcision on a girl REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM A Pokot woman holds a razor blade after performing a circumcision on four girls REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM A Pokot girl bleeds onto a rock after being circumcised REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM A Pokot girl is smeared with a white paint after being circumcised REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM More than a quarter of girls and women in Kenya have undergone genital cutting, according to United Nations data REUTERS FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM A Pokot girl, covered in animal skins, walks to a place where she will rest after being circumcised Reuters FGM tribal circumcision ceremony in Baringo County Kenya FGM Pokot girls covered with animal skins squat on rocks after being stripped naked and washed during their circumcision rite in a village about 80 kilometres from the town of Marigat in Baringo County REUTERS

Consensus among the medical community is that the practice of removing or injuring female genital organs has no known health benefits.

However, it has been performed on more than 200 million women and girls in 30 countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

"It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children," according to the WHO.

In 2012, a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found roughly 513,000 women and girls in the United States were at risk of undergoing FGM, which was more than twice an earlier estimate based on 1990 data.
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Ivanka Trump has praised the progress of womens rights in Saudi Arabia after the country and the United Arab Emirates pledged to donate $100 million to the first World Bank's global project for women entrepreneurs.

Speaking in Saudi Arabia as her father met with Arab and Islam leaders, Ms Trump said progress in the nation was encouraging but said there was still a lot of work to be done.

"In every country around the world women and girls continue to face unique systematic, institutional, cultural barriers, which hinder us from fully engaging in and achieving true parity of opportunity within our communities," she said at a roundtable of women leaders in society, businesswomen and elected government officials.

Recommended Melania and Ivanka Trump did not wear headscarves for Saudi speech

Each of you know this to be true. And yet the stories of Saudi women, such as yourselves, catalysing change, inspire me to believe in the possibility of global womens empowerment.

Progress includes women being allowed to vote in local elections, and a decreasing amount of power held by the religious police.

The need to empower and engage women transcends borders and cultures. Whether in the United States or in Saudi Arabia, women play a critical role in a movement that unites us all, she said.

 Melania and Ivanka Trump did not wear headscarves for Trump's Saudi speech

Journalists were asked to leave the room before issues around women's equality could be brought up, such as women not having the right to drive, go anywhere alone or be included in public life.

US officials did not raise these concerns, as noted by the US state departments past reports on human rights.

Ms Trump was invited to participate by Saudi Princess Reema bint Bandar, a retail executive, divorced mother and social activist who is one of the main voices for womens rights in a conservative country.

At the same forum, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the UAE and Saudi Arabia will donate $100 million towards the planned $1 billion global womens entrepreneurship fund, which was encouraged by Ms Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

It is unclear how much each of the two Middle East nations donated. The Wall Street Journal reported that although the President's daughter proposed the fund, she does not control it or raise money for it.

Thank you @JimYongKim for your leadership & for joining me in a meaningful discussion with women entrepreneurs today, tweeted Ms Trump.

He responded, "Womens economic empowerment is key to growth. Thanks to Saudi Arabia & UAE for their support & @IvankaTrump for championing the issue."

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 fund is still being formed and will be formally announced at the G-20 July summit.

It and is aimed to help women in the Middle East  in countries that are clients of the World Bank  to access finance, markets and networks.

I think this fund [...] is going to make a huge difference, Mr Kim said.

Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAEs ambassador to the US, said in a statement that his countrys donation shows our commitment to empowering women in our region and builds on the progress we have made in our country, where women play a role in every segment of society.

In 2016 the World Bank invested $2.5 billion in Michelle and Barack Obamas charity for girls education, called Let Girls Learn, over five years.

Mr Kim said at the time that the empowerment of girls was central to the groups development efforts.
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Richard Oakes was a Native American activist best known for leading the occupation of the disused Alcatraz prison, which was credited with changing the narrative around indigenous peoples' rights.

He was shot and killed in 1972 but would have turned 75 today, and a Google Doodle has been created in his honour.

Oakes was a member of the Mohawk tribe, who originated in the north eastern United States and south eastern Canada.

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He was born in New York but migrated to San Francisco where he got to know local Native American communities. After enrolling at San Francisco State University, Oakes helped create a Native American studies department, one of the first in the country.

His academic and social connections, coupled with the revolutionary atmosphere of the late 1960s, led Oakes to launch some of the most radical direct action ever undertaken by Native American activists.

In 1969, he led a group of students and Native Americans to the site of Alcatraz prison, in the San Francisco Bay. Oakes swam to the island when the boats were stopped.

The activists turned Alcatraz into a sanctuary for Native Americans and made it a focal point for protest against the Indian termination policy.

Dating back to the 1940s, the policy enacted a number of measures aimed at integrating the Native American population into mainstream society. But Oakes and his fellow protesters argued for self -determination.

Oakes group released the Alcatraz Proclamation, announcing the intention to turn the island into an Indian cultural centre and offered to buy the land for $24 in cloth and beads  which European colonisers bought Manhattan Island for in 1626.

"We invite the United States to acknowledge the justice of our claim, Oakes said a message to the San Francisco Department of the Interior.

The choice now lies with the leaders of the American government - to use violence upon us as before to remove us from our Great Spirit's land, or to institute a real change in its dealing with the American Indian.

We do not fear your threat to charge us with crimes on our land. We and all other oppressed peoples would welcome spectacle of proof before the world of your title by genocide. Nevertheless, we seek peace.

The protesters, numbering around 400 at their peak, stayed on Alcatraz for more than a year. They drew significant media attention and fuelled the debate surrounding Native American rights.

A Native American tribe's fight to preserve its language

The occupation had fizzled out by 1971 but was credited with being the inspiration of at least 200 more acts of Native American protest. Most crucially, the peaceful activism was credited with changing the US governments position on Indian termination and President Richard Nixon spoke in support of self-determination.

The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act was passed in 1975, which allowed federal agencies to work with recognised Native American tribes.

After leaving Alcatraz, Oakes continued his activism and was frequently arrested and suffered violence.

He was shot and killed after an argument with a California YMCA leader in 1972. His killer, Michael Morgan, was acquitted of murder.
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A teacher who exchanged intimate photos and had sex with her students has been jailed for two years.

Jaclyn McLaren, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of child exploitation, possession of child pornography, and luring.

A court heard how McLaren used social media app Snapchat to send nude pictures of herself to students as young as 13.

In 2014, she drank alcohol and kissed two young students and later performed oral sex on both of them.

On several other occasions, she had oral sex with the students, CBC reported.

Another student began sharing intimate pictures with McLaren when he was 15.

They had sex three years later in 2016, soon after he turned 18. Police discovered phone messages discussing the event which were submitted as evidence to the court.

Five more teenagers  some of whom were not students  were sent intimate photos and videos by McLaren, who worked as a French teacher a school in Tweed, eastern Ontario, Canada.

An earlier hearing was told how McLarens teachers warned her to end social media contact with students as early as 2013.

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McLaren pled guilty to seven charges, reduced from 42, and will now serve two years in prison.

On her release, she must register as a sex offender and will be banned from being around schools and playgrounds. She will also be banned from using social media to communicate with anyone aged under 18.

Mandy Savery-Whiteway of the Prince Edward District School Board, said: "We are aware that sentencing took place today for Jaclyn McLaren.

"We recognise that this has been a challenging and difficult situation for everyone involved. Employee matters are confidential. No further details will be released at this time."
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Donald Trump, on his first presidential visit to Israel, has claimed there will be peace in the Middle East  eventually.

I thank the prime minister for his commitment to pursuing the peace process, Mr Trump said of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stood next to him at a joint press conference in Jerusalem.

Hes working very hard at it  its not easy, Mr Trump continued. Ive heard its one of the toughest deals of all. But I have a feeling that were going to get there eventually. I hope.

The watered-down words marked a departure from Mr Trumps more bombastic comments during Mr Netanyahus visit to the White House in February.

The United States will encourage a peace and, really, a great peace deal. We'll be working on it very, very diligently, Mr Trump said at the time, adding that a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians is very important to him.

Mr Trump had previously boasted that if his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, cannot achieve peace in the Middle East, nobody can.

But Mr Trump on Monday demurred, saying only that he looked forward to very productive discussions.

During my travels I have seen many hopeful signs that lead me to believe we can truly achieve a more peaceful future in this region, and for people of all faiths and all beliefs, Mr Trump said. He added that the US is prepared to help "in every way we can".

Israel: From independence to intifada Show all 7 1 /7 Israel: From independence to intifada Israel: From independence to intifada 26973.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26974.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26975.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26976.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26977.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26985.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Israel: From independence to intifada 26986.bin Robert Capa/Magnum

The comments continued Mr Trumps more diplomatic rhetoric from the first leg of his trip, when he stopped in Saudi Arabia.

At a a speech in Riyadh on Sunday, Mr Trump refrained from using the phrase radical Islamic terrorism, opting for the more toned-down Islamic extremism and Islamic terror of all kinds instead.

Mr Trump repeatedly condemned Democratic leaders on the campaign trail for failing to name radical Islamic terrorism as a threat. But the new, less aggressive phrasing appears to be yet another way that President Trump differs from the candidate.

So far, the president has also refrained from veering off script  another habit of the campaign trail. His more diplomatic speeches and harsh criticism of Iran appear to have been well-received by his hosts in both Israel and Saudi Arabia.

For the first time in my lifetime, I see a real hope for change, Mr Netanyahu said.

Mr Trump heads next to the Vatican, where he will meet with the Pope.
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The totally unprovoked murder of a young black soldier was committed by a white man who was a member of a despicable Facebook group, police have said.

Richard W Collins III, a newly commissioned Army officer, was allegedly stabbed to death by Sean Christopher Urbanski. Investigators are looking into whether it was a hate crime.

Mr Collins, 23, was black and a student at Bowie State University in Maryland, due to graduate tomorrow. Mr Urbanski, 22, was a student at the University of Maryland.

Police said Mr Urbanski was a member of a Facebook group called Alt Reich: Nation.

"When I looked at the information thats contained on that website, suffice it to say that its despicable. It shows extreme bias against women, Latinos, members of the Jewish faith and especially African Americans, University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell said, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Sean Urbanski had links with a racist Facebook group (University of Maryland Police Department via AP)

Which brings up questions as to the motive in this case. Knowing that we will continue to look for digital evidence, among other items of evidentiary value.

The FBI is helping police with technical support to determine if there is evidence within the Facebook group that Mr Urbanski committed a hate crime.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday when Mr Collins was waiting with friends for an Uber at the College Park campus just north of Washington DC.

Mr Urbanski allegedly approached the group and said Step left, step left if you know whats best for you.

Mr Collins then replied No, police said, prompting Mr Urbanski to stab him in the chest and flee the scene. Mr Collins died in hospital. The attack was caught on CCTV, police said, and a knife was later found nearby.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Collins family, Reverend Darryl Godlock said: This was a very caring individual. He was highly intelligent and he was at the peak of his career. He loved his family, he loved people that he came in contact with, and more importantly he loved his God."

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

University of Maryland President Wallace Loh said: On behalf of our entire community, I want to express our profound sorrow and anguish, for this horrific tragedy.

We are still in shock that a young man, so full of promise, should have his life cut short, so suddenly.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and with the entire Bowie State University community.
Teachers spend hours upon hours on nights and weekends grading papers. A new startup called the Graide Network aims to lighten the load. (The name comes from a combination of grade plus aide.)

The Graide connects teachers with trained assistants who evaluate student papers and return them to teachers in a matter of a few days. Getting feedback to students more quickly allows teachers to assign even more writing, so that students can better hone their craft. Whats more, the graiders say they can provide more in-depth feedback on student writing than time-pressed teachers.

The Graide Networks founder, Blair Pircon, got the idea after talking to a burned-out teacher who ended up quitting his job. He was working from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, and still felt there was a never-ending list of stuff to do, Pircon told Education Week. We know how important it is that kids get feedback on their work, yet that was the ball that kept dropping. Teachers are unfortunately responsible for doing a million different jobs in one.

Pircon developed the idea for the Graide Network while she was earning her MBA at Northwestern University. Heres how it works. The teacher posts the writing assignment, grading rubric, and any other instructions the student received. The teacher is matched with a graider, an education student trained in responding to student writing . The teacher uploads student work. The graider scores the work using the rubric and writes up to three comments noting strengths, and up to three on how the writing could be improved.

The teacher reviews the grades and comments before handing the work back to students, and can also rate the graider.

Last year, the Graide Network provided feedback on about 4,000 essays. So far this year, assistants have graded about 40,000. The majority of the Graides clients are language arts and social studies instructors, but the service also evaluates writing in subjects like computer science. Students write about why a particular code structure is more relevant than another or how they would go about solving a particular problem, Pircon explained.

The cost is $16 an hour, increasing to $18 an hour starting in July. The Graide employs several hundred graiders, according to Pircon, who are paid at the rate of an equivalent on-campus job.

Based on surveys, the Graide Network reports that teachers using the service spent 88 percent less time on grading, allowing them to provide one-on-one help for struggling students. The students appreciated it, too. One teacher reported that getting the comments was like Christmas for my students.

Read about two Michigan teachers experiences with outsourced grading in this Teaching Now blog post . What do you think? Is it a good idea for teachers to rely on assistants to grade their students writing? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Image: Getty
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The chairman of the California Democratic Party signed off his term in office by sticking up a middle finger and proclaiming F*** Donald Trump.

Outgoing boss John Burton, described by the Los Angeles Times as a fixture in state Democratic politics for half a century, grinned as supporters on stage at the party's convention joined him in the gesture.

The party's leaders blasted alleged ties to Russia among Mr Trump's associates and presented California as the epicentre of liberal resistance to the President.

Recommended Donald Trump held an orb and it instantly became a meme

The world, literally the world, is counting on all of you, counting on California to reject Trump's deception and destructiveness, said Lt Gov Gavin Newsom, who is among a crowded field of Democrats running for governor next year.

US Senator Kamala Harris, often mentioned as a potential candidate for president in 2020, accused Mr Trump of putting Russia first, America second.

The convention comes less than a week after the US Justice Department appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during last year's election  a charge Trump has vehemently denied and called a witch hunt.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

California Republican Party chairman Jim Brulte said Democrats were focused on Mr Trump to avoid talking about their own policies, including a recent decision to raise gas taxes and vehicle fees to pay for road improvements.

Democrats own California and they broke it, Brulte said in a statement. They don't want to talk about their record in California which is why they want California voters to focus solely on President Trump.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Donald Trump said Iran must immediately cease financial and military support for "terrorists and militias".

The President reiterated that Tehran will never be allowed to possess atomic weapons.

"Most importantly, the United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon - never, ever - and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias, and it must cease immediately," Mr Trump said at a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

 Donald Trump lands in Tel Aviv on first foreign tour

He went on to say Israel's Arab neighbours are realising they share a "common cause" with Israel in the threat from Iran.

The United States has branded Iran a "state sponsor of terrorism".

It said Tehran's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, Houthi rebels in Yemen's civil war and the Hezbollah Shia political party and militia in Lebanon have helped destabilise the Middle East.

In his speech at Mr Rivlin's official residence, Mr Trump said he was deeply encouraged by his conversations with Muslim world leaders in Saudi Arabia.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

"Many expressed their resolve to help end terrorism and the spread of radicalisation. Many Muslim nations have already taken steps to begin following through on this commitment," he said.

"There is a growing realisation among your Arab neighbours that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran."

Speaking during his first visit to Israel as president, Mr Trump said there is strong consensus on these issues among the world's nations, including many in the Muslim world.
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Donald Trump has been accused of "de-emphasising" the importance of human rights during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

In a speech the US President told his hosts "we are not here to lecture" and that "we must seek partners, not perfection" in the campaign to defeat Islamist terrorism.

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff said the tactic could represent "a terrible abdication of our global leadership when it comes to advocating for people who are the subject of persecution".

He told CNN's State of the Union programme: "I think this is a broader element of the administrations policy that theyre going to de-emphasise issues of human rights.

"That what countries do within their own boundaries, were essentially going to look the other way, thats not a high priority of ours any more. The promotion of democracy, the promotion of human rights is going to take a back seat."

Republican senator John McCain said: "We have to stand up for what we believe in."

Urging Muslim countries to work more closely together to combat terror, Mr Trump said on Sunday: "We are not here to lecture, we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship.

"Instead, we are here to offer partnership, based on shared interests and values, to pursue a better future for us all."

He added: "Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption.

"We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes, not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms, not sudden intervention.

"We must seek partners, not perfection, and to make allies of all who share our goals."

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

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Fox News Sunday Mr Trump's primary focus had been the fight against terrorism.

He added: "The way you address those human rights issues and women's rights issues is to improve the conditions in the region.

"There are efforts under way to, I think, improve the rights of women, the participation of women in society throughout the region."

Ivanka Trump called Saudi Arabia's progress on women's rights "encouraging" during the visit, though conceded there was "still a lot of work to be done".

The deeply conservative kingdom is one of the most gender-segregated countries in the world, where women live under the supervision of a male guardian, cannot drive, and must wear head-to-toe black garments in public.

However, earlier this month King Salman announced a plan to give women more control over their lives through study, work and hospital treatment.

He issued an order allowing women to benefit from government services such as education and healthcare without getting the consent of a guardian.

There was outrage in April when Saudi Arabia was elected to the UN's women's commission, whose role is to shape "global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women".

The UK Foreign Office refused to deny Britain had voted for its ascension to the body, but Belgium's prime minister said he "regretted" his ambassador's vote in favour.
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Ivanka Trump said that Saudi Arabia has made "very encouraging" progress in empowering women, even though women cannot drive and must escorted everywhere by a male relative.

"Saudi Arabia's progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging," The US president's eldest daughter told a group of Saudi women she met in the country's capital Riyadh, while accompanying her father on a visit to the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom.

But Ms Trump admitted there was "still a lot of work to be done and freedoms and opportunities to continue to fight for."

She went onto suggested that it was culture, not religion, holding them back.

"Women driving is not a religious issue as much as it is an issue that relates to the community itself that either accepts it or refuses it, she said, even though Saudi Arabia's Deputy crown prince and Minister of Defence Mohammed bin Salman Al once said the Saudi community was not convinced about women driving.

The countrys restrictions on women form a wider web of control: under the guardianship system, every woman must have a male guardian, who also acts as escort.

These men  often fathers or husbands, but who can also be sons  make key decisions on their behalf, which includes granting permission to apply for a passport, to travel outside the country, to study abroad and to get married.

Strict rules on attire means Saudi women have to cover their bodies with an abaya, and their hair must be covered when in public.

King Salman issued an order in April to all government agencies that women should not be denied access to government services because they do not have a mans consent.

If enforced, Human Rights Watch said it could end arbitrary guardian consent requirements imposed on women by government officials.

Despite the seemingly forward-thinking nature of the decision, the guardianship system itself, remains unchallenged.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

Last year a fleeing Saudi woman who attempted to seek asylum in Australia was taken back to her family against her will while in transit in the Philippines.

As of the end of April, the 24-year-old,who had said she feared for her life, has not been seen in public.

Saudi women have not been idle: during Theresa Mays visit to the ultra-conservative country, women campaigners filmed themselves silently walking in the street without male companions as part of their fight for the right to drive.
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Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and won't comply with a Senate subpoena requesting documents related to his communications with Russian officials.

The decision comes nearly two weeks after the Senate Intelligence Committee issued the subpoena as part of the panel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Legal experts had previously noted that Mr Flynn wasn't likely to comply with subpoena requests unless he was granted immunity because doing so would be giving up constitutional protections. Mr Flynn had also requested immunity from "unfair prosecution" previously when asked to comply with the committee's investigation.

A letter written for Mr Flynn by his legal team said a daily "escalating public frenzy against him" and the recent appointment of a special counsel have created a dangerous legal area for Mr Flynn, according to the Associated Press.

Mr Flynn was forced to step down from his post in the White House in February after it was discovered that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence regarding conversations he had with a Russian official during the presidential transition period. He had wrongly informed Mr Pence that he had not discussed US sanctions on Russia that were imposed as punishment for meddling in the 2016 election.

Since his resignation, several details have emerged. Sally Yates, then the acting attorney general, warned the Trump administration that Mr Flynn could be compromised because of his misleading conversations nearly three weeks before the resignation. Mr Flynn had also received tens of thousands of dollars in payments from Russian sources that he did not disclose or receive approval for, which is required since he is a retired lieutenant general.

Mr Flynn is one of several former Trump campaign officials who have been asked to provide documents to congressional investigations related to Russian contacts with the Trump campaign. The others include former foreign policy adviser Carter Page, former campaign Chairman Paul Manafort, and informal adviser Roger Stone. Mr Manafort and Mr Stone have both reportedly provided documents to the Senate committee.
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A Mississippi politician has said that public officials responsible for taking down Confederate monuments in Louisiana should be lynched.

Mississippi State Representative Karl Oliver expressed his outrage over the removal of four Confederate symbols in New Orleans on Facebook over the weekend, saying that the efforts are an affront to southern history.

The destruction of these monuments, erected in the loving memory of our family and fellow Southern Americans, is both heinous and horrific, Mr Oliver wrote. If the, and I use the term extremely loosely, 'leadership' of Louisiana wishes to, in a Nazi-ish fashion, burn books or destroy historical monuments of OUR HISTORY, they should be LYNCHED! Let it be known, I will do all in my power to prevent this from happening in our State.

Recommended New Orleans removes Confederate monument amid death threats

The statement was quickly criticised by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, who said that it was unacceptable and that there isnt a place for that kind of talk in civil conversations. Mr Oliver, within days, had removed the message from his Facebook account and offered an apology.

I, first and foremost, wish to extend this apology for any embarrassment I have caused to both my colleagues and fellow Mississippians, Oliver said in a written response to the Clarion-Ledger. In an effort to express my passion for preserving all historical monuments, I acknowledge the word 'lynched' was wrong. I am very sorry. It is in no way, ever, an appropriate term. I deeply regret that I chose this word, and I do not condone the actions I referenced, nor do I believe them in my heart. I freely admit my choice of words was horribly wrong, and I humbly ask your forgiveness.

New Orleans removed the fourth of four Confederate monuments last week after years of protests and efforts by activists who charge that keeping the statues and other symbols is an offensive celebration of the countrys racist history.

In pictures: Charleston vigil Show all 6 1 /6 In pictures: Charleston vigil In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil Sunlight shines through a window and onto some of the thousands of people gathered for a city-sponsored prayer vigil for the nine victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil People attend a vigil at TD Arena for victims of the Charleston church shooting GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil A view of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil People attend a prayer vigil at the TD Aren GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil Family members of the nine victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting sit on the first five rows during a prayer vigil at the College of Charleston TD Arena GETTY In pictures: Charleston vigil Charleston vigil NBA Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (C) joins thousands of people for a prayer vigil for the nine victims GETTY

A broader effort to remove Confederate symbols in the South was sparked after the 2015 shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, in which a white man who had previously posed for pictures with the Confederate battle flag entered a predominantly black church and killed nine African Americans.
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The Trump administration appears to be providing the New York Times with fake news, after Donald Trump accused the news organisation of peddling false information.

Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for the The Times, suggested that Mr Trumps team had tried sending reporters false material for stories, but that their efforts had been in vain because journalists actually vet the information.

Ms Haberman was responding to a Twitter user who wrote: You know what we should do? Start flooding the NYTimes and WAPO tip lines with all kinds of crazy leaks. Then laugh when they print them!

The Washington Post and The Times last week both published scoops that rocked the White House.

On Monday, the Post reported that Mr Trump had disclosed classified information during a meeting with Russian officials. Then on Tuesday, The Times published a report saying that Mr Trump asked former FBI Director James Comey to drop his investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Along with denying that he asked Mr Comey to end the probe, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that he had the absolute right to share certain information with Russia.

The White House had continued to deal with the fallout from both stories, as well as the release of further scoops by both news organisations.

Mr Trump has frequently criticised the New York Times, saying in an interview with far-right website Breitbart that the organisations intent is so evil and so bad and that they write lies.

The stories are wrong in many cases, but its the overall intent, Mr Trump said.
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A North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) spokesperson is denying a report that the Secretary-General of the military alliance said Donald Trump has a 12 second attention span.

Oana Longescu tweeted that Jens Stoltenberg did not, in fact, comment on the US presidents lack of focus.

Politico reported that he had, citing a senior White House official who also said Mr Trump was not prepared for his meeting with Mr Stoltenberg.

Mr Trump has criticised Nato in the past, saying it is unfair to the US because of what he feels are the countrys outsized contributions compared to other countries like Germany.

There are 28 member countries and the US is one of the five members meeting an obligation to contribute two per cent of their GDP to Nato.

After his meeting with Mr Stoltenberg, Mr Trump seemed to change his stance a bit.

They made a change and now they do fight terrorism. I said it was obsolete. Its no longer obsolete.

Nato did not start to fight terrorism because of Mr Trump.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

Mr Stoltenberg after the same meeting said: for me, the important thing is that [Mr Trump] has been very consistent when it comes to NATO in all my interactions and conversations with him.

The denial of the claim also comes on the heels of another report that Nato members will be tailoring the upcoming meeting to Mr Trumps mercurial mood and alleged inability to focus.

Foreign Policy reported that members are limiting their speeches to two to four minutes and there will be no final statement to clarify a cohesive alliance strategy as has been published in the past.

A Nato source told Foreign Policy its like theyre preparing to deal with a child...who has no knowledge of NATO, no interest in in-depth policy issues, nothing.

Theyre freaking out, said the source.

Mr Trump is set to attend the Nato summit 24-25 May in Brussels, Belgium.
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Donald Trump appears to have confirmed that Israel was the source of highly sensitive intelligence he gave to Russian officials.

During a press conference in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump said he never mentioned the word or the name Israel during a White House meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergei Kislyak.

They're all saying I did, so you have another story wrong, Mr Trump said, referring to the press.

Recommended Donald Trump could be about to mess up his trip to the Middle East

But the President did not deny that some of the classified information he reportedly revealed about an Isis terrorist plot came from Israel. No news publication said that Mr Trump mentioned the name Israel during his conversation with Mr Lavrov and Mr Kislyak.

Pundits speculated that Mr Trumps alleged disclosure of classified intelligence to Russian officials could possible overshadow his first visit to Israel as president.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

When Mr Netanyahu was asked if he had any concerns about intelligence cooperation with the US, the Prime Minister responded: Intelligence cooperation is terrific. It's never been better.

During a White House press briefing last week, US National Security Adviser HR McMaster said that the President wasnt even aware where this information came from and wasnt briefed on the sources and methods.

What the president discussed with the foreign minister was wholly appropriate to that conversation and is consistent with the routine sharing of information between the president and any leaders with whom hes engaged, Mr McMaster said.

In a tweet, Mr Trump said he had the absolute right to share facts pertaining to terrorism.
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White House lawyers have reportedly started researching impeachment procedures should an attempt be made to oust Donald Trump from the office of the presidency, according to CNN.

Two people briefed on the discussions reportedly told the broadcaster lawyers in the White House counsels office have in the past week spoken to impeachment experts to discuss the nature of proceedings, were they to go ahead. A White House official denied the report.

President Donald Trump is facing scrutiny following reports that he attempted to pressure former head of the FBI James Comey to drop the investigation into his former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

Recommended Republicans begin to say Donald Trump could be impeached

In a memo written by Mr Comey after a meeting with the president, he recorded that Mr Trump allegedly told him, I hope you can let this go, according to the New York Times.

Many politicians in the US have been cautious around talk of removing the president from office, though Republican congressman Justin Amash told The Hill that if reports about the pressure proved to be true then it could merit impeachment.

Republican representative Carlos Curbelo compared Mr Trumps alleged pressure on Mr Comey to the cases of obstruction of justice made against Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

Obstruction of justice in the case of Nixon, in the case of Clinton in the late 1990s, has been considered an impeachable offence, he told the broadcaster.

A Democratic congressmen from Texas, Al Green, became the first to call for the President to be impeached from the floor of the House, however.

"This is where I stand. I will not be moved. The President must be impeached," he said last week.

The African American congressman has reportedly received menacing phone calls since his statement, including threats of being lynched.

He told the Houston Chronicle: We are not going to be intimidated.
Florida Jury Awards Woman $100K in Starbucks Hot Coffee Lawsuit

A Florida woman was awarded $100,000 by a jury in her case against Starbucks stemming from a 2014 hot coffee spill injury. Joanne Mogavero, a 43-year-old mother of three, filed suit after the lid to her coffee popped off while it was being handed to her from the Starbucks drive-thru window. The 20-oz.190 degree coffee spilled in her lap, resulting in first and second degree burns.

Of the $100,000 jury verdict, a little over $15,000 was awarded for the actual medical expenses, while the remainder was awarded for pain and suffering. Starbucks has stated that the company is considering appealing the verdict.

Hot Coffee Hubbub

Over the years, there have been numerous hot coffee spill and burn lawsuits. One of the more common claims in these cases involves the lids popping off to-go coffee cups. Quite often there is public backlash against these cases, with commentators calling these cases frivolous before understanding the facts. The famous 1994 McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit that resulted in $2.8 million dollar verdict is the perfect example of a case often cited as frivolous by those that don't know the facts. The plaintiff in the McDonald's case suffered severe burns not just to her legs, but also to her genitalia.

Not all coffee spill and burn incidents result in legal liability, and frequently, these cases do lose. However, severe burns can take several weeks, or longer, to heal and cause immense amounts of pain. When a company is negligent, and that negligence is what causes the spill and burn, it is only right for a company to be held liable for their negligence in court.

In Mogavero's case, it was revealed that Starbucks receives approximately 80 complaints per month that coffee cup lids popped off. Shockingly, the company's attorney argued that despite that statistic, the number of complaints was not significant enough to warrant employees providing warnings to consumers. It would seem that with all the complaints per month, a reasonable company would implement policies to not only warn consumers, but also require employees to test a lid's security before handing it through a drive-thru window.

Related Resources:
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Thai police say 24 people have been injured in a bomb explosion at a hospital in Bangkok.

The bombing at Phramongkutklao Hospital, which is popular with retired military officers, took place on the third anniversary of a 2014 military coup.

"It was a bomb. We found the pieces that were used to make the bomb," Kamthorn Aucharoen, commander of the police's explosive ordnance team, said.

Recommended North Korea fires ballistic missile in latest weapons test

"Right now, authorities are checking out closed circuit cameras."

The deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police said investigators found traces of batteries and wires at the blast site and that the blast radius was up to 3m.

It comes just weeks after a double explosion at a shopping centre in Pattani, southern Thailand, injured at least 50 people.

A suspected car bomb was detonated at the entrance to the Big-C shopping centre in downtown Pattani on 9 May, a province that has suffered waves of secessionist violence since 2004.

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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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A first bomb was detonated inside the building, followed by a second explosion outside the centre, which targeted shoppers running from the first blast.

Additional reporting by agencies
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North Korea has said it is ready to begin mass production of a new medium-range ballistic missile capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases.

The North fired the missile into waters off its east coast on Sunday, its second weapons test in a week.

The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 (Poseidon-2) missile flew about 500km (310 miles) and reached a height of 560km (350 miles) before plunging into the Pacific Ocean.

Kim Jong-un supervised the test, which confirmed reliable late-stage guidance of the warhead and the functioning of a solid-fuel engine, the KCNA state news agency said.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un inspects the medium-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2's launch test (Reuters)

It quoted Kim as saying the Pukguksong-2 met all the required technical specifications so should now be mass-produced and deployed to the Korean People's Army strategic battle unit.

Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action, KCNA said, quoting Kim.

The launch verified the reliability and accuracy of the solid fuel engines operation and stage separation and the late-stage guidance of the nuclear warhead which was recorded by a device mounted on the warhead, the report added.

Viewing the images of the Earth being sent real-time from the camera mounted on the ballistic missile, Supreme leader Kim Jong-un said it feels grand to look at the Earth from the rocket we launched and the entire world looks so beautiful.

 High possibility of war with North Korea, warns new South Korean president

Pyongyang has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programmes, even from China, its lone major ally, saying the weapons are needed for defence against US aggression.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the latest test, which defies Security Council resolutions and sanctions.

President Trump has warned a major, major conflict with North Korea is possible, and in a show of force, sent the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group to Korean waters to conduct drills with South Korea and Japan.

Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, said economic and diplomatic pressure would continue.

In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video

We cannot absolutely tolerate the missile launch on May 21 and repeated provocative remarks and actions by North Korea, Yoshihide Suga, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, said.

It is important to lower North Korea's foreign currency earnings and prevent nuclear missile related shipment and technological transfer in order to prevent North Korea's nuclear missile development. We will fully implement our own sanctions against North Korea.

China repeated its call for all parties to exercise restraint to not let tension mount further.

North Korea testfires an underwater strategic submarine ballistic missile (file image, EPA) (EPA)

The use of solid fuel presents advantages for weapons because the fuel is more stable and can be transported easily in the missiles tank allowing for a launch at very short notice.

For military purposes, solid-fuelled missiles have the advantage that they have the fuel loaded in them and can be launched quickly after they are moved to a launch site, David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, wrote in a blog post.

Building large solid missiles is difficult, he said, adding it took decades for major superpowers such as France and China to go from a medium-range missile to an intercontinental ballistic missile.

South Koreas military said the test provided more meaningful data for the North's missile programme but whether the North mastered the re-entry technology for the warhead needs additional analysis.

The reclusive state has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the US mainland and on Saturday said it had developed the capability, although Western missile experts say the claim is exaggerated.

Some experts believe it will be 2030 or later for the North to develop the technology. But KCNA said last weeks missile test put Hawaii and Alaska within range.

North Korea regularly threatens to destroy the United States which it accuses of preparing for an invasion.

South Korea hosts 28,500 US troops to counter the threat from the North: a legacy of the Korean War, which ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Marine Le Pen is expected to abandon her campaign for France to leave the European Union and bring back the franc, following her failed presidential bid against Emmanuel Macron.

While the new President Macron announced he would be hosting Russia's Vladimir Putin at the palace of Versailles and prepared for a crucial meeting with business leaders on Tuesday, Front National (FN) party officials continued to unpick a defeat at the ballot box that was even heavier than polls predicted.

Both leaving the European Union and the euro were key policies set out by Ms Le Pen, despite a poll conducted just months ahead of the election showing that 72 per cent of French voters were against abandoning the euro.

And with parliamentary elections coming next month, in which those parties which lost the presidential vote have a chance to wrest back some control in the national assembly, FN is changing tack on a key tenet of its political outlook.

There will be no Frexit, Front Nationals chief economic strategist Bernard Monot admitted in an interview with The Telegraph.

I continue to think that the euro is not technically viable but it makes no sense for us to keep insisting stubbornly. From now on our policy will be to renegotiate the EU treaties to give us more control over our budget and banking regulations.

Ms Le Pen returned to the role of leader of FN last week, after stepping down as the head of the party in the lead up to the election, which she lost after taking only 33.9 per cent of the vote against Mr Macrons 66.1 per cent win.

Since taking up the presidency, Mr Macron has named a cabinet split equally along gender lines, and including members from across France's political spectrum. He made his first foreign trip to Berlin, Germany, and has vowed to work closely with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to create a common roadmap for Europe, saying that changing EU treaties is no longer a taboo.

 Marine Le Pen steps down from National Front leadership

Mr Macron will receive Mr Putin outside Paris on 29 May to inaugurate an exhibition marking 300 years of Franco-Russian diplomatic ties, a French presidency official said on Monday. Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under former President Francois Hollande, with Mr Putin cancelling his last planned visit in October after Mr Hollande said he would see him only for talks on Syria. Mr Putin and Mr Macron agreed in their first phone call last week to continue discussions on Ukraine and Syria despite their conflicting views.

On Tuesday, the French President will face a big early test when he meets unions and employers to talk over labour reforms he has pledged to push through quickly despite deep opposition on the left.

He is expected to meet leaders of the communist-backed CGT, the CFDT and a third union, as well as talking with Pierre Gattaz, head of the Medef employers' body. But he will face stern opposition to any measures that are seen as cutting into France's staunchly defended workers' rights. "If the government wants to force its reforms through or doesn't take into account our proposals, there will be anger and also mobilisation," the CGT's head, Philippe Martinez, warned on Monday.

Additional reporting on agencies
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The tiny Balkan country of Montenegro will take a huge step towards integrating with the West when it becomes the 29th member of Nato this week, but it risks paying a heavy price for spurning Russia.

For nearly a decade after Montenegro split from Serbia in 2006, Moscow cultivated close ties with the former Yugoslav republic, and money poured in from Russian investors and tourists. It was a love affair underpinned not just by commercial and diplomatic logic but also by historic, religious and linguistic ties between the two Slav countries.

"Back in 2006 Montenegro was advertised as a desirable destination for Russians, because it is a beautiful country and an Orthodox Christian one," says Vadim Verhovski, a Russian investment banker who, with partners, has invested 25m (21.6m) to buy land near the coastal town of Budva.

Now the romance has turned to rancour. Montenegro blamed Russia for an alleged plot to assassinate its prime minister last October which officials said was aimed at blocking its entry to Nato. The Kremlin called that absurd.

In April, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned of a "surge of anti-Russian hysteria" in Montenegro.

The chill is hitting tourism: latest available data, for March, showed Russians accounted for 7.3 per cent of all tourist overnight stays that month compared to nearly 30 per cent in March 2014 and 19 per cent in March 2016. Advertising hoardings in Russian, promoting luxury apartments with views of the Adriatic, were once ubiquitous along the coastal highway. Now they have vanished, and Russian-language signs have largely disappeared from shops.

Prime Minister Dusko Markovic said a recent Russian ban on imports of wine from Montenegro was linked to its Nato membership. Moscow said it had discovered banned pesticides in the wine.

"We are prepared for any decision [by Russia] and nothing is going to deter us from the path we decided to take," Markovic told reporters. "The Balkans for centuries has been the scene of a struggle between the West and the East. Like other states in the region, Montenegro has strong links with the East, but in the 2006 we made a key decision that we would like to adopt Western standards and values."

For a country of just 650,000 people with 2,000 military personnel and an area smaller than Connecticut, Montenegro has strategic value out of proportion to its size. Its dramatic Adriatic coastline, the source of its appeal to tourists, is also attractive in strategic terms because of its easy access to the Mediterranean. A former senior government official, who declined to be named, said Moscow made an official request in September 2013 to use the Montenegrin port of Bar as a naval logistics base en route to Syria. After pressure from Nato, the government declined.

"The strategic position of our country is important [to Nato] and especially the Adriatic Sea," Markovic said.

When the alliance welcomes Montenegro at its summit in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, it will mark its first expansion since neighbours Albania and Croatia joined in 2009. The country is surrounded by Nato members or hopefuls, except for Serbia, which maintains military neutrality.

"Montenegro may be small, but its presence at the Nato summit as a new member is a message to the Western Balkans to show that the path towards Europe is open," a senior Nato official said. "It is also a message to Donald Trump that Nato is growing, it has new friends."

Still, Nato is a divisive issue among Montenegro's own people. Many see Russia as a historic friend  a traditional ally against the Ottoman Empire, and the first nation to establish diplomatic relations with Montenegro in 1711.

Many remember a 1999 Nato bombing raid that killed 10 people in Montenegro, part of a wider intervention by the alliance to end Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic's campaign of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

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. 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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. 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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. 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"A vast majority of people supports Russia, you cannot exclude emotions," said Dragan Krapovic, mayor of Budva, which counts around 1,000 Russians in a population of 16,000. "Russia supported Montenegro's independence referendum, and many people invested money after that. Now they feel cheated."

Since the October election, Montenegro has been in political paralysis, with all opposition parties boycotting parliament. Some analysts fear that Nato membership could deepen the crisis.

"The move could even prove to be destabilising from a domestic perspective, given deep societal divisions on the subject," said James Sawyer of the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy. "The good governance reforms that are supposed in theory to be part of the Nato accession process have largely been cosmetic, while many other important reforms remain to be done."

Verhovski, the Russian investor, bought 13 hectares of land south of Budva a decade ago, to build a tourist complex including a hotel and villas. Bogged down by the process of getting permits, he has yet to lay a single brick, but he hopes to finally start construction this year.

"There is a lot of potential in Montenegro for investment in infrastructure, for example, or ski resorts. Montenegro has a lot to offer. And we hope that with Nato membership it will become more predictable for investors," he said.

"Russians will continue to come to Montenegro. Maybe in the short run less Russians will come, but in the long run I believe they will continue to come. Where else they would go?"

Reuters
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In a signal that Turkey faces indefinite rule by decree, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that a state of emergency, introduced as a temporary measure after last years failed coup, would continue until the country achieved welfare and peace.

The state of emergency allows Erdogan and his cabinet to issue sweeping decrees without parliamentary oversight or review by the constitutional court, giving him an almost untrammelled grip on power.

So far, the decrees have allowed Erdogan to jail more than 40,000 people accused of plotting a failed coup, fire or suspend more than 140,000 additional people, shut down about 1,500 civil groups, arrest at least 120 journalists and close more than 150 news media outlets.

In late April, a decree issued under the state of emergency was used to block access to Wikipedia.

Despite international criticism of these measures, Erdogan said on Sunday that the state of emergency will not be lifted, according to Anadolu Agency, a state-owned news wire. Until when? Until the situation reaches welfare and peace.

Recommended Donald Trump fails to raise human rights with Turkish president

A recent referendum victory gave Erdogan the power to rule by decree from 2019 onward, provided that he wins presidential elections held that year. But his announcement on Sunday means he can continue to wield such power in the intervening period.

International rights groups say that while the state of emergency was initially justified because it followed a coup attempt that left at least 249 people dead, it is now being used as a pretext for quashing dissent.

What weve seen is that instead of using the state of emergency to counter genuine threats to national security, its been abused to stifle criticism of the ruling AK party, said Andrew Gardner, a Turkey researcher for Amnesty International, using the Turkish initials for Erdogans Justice and Development Party. And theres every signal that that will continue.

Amnesty says it will publish a report on Monday detailing the catastrophic impact that the state of emergency  and the purges it has precipitated  has had on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Turkish families. More than 100,000 people have not just lost their jobs, in a completely arbitrary process, but had their professional and personal lives shattered as well, Gardner said.

As far back as December, legal experts from the Council of Europe, an influential pressure group, warned that if the Turkish government rules through emergency powers for too long, it will inevitably lose democratic legitimacy.

In his speech on Sunday, Erdogan shrugged off these concerns. In my country, they tried to overthrow the state, and we gave 249 martyrs, and had 2,193 injured, he said in remarks carried by Anadolu Agency. How dare you ask us to lift the state of emergency.

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

Erdogan spoke at a conference for his party, at which he was formally re-accepted as leader. Erdogan left the party in 2014 to assume the presidency, an office that was then meant to be politically neutral; last months referendum removed that requirement, allowing Erdogan to rejoin his party.

His comments capped a turbulent week for him. In a visit to Washington on Tuesday, Erdogan failed to persuade President Donald Trump to abandon an alliance with a group of Syrian Kurdish fighters whom Turkey regards as terrorists. Later in the day, Erdogan watched silently as his bodyguards assaulted several people protesting his policies.

Copyright The New York Times
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Swiss voters have backed government plans to replace the power from ageing nuclear reactors with renewable energy.

A total of 58.2 per cent of voters supported the phaseout of nuclear energy in a binding referendum on Sunday. Under the Swiss system of direct democracy, voters have the final say on major policy issues.

The plan will provide billions of pounds in subsidies for renewable energy, ban the construction of nuclear plants and decommission the countrys five existing ones, which produce about a third of the countrys electricity.

The first nuclear power plant is earmarked for closure in 2019.

"This is a historic day for the country," Green Party parliamentarian Adele Thorens Goumaz told public broadcaster RTS.

"Switzerland will finally enter into the 21st century when it comes to energy."

The move echoes efforts across Europe to reduce dependence on nuclear energy and has been in the making following Japans Fukushima disaster in 2011. Germany has announced it will close all nuclear plants by 2022 and Austria banned it decades ago.

The Swiss government wants to boost hydraulic power as well as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass.

Energy Minister Doris Leuthard, from the centre-right Christian Democratic Party, told reporters at a press conference: "The results shows the population wants a new energy policy and does not want any new nuclear plants. The law leads our country into a modern energy future."

The new law is expected to come into effect at the start of 2018 and Ms Leuthard said the plan would cost the average family about 40 francs (31.64) more a year because a higher grid surcharge would help to fund renewable subsidies.

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

But critics to the plan claimed the initiative would significantly increase electricity bills. The countrys largest party, the populist Swiss Peoples Party, campaigned against the plan and claimed energy bills could ramp up by an additional 3,200 Swiss francs (2,532) per four-person household a year.

It said the energy transition will be too expensive, would trigger greater reliance on imported electricity and could disfigure the landscape with more wind turbines and solar panels.

Last November, Swiss voters rejected a plan to speed up the phaseout of coal power plants by limiting their operational lifespan to 45 years, which would have meant three of the five nuclear reactors would have had to close this year.

But most other parties and environmental groups hailed the result of the vote a success.

The new plan does not include a clear timetable for the phaseout of nuclear energy but it aims to cut average energy consumption per person per year by 16 per cent by 2020 and 43 per cent by 2035 compared to 2000 levels.

According to the ATS news agency, only 42.3 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the referendum, a low turnout which yet falls within the average over the past two years.

Additional reporting by news agencies.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly had to order his cabinet to meet visiting US President Donald Trump at a welcoming reception after several ministers refused to attend.

Several official sources told Israeli media that Mr Netanyahu noticed during his cabinet meeting on Sunday that planned attendance at Mondays ceremony at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv was low, which allegedly led the prime minister to lose his temper and cut the weekly meeting short.

Mr Netanyahus office then issued official instructions to all government ministers to inform them that attendance at the reception is mandatory.

Many government officials were allegedly loathe to travel to Tel Aviv from Jerusalem on Monday after it emerged the original plan for a lengthy welcome ceremony featuring speeches and handshakes with the visiting president had been replaced by a much shorter reception at the White Houses request due to the warm weather.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Culture Minister Miri Regev and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin reportedly told the coalition governments head they were reluctant to cancel existing work commitments to face lengthy security checks and the prospect of waiting on the tarmac in the sun as sideline participants in the ceremony.

Their comments supposedly led Mr Netanyahu to demand all of his ministers presence.

Israel: From independence to intifada Show all 7 1 /7 Israel: From independence to intifada Israel: From independence to intifada 26973.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26974.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26975.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26976.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26977.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26985.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Israel: From independence to intifada 26986.bin Robert Capa/Magnum

Air Force One arrives in Israel at 12.15pm (10.15am GMT) local time. Mr Trumps two-day itinerary includes a visit to Jerusalems Western Wall - the first by a sitting US president - and a private dinner with Mr Netanyahu before meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday.

Mr Trump is widely viewed in Israel and the wider Middle East as far more sympathetic to Israeli interests than his predecessor Barack Obama.

Despite his pro-Israeli campaign trail rhetoric, since entering the White House Mr Trump has caught some Israeli hard-liners off guard with the suggestion the government should hold back on settlement building, and his administration has equivocated over whether the US embassy will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as promised.

He has, however, repeatedly emphasised his sincere desire to broker a peace deal in the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, putting his son-in-law Jared Kushner in charge of such efforts.

During Mr Abbas visit to the White House earlier this month Mr Trump said that a lasting peace agreement is maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years, although his comments were met with skepticism by many observers.

Mr Trumps visit to Israel is the second leg of his first international trip as president.

Two days in Riyadh saw the US President pledge stronger ties with Saudi Arabian leaders, condemn Islamist terrorism, and sign a $110 billion (85 million) arms deal with the country.

On leaving the Middle East Mr Trump goes on to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, Brussels for a Nato summit, and finally Sicily for a meeting of the G7.
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US President Donald Trump has arrived in Israel for the second leg of his maiden foreign trip in search of Middle Eastern peace - a goal he has described as the ultimate deal.

Arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday, the president also said he saw a growing consensus among Muslim-majority nations that they share a common cause with Israel in fighting both Islamic extremism and Iranian influence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dozens more members of the coalition government greeted Mr Trump in a short ceremony as Air Force One landed at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport at lunchtime on Monday.

 Trump tells Middle East need to 'drive out' terrorism on their own

A helicopter then delivered the visiting president to Jerusalem, where he met with President Reuven Rivlin, visiting both the Western Wall  one of Judaism's holiest sites  and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed to be where Jesus's tomb is located. Mr Trump, who is the first sitting US President to visit the site, placed a note inside a hole in the Western Wall, as is customary for visitors.

The official US visit has been met with extensive security arrangements following calls from some Palestinian factions for a "day of rage"; more than 10,000 extra police and counter-terrorism officers were deployed for Mr Trumps two-night stay.

The visiting presidents 1,000-person-strong entourage also includes a large security detail.

The message should be sent that the Palestinian people insist on their right to self-determination and national independence with east Jerusalem as its sovereign capital, a statement from the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces read, calling the US' support for the Israeli occupation of the West Bank "unacceptable."

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

The east of Jerusalem was annexed by Israel along with parts of the West Bank in 1967 in a move which was never officially recognised by the international community. Both sides in the Israeli-Arab conflict claim the holy city as their capital.

The entire US delegation is staying at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where Mr Trump, his wife Melania, and Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu will have a private dinner on Monday evening.

The Presidents suite has been fitted out with bullet-proof glass and other measures by US security services to make it bomb, blast and gas proof, NBC reported on Sunday, and his food will be tested for poison.

Mr Trump is scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday before laying a wreath at the Holocaust Remembrance Centre and delivering a speech at the National Museum of Israel.

Mr Trump is widely viewed in Israel and the wider Middle East as far more sympathetic to Israeli interests than his predecessor Barack Obama.

Despite his pro-Israeli campaign trail rhetoric, since entering the White House Mr Trump has caught some Israeli hard-liners off guard with the suggestion the government should hold back on settlement building, and his administration has equivocated over whether the US embassy will move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as promised.

He has, however, repeatedly emphasised his sincere desire to broker a peace deal in the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, putting his son-in-law Jared Kushner in charge of such efforts.

We must work together to build a future where the nations of the region are at peace and all of our children can grow, grow up strong and free from terrorism and violence, Mr Trump said on his arrival on Monday.

During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope.

White House aides have downplayed hopes any significant progress on reviving long-stalled peace talks can be made, describing the president's first trip as "symbolic".

 Donald Trump becomes first sitting US President to visit Western Wall

The President flew to Tel Aviv after two days in Riyadh, where he and Saudi Arabian leaders pledged strong ties, greater cooperation in fighting Islamist terrorism and finalised a $110 billion (85 million) arms deal.

The weapons deal - which rights campaigners fear will fuel the conflict in Yemen - could open Mr Trump to questions from Israeli officials.

Last week's revelations the president shared classified Israeli information with Russian visitors to the White House is another point of contention, although speaking on board Air Force One, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters he wasn't sure that Mr Trump had "anything to apologise for".

During a press conference with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Trump seemed to hint that Israel was the source of the intelligence, telling reporters he never mentioned "the word of the name 'Israel'" during the visit by Russian diplomats.

When Mr Netanyahu was asked if he had any concerns about intelligence cooperation with the US, the prime minister responded: Intelligence cooperation is terrific. It's never been better.

The next stops on the president's first trip abroad since taking office in January are the Vatican, Brussels, and a G7 summit in Italy.
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The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to strong-arm reluctant members of his government into greeting Donald Trump at the airport  but several of them managed to embarrass him within minutes of the US president's arrival.

Original plans for a lengthy welcome reception including handshakes with officials at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport on Monday were shelved at the White Houses request due to the hot weather, Israeli media reported.

On learning that they would have to cancel existing work commitments to travel from Jerusalem and undergo lengthy security checks just to witness the event from the sidelines, several ministers reportedly told Mr Netanyahu in Sundays weekly cabinet meeting they had decided not to attend.

 Donald Trump lands in Tel Aviv on first foreign tour

The prime minister was allegedly so angry he cut the meeting short. Shortly afterwards, his office issued instructions demanding the presence of all government ministers.

As Air Force One touched down in Israel at lunchtime, however, ministers ended up having their chance to meet Mr Trump after all  and Mr Netanyahu was less than delighted with what they had to say.

Gilad Erdan, the security minister, sought to impress Israels precarious security situation on Mr Trump by mistakenly telling him a traffic accident in the city earlier that morning was being investigated as a terror attack.

Several, including Naftali Bennett, the outspoken education minister, used the brief introduction to ask Mr Trump to deliver on his election campaign promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem (to whom Mr Trump replied, Good one).

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

As Mr Netanyahu then sought to hurry his counterpart down the receiving line of ministers, Oren Hazan, a scandal-plagued member of the Knesset, held up proceedings to demand a selfie with the visiting president.

I told Trump how excited I was [to meet him] and that I was a fan of him from the beginning, the 35-year-old told reporters.

Then I just added, 'What do you say, can I have a selfie?' So he said, Come on.

Both Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu looked visibly displeased with the request. The Israeli leader attempted to bat the young mans hand away.

Netanyahu was a little less fond of the idea, Mr Hazan admitted, but the president waited, and the embarrassing thing was that I fumbled with my phone. Even when the phone froze I insisted on turning it off, turning it on again. We took the picture and I tell you  for me and I think that for him too, this is a historical moment, newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted him as saying.

Mr Hazan is a divisive figure in Israel. He used to own a casino in Bulgaria, where it is alleged he procured sex workers and drugs for customers. Mr Hazan denies the allegations.

Mr Netanyahu, for his part, awkwardly made small talk with Mr Trump while the two posed for photos with their spouses Sara and Melania. The Israeli leader described his counterpart as a great friend.

In a short speech the US president said the previous stop of his first foreign tour  to Saudi Arabia  had given him new reasons for hope of peace in the region.

Mr Trump then travelled to Jerusalem by helicopter, where he met President Reuven Rivlin.

He is scheduled to visit the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre before meeting President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority, in Bethlehem in the West Bank on Tuesday.

Israel and the Palestinian Territories form the second leg of the presidents inaugural foreign trip. He leaves Tuesday evening for the Vatican for talks with Pope Francis before attending a Nato summit in Brussels and a meeting of the G7 in Italy.
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As President Donald Trump opened his keynote address in Saudi Arabia, he lavished praise on the magnificent kingdom and the grandeur of this remarkable place.

Then he made clear there would be no public lecture from America on Saudi Arabia's abysmal human rights record.

We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship, Trump declared Sunday.

Trump's willingness to set aside human rights as a principal foreign policy has been one constant in his chaotic administration. Yet the absence of any public reference to the kingdom's treatment of women and political opponents during his two-day visit was still jarring, particularly when contrasted with his affectionate embrace of the royal family.

The closest Trump came to acknowledging the human rights situation was a call for the region's leaders to stand together against the oppression of women. A White House official later said the president did raise women's rights in his private meetings with Saudi officials, and noted that administration officials broached the topic in their talks in the lead-up to the trip. The official insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the private meetings.

Recommended Donald Trump fails to raise human rights with Turkish president

To be sure, Trump's predecessors have also forged close ties with Saudi Arabia, an important US partner in the Middle East, and other nations with questionable human rights records. But in their own ways, former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush each vouched for American values in their dealings with those nations, including the kingdom.

During a 2014 trip to Riyadh, Obama met with a Saudi woman who spread awareness of domestic violence in her country and presented her with the State Department's International Women of Courage award. His opening address to the Muslim world in 2009 also made numerous references to democracy and human rights.

Human rights were a regular part of the dialogue with the Saudis under the Bush administration. In 2004, the State Department listed the kingdom as a country of particular concern in its annual report on International Religious Freedom.

Saudi Arabia adheres to an ultraconservative interpretation of Islamic Shariah law where unrelated men and women are segregated in most public places. Women are banned from driving, although rights advocates have campaigned to lift that ban. Guardianship laws also require a male relative's consent before a woman can obtain a passport, travel or marry. Often that relative is a father or husband, but in the absence of both can be the woman's own son.

Saudi Arabia also routinely carries out executions by beheading, including some in public.

Ivanka Trump, the President's daughter and senior adviser, was more direct during an entrepreneurship roundtable with Saudi women Sunday morning, telling the participants that in every country, women and girls continue to face unique systematic, institutional, cultural barriers, which hinder us from fully engaging in and achieving true parody of opportunity within our communities.

Each of you know this to be true, she said.

Kristine Beckerle, a Saudi Arabia researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the first daughter was missing the bigger picture.

It's not that entrepreneurship isn't important, but you need serious political changes so that that the laws that restrict women from functioning in the work place are reversed, Beckerle said. Without that, any amount of money or investment won't go very far.

Some lawmakers in both parties raised concerns with Trump's reluctance to publicly vouch for US values in places where people are persecuted.

I think that would be a terrible abdication of our global leadership when it comes to advocating for people who are the subject of persecution, or imprisoned, or journalists that are thrown in jail, or people not allowed to practice their faith, Representative Adam Schiff, Democrat-California, said on CNN. I think it would be a historic mistake for us to walk away from that.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination last year, said he wouldn't have promised to avoid the topic of human rights with the Saudis.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

That would not have been a part of a speech that I would have delivered, Rubio said in his own appearance on CNN. I think it's in our national security interest to advocate for democracy and freedom and human rights, now, with a recognition that you may not get it overnight.

Human rights didn't go completely unnoticed on Trump's trip. During a press briefing Saturday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hammered Iran's newly re-elected president for his government's oppressive policies.

However, when reporters shouted out questions regarding Saudi Arabia's human rights record  namely, one question about when the kingdom intends to allow women to drive  Tillerson ignored it.

Copyright Associated Press
NRA Challenges California Ban on High Capacity Magazines in Federal Court

Last week, the California arm of the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit in San Diego's federal district court challenging the constitutionality of the state's recent ban on high capacity magazines. This is the second lawsuit filed by gun advocates against the gun control legislation that took effect last year in California.

In addition to the case against high capacity magazines, a case was filed last month in the federal court for the Central District of California challenging the ban on assault weapons. The NRA previously announced that they expect to file five separate lawsuits challenging different parts of the legislation.

What's This Case About?

This most recently filed case deals exclusively with the ban on high capacity ammunition magazines. Under the law, a high capacity magazine, ammunition cartridge, or clip, is defined as one containing more than 10 bullets or rounds. In addition to the ban on the use, sale, and purchase of these magazines within the state, the law prohibits civilians from even possessing them.

The gun advocates challenging the law claim that the use of these gun accessories are protected under the Second Amendment. The lawsuit seeks to invalidate the law as unconstitutional. At the very least, the lawsuit seeks to secure owners of large capacity magazines compensation for the legal "taking" of their property.

This latter claim is similar to an eminent domain claim, whereby the owners of high capacity magazines assert the state owes them compensation for rendering their property valueless, or taking it for public use. However, the gun control law does allow owners to have their magazines transported out of state for sale, which could prove to be a fatal flaw for this argument.

Politicking

Despite the strong precedent against their case, the NRA and other gun advocacy groups are hopeful that the current political climate, and makeup of the Supreme Court, will result in favorable pro-gun rulings.

Typically, restrictions on gun accessories, or certain types of guns, are routinely upheld by the courts so long as the restrictions are reasonable. These types of restrictions do not result in an outright ban on the possession of firearms, and are generally viewed as acceptable restrictions on the Second Amendment. Common examples of regulated gun accessories include silencers, laser sighting, and long range scopes.

Editors note, May 30th, 2017: This article has been updated to clarify a detail concerning the regulation of gun accessories.

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President Donald Trump set aside a defiant catchphrase of his political campaign in his first major address to the Muslim world, refraining from using radical Islamic terrorism to describe the threat.

During the campaign, Trump said repeatedly that any politician who wouldnt use those words was too weak or obsessed with political correctness to be president. In the run-up to the speech in Riyadh on Sunday, Trumps advisers had suggested he would substitute the more muted Islamist extremism.

Trump  never known for sticking to the script in prepared speeches  went instead with describing the need to confront the crisis of Islamic extremism, and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds. The deviation from the script was inadvertent near the end of a long day, according to a White House official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

But the point was made: Trumps previously favoured three-word phrase was gone.

Its quite possible that the subtlety was lost on the Muslim leaders from more than 50 nations who had been invited to attend. Trumps team might hope its lost on his supporters back home as well.

For Trump, like any president travelling abroad, such a speech must balance foreign imperatives including closing business deals and enlisting Arab leaders to do more in the fight against terror with the need to avoid angering the domestic political base. Many of Trumps voters backed him because of his black-and-white stance on the evils of terrorism generally and Muslim terrorism specifically.

In the region, Mohamed Kamal, professor of political science at Cairo University, said he didnt think Trumps change in language was very significant.

Hes simply trying to show that he realises that the fight is not against Islam as a religion, but against those who commit terrorism in the name of Islam, Kamal said.

When asked whether average Muslims would notice the distinction, he said, As Americans say: Actions speak louder than words.

Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid, political science professor at the American University in Cairo and Cairo University, also said, I am sure that the Arabic translation of Trumps speech did not make the nuanced distinction between Islamic or Islamist.

Trump did offer a new phrase to describe the stakes.

This is a battle between good and evil, Trump said. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your Holy Land. And drive them out of this earth.

Trump also repeatedly acknowledged the efforts and achievements of Muslim countries in battling extremism. He singled out Shiite-ruled Iran, Saudi Arabias main regional rival, for sponsoring terrorism financially and militarily from Syria to Yemen.

In the speech, he described Islam as one of the worlds great faiths  a far cry from a phrase he once used during the campaign when he said, I think Islam hates us.

In this case, the shift reflects the counsel of a number of his foreign policy advisers such as National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, who has sought an outreach to Arab leaders to do more to stop terrorism.

Trump also used the trip to sign more than $100 billion in business deals in the region, an indication that he also wants their help on his domestic jobs efforts. Being seen as insulting their religion wouldnt help either cause.

Throughout last years presidential campaign and in his first months in office, Trump defiantly stuck with radical Islamic terrorism to describe the central security challenge for the US.

The phrase became a rallying cry for many Trump supporters, along with his pledge to keep open the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba for terror detainees and his travel ban on people from various Muslim-majority countries, a list that does not include Saudi Arabia. Trumps travel ban has fuelled concern among many Muslims that the US president was targeting their faith. The order is currently stalled in the courts.

Islamist extremism was meant to represent a measured rather than wholesale shift. It aims to show more sensitivity to Muslim leaders by focusing on the ideological movement of Islamism rather than on the religion of Islam itself, according to people familiar with the speech preparations.

The White House official who briefed reporters pushed back against the idea that Trump had weakened his rhetoric on extremism, saying the opposite was true: he showed strength in confronting Muslim leaders face to face about the imperative to act more aggressively in the region.

At the same time, the shift maintains the principle that the US and other nations are not just fighting any kind of extremism devoid of a theological tie.

The shift also suggests at least a temporary victory for those in Trumps administration whove advocated toning down his campaign rhetoric such as McMaster, amid reports that Trump is less than fully pleased with the former general.

In an interview with ABCs This Week on Sunday before Trump spoke, McMaster said of the extremist threat that of course, the president will call it whatever he wants to call it.

Its important to say that terrorists are not religious people and in fact, these enemies of all civilization, what they want to do is to cloak their criminal behaviour under some false idea of a religious war, McMaster said.

Even as he adjusted his rhetoric in Riyadh, Trump made clear his address would not be a repeat of his predecessor Barack Obamas speech in Cairo in 2009.

While Obama and Trump both were making the point that the US and the Muslim world share a common goal of fighting terrorism, Obama also sought to show an affinity for Muslim culture. He greeted the crowd with an Assalaamu alaykum and said, Let there be no doubt: Islam is a part of America. Obama compared the plight of the Palestinians on one level with those of US blacks seeking equality after slavery and segregation.

Trump also set himself apart from Obamas tendency to call out other world leaders on human rights, saying, We are not here to lecture, we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be. Still, he did make a pitch for womens equality in male-ruled Muslim nations, a theme that may reflect the influence of his daughter, Ivanka.

Al-Sayyid said one speech cant erase Trumps well-known promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, now shelved, or that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu was one the very first heads of states he met.

So only actions, rather than a change of words will fix the USs image in this part of the world, Al-Sayyid said.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

Hamad Al Rowaitea, 37, a telecom engineer, said he was pleased with Trumps speech and that the US president knows that Muslims are allies in the flight against terror  not people he should blame.

I wasnt expecting his speech, which showed that he saw Saudi as an ally in the fight against terror, not just blaming us and our societies, he said.

Copyright Bloomberg
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Donald Trump made by history by becoming the first sitting US president to visit the sacred Western Wall, vowing to try and secure peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The President wore a traditional yarmulke as he pressed his right hand against the wall, highly sacred to Jews, and closed his eyes. Later, he said it had been a great honour.

But as Mr Trump posed for photographs with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he felt a peace deal between the two sides could he achieved eventually, there was little indication that he had any sort of road map to hand on how to move forward a challenge that has vexed US administrations for decades.

 Trump meets Netanyahu and talks of "unbreakable" US-Israel bond

I thank the prime minister for his commitment to pursuing the peace process, Mr Trump said of Mr Netanyahu, who stood next to him at a joint press conference in Jerusalem.

Hes working very hard at it  its not easy. Ive heard its one of the toughest deals of all. But I have a feeling that were going to get there eventually. I hope.

For his part, Mr Netanyahu brushed aside the controversy over Mr Trumps alleged leaking of sensitive intelligence material from Israel to the Russian foreign minister. He said cooperation between the two countries had never been better.

Mr Trumps visit to Israel came a day after he spoke before more than 50 Muslim and Arab leaders at a summit in Saudi Arabia, where he denounced Shia Iran and called on the mostly Sunni audience to act against extremism.

His flight alone to Israel made history. Reports suggest no American leader has before flown directly between the two nations.

Beyond that, Mr Trump needed to do little in Israel for Mr Netanyahu to consider him an improvement to the New York tycoons predecessor in the White House. Barack Obama and Mr Netanyahu had a personal relationship that was said to be toxic, and prior to Mr Trumps inauguration, relations between the leadership of the two countries hit a low.

Mr Netanyahu, leader of a nation that sees Iran as its most pressing regional threat, opposed the nuclear deal agreed with Tehran and took up an invitation from Republicans to denounce the policy in a speech before both houses of congress.

On Monday, Mr Trump said he shared Israels concern about Iran and demanded that Tehran immediately cease military and financial backing of terrorists and militias.

Whats happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel, Mr Trump said at a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin.

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. 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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. 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During the election campaign, Mr Trump had promised to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, something that would have represented a shift in decades of US policy.

The city is claimed as a capital by both Jews and Palestinians, however, and relocating the embassy  a move that would in effect be declaring Jerusalem to be Israeli territory  would sharply raise tensions. The Trump administration last week made clear any such plan was on hold.

Israel captured the Old City, home to important Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious sites, along with the rest of east Jerusalem in the 1967 war. The US has never recognised Israeli sovereignty over territory occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem. For this reason, US officials even refuse to say whether or not the Western Wall is part of Israel.

The Associated Press said Israel, which previously controlled west Jerusalem, claims all of the city as its eternal capital and this week is celebrating the 50th anniversary of what it calls the citys unification.

Mr Trump is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, and the Palestinian leader said he hoped the meeting could be useful and fruitful and will bring results. In the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinians rallied against Mr Trump and burned his picture and an effigy of him.
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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a press conference in Saudi Arabia, but the US press was not informed of it.

Mr Tillerson has been travelling with Donald Trump on the presidents first foreign trip and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir invited him to participate in a news conference on 21 May with members of the foreign media, according to State Department spokesperson RC Hammond.

Regrettably, there was not enough time to alert or make arrangements for U.S. media to participate. Under different circumstances, US media would have been alerted, said Mr Hammond.

Mr Trump had just given a much-touted speech on Islam and the fight against terrorism to several middle eastern nations leaders.

Naturally, the travelling US press was unhappy with being left out of the opportunity to question the usually tacit Mr Tillerson, but transcripts of the conversation were provided.

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Tillerson decided to join his Saudi counterpart on the spot and so there was no purposeful exclusion of US media.

Per the transcript Mr Tillerson said that he thinks the President clearly was extending a hand and understanding that only together can we address this threat of terrorism that has befallen all of us, not just in this region but worldwide.

He went on to say that defeating these evil forces is the first step in advancing human rights worldwide, and he clearly has that in his mind as well.

However, Mr Tillerson has also said in a speech to State Department employees that safeguarding American values of human rights are an obstacle in diplomacy rather than a tenet and a universal value.

Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Show all 33 1 /33 Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first 100 days in office were marred by a string of scandals, many of which caught the eye of the Independent's cartoonists Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's first 100 days have seen him aggressively ramp up tensions with his nuclear rivals in North Korea Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has warned of a "major, major conflict" with the pariah nation lead by Kim Jong Un Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump dropped the "mother of all bombs" on alleged ISIS-linked militants in Afghanistan, amid an escalation of US military intervention around the globe Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been accused of falling short of the standards set by his predecessors in the Oval Office, including Franklin D Roosevelt Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The tycoon's ascension to the White House came at a time when the balance of power is shifting away from Western nations like those in the G7 group Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Western politicians, including the British Conservative party, have been accused of falling in line behind Mr Trump's proposals Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Brexit is seen to have weakened Britain, reducing still further any political will to resist American leadership Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump's leadership has been marked by sudden and unexpected shifts in global policy Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Trump's controversial missile strike on Syria, which killed several citizens, was seen by some analysts as an attempt to distract from his policy elsewhere Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The President has also spent a large majority of his weekends golfing, rather than attending to matters of state Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Though free of gaffes, a visit from Chinese president Xi Jinping spotlighted trade tensions between the two states Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One major and unexpected setback came when Mr Trump's Healthcare Bill was struck down by members of his own party Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Mr Trump has been a figure of fun in the media, with his approval at record lows Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A string of revelations about Mr Trump's financial indiscretions did not mar his surge to the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Outgoing President Barack Obama was accused of wiretapping Trump Tower by his successor in America's highest office Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The alleged involvement of Russian intelligence operatives in securing Mr Trump the presidency prompted harsh criticism Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons The explosive resignation of Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who lied about his links to the Russian ambassador, was just one scandal to hit the President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Many scandals, such as the accusation Barack Obama was implicated in phone-hacking, first broke on Mr Trump's Twitter feed Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's election provoked mass protests in the UK, with millions signing a petition to ban him from the country Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump cited a non-existent terror attack in Sweden during a campaign rally Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump stands accused of stoking regional tensions in Eastern Asia Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons North Korea has launched a number of failed nuclear tests since Mr Trump took power Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Theresa May formally rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump to be banned from the UK Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons When Mr Trump's initial so-called Muslim ban was struck down by a federal justice, the President mocked the 69-year-old as a "ridiculous", "so-called judge" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons A week after his inauguration, Theresa May met with Mr Trump at the White House Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's first days in office were marked by a hasty attempt to follow through on many of his campaign promises, including the so-called Muslim ban Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's decision to ban citizens of many majority-Muslim countries from the US sparked mass protests Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Revelations about Donald Trump's sexual improprieties were not enough to keep him from being elected President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was criticised by many in the press for cosying up to the new President Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons One of Mr Trump's top aides, Kelly Anne Conway, was mocked for describing mistruths as "alternative facts" Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons British PM Theresa May was quick to demonstrate that her political aims did not hugely differ from Mr Trump's Donald Trump's first 100 days: in cartoons Donald Trump's inauguration, on 20 January 2017, sparked protests both at home and abroad

Mr Trump himself has been flexible in his positions on issues, especially after meeting world leaders face-to-face, and it appears Mr Tillerson is following suit - as the situation demands it.

The State Department has not been holding regular press conferences as previous administrations have done.

On his first trip to Asia, Mr Tillerson did allow the usual press corps to accompany him and chose instead to take one journalist from the conservative outlet Independent Journal Review.

Normally this reporter would have acted as a pool reporter, distributing to the larger press corps any information they gathered. However, the IJR reporter did not serve as a resource for colleagues.

He has previously described himself as "not a big media press access person."

The White House, perhaps seeing the reaction of reporters on Twitter about being denied access in Saudi Arabia, responded and Mr Tillerson held an informal press gaggle on Air Force One on 22 May.

During the short exchange, Mr Tillerson said that he does not feel Mr Trump should have to apologise to Israel for sharing the ally's classified intelligence with Russian officials during a White House meeting earlier this month.

Mr Tillerson is in Israel today with Mr Trump and will continue travelling with the president to the Vatican, Brussels for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit, and Italy for the group of seven meeting.
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As many as one in three students would be willing to exchange sex for a free education, exclusive figures can reveal, as concerns grow for a generation saddled with unmanageable debts as a result of rising tuition fees and sky-high living costs.

Answering questions for a research project conducted by London South Bank University with The Independent, the vast majority of former and current students said they would consider exchanging their time and company with a stranger in return for help financing their studies.

The survey, which was a blind poll posted on The Independent, attracting 1477 participants, found just under 70 per cent admitted to feeling stressed over money, with just over half (53 per cent) having to take up a full or part-time job alongside their studies.

At least 88 per cent said they would be somewhat interested in having someone else paying for their education, with more than half (52 per cent) admitting they would be very interested.

Commenting on the findings, Shelly Asquith, NUS vice president for welfare, said: In the context of rising tuition fees, rising rents and the scrapping of maintenance grants, it is no wonder that students are increasingly looking for new ways to fund their degrees.

Of the 920 participants who answered the question: How far would you have gone for a free education supplied by someone who you were attracted to?, 75 per cent said they would have at least given up some of their time to a sugar daddy figure.

University project researchers Dr Julia Shaw and Gemma Daglish said respondents were willing to go way further than they had expected.

Analysing the findings, they said: What does it mean? We dont know yet, but openness to the idea of becoming a sugar baby is far higher than we had predicted.

Sugar baby sounds a lot better than prostitute or escort, the authors added.

What if we had asked people whether they were willing to become prostitutes for a free education? Do you think fewer people would have agreed? We think so.

A growing number of young people are believed to have at least considered becoming a sugar baby - defined as someone who offers their company to a well-off, often older, man or woman, who in turn takes care of them financially.

Leading sugar daddy app Seeking Arrangement last year claimed it had almost a quarter of a million UK students on its books  a 40 per cent increase on the same time period two years ago.

Responding to The Independents poll, which had a mixed sample of 52 per cent female and 45 per cent male participants, some 31 per cent said they would have had sex with someone they were attracted to in exchange for a free education.

This rate dropped when participants were asked how far they would be willing to go when they were not attracted to the provider, however almost two thirds said they would be willing to enter into some degree of sugar baby arrangement, and willingness to have sex as part of the arrangement was marked at 16 per cent.

Student funding appeared to play a significant part in students responses, with 55 per cent of participants indicating that a drop or cessation of their student funding would make it more likely for them to enter into a sugar baby arrangement.

Overall, most participants said they were at least a bit interested, and one in five said they were very interested in becoming sugar babies.

The survey sample was mostly made up of current or former students (73 per cent), with a fairly even split of men and women (52 per cent female, 45 per cent male and 3 per cent other).

Because we were hoping that people from different sexual orientations would take part, we decided to leave the gender of the funding provider to the imagination of our participants, the authors said.

The findings take their place in the debate over the rising cost of living for UK students.

University students in England are said to graduate with the some of the highest levels of debt in the world  more than any other English-speaking country  with the total student debt owed in the UK estimated at 71bn.

A separate study last year suggested debts accumulated during university years are so high that students are suffering from increased mental ill health and distress.

According to financial technology company Intelligent Environments, who ran the survey, one in seven students said they had been chased by debt collectors after being unable to pay rent.

Asquith said: In many cities across the UK, the average maintenance loan wont even cover a students rent, let alone food and other living costs. Instead of tackling these problems the government continues to raise fees and cut financial support for students.

In the long term, we need to continue to make the case for a free education. In the short term though, we need to work with universities to ensure that students who are engaging in sex work to fund their degrees are properly supported. Their safety should be a priority.
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Wtf  is not a subject line you expect to see in a message from the customer-service staff of one of the worlds biggest airlines. But it was the header for a highly offensive message sent in error to an Emirates passenger who sought compensation after a late flight from Manchester to Dubai.

Claire Finch applied for the statutory 600 in compensation through the Resolver website. Her application was successful, but shortly after sending through the confirmation an Emirates customer-service representative sent a second email with the subject line Wtf .

It continued:  is she on about?!? If youve put it in the letter, what the fuk [sic] does she need to do!!!

A third message arrived shortly afterwards, saying the sender would like to recall the message, Wtf.

Ms Finch then complained to Emirates, and received an acknowledgment on 24 April. After four weeks of waiting she contacted The Independent.

An airline executive then wrote to her, saying: Firstly, please accept my personal apologies for any dissatisfaction that you have experienced with Emirates.

Naturally, I was most concerned to discover that you had inadvertently been copied on an inappropriate internal communication, which was unrelated to yourself or any other passenger.

Please be assured that we do not condone such actions and this is not indicative of our high standards and the image which Emirates wishes to portray. I can confirm that this matter has already been dealt with internally with the employee concerned.

Ms Finch, who lives in Congleton in Cheshire, said: I feel very disappointed and disillusioned with Emirates. They hold themselves up to be one of the more upmarket airlines but their customer service is nothing short of shocking.

I fully accept that mistakes happen but when they do, a company is measured on how they put them right.

"I feel Emirates have actually treated me with contempt and if it were not for The Independents intervention, I would still be awaiting a response.

An Emirates spokesperson said the airline was surprised by the language used in the email exchange, adding: This does not represent the customer friendly attitude that we pride ourselves on here at Emirates. We sincerely apologise to Ms Finch and will contact her directly to assure her that this is an isolated incident and necessary actions will be taken.

The airline did not explain the delay in responding to Ms Finch.
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Theresa May might like to think shes a bloody difficult woman but in a landmark judgement that will have major consequences for British business after Brexit, the European Court of Justice might prove a bloody sight more difficult than she.

The court ruled that the EU cannot sign off on comprehensive trade deals  those which mix trade and investment in a single agreement  without obtaining ratification by each every one of the EUs member states.

The European Commission had argued that it was enough for its trade and investment agreements to be rubber stamped by EU institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg, but the EUs highest court has found in favour of national parliamentary oversight. This means that elected representatives from Ireland to Bulgaria will have the right to vote in their national parliaments on crucial treaties that have significant consequences for their constituents.

The ECJ ruling came about after the EU-Singapore free trade agreement, which concluded more than three years ago and was one of the first of a new generation of international trade deals.

Yet now the judgement sets a precedent for all future European trade agreements, including the deal that Theresa May wants to broker with the EU that will determine the UKs relationship with Europe after Brexit. It may be a victory for democracy  but its one that could spell disaster for Britain.

 Brexit is already starting to make families poorer, Bank of England warns

The ruling confirms that Brussels simply does not have the absolute control over European trade that it claims; for the most complex deals, national parliaments must still be allowed the final say.

Crucially, the court has also recognised the sensitivity around a mechanism that allows multinational corporations to sue governments for loss of profits through EU corporate courts. These courts have become the most toxic element in the new generation of trade agreements with the EU, rejected by an overwhelming 97 per cent of respondents in the EUs public consultation three years ago.

The Commission continues to formally back this system, and has even been supported in so doing by the Conservative Government. Yet the refusal to recognise public opposition has already gone against them. The Commission had previously blocked a European citizens campaign against controversial trade negotiations with the US and Canada. But in a separate ruling on Wednesday, the ECJ annulled that decision, stating that it contravened the basic principle of democracy, one of the fundamental values of the EU.

The upshot that every national and regional parliament across the EU will now have to sign off on future trade deals that include either portfolio investment or the use of supra-national courts. And the same principle would apply to any future UK-EU agreement. This means that there would be an inevitable delay of years before the ratification of the Brexit agreement.

Labour opposes the principle of companies having their own private and privileged courts in which to settle investor-state disputes. We are patriotic enough to believe there is no good reason why foreign investors from Europe cannot be expected to resolve any disputes fairly through British justice, operating through British courts. And we are European enough to think that our companies can do the same by relying on European courts.

Such negotiation will take good political will, something which being a bloody difficult woman has left in short supply in negotiations with our European partners. When every national parliament in Europe has the power to veto our future relationship with the EU, we need to be building a constructive relationship of trust with them, not making idle threats.

How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Show all 8 1 /8 How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Weetabix Chief executive of Weetabix Giles Turrell has warned that the price of one of the nations favourite breakfast are likely to go up this year by low-single digits in percentage terms. Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Nescafe The cost of a 100g jar of Nescafe Original at Sainsburys has gone up 40p from 2.75 to 3.15  a 14 per cent risesince the Brexit vote. PA How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Freddo When contacted by The Independent this month, a Mondelez spokesperson declined to discuss specific brands but confirmed that there would be "selective" price increases across its range despite the American multi-national confectionery giant reporting profits of $548m (450m) in its last three-month financial period. Mondelez, which bought Cadbury in 2010, said rising commodity costs combined with the slump in the value of the pound had made its products more expensive to make. Cadbury How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Mr Kipling cakes Premier Foods, the maker of Mr Kipling and Bisto gravy, said that it was considering price rises on a case-by-case basis Reuters How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Walkers Crisps Walkers, owned by US giant PepsiCo, said "the weakened value of the pound" is affecting the import cost of some of its materials. A Walkers spokesman told the Press Association that a 32g standard bag was set to increase from 50p to 55p, and the larger grab bag from 75p to 80p. Getty How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Marmite Tesco removed Marmite and other Unilever household brand from its website last October, after the manufacturer tried to raise its prices by about 10 per cent owing to sterlings slump. Tesco and Unilever resolved their argument, but the price of Marmite has increased in UK supermarkets with the grocer reporting a 250g jar of Marmite will now cost Morrisons customers 2.64 - an increase of 12.5 per cent. Rex How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Toblerone Toblerone came under fire in November after it increased the space between the distinctive triangles of its bars. Mondelez International, the company which makes the product, said the change was made due to price rises in recent months. Pixabay How Brexit affected Britain's favourite foods from Weetabix to Marmite Maltesers Maltesers, billed as the lighter way to enjoy chocolate, have also shrunk in size. Mars, which owns the brand, has reduced its pouch weight by 15 per cent. Mars said rising costs mean it had to make the unenviable decision between increasing its prices or reducing the weight of its Malteser packs. iStockphoto

Leaving the EU with no trade deal is the worst possible option. It will condemn British exporters to the full range of tariffs and barriers that apply under WTO rules.

This is the reckless Brexit that business is desperate to avoid, which the judgement of the European Court of Justice has just brought a step closer  and which Theresa May threatens to make a reality.

A Labour government is better able to secure the timely trade and investment agreement that we need to protect the jobs and the 44 per cent of our exports that currently find a market in the European Union.

Barry Gardiner is the Shadow International Trade Secretary
British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn's so-called "refusal" to condemn the IRA in a TV interview is a "dead cat", his party's education secretary has said.

Mr Corbyn came under fire following a television interview on Sunday in which he faced repeated questions over whether he condemned the Republican group.

The UK Labour leader, who attended rallies and protests organised by the Republican-backed Troops Out Movement in the 1980s, said he condemned "all bombing" but would not single out the IRA on Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Angela Rayner said: "I think it's a bit of a dead cat because the Conservatives know that at the moment they are on the rack, because they are trying to bring in a dementia tax which will hurt older people.

"Jeremy Corbyn on Sophy Ridge did condemn the bombing (by the) IRA, he did condemn that bombing and he was quite clear about that.

"Labour have got a proud record, under Tony Blair we brought about the peace process in Northern Ireland.

"Jeremy has been absolutely clear, he condemns the bombing by the IRA in Northern Ireland and we want to continue to see that peace process flourish."
It is estimated that 30,000 people make the cross-border commute to work every day. These lorries, vans, cars and people are involved in a trade in goods and services that now totals close to 6bn a year, growing at an average annual rate of 4pc over the past 20 years. Stock picture

In the space of one month 177,000 lorries, 205,000 vans and over 1.8m cars will cross the Border between the Republic of Ireland and the North.

It is estimated that 30,000 people make the cross-border commute to work every day. These lorries, vans, cars and people are involved in a trade in goods and services that now totals close to 6bn a year, growing at an average annual rate of 4pc over the past 20 years.

This trade is disproportionately important for small business. The reality of this 'frictionless' land border for many small businesses is that the all-island market is effectively their local market despite it being cross-border, a notion that is unfamiliar to many small businesses in Britain.

Ensuring that businesses continue to avail of these growth opportunities, which also extend to value-enhancing research, development and innovation partnerships, is a key challenge for InterTradeIreland, the cross-border trade and business development body set up by the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

Through our quarterly All-Island Business Monitor, InterTradeIreland has been monitoring the response from the business community across the island to the UK's decision to leave the EU.

One of the most alarming pieces of information from this survey is that 98pc continue to say they have no post-Brexit plans in place.

The lack of planning is driven by two key issues, first an understandable focus on 'the now'. In an intensely-competitive market where firms are facing the challenges of rising costs as well as difficulties recruiting appropriate skills, finding the time and resources to plan for even significant structural changes is a perennial problem.

The second issue is the degree of uncertainty due to a perceived deficit in reliable information, that complicates the scenario-building process.

Over the past six months, InterTradeIreland has been speaking at events on both sides of the Border, encouraging businesses to prepare for a new cross-border trading relationship while listening to their concerns. This engagement, backed up with information from our Business Monitor and several in-depth case studies has helped us develop and launch a new Brexit Advisory Service for potential and current cross-border traders.

The service aims to address this by offering businesses a number of supports to guide them through any Brexit challenges they may be facing. They will be able to access a number of supports from the service including Brexit Readiness Vouchers - a 1,000 voucher to fund bespoke advice from professional Brexit experts. The service will also include direct access to specialist technical advice in areas such as tariff and non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, certification, staffing, exchange management and logistics. The service is built on the mantra of encouraging businesses to plan, act and engage.

Planning can begin with basic questions around the freedom of movement of goods, services, people and how that impacts a business. What might the impact be of tariffs or non-tariff barriers? What is the potential tariff that could be levied on my products? Do I know what rules of origin certificates are and what they cost?

When the business answers these questions, and InterTradeIreland's new service can help with this, the next step is to act, or at least to prepare alternative scenarios depending on what emerges from the negotiations. Innovation, the application of Lean techniques, and diversification are just some options to build higher margins within a business model.

Critically we are encouraging business owners to engage widely throughout the Brexit process. Talk with industry representative bodies, with industrial support agencies like InterTradeIreland, lenders, your workforce, customers and suppliers. Policymakers are also intensely interested in direct feedback from the business community to inform negotiating stances.

InterTradeIreland's message is simple: while we recognise the pressures facing small business owners dealing with the here and now, there is, nevertheless, a window of opportunity that must be grasped to prepare for the challenges and opportunities that will be presented by a new cross-border trading relationship.

Thomas Hunter McGowan is chief executive of InterTradeIreland
EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis with Darina Allen pictured at the fifth annual Ballymaloe LitFest. Photo: Joleen Cronin

EU health commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis is in fine fettle ahead of his trip to Ireland as we settle into his potted tree-lined office. The 66-year-old heart surgeon and self-confessed ex-hippy is one of the Commission's more outspoken members, led by science and common sense more than politics. "Medical doctor, historian and humanist. Not a bureaucrat," goes his Twitter bio.

And speak out he does, branding a hard Brexit "idiotic", abortion bans "controversial", and the ongoing fight over weedkiller glyphosate an exercise in scapegoating.

Mr Andriukaitis - who was snapped facepalming during a rant by arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage last year, a photo that later went viral - is visibly moved at the idea of a border re-emerging in Ireland.

"I can't imagine what must be done, and why we are moving in such an idiotic direction, to build new walls," he tells the Irish Independent from his office in the Commission's central Brussels headquarters.

"This is really an idiotic direction and I absolutely know what the feeling is between Irish people. Can you imagine? Relatives, friends, the possibility to walk freely from one side to another, to travel, and today, you must decide - Vytenis Andriukaitis, as a member of the European Commission - you are responsible to build new walls?" he cries.

His emotion about the Border is understandable, given he was born and partly raised in one of Stalin's gulags, was at the forefront of the Lithuanian independence movement, the Sajudis, and helped to draft his country's constitution.

He recalls a trip to Belfast in 1992, where he was shocked by the barbed wire cleaving Catholic and Protestant communities.

"I saw real ghettos in Belfast," he says. "I thought that maybe it was Soviet propaganda, but I saw it in reality, with my eyes. I stayed in central Belfast and in the night there was a big explosion, and it was a real experience."

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The energetic Lithuanian is responsible for health and food safety, a portfolio that covers disease control, medicines, chemicals, patients' rights (to treatment abroad, for instance), animal and plant health, and food fraud (like the 2013 horse meat scandal).

It's a vast and technically detailed brief that has given him an insight into how complex the Brexit talks will be, particularly in the second phase on a future EU-UK trade deal. "It's absolutely a difficult question and a difficult feeling after 40 years - 40 years!" He covers his face with his hands. "Two generations, more or less."

"It will be so difficult to discuss those issues about customs, about controls, about entry points, because we will have borders with a third country - it's not only between Northern Ireland and Ireland," he says.

He doesn't want to comment on the recent back-biting between London and Brussels.

"I must do my job and not poison, not create new troubles and not send different messages. Why? Because it's very dangerous, always. It creates a lot of rumours. It creates a lot of misconceptions. And then it creates a lot of conspiracy theories," he explains.

He promises the Commission will be "very practical, very technical" during the Brexit talks, but can he be sure the EU will internalise Ireland's concerns over the Border and the peace process?

"I know that Ireland has a lot of worries. A lot. And I am very happy to listen to people and see how to better understand the situation," he says.

He loves visiting Ireland and is looking forward to a town hall-style gathering at Dublin Castle today, where he will take citizens' questions. He will also meet Health Minister Simon Harris.

A former health minister himself, Mr Andriukaitis is evangelical about clean eating and healthy living, believing that lifestyle choices "are killing us" and putting unnecessary stress on the health service.

"It's things which are, today, on the table in your country: sugar, salt, alcohol, tobacco," he says.

He is also openly pro-choice, despite being religious - though he is a "follower of Jesus" rather than the church, he insists.

Controversial

"To ban abortions, from my point of view, is something, frankly speaking, controversial," he said.

"But it's up to Ireland, it's up to you. It's up to your democratically elected politicians. It's not up to me to judge the Irish Constitution. I am very proud that in the Lithuanian constitution we do not have such obstacles," he says.

"From my point of view, it would be better to provide better access to reproductive health," he says.

"But if something would happen, you know, you have possibilities to help women, to regulate."
High Court Strikes Racial Gerrymandering in North Carolina

For the second time in as many weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to North Carolina's efforts to change elections based on race.

Last week, the High Court let stand a decision that the state's voting laws unlawfully targeted African-American voters based on voter identification and other measures to keep them from the polls. This week, the Court struck down congressional boundaries that were drawn to pack more black voters into congressional districts.

"The Constitution entrusts states with the job of designing congressional districts," Justice Elena Kagan wrote in Cooper v. Harris. "But it also imposes an important constraint: A state may not use race as the predominant factor in drawing district lines unless it has a compelling reason."

Racial Boundaries

Affirming a ruling that the gerrymandering violated the Equal Protection Clause, the court considered how the state changed voting boundaries in Congressional Districts 1 and 12. The state admitted that race was part of the reason for changes in the 1st but not the 12th, where the redistricting increased black voting concentration nearly 7 percent.

Kagan, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, and Sonia Sotomayor, rejected the argument that the change was for "political reasons." The state claimed it intended to add more Democrats to the district.

In a dissent joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Samuel Alito said the majority did not apply another court ruling that allowed lawmakers to redistrict based on politics.

"A precedent of this court should not be treated like a disposable household item -- say, a paper plate or napkin -- to be used once and then tossed in the trash," he wrote.

Justice Neil Gorsuch did not participate in the decision.

Partisan Politics

The struggle against North Carolina's racial politics is far from over. After the decision this week and the voter ID decision law last week, Common Cause said the state continues racial gerrymandering in the guise of partisan politics.

"Sadly, state lawmakers responded to rulings against their unconstitutional racial gerrymandering by then gerrymandering along partisan lines." the nonprofit organization said. "The result has been rigged elections that continue to deny North Carolina voters of their constitutional right to have a voice in choosing their representatives."

For the latest Supreme Court news, subscribe to FindLaw's SCOTUS Newsletter.

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All tenders for Europes giant stockpile of skimmed milk powder were again rejected by the European Commission.

The latest tender saw bids as low as 1,380/t for the product. A total of 6,554t of powder has been added to intervention stocks so far in 2017, bringing the overall total held by the Commission to over 356,000t.

Speaking to Agriculture MEPs last week, Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan said skimmed milk powder remains an issue and added that it is being used by some people in the trade in order to talk down prices in the market place.

We are working on proposals and we have learned from the 2009 experience when we had quotas and we had 250,000t in storage at that point even with quotas.

We have to manage this well so that we dont drive down the price to the farmer. We have rejected all tenders on the market place that have been offered.

We are working with third countries and various schemes are being evaluated to see what we can do to manage this particular issue over the next year or so that will not damage the price to the farmer, Hogan said.

ICOS recently highlighted that the value of SMP compared to butter has fallen from 70pc over a five-year average to 45pc.

It says the overhang of 350,000t from 2015-16 represents approximately 17pc of annual SMP trade and is 1.6pc of annual EU milk production.

Weak SMP returns have a knock on effect for other products such as Casein and FFMP, it says.
A proposal to ban hunting at night, for seven months, currently being considered by a review group for the Department of Justice is set to be vigorously opposed by the National Association of Regional Game Councils.

The group claims to be the largest voluntary organisation in Ireland involved in game shooting and conservation.

The Association has 26,000 members in 965 Clubs spread throughout the country  one Club in almost every parish.

The proposal, which was put forward by the National Parks and Wildlife Services, wants a ban on hunting and shooting between midnight and 6am for the seven months of September to March.

The Firearms Consultative Panel of the Department of Justice and Equality is now considering the proposal, among others and stakeholders are currently being consulted.

The National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), who are on the panel, described the proposals as 'flawed' and said it would oppose the proposals.

According to the group, the following are the implications of proposed ban on Night Time Hunting/Shooting for Gun Clubs and Predator Control:

1. Gun club members will not be able to use their Firearms for Vermin Control for 7 months of the year.

2. From its experience, and talking with other gun club members from around the country 90% of foxes shot at night, are shot in the proposed curfew period.

3. The proposal that all land owners, be informed of when you are going to be on their property and what time you will start and finish, may work for large estates in Britain, but these proposals shows that a total lack of understanding of gun clubs and their interaction with farm owners in Ireland. Farm owners give permission for gun club members to shoot over their land, which very much includes predator control at night. On a typical traditional nights predator control (lamping) gun club members may cover an area of a 100 or more farms. Foxes when encountered may cross numerous boundaries before a safe shot can be taken. The proposal that these farmers should be notified for every visit stating when you are going to on their property and for how long, even though they have already given permission for you to shoot over their land is totally unworkable.

4. Gun club members involved in predator control at night are the eyes of the community on the long dark nights of winter, and supply An Garda with a vast amount of information on various illegal activities they encounter. By imposing this ban we are given free range to those involved in these activities.

5. By imposing this ban, fox numbers will increase to the detriment of ground resting birds, or wild pheasants, grouse, our grey partridge from our grey partridge projects, our wild ducks and geese, red listed birds such as woodcock, curlew, hen harrier, corn crake and all other ground nesting birds including snipe, skylark, meadow pipit, water rail etc. etc. are all going to come under increased pressure from predation by foxes at a time when these birds numbers are at an all-time low, and at a time when we the tax payer are paying millions through GLAS schemes for farmers and through funding to the NPWS to protect them. Farm animals such as lambs and domestic poultry are going to be seriously impacted by the increase in fox numbers.
The Irish restaurant chain Supermac's has won the Franchise of the Year award for outstanding contribution to employment in Ireland at the Irish Franchise Awards 2017.

Supermacs contribution to communities throughout the country was a key factor in the group of family restaurants winning the award, which was announced at Radisson St Helens Hotel in Dublin on Friday last.

Speaking after the award presentation, Supermac's managing director, Pat McDonagh, said that he was delighted to win the award on behalf of the franchisees.

"Supermac's plays a significant role in the communities our stores are based. Along with the employment we provide we become key members of the fabric of the society, particularly in rural Ireland," he said.

Supermac's is Ireland's largest indigenous quick service restaurant chain and employs over 2,500 people in over 100 family restaurants throughout the country, with significant expansion plans in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Irish franchise sector is continuing to expand, with over 28,000 people now working in the sector.

There are currently over 2,900 franchise units in Ireland across a wide range of sectors ranging from retailing and food service right through to business-to-business and business-to-consumer services.

The awards are an opportunity for us to formally recognise and celebrate the excellent work being done by all franchise operators in growing our sector, David Killeen, chairman of the Irish Franchise Association said.
Dublin-based renewable energy firm Arena Capital Partners has launched an ISEQ-listed 5m investment bond to fund a major acquisition drive in the UK.

Arena develops renewable energy projects, mainly in wind energy in the North, the UK and Italy, as well as investing in biomass and property. It blames lack of Irish Government support for micro-generation in the renewables sector for its lack of investment projects here.

Over the past three years the firm has raised 35m from private, pension and corporate investors in private loan notes and has built 28 turbines, with another seven in the pipeline for this year.

Its newly launched regulated listed bond offers investors a 6.5pc per annum return over a five-and-a-year period, with a minimum investment of 20,000. The bond will finance the acquisition of a portfolio of 30 wind turbines in the UK.

Tommy Costello, managing director of Arena Capital, said the bond would appeal to brokers, pension funds, credit unions and charities.

Since it was founded in 2014, Arena Capital has fully built out 28 wind turbines, of which 19 are in Northern Ireland, one in Scotland and eight in Italy.

The firm has also secured 23 MW of solar farms in Ireland at various stages of planning and development but is awaiting the introduction of tariff incentives by Environment Minister Denis Naughten.

"The lack of Government support for micro generation in Ireland has slowed down the take up of renewable energy technologies as pay-back periods can be longer than without a government support, depending on our clients' energy usage and set up," said Costello.

"Ireland hasn't seen a Government Incentive since December 2015 when REFIT 3 ended, which only applied to large-scale developments."
We will determine the standard that students should join after theyve taken a placement exam. For example, if a student passes the third standard in Mon National Schools, they will have to take a placement exam to determine whether they can join the fourth standard he said.

The policy marks a change from previous years, when students could simply transfer to government schools with no examination. Mon National School students already take government examinations after fourth, eighth and tenth standards, and results from those exams will be used to place transferring students. Students who want to transfer in other years will now have to take placement exams in Myanmar, English and Mathematics, he added.

Min Aung Zay, a member of the Mon National Education Committee (MNEC), says teachers support the placement exams. Theyve argued that without testing, students often end up in a standard for which they are not prepared, and struggle to adjust.

When I met with the state education director, he said that students could no longer join government schools without taking state exams, but that they would be able to take a placement exam. For example, a student who takes the ninth standard placement exam and passes can join the tenth standard. If the student fails, he or she can simply join the ninth standard of government school, he said.

He added that the state Education Department has asked the MNEC for a list of students, in order to help support them with uniforms and supplies.

The Mon National Education Committee is part of the New Mon State Party, an armed group that controls territory in Southeastern Myanmar but has a largely peaceful relationship with the central government. The committee operates a post-high school, three high schools, 12 middle schools, 23 post-primary schools and 104 primary schools, teaching over 30,000 students. They also provide Mon language teachers to 107 government schools.

Under the 1995 bilateral ceasefire between the New Mon State Party and the military government, government schools accepted students from Mon National Schools after the tenth standard. Since then, more than 400 Mon National School students have taken the tenth standard matriculation exam, according to Mi Lawihan, the Headmistress at Andin Mon National High School.

By Mon News Agency
BANKS have been dealt a blow after the High Court ruled on how mortgage borrowings are to be treated in formal debt deals.

The ruling could mean banks may no longer be able to warehouse part of a mortgage when a formal debt deal is put in place for a homeowner.

Ms Justice Marie Baker ruled in the High Court, in an appeal case, that including a split mortgage as part of a Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) was not financially sustainable.

The issue involves personal insolvency arrangements that also include split mortgages.

A PIA is the restructuring of mortgage and other debts, up to 3m, with a lower repayment made over a six-year period. Sometimes debts are written off.

Often a split mortgage, or warehousing, is agreed as part of the PIA. A split mortgage involves warehousing part of the mortgage amount, usually for more than six years.

No repayments are made on the warehoused part, with some banks charging no interest on the parked portion.

But barrister Keith Farry, instructed by Anthony Joyce and Co Solicitors, argued in court that under the Personal Insolvency Act a split mortgage should not be used in conjunction with a PIA.

This is because a PIA has a finite lifetime of six years, but a split mortgage could be in place for years before it is resolved.

Judge Baker agreed with an earlier circuit case finding that a split mortgage used as part of a PIA would be unsustainable. KBC Bank had appealed the circuit court ruling.

The appeal related to a married couple with three children who had a PIA propose by McCambridge Duffy that was rejected by KBC. Debt of 250,000 was to be written off, but there would be a mortgage balance of 120,000. KBC had proposed a different PIA arrangement.

Judge Baker said this was benevolent but it was capable of creating circumstances amounting to insolvency at the end of the mortgage term in approximately 23 years time.

She said warehousing some of the debt, as KBC proposed, presented a hazard and was unfair to the debtor.
Linked Finance, an Irish Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending platform, has received full authorization by the UKs Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which will enable it to move into the UK market.

The approval comes as the Department of Finance initiates a public consultation process on the potential introduction of regulation of the P2P sector in Ireland.

The authorisation means that the company, which has to-date facilitated more than 870 loans, is well positioned should the Irish Government decide to introduce regulation of the sector in Ireland.

I am very pleased that we have secured full FCA approval. It puts us ahead of the curve in terms of preparing for any regulation of the sector in Ireland. It also demonstrates to lenders and borrowers here at home that Linked Finance operates to the highest standards, Niall Dorrian, CEO of Linked Finance said.

Currently, the company said that it is managing its business to meet international best practices introduced in the UK market.

The company said that the FCA authorization is validation of that fact, and it demonstrates that Linked Finance has implemented best-in-class management and controls processes.

Read more: Celebrating local businesses at the National Enterprise Awards

The P2P industry in the UK has grown rapidly in the last decade, spurred on by a comprehensive regulatory framework and a range of Government backed initiatives to promote growth in the sector.

These initiatives include the introduction of the Innovative Finance ISA which offers lenders the opportunity to invest up to 20k on alternative finance platforms with tax-free returns.

The UK Government has also lent directly to SMEs there, deploying funds via the British Business Bank on platforms including Funding Circle, Ratesetter and MarketInvoice.

This promotion of the sector by the UK Government has helped make the UK P2P lending market the largest per capita market in the world.

For now though, Linked Finance, which has provided loans to businesses across a range of sectors including food processing and manufacturing, is still very much focused on continuing its Irish growth trajectory and maintaining its position in this growing sector.

Read more: Fingal-based firm Eazi-Apps set to help small businesses

Figures for the first three months of 2017, show that the Irish platform increased lending activity by more than 326pc on the same period in 2016 and the platform has now facilitated more than 25m in loans to Irish SMEs.

SMEs are the backbone of the Irish economy and for too long they have had very little choice when it comes to accessing finance.

P2P lending, and other innovative financial solutions, are helping to provide business owners with more options, increasing competition and ultimately, supporting the growth of Irish businesses. Any regulation of the sector in Ireland should seek to encourage, rather than inhibit, further diversification within the financial landscape, Dorrian said.

The authorisation from the FCA in the UK will provide further confidence in the platform among local lenders and Irish SMEs who may be considering Linked Finance as a way to access funding, Linked Finance said.
Ant and Dec have spent the past week traversing the country from Maynooth to Leitrim and now Northern Ireland.

The TV duo surprised students on campus at Maynooth University last week and happily posed for myriad selfies before being later spotted in Leitrim where they visited Drumshanbo (stopping for a pint in Barry's Tavern) and Drumkeeran.

The Leitrim Observer reports that Ant McPartlin revealed they were filming a documentary for ITV but the subject of that documentary remains a mystery.

Expand Close Ant and Dec at The Oarsman restaurant in Carrick on Shannon. PIC: The Oarsman Restaurant Facebook / Facebook

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Their latest visit was to Cookstown in Northern Ireland where they visited Tullylagan House Hotel and were photographed by staff meeting the hotel's dog, Fritz.

Some sources speculate they could be filming a documentary on their Irish heritage as they both have Irish ancestors despite hailing from Newcastle themselves.

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Declan's father Alphonsus Donnelly, who died in 2011, was born in Desertmartin, Co Derry so it is possible the pair were visiting the area.

The Irish Mirror reports that McPartlin's ancestors hail from Leitrim and a Father James McPartlan who built the local church in Drumkeeran. He reportedly met local McPartlans who are distant relations.

Expand Close Ant and Dec filming in Maynooth. PIC: Twitter @IsMiseLaura / Facebook

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The Keepers is not, as some have suggested, the new Making A Murderer. Its easy to assume it might be from the first episode. In terms of style, tone and content, it looks like it belongs to the same burgeoning true-crime documentary genre.

However, documentarian Ryan Whites compelling, utterly shocking seven-parter is more complex and expansive.

It grows and deepens into a story of murder, cruelty, clerical sexual abuse and institutional cover-up that is somehow infinitely more disturbing  more sickening  in its implications than the framing of a single innocent man.

The first instalment opens with the unsolved murder of nun Sister Cathy Cesnik, a teacher at Baltimores prestigious Archbishop Keough High School for girls.

Sister Cathy, aged only 26, was adored by every one of her young charges. She had such compassion, says former student Patricia Gilner. She had compassion for the Earth.

One night in 1971, Sister Cathy drove a couple of miles to a shopping centre to buy an engagement present for her sister. She never returned.

She was found months later, lying on her back at a rubbish tip, the back of her head crushed.

Her car was found too, awkwardly parked across the street from her apartment building. The vehicle was covered with mud and twigs.

Expand Close Sister Catherine Anne Cesnick, Fr Joseph Maskell. PIC: Netflix / Facebook

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Mud and twigs were also stuck to the body of another young woman, Joyce Malecki, who was murdered within days of Sister Cathys disappearance.

Two hunters discovered her, face down in a swamp, hands tied behind her back.

The case is still officially open. This doesnt mean, however, that the Baltimore police are putting any effort into it.

That role has fallen to two wonderful women, Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Schaub, former students of Sister Cathys, now in their 60s, who for the past few years have been looking for clues to the murder.

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Gemma is the tough one, the bulldog, who knocks on doors and asks hard questions; Abbie is the intellectual, the researcher of the partnership.

Their investigation has mushroomed as countless former students of Keough have got in touch through the womens dedicated Facebook page, adding to the sum of knowledge.

For a time, it appears were going to spend the next six episodes in the company of these two real-life Jessica Fletchers as they seek the truth. However, in episode two The Keepers changes direction and becomes an account of the reign of sexual abuse led by the former chaplain of Keough, Fr Joseph Maskell.

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For years, Maskell (who, as youll know if youve been reading the papers lately, eventually fled America and spent his later years working in Wexford) preyed on vulnerable girls, especially ones who had been sexually abused by others, in his office and elsewhere.

One of them is Jean Hargadon Wehner, who had been abused as a little girl by her uncle. In the early-90s, while Gemma and Abbie were digging away, Jean was suddenly besieged by a flood of horrifying memories, suppressed for years, of being raped by Maskell and others in his disgusting circle, including policemen (Maskell was also chaplain to the Baltimore and Maryland police departments).

Jean went public and met with stonewalling from the Catholic Church. The police refused to believe her devastating claim that Maskell had taken her to see the body of Sister Cathy, before it was found on the dump, to scare her into keeping her mouth shut.

But after Jeans supportive brothers and sisters had contacted other Keough alumni, dozens of victims came forward with their stories.

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Gradually, the dots begin to join up  between Jean and the other victims and Sister Cathy, who Gemma and Abbie believe was murdered because she was about to reveal what Maskell was doing.

The camera stays unflinchingly on Jean as she tells her harrowing story. What sticks in the mind after it is the sheer depravity, particularly Maskell reciting Latin prayers as he raped her.

The Keepers is not an easy watch. I got through three episodes at the weekend.

It is not the kind of series youd binge on; you need a break, a breather, to absorb the astonishing horror of it.

However, its essential that you watch it and absorb it all.

The Keepers is available on Netflix now.

Here is some of the reaction to the series on social media:

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In the European Union, around 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually with associated costs estimated at 143bn. Stock picture

The EU's Commissioner for Health and Food Safety has hit out food waste, calling it "immoral".

Speaking yesterday at the Ballymaloe Litfest, in Co Cork, Vytenis Andriukaitis spoke about how he was born in Siberia, in a Soviet gulag, where food was scarce.

Mr Andriukaitis highlighted how Irish innovation FoodCloud, an app-based invention which Tesco uses to redistribute its surplus food to charities and the community, could help in tackling wastage.

"I don't need to tell anyone in this country what not having food means and the consequences this brings," he said, referring to the Great Famine.

The EU has begun drafting guidelines to facilitate food donation in the EU.

"The guidelines, which will help initiatives like FoodCloud, will clarify, where necessary, the food safety and food hygiene rules and fiscal rules applicable to food donation," he said.

"Every single crumb of bread counted," he said referring to his early life spent in a Soviet gulag.

"And even if you came across a rare occasion when you would not be able to finish your plate on your own - something I don't even remember happening - there would be others waiting in line and happy to help.

"Food waste was not only unthinkable, it was immoral. And I still think the same today."

Mr Andriukaitis pointed out that while some 800 million people in the world go hungry - around one-third of the world's food is lost or wasted.

In the European Union, around 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually with associated costs estimated at 143bn.

He said while 20pc of food produced in the EU is lost or wasted, 55 million EU citizens cannot afford a quality meal every second day.

A key goal of the United Nations is the reduction of food waste by 50pc by 2030 at all levels - including retail and consumer.

Mr Andriukaitis pointed out the benefits of reducing food waste. It's been estimated that such waste generates around 8pc of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Moves to reduce waste would support the creation of jobs and services thought the redesign of a new food chain, where value gained from food produced is maximised.

"Food waste occurs all along the food value chain - from farm to fork," Mr Andriukaitis said. "Fighting food waste therefore requires a thorough and comprehensive rethink of how we produce, market, distribute and consume food."

He said fighting waste would require concrete action on the ground by all players and co-operation and joined-up efforts all along the food chain.

"We want to enhance investments in activities to fight food waste in order to boost innovation, jobs and growth," Mr Andriukaitis said.
One of the men charged with falsely imprisoning former Tanaiste Joan Burton at a water charges protest made a suggestion to gardai on how to deal with the situation, the trial has heard.

Councillor Michael Murphy was not putting a question to the crowd as to whether Ms Burton should be given sanctuary in the church on the day of the anti-water charges protest three years ago, his defence barrister Raymond Comyn SC said today.

He was shouting to the guards with the suggestion he has as to how to deal with the situation, Mr Comyn said.

Solidarity TD Paul Murphy (34), together with South Dublin Councillors Michael Murphy (53) and Kieran Mahon (39) and and four other men, are charged with falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and her adviser Karen OConnell by restricting their personal liberty without their consent at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght. They have denied the charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Expand Close Defendants in the Jobstown trial (Males from left) Kieran Mahon, Michael Banks, Frank Donaghy, Paul Murphy TD, Scott Masterson and Michael Murphy arrive at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where they appeared on charges of the false imprisonment of then Tanaiste Joan Burton at a water protest in Jobstown in 2014. Photo: Collins Courts / Facebook

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Whatsapp Defendants in the Jobstown trial (Males from left) Kieran Mahon, Michael Banks, Frank Donaghy, Paul Murphy TD, Scott Masterson and Michael Murphy arrive at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where they appeared on charges of the false imprisonment of then Tanaiste Joan Burton at a water protest in Jobstown in 2014. Photo: Collins Courts

The two woman were allegedly trapped in a garda car outside a local church and subsequently in a garda jeep for up to three hours by a crowd of water protestors after they had attended a local graduation ceremony.

On day 17 of the trial, Mr Comyn cross-examined Garda Lorna Loughney on her evidence in court on Friday when she said she heard Cllr Michael Murphy saying, Will we give her sanctuary in the church or will we keep her in the church?

You were seeking to convey the fact that these were questions being directed by Cllr Murphy to the other people in the crowd, Mr Comyn said.

That's the impression I got, Gda Loughney replied. YouTube video footage was then played in court during which Cllr Murphy could be heard speaking.

Mr Comyn put it to Gda Loughney that what Cllr Murphy said on the video was appreciably different to any of the accounts you have given, whether they are in your statements or your direct evidence.

He said there was nothing in the footage to indicate Cllr Murphy was posing a question to the crowd.

There's no question, Mr Comyn said. It's Cllr Murphy shouting to the guards with the suggestion he has as to how to deal with the situation.

That's what he is doing in that video, but on the day that's not what I believed, Gda Loughney replied.

The court heard Gda Loughney made two statements in relation to the case  one in November 2014 and another in January 2015.

Mr Comyn put it to Gda Loughney that in her first statement that there was no reference to Cllr Murphy and sanctuary in the church. He said it only appeared in her second statement.

Gda Loughney said she didn't know why she didn't put it in her first statement. But I do remember him saying that, she said.

Mr Comyn also put it to Gda Loughney that she was wrong when she said she saw Cllr Murphy on the loudhailer outside the church. He said video footage from that period does not show Michael Murphy with the loudhailer at any stage.

The court was shown footage from outside the church, which Gda Loughney agreed did not show Cllr Murphy holding the loudhailer at any point.

Mr Comyn put it to Gda Loughney that perhaps she had conflated and confused what happened later that day, when Cllr Murphy used the loudhailer on the Fortunestown Road. Gda Loughney said that she didn't believe so.

The court was also shown footage in which Cllr Murphy approached another man with a loudhailer who was chanting, You can shove your water meters up your a***.

Mr Comyn said Cllr Murphy's body language implied that he was telling the man to stop that chanting. Gda Loughney agreed this appeared to be the case.

Paul Murphy of Kingswood Heights, Tallaght; Kieran Mahon of Bolbrook Grove, Tallaght; Michael Murphy of Whitechurch Way, Ballyboden, Dublin; Frank Donaghy (71) of Alpine Rise, Tallaght; Ken Purcell (50) of Kiltalown Green; Michael Banks (46) of Brookview Green, Tallaght and Scott Masterson (34) of Carrigmore Drive, Tallaght have all denied the charges.

The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury of seven men and five women.
Eoin Berkeley, pictured after he received bail at the Dublin district court. Picture credit: inm

THIS is the man who has been charged with criminal damage after an attack on the popular George gay bar in which homophobic slogans were daubed on the facade at the weekend.

Eoin Berkeley (23) from Hamptonwood Way in Finglas appeared at Dublin District Court this morning after being arrested yesterday morning near the city centre.

He was charged with criminal damage to the facade and panels on the front of the iconic gay bar in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The homophobic remarks and swastika symbols were daubed in chalk on the building and have since being cleaned off.

Evidence was given to Judge Deirdre Gearty by court certificate that CCTV would form part of the prosecution.

Berkeley was granted bail under strict conditions that he stay away from the Dublin 2 area, specifically The George pub; sign on daily at Ballymun garda station between 7am and 7pm; resident the address supplied to the court; and be of sober habits and good behaviour.

Expand Close Eoin Berkeley, pictured after he received bail at the Dublin district court. Picture credit; INM / Facebook

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Whatsapp Eoin Berkeley, pictured after he received bail at the Dublin district court. Picture credit; INM

He said "yeah" when asked if he understood the conditions.

Berkeley sat quietly in the court wearing a green to and blue tracksuit bottoms and was released on his own bond of 150.

He was also granted free legal aid and has to appear again in court on July 4.

The court was told that further charges may apply.
Frankenstein: Annotated for Scientists, Engineers, and Creators of All Kinds is a new MIT Press book commemorating the bicentennial of the publication of Mary Shelley's seminal novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus."

I was honored to be asked to contribute an essay to the edition, which they titled I've Created a Monster! And so can you. It's a look at how Shelley's book illustrates the relationship of science fiction to the present (it reflects back our hopes and fears) and the future (those hopes and fears shape what we do).





The anthology is part of a year of events at ASU's Center for Science and the Imagination.



I'm a Facebook vegan. I won't even use WhatsApp or Instagram because they're owned by Facebook. That means I basically never get invited to parties; I can't keep up with what's going on in my daughter's school; I can't find my old school friends or participate in the online memorials when one of them dies. Unless everyone you know chooses along with you not to use Facebook, being a Facebook vegan is hard. But it also lets you see the casino for what it is and make a more informed choice about what technologies you depend on. Mary Shelley understood social exile. She walked away from the social network of Englandran away, really, at the age of 16 with a married man, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and conceived two children with him before they finally married. Shelley's life is a story about the adjacent possible of belonging, and Frankenstein is a story about the adjacent possible of deliciously credible catastrophes in an age of technological whiplash and massive dislocation. In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and the end of the ironically named German Democratic Republic was at hand. The GDR, often called East Germany, was one of the most spied-upon countries in the history of the world. The Stasi, its secret police force, were synonymous with totalitarian control, and their name struck terror wherever it was whispered. The Stasi employed one snitch for every 60 people in the GDR: an army to surveil a nation. Today, the U.S. National Security Agency has the entire world under surveillance more totally than the Stasi ever dreamed of. It has one employee for every 20,000 people it spies onnot counting the contractors.

I've Created a Monster!

And so can you. [Cory Doctorow/Slate]
An Irish priest who has won numerous international awards for his work saving children in the Philippines from paedophiles and sex traffickers has received a number of death threats in recent months.

Fr Shay Cullen told TDs and senators in Leinster House last week that there are death squads everywhere in the south east Asian country and that the president, Rodrigo Duterte, has vowed to kill three million people, if necessary in his war on drugs. "This guy is a real killer," Fr Cullen said in his Oireachtas presentation.

Fr Cullen explained that those "working to protect young people and give them sanctuary by taking them off the streets are in danger".

Mr Duterte has told human rights workers and journalists that if they get assassinated they "deserve it".

Some 8,000 people have been killed since June 2016, many of them drug-addicted teenagers, with vigilantes making money from the killings.

"I got a death threat only a couple of weeks ago," the Columban missionary revealed.

Following an investigation, it was discovered that the death threats were part of an attempt at extorting money from his PREDA Foundation for street children and children who have been sexually abused.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, he said the situation in the Philippines is "dangerous" because the president is very sensitive to criticism and "everyone is vulnerable", with bishops, human rights workers and media workers all being threatened.

As a journalist, Fr Cullen said he felt under pressure for highlighting injustices.

"It is an occupational hazard," he said.

"We do get these death threats - some turn out to be a hoax which makes us very nervous because sometimes you don't know if it is a hoax."

His expose of the abuses of the sex industry also made him the target of threats because it challenged those making "big money" out of exploiting and trafficking children and women.

Independent TD for Dublin Central Maureen O'Sullivan said it was "absolutely horrific" to think that politicians in the Philippines were "complicit" in child sexual abuse, in the trafficking of women and in the drugs trade.

Shooting

"I represent a constituency where we have a lot of addiction and drug dealing. Shooting people is just not the way to deal with it," she said.

One image 74-year-old Fr Cullen showed to politicians was of two girls aged about 12 years, whose virginity had been advertised recently on the internet and for which a bidding war had ensued.

He warned that children as young as eight were imprisoned in jails and brothels.

"The latest thing is using children for cyber sex," Fr Cullen said.

"Children being made to perform sexual acts on video, which is being paid for by people in other countries through agencies.

"Legislators should be focusing on how to combat this, and the trafficking of young children and women," he added.
Just 55 of the country's 37,146 civil servants have lost their jobs since the end of the boom years, new figures reveal.

Data supplied by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform reveals that just 0.1pc of the Government's workforce was dismissed since 2007, although the numbers accelerated in recent years.

The department said it could not say how many of these were sacked because of underperformance "for reasons of data protection".

A spokesperson told the Irish Independent the figures related to dismissals for a range of reasons including performance-related issues and misconduct.

Successive ministers have committed to tackle public servants who do a bad job. Last year, the secretary general of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Robert Watt admitted there was a problem with underperformers and vowed to ensure they could be sacked more easily.

However, it is not possible to assess the outcome of this as the department has not yet compiled these figures for 2015 or 2016.

The latest available data shows two people lost their jobs in 2007, three in 2008, six in 2009 and five in 2010 and 2011. A further 11 were sacked in 2012, 14 the following year and 9 in 2014 - the latest year for which the figures are available.

Of the 55 dismissed, 30 resigned before they were told they were being let go.

Rating

A department spokesperson said a new performance management system had been rolled out and a disciplinary code introduced in September last year. A two-point rating system was introduced that deems performance as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

He said a new policy to manage underperformance was introduced in January this year.

"The new rating system aims to support a greater focus on the developmental aspect of the management of performance and encourage a focus on the 'conversation' rather than the rating," he said.

The data also shows that there were 106 disciplinary cases in 2013, and 96 in 2014.

Of the cases in 2014, 36 got verbal warnings, 11 got a first written warning, and nine a final written warning. In more than three cases other sanctions were taken which may have involved deferring increments or withdrawing allowances.

The department said the data did not represent all cases where the action taken involved verbal and written warnings. This is because all civil service organisations do not hold central records of these cases.

Separately, the issue of public servants' productivity may take centre stage at talks on a new public sector pay deal. A recent Pay Commission report said that wage increases must be contingent on productivity, while the National Competitiveness Council has warned it is vital this is properly measured.

The department said there was no one-size-fits-all measure for productivity. A spokesperson said each sector was responsible for measuring productivity in its area but a performance report for the civil service last year detailed the "key outputs" among a diverse range of bodies.
The LE Eithne as seen by the Air Corps during the annual Naval Exercise. Photo: Irish Defence Force/Flickr

THE NAVAL Service will deploy patrol vessels for a third summer of humanitarian operations in the Mediterranean.

The Naval Service flagship, LE Eithne, has been assigned to begin the rotation of three ships in the Mediterranean on rescue operations for migrants attempting to reach Europe from North Africa.

It had been expected that the 33 year old vessel would depart Haulbowline Naval Base in Cork on May 1 but that departure was rescheduled pending final Government approval and will depart tomorrow.

Defence Minister Paul Kehoe will wish the vessel and 72-strong crew under Captain Brian Fitzgerald well as they depart Haulbowline Naval Base at 11am.

The first deployment under Operation Pontus 2017 will last for three months with two further Naval Service patrol vessels expected to be deployed until next November.

Ireland first dispatched Naval Service vessels to the region in 2015 amid concerns over the number of migrants drowning in the

Mediterranean after leaving North Africa, in particular the Libyan coast, on flimsy inflatable craft.

The inflatable craft were totally unsuited to the journey and were almost always dangerously overloaded by ruthless people smugglers.

Hundreds of migrants have drowned as a result.

LE Eithne completed a previous deployment to the Mediterranean alongside other Irish patrol vessels including LE James Joyce, LE Samuel Beckett and LE James Joyce.

Irish crews work under the direction of the Italian Navy and Coastguard.

Refugees that are rescued are usually brought to ports in Sicily.

The Irish ships use Malta as an operational base.

Irish personnel rescued 15,623 refugees last year after a three ship deployment which began in May.

That followed a similar three ship deployment in 2015.

Defence Forces chief of staff, Vice-Admiral Mark Mellet, stressed earlier this year that the deployments have been marked by the professionalism and dedication of navy personnel.

It was a very difficult mission but it was carried out with great skill and professionalism, he said.

EU chiefs admitted that migrant numbers last year were always expected to far exceed 2015 levels.

Some estimate that more than one million people - most from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan - will attempt to enter Europe in 2017.

Housing Minister and Cork TD Simon Coveney said the Naval Service has undertaken remarkable humanitarian work.

Ireland can be very proud of the work done in the Mediterranean by Naval Service personnel, he said.

I believe that we should continue to support Italy in a practical manner as far as possible and the Italian authorities have indicated that ongoing support is welcome.

The Naval Services ability to undertake such missions has been dramatically enhanced by investment in the eight-strong fleet since 1999.

Five new vessels have been delivered over the past 18 years.

LE William Butler Yeats, delivered last year, concluded a three vessel order with UK shipyard Babcock Marine.

However, the contractors have secured an order for a fourth vessel to a similar design.

Five vessels of the Naval Services eight-strong fleet are now 18 years old or newer.

The Government is examining the requirements of the White Paper on Defence which commits Ireland to replacing the three oldest vessels LE Eithne, LE Orla and LE Ciara which have been in service for 33 and 29 years respectively.

LE Eithne, the fleet flagship which has a displacement of 1,960 tonnes, is the oldest having been commissioned in 1984.

LE Orla and LE Ciara both date from 1988 but are less than one third the size of LE Eithne with a displacement of just over 700 tonnes.
People gather along the canal at Mespil Road in Dublin at lunchtime. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Ireland is set to enjoy "wall-to-wall" sunshine this week as temperatures are set to be hotter than many European holiday hotspots.

Slather on the sun-cream and prepare the barbecue because Met Eireann has predicted that it'll get hotter than 25C in some parts of the country.

Sun-worshippers are sure to flock to parks and beaches across the country as it's set be hotter than parts of Portugal, Fiji, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Bermuda and Malta.

Many of us experienced a washout weekend and while today is also set to be unpleasant, it should improve for the rest of the week.

Forecaster Vincent O'Shea told Independent.ie: "Hopefully we'll be enjoying lots of fine, sunny weather over the next few days.

"By anyone's estimations it should be a warm week overall.

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"Today will not be so great though, it'll be sunny but it will still be cloudy without outbreaks of rain and it'll be misty in places.

"It'll still be fairly cloudy tomorrow and there might be some very light, misty drizzle in the morning in the south and west, particularly in coastal areas.

"It's going to be mostly dry overall and the warmest weather will be in the midlands and in the north of the country.

"We can expect a fair but of warm sunshine."

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Sunseekers rejoice because Mr O'Shea said that we'll be basking in sunshine as the days go on.

He said: "Wednesday and Thursday look like they will be smashing weather, it'll actually probably be wall-to-wall sunshine in some places.

"They will both be dry days and we can expect temperatures to reach the mid-20s in some places, possibly even higher.

"It'll be warmest in the midlands and the north-west but it'll be a bit cooler in coastal areas."

As temperatures looks set to surpass 25C, it'll be warmer than sun-drenched destinations in some parts of Greece, Portugal and Italy this week.

Early indications suggest this weekend could be a mixed bag and it'll be more unsettled.

It will still be warm and humid on Saturday and then fresher on Sunday, when some rain and winds are expected.
Fine Gael TDs Maria Bailey and Kate OConnell with Simon Coveney at the launch of his policy document in the Dean Hotel in Dublin yesterday. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell is standing by her description of Leo Varadkar's supporters as "choirboys", saying party headquarters won't be able to "put manners" on her.

The Dublin Bay South representative has been reprimanded by officials for her attack, which took place at a private Fine Gael meeting in Co Clare on Friday night.

However, she told the Irish Independent: "It was 'heat of the campaign'. That's what campaigns are about and I meant every bit of what I said."

In her speech, the Simon Coveney supporter described TDs who have come out to back Mr Varadkar as "choirboys that are singing for their supper".

She also said she was well aware of the "form" of her constituency colleague Eoghan Murphy, who is directing Mr Varadkar's campaign.

Asked what she meant by this, Ms O'Connell said: "Oh, I've no idea."

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Disquiet

But noting that the junior minister took part in a 5km run alongside Mr Varadkar yesterday, she added: "More power to him. I was up, running up and down the stairs after three children trying to contain them. I'd imagine I used far more calories than a 5km run."

In comments that are likely to stir further disquiet within Fine Gael, she said the party's general secretary would not be able to "put manners" on her.

"Maybe Tom Curran could give my father or someone a ring to see could my auld lad ever put manners on me," she said.

Party officials contacted the first-time TD after her contribution to the local AGM, which was also addressed by Mr Coveney. Sources say she was warned that her remarks were "close to the line" and that there would be consequences if there was a repeat.

Supporters of Social Protection Minister Mr Varadkar have been told by his campaign team not to respond, but privately a number of TDs have been heavily critical of their colleague.

But Ms O'Connell said: "It must have hit a nerve if a six-minute speech at an AGM in Clare caused such a furore. We'll power on and keep going."

Asked whether she would be giving more speeches over the course of the campaign, she replied: "I'd imagine so. We're all fired up now and I'm looking forward to a positive campaign.

"As you could see this morning we outlined the policy positions of the minister and his vision for Ireland. That's why we're all behind him.

"We fully support him and we fully believe in him. We won't ever give up."

Both sides in the leadership contest have been asked to sign a code of conduct ahead of the vote on June 2.

The rules demand that they engage in a contest free from personal attacks or rancour that could damage the party.
Thailand's insane lese majeste laws make it radioactively illegal to criticize the royal family, reflecting a profound insecurity about the legitimacy of the ruling elites there that can only be satisfied through blanket censorship orders whenever one of the royals does something ridiculous, cruel or both (this happens a lot).



The latest scandal is more ridiculous than cruel: a video of the king of Thailand cruising a mall in Munich in a hilarious crop-top. But the aftermath was cruel enough: a series of overbroad censorship orders targeting both independent Thai websites and social media services like Facebook.





Here's where it all gets interesting. Facebook  and its rivals  have opened themselves to censorship by opening offices in basket-case states like Thailand and Russia, putting their employees in reach of those nations' torturing, corrupt justice systems. But they've also implemented HTTPS, which encrypts connections to their services, making it much harder (and often impossible) for law enforcement and spies to determine which pages their citizens are visiting, even under systems of extensive surveillance; and they've also implemented "user notification" systems that let users know when governments have ordered them to censor some resources and assets within national borders.

The effect of this is fascinating: when someone in Thailand gets a link to a video that the royals don't want seen, they are notified that they're not allowed to look at it. But there are lots of copies of this video that the government hasn't yet found and subjected to censorship orders, so a quick search is all it takes to find a mirror on Facebook (or another social network) and users can watch these mirrored copies with impunity because HTTPS makes it impossible for the police to know which Facebook pages they're looking at.





This has wide implications for other repressive states attempting to control the spread of dissident information in their national borders (for example, the promise by Theresa May to comprehensively censor the UK internet). To make this work, states will need to suppress working encryption (some former Soviet states in the Caucuses make it a crime to use a browser unless it has a domestically issued certificate that allows spies to launch man-in-the-middle attacks on HTTPS and see all private communications, though this will be harder and harder to implement, thanks to Certificate Transparency).

They will also have to forbid user notification, making all their censorship orders secret, because knowing that something has been censored is sufficient information to find a copy of it  the system currently deployed by "child porn filters" that overwhelmingly and secretly block sites that have nothing to do with the sexual abuse of children.

HTTPS and user notification systems massively raise the political and technological costs of censorship, but there are countermeasures states can deploy. At best, these technological fixes can give us the breathing room to organize and effect political changes that make them less necessary  while using commercial pressure to get companies to pull out of repressive states where political change is slow (imagine if Facebook had a big office and lots of execs in Iran, and counted on the country for appreciable revenues  it would be nearly impossible to get the company to buck the regime).

As Larry Lessig taught us, political change arises from shifts in four realms: the law (what's legal?), markets (what's profitable?), code (what's technologically possible?) and norms (what's socially acceptable?).

In an ideal world, timely and informative user notice can help power the Streisand effect: that is, the dynamic in which attempts to suppress information actually backfire and draw more attention to it than ever before. (And that's certainly what's happening with the video of the King, which has garnered countless international media headlines.) With details, users are in a better position to appeal to Facebook directly as well as draw public attention to government targeting and censorship, ultimately making this kind of censorship a self-defeating exercise for the government. In an HTTP environment where governments can passively spy on and filter Internet content, individual pages could disappear behind obscure and misleading error messages. Moving to an increasingly HTTPS-secured world means that if social media companies are transparent about the pressure they face, we may gain some visibility into government censorship. However, if they comply without informing creators or readers of blocked content, we could find ourselves in a much worse situation. Without transparency, tech giants could misuse their power not only to silence vulnerable speakers, but also to obscure how that censorship takes placeand who demanded it.

ONLINE CENSORSHIP AND USER NOTIFICATION: LESSONS FROM THAILAND

[Gennie Gebhart/EFF]
Minister Shane Ross needs to step up and "show leadership" to ensure travel and trade with the UK is not affected post-Brexit, according to the chairman of the Regional and Business Airports group.

Minister Shane Ross needs to step up and "show leadership" to ensure travel and trade with the UK is not affected post-Brexit, according to the chairman of the Regional and Business Airports group.

The former CEO of Shannon Airport Neil Pakey has called for better leadership from Transport, Tourism and Sport Minister after it was revealed by the Irish Independent that Mr Ross has failed to meet any of his EU counterparts since the Brexit vote.

Brexit has significant implications for many sectors that fall under Mr Ross's brief, including the haulage and aviation industries.

There are concerns about whether Britain will be able to retain access to the EU's Open Skies agreement after Brexit, which would have implications for carriers such as Ryanair.

Mr Pakey said the minister needs to "show leadership in the EU by influencing other EU transport ministers".

Mr Pakey formerly worked within the Transport Directorate of the European Commission and was part of the team that created the European Open Skies agreement in place today.

"Aviation is a rare breed in that it is not part of the world trade agreement or any other free trade body," he said.

"So it is absolutely crucial that those in charge of transport and connectivity do all they can if they value trading with Britain, or indeed if they simply want to continue the levels of flight connectivity we currently enjoy."

Mr Pakey said Mr Ross was "the minister for connectivity, as the air services between Ireland and the UK are what keeps trade and tourism going in both countries".

"Whilst Brexit is Britain's doing, those voting for it in the UK simply do not realise that post-Brexit, there is no legal framework for air services between Britain and the rest of Europe, including between Britain and Ireland," he said.

Mr Pakey said that legal framework needs to be at the "top of the list of priorities" for the minister and that Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary was "right to question" the continued connectivity between Ireland and the UK post-brexit. He said that EU transport ministers needed to "realise that an open trade agreement with Britain for continued air services is the priority".

"It will need to be resolved at EU level and this is why meeting European transport ministers must be the Transport Minister's priority.

"This is particularly important from a regional perspective as we created the single sky to facilitate greater regional air connectivity and it is absolutely vital that we establish the legal framework for this to continue," he said.

Aidan Flynn, head of the Freight Transport Association Ireland, last week said it was "incredible" that Mr Ross has failed to meet any of his UK or EU counterparts since the Brexit vote.

Verona Murphy, head of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said she would be "very surprised if the minister had met them".

Mr Ross and his department did not respond for comment on the situation.

Meanwhile, an opinion poll conducted for an RTE One documentary has revealed that four out of five voters believe the Government should be more robust in its Brexit negotiations.

The David McWilliams programme 'Brexit, Trump and Us', which airs tonight, also revealed that 71pc of people surveyed believed we should stay in the EU even if the Brexit deal is "bad for Ireland".

The survey also said 74pc of people would favour a united Ireland if it made sense following a Brexit deal. A further 82pc believed that the Government should be tougher when dealing with the EU over Brexit.
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has outlined new policies in his bid to be leader of Fine Gael

SOCIAL Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has heaped praise on Health Minister Simon Harris - despite repeatedly refusing to guarantee his future in Cabinet.

Speaking at a meeting in Mr Harris's Wicklow constituency, Mr Varadkar said Mr Harris is doing a "great job" in the Department of Health.

"Notwithstanding all the gossip you read in the newspapers. We do actually get on very well," Mr Varadkar said.

"We don't always see eye to eye but we do get on very well."

Some TDs in the Varadkar camp have said Mr Harris faces being axed from Cabinet if the Social Protection Minister wins the leadership race.

Mr Varadkar has repeatedly refused to say whether he will keep Mr Harris in Cabinet amid a reported rift between the pair.

But he heaped praise on Mr Harris at the meeting, saying he is doing a "great job in the Department of Health."

Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar took a swipe at the Health Service Executive (HSE).

"You'd be hard-pressed to find from the HSE how many beds are in a particular hospital at a particular time," the Dublin West TD said.

Mr Varadkar said the Government must reduce income tax on middle income earners, saying our are "really damaging us in our battle for talent."

During a questions and answers session, Mr Varadkar criticised the small number of convictions in the area of white collar crime.

He said that there is "enormous and understandable anger" among citizens and that "we need to see white collar crime in Ireland treated in the same way as the United States."

Mr Mr Varadkar said there is a dedicated section in this area in the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the garda fraud bureau.

"I don't think they are performing to the level we would expect."

To laughter, Mr Varadkar said White collar criminals don't confess to their crimes.

"Or they do confess to priests, not to the authorities," he added.
The shrouded wreckage of R116 passes through Galway after being recovered from the seabed. Picture: Steve Humphries

The partial reconstruction of the downed Rescue 116 helicopter has supported indications that its tail rotor clipped a Mayo island as the crew tried to avoid an obstacle which was not displayed on their special ground avoidance navigation system.

The wreckage of the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S-92A is being painstakingly reassembled and examined by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) at their facility in Gormanstown, Co Meath.

It is expected the process will take several months but the Irish Independent has learned all evidence from the wreckage so far has supported the black box indications that the tail rotor was virtually ripped off the helicopter when it clipped a structure on Black Rock Island.

Out of control, the helicopter stayed aloft for several seconds before plunging into the sea.

Such is the damage that the entire wreckage cannot be fully reassembled.

Tragically, a preliminary analysis has indicated the US-built helicopter almost avoided disaster in the early hours of March 14 thanks to the reactions of the skilled flight crew, Captain Dara Fitzpatrick and Captain Mark Duffy.

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They swerved and climbed - following a warning from a winchman on board - after it was realised they were flying directly towards Black Rock Island and its steep cliffs as they headed towards Mayo.

The desperate climb saw the helicopter's main fuselage clear the island only for its tail, which was in a rotor-down position due to the rate of climb, to impact the island.

While the helicopter was equipped with an advanced navigation system known as Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), Black Rock Island was not included in the imagery programmed into it.

This was apparently because the scan supplier was not satisfied with the imagery available for the Mayo island.

The AAIU last month released the final voice recordings from Rescue 116 and that indicated the crew received no warning from radar or the EGPWS that they were on a collision course with Black Rock Island.
Catherine and John McWade from Stillorgan, Dublin, with their six-month-old twins Molly and Leo. Leo was born with a heart defect

THE worst moment of John McWade's life came at 5am on a winter's morning as he looked down at his terminally ill twin baby struggling to breathe in his cot.

A few weeks earlier, John (50) and his wife Catherine had welcomed little Leo and his twin sister Molly into their lives on November 29, 2011.

But they learnt there was something amiss with one of the twin's hearts after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Little Leo was born with a heart defect -- left ventricular hypoplasia -- where part of the organ was underdeveloped; his little sister was in perfect health.

"We were told four days later that he wasn't going to survive very long and the condition he had, which we were aware of, was inoperable," John said.

"He came home. We were told this is how you medicate him, this is how you care for him and this is what his day will look like.

"It turned out to be a little different than that. You couldn't even pick him up. He wouldn't tolerate being picked up.

"One particular morning, I think it was five o'clock in the morning, I rang the hospital because he was so upset. His breathing was really bad, I rang, I said: 'I need some advice what shall I do?' We were told: 'No don't bring him in, John, there is nothing you can do'.

"That panic that I felt along with Catherine my wife was probably the worst moment of our lives."

It was on a visit to the hospital that someone recommended the children's hospice, LauraLynn House.

The McWades, from Stillorgan in Dublin, were invited to move in with Leo on February 8 last.

John said: "The one fear we had was that he would be at home and he would die in distress. We would never forgive ourselves and I'd never be able to say to his sister: 'Yes, we did everything that we could to help him'."

John said the improvement in Leo was obvious -- as he pointed at a photograph of Leo taken in an incubator in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, in November and a recent snapshot of him propped up in a small blue and white striped babygro.

"One of the other things that happens to Leo -- this is why LauraLynn is such a special place -- he has had maybe seven or eight episodes where he has stopped breathing and his heart is stopped. He is gone, that is it, and he comes back. We don't know why; we are thinking of renaming him Lazarus," said John, with a glimpse of the black humour that has helped them survive.

"He is still here. He'll be six-months old next Tuesday. He wouldn't be here if he was still at home.

"Leo's story is quite incredible as we were told he had maybe days or weeks and now we have gotten to know this little boy.

"We can hold him and he looks up at me and he smiles, he looks up at Catherine and he smiles.

"He gets in the cot with his sister and they both have a little play around. It is the most wonderful thing."

Now, John explained, they could tell his little sister they had done everything possible to help her brother.
A black people carrier pulls into the parking lot of the LauraLynn Children's Hospice in Dublin.

Out tumbles Cara Shiels (8) and her brother Senan (6), clearly excited, in spite of the long trip from Co Donegal, to be back in their "home away from home". Soon their parents, Aoife and Kieran, are also busy, strapping Conall, who is nearly three years old, into his heavy-duty wheelchair. A conventional buggy would be useless, as Conall's neck isn't strong enough to support his head. He has a few other challenges as well; including epilepsy, being non-verbal and visually impaired.

The seeds of this situation first became apparent when school teacher Aoife went to her local hospital in Letterkenny for a routine 20-week scan in 2014. "We were excited, hoping to learn the sex of the baby I was expecting," she explains. "But a bombshell fell instead, when we were told that his head was enlarged, and that this was likely to result in brain damage." The Shiels were referred to the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, where doctors confirmed the original diagnosis; the baby was suffering from hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus causes a build-up of fluid in the brain, which can lead to brain damage. It can be caused by birth defects, such as spina bifida, or it may be the result of an infection. Regardless of the cause, the news was devastating. Aoife was unable to return to the classroom, as she couldn't face the inevitable questions about the child she was expecting.

Expand Close Alice and Kieran Shiels with their children Senan, Conall and Cara at the LauraLynn centre in Leopardstown. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook

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As the weeks progressed, scans showed that the unborn child's head was getting bigger and bigger, putting him and his mother increasingly at risk. Would the pregnancy even go to full term? And if it did, would the baby be strong enough to survive the delivery? No one knew for sure. "It was absolutely terrible," says Aoife. "Our very worst nightmare had come about. It sucked all the goodness out of that pregnancy."

But finally, at 36 weeks, Conall was delivered by caesarean section at Holles Street. "We had a nun present, ready to baptise him, if needs be," says Aoife. "We didn't even have a car seat with us, because we didn't think we'd be taking a baby home." But not only did feisty Conall survive the birth, he actually achieved nine out of a possible 10 on the Apgar score, which measures a newborn baby's physical condition. But just seven hours later, he took a turn for the worse, and he was baptised.

After that, the Shiels had numerous meetings with specialists about their very sick child. When Aoife was well enough, she was allowed to take Conall back to Co Donegal, even though the prognosis for the infant was gloomy. "We were told to enjoy him for as long as we had him," she remembers, with tears in her eyes. Aoife says it's been a roller-coaster ride since his birth, with frequent visits to Temple Street Children's University Hospital in Dublin. Conall has had eight or nine surgeries, including several to insert shunts (small tubes) into his brain to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid. "The last one was just before Christmas 2014," explains Aoife. "And that has worked well ever since."

Nonetheless, Conall has been in and out of hospital many times this past winter, because of infections and various other complications. Otherwise, he requires 24-hour care and is fed through a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube. This delivers liquid nourishment directly into his stomach, for two hours, every two hours, around the clock. The Shiels get invaluable help from the Jack & Jill Foundation, and from HSE and local hospice nurses.

From the very beginning, Aoife and Kieran (who is also a teacher) have known that Conall's time on this earth might well be very short. So, every second spent with him is priceless, but it also makes their pain even harder to bear. Nonetheless, they do everything they possibly can to love, protect and nurture Conall. However, on top of all this, they still have their careers to think of, a mortgage to pay and two other much-loved children to consider. So, it is indeed a punishing lifestyle.

What brings light into their lives are the 15 days and nights a year that Conall spends at LauraLynn. It is the only children's hospice in Ireland, and was founded by Jane and Brendan McKenna, following the deaths of their own children, Laura (4) and Lynn (13), within two years of each other.

Expand Close Kieran and Aoife Shiels with their children Cara, Conall and Senan at the Laura Lynn centre in Leopardstown. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Kieran and Aoife Shiels with their children Cara, Conall and Senan at the Laura Lynn centre in Leopardstown.

What the McKennas have created is a magical world within a safe medical cocoon, where children and their carers find a remarkable level of love, support and understanding. "We've come four times so far," says Aoife. "Conall stays downstairs where he is looked after by highly trained medical staff, who know everything there is to know about him. They take care of him at night as well, and give him all his feeds and medication. So we don't have to constantly watch the clock, and we can get a full night's sleep. For once, we are free to come and go. Usually, we stay upstairs in one of the family rooms, which have en suite bathrooms, and access to a communal kitchen. The kids love it too, because they are spoiled by the staff and have an Xbox in the room."

Aoife says this respite care means she and Kieran are, for once, able to devote themselves to Cara and Senan. "We take them on the Luas, and feed the ducks in St Stephen's Green," she explains. "Simple things that other families take for granted." Meanwhile, Aoife knows Conall is being cosseted in the course of a programme designed specifically for him. He loves the sensory baths taken in a big hot tub with his favourite music playing, while gentle light changes colour.

With over 140 staff employed at LauraLynn, love permeates this wonderful, immaculate facility; it is enhanced by the joyous, child-centred paintings and murals, vibrant colours, and bright sunlight streaming through the big windows.

As to Conall's relationship with his siblings, big sister Cara says, "he gives me lots of kisses". Senan agrees wholeheartedly. "He hugs me and gets into my bed for a cuddle during story time at night." Meanwhile, Kieran cradles Conall in his arms while talking gently to him. The little boy responds with the biggest smiles and the most heart-warming chuckles imaginable.

Children's Hospice Week, from May 22, focuses on the "heroic" efforts of families caring for seriously ill children.'Be a Hero' by texting SUPERHERO to 50300 and donate 4. For more information, see lauralynn.ie
An American woman transformed her body in order to be healthy enough to donate a kidney to a former colleague living with chronic liver disease.

Rebekah Ceidro from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was saddened to read about her friend Chris Moore's plight on Facebook and began to investigate whether or not she might be a viable match to donate a kidney to him.

The pair were thrilled to discover they were indeed a blood type match, but unfortunately at more than 15st (95kg), Rebekah was told that she was too heavy to undergo surgery safely and would need to consider losing weight if she wished to continue.

Speaking to Today.com, Rebekah said it was tough to hear surgeons at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre tell her weight was an issue, but soon realised that they had her best interest at heart.

"Admittedly, I was really angry that two individual surgeons would have the audacity to say such a thing, but they were right, Ceidro told the publication.

"My actual thought was, 'Im too fat to save my friends life.' And that sucked, but thats at least something you can change."

However, determined Rebekah (30) decided to embark on a fitness routine, and began to train for a local 5KM race.

"I thought, This is what Im going to do, Im going to start running and keep running until I can do a 5K every day," she said.

Within six months, Rebekah was running up to 4km each day, and has shed a total of 3st (19kg) since beginning her fitness routine. The mum-of-one has now been approved by doctors to undergo organ donation surgery within the next three to six months.

Rebekah's friend Chris Moore expressed his gratitude towards his generous friend, and said she inspired him every day with her determination.

"I use her courage to give myself courage. If she can do this, then I can do this," Moore said.
With warmer weather a thing now, our resident beauty expert reckons it's time for a make-up shake up!

MOST WANTED

I recently had lunch with a rock star. A fragrance rock star - the rather eccentric Geza Schoen. The German is the creator of Escentric Molecules, the contemorary fragrance range. Its molecule fragrances are scents that are based on a single molecule, while its escentric fragrances consist of a scent molecule teamed with enhancing ingredients. Geza was in Brown Thomas to launch the latest fragrance in the line, Escentric 04, below, 85. Its main note, Javanol, a synthesized sandalwood substitute, makes for a zesty summer scent.

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ALL TOGETHER NOW

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The multi-award winning Burgundy Beauty in Blackrock - and now also in Baker's Corner; both in Dublin - is my go-to place when I need the works done before a wedding or ball. Basically anywhere I need to look like I have my shizz together like Rachel Weisz, above.

The new salon in Baker's Corner includes the ultimate space for group bookings, a state-of-the-art brow and lash bar, and pedicure and manicure stations. Burgundy Blackrock has all of that too, as well as looking after all your skincare needs, with world-renowned brand Yonka newly available there.

Top tip: The Bellamianta spray tan looks so natural and wears off beautifully.

See burgundybeauty.com

LUCKY STAR

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I love to log on to cloud10beauty to discover new ranges I never knew I needed so badly. Now I can't live without this Starskin 7-Second Morning Mask, above, 29.95. Perfect for a busy mum like me, it contains dual-sided pads that are designed to give you the benefits of a seven-step routine in seconds. One pad cleans and preps my skin, exfoliates, tones, applies a serum and moisturiser, plumps, protects and primes for make-up.

TRIONA'S TRICK

If you've been running around all day and your hair's fallen flat and looks greasy, a great instant fix is to toss a little bit of loose powder through the roots with your fingertips to soak up any, em, moisture and give instant volume.

CULT PRODUCT

Napoleon, would you believe, was one of the first famous fans of Roger & Gallet, the French fragrance house founded in 1860. Mr Borntoparty and Miss Party McCarthy have something in common, so, as I'm a massive fan of their Bois d'Orange Huile Sublime Perfumed Dry Oil, above, 14.75. This three-in-one dry oil can be used on the face, body and hair for a sublime, glossy, satin-smooth feel.

TRIONA'S TOP TRENDS

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A bright-red lippie is kinda my signature look. It's also the fastest way to look a little more pulled-together. A bright-red lip looks like I've made an effort, when I haven't really.

However, as the weather warms up, I find it a bit too full-on and too much effort to maintain when there are ice-creams to eat and men to eat... I mean kiss!

A lip tint is far easier to wear, and the new limited-edition collab, Nars Charlotte Gainsbourg Lip Tint Double Decker, above, 25, has the most beautiful, bright, raunchy red that screams summer! And 'kiss me'!

I actually think it looks far more youthful than a full-on red lip.

Also in the range is the Hydrating Glow Tint, below 33, which is ideal for this time of year for that barely-there French-girl base. Far more chic than a caca milis face, as I call full coverage.

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It's the same with my beloved black kohl eye pencil. Swapping my black kohl for dark brown has totally refreshed my look.

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I use YSL's Dessin du Regard Eye Pencil, above, 25, on my eyes and my brows. I've also discovered a white versh, which I use on the inside of my eyes for a wide-eyed look. It's even great all over the lid as an eye primer to stop eyeshadow disappearing.There you go now, a few simple swapsies to see you through the summer months. #yourewelcome
No more petrol or diesel cars, buses, or trucks will be sold anywhere in the world within eight years. The entire market for land transport will switch to electrification, leading to a collapse of oil prices and the demise of the petroleum industry.

This is the futuristic forecast by Stanford University economist Tony Seba. His report, with the deceptively bland title Rethinking Transportation 2020-2030, has gone viral in green circles and is causing spasms of anxiety in the established industries.

Prof Seba's premise is that people will stop driving altogether. They will switch en masse to self-drive electric vehicles (EVs) that are 10 times cheaper to run than fossil-based cars, with a near-zero marginal cost of fuel and an expected lifespan of 1m miles.

Only nostalgics will cling to the old habit of car ownership. The rest will adapt to vehicles on demand. It will become harder to find a petrol station, spares, or anybody to fix the 2,000 moving parts that bedevil the internal combustion engine. Dealers will disappear by 2024.

Cities will ban human drivers once the data confirms how dangerous they can be behind a wheel. This will spread to suburbs, and then beyond. There will be a "mass stranding of existing vehicles". The value of second-hard cars will plunge. You will have to pay to dispose of your old vehicle.

It is a twin "death spiral" for big oil and big autos, with ugly implications for some big companies unless they adapt in time. The long-term price of crude will fall to $25 (23) a barrel. Most forms of shale and deep-water drilling will no longer be viable.

Scotland will forfeit any North Sea bonanza. Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela will be in trouble.

It is an existential threat to Ford, General Motors, and the German car industry. They will face a choice between manufacturing EVs in a brutal low-profit market, or reinventing themselves a self-drive service companies, variants of Uber and Lyft. They are in the wrong business.

The next generation of cars will be "computers on wheels". Google, Apple, and Foxconn have the disruptive edge, and are going in for the kill.

The shift, according to Prof Seba, is driven by technology, not climate policies. Market forces are bringing it about with a speed and ferocity that governments could never hope to achieve.

"We are on the cusp of one of the fastest, deepest, most consequential disruptions of transportation in history," Prof Seba said. "Internal combustion engine vehicles will enter a vicious cycle of increasing costs."

The "tipping point" will arrive over the next two to three years as EV battery ranges surpass 200 miles and electric car prices in the US drop to $30,000 (26,800). By 2022 the low-end models will be down to $20,000 (18,000). After that, the avalanche will sweep all before it.

"What the cost curve says is that by 2025 all new vehicles will be electric, all new buses, all new cars, all new tractors, all new vans, anything that moves on wheels will be electric, globally," Prof Seba said.

"Global oil demand will peak at 100m barrels per day by 2020, dropping to 70m by 2030." There will be oil demand for use in the chemical industries, and for aviation, though Nasa and Boeing are working on hybrid-electric aircraft for short-haul passenger flights.

Prof Seba said the residual stock of fossil-based vehicles will take time to clear but 95pc of the miles driven by 2030 in the US will be in autonomous EVs for reasons of cost, convenience and efficiency. Oil use for road transport will crash from 8m barrels a day to 1m.

The cost per mile for EVs will be 6.8 cents (6 cents), rendering petrol cars obsolete.

Insurance costs will fall by 90pc. The average American household will save $5,600 (5,000) per year by making the switch. The US government will lose $50bn (45bn) a year in fuel taxes.

"Our research and modelling indicate that the $10 trillion (9 trillion) annual revenues in the existing vehicle and oil supply chains will shrink dramatically," Prof Seba said.

"Certain high-cost countries, companies, and fields will see their oil production entirely wiped out. Exxon-Mobil, Shell and BP could see 40pc to 50pc of their assets become stranded."

These are all large claims, though familiar to those at the cutting edge of energy technology.

While the professor's timing may be off by a few years, there is little doubt about the general direction.

India is drawing up plans to phase out all petrol and diesel cars by 2032, leap-frogging China in an electrification race across Asia.

The brains trust of Prime Minister Mahendra Modi has called for a mix of subsidies, car-pooling, and caps on fossil-based cars. The goal is to cut pollution and break reliance on imported oil, but markets will pick up the baton quickly once the process starts.

China is moving in parallel, pushing for 7m electric vehicles by 2025, enforced by a minimum quota for "new energy" vehicles that shifts the burden for the switch on to manufacturers. At the same time, global shipping rules are clamping down on dirty high-sulphur oil used in the cargo trade, a move that may lead to widespread use of liquefied natural gas for ship fuel.

This is all happening much faster than Saudi Arabia and Opec had assumed.

The cartel's World Oil Outlook last year dismissed electric vehicles as a fringe curiosity that would make little difference to ever-rising global demand for oil.

It predicted a jump in crude consumption by a further 16.4m barrels a day to 109m by 2040, with India increasingly taking over from China as a growing market. The cartel said fossils will still make up 77pc of global energy use, much like today. It implicitly treated the Paris agreement on climate targets as empty rhetoric.

Whether Opec believes its own claims is doubtful. Saudi Arabia's actions suggest otherwise. The kingdom is hedging its bets by selling off chunks of the state oil giant Saudi Aramco to fund diversification away from oil.

Opec, Russia, and the oil-exporting states are now caught in a squeeze and will probably be forced to extend output caps into 2018 to stop prices falling.

Shale fracking in the US is now so efficient, and rebounding so fast, that it may cap oil prices in a range of $45 (40) to $55 (50) until the end of the decade. By then the historic window will be closing.

Experts will argue over Prof Seba's claims. His broad point is that multiple technological trends are combining in a perfect storm. The simplicity of the EV model is breath-taking. The Tesla S has 18 moving parts, 100 times fewer than a combustion engine car.

"Maintenance is essentially zero. That is why Tesla is offering infinite-mile warranties. You can drive it to the moon and back and they will still warranty it," Prof Seba said.

Self-drive "vehicles on demand" will be running at much higher levels of daily use than today's cars and will last for 500,000-1m miles each.

It has long been known that EVs are four times more efficient than petrol or diesel cars, which lose 80pc of their power in heat. What changes the equation is the advent of EV models with the acceleration and performance of a Lamborghini costing five or 10 times less to buy, and at least 10 times less to run.

"The electric drive-train is so much more powerful. The gasoline and diesel cars cannot possibly compete," Prof Seba said. The parallel is what happened to film cameras - and to Kodak - once digital rivals hit the market. It was swift and brutal. "You can't compete with zero marginal costs," he said.

The effect is not confined to cars. Trucks will switch in tandem. Over 70pc of US haulage routes are already within battery range, and batteries are getting better each year.

Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank England and chairman of Basel's Financial Stability Board, has repeatedly warned that fossil energy companies are booking assets that can never be burned under the Paris agreement.

He pointed out last year that it took only a small shift in global demand for coal to bankrupt three of the four largest coal-mining companies in short order.

Other seemingly entrenched sectors could be just as vulnerable.

He warned of a "Minsky moment", if we do not prepare in time, where the energy revolution moves so fast that it precipitates a global financial crisis.

The crunch may be coming even sooner than he thought.

 The Telegraph
So after inventing "fake news", America's crazed president gave the world's Muslims a fake speech. Donald Trump said he was not in Saudi Arabia to "lecture" - but then told the world's Islamic preachers what to say, condemned "Islamist terrorism" as if violence was a solely Muslim phenomenon, and then announced like an Old Testament prophet that he was in "a battle between good and evil". There were no words of compassion, none of mercy, absolutely not a word of apology for his racist, anti-Muslim speeches of last year.

Even more incredibly, he blamed Iran - rather than Isil - for "fuelling sectarian violence", pitied the Iranian people for their "despair" a day after they had freely elected a liberal reformer as their president, and demanded the further isolation of the largest Shiite country in the Middle East. The regime responsible for "so much instability" is Iran. The Shiite Hezbollah were condemned. So were the Shiite Yemenis. Trump's Sunni Saudi hosts glowed with warmth at such wisdom.

And this was billed by CNN as a "reset" speech with the Muslim world. For "reset", read "repair", but Trump's diatribe in Riyadh yesterday was neither a "reset" nor a "repair". It was the lecture he claimed he would not give.

"Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith," he announced, utterly ignoring - as he had to - the fact that Saudi Arabia, not Iran, is the fountainhead of the very Wahhabi Salafist extremism whose "terrorists" murder "innocent people".

He tried to avoid his old racist "radical Islamic extremist" mantra and tried to replace it with "Islamist extremism" but he apparently fluffed his words and said "Islamic" as well. The subtle difference he was trying to make in English was thus for Muslims no more than a variation on a theme: terrorists are Muslims.

All this, let us remember, came after Trump had sewn up yet another outrageous arms deal with the Saudis ($110bn) and the proposed purchase by Qatar of what Trump obscenely referred to as "a lot of beautiful military equipment". It seems almost fantastical that he should make such a remark only two days before meeting the Pope, who in Cairo two weeks ago railed along with the Muslim Sheikh of Al Azhar against the evil of arms dealers.

"We are adopting a principled realism, rooted in common values and shared interests," Trump told the Saudis and the leaders of another 50 Muslim nations yesterday.

But what on earth are those values? What values do the Americans share with the head-chopping, misogynist, undemocratic, dictatorial Saudis other than arms sales and oil?

Determination

And when Trump said that "our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination", were his friends supposed to be the Saudis? Or the "Islamic world" - which should surely include Iran and Syria and Yemen - and the warring militias of Libya? As for "enemies", was he talking about Isil? Or Russia? Or Syria? Or Iran, whose newly elected president surely wants peace with America? Or was he - as part of the Muslim world will conclude with good reason - declaring his friendship with the Sunni Muslims of the world and his enmity towards the Shia Muslims?

For that, ultimately, was what the Riyadh speech-fest was all about. Take this little quotation: "We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes - not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms - not sudden intervention." Now let's parse this little horror.

"Decisions based on real-world outcomes" means brutal pragmatism. "Gradual reforms" indicates that the US will do nothing for human rights and take no steps to prevent crimes against humanity - unless they are committed by Iran, Syria, Iraqi Shiites, the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah or Yemeni Shiite Houthis.

It was all about "partnership", we were supposed to believe. It was about a "coalition". You bet it would be. For America is not going to bleed as it did in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the Arabs who must bleed as they fight each other, encouraged by the biggest arms supplier of them all.

Thus Trump lectured them on their need to share "their part of the burden". The Arabs will be "united and strong" as "the forces of good". If the battle is between "decent people of all religions" and "barbaric criminals" - "between good and evil" - as Trump implied, it was significant, was it not, that this battle was to start in the "sacred land" of Sunni Saudi Arabia?

By the time Trump reached the bit in which he threatened the bad guys - "if you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and your soul will be condemned" - he sounded like a speech-writer for Isil.

Apparently Trump's actual speech was partly the work of the very man who wrote out his ridiculed (and failed) legal attempt to ban Muslims of seven nations from the United States. All in all, quite a "reset".

Trump talked of peace but was preparing the Arabs for a Sunni-Shia war.

The fawning leaders of the Muslim world, needless to say, clapped away when the mad president of America had finished speaking. But did they understand what his words really portended? ( Independent News Service)
Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web
Irish model Maeve Madden has opened up about being body shamed, saying that her reaction is to "laugh it off."

The fitness guru shared a post with her 118k followers detailing how she was recently body shamed for gaining weight after taking time off training due to an injury.

Speaking to Independent.ie, Maeve said that she received comments on her weight when she shared a selfie following her ijnury.

"I took a selfie and someone commented saying that I was 'looking fatter.' Of course I gained weight, I wasn't training and had taken time off due to an injury. Weight goes up and down.

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"When people meet me, they often say that I look smaller in real life. A lot of fitness bloggers don't share videos because their photos are so edited.

"I've met bloggers who have a tiny waist and long legs in photos, then when I meet them they don't look like that at all. I do live videos because I'm happy and healthy and I don't care."

Despite having developed a thick skin, Maeve said that it's hard not to take offense when people send hurtful comments.

"My reaction is to just laugh it off, I've grown a thick skin over the years, but sometimes you can't help but take offense.

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"One comment is okay, but when there's a few, it's harder. When I saw them the first thing I did was call my mother. It makes you think.

"There's a lot of pressure when you're in the public eye. I've a great following and great support, but comments like that make you re-think things."

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Maeve, who is based in London and works as a personal trainer, emphasised: "No one should body shame anyone, no matter what size they are."

"Everyone is different. I want to be curvier, have abs and have a big bum, but some of my clients want to be quite skinny. Everyone's definition of perfect is different.

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"People shouldn't pass comments on other people's bodies. Kate Moss said, 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,' but I don't agree with that. Nothing tastes as god as healthy feels."

In the post that Maeve shared, it shows a photo of her when she was working as a model at 47.2kg, and a photo of her now.

However, the difference in her weight isn't the most important thing to Maeve in the photos - it's how she feels mentally.

"In the first photo, I had never been so unhappy. The pressure in the modelling industry is unbelievable.

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"There was such a pressure to be skinny. I thought I was fat in that photo, I had total body dysmorphia.

"I said I was 47kg there, but I was probably even less. I was eating 800 calories a day.

"I remember that photo being taken. I was going to Miami for work but I was feeling so shitty and faint. I was so sad.

"Now, I'm 10kg heavier but I don't feel heavier, I feel happy. I love my job and what I do."

While social media is known for its ability to distort reality, Maeve says that being completely honest is part of her role as an influencer.

"People message me and say I'm the only completely honest blogger that they follow. I don't think you should sugar coat anything, it's not reality.

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"Being online means you're inspiring young girls, and I want to show them how you can be independent and work hard.

"It takes a lot of confidence to share a transformation picture and it's hard to put yourself out there, but I do because it's my life and it's reality."
Spencer Matthews (centre), the brother of groom James Matthews, stands at the entrance of St Mark's Church in Englefield, ahead of his brother's wedding to Pippa Middleton. Pic: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire

Spencer Matthews (centre), the brother of groom James Matthews, walks towards the entrance of St Mark's Church in Englefield, ahead of his brother's wedding to Pippa Middleton, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, at an event dubbed the society wedding of the year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Justin Tallis/PA Wire

Spencer Matthews (left), the brother of groom James Matthews, stands at the entrance of St Mark's Church in Englefield, ahead of his brother's wedding to Pippa Middleton, the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, at an event dubbed the society wedding of the year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday May 20, 2017. See PA story ROYAL Pippa. Photo credit should read: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA Wire

It looks like Vogue Williams did not miss out entirely on celebrating with her boyfriend Spencer Matthews following his brother's marriage to Pippa Middleton.

The Dublin model and presenter wasted no time in jetting to Scotland after hosting a fitness workshop here at the weekend.

She was expected to reunite with her handsome other-half in the Highlands, fresh from his family's celebrations of brother James' lavish wedding to Kate Middleton's sister on Saturday.

The reality star whisked Vogue off to his family's sprawling estate in the Scottish Highlands last month, namely Affric Lodge, for a romantic weekend away.

Although the model may have missed out on the society wedding of the year, Spencer will no doubt make it up to her.

As a result of Pippa's alleged "no ring, no bring" rule, Vogue (31) did not attend the wedding with her hunky boyfriend, who was James' best man on the day.

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Instead, he was accompanied to the wedding by his sister Nina, while his girlfriend hosted a fashion event at Arnotts as she helped launch their new fitness section.

However, Vogue may just have been playing the part of a lady-in-waiting when it comes to her intriguing relationship with the Made In Chelsea star.

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Writing in her Sunday World column, she said how she was flying back to Scotland yesterday for a "very chilled couple of days and I can't wait".

She did not disclose where she was staying but she was then pictured boarding a small passenger plane and was expected to meet up with her other-half last night for more celebrations.

Video of the Day

Last month saw him flying her up to see Affric Lodge, a large estate covering 10,000 acres in Scotland.

Situated about 40 miles from Inverness, Spencer's wealthy father David Matthews bought the Victorian mansion in 2008 and carried out extensive renovations.

Not a venue for cash-strapped mortals, the lodge costs about 1,000-a-night to stay in and comes with its own butler and personal chef.

Vogue's relationship with Spencer seems to be gathering momentum and with the exception of Pippa's wedding, the pair have seemed inseparable.

He accompanied her to a fashion event in Marbella recently, where she modelled Virginia Macari's new swimwear and then flew with her to Ibiza to film an episode for her new slot on travel show Getaways for RTE.

Vogue recently told the Diary how she was "very happy" with her new relationship and she was in a great place in her life right now.
Mairead deBlaca didn't have any great expectations when she signed up for the online dating app, Tinder, but she thought it might be a bit of fun. She got even more fun than she bargained for though, because the Cork woman is now engaged to Kilkenny man, Brendan Doyle, who is a real joker.

Both were single when they came across each other on the app two-and-a-half years ago, having previously tried online dating. They liked what they saw and swiped right, and met up after a couple of months for their first date on Valentine's Day, 2015. "You can meet men online who say really weird or awful stuff, but Brendan was really funny and we had this banter back and forth,'' Mairead recalls. "We went to Manifesto in Rathmines for our first date, and he was quirky and made me laugh."

Brendan admits that it was love at first sight for him. He was 40 at the time, and had set his search parameters to include women from 35-41. Mairead may have been a few years older but she somehow made the cut, which Brendan gets great fun from. "It was some sort of 'computer glitch', which is ironic as I work in IT," he jokes. "I was a bit nervous meeting up, but Mairead was smiley, happy, fun, confident and kind of cute. She has beautiful white teeth, so I liked her smile and sparkling eyes.''

Mairead (47) is from Mallow, Cork, and is the only child of Mary and the late Matt Blake. Her dad passed away at 89, although he was badly injured in the Buttevant rail disaster in 1980. He was the ticket checker on the train, and Mairead was very close to him and has a great relationship with her mother, Mary.

She always loved painting but wasn't accepted into art college, so Mairead did a degree in history and archaeology at UCC. She followed this with a master's degree in business and co-op development, and lived and worked in various companies in Washington for six years. Once back home, jobs with Ericsson, Vodafone and Microsoft followed, and she now works from home for an IT company based in the Czech Republic.

Brendan (44) grew up in Thomastown, Kilkenny, and is the second youngest of James and Mary's five children. His dad is a retired garda and his mum is a retired teacher. She taught Brendan for three years, so unfortunately for him, there was no pretending to be sick or not doing his homework. He went to UCD to study Irish and mathematical physics, but the course didn't suit him. He left and worked at the Badass Cafe for a couple of years while he decided the best way forward. He then did a degree at night in business and IT, followed by a master's degree in technology management at DIT. He got a job working in IT in banking for 16 years, and now works as an IT consultant in a consultancy firm in Dublin. He and Mairead moved in together a year ago, to her house in Rathmines, which has been great, although Brendan laughs that Mairead has a busy social life.

When out with friends, people often asked the couple when they were going to give them a day out, to which Mairead would jokingly reply that she was waiting on Brendan to pop the question.

A few weeks ago, they were going to a BBQ at Brendan's best friend's house, and he knew that the question was bound to arise amid the food, laughter and drink. So he went out and bought a "promise ring" and when the question did indeed arise, Mairead jokingly responded that she was expecting a question any day now. Whereupon Brendan got down on one knee, took out the ring and proposed. Mairead presumed it was a gag, and was shocked to discover he was for real.

"She put the ring on and then asked my friends who really owned it?" Brendan explains. "They were all clapping and Mairead was in shock when she realised it was actually serious. I got a promise ring because when I went to the jewellery shop, I hadn't a clue about rings. They asked about her, and when I told them she was a jewellery designer, they said not to be stupid and to let her design her own ring."

The delighted pair are currently looking at venues and deciding what type of wedding they want to have. They both have a great relationship with each other's families. ''Any time Mairead gives me an earful about something when her mother is around, Mary will turn to me and say, 'Brendan, in one ear and out the other'," laughs Brendan.

Video of the Day

Mairead had done a bit of sculpture and then did a course in jewellery making at NCAD. She began making her own jewellery two years ago. The deBlaca range is going very well, and Mairead sells at craft fairs and Showcase and is stocked in the Kilkenny Shop in Cork and Carraig Donn in Limerick, Ennis and Westport. ''The gorgeous sterling silver jewellery is inspired by nature and life, and the latest collection is based around paintings of the night sky, the stars and the crescent moon. It is affordable luxury for everyday wear,'' says Mairead, who hopes to grow the deBlaca brand and eventually export it.

"Each piece of jewellery is seen as a piece of art," says Mairead, adding that Brendan is a great support to her. "While it's beautiful and delicate, it is non-symmetrical with unique contours and irregularities, just like nature."

www.deblaca.ie
Theresa Mays announcement of a cap on care bills is the latest in a string of policy changes branded U-turns by opponents.

Here are some of the other times decisions have been reversed.

1. Brexit

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While keeping a low profile during the campaign, May backed the Remain side in the 2016 EU referendum, saying the case for continued membership was strong.

Within days of the result she offered herself in the leadership campaign as someone who believed that Brexit means Brexit.

2. British Bill of Rights

Having argued for withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights and the introduction of a British Bill of Rights, May dropped the idea when campaigning for the Tory leadership and said in her 2017 manifesto that the UK will remain an ECHR signatory for the duration of the next parliament.

3. Foreign workers

A suggestion from Home Secretary Amber Rudd at the Conservative conference last September that companies would be required to publish details of the number of foreign employees was swiftly dropped after running into opposition from industry.

4. Workers on boards

May told the conference that she would ensure workers were represented on company boards.

Following uneasiness from business at the plan, the manifesto said listed companies would be required either to nominate a director from the workforce, create a formal employee advisory council or assign specific responsibility for employee representation to a designated non-executive director.

5. National Insurance

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Chancellor Philip Hammonds Budget announcement of a hike in national insurance contributions for self-employed workers was ditched after days following complaints that it breached a commitment in the Conservative 2015 manifesto not to raise the levy.

6. Early election

Launching her leadership campaign last June, May insisted there should be no general election until 2020.

In September she told interviewer Andrew Marr that there was no need for an early election, as the UK needed a period of stability to deal with Brexit.

As late as March 30 her official spokesman was telling reporters: There isnt going to be one. It isnt going to happen. There is not going to be a general election.

But on April 18, after mulling the question over on a hiking holiday in Snowdonia, the PM announced that she had decided an election was needed to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead.
The Green Party has launched its manifesto, which it has called the Green Guarantee.

Heres a look at its key policies.

On work

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A universal basic income will be piloted in a government-sponsored scheme, as a means to increase security and avoid the poverty trap.

Phase in a four-day working week, abolish zero-hour contracts, increase the minimum wage to 10 an hour by 2020 and end the gender pay gap.

Require a minimum of 40% of all public sector company boards to be women.

Scrap age-related wage bands.

On housing

Introduce a living rent through rent controls, bring an end to letting fees.

Build zero-carbon homes, including 100,000 social rented homes, each year by 2022.

Reinstate housing benefit for under 21s.

On health

Roll back privatisation of the NHS.

Introduce mental health training in the public sector, and bring mental health care in line with physical health care.

Invest in social care for the elderly and all those who need it.

On young people

Lower the voting age to 16.

Greater access to free condoms and sexual health clinics.

Introduce non-biased political education to schools.

On education

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Abolish SATS and reduce class sizes.

Scrap university tuition fees, fund full student grants.

Restore the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), put a greater focus on apprenticeships for those aged 16-25.

On Brexit

A referendum on the details of the Brexit deal, with the option to reject and remain in the EU.

Protect freedom of movement, safeguard human and environmental rights.

On the environment

Introduce an Environmental Protection Act to restore the environment, enhance biodiversity and promote sustainable food and farming.

Invest in flood defences and a programme of home insulation.

Replace fracking, coal, fuel fossil subsidies and nuclear with renewable energy.

Action to reduce plastic, including Deposit Return Schemes, with a zero waste target.

On transport

Renationalise the railways (as well as energy, water, and the Royal Mail), and increase bus services and rural areas.

Phase in free local public transport for young people, students, people with disabilities and older people.

Invest in regional rail links rather than HS2.

End subsidies on airline fuel, and cancel all airport expansion.

Increase incentives to take diesel vehicles off the roads.

On tax

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Reinstate the higher level of corporation tax for big businesses and include a wealth tax on the top 1% of earners.

Introduce a Robin Hood tax on high value transactions in the finance sector. Tax inheritance based on the wealth of the recipient.

Remove VAT from sanitary products.

On defence

Scrap the Trident nuclear deterrent.

Implement an immigration and asylum system that recognises and takes responsibility for Britains ongoing role in causing the flow of migrants worldwide.

End arms sales to oppressive regimes.

On extremism

Scrap the xenophobic Prevent strategy, instead pursuing community-led approaches to tackling extremism in all forms.
Andrew Neil demonstrated why hes one of TVs most notorious interviewers after giving Theresa May a thorough grilling in the first of his Andrew Neil Interviews series.

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He called her plans half-baked, told her to be honest about the reasoning behind the social care cap U-turn and stated: This must be the first time in modern history that a partys actually broken a manifesto policy before the election.

When asked three times by Neil where the extra 8 billion for the NHS will come from, May failed to give a straight answer.

Neils tough questions and determination to get them answered has earned him lots of praise from viewers who were not in the least bit envious of where May was sat.

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Some commentators shared that theyd prefer to see him taking the UK through Brexit negotiations after that performance.

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Neil will turn his attention to Ukips Paul Nuttall tomorrow night at 7pm on BBC One.
Posters mocking Theresa Mays general election slogan have been plastered across London ahead of the vote on June 8.

Throughout her campaign May has insisted on numerous occasions the Conservatives are fighting for a strong and stable Britain, but it seems not everyone agrees.

The deriding posters  which have appeared in Camden, Soho, Southwark and Peckham  read: Strong and stable my arse.

They were created by artist Jeremy Deller and poster company Flying Leaps, which displays artists work with the aim to introduce fresh voices into the visual conversations that echo round our cities.

Londoners have been sharing photos of posters theyve stumbled on across social media.
220517ABG NEEDS ADVISORY BODY SAYS KINANI

By Aloysius Laukai



A concerned chief and Ex-combatants spokesman in Buin, JOHN KINANI wants the ABG to urgently pass legislation to establish an advisory body consisting of traditional chiefs as stipulated under section 52 of the Bougainville Constitution.

He said that the establishment of the advisory body is crucial at this moment in Bougainvilles history since we are now heading towards referendum to decide our political future.

MR. KINANI says that instead of having our own advisory body, we have a bunch of foreign advisors and a few Bougainville elites who have a shallow or no knowledge of the Bougainville issue and the circumstances surrounding the islands population from North to South.

MR. KINANI strongly urges the current leadership to consider this very carefully since the establishment of the advisory body would help prevent or solve certain inconveniences that we might face along the way.

New Dawn FM understands that a similar call was made by the former Bougainville hardliners Chairman, DAVID SISITO at the swearing of the second ABG President, JAMES TANIS in 2009.

Nothing was done to establish that advisory body although it has been accommodated in the Bougainville Constitution approved by the Bougainville Constitutional Committee in 2004, one year before the establishment of the Autonomous Bougainville Government.



Ends
Elections are fought online as much as they are in the streets, and on Monday Google became a key battleground.

Both the Conservatives and Labour have paid for adverts on the search engine following the discussion around what opposition parties branded a dementia tax.

Anyone hoping to find out about the Conservative policy, which Theresa May announced changes to on Monday, will see a Tory ad reading The so-called dementia tax  get the real facts, followed by a Labour ad that says The Dementia Tax  Get The Real Facts.

Google searches for dementia tax spiked on Monday, with many people showing a greater interest in Mays social care policy following the backlash against her announced changes.

Those hoping to find out are linked to seven facts through the Conservative ad, which appears first, while Labours sends browsers to a seven-point Q&A.

The ads are likely to have cost hundreds of pounds, but the exact price will depend on how many people click on them  the more that click, the more the parties will have to pay.

The Lib Dems also set up dementiatax.org.uk  a petition urging the Prime Minister to scrap the manifesto pledge.

What actually is this tax?

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The Tories plan to overhaul the funding of social care, meaning that elderly people will have to pay for care in their own home if they have total assets of 100,000 or more.

Anyone who needs long-term care in a nursing home will have to pay for it themselves out of their own assets, usually a home, with the final 100,000 being protected for family to inherit.

Labour say this will mean more people will have to pay for care in their own homes.

Dementia tax was coined by another party and looks like its going to stick, with the Conservative ad somewhat legitimising the unwanted term.

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May announced on Monday that a cap on social care costs will be included as an option in a consultation on reforms to be launched after the General Election.

Ministers were adamant there would be no going back on the plan, although they said there would be a green paper on health and social care released over the summer if the Tories were returned to power on June 8.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said he was mobilising a national campaign and seeking the support of medical organisations and charities, including former prime minister David Cameron, who is president of Alzheimers Research UK.

Caring for our elderly must be above party politics and that is why I want to urge anyone who opposes the Conservatives plans to come together to stop it, he said.
Dozens of students and their family members have walked out of their graduating ceremony in protest as US vice-president Mike Pence took to the podium to speak.

Pence was giving the commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame in his home state of Indiana.

Local news reported that about 150 people in total walked out of Pences speech and they said it was President Donald Trumps policies which caused the protest.

Student Cassandro Dimaro told the South Bend Tribune that the walkout was a sign of solidarity for those of us impacted by the policies of the Trump administration as well as the rhetoric the Trump administration has used.

The walkout was planned and although he didnt specifically acknowledge it, the vice-presidents speech suggested he knew it was coming.

Notre Dame is a campus where deliberation is welcomed, where opposing views are debated, and where every speaker, no matter how unpopular or unfashionable, is afforded the right to air their views in the open for all to hear, Pence, the former governor of Indiana, told the crowd.

Earlier in the ceremony, Caleb Joshua Pine  the student who provided the valedictory speech  urged a stand against the scapegoating of Muslims and criticised Trumps push to build a wall along the US border with Mexico.

By contrast, Pence spoke warmly of the president, complimenting his speech to the leaders of 50 Arab and Muslim nations earlier in the day on the presidents state visit to Saudi Arabia.

Pence said Trumps speech spoke out against religious persecution of all people of all faiths and on the world stage he condemned, in his words, the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews and the slaughter of Christians.

The action group behind Sundays demonstration, named WalkOutND, said it had intended to take back the graduation ceremony, and show our dissatisfaction with the Universitys selection of Mike Pence as honoured speaker.

A YouTube video linked to the campaigns Facebook shows students explaining their own reasons why they were taking the stand.
A woman claims she was arrested and strip-searched after immigration officials suspected she might try to overstay her visa.

Molly Hill (26) alleges that when she touched down in Hawaii with her American boyfriend last Monday, she was immediately arrested by immigration officers.

Hill, who is from Melbourne, said she had a 99-day tourist visa and a return ticket but after being questioned for six hours she was told she would have to travel home to Australia the following day.

She said in a Facebook post: "In the end they were convinced I wanted to immigrate illegally because my diary had notes like 'going away drinks' and 'last day at work,' things I got in order before expecting to be away for 3 months."

Hill was held at the immigration centre overnight as there were no flights travelling to Australia until the next day, which happened to be her brthday.

She alleges that she was "frisked, made to undress in front of an officer and show that there was nothing in my hair or mouth, and asked to 'squat and cough' which was absolutely mortifying."

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She ended up paying $620 (550) for her flight to Sydney and said she was drained after the experience.

She said: "It's been a surreal few days that's taken a big chunk of money, heartache and tears."

BuzzFeed News reports that Hill was carrying documents including her birth cert, old passports and college transcripts, so officers thought she may be planning to get married in the US.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told News.com.au that Hill's story didn't add up and that she didn't have the correct visa.

They explained: "Hill applied for admission as a visitor for pleasure (which means that she is only eligible to stay in the United States for a brief period of time) under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

"However, upon inspection, CBP officers found that Hill presented conflicting information and was determined to be inadmissible under the VWP."
Donald Trump and his wife Melania stand to attention during a welcoming ceremony in Tel Aviv, accompanied by the Israeli President Rueben Rivlin and PM Benjamin Netanyahu (AP)

US president Donald Trump at his meeting with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin (AP)

US president Donald Trump said he never mentioned "the word or the name Israel" during a recent conversation with top Russian diplomats.

Speaking alongside Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Trump was referencing revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat during a recent meeting in Washington with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador.

US officials said the information originated from Israel.

Mr Trump, who is making his first visit to Israel as US president, said: "I never mentioned the word or the name Israel in that conversation."

Mr Netanyahu added that US-Israeli intelligence co-operation is "terrific".

Mr Trump said the story is another one the news media has gotten wrong.

However, news accounts have not accused Mr Trump of naming Israel as a source of the information.

Earlier on Monday, on Mr Trump's first visit to Israel as president, he said he sees a growing recognition among Muslim nations that they share a "common cause" with Israel in their determination to counter threats posed by Iran.

Arriving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mr Trump expressed his hope for co-operation among US allies in the Middle East.

Israel was his second stop on a nine-day tour aimed to test the waters for reviving the dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mr Trump, who had previously suggested that it would be easier than anticipated to solve the conflict that has vexed his predecessors for decades, said that conditions were right in both Israel and the Arab world to strike what he has called "the ultimate deal".

"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people," Mr Trump said upon his arrival in Tel Aviv.

His first stop was a meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

In a statement following the meeting, Mr Trump addressed his meetings the previous day with Arab and Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, and said that there is growing realisation that they share a goal with Israel in their determination to defeat extremism and deter "the threat posed by Iran".

Mr Netanyahu called Mr Trump "a true friend" to Israel and expressed optimism about the president's role in the Middle East peace process.

However, obstacles have emerged that may complicate the relationship between the White House and Israel.

Mr Trump, wearing a black skullcap, became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall on Monday.

He touched it in prayer and, adhering to tradition, placed a note in a deep crevice.

He also toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which by Christian tradition is where Jesus was crucified and the location of his tomb.

On Tuesday, he is set to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and deliver a speech at the Israeli Museum.

However, Mr Trump may face concerns from Israelis over the new 110 billion US dollar (85 billion) arms deal he announced during his stop in Saudi Arabia as well as questions from Israeli officials about the revelations that he disclosed sensitive Israeli intelligence to Russian officials.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, said the US could provide clarifications to Israel about the disclosure but said "I don't know that there's anything to apologise for".

White House aides have also tried to play down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Mr Trump's stop, casting the visit as symbolic.

Mr Tillerson referred to the visit as "a moment in time" and suggested that the US would take a more active role in the future in brokering a deal if both sides make serious commitments.

Mr Trump, whose unorthodox approach has spurred some hope on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has done no such managing of expectations.

He boldly stated that achieving peace is "something that I think is, frankly, maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years" in March during a meeting with Mr Abbas.

"But we need two willing parties," he said then. "We believe Israel is willing. We believe you're willing. And if you both are willing, we're going to make a deal."

And Mr Trump made one symbolic gesture on Monday in bridging the gap between Israel and the Arab world.

His flight on Air Force One was believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel, nations that have limited diplomatic relations.

Even the White House press corps making the trip on a separate plane from Riyadh to Tel Aviv had to make a technical stop in Cyprus before proceeding to Israel.

Mr Netanyahu said he hoped an Israeli prime minister could soon make the same flight.

AP
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks during a visit to the Pagoda Arts and the Wah Sing Chinese Community centre as he campaigns for the upcoming general election in Liverpool, England. Photo: GETTY

The Tories have launched a furious onslaught on UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, accusing him of "siding with Britain's enemies" by refusing to unequivocally condemn the IRA.

The pressure on Mr Corbyn comes amid signs his party is gaining significant ground in the opinion polls.

The leader came under fire after a TV interview in which he faced repeated questions over whether he condemned the IRA. Mr Corbyn - who attended rallies and protests organised by the republican-backed Troops Out movement in the 1980s - said he condemned "all bombing" but had been trying to open up a peace process.

British Security Minister Ben Wallace said voters would be "outraged" by his refusal to "unequivocally" condemn the IRA.

Mr Corbyn's comments came during an interview with Sky News's 'Sophy Ridge On Sunday' show in which he defended his contacts with republicans in the midst of IRA bombings.

"In the 1980s, Britain was looking for a military solution in Ireland. It clearly was never going to work. Ask anyone in the British Army at that time," he said.

"Therefore you have to seek a peace process. You condemn the violence of those that laid bombs that killed large numbers of innocent people and I do."

Pressed as to whether he would "condemn the IRA without equating it to ...?", Mr Corbyn replied: "No, I think what you have to say is all bombing has to be condemned and you have to bring about a peace process."

Mr Wallace said: "People up and down the country will rightly be outraged that Jeremy Corbyn won't unequivocally condemn the IRA for the bloodshed, bombs and brutal murders they inflicted on a generation of innocent people."

Meanwhile, four polls for the Sunday newspapers put Labour between 35pc and 33pc, up significantly on the scores as low as 26pc it was recording early in the campaign. The Tory advantage was just nine points in one survey by YouGov for the 'Sunday Times', prompting talk of a "wobble weekend".

One of the polls found that people were more likely to say that Labour rather than the Tories had the best policies for older people and pensioners - with 37pc supporting such a view.
France's foreign ministry said on Monday that the reopening of its embassy in Syria was not on the table, signalling there may be no fundamental change to Paris' approach to the Syrian conflict under new president Emmanuel Macron.

Citing a political source close to Macron, pan-Arab daily newspaper al-Hayat had reported on Monday that Macron was reviewing France's decision to close the embassy in 2012.

"The reopening of our embassy in Damascus is not on the agenda," Foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said in a daily briefing.

Officials at the president's office did not immediately respond for comment, although Macron ruled out reopening the embassy during a campaign trip to Beirut in January.

Some European Union countries which withdrew their ambassadors from Syria as the conflict worsened in the country have indicated a willingness for more communication with Damascus given the ongoing fight against Islamic State militants even though France and Britain have staunchly opposed it.

With the arrival of Macron, Paris' policy on Syria has yet to be clearly defined.

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However, the new president has said his priority will be the fight against Islamic State as well as creating a political roadmap to end the conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

Former President Nicolas Sarkzoy closed the French embassy in March 2011. His successor Francois Hollande maintained that policy, actively backing opponents to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and saying he could not be part of any future political settlement in the country.

After an alleged chemical attack by Assad forces in April, Macron said that the Syrian president would have to "answer for his crimes in international courts."
Greece's prime minister Alexis Tsipras has been in conversation with French president Emmanuel Macron over a new deal (AP)

Greece is seeking to persuade its creditors in Europe that it has done enough to receive another chunk of bailout loans and a commitment on alleviating Athens' hefty debt burden.

Greek finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos is to meet his counterparts from the 19-country eurozone at a meeting in Brussels, where Greece will once again top the agenda.

The country is in the middle of its third international bailout, but its progress has been slow in light of various disagreements related to the reforms the government has to impose in return for the rescue money.

The left-led Greek government hopes that a package of measures passed in parliament last week, including further spending cuts and economic reforms, will be enough to break the impasse and allow the so-called eurogroup to release a new bailout instalment - without which the country would struggle to meet its debt servicing obligations in July.

Agreement will also accelerate negotiations on easing Greece's debt repayment terms.

On Monday, French president Emmanuel Macron said his new administration will push for a Greek debt relief deal.

Mr Macron's office said the president spoke to Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and stressed "his determination to find an accord soon to lighten the burden of Greek debt over the long term".

The phone conversation was the first contact between the two since Mr Macron's election earlier this month.

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire, named last week, is joining his peers for the talks and is travelling to the Belgian capital with Wolfgang Schaeuble, his counterpart in Berlin, who has been a vocal critic of Greece over the seven years of its bailout era.

While Mr Le Maire said it is "important there be a solution that reassures the Greek people and of course reassures Greece's creditors", Mr Schaeuble insisted that "structural reforms are the decisive thing" to improve Greek growth.

He said "extra measures if required" would come after the bailout programme expires next year.

The Greek government is hoping to secure a deal as soon as possible so it can lift the uncertainty which has been hanging around the Greek economy over recent months.

Though Greece has emerged from its economic depression in 2014 and its public finances have improved dramatically, the economy is back in recession, having shrunk for two straight quarters.

Analysts said the main reason why Greece has taken a step back is its stalled bailout negotiations.

The hope is that the release of bailout funds soon will shore up confidence that the country will not face bankruptcy again soon.

Greece is currently in the midst of its third bailout programme - the current three-year deal expires in the summer of 2018 and could be worth up to 86 billion euro (72 billion) in total.

In return for the money, the government promised to enact a series of austerity measures as well as economic reforms - its progress is continually monitored by institutions from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

While the austerity measures have seen Greece's public finances improve, the draconian spending cuts have seen poverty rates surge to more than 35%.

The country's debt burden stands at around 175%, a level that the Greek government thinks is unsustainable in the long-term - hence its insistence on some debt relief, at least in the form of lower interest payments and longer repayment terms.

The IMF, also, thinks Greece needs a big debt relief deal to get back on track.
220517BUIN EM SUPPORTS CENTRE

By Aloysius Laukai

The newly appointed executive Manager for BUIN District, PETER KAMUAI today acknowledged the existence of the Patupatuai rehabilitation centre.

Speaking as one of the Guest speakers, MR. KAMUAI said that he took 50 Teachers to the centre to run their course some years back because he wanted to support the centre financially.

MR. KAMUAI also mentioned the healing of memories program that the centre held that has made MAKIS people reconciling from the heart and without funds.

He said he wants the centre supported to continue to do its work to serve the people of South Bougainville and Bougainville as a whole.



Ends






A burning truck is seen during clashes between opposition supporters and security forces at a rally against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Marco Bello

Protesters are silhouetted in clouds of tear gas launched by government security forces during clashes in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Government security forces launch tear gas at protesters during clashes in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A masked protester winds-up to throw a petrol bomb during clashes with government security forces in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Venezuela possesses 5,000 Russian-made MANPADS surface-to-air weapons, according to a military document reviewed by Reuters, the largest known stockpile in Latin America and a source of concern for U.S. officials amid the country's mounting turmoil.

Venezuela's socialist government has long used the threat of an "imperialist" invasion by the United States to justify an arms buildup. Much of that arsenal was obtained from Russia by Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, whose tenure lasted from 1999 until his death in 2013.

The missiles, which are shoulder-mounted and can be operated by one person, pose a serious threat to commercial and military aircraft. Weapons experts said there have long been fears that the weapons could be stolen, sold or somehow channeled to the wrong hands, concerns exacerbated by the current civil unrest in Venezuela and the economic crisis roiling the oil-producing nation.

According to a Venezuelan military presentation seen by Reuters, the South American country has 5,000 SA-24 Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS) missiles, also known as the Igla-S.

The document seen by Reuters provides the most complete count to date of the size of the arms stockpile. Public weapons registries confirm the bulk of the numbers seen on the Venezuelan military presentation.

Venezuelan government and military officials did not respond to requests for comment about the report.

Expand Close Protesters are silhouetted in clouds of tear gas launched by government security forces during clashes in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Protesters are silhouetted in clouds of tear gas launched by government security forces during clashes in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, May 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

First deployed by the United States and Soviet Union in the 1960s, shoulder-mounted missiles have become popular with insurgent groups around the world because they are portable, effective and relatively easy to operate.

The U.S. for years has funded efforts to destroy MANPADS stockpiles in unstable regions as worries have grown about the weapons getting into the hands of militant groups. Some missiles unaccounted for in Libya following the 2011 death of strongman Muammar Gaddafi, for example, are believed to have made their way to other parts of the Middle East.

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Mike Pompeo expressed concern about the Venezuelan missiles at a Senate hearing earlier this month, though he was clear that he had no evidence that arms transfers had taken place.

"This risk is incredibly real and serious ... to South America and Central America in addition to just in Venezuela," Pompeo said. "The situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate. (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro gets more desperate by the hour."

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Conservative U.S. politicians such as Florida Republican Marco Rubio have long accused Venezuela of collaborating with a host of global militants, including Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah and Colombia's FARC rebels, who are disbanding this year.

The Venezuelan government has long mocked such claims as lies used to justify potential foreign aggression.

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Some intelligence experts agree the allegations are exaggerated.

"The whole Hezbollah line has been distorted for political purposes by the more extreme elements of the U.S. right wing," a former C.I.A. senior official told Reuters.

What's certain is that Venezuela is home to a thriving illicit weapons trade. Pistols, rifles, machine guns, even grenades are easily available on the black market and in the country's notoriously violent prisons. There are frequent reports of military and police officials stealing weapons.

Colombia has in the past accused Caracas of arming guerrillas with all manner of weaponry. Officials in neighboring Brazil have voiced concerns that local drug gangs may be acquiring military weapons from Venezuela, which has been rocked by seven weeks of anti-government protests.

A former Venezuelan senior army general and minister, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the information, told Reuters the MANPADS missiles are held mainly on the coast due to government fears of a U.S. attack.

He told Reuters that Venezuela also holds 1,500 launchers, or grip stocks, which are fundamental to the operation of the missiles.

Venezuelan officials did not respond to a request for comment about the location and other details of its arsenal.

Concern

Venezuela's MANPADS missiles, similar to the U.S. Stinger system, were purchased towards the end of Chavez's rule.

The former paratrooper was briefly toppled in a 2002 coup endorsed by the United States.

The U.S. denied any pretensions to meddle in Venezuela, but Chavez warned his followers continually about the threat of American aggression up until his death.

"We don't want war," Chavez said on TV in 2009 as dozens of soldiers marched in front of him with camouflaged MANPADS missiles on their shoulders. "But we need our armed forces to be ever better trained and equipped to secure ... the sovereignty of this great nation."

Russia, a close ally, lent Venezuela $4 billion to buy weapons when Chavez visited Moscow in 2010. It is unclear if any MANPADS missiles were part of that deal.

The U.N. Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show the shipment of 3,800 MANPADS missiles from Russia to Venezuela over the last decade. Those records rely on voluntary reports and are often incomplete.

In 2009, then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to stop selling MANPADS missiles to Venezuela because of concerns over the South American country's management of its weapons stockpiles, according to cables released by WikiLeaks.

That same year, Colombia said Sweden's government confirmed that three rocket launchers found in a FARC guerrilla camp in Colombia were part of a batch that Sweden had sold to Venezuela in the 1980s.

Internal FARC documents seized by Colombia during a 2008 raid in Ecuador appeared to show that the guerilla group entered into talks with Venezuela to obtain MANPADS missiles, though there was no evidence any weapons changed hands.

Venezuela did not respond to a request for comment on those documents.

Venezuelans have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the nation's collapsing economy and the Maduro government's efforts to solidify its hold on power. Millions are struggling with severe shortages of food, medicine and other basics.

The government blames the problems on its political opponents and the United States.
Mr Flynn was sacked as US National Security Adviser earlier this year (AP)

The leading Democrat on a congressional committee has said documents suggest Michael Flynn lied to federal security clearance investigators about the source of payments he received from a Russian state-sponsored TV network.

Representative Elijah Cummings said Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser told the investigators during an early 2016 security clearance review that a trip to Moscow was "funded by US companies".

Mr Cummings said the actual source of the funds was "the Russian media propaganda arm RT".

He made the statements in a letter to Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House oversight committee.

Mr Cummings's letter came the same day Mr Flynn declined to provide documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee, citing his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination.

The top senior members of the Senate intelligence committee said they would "vigorously pursue" the evidence of Mr Flynn despite him invoking the Fifth Amendment.

Richard Burr and Mark Warner said they were disappointed that Mr Flynn had ignored the committee's subpoena.

Earlier this month, the committee asked Mr Flynn and other Trump associates for lists of meetings and notes taken during the presidential campaign.

The Senate intelligence committee is among the congressional panels investigating Russia's election meddling and possible ties with the Trump campaign. The FBI is also investigating.
A five-year-old boy has been hailed a hero for raising the alarm when both of his parents passed out from a heroin overdose.

The boy allegedly walked barefoot to his step-grandfather's house and said his parents were dead.

When I walked up the steps and seen him laying in the bathroom floor and her in the hallway, I immediately called 911 because I knew what was up, step-grandfather Kenneth Currey told WLWT news.

Police tried to comfort the five-year-old and his three-month-old sister, who was still strapped into her car seat in their car.

Police found parents Lee Johnson and Chelsie Marshall lying unconscious on the floor.

When Johnson gained consciousness he admitted using heroin.

Marshall needed to be taken to a hospital to be revived, according to the station.

Police found some white residue on a chair in the home, which is being taken to a lab for further testing.

According to the New York Post, both parents face two charges of endangering children and one count of disorderly conduct with heroin.

The children were brought to the Middletown Police Department, where the boy received a badge for his bravery. They were later taken to live with other family members.

Im very proud of the boy, very proud of him, but its just, tragedy, Currey told the station.

Middletown Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw said the situation could have escalated quickly.

Parents, wake up, he said. People that are doing this, youre not just hurting you, youre hurting your families and your kids. I mean, this couldve turned out really bad for two children that dont deserve it.
A man who drugged and raped his 16-year-old sister has been let off with a lenient sentence of 240 days in prison and probation.

The 20-year-old from Crescent City, California, pleaded guilty to giving his sister highly potent marijuana, also known as "dabs," until she could no longer recognise him as her brother.

He said she had repeatedly resisted his sexual advances. The age of consent in California is 18.

Judge William H Follett sentenced him to three years, and then suspended all but 240 days in county jail and probation.

The judge noted the victim took her own clothes off and was not unconscious.

He also questioned whether there was sufficient evidence on which a jury could convict the man, despite him having given a videotaped confession.

Judge Follett said he believed the "stigma" of the rape conviction, along with being listed on the sex offenders' register, was enough of a deterrent to deter the man and others in the community.

But Del Norte District Attorney Dale P Trigg said he "could not disagree more with" the decision, KRCR reported.

"The message that this sends to our community is that sexual predators who get their juvenile siblings stoned enough can have sex with them without any meaningful consequence," he said.

"That is not the message I want to send to our community.

He added: In a lot of ways, this case is more egregious than Brock Turner, referring to the 21-year-old who served half his six-month sentence for the sexual assault of an unconscious woman at Stanford University.

In the wake of Turner's case, the law was changed to make such crimes ineligible for probation.

Mr Trigg said: This defendant took advantage of a position of trust as this victims big brother. He knew she didnt want to have sex with him. She told him that repeatedly.

"So he got her stoned on dabs he gave her until she didnt even recognise him in order get what he wanted.

Deputy District Attorney Annmarie Padilla also argued for stricter sentencing.

She asked Judge Follett to follow the Probation Department's recommendation of six years in prison, the Crescent City Times reported.

Ms Padilla said: "Under this interpretation of the law, a perpetrator at a college party who chooses to forcibly rape a conscious victim will go to prison.

"However, a different perpetrator at the same party who chooses to watch and wait for a victim to pass out from intoxication before sexually assaulting her may get probation.

"Whether penetration is accomplished through physical aggression [force] or predatory behaviour is a distinction without a difference. Both perpetrators seek prey that are vulnerable; disadvantaged by his/her capacity to resist.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to deliver a speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Donald Trump should spend his time usefully in Riyadh by discussing how to avoid his Saudi hosts "carrying out another" 9/11 atrocity in the US instead of making baseless claims of terrorism against other countries, Iran's foreign minister has said.

In his speech to Arab heads of state in the Saudi capital, Mr Trump repeatedly attacked Iran, claiming it "funds, arms and trains militias that spread destruction and chaos", pointing to Iran's support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad as he committed "unspeakable crimes".

The US president added that people in Iran had "endured hardship and despair under their leaders' reckless pursuit of conflict and terror". Earlier, King Salman of Saudi Arabia had also railed against Iran, calling the country "the spearhead of terrorism".

Most of the 19 terrorists who murdered 3,000 people on September 11, 2001, were Saudi citizens and there have been accusations members of the Saudi hierarchy were complicit.

Read more: Donald Trump signs $110bn arms deal hours after landing in Saudi Arabia

Iran's foreign secretary Javad Zarif pointed out Mr Trump had himself suggested the Saudis were behind the 9/11 attacks.

Mr Zarif said: "He must enter into dialogue with them [the Saudis] about ways to prevent terrorists from continuing to fuel the fire in the region and repeating the likes of the September 11 incident by their sponsors in Western countries.

"You will find out who really knocked down the World Trade Centre because they have papers out there that are very secret. You will find it's the Saudis, you will find that is the case."
U.S. President Donald Trump (center L) walks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (center R) to deliver remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Ivanka Trump and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, delivers remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

President Donald Trump delivers a speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit, at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US president Donald Trump has cast the elusive pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians as the "ultimate deal" as he continues his tour of the Middle East.

Mr Trump has handed son-in-law Jared Kushner and long-time business lawyer Jason Greenblatt the assignment of charting the course toward a peace process.

The White House-driven effort is a sharp shift from the practice of previous US administrations that typically gave secretaries of state those responsibilities.

Mr Kushner and Mr Greenblatt will accompany Mr Trump on his two-day visit to Israel, which will include separate meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas.

Mr Trump also plans to visit the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site.

On the eve of Mr Trump's visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet approved several confidence-building measures, including construction permits for Palestinians near their cities in parts of the West Bank that had previously been off limits, a senior official said.

Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Facebook

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Whatsapp U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Under interim agreements 60% of the West Bank, known as Area C, site of Israel's settlements, is under Israeli control and Palestinian development there has mostly been forbidden by Israel.

The official said the package also includes economic concessions and opening the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.

White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Mr Trump's stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive.

Yet Mr Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State group with top Russian officials, without Israel's permission.

Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Facebook

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Israel also has expressed concern about the 110 billion US dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Mr Trump announced on Saturday in Riyadh.

Yuval Steinitz, a senior Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant, called Saudi Arabia "a hostile country" and said the deal was "definitely something that should trouble us".

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Mr Trump's first overseas trip as president comes as the dynamics between the United States and the region's players are moving in unexpected directions.

While Israeli officials cheered Mr Trump's election, some are now wary of the tougher line he has taken on settlements: urging restraint but not calling for a full halt to construction.

Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Facebook

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Whatsapp U.S. President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Mr Trump has retreated from a campaign pledge to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other presidents who have made similar promises.

A senior official who was part of the Palestinian delegation said Mr Trump is planning to try to relaunch peace talks, with a goal of reaching an agreement within a year.

Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump (center L) walks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (center R) to deliver remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Facebook

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Whatsapp U.S. President Donald Trump (center L) walks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (center R) to deliver remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The Trump administration rejected a request from the Palestinians to push for an Israeli settlement freeze, but promised to sort out the issue during peace negotiations, according to the official.

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Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official close to Abbas, said Mr Trump was a "serious president" who "seeks to have a real deal, not just managing the conflict".

David Friedman, the new US ambassador to Israel, told the newspaper Israel Hayom that Mr Trump's goal at the start is simply "to begin a discussion that would hopefully lead to peace".

Mr Trump's trip began in Saudi Arabia and takes him, after Israel, to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis, to Brussels for a Nato summit and to Sicily for a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major industrial nations.
Melania Trump appears to reject holding her husband's hand as the pair arrives in Israel for the US president's first foreign visit.

As Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, it remained unclear whether his administration was changing long-standing US policy by declaring the wall's location to be Israel, versus Jerusalem.

Heading to Israel on the second stop in the president's nine-day tour of the Middle East and Europe, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson addressed questions over whether the administration is considering a change in policy, after top officials offered conflicting views.

"The wall is part of Jerusalem," he said, declaring an undeniable fact accepted by all sides.

He did not elaborate on the more delicate question: whether the administration would change US policy over the status of Jerusalem.

The president arrived at the wall on Monday afternoon, donning a yarmulke, as is the tradition at Jewish holy sites.

His wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner accompanied him.

Ivanka Trump converted to Judaism to marry Mr Kushner, an orthodox Jew.

Mr Trump pressed his right hand against the wall and closed his eyes, seemingly in prayer.

He called it a "great honour" to be the first sitting president to visit the holy site.

Israel captured the Old City, home to important Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious sites, along with the rest of east Jerusalem in the 1967 war.

The US has never recognised Israeli sovereignty over territory occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem.

For this reason, US officials refuse to say that the wall is part of Israel.

Israel, which previously controlled west Jerusalem, claims all of the city as its eternal capital and this week is celebrating the 50th anniversary of what it calls the city's "unification".

The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

Given the competing claims, the US says the city's fate must be worked out through negotiations and like most countries, it maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem.

During the campaign, Mr Trump pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem, but has since walked back on that promise.

The latest controversy stemmed from a dust-up last week between American and Israeli officials planning for Mr Trump's visit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked to join Mr Trump on his visit of the Western Wall, but was rebuffed.

An Israeli TV station quoted an American as telling the Israelis that the wall is not in Israeli territory, enraging Mr Trump's Israeli hosts.

The dispute deepened the following day when Mr Trump's national security adviser, HR McMaster, declined to say whether the Western Wall is in Israel, dismissing the question as "a policy decision" that he would not answer.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer, later asked about Mr McMaster's comments, said: "It's clearly in Jerusalem."

He said the issue would be discussed during Mr Trump's trip.

However, hours later Nikki Haley, Mr Trump's UN ambassador, asserted that the wall is part of Israel.

"I don't know what the policy of the administration is, but I believe the Western Wall is part of Israel and I think that that is how, you know, we've always seen it and that's how we should pursue it," she told the Christian Broadcasting Network.

With reporting from Press Association
The Republican and Democratic leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee said on Monday they were disappointed Michael Flynn declined their request for an interview and production of subpoenaed documents in their probe of Russia and the 2016 U.S. election.

"We will vigorously pursue General Flynns testimony and his production of any and all pertinent materials pursuant to the Committees authorities," the committee's Republican chairman, Senator Richard Burr, and top Democrat, Senator Mark Warner, said in a joint statement.

Flynn invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, according to a letter to the Senate committee from his attorney, which was obtained by Reuters.

The retired lieutenant general is a key witness in the Russia probe.

Flynn's attorneys did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Senators Richard Burr and Mark Warner, the top Republican and Democrat on the panel, said in a statement they were disappointed by Flynn's decision, but would "vigorously pursue" his testimony.

The committee is conducting one of the main congressional probes into U.S. intelligence agency reports of Russian meddling in the election and whether there was any collusion between President Donald Trumps campaign and Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Russian officials.

Flynn apparently misled Pentagon investigators about his foreign connections when he sought to renew his security clearance in early 2016, according to a document obtained by congressional Democrats and released in part on Monday.

Flynn, interviewed as part of the clearance renewal process, said that all of his foreign trips as a private citizen "were funded by U.S. companies," according to excerpts of a March 14, 2016 report compiled by security clearance investigators.

In fact, a trip Flynn made to Moscow in December 2015, where he attended a gala dinner and sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was paid for by Russia Today, which U.S. officials consider a state-run propaganda arm, according to documents previously released by the House Oversight Committee.

The document is the latest to shed light on how Flynn received a security clearance and was subsequently hired as Trump's national security advisor. He was forced to resign from the job in February after less than a month for failing to disclose the content of his talks with Sergei Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States, and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

Excerpts were released by Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking Democrat on the House committee.

Flynn's decision to decline to comply with the Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena was first reported by the Associated Press.

The Senate committee first requested documents from Flynn in an April 28 letter, but he declined to cooperate with the request. Then it issued a subpoena.

In response, his attorney wrote to the committee that "the context in which the Committee has called for General Flynns testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him."

Flynns legal team said that he was rejecting the subpoena because the committee spurned his offer, made by the retired Army general in a May 8 letter, "to give a full account of the facts and to answer the committees questions, should the circumstances permit, including assurances against unfair prosecution. We stated that, absent such assurances, General Flynn would respectfully decline your request for an interview and for production of documents."

It was not clear what the committee would do if Flynn decided not to comply.

On Monday, Senator James Lankford, a Republican member of the intelligence panel, said on Twitter that Flynn was within his rights to invoke the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

We will get to the truth one way or another, Lankford said on Twitter. We need facts, not speculation & anonymous sources.

Congress has the constitutional authority to enforce a subpoena.

A Congressional Research Service report outlined three main options: seeking criminal prosecution through the executive branch, asking the courts for a civil judgment and using a dormant power of "inherent contempt" to detain and imprison an individual.

The latter option has not been used in 75 years, the report said, with Congress more often relying on the criminal contempt statute recently.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Moscow tried to sway the November vote in Trump's favor. Russia has denied involvement, and Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Russia.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Flynn and other advisers to Trumps campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails during the last seven months of the U.S. presidential race. (nL2N1IK0B9)

Two other former Trump associates - one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Republican operative Roger Stone - have turned over documents the Senate panel had requested, while a third - campaign adviser Carter Page - had not yet complied, NBC News reported, citing a congressional source.

Flynn has acknowledged being a paid consultant to the Turkish government during the campaign.
220517BUIN REHABILITATION CENTRE TAKING SHAPE

By Aloysius Laukai

The historic Patupatuai rehabilitation centre in Buin is taking shape thanks to the financial assistance by the UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM on Bougainville.

The centre was built by early missionaries when they landed at Patupatuai beach in 1903.

That time the centre was supported by mission supporters from Europe and America and they built a Hospital and School and headquater of the Catholic church before they established further inland into MUGUAI, TABAGO, TURIBOIRU, PIANO and MONOITU.

After the crisis headed by SR. BENEDETH MASINAI CSN they talked of establishing the centre again.

They organized and built bush material buildings and started carrying out trauma counselling programs and the famous which has converted many South Bougainvilleans has been the healing memories program.

Even Buin Police has used the centre to rehabilitate remandees from the Buin Police station.

The centre has been campaigning for support from the ABG the national Government and donor partners until the UNDP came good to fund four buildings, a mess, Classrooms and a Staff building.

Apart from the buildings, UNDP has provided Solar lighting equipment including computers and brick building blocks.

Today Officers from the UNDP office in Buka and staff from the ABG Parliament including the Speaker himself SIMON PENTANU visited the centre,

Ends

Caption of one of the buildings taking shape..Picture by Aloysius Laukai




A statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee is removed from Lee Circle on Friday (AP)

A Mississippi politician has said he was wrong to call for Louisiana leaders to be lynched for removing Confederate monuments.

Republican state representative Karl Oliver of Winona said he wants to apologise to his colleagues and to the state of Mississippi for his comments.

Mr Oliver triggered a wave of criticism after posting on his Facebook page on Saturday night that the destruction of the monuments is "heinous and horrific", and that Louisiana leaders should be lynched.

The post was in response to the removal of three Confederate monuments and a monument to white supremacy in New Orleans.

Mr Oliver said he was expressing his "passion for preserving all historical monuments", but acknowledged that the word "lynching" is never appropriate.
Iraqi forces are pushing back IS, nearly three years after the over-ran large swathes of the country (AP)

At least four soldiers have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a military training centre north of Baghdad.

Another four were injured, including two officers, after the blast at the centre in Diyala.

At least six attackers struck the base on Monday morning, with five detonating suicide vests once inside.

Officers said that the situation is now under control.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but it resembles similar strikes carried out by Islamic State.

The attack comes as Iraqi forces close in on the last IS held areas in western Mosul, nearly three years after the extremists overran almost a third of Iraq.
Mr Rajoy said he would not allow the Catalan president's move to go ahead (AP)

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy has accused Catalonia's president Carles Puigdemont of blackmailing the state following reports that the north-eastern region has prepared a law to secede from Spain immediately if it is not allowed to hold an independence referendum.

Mr Rajoy said Mr Puigdemont's alleged plan was "intolerable", labelling it the most serious incident he had seen in his career.

The El Pais newspaper said the Catalan draft law envisages establishing a republic, taking immediate control of the judiciary in the region and seizing state property in Catalonia.

Jordi Turull, a senior member of Mr Puigdemont's governing Together for Yes coalition, denied the report on his Twitter account, saying El Pais' version was out of date and that this would be demonstrated when the law is eventually approved.

The Catalan government has been working on the so-called "disconnection from Spain" bill in secret for several months.

A visibly irritated Mr Rajoy said Mr Puigdemont's plan was to liquidate a state that has been in existence for at least 500 years, and he would not allow it.

He demanded that Mr Puigdemont should present his secession proposal before parliament and explain why he is "threatening and blackmailing the state".

Mr Puidgemont, who has rejected the offer to address parliament, visits Madrid later for a private conference on the referendum.

His government has pledged to hold a vote on secession in September even without clearance by the central government.

Relations between the two governments have soured greatly over the issue in recent years.

Mr Rajoy's government has consistently said an independence referendum is illegal unless Spain's constitution is amended.

Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, represents a fifth of Spain's GDP.
The Trump administration faced growing calls for a forceful response to violence by Turkish presidential guards on American soil (AP)

Turkey has summoned the US ambassador in Ankara to protest over what it called "aggressive and unprofessional actions" by US security personnel against Turkish bodyguards in Washington last week.

The move appears to be in retaliation over calls in the US for strong action against Turkish security officers who were seen hitting and kicking protesters outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington during Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the US.

The Turkish foreign ministry said the US ambassador was given a "written and verbal protest" against actions said to be "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices".

The ministry said it had requested that US authorities conduct "a full investigation of this diplomatic incident".

A video shared on social media at the time appeared to show Mr Erdogan watching the melee.

Two Turkish bodyguards were briefly detained after the incident but later set free and returned to Turkey.

The United States summoned the Turkish ambassador to raise concerns over the altercation.

The incident added to the already strained ties between the US and Turkey - two Nato allies who are at odds over a US policy to back Syrian Kurdish rebels fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

Turkey considers the fighters to be terrorists.

A Turkish foreign ministry statement said US ambassador John Bass was given a "written and verbal protest" over the treatment of two security officers that it said were "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices".

The statement said the two officers were part of foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu's security detail.

The Turkish ministry said it had requested that the US authorities conduct "a full investigation of this diplomatic incident".

Last week's incident is not the first time violence accompanied a visit by a Turkish leader to the US.

Last year, a similar fight erupted outside a nuclear security summit in Washington, attended by Mr Erdogan.
Brazil's President Michel Temer speaks during a national address from the Planalto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia (AP)

Embattled Brazilian president Michel Temer has said he will only leave office if forced out, despite facing growing calls to resign over a corruption scandal.

In an interview with the Folha de S Paulo newspaper, Mr Temer said he is innocent and will remain in office with the help of his shaken Congressional base until December 2018 so he can go forward with austerity measures and unpopular reforms.

He said: "I will not resign. If they want, force me out, because if I resign that will be a declaration of guilt."

Brazil's supreme court has opened investigations into Mr Temer for allegedly obstructing justice, passive corruption and being a member of a criminal organisation.

The move follows release of an audiotape that appears to show him endorsing the payment of hush money to an imprisoned former ally in exchange for silence.

Businessman Joesley Batista, who made the recording, also said in plea bargain testimony that he paid Mr Temer and his allies millions in bribes and illegal campaign funds.

Mr Temer has also been accused of negligence for failure to take any measures after hearing Mr Batista say he was paying bribes to two judges and a prosecutor.

The meeting with Mr Batista, the owner of giant meatpacker JBS, took place in March.

In the interview, Mr Temer also said he was "naive to welcome a person (like Batista)" at the vice-presidential palace in the middle of the night without any prior information published in his official schedule.

The business mogul was already under three legal investigations at the time.

The pressure on Mr Temer increased over the weekend with some allied parties leaving his base in Congress and Brazil's prestigious bar association deciding to push for the president's impeachment.

Small protests happened in 19 cities nationwide against the embattled leader, whose popularity is currently at 9%, according to a recent Datafolha institute poll.

As a result, consultancy Eurasia increased from 20% to 70% the chances that Mr Temer will not finish his term.
Final GST schedule released for goods and services

The GST Council, which is the federal agency regulating the new indirect tax structure in India  the Goods and Services Tax (GST)  published a detailed list of tax rates late last week.

The final GST schedule aligns 1,211 goods in six separate categories; barring the exemption list, there are five slabs of taxation. These fall under 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent, 28 percent, and 28 percent plus cess. For services, the tax structure is similar. Further, all e-commerce vendors will be liable to pay one percent tax collected at source under the GST regime.

RELATED: Tax Compliance Advisory

Goods that do not attract GST are primary food items such as eggs, dairy produce, fresh meat and fish, and food grains, while healthcare and education services will be exempt from GST.

The GST Council also finalized GST rules that cover: composition; claiming of input tax credit; invoice, debit, and credit notes; payment; refund; and registration.

Businesses have until July 1 to transition to the new GST system.

RBI redefines bank branches in India

The Reserve Bank of India, the countrys central bank, relaxed its branch authorization policy on May 18. In reworking the parameters for bank branches, the RBI will now recognize all branches and fixed business correspondent outlets as banking outlets and will remove restrictions on opening branches in tier 1 cities.

Under the RBIs revised policy, a banking outlet is defined as a scheduled commercial bank, a payments bank or a small finance bank that is a fixed point service delivery unit, manned by either the banks staff or its business correspondent, where services of acceptance of deposits, encashment of checks, cash withdrawal or lending of money are provided for a minimum of 4 hours per day for at least five days a week. The RBI classifies those outlets that do not meet this criteria as part-time banking outlets.

The new policy also allows banking outlets to be opened in tier 1 to tier 6 cities without seeking the RBIs permission; however, banks are mandated to open 25 percent of these outlets in unbanked rural centers (URC).

RELATED: Deciphering Indias Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill

Finance ministry drafts Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2017

The finance ministry has drafted the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2017, which aims to provide an effective, expeditious, and constitutionally permissible deterrent to tackle the menace of high-value economic offenders absconding from India.

The Bill includes provisions for a Special Court under Prevention of Money Laundering Act and defines who will be considered a fugitive economic offender.

The proposed law will applicable in cases where the value of offenses exceeds US$15.5 million (Rs 100 crore). It will also enable the government to confiscate the property owned by any such person in India.

Giving context to the bill is the recent case of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, whose company Kingfisher Airlines owes over US$1.39 billion (Rs 9,000 crore) to banks.

The government has sought public and expert feedback on the Bill by June 3, following which it will be presented in parliament.

India accedes to the TIR Convention

Earlier this year, the Union Cabinet approved Indias accession to the Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of the TIR Carnets, 1975 (TIR Convention). This ensures the ratification of necessary procedures for the Convention to come into force in India.

By joining the Convention, Indian traders will have access to fast, easy, reliable, and hassle free customs clearance for movement of goods by road or multi-modal means across the territories of other contracting parties. Signatories to the Convention mutually recognize each others internal customs controls, removing the need for inspection of goods at intermediate borders as well as physical escorts en route.

Supply chain efficiencies as well as enhanced security is ensured by the TIR Carnets of 1975, which establishes an international system of approved transporters and vehicles, and also governs the centralized collection of custom duties and taxes.
Islamabad, May 22 (IBNS): In a stunning revelation, one that can cause serious discomfort to her party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), lawmaker Musarrat Ahmad Zeb has claimed that the attack on Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai was staged, reports said.

Musarrat Ahmad Zeb is a Pakistani Member of National Assembly (MNA) and a member of the Swat royal family.

In a time when peace makers are praising young Malala for her courage to stand up against the odds and brave them, Zeb has termed the whole Malala incident as a 'drama' and told The Express Tribune that she too was approached for a similar episode, but refused.

"I was approached for the same drama but refused as I was not interested in seeking asylum in another country," she said.

Zeb further said that it was her inner conscience that compelled her to come forward with revelation.

"My inner conscience has compelled me to spill the beans," she added.

Malala, a student at the Khushal Public School in Swat, was attacked and shot at in 2012.

She however survived the bullet injury and was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2014.

The attack on her was even confirmed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, who said that they attacked her for her western mindset.

Zeb however is unwilling to believe otherwise.

She has even said that Malala was an illiterate the time she claimed to have written Gul Makai.

She also doubted Malala's courage, indicating that Yousafzai had fled the scene.

"There were dozens of girls that refused to submit to the pressure and continued their studies and are now graduating, she added. Show me a single achievement of Malala.



image: twitter.com/MussartAhmadzeb and malala.org
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www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.
Indiana is the Crossroads of America. Our roads, highways, bridges and public transit are the backbone of our economy, impacting how we get to work and school, how much our homes are worth, and how much groceries cost at the store. The availability and quality of transportation infrastructure determines where companies locate and where jobs are created.

Yet, despite its critical importance to our lives and our economy, we have allowed our nations infrastructure to fall into a state of disrepair. Today, we spend less on infrastructure as a percentage of GDP than at any time in the past twenty years, and the results are plain to see. Every day, Americans get stuck in traffic jams, drive on potholed roads, or face unacceptably long waits for public transportation. Meanwhile, local governments are stuck finding a way to pay for expensive modernization that becomes more costly every day that deterioration continues.

In Washington, I am working hard to ensure that your tax dollars come back to Indianapolis to help pay for our most important projects. Most recently, Congress agreed to provide $50 million dollars to Indianapolis to improve and expand our public transit system. The money will go to build the nations first battery-powered bus rapid transit system extending from Fountain Square to Broad Ripple. More than 54,000 residents, 144,000 jobs, three universities, and 6,000 households below the poverty line will be within walking distance of the Red Line.

The Red Line will transform communities by improving mobility and access to jobs, education and other important opportunities for thousands of people. It will be the foundation of a growing transit system, which will serve an increasing number of Hoosiers as time goes on. This project is an important tool in the effort to ensure that hard working Hoosiers are offered a chance to succeed.

Of course, I understand that many Hoosiers do not utilize public transit on a regular basis. They may wish that these funds would go to housing, education or the arts. My response is that Indianapolis is a modern city and as such we need all of these critical priorities. But when it comes to public transit, we cannot simply push it off until next year. Delay means that families have to wait to connect with new jobs, businesses wait for access to new talent, and seniors wait for easier access to their doctor. This federal investment in our transit system is a unique opportunity and we need to seize it, for the future of our entire city.

I take great pride in knowing that my work on the Transportation Committee in Congress is making a direct impact in Indianapolis. If you are interested in more information about my work in Washington and at home or if there is anything I can do for you, please contact my office at 317-283-6516.
Business / Companies

by Staff reporter

AIR Zimbabwe will continue flying to various European routes contrary to reports that the airline had been banned from the Eurozone due to safety concerns. It has emerged that it is only the airline's two long haul aircraft that have temporarily stopped from servicing a few European routes until AirZim addresses two concerns raised by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) operator audits.EASA gave AirZim the thumbs up on 10 of the 12 safety items, which needed to be addressed during the airline's presentations in Brussels, Belgium last month. EASA had picked the 12 deficiencies last year.Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said AirZim, with the support of Government, was working towards addressing the concerns before the European Union Commission meets again in November."It should be noted that the ban is on two specific aircraft that fly long haul to Europe," he said."The airline has not been banned from flying into Europe. If we correct that the ban on the two planes will be lifted. The previous management was found wanting on the way they maintained those two. It's not politics at play but its set conditions on those aircraft, which we have to correct. It is good for Air Zimbabwe. These are some checks and balances, which are for our benefit."The European Union in 2014 enacted new safety requirements for all foreign operators flying into any of the bloc's destinations. The regulations require operators to obtain what is termed Third Country Operator (TCO) Approval.The approval involves the inspections of the operators' safety related systems, processes and procedures to ascertain if they meet the standards specified in the EU regulations.Dr Gumbo said the blacklisting was not peculiar to Zimbabwe alone as other airlines had met the same fate before."It's a routine thing where we have to comply with set conditions. What happens in Europe is that they created conditions, which they wanted other airlines to satisfy when flying across Europe and it is your responsibility as a player to go to them and say this is how we stand and then they look at it and say you lack this and that correct it before we allow you to fly into Europe," he said."They changed their conditions and unfortunately the Air Zimbabwe old management went for that examination when they were not prepared. They failed and the new management was invited to Belgium and assured the European Union what they are doing to correct those areas. They made presentations on April 26 responding to 12 areas and they were cleared on 10 items and asked to correct the remaining two."These included computerisation of our systems as Air Zimbabwe regarding maintenance. We have been operating on a manual basis and the second item had to do with improving our radar system, which has been down. These are two major areas we are working on such that by November we are ready. We are happy that we are meeting set standards before we start our operations between Harare and London and other destinations in Europe."The EU Commission -which updates and publishes the list often - said it would consider safety audit requests from any airline seeking removal from the blacklist."Where an airline included in the community list deems itself to be in conformity with the necessary technical elements and requirements prescribed by the applicable international safety standards, it may request the Commission to commence the procedure for its removal from the list," it said in statement published on its website.Dr Gumbo said his Ministry, with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, had embarked on an "intensive computerisation programme of all its systems and processes.""We have also engaged the services of internationally reputable consultancy companies to assist with the process," he said."We are working on funding modalities that will see us procuring the Harare radar surveillance system and ground air communications and air navigation systems to ensure compliance to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards so as to guarantee safety and security in the Zimbabwean airspace."
Publication: Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper

Year founded: 1895

Founding publishers: George P. Stewart and Will Porter

Current publisher: William G. Mays

Overview:

What began as a two-page church bulletin by co-founders George P. Stewart and Will Porter, The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper now hails as one of the top African-American publications in the nation. In 1897, the co-founders of the newspaper decided to expand their already successful newssheet into a weekly newspaper. The earliest existing issues of the Recorder dates to 1899the year Porter sold his share of the newspaper to Stewart.Realizing the importance of local news, Stewart captured that market, outdistancing his local competitors, the publishers of the Freeman and the Colored World. With its emphasis on local news, the Recorder set itself apart from other Black newspapers. It had an immediate and an enduring impact on the Indianapolis community. Though the focus of the newspaper was local people and events, the Recorder also reported national events. It solicited news from communities throughout the state, as well as from around the country. Sales agents, who dually served as local correspondents, sold issues in their cities and hamlets.

During the first two decades of the 20th century, the Recorder reported on the work of many community organizations and institutions. It heralded the achievements of individuals in various spheres. The Recorder commented through news stories and editorials on the socio-economic and political climate that affected the daily lives of its community. It provided a forum for advertisers. The newspaper advocated for American support of World War I. It assumed that Black participation would bring better jobs and a better quality of life for patriots and their families.Instead, the end of the war brought an escalation of lynching and race riots, and the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. The Recorder and other Black news organs devoted much ink to stories reporting these activities.

The post World War I era crystallized the concerns for better education, housing,and health care for Indianapolis African Americans. The Indianapolis Recorder, in a social reform mode, editorialized on several specific issues including lynching, public accommodations, voting, unemployment, crime and health concerns. It continued to report on the activities and attributes of Black organizations and institutions, including Crispus Attucks High School and Walker Manufacturing Co. With the formation of The Indianapolis Recorder Charities, the newspaper was an active participant in supplying relief to its constituency. Remembering the aftermath of World War I, the Recorder was more cautious in lending its overwhelming support to American involvement in World War II. Though slow in coming, the support was enthusiastically given. Capitalizing on a phrase coined by the Pittsburgh Courierthe Double V Campaign, victory abroad and victory at homethe Recorder published the Victory Progress edition to celebrate the end of the war. The issue was cited in the Congressional Record. It remains as a useful chronicle of national and local Black history.

The Indianapolis Recorder diligently reported the activities of the civil rights movement. It profiled national figures, including A. Philip Randolph,Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall and John F. Kennedy. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Recorder continued itsextensive reporting of Indiana Black Expo and the Circle City Classic, two nationally-recognized events that take place in Indianapolis every year. In1990, William G. Mays, owner of Indianapolis-based Mays Chemical Co., purchased the Indianapolis Recorder to save a legacy. In 1993, the Journalism And Writing Seminars (JAWS) program was developed. JAWS is a program that allows area high school students the opportunity to receivehands-on training in the field of journalism.

In 1998, Mays niece, Carolene Mays, took the leadership role as Publisher and General Manager, with the challenge to give new direction and further elevate the publication for survival and success in the new millennium. Concentration immediately was placed on the reputation, quality, integrity and financial stability of the Recorder. A commitment was made to exceed the expectation of the readership, improve the quality of writing and appearance,strive for a zero defect paper, and actively support local community service efforts. Through the years the changes have been significant. They have included structured business policies and procedures, major production and technology advancements, financial restructuring, personnel reorganization,additional training and support, and building renovations. The changes also included the formation of the Recorder On Air Report (ROAR),a 1-minute news roundup segment that airs locally several times a week.

The reconstruction of the newspaper focused on decreasing the amount of negative news and increasing the level of positive, educational and empowering news that would offer encouragement and support to the community. The Indianapolis Recorder Newspapers circulation increased by more than 200 percent and the readership has grown by 62 percent to nearly 100,000. The readership now outpaces that of other local weeklies, such as the Indianapolis Business Journal. The institution stays high in demand and on the cutting edge with creativity, innovation and a focus on the community. These concepts and changes have garnered successful direction and growth. The publication has received numerous awards nationally and locally,including the 2003 National Newspaper Publishers Associations first place Merit Award for General Excellence, and in 2004 Best Layout and Design.The Recorder also won the Indiana Journalism Award in 2000 and the 2001 National Enshrinement Award in Washington, D.C., at which time the Recorder was placed in the National Black Archives.

The papers legacy:

 Since 1895, The Indianapolis Recorder has been a major voice for our local community, the state of Indiana, our nation, and now internationally. From the beginning, the Recorder has been an advocate for those who could not express their thoughts or concerns; weve also been a supplier of truth and justice. The vision of our founders was to create a publication that would speak to and for the people. The Recorder today continues to hold that original vision in high regard. We communicate in order to increase awareness, educate and motivate the community as well as preserve the communitys knowledge of relevant issues. The Recorder, as with other Black newspapers, are not only voices in the community, we are also advocates for African-Americans and minorities as well as the underserved.

Future plans:

Electronic media will continue to be a major focus for us. As our young people begin to move more and more towards the Internet, we will continue to expand electronically, reaching out to those who may not ordinarily pick up the printed paper.

 Another top priority for the Recorder is the work we do with local youth. Through our non-profit arm, the Indianapolis Recorder Charities, well continue to expose high school students to the field of journalism by giving them hands-on experience and lessons from top journalists. Well also reach out through Indianapolis Recorder Charities to organizations with needs in the community, taking on more projects, not only through monetary donations, but also with a staff that has a great interest in reaching out and helping the community.

 The Recorder will also continue to grow in our collaborations. One of the major focus areas of this publication is to collaborate with other media, including digital print and electronic outlets. We will continue to build those collaborations, so the issues and concerns in the communities that were representing will be heard more broadly and more globally.

Contact info:

2901 N. Tacoma

Indianapolis, IN 46218
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With India getting a considerable advantage at International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Kulbhushan Jadhavs case, mother of Hamid Ansari, an engineer from Mumbai, who has been languishing in a Pakistani jail for over four years now hopes that her son too will get freed.

Hamid went missing in November 2012 and is believed to be in one of the Pakistani jails. Months before disappearing, Hamid had met a Pashtun girl over the internet from a conservative tribe in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan.

Puja Changoiwala

The two fell in love and the girl asked her to save her as her parents wanted her to get married soon. Hamid learnt to Pakistan-Afghanistan border is quite porous and can be crossed easily. On 4 November, 2012, Hamid left for Afghanistan telling his parents that he would work as an airport manager in Kabul. However, a day later, Hamid went missing.

Fourteen months after his disappearance, Hamid parents leant that he was picked within hours after he checked in a Pakistani hotel by police and handed over to the army.

He was convicted for Pakistan military court in January 2016, a year before Jadhav.

"I had met Sushma Swarajji earlier this year, and she said that she was treating Hamid's case as a priority. I obviously understand that Kulbhushan is a death row convict, and the immediacy in his case is much more. But now, after the international court's verdict, I'm certain that authorities will help us too. Of course, they will help us. Why won't they?," Fauzia, Hamids mother was quoted by First Post.

Puja Changoiwala

Hamids family has been trying to get Pakistan visa and their application gets rejected every time they try.

"We have tried to get a visa to Pakistan, at least 30 to 35 times, and each time our application was rejected. We filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court through a Pakistani lawyer after we learnt of Hamid's conviction. We argued that Hamid has been in custody of the Pakistani military for three and a half years, that he has already served the three-year sentence awarded to him, and that he should now be set free. But the high court dismissed our petition stating that it did not have jurisdiction over military court orders. If the court doesn't have the power to challenge the military, who are we? said Hamids mother.

Fauzia is a teacher and lives in Mumbais Andheri with husband Nihal and their older son who is a dentist. Their younger son Hamid is lodged in Peshawar jails and they came to know it last year.

"And after over three years of this haunting uncertainty, last year, we earned the privilege of knowing that our son is alive. He is lodged in a Peshawar prison. Our Pakistani lawyer has met him a couple of times. He gave Hamid food, medicines, clothes and some money.

Fauzia who has been witnessing Jadhavs case closely says that since her son has already served his sentence.

Indian Express

We also understand the political rivalry between India and Pakistan. But a mother's yearning understands no boundary, nor does humanity. That's why Pakistanis - the journalist and lawyer - are helping us. And on humanitarian grounds, we plead with the Pakistan government to return our son. He has paid for his mistake. We all have, First Post quoted Fauzia.
In the world of hacking, it's seldom that victims are offered help and notified about a technical glitch that could land them in a huge financial loss.

We've seen how hackers steal data and sell it for millions, misuse the system once they get access to credible information and what not. However, this kid, who could have easily travelled the world for free didn't do that.

20-something Kanishk Sajnani is not your everyday geek and you'd nod in affirmation after reading his mindblowing story.

With a passion for hunting gold and no intention to harm anyone, Kanishk hacked into a dozen of Indian websites, all within last month, and it then when he stumbled upon major technical glitches.

He then brought it to the attention of Air India via email.

He sent his first mail on 4th November 2015 and did not hear anything until 12th November, but then he received a phone call from them. On 12th, the finance manager of Air India called him and asked him to validate the trustworthiness of the vulnerability.

In order to prove his point and the vulnerability he stumbled upon, Kanishk booked himself a ticket to The United States Of America, only for re.1.

In a detailed mail, along with a video, he explained exactly how he did that. As he wished, Air India even offered him an internship, but he didn't take it.

In a similar vein, just a couple of days before this event, he booked a flight to Goa from Ahmedabad for rs.4, with was priced at 4028. He took this as an opportunity to inform SpiceJet about this but was highly misunderstood.

Below is the reply he got from GM, Mr Pradeep Shah, who asked him to share the details of the vulnerability.

"They sent me our previous correspondence in a .eml type file attached *Double Facepalm * This time the mail was signed by their Nodal Officer. Either they didnt understand the point I made Or they didnt like to acknowledge the fact that their security was compromised. " he wrote.

After these two, he found another vulnerability in ClearTrip's payment system and decided to write to them, just like before.

He then began explaining it to Neeraj Nayan, the man in charge, and the company was also up for giving Kanishk a reward if his claims were proven.

He then wrote a mail, explaining everything, but things didn't turn out to be as expected. After this, Kanishk's mail went unnoticed and unaddressed. When he wrote to ClearTrip's founders about it, even they chose to stay mum on the situation.

However, he did order Biryani a couple of times, for just Re. 1 and somehow no one noticed.

He then informed the company about the issue and they hired a security firm.

"Air India, SpiceJet, Cleartrip, Mobikwik & Faasos were the only companies I ever corresponded with. Never informed the rest of them about any Loopholes. For the same reason, I never mentioned any technical details in this article. Compromised list may still include some E-commerce websites, Home services, Travel agencies, Educational Institutions, Government applications, etc"

You can read his entire blog here.
In what will put humanity to shame, two boys were stripped, tonsured and paraded naked wearing garland of slippers for allegedly stealing a food packet from a shop in Ulhasnagar near Mumbai, on Saturday.

The boys aged eight and nine years old, were not assaulted by the shopkeeper, but also filmed their assault on a mobile phone. Shockingly, the incident took place in front of people, but none came forward to stop them.

Dainik Bhaskar

Acting on a complaint by the mother of one of the boys, the Hill Line police in the suburb later arrested Mehmood Pathan (62), and his sons Irfan, 26, and Salim, 22. The trio was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 355 for assault, 500 for defamation and 323 for injury, and also under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. They were produced before a court in Kalyan on Sunday which remanded them to a day's police custody till Monday.

According to police, the incident took place when the boys were playing near their home in Prem Nagar area in Ulhasnagar. They walked up to the neighbourhood sweet shop owned by Mehmood and stole a packet of 'chaklis', a pretzel-like snack made of rice flour, and fled.

Police said Mehmood who saw them shoplifting, asked his sons to teach them a lesson. Irfan and Salim caught both children and dragged them towards the shop. The duo shaved a part of their heads and then took their footwear and strung it around them.

Finally, they stripped the children and paraded them on the street.

Salim recorded the acts on his phone while Irfan slapped both several times. The clip went viral on social media.

TimesNow

Police said when the mother of one of the minors, who works as a domestic help in Ghatkopar, returned in the evening, she was shocked to see the child in such a state. Along with the parent of the other child, who was initially reluctant to press charges, she filed a complaint.

Mohan Waghmare, the senior police inspector of Hill Line station, said, "Late Saturday night, our team arrested them and on Sunday, they were produced before a holiday court which gave one day's police custody."
While three soldier got martyred, the forces have killed four terrorists trying to infiltrate inside Indian border on LoC in a 30-hour long encounter in Nagam sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

AFP

The encounter started in wee hours on Saturday when forces noticed suspicious movement on LoC. The troops immediately challenged the infiltrators. The terrorist opened heavy fire on forces which were adequately reciprocated by the forces.

"Four terrorists have been killed so far. Three soldiers have attained martyrdom. Four weapons and other war like stores have been recovered," said Colonel Rajesh Kalia, Defence spokesman at Srinagar was quoted by DNA.

PTI

The operation is still continuing and the security forces are busy in sanitising the entire area along the LoC. "Sanitisation operation is still on," said Colonel Kalia.

This the first infiltration bid foiled by the army since Pakistans Border Action Team (BAT) killed and mutilated the bodies of two Indian soldiers after crossing into Indian territory in Krishna Ghati in Poonch district on May 1.
US President Donald Trump who was in Saudi Arabia has said that India is among nations that have been a victim of violent terror attacks. While referring to the various terror incidents that took place in the US, Trump said that Europe, nations of Africa and South America, India, Russia, and China have been targets of terrorist attacks.

AFP

The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror, so too have nations of Africa and South America, India, Russia, China, Australia have all been victims,"Trump said. Read more

1. At Over 28 Lakh, India Has The Third Highest Number Of Internally Displaced People In The World

India is third on the list of countries with the highest number of internally displaced people. Nearly 2.8 million people in India have been internally displaced last year due to disasters and conflicts linked to identity and ethnicity, a new report by a monitoring centre said.

Reuters

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) released a new report which ranked India third, followed by China and the Philippines. Read more

2. China Once Again Blocks India's Entry Into Nuclear Suppliers Group

India's effort of entering the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has been blocked by China once again. China's move comes ahead of an important upcoming meeting next month.

Indiatimes

China's support is crucial for India as new membership in the NSG is guided by the consensus principle. "China's position on the non-NPT members' participation in the NSG has not changed," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. Read more

3. Couple Racially Abuses Indian Cabbie In Australia, Beats Him Up So Badly That He Gets Hospitalised

An Indian cab driver suffered injuries and fell prey to a racist attack in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, on Friday. The driver, who said he was not allowed to disclose his name due to legal proceedings, narrated his horrific ordeal.

Twitter

He picked up a couple on Friday night around 10.30 pm, and was heading to a McDonalds drive-thru. Read more

4. Of All The Places In The World Ivanka Trump Finds Women Empowerment In Saudi 'Very Encouraging'

No matter how Saudi women may cry foul about the curbs on their liberty, there is one voice - from the USA - that feels that they are actually doing pretty good. US Presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump, said Saudi Arabias progress in empowering women has been very encouraging despite strict rules for women on driving and escorted by a male relative in public.

AFP

Saudi Arabia's progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging, she said. Read more

5. Haryana Police Survey Finds That Majority Of Women In The State Suffer Sexual Harassment

Women living in Haryana find themselves most vulnerable to sexual harassment when they are commuting to and from their home, a new survey conducted by Haryana police has found.

According to the survey, 64 per cent of 28,500 participants experienced forms of sexual harassment, including eve-teasing and molestation when they are commuting to and from school/college or work. Read more
No matter how Saudi women may cry foul about the curbs on their liberty, there is one voice - from the USA - that feels that they are actually doing pretty good. US Presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump, said Saudi Arabias progress in empowering women has been very encouraging despite strict rules for women on driving and escorted by a male relative in public.

AFP

Saudi Arabia's progress, especially in recent years, is very encouraging, she said.

Ivanka is accompanying President Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump on their first official visit to the Kingdom.

Reuters

She also said that there is "Still a lot of work to be done and freedoms and opportunities to continue to fight for."

According to Ivanka, its culture and not religion that is holding women back.

AFP

"Women driving is not a religious issue as much as it is an issue that relates to the community itself that either accepts it or refuses it, Ivanka added.

In Saudi Arabia, women continue to battle for basic rights - such as the right to walk without being escorted by a male relative, or the right to wear what they want or even the right to drive and travel.
US President Donald Trump participated in a ceremonial sword dance in Saudi Arabia outside the Murabba Palace on his first foreign trip.

Trump arrived here accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump on a two-day trip, beginning his first foreign trip as President that includes visits to Israel, the Vatican City, Belgium and Italy where he is to take part in NATO and G7 summits.

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner were also travelling as part of the presidential entourage.

Video of the dance shows Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross dancing with swords perched on their shoulders as part of a line of men in traditional Saudi garb ahead of a state dinner, reports CNN.

Trump, surrounded by Saudi officials, bops back and forth with a smile on his face, while White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief economic adviser Gary Cohn appear more reserved in their moves.

The traditional men's sword dance is known as the 'ardah'.

The performance combines dance, drumming and chanting poetry, and it signifies the start of notable occasions like religious holidays or weddings.

Ahead of the dinner, Trump sealed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $350 billion over 10 years, with nearly $110 billion to take effect immediately.

According to the White House, this deal will bolster security "in the face of Iranian threats" and the "package demonstrates the US' commitment to partnership with Saudi Arabia, while also expanding opportunities for American companies in the region."

Trump also held meetings with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his government, including the powerful Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Entertainment / Arts

by Thobekile Zhou

Financial challenges have forced Bulawayo's premium arts festival - Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo to reduce days of the annual fete from five to three.This year the festival will be held from September 28 to 30.Director of the festival Raisedon Baya said they made the decision so as to streamline the event and make it viable."During past years we've been doing a lot of free activities in an attempt to be all inclusive."But every event costs money. And so we are streamlining, focusing on events that bring value to the festival and also those that push our objective of sustainability," said Baya."Also because of funding challenges we will be making serious appeals to the public and Bulawayo companies to support the festival. Its existence depends on everyone coming on board and supporting,"Intwasa Festival of the Arts koBulawayo is not the only fete that's limping as the acclaimed Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) also had trouble.Organisers of HIFA went around with a begging bowl seeking funds to run the festival and artistes ended up performing for half the fee they normally charge.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it his mission to visit each S state this year, in an attempt to learn about people's hopes and challenges, and how they're thinking about their work and communities. He recently shared some of what he learned on that mammoth trek, in a post on the social media network.

And no, its not an attempt to garner favour for a future election campaign, as Zuckerberg himself states, but rather a way to find out what he needs to do to strengthen Facebooks community.

This is an area where Facebook can make a difference. Some of you have asked if this challenge means I'm running for public office. I'm not. I'm doing it to get a broader perspective to make sure we're best serving our community of almost 2 billion people at Facebook and doing the best work to promote equal opportunity at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Zuckerberg said in his Facebook post.

In many ways, relationships are the most important things in our lives -- whether we're trying to form healthy habits, stay out of trouble, or find better opportunities. And yet, research shows the average American has fewer than three close friends we can turn to for support.

By that logic, he says the company is looking for more effective ways to connect users with people they should know, like mentors and people outside your circle who care about you and can provide a new source of support and inspiration.

The Peace Corps creates service opportunities where people exchange culture and build new relationships. Perhaps we could build a new digital peace corps, Zuckerberg said. Another model is Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, where people who have struggled with these challenges and overcome them go on to become mentors for others, with the hope of training them to one day become mentors themselves. This is something I've only recently started studying and working with our teams at Facebook to build.

So far, Zuckerberg says hes learned that relationships are the focal point of all of this. They shape us more than we think, he says. He believes people dont just make better decisions when they have more information, but whats also important is having more supportive people around them.

This came after an extended travel to places like Ohio, Indiana, and Detroit, where he sat down to chat with heroin addicts, juvenile delinquents, community leaders, and social workers. You can read the entire post here.
Some mid level and senior government officials will meet with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday as part of strategies to ensure the implementation of the three Executive Orders he signed on Thursday.

This information was made known by the Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, who disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday.

Akande said the present administration would drive the executive orders signed vigorously in its determination to significantly transform the business environment and how government business is done in the country.

He said the executive order on business environment and promoting Made in Nigeria products would be the topic of discussion during Osinbajos interactive session with the officials on Wednesday.

These (government officials) are the people who will be directly responsible for the attainment of the objectives of the executive orders, so the Acting President wants an opportunity to talk with them directly and also hear from them in person, Akande said.

He said effective implementation of the executive orders were critical for the overall prosperity of Nigerians and Nigeria.

Source: (Punch Newspaper )
The residents of Borno State have appealed to the military to intervene in the increased suicide bomb attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the state.

Across section of those interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri made the appeal on Sunday in Maiduguri.

Malam Bakura Modu, a local hunter said that the wave of attacks especially in Maiduguri, has created negative impression about the current situation in the state.

There is no doubt that the military has recorded great successes against the Boko Haram insurgents.

But the recent spate of suicide bomb attacks is creating wrong impression in the media that the group is still strong, Modu said.

He said that the military must live up to the expectations by finding quick solutions to the bombings.

Modu said local hunters were ready to join the military in the search for the insurgents in the bush.

We have been expressing our willingness to join the fight against the insurgents in the bush, but the military had always turned us back.

We are hoping that this time around they will consider our proposal, he said.

Mr Samuel Anjukui, a retired police officer corroborated Modus claim.

The military has within a few months decimated the insurgents, reclaiming territories and rescuing many abducted persons.

But the recent up surge in the number of suicide bomb attacks has created worries in the minds of the people, Anjukui said.

He added: In the last few months it is almost certain that incidences of bomb blasts will occur every weekend.

The situation has even worsened now as the blasts have almost assumed a daily dimension.

Anjukui, however, expressed optimism in the ability of the military to address the situation.

The military has the capabilities to address the problem; it must therefore rise up to the occasion by halting the negative trend.

It is either they make use of high technology for early detection of explosive materials or take the battle to the door steps of the insurgents in the bush, he said.

Malam Musa Inuwa a civil servant offered a different perspective.

I think that the natives hold the key to ending the ugly trend the military has done its best by degrading the insurgents.

But ending the crisis depend on the natives because the insurgents live among the people, they plan their attacks among the people.

As long as the people are not willing to expose them, the attacks will continue, Inuwa said.

Source:( NAN )
News / Africa

by Thobekile Zhou

The Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa is investigating an alleged gang rape of a 22-year-old Zimbabwean woman based in that country.The woman was allegedly gang raped by 11 Tanzanians last week in Johannesburg.According to reports, Zimbabwe Consul-General in South Africa Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro is probing the case."We're investigating a case where a 22-year-old Zimbabwean woman was gang raped by 11 Tanzanians while coming from work."The team is out trying to find out what happened but I'm told she was raped by Tanzanians not Nigerians as we had been earlier told" he is quoted saying by the Chronicle.The victim was working at a tavern that closes very late at night or in the early morning hours.Tanzanians could have ganged on her as she was heading home, Mukonoweshuro said.In 2015, two white South African men filmed themselves, gang, raping a Zimbabwean woman who had approached them seeking employment as a domestic worker.The video sparked public outcry.
Domestic workers and aides in the Abuja House, London where President Buhari is reportedly staying have kept mom about his health status.

President Muhammadu Buhari may have been in and out of hospital since arriving London to see his doctors exactly a fortnight ago, if feelers from Abuja House  the official residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner to the Court of St Jamess  where he is staying, is anything to go by.

But this could not be confirmed as The Guardian has met a wall of silence from sources close to Abuja House, with two of them citing fears of losing their jobs, if they dare say anything. One source kept sealed lips and only took occasional glances at this reporter as he approached him yesterday afternoon.

A prominent aide of the president who had in February, walked to this reporter at the entrance of the property and called him an educated illiterate, before then saying: if you want the president dead, you will be disappointed. The president will make a full recovery, shunned a reporter when asked for the where about of the president as he was driven out shortly after 1:00pm.

About 10 minutes before then, one other notable aide had arrived and also did not respond to greetings of afternoon sir, afternoon sir, before entering the staff quarters. But when he came out later and was going towards the main house, the reporter same and his only response was how are you, journalist, before going in to probably see the president.

Another aide was similarly approached, he only nodded and waved. All the four sources contacted declined commenting or saying anything about the presidents recovery, however, one regular guest said, whether he has seen his doctors or not, l dont know, when asked about the presidents recuperation. Pressed further, he said, honestly, l have not seen the President since he came back,  again on medical vacation.

Two staff members on the payroll of the High Commission told The Guardian the same thing. One said, Im sorry, l cannot say anything to you.

Though the second noted that they have been busy, since Buhari arrived, but wouldnt go further, except to show fear of losing my job.

One female staff member when asked yesterday if the president had come back from seeing his doctors, simply said l dont know about that.

As if avoiding a reporter, the aides and guests no longer use the main entrance to the house, once inside the property. Even on Sunday afternoon, when one arrived at about 3.40pm, the driver packed very close to the side entrance of the house rather than the front door, perhaps to prevent the reporter seeing anyone being driven out.

Even the security didnt respond to continual pressing of the buzzer-both last week and yesterday.

However, the beautiful flowers used to adorn Abuja house werent silent. They did catch the attention of three Italian tourists as one of them took several shots as he walked past.
It was a terrible sight for the parents of a year old baby who was ganged raped by some men in Katsina State, the baby girl was snatched from her mother and gang raped in Katsina State. The suspects had reportedly tricked the 30-year-old mother of the infant, encouraging her to get on a motorcycle, but as soon as they saw an opportunity, they snatched the baby from her and took her to a bush where they raped her.

The incident occurred in Danja Local Government Area of Katsina state and was perpetrated by three men, Suleiman and Musa and one other whose name was not given.

The babys father, Ahmadu Jibril, 50, reported the case at Central Police Station, Funtua Local Government Area. He said that his wife was returning from Angwan Bawa in Danja, when Suleiman connived with Musa and another to attack his wife and rape his daughter. The baby sustained injuries from the attack and was rushed to the General Hospital in Funtua for treatment. It was gathered that she has now been discharged.

The Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident to newsmen, and revealed that Suleiman, has been arrested, while a manhunt has been launched for the primary suspects, Musa, and one other person.

Source: ( Linda Ikeji )
In an interview with Punch, popular Nollywood actor, Olaniyi Afonja a.k.a Sanyeri, talked about his wife of 10 years and how they met.

Sanyeri said:  Imet her in 2004 when I want to screen my movie, Okan Emi, at the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.

She came there to have a good time. I sighted her and her friend from afar. I

walked up to her friend and told her I liked her friend but she said I should tell her myself. So I went to her and told her I would want us to get closer but she replied that was it because I just shot a movie that made me think I could ask her out.

Afterwards, she walked away. After that day, I saw her about a month later and I requested for her number. Even then, it took me a while to convince her to date me. On his most memorable moment with her, he said: I always remember those times that we didnt have much and she stuck by me.

When my wife gave birth to our first child, I had just N3, 500 with me, so it was quite tough. Thats why I always say that there is nothing I cannot give my wife. As of the time she married me, the only property I had was my tribal mark.

While advicing young couples, he said: We could not have a wedding anniversary celebrating until six years after we had been living together as husband and wife. And what Im trying to say is that my wife stayed with me, right from when there was nothing.
The body of late actress Yoruba Nollywood Actress , Moji Olaiya, will be flown back to Nigeria after the former governor of Lagos State , Bola Tinubu, offered his assistance. This information was revealed by Olukayode Salako, husband of actress, Foluke Daramola, whos the secretary of the committee in charge of Olaiyas burial. The body of late actress Yoruba Nollywood Actress , Moji Olaiya, will be flown back to Nigeria after the former governor of Lagos State , Bola Tinubu, offered his assistance. This information was revealed by Olukayode Salako, husband of actress, Foluke Daramola, whos the secretary of the committee in charge of Olaiyas burial. Few days ago, multiple media houses reported that the Ekiti State government intervened and stopped the burial from taking place in Canada as planned, with the intention of bringing the body back to Nigeria.

The burial committee however issued a statement denying the reports, saying they were yet to get feedback from the state government concerning the burial. Olukayode Salako has now revealed that Ekiti Governor, Ayo Fayose, dismissed their request even though the Late Moji Olaiya was an indegene and Cultural Ambassador of the state.

Stating that they got assistance from Tinubu instead, Salako wrote;

WHEN SUCH A MAN OF CRUDE, DIRTY CHARACTER AND ORIENTATION IS IN CHARGE OF LEADERSHIP AND POWER

Burial Committee: Your Excellency, Moji Olaiya is dead and as an ambassador of your state, we would appreciate your support to fly her corpse back to Nigeria for befitting burial.

Governor: Who is Moji?! I dont know any Moji. Please, stop disturbing my phone!

What an aberration! What an akwardness and crudity in leadership! Meanwhile, Thank you Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu for always proving it that you remain among the only few reasonable, reliable and benevolent fathers of the Yoruba nation ever since. Mojis remains are coming back home.

Thank you Jagaban! Thank you all well meaning Nigerians who have contributed in one way or the other. Thank you sir! What a man with such a large heart!

Source: ( Linda Ikeji )
A few days ago, multiple media houses reported that the Ekiti State government intervened and stopped the burial of late Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya from taking place in Canada.

According to LIB, the burial committee has issued a statement denying the reports saying they are yet to get feedback from the state government concerning Moji Olaiyas burial. Read the statement below

Our attention has been drawn to an Encomium Magazine publication dated 20th May, 2017 regarding the above subject matter. We will like to state as follows:

1. It is a considered opinion of this committee to bring back the corpse of our colleague back to Nigeria for a beffitting burial and her 2months old baby to be re-united with her family.



2. Late Moji Olaiya is an indegene and a Cultural Ambassador of Ekiti State. Consequently the State Government was informed and a verbal appeal for support via the Senior Media Assistant to the Governor, Mr Lere Olayinka and as at 2am on Saturday he directed the committee to make official request. THE SAID REQUEST IS YET TO BE MADE.

3. At present, contrary to the news flying around THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY FAVOURABLE RESPONSE FROM EKITI STATE GOVERNOR MR AYODELE FAYOSE.

4. You will recall, prior to this time the general pubic was intimated of the composition of the committee so that friends and media can direct their queries or get accurate information from the right source.

5. We strongly warn against unguarded utterances, half information and publications that may dent the image of the deceased, her family and committee planning for her smooth and decent transition.

6. Thanking you in advance for your co-operation and understanding. We also sincerely appreciate several encomiums, condolencies and support locally and abroad in ensuring we give Late Moji Olaiya the deserving burial.
Nollywood star, Yomi Fash Lanso, has said that the demise of talented actress and friend, Moji Olaiya, has added salt to an already bleeding wound.

The actor, who spoke to Saturday Beats on Friday  a day after the 42-year-old woman and daughter of Highlife music maestro, Sir Victor Olaiya, died in Canada shortly after giving birth to a baby in March  two months before her actual delivery date.

According to reports, the actress health had not been too stable since that period, forcing her to remain in the North American nation to recuperate before death eventually came knocking on Thursday.

Lanso, who featured in the very first movie Olaiya appeared in  Owo Ale, said that her demise had thrown them into more misery especially with the industry yet to fully recover from the deaths of Olumide Bakare and Adesina Adesanya fondly known as Pastor Ajidara.

He said, We are still concluding arrangements for the burial of Pastor Ajidara when the news of Mojis death hit us. It is like piercing hot iron into an open wound. It came at a time when we have not even recovered from the loss of Olumide Bakare, one of the veterans of our industry.

I have worked with her for so many years and she is so loving and professional. In fact, I acted with her in the very first movie she appeared, Owo Ale. So, our friendship dates back in time. She was a really nice and wonderful person. Her demise is a big loss to the industry.

Asked if he agrees with insinuations that the number of deaths that had greeted the Yoruba movie industry in recent times might not be unconnected to some spiritual elements, Lanso refused, maintaining that the events were merely natural.

He said, I do not agree that there is a spiritual reason behind all these deaths in the industry because there is nobody that would not die. People die every day, but when it happens to prominent people, the society begins to read all sorts of meanings into it. I dont believe that there is any spiritual connection. Her death is very painful to us; she was a very young woman.

Following her death, reports had emerged that family members were divided over whether to bury her in Canada or fly her remains back home. Olaiyas first child, Adun, a 20-year-old student of Babcock University, Remo, Ogun State, had told anyone, who cared to listen that she wanted to see her mothers body in Nigeria.

She must be brought back, I dont care what anybody says, I just want my mothers body, she said after her mothers death.

But reacting, Lanso told Saturday Beats that as colleagues to the late thespian, they would not interfere with the decision of the family but respect their wish on the matter.

He said, The only voice that is opposed to her being buried in Canada is her daughter. Only she knows her reason for insisting on this. If the body must be flown to Nigeria, it will cost nothing less than $17, 000. But then it all depends on what the family wants.

When contacted, Bisi Ibidapo-Obe, one of Olaiyas closest friends and colleagues, refused to comment on her demise and controversy surrounding the burial arrangement.

A gifted interpreter of roles, the late 42-year-old actress appeared in dozens of movies and television dramas over the years, winning a handful of notable awards along the line for her efforts.

Source: Punch
Adunoluwa, the 20-year-old daughter of late Nollywood actress, Moji Oaliya has described her mothers death as the worst news in her life.

Speaking with newsmen on Saturday at her family house in Lagos, the bereaved young lady said on the fateful day that her mum passed on, she spoke with her over the phone and both of them had a good time, DAILY POST reports.

She recalled with nostalgia, This is the worst kind of news anyone can hear. I spoke with her on the day she died and nothing prepared me for this bad news. We had a good time over the phone and she told me how my sister was doing and all. I will miss her love and care, because she always provided anything I wanted.

On how the funeral rites would be handled, Adun simply said, I dont know at this point. It is the family that will take care of that.
A lady identified simply as Mosunmola, 28, a Dental Nursing student at the Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese Ijebu, has accused one of her lecturers Dr Oluseyi Adu of impregnating her after he had sexual intercourse with her so she could pass his course.

Mosunmola, narrating her story to PUNCH, said they had sex in August 2016, adding that she is 38 weeks pregnant at the moment.

The lecturer who did not deny having sexual intercourse with the lady, however doubted that he is the father of the unborn child because, according to him, he used protection.

When I got to second semester, 300 level, he awarded me 38 in one of his courses. I went to his office in August 2016 to know why I failed the course. I needed to pass all my courses to be able to go for my board exam.

Quote

Dr Adu is the Oral Health Coordinator for the college. During my three years study, he taught me two courses each semester. I have never failed his course. He asked me if I thought I could just come to the school and go like that. He said if I dated him, he would waive the course. He said he didnt approach me in 100 level because another lecturer was interested in dating me. The lecturer he mentioned told me in 100 level that it was either I paid him money or used my body to pass his course. Because I didnt agree, I failed his course. I didnt pass it until I got to 300 level. I told Adu that I would date him, but I didnt want to have any problem, and he assured me that there would be no regret,

Mosunmola said.

She added that Dr. Adu took her to the Head of Departments office where it was agreed that she could sit for the board exam.

Mosunmola said that she and other students took the exam at POGIL College of Health Technology, Oke-Eri, Ijebu Ode, on August 21, adding that Dr. Adu, who was among those on the panel, gave her some of his practical instruments and a laptop for safekeeping.

However, Mosunmola said when the school bus arrived to take the students back to the school, she forgot to give the practical instruments back to the lecturer.

She said Adu later called and asked her to bring the instruments to a hotel where he lodged.

Quote

I was preparing to leave when he called me back that I would be sleeping over with him. I met him with another lecturer in my department. I observed that the lecturer also had a female student with him. From the hotel, we went to different places before we finally lodged in another hotel along Ilese Road. While I was with Adu in a room, my other classmate passed the night with the second lecturer in another room. We had three rounds of sex. He didnt release on time. He used two condoms for the first two rounds. The third round was, however, flesh-to-flesh. That was when he ejaculated inside me,

she narrated.

She added that things went south after she stopped seeing her monthly flow few weeks later. She said after experiencing the early signs of pregnancy, she went for a test and it came out positive.

She said when Dr. Adu heard the news, he reluctantly accepted responsibility, but allegedly gave her a drug, Eprostol, to abort the pregnancy.

I refused to take the drug because the prescription was not from a medical doctor. He came down to my place to persuade me to take the drug, but I still refused. He asked me what I wanted and I told him that I needed to change my accommodation because the pregnancy was a shameful thing for me. He told me not to worry, that he would handle it. After that, we had sex, she said, adding that When he left that day, I could not find my phone again. By the time I got another phone and called him, he started acting funny. Sometime, he would just laugh at me.

Mosunmola said that the HOD, Dean of the faculty, and the institutions provost, who all attempted to mediate between she and Dr. Adu, were rebuffed by the lecturer.

She added that she took the case to the Human Rights Office of the Ogun State Ministry of Justice at Ijebu-Ode, where a lawyer, one Kolade, called the parties for a meeting.

She said that after the meeting, Dr. Adu agreed to pay N5,000 to her as feeding allowance every month, and N7,000 for her ante-natal registration.

She added that Dr. Adu only paid the said sum for 2 months and stopped.

They went back to the Human Rights Office to review the agreement, where Mosunmola presented a list of things she needed to get before giving birth. They amounted to N50,000 and Dr. Adu said he could only provide N30,000. Mosunmola said she refused.

Quote

I didnt have any accommodation and I couldnt buy any of the drugs the doctors prescribed for me. I told him I would only manage the N50,000. He left in annoyance. Since March, the lawyer didnt call us back and Adu refused to pay the N5,000 he used to give me every month. I called the lawyer late March and asked him to help me get the N30,000, but the lawyer said I should not call him again,

she said.

She said she reported the case to the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Health, where Adu also worked.

When results werent forthcoming, Mosunmola said she went to the college on April 13 when she knew Adu would be taking a class.

She alleged that the lecturer assaulted her when she pleaded with him for money.

She said some people intervened and she reported a case of assault to the police at the Ilese division, Ijebu Ode.

I am now in my 38 weeks and anytime soon, I will have my child. I am an orphan and I dont have any of my baby items ready. I am begging Nigerians to come to my rescue. I know I have made a mistake, but I need a second chance at life. I dont have anywhere to go. It is a church that is accommodating me now, she said.

Telling his own side of the story, Dr. Adu said:

Quote

She was one of my students; but on a personal level, I never knew her until after they released her final results and she failed some courses, including mine. Her HOD asked her to come and ask me if I could waive the course for her. She called me on the phone and came to see me in the office. That was my first contact with this lady. When she made her request, I met her HOD who said I should assist her. He said even if I did, she might not sit for the board exam because of the other courses she failed. So, I passed her. When they sat for the board exam, I was surprised to see her and I asked her HOD why she wrote the exam when she had other courses she failed. He said people begged for her. After the board exam, she came to thank me for the assistance and she asked to carry my bag and the instruments I used to conduct the exam. By the time she was leaving, I collected my bag from her, but I forgot my instruments with her. That day, I went to hang out with my friend at the pool of a hotel where we lodged. Suddenly, I remembered my instruments and I called her to keep them well. But she said she could come to where I was and she came. After dropping the instruments, she didnt leave as I expected and I decided not to bother her. We were together at the hotel till evening. One thing led to the other. My brother, she slept in my room that night and we had (sexual) intercourse. This was a girl I never dated or had any relationship with. He added that the following weekend, Mosunmola called to say she was pregnant, but later on said she was joking and only wanted to see how he would react.

He said he stopped responding to her calls afterwards until she sent him a text message saying the pregnancy had become real.

Quote

I decided to travel down to Ijebu to see her. She brought out the test result and said I was responsible. I told her I used a condom and she couldnt tell me that my condom burst. She said if I was afraid because I was married, I should not bother because the pregnancy actually belonged to her boyfriend and she merely wanted to see my reaction. I warned her and left. The next time she called me, she said how would she take my pregnancy to her boyfriend, and that I should take responsibility for it. She said she would abort the pregnancy if I wanted her to, but I must rent a house for her in Ijebu Ode and then she described the kind of house she wanted. When I heard that, I told her to do her worst, because it was obvious to me that she just wanted to blackmail me. She had been going round different places, telling people that I impregnated her. The question I ask is, did I rape her? Did I hypnotise her? You came to meet me where I was and we had fun, and now you are pregnant, and you are telling me I am responsible for a pregnancy I am denying?

 he said.

Dr. Adu said he reported himself to his wife first before Mosunmola could reach her, adding that he agreed to pay the N5,000 after much persuasion from the human rights lawyer.

He however said he regretted that decision because Mosunmola turned him to a Cash Cow after that time.

He said before Mosunmola could reach his wife, he quickly reported himself to her and begged for her forgiveness.

Quote

When she brought the list for the baby things, I asked her, Why are you making me as if I am the father of your baby? Am I your husband? She suddenly flared up and said I should even go away that she didnt want anything from me again. She cursed me and after that encounter, I decided to stop giving her anything, he added. He said that when Mosunmola came to the school to meet him, she attacked him and was about stripping him naked until he forcefully got away from her. He added that the case at the police station had been thrown out after he told officers that she was the aggressor. People impregnate people and nothing happens. Why is she treating me as if I had done something criminal? The worst that will happen now is for me to die. I am not a young man; if I die, people will cry and I will be done. But I also ask myself, what if the pregnancy is mine? My prayer now is for her to deliver safely and we will determine the paternity of the child,

he said.
The Canadian government has invited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as a special guest to grace the countrys 150th Independence Anniversary celebrations in July this year.

The special invitation was conveyed to the Ife monarch in his palace on Sunday by a Canadian Member of Parliament (MP), Ramesh Sangha.

Delivering the invitation, the Canadian MP said that the invitation was aimed at forging stronger ties between Canada and Nigeria.

Sangha, representing Brampton Central in the Canadian Parliament, said he would collaborate with Federal Government in the areas of economy, youth empowerment, health services, agriculture, science and technology while in Nigeria.

He described the Ife monarch as a reference point in Nigeria in view of the enviable niche he has carved for himself since mounting the throne of his forebears.

We Canadians are very happy with Your Highness for the great work you are doing.

On behalf of Canadian Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Justin Pierre James Trudeau, we are inviting you to the 150th Independence Anniversary Celebration of Canada coming up in July, said the Canadian MP.

Responding, Oba Ogunwusi said he would continue to promote Yoruba tradition and cultural heritage as well as propagate peace and unity across the world.

The Ife monarch said he would grace the occasion in Canada and also promised to contribute his quota to the success of the programme.

The Canadian delegation included John Adeyefa, President, Nigerian-Canadian Association in Ottawa, Chidi Nwanyanwu, President, Nigerian-Canadian Association in Ontario and Sola Agboola, Leader, Nigerian Young-Adult Association in Canada.

Source: (NAN)
Two women were arrested by the Saudi Arabia police on Wednesday, May 17, for allegedly practising witchcraft after a video surfaced on social media. The women were seen in a video attempting to photocopy photos of talismans in a shop. Two women were arrested by the Saudi Arabia police on Wednesday, May 17, for allegedly practising witchcraft after a video surfaced on social media. The women were seen in a video attempting to photocopy photos of talismans in a shop.

According to the Saudi police, the regional police followed up on a tip after they were notified of a video that surfaced on social media.

Police spokesperson explained that the video showed a woman who was holding some papers containing magic talismans. The spokesperson expressed that the other woman was arrested because she provided the papers to the suspect. NAIJ.com gathered that the two women have been detained and charged by the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution. It was discovered that the video of the women committing the act went viral after the shop owner interrupted the woman while she was printing the copies.

The shop owner said: When I discovered the presence of talismans and magic papers, I told her that this magic is forbidden, and I will not allow you to photocopy those papers. In the video which served as a proof that the woman could be seen begging the shop owner not to report her to the Saudi police. According to Saudi Gazzette, 215 people were arrested for practising magic in Saudi Arabia in the year 2012. In Saudi Arabia, the penalty of practicing witchcraft is a death sentence but it is usually not applied to suspects in many cases.

Source: ( Gossipnaij.com )
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is reportedly in trouble from Zanu PF Manicaland provincial leadership that is demanded that the late retired High Court judge Justice Simpson Mtambanengwe be declared a national hero.The late former Supreme Court judge and Namibia's former Chief Justice Simpson MtambanengweMtambanengwe died last Thursday in Namibia.According to NewsDay, the 93 year old Mugabe was not keen on honouring Mtambanengwe given the late High Court judge's unceremonious departure from Zec and his cloudy liberation war past.Acting Manicaland provincial chairperson Joseph Mujati confirmed to NewsDay yesterday that the party's Manicaland provincial executive had recommended that Mtambanengwe be accorded national hero status."It is true we have written to the party national leadership requesting that Justice Mtambanengwe be declared a national hero. We are now waiting for the decision," Mujati said.A senior party leader in the province added: "Although most people do not know him, records show that he worked tirelessly as Zanu's external affairs secretary while in Zambia in the formative years of the liberation struggle.Declaring him a national hero is the only way we can repay him."Family spokesperson Cornelius Sanyanga confirmed the family was aware of the request, but pointed out that Mtambanengwe had made a wish to be buried at his rural home of Manicaland.
A community in Bayelsa State have have been thrown into panic after pirates attacked and killed a fisherman.

Tempers rose among residents of Sagana and Akassa communities of Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State after gunmen suspected to be pirates in fishing trawler shot a fisherman in the head, Punch Metro reports.

It could not be ascertained if the victim, identified as Ayebaeifin Gabriel, aged 30, died from the gunshots.

It was, however, learnt that Gabriel, after the shooting, fell into a coma and was rushed to the emergency unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, the state capital.

The incident, which occurred on Friday about 7.30am, caused anger among indigenes of the fishing towns.

The Chairman, Community Development Committee, Ayibatonye Christopher, who confirmed the development, said the incident provoked anger and tension in the area.

It was learnt that the incident had also opened old wounds among fishermen who had suffered many attacks in the past with their fishing nets damaged by foreign trawlers fishing in the high sea of Brass area of Bayelsa State.

Christopher said, The fisherman was shot by some unidentified men on a vessel identified simply as IMO. The fishermen on Thursday night had set their nets. But when they got to the place on Friday morning, they saw the fishing trawler dragging their nets away. They went after the fishing trawler, waving at it to drop the nets with huge catches, but the occupants of the fishing trawler opened fire on them. The victim was shot in the head.

Also speaking on the development, the state Coordinator of the Environmental Right Action and Friends of the Earth, Mr. Alagoa Morris, described the shooting as barbaric.

He said, The shooting is not different from the reasons the ERA has already put in public space.

The fishing gears of the fishermen were damaged by the trawler and when the victim tried to approach the trawler to lay a complaint, they opened fire sending bullets to kill.

When will the authorities in Bayelsa State and the Federal Government act on this? Or, are they saying they havent heard of this disturbing issue since?
Six female and four male Boko Haram terrorists have been arrested by Troops of the 8 Task Force Division of the Nigerian Army have in Monguno and Nolwodo Malgori areas of Borno State, after a tip-off.

It was learnt that the 242 Battalion apprehended the suspects, who were also believed to be Boko Haram members on Saturday. Foodstuffs and a sum of N63,000 were reportedly recovered from them.

This is just as the troops engaged fleeing Boko Haram terrorists in three villages along the Lake Chad, Borno State, during which they shot dead 13 insurgents and recovered some rounds of ammunition.

According to the army, the terrorists had a gun battle with troops in Chikun Gudu, Tumbuma Karami and Tumbuma Baba areas of the Lake Chad, during which they were shot dead, while others escaped with bullet injuries.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations and 8 Division Spokesman, Col. Timothy Antigha, said, We rounded up 10 suspected Boko Haram smugglers, six females and four males. We recovered household items, foodstuffs and N63,060 cash from the suspects. They are being profiled to determine their involvement in the Boko Haram insurgency.

In the ongoing clearance operation on the fringes of Lake Chad, the troops went to Chikun Gudu, Tumbuma Karami and Tumbuma Baba, where we neutralised 13 Boko Haram terrorists, while many others escaped with gunshot wounds.

We recovered three AK-47 rifles, assorted magazines and 306 rounds of ammunition, a tool box, a deep freezer and a Toyota gun truck. In the same vein, troops destroyed two other Toyota Hilux vehicles, one Toyota truck, two motorcycles and six bicycles.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has inaugurated the Operation Harbin Kunama, to tackle the threat of cattle rustling, kidnapping and insurgency in Falgore Forest in Kano State.

He said this in an interview with journalists after he met with the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, at the Kano Government House where they discussed modalities on how to combat criminal activities in the Falgore Forest and some parts of Kano South.

He said, This measure is adopted to fast-track the war against insurgency and criminality in the Falgore Forest and some parts of Kano South. The Nigerian Army will deploy all the necessary machinery to achieve success in this operation and similar operations being carried out in various states of the federation.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
A married woman has killed herself inside her home by drinking poison after something happened between her and her husband.

The police in Niger State say they are investigating a case of suicide by one Halima Kabiru, who allegedly drank poison after arguing with her husband in the Afita Mama Pandogari area, Kagara Council of the state.

It was learnt that the woman was rushed to a hospital for medical attention, but later died.

According to the husband, Musa Kabiru, he and his wife had quarreled sometime last week, after which she rushed into the house and drank poison.

He said he alerted the police when he discovered she was unconscious.

He said, I had a misunderstanding with her. We were arguing over water to drink in the house.

My wife took an offence and drank poison because of the misunderstanding between us.

The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said the commands operatives responded to a distress call from Musa.

He said, The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention but she later died. The matter is still under investigation.

Also, the command said on Sunday that it had arrested one Habila Ayuba of Tatami Tigina, in the Kagara Local Government Area of the state for murder.

Ayuba was trailed and arrested by a team of policemen, after he reportedly hit one Wachichi Isyaku with a weapon.

The commands spokesman, Elkana, who did not disclose the weapon used by the suspect, said the victim died instantly.

Elkana said the police had visited the scene of the incident, adding that investigation was ongoing.
A suicide case of a woman Halima Kabiru who allegedly drank poison after arguing with her husband in the Afita Mama Pandogari area, Kagara Council of the state have been brought before the Niger State Police Command.

It was learnt that the woman was rushed to a hospital for medical attention, but later died.

According to the husband, Musa Kabiru, he and his wife had quarreled sometime last week, after which she rushed into the house and drank poison.

He said he alerted the police when he discovered she was unconscious.

He said, I had a misunderstanding with her. We were arguing over water to drink in the house.

My wife took an offence and drank poison because of the misunderstanding between us.

The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said the commands operatives responded to a distress call from Musa.

He said, The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention but she later died. The matter is still under investigation.

Also, the command said on Sunday that it had arrested one Habila Ayuba of Tatami Tigina, in the Kagara Local Government Area of the state for murder.

Ayuba was trailed and arrested by a team of policemen, after he reportedly hit one Wachichi Isyaku with a weapon.

The commands spokesman, Elkana, who did not disclose the weapon used by the suspect, said the victim died instantly.

Elkana said the police had visited the scene of the incident, adding that investigation was ongoing.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Firebase, Google Clouds backend and SDK for mobile and web application development, is being enhanced with serverless compute capabilities. Google Cloud Functions for Firebase, now available in a beta release, allows developers to run back-end JavaScript code that responds to events triggered by Firebase features and HTTPS requests.

Developers upload their code to Google's cloud, and the functions are run in a managed Node.js environment. There is no need for users to manage or scale their own servers. [Cloud Functions] enables true server-less development, Google's Ben Galbraith said. Like AWS Lambda and Microsoft's Azure Functions, Cloud Functions allows users to deploy and run code without provisioning servers. Developers code to cloud APIs, and the cloud takes care of managing and scaling the functions.

Acquired by Google in 2014, Firebase features a cross-platform SDK with capabilities for cloud data storage and synchronization across devices. It also provides app usage analytics and tools for serving in-app advertising and sending targeted notifications to users.

Google has also just released a beta version of Firebase Performance Monitoring. The service provides insight into the performance of iOS and Android mobile apps by monitoring startup times, network response times, and other aspects of app performance. The data can be analyzed in the Firebase Console.

Google also has begun open-sourcing Firebase SDKs, describing it as the first step toward open-sourcing client libraries. Were starting by open sourcing several products in our iOS, JavaScript, Java, Node.js, and Python SDKs. We'll be looking at open sourcing our Android SDK as well, Salman Qadri, Firebase product manager, said. Admin SDKs to access Firebase on privileged environments are now open source as well, including the recently launched Python SDK.
Lesaffre opens new expertise hub in Singapore.

Lesaffre has set up a new expertise hub in Singapore which houses at the same location several of its teams in baking, food taste, human health and nutrition, animal care and biotechnology.

French yeast and fermentation products company Lesaffre has set up a new expertise hub in Singapore.

The new Singapore regional hub houses at the same location several of its teams in baking, food taste, human health and nutrition, animal care and biotechnology, and will consolidate Lesaffres various business streams at the forefront of advanced yeast applications and improve collaborative engineering of tailored business solutions in the region. During the opening event guests were introduced to Lesaffres full range of capabilities.

The 1,000 sqm space also houses a Lesaffre Baking Center  said to be one of the largest in the world  and a re, serving as collaborative spaces for innovation as Asian consumers palates and nutritional demands rapidly evolve. The two brand new application centers are dedicated to baking and culinary applications and enable the group to better adapt and respond to the cultural habits and trends across Asia-Pacific

Being at the heart of a region with an important role in the food, biotechnology, human and animal care sectors, fully justify the companys investments in Singapore, said Antoine Baule, CEO of Lesaffre. As a family-owned group, headquartered in France and operating in APAC for more than 40 years, Lesaffre is very committed to its new set up in Singapore to better serve its customers in the region.

The company says that the Singapore hub cements Lesaffres commitment to its regional customers working with them to meet local demands in a diverse region. The project, an investment of S$ 4 million, is expected to create more than 75 jobs by the end of 2018.

Singapores capabilities as a high quality, future ready, global food ingredients hub was a key factor in our decision to make it the home of our Asia Pacific regional hub, said Joergen Lundgaard, Asia Pacific Managing Director. Lesaffre will continue to invest in local and regional talent, process capabilities and innovative technology to support the robust growth in this important region.
EURUSD Consolidating Near Key 1 Level Tradable Patterns - 58 minutes ago The (EURUSD) is consolidating after the strong bounce from the 2022 low (in September). Although the EURUSD is vulnerable today to a bit more healthy profittaking, odds are elevated for a weekly close... ^EURUSD : 1.00337 (+0.23%) FXE : 92.37 (-0.56%)

WEAT, 9.05 target ONE44 Analytics - Wed Nov 9, 6:36PM CST Educational and Actionable! WEAT : 8.35 (-2.22%)

***Market Wrap-up Nov 9 RJO Futures - Wed Nov 9, 6:01PM CST Summary of today's events, Stocks/Bonds (Sorry no election talk)

Hogs Mixed Mostly Lower Barchart - Wed Nov 9, 4:48PM CST Hogs close with a 30 cent loss in the Dec contract, but 2 to 65 cent gains in the other nearbys. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price for Wednesday was $0.48 higher to $87.70. The CME Lean Hog Index... HEZ22 : 85.275s (-0.35%) HEJ23 : 94.625s (+0.45%) KMZ22 : 95.450s (-0.55%)

Cotton Ends Red on Wednesday Barchart - Wed Nov 9, 4:48PM CST Cotton futures faded on report day with losses of 36 to 118 points. USDA reduced their average farm price for cotton by a nickel to 85 cents/lb. Monthly USDA projections had a 13 lb/acre cotton yield... CTZ22 : 86.75 (+0.29%) CTH23 : 84.85 (+0.14%) CTK23 : 83.97 (+0.21%)

Soybeans Close Higher on Strong Soy Oil Barchart - Wed Nov 9, 4:48PM CST Soybean futures had a wild roller coaster day for the midweek trade, leading the Jan contract back and forth within an impressive 24 1/4 cents (from +11 to -13 cents). Ultimately the board ended the session... ZSX22 : 1462-0 (+0.15%) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.2141 (+0.53%) ZSF23 : 1456-4 (+0.31%) ZSH23 : 1460-2 (+0.21%)

Cattle Futures Fade on Wednesday Barchart - Wed Nov 9, 4:48PM CST Live cattle futures ended the day with 25 cent losses in the August 23 contract to 62 cent losses in the Feb. Dec cattle dropped by $1.47 on the day to close at $151.57. USDA confirmed some moderate... LEZ22 : 151.575s (-0.96%) LEG23 : 154.150s (-0.40%) LEJ23 : 157.775s (-0.30%) GFX22 : 177.725s (-0.31%) GFF23 : 179.650s (-0.14%)
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

MDC-T deputy Secretary general Tapiwa Mashakada has said the ruling Zanu PF is still mired in its old guerilla mode which makes it refuse to live power even when it is defeated in the elections.He said the serialization is not exhaustive but I only thought it was necessary to show why it has not been possible to hold free fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe."The power of incumbency is strong. Moreover Zanu PF is still mired in its former guerilla mode. President Mugabe is still by and large a guerilla leader encamped at State House. There have been pronouncements by the military that they will never salute any leader without liberation background," he said."There have been pronouncement to the effect that Zimbabweans should forget about the ballot because colonialism was dislodged and power taken by the barrel of the gun. All this suggests that election in Zimbabwe have not been free and fair. In other words its not just about numbers or figures. The political environment and the institutional setup all counts. Yet some people judge elections on the basis of the polling day."He said that is very foolish and the polling day is just the last event in a series of a long electoral process."Sometimes I wonder what education has done to Zimbabweans. Some cannot even see common sense. Now I just want to appeal for solutions. I had wanted to give my own solutions but I think I may become too monopolistic. So for now I am inviting comments on solutions to the rigging art before I will wrap up this topic with recommendations," he said.
IIs top All-America Research Team analysts over nearly 50 years reflect on their industry and share what they see for the future.

All-AmericaResearch Team Analysts With Most No. 1 Appearances Firms at No. 1

To mark the 50th anniversary of Institutional Investor magazine, the top analysts of II's flagship, All-America Research Team ranking looked back on their industry and shared what they see for the future. Though demand for sell-side research remains as high as ever, they're stepping up their game to keep their competitive edge amid challenges tied to technology and regulation.

"In some ways, the world never changes," says Edward Hyman, chairman of Evercore ISI and head of its economic research team, while sitting in the firm's office in New York. Even as technology advances, and analysts have faster ways of producing and disseminating their research, the job of the sell-side analyst has remained almost the same, he says.

There's another way the times haven't changed: Hyman's position as the No. 1 economics analyst in II's All-America Research Team ranking since its inception in 1972, with a record 36 first-place appearances on the list. Over the course of his career, Hyman says the demand from the buy side hasn't changed, and almost no firms have the inclination to do research in-house."

Whether it's J.P. Morgan or Point72 or BlackRock, they are all geared for their people to consume Wall Street research," Hyman says.

Still, almost all the analysts agree that enough change is happening underfoot to keep the sell side on its toes. One change is the second phase of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, or MiFID II, which will take effect January 2018 in European markets and will require research firms to "unbundle," or fully disclose, the costs of its research, which previously were often wrapped inside trading commissions or other charges.

As that unbundling takes place on a global basis, clients are spending more time reviewing how they pay the Street, says Jonathan Rosenzweig, head of Americas equity research at Citigroup, which ranks second in II's Hall of Fame of firms with the highest number of No.1 analysts. As those pressures grow, Citi is "stepping up instead of stepping back," Rosenzweig says, noting that the firm has filled 14 senior analyst positions in the U.S. alone over the past two years and currently has no open seats on the team.

Differentiated analysis will continue to be in higher demand over maintenance research as unbundling continues, says Eric Miller, head of global markets client and content for Credit Suisse, the No. 3 firm in II's top rankings. "Unique content, sometimes with a contrarian view, and a true bottom-up approach [are important]," he explains. Credit Suisse is also being more aggressive in trying to reach clients, hosting more conferences each year to bring together clients and speakers. In February the firm hosted the 22nd Annual Energy Summit in Vail, Colorado, and will host a technology, media, and telecom conference in Arizona in November.

Candace Browning, head of global research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the top firm in the history of II's All-America Research Team survey, agrees with Hyman's view that not much has changed insofar as analysts are still answering "the same old questions"  that is, not telling clients whether to buy a stock, but probing markets to provide insight they may never have considered. Browning has had a long career as an analyst, having earned a ranking in II's survey for 17 years as an airline analyst before moving into research management.

"We're using lots of new technologies, whether it's examining what people are saying on social media, whether it's scraping websites, whether it's our own surveys," she says. "Using big data capabilities over the next ten years is going to change the research franchise."

Aside from producing quality, unique research, it turns out that, like in many areas of life, a sense of humor can take an analyst far.

"Great analysts make their clients laugh, make them think, and make them money," Rosenzweig says, adding that good analysts may be able to do only two of the three well.

One such analyst is George Staphos, managing director and analyst in the packaging and paper and forest products sectors at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He's recently had one of the larger jumps among II's all-time top-ranked analysts, rising to 10th place last year from 13th in 2011. Staphos is also no stranger to the top ranking, with a total of 17 No. 1 appearances on II's All-America Research Team rankings over the years. His success may be based in part on the humor he injects into his research reports, cutting through the weeds in a not-so-sexy industry: "We're not landing people on the moon [in the packaging sector]," Staphos notes.

Staphos also tries to be a "student of history," saying that taking an immediate to long-term view of the market has been his consistent strategy over the years. He's noticed companies becoming less communicative and more guarded over the years, a situation that's forced him to adapt to stay competitive. Staphos says he's developed a network of non-company contacts to help form a mosaic of the firms and sectors he's covering.

Adapting is a Bank of America Merrill Lynch strength. The firm uses data to track which analyst reports are most read, adjusting its content as needed, according to Browning. In late 2015 the firm began distributing research through HTML links instead of PDFs, capturing data on what reports are popular. Every Friday, Browning receives a report with the most and least-read research of the week. "You don't want to be on the least-read research," Browning says, laughing. Some of the firm's most popular reports have been primers, or deep dives into an industry or product, which shows the buy side still values educational pieces, she says.

Even more than MiFID II, Hyman maintains that the challenge all analysts will continue to face is the task of cutting through the vast amounts of information that hit their clients' desks daily. A typical high-profile player on the buy side may get 800 emails a day, he says, adding that there's a "breaking point" where people must keep a tight handle on the amount of information they consume.

"Something has to give," Hyman says. "I don't know what's going to give, but some way or other, people are going to have to get control of their email.

"Technology has also "shortened the shelf life of news flow," according to Nicholas Rosato, head of North America equity research for J.P. Morgan, the No. 4 firm in II's ranking. That makes it more difficult for analysts to keep pace with changes reported in markets as they compete for clients' attention.

Thematic reports are one of the areas where analysts and firms can set themselves apart in their research. "[Clients] don't want something they can get from investor relations and reading the annual report," Browning says. For example, Bank of America Merrill Lynch's "stamped" reports, such as one that estimates the effects of the first 200 days of President Donald Trump's administration on various sectors, can have almost 40 times the average readership.

Gender diversity a theme that captured attention this year with the installation of the Fearless Girl statue, a young girl standing defiantly with her hands on her hips as she faces down Wall Street's iconic charging bull  is another area where analysts have gained traction with clients. Credit Suisse last year published its second edition of a report on gender diversity on boards and in senior management, reconfirming the link between increasing the number of women in leadership roles and improved business performance. Thematic and cross-sector research such as this has performed well with clients, according to Credit Suisse's Miller.

It all adds up to a critical part of a research analyst's job  staying on top of the clients' reading lists as their email inboxes are inundated with information.

"If you're an analyst at a buy-side firm, you'll probably keep up with five analysts," Hyman says. "If I was doing it, I'd keep up with maybe three."

As an economist would, Hyman invokes the law of diminishing returns, noting that though the buy side will consider the research and views of several analysts, at some point there will be too much noise to be able to come to a decision about an investment. That's the kicker facing research analysts. "If you're not in the top five, it's going to be very tough," Hyman says.

What does II's top economist see for the future? "I travel a lot, and every place I go is booming. Booming," Hyman emphasizes. Des Moines, Iowa; Prescott, Arizona; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Sioux Falls, South Dakota  he rattles off a list of cities where he's seen construction on the rise.

Walking through the Evercore ISI office, Hyman stops at a desk to unfold the day's New York Times, pointing to the headline "What Decline? A Rural Hub Thrives in Idaho."

All of this adds up to an environment ripe for investment. As world economies improve and balance sheets strengthen, buying stock is still the best way to invest, Hyman says. Which means, even with MiFID II and continuously evolving technology, maybe the job of the sell-side analyst is safe after all.
News / Local

by Mary Charamba

Zanu PF bloody clashes at its Bulawayo headquarters on Sunday have been condemned.Police have been urged to bring the culprits to book.Heal Zimbabwe said such violence 'poses a grave threat to the prevalence of peace' in the run-up to next year's elections."Heal Zimbabwe strongly condemns the intraparty violence experienced at the Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial headquarters, Davis Hall on the 21st of May 2017," it said in a statement.The violence saw ZANU-PF District Chairperson Magamura Charumbira, and Youth League Chairperson Anna Mokgohloa stabbed and assaulted respectively by youths and alleged war veterans during the clashes."Heal Zimbabwe is, therefore, concerned with such levels of political intolerance within political parties. It is such intolerance that poses a serious threat to the prevalence of peace particularly as the nation prepares for the 2018 elections.Heal Zimbabwe said the fact that violence broke out in the presence of police who sanctioned the meeting shows 'that activists within the revolutionary party are beginning to show a tendency of resorting to violence in matters that simply require peaceful resolution'."Heal Zimbabwe implores the police to apprehend and enforce the law by bringing to book all perpetrators of violence. Heal Zimbabwe further urges all political parties to reign in on their supporters so that they desist from perpetrating violence".
Blackstone Group, the worlds largest private-equity firm, plans to invest more than $100 billion in infrastructure projects based mainly in the United States.

The firm announced May 20 that it aims to raise $40 billion in equity for a new infrastructure fund, plus use debt to invest in the program. The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia may contribute $20 billion to anchor the new pool, with Blackstone seeking the same amount of commitments from other investors.

This potential investment reflects our positive views around the ambitious infrastructure initiatives being undertaken in the United States as announced by President Trump, said H.E. Yasir Al Rumayyan, managing director of Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, in the statement released by Blackstone.

President Donald Trump, who chose Saudi Arabia as the first stop on his first foreign trip since taking office, has made modernizing U.S. infrastructure one of his top priorities. As much as $2 trillion of funding from domestic and international investors is needed to improve its deteriorated state, according to Blackstones statement, made the same day Trump arrived to Riyadh.

There is broad agreement that the United States urgently needs to invest in its rapidly aging infrastructure, said Blackstone President Hamilton James. This will create well-paying American jobs and will lay the foundation for stronger long-term economic growth.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has graded U.S. infrastructure D+, underscoring the need for significant investment.

Blackstone stated that it has been talking with Saudi Arabias sovereign fund for the past year to invest in the new program. While the potential partners have executed a memorandum of understanding for their collaboration, a definitive agreement is still being negotiated, according to the May 20 statement.

For the Saudis, Al Rumayyan said the partnership would be an opportunity to achieve long-term returns given historical investment shortfalls.
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The online used car dealer has hit a new low, making it the most profitable short of the year.
The recent Wannacry ransomware attack has put cyber security top of mind for businesses around the world, and one insurer has developed a unique way to make sure their business remain safe. IAG New Zealand has revealed that they regularly send staff fake, phishing style emails to test them on their ability to identify scams,reports.The major insurer sends its 3,500 staff a phishing-style email once a month with those that click on the link sent an instant reminder to undertake cyber security training.Mark Knowles, director of cyber security and risk at IAG New Zealand, said that the plan, which began several months ago, started with an easy to spot scam before becoming more complex.Knowles team sent out an email about a turkey recipe for the American holiday thanksgiving, but moved on to more elaborate scams to bolster defences.The number to start with was really low, Knowles told the publication of the first attempt."The more important part was that it raised awareness across all staff not just about phishing emails but security."Staff are not punished for clicking on the hazardous link, but those that identify and notify the company about potential scam emails are rewarded.Knowles noted that real-life scams that rely on the simple click of a link happen all the time and suggested that businesses should be sharing information on potential scams to ensure safety.We do talk to each other, Knowles continued."It is the good guys versus the bad."
More than a quarter of businesses believe that they are more at risk from IT security attacks than they were a year ago, a new survey has found.New research from IT management company ManageEngine found that 28% of business owners felt they are somewhat, or much, more at risk than a year ago.Over the same period, 57% of businesses reported that they had faced either a cyberattack, data theft by an external party or unauthorised access/misuse of data by an employee. Of the firms that experienced a cyberattack, 76% said that an incident had occurred between one and five times, with a further 12% noting that attacks had occurred between six and 10 times over the last 12 months.Cyber insurance is top of mind for many organisations following the recent global ransomware attack which hit the headlines last week. With reports that attacks in Australia are also on the rise, brokers have a duty to discuss coverage with clients, and also point out the importance of simple security measures.Almost half (47%) of those surveyed said that they never, or only occasionally, automatically install updates and patches while 22% said they either do not remind staff to regularly update their passwords or are unsure if that is the case.Raj Sabhlok, president of ManageEngine, said that there is work to be done by businesses around security issues.If basic steps such as installing patches and regularly updating passwords are not being undertaken, this poses unnecessary extra risks for an organisation, Sabhlok said.
Broadcaster ITV is reportedly seeking Direct Line Group CEO Paul Geddes to replace outgoing boss Adam Crozier.Crozier will step down from the broadcaster next month, after seven years as CEO. Thereported on Saturday that Geddes is understood to have held talks about the role.Direct Line is one of the UKs largest insurers. Its brands hold a 14% share pf the personal market, and a 17% share of the home insurance market as of December 2015, according to figures from its website.Geddes joined Direct Lines Board in 2009 as an executive director. He was previously the CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotlands mainland UK retail banking business. He joined that company in 2005 as a managing director for products and marketing.According to an A.M. Best report published on Sunday, ITV isnt the only network looking for a new boss, as Channel 4, BT TV and STV are also looking for new leaders. Geddes is currently a non-executive director of Channel 4.ITV announced that finance chief Ian Griffiths will take on an additional role of chief operating officer. He will also lead the executive team for an interim period, with Sir Peter Bazalgette, ITV Chairman, taking on the role of Executive Chairman during that time.In a statement, ITV said it has a well-developed succession plan in place and a longer term successor to Crozier will be announced in due course.
Acrisures acquisition of Ohio based Britton Gallagher breaks new ground for the insurance business. The purchase marks Acrisures first expansion into the Ohio market.The two firms formally announced their partnership on May 12 following the completion of a $2.9 billion management-led buyout from Acrisures private equity sponsor Genstar.Britton Gallagher has told Crains Business that it will now go shopping for independent agencies of its own following the Acrisure investment. Britton Gallagher will retain all of its staff and leadership.Our goal is to double in size in a year, Britton Gallagher president Jeremy Bryant said in the report.Without a partnership with Acrisure, I dont see that wed be able to do that at the current setting with limited resources. Having them on the ground with corporate service and bench strength will really help us, Bryant further said. Bryant has been President of the firm since last year. Joining it 4 years before that as an EVP.Northern Ohio has the population density we like to see and a growing business community. Its exciting and we think there is a ton of opportunity here, Acrisure chief executive Greg Williams also said in the report.Britton Gallagher has a number of interesting specialities  including Pyrotechnics and Life Sciences. Currently chaired by Bruce Ball, it is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Ball joined BG in 1986 from Travelers Acrisure has been on a shopping binge last year, completing 138 deals with retail brokerages while owned by private equity sponsors Genstar Capital. After the management led buyout, it is now 78% held by its management team.
When entering an unknown area of business, it pays to carry with you knowledge that will help speed up the learning curve.One such new area of business is cannabis insurance  and, as Alison Renner suggests, there are lessons to be learned from pharmaceutical insurance that can be applied to insuring cannabis  particularly around liability.Renner, president of life sciences at RT Specialty , who specializes in pharmaceutical product liability, said the burgeoning cannabis industry in the United States carries many unknown risks, which insurers must try to underwrite.From a product liability standpoint, litigation that we can envision wouldnt be dissimilar to litigation that we see in the pharmaceutical industry or the nutraceutical industry  in other words: unknown or unexplained side-effects, poor labelling, wrong dosages. That type of litigation is the type of litigation we might see, she said.And on the rec [recreational use] side, if you look at, for example, bar, tavern and packaged liquor exposure  or liquor law liability  on the rec side we know that there are a number of smoking clubs, where you might go to smoke marijuana or eat marijuana, and its very hard to us to imagine that that budtender, or bartender at that smoking club, is going to be able to gauge that youre okay to go out and get in your car to drive. Theres no good field sobriety test for marijuana, as we know. We think that kind of looks like liquor liability  theres a possibility that there could be liability attached to the smoking club.And there are further similarities between cannabis and pharmaceuticals when it comes to underwriting, particularly in the business supply chain, she said.The business chain that connects the different categories of insured in the cannabis industry is comparable to the pharmaceutical industry, Renner said: from growers/ingredient suppliers, through manufacturer/processor, to the pharmacy/dispensary.And that gives us something to relate to, in an industry where we have no claims experience to rely on, she noted. The actuaries agree theres nothing to actuarialize unless you try to look at parallel industries and what those claims look like in those industries.
The owner of a Bedford-Stuyvesant construction company and his businesses have been indicted on manslaughter and other charges after a wall collapsed at an excavation site, killing one construction worker and injuring two others.

Construction site deaths such as his are becoming all too common as builders ignore safety protocols and hire untrained workers to maximize profits, said Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a statement.

Gonzalez alleged in his statement that in this case, the builder went ahead with illicit excavation even after the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) explicitly prohibited it. The District Attorney identified the defendants as Michael Weiss, 47, of Throop Avenue in Williamsburg and his companies, RSBY NY Builders Inc. and Park Ave Builders Inc., both in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Weiss was arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on a 14-count indictment in which he is charged with second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, second-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, third-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal tax fraud, first-degree falsifying business records, offering a false instrument for filing, fraudulent practices under the workers compensation law and failing to secure workers compensation insurance. An indicted co-conspirator is also charged with two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and will be arraigned at a later date.

When employers abandon their responsibility, the consequences can be devastating and irreversible.

Weiss was ordered held on bail of $250,000 bond or $100,000 cash and to return to court on August 9, 2017. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count. His co-defendant faces up to one year in prison if convicted.

We have seen the tragic results on construction sites too many times when contractors ignore repeated warnings of danger and put the lives of workers at risk, said New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters in a statement. In this case the warnings were clear, but the defendant disregarded them at a deadly cost.

The indicted co-conspirator was the owner of a construction company that had a safety registration with DOB with endorsements in concrete, construction and demolition, allowing his company to obtain permits from DOB to perform construction work in New York City. It is alleged that since Weiss did not have the appropriate licenses with DOB to apply for the necessary permits to perform the work, he paid the co-defendant $10,000 to sign the work permit applications and insurance certificates as general contractor.

According to the indictment, Weiss began working on the site in June 2015 after being hired by the building owners to replace a one-story fruit store with a five-story mixed use building that would house a shoe store and residential apartments. Weiss hired seven workers with little to no training and without OSHA safety certifications to do the demolition.

In late July 2015, the next phase of construction began in which the untrained workers dug trenches around the perimeter of the existing cellar for foundation structures in accordance with DOB-approved plans, though DOB was not notified of this excavation prior to the work beginning as required by the building code.

After the work began, Weiss instructed the workers to excavate beyond the approved area and in direct contradiction to the DOB-approved plans. Throughout the excavation, it is alleged that several of the workers complained to Weiss that the excavation was unsafe because the adjacent walls were unstable. Weiss repeatedly refused to provide any materials to shore up the wall and refused a request to hire experienced workers. He also allegedly told the workers they were working too slowly and ordered three workers, including the deceased, to work in the rear excavated pit. The wall of the rear adjacent building then collapsed and masonry blocks and other debris fell on three of the workers, killing one man and severely injuring two others.

The deceased worker, Fernando Vanegaz, 18, suffered severe head trauma, lacerations to his head, broken legs and cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second worker suffered a fracture of the lumbar vertebra, a fractured hip and injury to his spine. He has undergone multiple surgeries and continues to have difficulty walking or engaging in physical activity. A third worker also suffered a lumbar vertebra fracture, a fractured nose and skull and orbital area, a crushed face and scalp, a fractured rib and other facial bone fractures. He had back surgery and continues to have difficulty with physical activity and suffers constant back pain.

Fernando Vanegaz lost his life in a tragic and completely preventable accident, said New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler in a statement. The criminal charges against this contractor are a warning to other bad actors in the construction industry that no building is worth a life, that cutting corners on the job site has very real consequences and that if you fail to protect your workers, the city will come after you.

Furthermore, the indictment states that Weiss failed to maintain workers compensation insurance coverage while employing seven construction workers at the site and then applied for coverage hours after the collapse. He also allegedly committed tax fraud by failing to report $75,000 in income on his state tax returns. Based on this unreported income, he owed state taxes of $4,310 and unlawfully received a refund of $3,686.

All workers have a right to a safe and healthful workplace and all employers have a responsibility to provide a safe and healthful workplace for their employees, said Occupational Safety and Health Administration Regional Administrator Robert Kulick in a statement. When employers abandon their responsibility, the consequences can be devastating and irreversible.

Fernando Vanegaz should be alive today, Gonzalez added.

An indictment serves as an accusation and not proof of a defendants guilt.

This case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Samantha Magnani, of the District Attorneys Frauds Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Meredith McGowan, Deputy Chief of the District Attorneys Labor Frauds Unit, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Deputy Chief of the District Attorneys Investigations Division.

Source: Brooklyn District Attorney Press Office

Topics Workers' Compensation Fraud New York Construction
Regional officials are reminding state lawmakers its urgent this session to provide assistance to eastern and central Connecticut homeowners with crumbling foundations.

Both the executive director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) and chairman of a CRCOG committee studying the issue are scheduled to appear at the Legislative Office Building to call on the General Assembly to pass a comprehensive plan. Theyll be joined by local officials and supportive state legislators who are seeking a comprehensive testing program and a remediation fund for homeowners.

Its been estimated that as many as 30,000 homes could be affected by the crumbling foundation problem, which has been traced to a concrete mix containing an iron sulfide.

It can cost $200,000 to repair some foundations. Many insurers have not covered the cost.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Homeowners Connecticut
China may delay full implementation of controversial new cyber security rules, giving companies more time to prepare, two people who attended a meeting on Friday between the countrys internet regulator, businesses and diplomats told Reuters.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) called the meeting  with around 100 participants, including representatives from global technology firms  to present last-minute changes to implementation rules for Chinas new Cyber Security Law which is due to come into effect on June 1.

One of those changes was a new 18-month phase-in period from June, two attendees said, suggesting the law would not be fully implemented until the end of 2018.

The new law aims to meet growing threats such as terrorism and hacking. Chinese officials say the law applies equally to both domestic and foreign companies.

The CAC did not immediately respond to a faxed request seeking comment on what was a closed-door meeting.

Business groups have lobbied Beijing to delay or water down the law mandating strict data surveillance and storage for firms working in China. Concerns are that the law would lead to uncertainties and compliance risks.

In a letter to the CAC earlier this week, seen by Reuters, more than 50 industry bodies covering 11 countries and sectors from financial services to healthcare said there were significant concerns the new law could negatively impact billions of dollars in cross-border trade.

Some attendees said Chinese officials had made some concessions, but Reuters was unable to ascertain specifics.

They have made some revisions, and most are positive. But there are still some issues, said a third person who attended the meeting, which lasted around three hours.

The second attendee said the changes were modest and the law was still plagued by overreach.

Stricter Rules

Chinas data industry has been governed by loosely defined laws, but no overarching data protection framework. The new law codifies much stricter controls than in Europe and the United States.

On top of internationally common standards, such as requiring user consent before moving data beyond country borders, Chinas new cyber law also mandates companies store all data within China and pass security reviews.

This fits Chinas ethos of cyber sovereignty  the idea that states should be permitted to govern and monitor their own cyber space, controlling incoming and outgoing data flows.

The meeting, arranged in recent days, was led by Zhao Zeliang, the director general of the CACs cyber security bureau, and included people from companies, business groups and diplomats, including some from the United States.

Reuters could not reach Zhao for comment.

Last week, Beijing and Washington touted the first results of 100 days of trade talks that began in April after a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, which included openings for U.S. financial firms and beef.

Some U.S. critics complained the results were mostly low hanging fruit that ignored structural issues in bilateral trade and Chinese industrial policies targeting advanced industries, such as semiconductors and internet services.

U.S. business had been concerned that there was little political pressure from Washington on Beijing to make changes to the cyber law.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China wrote to the CAC last week saying the new rules were fraught with weaknesses. In early May, a group of U.S. senators sent a letter to the Trump administration urging it to press China on restrictions on U.S. cloud service providers.

Michael Clauss, German Ambassador to China, told Reuters on Friday the law in its current form and without clear implementation guidelines narrowing its scope will most likely obstruct cooperation in the market.

Indiscriminately requiring businesses to hand over source codes has caused widespread alarm among European companies that business secrets and customer data might no longer be safe, he said.

(Reporting by Michael Martina and Cate Cadell, with additional reporting by Matthew Miller; writing by Adam Jourdan; editing by Tony Munroe and Ian Geoghegan)

Related:

Topics USA Legislation Cyber Europe China
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

THE MINISTER of Transport and Infrastructural Development Jorum Gumbo has told parliament that a contractor has been paid $31 630 for the rehabilitation of Chiredzi roads.He said Chiredzi Town Council submitted the rehabilitation of Lion Drive as their periodic project."ZINARA approved the project and Chiredzi Town Council proceeded to award the contract to a contractor named Clime Construction through a tender process. In terms of the Roads Act, Chiredzi Town Council has an obligation to supervise the implementation of the works and ZINARA has to monitor the same," he said."The contract sum was $60,685.66 and to date, the contractor has claimed and has been paid $31,630.00 to cover mobilisation and earthworks up to Base 1. The contractor has submitted a claim for $29,065.50 for surfacing works but council has not yet certified the works for ZINARA to pay, alleging poor workmanship. The council has written to the contractor to make good before payment is processed."He said ZINARA team went to site for interim payment certificate verification and they advised council that there was poor workmanship and there was need for them to engage with their contractor."ZINARA is still waiting for the outcome of their engagement," he said.
Amazon.com Inc.s development of package-delivery drones is progressing to the point where the company is now thinking a lot about geese.

The e-commerce company said Thursday it has started development of an air-traffic control system to manage its fleet as the drones fly from warehouses to customers doors. Amazon created a new research and development team near Paris, where about a dozen software engineers and developers will build a system aimed at ensuring flying delivery vehicles dont collide with buildings, trees, other drones and  most unpredictable of all  birds. Or, to use aviation industry jargon, non-collaborative flying objects.

Geese will never be collaborative so we have to sense and avoid those obstacles, said Paul Misener, Amazons vice president for global innovation policy and communications. Going from a warehouse to a customers location, a drone has to fly in the right direction, find it, but also avoid all the things along the way.

Amazon decided to build its own traffic-control system after concluding whats available isnt adequate for a large fleet of autonomous drones. The company has hired engineers with expertise in aviation as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence. Misener said France was selected because of the availability of talented engineers interested in this area of aviation. The country has a rich history in mathematics education and companies including Facebook Inc., Google and General Electric Co. have also set up research facilities in Paris.

Unlike an air-traffic control system used by airlines, Misener said a program for drones is more complicated because the vehicles fly at lower heights and must account for more obstacles. The management system will integrate detailed maps  including temporary objects such as construction cranes  as well as information about bad weather conditions. Drones will be programmed with instructions on how to react if they come near  or strike  a bird.

However, similar to systems used by airlines, Amazon said the software it was developing will be loaded onto the drones themselves to allow the vehicles to communicate risks in real-time with each other, as well as a central control center.

In an interview at Amazons French headquarters in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Misener didnt give a timeline for when drones will be widely available for Amazon customers. He said it will depend largely on government regulations and the companys ability to prove its safe. This is highly regulated, he said. Were not going to launch this until we can demonstrate its safety.

In the U.S., the Federal Aviation Administration released rules last year that restricts drone flights over densely populated areas. If those rules hold, it would mean Amazons service would be restricted to more rural areas. Misener said regulations would likely mean some areas will get drone deliveries before others.

Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos first announced the companys drone plans in 2013 as a way to deliver certain items to customers within 30 minutes. Misener gives the example of a guy realizing hes out of toothpaste before a date. Amazon has said about 85 percent of the products on its website are light enough to be delivered by drone. When making a delivery, Amazon has proposed the vehicles will fly at heights between 200 feet and 400 feet, equivalent to being higher than an eight-story building. The drones, which will operate autonomously without a pilot, will fly at speeds up to 50 miles per hour.

Amazon is conducting drone research in the U.K., Austria and the U.S. In Cambridge, about 60 miles from London, the company has been testing deliveries. France was one of the first countries to regulate commercial drone use in 2012, a move thats supported the growth of local companies from toy-aircraft maker Parrot SA to Delair-Tech, a maker of flying devices for farming to mining.

In addition to building tools for managing its own drone fleet, Amazon said it has also been working with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Union and other countries to develop a broader traffic system for coordinating all drone flights in the air. Managing the air traffic control for big air crafts up at high altitudes is very different from this, Misener said.

Beyond government regulation, one of Amazons most difficult jobs will be winning over people wary of package-carrying drones flying over head. We arent unaware, he says, that society has to accept this.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Legislation Aviation Amazon
It sounds like a ghost story: A huge cargo vessel sails up and down the Norwegian coast, silently going about its business, without a captain or crew in sight. But if all goes as planned, its actually the future of shipping.

Last week, Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, a Norwegian maritime-technology firm, and Yara ASA, a fertilizer manufacturer, announced a partnership to build the worlds first fully autonomous cargo containership. Manned voyages will start in 2018, and in 2020 the Yara Birkeland will set sail all on its own. Its the beginning of a revolution that should transform one of the worlds oldest and most conservative industries  and make global shipping safer, faster and cleaner than its ever been.

The commercial rationale for autonomous ships has long been clear. The U.S. Coast Guard has estimated that human error accounts for up to 96 percent of all marine casualties. A recent surge in piracy is a grim reminder that crews remain vulnerable (and valuable) targets for international criminals. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the industry is facing a chronic shortage of skilled workers who want a career at sea.

By one consultants estimate, moreover, carrying sailors accounts for 44 percent of a ships costs. Thats not just salaries: crew quarters, air-conditioning units, a bridge (which typically requires heavy ballast to ensure a ships balance) and other amenities take up valuable weight and space that might otherwise be used for cargo. And that dead weight contributes to a bigger problem: Maritime shipping accounts for about 2.5 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions. Barring a radical change, those emissions are set to surge in the decades ahead.

All this explains why eliminating a crew and its costs has been a long-time goal for companies and governments around the world. The most advanced effort so far has come from Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, which rolled out a virtual-reality prototype of an autonomous ship in 2014. According to the company, the ship will be 5 percent lighter, and burn up to 15 percent less fuel, than a comparable vessel with humans aboard.

That effort has been the subject of considerable skepticism  especially from seafarer unions who doubt that technology can replace experienced sailors, and note that the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations agency that oversees shipping, prohibits crewless operations. But what seemed impossible three years ago is quickly becoming reality. Most of the sensor technology for autonomous ships is now commercially available, and crucial collision-avoidance tools have been around in various forms since the early 1990s.

The Yara Birkeland is a modest but important step forward. Although it can be operated remotely by a pilot, it will also be able to cruise on its own, using an array of sensors, cameras and navigation tools, all guided by sophisticated algorithms. Back on shore, an operations center will monitor its progress.

When it launches next year, with a fully electric power plant, the ship will transport fertilizer from Yaras factory to ports about 16 miles away, thereby replacing 40,000 shipments a year that had once been carried by polluting diesel trucks. That short route will give the ships owners  along with regulators and other autonomous shipping aspirants  a first chance to see such a vessel in operation.

Such trips may soon become routine. Norway has designated the waters off of Trondheim as a test site for autonomous ships of all kinds, from container vessels to tugs. Earlier this year, Rolls-Royce announced that it expects autonomous container ships in international waters within 10 to 15 years. Other groups are working to do it sooner: One U.K. organization plans to have a solar-powered autonomous research vessel cross the Atlantic in 2019. Lloyds Register, the 250-year-old ship-classification group, has already issued guidance for crewless operations.

All this could potentially have enormous benefits for the shipping industry  and the world. Vast amounts of real-time data from the ships will allow fleet owners to optimize their routes (and profits) based on factors such as maintenance schedules, weather patterns, fuel prices and cargoes. Eventually, fleet owners might find themselves competing with the likes of Amazon.com Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.  major shippers with the big data operations and deep pockets necessary to integrate autonomous ships into their logistics operations.

For those companies, all hands on deck already means fingers on a keyboard or a joystick. Within a decade or two, the maritime shipping industry may well be thinking the same way.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Adam Minter is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is the author of Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Trends
Petplan Australasia announced that MS Amlin Syndicate 2001 of Lloyds will become the new underwriter of its pet insurance plans in Australia  a move that is designed to enhance policyholder benefits with broader coverage and more plan choices.

Petplan Australasia was established in Australia in 2004 by Victoria-based brokers Doug and Gwen Ford. The company expanded to New Zealand in 2008.

Doug Ford said the new partnership may lead to further expansion. MS Amlin has written pet insurance for a number of years and its experience in equine and livestock was also key for us, together with its financial standing and reputation, he said.

We thank Allianz Australia for its past and ongoing support, but we see our partnership with MS Amlin as a stepping stone for Petplans growth, not only in Australia and New Zealand but also in other parts of the world, Ford added.

Petplan is the only Australia pet insurer that offers a true covered for life policy, which means the company will continue to pay claims for any ongoing, chronic or re-occurring illness for the rest of the animals life, rather than just until the maximum benefit has been paid, the company said.

Petplan Australasia said it is the only pet insurer in Australia that offers cover extending to third party liability.

Source: Petplan Australasia

Topics Agribusiness Mississippi Australia
A utility company in Lansing, Mich., is still transitioning back to stability after a cyberattack temporarily disabled the companys internal network and required it to pay a $25,000 ransom.

Dick Peffley, general manager for the Board of Water & Light, confirmed this week that 13 information technology employees as well as the emergency management director left after an April 2016 cyberattack that officials said didnt compromise any customer or employee data.

Records obtained by the Lansing State Journal show the cyberattack cost the utility about $2 million.

Todd Bertolozzi, one of the IT employees who left the company, said utility ratepayers should be concerned about BWLs security because of the staffing losses.

Every time you lose somebody, especially in IT, theres a little bit of chaos for three to six months  at least, Bertolozzi said. When 14 people resign from any department, something is going on thats not normal.

Peffley said none of the employees who left were asked to resign, nor did they receive severance packages.

This is out of a group of over 50 employees, Peffley said of the 14 departures. We are routinely monitoring workloads, as we do in every department here at the BWL, and if we need to bring in contract labor, we do. We have no issue keeping up with our demand.

Utility officials said the cyberattack shut down its accounting and email systems after an employee unsuspectingly clicked on an email with an infected attachment. The attack required BWL to shut down phone lines, including a customer service line often used for account inquiries.

While the number of cyberattacks globally has recently grown, no one can make a guarantee we wont be attacked again, Peffley said. However, the BWL has devoted resources to security, restoration and resilience measures to minimize the odds of an attack, and to help us recover after in the event we are hit.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cyber Michigan
The Ohio House has approved a workers compensation budget that blocks workers living in the country illegally who get hurt on the job from accessing compensation benefits.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the bill was approved after a strong debate.

Democratic Rep. Dan Ramos is Ohios longest serving Latino state officeholder. He says the proposal would lead to unsafe working conditions and make it cheaper for businesses to hire workers who are in the U.S. without legal permission.

Republican Rep. Bill Seitz says the bill only requires the Bureau of Workers Compensation to verify an injured workers legal status. He says it also means workers compensation isnt being taken away from legal immigrants and workers.

The proposal is headed to the Ohio Senate.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Workers' Compensation Ohio
Liability insurers, their lawyers and their regulators are holding their collective breath that a scheduled vote this week on a proposed restatement of law regarding liability insurance will not happen.

If approved, the controversial restatement would give policyholders more clout in disputes with insurers over policy language, claims settlements, application misrepresentations, an insurers duty to defend and other matters.

The American Law Institute (ALI), a group of legal scholars that provides summaries of the current state of case law and statutes that courts use as a guide, is set to vote Tuesday, May 23 on the new Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance.

But insurance interests and policymakers have asked the ALI to postpone a vote. These critics say the restatement goes beyond current legal thinking and adopts minority rather than majority opinions on certain issues. They fear the changes will tip the scales in favor of policyholders in ways that could raise premiums and hurt the availability of insurance.

[Editors Note and Update: Monday May 22, 11:50 am. ET

At the opening session of the ALI annual meeting today in Washington, D.C., ALI Deputy Director Stephanie Middleton announced to the membership that the reporters of this restatement would not be seeking approval on the full proposed final draft. Several new sections may be approved by members after the discussion at the meeting tomorrow, and any motions may be made from the floor.]

The reporters, or authors, of the draft  Tom Baker, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and Kyle Logue, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School  have defended their work. They have rejected the criticisms that the changes are not grounded in solid legal opinion. They maintain that the industry has not proven that the changes will harm insurance markets. They also maintain their work is informed by and consistent with modern economic and psychological research on how insurance markets work.

Opponents have not received any indication that a delay in a vote will even be considered. The ALI membership has already approved some sections of the controversial document. ALI members could decide to postpone a vote, alter sections, approve only certain sections, or approve the entire draft. What happens depends on what motions are made at the meeting on May 23.

We urge the ALI to delay consideration of this restatement planned later this month and enter into an immediate dialogue with state legislators, said Tom Considine, CEO of the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) who wrote to ALI on May 5. This proposed restatement delves into the realm of legislative prerogative and departs from settled law.

The National Association of Mutual Insurers (NAMIC), along with the American Insurance Association (AIA), also wrote to the ALI protesting the redraft and calling for a delay in a vote.

As it is currently drafted, the restatement changes the way that insurance policies can be read and understood by policyholders, companies, insurance regulators, and the courts, according to Tom Karol, NAMIC general counsel.

Many sections of the restatement appear to be more of a reshaping of the law and based more on the preferred views of the authors than the existing majority understanding, he said, adding that the since ALIs restatements are used as guidance in courts across the country, its members should recognize the obligation this creates to ensure they get it right.

A fair, reasonable insurance market requires that the insurer and the policyholder, at the beginning of the relationship, understand the risks each has agreed to bear. That contractual relationship and virtually every aspect of the insurance companys operations is subject to intense regulatory scrutiny, stated AIAs J. Stephen Zielezienski, general counsel and senior vice president.

Zielezienski warned that if Tuesdays vote is not deferred or defeated, a short-sighted and unjust conclusion is the only possible outcome.

The associations also claim that significant changes were made to the proposal since an earlier draft version was approved by the ALI membership but those changes have not been discussed in any meetings.

Hastily approving the restatement without addressing these concerns would seriously damage the credibility of the ALI and its restatements going forward and could undermine case law duly established by the judiciary and legislative branches of government, Karol said.

If ALI proceeds with a vote of approval, NCOIL said that it will organize opposition by circulating a petition for all state lawmakers and regulators to sign declaring the restatement as a misrepresentation of the law of liability insurance, and as a usurpation of lawmaking authority from state insurance legislators.

Industry Objections

The AIA paid Yale Law School Professor George Priest, an expert in insurance defense, to review the restatement. In his 28-page paper, Priest blasted the draft proposal as a strikingly pro-policyholder statement, not generally reflective of the law in the various U.S. jurisdictions. He said it provides grounds for a very large expansion of insurance in favor of policyholders who have suffered loss. And he warned that it could undermine the availability of insurance if adopted.

Priest has accused Baker and Logue of viewing themselves as visionaries who are not bound by the common law method or its principles which has been the backbone of the ALIs Restatement projects over the many past decades. 

Among the provisions Priest and others have criticized is one on misrepresentation by an applicant or policyholder that would limit the insurer misrepresentation defense to only misrepresentations that were intentionally or recklessly committed.

Critics have also questioned changes to how an insurers breach of its duty to defend should be considered. The restatement would create a new reasonableness test for determining if there has been a breach and would boost the penalty for a breach so that the insurer would lose all of its coverage defenses.

According to critics, the restatement could also affect how insurers negotiate settlements because it would increase the penalties for an insurers breach of a duty to settle to the full amount of damages assessed against the insured in the underlying legal action, without regard to policy limits, as well as any other foreseeable harm caused by the insurers breach of the duty.

The restatement also puts a new twist on the traditional plain meaning rule governing contracts. The redraft carves out an exception to the long-standing rule that a contract is to be interpreted according to the plain meaning of its language. The exception would be for cases where extrinsic evidence shows that a reasonable person in the policyholders position would give the term a different meaning.

The Defense Research Institute, an association of defense attorneys, is also opposing the restatement as it currently stands. In DRIs view, the restatement does not codify existing common law, but instead repeatedly stakes out new and controversial positions without adequate grounding in law or public policy. 

DRI claims there are numerous individual sections that are seriously flawed, citing as one, the creation of a new direct liability on the part of the insurer to the insured for the acts of defense counsel, even though the drafters themselves acknowledge there is little case law on this topic.

ALI has published the ongoing debate between Priest and the authors and other articles on the topic on its advisory blog.

Topics Carriers
JLT Specialty USA announced the appointment of attorney Denise Kaloudis as senior vice president.

Based in New York, Kaloudis will work with JLTs Special Situations Group (SSG) to assist the restructuring community in solving complex insurance issues. JLTs SSG is a specialized team of former restructuring attorneys, bankers, consultants and underwriters who assist clients in making insurance decisions during a time of crisis.

Kaloudis has worked in the restructuring industry for 15 years. She practiced as a bankruptcy attorney specializing in restructuring services, first at Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and then at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Kaloudis was also a law clerk for the Mary F. Walrath, former chief judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the District of Delaware. Most recently, Kaloudis was director of Business Development at a national law firm, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.

Jardine Lloyd Thompson is a global broker of insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits.
Gov. Henry McMaster signed a moped safety law Friday that allows intoxicated drivers to be prosecuted for drunken driving and requires teens to wear a helmet.

McMasters signature capped a seven-year effort to close the so-called liquor-cycle loophole, though it wont take effect for 18 months.

His predecessor, Nikki Haley, vetoed a similar measure last year, calling it government overreach to require reflective vests for nighttime driving and helmets for drivers under 21. The compromise approved by legislators last week removed the vest requirement.

There are going to be lives saved, said Sen. Greg Hembree, a Republican from North Myrtle Beach.

The former prosecutor has been pushing for moped safety legislation since his 2012 election, calling mopeds the most dangerous vehicles for people to drive, partly due to the lack of regulations.

According to the state Department of Public Safety, 41 moped drivers were killed last year in 785 crashes. More than 80 percent resulted in injuries.

Mopeds are popular in South Carolina among tourists, college students and drivers who lose their license.

Drivers can be stinking drunk on a moped and cant be arrested, Hembree has said.

Thats because state law specifically excluded mopeds from the definition of a motor vehicle. Proposals to close that loophole have died repeatedly since 2010. People who lose their license due to a DUI conviction often use a moped to get around. In a state where public transportation is lacking, legislators didnt want to prevent people from getting to work.

To solve that sticking point, the law creates a special moped license.

Once the law takes effect in November 2018, people who lose their regular license, for whatever reason, can get the separate license, starting the point system over. But the moped license can be suspended too.

We dont have a lot of sympathy for someone then. If youre driving drunk on a moped, you need to be walking. Youre not getting the message, Hembree said Friday.

The law requires people to register their mopeds and attach a license plate, which supporters said creates a way to cut down on theft and identify mopeds in crashes.

Mopeds will still be exempt from property taxes and insurance.

But adding mopeds to the definition of a motor vehicle also closes an insurance loophole. State law requires car insurance to include coverage for uninsured motorists. But if a moped crashed into a vehicle and damaged it, insurers could deny liability, Hembree said.

This takes care of that, he said.

The law also limits mopeds to roadways where the posted speed limit is less than 55 mph.

In her veto letter last year, Haley said the proposed restrictions for mopeds exceed those for motorcycle drivers.

But state law does require anyone under 21 whos driving or riding on a motorcycle to wear a helmet. The motorcycle advocacy group ABATE _ which stands for A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments _ has long squashed any effort to require helmets for older riders.

But ABATE supported adding the helmet provision for mopeds.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto South Carolina
Utah State University has agreed to pay $172,500 to the parents of a student killed four years ago when he hit a slack line rope tied between two trees while he was biking on campus, according to documents released by the university following a public records request.

The university and Eric Andersons parents last week declined to disclose the amount paid as part of their legal settlement, citing a confidentiality agreement. The settlement also includes an agreement for the university to caution students about the dangers of using slack lines.

The amount was revealed after The Associated Press, The Salt Lake Tribune and the Utah Statesman student newspaper filed public records requests seeking documents about the settlement

Anderson, 24, was on his way home from band practice on the first day of school on Aug. 26, 2013 when he slammed into a chest-high slack line that three students had tied between the trees to practice balancing. He died of cardiac arrest after the slack line severed his trachea, said Carvel Anderson, the students father.

His parents originally sought $2 million in monetary damages.

They plan to donate of the settlement to missions run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or possibly establish a scholarship fund at the university, Carvel Anderson said.

He said he and his wifes main goal in filing the lawsuit was to prevent future slack line accidents.

We dont want to stop slack lining, but lets be careful, he said.

The university also agreed as part of the settlement to provide free safety cones for students to use around the areas where they set up slack lines and to warn all incoming freshmen about possible slack line dangers. Other universities have since changed their slack line policies after learning about the lawsuit, said Ricky Shelton, the lawyer for Andersons parents.

The lawsuit claimed the three students who put up the slack line should have taken it down when they finished using it and that the university put up no barriers to protect cyclists or pedestrians from slack lines. The three students were originally listed as additional defendants in the lawsuit but were later removed.

Lawyers defending the university had claimed Anderson was riding his bike fast with defective brakes.

University spokesman Tim Vitale called Eric Andersons death extremely tragic and said officials were pleased to resolve the case with a settlement.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Education Universities
An analysis says equipment failures caused between $49 million and $57 million of damage at the Washingtons largest sewage treatment plant.

KING-TV reported the analysis was released related to damage at the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant in Seattle.

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division says the repair costs are expected to be covered by property insurance and wont impact county sewer rates in 2017-2018.

King County will be responsible for a $250,000 deductible.

Insurance is not expected to cover potential regulatory fines or additional environmental monitoring.

The treatment plant experienced a historic breach Feb. 9 when an equipment failure caused millions of gallons of raw sewage and untreated runoff to flow into Puget Sound.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Washington
News / National

by Staff reporter

Star FM radio presenter Tilda Moyo, who tricked a self-proclaimed Harare prophet, Onbert Mapfumo, into appearing on her show before he met his alleged rape victims, has told the court that the complainants were not raped since they consented to engaging in sex with their pastor.Testifying before Harare magistrate Mr Hosiah Mujaya last Friday, Moyo said one of the alleged victims agreed during her show that she "fornicated" with the pastor."I believe rape is engaging in sex with a person without his or her consent."Therefore, in my opinion, I think these women were not raped because they were not forced into the act but they agreed with their pastor, hoping to get deliverance which they later found out was a trick."Maybe if they had been delivered today they could have been praising the works from their Man of God without any charges of rape," Moyo said.She also told the court that she heard that the victims did not report their case to the police because they were afraid of Mapfumo, who claimed to be a CID officer."I received a message from one Prosper Kamuchaona, who is an active participant on my live shows, to the effect that there was a prophet abusing female church members and he gave me their names and contacts."I wanted to confirm if the allegations were true and why they were not reporting to the police so I called the victims one by one before they appeared on my show."All the three females told me that Mapfumo purported to be a CID member so he allegedly told them that even if they reported him, it would come to nothing,'' she said.The court heard that one of the victims was impregnated by the prophet and had a baby who died after six months.The woman confirmed during Moyo's show that the pastor told her that he had detected a problem in her womb that he wanted to eradicate it with his manhood. She later fell pregnant.Moyo presented a disc she recorded of the whole show and it will be played in court on May 24 during her next appearance.Mapfumo is facing charges of rape after he summoned three female congregates to his prayer room at New Canaan in Highfield, Harare.It is alleged that he took them one by one into a room and prayed for them while assuring them that he would deliver them from evil spirits.Mapfumo is alleged to have explained to each of them that he would make a sacrificial prayer in which he was required to engage in sex with them.
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones issued a revised advisory pure premium rate, lowering the benchmark to $2.02 per $100 of payroll for workers compensation insurance effective July 1.

This is 16.5 percent less than the average pure premium rate of $2.42 California insurers filed as of Jan. 1.

Jones adopted the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureaus recommendation to lower the advisory pure premium rate mid-year. His adoption is only advisory. The commissioner has no rate authority over workers comp.

A reduction in the pure premium rate reflects a reduction in the cost to insurers of providing workers compensation insurance, which benefits Californias business economy if insurers lower their pricing, Jones said in a statement. However, there is no legal requirement that these insurers pass these cost savings onto employers, so workers compensation insurers continue to file pure premium rates that are higher than the pure premium rate warranted by their costs.

The mid-year pure premium advisory rate reduction is based on insurers cost data indicating workers comp insurers medical costs were lower in 2016. The WCIRB claims the downward medical loss development is in part driven by continued acceleration in claim settlement, decreasing indemnity claim frequency, and lower than projected loss adjustment expenses.

Related:

Topics Carriers California Workers' Compensation
E arrivata lufficialita, dopo una giornata di voci rincorrenti: per il triennio 2018-2021 sara lemittente Sky a godere dei diritti televisivi per trasmettere, in esclusiva assoluta, le partite non solo delle prossime edizioni dellEuropa League ma anche quelle della massima competizione continentale, la Champions. Un pacchetto da favola per il quale la tv satellitare di Rupert Murdoch avrebbe messo sul piatto unofferta giudicata piu congrua di quella presentata dalla concorrente Mediaset. A dare lannuncio dellaffare concluso e stata la stessa Sky che, in un comunicato, ha spiegato che il nuovo format sviluppato dalla UEFA ci consentira di portare ai nostri abbonati un prodotto rivoluzionario per il calcio europeo in Italia. Per la prima volta la UEFA Champions League e la UEFA Europa League saranno insieme in unesclusiva offerta integrata, che permettera agli appassionati di seguire fino a 7 squadre italiane, mai cosi tante prima dora, impegnate nelle sfide con i migliori club europei.

Sky: Rafforzata leadership

Anche il livello tecnico dellofferta sara altissimo ed e ancora lemittente a rivelare i dettagli: Continueremo a fare innovazione, trasmettendo le partite piu importanti anche in 4K HDR. Questofferta senza precedenti rafforza la posizione di Sky come leader della programmazione sportiva in Italia ed e anche un altro passo importante di sostegno al calcio italiano. Insomma, per i prossimi tre anni, sara unegemonia totale quella della satellitare sul calcio europeo, avendo mantenuto il pacchetto Europa League (gia sua esclusiva) e affiancandola a quello ancor piu appetibile della Champions League ad appannaggio Mediaset dal 2015 al 2018.

Sfida Serie A

Ora la sfida fra i due colossi delle trasmissioni sportive si spostera sui diritti televisivi della prossima Serie A, per la quale si e ancora in attesa di un nuovo bando che, come annunciato dal commissario della Lega, Carlo Tavecchio, avra le stesse caratteristiche del precedente, andato pero a vuoto: solo una delle offerte presentate per i cinque pacchetti, infatti, superava la soglia minima richiesta dalla base dasta. Niente di fatto, quindi, anche in virtu della stessa Mediaset che, in sostanza, ha disertato il bando (giudicato inaccettabile) non presentando alcuna offerta. La battaglia, anche in questo caso, sara sulle esclusive: del resto, dopo essersi vista scivolare via una componente importante come la Champions, sulla Serie A Mediaset dara sicuramente battaglia.
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Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) Facial and Body Recognition Patent Application Received a Notice of Allowance

San Diego, CA - November 9, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) with GBT Tokenize Corp. ("GBT/Tokenize") received a notice of allowance for its facial and body recognition non-provisional patent application.

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Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen (NASDAQ: MULN) Enters into Agreement with Newgate Motor Group, one of Ireland's most Recognized Auto Groups, to Distribute the Mullen I-GOTM in Ireland and United Kingdom

BREA, Calif. - November 9, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle manufacturer, announces today that it has entered into an agreement to appoint Newgate Motor Group, one of Ireland's most recognized dealership groups, as marketing, sales, distribution and servicing agent for the Mullen I-GO in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

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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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Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer

NEW YORK, NY - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, announces the hiring of Euan King, an experienced and respected Insurtech industry leader as Chief Revenue Officer for insurance technology-focused subsidiary Intellagents.

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Over the years, poor Dara O Briain has had his fair share of Irish/British controversy.

The comedian continuously gets mistaken for being British as he has resided in London for the past 10+ years with his wife, Susan and their children.
Leah Barniville from Ratoath in Co Meath had all four judges on their feet after her stunning audition on this years Britain's Got Talent.

Her performance, which was shown over the weekend, had judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams stunned to the fact that she was only 14-years-old.
A third legal challenge over a decision extending planning permission for development of a new 320m runway at Dublin Airport has been be fast-tracked by the Commercial Court, writes Ann O'Loughlin of the Irish Examiner.

Mr Justice Brian McGovern, who agreed the proceedings are urgent, fixed the case for hearing on October 3, 2017, when two other related challenges are due to be heard.

The latest action has been brought by Friends of the Irish Environment against Fingal County Council and the State, with Dublin Airport Authority plc as a notice party.

Those proceedings have previously come before the High Court by way of judicial review seeking to overturn the decision of the planning authoritiy.

The action is brought by the Co Cork-based environmental group on grounds including the decision to grant planning permission is not in compliance with various EU directives such as the Habitats Directive as well as the 2000 Planning and Development Act and is "unlawful".

The group also argues the decision breaches constitutional rights to bodily integrity.

The decision, it further submits will result in additional greenhouse gas emissions, which will increase the pace of climate change.

The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) sought to have the case admitted to the fast-track list because the action involves a 320m infrastructural development of national importance and because two other related challenges have already been admitted to the list.

The proceedings arise from Fingal County Council's decision of March 7th last to extend a planning permission for development of the new 3,110 metre runway.

The five-year extension was sought by the DAA because an August 2007 permission for the development is due to expire in August 2017.

The proposed development will be located on 261 hectares in townlands north and north west of the airport terminal building.

The other two actions against the proposal have been brought by 22 individual residents - most with addresses at Kilreesk Lane, St Margaret's, Co Dublin and the St. Margaret's Concerned Residents Group which will also return before the court in October.
Two sisters of Ibrahim Halawa, an Irish citizen who has been detained in Egpyt without trial for almost four years now, are suing the Minister for Justice over a delay of more than 18 months in deciding applications to have their husbands join them here.

Omaima and Somaia Halawa, both Irish citizens, have, along with their husbands - respectively Mohamed Abdo Mahmoud Aly and Emadelin Mohamed Arab - taken judicial review proceedings against the Minister in the High Court.

Both men are Egyptian nationals currently residing in Turkey.

Omaima Halawa said she and her husband are expecting their first child in August but, despite having applied for a Join Spouse visa in October 2015, they have yet to receive a decision. The delay is "deeply distressing", she said.

Michael Lynn SC, instructed by KOD Lyons Solicitors, for the sisters, with an address at Firhouse, Tallaght, and their husbands, secured leave today from Ms Justice Miriam O'Regan to bring the case.

The case will come back before the court on June 19.

In their proceedings, the sisters said they, along with their brother Ibrahim and another sister, were detained by Egyptian security forces in August 2013 whie taking refuge in a mosque during protests against the military coup in Egypt.

Ibrahim Halawa.

The sisters were detained for three months before being released without charge but their brother remains detained in Egypt, they said.

The applicants claim the delay in deciding the Join Spouse visa applications is inordinate and unlawful and want orders compelling the Minister to decide them forthwith.

The delay breaches their legal rights as married couples and also breaches the Ministers legal duties under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003, it is claimed.

The sisters also allege unlawful discrimination against them as Irish citizens exercising their rights concerning free movement rights of EU citizens and their families.

In an affidavit, Omaima Halawa said she met her husband during a family holiday in Turkey in summer 2014 and they married in August 2015 in Istanbul. Her husband applied for a visa in October 2015 but, despite several attempts since then to contact the Visa Office about the status of that, no explanation was given for the delay in deciding it.

Her solicitor was informed in December 2016 by the Department of Justice visa section the application was being considered but no further information would be provided until they got a signed letter of authority from her husband, she said.

Her husband provided that signed letter of authority, and the Department was also given a letter from the Coombe Hospital concerning the due date of their baby. Details of the continued detention of her brother were also provided.

In her affidvait, Somaia Halawa said she met her husband in February 2015 in Turkey and they married in August 2015 in Istanbul. Her husband had applied for a Join Spouse visa in October 2015 but a decision on that has yet to be made.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A GOKWE teenager, who six years ago dug a pit and buried an eight-year-old girl, escaped a prison term last week after High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese handed him a wholly suspended four-year sentence for culpable homicide.Polite Tekwane, now aged 19, of Marere village, Chief Mukoka in Gokwe, was handed a wholly suspended four-year jail-term by the High Court judge, after he convicted him for culpable homicide.The incident occurred when Tekwane was 13 and a Grade 5 pupil.Passing sentence, Justice Makonese considered that Tekwane was a minor when he committed the crime and that he was negligent in causing Zanele Ngwenya's death.Prosecutors told the court that on September 12, 2010 Tekwane, the deceased and other pupils were coming from school after being sent away for non-payment of fees.When they reached Mandisarara River, the children agreed to play by burying each other with sand.Tekwane dug a pit and got hold of the deceased, whom he laid in the pit on her stomach. He then covered the victim with sand and went on to sit on her back."On observing that the accused was covering the now deceased's head with sand, one of the pupils decided to rescue her but was threatened by the accused," prosecutors said."At the same time, the now deceased would try to free herself but the accused would press her head down in the sand. Finally, the accused buried the deceased alive and left the scene."The victim's body was discovered by other pupils who later reported the matter to the police, leading to Tekwane's arrest.
US President Donald Trump has implored Saudi Arabia and other middle eastern countries to extinguish "Islamic extremism" emanating from the region.

Mr Trump described the situation as a "battle between good and evil" rather than a clash between the west and Islam.

In a pointed departure from his predecessor, the US president all but promised he would not publicly admonish middle eastern rulers for human rights violations and oppressive reigns.

"We are not here to lecture - we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship," Mr Trump said, speaking in an ornate room in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

"Instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all."

The president's address was the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first overseas trip since his January swearing-in.

For Mr Trump, the trip is a reprieve from the controversies that have marred his young presidency and an attempt to reset his relationship with a region and a religion he fiercely criticised a candidate.

During the 2016 US campaign, Mr Trump mused about his belief that "Islam hates us".

On Sunday, however, standing before dozens of regional leaders, he said Islam was "one of the world's great faiths".

While running for the job he now holds, Mr Trump criticised President Barack Obama for not using the term "radical Islamic extremism" and said that refusal indicated Mr Obama did not understand America's enemy.

In his Saudi speech, Mr Trump condemned "Islamic extremism", ''Islamists" and "Islamic terror", but not once uttered the precise phrase he pressed Mr Obama on.

He made no mention of the disputed travel ban, signed days after he took office, that temporarily banned immigration to the US from seven majority Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Both the original order and a second directive that dropped Iraq from the banned list have been blocked by the courts.

Mr Trump offered few indications of whether he planned to shift US policy to better-fight terrorism.

There were no promises of new financial investment or announcements of increased US military presence in the region.

The president put much of the onus for combating extremists on Mideast leaders: "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities."

Mr Trump's remarks came in a meeting with dozens of regional leaders who gathered in Riyadh for a summit with the US president and Saudi King Salman.

The king has lavished praise and all the trappings of a royal welcome on the new American president, welcoming in particular Mr Trump's pledge to be tougher on Iran than Mr Obama was.

Indeed, Mr Trump and Mr Salman were in agreement on the threat Iran poses to the region when they addressed their fellow leaders: Mr Trump accused Iran of "destruction and chaos" and the king said its rival "has been the spearhead of global terrorism".

The Saudis' warm embrace was a welcome change for the besieged White House.

Officials spent the days before Mr Trump's departure dealing with a steady stream of revelations about the federal investigation into his campaign's possible ties to Russia and the fallout from his firing of FBI director James Comey.

AP
A US passenger flight had to be escorted by two fighter planes when a Turkish man was handcuffed to his seat after trying to sit in first class.

Anil Tuvanc Uskanli kicked a service cart and was subsequently handcuffed to the seat after refusing to sit, said Turkey's official news agency Anadolu.
Brazilians have staged demonstrations calling for the president to step down after the supreme court opened an investigation into allegations he endorsed the payment of hush money to a jailed former politician.

The accusations against President Michel Temer have plunged Latin America's largest nation into crisis yet again.

Its currency and stocks have plummeted and a series of reforms designed to pull the economy out of recession stalled.

It has been just a year since Mr Temer took over following the impeachment and removal of his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff.

Now, the calls are growing for him to be impeached or resign. The latest to join that chorus was Brazil's bar association, which voted late on Saturday to submit a request for Mr Temer's impeachment to Congress.

Unions, political parties and activists called for Brazilians to come out on Sunday to demand he step down, though protests in major cities were smaller than expected.

Hundreds of people huddled under umbrellas and building porticos to avoid the rain in Sao Paulo. Many said they have opposed Mr Temer since he took over from Ms Rousseff because they regard her impeachment as politically motivated and illegitimate.

On Sunday, they were protesting against his proposals to loosen labour laws and change the pension system as much as they were responding to the recent allegations.

"We're here to get Temer out of government because he is a coup-leader, because he is against teachers" and other workers, said Tatiana Camargos, a 41-year-old biology teacher.

In Rio de Janeiro, 150 people waved union flags on the boardwalk along Copacabana beach. They signed a giant banner with messages, such as "out with Temer" and "I want a better Brazil".

Another 100 people marched to the house of Rodrigo Maia, speaker of the lower house of Congress, to call for Mr Temer to be ousted and immediate elections.

He has defied calls to resign, saying a recording was doctored and denying any wrongdoing. The recording appears to have Mr Temer endorsing the payment of bribes to ex-House Speaker Eduardo Cunha in exchange for his silence.

Cunha is serving a sentence after a corruption conviction.

Mr Temer has asked the Supreme Federal Tribunal, Brazil's highest court, to suspend its investigation into him - something it is unlikely to do.

Attorney General Rodrigo Janot has accused him of corruption and obstruction of justice in the case before the court.

He said a preliminary analysis of the recording showed that the conversation was logical and coherent and its contents were consistent with the testimony of people cooperating with the prosecutor's office.

Some allied political parties have already withdrawn their support for Mr Temer and others are considering it.

The proposals to change the labour law and pension system have stalled in Congress amid the political turmoil, and many fear the country will remain in limbo for as long as he is in power.

AP
Looking at your college options? Then why not look abroad?

Record numbers of students are choosing to head to mainland Europe after the Leaving Cert to study for their college degree.

Guy Flouch of EUNiCAS  a Clare-based company which facilitates the transition to European universities  says 21% of applications for foreign colleges come from Cork while only 18% apply from Dublin  with the remainder from various parts of the country.

Cork students seem to have a great interest in studying abroad, with the majority of registrations coming from around the county rather than the city itself, he says.

The Netherlands is the most popular destination and last week several of its university officials visited Cork to share information about available courses and explain why so many local students are going Dutch.

By September 2017, it is estimated that over 1,000 students from Ireland will be doing their degree in a Dutch city. Flouch says this is due to the absence of a point system so students can study whatever subject they find interesting, providing they have a reasonable second level qualification.

Dutch universities are forbidden from selecting based on grades, he says.

Although 15 of the 300 programmes taught through English, have exemptions which enable them to look at grades as one of several factors in their selection process.

But most guarantee a right of entry if you meet their minimum requirements (six passes at Leaving Cert including 2 x H4 or 2 x H5 grades). Universities of applied sciences, but not research universities, will accept QQI/FETAC Level 5 as meeting entry requirements.

A few, such as physiotherapy will have a selection procedure, but this is not based on points and instead on the submission of a personal statement, on which they may be interviewed.

With such an interest from Cork natives, the EUNiCAS boss says there is still time to apply for courses this year.

It is probably too late to apply for many of the research universities (across Europe) but still time for most of the Applied Sciences courses, he says.

Those who choose to study abroad tend to be flexible thinkers, have good levels of self-esteem, some experience of travel, have done their research and most importantly, have parents who are supportive of the idea.

There is a statutory fee of 2,000 for students studying across Europe but all EU-students are entitled to a Tuition Fee Loan (currently interest-free) to pay these fees, which they have 35 years to pay back.

Also, students are entitled to grant or loan of 800, towards living expenses, if they get a part-time job.

The most popular courses for Cork students in the Netherlands are psychology, physiotherapy and business.

Sinead Walsh from Cork city is studying International Business in Groningen and says there are several reasons why she made the decision to trade a degree from an Irish university for a Dutch equivalent.

Sinead Walsh from Cork City is studying international business in Groningen. She says students in the Netherlands are required to work a lot harder than in Ireland.

The main reason I decided to study abroad is because its cheaper, says the 20-year-old.

Also I wanted to study business and was told that Denmark or the Netherlands were the best for that subject  so I decided that Groningen was the place for me.

It was very exciting to leave Ireland and I settled in much faster than I expected  in fact my Mom was probably more nervous than I was.

Sinead, who is the youngest of four girls, says the biggest difference between her course and that of her friends in Ireland is that the Dutch system seems to require a lot more work.

When comparing my course to what my friends are doing back home its very obvious that university here is much more intense than in Ireland, she says.

In the first month I had completed and handed in 12 assignments. Whereas my friends in Ireland barely knew what an assignment was. We also get less holidays  so I will not finish until late June.

But its great to meet people and experience so many different cultures, people and opinions, which really makes you realise how closed-minded Ireland is.

However, its not all positive.

I only get to see my parents for four or five weeks a year which is very hard but if its what is necessary to a good degree, then I guess its worth it.

Jason ODwyer is studying International Business and Languages in Rotterdam Business School.

Jason ODwyer back in Cork from Rotterdam where he is studying business and languages. He manages to avoid homesickness because he knows home is just an hours flight away.

He agrees with Sinead and says studying in the Netherlands has really broadened his horizons.

This experience opened my eyes to a new world of possibilities, says the 24-year-old.

I chose to not study in Ireland because I wanted to experience a new country and decided on Rotterdam because of the course which mixed both theory and practical learning.

The opportunity to do a 6-month internship, along with a 6-month exchange year was very attractive as I would leave university with some solid experience both in the professional field and different countries.

Although the young Cork man says it took a few weeks to get settled, he is completely at home in the Dutch city and would encourage others to follow suit.

When I first arrived, I was a bit worried because I didnt have accommodation, he admits.

But once I got that sorted and met some cool people, I settled into daily life and didnt feel any home sickness, because home was just an hours flight away.

The biggest benefit about studying abroad is getting the chance to meet and network with people from all over the world.

I wanted to study international business and I figured the best way was to be in an environment where I would get the opportunity to get the practical experience and not end up graduating with a degree without any experience in the field  and Rotterdam offered all of that.

And his advice for anyone considering taking up the option.

My advice for someone considering studying abroad is to just get up and go. Of course some prefer to stay in Ireland. But if you are someone who wants to work internationally or who just has an itchy feeling to study in another country and get some extra experience, then dont hesitate.

Wherever you go, you will always meet interesting people who you can share your journey with.
Susan MacCarthy, a great, great grand-daughter of Daniel MacCarthy Glas, retraced his steps and said she was delighted to present the original letter he wrote while staying in the Imperial Hotel in 1870 to its general manager, Frits Potgieter.

Ms MacCarthy, from Salem, Oregon, is visiting Cork with her family to formally present the extensive Daniel MacCarthy Glas archive to the State.

They took time over the weekend to visit the Imperial Hotel, where Daniel stayed before visiting his ancestral home in Dunmanway. They presented to the hotel the letter he wrote to his son, Florence, from his hotel room overlooking the South Mall, in August 1870.

In the letter to his dearest Florry, Daniel recalls an almost day-long boat trip from England to Ireland.

He writes: So far safe and well, but after a sadly rough and suffering passage of 23 hours. I spent the night on deck and hope not to spend such another, however Thank God, I am all well again. This hotel is a huge world in which I lose myself every time I venture out of the coffee room. It is full and I was lucky to get a bed, as people telegraph for them before hand. I think I shall stay quiet till Monday and make my excursion to Dunmanway; but I will let you know my movements as soon as I determine anything.

Ms MacCarthy and her family also gave the hotel a framed copy of a portrait of Daniel from 1841, probably painted in Italy while he was on a grand tour of Europe.

Mr Potgieter was delighted to accept the presentations not just on behalf of the 200-year-old hotel, but on behalf of the people of Cork.

We feel very privileged to be in this position, he said.

We celebrated our 200th anniversary last year and we created a wall of memories to display the many personal connections people have had with the hotel over the decades. This letter and portrait will be display on that wall.

Daniel MacCarthy Glas was directly descended from the princes of Carbery, the MacCarthy Reaghs and the MacCarthy Glas, based at Togher Castle near Dunmanway, Co Cork. His grandfather emigrated from Cork to England in 1763, and Daniel was born to a wealthy Irish Catholic merchant family in London in 1807. He died in 1884.

His archive has been donated to the City and County Archives in Cork.
Waterford Council granted planning permission for a 5MW solar PV farm on an eight-hectare site at Kildangan, about 3km from Dungarvan, off the main N25 from Wexford to Cork.

Dublin-based Power Capital Renewable Energy Ltd plan had sought 10-year construction permission. There were no public objections.

The scheme comprises 20,000 photovoltaic panels on ground-mounted galvanised steel frames and associated works, including transformer stations, auxiliary transformer stations, investors, substations, communications, battery and client buildings, CCTV, access roads and fencing.

Permission was granted subject to 13 conditions, including a 30-year operation licence, after which it can cease operations or seek retention. The company must also contribute 50,000 to the council for public infrastructure and facilities.

The development must also provide for a 45m exclusion zone or, as otherwise agreed, from a nearby ringfort. A suitable, qualified, archaeologist to monitor all excavation and ground works and existing mature trees and hedgerows shall be retained and supplemented by a screening plan.

It is anticipated that the solar farm will link with an existing ESB 38 kV substation in the area through underground cabling.

In a report submitted by the company, it had concluded about 60m of surrounding roadway could be susceptible to glint and glare.

However, the report also suggested a proposed planting programme would effectively screen the solar panels from the road entirely.
I JUDGE TELEVISION shows by the womens hair. It turns out this is a binary judgment: Either the women have TV hair, or they dont. What is TV hair? Its shiny, long, has obviously been styled with a curling iron at the ends, and looks like that of a beauty pageant contestant. (The style is known as The Cosmo in the parlance of Drybar, the blowout salon that has more than 70 locations across America.)

It is also ubiquitous. On the show Divorce, as the life of Frances, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, falls apart around her, she maintains the absurdly perfect hair of someone perpetually about to attend the prom.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Divorce

There is the slightly messier version of TV hair worn by the hacker character Darlene on Mr Robot, which is still too close to the usual TV hair to convince the viewer were watching an original, complex female character. Even the sci-fi heroine Wynonna Earp, whose occupation is demon protector, has glossy tresses.

The artificial look of the protagonists on shows like Love, 2 Broke Girls and New Girl  stories of quirky young women who dont conform to stereotypical gender roles  is a signal that the only thing layered about them is their hair.

TV hair does not discriminate against age, race or class. Mindy of The Mindy Project has TV hair, Olivia Pope of Scandal has it, Jane the Virgin has it, Kimmy Schmidt has it, Jessica Jones has it, Cersei Lannister has a slightly longer fantasy-book version of it.

Liz Lemon, Leslie Knope and Dana Scully on the rebooted X-Files all had it. The haircut transforms all television heroines into variations on an ur-woman. Who is she, this feminine ideal? Where does this hair exist in the wild?

When I see it I think of housewives giving firm instructions to their nannies, of Lululemon, of SoulCycle classes, of green juice, and of West LA, of bleached teeth, shiny shopping bags and white couches.

My frustration with TV hair began in 2014, during the first season of True Detective.

Many critics hailed True Detective as smart television because the misanthropic detective-protagonist Rust Cohle spoke in monologues that sounded like undergraduate philosophy essays.

I think human consciousness was a tragic misstep in evolution, he murmured.

We are things that labour under the illusion of having a self.

In True Detective, Rusts hair reflected the chronology of his nihilism: clean-cut cop haircut before he quits policing and starts drinking heavily; a messy ponytail accessorised with a handlebar mustache seven years later.

Matthew McConaugheys in True Detective

The frizzy air-dried mess of his later years reflected his disillusionment, the hair equivalent of the ontological fallacy of expecting a light at the end of the tunnel (to quote another line).

Whatever intelligence or innovation I had been promised by positive reviews of the show was belied by the second episode, when Rust and his partner Marty visit a brothel in a trailer park.

I knew I was just watching TV, basic TV, when even a down-on-her-luck bayou sex worker had TV hair and a gym-toned body.

The nuance of the male characters was not extended to the female ones. They were sometimes given makeup and costumes to make them look a little rough around the edges, but to have central roles they still had to be pretty, and have pretty hair.

This isnt to say there arent moments when TV hair makes sense. The Good Wife is about a woman forced into an archetypal role of the supportive spouse of a politician. Of course she is artificially coiffed. So too with Westworld: If a rich man were to design a theme park and populate it with live-action sex dolls, one would expect the women to have a rote, cookie-cutter appearance.

But there is a direct correlation between some of the best television shows and female characters whose hair does not conform.

Take Transparent, where Gaby Hoffmanns Ali goes through a series of disastrous hairstyles that reflect her difficulties settling on an identity.

Thats an interesting braid... did you join a New Wave polygamist cult? one girlfriend asks her.

Annalise Keating, the character played by Viola Davis on How to Get Away With Murder has TV hair, but it demands regular upkeep by Mary J. Blige, who plays her hairdresser, and in one episode her flawless hair was famously revealed to be a wig.

Viola Davis

In fact, the less sleek the hair, the more likely a show will have a memorable female protagonist: Issa Dees cropped hair on Insecure; the unstyled look of the best friends on the stoner comedy Broad City; Dorys low-maintenance hair on Search Party.

The disastrous perm of Marcia Clark, played by Sarah Paulson on The People v. O.J. Simpson, is so outside the realm of what is usually seen on television  even period dramas about the mid-90s  that it became a subplot in one episode of the miniseries.

When Clarks boss, district attorney Gil Garcetti, advises her to hire a media consultant to help her public image, she ends up at a hairdresser who gives her a haircut that will present, he says, the best version of yourself. It doesnt, in the end, but it offers at least the best possible option for a woman on television: to look like a real person.
But big-bang politics has reached Ireland, and Simon Coveney should have known.

Coveney had planned to build up a slow and steady groundswell of support over the two-week campaign. As he unveiled his detailed policies around the future of the party, the Government and the country, Fine Gael members would row in behind the bluer-than-blue candidate.

But Leo Varadkar had already cranked up the conveyor belt of senators, TDs and MEPs who were prepared to be rolled out in front of the rows of waiting microphones to declare their allegiances to the Social Protection Minister as part of his early shock-and-awe blitz.

By the first day of the campaign, the odds had stacked up against Mr Coveney and now, with the number of publicly-declared representatives behind Varadkar tipping 45, it is hard to see a way back for his Cork rival.

Many have noted that the race seems to have been won without Varadkar having to divulge a single policy idea.

Blaming the floundering crisis, which the Coveney camp found themselves in just hours before their Cork rally on Saturday night, on a lack of planning or preparation would be unfair and untrue. Both men had prepared extensively.

Indeed they were given more than 12 months notice as Enda Kenny signalled that he would lead Fine Gael into last years General Election but would step down as Taoiseach before the party had to confront the public yet again. Both men and their teams began to plan, but their tactics as seen in recent days have been remarkably different.

For Leo, the race started last year, as he went about wooing his backbench colleagues with pizza and beer and organising social trips to the races. The get-togethers  which were scoffed at at the time  have reaped dividends now when Varadkar most needs it, with his fellow Oireachtas members paying him back with more than just a round of drinks.

Indeed Leo  who sweetened up the waiting media with coffee and buns last week  is no stranger to luring would-be supporters with all the treats in the sweetshop in order to succeed. Back during his first general election campaign in 2007, he took to handing out Lion bars at a local Dart station bearing the slogan Vote No 1 Leo the Lion.

For the Coveney camp, carefully crafted and thought-out initiatives were the weapon that the Housing Minister had hoped would cement support. He prides himself on having in-depth knowledge of his brief and exercising an eye for detail  the boring but important stuff.

While Varadkar, heading off on an early 5k sprint around Dublins shiny docklands, stopped to talk to journalist for six minutes yesterday, a few hours later and on the other side of the Liffey his rival took 30 minutes to thoroughly pick through his policy document and a further 30 minutes taking questions.

Perhaps if all those Fine Gael TDs and senators had waited to listen to his policy proposals, or the arguments put forward at the hustings which begin on Thursday, the public declarations could have swayed in his direction.

The policy-over-personality point was one Coveney was eager to make yesterday.

Certainly if we looked at it again, if we had the first husting on day one where members were very much involved in the discussion before any declarations were made, I think that would have been much healthier situation.

But having said that, lets see how the hustings take effect and impact that that has within the parliamentary party.

It wouldnt be the first time people changed their minds when they hear real arguments and real substance behind those arguments.

Coveney and his supporters like to portray him as a decent, hardworking and honest politician, a quiet grafter. And he is all of those things.

But perhaps in this campaign, being too nice and getting by purely on your merits is not enough.

Policy and politeness dont cut it when you are up against a lion.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Opposition political party leaders, including MDC-T's Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, have threatened violence if they lose next year's harmonised elections to the ruling Zanu-PF.Addressing people from various political parties gathered under the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) here yesterday, Mr Tsvangirai said violence and subsequent abandonment of the Battle of Zimbabwe match between Highlanders and Dynamos "could visit the country".He accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of bias."ZEC is a referee and we have a referee that throws away the whistle and joins the other team. That is not a referee."That is what we are telling ZEC, that if you don't become an impartial referee then you are creating conditions for violence. We are not going to stand and watch when we have been cheated," said the opposition leader.The serial-losing opposition leader and his party has been trounced by President Mugabe and Zanu-PF since 2000, but always attributes his dismal performance to alleged rigging.He said the Biometric Voter Registration process which is to be piloted in the Chiwundura by-election would prove that Zanu-PF cheats.Under the pretext of phantom information that a senior Zanu-PF official reportedly advocated violence fearing defeat from the opposition, Mr Tsvangirai said they would set up bases."To advocate for violence against the people they liberated, they are going to set up bases. Don't worry, what stops us from building our own bases," he said.National People's Party (NPP) vice president Mr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo said Zanu-PF has remained in power due to the people's fear of taking to the streets."We are in this situation not because of (President) Mugabe, Zanu-PF or CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation), but because of fear," he said."If it was in South Africa things will not be like this."Zimbabweans are bewitched."The day we are going to throw away fear, that's the day of our liberation."He urged the opposition to move from mere words to action.The opposition leaders, he said without elaborating, have had numerous Memorandum of Understanding which have failed to dislodge Zanu-PF, but what was now needed is action.He said opposition parties should invade the Zanu-PF rural stronghold.
News / National

by Staff reporter

AT least five in every 10 new HIV/Aids infections are among young women aged between 15 and 24, an official from World Education has said.Speaking during a belated Mother's Day Ladies' Luncheon hosted by SOS Children`s Village at a Bulawayo hotel, World Education programmes coordinator Ms Banele Mandaza said young women have the highest incidence of HIV infection in Sub-Saharan Africa.Ms Mandaza said women must educate their children about sexual intercourse to curb the increase of HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe."Gone are the days where you will wait for aunties to teach young girls about HIV/Aids. I understand that it is uncomfortable to talk about sex with your biological children but l think this is the time for women to educate their children. Do not leave it for teachers because teachers are chasing after school pass rates," she said."Most of the children between the ages of 15 and 24 who are HIV/AIDS positive don`t have careers and they don`t know what to do with their lives. Mothers, you must discipline and give basic education to your children because life is not about holding a certificate or a degree."A director in the Office of the Minister of State for Bulawayo Province, Ms Sichelesile Ncube, said mothers should spend time with their children so that they are quick to notice problems. "Being a mother is a full time job. Mothers must ask their children about their school work, their feelings and their careers. They also have an obligation to teach children to pray because it is important to catch them while they are young. Mothers should also evaluate strengths, weaknesses and their children`s passion," said Ms Ncube.Mr Promise Sibanda, a youth who was raised by SOS Children's Village in Bulawayo, said mothers should be proud of themselves. "I am what l am because of SOS mothers. I remember when l went to stay at the institution, l had nothing, I had no one but now l`m into the transport business. I have lots of cars, I'm a deacon in a local church and I am now married," he said.Mr Sibanda gave each woman a gift of chocolates and some sweets to appreciate their presence.SOS Childern's Villages communications officer Ms Zvikomborero Zimunya said the institution keeps more than 10 000 children. "We have children in places such as Mashonaland Central, Bindura, Waterfalls and here in Bulawayo. We are appealing to the public to assist us in cash or kind. We would really appreciate if people offer their services. For example if doctors can come and treat our children for free," said Ms Zimunya.SOS National director Mrs Knowledge Chikondo said their institution keeps the children until they reach the age of 23."When they reach the age of 23, they leave our institution but we continue supporting them. We give them money for rentals and to buy food. Those who are at tertiary education we support them financially until they finish their first degree," said Ms Chikondo.
In 2005 when Google was a $6.1 billion business, the database that underpinned the companys primary cash cow  its AdWords online advertising platform that accounted for more than 95% of its revenue  was not keeping up with the growth of the company.

Typically when a traditional database needs to scale, a process called sharding is used. It breaks data into multiple smaller databases to distribute load. More than a decade ago, the database powering AdWords was getting so large that one reshard took multiple years. A new database was needed. So Google built one.

+MORE AT NETWORK WORLD: Deep dive on Amazon, Microsoft and Google cloud storage options | NoSQL takes the database market by storm +

This week Google has made the database it built to handle AdWords available to the general public as a product named Spanner. It comes during the nascent stages of a wave of new databases hitting the market that are similar to traditional, relational SQL databases, but theyre much better at scaling to massive sizes. This new class has been appropriately dubbed NewSQL. And experts who track the database market believe they could one day give the giants of the database world, from Oralce, IBM and Microsoft, a run for their money.

Google Google Spanner's cloud interface

What Spanner is

Google built Spanner to satisfy a number of criteria: It needed to be horizontally scalable to massive sizes and globally distributed in data centers around the world. Google also wanted a relational database that uses SQL  the popular database programming language; plus it needed to be low-latency and highly reliable. In 2012 after almost a decade of development, Google released a research paper describing Spanner and its use cases within Google.

Over the next few years the company developed Spanner as a database offering from the Google Cloud Platform. Google released an initial beta of Spanner earlier this year.

Spanner is a distributed database hosted in Googles cloud that is globally consistent and scalable. That means there can be instances of Spanner located around the world  so that data is close to end users who need to access it  but each copy of the database is the same. Doing so is much easier said than done.

Google points to two unique qualities in its cloud that Spanner relies on to operate. One is to use a time-stamp method named TrueTime, which uses atomic clocks  the most accurate way of keeping time  to synchronize data around the world.

Spanner also relies on Googles internal fiber network that connects Googles data centers around the world. Spanners internal database traffic does not run on the public Internet, instead it runs through pipes built and controlled by Google, carrying only Google traffic. That gives Spanner internal traffic basically its own high-speed highway to get anywhere in the world.

The NewSQL market

Spanner is considered one of the first widely available cloud hosted NewSQL databases. NewSQL represents the next chapter in the continuous development of database technologies, a paper authored by 451 Research Director Matt Aslett and Carnegie Mellon Universitys Andre Pavlo states.

Characteristics of NewSQL databases are not new, but theyve only been available in individual database types. Traditional relational databases support SQL and have strong consistency, but they do not scale well. NoSQL databases scale easily but lack support for SQL.

(NewSQL databases) are by-products of a new era where distributed computing resources are plentiful and affordable, but at the same time the demands of applications is much greater, Aslett and Pavlo note.

The market for these new flavors of databases is still emerging. Perhaps the most notable example of NewSQL databases is SAP HANA, its in-memory relational database. A handful of other newer companies offer NewSQL databases, including NuoDB, H-Store, Clusterix, VoltDB, MemSQL and others. Amazon Web Services offers Amazon Aurora, which supports MySQL and PostreSQL, which some consider NewSQL.

One of the advantages of NewSQL databases is they support applications that run on traditional SQL databases, such as Oracles line of databases. Aslett and Pavlo point out, however that workloads running on those traditional databases are typically core applications that enterprises may be more reluctant to move to new databases unless there is a strong need to do so. NoSQL databases, on the other hand, excel at scalability and are typically used in new applications revolving around social, mobile and Internet of Things applications.

Analysts who track the NewSQL market still believe it will grow healthily in the coming years. Market Analysis, a research outfit in California, predicts 26% compound annual growth rate of NewSQL databases, reaching $1 billion by 2020. That is dwarfed by the traditional relational database management market, which IDC pegs as more than $30 billion annually. Customers with pain points from traditional databases are willing to invest in NewSQL for new workloads, though.

JDA JDA, which makes software to control supply chain logistics, has been an early user of Google Spanner, the NewSQL database

Spanner in practice

JDA, a supply-chain logistics firm, was one of Googles alpha testers on its public version of Spanner. The company helps customers plan when to make and ship product, and tracks product lifecycle around the world. In our world, consistency is very important, says John Sarvari, JDAs Group VP of Technology. Our customers are making very important decisions based on their view of the data. JDA has no plans to phase out is existing relational databases, but Sarvari expects new applications and workloads could be built on Spanner moving forward. The biggest benefit of using Spanner, he says, is that it frees his staff up from having to manage databases that can become unruly to scale. We just get this as a service from Google, he says, leaving staff to focus on the core competencies of what JDA provides to customers, instead of managing databases.

Spanner costs $0.90/node/hour, plus $0.30/GB/month for storage. Spanner has a 99.99% uptime Service Level Agreement if deployed in a single region, and a 5 9s of availability if its spread across multiple regions.
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News / National

by Staff reporter

The Government and Sakunda Energy have signed a $63 million agreement to explore for gas in the Lupane area in Matabeleland North province, Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa has said.Through the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), a state-owned company, Government is set to own 40 percent of the venture to explore gas in Lupane, said Minister Chidhakwa in an interview with Bloomberg last Friday.He said under the agreement, Sakunda Energy will provide the equipment to conduct the exploration works. Previous efforts to extract gas at the reserve rich belt have failed as the Government and its companies had limitations in raising funds for the project, first mooted in 2010."We know that there's a significant quantity of gas underground, with a purity of 95 to 96 percent," Minister Chidhakwa said. Sakunda has signed a non-disclosure agreement with ZMDC, he added.Minister Chidhakwa first announced the $60 million deal in December last year where he stressed the need to bolster the exploration of coal-bed methane (CBM) gas in Lupane.Natural gas reserves were discovered in the Lupane-Lubimbi area, in Matabeleland North a few decades ago but commercial exploitation has not taken off.Exploration and pilot production works have been conducted and proved that the resource can be exploited commercially for domestic and industrial use."We are putting in $60 million for the development of gas in the Matabeleland North in the Lupane-Lubimbi area. So, $60 million is coming your way in Lupane," said Minister Chidhakwa at that time while giving a brief overview of the performance of the mining sector in the country.Although the Government granted the exploration of gas National Project Status in 2007, it did not take off until 2014. As such, there have been concerns over lack of concrete steps to guarantee quick benefits to the economy from gas. Lupane Gas, a unit of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) that has been doing some exploration work on one of the sites has failed to raise the $12 million required to prove whether the resource is commercially viable or not. Hwange Colliery Company Limited has also failed so far to grab the opportunity to diversify its operations by exploiting gas in its Lubimbi coal concessions. Another company, China Africa Sunlight Energy has, since 2014 when it launched its $2.1 billion project, failed to bring tangible results. The firm had proposed to invest in gas wells for power generation as well as setting up a 600MW thermal power plant.So far Discovery Resources is the only company that has made progress at its concessions in Siwale area in Mzola, Lupane. After successful exploration work in the last two years, the firm has started producing gas, which engineers say is ready for commercial exploitation. In an era where oil and gas are driving the global economy, Zimbabwe stands to benefit immensely from exploitation of gas, which accounts for around 23 percent of the global commercial energy mix, according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec). The appetite for gas consumption is growing in Zimbabwe with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) reporting that the country has experienced a significant rise in household consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the past three years.Many people view gas as a cheaper alternative heating energy compared to grid electricity. LPG usage rose by 182 percent from 6.6 million kilogrammes in 2012 to 18.6 million kilogrammes in the nine months to September this year, data from the regulator shows.Through exploitation of coal-bed methane gas, analysts say Zimbabwe could turn from a net importer of fertilisers to a net exporter. Coal bed methane gas is used to produce hydrogen, which in turn is used in the manufacture of ammonia for fertiliser. Fertiliser maker, Sable Chemicals, has also hinted on plans to transform its production processes to using gas as opposed to high cost electricity.Ironically, Zimbabwe still imports the product mainly from South Africa, years after discovering its own reserves.
TWENTY-FIVE years ago: Cultural and trade links between the Island and Russia, which were forged two centuries ago, were revived thanks to a South Wight village community.

The occasion was marked by unveiling the refurbished Hoy Monument, at Chale, which was attended by guest of honour Boris Pankin, ambassador of the then fledgling Russian Federation.

The monument was a tribute to Tsar Alexander I, who visited Britain in 1814 and made a home at The Hermitage in Chale.



100 Years Ago

May 19, 1917



FOLLOWING the initial Gallipoli fiasco, an Island soldier serving on the Helles front wrote an account of the battle for his sister living in Newport.

Rifleman Toogood, wrote: I had such a terrible experience that I did not expect to be alive now.

So close were they to the enemy, he compared it to a sprint across Nine Acres field while under the chaos of gunfire and exploding shells.

After being severely wounded he tried to turn back but was forced into a fox hole no more than 120 yards from the Turkish line.

He waited there for nearly four hours until being able to make a break for safety despite having a hole in his lung.



75 Years Ago

May 23, 1942



An aircraft fitter from Brighstone was summoned to court for statements made in connection to the war which were likely to cause alarm and despondency.

It was claimed that while drinking in the New Inn, after the fall of Singapore, the defendant had said: Thank goodness, by the end of the week we shall have the prime minister in a jail cell. That will make an end of this capitalist war.



50 Years Ago

May 20, 1967



The Black Arrow rocket, which was set to launch a British satellite into orbit from Woomera, left for Paris where it would be on public display at the Paris Air Museum.

Built on the Island by Westland Aircraft, the rocket was loaded onto a military aircraft at Sandown Airport.

Black Arrow was developed as a technological satellite launcher with the primary purpose of space-testing experimental equipment.



25 Years Ago

May 22, 1992



A top-level inquiry was under way after five prisoners dug their way out of adjoining cells and an outer wall at Parkhurst top security prison in an early-hours escape bid.

The prisoners, who were serving between nine and 15 years for offences including armed robbery and violence, were recaptured by officers and dog handlers in the prison grounds.

After making a 2ft-diameter hole in the outer wall of their wing, the men lowered themselves to the ground, three floors below, using a makeshift rope.

However, their departure was spotted by security cameras and night patrols.



10 Years Ago

May 18, 2007



The plug was pulled on the Wellow Wind Farm by the company that wanted to build six huge turbines on farmland next to an area of outstanding natural beauty.

The decision was met with jubilant responses from local campaigners, who felt the turbines would spoil the area.


News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Mthwakazi Republic Party Spokesperson Mbonisi Gumbo has said the remarks made by Zanu PF MPs in the Zimbabwean Parliament on 17 May 2017, during the debate of the proposed so-called National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill shows how narrow-minded they are and proves that they are out of touch with reality and are wishful thinkers.Zanu PF MPs such as Joseph Chinotimba and Oliver Mandipaka vehemently turned down the Bill and called for other MPs in the House to reject it as well saying it rekindles the wounds of the Gukurahundi victims."For Zanu PF MPs to think that Gukurahundi genocide is now water under the bridge shows how shallow minded they are. "Asifuni Bumbulu thina". Zanu PF is still commemorating Mbuya Nehanda of the eighteen century, they still go to Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Nyadzonya, and Morogoro among other places," Gumbo said in a post posted on Facebook."They still have Chimurenga files on ZBC TV that focus on the 1963 to 1979 war. Yet they claim Gukurahundi genocide that took place in 1983 to 87 is history and should no longer be talked about. The unity accord of 1987 has not benefitted our people, it is Mashonaland people who have benefited from it immensely. Considering the fact that we lost more than 20 000 people."He said that was a benefit to Mashonaland who now call us a minority. The unity accord still benefits them on the fact that they are all over us riding on this idiotic settlement which is not different from the 1979 Lancaster House settlement." In fact, the 1987 accord was just a piecemeal arrangement which did not bring a long lasting solution to the Mthwakazi problems, neither did it bring the anticipated coexistence with Zimbabwe. Instead, it worsened the Shona supremacy on Mthwakazi people hence the continued economic genocide and political imbalances," Gumbo said."It is, therefore, wishful thinking, to think that Gukurahundi genocide will just go away. Joseph Chinotimba must never play jokes with Gukurahundi genocide, that is totally unacceptable together with his fellow Cdes. Before Mthwakazi get justice for Gukurahundi genocide, the issue will never go away. In the first place, the bill which Mphoko was/ is trying to endorse is on its own a flawed document."He said as long as it does not address Truth, it is a non-starter, as long as it does not deal with Gukurahundi genocide it won't work, most importantly as long as the Zimbabwe government does not address Mthwakazi Restoration peace is still very far from being achieved."If Zanu PF thinks Gukurahundi will just go away, then they must rethink, because the youth are angrier than their parents the original victims, as long as employment, land, respect, business opportunities, government tenders are still preserved for Shona people then Unity will not exist between us," he said."The MPs must be aware that what happened at BF last Sunday was the effect of Gukurahundi genocide, and will continue like that or be worse if such issues remain unresolved. Finally, as MRP we would like to take this opportunity to applaud uMthwakazi wonke for standing up and supporting their team at the time of need.""And we would like to encourage all of us to take the initiative stand up and be united the same way we are contributing for our beloved Bosso in unity. Let's take the initiative in our economic development, in defence of our rural and urban land, employment, our culture, and our businesses, as well as our territory," he added.
CONTACT centre management specialists, Ascensos, has been revealed as the company which will create up to 600 new jobs on the Isle of Wight.

The new facility, which the company has confirmed will be based in Cowes, will handle inbound telephone, email, social media and online queries.

The company manages customer service enquiries for a wide range of big names including Argos, BooHoo, B&Q, Coast, Game, Karen Millen, L.K. Bennett, Monsoon, Oasis, Warehouse and Wickes.

The company said it chose the Island after a UK-wide search and due to the access the Isle of Wight provides to a high calibre workforce, capital investment support from the Isle of Wight Council and support in recruitment, training and development from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Isle of Wight College.

The company will invest more than 1 million in the new facility. At a meeting of the council's executive last Thursday, members approved a capital investment of 2.1 million in the initiative and a ten year lease on the Cowes property, subject to the conclusion of legal discussions.

The Isle of Wight Council has valued the benefit of the project to the Island's economy at around 35 million.

Work on the building is planned to start immediately to enable a planned opening in September.

Ascensos will also embark on a recruitment drive to ensure that the facility is fully staffed, with the staff trained ahead of its opening.

Ascensos currently operates one centre in Motherwell and two in Clydebank, along with operations in Boxtel in the Netherlands and Bucharest in Romania, employing a total of 1,200 staff.

Ascensos will become one of the Isle of Wight's largest employers.

The company was founded in 2013 and has since established itself as a significant force in the contact centre management sector and with a name for itself developing its staff through training and development.

Ascensos CEO John Devlin said: "This is a major strategic move for us, increasing our capacity by 30 per cent and establishing our first UK facility outside Scotland.

"We're excited to be coming to the Isle of Wight. The people, the financial assistance and the support in recruitment, training and development made for an unbeatable package.

"Ascensos is growing rapidly and we have become a force to be reckoned with in the UK contact centre sector. We've a reputation for doing things differently in this space and we look forward to opening Ascensos Isle of Wight after the summer."

Lyle McLean, the company's operations director for the Island added: "We're already in discussions with the DWP and Isle of Wight College and our recruitment campaign will get underway shortly."

Cllr Dave Stewart, leader of the Isle of Wight Council, said: "I am very excited that Ascensos has chosen the Isle of Wight as the location for its major UK expansion.

"The Island is already home to a number of major, global companies and is perfectly positioned to support the ambitions of Ascensos, with a motivated, skilled and enthusiastic local workforce.

"This move also promotes our ambitions of regeneration for the Island, to create a robust and dynamic local economy that will be sustainable now and in the long-term for future generations."




News / National

by Staff Reporter

A Harare man Kumbulani Ndifa (42) allegedly wiped his 69-year-old mother with an electric cable and chased her out of her home in order to accommodate a paying tenant.Ndifa recently appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Annia Ndiraya facing charges of domestic violence and was remanded in custody.He will return to court for trial on May 26.The court through prosecutor Mrs Devoted Nyagano alleged that on April 13, Zvawi Ndifa was sitting on the doorstep peeling potatoes when Kumbulani assaulted her with an electric cable.He ordered her to move out of the way as she was blocking him.The court heard that Kumbulani then grabbed the knife his mother was using to peel potatoes and threatened to stab her.It is the State's case that Kumbulani later ordered his mother to vacate their home and find alternative accommodation so that he could accommodate a paying tenant in her room.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Chiredzi - A married teacher at Gororo Primary school in Chivi has been fined $650 after he was found guilty of engaging in sex with a Grade 7 pupil from the same school.Taurai Wamambo (30) who had legal representation pleaded guilty when he appeared before Chiredzi Senior Regional Magistrate Judith Zuyu."My worship my client is a first offender, he has a family to look after with children still going to school. He did not infect this girl with any STI and it must be noted that there are prospects that he is going to lose his job and that's heavy punishment in itself," said her lawyer.In passing sentence, Zuyu said Wamambo was a teacher who should play guardian to the children and he, therefore, was facing a serious crime which should get stern punishment in order to deter would-be offenders.She fined him $650, 00 with time to pay or alternatively faced four-year imprisonment term in which she suspended 3 years on condition he would not commit a similar offence in the next five years. He then sentenced him to 1 year in jail which he suspended for a $650 fine.On June 24 last year Wamambo proposed love to the pupil and she agreed.During that same month Wamambo then ordered the complainant to accompany him to the fields in the village and when they were at a secluded place they had consensual sex and went away unnoticed.The matter came to light when the complainant's mother who was in South Africa came back home and overheard her aunt' s conversation with someone concerning the child.Moreblessing Rusere appeared for the state.
North Carolina received a two-year, $31 million federal grant toward opioid prevention, treatment and recovery initiatives, the governors office said.

The announcement from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration comes three days after state health officials disclosed North Carolina has had a 73 percent jump in opioid-related deaths from 2005 to 2015.

That includes an increase from 13 to 53 in Forsyth County. Overall, the 14-county region of the Triad and Northwest North Carolina climbed from 130 to 235, representing 21.2 percent of the states 1,110 opioid-related deaths in 2015.

There were more than 13,000 opioid-overdose deaths in the state during the 10-year period.

The grant to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services comes from the 21st Century Cures Act as part of state-targeted responses.

The opioid crisis is one of the biggest challenges we face across our state, Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement.

This grant will help further our commitment to fight this epidemic that is destroying families and lives across our state. This is a problem we must solve for the safety and well-being of our citizens, he said.

Of the $15.59 million North Carolina receives each of the next two years, 80 percent must target outreach, engagement, treatment and recovery services.

The goal is serving 1,460 individuals in the first year and 1,520 in the second  representing an 18 percent increase in the number of patients being served in the 54 private and publicly funded opioid treatment programs.

DHHS would purchase 6,500 naloxone kits, which are used by first responders to treat opioid overdoses.

This grant is an important piece of our comprehensive approach to support individuals with opioid use disorders in their treatment and recovery efforts, state Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said.

Josh Stein, the states attorney general, said just one out of 10 of hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians receive any opioid-addiction treatment.

Accidental drug overdoses were the leading cause of accidental deaths in 2015 in the state, replacing automobile accidents, Stein said.

We wouldnt accept a health care system that doesnt treat 90 percent of people with heart disease, with diabetes or AIDS, Stein said. We shouldnt accept it with substance use disorder.

Coopers 2017-2018 budget proposal includes more than $12 million in funding to address the opioid crisis.

The funding targets individual and group therapy coupled with medications to serve 2,500 individuals statewide.

It also includes $2 million for local law enforcement efforts to fight opioid abuse.

By contrast, the state Senate budget provides $500,000 for each of fiscal 2017-18 and 2018-19 for a pilot treatment program, and another $100,000 to buy naloxone kits.

The opioid crisis does not pick Democrats or Republicans as victims, Cooper said during a presentation in Raleigh.

Our solutions should not be that way either. Our solutions should fix this problem for every single citizen in North Carolina, he said.

House Bill 243, known as the STOP Act, has been awaiting action in a Senate Rules committee since passing the House on a 114-0 vote April 11. The bill has Steins backing.

The STOP Act would put new restrictions on medical providers who prescribe and dispense opioid drugs, such as OxyContin and morphine, including requiring electronic prescription filing, and limit their public supply. It also clarifies funding for syringe exchange programs.

The bill includes $20 million over two years for local substance abuse treatment and recovery services.

Treatment involves a detoxification period of about four days, ideally followed by a longer stay in a residential rehabilitation program.

We need more treatment resources because I dont think anything else is going to work, said Lee Garrity, Winston-Salem city manager.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Firebrand MDC secretary for mobilisation, Job Sikhala, has promised President Robert Mugabe and his warring ruling Zanu-PF an even bigger hiding in next year's watershed polls than the shellacking they received in the hotly-disputed 2008 elections.Sikhala's warning comes as opposition leader and MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with former Vice President Joice Mujuru and his former secretary-general, Welshman Ncube - as the long-mooted grand coalition takes shape.Speaking at a rally organised by Mujuru in Chitungwiza at the weekend, Sikhala also said it was allegedly ominous for Mugabe and Zanu-PF that next year ended with the figure eight, just like 2008."The number eight is bad for Mugabe. In 2008 Mugabe was beaten by Tsvangirai and next year, 2018, Mugabe is going to lose again to Tsvangirai and Mujuru."You two (Mujuru and Tsvangirai) are the only ones who have the people, as most of the so-called other opposition parties are just wasting our time."The future of Zimbabwe is in your hands. Let us face the dictator together, whenever Tsvangirai speaks, he does not want to hear anyone who attacks Mujuru. He does not want anyone to criticise Mujuru. If you do that, you will be expelled from the party," Sikhala told the gathered crowd.He also said Mujuru, just like Tsvangirai, had demonstrated "beyond doubt" that she had people at heart and thus deserved to be given a chance by long-suffering Zimbabweans."You are the second leader in Zimbabwe to come to this place (Chitungwiza). The other person to ever visit these grounds is Tsvangirai."What you did a couple of weeks ago (signing the MoU) was observed by all Zimbabweans. Let's face Mugabe together."2018 is the greatest chance we have to remove Mugabe. If you waste that chance, you will not be forgiven. Zimbabweans are not interested in positions but they want the enemy of the people to be removed," Sikhala said.On her part, Mujuru said the planned opposition coalition would come to fruition soon as Zimbabweans understood that it was their best chance of ending Mugabe and Zanu-PF's long, but ruinous rule."NPP (National People's Party) and the MDC are one and the same thing. What Sikhala has done is the right thing."Going into the future, we are going to iron out our differences and we will cross the river Jordan. This is not about me or Morgan Tsvangirai, this is about you."Do not be afraid, the coalition is coming. Our people are working on developing from the MoU and we will come with the way forward."I will not make myself the leader. You know who you want. The people will elect their preferred leader and we will follow. We are not worried about that," Mujuru said.Last month, in developments which were hailed as very significant, Tsvangirai signed MoUs with Mujuru and Ncube, signaling his determination to quicken the process to conclude the much-talked about opposition alliance.Before that, optimism had been high ever since Tsvangirai and Mujuru publicly flaunted their readiness to join forces against the ruling party, when they appeared together in Gweru in August last year.Analysts have also repeatedly said Mujuru, whose liberation struggle nom de guerre was Teurai Ropa (Spill Blood), and whose husband Solomon was the first black post-independence army commander, could provide the much-needed bridge that opposition parties have been missing to ensure the smooth transfer of power if they win elections again.They have also said a united opposition; fielding one candidate has the best prospects of finally ending Mugabe's and Zanu-PF uninterrupted rule.
PISGAH FOREST  A spokeswoman for the Blue Ridge Parkway says a Virginia woman has fallen from an overlook to her death

Spokeswoman Leesa Brandon told area media outlets that 83-year-old Nancy Ann Martin of Richmond, Virginia, fell over the edge of the East Fork Overlook at Milepost 418 in Haywood County on Friday.

According to park officials, Martin's companion called 911, and National Park Service law enforcement rangers, in cooperation with Haywood County rescue and emergency personnel, responded to the scene.

Rescuers found Martin's body about 150 feet below the overlook.

The incident remains under investigation.

It's the second death on the Blue Ridge Parkway this year. Authorities say a man was killed earlier this year in a single-vehicle crash on the Virginia side of the parkway.
NAN BECK, Winston-Salem

Inspiring story

Thank you for sharing the story of Joan Holcomb (Finding the strength, May 7). Her courage and positive attitude in facing ALS, especially after suffering through it with her husband, is inspiring.

***

MOLLY LEIGHT, Winston-Salem

Lying

I am absolutely amazed that so many people are lying about what President Trump says and does. Why on earth would the FBI, generals, the Security Council, the White House staff and the media be telling such huge lies? They all must have a grudge against that poor pitiful man. So sad!

Since Trump is wiser than security professionals, he obviously can share security secrets with the Russians; after all, they are his buddies who helped his election bid. It only shows that the whiney security agencies are, once again, lying about the dangers of revealing security secrets and the possibility of endangering sources of intelligence. Such a shame to blame the poor pitiful man!

Is it possible (heaven forbid) that it is not they who are lying? Surely, it is not the president?

***

LELAND STOAT, Winston-Salem

A greater concern

My first thought on reading the May 17 letter Limited vocabulary, complaining that former first lady Michelle Obama said the word crap, and complaining that ladies dont talk like that, was that surely the letter writer must also be upset with President Trump, whose language is much worse. (Do gentlemen talk like that?)

My next was that she refers to these quotes that Michelle Obama makes now on the basis of one speech given on one day in one location. I doubt Obama thought she was offering memorable wisdom for the ages; more likely, she was speaking passionately about a current and urgent situation.

One doesnt make quotes. One is quoted.

But my final thought was this: The letter writer is more concerned that Obama said the word crap than that our tax dollars are being spent to feed that crap to our children. Surely a reasonable person would think that is the greater concern.

***

GABRIELLA PRICE, Winston-Salem

Tweets

From the archives: A tweet from pre-President Trump, 7:12 a.m. July 6, 2016:

Crooked Hillary Clinton and her team were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information. Not fit!

I guess, at this point, wed have to agree that Crooked Donald is also not fit.

Another from House Speaker Paul Ryan, 7:36 p.m., July 7, 2016:

Its simple: Individuals who are extremely careless w/ classified info should be denied further access to it.

Well, it might be a little more difficult for Trump to do his job without access to it, and lord knows hes having enough trouble as it is, but Im sure Ryan is right.

***

DAVID HATCHER, Winston-Salem

Unhealthy

President Trump is making big promises about putting America first. But when he met with high-level members of the Russian government, American media werent first, or second, or even last  they were left out entirely. Our own journalists were barred, while the Russian news agency was invited in.

It was embarrassing to see news reports and photos from TASS, especially knowing that the Russian agency had been given preference over our own news media. This is worrisome, and unhealthy for our democracy.

Please submit letters online to Letters@wsjournal.com or mail letters to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

HIGH Court Judges Justice Charles Hungwe and Justice Edith Mushore will on Tuesday preside over an appeal against the conviction and sentence of four internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Chingwizi Transit Camp in Mwenezi, in Masvingo province, who were convicted and sentenced to serve jail time, two years ago on public violence charges.The four IDPs namely Mike Mudyanembwa, Patrick Chinounda Changwesha, Samuel Mubaiwa and Nyengeterai Tagwirei were convicted by Chiredzi Magistrate Honest Musiiwa on Monday 26 January 2015 and later sentenced each of them to serve five years in prison on Tuesday 27 January 2015.However, the IDPs lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights in January 2015 petitioned the High Court seeking an order to set aside their conviction and sentence.In their appeal, the Chingwizi villagers' lawyers argued that Magistrate Musiiwa grossly erred and misdirected himself in convicting the IDPs.The Magistrate, the lawyers argued, paid no regard at all to other forms of punishment that are applicable in the circumstances and was clearly under the apprehension that he was compelled to impose the maximum or near maximum penalty possible and failed to use his judicial discretion on imposing sentence.Mudyanembwa, Changwesha, Mubaiwa and Tagwirei were arrested in August 2014 and charged with committing public violence in contravention of Section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act together with 26 other IDPs. However, the other 26 IDPs were set free in late 2014 by Magistrate Musiiwa at the close of the State case.Prosecutors claimed that Mudyanembwa, Changwesha, Mubaiwa and Tagwirei, who are now represented by Blessing Nyamaropa and Sharon Hofisi of ZLHR, masterminded the assault on police officers and burnt Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) vehicles and rifles when they protested against the forced relocation of a clinic from Chingwizi Transit Camp to Nuanetsi Ranch, where thousands of flood victims were forced to move to.The arrest of the IDPs attracted local, regional and international condemnation after it was revealed in court that they suffered torture and other cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment at the hands of ZRP members while in custody.
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 73F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low around 70F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
News / Press Release

by Delight Benge

The use of violence to settle political scores that was witnessed yesterday in Bulawayo must be condemned with the strongest terms. According Prof PLO Lumumba "democracy is a competition of ideas and we should learn to disagree in a agreeable manner". Yard would like put it across the we abhor the use of violence as we believe there are better conflict resolution mechanisms that can be employed to arrive at reasonable agreements.We further implore youths to desist from participating in violence as we approach the watershed moment. Violence begets violence and peace begins with us. The vicious cycle of political violence can only be put to end if as a generation we opt for political maturity where people with divergent views can live together in harmony.We hereby make a clarion call to all political parties and their leadership to refrain from the use of violence as means to gain advantage over opponents and preach political tolerance instead. Zimbabwe can be a great nation once we thrive to put peace ahead of our political inclinations and personal agendas.Delight BengeDeputy Commander-in-Chief, YARD & Aspiring Independent Candidate,Bulawayo East Constituency
05/21/2017



Sarah Cusimano Miles

By Heather Greene

Sarah Cusimano Miles, assistant professor of photography, has been named president of the JSU Faculty Senate for the 2017-18 school year.

Miles earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Alabama and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from JSU. She went on to earn a Master of Art and Master of Fine Art from the University of Alabama.

In 2007, Miles joined the faculty at JSU. She specializes in photography and has recently been researching the integration of smartphone technology into her photography curriculum. She also holds an interest in collections of objects, in both public and private significance, which has also led to her work with the Anniston Museum of Natural History.

Photography interests me in that it inherently involves a sense of magic and almost ceremonial methodology, explained Miles. Whether it is the alchemy in the darkroom or the transformation of light as it passes through the aperture and creates a latent image, I am still continually delighted by the phenomenon of the process. I also love the immediate emotional response people have to a photograph because of its association with authenticity. This truth-claim of a photograph can be intriguing to consider in that a photograph does not illustrate reality in the strict sense of the word, but only one version of it.

Miles strongly encourages her students to be engaged and take advantage of all the opportunities that college offers. The years you have in college are a privilege, and if you do it right, they will prove transformative, she said.

During her tenure as president, Miles will represent the interests of the faculty to the administration  attending University Executive Council and Board of Trustee meetings, in addition to other tasks and responsibilities. She explains that in the last year, she and the outgoing president, Dr. Pitt Harding, have attended several administrative committee meetings. This will be her third year on Faculty Senate.

It has been fascinating to learn a little about the interaction among the various areas and how they work together to operate the university, she said. I know that in the coming year I will become even more familiar with these practices and more involved with the dynamics of the university.

Miles resides in Gadsden and has two daughters and a son. Her eldest daughter is recently married and resides in Denver. Her son is currently finishing his degree at JSU, and her youngest daughter will be a senior next year in Boston.
The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea on Sunday launched [official statement] a short range [RT graphic] missile on Friday creating strain in the reunification efforts with North Korea. The missile launch was the second in a series [Asian Herald report] of test the nation is doing to strengthen their arms capabilities. South Korean President Moon Jae-in remarked [press release] that the last missile test strained the relation between the parties and called for an emergency session to address the recent missile launch. The missile test will be brought before the UN on Tuesday to decide how to respond[WAPO report] to North Korea.

North Koeas pursuit to build up its military continues to draw international response. Back in February Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump, appeared in a joint press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, strongly condemned [JURIST report] a North Korea ballistic missile test. Moon Jae-in was sworn in as the 19th President of South Korea [JURIST Report] in early May , later that day seeking international assistance on North Korean weapons threats. The North Korean legislature on last sent a letter [JURIST report] to the US House of Representatives protesting new sanctions raised against the country.

Cybersecurity researchers on Tuesday said they have found evidence [JURIST report] that could link North Korea to the recent cyberattack that affected 300,000 computers in 150 countries over the weekend
The US Supreme Court ruled [opinion, PDF] Monday in Cooper v. Harris [SCOTUSblog materials] that North Carolinas redistricting was unconstitutional. North Carolina officials redrew two congressional districts after the 2010 census, neither of which had a majority black voting-age population, but both consistently elected the candidates preferred by most African-American voters. To comply with the one-person-one-vote standard, District 1 needed to add nearly 100,000 people. Most of the people added were from heavily black areas of Durhamincreasing the districts BVAP from 48.6 percent to 52.7 percent. District 12 was also reconfigured, increasing African-American voters from 43.8 percent to 50.7 percent. The court held that the state made no attempt to justify race-based districting there. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Samuel Alito cited a previous state court lawsuit concerning North Carolinas District 12 and argued that the court junks a rule adopted in a prior, remarkably similar challenge to this very same congressional district. The court held, however, that North Carolinas victory in a similar state-court lawsuit does not dictate the disposition of this case.

Voting rights and how voters are grouped and counted has become and increasingly important issue over the past year. In January the Department of Justice sued [JURIST report] Detroit Suburbs over a potential Voting Rights Act violation regarding the ability of minorities to elect other minority members as council members. Earlier that week the US Supreme Court blocked [JURIST report] a ruling ordering the redrawing of the congressional district map and special elections to be held in North Carolina. This came after the Supreme Court heard arguments [JURIST report] in racial gerymanderings cases from Virginia along with arguments from North Carolinas case. In September several organizations filed a federal lawsuit challenging Georgias voter registration system [JURIST report]. Last April the Supreme Court unanimously upheld [JURIST report] an Arizona commissions decisions regarding the redistricting of voting districts in the state.
Swiss voters on Sunday backed the governments plan to provide billions of dollars in subsidies for renewable energy. They also voted by a 58.2 percent majority to ban nuclear power plants and to help bail out struggling utilities, which overturns a November majority vote [JURIST report] rejecting a referendum to phase out the nations nuclear power program. Switzerland has a system of direct democracy [Reuters report], which gives voters the final say in policy issues. The EUs Energy Strategy 2050 [EU background, text] has a long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95 percent, when compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. Under the proposed law 480 million francs would be put towards funding wind, solar and hydro power. Switzerlands energy output consists of 60 percent hydro, 30 percent nuclear and a mere 5 percent for solar and wind combined. Debates on the proposed laws focused on whether a four-fold increase in solar and wind power would deliver enough energy to replace non-renewable resources. Many were also concerned with how much customers and taxpayers would pay under the proposed changes. Critics of the plan say a family of four would pay an additional 3,200 Swiss francs (USD $3,290) annually and increase the countrys reliance on imported energy.

Climate concerns and solutions related to renewable energy resource are still a contested issue. Earlier this month US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed [JURIST report] the Fairbanks Declaration [text] to affirm protection of the arctic climate. Also in May the US Senate rejected [JURIST report] a measure that would rollback methane gas regulations. The Trump administration in March asked [JURIST report] the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to postpone ruling on the Obama administrations climate change regulations. Also in March US President Donald Trump signed [JURIST report] an executive order reforming the previous administrations energy policies. UN human rights experts called [JURIST report] on global leaders in February to take urgent action on air pollution to ensure world citizens enjoy what the UN calls the human rights to life and health in environments free from contamination.
Torque vectoring is an often heard term, rarely seen computer-controlled system used on cars to deliver just the right amount of power to each wheel in order to improve road grip, stability, handling and performance. GKN Drivelines solution, known as Twinster, is available on a number of cars, including mainstream executive models like the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia. As advanced torque vectoring systems are likely to appear on an even wider range of vehicles, just-auto/QUBE spoke to Ray Kuczera, Senior Vice President of Engineering, GKN Driveline.

What makes GKNs torque vectoring solution different from the rest?

Torque vectoring generally refers to any system that is able to send precise amounts of torque to individual wheels, principally in the context of over-speeding an outside wheel in a corner to increase the yaw rate, helping to steer the vehicle.

Competitors torque vectoring systems typically use multiple sets of gears either side of the differential to achieve only very low levels of over-speeding, or they apply braking on the inside wheel in a corner to achieve a similar effect. The former is an overly complex option, while the latter wastes energy and can slow the vehicle down.

The Twinster is unique in that it replaces a conventional differential with twin clutch packs that adjust the torque delivery to each wheel.

GKN Drivelines Twinster torque vectoring solution is unique in that it replaces a conventional differential with twin clutch packs that adjust the torque delivery to each wheel. There is no additional gearing or superimposed planetary gear sets, so it is far simpler solution for torque vectoring, as well as being more compact than conventional rear differentials  yielding significant packaging advantages.

GKNs software sits on a dedicated ECU, and is able to update the actuation 500 times per second to provide quick, accurate torque control. The system continuously varies the pressure at each clutch pack, so they adopt controlled states between fully open and fully locked.

What are the prospects for torque vectoring in mainstream vehicles?

Early forms of torque distribution, by brake force control or by limited-slip differential, have appeared in a variety of mainstream vehicles already. However, in reference to true torque vectoring and GKN Drivelines Twinster module in particular, its range of passenger car applications demonstrates its broad potential for future mainstream vehicles.

Twinsters debut was in the Range Rover Evoque, and subsequent variants of the system have appeared in the Lincoln Continental and MKZ, the Ford Focus RS, Cadillac XT5 and the Land Rover Discovery Sport. The most recent application appears in the all-wheel-drive (AWD) variants of the new Opel Insignia and Buick LaCrosse.

We anticipate that the volume and variety of mainstream vehicles featuring torque vectoring will increase significantly in the future.

We anticipate that the volume and variety of mainstream vehicles featuring torque vectoring will increase significantly in the future. The precursor to this growth is the steady increase in demand from new car buyers for AWD technology.

AWD light vehicle production volumes are forecast to grow by 24% by 2022, and GKNs unique torque vectoring technology is poised to take advantage of this increase by offering manufacturers a less complex yet more efficient AWD solution.

GKN is the only supplier able to develop and produce complete all-wheel drive systems with torque vectoring in-house. The companys global engineering team provides local support, using vehicle integration, hardware and software expertise to accelerate the time-to-market and help brands deliver the best possible driving experience for their customers.

In what ways does torque vectoring make hybrid vehicles more efficient and dynamic?

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are excellent candidates to showcase the benefits of torque vectoring systems. When a hybrid version of a vehicle is developed, it can often add a significant amount of redistributed weight, requiring revisions to the cars calibration to mitigate the shift in mass. Torque vectoring technology can be used not only to compensate for the added weight, but to deliver more engaging driving characteristics.

Hybrid vehicles that use an electric drive motor for primary drive will be transmitting a significant level of torque through the wheels, and torque vectoring can help to manage that. Furthermore, the onboard eDrive systems in many hybrids can provide inherent benefits, offering on-demand electric drive to control and modulate torque vectoring technology more precisely, with the ability to deliver exact outputs to individual wheels. GKN has already revealed its eTwinster prototype system, which integrates torque vectoring AWD into an eAxle module, helping to deliver next-generation mobility, handling and efficiency.

What are the opportunities for torque vectoring in pure electric vehicles?

The dynamic characteristics of conventional ICE vehicles can be indirectly tuned by adjustments to the chassis limits, the distribution of weight and the response of the suspension. However, the dynamics of pure electric vehicles may be calibrated directly by tuning the parameters of the electric driveline itself.

Torque vectoring effects can be significantly enhanced by this feature of pure electric cars, where the direct drive of the e-motor allows for much finer and faster control of the vehicles responses. These rapid feedback loops and exact adjustments to the driveline, in turn, enable a more stable and precise driving experience.

Furthermore, given the significant levels of torque being transmitted to the driving wheels of a pure electric vehicle, torque vectoring for vehicle stability represents not only an opportunity but will likely be a necessity in the future.

Who else is interested in your technology and what are its prospects for integration in other vehicle platforms this year?

We cannot say which manufacturers have enquired about our technology, or which vehicles it will next appear in. However, we can reveal that we have developed a brand new torque vectoring system that will be shown later in 2017, and that it will be demonstrated in a model from a vehicle manufacturer not currently associated with any GKN Driveline electrified or AWD systems.

Are there easier, simpler ways of achieving the same thing that torque vectoring delivers?

There are a variety of systems that enable torque to be redistributed, but no other method can balance the imperatives of stability and response like torque vectoring. Furthermore, whereas other systems often act passively, GKNs Twinster module anticipates torque requirements by monitoring inputs such as acceleration and steering angle, and actively calibrates a response before it is needed.

To produce purer performance and driving feel, true dynamic torque vectoring should also always increase the torque delivery to an individual wheel, rather than reduce its motive force. Systems that feature so-called torque vectoring by braking are only able to deliver a limited number of the benefits of true torque vectoring. They imitate parts of the system, but do not deliver the capability.

GKNs solution, in particular, is uniquely customisable to suit a variety of vehicle brands and model lines. For example, with the Ford Focus RS, the GKN development team applied a truly bespoke combination of new gearing ratios and control algorithms to over-speed the rear wheels, helping to create a mainstream performance vehicle with unprecedented driving dynamics.

What are your predictions for vehicle electrification by 2025?

By 2025, our Chinese joint venture, Shanghai GKN HUAYU Driveline Systems, will be producing over 1 million eDrive units per year.

In April this year, GKN Driveline announced a clear vision for its eDrive technologies. From 2018, China will start to become a global production hub for GKNs state-of-the-art electrified drivelines, when production of its latest eDrive technologies commences at its joint venture facility in Shanghai. The country is the worlds fastest-growing market for electrified vehicles, and by 2025, GKN forecasts that its Chinese joint venture  Shanghai GKN HUAYU Driveline Systems (SDS)  will be producing over 1 million eDrive units per year.

As automakers increasingly seek to offer plug-in hybrid technology on their small car platforms  where packaging space is at a premium  GKN expects to see a surge in demand for eDrive systems that are simpler to package and assemble.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

With advancements in platform and engine sharing, and a shift to more electrically-supported driver inputs and feedback, the way a car drives is becoming ever more reliant on innovative driveline technology and software programming to differentiate models.

Systems such as Twinster can provide a genuine USP in a vehicle sector, while state-of-the-art software controls can effectively produce brand-aligned driving experiences. The latter in particular will become increasingly important for manufacturers, as they seek to ensure their new cars stand out from the crowd.

See also Global 4WD and AWD light vehicle market  forecasts to 2031
News / Regional

by Staff reporter

RESIDENTS of Ward 29 in Bulawayo have accused their councillor of nepotism and extortion after she allegedly hired eight people from the same family to be part of community sweeping groups.Councillor Monica Lubimbi, whose jurisdiction encompasses Lobengula West 3, Magwegwe North and Magwegwe West, allegedly demands bribes of up to $50 to enroll residents in the scheme and is said to take a monthly tribute of about $40 to keep residents on the list.In 2007, the local authority came up with a poverty alleviation scheme backed by a full council resolution.Locals would be hired to work within their wards under two different programmes, a perennial litter picking programme and a seasonal grass slashing programme, which usually takes place between June and December.The premise behind the initiative was to help vulnerable households and needy residents in a particular ward with a rotation based style being implemented.In essence, this scheme was meant to cater for elderly rate payers who, in most cases, are failing to pay their rates as well as to take care of orphans.Ward 29 residents said Clr Lubimbi's selection of beneficiaries has been based on partisan or political lines, leaving out deserving residents in some cases.A letter that residents wrote to the government and the Bulawayo City Council, a copy of which is in the possession of The Chronicle, states that Clr Lubimbi repeatedly employed Khumbulani Phiri, Collen Phiri, Violet Phiri, Lifina Phiri, Paul Phiri, Charles Phiri, Darren Phiri, Farai Sibanda, (alleged boyfriend to Monica Lubimbi), Farai Sibanda's son, Esnath Mlauzi, Lameck Mlauzi (husband to Esnath) and Dorcas Mlauzi (Lameck and Esnath's daughter).Residents allege in the letter that the councillor employed people from outside the ward, including her daughter. "She has also gone on to employ people outside the ward, including her daughter from her previous marriage and her niece," read the letter."Furthermore, Mrs Lubimbi deducts $40 from each employee under the programme every month as protection and assurance fees. Potential beneficiaries are made to pay $50 ahead of being admitted into the scheme, with some of the interviews being done by Mr Farai Sibanda who happens to be her boyfriend."Clr Lubimbi was curt when The Chronicle contacted her for comment. "That matter was resolved long back. Me and my people are fine. Go back to whoever gave you that story. Tell them to comment," said Clr Lubimbi before hanging up.The residents alleged a committee set up to assist Clr Lubimbi in identifying beneficiaries, benefited as well by employing members of their families.They proposed that the programme be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare while council carries out investigations. They demanded that the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing should send an audit team to the ward to investigate the issue.Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, declined to comment. "I am aware of the matter however, councillors are my bosses, therefore I cannot comment on the issue. Please get in touch with the Mayor for a comment on the issue," said Mr Dube.Bulawayo Mayor Clr Martin Moyo yesterday said he had received a report about the matter on Friday and investigations were underway. "The matter got to my attention on Friday. We are in the process of doing our own investigation. We have seen the complaint and we are attending to it. We want to see if the matter can be substantiated. We want to check the issue of repetitive hiring of community workers raised in the complaint against our records. For now I can neither confirm nor deny whether the allegations are true," said the Mayor.Councillors are fighting with management over the hiring of residents for the scheme.Management recently took over the scheme from councillors following allegations of rampant corruption and hiring of MDC-T aligned residents by councillors.
Sales of Fairtrade-endorsed food products in Germany reached a record EUR1.2bn (US$1.3bn) in 2016, according to the latest figures.

TransFair, which is the Fairtrade representative organisation in Germany, said the 18% increase in sales over the previous year meant small farms and plant workers earned EUR21m in Fairtrade premiums, in addition to revenue from product sales.

According to Transfair, which is marking its 25th anniversary, banana sales increased by 7% over 2015 with more than 72,000 tonnes of the fruit sold in Germany.

Transfair also reported significant growth of 25% in sales of Fairtrade coffee in Germany with 17,000 tons sold, taking the Fairtrade market share of coffee in the country to 3.8%.

Per capita, consumers in Germany in 2016 spent more than EUR13 on Fairtrade products, Transfair said.

Earlier this year, Germany-based chocolate makers Halloren, Lambertz and Alfred Ritter became partners of the Fairtrade initiative aimed at sourcing supplies of cocoa sustainably.
Strong Roots, an Irish start-up food company, has broken into the UK with listings in Waitrose and Whole Foods Market.

Aimed at time-poor consumers who still want to eat healthily, the Strong Roots range consists of four products and company founder Samuel Dennigan says he wants to revolutionise the way people think about frozen food.

The range, which are all available in the UK consists of oven-baked sweet potato fries and kale and quinoa burgers.

After Strong Roots success in Ireland, we know theres a demand for health-focused and convenient frozen food, and a key part of the brands growth strategy is to expand our customer base in the UK and further afield, Dennigan said.

The UK is the first overseas outpost for the Dublin-based company, but a spokesperson said it already had plans to enter into Middle Eastern markets.

Our innovative products offer consumers a healthy option in the frozen aisle, making it ideal for those with busy lifestyles who need to cut corners in the kitchen, said Dennigan. A vegetable food range that can be enjoyed on its own or part of a balanced meal, which is also vegan-friendly with no artificial flavours, makes it accessible to a wide range of shoppers whether they have food intolerances or want a convenient healthy lifestyle.
Opinion / Columnist

If there one thing which Nomazulu is consistent in it is being against the aspirations of the people of Mthwakazi. She is at par with people like Tswangirayi and Mugabe.With her poisonous vernom against Mthwakazi she should be warned to stop talking on behalf of Mthwakazi, the people she is known to despise.Nomazulu does not believe that Mthwakazi can independently survive from Zimbabwe, without Zimbabwe she sees a starving Mthwakazi, a Mthwakazi full of war and strife.This is how empty and shallow she is. Mthwakazi is a nation of nation-builders not war-Mongers as she would like people to believe. An independent Mthwakazi will never turn against itself, we have learned the pain of oppression by one ethnic over others, supposedly brothers for that matter; therefore deliberate institutions and infrastructure will be implemented to avoid any domination of one ethnic group over another in Mthwakazi.Starting with full recognition of languages and cultures of all ethnic groups in Mthwakazi, this will ensure that all the ethnic groups in Mthwakazi who want to install their kings cannot do so without hindrance.No ethnic group will be allowed to be more powerful than the other, the government leadership will be on a rotational basis for example, we will have a Venda president one term, Sotho, Khalanga the other etc. We have seen the evils of domination, discrimination and oppression under Shona government which seeks to force people to be all Shonas. The more the government seeks to coerce people into Shona culture the more the country becomes disunited.A Mthwakazi state will be a strong federation with strong federal states to avoid any opportunities of domination of one ethnic group by another.Nomazulu should stop trying to scare the people of Mthwakazi with her gukurahundi genocide. She should stop lying that Mugabe and his government will ever commit another physical genocide on Mthwakazi, they were allowed to do so for a number of reasons as Dr Hazel Cameron's research document has revealed, one of such reasons was due to the Cold War.The Cold War is no longer there and Mugabe has committed a cardinal sin of killing innocent and unarmed white farmers. Also the West now knows that the six tourists who were said to have been killed by the dissidents were actually killed by Mugabe. The conditions and infrastructure for committing genocide is non-existent right now.We are aware that Mugabe is not rational but the conditions do not allow him, so it is stupid of Nomazulu to try to throw scarecrows of her father Mugabe.Most likely Nomazulu does not even realise that she is unwittingly working for ZANU-PF by her actions.When did the MRP liberate Lupane violently? She is taking issues literally like a political novice.What the MRP meant was that come elections people of Lupane will vote out ZANU and its surrogate MDC and vote in MRP a party whose interests about Mthwakazi are clear and unquestionable.
New York City, NY, 05/22/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/

Canada has one of the best aviation safety rankings in the world, and Air Canada is widely considered one of the safest airlines to fly.

However, a recent survey of aviation inspectors for Transport Canada reveals that budget cuts have left many Canadian aviation experts worried about the possibility of a future accident.

Canadian Aviation Inspectors Worry Financial Cuts Could Put Passengers in Danger

The survey, which was released by the Canadian Federal Pilots Association, shows that an alarming eight in 10 aviation inspectors predict that Canada will see a major flight disaster within the next few years.

Furthermore, inspectors say that many of Transport Canadas pilot inspectors lack the training to perform their duties. According to survey respondents, licensed pilot inspectors are supposed to maintain their own flight licenses. However, many fly so infrequently that they have been grounded, meaning they are themselves unable to fly. Respondents claim that a 60 percent budget cut in the Civil Aviation Flying Program is partly to blame for the decrease in qualified pilot inspectors.

The survey also reveals that just 70 percent of the inspectors surveyed said they had received the proper training to do their jobs. The national chair of the Canadian Federal Pilots Association also claimed that some of the inspectors tasked with overseeing helicopter companies dont actually know how to fly a helicopter.

The last major Canadian aviation accident occurred in 2015, when an Air Canada flight hit an antenna array and crash landed at a Halifax airport, injuring 25 passengers. The last fatal aviation accident involving a Canadian aircraft occurred in 1983, when a fire broke out on a flight, killing 23 passengers.

NYC Airline Accident Lawyer Discusses Pedestrian Injuries

New York City airline accident lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter states, In industrialized countries like Canada and the United States, most people assume that aviation safety is a top priority. However, safety inspectors can only do their jobs if theyre properly trained. When government agencies charged with overseeing aviation inspector training are denied the funds they need to properly train their people, tragedies can happen.

If you have been injured in an aviation accident, or you have lost a loved one in an airline crash, protect your rights as soon as possible. Talk to a New York City airline accident lawyer today to discuss your options.

Sources:

http://www.cos-mag.com/personal-process-safety/33083-8-in-10-aviation-inspectors-predicting-major-accident-in-near-future-survey/ http://globalnews.ca/news/1910298/a-look-at-air-canadas-safety-record/ http://globalnews.ca/news/1909898/breaking-air-canada-plane-hard-landing-on-runway-at-halifax-airport/ http://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/03/us/23-reported-killed-in-blaze-on-an-air-canada-jet.html

Media Contact:

New York airline accident lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter. T: 866-324-9211.

source: http://injuryaccidentnews.jcreiterlaw.com/2017/05/14/canada-headed-major-aviation-disaster-airline-accident-lawyer-discusses/

Social Media Tags:airline accident, Airline Accident Lawyer, Major Aviation Disaster Canada, NYC Airline Accident Lawyer, Pedestrian Injuries

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Opinion / Columnist

President Robert Mugabe has intensified his un-official 2018 election campaign by promising to build 17 mini-hydro power stations in dams countrywide.Next year, he will be seeking another term in office.Mugabe last week said besides installing a mini-hydro power station at Tokwe-Mukosi Dam, Government was looking for investors to build 17 more mini-hydro power stations around Zimbabwe."Tokwe-Mukosi Dam will have a hydro-electricity plant capable of producing 15 megawatts of power" he said."The inclusion of the plant follows a deliberate policy framework by Government for every new dam to have a provision for the generation of hydro-electricity as we seek to address the county's power deficit and an over-reliance on power imports,".Mugabe said Environment, Water and Climate ministry through the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) is in the process of identifying potential investors for the mini-hydro electric plant here and on 17 other dams across the country.The promise comes as the ZANU PF led government is battling to fulfill its ZimAsset pledges.
Opinion / Columnist

And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. 2 Samuel 15:14David was never more worthy of admiration than in his hour of adversity. Never was this cedar of God truly greater than when wrestling with the storm and tempest....With spirits broken and in tearful emotion, but without one expression of repining, he turns his back upon the scenes of his glory and also of his crime, and pursues his flight for his life.In his overwhelming affliction, David's resolution is taken. He, like the tall cedar of Lebanon, looks toward heaven.... When things get tough, you caught between the rock & the stone; where do you look unto for help?Had he possessed selfish motives and a high opinion of himself, he would gladly have gathered everything that would build up his sinking fortunes and give him the power to secure his safety..... But he thought of repentance though faced with challenges and having options to do (evil though) to overcome his adversaries.He recalled how ofttimes God had worked for him, and thought, "If He accepts my repentance, He may yet give me His favour and turn my mourning to joy.... On the other hand, if He has no delight in me, if He has forgotten me if He will leave me to exile or to perish, I will not murmur. I deserve His judgments and will submit to it all.God needs people who will always take the right path to resolve everything regardless of the situation they're facing. Our characters will always reveal and determine our destiny..... But those who live the life of pure religion will always take decisions guided by the heavenly host.Be Blessed!kaybeesibbs@gmail.comWord Powered by; TROVOCO a registered Christian oriented Charity Trust wholly devoted to alleviating the plight of the underprivileged (destitute children, the orphans and the disabled amongst others).Follow/ click on this link to join TROVOCO WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/2OFv5XwTR5mGtW5PQ3Wdz4Make your donations to the underprivileged kids via our Treasurer on +263 772 937 477( ecocash range from as little as $2 to as much as you can afford).Contact; (Chairperson) Mthulisi Ndlovu +263 778 481 481/ +267763 50865. To get more information or to join us.Or Nkomo Bhekinkosi on +263 777 403 986TROVOCO 'A closer walk with them'.
- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
LINCOLN  When State Sen. Tom Brewer was confronted Saturday by a stranger in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the lawmaker was unsure what might happen next.

Are you the guy who helped close the liquor stores in Whiteclay? the man asked.

Brewer, a decorated veteran, said he was ready to take some guff.

Instead, the man thanked him. His father, he explained, had died on the streets of the Nebraska village that for decades served as the main liquor source for the reservation. The man gave Brewer his fathers yearbook from his service in Vietnam as a token of appreciation.

I just kind of left speechless, Brewer said.

The chance meeting, as well as two formal brainstorming sessions in Whiteclay over the weekend, left Brewer and fellow Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln encouraged.

While none of the owners of the four now-closed beer stores attended the meetings, representatives of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Sheridan County Board did, as did others interested in transforming Whiteclay. The border village, just 2 miles from the South Dakota reservation, has been known as a place for drunken street people and sales of 3.5 million cans of beer a year. Now the task is to help it become a more respectable and healthy place, with new businesses.

It was a really positive meeting, Kevin Yellow Bird Steele, the tribes public relations officer, said of a session he attended Saturday. Theres a lot of ideas and potential.

Among the ideas discussed were bringing a lumberyard, laundromat and detox center to Whiteclay. There was talk of erecting a memorial to the decades-long struggle to shut down liquor sales and remember those who died from murders and exposure in the unincorporated village of fewer than 10 people.

Its been three weeks since the beer-only liquor stores closed in Whiteclay. The State Liquor Control Commission ruled that there wasnt adequate law enforcement in the tiny village to safely allow alcohol sales.

That order, which was briefly overturned by a Lancaster County District Court judge, is now on appeal to the State Supreme Court, which will decide whether the stores must remain closed.

Brewer, who is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and grew up in nearby Gordon, and Pansing Brooks both advocated for closing the Whiteclay stores. The two Nebraska lawmakers helped organize the weekend meetings to get started on the transformation of a town built on beer to one built on other businesses.

The weekend meetings were more about tossing around ideas. This fall the two senators are planning a summit to get moving on the most realistic goals.

Pansing Brooks said the first thing she noticed was the lack of vagrants openly drinking on the streets of Whiteclay. Last summer, she said, she was threatened by an intoxicated man holding a rock on the streets of Whiteclay.

Its just a totally different town now, the senator said.

Brewer said he was told that some of the street people have reconnected with family on the reservation, and a few are seeking treatment.

He said he was encouraged that street people arent being seen in the next-closest communities that sell alcohol, Rushville and Gordon, and that only one highway crash linked to alcohol has occurred in the past three weeks.

A clerk who worked for 26 years at one of the closed liquor stores did attend one of the Whiteclay meetings, and Pansing Brooks said the man was upset that he was now left without a job.

But the senator said that at least the man could see that we are trying to do some work to help the area and that new jobs should be generated.

Martin Pilcher, who owned a grocery store that burned down in Whiteclay 10 months ago, said hes probably going to rebuild just down the highway in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, but he does want to see a store on his property in Whiteclay. He said he might sell his land, or open a sporting goods outlet.

Whiteclay has two cafes, an auto parts store and a variety store that sells jeans, boots, saddles and Indian crafts. There are plans for a Family Dollar store in the village.

There are advantages and disadvantages to businesses opening in Whiteclay, according to area officials.

Because it is an unincorporated village, there is no town council and no law enforcement. Street and sewer construction and drinking water are the responsibility of anyone who wants to build a business. But land is easier to obtain and own on the non-reservation Nebraska side of the border than on the South Dakota side, where land is mostly owned by the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Recently the state provided a $100,000 grant to demolish abandoned buildings in Whiteclay. But obtaining additional grants might be more difficult because there is no organized government in the village, said Jeff Kelley of the Scottsbluff-based Panhandle Area Development District.

Theres also uncertainty over whether the beer stores will reopen.

It may be awhile  to see what happens with the beer stores  before someone would want to take a plunge up there, Kelley said.

Bruce BonFleur of Lakota Hope Ministry in Whiteclay said hes been talking with a group about building a detox center there.

There are several businesses that are needed in the area besides a lumberyard, he said, mentioning a laundromat and a furniture store. A movie theater or a YMCA would give area residents recreational opportunities, BonFleur said.

A memorial at Whiteclay, Brewer said, might help the healing process move forward between the State of Nebraska and Native American activists who, for years, protested about the deaths and damage that came from the liquor sales in Whiteclay.

One idea raised over the weekend was re-creating a former 50-square-mile buffer zone on the Nebraska side of the border, which included Whiteclay, that was off limits to alcohol sales prior to 1904. Brewer said he understands the sentiment but said it is impractical.

We came a long ways to get to this point, he said. We need to see what the Supreme Court does and continue to look at new businesses and move Whiteclay to a better place.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland talks to reporters about NAFTA outside the House of Commons on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Thursday, May 18, 2017. Freeland says the world wants Canada to trumpet tolerance and diversity. That's her plan for what is being billed as a major foreign policy speech early next month. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
A single rose is left on the sidewalk to honor a victim of a wrong way driver in New York's Times Square, Friday, May 19, 2017. Richard Rojas, 26, charged with slamming his speeding car into pedestrians on the sidewalks of Times Square, killing a teenage tourist and injuring nearly two dozen people, said he wanted to "kill them all" and police should have shot him to stop him, a prosecutor revealed Friday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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This Perspective was originally published in the Summer 2017 issue of the Middle East Quarterly. It is part of a forthcoming BESA Center study on the Six-Day War that will be published to coincide with the wars fiftieth anniversary.





Prof. Efraim Karsh is Director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.





BESA Center Perspectives Papers are published through the generosity of the Greg Rosshandler Family

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 470..19 May '17..The standard narrative regarding the Six-Day War runs as follows: Had Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser not fallen for a false Soviet warning of Israeli troop concentrations along the Syrian border and deployed his forces in the Sinai Peninsula, the slippery slope to war would have been averted altogether. Had Israel not misconstrued Egyptian grandstanding for a mortal threat to its national security, if not its very survival, it would have foregone the preemptive strike that started the war. In short, it was a largely accidental and unnecessary war born of mutual miscalculations and misunderstandings.This view could not be further from the truth. If wars are much like road accidents, as the British historian A.J.P. Taylor famously quipped, having a general cause and particular causes at the same time, then the June 1967 war was anything but accidental. Its specific timing resulted of course from the convergence of a number of particular causes at a particular juncture. But its general causethe total Arab rejection of Jewish statehood, starkly demonstrated by the concerted attempt to destroy the state of Israel at birth and the unwavering determination to rectify this unfinished businessmade another all-out Arab-Israeli war a foregone conclusion.No sooner had the doctrine of pan-Arabism, postulating the existence of a single nation bound by the common ties of language, religion and history. behind the facade of a multiplicity of sovereign states come to dominate inter-Arab politics at the end of World War I than anti-Zionism became its most effective rallying cry: not from concern for the wellbeing of the Palestinian Arabs but from the desire to fend off a supposed foreign encroachment on the perceived pan-Arab patrimony. As Abdel Rahman Azzam, secretary-general of the Arab League, told Zionist officials in September 1947:For me, you may be a fact, but for [the Arab masses], you are not a fact at allyou are a temporary phenomenon. Centuries ago, the Crusaders established themselves in our midst against our will, and in 200 years, we ejected them. This was because we never made the mistake of accepting them as a fact.On rare occasions, this outright rejectionism was manifested in quiet attempts to persuade the Zionist leaders to forego their quest for statehood and acquiesce in subject status within a regional pan-Arab empire. Nuri Said, a long-time Iraqi prime minister, made this suggestion at a 1936 meeting with Chaim Weizmann while Transjordans King Abdullah of the Hashemite family secretly extended an offer to Golda Meir (in November 1947 and May 1948) to incorporate Palestines Jewish community into the Greater Syrian empire he was striving to create at the time. For most of the time, however, the Arabs primary instrument for opposing Jewish national aspirations was violence, and what determined their politics and diplomacy was the relative success or failure of that instrument in any given period. As early as April 1920, pan-Arab nationalists sought to rally support for incorporating Palestine into the short-lived Syrian kingdom headed by Abdullahs brother, Faisal, by carrying out a pogrom in Jerusalem in which five Jews were murdered and 211 wounded. The following year, Arab riots claimed a far higher toll: some 90 dead and hundreds wounded. In the summer of 1929, another wave of violence resulted in the death of 133 Jews and the wounding of hundreds more.For quite some time, this violent approach seemed to work. It was especially effective in influencing the British, who had been appointed the mandatory power in Palestine by the League of Nations. Though their explicit purpose was to facilitate the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, the British authorities repeatedly gave in to Arab violence aimed at averting that purpose and to the demands that followed upon it. In two White Papers, issued in 1922 and 1930 respectively, London severely compromised the prospective Jewish national home by imposing harsh restrictions on immigration and land sales to Jews.In July 1937, Arab violence reaped its greatest reward when a British commission of inquiry, headed by Lord Peel, recommended repudiating the terms of the mandate altogether in favor of partitioning Palestine into two states: a large Arab state, united with Transjordan, that would occupy some 90 percent of the mandate territory, and a Jewish state in what was left. This was followed in May 1939 by another White Paper that imposed even more draconian restrictions on Jewish immigration and land purchases, closing the door to Palestine for Jews desperate to flee Nazi Europe and threatening the survival of the Jewish national project. Agitating for more, the Arabs dismissed both plans as insufficient.They did the same in November 1947 when, in the face of the imminent expiration of the British mandate, the U.N. General Assembly voted to partition Palestine. Rejecting this solution, the Arab nations resolved instead to destroy the state of Israel at birth and gain the whole for themselves. This time, however, Arab violence backfired spectacularly. In the 1948-49 war, not only did Israel confirm its sovereign independence and assert control over somewhat wider territories than those assigned to it by the U.N. partition resolution, but the Palestinian Arab community was profoundly shattered with about half of its population fleeing to other parts of Palestine and to neighboring Arab states.For the next two decades, inter-Arab politics would be driven by the determination to undo the consequences of the 1948 defeat, duly dubbed al-Nakba, the catastrophe, and to bring about Israels demise. Only now, it was Cairo rather than the two Hashemite kings that spearheaded the pan-Arab campaign following Nassers rise to power in 1954 and his embarkation on an aggressive pan-Arab policy.The Egyptian president had nothing but contempt for most members of the Arab Nation he sought to unify: Iraqis are savage, the Lebanese venal and morally degenerate, the Saudis dirty, the Yemenis hopelessly backward and stupid, and the Syrians irresponsible, unreliable and treacherous, he told one of his confidants. Neither did he have a genuine interest in the Palestinian problempan-Arabisms most celebrated cause: The Palestinians are useful to the Arab states as they are, he told a Western journalist in 1956. We will always see that they do not become too powerful. Can you imagine yet another nation on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean! Yet having recognized the immense value of this cause for his grandiose ambitions, he endorsed it with a vengeance, especially after the early 1960s when his pan-Arab dreams were in tatters as Syria acrimoniously seceded from its bilateral union with Egypt (1958-61) and the Egyptian army bogged down in an unwinnable civil war in Yemen. Arab unity or the unity of the Arab action or the unity of the Arab goal is our way to the restoration of Palestine and the restoration of the rights of the people of Palestine, Nasser argued. Our path to Palestine will not be covered with a red carpet or with yellow sand. Our path to Palestine will be covered with blood.By way of transforming this militant rhetoric into concrete plans, in January 1964, the Egyptian president convened the first all-Arab summit in Cairo to discuss ways and means to confront the Israeli threat. A prominent item on the agenda was the adoption of a joint strategy to prevent Israel from using the Jordan River waters to irrigate the barren Negev desert in the south of the country. A no less important decision was to lay the proper foundations for organizing the Palestinian people and enabling it to fulfill its role in the liberation of its homeland and its self-determination. Four months later, a gathering of 422 Palestinian activists in East Jerusalem, then under Jordanian rule, established the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and approved its two founding documents: the organizations basic constitution and the Palestinian National Covenant.These events made Nasser yet again the undisputed leader of the Arab world, the only person capable of making the Arabs transcend, however temporarily, their self-serving interests for the sake of the collective good. He was nowhere near his cherished goal of promoting the actual unification of the Arab world under his leadership as he had seemingly been in 1958 when Syria agreed to merge with Egypt. Yet he had successfully hijacked pan-Arabisms most celebrated cause and established a working relationship with his erstwhile enemies in Amman and Riyadh. In a second summit meeting in Alexandria in October 1964, the heads of the Arab states accepted Nassers long-term, anti-Israel strategy. This envisaged the laying of the groundwork for the decisive confrontation through the patient buildup of Arab might in all areasmilitary, economic, social, and politicaland the simultaneous weakening of Israel through concrete actions such as the diversion of the Jordan River estuaries. The PLO was authorized to create an army of Palestinian volunteers, to which the Arab governments pledged to give support, and a special fund was established for the reorganization of the Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanian armies under a united Arab command.Before long, this organized pan-Arab drive for Israels destruction was disrupted by an unexpected sequence of events that led, within a few weeks, to the third Arab-Israeli war since 1948; and the event that triggered this escalation was a Soviet warning (in early May 1967) of large-scale Israeli troop concentrations along the border with Syria aimed at launching an immediate attack. As pan-Arabisms standard-bearer, Nasser had no choice but to come to the rescue of a (supposedly) threatened ally tied to Egypt in a bilateral defense treaty since November 1966, especially when the pro-Western regimes in Jordan and Saudi Arabia were openly ridiculing his failure to live up to his high pan-Arab rhetoric. On May 14, the Egyptian armed forces were placed on the highest alert, and two armored divisions began moving into the Sinai Peninsula, formally demilitarized since the 1956 Suez war. That same day, the Egyptian chief of staff, Lt.-Gen. Muhammad Fawzi, arrived in Damascus to get a first-hand impression of the military situation and to coordinate a joint response in the event of an Israeli attack. To his surprise, Fawzi found no trace of Israeli concentrations along the Syrian border or troop movements in northern Israel. He reported these findings to his superiors, but this had no impact on the Egyptian move into Sinai, which continued apace. Fawzi was to recall in his memoirs,From that point onward, I began to believe that the issue of Israeli concentrations along the Syrian border was not  the only or the main cause of the military deployments which Egypt was undertaking with such haste.Within less than twenty-four hours, Nassers objective had been transformed from the deterrence of an Israeli attack against Syria into an outright challenge to the status quo established after the 1956 war. With Fawzis reassuring findings corroborated both by Egyptian military intelligence and by a special U.N. inspection, and the Israelis going out of their way to reassure the Soviets that they had not deployed militarily along their northern border, Nasser must have realized that there was no imminent threat to Syria. He could have halted his troops at that point and claimed a political victory, having deterred an (alleged) Israeli attack against Syria.But it is precisely here that the Arab-Israeli conflicts general causerejection of Israels very existencecombined with the particular causes to make war inevitable as Nassers resolute move catapulted him yet again to a position of regional preeminence that he was loath to relinquish. At a stroke, he had managed to undo one of Israels foremost gains in the 1956 warthe de facto demilitarization of the Sinai Peninsulawithout drawing a serious response from Jerusalem. Now that the Egyptian troops were massing in Sinai, Nasser decided to raise the ante and eliminate another humiliating remnant of that war for which he had repeatedly been castigated by his rivals in the Arab world: the presence of a U.N. Emergency Force (UNEF) on Egyptian (but not on Israeli) territory as a buffer between the two states.As the U.N. observers were quickly withdrawn and replaced by Egyptian forces, Nasser escalated his activities still further. Addressing Egyptian pilots in Sinai on May 22, he announced the closure of the Strait of Tiran, at the southern mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, to Israeli and Israel-bound shipping. The Gulf of Aqaba constitutes our Egyptian territorial waters, he announced to the cheers of an ecstatic audience. Under no circumstances will we allow the Israeli flag to pass through the Aqaba Gulf. The following day the Egyptian mass media broke the news to the entire world.Did Nasser consider the possibility that his actions might lead to war? All the available evidence suggests that he did. Initially, when he briefly believed in the imminence of an Israeli attack against Syria, he could not have taken for granted that the Egyptian deployment in Sinai would have deterred such an action, in which case he would have been forced to come to Syrias defense. Moreover, the demilitarization of Sinai was seen by Israel as vital to its national security, which made its violation a legitimate casus belli. But then, Nasser was being rapidly entrapped by his imperialist ambitions. He began deploying his troops in Sinai out of fear that failure to do so would damage his pan-Arab position beyond repair. He continued to escalate his activities, knowing full well that there was no threat of an Israeli attack against Syria, because of his conviction that the continuation of the crisis boosted his pan-Arab standing.It is true that the lack of a prompt and decisive Israeli response to the Egyptian challenge, together with the quick realization that there were no Israeli concentrations along the Syrian border, might have convinced Nasser that the risks were not so great and that war was not inevitable. Yet, when he decided to remove UNEF and to close the Strait of Tiran, Nasser undoubtedly knew that he was crossing the threshold from peace to war. Now with our concentrations in Sinai, the chances of war are fifty-fifty, he told his cabinet on May 21, during a discussion on the possible consequences of a naval blockade. But if we close the Strait, war will be a 100 percent certainty. We all knew that our armaments were adequateindeed, infinitely better than in the October 1973 War, recalled Anwar Sadat, who participated in that crucial meeting:When Nasser asked us our opinion, we were all agreed that the Strait should be closedexcept for [Prime Minister] Sidqi Sulayman, who pleaded with Nasser to show more patience  [But] Nasser paid no attention to Sulaymans objections. He was eager to close the Strait so as to put an end to the Arab maneuverings and maintain his great prestige within the Arab world.The die was cast. Having maneuvered himself yet again into the drivers seat of inter-Arab politics, Nasser could not climb down without risking a tremendous loss of face. He was approaching the brink with open eyes, and if there was no way out of the crisis other than war, so be it: Egypt was prepared. Daily consultations between the political and the military leaderships were held. The Egyptian forces in Sinai were assigned their operational tasks. In a widely publicized article in al-Ahram on May 26, the newspapers editor-in-chief, Nassers mouthpiece, Muhammad Hassanein Heikal, explained why war between Egypt and Israel was inevitable. A week later, at a meeting with the armed forces supreme command, Nasser predicted an Israeli strike against Egypt within forty-eight to seventy-two hours at the latest.The coming of war is seldom a happy occasion. It is often fraught with misgivings and apprehensions. But if doubts assailed Nassers peace of mind, he gave them no public expression. The Egyptian war preparations were carried out in a confident and ever-extravagant fashion, in front of the watching eyes of the world media. The closer Nasser came to the brink, the more aggressive he became. The Jews have threatened war, he gloated in his May 22 speech, We tell them: You are welcome; we are ready for war. Four days later, he took a big step forward, announcing that if hostilities were to break out, our main objective will be the destruction of Israel. Now that we have the situation as it was before 1956, Nasser proclaimed on another occasion, Allah will certainly help us to restore the status quo of before 1948.Once again imperialist pan-Arab winds were blowing. This is the real rising of the Arab nation, Nasser boasted while the few skeptics within the Egyptian leadership were being rapidly converted to belief in victory over Israel. In the representative words of Naguib Mahfouz, Egypts foremost writer and winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize:When Nasser held his famous press conference, before the June 1967 war, and spoke with confident pomp, I took our victory over Israel for granted. I envisaged it as a simple journey to Tel Aviv, of hours or days at the most, since I was convinced we were the greatest military power in the Middle East.By this time, the conflict was no longer about the presence of U.N. forces on Egyptian soil or freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aqaba, let alone the alleged Israeli threat to Syria. It had been transformed into a jihad to eradicate the foremost remnant of Western imperialism in the Middle East. During the crusaders occupation, the Arabs waited seventy years before a suitable opportunity arose, and they drove away the crusaders, Nasser echoed Azzams 1947 rhetoric, styling himself as the new Saladin: [R]ecently we felt that we are strong enough, that if we were to enter a battle with Israel, with Gods help, we could triumph.Nassers militancy was contagious. The irritating chorus of criticism had fallen silent. His former Arab rivals were standing in line to rally behind his banner. On the morning of May 30, Jordans King Hussein, who at the beginning of the crisis still mocked Nasser for hiding behind UNEFs apron, arrived in Cairo where he immediately signed a defense pact with Egypt. He returned to Amman later that day accompanied by Ahmad Shuqeiri, head of the PLO and hitherto one of the kings archenemies. The following day, an Egyptian general arrived in Amman to command the eastern front in the event of war. On June 4, Iraq followed suit by entering into a defense agreement with Egypt, and Nasser informed King Hussein that their pact now included Iraq as well. By this time, Arab expeditionary forcesincluding an Iraqi armored division, a Saudi and a Syrian brigade, and two Egyptian commando battalionswere making their way to Jordan. The balance of forces, so it seemed to the Arabs, had irreversibly shifted in their favor. The moment of reckoning with the Zionist entity, as they pejoratively called Israel, had come. Have your authorities considered all the factors involved and the consequences of the withdrawal of UNEF? the commander of the U.N. force, Gen. Indar Jit Rikhye, asked the Egyptian officers bearing the official demand. Oh yes sir! We have arrived at this decision after much deliberation, and we are prepared for anything. If there is war, we shall next meet at Tel Aviv. The Iraqi president Abdel Rahman Aref was no less forthright. This is the day of the battle, he told the Iraqi forces leaving for Jordan. We are determined and united to achieve our clear aimto remove Israel from the map. We shall, Allah willing, meet in Tel Aviv and Haifa.Yet for all his militant zeal, Nasser had weighty reasons to forgo a first strike at this particular time. His war preparations had not been completed: The Egyptian forces in Sinai were still digging in; the Arab expeditionary forces to Jordan had not yet been fully deployed, and coordination of the operational plans of the Arab military coalition required more time. Nasser also feared that an Egyptian attack would trigger a U.S. military response that might neutralize the new Arab political and military superiority over Israel, which had been gained by the most remarkable demonstration of pan-Arab unity since the 1948 war.Nassers fears of U.S. intervention were compounded by the nature of the Egyptian operational plan, which envisaged deep thrusts into Israels territory. An armored division was to break out of the Gaza Strip and capture border villages inside Israel while another armored division was to cut off the southern Negev from the rest of Israel, thereby achieving the long-standing Egyptian objective of establishing a land bridge with Jordan. Given Nassers belief in the U.S. commitment to Israels territorial integrity, such plans could hardly be implemented if Egypt were to take the military initiative. Their execution as an act of self-defense in response to an Israeli attack was a completely different matter, however.This explains Nassers readiness to play the political card, such as his decision to send Vice-President Zakaria Muhieddin to Washington on June 7. He had no intention whatever to give ground, and the move was aimed at cornering Israel and making it more vulnerable to Arab pressure and, eventually, war. Robert Anderson, a special U.S. envoy sent to Egypt to defuse the crisis, reported to President Lyndon Johnson that Nasser showed no sign of backing down and spoke confidently of the outcome of a conflict with Israel.Anderson was not the only person to have heard this upbeat assessment. Nassers belief in Egypts ability to absorb an Israeli strike and still win the war was widely shared by the Egyptian military and was readily expressed to the other members of the Arab military coalition. In his May 30 visit to Cairo, King Hussein was assured by Nasser of Egypts full preparedness against an Israeli air strike: No more than 15-20 percent losses would be incurred before the Egyptian air force dealt a devastating blow to Israel. The other members of the Jordanian delegation heard equally confident words from Abdel Hakim Amer, Nassers deputy and commander of the Egyptian armed forces. When the Egyptian foreign minister Mahmoud Riad asked Amer about the armed forces state of readiness, he was told that if Israel actually carried out any military action against us, I could, with only one third of our forces, reach Beersheba.The most eloquent public exposition of this euphoric state of mind was provided by Heikals May 26 al-Ahram article on the inevitability of war. Egypt has exercised its power and achieved the objectives of this stage without resorting to arms so far, he wrote:Israel has no alternative but to use arms if it wants to exercise power. This means that the logic of the fearful confrontation now taking place between Egypt, fortified by the might of the masses of the Arab nation, and Israel, bolstered by the illusion of American might, dictates that Egypt, after all it has now succeeded in achieving, must wait, even though it has to wait for a blow. This is necessitated also by the sound conduct of the battle, particularly from an international point of view. Let Israel begin. Let our second blow then be ready. Let it be a knockout.As it were, the war that broke out on June 5 was not quite the knockout that Heikal had in mind. Instead of dealing Israel a mortal blow, the Egyptians saw their air force destroyed on the ground within three hours of the outbreak of hostilities and their army crushed and expelled from Sinai over the next three days. As Syria, Jordan, and Iraq attacked Israel, their armies were similarly routed. By the time the war was over, after merely six days of fighting, Israel had extended its control over vast Arab territories about five times its own size, from the Suez Canal, to the Jordan River, to the Golan Heights.Small wonder that Nasser would doggedly shrug off responsibility for the defeat by feigning victimhood and emphatically denying any intention to attack Israel. This claim was quickly endorsed by numerous Western apologists eager to absolve him of any culpability for the war, in what was to become the standard Arab and Western historiography of the conflict. Some went so far in the attempt to exculpate Nasser as to portray him as a mindless creature thriving on hollow rhetoric and malleable in the extreme: retired members of the old Revolutionary Command Council wander in and out of meetings and give their opinions; Nasser butts in and nobody pays much attention to him; he takes journalists seriously and revises his intelligence estimate on the basis of their remarks; he is influenced by the casual conversation of diplomats.Aside from doing a great injustice to Nasserthe charismatic dictator who had heavy-handedly ruled Egypt for over a decade and mesmerized tens of millions throughout the Arabic-speaking worldthis description has little basis in reality. As evidenced both by Nassers escalatory behavior during the crisis and by captured military documents revealing elaborate plans for an invasion of Israel, the Egyptian president did not stumble into war but orchestrated it with open eyes. He steadily raised his sights in accordance with the vicissitudes in the crisis until he set them on the ultimate pan-Arab objective: the decisive defeat of Israel and, if possible, its destruction.The June 1967 war was a direct corollary of pan-Arabisms delusions of grandeur, triggered by the foremost champion of this ideology and directed against its foremost nemesis. It was the second all-out attempt in a generation to abort the Jewish national revival, and it ended in an even greater ignominy than its 1948 precursor. Then, only half of Palestine had been lost. Now the land was lost in its entirety, together with Egyptian and Syrian territories. In 1948, the dividing line between victor and vanquished was often blurred as the war dragged on intermittently for over a year. In 1967, owing to the wars swift and decisive nature, there was no doubt as to which side was the victor.The magnitude of the defeat thus punctured the pan-Arab bubble of denial and suggested to the Arabs that military force had its limits. If the 1967 war was fought with a view to destroying Israel, the next war, in October 1973, launched by Nassers successor Anwar Sadat, had the far narrower objective of triggering a political process that would allow Egypt to regain the territories lost in 1967. Israels remarkable military recovery in October 1973 after having been caught off-guard further reinforced Sadats determination to abandon pan-Arabisms most celebrated cause and culminated in the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty of March 1979.While one can only speculate about Sadats ultimate intentions (he was assassinated in October 1981 by an Islamist zealot), there is little doubt that his successor, Hosni Mubarak, viewed peace not as a value in and of itself but as the price Egypt had to pay for such substantial benefits as increased U.S. economic and military aid. So did the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which perceived its 1990s peace agreements with Israel as a pathway not to a two-state solutionIsrael alongside a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza living side-by-side in peacebut to the subversion of the state of Israel.In Arab eyes, then, with the partial exception perhaps of Jordans King Hussein, contractual peace with Israel has represented not a recognition of legitimacy but a tacit admission that, at least for the time being, the Jewish state cannot be defeated by force of arms. And while militant pan-Arabism is unlikely to regain its pre-1967 dominance in the foreseeable future due to the ravages of the recent Arab upheavals, the advent of a new generation of Palestinians and Arabs for whom the 1967 defeat is but a dim memory, one more historical injustice that has to be redressed by any means necessary, makes the prospects of Arab-Israeli reconciliation as remote as ever.
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PAUL SCHNEIDEREIT: Treatment centre for PTSD in first responders, military opens in Nova Scotia

Imagine its your job, every day, to be ready to rush to scenes where men, women or even children had been killed or badly injured, often in horrific circumstances. Really, consider what that might be like. If youre like most of us, the thought ...
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Periods of rain. High near 70F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 67F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
By Aparajita Saxena

May 22 (Reuters) - Australia shares rose on Monday and looked set to break a three-session losing streak, as gains in financials, metals and energy companies bolstered the index.

The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.81 percent, or 46.59 points, to 5,774.7 by 0231 GMT.

After falling for four of five sessions last week, the financial index rose 0.7 percent. Three of the 'Big Four' rose, though Australia and New Zealand Banking slipped 0.5 percent.

"Banks are rebounding today after being sold off quite heavily this month. Melbourne banks ANZ and NAB are lagging, compared with Sydney banks at the moment," said Bill Keenan, general manager of direct equities research at broker Lonsec.

"ANZ has been underperforming since after the results season, and is generally lower this month."

Westpac Banking Corp , the country's second biggest lender, said on Monday that a new bank levy announced by the government in its budget would result in additional costs of A$65 million ($48.36 million) in the second half of the financial year ending September. Other big banks said last week they would pass on the financial hit from the new tax to their customers and shareholders.

Morgan Stanley estimated the levy would reduce annual earnings of the top banks including Macquarie by an average of 4.5 percent if customers and stakeholders did not absorb costs. Gains in financials were mostly spearheaded by insurers - QBE Insurance rose 1.44 percent, while Suncorp Group jumped 0.8 percent.

"(The Australian market) is also seeing strength from energy and resources shares," Keenan added.

Oil prices rose to their highest in a month on Friday on growing expectations that OPEC and other producing countries would agree to extend output cuts. Prices continued to rise in Asian trading on Monday, boosting the energy share index in Australia by 2.2 percent.

Woodside Petroleum , Oil Search rose nearly 1.5 percent, while Origin Energy rose 4.61 percent.

Iron miners Rio Tinto , BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals rose 2 percent to 4.7 percent, after iron ore traded on the Dalian Commodity Exchange rose over 3 pct on Friday. Rio Tinto shares flirted with three month highs, and were headed for their fifth session of gains.

Nickel miner Western Areas Ltd was the biggest gainer on the benchmark index, surging 7.6 percent.

It was tracking 3-month nickel prices on the LME , which rose half a percent, and Shanghai nickel , which rallied 3 percent on Monday. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index dipped in and out of positive territory but was little changed. By 0228 GMT, it was up 0.03 percent or 2.09 points to 7,394.2.

Loss in utilities were offset by gains in telecom shares - Spark New Zealand rose as much as 1.7 percent, while Chorus Ltd gained 2.53 percent.

For more individual stocks activity click on ($1 = 1.3441 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Aparajita Saxena; Additional reporting by Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill)
(Repeats item issued late Friday with no change to text)

By Hallie Gu and Josephine Mason

BEIJING, May 19 (Reuters) - China's beleaguered sugar producers are hoping for a taste of victory next week as Beijing prepares to deliver its verdict on sugar import duties and intensifies a crackdown on rampant smuggling along ancient trade routes.

On Monday, China's Commerce Ministry will issue its first ruling on a months-long investigation into raw and refined sugar imports, having already proposed hefty tariffs in a draft ruling. A steep hike in duties by the world's biggest sugar importer would be a serious blow for top producers Thailand and Brazil, amid concerns about waning global demand for the sweetener.

However, it would offer a much-needed reprieve to millions of small farmers and state-owned producers like Nanning Sugar Industry and Cofco Tunhe Co who argue cheap imports have caused billions of dollars of losses, cost jobs and forced output cuts.

"If results are what the market has rumored, imported sugar will lose its competitiveness while domestic sugar will get a boost," said Wang Weidong, analyst based in Nanning, Guangxi province, at Huatai Futures.

In a further sign that Beijing is trying to revive the broader industry, it has tightened checks along China's porous southern border with Myanmar to try to stamp out the flow of illicit sugar, a source at a major global trader, a sales manager at a top southern producer and three experts said.

As much as 2 million tonnes of raw and refined sugar from Thailand and other producers - worth some $2 billion at current prices - is stowed on trucks and ships and sold illegally at wholesale markets each year, traders estimate.

Sugar is one of the few sectors in which China struggles to compete with foreign rivals because smallholder farmers have to employ more labour, driving up costs.

China's most-active white sugar futures were at 6,737 yuan ($977.60) per tonne on Friday, nearly double the price of London futures .

The country currently imports about 3 million tonnes of sugar a year, with 1.94 million tonnes of sugar imports allowed at a tariff of 15 percent as part of China's commitments to the World Trade Organization.

Beijing also allows out-of-quota imports, which have been set at about 1.9 million tonnes in the past two years, and currently attract a 50 percent duty.

SMUGGLED SWEETENER

Smuggling will be discussed at a meeting next week called by the China Sugar Association with producers and refiners, in the top sugar growing province Guangxi, a source briefed on the matter said.

The association did not respond to calls seeking comment, while customs did not respond to a fax seeking comment on the tighter border controls.

Some in the industry worry that higher tariffs could tighten domestic supplies and boost prices locally, making China an even more alluring market for smugglers.

"Many major criminals are still at large ... Smuggling is still blatant, and hasn't been smashed completely yet," the China Sugar Association's official journal said recently.

Still, this year's crackdown, which started a few months ago and intensified in late March, has had some success, stemming shipments through Yunnan province, leading to the arrest of some traders and boosting domestic prices, according to traders and experts.

Prices of smuggled sugar have risen in China's wholesale markets, they said, while wholesale sugar prices in Myanmar, a major conduit for smugglers, have fallen.

In a recent trip to check the availability of illegal product in Henan province in late April, the sales manager said he no longer saw any smuggled sugar disguised as product from his company.

"The crackdown happens every year and usually the smuggling got quieter for a couple of weeks following each crackdown. But this year, it has been quiet for a couple months," said the source at a major global trader. ($1 = 1,370.0000 kyat) ($1 = 6.8914 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Hallie Gu and Josephine Mason; Editing by Richard Pullin)
Large gold mines in Zimbabwe could lose unused mining claims to the government, which is seeking to increase the number of small producers as part of its economic empowerment drive, a ministry of mines draft policy paper showed on Friday.

Gold is Zimbabwe's third largest export earner after tobacco and platinum. Small-scale miners have in the last four years ramped up output to nearly half of total production in 2016 on the back of financial and equipment support from the government.

A paper titled "Proposed Command Mining Initiatives" distributed at an annual meeting of the Chamber of Mines in Victoria Falls proposed to "implement the use it or lose it policy on mining claims (for) large mines sitting on unused mining claims."-

The government planned "allocation of mining land from reserved areas to small-scale miners" and to reduce fees paid by mining companies and the time it takes to register a mine.

The paper did not specify which companies could lose mining rights. Gold producers operating in Zimbabwe include Caledonia Mining Corporation, Freda Rebecca, which is owned by AIM-listed Asa Resources Group and unlisted London-based Metallon Corporation.

Zimbabwe's total gold output was 22.7 tonnes in 2016, according to national treasury figures, which has set a target of 30 tonnes this year.

Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Khupikile Mlambo told industry officials at the meeting that earnings from mining jumped to $853 million between January and May 12, up from $669 million in the same period last year.

Mlambo said gold exports had benefited from a 5 percent export incentive that producers receive in the form of "bond notes", a surrogate currency officially pegged at par with the U.S dollar.

(Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Ed Stoddard and David Evans)
* Delays in Vietnam, China new refining capacity start-ups

* Wood Mackenzie cuts Asia refinery additions in 2017 to 360,000 bpd

* Saudi-Russia decision to extend supply cuts timely - analysts, traders

By Florence Tan

SINGAPORE, May 22 (Reuters) - Delays in the start up of new oil refineries in Asia will provide support for appeals by crude producers, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, to extend output cuts to next March to support higher prices.

Asia's refining capacity in 2017 was expected to expand by the most in three years, helping to tilt the global oil market back into balance as production cuts led by Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) took effect. But analysts are rethinking the Asia demand impact after delays in Chinese and Vietnamese projects, adding more importance to a potential extension of the producer-led supply cuts.

Because of the delays, energy consultants Wood Mackenzie now expect a net refinery capacity addition in Asia of 360,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from a forecast of 450,000 bpd in December.

"If these projects had come on time, that would have given some head room for OPEC's production to the tune of 300,000 to 400,000 bpd at least," said Suresh Sivanandam, analyst at consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

"So these delays would mean that market rebalancing could be delayed and hence the need for extending the production cuts."

State-owned PetroVietnam said on May 18 that it was delaying commercial operations at its 200,000 bpd Nghi Son refinery to the end of December. The project is a joint venture with Kuwait Petroleum Corp and Japan's Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd A 200,000 bpd expansion at CNOOC Corp's Huizhou refinery planned for start-up around May or June has been delayed, said a company official who declined to be named.

CNOOC did not reply to an e-mail seeking comment.

The falling Asian demand and the possible extended producer cuts come at the same time that Asia is importing more light crude from the United States. This is increasing the risk of a battle among producers over market share in the region. Shale oil production in the United States gained by nearly 617,000 bpd from December to June, government data showed. Saudi Aramco has been supplying additional volumes of light crude to Asia despite cutting exports of heavier grades. At the same time, Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) is also looking for new outlets for its crude after closing a domestic refinery in April, traders said. A potential new outlet is PetroChina's Yunnan refinery which is receiving crude via a pipeline from Myanmar and is expected to start trial runs in June. The state-owned Chinese major had been in talks with Saudi Aramco for long-term crude supplies. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ U.S. oil rigs vs production ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Florence Tan; Additional reporting by Meng Meng in BEIJING; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
(Updates to close)

May 22 (Reuters) - Australian stocks closed stronger on Monday, although off session highs, as upticks in commodity prices lifted miners and oil companies, while financial shares offered a helping hand.

The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 43.791 points or 0.76 percent to 5,771.2 at the close of trade.

Majors BHP Billiton Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group led gains as iron ore prices climbed. Iron ore traded on the Dalian Commodity Exchange jumped more than 3 percent on Monday, while Chinese steel futures hit a nine-week peak. Reports that an OPEC-led supply cut may not only be extended into next year but might also be deepened to tighten the market and prop up prices lifted oil prices in Asian trading, extending Friday's gains. Oil majors Woodside Petroleum and Oil Search rose accordingly, with the energy index ending 2.15 percent higher.

Origin Energy was also among the top performers on the index, closing 3.95 percent higher.

Gains in financials were led by Commonwealth Bank of Australia rising 1.3 percent and Westpac Banking Corp up 0.8 percent.

The financials index ended 0.58 percent higher.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.24 percent or 17.39 points to finish the session at 7,409.500.

Gains were led by telecom shares, with Spark New Zealand up 2.9 percent, and Chorus up 1.8 percent.

(Reporting by Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Eric Meijer)
HONG KONG, May 22 (Reuters) - Shares of Chinese e-commerce platform Cogobuy Group plunged more than 20 percent on Monday and trading was halted, after a short-seller accused the company of improper accounting practices.

The little-known Blazing Research valued Cogobuy shares at HK$0.53 each in its note, significantly below their current value of HK$7.80. ( )

Officials of the company, which has a market value of $1.5 billion, were not immediately available for comment.

Cogobuy shares fell as much as 27 percent to an intraday low of HK$7.30, the weakest since November 2015.

Blazing Research, which has most of its team in Singapore, says on its website that it may have short positions on the companies that it covers. ($1 = 7.7862 Hong Kong dollars)

(Reporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
(Corrects paragraph 9 to show Enkhbayar helped negotiate the Oyu Tolgoi investment agreement but did not sign it)

ULAANBAATAR, May 15 (Reuters) - Mongolia's controversial former president, Nambar Enkhbayar, will not be allowed to stand in presidential elections next month because of registration irregularities and his conviction for graft in 2012, the election commission said.

Enkhbayar, one of the country's most popular politicians, was picked to contest the June 26 vote by the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), but the election panel said on its official website on Sunday his registration had been refused.

A spokesman for the MPRP could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mongolia, a former Soviet satellite sandwiched between China and Russia, is regarded as an oasis of democracy in the region, and goes to the polls next month to choose a new head of state after incumbent Tsakhia Elbegdorj completes his second term.

But voters have grown increasingly frustrated with elected officials amid growing wealth disparities, a collapse in foreign investment and an economic crisis that has forced the government to turn to the International Monetary Fund for assistance. Enkhbayar's exclusion now leaves the way clear for the ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) candidate, Miyeegombo Enkhbold, and a martial arts star turned business tycoon, Khaltmaa Battulga, of the opposition Democratic Party. Enkhbayar was jailed in 2012 over a conviction for profiting from illegal privatisations. He and his supporters insist the conviction was politically motivated and he was pardoned in 2013, weeks after Elbegdorj's second-term election victory.

The terms of the pardon forbade him from holding political office until the end of his original sentence on October 8 this year.

Enkhbayar was prime minister from 2000 to 2004 and then president from 2005 to 2009, when he helped negotiate a landmark investment pact for the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine with Ivanhoe Mines, now known as Turquoise Hill Resources and controlled by Rio Tinto .

He formed the MPRP in 2010 as a break-away movement after falling out with leaders of the MPP who sought to distance themselves from the party's socialist roots. The MPRP is the original name of the party that ruled Mongolia for decades as a one-party state under Soviet backing.

(Reporting by Terrence Edwards; Editing by David Stanway and Clarence Fernandez)
PRAGUE, May 22 (Reuters) - The Czech Finance Ministry plans to submit a 2018 budget draft with a deficit of 50 billion crowns ($2.12 billion), down from a 60 billion crown gap targeted in 2017, Finance Minister Andrej Babis said on Monday.

The Czech Republic posted its first budget surplus in two decades in 2016 due to a strong economy and a drop in state investments but has plans to run a deficit in the coming years.

Babis, who is expected to be dismissed this month following a government spat, said the deficit was agreed in the three-party centre-left ruling coalition and counts on raising pensions and state wages. ($1 = 23.5980 Czech crowns)

(Reporting by Petra Vodstrcilova; Writing by Jason Hovet)
BRUSSELS, May 22 (Reuters) - The issue of Greek debt relief is more of a political problem, because from an economic point of view Greece does not need it now, Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir said, noting any debt relief would have to carry strict conditions.

"On possible debt measures for Greece. Still think it's more a political issue, rather than a practical one. Greece does not need this right now," Kazimir said on Twitter.

"Implementation of such debt measures has to be accompanied by strict conditionality ensuring post-programme compliance," he said.

He said euro zone finance ministers could authorise the disbursement of new loans to Athens as soon as all reforms agreed with Greece, called prior actions, are verified by lenders' institutions.

(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski; editing by Robert-Jan Bartunek)
* LME/ShFE arb: * Chinese crackdown on polluting industries supports prices

(Adds closing prices)

By Zandi Shabalala

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - Zinc and nickel prices touched their highest in more than two weeks on Monday after China launched a regional crackdown on the steel industry, including production of the two metals.

Benchmark zinc on the London Metal Exchange closed 0.7 percent higher at $2,633 a tonne, its highest since May 2. Nickel hit its highest since May 3, up 0.4 percent to $9,395.

"The Chinese government is becoming quite aggressive in targeting environmental problems," said Oxford Economics commodities analyst Dan Smith.

Nickel is mainly used to make stainless steel, while zinc is used to galvanise steel.

FUNDAMENTALS

CHINA POLLUTION: China's Tangshan city launched a campaign to improve air quality last week, saying that steel mills in the country's top-producing region that fail to meet emission standards face suspension and heavy fines. INVENTORIES: Zinc prices are also gaining support from falling stocks in LME-approved warehouses, with inventories down about 20 percent this year at 342,675 tonnes. These are levels last seen in 2009. ZINC: Prices have risen by more than 40 percent over the past year as mine closures and suspensions have fuelled concerns over potential shortages.

STEEL: Chinese steel futures jumped more than 6 percent on Monday to their highest since March. FREEPORT: An estimated 9,000 workers at the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by the Indonesian unit of Freeport McMoRan Inc will extend a strike for a second month, a union official said on Saturday, in an ongoing dispute over employment terms and layoffs. COPPER: Copper edged down 0.4 percent to $5,703 a tonne, having hit the highest since early May at $5,694.50 on Friday.

CHINESE ECONOMY: China's economy is likely to expand by about 6.8 percent in the second quarter of 2017, the State Information Center said in an article in the state-owned China Securities Journal on Saturday. DOLLAR: Support for base metals also came from a weaker U.S. currency, which makes dollar-denominated metals cheaper for non-American companies, potentially boosting demand. OTHER METALS: Aluminium eased 0.3 percent to $1,938, lead slipped 0.1 percent to $2,092 and tin added 0.4 percent to $20,480.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top base and precious metals analysis - GFMS LME and Shanghai Futures Exchange tin stocks LME/ShFE arb: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by David Goodman and Mark Potter)
* LME/ShFE arb: * Chinese crackdown on polluting mills supports prices

(Updates throughout, changes dateline from MELBOURNE)

By Zandi Shabalala

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - Zinc and nickel touched their highest in over two-weeks on Monday after China launched a regional crackdown on the steel industry, including production of the two metals.

Benchmark zinc on the London Metal Exchange rose 1 percent to $2,641 per tonne, its highest since May 2 while nickel hit its highest since May 3, up 0.6 percent to $9,415.

"The Chinese government is becoming quite aggressive in targeting environmental problems," Oxford Economics commodities analyst Dan Smith said.

Nickel is mainly used to make stainless steel, while zinc is used to galvanise steel.

FUNDAMENTALS

CHINA POLLUTION: China's Tangshan city launched a campaign to improve air quality last week, saying steel mills in the country's top producing region that fail to meet emission standards face suspension and heavy fines. INVENTORIES: Zinc prices are also supported by falling stocks in LME-approved warehouses, with inventories down about 20 percent this year to 342,675 tonnes. These are levels last seen in 2009. ZINC: Prices are up more than 40 percent over the last year mainly as closures and suspensions of mines fuelled worries of shortages.

STEEL: Chinese steel futures jumped more than 6 percent on Monday to their highest since March. FREEPORT: An estimated 9,000 workers at the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by the Indonesian unit of Freeport McMoRan Inc will extend a strike for a second month, a union official said on Saturday, in an ongoing dispute over employment terms and layoffs. COPPER: Copper had edged down 0.1 percent to $5,688 a tonne, having hit the highest since early May at $5,694.50 on Friday.

CHINA ECONOMY: China's economy will likely expand around 6.8 percent in the second quarter of 2017, the State Information Center said in an article published in the state-owned China Securities Journal on Saturday. DOLLAR: Support for base metals also came from a lower U.S. currency, which when it falls makes dollar-denominated metals cheaper for non U.S.-firms, potentially boosting demand. PRICES: Aluminium was up 0.2 percent at $1,939.50, lead gained 0.9 percent to $2,113 and tin added 0.7 percent to $20,550.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top base and precious metals analysis - GFMS LME and Shanghai Futures Exchange tin stocks LME/ShFE arb: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne; editing by Susan Thomas)
(Kitco News) - Large speculators slashed their bullish positioning in gold and silver futures during the most recent reporting week for data compiled by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

In an unusual twist, however, gold rose even though money managers in the futures market cut their bullish stance, with Commerzbank analysts attributing the price gains to good physical demand. Meanwhile, other analysts pointed out that gold has rallied sharply starting last Wednesday, which was the day after the cutoff for the CFTC data. TD Securities pointed out that long-liquidation selling in gold ground to a halt, with prices rising amid a pickup in U.S. political turmoil

The CFTC data cover the week to May 16. During this period, Comex June gold rose $20.30 to $1,236.40 an ounce, while July silver climbed 68 cents to $16.747.

After this, prices continued to rally, helped last week by news reports that U.S. President Donald Trump allegedly asked former FBI director James Comey to end an investigation into former White House national security adviser Michael Flynns ties to Russia. As of 10:44 a.m. EDT Monday, June gold was at $1,258.50 an ounce and July silver was at $17.08.

Net long or short positioning in the CFTC data reflect the difference between the total number of bullish and bearish contracts. Traders monitor the data to gauge the general mood of speculators, although excessively high or low numbers are viewed by many as signs of overbought or oversold markets that may be ripe for price corrections.

As the CFTCs statistics on the positioning of speculative market participants show, this group of investors has withdrawn considerably further from gold and silver of late, Commerzbank said, noting the decline in the gold net-long was the third straight weekly fall.

The withdrawal of speculative financial investors has no longer had any negative impact on the gold price of late, however, the bank continued. On the contrary, the price actually climbedin the last reporting week, which points to robust physical demand.

The so-called disaggregated report shows that money managers cut their net-long position to 65,868 futures contracts as of May 16, compared to 95,962 the prior week. This occurred in large part due to long liquidation, as the number of gross long (bullish) positions declined by 19,325 to 132,094. There was also fresh selling, as reflected by an increase of 10,769 fresh short, or bearish, positions to 66,226. Saxo Bank said bullish bets on gold hit an eight-week low.

Money managers took profits after weak economic data in the U.S. saw the yellow metal bounce back into the $1,240/oz range, while others took that as an opportunity to get short in expectation of a coming rate hike in June, said TD Securities in its analysis. But after the latest political turmoil increased risks that President Trump could be impeached and may not deliver on his fiscal agenda, gold rallied to as high as $1265.08/oz and likely put an end to the liquidations as investors may not want to abandon gold just yet.

Commerzbank pointed out that the 46% fall in silver net length was the fifth weekly decline in a row, leaving the net long position at the lowest level since the beginning of 2016. The net-long position for this metal was still at a record high of nearly 100,000 contracts just five weeks ago, the bank said.

Roughly 12,550 tonnes of silver were thus sold via the futures market during this time, the bank said. In other words, the sharp fall in the silver price of almost $2.50 per troy ounce [in the last five weeks] appears to have been driven primarily by speculation. In light of this, the sizeable ETF inflows of late appear little more than a drop in the ocean. ETF holdings were increased by nearly 380 tonnes last week and by a good 740 tonnes since the beginning of the month.

The net-long silver position of money managers declined to 17,847 lots as of May 16 from 33,101 the prior week. The decline was due to fresh selling, as the number of gross short positions rose by 16,158 to 51,020. This outpaced a 904-lot increase in gross longs to 68,867.
ATHENS, May 23 (Reuters) - More clarity is needed from international lenders on debt relief plans for Greece, a Greek government official said after an inconclusive meeting of euro zone finance ministers seeking a formula for debt restructuring and further aid to the country. "There was not enough clarity for the Greek people and the markets on debt measures, more work needs to be done," a Greek government official told Reuters.

(Reporting By Renee Maltezou, writing by Michele Kambas)

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.
BRUSSELS, May 22 (Reuters) - Greece's international lenders failed to reach a deal on Monday on additional debt relief measures for Athens after an 8-hour meeting in Brussels, the head of the eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers said.

"This afternoon we had the first in-depth discussion on the topic of debt sustainability, but at this point we have not reached an overall agreement," Jeroen Dijsselbloem told a news conference after the meeting.

Ministers did not agree on releasing new loans to Athens, but Dijsselbloem said work is progressing towards a next disbursement "before the summer". Greece needs a new loan to pay debts due in July.

Dijsselbloem said that euro zone finance ministers hoped to reach a deal on disbursing more bailout funds to Greece at their next meeting on June 15.

"We will continue our work on that and try to come to a conclusion at the next Eurogroup," he told a news conference.

EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici also said he saw a deal at the next Eurogroup meeting, in Luxembourg.

Both congratulated Athens on measures taken to meet terms set by creditors and Dijsselbloem said the International Monetary Fund, which EU governments hope will join the bailout, had also said it was impressed by Greek reforms.

Dijsselbloem said there was progress toward an agreement on making Greece's debt more sustainable -- something the IMF has made a condition of its involvement -- but that a deal was not ready yet. And he stressed any debt relief would only be implemented at the end of the current bailout programme next year.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio, Jan Strupczewski and Alastair Macdonald)
Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 2 hours):

PKO BP Poland's largest lender, PKO BP , on Monday reported an 18 percent fall in first-quarter net profit to 525 million zloty ($140.15 million), mainly due to changes in the way contributions for bank guarantee fund are booked this year.

PZU Poland's biggest insurer does not need to increase mandatory car insurance further, but it will be monitoring situation closely, PZU's chief executive told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily.

KONGSBERG AUTOMOTIVE Norwegian firm Kongsberg Automotive will hire 1000 people in its third auto part factory in Poland in Brzesc Kujawski, 210 kilometres north-west of Warsaw, Puls Biznesu daily said.

LED COMPANY IPO

Silvair, a company specialising in software for light systems, may debut on the Warsaw stock exchange. The firm is worth 200 million zloty, Puls Biznesu said.

****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.****

For other related news, double click on: Polish equities E.Europe equities Polish money Polish debt Eastern Europe All emerging markets Hot stocks Stock markets Market debt news Forex news For real-time index quotes, double click on: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX ($1 = 3.7460 zlotys)

(Reporting by Warsaw Bureau)
HANOI, May 22 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0435 GMT.

May 22 USD/VND mid-point 22,375 USD/VND interbank 22,695/22,705 USD/VND unofficial 22,715/22,730 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.40-36.62

Interbank offered rates Overnight 3.6-4.2

1 week 3.9-4.2

1 month 4.0-4.6

3 months 4.5-5.0

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016, the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
ZURICH, May 22 (Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening 0.2 percent higher at 9,044 points on Monday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer .

Here are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks:

CLARIANT HUNTSMAN U.S.-based Huntsman Corp and Switzerland's Clariant AG said they are combining to create a chemical manufacturer with a market value of more than $14 billion. For more news, click LAFARGEHOLCIM The company said it hired Sika boss Jan Jenisch to take over as chief executive at the Swiss-French building materials giant, whose previous CEO quit after the company made payments to extremist groups in Syria. Paul Schuler, currently Sika's regional manager Europe Middle East Africa, will replace Jenisch at Sika. For more news, click JULIUS BAER The Swiss private bank Julius Baer said its assets under management rose 6 percent in the first four months of the year to 356 billion Swiss francs. For more news, click ABB The Swiss power grids maker said it has proposed KPMG as its external auditor from 2018. Ernst & Young has been ABB's external auditor since 2001. The move, which comes after ABB was hit by a $100 million fraud case in South Korea, is subject to shareholder approval. For more news, click UTILITIES

Swiss voters backed the government's plan to provide billions of dollars in subsidies for renewable energy, ban new nuclear plants and help bail out struggling utilities. BANKS

Herbert Scheidt, head of Swiss Bankers Association, in interview with NZZ am Sonntag paper raises doubts about the security of bank data to be shared with tax authorities in other countries CREDIT SUISSE The bank will issue nearly 72.9 million new shares as a result of the scrip dividend elections for 2016, representing 3.5 percent of its current share capital. The issue price of the new shares is 13.17 Swiss francs. As a result of the scrip dividend elections, the total number of new shares to be issued in a move approved by an extraordinary general meeting last week will be 393,232,572.

The bank has retroactively cut long-term bonus payments for between 100 and 200 staff responsible for large trading losses or expensive legal cases, Swiss paper SonntagsZeitung reported, citing an unnamed source For more news, click COMPANY STATEMENTS * Temenos Group Ag Sees full-year 2017 total non-IFRS revenue of $682 million to $704 million, up from previous guidance of $667 million to $689 million. * VAT GROUP said six members of management shareholders, including CEO and CFO of VAT, intend to place up to 164,968 registered shares via an accelerated book-building. * Swiss Life said it set aside additional technical reserves in 2016 amounting to 430 million Swiss francs and that at the end of 2016, over 650 000 insured persons opted for Swiss Life in the second pillar. * Actelion provided an update on the progress being made to bring Idorsia Ltd to the SIX Swiss Exchange. Following the successful tender offer by Johnson & Johnson for Actelion, the approval of the Actelion shareholders to demerge the drug discovery and early clinical pipeline business, and progress with the anti-trust regulatory approvals, the transaction is on track to complete by the end of the second quarter of 2017, the company said. * Flughafen Zuerich said it was awarded a new concession to operate and expand the international airport Diego Aracena in the city of Iquique, in northern Chile. ECONOMY (Reporting by Zurich newsroom)

Daily Swiss stock market report in German................ All SMI constituent stocks............................ News on major Swiss stock price moves.................. FTSE Eurotop 300 index................................ DJ STOXX index........................................ Top 10 STOXX sectors............................. Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors........................ Top 10 Eurotop 300 sectors....................... Top 25 European pct gainers... , losers... Swiss mid-cap index SMI futures Swiss all-share index Market statistics Swiss market digest Sector overview All Swiss news Swiss research news All equity news INTERNET ADDRESSES: Swiss Exchange / Eurex STOXX Ltd SPEED GUIDES: ))

Keywords: MARKETS SWISS STOCKS/
ISTANBUL, May 22 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Monday.

The lira stood at 3.5763 against the U.S. dollar at 0459 GMT, little changed from 3.5775 at Friday's close.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 10.79 percent in spot trade on Thursday ahead of a public holiday on Friday, and stood at 10.83 percent in Monday-dated trade.

The main BIST 100 share index fell 0.60 percent to 95,147.34 points on Thursday.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian stocks posted their biggest daily rise in a month on Monday following modest gains in U.S. shares, though the greenback came under renewed pressure as Washington's political turmoil undermines confidence in U.S. economic policy. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.9 percent on Monday helped by gains in Australia and Hong Kong stocks despite fresh curbs unveiled by regulators on the property markets in the latter. ERDOGAN ASSUMES AKP LEADERSHIP

President Tayyip Erdogan pledged to fight Turkey's enemies at home and abroad on Sunday as he was elected leader of the ruling AK Party, a move enabling him to reassert his grip on the party and its legislative work. BLACK SEA SUMMIT

President Erdogan will host those attending the 25th summit of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (0630 GMT). He will make an opening address (0730 GMT) and will hold a news conference (1000 GMT) before hosting a lunch (1100 GMT).

YILDIRIM

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will hold talks with Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev during the Black Sea summit (1000 GMT). He will also meet the speaker of the Kyrgyz parliament (1300 GMT). He will then depart Istanbul on a trip to Georgia (1430 GMT).

COUP TRIAL

A top trial of suspects held at military headquarters in last July's attempted coup begins in Ankara.

HDP ELECTS CO-LEADER

Turkey's pro-Kurdish party elected a new co-leader on Saturday to replace Figen Yuksekdag, who has been in jail on terrorism charges since November and was stripped of her parliamentary status three months ago. DEBT STOCK The Treasury will announce central government debt stock data for end-April (1430 GMT).

For other related news, double click on:

Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on:

Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading (Writing by Daren Butler)
(Recasts on CEO statement)

BUDAPEST, May 22 (Reuters) - Waberer's International is considering funding options including raising money via the stock market, its chief executive said on Monday after two financial sector sources told Reuters that the Hungarian company was planning an initial public offering.

The company is one of Europe's biggest haulage businesses with a fleet of more than 3,500 vehicles. Its biggest markets are Germany, Hungary, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Spain.

"We are considering all funding alternatives, including transactions in the stock market, but we have not made a final decision yet," CEO Ferenc Lajko said in an emailed reply to Reuters' questions without elaborating on why it wants to raise capital.

A spokesman for the Budapest Stock Exchange declined to comment.

(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs; Editing by David Goodman)
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Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Windy with scattered thunderstorms in the morning, then partly cloudy late. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Morning high of 66F with temps falling sharply to near 40. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low around 20F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Kim Sang-jo Jang Ha-sung



By Yoon Ja-young

President Moon Jae-in's nomination of two professors nicknamed "chaebol snipers" to key posts is obviously unnerving the country's conglomerates.

The two have been toning down their criticism of chaebol recently, although the market expects reform is inevitable. These expectations are pulling up the companies' share prices as reform will lead to a better corporate governance structure and get rid of elements undermining their stocks.

Professor Kim Sang-jo from Hansung University and professor Jang Ha-sung from Korea University have been two of the main pillars in the country's activism against the chaebol-dominated economy. The former was nominated to head the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) and the latter was named as the presidential chief of staff for policy.

Both worked with the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, the country's leading civic group, engaging themselves in activities to reform chaebol. They especially took issue with the groups' complicated governance structure, which enabled the owner family to control the entire conglomerate with only a small stake, at the expense of small shareholders.

They also criticized chaebol's unfair deals among affiliates to fatten the wallets of the owner family, as well as handing over managerial control within the family using legal loopholes.

President Moon's chaebol reform plan is expected to gain momentum with the nominations of the duo. Shifting from a conglomerate-centered economy, the new administration is seeking to provide fair opportunities for small- and medium-sized businesses.

However, the two professors have reduced their criticism of late, asking the media not to call them by their nicknames."

"If we impose compulsory measures on chaebol, it will only worsen problems if they aren't accompanied by the growth of small- and medium-sized businesses," Jang said. He also stressed conglomerates' role in job creation.

"I don't think clobbering is the right expression for chaebol reform," he added.

In joining the Ahn cheol-soo camp in the 2012 presidential election, he said he wished to be called "a companion of chaebol, not a sniper."

Even so, the market expects conglomerates will have to reform their corporate governance structure.

"Back in the 1990s, most conglomerates diversified their business portfolio, controlling the whole group with a small stake through circular shareholding and mutual loan guarantees. It led to the collapse of some groups after the Asian Financial Crisis," said Lee Sang-heon, an analyst at Hi Investment and Securities.

Prof. Jang led the initiative of the Korea Corporate Governance Fund, dubbed "Jang Ha-sung fund" back in 2006, in the belief that better governance structures would raise the value of Korean companies.

Lee said that the new administration will use the Stewardship Code and a revision of the Commercial Law to ensure chaebol reform.

"The conglomerates that haven't switched to holding a company system will face difficulties. They will have to accelerate the corporate governance structure reform," said Jeong Seong-yeob, a researcher at the Daishin Economic Research Institute.

Hyundai Motor Group, for instance, has a circular shareholding system, under which Hyundai Mobis holds a 20.8 percent stake in Hyundai Motor; Hyundai Motor has 33.8 percent in Kia Motors; and Kia Motors has 16.9 percent in Hyundai Mobis.

It enables the group chairman Chung Mong-koo to control the whole group, though he has only a 6.96 percent stake in Hyundai Mobis and a 5.17 percent in Hyundai Motors. The group will have to shift to a holding company system to get rid of this. The three affiliates have seen their share prices rise by double digits since last month, on the expectation that the introduction of a holding company system will improve their corporate value.

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group will also shift to a holding company system. Analysts expect affiliates of the group to see their market capitalization expand by over 30 percent after the reform. Lotte Group also announced last month that it will adopt a holding company system in October, though some of its affiliates fell on the bourse after the announcement.
By Nam Hyun-woo





Korean non-life insurance firms floundered in marine business last year as local shipping firms slumped amid the global downturn. In particular, Samsung Fire & Marine struggled to find its feet.



The General Insurance Association of Korea said Monday that direct premiums written by domestic non-life insurers totaled 607.99 billion won last year, down 14.26 percent from a year ago.



Such a contraction lasted throughout last year. The insurers' total direct premiums written for marine insurance shrank 19.88 percent in the first quarter of 2016 from the previous year, 14.33 percent in the second quarter and 14.18 percent in the third quarter.



Direct premiums written are similar to manufacturer's sales, showing an insurer's business growth. The smaller amount means that the domestic marine insurance market contracted last year.

Samsung Fire & Marine suffered most as its direct premiums written declined 38.65 percent to 98.89 billion won. Its marine insurance business has shrunk since 2014 when the direct premiums written peaked at 202.47 billion won.



The figure plunged to 161.2 billion won in 2015 as its smaller rival Hyundai Marine Insurance rose to the top slot with 186.25 billion won. In other words, Samsung saw its premium income more than halved in just two years.





Samsung Fire CEO Ahn Min-soo

Samsung Fire, headed by CEO Ahn Min-soo, said that it intended the business contraction.



"Based on accumulated data, we are slashing the number of contracts with high loss ratios and filling the portfolio with contracts with lower risks," a Samsung Fire official said. "Although our marine insurance sales decreased, our profitability improved."



However, the Seoul-based firm refused to disclose data on its improved profitability, saying that it is for internal use only.



Industry watchers say not only Samsung Fire but also its competitors experienced a downturn last year due to the sagging shipping industry.



The country's two major shippers  Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and Hanjin Shipping  went through creditor-led restructuring last year due to liquidity crises.



The former managed to remain alive  now the state-run Korea Development Bank owns it. However, the latter declared bankruptcy earlier this year with most of its assets being liquidated.



"The shipping industry greatly affects the marine insurance business," an insurance source said.



Indeed, most of the non-life insurance companies watched their marine business falter last year with a few exceptions like Lotte, AIG and ACE.



But none suffered such a drastic fall as Samsung. For example, business bellwether Hyundai Marine's downfall amounted to just 5.6 percent year-on-year.



"Marine insurance is not the major business of non-life insurance companies. Hence, the decreased income in the marine segment would not pose a great threat to any firm," a Seoul analyst said.



"But obviously it is not good news. They would hope to bounce back in the area in line with the recovery of the shipping industry. One uncertainty is that it is not sure when the recovery would happen."
By Nam Hyun-woo



Korea's benchmark KOSPI topped the 2,300-point mark for the first time, as foreign investors snapped up Seoul shares.



The main index ended at 2,304.03 points Monday, up 0.68 percent from a session earlier. So far the index has climbed over the mark several times during trading sessions, but this is the first time it closed higher than 2,300 points.



Foreign investors, who snatched up stocks worth 288.4 billion won ($254.25 million), supported the uptick. It was the largest net buying since May 8 when the amount was 544 billion won. Institutional and retail investors unloaded stocks worth 348.9 billion won.



A total of 344.55 million shares changed hands with their value standing at 5.75 trillion won.



The previous record was 2,296.37 points on May 11 and the main index posted the new high just seven sessions later as the country's improved economic indexes and solid business performances defied political uncertainties over impeachment talks on U.S. President Donald Trump.



"Despite external headwinds, the Seoul bourse showed an uptrend because of improved economic indexes and the emergence of steelmaking and chemical stocks," a Hana Financial Investment analyst said.



On Sunday, Korea Customs Service announced Korea's outbound shipments totaled $25.4 billion in the first 20 days of this month, up 3.4 percent compared to a year earlier.



Large-cap stocks also boosted KOSPI's rally. Samsung Electronics ended at 2,255,000 won, up 0.85 percent. SK hynix climbed 3.32 percent to 56,000 won and Naver also inched up 1.8 percent to 847,000 won.



POSCO, Samsung C&T and Shinhan Financial Group also rose 4.97 percent, 0.77 percent and 0.61 percent, respectively.




By Park Hyong-ki



Korea Development Bank (KDB) will move forward with its plan to provide funds for Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), despite opposition from a DSME investor, the state-run policy bank said Monday.



"One investor opposing the funds is not going to stop the plan from continuing to move forward," a KDB spokesperson said.



A lower court recently rejected the retail investor's appeal for an injunction against the state rescue plan, demanding full retrieval of 1.59 billion won in cash the bondholder invested in the debt-troubled DSME.



The bondholder appealed to the lower court last month, opposing the state plan to roll over DSME debt worth over 1.5 trillion won.



The investor is said to be preparing to take the case to the top court soon.



The state-run creditor bank previously said it would only pursue the DSME debt restructuring if all parties agree to roll over the shipbuilder's debt, in exchange for converting some of their bonds into equity.



KDB said that this still remains in force.



"As the top court is likely to reject the bondholder's case as did the lower court, the DSME restructuring is set to go forward," the DSME spokesperson said.



With the retail investor resisting the debt readjustment, market observers expect that the shipbuilder would face delays in receiving the new loans, including 500 billion won by the end of this month.



The shipbuilder's board initially sought to finalize the debt-to-equity plan, including relisting its shares on the stock market, last week.



But it had to postpone its decision due to the opposition. The board will hold a meeting again later this week.



KDB, the Export-Import Bank of Korea and a financial regulator announced this March that they will provide 2.9 trillion won in fresh loans to the shipbuilder. In 2015, creditor banks made it a 4.2 trillion won rescue loan.




/ Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has approved the deployment of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile for combat use as the country succeeded in test-firing it, Pyongyang's state media said Monday.

North Korea's leader observed the launch of the new ground-to-ground Pukguksong-2 missile, expressing satisfaction with its accuracy in hitting targets, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea fired the missile from the vicinity of Pukchang in the country's western province Sunday, the South Korean military said. The launch was the second in a week after it test-fired another new mid-to-long-range ballistic missile on May 14, called the Hwasong-12.

The North's leader approved the deployment of the Pukguksong-2 for action, calling it a "successful strategic weapon," the KCNA said.

"This type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way" to arm the strategic force of the Korean People's Army, Kim was quoted as saying by the report. He set forth the strategic tasks for bolstering the country's nuclear force, it added.

The missile appears to be the same type that was launched Feb. 12, according to South Korea's military. It is known to have been developed with the technology applied in submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).












South Korea plans to resume humanitarian assistance to North Korea and civilian inter-Korean exchanges to an extent that the move would not compromise the international sanctions regime, a government official said Monday.



The government said that it will sternly respond to North Korea's provocations but also does not believe that long-strained inter-Korean ties will help stability on the divided peninsula.



"The government plans to flexibly review (the resumption) of civilian inter-Korean exchanges to the extent that they do not violate international sanctions," Lee Duk-haeng, spokesman at the Ministry of Unification, told a regular press briefing.



Since liberal President Moon Jae-in took office May 10, expectations have been high that civilian inter-Korean exchanges would revive as he would seek engagement with Pyongyang.



The government under former President Park Geun-hye said it would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to those vulnerable in North Korea, such as infants and pregnant women. But Seoul has suspended almost all civilian inter-Korean exchanges since North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January 2016.



Last year the government approved only the Eugene Bell Foundation Korea's delivery of medication for tuberculosis to North Korea.



Seoul's announcement came as Moon on Sunday ordered a "firm response" to North Korea's test-firing of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, called the Pukguksong-2.



The decision seems to reflect Moon's will to handle humanitarian assistances and exchanges in the nonpolitical sectors separately from geopolitical tensions sparked by Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.



In May 24, 2010, Seoul imposed sanctions banning inter-Korean exchanges to punish North Korea for the torpedoing of a South Korean warship.



At that time, the production from a joint industrial park and humanitarian assistance were excluded from those subject to the punitive measures.



In February 2016, Seoul closed down the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North Korean border city of the same name in response to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile test early last year.



The volume of inter-Korean trade hit a 17-year low of US$333 million in 2016, due mainly to the shutdown of the complex, showed data by the ministry handling inter-Korean affairs.



Seoul's unification ministry hinted at approving a request by nongovernmental organizations for contacts with North Korea over exchanges.



About 10 agencies, including the Korea Sharing Movement, asked the ministry earlier this month to approve their plans to meet with North Koreans to discuss measures on assistance and cooperative projects.



"It is not desirable for inter-Korean ties to continue to be soured," Lee said. "In that sense, the government will review whether to approve (civic groups') bids for contacts and visits to North Korea."



Any trip to the North requires the Seoul government's approval, as well as the North's consent. The two Koreas are technically in a state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. (Yonhap)




Susan Soon-keum Cox, right, poses with other Korean adoptees in front of a "baby box" in Seoul where unwanted babies are given up for adoption. / Courtesy of Susan Soon-keum Cox



By You Soo-sun

A Korean adoptee wants to make international adoption a more viable option for orphans.

Every year, Susan Soon-keum Cox visits Korea to change negative perspectives about the adoption practice and push policymakers to ease regulations that make the work of adoption agencies extremely difficult.

A couple from Oregon adopted Cox in 1956. She was among the first Koreans to be adopted abroad and grew up as the only Korean and adoptee in her community. She found her birth parents in 1993 with the support of her adoptive mother who raised her. To her, international adoption was what gave her a loving family.

"International adoption is not about placing children from one country to another," she said. "It's about giving them a family."

As vice president of policy at Holt International, a leading international adoption agency in America, Cox is well aware of the arguments against international adoption. But she believes it is better for a child to find a family abroad than to stay in an institution, which is the case of most adoptees in Korea.

"I know there are negative perspectives on international adoption, but if it is the only possibility, then it is a priority over institution," she said.

While the number of children in institutions has risen, that of adoptions have declined  domestically and internationally, Cox said. This means most children grow up without having a family. Cox hopes to see this changed.

One major policy barrier of international adoption is that unregistered children are forbidden to be adopted abroad. Biological parents often choose not to sign the registry when giving away the baby, fearing it would be revealed to their employers or other family members.

Domestically, cultural barriers against adoption remain strong.

"Koreans don't really see adoption as something they are willing to do," Cox said. "It doesn't have to do with prosperity  it has to do with culture. I hope it will change."

The main motivation for Cox's advocacy work is clear  finding families for children, even if it means going to a different country.

"Every time I visit Korea, I meet people around my age, in their 50s and 60s," she said. "They are now adults with gray hair, who never had the benefit of a family, even now.

"And I think about how different our lives have been  not because I lived in the U.S., but because I grew up with a family and they did not."
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg



By Lee Han-soo

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg proposed a meeting with the South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a congratulation e-mail, according to Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday.

However, Cheong Wa Dae refused to reveal the original text, saying it was customary not to reveal such information.

"I want to meet the President as soon as possible," Zuckerberg wrote in the e-mail, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Cheong Wa Dae said Zuckerberg congratulated Moon on becoming South Korea's 19th President and thanked him for using Facebook Live during his presidential campaign to promote his ideas and encourage netizens to vote.

Zuckerberg is also known to have agreed in the email with Moon's vision of a people-centered fourth industrial revolution.

According to the presidential residence, Zuckerberg told President Moon he "totally agreed with your statement to promote the fourth human-centered industrial revolution that you have written down on a visitor's board at Facebook Korea.

"Facebook will also make active efforts to achieve the fourth industrial revolution focusing on people."
Hankook Ilbo publisher-president Lee Jun-hee, right, and Soonsoo Education CEO Gu Geun-hoe shake hands after signing a contract, Monday, to provide various English learning services. / Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jin



By You Soo-sun

The Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, and English education company Soonsoo Education signed an agreement, Monday, to provide online English-learning services to children and students of various age groups. The nation's leading English education provider has developed diverse programs based on age group, using content from television programs and The Korea Times.

Established in 2015, Soonsoo Education offers online English-reading services for children. It has more than 18,000 registered members and has a high re-registration rate at 85 percent.

Bigcat, which uses reading materials from Collins, a British company, has been its most successful program for children. New programs set to launch in October have been developed using material from "Tayo the Little Bus" and "Pororo," two popular childrentelevision programs. These programs will employ interactive methods to help children learn the English language.

Content from The Korea Times will be used to develop materials for older students aged 15 and above. The program, "Na Han Young" (I can read English news in one month), set for release in July, will allow students to learn English while reading the news.
The U.S. Navy's Carl Vinson Strike Group holds a joint exercise with South Korean warships in the East Sea in this undated file photo provided by South Korea's Navy. / Yonhap



By Lee Han-soo

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan will join the USS Carl Vinson for a military drill in the East Sea, according to CNN, citing a U.S. Department of Defense official on Saturday.

The move, just days after North Korea conducted a missile test, is the first time two U.S. aircraft carriers have conducted a drill in the East Sea.

The USS Ronald Reagan, which had been undergoing maintenance at its homeport in Yokosuka, Japan, returned to sea on May 16, according to the U.S. Navy.

The aircraft carrier will take part in a variety of training exercises mainly focused on certifying its ability to launch and recover aircraft safely. It is also expected to replace the USS Carl Vinson in the region.

Meanwhile, North Korea has stepped up its provocation by firing a ground-to-ground Pukguksong-2 missile in the country's western province on Sunday.

The launch was the second in a week, following the test of a mid-to-long-range ballistic missile called the Hwasong-12 on May 14.

After the latest missile test on Sunday, North Korea warned the U.S. not to provoke the North, saying that U.S. mainland and Pacific operations were now within range of North Korean missiles.
N. Korea's evolving technology makes KAMD ineffective



By Jun Ji-hye



North Korea's move to deploy a new type of ballistic missile is increasing pressure on the South Korean military to redesign its envisioned missile defense system, scheduled to be completed in the 2020s.



During a test Sunday, Pyongyang successfully launched the missile propelled by a solid-fuel engine using a caterpillar-tracked, transport erector launch (TEL) vehicle, according to the North's state media, Monday.



The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) noted that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who oversaw the launch, approved the mass production and deployment of the new missile.



The use of a solid-fuel engine and new vehicle means North Korea will be able to prepare missile launches in greater secrecy, making it much more difficult to detect, trace and intercept them, compared to a missile propelled by a liquid fuel engine and launched from a wheeled TEL.



Accordingly, the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system, which is currently being developed here with a focus on air defense at lower altitudes, will find it difficult to detect a North Korean missile launch and to shoot it down.



Questions are also being raised about whether a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery that has been deployed in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, is capable of intercepting missiles from the North.



"Calls for introducing ship-based Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors are expected to intensify as a means to strengthen the nation's air defense at higher altitudes," a military source said, asking not to be named.



The SM-3 can intercept ballistic missiles at an altitude of 150 to 500 kilometers, much higher than the THAAD's 40 to 150 kilometers.



The KCNA said the test of a "Pukguksong-2 ground-to-ground medium-to-long range strategic ballistic missile" was perfect, stressing that the launch finally verified all the technical indexes of the new missile.



"Now that its tactical and technical data met the requirements of the Workers' Party of Korea, this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the Korean People's Army Strategic Force," Kim was quoted as saying.



The North first test-fired the Pukguksong-2, called the KN-15 by the United States, in February after having developed the missile with extended firing range on the basis of successes made in a submarine-launched ballistic missile test last August, during which it used a solid-fuel engine.



Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) also said Monday that the missile is believed to be categorized as a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), modifying its earlier assessment that it was an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).



The MRBM has a range of 2,000 kilometers, while the IRBM can fly more than 3,000 kilometers, though the analysis of missile ranges varies slightly between agencies and institutes.



Once the new missile is operationally deployed, it would put the U.S. bases in Japan, whose troops will be dispatched to the Korean Peninsula in the event of a war, within its range. Some experts say the missile could also put the U.S. bases on Guam in range.



But Col. Roh Jae-cheon, the JCS spokesman, said the new missile would not be able to reach Guam, given that the Pacific island is 3,500 kilometers away from North Korea.



Roh added that South Korea and the United States assessed that the North has earned meaningful results through Sunday's test, but it still remains to be seen whether the regime in Pyongyang has perfected the re-entry technology necessary to bring a nuclear-armed ballistic missile back into the Earth's atmosphere.




/ Korea Times file



By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-in has ordered a state audit of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project carried out under the Lee Myung-bak administration (2008-2013), Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.

The Moon administration said the audit is not targeting the former governments' policies or aimed at punishing then-policymakers, but made it clear that any illegalities, if found, will face "corresponding responses."

Sources said the audit reflects Moon's campaign pledge to eradicate "deep-rooted evils" of former conservative administrations.

The presidential office said Moon has told the Board of Audit and Inspection to look into how the river refurbishment policy was created and implemented.

The project for four major rivers  the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan  was former President Lee's flagship project. Lee's administration poured more than 22 trillion won ($20 billion) of taxpayers' money into building 16 dams on the rivers to fight droughts. But environmentalists and critics say the refurbishment worsened water quality and increased algal bloom in the rivers every summer, threatening the water supply of the affected regions.

"The project was carried out hastily and roughly," Kim Su-hyun, senior presidential secretary for social policy, said in a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae.

He said it was a problem in the government system that the project was pushed ahead although negative environmental effects had been forecast.




Seoullo attracts 250,000 visitors over weekend after opening







By Lee Kyung-min







More than 250,000 people visited Seoullo 7017, an old overpass transformed into an elevated urban walkway near Seoul Station, after the park was opened to the public Saturday.



The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday about 151,100 people visited the 1,024-meter-long, 17-meter-high walkway Saturday, and 104,400 Sunday.



The city government said it hopes the walkway, connecting Malli-dong and Jungnim-dong in the west to Namdaemun Market in the east, becomes a popular tourist destination for locals and tourists alike who seek a joyful rest in the busy city while learning about Seoul's modern development history.



Seoullo means "Seoul Road" in Korean and 7017 is a compound of the last two digits of two significant years _ 1970 when the overpass was first built, and 2017 when it was turned into a public park.



Visitors welcomed the rejuvenation project, praising it as a meaningful transformation from a dangerous and old-looking roadway for cars only.



"I did not expect much but I changed my mind after seeing it for myself," a mother with her five-year-old daughter said.



"There are trampolines for children, which my daughter and children her age love. I think I will come here frequently."



Another couple with a toddler said the overpass is ideal for a stroll.



"There are not many places where you can take your baby with only a stroller _ I mean without a car. I guess it's a bit crowded here, but other than that, this is great in terms of accessibility as it connects right out of a subway exit, not to mention elevators," a mother said.



The walkway will be much better to visit at night, said Kim Jin-hee, an office worker.



"I commute by subway because my office is only a couple minutes from Seoul Station, and after work before I go home I plan to take a walk on the Seoullo and listen to music I love," she said.



"The lighting at night here will be moody, really awesome. The view will be great too. I feel the thousands of car headlights will seem to flow like sea waves. It will be a great way for me to end my busy and stressful day."



The walkway was slated for demolition in 2015, after engineers concluded in 2012 the structure could endure no more than three years of continued use.



However, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon changed the plan in 2014 to transform it into an urban park similar to the High Line park in New York City.








Former President Park Geun-hye sits with investigators in a sedan running into the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, early Friday. The court accepted the prosecution's request to arrest her on multiple charges, including bribery, abuse of authority, coercion and leaking government secrets. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Lee Han-soo

Ousted former President Park Geun-hye has spent eight weeks locked in a small cell with limited accommodation. Park reportedly reads an English-Korean dictionary, according a report by Korean cable TV network JTBC, which cited an anonymous detention center official.

"Detention facility guards are keeping a close eye on Park, who is using most of her time reading an English-Korean dictionary, except for meetings with her lawyer Yoo Young-ha," said the anonymous source.

Awaiting trial at a detention center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Park has cut off all outside information, refusing to watch TV news or read newspapers.

Her trial on bribery and corruption charges is scheduled to start Tuesday.
By Kim Hyo-jin



The approval rating for President Moon Jae-in reached 81.6 percent in the first popularity poll since he won the snap election two weeks ago to become the successor of the ousted former President Park Geun-hye.



The survey, conducted by Realmeter from May 15 to 19 and released Monday, showed 81.6 percent of 2,526 respondents are satisfied with their new leader. The support rate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also stood at over 50 percent in line with the high popularity of the new President.



Of the respondents, only 10.1 disapproved of Moon. The remaining 8.3 percent said they were not sure.



This is well above his predecessors' approval ratings at the beginning of their mandates. Park stood at 54.8 percent and her predecessor Lee Myung-bak stood at 76 percent a week after their inaugurations.



The high popularity of Moon reflects the people's positive response to his swift actions in normalizing state affairs, analysts say.



Moon began sending special envoys to neighboring countries soon after he was sworn in, showing his intent to put diplomacy back on track. He has also filled high-level posts with reformative figures, encouraging expectations that he would live up to the election pledges including chaebol and prosecution reforms.













He sidelined his closest advisers when filling in key posts, dismissing earlier accusations by opposition parties that Moon's longtime friends and followers would share power and control state management if he takes office.



Moon's approval rating peaked in the Jeolla provinces at 94.5 percent, followed by Gyeonggi Province and Incheon at 84 percent and Seoul at 81.9 percent.



The people from the traditionally conservative Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province also put him at a high confidence rating of 72.8 percent.



It was notable that respondents across the ideological spectrum backed the liberal leader.



Overall 61.5 conservatives approved of Moon. And 40.6 percent of those who favor the far-rightist Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said he is doing well, outnumbering the 39.8 percent of LKP supporters who view him negatively.



The approval rating for the DPK was at 53.3 percent, up 7.5 percentage points from the previous week. It is a record high since the launch of the party's predecessor New Politics Alliance for Democracy in March 2014.



The LKP followed with a support rate of 12.4 percent, down 0.8 percentage points from a week earlier. The minor People's Party stood at 7.7 percent and Bareun Party at 6.8 percent.



The progressive Justice Party was put at 6.6 percent, suffering the biggest fall by 3 percentage points from the previous week.
By Kim Rahn





Rep. Kim Jin-pyo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, second from left, chairman of a presidential advisory committee tasked to map out a five-year policy roadmap, applauds along with other committee members during a launch ceremony for the committee at the training center for the Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

A presidential advisory committee was established, Monday, to set up a five-year policy roadmap by the end of June based on President Moon Jae-in's election pledges.

The committee will act as a de-facto transition team for the Moon administration which began immediately after the May 9 presidential election without a transition period.

"We will complete the five-year blueprint for state management by the end of June and will report it to the President in early July," Rep. Kim Jin-pyo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the committee chairman, said during the launch ceremony at the training center for the Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul.

The committee will prioritize Moon's pledges and study how to prepare the necessary budgets. "We will categorize which pledges can be carried out soon and which require large-scale reform measures such as revisions in the law, as well as making detailed plans about which ministry is to do which job."












President Moon Jae-in poses for a picture with citizens near his private residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. / Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young

President Moon Jae-in has made yet another unusual move  taking a day off Monday and returning to his private residence outside the city, only 13 days after his inauguration.

In the past, Cheong Wa Dae had rarely announced the President's holiday schedule, particularly on weekdays. With Moon's predecessor, Park Geun-hye, the presidential office even refused to release her summer vacation spots for security reasons.

"The President has 21 paid holidays annually. Moon used one of them Monday," presidential spokesman Park Su-hyun said.

This unprecedented announcement is in line with Moon's pledge during his presidential campaign. Earlier, he pledged to make it mandatory for workers to use their 15 days of annual paid holidays. In this nation which is infamous for having the world's second-longest working hours and for its conservative corporate culture, ordinary workers on average get to use only six of their 15 days.

"With enough vacation use, Korea could experience a 20 trillion won ($18 billion) ripple effect and boost its national competitiveness," then-candidate Moon posted on Facebook, May 4. "I will also increase the number of annual holidays to 20 and improve the labor system to enable people to enjoy at least a two-week summer vacation."

Moon headed to his private home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday, after appointing key Cabinet members. He will return to Cheong Wa Dae after attending a memorial ceremony for his longtime friend, President Roh Moo-hyun, Tuesday.
Members of the left-leaning Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union rally in central Seoul on Teachers' Day (May 15) to demand the recovery of its legal status. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is flirting with supporting the group, which could drag President Moon Jae-in into partisan mudslinging. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

President Moon Jae-in, who has been gaining support from the right and left alike since he took office earlier this month, faces partisan mudslinging over a controversial teachers' union.

It was confirmed, Monday, that the ruling Democratic Party of Korea suggested Cheong Wa Dae recover the legal status of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union, which the left-leaning organization lost in 2013.

According to a proposal the party gave to a top advisory committee at the presidential office, it is described as one of the "10 key issues" the Moon administration should resolve. Others include proper compensation for the deaths of two part-time teachers, who died in the 2014 ferry Sewol accident, which the President has already given the okay to.

The issue of whether to support the union, which has been controversial due to its liberal political activities, may fire up progressives who have shown support for the new President's reform policies so far.

Knowing that risk, a senior official at Cheong Wa Dae told reporters that the administration has not discussed the matter in detail, saying it is just one of the party's suggestions.

The government is concerned that such a political issue may weaken the new government, which has been trying hard to implement the social reforms it promised, by sharply dividing the people "right or left."

The issue is expected to continue to remain a political flashpoint.

Left-wing parties have long been defenders of the union, which was embroiled in many non-education-related political issues since its birth in 1989.

Under the right-wing Park Geun-hye administration, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced it no longer recognizes the union as legal after the organization refused to cancel the membership of nine former teachers.

The union protested and brought the case to court. But the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the ministry in 2014.

In May 2015, the Constitutional Court supported the ruling after the union asked the court to review the constitutionality of the law on which the ministry based its decision.

In January 2016, an appellate court upheld the lower court's ruling that the group is illegal, dealing an additional blow to the union.

If the Supreme Court upholds the decision, the union will permanently lose its legal status, which guarantees it the right to take collective actions and receive government subsidies.
By Oh Young-jin





Kang Kyung-hwa

Does Korea's first female foreign minister nominee have to force her 34-year-daughter to give up her American citizenship?

Announcing the designation of senior U.N. official Kang Kyung-hwa, Cheong Wa Dae said that Kang agreed to have her daughter, who was born in the United States while Kang was studying there, give up her American citizenship and acquire Korean one. Kang's daughter gave up Korean citizenship in 2006 to be an American.

But Kang, however, told the media upon arriving in the United States from Europe that she would consult with her daughter and her husband.

Her husband was quoted as saying that he explained to her daughter that it wouldn't look good if the daughter of the foreign minister has anything other than Korean nationality. He said that the daughter switched back to Korean.












By Oh Young-jin





China fears environmental contamination and earthquakes that may be triggered by North Korea's underground nuclear tests, possibly bringing Beijing to the breaking point of its patience with its blood-sealed but increasingly defiant ally, a Chinese scholar said during an interview Friday.

"Chinese people in the northeast region that borders North Korea are fearful that they will fall victim to contaminated water and seismic disruptions from its nuclear blasts," Professor Zhu Feng of Nanjing University told The Korea Times. The interview was held before his lecture on the Korea-China-U.S. relationship, sponsored by the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies.

Punggye-ri, North Hamgyong Province, which has served as the site for four of the five nuclear tests and will certainly accommodate a sixth, is within hundreds of kilometers of population centers in northeastern China. It is also quite close to Mt. Baekdu, a volcanic mountain that some experts fear may have another big eruption after the one in 946.

Zhu said this is part of the reason for what he calls "the Mar-a-Lago consensus," named after the Florida retreat where Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump had their summit. One key agreement is to cooperate for the resolution of the North's uncontrollable nuclear program.





Professor Zhu Feng

"President Xi is not as strongly bound by the two countries' old ties as the older generations who fought against the U.S. in the (1950-1953) Korean War are," Zhu said, adding that Xi's patience is wearing thin because of the North's continued provocative acts.

He attributed the Trump-Xi rapport to Beijing's "massive feeling of detestation" for the North's leader Kim Jong-un for his nuclear ambitions at the risk of compromising Xi's modernization efforts for China.

Then, he suggested a Seoul-Beijing-Washington grand bargain on the endgame that will "overturn" the North diplomatically and peacefully. He didn't say whether this means the ouster of its young dictator.

Regarding China's proposal for a peace treaty that replaces the current truce on the Korean Peninsula, he said: "China wouldn't insist on the U.S. withdrawal from the South as a condition for the peace regime." This contradicts the North's argument for the U.S. pullout that should be followed by the peace treaty, which causes the South and U.S. to be wary of any such a suggestion. The North and China regularly call on the U.S. for peace talks but have never clearly declared that the U.S. withdrawal won't be a precondition for it.

Regarding Beijing's strong-arm tactics on Seoul's accommodation of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery against the North's missile attacks, Zhu said that it is a small matter that has been taken out of proportion.

"It is not a big issue," he said. "I think that Beijing handled it poorly, considering Seoul's strategic importance." But he said it has now turned into a matter of face as Seoul neither gave notice nor consulted with Beijing in making its announcement of the deployment, which took Beijing by surprise.

He also dispels the conventional belief about China's hegemonic aspirations as myth.

"The U.S. is a superpower. China is not," he said. "We don't know when China will have power equal to the U.S. and we don't have any intention to hasten that date and get engaged in a hegemonic war with the U.S." As things are unfolding, his assertion doesn't mean that China will accept U.S. leadership in its back and front yard such as the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula.

Zhu is an international relations expert keenly following Korean affairs and has an extensive network in Korea.

Asked whether his views on such issues as the North belong to the majority in China, he affirmed it might but cited his scholastic freedom for his frank expressions.

Footnote: I talked to Professor Zhu Feng about 20 minutes before his lecture that lasted two hours. My impressions evolved during those three hours. First, I asked myself "Can it be true?" and then "What if?" His observations about Chinese President Xi Jinping detesting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are hardly surprising, but I wondered whether it could lead to a significant change of policy, since Xi's dislike of Kim is known publicly _ perhaps China may put real pressure on the North to derail its nuclear program.

About Beijing having no hegemonic ambitions, my immediate response was "Really?"

Then I thought that we might be overly suspicious of China's intentions when all it wants is to keep an eye on its neighboring areas. Maybe our China fear is based on our imagination fueled by the outside world's portrayals of it as a new beast that can't wait for its turn to dominate globally.

I am not convinced by Zhu's claims that it will come down to China being a benevolent white knight that is patiently gaining qualifications to replace the U.S. Or I wouldn't go to the extent of giving his claims the benefit of the doubt. It's not his fault but history and current affairs have provided enough grounds for our China fear that one lecture couldn't dispel them. But the convincing part of Zhu's lecture and interview came when he talked about China's "indecision," meaning that the Chinese and their leaders are not so clear-minded about the future path of their country. This national indecision explains why Beijing's concern about the North is not just about a major refugee crisis as the outside world thinks, but even though there are more other urgent issues at stake, it gets frozen. And China's projection of power in the South China Sea may not be a step to push the U.S. from the region and have Asia to itself. Rather, China is in the middle of trying to come to its own conclusions. That gives the rest of the world a window of opportunity to influence China and help it turn into a responsible leader rather than become a feral beast.

Oh Young-jin is The Korea Times' chief editorial writer. Contact foolsdie5@ktimes.com and foolsdie@gmail.com.
By Ranjit Kumar Dhawan





The Korean War (1950-53) was the first major international confrontation after World War II. Although it began as a civil war between North and South Korea, it soon became an international conflict. Millions died in this war which ended without much success for any of the warring parties. The military confrontation ended with an armistice but there was no peace agreement. As a result, the two Koreas are still technically at war with each other.

The Korean conflict remains one of the most complicated issues in the world. Military invasion, multilateral negotiations, international pressures and economic sanctions  all have failed to bring a solution to the conflict on the Korean Peninsula as it continues to be a Cold War zone and has remained divided over the past seven decades.

The security scenario on the Korean Peninsula has again become dangerous in recent times. North Korea continues to develop more sophisticated weapons of mass destruction, defying all international calls for restraint. Instead of focusing on the economic development of the country the Kim dynasty in Pyongyang is more concerned about the survival of the regime.

On the other hand, the deployment of an anti-ballistic missile system  the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system  by the United States in South Korea has not only divided domestic public opinion in the South but is also causing strains in Seoul's relations with its biggest trade partner, China.

The decision by the Donald Trump administration to end the U.S. policy of "strategic patience" with regards to North Korean belligerence and threats by Washington of preemptive strikes against this reclusive regime has only made the situation more complicated and dangerous.

Any armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula would be highly destructive for the entire Northeast Asian region. The use of nuclear weapons would lead to horrible consequences and its impact would remain for several generations. Nevertheless, any compromise on the North Korean nuclear weapons program would only benefit the Kim dynasty.

However, for more than fifty years after the Korean War, North Korea did not have nuclear weapons. As a super power the U.S. could have easily eliminated the Kim dynasty through a covert operation, similar to what Washington did with several democratically elected governments in Latin America. So why was the North Korean regime been allowed to develop missiles and nuclear weapons for all these years and share these technologies with several rogue states?

The most probable reason could be that North Korea was never a direct threat to the U.S. before the Kim dynasty started developing inter-continental ballistic missiles and miniaturizing its nuclear weapons. This reflects that the U.S. is more concerned about the safety of the American people than that of South Koreans.

History shows evidence that the U.S. will go to any extent to protect its interests, no matter what the consequences may be. It is also noteworthy that any potential threat to the U.S. automatically becomes a "global threat." This is in contrast to the South Korean government which has made its citizens and cities scapegoats in a conflict between North Korea and the U.S.

The regime in the North has also not collapsed despite predictions by several strategic analysts. Under these circumstances a pragmatic path for building peace on the Korean Peninsula is to officially end the Korean War. Therefore, the time has come for South Koreans to give priority to their own interests and negotiate a peace treaty with North Korea without any foreign interference.





The author is assistant professor at the Department of East Asian Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi, India. His e-mail address is rkdhawan13@hotmail.com
By Frank Ching





The election of Moon Jae-in as South Korea's presidentmarks the re-emergence of a major player that had been silenced for five crucial months because of the country's political paralysis, which ended with the impeachment and arrest of his conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye.

Moon in many ways is the opposite of Park. He is a liberal who, as a student activist, was imprisoned by Park Chung-hee, the father of the last president. A former human rights lawyer, he has made known his desire to improve relations with both North Korea and China, while insisting that the alliance with the United States will remain the anchor of Seoul's diplomacy and security.

Elected May 9 and sworn in the next day, Moon began immediately to tackle issues that had piled up over the previous months.

Ties with China were at the top of the list. He had a 40-minute phone conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during which the new Korean president said he would send two special envoys to Beijing for talks, one on the North Korean nuclear issue and another todiscuss the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) anti-ballistic missile system, which has been deployed to defend South Korea from a possible North Korean attack. China, however, is vociferously opposed, saying the system threatens its own national security.

Besides China, Moon also spoke with President Donald Trump, who promised a White House invitation soon. Moon assured Trump that the Korean-American alliance would continue to be at the heart of South Korea's diplomacy and security, and Trump complimented South Korea as "not just a good ally but a great ally."

Other phone calls were held with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, during which the two men talked about the "comfort women" accord accepted by the previous Korean administration. While Abe called for following through on the agreement, Moon said that most South Korean people don't accept the accord. This longstanding thorn in the bilateral relationship is likely to continue to prove intractable.

Other phone conversations were held with the Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, British Prime Minister Teresa May, Russian President Vladimir Putin, India's Prime Minister NarendraModi and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The one regional player with whom Moon did not talk was Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader. But Moon was North Korea's favored candidate during the campaign and the new president, in his inaugural address, said that he would be willing to go to Pyongyang for talks "under the right circumstances," echoing what Trump had said 10 days previously.

Nonetheless, North Korea is pressing ahead with its nuclear and missile-development program, holding another ballistic missile test on Sunday, one that experts said could be a new type of missile. The test precipitated the first meeting of Moon's national security council. Moon was quoted as saying that while South Korea remained open to dialogue, it would only be possible "when North Korea shows a change in attitude."

Nonetheless, there has already been a change in recent emphasis. Trump, who had threatened military action, shifted his stance in the last couple of weeks and has praised the North Korean leader, saying he would be "honored" to meet Kim "under the right circumstances."

Then, on May 13, a senior North Korean diplomat, Choe Son-hui, head of the foreign ministry's north America bureau, said her country would be willing to hold talks with the US "if conditions are mature."

The stage is now set for South Korea to play an active role in the region and, hopefully, produce conditions under which a dialogue, if not negotiations, can be conducted. Already, overall tension has been lowered as the North has refrained from conductinga sixth nuclear test, which it has threatened to hold, although the missile tests continue almost on a weekly basis.

Moon is likely to hold out to Kim the possibility of a future unified Korean peninsula. That won't happen anytime soon, but the possibility of unification is something that both Pyongyang and Seoul are unwilling to preclude. In fact, in his conversation with Merkel, Moon called Germany "a nation that deeply understands the tragedy and pain of a divided country."

Events are moving at a rapid pace. Only a week ago, it would have been unimaginable for representatives of the US, North Korea and South Korea to all sit in the same room. And yet, over the weekend, all three countries, together with dozens of others, gathered together in Beijing for the China-sponsored Belt and Road Forum. Change has come to South Korea and the dynamics in the Korean Peninsula are clearly shifting.







Frank Ching is a Hong Kong-based journalist. Contact Frank.ching@gmail.com.
Moon's laudable tapping of female foreign minister carries challenges



President Moon Jae-in's designation of Kang Kyung-wha as foreign minister would score 90 out of a perfect 100 points merely for the fact that she would be the first woman to hold the office if confirmed by the National Assembly.



But what makes the appointment a success or failure is how well Kang, a former United Nations deputy commissioner for human rights, will score out of the remaining 10 points.



Moon has promised to fill 30 percent of his inaugural Cabinet with women, a strong affirmative action that will deal another deserved blow to the still male-dominated society. Also notable is that Kang is nominated for a post with heft, not those usually regarded for women.



Kang has two hurdles in getting a parliamentary confirmation, both about her 33-year-old daughter  her American citizenship and extralegal activities in getting her an education in Korea. Cheong Wa Dae said Kang was nominated on condition that her daughter gives up her American citizenship to reacquire the Korean one.



If cleared, Kang would face more intrinsic hurdles in her new job.



The 62-year-old career diplomat doesn't have the experience to speak on the nation's most compelling diplomatic challenge  the resolution of North Korea's nuclear and missile challenges.



Now, the North Korean issue is reaching critical mass as Pyongyang and Washington are locked in a dangerous game of chicken with a catastrophic denouement not being ruled out.



How she would squeeze herself into what has been regarded as a contest of testosterone and project Korea into the center of it will be a herculean task to say the least. Most of the nation's top envoys have failed or gained only limited success.



Then, the issue of comfort women, Korean sex slaves under Japan's colonial rule, is another thorny issue that may catch any qualified foreign minister flatfooted. Japan shows no signs of accommodating any change in the bilateral December 2015 agreement to settle the matter once and for all.



The bigger challenge is that these two issues are as much international ones as well as domestic matters.



Now, the Moon government wants to make a drastic change from the previous governments policy, seeking reconciliation with the North and becoming more confrontational with Japan.



Kang's political orientation is not clear. She did interpretation work for Kim Dae-jung, the liberal president who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his Sunshine Policy of seeking closer ties with Pyongyang. But she is known for getting the job offer for her being close to Ban Ki-moon, the former U.N. secretary general. Ban based his presidential bid on a conservative to right-of-center platform before he dropped out.



If she fails to get realigned with Moon's inner circle and perform well on the international stage, she could see herself relegated to be the "flower" of the Cabinet. That would be a real disappointment to a nation struggling to overcome the effects of the failed first female presidency of Park Geun-hye.




By Andrew Salmon





Korea's incoming administration is enjoying its honeymoon: No member of the new government, it seems, can do wrong. Alas, the public will not be moonstruck forever; these dreamy days cannot last. Before long, questions are going to be asked regarding policy objectives and electoral promises.



The most sensational pledge made by then-Presidential candidate Moon Jae-in was his promise to create a whopping 810,000 new jobs in the public sector. The fact that these jobs will be in the public sector is critical: If Moon aimed to create thousands of new positions in the private sector, he would be forced to ask and offer favors to chaebol. That is a very slippery slope. The long history of business-political collusion, and its related corruption and cronyism, stem from just these kinds of quid pro quos.



So what kinds of public sector jobs does Korea need? I asked some local colleagues, and added a few of my own suggestions. Here is what we came up with.



Creche staff: If the Korean professional, productive woman is to be freed from the entanglement of raising children, she needs someone to take on this duty. Traditionally, this was kept in the household, but with the rise of the nuclear family, granny and grandpa no longer necessarily share homes with the second and third generations. The answer is creches  and creche personnel. Lots of them.



Nurses: As anyone who has visited a local hospital knows, much of the daily care of patients  dressing/undressing, washing, assisting in and out of bed, even changing intravenous drips, and more  is done by family members who camp out at patients' bedsides. This practice is problematic for families whose members have professional or childcare responsibilities. It is even more problematic for those patients who don't have family members available to visit for extended periods. And in certain cases, I suspect this practice is dangerous for patients. More nurses, please.













Emergency room doctors: Ditto above. On the mercifully few occasions I have visited Korean emergency rooms, I have been surprised  and dismayed  at the dearth of doctors. By all means, empower interns to carry out the grunt work, but for serious cases, a fully qualified doctor is called for.



Immigration Officials: I  and I suspect millions of incoming travelers  am fed up with waiting in line for an hour or more at Incheon just to get my passport stamped. Immigration officials! You know when busy flights are scheduled to arrive, so kindly deploy  or hire  more officials to deal with these foreseeable bottlenecks. Thank you!



Department store guides: Granted, this position might appear to fall under the private, not the public sector, but if government seeks to upgrade the tourism sector, it might consider hiring such persons. I, for one, am fed up with getting discombobulated and plain lost in Seoul's consumer labyrinths. Guides  equipped with store maps, GPS navigation systems and backup compasses, and perhaps accompanied by friendly St. Bernards with barrels of brandy around their necks  would be ideal aids.





Andrew Salmon is a Seoul-based reporter and author. Reach him at andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk.
Children with cancer play with Home plus eParan Foundation employees at a playground at the Korean Association for Children with Leukemia and Cancer (KACLC) in Seoul. Home plus said Monday that the company, KACLC and actor Kim Bo-sung donated money to build the playground for the children. / Courtesy of Home plus
Models of Groupe SEB Korea, an agent for the Tefal brand here, promote the company's signature frying pans at an event celebrating the local branch's 20th anniversary in Seoul, Monday. The company is displaying its newly released kitchenware, vacuum cleaners and hairdryers Tuesday. / Yonhap
By Kang Seung-woo



KT has offered a service to its Chinese and Japanese partners that will enable people to use free Wi-Fi networks in the three Northeast Asian countries.



Korea's second-largest mobile operator said Monday it made the proposal in a meeting with China Mobile and NTT Docomo of Japan in Chengdu, China, late last week.



"KT has proposed the idea to ease users' anxiety over data use while traveling in China or Japan," said Ku Hyeon-mo, KT's chief operating officer. "We plan to provide the free Wi-Fi roaming service this year with China Mobile and NTT DoCoMo."



KT and NTT Docomo already started an automatic Wi-Fi roaming service in 2014, allowing KT and NTT Docomo subscribers to automatically access each other's Wi-Fi networks when they travel to the neighboring countries.



In addition, the three mobile operators tested the three-way cooperation from last September to February, drawing rave reviews from their subscribers.



If KT's proposal wins approval, the three carriers' subscribers will be able to use any of the Wi-Fi networks in the three countries without having to go through hassles like making a user ID and password.



China Mobile has set up 4.5 million Wi-Fi access points, while NTT Docomo runs 180,000 access points and KT has 189,000.



KT's proposal to provide a free Wi-Fi roaming service came after President Moon Jae-in pledged to work for a three-way agreement with China and Japan to introduce the free roaming service for travelers within the three countries.



He also vowed to require all public facilities and government offices to provide free Wi-Fi services to reduce household telecom expenses.



The three players plan to continue their partnership through 2022 to jointly prepare for the upcoming sporting events of the three countries  the 2018 Winter Games in Korea's PyeongChang, the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.




Wonders CEO Kim Chang-su speaks during a logistics industry event in Seoul on April 14. / Courtesy of Wonders



By Yoon Sung-won



An industrial designer-turned-entrepreneur is leading his logistics business to success through his design-based thinking on a cost-effective urban express delivery service system.



Kim Chang-su, 46, is running his urban courier service startup called Wonders. Since its debut a year ago, it has drawn 1.9 billion won in investment from venture capitals.



Kim has already drawn over 2,000 corporate clients by delivering cargo to any district in Seoul within three hours. Unlike others, Kim has set the price at 5,000 won for each order, the lowest in the industry.



Kim said his goal is to build a business system that benefits all three related parties: Wonders, customers and delivery drivers at the same time. To do so, he said he is trying to change the backward structure of the express delivery market.



"I started Wonders from the question on why express delivery services should charge different fees by distance unlike parcel delivery services," Kim said. "I will expand delivery centers and advance the logistics system to make everyone happy."



Kim was born in Daegu in 1970. He studied industrial design at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology for both his bachelor's and master's degrees.



He started his career as a designer at LG in 1996. He also worked at Samsung and SK Telecom.



He left the high-paying jobs at large enterprises to run his own business. He worked at parcel delivery companies and express delivery firms to gain experience before starting his own startup. He realized problems of the logistics business here by traveling around Seoul on delivery vehicles.



"Despite the rapid growth of online shopping malls, social commerce and e-commerce businesses, supplier-centric perspectives are still prevalent in most express delivery services," Kim said.



Aimed at tacking the inefficiency in the existing urban express delivery services, Kim and his colleagues at Wonders developed a new logistics system named "Wonder Bridge," based on the "hub-and-spoke" system used by parcel delivery services.



In the system, the company gathers cargo in regional logistics centers at five Seoul subway stations on line 2, which circles the city. Kim's business has also won partnerships with larger e-commerce companies such as Gmarket, 11st and Ticket Monster for regular business-to-business orders.
An image from the surveillance video shows the woman striking the man after he threw a glove in her face.









Hospital says brawling pair fighting over relationship issues' but not a couple. Police deny the patient was present  but internet users are far from convinced.



By Sarah Zheng





A fight broke out in an operating theatre in central China while surgery was underway, due to suspected relationship problems between two medical staff, mainland media reported.

Leaked surveillance footage shows a man and woman  dressed in medical scrubs and surgical caps  coming to blows at Lankao Central Hospital in Henan province last Friday, according to the Legal Evening News.

The brawl appeared to be taking place while a patient was still lying on the operating table, surrounded by six doctors and nurses.

The confrontation seemed to escalate after the man removed his medical glove and threw it at the woman's face. She then moved to hit him back, prompting him to charge forward and land at least seven successive blows to her head as nearby staff scrambled to stop the conflict.

Police who were investigating the incident declined to reveal the reasons for the brawl.

But the Lankao county propaganda department told local media that the two began fighting because of relationship-related issues, although the two were not a couple.

While police claimed the fight took place after the operation when the patient was no longer in the operating room, online users pointed out that video footage contradicted that statement.

"The patient is obviously still on the table, [and] doctors are still operating," one Sina Weibo user wrote. "They cannot lie so blatantly."

"Obviously the surgery is still underway, I'm not blind," wrote another.

Others commented on the lack of professionalism in the incident.

"It doesn't matter what started it, the patient is most important! Save the dying and help the injured, is this just a slogan? This cannot represent all doctors, but does it represent the majority?" one user wrote indignantly.

Some were simply confused by the whole incident: "[Fighting over] relationship problems, but they're not a couple? I don't understand, is this what society calls friends with benefits'?"
There is no doubt that "My Secret Romance" is one of the top-rating K-drama series, because of the lighthearted, romantic and intriguing storyline that it has. Now, reports state that there is a huge chance that the main characters of the show might take drastic steps in the next episode of "My Secret Romance".

Reports have it that Jin Wook (Sung Hoon) and Yoo Mi (Song Ji Eun) will be in for a lot of tough times in the upcoming episode 10. With this, it makes perfect sense that something wrong might happen in their relationship.

According to Korea Portal, the upcoming episode of "My Secret Romance" will be filled with a dark theme because of the challenges that Jin Wook and Yoo Mi will be facing. Reports further state that episode 10 will test the integrity and strength of the couple.

This is because chairman Cha (Kim Jong Goo) isn't sold out with the romance that his son has with Yoo Mi. Because of this, it's very likely that chairman Cha will be the one to do something to separate the two and put an end to their relationship.

According to Christian Post, the chairman will finally discuss out the issue with the mother of Yoo Mi, Mi Hee (Nam Ki Ae). This is to know more about the paternity of Dong Goo. It is also said that this is because he believes that the young child is the illegitimate son of Jin Wook, with Yoo Mi. And it's because of this that the chairman feels the need to really discuss things out.

According to Christian Post, Yoo Mi will then realize that Jun Wook has a lot of misunderstood statements regarding Dong Goo. With all of these being said, knowing that chairman Cha will be doing the best of what he can to find a way to put an end to Jin Wook and Yoo Mis' relationship, there's really a big tendency that the couple might really part ways.
A group of residents near the Harbor Lights Marina on Lake Chickamauga are raising concerns about the construction of a dock expansion in front of Aries restaurant.

The group plans to take a petition to TVA and the Army Corps of Engineers.

It reads:

Due to the construction on the Harbor Lights Marina dock in front of Aries restaurant, we would like to request a public hearing on the Harbor Lights Marina dock expansion project as allowed by the TVA/Army Corps of Engineers Public Notice.

The owner advertised 96 new covered slips and a commercial dealership for boat sales.

We believe the current dock being built under the current approved permit is wrongfully progressing:

1) should not have been permitted

2) is being built outside the permitted harbor borders too north

3) was considered a minor TVA construction project and exempted incorrectly from having appropriate environmental review done (should have been considered a major construction project by TVA own regulations and that would require much stricter environmental review and public input)

4) is unsafe, detrimental to the environment, and reservoir noise, sound, and visual disturbance are unacceptable

5) TVA had the option before construction to force some changes that would have been mutually agreeable and chose not to

We believe the application for expansion is incredibly weighted toward one commercial owners interests over the entire public trust in the reservoir and our residential interests and failed to disclose the true intent of the owner's use of the property and facility.

It is too large, dangerous for river traffic, sound and visual pollution exceed any commercial benefit interest.

We would also like to see an environmental impact study, as we have yet to see one related to this project.

Previously, residents met with TVA and Army Corps of Engineer representatives at the TVA Sequoyah training facility on March 7, 2017 to discuss concerns over the project. Our request is that this matter have been escalated above the level of those conducting the 3/7/17 meeting and those higher level representatives be present at this meeting to answer the concerns/questions noted. We want to make sure the questions/concerns are addressed in the meeting plus all paperwork relating to the Harbor Lights project be made available to those attending. To summarize our concerns, we feel construction has started on a 375 by 550s structure in the main channel without the proper permits, authorizations, and public input. Also, we contend the structure that has been constructed to date is out of the approved harbor limits allowed by TVA.

The TVA permit application for an even larger expansion is pending.

The Army Corps is currently inviting public input on the application for expansion. We have request a public meeting and have heard no response.

Please take the time to write to the Army Corps of Engineers on the mailer about all of the topics we have discussed.

Address comments to Attention: Cara Beverly

Nashville District Corps of Engineers

Regulatory Branch

3701 Bell Road

Nashville, TN 37214

Also, consider writing or calling the Office of the Inspector General at TVA as we are concerned about the existing permit and construction being done without appropriate environmental review and the applicant/marina owner is a TVA employee. You can contact Agent Eric Beals, ph: 865-633-7324, email: debeals@tvaoig.gov
Cleveland Middle School Award Programs on Monday:Sixth Grade - 10:15 amSeventh Grade - 12:45 pmEighth Grade Honor Roll - 2:15 pmEighth Grade Awards Night is Tuesday, 6:30 pm. Invited students and their families are encouraged to attend. Team awards, Principal's Award, and more will be presented. For more information contact Leneda Laing, 423-479-9641, llaing@clevelandschools.org.E.L. Ross hosts a school-wide Talent Show on Monday, 2:30 pm. Students have been auditioning for the past two weeks, and the selection committee will choose 18 performances to showcase.Stop by Ross and let us entertain you! For more information contact Lisa Earby, 423-479-7274, learby@clevelandschools.org.Yates Primary hosts the 2nd Grade Wax Museum on Monday, 6:00 pm. Students and their families are invited to attend. For more information contact Mike Collier, 423-479-1723, mcollier@clevelandschools.org.Stuart Elementary Spring Chorus Concerts will be Monday. K, 2nd, and 4th grades at 6:00 pm; 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades at 7:15 pm. Parents and families are invited to this musical performance; concessions will be available between performances. For more information contact Richelle Shelton, 423-476-8246, rshelton@clevelandschools.org.Cleveland Middle School hosts Band Instrument Selection on Monday, 6:00-7:30 pm. Rising 6th grade students are invited to play different instruments and make a selection for band next year. For more information contact Caleb Bolanos, cbolanos@clevelandschools.org.Cleveland High School Underclassmen Awards are Tuesday, 8:30 am. Students will be recognized for academic accomplishments. For more information contact Whitney Harden, 423-478-1113, wharden@clevelandschools.org.Cleveland Middle School Catch the Spirit Day is Thursday. Students will celebrate the end of year at this annual event of games, food, and competitions. For more information contact Leneda Laing, 423-479-9641, llaing@clevelandschools.org.Kindergarten Celebrations:Arnold Memorial - Tuesday, 1:00 pmStuart Elementary - Thursday, 1:00 pm5th Grade Awards & Celebrations:Arnold Memorial - Tuesday, 6:00 pm - First United Methodist ChurchBlythe-Bower - Tuesday, 6:30 pmE. L. Ross - Tuesday, 6:30 pm - First Baptist ChurchGeorge R. Stuart - Thursday, 6:00 pmField Days:Blythe-Bower - WednesdayYates Primary - ThursdayRoss Elementary - ThursdayCleveland City Schools offers Summer Camps for students. Click here to view the full schedule and download registration forms.Friday, May 26, is the last day of school. Classes resume on Monday, August 7, 2017. School offices and the Administrative Office Building will be open Mondays thru Thursdays, closed on Fridays. We hope you have a safe and happy summer break!
PRESS RELEASE

ASEAN, China Sign Draft Code of Conduct for South China Sea

May 20, 2017 (EIRNS)The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China signed a framework agreement for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. Meeting in Guizhou on Thursday, senior leaders from the ten ASEAN nations and China sets the parameters for a detailed agreement to be worked out later.

Agence France Presse said the draft described a

"set of norms to guide the conduct of parties and promote maritime cooperation in the South China Sea, adding that it is not an instrument to settle territorial disputes."

The Philippines, the ASEAN chairman this year, welcomed the finalization of the draft framework and noted that it was completed ahead of the mid-2017 goal set by ASEAN leaders and China. This followed by days President Dutertes attendance at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing and his announcement that China, Vietnam and the Philippines were planning to set up joint exploration for gas and oil in the South China Sea.

ASEAN and China adopted a non-binding declaration of conduct in 2002, but the advance to a code of conduct was stalled as disputes over sovereignty issues led to the Philippines taking China to the Court in The Hague under the influence of the Obama Administration.

The Philippines and China also this week held a consultative meeting on bilateral concerns in the South China Sea, signing a statement that said the two countries

"will address their territorial and jurisdictional disputes by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

The statement did not mention of the Hague ruling against China, which had refused to participate in the fixed trial nor to honor the ruling.
PRESS RELEASE

New Deconfliction Plan with Russia Announced at Pentagon

May 20, 2017 (EIRNS)Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford announced at the Pentagon Friday that a new counter-terror policy in Syria has been adopted by the U.S. and Russia, to allow operations in the same regions.

"We had a proposal that were working on with the Russians right now," Dunford said.

"I wont share the details, but my sense is that the Russians are as enthusiastic as we are to de-conflict operations and ensure that we can continue to take the campaign to ISIS and ensure the safety of our personnel,"

As the Syrian forces, with Russian support, are moving in on Raqqa, General Dunford said, as reported by CNN, the U.S.-Russia cooperation is focused on Deir ez-Zor, where ISIS forces are expected to go from Raqqa. These plans are in addition to the existing hotline which is intended to prevent unintended encounters between U.S. and Russian aircraft.

General Dunford noted that the U.S. military is prohibited by law from coordinating directly with the Russian military, but the two are setting up the "de-confliction zones" which allow coordinated, but not joint, operations in targeted areas.

Under the new channel of communications, the official for planning future operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., routinely talks to his Russian counterpart, Dunford reported. He said he spoke personally with Russian Chief of Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov. "We speak routinely when we need to, to work through the deconfliction."

Dunford and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who was also at the press conference, said that the new strategy included a delegation of authority from the President to General Dunford, and from Dunford to his field commanders, allowing them to take actions against ISIS on their own. Mattis said: "no longer will we have slowed decision cycles because Washington, D.C. has to authorize tactical movements on the ground." CNN described this as a "rebuke of President Barack Obamas administration, which was criticized by some military officials for micromanaging tactical decisions in the field."

General Mattis also announced a shift to a policy of surrounding ISIS held cities rather than driving ISIS out of them. Mattis said:
PRESS RELEASE

President Trump Facing a Kangaroo Court and Star Chamber: Alan Dershowitz

May 20, 2017 (EIRNS)Harvard Law Prof. Alan Dershowitz penned a useful article published in Newsmax today warning that with the naming of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate President Trumps Russian ties, Trump will be subjected to a legal proceeding more akin to a Star Chamber than anything remotely connected to the U.S. Constitution.

As for alleged Trump-Russian ties, he points out,

"even if there were such direct links, that would not constitute a crime under current federal law. Maybe it should, but prosecutors have no right to investigate matters that should be criminal but are not."

As for the "kangaroo court" quality of Muellers investigation, Dershowitz points out that the investigation will be conducted in secret, behind closed doors.

"Witnesses will be denied the right to have counsel present during grand jury questioning; they will have no right to offer exculpatory testimony or evidence to the grand jury; inculpatory hearsay evidence will be presented and considered by the grand jury; there will be no presumption of innocence; no requirement of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, only proof sufficient to establish the minimal standard of probable cause. The prosecutor alone will tell the jury what the law is and why they should indict; and the grand jury will do his bidding. As lawyers quip: they will indict a ham sandwich if the prosecutor tells them to."

There is nothing in the Constitution "that mandates such a kangaroo proceeding," Dershowitz states.

"All the Fifth Amendment says is: no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury. The denials of due process come from prosecutorially-advocated legislative actions. The founding fathers would be turning over in their graves if they saw what they intended as a shield to protect defendants, turned into a rusty sword designed to place the heavy thumb of the law on the prosecution side of the scale."

Apparently, Dershowitz ruffled quite a few feathers at CNN a few days ago when he made the same arguments, saying that he didnt think Mueller had any jurisdiction, because no crime had been committed. This provoked indignant howling from CNNs Anderson Cooper and guests, that anyone could suggest such a thing.
Memorial Day holiday weekend is regarded as the unofficial start to the summer boating season and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency wants to emphasize the use of life jackets while boating in a safe and responsible manner.

Annually, the Memorial Day weekend is one of the years busiest boating weekends. Last year, there were not any boating-related fatalities over the holiday weekend for the second consecutive year. There were six reported accidents, four of which resulted in injuries.

Along with the use of life jackets, TWRA wants to stress the responsible use of alcohol while boating. It is important to consider the effects of drinking and driving whether on water or land. In a boat on the water, the effects of alcohol increase because of external stressors such as engine vibration, wave motion and glare from the sun. Operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in Tennessee.

Across the state over the 2016 Memorial Day weekend, TWRA Boating and Law Enforcement officers issued 447 citations and 410 warnings. Among the citations, 21 boating under the influence (BUI) arrests were made. Officers inspected 9,065 boats during the weekend.

For many residents, the Memorial Day weekend will be the first time to have the boat on the water this year. TWRA officials say taking a few minutes to check some of the boat components may be the key to having a nice, safe outing. Performing a simple maintenance check before getting on the water may prevent problems. Check hoses to make sure they are in good shape. Make sure the lights work and carry extra fuses and bulbs.

In addition, TWRA urges all boaters to remember the basics:

*have a wearable life jacket for every person onboard

*if your boat is 16 feet or longer, there must be a Type IV throwable device onboard

*have onboard a fire extinguisher if you have enclosed fuel compartments or cabins

*anyone under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket at all times while the boat is underway  drifting is considered underway

*any boat operator born after January 1, 1989 must have onboard the TWRA-issued wallet Boating Safety Education Certificate

*keep alcohol to a minimumchoose a designated boat operator

*make sure there is a current boat registration

Boat Operation Basics:

*keep a proper lookout at all times

*maintain a safe speed

*cut the engine while boarding from the water or entering the water from the boat

*be aware of the carbon monoxide hazards that exist and keep fresh air flowing

*no wake means idle speed

*take a boating safety course  log onto www.tnwildlife.org for information.
You could barely move backstage at the Ahmanson Theatre on Saturday night. Turn right and youd bang into Matthew Broderick, turn left and youd slam into Edward James Olmos, and Louis Gossett Jr. was behind. Meanwhile, Jennifer Hudson was onstage belting out the soulful finale of the Center Theatre Groups 50th anniversary celebration.

The dozens of actors and actresses, including Alfred Molina, Phylicia Rashad and Tzi Ma, were getting ready to take the stage for the evenings curtain call. It was a stage most of them were intimately acquainted with. The performers had highlighted each decade of Center Theatre Groups history through the memories, monologues and songs of those who lived it.

Actor Davis Gaines, left, and Matthew Broderick backstage at the Ahmanson before the final curtain call for Center Theater Groups 50th anniversary celebration. (Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)

Broderick re-created a scene from Brighton Beach Memoirs. Olmos did his opening bit from Zoot Suit. Annette Bening helped to stitch together the final scene from Angels in America. Jimmy Smits performed a piece from Children of a Lesser God. Culture Clash hammed up a portion of Chavez Ravine. And that was just a sampling.

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There was 35 years of rust on it and we had a little line flub, but other than that it was perfect, Broderick said, taking a breather in the lobby after his monologue. It was actually kind of thrilling to stand in the exact spot where I did that play, which was such an incredible time in my life.

Actor Davis Gaines nodded in agreement. I spent two and a half years on that stage doing The Phantom of the Opera, and to stand up on there was pretty cool, just looking out.

Broderick added, And when you see the amount of material that has come from this theater, its amazing. These are some of the best works of our time.

Center Theatre Groups 50th anniversary party in L.A.'s Grand Park on Saturday, with City Hall rising in the distance. (Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging)

This last thought seemed to be the consensus of those in attendance  more than 1,000 Los Angeles theater fans, including civic leaders such as former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and cultural heavy hitters like Yuval Sharon, artistic director of the critically lauded experimental opera company the Industry.

Sharon commented on how interesting he found the history outlined in the show  a highlight of which came early in the night in the form of a story told by actor Frank Langella. He spoke about what it was like to star in the first play staged by CTG in 1967, directed by the companys first artistic director, Gordon Davidson.

The show was The Devils, by John Whiting, and it takes place in France in the early 1600s. It notably features crazed nuns, exorcisms, masturbation and torture.

I became the very first actor to perform sexual intercourse on the Mark Taper Stage, Langella said, adding that during the scene, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy walked out.

And thus began the exodus, Langella recalled as the audience howled with laughter.

I played my final scene to a sea of abandoned furniture and Natalie Wood in the front row, Langella concluded. The next day the newspaper reviews were devastating.

The company would not look back as it established itself nationally as an important producer of plays and a cultural leader for the city. Under the guidance of current Artistic Director Michael Ritchie, CTG looked forward. Two high school seniors, Aryana Williams and Shaila Essley, performed monologues as a testament to what is to come.

Spiced yellowtail with pickled vegetables, basil coulis and soy-lime vinaigrette from Patina Restaurant chef Andreas Roller. (Jessica Gelt / Los Angeles Times)

The evening ended with a ritzy dinner held under the stars in Grand Park and a splashy light show projected on the Art Deco tower of City Hall. Guests dined on endive tamales with quesillo, poblano chile and bechamel from chef Ray Garcia, and spiced yellowtail with pickled vegetables, basil coulis and soy-lime vinaigrette from Patina Restaurant Group chef Andreas Roller, among many culinary treats. The celebration raised about $4 million for CTG, representatives said.

jessica.gelt@latimes.com

@jessicagelt

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There wasnt reason to expect much, in the way of context or ambition, from what ultimately turned out to be Gustavo Dudamels extraordinary cycle of Schubert symphonies completed over the weekend with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Schubert attempted 13. He completed seven, plus two movements of another, the Eighth (Unfinished), the symphony for which he is best known. The final Ninth is his one and only full symphonic masterpiece. The first six, written between the ages of 16 and 21, are juvenilia, if juvenilia with a voice even Mozart yet hadnt found at that age.



For the record: An earlier version of this article misspelled the song title Urlicht as Ulrich.

But compared with the other symphony cycles that have been a notable part of Dudamels eight years as music director of the L.A. Phil, beginning with his historic cycle of Mahlers nine, Schuberts symphonies dont express a worldview. There are no opportunities for finding the political or spiritual connotations that Dudamel does in Beethovens nine. Dudamel could offer nothing of the personal journey that he brought to his Tchaikovsky cycle or the magisterial Romanticism of his Brahms cycle. Schuberts are symphonies that provide no extra-musical material.

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In a conversation with the conductor a week before he began his Schubert series, we hardly got around to Schubert at all. Dudamel briefly mentioned that one of his missions has been to build a core repertory  the secret, he believes, of the L.A. Phils acclaimed flexibility, making it possible for the ensemble to produce more varied and adventurous programming, as well as far more new music, than any other major symphony. He then quickly changed the subject to Venezuela. The political crisis in Dudamels native country was among more pressing issues.

This is no doubt the most difficult period in the 36-year-old conductors previously charmed life. As Dudamel, who is the symbol of Venezuelas government-supported El Sistema music education program, attempts to find common cause in a divided country, he finds himself instead no longer universally loved by Venezuelans, caught between a rock and a hard place in the middle of volatile protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The L.A. Phil performed the First and Second symphonies just after a 17-year-old El Sistema musician was killed in a protest march  a few days after Dudamel had told The Times that he supported the right for students to peaceably protest. He said that despite photos of El Sistema leaders marching (presumably under orders) in support of the government.

Dudamel dedicated the concert to the slain youth and the other victims of violence. He then made Schuberts First symphony come to life, the work of a 17-year-old composer at the start of one of the greatest, if unconscionably brief, careers in all music. This, Dudamel seemed to be saying, is what can be lost unless leaders put the people first.

The world continued to crash into Schubert symphonies over the next two weeks. The second program included Schuberts Fourth, his so-called Tragic symphony. Here a young man attempts to deal with full-sized emotions. Dudamel did not look for depth that is not there, but rather for the sincerity that is. In some ways that proved even more moving than the obvious horrors in the programs Mahler song Kindertotenlieder (Songs of the Dead Children), sung with determined feeling by baritone Matthias Goerne.

Then on Thursday night, between the Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6, the conductor and L.A. Phil board Chairman Jay Rasulo paid tribute to the orchestras outgoing president and chief executive, Deborah Borda. Under Dudamel, the Fifth, which best foretells Schuberts lyric gift (and is consequently the one early Schubert symphony with legs), became an exercise in buoyancy as if a maestro were lovingly dancing Borda off the stage.

Only the final program, on Saturday, seemed to be a normal night. Here were Schuberts Unfinished and the Ninth, the latter known as the Great not because it is great (which it is) but because of its expansive size. In between were four songs from Mahlers folksy Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youths Magic Horn), sung by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke.

Dudamel put the emotional weight of the whole cycle on the two movements of the Unfinished. It was a slow performance. In the early symphonies, the orchestra had played with undiminished verve and virtuosity, along with an ever agreeable lightness of touch. Here it dug deep.

Cooke, who was a late replacement for Elina Garanca, had been slightly remote in Mahlers farewell-to-the-world Ruckert Songs two nights earlier, as though this were not the time to lay it on thick. But in the selection from Wunderhorn on Saturday, she was luminous. She and Dudamel again remained relatively restrained, and in so doing only added exceptional clarity to Das Irdische Leben, the cry of a starving child for bread.

Humanity is in the greatest need! / Humanity is in the greatest pain! is how the last song, Urlicht, opens, and Mahlers wonder horn is the call of heaven. Again, Cooke and Dudamel let the song sink in.

This might have seemed the perfect time for going all triumphantly out with Schuberts Great. The composer finished it at 29, two years before his death. It is a vast symphony, opening with a heroic flourish. Lasting close to an hour in a slow performance that honors all the repeats, the Great is an example of what is often called Schuberts heavenly length. Leonard Bernstein at the end of his life, as Wilhelm Furtwangler had before him, treated the Ninth as heralding the age of the Romantic symphony.

Dudamel did the astonishing opposite. While the orchestra was relatively large, he kept the performance unusually light. He dashed through the score. He punched out crisp rhythms as if he already had his mind on the early 20th century works he turns to in the next two weeks focusing on Bartok, Janacek and Stravinsky. Details sizzled. At the same time lyric lines were expansive. Dudamel was not religious about repeats, and the symphony lasted just a little over 45 minutes.

The Ninth came just a dozen years after the First; hence, Dudamel treated the Ninth more as continuation than culmination. He reminded us that Schubert was still a young man going places, though they were places never reached. In doing so with these masterful performances, the Schubert cycle became Dudamels strongest and most insightful statement yet of why he serves youth. In a time of trial, that may be what is most needed to change a world in need of changing.

mark.swed@latimes.com

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A Star Is Born: Morgan Freeman turns 80 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) I like to play characters who are the absolute opposite of me. I think the farther you get from yourself, the more fun you have because the real you is hidden away. Those are the kind of parts where you can become totally empty and let the character fill you up. Thats what I look for -- a role that gives me a chance to be someone completely different.  Morgan Freeman, 1993 FROM THE ARCHIVES: No Sweat: Morgan Freeman Slides Into the Directors Chair Facebook

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Chloe Grace Moretz addresses body-shaming controversy over Snow White movie By Josh Rottenberg (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Actress Chloe Grace Moretz has long been known as a strong voice when it comes to issues of feminism, whether its over-sexualization of female characters or equal pay for women. Now shes speaking out against the marketing campaign behind one of her own projects. Moretz went on social media Wednesday to address criticism that marketing for the animated film Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs  an updated tweak on the Snow White story, with Moretz as the voice of the classic fairy-tale character  engages in body-shaming. I have now fully reviewed the [marketing] for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasnt approved by me or my team, the actress wrote. According to the website of the South Korean animation studio behind the film, its story centers on a Princess who doesnt fit into the celebrity world of Princesses  or their dress size. When she puts on a pair of magical red shoes, she instantly becomes skinnier. The films synopsis promises an empowering message in which Snow White learns not only to accept herself, but to celebrate who she is, inside and out. But the films trailer and other marketing materials have been blasted as fat-shaming. Plus-size model Tess Holliday took to Twitter to criticize a billboard for the film that appeared at the Cannes Film Festival, where Red Shoes was seeking distribution, that suggested that the less svelte Snow White was no longer beautiful. How did this get approved by an entire marketing team? Why is it okay to tell young kids being fat = ugly? @ChloeGMoretz pic.twitter.com/PVhgwluGTM  Tess Holliday  (@Tess_Holliday) May 30, 2017 Hearing the complaints about the films tone-deaf marketing, Moretz agreed  and told her more than 3 million followers so in a pair of tweets. I have now fully reviewed the mkting for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn't approved by me or my team  Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Pls know I have let the producers of the film know. I lent my voice to a beautiful script that I hope you will all see in its entirety https://t.co/IOIXYZTc3g  Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Even as she apologized, she promised that the marketing doesnt represent the complete picture and the films ultimate message is a far more positive one than initial impressions may suggest. The actual story is powerful for young women and resonated with me. I am sorry for the offense that was beyond my creative control https://t.co/HZP2ydPCAX  Chloe Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) May 31, 2017 Facebook

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Singing tween ventriloquist from Americas Got Talent is the cure for what ails you By Christie DZurilla Had enough outrage? Heres the cure for what ails you, courtesy of Americas Got Talent. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly and witness one Darci Lynne Farmer, a 12-year-old singing ventriloquist from Oklahoma City, who on Tuesday night got the Golden Buzzer from AGT judge Mel B for a performance that exuded unadulterated joy. Armed with bunny-puppet pal Petunia on lead vocals, Darci Lynne delivered a surprising version of Summertime for her audition. She ended up earning a ticket straight to the competitions live shows. You made my heart melt, said Mel B, who Darci Lynne later dubbed the best Spice Girl. I believe that that rabbit is a real separate person, judge Howie Mandel said. I love you. I believe youre gonna go far. You just changed your life tonight, young lady. https://t.co/VZmgRXv4PZ  Darci Lynne (@ItsDarciLynne) May 31, 2017 Facebook

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John Legend makes case to take canceled drama Underground elsewhere By Nardine Saad (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) John Legend is making a case for the recently canceled TV drama Underground to be picked up by other content providers. The Oscar-winning musician, who is an executive producer and played abolitionist Frederick Douglass on the Underground Railroad-centered show, rallied fans to give it a second life when cable broadcaster WGN America announced Tuesday it would be canceling the series after two seasons. The network has been scaling down its investment in original programming as part of a deal that its parent company, Tribune Media, made with conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. Sinclairs purchase of Tribune gives it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America. The shift was not lost on Legend, who fired off a series of tweets to promote the content brought forth by Underground and its creators, Misha Green and Joe Pokaski. WGN America has been bought and is going a different direction strategically. We will find a new home for Underground! he tweeted, adding, Content wins. Were not reliant on a particular network to make great content. Were so proud of our show and the audience that supported! Legend, who has made no secret about his liberal politics, cautioned fans to be wary of Sinclair and claimed that theyre trying to make local stations mini Fox Newses that lean even further to the right. He completed his plea by asking followers to feel free to drop some hints to the network/streaming services you want to pick up #Underground. Show them who will be watching! View Instagram post Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season, Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom. Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces Underground, is said to be trying to find it a new home. See The Times roster of new, returning and canceled series here. Facebook

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Liam Gallagher plays new music at Manchester benefit show By August Brown In the wake of the terrorist attack outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, scores of artists joined forces to raise money for the victims. Among them was Liam Gallagher, the former singer and frontman for the citys most beloved rock band, Oasis. Gallagher played a benefit show for the bombing victims on Tuesday at the O2 Ritz Manchester. At the show, his first as a solo artist, he played several new songs, including the single Wall of Glass, which you can watch above. It was a preview of his forthcoming solo LP, As You Were. (Previously, Gallagher fronted the post-Oasis rock band Beady Eye.) For Oasis fans, he played several classic tracks, including Be Here Now with Oasis guitarist Paul Bonehead Arthurs and an a cappella take on Live Forever. Facebook

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CNN fires Kathy Griffin from New Years Eve show over controversial Trump picture By Christie DZurilla (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) Kathy Griffin is out of a job at CNN. The cable network on Wednesday terminated its agreement with the comic, who for years has co-hosted its New Years Eve program with Anderson Cooper, after a photo of Griffin holding a bloody, severed head in the likeness of President Trump went viral on social media. The image, taken by photographer Tyler Shields, elicited strong criticism from liberals and conservatives alike. Griffin apologized for the gory image in a 30-second video posted online Tuesday night. I beg for your forgiveness, Griffin said in the video. I went too far. Trump denounced the image Wednesday, calling it Sick! and saying Griffin should be ashamed. CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year's Eve program.  CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 31, 2017 Facebook

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Lebanon officially bans Wonder Woman from theaters By Josh Rottenberg If you live in Lebanon, Wonder Woman wont be coming to a theater near you anytime soon. On Wednesday, the country officially banned the superhero film just hours before it was set to arrive in theaters. The ban followed an effort by a group called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel, which urged the Lebanese governments Ministry of Economy and Trade to block the film because its star, Gal Gadot, is Israeli. News of the ban, which had been the subject of speculation since Monday, was announced on social media by Lebanons Grand Cinemas and Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel. Lebanon has had a contentious relationship with the state of Israel for decades and has an official law on the books that encourages boycotts of products from its neighbor to the south. Israeli citizens and anyone whose passport shows theyve traveled to Israel are prohibited from entering Lebanon. Earlier films featuring Gadot, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Furious 7, have successfully screened in theaters in Lebanon, however. Batman v Superman, which introduced Gadots Wonder Woman, was the third biggest hit at the box office in Lebanon last year. And, as has been pointed out, Wonder Woman was, in fact, made by three companies based in America and two based in China, so calling it an Israeli product is debatable. But, on its Facebook page, the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel complained that Gadot had served two years in the Israeli Defense Forces (national military service is mandatory for Israeli citizens over 18) and boasted about the army training her for Hollywood. Wonder Woman lands in American theaters on Friday and, fueled by overwhelmingly positive reviews, is expected to perform strongly. Read our recent profile of director Patty Jenkins, in which she explains why the world needs Wonder Woman, right here. Facebook

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If President Trumps got the whole world in his hands, Trevor Noah says were in trouble By Robert Lloyd Having caught fire too late Tuesday for late-night TV, and with several hosts extending their Memorial Day weekend, the #covfefe hashtag would have to wait at least until Wednesday for its monologue moment. There were, however, some late-night-related tweets reacting to Twitter addict @realdonaldtrumps since-deleted mistyping of what is assumed to be the word covering or coverage. What makes me saddest, wrote Jimmy Kimmel, is that I know Ill never write anything funnier than #covfefe. The account for CBS Late Late Show poked some fun at Trumps gaffe, too. who do you want to see on the next covfefe karaoke  The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) May 31, 2017 Meanwhile, Trevor Noah and Comedy Centrals The Daily Show were back after a week off, above, catching up with President Trumps whole first trip abroad. International Hand Stuff was the name of the segment, which framed the excursion in terms of the presidents mitts. There were references to Trump touching the glowing white orb and Jerusalems Western Wall (they build one wall 2,000 years ago, Noah said in his Trump voice, zero Mexicans in their whole country); the question of whether First Lady Melania Trump swatted away her husbands hand on the tarmac in Tel Aviv (leave it to Fox News not to recognize what rejection from a woman looks like); and Trumps power handshake from new French President Emmanuel Macron (the first time that President Trump was on the receiving end of an unwelcome hand grab). The last manual metaphor was given to the German chancellor, who, after her visit with the American president, said, We Europeans must take our fate into our own hands. Yeah, said Noah, clearly Angela Merkel got one look at Trump and was like, All right, our fate is in our own hands, because his clearly ruin everything they touch. Jimmy Kimmel also looked at Trumps trip abroad, which he described, with probable irony, as spreading joy and optimism all over the world. Titled Drunk Donald Trump: Sicily, the segment replayed a portion of Trumps speech at half-speed. The effect is uncanny. Later, sitting outside on some steps -- urine-stained steps, apparently -- Kimmel asked a series of kids, who really do say the darnedest things, about the state of the union. If we measure a late-night host solely by an ability to engage with children in a way thats friendly, direct, deadpan and mostly honest, Kimmel is in a league with David Letterman, nearly. How did he think Donald Trump was doing, Kimmel asked one boy. Not really well, the child replied. My sister told me that Donald Trump is against another state. Which state? Is it  Nebraska? Yeah, Nebraska. A lot of people are happy that he is bombing Nebraska, said Kimmel. (I did say mostly honest.) Do you think it was a good idea? No, replied the boy, cause they have, like, better bombs. I think theyre going to be OK, though, I really do, the host said. Once football season starts, theyre usually pretty solid. Facebook

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Kathy Griffin apologized for that bloody severed-head stunt. But few are forgiving her By Nardine Saad (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) First Lady Melania Trump is the latest detractor of Kathy Griffins bloody depiction of the presidents decapitation. As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing, FLOTUS said in a statement to NBC News. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it. Griffins photographs and video by photographer Tyler Shields showed the comic straight-faced, holding up a blood-splattered severed head that appeared to be Trumps. The president denounced Griffins stunt, saying that she should be ashamed of herself and that the piece greatly disturbed his 11-year-old son, Barron. Griffins apology wasnt accepted by some on Twitter either, which spewed a variety of reactions, including several right-wing jabs that Griffin had been radicalized by Islamic State, the terror group that frequently beheads its victims. Several also sympathized with the presidents family, citing TMZs story about Barron believing that something horrible had happened to his father when he saw the images on the news. CNN subsequently fired Griffin from her co-hosting duties for its New Years Eve broadcast, and she has also been dropped as a spokesperson for Squatty Potty. Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was delighted by the bathroom footstool makers response but criticized CNN for not immediately doing the same. So Squatty Potty pulls the plug on Kathy Griffin, but CNN still evaluating and weighing their options, the presidents eldest son tweeted. Insane whats going on there!!! He then added, Apologies for my last tweet. I didnt mean to group Squatty Potty with CNN. Obviously one of them has moral/ethical standards. Griffins CNN compatriot, Anderson Cooper, who co-hosts the giggle-filled New Years Eve show for the cable news channel, did not come to his pals defense. For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate, Cooper tweeted. CNN host Jake Tapper also said on the air that he thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate. For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.  Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) May 31, 2017 For those asking, I said on air that I thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate.  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 30, 2017 Meanwhile, others believed that Griffins apology was a step in the right direction. Kathy Griffin did the right thing by apologizing. That sort of behavior, that sort of message, isn't acceptable in any setting.  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 31, 2017 I think she did the right thing asking for forgiveness and acknowledging that this was a horrible mistake, so I think she can, Minnesota Democrat and former Saturday Night Live writer Sen. Al Franken told CNN on Wednesday. Kathys a friend and shes a terrific comedian, but this had no business being in our public discourse..., Franken said. And I talked to her. She has apologized  a real, fulsome apology. Shes actually begged for forgiveness, and I believe in forgiveness. Still, there was more snark to be had. Kathy Griffin's stupid photo was gross & offensive. She should lose her leadership role in the DNC and no longer be a candidate for office.  Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) May 31, 2017 Update, 10:55 a.m.: Story added news that CNN has fired Griffin from its New Years Eve broadcast. Facebook

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Melania Trump questions Kathy Griffins mental health after inflammatory photo shoot By James Reed President Trump and Melania Trump (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it.  Melania Trump, responding to Kathy Griffins controversial stunt involving a severed head in the likeness of President Trump Read More Facebook

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A Star Is Born: Clint Eastwood turns 87 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) If you want to be in for the long haul, you just have to trust your judgment about the material. ... If you go whoring for the money, the audiences will figure you out. They know when youre being a jerk, when youre just trying to get them in a room and show them a movie you dont even care about.  Clint Eastwood, 1993 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Clint, closing in on El Dorado Facebook

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This Is Us not moving to Thursdays, after all By Yvonne Villarreal Consider it a flash-forward flashback: Poised to help NBC reclaim its Must See TV glory on Thursday nights, This Is Us is now staying put in its Tuesday time slot before the switch even happened. The breakout drama from last season will keep hold of the 9 p.m. hour on Tuesdays where it performed mightily in its debut season, the network announced Tuesday. Itll retain its lead-in, The Voice. The move means some rejiggering for Thursdays. The revival of Will & Grace, which was slated to open the night, will now kick off the 9 p.m. hour. It will be surrounded by comedies Superstore, The Good Place and Great News to create a two-hour comedy block. Chicago Fire will take up the 10 p.m. hour instead of Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. That drama will keep its This Is Us lead-in by moving to Tuesdays. Heres NBCs revised schedule: Tuesdays 8 p.m.  The Voice 9 p.m.  This Is Us 10 p.m.  Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders Thursdays 8 p.m.  Superstore 8:30 p.m.  The Good Place 9 p.m.  Will & Grace 9:30 p.m.  Great News 10 p.m.  Chicago Fire Facebook

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Erin Moran died of cancer, autopsy report confirms By Christie DZurilla Erin Moran is shown in 1992. (Wally Fong / Associated Press ) The coroner reportedly says Happy Days actress Erin Moran died of complications from cancer and cancer alone. Thats in line with what her husband said in an open letter written shortly after her death on April 22 at age 56. Tests showed no illegal narcotics were involved in her death, according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ on Tuesday from the coroners office in Harrison County, Ind. Moran struggled with substance abuse earlier in her life, and media assumptions about her cause of death were amplified by a comment from Scott Baio during an early morning radio interview April 24. When Baio learned his former costar had been battling cancer, he fell all over himself trying to set the record straight. I was asked ONLY about Erins troubled past due to drug & alcohol abuse. I was still upset and said I felt that living that kind of a lifestyle will catch up with you and nothing good would come of it, he said on Facebook. THIS WAS BEFORE THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS ANNOUNCED STATING STAGE 4 CANCER. One of the former child stars brothers, Tony Moran, told the Sun on May 30: My first thoughts were she must have had a heart attack caused by years of substance abuse. She has always battled demons and in recent years things have gone from bad to worse. In reality, as described by her husband, Moran had discovered last December that she had squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, by April she could no longer speak, eat or drink. She had a feeding tube. Baio posted the open letter from Steve Fleischmann, Morans husband of nearly 24 years, on his own Facebook page April 25. It got so bad so fast, Fleischmann said. The coroner told me it was really really bad. It had spread to her spleen, she had alot of fluid in her lungs and part of her brain was infected, Fleischmann wrote. The coroner said even if she was in the hospital being pumped full of antibiotics she still would not of made it. He said it was the best that she was with me and went in her sleep. Facebook

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WGN America cancels Underground, but will it really be the end? By Yvonne Villarreal  A chat with Aisha Hinds and Jurnee Smollett-Bell, the badass women from Underground. WGN America has canceled slavery-era-set drama Underground. The fate of the series, which centered around the Underground Railroad, seemed doomed given how the network has been scaling back its investment in original programming. Until now, the drama, from creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, had stood as the lone original scripted series on the network following the recent cancellation of Outsiders. The shift away from original programming comes after Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the conservative-leaning Baltimore-based company, announced it had agreed to buy Tribune Media in a deal that would give it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America. As WGN America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape, Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season. Kern added: It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom. Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces Underground, is said to be trying to find it a new home. When Underground stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aisha Hinds stopped by the Los Angeles Times video studio last week, both seemed hopeful that Undergrounds story wasnt over. We havent heard anything yet on the status of Season 3, said Hinds, who joined Season 2 portraying Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman. But I do know there is quite a bit more of this story to tell. And I know that we have engaged viewers waiting to see the story. If WGN is not our home, well find a home. Facebook

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Lebanon might ban new Wonder Woman because of stars Israeli heritage By Libby Hill A new foe has arisen to oppose Wonder Woman at the box office: Lebanon. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Lebanon is seeking to ban Warner Bros.'s new Wonder Woman movie because lead actress Gal Gadot is an Israeli. On Monday, Lebanons National News Agency reported that the Ministry of Economy and Trade was adopting measures necessary to ban the film from screening. Relations between Israel and Lebanon have been strained since Israels independence in 1948, with Lebanon still abiding by the Arab League boycott of Israel adopted in 1945. Lebanon does not recognize the State of Israel and does not accept Israeli passports or passports indicating a person has entered Israel. But is Wonder Woman an Israeli product? The film is produced by five production companies DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films, Tencent Pictures and Wanda Pictures  three companies based in the United States and two in China. Gadot, however, is proud of her heritage. She served two years in the Israel Defense Force as required by the countrys conscription requirements and has posted in the past in support of IDF during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. The ban of the film would have to move quickly, as screenings are scheduled to begin in Beirut on Wednesday. But such action would require approval from a six-member committee from the Ministry of Economy, a process that had yet to begin, according to the Associated Press. Wonder Woman debuts in U.S. theaters Friday. 4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with information from Lebanons National News Agency. Facebook

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Olivia Newton-John has a new cancer diagnosis; her June shows are postponed By Christie DZurilla (Esteban Felix / Associated Press) Olivia-Newton John has reluctantly postponed her June concert dates after learning that the back pain shes been waylaid by recently is caused by breast cancer that has metastasized to her sacrum. I decided on my direction of therapies after consultation with my doctors and natural therapists and the medical team at my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia, the 68-year-old singer said Tuesday in a statement on social media. Those therapies include a short course of photon radiation therapy in addition to natural wellness therapies, the statement said. Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, at which time she underwent chemotherapy after a modified radical mastectomy with reconstruction. Her treatment also included acupuncture, which she said helped her with nausea, as well as yoga, meditation and massage. Three weeks ago, Newton-John postponed her May shows, with her team citing a bad issue with Olivias sciatica. Now, her June shows in the U.S. and Canada have been put off. Ticket-holders are being directed to venues for refunds, and any rescheduled dates will be posted on Newton-Johns official website. Olivia ... is confident she will be back later in the year, better than ever, to celebrate her shows, the Tuesday statement said. Facebook

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After Cannes delay, Victoria & Abdul trailer debuts By Amy Kaufman One week after Focus Features scrapped plans to unveil the trailer for Victoria & Abdul during the Cannes Film Festival, a preview of the upcoming British drama has debuted online. Set in 1887, the film stars Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and follows the monarch as she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Muslim Indian (Ali Fazal) who has traveled to the U.K. to deliver a ceremonial coin to her majesty. Focus, which is owned by Universal Pictures, was set to debut the trailer last Wednesday but postponed the release after the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, on May 22. A source told The Times the decision was made in part because a big piece of marketing right after the attack could seem insensitive. Directed by Stephen Frears, Victoria & Abdul is set for release at the start of awards season in September. The trailer centers on the real-life relationship that blossomed between the two, with Abdul going from servant to teacher while informing the queen about everything from the Koran to the joys of Indian mangoes. Facebook

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Ready for Alanis Morissettes Jagged Little Pill as a musical? Its happening By August Brown (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) Alanis Morissettes angsty, groundbreaking 1995 album, Jagged Little Pill, always seemed like it had enough melodrama to make it into a theatrical production. Now its coming to a stage in Massachusetts. The new production of Jagged Little Pill, helmed by Juno writer Diablo Cody and director Diane Paulus, will debut at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge next May. The musical will feature songs from the LP  famed for its unsparing look at relationships  along with other music from Morissettes catalog and Pill producer Glen Ballard. This team that has come together for this Jagged Little Pill musical is my musical theater dream come true, Morissette said in a statement. The chemistry between all of us is crackling and I feel honored to be diving into these songs again, surrounded by all of this searing talent. Facebook

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Reunited Brady Bunch kids fondly remember Florence Henderson on Today By Nardine Saad It was a very Brady reunion on Tuesday. The Brady Bunch kids Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) came together on NBCs Today show to reflect on the iconic family sitcom and pay tribute to its late matriarch, Florence Henderson, nearly 50 years after the show debuted in 1969. The syndicated series about a blended family of six children and their housekeeper has permeated the pop culture zeitgeist with its unmistakable style and earworm theme song. With numerous parodies and attempted reboots in its wake, the comedy has endured because of its wholesome values, the cast members said. What you have on The Brady Bunch is something youre not going to see these days, which is a family where the parents and the kids respect each other today the formula is get the parents out of the show for the kids shows, said Olsen, a.ka. the youngest one in curls. You know how you dont grow old for yourself until you see yourself in a photo? Somehow you just dont see it, Knight explained. Its as though the show keeps us young in everyones mind, but were really this old. Added Williams: Everyone always refers to us as kids. No matter how we mature, were still the kids. After acknowledging that they would always be best known for The Brady Bunch, the actors said, they realized early on that they would never be able to walk away from the series at different stages of their careers. For Williams it was when a teenage girl asked him to sign an autograph for her mother and for Lookinland it was when he realized that his fans now had grandchildren. Knight said the show was always going to be in the room before me and it was always going to be in the room after me. Olsen, who claimed that she had written some off-color lyrics attached to the theme song, added that you spend a little while trying to run away from it, but you cant. Its like having a hunchback. You cant disguise it, so you might as well dress it up. As for their TV mom, Henderson, who died in 2016, the kids remembered her fondly. Everyone she met felt better about themselves and about the world around them after having spent a moment with Florence, Knight said. She was a mentor, a friend. We learned from her, added Williams. We learned how to interact with the public. She was so gracious with her fans, and we all learned how to do that graciously. Mostly she loved to make people laugh. You probably know that if youve been in her space. Facebook

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Prince William talks about taboo of mental illness and death of Diana in new interview By Libby Hill As the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales approaches, her son Prince William has opened up to British GQ about the loss. I would like to have had her advice, William told the magazine. I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she wont, that they will never know her. The prince was just 15 when his mother was killed in a high-speed car crash on Aug. 31, 1997, and he and younger brother Harry were left to deal with their grief under great public scrutiny. While Prince William has of late found the words to speak publicly about his mother, the journey to that place has not always been easy. It has taken me almost 20 years to get to that stage, William said. I still find it difficult now because at the time it was so raw. And also it is not like most peoples grief, because everyone else knows about it, everyone knows the story, everyone knows her. View Instagram post It may have taken years, but William and Harry have found a way to honor their mother in a fashion that she would likely greatly appreciate: charitable work. Known as the Peoples Princess, Diana was a tireless advocate for those in need and worked to destigmatize AIDS in the 1980s, to fight the use of landmines and to better the lives of the underprivileged. In the last year, William and his brother, alongside Williams wife, Kate, have expanded their involvement in Heads Together, a mental health campaign led by the Royal Foundation, which aims to start a productive conversation about the reality of mental illness. Smashing the taboo is our biggest aim. We cannot go anywhere much until that is done. People cant access services till they feel less ashamed, so we must tackle the taboo, the stigma, William said. The Heads Together campaign has sparked several headlines for the royal family in recent months. In April, Prince Harry admitted that the death of his mother left him very close to a complete breakdown for which he finally sought professional help three years ago. The experience that Ive had is once you start talking about [mental health], you suddenly realized, actually, youre part of a big club ... and everybodys gagging to talk about it, Harry said during the Mad World podcast with Bryony Gordon. The GQ interview is not the only conversation that Prince William has had recently about mental health, either. He participated in a highly publicized FaceTime chat with Lady Gaga on the matter. In the interview, Prince William acknowledged that his public persona might suggest otherwise, but privately, he is impassioned about the issue. I cannot understand how families, even behind closed doors, still find it so hard to talk about it. I am shocked we are so worried about saying anything about the true feelings we have, the prince said. Prince Williams full interview with British GQ is available in its July issue, on newsstands June 1. Facebook

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Ariana Grandes mom has a message for Manchester bombing victims By Christie DZurilla Joan Grande, left, and Ariana Grande in September 2015. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images) Days after daughter Ariana Grande issued a statement about last weeks post-concert bombing in Manchester, England, mom Joan Grande posted her own thoughts about the incident that left 22 dead and scores more injured. I join my daughter in extending my help & services to all those affected by the diabolical act of terror which occurred in Manchester! she wrote on Twitter as a Memorial Day message that also thanked U.S. servicemen and women. My heart goes out to all the victims: those who lost their lives, those injured, those recovering & all survivors of that night, along with the families and friends whose grief knows no bounds. The elder Grande was still in her front-row seat at the show, about to go see her daughter backstage, when the suicide bomb went off, TMZ reported. Mama Grande took about 10 kids who were seated around her to safety backstage, the website said. Ariana Grande similarly offered her assistance to those in need on Friday in a statement declaring her intention to return to the incredibly brave city of Manchester for a benefit concert. We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldnt recoil, the Bang Bang singer said. We will not quit or operate in fear. We wont let this divide us. We wont let hate win. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/oUDmB7VD6x  Joan Grande (@joangrande) May 29, 2017 Facebook

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A Star Is Born: Annette Bening turns 59 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) "[W]hen they teach you to act, they teach you about objectives. You have a need -- a kind of emotional imbalance -- its not neurotic, but you want something. I try to consciously beef up that motivation in order to intensify what Im doing. You get an image in your head of what you want and then you find a way of expressing that.  Annette Bening, 1991 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Regarding Annette Facebook

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Swedens The Square wins Palme dOr and Sofia Coppola wins best director at Cannes By Los Angeles Times Swedish director Ruben Ostlund reacts on stage after he was awarded with the Palme dOr for the film The Square during the closing ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty Images) Ruben Ostlunds The Square, a ferocious drama of conscience, according to Times critic Justin Chang, about how a single lapse in judgment can cause a mans entire life to unravel, won the Cannes top prize, the Palme dOr on Sunday. The Grand Prix award went to Robin Campillos 120 Beats per Minute. Sofia Coppola won best director for her film The Beguiled, which stars Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. Kidman also won the festivals 70th anniversary prize. Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Lynne Ramsays You Were Never Really Here and Diane Kruger won best actress award for Faith Akins In the Fade. More coverage to come. Meanwhile... Here is what Justin Chang wrote about Ostlunds The Square, and Steven Zeitchiks interview with the director, who talked about the element of surprise in his movies: I really like scenes that when they end where you dont know 100% where to put them. It starts funny or it starts sad and then it becomes something else. When you get that shift, you know youve succeeded. Read More Facebook

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A Star Is Born: Kylie Minogue turns 49 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Axel Koester / For The Times) I have this following  mainly young girls. This album had to appeal to those fans. If the singing was too R&B, they wouldnt like it, I guess. These producers think pop music is candy music. Theyre saying: Here, kids, have a piece of candy.  Kylie Minogue, 1988 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Fame, fortune, but no respect Facebook

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Gregg Allman, pioneer of Southern rock, dies at 69 By Nardine Saad Gregg Allman performs with the Allman Brothers Band in 1979. (George Rose / Los Angeles Times) Gregg Allman, the gravel-voiced singer who helped lift the Allman Brothers Band to prominence with a hard-churning brand of soulful rock that became part of the soundtrack of the 1960s and 70s and set the coordinates for a musical genre known as Southern rock, died Saturday at the age of 69. According to a statement posted on his official website, Allman, who had canceled concerts and entire tours in recent years as he battled a variety of health issues, passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Ga. Read More Facebook

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70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The art of the yacht deal, from Steven Spielberg to Steve Bannon By Steven Zeitchik  Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound up on a yacht with a future member of the Trump administration. Facebook

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70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The time Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette was booed By Justin Chang Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Coppolas Marie Antoinette played in competition and was booed by certain members of the media audience.  Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Cop That same year, when the film debuted in theaters, Times critic Kenneth Turan looked back on the boos at Cannes and concluded the reaction wasnt just about the filmmaking. Here is the essay he wrote on Oct. 13, 2006: -------------------- WHO OWNS HISTORY? And, more to the point, who owns Marie Antoinette? Though theyre not usually phrased that way, those questions have swirled around Sofia Coppolas quietly exuberant new film about the doomed young French queen (only 18 when she ascended the throne, 37 when she was executed) since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to some scattered  and widely misunderstood  boos. For the displeasure came not, as might be expected, from the French critics -- whod already seen the film and whose generally positive notices were already on record in Le Film Francais, the French trade paper -- but from political types who had an ax to grind about the films portrait of the woman in question. Read More Facebook

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Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor split after 17 years of marriage By Christie DZurilla (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor have split up after 18 years together, 17 of them as husband and wife. With tremendous love and respect for each other, and the 18 years we spent together as a couple, we have made the decision to separate, they said Friday in a joint statement. Our priority will continue to be raising our children as devoted parents and the closest of friends. We kindly ask that the media respect our privacy at this time. The Zoolander director and the Brady Bunch Movie actress met in L.A. in 1999, while he was developing a pilot in which she was going to star. They started dating that April and by November were engaged. They got married in May 2000. Stiller, 51, who proposed to Taylor while he was doing Meet the Parents, told Parade in 2013 that art imitated life when he was about to pop the question. I asked her father for permission before I did it, he said. It was like Meet the Parents in real life, because Christines father is an intimidating guy who owns a security company; were good friends now, but at the time I was in the basement rec room saying, I really would like to marry your daughter... Why the basement? " He was trying to find a place to sort of secretly ask my dad if it was OK to ask my hand in marriage, Taylor told New York magazine in 2008. The Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story costars have two kids together, daughter Emma, 15, and son Quinlan, 11. Facebook

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70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The home away from home for luminaries By Kenneth Turan  Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and Steven Zeitchik are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Turan, with Chang behind the camera, brings us to the historic Hot Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and Steven Zeitchik are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Turan, with Chang behind the camera, brings us to the historic Hotel Splendid, which over the last 146 years has been a home away from home for luminaries ranging from the French composer Jacques Offenbach to the late critic Roger Ebert. Facebook

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L.A. music fixture Rodney Bingenheimer will leave KROQ next month By Mikael Wood Rodney Bingenheimer, the veteran radio DJ and rock-scene insider familiar to several generations of Los Angeles music fans, is ending his long-running show on L.A.'s KROQ-FM (106.7) after more than 40 years. Rodney on the ROQ will air for the final time on June 4 at midnight, Bingenheimer, 69, wrote on Facebook Thursday. It has been an amazing run, and I will be thanking all of you when I say goodbye to KROQ next week, he said in the post. I am planning on some special callers and special music as I say a proper goodbye. In a statement to The Times, KROQ program director Kevin Weatherly called Bingenheimer one of the most influential voices on the radio and said he and his staff will forever be grateful for the indelible mark that Rodney on the ROQ has left on this station, our listeners and the alt-rock music scene. Bingenheimer launched his show on the influential modern-rock station in 1976, four years after he opened Rodneys English Disco, a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard popular among the decades glam acts. On the radio, Bingenheimer quickly became known for championing new artists including the Sex Pistols and Blondie; he continued playing music by up-and-coming talent over the years, throwing his considerable enthusiasm behind the likes of Oasis and Coldplay. In his Facebook post, Bingenheimer  the subject of a 2003 documentary called Mayor of the Sunset Strip  didnt say why he was leaving KROQ. But he noted that hes not retiring from music. As this chapter closes, he wrote, I will be opening another chapter of my rock life soon. Heres his full statement on Facebook: Facebook

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Ariana Grande to hold benefit concert in incredibly brave city of Manchester By Christie DZurilla (Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images) Ariana Grande on Friday announced her intention to return to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with fans and play a benefit concert to assist victims of the suicide bomb attack launched after her show in the British city earlier this week. I have been thinking of my fans, and of you all, non stop over the past week. The way you have handled all of this has been more inspiring and made me more proud than youll ever know, the 23-year-old singer said in a statement on social media. The compassion, kindness, love, strength and oneness that youve shown one another this past week is the exact opposite of the heinous intentions it must take to pull off something as evil as what happened Monday. YOU are the opposite. Grande gave no details about when she would return other than to say theyd be coming as soon as things were confirmed. The statement was her first since a brief tweet after the bombing saying she was broken and so so sorry. That day, Grande and her mother left Britain for Florida. She acknowledged her own reaction to the incident in saying she was sorry for the pain and fear you must be feeling and the trauma that you, too, must be feeling. She also talked about not wanting to go the rest of the year without being out there for her fans; at this point, her tour has been suspended only until June 5. There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling or to make this better, she said to the victims of the attack and their loved ones. However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I can possibly give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way. Those who were most tragically affected, Grande said, will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life. View Instagram post Facebook

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Equality, not feminism, is the watchword at Wonder Woman premiere By Sonaiya Kelley Victoria Ikerd from San Diego, left, and Sylvia Vale from Culver City strike their best Wonder Woman pose. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The stars of Warner Bros. Wonder Woman took to the red carpet outside Hollywoods Pantages Theatre Thursday night to celebrate the films premiere with a unified message. It just wasnt the message some people might expect. I think the world needs all types of superheroes, director Patty Jenkins said when asked why we need Wonder Woman. What a beautiful message right now because were in a dark place, and thats the only way were going to get to the other side, if everyone becomes a hero. (Warner Bros. canceled the films London premiere after Mondays attack in Manchester.) Despite the obvious girl power on display, many of the films stars and creators shied away from identifying it as a feminist film, hoping not to isolate the male fans in attendance. SEE PHOTOS FROM THE WONDER WOMAN PREMIERE  I think that the film just takes a great character and tells a great story about how that character came to be, Charles Roven, the films producer, told the Los Angeles Times. Obviously the character wouldnt be who she is if she wasnt a woman, but shes a very specific woman, Roven added. Theres no other superhero character in the DC Universe who embraced their legacy and knew what they wanted to be and became [it]. And thats completely inspirational to everyone, not just women. Read More Facebook

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Bella Thorne and Scott Disick together in Cannes? Legit nothing By Christie DZurilla (Joshua Blanchard / Getty Images, left; Lars Niki / Getty Images) In whats been called a battle of strategic hookups between exes Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick, Bella Thorne has put up a white flag and flown away. Disick, 34, and Thorne, 19, were seen Monday at LAX on their way to the Cannes Film Festival, where  surprise!  Kardashian, 38, was already hanging out and getting handsy with Younes Bendjima, a 24-year-old boxer-turned-model. According to E! News, the latter twosome is for real but keeping it light. The Kardashian ex and the actress from The DUFF? Perhaps not so much. Thorne and Disick raised eyebrows Wednesday with a high-profile cuddle-fest by a pool in Cannes. Alas, by Thursday, word has it via TMZ, Thorne wasnt comfortable with her party-boy travel partner when he got his drink on: After tweeting Thursday that Yo this #cannes fancy life isnt for me, she told one person that she had been doing Legit nothing trolololo with Scott and another, Hahahah Im not talking to scott or anyone else. Scott is partially using Bella and a few other girls as a crutch to make Kourtney upset and feel jealous, a Keeping Up With the Kardashians"-related source told People on Thursday, sounding like a description of an upcoming episode of the show. They are both playing this game with each other and at the moment neither one of them are backing down. Around 3 a.m. Friday, Cannes time, Disick was paying attention to another lady, putting this pic of his and Kardashians 4-year-old daughter, Penelope, up on Facebook: Um, hashtag #supersad? Bye Cannes you were boring Thorne said Friday on Snapchat, posting video from the seat of what appeared to be a private plane. Kardashian, Bendjima and half-sis Kendall Jenner left Cannes on Friday as well. Yo this #cannes fancy life isn't for me  BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) May 25, 2017 @bellathorne bells, what were you doing with Scott?  chrystal (@justintheslayer) May 25, 2017 Legit nothing trolololo https://t.co/t9eW4B17oI  BITCHIMBELLATHORNE (@bellathorne) May 26, 2017 Facebook

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Netflix cancels London premieres of Orange Is the New Black and GLOW By Libby Hill The fatal terrorist incident at an Ariana Grande concert Monday in Manchester, England, continues to resonate throughout the entertainment industry. Netflix canceled its plans for a London premiere for Season 5 of Orange Is the New Black and the pilot for GLOW, the latest series from Orange creator Jenji Kohan. Following the terrible events in Manchester on Monday night, we have decided to cancel our special screening of Orange Is the New Black and GLOW on Tuesday [May 30], a Netflix spokesperson told The Times on Friday. Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this tragedy. According to those knowledgeable about the decision, the streaming services choice to forgo its screenings comes from internal discussions only, not from any pressure from local authorities. This is just the latest cancellation in the wake of Mondays tragedy, which took the lives of 22 individuals, including victims as young as 8 years old. On Wednesday, Warner Bros. scuttled plans for a London Wonder Woman premiere, originally scheduled for May 31. Similarly, Universal Pictures announced Thursday that it had canceled its London premiere for The Mummy originally slated for June 1. Facebook

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Oasis Liam Gallagher schedules Manchester benefit show By Mikael Wood (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times) Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher will play a hometown concert next week in Manchester, England, to benefit the families of Mondays bombing at the Manchester Arena. Its outrageous, the singer told the Manchester Evening News regarding the terrorist attack that killed 22 people following a concert by Ariana Grande. There are kids and people dying all over the world. And for what? He went on to say, I want to try and help pick people up. People like me, doing what we do, its our duty to give people a good time. The show, scheduled for Tuesday night at the O2 Ritz, will serve as Gallaghers first solo gig and comes ahead of the release of his debut solo single, Wall of Glass, from an album expected in October. Facebook

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Body-slamming? Late-night hosts remind us that Donald Trump once did that on TV By Yvonne Villarreal Lest America forget the nations history of political candidates with body-slamming tendencies, the late-night circuit offered a refresher course Thursday night. Playing catchup to Wednesdays news that Greg Gianforte, the billionaire Republican candidate in Montanas special congressional election, had allegedly body-slammed a Guardian reporter after the journalist asked him about the Republican healthcare bill, TV hosts weighed in on the matter. Think about that, Late Night host Seth Meyers said. The GOP healthcare plan is so bad, Republicans would rather body-slam reporters than answer a question about it. His response to the question, Meyers continued, was to give the reporter a preexisting condition. Late Show host Stephen Colbert expressed faux skepticism about Gianfortes ability to move past the incident and win the election. That happened the night before the election, Colbert said. I just dont know how anyone could vote for a candidate who body-slams people. Cue a clip of Donald Trump performing such a move in 2007 when he appeared on WrestleMania 23" and tackled WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to the ground before shaving his head. I forgot, Colbert said after playing the clip. Nothing matters. During his A Closer Look segment, Meyers also played the Trump clip. That was a thing, a real thing that happened. and we still said Yeah, he should be president. For the record: Gianforte won Montanas special election Thursday. Facebook

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A Star Is Born: Stevie Nicks turns 69 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) I think if people like to dress like a gypsy and they get a little inspiration from me to do it, then its great. Its definitely something everyone should try at least once in their lives. Dress like a gypsy!  Stevie Nicks, 1997 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Airy Godmother Facebook

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For the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, see how fans packed L.A. theaters in 1977 By Los Angeles Times Staff When the original Star Wars opened on May 25, 1977, only about 40 theaters across the country initially screened the movie. In Los Angeles, fans packed showings in ways theater managers and moviegoers had never seen. For the 40th anniversary of Star Wars, we revisit this story examining the earliest stages of the Star Wars phenomenon. The Times originally published this story on June 4, 1977. Read More Facebook

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George Lucas predicted Star Wars Disney future in 1977 interview with The Times By L.A. Times staff Happy 40th anniversary, Star Wars! Before the first-ever Star Wars premiered on screens across America on May 25, 1977, Los Angeles Times writer Paul Rosenfield sat down with the creator of a galaxy far, far away. Then 33, George Lucas was just a few days shy from the release of his space opera, prophetically claiming that Star Wars was the movie he thinks Disney would have made when Walt Disney was alive. Who knew decades later that the droids and the mouse would reside in the same castle? This story was originally published on June 5, 1977, and titled, Lucas: Film-Maker With the Force. (Also from our archives, read The Times original Star Wars review here.) I think of this as a movie Disney would have made when Walt Disney was alive ... I call it space opera. Thats a genre thats been around a long time, in the books of Burroughs and Heinlein, but never really done on film.  George Lucas in 1977 Read More Facebook

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Guns N Roses is playing Los Angeles again By Mikael Wood Guns N Roses will play two hometown concerts this fall, the reunited Los Angeles hard-rock band announced Thursday, one Nov. 24 at Staples Center and another Nov. 25 at the Forum. The dates are part of a new extension of GNRs Not in This Lifetime Tour, which launched in April 2016 with a show at the Troubadour that marked the first time in decades that frontman Axl Rose had performed in public with guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan. The tour went on to hit Coachella and Dodger Stadium. Opening acts for the L.A. shows werent announced, but GNR revealed that country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson will warm up crowds at stadium shows in August in Denver; Little Rock, Ark.; and Miami. Other acts with opening slots on the tour include ZZ Top, Deftones and Royal Blood. Tickets for the newly scheduled concerts go on sale June 3. Facebook

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Claire Foy shoots down Lisbeth Salander rumors: I dont know about any of this By Glenn Whipp Claire Foy (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times) Claire Foys sister called her last week, none too pleased that her sibling hadnt told her that shed be playing Lisbeth Salander in The Girl in the Spiders Web, the long-delayed follow-up to the 2011 David Fincher film The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. My sisters like, Oh, what are you doing? and I was like, Im not doing anything! I dont t know about any of this! Foy told The Times Wednesday in an interview before an Emmy season promotional event for the actress Netflix series, The Crown. Its really weird, Foy added. Ive never experienced that before where theres a rumor about a possible job like this. Its very surreal. News broke last week that Foy was either in talks, eyeing or had been all but cast to play Lisbeth in the reboot of the Stieg Larsson book series. So is Foy, who plays Queen Elizabeth on The Crown, even in the running? No. Im not even in the same arena, Foy said. I cant even contemplate doing anything at all, to be honest, at this present time. The 33-year-old British actress just finished shooting Season 2 of The Crown last week. The ambitious series requires a nine-month commitment, meaning that Foy hasnt had much down time the last two years. She also has a 2-year-old daughter with her husband, actor Stephen Campbell Moore. So you can understand why, when asked about her immediate future, she emphatically states: Good God, no. I have got no plans to do anything. Those sentiments would seem to preclude her from The Girl in the Spiders Web, which is scheduled to begin filming in September to make an Oct. 15, 2018, release date. Then again, when asked what kind of role shed like to do after playing the reserved Elizabeth, a woman nicknamed Shirley Temple, Foy replied: I think I need to play somebody who expresses themselves and is able to communicate on a more open level, something really different. Like the avenging anti-heroine Lisbeth? Well ... Foy answered, with a hint of a smile. Well just have to wait and see. Facebook

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Sony taps Gina Prince-Bythewood to direct Spider-Man spinoff Silver & Black By Libby Hill (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) Sony continues to get its superhero ducks in a row, with Deadline reporting Thursday that the studio had tapped Gina Prince-Bythewood to direct Silver & Black, a film centered around comic book characters Silver Sable and Black Cat. Prince-Bythewood also will rewrite the script for the film, originally written by Christopher Yost, screenwriter of Thor: The Dark World. Silver Sable and Black Cat are characters that originated in correlation to Spider-Man and have served as both allies and antagonists to the web-slinging superhero over the years. Silver & Black is the latest Spidey-related endeavor for Sony, with Spider-Man: Homecoming, starring Tom Holland, premiering July 7, and Venom, starring Tom Hardy as the sometimes villain, sometimes anti-hero, hitting theaters Oct. 5, 2018. The film will not be Prince-Bythewoods first dalliance with superheroes. She directed the pilot for Freeforms upcoming series Marvels Cloak & Dagger, about two teenagers learning to deal with both superpowers and love. Prince-Bythewood is an experienced director of critically acclaimed films including Love & Basketball and Beyond the Lights, and she is well-versed in the world of television, where Foxs Shots Fired, the show she created and produced with husband Reggie Rock Bythewood, just concluded its first season. The director becomes the latest woman tapped to helm a superhero film, with Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman debuting in theaters June 2. Facebook

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Happy puking: Baywatch is the summer blockbuster critics love to hate By Christie DZurilla  Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Priyanka Chopra star in Baywatch. Whats more fun than seeing the new Baywatch movie? Having movie reviewers see it for you! Los Angeles Times critic Jen Yamato was in the Enjoy It for What It Is camp, describing the film thusly: "[I]t not only owns its dumbness but hurtles itself all the way back around through a flurry of genitalia jokes and F-bombs to splash unapologetically in an R-rated surf of winking postmodernism, led by the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, Hollywoods most unsinkable movie star. But although not everyone hates it  64% of audiences dug it, according to Rotten Tomatoes  a lot of reviewers put the bouncing-beach-bodies flick firmly in its place, damning it, and then damning it with faint praise. That said, here are a few snacks, both bad and (relatively) good, from the Baywatch snark buffet. Over at the Chicago Tribune, they took the Yeah, and ...? approach to the review. The Bad: The movies comic instincts... are consistently coarse and frequently scrotal. The Good: The bodies on screen are pretty, which I seem to remember was a selling point of the 1989-2001 TV series. As we said, yeah, and ...? The Roger Ebert website perhaps cut closest to the bone, pulling few punches. The Bad: "[T]his is another one of those raunchy comedies thats barely a movie, that looks like it was edited by dumping a bunch of footage into whatever movie-cutting software theyre using and hitting randomize. The Good: "[T]he movie has a pervading air of crass amiability about it  its almost like a two-hour end-credits gag reel. (Nevertheless, it contains an end credits gag reel.) Now could you tell us what you really think?: Rolling Stone painted a vivid picture of the Baywatch experience. The Bad: Think of yourself sitting down for a big two-hour wallow in instant stupid with a vat of popcorn, slathered in fake butter and possibly a mound of melted M&Ms on top. It feels great chugging it down, then your stomach hurts, your head aches and you puke the whole thing up so you can forget about it in the morning. Thats Baywatch in a nutshell. Happy puking. The Good: Of the recent spate of moldy TV material morphing into movies, with 21 Jump Street on top and CHIPs bringing up the rear, Baywatch barely escapes the basement. One reason it does: The Rock. Helpful! Turns out if you liked 21 Jump Street and CHiPs, this flick is for you! The New York Times loosened up its necktie for this one. The Bad: The digital effects  fire and water, mostly  are lackluster, and the whole thing has a crummy, overcast, second-rate-theme-park look to it. The Good: Like its source material, Baywatch is sleazy and wholesome, silly and earnest, dumb as a box of sand and slyly self-aware. Its soft-serve ice cream. Crinkle-cut fries. A hot car and a skin rash. Tacky and phony and nasty and also kind of fun. Tacky? Phony? Nasty? We didnt know it was a date movie. The Washington Post, of course, just couldnt leave politics out of it. The Bad: Its no shock that the women in Baywatch dont have much to do beyond look good. ... Maybe dodging bad lines was a relief for the actresses. Its not like the screenplay, by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, gives performers a lot to work with. The Good: If, indeed, Dwayne the Rock Johnson ditches Hollywood to become our next commander in chief, Baywatch may be singled out as the low point of his pre-political career. Well, at least Johnson has that out of the way. The Tampa Bay Times went deadpan. The Bad: Imagining Johnson and genetically gifted co-stars in swimsuits is all it took to pitch Baywatch. Director Seth Gordon and six writers didnt come up with much beyond that. The Good: What Baywatch has in its favor is Dwayne Johnson fireman-carrying a dead weight comedy to safety. We think thats a compliment. Maybe. Variety noted the films nods to current market and societal trends. The Bad: Baywatch ... is a stupidly entertaining trash folly, the kind that could only be made today: an obscenity-and-insult-laced, aggressively competent adaptation of a 25-year-old TV show that manages to repackage every aspect of the series except, perhaps, the reason it was popular in the first place. The Good: They wear their butt-hugging red bathing suits with dignity and pride, which makes this a highly sexually responsible Baywatch. The reviewer at the New York Post appeared to be familiar with the TV series global success. The Bad: Even the action scenes need CPR, often undermined by effects so chintzy, you wonder if the money intended for them was instead eaten up by the productions seven-figure waxing budget. The Good: On the bright side, itll probably do killer business in Germany. Wait, were they just dissing the Hoff? Finally, one need go no further than the AV Club to understand Rotten Tomatoes 19% positive critics rating. The Bad: "[N]obody not even the filmmakers cares about Baywatch all that much. Yet the jokes on them: In spoofing something so forgettable, theyve made something even less memorable. The Good: Nobody cares about Baywatch. Nuff said. Facebook

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Seth Meyers says Trumps cruel budget cuts would harm the presidents supporters most By Chris Barton After a number of weeks filled with late-breaking developments on the Trump administrations apparent ties to Russia, Wednesday night was a chance for late-night hosts to sort of catch their breath and essentially choose their own adventure. Jimmy Kimmel focused on the seemingly less-than-happy photos of the pope with President Trump that circulated on Wednesday, while Stephen Colbert took a brief swipe at the $2-trillion double-counting error in Trumps budget. Seth Meyers, however, took advantage of his shows A Closer Look segment to make time for all of the above. After addressing the photo of the stone-faced pope with Trump, Meyers recapped the latest developments in the investigations into whether, among other things, the president engaged in obstruction of justice by firing FBI Director James Comey. But then Meyers took on the administrations proposed federal budget, which could cause harm to many. While noting the budget amounts to a wish list that Congress will battle over, Meyers said the proposals harshness was not to be discounted. What someone wishes for tells you a lot about that person, Meyers said before recounting the many cuts the budget proposes to Social Security and Medicaid. The show then rolled a number of clips in which Trump the candidate promised not to do just that. This budget lays bare just how much of a fraud Trumps campaign was, Meyers added, noting how hard many of these cuts to the social safety net would hit Trump supporters. He then squared off the pointed words of Trump the candidate versus his actions as president to underscore his point. Maybe its better those two never meet, Meyers said. I think they would hate each other. Watch the clip above. Facebook

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Universal Pictures cancels London premiere of The Mummy in wake of Manchester bombing By Libby Hill  Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis and Sofia Boutella star in The Mummy. The specter of Mondays terrorist attack in Manchester, England, continues to loom large. Universal Pictures announced Thursday morning the cancellation of next weeks London premiere of The Mummy, the second such development this week. All of us at Universal have been devastated by the terror attack in Manchester and continue to stand with the community and country as it recovers, the statement from the studio read. Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy we have decided not to move forward with the London premiere for The Mummy scheduled to take place next week. The film, starring Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe, serves as the launch of Universal Pictures Dark Universe, an extended universe that will see the reboot of several classic monsters from the Universal vault, including the Invisible Man and Frankensteins Monster. Cancellation of the June 1 London premiere for The Mummy comes just a day after Warner Bros. nixed its May 31 Wonder Woman London premiere. Ariana Grande, whose concert was targeted in the Manchester attack that killed 22 people, similarly suspended her tour through June 5 on Wednesday. A statement from the artists representatives said the suspension comes until we can further assess the situation and pay our proper respects to those lost. Facebook

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Al Gore on the French Riviera: Why he was reluctant to make An Inconvenient Sequel By Kenneth Turan Former Vice President Al Gore arrives on the red carpet for the screening of The Killing of a Sacred Deer at the Cannes Film Festival. (Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty Images) It has not been a very good year for those concerned with climate change. The U.S. is considering leaving the landmark Paris climate pact, a hostile appointee leads the Environmental Protection Agency, and right-wing websites chortle, Trumps Latest Move Will Make Al Gore Fry. But is Al Gore himself despondent or depressed about it all? Not in the slightest. Ive been inoculated in the year 2000, he says, combining a burst of genial good humor with a reference to his presidential election loss to George W. Bush. I now have a resistance to being disheartened, the antibodies are still thriving in my bloodstream. As we all learn, one of the hidden secrets of the human condition is we learn the most from our most painful experiences. Former Vice President Al Gore at the Carlton hotel for the Cannes Film Festival, which is screening his documentary An Inconvenient Sequel. (Stephanie Cornfield / For The Times) To spend time with Al Gore is to meet a man enough at ease with himself to dress as if for a Senate hearing in white shirt, suit and tie even though hes in the south of France; a warm, engaged, surprisingly funny individual whose innate courtesy has him personally hang a reporters sports coat on a nearby hotel room hanger. Yes, he does tend to stay on message when he talks (how could he not) and he likes to draw graphs in the air with his hands (Im going to get a little geeky for a moment, he apologizes with a smile, Im sorry, its a failing). But he combines this with good-humored self-awareness and a fiercely committed intelligence. If you think Im earnest now, you should have seen me earlier, he says. You cant change who you are. At times Ive tried, but Im old enough to stop worrying. Gore is in Cannes to promote the worldwide release of an impassioned and involving new documentary, An Inconvenient Sequel. Due in U.S. theaters on July 28, it brings us up to speed on where the battle against climate change stands more than a decade after the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Im here for a lot of to-ing and fro-ing is how Gore puts it. I think Ive done 75 seven-minute interviews  Japan, Russia, Brazil, everywhere. The day before yesterday I was live on [the French cable channel] Canal Plus when the interpreter talking in my earpiece was evacuated from his building because of a bomb scare. The questioner was going a mile a minute in French, but because of those 75 seven-minute interviews, I picked up enough key words to fight my way through it. Gore has been concerned with climate change since he took a class with pioneering global warming theorist Roger Revelle as a college student in the 1960s. Not only did Gore never imagine when I was a young man that this would become an all-consuming body of work for me, he also never anticipated that the work would involve the movies. More than that, he was frankly dubious about both of his films. Read More Facebook

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Ellen DeGeneres says shes in for a Netflix stand-up comedy special By Christie DZurilla Ellen DeGeneres is working on a new comedy special  for the first time in a very long time  and this time shes working with Netflix. Looks like its been 15 years since you did a stand-up special. ... How about one for Netflix? the streaming service asked her Wednesday on Twitter. Minutes later, DeGeneres replied, Let me think about it. Ok Im in. Heres how in she is: Im writing it now, I cant wait, DeGeneres said in a statement confirming the upcoming gig. Ill keep you posted when and where Im gonna shoot my Netflix special. Im excited to do it; Im excited for you to see it. Previously, HBO was home for DeGeneres comedy specials: her One Night Stand in 1992, Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning in 2000 and Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now. The second and third shows notched two Emmy nominations each. In March, the former sitcom star announced shed be returning to prime time with Ellens Game of Games, which shes hosting for six episodes on NBC. No air dates have been set. Its going to be like a combination of American Ninja Warrior, RuPauls Drag Race and a water park, DeGeneres said in a statement. OK, its nothing like that, but you should still watch. Looks like it's been 15 years since you did a stand-up special, @TheEllenShow. How about one for Netflix?  Netflix US (@netflix) May 24, 2017 Let me think about it. Ok I'm in. https://t.co/kUAdHyXAjS  Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 24, 2017 UPDATES 2:30 p.m.: This article was updated with confirmation from Netflix and a statement from DeGeneres. Facebook

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Chris Cornells body has been cremated, report says; funeral set for Friday By Christie DZurilla Chris Cornell in 1991. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) The body of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who died last week in Detroit, was reportedly cremated Tuesday in Hollywood, and a funeral is planned for later this week. Widow Vicky Cornell, brother Peter Boyle and friends Linda Ramone and singer J.D. King were at Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the cremation, sources familiar with the service told TMZ. Cornells body was flown to Los Angeles from Detroit on Sunday, family attorney Kirk Pasich told Rolling Stone on Monday, and a private funeral will be held Friday. Pasich told Variety on Sunday that public memorials will be held when its decided. The short time between the end of Soundgardens May 17 show and 52-year-old Cornells death was chronicled in a police report obtained by the Detroit News. He and the band walked offstage around 11:15 p.m. May 17. Fifteen minutes later Cornell was in his hotel room, the report said, where bodyguard Martin Kirsten (who used to work for and date Heidi Klum) helped him fix his computer and gave him two Ativan. At 11:35 p.m. Cornell was talking to his wife, Vicky, who said Friday through her attorney that she had been concerned because her husband was slurring his words and told her he might have taken a few too many anxiety pills. She called Kirsten at 12:15 a.m. Thursday and asked him to check on the singer, the report said; the bodyguard kicked in the hotel room door, then the locked bathroom door, and found Cornell. At his final show, Cornell seemed high and was out of character from note 1, lead sound engineer Ted Keedick told TMZ in an interview published Wednesday. He said the Soundgarden frontman did not appear depressed. However, Keedick said: Id never heard his voice that way before. He was having serious control problems. One concert-goer told the Detroit News last week that as far as she could tell, Cornells final show was honestly great. Nothing seemed off. Tuesday at Detroits Fox Theatre, the site of that last performance, Norah Jones played a tribute to Cornell: an acoustic version of Black Hole Sun. Facebook

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Ariana Grande suspends tour through June 5 By Christie DZurilla Ariana Grandes tour has been suspended through June 5, her management team said Wednesday. That includes the cancellation of concerts planned for Thursday and Friday at Londons O2 Arena. Twenty-two people died and at least 59 were injured in a suicide attack Monday night outside Manchester Arena, where Grande had just concluded a stop on her Dangerous Woman Tour. We ask at this time that we all continue to support the city of Manchester and all those families affected by this cowardice and senseless act of violence, the singers reps said in a statement. Our way of life has once again been threatened but we will overcome this together. The dates that have been put on hold until we can further assess the situation and pay our proper respects to those lost, the statement said, are: London, May 25-26

Antwerp, Belgium, May 28

Lodz, Poland, May 31-June 1

Frankfurt, Germany, June 3

Zurich, Switzerland, June 5 The next tour stop after that is a June 7 concert in Paris. Speculation that the tour would be put on hold has been rife since the day after the bomb went off  actually, immediately afterward and before the number of casualties was known, many on social media were already worried that shows would be axed  but the situation had been in limbo until now. An exhausted"-looking Grande returned home Tuesday to Florida, where she and her mother were met at the airport by Mac Miller, who hugged and kissed his girlfriend in an emotional reunion. Facebook

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Warner Bros. cancels London Wonder Woman premiere following Manchester attack By Josh Rottenberg In the wake of Mondays deadly terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, Warner Bros. has announced it is canceling a planned premiere in London next week for its superhero film Wonder Woman. Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent tragedy in the UK, the studio said in a statement. In light of the current situation, we will not be proceeding with our plans for the premiere and junket activities in London. Starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins, the highly anticipated film  which is set in Europe during World War I  will hold its U.S. premiere on Thursday in Los Angeles. It arrives in theaters June 2. The studio faced a similar situation last year when its European premiere of Batman v. Superman was scheduled to be held in London just hours after terrorist attacks struck Brussels, killing 32 people and injuring many others. In that case, the studio said in a statement that it had decided to go ahead with the event rather than yield to terror. But as Britain mourns the 22 people killed in the Manchester bombing, with scores more wounded, and with the countrys security threat level raised to its highest, signaling the possibility of another imminent attack, Warner Bros. clearly determined that the circumstances called for a different course of action. Facebook

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New Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer shows off Spideys tricked-out, Iron Man-style super-suit By Josh Rottenberg Spider-Man has a few new tricks up his spandex sleeve, with the latest trailer for Sonys upcoming franchise reboot Spider-Man: Homecoming offering a deeper look at Spideys newfangled, tech-enhanced super-suit. Courtesy of billionaire inventor/playboy Tony Stark, the suit is embedded with Iron Man-style technology. A Jarvis-like computer assistant informs Peter Parker (Tom Holland) of the 576 possible web shooter combinations he has at his command. A parachute can also be deployed out of the back of the suit when needed, and the chest piece can detach and turn into a drone. For those who prefer their Spidey old-school, though, the trailer also promises a return to Parkers teenage roots  though with a decidedly cockier spin than the shy, alienated high school nerd weve often seen depicted in the comics and onscreen. Hollands Parker is clearly feeling his superhero oats, boasting to Stark of taking down a petty bike thief and raring for bigger challenges, Spanish quiz or no Spanish quiz. (Cue Michael Keatons villainous Vulture.) Informed by his best friend Ned that Stark has installed a training-wheels protocol on his super-suit to disable some of its abilities, Parker gripes, Im sick of Mr. Stark treating me like a kid. But you are a kid, Ned reminds him. Yeah, Parker says, a kid who can stop a bus with his bare hands! Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters July 7. Watch the trailer below. Facebook

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Performers move U.K. concerts after Manchester bombing, but for some, the show goes on By Christie DZurilla Floral tributes in Manchesters St. Anns Square on May 24, 2017. (Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images) Manchester Arena has postponed concerts by Take That, an English pop group from the city that was to play there Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But its working to see that a KISS show proceeds next week. Unfortunately, due to the tragic events that unfolded on Monday night, it is not possible for the concerts to take place, the arena said in a statement. These have now been postponed and more information will follow. In another statement, the arena cited the ongoing police investigation. Take That had previously postponed a show at another location, saying Tuesday on its website, Out of respect to all of the people and their families that were affected by the horrific incident last night at the Manchester Arena, we have decided to postpone our show tonight in Liverpool. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. KISS is scheduled to play Manchester Arena on Tuesday, and the venue said it is working on that show with promoters and police. pic.twitter.com/HkR9ilSTSt  Manchester Arena (@ManchesterArena) May 23, 2017 As far as the Ariana Grande concerts set for Londons O2 arena on Thursday and Friday, as of Wednesday morning no decision had been made. Were still in contact with the tour promoters regarding a final decision, the O2 team said on Twitter Wednesday morning. As yet the tour is not officially postponed or canceled, despite media reports. Katy Perry, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Imagine Dragons, Shawn Mendes and the Chainsmokers will all go ahead with performances this Saturday and Sunday in Hull, England, at BBC Radio 1s Big Weekend, according to TMZ. Hull is about two hours from Manchester. Blondie postponed a Tuesday-night show at the Round Chapel in London, saying in a series of tweets the day of the show that the move was out of respect for the victims of the terrible attack at the Manchester Arena, and noting that plans to reschedule the show were in the works. The Afghan Whigs have moved their Friday show to the O2 Ritz Manchester from Manchester Cathedral, which, as of Wednesday morning, was still cordoned off by police. The Ritz said Tuesday that it would stay silent on social media for two days in sympathy with those who lost their lives or were injured, physically or mentally, but that it would have news Thursday about any rescheduled shows. Other acts that had been scheduled to perform in the Manchester area but not in the arena in coming days, including Colour of Noise, Damien Dempsey, Shriekback and the Cranberries, canceled their shows for reasons unrelated to the suicide attack. Most announced those plans well before Monday. Facebook

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A Star Is Born: Bob Dylan turns 76 today By Los Angeles Times Staff (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times) When people think of me, they are not necessarily going to buy the latest record anyway. They may buy a record from years ago. Besides, I dont think interviews sell records.  Bob Dylan, 1985 FROM THE ARCHIVES: Bob Dylan -- Still A-Changin Facebook

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Late-night TV hosts, U2 plead for love after Manchester bombing By Robert Lloyd After the news, late-night talk shows are televisions most topical forum. We turn there for the satirical distance and perspective that might allow us to process the day and get to sleep  for laughs when laughter is appropriate, but also for a thoughtful response when events go beyond ordinary human folly to the terrible and unthinkable. Mondays suicide bombing after an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, was on the minds of some late-night hosts Tuesday night. Theres really nothing you can say that can approach the shock and the grief of the victims and their families, said Stephen Colbert on Late Show, asking his audience to go online to hear what his CBS colleague James Corden, who follows him on The Late Late Show, had to say the night before. All we can add here, said Colbert, is that following acts of senseless violence like this, its all the more important not to be controlled by fear, but instead to be reminded by the action of people of Manchester who rushed to the aid of their friends and strangers alike. It is just more proof that evil cannot succeed as long as good people are willing to love each other. On NBCs Late Night, host Seth Meyers had similar thoughts. At its best, being at a concert is an incredible collective experience, he said. Its a chance through a shared love of music to connect with, to sing with and to dance with people you dont know.... And so this comes down to the way we treat strangers, and while some cowards chose to treat strangers with hate, from everything I read, Manchester was filled with people last night who provided aid and comfort to help victims who were total strangers to them. He ended with a plea for all of us to not need a tragedy to remind us of the importance of treating those we do not know with love instead of hate. The Irish band U2, in Los Angeles to perform concerts of their own, were among Jimmy Kimmels guests on ABCs Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel brought up Manchester. I imagine that is something you guys have been thinking about, he said. They hate music, they hate women, they even hate little girls  they hate everything that we love, lead singer Bono replied. The worst of humanity was on view in Manchester last night  but so was the best, as people took perfect strangers into their houses and queued up for blood banks. Manchester has an undefeatable spirit, I can assure you. Kimmel wondered how growing up in Northern Ireland in an era of political and sectarian violence had affected their music. It was so commonplace for a number of years, answered the Edge, the bands guitarist, that it just became a constant background to life. And occasionally something particularly awful would happen and it would really affect you  but that was almost the worst of it. You got to the place where [it was] just ongoing every week, every month. Punk rock helped, added Bono. It made us suspicious of partisanship, it made us up suspicious of sectarian ideas. Facebook

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Elisabeth Moss and BBC America join forces for Typhoid Mary limited series By Libby Hill (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) The Handmaids Tale star Elisabeth Moss is wasting no time in lining up new projects. BBC America announced Tuesday its partnership with Moss and Annapurna Television in developing Fever, a limited series focused on the tale of Typhoid Mary. The series will adapt the novel of the same name, written by Mary Beth Keane and set in early 20th century New York, where Mary Mallon is unknowingly transmitting typhus to those around her. She was an immigrant in turn-of-the-century New York, a time of huge change and progress in America, Moss said of the character in a statement released by the network. She was incredibly unique, stubborn, ambitious and in fierce denial of any wrongdoing until her death where she lived out her days imprisoned on an island just off of the Bronx in N.Y. She is incredibly complicated, something I seem to enjoy playing, said Moss. Moss will star in the series and serve as executive producer alongside director Phil Morrison (Enlightened, Junebug) and writer Robin Veith (The Expanse, True Blood). Annapurnas Sue Naegle and Megan Ellison will also serve as executive producers. Facebook

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Universal Music Group CEO on Manchester attack: A level of evil beyond comprehension By Christie DZurilla Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group, in November 2016. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images) Lucian Grainge of Universal Music Group sent a company-wide memo Tuesday, calling it a day of remembrance of victims of the suicide attack in Manchester, England, and acknowledging that emotions were raw. "[W]e grieve for all of those lost there, offering our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones, said the chief executive of UMG, parent company of Ariana Grandes recording label Republic, in a note obtained by Variety. Twenty-two people, one only 8 years old, were killed Monday night and at least 59 were hurt when a bomb exploded as Grandes concert at the Manchester Arena was ending. This hits home for us as a music company, Grainge said, because so many of us, myself included, spend so much time out seeing our artists perform, let alone attending concerts as fans. Thats why weve chosen music as our career  or rather music has chosen us. No UMG employees, including Grande and her crew, were injured in the blast, he confirmed, and help from human resources and security was offered to those with questions or concerns. That said, Grainge continued, the fact that such an unspeakable act can be committed at a place where innocent people  including so many young people  come together peacefully to enjoy music reflects a level of evil beyond comprehension. READ MORE: Suspected Manchester suicide bomber identified as U.K. son of Libyan immigrants>> Facebook

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Ariana Grande returns home to Florida after Manchester attack By Christie DZurilla People attending a vigil for Mondays suicide-attack victims brought flowers to St. Ann Square in Manchester, England, on Tuesday. (Jeff J. Mitchell / Getty Images) Ariana Grande reportedly returned home to Florida on Tuesday after the bombing outside her Manchester, England, concert that left 22 dead and at least 59 injured. As they exited a private plane, Grande, her mom and her dog were met on the tarmac in Boca Raton, E! News said, by family members and rapper Mac Miller, whom the 23-year-old has been dating since last summer. Miller gave Grande a long hug and a kiss, a source told E! It was a very emotional reunion and they stood talking for a minute before getting into the car, t
PBS newest culinary edition of the America Masters, a series of comprehensive profiles on American cultures most creatively notable, is about to give us a never-before-seen view into the life of Jacques Pepin, the French American chef who pioneered cooking for television alongside Julia Child on Jacques and Julia.

The documentary will focus on Pepins childhood in France, how he fell in love with America and came up in the food world  the story of how a French immigrant became one of Americas most celebrated chefs. The documentary airs Friday, May 26 at 9 p.m. on PBS. Recently I talked to Pepin by phone. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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For the record: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the documentary airs May 27 at 10 p.m. It airs May 26 at 9 p.m.

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What was the dish that initially showed you that there's more to food than sustenance? That it could be an art or something more?

Interestingly, this moment is what the show begins with. During the war in France, I was about 6 years old, and my father left to go in the resistance and my mother took me to a farm for the summer. School was over, so she took me on her bicycle there for 35 miles, and I was left there on that farm. I was kind of sad, so the wife of the farmer took me to the barn to feed a cow and make me milk the cow, put my hand on the teat and all that. I had that first bowl of fresh milk, and in a sense, that was it. I was very young. But still, in my memory now, that really changed me.

You were a chef on TV long before the Food Network. What was the initial experience of being on TV?

As long as I was cooking, I felt relatively comfortable. But it didn't happen all of a sudden. The first series that I did was in Florida for a TV station in Jacksonville, and that was in 1980 or something like that. We went there with my wife and a friend of mine, Gloria Zimmerman, and the three of us, we did a series of 13 shows in about five days. I kind of felt comfortable because by then, I had been teaching a little bit all over the country, and I looked at it like the class that I was doing, teaching, except that it was for hopefully more people than 40 people or whatever. I think if you talk about something you love, talk about something you know something about, then youre just talking to people, and trying to help them and make them happy, and make them understand.

When you first came to America in 1959, what was the food world like?

When I came to America at the end of 1959, six months after I was here I had made friends with Julia Child and James Beard, and Craig Claiborne had just started at the New York Times. That shows you how very small and very little the food world was. It was so small, in fact, I did not know one single American chef that was white. I worked for Howard Johnson and all the kids that I worked with in the kitchen at Howard Johnson and in the commissary were all black kids. White American chefs  I didn't know any. All the big restaurants in New York that I knew were either French, Italian, Swiss, German and so were all of the executive chefs. No one went into that business, and then of course it started changing with the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America, and so forth, in the 60s. It slowly became another world altogether.

How do you feel food culture in America has changed in your lifetime?

I was told a few weeks ago by a food historian that there are 405 cookery shows on television. I dont know whether this is accurate, but I think of it a lot. Its just amazing, and now a great deal of them are reality shows. Im very happy in one way because the cook used to be really at the bottom of the social scale. Certainly during all my years it was this way, and apparently now we are seen as kind of genius. I dont know what happened. Its kind of crazy. Chefs are celebrities now. I think its also maybe because, in our time of political correctness, we cannot talk about gender, about race, about religion, about anything, so people feel comfortable with food. Thats about the only thing that you can talk about and have a good time.

Look at how many places you can eat now. Look at the diversity of food. The amazingly diverse food that we have in this country. Its unmatched anywhere in the world. It makes it probably the most exciting cuisine going on now in the world.

Jacques Pepin and Julia Child. (From Jacques Pepin)

Do you see any downside to the celebritization of food?

Its not particularly good for young people who want to go into that business to become famous because its likely that its not going to happen. There are 24,000 restaurants in New York, and of course you can list probably 100 restaurants that are very famous, but what happened to the other 23,900? When someone asks me, You know my daughter or my son, has an interest in cooking. What do you think I should do? I say, Well, they are in high school. During their summer vacation put them in a little restaurant, diner, cafeteria, whatever you find where you live and let them work in the kitchen as a dishwasher and in the dinning room, in the kitchen and so forth and after the summer if they still have the bug, then maybe, yes, you can think about cooking school.

Because young people dont realize it is not as glamorous as on television. You still work very long hours, you dont get that much pay and you work the holidays and weekends and so forth. Unless you really love it and you have the bug, then you should not go into that business.

You recently started work with FareStart to help people get back on their feet through work in the kitchen. What drew you to that?

What we wanted to do with that foundation is to create a kind of program with basic cooking techniques that we could give to people who have been a bit disenfranchised by life. People coming out of jail or veterans. Im not talking about kids of 15 or 20 years old, Im talking about 30-, 40-, even 50-year-olds. People who want to get into that business and could learn maybe those basic techniques so that they would be able to work in or open a little restaurant. A little eatery to redeem your life. So, I think it could work, I hope it works. Were working with different organizations for that.

Youve said you were only supposed to visit New York but stayed because of the spirit and freedom of the country. You were an immigrant chef in America, and you were able to use hard work in the kitchen to succeed. Do you still feel the kitchen provides the same opportunity and possibility for young immigrants today?

Yeah, I still think so, but I dont know with the new government that we have. I mean, I know that my friend Jose Andres was supposed to do a restaurant in the Trump Tower, but he refused to do it for his politics surrounding immigrants, so the president is suing him. Ive put my support for him because Ive been in the kitchen so long and I know what it is to work hard and I know what it is to struggle. But still I feel that, yes, there is opportunity in America, maybe more than the other parts of the world. If you come and youre willing to work and give some of yourself, yes.

What parts of American food culture have infiltrated and changed your classic French cuisine over the years?

I live in the East Coast, so you know from, I don't know, lobster rolls to clam chowder to whatever. I'm married to a woman for 51 years who was born in New York City, with a Puerto Rican mother and a Cuban father, so you know, I have had a lot of influence from her background. In fact, Im often considered as a quintessential French chef, and then you open my book and you see a black bean soup with banana and cilantro on top and then the next, southern fried chicken and the next chirashi sushi. Im probably the quintessential American chef after all of those years in America because Ive got so many other types of things that my cooking is not necessarily French. Im not trying to be French, but at the same token Im not trying not to be French. I dont really think much in those terms anymore.

food@latimes.com

@latimesfood

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The Riverside County Sheriffs Department is investigating after a body was found in a burning car late Sunday.

County firefighters were dispatched to Van Buren Boulevard off the 215 Freeway near Moreno Valley about 11:30 p.m. for reports of a vehicle fire, records show.

Firefighters found the body inside and called Riverside County sheriffs deputies.

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Authorities said an active death investigation was underway but provided no further details.

The identity of the body, its gender and the cause of death were not immediately available.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) will help Roper Corporation recruit 100 assemblers to work in LaFayette.

The recruitment will be held on Friday, June 2, from 1-3 p.m. at the Fort Oglethorpe City Hall located at 500 City Hall Drive in LaFayette. GDOL staff will be on site to assist applicants.

Due to U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, all applicants must be at least 18 years old.

No experience is required for applicants who have a high school diploma, or a General Education Diploma (GED). However, applicants who do not have a high school diploma, or GED, must have at least one year of manufacturing experience, or at least three years of any type of work experience.

Applicants without a diploma, or GED, who are hired and subsequently earn a GED, will be reimbursed by the company for the cost of taking the test.

Salaries will begin at $12.65 an hour.

For more information about the jobs, or to apply online, visit employgeorgia.com to create an account or upload, or prepare, a resume. Having an Employ Georgia account expedites the interview process.

Applicants are encouraged to bring a resume and dress appropriately to improve their opportunities for employment.

For more information about the recruitment, contact swat@gdol.ga.gov.
A high school honor student from Fresno drowned in the San Joaquin River over the weekend, marking the latest fatality in the Central Valley as rivers churn violently as a result of Californias rapidly melting snowpack.

On the official Instagram account for the city of Fresno, officials said that Neng Thao drowned in the San Joaquin River on Saturday.

Thao, 18, was the youngest of 10 children and was valedictorian at Edison High School, where he was set to graduate next month, the family wrote on a GoFundMe page for his memorial.

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He was accepted into UC Berkeley and wanted to major in political science, his family wrote. He aimed to become a pharmacist and planned to one day run for office.

He was a member of Fresnos first-ever youth council.

This is a heartbreaking loss for our entire community, and on behalf of the City of Fresno, Id like to express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Neng Thao, Mayor Lee Brand said in a statement.

A warm spell and scattering of rain in the Sierra Nevada Monday was expected to push even more water into the Tuolumne, San Joaquin and Merced rivers over the next few days, said National Weather Service meteorologist Carlos Molina.

At least five other people have drowned in Central California rivers in the last two months.

Three of those were in the Tule River in Sequoia National Forest.

According to the Fresno Bee, Thao was pulled under the cold waters of the San Joaquin River about 4 p.m. Saturday. He and his family were celebrating his older brothers graduation from Fresno State, the paper reported.

The river was fuller and colder than usual this weekend from melting snow in the Sierra Nevada, which will be the case for months to come for most rivers in the Central Valley as temperatures rise.

Last week, the National Weather Services Hanford office cautioned Yosemite National Park visitors to be careful at the Pohono Bridge over the Merced River. The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks issued a warning that its rivers were cold, swift and dangerous, on Sunday.

This weekends hot temperatures bring rapid snow melt and therefore more water into our rivers, the park said on Facebook. A hike in the Giant Forest or Grant Grove is a far better option to beat the heat.

On April 13, 21-year-old Shreya Singh of Bakersfield slipped into the river and Alondra Orozco went in to try to save her, according to the Tulare County sheriffs office. Singhs body was recovered two days later, but efforts to find Orozco, also 21, were scaled back because of river conditions and safety concerns. Ten days later, Orozcos body was found in the river.

In early May, Jose Carlos Molina was swept away by extremely fast and dangerous currents in a popular Tule River swimming hole known as the Stairs, authorities said. Witnesses heard Molina screaming for help as he was pulled into the water. A dive team later found his body about a mile and a half downstream.

At Sequoia National Park, Karissa Jones, a 21-year-old Tulare woman, died April 22 after she fell into the Kaweah Rivers Middle Fork area and was swept two miles away. A week later, Tomas Martinez, an 18-year-old from Woodlake, Calif., was with friends and family when he also fell into Kaweahs Middle Fork area. His body was recovered May 1.

Farther north, the Placer County Sheriffs Office warned people on Friday that the Truckee River was running historically fast because of snow melt. The water was about 45 degrees, the agency said.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
William Tom Carey, once a captain in the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department who admitted to obstructing an FBI investigation into county jails and gave federal prosecutors crucial testimony that helped convict disgraced former Sheriff Lee Baca in the scheme, was sentenced to nine months in prison Monday.

The punishment was handed down by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson, who presided over the trials of Baca and eight others found guilty of playing roles in the obstruction plan. The judge, who has lambasted the others for their efforts to derail the FBI probe and gave them stiff prison sentences, commended Carey for the cooperation he provided.

The sentencing came as an anticlimactic post-script in the long, unsavory corruption scandal that rocked the Sheriffs Department when it erupted in 2011 and dragged out over five years of investigations and trials. Baca was sentenced earlier this month to three years in prison, marking an end to the string of prosecutions.

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As is typical in such cases, Carey was not immediately taken into custody, but instead was ordered to turn himself in to Bureau of Prison officials by July 25.

Carey played a central role in the ham-handed attempt to derail the FBIs investigation into alleged widespread abuse of inmates and corruption by sheriffs deputies working in the departments massive jail system.

After the FBI investigation was discovered by sheriffs officials in August 2011, Carey, a captain who ran an internal affairs unit, was tapped by Baca to investigate the FBI agents who had conducted the undercover operation, according to court papers filed by the government. He was also involved in efforts to hide an inmate who was working as an informant for FBI agents.

After a grand jury indicted him alongside Bacas second-in-command, former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, in 2015, Carey quickly struck a deal with the U.S. attorneys office in which he pleaded guilty to lying under oath about the obstruction scheme when he testified as a defense witness in previous trials.

As part of the agreement, Carey was required to cooperate with prosecutors as they built their cases against Tanaka and Baca and to testify against his former bosses if called on to do so.

Prosecutors chose not to call him to the stand against Tanaka, who was convicted of being the ringleader of the obstruction plan and sentenced to five years in prison. They demurred again when Baca went to trial late last year.

However, when the jury deadlocked after nearly voting to acquit Baca and a mistrial was declared, the government retooled its case and put Carey on the stand in a retrial. He provided firsthand testimony of Bacas involvement in the bungled attempt to interfere with the FBI, telling jurors of several meetings he attended with the sheriff.

Careys nine-month sentence is a month less than that requested by prosecutors. Careys attorney had tried to persuade the judge to spare him any time behind bars. Along with prison time, Carey was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.

The punishment was significantly lighter than the sentences given to others in the obstruction case, which spanned from the five years for Tanaka to 21 months for a deputy. Anderson granted a reprieve to another deputy who cooperated with prosecutors after being convicted, freeing him from prison after a few months.

Careys attorney declined to comment.

Also Monday, a former deputy was sentenced for his role in one of the inmate beating cases that the FBI was investigating.

Pantamitr Zunggeemoge was sentenced to a year of probation, which includes six months of home detention.

Zunggeemoge was one of two deputies who broke an unspoken and often inviolable rule in law enforcement that cops dont testify against each other. He and the other deputy were part of a group of five deputies involved in the beating of a visitor at a jail facility.

As part of plea deals they struck, the two deputies testified against the others, admitting that the man had been handcuffed at the time of the beating and that the deputies later concocted a story to justify the assault. The others were convicted and each sentenced to several years in prison.

Zunggeemoge had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of conspiracy and deprivation of the mans rights. He is banned from working in law enforcement and could have been sentenced to up to two years in prison.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

For more news on federal courts in Southern California, follow me on Twitter: @joelrubin

UPDATES:

3:10 p.m.: This article was updated with retired L.A. County sheriffs Capt. William Careys attorney declining to comment on the sentencing and with information about the sentencing of a former sheriffs deputy, Pantamitr Zunggeemoge, for his role in the jail abuse scandal.

This article was originally published at 11:55 a.m.
We just got back from the Middle East, President Trump said to the president of Israel after his flight from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Tel Aviv, a city in another Middle Eastern country.

As Trumpisms go, this one is easy to forgive, particularly given how exhausted the president must be after a weekend of jet-lagged diplomacy, (non-alcoholic) bacchanalia and sword dancing. But it does speak to a larger truth. The president is a stranger in a strange land, a region of ancient conflicts and complex political intrigues.

We have seen the president struggle with the swamp in Washington. Well, if Washington is a swamp, then the Middle East is the Everglades, and the alligators rolled out the red carpet.

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The king of Saudi Arabia greeted Trump at the airport, a gesture ostentatiously denied President Obama. On the drive from the airport the streets were lined with American flags and his face was beamed onto the side of the local Trump hotel.

In a conversation, Abdel Sisi, the authoritarian leader of Egypt, invited the president to visit his country, adding, You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible. Trump replied, I agree, to diversely interpretable laughter. He also returned the compliment. Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes. Man!

If Washington is a swamp, then the Middle East is the Everglades, and the alligators rolled out the red carpet.

In short, the Arab leaders, hardly inexperienced in lavishing praise on men in need of praise, have the presidents number. Of course they were given some guidance in this regard. According to New York Times reporter Peter Baker, Washington officials offered some tips on how to deal with the American president.

Keep it short  no 30-minute monologue for a 30-second attention span, Baker summarized. Do not assume he knows the history of the country or its major points of contention. Compliment him on his Electoral College victory. Contrast him favorably with President Barack Obama. Do not get hung up on whatever was said during the campaign.

These last two points are key. The success  so far  of the presidents Middle East trip stands on the ashes of Obamas failures. Its easy to forget that for all Obamas alleged expertise, his foray into the Middle East foundered on his arrogance and naivete. In his 2009 Cairo speech, he unspooled cliches as wisdom, thinking that his name alone would put points on the board. He bought into the idea that the road to stability and peace in the Middle East went through Jerusalem.

As Obama learned on the job, he came to believe that the road to peace went through Tehran, crafting an Iranian deal that alienated both our democratic ally Israel and our strategic Sunni allies, chief among them Saudi Arabia. In pursuit of his fantasy, he turned a blind eye to Irans crushing of the Green Revolution and dithered to the point of complicity in the Syrian abattoir. Meanwhile, Iran remains as implacably hostile and as determined to be a regional hegemon as ever.

That is the context of Trumps fawning reception. Welcome, President Not Obama!

Equally relevant, the Saudis welcomed Not Candidate Trump.

During the campaign, Trump railed against Muslims, indicted the Saudis as the architects of the 9/11 attacks and said (with more than a little accuracy) that the Saudis want to keep women as slaves and to kill gays.

In his speech on Sunday, Trump flip-flopped to a somewhat more elevated realism. He said America wants partners not perfection and that he didnt come to lecture anybody, hence the refusal to mention anything that rhymed with human rights or democracy.

Which brings me back to Trumps naivete when it comes to the Middle East.

He manfully called for the destruction of terrorists, but he talked of them as if they were foreign invaders to be driven out of the swamp, not products of it. Like the man who only has a hammer and therefore thinks every problem is a nail, Trump believes that the Middle Easts problems can be solved with terrific deals. The Saudis, eager to buy weapons and counter Iran, are all too eager to encourage this view. What alligator doesnt want sharper teeth?

jgoldberg@latimescolumnists.com

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
No other city agency has a greater impact on lives and communities in Los Angeles than the LAPD. For this reason, access to no other agencys public records is as important. Consider the San Pedro mother who wants to understand why her son is in a county jail, the Van Nuys community group concerned about racial profiling in arrests, the UCLA professor studying incarceration statistics in South versus West L.A., or this newspapers attempt to report accurately on a fatal police shooting. In all of these situations, confidence in police action depends on police transparency.

Californias Public Records Act guarantees public access  within 10 days for valid requests  to the written and electronic files of all public agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department. And yet, if the stories told in a lawsuit filed last month by the ACLU are accurate, the LAPD flouts this requirement. According to the lawsuit, the department has disregarded citizen requests for public records concerning a fatal shooting, racial disparities in traffic stops and incarceration, and facial recognition software. In some cases, requests were ignored for years.

One of the plaintiffs in the ACLU case is Kelly Hernandez, an associate professor in UCLAs history department. She heads a research project, Million Dollar Hoods, which identifies neighborhoods where the LAPD spends the most on jailing local residents. All it takes to understand how the LAPD views its responsibility to the public is this email Hernandez received in November from the agencys Advanced Development and Support Division about her pending request for departmental records: Unfortunately, ADSD is down to one employee; that last employee is also leaving in a few weeks. New staff is being trained; however, all pending requests have been affected/delayed.

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Accountability without transparency is hollow.

What this response sidesteps is that the LAPD has nearly 3,000 civilian employees. Someone apparently decided that none of them should be charged with clearing the backlog of records requests. How an institution staffs a legal obligation is a loud statement about its respect for that obligation. It is an old truism that justice delayed is justice denied; so, too, disclosure delayed is disclosure denied. Eight months later, Hernandez is still waiting. Because many of her requests have gone unanswered for a year or more, she told me by phone, shes discouraged, intimidated and worn down by the police departments stall tactics.

The lawsuit identifies several instances when the LAPD never even acknowledged receiving requests. The lawsuit also itemized requests that, while logged, went unfulfilled for up to three years. Though the ACLU is not known for its antic sense of humor, one basis for its lawsuit is its own request, made in November, for the LAPDs records on how it responds to public records requests. Very meta, but as of the lawsuits filing, the LAPDs response to the ACLUs request was already six months late.

This pattern of delay appears to be the result of open institutional bias. The LAPDs website has a brief section on public record requests. Readers are told not to rely on the 10-day period mentioned in the [Public Records] act, because, the website says, it is not a legal deadline for producing records.

Actually, California Government Code section 6253(c) requires the LAPD to determine whether a request is valid within 10 days, absent unusual circumstances. Even then, the law requires a final determination in another two weeks. Exceptions are necessary, of course  in instances where information may endanger a witness, for example. But the LAPD website dwells most on the types of records that you cant get. The not-so-subliminal message: Dont bother.

We grant our police extraordinary powers, even to use deadly force with only a heartbeats deliberation. Those who exercise such powers owe us, under moral justice and by law, strict accountability. But accountability without transparency is hollow. This reality is what prompted Californias adoption of the Public Records Act 50 years ago.

Before publicly judging the agency, I wanted to hear the LAPDs response to the ACLUs lawsuit. First, I called its media office. The department does not comment on pending litigation, I was told. They referred me to the city attorneys office, since it will represent the LAPD. Fair enough. But when I called the city attorneys media office, no one answered. I left a detailed voicemail. Weeks later, I am still waiting for a callback. I might as well have asked the LAPD for public records.

Alan Rader is a lawyer in Los Angeles. Previously a litigation partner at OMelveny & Myers, in 1994 he co-counseled with the ACLU in the lawsuit that invalidated the anti-immigrant Proposition 187.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

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President Trump is receiving generally high marks, even from some of his usual critics, for the speech he delivered Sunday in Saudi Arabia at the Arab Islamic American Summit  especially for his conciliatory comments toward Islam, which he called one of the worlds great faiths.

Of course, the Twittersphere had a field day contrasting the tone and careful language of the speech with Trumps previous pronouncements, including his claim in 2016 that I think Islam hates us. Theres a tremendous hatred there.

And while its an exaggeration to say that Barack Obama could have given the speech, its notable that Trump never used the term he excoriated his predecessor -- and Hillary Clinton -- for eschewing.

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These are radical Islamic terrorists and [Clinton] wont even mention the word, and nor will President Obama, Trump said at an Oct. 9 debate with his Democratic rival.

Yet Trump also avoided the term radical Islamic terrorism in his speech in Riyadh, in which he did declare that Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion.

His prepared text referred to the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. (In the speech as delivered, Islamist terror groups turned into Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds.)

But Trump never uttered the magic words radical Islamic terrorism.

One speech does not a new policy make. But perhaps Trump has realized why Obama was careful with his language.

In a 2015 editorial, the Los Angeles Times observed that the presidents diplomatic language doesnt mean hes in denial about either the existence or the popular appeal of radical interpretations of Islam. Rather, Obama realized that portraying the campaign against Islamic State as a war on Islam wouldnt just be inaccurate; it would be incendiary and self-defeating. Obama thought the catchphrase radical Islamic terrorism connoted just such a view.

Maybe Trump is groping toward that insight. In any event, he seems to have been persuaded to de-escalate his rhetoric.

Well know for sure if hes more careful with his language not just in prepared speeches but in other settings  including, of course, Twitter.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Thanks to David Lazarus for framing the healthcare issue the way he did. (Miss USA spoke for many Americans when she said healthcare isnt a right, May 19)

In my view, the major failure of President Obama and the Democrats in 2009 was that they did not frame or discuss health insurance reform as a human rights issue but rather got bogged down playing defense against Republican canards like socialism and death panels.

Im a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. Canadas single-payer system isnt perfect, but I can say that the stress experienced by the cancer survivor in Lazarus column who had to file for bankruptcy would never have happened in Canada. While Canadians might complain from time to time, they would not trade their system for the one in the United States.

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I have a sense that American attitudes are shifting on healthcare. Ironically, it may be the Republicans who push Americans to finally embrace a single-payer system.

Nickie Bonner, Porter Ranch

..

To the editor: A 25-year-old beauty queen asked on stage whether she thinks healthcare is a right or a privilege should not be expected to reply in a few words to such a complex question.

Unlike other rights  voting rights, the right to assembly, the right to a trial decided by a jury of your peers  medical care is provided only by a licensed person who is doing this as his or her way of making a living. This makes healthcare a commodity that no one can be forced to provide for free.

Anyone who thinks that a physician is obligated to provide someone with the right to healthcare is wrong.

Rachel Robinson, Encino

..

To the editor: Is healthcare a right or a privilege? Is a medical emergency an act of fate or an act of God? Do poor life choices result in poor health?

The most important question is, can our legislators really rationalize stripping millions of people of their insurance and still sleep soundly at night?

Wayne Via, Dana Point

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Sen. Kamala Harris says she hasnt considered running for president By Phil Willon U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Despite swirling speculation, Californias U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris said shes not giving any consideration to running for president in 2020. Harris was appearing at the annual Code Conference hosted by the tech news site Recode in Rancho Palos Verdes on Wednesday night when site co-founder Kara Swisher asked if she had eyes on the White House. Im not giving that any consideration. Ive got to stay focused, said Harris, a Democrat who was elected to the Senate in November after serving as Californias attorney general. After she won the seat vacated by former Sen. Barbara Boxer, Harris quickly gained a reputation as a potential presidential candidate in 2020. Harris took questions from Swisher alongside Laurene Powell Jobs, a philanthropist and the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Though she brushed off the presidential rumors, Harris urged Democrats to try harder to make convincing arguments on issues such as climate change instead of just criticizing those who disagree with them. She told the audience at the posh Terranea Resort where the conference is being held that it would be a mistake to dismiss the concerns of Americans who supported Trump in the November election. She said the issues that concern them  good jobs and the future of their families  are the concerns of all working-class Americans. There is a healthy number of people in our country who are feeling displaced, rightly, Harris said. I think we have to deal with that. Still, Harris dished out plenty of jabs at the Trump administration. She criticized Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions for resuscitating the war on drugs and told him to leave Grandmas medical marijuana alone. Harris also criticized the Trump administrations more hard-line immigration policies, and said she was concerned about allegations of collusion between Trumps campaign and the Russian government. These are serious times. These are not issues we can just sit around with a glass of Chardonnay debating and philosophizing about, Harris said. The decisions that are being made right now are impacting real human beings. Watch the entire interview: Facebook

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Trump wouldnt release his tax returns, so lawmakers move to make it mandatory for Californias primary By John Myers (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Legislation to require presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns in order to gain a spot on Californias presidential primary ballot won passage in the state Senate on Wednesday, but only after a tense debate that largely centered on President Trump. Senate Bill 149 was approved on a strict party-line vote, 27-13. The bill now moves to the state Assembly, and was one of the last bills debated during a marathon session at the state Capitol to consider bills before a Friday deadline for action. The bill would require presidential candidates to file copies of their income tax returns with state elections officials for the five most recent taxable years. Failure to do so would mean their name wouldnt appear on Californias presidential primary ballot. The legislation was introduced in December, in the wake of Trumps refusal to disclose his tax returns during the 2016 campaign. The president has continued to reject calls for the information. Hes shaping international policy which could enrich himself, and the American public has no way to know, state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) said of Trump during Wednesday nights floor debate. This legislation will help make transparency great again. Republicans denounced the bill as another in a long line of efforts by Democrats in the Legislature to lash out at the election of Trump and the defeat of Hillary Clinton. I get it that some people hate Trump, state Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) said. Weve got to move ahead. Weve got to get over it. Tensions flared after Anderson tried to amend the bill on the floor  first, to require statewide and legislative candidates to also release their tax returns, and then to require a birth certificate from candidates who want access to the states primary ballot. Both were rejected by Democrats. A legislative analysis of SB 149 said some legal scholars believe the plan, which would be the first of its kind in the nation, would pass muster with the U.S. Constitution. Nonetheless, the analysis concluded that it would probably be challenged in court if signed into law. Facebook

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California Senate moves forward with bill that would overhaul Los Angeles County MTA By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) proposed to revamp the Los Angeles County MTA. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The state Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would expand and reshape the agency that oversees mass transit in Los Angeles County. Opponents of the measure include Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the city and county of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. The bill by Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) was sent to the Assembly for consideration after squeaking by with a 22-11 vote in the Senate. The measure would expand the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board from 12 to 15 members. It would also reduce the number of county supervisors on the board from five to two, remove the appointment of two public members and increase Los Angeles City Council member appointments by the mayor from two to five. This will allow for proportional and fair representation, Mendoza told his colleagues, adding that the board currently is made up of haves and have-nots fighting to get their share. Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) opposed the measure because he said he saw it as Sacramento meddling in local policymaking. But Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Palmdale) supported SB 268. Too much power is concentrated in too few people, he said of the current board. Facebook

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Single-payer healthcare is popular with Californians  unless it raises their taxes By John Myers (Rich Pedoncelli / Associated Press) Almost two of every three Californians in a new statewide poll said they like the idea of a single-payer, government healthcare system, but far fewer support the idea if it includes a tax increase. The poll released Wednesday night by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found that 65% of adults surveyed support the creation of a single-payer state healthcare program to cover all of the states residents, and 56% of likely voters approved of the idea. Opinion was sharply divided between Democrats (75% support) and Republicans (66% oppose) who were surveyed. The single-payer proposal under consideration in the state Capitol, Senate Bill 562, assumes at least $50 billion in new taxes to fund the healthcare system. Asked about taxes, support drops to 42% of the adults surveyed and 43% of likely voters. While a majority of Democrats in the PPIC poll continued to support the idea if it means more taxes, support drops substantially among unaffiliated independent voters. The state Senate is expected to consider the single-payer bill before the end of the week. A legislative analysis put the estimated total cost of a new healthcare system that covers all Californians at $400 billion, while an analysis released on Wednesday by supporters provided a $331-billion estimate. The pending legislation by state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) does not identify what taxes would be raised but makes the enactment of the plan contingent on a full funding proposal. Facebook

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Knowingly exposing others to HIV should no longer be a felony, state Senate says By Patrick McGreevy The Senate voted to no longer make it a felony for HIV-positive people to donate blood or semen without telling the blood bank they are infected. ( (Toby Talbot / Associated Press)) The state Senate on Wednesday voted to no longer make it a felony for someone infected with HIV to knowingly expose others to the disease by having unprotected sex without telling his or her partner about the infection. The crime would be downgraded to a misdemeanor, and the bill would also apply to people who donate blood or semen without telling the blood or semen bank that they have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, or have tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, the precursor to AIDS. The measure, which next goes to the Assembly for consideration, was introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who said it is unfair to make HIV/AIDS the only communicable disease given such harsh treatment by prosecutors. These laws are irrational and discriminatory, Wiener told the Senate, adding that the current felony status is creating an incentive not to be tested, because if you dont know your status you cant be guilty of a felony. The measure was widely opposed by Republican lawmakers including Sen. Joel Anderson of San Diego. If you intentionally transmit something that is fundamentally life-threatening to the victim, you should be charged and go to jail, he said. Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Murrieta) said, My friends, its not a gay issue. Its a public health issue. We shouldnt allow someone to play Russian roulette with other peoples lives. Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a physician, voted for the bill and argued that it undermines public health to imprison those with HIV under the current law. Facebook

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Hillary Clinton: I was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win By Seema Mehta Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that she has no plans to run for office again, but she plans to remain involved in civic life, particularly helping the Democrats efforts to regain control of the House in 2018. Im not going anywhere, Clinton said at the annual Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes. I have a big stake in what happens in this country. I am very unbowed and unbroken about what happened because I dont want it to happen to anybody else. I dont want it to happen to the values and the institutions I care about in America. And I think were at a really pivotal point, she said. And therefore Im going to keep writing and keep talking and keep supporting people who are on the front lines of the resistance. The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said she woke up on election day expecting to win. Clinton told the gathering that she was responsible for every decision the campaign made, though she did not believe they caused her surprise loss. She attributed that to several things, including alleged Russian interference in the election and weaponizing stolen information and fake news. She also pointed a finger at the Democrats for falling behind the GOP in using technology and data to target voters, the media for covering her e-mail controversy like it was Pearl Harbor, misogyny and the high expectations many had for her candidacy. I was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win, she said, adding that she always expected the race to be close. Trump responded on Twitter, saying that Clinton still refused to accept that she lost because she was a terrible candidate. Crooked Hillary Clinton now blames everybody but herself, refuses to say she was a terrible candidate. Hits Facebook & even Dems & DNC.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 1, 2017 Clinton, who has increasingly jabbed President Trump, including at last weeks commencement address at Wellesley College, blasted his reported plan to pull out of the Paris climate accord as really stupid because of the economic implications. She described his personality as impulsive and reactive. And she joked about his peculiar overnight tweet about constant negative press covfefe, saying she thought it was a hidden message to the Russians to laughter from the audience. Going forward, Clinton said that she believes that it was realistic for Democrats to retake the House in 2018, notably by focusing on Republican congressional districts she won  including seven in California. She sounded less optimistic about the Senate. Updated at 6:06 p.m.: This post was updated to add President Trumps response to Clintons remarks. This post was first published at 5:41 p.m. Facebook

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California lawmakers take aim again at establishing statewide rules for drones By Jazmine Ulloa A state senator from Santa Barbara is taking another shot at establishing statewide regulations for the use of drones after the budding industry thwarted her efforts to pass similar legislation last year. Senate Bill 347, introduced by Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, would limit disruptive drone use near private property and prohibit the weaponization and reckless operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles. It also would require pilots to obtain insurance and to license, register and mark the aircrafts per federal regulations. The bill moved out of the Senate on Wednesday with a 26-13 vote. It heads to the Assembly for consideration. Speaking on the Senate floor, Jackson urged support for what she called comprehensive drone legislation, saying California needs common-sense rules that provide certainty for everyone and keep the public safe. Washington is not going to be acting on this issue very soon, she said, citing a federal appeals court decision that this month found the Federal Aviation Administration doesnt have the authority to regulate the use of drones by hobbyists. Debate has raged in recent years over just where federal authority begins and ends. And Jacksons attempts at drone legislation last year were blocked amid opposition from lobbyists who argued against creating a patchwork of laws that varied by state. Under Jacksons new proposal, violations would be punishable by a fine of up to $250 or a misdemeanor, and the California Department of Transportation would be tasked with developing liability insurance requirements. It has the support of the California State Assn. of Counties, the League of California Cities and the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Assn, but it once again faces tough industry opposition. Facebook

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School districts would be prohibited from shaming students whose parents havent paid for school lunches By Patrick McGreevy Students eat lunch at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Los Angeles. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times) Students whose parents have not kept their school lunch bills current would no longer go through shaming that includes marking their hand so they cannot be served, under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The measure by Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) would require school districts to ensure that any student whose parent has unpaid school meal fees is not treated differently, or delayed or denied a nutritiously adequate meal. Hertzberg introduced the legislation after hearing of school districts taking lunch trays from students whose accounts were not current and throwing the food in the trash, embarrassing the students in front of their friends. No more shaming, Herzberg told his colleagues. Dont visit the failures of the parents on their kids. The measure passed on a 39-0 vote and was sent to the Assembly for consideration. Facebook

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Emilio Huerta, undaunted by 2016 loss, is back to challenge Rep. David Valadao By Sarah D. Wire (Sarah D. Wire / Los Angeles Times) Bakersfield lawyer Emilio Huerta came more than 13 percentage points short of winning Californias 21st Congressional District seat in 2016, but he plans to try again in 2018. Huerta, 59, blames his loss to Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) on inexperience and a rash of negative ads at the end of the campaign. We learned a lot in the last campaign. As a first-time candidate there was certainly a lot to learn and I think we did a good job, Huerta said Wednesday. The son of labor icon Dolores Huerta, he has worked for the United Farm Workers union  which his mother co-founded  throughout the Central Valley district. Huerta said Valadaos vote for the Republican healthcare plan shows hes ignoring Valley residents needs because it would end the expansion of the MediCal program, which many of the districts residents use for healthcare. Its going to be a pretty significant issue, he said. He is the first Democrat to announce a bid for the seat. Democrats are heartened by the fact that, while Valadao won the seat with 56.74% of the vote, the district has continued to trend Democratic in voter registration and chose Hillary Clinton for president with 54.72% of the vote. That tells me that there were die-hard Democrats, committed Democrats that vote, Democrats that were not convinced that my campaign should be supported and I think a lot of that has to do with me being a first-time candidate, Huerta said. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has made the seat a target for 2018. The majority-Latino district includes parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown and Democrats say Trump is going backwards if he pulls out of Paris climate pact By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown warned Wednesday that a decision by President Trump to withdraw the United States from a 2015 global climate change agreement could be tragic, and vowed to keep Californias ambitious efforts in place and on track. Here we are, in 2017, going backwards, Brown said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. It cannot stand, its not right and California will do everything it can to not only stay the course, but to build more support  in other states, in other provinces, in other countries. The governor also criticized efforts to the president to dismantle climate change initiatives launched by former President Barack Obama. Trump is going against science. Hes going against reality, the governor said. We cant stand by and give aid and comfort to that. News that the president had either made the decision to pull the country out of the Paris Accord on climate change or was on the verge of doing so drew swift condemnation from California leaders. Brown and other top lawmakers attended the talks in late 2015 that resulted in the international agreement, and insisted on Wednesday that it would not hurt the states own efforts to sharply curtail greenhouse gas emissions. As with so many other matters, from human rights to healthcare, the Trump administration has continued to surrender our nations longstanding role as a global leader, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said. Others pointed out that a decision to remove the United States from the agreement would leave it in rare company among other nations. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that such a decision by Trump would be more than just dumb + destructive. Brown, who leaves Friday for a weeklong visit to China to encourage more climate-change cooperation, predicted any decision to step away would suggest the countrys priorities arent clear. It sends a very muddled message, the governor said during an interview in his state Capitol office. Is the message [that] we like dirty cars and gas guzzlers? And were going to have a coal future? That cant happen. And Brown again suggested that Californias experience on the issue offers a road map for others. If we want to retain and enhance manufacturing, we have to do what California is doing, in clean energy and clean technology, he said. Thats the future of jobs, the future of sustainability. And we better get on board. And California will be right there with the best of them. Facebook

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This Orange County congressmans immigration town hall turned chaotic and led to three arrests By Sarah D. Wire The majority of calls into Rep. Lou Correas Orange County congressional office are about immigration worries and what the Trump administrations enforcement policies mean for Correas many Latino constituents. Theres a lot of fear in my district, he said. So the freshman Democrat has held seven town halls, all focused on immigration and explaining immigrants rights. Theyve been peaceful, with representatives from groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and the Mexican Consulate invited to help Correa answer questions. But as the crowd of about 100 people gathered at Santa Anas Delhi Center on Tuesday evening, Correa knew this time would be different. We had some people there, probably a dozen of them, that immediately had signs that were not complimentary to yours truly, he said. Two women arguing about immigration issues had already gotten into an altercation outside the town hall. They were cited for assault and battery, and barred by police from going inside. Correa told the crowd inside he would give a short presentation about immigration policy coming out of Washington and then have a question-and-answer session. About a dozen people were having none of it. Some of the most tense moments came when Correa started talking about green card holders who served in the U.S. military and have since been deported. Maam, Im trying to be courteous here, he said as a woman kept speaking over him. As soon as I started speaking, it became very clear they were not going to let me speak, Correa said Wednesday. They just got louder and louder. Video of the town hall posted on social media shows people in the crowd yelling Americans first and Illegals have no rights. Correa repeatedly asks them to let him speak. Are you guys going to cooperate, or am I going to have to ask you to leave? he said. About 15 minutes in, as some in the crowd continued to shout and their attention turned to berating a group of counter-protesters, Correa declared the meeting over. A handful of people circled around Correa as he tried to leave, yelling Shame, shame and You guys all want welfare. One womans voice can be heard repeatedly yelling Coward! Police emptied the room amid chants of USA. The crowd streamed into the parking lot, where confrontations quickly started between supporters of President Trump and others who appeared to be focused on Native American rights. Videos posted on social media show men shouting at one another, their faces so close their noses are practically touching. Police officers kept trying to separate the groups. (Warning: The video below includes language that some readers might find offensive.) Santa Ana Police Department spokesman Anthony Bertagna said a man struck a Trump supporter on the head with a pole bearing an anti-fascism flag. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Bertagna said. The man was brought to police headquarters, and a group of about 10 people followed along to protest, he said. Shortly after, the town hall peacefully resumed in a different room with a much smaller crowd, Correa said. Several California members of Congress have held similar immigration-specific town halls or workshops in the last few months as questions swirl about changes to federal immigration policies and enforcement. The purpose of the town halls is to let people know how to follow the law, let them know their legal rights and responsibilities, Correa said. Protesters have characterized it as teaching people who are in the country illegally how to avoid deportation and get federal benefits. Facebook

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California plan for 100% renewable energy by 2045 clears key hurdle By Liam Dillon California will receive all of its power from renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, by 2045 under legislation that passed the state Senate on Wednesday. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) touted his bill, Senate Bill 100, as the most ambitious program in the world. Clean energy is the future, De Leon said. SB 100 ensures that California leads into the future. The measure would also speed up the states goal of reaching 50% renewable energy, changing the deadline from 2030 to 2026. SB 100 passed over objections from Republican senators. Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Temecula) criticized the measure as government getting ahead of technological capacity. What if we cant make that mandate that were putting into law today? Stone said. What its going to do is drive up electricity bills for our businesses. De Leons bill now moves to the Assembly. Facebook

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A new proposal on Californias cap-and-trade program emerges as vote is delayed By Chris Megerian Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced), left. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A coalition of business-friendly Democrats is detailing their own ideas for cap and trade, a centerpiece of Californias fight against global warming, the latest bid in a crowded field of efforts to extend the program. Cap and trade requires polluting companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions, and lawmakers have been considering a push from Gov. Jerry Brown to extend the program beyond 2020. The new plan would force the program to sunset in 2025, earlier than previous proposals from other lawmakers. It would also direct revenue from the program toward improving air quality and helping agricultural and trucking companies lower their emissions by replacing aging equipment. The plan is also aimed at keeping costs down for industries regulated by cap and trade, allowing them to support green projects known as offsets instead of reducing their own emissions. California must continue to lead the world by implementing a strong climate policy that ensures both a healthy environment for future Californians and growth in all sectors of our economy, Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced) said in a statement. The pro-business Democrats plan is the fourth such effort announced by various factions within the states ruling Democratic Party this year with two others emerging from the Assembly and one from the Senate. The plans offer varying degrees of changes to the existing program, either to prioritize pollution reductions in disadvantaged communities or eliminate offsets. Republican lawmakers also have said they want to be part of the cap-and-trade debate. Brown has pushed for a two-thirds supermajority vote of the Legislature to extend the program by the state budget deadline next month. But Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said at a Wednesday news conference that that wasnt going to happen. Cap-and-trade is a very complex issue, De Leon said. Its very arcane. We want to make sure we get it right. De Leon said he hoped for a deal by the end of the year. Read More Facebook

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Senate fails to back bill to delay the Aliso Canyon reopening, but lawmaker will try again Facebook

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California state Senate advances bill to ban smoking and use of e-cigarettes in government housing By Patrick McGreevy Californians would no longer be able to use tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, in public housing and within 25 of those buildings under a measure approved Tuesday by the state Assembly. Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) said the measure builds on a smoking ban approved last year for federal public housing projects by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition to applying the smoking ban to state housing, expansion to include e-cigarettes makes sure the law cover new technology in tobacco use. The bill takes effect by July 30, 2018. Wood said tobacco-related diseases cost taxpayers significant funds each year. This bill will save money but will more importantly save lives, Wood told his colleagues before the vote. The measure is opposed by the Western Center on Law and Poverty, which worries it will lead to more evictions. Facebook

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Californians would not be able to buy more than one rifle a month under bill approved by state senators By Patrick McGreevy Terry McGuire, owner of Get Loaded in Grand Terrace, shows a customer a Cobalt Kinetics BAMF rifle about a week after the 2015 shooting rampage in nearby San Bernardino. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times) Californians would be prohibited from buying more than one firearm in any 30-day period under a measure approved Tuesday by the Senate to reduce straw purchasing and circumvention of gun laws. California already bars people from buying more than one handgun a month. The bill by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) expands the limit to also cover long guns, including rifles and shotguns. The measure, which next goes to the Assembly for consideration, seeks to address concerns that some people buy large quantities of guns and then sell them on the underground market to criminals and others not eligible to own guns. There is no need or reason why a person would need to purchase more than one gun a month, Portantino said during the floor debate. Republicans, including Jeff Stone of Murrieta, opposed the legislation. This is yet another example of the government trying to infringe on the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, Stone said. Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Chico) said he has seen no proof that past gun-control measures approved by the state have made the state safer. Its more of the same that will not decrease violent crime, Nielsen said. Facebook

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California state senators want to stop the public from smoking at California beaches and parks By Patrick McGreevy Californians would be barred from smoking or using electronic cigarettes in state parks and at beaches under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate. Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Concord) said his bill would address the health problems caused by smoking but also the harm done to the environment by discarded cigarette butts and the fire danger posed by the practice. Cigarette butts contain more than 150 toxic chemicals and although small in size, have a huge negative impact on the environment and the animals that live in them, Glazer told his colleagues. A legislative analysis said the bill does not address the concerns raised by Gov. Jerry Brown when he vetoed a similar bill last year. The veto message read, in part, The complete prohibition in all parks and beaches is too broad. A more measured  and less punitive  approach might be warranted. Facebook

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School day wouldnt begin before 8:30 a.m. in California under bill that clears the state Senate By John Myers (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) California teenagers wouldnt be required to start their school day before 8:30 am under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate. The legislation by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) would not fully take effect until 2020, and sparked a lively floor debate over the science on the sleep patterns of middle and high school students, and whether they simply need to go to bed earlier. I expect this would only dispose them to stay up later, said state Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber). Another Republican lawmaker, Sen. Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), said students need to learn what its like in the workforce. Job preparation is what schooling is all about, Fuller said. Unless youre a musician or someone who works nights, you probably did not start in the later morning. Opponents also said the later start time could affect collective bargaining agreements with teachers and other school employees. Supporters, however, pointed to a recommendation for later start times from the American Academy of Pediatrics. A University of Minnesota study linked school start times to sleep deprivation and the rate of car crashes among teenage drivers. The morning sleep time is the most valuable for student health, said Portantino. Their test scores go up, their attendance goes up, their graduation rates go up. The bill would allow rural school districts to obtain a waiver if they couldnt make the change. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) ended the debate with a simple request of the senators on behalf of teenage students. "Lets just let them sleep in a little bit, he said with a smile. Facebook

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More transparency proposed for prescription drug price increases under bill passed by California Senate By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), shown speaking in March, won Senate approval Tuesday on a bill that would require more transparency on drug prices. (Melanie Mason / Los Angeles Times) Alarmed by skyrocketing prices for some prescription drugs, the California Senate on Tuesday approved a measure aimed at increasing pressure to hold down costs to consumers by requiring more public reporting of price hikes. The lawmakers approved a bill that would require drug manufacturers to notify health plans and state purchasers such as the prison department of increases in the wholesale cost of drugs in writing at least 90 days before the new costs were to take effect. The measure also requires that health plans and insurers notify state regulators of pricing information for the most costly drugs. Were not saying that they cant raise the price. Were just saying notify us, Hernandez said during the floor debate. And if [the price] goes up a significant amount, we should be able to question why. The measure passed by a 26-10 vote with some Republicans, including Sen. Ted Gaines of El Dorado Hills, opposed. Gaines said the pharmaceutical industrys pricing of drugs helps it pay for development of new medications. It funds their research, Gaines said during the debate. The measure next goes to the Assembly, where a similar bill last year failed to win passage. Hernandez said more opponents are talking to him this year about possible compromises, although the bill is opposed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Hernandez said the bill is needed, adding that current regulations allow pharmaceutical companies to reap obscene profits at the expense of the entire healthcare system. Facebook

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California Senate advances bill to make pot use in cars an infraction By Patrick McGreevy San Bruno police officers stop cars at a DUI checkpoint. State officials are proposing to make it an infraction to use marijuana in motor vehicles. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Just months after state voters legalized the recreational use of marijuana, the state Senate on Tuesday voted to prohibit its use in automobiles because of concerns over drugged driving. A bill by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) makes it an infraction for drivers and passengers to use marijuana in motor vehicles. Stiffer penalties already exist for motorists found to be driving while impaired by drugs. California voters legalized recreational use of marijuana in November although the state does not plan to begin issuing licenses for its legal sale until January. In Washington state, which previously legalized pot, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the number of drivers who had recently used marijuana before fatal accidents doubled from 2013 to 2014, Hill told his colleagues. Washington serves as an eye-opening case study for what other states may experience with road safety after legalizing the drug, Hill told his colleagues before the unanimous vote to approve the measure and send it to the Assembly for consideration. Facebook

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California lawmakers want to give parents at smaller companies 12 weeks of protected family leave By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara). (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California lawmakers are once again seeking to expand the states paid family leave program to smaller businesses after Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar measure last year. SB 63, authored by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), on Tuesday moved out of the state Senate with a 25-13 vote. It now heads to the Assembly for consideration. The legislation, a priority bill for the California Legislative Womens Caucus, would allow parents at companies with 20 to 49 employees to take 12 weeks of leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child  without fear of losing their jobs. Under the current state law, only workers at businesses with 50 or more workers can take advantage of program. On the Senate floor Tuesday, the debate on the issue echoed that of last year. Republican lawmakers argued the bill would kill jobs and hurt small businesses already struggling in California. Those in favor argued progressive family leave policies attracted a strong and healthy workforce. Jackson said her bill would impact only 6.3% of California companies, while helping 16% of its workforce, a population of 2.7 million residents across the state. With so many women in the workforce than ever before, and with so many struggling, two-income families, this is a critical moment in time, she said. Facebook

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Kimberly Ellis files formal challenge over result of state Democratic Party chairperson election By Seema Mehta (Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The candidate who narrowly lost the race to be the next leader of the California Democratic Party on Tuesday filed a formal challenge of the election result. Kimberly Ellis campaign, which was already in the process of reviewing the ballots cast during the state partys convention two weekends ago, said they were filing the challenge to meet a requirement in the party bylaws that such an action must be taken within seven days of the contested act. Our review process is ongoing. Its critical that all formal processes outlined by the CDPs bylaws are followed at this time so that there can be no concern about raising issues in the manner prescribed by our party, said Hilary Crosby, immediate past controller for the state party and an Ellis supporter. Ellis campaign said challenges were also being filed in races for a vice chair, secretary and multiple regional directors. Chris Masami Myers, state party executive director, acknowledged receiving the challenges and said in a statement that they would be reviewed in accordance with the standard practices described in the bylaws. The partys compliance review commission, made up of six members who were appointed during former Chairman John Burtons tenure, will review the evidence and take oral or written testimony before issuing a ruling in mid- to late June. The state party chair race was the most heated and contentious. Longtime party leader Eric Bauman entered the race with advantages, but Ellis made the contest competitive. In the election, held this month at the state party convention in Sacramento, Bauman beat Ellis by just over 60 votes. But amid allegations levied by her supporters of ballot-box stuffing and ripped-up ballots, she refused to concede the race. Her campaign has been reviewing individual ballots for a week. Bauman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Updated at 4:57 p.m.: This post was updated to add additional information about how the review will be conducted. Updated at 3:35 p.m.: This post was updated to add a comment from a state party official. This post was originally published at 2:37 p.m. Facebook

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Darrell Issa gets on his office roof to take a picture of protesters. A mild hubbub ensues By Sarah D. Wire Yes, this is really @DarrellIssa on the roof of his district office building. Too afraid to come speak with assembled constituents below. pic.twitter.com/wCYRjO8Ev8  Mike Levin (@MikeLevinCA) May 30, 2017 It began when one of Rep. Darrell Issas 2018 opponents, Mike Levin, posted an image on Twitter, saying the Vista congressman was hiding on his office roof from hundreds of protesters on the street below. The photo of Issa standing on the roof ricocheted around Twitter, with many comparing it to a scene from the popular television show The Office, and left-leaning media outlets quickly publishing headlines like Darrell Issa Appears to Flee to Building Roof to Avoid Protesters. Like most things, what happened at Issas office appears to have been a bit more nuanced. Issa soon tweeted that he had spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today, then popped upstairs to take a quick pic!. Multiple images, including one from Levins account and from Issas account, show the congressman on the street with protesters. Spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today, then popped upstairs to take a quick pic! pic.twitter.com/K2CFdenOIj  Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) May 30, 2017 I just received an unprompted call from @DarrellIssa who said he tried, unsuccessfully to speak with protesters outside his district office.  Joshua Stewart (@jptstewart) May 30, 2017 .@DarrellIssa said the protesters wouldnt' speak with him, so he went up to the roof and took pictures.  Joshua Stewart (@jptstewart) May 30, 2017 The protests occur weekly outside Issas Vista district office, and the congressman has come out to speak with the group at least twice since President Trumps inauguration. Issa narrowly won reelection in 2016 over a novice opponent, and Democrats are targeting his seat in 2018. Issas staff said he tried to speak with all the protesters using their sound system, but was rebuffed. Rally organizer Ellen Montanari said she decided not to hand over the protesters microphone so Issa could take questions from the crowd because he refused to shake her hand before the protest began. He refused to do that, and he said, Step away, you are a protester. And I said I am a constituent,  Montanari said. She said he also made disparaging remarks about the protesters and the signs they carry. Issas spokesman, Calvin Moore, said Montanari cant simultaneously organize people to stand outside our office with Where is Darrell? signs and feign outrage how he wont answer her questions  and then deny him the ability to answer his constituents questions, he said. Facebook

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State Senate Democrats pass bills designed to protect against Trumps possible changes Facebook

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Rep. Adam Schiff says alleged Russian meddling in election was an effort to destroy American democracy By Seema Mehta U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, left, discusses Russias threat to liberal democracies around the world at discussion discussion hosted by Erwin Chemerinsky at UCI. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Tuesday that the alleged Russian meddling in last years presidential election was about far more than favoring one candidate over another. He said it was an effort to undermine the foundation of American democracy in order to prop up an authoritarian regime in Moscow. Now if you look at this as just a one-off intervention, you might be inclined to dismiss the greater significance of it, or if you listen to the president, you might be inclined to dismiss this as simply efforts to relitigate a lost election, Schiff told several hundred people at UC Irvine. But the significance is really far greater. Quite separate and apart from the desire of the Russians to help Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton was a more fundamental objective, and that was really to tear down at our democracy. Schiff is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating allegations of Russian intervention in the presidential election, including the leaking of hacked Democratic emails and contacts between Trump associates and Russians. Trump has declared the investigation the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history on Twitter. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), the former chairman of the committee, recently told hundreds of Republicans at a fundraiser that the investigation is about nothing more than Democrats trying to justify Clintons loss. Nunes stepped down from his position after allegations arose that he mishandled classified information. Schiff said Russian President Vladimir Putin would have reasons for wanting to see Clinton fail and Trump succeed  he believed that the CIA and Clinton were secretly behind mass demonstrations in Russia in 2011, and because Trumps positions on issues such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization were more favorable to Russia than Clintons. But Schiff argued the larger point was sowing discord in the U.S., so Putin could argue that American democracy is no better than his government. Talk of rigged elections and surveillance, questioning the independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press  as Trump has done  boost Putins message, Schiff said. And the efforts are not limited to the United States, he added, pointing to allegations that the Russians made an effort to interfere in Frances recent election. The reality is there is new ideological struggle. Its not communism versus capitalism anymore. It is authoritarian versus democracy, he said. This is the broader challenge we are facing. Schiff also warned that there is no way to prevent Russian cyber-spying and that future attempts to interfere with American elections will only be more sophisticated, so voters must be educated. One of the most important conclusions the intelligence agencies have reached is the Russians will do this again, he said. The only real defense is to inoculate ourselves, to educate ourselves about what the Russians have done, why they are doing [it and] what they may do in the future and somehow we have to develop a consensus regardless of which party it helps and which party it hurts  that we will reject it. Facebook

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Rep. Devin Nunes: Democrats are using Russia investigation to justify Clintons loss By Sarah D. Wire (Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA) House Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told hundreds of local Republicans at a recent private fundraiser that congressional investigations into Russias interference in the 2016 election are about Democrats trying to justify Hillary Clintons loss. The Democrats dont want an investigation on Russia. They want an independent commission. Why do they want an independent commission? Because they want to continue the narrative that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are best friends, and thats the reason that he won, because Hillary Clinton would have never lost on her own; it had to be someone elses fault, Nunes told Republicans the day after he stepped away from leading the House investigation. His remarks were recorded on video and provided to The Times. Read More Facebook

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Californias embattled tax board would lose power over staff and funding under lawmakers plan By John Myers Following months of accusations about mistakes and improper use of power by its elected members, the state Board of Equalization could lose substantial power and gain an independent overseer under legislation introduced in the state Assembly. The bill by Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) would shift much of the power over staff and spending authority away from the independent tax board and create a new inspector general to watch over its actions. What were trying to do is make sure that the reform is transparent, Ridley-Thomas said. Thats what I think the moment demands. The plan, introduced as an amended bill just before the Memorial Day holiday, comes in the wake of audits alleging the tax agency made multimillion dollar miscalculations on revenue allocations and that some of its elected members improperly used staff members who were supposed to be focused on tax collection. Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown called the situation a mess and in April asked for an investigation by the state Department of Justice. Four members of the Board of Equalization are directly elected by voters. The fifth, state Controller Betty Yee, serves in an ex officio capacity. The Assembly bill would transfer significant staff decisions to the agencys executive director and would require the Board of Equalizations members to have their operations funded in detailed line items included in the state budget. It would also create an inspector general office and would require the boards members to disclose all ex parte communications with those seeking action by the agency. I think that these issues can be addressed if we keep them in the sunlight, said Ridley-Thomas. Facebook

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New advertising campaign targets lawmakers over votes for climate change policies By Chris Megerian A coalition of California businesses launched a new advertising campaign on Saturday to pressure lawmakers against enacting tighter policies on climate change and air pollution. The campaign includes online videos and television advertising that warn of higher costs for business and residents. It arrives as Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers are debating whether to extend the cap-and-trade program, which requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gases, and how restrictive the system should be. The first lawmaker being targeted is Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), accusing him of allowing unelected state employees to raise hidden taxes on gasoline and electricity because he voted last year for a tougher target to reduce emissions by 2030. Other lawmakers could face similar advertisements. Were locked, loaded and ready to go statewide, said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, which is funding the campaign through an advocacy group called Californians for Affordable and Reliable Energy. The roundtable represents the states largest corporations, including oil refineries and manufacturers who have been critical of climate policies. A dollar figure was not disclosed for the advertising campaign, which will represent a balancing act for the roundtable. It supports the cap-and-trade program as an alternative to more restrictive regulations, but it opposes some of the current proposals to extend it. One measure would tie the program to air quality, targeting a wider range of pollutants than just greenhouse gases, and another would make it function more like a tax and charge higher prices for emission permits. Were at a tipping point here, Lapsley said. We need to get this information out into the public in order to try and create balanced policies. Although polls show broad support for fighting global warming in California, concerns about higher costs for constituents could be influential with some lawmakers who recently passed legislation to raise gas taxes to fund road repairs. Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is facing a recall campaign over his vote. Nonpartisan legislative analysts have said cap and trade could boost the price of gasoline by 24 cents to 73 cents by 2030. Environmentalists have said its inaccurate to tie any single policy to fluctuations in gas prices. Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: The debate among Democrats didnt end at their convention By John Myers The official gathering of California Democrats lasted only three days, but the lingering debate and simmering tensions could keep going well into next years elections. On this weeks California Politics Podcast episode, we look back at the line in the sand drawn at last weeks California Democratic Party convention by some of the partys most passionate progressive activists -- including the blunt speech delivered by an influential labor union leader last weekend. We also discuss big new developments this week on the topic that energized those Democratic activists: a single-payer healthcare system for California. On Monday, a fiscal analysis put a large price tag on legislation to enact that sweeping healthcare change. Im joined this week by Times staff writer Melanie Mason. Facebook

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California lawmakers quietly refuse to stop unlimited cash flowing from political parties to their campaigns By John Myers (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) An ambitious effort to close a widely used loophole that allows large donations from political parties to be funneled into California races was rejected on Friday. The bill by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) would have made political party money donated to statewide and legislative candidates subject to the same contribution limits as individuals. Under the language of a voter-approved initiative, Proposition 34, money from political parties is exempt from those existing limits. Its a money-laundering scheme that has completely duped voters, Levine said last fall when he first promised to introduce the bill. The proposal was quietly killed, without a formal vote, by the Assembly Appropriations Committee during its biannual session to act on bills placed on the so-called suspense file due to their estimated costs. Committee staff estimated that Levines AB 1234 would have six-figure costs both for enforcement and for placing the issue before voters in 2018. Facebook

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Veteran Democratic operative criticizes Kimberly Ellis for refusing to concede party chair race By Seema Mehta Supporters of Kimberly Ellis make signs, refusing to accept her loss to Eric Bauman for the California Democratic chair post. (Jay Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Veteran Democratic operative Bob Mulholland slammed infighting among California Democrats, and urged Kimberly Ellis, who came up short in a nasty party chair election, to work to unify the party. I  and others did not understand some of your supporters  attacks on those of us who have spent decades or years building the Democrats in California as the most successful political Party in the country, he wrote in an open letter to Ellis on Thursday. He sent the email in the aftermath of the partys rancorous convention last weekend that featured a bitter leadership battle between Ellis, a favorite of newer members including the backers of Bernie Sanders failed presidential bid, and longtime party leader Eric Bauman. After Bauman was declared the winner by a razor-thin margin of just over 60 votes, Ellis refused to concede and demanded an audit of the vote as some of her backers floated rumors of ballot-box stuffing and discarded ballots. Ellis demurred when asked about Mulhollands scathing letter. While our review continues, we are refraining from making any statement that might cause further division, Ellis said. If we hope to truly unify this party, it will require patience by all. Officials with the Ellis campaign have been reviewing ballots this week. A spokesman said they had looked at about two-thirds by the end of Friday and hope to be done by the middle of next week. Joe Macaluso, Ellis strategist, declined to discuss the results and said her team needed to review additional documentation beyond the ballots. Were trying to stay true to our process and not release anything, but were in it, he said. Its an extensive process. Mulholland argued in his public letter that the convention should have showcased the partys message, not intraparty spats. Our annual Conventions should take care of internal business (Platforms, election of Officers, Resolutions, etc.), but more importantly a communication to voters, especially moderate Democrats and Independents about their concerns and issues, Mulholland wrote. If such busy people had a minute to read some news about our Convention, they saw Democrats yelling and arguing about ballots being stuffed, sounding like a Trump event. This Convention failed them. Mulholland listed the partys successes in the state, including Democrats lopsided voter registration edge, its nearly three-decade record of supporting Democratic presidential candidates, its election of female senators since 1992 and its hold of every statewide office, supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature and nearly three-quarters of the congressional delegation. Over the last 29 years, thats a [1.000] batting record, he wrote. Mulholland called on Ellis to hold a news conference with Bauman once she is satisfied with her audit of the vote. Then, he wrote, lets move on. Facebook

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California lawmakers block proposals meant to make it easier to track and report hate crimes By Jazmine Ulloa Graffiti mars the steeple on the Greater Holy Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Compton in January. Cases of vandalism make up close to one-third of reported hate crimes, according to a new report. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers Friday stalled measures meant to help report and track hate crimes across the state, proposals filed amid a wave of incidents reported after the 2016 presidential election. The state Assembly Appropriations Committee shelved bills that would have created new hate-crime reporting requirements for police and a hotline under the attorney generals office for victims wishing to report an attack. Of those bills, a proposal filed by Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) initially sought to develop a state government database with the names of felons convicted of hate crimes related to race, religion and sexual orientation. That proposal was amended to instead require every law enforcement agency to forward a summary of a reported hate crime, upon conclusion of an investigation, to the human relations commission within its jurisdiction. But a committee analysis found it could cost the state more than $150,000 to help agencies redact personal information from their records. The committee also shut down bills that would have required police to update policies to address hate crimes and include a checkbox on the front pages of reports that would prominently provide an option to indicate whether a crime was bias-related. Local law enforcement officials have reported a recent rise in reported hate crime incidents. Existing state laws require local and state law enforcement officials to compile hate crime information. California jurisdictions reported a 10.4% statewide increase in those incidents last year. Facebook

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Here were the top six moments from last nights L.A. congressional race debate By Christine Mai-Duc Robert Lee Ahn, left, and Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez sparred in a debate Thursday night ahead of the runoff for the 34th Congressional District seat. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) Attorney Robert Lee Ahn and Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez sparred Thursday night at the first and only debate in the runoff race for the 34th Congressional District seat. The candidates, both Democrats, offered little in the way of policy differences. Both agreed President Trump has racist tendencies, that keeping the Affordable Care Act is a top priority, and that they would fight to protect immigrants rights. Ahn came out swinging, repeatedly calling Gomez an insider whos sponsored by special interests, while Gomez pointed to his work supporting progressive policies in the Legislature and endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. Here are the top six exchanges: The numbers problem: Gomez again criticized Ahn for a response he gave in an L.A. Times questionnaire that suggested he would negotiate with Republicans to protect parts of Obamacare. Gomez said Democrats need to take a hard line and that Ahn was too soft on support for Medicaid. In case you havent noticed, we have a numbers problem in Congress, Ahn shot back. Until were able to take back the House, were going to have to talk to the other side.

Gomez again criticized Ahn for a response he gave in an L.A. Times questionnaire that suggested he would negotiate with Republicans to protect parts of Obamacare. Gomez said Democrats need to take a hard line and that Ahn was too soft on support for Medicaid. In case you havent noticed, we have a numbers problem in Congress, Ahn shot back. Until were able to take back the House, were going to have to talk to the other side. Gomez fact-checks Ahns name-check: Ahn made the case that voters should send an attorney to Congress to help in the legal battles against the Trump presidency. I will join fellow attorneys and Congress members Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff in the fight, Ahn said to the crowd. Gomez, who spent much of the evening bringing up his legislative experience and vast array of endorsements, responded: I hate to mention it, but, you know, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu have endorsed me.

Ahn made the case that voters should send an attorney to Congress to help in the legal battles against the Trump presidency. I will join fellow attorneys and Congress members Ted Lieu and Adam Schiff in the fight, Ahn said to the crowd. Gomez, who spent much of the evening bringing up his legislative experience and vast array of endorsements, responded: I hate to mention it, but, you know, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu have endorsed me. Getting more personal: In discussions about immigration and healthcare, Gomez and Ahn delved a little deeper into their backgrounds. Gomez talked about his young nephew who feared that his mother, a permanent resident, might be deported after Trump was elected. Ahn told the story of how his parents came to the United States with $700 each and cobbled together enough money to open a hamburger stand, eventually building their piece of the American Dream.

In discussions about immigration and healthcare, Gomez and Ahn delved a little deeper into their backgrounds. Gomez talked about his young nephew who feared that his mother, a permanent resident, might be deported after Trump was elected. Ahn told the story of how his parents came to the United States with $700 each and cobbled together enough money to open a hamburger stand, eventually building their piece of the American Dream. Ahn on the attack: Ahn repeatedly criticized Gomez for taking money from corporate interests. Special interests, big pharma, big bankers. ... Its all payback time [for Gomez donors] on Day One, Ahn said. On Day One, I owe the people of the 34th District and thats it. Ahn pitched himself as an outsider who understands the district and whose small-business experience will help him relate to the problems facing everyday residents.

Ahn repeatedly criticized Gomez for taking money from corporate interests. Special interests, big pharma, big bankers. ... Its all payback time [for Gomez donors] on Day One, Ahn said. On Day One, I owe the people of the 34th District and thats it. Ahn pitched himself as an outsider who understands the district and whose small-business experience will help him relate to the problems facing everyday residents. A litmus test: Gomez fought back against the idea that hes a corporate Democrat, primarily by pointing to several endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. If I was so establishment, I dont think Our Revolution ... would actually endorse me, Gomez said of the Bernie Sanders-affiliated group. If you want a litmus test, thats a litmus test if youre a progressive ... if youre actually able to take on the status quo.

Gomez fought back against the idea that hes a corporate Democrat, primarily by pointing to several endorsements hes received from left-leaning groups. If I was so establishment, I dont think Our Revolution ... would actually endorse me, Gomez said of the Bernie Sanders-affiliated group. If you want a litmus test, thats a litmus test if youre a progressive ... if youre actually able to take on the status quo. Gomez gets skewered on gas tax: As part of his argument that he has fought for the little guy, Ahn expressed outrage that Californias gas taxes will increase July 1, saying theres nothing progressive about the gas tax hike Gomez voted for. We already paid 38 cents per gallon. Where is that money going? Ahn said, echoing a line many legislative Republicans have used. Sacramento politicians, this is what they do, they take our money and they spend it and theres no accountability. Gomez responded by saying public safety was at stake and that fixing roads was the responsible thing to do. If you missed it, you can watch the entire thing here. The election is set for June 6. Facebook

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Rob Reiner, Hollywood bigwigs and Netflix co-founder team up to give Villaraigosas campaign a major cash boost By Seema Mehta (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Hollywood heavyweights are set to host a major fundraiser for Antonio Villaraigosas gubernatorial campaign on June 15, ensuring an infusion of large contributions shortly before a key fundraising deadline. Donors are being asked to contribute up to $29,200 to attend a summer reception at the home of media executive Peter Chernin and his wife Megan, the site of a celebrity-studded fundraiser for President Obama in 2013. Co-hosts include Paramount Pictures chief Jim Gianopulos, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, video game honcho Robert Kotick, comedian George Lopez, Sony chief Michael Lynton, NBCUniversal vice chairman Ron Meyer, producer Rob Reiner, super-agent Rick Rosen, producer Orly Adelson, former U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos, former White House decorator Michael Smith and attorney Michael Tuchin. Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, entered the governors race in November. Through the end of 2016, he raised $2.7 million, a respectable haul in a short time period when Democratic donors were reeling from the presidential election and distracted by the holidays. But his fundraising lags behind that of his top rivals, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer John Chiang. So political observers will be scrutinizing his next financial disclosure report, which will cover the first six months of 2017. The fundraiser occurs 15 days before the fundraising period closes on June 30. Read More Facebook

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A delay on cap-and-trade vote would be a victory for Donald Trump, Gov. Jerry Browns office says By Chris Megerian (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Despite hesitance and resistance from state lawmakers, Gov. Jerry Brown is refusing to budge from his goal of reaching a deal next month to extend Californias cap-and-trade program. The latest tug-of-war on the issue came this week in an email exchange circulated among Capitol staff members and advocates working on climate change policies. Kip Lipper, an environmental advisor for Senate leadership, wrote in a Thursday email that there were no plans to take up a cap and trade reauthorization bill anytime soon. Echoing concerns that have percolated among lawmakers, Lipper said senators were gas tax weary about the possibility of another difficult vote after deciding to raise gas taxes to pay for road repairs earlier this year. The cap-and-trade program, which is a cornerstone of Californias fight against global warming, requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions and could boost the price of gasoline. With votes hard to come by, Lipper wrote, the issue should not be rushed. Camille Wagner, Browns legislative secretary, responded on Friday saying there was no reason to delay. Weve all been meeting for months on this issue, she wrote. We know the areas of agreement and disagreement  now is the time to work through those. She added that NOTHING is more important than getting a deal as soon as possible. This is not a time for retreat or a time to give aid and comfort to Donald Trump by undermining a pillar of Californias bold program to arrest climate change, Wagner wrote. If Californias Cap and Trade falls because we fail to act, climate denial wins. Brown had already faced resistance to his push to reach a deal on cap and trade in June, when the state budget is due. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) previously said we dont have to extend it this year. The disagreement over the timeline for reaching a deal is only one of the disputes surrounding cap and trade. Assembly leaders have raised the possibility of pushing legislation with only a majority vote, an idea the governors office rejected. Brown wants a two-thirds vote to insulate cap and trade from legal challenges. There are also varied ideas about how the program should function in the future. Assembly legislation would modify cap and trade so it also targets local pollution, rather than just greenhouse gases. Senate legislation would make the program function more like a carbon tax. Facebook

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The effort to make tampons tax free in California has been delayed until 2018 By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Legislation to eliminate California sales taxes on the purchase of tampons was delayed Friday by the Assemblys fiscal committee until 2018, a blow to advocates who say the tax is an unfair burden on low-income women and families. The delay imposed on AB 9 is the second setback this month for efforts to eliminate taxes on products for women and children. A separate bill that included a tax-free provision for diapers was killed in a legislative committee on May 8. The bill that was held back on Friday, written by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), would have excluded tampons, sanitary napkins and other menstrual products from sales taxes. A legislative committee analysis estimated the proposal would reduce state general fund revenues by $10.5 million a year. Dozens of other bills with a cost to state government were killed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, while AB 9 was instead reclassified as a two-year bill, meaning it is eligible to be heard again in the second year of the legislative session. Gov. Jerry Brown last year rejected a similar measure that sought to make tampons tax-free, writing in his veto message that tax breaks are the same as new spending  they both cost the general fund money. Facebook

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Outside money spills into L.A. congressional race as election day nears By Christine Mai-Duc Spending by outside groups hoping to influence Los Angeles congressional race is picking up, with less than two weeks to go before the runoff for the 34th Congressional District. Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and attorney Robert Lee Ahn, both Democrats, are competing to fill the former seat of Xavier Becerra in the June 6 election. Becerra stepped down months ago to become the states attorney general. Spending separate from the candidates campaigns is reaching into the six-figure range, with most of the outside money going to support Gomez, the heavy favorite of establishment Democrats. One group funded primarily by an Ahn donor, Citizens for a Better Government, has spent $40,264 on data, printing and postage for mailers, and $8,000 on treasury services to support Ahns bid. The Latino Victory Fund, which has endorsed Gomez, recently spent $29,640 on direct mail and $30,000 on phone banking and voter canvassing for the candidate. Billboard company Outfront Media LLC has spent $1,973 on billboards for him. Also backing Gomez is a group called Middle Class Values PAC. The group spent $19,653 on mailers supporting Gomez despite not having reported receiving any major contributions so far this year. The groups biggest donors last year were a handful of Nevada casino owners and developers, but most of that money appears to have been spent on Democrats running for Congress in Pennsylvania and Nevada. Outside spending in the 34th Congressional District race has been dwarfed by candidate spending. As of March 31, Gomez had spent $446,455 and Ahn had dropped about $767,315 on his run. New campaign finance figures from both candidates are due at midnight Friday. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Browns budget team drops its hotly debated plans to redefine the states spending limit By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) With questions mounting about the legal justification for omitting some $22 billion in expenses from Californias long-standing spending cap, Gov. Jerry Browns administration dropped the plan Thursday while promising to work on the issue again later this year. Browns advisors told the Assembly Budget Committee that this could include some changes in state law to clarify the rules surrounding whats known as the Gann limit, a cap on state spending growth imposed by voters in 1979. The cap has rarely come into play in state budgeting in recent years, as it was loosened by a subsequent ballot measure in 1990. The governors administration said it continues to worry about how the law interacts with other mandates related to school funding. School financing has changed significantly since the limit was first established in 1979, said H.D. Palmer, Browns budget spokesman. Because of that, we continue to believe we need statutory clarifications related to these school funding changes. Legislative analysts warned lawmakers in April that the governor may have been overestimating how much room for spending was left under the cap, a dispute that continued for weeks while lawmakers began drafting plans for formal budget negotiations next month. Earlier this week, state senators again raised concerns about the complex estimates used to determine how much spending the Gann law would allow in the budget year that begins July 1. And they provided an analysis by the Legislatures lawyers that suggested Browns proposal could be unconstitutional. The spending limit is enforced over two fiscal years, which means Brown and lawmakers have time to reconcile different estimates. But absent changes similar to those advocated by the governor, a portion of future tax revenues would have to be split between schools and rebates to taxpayers. Facebook

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California Senate, Assembly advance their own plans on how to spend tobacco tax revenue By Melanie Mason (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Perhaps the biggest budget skirmish that remains unsolved this year is how California should spend revenue from the tobacco tax voters approved last fall. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to put that money to expand overall spending on Medi-Cal, which provides subsidized healthcare for the poor. But the some of initiatives backers, namely doctor and dental groups, have cried foul, arguing that money is meant to go to increasing payments for providers. Now, the Senate and Assembly are weighing in. In plans approved in their respective budget committees this week, both houses stray from Browns proposal to put the money toward general Medi-Cal costs and lay out their own ideas on how to divvy up the revenue. But while both houses reject Browns approach, there are key differences between their proposals. Most significantly, the Assembly would allocate all $1.1 billion in projected tax revenue in the next budget year. The Senate, meanwhile, would spend just under $350 million next year, gradually ramping up spending to $1.1 billion by fiscal year 2020-21. Both houses also would increase provider payments, but in different ways. The Assembly would put around $857 million toward once-yearly incentive payments to physicians and dentists that would be tied to their Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal caseloads. The Senate proposed putting $150 million next year to physician rate increases that would be targeted for those working in high-need areas and specialties. That number would increase in successive years, topping out at $700 million by 2020. The Senate also would put $130 million toward higher rates for dentists. The California Medical Assn., which has been pushing for higher reimbursement rates, praised both houses for including the higher rates, but group spokeswoman Joanne Adams noted that the current Legislature cannot tie the hands of a future governor or Legislature, indicating a preference toward the Assembly approach. Each house would allocate $50 million for reimbursement rates for family planning providers, a priority of Planned Parenthood. And both houses put money toward expanding Medi-Cal to cover young adults up to age 26 who are in the country illegally. The proposal builds on Californias policy of making children without legal status younger than 19 eligible for Medi-Cal, which went into effect last year. Anthony Wright, of the advocacy group Health Access, noted that by expanding coverage for those up to age 26, it would align with Obamacares policy of letting children stay on their parents health insurance until that age. This is a concrete and tangible way to show we are actually taking steps forward in expanding coverage, Wright said. The Brown administration estimates that around 130,000 people would be eligible for Medi-Cal under such a proposal, and such an expansion would cost the state just under $230 million. The Senate proposal would put around $63 million toward that expansion in the upcoming budget year and around $85 million in subsequent years. The Assembly would put $54 million toward the plan. The Brown administration did not take a position on the Medi-Cal expansion proposal, but H.D. Palmer, spokesman for Browns Department of Finance, noted that the Senate was using higher revenue projections than Browns plan, which allows legislators to propose more funding. Palmer said the administration was sticking with its original proposal to use tobacco tax dollars for general Medi-Cal spending. The budgets proposal for Prop. 56 will provide increased funding for healthcare programs and services in a way thats consistent with the measure that voters approved last fall, Palmer said. ------------ FOR THE RECORD May 25, 2017, 4:58 p.m.: A previous version of this article reported that both houses were using higher revenue projections than Gov. Browns budget proposal. The Senate is using higher projections; the Assembly is using the same estimates as the Brown administration. Facebook

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California chief justice says she stands by her decision to speak out against Trumps immigration actions By Jazmine Ulloa California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye on Thursday said she stands by her position that courthouses should be areas where immigration arrests should not occur. Cantil-Sakauye, a former prosecutor who rose through the judicial ranks as an appointee of Republican governors, drew national attention in March after she blasted the federal governments expanded immigration actions, among which she said included stalking immigrants at courthouses. Speaking at a Sacramento Press Club luncheon on Thursday, she said the Supreme Court chambers fielded an outpouring of calls and letters after her comments. Some were profane and angry, from residents living outside the state. Others came from supporters. At Sac Press Club luncheon, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye said she fielded lots of anger, support after courthouse enforcement remarks. pic.twitter.com/6OBrZOfI45  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) May 25, 2017 Many said that as a judge, she should not wade into politics. U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly admonished her in a letter, spurring California state leaders to respond in defense of state policies. On Thursday, Cantil-Sakauye stood by her decision to denounce the actions, saying, If I couldnt speak out as chief justice, I dont know who could. Courthouses in California have numerous programs to encourage people to come forward and ask questions, seek services and mediate issues, Cantil-Sakauye said. If we have a segment [of the population] that is afraid to come, then we are looking at no access to justice, [and] potentially public safety issues, which is antithetical to what the justice system exists for, she said. To me, it is a safe zone, and I ask that courthouses be placed on par with school districts and hospitals and churches. Facebook

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Rep. Darrell Issa says the federal employee insurance program should be expanded to all Americans By Sarah D. Wire Though it wasnt included in the House Republicans healthcare bill, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) still believes Americans should have access to the same insurance plans federal employees pick from, and hes hoping the Senate will embrace the idea. In a letter Thursday, Issa asked the Senate Health Care Working Group to consider opening the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to more, or all, Americans. Its a national insurance idea thats persisted since the program began in 1960, and a proposal Issa has pitched before. The program allows more than 8 million current and retired federal employees across the country to shop among hundreds of health insurance plans and then apply their employer contribution to whatever plan they choose. Private insurance companies have pulled out of several state insurance marketplaces, where people whose employers dont offer insurance can purchase insurance using a federal subsidy. That leaves people with fewer health insurance choices, a common complaint cited by Republicans as a reason to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Its choice. If the government can maximize choice to you and then subsidize where appropriate based on need, then weve met the two bases for government involvement, Issa said. Issa voted for the American Health Care Act, the GOP bill to roll back much of Obamacare that passed May 4 without Democratic support, but he stresses that he did so just to keep momentum. One of the reasons I voted for this in the House was to keep the process alive so we could do reform, Issa said. Leveraging business models that work is the goal that somebody like me wants to do. Find out what works and invest in it, find out what doesnt work and fix it or abandon it. On Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office said the bill as passed by the House would cause 23 million fewer people to have health insurance by 2026. The budget office, which Congress relies on to analyze the complex legislation, projected that many additional consumers would see skimpier health coverage and higher deductibles. The Senate has essentially said it will write its own version of the bill. Issas letter to his Senate colleagues also urges members to protect people with preexisting conditions, safeguard coverage for people with mental illnesses and protect people near retirement age from a spike in their premiums. Theres still more to be done. This bill is going to be about compromise, and a down payment on change, Issa said. Facebook

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Senate President Kevin de Leon is busy raising campaign funds  but for what office? By Phil Willon Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leon. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) stirred up speculation about a possible run for governor or U.S. Senate when he released a slickly produced video just before the California Democratic Partys convention last weekend, but he has remained coy about his future political plans. That doesnt mean he isnt padding his campaign war chest, though. De Leon has two fundraisers lined up in Los Angeles in June, presumably for his 2018 campaign for California lieutenant governor. The question is whether De Leon actually will run for lieutenant governor. In the past, he has said he hasnt made a decision. He has also given his supporters the go-ahead to endorse state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), a longtime political ally, in the race. De Leons campaign account for lieutenant governor had $1.7 million in the bank at the end of last year. He raised close to a half-million this year, according to state political financial disclosure reports. The first fundraiser in June is being hosted by veteran Hollywood executive Peter Guber and his wife, Tara, in Bel Air on June 8, with suggested contributions ranging from $500 to $2,500. The second is in late June at the Palm in Los Angeles. The fundraiser is hosted by Craig Darian, CEO of the Occidental Entertainment Group, and his wife, Kimberly, as well as Albert Sweet, the founder of the company. The suggested donations are the same as for the earlier fundraiser. De Leon made history in 2014 when he was selected by his colleagues as the first Latino to lead the California Senate. The tenure has been marked by significant action on climate change, immigration and gun control. Facebook

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Volkswagens clean car plan falls short in low-income neighborhoods, California regulators say By Chris Megerian (Markus Schreiber / Associated Press) State regulators have asked Volkswagen to revise its plan to invest in zero emission technology in California, a victory for critics who said the automaker wasnt doing enough in disadvantaged communities. The investment plan, which will total $800 million over 10 years, is part of Volkswagens obligation under a multi-billion settlement for evading pollution rules. California, which is struggling to get enough zero emission vehicles on the road to meet its goals, is eager to move forward, wrote Air Resources Board Executive Officer Richard Corey in a Wednesday letter to Electrify America, a Volkswagen subsidiary. However, Corey wrote, we need more information on how the company will meet its target of spending 35% of its investment in disadvantaged communities, a target set by state regulators in hopes of broadening the adoption of electric vehicles. Corey also asked Electrify America to consider supporting hydrogen fueling stations, rather than just electric chargers. Once the company submits an updated version of its plan, state regulators will consider whether to approve it. Electrify America said it is reviewing the letter. Dean Florez, a member of the Air Resources Board, said the original investment plan had significant holes and included no real investment in disadvantaged communities. He praised the decision to request revisions and said the board should hold VWs feet to the fire. This story has been updated with additional comments. Facebook

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Lawmakers scrap effort to make it easier to pass local transportation taxes By John Myers An effort to boost the chances of local ballot measures raising taxes for transportation needs was quietly killed Thursday in the state Capitol. The proposal, which would have ultimately required changing the California Constitution through a statewide vote, was in response to the high hurdle set decades ago for local taxes earmarked for specific projects. Those kinds of taxes in cities and counties require two-thirds of the vote. The constitutional amendment by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) would have lowered the vote threshold to 55% of ballots cast for any transportation proposal. Wiener argued the long list of local transportation projects lacking funds wont completely be erased by the $52-billion transportation plan signed into law last month. And he pointed specifically to examples like a transportation tax plan in the Bay Area last year that garnered 62% of the vote  still slightly shy of the two-thirds mandate. While the effort can be brought back before lawmakers adjourn the current session in the summer of 2018, Thursdays action represented a major setback for transportation groups and labor unions that supported it. The measure was opposed by business and anti-tax advocates. Wiener said he intends to re-introduce the measure in the coming weeks. We must improve and expand transportation throughout our state, which has suffered from decades of underfunding, he said in a written statement. Update 1:29 p.m. This story was modified with additional information regarding constitutional amendments and the legislative process. Update 4:10 p.m. This story was updated with comment from Sen. Wiener. Facebook

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Sex offenders will not be banned without exception from school grounds after state bill is shelved By Jazmine Ulloa State Sen. Connie M. Leyva, right. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The state Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday shelved a bill that would have banned all registered sex offenders from school campuses without exception. Senate Bill 26 by Sen. Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) would have made it a misdemeanor for a registered sex offender to enter any school building or grounds without lawful business. State laws keep registered sex offenders from living near schools. But those who have not been convicted of having sex with a minor under age 16 can visit or volunteer with groups or organizations that work with children if they give proper notice, and are granted permission. They cannot work directly with children. The committee advanced another bill by Leyva that would extend benefits under the Safe at Home initiative to former victims of forced prostitution or labor. Senate Bill 597, introduced with Secretary of State Alex Padilla, passed with a unanimous 7-0 vote. Read More Facebook

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Measure to help California students refinance private loans is shelved By Melanie Mason State Treasurer John Chiang, a candidate for governor, is behind a new effort to help people with student debt refinance their loans. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A measure to help Californians saddled with student debt refinance their student loans was shelved in a key fiscal committee on Thursday. The measure by state Sen. Benjamin Allen (D-Santa Monica) was touted as a way for the state to coax private lenders to offer more favorable interest. The proposal would have carried a $25-million price tag. We will continue to push for sensible solutions to the student loan crisis that provide real relief to the millions of Californians saddled with too much debt, Allen said in a statement. State Treasurer John Chiang, a 2018 gubernatorial candidate, had championed the bill, SB 674, as a way to try to get [Californians] out of debt as quickly as possible. College graduation is supposed to be synonymous with opportunity and prosperity and not a detour into a modern-day debtors prison, Chiang said in a statement. Although I am disappointed SB 674 will not be moving forward, I will continue to use my position as the states banker to invest in Californias young people and its future with innovative solutions that will make it more financially feasible to obtain a higher education, he added. 3:58 p.m.: This article was updated to add comments from Sen. Benjamin Allen and Treasurer John Chiang. This article was originally published at 11:17 a.m. Read More Facebook

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Where bills go to die: Lawmakers begin clearing the suspense file with hundreds of measures in limbo By John Myers (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) From a sales tax exemption on tampons to healthcare rules and marijuana regulation, a massive stack of proposed laws faces a major deadline Friday morning at the state Capitol. To survive, they must clear whats known as the suspense file -- the place where bills that would cost taxpayers money are held in legislative limbo. By law, bills with a fiscal impact must be sent to the floor of the Assembly and Senate by the close of business on Friday. That means its decision time for more than 800 pieces of legislation. The Senates fiscal committee will decide the fate of bills on Thursday; the Assembly will do so on Friday. Bills are generally sent to the suspense file if their projected cost to the state is $150,000 or more. The procedural move was widely used during Californias deficit years as a way for lawmakers to weigh the pros and cons of proposals in light of limited resources. But government watchdog groups have long pointed out that the clearing of the suspense file ends up hiding some of the legislative sausage-making from public view. Thats because bills that dont clear Fridays hurdle are essentially killed without a recorded vote. And neither chamber offers any explanation for why those bills were killed. Decisions on the fate of the suspense file are made in private, hours or days before the public hearing. In the Assembly, the appropriations committee chairperson will simply tell the public that a decision has been made to hold the bill. In the Senate committee, killed legislation wont even be mentioned during Thursdays hearing. That means that no one will know for sure whether a bill is really killed because of its price tag or its politics. Facebook

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Formal apology sought after U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters was cut off during state convention speech By Jazmine Ulloa (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) In my 20 years as a Democratic Party leader, I have never experienced such the type of behavior as I did at the Sacramento Convention hall on Saturday evening.  Darren Parker, longtime chairman of the African American Caucus The California Democratic Party African American Caucus is asking the state party for a formal apology to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and its members for what it called disrespect by a private subcontractor at its weekend state convention. Waters, a Los Angeles Democrat known for her comments on President Trump, had been speaking at a caucus meeting during the event Saturday night when the sound to her microphone was cut off. SEE THE VIDEO OF WATERS SPEECH> Read More Facebook

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California sees a rebound in cap-and-trade auction, bolstering key climate change program By Chris Megerian (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) State regulators announced strong results from Californias cap-and-trade program on Wednesday, spurring analysts and supporters to say the system remains solid despite questions about its political future. The program requires oil refineries, food processors, power plants and other facilities to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly all of the permits offered by the state in its latest auction were purchased, generating an estimated $500 million in revenue. Thats a shift from other recent auctions, where most of the permits went unsold, reducing revenue that state leaders have counted on for 
President Trump on Monday took in the sweeping history of Jerusalems Old City on a visit in which he hopes to make some of his own, urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take strides toward peace that have eluded U.S. leaders for decades.

Starting the second leg of his eight-day foreign trip, Trump said he wants to make progress on what he has called the ultimate deal, a Middle East peace accord to end generations of conflict.

We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, Trump said in a ceremony after he landed at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport. But we can only get there working together. There is no other way.

Trump has yet to offer a diplomatic initiative to restart negotiations, no less break the broader political impasse. Nor is it clear whether the Israelis or the Palestinians have the inclination or political capital to make substantial progress given their deep divisions.

Still, Trump raised the prospect of a peace deal during each of his three public appearances with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, though in the third he conceded it was perhaps the toughest deal to make.

Netanyahu leads a fragile coalition that depends on right-leaning parties who strongly resist the kinds of territorial or political concessions to Palestinians that a peace deal likely would require.

So he sought continually to steer the conversation toward Iran, a common foe for Israel and the Sunni Arab leaders whom Trump visited over the weekend in Saudi Arabia.

Trumps call in a speech Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to isolate Iran to neutralize the threat it poses through proxy militant groups not only helps security but also helps propel the possibility of reconciliation and peace between Israel and the Arab world, Netanyahu said.

But he said Israel has not changed its own formulation for peace, one that Saudi Arabia and most other Arab states have rejected until now.

The peace we seek is a genuine and a durable one in which the Jewish state is recognized, security remains in Israels hands and the conflict ends once and for all, the Israeli leader said.

Trump will travel Tuesday to Bethlehem, in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who visited the White House this month.

In his comments Monday, Trump said he had found new reasons for hope in his meetings with Arab leaders in Riyadh.

Echoing a White House argument, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the common threat of terrorism has united Sunni Arab nations, Israel and the United States in a way that did not exist in the past.

I think [Trump] feels like theres a moment in time here, Tillerson told reporters traveling with the president on Air Force One.

I think the president has indicated hes willing to put his own personal efforts into this, if the Israelis and the Palestinian leadership are ready to be serious about engaging as well, he said.

Trumps domestic troubles over Russia reemerged during his visit Monday, one with potential diplomatic consequences with Israel. As with many of the presidents problems, it was self-inflicted.

After a reporter asked Netanyahu if he was concerned by reports that Trump had shared highly sensitive intelligence about a terrorist threat with two senior Russian officials in an Oval Office meeting on May 10, Trump jumped in to deny that he ever mentioned the word or the name Israel.

Theyre all saying I did, he said, pointing to reporters. So you have another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel.

News accounts never said that Trump had identified Israel as the source of the intelligence, only that he had divulged intelligence from an unnamed allied country that did not want it shared.

Subsequent news reports, citing anonymous sources, identified the country as Israel, and said Israeli intelligence officials were furious that Trump had shared the material in violation of spying protocol.

For his part, Netanyahu avoided the intelligence controversy. He cut through the shouts of multiple questioners to say simply, Intelligence cooperation is terrific. Its never been better.

Trump heads to the Vatican after his two-day visit here, and the White House argues that his visit to holy sites of three of the worlds major religions demonstrates his commitment to religious tolerance and peace.

And so Trump is mixing religious symbolism with his substantive discussions.

Wearing a Jewish skullcap, he touched the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem and, as cameras clicked away, tucked a private note into one of the crannies. Nearby, First Lady Melania Trump and first daughter Ivanka visited the womens area of the wall, one of Judaisms most sacred sites.

He also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which Christians believe is the site where Jesus Christ was crucified and later resurrected.

Words fail to capture the experience, he said at days end. Fireworks later lighted the skies over Jerusalem.

Not only is Trump the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, but he is also the first American president to visit Israel so early in his term. His arrival on Air Force One from Riyadh marks the first known direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which do not have formal diplomatic relations.
The Supreme Court rebuked North Carolinas Republican leaders Monday for shifting tens of thousands of black voters into two congressional districts that had steadily elected black Democrats, striking down the move as racial gerrymandering.

The Constitution forbids a state from separating its citizens into voting districts on the basis of race without a compelling reason, the high court said in an opinion joined by its four liberals and conservative Justice Clarence Thomas.

The ruling is the third in recent years to fault Southern Republicans for packing more black voters into districts where African Americans were already the dominant voting bloc. By concentrating black voters into a few districts, the revised state maps strengthened the GOPs hold in the surrounding areas.

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It was also second time in two weeks the court dealt a setback to North Carolinas Republicans. Last week, the justices let stand a ruling that struck down a 2013 law that added new restrictions on voting on the grounds the state had deliberately discriminated against its black voters.

Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. hailed Mondays ruling as a watershed moment in the fight to end racial gerrymandering. North Carolinas maps were among the worst racial gerrymanders in the nation. Todays ruling sends a stark message to legislatures and governors around the country.

The main effect of Mondays ruling will be in the South. Under the Voting Rights Act, Southern states were pressed in the 1990s to create voting districts that would elect African American candidates to Congress or the state legislature.

Back then, civil rights advocates and liberal Democrats supported drawing these districts along racial lines as a way to reverse decades of discrimination, while the high courts conservatives, including Thomas, were opposed.

After the 2010 census, liberals and conservatives began to flip sides on the issue. Republican lawmakers cited the Voting Rights Act as a justification for moving even more blacks into black-majority districts on the grounds they were protecting black incumbents.

Democrats and civil rights lawyers objected, arguing the Republicans were diluting the electoral clout of black voters.

Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the court had rightly recognized that disputed North Carolina districts were clearly drawn with an intent to illegally pack as many black and Latino voters into as small an area as possible. The decision should send a strong signal to other states that  racial gerrymandering will be struck down as illegal and unconstitutional.

Mondays decision wont settle the broader national debate over gerrymandering. Many Democrats and political scientists say Republicans have used partisan line-drawing  which is allowed under the law  to maintain a grip on the House of Representatives. They point to states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio, where Republicans have used party affiliation to give themselves control of most of the congressional seats.

In Maryland, Democrats have drawn lines based on party membership to give them a clear advantage in all but one district.

The Supreme Court has not taken a stand against partisan gerrymandering. And Mondays decision includes a dissent by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. that defends partisan gerrymandering.

Politics and political considerations are inseparable from districting and apportionment, and it is well known that state legislative majorities very often attempt to gain an electoral advantage through that process, Alito wrote. While some might find it distasteful, our prior decisions have made clear that the jurisdiction may engage in constitutional political gerrymandering.

Liberal reformers had hoped the court in the year ahead would rein in partisan gerrymandering. To succeed, they would almost certainly need to win over Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. However, he and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joined Alitos dissent.

The North Carolina case began after 2010 when Republicans took full control in Raleigh. Previously Democrats had won seven of 13 congressional seats. After the districts were redrawn, the Republicans had a 10-3 advantage.

Two of the Democratic-leaning districts  one in the northeast and one that snaked through the middle of the state  had elected black Democrats since the 1990s. When the Republicans redrew the first district, they shifted black voters from Durham and raised the percentage of blacks from 48% to about 53%. In the central district, they added 35,000 black voters and moved out about 50,000 whites.

Civil rights lawyers and Democrats sued, and a three-judge court ruled the two districts were drawn along racial lines.

Then-Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, appealed, but the Supreme Court upheld the verdict.

Justice Elena Kagan said that race was the predominant factor motivating the legislatures decision when it redrew the two districts. And the result was districts with stark racial borders, she said. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Thomas agreed.

Rarely does Thomas join with the courts liberal bloc, but in this instance, he can claim to be the only member of the court who has taken the same position over 20 years. He opposed race-based districts in the 1990s, when they were intended to help minority voters, and did so Monday, when they were accused of hurting minority voters.

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch took no part in the decision because the case was argued before he arrived.

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage

ALSO

Federal judges find Texas gerrymandered maps on racial lines

North Carolina voting law falls as Supreme Court turns down GOP appeal

A voting law meant to increase minority representation has generated many more lawsuits than seats for people of color

UPDATES:

3:15 p.m.: This story was updated with additional reaction.

This story was originally published at 8:25 a.m.
Susan Lindsey, regent of the Judge David Campbell Chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution, delivered a two-volume set of "Legacies of Our Great Grandmothers, Early Tennessee Women," to the Lee University library. Cataloger Rachel Cunningham accepted the set.



The books were donated by the Tennessee Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and are compilations of biographies of women who lived in Tennessee prior to 1850. The biographies include lineage charts and footnotes.

For more information about the books and the DAR, visit www.tsdar.org.
New Justice Neil M. Gorsuch joined Clarence Thomas in dissent Monday when the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from a Republican Party lawyer seeking to strike down limits on big-money contributions to political parties.

By a 7-2 vote, the high court upheld limits set in the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002.

The dissent by Gorsuch is his first and most significant decision since joining the court last month, and it puts him squarely on the side of conservatives and Republican lawyers who believe that limits on political money are unconstitutional.

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In 2010, the Supreme Court remade the law on political spending when it struck down limits on independent spending, including by corporations, in the Citizens United case. In his opinion for the court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy stressed that this type of spending should be unregulated and protected as free speech because the money does not go directly to candidates or the parties.

The limits on contributions to federal candidates and political parties remain in place. This year, candidates for Congress may take up to $2,700 from individuals to support their campaigns, and the national parties may take contributions of up to $33,900.

State and local parties can take contributions of up to $10,000.

Still, the Citizens United decision seemed to undercut the rationale for the contribution limits. The decision sent a huge flow on money pouring into super PACs which could run their own ad campaigns to support or oppose candidates.

The Indiana attorney who spearheaded the Citizens United case went back to court seeking to void the limits on giving to parties. And he cited the impact of Citizens United.

A grave inequity exists in American politics.  James Bopp Jr.

A grave inequity exists in American politics, attorney James Bopp Jr. told the court in an appeal on behalf of the Republican Party of Louisiana. While behemoth super PACs and 501c(4) nonprofit corporations receive unlimited donations state and local parties can do nothing similar.

But he lost in a lower court, and on Monday, the Supreme Court issued a one-line order affirming that ruling. Thomas and Gorsuch said they would have heard the appeal.

Supporters of the campaign funding laws praised the court for holding the line.

Voters are the winners of this decision to turn back unregulated soft money and to reaffirm the importance of effective party contribution limits, said Tara Malloy, deputy executive director at the Campaign Legal Center. Without these soft money limits, political parties would again become vehicles through which big donors would attempt to buy influence over elected officials and their policy decisions.

david.savage@latimes.com

Twitter: DavidGSavage

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UPDATES:

12:10 p.m.: This story was updated with additional reaction.

This story was originally published at 7:50 a.m.
With concerns rising over the future of financial aid for low-income Americans who rely on Obamacare, senior congressional Democrats have asked the Trump administration for information on talks in which health insurance officials say a senior administration official linked the aid to the industrys support for House Republican legislation to roll back the healthcare law.

The talks, first reported by The Times last week, occurred in April when a group of industry leaders met with Seema Verma, a President Trump appointee who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and oversees Obamacare insurance markets.

Health insurers were seeking assurances from Verma that the Trump administration would continue to provide the aid, which helps millions of low-income Americans afford their deductibles and co-pays.

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The aid, which reimburses insurers for lowering out-of-pocket costs, was paid by the Obama administration. It now is the subject of a lawsuit by congressional Republicans, who argue that Congress must approve the payments.

Obamacare vs. Trumpcare: A side-by-side comparison of the Affordable Care Act and the GOPs replacement plan 

Trump and his aides have repeatedly threatened to withhold the assistance  known as cost-sharing reduction payments, or CSRs  a move that health insurers warn would sabotage insurance markets across the country.

At the April meeting, according to multiple industry officials interviewed by The Times, Verma linked the aid to the House repeal legislation, telling insurers the aid wouldnt be paid until the House bill passed, while also asking health insurers to endorse the bill.

The suggestion that the payments were connected to the industrys support for the Republican bill stunned industry officials.

It made no sense, one told The Times.

Jane Norris, a spokeswoman for the health agency, said The Times account was completely false.

The assertion that Administrator Verma offered to fund the CSR in exchange for support for legislation is preposterous, she said. What she said at the ... meeting in April was that no decisions had been made about CSRs.

But the senior congressional Democrats said they were concerned about the potential abuse of power.

Your reported actions suggest you are using the operation of the American healthcare system as a tool to gain leverage in political negotiations, the lawmakers wrote to Verma.

It is wholly inappropriate for you to use federally appropriated money intended to lower the cost of quality, affordable healthcare as a bargaining chip to garner political support for unpopular legislation being negotiated behind closed doors by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans.

Among other things, the lawmakers asked about any additional discussions in which Trump administration officials suggested a quid pro quo for support of the House Republican repeal bill.

The letter was written by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee; Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the senior Democrat on the Senate Health Committee; Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), the senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee; and Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

noam.levey@latimes.com

@noamlevey

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For decades, Democratic politics in the nations most populous state has been overseen by a quintet of leaders who helped propel California from reliably Republican to dominantly Democratic.

To outsiders, they were the West Coast liberals whom conservatives love to hate  stereotyped as chardonnay-sipping, tree-hugging, near-socialists who, were it geologically possible, would push the state so far left it would plunk into the Pacific. In truth, they have exerted a moderating force on Democrats here.

Their reign effectively ended at this weekends state party convention, part of a shift both generational and ideological that is altering power across the country and in the nations biggest Democratic state. Whoever fills the vacuum will answer defining questions: How far left will the California Democratic Party now go? Will its movement backfire?

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Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, ages 79 and 83, respectively, didnt show up at the convention. Former Sen. Barbara Boxer, 76, who left office in January, skipped it as well. State party chief John Burton, 84, was heralded in large part because he was leaving for retirement.

The fifth major force, 77-year-old Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, who had once planned to retire this term, spoke to delegates but did not publicly intercede in the boisterous remaking of the party structure.

All five differ dramatically from the figures who mustered the greatest enthusiasm among Democratic convention delegates over the weekend.

The partys old-guard leaders were tempered years ago when the Democratic brand brought accusations of being profligate and soft, and compromise was necessary with then-powerful Republicans.

Those experiences pushed them  individually and collectively  to cast a skeptical eye on the wilder wishes of their partys activists. Several of them rose to power as the Democratic Party lurched to the center to attract voters, a shift undone by the leftward moves in recent years.

Some of the newer Democratic activists this weekend saw their elders moves as treasonous to a party they have vowed to change. Kimberly Ellis, a representative of the newcomers who was narrowly defeated in the race for party chair, said Saturday that she was battling for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party.

Its about remembering our true north, said Ellis, 43.

She punctuated her list of demands with calls for passage of the state Senates Medicare-for-all healthcare bill and support for abortion rights, full stop.

The latter comment could be taken as a shot at Pelosi, who said recently that she welcomed antiabortion Democrats as members of the party, a remark that some newer Democrats here criticized.

Pelosis daughter Christine, a longtime party official, alluded during a general session Sunday to what she called the tension and pain among delegates.

New activists want to...lead and we must work together in harmony, she said.

The generational and ideological fight that split the party over the weekend centered on the party chairmanship and an extended tussle over whether the party and its leaders were sufficiently supportive of a state Medicare-for-all plan.

That healthcare arose as the most prominent issue reflected the partys changed circumstances. There was little talk of immigration, a central focus of the party for two decades as Latinos rose as a potent party force. The emphasis on healthcare stemmed in part from timeliness  given the Trump administrations move to repeal Obamacare  and the increasing power of unionized nurses in California politics.

Protesters on Friday night cascaded down a set of stairs into the convention center lobby as Burton and others were delivering welcoming speeches there. The crowd, many of them wearing shirts from the nurses union, and some of them Bernie Sanders gear left over from the 2016 presidential campaign, swelled into Burtons audience, chanting and interrupting.

Burton, one of the best known state Democratic leaders after 60 years spent in liberal warfare in California, tried to shout down the protesters with a few well-placed expletives.

Whos that? one of the protesters remarked.

You cant hide the fact that this is old school vs. new school, it is a generational split, it is the Berniecrats vs. the establishment.  Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, USC public policy fellow

Undoubtedly, Brown would have been given the same treatment had he shown up, because he has been skeptical of the measure because of its expense  billions is a safe bet  and that theres no notion of who would pay for it. Feinstein, similarly, has backed away from pleas for a federal Medicare-for-all system, preferring to fix the problems of former President Obamas healthcare program.

The shift in power at the state party comes at a time of equally visible change in the ranks of senior state elected officials.

Boxer, at her retirement, was replaced by Kamala Harris, 24 years her junior. Browns potential successors range in age from the mid-40s to 50s, with the exception of former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is 64.

The departures broke a logjam that had kept ambitious younger Democrats in amber: Boxer and Feinstein have held their Senate seats since 1992; Browns decision to run again for the governorship after two earlier terms has kept that office out of play since 2010.

While the ending of their era created the potential for movement among politicians, the propellant for change in the party was the 2016 Sanders campaign, which spurred higher voter registrations among younger Californians and pushed many of them into political activism.

Those voters were energized by Sanders key planks: Medicare-for-all healthcare plans, free college, and the eradication of corporate money from politics.

For many, those goals are inviolate. The problem for other Democrats, particularly elected ones called to vote on the proposals, is that neither Sanders nor his followers have laid out how to pay for his plans.

That may have little impact on Democrats in strongly blue areas, where the party holds sway. But not all races play out in such liberal territory, and not all Democratic politicians are comfortable so far to the left.

Democrats in 2018 are trying to pick up seven House seats held by Republicans in California districts that Hillary Clinton won in November. To win, those Democrats will need the activism and donations of the energized liberals. But to secure that support, the candidates may need to take positions further to the left than most voters in the districts, raising the possibility that Democrats could get in their own way.

Veteran Democratic strategist Roger Salazar said hes confident Democratic candidates will accurately gauge the will of local voters.

He acknowledged the possibility that the leftward swing could backfire among moderates. But a greater danger, he said, was that efforts to placate more moderate voters would leave younger Democratic activists feeling spurned.

The tough thing about having a new influx of voters is that some of them feel like outsiders, he said. Youve got to be sure to include them. If you ignore them, you do so at your peril.

It is also possible that as they move sharply to the left, Democrats will find the voters they seek. After the partys last big lurch, to the center in the 1990s, liberals felt disgruntled. But Democrats took the presidency and expanded their reach among voters in the middle.

You cant hide the fact that this is old school vs. new school, it is a generational split, it is the Berniecrats vs. the establishment, Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a USC public policy fellow who has worked and analyzed Democratic politics in California for decades, said as she watched the delegates.

Then again, she added, Maybe the tectonic plates of politics are really shifting.

For more on politics 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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The latest from Washington

Updates on California politics
A blistering contest to lead the California Democratic Party and near-constant protests during its weekend convention provided proof that schisms between party factions at the national level are also pulling apart the ranks at home, where the group has long prospered.

Typically a sunny weekend for California Democrats celebrating dominance at the ballot box and in the voter rolls, this years convention was punctuated by hecklers, marches and recriminations by liberal activists who say the party has lost its way, become too moderate and grown similar to the GOP. Battle lines were drawn in the race for a new chairperson, as party faithful and those seeking a more progressive path were sharply divided over who should guide them in the years to come.

Were not going to unify around the status quo, RoseAnn DeMoro, leader of the California Nurses Assn., told a couple thousand delegates and guests on Saturday. Consensus for consensus sake is over.

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The tension was fed by lingering resentment from the Democratic presidential primary between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, and angst over Donald Trumps actions since he was sworn in as president. Both prompted a rush of several hundred new delegates to the annual event.

If Hillary Clinton had won  we wouldnt be seeing the second-guessing of strategy and tactics and the future of the Democratic Party were seeing today, said Rose Kapolczynski, a Democratic strategist and longtime advisor to former Sen. Barbara Boxer.

She likened it to the aftermath of the 2004 presidential race, when the party was dismayed by the reelection of President George W. Bush and saw an influx of supporters of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, known as Dean-iacs. As many Sanders supporters blame the party for nominating Clinton, whom they view as a flawed candidate, Dean supporters similarly faulted the party in 2004 for nominating then-Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

That angst and regret turned into action, Kapolczynski said, such as the creation of Democratic clubs across the state, the formation of the progressive caucus in the state party and the recruitment and election of candidates in California.

Kapolczynski said she hoped something similar would happen now.

We have a big job ahead ... and I hope at the end of this convention everyone is unified and heading toward victory in 2018.

There were few signs at the state convention of the disparate factions coming together that quickly.

The three-day gathering kicked off Friday with a reception headlined by Democratic National Committee leader Tom Perez, who was interrupted by protesters calling for the party to refuse corporate donations and to work to implement universal healthcare in the state.

Outgoing state party chairman John Burton responded in his signature style.

Hey, shut the [expletive] up or go outside, Burton said. Parade all you want, but unless we put it on the ballot or elect new Democrats, you can walk up and down the street and people still arent going to have decent healthcare. So lets get with it.

Protesters marched in downtown Sacramento over the weekend, criticizing Democrats for accepting oil company money and failing to adopt a Medicare-style healthcare-for-all model despite controlling the governors seat and holding super-majorities in both houses of the Legislature.

Just because you are a Democrat is not good enough for me, new delegate Robert Shearer, 34, said into a bullhorn Saturday during a march to the governors mansion, as others held signs that read Oil Money Out. Those big Democrats in there that are putting money first, theyre fighting against us  and were going to hold them accountable.

About 500 Sanders supporters  self-described Bernie-crats  had gathered for a Middle Eastern dinner reunion the previous night. Among the political leaders to address them was Rep. Ro Khanna of Fremont. The freshman congressman recently joined the Justice Democrats group that is open to challenging Democratic incumbents who they believe are not sufficiently liberal  similar to the tack taken by tea party conservatives challenging Republican politicians who dont hew closely enough to their beliefs.

This country demands a vision. They want to know what were going to be for, Khanna told the crowd.

But the strongest example of the split all weekend was the race to succeed Burton as party chairperson, a bitterly fought contest between Eric Bauman, a long-time party leader and favorite of the Democratic establishment, and Kimberly Ellis, an organizer who drew the backing of many Sanders supporters. Bauman entered the race a heavy favorite, but Ellis launched a competitive bid. At one point Saturday evening, rumors began to circulate that she had won.

But late Saturday, the party announced that Bauman prevailed by just over 60 votes, a razor-thin margin. Bauman declared victory, and Ellis supporters took to the halls of the convention center  some screaming, cursing or weeping  until she addressed them, defiant and refusing to concede.

On Sunday, as Ellis and her staff met with party officials and Bauman representatives in private, her supporters held handwritten signs that said Validate the Vote. They interrupted speakers during the general session meeting to call for a recount or a new vote, and asked for Ellis to be allowed to address the crowd. Burton eventually told the group that all sides had come to an agreement: Ellis would review the ballots but not contest the result.

Bauman was officially declared the chairman at 1:16 p.m. Sunday, and he gave a three-minute speech that was greeted by boos and chants of Not my chairman!

We have so much work ahead of us that we all have to stand together, he pleaded. The results of the election will be verified and validated, but we have too much work ahead of us to be divided like this.

He noted that many Ellis supporters wore pink shirts to signify their support for her bid on Saturday and Sunday, but that they must all now wear blue to symbolize their unity as Democrats.

Less than a half-hour later, Ellis told hundreds of supporters at nearby Cesar Chavez Plaza that she had not conceded the race and the fight is not over.

Ellis said she and her advisors would stay in Sacramento for the next few days to review each of the nearly 3,000 ballots cast.

One of the things that the party cannot be is a party thats just like Trump and the Republicans, Ellis told the crowd. A party that operates in closed rooms, smoked-filled rooms, behind curtains, in secrecy and shadow. It is time for this party to be a transparent party.

seema.mehta@latimes.com, christine.maiduc@latimes.com, phil.willon@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATSeema, @cmaiduc, @philwillon

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A Los Angeles-based nonprofit is claiming California prison officials have undermined last falls ballot measure to overhaul the states parole process by excluding sex offenders from consideration for early release.

The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, which advocates for the rights of those convicted of sex crimes and their families, says the exemption  written into newly released guidelines to implement Proposition 57  impermissibly restricts and impairs the scope of the initiative.

Those regulations were released in March and won initial approval from state regulators a month later. But the original ballot measure did not exclude inmates convicted of sex crimes from the chance of getting an earlier hearing before the state parole board.

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The group filed the lawsuit in late April against the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and its director, Scott Kernan. It argues the new rules are unconstitutional and it asks a judge to order corrections officials to withdraw and repeal them, according to the complaint filed in Sacramento County.

We want the benefits of Proposition 57 to be provided to people who have been convicted of non-violent sex offenses, said attorney Janice Bellucci, who is representing the alliance and an inmate who brought the case forward. It is a basic rule of law that regulations cannot be broader than the law that they are implementing.

A spokesperson for the corrections agency said neither Kernan nor the department could comment on the pending litigation.

Debate over the treatment of sex offenders under Proposition 57 has simmered since last falls campaign season. But at that point, the outcry came from law enforcement officials and prosecutors who argued they did not want to see the ballot measures benefits extended to rapists and child molesters.

The sweeping initiative, approved by 65% of voters, gave new power to the State Board of Parole Hearings to grant early release to prisoners whose primary sentences are for crimes not designated as violent under California law. It also provided new ways for all inmates to earn time credits toward their sentences for good behavior and for enrolling in certain career, rehabilitation and education programs.

Opponents of Proposition 57 warned that the list of crimes under the violent felony penal code was short and porous, inspiring efforts in the Legislature this session to expand the definition of what constitutes a violent crime under state law.

In his January budget proposal, Gov. Jerry Brown attempted to address those concerns, directing the state corrections department to exclude all sex offenders from early parole consideration.

The departments new parole guidelines are expected to receive final approval in the fall after a public comment period. Changes to how inmates can earn credits, which can help reduce their sentences, are already underway, while the new parole eligibility requirements wont take effect until July.

But the advocacy group that filed the lawsuit wants the state agency to revise its rules. It contends that there was plenty of public debate over sex offenders during the Proposition 57 campaign  and that even then, voters passed the measure.

Revised projections in the governors May budget show the ballot initiative could reduce the California inmate population by as many as 11,500 within the next four years, an increase of more than 20% from previous estimates in January.

The lawsuit alleges the new exclusion applies to a whole class of nonviolent offenders, including people charged with crimes where there was no sexual contact with a victim.

As of Dec. 31, the number of inmates in California prisons who would have to register as sex offenders upon release stood at 22,455, less than 20% of the population housed at state prisons. Nearly 18,000 were designated as violent offenders, while more than 4,521 were considered nonviolent, according to state corrections officials.

Bellucci said those cases could include a diverse group of offenders. In theory, she said, the new regulations could unfairly penalize an 18-year-old convicted of public indecency for streaking in high school, or a 16-year-old sentenced for child pornography after distributing nude photos of herself.

Anybody who has been convicted of a violent offense, like rape, Prop. 57 doesnt apply to them, Bellucci said. We are talking about nonviolent offenses, which includes these non-contact offenses.

Longtime opponents who campaigned to stop the ballot measure say they saw the issue raised by the lawsuit coming months ago.

It was [an] inevitability, said Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys. Proposition 57, as it was written, applied to all nonviolent offenders and didnt exclude any subclass of offenders.

While no court date has been set in the lawsuit, state corrections officials have until the end of May to respond to the complaint.

New prison parole overhaul guidelines win initial approval from California state regulators 

jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com

@jazmineulloa

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Boy Scouts: Top leaders didnt call Trump to praise speech as the president said By Associated Press The Boy Scouts denied Wednesday that the head of the youth organization called President Donald Trump to praise his recent politically aggressive speech to its national jamboree. Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published Wednesday, I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful. Politico published the transcript of the interview. We are unaware of any such call, the Boy Scouts responded in a statement. It specified that neither of the organizations two top leaders  President Randall Stephenson and Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh  had placed such a call. The White House had no immediate response to the Boy Scouts denial. Surbaugh apologized last week to members of the scouting community who were offended by the political rhetoric in Trumps July 24 speech in West Virginia. Other U.S. presidents have delivered nonpolitical speeches at past jamborees. To the dismay of many parents and former scouts, Trump promoted his political agenda and derided his rivals, inducing some of the scouts in attendance to boo at the mention of former President Obama. I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree, Surbaugh said. That was never our intent. Surbaugh noted that every sitting president since 1937 has been invited to visit the jamboree. Stephenson told the Associated Press two days after the speech that Boy Scout leaders anticipated Trump would spark controversy with politically tinged remarks, yet felt obliged to invite him out of respect for his office. Hoping to minimize friction, the Boy Scouts issued guidelines to adult staff members for how the audience should react to the speech. Any type of political chanting was specifically discouraged. Stephenson, who did not attend Trumps speech, said the guidance wasnt followed impeccably. Facebook

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Mayor of London again calls on Trump to cancel state visit By Christina Boyle (AFP/Getty Images) The mayor of London has reiterated his calls for President Trumps state visit to Britain to be canceled in the wake of the citys terrorist incident, saying his policies go against everything we stand for. The war of words between the two leaders intensified further Monday evening after Trump criticized Mayor Sadiq Khans response to the London Bridge terrorist attack in two tweets, and the mayor said Trump should not be welcomed in the capital. Since Saturday Ive been working with the police, with the emergency services, with the government and others to deal with the horrific attack on Saturday, Khan said Monday evening. I just havent got the time to deal with tweets from Donald Trump. But when pressed on whether he thinks a state visit for later this year should go ahead as planned, Khan was unequivocal. My position remains the same. I dont think we should be rolling out the carpet to the president of the United States in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for, Khan told Channel 4 news. When you have a special relationship, it is no different to when you have a close mate: You stand with them in times of adversity, but you call them out when theyre wrong. And there are many things about which Donald Trump is wrong. Trump initially criticized Khan hours after the London attack posting on Twitter: At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed! Khans office soon pointed out that the president had, in fact, misquoted Khan, who actually said that Londoners should not be alarmed by the increased armed police presence on the streets. Trump took to Twitter again on Monday to slam the London mayor once more. Pathetic excuse by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who had to think fast on his no reason to be alarmed statement. MSM [Mainstream media] is working hard to sell it! the president wrote. This is not the first time Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a major Western capital city, has called for Trumps state visit to be banned. He previously branded Trumps policies on immigration and proposed travel ban on people entering the U.S. from predominantly Muslim countries cruel. An online government petition calling for the invitation to be withdrawn also gathered more than 1.8 million votes. The visit was first announced during Prime Minister Theresa Mays trip to Washington, where she became the first foreign leader to meet the newly-inaugurated president. State visits are personal invites from the British monarch and involve a significant amount of pomp and ceremony, and usually a state banquet. Facebook

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He helped bring down President Nixon. He thinks President Trump is even worse. By Mark Z. Barabak (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) John Dean is a connoisseur of coverups, a savant of scandal, so he can more than imagine what its like inside the Trump White House right now. Its a nightmare, he said, presiding in a high-backed leather wing chair off the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Not just for those in the headlines  political strategist Steve Bannon, jack-of-many-duties Jared Kushner  but for their unsung assistants and secretaries as well. They dont know what their jeopardy is. They dont know what theyre looking at. They dont know if theyre a part of a conspiracy that might unfold. They dont know whether to hire lawyers or not, how theyre going to pay for them if they do, Dean said in a crisp law-counsel cadence. Its an unpleasant place. Dean was a central figure in Watergate, the 1970s political scandal against which all others are measured, serving at the tender age of 32 as President Nixons White House attorney. In that capacity Dean worked to thwart investigators after the clumsy break-in at Democratic Party headquarters, then flipped and helped sink Nixon by revealing the presidents involvement in the coverup. Read More Facebook

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Two decades ago, Washington state Republicans repealed and replaced a healthcare overhaul there. It didnt end well By Noam N. Levey Republicans in the state of Washington didnt wait long in the spring of 1995 to fulfill their pledge to roll back a sweeping law expanding health coverage in the state. Coming off historic electoral gains, the GOP legislators scrapped much of the law while pledging to make health insurance affordable and to free state residents from onerous government mandates. It didnt work out that way: The repeal left the states insurance market in shambles, sent premiums skyrocketing and drove health insurers from the state. It took nearly five years to repair the damage. Two decades later, the ill-fated experiment, largely relegated to academic journals, offers a caution to lawmakers at the national level as Republicans in the U.S. Senate race to write a bill to repeal and replace the federal Affordable Care Act. Its much easier to break something, said Pam MacEwan, who led a Washington state commission charged with implementing the law in the mid-1990s and now oversees the state insurance market there. Its more difficult to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.  And thats when people get hurt. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office echoed that warning last week, when it concluded that the healthcare bill passed by the House last month would destabilize insurance markets in a sixth of the country and nearly double the number of people without health insurance over the next decade. Read More Facebook

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Companies accelerate hiring, adding a robust 253,000 net new jobs, ADP says By Jim Puzzanghera A now hiring sign is seen in Baton Rouge, La., on May 5. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) Companies accelerated their hiring last month, adding a robust 253,000 net new jobs in a sign the labor market remains healthy and the economy is strengthening after a weak winter. The private-sector job creation figures reported Thursday by payroll firm Automatic Data Processing far exceeded analyst expectations and was well above the downwardly revised 174,000 net new positions added in April. Job growth is rip-roaring, declared Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics, which assists ADP in preparing its report. Read More Facebook

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All jokes aside, Trumps covfefe tweet sparks questions too By Brian Bennett President Trump sparked a global kerfuffle over covfefe with his bizarrely truncated tweet just minutes into Wednesday, spawning countless jokes across Twitter but also more serious questions for which the White House gave no answers. Press Secretary Sean Spicer, during an unusually short 11-minute briefing in which he insisted he not be on camera, declined to give any explanation for Trumps tweet posted just after midnight. Nor would he translate what the president was trying to say in the garbled message that broke off midsentence. But Spicer told reporters that the public should not be concerned that the president sent what the questioner called somewhat of an incoherent tweet. The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant, Spicer said. Read More Facebook

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Biden launches new PAC, keeping the 2020 door open By David Lauter (Steven Senne / Associated Press) Former Vice President Joe Biden is launching a new political action committee, a platform that will allow him to provide help to favored candidates and, inevitably, boost speculation about a possible run for the Democratic nomination in 2020. The organization, which Biden is calling American Possibilities, will be staffed by a former top political aide to the vice president, Greg Schultz, who is also a veteran of President Obamas reelection campaign. The PAC will allow Biden to raise money that he can use to travel the country, contribute to candidates in governors races this year and congressional and state races in 2018 and generally do the sorts of things that aspiring politicians do to keep their names in the headlines. All that cant help but nurture questions about whether Biden, 74, will try yet again to attain the office he first started running for in 1987. In public appearances, which have taken him to electorally important states, and interviews since the 2016 election, Biden has been sharply critical of the Trump administration, but has also pointed to flaws in his own party. In one interview, he pointed to a bit of elitism thats crept in to the partys approach to working-class voters. At the same time, he has given carefully ambiguous answers when asked about his plans. At a conference in Las Vegas earlier this month, he responded to the question about a presidential run by saying: Could I? Yes. Would I? Probably not. In the announcement for the new group, Biden said that the negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics drives me crazy. Its not who we are. Its time for big dreams and American possibilities, he said. Facebook

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U.S., regions foreign ministers debate Venezuela By Tracy Wilkinson (AFP / Getty Images) The United States and foreign ministers from across the hemisphere met in Washington on Wednesday to attempt to force Venezuelas leftist government and its angry opposition into talks. Hunger and violence have pushed Venezuela to the brink of humanitarian disaster, diplomats say. But Wednesdays meeting of the Organization of American States faced unlikely prospects for success: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not trust the organization and has said his nation will withdraw its membership. Some OAS nations, including several U.S. allies in the Caribbean, have criticized the regional bodys efforts as intervention promoted by Washington. But U.S. officials are hoping the sheer weight of the crisis will unite the region to put pressure on Venezuela. Theres more and more concern about what were seeing, and so more and more countries have gotten over their reluctance to question or go against the wishes of the Venezuelan government, a senior State Department official said in a briefing for reporters. Its really hard to stand by and do nothing in the face of the kinds of institutional steps weve seen in Venezuela, and the increasing humanitarian suffering, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, in keeping with frequent administration practice. Although the OAS periodically brings its members foreign ministers together, this is the first time a meeting has been convened to deal with a single topic, U.S. officials said. At the conclusion of Wednesdays session, diplomats said they had discussed two resolutions. One, promoted by Caribbean nations, called on Venezuela to reconsider withdrawing from the OAS. A second more pointed resolution authored by the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Panama and Peru urged the Maduro administration not to go ahead with a constituent assembly that would rewrite the Venezuelan constitution. Many fear it would dissolve the few democratic institutions that remain and favor the ruling Socialist Party. Separately, the Venezuela opposition, emboldened by a string of increasingly massive street demonstrations, sharply criticized Wall Street for extending what it called a lifeline to the Maduro government. At issue is the purchase by Goldman Sachs of Venezuelan government bonds for a reported $865 million, a major discount for paper originally worth $2.8 billion. Goldman Sachs confirmed the purchase of the bonds, issued in 2014 by the state oil company PDVSA, after it was reported in the Wall Street Journal. We are invested in PDVSA bonds because, like many in the asset management industry, we believe the situation in the country must improve over time, Goldman said in a statement. The firm added that it made the purchase through a secondary dealer to avoid direct interaction with the Venezuelan government. That distinction meant nothing to the Venezuelan opposition, which accused Goldman of making a buck off the suffering of the Venezuelan people. The Trump administration previously has targeted the Maduro government, slapping economic sanctions on its vice president and pro-Maduro Supreme Court justices. Facebook

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Former FBI director spoke with new special counsel and is cleared to testify before Senate panel By Joseph Tanfani The special counsel investigating possible links between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign has cleared former FBI Director James Comey to testify before a congressional committee about his contacts with President Trump, according to an associate close to Comey. Comey met with Robert S. Mueller III, whom the Justice Department appointed on May 17 to investigate any Russian ties to the Trump campaign, and Mueller said he had no problems with Comeys testifying, the associate said. Trump abruptly fired Comey as head of the FBI on May 9. The president later said in an interview on NBC News that he was concerned about the FBI investigation into what he called the Russia thing. Comey reportedly wrote internal memos after his meetings with Trump. In one, he wrote that the president had requested he ease up on the FBI probe of Michael Flynn, who served as Trumps national security advisor until he was ousted in February for lying about his contacts with Russian officials. The Senate Intelligence Committee announced on May 19 that Comey had agreed to testify after the Memorial Day holiday. The hearing has not been scheduled. The FBI separately declined a request from the House Oversight Committee to turn over Comeys memos. The bureau said it would need to consult with Mueller before making any decisions. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the committee chairman, said in response that he would not push the matter. The focus of the committees investigation is the independence of the FBI and the events leading to Comeys firing, he wrote. In a separate development, a senior Justice Department lawyer with experience in complex financial fraud investigations has agreed to join Muellers investigation. Andrew Weissman has led the fraud section at Justice, where he oversaw probes into corporate wrongdoing at Volkswagen and Takata. Weissman also is a veteran of the FBI. Weissman is the highest-ranking Justice Department official to join the special counsel office being set up a few blocks from the main Justice building in downtown Washington. Mueller also hired two colleagues from the WilmerHale law firm, where he worked, and brought on a former Justice Department spokesman, Peter Carr, to handle media inquiries. Facebook

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Analysis: In President Trumps wake, divisions mark both Democratic and Republican parties By Cathleen Decker Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez address a crowd at the California party convention in May. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Six months after President Trump breached long-standing political boundaries to win the White House, the nations major political parties still muddle in his wake. On the sun-swept lawn of the Hotel del Coronado two weeks ago, national Republican leaders sipped cocktails and listened to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the partys brightest lights in the most populous state, praise a brand of moderate Republicanism that looks nothing like the versions coming out of Washington  either the populism of the president or the more orthodox conservatism of congressional leaders. A week later, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez talked in a Sacramento interview of the remarkably constructive debate underway in his party, characterizing its divisions as largely in the past. Within hours, he and other party leaders were booed as they welcomed delegates to a state convention that would be filled with persistent internal warfare on healthcare and other issues. No political party is immune to disagreement; indeed the path to power often relies on combustible ideological diversity. But Democrats and Republicans alike seem particularly adrift and quarrelsome these days. Read More Facebook

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Trump preparing to pull U.S. from Paris climate accord, amid last-minute lobbying By Evan Halper President Trump hasnt made a final decision on whether the U.S. will quit the Paris Accord on climate change, but White House officials indicated Wednesday that he was headed in that direction, setting off a worldwide reaction. A flurry of leaks, counter-leaks and public statements thrust back into the spotlight a decision that has been agonized and untidy even by the standards of a White House known for internal drama. Wednesday morning, when officials told some news organizations that Trump had settled on pulling out of the climate agreement, seemingly everyone in the world jumped in to try to influence or spin his decision, from the Chinese government to the coal industry to the state of California. That offered a foretaste of the reaction Trump likely will receive if he does follow through on his vow to pull the United States out of the 195-nation pact, which President Obama hailed in 2015 as one of his major achievements. Other nations have swiftly moved to take over the leadership role on climate that the United States would be abandoning. Some states have followed suit, promising they would break with Washington to work with other countries in their efforts to contain global warming. During Trumps recent overseas trip, U.S. allies warned him that Americas broader diplomatic influence would be undercut if the administration gave up its seat at the climate negotiating table. All the public lobbying on Wednesday moved Trump to weigh in himself. He knocked down reports that he had decided to withdraw with a tweet announcing that he was still making up his mind. The mixed messages coming out of the White House left open the possibility that the original news reports reflected the views of officials who were aiming to steer the final outcome by presenting withdrawal as a done deal. Trumps schedule for the day includes meetings with advisors hoping to talk him into staying in the agreement, at least to some extent. If Trump does withdraw the U.S. fully from the Paris pact, scientists warn it will be a tremendous setback to the worldwide effort to contain temperatures from rising an average of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The consequences for the United States would extend beyond global warming. It will be a very big deal all over the world, said Todd Stern, the lead U.S. climate negotiator during the Obama administration. There will be consequential blowback with respect to our diplomatic position across the board. UPDATES 9:27 a.m.: This post was updated throughout with staff reporting and additional details. 6:23 a.m.: This post was updated with Trumps tweet. 6:04 a.m.: This post was updated throughout with additional details. Facebook

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U.S. Supreme Court makes it harder to sue police for barging into homes By David Savage The U.S. Supreme Court made it harder to sue police for barging into a home and provoking a shooting, setting aside a $4-million verdict against two Los Angeles County deputies on Tuesday. The money was awarded to a homeless couple who were startled and then shot when the two sheriffs deputies entered the shack where they were sleeping. The unanimous ruling rejected the so-called provocation rule that some lower courts have used. Under that rule, police can be sued for violating a victims constitutional rights against unreasonable searches if they provoked a confrontation that resulted in violence. Read More Facebook

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Trump lashes out at Germany over NATO spending and trade after Merkel questions the U.S. commitment to its allies By Brian Bennett (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump took aim at German trade practices and defense spending Tuesday following pointed criticism from Chancellor Angela Merkel that Germany may not be able to rely on its allies. We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change, Trump wrote in a tweet. Last week, White House spokespeople had denied that Trump criticized German trade practices after the German newspaper Der Spiegel quoted him as having done so. Trump unsettled Merkel and other allies during the recent NATO summit when, during his remarks, he did not mention the central commitment members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization make to defend each other. We have a MASSIVE trade deficit with Germany, plus they pay FAR LESS than they should on NATO & military. Very bad for U.S. This will change  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2017 Trumps policy toward climate change is another point of contention with many European countries. Trump promised during the election to tear up the landmark Paris climate accord. Merkel said the conversation with the U.S. on climate change last week during the G-7 meetings in Sicily, which followed the NATO summit, was extremely difficult. During a campaign speech in Munich on Sunday, Merkel said Germany must rethink how much it can rely on its allies. The era in which we could rely completely on others is gone, at least partially, Merkel said. I have experienced that over the last several days. In a 2014 meeting, NATO defense ministers agreed that each state would move toward a goal of raising military spending to 2% of its annual economic output by the year 2024. German defense spending is below that goal. The U.S. trade deficit with Germany shrank to $65 billion in 2016 from $75 billion the year before. Facebook

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Consumers spend at fastest pace in four months in a sign of spring economic rebound By Jim Puzzanghera (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Americans ratcheted up their spending in April at the fastest pace in four months, in a sign the economy has rebounded this spring after a lackluster winter. The new data also could help push Federal Reserve officials to hike a key interest rate again when they meet in two weeks. Personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4% in April, up from 0.3% the previous month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Americans had more money to spend, with personal incomes also rising 0.4%  twice the pace of growth in March. Read More Facebook

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White House communications director Michael Dubke resigns By Associated Press White House Communications Director Mike Dubke listens as a reporter asks a question during a press conference in the East Room of the White House on April 20. (Shawn Thew / EPA) White House communications director Michael Dubke has resigned. Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, told The Associated Press that Dubke handed in his resignation before President Donald Trump left for his international trip earlier this month. In an interview on Fox News on Tuesday, Conway said Dubke made very clear that he would see through the presidents international trip, and come to work every day and work hard even through that trip because there was much to do here back at the White House. Dubke issued a statement Tuesday morning: It has been my great honor to serve President Trump and this administration. It has also been my distinct pleasure to work side-by-side, day-by-day with the staff of the communications and press departments. A Republican consultant, Dubke joined the White House team in February after campaign aide Jason Miller  Trumps original choice for communications director  withdrew from consideration. Dubke founded Crossroads Media, a GOP firm that specializes in political advertising. -- 6:03 a.m.: Updated with Dubkes statement Facebook

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Should Jared Kushner keep his security clearance? Adam Schiff isnt sure By Laura King The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), says hes not sure that President Trumps son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, should retain his security clearance. The California Democrat, who has been a sharp critic of Trump, also said in an interview aired Sunday that national security advisor H.R. McMaster, a highly respected military officer, had been tarnished by his association with the White House. Schiffs comments, on ABCs This Week, came amid growing questions about Kushners contacts with Russian officials before Trump took office. Trump has denounced the latest round of news reports, saying that some of them could be based on fabricated sources. Top Trump aides, including John F. Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security, pushed back Sunday against the suggestion that there was anything untoward about establishing back channel communications with the Russians during the presidential transition. Schiff said he regretted that McMaster had done so as well, saying he believed the White House used the solid reputations of people like him to back up dubious actions. Sadly, I think this is an administration that takes in people with good credibility and chews them out and spits out their credibility at the same time, said Schiff, who acknowledged that what McMaster said about back channel communications was true in the abstract. I think anyone within the Trump orbit is at risk of being used, he said. Kelly, in separate talk-show appearances on Sunday, said there was nothing untoward about an incoming administration establishing communications with a foreign power in order to lay the groundwork for better relations. Schiff declined to discuss the substance of the allegations regarding Kushners contact with Russian officials during the transition and whether Kushner had been forthcoming about them, but said enough questions had been raised that his access to top-secret intelligence should be scrutinized. I think we need to get to the bottom of these allegations, Schiff said. But I do think there ought to be a review of his security clearance to find out whether he was truthful, whether he was candid. If not, then theres no way he can maintain that kind of a clearance. Schiff was also critical of continuing involvement in aspects of the Russia probe by fellow Californian Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who stepped aside from the probe earlier this year after the House Ethics Committee began investigating whether he had improperly revealed classified information. Nunes remains involved in decision-making about the issuance of subpoenas, Schiff said, adding: I dont think that he should, given that he has stepped aside or recused himself. The committee is investigating Russian entanglements by figures in Trumps circle, including fired national security advisor Michael Flynn, who has been the target of multiple subpoenas. Facebook

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Trump still wide open on climate change, Pentagon chief says By Laura King With President Trump set to make a decision this week about whether the U.S. should remain part of the landmark Paris climate accord, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Trump remains wide open on the issue. During a visit to Europe that ended Saturday, Trump dismayed European allies by refusing to commit to remaining in the 2015 accord during talks with European Union officials in Brussels and at the Group of Seven gathering in Sicily. The president said in a tweet that he will make a decision this week. Mattis, who was present at some of the Brussels talks, said that Trump is still making up his mind, and that he has been inquisitive about other leaders opinions. The president was open  he was curious about why others were in the position they were in, his counterparts in other nations, the Defense secretary said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS Face the Nation. And Im quite certain the president is wide open on this issue as he takes in the pros and cons of that accord. During his European trip, Trump met privately at the Vatican with Pope Francis, who presented him with a copy of his papal encyclical on environment and climate change. French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Trump in Brussels, also said he had pressed the issue with the U.S. president, though the White House did not mention that appeal in a summary of their meeting. Facebook

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Homeland Security secretary defends Jared Kushner, blasts Manchester intelligence leaks By Laura King There is nothing inherently wrong with an incoming presidential administration establishing back channel communications with a foreign power such as Russia, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly said Sunday. Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Kelly was asked about reports by the Washington Post and other outlets that President Trumps son-in-law and close advisor, Jared Kushner, sought to set up secret lines of communication with Russian officials prior to Trump being sworn in. The retired general did not confirm the reports, but said the principle of establishing secretive contacts during a presidential transition doesnt bother me and is a legitimate means of building relationships. I think that any channel of communication, back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing, he said. Kelly did not address a central element of the reports  that Kushner discussed the possibility of using Russian communications channels from a Russia diplomatic outpost to shield from U.S. intelligence surveillance whatever discussions Trump transition officials wanted to have with Moscow. The FBI, a special counsel and multiple congressional committees are probing Russian interference in the presidential campaign and whether the Trump camp colluded in it. The U.S. intelligence community says Russian cyberattacks were meant to boost Trump and harm his opponent, Hillary Clinton. In a separate interview on NBCs Meet the Press, Kelly defended the integrity of Kushner, whose involvement in communications with Russia has brought the investigation closer to Trump personally than has previous scrutiny of others in his campaign circle or the White House. Calling Kushner a great guy, a decent guy, the Homeland Security secretary said the presidents son-in-laws No. 1 interest, really, is the nation. Also in the NBC interview, Kelly excoriated intelligence leaks in the wake of last weeks deadly bombing in Manchester, England. British officials including Prime Minister Theresa May were angered by disclosures about details of the investigation, including the release of the dead attackers name and detailed photos from the bomb scene that were published by the New York Times. Several outlets cited unnamed U.S. officials as the source of the information including the bombers identity. The Times did not say how it obtained the photos. Britain routinely shares intelligence with close allies like the United States with the expectation that it will be kept confidential. Kelly said that failing to keep such secrets could seriously damage intelligence-sharing arrangements with other nations. I believe when you leak the kind of information that seems to be routinely leaked - high, high level of classification I think its darn close to treason, Kelly said. It is not clear what level of classification, if any, the information about the British investigation would have had. Trump himself, who recently caused controversy when he passed sensitive intelligence on Islamic State to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed the location of U.S. nuclear submarines with the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has denounced the Manchester leaks and vowed to track down the source or sources. Facebook

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In tweets, Trump says stories based on White House leaks are fabricated By Laura King President Trump is back  and tweeting. In a Sunday morning series of posts on Twitter, the president repeated his denunciations of the fake media, celebrated the Republican victory in a Montana special election and declared his overseas trip a success. Trump returned to the White House late Saturday after a swing through the Middle East and Europe, the first foreign trip of his presidency. During it, he tweeted only sparingly. While Trump was away, controversy continued to swirl around his White House, with media reports focusing on son-in-law Jared Kushners role in Trump campaign contacts with Russian officials. The GOP healthcare plan and Trumps budget also came under withering scrutiny during the presidents absence. In Sundays tweets, Trump said cascading leaks from within his administration were in fact fabricated lies by news organizations based on sources that did not exist. One tweet was corrected to fix the spelling of exist. It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2017 Trump also complained that the special congressional election in Montana, called to fill the seat vacated when Ryan Zinke became his Interior secretary, was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won. The V was poorly covered, he said, referring to the Republican victory. The victory by Republican candidate Greg Gianforte received extensive coverage. It was widely expected, given Montanas significant Republican edge, but made more suspenseful on the eve of the election when Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault for an incident in which he struck a reporter who had asked him a question. The president received mixed reviews for his inaugural overseas venture. He was praised by some for his outreach to Sunni Arab allies in the Persian Gulf, but continued his administrations practice of making no public criticism of serious human rights violations. In Europe, he rattled allies by declining to explicitly endorse the NATO alliances bedrock common defense pledge or pledge to adhere to the Paris climate accord. Whatever the commentary surrounding the trip, Trump counted it a success. Hard work but big results, he wrote. Facebook

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Trumps international trip underscored what America First looks like on the world stage By Michael Memoli Donald Trump made no secret during the presidential campaign of his disdain for Americas trading partners, his skepticism of longtime alliances and his eagerness to refocus U.S. foreign policy on the single-minded pursuit of American security. That was the largely the president the world got as Trump made his way through the Middle East and Western Europe over the last nine days, Trumps first foreign trip may have produced memorable, and at time cringe-inducing, images of the new president, whether grasping a glowing orb in Saudi Arabia or shoving the prime minister of Montenegro at a NATO meeting in Brussels. But perhaps most profoundly, the trip underscored what America First, as Trump has branded his governing philosophy, looks like on the world stage. Read More Facebook

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Trump says hell decide on Paris climate deal next week By Associated Press Seven wealthy democracies ended their summit Saturday in Italy without unanimous agreement on climate change, as the Trump administration plans to take more time to say whether the U.S. is going to remain in the Paris accord on limiting greenhouse gas emissions. The other six nations in the Group of Seven agreed to stick with their commitment to implement the 2015 Paris deal that aims to slow down global warming. The final G-7 statement, issued after two days of talks in the seaside town of Taormina, said the U.S. is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics. Trump tweeted he would decide his stance on the Paris agreement next week. The announcement on the final day of the U.S. presidents first international trip comes after he declined to commit to staying in the sweeping climate deal, resisting intense international pressure from his peers at the summit. I will make my final decision on the Paris Accord next week!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2017 Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, who chaired the meeting, said the other six wont change our position on climate change one millimeter. The U.S. hasnt decided yet. I hope they decide in the right way. Gentiloni said climate was not a minor point and that he hoped the United States would decide soon and well because the Paris accords need the contribution of the United States. French President Emmanuel Macron also chimed in on the climate issue, praising Trumps capacity to listen. Macron said he told Trump it is indispensable for the reputation of the United States and the interest of the Americans themselves that the United States remain committed to the Paris climate agreement. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more downbeat, calling the G-7 climate talks very unsatisfactory. Facebook

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Everyones a winner! Or what to take away from that special congressional race in Montana By Mark Z. Barabak Republicans were celebrating Friday, and relieved, and it was easy to see why: The party hung on to Montanas sole congressional seat even though its candidate faced a freshly lodged criminal charge for physically assaulting a reporter on election eve. Though they fell short in yet another special election  Greg Gianforte won handily, 50% to 44%  Democrats also found reason to be pleased: Their candidate, flawed as he was, continued a pattern of polling better than might be expected  over-performing, to use the political parlance, and that could hold future promise. Its possible, as elections analyst Nathan Gonzales put it, to lose and still have momentum. Read More Facebook

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In commencement address, Hillary Clinton remembers fallout from Nixon, makes subtle jab at President Trump By Kurtis Lee Hillary Clinton delivers the commencement address at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass., on Friday. (Josh Reynolds / Associated Press) Hillary Clinton delivered a subtle dig at President Trump on Friday, offering some parallels between his presidency and that of former President Nixon. While delivering a commencement address at her alma mater, Wellesley College, a private womens liberal arts school in Massachusetts, Clinton, without naming Trump, recalled how many young people in the 1970s reacted to Nixons reelection and later battles with the Justice Department. We were furious about the past presidential election of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with his impeachment for obstruction of justice, she said, pausing to note she was referring to Nixon. Actually, Nixon was not impeached, though many in Congress, including members of his own party, called for it. Clinton said Nixons resignation came after he fired the person heading the investigation into him at the Department of Justice. In 1973, Nixon ordered Justice Department officials to fire a special prosecutor who was looking into taped conversations recorded in the Oval Office as part of the Watergate investigation. A year later, in August 1974, Nixon resigned. Some political observers  mostly Democrats -- have compared Trumps recent firing of FBI Director James B. Comey, who was overseeing an investigation of possible collusion between Russians and Trumps campaign, to Nixons actions. Last week, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) called for Trump to be impeached. Clinton, who has made few public appearances since Trump defeated her in last years presidential election, also assailed the Republicans new budget proposal. She called the budget, which proposes cuts to education and Medicaid, an attack of unimaginable cruelty on the most vulnerable among us  the youngest, the oldest, the poorest and hard-working people who need a little help to gain or hang on to a decent, middle-class life. In a statement, the Republican National Committee said Clinton was lashing out after her election loss. Clinton graduated from Wellesley in 1969 and last delivered a commencement address at the school in 1992. Facebook

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At G-7 Summit, a day of clarification for the White House By Michael A. Memoli (Sean Gallup / Getty Images) As President Trump met with leaders of the worlds leading economies here Friday within miles of an active volcano, the White House was working to ease a pair of diplomatic eruptions. Trump was due to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in this coastal Sicilian resort town, amid tensions between their countries, longtime allies, following leaks to U.S. media outlets involving Britains investigation of the Manchester terrorist bombing. Separately, a top White House adviser partially confirmed reports that Trump had said Germany is very bad during Thursdays NATO meetings in Brussels, but clarified that the president was referring only to German trade policies. Trump said, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel, See the millions of cars they are selling to the U.S.? Terrible. We will stop this. Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, acknowledged that Trump made the remark but added that the president doesnt have a problem with Germany. He said his dad is from Germany. He said I dont have a problem with Germany, I have a problem with German trade, Cohn said. Press access to the G-7 meetings has been extremely limited, though the surrounding setting has produced abundant compelling visuals. Editorial press access extremely limited for G7 meetings. But man, pretty pictures & good times for Taormina Chamber of Commerce (via AP) pic.twitter.com/WT2EdKrwJ5  Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) May 26, 2017 Trump tweeted that he expected to spend the day focused on economic growth, terrorism and security. The summit, and Trumps eight-day inaugural foreign trip, ends Saturday. Other allies here were likely to press Trump on another issue: climate change, specifically whether Trump will carry out his campaign promise to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris climate deal. Trump was hoping to better understand the European position, Cohn said. White House officials have said the president will make a decision once he is back in the United States. He knows that in the U.S. theres very strong opinions on both sides but he also knows that Paris has important meaning to many of the European leaders. And he wants to clearly hear what the European leaders have to say, Cohn said. Facebook

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As Trump wavers over Paris climate accord, European leaders give him an earful By Evan Halper Mining operation near Grevenbroich, Germany. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press) With President Trump balking on his vow to shred the Obama-negotiated Paris agreement on climate change, the last place the pacts staunch opponents wanted to see the president is where he will be this weekend  meeting other world leaders unanimous in their warnings that withdrawal from the accord would seriously damage Americas economy and world stature. Trump has repeatedly delayed fulfilling his campaign pledge to move against the agreement. The longer the White House deliberates over Paris, the more Trump seems to be searching for a face-saving excuse to walk back his previous position. The White House indecision over the climate accord  which has the support of every nation except Syria and Nicaragua  reflects a deeply divided worldview in a Trump inner circle now packed with establishment Republicans. The issue also presents yet another policy reckoning for Trump. On the campaign trail, he vowed to strike blows against the existing world order. But on the Paris agreement, as on other matters, he is finding that political backup for such pledges can fade quickly when the moves lack robust support from major U.S. companies or majority voting blocs. Read More Facebook

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Overcoming assault charge, Republican Greg Gianforte wins Montana congressional seat By Mark Z. Barabak Republican Greg Gianforte overcame a last-minute assault charge to win Montanas special congressional election Thursday, keeping its lone House seat in GOP hands and dealing Democrats a setback in their bid to gain a red-state toehold ahead of the 2018 midterm election. Gianforte, 56, a wealthy businessman who ran unsuccessfully for governor in November, had long been the front-runner against Democrat Rob Quist, a professional bluegrass musician making his first run for public office. With more than 90% of the votes counted, Gianforte was holding a healthy lead with just over 50% support. Appearing at an exuberant victory rally in Bozeman, the congressman-elect hushed the crowd and apologized to the reporter with whom he tangled on election eve, reversing his campaigns initial assertion that the journalist was to blame. Read More Facebook

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FBI investigating Kushner meetings, report says; House leader seeks more Comey documents By Associated Press (Andrew Harrer / Getty Images) The chairman of the House Oversight Committee asked the FBI on Thursday to turn over more documents about former FBI Director James B. Comeys interactions with the White House and Justice Department, including materials dating back nearly four years to the Obama administration. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the FBI is investigating meetings that President Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had in December with Russian officials. The FBI and the Oversight Committee  as well as several other congressional panels  are looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible connections between Russia and the Trump campaign. Trump fired Comey on May 9 amid questions about the FBIs investigation, which is now being led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a former FBI director. Kushner, a key White House advisor, had meetings late last year with Russias ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, and Russian banker Sergey Gorkov. The Post story cited anonymous people familiar with the investigation, who said the FBI investigation does not mean that Kushner is suspected of a crime. Kushners attorney, Jamie Gorelick, released a statement saying: Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry. Earlier Thursday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe that he wants records of Comeys contacts with the White House and Justice Department dating to September 2013, when Comey was sworn in as FBI director under President Obama. In a letter to McCabe, Chaffetz said he is seeking to review Comeys memos and other written materials so he can better understand Comeys communications with the White House and attorney generals office. Facebook

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Banks want higher debit-card swipe fees, but an effort to allow them has crumbled By Jim Puzzanghera Banks had hoped Congress would let them charge merchants higher fees to process debit card purchases, but an effort to allow that has crumbled  a victory for retailers and, possibly, shoppers who might have had to shoulder those costs. In the latest chapter of a long-running fight, a repeal of federal limits on so-called swipe fees no longer will be part of a House financial regulation bill, said the legislations author, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas). Hensarling, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he decided to strip the provision from the bill because many lawmakers are balking at removing the limits. Read More Facebook

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Appeals court rules against Trump travel ban By David Lauter A federal appeals court has ruled against President Trumps travel ban, upholding a nationwide injunction barring the administration from enforcing the executive order. The ruling is the latest legal setback for Trump on the travel issue and, like several previous court rulings, the outcome rested heavily on his own words. Trumps order restricting travel from six majority-Muslim countries speaks with vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination, Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in his ruling. Read the 4th Circuits decision to uphold the block on Trumps travel ban The 10-3 ruling included numerous citations to campaign statements in which Trump called for a ban on Muslims immigrating to the United States. The plaintiffs who have challenged the travel order have argued that it is a disguised version of the Muslim ban that he called for during the campaign. Trumps statements provide direct, specific evidence of what motivated both EO-1 and EO-2, the court said, referring to ther first and second versions of the travel order: President Trumps desire to exclude Muslims from the United States. The 4th Circuit, based in Richmond, Va., is one of two appeals courts that have recently heard arguments on the travel ban. A similar case is pending before the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco. Read More Facebook

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Obama, in Berlin with Merkel, says world cant hide behind a wall By Erik Kirschbaum Hours before German Chancellor Angela Merkel flew to Brussels to meet with President Trump and other NATO heads of state, she rekindled an old acquaintance with Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama. About 70,000 people packed an avenue by Berlins landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday to hear the two leaders speak, with cheers and chants of Barack, Barack! breaking out when the former president took the stage. Without mentioning Trump by name, Obama spoke of the need for universal healthcare and a nuanced approach to immigration in response to security threats. This is a new world we live in  we cant isolate ourselves, the former president declared, with Merkel looking on. We cant hide behind a wall. Obama spoke of this weeks deadly bombing at a pop concert in Manchester, England, saying leaders had to find ways to balance security fears and fundamental rights. One of the biggest challenges is how do you protect your country and your citizens from the kinds of things that we just saw in Manchester, he said. And how do you do it in a way that is consistent with your values and your ideals? Making his first European speech since his presidential term ended, Obama told the crowd he had spent the last four months trying to catch up with my sleep and devoting more time to his family. Im very proud of the work I did as president, he said to more cheers, adding that he considered healthcare reform a signature achievement. Republicans are now in the midst of trying to dismantle his Affordable Care Act. My hope was to get 100% of people healthcare, he said. We didnt quite achieve that, but we were able to get 20 million people healthcare who didnt have it before. Obamas speech was not timed to coincide with Trumps first visit to Europe as president, aides said. The invitation was extended before Trumps trip to Brussels  the fourth leg on multi-stop tour  was scheduled. Facebook

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Macron says he pressed Trump on climate accord By Catherine Stupp French President Emmanuel Macron, who met President Trump for the first time on Thursday, said he urged the U.S. leader to respect the Paris climate accord. The White House, however, did not mention the issue in its readout on Trumps working lunch in Brussels with the newly elected French president. Macron told reporters as he headed into the meeting that climate change would be one of the issues he raised, along with concerns about terrorism and the economy. Afterward, at a news conference, the French president said that in his talk with Trump, he reiterated the importance of the landmark climate accord. No hasty decision on this subject should be taken by the U.S., Macron said. Our collective responsibility is to make sure this commitment remains a global commitment. Referring to the agreement, he added: Its one of a kind. In its readout, the White House said Trump urged Macron to meet NATO commitments on French defense spending and help ensure that the alliance is focused on counter-terrorism. It also said the two leaders talked about the importance of defeating Islamic State and other vital issues. Facebook

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Trump lawyers ask Supreme Court to reject 2nd Amendment claim by men who lost gun rights over nonviolent crimes By David Savage President Trump speaks at an NRA event in Atlanta in April. ( Scott Olson / Getty Images) Trump administration lawyers are urging the Supreme Court to reject a 2nd Amendment claim that would restore the right to own a gun for two Pennsylvania men who were convicted more than 20 years ago of nonviolent crimes. The case of Sessions vs. Binderup puts the new administration in a potentially awkward spot, considering President Trumps repeated assurances during the campaign that he would protect gun ownership rights under the 2nd Amendment. But the Justice Department under Trump has embraced the same position in this case that was adopted under President Obama: to defend strict enforcement of a long-standing federal law that bars convicted criminals from ever owning a gun, even when their crimes did not involve violence. Read More Facebook

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Former Sen. Joe Lieberman withdraws from FBI director search By Associated Press (AFP/Getty Images) Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has withdrawn his name from consideration for the role of FBI director. Lieberman interviewed last week with President Trump, who publicly identified him as a leading candidate. But in a letter sent to the White House, Lieberman says hes pulling out. He says he wants to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, given Trumps hiring of one of Liebermans law partners to represent him in the investigation of ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. The White House declined to comment. Several other people interviewed for the job have also withdrawn from consideration. Trump fired former FBI Director James B. Comey earlier this month. Facebook

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At NATO celebration, Trump tells allies to spend more on defense By Michael A. Memoli (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump used his first NATO meeting to rebuke member nations who fail to meet the trans-Atlantic alliances defense spending target, saying American taxpayers unfairly are left to pick up the slack. Speaking at dedication ceremonies for NATOs new headquarters, Trump noted that the defense budgets of 23 of the 28 members dont meet a target equal to 2% of each respective nations economic output, while the United States has spent more on defense in eight years than the other 27 combined. Many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years, he said. We have to make up for the many years lost. By his scolding, Trump was directly delivering to NATO allies the criticism that was a staple of his nationalist campaign for president. But his lecture came at an event intended to be celebratory, showcasing unity and resolve for the nearly 70-year-old alliance: the dedication of its shining, glass-enclosed new headquarters in Belgiums capital. The ceremony also was meant to call attention to the fact that the only time NATO has invoked its collective defense agreement was on behalf of the United States, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. Trump stood beside a section of wrenched steel from the downed World Trade Center Towers, a relic NATO calls the Article V artifact, to signify that post-9/11 invocation of the NATO charters article holding that an attack on any one member would be considered an attack on all. Speaking to reporters before the president arrived, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged that the alliance had a long way to go to meet its goals. But its much better than it was just two years ago, he said. The reality is that when we decrease defense spending when tensions are going down, as we did after the end of the Cold War, we have to be able to increase defense spending when tensions are going up. And now we see that tensions are going up. Facebook

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Watch: Trump lectures NATO leaders on defense spending By L.A. Times staff  As NATO leaders looked on, President Trump told NATO members that they must finally contribute their fair share of defense payments. President Trump lectured members of the NATO alliance on Thursday, urging them to pay their fair share on defense. As NATO leaders looked on during a ceremony at the alliances new headquarters, Trump said that member nations must finally contribute their fair share and meet their obligations. The president has been urging NATO leaders to live up to a 2011 decision to increase spending on defense to 2% of GDP by 2024. Trump said 23 of the 28 member nations are not paying what they should and that the situation is not fair to the people of the United States. Facebook

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President Trump promises to review Manchester investigation leaks after anger from Britain By Noah Bierman Trying to head off a diplomatic rift with Britain, President Trump on Thursday issued a statement promising a complete review of possible intelligence leaks related to this weeks deadly terrorist attack at a Manchester concert. Some British officials have suggested that U.S. officials are leaking sensitive information to American media outlets about the investigation into the attack. The New York Times posted forensic photographs collected from the scene of the Manchester concert bombing, which upset British officials. Whether the photographs were provided by U.S. officials or came from some other source is not publicly known. Trump avoided questions earlier Thursday about the possible leaks. His statement came just before he was set to address NATO at its new headquarters in a speech considered pivotal to his first trip abroad as president. British Prime Minister Theresa May was expected to confront Trump over the issue when they meet later in the day. May told reporters as she entered the NATO gathering that she would make clear to Trump that intelligence shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure. We have a special relationship with the USA. Its our deepest defense and security partnership that we have, she said. Of course that partnership is built on trust, and part of that trust is knowing that intelligence can be shared confidently, and I will be making clear to President Trump today that intelligence shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure. In his statement, Trump said that the alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling. These leaks have been going on for a long time, and my Administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security. The statement continued with a promise to request the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to

launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the

culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Trump also reiterated said there is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the two countries. Separate leaks within his own administration and related to investigations of his campaign ties to Russia have also been a source of anger to Trump. Facebook

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Montanas congressional election: that assault charge, the Trump factor, and why is it on a weird day (Thursday)? By Mark Z. Barabak Its election day in Montana after a wild 24 hours, with voters deciding who will fill the House seat vacated when Republican Ryan Zinke left to head the Interior Department under President Trump. The contest Thursday has drawn nationwide attention and an extraordinary amount of money  and that was before the GOP front-runner was accused of attacking a national political reporter. The events have turned the contest into one of the strangest in memory. Read More Facebook

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Trump ignores questions about intelligence sharing ahead of NATO meeting By Michael A. Memoli (Peter Dejoing / Associated Press) President Trump refused to answer questions Thursday about concerns among key allies on intelligence sharing with the United States, just as he prepares to join many of them here to inaugurate the new NATO headquarters. During a brief photo opportunity at his first meeting with Emmanuel Macron, Frances newly elected president, Trump for a second time remained silent as a reporter asked about a potential breakdown in the U.S.-United Kingdom intelligence-sharing relationship. British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to press Trump on the issue when they meet later Thursday, after the New York Times posted forensic photographs collected from the scene of the Manchester concert bombing. The acting U.S. ambassador to Britain told the BBC that the leaks were deeply distressing. Speaking to reporters at the site of a NATO leaders meeting, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also deflected questions about whether the incident has led him to reevaluate his nations intelligence-sharing arrangements. We will continue to work with all our allies to keep Canadians and all citizens around the world safe, he said. Ahead of a working lunch with Macron, Trump said terrorism was at the top of the agenda, while also offering his congratulations to the 39-year-old for his tremendous victory. All over the world, theyre talking about it, he said. In addition to terrorism and the economy, Macron said he planned to discuss climate change and energy. His nation hosted the climate summit that produced the agreement under which countries pledged to reduce their carbon emissions, of which the Trump administration is considering dropping out. Trump also ignored a question about whether former national security advisor Michael Flynn should cooperate with the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has no news conference scheduled with reporters for the entirety of his eight-day foreign trip, which ends Saturday. Facebook

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Trump visits European Union headquarters; EU leaders cite some differences By Catherine Stupp Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said Thursday that differences remain between the Trump administration and the European Union on Russia, energy and trade. I am not 100 percent sure that we can say today that we have a common opinion about Russia, Tusk, a former Polish prime minister who is sometimes called the other Donald, said after a meeting with President Trump at EU headquarters. Tusk added that while some issues remain open, like climate and trade, the leaders agreed first and foremost on the need to combat terrorism. EU officials were skeptical in advance of Trumps visit. Their concerns were driven in part by the U.S. leaders positive stance on Britains vote last year to leave the bloc. Trump at the time called it a great idea. However, he has since spoken of the importance of European unity. European officials are also concerned that the Trump administration might withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement to limit global warming, and turn away from trade arrangements with the EU. Trumps visit to Brussels marked the fourth leg of his first overseas trip. Before heading into the talks with Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, he spoke enthusiastically about his earlier stops in Saudi Arabia and at the Vatican. His ceremonial welcome last week in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Trump told the European officials, was beyond anything anyones seen. The Saudis staged elaborate festivities including a traditional sword dance. And the president called his private encounter with Pope Francis on Wednesday very impressive. The president and the pontiff met privately for half an hour, and Francis presented Trump with gifts including a copy of a papal encyclical on climate change. The pope was terrific, Trump said. After the visit to the EUs sprawling new headquarters, Trump headed to a luncheon with the newly elected French president, Emmanuel Macron. The two men were meeting for the first time. During the French presidential campaign, Trump had praised Macrons far-right opponent Marine Le Pen for her tough positions on immigration and borders, but he had stopped short of endorsing her. Facebook

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Manchester attack makes terrorism the focus of Trumps NATO meeting By Michael A. Memoli (Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images) The deadly suicide bombing in Britain and threats of more attacks thrust counter-terrorism to the top of President Trumps agenda for talks with NATO leaders here on Thursday, buttressing his bid to enlist the alliance he had called obsolete to join the fight against Islamic State. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, anticipating the alliance meetings, told reporters flying with the president to Brussels from Rome, where Trump met Pope Francis earlier Wednesday, that Mondays attack in Britain is going to strengthen the resolve in this fight against terrorism. Tillerson stopped short of predicting that NATO would agree to formally join the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, but said it would be a really important step if the alliance did so. The attack, which killed 22 people at a pop concert and was said to be the work of a 22-year-old British man whose family is from Libya, also figured in Trumps brief meeting with the pope at the Vatican. Read More Facebook

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Analysis says 23 million more people would be uninsured by 2026 under GOP healthcare bill By Noam N. Levey (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) An analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finds that the Republican healthcare bill that passed the House earlier this month would nearly double the number of Americans without health insurance over the next decade. The report likely will complicate Republican efforts to get the controversial bill through the Senate. Read More Facebook

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By throwing Americas lot in with Sunni Arabs, does Trump miss opportunities with Iran? By Tracy Wilkinson On his first official trip to the Middle East, President Trump has resoundingly thrown Americas lot in with Sunni Arab states and cast Shiite Iran as a global pariah, even as Iranians reelected a president who has offered to work with the West. During his two days in Riyadh, Trumps full-throated support for the autocratic monarchies in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, as well as his fierce denunciation of Iran, allowed him to claim an historic new coalition of interests. In the next two days, in Jerusalem, he doubled down and argued that Israel and the Arabs should join forces against Iran and along the way, resolve Israels conflict with Palestinians in a grand bargain that has eluded diplomats for decades. But as he departed for Rome on Tuesday, Trump had little to show beyond lofty rhetoric, symbolic visits and a shower of flattery from kings, potentates and a prime minister. Read More Facebook

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Fed officials appear ready for another interest rate hike and are considering how to reduce assets By Jim Puzzanghera Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press) Most Federal Reserve monetary policymakers indicated they were ready for another small interest rate hike -- perhaps as soon as next month -- if economic data strengthened as expected following a weak winter, according to an account released Wednesday of their most recent meeting. Fed officials also considered a plan to start reducing the $4.5 trillion in Treasury and mortgage securities and other assets the central bank has purchased since 2008 in an attempt to stimulate the economy. The plan, which they said likely would begin later this year, would involve slowly allowing some of the maturing securities to be cashed in instead of reinvesting the money in new securities, the meeting minutes showed. The goal would be to avoid roiling financial markets and causing interest rates to jump. Read More Facebook

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So whats with the president and Melania Trump holding, or not holding, hands? By Tom Kington First Lady Melania Trump does not say much in public, but her actions seemed to speak louder than words  or at least sent tongues wagging  when she appeared to rebuff the presidents proffered hand as the couple descended from their plane in Rome late Tuesday. As President Trump looked to take her hand on the steps of Air Force One, Melania Trump quickly moved it out of reach, raising it to her head to adjust her hair. That made for two such episodes in two days. She had appeared to brush Trumps hand away at the airport in Tel Aviv during the previous stop in the presidents foreign tour. Video of that scene, often accompanied by snarky commentary, quickly went viral. Compare that to Melania Trumps positively hands-on visit on Wednesday to a Rome childrens hospital, Bambino Gesu, following the couples visit with Pope Francis. After praying to a statue of the Madonna at the entrance to the hospital, the Catholic first lady smiled cheerfully and chatted to children, posing for selfies and providing a very happy, maternal presence, according to one onlooker. Great visiting you! Stay strong and positive! Much love, Melania Trump, she wrote in the visitors book. Staff at the hospital said Melania Trump had been buoyed by her meeting with Pope Francis, and further proof came when photos emerged of the Trumps quick visit to the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday. As the president and first lady stood together to admire Michelangelos 16th century fresco, the Last Judgment, they held hands. Facebook

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House Intelligence Committee will subpoena Michael Flynn, Schiff says By Sarah D. Wire The House Intelligence Committee is preparing to issue subpoenas to President Trumps former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, according to the committees ranking Democrat, following the lead of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said the House subpoenas will be designed to maximize our chance of getting the information we need for the committees investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign. I think we need to use whatever compulsory [processes] necessary to get the information that he possesses, Schiff said. Earlier this week, Flynns lawyers said he would refuse separate Senate subpoenas for any records about his former business dealings with Russia, citing his constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination. The Senate committee then issued separate subpoenas to two of Flynns businesses, which the panel said were not entitled to 5th Amendment protections. A federal grand jury in Virginia also has issued subpoenas regarding Flynns business dealings with Turkey and Russia, and the newly appointed special counsel investigating the Russia matter, Robert Mueller III, is expected to focus on Flynns role as well. Given the criminal investigations, Schiff said the House panel is highly unlikely to grant Flynns earlier request, through his lawyers, for immunity in exchange for his testimony. He said the panel would need more information about what Flynn would say and whether the testimony would be truthful. It also would need to ensure that granting immunity wouldnt affect the special counsels ongoing investigation, he said. Thats not somthinge I think we would entertain until far later, if at all, said Schiff, a former prosecutor. Certainly count me as very skeptical that we would get to that point. Trump forced Flynn to resign as national security advisor in February after news accounts revealed Flynn had misled White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials. Schiff spoke to reporters at a breakfast Wednesday hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. Facebook

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Watch live: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testifies on Trumps budget Follow live coverage from Times education reporter Joy Resmovits: Facebook

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Israel acknowledges pinpoint change needed after Trump intelligence disclosure By Joshua Mitnick After a week of silence, Israel publicly acknowledged for the first time, though in oblique terms, that it was the source of sensitive intelligence that President Trump shared with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week in a White House meeting. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israels army radio on Wednesday that Israeli officials had carried out an internal pinpoint correction after discussing and reviewing the episode. Lieberman did not elaborate, and declined to confirm or deny whether Trumps remarks had endangered an agent of Israel. But he said his government considered the matter resolved. Everything that needed to be clarified with the friends in the U.S. was done, he said. All of the conclusions we had to draw  it was all done. The Israeli defense ministers comments came the day after Trump wrapped up a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. When word of Trumps disclosure to Lavrov emerged in U.S. news reports last week, the defense minister and other Israeli leaders confined themselves to expressing public confidence in the two countries intelligence cooperation. Israel did not comment more directly, presumably to avoid embarrassing the U.S. president just before his visit. But Trump himself mentioned the controversy anyway, in an awkward on-camera moment during the trip. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu biting his lip alongside, Trump volunteered to reporters being hustled out of a news appearance: Just so you know, I never mentioned the word or name Israel. Never mentioned it during the conversation. News reports, however, had not said the president mentioned Israel in connection with the intelligence, only that the specificity of his remarks to Lavrov would in all likelihood have allowed the Russians to determine the source. The White House at first denied Trumps disclosure to Lavrov had occurred as reported, but then the president himself tweeted about it, saying he had the right to share information as he deemed fit. Facebook

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Trump calls meeting with Pope Francis an honor By Michael A. Memoli "A very great honor," Trump says to the pope when they began their meeting in the pope's private study pic.twitter.com/NGsbsahAyT  Carol Lee (@carolelee) May 24, 2017 President Trump held a half-hour private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday, declaring it a great honor despite their past public dissension. The unconventional Republican and the first Jesuit pontiff made for an unlikely pair in the Vaticans Apostolic Palace, where Catholic leaders have presided or centuries and American presidents have come or decades. Francis was silent as the two sat across one another at the popes wooden desk to begin the audience at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time. Exactly a half-hour later, the ringing of a bell signified the end of the private encounter. For the White House, the Vatican stop caps a tour through key sites of the worlds three major religions, following stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel, designed to promote tolerance and a united approach to terrorism. When you put it all together, youre really showing that this problem of radical extremism is one of the great problems of our time, a senior Trump aide told reporters Tuesday en route from Israel to Rome, briefing anonymously as is common White House practice. By putting everybody together you can really build a coalition and show that its not a Muslim problem, its not a Jewish problem, its not a Catholic problem, its not a Christian problem, it really is a world problem. In an exchange of gifts after their private meeting, Francis offered the president a medal by a Roman artist of an olive, a symbol of peace. We can use peace, Trump responded. Where Trumps and Francis interests may align on peace and combating terrorism, they disagree sharply on issues like immigration and poverty. Like Trump, the Argentine pope has shown a predilection for unscripted comments that have shaken the staid Vatican bureaucracy, as when he criticized candidate Trumps proposed stricter immigration policies including a border wall as not Christian. Trump fired back, calling the popes remarks disgraceful. Any animosity was not apparent Wednesday, as a meeting between Francis and a larger U.S. delegation ended. Thank you. I wont forget what you said, Trump said. Facebook

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Proposed budget would deeply cut State Department and its programs By Tracy Wilkinson (AFP / Getty Images) The State Department leadership voiced support for President Trumps proposed budget, which would impose deep cuts on spending for diplomacy and foreign aid, but critics vowed to fight to restore the funds in Congress. In a statement, the department said the presidents $37.6-billion request for it and for the U.S. Agency for International Development would support a leaner, more efficient government in line with Trumps America first mantra. If approved by Congress, that would represent a reduction of roughly 30% from the current fiscal year. Nongovernmental agencies that receive State Department support to carry out humanitarian and other work around the globe expressed deep alarm. The State Department statement said its new priorities would include efforts to counter terrorism, support Israel, promote border security and battle transnational crime and the spread of infectious diseases. The statement makes no mention of women-empowerment programs or efforts to fight climate change, issues that rose to prominence under the Obama administration. The proposed budget would allow the United States to remain engaged in the United Nations, but officials would seek a more fair distribution of the funding burden, the statement said. And it would eliminate direct funding for quasi- and non-governmental organizations that serve niche missions. The American Jewish World Service, which fights poverty all over the world through 450 local organizations, said much of its work would be jeopardized. At a time when poverty, human rights abuses, famines and conflicts are wreaking havoc globally, said the groups president, Robert Bank, the United States must not abdicate its long bipartisan tradition of providing development assistance and diplomatic support to the most vulnerable people around the world. Mercy Corps, a U.S.-based development and advocacy organization that works in 40 countries, said gutting development programs was short-sighted and absolutely shameful and could put millions of lives at risk. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, called the budget cruel and mean-spirited and said it would force the United States to abandon our global role as a champion for freedom, democracy and the rule of law. If President Trump thinks the United States can shrink into a defensive crouch without long-term repercussions, hes sorely mistaken, Engel said. Facebook

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Sessions first proposed budget: A crackdown on immigration and violent crime By Joseph Tanfani Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) In the first budget proposal under President Trump and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department is seeking hundreds of millions in new funding to pay for an immigration crackdown on the border and a surge in resources to fight violent crime. Like the Department of Homeland Security budget, which includes billions for expanded immigration detention, more border agents and technology to catch those crossing the border illegally, the Justice Department budget is a reflection of the new get-tough policies promised by Sessions. The budget asks for another 300 federal prosecutors  230 to focus on violent criminals and gangs, and another 70 to concentrate on filing criminal charges on those crossing the border illegally. The shift in the spending priorities are in line with other policy changes ordered by Sessions, including a renewed focus on seeking stiff mandatory minimum sentences for drugs and other crimes. The $27.7-billion budget seeks 450 new attorneys and support workers for the immigration courts, which are now clogged with a backlog of 560,000 cases. There would also be another $50 million for increased immigration detention, plus 40 new U.S. marshal jobs to help take care of the expected increase in immigrants heading to federal court. With Trumps immigration initiatives tied up in federal court, the budget seeks another 15 lawyers to handle that litigation, plus 12 more to help handle property acquisition needed for Trumps promised Southwestern border wall. Violent-crime enforcement would get another $198 million, with the largest amount, $70 million, going toward setting up more anti-violence and gang task forces. Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod J. Rosenstein said more resources are needed because of what he called an alarming increase in the rates of murder and other violent crimes. The department is also asking for another $40 million for more drug enforcement to combat the opioid epidemic, which he said is spreading havoc throughout the United States. Sessions new policies should lead to an increase in prison population, so the budget contains funding to fully open a new supermax prison in Thomson, Ill., with room for 1,500 to 2,000 inmates. The department also wants to put more resources behind the FBIs efforts to counter cyber attacks and to figure out ways around encryption technology, along with another 50 agents to counter foreign intelligence and threats from homegrown terrorists. Facebook

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Economists say Trumps budget proposal doesnt add up By Don Lee President Trumps inaugural budget proposal claims to eliminate the nations deficit in 10 years, thanks largely to faster economic growth that it projects will come from the presidents sweeping tax cuts. Never mind the overly optimistic projections on economic growth. Or that Trumps tax overhaul has not happened yet. Even allowing for both, economists say Trumps budget still does not add up. The administration is counting on generating $2.1 trillion in additional revenue over 10 years from better economic growth. But Trumps budget proposal leaves out the cost, or the revenue lost, from the massive tax cuts. In other words, the economic gains that the administration has said it would use to pay for tax reform is apparently also being counted on to pay for deficit reduction. Some people call that double-counting. You cant use the same money twice, said Marc Goldwein, a senior vice president for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group that advocates keeping government budgets under control. Lawrence Summers, former Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and top economic advisor to President Obama, called it an elementary but egregious accounting error. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the right-leaning American Action Forum and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said the proposal did not necessarily mean there was an outright omission or a double-counting. Its possible that the administration is looking for such strong economic growth to drive significantly extra revenue from payroll taxes, he said, or it could be that Trump officials were using different base lines from which they were drawing their results. But on the face of it, he said, the budget and tax-plan numbers dont seem to match. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has estimated that Trumps plan to cut corporate and individual taxes would cost the federal government about $5.5 trillion over 10 years, adding more than $6 trillion to the national debt. Details of Trumps tax overhaul, however, are still being developed, and its possible that the administration is assuming a revenue-neutral tax plan  although experts say big tax cuts never pay for themselves. On Tuesday, Mick Mulvaney, Trumps budget chief, did not provide a direct answer or explanation to questions about double-counting. Instead, he told reporters that you have to make assumptions about a budget. He went on to say that one of the assumptions that was not made was to take into account the uncollected taxes every year, which he said amounted to $486 billion last year. And we dont assume an additional penny of that being closed as part of our tax reform, said Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Of the 3% annual economic growth assumption, Mulvaney responded that the Obama administration in its first couple of years had based its budget on growth of 4.5%. In fact, Obamas first budget proposal as president, in May 2009, assumed economic growth of between 4% and 4.6% for the budget years 2011 to 2013. Since the Great Recession ended in mid-2009, the U.S. economy has been growing on average about 2% a year, and the Congressional Budget Office, the Federal Reserve and most private economists see the economy advancing at about 2% annually over the next 10 years. Alice Rivlin, a former Fed vice chair and director of the Office of Management and Budget under Clinton, said its true that the Obama administrations growth assumptions proved too optimistic. But she noted that those projections were not unreasonable for that time and period in the economic cycle. Then, there was greater potential for growth with unemployment high and many more people than today available for work. Today, the economy is nearing its eighth year of expansion, and the jobless rate is 4.4%, at or near full employment. With the aging of baby boomers, labor force growth slowing, and lackluster productivity gains, economists see the current moderate growth persisting for the foreseeable future. This has been a very long period of growth and were at the high end already, Rivlin said. If we are so lucky to have continuous, steady growth, its not likely to be at 3% or 4% or 5%. Facebook

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Who wins and who loses in Trumps budget The White House Office of Management and Budget sent Congress the presidents inaugural budget today, projecting spending and revenues over the next 10 years. The fiscal package, which include a partial skinny budget from March, reflects President Trumps priorities for the nation, but lawmakers are sure to reject many of the deep cuts in domestic and foreign affairs programs. The departments of State, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Education and Housing, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, are the biggest losers. The winners are the Pentagon and Homeland Security programs. Even with the increases in defense spending and large tax cuts, the administration projects that economic growth spurred by tax cuts will erase annual deficits by 2027. Take a look at some of the numbers released today. Read More Facebook

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What that Montana special congressional race will  and wont  tell us about Trump and his political problems By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Rob Quist is a quintessential cowboy who doesnt seem to relish campaigning in Montanas special congressional election. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) On Thursday, the political world will eagerly look to Montana and a closely fought congressional race for the latest test of Democratic strength and Republican resilience in the turbulent age of Trump. The major candidates and outside groups have sunk more than $8 million into the contest, a huge sum in a state where $250,000 pays for a robust week of television advertising. But for all that money and all the outside interest, the election will turn less on national trends than circumstances close to home: on the personalities and histories of the main contestants, their different campaign styles and, perhaps most of all, on who is regarded as the more authentic Montanan. Read More Facebook

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Terrorist attack in England has conservative media focused on safety of allies By Kurtis Lee (Dave Thompson/Getty images ) Its a sight witnessed all too often: an explosion, screams, people sprinting to safety. Late Monday night, this was the scene at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, after a man with possible ties to Islamic State militants set off a suicide bomb, killing 22 people and, once again, setting in motion a global discourse on how to fight terrorism. President Trump, while visiting Bethlehem, said the attack was committed by evil losers in life. Throughout the campaign and early in his presidency, Trump has said defeating the Islamic State is a top priority. (He reiterated that point in a speech Sunday in Saudi Arabia, urging Muslim leaders to plot their own course in combating terrorism.) In recent months, with attacks in Berlin, Paris and London, conservative media have questioned the safety of Europe and warned that the United States could face similar attacks. With the latest attack, some on the right are again homing in on the safety of our allies. Here are some of todays headlines: 2017 has seen a terror attack attempted in Europe every nine days (Breitbart) The attack in Manchester blankets the home page of the right-wing website. Europe has indeed been the location of high-profile attacks this year. In Paris last month, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on the Champs-Elysees in which a man fired an automatic weapon, killing a police officer. And in March, a man plowed his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, near the British Parliament in London, and then fatally stabbed a police officer. In all, four people were killed and dozens injured in what police called a terrorist attack. The Breitbart piece is an analysis of different terrorist attacks attempted and carried out in Europe since January. Attacks and attempted attacks have taken place in Austria, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Germany, on average every nine days, the piece says. Pences message of civility and open debate lost on those who most needed to hear it (Weekly Standard) The debate over free speech on colleges campuses continues. In recent months, conservative speakers have canceled speeches on college campuses in the face of anticipated protests. And others, who have opted to speak, have faced vocal backlash. On Sunday, as Vice President Mike Pence began to address students at the University of Notre Dame commencement, several dozen stood and walked out of the ceremony. In his speech, Pence talked about civility and open debate, and this piece argues that the m
Patrols take wildlife officers into the far reaching corners and to the popular spots for hunters and anglers. They appreciate conversations and feel kindred to those enjoying the outdoors. A love of nature is the backbone of a wildlife officers career. They signed on to uphold the TWRA mission because they care for our resources. So when Marion County wildlife officer Marty Griffith saw monofilament fishing line entangled around popular docks and shoreline, he decided he could do something about it.

Officer Griffith built and has placed monofilament line collection containers in a few key spots for anglers to use in Marion County. Instead of littering or leaving it behind to entangle birds or other wildlife, simply stuff the line in the available container. Mr. Griffith said, It is hard to see people disrespect nature and leave their trash behind for others to deal with or worse yet, entangle wildlife. This is a simple solution and I hope anglers utilize the containers.

If the containers are successful, Wildlife Officer Griffith plans to build and install more collection containers. Of course he asks for the support of the public. A program isnt successful without utilization. This is a small effort but it can make a big difference if everyone jumps on board and makes a commitment to stop littering, he said.

For more information about wildlife officers or the TWRA mission statement visit: tnwildlife.org
Life on Earth is relentlessly diverse, and every year brings thousands of new examples.

In 2016, science described around 18,000 new plant and animal species. Some resemble figures from popular culture, others a nightmare come to life. Some were found lurking underground or beneath the sea, while many had been hiding in plain sight all along.

Each year, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an international panel of taxonomists compile a list of their Top 10 new species. (Read the 2016 list here.)

Since the lists inaugural year in 2008, more than 200,000 species have been discovered and named.

This would be nothing but good news were it not for the biodiversity crisis, Quentin Wheeler, the colleges president and founding director of the International Institute for Species Exploration, said in a statement. Were actually losing species faster than were describing and naming them for the first time in history.

Wheeler said the rate of extinction today is 1,000 times faster than in prehistory, with climate change likely accelerating the trend.

We can engineer our way through a lot of inconveniences of climate change, but only hundreds of millions of years will make it possible to repopulate the planet with biodiversity, Wheeler said.

Heres the full list:

The Sorting Hat spider

Eriovixia gryffindor

Location: India

Only a tenth of an inch long, this tiny spider is camouflaged to resemble the dead and dry leaves in which it hides during the day. The arachnids cone-shaped body, which comes to a bent, pointy end, reminded its human discoverers of the magical Sorting Hat from the Harry Potter books.

The scientists named the spider for Godric Gryffindor, the Sorting Hats original owner, as an ode  for magic lost, and found, in an effort to draw attention to the fascinating, but oft overlooked world of invertebrates, and their secret lives, they write in the Indian Journal of Arachnology.

Only one specimen of E. gryffindor, a female, has been found. The spider weaves a vertical, orb-shaped web by night in the forests of central Western Ghats, India.

(Sumukha J. N.)

The leaf  no, wait ... the katydid

Eulophophyllum kirki

Location: Malaysia

Can you spot the insect in the photo below?

This katydid mimics its surroundings with its leaf-like body and hind legs. Females of the species are bright pink; males are all green. The insect was named for Peter Kirk, who photographed the only known specimen.

E. kirki was discovered by researchers who were looking for snakes and tarantulas in Borneo. Because it was found in a protected area, the scientists could not collect specimens.

(Peter Kirk)

The root-eating island rat

Gracilimus radix

Location: Indonesia

All the other members of the Sulawesi root rats family are strict carnivores, but this critter eats both meat and plants. It is most closely related to another rat found on Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, the water rat.

G. radix is known  and so named  for its taste for roots. The slender, gray-brown rat has rounded ears and an almost-hairless tail.

(Kevin Rowe / Museums Victoria)

The millipede with 414 legs, 200 poison glands and zero eyes

Illacme tobini

Location: California

Discovered in a cave in Sequoia National Park, this eyeless millipede stands out for an anatomy thats just plain weird.

The inch-long millipede has 414 legs, but as it ages, it gains more body segments and thus more legs. It lives in tiny cracks in the soil, where it probably feeds on liquids using its mysteriously shaped mouth. Males have four legs modified into penises.

The species also secretes silk from its hairs and has 200 nozzle-like poison glands.

(Paul Marek / Virginia Tech)

(Paul Marek / Virginia Tech)

The spiny ant

Pheidole drogon

Location: Papua New Guinea

With the spiny backs of a dragon, these ants reminded researchers of Drogon, the black dragon from George R. R. Martins Game of Thrones novel A Song of Ice and Fire.

The soldier ants, such as the one pictured below, use their extra-large heads and jaws to crush seeds. Some of their spines are useful for anchoring the large muscle required to operate such a big head. Previously, scientists thought back spines were just used for defense.

(Masako Ogasawara)

The king of all freshwater stingrays

Potamotrygon rex

Location: Brazil

With its grand yellow and orange spots and hefty size, this freshwater stingray could be nothing less than royalty.

P. rex, the king of the freshwater stingrays, is 43 inches long and can weigh up to 44 pounds. The stingray joins the list of 350 fish known to inhabit the Tocantins River in Brazil. Remarkably, 35% of these fish are found nowhere else on Earth.

(Marcelo R. de Carvalho)

The first swimming centipede

Scolopendra cataracta

Location: Laos, Thailand and Vietnam

When an entomologist first observed this centipede under a rock, it escaped and dove to the bottom of a nearby stream, where it began to run underwater. Researchers would later note the insects unprecedented amphibious habits; its the first centipede equally adept at swimming and running.

S. cataracta has 20 pairs of legs and can grow to about 8 inches long. Scientists are concerned the species could lose habitat to development, mainly for tourism, along the rivers and streams.

( Siriwut, Edgecombe and Panha)

A bush tomato that bleeds

Solanum ossicruentum

Location: Australia

When you cut open the bush tomato, the fruits green flesh turns blood red as it oxidizes. If left to grow on its shrub, bush tomatoes  which are actually berries  mature into hard, leathery pods surrounded by a in spike-covered husk.

The bush tomato was named by 150 seventh-graders in Lewisburg, Penn. They combined the Latin ossi for bone and cruentum for bloody.

Unripened fruit turns blood red after being cut. (Jason T. Cantley)

The fruits are bony hard at maturity. ( Jason T. Cantley)

The diabolical orchid

Telipogon diabolicus

Location: Colombia

This critically endangered orchid bears a ghoulish resemblance to the devil. The flowers male and female organs  called the gynostemium  are fused together in a way that forms a set of devilish horns, red eyes and perhaps even a goatee.

In the mountain forest of Colombia, the orchid harmlessly grows off of another plant. Its only known habitat is threatened by the reconstruction of a nearby road.

(M. Kolanowska)

(M. Kolanowska)

Churro: A deliciously named discovery

Xenoturbella churro

Location: Gulf of California, Mexico

The ocean depths are home to many strange creatures, including the deep-sea churro.

Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography found X. churro and three other ocean worm species on an ROV dive 3,600 feet below the surface of the Gulf of California. At first, the explorers jokingly called the critters purple socks.

These primitive ocean worms have deep furrows running lengthwise along their 4-inch bodies, just like the fried-dough treat for which they are named. They have no brains, eyes, stomachs or anuses, but they do have mouths to eat clams and other mollusks.

sean.greene@latimes.com

@seangreene89

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The last time I had the temerity to give you advice on your high school graduation night, I suggested  implored really  to be curious. That was last year.

A lot has happened in that one short year.

At some time during the next year, and I hope it is now, it is going to dawn on you that if you dont put foolish things aside immediately  and I dont think its too dramatic to say  that the world as you know it is going to come to a screeching halt for a multitude of reasons.

A lot has to be done.

It may surprise you to know that there are kids in your age range who have already had that heart-stopping moment when they realized it was up to them.

Nithin Tumma from Fort Gratiot Michigan is 22 and at 17 won recognition for discovering that doctors could slow the growth of cancer cells by suppressing certain proteins.

Theres Malala Yousafzai, of course, but there is also Julien Leitner, a Portland, Ore., teen who founded the Archimedes Alliance, which asked 1 million people to donate $2 for a worthy cause in a 100-second video describing the logic behind it. He quotes Archimedes, who said, Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I can move the earth.

These are but a few kids who are moving the earth. There are many more. Consider this: A group of teens in Massachusetts sued the state for failing to address climate change  and won! In April, a group of kids around your age in Oregon won a similar case.

Also, Washington state teens kicked in with the contention that their Constitutional rights are being violated by failure to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

I am sorry to remind you that we have serious problems  really serious. Climate change, poverty, racism, hunger and all the rest.

We, who should have done much better, probably want to tell you how sorry we are, but now its all on you. So, at graduation, have a great time. Do not drink, use drugs and drive. In fact fact, dont drink or use drugs anyway because we need you. And after these next few days have strung together in celebration, get busy. There is no time to waste.

Oh, and heres the other thing: do not be depressed. This may be the best time to be on Earth. Think about it, you have the chance to actually save the world.

SANDY ASPER lives in Newport Beach.
For author Wallace Stegner, the West embodied what he called the geography of promise.

National parks, he wrote in 1983, are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.

Heres a look at a few ways to stretch your dollar to celebrate our best idea this summer.

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An app up for savings

App-maker Chimani has, in the last few years, introduced 65 free national park apps for iOS and Android, including individual apps for each of the 59 national parks.

The Chimani National Parks app offers a comprehensive guide to the national parks along with national recreation areas, scenic trails and more.

Now the company has introduced a member savings program called Chimani Perks that offers savings on lodging, dining, activities and gear for a $29 annual membership fee.

Kerry Gallivan, Chimanis founder and chief executive, said the program was designed to help families save money on park activities.

The goal is to offer savings of up to $200 per park. A $10 discount per person means a family of four would save $40.

After enrolling in the program, you can attach your Perks card to any other Chimani app by signing into your profile.

National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.  Wallace Stegner

Caveat: Remember how you join (Google, Facebook or email). I forgot I used Google, and when I signed in with my email into the Yosemite app, it wanted another $29.

Among the benefits to your vacation bottom line: Visitors to Montanas Glacier and Yellowstone national parks can find savings on six whitewater rafting trips, Gallivan said.

Zion Outfitter, a gear rental shop near the visitor center at Zion National Park in Utah, offers a 10% discount on rentals.

In Yosemite, members can save on three hiking tours. Members get $10 off per person on any of YExplore Yosemite Adventures , 10% off a backpacking tour with Lasting Adventures or $25 off a custom tour with Yosemite Family Adventures.

Members also can grab discounts on the way to the parks. For example, on your trip to the Grand Canyon, you can save 15% off a meal at the Black Bridge Brewery in Kingman, Ariz., or get 10% off drinks at the cowboy-friendly Black Cat Bar in Seligman, Ariz. (on Route 66 halfway between Kingman and Flagstaff).

Save with a pass or a class

One of the best investments around is the $80 America the Beautiful Pass free to qualified volunteers, fourth-graders and members of the U.S. military.

The pass provides entrance to all national parks and national wildlife refuges and includes day-use fees at national forests and grasslands as well as land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

For instance, an annual pass to Grand Teton in Wyoming or neighboring Yellowstone National Park costs $60, so $80 is a steal.

U.S. citizens and legal residents older than 62 can buy a lifetime pass for $10.

Yellowstone Forever, a nonprofit educational and fundraising partner of Yellowstone National Park, offers several backcountry programs taught by artists, photographers, naturalists and other experts.

Although the workshops arent on sale, the more economical trips are from the historic and remote Lamar Buffalo Ranch, which generally costs $37 a night for shared accommodations.

If you booked the Keeping a Travel Sketchbook, for example, you would pay $250, which includes an overnight stay. Bump that up against the five-night Old Times on the Grand Tour, on which you stay at Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful and Lake Yellowstone. The total  $1,899  averages out to $378 a night.

A great exchange rate

Glacier National Park in Montana is so close to Canada that you will want to pack your passport even if its just to cross over and say, Happy 150th, eh?

The country celebrates 150 years of confederation on July 1, but Parks Canada is celebrating Canadas Sesquicentennial with free admission to its parks for all of 2017 for everyone.

The U.S. dollar is strong against the Canadian dollar, so your vacation bucks stretch farther.

To wit: $1 U.S. gives you $1.37 Canadian; if you were to book a midweek stay in June at the Prince of Wales Hotel, for instance, youd pay $137 U.S. At 2015 rates, you would have paid $158. That extra $21 a day means you just might be able to stay longer. And who could object to that?

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
Syrias government announced Sunday that the countrys third-largest city, Homs  once deemed the capital of the revolt against President Bashar Assad  had been cleared of armed opposition for the first time in more than five years. The announcement follows the completion of the evacuation of the last rebel-held neighborhood.

Besieged for four years, Waer was the last opposition-controlled district in Homs. The evacuation of armed fighters, their families and opposition activists began several weeks ago, following a deal that in effect surrenders the district after the tightening siege coupled with a military campaign.

Similar deals have been reached recently, bringing a number of neighborhoods near the Syrian capital, Damascus, as well as the countrys former commercial center and largest city, Aleppo, back to government control.

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It is a major shift from a few years ago, when the armed opposition was on the rise, threatening the capital and holding on to more than half of Aleppo.

Syrian television broadcast from inside Waer, showing children and men gathering around government-sponsored trucks distributing bread and goods.

Homs has been at least partially controlled by the rebels since the early days of the revolt that broke out in 2011. But government forces recaptured one Homs neighborhood after the other, finally isolating the rebels in Waer.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 20,000 people were evacuated from Waer to the rebel-held areas in the countrys north over the last several weeks.

It is a great achievement today, Homs Gov. Talal Barazi told the Syrian TV channel Al Ikhbariya from Waer. He said state institutions will begin their return to Waer immediately.

Rebels still control areas north of Homs while the government is on the offensive against Islamic State militants to the south.

Syrias myriad opposition groups and armed rebels are now concentrated in the rebel-held northern province of Idlib, and in rural Aleppo along the border with Turkey. Islamic State militants still hold territory in eastern and northeastern Syria and south of Homs.

On Sunday, a twin explosion, believed to be caused by a suicide attack, in Idlib killed at least 14 members of a powerful ultraconservative insurgent group, Syria opposition activists said.

It was unclear who was behind the attack. Ahrar al Sham, the targeted group, blamed Islamic State for the attack, saying the assailant arrived in the village of Tal Touqan, to the east of the provincial capital, where the group has a center. Ahrar al Sham said the attacker blew himself and his motorcycle up amid the fighters, killing and wounding dozens.

The opposition-operated Baladi News Network quoted a witness as saying at least 15 people were killed in the attack. The Syrian Observatory group said 14 were killed, including a local leader, in the twin blasts.

Northern Idlib is an opposition stronghold, but an Al Qaeda-linked group has the most sway there. The group has also been at odds with Ahrar al Sham, which was targeted in the attack.

Clashes between the two groups this year were triggered by a new push for rebels to take part in Russia-backed talks to bring about a cease-fire. The talks also called for rebel groups to battle the Al Qaeda-linked group, which labeled the negotiations as treason. But the two groups are essentially fighting for control over Idlib, the one province in Syria that is totally under opposition control and has a border with the outside world, through Turkey.

The battles that raged in February were considered the worst infighting in years. But the violence has largely subsided as each group keeps control of separate parts of the province.

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Authorities in Zimbabwe say a South African hunter died after being trampled by an elephant.

A wildlife official said Monday that hunter Theunis Botha was with a client near Zimbabwes Hwange National Park on Friday when he unknowingly walked into a herd of elephants.

Simukai Nyasha, spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, says 51-year-old Botha was on a 10-day licensed hunt.

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The hunter ran a firm, Theunis Botha Big Game Safaris and Hounds. On the companys website, Botha is described as a specialist in using hounds to hunt leopards.
Protesters turned out by the thousands in heavy rain on Sunday to demand the impeachment of Brazilian President Michel Temer.

According to organizers, some 20,000 people brought their banners, signs and chants of Fora Temer (Out with Temer) to Sao Paulos main art museum, the traditional gathering place for protests in recent years.

Other cities across the country also held protests against the president, as well as other politicians who are suspected in a widespread corruption scheme known as Lava Jato, or Car Wash, that involves money laundering and the payment of millions of dollars in bribes.

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In Rio de Janeiro, protesters gathered in front of the home of Lower House speaker, Rodrigo Maia, who is expected to be next in line for the presidency if Temer is removed and an election is not called.

The Brazilian Order of Attorneys decided early Sunday to formally request Temers impeachment after a 25-1 vote in favor of his removal.

Unlike past protests in the city, the march Sunday involved people from both the political right and left coming together with the objective of removing an unelected president who reportedly supported the payment of bribes to hush up the impeached Lower House speaker, Eduardo Cunha, who is serving a 15-year sentence for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

In recordings that were made public by a newspaper last week and then released by the Supreme Court on Friday, Temer and businessman Joesley Batista are heard speaking, and the president appears to give the go-ahead to continue paying hush money.

Its unfortunate, said Carolina Dutra, a social work student who came out to Sao Paulos protest on Sunday. We didnt expect anything less though, did we? Its not just Temer. Its also [Sen.] Aecio [Neves], and its all of Congress. We have to fight for better. It will only get better if the rest of us have more opportunities.

Social work student Carolina Dutra protests in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 21, 2017. (Jill Langlois / For The Times)

In plea-bargain testimony given to Brazils Supreme Court, Batista accused Temer, as well as Neves and former Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, of receiving millions in bribes. Temer became president in September when Roussett was impeached.

Neves, who has already been removed from his post, was also recorded demanding the equivalent of $615,000 in bribes to pay for his defense in the corruption scheme case. Federal police then traced the money with a tracking device to Neves cousin, Frederico Pacheco de Medeiros, who has since been arrested.

Neves sister, Andrea Neves, a strategist for her brother who is said to have shaped his image, was also arrested.

Several politicians came out to Sundays protest, including Councilman Eduardo Suplicy, who is one of the founding members of Rousseff and Lulas leftist Workers Party.

When will this come to an end? he asked the crowd from on top of a sound-equipped truck. We need to hold a general strike. We need the country to come to a stop. We need to make it very clear: We will not lose any more rights.

The explosive testimony against the president and other members of government is also expected to derail the controversial pension reform that Temer was attempting to push through Congress before the accusations against him came to light.

He needs to step down, said ironworker Carlos Alberto Debrito at the protest in Sao Paulo. Workers are losing their rights [because of the changes the president is making]. We will never be able to retire like this.

Temer has denied any wrongdoing following the release of Batistas testimony, in which the businessman also claims that bribes were paid to ensure Rousseff would be removed from office.

Despite a 4% approval rating even before the release of the new allegations against him, Temer has said he will not step down.

The only future for Brazil now is an election, Debrito said. There are lots of bad politicians out there, but there are lots of good people who can take their places too.

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Langlois is a special correspondent.
Miette Craig of Rossville had to leave classes at UTC early on Thursday in order to go to Rome and make it to Georgia Northwestern Technical Colleges 2017 Spring Commencement Ceremony to receive her associate degree in Business Management.

In a few weeks she will attend another graduation ceremony to receive her high school diploma.

It just feels so good to get that much of a head start and save so much time, said Ms. Craig.

Through the Move On When Ready program at GNTC, Ms. Craig was able to complete her associate degree while still in high school and begin attending classes at a four year college at the age of 17.

I am going to be the youngest person at UTC this semester, which is awesome, and I will have my bachelors degree in Business Administration when I am 20, said Ms. Craig. After that I am going straight for my MBA.

According to Ms. Craig, completing her associate degree while in high school meant a lot of hard work, staying focused, and planning ahead.

At first I didnt think I would have time to complete my associate degree, said Ms. Craig. Then when we planned out the schedule and realized that I could complete my degree if I went to school during the summer and I was like Im going to go for it.

Ms. Craigs mother, Bre LaMountain, said she knew that Ms. Craig would make it once she set her mind to it.

Miette took 15 credit hours per semester, sometimes every summer, and she went constantly and did it on her own, said Ms. LaMountain. She took no breaks and she just plugged away.

Georgias Move On When Ready Dual Enrollment Program allows qualified high school students to maximize their education and career training by taking courses that earn college and high school credit at the same time.

For three consecutive years, GNTC has had the largest number of MOWR students out of all of the technical colleges in the state of Georgia according to the High School Collaborative Enrollment: Academic Year 2016 report issued by the Technical College System of Georgia.

Ms. Craig attended classes at GNTCs Walker County Campus, Catoosa County Campus, and online.

I love the new Catoosa Campus, it is so beautiful, and it is much closer to me and it made everything easier, said Ms. Craig.

In addition to her associate degree in Business Management, Ms. Craig also earned a Human Resource Management Specialist Certificate, Supervisor/Management Specialist Certificate, and Technical Management Specialist Certificate through the Move On When Ready program at GNTC.

Miette is one of those driven students that has personal goals and doesnt like wasting time getting there, said Gerald McFry, director of the Business Management program at GNTC.

Ms. Craigs interest in business and entrepreneurship stems from the fact that since she was 15, she has owned her own small business of hand-made jewelry that she creates.

I make jewelry, and I am an artist, but I really like the business side of it, said Ms. Craig. I work for myself, which is really nice because it allows me to focus more on school.

Ms. Craig says that she ships to 25 different countries. To see her jewelry business go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/EarthlyIndigoDesigns.




Fariha Ziabs family, like thousands of other residents in Palmyra, didnt have time to get away when forces of Islamic State first stormed the town two years ago.

They came for my husband at 4:45, said Ziab, recalling the morning of May 21, 2015, when militants arrived at her home. They took him and his cousin away.

But Ziab and the children were spared, and eventually they were able to escape from Palmyra, the city adjacent to ancient ruins by the same name.

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Ziab, 45, spoke recently from a school in the city of Homs, 90 miles to the west of Palmyra, where she and her five children reside in a former classroom divided with sheetrock walls to accommodate families.

Read more: Battered Syrian city offers a window into life under the thumb of Islamic State

Throughout Syria, schools have been turned into shelters to house some of the more than 6 million people internally displaced in the ruinous conflict pitting rebels against the government. An additional 5 million-plus Syrians have fled the country.

The former school where Ziabs family is staying in the war-ravaged Bab Amr district  once a bastion of anti-government fighters  is home to 30 families, or about 170 people, all from Palmyra.

Islamic States destruction of the famed ruins has been widely documented  and condemned. Less known is the toll taken on Palmyra city. Called Tadmur in Arabic, the city was once home to 70,000 people. Now, its mostly deserted.

Some, like Ziab and her family, fled from the town twice  returning to Palmyra after Islamic State was initially ousted in March 2016, in what proved to be a fleeting reprieve. She and others took flight anew when the militants recaptured the city again last December.

 The Syrian military, backed by Russian forces, finally drove the militants out of Palmyra in March, ending the groups grip on what was once a vibrant provincial center that is now in ruins.

My children were so terrified, she recalled of her second escape from Palmyra in December, when she and her family walked for miles to escape the approaching militants. The kids were saying, Theyll catch us! We will be beheaded!

The second Islamic State takeover of Palmyra came at a moment when Syrian and allied Russian forces were focused on retaking the city of Aleppo, 130 miles to the north.

Islamic States second occupation was brief  the Syrians and Russians drove out the militants in March  but in those four months the jihadists once again imposed their strict form of Sunni Islam and carried out executions indiscriminately. They had done as much during their first occupation of Palmyra  when they came for Ziabs husband.

Her husband, Khaled Mohammed Hamood, 46, was a farmer and a member of a pro-government militia, she said. The latter affiliation sealed his fate.

Four days after her husband was detained, Ziab said, she went to an Islamic State post in town to inquire about his whereabouts and that of his female cousin, Rasha Fahed, 27, who was seized from the family house the same morning.

They were both slaughtered, an Islamic State functionary informed her, Ziab said.

No other explanation was proffered. The grieving widow was not told of her husbands burial place. She and her family managed to leave Palmyra a few weeks later, fleeing south toward the Jordanian border.

Ziab says she hopes to go back someday to Palmyra, which she recalls mostly as a peaceful town, a good place for a family  until Islamic State.

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

twitter: @mcdneville
Addressing Arab leaders here Sunday, President Trump highlighted the untapped potential of one of the regions greatest resources, and it wasnt oil  it was youth.

Sixty-five percent of its population is under the age of 30, Trump said at a summit convened by the Saudi monarch. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home.

But many young people here were unsure what to make of Trump  and that may be a victory of sorts.

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Trump arrives in Israel, hoping to rekindle peace process

Before Trump arrived here Saturday, Saudis knew him mostly for his caustic comments about Muslims, a ban on travel from six majority-Muslim countries and the suspension of refugee resettlement to the United States, said Anfal Riyadh, who was among several thousand young people at a forum Sunday on using social media to combat extremism.

People were saying how can he say these things about Muslims and come to Saudi Arabia? said Riyadh, a 22-year-old law student.

While some here continue to see Trump as biased against Muslims, he charmed others during the weekend visit with his deal-making and deference to local customs.

I have mixed feelings, said Muyassar Albar, a 28-year-old lawyer from Mecca, scanning WhatsApp posts about Trumps visit as he waited for the forum to start. Im not like my other friends who really hate him. He loves the U.S.A., and he wants to make it better. Maybe somebody has to shake politics to change things.

Albar saw social media posts about Trump participating in a traditional sword dance Saturday and photos of him bowing to accept a medal from King Salman. It was a gesture that played well here, especially with young people.

We respect our elders. Thats a good deed, good manners, Albar said.

Rana Hanaya, 27, who teaches interpreting at a local university, was among many young women in the crowd, some wearing head scarves and others in face-covering veils. She saw Trumps visit as confirmation of whats to come, and that means lots of partnerships, not just business deals.

Hanaya was especially excited to see Trumps daughter, Ivanka, at Sundays forum  called Tweeps 2017  and noted that First Lady Melania Trump had met with Saudi schoolchildren earlier in the day.

If he came on his own, a lot of people might think its just a business thing, Hanaya said of Trump. Ivanka and Melania are both participating. Its womens empowerment for both Saudi and the United States.

The Trump administration announced a series of military and economic agreements forged with Saudi Arabia, and that impressed some young Saudis who are impatient to develop and modernize their country.

We were not expecting to finalize things so quickly, said Basim Ibrahim, 31, who works for Global Shapers, a social media hub. Most of the deals were about bringing companies to Saudi Arabia, technology  thats important.

Some of his friends thought the deals included too much military spending  around $110 billion  but Ibrahim disagreed. He noted that the U.S. arms sales included Black Hawk helicopters that would be manufactured in Saudi Arabia.

Its beneficial not only for the government, but for the people, creating jobs, he said. I have a lot of friends who are working at these companies: Boeing, BAE Systems  engineers educated in the U.S.A. They dont want to leave [Saudi Arabia] for jobs.

He believes that Trumps views about Muslims have changed since the election, in part because of his interactions with a new generation of Saudi leaders. This is what we are trying to do: To give him a real picture of Saudi Arabia and Muslims, he said.

Waiting for his mother at a mall in downtown Riyadh late Sunday, Mohammed Musharaf, 27, said he thought Trumps visit went better than I expected.

Hes not as they say: racist, hates Arabs, said Musharaf, who just graduated from business school. He is a businessman, which is better than a politician. Thats what the world needs: experience that benefits both countries.

Ashwag Nuaimah had just finished shopping at a Zara clothing store with her sister and cousins.

We were afraid before he came, said Nuaimah, 36, a mother of four who started her own perfume business and said she was impressed by the deals he makes with us.

It will be a leap forward, a big step, said her sister Atheer, 20, of the partnership between the two countries.

Their cousin Latifah Abdullah, a 21-year-old office management student, expects a broadening of perspectives in both countries and hopes that will benefit Saudi women, who still face many barriers to full participation in their economy and government.

Theres a lot changing here, she said. And in America also.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf

ALSO

Trumps message to Arab leaders: Do more to fight extremism

A tale of two princes: A kings son and a presidents son-in-law drive Trumps visit

Human rights activists decry U.S. sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia
Donald Trump's new budget proposal would slash more than $800 billion over the next 10 years on funds for Medicaid, the health program for the poor. It would also give power to restrict programs to low income households to the states and the ability to impose work requirements if you people look for assistance.

The Washington Post reported that the move could see as many as 10 million people lose their benefits in the next decade. The proposal is due to be announced Tuesday.

Food stamps (The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) would be also affected. The program would lose $193 billion over the next decade, according to the Associated Press. This represents 25% decrease that would push millions of low income households out of the program.

During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to avoid cuts on Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.

I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. Huckabee copied me.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2015

The new budget also contains $1.6 billion in funding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a larger $2.6 billion spending hike for border security programs.
Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod will host a meeting on Tuesday, May 30, from 10 a.m.-noon at the City Council conference room with church congregations that are in District 9 or borders District 9.

"It is time that we begin to be interdependent by bridging the gap with communities, businesses and churches," said Councilwoman Coonrod. "It will take every entity being involved to improve the lives of residents in District 9."






May 22, 2017, 9:43am ET

Feds investigate Hyundai-Kia recall for Theta II engines

The NHTSA will attempt to determine if the campaign fell short in its timeliness or scope.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into Hyundai-Kia's recall for 'Theta II' engines.

The company recalled more than a million vehicles to address a manufacturing screwup that left debris in some engines, potentially restricting oil flow and causing engine failure.

"Hyundai limited the population of recalled vehicles to those produced on or prior to April 12, 2012, stating that a process change in April 2012 resolved the issue of manufacturing debris," the NHTSA says. "On March 31, 2017, Hyundai expanded its original recall to include 572,000 MY 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles with 'Theta II' engines ... The DIR continues to describe the defect as an issue involving manufacturing debris."

The NHTSA is apparently investigating the gap between the 2015 recall and the 2017 campaign related to the same manufacturing defect.

The Theta II engines were used in Hyundai's 2011-2012 Sonata and Kia's 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage.
Ford president and CEO Mark Fields has retired. His replacement is Jim Hackett, the former head of Ford Smart Mobility.

Sources close to the company say Fields was ousted. Bill Ford, the Blue Oval's executive chairman, and other members of the board allegedly lost confidence in his leadership.

Ford is profitable -- the company is expected to make $9 billion this year -- but it's losing market share in the United States and it recently announced massive layoffs . To complicate the situation, investors don't seem convinced by the company's sizable investment in electric powertrains, automated driving technology, and ride-sharing services. Stock price has dropped by about 37 percent since 56-year old Fields took over in 2014.

Hackett is seen as the right executive to steer the Blue Oval towards its goal of building battery-powered cars that drive themselves. A statement published by Ford explains he will also need to sharpen operational execution by making sure new models get to the market in a timely manner, and by addressing under-performing parts of the business.

Additionally, Hackett will need to modernize Ford by leveraging the benefits of new technologies such as 3D-printing, big data, and artificial intelligence. Finally, he will need to ensure the company is ready to meet the future challenges, including shifting consumer tastes and tight emissions regulations expected to come into effect in the coming years.

Hacket will work hand-in-hand with Bill Ford and three executives promoted to newly-created positions. Jim Farley will oversee global markets, and run the under-performing Lincoln division. Joe Hinrichs will be in charge of global operations, and Marcy Klevorn will replace Hackett at the head of Ford Smart Mobility.
A man with a criminal conviction allegedly attempted to buy a shotgun at a Dick's Sporting Goods store in Bethlehem Township.

Charged is Lee David, 46, of the 1900 block of Hay Terrace, in Wilson Borough.

David on Nov. 25 filled out an application in the store to buy an F. Mossberg & Sons Maverick 88 12-gauge shotgun, police said. He allegedly indicated on the application he never had been convicted of a crime for which he could have been imprisoned for more than a year.

David was found guilty in June 2010 for a gun crime in South Whitehall Township, according to police. The past misdemeanor bars David from purchasing a firearm.

Police on May 3 reviewed the application and uncovered David's alleged lie.

David is charged with providing false statements to purchase a firearm. He was arraigned before Senior District Judge Anthony Rapp, who set bail at $1,500. In lieu of bail, David was taken to Northampton County Prison.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Imagine having to make do without a toothbrush or soap or basic medical care.

That's the reality for millions of Haitians.

An Easton Area High School graduate and soon-to-be physician assistant will bring her newfound skills and a box of supplies to the disadvantaged Caribbean nation.

Courtney Schaffer found out about the relief program through Kings College, where she is studying in Wilkes-Barre. She will graduate from the five-year program in about three months.

"We will be focusing on passing out medication for these people, doing any physical examinations, giving classes to prevent the spread of disease, using clean water," she said Monday at a news conference at Easton City Hall.

Schaffer graduated from Easton Area High School in 2012 and lives in Palmer Township. She will stay in an orphanage during her stay from July 10-15.

Another group from her school went in April.

Schaffer's father, Barry, is a longtime city firefighter.

When city workers found out about Courtney's trip, they donated the proceeds collected from a recent first Friday dress down day. They raised $140 worth of basic needs, according to city compensation and benefits manager Stefanie Weber.

"I want to thank Stefanie and the HR team for doing things that are creative and outside of the box, for trying to communicate and work with each other on things that go beyond the day to day tasks we need to do to run the city," said city administrator Luis Campos.

A $140 matching donation came from the Easton mayor's special fund.

"I wish Courtney well on her trip," Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said. "We would love to have a report when you come back."

HOW TO HELP

You can donate to Courtney Schaffer's trip on her gofundme.com page.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Lightning and downpours cut Bush's set short when the band last visited Bethlehem. But weather shouldn't be such a concern when the British alt-rock group returns this summer.

Sands Bethlehem Event Center announced Monday that Bush will perform Saturday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m., with the provocative goth-punk act She Wants Revenge opening the show.

Tickets range from $39.50 to $49.50 and go on sale Friday, May 26. Visit sandseventcenter.com for more information.

Bush last played in Bethlehem last year as a Musikfest headliner. The Gavin Rossdale-fronted group played roughly an hour before storms caused the set to be cut short.

The band burst onto the scene in 1994 with the release of its debut album "Sixteen Stone," which has sold more than 6 million copies. Two years later, Bush's follow-up reached number one on the Billboard album chart. Bush's songs "Glycerine," "Comedown," and "Machinehead" have become alt-rock standards.

The group disbanded in 2002, only to reunite eight years later, continuing to tour and put out new records. The band's most recent, "Black and White Rainbows," came out in March.

Bush joins a 2017 lineup at Sands that features musical legends Diana Ross and Don Henley, rock groups Dashboard Confessional and Paramore, comedians John Mulaney and Gabriel Iglesias and the superstar magician David Blaine.

Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook.
The April 8 shooting death of 17-year-old Chris Perez has been ruled a homicide, Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said Monday.

Chris Perez (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Grim previously announced the cause of death was a shotgun wound to the body, but the manner remained pending further investigation.

"Based on the investigative findings, I am ruling the manner of death as homicide," Grim said in a news release.

Authorities previously charged a 16-year-old with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Perez, who lived on North 15th Street in Allentown. The case was filed in Lehigh County's juvenile court.

Perez was fatally shot in the basement of a home in the 3900 block of Orchard Road in Lower Macungie Township.

He had asked the younger teen to show him a shotgun, and he asked whether the Ithaca 12-gauge that was subsequently shown was loaded. The 16-year-old said it was not, handed it to Perez and after taking it back, waved the shotgun, leveled it, and the fatal shot was fired, authorities had said.

A witness told investigators the 16-year-old holding the gun appeared shocked and immediately dropped it.

Perez was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where he was pronounced dead at 4:37 p.m. An autopsy followed April 10.

The coroner's office and Pennsylvania State Police investigated the shooting, with assistance from Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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Plans for a new 170 million prison to replace Glen Parva's aging jail look set to be approved.

Planning officers at Blaby District Council have recommended councillors approve the demolition of the former 1970s-built borstal and the construction a new Class C complex when they discuss the scheme on Thursday.

The Ministry of Justice has begun the process of transferring some 500 prisoners to other jails in anticipation of the plans being approved.

Government officials want a jail to accommodate 1,617 inmates where 809 staff will work within the boundaries of the existing complex.

It will be surrounded by security fences up to 5.5 metres high and will include modern cell blocks, a learning centre, and workshops.

The council's planning officers say they are content the proposals meet their rules but there have been 67 letters of objection to the project.

Residents of nearby Westleigh Road, Queen's Park Way have raised concerns they will be overlooked by the new cells.

Similar concerns have been expressed by Rolleston Primary School.

Neighbours are also worried about noise from the increased numbers of inmates and say that their cells should be located further towards the centre of the grounds.

There are also worries over the ability of nearby roads to cope with the added congestion because of the enlarged complex.

The complex sits on the Blaby district/Leicester City border and Leicester's deputy mayor Rory Palmer and his fellow Eyres Monsell councillor Virginia Cleaver have written to the planner.

They say: "The height of the proposed accommodation blocks in the south west corner of the prison site and which are close to the boundary of the site.

"Residents are concerned about the possibility of over-looking from these blocks into their street and properties.

"Clarity and confirmation is required from the applicant that this will not be possible because of the orientation of the blocks.

"The assumption that there will be no windows facing the site boundary and that those windows in these blocks will be specialist glass preventing prisoners from looking outwards.

"Residents are also concerned about the close distance of the proposed accommodation blocks to the site boundary.

"One particular concern is about noise. There are currently instances of loud noise from the jail which carries towards homes in Eyres Monsell.

"Similarly residents are concerned about possible light pollution from any lighting along the site perimeter.

"We would ask that the committee explores this issue and considers if there might be a light pollution problem arising from the proposed development."

It is intended to clear the site of the old buildings by late summer this year, start building in early 2018 and have the new prison fully operational by early 2020.
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A possible sale of the group behind high class jeweller Goldsmiths has been buoyed by sales rising almost 25 per cent.

Brian Duffy, chief executive of Leicestershire-based Aurum Holdings, said unaudited figures for its most recent financial year showed net sales of 565 million - a quarter up on a year earlier.

The business owns Goldsmiths  which has two stores in Leicester's Highcross  Watches of Switzerland and Mappin and Webb, which have all benefited from rich European and US shoppers travelling to Britain since the June 2016 referendum to cash in on the low pound.

Aurum operates out of offices in Braunstone Frith, just outside Leicester, where it has more than 300 staff.

In recent years, it has invested heavily in improving its stores and opening three key Watches of Switzerland branches in central London  all aimed at improving the customer experience for high spending shoppers.

It bought Watch Shop a few years ago to exploit online demand for the fashion end of the market and two years ago it acquired another online business, Watch Hut.

A year ago, it bought specialist repair chain Watch Lab.

The only fly in the ointment has been the smaller boutique.Goldsmiths chain, aimed at the fashion end of the watch market, which has not been as profitable as hoped.

Earlier this year, around a dozen stores were either closed or reassigned.

Despite that, Mr Duffy said some fashion brands  such as Hugo Boss and Armani  continued to do "very well".

Right now Aurum is overseeing a "multi-million pound" investment in its first US Watches of Switzerland store in the new $40 billion Hudson Yards neighbourhood being built on the west side of Manhattan.

Mr Duffy said that should be open in September 2018.

Two further New York shops are planned and other sites are being considered.

All this is going on while owners Apollo Global Management, which bought Aurum for around 175 million in 2012, consider cashing in on their investment with a potential sale or stock market flotation.

Mr Duffy said it was not inconceivable a sale could go through this year - but nothing was finalised.

He said: "We've just completed our year end and grew 23 per cent in terms of top line sales, increasing by about 100 million.

"We are really enjoying the fruits of investment over the last few years and the three big stores in London which are giving retail sales of 100 million.

"We have also grown online and at airports and across all of our businesses.

"The only exception has been the fashion category, led by the fashion brands, which has been a softer market overall.

"That is why we have had to reconsider our ambitions there versus what we are seeing in terms of rent and rates, so could not say we were getting a return on investment, so have been reconsidering that plan  and reassigned a few shops that we had as boutique.Goldsmiths.

"We still have some though, and are doing well online.

"But about seven or eight of the boutique stores have been changed over to 'mono-brand' options with some of the big brands.

"The huge success for us has been in luxury watches and our own brand of jewellery."

Mr Duffy said the two Highcross stores were doing well for the business, and the shopping centre itself was a convenient location for customers.

Goldsmiths' big recent focus was more about upgrading existing stores rather than opening new ones, with the main Highcross shop, for instance, now including a Mappin and Webb range.

Mr Duffy said: "What we have looked to do is become very clearly the luxury destination in the shopping centres and high streets where we are present.

"Where we have Rolex, we continue to expand the space for it, while Mappin and Webb as a brand within the Goldsmiths stores is working very well, and in the Highcross shop that has been a big success in the last year.

"We have really developed online and beyond  the multi-channel approach really works, with people researching at home and buying in-store.

"However people want to do it, we want to be there to deliver the service.

"Where we are moving forward is taking what's wonderful about the group and customer experience and moving that to the new world, where people are doing their research and background online and, for instance, finding where our stores are online.

"People are also spending money online  that part of the luxury watch business last year increased by 47 per cent.

"What we now offer online is tremendous, and includes some of the best products and brands in the world."

He said online sales last year were 30 million, while adding in Watch Shop sales took that side of the business nearer to 90 million.

Mr Duffy said a potential sale of Aurum Holdings was being considered, but would not say when or who to.

He said: "Our shareholder continues to take advice and look at how markets are going, and whatever may or may not happen the important thing is that it does not affect our business and our strategy of investment.

"We are a success story for our shareholders and I'm sure we will be, whatever happens in the future.

"It is possible something could happen this year, but the official situation is that we have taken advice and are looking at market developments."

"On behalf of the business we want stability and we are staying steady and focused and thinking about the next stage of moving this great group forward."
The HSE must learn lessons from maternity failures according Laois TD Sean Fleming ahead of the publication of a review of more than 120 complaints about maternity care at Portlaoise and eight other hospitals over four decades.

The Fianna Fail TD welcomed the publication of the report on the Maternity Clinical Complaints Screening Review to be published on Tuesday 23rd May.

He says the report deals with 9 hospitals but the majority of complaints examined relate to Portlaoise. Deputy Fleming said this report will be judged not just by the historical review of complaints but more importantly on the lessons learned by the HSE from these cases.

"The implementation of the lessons learned by the HSE medical staff and especially the HSE senior management is essential. We will require proof that these lessons have been learned," he said.

The HSE told Deputy Fleming in advance of the report's publication that the review followed the broadcast of the RTE Primtime Investigates Fatal Failures in January 2014.

It confirms that 203 complaints were received by the HSE, HIQA and the Department of Health from patients and there families who attended Portlaoise and eight other hospitals. The HSE said the majority of the complaints relate to patients of the Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise.

"The report broadly describes the process undertaken to review the complaints, the number of complaints as they relate to the MRHP, and the eight other maternity hospitals and the outcome of the review.

"The screening review was set up to determine whether any issues or adverse incidents arose for which further actions were indicated, to facilitate patient meetings with the clinical review teams so that patients could describe their experiences and have their questions addressed and for the HSE to learn from these individual complaints," the HSE told Dep Fleming.

Members of the Clinical Review Team, Dr Peter Boylan, Dr Peter McKenna and Ms Angela Dunne (midwife) will accompany Dr Susan O'Reilly, Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, chief executive, in a press briefing on Tuesday morning.

The advocacy group Patient Focus will also participate.
Sean Heslin and Aoibh Byrnes, two fifth year students attending Maynooth Post Primary School, will embark on the experience of a lifetime as they travel to Cambodia as volunteers in June.

Sean, from Kilcock and Aoibh, from Clane, will be travelling with the NGO Projects Abroad who work within the local community raising standards of medical care and education. They will be based in the capital Phnom Penh.

The cost of the trip is 4,400, not including flights and vaccinations. Fundraising for the trip began last August with a bake sale in Clane GAA and throughout the year they have raised funds through raffles, non uniform days and a tea dance held in Clane GAA club. Sean and Aoibh have also set up a Go Fund Me page .

Sean did some transition year work with Trocaire last year and has always had a keen interest in charity work. He believes that people who have opportunities in life and live comfortably have a duty to help the people who are worse off. Aoibh was inspired by a former teacher who had worked as a volunteer in Africa.

While in Cambodia Sean and Aoibh will undergo basic medical training and work under the supervision of qualified professionals. They will work in outreach centres and clinics.

They are grateful for help so far anyone wishes to make a donation they can do so online at www.gofundme/public-health-project-in-cambodia.
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Yes, Willie was brilliant and well come to that in a moment. But lets hear it for this nurse who had Nicola Sturgeon on the ropes. Two weeks ago the First Minister led her MSPs to vote against an end to the pay freeze for Scottish nurses. The nurse in the audience spoke very movingly about having to use a food bank. She also talked about how demoralising working in the NHS was. Watch her here.

"You have no idea how demoralising it is to work within the NHS", says audience nurse at #leadersdebate https://t.co/u5WlVZxgul pic.twitter.com/zkDnDkxbfE  BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) May 21, 2017

A few years ago, a friend of mine whos a nurse really struggled to manage on her salary as a single parent so I know that what tonights nurse says rings true.

I also spent 51 days last Autumn watching exactly how hard and stressful work is for nurses. No matter how short-staffed they were and how rushed off their feet they were, they still managed to give my husband fantastic care. I was worried then about the effect that it was having on their health. Giving at 120% all the time is simply not sustainable.

So, despite the cybernats predictably pouring all sorts of poison onto the internet, what that nurse says rings true.

The Records David Clegg said that he had never seen Nicola Sturgeon look so uncomfortable on television.

Moving on to the debate itself, Willie Rennie had one job. He had to show the Lib Dems unique position as a pro EU, pro UK progressive party. He did that really well. His interventions were punchy and clear and he was cheered when he argued for a referendum on the Brexit deal. He was brilliant on mental health and education, asking Nicola why its taken her so long to accept the obvious stuff that hes been banging on about for years  like investment in early years.

He did a good job of attacking Ruth over Brexit, the only leader to actually land a blow on her. If Boris was lying then is Ruth lying now? he said.

He did well but didnt get anywhere like his fair share of the speaking time. The event was dominated by Ruth Davidson and Nicola Sturgeon shouting at each other about independence, something that suited them both. Anything but talk about the records of the UK and Scottish Governments. However, the audience wasnt buying it. They actually booed them at one point.

Both of them looked completely rattled at various stages.

A teacher also challenged Nicola on her governments failures on education.

Surprisingly, nobody really took Ruth to task on social security  and Nicola only tried to get in the rape clause at the end. Ruth was caught out saying things that were simply not true  she clearly had forgotten that her Government at Westminster had reduced access to Personal Independence Payments for people with mental health problems.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, spoke from the heart, which is in the right place, as she always does. Her problem is that there is no point saying that the first thing a Labour government would do would be to give EU nationals the right to stay when Labour MPs and peers voted against that when they had the chance.

Patrick Harvie, the leader of the Scottish Greens tried to make out that he hadnt been assimilated by the SNP. Unfortunately, nobody really got the chance to point out that he voted with them so much of the time.

David Coburn, the UKIP leader in Scotland was every bit as dire as he has been every other time hes been on tv.

Theres to be a rematch between Willie, Nicola, Ruth and Kezia on Wednesday night on STV.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
In a letter, more than 50 business leaders, including Nicola Horlick and the founders of EBookers and Innocent Drinks, have said that they will be voting Liberal Democrat because of our stance on Brexit.

From the Times ()

The 53 signatories who say they intend to vote Lib Dem include senior players in the investment and IT sectors, two industries that could be hit by a poor Brexit deal. They represent small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) rather than FTSE 100 companies. The Conservatives failure to even mention a transitional deal threatens Britains status as one of the best countries in the world with which to do business, the letter reads. While we may not have voted Liberal Democrat in the past and we may not agree with the party on all issues, they are now the only party speaking for business and the majority of Britons on the key issue at this election. Richard Reed, the co-founder of Innocent Drinks and board member of Britain Stronger in Europe, Dinesh Dhamija, the founder of the Ebookers travel site and the businesswoman Nicola Horlick are among the signatories.

In response, Vince Cable said:

The Liberal Democrats now have support from a large number of serious figures in the business community, showing that we are rapidly emerging as the party of business, both big and small. Theresa Mays determination to take us out of the single market would devastate the financial sector, while taking us out of the customs union would cause incalculable disruption to manufacturing . Theresa May herself warned of the Brexit dangers to our exports in a speech at Goldman Sachs. Since then she has taken on the agenda of Nigel Farage, who has understandably declared himself delighted with her. That is scary. It is vital that the next parliament contains enough Liberal Democrat voices to argue for Britains future in the worlds most lucrative single market. The more Liberal Democrat MPs, the better the deal we can secure on Europe.

The text of the letter is below:

Sir, We represent a broad range of businesses across the UK collectively employing tens of thousands of people. As business leaders and owners, we believe that leaving the single market and the customs union would be destructive to the British economy and to our businesses.

At present, we have full access to a market of 500 million customers and the best and most skilled workers across the EU. If we leave the single market, thousands of businesses would lose their competitive edge. We cannot stand by while our countrys future is hijacked by hardcore Brexiteers who do not represent the views of the majority. Polls show two thirds of voters believe staying in the single market should be the priority, and three-quarters want EU citizens working in the UK to continue to be allowed to do so. The Conservatives failure to even mention a transitional deal threatens Britains status as one of the best countries in the world with which to do business. While we may not have voted Liberal Democrat in the past and we may not agree with the party on all issues, they are now the only party speaking for business and the majority of Britons on the key issue at this election. The simple fact is that we cant have both a hard Brexit and a strong economy. We choose a strong economy. Thats why we will be voting for the Liberal Democrats.

* Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online.
Sen. Durbin Asks DOJ For Help Curbing Chicago Gun Violence Ahead Of Summer

By Stephen Gossett in News on May 22, 2017 8:20PM



Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) Getty Images / Photo: Chip Somodevilla

With the ongoing roiling turmoil in the administration and President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East, the White House's once-constant invocation of Chicago violence and sanctuary-city smears have finally subsidedat for a moment. But Illinois lawmakers are still looking for federal commitment to help law enforcement combat violent gun crimes in the city.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday asking that the Department of Justice expand Chicago Police Department's ability to further employ gun-violence prevention initiatives, including the Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSCs)data-analysis centers designed to better use police resourcesand the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN)a casings-match system used to help solve gun crimes.

Such support centers are currently implemented in six districts: Englewood, Harrison, Austin, Deering, Gresham and Ogden. Crime Lab analysts from the University of Chicago, who assist officers through SDSCs said that the Englewood and Garfield Park districts saw 49 and 66 percent reductions in shootings in February and March below forecast, according to WTTW.

Durbin also pressed the DOJ to back the Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act, which goes after straw purchasing and state-to-state gun trafficking.

The No. 2 Senator said in a release:



Last year 4,368 people were shot in Chicago and so far this year there have been at more than 1000 shooting victims in the city. There is no cure-all solution to reducing this violence - we need a comprehensive approach that will help create economic opportunity, address the prevalence of trauma in hard-hit communities, and keep guns out of dangerous hands. We need to do more to crack down on the illegal trafficking of guns and support violence prevention initiatives that have shown promising results, like SDSCs. I hope the federal Department of Justice will step up and be a constructive partner in reducing gun violence.

Sessions' Department of Justice sent letters last month to representatives of nine jurisdictionsincluding two in Chicagothreatening to cut off funds if they don't allow local law enforcement to cooperate freely with immigration enforcement. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has criticized the letters as "a bit of a joke."
Our huge number of new members are making me think differently about the familiar problem of balancing resources between target and non-target seats, and the possibility of attracting support in a way that parallels En Marche in France.

For a long time targetting has been a difficult decision. The electoral system means that, if we lean too far one way, we spread ourselves too thinly and are even more badly under-represented in parliament. If we lean too far the other way, we create Liberal Democrat holes where there is more-or-less little for people to join, which makes it really hard for that situation to change.

But one of the many unusual things about this General Election campaign is that it is taking place in a period of rapid growth while our membership is growing rapidly. At the moment I am parliamentary candidate in a constituency where membership is up 400% since the General Election and 250% since the EU referendum.

This brings three things to mind:

Nick Cleggs speech at the first Leaders Debate in 2010, talking of a new way of doing politics, away from the tired old parties, which got a strong and positive reaction;

Nick Cleggs resignation speech, at in an excruciating moment in our history, triggered a membership surge, as people recognised the value of a liberal way of being which has the depth to survive a harrowing experience;

Emmanel Macrons En Marche movement in France.

En Marche seems to have come out of nowhere, reacting to the failure of the main parties in France. It is Liberal and pro-European. Its vanquished the forces of the far right in France, and has the wisdom to reach out to the disaffected, offering something more valuable than the extremist rhetoric which would only make things worse.

Parallels with the UK rather scream. Both Labour and Conservatives look like dysfunctional parodies of themselves, and we are seeing continued membership growth.

Looking beyond this General Election, it seems vital to engage new members properly. When a new member comes along wanting do deliver leaflets and knock on doors, its essential to have leaflets to deliver and doors to knock. When they bring new ideas, we need to listen.

People do recognise the need to adapt to the unfairnesses of the electoral system, but the comment I keep hearing is I want to go to a target seat at the weekend and do something locally in my evenings. My strong suspicion is that this is producing more activity in target seats at weekends than wed get if they were met with a limp Were not doing much, but you might like to drive for an hour or two and see what is going on. And the flip side of people going to target seats is that one wants them to come back saying How do we do that here for next time?.

Over the coming months I assume the Tories will continue making a mess of Brexit. We will continue to show this up. Mobilising our membership is a good way of applying pressure, and of connecting with others uncomfortable at what the government is doing.

A both-and approach to working with the energy of new members can feel counter-intuitive, but, if we can get it right, offers more for target seats, and more away from them to build for the future.

* Mark Argent was the Liberal Democrat candidate in Huntingdon Constituency in 2019 and blogs at markargent.com/blog.
There has been a very unfortunate trend in recent years of those in power condemning anyone who stands in their way. We all remember the failure of the Conservative Justice Secretary Liz Truss to stand up for the Supreme Court judges who upheld the law after the enemies of the people headline. However, that wasnt the first time the judiciary had come under such attack. Back in 2011, Alex Salmond insulted Lord Hope, a judge who had found the Scottish Government to be wanting on human rights. As I wrote at the time:

Peter Cadder, whose case sparked the SNPs casual quadrupling of pre-charge detention time in an afternoon last year, won his human rights case because, then a teenager, he had not had access to a lawyer before a police interrogation that led to his conviction for assault. Now, to me, it seems eminently reasonable that people should have access to lawyers. A system that does not allow that is flawed. Rather than slag off judges and court judgements, surely the Scottish Justice Department would be better off comparing Scots law with European human rights law and sorting out where there could be problems. You could argue this should have been done years ago. Alex Salmond is pandering to a Daily Fail type agenda with is comments and he needs to catch himself on.

The Tories and the right wing press are playing from the same playbook with their saboteurs and enemies of the people narrative as if they alone are the true diviners of the will of the people as if that is as immovable as Mount Everest. Theres a certain irony about those who claim to be all about enacting the will of the people zealously ensuring that the people dont get a chance to mark their homework.

The Tories now have their own army of keyboard warriors to rival the cybernats. As a liberal, and a woman who dares voice her opinion on the internet, I get it from both of them. Do I care? No. I will not be silenced by these people. But it does matter, because it poisons our political environment and discourse. It also damages our democracy. What the SNP and the Tories want is to have any excuse to get rid of anything that holds them in check. Its all a bit like Trump firing anyone who gets in his way.

What happened to the nurse who challenged Nicola Sturgeon last night is pretty despicable. Predictably, the cybernats subjected her to some really unpleasant personal insults. They trawled through her social media to try to discredit her. Even some of their candidates seeking re-election as MPs took part. Even one who doesnt normally behave like that got sucked in to it. Its not good enough.

@nickeardleybbc SNP's bid to delegitimise the nurse who spoke out in #LeadersDebate is turning a bad night into a disaster https://t.co/KIBEAntbXN  Magnus Gardham (@M_Gardham) May 21, 2017

Some of the attitudes we saw were appalling.

This new criteria for foodbank use Im hearing in sections of Yes movement reminds me of the things tories say about people on benefits.  Loki (@lokiscottishrap) May 21, 2017

Alex Cole-Hamilton challenged the First Minister to sort out the cybernats. He said:

Last night the First Minister faced perfectly fair questions from a nurse, which she was unable to answer. Within minutes the nurse was set on by the online Nationalist army. It was ugly, but is typical of a movement which has always been intolerant of differing views and is now losing support. The First Minister must launch an immediate investigation into who sanctioned this public mauling. We know the cybernats are a problem for the SNP but when the official organisation feeds them in this way it requires action from the top. Efforts to discredit the impartiality of a public sector worker went right to the top of the SNP, as shown by the comments made by Joanna Cherry, which were later retracted. Freedom of speech, especially the right to criticise our political leaders, is something we must cherish. That is why the First Minister must act now.

People need to be really wary about giving either the SNP or the Tories more power. What they have already has gone to their heads. They both need decent opposition to hold them in check. There is nothing worse than the thought of a landslide Tory majority on 8 June.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Remember the Brexit Battle Bus with this slogan, We send the EU 350 million a week lets fund our NHS instead Vote Leave? It was powerful and misleading according to the UK Statistics Authority. Mr Farage referred to it as a mistake.

No! The number plastered on the side of the Brexit bus was a big fat lie.

It was not a mistake because it affected the Brexit result the way Mr Farage wanted.

In short, we were misled and those who subverted our democracy with this deception have gone unpunished. Therefore it will happen again to further diminish democracy.

Last month the CPS announced that there would be no criminal charges brought against 14 MPs over their expenses in the 2015 election. In March 2017, The Electoral Commission fined the Conservative Party a record 70,000 for numerous failures in reporting expenses for the 2015 General Election. For that election the Conservatives raised some 38, 000,000.

Their fine for gaining an unfair advantage in winning the 2015 election is 0.01842105% of their 38 million war Chest. An inconsequential punishment and a ballot box bargain!

In short, there is no effective discouragement of the financial subversion of our democracy. Whether it was accidental or deliberate matters not. What matters is the harm done to our democracy and the acceptance of such harm to our democracy.

This CPS decision also undermines our legal system. It stated - it is clear agents were told by Conservative Party headquarters that the costs were part of the national campaign and it would not be possible to prove any agent acted knowingly or dishonestly. Therefore we have concluded it is not in the public interest to charge anyone referred to us with this offence.

In short, the CPS establishes the precedent that if your [political?] boss tells you to do something illegal and you do it, then no one will be prosecuted.

The BBC Trust ruled that BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg breached the BBCs impartiality and accuracy guidelines by editing film so that Mr Corbyn appeared to answer one question when he was, in reality, answering another. The Trust found this inaccuracy was compounded when she went on to state that Jeremy Corbins message couldnt be more different from that of David Cameron. The Trust also found that there was no evidence of bias or intent on the part of the journalist.

Even without bias or intent this is a fundamental abuse of trust and professionalism for either there was no need to change the film or, if there were, that fact could and should have been stated.

James Harding, the director of BBC News, stated, While we respect the Trust and the people who work there, we disagree with this finding.

In short, the head of BBC News is content with his viewers being presented with information that was not duly accurate, as the Trust said with a critical question at a time of extreme national concern.

Perhaps this election is about more than winning seats. Perhaps it is also about our speaking up, and possibly more, to make our country safe and healthy for democracy?

* Steve Trevathan is chairperson of Lyme Regis and Marshwood Vale Liberal Democrats.
A MOTHER and daughter who were caught with more than 5,000 prescription tablets at Mount Saint Oliver Cemetery have avoided criminal convictions.

Bridget Nolan, aged 55, and Shauna Nolan, aged 22, both of Ashe Avenue, John Carew Park admitted having quantities of Alprazolam (Xanax) and Clonazepam for the purpose of sale or supply on August 7, 2013.

During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Shane Ryan said after receiving confidential information he and a colleague travelled to the cemetery where they observed the defendants.

He said a black handbag was recovered which contained six bags  each of which contained hundreds of purple tablets and were sealed with black tape.

A total of 3,521 Xanax tablets were recovered along with 1,524 Clonazepam tablets. The total street value of the tablets was 10,090.

It was accepted by gardai that neither of the women owned the drugs and that they were transporting them for somebody else.

Michael Fitzgibbon BL, representing Shauna Nolan, said his client was a very young woman at the time and has learned a salutary lesson.

Pat Whyms BL, representing Bridget Nolan, said there are ongoing difficulties in the family and that his client has no trappings of wealth.

Neither of the women have any convictions and a report from the Probation Service found there is a low risk of them reoffending.

While commenting that the value of drugs seized was worrying, Judge Tom ODonnell said he was applying the Probation Act give the torturous history of the case.

The defendants had pleaded guilty to the offences more than three years ago but the case was withdrawn by the State pending the outcome of a unrelated legal challenge against the legislation governing the sale and supply of certain tablets.

The case against Bridget and Shauna Nolan was brought again after the Supreme Court ruled the legislation was legal.
LIMERICK City and County Council is set to examine the possibility of taking in charge a minor road which is used by tourists from across the world to access the historic Carrigogunnel Castle.

Constructed in the mid 1400s before it was blown up during the second siege of Limerick in 1691, the castle is located near Clarina village overlooking the Shannon Estuary.

As well as its historical importance, it is also famed in Irish pop culture as it features prominently in the artwork on the cover of U2s album Forgettable Fire.

In response to a motion from Cllr Sean Lynch, council official Christy O;Connor told members of the Metropolitan District the local authority hopes to progress the matter next year.

He said the road, which is just over 600 metres long and averages three metres in width, currently serves four private houses and a some local farmlands.

The cost of taking the road in charge and upgrading the surface, he said, will be in the region of 36,000.

Cllr Lynch says he believes there is an onus on the council to progress the matter given the increasing importance of the tourism industry to the region.

Im delighted with the (council) response, its something that I have been trying to get done since I came into the council in 2014.

"Its of huge significance and it is a very distinctive castle with huge history and links to Cromwell but apart from that it is situated on the banks of estuary and it will come under the Shannon Loop which will be our own Wild Atlantic Way, he said adding that once the road is taken in charge, moves can be made to carry out works to preserve and upgrade the castle itself.

The motion received unanimous support from members of the Metropolitan District some of whom also pointed out that the castle is reportedly haunted by a woman who carries a candle.

Its a beautiful castle and it is prime time to look at it and the access to it, said Cllr Daniel Butler.

Cllr James Collins agreed saying there is a whole back story to the castle which should be actively marketed and promoted by the council.
THE war against invasive species in Limerick has intensified, thanks to the involvement of the public and a piece of smart-phone technology.

A new app, Report Invasive Species, which was launched by Limerick City and County Council in February, has seen hundreds of reports submitted about giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan Balsam and winter heliotrope growing profusely in locations all over the city and county.

And this information is now being mapped to provide the most comprehensive picture ever of the extent of the invasion in Limerick.

As Anne Goggin, who is leading the effort for the council, explains: There is a lot of talk about invasives but nobody can actually say this is the extent of it and until we understand that, it is very hard to plan a management strategy.

The reports however, she says, suggest the problem is more widespread than was thought.

The giant hogweed is of particular concern because it is as much a public health issue as an environmental one. The hogweed if touched causes skin to blister and to lose its sun-protection ability. Riverbanks have been closed off in places where there is a continuous run because it is too dangerous. Also because it dies back in winter, erosion problems can develop.

We knew we had a lot of it around Bruree and Adare but we didnt know what it was really like in between, Ann explained.

But last year, a member of the Maigue River Trust paddled the river discovered there was a huge amount between Croom and Adare.

As a first step to begin combating it, a 10-strong team of trained Rural Social Scheme workers began working on the Loobagh, an upstream tributary of the Maigue, as part of a pilot programme.

In the spring of last year, they sprayed 12km on both sides of the river from Ballingaddy to the confluence with the Maigue at Garoose Bridge, south of Bruree.

They were out in April again and reported less giant hogweed this year than last, Ms Goggin explains.

We feel this is a model that could be rolled out elsewhere, she continues and plans are now being drawn up by the Maigue Rivers Trust to get four community groups along the river involved. However, it will be next spring at the earliest before any work could begin and that depends on getting Leader fund approval.

But the Maigue is not the only river system with a problem. In the 1990s, spraying was done for four years on the Mulkear and the Newport tributary but the hogweed recolonised very quickly.

In 2015, Labours Cllr Elena Secas again drew attention to the problem at Annacotty where it was growing close to pathways and to where children played.

If this is not gotten under control it will just get worse as each mature plant can produce 50,000 seeds, so urgent action at council level needs to be taken, she said.

The dreaded weed has also appeared on the Shannon river path from the city to UL and along the canal.

Anneke Verling, who lives in Abbeyfeale, reports that there is extensive Japanese knotweed and Himalayan Balsam along the banks of the Feale and two of its tributaries, the Allaughaun and the Caher.

By the time you get to Listowel, there are hardly any native plants left, she explains.

Anneke has been working, very often single-handed, to eradicate the Himalayan balsam in particular. The balsam can be relatively easily dealt with, Anneke adds, if pulled before seed sets.

And her hope is that communities upstream will get involved in the campaign to eradicate it.

But both she and Ms Goggin acknowledge that the giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed are far more difficult to eradicate.

Spot-spraying has been the solution for the giant hogweed when it is young, Ms Goggin explains.

It involves three to five years of continuous spraying and then continuous management over a ten year period, she continues.

And spraying is prohibited at a distance of less than 200m from a water extraction point.

The use of chemicals is not ideal, she acknowledges, and extreme care must be taken.

But she adds that they are used in a way that minimises damage and are used for a finite project.

She emphasises that it is spot-spraying rather than broadcast spraying and a special sticking agent is used to ensure it sticks to the plant and doesnt splash anywhere else.

But under no circumstances should the Japanese knotweed be pulled up.

It is recommended you do not cut the stems, she warns.

You dont try and dig it unless you use somebody who understands the risks and controls that are needed to make sure fragments arent spread and that it is properly disposed of. Even tiny bits in mud on a boot can spread it.

Disposal could be either incineration, properly done, or deep burial at up to 12 feet. Injecting weedkiller into the stems has also been used, she adds. But it takes several years to exhaust the root.

The other invasive species on the councils app is the winter heliotrope, a ground-spreading plant.

People may not recognise it as a threat because it flowers in winter,, and has a delicate smell, Ms Goggin explains. But she adds:  It taked over completely from the native flora and it is very hard to get rid of. But there is research being done in Trinity College looking at means of trying to control it. It seems to be everywhere.

At the moment in law, there is no obligation on landowners to eliminate invasive species but there is an obligation to prevent their spreading.

The beauty of the councils app is that it allows people to first identify the invasive species and then report it. It also allows for the inclusion of other invasive species.

The idea behind the app was to develop something simple that wasnt overwhelming. Other apps are either too specialist or not user-friendly. We wanted it to be suitable for general interest, not specialist groups, Anne explains.

And she urges everybody to download it and to use it.
A RATHKEALE mother sentenced last January to one month in jail for failing to send two of her children to school, had the jail term lifted, on appeal, at Newcastle West appeals court last week.

But Judge Brian OCallaghan affirmed the fine of 500 imposed at the district court.

A similar sentence of one months imprisonment and a 500 fine was also imposed in the district court on the childrens father but he withdrew his appeal last Wednesday and his conviction and sentence remain.

When the case came before the district court last January, the court heard that the couples 15-year-old daughter was not going to school at all while a 13-year-old son had only attended on four days out of the previous 73 school days.

In the case of the son, there had been no explanation from the parents, who had not answered calls nor had they come to meetings set up by Tusla, an education and welfare officer explained. In the case of the daughter, no indication was given of home-schooling or education elsewhere.

This is probably one of the worst cases we have dealt with, the officer said at that time. The parents had been uncooperative and it had taken a number of bench warrants to get them to court, she said.

Outlining the grounds of the appeal at Newcastle West Circuit Court last week, solicitor Derry ODonovan of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, said there was a child at home who was the subject of concern and under those circumstances, asked that the jail sentence be lifted on the mother.

However, he added, the fine should remain. He did not want the word to get around that people could just appeal and get off.

This is the third conviction against this family, Mr ODonovan said.

Pleading for his client, solicitor Michael ODonnell said it was a slightly dysfunctional environment and explained that some members of the family had special needs and needed a parent at home.

Judge OCallaghan said that Tusla and the court treat any breach by any parent of this Act in more than a serious way.

It is a childs future that is at stake, he said.

No matter where you come from, the childs interests must be given priority over the interests of any parent who can look after themselves.

It is only in the special circumstances of this case that the court is willing to agree, he said, allowing the prison sentence to be lifted. The fine will remain in place.
A CONGOLESE man has appeared in court accused of raping a woman in the city centre hours after befriending her on Facebook.

The 19-year-old, who cannot be named, is accused of violently restraining the woman during the attack which allegedly happened on the night of May 10, last.

Opposing a bail application Garda Aoibheann Prendiville told Limerick District Court, she had concerns the defendant would flee the jurisdiction if released.

He has no ties to this jurisdiction and there is no extradition agreement with the Peoples Republic of Congo, she said.

She said the man has been identified as the culprit by the alleged injured party and that a number of independent witnesses have confirmed they were in each others company on the date of the alleged rape.

She said it will be further alleged by the State that the man apologised to the woman  who is Irish  via social media sometime after the alleged attack.

Solicitor Tom Kiely said his client, who arrived in Ireland last year, has no intention of returning to his native country. Its a very sad situation in the Congo, he doesnt wish to go back there he said.

He added his client, who has family in Limerick, enjoys the presumption of innocence and was not on the garda radar prior to the allegations being made against him.

He submitted gardai had zero evidence to support their objection and suggested there would not have been an objection if his client was Irish. You are objecting on the basis that this man is from Congo, he said.

Having considered the matter, Judge Marian OLeary said she was granting the defendant bail subject to a number of conditions including the lodgment of a significant independent surety.

A file is being prepared for the DPP.
A HEROS welcome will greet the first county Clare man to reach the top of Everest when he arrives home this Monday.

Hotelier John Burke, 38, of The Armada in Spanish Point, said that during the perilous climb he could see the fear of death in climbers faces as they witnessed corpses of those who had tragically lost their lives on the mountain.

The mountaineer, who is due to arrive back in Shannon Airport this Monday, said that hes still trying to take in the achievement.

A large welcoming party, to be led by his wife, actress Aoibhin Garrihy of Dancing with the Stars fame, is guaranteed, in Spanish Point, where he runs the hotel.

He also took on the challenge to raise awareness and funds for the charity, Elevate, which he and his wife established to promote well-being among young people and help them achieve their life goals.

Ive been ten years dreaming of following in the footsteps of some great Irish adventures, people like Pat Falvey, Ger McDonnell and so many more. Their stories have inspired me to take to the hills and test just how far my body and mind can go, he said.

After preparing over that time on mountains around the world, I figured it was time to attempt the big one. The final plan was 12 months in the making. I treated Everest like a work project; finding the best people to work with, breaking down the action plan into segments to enable me get to the summit of the world.

The final night was hell on earth as I witnessed casualties of the mountain first hand, passing the first body soon after setting off. I could see the fear of death in the faces of some people close to me. It's a crazy place to be, surrounded by the most amazing and most ferocious scenery and yet to be that close to tragedy.
LIMERICK author Dan Mooney is preparing to launch his debut novel, which won the 2016 Luke Bitmead Bursary and a publishing contract.

Mooney, 32, who works as an air traffic controller in Shannon, will also see his work  Me, Myself and Them  released in the US in 2018 through Park Row Books, an imprint of Harper Collins. His second book is also due out in Ireland around the same time.

He self-published his first work after five years of writing, which was one of 10 shortlisted and ultimately won the overall prize in October last much to his own surprise.

Both novels focus on central characters battling their demons in very unique ways.

His next novel will focus on a man who decides that his life in a nursing home is pointless and hes going to kill himself. His best friend thinks its a fantastic idea but insists he should go out in style.

As the two of them plan how he is going make a statement by the act of his own death, he begins to rediscover life.

I wanted to be a writer all my life. Its the only long-term dream I ever had, he said.

The book will be launched in OMahonys on OConnell Street on Friday, May 26, at 6.30pm by author Alan English, editorial director of Iconic Newspapers.
Here's Why Notre Dame Grads Walked Out On Mike Pence's Commencement Speech

By Stephen Gossett in News on May 22, 2017 5:27PM



Vice President Mike Pence / Getty Images / Photo: Chip Somodevilla

Dozens of students rose from their seats and walked out in protest as Vice President Mike Pence delivered the commencement speech at Notre Dame University on Sunday.

The action, dubbed WalkoutND by organizers, was intended to "show our dissatisfaction with the University's selection... in dignity and solidarity with all marginalized people affected by Pence's politics, both on this campus and throughout our nation." Organizers said that more than 100 students at the historically Catholic school walked out from the seating area at the Notre Dame Stadium venue, in South Bend, Indiana, according to the New York Times.

Video of the walkout shows streams of students exit as Pence takes the podium. Some loud boos are heard; and at least one student is seen sporting a rainbow pattern with her graduation gown.

A statement issued by the university student-activism coalition We StaND For invoked Pope Francis' support of refugee resettlement and respect of dignity of sexual minorities in their note of opposition to Pencewho as governor signed the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was lambasted as essentially allowing Christian business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

The participation and degree-conferring of VP Pence stand as an endorsement of policies and actions which directly contradict Catholic social teachings and values, undergraduate student Xitlaly Estrada said.

Mike Pence's policies target the most vulnerable groups in our society. Consider showing solidarity these groups by joining #WalkoutND pic.twitter.com/zkJBPSm3mQ  We StaND For (@WeStandForND) May 16, 2017

Students recorded a video clip ahead of the protest in which they explained their reasons for participating. "As a member of the small but proud LGBTQ community at Notre Dame, the university's support of an anti-LGBTQ politician is both frustrating and sad," one student says in the clip. "As the son of two undocumented immigrants, Pence has made it very clear that my family and I are not welcome in this country," another student says.

Anticipating the flurry of "snowflake" criticisms to follow, at least one faculty member said the students' demonstration was in keeping with the university's social justice mission, according to Buzzfeed Senior Culture Writer Anne Helen Petersen. And the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation was one of several prominent progressive organizations to champion the move. Pence's speech dealt at times with freedom of speech and expression, but he didn't directly address the walkout from the stage.
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A Lincolnshire supplier has stepped in to help a cabbage shortage at Asda supermarkets across the UK with 72,000 of the vegetables.

Staples Vegetables, of Boston, has delivered the goods after a hot and dry season in Spain resulted in a slow-growing cabbage crop.

The producer, which farms more than 14,000 acres, had a surplus of tenderheart cabbage - an ideal substitute for the Spanish crop.

Asda approached grower Nigel Claire to ask him to help bridge the gap by supplying the supermarket with 36 tonnes of cabbage in the next three weeks.

The 72,000 cabbage heads, which have been growing since March this year, will be now be distributed to Asda stores throughout the UK.

Asda has a history of supporting local suppliers and the introduction of cabbage will add to the list of cauliflower, spring greens, Brussels sprouts and broccoli that Staples Vegetables currently supplies Asda with.

Ken Atkinson, senior buyer at Asda, said: "It seems as though it hasn't rained mainly on the plain in Spain this growing season, therefore we have had to look close to home for an alternative supplier.

"The quality of the cabbage Staples Vegetables grows is of the highest standard and we are committed to supporting and championing local suppliers across the regions so our customers can enjoy local favourites stocked on the shelves of their nearest Asda store."

Nigel Clare, from Staples Vegetables, said: "We had a surplus of tenderheart cabbage and when Asda approached us to help them with their stock issues, we were more than willing to help.

"Asda continues to demonstrate a genuine interest in locally sourced regional products and the success of our partnership speaks for itself.

"We hope that, along with Asda, we have saved the UK population from a shortage in cabbage in their Sunday roasts."

Tenderheart cabbage is now available at Asda, in-store and online, priced 69p.
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A kebab shop worker who went to the aid of a woman who was struggling to stand says he had no idea she had stabbed herself.

Three police cars and an ambulance descended on the corner of Lincoln High Street and Portland Street at about 8pm on Sunday, May 21.

The area of pavement outside Eternal Angel tattooists was taped off and one person contacted Lincolnshire Live to report that people were saying "someone had been stabbed".

Police have confirmed that a woman was taken to Lincoln County Hospital after she was thought to have stabbed herself. She was not seriously injured.

Lewis Ivano, 24, who works at the nearby Delight Kebab shop, said: "I saw two girls. One was holding up the other woman who was all over the place and fell over.

"I went to her and she said: 'I'm OK.'. I had no idea she had stabbed herself.

"I offered them some water and I saw the police."

Steve Lyons, 53, who owns Eternal Angel, said the first he heard about the incident was on Facebook.

"When we opened up on Monday morning there was nothing to indicate there had been any incident - I just heard about it on Facebook," he said.

"There's always something going on. There's always problems and as Lincoln's getting bigger the problems are mounting up.

"There was a legal highs 'zombie' out there the other day with his trousers down around his ankles and the police and ambulance came out.

"We call them the Spice Boys."

Matthew Stevenson, 33, who runs Springbok Computers, said: "It's just the modern world, a scary world."

Mark Hanson, from Chameleon Print, said: "This incident sounds like one of those things - it's not unusual."

But Yazmin Robinson, 20, from recruitment agency Red Rock Partnership, said: "I think it's bizarre for Lincoln that a woman's stabbed herself."

A police spokesman said: "We attended a concern for safety of a woman.

"It is thought she stabbed herself and thankfully the injury was not serious or life-threatening."
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Lincolnshire residents' wanting to vote in the June General Election have until 11.59pm today, May 22, to register to vote.

There's currently seven million people who not registered to vote in the UK and government is hoping to decrease this number.

Those wanting to register to vote can do so online. The same goes for change of address and changing your voting preference.

It usually takes about 5 minutes.

To register you will need your National Insurance number. You need to be on the electoral register to vote in elections and referendums.

To vote in the General Election on 8 June, you need to register by 11:59pm on 22 May. You don't need to register again if you've already registered.

To vote in the General Election people must be:

Aged 18 or over on the day of the election - otherwise known as polling day

A British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen

A resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)

Not legally excluded from voting
Pharmaceutical company Merck recently won approval from the China Food and Drug Administration to sell its human papillomavirus vaccine, Gardasil, to help women fight cervical cancer.

Developed by the US-based company in 2006, the vaccine has proved effective in protecting against the virus, better known as HPV, the chief cause of cervical cancer. The virus is found in almost all cervical cancer cases.

Gardasil is the first HPV vaccine in the world and the second to be licensed for use in China.

In July, Cervarix, an HPV vaccine developed by pharmaceutical GlaxoSmithKline, received approval to be sold on the Chinese mainland after almost 10 years of seeking approval.

Gardasil is expected to be commercially available on the mainland in three to six months, which means women will no longer have to seek vaccinations outside of the mainland, such as Hong Kong.

After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women ages 15 to 44 in China. Statistics from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show China reports more than 130,000 cervical cancer cases a year, accounting for 28 percent of global total.

The HPV vaccine, as the first anti-cancer vaccine in the world, has proved effective in preventing cervical cancer and is seen as a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Gardasil offers protection against nine strains of HPV, including the two main cancer-causing varieties: type 16 and type 18. Cervarix offers protection only against types 16 and 18, which account for about 70 percent of all cervical cancer cases.

Today, such vaccines are used in about 120 countries and regions, including the United States, Australia and most European countries.

As HPV is sexually transmitted, the World Health Organization recommends routine vaccination of girls age 9 to 13 because they are not as likely to have begun sexual activity.

Qiao Youlin, a professor of epidemiology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences' Cancer Hospital in Beijing, said the main target group of Cervarix is females age 9 to 26, although it is theoretically effective for women of all ages.

Clinical trials discovered the vaccine is effective for women as old as 45, he said.

According to the Securities Times newspaper, Zhifei Biological Products Co in Chongqing will promote, supply and sell the vaccine in China for the next three years.

As the exclusive distributor of the vaccine, the company plans to purchase 1.14 billion yuan ($166 million) worth of Gardasil vaccines in the first year, 1.48 billion yuan in the second year and 1.85 billion yuan in the third year, the newspaper said.
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Newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani smiles during a televised speech in the capital Tehran on May 20, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Iran's moderate leader (well, moderate by Iranian standards) Hassan Rouhani was re-elected after smarting under a tough challenge by a conservative Ebrahim Raisi.

His success in gaining a second term is in line with the history of Iran, as every incumbent leader has been re-elected since 1981. It has, however, put a premium on popular desire for continuation of rapprochement with the West.

Big question: Can Rouhani deliver in the face of heavy odds after Donald Trump's latest rhetoric and tilt towards Saudi Arabia, which vehemently opposed the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal? He can at least try, just as he did in the past to some extent successfully.

Iran has been through a very tough period of economic sanctions. According to some reports, it lost $50 billon every year from the constraints. However, under Rouhani, common sense has prevailed after years of futile resistance, and Iran agreed to cap its nuclear program in 2015. This has had a positive impact on the economy.

The deal also showed a shift in American policy under Barack Obama, who was skeptical of Saudi Arabia, and was also critical of Israel. Iran, by default, was the beneficiary of any deterioration in American ties with these two countries.

The situation has changed under Donald Trump, who selected Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip, followed by a visit to Israel. He signed a $110 billon arms sale deal with the Saudis, the biggest such deal in American history.

Next, came a loud and clear message to Iran by Trump in his speech at the summit with the Muslim leaders. He has been critical of the nuclear deal and there is little chance he will lower pressure on Iran.

What are policy options for Rouhani if he tries to reengage with the U.S.?

The challenges are dual in nature. First, domestic rivals driven by decades of anti-American policies are not ready to given in. Apparently, the Supreme Leader is also inclined toward such elements, who may frustrate any concessions aimed at improving ties with the West.

The second hurdle is the new U.S. administration. Rouhani may not get the kind of support he received from Obama and John Kerry. Rather, there is sure to be resistance for any leniency towards Teheran.

Yet, Rouhani should continue to offer olive branch by avoiding any confrontation with regional rivals or the U.S. If he had the nuclear issue in hand to use as bargaining chip in his first term, he can use his leverage over Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to wriggle out of any American-led pressure during the second.

Apart from Iran's clout in Syria, it has useful allies in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, where a peace-building role can open up new ways for confidence-building with the West.

The most powerful policy tool Iran can use in coming days is its role in fighting and defeating the ISIS. The militant group is a common enemy of America, Saudi Arabia, Israel and several other countries. By supporting Iraqi efforts and coordinating with leading players in Syria against ISIS, Iran can carve out a strategic position.

Last, Iran's energy reserves and its efforts to seek investment and trade deals with the West can also serve Rouhani. The nuclear agreement has already brought deals worth billions of dollars as Western firms showed eagerness to do business in aviation and oil sectors.

Rouhani has track record of economic improvement. GDP grew by 4.5 percent in 2016 and unemployment fell from 15 percent when he took over to 10 percent last year. He should lead Iran out of the myth of so called "resistance economy" which has limited utility.

The West should also grab the opportunity and help Rouhani. Otherwise, in another four years, the world would have to deal with someone like Ahmadinejad whose empty rants against America and Israel were a headache to his adversaries while giving little comfort to millions of Iranians who deserve a better life.

The Iranian people, despite odds and limited options, voted for a man who offered them hope and peace. Let us see if the U.S. and its allies would respect their verdict.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) welcomes visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House in Washington D.C., May 3, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

In a startling reversal of position that has symbolized his early presidency, Donald Trump cozied up to Saudi Arabia, in his first major foreign tour. This is he who constantly tweeted about how America paid for Middle Eastern security during the Obama years, who constantly wanted to bomb into oblivion ISIS territories in Middle East, and who railed against Wahabbi fanaticism in Saudi Arabia.

However, given that he has changed or been compelled to change his position on virtually every issue since his election, this didn't come as a surprise.

The Saudis, of course, went all out to entertain Trump. The talk in academic and diplomatic circles is that they smartly calculated, an easy way to influence Trump was by boosting his ego. I am not privy to such diplomatic maneuverings personally, of course; however, can see how much the Saudi side expected from this meeting.

Facing massive domestic upheavals, the two sides agreed on a series of military deals worth nearly $110 billion. For the 36 hours of meetings and banquets planned, the Saudi displayed Trump's pictures and murals from every skyscraper in Riyadh, viewing this as a sign of realignment of a broken tie much strained under Obama.

Obama, for all his faults, was careful not to expand military engagement in the Middle East, although under considerable pressure from the Saudi side, who viewed him as weak in handling their regional rival Iran.

The present Washington administration's symbolism therefore is seized by the Kingdom, as a sign of bedrock American Middle East engagement. Seniors officials from the American side also described the arms deal as "historic." The deal, worth $350 billion over 10 years and $110 billion immediately, was quoted as "a significant expansion of[the] security relationship" between the two countries.

Trump said that the deal would create hundreds of billions of investment in the U.S., meaning "jobs!" and more jobs, his constant mantra in wooing the electorate.

"I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust" Trump said in his groundbreaking first major speech on Middle East affairs.

This is a subtle hint that U.S. might not be interested in nation building. He also said, "The true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead," and indicated the possible opening of a counter-terrorism center based in Saudi Arabia.

Two clear signals are emerging. Trump, true to his priorities and interests, is ready to deal with anyone. There's no principle, no diktat which is not malleable. Any government, which comes to a "deal" with Trump, which talks to the president and his team, with a proper interest in investing in the United States, and ready to engage in some sort of economic mutually beneficial relationship, will be given priority in foreign policy terms.

Second, despite all the early revolutionary talk of American foreign policy changing course, Trump is very much and remains a "DC blob" president. The standard U.S. strategic pivot in the Middle East, which began to take shape in the Obama years, is over.

Following the Iranian nuclear deal, there was a lot of talk about whether the U.S. was moving towards a more balanced Iran-Saudi approach, or actually planning to withdraw from further engagement in Middle East altogether. That seems to be over.

Without any significant policy hand, Trump had to rely on the "DC blob" thinking, and the generals who are guiding his foreign policy, and retire into the tried and tested instinctive approach calling for a policy based on balancing on the Saudis.

This means he won't be willing to tolerate Iranian proxies in the Middle East, a sign we already saw, with American warplanes bombing Shia militias in Syria recently. That would have been inconceivable under Obama, but it's back on the table now, as American policy is further guided by Saudi interests.

Second, even if the nuclear deal survives, with Rouhani back in power in Teheran, Iranians might need to be careful with how much adventurism they want to attempt. And Trump needs to be careful as well, otherwise he might be compelled to support further Saudi adventurism, especially in Yemen. That would be a disaster.

Sumantra Maitra is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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DPRK confirms test firing another ballistic missile [File photo / CGTN]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile, which was the second time it conducted such missile launches within one week.

The test-firing of "Pukguksong-2," supervised by DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un, aimed to "finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action," according to a report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The Pukguksong-2 medium-range ballistic missile is capable of striking targets 500 km away.

On May 14, the DPRK test-fired a ballistic missile which "accurately hit" the targeted open waters 787 km away after flying to a maximum altitude of 2,111.5 km, according to the KCNA.

In recent months, the DPRK has frequently launched missiles, which has drawn condemnation from the international community.

On May 15, the UN Security Council slammed the most recent ballistic missile launches conducted by the DPRK, saying the DPRK's "illegal ballistic missile activities are contributing to its development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and are greatly increasing tension in the region and beyond."

In a statement, the 15-member council expressed "utmost concern" over the DPRK's "highly destabilizing behavior and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council by conducting these ballistic missile launches in violation of its international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions."

The members of the Security Council emphasized "the vital importance" of the DPRK "immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearization through concrete action and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond," the statement said.

The Security Council demanded the DPRK "conduct no further nuclear and ballistic missile tests," the statement said.

According to previous Security Council resolutions, the DPRK is banned from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation.

The council has imposed tough sanctions on the DPRK, which includes banning the sale and transfer of coal, iron and iron ore from the country's territory.

On Friday, when meeting with Lee Hae-chan, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's special envoy, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China adheres to realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, ensuring regional peace and stability, and is committed to resolving any issues through dialogue and coordination.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he will visit Egypt soon at an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to mend soured ties under former U.S. administration, official MENA news agency reported.

"I will get to Egypt. We will absolutely be putting that on the list very soon," Trump said in a statement following his meeting with the Egyptian president in Riyadh, MENA reported.

Sisi had "done a tremendous job under trying circumstance," Trump added.

The Trump-Sisi meeting was held on the sidelines of the Arab-Islamic-U.S. summit.

The bilateral relations between Egypt and U.S. worsened during Trump's predecessor Barrack Obama's administration after the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Obama did not invite Sisi for a visit and even temporarily suspended U.S. aid to the Arabic country citing U.S. concerns about human rights situation in Egypt.

The ties, however, have improved under the new U.S. administration of President Trump, who pledged to support the key U.S. ally with 1.3 billion U.S. dollars annually in military aid.

Sisi paid his first official visit to the United States and met Trump at White House in Early April.
The Chinese Youth Delegation pays a visit to the Lenin Memorial Museum in Ulyanovsk, Russia, on May 20, 2017. [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]

A Chinese youth delegation launched a seven-day visit to Russia on May 18, with the aim of promoting understanding and cooperation between young people from the two countries.

The delegation, which consists of around 100 delegates from the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF), was invited by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia and the Russian Union of Youth for a series of exchange activities in Moscow and Ulyanovsk of Russia. The members include young experts, science and technology personnel, entrepreneurs, journalists and college students.

The large-scale visit is carried out within the framework of a reciprocal visit agreement signed between the two countries in 2015, according to Wan Xuejun, head of the delegation and assistant chairman of the ACYF.

From 2014 to 2015, the China-Russia Youth Friendly Exchange Year was held in both countries, deepening mutual understanding, bilateral ties and traditional long-standing friendship.

The delegates visited the Red Square and watched the closing ceremony of the 25th Russian College Students' Art Festival in Moscow on May 19. The delegates were deeply impressed by Russian students' marvelous and enthralling performances at the art festival, which serves as the country's most important platform for young people to showcase their artistic talent.

On May 20, the delegation laid a flower basket at the Monument to Vladimir Lenin (1870 - 1924) in his hometown Ulyanovsk, and paid a visit to Ulyanovsk No. 1 Middle School, where the Soviet state founder once studied. They also visited the former residence of Lenin's family and learned more about his revolutionary life and activities at Lenin Memorial Museum.

The delegation will also attend the China-Russia Youth Forum to be held at Ulyanovsk State Universityon May 22.

Tatyana Kirillova, the vice president of Ulyanovsk State University, thought that young people from both countries can work together for the better development of bilateral ties.

Kirillova said, "I do hope the steps our two governments have taken can be followed by our young people in the future. They should understand the culture of each other, the language of each other and know the history to avoid making mistakes. The future is at the hands of our young people, and I hope they won't lose the opportunity our government gives them."

In 2015, heads of state of the two countries agreed to align development of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
RIVER FALLS, Wis.  Sergeant First Class Jeremy Lee Most, 35, of River Falls passed away unexpectedly from a cerebral aneurysm Friday, April 28, 2017, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Jeremy is survived by his wife, Jenny; mother, Linda Auger; father, Tony Most; sisters, Tiffany Most and Jasmun Hoyer; along with nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents; father-in-law; and sister, Laura.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 11, at St. Bridget Church (211 E Division St.) in River Falls. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at St. Bridget Church, and 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday before the service. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery with full military honors provided by Minnesota National Guard and Minnesota Honors Team.

Arrangements are with Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services of River Falls.
EAU CLAIRE  Tara Holms favorite part of her old job at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport was raising herself up in a bucket truck while de-icing airplanes.

That became a small factor in her decision to select the Electrical Power Distribution program at Chippewa Valley Technical College.

I could work out of a bucket truck all day, said Holm, who cited enjoying working outside, good job opportunities and good pay as major factors in her decision.

Holm, a Chippewa Falls resident, was one of 32 graduates from the program honored at the CVTC spring commencement ceremony Friday, May 19. She was also selected as the student speaker for the ceremony.

CVTC honored 651 graduates in 50 programs at the ceremony. The largest program was Nursing-Associate Degree with 74 graduates, followed by Practical Nursing with 50 and Criminal Justice with 35. The graduates include 395 graduates in 27 associate degree programs. On Thursday, May 18, CVTC honored 58 graduates in eight programs at the River Falls campus ceremony.

All of the graduates faced challenges on the path to the success they celebrated at graduation. Some of Holms challenges were apparent. A 1999 high school graduate from southern Minnesota, Holm was about 15 years older than her fellow students and not in as good of physical shape as most of the rest of the class dominated by young men. She was the only woman.

But the challenges of being different than her classmates were small in comparison to what she faced juggling school with the rest of her life.

This has been my second time at CVTC, Holm said. I enrolled in Early Childhood Education in 1999. I ran my own day care for 12 years, at the same time I was raising a family. I had my first child when I was 20 years old and I have four now, ages 9-14.

Holm divorced 10 years ago and became a single mother, but two years ago her boyfriend, Kris, joined her, bringing his 12-year-old daughter.

Lots of scholarships, including one she picked up at a lineworker rodeo in Kansas City, helped with the tuition and ongoing mortgage payments , and she got lots of help from Kris and close friends. At CVTC, program director Bandi Henke set a respectful tone for the class.

He was my cheerleader, my rock of understanding, Holm said. If I was running late because a child was sick or something, I would text Bandi, and he would understand.

Holm said the young men in the program were good to her, and she enjoyed listening to the banter they had with one another.

In the end, she excelled in the program.

I already knew that I looked a bit ridiculous working on the pole or I may not have been strong enough to do some tasks by myself, but what some didnt understand was how much strength it took me to get my kids off to school in the morning without losing my marbles, Holm said.

Although she feels she could be a line worker, Holm has decided to pursue a career in the safety side of the electrical power business. Shes already working at Xcel Energy and hopes promotions in that direction will come her way.

Holms address to the graduates fit in well with the remarks of faculty speaker Al Spaeth, the Architectural Structural Design program director, who urged the graduates to challenge themselves.

As you start that first job in your field, challenges or fears are not going to end, Spaeth said. Embrace these challenges as you climb your ladder of success. This does not mean that every new task that you take on is going to go completely smooth. I personally learned much more from my mistakes.
Find not too frequent updates from the Livesay family here
A wingsuit pilot is hoping to break four world records in two death-defying jumps from an altitude higher than where commercial airliners fly.

British daredevil Fraser Corsan is aiming to beat the current records for the highest altitude, highest speed, furthest distance and longest time flown in a wingsuit. Corsan will attempt his first jump from a high-altitude hot air balloon at 40,000 feet (12,100 meters) today (May 22), but the stunt will be subject to weather conditions and airspace clearance.

Wingsuits have become popular among skydivers and BASE jumpers because the suits effectively turn the body into a giant wing, allowing the wearer to glide rather than plummet to the ground. Fabric skins between the legs and under each arm inflate during flight, making the pilot more aerodynamic and enabling the wearer to control his or her heading by moving the body. [Up She Goes! 8 of the Wackiest Early Flying Machines]

But beating four world records will require more than just any old wingsuit. Corsan's suit has been specially shaped to the 42-year-old's body, and the wing profile has been optimized to maximize lift while also reducing drag.

This should allow very gradual descent rates without slowing Corsan down so much that it would prevent him from beating the speed record. The new records he hopes to set are a jump from an altitude of 40,000 feet, a top speed of 250 mph (400 km/h), a distance of 20 miles (32 kilometers) and a flight time of 10 minutes.

The stunt is not quite as physically demanding as the jump carried out by Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner in 2012. Baumgartner jumped from a record-breaking altitude of 23 miles (37 km), becoming the first person to free-fall faster than the speed of sound.

Nonetheless, because Corsan will be traveling at such high speeds and from such a high altitude, he will need a lot of safety gear. At 40,000 feet, the atmosphere is so thin that Corsan will have to carry an oxygen tank, a specialized mask and a regulator to ensure he can breathe during the jumps.

The air is also incredibly cold at that height: between minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 50 degrees Celsius) and minus 94 degrees F (minus 70 degrees C). The frigid temperatures combined with the high winds he will experience at that speed will put Corsan in danger of extreme windburns if any open skin comes into contact with the air.

For protection, Corsan will be wrapped in multiple layers of thin, thermally protective clothing. He will also have heated gloves and a helmet with thermal and audio shielding.

A GPS data-logging system will track Corsan's jump, including whether he breaks any of the world records. The system will also provide real-time audio feedback that will allow Corsan to track his progress and make adjustments during the flight.

The set of record attempts, dubbed Project Cirrus, will raise money for the British veteran's charity SSAFA  the Armed Forces Charity. The jumps are due to take place in the U.S. and Canada, with the second attempt scheduled for May 29.

According to the Project Cirrus website, Corsan wanted to fly from childhood and joined the U.K. military's Fleet Air Arm as a youngster, in hopes of one day flying the Harrier Jump Jet, an attack aircraft capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. But despite clearing the selection process, Corsan was unable to fly after discovering he is color blind.

Determined to fly anyway, Corsan went on to become one of the world's first 15 wingsuit pilots in the early 2000s and has carried out more than 1,300 wingsuit jumps since then. In his professional life, he started out as an aerospace safety engineer and now works for Fujitsu Defense in the air sector.

Original article on Live Science.
If you cut the leg off a salamander, it grows back. Humans, however, can't manage the trick. The reasons are far from simple, and to some extent are still a bit of a mystery.

"We actually regenerate really well; our epidermis, for example," David Gardiner, professor of developmental and cell biology at the University of California, Irvine, told Live Science, referring to the top layer of skin. "Our gut lining, we can regenerate bits and pieces. But we don't regenerate these more complex structures."

Gardiner has studied salamander regeneration for decades, seeking the underlying mechanism of the superpower. Human regeneration, he said, is likely still in the future, but not too far off  it's possible one of his current graduate students or postdoctoral researchers will crack it, and limb regeneration will be a part of the medical toolkit. [11 Body Parts Grown in the Lab]

That's because, in theory, regrowing a human limb should be possible. In skin, for instance, if the cuts aren't deep, there will be no scarring due to the healing process that regenerates skin cells. It's also possible for humans to regenerate the very tips of the fingers if the cells under the fingernails are still intact. Bones will knit together if you rejoin the pieces, say, with a screw or a cast. Human livers can also grow to fill the space and rebuild some of the structure that was damaged.

Growing an entire limb

But limb regeneration (of the kind salamanders do) is more than just replacing tissue. For a limb to regenerate, you need bone, muscle, blood vessels and nerves. There are adult stem cells, a kind of undifferentiated cell that can become specialized, that regenerate muscle, but they don't seem to activate. "You can regenerate blood vessels and even nerves," Gardiner said. "But the whole arm can't [regrow]."

Stephane Roy, director of the laboratory for tissue regeneration in vertebrates at the University of Montreal, noted that skin, liver and bone don't regenerate in the same sense that salamanders do it.

"Humans can only replace the superficial layer of skin, (which is, in fact, a continuous process referred to as homeostasis)," he said in an email. "Most of the dust in a house is dead skin cells that we lost."

"Liver is also quite different than limb regeneration in salamanders," Roy said. "Liver regeneration is really compensatory hyperplasia, which means that what is left will grow in size to compensate for what is lost." So the liver tissue that is there will grow larger, but if the entire liver were lost, it couldn't regenerate.

"What has been lost will not regrow, and hence you cannot re-amputate the liver, as opposed to limbs in a salamander, which can be amputated multiple times and each time a new limb will regenerate." [11 Surprising Facts About the Skeletal System]

Humans have the ability to regenerate

Gardiner, however, said humans build entire organ systems in the womb; from just some genetic information a human embryo develops into a complete person in nine months. So there is a limited ability to regrow things, and that makes evolutionary sense  humans have to be able to heal, he said.

On top of that, the underlying genetic machinery in a human and a salamander is not that different, even though our last common ancestor diverged during the Devonian period, some 360 million years ago. "There's no special genes for regeneration," Gardiner said. "There are these steps they go through and at least one of those steps doesn't work in humans."

To regrow a limb, the cells need to know where they are  are they at the very tip of a limb by the fingers, or are they at the elbow joint?  and they need to build the right structures in the right order. Salamanders do have certain genes that are "turned off" in humans, Gardiner said. Perhaps those genes enable regeneration, or at least help control the process. Something in humans' evolutionary past selected against expressing those genes the way salamanders do. Nobody knows what that something was, he said.

In 2013, an Australian scientist, James Godwin, at Monash University may have solved part of that mystery. He found that cells, called macrophages, seem to prevent the buildup of scar tissue in salamanders. Macrophages exist in other animals, including humans, and are part of the immune system. Their function is to stop infections and cause inflammation, which is the signal to the rest of the body that repair is needed. Salamanders lacking macrophages failed to regenerate their limbs, and instead formed scars.

Gardiner said Godwin's work was a step toward understanding limb regeneration. Ordinarily salamanders don't develop scar tissue at all. When a human tears a muscle or gets a deep-enough cut, damaging connective tissue, scar tissue forms. This scar tissue doesn't offer the same functionality as the original stuff.

"If I could get a salamander to scar that would really be something," Gardiner said, because that would shed light on the mechanism that makes humans unable to regrow a limb or organ. So macrophages might be part of the story, but not all of it.

Neotony and limb regeneration

The ability to "stay young" may add another insight into the mystery of limb regeneration. Mexican salamanders, called axolotls, or Ambystoma mexicanum, are neotenic, meaning they retain juvenile features into adulthood. This is why axolotls retain gills as they mature, whereas other salamander species don't.

Humans possess neoteny, too, which is why adults look more like our baby selves than is the case with other primates, and why we take longer to mature than, say, chimps do. There's some connection, perhaps, with neoteny and regeneration. Gardiner notes that younger people seem better able to heal than older ones.

In addition, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that a gene called Lin28a, which is active in immature animals (and humans), but shuts down with maturity, has a hand in enabling mice to regenerate tissue  or at least to regrow the tips of their toes and ears. Once the animals were more than 5 weeks old, they weren't able to regrow those parts, even when Lin28a function was stimulated. Lin28a is part of the animal's control system for metabolism  when stimulated, it can make an animal generate more energy, as though it were younger.

But the exact nature of the connection isn't understood yet. Whereas all salamanders can regenerate limbs, only axolotls are neotenic, Roy noted.

Salamanders, especially axolotls, can recruit stem cells to start regrowing limbs, and the kinds of cells that react to a wound site also appear connected to whether limbs can grow again. Gardiner was able to get salamanders to grow extra limbs by stimulating the growth of nerve cells in a wound site.

"It may have to do with a strong immune response, or the specific release of some growth factors, or a combination of both. It could be partly a question of biophysics: Salamander limbs are much smaller than humans; however, frogs cannot regenerate their limbs, so it may not be just a question of size," Roy said.

This mystery remains one  at least for now.

Original article on Live Science.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

It is hardly a new observation that political leaders seeking populist appeal will exacerbate popular fears: about immigrants, terrorists and the other.

President Donald Trump plays to fears of immigrants and Muslims. Benjamin Netanyahu inflames Israeli fears by constantly reminding citizens about the threats around them. And many African leaders bring up fears of satanism and witchcraft. In earlier times, too, American and European leaders invoked threats of communists and Jews.

Such observations explain how leaders use fear to create popular anxiety. But this focus on fear and evil forces, I believe, does something else as well  it could actually contribute to a leader's charisma. He or she becomes the one person who knows the extent of a threat and also how to address it.

This path to leadership takes place in much smaller-scale situations too, as I have studied in my own work.

In my book "Evil Incarnate," I analyze this relationship between claims to discern evil and charismatic authority across history, from European and African witch-finders to modern experts in so-called satanic ritual abuse.

How charisma works

In popular parlance one calls a person charismatic because he or she seems to possess some inner force to which people are drawn.

Social scientists have long perceived this ostensible inner force as the product of social interaction: Charisma, in this interpretation, arises in the interplay between leaders and their audiences. The audiences present their own enthusiasms, needs and fears to the leader. The leader, for his part, mirrors these feelings through his talents in gesture, rhetoric, his conviction in his own abilities and his particular messages about danger and hope.

In sub-Saharan Africa, over the course of the 20th century, charismatic witch-finders swept through villages promising the cleansing of evil. In both Africa and Europe, communities had long been familiar with witches and their modes of attack in general. It has been common in many cultures throughout history to attribute misfortune to witches, who are both a part of society and also malevolent. Misfortunes can thus seem to be the product of human malevolence rather than some abstract divine or natural cause.

Witch-finders, as I see it, have offered four new elements to the "basic" image of witches:

They proclaimed the immediacy of the threat of witches.

They revealed the new methods witches were using to subvert the village or afflict children.

They offered new procedures for interrogating and eliminating witches.

And most importantly, they proclaimed their own unique capacity to discern the witches and their new techniques to purge them from community.

The witch-finder could show people material evidence of witches' activity: grotesque dolls or buried gourds, for example. He  rarely she  could coerce others to testify against an accused witch. Often, he would present himself as the target of witches' active enmity, detailing the threats they had made against him and the attacks he had suffered.

The witch-finder's authority over  and indispensability to  the growing crisis of threatening evil shaped his charisma. People came to depend on his capacity to see evil and on his techniques of ridding it from the land. An uncleansed village felt vulnerable, awash in malevolent powers, one's neighbors all suspect; while a village that a witch-finder had investigated seemed safer, calmer, its paths and alleys swept of evil substances.

Witch hunts, satanic cults

Of course, in order for a witch-finder to be successful in activating fears, there were many extenuating circumstances, both historical and social, that had to work in his favor. These could be catastrophes like the plague, or new ways of organizing the world (such as African colonialism), or political tensions  all of which could make his identification of evil people especially useful, even necessary. Also, he had to come off as professional and he had to have the ability to translate local fears in compelling ways.

Indeed, there were many situations in both Europe and Africa when such claims to authority failed to stimulate a sense of crisis or to legitimate witch-finders' procedures.

For example, in 15th-century Europe, the Franciscan friar Bernardino was able to instigate horrific witch-burnings in Rome but failed to persuade the people of Siena of the dangers witches posed.

But there are times when this pattern has come together and witnessed outright panic and ensuing atrocities. As historians Miri Rubin and Ronald Hsia have described, various such charismatic discerners of evil in medieval and Renaissance Northern Europe (often Christian clergy and friars) promoted false charges against local Jews that they hungered for stolen Eucharists or for the blood of Christian children.

These charismatic leaders organized hunts through Jewish houses to uncover signs of mutilated Eucharist or children's bones  hunts that swiftly turned into pogroms, as participants in these hunts felt a conspiracy of evil was emerging before them.

The contemporary West has in no way been immune to these patterns on both large and more restricted scales. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the United States and the United Kingdom found themselves facing a panic over satanic cults, alleged to be sexually abusing children and adults.

In this case, a number of psychiatrists, child protection officers, police and evangelical clergy were styling themselves as experts in discerning the abuses of satanists both in daycare centers and among psychiatric patients. Many people came to believe in the urgency of the satanic threat. Yet no evidence for the existence of such satanic cults ever came to light.

Needs of an anxious culture

In many ways we can see a similar interplay between charisma and the discernment of evil in those modern leaders that seek a populist appeal.

For example, in his campaign Trump insisted that he alone could utter the words "radical Islamic terrorism" which assured members of his audience that only Trump was calling out "the terrorist threat." In Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened publicly to eat the liver of the terrorists there. These leaders, I believe, are trying to convey that there is a larger threat out there and, even more, they are assuring people that the leader alone understands the nature of that larger threat. Trump's several attempts to ban Muslim visitors since his election have made his supporters feel understood and safer.

As my work on witch-finders shows, an anxious culture may invest itself in a leader who, it feels, can discern and eliminate a pervasive and subversive evil. Perhaps, in today's world, the terrorist has become the new "witch": a monstrous incarnation of evil, posing a unique threat to our communities and undeserving of normal justice.

Do our leaders provide the charismatic leadership for this current era?

David Frankfurter, Professor of Religion, Boston University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
An artist's illustration of Boyajian's star, which experiences unexplained changes in brightness. One hypothesis is that a planet has broken up around the star, and the debris is block the star's light.

The perplexing cosmic object known as "Boyajian's star" is once again exhibiting a mysterious pattern of dimming and brightening that scientists have tried to explain with hypotheses ranging from swarms of comets to alien megastructures.

Today (May 19), an urgent call went out to scientists around the world to turn as many telescopes as possible toward the star, to try and crack the mystery of its behavior.

"At about 4 a.m. this morning I got a phone call  that Fairborn [Observatory] in Arizona had confirmed that the star was 3 percent dimmer than it normally is," Jason Wright, an associate professor of astronomy at Pennsylvania State University, who is managing a study of Boyajian's star, said during a live webcast today at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). "That is enough that we are absolutely confident that this is no statistical fluke. We've now got it confirmed at multiple observatories, I think."

See more

Star KIC 8462852, or Boyajian's star (also nicknamed "Tabby's star," for astronomer Tabetha Boyajian, who led the team that first detected the star's fluctuations), has demonstrated an irregular cycle of growing dimmer and then returning to its previous brightness. These changes were first spotted in September 2015 using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, which was built to observe these kinds of dips in a star's brightness, because they can be caused by a planet moving in front of the star as seen from Earth.

But the brightness changes exhibited by Boyajian don't show the kind of regularity that is typical of a planet's orbit around its star, and scientists can't see how the changes could be explained by a system of planets.

Scientists have hypothesized that the changes could be due to a swarm of comets passing in front of the star, that they're the result of strong magnetic activity, or that it's some massive structure built by aliens. But no leading hypothesis has emerged, so scientists have been eager to capture a highly detailed picture of the light coming from the star during one of these dimming periods. This detailed view is what scientists typically call an object spectra. It can reveal, for example, the specific chemical elements that are in a gas. It can also tell scientists if an object is moving toward or away from the observer.

See more

"Whatever's causing the star to get dimmer will leave a spectral fingerprint behind," Wright said during the webcast, which took place in the Breakthrough Listen laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. "So if there is a lot of dust between us and the star  it will block more blue light than red light. If there is gas in that dust, that gas should absorb very specific wavelengths and we should be able to see that. And so, we've been eager to see one of these changes in one of these dips of the star so we can take some spectra."

But the scientists couldn't predict when the next dimming event would occur or how long it will last. (Dips detected by Kepler lasted for between two and seven days, according to Wright.) Professional-grade telescopes typically schedule observing time weeks or months in advance, so Wright and his colleagues knew their observations would have to come at the behest of colleagues who were already using the telescopes for other projects.

"We need to have a network of people around the world that are ready to jump on [and observe it]," Wright said. "Fortunately, Tabby's star is not too faint and so there are a lot of observers and telescopes  that have graciously agreed to take some time out of their science to grab a spectrum for us [tonight]."

See more

Wright said the call had gone out to amateur as well as professional astronomers to observe Boyajian's star during this dimming period. The largest and most powerful telescopes that will heed the call are the twin 10-meter telescopes at the W.H. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The team is working to gain observing time on at least three other large telescopes on the U.S., according to Wright.

The Breakthrough Listen initiative, which searches for signs of intelligent life in the universe, has also taken an interest in the star and will be observing it with the Automated Planet Finder telescope at Lick Observatory in California, according to Andrew Siemion, director or the Berkeley SETI Research Center, said in the webcast.

"It's Super Bowl Sunday," Siemion said of the atmosphere at the during the webcast. "There's a palpable tension."

Breakthrough and the Berkeley center are now trying to get some observing time on the Green Bank radio telescope in West Virginia, according to Siemion.

Boyajian was the astronomer at Yale University who led the team that initially spotted the star's brightness fluctuations. It was Boyajian who called Wright at 4 a.m. to confirm that the star is dimming.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield.Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Female African elephants (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>) can grow to be 9 feet (2.6 meters) tall and can weigh up to 7,125 pounds (2,232 kilograms).

A professional big-game hunter died near Gwai, Zimbabwe, on the afternoon of May 19, after he was crushed by a female elephant that had been shot by a member of his hunting party.

Theunis Botha, a resident of Tzaneen, South Africa, was leading a group of hunters when they surprised a breeding herd of elephants and were charged by three females, according to the South African news site News24.

As Botha fired at the charging elephants, a fourth female grabbed him, lifting him into the air with her trunk. One of the other hunters in their party shot the elephant, which fell on Botha as she died, News24 reported. [7 Iconic Animals Humans Are Driving to Extinction]

The incident took place at the Good Luck Ranch near Hwange National Park in northwest Zimbabwe, Simukai Nyasha, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said in a statement.

Botha was well-known for safaris using dogs that were specially bred and trained to track and hunt animals such as leopards and lions, according to his website, Big Game Safaris. He began leading hunting expeditions in 1989 on his own property in South Africa, later offering his services for hunts on private ranches in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia, Big Game Safaris reported in a biography of its founder.

Though wildlife trophy hunters typically confront large animals from a distance and with long-range rifles, that does not always protect them from being attacked by their prey. In 2013, a suspected poacher in Charara National Park, also in northwestern Zimbabwe, met a similar fate to Botha's when he was trampled by an elephant. His remains were found by rangers; two other poachers who entered the park with the man to illegally shoot elephants were arrested by authorities.

Zimbabwe is home to an estimated 80,000 elephants, the second largest population of elephants in Africa, officials reported in the Zimbabwe National Elephant Management Plan (2015  2020).

Original article on Live Science.
The Swiss have spoken, and nuclear power has been voted out in favor of renewable energy.

On the ballot yesterday (May 21) was the Swiss government's Energy Strategy 2050, a referendum that called for the ban of new nuclear power plants and investment in renewable energy. Under this energy plan, the country's five existing nuclear power plants will remain operational for as long as safety standards are met, The Local, an English-language news network in Europe, explains. Energy production would instead focus on hydropower, according to The Local, along with other renewable energy sources like solar and wind.

Though the votes have not been finalized, the New York Times reported that initial figures show Swiss voters passed the energy plan with 58.2 percent support. The country's direct democracy system gives voters the power to pass major policy issues.

"[The public] wants a new energy policy and does not want any new nuclear plants," Doris Leuthard, the Swiss energy minister, said at a news conference, according to The Times. "The law leads our country into a modern energy future."

Leuthard said the Energy Strategy 2050 will reduce the use of fossil fuels and foreign energy  Switzerland was a net power importer in 2016  while supporting and expanding domestic production of renewable energy, the Times reported. Though some aspects of the plan will take effect in 2018, a fourfold increase in solar and wind power is targeted for 2035.

Less than 5 percent of Switzerland's current energy production is solar and wind, according to the Times, while hydropower accounts for 60 percent of energy output and nuclear for 35 percent. The nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, following the major earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, is partly responsible for the lack of support for such energy in Switzerland and the rest of Europe, according to the Times.

In 1978, legislation prohibited nuclear power plants on Austrian territory. After the Fukushima disaster, Germany decided to accelerate its plan to phase out nuclear power, the news site Deutsche Welle reported.

Polls suggest Europe is not alone in this nuclear cold-shoulder: A Gallup poll conducted in 2016 found that the majority of Americans (54 percent) oppose the use of nuclear energy. For comparison, in 2011 just days before the Fukushima disaster, 57 percent of Americans said they were in favor of nuclear energy, Gallup reported.

Original article on Live Science.
The lonely fossil of a 2.5-year-old early human ancestor has revealed for the first time that the spines of ancient hominins were a lot like ours  and a lot not.

New research, published today (May 22) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that Australopithecus afarensis, a human ancestor that lived 3 million years ago, had the same number of lumbar and thoracic vertebrae as humans. But the young hominin, nicknamed "Selam," for the Amharic word for "peace," showed a markedly different transition between her upper and lower back, one that may have given her a boost for bipedal walking.

"We have never known before whether our earliest ancestors have the same pattern and the same numbers of vertebrae," study author Carol Ward, a biological anthropologist at the University of Missouri, told Live Science. [See Images of Selam, Our Toddler Human Ancestor]

The transition to walking

All of Selam's bones, laid out in their anatomical positions. (Image credit: Zeray Alemseged/University of Chicago)

Finding out is important, Ward said, because the structure of the back is key to walking upright on two feet. Modern apes, chimpanzees and gorillas have 13 pairs of ribs compared with modern humans' 12. Modern humans also have lower backs that are longer than those of other great apes.

"Apes are really stiff," Ward said. That's fine if you want a strong platform for swinging around trees using your upper limbs, but humanity's more flexible lower backs are more suitable for upright walking.

Early hominins, or human ancestors, more or less personified the transition from scuttling about on all-fours to bipedalism. But their spines have remained a mystery. Vertebrae and ribs are small, delicate bones that don't preserve well in the fossil record, Ward said. A few partial skeletons ofAustralopithecus aferensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus sediba and Homo erectus have provided some hints as to what hominin backbones looked like, but were so fragmentary that researchers haven't been sure how many vertebrae made up their upper back, for example. "Lucy," the famous A. aferensis discovered in Ethiopia in 1974, had only nine vertebrae in her fossil, one of which was later found to belong to a baboon.

Selam has changed all that. The skeleton of this small female A. aferensis was discovered in Dikika, Ethiopia, in 2000. Since then, researchers have been painstakingly chipping her bones out of hard sandstone, trying not to damage them. They've already learned that this 3.3-million-year-old human ancestor was bipedal but also climbed trees.

"This is an absolutely beautiful specimen that was prepped very carefully and meticulously," said Scott Williams, an anthropologist at New York University who wasn't involved in the original study but who has been shown the fossil in person by its discoverer, Ethiopian paleoanthropologist Zeresenay Alemseged. "It's very fragile, and it's very complete."

Selam's spine

Now, the research team has finally revealed Selam's backbone for the first time. Her vertebrae are each only about half an inch (1.2 centimeters) across, Ward said, so tiny that they couldn't be fully removed from the surrounding rock. Once the preparation team had chipped away enough sandstone, they took the fossil to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France, which can take X-rays on the scale of a thousandth of a millimeter in resolution.

The researchers then transformed the X-rays into 3D digital models, a process that took another year and a half, Ward said.

What those images revealed was a spine with 12 ribs and 12 thoracic vertebrae, just like the spine of modern humans. (The spine is divided into three sections: the cervical spine, or neck; the thoracic spine, or upper back; and the lumbar spine, or lower back.)

But in another very important way, Selam's spine was not very human-like. The difference is in the thoracolumbar transition, or the anatomical changes in the vertebrae from the upper to lower back. These changes occur at the facet joints, where ligaments that allow for flexion and rotation attach the bones together. In modern humans, these facet joints subtly change shape and orientation at the 12th thoracic vertebrae, the lowest one that links up with a rib. They go from a flat shape and a front-to-back orientation to a more curved shape with a more side-to-side orientation.

In A. afarensis, Selam's skeleton reveals, this anatomical change happened at the 11th thoracic vertebrae, the one above the last rib-bearing bone. This is the exact same pattern seen in the few other early hominin partial backbones that have been preserved, including A. africanus, A. sediba and Homo erectus. [Australopithecus Sediba Photos: Anatomy of Humans' Closest Relative]

"We had maybe three specimens, now we have at least four that show that exact same unusual pattern," Ward said. "You almost never see it in humans, you don't see it in apes."

There is some variation in the transition in human spines, such that about a quarter of modern Homo sapiens also have the thoracolumbar transition at the 11th thoracic vertebra rather than the 12th. But, Ward said, if early hominin spines showed this same distribution, the chance of coincidentally finding the same variation in the thoracolumbar transition in all early hominin fossils so far would be less than 1 in 10,000. Thus, it's far more likely that early hominins really did have different spinal transitions than today's humans.

Structure and function

The higher transition may have enabled early hominins like Selam more mobility in an era when the pelvis hadn't evolved as much flexibility in its connection with the spine as in modern humans, Ward said.

That's a hard theory to prove, though. No one has found any evidence that modern humans with the thoracolumbar transition at the 11th thoracic vertebra are functionally any different than those with the transition at the 12th, Williams said. But Australopiths also had differences in their lower back shape, as far as the scant fossil record shows, so the interaction of the thoracolumbar transition and the rest of the spine might have been different than it is in today's humans.

"We will need more fossils to test it," Williams said.

Selam's spine is the only one that preserves all the neck- and rib-bearing vertebrae in the fossil record until the Neanderthals, 60,000 years ago. Neanderthals, as it happens, have the same thoracolumbar transition as modern Homo sapiens. Next, Ward said, the researchers plan to try to extrapolate more about Selam's body shape from the shape of her spinal column.

"How many vertebrae they had is the starting point for a lot of our other questions, speculations, hypotheses and models," she said.

Original article on Live Science.
The seeds are safe  for now. But a famous "doomsday" seed vault is scrambling to renovate after melting permafrost penetrated its access tunnel.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault announced on May 21 that it will be constructing new drainage ditches, building waterproof walls and taking other steps to protect its valuable contents from flooding. The seed vault is built inside a mountain on an archipelago in Norway and acts as a global backup storage system for crop diversity: Seeds from around the world are stored there. The remote location is meant to be a feature of the vault. The mountain's rock and year-round permafrost are intended to keep the seeds chilled even if humanity can no longer maintain power to the facility. The organization Crop Trust, which partially funds and supports the vault, calls this permafrost a "fail-safe" storage facility on its web page. [In Photos: Take a Tour of the World's 'Doomsday' Seed Vault]

Permafrost failure

But climate change is causing this fail-safe facility to fail. Extremely high temperatures in the Arctic are melting permafrost (and inhibiting sea-ice growth). The region is responding to global warming faster than anywhere else on Earth, heating up at twice the rate of the rest of the world, according to 2014 research.

The seeds themselves, which are deeper in the mountain, weren't threatened, Norwegian officials told The Guardian.

"The question is whether this is just happening now, or will it escalate?" government official Hege Njaa Aschim told the newspaper.

Planning ahead

For now, the Norwegian government (which owns the vault) is acting as if the high winter temperatures in the Arctic will be the new normal. Officials are removing electrical equipment from the access tunnel to eliminate a potential source of heat, they said in a statement. They're constructing drainage ditches to move any meltwater away from the access tunnel entrance, rather than toward it. They also plan to construct waterproof walls inside the tunnel. Over time, they may even construct a new entrance in a less vulnerable spot.

The seeds themselves are kept 394 feet (120 meters) deep inside the mountain, frozen not just by permafrost, but by artificial cooling. They're kept at minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius) inside foil packages nestled in sealed boxes. Pumps around the main vault are poised to whisk away any meltwater that might penetrate, according to Crop Trust.

The question is whether the operators can engineer a solution to keep the seed vault self-regulating.

"It was supposed to [operate] without the help of humans," Aschim told The Guardian. "But now we are watching the seed vault 24 hours a day."

Original article on Live Science.
On his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman were captured in a photo putting their hands on a glowing orb. The comical picture has launched a thousand jokes and memes about crystal balls.

It turns out that Trump and King Salman weren't trying to divine the future or electrocute themselves. The bizarre orb was not actually a crystal ball at all; it was an illuminated globe meant to represent the world as part of an event showcasing the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology.

But if it were a crystal ball, that wouldn't be so surprising, as the practice of "crystal gazing" has been common for millennia all over the world, from the British Isles to China and the Americas, wrote Andrew Lang in "Crystal Gazing: Its History and Practice, with a Discussion of Evidence for Telepathic Scrying" (The De La More Press, 1905).

From their murky origins to their history to their weirdest uses, here are five facts about crystal balls. [13 Common (But Silly) Superstitions]

Druid roots

The technical term for the act of gazing into a shiny reflective surface as a means of divining new information or predicting the future is "scrying." The term is a shortening of the word descry, and it has roots going back to the ancient Druids, part of an elite class of Celtic people who lived primarily in the British Isles and France during the Bronze Age. According to "The Natural History" by Roman-era naturalist and historian Pliny the Elder, Druids used crystals to foretell the future. Julius Caesar also described Druid superstitious practices in his oral histories of the Gallic Wars. (Caesar was waging war against the Gallic nations at the time, so he may have had reason to exaggerate some of their less savory customs, such as human sacrifice.) Druids did not limit their divination to crystals; pools of water, mirrors or reflective glass would also do.

Worldwide trend

However, crystal gazing wasn't confined to the Druids in ancient Gaul. In "Crystal Gazing," author Lang noted that the practice held sway in China as well. A Chinese criminal code from 1888 described a practice called Yuang-kuang-fuchou, or the magic of the round glittering, which a practitioner allegedly used to call up the face of a thief who may have stolen his belongings.

And the same book notes that Muslims in India practiced "viewing of unjun (lampblack or the magic mirror.)" According to research done by David Margoliouth in the late 1800s on Muslim divination, the Khalif Mansur, who lived in the eighth century, used a mirror that could allegedly reveal whether someone was friend or foe. Another legend holds that a different leader possessed a ruby ring that could reveal faces in its surface. Other folk remedies have historically included sick people looking into a shiny pot of water to be healed, as was beleived in Medina, Saudi Arabia, while other people used mirayat, or magic mirrors, according to "Magie & Religion dans L'Afrique du Nord" (1909).

Forbidden practice

While crystal gazing and scrying may have been popular throughout the world, such divination has largely been considered a forbidden occult by major world religions.

For instance, the Old Testament expressly forbids divination, saying, "for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this." (Deuteronomy 18:14). In Ezekiel 21:21, the King of Babylon (who is the enemy of the Israelites) either shuffles arrows or polishes their surfaces to read them, according to "Magic and Divination in Ancient Palestine and Syria" (E. J. Brill, 1996). The idea is that something about the appearance of the arrows could reveal insights into the future, according to the book.

The Koran also expressly forbids the pagan practice of El Meysar, a form of divination that involved shuffling arrows, along with similar practices, while the Catechism of the Catholic Church warns faithful adherents against Spiritism, which involves using divination or magical practices. In the book "The City of God," St. Augustine said scrying was "entangled in the deceptive rites of demons who masquerade under the names of angels."

Being forbidden, however, didn't mean the practices weren't popular. Crystal balls became popular as fashion accessories or to ward off evil spirits in the Middle Ages, possibly because of their association with the wizard Merlin in the King Arthur legends. Nowadays, Merlin is often depicted with a crystal ball for use in prophecy.

Queen's court

One of the most well-connected scientists in the 16th century was known to use scrying through a crystal ball. John Dee, an astronomer, scientist and mathematician who was chums with astronomy luminaries like Tycho Brahe and Nicolaus Copernicus, also served as advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. Dee turned to crystal ball gazing after traditional scientific methods of inquiry failed to produce satisfactory insights. He believed that these divination sessions could determine the "universal language of creation," which he apparently believed needed to happen so that humanity could unite before the apocalypse.

After his death, an antiques dealer found a series of manuscripts in Dee's artifacts, which were "angelic" communications from these divination sessions. Some of these accounts were published in "A True & Faithful Relation of What Passed for Many Yeers Between Dr. John Dee (A Mathematician of Great Fame in Q. Eliz. and King James Their Reignes) and some spirits" (Maxwell, 1659). The crystal globe possibly used by Dee for divination is still housed at the British Museum.

Famous crystal balls

While crystal balls are typically about the size of a grapefruit, some have been much, much bigger. The largest-known true crystal ball is housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Weighing in at 106.75 lbs. (48.42 kilograms) and spanning a whopping 12.9 inches (32.7 centimeters) in diameter, the huge orb is the largest flawless quartz crystal in the world, according to the Smithsonian Institution. The giant orb was first cut and polished in the 1800s in China, and the mineral itself may have been mined from Burma, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

Runners-up include a flawless, 11.3-inch-diameter (28.9 cm) rock crystal sphere on display in the Crow Collection in Dallas. The Dallas globe was cut during the Japanese Meiji period. The third-largest crystal ball is the rock crystal sphere of the Dowager Empress of China, housed at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia; that orb is a mere 10 inches (25.4 cm) in diameter and weigs just 49 lbs. (22 kg).

One of the world's most famous crystal balls  the Wicked Witch's crystal ball from the movie "The Wizard of Oz"  sold for $129,000 at an auction in 2001. It is made of handblown glass and is actually slightly egg-shaped, according to Jay Walker (opens in new tab), the curator at the Walker Library of the History of Human Imagination.

The crystal balls that are typically seen in the average fortune-teller's tent, however, are made of much commoner materials; those orbs typically consist of glass, lead crystal or reconstituted quartz crystal.

Originally published on Live Science.
Christian Leaders Urge Trump: Recognize Jerusalem and Move US Embassy Contact: Daryl Hedding, Deputy Director, ICEJ US, 615-895-9830, daryl.hedding@icejusa.org



MURFREESBORO, Tenn., May 22, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- As President Trump arrives in Israel today, Christian leaders back home are urging him to announce the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Some 60 Christian leaders signed a letter delivered to President Trump, prior to his departure for the Middle East, calling on the American administration to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to locate the US Embassy there. The letter opened, "the time has come, at long last, to uphold American law by moving the U.S. Embassy to Israel's eternal indivisible capital city of Jerusalem."



Referencing the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, the letter noted that Congress had recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and called for the U.S. Embassy to be moved there by May 31, 1999. Due to presidential waivers every six months delaying the implementation of that law, Israel is the only country where the U.S. does not place its embassy in the functioning capital of the country. This "doublespeak" should end, according to these leaders.



The letter was organized by the American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) an informal network of Christian leaders, managed by the US Branch of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, representing some 60 million Christians across America. The ACLI letter was signed by Evangelical leaders representing diverse groups and denominations; among them Dr. Jerry Johnson, President and CEO, National Religious Broadcasters; Dr. John Hagee, Founder and Chairman, Christians United for Israel; Star Parker, President, Center for Urban Renewal and Education; Penny Nance, CEO, Concerned Women for America; Gordon Robertson, CEO, The Christian Broadcasting Network; Dr. James Dobson, President, Family Talk Radio; Gary Bauer, Washington Director, Christians United for Israel Action Fund; and Janet Parshall, nationally syndicated talk show host.



Susan Michael, ICEJ USA Director, stated her concern the president was being counseled to delay implementation of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act and to make it part of a peace agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis. "Considering the 24 years of attempted peace agreements by three previous presidents, it is not a good idea to continue waiting."



Scores of Christian leaders will join members of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus on Tuesday to urge President Donald Trump to keep his promise and move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel's indivisible capital, Jerusalem. The event, hosted by Israel Allies Foundation, will begin with a press conference and then a reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.



Expected speakers include Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), and Brad Sherman (D-CA); Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, Rabbi of Congregation B'nai Tzedek in Potomac, Maryland; Susan Michael, U.S. Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem; Jerry Johnson, President of the National Religious Broadcasters; Star Parker, President of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education; and Daniel Williams, Executive Director of the Israel Allies Foundation.



FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Daryl Hedding, ICEJ US Deputy Director: (615) 895-9830, daryl.hedding@icejusa.org



About American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI)

On behalf of the tens of millions of American Christians that we collectively represent, we the members of ACLI seek to provide a unified voice of truth to the American public in support of Israel and the Jewish people. American Christian Leaders for Israel is a project of the U.S. Branch of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. Learn more at aclforisrael.com.



About International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ)

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem was established in 1980 in recognition of the biblical significance of all of Jerusalem, and its unique connection with the Jewish people of Israel. Today it represents millions of Christians, churches and denominations to the nation and people. Our work with its head office in Jerusalem reaches more than 140 countries with branch offices in over 85 nations. Learn more at icejusa.org.



About Israel Allies Foundation (IAF)

Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) works with Congress and parliaments around the world to mobilize political support for Israel. Since its founding in 2007, IAF has worked to educate elected officials in the U.S. and abroad about the importance of an indivisible Jerusalem and the significance of Jerusalem as Israel's recognized capital and the only appropriate home to the U.S. and all international embassies.

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In a decision that thrilled Bay Area politicians and tech industry leaders as much as Caltrain commuters, federal transportation officials agreed Monday to approve a $647 million grant to modernize and electrify the 154-year-old commuter railroad that links San Francisco and San Jose.

The announcement that the Federal Transit Administration will sign the federal grant agreement ends a battle between Californias Republican congressional delegation, which persuaded the Trump administration to put the grant on hold, and a coalition of the Bay Areas elected representatives, Silicon Valley executives, transportation officials and commuters that said the Caltrain project was crucial to the Bay Area, state and federal economies.

Carl Guardino, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, said the grant enables Caltrain to move forward with its plan to convert its diesel commuter line to a modern electric railroad that can run faster and more frequent trains, carrying more passengers.

This project is more than shovel ready, Guardino said. These shovels have been in peoples hands since March 1. Now we can get those shovels into the ground.

Caltrain officials say they are ready to start construction within 60 days. Commuters should be riding electric trains on the Peninsula by 2021, said Jeff Gee, chairman of the Caltrain Board of Directors.

For the past three months, the modernization project  which had been discussed and carefully planned for at least three decades  was in limbo.

The $1.98 billion project is mainly funded with state, regional and local money that has been collected since 1996, and includes some voter-approved high-speed rail bond money. But the $647 million grant was considered an essential piece that Caltrain had been all but assured it would be awarded by early this year.

The Federal Transit Administration had recommended the grant for approval, and last fall, Caltrain awarded contracts to build the electrical infrastructure and to build and deliver new electric commuter trains.

Construction was to begin in March, but the Trump administration abruptly postponed the grants approval on Feb. 17 pending development of the presidents budget plan. The delay came after Central Valley Republicans, led by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, lobbied to prevent the funding because it could allow the Caltrain tracks to eventually be used by the states high-speed rail system, which they oppose.

Supporters of the electrification plan answered with a high-powered campaign of their own to get the decision reversed. Led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the Bay Areas Washington delegation pressed Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to approve the funding. So did Bay Area technology and business leaders, who signed letters and visited Washington to lobby for the project. Commuters also joined the fight, signing petitions and flooding congressional offices with phone calls and emails.

Their message emphasized the importance of Caltrain to the Bay Area and the tech economy and the 9,600 jobs the project would create in other parts of the country. Those areas include Republican-dominated states Texas, Utah and Florida  where equipment will be manufactured.

Despite their efforts, it was unclear whether they were making headway.

In May, the Trump administration agreed to allocate $100 million to the project but made no commitment to approving the full grant.

As recently as last week, Chao tangled with Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., at a committee meeting, and said the state already gets more than its share of federal funding. Harris said Monday she thought their exchange helped persuade transportation officials to approve the grant.

Feinstein praised the decision to fund the project, saying it was the kind of infrastructure project the nation, not just Silicon Valley, needs.

Caltrains project is now ready to put 10,000 people to work across the country and bring to fruition a badly needed transportation improvement that enjoys nearly unanimous support throughout the Bay Area, she said. This is a win for everyone involved.

McCarthy did not respond to requests for comment, but Rep. Jeff Denham, a Turlock Republican who helped him lead the fight against Caltrain funding, criticized Mondays action.

This is yet another bait and switch to defeat state taxpayers and take imaginary dollars from one project to pay for another, putting at risk Californias transportation future, he said. Caltrain is not, nor will it ever be, high speed and should not be funded with high-speed rail dollars.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
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The man who police say tried to light seven diners, including a child, on fire as they ate breakfast at a Dennys restaurant in Hayward last week has been charged by the Alameda district attorneys office.

The suspect was identified as 43-year-old Victor Rubio of Union City. He faces seven counts of assault with caustic chemicals, one count of willfully and maliciously attempting to set a fire, and one count of child endangerment, according to police.

Rubio was arrested just before 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Dennys on Industrial Parkway near Whipple Road, according to the Hayward Police Department.

He was eating breakfast at the Dennys when he got up and began to pour flammable liquid on nearby diners, including a young child, police said.

He poured the chemicals on seven people  three men, a mother and daughter and another woman and her child, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Alameda County district attorneys office.

He also doused the floor with the liquid, and was fumbling with a cigarette lighter when patrons in the restaurant stopped him before he could ignite a fire, according to police.

Rubio previously served time for a felony drug offense in Alameda County and was also convicted of felony evasion of an officer, the complaint said.

Rubio is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, according to county records.

A Dennys was also the setting for an apparently unrelated arson attack last month in Clackamas, Ore., in which a man reportedly poured gasoline on a 69-year-old man dining at the restaurant, then lit him on fire. The victim was critically injured and treated at a burn center in Portland, according to a GoFundMe page created by his family.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi
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Toyotas charitable foundation granted $1.7 million Monday to Southwest Independent School District to support the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, programs at its new high school.

The grant by the Toyota USA Foundation, the culmination of a year-and-a-half of work, will go to Southwest Legacy High School, which is set to open in August, Toyota spokesman Mario Lozoya said.

It is Toyota's largest contribution so far to a school system in Texas, Toyota spokeswoman Melissa Sparks said in an email.

Southwest Legacy is preparing to become the second San Antonio school designated a Center for Applied Science and Technology, or CAST school, an H-E-B-supported program to prepare students for careers in high local demand. The other one will be at Fox Technical High School in a partnership between H-E-B, San Antonio Independent School District, and local colleges and businesses. It also is set to open in the fall.

Toyota has been working to provide funds to Southwest Legacy since before the school was chosen to be a CAST campus, and the latest grant is not because of CAST, it is just on top of it, Lozoya said, adding, Im glad that its in alignment with the same type of workforce needs that Toyota coincidentally needs, but we were already working on a partnership prior to the CAST announcement.

Mayor Ivy Taylor said the educational grant represented Toyotas steadfast commitment to San Antonio. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff called the it an impressive, bold and long overdue step forward to preparing our young people for careers of the future.

This is exactly why Bexar County worked so hard to recruit a global leader like Toyota. They provide real opportunity to the South Side and to all of San Antonio, Wolff said in the news release.

In addition to the grant, Lozoya said Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas  the local plant that builds Tundra and Tacoma pickups  donated hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of robotic machines and small autonomous vehicles to Southwest Legacy.

While school systems are striving to become better for our students and communities, the reality is we have limited resources, said Southwest ISD superintendent Lloyd Verstuyft. When business steps forward we can create brighter and more engaging learning environments with student outcomes that benefit our youth, communities, state and the nation.

rdruzin@express-news.net

@druz_journo
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State Sen. Carlos Urestis legal defense could be facing a potential setback even before he begins in earnest fighting the criminal charges against him.

San Antonio attorney Mikal Watts on Friday said federal prosecutors have indicated they will seek to disqualify him from defending Uresti in at least one of two indictments unsealed Tuesday.

Prosecutors likely will file a motion contending Watts has a conflict of interests because he previously represented Denise Cantu, a Harlingen woman identified in one of the indictments as Victim 1. In all likelihood, Cantu will be a witness against Uresti in that case.

Uresti and Watts represented Cantu in a 2010 wrongful-death case after the rear tire on her Ford Explorer blew out, causing the SUV to veer into a grassy median, roll over and kill her 13-year-old daughter, 4-year-old son and two friends.

Cantu won a large legal settlement and later, said to be at the suggestion of Uresti, invested the bulk of the proceeds in fledgling frac-sand company FourWinds Logistics, which ultimately went bankrupt in 2015 and folded. Cantu lost most of her $900,000 investment.

Uresti failed to disclose to Cantu that he was collecting a commission and a cut of the profits on her investment, the indictment states. Uresti also gave Cantu legal advice regarding investing in FourWinds despite also representing the company, the document adds.

Uresti is facing 11 counts in the indictment, including securities fraud, wire fraud and acting as an unregistered securities broker. Hes facing two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and money laundering in the second indictment. He has denied the allegations.

On Friday, Watts disputed that he had a conflict that would lead to his removal from the case.

My attorney-client relationship with Denise Cantu ended at the end of that (wrongful-death) case, Watts said. The law is that when the task is performed and the case ends, the attorney-client relationship ends absent an agreement in writing by the parties to continue it. I havent talked to Denise Cantu in five years, and unless and until she decides to hire me on another matter that I agreed to accept representation on, I am no longer her lawyer.

Watts added the work he performed in Cantus case is not substantially related to the criminal case against Uresti. San Antonio lawyer Jorge Aristotelidis also is on the Democratic senators legal team.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Blackwell, one of the prosecutors in the criminal cases against Uresti, declined to comment Friday.

Cantu opposes Watts representing Uresti, according to Oscar R. Alvarez, a McAllen lawyer who filed a lawsuit against Uresti on Cantus behalf this year in an attempt to recover some of the money she lost in FourWinds.

Denise does not think its fair, Alvarez said. Watts and Uresti both used to represent her, and now theres a conflict between them (Cantu and Uresti) and (Watts is) taking sides.

Bruce Campbell, a Dallas attorney specializing in legal ethics, said its difficult to predict whether a judge would remove Watts from the case.

Its going to come down to a question of whether the matters are substantially related or not, Campbell said. Thats going to be the linchpin of that issue, unless Mr. Watts has obtained a waiver from Ms. Cantu.

Cantu never signed a waiver of conflict with Watts, Alvarez said.

Prosecutors may have another reason for seeking to remove Watts: He could be called as a witness.

I anticipate that will be one of the arrows in their quiver that they will shoot at me, Watts said. But the law frowns on that because of the potential for abuse.

Watts said he didnt know whether prosecutors will try to remove him as Urestis attorney in the bribery case, in which Uresti also is accused of funneling money from a Reeves County businessman to a former county judge to secure a medical services contract for a jail complex.

Uresti faces up to about 200 years in prison and millions of dollars in fines if convicted on all charges in the two indictments.

In an unrelated case, federal prosecutors in San Antonio this year persuaded a U.S. magistrate judge to remove the lead defense lawyer for the president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club because he might have a conflict of interests. U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad said the lawyer might be forced to be a witness to dispute the allegations of two of his former clients.

Watts said theres always an ulterior motive when a motion to disqualify a lawyer is filed.

Youre trying to weaken your opposition, he said before sharing a conversation he said he had with Urestis prosecutors.

I said, I see why you guys want to disqualify me, Watts said. After, I would not want to tangle with a man with such considerable criminal law experience as me. We all had a big laugh about it.

The punchline is that the nationally renowned plaintiffs lawyer has defended only one criminal case in his entire career  his own.

In 2015, Watts was indicted on charges of making false claims and identity theft in relation to litigation involving BP over the 2010 Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Watts defended himself during the trial and ultimately was acquitted by a jury on all 66 charges.
Several flavors of nostalgia are on tap this week in San Antonio.

From the shores of Lake Woebegone, retired NPR star Garrison Keillor returns to San Antonio. A slightly younger old crowd will congregate at Paper Tiger for one of 2017's must-see shows, the 40th anniversary reunion tour of L.A. punk band X.
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KABB-TV's chief anchorwoman Elisa Amigo is exiting her job of three years.

The Fox affiliate's 9 p.m. weekday news co-anchor also is leaving San Antonio. Her destination: Cavaliers country.

Amigo wrote on Facebook that she opted not to renew her contract to be with her husband, who has "career opportunities in Cleveland."

"This was certainly not an easy decision, but since I've been married, I've learned a thing or two. It's not about me, it's about WE," she explained in the post.

"We decided it was time to make a choice. No more traveling back and forth. We both love our careers, but our time away from work is limited. No matter what comes our way, it's God and family above all else," she continued.

Amigo, a native of Ohio, anchored and reported in Cleveland for eight years before heading to San Antonio in 2014.

RELATED: Popular anchor exits S.A. TV; likable vet in her place

According to Blaise Labbe, the director of news for KABB and WOAI, Amigo's last day alongside co-anchor Ryan Wolf is Wednesday, also the final day of the May ratings period.

As for a successor, Labbe said that decision is still pending.

After Amigo's departure, Wolf likely will anchor solo for the first couple days, he said, "and then we're going to figure out what we're going to do."

Meanwhile, Wolf tweeted this sweet farewell to his television partner: "Gonna miss my (television) wife! You've been an awesome partner & friend. I'm glad to know you'll be together with your husband."

As for what Amigo will miss about the Alamo City, she wrote: "We cherish the friendships and the memories we've made here in Texas! From the River Walk, Hill Country wineries, Northrock Church, cowboy boots and breakfast tacos, S.A. was literally my first rodeo, ya'll!

"Not only was I blessed to work with an extremely talented group of journalists, but the people here in the Alamo City welcomed us 'Ohio defectors' with open arms! For those reasons and more, S.A. will always have a special place in my heart."

In Cleveland, she'll "root for the Cavs," but promised that she'll "still cheer for the Spurs."

RELATED: San Antonio TV reporter booked on DWI charge

jjakle@express-news.net
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A fourth person has been arrested for allegedly taking part in a case involving a man creating fake vendors to defraud his former employer of more than $344,000, according to police.

Dario Montemayor, 51, is facing a felony theft charge. Other people facing the same charge in connection with the case include Anna Laura Torres, 58, and her two sons, Adrian Torres, 25, and Juan Ramiro Torres, 33.

Juan Torres produced and approved payment for fictitious invoices for three vendors: Stephanie Vasquez, Torr-Mont and JAD Logistics, according to the criminal complaint. Torr-Mont and JAD Logistics are owned by his mother and his brother, the complaint states.

The theft was reported Jan. 17 at PANALPINA, a provider of forwarding and logistics services.

READ MORE: 13-year-old boy electrocuted in central Laredo during severe thunderstorm

It was reported that Torres, a former employee, allegedly stole from the company, according to the complaint.

PANALPINA discovered that three vendors  Stephanie Vasquez Gutierrez, Torr-Mont and JAD Logistics  were not part of the approved vendors.

During the company audit, Juan Ramiro Torres office computer was examined and they found the invoice templates for the three companies, states the complaint. Torres, while employed at PANALPINA, submitted the fictitious invoices and PANALPINA made electronic payments into six bank accounts associated with the three companies.

Anna Laura Torres owns accounts from International Bank of Commerce, First Convenience Bank and Bank of America, according to court documents. The complaint further adds that Adrian Torres owns a Bank of America account.

RELATED: Man on trial for beating 3-year-old to death in Laredo motel said girl's death was accident

Montemayor is allegedly an owner of a Bank of America account number where Juan Torres is listed as an authorized signer on the account, according to the complaint.

Torres allegedly produced fictitious invoices for a total of $344,530, according to police.

The investigation findings indicate that Juan Ramiro Torres used his position at PANALPINA to defraud the company and received payments for services that were not rendered, states the affidavit.
Michael Houston is looking forward to the next few years.

As principal of Clearview High School in League City, he leads one of the Clear Creek ISD campuses poised for a makeover. He sees that as an opportunity to begin a new chapter for his school and students.

"It's extremely exciting," he said.

When voters approved Clear Creek ISD's $487 million bond in the May 6 election, the projects included in the bond moved closer to beginning, including Clearview.

"It's going to be great to see that our students will one day have a new facility that matches what we see at other campuses in CCISD," he said. "This (bond approval) is huge for us."

That project, which will include a new facility to be built on an adjacent site to relieve crowding, is further down the road with the district still expected to determine how or if the campus's Art Deco facade will be incorporated into the new design, a factor that Houston said makes his school different than the rest.

"Our campus is unique and there is no cookie-cutter format for rebuilding," he said. "A lot of times needs are placed into several different buildings; so to have a building built to specifically fit our need gives our school some permanance, that this is a part of our future in CCISD."

The Clearview rebuild and expansion, estimated at almost $4.5 million, is further down the road, but voter approval of the bond kick-started some more immediate plans, such as the playground replacement and repair projects, estimated at $2.65 million, to begin in the summer with the goal of being completed by fall of 2017 "in hopes of getting up and running for kids beginning in August of 2017," district spokeswoman Elaina Polson said.

With groundwork scheduled to begin in early 2018, the construction of Elementary School 27 along Texas 96 and the addition of a second science magnet program at Brookside Intermediate School is also slated to be put in motion sometime in 2018.

"While there would be physical additions to that campus, including science labs and classrooms, there is instructional planning, for staffing and the ramp-up of what we anticipate will be another great science magnet program in CCISD," Polson said.

Infrastructure projects and technological updates would also begin in earnest, including the improvement of network infrastructure servers and support equipment and the transition from analogue to digital surveillance at 40 campuses.

"All of this is this is contingent on going out for competitive bids on some of these larger projects, and that would start this summer," Polson said.

The district's tax rate is $140 per $100 valuation. The bond package is projected to result in a 3.7 cent increase in the rate, which could mean around $6 more monthly in taxes on a home with the median value of $223,635.

There was some opposition from one group, Citizens for CCISD, a political action committee, which questioned whether the district was overspending; and in March, the Galveston County Republican Party approved a resolution which called for the district to postpone the bond election until November.

Voters had their say on May 6, and Houston believes their approval of the bond, the most comprehensive in the district's history, sends a strong message.

"What it says that we have a community that cares about all the kids and that its not about what neighborhood you live in or demographics," he said.

For more information on the bond projects, visit http://bit.ly/2q0MeOF.
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Allison Franklin lives in two worlds. Her job and family keep her busy with typical routines of shopping, emails and making dinner for her home-bound grandmother. But the life she left behind eight years ago still infiltrates her thoughts.

Those thoughts sometimes lures her to relive her years as a prostitute caught up in the web of human trafficking when she shares her story with other survivors about what it's like to re-enter the "normal" world and find her own independence after the trauma of being a captive.

Now, at 41, Franklin is tired of living in fear and hiding from her past. She's an advocate for victims of human trafficking - women mostly, but she's seen men and children forced to sell their bodies too - who have emerged from the dark underworld of gangs and prostitution to reclaim their lives.

She wants to dispel the myth that all victims of human trafficking are kidnapped on their way home from school and sold into a foreign world of sex and money. She also wants people to know that job training and the sense of self-reliance that comes with earning a living is crucial to recovery.

She knows firsthand that sexual slavery in the 21st century involves psychological torment, learned helplessness and a victim mentality among those flirting with the world of prostitution, either because of a drug addiction or some other emotional wound.

"They got caught up in drugs," said Franklin of most of the women she knew in her situation. "Now they're trapped, they're slaves."

Escaping meant overcoming her own fears about taking charge of her life, something that proved to be a major hurdle as she hadn't been able to make her own decisions for a long time.

"If I was cooperating, I would have more freedom," said Franklin about the gangsters she lived with in countless motels across Houston who pimped her out. "In a rebellious stage, I've had gang members beat me up."

During her years under the violent and unpredictable thumb of one gang member who she said manipulated her so well that she believed they were in a romantic relationship even while he made money from selling her by the hour, she wasn't allowed to even order her own food at a restaurant. Sometimes she would wake up to him punching her. Just to make sure she knew who was in charge.

Franklin grew up in the Heights, graduated high school there and even attended college for a time in California. Still, for most of her adult life, drugs and selling her body was all she knew.

Efforts to prevent and help victims of human trafficking have been increasing as the public conversation around the problem grows.

On May 19, the Texas Legislature signed into law a bill introduced by Houston state Sen. Sylvia Garcia that requires all commercial driver's license holders - aimed at truck drivers - to receive information about how to recognize and report a victim of human trafficking as U.S. highways are often used to transport victims. It also mandates that community or professional colleges who certify drivers include the information in their curriculum.

Texas is only the second state to mandate awareness for the trucking industry. Ohio has a similar educational law.

Houston is considered a hub of trafficking because of it's proximity to the Mexican border.

A 2016 University of Texas study, "Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas," estimated that just over 300,000 people are victims of human in trafficking in Texas, the highest number that the authors of the study are aware of. However, it is difficult to accurately measure this type of crime, they add.

Franklin doesn't need to hear numbers to know there's a problem.

"So many of the girls I met out there are from right here. It's happening right here," she said as she pointed to the ground she stood on in a Heights coffee shop with an emphatic certainty in her voice.

The coffee shop she stood in is a unique place dedicated to helping people like Franklin who have survived human trafficking.

A 2nd Cup, a nonprofit on 11th Street opened in 2012 with the mission to raise awareness about human trafficking in Houston and to provide resources for its victims.

Erica Raggett, founder and executive director of 2nd Cup, moved to Houston in 2005 and became passionate about trafficking issues once she learned the scope of the problem.

She's transformed the walls inside the shop into life-size infographics. Above Franklin's head where she sits on a dark leather couch, large red numbers read "30 million slaves in our world today."

The shop donates its profits to area charities that help women gain life skills after human trafficking.

They educate and promote out-reach in the community for survivors, and in 2016 the business donated $25,000 to Houston-area charities.

Franklin and Raggett have worked together on advocacy projects since Franklin completed a rehab program due in large part to Houston Area Women's Center. After a number of arrests for prostitution, she was funneled to the women's center and a counselor there finally recognized Franklin as a victim dof human trafficking, and not just another drug addict.

The center provides a safe place for victims of violence, including sexual violence, to stay and counseling to help them heal.

Because Franklin was able to get the drug and psychological treatment she needed, she was able to get clean and now works for a family member's online sales business.

"Job skills - it's huge," said Franklin. "It gives you a chance to redeem to your life and increases your self-worth. These women deserve a real chance to live."
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Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley is moving forward with a bond project to add two lanes to Research Forest Drive from Egypt Lane to Alden Bridge Drive on the west side of The Woodlands.

According to Riley, who represents that area of The Woodlands, the construction contract recently was awarded to Magnolia-based Cooley Construction for $1.8 million. The project originally was estimated to cost about $8 million, but an improved economy since Riley compiled his list in early 2015 has helped reduce construction costs significantly.

The project is being funded through the $280 million road bond referendum approved by voters in November 2015. To date, the county has sold about $141 million in bonds of the $280 million referendum.

The Research Forest roadwork is expected to be completed in less than a year, Riley said.

"Right now, they are clearing what little still needs to be cleared," Riley said.

The project, Riley said, will eliminate several intersections where traffic is merged to one lane after the traffic light.

"It will make it a whole lot safer," he said.

The November 2015 referendum was the third bond package in four years to go before voters. The bond is divided between the four commissioners, with Precinct 3 receiving $84 million, Precinct 4 receiving $68 million and Precincts 1 and 2 each receiving $64 million.

Voters last approved a road bond in Montgomery County in 2005. In 2011, voters rejected a $200 million bond with many saying the county simply didn't provide enough information about where the money would be spent.

In February 2015, commissioners unanimously agreed to put the $350 million bond on the May 2015 ballot, allocating $80 million to Precincts 1 and 2, $105 million to Precinct 3 and $85 million to Precinct 4. That referendum became increasingly contentious due to the inclusion of the extension of Woodlands Parkway from FM 2978 to Texas 249 because of strong opposition from residents, mostly in The Woodlands, and voters rejected the bond.

In an effort to ensure the success of the revised $280 million bond in November 2015, commissioners removed several controversial projects, including the Woodlands Parkway extension and the widening of Robinson Road.

According to Riley, his list of 13 construction projects and six rehab projects will increase mobility and safety for drivers in the Magnolia area. Topping his list as the largest project is the widening of Fish Creek Thoroughfare. Riley said he has broken that project into two sections, the first from Honea Egypt to the Lake Creek Bridge and the second from the Woodforest Development to FM 2854. The total cost of both sections, about 5 miles long, is approximately $17 million. The plan is to widen the road from two lanes to four lanes along both sections.

"Bleyl (Engineering) is finishing up with those plans and we should be able to advertise for construction this month," Riley said in February about the first section. As for the second section, he said there are a couple of parcels left to acquire.

Those projects do not include the bridge over Lake Creek or the overpass at Fish Creek Thoroughfare and FM 2854. Riley said he plans to submit both bridge-widening projects to the Houston Galveston Area Council for federal funding, likely an 80/20 split.

"We feel pretty confident we will get both of those," he said.

HGAC is a regional council of governments operating under Texas laws and governed by a board comprised of 36 elected officials from the 13-county region. The association helps provide the research, resources and customer service needed to make procuring goods and services more easy and efficient.

Another project moving forward is the realignment of Nichols Sawmill Road. For the realignment of Nichols Sawmill Road, Riley said the right of way has been cleared and the environmental work started.

"It will be summer before we actually put that out to bid," he said.
MOSUL, Iraq - The last handful of neighborhoods held by the Islamic State in Mosul will likely be the most difficult to retake despite nearly eight months of street-by-street fighting, the U.S. officer in charge of advising Iraqi forces in the area predicted.

It's going to be "extremely violent," Col. Patrick Work, commanding officer of the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, said during a phone interview Saturday. Work is in charge of about 1,800 soldiers who are helping "advise and assist" the Iraqi forces around Mosul.

"The hardest days are still in front of them," he said.

Mosul is a critical prize in the fight against the Islamic State. It was once the main urban stronghold for the militants in Iraq and the logistic base for other atrocities across northern Iraq, including purges against the Yazidi minority and the destruction of world-famous, pre-Islamic antiquities.

Work declined to give a timeline for the remainder of the operation in the western part of the city, but some Iraqi officers have said the battle could be over by the end of the week in conjunction with the start of Ramadan, a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer.

Yet with some of the most difficult areas of the city still held by militants - and tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in their homes - the fighting could likely last well into the weeks ahead.

"It all depends on the circumstances of the battle. Now they are entirely besieged and there is no way out, it's going to be either fighting or giving up and trying to infiltrate with the civilians," said Lt. Gen. Sami al-Aridhi, a commander of two of the U.S.-trained Counter Terrorism Service task forces. "I can't give timelines but I don't expect it's going to be long."

Iraqi forces are now wrapping up the final stages of an operation, launched earlier this month, that saw them retake nearly the entirety of the northwestern part of the city. An earlier offensive that started in February stalled after coming up against heavy resistance in the southern part of the city.

The Iraqi military is usually mum about its casualty numbers, but Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Friday that the Iraqis had suffered heavy losses during the course of the Mosul Operation, with about 980 killed and more than 6,000 wounded.

The Islamic State holds only about five square miles of Mosul, including the al-Zanjili neighborhood and the Old City. The Old City is the site of the Great Mosque, the site where the Islamic State's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared a "caliphate" in 2014 across parts of Iraq and Syria.

Both Zanjili and the Old City are far more cramped that the rest of Mosul, with narrow side streets and alleys that will restrict Iraqi vehicle movement and give Islamic State fighters a clear advantage when it comes to launching their signature bomb-laden suicide vehicles.

The close quarters will probably force Iraqi troops to rely more heavily on their own resources rather than U.S.-led airstrikes and artillery. Aside from airstrikes, U.S. and other coalition forces are providing a range of other assistance to Iraqi forces, including flying small hand-launched drones to help spot targets for advancing forces, as well as providing counterartillery radar and drone-jamming equipment to stop the Islamic State's own unmanned aircraft.

It is unclear how many fighters are left in the city or what type of resources they still have at their disposal. Work declined to give an estimate, while Iraqi Counter Terrorism officers have said they believe about 350 fighters remain in the Old City and its surrounding neighborhoods.

"Measuring exact numbers of ISIS fighters left in Mosul is difficult, and it may not really matter," Work said, adding that Iraqi gains in the city are more important to the coalition than tracking militant numbers.

Despite being on the defensive for more than half a year and losing hundreds of fighters, the Islamic State has still managed to launch small-scale offensives in parts of the city.

On Friday, dozens of Islamic State fighters attacked Iraqi Counter Terrorism troops during a sandstorm, pushing the Iraqis back about a block before retreating as the weather changed. On Sunday, Iraqi Counter Terrorism forces continued to face staunch resistance in the Najjar neighborhood despite having declared their part of the Mosul operation over the day before. While it has not been officially announced what Iraqi units will clear the remaining parts of Mosul, Iraqi Counter Terrorism officers said they would clear the Old City. It is likely, however, that the Iraqi army, Federal Police and the Ministry of Interior's Emergency Response Division will all be involved in the final operations.

With an estimated 200,00 civilians still in the Islamic State-held portions of the city, the wave of new fighting could touch off a humanitarian crisis.

Work said the U.S.-led coalition is cautious when calling in air and artillery strikes, but he noted that they were ready to look at additional ways to mitigate civilian deaths during the final stages of the battle. In March, the United States admitted to bombing a building in the al-Jadida neighborhood of Mosul. More than 100 people were killed in the blast and the U.S.-led coalition is still investigating the incident. Iraqi Counter Terrorism forces said they had called in the strike.
TOKYO - The Japanese government has stepped up its efforts to help Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea who are believed to still be in that country, by starting a new radio program as part of Radio Free Asia, which is affiliated with the U.S. government.

This move was prompted by information that RFA has many listeners in North Korea. The Japanese government therefore decided to use it to amplify its messages to the abductees.

In the new radio program, family members of the abductees speak about their feelings about rescuing them. Katsunobu Kato, minister in charge of the abduction issue, also speaks on the program to demonstrate the Japanese government's firm determination to resolve the issue.

By doing so, the Japanese government aims to increase pressure on North Korea.

Titled "Anata ga Inai Aida ni" (While you have been away), the new radio program was jointly produced with RFA, which has a base in Seoul. It airs late every Saturday night for about 15 minutes.

The programs consist of interviews with the abductees' family members and friends, and the voices are accompanied by translations into the Korean language. One person is featured in each broadcast.

Those participating include Takuya Yokota, 48, a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted in Niigata in 1977 at the age of 13.

The abductees' family members and friends mention changes in Japanese society and events that have happened in their families while the victims have been out of Japan, and tell the abductees about the continuous efforts to rescue them as soon as possible.

The first program aired on April 29. Koichiro Iizuka, 40, talked about his feelings about his mother, Yaeko Taguchi. Taguchi was from Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, and was abducted in 1978 at age 22.

Iizuka also urged a resolution to the problem, saying, "If abduction victims return home, there will be benefits and the lifting of economic sanctions, which will worthy of action [by the North Korean government]."

Naoya Yoshida, a 52-year-old violinist who was Megumi Yokota's classmate when they were junior high school students, said: "I learned that many people who escaped from North Korea had listened to RFA, so I hope the broadcasts will reach Megumi directly. I hope she'll come back as soon as possible while her parents are well. I sent out that message."

Nobuhiro Matsuki, 44, the younger brother of Kaoru Matsuki, spoke about his expectations for the new radio program. Kaoru Matsuki, who was from Kumamoto, was abducted in 1980 at age 26.

Nobuhiro said, "I want the abductees to realize again by listening to the radio program that they are not abandoned and their families are waiting for them in Japan."

The government's Headquarters for the Abduction Issue has been airing another shortwave radio program for abduction victims called "Furusato no Kaze" (Winds of home) since 2007.

However, a survey about two years ago among people who escaped from North Korea found that many of them listen to RFA broadcasts, which are aired on medium frequency waves from South Korea. These programs are the second most popular after those of KBS, South Korea's public broadcaster.

To increase opportunities for Japanese programs to be heard by people in North Korea, the Headquarters for the Abduction Issue asked for cooperation from RFA last year.

RFA willingly consented to the request. An RFA reporter came to Japan in late February and repeatedly met with family members of the abductees and others concerned, before recording the interviews in March.

This year is significant, as it marks the 40th anniversary of the abduction of Megumi Yokota and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea.

The Japanese government hopes the messages in the radio program will be heard by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea.

A source in the Japanese government said, "I hope [the new broadcast] will result in the return of the abduction victims as soon as possible."

Broadcasting station Radio Free Asia is under the control of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), a U.S. government organization. Its budgets are financed by subsidies from the BBG after the provisions have been approved by the U.S. Congress. RFA began broadcasting in 1996 and has communicated information to China, North Korea and other places in East Asia where freedom of the press is limited. RFA is headquartered in Washington.
A Mississippi state lawmaker is under fire after calling for the lynching of leaders who supported the recent removal of Confederate monuments in Louisiana.

In a Facebook post published Saturday night, Mississippi state Rep. Karl Oliver went on a diatribe about the controversial statues in his neighboring state, which have been taken down in recent weeks:

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The destruction of these monuments, erected in the loving memory of our family and fellow Southern Americans, is both heinous and horrific. If the, and I use this term extremely loosely, "leadership" of Louisiana wishes to, in a Nazi-ish fashion, burn books or destroy historical monuments of OUR HISTORY, they should be LYNCHED! Let it be known, I will do all in my power to prevent this from happening in our State.

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Oliver included with the post a picture of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, which was the last of the four controversial monuments in New Orleans to be removed.

By Monday afternoon, the post was no longer publicly visible. Oliver issued an apology, saying he regretted his word choice:

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I, first and foremost, wish to extend this apology for any embarrassment I have caused to both my colleagues and fellow Mississippians. In an effort to express my passion for preserving all historical monuments, I acknowledge the word "lynched" was wrong. I am very sorry. It is in no way, ever, an appropriate term. I deeply regret that I chose this word, and I do not condone the actions I referenced, nor do I believe them in my heart. I freely admit my choice of words was horribly wrong, and I humbly ask your forgiveness.

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Lynching means "to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal approval or permission." It is a particularly fraught term in the South, where thousands of black Americans were lynched in the 19th and 20th centuries. Oliver, a Republican, was elected to the Mississippi legislature in 2015. His district includes Money, Miss., the town where a 14-year-old black boy named Emmett Till was lynched by two white men in 1955.

Oliver's Facebook post had set off a litany of comments, from those who supported him "for speaking the truth in this world of political correctness" to others who lambasted the lawmaker for his "disgusting" and "appalling" remarks. Many called on him to resign.

Earlier Monday, Oliver was not reachable at his office in the Mississippi State Capitol and did not immediately respond to questions sent by email. A woman who picked up the phone Monday morning at his workplace, Oliver Funeral Home, said she could not take any calls regarding the Louisiana monuments and hung up.

Two other Republican state representatives, John Read and Doug McLeod, "liked" Oliver's Facebook post, along with Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Tony Dunn, according to Mississippi News Now. Read and McLeod did not immediately respond to inquiries made by The Washington Post on Monday. Mississippi Today reported that Read later unliked the post; he told the news site that he didn't remember liking it himself and referred questions about it to Oliver.

Several Republicans had spoken out against the Facebook post.

"Rep. Oliver's comments were offensive, do not represent the Mississippi Republican Party and have no place in our public discourse," Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Joe Nosef said in a statement to Mississippi Today. "I hope he will quickly clear up his remarks to make his point without these inappropriate comments."

"Rep. Oliver's language is unacceptable and has no place in civil discourse," Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said in an email to Mississippi Today on Monday morning.

In a statement, Republican House Speaker Phillip Gunn said using the word "lynched" was "inappropriate and offensive" and that Oliver's post did not reflect the views of the Republican Party or the state House of Representatives. Gunn's spokeswoman also told the news site that Gunn had called Oliver to say his comments were inappropriate.

Numerous Democratic state lawmakers also spoke out against Oliver's post.

"I am offended and outraged that a public official in 2017 would, with an obvious conviction and clear conscience, call for and promote one of the most cruel, vicious, and wicked acts in American history," state Sen. Derrick Simmons said in a statement posted to Twitter.

State Rep. Jeramey Anderson called Oliver's statement "a shame."

And Democratic state Rep. Chris Bell said he was "angered beyond words" by Oliver's "inflammatory remarks," according to an image by Mississippi News Now of a Facebook post that was not publicly visible.

"His constant and consistent disrespect for those who are offended by the images of hate is unacceptable!" Bell wrote, according to the news station. "I will fight with vigor and tenacity to ensure not only our current state flag is removed along with those images that glorify hate."

In 2015, the New Orleans City Council voted to take down the four statues around the city - a move that triggered a heated, prolonged debate that involved legal challenges, death threats, violent protests and the national spotlight. The removal process finally began in April, two years after the city council vote.

"It won't erase history," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who led the effort, wrote in a guest column for The Post this month. "But we can begin a new chapter of New Orleans's history by placing these monuments, and the legacy of oppression they represent, in museums and other spaces where they can be viewed in an appropriate educational setting as examples of our capacity to change."

But protesters resisted the statues' removal up until the end, with some staging 24-hour vigils where they stood. Like Oliver, many felt that their Confederate heritage was under attack.

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Mississippi Today reporters Kate Royals and Kayleigh Skinner contributed to this report.
Ahead of President Donald Trump's much-anticipated speech in Saudi Arabia, delivered before a gathering of Muslim statesmen on Sunday, there was a great deal of speculation into what Trump would say about Islam - a faith, after all, that he once claimed "hates us" and whose devotees he once sought to bar from entering the United States. Trump shied away from declaiming "radical Islamic terrorism" before this audience, a set of words he had previously given an almost totemic importance in the war against extremism. Instead, in Riyadh, he offered a message of unity and common purpose, urging the assembled leaders to "drive out" the Islamist militants in their midst.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations," Trump said. "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people, all in the name of religion - people that want to protect life and want to protect their religion. This is a battle between good and evil."

But let's be clear about what the speech really was: A sop, soaked in platitudes, to the Saudi agenda in the Middle East.

As we wrote last week, the Saudi leadership has pinned great hopes on a reset with the United States. Relations soured with a previous administration in Washington that sought a kind of rapprochement with Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional nemesis. Moreover, Barack Obama's perceived support for the 2011 democratic uprisings of the Arab Spring - regarded with horror in Riyadh - and his occasional paeans to human rights and the need for democratic reforms in the region did little to endear himself to the Saudi royals.

Then came Trump, who grandstanded against the nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers, and who repeatedly emphasized his indifference to "universal values" and the moralizing of his predecessors. The Saudis used this weekend to play into Trump's "America First" agenda - announcing hundreds of billions of dollars of investments on U.S. weapons and infrastructure that Trump could hold up as a win for American workers at home. It appeared that Saudi funds had also been directed toward a new women's initiative launched by Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, as well as the investment company of a close Trump associate.

But what Trump gave in return was significant. His remarks on Sunday were preceded by King Salman, who told dozens of Muslim leaders that the regime in Tehran "represents the tip of the spear of global terrorism." Trump followed up with equally harsh language, saying that "all nations of conscience must work together to isolate" Iran. He also offered no criticism of the Saudi-led war in Yemen, which has seen high civilian casualties and precipitated a food shortage that has left millions of people in danger of starving to death.

The Obama administration had sought to keep its distance, perhaps ineffectually, from the toxicity of the Saudi-Iranian rivalry - a struggle between the vanguards of Sunni and Shiite Islam, respectively, that has flared into damaging proxy wars in the Middle East. Now, Trump has decided to throw his lot behind the Saudis.

"This whole meeting looked like a 'Sunni international,' in which the main non-Sunni power in the Muslim world, Iran, was bashed by both the American President and his Sunni hosts," wrote Turkish columnist Mustafa Akyol in the New York Times. "This is not going to help anything other than adding to the sectarian divide. It is not fair, either. Iran has lots of sins to account for - including its cynical support for the bloody regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. But most radical Islamist terrorists in the region are Sunni, not Shiite. In fact, in terms of their theology and jurisprudence, they are much closer to Saudi Arabia than Iran."

In an op-ed, Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif cheekily warned Trump about his new business partners. Critics of Saudi Arabia routinely point to the fact that its state-sanctioned orthodox brand of Islam has fueled decades of extremism. Zarif referred to the Saudi origins of many of the 9/11 attackers.

Trump "must enter into dialogue with them about ways to prevent terrorists and takfiris from continuing to fuel the fire in the region and repeating the likes of the September 11 incident by their sponsors in Western countries," Zarif wrote for the website of the London-based Al Araby Al-Jadeed news network. A takfiri is a Muslim who accuses another of apostasy - rhetoric not uncommon among certain Saudi imams when training their ire on Iran's Shiites.

Trump, too, has criticized the Saudis for their perceived role in fomenting radicalism, but said nothing of it during this trip. Instead, he appeared at the opening of a Saudi-run center for "combating extremist ideology." Along with the Saudi king and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Trump inaugurated the site by placing his hands on a glowing white orb.

The surreal moment spawned myriad Twitter memes, but it also signaled something deeper about Trump's new agenda. Sissi, a controversial figure who came to power through a military coup and has proceeded with a brutal crackdown on dissent, has earned special plaudits from Trump for his supposed tough stance on terrorism. And King Salman is one of a number of monarchs and autocrats Trump has now championed as the key to bringing renewed stability to the region. His speech - unlike Obama's famous address in Cairo in 2009 - was directed toward these leaders, not the populations that in many instances chafe under their rule.

"We are adopting a principled realism," said Trump, with "partnerships" that "will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption." He added that "wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms, not sudden intervention. We must seek partners, not perfection." This is music to Saudi ears.

It was not lost on observers that Iran just concluded a presidential election that saw a huge turnout, with voters returning the moderate President Hassan Rouhani to power. Critics of the regime in Tehran say the exercise is hardly democratic, given the overweening power of the country's theocratic supreme leader and its influential military institutions like the Revolutionary Guard. But it's certainly an improvement on Saudi Arabia's own system, a strict monarchy where women's rights are still curtailed and where one large royal family controls the levers of power.

Moreover, in Trump's speech about fighting extremism, there was no acknowledgment of some of the underlying drivers of radicalization, including widespread youth unemployment and the repressiveness of many regimes in the Arab world. Maybe Trump was being a polite guest. Or maybe he doesn't care.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is in a stronger position after his re-election to push through plans for wooing foreign investors the country needs to boost oil production, according to analysts at Cornerstone Global Associates and SVB Energy.

Iran's effort to attract about $100 billion to develop more than 50 oil and natural gas fields bogged down ahead of the May 19 presidential election. Political arguments stalled approval of the contract terms the government would offer, and U.S. financial sanctions -- and the potential threat of additional curbs -- continue to dissuade many would-be international investors.

Rouhani defeated rivals in a landslide, winning about 57 percent of the vote. As his victory was announced on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump was in Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival, bolstering a coalition of states opposed to the Islamic republic. Trump has said the nuclear accord that world powers reached with Iran is one of the worst deals he's seen and is reviewing policy toward the country.

"The election does give Rouhani a mandate to push things through," Ghanem Nuseibeh, founder of London-based management consultant Cornerstone Global Associates, said in an interview in Dubai on Sunday. "Rouhani will do one of two things: either wait and see what Trump does, or he'll say, 'Let's move ahead.' I'd advise him to go ahead."

Years of international sanctions throttled investment in Iran, once OPEC's second-largest producer, and stunted its economy. A tightening of restrictions in 2012 cut into its crude exports. The country more than doubled oil sales after restrictions were eased in January 2016.

Exports have risen to about 2.5 million barrels a day since then, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, the oil minister, said on May 6 at a Tehran conference. Zanganeh has been instrumental in the government's drive for foreign investment, helping to craft Iran's new oil-investor contracts and pitching projects to international companies. Rouhani hasn't said yet if he'll retain the same cabinet for his second term.

Iran was waiting until after the election to hold its first international auction of oil-development rights, Iranian Students News Agency reported on May 16, citing Ali Kardor, managing director of state-run National Iranian Oil Co. Iran announced some terms of the new investor contract at a November 2015 conference in Tehran, and it targeted signing the first deals in March or April of 2016.

"The fact that Rouhani won as a reformist who delivered the nuclear deal and promised to bring in foreign investment would suggest that there is support for things like the oil contracts," Patrick Murphy, a Dubai-based partner at law firm Clyde & Co., said by phone Sunday.

Rouhani's political foes have less interest in blocking the new contract now that he's won a new term, said Sara Vakhshouri, president of Washington, D.C.-based consultant SVB Energy. Even so, international investors "are still worried about remaining U.S. sanctions and possible future sanctions that could target Iran's missile program," she said by email.

The biggest oil companies have committed so far to little more than agreements to study energy projects or form development plans. Total SA, which agreed to draw up plans to produce offshore natural gas and pump crude onshore, hasn't signed any final deals for projects in Iran.

The Trump administration agreed last week to roll over sanctions waivers on Iran's oil industry and crude sales. At the same time, the U.S. imposed new sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program and said it was continuing to review Iran's adherence to the 2015 nuclear accord.

"Everything becomes irrelevant" if Trump tears up or tries to modify the historic agreement, as that would scare off investors, Nuseibeh said.

On the other hand, Rouhani will boost interest among European governments and companies for keeping Iran open for business if he can offer oil-development contracts now, the consultant said. That would "make it even more complicated for Trump to try to renegotiate the nuclear deal," Nuseibeh said.
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President Donald Trump asked two of the nation's top intelligence officials in March to help him push back against an FBI investigation into possible coordination between his campaign and the Russian government, according to current and former officials.

Trump made separate appeals to the director of national intelligence, Daniel Coats, and to Adm. Michael Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, urging them to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion during the 2016 election.

Coats and Rogers refused to comply with the requests, which they both deemed to be inappropriate, according to two current and two former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private communications with the president.

Trump sought the assistance of Coats and Rogers after FBI Director James Comey told the House Intelligence Committee on March 20 that the FBI was investigating "the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts."

Trump's conversation with Rogers was documented contemporaneously in an internal memo written by a senior NSA official, according to the officials. It is unclear if a similar memo was prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to document Trump's conversation with Coats. Officials said such memos could be made available to both the special counsel now overseeing the Russia investigation and congressional investigators, who might explore whether Trump sought to impede the FBI's work.

White House officials say Comey's testimony about the scope of the FBI investigation upset Trump, who has dismissed the FBI and congressional investigations as a "witch hunt." The president has repeatedly said there was no collusion.

Current and former senior intelligence officials viewed Trump's requests as an attempt by the president to tarnish the credibility of the agency leading the Russia investigation.

A senior intelligence official said that Trump's goal was to "muddy the waters" about the scope of the FBI probe at a time when Democrats were ramping up their calls for the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel, a step announced last week.

Senior intelligence officials also saw the March requests as a threat to the independence of U.S. spy agencies, which are supposed to remain insulated from partisan issues.

"The problem wasn't so much asking them to issue statements, it was asking them to issue false statements about an ongoing investigation," a former senior intelligence official said of the request to Coats.

The NSA and Brian Hale, a spokesman for Coats, declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

"The White House does not confirm or deny unsubstantiated claims based on illegal leaks from anonymous individuals," a White House spokesperson said. "The president will continue to focus on his agenda that he was elected to pursue by the American people."

In addition to the requests to Coats and Rogers, senior White House officials sounded out top intelligence officials about the possibility of intervening directly with Comey to encourage the FBI to drop its probe of Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, according to people familiar with the matter. The officials said the White House appeared uncertain about its power to influence the FBI.

"Can we ask him to shut down the investigation? Are you able to assist in this matter?" one official said of the line of questioning from the White House.

The new revelations add to a growing body of evidence that Trump sought to co-opt and then undermine Comey before he fired him May 9. According to notes kept by Comey, Trump first asked for his loyalty at a dinner in January and then, at a meeting the next month, asked him to drop the probe into Flynn. Trump disputes those accounts.

Current and former officials said either Trump lacks an understanding of the FBI's role as an independent law enforcement agency or does not care about maintaining such boundaries.

Trump's effort to use the director of national intelligence and the NSA director to refute Comey's statement and to say there was no evidence of collusion echoes President Richard Nixon's "unsuccessful efforts to use the CIA to shut down the FBI's investigation of the Watergate break-in on national security grounds," said Jeffrey H. Smith, a former general counsel at the CIA. Smith called Trump's actions "an appalling abuse of power."

Trump made his appeal to Coats days after Comey's testimony, according to officials.

That same week, Trump telephoned Rogers to make a similar appeal.

In his call with Rogers, Trump urged the NSA director to speak out publicly if there was no evidence of collusion, according to officials briefed on the exchange.

Rogers was taken aback but tried to respectfully explain why he could not do so, the officials said. For one thing, he could not comment on an ongoing investigation. Rogers added that he would not talk about classified matters in public.

While relations between Trump and Comey were strained by the Russia probe, ties between the president and the other intelligence chiefs, including Rogers, Coats and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, appear to be less contentious, according to officials.

Rogers met with Trump in New York shortly after the election, and Trump's advisers at the time held him out as the leading candidate to be the next director of national intelligence.

The Washington Post subsequently reported that President Barack Obama's defense secretary and director of national intelligence had recommended that Rogers be removed as head of the NSA.

Ultimately, Trump decided to nominate Coats, rather than Rogers. Coats was sworn in just days before the president made his request.

In February, the Trump White House also sought to enlist senior members of the intelligence community and Congress to push back against suggestions that Trump associates were in frequent contact with Russian officials. But in that case, the White House effort was designed to refute news accounts, not the testimony of a sitting FBI director who was leading an open investigation.

Trump and his allies in Congress have similarly sought to deflect scrutiny over Russia by attempting to pit U.S. intelligence agencies against one another.

In December, Trump's congressional allies falsely claimed that the FBI did not concur with a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win the White House. Comey and then-CIA Director John Brennan later said that the bureau and the agency were in full agreement on Moscow's intentions.

As the director of national intelligence, Coats leads the vast U.S. intelligence community, which includes the FBI. But that does not mean he has full visibility into the FBI probe. Coats's predecessor in the job, James Clapper, recently acknowledged that Comey did not brief him on the scope of the Russia investigation. Similarly, it is unclear to what extent the FBI has brought Coats up to speed on the probe's most sensitive findings.
AUSTIN -- The end is near.

In just a week, the Texas Legislature's 85th session will come to a close. And coming week will be spent making sure that as many high-priority bills as possible, including the state budget, will be passed into law.

Key deadlines:

Wednesday is the last day for the House to take the final votes on all Senate bills and resolutions. The deadline for passing House bills passed earlier.

Wednesday is also the last day to finally pass all bills, unless they suspend their rules.

Sunday is the last day for the House and Senate to adopt all conference-committee reports, and concur in amendments to bills from the other chamber.

A week from today, on May 29, both chambers will be able to only make corrections in already-passed legislation.

Then, on the 140th day of legislating, the maximum allowed for a regular session, lawmakers will leave town -- unless, of course. key bills such as property-tax reform or the budget or other gotta-do measures have not been passed. If that happens, Gov. Greg Abbott has promised to call them back for a 30-day special session.

White smoke means a deal

The only bill the Legislature is required to pass when it meets every two years is the state budget.

Based on a Saturday night agreement between House and Senate negotiators, a deal on the final two-year budget of about $218 billion is ready for review and approval by early this week.

"White smoke has emerged from our conclave, and we have reached a consensus," Senate Finance Chairwoman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said as she announced that the 10-member conference committee tasked with writing the compromise budget had completed its work.

That's good news for most state agencies, who had been fretting about what their final budget numbers might be. Now, once all the details are sorted out and a final vote in both legislative chambers takes place, Texas' state government will have a spending blueprint for the next two years.

On Sunday, though, bickering began between lawmakers and advocacy groups over the details of the budget, an argument that will probably get louder as the week starts.

Look for action on the budget votes early in the week, assuming agreements are reached on other key bills.

Reforming property taxes

After the House on Saturday passed its own version of the important property-tax reform bill, minus the tougher wording on automatic rollback elections wanted by the Senate, the focus for Legislature watchers will swing back to the upper chamber to see what Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will do.

With the House now appearing to be in the driver's seat, ignoring a Patrick ultimatum last week to pass the Senate version, the Senate could wither stick to its guns on the rollback elections. Or it could claim victory and get ready to go home.

Watch early in the week for developments in a contentious legislative session that, with the budget all but agreed to and other key bills nearing final votes, now appears headed for a conclusion on May 29, without any special session.

But, as they say in the Legislature biz, there's still time for something to go off track.

Morphing education

By early in the week, the two legislative chambers will have to decide on final version of a key education bill that has morphed considerably since it crossed over to the Senate.

As a refresher, the House prioritized a fix to the state's education funding system with about $1.8 billion in spending, including more money for dyslexia, English Language Learners and reducing the so-called Robin Hood payments property wealthy school districts give up to property poor districts, among other things.

Knowing how badly the House wants to pass that bill, the Education Committee Chairman Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, hijacked it to also create a school voucher bill.

What makes this tussle interesting is that Taylor winnowed the bill down to allow only children with disabilities to use the education savings accounts to help pay tuition at a private school. This forces House Public Education Committee Chairman Dan Huberty, R-Humble, who has a son with dyslexia, to fight a bill tailored to special education students.

So far, neither side has been willing to give, so this will be a one to watch as it most probably goes down in flames. House Bill 21 is the name. Early in the week is the time.
Texas Southern University erred in a big way by canceling U.S. Sen. John Cornyns commencement speech.

Its a diverse world shaped, thankfully, by a wide range of opinions, viewpoints and philosophies. To live in a world shaped exclusively by agreement would be dull and cyclical.

And yet thats just the message Texas Southern sent to its graduates by canceling Cornyns speech. The university said its better to avoid diversity of thought and opinion than listen to each other. Its better to coddle than to respectfully confront and engage.

There was little to no chance of violence erupting at the graduation. Cornyn is no firebrand or provocateur who might inflame tensions. He is the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate who also served as a Texas Supreme Court justice and as the states attorney general.

Yes, many Texas Southern students might disagree with Cornyns conservative political view  more than 860 people signed a change.org petition protesting his speech. But many is not all. And freedom of thought and expression are the hallmarks of this country and academia, or at least they are supposed to be.

Students said if Cornyn had spoken, they would have protested peacefully, turning their backs on him. That is their right, but a better world isnt made from turning our backs on each other. A better world is made from listening to one another and thinking about various perspectives.

In a statement, Texas Southern officials said the university has asked Cornyn to return to the university to visit students at a later date. We hope thats not just rhetorical boilerplate and the meeting happens.

It would be good for Cornyn to hear from students, and vice versa. Listening to each other is not the same as agreeing, but in the spirit of commencement, it is a key to successfully moving forward.
Undeniable victory of Pedro Sanchez in the region of Javier Fernandez, the president of the managing association, with almost a thousand votes and fourteen points ahead of Susana Diaz. The former secretary general of the PSOE consolidated his triumph in the primary in Asturias with comfortable advantages in the groupings of Gijon, Oviedo, Siero and Cuencas, where the support of the SOMA mining union was expressed in the ballot boxes. The Andalusian president only won in Aviles, repeating the trend that had already advanced the collection of guarantees among the more than eight thousand members with voting rights in Asturias.

The figures reveal a resounding support in Asturias to Pedro Sanchez, with 3,578 votes, while Susana Diaz received 2,654 and Patxi Lopez, 467. In addition, there were 26 blank and 3 null votes. Participation was around 82 percent, with about 6,700 of the 8,249 members who had the option to vote. The support received by Pedro Sanchez in the Principality is above the national average, since in the Asturian groupings added 53.4 percent of the votes, three points above the state count. Susana Diaz practically equaled her national result in the region, where she obtained 39,6 of the votes. Patxi Lopez was supported by almost seven percent of the Asturian socialists, three points less than in the whole of Spain.

The storm that fell last night over the region was small compared to the beating that the bases of the party gave to the Asturian Socialist Federation. The ballot boxes ratified "the excitement" held by the "pedrista" sector throughout Asturias in the primary campaign. On the day of the delivery of the guarantees, Adriana Lastra, the campaign chief, was confident on the victory in Asturias. Pedro Sanchez won yesterday by almost 200 votes in Gijon, by almost 80 in Oviedo, and by more than a hundred ballots in traditional areas of the Asturian socialism as they are the groupings of Las Cuencas Mineras of Langreo, San Martin del Rey Aurelio and Laviana. In Mieres, affiliates from Siero also opted in a majority way for Pedro Sanchez, who had 145 votes more than his main rival in the fourth municipality.

The former secretary general tipped the scales as the scrutiny progressed, because Susana Diaz only won for half a hundred supports in the grouping of Aviles; by three dozen votes in Carreno, where the mayor, Amelia Fernandez, had been the coordinator of the support group for the Andalusian president, and by a dozen votes in Llanes, whose former mayor, Antonio Trevin, now national deputy, showed his support to Diaz. The most generous group, in percentage terms, with the Andalusian turned out to be Tineo, where she made a difference of more than a hundred votes to a Pedro Sanchez who will regain control of the party after his overwhelming victory.

Coup de main

The result in the Asturian Socialist Federation is a coup de main of the "pedrista" sector, which until now was very minority in the regional direction, and had its main supports in municipalities and local groups such as Laviana, with Adrian Barbon and Corvera, with Ivan Fernandez, among others.

On the other hand, the official sector of the FSA had given a massive support to Susana Diaz. Although Javier Fernandez avoided public choice, because of his position as president of the manager association, no one doubted his preferences and the greatest majority of his government aligned with Susana Diaz, except for the regional Minister of Employment, Francisco Blanco. Also the whole Socialist Group in the Junta, with its spokesman Fernando Lastra leading the group, defended the candidacy of the Andalusian leader during the campaign that yesterday was ready for judgment.

The "new party" that Pedro Sanchez promised last night has two milestones ahead to carry out this transformation: the federal congress of June and the autonomic of the FSA, of which the date is still to be decided but scheduled for September or October.
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How a 64k intro is made Pekka Vaananen

An intro to intros

The demoscene is about producing cool real time works (as in runs on your computer) called demos. Some demos are really small, say 64 kilobytes or less, and these are called intros. The name comes from crack intros. So an intro is just a demo thats small.

Ive noticed many people have interest in demoscene productions but have no idea how they are actually made. This is a braindump/post-mortem of our recent 64k intro Guberniya and I hope that it will be interesting to newcomers and seasoned veterans alike. This article touches basically all techniques used in the demo and should give you an idea what goes into making one. I refer to people with their nick names in this article because thats what sceners do.

Guberniya in a nutshell

Windows binary download: guberniya_final.zip (61.8 kB) (somewhat broken on AMD cards)

Its a 64k intro released at Revision 2017 demo party. Some numbers:

C++ and OpenGL, dear imgui for GUI

62976 byte Windows executable, packed with kkrunchy

mostly raymarching

6 person team one artist :)

built in four months

~8300 lines of C++, library code and whitespace excluded

4840 lines of GLSL shaders

~350 git commits

Development

Demos are usually released at a demo party where the audience watches demos submitted to a competition and then votes for the winner. Releasing at a party is a great way to get motivated since you have a hard deadline and an eager audience. In our case it was Revision 2017, a big traditional demo party during the Easter weekend. You can view some photos to get an idea what the event is like.

We started working on the demo early in January and released it on the Easter weekend in April during the party. You can watch a recording of the whole competition online if you wish :)

We were a team of six: cce (me), varko, noby, branch, msqrt, and goatman.

Design & influences

The song was done pretty early on, so I tried to design things around it. It was clear we needed something big and cinematic with memorable set pieces.

My original visual ideas centered around wires and their usage. I really liked Viktor Antonovs designs and my first sketches were pretty much a rip-off of Half-Life 2:

The similarities are quite obvious. In the landscape scenes I was also trying to capture the mood of Eldion Passageway by Anthony Scimes.

The landscape was inspired by this nice video of Iceland and also Koyaanisqatsi, I guess. I also had big plans for the story that manifested itself as a storyboard:

If Id do this again Id just settle with a timeline with a couple of photos that set the mood. Its less work and leaves more room for imagination. But at least drawing it forced me to organize my thoughts.

The Ship

The spaceship was designed by noby. It is a combination of multiple Mandelbox fractals intersected with geometric primitives. The ships design was left a bit incomplete, but we felt it shouldnt be further tampered with in the final version.

We had also another ship shader that didnt get used. Now that I look at the design its also very cool and its a shame it didnt find use in the intro.

Implementation

We started with a codebase built for our earlier intro Pheromone (YouTube). It had basic windowing and OpenGL boilerplate along with file system utility that packed files from a data directory to executable with bin2h .

The workflow

We used Visual Studio 2013 to compile the project since it wouldnt compile on VS2015. Our standard library replacement didnt work well with the updated compiler and produced amusing errors like this:

For some reason we stuck with VS2015 as an editor though and just compiled the project using the v120 platform toolkit.

We had a simple global keyboard hook that reloaded all shaders when CTRL+S key combination was detected:

// Listen to CTRL+S. if (GetAsyncKeyState(VK_CONTROL) && GetAsyncKeyState('S')) { // Wait for a while to let the file system finish the file write. if (system_get_millis() - last_load > 200 ) { Sleep( 100 ); reloadShaders(); } last_load = system_get_millis(); }

This worked really well and made live editing shaders much more fun. No need to have file system hooks or anything.

GNU Rocket

For animation and direction we used a GNU Rocket fork Ground Control. Rocket is a program for editing animation curves and it connects to the demo via a TCP socket. The keyframes are sent over when requested by the demo. Its very convenient because you can edit and recompile the demo while keeping the editor open without losing the sync position. For the final release the keyframes are exported to a binary format. It has some annoying limitations though.

The Tool

Moving the viewpoint with mouse and keyboard is very handy for picking camera angles. Even a simple GUI helps a lot when tweaking values.

We didnt have a demotool unlike some people so we had to build it as we went a long. The excellent dear imgui library allowed us to easily add features as we needed them.

For example adding some sliders to control some bloom parameters is as simple as adding these lines inside the rendering loop (not to separate GUI code):

imgui::Begin( "Postprocessing" ); imgui::SliderFloat( "Bloom blur" , &postproc_bloom_blur_steps, 1 , 5 ); imgui::SliderFloat( "Luminance" , &postproc_luminance, 0.0 , 1.0 , " %.3f " , 1.0 ); imgui::SliderFloat( "Threshold" , &postproc_threshold, 0.0 , 1.0 , " %.3f " , 3.0 ); imgui::End();

The end result:

The camera position can be saved by pressing F6 to a .cpp file, so the next time the code is compiled it will be included. This avoids the need for a separate data format and the related serialization code, but this solution can also get pretty messy.

Making small binaries

The key to small executables is scrapping the default standard library and compressing the compiled binary. We used Mike_Vs Tiny C Runtime Library as a base for our own library implementation.

The binaries are compressed with kkrunchy, which is a tool made for exactly this purpose. It operates on standalone executables so you can write your demo in C++, Rust, Object Pascal or whatever. To be honest, size wasnt really a problem for us. We didnt store much binary data like images so we had plenty of room to play with. We didnt even remove comments from shaders!

Floating points

Floating point code caused some headaches by producing calls to nonexistent standard library functions. Most of these were eliminated by disabling SSE vectorization with the /arch:IA32 compiler switch and removing calls to ftol with the /QIfst flag that generates code that doesnt save the FPU truncation mode flags. This is not a problem because you can set the floating point truncation mode at the start of your program with this snippet courtesy of Peter Schoffhauzer:

// set rounding mode to truncate // from http://www.musicdsp.org/showone.php?id=246 static short control_word; static short control_word2; inline void SetFloatingPointRoundingToTruncate() { __asm { fstcw control_word // store fpu control word mov dx, word ptr [control_word] or dx, 0x0C00 // rounding: truncate mov control_word2, dx fldcw control_word2 // load modfied control word } }

You can read more about these things at benshoof.org.

POW

Calling pow still generated a call to __CIpow intrinsic function that didnt exist. I couldnt figure out its signature on my own but I found an implementation in Wines ntdll.dll that revealed that it expects two double precision floats in registers. Now it was possible to make a wrapper that calls our own pow implementation:

double __cdecl _CIpow( void ) { // Load the values from registers to local variables. double b, p; __asm { fstp qword ptr p fstp qword ptr b } // Implementation: http://www.mindspring.com/~pfilandr/C/fs_math/fs_math.c return fs_pow(b, p); }

If you know a nicer way to fix this, please let me know.

WinAPI

When you cant depend on SDL or similar you need to use plain WinAPI to do the necessary plumbing to get a window on screen. If you are suffering through this, these might prove helpful:

Note that we only load the function pointers for OpenGL functions that are actually used in the production in the latter example. It might be a good idea to automate this. The functions need to be queried with string identifiers that get stored in the executable, so loading as few functions as possible saves space. Whole Program Optimization might eliminate all unreferenced string literals but we couldnt use it because of a problem with memcpy .

Rendering techniques

Rendering is mostly raymarching and we used the hg_sdf library for convenience. Inigo Quilez (from now on called just iq) has written lots about this and many of the techniques. If youve ever visited ShaderToy you should be familiar with this already.

Additionally, we had the raymarcher output a depth buffer value so we could intersect signed distance fields with rasterized geometry and also apply post-processing effects.

Shading

We use standard Unreal Engine 4 shading (heres a big pdf that explains it) with a GGX lobe. It isnt very visible but makes a difference in highlights. Early on our plan was to have an unified lighting pipeline for both raymarched and rasterized shapes. The idea was to use deferred rendering and shadow maps, but this didnt work at all.

Rendering huge terrains with shadow maps is super hard to get right because of the wildly varying screen-to-shadow-map-texel ratio and other accuracy problems. I wasnt really in the mood to start experimenting with cascaded shadow maps either. Also, raymarching the same scene from multiple points of view is slow. So we just decided to scrap the whole unified lighting thing. This proved to be a huge pain later when were trying to match the lighting of the rasterized wires and raymarched scene geometry.

Terrain

The terrain is raymarched value noise with analytic derivatives. The generated derivates are used for shading of course, but also to control ray stepping length to accelerate ray traversal on smooth regions, just like in iqs examples. If you want to learn more you you can read more about this technique in this old article of his or play around with his awesome rainforest scene on ShaderToy. The landscape heightmap became much more realistic after msqrt implemented exponentially distributed noise.

The landscape effect is very slow because we do brute force shadows and reflections. The shadows use a soft shadow hack in which the penumbra size is determined by the closest distance encountered during shadow ray traversal. They look pretty nice in action. We also tried using bisection tracing to speed it up but it produced too many artifacts to be useful. Mercurys (another demogroup) raymarching tricks on the other hand helped us to eke out some extra quality with the same speed.

The sky is built using pretty much the same techniques as described by iq in behind elevated, slide 43. Just some simple functions of the ray direction vector. The sun outputs pretty large values to the framebuffer (>100) so it adds some natural bloom as well.

The alley scene

This is a view that was inspired by Fan Hos photography. Our post-processing effects really make it come together even though the underlying geometry is pretty simple.

Modelling with distance fields

The B-52 bombers are a good example of modelling with signed distance fields. They were much simpler in the party version, but we spiced em up for the final. They look pretty convincing from afar:

However they are just a bunch of capsules. Admittedly it wouldve been easier to just to make them in some 3D package but we didnt have any kind of mesh packing pipeline set up so this was faster. Just for reference, this is how the distance field shader looks like: bomber_sdf.glsl

The characters

The animated characters are just packed 1-bit bitmaps. During playback the frames are crossfaded from one to the next. They were contributed by a mysterious goatman.

Post-processing

The post-processing effects were written by varko. The pipeline is:

Apply shading from G-buffer Calculate depth-of-field Extract bright parts for bloom Perform N separable Gaussian blurs Calculate fake lens flares & wide headlight flares Composite all together Smooth edges with FXAA (thanks mudlord!) Color correction Gamma correction and subtle film grain

The lens flares follow pretty much the technique described by John Chapman. They were sometimes hard to work with but in the end still delivered.

The depth of field effect (based on DICEs technique) is made of three passes. The first one calculates the size of circle of confusion for each pixel and the two other passes apply two rotated box blurs each. We also do iterative refinement (i.e. apply multiple Gaussian blurs) when needed. This implementation worked really well for us and was fun to play with.

The depth of field effect in action. The red picture shows the calculated circle of confusion for the DOF blur.

Color correction

There is an animated parameter pp_index in Rocket that is used to switch between color correction profiles. Each profile is just a different branch in a big switch statement in the final post-processing pass shader:

vec3 cl = getFinalColor(); if (u_GradeId == 1 ) { cl.gb *= UV.y * 0.7 ; cl = pow(cl, vec3( 1.1 )); } else if (u_GradeId == 2 ) { cl.gb *= UV.y * 0.6 ; cl.g = 0.0+0.6 *smoothstep(- 0.05 , 0.9 ,cl.g* 2.0 ); cl = 0.005 +pow(cl, vec3( 1.2 ))* 1.5 ; } /* etc.. */

Its very simple but worked well enough.

Physics simulation

There are two simulated systems in the demo: the wires and a flock. They were also written by varko.

The wires

The wires are considered a series of springs. They are simulated on the GPU using compute shaders. We run multiple small steps of the simulation due to the instability of the Verlet integration method we use. The compute shader also outputs the wire geometry (a series of triangular prisms) to a vertex buffer. Sadly, the simulation doesnt work on AMD cards for some reason.

A flock of birds

The birds give a sense of scale.

The flock simulation consists of 512 birds with the first 128 considered the leaders. The leaders move in a curl noise pattern and the others follow. I think in real life birds consider the movement of their closest neighbours, but this simplification looks good enough. The flock is rendered as GL_POINT s whose size is modulated to give appearance of flapping wings. This rendering technique was also used in Half-Life 2, I think.

Music

The traditional way to make music for a 64k intro is to have a VST-instrument plugin that allows a musicians to use their regular tools to compose the music. Farbrauschs V2 synthesizer is a classic example of this approach.

This was a problem. I didnt want to use any ready made synthesizer but I also knew from earlier failed experiments that making my own virtual instrument would be a lot work. I remember really liking the mood of element/gesture 61%, a demo by branch with a paulstretched ambient song. It got me thinking about implementing it in a 4k or 64k size.

Paulstretch

Paulstretch is a wonderful algorithm for really crazy time stretching. If you havent heard about it, you should definitely listen what it can make out of Windows 98s startup sound. Its inner workings are described in this interview with the author, and its also open source.

Basically, as it stretches the input it also scrambles its phases in frequency space so that instead of metallic artifacts you get ethereal echoes. This requires of course a Fourier transform and the original application uses the Kiss FFT library for this. I didnt want to depend on an external library so in the end I implemented a naive O(N2) Discrete Fourier Transform on the GPU. This took a long time to get right but in the end it was worth it. The GLSL shader implementation is very compact and runs pretty fast despite its brute-force nature.

A tracker module

Now it was possible to make swathes of ambient drone, given some reasonable input audio to stretch. So I decided to use some tried and tested technology: tracker music. Its pretty much like MIDI but with also samples packed in the file. For example elitegroups kasparov (YouTube) uses a module with additional reverb added. If it worked 17 years ago, why not now?

I used Windows built-in gm.dls MIDI soundbank file (again, a classic trick) to make a song with MilkyTracker in XM module format. This is the format that was used also for many MS-DOS demoscene productions back in the 90s.

The catch with gm.dls is that the instruments, courtesy of Roland in 1996, sound very dated and cheesy. Turns out this is not a problem if you bathe them in tons of reverb! Heres an example where a short test song is played first and a stretched version follows:

Surprisingly atmospheric, right? So yeah, I made a song imitating Hollywood songwriting and it turned out great. Thats pretty much all thats going on the music side.

Thanks

Thanks to varko for help in some technical details of this article.

Extra stuff

For feedback email to pekka.vaananen@iki.fi
Burst water pipes in and around Ballymahon have caused major disruption to water supply in the area this morning.

A serious burst at Terlickin, outside the town occurred last week and Irish Water has confirmed that the matter should be resolved by this afternoon.

Meanwhile, two bursts occurred outside the national school in the town - one last night, the other this morning.

Cllr Paul Ross (FG) said that people in the locality are fed up with what he described as water disruption every week.

A fella from Ballymahon rang me this morning and said that he has had no water since last night, the local area representative continued.

The mains in Ballymahon is weak and when one burst occurs, Irish Water turns the water off - then when it is fixed, the water is turned back on and you have then what is called a hammerhead effect - this is where the water surges after being turned back on and another burst subsequently occurs.

Cllr Ross went on to say that this has happened in and around Ballymahon too many times now and people were becoming more and more frustrated with the situation.

Irish Water informed Longford Co Council recently that it was lowering the water pressure and installing more values in Ballymahons water system, he added.

It said these measures would prevent bursts, but to be honest the move has made no difference whatsoever.

There has been two bursts outside the school in Ballymahon over the last 24 hours and to tell you the truth it is happening on a weekly basis.

The local area representative in Ballymahon went on to say there was a major burst last week at Terlickin, Ballymahon.

This, he added, served as a huge disruption to the water supply in the area.

The measures that Irish Water have introduced in recent times are not working, fumed Cllr Ross.

This sticky plaster approach is not working and is costing money.

The simple fact is that the entire water network in the town of Ballymahon needs to be overhauled and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, Irish Water has also confirmed that it is repairing a burst water main which is causing disruptions at Cartronlebagh and the surrounding areas in Longford.

Works have an estimated completion time of 5pm on May 22, said Irish Water.

If you need to contact us about this supply and service alert, please quote this unique alert reference number: LON010644.
Friends of the Poor Clare sisters community in Drumshanbo were saddened to learn of the recent death of Sister Veronica Farrell, who was a native of Newtowncashel. Funeral mass for the deceased took place in the Poor Clare Convent of Perpetual Adoration yesterday, Tuesday.

Sister Veronica was born Kitty Farrell in 1924 and grew up in Streamstown, Newntowncashel, where she was one of six children. Two of her sisters would join the nuns with Sister Mel also a member of the Poor Clares community whilst Sr Sarto spent a lifetime on the missions. Sister Veronica was predeceased by these and two more sisters, Maisie and Margaret. She is survived by the remaining family member, their brother, Seamus, who resides at the home place in Streamstown.

The Poor Clare community is an enclosed contemplative order of nuns which can trace its beginnings back to France in the 17th century, where a group of young Irish women went in search of a religious life and were intent on returning to Ireland when the religious persecution of the day abated.

The Drumshanbo community is held in very high regard locally and many families across South Longford had strong connections with Sister Veronica and would have written to her many times over the years seeking prayer for special intentions and in time of trauma or difficulty.

Sister Veronica entered the Convent in 1956 when she was 32 years of age and up to that point had been working in Longford County Council. The nature of the enclosed order meant that visits back to Longford were all too infrequent but it is known that she held a great bond and affection for the county but especially Newtowncashel and also Derryadd, Killashee, where she stayed with relatives (the Shanley family) whilst working in the Council.

With the death of their much loved colleague, there are now just five remaining members of the Poor Clare order in the Drumshanbo community.
Local News, National & World News

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 22 2017

Bomb Trains Carrying Millions Of Gallons Of Crude Oil Routinely Travel Through Cities And Towns In NY And Across Country, Without Any Limits On Explosiveness And Flammability.

New York, NY - May 22, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, leading a coalition of six state Attorneys General, is urging the Trump Administration to immediately close a loophole that allows highly flammable, highly explosive crude oil to be shipped by rail through communities in New York and across the country. These so-called bomb trains are responsible for several catastrophic rail accidents in recent years, including the 2013 explosion in Quebec that killed 47 people; in New York alone, these trains cover roughly 700 miles of the state.

In comments filed in response to an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) issued by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the coalition calls on the agency to take immediate steps to require that all crude oil transported by rail in the U.S. achieve a vapor pressure  a key driver of the oils explosiveness and flammability of less than 9.0 pounds per square inch (psi). The comments were filed by the Attorneys General of New York, California, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, and Washington

Because of a regulatory loophole, these trains can carry crude oil through some of our most densely populated areas without any limit on explosiveness or flammability  creating ticking time bombs that jeopardize the safety of countless New Yorkers and Americans, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Its time for the federal government to put New Yorkers safety first and take immediate action to close this dangerous and nonsensical loophole.

In December 2015, Attorney General Schneiderman filed a petition for rulemaking with PHMSA to set the national limit on vapor pressure of crude oil transported by rail at less than 9.0 psi . In December 2016, specifically citing the Attorney Generals petition, the agency announced that it would issue an ANPRM in order to gather public comment on vapor pressure limits and the safety benefits of utilizing such a limit in regulating the transport of crude oil and other dangerous materials.

Accidents of trains carrying crude oil have resulted in devastating explosions and uncontrollable fires  including the 2016 train derailment in Mosier, Oregon, where the resulting fire caused the evacuation of nearly one-quarter of the towns residents, and the infamous 2013 Lac-Megantic, Quebec accident, where a derailed train burst into flames, destroyed the downtown area, and killed 47 people. Despite the catastrophic impacts that these and other rail accidents have had on communities, currently there is no federal limit on the vapor pressure of crude oil transported by rail. In the comments filed with PHMSA on Friday, the Attorneys General argue that reducing crude oil vapor pressures to levels below 9.0 psi is not only practical, but is necessary for minimizing the explosion and fire danger involved in transporting crude oil by rail.

The Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 requires PHMSA and the federal Department of Energy to report the results of a multi-year study conducted by Sandia National Laboratories to assess the volatility of crude oil and make recommendations on improving the safety of its transport. The completion of this study and the development of accompanying recommendations may take years. For this reason, the coalition is urging PHMSA to recognize the substantial present danger that oil trains pose to communities by taking immediate action to set a vapor pressure standard less than 9.0 psi until a final standard is promulgated.

It has been reported that up to 44 unit trains  chains of 70 to 120 tank cars  travel on rail routes that bisect New York each week, each carrying from 2 to 3.5 million gallons of crude oil. These trains cover approximately 700 miles of the state, passing through small communities as well as the heart of population centers such as Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, Plattsburgh, Saratoga Springs, Albany, Kingston, and Newburgh, and within a few miles of New York City. An oil train accident along these routes of the size and intensity of those seen in Quebec and other locations, could endanger the safety of thousands of New Yorkers who live, work, travel, and recreate along the trains paths.

Vapor pressure is a key contributor to crude oils explosiveness and flammability. Crude oils with the highest vapor pressures  such as those produced from the Bakken Shale formations in North Dakota  have the highest concentrations of propane, butane, ethane, and other highly volatile gases. While the vapor pressure of the crude oil involved in train accidents is frequently not disclosed, in the limited number of instances it is known  including the Mosier (Oregon) and La-Megantic (Quebec) accidents  vapor pressures have exceeded 9.0 psi.

PHMSAs stated mission is to protect people and the environment from the risks associated with the transportation of hazardous materials, including crude oil. In July 2015, in response to concerns raised by rail accidents involving crude oil shipments, the agency adopted a new rule that sought to enhance the structural integrity of train cars that ship crude oil, and lessen the chances of train derailments. Although the new rule imposed new regulations on the design and operation of train cars, it did nothing to increase the safety of the highly combustible liquids carried by these cars. Because of this, under federal law, crude oil can still be shipped through some of New Yorks most densely populated communities without any limit on its explosiveness or flammability.

According to the Association of American Railroads, crude oil shipments by rail increased from 9,500 carloads in 2008 to 493,126 carloads in 2014, representing an increase of over 5,000 percent. While rail shipments of crude oil have dipped somewhat in recent years, rail is expected to continue to be an important mode of transporting the resource in the future, particularly as crude oil prices and total U.S. production rebound as expected.

No one should have to live with dangerously explosive materials rumbling through their backyards, said Congresswoman Nita Lowey. In Rockland County, trains carry crude oil directly through towns and neighborhoods where children and families live, work, and play. The risk of a crude oil tragedy in New York and across the country is far too great, and I am pleased Attorney General Schneiderman is fighting for this important step to protect our communities. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue working with partners at all levels of government to prevent a crude transport disaster.

I join and commend Attorney General Schneiderman in his call for immediate action at the federal level to mandate a safer vapor pressure standard of 9.0 or lower for crude oil transported by rail. The Capital Region remains a major hub for oil train traffic and as long as volatile crude oil is permitted to be transported through the area, residents remain at risk. Almost two dozen Assemblymembers wrote the Administration last fall supporting this safety change, said Assemblymember Patricia A. Fahy.

I join Attorney General Schneiderman in calling on the Trump administration to take immediate action to protect our community by reducing the volatility of crude oil shipped by rail to mitigate the impact of accidents involving oil trains, said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy. I believe the lower threshold would reduce the possibility of explosions and go a long way toward holding rail shippers accountable for the risks we face every day. I have called for lower thresholds since 2014 after we found out that the Bakken crude in the Lac Megantic disaster had a psi between 9 and 9.3 and my Expert Advisory Committee on Crude Oil Safety Issues made the same recommendation that I sent to the former Secretary of Transportation. As we near the fourth anniversary of that disaster, we must take every precaution necessary to protect our residents. I applaud the Attorney General for pursuing this requirement and offering his comments to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration on behalf of New Yorkers.

I fully support Attorney General Schneidermans efforts to improve the safety of crude oil that is transported by rail through cities like Albany every day, said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. Improving vapor pressure standards will help to protect our communities from the harm that can occur if a derailment or accident occurs. I applaud the Attorney Generals leadership on this important issue.

The City of Plattsburgh cares deeply about the movement of the most volatile crude oil products by train through our dense urban core and along our lake. Reducing the permissible vapor pressure for crude oil and chemical containers reduces both the potential for explosions and for chemical inhalation should an accident or puncture occur. I fully support the OAGs effort to keep our population safe by restricting the allowable vapor pressure of these volatile chemical cars, said Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read.

In the past 10 years, U.S. production of crude oil has nearly tripledand most of it is now being shipped by rail. The frequency of related deadly fires and explosions has also skyrocketed across the country, said Kimberly Ong, Staff Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council. Communities nationwide urgently need the Department of Transportation to put existing safety technology to use to limit crude oil vapor pressure and greatly reduce the likelihood of these dangerous incidents nationwide. We applaud Attorney General Schneiderman and his colleagues for pushing for immediate action on this critical matter of public safety.

Until the state achieves its goal of 100% clean, renewable energy powered economy, an oil train tragedy in New York is sadly a matter of when, not if, said Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York. The federal government should immediately act on Attorney General Schneidermans call for less volatile oil on the rails in our communities. It could be a real life saver."
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 22 2017

Browning: It was an honor to recognize Chriss ascent to the highest rank of scouting.

Center Moriches, NY - May 22, 2017 - Boy Scout Troop 414 came together at VFW Post 414 in Boy Scout Troop 414 came together at VFW Post 414 in Center Moriches to honor Christopher Ballas for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Legislator Kate Browning (WF- Shirley ) and her Chief of Staff Josh Slaughter attended the ceremony and presented Christopher with a proclamation to recognize his achievement.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Boy Scout can attain, and it requires earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout spirit through the Boy Scout Oath and law, service, and leadership. This includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. Christophers Eagle Scout project consisted of designing and constructing a storage unit for the Mastic Beach Ambulance Company.

In addition to obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout, Christopher is graduating from William Floyd High School this June and has already enlisted in the United State Marine Corps. He leaves for basic training at Paris Island in July.
Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com

Columnists Press Releases
Suspect Taken into Custody After Holding Girlfriend Hostage at Gunpoint, Nassau Cops Say

Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 22 2017

Quanne Tomlinson, 34, of Freeport was arrested at scene by Bureau of Special Operations officers.

NCPD report the arrest of Quanne Tomlinson, 34, of Freeport following a domestic incident which occurred on Saturday, 5/20.

Freeport, NY - May 22, 2017 - First Squad detectives report the details of an arrest involving a domestic incident which occurred in First Squad detectives report the details of an arrest involving a domestic incident which occurred in Freeport on Saturday, 05/20/17 at 8:50 P.M.

According to detectives, Freeport police officers responded to a call from a female victim, 36, who stated she was being held hostage by her boyfriend, Quanne Tomlinson, 34, of Freeport and that he threatened her with a gun, at his residence. The defendant refused to open the door at the residence.

Bureau of Special Operations police and the Hostage Negotiation Team responded. The defendant opened the door at approximately 3:30 A.M. and was placed under arrest. No gun was recovered.

No injuries were reported.

Tomlinson is being charged with Aggravated Family Offense, Unlawful Imprisonment 2nd Degree and Menacing 3rd Degree. He will be arraigned on Monday, 05/22/17 in First District Court, Hempstead
Al Qaeda seized on President Donald J. Trumps recent visit to Saudi Arabia to once again criticize the royal family and call for an uprising.

On May 20, al Qaedas propaganda arm, As Sahab, released an audio message from Hamza bin Laden. The junior bin Laden follows in his fathers footsteps by blasting the Saudi royal family. His speech is the second part in a series aimed at the House of Saud. Part 1, in which Hamza called for regime change, was released last August.

Its not clear when Hamza recorded his latest anti-Saudi message. He does not mention President Trump or the American delegation. Instead, he focuses on the early decades of the Saudi dynasty, portraying it as a corrupt regime that serves the interests of the West. Still, al Qaeda undoubtedly wanted to maximize the audience for Hamzas audio by releasing it during President Trumps visit.

Then, on May 21, al Qaeda published the 15th issue of its Al Nafir Bulletin (seen below). The one-page newsletter is devoted to Trumps visit. The Al Saud rulers and all apostate rulers appear before us today in wasteful ceremonies to offer loyalty and renew their allegiance to the hateful Crusader master of the White House, Trump, the newsletter reads.

Just hours before Al Nafir was released online, President Trump attended a ceremony with King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi to commemorate the opening of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh. Unsurprisingly, Al Nafirs editors criticize the move, arguing that the rulers had really committed to building an apostate army to fight jihad and the Mujahideen in the name of fighting terror and terrorism. The center will be used to fight faith, purity, and commitment, under the call to fight extremism, backwardness, and intolerance, al Qaeda contends.

In Al-Nafir, al Qaeda also argues that the Saudi government should give its money to the people instead of investing it in defense deals and other arrangements with the US. Al Qaeda uses these two issues  the Saudis supposed misuse of funds and the creation of the new center  to renew its call for jihad.

So here are the Crusaders and the apostates, and they have stolen your money, fought your religion, shed your blood, and transgressed against your honor, Al Nafir reads. When will you return to your religion and do jihad in the cause of Allah?

Hamza bin Ladens critique of Ibn Saud

Al Qaeda has been raising Hamzas media profile since the summer of 2015, when he was first introduced as a prominent jihadist figure. On May 13, just one week before Hamzas new anti-Saudi message, As Sahab released another speech from Osamas heir. In that talk, Hamza provided advice to martyrdom seekers living in the West. [See FDDs Long War Journal report: Hamza bin Laden offers advice for martyrdom seekers in the West]

In his latest message, Hamza accuses the Saudi government of promulgating a false version of its own history, arguing that generations have been raised ignorant of what truly transpired during the first years of the 20th Century, when the House of Saud rose. Bin Laden is keen to undermine King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Sauds (Ibn Saud) legacy, portraying him as a witting agent of the British. Only when the proper history is told, Hamza says, will Muslims understand the magnitude of the injustice brought upon their country and then work to restore their stolen rights.

Bin Laden accuses Ibn Saud of working with the British from the beginning, seeking their approval before leaving Kuwait (where the Saud family lived) and conquering the city of Riyadh in 1902. Riyadh and large parts of the Arabian peninsula were controlled by Ibn Rashids men, who were allied with the Ottoman Empire at the time. Bin Laden says Ibn Saud could only expand his power at the expense of the Ottoman Empires allies and he sought assistance from the British to do it. This, from al Qaedas perspective, violates Islamic law, as Ibn Saud attacked fellow Muslims while working with the British.

According to bin Laden, the Saudi telling of Ibn Sauds early conquests omits these sharia violations, including the assault on the Ottomans ally to serve the English and the unlawful killing of Muslims.

In the period leading up to World War I, the Ottoman government sought to reconcile the opposing forces inside the Arabian Peninsula. And so a deal was struck between the Ottomans and Ibn Saud, which granted the Saudi patriarch territorial rights in exchange for military cooperation and an agreement to prevent foreign powers from expanding their influence in the region. But Ibn Saud broke this agreement as well, bin Laden says, after he again sided with the British. (Ibn Sauds territory was declared a British protectorate as part of a treaty in 1915.) Ibn Saud moved on the Turks main client, Ibn Rashid, despite their previous understanding. In so doing, bin Laden charges, the founder of the Saudi dynasty paved the way for the English and their allies to occupy the homelands of the Muslims.

Bin Laden reminds his audience that Captain William Henry Irvine Shakespear, a British emissary, served as Ibn Sauds military adviser and had command of the Muslim forces while organizing their ranks. This was part of Britains broader financial and military support for Ibn Saud. This is all clear evidence of English support, bin Laden says, and led to Crusader hegemony over the region.

According to bin Laden, these early Saudi dealings with the West led to the British capture of Palestine and, later on, the establishment of the Israeli state.

Osama bin Laden liked to argue that there is a Zionist-Crusader conspiracy against Muslims. His son, Hamza, has continued with these theme, making it one of his central talking points and accusing the House of Saud of being part of it.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
The media arm for Shabaab, al Qaedas branch in East Africa, has released a video of a graduation ceremony for foreign fighters who attended a training camp. Sheikh Ali Mahmoud Rage, a spokesman and senior figure in Shabaab, delivers a speech during the ceremony. He focuses mainly on Kenya, claiming that Christians oppress Muslims in that country and throughout East Africa.

Rage says that many of the camps graduates come from Kenya. You have to be the army that will conquer Kenya so that we may return to our families and relatives in a state of honor and glory, and uplift them from the humiliation, by the permission of Allah, the Exalted, Rage says.

Kenyan forces have long battled Shabaabs jihadists inside Somalia. Shabaab, in turn, has launched spectacular terrorist attacks inside Kenya, including the June 2014 raid in Mpeketoni, during which dozens were slaughtered, and the Apr. 2015 massacre at Garissa University College, which left more than 140 people dead and dozens more wounded. Shabaab has struck elsewhere throughout Kenya as well. Many of the operations, including the attack in Mpeketoni, were carried out by the groups Jaysh Ayman, a commando unit that specializes in cross-border raids. [See FDDs Long War Journal report: American charged with supporting Shabaab, serving in specialized fighting force.]

In Jan. 2016, Shabaab overran an AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) base in the Somali town of El Adde, killing approximately 150 Kenyan soldiers. The UN later described the operation as the largest military defeat in Kenyan history. The UN also found that 11 Kenyan soldiers were taken hostage. On May 18, Shabaab released a video featuring one of them. The hostage, Alfred Danyi Kilasi, was made to plea for his life and ask the Kenyan people to force their government to take action. Shabaab did not specify what it wanted from the Kenyan government, if anything, in return for the hostages. But the al Qaeda group is all too happy to remind people of its success in El Adde.

In the new video, Rage ties the jihadists war with Kenya to the training camps mission.

He thanks the Muhajireen brothers who have endured the hardships of Hijra [emigration] and were patient during the training camps. They endured the intense training sessions and exerted a great effort to learn the different ways of combating the enemies of Allah.

You, my dear brothers, have made Hijra from faraway lands and have completed intense training courses and have endured great hardships, Rage continues. Know that your trainers and the Mujahideen have a noble objective behind all the hardships that you have endured.

Rage spells out the main objectives for the jihadists now that theyve completed their training. You are well aware of the situation of the Muslim Ummah in general, and particularly, the Muslims of East Africa, and the humiliation and suffering they are faced with, Rage says. Therefore, what is needed from youis to uplift the humiliation from the Muslims and repel the oppression of the disbelievers from the Muslims of East Africa, particularly the countries youve made Hijra from, including Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and even Somalia.

He focuses on the Kenyan foreign fighters, in particular, saying the Kenyan crusaders have occupied our Muslim lands and have transgressed against the honor of our Muslim sisters.

So it is upon you to protect with your weapons the honor and chastity of our Muslim sisters that is being violated by the disbelievers, Rage says. It is upon you to protect the Muslim women, children and elderly who continue to be mercilessly killed by the disbelievers, whether they are in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and even here in Somalia.

Their ultimate mission is to work towards the implementation of the Shariah of Allah so that it governs the entire world.

We have to eliminate all other systems of governance and laws of Kufr such as democracy, communism and secularism enforced upon us by the pagans and govern the land according to the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet, Rage argues. We have to wage war until we either elevate the banner of Tawheed [monotheism] or meet Allah. The jihadists will achieve either victory or martyrdom and they should not be content with anything less than that.

Inciting against Christians

Rage spends much of his speech inciting against Christians in Kenya, claiming they have forcibly replaced Muslims in a number of areas.

We know and the Kenyan crusaders also know the oppression and immense atrocities they have perpetrated against the Muslims who live under the occupations of the Christians, Rage says.

He goes on to claim that the coastal town of Mpeketoni used to be a Muslim land, but the Kuffar [nonbelievers] then transferred the Christians and settled them in Muslim lands, forcefully occupying the land. Today, Rage adds, the town is home to one hundred churches and perhaps only one mosque, because the land is occupied and the disbelievers erected churches in the place of mosques. Shabaab attempted to justify its June 2014 attack in Mpeketoni with the same argument, claiming that the Kenyan military was occupying Muslim lands.

Rage claims the disbelievers burned down the town of Garissa and killed many Muslims simply for being Muslims in 1980. In addition to that, they carried out a mass massacre of Muslims in Wagalla. He adds that theyve built churches at the entrance of Mombasa, a historically Muslim city, giving the perception that it is a Christian dominated city. And the call to prayer has been replaced by the chiming of the church bells elsewhere.

The Shabaab spokesman says the prisons in Kenya are filled with Muslims  many Muslim youth whove been detained without due court process and left to linger in the prisons without mercy. According to Rage, the disbelievers have also occupied Muslim lands, invaded parts of Somalia where they still have a military presence, and mercilessly bombed the Muslim lands of Somalia.

The video of Rages talk was produced by Shabaabs Al-Kataib Foundation for Media. It is part 1 of the production and includes English subtitles.

Shabaab is locked in a long battle with the Kenyans and its propaganda will undoubtedly continue to focus on the Kenyan government in the coming months.

Images from Shabaabs video (Muhajireens Graduation Ceremony Address):

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
The Taliban launched an attack on Ghazni City and destroyed the governors compound over the weekend. Additionally, the Taliban claimed it took control of Waghaz district and is threatening to overrun Dih Yak.

This morning Ghaznis Waghaz district was conquered. Numerous enemy fatalities, 2 APCs destroyed, 2 APCs plus weaponry captured, Taliban spokesman Zahibullah Mujahid said on his official Twitter feed on May 20. Dih Yak centre and provincial centers [Ghazni City] under attack, he noted in a separate tweet.

The fighting in Ghazni was confirmed by Afghan officials, who claimed that 25 Taliban fighters and two security personnel were killed during clashes in Ghazni City. Police officials told India Express that the Taliban blew up the district governors compound with explosives during the fighting.

Afghan officials would not confirm the Talibans claim that it overran Waghaz. The Taliban captured an unknown number of policemen and wounded the chief of police for the district, India Express reported.

However, press reports indicate that the Taliban remains entrenched in Waghaz. The next day, the Afghan Ministry of Defence claimed that 48 additional Taliban fighters were killed and 28 more were wounded during artillery strikes against the hideouts of the Taliban insurgents in Waghaz district of Ghazni, Khaama Press reported. The Ministry of Defence did not indicate how it determined the number of Taliban casualties. Both the Taliban and the Afghan military are known to inflate the number of casualties incurred during their operations.

The Taliban now claims it controls five of Ghaznis 18 districts (Nawa, Khogyani, Rasheedan, Waghaz, and Zana Khan), and controls 60 percent or more of nine other districts. Only three districts (Nawar, Ajiristan, and Malistan) are fully under government control. FDDs Long War Journal has assessed the Talibans claim of territorial control to be credible.

Ghazni is not the first province capital to come under Taliban threat. Taliban forces entered Kunduz City earlier this month and took control of Qala-i-Zal district, but were pushed back by Afghan forces. Kunduz City has fallen under Taliban control twice for short periods of time since the fall of 2015.

The Taliban has also threatened Pul-i-Khurmi in Baghlan, Farah City in Farah, Lashkar Gah in Helmand, Tarin Kot in Uruzgan, and Maimana in Faryab over the past year. [See Taliban threatens another provincial capital in Afghan north.]

Afghan forces have ceded control of some rural districts to the Taliban, claiming the districts are not strategically important. The Taliban has used these districts as bases to attack Afghan forces in more populous districts. The US military estimates that the Taliban now controls or contests 40 percent of Afghanistans districts, while the Taliban claims the number is closer to 50 percent.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Cars / Cars and Bikes

Check out the hype around this interesting luxury car vending machine, a new venture by Autobahn Motors in Singapore that dispenses Maseratis, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis

May 22, 2017 | By AFP Relaxnews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OBciQhVu24

Reminiscent of a hot wheels pack, this unique building in Singapore is turning heads all around the world. The vending machine-like tower that dispenses luxury cars to well-heeled buyers is the latest space-saving innovation in land-starved Singaporejust dont try to shake it if it gets stuck. This brainchild of Autobahn Motors (ABM) houses more than 70 of the companys million dollar wares.

Used luxury car dealer and owner of ABM Gary Hong has taken to displaying his wares in a glass-fronted, 15-storey building. Costing SGD$3 million to build, Hong, 45, said he got the inspiration for the new showroom during a trip with his four-year-son to buy toy cars. Like choosing a chocolate bar, the buyer can see everything on display, before pressing some buttons and having their choice delivered.

From there I realised that the Matchbox arrangement is a mini version of our inventories that can be displayed and arranged nicely, he told AFP.

From the comfort of a plush sofa on the ground floor, potential buyers can order a Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini among other brands, all with the touch of a hand-held device. Once a selection is made, a promotional video of that car is played on a flat-screen television while the vehicle is automatically transported down by a lift.

When the customers see a car that is presented in a best way like a beauty pageant, they just decide that this is a winner, and we got a deal, said Hong, who added that sales have risen by 30 percent since the move to the new premises in December.

The extremely smart design not only creates an interesting pull towards customers looking for a new ride, but also tackles the problem of land scarcity in the little red dot. With a population density ranked by the World Bank to be third highest in the world, behind Macau and Monaco, land comes at a premium in the tiny city-state.

The company stores between 70-80 cars at its facilityan amount that would otherwise require five times the space if the vehicles are parked traditionally. A similar car vending concept currently exists in the United States, through online auto retailer Carvana, which was last reported by US media to have five such facilities around the country as of April.
The great Gold Rush Music Festival returns to the township of Waihi, with the first nuggets of gold dropping for the highly anticipated return of the 2023 festival.
What is the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court Agreement?

Justin Simpson: At its heart, the Unitary Patent (UP) was established as a way to simplify and reduce the cost of patent filing in Europe. It's an agreement between European Union member countries that establishes a single patent right across these countries that can be enforced by a court, known as the Unified Patent Court (UPC). Depending on the subject matter, the central court ruling on the matter will be based either in London, Paris or Munich, but its decisions will be enforceable in all EU countries who have signed up to the deal.

Traditionally speaking, what has been the most common way to obtain patent protection in Europe?

Justin Simpson: Typically, through a European patent application via the European Patent Office. That route allows one to obtain a granted patent, but it will only be enforceable in individual European countries once it has been validated in those countries. So it's really a centralised prosecution path, but validation and enforcement happen in individual countries.

This seems straightforward enough, why was there a push to implement the UP?

Justin Simpson: A European patent isn't a single right, but a bundle of individual country rights. When you're validating in a lot of countries it can be expensive and time-consuming. Likewise any patent disputes must be litigated in each nation individually and each country isn't bound by decisions in other national courts.

When did this push occur and how long has the UP and the UPC been in the works?

Justin Simpson: There have been discussions surrounding it for decades. In 1973 when the legal basis of the European patent system was created with the European Patent Convention (EPC), member states began inquiring about the creation of a Europe-wide patent (much like the worldwide patent most applicants wrongly assume exists). In December 2012, a formal agreement was reached. Now, ratification is needed by 13 of 26 countries currently participating  including the UK, France & Germany. So far, 11 states have ratified, including France so it's nearly ready to go, although significant hurdles have yet to be overcome that I'll touch upon later.

What are some major differences in filing via the UP from the current European patent?

Justin Simpson: As I briefly discussed earlier, the Unitary Patent is actually a parallel system to the current European patent. The UP was set up so you can choose to validate the old way, in individual European countries, or via the UP which would have effect in a bundle of EU countries. Patent applicants will have the choice between using the UP or individual European validation, once they've gone through prosecution at the EPO.

Why would this filing method be advantageous for applicants?

Justin Simpson: For applicants who want protection in a large number of European countries, the objective of the UP is to make validating and enforcing patents in Europe easier and less expensive. With UPs, you'll save on translations and paying for validations in individual countries. Also, in cases of infringement, you won't have to handle the dispute in dozens of individual national courts. It centralizes enforcement into one governing authority  the UPC. However, for applicants that are happy with protection in only a handful of European countries, the UP won't really help them.

How does the uncertainty around Brexit affect the UP?

Justin Simpson: When the UK referendum happened and British voters elected to leave the European Union, the future of the long-awaited UPC Agreement immediately became uncertain. It is important to remember that the UP is an agreement among European Union member states and as London is one of the three locations for the Unified Patent Court, it's a tricky situation. In November 2016 many were shocked when the UK government announced that it would proceed with preparations to ratify. However, it still remains unclear if the UK can stay in the system once the country leaves the EU. Recently, the EPO President, Benoit Battistelli, noted he is confident the EU can find a way to keep the UK in the Agreement if there is a way to accept the supremacy of EU law. It is difficult to know what will happen in two years' time, and a lot of different opinions on the most likely outcome. Watch this space!

When will the UP come into effect, is there a date set yet?

Justin Simpson: A year ago, the expectation was a spring 2017 launch. However, this has since been pushed and optimists are looking at the end of 2017. This date now looks increasingly compromised by the recent decision to hold a General Election in the UK in June. There is speculation now that it will come into effect in the spring of 2018. For that to happen, a few things need to be achieved. First and most importantly, the UK and Germany have to complete the ratification process. Things can change daily relating to this agreement, it's important to continue to be on the lookout for updates and announcements, specifically relating to the United Kingdom's level of involvement.

Are all EU countries signed up to participate in the Unitary Patent?

Justin Simpson: No. Currently, 26 of the 28 member countries are signed up to participate  including the United Kingdom. As of today, Spain and Croatia have still chosen not to participate in the agreement. Remember too, that the European Patent Convention covers 44 countries, so the UP doesn't (and won't ever) cover all of those non-EU countries. Applicants need to pay close attention to which countries on their list are covered or not and seek professional advice if they are unsure.

If you could have a guess, which industry is set to benefit the most from the UP?

Justin Simpson: Industries such as pharma which tend to file in the largest number of countries would stand to benefit with a reduction of their translation and filing costs. However, they have their doubts too. The hesitation we are hearing is whether to put all their eggs into one basket. A negative result in a UPC court is a negative result in up to 26 countries. They won't have the opportunity to forum shop, getting a positive result in a pharma-friendly jurisdiction which they can use as a negotiating tool elsewhere. It's a complex issue, which each applicant needs to consider from their own strategic viewpoint.

Do you foresee this becoming the dominant way to file throughout Europe?

Justin Simpson: As the UP was created to coexist with existing filing systems, I don't foresee it immediately taking the place of European validation. My best bet is that companies will use the UP for some patent applications and traditional validation for others. I also foresee a slow start, where companies wait to read the results of the first few UPC cases. A company's IP is often its most important asset, and it's something CEOs are reluctant to experiment with. In time, the UP may become popular at the big end of town if concerns about the UPC and the role of the UK are allayed, but the big end of town will take time to embrace such a change.

Cost savings can be a driver to filing via the UP, what are some negatives?

Justin Simpson: There are two main negatives: One is that you are entrusting your patent rights to a single court covering 26 countries. If you lose that case, all rights throughout Europe are lost. The second is that if you only want to protect your patent in a limited number of countries, it's actually cheaper to use traditional validation. This is true of many companies who probably won't find the UP that useful. So the cost savings are most significant for the broadest filers and are either moderate or negative for narrow filers but again companies have to determine whether any savings outweigh the uncertainty surrounding the role of the UK and the UPC.

Once this agreement is ratified and implemented throughout Europe, where should applicants look to file UP applications?

Justin Simpson: The UP system, especially in its infancy, will be rather complex and it will be hard to keep track of all the changes. Specialist foreign filing providers such as RWS spend all of their time on this topic, so were a great resource to tap into. Weve recently built a one-click cost calculator which is connected to our filing platform, inovia. This tool helps applicants and law firms understand the costs of the UP versus non-UP routes so they can make informed decisions. We are excited about the launch of our calculator and are looking forward to assisting applicants and law firms during this evolution of European patent law.
Toone triumphs at 2022 Northwest Football Awards

Article

Ellas efforts last season were recognised at the ceremony, while there were wins elsewhere for the club on the evening.
Published in Pravda No. 52, May 22 (9), 1917.

Novaya Zhizn for May 7 publishes interviews with ministers of the ''new'' government. Prime Minister Lvov has declared that ''the country must have its weighty say and send its army into battle''.

This is the sum and substance of the new governments ''programme''. An offensive, an offensive, an offensive!

Defending this imperialist programme, now accepted by the Chernovs and the Tseretelis, Minister Lvov in tones of deepest moral indignation fulminates against the virtual armistice that has been established at the front!

Let every Russian worker, let every peasant give careful thought to this programme of offensive, to these violent ministerial diatribes against the virtual armistice.

Millions of people have been killed and crippled in the war. Untold sufferings have fallen to the lot of the people, particularly the working masses, as a result of the war. The capitalists are making scandalously high profits out of the war. The soldiers are utterly worn out.

What is wrong with a virtual armistice? What is wrong with having the slaughter stopped? What is wrong with the soldiers getting at least a brief respite?

We are told that an armistice has been established only on one front, and therefore there is a danger of a separate peace. But this argument does not hold water. If neither the Russian Government nor the Russian workers and peas ants want a separate peace with the German capitalists (our Party, as we know, through Pravda and in the resolution passed at our Conference, which spoke in the name of the Party as a whole, has repeatedly protested against such a peace)if no one in Russia wants a separate peace with separate capitalists, how then, by what miracle, can such a peace come? Who can impose it?

The objection is clearly untenable. It is sheer invention, an attempt to throw dust in our eyes.

Further, why should a virtual armistice on one front imply the danger of a separate peace on that front, and not the danger of such an armistice spreading to all fronts?

A virtual armistice is an unstable transitional state of affairs. This is incontrovertible. Transitional to what? It cannot lead to a separate peace so long as there is no mutual agreement between the two governments or two nations. But why could not such an armistice lead to a virtual truce on all fronts? Surely this is what all nations agree with, despite all or most of their governments!

Fraternisation on one front can and should lead to fraternisation on all fronts. A virtual armistice on one front can and should lead to a virtual armistice on all fronts.

The nations would thus gain a respite from the carnage. The revolutionary workers in all the countries would raise their heads still higher; their influence would increase, and faith in the possibility and necessity of a workers revolution in the advanced capitalist countries would become strengthened.

What is wrong with such a transition? Why should we not help to bring it about as far as it is in our power to do so?

We may be told that a virtual armistice today on all fronts would help the German capitalists, who have snatched more loot than anybody else. This is not true. For one thing, the British capitalists have grabbed more (the German colonies in Africa, German islands in the Pacific, Mesopotamia, part of Syria, etc.) and, unlike the German capitalists, have lost nothing. Secondly, if the German capitalists had shown greater obstinacy than the British capitalists, the growth of the revolution in Germany would have only been accelerated. The revolution in Germany is obviously mounting. An offensive by the Russian troops would check this growth. The virtual armistice hastens the rise of this revolution.

Thirdly, what with growing hunger, ruin, and disorganisation, Germany is in desperate straits, being worse off than any other country, especially since the United States has entered the war. A virtual armistice would not remove this fundamental source of Germanys weakness; on the contrary, it is likely to improve the position of the other countries (greater freedom for bringing up supplies) while worsening that of the German capitalists (who have nowhere to bring supplies up from and will have greater difficulty in hiding the truth from the people).

The Russian people have two programmes to choose from. One is the programme of the capitalists, adopted by the Chernovs and Tseretelis. This is the programme of offensive, the programme for dragging out the imperialist war, dragging out the carnage.

The other programme is that of the worlds revolutionary workers, advocated in Russia by our Party. This programme says: stimulate fraternisation (but do not permit the Germans to deceive the Russians); fraternise by means of proclamations; extend fraternisation and a virtual armistice to all fronts; help to spread these in every possible way, thereby hastening the proletarian revolution in all the countries, giving at least a temporary respite to the soldiers of all the belligerent countries; hasten in Russia the transfer of power to the Soviets of Workers, Soldiers, and Peasants Deputies, and thereby hasten the conclusion of a really just, really universal peace in the interests of the working people, and not in the interests of the capitalists.

Our government, with the Chernovs and Tseretelis, the Narodniks and the Mensheviks, is for the first programme.

The majority of the Russian nation and of all the nations within Russia (and outside Russia), i.e., the majority of the workers and poor peasants, undoubtedly stand for the second programme.

The victory of this second programme is drawing nearer every day.

Source: Marxist Internet Archive.
Socialist Appeal and the International Marxist Tendency invite all our readers to REVOLUTION 2017 - a three day festival of Marxist ideas in London, celebrating the centenary of the Russian Revolution of October 1917 and discussing the relevance of Marxism today. Book your tickets now!

100 years ago, the masses in Russia - led by Lenin and the Bolsheviks - changed the course of history with the inspiring October Revolution. For the first time in history, the working class took power into its own hands and attempted to transform society in the interests of the vast majority.

Today, with the world in the midst of crises at all levels - economically, politically, and socially - there is once again a thirst for revolutionary ideas to make sense of the turbulent processes taking place and explain the way forward for society.

From the chaos of the Trump administration and the growing global military tensions between America, China, and Russia; to the radical political movements seen around Melenchon in France, Sanders in the USA, and Corbyn in Britain: it is clear that the status quo has failed and the system has broken. Now more than ever, therefore, there is a need for revolutionary change and a socialist alternative.

Join Socialist Appeal and the International Marxist Tendency this October for REVOLUTION - a three day festival celebrating the events of the 1917 Russian Revolution; learning the vital lessons from such revolutionary historical events; and discussing the relevance of Marxist ideas in understanding how we can fight for radical change today.

With guest speakers and special sessions on:

The life and ideas of Leon Trotsky - new documentary, introduced by Esteban Volkov, Trotsky's grandson (via video link)

How the working class took power: lessons of the 1917 Russian Revolution

The international impact of the Russian Revolution

Introductions to Marxist economics and philosophy

And much much more!

FRIDAY 20th OCTOBER - SUNDAY 22nd OCTOBER

Venue: Student Central (formerly ULU), Malet Street, London

Map

Facebook event

E-mail contact@socialist.net to book your place now.

Early bird tickets available until 1st August: 5 unwaged / 10 waged (buy tickets here)

Limited accommodation available - e-mail to reserve.
The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to begin undoing a key decision from the Obama era that could relax regulations on Internet providers.

The move highlights the uphill battle for Democrats and consumer advocates, who say that weaker rules could allow Internet service providers to abuse their position as gatekeepers between customers and the rest of the Internet. The current net neutrality rules make it illegal for Internet service providers to block or slow down websites for consumers.

By Brian Fung

Full Story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/05/18/fcc-votes-to-start-rolling-back-landmark-net-neutrality-rules/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-technology%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.b4aceb0be262
Reduce, reuse, Re-Laxtheres a new sustainable lacrosse head on the field.

Young entrepreneurs Colton Rasmussen and Trent Cavanagh, seniors at C.M. Russell High School, added another accolade to their roster of success with their Re-Lax lacrosse head company.

On Thursday, the pair earned top prize at a business plan competition modeled after the television program "Shark Tank", sponsored by D.A. Davidson and the Great Falls Chamber.

Six teams, three from CMR and three from Great Falls High, presented their business ideas, models, prototypes and revenue projections to a panel of business sharks.

Sarah Dettmer , [email protected]

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/money/2017/05/19/shark-tank-high-school-style-lacrosse-gear-made-recycled-plastic-impress-judges/331224001/
The president is scheduled to release a more detailed budget proposal this week that will include major cuts in USDA Rural Development and other programs affecting rural America and rural regions. Three economists argue that the federal government can improve its work in rural America without "breaking the bank." To do so requires moving away from an "ag-only" emphasis and devoting more resources to evaluation.

By Stephen Goetz and Mark Partridge and Heather Stephens

Full Story: http://www.dailyyonder.com/speak-piece-economic-status-rural-america-trump-era/2017/05/22/19355/
Montana State Universitys Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship is seeking local and regional businesses and non-profit organizations that are willing to offer students practical business experience in return for research, issue analysis or operational advice during the upcoming fall semester, which runs from Aug. 28 through Dec. 8.

Participating students will be enrolled in "BMGT 463Entrepreneurial Experience" or "BMGT 475R  Management Experience." Both are senior-level courses taught by Gary Bishop, associate teaching professor of management. Bishop said the entrepreneurial experience course is primarily focused on new start-up organizations or small, locally owned businesses. The management experience course focuses on more established businesses, as well as civic and non-profit organizations.



Application materials for both programs may be obtained by contacting Linda Ward at 994-1995 or [email protected] or Gary Bishop at 994-7017 or [email protected]. More information also is available online at http://www.montana.edu/business/e-center/for-companies.html.

Full Story: https://www.wired.com/2017/05/curious-plan-save-environment-blockchain/
The Hamilton and Stevensville airports have a "truly fantastic" economic impact on Ravalli County, according to the county Economic Development Authoritys presentation to the commissioners last week.

The effect of the Stevensville airport as a municipal enterprise is phenomenal, Julie Foster, the authoritys executive director, said at the Tuesday meeting.

"It is a well-kept secret that we have this asset, and when we look at the Ravalli County airport (it) is the same kind of asset," Foster said. "I think most citizens in Ravalli County arent aware of the jobs and tax base."

MICHELLE MCCONNAHA [email protected]

Full Story: http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_261c14f5-c1fc-593f-8a7b-fe53042105e0.html
The Montana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program at the Montana Department of Commerce is partnering with Miles Community College to host a new SBDC location to grow economic development in Southeastern Montana.

"Together SBDC and Miles Community College will provide access to business development resources, supporting the entire region and strengthening the economy," said SBDC State Director Chad Moore.

The Regional SBDC center hosted by the college will serve Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Powder River, Prairie, Rosebud, Treasure, and Wibaux counties from its centralized location in Miles City.

Full Story: http://commerce.mt.gov/News/PressReleases/commerce-miles-community-college-partner-to-open-new-small-business-development-center
COLUMBUS  Albion-based Applied Connective Technologies is looking to make more hookups from its Columbus office in the next 12 to 18 months.

We want to expand our presence in Columbus, said company President Ed Knott, who co-founded the fast-growing provider of information technology (IT), communications and security services targeting businesses, schools and municipalities in the Boone County community in 2004.

The company, which has satellite offices in Columbus and Fullerton, found its niche focusing on businesses in small towns and semi-urban cities that are too often ignored by larger service providers.

I discovered early on that many of our clients felt undervalued and underserviced by their previous IT providers, whether because of their rural location or their company size, said the 37-year-old Knott, a 2002 graduate of Doane College.

Were excited to get more involved with communities that are thriving, but underserved, and introduce them to technologies that will benefit their businesses and allow them to operate more efficiently, he said.

Knott has the background to know what hes talking about.

Knott, who grew up on a cattle operation in the Burwell and Ord area near Calamus Lake in central Nebraska, said Applied Connective's aim is to expand its Columbus office staff to about a half-dozen full-time representatives, doubling staffing over the next 18 months.

He went to school in Taylor, a Loup County village of fewer than 200 people.

Ive always had entrepreneurial inclinations, and so I became very interested in working with local business owners that I felt I could relate to, with the goal of bringing the range of service and skill youd typically find in a large city back to business owners in and around where I grew up.

Applied Connective has experienced a surge of growth in recent years, and though it serves a range of clients in various industries throughout Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota, the business remains devoted to focusing on smaller markets outside the Omaha and Lincoln areas.

Larger service providers often disregard and overlook Nebraska businesses and establishments to zero in on more heavily populated areas, said Knott, but businesses striving to remain competitive in smaller cities have the same needs as businesses in larger cities.

He said company officials are excited to get more involved with communities that are thriving, but underserved, and introduce them to technologies that will benefit their businesses and allow them to operate more efficiently.

Applied Connective began putting down its footprint in Columbus about two years ago.

Weve already got a lot of commercial customers in Columbus, Knott said, adding that the company has technicians operating in the community on a daily basis to serve business customers.

Applied Connective initially came to town to provide services at Sidumpr Trailer Co., a manufacturer of side-dump trailers used for agriculture and construction companies.

Theyve been a long-time client, said Knott, noting that Applied Connective provided the trailer producer with an IT network and servicing along with a camera surveillance system for all its buildings.

Other local commercial customers have included Pillen Family Farms, Great Plains State Banks three locations, Big Iron Auction and Prairie Village.

Knott said Applied Connectives products include managed IT, networking, voice, security and surveillance services, and also the physical infrastructure these systems require.

We can also provide the laptop and desktop computers for company staffers, he said.
Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions operations, particularly the compensation of executive director Richard Topping, have stirred rare bipartisan criticism from state legislators.

Cardinal oversees behavioral health providers who serve more than 850,000 enrollees in 20 counties, including Alamance, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham and Stokes in the Triad.

House Bill 403 passed April 6 by a 109-0 vote that would establish limits on Cardinals executive pay  no more than 30 percent of the average salary of peers  and provide for clawing back compensation as warranted.

A state audit, released Thursday, determined that Toppings board-approved salary of $635,000 was nearly 3 times the $187,364 maximum recommendation in state guidelines for the top executive of a behavioral health managed-care organization.

The audit also cited nearly $500,000 in unreasonable non-core spending, including high-end board meetings and retreats, employee Christmas parties, including at Toppings residence, and perks for Topping, such a $1,000-a-month car allowance.

However, it is not clear how far the Republican-controlled General Assembly and Democratic health officials in the Cooper administration are willing to go to rein in Cardinal.

The bill has sat in the Senate committee on Rules and Operations since April 10.

Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth, and co-sponsor of HB403, said legislators requested the audit in February 2016. As former president of N.C. Baptist Hospital, Lambeth is among the legislatures top health care experts.

The audit just affirms many of our suspicions about Cardinals financial performance, Lambeth said Friday. Now, it is time to take action and fix the problems. I sponsored HB403 to being that process.

Lambeth said he believes now that we have the full results of the audit, the Senate may need to adjust and incorporate additional provisions.

My colleagues in the Senate are just as concerned about these outrageous problems  and will take action before we adjourn in a few weeks.

Sen. Paul Lowe, D-Forsyth, said Friday that from my research, it looks like there could be some real concerns with Cardinal Innovations.

Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, said she is receiving complaints from constituents regarding the reduction in services since the takeover by Cardinal.

Krawiec serves on the joint legislative committee for the state Medicaid program and a subcommittee on behavioral health.

Most of the findings only confirmed what we already knew ... that Cardinal is paying tremendous salary and bonus to its chief executive, Krawiec said Friday. I understand corrections have been made.

In April, Cardinal Chairwoman Lucy Drake said that Topping had requested, and the board approved, reducing his salary back to its 2015 level of $400,000  which remains more than double the recommended state guideline.

The elaborate spending patterns of Cardinal have been aggressively criticized, Krawiec said.

This is never what we want to see when involving organizations dedicated to serving the least fortunate in our community.

Cardinal has certainly done a good job of setting an example of how to provide services at a lower cost, but they have certainly failed in the example of how to make best use of those funds, she said.

DHHS officials, including state Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen, could not be reached for comment about the audit and Toppings compensation.

Cohen has, by state law, the authority to replace Topping and the Cardinal board for poor performance and rescind state Medicaid contracts. Cardinal received $83.8 million in state Medicaid funding in 2015-16.

Questions

In several ways, Cardinal is providing  with mixed results  a privatized strategy for Medicaid reform that has supporters among many Republican legislators.

Topping has stressed Cardinal is performing in accordance with what legislators have asked it to do, which Sen. Tommy Tucker, R-Union, and a vocal Cardinal critic, acknowledged is the case in some service areas.

The McCrory administration submitted in June a Medicaid waiver request to the federal DHHS that would allow for-profit insurers and not-for-profit health care systems to participate in providing oversight and services to 1.9 million North Carolinians.

There has been a frictional relationship over the years between Cardinal and legislators  Republicans concerned about the agencys discretionary spending patterns as a publicly funded agency, and Democrats concerned about cost cuts affecting services to the states most vulnerable clients.

Legislators frustration with Cardinal and Topping boiled over during a Nov. 29 oversight meeting on Medicaid reform, which was dominated by a lengthy public airing on Toppings compensation.

The state audit said Toppings salary should not have been authorized by the Office of State Human Resources, which state Auditor Beth Wood said was asleep at the wheel in addressing requests from the Cardinal board.

Tucker said he asked several pointed questions because getting an audience with Topping has proven difficult.

How do I as a legislator, we as legislators, explain to our constituents why their loved ones are on a five-year waiting list for (developmental disability) services, yet your board has given you that kind of compensation? Tucker asked.

There are more than 12,000 North Carolinians on the waiting list for state development disability services, a sore point with legislators and advocates alike. That includes 137 in Forsyth and 162 in Guilford County who have been waiting more than 10 years, according to state DHHS.

Cardinal tends to act like they are a cut above the other MCOs, Tucker said.

Topping defended his compensation as justified in part because Cardinal represents the consolidation of six entities. We have gone from 2,000 mostly government employees to 800 non-government employees, so the cost to the state has been less over time, he said.

Legislators, advocates and Wood dispute Cardinals claim that it operates as an independent contractor. They say it is a political subdivision of the state.

Topping said Cardinal has earned, through performance, more flexibility with funding and innovative services.

Reaction

When CenterPoint was taken over by Cardinal, Forsyth gained a seat in the 13-member board filled by former CenterPoint Chairman Bryan Thompson. There is representation from Davidson in Fred McClure and from Alamance County in businessman John Moon.

The board typically meets quarterly, as opposed to monthly like CenterPoint, and has not scheduled a meeting in the former CenterPoint territory. Board minutes and reports have to be requested from Cardinal staff instead of being available on the website.

Local advocate Mary Miller said she has been disappointed by Cardinals decision to significantly cut back funding for local consumer family advisory committees  which tend to provide a grassroots perspective on MCO performance.

Michael Wittenberg, a CenterPoint board member now on Cardinals local advisory board, said he views Toppings compensation as breathtaking and unconscionable in light of Cardinals funding cuts.

Wittenburg has a son who has autism spectrum disorder.

The compensation package is a classic hallmark of an egregious failure of oversight by the Cardinal corporate board, Wittenberg said. He compared the Cardinal boards oversight of Topping to the tail wagging the dog.

Wittenberg said Toppings compensation and excessive non-core spending shows poor judgment on his part and a callous disregard for taxpayer dollars and the needs of those Cardinal serves.

Will anyone at the state who signed off on his compensation package be sacked? Will the Cardinal board be allowed to continue as is? How is this problem going to be fixed? Or will it all be swept under the rug?

Still, Wittenberg said he hopes legislators, DHHS and local officials will not focus solely on Toppings compensation when reviewing Cardinals performance.

Service cuts to the people whom Cardinal exists to serve, and surplus fund balances, have far greater impact on the residents of our area and of our state and need the attention of state officials, Wittenberg said.
Your spit may hold a clue to future brain health. Investigators at the Beaumont Research Institute, part of Beaumont Health in Michigan, are hopeful that their study involving small molecules in saliva will help identify those at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease - a neurologic condition predicted to reach epidemic proportions worldwide by 2050.

Their study, "Diagnostic Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease as Identified in Saliva using 1H NMR-Based Metabolomics" was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Investigators found salivary molecules hold promise as reliable diagnostic biomarkers.

The study exemplifies the quest by scientists to combat Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative brain disorder with no cure and few reliable diagnostic tests. In the United States, Alzheimer's is a health epidemic affecting more than 5 million Americans. Investigators seek to develop valid and reliable biomarkers, diagnosing the disease in its earliest stages before brain damage occurs and dementia begins.

Researcher Stewart Graham, Ph.D., said, "We used metabolomics, a newer technique to study molecules involved in metabolism. Our goal was to find unique patterns of molecules in the saliva of our study participants that could be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in the earliest stages, when treatment is considered most effective. Presently, therapies for Alzheimer's are initiated only after a patient is diagnosed and treatments offer modest benefits."

Metabolomics is used in medicine and biology for the study of living organisms. It measures large numbers of naturally occurring small molecules, called metabolites, present in the blood, saliva and tissues. The pattern or fingerprint of metabolites in the biological sample can be used to learn about the health of the organism.

"Our team's study demonstrates the potential for using metabolomics and saliva for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease," explained Dr. Graham. "Given the ease and convenience of collecting saliva, the development of accurate and sensitive biomarkers would be ideal for screening those at greatest risk of developing Alzheimer's. In fact, unlike blood or cerebrospinal fluid, saliva is one of the most noninvasive means of getting cellular samples and it's also inexpensive."

The study participants included 29 adults in three groups: mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease and a control group. After specimens were collected, the researchers positively identified and accurately quantified 57 metabolites. Some of the observed variances in the biomarkers were significant. From their data, they were able to make predictions as to those at most risk of developing Alzheimer's. Dr. Graham said, "Worldwide, the development of valid and reliable biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease is considered the No. 1 priority for most national dementia strategies. It's a necessary first step to design prevention and early-intervention research studies."

As Americans age, the number of people affected by Alzheimer's is rising dramatically. According to the Alzheimer's Association, by 2050, it's estimated the number of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease will triple to about 15-16 million.

Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia affecting a person's ability to think, communicate and function. It greatly impacts their relationships, their independence and lifestyle. The condition's toll not only affects millions of Americans, but in 2017, it could cost the nation $259 billion.

Article: Diagnostic Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease as Identified in Saliva using 1H NMR-Based Metabolomics, Graham, S. F. et al., Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, doi: 10.3233/jad-161226, published 11 May 2017.
Tau proteins are involved in more than twenty neurodegenerative diseases, including various forms of dementia. These proteins clump together in patients' brains to form neuronal tangles: protein aggregation that eventually coincides with the death of brain cells. Prof. Patrik Verstreken's research team (VIB-KU Leuven) has now discovered how tau disrupts the functioning of nerve cells, even before it starts forming tangles. They immediately suggest a way to intervene in this process.

Tau proteins are best known as the proteins that are stacked to form neuronal "tangles" in Alzheimer's patients' brains, but they also play a role in many other brain disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. In healthy circumstances, tau proteins are connected to the cytoskeleton of nerve cells, where they support the cells' structural stability. In the nerve cells of patients, however, tau is dislodged from the cytoskeleton and ultimately tangles together to form protein accumulations that disrupt the nerve cell's functioning.

But even before these protein accumulations are formed, the dislodged tau impedes the communication between nerve cells. VIB's research team has described a new mechanism for this in the journal Nature Communications.

Professor Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven) explains: "We have demonstrated that when mutant tau dislodges from the cytoskeleton, it mainly settles at the synapses of the nerve cells. This was not only the case in fruit flies and rats but also in the brain cells of human patients. Vesicles containing chemicals are released at these synapses, which serve as the means of communication between two different nerve cells. When tau settles at the synapse, it locks onto the vesicles, inhibiting synaptic transmission."

These new insights are the result of a close collaboration between different laboratories at VIB, the universities of Leuven, Louvain-la-Neuve (both in Belgium), and Edinburgh (UK), and with researchers from Janssen Pharmaceutica. They pave the way for a possible treatment.

"Now that we know how tau inhibits synaptic transmission, we can look for ways to prevent it." Patrik Verstreken already provided proof of principle: "If we stop tau from locking onto the vesicles in the nerve cells of rats and fruit flies, we can prevent the inhibition of synaptic transmission and also the death of nerve cells." Further research should reveal whether this strategy will also be useful for patients.
University of Manchester researchers together with their UK and overseas collaborators have found out that more than one third of 1,400 people with high blood pressure have not been taking their blood pressure medication.

High blood pressure is the single most important risk factor for health loss and premature death globally, and although treatment is proven to be effective, target blood pressures are only achieved in 40-50% of patients. This is likely to be largely caused by high numbers of patients not taking their medicines correctly, or at all.

The scientists have used a mass-spectrometry technique to examine blood and urine samples from almost 1,400 people in the UK and Czech Republic.

They found that non-adherence to the blood pressure lowering drugs was high at 41.6% in the UK and 31.5% in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, with each additional prescription, the rate of non-adherence increased by 85% and 77% respectively.

Professor Maciej Tomaszewski from The University of Manchester, who led the study, said: "We suspected that some patients haven't been taking their medications on a regular basis but this analysis shows how high that figure is.

"Clearly, the more blood pressure lowering drugs are prescribed, the higher the risk that the patients will not be taking them on a regular basis. We also showed that diuretics are particularly poorly taken."

The results from this analysis, show that four easy-to-collect parameters: patients' age, sex, the number of blood pressure lowering medications and the diuretics together can provide a good measure of the risk of not taking the medications on a regular basis.

The researchers believe that in the future they can develop even better formulae to estimate the risk of not taking blood pressure lowering drugs without a need of a urine/blood analysis.

This will be particularly useful in countries with limited resources, as Professor Tomaszewski explained. "Not all countries will have sufficient expertise and the financial capacity to invest in technology that we are using."
A small, thin square of an organic plastic that can detect disease markers in breath or toxins in a building's air could soon be the basis of portable, disposable sensor devices. By riddling the thin plastic films with pores, University of Illinois researchers made the devices sensitive enough to detect at levels that are far too low to smell, yet are important to human health.

In a new study in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, professor Ying Diao's research group demonstrated a device that monitors ammonia in breath, a sign of kidney failure.

"In the clinical setting, physicians use bulky instruments, basically the size of a big table, to detect and analyze these compounds. We want to hand out a cheap sensor chip to patients so they can use it and throw it away," said Diao, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Illinois.

Other researchers have tried using organic semiconductors for gas sensing, but the materials were not sensitive enough to detect trace levels of disease markers in breath. Diao's group realized that the reactive sites were not on the surface of the plastic film, but buried inside it.

"We developed this method to directly print tiny pores into the device itself so we can expose these highly reactive sites," Diao said. "By doing so, we increased the reactivity by ten times and can sense down to one part per billion."

For their first device demonstration, the researchers focused on ammonia as a marker for kidney failure. Monitoring the change in ammonia concentration could give a patient an early warning sign to call their doctor for a kidney function test, Diao said.

The material they chose is highly reactive to ammonia but not to other compounds in breath, Diao said. But by changing the composition of the sensor, they could create devices that are tuned to other compounds. For example, the researchers have created an ultrasensitive environmental monitor for formaldehyde, a common indoor pollutant in new or refurbished buildings.

The group is working to make sensors with multiple functions to get a more complete picture of a patient's health.

"We would like to be able to detect multiple compounds at once, like a chemical fingerprint," Diao said. "It's useful because in disease conditions, multiple markers will usually change concentration at once. By mapping out the chemical fingerprints and how they change, we can more accurately point to signs of potential health issues."
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The threshold of 40 per cent can differ according to countries, said the WHO.The 2016 study has analysed the data at two thresholds: 10 and 40 per cent.As many as 63 per cent households nationwide had a catastrophic maternal health expenditure of 40 per cent, found the study which analysed data from the National Sample Survey Office.Among states and Union territories (UTs), 65.7 per cent households (among those where a woman had delivered) in Telangana were pushed into poverty, more than any other state/UT, due to childbearing expenses, followed by Chhattisgarh (53.7 per cent) and Puducherry (53.4 per cent).In the 10 years to 2014, out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending has pushed 50.6 million people back into poverty.Households where the mothers were illiterate were the most affected, with 61 per cent of them being pushed into poverty, despite having the lowest maternal health OOP expenditure at Rs 3,600, when compared to 36.7 per cent of households where women were graduates and above, who had an OOP expenditure of Rs 19,250.More illiterate women prefer public hospitals for delivery in both rural (79.2 per cent) and urban areas (67.7 per cent), which possibly explains their low OOP.Among women of different social groups, women belonging to scheduled tribes (STs) had the least maternal OOP expenditure at Rs 2,962, but 71.5 per cent of them were pushed into poverty.As many as 85 per cent ST women in rural areas delivered in public hospitals much more than any other social group.The study holds relevance in the context of the central government announcement on May 18, 2017, that it is revising the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (Maternity Benefit Programme), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 31, 2016, by restricting the scheme to firstborns instead of "first two live births" as applicable earlier.The programme aims to give Rs 6,000 to pregnant women for childbearing expenses. The scheme saw an increase of 226 per cent in allocation in the 2017-18 budget from Rs 634 crore to Rs 2,700 crore.However, the government had estimated that the annual requirement for the maternity benefit scheme would be Rs 14,512 crore, according to a report in The Indian Express.The 2016 study revealed that, on average, a woman incurred an OOP expenditure of Rs 8,543 on childbearing. There were huge variations among states with expenditures ranging from Rs 2,801 in Uttarakhand to Rs 15,433 in Telangana."The most vulnerable women who are trying to reach out for the government aid won't be able to get it," Tania Sheshadri, an independent community health researcher who works with rural women in Karnataka, was recently quoted as saying in news reports."In most parts of the country, there is a two-child norm and a scheme like this will not benefit most women. The government should concentrate on quality care for pregnant women and make available the benefits to every woman who reaches a government health care centre." said Sheshadri.A limitation of the 2016 study is that it does not consider the benefits of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY, motherhood protection scheme), a 12-year-old government programme focused specially on 10 states with low rates of institutional delivery -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir which are termed as low-performing states (LPS).Under the programme, pregnant women in rural areas who live below the poverty line are to be given cash assistance of Rs 700 in high performing states and Rs 1,400 in low performing states. This is given irrespective of the mother's age and number of children so that they opt for birth in a government or accredited private health facility.The scheme has failed to cover the poorest women, according to a 2014 analysis of JSY data by researchers from Georgetown University. As many as 60 per cent women in Uttar Pradesh said they had to pay for certain public maternal health services, according to an assessment of JSY conducted by United Nations Population Fund in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in 2012.Source: IANS
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COPD is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis. This disease is characterized by increasing breathlessness.In the UK alone, approximately 30,000 people die from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) every year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that COPD will be the world's third largest killer disease by 2020.Professor Hart explains that the only current treatment given to these patients is oxygen therapy, but they can be given oxygen as well as a ventilator in their home. The treatment has reduced the likelihood of readmission to hospital by almost 50%.Respiratory experts Professor Nicholas Hart and Dr Patrick Murphy, who co-ordinated the UK-wide trial from St Thomas' Hospital, said the trial results could pave the way for a complete change in the way that the most severely affected COPD patients across the world are treated."In the trial we used a home ventilator that co-ordinates itself with the individual patient's breathing. The mask ventilator machine works by blowing in air and oxygen to keep oxygen levels high and carbon dioxide, the waste gas, low."COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is one of the world's biggest killers, but the addition of a home ventilator to oxygen treatment reduces admissions to hospital as well as maintaining quality of life.Ronnie Ward, 74, from Brighton, has suffered from COPD for five years and uses his home ventilator every night, to support his breathing. Since being recruited for the trial, he and his wife Julie, 55, have had to make far fewer trips to hospital."Ronnie was in and out of hospital, sometimes spending weeks and months on the wards. Coming back and forth and spending so much time in hospital was stressful and very demoralising," she says."We were finding that just weeks after he'd been discharged from hospital, Ronnie would need to be readmitted because he was struggling to breathe again. Using the breathing machine every night has taken a lot of pressure off us."Meanwhile, the trial follow up will continue, as patients are monitored for survival rates over the next three and five years."These results are extremely promising but the work will continue. So far we have found that," says Professor Hart."This is very important because not only does it maintain a patient's quality of life but also it has the potential to significantly increase our ability to care for these patients without the need for a hospital stay. At Guy's and St Thomas' around 1,000 patients are admitted each year with COPD. If we can keep them comfortable at home for longer, this will have a big impact."Source: Eurekalert
Remember Nokia 3310the most pocket-friendly, durable and sturdy phone in history? Yeah, the phone that basically ruled the '90s is making a huge comeback in India. And some women in the country are reminiscing the good ol' days when this innocent phone gave them the best orgasm. We can bet that Nokia (the company) didn't know that women would use the old Nokia 3310 to masturbate, thanks to its intense vibration. Had they known this, they would have kept the best sex toy ever' as their marketing tagline.

 Flickr Aman Firdaus

Well, this sh*t hasn't been cooked up by us, but a website called Agents of Ishq' recently conducted a survey where women listed the old Nokia phones as one of the preferred sex toys they use for masturbation. In a society where sex-education barely finds a place, and some ignorant souls don't associate masturbation with women; this phone clearly seems to be the safest option to trick people into believing that women don't masturbate. While, we thought that women only settled for dildos, fingers and other common sex toys for pleasure, a Nokia phone was not there even in our wildest list.

The website surveyed 100 women to find out about their sexual behaviour and Nokia phones sneakily emerged as undisputed winners and we are now short of words, partly because of the shame that a seemingly innocent looking phone turned women on better than most of us. Well, now we also realize why old Nokia phones left such a deep impact on its users as compared to their smartphones. The website mentioned The second category was Invented. So, vibrators and sex toys. But, this pageant had a surprise winnerthe old Nokia vibrating phone several appearances on this survey! We had no idea why that company is not the market leader after this! it was further added.

Now, using sex toys are actually subjective, but here's how you can use it. Set your alarm at an interval of 30 seconds to 1 minute (depending on how horny you are) and put it on vibrate mode. You can thank us later!
An advocate for racial justice challenged local residents Friday to shift their focus from work promoting diversity and inclusion toward repairing harm and partnering more effectively with people of color.

Jennifer Harvey, a Baptist minister and college professor, was in Carlisle to assist with a workshop Saturday, exploring white anti-racism and community action.

As background for the workshop, Harvey gave a lecture Friday guiding those in attendance through the history of the civil rights movement and power movements of minority groups to show how the paradigm of diversity and inclusion has not done enough to address the deeper underlying problems of economic disparity and lack of opportunity felt by people of color.

If reconciliation and diversity is the takeaway point for the civil rights story that we tend to tell, the takeaway point for the more complex and very untold civil rights story ... is reparation ... the reparation paradigm, Harvey told an audience of about 40 Carlisle-area residents.

There are leaders within social justice and minority power movements that have challenged the basic framing and logic of the diversity paradigm, Harvey said. They challenge the integration ethic that says Hey our differences are only skin deep, and if we just learn to embrace and love our differences, go through our differences, we will do well.

Instead, these leaders say the basic differences between whites, blacks, Native Americans and Latinos is the deepest expression of material reality and lived experiences, Harvey said.

The goal of the lecture and workshop was to help Caucasian people understand how their own privilege challenges their ability to engage, stay committed and fully understand the work of social justice in communities of color.

As for people of color, those who attended looked to find insight into how to recognize privilege and to help white people contribute to meaningful repairs and reparations that bridge racial divides and provide solutions to ongoing issues.

Harvey said that in the past, militant white women were mentored by women of color involved in social movements to wrestle with the idea of white privilege and put their racial identity into a framework to bring about change. This is relevant today because Harvey is seeing the same leadership qualities in women involved in Black Lives Matter and other movements that have come out of recent tensions.

This includes the leaders who became the face of the worldwide Womens March in protest of President Donald Trump and in the historic gathering of tribes at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation trying to halt the Dakota Access Pipeline.
MECHANICSBURG  Midstate police chiefs say theyre having a hard time recruiting officers, which can affect safety and tax dollars.

Around 300 recruits typically come out to the annual consortium for police departments in Cumberland County and Fairview Township, York County. Only about 100 people interested in becoming police officers showed up Saturday at Eagle View Middle School. Normally, the event is two days long, but it was shortened to one day due to the turnout.

Arman Peco drove all the way from New Jersey when he learned about the consortium. He took part in the physical test, which included push-ups, sit-ups and a run, and then he headed inside to take a written test.

It felt all right at first. The run was a little intense, Peco said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Peco felt a little tired after the day, but it wasnt as intense as what he escaped in Bosnia.

There was a war in the early 90s in my country. We came here through the United Nations as refugees, Peco said.

Peco drove from New Jersey to Cumberland County in hopes of making an impact in his new home country.

I was like, you know what, Ill give it a shot. I came down, he said. Its a beautiful area. I really wanted to get into police work because I migrated to this country as a refugee from my country. Its kind of my way of giving back and, like, a sense of duty.

Camp Hill Borough Police Chief Doug Hockenberry is the president of the Cumberland County Chiefs of Police Association. He said he believes the dramatic decrease in recruits is due to several things, such as not having enough qualified candidates, fears for safety and the police being portrayed in a negative light.

Some of it is just the shift work. Some of it is the money that goes along with it, the media that goes along with the bad ideas of the police departments, Hockenberry said.

Mechanicsburg Borough Police Chief Margaret Myers has been working in law enforcement for 39 years.

There was an uptick in recruits and support for police after Sept. 11. Now, support for the police is the lowest Ive seen in my career, Myers said.

Myers says that lack of support leads to some concerns about public safety. She went to the consortium in hopes of hiring an officer.

Response times could go up. Overtime definitely goes up, Myers said.

It affects us with scheduling. It affects us with court time and officers on the streets for calls to service, Hockenberry said.

This is all something Peco hopes to change.

This country gave me safe refuge. It gave me education. It gave me everything I needed to be able to come up, so now I just feel like giving back is the right thing to do. When somebody helps you, you find a way to thank them, and this is my thank you, Peco said.

Police departments in Dauphin, Lancaster and York Counties told ABC27 News theyre having a similar problem.

Myers said people can still apply to become a police officer if you missed Saturdays consortium by going to officer.com or calling departments directly.
The Secretary General for International Economic Relations, Giorgos Tsipras, attended the luncheon hosted by the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce for Chamber members and entrepreneurs in northern Greece.



On the same day, he also participated, as keynote speaker, in the event entitled Business Extroversion, the only way to growth - SEVEs Best Practices for Business Extroversion, which was co-organised by the Greek International Business Association (SEVE) and the Thessaloniki Greek-Italian Chamber of Commerce.

During his speech, Mr. Tsipras referred to Economic Diplomacy, to Greek businesses prospects for increased international activity, and to the need for systematic coordination and cooperation of state structures synergies  in particular those of the General Secretariat for International Economic Relations with institutional agencies and the business world.
I want to thank all of you for accepting our invitation. Some of our colleagues will be arriving with some delay, due to yesterday's emergency meeting of Arab states, in Saudi Arabia.

Today we are meeting for the second time.

We constitute a common historical-geographical space with many shared political, historical and cultural traditions. A space that we must build as our common home.

We all know that this space is a crossroads of possibilities and risks. Positive prospects and negative undercurrents. A space with history and great wealth; well-educated populations; great civilizations; but also, many forces trying to destabilise and control it.

We must do everything in our power for there to be peace, security and stability in the region. Anyone who endeavours to foster these goods, must fight terrorism. Must defend human rights, including social rights; the interests of the region's peoples. Must promote international cooperation based on international law.

Stability and security mean an end to the policy of overthrowing regimes without introducing just reforms. We need to assist in the consolidation of the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Libya and the inclusion in that government of all forces combating chaos and terrorism.

Stability and security mean putting an end to the wars in Syria and Iraq. They mean our agreeing on a peace settlement that will allow the region's population to return to their homes and build a future with prospects, aspirations and hope for themselves and their children. They mean a major, rational programme for reconstructing these countries.

Stabilising zones of instability and resolving the Kurdish issue in a peaceful and sustainable manner.

Stability and security mean acknowledging the great work being done by Jordan and Lebanon to remedy the consequences of the region's wars on large population groups. They mean economic support for these two states, especially from the EU. The goal is not just to care for large numbers of refugees, but to create new economic, productive infrastructure, as well as agricultural and industrial zones.

We must make our environment more stable and secure. To a great extent, the development of our societies depends on the environment created by other societies. When we are in the midst of five major conflicts and extensive terrorist activity, this takes its toll on tourism, investments, on how we and the younger generations in particular see and perceive our societies today and tomorrow. Whether the enthusiasm and positive energy of social and intellectual development will prevail, with ethos and optimism, or whether disarray, grief and pessimism will carry the day. These sentiments, like the stability of institutions and societies, are an indicator determining a country's productivity.

At the same time, the ongoing instability in the region makes it imperative that we work together to promote a common positive agenda for facing new challenges. To create a space of security and stability.

In the second part of our discussion, I will propose that we set up a joint working group so that we can create a common space of security based on international experience, and in particular that of the OSCE. The OSCE is the largest security organization in the world (57 member states), and it boasts dozens of initiatives, conferences and legally grounded agreements.

The common space I propose we create will be a space of cooperation and of promoting a manifold system of networks connecting regions and states  a subject we will cover in our discussion under the third item on our agenda.

We didn't do everything we agreed on last year, but we began implementing our decisions, like the joint visit of foreign ministers to Lebanon, the cooperation of five universities, coordination of our diasporas, promotion of our cooperation on transport  especially on the creation of seaport networks.

Our region is faced with great challenges. No country can deal with these challenges on its own. It can only do so through cooperation. Between us. With the EU. With other regional organizations.

Our common space needs to become as secure and stable as possible. Against the trends of instability and the wars in the wider region. To break the waves of instability, we must send out waves of stability, through our policy and overall social and economic development.

I propose, first, that we put together a working group composed of senior diplomats from each of our countries; a working group that will study the international experience of security organizations such as the CSCE and, later, the OSCE. How they were created. In what fields they were developed/deployed. The method used and what lessons we can learn. Our plan is initially to form a security structure for the Eastern Mediterranean, and then pursue its extension further east and south. This 'duty' should be the main subject of our meeting next year.

In order to achieve this goal, we will need to make our exchange of information broader and more intensive, and we will need to brief each other more frequently.

Second, in our wider region there are multiple instability hotspots.

We need to draw up a plan of our own, in line with the UN resolutions and with the assistance of the regional organizations, so that we can combat the causes of this instability.

- Terrorism

- Authoritarianism in relations between states

- Ideological, religious, world-view fanaticism

- Outside interference.

The latter factor is rarely discussed. But when societies feel that someone else is deciding for them without consulting them, manifestation of the other negative phenomena in even more acute form becomes even "easier".

As you all know, I often underscore that one of the fundamental problems in our region is that one set of people decides to wage wars, and others pay for them or otherwise suffer the negative consequences of these wars.

There are strong powers  outside our region, great and regional  that fuel these tensions and wars. The consequence is that in these cases, a ceasefire does not seem imminent.

Our region was one in which multicultural and/or multi-faith societies often coexisted. They were a reality in our region, and especially in the Middle East. And they would certainly survive if it were not for the interference and interventions of the countries that are now pointing their fingers at many states in the region. Because even in cases where there were democratic institutions less evolved than those in the West, these societies were open societies that respected diversity. And this must not be lost. Our region has contributed a great deal as a cradle of civilizations, of the great monotheistic religions; as the birthplace of democracy.

I invite you to the second conference on Religious and Cultural Pluralism and Peaceful Coexistence In the Middle East, that will take place in Athens on 1 and 2 November, this coming fall.

The problems of our region cannot be resolved from the outside. Such efforts have always failed. But, in contrast, policies 'owned' by the region's citizens and institutions have met with success. Our own citizens and institutions must organize our cooperation, dialogue, synergies. The choices have to be their own. Choices that third parties can help to implement and promote. Choices that can be supported materially and morally by third parties. But it cannot be the other way round.

This is why our motto is: no interference in the domestic affairs of any state  interference that often leads to tensions. Promotion of a culture of cooperation on all levels. If this is not immediately feasible, the creation of cooperation networks and the adoption of direct confidence-building measures in multiple sectors.

Our actions and the further development of our cooperation are based on international law, on the UN, the EU, and on the cooperation between the Arab countries and the relevant institutions of that cooperation. Our driving force is the vision that we can shape jointly for a secure and stable Eastern Mediterranean. A region of development of synergies and peace.

Instability is also fomented by a policy that, in the name of human rights, 'allows for' the violation of the highest and most fundamental of these rights: the right to human life; when, in the name of a better future, people are in effect deprived of any future whatsoever.

Denying the right to life for hundreds of thousands of people is accompanied by the destruction of the terms, conditions and prerequisites of life for millions of others who are left without work, without homes, even without food. Millions of people who, in their homelands, cannot defend their families or shape any future for their children. Who are forced to become refugees or economic migrants.

Migrants and refugees pass through our region, but our region is neither the starting point nor the cause of this phenomenon. This is a byproduct of conflicts, wars, economic and social decay.

The migration and refugee flows must be controlled at their regions of origin. The movements/flows of millions of people, under wretched conditions, give rise to the development of the most heinous of crimes: Human Trafficking.

All of these create conditions for the resurgence of racism, nationalism, intolerance. And we must deal with these jointly, together with our societies as a whole.

We ought to offer our societies prospects for the future. We need long-term and positive thinking. Otherwise, terrorism and fanaticism will take over peoples hearts and minds  and in particular the hearts and minds of young people. We need to give young people prospects, hope, vision, values and principles.

One of the main aspects of security pertains in particular to the problem of maritime transport security. Let me remind you that over 33% of global commerce and 40% of global consumption in energy transits through our seas.

As we speak, the Eastern Mediterranean, like the Gulf region, has become the focus of new potential for extraction and transport of energy. At the same time, our region has the potential to develop renewable energy sources, whether solar or wind energy; or energy from sea tides and waves.

For all of these to function in a productive manner, all sides need to respect international law and the law of the sea, and at the same time we must not allow historically groundless legal revisionism.

Our notion of maritime security should not be limited to security from armed attacks or piracy. An important dimension of this security is the protection of the environment from ecological disasters, the protection of marine bio-diversity. A similar issue is that of water security, and especially of potable water.

I propose that we develop a positive agenda for cooperation focused on the sea. And I am not referring only to security and transport, but to innovative sectors that can impart momentum to our economies, like aquaculture, fish farming (pisciculture), coastal and cruise tourism, marine biotechnology.

I think it would be useful for us to promote the formation of a network of our institutes of marine/maritime training and research, in cooperation with the corresponding university departments  from biotechnology to shipping  for promotion of maritime/marine issues.

In the same way, we could promote cooperation among our foreign ministries' centres for analysis and among ministries responsible for combating terrorism.

The security issue also concerns the combating of organized crime and narcotics networks that are trafficking between and through our countries.

Unfortunately, the techniques used by organized crime, the types of organization and the modern technologies it employs, are beyond the capabilities of some states  particularly those states that do not have the necessary capacities and are dysfunctional.

Of course, security should not be seen solely as part of a negative agenda. It is my deep belief that the security of societies is linked to their development, to justice and fairness within them.

It is linked to the development of a positive agenda. Fourth, a special role will be played in the development of this agenda by a more systematic exchange of know-how and ideas more generally, cooperation on research activities. Exchanges of pupils, students, educators and researchers.

One idea would be for us to offer a small number of scholarships for the implementation of these exchanges. Even more important is the creation of a joint research university programme for our region, its economy, societies and history.

Another idea would be for us to plan and carry out a joint forum on migration. We should also act accordingly in order to combat organized crime, and especially criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling. So that we can analyse ways to deter human trafficking and trafficking in narcotics and weapons. Moreover, let's not forget that these criminal networks often have links to terrorism and the funding of terrorism, as in the case of Daesh's smuggling of antiquities and oil.

In the same framework, I would like to reiterate the idea of more intensive and planned cooperation in the culture sector, and more specifically in the areas of cinema and music. We could support Egypt's goal of a week-long film festival with films from all of our countries. Perhaps an eastern Mediterranean music festival would also help.

I know from experience that there is a great deal of interest in joint actions, in all the countries in our region, for the protection of monuments.

On the economy, I think we should organize a meeting of our ministers for international economic relations. I propose that we earmark three sectors of the economy for promoting closer cooperation:

- Tourism

- Transport

- An industry sector, which may involve new technology or existing capabilities, or both, as is the case of the pharmaceutical industry.

We could also agree on a roadmap for encouraging cooperation among SMEs.

The question arises, how can we carry out all this? The answer is, through a plan and cooperation. We need to increase the frequency of meetings between our ministries' competent directorates and coordinate with the more specialised ministries.

Let's think again about the idea of a steering committee that will meet immediately after the summer and plan and programme all of these actions with precision. There may be some that can't or don't want to participate in everything, but certainly this committee can explore who is interested in and is in a position to undertake which action, or just participate in a given action.

The Spirit of Rhodes, as it was first called by the foreign minister of Lebanon, Mr. Bassil, is the spirit of building a positive agenda for our region and for the cooperation we develop, a comprehensive view of security and protection of/respect for borders. It is the positive spirit manifested in the development of dialogue and in the creative initiatives we can take. The spirit of the creative, peaceful coexistence of cultures and religions. The forging of brotherly relations between our peoples and our youth.

The Spirit of Rhodes is the revival of thousands of years of cooperation and exchange of goods, cultures, ideas among our countries; it is the expression of the historical unity of Southeast Europe with North Africa and the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, of the Balkan peninsula and Italy with the Gulf states.

The last time I was in Saudi Arabia, I was taken on a tour of the new archaeological museum, at which there are numerous artefacts attesting to the fact that trade was conducted between the Gulf regions and the cities of Greek antiquity, as well as of the Roman Empire. An example of the bonds between us and of how these two regions flourished through close contact and a certain degree of cooperation. And if that was possible four or five thousand years ago, today it is imperative.

To implement this spirit, we need to activate the steering committee appointing a liaison at each of our Foreign Ministries and forming a network for promoting our decisions and orientations. And this committee will also plan thematic meetings that will support our Third meeting in Rhodes, which I propose should take place at the end of August 2018.



Thank you for your attention, I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
On Sunday morning, 530 scholars became 2017 Dickinson College graduates under limestone gray skies that Dickinsons interim president likened to the campus great stone buildings.

This is Dickinsons most celebratory day of the year, Interim President Neil B. Weissman told the graduates. This transition is straightforward yet profound. Youre joining two centuries of Dickinson graduates. A president (James Buchanan) and the chief justice who swore him in both graduated from here.

Weissman went on to say that Dickinson alumni includes a long list of esteemed professionals, such as scientists, lawyers, authors, politicians and countless others working for societys greater good

This years graduating class was comprised of students from 13 foreign countries, 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Of these, 56 percent studied abroad in 28 countries on six continents. Nearly two-thirds of the undergraduage class was awarded bachelor of arts degrees.

This years most popular majors were economics, international business and management, biology, psychology and political science, according to a Dickinson College.

The 2017 commencement speaker was retired four-star Admiral James Stavridis, who served as supreme allied commander for NATO in global operations. The college presented Starvridis with an honorary doctor of public service degree on Sunday. His wife, Laura Hall Stavridis, is a 1981 Dickinson graduate.

Stavridis told the crowd theres so many ways to serve this country besides uniformed military. He cited the brave fire fighters, police and emergency personnel who ran into the burning Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 as I was running out of the building. He also lauded U.S. Peace Corps workers, diplomats, teachers, medical personnel and the media for going into some of the most dangerous places in the world.

Honorary degrees also were awarded to 1977 alumnus James Gerlach, doctor of political science, and Lisa Marsh Ryerson, doctor of social services. Gerlach served as a U.S. Congressman for the states sixth district from 2003-2015 and is president/CEO of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee. Ryerson is president of the AARP Foundation and former president/CEO of Wells College in Aurora, New York.

The Sam Rose 58 and Julie Walters Prize at Dickinson College for Global Environmental Activism was awarded to Brett Jenks, president and CEO of Rare, a global conservation organization that creates climate-smart solutions for people and nature, according to the commencement program. Jenks said he will put his $100,000 prize to use immediately to enhance the sustainability of this planet. He plans to launch an initiative through Rare to train 350 environmental leaders in 25 nations over the next five years.

The Constance and Rose Ganoe Memorial Award was awarded to Dickinson mathematics/computer science professor Timothy Wahls, who died in February. The award was accepted by his widow, Linda Null.

Savanna Riley, who has a bachelors in political science, was the Elected Young Alumni Trustee for the Class of 2017, a two-year position that was initiated in 2011 for graduating seniors. Other student awards included the James Fowler Rusling Prize for academic achievement and the john Patton Memorial Prize for high academic standing.

Greg and Flora Daniel of Newville sat among the hundreds of proud parents, friends and other family members at the commencement. Their son, Michael, was graduating with honors in biology and music.

It feels super to be here. Im pleased and proud to have a son graduating from this college, Greg Daniel said.
Nominees for Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballets Alumni of the Year represent dancers, business owners and community leaders from both near and far.

One candidate is in his graduate year at the San Francisco Ballet School. Another dances with the Finnish National Ballet in Helsinki, and yet another is a fifth-grade teacher in Oklahoma.

One candidate, Morgan Goodling, has remained close to the school as a resident of Carlisle Borough, and still attends CPYB performances when she can.

With the other six candidates, Goodling is participating in the 10-week Alumni of the Year campaign to benefit the CPYBs Changing Lives Scholarship Fund. During the campaign, the candidates for alumni of the year work to raise money for the fund, and the one who raises the most is named Alumni of the Year at the ballets An Evening at the Barre event.

Goodling studied at CPYB from 1987 to 1996, and credits CPYB with inspiring her to take French classes in school since that is the language of the ballet. She now holds a bachelors degree and two masters degrees, both of which were completely funded by scholarships.

Goodling has worked in human services for 10 years. Shes been the co-author on three papers published in peer-reviewed journals and gave a presentation to a local chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Q. When did you become interested in ballet, and start at CPYB?

A. I was interested in ballet before I can even remember. My parents enrolled me in dance classes at another local studio at age 3. I loved dancing, so after two years, my parents decided that I should get the best ballet education available. When I was 5, way back in 1987, they enrolled me at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.

Q. What do you most remember about your time at CPYB?

A. I have lots of highlights and memories, but as a whole, the performances were definitely my favorite thing. Performances were not taken lightly; they were the culmination of the hard work we put into class and rehearsals. Putting on make-up, getting into costume, and being on stage in front of an audience is truly something special.

Q. How has your ballet training influenced your life in the years that followed?

A. Ballet teaches many life lessons. CPYB shaped my work ethic and I learned effective time management skills. Self-awareness was also critical. The teachers get to know you and help develop your dancing, but the work also comes from observing and reflecting on things internally. I also have a love and respect for the arts and the role they play in our lives.

Q. Tell us about the campaign for alumni of the year and how people can help.

A. The school selected a cross section of seven former students as candidates for Alumni of the Year. We attended the school at different decades, were located in different geographical areas, and have pursued ballet at varying levels. What we all have in common is that we are successful adults today because of our time spent at the school. Were motivated and passionate about spreading the word about CPYB and giving back to the school that has given us so much. Each AOTY candidate is running a unique campaign in an effort to raise money for the Changing Lives Scholarship Fund that goes directly toward current and future dancers. People can support us by donating directly to our campaign through our web pages that can be located at https://cpyb.org/alumni, or by participating in our fundraising events.

Q. You have described the school as a treasure that enriches lives. Can you tell us more about why you describe it in that way?

A. Because I grew up in the school and in the Carlisle community, CPYB was just a regular part of my life. When something is always there right in front of us, sometimes we dont see how truly special it is. Marcia is a living legend in the ballet world. It is amazing that this renowned ballet school started in a renovated barn, has been around for over 60 years, and produces some of the finest ballet dancers in the world. The training is unparalleled and it prepares students to be successful in their lives, whatever field it is they end up pursuing.
HARRISBURG  It is a loud and busy time at the Capitol as advocacy groups want to be seen and heard by legislative movers and shakers.

March on Harrisburg, a self-described non-partisan, inclusive movement of anti-corruption activists, managed to be louder and more observed than the rest on Monday. They also caught the attention of Capitol Police, who arrested more than 20 members for disorderly conduct.

The Associated Press reported five more people were arrested Tuesday during a second day of demonstrations.

Capitol Police spokesman Troy Thompson says theyre being charged with disorderly conduct, a summary offense, for refusing to leave Rep. Daryl Metcalfes office, according to the AP. Thompson says those arrested two straight days also will be charged with defiant trespassing, a misdemeanor.

March on Harrisburg is calling for good-government reforms like a legislative gift ban, automatic voter registration and redistricting reform. They staged sit-ins in a Capitol hallway Monday and, though the word march is in their name, preferred to be dragged from a House committee meeting. As a handful of protesters were removed from the meeting, a larger group in the hallway chanted, Call the vote on HB 39.

House Bill 39 would ban gifts to lawmakers.

Right now, Pennsylvania is one of the only states that has no limitations on what these paid lobbyists can give these legislators, said Emmie DiCicco, the protest organizer.

Several in the group surrounded Rep. Rick Saccone, R-Allegheny, who wrote HB 39.

I want you to support my bill. Im glad youre supporting it, believe me, Saccone said. Come talk to me, but dont be violent and dont disrupt.

There was no violence. There was too much disruption for Rep. Daryl Metcalfes liking. Metcalfe, R-Butler, chairs the State Government Committee that has thus far not moved HB 39. To the protesters, hes the bad guy.

The feelings mutual. He called their sit-in childish and said it hurts their credibility and doesnt motivate him to move HB 39. Though their stated agenda is both non-partisan and bi-partisan, Metcalfe insists theres a left-wing agenda and likened them to the people who are protesting President Trump and congressional Republicans at town halls.

The people who are losing in the public arena, losing on Election Day, are trying to impose their will on us like 2-year-olds, Metcalfe said.

He wasnt the only riled up Republican.

I am absolutely offended at that theatric show that was put on out in the hallway, Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon) said.

Ryan spent four decades in the U.S. Marine Corps and didnt appreciate that his entrance to the committee room was blocked and delayed by protesters.

I spent 41 years of my life defending other peoples freedom and Ill be damned if anyones gonna take mine, Ryan said in the public committee hearing.

Capitol police, in a business-as-usual manner, arrested about 20 protesters. They picked them up, zip-tied their hands, and marched them out to be processed. They showed great restraint while restraining protesters, who also were peaceful and non-violent.

We always give them the option to leave on their own and once they dont then theyre arrested and cited for disorderly conduct, explained Joe Jacob, superintendent of the Capitol Police.

It might become a really familiar routine. The protesters promise to keep coming back until good government bills become a priority in the legislature.

It is no secret that democracy is broken in Pennsylvania, DiCicco said. We have consistently received failing grades in state integrity polls across the nation.
Here are three things to watch on President Donald Trumps foreign trip.

During his first stop in Saudi Arabia, the president will meet with Saudi officials, as well as members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Trump plans to deliver a speech on the topic of Islam. Will he use the phrase radical Islamic terrorism?

Where does the president stand on the Middle East peace process? Trump has frequently stressed the importance of a peace deal in the region, and he will be meeting with both Israeli and Palestinian officials during the trip.

How does Trump really feel about NATO? After leaving the Middle East, the president will meet with NATO members in Belgium. In the past, Trump called the alliance "obsolete." What position will he take now?
Fact Box: 52nd Annual General Meeting of African Development Bank (AfDB)

Published: May 22, 2017

The 52nd Annual General Meeting of African Development Bank (AfDB) is being held at Gandhinagar in Gujarat from May 22-26, 2017. This is for the first time that this meeting is being held in India. This meeting is expected to be attended by some 4500 delegates including the finance ministers and central bank governors of AfDBs members and non-member countries.

About African Development Bank (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) also known as Banque Africaine de Developpment (BAD) was founded in 1964 with a mission to fight poverty and improve living conditions of the people of African continent by promoting investment in government and private capital in development projects. The bank is made of three entities viz. African Development Bank, African Development Fund, and Nigeria Trust Fund. Its headquarters are at Abidjan, Cote dIvoire (Ivory Coast). The motto of the bank is Building today, a better Africa tomorrow and currently, it has total 78 members including India. India had joined this bank in 1983. Its unit currency (for accounting purpose) is XUA under the ISO 4217 standard currency code.

India and other Non-African Members

India is a non-African member country for this bank. Some other non-African member countries include US, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, China etc. Nigeria is the largest country in terms of voting powers at the African Development Bank, followed by United States.

Significance of the meet

So far, the annual conferences of the bank have held within African continent only. For the first time in 2017, the bank is holding its first annual conference outside Africa at Gandhinagar. This event is to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This meet is seen as a logical follow up to the India Africa Forum summit which was held in 2015 in Delhi.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2017

Topics: Africa  African Development Fund  Fact Box  Gujarat  Insights  Nigeria

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Here are five news stories and events to start your week:

Is Now the Time to Arm US Tanks with Israeli Anti-Missile Tech?

Via Matthew Cox at Military.com: "The U.S. Army is poised to step into a new world of armor protection if it equips its tanks and combat vehicles with anti-missile technology such as Trophy, an active protection system that cut its teeth with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. For the past few months, Army leaders have been openly touting the service's accelerated effort to arm the M1 Abrams tank and other key platforms with APS technology to counter the proliferation of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and Russia's aggressive modernization of its armored fleet ... Army testers are well into an evaluation of a Trophy APS-equipped M1 tank."

First Women Finish Army's Enlisted Infantry Training

Via Chuck Williams at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: "Moments before 18 women were about to walk across Inouye Field at Fort Benning, Ga., to become brand new privates and specialists, a female drill sergeant offered clarity. 'This is a big deal,' she said to the younger women Friday morning on the grounds of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. "You are making f---ing history." It was the kind of clarity that only a drill sergeant can provide. The four women were among 18 who graduated from One Station Unit Training as the first women to take the enlisted route to become infantrymen."

Pentagon to Release $639 Billion Fiscal 2018 Budget Request

The Defense Department on Tuesday plans to release its $639 billion fiscal 2018 budget request, the Trump administration's first. The spending plan will include $574 billion for the base budget and $65 billion for the war budget for overseas contingency operations, or OCO. Officials from the Pentagon and each of the services plan to discuss the proposed defense budget after noon on Tuesday in the Pentagon briefing room. President Donald Trump and administration officials have said the plan includes one of the largest defense spending hikes in years at $54 billion but critics have assailed the plan for raiding non-defense accounts.

A 'Magnificent Bastard' Is Investigating Russian Meddling in the US

Via Richard Sisk at Military.com: "The only time I ever met Robert Swan Mueller III did not go over too well with his security detail. This was in 2001 as Mueller faced his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee to become FBI Director. There was milling about before the hearing started. Mueller was at the back of the room huddled with aides and the passing senator or two who stopped to greet him. I was a reporter covering the hearing. I approached and for whatever reason blurted out "Hey, you Magnificent Bastard," or maybe just "Hey Bastard," which was sometimes how members of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, greeted each other.

Army Announces Upcoming Deployments of 3,700 Soldiers

Via Matthew Cox at Military.com: "The U.S. Army on Friday announced plans to deploy about 3,700 soldiers to Korea, to Iraq and Kuwait. Some 3,500 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, will deploy this summer to the Republic of Korea. The Army will also deploy about 250 soldiers from the III Corps Headquarters stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, to Iraq and Kuwait, this summer in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
Chuck Hagel had a number of "firsts" as defense secretary -- he was the first enlisted Vietnam grunt to hold the post -- and his official portrait unveiled Friday at the Pentagon is another.

The painting by his older brother Mike, a well-known artist, shows Hagel with his arms folded across his chest and the Combat Infantry Badge, which he earned with the Army's 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam, floating above him.

At a Pentagon ceremony, retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, the current defense secretary, said of Hagel, "He represents what is great about America -- one who has put service to others before self. And from the firefights of Vietnam, then to the halls of Congress, then to the Pentagon and to our field and fleet units, he has stood strong all those years."

Hagel, a former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska, said the inclusion of the CIB in the portrait was done with a purpose.

"You will see in the portrait there is only one object in the painting -- aside from its mediocre subject -- and that is the Combat Infantry Badge -- the CIB," he said. "As you all know, it is a U.S. Army decoration awarded to those who served in combat. It's a symbol that conveys that part of my service to the country of which I am most proud.

"What I am most proud of is serving our country alongside the quiet heroes that every generation of Americans produces," he added. "Heroes that neither receive nor seek glory or recognition. This uncommon courage and humility is the common denominator of the American people.

"In a volatile and uncertain time in our country and the world, it is this steady, confident and humble strength of character that will guide us through this current uncertainty," Hagel said.

Mattis noted, "Our former secretary served as an Army sergeant wounded in action and rose to the very top of our department."

Hagel grew up with four brothers in Nebraska. He served with his brother Tom in Vietnam, and both saw action in the Mekong Delta.

Hagel served as the 24th defense secretary from 2013 to 2015 before being forced out by President Barack Obama. He was succeeded by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Hagel later echoed his predecessors, Leon Panetta and Robert Gates, in complaining of "micromanagement" of the military by the White House.

In Nebraska last week, Hagel expressed concern that controversies swirling about the White House over alleged Russian influence in the election and other issues could erode the trust of the American people in President Donald Trump.

"This is a man who needs to listen and learn," Hagel told The Omaha World-Herald newspaper. "And, unfortunately, he's doing just the opposite. And it's not good for him. It's not good for the country. I hope he will take a different tack soon -- before it's too late, before he loses the credibility and the confidence to govern."

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
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...
Madhya Pradesh bans Sand Excavation in Narmada River

Published: May 22, 2017

The State Government of Madhya Pradesh has put an indefinite ban on the sand excavation in the Narmada River. This announcement has been made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal. The government has also set up a committee to suggest the scientific ways of mining the rivers. This committee will submit the report to state government after exploring ways for sand excavation without harming rivers. The government will also promote manufactured sand (made by mixing stones).

Background

Illegal sand mining is one of the serious law & order and environmental issues in several states of India including Madhya Pradesh. The business has flourished mainly because of nexus between sand mafia, officers and politicians. Many people including police officers and activists have lost their lives while making attempts to check this illegal activity. The Chief Minister was has been travelling along side Narmada River to make Save Narmada a peoples movement through his Namami Narmada Yatra. However, in February 2017, his government had faced embarrassment when a company belonging to nephew of chief minister was alleged to be engaged in illegal mining.

The issue of illegal mining in Narmada was sub-judice in state High Court but in July 2015, it was transferred to National Green Tribunal. On the basis of a complaint by Medha Patkar (of Narmada Bachao Aandolan), the NGT had sent a team to investigate the matter. After investigation, NGT had directed state government to take strong measures and report the progress.

About Narmada River

Narmada (giver of pleasure), is one of the largest rivers of India, originating in Amarkantak Hills and flowing through Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is third largest river after Ganga and Godavari to flow within political boundaries of India. It flows in a rift valley between the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges; and serves as lifeline of Madhya Pradesh. Its basin covers large areas in the states of Madhya Pradesh (86%), Gujarat (14%) and a smaller area (2%) in Maharashtra. In the river course of 1,312 km, there are 41 tributaries, out of which 22 are from the Satpuda range and the rest on the right bank are from the Vindhya Range. Geologically, Narmada River is older than the river Ganges. In Puranas, it has been mentioned as Rewa. In Indian history, the river has played role to divide North India (Uttarpatha) from South India (Dakshinpatha). The Chalukya emperor Pulakeshin-II had defeated emperor Harshavardhana on the banks of Narmada River, thus forcing him to agree this river as his southern border after this war.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2017

Topics: Madhya Pradesh  Namami Narmada Yatra  Narmada River  National Green Tribunal

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NASA Names New Species After Abdul Kalam

Published: May 22, 2017

NASA has named a new bacteria discovered on the filters of the International Space Station, ISS, as Solibacillus kalamii to honour the late president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. The genus is Solibacillus and the species name is kalamii. Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has found that the bacteria remained on board the International Space Station for 40 months. The new organism is found only on the ISS and has not been found anywhere on the earth. In 1963, Dr. Kalam had his early training at NASA before setting up Indias first rocket launching facility at Thumba in Kerala.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen (A.P.J) Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu. In 1960, he had joined Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as a scientist and started his career by designing a small helicopter for the Indian Army. In 1969, he had joined India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as the project director for Indias first indigenous satellite launch vehicle programme. Under his leadership and vision, India entered into the elite space club after Rohini satellite was place into the orbit in 1980. He was a pioneer and instrumental in development of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Indias space workhorse. In 1980, he was appointed Chairman of Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) and was brain behind developing Agni and Prithvi missiles. Thus he came to be known as the Missile Man of India for his work on the development of ballistic missile. He was Chief Project Coordinator of Pokhran II Nuclear Test (Operation Shakti) which was conducted on 11 May 1998. He was the 11th President of India and was in office from 2002 to 2007. He was Indias most popular President and famously known as Peoples President. He has been awarded with Bharat Ratna (1997), Padma Vibhushan (1990), Padma Bhushan (1981).

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2017

Topics: International  NASA  Persons in News  Science and Technology  TNPSC

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  , 14    :     40     ; 3      
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe


but NOBODY vetted Barack Obama after Barack Obama politicized his own mother's cancer

for his own political gain during the 2008 democratic race, and then again in the presidential debates.

Did Barack Obama tend to his own mother in any personal way

during her last couple of years of life, when she was dying of cancer in Hawaii?





If I am wrong, or can be proven wrong about my concern, then I will stand corrected.

But until then, the timeline I have been able to put together shows that Barack Obama

chose to finish writing his book instead of being with his mother.

With apologizes to the filmmaker for politicizing his film,Or, did Barack Obama CHOOSE to fly over Hawaii, where his mother was dying of cancer,so he could go to Bali to finish writing his book about his sperm donor father?
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General Motors was one of the earliest globally renowned automotive brands to set foot in India. Not many, however, know that the US company debuted with the help of CK Birla group company Hindustan Motors with whom it formed a joint venture back in 1994.

Though GM in recent years became a forgotten brand the company tried everything in the book to resuscitate operations. It launched no less than 17 models in India across two brands  Opel and Chevrolet  only to be rejected by consumers. Finally, after years of efforts and mounting losses, the US giant decided to pull the plug on the Indian market. By end of 2017, GM will completely exit the domestic market to focus exclusively on exports.

Here is a look of some of GMs forgotten models which did not do as well as they were hoped to but managed to generate their own loyal fan base amid breakneck competition from the likes of Maruti, Hyundai, Honda and Toyota.

Opel Astra

Ahead of its times the Opel Astra debuted in India in the mid 1990s. Launched in the mid-size category the Astra, with its plush interiors, rev-happy engine, German-build quality and executive look was the breath of fresh air that consumers were looking forward to. The only rivals Astra was up against were Daewoo Cielo, Maruti Esteem/1000, Ford Escort, Hyundai Accent and the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Opel Vectra

With a price close to Rs 20 lakh the Vectra was billed as the poor mans Mercedes. Launched in 2002 the powerful luxury sedan was amongst the first in India to debut in that segment. Its USP was the Interactive Driving System  an intelligence feature designed to "talk'' with individual components such as power steering, traction control system and the anti-lock braking system with cornering brake control and electronic brake force distributor, while interacting and interfacing with the driver as well.

Chevrolet Spark

GM seriousness to crack the Indian market was demonstrated once again when it took over model rights of the once extremely popular Matiz made by defunct automaker Daewoo. Relaunched as the Spark, carrying broadly the same design elements of the Matiz, GM tried to take the battle to the Maruti Wagon R and the Hyundai Santro, which were already blockbusters by then.

Chevrolet Beat

The Beat turned out to be one of the biggest launches by the GM in India. So successful was this model that it made up more than half of GMs total sales in India during its peak. The small, stylish but premium hatchback even enjoyed a waiting period during its best days.

Chevrolet Tavera

Tavera became an overnight hit with customers primarily due to two reasons. One Tata Motors could not give timely updates the long standing Indias favourite people mover Sumo and two, the Toyota Qualis was an expensive buy. The Tavera smartly explored this white space with a sound build quality and affordable service back-up by GM.

Here is the full list of the 17 models that General Motors launched in India over the past 23 years.

Opel - Astra, Corsa, Corsa Sail, Corsa Swing, Vectra
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Even as IT major Cognizant maintains that employee exits it has seen in the recent weeks is nothing out of the ordinary, the IT sector says the company is resorting to unfair practices to dismiss a few of it workforce. Cognizant has come under the scanner for reportedly laying off 6,000 employees and also for offering voluntary separation package to senior level staffers.

To bring their grievances to people's notice, the Forum for IT employees (FITE)  a platform which had helped the workers of this industry earlier as well  is reaching out to the Tamil Nadu state government, according to a report in The Economic Times.

FITE has taken up the matter with the Labour Department and has sent representations to the labour commissioners in certain districts and the state Labour Commissioner.

As the employees air their grievances against Cognizant, FITE is lending a helping hand and has urged the state government to immediately intervene in what it terms illegal termination.

It seems IT employees are in good hands considering the past record of the Forum. Two years ago, a TCS employee who was sacked by the company won back his job after the forum fought the case in the Madras High Court.
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Competition in the airline sector is expected to move from the domestic airspace into international skies. SpiceJet has already sounded the bugle by announcing that it plans a direct Delhi-London flight at a total fare of Rs 30,000 (including return fare) which can go down to Rs 20,000. Current fares start from Rs 44,000 and move up to Rs 90,000.

In an interview Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet, said: As people become rich, it is easier for them to take a flight abroad, provided the fares are low. Imagine the demand a fare of Rs 10,000-15,000 would have for a Delhi-London flight.

With this kind of pricing SpiceJet is all set to start a price war in the international travel sector, one that has been the most profitable for Indian airline companies. SpiceJet, as was the case when it started its domestic operations, seems to have its game plan in place.

The airline intends to continue with the same low-cost, no-frill model that it does in domestic operations. In order to increase its yield the airline plans to increase the number of seats by refurbishing the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Against the conventional 256 seats that other airline uses, SpiceJet plans to make the aircraft an all-economy one by increasing the number of seats to 350.

Further, the airline is cutting costs by separately pricing each additional service like meals, on-board Wi-Fi, seat selection, priority boarding and privileged check-in. Rather than flying to Heathrow, where airport charges are high the company intends to use the Gatwick airport.

SpiceJet will also be taking the aircraft on a wet lease, which allows them to pay by the number of hours it has actually operated the aircraft. In a wet lease the lessor provides the aircraft along with the cockpit and cabin crew and pays for its maintenance and insurance. In short, SpiceJet is putting in place a low cost model to operate on international skies.

Whether this model will be cheaper than the conventional one will depend on the negotiation skills of SpiceJet, especially when it comes to the most critical cost of wet leasing the aircraft. By doing so SpiceJet will save the cost of maintaining an international crew.

International routes are preferred by Indian airline companies as they are able to refuel their aircraft abroad where cost of fuel is lower. Cost of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) in India is the highest in the world as a number of taxes are bundled into it. This situation is expected to continue in future since ATF has been kept outside the purview of GST.

But will the cost-cutting measures taken by SpiceJet be enough is a question that will be answered only after the launch of its airline service.

The company has been trying hard to make a dent in the international market. Though it operates in only six destinations, its market share based on passengers carried has moved from 6.1 percent in April 2015 to 8.1 percent presently, among Indian companies operating international services. SpiceJet has the second highest growth rate in the international market after Jet Airways.

Though Available Seat Kilometer (ASK) for SpiceJet has grown at a slower pace than Jet Airways, its revenue passenger kilometer (RPK) has posted a higher growth highlighting the higher revenue and margins the company generates. Further, passenger load factor for SpiceJet is the best-in-class in both the domestic and international segment.

SpiceJet with its predatory pricing can shake up the industry and grab market share the way it did in domestic industry. Low-cost carriers have been growing at a 60 percent CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) in the international market as compared to a 4 percent growth for Full Service carrier as per data available in SpiceJets annual report. SpiceJet intends to tap this high growth market by introducing services at prices which will be hard for a full service airline to match.

SpiceJets growth will be at the cost of Air India and Jet Airways who between them control three-fourths of the market. Jet Airways, because of its association with Etihad, will be in a position to withstand the shock, but Air India will be pushed deeper into red. And if Air India resorts to price war to protect its turf the way it did in domestic market, the entire sector will be impacted.

SpiceJet stock reacted negatively to the news falling by nearly 6.56 percent as analyst feel that this move by the company will impact its medium-term financials. Jet Airways, however, took it on the chin with its share price falling by 8.14 as it is the biggest loser in the listed space, post SpiceJets plan of starting a price war in the international travel market.
Maruti Suzuki | Production at 3,714 vehicles in May 2020 against 1,51,188 vehicles in May 2019. (Image: WIkimedia)

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Car market leader Maruti Suzuki aims to aggressively target the domestic consumer which as per plan involves doubling of output capacity, launching a series of next-gen products including a World Car from India.

The maker of popular cars such as Alto and Swift will nearly double its production capacity to 3 million units by 2025 from 1.56 million clocked last year to defend and grow its domestic market share.

Further, the Delhi-based company will have a Global Car developed almost entirely in India leveraging the rapidly growing local research and development center. This car will be developed by Indian engineers from Maruti Suzuki in India, according to sources.

While Maruti Suzuki has been advancing its own capabilities since the past few years a substantial chunk of vehicle developmental work still happens in Japan. For instance, the Baleno platform-based new Dzire was majorly developed in Japan but designed to suit Indian needs.

Maruti Suzuki launches all new Dzire. Built on a fifth generation B platform the Dzire is built using high tensile steel making it light weight to deliver better environmental performance and fuel efficiency.

More than 100 vendors of Maruti Suzuki were taken to Singapore recently for the annual vendors meet. The car market leader shared plans for the next 7-8 years at the meeting.

While the company has been consistent in launching new products the pace of new launches will continue in the coming years. As per plans Maruti will launch at least one new model every year between 2019-21 and at least two new launches every year from 2022-23 onwards.

To bolster its production capabilities Maruti is already pushing for advancement of deadlines set for the new Gujarat plant. It has requested Suzuki Motors Corporation, which owns the plant, to advance the date of inauguration of the second line to 2018 from the earlier deadline of 2019.

Eventually, the plant will have three production lines (each having a capacity of 250,000 per year) with a cumulative capacity of 750,000 units a year. However the company hopes to stretch this to 850,000 units a year, according to Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava.

The company is hoping to close the year with sales of at least 1.75 million units which will be a growth of 12 percent compared to its previous years total sales (domestic + exports) of 1.56 million units.

Maruti commanded a share of little above 47 percent last year which is a growth compared to last year when it closed at 45 percent share, as per data shared by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
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In 2016, a Chennai court had said set aside the dismissal of an employee at an IT company, terming it unlawful. This ruling has implications for IT companies as well as a few thousand employees who have been recently fired en masse on grounds of non-performance.

The earlier order was given on an industrial dispute plea filed by K Ramesha, who was dismissed as Senior Service Programmer while working in HCL Technologies.

Ramesha was fired in 2013, with the management citing poor performance as the reason. Ramesha filed a case against the company in Chennais Labor Court for wrongful termination.

HCL had argued that as Ramesha was a supervisor, the labour rules covering workman under the Industrial Disputes Act did not apply to him. But the court ruled that the job of an engineer in a software company involved skills and technical knowledge, and so Ramesha was a workman.

More importantly, the court also said that HCL Technologies could not produce any evidence to show that failure to improve performance or failure to measure up to the expectations or standing orders of the company would amount to an act of misconduct.

HCL Tech had to reinstate Ramesha and pay full back wages and all other benefits from the date of dismissal to the date of reinstatement.

Leading IT companies have sacked a few thousand people between them over the last month. But in the majority of the cases, the employees were forced to resign so that the companies did not have pay severance packages.

The Industrial Disputes Act clearly spells out conditions of retrenchment of employees in an organisation and also says that last in, first out policy is to be followed in terms of retrenchment.

The Act requires the employer to pay severance and notify the labour authorities of a retrenchment. In cases of industrial establishments having atleast 100 (300 in select states) workmen, there is a requirement to obtain prior permission of the government to terminate workmen.

Vikram Shroff, Head, Employment and HR Law at Nishith Desai Associates explained that termination for reasons of non-performance or under-performance can become highly subjective on depend on fact-specific situations.

He also said that labour departments and courts in India receive several claims of unlawful or illegal termination, where employees demand reinstatement with back wages and continuity. The employer may be required to demonstrate that there was reasonable cause for termination and that proper processes were followed.

In the recent firings at IT firms, many employees were told that their performance was not up to the mark, and so they would have to resign.

While court cases may take time to be resolved, the petitioners stand a better chance of a favourable ruling if they move the courts in groups.

Unless mentioned in the offer letter, an employee cannot be sacked on grounds of performance unless of course the company itself shuts down. In these cases, they can approach the court for redressal, said an HR official working with companies on designing employee contracts and compensation.

In an office environment, while an employer will not be answerable as to why a particular employees productivity is below par, in court cases lawyers said that explicit proof will have to be provided as to why the decision was taken, what metrics were used to judge the employee, what was the time period considered and how have the peers in the particular function/department performed.
For decades, Indian cities with their overburdened infrastructure have received little or no attention, mainly because the political vote base lay outside Urban India.

This despite the fact that by 2030 Urban India would contribute to 70 percent of Indias GDP and new jobs, as highlighted by a McKinsey report.

To correct this anomaly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ambitious smart city mission in 2015. But in 2 years, just how much has moved in the 60 shortlisted cities.

CNBC-TV18's Manisha Natarajan caught up with Secretary Urban Development Rajiv Gauba, who is entrusted with the task of this key mission along with others for rejuvenating urban infrastructure, to track the progress.

Q: Let's begin with the progress amongst the 60 shortlisted cities, which made the cut. Whats happening on ground?

A: We are fully satisfied with the progress. Theres a lot of work happening on the ground, projects are taking off, Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) have been set up in all 60 and funds have been mobilized from Centre and States .

Like never before this mission has created an opportunity for the city government and private sector to work together. There are no lag areas. The 1st round of 20 cities are all on their way to implementing projects, and the next batch of 40 are getting the implementation model in place and hiring the professionals to run their SPVs

Q: Critics tracking the progress say, while SPVs have been formed, the implementation is crawling.

A: The progress of Smart Cities is in the cities, not in New Delhi. I dont think these critics have visited these cities. They should travel to Pune, Vishakhapatnam, Indore , Bhopal etc, to see the progress. State governments are recognizing the need to move fast on this mission and are deploying some of their best officers for the projects. 70 projects worth Rs.2000 core are under execution already.

Q: Your ministry issued a release saying, 94 cities across 14 states have received credit ratings from agencies such as Crisil as part of their preparations for issuing municipal bonds. The first municipal bonds were to hit the market in March 2017. We havent seen any so far.

A: You know we were trying to get a tax-free status for municipal bonds, and that didnt work out. Now, that the urban development ministry has decided to give an interest subsidy of Rs 400 crore, there is no hurdle left.

The ministry will give an upfront amount for the next 10 years, as a compensation of 2 percent on the total size of the bond issue. This would roughly translate to Rs 60 crore this year. We expect Pune and Ahmedabad to float their bond issue soon. Another 12 will follow.

Q: The Smart City Mission completes 2 years on June 25th. Can we expect an announcement from the government of the next list of cities before that date?

A: Well, I would not like to give a date, but the process is ongoing and cities which did not make it are submitting revise proposals. Its an open, transparent process where cities compete to make the cut and receive government grants to upgrade themselves and their infrastructure. For the first time, citizen participation has been made mandatory and cities which did not make the cut are working hard to ensure they do so in the next list.

Q: Would you agree than Indian cities though need much more than just the Smart Cities Mission to succeed, to become livable. Urban Infrastructure in almost all big cities is under stress?

A: Smart city mission focusses on futuristic renewal projects. It works in conjunction with several other mission launched  key being AMRUT which has a much more focused reform agenda.

The purpose of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is to ensure that 2 crore households have access to a tap with assured supply of water and a sewerage connection; cities develop and maintain green open spaces, and pedestrian, non-motorized and public transport facilities are provided to 500 cities with a population of more than 1 lakh each. Cities must perform is they want to qualify for the incentives and the amount are too large to be ignored.

Under Amrut we have carved out Rs. 10,000 crore as incentives for the remaining 3 years. Another 20% of Rs. 17,400 crore will also be given as incentives from the 14th Fianance commission allocation for city development. These incentives are linked to implementation of 5 key reforms - e-governance, improving efficiency of water and power use, increasing efficiency of revenue collection, single-window clearance for construction permits, and credit rating of municipal bodies.

Q: Whats the aim of launching a livability index for 140 Cities? What is the government hoping to achieve?

A: It will get cities to compete for another benchmark which is a far more comprehensive indicator of quality of life of its citizens. Whats important is that this index will drive accountability amongst departments other Municipal Corporations.

Those in charge of health or hospitals, education  schools and colleges, safety and security aspects, the performance of police, maintenance of parks and public spaces, will also be covered in the performance matrix.
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California-headquartered Gilead Sciences has warned against the use of generic versions of its blockbuster Hepatitis C drugs procured by patients directly through buyers clubs. A disruptive phenomenon, dozens of buyers clubs have mushroomed in recent years that enable supply of generic lifesaving medicines to thousands of patients afflicted with the fatal liver ailment.

In its latest May 9 regulatory filings in Form 10K at the US Securities Exchange Commission, Gilead said it is aware of the existence of various buyers clubs around the world, adding that through personal importation of such medicines, patients may be at risk of taking unapproved medications which may not be what they purport to be, may not have the potency they claim to have or may contain harmful substances.

Gilead warned that those (generic versions) medicines have not been approved for use in the countries into which they are imported.

To the extent patients take unapproved generic versions of one or more of our medications and are injured or not cured by these products, our brand or the commercial or scientific reputation of our HCV products could be harmed, it said in the filings made last week.

In the US, Gileads Hepatitis C treatment came with a listed price of USD 84000 and that has drawn wide criticism. According to news reports, Gilead has cited that the price level is comparable to the earlier treatment options. It also argued that the price to patients come with a significant discount.

Gileads official spokesperson told CNBC TV18, With regard to buyers Clubs, the source and quality of Hepatitis C medicines secured through medical tourism and buyers clubs are unknown. Patients cannot be sure that they are receiving effective or safe medicine.

The company avoided questions on whether it will launch an investigation into such supplies from any of its Indian partners.

As part of a 2014 agreement, Gilead, amid outcry from health activists on issues such as data privacy, had incorporated several safeguards like monitoring of medicine prescriptions for patients.

However, things seem to have moved as per plans with its Indian partners. Gilead expressed satisfaction with the progress made through its voluntary licensing arrangements for HCV (Hepatitis C virus) drugs with over a dozen drug makers that include Zydus Cadila, Cipla, Biocon, Hetero, Laurus, Strides Shasun and Natco, among others.

Gilead informed CNBC TV18 the voluntary licence partners have proven their ability to rapidly scale up the manufacture of high-quality, low-cost medicines and enable broad distribution to where the need is great. As of the end of 2016, we estimate that 50 percent of patients living in developing countries being treated with one of Gileads Hepatitis C medicines, received or are receiving a licensed generic version, the company said in its statement.

The arrangement with the Indian partners included supplies to over a hundred countries but clearly came with binding provisions to prevent supplies to developed markets like US and Europe, where the company directly markets its medicines.

Gilead revolutionized treatment of HCV through a range of single ingredient and combination therapies like Sovaldi and Harvoni nearly wiping out interferon-based treatments.

Apart from taking issue with buyers clubs, Gilead noted as part of its filings that third parties may illegally distribute and sell counterfeit versions of its products, which do not meet the rigorous quality standards of our manufacturing and supply chain.

For example, in the first quarter of 2017, bottles of counterfeit drugs labelled under the Harvoni brand name were discovered at a retail pharmacy chain and pharmaceutical wholesalers in Japan, Gilead said, adding it is taking steps to accelerate planned changes in packaging standards to make counterfeits more difficult.

James Freeman, Founder at FixHepC, a buyers club based in Australia, countered the claims made by Gilead about the safety issues. Freeman agreed that supply chain integrity is vital in ensuring patients received correct medicines. As an additional safety check, we provide a tablet testing service using qNMR (Quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance analysis). This is available to any patient who has sourced generic medications from any source. To date, none of the samples tested has been found deficient, Freeman added.

Freeman, who came into spotlight for helping several Australian patients get Hep C medicines, said, "Looking at India specifically what the licence says is that the product is licensed to be sold within the territory - it is a point of sale licence, rather than an end-user licence of the type found in say arms sales."

"If an Indian doctor sees a patient by video conference, and writes in Indian script, and there is an Indian invoice, paid in India would that not be a sale in the licensed territory," Freeman countered.

Terming Gileads approach to market as predatory pricing, Freeman further clarified that he would accept that (what buyers club does) is a breach of the spirit of the law, it is not a breach of the letter of the law. Gilead uses one set of laws to price these medications at unaffordable prices. We use another set of laws to help provide affordable access.FixHepC uses the law to correct that problem, at least for those fortunate enough to be able to afford generic prices. It is an imperfect solution for an imperfect world.
The S&P BSE Sensex, which is trading at a price-to-equity ratio of 21.99x and a price to book of 2.92, hit a fresh record high of 30,712.35 last week. The valuations have moved beyond the comfort levels and even foreign investors are placing their bets on speculative stocks, Saurabh Mukherjea, of Ambit Capital said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

In the FII space, I am now seeing foreign investors grope for speculative buys. Given the current valuations, well-run high-quality companies are trading at a P/E of 40-50x which is pushing FIIs to turn towards speculative buys, he said.

Mukherjea further added that if the bull market continues, the next leg of the rally will be led by lower quality companies, poorer management teams, and weaker balance sheets.

The S&P BSE Sensex has already rallied over 14 percent so far in the year 2017 and many mid and smallcap companies have already more than doubled investors wealth in the same period which has pushed valuations of many stocks above long-term averages.

Commenting on the banking sector, Mukherjea said some of the better-run PSU banks will try to raise capital. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will try and push through some of the stressed cases thereby advising banks to take a haircut.

A haircut is a difference between the actual loan amount given and the value of the asset used as a collateral.

The sheer scale of the NPA problem is getting to the stage where it is not evident that either the government or the private sector or sovereign wealth funds can actually bail Indian banks. We are actually looking at $30 billion required in the current fiscal and the next one to do so, said Mukherjea.

Commenting on the real estate, he said that the affordable housing story is of the most hyped story. Unfortunately, there are not many listed real estate developers who are focused on the affordable housing scheme.

Under the affordable housing definition, the RBI defines that the cost of a house cannot exceed Rs 65 lakh and Rs 50 lakh in the metros and non-metros, respectively.

That said, the RERA will force consolidation in the sector. The smaller real estate developers will end up collapsing into the arms of bigger builders. The discussions with developers do not suggest either a pick-up in demand or GST which is improving the terms of the trade.

Yes, there is a rally in the space. The affordable housing as a theme has a huge amount of momentum but not much has changed on the ground, said Mukherjea.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Sonia: What have you made of the goods and services tax (GST) rates that have come out and do you think there could be any ramifications as far as demand is concerned on any sector?

A: By and large, along the lines of what you are mentioning, we are a tad disappointed that on several high-value items, several companies that we had eyes on, the rates are higher than we expected. Whilst we all expected that mass consumption items would be taxed at low rates of GST, we are a little surprised to see that several of the high-value items, more than we expected are in the 18 and 28 percent buckets.

Latha: Is it getting extremely uncomfortable to recommend buys?

A: That is putting it mildly. It has been a difficult few months for us given our sceptical view on the valuations prevailing in our country. However, what I would add is, it is reasonably evident that in the foreign institutional investor (FII) space, I am now seeing FIIs grope speculative buys because exactly as Udayan pointed out, on rational grounds, given the current valuations, even well-run high quality companies are trading at 40-50 times earnings.

So, I can see FIIs groping for speculative buys in companies that, till six months ago, would not touch with a bargepole. So, if the bull market continues, the next leg of the rally would be lower quality companies, poorer management teams, weaker balance sheets, those sorts of stocks could start flying now.

Latha: I wanted your view on banks. Clearly, sooner or later, the RBI has to come with some kind of a resolution plan and I am hoping that something will get resolved now because there is political and regulatory might behind it. What would you dare to buy in anticipation of that resolution?

A: What the plan out there seems to be from joining the dots, listening to banks' results and seeing the ordinance from Delhi come through, my reckoning is the RBI will try to use the ordinance to push through a couple of these stressed cases where the RBI passed a dictate telling the banks that everybody has got to tick, take a haircut of say 40 percent or so and the RBI will use the ordinance to say if you do not listen to us within a finite period time, we will evoke the bankruptcy code.

On the back of the feel-good that, that dictate from the RBI creates, my reckoning is some of the better run PSU banks will try to raise capital. Your column in a financial newspaper this morning describes the name of what probably will be the best run of the PSU banks, but my reckoning is the RBI will try to use the new powers that it has been given to force through a couple of stressed assets, ride down the stressed assets and on the back of that we will see capital raising by a couple of the better run PSUs.

Beyond that honestly, it is hard to see how this amends itself because the sheer scale of the NPA problem is getting to a stage where it is not evident that either the government or the private sector or sovereign wealth funds can actually bail Indian banks. We are looking at at least USD 30 billion required over the current fiscal and the next one and that is a lot of money.

Sonia: I wanted your thoughts on metals as well. I know you have not been a big fan in the past, but nevertheless, stocks like Tata Steel are now coming into their own after the kind of good numbers that they posted. You think there could be a fresh bout of movement here and for investors, how does it look?

A: We remain circumspect on the sector because there are two parts to it. One is in the world without minimum import price (MIP). In the world without MIP, there was a 70-80 percent correlation between the prices of metals on London Metal Exchange (LME) and the Indian price of metals and given that this was basically a punt on global metal prices on which at least I am not qualified to make any comments.

Now, in the world with MIP, we have seen metal companies, steel companies at least see a recovery in their profitability. However, how sustainable this is? I am not so sure. How long you can continue with MIP, how long the government can continue to impose MIP and export duties on ores so we get double protection, our metal companies are getting double protection? This does not appear to me to be a sustainable construct on which I can ask our clients to buy shares in metals and mining stocks.

So, our circumspection continues. Yes, you are right, profitability has improved, but a lot of it seems to be on fairly artificial grounds.

Latha: Is real estate the area to be because there at least, the bad news has kept these stocks still much lower than their pre-global financial crisis (GFC) highs.

A: This whole affordable housing story, I think it is probably the most hyped story I have seen for a long time in real estate. Wherever I go in the world, FIIs seem to have a PowerPoint deck from some housing finance company or a real estate developer purporting to say that affordable housing is the next big thing.

However, unfortunately, there are not too many listed real estate developers which focus on the affordable housing space, Rs 30-50 lakh ticket size houses which are what is deemed to be affordable housing, under the RBI rules, there are not too many players who focus on that.

That being said, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) will force consolidation in the sector. It is reasonably clear that smaller real estate developers will end up collapsing into the arms of their bigger brethren and that could well pose an opportunity for the real estate developers.

However, discussion with the developers does not suggest that either a pickup in demand or some structural force out there such as GST which is improving the terms of trade for them. So yes, there has been a rally in the space, affordable housing as a theme, has a huge amount of hype and momentum behind it, I am not sure about the substance on the ground. On the ground, I do not think much has changed on real estate.

Sonia: I know you do not want to comment on individual stocks, but purely on some of these fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) names like ITC, do you think that there could be some more steam?

A: The name you mentioned is probably the one exception. It is not evident to me that this space, as a whole, has benefitted from GST. It is not evident that the rates we were discussing a minute ago have come in particularly in favour of FMCG. So, the name you have mentioned is probably the one exception where yes, the rates have come in appreciably better than the outcome the market was expecting. I am not sure FMCG in totality is a buy just because of the GST rates announced last week.

Latha: Any comments on liquor companies or stressed companies, whichever you want to pick?

A: The broader theme that is picking up in this development, there will be more developments of this sort in the months to come. It is reasonably clear from the last month of developments whether it is the reshuffling of public sector bank MDs and CEOs, whether it is the RBI's April 18 circular where they said that banks have to, in the notes to their accounts, the banks have to give the RBI comments from its inspection report on non-performing assets (NPA), it is clear that there is a clean-up drive that is underway.

I think the clean-up drive will have unexpected consequences for stocks. The RBI will go after at least a couple of big stressed assets and try to clean up things. I am not so sure that the outcome will be as bullish as some of the investors in banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) stocks are expecting it to be.
Job loss | The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the job landscape in India. According the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) about 21 million salaries employees lost their jobs during April-August. There were 86 million salaried jobs in India during 2019-20. In August 2020, the count was down to 65 million after 3.3 million jobs were gone in the particular month, mostly among the industrial workers and white collar workers, as per the CMIE. (Image: Shutterstock)

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Matters are coming to a head for Indias software industry, buffeted by a slowdown in its core businesses. Employees in IT campuses across the country are rallying together against company managements intent on sacking them.

The National Democratic Labour Front (NDLF)s IT Employees wing is planning to approach the Madras High Court against what it calls the arbitrary downsizing of employees by Cognizant and Wipro. It says the two companies are planning to lay off as many as 30,000 employees between them.

The Tamil Nadu-based NDLF has approached the Labour Commissioner and Labour Secretary with their grievances against the two companies, which are forcing employees to resign on grounds of poor performance. Employees, however, claim that the ratings are arbitrary and the decision to give them poor ratings was a premeditated decision and not genuinely linked to performance.

NDLF is reaching out to IT employees across India to come together to form unions in different states. Currently, NDLF is only present in Tamil Nadu and Telengana but it is in talks with employees across IT campuses in Pune, Bengaluru, Gurugram and Kolkata.

While the list of employees who are being asked to resign on pretext of performance is increasing every passing day across India, they are not part of any union and are having to represent their case as individuals before the Labour Department after resigning. They also believe they may not get a fair hearing if they go to the governments involved.

Months before their appraisals, these employees have been pulled out of projects and benched, said S Kumar, a member of National Democratic Labour Fronts IT Employees Wing.

Kumar said employees have been asked to give details on the arbitrary performance ratings that have been given to them and the systematic manner in which they have been pulled off projects.

Kumar said: We have been in touch with several managers who have been asked to identify people in their teams who have to be given MS (meets some expectations) rating, which is among the lowest ratings.

Employees, who have been identified by Wipro and Cognizant, are refusing to resign until there is some decision that comes from the Labour Department. Unions are asking for better severance packages and not the two-months basic pay that companies are offering.

NDLF says IT industry body Nasscom and the respective companies are gathering responses which the state Labour Department had demanded.
Rahul Shah of Motilal Oswal told CNBC-TV18, "First short idea is IndusInd Bank. This stock has been falling from that touching all-time high and it is closer to Rs 1,385-1,386 levels. So, I feel this stock can go to Rs 1,345 where the shorts have been created in this stock and technically also the stock has broken the major levels. So, short IndusInd with a stop loss of Rs 1,410 and target of Rs 1,345."

"Second short idea is BPCL. We have seen all oil marketing companies (OMCs) doing quite well in last couple of months and I think today it has shown some kind of nervousness. The longs have been getting unwinded and so I feel one should look at shorting BPCL with a stop loss of Rs 708 and target of Rs 660," he said.

"One buy idea is Bharat Forge . We saw some kind of sell-off last two days and then some momentum building it up again from the lower levels of Rs 1,050 or so. So, I think that seems to be a support level in the near term. So, I would go long in Bharat Forge with a stop loss of Rs 1,058 and target of Rs 1,120."
Logistics services startup Delhivery has raised USD 30 million from Chinas Fosun International which will help the Gurgaon-based company expand its services to sectors beyond e-commerce, the company said on Monday.

The funding is an extension of the equity financing round of about USD 100 million in March, by The Carlyle Group. Fosun, which set up shop in India last year, has other investments in India such as MakeMyTrip and Ixigo.

Delhiverys existing investors include Tiger Global, Nexus Venture Partners, Multiples Alternate Asset Management, and Times Internet.

Launched in 2011, Delhivery operates in over 60 cities across the country, and claims to service at least 8,500 pin codes.

The startup provides services to both B2B and B2C companies, such as Zomato, Flipkart, and Paytm.

Now the company is looking at increasing its share of business from companies beyond e-commerce.

Delhivery also plans to increase its fulfilment centres in the country which will be GST compliant.

The Goods and Services Tax regime is set to roll out in the country on July 1, which will require merchants and traders to register under the program and report sales periodically.

GST is expected to make the life of logistics players easier by weaning out the bottlenecks of transporting road cargo through long wait lines at state borders and multiple layers of state tax.

It will also help logistics companies streamline their warehouse requirements.
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Beleaguered e-commerce firm Snapdeal which is in talks with rival Flipkart for a potential stake sale has promised its senior executives a retention amount worth 4-6 times of their monthly salary if the deal goes through, people privy to the development told Moneycontrol.

The amount will be handed out to senior employees only if they remain in the merged entity for 180 days post completion of the deal. The development comes at a time when Flipkart has started its due diligence over the feasibility of the merger.

But, some employees are of the opinion that the money is being offered just to make sure that no roadblock happens from their end as the due diligence is underway.

"The reason for promising this amount is to ensure that there is no hurdle in the process of due diligence by the employees. It is like a carrot for us," said a senior executive requesting anonymity. An email to Snapdeal in this regard did not elicit any response.

Ironically, the amount being offered is not significantly higher that the severance packages, the company offered to employees who were laid off, earlier this year.

The employees who lost their jobs were paid three to four months of salaries as a severance package.

"The fact that we are being locked in for six months post the completion of the deal, the money offered is pretty low," said another executive.

The development comes even as some CXOs are reported to be getting around USD 2 million each if the deal goes through.

So far, executives such as vice presidents of different business units have received either written or verbal communication from the company, in this regard.

Most employees who have been promised this amount so far are likely to be holding ESOPs (employee stock option plans) in the company.

One of the executives quoted above said that ESOPs were not the prime criterion but retention will be for all employees who the company feels are important for the merged entity.

At a time when the valuation of the company is reported to have been dropped from USD 6 billion to around USD 1 billion, ESOPs of the most of the employees are expected to have declined inconsiderable value.

It is learnt that employees who will not be a part of the merged entity and may be asked to go could be paid this amount in one go.

Others who will be a part of the merged entity will be paid the money only after the completion of 180 days of service or even in multiple tranches during the six months period.

According to an official privy to the development, founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal will receive USD 30 million each following this deal of which half will be carved out for the settlement for a payout to the company's employees.

priyanka.sahay@nw18.com
May 22, 2017 / 09:26 AM IST

CNBC-TV18 brings you a brand new week of Bull's Eye. It's the popular game show where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest.

Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well.

This week, Vijay Chopra, Ruchit Jain and Jay Thakkar battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Vijay Chopra of enochventures.com

Buy Emami with a stoploss at Rs 990 and target of Rs 1130

Buy Motherson Sumi with a stoploss at Rs 410 and target of Rs 440

Buy Fortis Healthcare with a stoploss at Rs 200 and target of Rs 210

Buy Godrej Consumer Products with a stoploss at Rs 1770 and target of Rs 1840

Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking

Buy Fortis Healthcare with a stoploss at Rs 196 and target of Rs 217

Buy Container Corporation of India (Concor) with a stoploss at Rs 1175 and target of Rs 1240

Buy Ajanta Pharma with a stoploss at Rs 1620 and target of Rs 1745

Buy EIH with a stoploss at Rs 139 and target of Rs 152

Jay Thakkar of Sharekhan

Buy Bliss GVS Pharma with a stoploss at Rs 176.90 and target of Rs 187.60

Buy Cipla with a stoploss at Rs 555.50 and target of Rs 579

Buy Container Corporation of India (Concor) with a stoploss at Rs 1175 and target of Rs 1245

Buy Eveready Industries with a stoploss at Rs 318.50 and target of Rs 337.40
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GEPL Capital

The markets have once again created a fresh all-time high in the week gone by and crossed 9,500 mark for the first time ever. The Nifty continued with its gradual uptrend till Wednesday; however, geopolitical pressures unnerved it as Nifty saw selling from the higher levels that have resulted in the formation of 'shooting star' bearish candlestick pattern.

On the daily chart as well, the index witnessed a gap-up opening, but failed to sustain above 9,500 levels and ended lower forming a 'Spinning' formation. Both the candlestick pattern indicates weakness in the near-term and for the coming sessions 9,370 will be very crucial as a close below it may open further weakness towards 9,000 levels.

Here are top four stocks which could give up to 17% upside in the short term

State Bank of India: BUY| Target Rs 350| Stop Loss Rs 289| Return 13%

Despite the overall somber nature of the markets and underperformance of the PSU Banks as a sector, SBI has sustained higher levels very well.

The stock price has risen to 52-week highs on the back of better than expected results. The delivered quantity has seen a good jump in the last few days, indicating a genuine buying interest in the scrip.

However, there is a drop in Open Interest (OI) over last week, indicating a lightening of positions. Traders can buy SBI with targets placed at Rs336-350 with a stop placed a bit below the Rs289 mark.

Apollo Tyres: BUY| Target Rs 275| Stop Loss Rs 218| Return 17%

In the first half on May 2017, Apollo Tyres saw a good correction from Rs 254 (the 52-weeks high) to Rs 224, post the results announcement. The fall has stabilized over the past few days, with multiple touch points created around the Rs 224 mark on an intraday basis.

The delivered quantity is at the highest in the recent past, with delivered percentage rising higher (57% vs average of 37%). The OI in futures has seen a tick down of around 11 percent on Friday, indicating lightening of overall positions.

A contra-trend is seen and we feel that the move would have legs to retest the 52-week high placed at Rs254-255 and then possibly till Rs275. The stop may be placed below the recent lows placed around Rs218 mark.

Asian Paints: SELL| Target Rs1050| Stop Loss Rs1165| Return 6%

Asian Paints failed to sustain at higher levels around Rs1,150-1,175, in spite of the fact that the move was accompanied by good volumes.

The last 3 weeks have seen Asian Paints to move onto barrier of Rs1,150-1,175, but every time the stock ended lower as compared to preceding week, a precursor to distribution.

The move on Friday indicates a negative crossover of the 3-days EMA below the 5-EMA for the third time in past 2 weeks. The average traded price of the last few days is dipping in nature, more so since the quarterly results.

We expect the prices to touch the Fibonacci 34-DEMA placed at Rs1,080 followed by the long term 200-DEMA placed at Rs1,050. The stop loss for the trade maybe maintained a bit into the resistance barrier at Rs1,165.

Apollo Hospitals: SELL| Target Rs1138| Stop Loss Rs1305| Return 9%

For the calendar year, the stock failed to above Rs1325-1345 levels which also correspond to the flattened long term 100-WMA placed at Rs1,324.

The weekly candlestick pattern has given rise to an Engulfing Bear candle. The chart shows a similarity as compared to the first week of March 2017, wherein the prices started with a correction from Rs1,320 down onto Rs1,138.The said candle also similarly showed high volume characteristic.

Prices have closed near the 200-DMA placed at Rs1,260, which if broken may see correction onto the convergence of the 50-100 DMA placed at Rs1,211-1,218 mark.

A dive below the same may place it on targets of Rs1,138. The stop may be placed at the Bollinger Band Top at Rs1,305 level.

: The author is AVP - Technical Research at GEPL Capital. The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
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Shares of Suzlon Energy touched 52-week high of Rs 22.25, rose more than 8 percent intraday on Monday as it registered turnaround in its March quarter numbers.

The company reported a net profit of Rs 579 crore in the Q4FY17 against loss of Rs 333.9 crore, in the same quarter last year.

Revenue of the company was up 54 percent at Rs 4,999.3 crore versus Rs 3,246 crore.

The operating profit (EBITDA) increased by 184 percent at Rs 1032.8 crore and EBITDA margin was up 950 bps at 20.7 percent.

The company's our order book as on March 31, 2017 stood at 670 MW.

In FY17, the net debt reduced by Rs 341 crore despite growing volumes.

At 09:44 hrs Suzlon Energy was quoting at Rs 21.25, up Rs 0.70, or 3.41 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
A special CBI court on Monday sentenced former coal secretary HC Gupta to two years in jail in the coal scam case. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in allocation of Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to Krishnapatnam Security Services Pvt Ltd (KSSPL).

Last week, special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar also convicted the coal ministry's then joint secretary K S Kropha and then director K C Samaria besides others in the case.

Kropha was the then joint secretary in the Ministry of Coal, while Samria was the then director (coal allocation-I) in the ministry.

Besides Gupta, Kropha and Samria, the court also convicted the firm KSSPL and its managing director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia. The court, however, acquitted chartered accountant Amit Goyal in the case.

During the hearing, the CBI had alleged that the application filed by KSSPL for the coal block was incomplete and was supposed to be rejected by the ministry as it was not in accordance with the guidelines issued.

The CBI had charged that the firm had misrepresented its net worth and existing capacity, adding that state government had also not recommended the firm for the allocation of any coal block.

Around eight different charge sheets have been filed against Gupta and proceedings are going on individually. The Supreme Court had recently dismissed his plea seeking joint trial in all these cases.

 With PTI inputs
Admissions for undergraduate courses at DU to begin at 6 PM on May 22.

Admission registration for various undergraduate merit-based courses for all colleges in Delhi University will open today evening at 6 PM. The registration for academic session 2017-18, for approximately 54,000 seats in 62 affiliated colleges, is likely to end on June 12.

Here is how you can apply on the site:

> Visit the website at www.du.ac.in

> Search for the course that you wish to register for.

> Search for the course you wish to register for and get yourself registered.

> Upload relevant scanned documents.

> Take a print of the registration acknowledgement slip. An email and text message can also be expected if details have been provided.

> Once the university releases the first cut-off list, and if you are eligible, login to the site with your registration details and identify the colleges you wish to apply to. Take a print of the acknowledgement of your application.

> You can now visit the college within the following 3 days with the applicable acknowledgement slip and board and other relevant documents. Bank account details will also have to be furnished.

> Once your documents are verified, you will receive an admission from signed by the principal of the college and a payment link for the fees will be generated.

> Use to link to pay the course fees within 48 hours.

The university has also put together a grievance redressal system to address any issues related to the site accessibility. A help desk will also be available between 9 am to 5 pm daily.

Key points to remember:

> This year students will not be able to creation multiple registration IDs as they will be required to feed in their XII standard roll number.

> In case of any error in filling up your form, it can be edited up to June 12 when the process ends.

> Only your roll number for the board exam, both for CBSE and ICSE students, will be enough for the system to fetch your marks automatically.

> Women applicants from the NCT are not required to register separately for admission to the Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB). They can do so by simply selecting the gender as female and area of residence as Delhi in the same centralised online registration form. NCWEB will put out its first cut off on June 24 at www.ncweb.du.ac.in) and at all its centres.
Access to basic education and proper nutrition remains the backbone of any developing nation. Making sure that every child acquires a minimum of high-school education is a must and should be treated as a basic right under strict supervision.

Despite various reforms and provisions made for the welfare of the poor and lower-middle class of India since independence, fair and just implementation of these schemes always remained a big challenge because of corruption.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi rose to power three years ago on the agenda of development and eradicating poverty. "If the poor are empowered, then they have enough power to alleviate poverty. Politics can be done by keeping the poor poor. But freedom from poverty can only come by empowerment. The biggest tool for empowerment is education, he had said in an interview with Network18.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, Rohin Kapoor, Director, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP says, Over the last 3 years, the Indian education sector has witnessed a series of flagship programme announcements whose on-ground impact is yet to be reported."

Some of the most popular policy interventions include Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, e-Pathshala, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyaan for primary/secondary education and SWAYAM, GIAN & domestic ranking framework in higher education, Kapoor says.

"Despite the massive need and requirements of the sector, the public expenditure as a percentage of GDP continues to be low compounded by lack of clarity on announcement of the revised National Policy on Education & role of private/foreign universities," Kapoor further adds.

For FY18(BE), the budget for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was increased by Rs 1000 crore, and that for Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), teacher training and adult education, has been increased by Rs 305 crore compared to the revised Budget estimate for FY17.

The mid-day meals scheme, which continues to face problems and much criticism since inception, will get only Rs 300 crore more.

India has decreased its spending on education from 4.4 percent of GDP in 1999 to around 3.71 percent as per this year's Budget estimate, undermining the work done in getting more children into school, and its prospects for improving its poor quality of education.

RTE Act mandates all the private schools to reserve 25 percent of the seats for children belonging to socially disadvantaged and economically weaker sections. This provision of the Act is aimed at furthering social inclusion for a better India. As per the Right to Education (RTE) forum only 8 percent schools have been made RTE compliant since the Act came 6 years back.

Impact of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan continues to be bogged down by implementation woes although there has been a slight improvement in the overall learning levels for class 3, 5 & 8 as per 2016 survey conducted by NCERT, Kapoor says.

"This claim, however, will undergo a litmus test in 2021 when OECD will declare results of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test where India is likely to participate after a gap of 9 years. The government had decided to boycott PISA after a dismal performance in 2009," he further adds.

Higher Education

For higher education, the government has initiated a number of steps to improve quality and infrastructure of institutions. Mandatory accreditation, Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) and the announcement of Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) are some of these laudable initiatives.

Though these measures have brought some relief in the age of exponential technological change, the quality of graduates has not met current industry demands.

The recent spate of employee retrenchment in technology companies makes it imperative for the entire higher education system to prepare students for jobs of the future. This could mean increasing focus on artificial intelligence, nuclear sciences, and internet of things amongst others, Kapoor opines.

Shortage of Teachers

The shortage of around a million teachers in government-run schools is another challenge the government has not been to tackle in the past three years.

According to data tabled in the Lok Sabha by HRD minister Prakash Javadekar in December 2016, it was revealed that 18 percent positions of teachers in government-run primary schools and 15 percent in secondary schools are vacant nationwide.

The reason for shortage as per the statement was the lack of regular recruitment schedule, non-sanctioning of posts, lack of effective teacher deployment, lack of subject specialist teacher in certain areas, and small school sizes which affect teacher distribution across schools.

Jharkhand has the most acute secondary school teacher shortage at 70 percent (38 percent for elementary school). The only Indian state with no teaching vacancies either in elementary or secondary schools is Sikkim.

Full coverage: Three years of Modi government
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest frontier for Google as it moves away from a mobile-first approach. Many of Google's offerings will change with this direction which relies on machine learning and deep learning.

In an AI-first world, we are rethinking all our products, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said at the company's annual developers conference Google I/O 2017 last week.

The announcements made at the conference suggest that nifty additions to Google's existing products will be driven by machine learning. Take, for example, Google Photos. The company is developing new features for the app that will rely on machine learning and prompt users to share photos with people who appear in them.

Next, Google Home is being empowered to suggest users about road conditions, traffic, nearby restaurants, hands-free call, meeting schedules, etc.

While Pichai announced the AI-first strategy last week, the signs of change of approach were visible quite earlier. Google intensified its search for acquisitions and as a result it leads the race for AI domination now  it bought out 11 firms in the past five years.

In 2013, Google acquired University of Toronto-led deep learning and neural network startup startup DNNresearch. The pick-up helped Google revamp its image search feature, according to market researcher CB Insights. Next year, Google shelled out USD 600 million for British firm DeepMind Technologies and in 2016, it bpought visual search startup Moodstock and Api.ai  a bot-based platform. Predictive analytics company Kaggle is one of Google's latest acquisitions.

Tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Yahoo and Intel, and more recently, Samsung, Ford and Uber, too, are vying for a slice of the AI pie. "Over 200 private companies using AI algorithms across different verticals have been acquired since 2012, with over 30 acquisitions taking place in the first quarter if 2017, according to the CB Insights report.

Apple trails Google with 7 AI acquisitions in the past five years. Facebook, which has been gung-ho about virtual reality, augmented reality and messaging has gobbled up five during the same period. Microsoft is slowly, but steadily, aiming to increase its AI kitty  it made five acquisitions since 2012.
(Representative image)

China invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and six cabinet colleagues to its "new Silk Road" summit this month, even offering to rename a flagship Pakistani project running through disputed territory to persuade them to attend, a top official in Modi's ruling group and diplomats said.

But New Delhi rebuffed Beijing's diplomatic push, incensed that a key project in its massive initiative to open land and sea corridors linking China with the rest of Asia and beyond runs through Pakistani controlled Kashmir.

The failure of China's efforts to bring India on board, details of which have not been previously reported, shows the depths to which relations between the two countries have fallen over territorial disputes and Beijing's support of Pakistan.

India's snub to the "Belt and Road" project was the strongest move yet by Modi to stand up to China.

But it risks leaving India isolated at a time when it may no longer be able to count on the United States to back it as a counterweight to China's growing influence in Asia, Chinese commentators and some Indian experts have said.

Representatives of 60 countries, including the United States and Japan, travelled to Beijing for the May 14-15 summit on President Xi Jinping's signature project.

But Ram Madhav, an influential leader of Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) involved in shaping foreign policy, said India could not sign up so long as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) - a large part of the "Belt and Road" enterprise - ran through parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory.

"China routinely threatens countries when it finds issues even remotely connected to its own sovereignty question being violated," Madhav said. "No country compromises with its sovereignty for the sake of trade and commerce interests."

ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

India, due to the size and pace of expansion of its economy, could potentially be the biggest recipient of Chinese investment from the plan to spur trade by building infrastructure linking Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to a Credit Suisse report released before the summit.

Chinese investments into India could be anything from $84 billion to $126 billion between 2017 to 2021, far higher than Russia, Indonesia and Pakistan, countries that have signed off on the initiative, it said.

China has not offered any specific projects to India, but many existing schemes, such as a Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor that has been planned for years, have now been wrapped into the Belt and Road enterprise.

China is also conducting feasibility studies for high-speed rail networks linking Delhi with Chennai in southern India that would eventually connect to the modern day "Silk Road" it is seeking to create.

But if India continues to hold back from joining China's regional connectivity plans the commercial viability of those plans will be called into question, analysts say.

China has held talks with Nepal to build an $8 billion railway line from Tibet to Kathmandu, but it ultimately wants the network to reach the Indian border to allow goods to reach the huge Indian market.

STRATEGIC FEARS

India has other worries over China's growing presence in the region, fearing strategic encirclement by a "string of pearls" around the India Ocean and on land as China builds ports, railways and power stations in country such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Ashok Kantha, who was India's ambassador to China until 2016, said India had repeatedly conveyed its concerns to China, especially about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the need to have open discussions about it.

"Where is the economic rational for CPEC?" he said. "There is no major economic driver, the drivers are essentially political and strategic in character."

Just a week before the summit, China's ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, offered to change the name of CPEC to placate New Delhi and ensure it didn't boycott the Beijing conference.

Luo did no elaborate on the proposal, made during a speech at an Indian military think-tank, according to people who attended the meeting and local media reports. A transcript released later by the Chinese embassy did not include a reference to changing the project's name.

But Chinese officials in the past have suggested this could mean adding India to the name to make it the "China-Pakistan-India Economic Corridor".

A Chinese diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested India could build infrastructure on its side of Kashmir which could eventually be linked to the roads and power lines China planned to build in Pakistani Kashmir.

Indian experts said another proposal explored in meetings between former diplomats and academics from the two sides was renaming the project the "Indus Corridor" to overcome India's objection that the "China-Pakistan" name endorses Pakistan's claim to Kashmir. Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which they both claim in full.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying did not comment directly on any offer to change the name of CPEC, but drew attention to President Xi's remarks during the summit that China would follow the principle of peaceful co-existence and that New Delhi need not worry.

"I think the concerns from the India side should be able to be resolved," she said.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay said New Delhi had not received any suggestions through proper channels and that India wanted a meaningful discussion with China on the whole project.
"I wasn't for the sale of it in the beginning, we voted against it, and raised our voices and made the calls. It's like anything else, I'm tired of everything going up: heating oil, fuel, food, and now the sewer," said voter Lowell Delp.
May 22, 2017

The Orb - Wahhabis And Zionists Urge Trump To Regime-Change Syria To Fight Iran

There is something deeply wrong with what you do when even Satan feels the need to distance himself from you:

The picture is cropped but the original is even worse - the Wahhabi orb rules them all:



bigger

This swearing of an oath to the Wahhabi death star was part of the opening of the potemkinesk "Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology" in Riyadh.



bigger

It is likely that all those flat-screens have by now been packed up again and the extras sent home.

The Saudis arranged the whole theater to flatter Trump into fighting Iran for them. The hope to have bought Washington's obedience. For Trump the whole visit to Saudi Arabia was just a show that enabled the weapon deal which allows him to keep one of his election promises. He knows such artificial backdrops from his TV experiences. He is used to superficial flattery. He uses it himself to convince others into a deal. I doubt that he will fall for it.

The Saudis and their Wahhabi brethren in Qatar are the root of extremist Takfiri terrorism all over the world. They finance the most radical and brutal groups of conservative Muslim head-choppers. This includes the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the culprits of 9/11, al-Qaeda, ISIS and whatever may be their next incarnation.

The U.S. knows this. Trump knows this. An email Hillary Clinton sent to her election campaign manager John Podesta correctly noted:

[...] the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, [..] are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL and other radical Sunni groups in the region.

Trump prostitutes the U.S. and himself to the Saudi Wahhabi nuts to sell them more weapons. He hopes this will help him to fulfill his "jobs, jobs, jobs" promise to his voters. But half of the announced $110 billion deal is supposed to flow into "local content" of those weapons. It will have to be produced in Saudi Arabia. It is a way for the Saudis to build their own independent weapon industry with U.S. know-how. Over a decade or two the country will have achieved some independent production capabilities and will thereby be harder to control by potential weapon embargoes. It will proliferate its products to its terrorist proxies. The weapon deal is shortsighted and bad long-term policy.

The Saudi family dictatorship fears the Iranian example of a democratic political system within a Muslim constitutional framework. Iran's example threatens the justification of al-Saud family rule. Soon after the revolution in Iran the Sauds started a war by proxies against the country. The Iraqi-Iranian war was instigated and financed by Saudi money with the help of the U.S. and British oil interests. When that war failed to defeat Iran the Saudis moved their fight into a sectarian framework. They depict the Iranians as Shia unbelievers who are not real Muslims. They claim that their own Sunni-Wahhabi sect represents a majority view in the Muslim world. This is far from the truth even though Saudi money is doing its best to convert mainstream Sufi-Muslims societies like Indonesia into Wahhabi protectorates. It is funny how "western" analysts repeat the "Sunni majority" claptrap but never point out that Shia Muslims are actually the majority in the relevant Persian Gulf region.

The only sectarian forces in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other places in the Middle East are ISIS and other Saudi financed "rebels". The Saudis claim that the Iranians are "terrorists" and "sectarians" only to divert from their own misdeeds. If the Saudis would really want to "combat extremist ideology" they would have to commit suicide. That indeed would solve the problem.

The east-European colonists in Palestine do their best to promote and amplify the Saudi view of the Saudi-Iranian fight. As longs as Arabs and Persians are busy with each other they will have no time to evict the Zionist occupiers. Their mouthpieces in the U.S. are now trying to convert the U.S. fight against the terrorists of ISIS into a fight against Iran. Witness the neoconservative propagandist Josh Rogin in today's Washington Post:

[T]he United States now finds itself in the middle of an escalating battle in the [Syrian] south that last week led to a clash between the U.S. military and Iranian-backed pro-government forces. If he can seize the opportunity, Trump could deal a blow to Iranian regional influence and help save Syria in the process.

...

Perhaps by accident, Trump is moving toward a Syria policy that is tougher on Iran and the Assad regime, and its having real effects on the ground. The United States has two major adversaries in Syria, that is Iran and ISIS. Both represent huge risks to U.S. national security and interests in the region, said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. The battle for Syrias south is on, and the Trump team must decide if the United States will play a decisive role. Trump could fulfill his promises to thwart Iran and bring greater stability to Syria  if he acts fast.

It is pure propaganda to depict the fight against ISIS Takfirs as a chance for a fight against Iran. Mouaz Moustafa is a Muslim Brotherhood stooge on the Saudi's pay-role, not a legitimate representative of Syrian opinion. Iran supports the Syrian government because Syria is an old ally. It was the only Arab country that supported Iran in the war with Iraq. There would be little if any Iranian influence in Syria if the country were not under attack by foreign supported radicals. Syria is a Sunni majority country. Most of its Sunnis support their legitimate government, not the Saudi paid radical "rebels". The Syrian government is fighting ISIS, the purported number one enemy of the U.S., with the help of Russia, Iraq and Iran. While Iran supports Iraqi and Lebanese militia fighting on the side of the Syrian government there are no Iranian soldiers there.

If the U.S., as it claims, wants to fight ISIS in Syria it can not fight "Iran in Syria". No Iranian force is there in any recognizable number. To propagandize such is merely a new push for regime change in Syria which would install Saudi proxy terrorists as the new rulers in Damascus. How that is supposed to bring "greater stability to Syria" is a Zionist mystery.

We can hope that the Trump administration will not fall for such claptrap. Trump is a salesman. He prostituted himself to the Wahhabi Orb to close a deal. I doubt that it will influence his mind with regard to any other deal he wants to make. Trump is still aiming for detente with Russia. If he launches a fight in south-east Syria against Russian supported Syrian forces under the disguise of a fight against Iran any deal with Moscow will be off. That is not in his nor in the wider "western" interest.

(It is donation week at Moon of Alabama. If you like our writing please help to sustain it.)

Posted by b on May 22, 2017 at 14:52 UTC | Permalink

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The latest dispatch from Africa arrived from Alex Paullin:

With sore shoulders and tired legs, completely weighed down by our gear and equipment, we ambled into Maseru like pack mules. It is still difficult to catch my breath and decipher my brains staticky thoughts and feelings about this place.

He and his buddy Chris Volosevich had landed in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, a landlocked country in southern Africa where they were working out the cobwebs of jet lag, assimilating themselves into a culture Paullin has grown to appreciate, digging the local street food and music, and getting back to work. Volosevichs first impressions became a blog post that Paullin shared via email.

Paullin, 26, a Chesterfield County native and graduate of Monacan High and James Madison University, is chasing a dream and going to extremes to make a difference. He is the founder of Conservation Music, a nonprofit that aims to use music to educate residents of rural developing communities about conservation and sustainability.

Quite simply, Paullin envisions a world in which the memorable, emotional and unifying power of music contributes to the healing of the Earth.

Which, of course, is not so simple at all. But then neither is the way this all came to be.

Paullin began playing piano at age 6 and guitar at 10. Later, he grew to love the outdoors, including serving as a rock-climbing and white-water kayaking guide. His academic choices in college reflected his varied interests. He majored in geographic science with four minors: environmental science, environmental studies, geology and jazz studies.

The question became: What was he going to do?

I was caught between music and environmental conservation; the needle was kind of bouncing back and forth, Paullin said in a phone interview from his parents home in North Chesterfield, just before flying back to Africa in April. He has spent much of the past two years in Africa, and is now back for an additional nine months.

He loved music, and his band, Philosophunk, was doing well. After earning his degree, he put his studies to use at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, where his grandfather worked in the map department long ago and where he worked as a research intern in the standards and practices department. His grandfather died when Paullin was age 6, but Paullin grew up surrounded not only by his grandfathers artifacts from around the world but also by his adventurous spirit.

However, he felt totally drawn to neither music nor conservation by themselves.

I was just trying to calculate the answer to this equation of who I was, he said.

The equation  like Paullins stories of his journey of discovery  was meandering and interesting and included a job helping lead an expedition in search of an ancient mountain fortress in Lesotho. That trip proved to be a steppingstone to another adventure along the 1,000-mile-long Okavango River, from the headwaters in Angola  where he had to be careful not to roll over land mines while searching for campsites  all the way to the Kalahari Desert where the water literally ran out. For the first one-third of the trip, he documented the land-based team of scientists along on the journey; for the final two-thirds, he climbed in a canoe and paddled the rest of the way.

During the long days of paddling the river  through conversation and reflection  he figured out how music and environmental conservation fit together in the puzzle of his life.

I realized that I could actually put them together, he recalled, and not only could I do it, but I should do it.

He was uniquely positioned in that he could relate to musicians and conservationists, and he determined there most certainly was a need in a place where people rely on the food they grow, but their topsoil is washing away, springs are drying up and theres no wildlife to hunt and eat.

The environment is something that not many people are advocating for there, he said.

Paullin started out, as he put it, cruising around Southern Africa on a rusted-out old motorbike, going into villages and making connections with musicians, then hanging out and making music. He doesnt stay for a day or two, hand out a few brochures, lecture the locals about whats right and wrong and then blast out to the next village.

The post-colonial attitude of foreigners coming and telling everybody what they should do is not always well-received, he said.

So, Paullin tries to get to know the people and collaborates with local musicians  singing in local languages and in local styles  to create music that spreads helpful messages about farming methods, the importance of sustainable land use and other critical issues that might not seem the mostly likely information to be imparted in song: climate change, erosion, overfishing, deforestation and poaching, among others. Music can be a more powerful tool than mere words in driving home a point, said Paullin, who can see himself working in Africa for years to come.

And its more effective, Paullin said, that he is not the messenger.

Were using the power of music and the power of local spokespeople, he said. I try to stay in the background as much as I can to empower these musicians to be the spokespeople for their brothers and sisters.

Conservation Music records the music and disseminates it by way of video, national broadcasting services, social media and live events. A documentary is in the works.

Many young nonprofits seem to do the whole Going out to help Africa act wrong, focusing on the gifts and talents they can solely provide to those in need, wrote David Young of National Geographic in an email about Conservation Music. Young was Paullins supervisor during his internship, and he has followed the ascent of Conservation Music. But Alex and Conservation Music found a just solution to the problem of the overused voice for the voiceless idea: They let local people speak for themselves. Or more specifically, sing and play for themselves.

Paullin no longer works alone now that Volosevich, his friend and drummer from his band, accompanied him to Africa on this trip. He has a team of volunteers in Virginia doing social media, administration and blogging, and Paullin is feeling momentum. He was invited to give his first TED Talk before he returned to Africa, and a fundraising effort is underway at Indiegogo. To this point, funding has come from previous crowdfunding efforts, benefit concerts back in Richmond played by Paullins band, and from Paullins pockets. He also has joined the Cultivating the Globally Sustainable Self Summit Series.

Were severely underfunded but also incredibly ambitious, he said. Point being, we wont be sitting and waiting for funding before getting our hands dirty. The work must be done.

I think this is my calling.

---

Organization:

Fundraiser:
I sing what I want to sing, be how I wanna be, and reach as big of an audience as I can.

1 hour ago
The Burke County AARP Chapter No. 3262 welcomed Sgt. Tim Corriveau with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Morganton Department of Public Safety to share information about protecting themselves from scams on Wednesday, May 3, at the Collett Street Recreation Center.

Corriveau said he has worked with the MDPS for the past nine years, and worked with the Burke County Sheriffs Office before that. He has spent most of his 18-year career in law enforcement investigating cases involving fraud or other major crimes.

He shared a Power Point presentation on different scams to which people, especially seniors, have fallen victim recently:

 'You Won' Scam

Victims are contacted by phone or email and told they have won a significant prize, such as cash, a new car or a vacation, even if they havent entered any contests. The scams perpetrators will ask for personal information or money from the victim up front for the promise of sending the prize later.

When you get contacted, the push is going to be, Youve got to respond right now, Corriveau said. They want you to give them a quick response so you dont have time to think about (things such as), Am I providing them with my social security number or my bank account number? They want you to act right now before you start to think about what is really happening. Theyre going to pressure you to do that.

He said anyone who asks for taxes and/or fees up front before issuing a promised prize is running a scam.

 IRS pre-paid card scams

Victims are getting calls from scammers impersonating IRS agents who try to convince them they owe back-taxes and fines, which they are instructed to pay on pre-paid cards to the scammers. The perpetrators threaten the victims with arrest or seizure of their assets if they dont immediately comply. Corriveau said if scammers know the victim is an immigrant, theyll threaten the person with deportation.

People who call scammers back and give them the numbers on the pre-paid cards have no way of ever getting their money back, as the perpetrators will immediately transfer the balance from the card to another account.

 Wiring money for ransom/bail

Scammers are calling people saying they have a family member theyre holding hostage and wont let them go until a certain amount of money is wired to them. Scammers also may tell victims a family member has been arrested and needs money wired to make bail.

They keep you occupied on the phone so you cant verify this information thats being told to you, Corriveau said.

Staying safe

Corriveau said people should withhold their money and personal information until they verify that the source that is asking for them is legitimate. He also suggested people sign up on the national Do Not Call registry at www.donotcall.gov or 888-382-1222 to decrease the amount of scam phone calls they receive.

He gave attendees a checklist from www.identitytheft.gov that covers the steps victims who have had their identities stolen by scammers should take to get their information and accounts back. He advised those attending to monitor their credit reports regularly so they could catch fraudulent activity quickly.

Corriveau announced that scams have become such a problem in the U.S. that the Federal Trade Commission has created a new page on its website, www.ftc.gov/scams , where people can report scams and get information on keeping themselves from becoming victims of scams.

Their slogan is Pass It On, Corriveau said. If were having a conversation and talking to each other, (getting) more information out there about being aware, then the less people are going to be scammed.

He passed out a flyer produced by the FTC that outlined 10 different ways people can protect themselves from scams:

 Spot imposters : If you suspect someone is not who they say they are, verify the persons identity before taking any further action.

 Do online searches : The FTC encourages people to research through the internet anything they find questionable.

 Dont believe your caller-ID : Software is now available for scammers to make any phone number appear in a persons caller-ID in his/her phone. If people suspect the person on the line is not the person the caller ID says it is, they should hang up.

 Dont pay up-front for a promise : This could cover situations as varied as debt-relief, credit or loan offers, mortgage assistance, prize notification, or promised employment. Corriveau said homeowners also should use this policy for contractors offering to work on their houses.

 Consider how you pay : People who wire money or give money through pre-paid cards have absolutely no fraud protection. The FTC said government offices and honest companies will never ask people to make payments using either of these methods.

 Talk to someone : The FTC advises people to consult an expert or even just a friend if theyre uncomfortable or unsure about a situation in which they are being asked for money or personal information.

 Hang up on robo-calls : Recorded sales pitches are illegal and should be reported to the FTC.

 Be skeptical about free trial offers : A company can use this method to get payment information and bill a customer until they cancel the product or service.

 Dont deposit a check and wire money back : The FTC points out that determining a check is fake can take weeks, but the person who deposits a fraudulent check will have to pay his/her bank back.

 Sign up for free scam alerts from the FTC : The FTC provides these email alerts through www.ftc.gov/scams.

Most of us will say these are common sense things, but when youre being pressured, that common sense doesnt always make sense, Corriveau said. They (the scammers) are good at what they do.

Tammie Gercken can be reached at tgercken@morganton.com.
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Tenants at the Osceola Heritage Park Inn on U.S. 192 in Kissimmee have had no running water or electricity for the past month.

Tenants at Heritage Park Inn are without water, electricity

Some families have been relocated, about 15 remain



RELATED: Pool drained at Heritage Park Inn, residents without water

In addition to the lack of water, the place is filled with trash.

Osceola County has helped some people relocate, but about 15 families remain.

The condo association has hired security to keep people who dont live there from getting onto the property. The security company said it hopes to limit any kind of crime.

For residents living in those conditions, however, its a frustrating matter.

Catherine Diaz is a single mother of three autistic kids.

Very bad, very tired, she said. You try to get help and knock on the door, but [its] never open for you or your family.

Utilities are not being paid as the condo association and unit owners are in the middle of a lawsuit.

If you would like to help the Diaz family, as GoFundMe account has been set up here.

This Gofundme.com site is not managed by Bay News 9/News 13. For more information on how the site works and the rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety.
The Albany City Council tonight will hear a proposal from Republic Services to offer weekly yard debris collection to customers. It's not the first attempt by the company to increase the frequency of such collections, which would allow them to accept food waste as well. The cities of Corvallis and Philomath already have weekly yard debris collection, with food scraps included, as does the city of Lebanon.

The issue in Albany is that such a collection schedule would increase rates by $3 per month, and some feel that such a fee would be inequitable for any customers who do not need weekly collections.

The council in March 2015 unceremoniously rejected a similar proposal.

Send them a letter saying, Thank you, but no thank you, said Councilor Rich Kellum at a March 25 meeting.

It seems to me, those of us who are not interested in the service would be subsidizing those who want it, said Councilor Bill Coburn at the same meeting.

The council meets tonight at 4 p.m. in the city council chambers as 333 Broadalbin St SE.

In other business, the council also will consider information on how and if to build a full-sized roundabout at the intersection of Crocker Lane and Gibson Hill Road in North Albany. That intersection, due to an increase in population, has seen some congestion, and as a result there are safety concerns. A roundabout is one proposed solution.

The council also will consider working with cold storage company SnoTemp to construct improvements on Lochner Road in order to help the company expand. Citing a $1,667,000 funding gap, and suggesting a job creating opportunity, the company would like the city to consider giving a loan from its economic development funds.
Quest Diagnostics/Contributed photo

Quest Diagnostics, the world's largest diagnostic service, has expanded its program offering routine medical testing within grocery stores, adding two more Randalls locations in the Houston area in coming days, the company announced Monday.

The medical collection centers, tucked into grocery stores and offering basic testing and blood draws, are part of a nationwide partnership between Quest and the grocery giant Albertsons, parent company of Randalls. The idea, thought to be the first of its kind, is to allow shoppers one-stop convenience.
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The Boeing Co. ignored warnings and provided lax supervision to an overworked and inexperienced staff that caused $4 million in damage to Air Force Ones oxygen system last year, the Air Force concluded in a critical report detailing systemic problems with the companys San Antonio maintenance facility.

Boeings demanding performance schedule caused mechanics to feel overwhelmed and pressured, the Air Force wrote in a 23-page investigative report led by Brig. Gen. Carl

A. Buhler. Boeing supervisors also pushed mechanics to complete tasks for the purpose of showing progress, which compromised quality.

Air Force One arrived in San Antonio in April 2015 for heavy maintenance, and the crew was 24,000 hours behind schedule within a few months, the investigation found. To make up for lost time, mechanics worked 12-hour shifts up to 7 days a week for months leading up to the accident, according to the March 6 report obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.

In addition to the direct actions that caused the mishap, I find by a preponderance of evidence that Boeing ignoring cautions and warnings, inadequate oversight and a failure to absorb or retain the critical oxygen cleanliness training procedures substantially contributed to the damages, the Air Force found after a five-month investigation.

The Air Force disclosed May 9 that three Boeing mechanics at the companys Port San Antonio facility had contaminated the Boeing 747-200Bs oxygen system in April 2016, creating a fire hazard and forcing parts of the oxygen system to Seattle for testing.

The trouble began when the company decided in 2012 to transfer the contract servicing the executive fleet from Wichita, Kansas, to San Antonio, where the personnel were less experienced. While Boeing had three years to bring its Texas staff up to speed, 172 of its employees lacked the minimum requirement of five years of experience by the time they took over the work in 2015, the report said.

The Air Force granted Boeing a waiver on its experience requirement March 31, 2015, but it came with a caveat.

Boeing was required to provide adequate oversight to control the risk of its inexperienced workforce in San Antonio, the report said. Although Boeing attempted a few mitigation measures, Boeing ultimately failed to exercise adequate oversight over the (planes) depot maintenance operations, contributing to the mishap.

Boeing said it immediately disclosed the problem and covered all the costs to repair the VC-25A plane, one of two modified 747s used by the White House as Air Force One.

We didnt hide anything. We elevated it ourselves, we caught it ourselves, we fixed it ourselves, Boeing spokesman Ben Davis said.

The report is accurate and factual, he said. We supported the investigation and  took swift action to self-report the incident to the Air Force.

Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said the military still plans to service the executive fleet in San Antonio. The Air Force is confident Boeing has improved its oversight practices and can provide safe and effective heavy maintenance for the VC-25A, Stefanek said.

The report targeted the mechanics involved in the incident for using contaminated tools on the 747-200Bs oxygen system. One mechanic had completed training on proper methods for maintaining oxygen systems just weeks before the incident. Such contamination could have led to a fire in the airplane, according to the report. Supervision demanded by the Air Force was not provided until much of the damage had been done.

Davis said the mechanics did not follow the standards laid out in their training. Neither Davis nor Buhlers report said whether or not the employees were fired or otherwise disciplined.

Weve been serving the presidential fleet for over 50 years, Davis said. Its a responsibility we take seriously.

rdruzin@express-news.net

@druz_journo

This article was updated to reflect that Air Force Ones oxygen system was tested in Seattle, not repaired.
Officials at financial services giant USAA say their company developed the technology used by banks across the world to allow customers to deposit checks electronically, and its about time other institutions pay their fair share.

The San Antonio company is reaching out to banks and credit unions across the country offering a licensing program to pay for patented technology surrounding remote deposit capture capabilities it developed in 2005.

Online banking represented a sea change in the banking industry after Congress passed new laws in 2003 allowing lenders to handle more checks electronically  much like the ATM did when the first one was installed in London in 1967.

Mobile deposit, which came along a few years later, has been quickly adopted by consumers as more people use mobile apps and websites to conduct financial transactions. Consumers wrote about 19.4 billion checks with a value of $27.3 trillion in 2015, according to the most recent statistics from the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. Financial services research and consulting firm Celent projected that about a third of all checks were deposited electronically in 2015 and about half were last year.

USAA has sent out hundreds of letters seeking licensing fees for its intellectual property, which the bank says it has patented, and asked banks and credit unions to reach out to us proactively to discuss the licensing program, said Neff Hudson, vice president of corporate development at USAA. Hudson oversees USAAs patent licensing program and equity pipeline.

So far it is unclear what impact this might have on the industry. Several banks that were contacted either declined to comment, or did not respond. But if USAA is able to convince or cajole the industry into paying, it could be a windfall depending on how the fees are structured.

The reality is that it was invented here in San Antonio, Hudson said. It was invented here in San Antonio with money that our members give us to improve our business. And we have never received fair value for it in the marketplace.

San Antonio patent attorney Ted Lee said if companies do not choose to pay up, then the next step would be for USAA to sue, which can be expensive, especially one like this.

If you dont enforce your patents, what good are they? he said. If I was USAA, and if I had patents that covered remote deposit capture technology, if I had it and other people were using it, Id either want people to pay me a royalty for its use or stop using it.

USAA, which serves members of the military and their families, has about 50 patents associated with the technology, according to Hudson.

This was an amazing groundbreaking technology, he said. It was invented for military people, and at the same time it has absolutely helped change the industry. From our perspective weve been really gratified to see that; we also need to make sure we get fair value for it because it is USAA-patented technology and it was paid for by our membership.

As for what banks might pay for the license, Hudson said that depends on a couple of variables. USAA is sharing its approach to pricing in conversations with banks to get feedback, he said.

We have had some folks reach out and indicate a willingness to take part in the licensing program, but its still early in the process, he said.

The licensing fee is purely for use of the intellectual property, not for technical support, Hudson said.

This is really a license to keep what they already are using. So no technical integration is required. Its just that we believe that the underpinning technology was provided by USAA, Hudson said. I dont want to get into where they might have bought their solution, or what kinds of agreements banks may have with their vendors, but the bottom line is theyre using this technology, theyre using USAA technology for it.

The Bank of San Antonio licenses remote deposit capture technology from a company called Jack Henry & Associates Inc., said J. Bruce Bugg, chairman of The Bank of San Antonio, which had $699 million in assets as of March 31.

I have not seen the letter and dont know what they are claiming intellectual property rights to, Bugg said. We contract directly from Jack Henry to provide our IT, and so thats really a question between USAA and Jack Henry because our intellectual property comes through that IT provider.

Bugg confirmed that if USAA sent a letter, he would direct the company to contact Jack Henry.

Jack Henry declined to comment for this article.

The big question that remains is what USAA might do if companies dont pay.

Right now now were really focused on the licensing program, and we are hopeful and optimistic that they will voluntarily comply with this licensing program, Hudson said in response. Were not considering other options at this point.

USAA is no stranger to controversy around its remote deposit capture technology: In March 2012, it accused San Diego, California, software company Mitek Systems Inc. of fraud and theft of USAAs proprietary information relating to remote deposit capture technology, the Express-News reported at the time.

Mitek then filed a countersuit claiming USAAs use of its Deposit@Mobile application infringed on five Mitek patents.

The two companies later said in 2014 they had settled their dispute, just five days before it was slated to go to trial in federal court in San Antonio.

USAAs foray into remote deposit capture started in 2005, when staff in its research lab developed a prototype that allowed them to use an inexpensive home scanner to scan a check, said John Brady, vice president and chief architect at USAA.

This was a lab environment, Brady noted, My initial reaction was: How is this ever going to work? Right? It seemed like there were a lot of problems, a lot of barriers, so how do we go from this early prototype to something that was scalable?

But active-duty soldiers in far-flung places of the world with little access to traditional banks needed to be able to deposit checks from anywhere, Brady said.

USAAs CEO eventually gave permission for the idea to move forward with a caveat: He wanted the concept to be deployed in a live production environment in a month, Brady said.

While I really didnt encourage these guys to work around the clock, everybody was really so excited it was hard to pull the team away, and they ended up working almost 24 hours a day during this time, Brady said of the month they spent developing the technology. In fact, there was one point where I had to tell one of the developers to go home and take a shower because he was so dedicated.

Some of the things the team figured out during that time were how to locate a check on the scanner bed, crop the check and process the images, Brady said.

When the month was almost up, USAA did a production test, Brady said. It worked.

That was kind of the foundation for what we did going forward, Brady said. And over the next several years we ended up really enhancing the deposit home product, and then as mobile phones came out with cameras on them it really was a perfect platform to launch the deposit mobile product as well, using that same technology.

Hudson is quick to note that remote deposit capture is as big of a change in the industry, arguably, as an ATM was.

USAA has a long history of innovation, Hudson said. But the reality is that this changed an industry.

Staff Writer Patrick Danner contributed to this report.

sehlinger@express-news.net

Twitter: @samehlinger
Kentucky may have a "Big Red Day," as the Louisville mayor recently proclaimed, but San Antonio hosted an entire festival honoring the soda and its popular pair, barbacoa, on Sunday.

The Barbacoa and Big Red Festival served up plenty of tacos and sugary drinks at the R&J Music Pavilion, 18086 Pleasanton Rd., from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Some drivers around Albany in the past week may have returned to their cars to discover a card under their wiper blade, courtesy of the Albany Police Department. It's not a ticket, and it says as much on the card. It's a Vehicle Security Report Card, and it gives each car a pass or fail grade, based on how secure the car is when the officer observes it.

The idea, meant to raise awareness about vehicle theft, which by far dominates criminal calls for service among Albany police, came from Crime Prevention Specialist Brad Conners, who remembered a similar program in Eureka, Calif.

"It's just a matter of sharing information," said Conners. "It's just another awareness program."

To administer the program, Conners, along with a Community Safety Officer, will patrol parking lots during the day, assessing each car the same way a thief does, the only difference being they don't lay a hand on the vehicle, except to place the card on the windshield.

They're looking for the obvious, such as unlocked doors or windows party rolled down. But they're also looking for some things typical residents might miss but that thieves recognize as an opportunity. These include valuables left in plain sight, bags or boxes that advertise even the possibility of something of value worth taking and even personal mail left in the open.

"If something even appears valuable to a thief, at the very least it could cost you a window," said Conners, explaining that a criminal will smash a window for something as small as a phone charger.

"Most people think, 'Who would take a $5 phone charger?'" said Conners. "But the truth is, that's $5 that could go towards a drug habit. So leaving a $5 charger in plain sight could cost you a $350 window."

Patrolling the parking lot on Water Avenue near the Senior Center Downtown on Friday, Conners and CSO Gerry Morris gave a failing grade to a car with two large bags full of stuff, a box, a phone charger, unlocked doors and a Club, a device used to immobilize a steering wheel, laying unused on the front seat. That car was one of 30 percent of cars observed that failed. Another one had a large medical envelope on the back seat, with the address in plain sight.

"That's identity theft just waiting to happen," said Conners.

Another car, parked under a shade tree, had a cordless drill on the front seat. That one failed as well.

"We can't keep tools in cars these days," said Morris. "They're getting stolen hand over fist."

Other cars passed, of course, but a 30 percent failure rate is noteworthy. More importantly, said Conners, thieves already know that 30 percent of the cars in a parking lot are not secure.

"It's like a buffet for them," said Conners.

The program is brand new in Albany, but already some motorists have complained. One online commenter accused Conners of creating an excuse for cops to look into people's cars for illegal items.

"But we can do that anyway," Conners said with a shrug.

Conners plans to patrol with the report cards at least once a week.
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Graduation day was a double-header for a San Antonio family who celebrated their grandpa-granddaughter duo walking the Freeman Coliseum stage arm-in-arm on Saturday.

The story of Melanie Salazar, 18, and her 83-year-old grandpa, Rene Neira, warmed the hearts of thousands at the start of the fall semester when the teen tweeted photos of the first day of school. Not only was it her first day of class at Palo Alto College, but grandpa's, too.

After racking up thousands of retweets, the family's story reached the pinnacle of viral status with a Buzzfeed interview.

RELATED: San Antonio girl and her 82-year-old grandpa head back to college class together

On Saturday, they both earned their associate of arts degrees, the college told mySA.com.

"I think he wants the degree for the fulfillment of earning it and being able to say that he did it," Salazar told mySA.com in August. "Because, that's what he's always wanted to do."

She added that Neira had originally enrolled at St. Mary's University in 1950s, but then fell in love with her grandma and put college "on hold" while he raised a family with her.

During the semester, he would walk Salazar to her classes two times out of the week and she would help him with his online courses. Her friends all "loved" her grandpa, she said.

RELATED: Graduated and Spurs-dedicated: College kids represent the Silver & Black on their big day

Salazar said her grandpa plans to go to the University of Texas at San Antonio to earn his bachelor's in economics.

"My grandpa was a big part of why I'm at Palo Alto because he encouraged me to come here," she said. "He said, 'Oh Melanie, you're going to love it.' He was right."

See their adorable graduation photos in the gallery above.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
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NORFOLK, Va. -- A Lee High School graduate is serving on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the worlds largest warships.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Felipe Hernandez is an information systems technician, responsible for executing information transfer with state-of-the-art multi-media technology.

I love everything about my job, Hernandez said. This environment allows me to experience things I wouldnt have dreamed of if I hadnt joined the Navy.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is one of only 10 operational aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy today, according to a press release.

The Eisenhower is the centerpiece of the fleet, he said. I like how were making a real impact when we go underway.

As a member of one of the Navys most relied upon assets, Hernandez and other Eisenhower sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.

Serving for me is all about foundation building, Hernandez said. Im building the base for what I can build my life on in the future. I love representing Midland as a service member.

Source: Navy Office of Community Outreach

* * *

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Michael L. Wheeler recently graduated from basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

He is the son of Jane and John Wheeler of Midland and a 2012 graduate of Midland Christian School. He graduated in 2016 from the University of Oklahoma.

* * *

U.S. Air Force Airman Kaylob J. Gonzalez recently graduated from basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

He is the son of Sandra Gonzalez of Midland and Manuel Gonzalez of North Beach, Maryland and a 2016 graduate of Medina Valley High School in San Antonio.

* * *

U.S. Air Force Airman Jamie D. Chappell recently graduated from basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

She is the daughter of Diane and Kevin McBride and Charlie Chappell, all of Midland. Chappelle is a 1999 graduate of Midland High School.
John Burgeson / Hearst Connecticut Media

The state Department of Public Health kicked off National EMS Week on Monday, May 22, by honoring six emergency medical services personnel  including two in Stratford  and one EMS organization at a state Capitol ceremony. The theme of this years EMS week is EMS Strong: Always in Service and is a part of a larger campaign, EMS STRONG, by the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, to recognize and inspire EMS personnel and provide the EMS system greater visibility as an indispensable part of the healthcare continuum.

Those honored included Helen Bunnie McQuilton, Stratford EMS, who was presented with the Gillooly-Lawton Award, and Erin Smith, Stratford EMS, who received the Distinguished Achievement Award. For more information on the awards and EMS week, visit www.ctemscouncils.org.
It's a family affair at Clear Creek Community Theatre as Dickinson thespian Whitney Wyatt plays opposite her husband, DJ Nolder, in "Little Shop of Horrors," May 26 to June 11.

Wyatt was first cast, and began rehearsing, as Fastrada in "Pippin," when the show's licensing company advised the theater that a professional company in Houston had snapped up the rights to the Tony Award-winning musical.

That was just last month.

"We had a mad scramble to find and cast another show where we could still use most of the original cast (of "Pippin')," said CCCT vice president Angela Reader of League City.

The directors still needed someone to play the pivotal character of shop owner Mr. Mushnick, which Nolder had played 13 years ago at San Jacinto College's South campus. In fact, that's where he met Wyatt, who was playing Chiffon, one of the narrators.

Wyatt has gone on to perform in more than 40 Bay Area plays and musicals and even more work offstage as a director, choreographer and music director, including several installments of this spring's "The Chronicles of Hamilton" for Majestic Performance Company. This summer, some of her projects will include music-directing "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" at Harbour Playhouse in Dickinson and scenes from the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical "Next to Normal" for the June 16 Art Recovery Initiative Expo and Symposium event in Houston.

Meanwhile, Nolder, who is a computer programmer and web designer for a firm in Houston, has been understanding about his wife working by day as the mother of three small children and then stretching her artistic wings in the evening.

For "Little Shop of Horrors," Wyatt said, the CCCT directors "worked out a (rehearsal) schedule to where we switch off nights."

More Information 'Little Shop of Horrors' What: "Little Shop of Horrors" Where: Clear Creek Community Theatre, 18091 Upper Bay Rd., Nassau Bay When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sundays, May 26 through June 11 Cost: $10-15 Information: 281-335-5528, www. clearcreekcommunitytheatre.com See More Collapse

When performances begin, she added, "We have some fabulous baby sitters, including both sets of grandparents."

Nolder and Wyatt are the parents of Johanna Nolder, 6, a first-grader at Bay Colony Elementary School in Dickinson; Collin, 4; and Rosemary, 2.

Wyatt is a graduate of Clear Creek High School, where she played the oboe and English horn in band and sang alto in the symphonic choir. She also played General Cartwright in a production of the musical "Guys and Dolls."

She also portrayed "Wife" in Stephen Sondheim's musical revue "Putting it Together" at Pasadena Little Theatre, "Baker's Wife" in Sondheim's "Into the Woods" at San Jacinto College, and Annie Oakley in Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun" at Harbour Playhouse.

Reader said the last-minute change in productions at CCCT "has been a challenge, but 'Little Shop of Horrors' is going to be a wonderful show."

The theater is also contending with confusion over whether it's still presenting shows.

"Many people think we are out of business with all the demolition/construction work going on around us on Upper Bay Road; so we really hope to finish strong with 'Little Shop,'" she said.

The musical also stars Nick Thomas as Seymour, who also directed the show. Steve Sarp is the technical director and Chelsea LeBlanc is the assistant director.
It's been a busy few months for Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, who has worked hard to remain in the public eye: It seems that hardly a day goes by without some sort of press release from his office.

It's clear that he wants to raise the public profile of the secretary of state's office, which is fine: In Oregon, we've crammed a lot of duties underneath the umbrella of that office, and it's good that Richardson wants to call attention to those. The cynical among us might think that Richardson wants to ensure he stays in the public eye in the event that he wants to make another run for governor or perhaps another statewide office, but we'll see how that plays out  and it's not as if Richardson is the only public official who likes to call attention to what he's doing.

Whatever the motivation, Richardson is throwing a lot of pitches these days, including a recent curveball aimed at efforts to create a public records advocate for the state of Oregon.

We've written before about this public records advocate proposal. It's included in a bill being pushed by Gov. Kate Brown in the wake of recommendations from a public records task force convened by Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

The general idea is that the public records advocate would help mediate disputes between state agencies and members of the public requesting government records.

The proposal hit a bit of a bump last year, when Brown proposed that the governor appoint the records officer  leading to concerns that the advocate wouldn't have sufficient independence in records cases that involved the governor's office. To her credit, she backed off, saying earlier this year that she didn't care where in state government the position was located.

Earlier this month, however, Richardson added another bump in the road when he suggested that the state archivist should assume duties as the public records advocate. Moving the duties to the archivist, Richardson suggested, would make moot Senate Bill 106, the legislation to create the advocate position. He said the move would save the state about $3.5 million over the next decade, the estimated cost of creating and maintaining the public advocate position.

The state archivist position is held now by Mary Beth Herkert, who has worked in the Archives Division for 32 years. She's a registered Democrat and a board member for the organization Open Oregon, which works to increase government transparency. She seems as if she would be a good fit for the public records advocate position.

But there's a catch here that has nothing to do with Herkert or her qualifications: The state archivist is an at-will employee who can be fired at any time by the secretary of state. The public records advocate envisioned in Brown's bill would give an advisory council of agency representatives, journalists and appointees of state elected officials the sole power to nominate the advocate. The governor would have the power to dismiss the advocate, but only for serious misconduct  and it's a sure thing that the advisory council would give careful scrutiny to any termination.

The public records advocate will require as much independence as possible. Having that position report to just one state official could turn out to be a significant impediment to that independence. For that reason alone, Richardson's proposal is seriously flawed. The Legislature needs to move ahead with Brown's Senate Bill 106.

Richardson also proposed using the secretary of state's office to expand education about how the public records law works. That expansion would be welcome, and that's where Richardson should focus his efforts, instead of hobbling the state's nascent efforts to create an independent public records advocate. (mm)
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An off-duty Montgomery County Sheriff's deputy was arrested earlier this month for allegedly driving while intoxicated, officials confirmed Monday afternoon following an inquiry by The Courier.

After obtaining court documents through the County Clerk's Office, The Courier learned Deputy Bryan Patrick Flynn, 33, was arrested in the early morning hours of May 7 when a DPS trooper pulled him over for allegedly speeding  going 95 mph in the southbound main lanes of Interstate 45.

FATAL CRASH RATES: These are the most dangerous highways in America

In a warrant listed in those court documents obtained by The Courier, the trooper stated he noticed a strong odor of alcohol and that Flynn was dazed and had bloodshot eyes. The report does not state where the traffic stop took place on I-45.

According to the warrant, Flynn allegedly blew a 0.187 on a breathalyzer test, which is more than twice the legal limit for driving while intoxicated in Texas. He did not consent to a blood draw, the court records show. Judge Cara Wood, of the 284th state District Court, signed a warrant for a sample of Flynn's blood.

GAMBLING STING: 18 suspects arrested in South Texas, 200 machines seized

Flynn is a patrol deputy with District 6, which covers The Woodlands.

The Courier contacted Sheriff Rand Henderson for comment about the arrest Monday morning. Henderson declined comment and referred questions to the MCSO media team, which sent out a press release of Flynn's arrest around 4 p.m.

Flynn posted bond on the day of his arrest and is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of separate Internal Affairs and criminal investigations. He is facing a Class B misdemeanor charge, which could land him in jail for up to six months if convicted. His retained Conroe-based attorney, Doug Atkinson, could not be reached as of Monday afternoon.

The deputy could have his peace officer license suspended for a minimum of 60 days if convicted, according to a spokesperson with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
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Seoul, South Korea

In its latest effort to develop its ballistic and nuclear weapons, North Korea fired a medium-range missile Sunday that appeared to be similar to one the country tested earlier this year, U.S. and South Korean officials said.

The rocket was fired from an area near the North Korean county of Pukchang, in South Phyongan Province, and flew eastward about 310 miles, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The U.S. Pacific Command said it tracked the missile before it fell into the sea.

White House officials traveling in Saudi Arabia with President Donald Trump said the system that was tested had a shorter range than the missiles fired in North Korea's most recent tests.

The missile appeared to be similar in range and maximum altitude to the missile that North Korea test-fired in February, an official from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missile launched on Sunday reached an altitude of 347 miles, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.

The February test involved using a launch truck to fire a solid-fuel missile that North Korea calls the Pukguksong (Polaris)-2, a land-based version of a submarine-launched missile the country revealed earlier. That missile traveled about 300 miles before crashing into the sea, according to South Korean and U.S. officials.

The February launch, the North's first missile test after Trump took office, alarmed neighbors because solid-fuel missiles can be fired faster than liquid-fuel missiles, which need to be fueled before launch and require a larger number of vehicles, including fuel trucks. Those vehicles could be spotted by satellites.

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it was too early to know whether diplomatic and economic pressures being exerted on the North Korean government are having an impact in the wake of the latest missile test.

"We're early in the stages of applying the economic pressure as well as the diplomatic pressure to the regime in North Korea," Tillerson said. "Hopefully they will get the message that the path of continuing their nuclear arms program is not a pathway to security or certainly prosperity. The ongoing testing is disappointing. It's disturbing."

South Korea's new president, Moon Jae-in, held a National Security Council meeting to discuss Sunday's launch, which came hours after he named his new foreign minister nominee and top advisers for security and foreign policy. He did not make a public statement after the meeting.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch a "challenge to the world" that tramples international efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear and missile problems peacefully. He vowed to bring up the issue at this week's G-7 summit in Italy.

At the United Nations, diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea said they requested a Security Council consultation on the missile test. The closed discussion will take place Tuesday.
Washington

Members of key congressional committees pledged Sunday to proceed with aggressive investigations into Russia's meddling in the U.S. election and any ties with the Trump campaign, saying the American people need a full airing as to why former FBI Director James Comey was ousted.

Comey was fired by President Donald Trump earlier this month. The former director agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee after the Memorial Day holiday.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a member of that committee, said he wants to press Comey as to whether he ever believed the White House was interfering with his work, in light of a spate of news reports that Comey had kept detailed records of his interactions with Trump.

The New York Times and other news outlets reported last week on a Comey memo indicating Trump had urged him to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Separately, another Times report said Trump had told Russian officials in a closed-door meeting at the Oval Office that firing Comey "had relieved great pressure on him."

"Did he keep these memos? What do those memos say? And why did he write it? And how did he feel? Did he ever feel like he was being put in a position where he couldn't do his job?" Rubio asked. "There's no doubt that that's the questions that are going to get asked, and asked repeatedly."

Rubio said White House officials had told him they had no transcripts or notes of Trump's meeting with Russian officials but "apparently someone has discussed them, or leaked them."

"This cloud is impacting everything else," Rubio said, describing a number of questions, such as possible obstruction of justice, that are hanging over the White House. "So, we need to get over this once and for all."

Leaders of the House oversight committee, Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said they would demand Comey's notes. Cummings also is urging Chaffetz, who is resigning from his job next month, to subpoena the White House for any documents relating to Flynn.

Chaffetz said he expects to speak with Comey on Monday and that if there are any notes of White House meetings, "we're certainly pursuing them."

"There have been so many lies, so many contradictions," Cummings said, adding that he expects parallel investigations from Congress to proceed fully after the Justice Department last week appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to head an investigation into possible Russian coordination with the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election.

Referring to the whole sequence of events leading to Comey's firing, Cummings added: "I think that there may be quite a few people that may have some problems with the law."

The White House has repeatedly insisted that a "thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity." It has not denied the Times report that Trump was critical of Comey to the Russians the day after he fired him. But White House spokesman Sean Spicer has called the president's rhetoric part of his deal-making, contending that Comey had created "unnecessary pressure" on Trump's ability to negotiate with Russia on a range of issues.

White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster underscored that point in an interview that aired Sunday, saying Trump had felt "hamstrung."

"The president feels as if he is hamstrung in his ability to work with Russia to find areas of cooperation because this has been obviously so much in the news," said McMaster, who was present at the meeting.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a member of the intelligence committee, said she also plans to press Comey regarding what was discussed with Trump about Flynn and whether he was asked by Trump to alter the FBI investigation. The California Democrat said public hearings should ferret out what has been a flurry of apparently contradictory comments by many of the parties involved.
The old axiom that "politics stops at the water's edge" isn't really true, and it is clear that media bashing doesn't end when the president travels abroad, either.

A television camera on Monday captured President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump commiserating with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, over critical media coverage - which, they agreed, does not accurately reflect public sentiment. (Note: Trump's approval rating is 38 percent, according to Gallup; Netanyahu's is about the same in Israel.)

When Trump paid a visit to the Western Wall on his first day in Israel, female journalists were restricted to an area with a worse vantage point than that available to their male counterparts. Quoting a pool report, the New York Times' Glenn Thrush noted on Twitter that this was not the first time female reporters have been disadvantaged on the president's multi-stop foreign trip:

For the second time in three days poolers are excluded from an event because they are women.

---

When the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, addressed a group of Saudi female business executives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, The Washington Post's Karen DeYoung reported that "two female reporters present were not permitted to stay past the introductory remarks."

Also on Sunday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson participated in a news conference in Riyadh without notifying American journalists of the event. Only foreign reporters attended and had opportunities to ask questions. The State Department later furnished a transcript to American journalists.

"Regrettably, there was not enough time to alert or make arrangements for U.S. media to participate," State Department spokesman R.C. Hammond told Politico. "Under different circumstances, U.S. media would have been alerted. . . . Ideally, members of the U.S. press corps should have had the option to attend the press conference and ask questions."

In a vacuum, any one of these incidents might be somewhat understandable. Maybe the Trumps were just trying to make small talk with the Netanyahus. Maybe the administration feels compelled for diplomatic reasons to acquiesce to certain gender norms in foreign countries. Maybe the Tillerson news conference was a genuine oversight.

Taken together, however, the episodes fit into a pattern of disregard for a free press. Occurring overseas, they send a particularly strong signal to the rest of the world that the Trump administration does not value independent media.

Consider this contrast: When Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev visited the United States in 1959, he refused to speak at the National Press Club unless female journalists were allowed to cover the event on the floor, with their male colleagues. Women had been granted access to press club events only three years earlier and had been relegated to a balcony, from where they could not ask questions.

Think about that. The leader of the Soviet Union stood up for American female journalists on a foreign trip 58 years ago. The president of the United States seems unwilling to do the same today.
On July 10, at 4:19 a.m., gunfire was detected in the Washington, D.C.'s Bloomingdale neighborhood. Not five minutes later, police found Seth Rich, a 27-year-old Democratic National Committee staffer, lying on the ground, dying from a bullet wound to his back. A conscious Rich was transported to the hospital; by daybreak, he was dead.

Nearly one year later, Rich's death remains one of America's thousands of unsolved murders - and the focus of endless conspiracy theories, spread this past week by Fox News, alt-right social media, a local D.C. news station and the Russian embassy in Britain. The reemergence of the conspiracy theory this week, which did not lack for real news, revealed plenty about the fake news ecosystem (or to use BuzzFeed's useful phrase, "the upside-down media") in the Trump era. It also happened to cause untold pain for the Rich family, which has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the so-called private investigator who led this dive back into the fever swamp.

Here's what we learned.

TV news can be an easy mark. This iteration of the Seth Rich story started when the District's own Fox 5 ran a Monday night "exclusive," citing one source - a Fox New legal commentator, Rod Wheeler - for a "big break in the investigation." Reporter Marina Marraco reported that "conspiracy theories" could "be proven right," as Wheeler was saying what had been rumored since last year: Rich might have leaked DNC emails to WikiLeaks, making him the target of an assassination.

"You have information that could link Seth Rich to WikiLeaks?" asked Marraco.

"Absolutely. Yeah. That's confirmed," said Wheeler, who Fox 5 identified as the Rich family's investigator.

Within 24 hours, reporters at NBC News, CNN and The Washington Post had debunked the story. First, Rich's family quickly corrected the idea that Wheeler was on their payroll; he was hired by Ed Butowsky, a Texas businessman who had grown interested in the case. Next, Wheeler told CNN he hadn't actually obtained information linking Rich to WikiLeaks - Fox 5, he insisted, had told him to say so.

Marraco did not cite any sources except Wheeler - not the Rich family, not D.C. police, not the mayor's office, not the DNC. Wheeler, a very occasional TV pundit, was noticeably skimpy on details, suggesting he had a source who'd told him eyeball-to-eyeball that Rich's computer was in lock-up and that it had evidence of WikiLeaks contact. But he was murky on whether D.C. police or the FBI allegedly had the laptop, and the family quickly reported that neither did.

Most forms of reporting have guardrails that this story would have crashed against. Had the channel waited to run the story until the family or the police weighed in, it couldn't have aired. But that's the problem - there's a fluff allowance on TV, one that lets sensational videos through even if they've not been fully vetted. That's why a quick perusal of local news will often find segments devoted to viral videos, a phenomenon Nathan Fielder tested in an episode of his gonzo series "Nathan For You."

In retrospect, it seems natural for the fake story to resurface via a small TV station. But what caused it to surface at all?

Fake news has weakened on Facebook, but its bots still own Twitter. With very little fanfare, likely a result of the backlash it got from conservatives after Gawker revealed its editorial policy for newsfeeds, Facebook has seriously cracked down on the ability of conspiracy and clickbait sites to make stories trend.

There's been no similar crackdown on Twitter, where conspiracy theorists can still coordinate, start trends, and benefit when bots chime in. That happened this week, in a big way. The theory that Rich must have been killed by nefarious forces at the Democratic National Committee, as punishment for his betrayal to WikiLeaks, has bubbled long enough to have several memes ready for the latest eruption. Even before the Fox5 segment, the #SethRich and #HisNameWasSethRich hashtag were active; the latest "break" in the story came when Robbin Young, a former model who calls herself a "Bond Girl" on the strength of a small role in "For Your Eyes Only," published unverified messages that she claimed showed the hacker Guccifer 2.0 crediting Rich for the leak.

The hashtag took off in the wake of the Fox5 report. A familiar swirl of conservative media - the Drudge Report, Breitbart - ran people-are-saying updates on how Rich's name was trending. It was that attention, ironically, that caused Wheeler to be debunked. And it was debunked so quickly that adherents of the theory didn't realize that the new "break" made no sense. Wasn't Guccifer the pass-through for the hacked emails? Why would Rich be contacting WikiLeaks?

The most effective conspiracy theories target both the left and alt-right. What's often forgotten about the DNC hack is how banal the emails were. There were three major hacks of the Democrats' political operation. They were the DNC hack, released by WikiLeaks on July 22 last year; the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) hack, released on Aug. 12; and the hack of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's emails, which were released in a daily dump throughout October. The resignation of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz during the Democrats' convention fed into the idea that the DNC hack must have been devastating, revealing - in the words of Fox News conspiracy theorist Sean Hannity - that the "DNC was conspiring to hurt Bernie Sanders and help Hillary Clinton win the nomination."

That's not what the emails revealed. In fact, Wasserman Schultz's mismanagement of the DNC, and personal bias toward Hillary Clinton, had been known, and a sore spot for supporters of Sanders, long before the hack. Wasserman Schultz scheduled debates late in the process, and had to be pushed by the Sanders campaign to allow a debate before the New York primary. Clinton, who'd narrowly lost the 2008 primary, came into 2016 with the vast majority of endorsements from party leaders - not actually a factor under the DNC's control. What the emails found was that in May, after Sanders had no serious chance at the nomination, some DNC staffers got irresponsibly snarky and irritated. On May 1, for example, Wasserman Schultz reacted to news that Sanders would seek to contest the nomination at the convention by writing "so much for a traditional presumptive nominee."

But by May 1, Clinton had a lead in the delegate count and popular vote that was not going to be outpaced by Sanders, even if he won a landslide in California's looming primary. The theory that Rich was offended by these emails assumes that 1) he saw them, which is not suggested by any of the emails' headers, and that 2) he would have interpreted exasperated emails in May as proof of anti-Sanders perfidy that the world needed to see. This doesn't comport with reality - but it is attractive to the most die-hard progressive foes of Clinton. The Rich conspiracy thrived not just because fringe conservatives liked the idea of a break in the "Clinton body count" theory, but that the idea that someone would murder a leaker to cover up a conspiracy against Bernie Sanders would justify so much angst. Briefly, before Wheeler recanted his story, the Young Turks network's "Jimmy Dore Show" chewed over the revelation that Rich was in contact with WikiLeaks.

And a largely frivolous lawsuit against the DNC - announced in July, and playing out in a Florida court now - has been aggressively covered by the Russian propaganda network RT. (Among the finer points of the lawsuit is that it seeks damages against the DNC for allowing itself to be hacked.) Dore's show has backed away from the story since Wednesday. RT, unsurprisingly, has not.

Debunking a story still doesn't end it. Sean Hannity, who's now a sort of elder statesman in Fox News's prime time lineup, devoted parts of three episodes this week to the Rich story. The first of these episodes ended in a wreck, with Wheeler giving his last public interview to date, recanting much of his story about Rich and babbling about how a credible source told him a story consistent with, perhaps, Rich having emailed WikiLeaks.

Rush Limbaugh, who discussed the story this week, was just as ready to roll over the facts. After playing a clip of the debunked Wheeler story, in which the investigator claimed that authorities were preventing him from probing the Rich-WikiLeaks connection, Limbaugh claimed that the hacked emails had also been locked up. "Nobody has seen the 44,000 emails! They're on this guy's laptop." But everyone who's wanted to has seen those emails - they have been on WikiLeaks's servers since last year.

The absolute faith that there will one day be proof of this conspiracy theory - proof that Democrats carried out a political murder to punish a leak that had already happened - is impervious to reality. It's bound to attract opportunists. On Saturday, Hannity perked up when he saw the accused copyright violator Kim Dotcom, who is facing extradition, claiming - out of nowhere - that he would break the story wide open.

So: Dotcom, who is facing extradition from New Zealand to America, and who has personally blamed Barack Obama for his legal trouble, claims in May 2017 that he knew crucial details about a political murder from July 2016. Why would he have sat on that during a hotly contested election, one that looked until the last minute to be queuing up Obama's chosen successor?

None of it makes sense. That means we're never going to stop hearing about it.
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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump on Sunday implored Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to extinguish "Islamic extremism" emanating from the region, describing a "battle between good and evil" rather than a clash between the West and Islam.

In a pointed departure from his predecessor, Trump all but promised he would not publicly admonish Mideast rulers for human rights violations and oppressive reigns.

"We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship," Trump said, speaking in an ornate room in the Saudi capital. "Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all."

The president's address was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first overseas trip since his January swearing-in. For Trump, the trip is a reprieve from the crush of controversies that have marred his young presidency and an attempt to reset his relationship with a region and a religion he fiercely criticized as a candidate.

During the 2016 U.S. campaign, Trump mused about his belief that "Islam hates us." But on Sunday, standing before dozens of regional leaders, he said Islam was "one of the world's great faiths."

While running for the job he now holds, Trump heartily criticized President Barack Obama for not using the term "radical Islamic extremism" and said that refusal indicated that Obama did not understand America's enemy. In his Saudi speech, Trump condemned "Islamic extremism," ''Islamists," and "Islamic terror," but not once uttered the precise phrase he pressed Obama on.

Some of Trump's wording on the issue also changed from his prepared remarks. A White House official later said that was not intended and attributed it to the president being "an exhausted guy."

Trump made no mention of the disputed travel ban, signed days after he took office, that temporarily banned immigration to the U.S. from seven majority Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. Both the original order and a second directive that dropped Iraq from the banned list have been blocked by the courts.

In some ways, Trump delivered a conventional speech for an American politician. He pledged deeper ties with the Middle East to tackle terrorism and encouraged more economic development in the region. He heralded the ambitions of the region's youth and warned that the scourge of extremism could tarnish their future.

Trump offered few indications of whether he planned to shift U.S. policy to better fight terrorism. There were no promises of new financial investment or announcements of increased U.S. military presence in the region. The president put much of the onus for combating extremists on Mideast leaders: "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities."

White House officials said they considered Trump's address to be a counterweight to Obama's debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo. Obama called for understanding and acknowledged some of America's missteps in the region. His speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticized by a number of America's Middle East allies as being a sort of apology.

Trump's remarks came in a meeting with dozens of regional leaders who gathered in Riyadh for a summit with Trump and Saudi King Salman.

The king has lavished praise and all the trappings of a royal welcome on the new American president, welcoming in particular Trump's pledge to be tougher on Iran than Obama was. Indeed, Trump and Salman were in lockstep on the threat Iran poses to the region when they addressed their fellow leaders: Trump accused Iran of "destruction and chaos" and the king said its rival "has been the spearhead of global terrorism."

The Saudis' warm embrace was welcome change for the besieged White House. Officials spent the days before Trump's departure dealing with a steady stream of revelations about the federal investigation into his campaign's possible ties to Russia and the fallout from his firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The president, who is known to tear asunder the White House's plans with a provocative tweet or offhand comment, has largely stuck to the script for opening days of the trip. Apart from Sunday's address, he's made no substantial remarks, other than exchanging pleasantries with other leaders.

Before the speech, Trump held individual meetings with leaders of several nations, including Egypt and Qatar.

His meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi underscored their burgeoning kinship. Trump praised el-Sissi for the April release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi, detained in the country for nearly three years.

El-Sissi invited Trump to visit him in Egypt, adding, "You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible." As the participants laughed, Trump responded: "I agree."

The president then complimented el-Sissi's choice of footwear: "Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes" after their brief remarks to the media.

Trump cut short his program in Saudi Arabia, abruptly skipping an event aimed at highlighting how social media can be used to combat extremism. He sent his daughter, Ivanka, instead.
Willis City Engineer and Vice President of Bleyl & Associates Mike Mathena has tendered his resignation.

Mathena submitted his letter of resignation Monday to John Bleyl, president of Bleyl & Associates, where Mathena has worked for about 15 years.

"I have been working for you guys for my entire career since I walked in day one," Mathena announced to the Willis City Council Tuesday."I'm going to see what the future holds for me; it's unwritten. I'm not sure what I'm going to do exactly yet, but I know it's going to be a good one because futures are."

Mathena has served as the engineer for seven utility districts in Harris and Montgomery counties, according to the firm's website.

"Mr. Mathena is currently a Director for Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 16," the information stated. "His experience with Utility Districts includes bond application reports, TWDB (Texas Water Development Board) Loan applications, design of water production and distribution systems, wastewater collection and treatment systems and drainage improvements. He has also designed numerous subdivisions and commercial tracts."

Mathena oversees a number of projects for the city, including the FM 1097 road construction project that is behind schedule, he previously said.

Bleyl, who attended the meeting, said he was surprised by the resignation; however, he respected Mathena's decision and wished him the best. The two described each other as both a "friend" and "neighbor." Bleyl informed the council he is working on a transition plan with City Administrator Hector Forestier, which he plans to have along with recommendations for replacements during the June council meeting.

Mayor Leonard Reed and Forestier also wished Mathena the best.

"We appreciate you," Reed said. "We will miss you; it's been a while that you've been here and we've been able to call on you and depend on you to do things to for us. We've got some big shoes to fill. Good luck."

The city of Willis also swore in its leaders for the May 2017-19 terms and said goodbye to another city official.

Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack asked Reed along with new and returning council members to raise their hand and repeat the Oath of Office during the meeting Tuesday.

Reed served on the council from May 1999 to 2003, when he was elected mayor. He will continue to serve the city of Willis with Tamara Young-Hector, Position 1, who has served since May 2009; and Barney Stone, who is replacing John F. Lovelady in Position 2.

Also continuing his role will be Thomas Belinoski, Position 3, who first served from April 1976 to April 1983, then May 1990 to May 2000, and has served since his appointment in January 2011.

Thomas Luster, Position No. 4, has served since May 2015 and also will remain on the council. He is joined by Bill Van Alstyne, Position 5, who was on the council from April 1979 to April 1981, April 1983 to May 1999 and since May 2003.

Following the presentation, the council bid farewell to Lovelady, who decided not to run again following his 17-year service to the city from May 2000 to May 2017. He was presented three keys to the city by Reed and a gift on behalf of the city from Forestier.

"We wish you the best of luck and appreciate everything you have done for the city," Reed said.

For more information, visit www.ci.willis.tx.us.
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A state appeals courts rejection of the lawsuit challenging New Braunfels river tourism rules banning disposable containers and large coolers has city officials weighing how to resume enforcement of the controversial codes for the first time in three years.

The Third Court of Appeals opinion issued Thursday overturned a summary judgment granted in 2014 by state District Judge Don Burgess in favor of river businesses and other opponents of the so-called can ban and the prohibition on coolers larger than 16 quarts.

The need to curb litter by tubers motivated city council to pass the large cooler ban in 2007, and voter approval in 2011 led to the ban on disposable containers on the Comal and Guadalupe rivers inside the city limits. Violators faced a fine of up to $500.

Acting on a city appeal, the three-judge appellate panel concluded the lawsuit plaintiffs lacked legal standing to challenge a penal code. Burgess therefore did not have subject-matter jurisdiction over the dispute, its 29-page opinion stated.

Jim Ewbank, the plaintiffs lawyer, couldnt be reached Monday to provide his reaction to the ruling or to say if his clients plan to appeal.

The appellate court had previously rejected the citys argument that Burgess lacked jurisdiction and the change was called overdue by the citys outside counsel, attorney Mick McKamie.

The (river) outfitters and other plaintiffs simply do not have standing to challenge this legislation, as we have stated from day one, he said Monday. Without standing, the civil courts have no jurisdiction to review the ordinances.

McKamie was slated to brief City Council members Monday night on the ruling, which the Third Court is expected to make final in coming weeks. He noted the city also previously prevailed against legal challenges to city bans on volume drinking devices and jello shots on the river.

Now all of the citys river rule ordinances have been upheld by the courts, McKamie said.

Mayor Barron Casteel said he hoped a workable solution can be found to avoid additional litigation.

I think we should have the stakeholders working in advance of that final (court) decision to come up with a plan on how to move forward when we have a final order, he said. Were going to have to have everyone working together to make it functional and achieve its goals.

In reversing its decision on the citys jurisdictional claim, the Third Court cited a Texas Supreme Court ruling in the decades-old case of State v. Morales, involving enforcement of a law that criminalized private sexual relations between consenting adults of the same sex.

The appellate opinion also said the plaintiffs civil challenge to the penal code claims were brought under color of a long recognized exception that permits equitable relief where a penal enactment is unconstitutional and said to threaten irreparable injury to vested property rights and also argued that an adverse economic impact on a business constitutes harm to a vested property right.

Although the plaintiffs had evidence theyd lost business and suffered economically due to the city rules, the court found no harm occurred to a vested property right, noting, The evidence was undisputed that the ordinances do not prohibit... appellees from operating their businesses, including selling disposable containers or renting coolers.

zeke@express-news.net
AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott at the last minute squeezed another $100 million from legislative budget negotiators for programs overseen by his office, with a key lawmaker saying the governor indicated he otherwise would have a hard time agreeing to the spending plan.

The move came as House and Senate lawmakers worked late into Saturday night to put the finishing touches on the must-pass budget. The measure will still require negotiators signatures, then approval by the full House and Senate.

Legislators were back at work on other bills Sunday, scrambling to get their work done and avoid a special legislative session.

Talk was that there would be a move in the House to attach a so-called bathroom bill amendment to another piece of legislation, days after Lt.Gov. Dan Patrick threatened to force a special session unless lawmakers pass that measure. Abbott also favors such a proposal but has said he believes lawmakers can approve it before the regular session ends May 29.

The House hasnt acted on a Senate-passed bill that would specify that people use restrooms, dressing rooms and locker rooms in government buildings, schools and universities that align with the sex on their birth certificates. If the House takes up the issue Sunday, its proposal could focus narrowly on schools.

On the budget issue, Abbotts chief of staff, Daniel Hodge, the governors budget director, Steven Albright, and another staffers met with Appropriations Committee Chair John Zerwas, R-Richmond, in his committee office during the late-night negotiation over the spending plan. Abbott joined in the conversation via Hodges cell phone, which was placed on speaker mode, Zerwas said.

We had some conversations around the additional money they felt should be in his budget for promoting businesses and that type of thing. We had thought we had made a respectable effort in funding Abbotts programs, Zerwas said.

The House and Senate in their initial budget proposals had given short shrift to Abbotts funding requests for incentive programs meant to attract business to Texas. They also gave no money to his pet high-quality pre-kindergarten program. By Saturday night, when legislative negotiators announced a budget agreement, they had fully funded the pre-kindergarten program with $236 million and allocated more funding than they initially envisioned in other areas.

Apparently they didnt feel like it met what their need and expectation was, said Zerwas. So we had a fairly long conversation about that. I dont think there was any overt threat to veto the budget. but he did indicate that he would have a bit of a hard time passing a budget through his office that didnt include some of the things that he wanted funded at a higher level.

On the Senate side, Patrick made the case to senators for adding the money to Abbotts programs, according to one person familiar with the process. Neither Patricks nor Abbotts spokesmen immediately returned a request for comment.

Zerwas - who was in consultation with House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio - said the House in turn wanted an additional $75 million for school districts whose property values have been depressed due to lower oil prices.

The House had wanted to pay for that item with money from the states rainy day fund, a multibillion-dollar savings account. About $1 billion of the rainy fund is being used to help pay for the overall budget, as desired by the House, after intense negotiations with the Senate. Patrick has said he and senators only would use that money for one-time expenses or addressing disasters.

The governor agreed that that money should be, and could be, used for the funding of that particular budget item but the lieutenant governor and his folks were dug in that no, it shouldnt be used for that, which I find totally perplexing, Zerwas said.

Unfortunately, the lieutenant governor seems to be totally obsessed with the idea that the rainy day fund is only to be used for whatever he personally considers to be a one-time use, or disaster, Zerwas said. He personally. Not what anybody else thinks.

A Patrick spokesman didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on this.

Negotiators ultimately agreed to find the money elsewhere in the budget for the program sought by the House, Zerwas said.

Everybody got what they felt like they needed at the end, Zerwas said. It just took a while to get there.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
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AUSTIN - The Texas House voted 91-50 Sunday night to restrict which restrooms transgender students can use in public schools, with advocates calling it an issue of privacy and safety and opponents saying it's ugly discrimination against vulnerable children.

"I've lived through the separate-but-equal period... I remember those days. Bathrooms: White. Colored," said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, who opposed the proposal.

"I can tell you, as an African-American, how deeply I felt discriminated against," she said. "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you never have to walk in those shoes."

Rep. Chris Paddie, the Marshall Republican who offered the bathroom amendment to a bill on school safety, said there is "absolutely no intent" to discriminate "and I would argue nothing in this language discriminates against anyone."

"In fact, it makes sure that there are reasonable accommodations for all children," said Paddie.

The House gave preliminary approval to Senate Bill 2078 after Paddie's bathroom amendment was added to it. The bill already has passed the Senate. After another House vote, it will return to the Senate for consideration of House changes.

The vote was largely along party lines. Rep. Sarah Davis of West University Place was the only Republican to vote against the proposal. No Democrat voted for it.

Paddie's proposal would say that students who don't want to use the restroom associated with their "biological sex" would have to be given access to a single-occupancy facility. That could include a multi-occupancy restroom that no one else is using. It also would apply to locker rooms and changing facilities. Transgender students wouldn't have the option of using the multi-occupancy restroom associated with their gender identity, Paddie said.

"We want to make sure that we provide definitive guidance to our school districts," said Paddie. Asked about how his proposal relates to the aim of the original measure, House Bill 2078, Paddie said, "I think it's absolutely about child safety."

The bathroom issue has arched over the legislative session as a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and, more recently, of Gov. Greg Abbott.

Resolution of that issue, along with changes to the local property tax system, are key to lawmakers finishing their work by May 29 and avoiding a special session.

Patrick days ago threatened to force a special session if lawmakers don't pass both issues in the regular session. His leverage comes from his ability to stall important legislation in the Senate, over which he presides.

Abbott, the only one who can call a special session, also wants lawmakers to pass both issues but has said he believes they can do so in the regular session. House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, said in a statement that Abbott said he would "demand action on this in a special session" if lawmakers didn't address the issue.

The House hasn't acted on a Senate-passed bathroom bill that would specify that people use restrooms, dressing rooms and locker rooms in government buildings, schools and universities that align with the sex on their birth certificates.

Straus opposed the Senate bill, citing concerns shared by the business community that the state economy could suffer from boycotts if the Legislature approves a measure seen as discriminatory  particularly with San Antonio set to host the NCAA Final Four championship next year.

The NCAA had moved events from North Carolina because of its bathroom law, but the organization backed off its boycott of that state when the law was changed.

Straus in his statement didn't specifically address the Final Four championship but said that Paddie's amendment "will allow us to avoid the severely negative impact of Senate Bill 6," the measure approved by the Senate.

"We've said all session that any bathroom legislation is unnecessary and would be perceived as discriminatory," said Jeff Coyle, director of government and public affairs for the city of San Antonio. "It does not reflect our values as a city. But we don't know how the NCAA views this amendment and can't speak for them."

San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor did not respond to a phone call or a text message seeking comment.

Dan Quinn of the Texas Freedom Network, which opposed both the broader bathroom bill and Paddie's amendment, said it's hard to predict what would happen with the NCAA if the amendment becomes law.

"It sure doesn't help," Quinn said. "Certainly this is discriminatory against transgender Texans."

The amendment considered Sunday was cast as a last chance for the House to act on such a measure, but some lawmakers disagreed publicly on whether it was actually a bathroom bill and whether it targets transgender children.

Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, said there's no question that the proposal is an attack on transgender people, and he expressed concern for transgender students who already may be harassed, mistreated and sexually assaulted, and who may attempt suicide.

"This is shameful," Moody said, adding that transgender people don't cause problems in restrooms. "This has never been a problem until some people pretended that it was."

Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, said he has heard from parents of transgender people who fear more tragedies if the proposal passes, who tell him, "If the full weight of the state government comes down on my child, I am scared."

Rep. Jason Villalba, a Dallas Republican who opposed the Senate bathroom bill, contended that the amendment "is not the bathroom bill. What it is, is an attempt to protect those who are different." He said it could provide privacy for children who want privacy because they may have surgical scars or physical defects.

Democrats scoffed, saying it's purely about Republicans' desire to rack up a vote to appeal to their Republican primary voters.

"This is just more red meat for the base, more red meat for the March voter, at the expense of kids," said Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin.

Straus, in his statement, said Paddie's amendment "will allow schools to continue to handle sensitive issues as they have been handling them."

"Members of the House wanted to act on this issue and my philosophy as speaker has never been to force my will on the body. Governor Abbott has said he would demand action on this in a special session, and the House decided to dispose of the issue in this way," said Straus. He didn't vote on the proposal, as is typical since he presides over the House.

The other high-profile priority of Abbott and Patrick that remained hanging - changing the local property tax system - was addressed by the governor during an appearance Sunday in The Woodlands.

The House gave its final okay Sunday to a proposal by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, that is intended to ensure taxpayers get more information about their local tax rates and how to press for changes.

The proposal doesn't include automatic rollback elections if cities and counties raise local property tax revenue by 5 percent or more, as contained in a bill approved by the Senate. Automatic elections are opposed by local officials who say the change would hamper their ability to pay for important services including public safety.

Bonnen said there wasn't enough House support to pass a rollback change, but Abbott said that element is important.

"As you know, I want to see the rate rollback part of property taxes achieved," Abbott told the Texas Tribune after an event in The Woodlands. "And so we still have more work to do on property taxes. The session is not yet over."

Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who authored Senate Bill 2, the property tax measure that passed the Senate, heralded Abbott's remarks.

"Without Senate Bill 2 as passed by the Senate being considered by the full House, there will be no property tax relief coming out of the 85th Regular Session," said Bettencourt, R-Houston.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
In light of the Supreme Court ruling Monday that two congressional districts redrawn by North Carolina officials amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, a three-judge panel in San Antonio is wondering if its time for Texas to throw in the towel as well in defending its own redistricting issues.

The 5-3 decision in Cooper vs. Harris tossed out the districts drawn by Republican officials in North Carolina after the 2010 census.

In Texas, the panel issued two rulings earlier this year that found the GOP-controlled Legislature intentionally discriminated against minority voters when congressional and state House districts were drawn in 2011.

The local federal panel had scheduled a five-day trial beginning July 10 on the legality of the 2013 interim maps, which were implemented under court order.

But after Mondays Supreme Court ruling, the panel here issued an order instructing civil rights groups and the state to file briefs by June 6 on how that ruling might affect the case here, and asks the state, to inform the panel by Friday, to decide whether it wishes to voluntarily undertake redistricting in a special session in light of the Cooper opinion. The order is signed on behalf of the panel by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, who was appointed to the federal bench by George W. Bush.

The panel on May 1 also turned down Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons request for permission to appeal the two rulings. Texas needs permission for a so-called interlocutory appeal because the case is not over.

At a status hearing in San Antonio in April, Paxtons assistant attorneys general argued that the 2013 maps are legal because Texas had the best legal advice  referring to the panel  though the plaintiffs argue that the judges made it clear the maps were supposed to be temporary.

gcontreras@express-news.net

Twitter: @gmaninfedland
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AUSTIN  Sen. Carlos Uresti, who had looked forward to serving as Senate president pro tempore, said Monday he has withdrawn his name from consideration for the position at this time.

The move comes after the San Antonio Democrat was indicted last week on fraud, bribery and money-laundering charges. Uresti has said he is innocent.

Being elected President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate is an honor and is accompanied by much celebration. I have decided to voluntarily withdraw my name from consideration at this time and I look forward to serving at a future time, Uresti said in a statement in response to a question from the San Antonio Express-News.

The Senate president pro tem serves as acting governor when both the governor and lieutenant governor are outside the state. The title goes to the most senior senator who hasnt previously served as pro tem.

Election of the Senate president pro tempore on the last day of session is a celebratory event, when fellow senators laud their colleague in nominating speeches before casting their votes. The president pro tempore gives a speech to the Senate when elected and has the option of having a Governor for a Day celebration.

In early May, before his indictment, Uresti had said he planned such a celebration.

I think it would be cool, he said then. Itll be fun to be governor for the day and make a big event of it and invite the community so Im looking forward to it.

The next senator in line to be president pro tem by virtue of seniority is Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville.

I know Senator Nichols will step up and serve in this position well during the interim, Uresti said in his statement. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on my existing Senate responsibilities and duties in serving my 820,000 constituents in 17 counties across 35,000 square miles.

Nichols office didnt immediately offer a comment about the situation when asked.

Meanwhile, one of Urestis criminal-defense lawyers on Monday filed motions to withdraw from both cases.

San Antonio attorney Jorge G. Aristotelidis, in the court filings, gave no reason for why hes requested to withdraw. He said in his filings he consulted with Uresti on Saturday and that the senator expressed no opposition to a judge granting the motions. Aristotelidis didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mikal Watts, a well-known plaintiffs lawyer who also is representing Uresti, declined to discuss the details of Aristotelidis motions to withdraw.

Sen. Uresti is in the process of building his trial team, Watts said. Mr. Aristotelidis was a valuable member of our team up through the indictment, and we are appreciative of his efforts.

Watts told the San Antonio Express-News last week that federal prosecutors have indicated they will seek to disqualify him from defending Uresti in at least one of the cases. Watts said prosecutors contend he has a conflict of interest because he had a client who is expected to be a witness in one of the cases against Uresti.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
A 36-year-old San Antonio woman is facing prostitution charges for the eighth time, according to court records, after she allegedly agreed to have sex with an undercover officer in exchange for money.

Catherine Trevino now faces a charge of prostitution with three or more prior convictions. She was booked into the Bexar County Jail over the weekend.
Authorities in South Texas arrested 18 people in a sting for illegal gambling operations taking place in Hidalgo County, according to the sheriffs office.

The operation occurred at about 2 p.m. Thursday when the Hidalgo County Sheriffs Office executed two search warrants, one for a location in Donna north of Expressway 83 on Val Verde Road and another at the northwest corner of Mile 12.5 North and FM 88 in Weslaco.
Michael Minasi/Staff

AUSTIN  Updating his sentiments about property-tax reform and a bathroom bill passed by the House, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appeared Monday to hold firm on the lack of a rollback provision in the tax measure as negotiations on a final version were slated to begin.

"I share Gov. Abbott's concern about the lack of a rollback provision in Senate Bill 669 in property taxes," he said in a statement.
I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.

More on who I am is here.

Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com
These days, when friends ask how Im doing, I give them an honest answer. I say, Im struggling.

You see, my profession is driving me crazy. I have a job that requires me to stay on top of current events and follow every bounce of the daily news cycle. Switching between CNN and Fox News is like visiting different planets. Between White House press releases, talk radio, the internet, 24-hour cable news and social media, I feel like Im standing in front of a fire hydrant gushing information.

And, unfortunately, in the era of President Donald Trump, a lot of misinformation.

Ive decided that digesting too much media is unhealthy. It makes you cynical and distrustful.

A Facebook friend put it well when he said: You spend all your time in the sewer, and soon everything looks like a rat.

True enough. But when youre covering politicians, there is no shortage of vermin.

I envy my friends with regular jobs who can parachute in and out of news stories. A lot of them only watch the infotainment shows of pseudo-journalists like Fox News Tucker Carlson and MSNBCs Rachel Maddow. My friends get the gist of the days events and then shoehorn what they hear to fit their political leanings. Theyre fine with that.

Recently, I had a chat with an English professor at a small college in Southern California. She spends her days reading books, teaching students, grading papers and discussing great literature with colleagues. When our conversation veered into politics  and, specifically, the immigration debate  she wrongly insisted that Barack Obama had only deported illegal immigrants who committed crimes. She was out of her depth. I tried to set her straight.

It didnt work. She may have been ignorant, but she was blissfully so. To her, issues are cut and dried. Her world makes sense.

Writing about politics, especially with Trump in the White House, I dont have the luxury of living in a black-and-white world. Nuance is the new normal.

Now that much of the media have given up the role of referee and suited up to play in the arena, its clear  with the recent barrage of what the left considers major scoops and the right dismisses as fake news  that the objective of this game is to destroy Trump.

Which is poetic given that it was the media who helped create Trump.

Now it seems like half the country cant stand the other half. Many conservatives think Trump is doing fine and the media are terribly unfair. Many liberals think that Trump is terribly unqualified and the media are doing great.

And yet I believe there is a third group of Americans who think both Trump and the media are behaving horribly, that their attacks on one another have become less rational and more emotional. When a guest recently questioned a newspaper story based on the accounts of anonymous individuals, CNN host Kate Bolduan wagged her finger and accused him of attacking sources.

This group doesnt care for Trump, yet they find the medias breathless coverage of this White House unwatchable. So theyre tuning out. Theyre not paying attention to political news anymore.

A liberal friend who was raised in New York and didnt vote for Trump told me she no longer watches the news. It doesnt seem honest, she said. To her, its just noise.

Weve heard that America is facing a constitutional crisis because Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. Weve been warned of a national security crisis because Trump allegedly shared sensitive intelligence with the Russians.

But the media are missing the biggest story of all. Because of their excesses, and their feverish feud with the White House, there seems to be a growing number of Americans who dont care what either side has to say.

Our country is suffering through an information crisis.

ruben@rubennavarrette.com
The Nordic countries like their whisky. mostly scotch but also others  including now their very own. Christian Davis reports

_________________________________

ALCOHOL DRINKING is declining and in the Nordic countries Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland  it is no different. From 2010 to 2016 overall consumption has fallen by 9% in the region. Average consumption across Scandinavia is 7.5 litres of alcohol per person  well below the EU average of 8.7ltr, according to Diageo, the worlds largest premium drinks company.

Mikael Lunden, Diageo Reserves senior Nordic brand ambassador whisky & rum, tells Drinks International: We see whisky being enjoyed right across society, across all social classes and age groups. Across the Nordic region, we see people drinking better, not more. People are generally more interested in premium products with a sense of history and provenance and, with our strong portfolio of brands such as Johnnie Walker, Talisker and Lagavulin, Diageo is well placed to be a trend leader.

The global trends around cocktails and mixology have been really strong in the Nordics, with customers wanting to drink better quality spirits. We have also spent a lot of time working with our customers on their knowledge of our brands and through activities such as World Class & Bar Academy, where we work with bartenders to improve the experience consumers get when ordering a drink, says Lunden.

The other global spirits company, Pernod Ricard, owns Irish Distillers which makes the major Irish whiskey brand Jameson. Global brand director Dan Lundberg, tells DI: The whiskey category continues to thrive in Scandinavia, with the main growth being seen in the premium-plus categories, where the wider Jameson Family is priced.

Premium whiskey is the largest segment and continues to be dynamic, growing at 18.2% in the year ending June 2016, which has been supported by Jameson. This is the result of strong development in the off-trade, due to the rise in at-home consumption of premium-and-above spirits, and the on-trade, driven by the growth in cocktail culture and beer backs.

The key whisk(e)y trends we are seeing emerge in Scandinavia are premiumisation, growing levels of consumer knowledge of and interest in whisk(e)y, and brand innovation. In response to increasing consumer knowledge and demands for more information about whiskey, we unveiled the brand new Jameson Family in June last year, which redefined the Jameson range and encourages drinkers to embark on a credible and meaningful exploration of the category, says Lundberg.

Denmark is a free, open, market for alcohol, like most European countries, whereas retail in Norway, Sweden and Finland is run by state-owned monopoly shops. Their buyers determine who drinks what in their respective countries, except for travel retail/duty free. Out-of-home drinking is expensive.

Historically, Norway and Finland are important markets for brandy, specifically cognac. The Danes like their whisky, particularly scotch, but Denmark was a producer and is still a significant consumer of akvavit (the Norwegian company Arcus took over Danish Distillers, closed the Aalborg distillery and is now the major producer of virtually all aquavit in Scandinavia). The Norwegians also like their akevitt. They age it and savour it like scotch. But they also like a whisky.
Repealing debit swipe fee reform would take franchisees back to a time when big banks could charge sky-high rates on every debit transaction.

RICHMOND, Va.  Ahead of a pending vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on the Financial CHOICE Act, Fazle Bhuyian, a 7-Eleven franchisee in Virginia's 8th Congressional District, met with Rep. Don Beyers staff to discuss the importance of protecting debit card swipe fee reform for 7-Eleven franchisees, small business owners and consumers.

Most customers at 7-Eleven pay with a debit card. On each transaction, banks charge retailers and ultimately consumers a processing fee. Before reform, the fees franchisees paid to banks for debit card transactions ballooned to one of the franchisees highest expenses.

In 2010, Congress passed debit card swipe fee reform through the Durbin Amendment in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Since reform went into effect, the average swipe fee for a debit card transaction has gone from 43 cents to 22 cents. Putting these savings back into the economy has supported 37,000 jobs and helped 7-Eleven franchisees to keep prices low and hire and retain employees.

But now, some in Congress want to put the largest banks ahead of all small business retailers and repeal swipe fee reform. This would take 7-Eleven franchisees and other small business owners back to a time when the biggest banks could charge as high of a rate as they wished on every debit card transaction.

Small business owners like me are the backbone of 7-Eleven and our economywere who you see when you walk into our stores and who keep the lights on, often 24-hours a day, said Bhuyian. When I visited Congressman Beyers office in Washington, I asked him to support our businesses and protect swipe fee reform. Swipe fee reform isnt just about 7-Eleven franchisees like me but every Virginia small business that hires from within our neighborhoods and supports our communities.

In Virginia, there are 728 7-Eleven stores. In Rep. Don Beyers district, there are 94 stores, which employ approximately 940 employees. On a given day, there are an average of 33,840 transactions. On an annual basis, these stores collectively save approximately $1.3 million dollars with swipe fee reform.

In 2010, in an organized attempt to pass swipe fee reform, 7-Eleven franchisees gathered more than three million signatures, one of the largest petition drives in history, and met with their members of Congress to tell them how out of control swipe fees hurt their business. Now, they are back to call on Congress and send a clear message ahead of the House vote on CHOICE: protect small business by protecting the Durbin Amendment.

Help Protect Debit Swipe Fee Reform

Using the NACS Grassroots portal, you can send a pre-drafted letter to your representatives asking them to remove the repeal of debit reform out of the Financial CHOICE Act. You can also send a tweet and write on the Facebook page of your representative through the NACS Voter Voice grassroots portal. Social media is a highly effective tool of communicating with lawmakers and their staffs.

We must stop the repeal of debit reform. Lawmakers need to hear how their decisions could negatively impact your business and your customers. Contact your representative today.
CalPERS most effective director JJ Jelincic may be leaving at the end of the year, but he is not going quietly.

Jelicic criticized the star chamber that recently sanctioned him in his most forceful terms to date. From the Board of Administration meeting last Wednesday, starting at 4:08:

Board Member JJ Jelincic: Joseph McCarthy had his Roy Cohn and his secret list of commies in the State Department. Bill Slaton has Matt Jacobs and his list of secret charges. I have my own secret file and Im going to share some of it with you today. When Jon Ortiz left the Sacramento Bee, it was a great loss to the paper. Here, I have a reprint of his article from December 28, 2013 entitled Securities and Exchange Commission looking into CalPERS stock purchases. Whats really amazing about this story is Misters Slaton, Jacobs and Feckner all believe it was based on my March 14, 2016 comments during an open Investment Committee. Who knew Jon was a time traveler? How did these gentlemen figure it out? Why do I believe they think that? I cant tell you. The belief is based on a super-secret document. If I told you, I would undoubtedly be sent to yet another training. On the other hand, Bill Slaton could actually come up with charges. If he did so and would make those charges public, just like he did his demand for my resignation, I would have the ability to offer a public defense. I think it is called transparency.

For those of you who may not recall the genisis this sorry episode, Bill Black, who in addition to being a white collar criminologist and law professor has also been the general counsel of a large financial institution, recapped key details in an earlier post:

First, while Slaton provided zero evidence of any wrongdoing by Jelincic, he demanded that that the board act as soon as possible to consider Slatons demand that the removal of Jelincic from the board As a general counsel, I would have responded immediately to Slaton at the board meeting. First, I would have emphasized that Slaton had presented nothing to warrant the board considering such a drastic sanction against another director. Second, I would have stressed that Jelincics request that Slaton notify Jelincics of the specific charges was an absolute necessity before the board should even consider holding a meeting to sanction a director. Third, I would have called attention to Slatons refusal to provide any facts supporting his conclusory claims of misconduct when Jelincic requested that he do so. The fourth point I would have made is described below Matt Jacobs, the General Counsel did speak up, but solely to implicitly support throwing Jelincic under the bus. His statement ignored the three points I would have madeJacobs failed to note that the board did not have the power under the powers he had just read, to impose Slatons proposed sanction. That is the fourth point I would have made to the board. The transcript then records Feckners response to his General Counsels legalese. He told the board that Matt and I have had many discussions about Slatons desire to sanction Jelincic Feckners revelation proves that Slaton had zero excuse for not providing Jelincic with the specific charges so that he could respond and refute any pretext for the board holding a trial.

Jelincic was repeatedly promised that his disciplinary hearing would be held in public. CalPERS engaged in a bait and switch. To his credit, even though Jelincics persecutor Bill Slaton proposed a star chamber, board president Robert Feckner initially agreed Jelincics request for a public process. Feckner also pointed out that since the claim was that Jelincic had engaged in leaks, that there would be no harm in discussing the allegations, since the matters at hand would be public. 1

Feckner reaffirmed that commitment after the mid-January board meeting, on January 23, as you can see from the first document embedded at the end of this post. Feckners retreat from transparency and fair dealing started on February 10, as shown in the second embedded document. This was the sole content of an e-mail to Jelnicic, with a cc to Feckners assistant Karen Perkins. The commitment to putting the matter on the agenda and having the Board render judgment has been abandoned; now we have a private process, with the initial meeting supposedly for Slaton to present his charges, and Jelincic to have an opportunity to respond, specifically:

But whether or not you say anything at the meeting, my thought is that youll have two weeks to get back to me, at which time well meet again and you can say whatever youd like and present whatever documents youd like. After that, Ill determine whether any action is necessary. I assure you that you and Bill will have ample opportunity to present information and respond before any decision will be made.

The next day, Jelincic sent a notice of adverse interests to CalPERS general counsel, Matt Jacobs. For non-lawyers, this was a legal notification to CalPERS that its position was opposed to Jelnicic and that CalPERS lawyers therefore could not represent him. Jelincics status as an adverse party also implies that any documents or communication to him or his legal representative with respect to this disciplinary matter would not be subject to attorney-client privilege. There is precedent for board members being adverse to CalPERS, the highest profile example occurring in 2001, when state controller Kathleen Connell sued CalPERS.

CalPERS did agree to let Jelincic engage his own lawyer, Karl Olson, at CalPERS expense. CalPERS brought in its fiduciary counsel Ashley Dunning to handle what was presented as an initial discussion, which took place in early April. In setting up the meeting, Dunning stated that there were no charges or even potential charges against Jelincic, merely complaints by Slaton. Karl Olson told me that Dunning insisted the meeting was attorney-client privileged, a position he disagrees with and every attorney to which I have spoken regards as absurd in light of Jelincic having sent a notice of adverse interests. For instance, from a former California prosecutor via e-mail:

There can be no claim of attorney-client privilege. JJ was an adverse party  the privilege goes poof. There can be no authority for her ludicrous position. You provide a document to an adverse party without a prior NDA [non-disclosure agreement], privilege waived as to the entire world, game/set/match.

Despite Feckner setting out clearly, in writing, that Jelincic would be offered time and an opportunity to respond to charges before he made his decision, the only substantive discussion was the early April videoconference call. So not only was the entire proceeding a star chamber but to make matters even worse, only one side was given the opportunity to present its case. Jelincic had stated and Feckner had agreed that Jelincic would need time to organize information and present an effective rebuttal to Slaton, who had had months to develop his information and refine his case with Matt Jacobs.

The CalPERS side had indeed been ginning up this show trial for some time. As we noted in January:

While most of the board members seemed uncomfortable proceeding with a formal matter against Jelincic, none had the courage to challenge Slaton. If you watch carefully, you will see that the ones who are keen to punish Jelincic are Slaton, board president Rob Feckner, and Priya Mathur. Feckner says he has had many conversations with the general counsel on this matter (and please read law professor and former general counsel Bill Blacks assessment that Jacobs role is partisan and the advice he is giving is not just wrongheaded but actually destructive to CalPERS). See the third document at the end of the post for yet another example of Slaton engaging in trumped-up charges against Jelincic. A member of the state attorney generals office just last week confirmed Jelincics view that sending informational material to the rest of the board does not constitute a serial meeting.

How did Feckner respond to Jelincic throwing down a rhetorical gauntlet?

Feckner ignored Jelincic. Over two hours later, at the end of the meeting, Feckner made a statement that he had already prepared, in response to to board candidate Michael Flahermans public comment the moth prior. From the April Board of Administration meeting, starting at 43:45:

Michael Flaherman, Visiting Scholar, UC Berkeley: Good morning. Im Michael Flaherman. Im a retiree of CalPERS. Im also a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley. The reason I wanted to address you this morning is that I see that youre about to have a briefing on cybersecurity, and I want to call your attention to an alert that was put out by a major law firm Kirkland & Ellis, which advises probably a third of the private equity managers you do business with. And Im just going read just a couple of sentences. The title of this portion is called Drawdown Scam. Kirkland has recently been made aware of cyber criminals targeting private equity sponsors and their drawdown practices. Thats calling capital from you. In these attacks, the prevalence of which is unclear, cyber criminals have hacked into sponsors systems  sponsors meaning private equity firm  and obtained drawdown notices and LP information. The criminals then used fake drawdown requests with changed bank account details in an attempt to steal funds from LPs. There are two reasons I bring this up. First, youre having this cybersecurity briefing. But the second reason I bring it up is because I called Mr. Jelincics attention to this about a month ago, when I first became aware of it. And Im concerned that if he chooses to raise the issue in closed session, this could become another of these very strange situations where accused of leaking something that was actually told to him, but it appears to you that hes telling it to others. Thats a great concern. Im also here, I guess, to raise the larger issue that Im quite perplexed about the status of his censure. Its been, I think, more than three months since he was promised a public process. And

I think weve all been waiting to see the charges, to see a public process, and nothing has happened. Could  could some kind of statement from the Board President be made about the status of whats going on with that? Board President Robert Feckner: When Im prepared to do so, there will be one. Flaherman: So youre not prepared to make a statement. Feckner: I am not. Flaherman: So we have a situation of secret charges, and a secret trial, and.. Feckner: No, I said when Im prepared to Flaherman: Well, thats very unfortunate. Thank you very much.

Not surprisingly, Feckner this month at 2:10:36 completely brushes past the issue of how illegitimate and one-sided this entire procedure has been:

Feckner: I do want to address a comment that was made last month under public comment. I state that I held a meeting with Mr. Jelincic and his counsel and Mr. Slaton. I listened intently to all the information delivered by both sides, then rendered my decision. And my decision was that Mr. Jelincic had violated our confidentiality rules. I then a month ago met with Mr. Jelincic about the issue, informed him that he was going to be receiving training, additional training in Bagley-Keene and open meeting laws. And with that, I considered the matter to be closed. And the same comment Ive had for the media the past, I will not disclose the information, because it was a confidential matter, and in doing so I would be violating the same issue. So as far as I am concerned, this matter is closed.

To conclude:

Its an insult to justice as well as intelligence for Feckner to depict CalPERS cover up as virtuous and justified. The entire board stood by as Slaton smeared Jelincic while presenting not an iota of evidence. Jacobs piled on procedurally, proof that this sorry charade was planned and Jacobs was putting his finger firmly on the scale. Jelincic was repeatedly told that he would have a public process and ample time to respond. CalPERS reneged on all these promises. Normally, disciplinary proceedings are held confidence to protect the reputation of the accused. Here, instead, we have Jelincic victimized in public and the proceedings dragged behind closed doors. This is all about protecting power-abusing perps rather than doing what is best for CalPERS beneficiaries and the board. Any board member who stood pat while this inquisition went forward has to recognize that they can be hauled up for and found guilty of phonied-up charges too. Slaton and Jacobs had over two months to prepare for a session that was promised to be held in public. The very fact that they maneuvered it into private strongly suggests whatever complaints Slaton had would not stand up to scrutiny. As weve indicated repeatedly, and Jelincic selectively indicated, the complaints against him appear reflect board ignorance as to what is in the public domain. The fact that something is discussed in CalPERS closed session does not make information confidential. Public information does not magically become confidential by discussing it in camera. Jelincic was never given a proper opportunity to respond to the evidence presented against him. He promised a minimum of two weeks to respond to the information presented against him. Instead, Feckner rendered a decision knowing that Jelnicic was not given the time or opportunity to rebut Slatons claims against him. Slatons remarks about Jelincic in January were and still are defamatory and unsubstantiated. The fact that a demand for resignation led only to Jelincic going to a training that he say he would have wanted to attend regardless strongly suggests that there was nothing to them and the star chamber censure was to preserve the boards tattered image rather than serve the interests of CalPERS beneficiaries. CalPERS attorneys are all too willing to treat CalPERS as a law unto itself. As white collar criminologist and law professor Bill Black wrote: Feckners revelation also means that Feckner and Jacobs have zero excuse for not insisting that Slaton provide Jelincic and them with the specific charges before Slaton made the facially slanderous charges at the board meeting that I quoted. It is a breach of their and Slatons fiduciary duties to CalPERS to knowingly allow one board member to accuse another board member of committing a crime under California law without having vetted the claim to demonstrate that it was well-founded. Jacobs actions go against every normal reflex of a corporate general counsel. The general counsel is supposed to play a leadership role in rehabilitating a corporate culture like CalPERS that has lost its integrity. Jacobs has failed this test. Ashley Dunning, who is purported to be a reputable attorney, is stooping to CalPERS dubious standards with her conduct in this hearing and her astonishing efforts to gag Jelincic through her over-reaching claims that the bogus April hearing and related communications are attorney-client privileged when Jelnicic sent a notice of adverse interest before she was even assigned to his matter.

As Bill Black warned CalPERS board:

Your job is not protecting officers and board members from criticism by Jelincic when they fail to work aggressively to fix that toxic culture. CalPERS culture became toxic over a decade ago precisely because there was no one like Jelincic on the board who was willing to criticize and willing to ask the officers the demanding questions that a real fiduciary asks when serving on a board. The long practice of CalPERS board members protecting this organization has been causing devastating harm to CalPERS members for over a decade. To fix CalPERS, California should appoint more people like Jelincic.

_____

1 Also bear in mind that had a public hearing taken place and staff and board members were concerned that some of the accusations or defense might require discussing confidential material, the board could use the same process that judges do, to go into chambers, decide what could be aired publicly versus what if any needed to be handled off line, and proceed accordingly.

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By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends much of her time in Asia and is currently researching a book about textile artisans. She also writes regularly about legal, political economy, and regulatory topics for various consulting clients and publications, as well as scribbles occasional travel pieces for The National.

It will surprise virtually no one whos been paying attention to hear that the Trump administration is ground zero for a certain brand of climate denialism and is especially close to the fossil fuels industry. Trump selected then-Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as Secretary of State and chose Scott Pruitt who in his former role as attorney general for the state of Oklahoma, filed several lawsuits to block federal climate change initiatives as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The headline of a Saturday New York Times article minces no words on cui bono from Pruitt assuming that role: How Rollbacks at Scott Pruitts E.P.A. Are a Boon to Oil and Gas.

Right out of the box, the administration and its congressional allies have worked to roll back existing initiatives to constrain the fossil fuel industry. As just one minor, but fully-completed example, lets look at measures the Securities and Exchange Commission had adopted that would have forced extractive industries to report their payments made to governments for the commercial development of oil, natural gas or minerals, and were due to come into effect in 2018. As I wrote in a January post, Republicans to Use CRA to Roll Back Midnight Rules and Benefit Oil Companies:

The rules  mandated by the 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation are just one policy intended to address the resource curse that blights countries with ample natural resources (the US position requiring disclosure on this issue was lauded in a Wall Street Journal op-ed by then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who called on Europe to do the same). Government officials and the wealthy siphon off and mineral wealth in these countries, at the expense of the majority of a countrys citizens; in general, countries well-endowed with natural resources boast lower rates of economic growth compared to those that lack such advantages. The rationale behind these rules is that by requiring issuers to disclose the payments i.e., bribes theyve had to pay to develop national resources, internal and external campaigners will have necessary information to pressure governments to cease their corrupt practices. These disclosure rules have long been a bugbear of energy companies which earlier sued successfully to overturn a 2012 predecessor version overturned, resulting in a 2013 federal district court decision sending the rules back to the SEC to start again.

As I wrote at that time, Republicans pledged to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA), to invalidate those rules, and indeed did follow through on this promise. I refer interested readers to these two posts for further details, Republicans Deploy CRA Authority to Roll Back Regulations and Trump and Congress Use Congressional Review Act to Roll Back 14 Midnight Rules; More to Follow?

So, that should leave extractive industries, such as oil and gas companies, sitting pretty and no longer obliged to observe extractive industry disclosure rules, right?

Well, not so fast. As the FCPA.com blog reports today, These 77 countries have extractive industries disclosure rules. On the consumption side, that includes France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Fifty-one of these are members of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and are subject to its requirements.

The bottom line here is that scuppering the new SEC extractive industries disclosure rule has no impact on the extensive framework that other countries are separately building to confront this problem. And I should further note, although the US has rejected the new rule, the existing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act imposes its own anti-bribery restrictions, which I discuss at further length on this post, The Obamamometers Toxic Legacy: The Rule of Lawlessness, and to which extractive industries are subject as indeed are all other US public companies.

Climate Change Campaign Promise: Scuppering US Support for the Paris Climate Accord

Trump has clearly committed to pulling out of the Paris accord. Of course, his track record has been shall we say, somewhat erratic on following through on his numerous admittedly contradictory campaign pledges. Yet so far, Trump has not abandoned commitments concerning fossil fuels and climate change, as I report in this post, Trump Approves Keystone XL Pipeline, Making Good on Campaign Promise. So the wise betting line is that sometime soon, Trump will pull out of the Paris agreement. That course of action seems best to accord both with Trumps personnel decisions, and the actions he and they have taken so far.

Yet in an article published today, US warned on dangers of abandoning Paris climate accord, the Financial Times reports on a recent interview it conducted with the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, Ben van Beurden, an avowed supporter of the Paris climate deal, warning that Trump will put American companies at a disadvantage and weaken the USs global standing if he pulls out of the Paris climate deal. The FT account notes further that Shells seeks to increase its investment in green technology, as the world reduces its dependence on fossil fuels, the companys longtime lifeblood.

Significantly, according to the FT account:

Mr van Beurden broke ranks with chief executives who have been reluctant to challenge the US president publicly by declaring that Mr Trumps pledge to abandon the Paris accord would be self-defeating. It would be unhelpful on a number of fronts, . With the US being the largest investment destination for a company like Shell, yes, I think I would regret having a lot of business here that potentially could be at a disadvantage because of [the] implications of that decision to pull out of Paris.

I found van Beurdens action to be interesting so much so, that I want to note it in a post, even though I think its most likely that Trump will persevere and ultimately seek to withdraw the US from its Paris commitments. Yet I concur that any US climbdown on its support for renewable energy as expressed in the Paris accord would have consequences for US manufacturers of products such as solar panels, wind turbines, and other power equipment. Demand for these is increasing as the appetite for renewable power grows, according to the FT:

The US has a major crop of companies that deliver technologies that are going to be relevant in the energy transition, said Mr van Beurden, and one way or another they will also find themselves probably more disadvantaged than advantaged by the US pulling out [of Paris]. So I cannot see where the upside is.

What Happens Next?

So, does a possible future US withdrawal from Paris commitments spell the death knell of efforts to arrest or at minimum, slow climate change? Again, not so fast. Let me discuss just one area of seeming progress. I draw the attention of readers to a further editorial, in todays New York Times, entitled China and India Make Big Strides on Climate Change. Permit me to quote from this at length:

Until recently, China and India have been cast as obstacles, at the very least reluctant conscripts, in the battle against climate change. That reputation looks very much out-of-date now that both countries have greatly accelerated their investments in cost-effective renewable energy sources  and reduced their reliance on fossil fuels. Its America  Donald Trumps America  that now looks like the laggard. According to research released last week at a United Nations climate meeting in Germany, China and India should easily exceed the targets they set for themselves in the 2015 Paris Agreement signed by more than 190 countries. Chinas emissions of carbon dioxide appear to have peaked more than 10 years sooner than its government had said they would. And India is now expected to obtain 40 percent of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2022, eight years ahead of schedule. Every one of the Paris signatories will have to reduce emissions to ward off the worst consequences of global warming  devastating droughts, melting glaciers and unstoppable sea level rise. But the tangible progress by the worlds number one producer of greenhouse gases (China) and its number three (India) are astonishing nonetheless, and worth celebrating.

The editorial here takes a swipe at the Trump administrations claims (which echo those of Dick Cheney and George W. Bush) that measures to combat global warming would impose unacceptable economic costs and cost jobs. Instead, according to the NYT:

China and India are finding that doing right by the planet need not carry a big economic cost and can actually be beneficial. By investing heavily in solar and wind, they and others like Germany have helped drive down the cost of those technologies to a point where, in many places, renewable sources can generate electricity more cheaply than dirtier sources of energy like coal. In a recent auction in India, developers of solar farms offered to sell electricity to the grid for 2.44 rupees per kilowatt-hour. That is about 50 percent less than what solar farms bid a year earlier and about 24 percent less than the average price for energy generated by coal-fired power plants.

I should point out that although this may all be news to the NYT editorial board, these issues are kicked around in the robust and lively Indian (English-language) press (and the general scope of the story began to become apparent, in the last half dozen years or so, in specialty energy publications and elsewhere). Just yesterday, for example, The Times of Indias Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar, who writes the Swaminomics column, advocated g taking advantage of record low solar power tariffs  set at 2.44 INR per kilowatt hour (3.78 US cents at an auction earlier this month which are expected to continue to decline further, by as much as one-half instead of expanding nuclear capacity, in this piece, Dont go for pricey foreign N-power plants when solars going dirt-cheap. (I should note that this piece concedes This price cloaks implicit subsidies like cheap land, accelerated depreciation, and hidden costs for transmission and the backing down of thermal plants. But nuclear power also gets cheap land, cheap insurance (a huge subsidy) and guaranteed offtake.)

The point of this post is not to discuss in detail the economics of Chinese or Indian power generation (and the various hidden and explicit subsidies that make it difficult to assess the costs of various types of energy production). Nor do I wish to dwell on any scientific discussion of whether these non-US actions are all occurring too little, too late. Instead, I want to make readers aware that while Trump has apparently doubled down on a pro-fossil fuels policy and is likely to stay that course, theres been a huge shift by the worlds two most populous countries away from fossil fuels. This can only promise at least some benefit for the future although as many members of the commentariat will no doubt emphasize and with which I agree, much more needs to be done, and soon.
By Peter Van Buren, who blew the whistle on State Department waste and mismanagement during the Iraqi reconstruction in We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People. He writes about current events at We Meant Well. His newest book, Hoopers War: A Novel of WWII Japan, has just been published. Originally published at TomDispatch

My guilt will never go away, former Marine Matthew Hoh explained to me. There is a significant portion of me that doesnt believe it should be allowed to go away, that this pain is fair.

If America accepts the idea of fighting endless wars, it will have to accept something else as well: that the costs of war are similarly endless. Im thinking about the trillions of dollars, the million or more enemy dead (a striking percentage of them civilians), the tens of thousands of American combat casualties, those 20 veteran suicides each day, and the diminished lives of those who survive all of that. Theres that pain, carried by an unknown number of women and men, that wont disappear, ever, and that goes by the label moral injury.

The Lasting Pain of War

When I started Hoopers War, a novel about the end of World War II in the Pacific, I had in mind just that pain. I was thinking  couldnt stop thinking, in fact  about what really happens to people in war, combatants and civilians alike. The need to tell that story grew in large part out of my own experiences in Iraq, where I spent a year embedded with a combat unit as a U.S. State Department employee, and where I witnessed, among so many other horrors, two soldier suicides.

The new book began one day when Facebook retrieved photos of Iraqi children I had posted years ago, with a cheery See Your Memories caption on them. Oh yes, I remembered. Then, on the news, I began seeing places in Iraq familiar to me, but this time being overrun by Islamic State militants or later being re-retaken with the help of another generation of young Americans. And I kept running into people whod been involved in my war and were all too ready to share too many drinks and tell me too much about what I was already up all too many nights thinking about.

As these experiences morphed first into nightmares and then into the basis for research, I found myself speaking with more veterans of more wars who continued to suffer in ways they had a hard time describing, but which they wrestled with everyday. I realized that I understood them, even as they seemed to be trying to put their feelings into words for the first time. Many of them described how they had entered the battle zones convinced that were the good guys, and then had to live with the depth of guilt and shame that followed when that sense didnt survive the test of events.

Sometimes they were remarkably articulate, sometimes anything but. It seemed not to matter which war we were talking about  or whether I was reading a handwritten diary from the Korean War, an oral history of the Pacific War, or an old bestseller about a conflict ironically labeled the Good War. The story always seemed to be the same: decisions made in seconds that lasted lifetimes, including the uncomfortable balancing of morality and expediency in situations in which a soldier might believe horrific acts like torture could save lives or had to accept civilian casualties in pursuit of military objectives. In war, you were always living in a world in which no action seemed ideal and yet avoiding acting was often inconceivable.

PTSD and Moral Injury

Matthew Hoh, that former Marine, now a veterans advocate, introduced me to the phrase moral injury, though the term is usually attributed to clinical psychiatrist Jonathan Shay. He coined it in 1991 while working for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

We are, of course, beings with a complex sense of right and wrong, which can be messed with in disastrous ways. There are boundaries inside us that cant be crossed without a great price being paid. Though the term moral injury is fairly new, especially outside military circles, the idea is as old as war. When people sent into conflict find their sense of right and wrong tested, when they violate deeply held convictions by doing something (such as killing a civilian in error) or failing to do something (such as not reporting a war crime), they suffer an injury to their core being.

Examples of this phenomenon are relatively commonplace in popular culture. Think of scenes from Tim OBriens iconic Vietnam War book, The Things They Carried, William Manchesters World War II odyssey, Goodbye Darkness, William Styrons Sophies Choice, or films like William Wylers The Best Years of Our Lives and Oliver Stones Platoon.

You can find similar examples as far back as the Iliad and as recently as late last night. Lisa Ling, for instance, was a former Air Force technical sergeant who worked in Americas armed drone program before turning whistleblower. She was perhaps typical when she told the makers of the documentary film National Bird that, in helping carry out drone strikes which killed people across the globe by remote control, I lost part of my humanity.

Once upon a time, society expressed skepticism or worse toward such formulations, calling those who emerged visibly suffering from the acts of war cowards or dismissing them as fakes and frauds. Yet today post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a widely acknowledged condition that can be identified by MRI tests.

PTSD and moral injury often occur together. I think having both PTSD and moral injury are the normal things for us, Ling says of those in the drone program. Moral injury, however, takes place at the intersection of psychology and spirituality, and so is, in a sense, all in someones head. When experiencing moral injury, a person wields guilt and/or shame as a self-inflicted penalty for a choice made. PTSD is more physical, more fear-based, and often a more direct response to an event or events witnessed in war.

Think of it this way: PTSD is more likely to result from seeing something terrible, moral injury from doing something terrible.

Civilians, Too

Moral injury doesnt just affect soldiers, but civilians, too. Noncombatants are not just victims or targets, but often complex participants in war. This reality led me, as my book developed, to interview now-elderly Japanese who had experienced World War II as children. They described the horrific choices they faced, even at a young age. In a wartime landscape of hunger, survival often depended on small, grim acts that would never be forgotten.

Sometimes, I sensed in talking to them, as in interviewing former soldiers, that the psychic injuries of wartime dont end until the sufferers do. Moral injury turns out to be a debt that often can never be repaid.

Those survivors of the end of the war in Japan who got the food necessary to live had to pay a price for knowing what happened to those who didnt. In a landscape ravaged by war, just because something wasnt your fault doesnt mean it wont be your responsibility. An act as simple as which of her children a mother offered a disappearing supply of water to first could mean the difference between life and death. And though, in truth, it might have been impossible in such circumstances and at such an age to know that you were responsible for the death of your sister or brother, 70 years later you might still be thinking about it with an almost unbearable sense of guilt.

And heres a small footnote: Did you know that its possible to sit quietly on a Tokyo park bench in 2017, perfectly aware of whose distant relatives and countrymen dropped the bombs that took away the water that forced that mother to make that decision, and still shamefully continue taking notes, saying nothing as you witness someone elses breakdown?

The Trip Back

What help can there be for something so human?

There are, of course, the bad answers, all too often including opioids and alcohol. But sufferers soon learn that such substances just send the pain off to ambush you at another moment, and yet, as many told me, you may still look forward to the mornings first throat-burning shot of something strong. Drinking and drugs have a way, however temporarily, of wiping out hours of pain that may stretch all the way back to the 1940s. You drink in the dark places, even after you understand that in the darkness you can see too much.

Tragically, suicide is never far from moral injury. The soul isnt that big a place.

One former soldier told me hes never forgiven his neighbor for talking him out of going into the garage with his rifle. Another said the question wasnt why he might commit suicide, but why he hadnt. Someone I met knows vets who have a designated driver, a keeper not of the car keys but of their guns during emotional rough patches.

The Department of Veterans Affairs counts a stunning average of 20 veteran suicides a day in America. About 65% of those are individuals 50 years old or older with little or no exposure to the countrys twenty-first-century conflicts. No one tracks the suicide rate for civilians who survive war, but its hard to imagine that it isnt high as well. The cause of all those self-inflicted deaths cant, of course, be traced to any one thing, but the pain that grows out of moral injury is patient.

For such sufferers, however, progress is being made, even if the trip back is as complex as the individual. The Department of Veterans Affairs now acknowledges moral injury and its effects, and in 2014 Syracuse University created the Moral Injury Project to bring together vets, doctors, and chaplains to work on how to deal with it. In the meantime, psychologists are developing diagnostic assessment tools for what some call soul repair.

One effective path back seems to be through helping patients sort out just what happened to them and, when it comes to remembered transgressions, what part of those may be their own responsibility (though not necessarily their own fault). What doesnt work, according to Matthew Hoh, is trying to convince veterans who view themselves as damaged that, in the present American manner, they are really heroes.

Others suffering moral injury may try to deal with it by seeking forgiveness.

Lisa Ling, for example, traveled to Afghanistan, with a desire to truly grasp her role in a drone program that regularly killed its victims from thousands of miles away. To her surprise, during an encounter with the relatives of some civilian victims of such drone strikes, they forgave her. I didnt ask for forgiveness, Ling told me, referring to what she had done in the drone program, because what I did was unforgivable.

Killing by remote control requires many hands. Ling worked on databases and IT networking. Analysts studied the information in those databases to recommend humans to target. Sensor operators manipulated lasers to pinpoint where a drone pilot would eventually slam his missile home for the kill.

Like all of us, she added, I spent time on the mission floor, or at briefings where I saw and heard devastating things, or blatant lies, but to actually connect my individual work to single events wasnt possible due to the diffusion of responsibility. For sensor operators, it is more like stepping on ants. For analysts, they get to know people over time. As watchers and listeners they describe an intimacy that comes with predictably knowing their family patterns. Kissing the kids, taking children to school, and then seeing these same people die.

Moral Injury and Whistleblowers.

Another way back is for the sufferer to try to rebalance the internal scales a little by making amends of some sort. In the case of moral injury, this can often mean drawing a line between who one was then and who one might be now. Think of it as an attempt to re-inscribe those internal borders that were transgressed so long ago.

Perhaps not so surprisingly, the connections between moral injury and whistleblowing, like those between moral injury and suicide, appear to run deep.

For example, Iraq War whistleblower Chelsea Mannings decision to leak video of civilian deaths caused by members of the U.S. military may have been her version of amends, driven by guilt over silently witnessing war crimes. Among the acts she saw, for instance, was a raid on a printing facility that had been billed as an al-Qaeda location but wasnt. The U.S. military had, in fact, been tricked into shutting down the work of political opponents of Iraqs then-prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. Until Manning finally tells her story, this remains speculative, but I was at the same forward operating base in Iraq as she was and know what happened and how it affected me, as well as the others around us.

Whistleblowers (and I was one of them) talk of conscience, of a realization that we were part of something that was wrong. Jonathan Shay suggests that the failure of moral agency does not have to rest with the individual alone. It can involve witnessing a betrayal of whats right by a person in legitimate authority.

That part of moral injury could help explain one of the most significant whistleblowers of our time. In talking about his reasons for blowing the whistle, Edward Snowden invoked questions of right and wrong when it came to the actions of senior American government officials. It would be a worthy question to put to Snowden: How much guilt and shame  the hallmarks of moral injury  do you retain from having been part of the surveillance state, and how much was your whistleblowing driven by trying to rid yourself of it?

After all, for those suffering from moral injury, the goal is always the same: to somehow reclaim the good parts of oneself and to accept  but not be eternally defined by  what one did or didnt do.

I know, because for me, this is so much more than fiction.

My War at Home

You mean that Vietnam helicopter thing? A well-meaning family doctor asked me this when I got back from Iraq in 2010, referring to the way some vets react to the sound of a helicopter, sending them back to the jungle. No, no, far more than that, I responded, and told him a little about my sorry role in administering reconstruction projects in Iraq and how it left me more interested in vodka than my family. That was my own personal taste of moral injury, of a deeply felt failure to accomplish any of the good Id hoped to do, let down by senior leaders I once believed in. Its why I tell the story in Hoopers War in reverse order, opening with a broken Nate Hooper in his late eighties finally finding a form of redemption for the events of a few weeks at war when he was 18. By moving toward an innocent boy as far away in rural Ohio as one can be from war, I felt I was working through my own experience of the damage war causes deep inside the self.

In tallying the costs of war, whats the price of a quick death versus a slow one? A soldier who leaves his brains on the wall in the den two decades after his war ended or one whose body remains untouched but who left his mind 10,000 miles away?

The price of endless war is beyond calculation. As our wars continue to morph and roll on, the costs  financial, emotional, and in blood  only pile up as the men and women who have been welcomed home as if it were all over continue to be torn apart. The nasty conclusion on the scales of moral injury: that our endless conflicts may indeed have left our society, one that just cant stop itself from making war, among the casualties.
Graphene-based sensor could improve evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of asthma (Nanowerk News) Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists have created a graphene-based sensor that could lead to earlier detection of looming asthma attacks and improve the management of asthma and other respiratory diseases, preventing hospitalizations and deaths.

The sensor paves the way for the development of devices - possibly resembling fitness trackers like the Fitbit - which people could wear and then know when and at what dosage to take their medication.

"Our vision is to develop a device that someone with asthma or another respiratory disease can wear around their neck or on their wrist and blow into it periodically to predict the onset of an asthma attack or other problems," said Mehdi Javanmard, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "It advances the field of personalized and precision medicine."

Exhaled breath condensate (tiny droplets of liquid) are rapidly analyzed by a graphene-based nanoelectronic sensor that detects nitrite, a key inflammatory marker in the inner lining of the respiratory airway. (Image: Azam Gholizadeh)

Javanmard and a diverse team of Rutgers-New Brunswick experts describe their invention in a study published online today in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering (doi:10.0.4.14/micronano.2017.22).

Asthma, which causes inflammation of the airway and obstructs air flow, affects about 300 million people worldwide. About 17.7 million adults and 6.3 million children in the United States were diagnosed with asthma in 2014. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Other serious lung ailments include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which encompasses emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Today's non-invasive methods for diagnosing and monitoring asthma are limited in characterizing the nature and degree of airway inflammation, and require costly, bulky equipment that patients cannot easily keep with them. The methods include spirometry, which measures breathing capacity, and testing for exhaled nitric oxide, an indicator of airway inflammation. There's an urgent need for improved, minimally invasive methods for the molecular diagnosis and monitoring of asthma, the study says.

Measuring biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate - tiny liquid droplets discharged during breathing - can contribute to understanding asthma at the molecular level and lead to targeted treatment and better disease management.

The Rutgers researchers' miniaturized electrochemical sensor accurately measures nitrite in exhaled breath condensate using reduced graphene oxide. Reduced graphene oxide resists corrosion, has superior electrical properties and is very accurate in detecting biomarkers. Graphene is a thin layer of the graphite used in pencils.

"Nitrite level in breath condensate is a promising biomarker for inflammation in the respiratory tract. Having a rapid, easy method to measure it can help an asthmatic determine if air pollutants are affecting them so they can better manage use of medication and physical activity," said Clifford Weisel, study co-author and professor at Rutgers' Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI). "It could also be used in a physician's office and emergency departments to monitor the effectiveness of various anti-inflammatory drugs to optimize treatment."

"Increases in airway inflammation may be an early warning sign of increased risk of an asthma attack or exacerbation of COPD, allowing for earlier and more-effective preventive measures or treatment," said Robert Laumbach, study co-author and an occupational and environmental medicine physician at EOHSI.

"Just looking at coughing, wheezing and other outward symptoms, diagnosis accuracy is often poor, so that's why this idea of monitoring biomarkers continuously can result in a paradigm shift," said Javanmard, who works in the School of Engineering. "The ability to perform label-free quantification of nitrite content in exhaled breath condensate in a single step without any sample pre-treatment resolves a key bottleneck to enabling portable asthma management."

The next step is to develop a portable, wearable system, which could be commercially available within five years, he said. The researchers also envision expanding the number of inflammation biomarkers a device could detect and measure.
Successful synthesis of nanomaterial that improves catalytic converter efficiency (Nanowerk News) A large international collaboration has successfully synthesised highly porous rhodium nanoparticles that could be used as a more effective catalytic converter for vehicles.

The mesoporous rhodium nanoparticles, produced using a soft template and simple solution chemistry, were thermally stable up to 400C and three to four time more effective than normal catalytic converters.

Mesoporous nanoparticles are used as catalytic converters to reduce the pollution from vehicle exhaust by converting toxic gases and pollutants to less toxic pollutants.

The research has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of pollution caused by cars and trucks.

The study, led by Bo Jiang and Prof Yusuke Yamauchi of the National Institute of Materials Science and Waseda University in Tokyo and the University Wollongong, was published in Nature Communications ("Mesoporous metallic rhodium nanoparticles").

The polymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methylmethacrylate (PEO-b-PMMA) self- assembled into spherical micelles with the addition of water. (Image: ANSTO)

Professor Yamauchi said the porous rhodium nanoparticles could make a dramatic improvement to air pollution in cities around the world.

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was performed on the Quokka instrument at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering by Dr Katy Wood and Dr Md Shahriar Hossain, Senior Research Fellow from the University of Wollongong, to characterise the micelles in solution at two stages of the five step process.

Researchers from Waseda University in Japan, Bilkent University in Turkey, and Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahaman Agricultural University in Bangladesh also contributed to the study.

Growing metals inside hard templates, such as mesoporous silica, had previously been achieved but there have been few reports of the synthesis of mesoporous rhodium catalysts.

The use of a soft template is considered a robust platform to prepare various types of metallic nanoparticles and nanostructured films with uniform mesoporous architecture,

Synthesis by chemical reduction

Because rhodium is characterised by stable, closely packed atoms, it is less reactive chemically under mild conditions.

The investigators overcame this challenge by their selection of polymer precursor, reduction agent and mixing solvent.

The polymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methylmethacrylate (PEO-b-PMMA) self- assembled into spherical micelles with the addition of water.

The micelles act as a soft yet robust template for mesoporous nanostructures.

When a solution of Na 3 RhCl 6 was added, composite micelles were formed.

After undergoing nucleation, they coalesced and grew into mesoporous rhodium nanostructures that could be extracted using a solvent.

Characterising the micelles

Because the micelles act a template for the formation of the nanoparticles, the Investigators needed to fully characterise them in solution.

SANS was able to determine the size of the micelles, which was approximately 20 nanometres, and confirm that they were homogenous, well-shaped spheres, said Wood.

Because the polymer molecule is defining the pores, it opens up the possibility of changing pore size or other modification to tune the final product, said Wood.

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) patterns of two types of polymeric micelle solutions undertaken on the Quokka instrument.

Quokka measurements also indicated that the micelles did not change shape after the addition of the metal precursor, which was an important consideration.

Transmission electron microscopy was also used for a visual characterisation of the micelles.

Low angle X-ray diffraction provided detailed information about the pores; confirmed the openings were uniform in size and closely packed and suggested the particles were purely metallic.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the electron state of the rhodium surface.

The investigators also gained insight into the atomic mechanism that contributed to the formation of the mesoporous structure.

Ultraviolet-vis absorption spectroscopy suggested the dissolved metal ions coordinate to the micelle surface and drove the nucleation of the rhodium precursor.
New therapy for atherosclerosis based on nanopolymer (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) and the Sheba Medical Center have developed a new therapy to treat atherosclerosis and prevent heart failure with a new biomedical polymer that reduces arterial plaque and inflammation in the cardiovascular system.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease causes 56 million deaths annually worldwide, according to the 2015 Lancet Global Burden of Disease Report. Arteries are lined by a thin layer of cells called the "endothelium" which keep them toned and smooth and maintain blood flow. Atherosclerosis begins with damage to the endothelium and is caused by high blood pressure, smoking or high cholesterol. The resulting damage leads to plaque formation.

When endothelial cells experience inflammation, they produce a molecule called "E-selectin," which brings white blood cells (monocytes) to the area and causes plaque accumulation in the arteries.

"Our E-selectin-targeting polymer reduces existing plaque and prevents further plaque progression and inflammation, preventing arterial thrombosis, ischemia, myocardial infarction, and stroke," says Prof. Ayelet David of the BGU Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology.

This innovative nano-polymer has several advantages. First, it targets only damaged tissue and does not harm healthy tissue. At present, there are several available treatment options for atherosclerosis, but no other therapy reverses arterial damage and improves the heart muscle. Lastly, the polymer has no side effects, unlike statins, which are currently the leading medication used for treating atherosclerosis.

Patented and in preclinical stage, the new polymer has been tested on mice with positive results. In a study that has been submitted for publication, the researchers treated atherosclerotic mice with four injections of the new biomedical polymer and tested the change in their arteries after four weeks. "We were stunned by the results," says Prof. David. "The myocardial function of the treated mice was greatly improved, there was less inflammation and a significant decrease in the thickness of the arteries."

Prof. David and collaborator Prof. Jonathan Leor, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of the Sheba Medical Center and professor of cardiology at Tel Aviv University, suggest that this polymer-based therapy can also be helpful to people with diabetes, hypertension and other age-related conditions. "As such, the new polymeric therapy may have life-changing benefits for millions of people," the researchers say.

"This is unprecedented," says Prof. Leor. "We achieved an adherence level similar to that of an antibody, which may explain the strong beneficial effect we observed."
A new approach to forecasting solar flares?

(Nanowerk News) The emerging discipline of space meteorology aims to reliably predict solar flares so that we may better guard against their effects. Using 3D numerical models 1 , an international team headed by Etienne Pariat, a researcher at LESIA (Observatoire de Paris / CNRS / Universite Paris Diderot / UPMC), has discovered a proxy that could be used to forecast an eruptive event. The proxy is associated with magnetic helicity, which reflects the extent of twist and entanglement of the magnetic field. The study is published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics ("Relative magnetic helicity as a diagnostic of solar eruptivity").

Artist's impression of a solar flare and the twisted magnetic field that carries away the ejected solar material. (Image: G.Valori, M. Berger & NASA SDO)

Solar flares or eruptions are one of the most violent phenomena in the Solar System. They coincide with a sudden, violent reconfiguration of the magnetic field, releasing huge amounts of energy that can eject billions of tons of solar material into space at speeds of over a thousand kilometers per second.

Although numerous parameters have been studied, the probability of forecasting a major flare one day in advance is currently no greater than 40%. And yet the most powerful flares can lead to major disruptions on Earth, causing interference with telecommunications or knocking out electrical power grids across entire regions of the world. Our technologies, which are increasingly dependent on electrical components and on satellites (GPS, telephony, etc), are thus ever more sensitive to solar activity, while such flares can even put astronauts' lives in danger.

Time evolution of the value of a quantity based on magnetic helicity, for the various numerical simulations tested. This predictive quantity has high values before the eruption in the eruptive simulations (red, orange and yellow curves) and low values in the non-eruptive cases (black, violet, blue and cyan curves). (Image: E. Pariat)

One of the aims of space meteorology is to forecast solar flares, in the same way as meteorological services forecast storms on Earth. Looking for a predictive parameter, the astrophysicists based their work on 3D numerical simulations, which use computers to reproduce the behavior of the magnetic field in the Sun's atmosphere as well as the formation of sunspots 2 , where eruptions take place. The researchers tested various parametric simulations and analyzed changes in magnetic energy and magnetic helicity, a quantity that measures the extent of entanglement and twist of the magnetic field.

For their study, the researchers carried out computer simulations of two scenarios, one with an eruption and the other without. Their initial calculations confirmed that neither magnetic energies nor the total helicity of the magnetic field fulfilled the criteria for a predictive factor. Using a complex mathematical approach based on the separation of the magnetic field into several components, the researchers successfully obtained a proxy capable of predicting eruptions. The proxy (which compares two helicities in the potentially eruptive region) remains low in non-eruptive scenarios; whereas in every other case it increases significantly before the eruption (see Figures).

Evolution of the magnetic field in two simulations of the formation of active solar regions. Top row: non-eruptive scenario where the configuration remains stable. Bottom row: eruptive scenario.

The study, carried out as part of the HeliSol 3 program, thus opens the way to more effective forecasting of solar flares. The theoretical findings now need to be confirmed by analyzing observations of active solar regions. This is currently being done as part of the European Flarecast project, which aims to set up an automatic system for forecasting flares. (Image: E. Pariat)

Notes

[1] 3D simulations developed at the US Naval Research Laboratory by James Leake (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA) and Mark Linton (Naval Research Laboratory).

[2] A sunspot is a region on the Sun's surface characterized by a lower temperature than surrounding regions and intense magnetic activity.
Smart graphene contact lenses bring wearable electronics to the eye

(Nanowerk Spotlight) Several research projects are working on reinventing the contact lens as a smart electronic device that, for instance, works as a self-powered biosensor for various point-of-care monitoring and wireless biomedical sensing, which may detect in real time the pathogen, bacteria, glucose, and infectious keratitis present in tear fluid. One example is a recently developed sensor for diabetic and glaucoma diagnosis.

In addition to sensors, researchers are devising numerous applications for smart contact lenses, ranging from drug delivery systems to protection from electromagnetic wave damage.

Smart contact lens. Schematics of fully passive, transparent, and conformal all-graphene harmonic sensor designed for various point-of-care monitoring and wireless biomedical sensing. The right panel illustrates an eye-wearable device (smart contact lens) based on the all-graphene harmonic sensor, which may detect in real time the pathogen, bacteria, glucose, and infectious keratitis. (Image: Pai-Yen Chen's research group, Wayne State University) (click on image to enlarge)

An application closer to contact lenses' original function, graphene can change the focal length of a polymeric soft contact lens in order to adjust near- and farsightedness. That means a single contact lens could be multifocal because an active graphene membrane can change its curvature reversibly from flat to a concave or convex shape under an electrical bias.

Due to the mass impermeability of a pristine graphene lattice, graphene also can mitigate ocular dehydration.

Even picture-taking and scanning with contact lenses is not a scene from a science fiction movie anymore. Scientists have developed a graphene light detector has the potential to put heat vision technology into a contact lens. Going a step further, researchers have demonstrated stretchable graphene-metal nanowire electrodes that enable LED fitted soft eye contact lenses.

A recent paper in ACS Nano ("Smart Reinvention of the Contact Lens with Graphene"), by Kyoungjun Choi and Hyung Gyu Park from ETH Zurich, briefly reviews and describes prospects for the future of smart contact lenses that incorporate graphene in their platforms.

The article specifically discusses a recent paper in ACS Nano ("Smart Contact Lenses with Graphene Coating for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Dehydration Protection") that demonstrated extended function of the smart contact lens by coating one side of a hydrogel lens with graphene to protect the eyeball from both strong electromagnetic wave (similar to the 4G and Bluetooth communication frequencies) damage and dehydration discomfort.

An electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effect is a promising feature of graphene use in a smart contact lens. In order to facilitate data communication and power charge, a wireless antenna interacting with electromagnetic waves is likely essential for the smart lens; however, continuous exposure to electromagnetic waves may harm eyeballs by low-temperature burns or dehydration (in an experiment, researchers showed that that egg white underneath a normal soft contact lens was damaged in a microwave oven).

(a) Before and (b) after irradiation of electromagnetic wave onto egg white passivated by graphene-covered and normal contact lenses. ( American Chemical Society)

"In the future, smart contact lenses could be widely used to monitor and to diagnose diseases continuously," the authors conclude. "If equipped with actuator functions, they could also be adapted in therapeutics such as an ocular drug-delivery platforms. Furthermore, lenses equipped with a display application will be able to provide augmented reality as the on-demand information will be projected directly in the field of view."
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.
Sunday, May 21, 2017 by: Frances Bloomfield Tags: applesauce , Beyond Pesticides , Mott's , pesticide , pesticides This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Environmental health organization and anti-pesticide group, Beyond Pesticides, has filed a lawsuit against Motts, a brand under the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. According to Beyond Pesticides, Motts is deliberately misleading its customers by labeling its applesauce products as natural and made with all natural ingredients. Motts applesauce has been found to contain traces of the pesticide acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide that has been attributed to the declining honeybee population, and has also been associated with developmental problems in the brains of children and unborn babies.

The group claimed that Motts labels have led consumers to believe that their applesauce products to be free of synthetic substances; they added that Motts should know or should have known that consumers purchase foods with the natural to try and limit the amount of pesticides they and their families ingest.

In the organizations official press release, Beyond Pesticides Executive Director Jay Feldman criticized the brand, stating: People are looking for food products that are healthy for their family, children, and the environment, and deceptive natural labeling of products grown with pesticides undermines their best intentions. (Related: Neonicotinoid pesticides not just a threat to bees; humans also at risk)

Indeed, LadyFreethinker.org reported that over half of consumers seek out natural foods under the belief that these products clear of pesticides, GMOs, hormones, or artificial ingredients. However, the government has yet to to classify an official designation for the word. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesnt regulate the natural or all natural ingredients labels. This is unsurprising in itself since the FDA approves over 100,000 product labels a year, according to FoodDiver.com.

We have seen the use of the word natural undermine the perceived value of the organic label, which has broader health and environmental benefits, Feldman commented in a statement to LadyFreethinker.org. Litigation on misleading labeling is a strategy that will force the marketplace to drop the use of natural labeling when ingredients are produced or processed with synthetic substances. Feldman further added that Beyond Pesticides would gladly support an outright ban of natural labels, as the majority of consumers are unable to discern the truth in the claims of companies. Adding to this is the fact that consumers have certain expectations for food products that allege to be natural.

As noted by FoodDive.com, Motts is far from being the first brand to come under fire for using the natural label on its products. Nature Valley, Naked Juice, and General Mills have been on the receiving end of lawsuits concerning their package labeling practices. However, all of these are still in the courts and no verdicts have been reached.

The case been filed under the District of Columbias Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The Richman Law Group is representing Beyond Pesticides.

Remain up to date on what pesticides could be tainting your food supply by visiting Pesticides.news. You can also visit Ingredients.news to read up on the products lining the displays of your local grocery.

Sources include:

FoodDive.com

LadyFreethinker.org

BeyondPesticides.org
(Natural News) How many of you, like me, have gone to the doctor feeling really lousy, expecting them to prescribe bed-rest and some medication, only to find yourself going from one place to another for a million blood tests and multiple types of scans  all while you feel like death? And then, you anxiously wait to hear what terrible disease you have, only to never even hear back from the doctor. While this is both annoying and stressful, its actually common practice for doctors because they dont get paid flat salaries, but earn money from all those different services they send you for. This serious conflict of interest was recently addressed by behavioral economists George Loewenstein of Carnegie Mellon University, and Ian Larkin of the University of California, Los Angeles, in an article published by Science Daily.

While the glaring conflict of interest associated with the payments doctors receive from pharmaceutical companies has received widespread attention  like in a reccnt Drug Watch article, which highlighted the fact that doctors and hospitals received $3.5 billion from Big Pharma in 2013  very little attention is paid to the problem of doctors receiving money for sending their patients for additional services.

Professor Loewenstein, a leading expert on conflicts of interest and professor of economics and psychology at CMU, notes that sending patients for multiple additional procedures causes more harm than just wasting patients time and money. He points out that most of these tests and procedures also cause unnecessary pain and discomfort, and that sometimes they can go horribly wrong.

My mother-in-law is an excellent example that proves his point. Having had severe diarrhea for over two weeks recently, she was admitted to the hospital severely dehydrated, with low blood pressure and an erratic heart rhythm. We were all understandably stressed, but the doctor assured her he would find out what was wrong. She ended up spending a week in hospital, during which time the doctor administered multiple courses of antibiotics  in spite of stool tests which confirmed she did not have a bacterial infection  visited her up to three times a day so he could bill her as often as possible; gave her multiple other intravenous medications, in spite of admitting he had no idea what was wrong; sent her for a CT scan; and then sent her for a colonoscopy and gastroscopy. She was understandably stressed by all these invasive, sometimes painful treatments and tests, and with the doctor calling for a colonoscopy, became convinced she had cancer. Then, on the 8th day in hospital, he told her he still had no idea what was wrong with her, but that they had found ulcers in her stomach and that he would send her home with  wait for it  more antibiotics. She went home, having been poked, prodded and stressed, still experiencing diarrhea and basically no clearer about what was wrong with her. Of course, her doctor was smiling all the way to the bank.

Loewenstein and Larkin insist that the only way to prevent these types of distressing, financially draining experiences is to change the way doctors are paid. If they received flat-rate salaries, instead of being incentivized for prescribing these extra services, they argue, costs would come down and patients would only be subjected to truly necessary procedures. They cite the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Californias Kaiser Group as successful examples of institutions where physicians are paid set salaries, without incentives for additional services ordered.

Interestingly, they also note that many doctors would be happier if the system were changed.

The high levels of job dissatisfaction reported by many physicians may result, in part, from the need to navigate the complexities of the fee-for-service arrangements, said Professor Larkin. Instead of focusing on providing patients with the best possible medical care, physicians are forced to consider the ramifications of their decisions for their own paychecks.

It looks like it would be a better system all round, then. Sadly, its unlikely to change anytime soon. In the meantime, its probably best to avoid going to the doctor as much as possible by preventing disease in the first place.

Sources for this article include:

ScienceDaily.com

DrugWatch.com
Monday, May 22, 2017 by: Cassie B. Tags: cancer , glyphosate , Monsanto This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) As the lawsuits filed by cancer patients against Monsanto continue to pile up, more personal stories are coming to light of people who have suffered from exposure to the companys deadly herbicide.

Christine Sheppard knew something was wrong when her leg swelled up dramatically. An ultrasound led to a diagnosis of stage IV large-cell lymphoma. Things went from bad to worse once she started undergoing chemotherapy, which has caused her mobility to suffer. She says she doesnt always know where her feet are and has to look at them to help place them. Eventually, she says, she will end up immobilized because her symptoms are expected to get worse.

Sheppard doesnt get out much these days. She has to avoid crowds and planes because her immune system is so weak that even minor sicknesses can last a long time. She had to sell her Hawaiian coffee farm and move to California for better access to cancer treatment, and she depleted her 401k to cover her medical bills.

She says she longs for her life before getting cancer. Now, she spends her days worrying how much time she has left. She says that if she doesnt take painkillers, she will end up hopping and screaming in pain.

At first, she didnt know what could have caused the illness. After dealing with non-Hodgkins lymphoma for 12 years, she heard that glyphosate had been labeled probably carcinogenic to humans and thats when it clicked: Glyphosate is the main ingredient in Roundup, the herbicide she sprayed on her coffee farm for five years in Hawaii. She says she was incensed when she learned about the connection.

They didnt take away my life, thank goodness, but they took away our dreams, our savings, she lamented.

Now, Sheppard is one of hundreds of cancer patients who are suing Roundup maker Monsanto for failing to warn consumers of the cancer risks associated with the product, encouraged by a report by the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on cancer that said, For the herbicide glyphosate, there was limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Making matters worse, Roundup contains ingredients like animal fats that make the glyphosate even more carcinogenic.

Of course, Monsanto denies that its product is at fault, which takes quite a lot of chutzpah in the face of countless people who are now facing death after exposure to their products.

Thousands of cases expected

Attorney Timothy Litzenburg, whose law firm is representing around 500 of these victims, told CNN that he expects to see thousands of these cases by the end of the year given the widespread use of Roundup. He added that court documents show an inappropriate close relationship between a former EPA official and Monsanto.

Another cancer patient, the late former EPA scientist Marion Copley, was also concerned about the close ties between the EPA and Monsanto. She penned a letter to fellow EPA scientist Jess Rowland as she was dying of cancer in which she begged him to protect the public from the dangers of glyphosate instead of continuing to help Monsanto cover it up.

Another unsealed court document showed that Monsanto execs conspired to ghostwrite reports by the EPA on glyphosate and stop another agencys investigation into the toxicity of glyphosate. The unethical firm routinely bribes, threatens and bullies scientists and others into downplaying and even outright denying its well-documented dangers.

While there are thousands of people who can tell their own personal stories caused by the devastation of Roundup, Monsanto simply doesnt care. Theyll pay their way out of this, just like they always have.

Sources include:

Edition.CNN.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Measles are making a huge comeback in the United States. Parents who dont vaccinate their kids are often blamed by doctors and journalists for the revival of this rather harmless childhood disease. As an educated parent, it is time to get your children out of harms way and stop falling for one of the largest, most evil, and fraudulent lies in history.

Vaccines tainted with heavy metals  such as aluminum, mercury, and lead, among other health- and brain-damaging organic and inorganic compounds  are not the miracle of modern medicine. The idea that we can prevent infections through vaccination alone is based on fraudulent science, new research just revealed.

The new study published in the journal Environmental Research found that exposure to air pollution is significantly associated with measles outbreaks in China. This confirmed the previous thought that exposure to a germ is not the only cause of infection. Whether we get sick or not also depends on the health of our immune system, which in turn depends on various nutritional and environmental factors, such as the suppression of our immune system through air pollution.

The air quality in China is the worst in the entire world. For years, major Chinese cities have been covered in a thick cloud of toxic smog. Smog is linked to nearly one-third of deaths in China, making everyday outdoor life about as deadly as smoking cigarettes.

The science is in; vaccines are over-hyped and dangerous

Although the Chinese are one of the most vaccination compliant people in the world, they have had over 700 measles outbreaks from 2009 to 2012, Green Med Info reported. Given the fact that the measles vaccine is mandatory in China, the researchers were eager to find out why China is plagued by so many measles outbreaks when 99 percent of the Chinese are vaccinated.

For their study, the team of scientists analyzed the relationship between short-term exposure to ambient particles with a diameter of less than or equal to 2.5m (PM2.5) and measles incidence in China. They collected the data of new measles cases and concentrations of ambient particles from 21 Chinese cities between October 2013 and December 2014.

After analyzing the data, the team concluded that they found new evidence that measles incidence is associated with exposure to ambient PM2.5, adding that effective policies to reduce air pollution may also reduce measles incidence.

Today, however, policymakers claim that the only way to get these so-called deadly viruses under control is through immunization. Furthermore, they believe that people who refuse to be vaccinated are harming others by denying them the power of herd vaccination, which has completely been debunked. (Related: Learn more about herd immunity theory.)

Say no to toxic vaccines and boost your immune system instead

This study clearly showed that the medical world has been wrong all along. The measles virus alone is not capable of inducing disease, hence why so many vaccinated people still get the disease. Therefore, it is about time we start to open our eyes and say no to these toxin-laced vaccines to improve the quality of life.

The myth that vaccines alone confer protection against infection no longer stands. Rather than strengthening the current immunization protocols, we should concentrate on other prevention factors such as nutrition, lifestyle, and environmental exposure to air pollutants.

Green Med info also noted that if pollution and environmental factors play such a big role in the development of the disease, the toxin-tainted vaccines themselves become a plausible cause of the very disease they are designed to prevent. Furthermore, they added that today the fear surrounding measles infection is highly irrational since the measles are a benign childhood disease that strengthens the human microbiome.

Also, since 2003 the measles vaccine has been responsible for at least 1000 deaths in the U.S. compared to less than 10 deaths caused by the illness itself.

Find more vaccine news at VaccineHolocaust.org.

Sources include:

GreenMedInfo.com

SCMP.com

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov
(Natural News) Perhaps anticipating that the Trump administration and regional U.S. allies, including South Korea and Japan, are preparing to preemptively strike its nuclear weapons development program, North Korea is ramping up tests of ballistic missiles even as it works to perfect miniaturization of a nuclear warhead to place atop an ICBM.

The development program got a major boost over the weekend. A ballistic missile launched by the North on May 14 managed to successfully reenter the Earths atmosphere, a crucial test of performance vital to perfecting the design of a missile intended to hit targets thousands of miles away.

As reported by the U.K.s Telegraph, the liquid-fueled Hwasong-12 missiles reentry was confirmed by South Korean and U.S. defense officials.

Pyongyang earlier said the missile had reached a height of 1,312 miles before traveling about 490 miles and breaching Japans exclusive Air Defense Identification Zone then landing in the Sea of Japan, some 60 miles from Russia. (Related: Read Trump administration: Clock has run out on North Korea.)

The missile is believed to have a maximum range of 2,800 miles, putting most of Asia in reach, including substantial U.S. military assets in the region.

The Telegraph noted further:

The missile took a steep parabolic route that tested its ability to survive reentry into the atmosphere, with North Korean state media reporting that the missile  capable of carrying a large-size, heavy nuclear warhead to target the U.S. mainland  had come through the worst reentry situation and truck its intended target.

South Korean government sources confirmed those claims, who told JoongAng Daily that further analysis of the data link between the weapon and the Norths missile control center confirmed it survived the 5,000 degrees Celsius (9,032 F) and extreme vibration upon reentering the atmosphere, the Telegraph reported.

That is one of the last hurdles to building survivable nuclear-tipped ICBMs. Now all the North has to do is perfect the process of affixing a warhead atop a missile, and then building one capable of reaching the U.S., as China, its erstwhile ally, and much of Russia are already in range.

Experts say they estimate it will take Pyongyang another three years to upgrade from the Hwasong-12, which is considered an intermediate range ICBM, to a missile that can hit the United States. But again, the latest test indicates the North has made a grand stride forward in its missile development.

It should also be noted that, following a number of test launches, North Korean technicians and scientists have mastered the ability to conduct long-range command-and-control over missiles, another key element. In addition, Pyongyang has conducted five previous successful underground nuclear weapons tests, demonstrating that the regime has the technology to produce them.

Because of the latest test results, the Telegraph reported, the Trump administration has elected to extend the deployment of the U.S.S. Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group in the Sea of Japan. The group was scheduled to depart the region after another carrier, the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, was refitted at the U.S. naval base at Yokosuku, Japan.

The Reagan and its strike group launched to sea May 16 en route to the area where the Carl Vinson is currently stationed. Both aircraft carrier groups will conduct military drills alongside South Korean navy vessels in the coming weeks.

The development of the Hwasong-12 puts the Trump administration on a shorter timeline to have to deal with North Korea than any previous administration, which the president appears set to do with the deployment of two aircraft carrier battle groups and at least one Tomahawk-carrying Ohio-class submarine in recent weeks. Talks have been held with Chinese, Japanese and South Korean leaders, and its likely that North Korea was also a topic of discussion between U.S. and Russian diplomats as well.

Stay up-to-date and informed at Trump.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

Telegraph.co.uk

TheNationalSentinel.com
(Natural News) The administration has sent its clearest signal yet that the White House takes seriously mounting cyber threats against American infrastructure, with the issuance of an executive order last week from President Donald J. Trump directing specific federal agencies to prepare for attacks on the nations power grids.

As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, Trumps order tasks the Department of Energy, Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence and state and local governments to analyze the readiness of the U.S. to deal with any unforeseen disabling of the electric grid. The order also instructs the aforementioned federal agencies to assess preparations for a prolonged power outage resulting from cyber attacks designed to disrupt the power grid, the WFB reported.

In addition to analyzing how well federal, state and local governments are prepared to handle a massive grid-down scenario, Trumps order directs the agencies to find any gaps in the countrys ability to rapidly repair any disrupted service.

Trumps order came just two days after the head of the U.S. Cyber Command, Navy Adm. Mike Rogers, who also heads up the National Security Agency, told a congressional hearing that critical infrastructure throughout the United States is vulnerable to cyber attack. He also noted that a number of countries including Iran have been linked to remote intrusions and temporary disruptions of service into several critical U.S. infrastructures including financial networks, private servers and the electric grid.

We assess that several countries, including Iran, have conducted disruptions or remote intrusions into critical infrastructure systems in the United States, Rogers said in a prepared statement.

Rogers told the Senate Armed Services Committee that there were two potential scenarios that concerned him most: Massive hack and loss of the power grid and cyber intrusions intended to manipulate data within information systems.

As for penetrating key infrastructure, Rogers told the Senate committee that U.S. intelligence detected Iran attempting to hack into a dam in upstate New York in 2013 and disrupt its function. Also, Russia has malware called BlackEnergy designed for industrial control to infiltrate and attack Ukraines power grid.

Infiltrations in U.S. critical infrastructure, when viewed in the light of incidents like these, can look like preparations for future attacks that could be intended to harm Americans, or at least to deter the United States and other countries from protecting and defending our vital interests, he told the panel.

Trumps order instructs the specified agencies to report to the White House their findings no later than August 9.

The order is part of Trumps objective to shore up cyber security both for the government and for the private sector. Rogers told the Senate panel that the cyber threats to our vital systems are advancing rapidly. Besides Russia and Iran, China, North Korea and other potential enemies all have advanced cyber capabilities.

The pace of international conflict and cyberspace threats has intensified over the past few years, he said. We face a growing variety of advanced threats from actors who are operating with ever more sophistication and precision. (RELATED: Grid Down In San Fran, NYC And LA  What Happens When ALL Major Cities Lose Power?)

An earlier assessment by the Congressional EMP Commission, authored by chairman Dr. Vincent Pry and former CIA Director James Woolsey, found that a major long-term loss of the power grid by an electromagnetic pulse event (sun storm or nuclear attack) would kill nine of 10 Americans within a year if no power were restored.

Cyber attacks can cause similar kinds of damage, experts note.

The White House is aware that most of the critical U.S. infrastructure does not belong to the government  that is, it is privately owned. That complicates any effort to coordinate defenses and protect those systems from attack.

The executive order not only requires [Trumps] departments and agencies to help those critical infrastructure owners and operators, and the most important ones, but to do it in a proactive sense, Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert told reporters last week. The message is a tilt toward action.

Stay better informed at OffGrid.news and Power.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

FreeBeacon.com

Bugout.news
Waterfalls can be spectacular but there are countless all around the world. There's only one natural Firefall ever discovered -- a glowing golden stream gushing over the side of a jagged cliff -- and it's in Yosemite National Park in California.

The waterfalls is actually Horsetail Falls that flows down the east side of the El Capitan rock formation. When the conditions are perfect, visitors can get a glimpse of the fiery spectacle when Firefall glows supernaturally orange and red during sunset.

Firefall usually occurs mid-February, when the setting sun hits the waterfall at exactly the right angle and the light reflects on the falls, making the water appear golden -- almost like lava.

It's not a sure thing though as a couple of factors are necessary for the waterfall to glow. If Horsetail Falls isn't flowing -- if there's not enough snowpack or the temperature isn't warm enough to melt the snow -- Firefall won't occur. Cloudy days will also block the sun's rays and keep it from illuminating the falls.

Tourists flock to Yosemite National Park in hopes of seeing this unique phenomenon. Lucky visitors who are there when the conditions line up will get to experience Firefall for about 10 minutes before it dims again.

The sunset Firefall is elusive enough as it is, but even more rare is the moonlit Firefall. As astrophotographer Rogelio Bernal Andreo explained in a report from Petapixel, there's only a few nights in a year when it's possible to see it and some years none at all. The moon should not only be in the right place during "moonset", but also bright enough.

"Since the fall usually dries mid-late spring or early summer at best, anytime after June is probably wishful thinking," he wrote in the article. "June itself is a stretch."

Andreo was able to capture a stunning moonlit Firefall against a backdrop of a starry sky on May 9.
The dire need for blood donors may soon be alleviated as two teams of researchers take one step closer to being able to produce artificial blood in the lab, creating a limitless supply of blood.

The two studies, both published in the journal Nature, is the result of nearly 20 years of research and experiments. Having a limitless blood supply could greatly help patients suffering from different blood disorders and immune conditions that require regular transfusions.

"People have been trying to do this for 20 years unsuccessfully," said Cambridge University's Dr. Caroline Guibentif, who co-wrote a commentary about the two papers, in a report from The Independent. "This is the first time ... they have got cells that can self-renew and give rise to all sorts of blood cells, so of course it's a big step towards the goal, but we are not quite there yet."

On the first study, the researchers were able to turn stem cells into blood stem cells that have the ability to produce different types of human blood. On the other hand, the second team of researchers successfully turned adult cells from mice and turn it into mouse blood stem cells. Interestingly, when the artificial mouse blood stem cells were given to mouse models with no immune system, they regained immune blood cells.

The result of the first study could greatly help patients with genetic blood disorders. Doctors could soon take cells from the patients, genetically correct its defect and make functional blood cells. Scientists could also take cells from universal donors to develop a limitless supply of blood stem cells and blood.

Meanwhile, it the success of the second study is to be replicated in clinical trials, it could provide a way to treat different immune disorders.

Due to the relatively short lifespan of mouse models, the researchers did not detect any adverse side-effects of the artificial blood nor find any traces of cancer. The next step now is to try both methods in clinical trials. Despite the great success of the two studies, experts noted that it could possibly take years before the dream of having limitless blood supply comes into fruition.
The buried city of Sindh, Pakistan is a sophisticated Bronze Age metropolis that dates back 5,000 years. It soon became known as Mohenjo Daro or "mound of the dead," an advanced city that could unlock the secrets of the lost Indus Valley people, according to a report from Phys Org.

Little is known about this mysterious city that features a street grid and an advanced bath and drainage system that can rival modern systems in the country. One of the world's earliest cities, the Sindh settlement, is home to the powerful Indus Valley people whose population reached up to five million in the Bronze Age.

This civilization disappeared abruptly at around 1900 B.C. No one knows why, but archaeologists are hoping the answers are found in Mohenjo Daro.

Unfortunately, the only way to save the ancient Mohenjo Daro is to bury it.

While excavation of Mohenjo Daro could likely reveal information about life thousands of years ago, digging up the city could ultimately inflict irreperable damage, according to a report from Quartz.

One of the factors that can be destructive to the Mohenjo Daro ruins is the scorching heat. The rising temperature causes "enormous thermo-stress" to the site, according to German researcher Dr. Michael Jansen. Summers in the region can record temperatures over 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit). Salt from the underground table can also be a threat to the hidden city.

Natural events may wear it down, but researchers say human activity makes things even worse for Mohenjo Daro. The ongoing conflict in Pakistan threatens the ancient site, subjecting it to potential destruction like how Syria's Palmyra was destroyed, a report from Phys Org revealed.

Even more dangerous to Mohenjo Daro is the activity of ordinary citizens. Hundreds of people flocked to the site back in 2014 in a spectacle that included dancing, fireworks, lasers and spotlights.

"It's like you are jumping on the bed bed of a 5,000-year-old ailing patient," Sardar Ali Shah, cultural minister in Sindh province, told AFP.

Archaeologists are suggesting that instead of excavating the site, it would be better to leave Mohenjo Daro buried. While this means the mystery of the ancient civilization would remain unknown for now, it would also keep the valuable ruins protected.

"It is actually preserved when it is buried," Harvard University's Dr Richard Meadow pointed out.
Environmental police captured a 100-pound black bear that was on the loose in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on Monday.

According to The Eagle-Tribune, the bear was spotted running through back yards in the Tower Hill neighborhood just before noon and was last seen on Floral Street.

The bear was eventually cornered in an enclosed back yard with three boats in it. The bear was spotted by police hiding between two of the boats, and later moved underneath a tree.

Around 1 p.m., the 2-year-old bear was hit with two tranquilizer darts and environmental police were able to safely remove the animal from the neighborhood. The animal was placed on ice to control its body temperature and will eventually be dropped back into the wild.

More than a dozen neighbors could be seen surrounding the pickup truck the bear was placed in to take photos and video.

"I'm very surprised," said John King, who lives near wehre the bear was hiding. "I didn't know there were any black bears in Massachusetts. They should go back to New Hampshire."



The street next to the yard was temporarily blocked off to traffic with police tape but has since been reopened.
Four people were killed and at least 34 others, including a 9-year-old boy, were wounded in shootings across Chicago between Friday night and Monday morning.

The weekends latest fatal shooting happened about 2:40 p.m. Sunday, when an 18-year-old man was killed and a 15-year-old boy was wounded in the 100 block of North Parkside in the West Side Austin neighborhood. The man was shot in the back and pronounced dead at the scene at 2:52 p.m., according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiners office. His name has not yet been released. The teenager, who was not cooperating with investigators, suffered a gunshot wound to the shin and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition stabilized.

Earlier Sunday, a 46-year-old man was shot to death in the Gage Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. He was walking on the sidewalk about 3:45 a.m. in the 2700 block of West 55th Street when a male walked up to him and shot him in the head. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died, authorities said. His name has not yet been released.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, a man was killed and two other people were wounded in another Austin neighborhood shooting. The group was walking in the 4900 block of West Hubbard when shots rang out and they were all struck. A 34-year-old man was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:53 a.m., police and the medical examiners office said. His name has not yet been released. A 23-year-old woman was shot in the left hand and a 33-year-old man was shot in the left shoulder. They were both also taken to Stroger Hospital, where both of their conditions were stabilized.

About 12:20 a.m. Saturday, 53-year-old Tina Brown was found dead with a gunshot wound to her head inside a home in the 8000 block of South Essex in the South Chicago neighborhood, authorities said. The shooting might have stemmed from a domestic issue. An autopsy ruled Browns death a homicide.

The weekends latest non-fatal shooting happened at 1:49 a.m. Monday in the East Side neighborhood on the Far South Side. A 16-year-old boy was the front seat passenger in a vehicle traveling in the 10600 block of South Ewing when someone in a silver car fired shots, striking him in the left shoulder, police said. The teenager showed up at Trinity Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

The 9-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet at 8:11 p.m. Saturday in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. He was in a vehicle traveling in the 2500 block of West 69th Street when someone fired shots in his direction, police said. He suffered a graze wound to the head and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was listed in good condition. The shooting may have stemmed from an altercation between the vehicles driver and the shooter.

At least 29 more people were wounded in shootings across the city between 11:30 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday.

Last weekend, 21 people were shot in the city, leaving six dead.
Homeowners and local town officials from Eastern Connecticut are scheduled to come to the Legislative Office Building in Hartford Monday to urge lawmakers to pass a bill addressing the crumbling foundations issue.

In July 2015, the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters reported what would be the first in a prolonged investigation into crumbling foundations in northeastern Connecticut. Hundreds of homeowners in Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties have been looking for help in the costly process of fixing their homes.

Senate Bill 806 would establish a Crumbling Foundation Assistance Fund that would progivde affected homeowners with $150,000 or 75 percent of the cost to replace their foundation  whichever is less.

The money would come from insurance companies, contributing $12 for each insurance policy they write.

An amendment to the bill was adopted last week by the Senate and referred to the Senate committee on Finance, Revenue, and Bonding.

Theres also a possibility that homeowners could get tax relief from the federal government. That measure would need approval from the Internal Revenue Service.

A press conference is expected to take place in room 1B of the LOB at 10:15 a.m.
The mayor of Hamden is looking to pass town-wide rules to regulate Bring Your Own Booze at commercial establishments.

Mayor Curt Leng posted his intentions on Facebook Sunday.

The move comes not long after Slyce Pizza Bar at 141 Arch Street began encouraging customers to bring their own alcohol. The bar began advertising BYOB after it was denied a liquor permit renewal amid crime concerns.

Police told NBC Connecticut earlier this month that the bar was not violating any local or state laws by advertising BYOB.

The mayor said that if Hamden is able to pass BYOB regulations, it will be the first municipality in the state to do so.
Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have detained an imam from a New Haven mosque on a deportation order issued last year.

Officials from Majid Al-Islam Mosque said Imam Hafiz Hannan was detained and that the members of the mosque are distraught. They added that Hannan is an important member of the New Haven community.

Hannan, who is from Pakistan, was detained Friday and federal officials said he was previously convicted on federal charges.

On May 19, ICE officers arrested Hafiz Abdul Hannan, a citizen of Pakistan, at his residence in New Haven, Connecticut, on an outstanding final order of removal (deportation order) issued by an immigration judge in March 2016. Hannan has a previous federal conviction for committing fraud in his immigration documents. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States, Shawn Neudauer, ICE spokesman, New England, said.
The Taste of Dallas turns up the heat with Live Fire and provides a cool way to give back on June 10 and June 11 in Fair Park. NBC 5 invites you to bring your family, friends and your taste buds asdir you enjoy great music, activities for the children and, of course, vendors from Dallas best restaurants.



As North Texas largest summertime food festival, its menu is certain to delight the palates of people of all ages. Theres always something new, and this year is no exception with the addition of a special Foodie Experience event to begin a weekend of delights.



New this year is Live Fire: BBQ, Burgers & Brews, curated by Tim Byres of Smoke and presented by Napoleon Grills, where you'll enjoy some of the very best barbecue and burger joints around, including Hutchins BBQ, 18th & Vine, Cattleack, Meat U Anywhere, Bet The House, Billy Oake Acres, Bone Daddys, Good Union Urban BBQ and Addison Ice House. Find your favorite celebrity chefs on the stage every hour, including: Tim Byres, John Tesar, Todd David, Tiffany Derry, Travis Heim, Matt Pittman, Dustin Blackwell, Todd David, Danyele McPherson, Jack Perkins, Jesse Griffiths, Danyele McPherson, Jack Perkins and Oliver Sitrin. Texans are as selective about their beer as they are of their BBQ and burgers, so look for samplings and pairings from more than a dozen craft breweries.



An expanded, over-the-top, indoor Family Fun Zone presented by Direct Energy will leave young ones breathless with excitement over all the rides, games, inflatables and more  can you say minions? In 50,000 sq. ft. of air conditioned space, families will find large inflatables and slides, kid-friendly cooking demos, interactive games, an arts and crafts learning center, toddler area, a Chalk Art Area presented by VersaChalk and even a Springfree Trampoline Fun Spot!



Restaurants from across the region offer up tastes of their best dishes for only $2-$5 on Restaurant Island, where 45 restaurant booths will offer food around Fair Parks beautiful Esplanade. Dont miss tasty shopping in the Taste Marketplace, where attendees can sample their way through dozens of local culinary vendors, local artisans, and more. For the tens of thousands of people set to visit Taste of Dallas this year, there is tasting, shopping and playing for everyone with more than 200 sponsors and exhibitors taking part in this family-friendly event.



Because summer is the hungriest season, Taste of Dallas is honored to partner with the North Texas Food Bank to help make a difference for people struggling with hunger in North Texas. Attendees can help by bringing two cans of tuna or chicken for $5 off admission  and the great feeling of knowing you are doing something about the issue of hunger.



Parking is available for purchase in Fair Park or attendees can ride the DART Green Line which stops at the front entrance.



For details on this tasty event, visit www.tasteofdallas.org.



2017 Taste of Dallas

June 10 and 11

Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Location: Fair Park

3600 Grand Avenue

Dallas, TX 75210

Admission: $15  Individual Ticket

Kids 10 and under get in FREE with an accompanying guardian

$5 off admission with a donation of 2 cans of tuna or chicken to benefit the North Texas Food Bank

www.tasteofdallas.org



Taste of Dallas Foodie Experience: Best Bites of Big D

Friday, June 9

7:30 p.m.  10:30 p.m.

Must be 21 years old+ to attend

Gilleys Dallas

1135 S. Lamar St.

Dallas, TX 75215

Admission: $55 Individual Ticket

www.TasteofDallas.org/FoodieExperience




Residents of Deep Ellum will see uniformed police officers walking the streets this weekend.

To combat an increase in crime, Deep Ellum Foundation has pooled more than $300,000. The foundation, which is made up of property and business owners, has tripled its budget for public safety.

Security officers from a private company will patrol the area during the day, and Dallas police officers will patrol the community at night, Friday and Saturday until 3 a.m.

Two patrol cars, with two officers each, will drive through the neighborhood Friday and Saturday night. A total of six officers in uniform will walk the streets.

The security team during the daytime shifts will mainly deal with panhandling and homelessness in the area, said Jessica Burnham, who is the executive director of the Deep Ellum Foundation. The officers that work at night will of course be there if help is needed, but mainly they will monitor the area and help with traffic, she said.

The initiative is in its second week. According to the community crime map, which is on the Dallas Police Departments website, the increased police presence there has responded to a total of four incidents: two car break-ins, one robbery, and one violent assault.

The number of crimes reported has gone down when compared to this time last month. In April, during the same two week span of time, 13 police reports were filed: six car break-ins, two aggravated assaults, three home break-ins, and two robberies.

Other security measures may include additional street lights and surveillance cameras for the many businesses that line the streets of Deep Ellum.
A recently demoted Fort Worth police captain took part in a news conference Monday where activists called for Chief of Police Joel Fitzgerald to be fired and the City Manager David Cook to either resign or be fired as well.

Capt. Vance Keyes, who was a deputy chief until Friday when he, along with then-Assistant Chief Abdul Pridgen, were demoted following an investigation into the leak of a viral body camera video.

Two former Fort Worth Police Department assistant chiefs discuss their demotions following the leak of a viral body camera video.

Pridgen and Keyes were summoned to a meeting with Fitzgerald Friday and made aware of their demotions. Fitzgerald said he'll further recommend Pridgen be demoted further to sergeant while Keyes also faces a three-day suspension.

Earlier this year both Pridgen and Keyes were placed on restricted duty amid a probe into who leaked Officer William Martins body camera video showing the controversial December 2016 arrest of Jacqueline Craig and her two daughters.

**WARNING: Video contains graphic language and violence.**

Craig called 911 to complain a neighbor had assaulted her son after accusing him of littering. Martin questioned why Craig didnt teach her son not to litter and suggested the neighbor had the right to assault her son.

Martin was suspended for 10 days after the arrests; cell phone video of the arrests was broadcast nationwide and drew widespread criticism.

EDITED FOR PROFANITY: Video posted to Porsha Cravers Facebook page shows a Fort Worth police officers interaction with a woman who called police to report a man grabbed and choked her 7-year-old son. The incident ends with two women and a 15-year-old arrested.

Weeks after the cell phone video went viral, footage of the same incident from Martins body camera was leaked. Martins private personnel file also was released anonymously.

The department launched a criminal investigation and a separate internal affairs investigation into the leak and determined Pridgen and Keyes were responsible.

Community activists join Fort Worth police Capt. Vance Keyes discussing an internal investigation into leaked body cam footage that resulted in Keyes and Assistant Chief Abdul Pridgen being demoted Friday.

Pridgen and Keyes have denied being the source of the leaks and their attorneys have already spoken out against the decision to demote them.

Keyes, speaking candidly Monday, said he cooperated fully with the investigation and that there are nine hours of recordings made during the interviews that show he was cooperative. He said he offered to allow supervised searches of his personal computer and phone and that the department declined.

Recently demoted Fort Worth police Capt. Vance Keyes speaks candidly about an internal investigation into leaked body cam footage and his confidence in the chief Monday at a news conference.

Keyes punctuated his statement Monday by adding that the chief was more concerned with "upward mobility than the welfare of the community" and that "I must respect his official position, but I no longer respect his judgment."

When asked about what led to his demotion, Keyes said: "The chief left it open, the chief leaves a lot of things open. If you have criminal charges bring it on. The administrative charges are weak. I didn't do anything. I welcome any further inquiry into my activity."

Attorney Lee Merritt speaks at a news conference Monday regarding the demotion of two high-ranking police officials following an internal investigation into leaked body cam footage.

Family and supporters of Jacqueline Craig, and Keyes, called for Fitzgerald to be fired Monday over his handling of the case.

We're calling on the city to send Fitzgerald packing," said Pastor Michael Bell, with the Greater St. Stephen First Church of Fort Worth, who served on the committee that interviewed and signed off on Fitzgerald's hiring. "He should be fired today."

Bell said he met with City Manager David Cook on Friday, at Cook's request, to see what could be done to repair the situation. In the meeting, Bell said Cook said Fitzgerald was brought in to make things better following outgoing Chief Jeffrey Halstead, but that he made it worse.

"In an effort to deflect attention from the wrongs done to the Craig family and this city's African-American community, Fitzgerald, Cook, Rick Van Houten [Fort Worth POA President] and others have colluded to focus attention on the so-called leak of the body cam," Bell said. "Consequently two of the highest-ranking, respected Fort Worth police officers, Mr. Vance Keyes and Mr. Abdul Pridgen, have been unjustly accused, demoted and lied on by Joel Fitzgerald with the backing of David Cook, Valerie Washington and the police officer's association, led by Rick Van Houten."

Pastor Michael Bell, with the Greater St. Stephen First Church of Fort Worth, calls for the termination of Fort Worth Chief of Police Joel Fitzgerald during a news conference Monday.

Craig and her supporters said they feel the decision to demote Pridgen and Keyes is a second injustice because it's more severe than the 10-day suspension Martin received after the initial incident.

They also disagree with the entire premise of the investigation because they believe the body camera video the chiefs are accused of leaking should have been made public from the beginning.

"I'm not some back-door dealing, double-talking, side-stepping political puppet. I'm a career public servant," Keyes said. "Unfortunately, because I'm speaking here today, I fully expect to suffer further retaliation at the hands of the city, the chief and his executive command staff."

After learning his punishment Friday, Pridgen said justice would be done and added, "I'm pretty sure they can expect a lawsuit."

Following Monday's news conference, the deaprtment said "In the interest of respecting the officers rights to due process in this investigation, we are unable to discuss the particular facts in the case. The charging letters that were sent to the Civil Service Commission are available and were provided Friday at the press conference. The Chief does not have a comment on Vance Keyes position. The case will be forwarded in its entirety to the CS Commission."

Chief Details Investigation into Leak, Says Demotions Were Difficult

"This has been one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make as chief," Fitzgerald said at a Friday night news conference.



The chief said Pridgen and Keyes were "two men I trusted, called colleagues and called friends."

Two Fort Worth assistant police chiefs have been demoted to captain following an investigation into the leak of a viral bodycam video.

The evidence showed the same files that were leaked had been downloaded from Pridgen's office computer at a time he and Keyes were in his office, Fitzgerald said.

Both men were less than candid with internal affairs investigators they once supervised, the chief added.

"Both of these men knew more than they disclosed to investigators," Fitzgerald said.

Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald announces demotions for two assistant chiefs as part of an investigation into the leak of bodycam video.

As assistant chief, Pridgen earned $167,999, according to city records. Keyes earned $133,972 as deputy chief.

NBC 5's Scott Gordon, Alice Barr, Larry Collins and Frank Heinz contributed to this report.
ELKO  Members Nevada Highway Patrol, Elko County Sherriff Department and Elko Police Department came together at Elko High School to promote safe driving to teenagers.

The Zero Teen Fatalities program is organized by the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the Nevada Department of Transportation to encourage teenage drivers to follow safe driving practices.

Zero Teen Fatalities Program Manager Kevin Moore said the program aims to put an end to the leading killer of teenagers.

Our mission is to empower teens to talk among themselves about teen safe driving, he said. Car crashes are the number one reason teens are dying today and we want to change that here in Nevada.

Moore is a former NHP officer who has always been enthusiastic about promoting safe driving to young motorists.

When he retired from the NHP, Moore jumped at the chance to lead the program.

Ive always had a passion for safe teen driving and when I retired I was asked to come head up this program and I thought it was a great program that is actually really affective, he said. From 2015 to 2016 our teen fatalities were down 37 percent in one year alone since we started the program.

Elko students also seemed enthusiastic about learning safe driving techniques. Students were invited to sign up on the Zero Teen Fatalities website and got to try on drunk goggles to gain an understanding of how much alcohol can impair a drivers vision.

Akira Terry helped organize the event by reaching out to local law enforcement and local businesses to contribute to the event.

With her classmates getting a chance to turn on the sirens in a police cruiser and see what it felt like to get handcuffed by police officers, Terry was pleased with the number of students who showed up.

Im pretty happy about the turnout. A lot of people are involved and it looks like everyone is having a good time and Im glad all of our officers came out, she said.

After the training Terry said she hopes to see safer driving habits from her classmates, especially in the parking lot.

If youve seen the student parking lot you would see its a very scary place, she said. These kids do not know how to drive so I thought it would be a good idea to raise awareness for safe driving since we really need that in Elko.
A man is facing murder and aggravated assault charges after accidentally shooting and killing his girlfriend during an argument with another man outside a Dallas strip club early Sunday.



Police were called to the Tiger Cabaret Club in the 9000 block of East R.L. Thornton Freeway at about 3:50 a.m. for a reported shooting.

Officers arrived and found a woman, later identified as 18-year-old Natalie Tavares, shot and lying next to a car. She was taken to the hospital where she later died, police said.



Detectives learned that the shooter, 19-year-old Aldo Saucedo, was also Tavares' boyfriend.

Saucedo was reportedly arguing with another man outside of the club when he reached inside his car, grabbed a handgun and fired at the man, police said.

The shots missed the man, but instead struck Tavares, according to police.

Another woman standing nearby was also struck by gunfire. She was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.



Saucedo was arrested at the scene and is facing murder and aggravated assault charges.
San Clemente's beaches were off limits to swimmers Monday following the sighting of more than two dozen sharks.

A two-mile stretch of beach surrounding the pier will remain closed for the rest of the day. Lifeguards had planned to reopen the beach at 12:15 p.m.

That was before they spotted 20 more sharks swimming in the area, in addition to 25 sharks that were seen on Sunday.

Lifeguards plan to re-evaluate the risk posed to beachgoers by the sharks on Tuesday morning.

A sign was posted on the sand warning beachgoers of the recent sighting; one of several reported this month along this stretch of the California coast.

Fishermen on the pier reported seeing several Great White sharks Monday. One shark, described as approximately 10 to 12 feet was reeled in. They told NBC 7 it was released because it was determined to be a Great White. The species is protected.

Another shark spotted by the fishermen was 16 to 20 feet long.

An NBC 7 news crew witnessed a fisherman hooking what appeared to be a six-foot Soupfin Shark from the pier after noon.

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Lifeguards first closed the city's beaches around 10:30 a.m. Sunday after an eight to nine-foot shark was spotted off the San Clemente Pier. Another shark was spotted off the pier at 1 p.m.

The closure was extended at 4 p.m. after an Orange County sheriff's helicopter spotted more than two dozen sharks within 25 yards of the beach between Cotton's Point and Capistrano Beach, some up to 10 feet long.

San Clemente's beaches were closed in April when a shark bit a woman in the thigh and earlier this month when 15 sharks were observed swimming offshore.

Leeanne Ericson survived the attack on April 29 but suffered major injuries to her right leg. She is still hospitalized and will undergo several surgeries, according to physicians at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.



Ericson was attacked in the waters off San Onofre State Beach, near Camp Pendleton, in San Diego's North County.

Long Beach has issued shark advisories this month warning swimmers of the sightings of juvenile white sharks, some as long as six feet, near Belmont Shore.

NBC 7's Artie Ojeda spoke with surfers who frequent San Onofre State Beach who say recent shark warnings and sightings don't concern them one bit.

San Clemente beaches may reopen Tuesday. Lifeguards will re-evaluate the situation in the morning.
A hitman hired to stage a robbery and kill another man's 17-year-old wife in a La Mirada park -- a crime that went unsolved for nearly two decades -- was sentenced Monday to 28 years to life behind bars.

Leon Martinez, 44, was convicted in 2015 of first-degree murder for shooting Victoria Ghonim on July 23, 1992, while she was sitting in a car with her husband and infant son in La Mirada Creek Park. Jurors also found true special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and murder for financial gain, sentence enhancements that could have landed Martinez behind bars for life without the possibility of parole.

But he struck a deal with prosecutors for the lesser sentence in exchange for his testimony against the husband who hired him. Morrad Ghonim, 44, was sentenced in December to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his wife's murder. Prosecutors had earlier decided against seeking the death penalty.

The killing went unsolved until 2009, when DNA linked Martinez to the crime. He was arrested in October 2010. Ghonim was charged, arrested and extradited about a month after Martinez was convicted. At the time, he was living in Antigua. Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Howard Cooper testified that according to Ghonim, he was with his wife and infant son at the La Mirada park, standing near a foot bridge, when they heard catcalls coming from a group of people standing nearby.

Ghonim told the investigator that his wife began shouting back at the group, then the family hustled back to their car, where his wife continued to shout at the group, Cooper said. Ghonim said that as he was about to turn on the vehicle's engine, he heard gunshots, and he quickly started the car and sped away, realizing then that his wife had been shot. Cooper said Ghonim claimed he never saw the actual shooter, but sped away trying to find a hospital. He was soon pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer for running a red light, according to Cooper.

The CHP officer said Ghonim was sobbing, and the officer saw the woman in the vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound. Martinez gave various accounts to police and in court as to what Ghonim paid him, at one point saying Ghonim offered him $10,000 and actually paid $5,000. In other testimony, Martinez said he was paid only $500.

The lower number was supported by testimony from Ghonim's second wife and the mother of five of his children. The woman Ghonim married after arranging the hit on his young wife testified that during a fight, when she threatened to take the children and move to Texas, Ghonim told her, "If you ever think of getting a divorce, I'll hurt you. It cost me $500 then, it won't cost me much now."
President Donald Trump's two-day visit to Israel began Monday morning and there are five key issues that are expected to be the focus of his time in the country, NBC News reported.

The most recent issue to come up is the security relationship between Israel and the U.S. It was reported that the intelligence Trump discussed with Russian officials came from Israel. Though an Israeli official said the relationship is unchanged, many wonder if Trump's discussion will affect it.

Trump will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall, a holy site in Jerusalem. However, his administration has given conflicting statements about whether the wall is located in Israel.

Also looming over the visit is the issues of moving the U.S. embassy, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians and building a new coalition of the U.S., Israel and Sunni Arab leaders.
President Donald Trump solemnly placed a note in the ancient stones of Jerusalem's Western Wall on Monday, sending a signal of solidarity to an ally he's pushing to work harder toward peace with the Palestinians. But his historic gesture and his enthusiastic embrace of Israel's leader  were shadowed even here by reminders of Trump's tumult back home

In this second stop on his maiden foreign trip, Trump unexpectedly offered a new defense of his disclosure of classified information to Russian diplomats in a recent Oval Office meeting. Standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he argued he never mentioned Israel, the source of the classified intelligence, according to various officials  something he has not been accused of doing.

"I never mentioned the word or the name Israel," he told reporters. "So you have another story wrong."

The moment was abrupt interruption of an otherwise warm and smooth welcome for Trump to the Holy Land. After years of butting heads with Trump's predecessor, Netanyahu celebrated a new American president's arrival as a moment of hope in the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestinians. Trump, arriving from Saudi Arabia, declared he saw the possibility of new alignment of Muslim nations and Israel against a shared foe  Iran.

"There is a growing realization among your Arab neighbors that they have common cause with you in the threat posed by Iran," he said, at a welcome meeting with President Rueven Rivlin.

The White House has said it doesn't expect any sort of breakthrough on the peace process on this trip. But Trump's unconventional approach to diplomacy has raised hopes that he may be well positioned to jumpstart talks bogged down by entrenched interests and ancient enmity.

Welcoming Trump, Netanyahu said, "I also look forward to working closely with you to advance peace in our region, because you have noted so succinctly that common dangers are turning former enemies into partners."

"It won't be simple," Netanyahu said. "But for the first time in many years  and, Mr. President, for the first time in my lifetime  I see a real hope for change."

Trump is to travel Tuesday to Bethlehem to visit with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. He'll later to lay a wreath at the Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial, and deliver a speech at the Israeli Museum.

Trump's visit was laden with religious symbolism. He toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which by Christian tradition is where Jesus was crucified and the location of his tomb. Wearing black skull cap, he became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, the most holy site at which Jews can pray.

Trump was joined by first lady Melania Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump. The family was separated by gender. The president and Kushner visited one side, while the first daughter and first lady visited a portion of the site reserved for women. Trump approached alone and placed his hand on the stone.

The visit raised questions about whether the U.S. would indicate the site is Israeli territory. The U.S. has never recognized Israeli sovereignty over parts of the Old City seized in the 1967 war.

The White House struggled to answer the question. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley declared the site part of Israel, while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday dodged.

"The wall is part of Jerusalem," he said, declaring only an undeniable fact accepted by all sides.

Trump never commented.

The president did step into another fraught subject: his recent disclosure of classified information to Russian diplomats, seemingly violating an intelligence-sharing agreement with Israel.

Netanyahu played it down, saying that U.S.-Israeli intelligence cooperation is "terrific" while attempting to dismiss concerns that the incident violated a confidentiality agreement. But it was another stark reminder for the president that his troubles at home, including the investigation of his ties to Russia and his firing of FBI Director James Comey, have followed him across the ocean on his multi-nation journey.

Gulf Arab countries long have been suspicious about Iran, and the Obama administration's nuclear negotiations furthered their worries about Iran's regional intentions.

Trump is seeking to ease concerns that his policies won't be as beneficial to Israel as once believed. He has taken a tougher line on settlements than Israeli officials had expected, urging restraint though not calling for a full halt to construction. Trump has also retreated from a campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other presidents who have made similar promises.
The red carpet moments on the tarmac kept coming.

President Donald Trump had a bumpy landing in Israel on Monday with a series of apparent faux pas, from the first lady slapping away his hand to a lawmaker whipping out a cell phone to take a selfie with him.

Trump arrived in Tel Aviv for a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories and as he tried to take his wifes hand on a red carpet on the tarmac at Ben-Gurion International Airport, the first lady appeared to push it back. It was unclear what prompted the videotaped moment.

Oren Hazan, a politician in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Likud party did take his hand in what The Associated Press described as a characteristically aggressive handshake, then took out his a cell phone for a selfie. Netanyahu tried to swat Hazans arm away, unsuccessfully, and Likud politicians later said that not only was Hazan not invited to the ceremony but that he had caused a great embarrassment to the prime minister.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett used the welcome ceremony to press Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Trump, who had promised during the campaign to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem but has since backed away from the pledge, told Bennett, Thats a good one, according to the AP.

Boarding the Marine One helicopter for Jerusalem, Netanyahus wife, Sara, was caught on microphone commiserating about media coverage.

The majority of people in Israel, unlike the media, they love us, so we tell them how you are great, and they love you, she said, the Washington Post reported.

We have something very much in common, Trump replied.

Very much in common, said Sara Netanyahu, who has come under media attention as the subject of official investigation over her spending on the couples private home.

Trump soon found himself defending an Oval Office meeting on May 10 when he disclosed classified information about an Islamic State threat to the Russian former minister and ambassador to the United States. The information came from Israel, according to officials.

I never mentioned the word or the name Israel, he said.

But he never was accused of naming Israel, just of revealing enough details that could lead others to that realization.
Activists are writing letters to government and local leaders, putting on rallies and demonstrations all in an attempt to point out why they believe Temporary Protected Status for Haitians should be renewed.

TPS recipients and advocates are meeting with community leaders at the Haitian Women of Miami in Little Haiti Monday to share their stories and how they feel about possible deportation if TPS expires.

"Many homes will be left if these people are deported, children will be left without parents, bank accounts will be left behind," Guithele Ruiz-Nicolas said. "So it doesn't only impact the Haitian people who are on protected status, but our community."

On Sunday, dozens of people took to the streets, asking the government to extend this special immigration rule for Haitians-- which is slated to expire on July 22.

Demonstrators outside of the citizenship offices say the 2010 earthquake in Haiti still affects the nation's stability and are hoping the United States government will let them stay.

The at least 50,000 Haitians living in the United States under TPS are awaiting the decision of whether or not they'll be deported.
A well-known big game hunter died after an elephant ravaged by gunshots collapsed on him on Friday.

South African hunter Theunis Botha, 51, "unknowingly" came across a herd of breeding elephants near the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, park spokesman Simukai Nyasha told the Associated Press.

The group with Botha spooked the herd and three elephants immediately charged at them, so Botha opened fire on the animals, according to South Africa's News24.

A fourth stormed at the group from the side, lifting Botha up with its trunk. Someone fired shots at the elephant, causing the animal to collapse and crush Botha to death, NBC News reported.
What to Know The father of 18-year-old Alyssa Elsman, the tourist killed in the Times Square rampage last week, has left a letter at a makeshift memorial

"I have a hole in my heart," he writes, while thanking the strangers who have supported him and his family and offered condolences

The driver, 26-year-old Richard Rojas, remains jailed on suicide watch at Rikers Island

The father of the 18-year-old tourist killed in the Times Square car rampage last week has left a touching letter at the makeshift memorial that's sprung up in the days since the horrific incident.

The framed letter sits atop a concrete NYPD barrier, amid flowers and toys honoring Alyssa Elsman of Portage, Michigan, who was killed when 26-year-old driver Richard Rojas zipped down the sidewalk for several blocks last Thursday.

In the letter, Thomas Elsman describes his grief and heartache, and expresses gratitude to those who have supported the family.

"I have met so many people from different countries, religions, creeds, etc... you have shown us that when you remove bias, racism and ignorance, WE ARE ALL ONE," he writes. "Your condolences have been sincere and taken to heart."

Part of the letter also describes how Elsman loved New York City: "She loved Times Square. She would appreciate all your kind words but would also tell you all to get back up and continue, that's how full of life my daughter was."

The letter ends, "I have a hole in my heart... I love you kid... Love you, love you, love you."

Kim Spears, who works nearby, had tears in her eyes after reading the letter.

"Everyone feels terrible, and everyone feels awful because you hate to know that somebody came to visit New York -- she's young, she just graduated from high school," she said. "It's just terrible."

On the police barrier, others have left messages saying, "Rest easy," "Lots of love," "God bless you" and "Rest in peace."

Carlos Cardenas, a tourist from San Francisco, said at the site Monday, "It's just very touching. It's just so sad that something like that could happen here."

Elsman's 13-year-old sister Ava was also critically injured in the accident and had been at Bellevue Hospital with a broken pelvis and a collapsed lung.

Six other victims continue to be treated at Bellevue, one of whom remains in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman says.

Rojas was taken into custody after barreling into the lunch-hour crowd on Seventh Avenue shortly before noon Thursday, according to police. Officials and sources say Rojas, who has a history of DWI arrests, made a U-turn on Seventh Avenue at 42nd Street and started speeding down the sidewalk for about 3-and-a-half blocks, mowing down pedestrians before crashing into a traffic pole.

Rojas told New York Post from Rikers Island Saturday that he was "trying to get help."

"I wanted to fix my life."

The former Navy man told police that he smoked marijuana laced with PCP and has a history of DWI arrests, including one where he was driving faster than 99 mph in a 50 mph zone, police said.

He said he remembered eating with his mother at their Highbridge home Thursday morning when he decided to go for a drive. He said he couldn't remember what was going through his mind during the drive.

The last thing I remember is driving in my car, he recalled. Then, I woke up in the precinct ... I was terrified.

Rojas also told New York Post that he wants to watch the videos of Thursday's rampage to "verify that I'm the person," he said.

Rojas is charged with second-degree murder, 20 counts of second-degree attempted murder and five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, police said.

One of the other victims has been identified as a New Jersey high school student.

Jessica Williams, a 19-year-old student from Dunellen High School, remains in critical condition, according to a GoFundMe page dedicated to her recovery. She was visiting midtown on Senior Skip Day with a friend when Rojas accelerated and slammed into them and the crowd.

What happening in Times Square?? This car was in the sidewalk and people are on the streets pic.twitter.com/PsepRtfrAr  gb (@gb__) May 18, 2017

Times Square just went nuts. People screaming and running, the place is swarming with emergency vehicles and cops. People injured. WTF pic.twitter.com/oqQFcr75Uh  Josh Silverman (@Bad_Episode) May 18, 2017

Crazy car crash in the middle of Times Square. We are being told to shelter in place pic.twitter.com/jvEhISIhcn  Christopher Rudolph (@chrisreindeer) May 18, 2017

yc times square car in flames https://t.co/8VqYchgLKk  Richard D. (@flacoman91) May 18, 2017

#FDNY confirms 1 fatality, 12 injuries in Times Square motor vehicle accident, 45 St/Broadway pic.twitter.com/M3aEHZw7Go  FDNY (@FDNY) May 18, 2017

One male in custody in the #TimesSquare vehicle collision.

It is believed to be an isolated incident, it remains under investigation.  NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) May 18, 2017

My heart goes out to the family who lost a loved one and those injured in Times Square crash. Thank you to NYFD and NYPD for swift response  Carolyn B. Maloney (@RepMaloney) May 18, 2017

In Times Square getting briefed by the NYPD. pic.twitter.com/xUR4kAPBnZ  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 18, 2017

In Pictures: Car slams into car in Times Square https://t.co/S1lYLFFBUr pic.twitter.com/yJG68fuy73  NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) May 18, 2017

Williams' injuries include a fractured pelvis and broken leg, according to the Daily News.

Her spleen was removed yesterday and the damage to her face was stitched up today, her cousin Nicole Guild said on the GoFundMe page.
What to Know In its latest effort to develop ballistic and nuclear weapons, North Korea fired a medium-range missile, U.S. and South Korean officials say

There were at least 32 outbreaks caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite in 2016, up from 16 in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control says

Hello, Drake has surpassed Adele's record at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, picking up 13 awards

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.

Fight Against Terror a Battle Between Good and Evil, Trump Says

Demanding Middle East leaders combat a "crisis of Islamic extremism" emanating from their homelands, President Trump tried to revise his previous anti-Muslim rhetoric while recasting the fight against terrorism as a "battle between good and evil" instead of a clash between the West and Islam. Trump's address was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president. During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America's role in the region, one aimed squarely at eliminating terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms. Even as the president pledged to work alongside Middle Eastern nations, he put the onus for combatting terrorism on the region. Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists: "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities."

North Korea Fires Medium-Range Missile in Latest Weapon Test, Officials Say

In its latest effort to develop its ballistic and nuclear weapons, North Korea fired a medium-range missile that appeared to be similar to one the country tested earlier this year, U.S. and South Korean officials said. The rocket was fired from an area near the North Korean county of Pukchang, in South Phyongan Province, and flew eastward about 310 miles, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The U.S. Pacific Command said it tracked the missile before it fell into the sea. White House officials traveling in Saudi Arabia with President Trump said the system that was tested had a shorter range than the missiles fired in North Korea's most recent tests. The missile appeared to be similar in range and maximum altitude to the missile that North Korea test-fired in February, an official from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missile launched on Sunday reached an altitude of 347 miles, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.

Key Lawmakers Vow Full Airing of Reasons Behind Comey Firing

Members of key congressional committees are pledging a full public airing as to why former FBI director James Comey was ousted amid an intensifying investigation into Russia's interference with the U.S. election. The probe appears to be reaching close to President Trump and his inner circle. In show appearances, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they will press Comey in hearings as to whether he ever felt that Trump tried to interfere with his FBI work. Others are insisting on seeing any White House or FBI documents that detail conversations between the two, following a spate of news reports that Comey had kept careful records. Comey was fired by Trump earlier this month. The former FBI director agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee after the Memorial Day holiday.

Diarrhea-Causing Parasite on the Rise in US Swimming Pools, CDC Says

Last year saw more than twice as many outbreaks of the parasitic infection known as "Crypto," which is linked to swimming pools and water parks, than were seen two years before that, according to the Centers for Disease Control. There were at least 32 outbreaks caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite in 2016, up from 16 in 2014, according to preliminary data published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It can spread through the feces of another person who is infected, including through pool water that's been contaminated with diarrhea, according to the CDC. Chlorine can't easily kill the parasite, meaning it can last for up to 10 days in water that is otherwise properly treated. One mouthful of contaminated water can leave a healthy person sick with diarrhea, cramps and vomiting for up to three weeks.

Teen With Measles May Have Exposed People in New Jersey, Department of Health Says

A teenager who visited the U.S. while infected with measles may have exposed others to the highly contagious disease during his or her stay at a hotel and a hospital in Bergen County, the New Jersey Dept. of Health said. The 16-year-old was vacationing in the U.S. between May 12 and May 15, officials said. The teen stayed at the Ramada Rochelle Park on West Passaic Street from May 12 to May 13, and was hospitalized at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood from May 13 to May 15. The Valley Hospital is contacting people who may have been exposed to the disease, which is spread through the air, mucus and saliva. People in contact with the teen could develop symptoms as late as June 5, officials said. Symptoms of measles include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.

Tom Hanks Is on the Beat, Flagging Car for Police

Tom Hanks is on the beat in New York City, using Twitter to alert police to a car with a slew of tickets on its windshield. Turns out the tickets were paid. The New York Police Department responded when the Academy Award-winning star of "Philadelphia," ''Forrest Gump" and "Sully" on Saturday tweeted: "Sir? Move. Your. Car! Hanx." He also posted a picture of the burgundy sedan with at least a half dozen tickets bulging from beneath windshield wipers at East 79th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan. A police official returned the tweet, requesting the car's location, The Daily News reports. The newspaper says police believe the car's owner likely paid the tickets online. The car's owner eventually moved it.

Drake Wins Record 13 Billboard Awards; Imagine Dragons Honors Chris Cornell

Hello, Drake has surpassed Adele's record at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, picking up 13 awards. Adele set a record at the show in 2012 with 12 wins. The rapper, who walked into the show Sunday with 22 nominations, won top artist, top male artist and top Billboard 200 album ("Views"), among others, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. "I got my whole family up here," said Drake, who stood onstage with nearly two dozen people, including his father, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. Drake was presented the top artist award by Prince Jackson, the late Michael Jackson's eldest son. Drake beat out Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Adele, Ariana Grande, the Weeknd, twenty one pilots, Shawn Mendes and the Chainsmokers for the top prize. Of those nominees, only Drake and the Chainsmokers attended the Billboard Awards.
A fire on Staten Island killed a college professor and injured his 9-year-old son, officials said.

Anthony Carter, 62, died in the Saturday night blaze at his home on Pembrook Loop. He was a college professor at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, the school confirmed.

Carter served as a dedicated member of the facility for more than a decade, joining the university in 2005, the school said in a statement.

"He had a passion for mentorship and, for nearly the last 10 years, he has hosted a program that paired local youth with University of New Haven students to provide encouragement and advice," the statement said. "The university community expresses its heartfelt condolences during this difficult time to Professor Carters three sons, his family, friends, colleagues, and many students."



Police say Carter's son was hospitalized for minor burns and smoke inhalation.

Authorities said unattended candles started the fire.
The young man stabbed and killed in a random attack on the University of Maryland campus Saturday "could make friends no matter what group he was around," his father remembered.

Richard Collins III was a competitor and athlete. "He loved lacrosse and soccer. He was a runner," said his father, Richard Collins Jr.

Collins had just been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army, and "he prided himself on his time and in his ROTC unit on being the top runner in his PTs," remembered his father. "He even won a certificate for being the best."

"He was just competitive at heart, and had a loving and giving heart," the father said, his pain obvious as he spoke about his son.

"He would go out of his way, sometimes to my chagrin, to try and help others. But you want to try to encourage that in your children."

He could make friends no matter what group he was around. He was a competitor; he loved loved lacrosse and soccer. He was a runner. He prided himself on his time and in his ROTC unit on being the top runner in his PTs. And had a loving and giving heart. That is how Richard W. Collins Jr., remembers his...

Richard Collins III, 23, died Saturday, three days before he was supposed to graduate from historically black Bowie State University.

Sean Christopher Urbanski, 22, was charged with murder and assault for the attack that University of Maryland police Chief David Mitchell called "totally unprovoked."

Bill Hennessy

In court, a judge held Urbanski without bond at an appearance Monday afternoon.

"He is an absolute danger to the community," she said.

Urbanski's parents attended the hearing. As prosecutors stated the charges, the accused attacker's father closed his eyes.

Urbanski appeared on a video monitor, wearing an orange jumpsuit. He did not speak.

His lawyer cited media reports saying Urbanski had been intoxicated at the time of the crime. He requested bond, drug counseling and GPS monitoring for Urbanski, but the judge refused.

Outside the courtroom, Urbanski's father declined to comment. His mother tried to cover her face.

Fear the turtle is normally a rallying cry on the University of Maryland campus. But that hashtag took on a very different tone as students of color tweeting their experiences of racism at UMd. News4s Shomari Stone reports.

The University of Maryland police sought the FBI's help after learning Urbanski is a member of a Facebook group called Alt-Reich Nation.

"Suffice it to say that it's despicable. It shows extreme bias against women, Latinos, members of the Jewish faith and especially African Americans," Mitchell said at a news conference Sunday.

The case is making headlines as a possible hate crime, but the FBI and the Prince Georges County states attorney said that determination will take more time, while the circumstances of the crime are investigated first. The FBI said they are assisting in some of the aspects of the investigation.



"We are here to evaluate that as an ongoing concern with respect to whether or not this was a hate crime," said Gordon Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Baltimore.

Courtesy of family; University of Maryland Police Department

Collins' father told NBC News he was in shock.

"I'm in no place to feel very many emotions beside sadness and just a deep sense of personal loss," he said.

"A parent's worst nightmare has just reached my doorstep," he continued.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan expressed outrage on his Facebook page about the attack while sending deepest condolences to the family, friends and college communities.

"The individual responsible for this young mans death must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Hogan wrote. "Violence and hatred have no place in our communities and will never be tolerated. In the wake of this senseless tragedy, I ask that all Marylanders show strength and come together in this time of grieving."

Before Collins was stabbed, he was standing at a bus stop with two friends near the University of Maryland's Montgomery Hall on Regents Drive about 3 a.m. Saturday, police said.

Court documents obtained by News4 say Collins was waiting for the university's shuttle bus with his friends when they realized the shuttle bus had stopped running for the night. They decided to call an Uber and were waiting for one to arrive when they heard Urbanski screaming nearby, the documents say.

Collins and his friends watched Urbanski approach them.

"Step left, step left if you know what's best for you," witnesses told police Urbanski said.

"No," Collins reportedly replied.

Urbanski continued to approach Collins and his friends. Then, he pulled out a knife with a 3- to 4-inch silver blade and stabbed Collins once in the chest, the documents say.

The family pastor of the Bowie State University student stabbed and killed on the University of Maryland campus says the family is devastated. News4's Erika Gonzalez reports the victim was an Army lieutenant that was days away from graduating.

One of Collins' friends ran toward Baltimore Avenue to call 911 and asked the Uber driver to also call for help. Witnesses helped Collins until police and medics arrived.

Two Prince George's County police officers found Urbanski sitting on a bench at a bus stop about 50 feet from where Collins had collapsed. Officers found a knife in Urbanski's front right pocket, the documents say.

Witnesses identified him as the attacker. He was taken into custody by the university's police department.

Collins was taken to Prince George's Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:10 a.m.

A Bowie State University student was attacked and killed at the Univeristy of Maryland just a day before graduation ceremonies are set to start at both schools. News4's Darcy Spencer reports the stabbing was unprovoked.

"It never gets any worse than this," the University of Maryland police chief said. "When I sat with the victim's father, who is a military veteran, and his pastor, and we shed tears together ... I can tell you, it rips your heart out."

Brian Douglas, who got to know Collins when they took a class together, said the man was looking forward to graduation.

"He was just nice, just a good young man all around. You can't find those too often in today's society," Douglas said.

Ciera Sorrell, who also took a class with Collins, said his killing shocked the Bowie State community.

"Everyone is in disbelief," she said. "He seemed so excited to get to live his life, and he doesn't have that chance anymore."

The attack has sparked fear on the University of Maryland campus.

"If I'm a person of color, I would certainly look at this as something that could happen to me. In fact, I know on Facebook our students are saying that," Mitchell said.

The FBI is helping the University of Maryland police department investigate whether Saturday's deadly stabbing was motivated by hate. News4's Darcy Spencer has our report.

Campus police have stepped up patrols on and around campus.

Dr. Artie Lee Travis, vice president for student affairs at Bowie State University, said the school hopes the investigation moves forward as quickly as possible.

"Hate has no place in America,'' he said. "Hate has no place on a college campus, where young minds are coming together to try to change the world."

Urbanski, of Severna Park, Maryland, is being held without bond.

A vigil for Collins is scheduled for Monday evening on Bowie State's campus.

On the University of Maryland campus, flowers and candles were placed at the bus stop where Collins' life was taken.
A United Airlines flight from Shanghai to Newark, New Jersey, was delayed several hours and eventually rerouted to San Francisco International Airport Sunday due to an unruly passenger wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, authorities said.

United said the unidentified passenger tried to take another passengers seat while boarding flight 187 Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The elderly man allegedly refused to move and grew increasingly disruptive after he was asked to exit the aircraft.

Passengers were forced to de-plane at the Shanghai airport while local law enforcement dealt with the matter.

The man "eventually left the aircraft on his own accord" before the flight departed, a spokesman for United said.

Cellphone video captured by a passenger on the flight showed a crowd of travelers shouting "Lock him up!" as he was escorted off the plane and to the boarding gate.

The flight was forced to make an unscheduled stopover in San Francisco to get a new crew on board, adding several hours to the already lengthy flight. The flight was scheduled to arrive in Newark at 6:15 p.m. ET on Sunday, but didn't touch down in New Jersey until 2:22 a.m. Monday.

United thanked its customers for their patience and its staff for its professionalism.
An off-duty Delaware trooper used her service weapon to shoot and kill her boyfriend during a domestic incident overnight.

New Castle County and Delaware State police responded to a townhouse in Pike Creek around 11:15 p.m. Sunday after the trooper called 911, state police said.

Officers and troopers found the off-duty trooper "severely battered" and the man with a gunshot wound to his chest, investigators said.

The man, identified as Maurice Ifill, 43, of Maryland, died at Christian Medical Center a short time later, police said.

The woman, an 8-year state police veteran, was hospitalized with serious injuries and was listed in stable condition Monday afternoon.

Ifill had a series of previous charges in the state of Maryland, including multiple accusations of domestic violence, according to court records.

It was unclear if there were any previous domestic incidents at the home, police said. The couple were home alone at the time.



No word what, if any, charges could be filed.
A temporary protection order has been issued against a Pennsylvania state lawmaker after his wife alleged he hit her in the head, causing hearing loss and numbness in the face.

The (Scranton) Times-Tribune reports a protection from abuse petition filed Friday by the wife of Democratic State Rep. Kevin Haggerty claims the lawmaker attacked her Thursday night.

Jennifer Haggerty says her husband accused her of being out late and threw two water bottles at her, striking her in the face. She claims he then woke up their young children and walked to his mother's house.

She also claims he has previously attacked her, including in front of their children.

A judge approved the order Friday and scheduled a hearing.

Dunmore Police Chief Sal Marchese says his department is investigating.

Calls seeking comment from Rep. Haggerty weren't immediately returned Monday.
Philadelphia community groups continue their relentless crusade to oust Congreso de Latinos Unidos CEO Carolina Cabrera DiGiorgio after she was photographed sitting in the front row of President Donald Trump's rally in Harrisburg last month.

A letter sent on Monday to Congresos board of directors and signed by more than 15 groups questioned her ability to lead and asked for her immediate resignation.

We cannot understand how the executive director of the largest Latino social service agency in Philadelphia would not just participate but be front row and center at a rally where chants of build the wall were prominently featured," the letter read.



"Even more unimaginable is an executive director of said social services organization visibly supporting a president whose goals are to slash social spending to agencies like itself, to destroy the Affordable Care Act and to remove health care access from at least 26 million people in our country all while separating families and incarcerating people through cruel deportation and detention practices and policies, the letter continued.



DiGiorgio is married to the chairman of Pennsylvanias Republican Party. Her political affiliations were known when she was appointed to head Congreso in January, board member Esperanza Neu said.

DiGiorgio and other members of Congreso's leadership team have not returned repeated calls and emails for comment.

Adding to the quagmire is local artist, activist and senior graphic designer at the Community College of Philadelphia, Gilberto Gonzalez. He issued a letter not only calling for DiGiorgio to be fired, but for the entire executive team to reconsider its standing within the Latino Community.

Not one of their executive team has ever lived in the barrio, Gonzalez said. Not only do you have an executive director that has completely lost touch with Latinos in the region, she has a staff that has no connection.

Controversy erupted earlier this month after Philadelphia Weekly placed DiGiorgio at President Donald Trumps Rally on April 29. Photos and video show DiGiorgio, wearing a pink tank top, snapping pictures of the president with her phone and clapping as he spoke.

Community activists insist the issue is not her party affiliation, but instead her support of Trumps policies.

Her recent actions demonstrate not only her lack of credibility, but also her privilege in not being affected by the policies of the administration she vehemently supports," said Nikki Lopez, executive director of Galaei, a Philadelphia-based social justice organization.

"How can a community who has been directly affected by the oppression of Trump's administration trust a leader who is supporting the oppression our Latinx community is facing? The first step in rebuilding that trust is accountability. No more avoidance, it's time that our people are heard."


A great day became even greater for a Wilmington University graduate after her boyfriend who is serving in the U.S. Army proposed to her on stage moments after she received her diploma.

Loveleigh Dey Goode, 25, of Wilmington, Delaware walked on stage at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington for the Wilmington University Commencement Sunday. After taking her diploma she saw a familiar face walk towards her: her boyfriend of three years, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Artist Jones, 31.

Goode told NBC10 she had thought Jones was still at his Army base in Germany. But it wasnt the only surprise for her. Cameras rolled as Jones got down on one knee and proposed to her, causing the crowd to applaud and cheer. Goode told NBC10 Jones had planned everything with Wilmington University.

I guess everyone knew about it except me, she said while laughing. [[423620124, C]]

Goode, who plans on pursuing her masters degree and doctoral degree, said she met Jones in North Carolina while she was working at a coffee shop where he was studying. The two have been dating and traveling with one another ever since. Goode shared the keys to their successful relationship.

I feel like communication, understanding and compromise are three things, she said.

The couple already have a wedding date set for September in Wilmington, Delaware. Congratulations Loveleigh and Artist! [[423619974, C]]


A small plane made an emergency landing in Chester County Sunday afternoon.

The plane landed near Rt. 322 and Frank Road in West Chester, Pennsylvania around 2 p.m.



Pat Poole told NBC10 she was at her granddaughters softball game at Copeland School Park nearby when she saw the plane coming down low. She then heard a crashing noise, walked up over a hill where she was sitting and found the plane on the ground in a grassy area. The pilot was out of the aircraft, uninjured, according to Poole.

Poole told NBC10 the left wing of the plane clipped a telephone pole, bringing down wires. There was also gas leaking from the plane. No one was hurt during the incident however. Police and firefighters responded to the scene.

Rt. 322 was closed between Copeland School Road and Frank Road. It was later reopened.


Im here on behalf of the president as a tangible sign of his commitment to defending Christians and, frankly, all who suffer for their beliefs across the wider world, Vice President Mike Pence said at the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians, in Washington, D.C., on May 11.

The vice presidents words acknowledged something that the previous administration, after some pressure, also recognized: the vicious religious persecution occurring across the world. Former Secretary of State John Kerry would ultimately use the word genocide to call out the ongoing existential threat to Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria from ISIS terrorists.

Throughout the world, no people of faith today face greater hostility or hatred than the followers of Christ. In more than 100 countries ... from Iran to Eritrea, Nigeria to North Korea  over 215 million Christians confront intimidation, imprisonment, forced conversion, abuse, assault or worse, for holding to the truths of the Gospel. And nowhere is this onslaught against our faith more evident than in the very ancient land where Christianity was born.

Pences words highlighted a reality that doesnt always make the headlines. The administration in which he serves ought to take some of its own words, and some of the people Pence recognized in his remarks, to heart. Pence said: Let me also say how deeply humbling it is for me to stand today before the courageous men and women who are with us, who have stood without apology for their faith in Christ and suffered persecution across the wider world.

And then Pence named, among others, Father Douglas Bazi, a Chaldean priest who has been tortured by Islamic militants and has said that U.S. policy has not always taken into consideration the lives of the Christians in Iraq and elsewhere in the region. His is a gentle rebuke, as he radiates gratitude for the many Americans, citizens and leaders alike, wanting to help his people.

Pope Francis has been one of the first and most consistent voices to talk about the fact that we have more persecuted Christians living in the world today than even in the first days of Christianity. Kudos to Mike Pence for picking up on it.

All this got me thinking about words spoken by President Ronald Reagan, in a speech to government leaders in Lisbon in 1985. We have rediscovered the preciousness of freedom, its importance to the cause of peace and to restoring to humanity the dignity to which it is entitled, he said.

He elaborated: This belief in human dignity suggests the final truth upon which democracy is based  a belief that human beings are not just another part of the material universe, not just mere bundles of atoms. We believe in another dimension  a spiritual side to man. We find a transcendent source for our claims to human freedom, our suggestion that inalienable rights come from one greater than ourselves.

Reagan then paid tribute to Pope John Paul II, saying No one has done more to remind the world of the truth of human dignity, as well as the truth that peace and justice begins with each of us, than the special man who came to Portugal a few years ago after a terrible attempt on his life. He came ... to plead for forgiveness and compassion among men, to pray for peace and the recognition of human dignity throughout the world.

Besides good words, our leaders, and the people who elect them, must be rooted in humility. That means looking and listening. To work in defense of persecuted Christians or anyone else means not working from a position of self-interest, from a defensive mode. It means leadership rooted in something greater than ourselves. Thats the tangible commitment that will keep us moving forward, working for equality, freedom and a more just world.
A suspect in an attack of an Army veteran and the theft of his service dog in New York is speaking out, claiming he had nothing to do with the crime.



Police say former Army Ranger Robert Lebron, 40, was on Valentine Avenue and East 49th Street in the Fordham section of the Bronx back on May 14 when two men punched him and then stole his dog who helped him with his PTSD. The dog is still missing.

Police named Philadelphia native Brian Cohen as well as a second man as suspects in the attack and robbery. After seeing the police report however, Cohen spoke to NBC10 and maintained his innocence.

"I don't know if they're saying I'm the guy that attacked him. I don't know if they're saying I'm the guy that took the dog. I don't know if they said I'm the guy standing there," Cohen said. "I'm not any one of the three. I was in Philadelphia on Mother's Day with my mother."

While he claimed he wasn't involved in the attack or theft, Cohen also told NBC10 he knows Lebron.



"This is just a beef that goes back with me and him in regards to a female," Cohen said. "I'm not avoiding anybody. As soon as I heard the story I called channel 4 up. Here's my address. You can send police, a camera man, anybody you want. I'm not hiding."



Cohen also claimed the last time he saw Lebron was the day after Easter.

Police described the second suspect in the incident as a man standing 5-foot-5 and weighing 180 pounds wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and dark shoes.



Anyone with information on the attack is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.


A Maryland high school senior has been barred from participating in her school's graduation ceremony because she is pregnant.

Media outlets report 18-year-old Maddi Runkles was barred from the June 2 ceremony at the Heritage Academy in Hagerstown because she violated the school's code of conduct by having premarital sex. Runkles discovered she was pregnant in January.

After the pregnancy became known, officials at the small private Christian school suspended the 4.0 student for two days and removed her from her student council position.

Runkles' father once sat on the Heritage board and recused himself from decisions involving his daughter. But he ultimately quit the board to protest how she was treated.

Runkles says she feels she has been treated more harshly than students who have been suspended for other reasons. The baby's father doesn't attend Heritage Academy, Runkles said.

The two don't plan on marrying. Anti-abortion organization Students for Life says Runkles shouldn't be punished for her pregnancy, but should be praised for choosing to keep the baby.

The New York Times quoted Heritage Academy Administrator David Hobbs as saying in a statement that the matter is "an internal issue about which much prayer and discussion has taken place." The statement was issued on behalf of the school's board of directors.
A vigil is planned for Monday to honor the Bowie State University student who was fatally stabbed Saturday as he visited the University of Maryland.

Richard Collins III, 23, died after he was stabbed by Sean Christopher Urbanski, 22, police say.

Urbanski, a University of Maryland student, is charged with murder and assault. The FBI is helping local police determine whether the killing was a hate crime. Collins was African American. Urbanski is white.

The vigil for Collins is planned for Monday evening at the historically black school's campus, about 10 miles from University of Maryland.

Bowie State spokeswoman Damita Chambers says it's a student-led effort. The school is planning a moment of silence during Tuesday's commencement, when 23-year-old Collins was set to graduate.

Family members told News4 that Collins was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Court documents obtained by News4 say Collins was waiting for the university's shuttle bus with his friends about 3 a.m. Saturday when they realized the shuttle bus had stopped running for the night. The three decided to call an Uber and were waiting for one to arrive when they heard Urbanski screaming nearby, according to the documents.

Collins and his friends watched Urbanski as he approached them. According to court documents, Urbanski said, "Step left, step left if you know what's best for you," and Collins responded "No."

Urbanski continued to approach the teens, pulled out a knife with a 3- to 4-inch silver blade and stabbed Collins once in the chest, the documents said.

Police asked the FBI to assist in the investigation after learning that Urbanski belonged to a Facebook group called "Alt-Reich: Nation,'' where members post disparaging material about African Americans and others.

Urbanski is scheduled for a bond review Monday afternoon.
As Iran's chief nuclear envoy, Hassan Rouhani earned the nickname "diplomat sheikh" when negotiators in 2004 reached a deal that saw the Islamic Republic halt all its enrichment of uranium.

Over 10 years later, it would be Rouhani as president who would strike a bargain with world powers to again limit Iran's atomic program, showing once more the cleric's pragmatism in slowly engaging with the West.

But Iran's contested nuclear program represents only one part of the identity of the 68 year old, who decisively won a second term on Saturday. He opposed the reign of Iran's shah in the entourage of the Islamic Republic's founder Ruhollah Khomeini, held sensitive defense posts during the country's long 1980s war with Iraq and allegedly served on a committee that targeted government opponents abroad for assassination.

Rouhani, while opening Iran to the world, remains firmly a part of its small, clerically ruled power structure. And yet while not promising widespread changes, he increasingly has criticized hard-liners, showing a deft touch for balancing the various competing powers within Iran.

"I said it is good for centrifuges to operate, but it is also important that the country operates as well and the wheels of industry are turning," Rouhani said during his first presidential campaign in 2013.

Born in Nov. 12, 1948, Rouhani grew up in Sorkheh, a small town in Iran's northern Semnan province. His father, who supported the Shiite family with profits from a small spice shop, was one of the first in their town to perform the hajj, a religious pilgrimage to holy sites in Saudi Arabia required of every able-bodied Muslim once in their life.

Rouhani joined the seminary and soon fell under the sway of Khomeini. At 16, he became a spokesman for the exiled cleric. Rouhani would become a law school student at the University of Tehran and lived for a time in London before returning to Iran, then in the grips of Khomeini's Islamic Revolution.

Rouhani soon had many roles in the new Islamic government, including serving as a lawmaker, reorganizing the military and overseeing Iran's state broadcaster, a valued mouthpiece for Khomeini.

After Iraq started the 1980s war with Iran, Rouhani held several defense positions, including serving as the head of Iran's National Air Defense Command. He later joined the Supreme National Security Council, a powerful body overseeing defense and security issues, reporting directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He also served as a national security adviser to then-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, whose realist attitude toward the world Rouhani later would emulate.

During this time, rights groups allege Rouhani served on an extraconstitutional committee that planned the assassination of opponents and exiles abroad. Rouhani during this time also reportedly told an Iranian newspaper that the country "will not hesitate to destroy the activities of counterrevolutionary groups abroad." Rouhani has not addressed the allegations.

In 2002, after then-U.S. President George W. Bush described Iran as being in the "axis of evil," details of Iran's nuclear program were revealed by the Iranian exile group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq. Rouhani soon became Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and reached a deal with European nations to suspend uranium enrichment.

But the election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threw those negotiations into disarray. After heated arguments with Ahmadinejad, Rouhani resigned as negotiator. Ahmadinejad resumed the program, leading to a series of crippling international sanctions.

After authorities stopped Rafsanjani from running for president in 2013, Rouhani became his standard-bearer. He squeaked out a first-round victory. He entered office at an auspicious moment, as U.S. President Barack Obama earlier had agreed to secret talks with Iranian officials in Oman to see if negotiations were possible.

Rouhani seized the opportunity. In September 2013, he and Obama spoke by telephone, the highest-level exchange between the two countries since the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis in Tehran. By 2015, the deal with world powers was struck.

Speaking later that year at the United Nations, Rouhani said he viewed the deal as "not the final objective but a development which can and should be the basis of further achievements to come."

"I say to all nations and governments: We will not forget the past, but we do not wish to live in the past," Rouhani said. "We will not forget war and sanctions, but we look to peace and development."

The nuclear deal led to Airbus and Chicago-based Boeing Co. signing multi-billion-dollar deals with Iran for airplanes and sent Iranian crude back into many markets. But Iran's weak economy and high unemployment stubbornly remained, in part over foreign firms' trepidation about entering Iran.

Meanwhile, hard-liners and the Revolutionary Guard continued to detain dual nationals, as well as artists and journalists in a crackdown on dissent. The Guard also launched ballistic missiles, including two that had "Israel must be wiped out" written on them in Hebrew.

During his re-election campaign, Rouhani began criticizing hard-liners more stridently than he had in his first four-year term. His rallies also saw people chant for detained leaders of the 2009 Green Movement, which challenged Ahmadinejad's disputed 2009 re-election. Freeing those men had been a promise from his first campaign, one that remains unfulfilled.

But for Rouhani, pragmatism has long been a way of life. Rouhani served as a military conscript under the shah though opposing him. He also recounted in his memoir sneaking into Iraq at age 18 to visit Khomeini in exile.

A smuggler demanded he be low profile and take off his turban, something other clerics may have refused. Rouhani didn't hesitate in removing it.

'We arrived safely and that is what mattered," Rouhani recounted.
The clock is ticking on a big choice from Vermont Governor Phil Scott who must decide by mid-week if recreational marijuana should be legal in his state.

Scott is now weighing whether to sign or veto a bill by the end of the day Wednesday that would legalize possession by adults 21-and-up of up to an ounce of marijuana and a handful of plants at home for personal use, beginning in July 2018.

The legislation would also create a state commission to study taxed and regulated retail operations in other states and recommend if that system could work here.

Im considering all my options, Scott told reporters Friday.

The governor, who has expressed concern about possible impacts from marijuana to road safety, discussed an option he has to let the marijuana bill become law without his signature.

I think there is a difference, Scott said in response to a reporters question about whether he sees a distinction between signing the bill and letting it become law without his signature. One is youre somewhat enthusiastically endorsing the bill; the other is, you know, almost putting out the white flag and saying, Its going to happen and Im not going to be a part of it.

Opponents and supporters of marijuana legalization are also weighing in.

Most people who use it do use it safely, said Eli Harrington, a cannabis reform advocate and co-founder of the website Heady Vermont.

An estimated 80,000 Vermonters regularly use marijuana, according to a recent study from the RAND Corporation.

Harrington said many of those folks think of using marijuana as comparable to enjoying a beer after work, even though current state law sees it very differently.

People are sick of being treated like criminals; having to feel like criminals, Harrington told necn.

Opponents of legalization are urging a veto.

The majority of professionals in law enforcement and health care and mental health do not want to see legal cannabis in Vermont, said Dr. David Rettew of the University of Vermont Medical Center. Remember, these are the people that Vermont will ask to deal with the consequences and clean up the mess this legislation would make.

Scott is going to take his time with this decision. An announcement from him is expected on Wednesday, which is the last day he can exercise his veto power.

NBC 5 News contributed to this report.
A man is missing in the water in the area of Nahant Bay, off of the town of Nahant on the north shore of Massachusetts, according to the United States Coast Guard.

Watertown man Nolan Gargas, 26, was first reported missing by his family to the Watertown Police Department around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Gargas is white, 6'2", with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a tshirt, brown pants, and boots.

Nahant, Beverly, and Revere police - as well as the Massachusetts State Police -all searched for Gargas along with the Coast Guard. The search has been called off for the night but may resume Monday.

Gargas's mother said that she saw her son Saturday night and thinks he probably woke up early to photograph the sunrise, which is something he is known to do.

His car was found near the water in the East Point area Nahant at about 4:00 a.m., according to police.

Police said that, although the search centered near Gargas's car, there's technically no proof that the missing man was in the area.
Officials at one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country say they have substantiated claims of sexual misconduct by 13 former faculty and staffers, some of them accused of raping students while on campus.

St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, released a report Monday detailing allegations against a dozen men and one woman who worked at the school between 1952 and 1999. The list includes former teachers, chaplains and an admissions officer.

The investigation was sparked by the case of Howard White, who taught at St. Paul's from 1967 to 1971. The former Episcopal priest pleaded guilty last week to sexually assaulting students from St. George's School in Rhode Island in 1973.



The investigation reviewed the alleged conduct of 34 St. Paul's School faculty and staff members from 1948 to 1988. In addition to the 13 substantiated claims of sexual misconduct, it found other reports of sexual misconduct by 10 former faculty and staff, and unsubstantiated allegations of sexual misconduct by 11 current and former faculty and staff.

Obviously surprising and deeply saddening, St. Paul's School rector Michael Hirschfeld said.



The highly-regarded prep school has been in the spotlight in recent years due to the trial of student Owen Labrie. He was convicted in 2015 of misdemeanor sexual assault and child endangerment, but acquitted of rape, for his encounter with a 15-year-old classmate in a game of sexual conquest. Labrie was recently denied a request for a new trial.

The report released Monday concluded that the school failed to protect students from sexual abuse and sexual misconduct, and failed to adequately investigate allegations of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct when they were brought to the attention of school leadership.

"That group will be vindicated by this report," Hirschfeld said. He said since those allegations in 2000, the school adopted a zero tolerance policy for adults who abuse their power. Faculty and staff are now required to undergo aggressive boundary training that's proven effective in the years since.

"Six people have been terminated between 2000 and 2017 for boundary violations that aren't anywhere near sexual abuse," he said.

Hirschfeld said his campus fosters a healthy and safe environment - a direct result of the survivors who decided to bring their darkest days to light.

"I am deeply grateful to them and admire their courage and willingness to help the school confront its past and become a better place in the future," he said.

The school has turned the report over to Concord police, who will decide whether legal action can be taken against any of the few surviving perpetrators.

St. Pauls isnt the only top New Hampshire prep school that has been dealing with sexual misconduct allegations. Seven former staffers at Phillips Exeter Academy have been accused of sexual misconduct in recent years. One has pleaded guilty to a sexual assault charge.
A Rhode Island man has been charged with murder in the death of a woman found in the driveway of a home.

Officers were called to an East Providence residence around 4 a.m. Saturday for a report of a person struck by a car. Police say they found Jennifer Silva and took her to Rhode Island Hospital where she later died.

Police say officers located Allen Hanson next to Silva and he identified her as his girlfriend. They say an investigation determined Silva's injuries weren't from being hit by a vehicle but were the result of a domestic-violence altercation between her and the 31-year-old Hanson.

Hanson is set to be arraigned Monday on domestic first-degree murder charges. It couldn't be determined Sunday if he has an attorney.
Demanding Middle East leaders combat a "crisis of Islamic extremism" emanating from their homelands, President Donald Trump tried to revise his previous anti-Muslim rhetoric while recasting the fight against terrorism as a "battle between good and evil" instead of a clash between the West and Islam.

Trump's address Sunday was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president. During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America's role in the region, one aimed squarely at eliminating terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms.

"We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship," Trump said, speaking in a room fixed with 11 chandeliers and six giant video screens. "Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all."

Even as the president pledged to work alongside Middle Eastern nations, he put the onus for combatting terrorism on the region. Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists: "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities."

The president has been enthusiastically embraced in Riyadh, where the ruling royal family has welcomed his tougher stance on Iran, its regional foe.

Trump slammed Iran for spreading "destruction and chaos" throughout the region, repeatedly castigating the nation  which had re-elected its moderate president the day before  as a breeding ground and financier for terror. His comments were echoed by Saudi King Salman, who declared, "The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism."

For Trump, the visit has been a welcome escape from the crush of controversies that have consumed his administration in recent weeks. He's been besieged by a series of revelations about the ongoing federal investigation into his campaign's possible ties to Russia and his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, who had been overseeing the Russia probe.

Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia also served as something of a reset with the region following his presidential campaign, which was frequently punctured by bouts of anti-Islamic rhetoric. He once mused that he thought "Islam hates us" and repeatedly slammed former President Barack Obama for refusing to use the term "radical Islamic extremism."

Yet Trump himself backed away from the term Sunday as he stood before the region's leaders.

He condemned "Islamists" and "Islamic terror of all kinds," but never specifically referred to radical Islam. He largely kept his voice in check, reading carefully from the TelePrompter as he addressed the crowd, which remained quiet during his delivery. And when he concluded, the American delegation rose to give him a standing ovation  but the rest of the hall did not.

On Sunday, Trump was full of praise for Muslim world's history and culture. He declared Islam "one of the world's great faiths." And he praised the Middle East's potential even as he underlined his own vision of a United States with tighter borders, saying "this region should not be a place from which refuges flee but to where newcomers flock."

White House officials said they considered Trump's address to be a counterweight to President Barack Obama's debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo.

Obama called for understanding and acknowledged some of America's missteps in the region. That speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticized by a number of the United States' Middle East allies as being a sort of apology.

Trump said nothing that could be interpreted as an apology. Instead, he seethed at the terrorists who called the region home, though he offered no solutions to prevent radicalization or entertained any discussion of the sources of disaffection for young Muslims that have led them to turn to violence.

"Terrorists do not worship God. They worship death," he said. "If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief and your soul will be full condemned."

Trump's speech came amid a renewed courtship of the United States' Arab allies. Trump held individual meetings with leaders of several nations, including Egypt and Qatar, before participating in a round-table with the Gulf Cooperation Council and joining Saudi King Salman in opening Riyadh's new anti-terrorism center.

A Sunday meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi underscored the kinship, with Trump saluting his counterpart on the April release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi, who had been detained in the country for nearly three years.

El-Sissi invited Trump to visit him in Egypt, adding, "You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible." As the participants laughed, Trump responded: "I agree."

The president then complimented el-Sissi's choice of footwear, telling his Egyptian counterpart "Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes" after their brief remarks to the press.

But even as Trump soaked in the adulation in Saudi Arabia, his administration continues to fight for its travel ban that would prevent immigrants from six countries  Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen  from entering the United States, a decision that sparked widespread protests at the nation's airports and demonstrations outside the White House.

That ban was blocked by the courts. A second order, which dropped Iraq from the list, is tied up in federal court and the federal government is appealing.

From Saudi Arabia, Trump will head to Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He'll also have an audience with Pope Francis, meet with NATO partners in Brussels and attend the Group of 7 wealthy nations summit in Sicily.
CARSON CITY  Gov. Brian Sandoval hosted community advocates, law enforcement officials, members of the Legislature and their invited guests in his office Monday for the signing of several bills. The governor has signed 73 bills into law with 22 receiving final approval Monday.

These measures provide new and expanded services for members of the military, enhanced protection for law enforcement and first responders, allow students with disabilities better opportunities to reach their full potential and secured protections for charter school students. Nevadans will also now have public safe spaces where they can conduct online transactions, said Sandoval. Im encouraged to see members of the Legislature come together and present common-sense, bipartisan solutions. I am committed to completing the states business and to working with legislative leadership to move Nevada forward.

Assembly Bill 64 was sponsored by the Nevada Department of Education and expands support and resources for student with disabilities, particularly learning disabilities, who earn adjusted diplomas pursuant to an individualized education plan (IEP). This bill enables new processes for students with disabilities to earn standard diplomas which is significant because many post-graduation opportunities treat adjusted diplomas differently than standard diplomas.

Assembly Bill 118, originally sponsored by Assemblyman Skip Daly expands concealed firearm permits to individuals 18-21 years old if they are members of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, or were discharged from service under honorable conditions.

Assembly Bill 132 applies enhanced penalties to violent crimes committed against uniformed civilian employees or volunteers of law enforcement agencies, state and local government agencies, and fire-fighting agencies. This measure was sponsored by Assemblyman Elliot Anderson and passed unanimously.

Assembly Bill 282, sponsored by Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, allows military personnel, who are ordered to relocate by the military, to terminate service contracts like gym memberships, cell phone and internet service agreements without facing a penalty. This measure passed both houses unanimously and supports the Governors objective of ensuring Nevada is the most military and veteran-friendly state in the nation.

Assembly Bill 297 was originally sponsored by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui and requires law enforcement agencies to designate e-commerce safe spaces where individuals can meet to complete online transactions. This bill passed unanimously and will help facilitate internet commerce and reduce opportunities for online predators to harm victims.


MakeLunch @ Jubilee  Aylsham Community Church MakeLunch @ Jubilee  Aylsham Community Church

MakeLunch @ Jubilee is run by Aylsham Community Church, as part of a national initiative that works with churches to help fill the holiday hunger gap. They offer a free hot meal and fun activities to families struggling on tight budgets.

MakeLunch @ Jubilee work together with the schools in the community to make sure the families that need it the most get invited, and they are supported by Cromer & District Foodbank. Open on Wednesdays in the school holidays from 11.30-1.15pm.



Aylsham Community Churchs Children and Families Worker Ann Gallagher says Current statistics say that 1 in 4 children in the UK are living in poverty, and many of them receive free school meals. School holidays cover 13 weeks of the year and so when the schools are closed so are their kitchens and many children are left without regular hot meals.



"MakeLunch @ Jubilee exists so that children, and their parents, can look forward to school holidays rather than worrying about where their food might come from. Jesus was well known for spending time with others around a meal table, and I believe there is an amazing dynamic when people get together to eat.



"MakeLunch @ Jubilee is about more than just meeting a very real practical need, its also about showing Gods heart for family and friendship and demonstrating his love in action. I would love to see so many more churches getting on board with providing food in the school holidays. Remember, even feeding just one family makes a difference.

Factfile


Norwich vicar retraces her story on sabbatical Norwich vicar retraces her story on sabbatical

Rev Madeline Light has recently completed a 3-month sabbatical, travelling around the world with her husband, Paul, revisiting her own story, places from her childhood and the house of her birth in Melbourne and setting it all against God's story.

Rev Madeline Light, Vicar of St Stephens, Norwich has recently enjoyed a 3-month period of sabbatical leave travelling to six countries as well as spending time with family in the UK. Here, in her own words, she reflects on her time out and some of the glimpses she received of Gods amazing love.

In my time out I have revisited my own story and worked at setting it alongside a big story, the story of God, in the Bible. It has involved travel, meeting people, reading, listening to scripture and sermons from all over the world and large swathes of time alone. It has been a journey, physical emotional, intellectual and spiritual.



In a surreal experience listening to a sermon preached in a church in central London while on a bus in Sri Lanka, on our way back from visiting a tea plantation, the speaker talked about where do our stories begin? Mine began when a nurse on a P&O ship travelling from San Francisco to Melbourne reprimanded a man for visiting someone in her care.



They married a later in the year and I was born in due course. By the time I was 3 years old I had travelled half way around the world, lived in 3 different countries and experienced countless disruptions and changes. So this sabbatical took up these themes of travel, disruption and change!



Between 28 January and 24 April we travelled around the world, visited 6 foreign countries, slept in 16 different beds. We were transported by ship, aeroplanes, trains, campervan and car. We drove a total of 4,500 miles in Australia and England.



We had our first experiences of a third world country when we visited Mumbai in India. We had brief tastes of cultures very different from ours. In Melbourne, we visited the church where my parents married and the house where they lived when I was born. We stayed with the widow of my godfather who had shared a cabin with my father.



Back in England Paul, started a new job in Norwich while finishing his job in Cambridge which he has enjoyed in various capacities over the last 18 years. This meant that he worked for 5 days and we moved between Norwich and Cambridge, visiting his parents, our sisters and our children and their families at weekends. We went to 10 different churches, some Anglican, some not. We learned to travel very light and occasionally had to improvise when we didnt have what we needed.



I had huge swathes of time to listen to the Bible being read (I have the Message translation on CD), numerous sermons and teaching, while enjoying practical tasks. I had time to reflect and pray alone and occasionally with friends. The fruit has been personal and also for us as a community and its fruit will be tested in time.



The Spirit has talked to me about taking a different perspective of my role in the church, about judgement (a subject I would never have dreamed as a topic for sabbatical!), about certain thoughts that I have that are wrong, and most of all reminded me of the joy of a simpler life which makes listening to the Holy Spirit so much easier.



I have had time to defrost after the death of my mother. I have had space to experience the sadness of not being able to tell her about our adventures, knowing that her joy of being with Jesus is greater than any earthly joy and one day we will share stories again.



We have such an amazing God who loves us all so much and He has granted Paul and me more glimpses of that great love.



Rev Madeline Light, April 2017



Photo: Rev Madeline Light and Paul Light north of Sydney


Christian Police Association in Norfolk joins forces Christian Police Association in Norfolk joins forces

As the National Day of Prayer for the Police on Thursday approaches, the Branch Leader of the recently merged Norfolk and Suffolk Christian Police Associations is encouraging the Norfolk Christian community to pray for local police officers and staff.

This year the National Day of Prayer for Police is on Thursday, May 25.



PS Marie Reavey, the Branch Leader of the recently merged Norfolk and Suffolk Christian Police Association (CPA) said: We would encourage you to pray for the police and specifically your local police.



On April 21 Norfolk and Suffolk Christian Police Association officially merged and became one joint Staff Support Network in an attempt to provide better support to officers across both forces and become more efficient in their functioning.



At the joint meeting in March it was proposed that the core leadership team would include a Branch Leader, two Assistant Branch Leaders and a Prayer Co-ordinator. Following consultation with members this was unanimously agreed.



At the national Christian Police Association Conference, PS Marie Reavey officially became Branch Leader with DC Barry Teare and PC Claire Hamilton-Deane becoming Assistant Branch Leaders and PC Shane Hughes took on the role of Prayer Co-ordinator.



PS Marie Reavy said: As we move forward as one branch we plan to have a change in how we run things with roaming bi-monthly prayer meetings and social events across each force area to try and provide better support and contact for those officers who work in areas where we dont normally meet.



The Christian Police Association aims to encourage and support Christians in the Police Service and help them to communicate in words and action the gospel to colleagues and the communities they serve.



Further prayer points for the National Day of Prayer for the Police include:

Safety whilst on duty

Success in bringing offenders to duty

Changes to Policing
Suspicions over council's intentions for land use

A HUNGERFORD headteacher has revealed he is deeply frustrated by West Berkshire Councils decision to fence off a large chunk of his schools playing fields.

Meanwhile, some residents remain suspicious of the district councils motives for the land acquisition at John OGaunt School and fear it is destined to be sold for use as a future access route for a recently-approved, controversial, 100-home development.

The issue was raised at a recent Hungerford Town Council meeting where James Podger (Con, Hungerford) said: It was always the understanding that the land would be fenced off until it could be decided what to do with it.

He said he believed the headteacher was fully supportive.

But town clerk Claire Barnes said: The school and the governors are disappointed the kids cant use it at the moment.

The fencing has also caused problems for the Hungerford Archers Club.

Now, headteacher Alan Henderson (pictured) has written to parents, stating: We returned after the Easter holidays to find that a fence had been erected around an area of the school playing fields.

He explained that when the school converted to academy status in October 2016, the district council negotiated to keep some of the land for its own use.

However, he added: Having asked [West Berkshire Council] not to fence off the land until they were ready to use it, we were hoping that we would be able to retain this area as part of our playing fields.

Unfortunately, [they] have decided that they would rather fence the area off and maintain the land themselves.

I am deeply frustrated by this decision and I fear that the land will remain unchanged for a considerable time.

The letter went on: We have sought clarification from the local authority as to their future plans for the land, but as yet these details have not been forthcoming... for the foreseeable future the fence will remain and the students will not have access to this land.

He concluded by reassuring parents that the remaining land was sufficient to continue to deliver outstanding PE lessons and for recreational use in break and at lunch times.

Once a school playing field has not been used for sport for five years, it can be developed without the otherwise statutory requirement to consult with the Secretary of State or with Sport England.

One resident, who contacted this newspaper but asked not to be named, said: West Berkshire Council pushed the 100 homes development off Salisbury Road through against the wishes of the town.

The fenced-off land would make an ideal second access for the development.

They are working very closely with the developer and theres a suspicion this was all settled long ago.

A West Berkshire Council spokesman, Martin Dunscombe, did not address the issue of any specific plans for the site, but said: West Berkshire Council has a responsibility to manage its assets carefully to ensure they are used responsibly for the benefit of the whole district.

The retention of the land and its future value will help the council recover the significant funds it has invested in schools across West Berkshire, including John OGaunt School.

To ensure we can benefit from this land in the future the council is required to physically separate the land from the school and ensure that the land is no longer used as a playing field.

* WHAT'S your view? Have your say by emailing john.garvey@newburynews.co.uk or calling (01635) 564528.
On Saturday, May 13, employees at the ACOR agricultural cooperative in Mojados, a small village in central Spain, were amazed to discover that over 900 tons of wheat had disappeared from their storage facility . I talked to the insurance company expert and he told me that a theft of this scope is not normal, said Esteban Sanz, the cooperatives crop director.

The ACOR cooperative near Valladolid. ACOR

Sanz and his colleagues called the Civil Guard, who showed up at the crime scene within five minutes. They came straight away, but there wasnt a single kilogram left inside, he recalls. The lost revenue could be as high as 240,000.

The police investigation remains open, but for now little is known about who made off with the cereal and when. What seems particularly puzzling is how the thieves pulled it off without raising any eyebrows.

Taking 900 tons of wheat does not make much sense since its market price is much lower than other products

Esteban Sanz, ACOR

They could have perfectly well done it in broad daylight because nearby companies are used to seeing our clients trucks coming and going all day long, says Sanz. The grain was a high-protein variety that is typically used in baked goods and stored for several months in silos that the cooperative rents out depending on demand.

Save for periodic supervision by technicians and the company that fumigates the wheat every so often, the silo is permanently closed, explains Sanz.

The storage facility is located on the N-601 road, a busy thoroughfare, at a spot just a few kilometers from the cooperatives factory in Olmedo. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Normally you see very small cases of theft representing half a truck trailer at the most, says Sanz.

Spain faces a 50% drop in wheat production this year. Reuters

At ACOR, the main hypothesis is that the grain will end up at flour mills, animal feed factories or private livestock farms. Although it is not designed for consumption by animals, any livestock outfit could feed its animals with this grain, says Sanz. Taking 900 tons of wheat does not make much sense since its market price is much lower than other food products like sugar, for instance.

This year, Spains wheat crop will be around 10 million tons, roughly half as much as last season, according to estimates by the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers. The region of Castilla y Leon, where the theft took place, contributes half the nations total production, and this year it is expecting losses of up to 80%.

In recent years theres been a rise in theft at farms and crop fields, especially in Aragon and Castilla-La Mancha, but not inside warehouses or factories, said a spokesperson at Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Espana (Agro-Food Cooperatives of Spain).

Sanz hopes that the Civil Guard will soon get to the bottom of the theft at their cooperative  a heist worthy of Hollywood, because taking away 900 tons of wheat would have required at least 30 trucks with a trailer capacity of 26 tons each.

English version by Susana Urra.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Government-run Air India plans to raise around Rs 80 crore through sale of its seven properties, including some land parcels, as a part of its asset monetisation plan.

The national carrier has mandated the state-run auctioneer MSTC to put these properties under the hammer.

"Air India proposes to sell its exclusive properties in the form of land parcels/built-up flats located at prime location in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Trivandrum through e-auction process by MSTC," according to an e-auction notice posted on the airline's website today.

"We are hopeful of raising Rs 80 crore from the e-auctioning of the seven properties, which include both land parcels and flats," a senior Air India official said.

As per the turnaround plan/financial restructuring plan approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) back in 2012, Air India is required to monetise its assets and generate Rs 5,000 crore by way of sale, leasing or developing an asset as a joint venture.

Under the plan, the carrier is to get financial assistance to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore over a 10-year period.

Air India has been in possession of some properties which are lying vacant and unused for a long time. These include parcels of land as well as residential and commercial estate in India and abroad.

So far, the carrier has been able to sell four of its flats in Mumbai to SBI for Rs 90 crore.

Besides, it has also leased out almost the entire space at its previous headquarters at Nariman Point here to various government agencies.

The national carrier is also in the process of leasing out around 25,500 square feet space at its Kolkata office complex.

MUMBAI: Government-run Air India plans to raise around Rs 80 crore through sale of its seven properties, including some land parcels, as a part of its asset monetisation plan. The national carrier has mandated the state-run auctioneer MSTC to put these properties under the hammer. "Air India proposes to sell its exclusive properties in the form of land parcels/built-up flats located at prime location in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Trivandrum through e-auction process by MSTC," according to an e-auction notice posted on the airline's website today. "We are hopeful of raising Rs 80 crore from the e-auctioning of the seven properties, which include both land parcels and flats," a senior Air India official said. As per the turnaround plan/financial restructuring plan approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) back in 2012, Air India is required to monetise its assets and generate Rs 5,000 crore by way of sale, leasing or developing an asset as a joint venture. Under the plan, the carrier is to get financial assistance to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore over a 10-year period. Air India has been in possession of some properties which are lying vacant and unused for a long time. These include parcels of land as well as residential and commercial estate in India and abroad. So far, the carrier has been able to sell four of its flats in Mumbai to SBI for Rs 90 crore. Besides, it has also leased out almost the entire space at its previous headquarters at Nariman Point here to various government agencies. The national carrier is also in the process of leasing out around 25,500 square feet space at its Kolkata office complex.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Japanese telecom conglomerate Softbank Group has raised over $93 billion capital for its

Vision Fund to invest towards long-term investment in companies in the technology sector.

According to a statement issued by SoftBank, the fund is targeting a total of $100 billion of committed capital, with a final close within six months. The fund will also focus on foundational platform businesses keen on next age of innovation, and not just on long-term investments in companies.

This fund will help spearhead innovation in the new digital technologies including Internet of Things, cloud technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, mobile applications, computing, data-driven business models and financial technology among others. Also a point of focus for the fund will be acquiring minority and majority interests in both private and public firms. It will address fund requirements of businesses ranging from emerging technologies to well-established, multi-billion dollar companies.

The Vision Fund will have the right to acquire investments made or in the process of being made, by the SoftBank Group (including 24.99 per cent of its holding in electronic chipset technology firm ARM and investments in Guardant Health, Intelsat, Nvidia, OneWeb and SoFi)

Softbanks wholly-owned subsidiary SB Investment Advisers, which is to be headed by Rajev Misra, will advise the company on these investments. Rajeev Misra will be the CEO of SB Investment Advisers and a member of the Investment Committee.

He will play a key role in all fund transactions, supported by a highly-experienced global team across offices in London, San Carlos, and Tokyo, said Softbank.

Apart from SoftBank Group Corp and Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, investors in the Vision Fund include Mubadala Investment Company based in the United Arab Emirates, Apple Inc, Foxconn Technology Group, Qualcomm Incorporated and Sharp Corporation.

BENGALURU: Japanese telecom conglomerate Softbank Group has raised over $93 billion capital for its Vision Fund to invest towards long-term investment in companies in the technology sector. According to a statement issued by SoftBank, the fund is targeting a total of $100 billion of committed capital, with a final close within six months. The fund will also focus on foundational platform businesses keen on next age of innovation, and not just on long-term investments in companies. This fund will help spearhead innovation in the new digital technologies including Internet of Things, cloud technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, mobile applications, computing, data-driven business models and financial technology among others. Also a point of focus for the fund will be acquiring minority and majority interests in both private and public firms. It will address fund requirements of businesses ranging from emerging technologies to well-established, multi-billion dollar companies. The Vision Fund will have the right to acquire investments made or in the process of being made, by the SoftBank Group (including 24.99 per cent of its holding in electronic chipset technology firm ARM and investments in Guardant Health, Intelsat, Nvidia, OneWeb and SoFi) Softbanks wholly-owned subsidiary SB Investment Advisers, which is to be headed by Rajev Misra, will advise the company on these investments. Rajeev Misra will be the CEO of SB Investment Advisers and a member of the Investment Committee. He will play a key role in all fund transactions, supported by a highly-experienced global team across offices in London, San Carlos, and Tokyo, said Softbank. Apart from SoftBank Group Corp and Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, investors in the Vision Fund include Mubadala Investment Company based in the United Arab Emirates, Apple Inc, Foxconn Technology Group, Qualcomm Incorporated and Sharp Corporation.
By PTI

VIENA: India today once again asked oil cartel OPEC to stop charging premium from its Asian buyers saying oil producers should not subsidise others at the expense of countries like India.

Reiterating New Delhi's decade-old demand, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said OPEC should work towards "responsible price", which would allow major consuming countries to provide energy to the common people.

Higher prices will force them to go for alternate forms of energy which would be slowing down the demand of crude oil, he said in his address at the 2nd high-level meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue here.

"During my last visit to Vienna for the 6th OPEC International Seminar in 2015, I had raised the issue of 'Asian Dividend not Asian Premium'.

"The issue of Asian Premium still continues to exist. Our companies pay billions of dollars on this account. They still don't understand the rationale of this cross subsidisation of tariff between West and the East," he said.

Pradhan's predecessors, particularly Mani Shankar Aiyar, had in past vociferously raised the issue of OPEC members charging the so-called premium from Asian buyers but the cartel has refused to act on the issue.

OPEC, Pradhan said, should treat Asian markets as primary markets. "It's strategy of incentivising western markets in the past did not result in retaining those markets."

Stating that OPEC member countries are in the business of selling oil and not subsidising it, he said, "don't subsidise others at our expense."

"I urge the OPEC and through you also to non-OPEC countries to purposefully consider this," he said.

The oil cartel, which accounts for over 40 per cent of world's oil supplies, should work towards 'responsible price', he said, adding dialogue between producers and consumers help better understand each other's prescpectives.

Pradhan said India is growing consistently at over 7 per cent and the growth rate in the energy sector is 7-8 per cent, which is double the rate of many developed markets.

With increasing demand and consumption, India is increasing imports and also its refining capacity.

"Today, our annual refining capacity is 235 million tonnes of which 194 million tonnes of products are consumed domestically, while the rest is exported. At the same time our energy consumption is expected to double in the next 15 years.

"We are in fact net exporters of gasoline, naptha, jet fuel and gas oil. We are in the process of increasing our refining capacity to around 310 million tonnes by 2023. India is fast becoming a refinery hub," he said.

Also, Indian firms are investing about USD 80 billion in petrochemicals in next 3-5 years.

VIENA: India today once again asked oil cartel OPEC to stop charging premium from its Asian buyers saying oil producers should not subsidise others at the expense of countries like India. Reiterating New Delhi's decade-old demand, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said OPEC should work towards "responsible price", which would allow major consuming countries to provide energy to the common people. Higher prices will force them to go for alternate forms of energy which would be slowing down the demand of crude oil, he said in his address at the 2nd high-level meeting of the OPEC-India Energy Dialogue here. "During my last visit to Vienna for the 6th OPEC International Seminar in 2015, I had raised the issue of 'Asian Dividend not Asian Premium'. "The issue of Asian Premium still continues to exist. Our companies pay billions of dollars on this account. They still don't understand the rationale of this cross subsidisation of tariff between West and the East," he said. Pradhan's predecessors, particularly Mani Shankar Aiyar, had in past vociferously raised the issue of OPEC members charging the so-called premium from Asian buyers but the cartel has refused to act on the issue. OPEC, Pradhan said, should treat Asian markets as primary markets. "It's strategy of incentivising western markets in the past did not result in retaining those markets." Stating that OPEC member countries are in the business of selling oil and not subsidising it, he said, "don't subsidise others at our expense." "I urge the OPEC and through you also to non-OPEC countries to purposefully consider this," he said. The oil cartel, which accounts for over 40 per cent of world's oil supplies, should work towards 'responsible price', he said, adding dialogue between producers and consumers help better understand each other's prescpectives. Pradhan said India is growing consistently at over 7 per cent and the growth rate in the energy sector is 7-8 per cent, which is double the rate of many developed markets. With increasing demand and consumption, India is increasing imports and also its refining capacity. "Today, our annual refining capacity is 235 million tonnes of which 194 million tonnes of products are consumed domestically, while the rest is exported. At the same time our energy consumption is expected to double in the next 15 years. "We are in fact net exporters of gasoline, naptha, jet fuel and gas oil. We are in the process of increasing our refining capacity to around 310 million tonnes by 2023. India is fast becoming a refinery hub," he said. Also, Indian firms are investing about USD 80 billion in petrochemicals in next 3-5 years.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In a shocking incident of murders, accused claimed to have murdered entire family of six out of which two bodies have been recovered on Monday late night.

According to the police, the incident came to light on Saturday when cops arrested an accused identified as Bunty. He claimed that he has killed Munnawar Hassan, an associated with BSP. He also confessed to have murdered five other members of Hassan's family.

Hassan's family was missing since April 20. On Friday, Hassan along with Bunty went to the police station to get a missing FIR registered, a Delhi police official said.

According to the cops, on Saturday afternoon when Bunty went to Hassan's house, they had an altercation which triggered the incident. On the basis of the technical surveillance, we have arrested Bunty. He confessed that he had killed entire family and dispose off the bodies in different areas. We have recovered bodies of Hassan on Monday late night, police said.

Bunty said he had given 20 lakh rupeee to Hassan but he wasn't returning.

NEW DELHI: In a shocking incident of murders, accused claimed to have murdered entire family of six out of which two bodies have been recovered on Monday late night. According to the police, the incident came to light on Saturday when cops arrested an accused identified as Bunty. He claimed that he has killed Munnawar Hassan, an associated with BSP. He also confessed to have murdered five other members of Hassan's family. Hassan's family was missing since April 20. On Friday, Hassan along with Bunty went to the police station to get a missing FIR registered, a Delhi police official said. According to the cops, on Saturday afternoon when Bunty went to Hassan's house, they had an altercation which triggered the incident. On the basis of the technical surveillance, we have arrested Bunty. He confessed that he had killed entire family and dispose off the bodies in different areas. We have recovered bodies of Hassan on Monday late night, police said. Bunty said he had given 20 lakh rupeee to Hassan but he wasn't returning.
Rinku Gupta By

Express News Service

Gautham Karthik had to undergo a complete makeover to play the role of a Tamil repatriate from Burma in the upcoming film, Rangoon directed by Rajkumar Periasamy. First, he had to get his skin darkened. I had to do the same for Kadal, but there, I had time to tan myself naturally in the sun. But for Rangoon, we went directly into the shoot, and so, I had to be tanned artificially, with dark-colored full body make-up, says Gautham. But this was easier said than done. We had decided the shade for my skin and started shooting, but my skin started tanning naturally. So, every few days, we had to keep changing the original shade.

He observes wryly that heroines usually took a long time to get their look right, but in the case of Rangoon, he took just as long, if not longer. Gautham says, Usually, I take 10 minutes for hair and make-up, but for Rangoon, I was always the first to arrive and the last to leave from the sets! For a 6 am shoot, I would be there at 4 am to start the make-up. I had to grow my hair longer and get it curled too. The look alone took at least two hours everyday.

For 70 days of the films shoot, he says he had to endure this. Even when I reached home by midnight, I would have to get rid of all the cream products and gel from my hair. It wasnt just me, of course; all the make-up staff had to manage with such a stringent schedule. Speaking about the film set in early 2000s, Gautham adds, It is about Tamils who have returned from Burma, and how they try to make a living in Chennai. For the part, the actor had to learn a bit of Burmese, and train himself to speak Tamil as the Burmese do. I also learned how to fix gold ornaments for the role, he says. A goldsmith came to the sets to teach me this. And now, I can repair any gold ornament!

Gautham Karthik had to undergo a complete makeover to play the role of a Tamil repatriate from Burma in the upcoming film, Rangoon directed by Rajkumar Periasamy. First, he had to get his skin darkened. I had to do the same for Kadal, but there, I had time to tan myself naturally in the sun. But for Rangoon, we went directly into the shoot, and so, I had to be tanned artificially, with dark-colored full body make-up, says Gautham. But this was easier said than done. We had decided the shade for my skin and started shooting, but my skin started tanning naturally. So, every few days, we had to keep changing the original shade. He observes wryly that heroines usually took a long time to get their look right, but in the case of Rangoon, he took just as long, if not longer. Gautham says, Usually, I take 10 minutes for hair and make-up, but for Rangoon, I was always the first to arrive and the last to leave from the sets! For a 6 am shoot, I would be there at 4 am to start the make-up. I had to grow my hair longer and get it curled too. The look alone took at least two hours everyday. For 70 days of the films shoot, he says he had to endure this. Even when I reached home by midnight, I would have to get rid of all the cream products and gel from my hair. It wasnt just me, of course; all the make-up staff had to manage with such a stringent schedule. Speaking about the film set in early 2000s, Gautham adds, It is about Tamils who have returned from Burma, and how they try to make a living in Chennai. For the part, the actor had to learn a bit of Burmese, and train himself to speak Tamil as the Burmese do. I also learned how to fix gold ornaments for the role, he says. A goldsmith came to the sets to teach me this. And now, I can repair any gold ornament!
Shevlin Sebastian By

Dressed in a black blouse and white skirt, Anupama Kundoo walked elegantly towards the lectern, at Thanima-2, an international conference for architects held recently at the National Institute of Technology, Kozhikode.

Indians are one-sixth of the world population, but we have only 2.4 per cent of the worlds land, says Kundoo. This is a huge problem. The number of people on the footpaths of Mumbai are much more than those who live in multi-storey buildings.

This internationally-reputed architect makes buildings that have low environmental impact and are suited to the local socio-economic conditions.

She displayed an example of this at last years architecture biennale at Venice. In a 2,500-sq ft installation, she set up a 400 sq ft prototype of a low-cost house. The house was handmade, says the 49-year-old Anupama.

Anupama Kundoo

I took the help of artisans from Tamil Nadu who made blocks of ferrocement (a cheaper and different type of concrete) at the Technical University of Berlin, with the help of German engineers. Then they came to Venice and made the walls and floors on the spot.

Ferrocement has many advantages. While reinforced concrete is 15 cm thick, ferrocement that is made of fine chicken mesh has a thickness of only 2 cm. Thanks to the mesh, the tensile strength is evenly distributed, she says. So, it is more earthquake-resistant and ductile than concrete.

This kind of house can be assembled in five to six days. So you save a lot of money and time. And local masons can build these simple components in their own backyards.

Meanwhile, the trip had an impact on the artisans. Because they spent time in a heritage city like Venice, they realised that there was no need to imitate anybody, says Kundoo, who holds the chair of Affordable Habitat at Universidad Camilo Jose Cela, Madrid, and was the Strauch Visiting Critic at Cornell University. In fact, they felt proud of their Indian heritage.

And so does Anupama, who passed out from the JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai, in 1989. Thereafter, for the next 12 years, she lived in Auroville, Pondicherry, where she built several innovative buildings.

The most notable one was her own residence called The Wall House. It is L-shaped, with a courtyard in the middle and was built using traditional achakal bricks and terracotta tubes. As a result, she had reduced the use of concrete and steel. The dining table was made from a single log of wood, while the bathroom has an open-to-sky design.

Anupama, who has also taught at Berlin, New York and Queensland, says she always urges her students, especially those from India, to use local skilled and unskilled labour, along with the members of the local community for their projects. In this way, the impact on the environment will be minimal, she says.

Dressed in a black blouse and white skirt, Anupama Kundoo walked elegantly towards the lectern, at Thanima-2, an international conference for architects held recently at the National Institute of Technology, Kozhikode. Indians are one-sixth of the world population, but we have only 2.4 per cent of the worlds land, says Kundoo. This is a huge problem. The number of people on the footpaths of Mumbai are much more than those who live in multi-storey buildings. This internationally-reputed architect makes buildings that have low environmental impact and are suited to the local socio-economic conditions. She displayed an example of this at last years architecture biennale at Venice. In a 2,500-sq ft installation, she set up a 400 sq ft prototype of a low-cost house. The house was handmade, says the 49-year-old Anupama. Anupama KundooI took the help of artisans from Tamil Nadu who made blocks of ferrocement (a cheaper and different type of concrete) at the Technical University of Berlin, with the help of German engineers. Then they came to Venice and made the walls and floors on the spot. Ferrocement has many advantages. While reinforced concrete is 15 cm thick, ferrocement that is made of fine chicken mesh has a thickness of only 2 cm. Thanks to the mesh, the tensile strength is evenly distributed, she says. So, it is more earthquake-resistant and ductile than concrete. This kind of house can be assembled in five to six days. So you save a lot of money and time. And local masons can build these simple components in their own backyards. Meanwhile, the trip had an impact on the artisans. Because they spent time in a heritage city like Venice, they realised that there was no need to imitate anybody, says Kundoo, who holds the chair of Affordable Habitat at Universidad Camilo Jose Cela, Madrid, and was the Strauch Visiting Critic at Cornell University. In fact, they felt proud of their Indian heritage. And so does Anupama, who passed out from the JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai, in 1989. Thereafter, for the next 12 years, she lived in Auroville, Pondicherry, where she built several innovative buildings. The most notable one was her own residence called The Wall House. It is L-shaped, with a courtyard in the middle and was built using traditional achakal bricks and terracotta tubes. As a result, she had reduced the use of concrete and steel. The dining table was made from a single log of wood, while the bathroom has an open-to-sky design. Anupama, who has also taught at Berlin, New York and Queensland, says she always urges her students, especially those from India, to use local skilled and unskilled labour, along with the members of the local community for their projects. In this way, the impact on the environment will be minimal, she says.
Aishik Chanda By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: The city turned into a battleground on Monday as several thousand cadres of 11 Left organisations led by 24 Left Front MLAs marched towards State Secretariat Nabanna for 18-point demands, including arrests of TMC leaders accused in Narada scam.

Over 100 Left activists and 79 police personnel were injured in clashes today at various places in the city, Further, 3 journalists were among those injured in lathicharge by the city police.



The protesters violently clashed with Kolkata police personnel in at least five different parts of the city. Though the police had barricaded many routes of the processions, protesters allegedly broke several barricades with bamboo staffs and tree logs and pelted stones at the police, notably at Dufferin Road and Hastings in central Kolkata.



Police claimed that they retaliated with lathi-charge, tear-gas and sprayed water canon on the protesters at Byator locality to prevent protesters from marching towards Nabanna. Several policemen were injured in stone-pelting by Left protesters, they added.



Left leader of Assembly Sujan Chakraborty and four other CPM MLAs were arrested when they tried to enter the Secretariat after reaching the venue on motorbikes. CPM leader Biman Basu sustained injuries on his head while Kanti Ganguly was hit on hip during the lathi-charge on Mayo road in central Kolkata.



Speaking at a presser after the massive violence, CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said: "Today's (Monday) attack exposed the insecurity of the TMC government. 'Nabanna Avijaan' (operation) was a huge success. Our people fought bravely. I have not seen one instance of stone pelting by our cadres."



Another top CPM leader Biman Basu, who was injured on the head during the agitation, demanded the immediate release of the arrested CPM MLAs. "Entering the Secretariat is not a crime. How can they arrest some people for that? " he said.



On the other hand, the TMC apparent heir and Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee said that stone-pelters would be dealt with iron fist. "Those who think that they can make Bengal unstable by pelting stones will be dealt with iron fist of the government," he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in Birbhum district and has not commented on the issue.

(Inputs from agencies)

KOLKATA: The city turned into a battleground on Monday as several thousand cadres of 11 Left organisations led by 24 Left Front MLAs marched towards State Secretariat Nabanna for 18-point demands, including arrests of TMC leaders accused in Narada scam. Over 100 Left activists and 79 police personnel were injured in clashes today at various places in the city, Further, 3 journalists were among those injured in lathicharge by the city police. The protesters violently clashed with Kolkata police personnel in at least five different parts of the city. Though the police had barricaded many routes of the processions, protesters allegedly broke several barricades with bamboo staffs and tree logs and pelted stones at the police, notably at Dufferin Road and Hastings in central Kolkata. Police claimed that they retaliated with lathi-charge, tear-gas and sprayed water canon on the protesters at Byator locality to prevent protesters from marching towards Nabanna. Several policemen were injured in stone-pelting by Left protesters, they added. Left leader of Assembly Sujan Chakraborty and four other CPM MLAs were arrested when they tried to enter the Secretariat after reaching the venue on motorbikes. CPM leader Biman Basu sustained injuries on his head while Kanti Ganguly was hit on hip during the lathi-charge on Mayo road in central Kolkata. Speaking at a presser after the massive violence, CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said: "Today's (Monday) attack exposed the insecurity of the TMC government. 'Nabanna Avijaan' (operation) was a huge success. Our people fought bravely. I have not seen one instance of stone pelting by our cadres." Another top CPM leader Biman Basu, who was injured on the head during the agitation, demanded the immediate release of the arrested CPM MLAs. "Entering the Secretariat is not a crime. How can they arrest some people for that? " he said. On the other hand, the TMC apparent heir and Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee said that stone-pelters would be dealt with iron fist. "Those who think that they can make Bengal unstable by pelting stones will be dealt with iron fist of the government," he said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in Birbhum district and has not commented on the issue. (Inputs from agencies)
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: A 50-year-old woman was buried alive and two others sustained severe injuries when a dilapidated double-storied house collapsed in citys Itwara area on Monday afternoon.



The house which is believed to be 75-year-old, collapsed at around 2.45 pm while renovation work was underway in its front portion.



The woman identified as Shahida Bi is the wife of the house of owner Mohd Salim, while Golu, one of the injured people, is his brother.



A total of 10-15 members of joint family resided in the house, but only three to four were present in the house when it collapsed.



It was not the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff or the state disaster emergency response force personnel, who rushed to the spot, on coming to know about the house collapse. Instead it was local residents who took out the injured men and the woman who was buried alive in the debris, said municipal corporator (Ward no. 19) Sawar Mansur.



It was after an hour that BMC personnel and the SDERF team reached the spot and began clearing the debris with the help of four JCB machines, he added.



Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma who reached the spot to take stock of rescue operations told journalists that all such dilapidated houses in the city will be identified shortly followed by their demolition before onset of monsoon.

BHOPAL: A 50-year-old woman was buried alive and two others sustained severe injuries when a dilapidated double-storied house collapsed in citys Itwara area on Monday afternoon. The house which is believed to be 75-year-old, collapsed at around 2.45 pm while renovation work was underway in its front portion. The woman identified as Shahida Bi is the wife of the house of owner Mohd Salim, while Golu, one of the injured people, is his brother. A total of 10-15 members of joint family resided in the house, but only three to four were present in the house when it collapsed. It was not the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff or the state disaster emergency response force personnel, who rushed to the spot, on coming to know about the house collapse. Instead it was local residents who took out the injured men and the woman who was buried alive in the debris, said municipal corporator (Ward no. 19) Sawar Mansur. It was after an hour that BMC personnel and the SDERF team reached the spot and began clearing the debris with the help of four JCB machines, he added. Bhopal mayor Alok Sharma who reached the spot to take stock of rescue operations told journalists that all such dilapidated houses in the city will be identified shortly followed by their demolition before onset of monsoon.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: A Myanmar-based insurgent group has driven out nearly 300 people, mostly women and children, from their homes forcing them to flee to neighbouring Mizoram in search of refuge.



According to defence sources, the exodus took place on Friday. The insurgent group, Arakan Army, held back the male villagers.



The Assam Rifles said it had received information from the civil administration on Friday about the influx of a large group of people from Myanmar to southern Mizoram. Subsequently, it sent two teams to a village, Lungpuk. During profiling, the teams learnt that there were more than 200 refugees.



Later, the teams visited another village, Khaikhy, and found 77 more refugees there.



The refugees revealed that they were residents of Ralie village in Chin State of Myanmar. They said they were threatened and pushed out of their homes by Myanmar-based ethnic insurgent group, Arakan Army, while most of the male villagers were held back, a senior Assam Rifles officer told The New Indian Express.



Mizoram home minister, R Lalzirliana, said the State government was taking care of the refugees.



They can travel up to 15 km from the international border inside India and stay there for some time. Myanmar and India have an agreement in this regard. But we will soon inform the Central government about them, he said.



Lalzirliana pointed out that the refugees were staying in schools and community halls and the Mizoram government was providing them food.



Earlier, the Assam Rifles interacted with Myanmar Army authorities about ensuring a safe return of the refugees by providing adequate security.



Myanmar has over 20 insurgent outfits. A dozen of them are lying low following signing of ceasefire agreements with the government two years back. The Arakan Army was founded in 2009 and it is fighting to protect the Arakan people and establish peace, justice, freedom and development.

GUWAHATI: A Myanmar-based insurgent group has driven out nearly 300 people, mostly women and children, from their homes forcing them to flee to neighbouring Mizoram in search of refuge. According to defence sources, the exodus took place on Friday. The insurgent group, Arakan Army, held back the male villagers. The Assam Rifles said it had received information from the civil administration on Friday about the influx of a large group of people from Myanmar to southern Mizoram. Subsequently, it sent two teams to a village, Lungpuk. During profiling, the teams learnt that there were more than 200 refugees. Later, the teams visited another village, Khaikhy, and found 77 more refugees there. The refugees revealed that they were residents of Ralie village in Chin State of Myanmar. They said they were threatened and pushed out of their homes by Myanmar-based ethnic insurgent group, Arakan Army, while most of the male villagers were held back, a senior Assam Rifles officer told The New Indian Express. Mizoram home minister, R Lalzirliana, said the State government was taking care of the refugees. They can travel up to 15 km from the international border inside India and stay there for some time. Myanmar and India have an agreement in this regard. But we will soon inform the Central government about them, he said. Lalzirliana pointed out that the refugees were staying in schools and community halls and the Mizoram government was providing them food. Earlier, the Assam Rifles interacted with Myanmar Army authorities about ensuring a safe return of the refugees by providing adequate security. Myanmar has over 20 insurgent outfits. A dozen of them are lying low following signing of ceasefire agreements with the government two years back. The Arakan Army was founded in 2009 and it is fighting to protect the Arakan people and establish peace, justice, freedom and development.
By PTI

BEIJING: India which is conducting major naval drills with Singapore in the disputed South China Sea has "reneged" on its promise not to provoke China on the sensitive issue, a Chinese military expert said today.

Judging from the deployment of anti-submarine weapons, the purpose of the drills is clearly aimed at impacting China's submarines in the India Ocean, which India regards as a "threat" to its influence in the area, Song Zhongping, a military expert who used to serve in the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times.

"India had promised not to take sides and provoke China on the South China Sea disputes. But the country is reneging on its promise by conducting such major drills in the area," Song said.

Navies of India and Singapore last Thursday began a seven-day-long mega maritime exercise in the SCS which has been witnessing a growing Chinese assertiveness. The drill code-named "SIMBEX" (Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise) aims to enhance inter-operability between the two navies.

China had said that if such exchanges and cooperation is for the benefit of regional peace and security, then it has no opposition to the drills. "We just hope that when the relevant countries conduct such exchanges and cooperation, they should bear in mind such activities should not hurt the interests of other countries or have any negative impact to regional peace and stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on May 19. Song also said the high-level of cooperation between India and Japan, including the "Freedom Corridor" that connects Asia-Pacific to Africa, can also be seen as pushback against China's Belt and Road initiative.

The close bilateral cooperation is the previous Obama administration's legacy, in which Japan and India were meant to keep China at bay, both politically and militarily, Qian Feng, an expert at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies, was quoted by the report. Qian also stressed that India's recent operations in Southeast Asia are a political investment.

India could use its influence in ASEAN countries as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China, once ties between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries get strained over South China Sea disputes, he said. He also referred to reports that India and Japan are working on infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Iran's Chabahar port and Sri Lanka's Trincomalee port, and the development of the Dawei port along the Thai-Myanmar border.

India did not send an official delegation to China to attend last week's 'Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation' in Beijing in view of its concerns over the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area.

BEIJING: India which is conducting major naval drills with Singapore in the disputed South China Sea has "reneged" on its promise not to provoke China on the sensitive issue, a Chinese military expert said today. Judging from the deployment of anti-submarine weapons, the purpose of the drills is clearly aimed at impacting China's submarines in the India Ocean, which India regards as a "threat" to its influence in the area, Song Zhongping, a military expert who used to serve in the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times. "India had promised not to take sides and provoke China on the South China Sea disputes. But the country is reneging on its promise by conducting such major drills in the area," Song said. Navies of India and Singapore last Thursday began a seven-day-long mega maritime exercise in the SCS which has been witnessing a growing Chinese assertiveness. The drill code-named "SIMBEX" (Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise) aims to enhance inter-operability between the two navies. China had said that if such exchanges and cooperation is for the benefit of regional peace and security, then it has no opposition to the drills. "We just hope that when the relevant countries conduct such exchanges and cooperation, they should bear in mind such activities should not hurt the interests of other countries or have any negative impact to regional peace and stability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on May 19. Song also said the high-level of cooperation between India and Japan, including the "Freedom Corridor" that connects Asia-Pacific to Africa, can also be seen as pushback against China's Belt and Road initiative. The close bilateral cooperation is the previous Obama administration's legacy, in which Japan and India were meant to keep China at bay, both politically and militarily, Qian Feng, an expert at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies, was quoted by the report. Qian also stressed that India's recent operations in Southeast Asia are a political investment. India could use its influence in ASEAN countries as a bargaining chip in negotiations with China, once ties between China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries get strained over South China Sea disputes, he said. He also referred to reports that India and Japan are working on infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Iran's Chabahar port and Sri Lanka's Trincomalee port, and the development of the Dawei port along the Thai-Myanmar border. India did not send an official delegation to China to attend last week's 'Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation' in Beijing in view of its concerns over the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area.
Catalan Premier Carles Puigdemont (center). Massimiliano Minocri

Spains Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza is set to examine the legality of a plan outlined by the regional government of Catalonia to activate immediate secession from Spain if the central government in Madrid stops it from holding a vote on independence  something it is planning on doing in September or October of this year.

The independence mechanism is detailed in a secret draft version of legislation being prepared by the Generalitat, the Catalan regional government, and to which EL PAIS has had access.

The text ignore issues of enormous importance including if Catalonia would be an EU member

Speaking about the document on Spanish national broadcaster TVE, Maza described the text as surprising and strange in a country governed by the rule of law, but refused be drawn on legal issues related to the document, saying he had not yet had time to study the draft. He said however, that he would meet with fellow prosecutors on Monday to examine its legal status.

The document aims to work as a provisional Catalan Constitution that, according to the text, would be in place during the two-month period that the parliament would have to begin a process that would culminate in the parliamentary republic of Catalonia.

If the Spanish state effectively impedes the holding of a referendum, this law will enter into effect in a complete and immediate manner when the [regional] parliament has verified such an impediment, the draft legislation reads.

Catalonia has been on a collision course with the Popular Party (PP) government in Madrid for months now, due to its insistence on holding an official vote on its future. The central government is fiercely opposed to any such referendum, or indeed independence for the northeastern region, and already maneuvered to prevent such a plebiscite from taking place in November 2014. However, officials in the regional government still organized a vote  albeit an unofficial one the result of which was not recognized by international observers  which saw citizens vote in favor of a breakaway from the rest of Spain.

Barely a dozen people have been managing this instruction manual for putting into effect the independence of Catalonia

Tensions within the pro-sovereignty bloc in Catalonia have led to competition between key figures to see who can go furthest in their plans for the process, and this has accelerated a journey that would have no point of return. Barely a dozen people  under the coordination of the former vice-president of the Constitutional Court, Carles Viver Pi Sunyer  have been managing this instruction manual for putting into effect the independence of Catalonia.

The text reveals that the latest moves by the politicians involved  regional premier Carles Puigdemont is in Madrid today to offer the central government the chance to let the vote go ahead, while Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has invited the Catalan leader to debate the question before Congress  are merely gestures in the face of the very serious institutional challenge that is on its way.

The document has a section that covers the referendum itself and features the question that would be asked of voters: Do you want Catalonia to be a state that is independent from Spain? The intention in the text is that this part of the legislation would come into effect first in order to be able to hold the referendum, and indicates that a majority of votes in favor, no matter how slim, and with no minimum participation level, would ratify the decision and mean that it was binding.

Tensions in Catalonias pro-sovereignty bloc have accelerated a journey with no point of return

The text makes a number of references to itself as being a founding law, and goes into exhaustive details  albeit with many legal loopholes and unknowns  about the breakaway: i.e. who would be a Catalan citizen, how it would be possible to obtain nationality, which Spanish laws would remain in force and which would not, what would happen to government workers currently employed by the state, among other details.

The pro-independence majority in the regional government has already passed a reform that would allow for the express approval of the text. In just 48 hours, and without a chance for the opposition to respond, independence would be put into motion.

The authors of the text ignore legal and material elements that have enormous importance and complexity, such as the whether this new republic would continue to form part of Europe, or whether social benefits or pensions would be guaranteed, or whether all taxation  and fines for non-payment  would be the responsibility of the regional government.

Under the reasoning of the authors of the text, none of these issues would infringe the law because, as the second article reads, national sovereignty resides with the people of Catalonia, from whom all powers of the State emanate.

English version by Simon Hunter.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday, a blanket ban on sand mining in river Narmada  considered the lifeline of the central Indian state.

We have decided to ban sand mining in river Narmada till a committee of experts submits its report on scientific mining in the river, said Chouhan while addressing a hurriedly convened press conference in state capital Bhopal.

The committee which will recommend the state government measures for scientific mining will be headed by MPs minister for mineral resources, commerce and industry Rajendra Shukla. It will work along with experts from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Kharagpur) in developing a blueprint for scientific mining in river Narmada. Till the time the committee submits its report, sand mining will be banned in the river, said Chouhan.

While maintaining that the period for which the sand mining will be banned in river Narmada cannot be specified now, Chouhan said, The committee might take four months or even six months to come out with its suggestions for scientific mining in river Narmada. Only after the report of the committee is submitted to the government, will a decision on lifting the ban on sand mining in the river, will be taken, the CM added.

He said, Our government is committed to striking balance between mining and development, but will not allow compromising of river Narmadas health and also biodiversity wealth inherent in the river due to mining. The committee will guide the government in suggesting how scientific sand mining in the river can be done without compromising the rivers flow and its biodiversity. The state governments decision to ban sand mining in river Naramda for the time being, came just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the comprehensive action plan to conserve river Narmada at the rivers origin, Amarkantak in Anuppur district of MP on May 15.

The Narmada which originates from Amarkantak (Anuppur) travels over 1000 km in 16 districts of MP before entering Gujarat.

The state government has accorded top priority to Narmada river conservation, accentuated by the five month long Narmada Seva Yatra (an ambitious project of the CM) which was organised between December 11, 2016 to May 15, 2017.

On May 3, 2017, the MP Assembly had passed a resolution granting status of living entity with legal rights to river Narmada. The government plans to bring a legislation in the next session of Assembly for a comprehensive law for conservation of the river. At the May 3 special session of Assembly and thereafter also, the opposition Congress has been demanding a blanket ban on mining in river Narmada and its tributaries, besides seeking a crackdown against illegal mining in other rivers of the state. The Congress leaders, including leader of opposition in state Assembly Ajay Singh have been accusing the state government of being soft on illegal mining in rivers.

On Monday, the CM, encouraging the alternatives to sand, announced the government will promote stone crushing for which the manufacturers will be rendered incentive of zero royalty in the first three years.

Chouhan also announced that the government has decided a crackdown against illegal mining in all other rivers in the state and also ban on use of machines for mining in rivers in the state. Were banning use of machines such as Pokland machines and other equipment with immediate effect. The government will notify this decision later in the day. All district collectors in the state have been empowered to confiscate machinery, vehicles and equipment employed in illegal mining in the river, which will be departure from past practice of just imposing monetary penalty on vehicles and equipment seized in illegal mining in rivers, said Chouhan.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday, a blanket ban on sand mining in river Narmada  considered the lifeline of the central Indian state. We have decided to ban sand mining in river Narmada till a committee of experts submits its report on scientific mining in the river, said Chouhan while addressing a hurriedly convened press conference in state capital Bhopal. The committee which will recommend the state government measures for scientific mining will be headed by MPs minister for mineral resources, commerce and industry Rajendra Shukla. It will work along with experts from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Kharagpur) in developing a blueprint for scientific mining in river Narmada. Till the time the committee submits its report, sand mining will be banned in the river, said Chouhan. While maintaining that the period for which the sand mining will be banned in river Narmada cannot be specified now, Chouhan said, The committee might take four months or even six months to come out with its suggestions for scientific mining in river Narmada. Only after the report of the committee is submitted to the government, will a decision on lifting the ban on sand mining in the river, will be taken, the CM added. He said, Our government is committed to striking balance between mining and development, but will not allow compromising of river Narmadas health and also biodiversity wealth inherent in the river due to mining. The committee will guide the government in suggesting how scientific sand mining in the river can be done without compromising the rivers flow and its biodiversity. The state governments decision to ban sand mining in river Naramda for the time being, came just a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the comprehensive action plan to conserve river Narmada at the rivers origin, Amarkantak in Anuppur district of MP on May 15. The Narmada which originates from Amarkantak (Anuppur) travels over 1000 km in 16 districts of MP before entering Gujarat. The state government has accorded top priority to Narmada river conservation, accentuated by the five month long Narmada Seva Yatra (an ambitious project of the CM) which was organised between December 11, 2016 to May 15, 2017. On May 3, 2017, the MP Assembly had passed a resolution granting status of living entity with legal rights to river Narmada. The government plans to bring a legislation in the next session of Assembly for a comprehensive law for conservation of the river. At the May 3 special session of Assembly and thereafter also, the opposition Congress has been demanding a blanket ban on mining in river Narmada and its tributaries, besides seeking a crackdown against illegal mining in other rivers of the state. The Congress leaders, including leader of opposition in state Assembly Ajay Singh have been accusing the state government of being soft on illegal mining in rivers. On Monday, the CM, encouraging the alternatives to sand, announced the government will promote stone crushing for which the manufacturers will be rendered incentive of zero royalty in the first three years. Chouhan also announced that the government has decided a crackdown against illegal mining in all other rivers in the state and also ban on use of machines for mining in rivers in the state. Were banning use of machines such as Pokland machines and other equipment with immediate effect. The government will notify this decision later in the day. All district collectors in the state have been empowered to confiscate machinery, vehicles and equipment employed in illegal mining in the river, which will be departure from past practice of just imposing monetary penalty on vehicles and equipment seized in illegal mining in rivers, said Chouhan.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Assembly passed unanimously the State Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill today, the last day of a special session of the state Legislature.

After the passage of the bill in the Lower House, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis thanked everyone for their cooperation.

"All political parties had unanimity over the GST Bill. Today, this supreme House has unanimously passed this bill. I thank the House for this," Fadnavis said.

The three-day special session to discuss and ratify the bill, to pave the way for the national roll-out of GST on July 1, began on Saturday.

During the session, the Assembly passed three bills, including the State Goods and Services Tax Bill, related to the compensation to local authorities and a bill on the existing laws to be repealed when the GST is expected to come into effect from July 1.

Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said in the Assembly that the government would ensure GST did not hamper financial autonomy of local self government bodies.

"The government has accepted the responsibility of compensation to local bodies for five years for the loss of revenue due to abolition of octroi and local body tax due to GST," he said.

Mungantiwar also took potshots at former Finance Minister Jayant Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the latter's speech in the House yesterday targeting the state government.

"It seems Patil is in a hurry to come back to power," Mungantiwar said.

Patil was a minister during 1999-2014 when the Congress-NCP combine held power in Maharashtra.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Assembly passed unanimously the State Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill today, the last day of a special session of the state Legislature. After the passage of the bill in the Lower House, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis thanked everyone for their cooperation. "All political parties had unanimity over the GST Bill. Today, this supreme House has unanimously passed this bill. I thank the House for this," Fadnavis said. The three-day special session to discuss and ratify the bill, to pave the way for the national roll-out of GST on July 1, began on Saturday. During the session, the Assembly passed three bills, including the State Goods and Services Tax Bill, related to the compensation to local authorities and a bill on the existing laws to be repealed when the GST is expected to come into effect from July 1. Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said in the Assembly that the government would ensure GST did not hamper financial autonomy of local self government bodies. "The government has accepted the responsibility of compensation to local bodies for five years for the loss of revenue due to abolition of octroi and local body tax due to GST," he said. Mungantiwar also took potshots at former Finance Minister Jayant Patil of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the latter's speech in the House yesterday targeting the state government. "It seems Patil is in a hurry to come back to power," Mungantiwar said. Patil was a minister during 1999-2014 when the Congress-NCP combine held power in Maharashtra.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Three-time former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asked if he was a terrorist after being prevented from travelling on the yet-to-be-opened Dhola-Sadiya road bridge on Monday by the Special Protection Group (SPG) citing security reasons.

They didnt allow me to go to the bridge citing security concerns. Am I a terrorist? Will I break the law? a livid Gogoi asked. He also said, We planted the tree, nurtured it but the BJP is now trying to eat the fruits.

The 9.15-km bridge in Tinsukia district, which is Indias longest and Asias second longest, is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26. The SPG has thrown around a massive security ring around it in view of the PMs visit.

Reacting to Gogois outbursts, the BJP said he had not matured with age.

How can he travel on a bridge when it is being secured in view of the Prime Ministers visit? The Prime Minister is an SPG protectee. Even the incumbent Chief Minister (Sarbananda Sonowal) cannot go to the bridge now. Movement is prevented by the SPG Act, BJP spokesman and senior advocate of Gauhati High Court, Bijan Mahajan, told the New Indian Express.

He said such remarks should not have come from the mouth of a former Chief Minister.

We mature with age but he has not. He is creating a drama for personal benefits. He wants publicity out of nothing, the BJP spokesman said.

The construction of the bridge had begun in 2011 when Congress was in power in Assam as well as at the Centre. The bridge located less than 100km from the India-China border is strategically important. It is capable of withstanding a 60-tonne battle tank.

The bridge is seen as an attempt by India to shore up its defence requirements along the Sino-Indian border particularly in the Northeast besides providing easy access to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with air and rail connectivity.

GUWAHATI: Three-time former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asked if he was a terrorist after being prevented from travelling on the yet-to-be-opened Dhola-Sadiya road bridge on Monday by the Special Protection Group (SPG) citing security reasons. They didnt allow me to go to the bridge citing security concerns. Am I a terrorist? Will I break the law? a livid Gogoi asked. He also said, We planted the tree, nurtured it but the BJP is now trying to eat the fruits. The 9.15-km bridge in Tinsukia district, which is Indias longest and Asias second longest, is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 26. The SPG has thrown around a massive security ring around it in view of the PMs visit. Reacting to Gogois outbursts, the BJP said he had not matured with age. How can he travel on a bridge when it is being secured in view of the Prime Ministers visit? The Prime Minister is an SPG protectee. Even the incumbent Chief Minister (Sarbananda Sonowal) cannot go to the bridge now. Movement is prevented by the SPG Act, BJP spokesman and senior advocate of Gauhati High Court, Bijan Mahajan, told the New Indian Express. He said such remarks should not have come from the mouth of a former Chief Minister. We mature with age but he has not. He is creating a drama for personal benefits. He wants publicity out of nothing, the BJP spokesman said. The construction of the bridge had begun in 2011 when Congress was in power in Assam as well as at the Centre. The bridge located less than 100km from the India-China border is strategically important. It is capable of withstanding a 60-tonne battle tank. The bridge is seen as an attempt by India to shore up its defence requirements along the Sino-Indian border particularly in the Northeast besides providing easy access to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam with air and rail connectivity.
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: A special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday convicted all 14 accused in a Rs 1,000-crore scam in erstwhile North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC).

A senior NIA official told reporters that the accused were convicted under various Sections of the IPC and the Arms Act. All the accused were found guilty in the two cases. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced tomorrow (Tuesday), he said.

The accused included Jewel Garlosa and Niranjan Hojai, who were the leaders of now-disbanded militant group Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-J), former chief executive member of NCHAC, Mohit Hojai, and a social welfare department officer, RH Khan.

The accused had allegedly siphoned off development funds of several government departments between 2006 and 2009. It was revealed during investigation that crores of rupees were diverted to the coffers of DHD-J for procurement of arms and ammunitions to wage a war against India.

The NIA had revealed in its chargesheet, As per the conspiracy hatched in 2008, accused Mohit Hojai took over the charge of NCHAC and began siphoning government funds meant for the welfare of school kids, physically-handicapped and other government projects.

Jewel Garlosa was the chairman of DHD-J while Niranjan Hojai was its commander-in-chief. They were granted an interim bail in 2011 by the Gauhati High Court on the condition that they would take part in peace talks with the government. The successful talks had led to the disbanding of DHD-J in 2013.

The duo had later joined the BJP and successfully contested the Dima Hasao District Autonomous Council (erstwhile NCHAC). In 2015, when the BJP wrested power from the Congress in the Council, Niranjan Hojai was elected its chief executive member.

GUWAHATI: A special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday convicted all 14 accused in a Rs 1,000-crore scam in erstwhile North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC). A senior NIA official told reporters that the accused were convicted under various Sections of the IPC and the Arms Act. All the accused were found guilty in the two cases. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced tomorrow (Tuesday), he said. The accused included Jewel Garlosa and Niranjan Hojai, who were the leaders of now-disbanded militant group Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-J), former chief executive member of NCHAC, Mohit Hojai, and a social welfare department officer, RH Khan. The accused had allegedly siphoned off development funds of several government departments between 2006 and 2009. It was revealed during investigation that crores of rupees were diverted to the coffers of DHD-J for procurement of arms and ammunitions to wage a war against India. The NIA had revealed in its chargesheet, As per the conspiracy hatched in 2008, accused Mohit Hojai took over the charge of NCHAC and began siphoning government funds meant for the welfare of school kids, physically-handicapped and other government projects. Jewel Garlosa was the chairman of DHD-J while Niranjan Hojai was its commander-in-chief. They were granted an interim bail in 2011 by the Gauhati High Court on the condition that they would take part in peace talks with the government. The successful talks had led to the disbanding of DHD-J in 2013. The duo had later joined the BJP and successfully contested the Dima Hasao District Autonomous Council (erstwhile NCHAC). In 2015, when the BJP wrested power from the Congress in the Council, Niranjan Hojai was elected its chief executive member.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh police today registered a murder case in the death of a Karnataka-cadre IAS officer here, hours after his family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded a CBI probe.

"An FIR has been registered in Hazratganj police station against unidentified persons in IAS officer Anurag Tiwari's case under IPC section 302 (murder). The complaint was lodged by his brother Mayanak," Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra told PTI.

Earlier, the family members of the officer met the chief minister and pressed for a CBI probe.

"We are not satisfied with the police probe. We have requested the CM to recommend a CBI probe," Mayank told reporters.

Tiwari, 36, was found dead on May 17, his birthday, under mysterious circumstances near a guest house, where he was staying, in the high-security Hazratganj area here.

His family had alleged foul play. He was posted as commissioner in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru.

"My son was very honest. Corrupt officers did not like him. They must have somehow got him murdered," Tiwari's father B N Tiwari had alleged in Bahraich, his native place.

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh police today registered a murder case in the death of a Karnataka-cadre IAS officer here, hours after his family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded a CBI probe. "An FIR has been registered in Hazratganj police station against unidentified persons in IAS officer Anurag Tiwari's case under IPC section 302 (murder). The complaint was lodged by his brother Mayanak," Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra told PTI. Earlier, the family members of the officer met the chief minister and pressed for a CBI probe. "We are not satisfied with the police probe. We have requested the CM to recommend a CBI probe," Mayank told reporters. Tiwari, 36, was found dead on May 17, his birthday, under mysterious circumstances near a guest house, where he was staying, in the high-security Hazratganj area here. His family had alleged foul play. He was posted as commissioner in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru. "My son was very honest. Corrupt officers did not like him. They must have somehow got him murdered," Tiwari's father B N Tiwari had alleged in Bahraich, his native place.
Swaran Singh By

African Development Bank (AfDB) starts its 52nd annual general meeting in Gandhinagar today. It will be attended by over 3,000 delegates representing governments, banks, businesses, civil society and think- tanks from 81 countries. Participants will include top leaders of Benin, Comoros, Ivory Coast and Senegal besides the finance ministers and/or central bank governors of 54 African countries. Also present will be representatives of 27 other countries and organisations associated with the AfDB.

Most noticeable among these will be the high-powered delegations from Japan. They are participating to launch various India-Japan initiatives aimed at connecting the Asia-Pacific region with Africa. This vision was finalised during the Narendra Modi-Shinzo Abe meet in Tokyo last November and is touted as 'Freedom Corridor'. It is aimed at ensuring regional stability and transparency in building cross-continental partnerships. In the context of Indias non-participation at China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) summit, this is bound to be seen as India's pushback to President Xi Jinping declaring China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as OBORs 'flagship' project.

As part of the India-Japan partnership, a special session on 'India-Japan Cooperation for Development of Africa' will be held Wednesday. This will involve participants from Japan External Trade Organisation, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Japan Bank for International Cooperation. These agencies will hold deliberations with both India and Africa to build their synergies and explore future initiatives across Africa. Japans state minister of finance, Minoru Kihara, is expected to lead his country's deliberations.

Japan is already in discussions with New Delhi to join India's forays into the expansion of Iran's Chabahar port and the adjoining special economic zone. India and Japan are also discussing working together to expand the strategically located Trincomalee port where India is building oil storage facilities. They may also be joining hands to develop the Dawei port along the Thai-Myanmar border. These are all part of the India-Japan 'Freedom Corridor'. In the face of Chinas Maritime Silk Road, these attempts stand in contrast to China's reluctance to accept the Indo-Pacific discourse that propagates freedom of overflights and navigation in the South China Sea region.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the gathering Tuesday while Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, who will represent India at the AfDB, will chair the meeting of its board of governors. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Piyush Goyal will also participate in the proceedings. This is all part of India's expanding engagement with Africa.

With total investments reaching $54 billion during 1999-2016which constitutes 20 percent of India's total investments abroadIndia today stands as one of the largest investors in Africa. Indias trade with Africa rose five fold from $7 billion in 2005-2006 to $56.7 billion in 2015-2016 making it the largest destination of India's exports.

This momentum was given a boost in the 2015 Third India-Africa Summit that was attended by over 40 leaders from Africa. Then Modi had announced a $10 billion export credit and a $600 million grant and $100 for the Africa-India Development Fund to support businesses. Since then, Africa and India have set a targetbilateral trade should reach $100 billion by 2018.

Also, credit must be divided equally among the African nations. India's expanding economic engagement with Africa remains both a cause and consequence for African economies showing impressive growth rates averaging over 5 per cent in the last decade. Six of the world's top ten fastest growing economies are in Africa.

These positive macroeconomic trends provide improved business and investment opportunities due to increased political stability in most African nations. It is in this backdrop that, starting from the year 2001 AfDB had begun expanding its global outreach by holding its first general meeting outside Africa. The meeting was held in Spain. This was followed by China hosting it in 2007 followed by Portugal in 2011. Next year AfDB will hold its meeting in South Koreas Busan. All this implies great potential for India's economic engagement with Africa and this first general meeting in India can prove to be another watershed moment for India-Africa relations.

No doubt China's trade ($194 billion for 2016) and investment ($75 billion) with African nations are bigger and growing faster than India's. Yet there has also been a growing resentment towards China's tone and tenor. This has pushed the African nations to look for alternatives.

What sets India apart is its enduring historical and societal bonds with various African nations. India was part of Africa's freedom struggle.

It became a member of the African Development Fund (ADF) in 1982 and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983, as soon as they opened memberships for countries outside Africa. The primary mission of AfDB is to fight poverty by promoting investments in projects for economic and social development. This has not been China's agenda in Africa. Only 10 per cent of its investments is in the social sector. With over a million Chinese working across various projects in Africa, China's resource extraction has failed to generate employment or revival.

India's Freedom Corridor may not be a real pushback to China's OBOR yet India can showcase its strengths by building collaborations in sectors like solar and renewable energy, food processing and agro-industries and co-financing of the feed Africa. India's International Solar Alliance has already received great response from African nations and can become the 'flagship' project of the Indo-Japanese Freedom Corridor!

Swaran Singh

Professor, School of International Studies, JNU

Email: ssingh@jnu.ac.in

African Development Bank (AfDB) starts its 52nd annual general meeting in Gandhinagar today. It will be attended by over 3,000 delegates representing governments, banks, businesses, civil society and think- tanks from 81 countries. Participants will include top leaders of Benin, Comoros, Ivory Coast and Senegal besides the finance ministers and/or central bank governors of 54 African countries. Also present will be representatives of 27 other countries and organisations associated with the AfDB. Most noticeable among these will be the high-powered delegations from Japan. They are participating to launch various India-Japan initiatives aimed at connecting the Asia-Pacific region with Africa. This vision was finalised during the Narendra Modi-Shinzo Abe meet in Tokyo last November and is touted as 'Freedom Corridor'. It is aimed at ensuring regional stability and transparency in building cross-continental partnerships. In the context of Indias non-participation at China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) summit, this is bound to be seen as India's pushback to President Xi Jinping declaring China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as OBORs 'flagship' project. As part of the India-Japan partnership, a special session on 'India-Japan Cooperation for Development of Africa' will be held Wednesday. This will involve participants from Japan External Trade Organisation, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Japan Bank for International Cooperation. These agencies will hold deliberations with both India and Africa to build their synergies and explore future initiatives across Africa. Japans state minister of finance, Minoru Kihara, is expected to lead his country's deliberations. Japan is already in discussions with New Delhi to join India's forays into the expansion of Iran's Chabahar port and the adjoining special economic zone. India and Japan are also discussing working together to expand the strategically located Trincomalee port where India is building oil storage facilities. They may also be joining hands to develop the Dawei port along the Thai-Myanmar border. These are all part of the India-Japan 'Freedom Corridor'. In the face of Chinas Maritime Silk Road, these attempts stand in contrast to China's reluctance to accept the Indo-Pacific discourse that propagates freedom of overflights and navigation in the South China Sea region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the gathering Tuesday while Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, who will represent India at the AfDB, will chair the meeting of its board of governors. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Piyush Goyal will also participate in the proceedings. This is all part of India's expanding engagement with Africa. With total investments reaching $54 billion during 1999-2016which constitutes 20 percent of India's total investments abroadIndia today stands as one of the largest investors in Africa. Indias trade with Africa rose five fold from $7 billion in 2005-2006 to $56.7 billion in 2015-2016 making it the largest destination of India's exports. This momentum was given a boost in the 2015 Third India-Africa Summit that was attended by over 40 leaders from Africa. Then Modi had announced a $10 billion export credit and a $600 million grant and $100 for the Africa-India Development Fund to support businesses. Since then, Africa and India have set a targetbilateral trade should reach $100 billion by 2018. Also, credit must be divided equally among the African nations. India's expanding economic engagement with Africa remains both a cause and consequence for African economies showing impressive growth rates averaging over 5 per cent in the last decade. Six of the world's top ten fastest growing economies are in Africa. These positive macroeconomic trends provide improved business and investment opportunities due to increased political stability in most African nations. It is in this backdrop that, starting from the year 2001 AfDB had begun expanding its global outreach by holding its first general meeting outside Africa. The meeting was held in Spain. This was followed by China hosting it in 2007 followed by Portugal in 2011. Next year AfDB will hold its meeting in South Koreas Busan. All this implies great potential for India's economic engagement with Africa and this first general meeting in India can prove to be another watershed moment for India-Africa relations. No doubt China's trade ($194 billion for 2016) and investment ($75 billion) with African nations are bigger and growing faster than India's. Yet there has also been a growing resentment towards China's tone and tenor. This has pushed the African nations to look for alternatives. What sets India apart is its enduring historical and societal bonds with various African nations. India was part of Africa's freedom struggle. It became a member of the African Development Fund (ADF) in 1982 and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983, as soon as they opened memberships for countries outside Africa. The primary mission of AfDB is to fight poverty by promoting investments in projects for economic and social development. This has not been China's agenda in Africa. Only 10 per cent of its investments is in the social sector. With over a million Chinese working across various projects in Africa, China's resource extraction has failed to generate employment or revival. India's Freedom Corridor may not be a real pushback to China's OBOR yet India can showcase its strengths by building collaborations in sectors like solar and renewable energy, food processing and agro-industries and co-financing of the feed Africa. India's International Solar Alliance has already received great response from African nations and can become the 'flagship' project of the Indo-Japanese Freedom Corridor! Swaran Singh Professor, School of International Studies, JNU Email: ssingh@jnu.ac.in
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: The issues pertaining to the backwardness of North Andhra region and the unfulfilled promise of the Centre to accord special category status were back to the fore again, with the leaders from the Congress, Left Parties, Loka Satta and Pawan Kalyans Jana Sena championing the cause yet again.

Blaming the decades-long negligence of successive governments for lack of development in the region, the leaders irrespective of their political affiliations came together to a common platform under the banner of Uttarandhra Charcha Vedika during an all-party round-table organised at the AU Platinum Jubilee meeting hall in Vizag on Sunday.

Presided by former minister Konathala Ramakrishna, the leaders had a brainstorming session during a seminar on North Andhra Backwardness and Peoples Expectations. The programme was attended by APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy, Lok Satta founder Jaya Prakash Narayan, CPI state Secretary Ramakrishna, CPM state leader P Madhu, former AU V-C KV Ramana, retired state irrigation chief engineer Satyanarayana and others.

Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan expressed his inability to attend the meeting owing to his busy schedules but extended his support to this meeting through his party representative Durga Prasad.

The north Andhra region remains backward, thanks to the negligent attitude of the successive governments. The opposition leaders too in all these years have failed to bring pressure on the respective governments and the people of North Andhra region are paying the price for it, said Konathala, exhorting the leaders to work in unison to ensure that the backward region gets a fair deal on every front.

Irrespective of political affiliations, all leaders must come to one dais to demand the comprehensive development of North Andhra region, he said, adding that under the banner of Uttarandhra Charcha Vedika, they will organise seminars, interactive sessions and public meetings periodically, apart from making regular field visits to know the ground reality.

Many issues like special development package for the region, sanctioning of special railway zone, sufficient drinking and irrigation water supply, setting up of an AIMS, permanent remedy for the victims of chronic kidney diseases in Uddanam, action plan on drought issues and employment for local youth and etc were discussed at length. The north Andhra region is reeling under the drinking and irrigation water woes. Knowing that the proposed Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project holds the key, the successive governments never paid a heed, alleged Konathala.

The Vedika will conduct extensive field tours and organise meetings, discussions, debates and public interaction to create awareness among the public, he said.

Echoing the same view, Raghuveera Reddy flayed the governments for doing nothing for the North Andhra. The Left Party leaders demanded that an exclusive action plan should be drawn for the development of North Andhra.

North Andhra is lagging behind due to the lethargy of the government. Even the promises made during the state bifurcation are yet to be fulfilled. In fact, none bothers about this region, CPI leader Ramakrisha alleged. Be it allocation of water, funds or employment, a big injustice has been meted out to this region. So, all political parties should come forward to fight for the due share of the region. We are ready to fight for the cause, CPM leader P Madhu said, adding that the TDP high command must answer these questions during its coming Mahanadu.

It is only after Pawan Kalyans visit to Uddanam, the government woke up to the plights of victims of kidney diseases in Uddanam. But, its actions are confined to promises only, he said. Jana Sena representative Durga Prasad said that all the backward areas in Andhra Pradesh can be developed only if the State is accorded Special Category Status (SCS).

Fund allocation should be made as per population

Advocating that fund allocations should be made keeping the population statistics in view, Lok Satta chief Jayaprakash Narayan said,Every development programme hits a roadblock, with the government being neck-deep in red-tape and corruption. In North Andhra region contributes to 19 per cent population of the state. So, the fund allocations should be made accordingly.

VISAKHAPATNAM: The issues pertaining to the backwardness of North Andhra region and the unfulfilled promise of the Centre to accord special category status were back to the fore again, with the leaders from the Congress, Left Parties, Loka Satta and Pawan Kalyans Jana Sena championing the cause yet again. Blaming the decades-long negligence of successive governments for lack of development in the region, the leaders irrespective of their political affiliations came together to a common platform under the banner of Uttarandhra Charcha Vedika during an all-party round-table organised at the AU Platinum Jubilee meeting hall in Vizag on Sunday. Presided by former minister Konathala Ramakrishna, the leaders had a brainstorming session during a seminar on North Andhra Backwardness and Peoples Expectations. The programme was attended by APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy, Lok Satta founder Jaya Prakash Narayan, CPI state Secretary Ramakrishna, CPM state leader P Madhu, former AU V-C KV Ramana, retired state irrigation chief engineer Satyanarayana and others. Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan expressed his inability to attend the meeting owing to his busy schedules but extended his support to this meeting through his party representative Durga Prasad. The north Andhra region remains backward, thanks to the negligent attitude of the successive governments. The opposition leaders too in all these years have failed to bring pressure on the respective governments and the people of North Andhra region are paying the price for it, said Konathala, exhorting the leaders to work in unison to ensure that the backward region gets a fair deal on every front. Irrespective of political affiliations, all leaders must come to one dais to demand the comprehensive development of North Andhra region, he said, adding that under the banner of Uttarandhra Charcha Vedika, they will organise seminars, interactive sessions and public meetings periodically, apart from making regular field visits to know the ground reality. Many issues like special development package for the region, sanctioning of special railway zone, sufficient drinking and irrigation water supply, setting up of an AIMS, permanent remedy for the victims of chronic kidney diseases in Uddanam, action plan on drought issues and employment for local youth and etc were discussed at length. The north Andhra region is reeling under the drinking and irrigation water woes. Knowing that the proposed Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project holds the key, the successive governments never paid a heed, alleged Konathala. The Vedika will conduct extensive field tours and organise meetings, discussions, debates and public interaction to create awareness among the public, he said. Echoing the same view, Raghuveera Reddy flayed the governments for doing nothing for the North Andhra. The Left Party leaders demanded that an exclusive action plan should be drawn for the development of North Andhra. North Andhra is lagging behind due to the lethargy of the government. Even the promises made during the state bifurcation are yet to be fulfilled. In fact, none bothers about this region, CPI leader Ramakrisha alleged. Be it allocation of water, funds or employment, a big injustice has been meted out to this region. So, all political parties should come forward to fight for the due share of the region. We are ready to fight for the cause, CPM leader P Madhu said, adding that the TDP high command must answer these questions during its coming Mahanadu. It is only after Pawan Kalyans visit to Uddanam, the government woke up to the plights of victims of kidney diseases in Uddanam. But, its actions are confined to promises only, he said. Jana Sena representative Durga Prasad said that all the backward areas in Andhra Pradesh can be developed only if the State is accorded Special Category Status (SCS). Fund allocation should be made as per population Advocating that fund allocations should be made keeping the population statistics in view, Lok Satta chief Jayaprakash Narayan said,Every development programme hits a roadblock, with the government being neck-deep in red-tape and corruption. In North Andhra region contributes to 19 per cent population of the state. So, the fund allocations should be made accordingly.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Koyambedu CMBT police nabbed two persons for trying to flee the city with demonetised currency notes worth nearly `90 lakh on Sunday morning.

Police said the arrested men, Sabeer (30) and Mohamed Rishad, were both residents of Coimbatore. They were caught at CMBT bus stand after the police received a tip-off about demonetised notes in 500- and 1000-rupee denominations being transported in a bus from Chennai to Coimbatore.

The two men were trying to escape from Chennai back home with the demonetised currency, explained the investigating official. The police said that it was too early to say whether these men were working for other people.

The priority at the moment is to ensure the money is deposited and produced in front of the court, said the official. Once these formalities are done, we will submit a report to the Income Tax department and they will guide us on how to pursue the case further.

CHENNAI: The Koyambedu CMBT police nabbed two persons for trying to flee the city with demonetised currency notes worth nearly `90 lakh on Sunday morning. Police said the arrested men, Sabeer (30) and Mohamed Rishad, were both residents of Coimbatore. They were caught at CMBT bus stand after the police received a tip-off about demonetised notes in 500- and 1000-rupee denominations being transported in a bus from Chennai to Coimbatore. The two men were trying to escape from Chennai back home with the demonetised currency, explained the investigating official. The police said that it was too early to say whether these men were working for other people. The priority at the moment is to ensure the money is deposited and produced in front of the court, said the official. Once these formalities are done, we will submit a report to the Income Tax department and they will guide us on how to pursue the case further.
Anand ST Das By

PATNA: JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumars apparently candid phraseology in his announcement that he is not in the race for the Prime Ministers post in 2019 has few takers in his own party. In fact, behind the freshly cast shadow lies a well thought-out plot JD(U) insiders describe as clearing of thorns from the path first.



Most party leaders and workers found Nitishs May 15 statement an unexpected confession of sorts. I am not a contender for the PMs post in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Nitish Kumar

I am not such a big fool. Mine is a small party, said Nitish less than a month after his spectacular seven-kilometre walk recreating Gandhis historic Champaran movement amid slogans that he is the most suitable next PM.

Yet there was no shred of outcry in the party. That is because, said leaders close to the Bihar CM, it is all part of a well-designed course charted out by the wily politician with consensus among his loyalists: Lalu Prasads two minister-sons will be dropped the moment they are charge-sheeted in the corruption allegations.

Nitish Kumars utterances that he is not in the prime ministerial race for 2019 are all part of a well-designed course charted out by the wily politician with consensus among his loyalists, according to leaders close to the Bihar chief minister and JD(U) national president.

He (Nitish) is firmly on the tracks to emerge the main contender to Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but there should be a clearing of thorns from the path first, said a senior JD(U) leader close to Nitish. He is keen to keep an unduly overambitious RJD in check first. He has told RJ(D) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav that his two minister sonsdeputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav and health minister Tej Pratap Yadavwill be dropped the moment they are charge-sheeted in the corruption allegations incessantly raised by the BJP, he explained.

The thinking within Nitishs core group of JD(U) leaders is that the action of dropping the two young, first-time ministers would give a huge boost to Nitishs clean image at a time when initiatives to pick the PM candidate from a non-BJP alliance of parties will be at their peak.

Nitish is determined to ensure the departure of the two brother-ministers from his Cabinet. It will prevent him from succumbing to Lalus plan to have Tejaswi anointed as Bihar CM, said another leader close to Nitish. That would also be the time when Lalu, currently surrounded by judicial and political setbacks, would be at his weakest and with little influence to scuttle Nitishs chances of being declared the PM candidate of a non-BJP alliance of parties.



JD(U) insiders pointed at Kumars cryptic statement the same day that was overlooked by much of the media, Nobody knows who will emerge as the PM candidate Only the future can tell. This, they said, indicates the situation.

BJP, Bihars main Opposition party raring to snatch power in the state, apparently got a scent of Nitishs elaborate plans from his demurring stance on his PM candidature. That was what spurred BJP to finally decide to drop all thoughts of having JD(U) as an ally and intensify the attack on Bihars JD(U)-RJD-Congress government, said a BJP leader. That was also why BJP workers and leaders burnt effigies of Kumar for the first time across Bihar on May 18. The 2019 battle looks like it is going to be between Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, he said.

PATNA: JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumars apparently candid phraseology in his announcement that he is not in the race for the Prime Ministers post in 2019 has few takers in his own party. In fact, behind the freshly cast shadow lies a well thought-out plot JD(U) insiders describe as clearing of thorns from the path first. Most party leaders and workers found Nitishs May 15 statement an unexpected confession of sorts. I am not a contender for the PMs post in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Nitish KumarI am not such a big fool. Mine is a small party, said Nitish less than a month after his spectacular seven-kilometre walk recreating Gandhis historic Champaran movement amid slogans that he is the most suitable next PM. Yet there was no shred of outcry in the party. That is because, said leaders close to the Bihar CM, it is all part of a well-designed course charted out by the wily politician with consensus among his loyalists: Lalu Prasads two minister-sons will be dropped the moment they are charge-sheeted in the corruption allegations. Nitish Kumars utterances that he is not in the prime ministerial race for 2019 are all part of a well-designed course charted out by the wily politician with consensus among his loyalists, according to leaders close to the Bihar chief minister and JD(U) national president. He (Nitish) is firmly on the tracks to emerge the main contender to Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but there should be a clearing of thorns from the path first, said a senior JD(U) leader close to Nitish. He is keen to keep an unduly overambitious RJD in check first. He has told RJ(D) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav that his two minister sonsdeputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav and health minister Tej Pratap Yadavwill be dropped the moment they are charge-sheeted in the corruption allegations incessantly raised by the BJP, he explained. The thinking within Nitishs core group of JD(U) leaders is that the action of dropping the two young, first-time ministers would give a huge boost to Nitishs clean image at a time when initiatives to pick the PM candidate from a non-BJP alliance of parties will be at their peak. Nitish is determined to ensure the departure of the two brother-ministers from his Cabinet. It will prevent him from succumbing to Lalus plan to have Tejaswi anointed as Bihar CM, said another leader close to Nitish. That would also be the time when Lalu, currently surrounded by judicial and political setbacks, would be at his weakest and with little influence to scuttle Nitishs chances of being declared the PM candidate of a non-BJP alliance of parties. JD(U) insiders pointed at Kumars cryptic statement the same day that was overlooked by much of the media, Nobody knows who will emerge as the PM candidate Only the future can tell. This, they said, indicates the situation. BJP, Bihars main Opposition party raring to snatch power in the state, apparently got a scent of Nitishs elaborate plans from his demurring stance on his PM candidature. That was what spurred BJP to finally decide to drop all thoughts of having JD(U) as an ally and intensify the attack on Bihars JD(U)-RJD-Congress government, said a BJP leader. That was also why BJP workers and leaders burnt effigies of Kumar for the first time across Bihar on May 18. The 2019 battle looks like it is going to be between Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, he said.
Ejaz Kaiser By

RAIPUR: Its hard to imagine 52-year-old Budhram Yadav in a clean white kurta pyjama reciting the Saraswati Vandanam in perfect Sanskrit. The convict lodged in Raipur Central Jail says, The Vedic language has helped us participate in daily exercises like yoga, self-care and conducting pujas.

The sight of prisoners performing Hindu rituals and correctly reciting Sanskrit slokas had astonished Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh who visited the jail. Says Sanskrit course coordinator N R Naktode, who claims Raipur prison is the only jail in the country where Sanskrit is taught, Class VI students get a monthly scholarship of `100 while Class IX students get `150.

Many of the students have been convicted of heinous crimes like murder, rape and robbery.

Around 50 inmates are taking regular Sanskrit classes. This course was introduced in 2010 by the Chhattisgarh Sanskrit Board (Sanskrit Vidyamandalam), which conducts the exams, too, says DIG of Police K K Gupta. The jail administration bears the cost, including fees.

The illuminated and ventilated classroom in Central Jail doesnt look different from one in a government school. It has a blackboard, iron desks and chairs, and the usual charts and images of freedom fighters on the walls.

Convicts Mananlal Nishad, 62, and Brehan Prakash, 33, are studying Karmkand, Jyotish, Vastu Shastra, Paurohitya, Yoga and Puja Path Vidhaan. Sanskrit is the mother of all Indian languages. We read the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana. Its a good feeling, they said.

Chairman of the Board, Swami Pramanand, cites the importance of teaching Sanskrit in correctional institutions. The spiritual content and language of ancient Indian scriptures leaves a positive impact on thinking and behaviour. Knowledge of Sanskrit inspires prisoners to be polite and cultured, he said.

The Chhattisgarh government sent a prop osal to Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan for financial assistance and recognition for the course. We look forward to enhancing the quality of Sanskrit education with the ministrys support, course coordinator N R Naktode said.

Undertrials cannot enrol as they can be released or be out on bail and wont be able to finish the course.

RAIPUR: Its hard to imagine 52-year-old Budhram Yadav in a clean white kurta pyjama reciting the Saraswati Vandanam in perfect Sanskrit. The convict lodged in Raipur Central Jail says, The Vedic language has helped us participate in daily exercises like yoga, self-care and conducting pujas. The sight of prisoners performing Hindu rituals and correctly reciting Sanskrit slokas had astonished Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh who visited the jail. Says Sanskrit course coordinator N R Naktode, who claims Raipur prison is the only jail in the country where Sanskrit is taught, Class VI students get a monthly scholarship of `100 while Class IX students get `150. Many of the students have been convicted of heinous crimes like murder, rape and robbery. Around 50 inmates are taking regular Sanskrit classes. This course was introduced in 2010 by the Chhattisgarh Sanskrit Board (Sanskrit Vidyamandalam), which conducts the exams, too, says DIG of Police K K Gupta. The jail administration bears the cost, including fees. The illuminated and ventilated classroom in Central Jail doesnt look different from one in a government school. It has a blackboard, iron desks and chairs, and the usual charts and images of freedom fighters on the walls. Convicts Mananlal Nishad, 62, and Brehan Prakash, 33, are studying Karmkand, Jyotish, Vastu Shastra, Paurohitya, Yoga and Puja Path Vidhaan. Sanskrit is the mother of all Indian languages. We read the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana. Its a good feeling, they said. Chairman of the Board, Swami Pramanand, cites the importance of teaching Sanskrit in correctional institutions. The spiritual content and language of ancient Indian scriptures leaves a positive impact on thinking and behaviour. Knowledge of Sanskrit inspires prisoners to be polite and cultured, he said. The Chhattisgarh government sent a prop osal to Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan for financial assistance and recognition for the course. We look forward to enhancing the quality of Sanskrit education with the ministrys support, course coordinator N R Naktode said. Undertrials cannot enrol as they can be released or be out on bail and wont be able to finish the course.
Embattled Brazilian President Michel Temer, already facing an investigation into corruption , has been dealt a new blow: just hours after addressing the nation in a televised message in which he insisted he would not step down, the Order of Lawyers of Brazil (OAB) voted to request his impeachment, citing clear indications of wrongdoing.

Temer, speaking to the nation on Saturday. Joedson Alves (EFE)

More information Los abogados brasilenos presentan una accion de impeachment contra Temer

This is the 13th request for Temers impeachment, but while the other 12 have been presented by opposition deputies, the OAB is regarded as impartial, and was also behind last years impeachment procedure against former president Dilma Rousseff, which allowed Temer, then vice president, to take office.

Brazils Supreme Court on Friday accepted a request from the Attorney General to investigate Temer for passive corruption, obstructing justice and influence peddling. The daily O Globo has reported on the existence of an audio recording in which Temer can allegedly be heard authorizing the payment of hush money to Eduardo Cunha, the former speaker of the lower house who is in jail for corruption. According to O Globo, Temer was secretly taped on March 7 in conversation with Joesley Batista, a top executive at the powerful business group JBS. Batista is cooperating with authorities as part of a plea bargain resulting from the Petrobras graft investigation, and he had a recording device concealed under his clothes.

Temer is not fit to remain in his post

Claudio Lamachia, president of Brazils Order of Lawyers

On Thursday, thousands of people poured on to the Avenida Paulista  the main artery in Sao Paulo, Brazils financial capital, demanding new elections.

After a seven-hour session late Saturday night, the OAB ruled by a large majority that Temer is not politically fit to remain in his post, in the words of the bodys president, Claudio Lamachia. The president omitted to carry out his legal duty to act in the face of a criminal act, said the OAB.

A protester makes his message clear: 'Temer out.' Fernando Bizerra Jr. (EFE)

The OAB also highlighted that the meeting between Temer and Batista took place in the presidents official residence at 10.40pm and that Batistas arrival was not officially registered.

The task of processing the requests for Temer to face impeachment now rests with Rodrigo Maia, until now a loyal ally of the president in Congress, although from a different party. Maintaining the support of the different parties that have backed him until now will be Temers main task in the coming days. So far, one minister has resigned and three parties have withdrawn their support, the most important of which, the Brazilian Socialist Party, has 35 deputies out of the total of 513.

Temer has failed to garner voter sympathy over the course of his year in office

The greatest danger Temer faces is that his main ally, the Brazilian Social Democracy Party, might pull its support. One of its leading figures, former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, has suggested that Temer would be wise to step down.

Since taking over presidential duties almost exactly a year ago (in an interim capacity at first), Temer has failed to garner voter sympathy. His austerity policies, aimed at pulling the country out of its worst recession in decades, have already earned him two general strikes and widespread street protests. His administration has been engulfed in a series of back-to-back corruption scandals that have done little to improve his low popularity ratings.

Public anger over this latest scandal to rock Brazilian politics seems to have died down after last weeks protests: marches called on Sunday in cities across the country were poorly attended.

English version by Nick Lyne.
By AFP

HAVANA: Cuban state television responded to a statement by US President Donald Trump on Saturday -- railing against "cruel despotism" in the Caribbean country and advocating democracy -- by calling it "ridiculous."

Trump's words came in a tribute on Cuban Independence Day, which marks victory against the Spanish colonial authorities 115 years ago, calling for economic freedoms and respect for human rights in Cuba.

"Cruel despotism cannot extinguish the flame of freedom in the hearts of Cubans, and... unjust persecution cannot tamper Cubans' dreams for their children to live free from oppression," he said in a statement.

Cuban television broadcast its response late in the evening, describing Trump as "the ill-advised US president" and his statement as "controversial and ridiculous."

"Even the US government itself is aware of the contradictory and clumsy pronouncements of the billionaire tycoon-turned-president on both foreign and domestic policy," it said.

The broadcast did not say whether the Cuban statement constituted an official response, nor did it directly address Trump's criticisms.

One-party communist Cuba has been ruled by President Raul Castro for 12 years since he took over from his ailing brother Fidel, the revolutionary leader who died in November having defied the United States during a half-century of iron-fisted rule.

Former US president Barack Obama presided over an opening toward Cuba that saw full diplomatic ties restored after decades, but Trump has threatened to roll back the historic rapprochement.

His statement came two weeks after the State Department said the White House would press Cuba on human rights progress, saying it was carrying out a "comprehensive policy review."

Castro, 85, has said that he will step aside in February 2018. It is not clear who will take his place next year.

Cuba officially became an independent nation on May 20, 1902 after fighting a war of independence, backed by the United States, against Spain from 1895-98.

HAVANA: Cuban state television responded to a statement by US President Donald Trump on Saturday -- railing against "cruel despotism" in the Caribbean country and advocating democracy -- by calling it "ridiculous." Trump's words came in a tribute on Cuban Independence Day, which marks victory against the Spanish colonial authorities 115 years ago, calling for economic freedoms and respect for human rights in Cuba. "Cruel despotism cannot extinguish the flame of freedom in the hearts of Cubans, and... unjust persecution cannot tamper Cubans' dreams for their children to live free from oppression," he said in a statement. Cuban television broadcast its response late in the evening, describing Trump as "the ill-advised US president" and his statement as "controversial and ridiculous." "Even the US government itself is aware of the contradictory and clumsy pronouncements of the billionaire tycoon-turned-president on both foreign and domestic policy," it said. The broadcast did not say whether the Cuban statement constituted an official response, nor did it directly address Trump's criticisms. One-party communist Cuba has been ruled by President Raul Castro for 12 years since he took over from his ailing brother Fidel, the revolutionary leader who died in November having defied the United States during a half-century of iron-fisted rule. Former US president Barack Obama presided over an opening toward Cuba that saw full diplomatic ties restored after decades, but Trump has threatened to roll back the historic rapprochement. His statement came two weeks after the State Department said the White House would press Cuba on human rights progress, saying it was carrying out a "comprehensive policy review." Castro, 85, has said that he will step aside in February 2018. It is not clear who will take his place next year. Cuba officially became an independent nation on May 20, 1902 after fighting a war of independence, backed by the United States, against Spain from 1895-98.
By AFP

BEIJING: China called on Monday for dialogue to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula after North Korea carried out a new missile test.

"The (UN) Security Council has clear stipulations prohibiting DPRK against using ballistic missiles and China opposes this as well," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing, using the initials of North Korea's official name.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula is complex and sensitive. We urge all sides to avoid provoking each other and continue on the right track of dialogue and consultation," she said.

North Korea on Monday declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after a weekend test, as it seeks to develop an intercontinental rocket capable of striking US targets.

China, Pyongyang's main diplomatic and economic ally, has come under pressure to use its influence to compel North Korea to rein in its missile and nuclear programmes.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday in response to the latest ballistic missile test.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said last week the United States was working with China on a new sanctions resolution.

Meanwhile, North Korean state airline Air Koryo has abruptly halted its new route between Pyongyang and the Chinese border city of Dandong, local airport and ticketing officials told AFP.

It was not clear when the suspension started or the reason for the decision. North Korea's state news agency had announced the new service on March 28.

A woman at a local air ticketing company confirmed the suspension, saying that they "informed us to stop selling tickets about one month ago. They didn't tell us why."

Air Koryo flights on older routes, between Pyongyang and the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shenyang, were still available online. No one answered the phone at the airline's Beijing office.

BEIJING: China called on Monday for dialogue to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula after North Korea carried out a new missile test. "The (UN) Security Council has clear stipulations prohibiting DPRK against using ballistic missiles and China opposes this as well," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing, using the initials of North Korea's official name. "The situation on the Korean peninsula is complex and sensitive. We urge all sides to avoid provoking each other and continue on the right track of dialogue and consultation," she said. North Korea on Monday declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after a weekend test, as it seeks to develop an intercontinental rocket capable of striking US targets. China, Pyongyang's main diplomatic and economic ally, has come under pressure to use its influence to compel North Korea to rein in its missile and nuclear programmes. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday in response to the latest ballistic missile test. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said last week the United States was working with China on a new sanctions resolution. Meanwhile, North Korean state airline Air Koryo has abruptly halted its new route between Pyongyang and the Chinese border city of Dandong, local airport and ticketing officials told AFP. It was not clear when the suspension started or the reason for the decision. North Korea's state news agency had announced the new service on March 28. A woman at a local air ticketing company confirmed the suspension, saying that they "informed us to stop selling tickets about one month ago. They didn't tell us why." Air Koryo flights on older routes, between Pyongyang and the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shenyang, were still available online. No one answered the phone at the airline's Beijing office.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: The body of an Uttar Pradesh-based climber was spotted on Mount Everest on Monday, after he went missing two days ago while descending from the worlds highest peak.

The body of Ravi Kumar, 27, hailing from Moradabad district of UP, was spotted some 200 meters (650 feet) below the route in the balcony area of Mount Everest.

As per the sources, Nepal government confirmed about sighting of Ravi Kumars body to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. The Indian embassy, in turn, wrote to Moradabd district administration informing it about the tragedy.

A pall of gloom descended at the residence of Kumar in civil lines, Bhola Singh Ki Milak locality of Moradabad as district magistrate RK Singh visited his family to inform them about Kumars his demise on Monday.

My worst ever fears have come true. We talked to Ravi last on May 16. After that never heard from him," said shattered father Harkesh Kumar.

According to Thupten Sherpa, trekking manager of Arun Treks and Expedition, the Kathmandu-based trekking agency, Kumar had successfully climbed the 8,848 meters high Mount Everest at 1:28 PM on Saturday.

According to Nepalese authorities, contact with Ravi Kumar was lost around the balcony area of Mount Everest on May 20. Balcony is the final resting spot before climbers ascend the south summit of the mountain. The next morning, Ravi's guide Lakpay Wongya Sherpa was found in an unconscious state and Ravi went missing.

The guide was then brought to the base camp and a chopper was sent to trace the missing mountaineer. Sherpa rescuers spotted Ravi Kumars body, but it was impossible to retrieve it as it was lying in an unreachable terrain, said Thupten.

Thupten added that after unfurling tricolour on the summit, Ravi immediately started descending along with his Sherpa guide. While he fell while coming down, his guide somehow dragged himself and reached the camp-4 at South Col (8,000 metre).

With the dream to conquer worlds highest peak, Ravi had reached Kathmandu and started off for Mount Everest from base camp on May 16.

The office bearers of Arun Treks and Expeditions through which Ravi Kumar had gone climbing was in constant touch with his family after he went missing. The family back in Moradabad had also contacted Indian embassy in Nepal seeking its help in tracing the climber.



As per the family, Ravi Kumar is an avid climber and had unfurled tricolour on different peaks including Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Europe, Kosciuszko in Australia and many in India.

LUCKNOW: The body of an Uttar Pradesh-based climber was spotted on Mount Everest on Monday, after he went missing two days ago while descending from the worlds highest peak. The body of Ravi Kumar, 27, hailing from Moradabad district of UP, was spotted some 200 meters (650 feet) below the route in the balcony area of Mount Everest. As per the sources, Nepal government confirmed about sighting of Ravi Kumars body to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. The Indian embassy, in turn, wrote to Moradabd district administration informing it about the tragedy. A pall of gloom descended at the residence of Kumar in civil lines, Bhola Singh Ki Milak locality of Moradabad as district magistrate RK Singh visited his family to inform them about Kumars his demise on Monday. My worst ever fears have come true. We talked to Ravi last on May 16. After that never heard from him," said shattered father Harkesh Kumar. According to Thupten Sherpa, trekking manager of Arun Treks and Expedition, the Kathmandu-based trekking agency, Kumar had successfully climbed the 8,848 meters high Mount Everest at 1:28 PM on Saturday. According to Nepalese authorities, contact with Ravi Kumar was lost around the balcony area of Mount Everest on May 20. Balcony is the final resting spot before climbers ascend the south summit of the mountain. The next morning, Ravi's guide Lakpay Wongya Sherpa was found in an unconscious state and Ravi went missing. The guide was then brought to the base camp and a chopper was sent to trace the missing mountaineer. Sherpa rescuers spotted Ravi Kumars body, but it was impossible to retrieve it as it was lying in an unreachable terrain, said Thupten. Thupten added that after unfurling tricolour on the summit, Ravi immediately started descending along with his Sherpa guide. While he fell while coming down, his guide somehow dragged himself and reached the camp-4 at South Col (8,000 metre). With the dream to conquer worlds highest peak, Ravi had reached Kathmandu and started off for Mount Everest from base camp on May 16. The office bearers of Arun Treks and Expeditions through which Ravi Kumar had gone climbing was in constant touch with his family after he went missing. The family back in Moradabad had also contacted Indian embassy in Nepal seeking its help in tracing the climber. As per the family, Ravi Kumar is an avid climber and had unfurled tricolour on different peaks including Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Europe, Kosciuszko in Australia and many in India.
By AFP

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron will host Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks at the Versailles palace on May 29, the French presidency said on Monday, as the countries look to reset strained relations.

The meeting, confirmed by the Kremlin, will coincide with an exhibition celebrating 300 years of Franco-Russian ties since the visit of Russian tsar Peter the Great to France in 1717.

The visit comes three weeks after Macron's election and seven months after Putin, 64, cancelled a trip to Paris for the opening of a Russian cathedral complex near the Eiffel Tower in a spat with then president Francois Hollande.

The Socialist leader had said Russia's bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo could amount to war crimes.

Speaking last Friday, Russia's ambassador to France, Alexander Orlov, said Moscow had a "positive perception" of Macron, 39, describing him as "very intelligent, realistic and pragmatic".

"I think he's not very ideological compared with his predecessors," Orlov told a meeting of business leaders. "With him we have more chances of moving forward than before."

The Kremlin said in a statement that the two men would discuss combatting terrorism and settling the crises in Syria and Ukraine.

Orlov, in an interview with the French business magazine Challenges, said Syria was "the most burning" issue.

Macron "seems more determined than Francois Hollande," he said, adding: "We now must go forward in (peace talks in) Geneva where France can play a greater role."

He added of the new French president that "with him we're dealing with a real head of state -- brilliant, competent, intelligent."

Macron's election campaign was subject to repeated cyberattacks and his aides accused the Kremlin of mounting a "smear campaign" against him.

Thousands of emails and documents were dumped online by hackers shortly before midnight on the last day of campaigning and were then relayed by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

Paris prosecutors have opened a probe into the attack.

The Putin-Macron meeting will follow Donald Trump's first trip abroad as US president, with stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel as well as the NATO headquarters in Brussels and a G7 summit in Italy.

Orlov told the business leaders that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was convinced after meeting with Trump earlier this month that the US leader wants to normalise relations with Russia.

"But the American establishment and media have conducted a hysterical campaign against Trump to prevent him from making steps towards Russia," Orlov said.

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron will host Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks at the Versailles palace on May 29, the French presidency said on Monday, as the countries look to reset strained relations. The meeting, confirmed by the Kremlin, will coincide with an exhibition celebrating 300 years of Franco-Russian ties since the visit of Russian tsar Peter the Great to France in 1717. The visit comes three weeks after Macron's election and seven months after Putin, 64, cancelled a trip to Paris for the opening of a Russian cathedral complex near the Eiffel Tower in a spat with then president Francois Hollande. The Socialist leader had said Russia's bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo could amount to war crimes. Speaking last Friday, Russia's ambassador to France, Alexander Orlov, said Moscow had a "positive perception" of Macron, 39, describing him as "very intelligent, realistic and pragmatic". "I think he's not very ideological compared with his predecessors," Orlov told a meeting of business leaders. "With him we have more chances of moving forward than before." The Kremlin said in a statement that the two men would discuss combatting terrorism and settling the crises in Syria and Ukraine. Orlov, in an interview with the French business magazine Challenges, said Syria was "the most burning" issue. Macron "seems more determined than Francois Hollande," he said, adding: "We now must go forward in (peace talks in) Geneva where France can play a greater role." He added of the new French president that "with him we're dealing with a real head of state -- brilliant, competent, intelligent." Macron's election campaign was subject to repeated cyberattacks and his aides accused the Kremlin of mounting a "smear campaign" against him. Thousands of emails and documents were dumped online by hackers shortly before midnight on the last day of campaigning and were then relayed by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. Paris prosecutors have opened a probe into the attack. The Putin-Macron meeting will follow Donald Trump's first trip abroad as US president, with stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel as well as the NATO headquarters in Brussels and a G7 summit in Italy. Orlov told the business leaders that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was convinced after meeting with Trump earlier this month that the US leader wants to normalise relations with Russia. "But the American establishment and media have conducted a hysterical campaign against Trump to prevent him from making steps towards Russia," Orlov said.
By ANI

WASHINGTON: US President Trump during the two-day Riyadh summit in Saudi Arabia acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism and also asked countries to ensure that terror groups don't find sanctuaries on their soil.

"The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims," he said at the summit.

President Donald Trump did not schedule a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, even as he met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the sidelines of the Riyadh Summit.



The diplomatic meet between Sharif and Trump did not take place even as the Saudi Arabia was strongly backing the idea. The US embassy on Sunday confirmed that the two leaders are not scheduled to meet, amid speculations.



Without naming Pakistan, Trump said "every country must ensure that terrorists don't find any sanctuary on their lands", as Prime Minister Sharif listened in the audience.



However, despite having no bilateral meeting scheduled, the President Trump had a brief encounter with Sharif and exchanged pleasantries.



The Riyadh summit was a two day convention attended by 54 leaders of the Arab Islamic worlds along with the U.S. President to discuss security co-operations and to form a possible Arab-NATO coalition.

WASHINGTON: US President Trump during the two-day Riyadh summit in Saudi Arabia acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism and also asked countries to ensure that terror groups don't find sanctuaries on their soil. "The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims," he said at the summit. President Donald Trump did not schedule a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, even as he met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the sidelines of the Riyadh Summit. The diplomatic meet between Sharif and Trump did not take place even as the Saudi Arabia was strongly backing the idea. The US embassy on Sunday confirmed that the two leaders are not scheduled to meet, amid speculations. Without naming Pakistan, Trump said "every country must ensure that terrorists don't find any sanctuary on their lands", as Prime Minister Sharif listened in the audience. However, despite having no bilateral meeting scheduled, the President Trump had a brief encounter with Sharif and exchanged pleasantries. The Riyadh summit was a two day convention attended by 54 leaders of the Arab Islamic worlds along with the U.S. President to discuss security co-operations and to form a possible Arab-NATO coalition.
By PTI

BEIJING: Twenty-five Indian doctors and their families, who were on a trip to China and got stuck at a hotel in Shenzhen over non-payment of dues, moved to Macau today after the issue was settled, Indian officials said.

The doctors attached with the Malad Medical Association (MMA)in Mumbai, were made to vacate their hotel rooms in Guangdong Province yesterday and forced to remain in the lobby until the entire amount was paid.

A tour operator in Mumbai failed to make payments to a Chinese travel agency for the doctors and their families who were on a tour of China. They were stuck at the hotel in Shenzhen where Chinese tour operators refused to facilitate their return to India until their fee is paid.

They left for Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, today after the issue was sorted out, an Indian official from the Consulate in Guangzhou told PTI after crosschecking the details with the hotel.

Meanwhile, officials in New Delhi said the group of doctors have not contacted Consul General of India (CGI).

It is ascertaining details and would provide needed assistance once contacted, the officials said.

Macau, famous for the blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures and chiefly for its casinos, was reportedly part of their itinerary.

As the Indian embassy in Beijing was shut on Saturday and Sunday, the MMA reportedly has written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help them to return home safely.

The problem arose as the Indian travel agent failed to transfer the money in time, the official said.

BEIJING: Twenty-five Indian doctors and their families, who were on a trip to China and got stuck at a hotel in Shenzhen over non-payment of dues, moved to Macau today after the issue was settled, Indian officials said. The doctors attached with the Malad Medical Association (MMA)in Mumbai, were made to vacate their hotel rooms in Guangdong Province yesterday and forced to remain in the lobby until the entire amount was paid. A tour operator in Mumbai failed to make payments to a Chinese travel agency for the doctors and their families who were on a tour of China. They were stuck at the hotel in Shenzhen where Chinese tour operators refused to facilitate their return to India until their fee is paid. They left for Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, today after the issue was sorted out, an Indian official from the Consulate in Guangzhou told PTI after crosschecking the details with the hotel. Meanwhile, officials in New Delhi said the group of doctors have not contacted Consul General of India (CGI). It is ascertaining details and would provide needed assistance once contacted, the officials said. Macau, famous for the blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures and chiefly for its casinos, was reportedly part of their itinerary. As the Indian embassy in Beijing was shut on Saturday and Sunday, the MMA reportedly has written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help them to return home safely. The problem arose as the Indian travel agent failed to transfer the money in time, the official said.
By PTI

JERUSALEM: Israel will supply advanced long-range air and missile defence systems to four Indian Navy ships under a USD 630 million deal to be jointly executed with Bharat Electronics Limited, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said.

The announcement of the deal came ahead of a possible visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July.

Israel last month bagged a USD 2 billion deal - its largest ever - to supply the Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems, with the IAI taking the lion's share of it worth USD 1.6 billion.

The IAI yesterday said the latest contract was for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems.

The LRSAM is a joint development by the IAI and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It comprises several state-of-the-art elements, advanced phasedarray radar, command-and-control system, launchers and missiles with advanced radio-frequency (RF) seekers.

The system provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and air borne threats. It is currently operational with the Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy and the Israel Defence Forces. The Indian Army is also likely to deploy it soon.

The LRSAM was last week successfully tested in India as part of an operational interception trial aboard an Indian Navy ship "demonstrating again the system's operational capabilities in a representative scenario with genuine target", a statement from IAI said.

"All components of the weapon system have successfully met the goals set to them", the company said.

The contract will be carried out, for the first time, with Indian government-owned BEL which will serve as the main contractor in the project as part of the Make in India policy.

"The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India's defence forces, reinforcing IAI's global leadership position in air and missile defence systems.

The inclusion of Indian governmental company BEL for the first time, is a step up in our relationship with the Indian industry as part of the 'Make in India' policy," IAI's president and CEO, Joseph Weiss, said.

"This unique project represents the close collaboration between India's DRDO, IAI and the defence forces of both countries. We will proceed to implementing it with joint efforts," Weiss added.

"We take pride, along with our partners in India, in the great results of the trial conducted last week, which reestablishes the System's reliability and quality as well as its advanced technological capabilities," Boaz Levi, IAI's executive vice president and general manager of systems, Missiles and Space Group, said.

JERUSALEM: Israel will supply advanced long-range air and missile defence systems to four Indian Navy ships under a USD 630 million deal to be jointly executed with Bharat Electronics Limited, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said. The announcement of the deal came ahead of a possible visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July. Israel last month bagged a USD 2 billion deal - its largest ever - to supply the Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems, with the IAI taking the lion's share of it worth USD 1.6 billion. The IAI yesterday said the latest contract was for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems. The LRSAM is a joint development by the IAI and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It comprises several state-of-the-art elements, advanced phasedarray radar, command-and-control system, launchers and missiles with advanced radio-frequency (RF) seekers. The system provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and air borne threats. It is currently operational with the Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy and the Israel Defence Forces. The Indian Army is also likely to deploy it soon. The LRSAM was last week successfully tested in India as part of an operational interception trial aboard an Indian Navy ship "demonstrating again the system's operational capabilities in a representative scenario with genuine target", a statement from IAI said. "All components of the weapon system have successfully met the goals set to them", the company said. The contract will be carried out, for the first time, with Indian government-owned BEL which will serve as the main contractor in the project as part of the Make in India policy. "The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India's defence forces, reinforcing IAI's global leadership position in air and missile defence systems. The inclusion of Indian governmental company BEL for the first time, is a step up in our relationship with the Indian industry as part of the 'Make in India' policy," IAI's president and CEO, Joseph Weiss, said. "This unique project represents the close collaboration between India's DRDO, IAI and the defence forces of both countries. We will proceed to implementing it with joint efforts," Weiss added. "We take pride, along with our partners in India, in the great results of the trial conducted last week, which reestablishes the System's reliability and quality as well as its advanced technological capabilities," Boaz Levi, IAI's executive vice president and general manager of systems, Missiles and Space Group, said.
By AFP

MEXICO CITY: A bus carrying a church group plunged into a deep gorge in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas Sunday, killing at least 17 people and injuring 31, authorities said.

The bus fell into a 90-metre (300-foot) gorge in the Motozintla region near the border with Guatemala, according to the local office of the Interior Ministry's civil protection department.

"At this time, we have registered 17 people who unfortunately lost their lives," the agency said in a statement.

The bus was carrying members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church returning from a retreat in the Pacific coast town of Pijijiapan, local police said.

An apparent mechanical failure caused the accident, according to federal highway police involved in the rescue effort.

MEXICO CITY: A bus carrying a church group plunged into a deep gorge in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas Sunday, killing at least 17 people and injuring 31, authorities said. The bus fell into a 90-metre (300-foot) gorge in the Motozintla region near the border with Guatemala, according to the local office of the Interior Ministry's civil protection department. "At this time, we have registered 17 people who unfortunately lost their lives," the agency said in a statement. The bus was carrying members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church returning from a retreat in the Pacific coast town of Pijijiapan, local police said. An apparent mechanical failure caused the accident, according to federal highway police involved in the rescue effort.
By AFP

BANGKOK: A small bomb struck a Bangkok military hospital on Monday and wounded 21 people -- one seriously -- three years to the day since the Thai army seized power in the politically unstable kingdom.

Thailand remains starkly divided since the May 22, 2014 coup, but dissent has broadly been smothered by a military with sweeping security powers.

While it was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, Thailand has a long history of bomb attacks on symbolic dates carried out by militant political factions or separatists linked to an insurgency in the Muslim-majority south.

Monday's blast struck near the VIP section of the King Mongkut hospital as patients and their families waited for prescriptions, shattering glass and sending smoke into the corridors.

Hospital director Saroj Keokajee, said the "low intensity bomb" injured 21 people, among them retired military officers.

"Eight people were admitted to hospital to observe their condition... among them is one woman who needed surgery because of shrapnel buried in her jaw," he said.

The clinic in central Bangkok is often used by serving and retired members of the armed forces.

But Saroj said no senior military officers were near the blast which hit the 'Wongsuwan Room' -- the Thai junta number two is called Prawit Wongsuwan.

A battery and wires had been found at the scene, Deputy National Police Chief General Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul told reporters.

The bomb "was likely to be in a package", Srivara said.

Regardless of the motive, the blast will raise the political temperature in Thailand where violence had declined under the military's stranglehold.

Police are already hunting suspects behind two other small blasts in recent weeks, but have given conflicting and contradictory information over the devices and likely suspects.

Forced stability

Despite a veneer of stability Thais remain divided and uncertain over the future three years after the fall of the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra.

Protest and political gatherings are banned while dissidents have been rounded up on charges of sedition or breaching junta orders or under the draconian royal defamation legislation.

Militant elements among pro-democracy groups have either been arrested or gone to ground.

The one region where daily violence and large bomb blasts persist is the country's "Deep South" where Malay Muslim militants have fought a long insurgency.

But they rarely strike outside their region -- an exception being in August 2016 when a series of coordinated blasts hit a string of tourist towns.

The country's notoriously fractious domestic politics have incubated the worst violence.

Over the past 10 years Thais have witnessed repeated rounds of deadly protests, a string of short-lived governments and two military coups that deposed elected leaders.

The junta says its 2014 coup -- the 12th time generals have successfully seized power -- was needed to bring stability and root out corruption.

But critics say the military is deeply hostile to ousted premiers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, whose parties have won every poll since 2001.

Their billionaire clan is popular among Thailand's rural and urban poor and they have urged a return to elections.

But the Shinawatras are hated by Bangkok's military-backed elite, who accuse the family of corruption and nepotism.

In a statement on Facebook to mark the coup Yingluck decried a lack of "concrete reform" and warned that three years of military rule risked becoming a "waste of time".

BANGKOK: A small bomb struck a Bangkok military hospital on Monday and wounded 21 people -- one seriously -- three years to the day since the Thai army seized power in the politically unstable kingdom. Thailand remains starkly divided since the May 22, 2014 coup, but dissent has broadly been smothered by a military with sweeping security powers. While it was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, Thailand has a long history of bomb attacks on symbolic dates carried out by militant political factions or separatists linked to an insurgency in the Muslim-majority south. Monday's blast struck near the VIP section of the King Mongkut hospital as patients and their families waited for prescriptions, shattering glass and sending smoke into the corridors. Hospital director Saroj Keokajee, said the "low intensity bomb" injured 21 people, among them retired military officers. "Eight people were admitted to hospital to observe their condition... among them is one woman who needed surgery because of shrapnel buried in her jaw," he said. The clinic in central Bangkok is often used by serving and retired members of the armed forces. But Saroj said no senior military officers were near the blast which hit the 'Wongsuwan Room' -- the Thai junta number two is called Prawit Wongsuwan. A battery and wires had been found at the scene, Deputy National Police Chief General Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul told reporters. The bomb "was likely to be in a package", Srivara said. Regardless of the motive, the blast will raise the political temperature in Thailand where violence had declined under the military's stranglehold. Police are already hunting suspects behind two other small blasts in recent weeks, but have given conflicting and contradictory information over the devices and likely suspects. Forced stability Despite a veneer of stability Thais remain divided and uncertain over the future three years after the fall of the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra. Protest and political gatherings are banned while dissidents have been rounded up on charges of sedition or breaching junta orders or under the draconian royal defamation legislation. Militant elements among pro-democracy groups have either been arrested or gone to ground. The one region where daily violence and large bomb blasts persist is the country's "Deep South" where Malay Muslim militants have fought a long insurgency. But they rarely strike outside their region -- an exception being in August 2016 when a series of coordinated blasts hit a string of tourist towns. The country's notoriously fractious domestic politics have incubated the worst violence. Over the past 10 years Thais have witnessed repeated rounds of deadly protests, a string of short-lived governments and two military coups that deposed elected leaders. The junta says its 2014 coup -- the 12th time generals have successfully seized power -- was needed to bring stability and root out corruption. But critics say the military is deeply hostile to ousted premiers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, whose parties have won every poll since 2001. Their billionaire clan is popular among Thailand's rural and urban poor and they have urged a return to elections. But the Shinawatras are hated by Bangkok's military-backed elite, who accuse the family of corruption and nepotism. In a statement on Facebook to mark the coup Yingluck decried a lack of "concrete reform" and warned that three years of military rule risked becoming a "waste of time".
By PTI

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly today unanimously passed a resolution calling for the implementation of the death sentence handed down by a Pakistani military court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The resolution moved by Mufti Said Janan of the Jamiat- i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) was signed by Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf, Jamaat Islami, Awami National Party, the Qaumi Watan Party, and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) The resolution claimed that Jadhav was a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent "involved in subversive activities in Pakistan" and had admitted his crimes before the interrogation team. He was arrested by Pakistani intelligence agencies on charges of "spying", the resolution said.

The assembly demands that the provincial government should recommend to the federal government to implement the death sentence in accordance with the Pakistani laws, it said. The resolution comes just days after the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed the Indian request for consular access to him. India moved the ICJ against the death penalty on May 8. Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India.

The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly today unanimously passed a resolution calling for the implementation of the death sentence handed down by a Pakistani military court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav. The resolution moved by Mufti Said Janan of the Jamiat- i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) was signed by Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf, Jamaat Islami, Awami National Party, the Qaumi Watan Party, and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) The resolution claimed that Jadhav was a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent "involved in subversive activities in Pakistan" and had admitted his crimes before the interrogation team. He was arrested by Pakistani intelligence agencies on charges of "spying", the resolution said. The assembly demands that the provincial government should recommend to the federal government to implement the death sentence in accordance with the Pakistani laws, it said. The resolution comes just days after the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed Jadhav's execution and also endorsed the Indian request for consular access to him. India moved the ICJ against the death penalty on May 8. Jadhav's case is the latest flash-point in the tensions between Pakistan and India. The two countries last faced off at the ICJ 18 years ago when Islamabad sought its intervention over the shooting down of its naval aircraft.
Pedro Sanchezs victory at the Spanish Socialist Party primaries places the PSOE in one of the most difficult situations in its long history. The return of a secretary general with such a legacy of electoral defeat, internal division and ideological swings cannot but be cause for deep concern.

Pedro Sanchez celebrating his victory on Sunday. PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (AFP)

Sanchezs campaign program and organization have very efficiently drawn from other experiences around us, from Brexit to the Colombian referendum to Trumps victory, where raw emotion and blind indignation have successfully defeated reason, arguments and fact-checking. In this sense, Sanchezs victory is not entirely separated from the political context of a crisis of representative democracy, a scenario in which demagoguery, half-truths and impossible promises gain the upper hand with extreme ease.

Spain has finally suffered its own populist moment. And it has suffered it in the heart of a party that is essential to governing this country; a party that has employed moderation to head some of the most prosperous and progressive years of our recent history.

At a time when Spain is facing a serious territorial problem in Catalonia, it was more necessary than ever for the PSOE to erect itself as a stable party

The same has happened in recent months to French socialism, which is on the verge of disappearing under the leadership of the radical Benoit Hamon. And a similar disaster is about to befall the UK Labour Party, which is headed by the populist Jeremy Corbyn.

It would be delusional to think that the PSOE is not facing risks of a similar nature. In all cases, the kind of demagoguery  familiar to Podemos or Trump  that pits those at the bottom against those at the top has prevailed over the evidence of truth, personal merit and reason. We must acknowledge that we are facing a very difficult situation for our political system.

Sanchez has built his campaign on two pledges that are impossible to fulfill. One of these is to create a governing majority as an alternative to the Popular Party. Even though efforts have been made to convince the party base that such a majority would have been possible in the past, but that there was no will to build one, the fact remains that such a majority was impossible to create in October of last year, and it remains impossible today, because the PSOE has neither the power nor the capacity to build a stable governing majority.

The circumstances have not changed, which means that Sanchez is back where he was in October

The second promise is to reorganize the Socialist Party as an organization without any middle levels, where there is only a leader  the secretary general  and the grassroots militants. But reality is a lot more complex than that: the PSOE is a deeply decentralized party, both structurally and territorially; there is more than just one locus of power, and these other power centers must inevitably be taken into account. Failing to understand and respect that plurality and complexity is precisely what led Sanchez to lose the position of secretary general in October of last year.

It was the combination of those two facts  the impossibility of governing Spain at the time, and his refusal to accept the consequences  that made Sanchez lose support from the federal committee, leading to his resignation. The circumstances have not changed, which means that Sanchez is back where he was in October. There is one crucial difference, however: he returns to the post following a series of ideological shifts on key issues (alliances with Podemos and the concept of nation) that make it even more unlikely that he will ever govern Spain.

We must acknowledge that we are facing a very difficult situation for our political system

At a time when Spain is facing a serious territorial problem in Catalonia, it was more necessary than ever for the PSOE to erect itself as a stable party capable of attracting significant support. Sadly, Sanchezs project, which is not supported by any party member representing a 22-year legacy of PSOE governments, or by any significant territorial powers, can only deepen what was already a critical internal crisis.

As all the electoral debacles being suffered by socialists across Europe show, and as socialists in Spain have already experienced, the survival and relevance of the socialist project has very little leeway as it is. In these circumstances, ideological confusion and the assembly-type party model that Sanchez is advocating could easily demotivate his voters even more, and pull the Socialists ever farther from power.

English version by Susana Urra.
By AFP

MANILA: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States.

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in ties between the two nations since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling the Philippines' decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

Duterte will on Thursday meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as his "favourite hero" and proclaimed a personal bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting.

Duterte said on Friday one of the top priorities of his trip was to secure Russian precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

"If they can spare us with the precision guided (bombs)," Duterte said when discussing the purpose of his trip.

"We have so many smart bombs but not as accurate."

Duterte's seeking of weapons from Russia comes as he dials down cooperation with the United States, the Philippines' former colonial ruler that has for decades been its most important military ally and protector.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the US, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, and called for the withdrawal of American troops from the Philippines.

The shift occurred as China has become more assertive in challenging US might in the region by expanding its presence in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety.

Despite China's expansionism extending into areas of the sea claimed by the Philippines, Duterte has been determined to pivot his nation's foreign policy away from the United States in favour of Beijing and Moscow.

This has partly been due to China and Russia supporting or at least not criticising his controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war.

- 'Ideological flow' -

On a state visit to China last year, Duterte announced the Philippines' "separation" from the United States.

"I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world -- China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," he said in Beijing.

Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November.

"Historically, I have been identified with the Western world. It was good until it lasted. And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations," Duterte told Putin then.

Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

"The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid," Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but, until Duterte took office, relations remained relatively low key.

This was partly due to the Philippines' alliance with the United States.

Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just $226 million, according to government data. Philippine-US trade was worth more than $18 billion last year.

Relations remain at the "nascent stage", but this will change, assistant Philippine foreign secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad told reporters in a briefing on Duterte's trip to Russia.

"We consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines' commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with non-traditional partners," she said.

Duterte visiting Moscow will be a "propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia," Richard Javad Heydarian, a foreign policy analyst in Manila, told AFP.

"It will be their way of poking the eye of America."

MANILA: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States. The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in ties between the two nations since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling the Philippines' decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying. Duterte will on Thursday meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as his "favourite hero" and proclaimed a personal bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting. Duterte said on Friday one of the top priorities of his trip was to secure Russian precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines. "If they can spare us with the precision guided (bombs)," Duterte said when discussing the purpose of his trip. "We have so many smart bombs but not as accurate." Duterte's seeking of weapons from Russia comes as he dials down cooperation with the United States, the Philippines' former colonial ruler that has for decades been its most important military ally and protector. He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the US, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, and called for the withdrawal of American troops from the Philippines. The shift occurred as China has become more assertive in challenging US might in the region by expanding its presence in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety. Despite China's expansionism extending into areas of the sea claimed by the Philippines, Duterte has been determined to pivot his nation's foreign policy away from the United States in favour of Beijing and Moscow. This has partly been due to China and Russia supporting or at least not criticising his controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity. Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war. - 'Ideological flow' - On a state visit to China last year, Duterte announced the Philippines' "separation" from the United States. "I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world -- China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," he said in Beijing. Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November. "Historically, I have been identified with the Western world. It was good until it lasted. And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations," Duterte told Putin then. Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila. "The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid," Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month. The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but, until Duterte took office, relations remained relatively low key. This was partly due to the Philippines' alliance with the United States. Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just $226 million, according to government data. Philippine-US trade was worth more than $18 billion last year. Relations remain at the "nascent stage", but this will change, assistant Philippine foreign secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad told reporters in a briefing on Duterte's trip to Russia. "We consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines' commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with non-traditional partners," she said. Duterte visiting Moscow will be a "propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia," Richard Javad Heydarian, a foreign policy analyst in Manila, told AFP. "It will be their way of poking the eye of America."
By AFP

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged $100 million to a women's business fund supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president who Monday wound up a visit to Riyadh.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced the donation from both oil-rich Gulf states on Sunday, during a meeting between Ivanka Trump and a group of Saudi women, a member of the US delegation said.

The idea of a fund providing microfinance to women in underdeveloped countries was floated by President Donald Trump's daughter and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a conference in Berlin last month.

Kim said the donation along with other pledges from the United States and other countries will allow the World Bank to announce the creation of a $1-billion fund for women empowerment during the G-20 summit in July.

"This is really a stunning achievement. Ive never seen anything come together so quickly," he commented, according to the source.

The US president flew to Israel on Monday after a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged $100 million to a women's business fund supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president who Monday wound up a visit to Riyadh. World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced the donation from both oil-rich Gulf states on Sunday, during a meeting between Ivanka Trump and a group of Saudi women, a member of the US delegation said. The idea of a fund providing microfinance to women in underdeveloped countries was floated by President Donald Trump's daughter and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a conference in Berlin last month. Kim said the donation along with other pledges from the United States and other countries will allow the World Bank to announce the creation of a $1-billion fund for women empowerment during the G-20 summit in July. "This is really a stunning achievement. Ive never seen anything come together so quickly," he commented, according to the source. The US president flew to Israel on Monday after a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.
By AFP

TEHRAN: Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani on Monday dismissed his US counterpart Donald Trump's summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia this weekend as "just a show".

"The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind," Rouhani said at a press conference.

In a jibe at the billion-dollar deals signed between Trump and the Saudi government, Rouhani said: "You can't solve terrorism just by giving your people's money to a superpower."

He said Friday's election in Iran that saw Rouhani convincingly defeat hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi had been a message to the world that Tehran was ready for engagement.

"We wanted to tell the world that on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, we are to ready to have interaction," he said.

TEHRAN: Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani on Monday dismissed his US counterpart Donald Trump's summit with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia this weekend as "just a show". "The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind," Rouhani said at a press conference. In a jibe at the billion-dollar deals signed between Trump and the Saudi government, Rouhani said: "You can't solve terrorism just by giving your people's money to a superpower." He said Friday's election in Iran that saw Rouhani convincingly defeat hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi had been a message to the world that Tehran was ready for engagement. "We wanted to tell the world that on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, we are to ready to have interaction," he said.
By AFP

JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem on Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than "people have thought".

Trump's visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion.

It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia.

Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews.

His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem.

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

"Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said late Sunday. "The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty."

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT).

- Enormous challenge -

"I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu said Sunday.

"We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace."

The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.

On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum.

Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it.

He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the "ultimate deal" is possible, vowing "we will get it done".

"It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month.

Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February.

- Criticism of Iran -

At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed.

At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world.

Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians.

He has since said the move was still being looked at.

Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say.

On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election.

Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state.

Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts.

In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for "honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism".

He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation.

After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.

JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump visits Jerusalem on Monday to seek ways to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, a goal that has eluded his predecessors but which he says could be easier than "people have thought". Trump's visit is part of his first trip abroad as president and follows an initial stop in Saudi Arabia, where he urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion. It also comes as he contends with a raft of problems back home, including a special counsel investigating whether his associates colluded with Russia. Trump is due in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon and, ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will tour two iconic sites in Jerusalem, a city holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews. His first stop will be the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Afterwards, he is expected to become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray and located in east Jerusalem. The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel. "Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said late Sunday. "The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty." Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community. It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT). - Enormous challenge - "I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu said Sunday. "We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace." The United States is Israel's most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually. On Tuesday, Trump will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Bethlehem in the West Bank, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem and give a speech at the Israel Museum. Any leader would face an enormous challenge in seeking to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together for meaningful talks, and Trump's inexperience and domestic political struggles will only add to it. He has spoken of his self-described deal-making prowess in declaring that the "ultimate deal" is possible, vowing "we will get it done". "It is something that I think is frankly maybe not as difficult as people have thought over the years," Trump said when meeting Abbas in Washington earlier this month. Trump has sent mixed signals about how he will approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He cast uncertainty over years of international efforts to foster a two-state solution when he met Netanyahu at the White House in February. - Criticism of Iran - At that meeting, he said he would support a single state if it led to peace, delighting Israeli right-wingers who want to see most of the West Bank annexed. At the same time, he urged Israel to hold back on settlement building in the West Bank, a longstanding concern of Palestinians and much of the world. Trump advocated during his campaign breaking with decades of precedent and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, deeply alarming Palestinians. He has since said the move was still being looked at. Trump's seeming openness to at least some of Abbas's concerns has given Palestinians more reason for hope than many may have expected, but still reason to remain wary, some analysts say. On the Israeli side, Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and members of his coalition were elated with Trump's election. Some even called for an end to the idea of a Palestinian state. Trump's actions since have left them disappointed, with the embassy remaining in Tel Aviv -- at least for now -- and the White House seeking to restart peace efforts. In Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders the time had come for "honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism". He also lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation. After Israel and the Palestinian territories, Trump will head to the Vatican along with Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings.
By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination on Monday and declined to hand over documents sought under subpoena by a Senate panel investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

In a letter to the Senate intelligence committee , Flynn's attorneys justified the decision by citing an "escalating public frenzy against him" and saying the Justice Department's recent appointment of a special counsel has created a legally dangerous environment for him to cooperate with the panel's investigation.

"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him," the attorneys wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the AP.

Flynn's decision not to cooperate with the Senate committee represents a new legal complication for the expanding government and congressional inquiries into Russian interference in the presidential campaign and contacts between Trump advisers and Russian officials and representatives. Flynn is a key figure in both the FBI investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller and in separate Senate and House inquiries.

Trump appointed Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and top military intelligence chief, as his top national security aide in January, only to fire him less than a month later. The White House said that Flynn had misled top U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials, including Russia's ambassador to the U.S.

The Senate committee's subpoena to Flynn dealt heavily with his interactions with Russian officials. It asked for a wide range of information and documents about his and the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians dating back to June 2015.

Flynn's letter to the Senate committee stressed that his decision to invoke his constitutional protection is not an admission of wrongdoing but rather a response to the current political climate in which Democratic members of Congress are calling for his prosecution. Even "truthful responses of an innocent witness" can give the government ammunition that could be used against Flynn, the attorneys noted, quoting a 2001 Supreme Court ruling.

Legal experts had said Flynn was unlikely to turn over the documents without a grant of immunity because doing so might compel him to waive some of his constitutional protections. The attorneys noted that if Flynn complied with the committee's request, he could be confirming the existence of documents, an act that itself could be used against him.

Trump himself walked back into the Russia controversy during his visit to Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing beside him, was asked Monday if he had any concerns about intelligence sharing with the U.S.

After Netanyahu responded  he said the cooperation was terrific  Trump volunteered that he "never mentioned the word or the name Israel" during his recent Oval Office conversation with top Russian diplomats.

That comment referred to revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat in his May 10 meeting in the Oval Office with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador. U.S. officials have said the information originated with Israel. However, it has not been alleged that Trump told the Russians that Israel was the source.

Trump has defended Flynn since his ouster and called on him to strike an immunity deal because Flynn is facing a "witch hunt." The president's comments are in stark contrast to his harsh words during the 2016 campaign for people who received immunity or invoked the Fifth Amendment in the probe of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

"You see, the mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?" Trump said during a September campaign rally in Iowa.

On Monday, one of Trump's top GOP supporters, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, told reporters during a news conference in Trenton that he had expressed concerns about Flynn during the presidential transition.

"If I were president-elect of the United States, I wouldn't let General Flynn in the White House," Christie said.

Flynn's decision does not fully close the door on future cooperation with the committee. Attorney Robert Kelner said in March that Flynn wants to tell his story "should the circumstances permit." He noted it would be unreasonable for Flynn to agree to be questioned by the committee "without assurances against unfair prosecution.

Flynn's letter comes less than two weeks after the committee issued a subpoena for his documents as part of its ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's campaign. In addition to the Senate investigation, Flynn is also being investigated by other congressional committees, as well as the ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe and a separate federal criminal investigation in northern Virginia.

Washington lawyer Nina Ginsberg, who has extensive national security law experience, said that if Flynn turned over any personal records in response to the committee's subpoena, he would waive his Fifth amendment rights regarding those documents and have to testify about them.

Ginsberg also noted that the committee faces new complications from the Justice Department's move last week to appoint Mueller as special counsel in the Russia inquiry. If the intelligence committee wants to give Flynn immunity, it will likely have to enter into discussions with Mueller to determine whether the move could impede the FBI's case.

Lawmakers of other key congressional committees are pledging a full public airing as to why former FBI Director James Comey was ousted amid the intensifying investigations into Russia's interference with the U.S. election.

In Sunday TV appearances, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they will press Comey in hearings as to whether he ever felt that Trump tried to interfere with his FBI work. Some lawmakers are insisting on seeing any White House or FBI documents that detail conversations between the two, following a spate of news reports that Comey had kept careful records.

Comey was fired by Trump earlier this month. The former FBI director agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee after the Memorial Day holiday.

Former CIA Director John Brennan is to testify in open and closed hearings Tuesday before the House intelligence committee, which is conducting its own investigation.

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination on Monday and declined to hand over documents sought under subpoena by a Senate panel investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. In a letter to the Senate intelligence committee , Flynn's attorneys justified the decision by citing an "escalating public frenzy against him" and saying the Justice Department's recent appointment of a special counsel has created a legally dangerous environment for him to cooperate with the panel's investigation. "The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him," the attorneys wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the AP. Flynn's decision not to cooperate with the Senate committee represents a new legal complication for the expanding government and congressional inquiries into Russian interference in the presidential campaign and contacts between Trump advisers and Russian officials and representatives. Flynn is a key figure in both the FBI investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller and in separate Senate and House inquiries. Trump appointed Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and top military intelligence chief, as his top national security aide in January, only to fire him less than a month later. The White House said that Flynn had misled top U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials, including Russia's ambassador to the U.S. The Senate committee's subpoena to Flynn dealt heavily with his interactions with Russian officials. It asked for a wide range of information and documents about his and the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians dating back to June 2015. Flynn's letter to the Senate committee stressed that his decision to invoke his constitutional protection is not an admission of wrongdoing but rather a response to the current political climate in which Democratic members of Congress are calling for his prosecution. Even "truthful responses of an innocent witness" can give the government ammunition that could be used against Flynn, the attorneys noted, quoting a 2001 Supreme Court ruling. Legal experts had said Flynn was unlikely to turn over the documents without a grant of immunity because doing so might compel him to waive some of his constitutional protections. The attorneys noted that if Flynn complied with the committee's request, he could be confirming the existence of documents, an act that itself could be used against him. Trump himself walked back into the Russia controversy during his visit to Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing beside him, was asked Monday if he had any concerns about intelligence sharing with the U.S. After Netanyahu responded  he said the cooperation was terrific  Trump volunteered that he "never mentioned the word or the name Israel" during his recent Oval Office conversation with top Russian diplomats. That comment referred to revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat in his May 10 meeting in the Oval Office with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador. U.S. officials have said the information originated with Israel. However, it has not been alleged that Trump told the Russians that Israel was the source. Trump has defended Flynn since his ouster and called on him to strike an immunity deal because Flynn is facing a "witch hunt." The president's comments are in stark contrast to his harsh words during the 2016 campaign for people who received immunity or invoked the Fifth Amendment in the probe of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. "You see, the mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?" Trump said during a September campaign rally in Iowa. On Monday, one of Trump's top GOP supporters, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, told reporters during a news conference in Trenton that he had expressed concerns about Flynn during the presidential transition. "If I were president-elect of the United States, I wouldn't let General Flynn in the White House," Christie said. Flynn's decision does not fully close the door on future cooperation with the committee. Attorney Robert Kelner said in March that Flynn wants to tell his story "should the circumstances permit." He noted it would be unreasonable for Flynn to agree to be questioned by the committee "without assurances against unfair prosecution. Flynn's letter comes less than two weeks after the committee issued a subpoena for his documents as part of its ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's campaign. In addition to the Senate investigation, Flynn is also being investigated by other congressional committees, as well as the ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe and a separate federal criminal investigation in northern Virginia. Washington lawyer Nina Ginsberg, who has extensive national security law experience, said that if Flynn turned over any personal records in response to the committee's subpoena, he would waive his Fifth amendment rights regarding those documents and have to testify about them. Ginsberg also noted that the committee faces new complications from the Justice Department's move last week to appoint Mueller as special counsel in the Russia inquiry. If the intelligence committee wants to give Flynn immunity, it will likely have to enter into discussions with Mueller to determine whether the move could impede the FBI's case. Lawmakers of other key congressional committees are pledging a full public airing as to why former FBI Director James Comey was ousted amid the intensifying investigations into Russia's interference with the U.S. election. In Sunday TV appearances, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they will press Comey in hearings as to whether he ever felt that Trump tried to interfere with his FBI work. Some lawmakers are insisting on seeing any White House or FBI documents that detail conversations between the two, following a spate of news reports that Comey had kept careful records. Comey was fired by Trump earlier this month. The former FBI director agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee after the Memorial Day holiday. Former CIA Director John Brennan is to testify in open and closed hearings Tuesday before the House intelligence committee, which is conducting its own investigation.
By PTI

TEL AVIV: US President Donald Trump said today that there was a "rare opportunity" to bring peace to the Middle East as he denounced Iran for supporting "terrorists" and vowed Tehran will never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

"I have found new reasons for hope," said Trump upon arriving at the Ben-Gurion International Airport.

"There is a rare opportunity to bring security and peace to the region, but we can only get there by working together," said Trump who arrived here from Riyadh in what is believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Trump went on to say that he met with leaders from across the Arab world in Saudi Arabia and reached "historic agreements" in fight against terror.

"On my first trip overseas as President, I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm unbreakable bond between us and Israel," Trump said during a welcome ceremony at the airport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump on what he called a "truly historic" visit, which he viewed as a "powerful expression of your friendship".

Trump left for Jerusalem immediately after the welcome ceremony for his meeting with Rivlin at the President's House amid heightened security with all the major roads in Jerusalem completely gridlocked. At Rivlin's residence, Trump lashed out at Iran.

"The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon - never ever - and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said in his remarks at Rivlin's residence.

"It must cease immediately," he said, referring to Iran's alleged involvement in arming and training militias.

During his stay in Saudi Arabia, Trump had accused Iran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" in the region and called for its international isolation.

Earlier, Netanyahu applauded Trump's call for nations to do more to fight terrorism during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

"Israel shares the commitment to peace that you made yesterday. The peace we seek is genuine and durable, in which the Jewish state is recognised, security remains in Israels hands, and the conflict ends once and for all," Netanyahu said while welcoming the US president at the airport.

"I hope this trip is a step on the path toward reconciliation and peace," he stressed.

The Israeli leader also noted that it was the first time that a US President had chosen to come to Israel during his first foreign trip after taking charge. President Rivlin thanked Trump for his "commitment to Israel's ability to face the threats of today and of tomorrow".

The Israeli president emphasised that while the world, the Middle East, and Israel all need a strong United States, "the United States also needs a strong Israel".

"In the Middle East, an area that suffers from terrorism and madness, the alliance between the United States and Israel shines like a beacon of liberty and progress," Rivlin said.

Trump and Netanyahu held a joint press conference at the premier's residence in Jerusalem. The event marked the last of three public appearances that Trump made before the media since landing at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.

Trump told Netanyahu that he was "honoured" by the Prime Minister's invitation to visit Israel before calling for a renewed peace effort between Israel and the Palestinians.

"We want Israel to have peace... and we must seize [opportunities] together and take advantage of the situation," said Trump who is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow. Trump has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take.

At a summit in Riyadh yesterday, Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth".

Pointing at Iran - Israel and Saudi Arabia's main foe in the region - the US President accused Tehran of fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

Before meeting Netanyahu, Trump visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where according to Christian tradition Jesus was buried and resurrected.

Trump also paid a visit to Western Wall in the Old City of East Jerusalem, becoming the first sitting US president to visit one of the most sacred sites in Judaism.

Trump, who visited the Western Wall in a private capacity and was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders, wore a black skullcap on his head and prayed at the holiest site.

The US President has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor Barack Obama.

He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their presence might hamper the search for peace.

During his election campaign, Trump had expressed views that seemed to fit neatly with those of the right-wing Israeli government of Netanyahu favouring expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and a tough line towards Palestinian aspirations for independence.

However, after taking charge of Presidency his statements have been rather nuanced on the issue of settlements as well as regarding moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, causing some heartburn among his right-wing supporters here.

TEL AVIV: US President Donald Trump said today that there was a "rare opportunity" to bring peace to the Middle East as he denounced Iran for supporting "terrorists" and vowed Tehran will never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. "I have found new reasons for hope," said Trump upon arriving at the Ben-Gurion International Airport. "There is a rare opportunity to bring security and peace to the region, but we can only get there by working together," said Trump who arrived here from Riyadh in what is believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Trump went on to say that he met with leaders from across the Arab world in Saudi Arabia and reached "historic agreements" in fight against terror. "On my first trip overseas as President, I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm unbreakable bond between us and Israel," Trump said during a welcome ceremony at the airport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump on what he called a "truly historic" visit, which he viewed as a "powerful expression of your friendship". Trump left for Jerusalem immediately after the welcome ceremony for his meeting with Rivlin at the President's House amid heightened security with all the major roads in Jerusalem completely gridlocked. At Rivlin's residence, Trump lashed out at Iran. "The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon - never ever - and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias," Trump said in his remarks at Rivlin's residence. "It must cease immediately," he said, referring to Iran's alleged involvement in arming and training militias. During his stay in Saudi Arabia, Trump had accused Iran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" in the region and called for its international isolation. Earlier, Netanyahu applauded Trump's call for nations to do more to fight terrorism during his visit to Saudi Arabia. "Israel shares the commitment to peace that you made yesterday. The peace we seek is genuine and durable, in which the Jewish state is recognised, security remains in Israels hands, and the conflict ends once and for all," Netanyahu said while welcoming the US president at the airport. "I hope this trip is a step on the path toward reconciliation and peace," he stressed. The Israeli leader also noted that it was the first time that a US President had chosen to come to Israel during his first foreign trip after taking charge. President Rivlin thanked Trump for his "commitment to Israel's ability to face the threats of today and of tomorrow". The Israeli president emphasised that while the world, the Middle East, and Israel all need a strong United States, "the United States also needs a strong Israel". "In the Middle East, an area that suffers from terrorism and madness, the alliance between the United States and Israel shines like a beacon of liberty and progress," Rivlin said. Trump and Netanyahu held a joint press conference at the premier's residence in Jerusalem. The event marked the last of three public appearances that Trump made before the media since landing at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport. Trump told Netanyahu that he was "honoured" by the Prime Minister's invitation to visit Israel before calling for a renewed peace effort between Israel and the Palestinians. "We want Israel to have peace... and we must seize [opportunities] together and take advantage of the situation," said Trump who is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow. Trump has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take. At a summit in Riyadh yesterday, Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth". Pointing at Iran - Israel and Saudi Arabia's main foe in the region - the US President accused Tehran of fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror. Before meeting Netanyahu, Trump visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where according to Christian tradition Jesus was buried and resurrected. Trump also paid a visit to Western Wall in the Old City of East Jerusalem, becoming the first sitting US president to visit one of the most sacred sites in Judaism. Trump, who visited the Western Wall in a private capacity and was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders, wore a black skullcap on his head and prayed at the holiest site. The US President has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor Barack Obama. He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their presence might hamper the search for peace. During his election campaign, Trump had expressed views that seemed to fit neatly with those of the right-wing Israeli government of Netanyahu favouring expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and a tough line towards Palestinian aspirations for independence. However, after taking charge of Presidency his statements have been rather nuanced on the issue of settlements as well as regarding moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, causing some heartburn among his right-wing supporters here.
By AFP

BHAGDAD: Iraq has agreed to a nine-month extension of a production cut pact among OPEC members that is aimed at boosting crude prices, the country's oil minister said on Monday.

"We are in agreement with the kingdom (of Saudi Arabia)... to continue the production cut" for another nine months, Jabbar al-Luaybi told a news conference in Baghdad alongside the Saudi energy minister, Khalid al-Falih.

"After our conversation with the prime minister, he gave the green light to his excellency (the Iraqi oil minister) to approve" the nine-month extension, Falih said.

At the end of November, the 13 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1, initially for six months, to reduce a supply glut.

Then in December, non-OPEC producers led by Russia agreed to reduce their own output by 558,000 barrels per day.

OPEC members and Russia will meet on Thursday and are expected to extend the production cut agreement.

"After the historic agreement last November which restored balance to the markets, the oil industry began to recover in a major way, but not completely," Falih said.

Iraq, which relies on revenue from crude sales for the vast majority of government funds, was hit hard by the fall in oil prices, which came as it wages a costly war against the jihadists.

BHAGDAD: Iraq has agreed to a nine-month extension of a production cut pact among OPEC members that is aimed at boosting crude prices, the country's oil minister said on Monday. "We are in agreement with the kingdom (of Saudi Arabia)... to continue the production cut" for another nine months, Jabbar al-Luaybi told a news conference in Baghdad alongside the Saudi energy minister, Khalid al-Falih. "After our conversation with the prime minister, he gave the green light to his excellency (the Iraqi oil minister) to approve" the nine-month extension, Falih said. At the end of November, the 13 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to cut output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1, initially for six months, to reduce a supply glut. Then in December, non-OPEC producers led by Russia agreed to reduce their own output by 558,000 barrels per day. OPEC members and Russia will meet on Thursday and are expected to extend the production cut agreement. "After the historic agreement last November which restored balance to the markets, the oil industry began to recover in a major way, but not completely," Falih said. Iraq, which relies on revenue from crude sales for the vast majority of government funds, was hit hard by the fall in oil prices, which came as it wages a costly war against the jihadists.
For the first time, the Cuban government has responded to US President Donald Trump in an exasperated tone. On Saturday, when the island nation was observing the anniversary of the creation of the Republic of Cuba on May 20, 1902, the White House released a statement from Trump to the Cuban-American community and to the people of Cuba stating that historical figures such as the Cuban patriot Jose Marti remind us that cruel despotism cannot extinguish the flame of freedom in the hearts of Cubans.

Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. EFE

More information Cuba se crispa por primera vez con Trump y lo califica de ridiculo

The Cuban people deserve a government that peacefully upholds democratic values, economic liberties, religious freedoms, and human rights, and my Administration is committed to achieving that vision, reads the statement.

Just hours later, Cuban television aired a reply that derided Trumps message as ridiculous and ill-advised. Cuban authorities criticized the contradictory, blundering statements by the millionaire-magnate-turned-president on matters of foreign and domestic policy.

This recent verbal scuffle could set the tone for a future relationship defined by an ill-humored pragmatism

Up until now, the Raul Castro administration had exercised self-restraint in the face of Trumps criticism. This verbal clash is the first direct falling out between both countries since the new US president took office, and it represents a harsh change of tone in bilateral relations following the diplomatic normalization that began in December 2014 under then-president Barack Obama.

Under Trump, who has spoken  both before and after his election victory  of the possibility of backtracking on his predecessors overtures to Cuba if Havana did not respect civil liberties, bilateral relations have entered a period of unease until the White House defines its Cuba policy.

Barack Obama and Raul Castro in March 2016. Reuters

Cuban-American political power, which remains loyal to Miami exiles traditional demands for Washington to be tough on Havana, is pressuring the president in this direction, although his administration is not expected to go much further than verbal political denunciation and the odd minor corrective measure. This is because half of all Cuban-American voters support a normalization of relations, and because there is significant US business interest in continuing with the thaw.

This recent verbal scuffle could set the tone for a future relationship defined by an ill-humored pragmatism under which both governments would direct barbs at one another but make no politically significant moves  or it could herald a regression to the days of open hostility that could eventually have real political repercussions.

English version by Susana Urra.
Food Scene: Newport County options that have Thanksgiving covered

Staying home or hitting the road, theres one foolproof way to make sure your Thanksgiving feast is both easy and memorable.
Visibly tense and evidently uneasy, the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, spoke to the press on Monday after a meeting with his Popular Party (PP)s National Executive Committee to respond to the news broken by EL PAIS on Monday of a secret plan being put together by the Catalan regional government to unilaterally break away from Spain should its citizens not be allowed to hold a referendum on independence in the fall.

Rajoy addresses reporters on Monday in Madrid. Jaime Villanueva

Rajoy warned the regional premier, Carles Puigdemont, and other Catalan pro-independence leaders, that he will not allow such a maneuver to take place, describing it as a crazy idea whichever way you look at it, and a legal delusion.

Rajoy said that he viewed such a separation of Catalonia from the rest of the state to be the liquidation of the rule of law, as well as a very serious [attempt] in the 21st century to liquidate a national state in just 24 hours.

National sovereignty is not going to be thrown into doubt

PM Mariano Rajoy

Rajoy added that he considered the draft legislation to be one of the most serious occurrences that he has seen in his political life, and reiterated the invitation he had already sent out to Puigdemont to come to Congress in Madrid to explain his intentions to the lower house.

This proposal is an unacceptable blackmailing of the state, he said.

Rajoy explained that he had decided to hold a press conference  something that he does not often do, especially not in PP headquarters in central Madrid  in order to comment on a number of aspects that he considers to be highly relevant regarding the political and social situation in Catalonia.

Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont has been asked to speak about his plans in Congress. Albert Garcia (EL PAIS)

The PM repeated to the press some of the points that he had discussed with the members of the partys National Executive Committee, namely that he is not willing to negotiate anything with the leadership of the Generalitat, as the regional government is known, given that he does not have the powers to do so. For that threat to be put in motion, [Puigdemont] needs the support of the chamber, not from me, given that I am just one of the 350 deputies in Congress, he said.

He also slammed Puigdemonts failure to accept the invitation to debate in Congress. I am going to show my face, and I invite him to do so too, he said. Because a leader who is convinced of the goodness of his proposals should exercise leadership with courage and bravery.

The prime minister challenged the regional premier several times to come to Congress, and added that if he didnt do it, the message is that he is trying to break away. Rajoy added that if the regional government continued with the legislation without the support of the majority in the relevant chambers, it would be ignoring the will of all Spaniards. This is not acceptable, and even less so is the threat to break up the state if their proposals are not accepted.

The prime minister added that it would be difficult to find a precedent that is as undemocratic as an attempt to impose a Catalan constitution in just 24 hours, and described the move once again as an intolerable blackmail. He concluded: This [legislation] is not going to go into force, national sovereignty is not going to be thrown into doubt.

Catalonia has been on a collision course with the PP government in Madrid for months now, due to its insistence on holding an official vote on its future. The central government is fiercely opposed to any such referendum, or indeed independence for the northeastern region, and already maneuvered to prevent such a plebiscite from taking place in November 2014. However, officials in the regional government still organized a vote  albeit an unofficial one the result of which was not recognized by international observers  which saw citizens vote in favor of a breakaway from the rest of Spain.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

A few passing clouds. Low near 55F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low near 55F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
The study published in Nature Communications on May 19 found that Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito that carries the Zika virus, might also transmit chikungunya and dengue viruses with one bite.

The findings of the new study led by Colorado State University researchers shed new light on what is known as a coinfection, which scientists said is yet to be understood completely and may be fairly common in areas experiencing outbreaks.

"A mosquito, in theory, could give you multiple viruses at once," said Claudia Ruckert, post-doctoral researcher in CSU's Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, who presented initial findings from the study last fall at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Atlanta, Georgia.

To learn more about the transmission of more than one infection from a single mosquito bite, the mosquitoes in the lab were infected with multiple kinds of viruses. Although the CSU team described the lab results as surprising, they mentioned that there is no reason to believe that these coinfections are more severe than a single virus infection at a time. The available research on coinfections is scarce and the findings differ.

The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes living in tropical, subtropical, and in some temperate climates transmit Chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses to humans. The likelihood of coinfection by multiple viruses may be on the rise as these viruses continue to emerge into new areas. At the same time, the frequency of coinfection and its clinical and epidemiologic implications are not understood well.

According to the study, chikungunya and dengue virus coinfection were first reported in1967. The coinfections of Zika and dengue viruses, Zika and chikungunya, and all three viruses have been reported during various outbreaks more recently, including the zika outburst in North and South America.

Ruckert said the research team found that mosquitoes in the lab can transmit all three viruses at the same time, even though this is likely to be very rare in nature. "Dual infections in humans, however, are fairly common, or more common than we would have thought," she said.

CSU researchers had expected to find that one dominant virus out competed the other two in the mid-gut of the mosquito where the infections start and reproduce before being transmitted to humans.

"It's interesting that all three replicate in a really small area in the mosquito's body," Ruckert said. "When these mosquitoes get infected with two or three different viruses, there's almost no effect that the viruses have on each other in the same mosquito."

Greg Ebel, director of the Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory and co-author of the study, said "On the one hand, all of these viruses have mechanisms to suppress mosquito immunity, which could lead to synergy. On the other hand, they all likely require similar resources within infected cells, which could lead to competition."

Following the link between infection of Zika virus with microcephalybaby born with a small head and incomplete brain development, in Brazil, concerns about the virus skyrocketed last year.

In 2008 Brian Foy, CSU associate professor in the Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, made a connection that Zika virus could be transmitted sexually in addition to being spread by mosquitoes. Following the news, concerns about Zika virus were also heightened.

The symptoms of dengue and chikungunya virus are comparable to symptoms of Zika virus infectionsimilar to the flu and may be accompanied by a skin rash, and can also include joint and bone pain, nose or gum bleeding, and bruising.

"There's no strong evidence that coinfection of humans results in infections that are clinically more severe," Ruckert said.

However, findings are conflicting. In one study, a team in Nicaragua examined a large number of coinfection cases, but no changes in hospitalization or clinical care were seen. Nevertheless, a possible link between neurological complications and coinfection was found in other studies.

"There might be some indications, but it is still fairly unknown what the effect is from coinfection," said Ruckert. It is also possible that coinfections in humans are considerably underdiagnosed. "Depending on what diagnostics are used, and depending on what the clinicians think, they might not notice there's another virus," Ruckert said. "It could definitely lead to misinterpretation of disease severity."

Ruckert and the team in the Ebel Lab are now looking closely at the outcome when mosquitoes are infected with multiple viruses and they will explore the effect of coinfection on the evolution of viruses within the mosquito.

The team is also paying attention to learning more about where the viruses replicate in mosquitoes, and by potentially examining yellow feverfourth virus that is carried by Aedes aegypti, as a likelihood for coinfection with chikungunya, dengue, or Zika viruses.In December 2016, the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported a continuing outburst of yellow fever virus found in the tropical and subtropical areas in South America and Africa.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yellow fever is a very rare cause of illness in people traveling to U.S. However, the mortality rates are between 20 percent and 50 percent in people who develop severe illness related to yellow fever virus.
Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

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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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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

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Thought Leaders Dr. Merit Cudkowicz Chief of Neurology Service Massachusetts General Hospital

An interview with Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Chief of Neurology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital, conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab)

What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and is it the same as Lou Gehrigs disease?

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. As ALS progresses, neurons are unable to send impulses to muscles, making voluntary muscle movement difficult, including standing, walking and sitting, as well as speaking and swallowing.

Lou Gehrigs disease is another name for ALS. ALS became more nationally recognized when Lou Gehrig had to retire from the New York Yankees in 1939 after being diagnosed.

ALS Overview Play

What are the main challenges to finding a cure for ALS?

There are a couple of key challenges which together make the quest for a cure difficult. One of the toughest aspects of ALS is getting patients diagnosed early so treatments can be started right away.

The initial stages of ALS are subtle. Generally, it can take almost a year from first signs of symptoms to an actual diagnosis. Researchers and clinicians supported by ALS Finding a Cure (ALSFAC) are working to develop technology and knowledge to accelerate diagnosis, thereby facilitating earlier treatment.

Another challenge to finding a cure is simply our knowledge (or lack thereof) of the disease. Science has come a long way in terms of this disease, but there is so much more to learn. We need more information on the underlying biology of the illness, so targeted treatments can be developed.

One study that ALSFAC is funding looks at how intestinal microbiota (bacteria in the gut) influences the onset and progression of ALS. Another study called ANSWER ALS is investigating the underlying genetics and biology of individual people, to develop a personalized approach to treatment. The best path toward a cure is to gain a better understanding of the underlying disease biology.

How has our understanding of the condition changed over time?

We now understand that ALS is not one illness. The presentation of symptoms and disease progression differs greatly between people, and very likely the underlying biology is also different.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

We know from researching the genetics of ALS patients that there are over 35 different causes. The technology now exists to better understand pathways and targets, and target treatments more effectively.

There is a lot more knowledge now of the pathways that might not be working correctly in people, and this allows for development of better treatments. ALSFAC is funding several investigations into these targets, and supporting clinical trials of new ALS treatments.

What further research is currently needed?

ALSFAC supports collaborative focused research. We need research on the cause of ALS and on ways to treat people with ALS. We need methods to image or see the illness in people, so we can screen and personalize treatments much faster.

ALSFAC is partnering with the ALS Association and GE Healthcare to develop new techniques to see the illness, with the goal of diagnosing sooner and developing treatments to slow or halt ALS faster. We want to continue to attract the smartest people into the field of ALS research.

How is ALS Finding a Cure (ALSFAC) trying to increase funding for ALS research?

ALSFAC is almost entirely self-funded, from the Leandro P. Rizzuto Foundation, in partnership with private donors, GE Healthcare and other interested organizations. Funding for ALS research is vital to finding a cure.

We strongly believe in funding the best research fast, along with collaboration and open sharing of information. The more funding we have to help our patients, the closer we are to finding a cure.

What impact did the Ice Bucket Challenge have?

The Ice Bucket Challenge brought great awareness globally of ALS and raised funds for research and care. The impact that kind of funding can have is monumental and its already helping us make the strides we need to ultimately find a way to detect ALS earlier, and cure it entirely.

Using Ice Bucket Challenge funds, ALSFAC partnered with the ALS Association in a program called ALS ACT to accelerate therapeutic development for ALS.

What more needs to be done to raise awareness of ALS research?

We need to continue to raise funds for ALS research and to attract more investigators and companies to ALS. There is great momentum and need to find ways to slow, halt, and ultimately prevent ALS.

How far are we away from a cure for ALS?

Were getting closer every day, but there is still progress to be made. As more is understood about the biology of the disease, we will have the ability to develop increasingly effective treatments. This needs to be coupled with a more efficient way to diagnose ALS so we can care and treat people right away.

I believe we will have many treatments in next few years, and they will be different for different groups of people with ALS. The pace of understanding ALS is increasing exponentially and with this comes great hope for treatments for everyone with ALS.

Do you think it will be possible to prevent ALS altogether one day?

I hope so! Weve created cures for other diseases over the past of couple years that we couldnt have dreamed of ten or twenty years ago, so its certainly possible.

Where can readers find more information?

Readers can go to the ALS Finding a Cure website, ALSFindingaCure.org. Theres an informative video series on the site that includes myself along with patients and ALS nurses explaining key aspects of the disease.

About Dr. Merit Cudkowicz

Dr. Merit Cudkowicz is the Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Chief of Neurology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Cudkowicz's research and clinical activities are dedicated to the study and treatment of people with ALS.

Dr. Cudkowicz directs the Massachusetts General Hospital ALS Center and the Massachusetts General Hospital Neurological Clinical Research Institute. She is one of the founders and co-directors of the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS), a group of over 100 clinical sites in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East dedicated to performing collaborative academic led clinical trials and research studies in ALS. In conjunction with the NEALS consortium, she planned and completed over 15 multi-center clinical research studies in ALS. Dr. Cudkowicz is Principal Investigator of the Clinical Coordination Center for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's Neurology Network of Excellence in Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT), an efficient phase II network to develop innovative and new treatments for people with neurological disorders.

Dr. Cudkowicz received the American Academy of Neurology 2009 Sheila Essey ALS award. She completed her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and obtained a medical degree in the Health Science and Technology program of Harvard Medical School. She also obtained a master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.
A hay fever map of Britain - with the first ever guide to the location of plants in the UK that can trigger the allergy - has been produced to help sufferers cope, and warn them which 'hotspots' to avoid.

Academics at the University of Exeter's Medical School have produced new, highly-detailed maps of the UK containing the location of key plants and trees known to produce pollen that triggers allergies and asthma.

The maps, produced in collaboration with the Met Office, may help acute hay-fever or asthma sufferers decide where to live, or which areas to avoid at peak times when pollen is released.

The study records areas where plants which hay fever sufferers are most likely to be sensitive to are most prevalent, including grasses and trees and plants such as birch, alder, oak and nettle.

The plant maps, which include cities throughout the UK - with a detailed plan of London - will help medics further study the impact of air pollution on asthma.

Around 80 per cent of people with asthma also have a pollen allergy and in the UK around 10 per cent of the adult population is affected by asthma - one of the highest levels of doctor-diagnosed asthma in the world.

In 2001, thirteen per cent of people in the UK were diagnosed with hayfever by doctors.

Most people with hay-fever are allergic to grass pollen, which is most common in late spring and early summer. Air pollution, for example from car exhaust fumes, is understood to exacerbate hospital admissions for asthma caused by allergies.

The maps are released as new research carried out at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter's Medical School, shows that exposure to pollen can increase hospital admissions for asthma within days of exposure.

The study of hospital admissions in London by Dr Nicholas Osborne, published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, found that four to five days after increased grass pollen counts there was a spike in hospital admissions for asthma.

The study also found increased admissions for asthma 2-5 days later after Met Office pollen alert levels of very high pollen days.

Dr Rachel McInnes and Dr Osborne of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter Medical School believe their maps of allergenic pollen-producing plants, in combined with pollen forecasts and calendars, could help sufferers manage their condition by reducing their exposure.

The study examined the tree canopy, and the distribution of grasses to allow people to locate areas where they could be particularly affected. The resulting maps show where the allergenic plants and trees are located around Great Britain. The academics used sophisticated aerial mapping, as well as data from a variety of sources, to show the geographical distribution of the 12 key types of plants associated with hay fever and asthma brought on by allergies. In London, the prevalence of allergenic plants is broken down by neighbourhood.

The maps were produced in collaboration with the Met Office, as part of the multi-institutional and interdisciplinary Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change and Health funded by NIHR (National Institute for Health Research).

They include the location of grasses, weeds and trees producing pollen known to trigger hay-fever and asthma, including birch, alder, hazel, plane trees and oak, grass, nettles, mugwort and plantain.

The maps show a higher percentage of allergenic grass in the northern and western regions of great Britain. The Eastern central area of the UK has the lowest percentage of allergenic grass. The North West and Western Scotland have the highest density of grass coverage.

The detailed maps of the location of pollen, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, may make it possible to identify plants increasing the risk of higher hospital admissions for asthma.

Research by Dr Nicholas Osborne, an epidemiologist and toxicologist, at the University of Exeter's Medical School, said the maps will help doctors narrow down which pollens are most likely to trigger asthma attacks.

"We hope that these maps will contribute to ongoing research that aims to better determine when plants pollinate, allowing us with time to provide better warning to allergy and asthma sufferers to enable them to better manage their disease," Dr Osborne said. "In the future, more people will know what species they are allergic to."

The map of tree locations used data from a high-resolution National Tree Map produced by Bluesky International, which used high-resolution aerial photography and remote sensing, as well as information from the Forestry Commission.

Dr Rachel McInnes, an honorary research fellow at the University of Exeter European Centre for Environment and Human Health and a Senior Climate Impacts Scientist at the Met Office, said:

"These maps are a step towards a species-level pollen forecast. Pollen can have a serious impact on the well-being of those with hay fever or asthma. By working towards a localised, species-level forecast, vulnerable people can better plan their activities and manage their condition. These new maps could also provide local authorities and healthcare practitioners with information to assist patients with pollen allergies. While these allergenic plant and tree maps do not provide a forecast of pollen levels, they do provide the most likely locations of grass and of tree species which are the source of most allergenic pollen."
Despite global improvements in healthcare quality and access over 25 years, inequalities between the best and worst-performing countries have grown. Even among countries of similar development levels, there is wide variation in healthcare access and quality, exposing untapped potential for improving healthcare in these regions, according to a Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet.

The study develops a novel index which measures the quality and accessibility of healthcare. The rating (scored 0-100) is based on death rates from 32 diseases that could be avoided by effective medical care in the country year-on-year. The new study assesses performance for 195 countries from 1990-2015, providing crucial data to help monitor progress on universal health coverage and identify local priorities for improving healthcare.

Despite overall improvement globally, there is variation in healthcare performance and few countries have consistently achieved optimal healthcare access and quality, says senior author Professor Christopher Murray, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, USA. By measuring healthcare quality and access, we hope to provide countries across the development spectrum with valuable data on where improvements are most needed to have the biggest impact on the health of their nation.

Globally, the index increased from 40.7 in 1990 to 53.7 in 2015 and 167 countries saw healthcare access and quality significantly improve. However, over the same timeframe, the divide between the best and worst-performing countries grew by almost 5 points  ranging from 23.1 to 84.7 (a 61.6 point gap) in 1990 and from 28.6 to 94.6 (66.0 point gap) in 2015.

Overall in 2015, western European countries generally scored highest, while those in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania mainly scored lowest. But not all countries in the same region performed similarly. For example, within sub-Saharan Africa, 2015 healthcare performance in Cape Verde was among the middle of the table of all countries while Lesotho, Somalia and Chad were amongst the poorest performing countries. The same was true of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. While many countries in western Europe alongside Canada, Japan and Australia were ranked in the top-performing group, the UK and USA were outpaced by their peers, ranking in the second-best group.

The paper also breaks down each countrys performance according to each of the 32 diseases studied. Commenting on the UK, Professor Martin McKee, co-author from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, said:

The UK has made consistent progress since 1990, but with a score of 85 it now lags behind many of its European neighbors, including Finland, Sweden, Spain (all 90) and Italy (89), all of which have health systems very similar to the British NHS and so are most directly comparable. The gap between what the UK achieves and what it would be expected to, given its level of development, is also wider than in other western European countries. The UK does well in some areas, including cerebrovascular disease (88), likely to reflect the quality of general practice, where high blood pressure is detected and treated and advances in acute management of stroke, especially in London, but it lags behind in outcomes of some cancers, a problem that has many causes but is often attributed to low levels of investment in specialist care.

Looking at the top performers, Andorra maintained its top ranking from 1990 and with a rating of 94.6 out of 100 in 2015. Other than Switzerland the rest of the top 5 performers were Nordic countries (1: Andorra (94.6), 2: Iceland (93.6), 3: Switzerland (91.8), 4: Sweden (90.5), 5: Norway (90.5)).

Between 1990 and 2015, South Korea, Turkey, Peru, China and the Maldives recorded some of the largest improvements (increasing by 24.1, 24.9, 23.7, 24.7 and 29.6 since 1990, respectively), showing that more rapid advances are possible than seen overall. Potential drivers of this may include the financial arrangements of the healthcare system, provider ownership and its governance. The authors note that further research will be needed to specify this, which could then provide a model to help other countries improve.

The study is also the first of its kind to use sociodemographic data to analyze how healthcare improved in line with economic development in each country. The researchers compared each countrys healthcare quality and access performance rating with the rating it would be expected to have, based on its level of economic development. This gap helps illustrate the extent to which a countrys healthcare system could be improved, and compare countries at similar levels of development.

There was huge variation for countries of similar development levels. Importantly, for 62 countries the gap between their actual and expected rating widened, particularly in southern sub-Saharan African countries (Lesotho, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe), Iraq, Pakistan and Honduras. Meanwhile, several countries performed very well considering their levels of development, such as in eastern and western sub-Saharan Africa (Burundi, Comoros and Rwanda), Turkey, Peru and South Korea.

Professor Murray adds:

These findings could reflect several challenges faced by these countries, including subnational inequalities in wealth and healthcare options, and recent or rapid epidemiological transitions whereby the healthcare systems offerings trail behind the diseases afflicting populations. Overall, our results are a warning sign that heightened healthcare access and quality is not an inevitable product of increased development.

The authors note some limitations to their model, including that limited data in many lower income countries means that there may be greater uncertainty for some results. Additionally, their measure was focused on personal healthcare access and quality, and did not necessarily capture the important effects of public health programs on improving outcomes.

In future, the authors plan to extend the analysis to include public health intervention impact, subnational health inequalities and health financing measures, as well as including an increased number of avoidable causes of death to account for recent medical advances (such as antiretroviral therapy for HIV) and causes with lower death rates.

Source: http://www.thelancet.com/
African Americans with sleep apnea and insomnia are rarely diagnosed with either problem, even when the severity of the two sleep disorders are likely to affect their health, according to new research presented at the ATS 2017 International Conference.

"African Americans experience a disproportionate burden of numerous health problems, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, all of which have been shown to be associated with sleep," said lead study author Dayna A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, MS, MSW, a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "It seems plausible that sleep apnea and insomnia are important risk factors contributing to these health disparities."

Dr. Johnson and her colleagues studied data of 825 African Americans who underwent a sleep study as part of the Jackson (Miss.) Heart Study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health and is the largest single-site prospective investigation of cardiovascular disease in African Americans undertaken. The average age of those undergoing the home sleep study was 63 years, and two-thirds of the participants were women.

The researchers defined sleep apnea, which produces pauses in breathing, based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which measures the number of pauses that occur per hour of sleep. An AHI >5 was considered mild; an AHI >15, moderate; and an AHI >30, severe. The researchers used the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Insomnia Rating Scale, a commonly used assessment of perceived insomnia symptoms, to define insomnia. Participants with a score >10 were considered to have insomnia. Participants were asked if a physician had told them that they suffered from either of the disorders.

The study found that three of every four participants had sleep apnea: 38.4 percent had mild sleep apnea; 21.3 percent had moderate sleep apnea; and 15.8 percent had severe sleep apnea. But only 2.1 percent of those with sleep apnea reported that a physician diagnosed the condition.

Higher body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, being male and being older were all associated with sleep apnea and its severity.

The study also found that more than 2 in 10 participants suffered from insomnia. But only 6.7 percent of them reported a physician diagnosis.

According to Dr. Johnson, the prevalence of both sleep apnea and insomnia in the study population was higher than would be expected in the general population of adults of a similar age.

"There is a disturbingly high prevalence of undiagnosed sleep disorders in our study population of African Americans," she said. "It is important to investigate the reasons for this high prevalence as well as investigate interventions targeted at increasing awareness and screening for sleep disorders."

Because treating these sleep disorders "could drastically improve quality of life and reduce the burden of subsequent adverse health outcomes," Dr. Johnson added, clinicians need to identify patients at risk of these sleep disorders and encourage them to undergo sleep studies. In addition, although public awareness of sleep apnea is growing, efforts targeting the most at-risk populations may be warranted.

Dr. Johnson said that study findings from the Jackson, Miss., metropolitan area may not apply to African Americans living elsewhere. "African Americans living in Jackson, Mississippi, may not be representative of all African Americans due to differences in risk factors that may be related to geography," she said.
Supervising the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in elementary school children with asthma may not improve asthma symptoms, prevent school absences or reduce health care use, according to new research presented at the ATS 2017 International Conference.

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial of a comprehensive school-based asthma program among 361 children, most of whom were from Hispanic and low-income families, living in Tucson, Arizona. Of these children, 73 percent had asthma that was not well controlled when evaluated by a study physician, but only 36 percent reported taking an ICS to control their asthma. All the children participated in the American Lung Association's Open Airways for Schools program that educates students about asthma, its triggers and its treatment.

The children were randomized into two groups: those who would begin taking their asthma control medication under school supervision immediately and those who would start in the supervised program a year later.

"Adherence to daily controller medication is quite poor," said lead study author Joe K. Gerald. MD, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Public Health, who noted national statistics showing that only about one-fourth of the asthma medicines prescribed for children are filled. "Although there are many reasons for this, we have found affordability and inconvenience to be the most important."

Because children are required to attend school, Dr. Gerald and colleagues hypothesized that providing children with their medicines and then making sure they took the medicine once each day during school would not only increase adherence, but also improve their asthma control.

Students completed the Juniper Asthma Control questionnaire. The questionnaire asks six questions about asthma symptoms, including one about rescue inhaler use. Despite the fact that the study achieved 95 percent adherence at school, the researchers found no difference in questionnaire scores, the primary outcome, between those who took ICS under supervision and those who did not. There was also no difference in secondary outcomes, including quality of life, school absences or health care utilization as measured by use of oral corticosteroids, the emergency department or hospitalization.

Previously, the researchers conducted a similar study in Birmingham, Alabama. That study showed that school-based treatment reduced episodes of poor asthma control in a student population that was mostly low-income and African American. The current study was designed to replicate those findings in another school system with a different student population.

Dr. Gerald said two factors may help explain why the current study did not confirm previous results. Students in the current study had a high rate of absenteeism and their measure of asthma control, based on the Juniper questionnaire, was more stringent that the asthma control measure used in the Birmingham study.

Still, Dr. Gerald noted, both studies demonstrate the feasibility of using schools to ensure medication compliance near 100 percent during school days.

"More study is needed," he said. "Just because this study did not find a difference does not mean that school-based programs cannot be effective."
Introduction

Blood is an essential component of the body, supplying necessary oxygen to all organs and tissues and eliminating unwanted metabolites from cells. However, in addition to transporting oxygen, blood protects the body from a variety of diseases using the immune cells and platelets present in it. These blood cells also play a role in bleeding disorders.

Researchers across the world are showing interest in understanding ing the nature of blood cell interactions, such as clotting and binding to different fibers in particular. This article discusses the effective role that integrated correlative light-electron microscopy (CLEM) and scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) can play, in laboratories involved in blood research.

Figure 1: Each wounding causes a reaction by the body- This is the example of a fibrin network with blood cells images with scanning electron microscopy.

Blood contains various types of cells in a solution known as plasma. Water is the main component of plasma, which also contains: hormones, proteins, such as clotting factors, ions and roughly 45% of blood cells.

The human plasma consists of three types of blood cells: Red blood cells (RBCs) or erythrocytes; white blood cells (WBCs) or leukocytes; and platelets or thrombocytes. RBCs are the most abundant blood cells transporting oxygen between lungs and the organs by attaching it to an iron-containing protein called hemoglobin.

WBCs are available in five different types and form the bodys immune system to fight all types of pathogens. Platelets are tiny cell fragments that play a vital role in blood clotting.

Figure 2: High resolution scanning electron microscopy imaging of blood cells.

What makes blood diseases dangerous?

Skin injuries, bacterial infections, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) expose blood to all types of pathogens. The bodys immune system combats these diseases by activating a specific type of WBCs, depending on the kind of pathogen the blood is exposed to.

Blood disorders are a different class of blood diseases that occur due to insufficient blood clotting caused by lack of thrombocytes or other components involved in the blood clotting process. In case of an injury, in normal conditions, clotting factors and fibrin present in the blood allow binding of thrombocytes with each other to form a plug at the affected site to avoid further hemorrhage and facilitate healing of the injured tissue.

On the other hand, persons with a clotting disorder can suffer excessive bleeding. This condition not only causes damage to tissues, but can also be potentially fatal. The presence of excess number of clotting factors and thrombocytes is equally detrimental as their absence. This condition can cause several kinds of strokes such as cardiac arrest or brain strokes.

New approaches to better understand blood disorders

Blood research has turned out to be an increasingly popular research field to gain insights into the interactions taking place during clot formation. For this purpose, the SEM has been shown to be very useful, enabling scientists to easily observe the 3D structures of blood clots and the interactions taking place between the blood cells and different fibers.

In the coming years, many blood clotting disorders, such as the Von Willebrand disease will be explored. For instance, the latest advancements in the integrated CLEM will allow fluorescent-marked components to be observed using light microscopy and the cell environments 3D structure using the integrated SEM. The combined image provides a clear picture of the interactions, thereby yielding readily available and reliable results.

Figure 3 Correlative light and electron microscopy image of red blood cells stained with a hydrophilic fluorescent dye.

Figure 4: Insights into blood clot formation using a scanning electron microscope

The significance of fast research results

Addressing malaria, an infectious disease caused by mosquitoes, is another objective of blood research. Parasitic protozoans, a kind of Plasmodium, causes this disease, which has an equal effect on both humans and animals.

Generally, symptoms of malaria can be observed in patients only after 10 to 15 days of infection. Improper treatment of malaria leads to the recurrence of the disease. Around 214 million malaria-affected cases were reported across the globe in 2015, of which 438,000 cases were fatal; 90% reported in Africa.

To create potential vaccines or medications, significant studies have been carried out. The combination of Phenom scanning electron microscope and an integrated correlative solution, such as the Delphi, will be very useful, as it allows scientists to easily examine the direct interactions between the parasite and the surrounding cells and tissues.

If you want to know more about CLEM and SEM systems for blood research, visit Phenom-World at the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) in Berlin from July 8-13.

About Phenom-World

Phenom-World believe breakthroughs happen when complex nanotechnology is made intuitive, easier to use and brought within reach. As the leading global supplier of desktop scanning electron microscopes, their aim is to make imaging and analysis at the nanoscale available to every scientist in every lab.

Thats why Phenom-World invest their time and effort into developing high-quality electron microscope solutions that are functionally rich, yet simple to use. Because their mission is to create technology that has a real impact on how people work.

This takes innovative thinking, collaborative working and an entrepreneurial attitude. At their home in the high-tech region of Eindhoven in The Netherlands, Phenom-World have a group of passionate people who are given the freedom they need to innovate. Plus a highly skilled team of specialists in more than 40 countries who can provide support on a global scale.

Cooperation and co-creation are key to Phenom-World's success. They work closely with their partners to ensure they have the latest technologies, state-of-the-art equipment and applications for imaging and analysis. So they can get fast and accurate results and achieve more in nanotechnology.

Phenom-World is globally the yearly number 1 manufacturer of desktop scanning electron microscopes and imaging and analysis packages.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
2016 Ford Mustang GT (Photo: News18/Siddharth Safaya)

Ford Motor Co is expected to announce the departure of Chief Executive Mark Fields in a broad management shake-up, a company source said - a move that reflects growing investor unease over the company's stock market performance and outlook.Forbes and the New York Times reported that James Hackett, 62 and chairman of the Ford unit that works on autonomous vehicles, would take the helm. An announcement could come as early as Monday.Ford shares are down nearly 40 percent since Fields, 56, took over three years ago, at the peak of the U.S. auto industry's recovery. Now, U.S. auto sales are slipping, and Ford's profit margins are trailing those of larger rival General Motors Co.Ford's board of directors and Chairman Bill Ford Jr. have been unhappy with the company's performance, and sought more reassurance that investments in self-driving cars, electric vehicles and ride services would pay off.Details of further executive moves were not immediately clear. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the company was considering new assignments for some of Fields' top lieutenants."We are staying focused on our plan for creating value and profitable growth," a Ford spokesman in Europe said in response to the reports, declining to comment "on speculation or rumors".The turbulence at Ford comes as all three Detroit automakers are under pressure to prove they can avoid losses as the U.S.auto market, source of the bulk of their profits, is slowing down after last year's record sales.GM Chief Executive Mary Barra is fending off attacks from hedge fund Greenlight Capital and its leader, David Einhorn, who wants to install three new directors on the automaker's board, and split GM's stock into two classes.FiatChrysler Automobiles NV is fighting accusations by U.S.and California regulators that it used software to cheat on diesel emissions tests, and Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne has so far been unsuccessful in his effort to find a merger partner for the company.Fields outlined a variety of initiatives to confront challenges from technology companies such as Alphabet Inc that want to control a future of autonomous, data intensive vehicles."You have to have one foot in today... but also one foot in the future," Fields told reporters last month. "I think investors understand our strategy."Among Fields' bets on technology is a plan to invest $1 billion over the next five years in tech startup Argo AI.Ford has churned out strong profits under Fields, reporting a record $10.4 billion in pretax earnings in 2016. However, Ford dismayed investors earlier this year by forecasting lower profits for 2017 and higher costs for its investments in "emerging opportunities."On Friday, Silicon Valley electric car maker Tesla Inc was valued at $51 billion, more than Ford's $43 billion. The contrast is a dramatic sign of how little confidence investors have that old-lineautomakers can transition to a future where software substitutes for pistons and transportation is sold by the mile or the minute.At the same time, GM is turning up the pressure on Ford in the North American truck and sport utility business, the source of 90 percent of Ford's profits.GM is gearing up an "onslaught" of trucks for the North American market, the automaker's President Dan Ammann told Reuters last week, including a new generation of the Chevrolet Silverado large pickup truck that competes with Ford's primary profit machine, the F-series line of trucks.Ford is moving to cut costs to offset declining U.S. sales. Last week, the automaker said it would cut 1,400 salaried jobs in North America and Asia through voluntary early retirement and other financial incentives.Fields earned $22.1 million in 2016.
Production at Honda Cars India's Greater Noida facility was suspended for a day last week after a fire broke out at the plant. The fire that broke out on May 18 in the backup generator unit of the plant was brought under control within a couple of hours of the incident, a Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) spokesperson said in a statement.No form of injury or casualty occurred due to the fire incident, it added."In view of the temporary disruption of the supply of power and water to the plant, operations at the unit had to be suspended on May 18," HCIL said.While the office operations resumed from the next day May 19, 2017, the recovery teams are taking measures to resume the production at the plant when the office reopens after the weekend, it added.The plant has an installed manufacturing capacity of 1.2 lakh units per annum. It rolls out models like Brio, Amaze and CR-V. Currently, the facility is running on a single shift basis, churning out 60,000 units per annum."We have already adjusted the production schedule for next few days to recover the loss in production within this month," the statement said.
India should produce more automotive high-end steel as the country is likely to manufacture 27 percent of total cars in the world in days to come, Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh has said.



"In times to come, it is expected that India would be the hub for manufacturing of motor cars... and there is an estimate that India alone would be manufacturing 27 percent of the total cars in the world," the minister told PTI.



"We want that this kind of steel, that is automotive high end, should be produced in our country so that we can save our foreign currency to a great extent," he said.



He also pitched for export of high-end steel to the world market, saying factors like competitive efficiency play a key role in its manufacturing. Noting that the efficiency level in both private and public sectors in India is below international standards, the minister underscored the need for higher efficiency.



The higher efficiency can be achieved by changing the old machinery at steel plants "which we have already done with regard to PSUs, especially state-owned SAIL". The last phase of modernisation and expansion of SAIL is expected to be completed by December this year. "We have spent about Rs 62,000 crore in the last 8-10 years on expansion and modernisation," he said.



Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has embarked on modernisation and expansion of its integrated steel plants in Bhilai, Bokaro, Rourkela, Durgapur and Burnpur and the special steel plant in Salem. In the ongoing drive, the crude steel capacity is being enhanced to 21.4 mtpa, from 12.8 mtpa. The country's largest steel maker had earlier said it reached the last leg of its modernisation programme, but expressed concern over weak demand for domestic steel.


New Delhi: In what could be the first chargesheet in a case of alleged Love Jihad, Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a chargesheet in the case involving national-level shooter Tara Shahdeo.



It was filed against Ranjeet Singh Kohli, who she had alleged to have forced her to convert to marry him. The chargesheet also mentions Kaushal Rani, Kohlis mother and a judicial officer Mustaq Ahmed, who was the then registrar vigilance in Jharkhand.



The case was handed over to CBI by the Jharkhand High Court on 22nd May 2015.



The chargesheet was filed in Ranchi court under sections of criminal conspiracy, sexual assault, domestic violence and for fraudulently organizing marriage ceremony without lawful marriage.

After the marriage, Shahdeo claimed, she had found that Kohli's real name was Raqibul Hasan Khan. She told the police and later CBI that she was tortured for over a month to accept her husband's religion.



Kohli, alias Hasan, was also charged with 295A, at the time of arrest but it appears that this section which deals with deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings of a class by insulting its religious beliefs, was dropped in the chargesheet.



According to Kohli, on 14th August the couple had a fight following a tiff between Shahdeo and her mother-in-law. He admits that he had beaten her but refused to accept that it was to convert to Islam. Five days after the incident, Shahdeo filed an FIR against her husband in a local court.


Tom Catena: I am not a superhuman doctor. I was like you 25-30 years ago." (video)

2017 Aurora Prize Finalist doctor Tom Catena delivered a public lecture at the Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi on May 22. He presented his experience and challenges as a doctor in the war-torn Nuba mountains of Sudan where he has been working at the Mother of Mercy hospital for years. Dr. Tom Catena is the only surgeon at the hospital serving the area with more than 700,000 population. I am not a superhuman doctor. I encourage you if you have interest you also can do this work. I was like you 25-30 years ago. Anybody can do this work. It's a matter of will and the wish to do it. This work is extremely interesting and so gratifying. Don't be intimidated by the different problems there, by the difficulties of work in Africa, Tom Catena said to students. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to show what is happening in Nuba. I really appreciate it. Yerevan State Medical University has awarded Tom Catena an honorary doctorate degree for the exceptional humanitarian actions on preserving lives in Sudans Nuba mountains. Medicine is the most humanitarian profession in general, a mission with a high level of responsibility. We are extremely honored that Tom Catena, the only surgeon of Nuba mountains Mother of Mercy hospital, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the decision of Scientific Council of the YSMU, said Armen Muradyan, YSMU rector. The Aurora Prize finalist is truly an exceptional humanitarian taking direct responsibility for medical assistance of thousands. After the lecture Dr. Tom Catena answered the questions of students and professors. Dr. Catenas visit to Armenia has become possible thanks to the efforts of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and three Armenian doctors who left for Sudans Nuba mountains to temporarily substitute him at the Mother of Mercy hospital while he is on his trip to Armenia. In addition to Dr. Catena, the other finalists for the 2017 Aurora Prize are Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman, Jamila Afghani, Muhammad Darwish and Dr. Denis Mukwege. They have been chosen for their exceptional impact, courage and commitment to preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes. The finalists will be honored at the Aurora Prize Ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia on May 28, 2017 when one will be chosen as the 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate. The Aurora Prize Laureate will receive a grant of US$100,000 to support the continuation of their work, as well as a US$1,000,000 award, which will give them the unique ability to continue the cycle of giving by supporting organizations that have inspired their work.
IAI said the USD 630-million contract is for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems.



The system provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and air borne threats. It is currently operational with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Israel Defence Forces. The Indian Army is also likely to deploy it soon.



"This unique project represents the close collaboration between India's DRDO, IAI and the defence forces of both countries. We will proceed to implementing it with joint efforts," Weiss added.



State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries said on Sunday it has won an additional, USD 630 million contract to supply air and defence missile systems for four ships of the Indian navy.The contract will be jointly executed with the Indian government's Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which serves as the main contractor in the project as part of 'Make in India' policy. This comes close on the heels of Israel's largest defence contract ever worth USD 2 billion to supply the Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems.The LRSAM is a joint development by IAI and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation. It comprises several key state-of-the-art elements, advanced phased-array radar, command-and-control system, launchers and missiles with advanced radio-frequency (RF) seekers.The LRSAM was last week successfully tested in India as part of operational interception trial aboard Indian Navy ship "demonstrating again the system's operational capabilities in a representative scenario with genuine target", a statement from IAI said."All components of the weapon system have successfully met the goals set to them", the company said."The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with India's defence forces, reinforcing IAI's global leadership position in air and missile defence systems. The inclusion of Indian governmental company BEL for the first time, is a step up in our relationship with the Indian industry as part of the 'Make in India' policy," IAI's president and CEO, Joseph Weiss, said."We take pride, along with our partners in India, in the great results of the trial conducted last week, which reestablishes the System's reliability and quality as well as its advanced technological capabilities," Boaz Levi, IAI's executive vice president and general manager of systems, Missiles and Space Group, said.Israel last month closed a USD two billion defence deal with India, with IAI taking the lion's share of it with contracts worth USD 1.6 billion.(With Agency Inputs)
New Delhi: Even before India could voice its concerns around the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative by China, a part of the new trade route between China and Pakistan has been activated with goods reaching China from Pakistan, according to reports in Chinese newspapers.



Two tonnes of seafood arrived in Karamay, a city in Northwest China, on Saturday after traveling 34 hours from Gwadar port in Pakistan. According to Chinese media, an event was held in Karamay where many people tasted Pakistani seafood.



Containers with 16 types of deep-sea seafood, including lobsters and black sea bass, started shipping from Gwadar port.



The company which imported Pakistani meat in China is said to have opened its branch in Gwadar port in May, becoming the first Chinese enterprise to own a business licence in Pakistan. According to Chinese media, the company has invested as much as 510 million yuan ($74 million) to establish seafood freezing workshops, seafood deep processing workshops, an ice making factory, a sea water desalination factory, a packaging factory and a maritime scientific research center in Gwadar.



This is being seen as a sign of meticulous Chinese planning to make China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a section of OBOR, a success amid protests by India. A part of the route crosses Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.



Karamay and the Gwadar region were declared friendly cities in 2015, as part of the OBOR initiative.



Pakistani government has supported Chinese companies and multi-billion dollar investment is said to be in pipeline. Besides, the upcoming railway project between China and Pakistan will largely cut the cost of shipping seafood.



Within next few weeks, Gwadars seafood is likely to be available in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Karamay and Urumqi.



A corridor between Xinjiang and Gwadar is slated to become operational within a year. By 2020, up to four percent of global trade is projected to make use of OBOR, providing Pakistan revenues of $6-$8 billion a year.


New Delhi: A 45-year-old property dealer was shot dead by his business partner over a financial dispute in outer Delhis Burari area, police said on Sunday, adding that the accused had also confessed to killing the victims family of five last month.



Police said the victim, identified as Munnawar Hassan, was released on parole last week as his wife and four children had been missing since April 20.



Hassan, who was behind bars in a rape case, went to the police station on Friday to lodge a missing persons complaint with business partner Bunty, unaware that the latter had murdered his family.



Police said that on Saturday Bunty went to the victims house where the two entered into a heated argument and Bunty allegedly shot Hassan dead. He called the police and told them that someone had been injured. He then locked the door and fled the spot.



Bunty was arrested on Sunday after technical surveillance, police said. They said he confessed during interrogation and revealed that he had killed Hassans family too.



He claimed to have lent Hassan Rs 20 lakh which the latter had allegedly refused to return.



A police team has taken Bunty to Meerut and adjoining areas to recover the bodies of Hassans family members.



Hassan had been associated with the Bahujan Samaj Party and had contested elections on a BSP ticket from Badli Vidhan Sabha constituency.
Former coal secretary HC Gupta was on Monday awarded two-year imprisonment by a special court in a coal scam case and was granted bail soon after.Special CBI Judge Bharat Parasher also sentenced two senior government officials, KS Kropha and KC Samaria, to two-year imprisonment in the case.Besides the jail term, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the three convicts.Besides them, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on convicted private firm Kamal Sponge Steel and Power Ltd, while its Managing Director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia was awarded three-year jail term by the court, PTI reported.Ahluwalia will also have to pay a fine of Rs 30 lakh.All the convicts were granted bail soon after the sentence was announced to enable them move the High Court. Gupta and two serving senior officials were earlier convicted by the court for irregularities in the allocation of the Thesgora-B Rudrapuri coal block in Madhya Pradesh to a private firm.On May 19, the court had convicted Gupta, Kropha and Samaria. It also held the firm and its managing director Pawan Kumar Ahluwalia guilty of the offences, including cheating. The court, however, acquitted chartered accountant Amit Goyal in the case.The CBI had in October 2012 lodged an FIR in the matter, but on March 27, 2014 it filed a closure report. The court rejected the closure report on October 13, 2014 and summoned Gupta and others as accused.The CBI had alleged that the firm had misrepresented its net worth and the existing capacity, adding that the state government had also not recommended the firm for the allocation of any coal block.The court had on October 14 last year framed charges against them, observing that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was kept in the "dark" by Gupta, who had prima facie violated the law and the trust reposed in him on the issue of coal block allocation.Ten more coal scam cases are pending against Gupta and the proceedings are going on separately. The Supreme Court had last year dismissed his plea seeking a joint trial in all these cases.(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: A four-day residential camp of post graduate students of social work of the Delhi University at the Tihar Prison Complex began on Monday.



The objective of this camp is to find out new avenues of reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates of the prison into society.



About 35 students, both boys and girls, and four faculty members will participate in the camp.



A source told CNN-News18 that the camp was organised to understand the needs of inmates and analyse the reformative services available in the prison. It was also felt that a framework for reintegration services with the inmates also be developed.



After being released from prison, inmates have to go back to their families and a social environment which presents challenges in their adjustment as they are often stigmatised.



The first part is the intervention which students along with resource persons in the jail premises will provide includes imparting soft skills training to the jail staff, especially jail wardens so that they can conduct themselves better with inmates as well as outsiders.



They will also conduct a need based assessment of inmates and identify their individual, social, psychological and collective needs. They will also identify the vulnerable and excluded groups in the jail and offer ideas for their reformation and inclusion with other inmates.
The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. The nations of Africa and South America, India, Russia, China, Australia have all been victims," Trump said.

In a highly anticipated speech in Saudi Arabia, Trump lashed out at Iran, accusing Tehran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and calling for its international isolation.

The White House has sought to draw a clear distinction during the visit with Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, who Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab allies saw as lecturing and soft on their Shiite rival Iran.

He appealed to Muslim nations to ensure that "terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil" and announced an agreement with Gulf countries to fight financing for extremists.

Addressing the Arab-Islamic-US summit in Riyadh, President Donald Trump on Sunday acknowledged India as a victim of terror and called for countries to fight terrorism within their borders.Every nation has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no quarter on their soil," the US President said.Trump also urged Islamic leaders to take a stand against violence in the name of religion, describing the struggle against extremism as a "battle between good and evil".Saying he came with "a message of friendship and hope and love", Trump told dozens of Muslim leaders that the time had come for "honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism"."This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil."The speech came on the second day of a visit to Saudi Arabia, part of Trump's first foreign tour that will take him next to Israel and the Palestinian territories and then to Europe.Trump did not hesitate to single out Iran in his speech."From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said."Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it."Introducing Trump, Saudi King Salman called Iran "the spearhead of global terrorism".Unlike the Obama administration which would often raise concerns over civil liberties with longstanding Arab allies, Trump had made no mention of human rights during his visit so far."We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live... or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values," Trump said.Some 35 heads of state and government from Muslim-majority countries were in Riyadh for the Arab Islamic American Summit, mainly from Sunni states friendly to Saudi Arabia.Much of the focus during the summit was on countering what Gulf states see as the threat from Iran, which opposes Saudi Arabia in a range of regional conflicts from Syria to Yemen.
The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) declared the Results of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) and Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) Examination, 2017 (Arts) Stream on Tuesday at 10 am.The Meghalaya class 10 (SSLC) exams were conducted from March 2 to March 16, 2017. The Class 12 (HSSLC) exams were held from March 3 - 29, 2017.The results of Class 10 and Class 12 (Arts) is available on their official website mbose.in. - Log on to official website mbose.in.- Click on the Results tab- You will be redirected to another page- Click on the link Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination, 2017/Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination (Arts), 2017- Enter your Roll No- Click on Submit- Download the Meghalaya Class 10th and Class 12th (Arts) and take a printout for future referenceThe results is also be available on megresults.nic.in The Meghalaya Class 10 (SSLC) and Class 12 Arts 2017 results can be also be checked via mobile using SMS feature. Send a message in the following format:MBOSE10ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263MBOSE10ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 5676750MG10ROLLNUMBER - send it to 52070MBOSE12AROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263MBOSE12AROLLNUMBER - Send it to 5676750MG12AROLLNUMBER - send it to 52070The Meghalaya HSSLC or Class 12 Commerce and Science were declared on May 8, 2017.Last year, the Meghalaya Class 10 and Class 12 results for Science, Arts and Commerce were declared on May 25.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea of the income tax department whether the North Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) is a corporation established by the Uttar Pradesh government under the state industrial development law or not.



A bench of Justices R K Aggarwal and A M Sapre has said it will look into the appeal filed by the I-T department against an order of the Allahabad High Court which held that NOIDA is a corporation established under the Act and, therefore, banks are not liable to deduct income tax at source on fixed deposits.



The apex court has also refused to grant any stay on the high court direction to the I-T department and asked the banks to file their counter affidavit in four weeks.



Appearing for Punjab National Bank, counsel Pankaj Garg, assisted by another lawyer Milind Garg, told the bench that the appeal of the I-T department is not maintainable as NOIDA is a corporation established by the state law and banks are not under the statutory obligation to deduct and pay the income tax.



The dispute on the issue first arose in 2013, when the I-T department imposed a tax liability on the banks for non- deduction of TDS on the interest income on fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) of NOIDA.



Against the decision to levy tax, the banks preferred an appeal before the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) (CIT-A), saying the NOIDA is a corporation.



The appeal was decided in favour of the banks and, thereafter, the department preferred a petition before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), which again decided in the favour of the banks.



The department then moved the Allahabad High Court against the order of the ITAT, but once again the appeal was decided against it.



The IT department appeal before the apex court has said that the issue for consideration is whether NOIDA is a corporation entitled for exemption from deduction of income tax at source under the provisions of a notification issued in 1970 under the Income Tax Act.



It has said that the high court erred in holding that NOIDA is covered under exemption from TDS under the Income Tax Act and the assesse banks are not liable to deduct tax at source on interest paid to the NOIDA on its FDRs.
Braj Bihari Kumar, the new chief of Indian Council of Social Science Research, has authored 136 books and edited several journals. He is the founding member of Astha Bharati, a non-profit organisation, which works to promote Indias unity and integrity. In a detailed conversation with News18s Eram Agha, Kumar says Narendra Modi is the most decisive Prime Minister of India and people should appreciate decisiveness of initiatives like demonetisation, even at the cost of failure. Blaming JNU for promoting divisions in the country, he says JNU-type scholarship brings a homogeneous framework of intellectual atmosphere and calls Marxism and Macaulayism two faces of the same coin  the colonial focus. While acknowledging a lack of informed debate in the country, Kumar says there was discrimination against Dalits, but a lot has been done to eradicate it. On North East, where he was principal of a college, Kumar says a lot of grievance is being manufactured. Edited excerpts:



Lack of funding is often blamed for poor state of social science research in India. How do you see this problem and what are your plans to improve things?

BB Kumar: In this country, there are 500 universities, at least 3000 social science departments. Almost 10,000 thesis must have been submitted in the past couple of years, but can we name five thesis by our universities? No, we cant because there is no quality research in this country. Certainly, it shows lack of quality research rather than lack of funding. There are numerous research institutes like ICSSR and others that come under it, but I am not happy with what we are doing. I think there is misutilization of funds, by that I mean in some fields there is more research, while in others there is no research. For instance, take the core-fringe conflict and other changed situations in our society, like large number of people who possessed huge tracts of land at the time of freedom but now their families are without economic holdings. Also, there are unqualified persons  who dont understand and there are duplications of research themes, while certain topics are unexplored. It is because they dont want to work hard and find it easy to change some pages or data and duplicate the work.



You talked about research areas which are being either missed or ignored. What are the areas of research you will be focusing on?

BB Kumar: I am going to have the inventory of research done. I will try to find out the areas where there is over-researching and the areas in darkness because of dearth of research. We need to look into the reasons behind bad quality of research. Society has a lot of problems, there have been changes and that change of situation should be projected. There should be study of the new situation. Most of the research does not reach the society and is locked in almirahs. One copy goes to the scholar, another to the funding agency, and to the institution where the person works. This is what happens with research. The reports are not reaching the society.



I am going to start the work of macro projection, which means if micro studies have been done on a particular subject, for instance, research done on poverty in a district of Uttar Pradesh, or someone has done on poverty in Punjabs district, we can study them and come to the common finding. We need to have micro study to have further macro focus or projection. We need to boost research on the changed situations. We need to look into priorities, for this I will go for analyzing field research  what is lacking and where we should focus.



In some of your papers, you have blamed Macaulayism and Marxism for discouraging original ideas  what have been their major impact on the Indic thinking?

BB Kumar: I would want to bring one thing to your notice that when nationalists were going to jail in British era, they were supplied Marxist literature and became confirmed Marxists on their release from the jails. The simple thing is  Marxism and Macaulayism went parallel. They were the two faces of the same coin  the colonial focus. The colonial focus was about confusing you and then you try to see the things around you from the borrowed vision. For example, there is report by a British researcher which reveals that there were schools in the then Bengal Presidency, Madras and Punjab. The book by the British scholar says these schools were shut down and our education system was reduced to one-third. But what did the colonial powers say? They said that a section of Indian society did not allow some to study, some were prevented from going to the school.



The government is celebrating birth centenary of Deendayal Upadhyaya. How do you think his philosophy is relevant for contemporary India?

BB Kumar: When one talks about Integral Humanism, the focus becomes humanity and, that too, an integrated one. In the present scenario, we talk about a divided society  there is focus on linguistic, regional, caste and religious identities and as a result, we are not talking about a society in the human frame. On the other hand, Integral Humanism focuses on the citizen-centric society, it gives a human frame to it and thus gets bigger relevance. It is uniting as we all belong to humanity.



A committee under the chairmanship of Sukhadeo Thorat had made several recommendations to uplift the status of minority students and teachers. It was first such committee to study caste discrimination in higher education. How can such discrimination be dealt with?

BB Kumar: When you read the first book of social sciences by NCERT, it focuses on the sad experiences of BR Ambedkar but he had done something about it to change the situation. Gandhi had done that too. Why that shouldnt be mentioned in the books? There was a lot of myth-making. Books are written with some agenda and such books will make social activists not the learners. There was discrimination, but it has been removed also. And this country has done more work than Europeans and Americans to change things. There should be a balanced reporting to the students. When positive steps were taken to bring the change, then why not mention them in the books? That positive change should also be included. Today, media shows that Hindus and Muslims are ready to kill each other but the ground reality is far different  they join each other in grief and there are thousands of such villages in our country.



A media report suggested that you ranked Narendra Modi above Jawaharlal Nehru among prime ministers of India. What makes Modi better or more important than Nehru?

BB Kumar: Narendra Modi is the most decisive Prime Minister of our country. Most decisive. I never compared Nehru with him as it has been put in your question. As the first Prime Minister, Nehru had limitations but today there are many problems the thread of which goes to Nehru. Coming to Modi, I would like to say that he has taken risks in many fields and some of his actions have generated social movements like Swachh Bharat social movements take time for fruition.



You talked about the PM taking risks. What about demonetisation?

BB Kumar: The Prime Minister must take action even if he sees risks in that because decisions may not bring success, they might be failure also. But decision should be taken and people should appreciate decisiveness even if there is failure. People understand this about the PM and that is why even if they suffer, they tolerate Modi.



What are the takeaways from your stay in the North East where you served as the principal of a college in Kohima? Please tell us about aspirations and anxieties of the youth in the region.

BB Kumar: In the North East, we have the densest administration, by that I mean, there was only one state  Assam and two princely states  Manipur and Tripura. And today, we have seven states. Huge money is pumped in, but states fail to deliver, and benefits do not percolate. There is a lot of grievance manufacturing too. That region has immense tourism potential and initiative should be taken in that direction. The view that there is a feeling of secessionism is not true, because they are realizing it is not going to they have reconciled. Now we need to have employment and develop industry there.



ICSSR has proposed region-specific research, including on Jammu and Kashmir. How do you see the current crisis in Kashmir?

BB Kumar: As far as the problem of Kashmir is concerned, there should be citizen-centric approach. Give equal treatment to people and none should suffer because of religion. This holds for any other part of the country as well.



You have mentioned in your papers JNU-types scholarship, how do you define it? And what would you do to change it?

BB Kumar: The JNU-type scholarship is something which brings a homogeneous frame of intellectual atmosphere. It highlights nation divide. In an idea-centric intellectual culture, division is blurred, but in JNU, division is promoted. Though education blurs social divide. To handle this, there should be an open debate, and most importantly an informed debate, which is not there in the country. When there are slogans that are emotions, you cant talk with open minds.



Can nationalism be imposed in universities?

BB Kumar: There is no question of imposing. It should flow in a natural way with the knowledge to the students.



One of the cultural outfits of RSS has suggested doing away with anti-women and anti-Dalit portions in Manu Smriti. What are your views on this?

BB Kumar: The book is there and whatever wrong is written should not be changed. What is important is, society should not accept it. In fact, one should do a survey just go and inquire 1000 Hindus and you will find that 995 dont know Manu Smiriti. This should be taken note of.



You have written on Islamic Terror in India. How can this menace be curbed?

BB Kumar: I have written a book called Understanding Islam and some paper on Islamic Terror, my objective was to learn. Informed Muslims can remove the menace, and others are secondary in this objective. Muslim involvement is primary in eradication of Islamic Terror and that can be done when Muslims learn about it, and also acknowledge the fact that there is a concept of inner enemy or intra-Islamic enemy that came about at the time of the third Caliph Usman. Terror can be fought with Muslims taking cognizance of their inner contradictions  the history is full of instances where Muslims were killing Muslims in a massive way, there were fights for narrow things like power and wealth. Islamic terrorism kills 20 times more Muslims than otherswhat is happening in Iraq and Syria whom are they killing? In all this, Muslims suffer more this is what the community should understand.



Some people are saying that the Nehruvian Consensus of dissent, development and democratic rights is under threat. What are your views on this?

BB Kumar: I believe there is no such threat. Dissent, development and democratic rights do not need adjectives like Nehruvian simply because these values are shared by many. This was part of intellectual distortions that he was projected as someone who promoted these ideals. There were political reasons behind associating these ideals with Nehru. There was politicization of academics.



Have we as a society become less tolerant? What has been the worst form of intolerance so far?

BB Kumar: We are not less tolerant. The quantum of tolerance and intolerance varies from time to time. In some parts of the country intolerance showed its ugly face, but there was tolerance also. I feel there should be broadest study of the social behavior and then we can invite perspectives in this regard.



What are your views on cow protection and promotion?

BB Kumar: Cow protection, yes but I am against murder and violence.
New Delhi: Uttarakhand government has written to the Centre, raising concern on officers of the state being appointed as parents of the Ganga. The state has said that it does not have jurisdiction over pollution in other states, including West Bengal and Bihar.



About two months ago, the High Court of Uttarakhand accorded the status of a living entity to Ganges and the Centre has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court to question how Uttarakhand would be the caretaker of the holy river. Now, even the state government wants to be impleaded as a party to the case as it feels the High Court has erred in putting the entire onus of the river on officials of Uttarakhand.



Uttarakhand minister and the spokesperson of the state government, Madan Kaushik, told News18 that the expanse of the river was large and spread across several states, and thus, cannot be the sole responsibility of the officers from Uttarakhand.



In the high court verdict, the court appointed the Chief Secretary of the state, Advocate General of Uttarakhand, and the Director of the Namami Gange project as the legal parents of the holy river. Now, if someone pollutes the river, then he can be prosecuted by these people or if someone drowns in this river, then these officers will only be responsible. This river flows through Bihar, West Bengal and other states too. So, if someone is spoiling the river in those states or if someone loses property in other states to the river, how will the officers from Uttarakhand be responsible? Hence we have raised our concern, said Kaushik.



The Centre has approached the apex court over the HC granting the status of a living person to the Ganga and Yamuna, citing administrative issue and has stated that the HC has erred in holding the officials accountable for the river.



On March 20, the High Court of Uttarakhand through Justices Rajeev Sharma and Alok Singh, had passed the order acting on a PIL filed by Mohammed Salim, a resident of Haridwar, who had prayed that the holy rivers were either being encroached upon, or activities like stone crushing was taking place on the banks of the rivers, or the continuous activities which polluted the rivers.



Uttarakhand state government not only wants to be a party to the case filed by the Centre in the apex court, but also would also seek an opportunity to be heard by the court.
Reply of Europe in Law Association to NGOs

A few days ago our partners Transparency International Anticorruption Center and Journalists Club Asparez disseminated a statement concerning the Citizen Observer Initiative. Considering its involvement in the monitoring of Yerevan Municipality Elections and the process of election-related disputes where our efforts were focused more on the protection of electoral rights of the Armenian citizens, including our observers, the Europe in Law Association has postponed the dissemination of our comments regarding this statement, which we present now. The Citizen Observer Initiative was created on the basis of the methodology of monitoring the electoral process developed and applied by the Europe in Law Association with a view to monitoring the 2013 Yerevan Municipality Elections, following which the Initiative monitored all major electoral processes taking place in Armenia. The initial participants of the Initiative were four non-governmental organizations: the Europe in Law Association, Transparency International Anticorruption Center, Helsinki Citizen Assembly of Vanadzor and Journalists Club Asparez. However, these four were not the only participants of the Initiative. An important part in the launch and initial steps made by the COI was played by a group of repat Armenians that contributed human and financial resources and joined efforts with the four NGOs to prepare for and monitor the above elections. Hence, from the very start it was created as a platform, an effort to mobilize civil society in the area of election monitoring rather than merely a four-NGO coalition. The Citizen Observer Initiative is a platform with no proprietary rights on the part of organizations and individuals that invest resources and efforts in this platform. The Initiative is an open platform for all able and willing parties. It does not belong to anyone and at the same time it belongs to everyone sharing the goals and vision of the Initiative. It continues to remain open to any organization and individual that is ready to invest in efforts directed at the protection of the electoral rights of the Armenian citizens on the basis of the principles and methodology of the Initiative. At different times the Initiative has brought together different oranizations and individuals. For example, in 2015, 28 organizations participated in the Initiative. In the 2017 parliamentary elections the participants were 3 organizations. In addition to these 3, a big group Diaspora Armenians, including public figures from the world of art participated in the Initiative transforming it into a truly pan-national exercise. Despite the fact that both the Europe in Law Association and Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center initially expressed willingness to monitor the 2017 Yerevan Municipality Election, the organization that eventually monitored these elections was the Europe in Law Association with modest resources. Our partners informed us that they would not participate in the monitoring of Yerevan Munitipality Elections following which the ELA continued its service to public interest and continued its monitoring efforts after 2017 parliamentary elections. Whilst monitoring the 2017 Yerevan Municipality Elections the ELA followed the principles and methodology of the Citizen Observer Initiative. As regards the use of the name and symbols of the Initiative, all statements of the ELA were stressed that Europe in Law was conducting monitoring in the framework of the Citizen Observer Initiative, which was enough for the public not not ger misled or disoriented. As regards the Initiatives tools such as the website and social network profiles, their use was dictated by the need to increase the effectiveness of imparting information on the observation mission to larger circles of the public. This was the reason why these tools were created in the first place. In addition to this, the ELA has invested significant human and financial resources in the creation and development of these tools with a view to improving the efforts directed at serving public interest. These tools were created not only for monitoring the 2017 parliamentary elections and our partners were well aware of this. The efforts of ELAs observers contributed to the protection of electoral rights of Armenian citizens in more than 30 polling stations and 10 territorial electoral commissions, as a result of which significant violations were prevented and a considerable number of them reported /76 reports concerning 231 incident of violations/, including directed/controlled voting, violations of the secrecy of the vote, intimidation of observers, operation of fake observers, interference in the electoral process by police, incidents of vote-buying, etc. Had we not done that, the public would have been deprived of the possibility to have public watchdogs in these polling stations. The organization is currently writing complaints on the basis of the detected facts of violations. The Europe in Law Association will continue it mission in the framework of the Citizen Observer Initiative, inviting all willing and ready organizations and individuals to join efforts in the area of serving the public interest. Europe in Law Association NGO
Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who has wowed everyone with her fashion picks in the last two days, has returned to the town with her daughter Aaradhya. Aishwarya was photographed with Aaradhya at the Mumbai airport on Sunday night. Aishwarya looked chic in denims and tee paired with a stylish embroidered jacket while Aaradhya looked cute in a printed Minnie mouse dress. Aaradhya, who as Aishwarya says is now at ease with the media, smiled and posed as the paparazzi clicked pictures. Take a look at some pictures of Aishwarya and Aaradhya at the airport:Aishwarya who made an appearance on the Cannes red carpet for an international cosmetics brand also presented fans with her film Devdas this year. From a bottle green diaphanous peacock dress from Yanina Couture to a Mark Bumgarner gown, it was interesting to see Aishwarya experimenting with her looks.
DAY:2 with Diva #AishwaryaRaiBachchan @cannes_filmfestival @festivaldecannes The Adulation she's welcomed wt EVERY single time n that group of fans who die evrytime she smiles #DIVA to d A n yet so humble #Aishwarya A post shared by Mitthu Aish L'OREAL PARIS  (@aishwaryaraibachchan_official) on May 20, 2017 at 11:49pm PDT

The goddess of beauty is all set to live her #LifeAtCannes!

Lips : Tint Caresse in Rose Blossom blended with Orchid Blossom pic.twitter.com/3HVGbzlsno  L'Oreal Paris India (@LOrealParisIn) May 19, 2017

Aaradhaya Bachchans parents  Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek - are super famous. But the way she is garnering everyones attention, it is not surprising for her to steal the spotlight from her parents.Aaradhaya, who had accompanied mom Aishwarya at the 70th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night, looked adorable when she walked down the red carpet in a pink outfit.In one of the videos that have gone viral on social media, Aishwarya dressed in a red gown by Ralph & Russo can be seen bidding adieu to Aradhaya as she headed for the red carpet.2017 has been Aishwarys 16th year at Cannes, where she being the brand ambassadors of LOreal Paris represented cosmetics giant.Aishwarya, who is often accused of playing safe, opted for a layered, floor length ensemble from Yanina Couture for her first look. While the outfit got mixed reactions from the fashionistas, it was interesting to see her choose a bottle green diaphanous peacock-like dress.The plunging neckline of her gown perfectly complementedthe green shade of her eyes.For her 16th Cannes red carpet appearance, Aishwarya chose to channel her inner princess in an icy blue Cinderella-esque couture gown by Michael Cinco.Later, she turned a perfect muse in a black ensemble from the Ashi studio.For her next appearance, she looked beguiling in a red sweetheart neck Ralph and Russo gown.
Bengaluru: Karnataka state BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa landed in trouble after eating restaurant-made idlis at the house of a Dalit family in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.



In his complaint, D Venkatesh of Mandya, has accused the former chief minister of practising untouchability after it was discovered that the breakfast Yeddyurappa had at a Dalit household in Chitradurga district on Friday was bought beforehand from a restaurant.



Yeddyurappas Dalit outreach was also attended by BJP leader KS Eshwarappa.



The BJP came to the former CMs defence on Monday with party leader S Prakash saying the issue was being blown out of proportion. We have done a lot for Dalit upliftment. This is a political witch-hunt.



The BJPs state media in-charge Dagge Shivaprakash, however, admitted that the food was bought from a hotel. As Yeddyurappa liked idli and vada, it was brought from a hotel. He also ate pulav that was prepared at the Dalits home, Shivaprakash told The New Indian Express.







On the offensive, Congress leader, Priyank Kharge said, No politician should go to the family of Dalits and do this kind of a gimmick. If anyone is serious about upliftment of Dalits, they should make policies for it.
Ahmedabad: With Narendra Modi no longer at the helm of affairs in Gujarat, the state unit of the Congress party is brainstorming various poll strategies in its bid to come back to power after two decades. One strategy being considered is appeasing the Patidar community in a big way primarily by allotting a large number of seats to them.



Insiders within the party say that the option of fielding about 50 Patidar candidates, especially in Saurashtra and Central Gujarat is being studied by the party.



As part of this strategy, the Congress is also looking to promote young and firebrand Patidar leaders like Paresh Dhanani to win over the already disgruntled Patidar youth, who hold the BJP responsible for the not getting community included in the list of OBCs in the state.



It is no secret that top Gujarat Congress leaders have been maintaining constant contact with Hardik Patel, convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). After he was allowed entry back into Gujarat, Patel has been holding regular meetings in Saurashtra and North Gujarat over the issue of reservation for the Patel community in educational institutes and government jobs.



Although Hardik has publicly maintained that he will not join the Congress or any other political outfit, it does appear that a section of the Patidar youth, who are angry over police atrocities during the reservation stir, will not vote for the BJP.



The policies of the BJP has alienated the Patidars. We have several senior Patidar leaders like Siddharth Patel and young and firebrand Patidar leaders like Paresh Dhanani. As part of our election strategy, all these aspects are being considered, senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia told News18.



At the recently concluded state executive of the Congress, one of the demands made by Congress office bearers was promoting Paresh Dhanani and giving him important responsibilities in the state unit.



Many in the Gujarat Congress believe that infusing fresh and firebrand leadership, ahead of the polls, will boost the partys chances in the assembly elections scheduled for the end this year. Dhanani, who is Congress MLA from Amreli in Saurashtra, has, in fact, led all the Congress protests in the recently concluded budget session of the Gujarat assembly and even sat on a protest fast outside the assembly in Gandhinagar after being suspended from the house for unruly behaviour.



Whether the Congress will adopt this strategy or not, only time will tell. However, with Modi no longer at the helm in Gujarat and having changed two CMs in the past three years, this years assembly election appears to be the Congress best shot at power in the state.


As Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari is drafting Indias infrastructure story. But as former BJP president and a leader who has reach across parties, he plays a far bigger role in the Narendra Modi government. Speaking toon the third anniversary of the government, Gadkari says India needs a balance between economy and environment for development. While calling Ravindra Gaikwad a victim of unfair treatment, he says Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is for the greater good of Maharashtra. In an open invitation to Rajinikanth, Gadkari says the BJP has already thought of an appropriate position for the superstar. Edited excerpts:The target is ambitious but I am confident that by March 8 next year, we will be able to construct 40 kilometers per day. We have done good work so far. Last year, we awarded road contracts for 16,800 kilometers and that is a world record. We are going to send it for Guinness World Records. It is a great achievement for our government.We need cooperation from the state governments. Be it for land acquisition, forest department clearance, or clearing encroachments. We need to do this collectively for the greater good of the country. John F Kennedy had once said that America is rich because American roads are good. For a country to grow, political parties, administration and bureaucracy need to work in tandem with each other. Corruption is the biggest problem in India. There are times when we are also fed up with people; some people dont know how to work and hence delay projects without any reason. When I joined, there were projects worth Rs 3,85,000 crore pending, but today we have no such problem.Its not a big challenge at all. Under Narendra Modi, the credibility of our government, and of the country in general, has been strengthened. When I met with bankers and fund owners, they had huge expectations for India, which is the fastest growing economy in the world. We have the money and we have the technology. My problem is with the system. The system is not ambitious. There are delays and there are many people who are just out to spread negativity.There are good people, and there are bad people too. The problem here is that everyone has varied principles they live and work by. Take for instance, I want to start an inland waterway system in Yamuna. But now a committee set up by the National Green Tribunal is saying that running boats will add to water pollution. Because of this, my project might not see the light of the day. What we need is coordination between economy and environment for overall development.Not at all. We have almost 30% bogus licenses. Is it good for the country? Getting a driving license is the easiest thing to do in India, unlike other countries where the system is foolproof. In India, we are dealing with around 5 lakh accidents and 150000 deaths a year. There is an immediate need to improve the system. We have to identify the grey areas and also work to improve automobile technology. I, myself, was in a severe road accident. I was in the hospital for one full year; I still have a rod in my leg as a stark reminder to that grueling time in my life. The Bill also stems from personal experience. I would not wish that for anyone.He has been treated unfairly. There is hatred for politicians in India. As far as beacon lights are concerned, let me tell you that our revenue from tolls has increased by 5%, which means there were many people who were misusing the red light. These privileges that are misused by certain people are the reason why politicians are typecast in a certain way.In politics, every party has the right to expand its base. In alliances, there are aspects which are worked out with consent of both parties. This time around, for us, there were some issues regarding the municipal corporation, which is when we decided that we would fight the polls alone.They were numero uno earlier, and were at the second spot. Now, its the reverse. This has always been a cause of worry for them. I believe that the BJP-Sena alliance is for the greater good of Maharashtra. But ultimately the future of an alliance only depends on its leaders.I have good equations with everybody. I even consider a critic as a good friend.I have very good relations with Rajinikanth. I meet him whenever I am in Chennai. The last time we discussed politics, he said he was not fit for it. However, if he does join, which I will absolutely look forward to, I would like to tell him that BJP has an appropriate position for him.These are all important political questions. Neither am I an authority, nor am I a decision maker. The party president and party parliamentary board will take a decision.He has enormous support. I remember an incident in Chennai when I was visiting the actors house. I took an engineer along with me, who wanted to meet him. Rajinikanth shook hands with the young man, and for the next three days the engineer just kept his hands folded Rajinikanth has a strong support base and is a great human being. He is a Marathi from Kollapur and there is a huge photo of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the entrance of his house. In my private conversations with him, I have told him it was time for him to join politics.I am in BJP and also a well-wisher of Rajinikanth. While I have no meeting planned with him as of now, whenever he is ready, he can join BJP.Swamy has his independent opinion. I dont want to comment on it. But as a friend to Rajinikanth, I would like to tell him that BJP will welcome him with open arms.There is a lot happening on that front and I would not be able to comment on it. Our policy is sabka saath, sabka vikaas. That will be considered and an appropriate decision will be taken.These are all important issues, and I have no authority to speak on it.The law is taking its own course. If I was involved in something like this, I would have to face the music too. I have faced it too. Our government is transparent and impartial. This is not vendetta politics at all.Im sorry, but he is not being targeted by the BJP.Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav have to decide on the alliance. I dont want to comment on it.We strongly condemn the violence. People who are killing in the name of cow protection are not related to the government or the BJP at all. Nobody has the right to take law into their own hands.We are the fastest growing economy and there are some sectors which are doing well. However, situation in sectors like IT, real estate, and steel isnt that good. So, now we are focusing on foreign investment, without which jobs cant be created. We will invite capital investments and try to create as many jobs as possible. My ministry has created 60 lakh jobs in three years.One of the biggest failures of my ministry is that road accidents have increased by 4%. We are trying to rectify it and have identified 786 spots on the national highways and sanctioned an amount of Rs 11,000 crore for structural changes. I am trying to save as many lives as possible. We are improving traffic signals, road markings and installing crash barriers.
Kolkata: Shanta Chhetri  former Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) MLA and an active Trinamool Congress leader  is Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees surprise pick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. Shanta started her political career with the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in 1994 when she was given the party ticket to contest municipal elections from Kurseong. In 2008, she was forced to leave Kurseong after Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leaders allegedly attacked her house. On February 18, 2010, her house was set on fire by Morchas Students' wing. Speaking to News18s Sujit Nath, Shanta Chhetri recalled how it was never a smooth political journey so far, and her next course of action in the hills against the Morcha.



Here are the Excerpts:



News18: Do you think Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed your name for the Rajya Sabha because she is concerned over GJM-BJP rising popularity in the Hills?



Shanta Chhetri: This is not true. TMC is rising in the Hills and people are now realizing what a big mistake it was to support Gorkha Janamukti Morcha. Over the years, TMC has managed to set a firm base in the Hills and this was evident in the recent civic poll results. We won the Mirik municipality and in Kurseong, we won in two wards, while in Darjeeling, we managed to secure one. This shows that Mamata di is a jana netri (mass leader).



News18: Was it a situational decision for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to nominate you from the Hills? Do you think she is under pressure? Was it her desperate attempt to woo the people living in the Hills?



Shanta Chhetri: I dont think she is under pressure. She knows her party workers well and I am happy that she trusted me. This is for the first time a political party has nominated someone from the Hills for the Parliament. I am honoured and I am bound to fulfill the challenges and responsibility which didi (Mamata) has entrusted me with. There is no need for Mamata di to woo the people of Hills because people here respect/love her a lot. People in the Hills consider her a mass leader. She is a leader for the poor and downtrodden. She is my inspiration and we are committed to fulfill her wish and command.



News18: What will be your challenges and priority in the Hills?



Shanta Chhetri: My challenges will be to expose Morchas corruption and priority will be education, health, basic amenities, employment, Trade, including tourism. I want people from the Hills to make a global presence through their hard work and I am always there to help them. Mamata di has already announced several developmental projects in the Hills. A branch of Presidency College will soon be operational here, besides other upcoming educational and professional institutes. There is a misconception that people are not happy here. People are very happy with the ruling government and now, no one can stop hills from smiling.



News18: Do you think GJM leaders are involved in corruption?



Shanta Chhetri: I dont want to make any direct charges or allegations against anyone. But yes, all I want to ask Morcha leaders that what they have done with Rs 4,500 Crore (in last ten years) received from the central as well as from the state government for Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). I dont see any development work in the Hills under GJM. Where has all the money gone? There should be some account and balance.



News18: You will be the face of Hills in the Parliament. How are you going to keep the expectation of people in the Hills a top priority?



Shanta Chettri: I dont want to make big statement at this stage. People will see the changes under Mamata di soon. TMC is on a developmental path and the motto is to keep hills smiling.


New Delhi: Breaking his silence on the corruption allegations levelled by suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Kapil Mishra, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there was no merit in the charges.



Speaking at a party meeting, the AAP national convener added that the BJP would have jailed him by now had he been involved in any scam.



There is no merit in the allegation that I accepted a bribe of Rs 2 crore. These are blatant lies against me... We have not done any scam. Had I been involved in any scam, the BJP would not have taken so much time to put me behind bars, Kejriwal said.



Hitting out at Mishra without naming him, Kejriwal said it pains to be "backstabbed" by his own people.



Mishra has been firing salvos against Kejriwal, accusing him of taking Rs 2 crore from Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and charging the AAP with "massive irregularities" in its funding with full knowledge of the Chief Minister. Mishra had also alleged that Jain admitted to fixing a land deal worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwals now deceased brother-in-law.



"Our movement faced a big attack in last few days. This is good news because this suggests that we are a bigger threat to them. People are asking why I am not responding to the charges. Why should I respond to such wild charges? People are not believing these allegations and neither are my opponents. Had even one of the allegations levelled against me been true, I would have been in jail by now," the party's official Twitter handle posted quoting Kejriwal.



The meeting saw attendance of all senior AAP leaders, MLAs and ministers. However, senior party leader Kumar Vishwas, who had threatened to quit after hitting out at "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal, did not attend the convention. This also gave rise to murmurs that all was still not well in the party.



(With inputs from PTI)
Jia Yueting will step down as chief executive of Leshi Internet Information & Technology Corp Beijing but will retain his position as chairman, with the company's finance chief also to be replaced, according to a stock exchange filing on Sunday.Also read: Xiaomi Redmi 4A vs Xiaomi Redmi 4: Which One is Better? Shenzhen-listed Leshi is part of Jia's larger business empire dubbed LeEco that began with a Netflix-like video streaming service and expanded into new products and services from consumer electronics to cars.LeEco encountered a cash crunch last year that Jia said was the result of that aggressive growth, with the company subsequently seeking billions of dollars in new funding, cutting staff and abandoning a deal to acquire U.S. television maker Vizio.Read more: Telecom Subscribers Rise Nearly 1.2 Billion by the End of March: TRAI Continuing as chairman, Jia will focus on corporate governance, strategic planning and core product innovation, the filing said.Read more: Moto C, Moto C Plus Unveiled: Price, Specifications and More The board approved longtime Lenovo executive Liang Jun, who joined Leshi as an executive in 2012, to replace Jia as CEO.Leshi also announced that Yang Lijie would resign as chief financial officer due to personal reasons and be replaced by Zhang Wei, the company's China CFO.
Rome: Italy has signed a deal with Libya, Chad and Niger to try to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean by beefing up border controls and creating new reception centres in the African nations.



A joint statement by the interior ministers of the four countries said they had agreed to set up centres in Chad and Niger, key countries of transit for migrants who travel to Libya and on to Italy from sub-Saharan Africa.



The statement, released Sunday after an Italy-organised meeting in Rome, said the new centres in Chad and Niger, and the existing ones in Libya, would live up to "international humanitarian standards".



Rights groups have slammed the conditions of existing detention centres in crisis-hit Libya and questioned how the West can ensure such "international standards" are met and kept.



"Libyan legislation criminalises illegal immigration so it is not clear how these could be reception centres and not detention centres," Mattia Toaldo, a European Council on Foreign Relations expert, said Monday.



"The establishment of 'reception centres' in Niger and Chad is also questionable: is Europe outsourcing its border control to these countries? If so, in exchange for what amounts of money and coming from where?".



Toaldo also questioned why the deal was made by interior ministers and how they hoped to follow through on a commitment to "promote legal economic development" as an alternative to the wealthy trafficking trade.



- Brink of famine -



On Sunday the head of the United Nations refugee agency Filippo Grandi urged Libyan authorities to free all asylum seekers and refugees from its detention centres, slamming the conditions as "shocking".



While promising to try to step-up the UNHCR's presence, Grandi said it would take time for political and security reasons.



Libya has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. People smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business in the chaos which has engulfed the country since its 2011 revolution.



Italy registered nearly 50,000 migrant arrivals by sea by mid-April, 97 percent of them from Libya, according to Rome.



The Libyan coastguard is believed to have picked up close to 6,000 migrants attempting the perilous crossing this year and returned them to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).



Nigerians have made up the largest group of people fleeing for Italy since January. Two million people are teetering on the brink of famine in the country's northeast, home to the notoriously ruthless Boko Haram.



The jihadist group launched an uprising there in 2009 which has since spilled over into neighbouring Chad and Niger.




Riyadh: US President Donald Trump had a brief encounter with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday and said he was pleased to meet him.



The interaction took place before the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Riyadh, GEO News reported.



The US president shook hands with PM Nawaz and exchange of pleasantries took place between the two leaders.



During the brief meeting, Trump said that he was very pleased to meet PM Nawaz to which the premier responded that the feeling is mutual.



King Salman Bin Abdulaziz also warmly welcomed the PM.



Trump addressed the summit which was attended by leaders from 55 countries.



PM Sharif arrived in Riyadh to attend the summit on the invitation of King Salman Bin Abdulaziz.



After departing Islamabad in the morning, the premier arrived along with his delegation, which comprises several government officials and media persons, including foreign affairs' adviser Sartaj Aziz and lawyer Akram Sheikh.



The summit is being attended by around three dozen leaders of Islamic countries, including the prime ministers of Bangladesh and Malaysia, and presidents of Afghanistan, Egypt, as well as Trump.
For writing about lawmakers, hereafter their agreement is necessary (video)

Hereafter the publication of personal data of public importance collected by the media outlets in Armenia can be prosecuted by the law. The third point of the first article in the law on Personal data protection was removed still in December of last year; according to that article there were no legal restrictions on personal data collected for journalistic and literary-artistic purposes. Ashot Melikyan, Chairman of the Committee for Protection of Freedom of Expression, notes, For example, if a journalist makes a reportage from the parliament, where the journalist touches upon a number of lawmakers, the journalist should come to an agreement with those particular lawmakers, whether they agree or not that the journalist use their name. In the European countries there arent such restrictions for journalists, says Ashot Melikyan. Yet in Armenia hereafter journalists must come to an agreement with lawmakers or oligarchs before the publication of their personal data of public importance, I think that first of all it contradicts the law on the mass media and the right to freedom of speech enshrined in the Constitution. The change is new and as for now no political or public figure has made use of that privilege. Shushan Doydoyan, Head of Agency for Protection of Personal Data, says that the removal of that article doesnt contradict to the Constitution and laws, As long as I am the Head, it will not affect the media, I have warned them not to pin hopes on me, I will not institute any proceedings in connection with the media. Shushan Doydoyan will head the Agency for personal data of the staff of the ministry still for three years. She doesnt know how the law will be applied in three years. It is a fact that in the European Union there arent any restrictions on the law on personal data protection for journalists and writers, Our legislation was also formed on the experience of the European Union and our legislation also included that exception, but it was removed. Nevertheless, if, for example, lawmaker Samvel Aleksanyan demands that publication of the personal data of public importance referring to him must be agreed with him, the journalist has to do that, or else will be punished according to the law, Formerly we could say that the media is an exception, but now we have to institute proceedings, investigate the case, justify that there is a public interest. By the way, the European Union structures operating in Armenia still arent aware of this change and havent expressed their viewpoint.
Jerusalem: U.S. President Donald Trump said in Israel on Monday he came away from a weekend visit to Saudi Arabia with new reasons for hope that peace and stability could be achieved in the Middle East.



On the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office, Trump is to hold talks separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a stopover lasting 28 hours.



Later on Monday, the U.S. leader will pray at Judaism's Western Wall and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and on Tuesday he will travel to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.



Netanyahu and his wife Sara, as well as President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli cabinet, were at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport to greet Trump and first lady Melania in a red carpet ceremony after what is believed to have been the first direct flight from Riyadh to Israel.



"During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope," Trump said in a brief speech on arrival.



"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace, but we can only get there working together. There is no other way," he said.



Trump's tour comes in the shadow of difficulties at home, where he is struggling to contain a scandal after firing James Comey as FBI director nearly two weeks ago. The trip ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.



During his two days in Riyadh, Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to restrain Iran's influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican president's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.



"What's happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel," Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Rivlin.



"And you could say that's one of the - if there's a benefit, that would be the benefit. Because I've seen such a different feeling toward Israel from countries that as you know were not feeling so well about Israel not so long ago. And it's brought a lot of folks together," Trump said.



"ULTIMATE DEAL"



Earlier at the airport, Netanyahu said Israel shared Trump's commitment to peace - but he also repeated his right-wing government's political and security demands of the Palestinians, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.



"May your first trip to our region prove to be a historic milestone on the path towards reconciliation and peace," Netanyahu said.



Trump used his visit to Riyadh to bolster U.S. ties with Arab and Islamic nations, announce $110 billion in U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and send Iran a tough message.



Trump has vowed to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians -- something he has called "the ultimate deal" -- but has given little indication of how he could revive negotiations that collapsed in 2014.



U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters en route to Tel Aviv that any three-way meeting between Trump, Netanyahu and Abbas was for "a later date".



When Trump met Abbas this month in Washington, he stopped shortly of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of U.S. policy. He has since spoken in support of Palestinian "self-determination".



Trump has also opted against an immediate move of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime demand of Israel.



A senior administration official told Reuters last week that Trump remained committed to his campaign pledge to ultimately relocate the embassy, but would not announce such a move during this trip.



On Sunday, Israel authorised some economic concessions to the Palestinians that it said would improve civilian life in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority and were intended to respond to Trump's request for "confidence-building steps".



The United States welcomed the move but the Palestinians said they had heard such promises before.



Trump will have visited significant centres of Islam, Judaism and Christianity by the end of his trip, a point that his aides say bolsters his argument that the fight against Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil".
Victoria's Secret PINK model Grace Elizabeth attends Victoria's Secret PINK Nation Motel on May 20, 2017 in Palm Springs, California. (Image: Getty Images)
Bangkok: Police investigators work at the lobby of Phramongkutklao Hospital, a military-owned hospital that is also open to civilians, in Bangkok after a bomb wounded more than 20 people, in Bangkok Monday, May 22, 2017. The deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police said investigators found traces of batteries and wires at the scene Monday. (Image: AP/PTI)
For many high school students, math is a necessary evil standing in the way of graduation. But in Appomattoxs 2017 Teacher of Year Mary Ann Bennetts classroom, the subject is a tool for students to use in their everyday lives.

Bennett, 40, has been teaching geometry and the more consumer-focused Computer Math for the last six years at Appomattox County High School where she pushes students to see the real-life applications of their coursework whether they choose to go to college or go right into the workforce.

She accepted the award in her classroom in a surprise ceremony last Wednesday.

I was happily surprised, she said in a later interview. Its like that big pat on the back that all teachers want; that recognition from your colleagues, your administration and your students. We work really hard and youre judged by scores, not by the relationships that youve made in the workplace with your peers, with parents and with your students.

Although preparing for Standards of Learning exams is a core focus in geometry classes, her Computer Math students are mostly seniors preparing to graduate and head directly to work.

Its not just stuff theyll never use, Bennett said. What weve done is take the standards from the state and because theres no state test they have to pass weve looked at the class and said, Heres the content, and how do we tailor that for these kids going into the workplace and made it more consumer-based math with the computer as their tool. So theyre learning to budget, weve reviewed percentages, take home pay and all of that.

In the semester-long course, students learn how to manage finances, how to open a checking account, the difference between what is paid and what is kept after taxes, and how to stretch a paycheck through hands-on projects.

For Bennett, the most rewarding part of teaching the class is showing her students, who might not have enjoyed the material in algebra and geometry classes, that math is relevant to their career aspirations and adult lives.

The goal is to get them to learn and also to get this credit so they can walk across the stage, because the kids in that class are the ones who struggled in algebra, she said. They struggled to make the connections with those abstract concepts. Its all about getting them to buy in so they can make it real for themselves.

Bennett will now compete against winners fromAmelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Greensville, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward for the Region 8 Teacher of the Year Award. The finalists from each region head to Richmond to compete for Virginia Teacher of the Year.

When she first came to ACHS, Computer Math was centered more around Career and Technical Education with an emphasis on coding and computer maintenance. When Bennett took the helm, she decided to revamp the curriculum to make it more useful for all students, not just those interested in technology.

It was, Program the computer to spell your name, or, Program the computer to ask a question, she said. The kids were like, I dont care at all. Unless writing code is what you want to do, you dont care. Thats not applicable to the kid that is working two jobs already.

After graduating from Sweet Briar College with a bachelors degree in mathematics and a teaching certificate in 1998, she went directly into teaching 8th grade Algebra I at Nelson County Middle School. Six years of teaching later, she decided to take a break due to a change in the recertification process.

For the next seven years, she worked a number of jobs including managing a winery, managing a portrait studio and also spent time as a stay-at-home mom to her two children. After a while the evening, weekend and holiday hours required in the retail business wore on her and she decided to get back into teaching.

I thought, I cant do this anymore. I want to be on their schedule and help them with their homework, she said. Even though I enjoyed the people aspect of the other jobs that I worked, I missed that light bulb moment when the kids finally understand what youve been trying to teach them. Its the personal connections you make with them that makes a difference, I think.

To jump back into teaching, she worked for a while as a long- term substitute in Appomattox before being hired by current ACHS Principal Poldi Moreno. Although he was not involved in the selection process that was made by the school division, he praised her high geometry SOL pass rates and dedication to her students.

Mary Ann is a teachers teacher, he said. She leads a very student-centered classroom and everything she does is about helping her students find success. She dedicates herself to finding new ways of reaching each and every child.

Although Bennett was individually named the Teacher of the Year, she said as the department chair the award honors the entire team of math teachers at ACHS.

I see it like Im representing our entire department in how hard we have worked as a team to get kids motivated to continue on the math track instead of just repeating the same courses and having to take the SOL multiple times, she said. The math department here is really close-knit. We work really well together.
Carrying torches and standing like a stone wall in front of the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in a Charlottesville park, a group of white nationalists on May 13 made their displeasure known about the citys decision to remove the statue there.

Demonstrators chanted blood and soil, which can be traced back to an ideology that ties race to the physical territory of a nation, according to Waitman Wade Beorn, a history lecturer at the University of Virginia.

The concept is that the land on which a people lived is not just a resource; its tied directly to the blood  and by blood, they mean race, Beorn said. Its all racial pseudoscience.

During World War II, the Nazis in Germany believed Aryan people were connected in a spiritual or mythical way to the soil of Germany. Anyone who was not Aryan and living in Germany made the nation less pure, which gave rise to the concentration camps where millions of Jews, Romani and people of other undesired races were murdered.

The idea of blut und boden  or blood and soil  gave the Nazis an excuse to get rid of anyone they considered inferior.

In this way, they justified cleansing their own soil  Germany  of its enemies, Beorn said.

Led by Richard Spencer, a UVa graduate and a white nationalist, the group on that Saturday night first led a demonstration in the afternoon at Jackson Park.

What brings us together is that we are white, we are a people, we will not be replaced! shouted Spencer, according to video from NBC 29.

At Lee Park that night, the group began chanting blood and soil, Russia is our friend and you will not replace us. At both demonstrations, the group was heard voicing concerns about the disappearance of white heritage.

Beorn, who said he took a class with Spencer at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in the mid-2000s, said Spencer often argued with their professor, Christopher Browning, a pre-eminent Holocaust scholar. These days, Beorn said, Spencer denies that the blood and soil chant derives from Nazi ideology.

But a lot of his ideology is right out of the Nazi playbook, Beorn said.

By using the phrase, Spencer and his followers see the South as the soil of the white race, Beorn said. By using language to suggest that white people need to take back their monuments and symbols of history, Beorn said Spencer is masking the elements of his true ideology.

You have a torch-lit mass rally, and people saying blood and soil in relation to a Confederate monument  I think the connections there are pretty clear, he said. I look at this and actually see some similarities between the Nazis and the alt-right movement.

Spencer is a prominent figure in the so-called alt-right ideology, which is an offshoot of conservatism that combines racism, white nationalism and populism.

Beorn also serves as a consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, but said his views do not necessarily reflect those of the museum. He also has written several books about the Holocaust and genocide.

Spencer could not be reached for comment.
Anheuser-Busch plans to invest $500 million in its U.S. facilities and operations in 2017, including $18 million at its brewery near Williamsburg.

The beer company operates 21 breweries in the U.S. and, while still a major force among beer producers, it faces tough competition from small, locally run, more nimble craft breweries.

This particular announcement really celebrates our companys commitment to continuing to invest in a big way in our breweries and facilities, said Bryan Derr, general manager of the brewery in James City County.

One of the capital projects at that brewery near Williamsburg will be a new packer, a piece of equipment that puts bottles into a secondary package, Derr said. The new equipment will allow the brewery to be more innovative in packaging, he said.

Our goal is to always meet the ever-changing demands of our consumer. And we want to wow our consumer with our innovation on packaging, even on brands that customers know as well as Budweiser and Bud Light, Derr said.

Another project being funded by the $18 million investment is new labeling equipment.

When we refreshed the Bud Light label ... the capability of the equipment we had would allow us to make about 1,000 bottles per minute on those labelers. With these new labelers, we will be able to put labels on bottles at about 1,600 bottles per minute, Derr said.

Anheuser-Buschs brewery near Williamsburg, which opened in 1972, is a 1.2 million-square-foot facility that sits on a 144-acre site at 7801 Pocahontas Trail. It underwent a major modernization upgrade in 2006. The plant employs about 600 full-time, part-time and seasonal workers, Derr said.

In addition to Budweiser and Bud Light, brands produced there include AmberBock, Michelob Ultra, King Cobra, Busch and Hurricane High Gravity.

Anheuser-Busch InBev is also looking beyond beer. The $500 million investment includes $10 million at its Baldwinsville, N.Y., brewery to increase production of non-alcoholic products, mainly Teavana tea, and to install a new multipacker.

Other projects include:

$82 million for supply chain operations and to build new distribution facilities in Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio;

$28 million at the Fort Collins, Colo., brewery to expand production of aluminum bottle products and installation of dry hop capabilities; and

$8 million to the Houston brewery to begin brewing Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus and to expand aluminum bottle production.
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DC's Batman spotlight is expanding to his sidekicks more and more

Members of Batman's family will seemingly play huge roles in the DCU in 2023
Davis first woman consular dean

I am enjoying the planning stage of my tenure in working with a dynamic group of colleagues and friends in the Consular Corps to expand our footprint in Trinidad and Tobago. she said.

Davis, who took up the position a few months ago, chaired her second meeting of the consular corps on May 10 at the Radisson Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain She said after the meeting: I think the meeting went quite well, as it was further enriched by the presence of career consuls from Canada, Chile and Jamaica. At the CCTT we are reintroducing having career consuls join the honorary consuls, because we share many issues, concerns and activities. The organisation represents 31 countries, 15 of which are European, but there are also members from West and Central Asia, South and SE Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and the Caribbean.

Davis said: Within the recent past, a few countries have established full diplomatic missions, viz. Grenada, Guyana and Peru.

Additionally, there are about eight of us who are nationals of our sending countries. She explained: Honorary consuls generally represent countries which do not have full diplomatic missions in what we call the receiving states, and act as unpaid officers to facilitate various activities between the sending state (the country represented) and the receiving state. In the case of the membership of the CCTT, while we may share many similar functions, there are some functions which may be quite different, for a variety of reasons.

Issues requiring action may be far-reaching, but ordinarily range from provision of oversight of nationals from the sending state who are either residents or in transit through, the receiving state; government- to-government liaison services, and of course promotion of the sending state in areas such as trade, tourism, cultural and economic development, all to deepen and enrich bilateral relations between the two countries.

The functions of consuls, whether honorary or career, are largely accomplished through the facilitation and guidance of the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, and to a certain extent by other line ministries. Davis said in addition to their official duties, the honorary consuls also raised funds to help disenfranchised people or the less popular NGOs which always need financial attention, and have contributed to many charities. Asked whether she faced special challenges as the first woman to serve as dean, given that the corps is dominated by men, Davis said, Is the Pope Catholic? Women always have challenges when it is perceived that we are encroaching on a mans territory.

As a young girl in school, being in science, I became accustomed to operating in a male world.

I try, though, not to see gender, but rather talent-pooling and co-operation in getting the job done. We (men and women) all have something to bring to the proverbial table, be it in knowledge, wisdom, action or experience. She said she knew some of her colleagues were waiting to see if she could do the job, But I look at it in a different way: I may be the first woman to get the job as dean, but this is by no means the first job for this woman dean. The dean, along with the treasurer and secretary of the corps, is elected each year because the corps is a voluntary organisation, and depends on those who are willing and able to serve, said Davis, adding: I would be delighted to serve again. On whether she has set any goals for herself and the corps, she said: Absolutely. I am always goal-setting. Sometimes an idea comes to me in the wee hours of the morning and I jot it down in the dark to ensure that it is not forgotten during the night. I derive extreme satisfaction and delight from operationalising my goals.

She said though the level of achievement was already very high, she wanted to leave the corps even better than she found it.

I would like to be seen not only as the first female dean, but as a dean who caused for advancement of the business of the corps.

There are already a number of ideas that I have floated within the executive and other colleague members. These have internal and external ramifications and will be revealed in due course. Davis thinks the goals of the corps, individually and/or collectively, should include: Contribution to increase its level of activity within the national community, spending some of its time engaging and motivating young people; Continuation of fund-raising efforts in novel ways; Fostering excellence  focusing on STEM education for schoolchildren; Initiation of collaboration and co-operation with their fellow Caribbean consular corps; Consolidation and promotion of their role in the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) and recruitment of new country representatives to serve.

She said the corps is now re-establishing linkages with its career consular counterparts so as to serve their collective receiving state better.

Davis is also the chair of the FICAC Caribbean Committee, co-chair for the Caribbean of its Membership Committee, and a member of its Charitable Agreements and Events, World and Regional Conferences Committee.

She is also a lecturer in physiology at the Faculty of Medical Sciences and Associate Dean of Communications at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus.
Govt, Opposition continue tax squabble

Justices of Appeal Peter Jamadhar, Gregory Smith and Judith Jones are expected to hear the States appeal of Justice Frank Seepersads granting of leave to former government minister Devant Maharaj to challenge the implementation of the property tax and the temporary injunction.

On Saturday, the Opposition accused the government of colluding with the Judiciary over the filing of the appeal. Yesterday, former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, penned a strong letter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court, questioning whether the Government had, privileged access to information based on secret information with the court, so that it could publicly announce that the appeal would take place at 9 am today.

He called for this matter to be brought to the attention of Chief Justice Ivor Archie and the Justices of Appeal presiding over this matter, so that some clarity could be provided. Ramlogan hoped the Judiciary would respond before todays hearing because there appears to have been, some level of improper and unfair interference by the Government in the case management of this appeal. He reiterated his allegation that the Government and/or its attorneys had privileged access to the Court of Appeal, in a timely and politically convenient manner. Ramlogan is leading the legal team that is representing his former Peoples Partnership (PP) Cabinet colleague Devant Maharaj, who filed a constitutional motion to stop the property taxs implementation. The Government countered with equally strong statements from Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi. Imbert is currently acting as prime minister while Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is in New York attending the graduation of his daughter Sonel.

Rowley is due to return home tomorrow.

Imbert told Newsday, I have checked the video of Fridays parliamentary session and confirmed that I had already left the House when (Oropouche East MP) Roodal Moonilal first mentioned the decision of Justice Seepeersad and I did not utter a single word. He said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessaris clearly confused to believe that he made such a comment in Parliament. His position was further supported by an official statement from the Finance Ministry. In that statement, Imbert said when he was contacted by the media last Friday evening for a comment on Justice Seepersads decision, he said the decision, will be appealed. Imbert made it clear that he never said, it had been appealed since the Courts Registry would have been closed at that time. The statement said lawyers for the Commissioner of Valuations made efforts to get an urgent hearing before the Court of Appeal last Friday.

However they were advised that the Court of Appeal would convene today at 9 am. The statement said the Commissioner of Valuations attorneys have since advised that the notice of appeal was sent by e-mail to the Registrar of the Court on Saturday. A copy of the notice was sent to Maharajs attorneys about todays hearing. Al-Rawi rejected Ramlogans charge about Government having privileged access regarding the scheduling of todays hearing.

The AG said his predecessor has, a history of conducting litigation in the newspapers and he is not going down that road. He said all of the pre-action protocol letters sent to the Government on property tax, have been provided by the media first rather than the regular mail service. Al-Rawi said Ramlogans tactics on this occasion are similar to the ligitation he pursued against Rowley when the PP was in office. He said Ramlogan later withdrew all those matters after the PP lost the September 2015 general elections and this was not known for many months.

Al-Rawi said Ramlogan seeks to make a mockery of established protocols for the hearing of urgent matter by the Court of Appeal and the High Court. Speaking later to reporters after a function in San Fernando, he said, The truth is, we have followed all the proper processes. The AG continued, Anybody who has been to court on emergency bases will testify to this for you and really, they are condemning some of the most notable attorneys in TT. He reiterated his condemnation of Ramlogans allegation and advised reporters,not to pay attention to foolishness. Al-Rawi charged that Persad-Bissessar was re-inventing the method by which people can approach the court. The AG recalled that when he spoke about the appeal in the House last Friday, he was very purposeful in what he said.

Reiterating that the ruling Peoples National Movement (PNM) subscribes to due process of law, Al-Rawi said Government maintains its respect for the Doctrine of Separation of Powers and the judicial process. He also said Government will abide by the judicial determination of the Court of Appeal in todays hearing. Speaking later with reporters after a function in San Fernando, Al-Rawi urged the Opposition and the rest of the country to settle down and let due process take its course.

The court is now with jurisdiction in these matters as to a certain aspect of clarification. Lets let that happen and then wed let the Ministry of Finance which has the lead on the property tax implementation to do what it has to do, Al-Rawi said. Asked to explained the multiple ways which the tax could be implemented, Al-Rawi reiterated that todays hearing should take place first.

In his signed letter to Court Registrar Jade Rodriguez, Ramlogan outlined a chronology of events from 6 pm last Friday to Saturday at 7 pm, when Rodriguez emailed a unfiled notice of appeal to him.

Ramlogan said this raised the question of how Al-Rawi and/or Imbert could announce in Parliament last Friday that the appeal was fixed for hearing on Monday. Ramlogan said at 10 am on Saturday, he phoned Rodriguez and she was unaware of a notice of appeal being filed.

He said Rodriguez confirmed that lawyers for the State tried unsuccessfully to have an emergency hearing last Friday. Ramlogan said Court of Appeal Registry managaer Ralph Daniel told him at 1 pm on Saturday that the appeal was not fixed or listed for appeal for today at 9 am. He said at 5.29 pm, Zelica Haynes Soo-Hon (an attorney from the AGs Secretariat) sent an email with an unfiled and unsigned of a notice of appeal attached to it, to Rodriguez.

Ramlogan said at 6.20 pm, Soo- Hon sent an email to his legal team which indicated she was directed by the Rodriguez to inform us the appeal was fixed for today at 9 am. He added the term fixed means the hearing of the appeal.

At 6.55 pm, Ramlogan said Rodriguez phoned him to advise that the appeal would be heard today before Justices of Appeal Peter Jamadhar, Gregory Smith and Judith Jones.

He added that Rodriguez described this as an appointment with the court and provided no further information to his subsequent question as to whether the appeal would in fact be heard at that time. Ramlogan questioned whether what transpired was in accordance with established practice and procedure.

He claimed that based on Al-Rawis comment in Parliament, this decision was communicated to the States legal team and not to Maharajs. Ramlogan said Maharaj is disappointed and concerned about these events. He said Maharaj is not concerned with the States legal team communicating with the court in urgent cases, as lawyers are allowed to do.

Ramlogan said Maharaj is concerned that this communication did not appear to be channelled through the Registrar or the Head of the Court of Appeal Registry, leaving Maharajs legal team, in the dark. He said this process, seeks to minimise and avoid direct contact between judges and attorneys for one party. Ramlogan said, The facts known to us suggests that this protocol was breached and begs the question whether there was direct contact with the learned judges. He further alleged that no one seemed to have bothered to notify Maharajs legal team, about these secret communications. Ramlogan claimed this created an unacceptable situation where his clients team learnt about the hearing from Al-Rawis comment in Parliament, at a time when the Registrar, was privy to such knowledge. Former minister in the ministry of finance Mariano Browne said he did not understand what Al-Rawi meant about there being other ways to roll out property tax. Browne said property tax is not new and has been paid in TT from 1920 to 2009.
Valencia homes spared, for now

Justice Frank Seepersad granted the injunction yesterday in an emergency sitting at the San Fernando High Court, after attorneys for two squatters filed a constitutional claim against the Commissioner of State Lands.

The squatters - Annesa Maharaj and Ashminee Joseph - claim they have been occupying the lands at Pine Avenue for more than 30 years.

Maharaj and Joseph are represented by attorneys Gerald Ramdeen, Wayne Sturge, Kent Samlal, Sean Sobers and Arianna Khan.

The emergency injunction will remain in place until the hearing and determination of the squatters claim or until further ordered.

They are claiming their rights to enjoyment of property and protection by law were infringed as they contend the State Suits Limitation Ordinance protects them from attempts by the State to repossess State lands once they have been living on the property for 30 years.

They also contended that they have expressed intention to possess the lands as their own, as prescribed for in the Ordinance.

According to the two women, Maharajs home with others were demolished by a crew of police and soldiers on May 15.

In all 15 homes were demolished and the two said they were told that another crew were expected to return today (May 22) to complete the demolition of Josephs home.

For two days, residents of Pine Avenue held fiery protests condemning the action of the Commissioner of State Lands.

In his ruling yesterday, Justice Seepersad held that although the grant of an interim conservatory order was an exceptional constitutional remedy, having reviewed the evidence - which included documented evidence in relation to the lands dating back to 1986 as well as photographs which suggested that the lands were being occupied at that time - and the nature of the structures on the land, the court was of the view that the balance of justice warranted the exercise of its discretion to issue the injunction.

According to Maharaj, who is in a common-law relationship with Josephs son, the land was gifted to them by Joseph and they spent over $800,000 in building their home.

She said Joseph has never received notice from the State since she began occupying the land in 1983.

She also said no one has ever disputed their occupation of the lands and each year they have planted crops and reared animals on the property.

According to Maharaj, on May 15, she was shocked and terrified when she saw soldiers bulldozing her home.

She also said a woman, identifying herself as the Commissioner was directing the soldiers. She and her husband were also prevented by the police from entering the house to remove their belongings.

Maharaj and her husband were unable to salvage much and were forced to move in with Joseph.

Last week, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the government was seeking answers from the Commissioner of State Lands about the recent decision to demolish squatters homes at Pine Avenue.

Al-Rawi said neither Housing Minister Randall Mitchell, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, the Chief State Solicitor nor himself had any prior knowledge that the demolition would take place.

It has not originated from ministerial, Cabinet or AGs office, he said.

In light of the severity of the action taken, I can confirm that I have been calling for the Commissioner of State Lands to meet with every single day since the 15th. However he said the Commissioner has not responded to any of his requests for a meeting to date. Al-Rawi said he was quite concerned because he, would like to understand the action that was taken and where the advice to take that action came from. Al-Rawi said it would be unusual for the Commissioner to act independently on these kinds of matters and this is why he is seeking clarity.
Cabinet to consider third passenger vessel

The minister yesterday reiterated the third vessel being sought, will ensure that there are always two passenger vessels operating on the seabridge. Sinanan said once Cabinet gives the Authority permission, the tender process for this passenger vessel should take between a month to six weeks to complete. He said this would not affect the schedule for drydocking either the Spirit or the Express.

Sinanan added that if this vessel is late in arriving, the ferry scheduled to drydock in June would be kept in service until the vessel is in TT.

On the search for a vessel to replace the Atlantic Provider and the Trinity Transporter, both of which were brought in when the Super Fast Galicia was pulled from the seabridge in April, Sinanan said no decision has been made as yet on three options being considered by the Authority.

He explained that while the Authority got permission to rent the Provider and the Transporter for three months, allowance has been made for the acquisition of a vessel within that period. Sinanan said daily rental fees for the Provider and the Transporter are US$14,000 and US$8,000 respectively.

The minister said all of the cargo vessels being considered have to undergo a series of tests and technical analyses before a decision is made to acquire one.

He said the Venezuelan vessel, La Caracola, is one of the three vessels. This vessel is reported to be 32 years old. Another option is a 19-year old cargo vessel from Europe. The third option is a Canadian vessel which can transport passengers and cargo. Responding to a question in the House of Representatives last Friday, Sinanan said a pre-action protocol letter had been sent to the charter of the Galicia.

He previously said the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs is examining the arrangement under which the Galicia was brought in under the former Peoples Partnership government.
Khan: Couva Hospital was ready

In an interview with Newsday, Khan said when Peoples Partnership Government commissioned the hospital, everything was in place for the facility to be opened.

He disputed claims by the present Government that the hospital was not ready to be opened.

The hospital was ready for commissioning when we left office, so now I am not sure what is the keep back, I really dont know, Khan said.

Khan was among the hundreds of United National Congress supporters who protested on Friday outside the facility.

I have no idea what is keeping back the opening but a public/ private partnership is a very lovely set of words, it gives you the feeling that the private sector would work with the public sector to deliver but one does not realise that the private sector does not deliver for nothing, whereas the public sector could take a loss, he said.

Khan said that if that is in fact the arrangement by government, one would have to ask themselves how is it going to be paid for who is going to pay.

Is it going to be the private patients or what is the mechanism of approach? he asked.

Khan also said if the government was looking at a public/private partnership, there was no need to hand over a working facility.

He noted that the former government planned to start with the opening of the radiology department, then move to the medical wards, clinic and then the Accident and Emergency Department and Surgical Theatres.
Mayaro finally gets its own fire tender

The station, which was built under the Kamla Persad-Bissessar- led government, was opened one week before the 2015 general elections.

It was never outfitted with a fire tender and Mayaro continued to be serviced by the Rio Claro station until it was opened for operation last Novermber.

In Parliament on Friday, Paray questioned Dillon about the absence of a fire tender for the second time in a month.

When Paray posed the same question on April 28 in light of increased numbers of bush fires in the region, Dillon assured that a fire tender would have been sent to the station that very afternoon. One was sent and it just so happened that it responded to an emergency that same evening, said Paray. But sorry to say, it broke down by the weekend. Dillon said on Friday that the broken down tender was sent for repairs and promised that another would be sent by this weekend. Yesterday, when Newsday visited the station, sources confirmed that the tender seen in the bay must have been sent on Friday afternoon.

The source said he was surprised to see the truck on Saturday morning since up to Thursday there was one.

Paray confirmed the provision of the truck and expressed his gratitude to Dillon.

Paray said he believes the tender was assigned permanently to the station, but Newsday could not reach Dillon for confirmation.

Fire Services Association President Leo Ramkissoon welcomed the provision of the tender, but highlighted to Newsday the broader, more worrying problem of a service that is understaffed and under- equipped to fulfill its mandate. I guarantee you that if a new truck came to Mayaro, it was at the expense of another station. Ramkissoon said the fire service was operating at less than 75 percent manpower capacity and that many of the stations end up sharing fire trucks and other resources.

We need the government to place more emphasis on increasing our manpower and our appliances and equipment. Ramkissoon said government policy dictates that each station should have a fire tanker, a fire tender and an ambulance, but many stations operate with only one of the three.
JA launches 2017 Leadership Debate Series

The debate series, which is open to youths aged 13 to 17 years, will start with preliminary rounds among schools in Trinidad and Tobago in September with the grand finals carded to be held at the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain, on November 29.

JA Executive Director, J. Errol Lewis, told a select gathering of JA officials, judges, teachers and students who attended the formal launch at Queens Hall last Wednesday that the debate series was a sound and valuable way of bringing value to the classroom. Engaging in these debates will provide fertile ground for our youths to fulfill their true potential.

Our intent is to teach our children how to conduct research, how to speak convincingly and how to argue a case and build a proposition. What we aim to do is to present the debate process in Trinidad and Tobago, explained Lewis.

The competition is open to schools, youth clubs or similar institutions, with Lewis expressing the hope that the process would lead to the formation of debating clubs in schools where they do not exist.

The motion for the preliminary rounds is Be it resolved that the education system that currently exists in Trinidad and Tobago is sufficient to produce successful 21st Century global citizens. Subsequent rounds will debate the following motion: Be it resolved that happiness is the most important indicator of well-being and success at the level of the individual. A massive seven- foot challenge trophy, along with other prizes, will be at stake in the competition. A drawing of the futuristic- looking trophy, designed by Kemal Manickhand, was unveiled at the launch.

To be made primarily of stainless steel, with brass and copper and a diamond head infused in its configuration, the trophy, as Manickchand explained, represented the embodiment of conflict in resonance with the debate process, and reflected the glory of God.

Present at the launch were JA Directors, Michael Calendar (Deputy Chairman}, retired judge Sebastien Ventour and Nigel Scott.

Judges will include Merle Carrington, Annette des Isles, Dominic Kallipersad, Avril Ramchand, Nicola Harvey, Maurice Chevalier and Dominic Smith.

Carrington gave valuable guidelines on effective debating, pointing out that the exercise was an act of engagement and persuasion.

You may find yourselves proposing a position you do not initially support. You must do proper research, engage in refutation and rebuttal.

Open up your minds.

Other positions may be just as valid. There are no losers in a debate; all are winners.

Every participant will learn and develop from this debate series, Carrington pointed out.

Giving a students perspective was Shauntelle Wilson, Upper Six student of St. Josephs Convent, St Joseph, and formerly of Barataria North Secondary, who participated in a previous debate series. I benefited immensely when I took part in 2013.

While it was very challenging, it helped me build self-esteem and gave me greater confidence in my abilities.

It also helped me prepare for the future, academically and socially, Wilson said.

Avalon Simon, teacher at Queens Royal College, said while teachers could be tempted to prepare and write the arguments and let their students present them, that option would defeat the whole purpose of the debating process.

This exercise is for our students to grow at the end of the process. They must endure the process and grow in confidence and test their abilities, she advised.

The JA Leadership Debate Series aims to develop critical thinking, the development of research and problem- solving skills, promoting dispute resolution skills among youths, and cultivate a positive cadre of youths to become productive citizens
Tributes for Brigo

In a statement, the Mayors office said the council arranged to have a public viewing of his body at the Arima Town Hall, yesterday.

Morris-Julian said Abrahams death has deeply hurt the borough since he was a resident of Sherwood Park in Arima and an early member of the Arima Angel Harps.

She stated that during his time as a performer, he has always paid homage to other icons of Arima such as Aldwyn Lord Kitchener Roberts.

The mayor and council remember his contribution with gratitude and they further wish to extend condolences to the Abraham family, the statement said.

Also extending condolences was the National Action Cultural Committee (NACC).

Brigo was certainly a National Treasure and his passing will be a huge loss to the Calypso fraternity and the nation. Singing since 1960, Brigo has taken Calypso throughout the world. He was especially known for his dramatic interpretations with just the use of various parts of his body. Significantly, he paid special attention to topics related to family and community life, as he shared his experience and wisdom with very relevant and interesting advice, a statement from the NACC said.

His first and only major title was won in 1989, when he was crowned one of the four Uncrowned Kings of Calypso. The Uncrowned Kings was a calypso competition that was organised by the NACC in May 1989. According to a publication then, The Uncrowned Kings programme is an event which seeks to honour those calypsonians who have been pillars of the Art for the last two decades and more. In later years he also became a participant in the NACCs Veterans Honours List, the statement added.

The NACC said Abraham was able to transfer the many adversities and challenges of life into a creative expression that brought joy and laughter to so many. His pain became his motivation and his motivation became his commitment to Calypso and the Arts. Abrahams funeral takes place today at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain.

Special tributes begin promptly at 10.30 am, and the official service begins at noon. He will then be laid to rest at the DAbadie public cemetery.

Abraham died at 1 pm at the Mt Hope General Hospital on May 16.
There Was No Red Wave,

'That's for Darn Sure'
No, Steven Spielberg didnt direct this, but it's a watery video that may scare your socks off. A crowd at Steveston Wharf in Richmond, British Columbia, gasps as a young girl is pulled by her dress into the water by a California sea lion. CBC News reports Michael Fujiwara pulled out his phone when a sea lion surfaced and began swimming around the dock on Saturday. About 1:25 into the video, the mammal jumps from the water near the girl's face to laughter from the child and those watching; 15 seconds later, the animal grabs the waist of her dress as she perches on the dock's ledge and drags her beneath the surface in an instant. An unidentified man jumps into the water as onlookers scream. He is able to promptly retrieve the girl, who leaves quickly with her family; Fujiwara describes them as "pretty shaken up."

Fujiwara claims people were feeding the sea lion breadcrumbs, something Steveston Harbour Authority GM Bob Baziuk warns against. "It's not Sea World. It's a place where you buy fish," Baziuk tells CNN. "If you feed the animals like this you're asking for trouble." Baziuk says neither the girl nor her rescuer were hurt, and that he is seeking more information about the incident. A marine mammal expert at the University of British Columbia believes the sea lion, which he confirmed was a male, misread the situation: "It would appear that the sea lion sees part of her dress, thinks it's food, reaches up, grabs at the food, and pulls her in by the dress. But it wasn't food of course." (Read more sea lions stories.)
A dispute over the freshness of Wendys fries leaves a 25-year-old Minnesota woman facing criminal charges. According to CBS Minnesota, Wendy's employees claim that Eiram Chanel Amir Dixson became argumentative during a drive-thru transaction just after noon Thursday after the woman asked specifically for fresh French fries. Reports don't specify the condition of the fries, or whether she even received them, but do make clear that an argument followed. Employees allege Dixson reached through the drive-thru window and, after an employee threw a soft drink at her, proceeded to spray them with Mace.

The restaurant manager was hit directly in the face while two more employees were also in the line of the spray, per the police report. All three employees provided similar accounts of the incident, according to ABC News 5. Dixson is being charged with felony use of tear gas to immobilize. If found guilty, shell face a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a $3,000 to $10,000 fine. Wendys drive-thrus see their share of action: last year, a worker was allegedly bit over a wrong order in Virginia, while a Florida man reportedly threw an alligator through a drive-thru window as a prank. (Read more Wendy's stories.)
An enclave of former summer bungalows, where Nazi sympathizers once marched near streets named for Adolf Hitler, is being forced to open ownership to people of non-German descent. The German American Settlement League, which once welcomed tens of thousands in the 1930s to pro-Nazi marches on eastern Long Island, has settled an anti-discrimination case brought by New York state and will change leadership and adhere to all state and federal housing laws. Many residents disputed their community discriminates, reports the AP. "There's a mixed bag; it's not like it was," says Fred Stern, a GASL board member and 40-year resident of the tiny community of 40 homes in Yaphank, who concedes it was once dominated by those of German descent. "If you went to every house and asked people's nationality, it wouldn't be any different than any other neighborhood."

News accounts recall a groundswell of Nazism in the enclave in the years before World War II. Camp Siegfried, where the homes stand today, was sponsored by the German-American Bund to promote Hitler. Swastikas were commonplace, says a Hofstra University archivist. "Some of the photos I have seen are kind of amazing." New York AG Eric Schneiderman said a 2016 federal lawsuit brought by two former residents, who claimed GASL policies hindered their attempt to sell, called for an end to discriminatory practices. Despite that, Schneiderman found the league "continued to make new membership and property re-sale within the GASL community unreasonably difficult." Investigators found the league prohibited public ads of properties for sale. Stern concedes that much turnover through the years was by word of mouth because "everybody knew when a house would become available." (Read more housing discrimination stories.)
Theunis Botha has shot his last elephant. The South African big-game hunter was killed in Zimbabwe on Friday when the hunting party he was leading stumbled onto a herd of elephants that included calves and pregnant females, the Telegraph reports. Sources tell Netwerk24 that three female elephants charged the group and Botha shot at them, but he was taken by surprise by a fourth elephant that charged from the side and picked him up with her trunk. Another member of the party shot the elephant, and Botha was crushed to death when the fatally wounded animal collapsed on him.

The group was on a game reserve near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. Botha, a 51-year-old father of five, specialized in using hounds to hunt leopards and regularly recruited wealthy trophy hunters from America for hunting safaris in Africa. Fellow hunters mourned him on Facebook as a "world-class houndsman," while opponents of big-game hunting also made their voices heard, the Independent notes. Botha's close friend and fellow hunter Scott Van Zyl was killed by crocodiles while hunting in Zimbabwe last month. (Read more safari stories.)
North Korea says it's ready to deploy and start mass-producing a new medium-range missile capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases there following a test launch it claims confirmed the missile's combat readiness and is an "answer" to President Trump's policies. The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 310 miles and reached a height of 350 miles Sunday before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea's media said more missiles will be launched in the future, the AP reports. Trump, traveling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment. Kim Jong Un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday.

The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its "adaptability under various battle conditions" before it's deployed to military units. Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," and said that it should "be rapidly mass-produced." Viewing images sent from the rocket, Kim noted, "It feels grand to look at the Earth from the rocket we launched," KCNA said, via Reuters. The North's Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Sunday that in Pyongyang's "answer to the Trump administration," many more missiles "capable of striking the US will be launched from this land." (Read more North Korea stories.)
Five thousand. That's the number of man-portable air-defense systemsmore conveniently known as MANPADS and able to down low-flying planesVenezuela has obtained from Russia, according to a Reuters scoop published Monday. It's the largest stash of shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles in Latin America, and while US officials are worried about them ending up in dubious hands, the idea of them being in government hands may not be much more palatable. "The situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate," CIA honcho Mike Pompeo told the Senate earlier this month. President Nicolas Maduro "gets more desperate by the hour." And many hours have passed since: The country on Saturday logged its 50th day of often-violent protests. What you need to know:

Saturday's demonstrations were grim: The BBC and Guardian report a 21-year-old was set on fire in Caracas, and all but 20% of his body was burned. He survived. There's some contention over whether he was a Maduro supporter, as the president himself claimed, or accused by the crowd of being a thief. The death toll associated with the protests stands at 48.

The BBC and Guardian report a 21-year-old was set on fire in Caracas, and all but 20% of his body was burned. He survived. There's some contention over whether he was a Maduro supporter, as the president himself claimed, or accused by the crowd of being a thief. The death toll associated with the protests stands at 48. What do protesters want? A vote. The country has faced unrelenting food shortages, pervasive crime, and inflation that's believed to have exceeded 700% last yearalmost twice that in South Sudan, reports the New York Times, which notes the 2014 murder rate was on par with the civilian casualty rate in 2004 Iraq. Many blame Maduro and want him out ahead of schedule: The next presidential election isn't until late 2018.

A vote. The country has faced unrelenting food shortages, pervasive crime, and inflation that's believed to have exceeded 700% last yearalmost twice that in South Sudan, reports the New York Times, which notes the 2014 murder rate was on par with the civilian casualty rate in 2004 Iraq. Many blame Maduro and want him out ahead of schedule: The next presidential election isn't until late 2018. Why the situation is so ludicrous: A CBC analysis explains Venezuela is thought to have a crude-oil reserve of about 300 billion barrels: "Even at reduced current world prices, back-of-the-envelope calculations show that oil wealth alone should make all Venezuelan families US dollar millionaires."

A CBC analysis explains Venezuela is thought to have a crude-oil reserve of about 300 billion barrels: "Even at reduced current world prices, back-of-the-envelope calculations show that oil wealth alone should make all Venezuelan families US dollar millionaires." But that oil has been a curse : At least, according to a Venezuelan political scientist quoted by the BBC. The country has put all its eggs in the oil basket, he argues, and that's produced an abject lack of investment, talent, and production outside the oil sector.

: At least, according to a Venezuelan political scientist quoted by the BBC. The country has put all its eggs in the oil basket, he argues, and that's produced an abject lack of investment, talent, and production outside the oil sector. So what's Maduro's solution? Convening a special assembly to rewrite the country's 1999 constitution. The opposition isn't on board, but the AP reports Maduro on Friday said the effort would move forward.

Convening a special assembly to rewrite the country's 1999 constitution. The opposition isn't on board, but the AP reports Maduro on Friday said the effort would move forward. It's not all Maduro said Friday: The Trump administration recently imposed sanctions on eight members of Venezuela's Supreme Court (the protests followed a late-March court ruling that wrested legislative power from the opposition-controlled assembly, though the court then backtracked), and President Trump himself called the situation a "disgrace to humanity." Maduro's reply to Trump: "Get your pig hands out of here!"

(Read more Venezuela stories.)
The father of Alyssa Elsman, the teen on vacation with her family who was killed in Times Square last week when a driver allegedly plowed into pedestrians in the crowded tourist spot, wrote a thank-you letter to the people of New York for helping him and his family in the wake of the tragedy. In an interview on CNN affiliate WWMT, Tom Elsman of Michigan said he was touched by the impromptu memorial set up for his daughter in Times Square, where one sign reads New York Will Never Forget You Alyssa among other handwritten messages, candles, and flowers. Tom placed his own framed letter directly on top, in which he wrote that there are "no words that can express our gratitude with the outpouring of love and support this city has shown us. Our medical staff, the NYPD and most of all YOU.

He added that seeing the memorial helped his family cope with their loss, and he was moved by the kindness from so many people from different countries, religions, creeds. Elsman called New Yorks police force the "greatest guys in the world for taking special care of his family, telling WWMT officers even got the family pizza and brought them hats. He says 18-year-old Alyssa loved visiting New York (she posted a photo from a previous trip on Instagram last year), and he included a special message to her in his letter: "I have a hole in my heart that can never be filled. My world changed when you came into it and it is unexplainable with you leaving it. I love you kid. Just no words." (Read more Times Square stories.)
Each morning, Joanna Smith's 7-year-old son pulls on a T-shirt and shorts, boasts how fast he can tie his sneakers, and heads to school. An honor-roll student who loves science and spelling, he often stays after class to run on the playground with his large group of friends. But teachers may soon have to disrupt his routine by revealing a secret: This energetic boy was born a girl. Legislation headed for passage in the Texas Legislature this month could forbid him from using the boys' bathroom and effectively divulge his transgender identity to classmates, the AP reports. The measure poses an excruciating dilemma for Texas schools that have quietly agreed at parents' requests to keep secret the birth genders of some students.

A broad bill requiring transgender individuals to use the restroom of their birth-certificate gender passed the Senate but stalled in the House. Supporters revived it late Sunday, advancing a proposal applying only to the state's public schools. The final details of the measure are still being worked out. A similar law in North Carolina was partially repealed this year after protests and boycotts. Comparable proposals have been offered in other legislatures, but none has been approved. Currently, each school and school district determines how to handle students whose birth genders are secreta small portion of Texas' thousands of transgender minors. Some districts have nondiscrimination policies that explicitly include gender identity. Others have no formal policy but still shield students on a case-by-case basis. Click for much more on the bill. (Read more transgender stories.)
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New Delhi:

Just days after defending Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over graft charges, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas skipped a major party event sparking whispers that the truce in the organisation may be short-lived.



Sources said that Vishwas, who had differed with Kejriwal over the party's stand on blaming electronic voting machines alone for its poor performance in recent civic polls, stayed away from AAP's Delhi unit convention held on Sunday.



Attended by the party's top brass, including Kejriwal, the convention organised in west Delhi saw attendance of a sizable number of volunteers.

Read | Even Kejriwals enemies cannot imagine him taking bribe, says Kumar Vishwas



Kumar Vishwas and a member of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the party's top decision-making body, were also invited for the event, sources said, but he chose to stay away.



At a press conference on Monday, the party parried questions related to Vishwas' absence from the event. Senior AAP leader Ashutosh said apart from Vishwas, several other members of the PAC were not present for the convention.



"He (Vishwas) is upset with the news plants in a section of media that he plotted a coup in the party," a party leader said. Vishwas is believed to be upset with the leadership as several assurances about looking into the "communication gap" between party leadership and volunteers still persists.



Interestingly, at Sunday's event, Kejriwal announced that he would interact with 'mandal' presidents on the first Sunday of every month.



Earlier this month, Vishwas had also said that the AAP was getting "Congressised" to an extent and that a "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal was hatching conspiracies against him.

Vishwas was also adamant on strict action against Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan who had accused him of plotting a coup.

To placate Vishwas, Khan was suspended from the party who had then said the Okhla MLA was being used as a "mask" to target him.

However, with his absence from yesterday's event, it appears that Vishwas is still upset. After Khan's sacking, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had gone to meet him at his residence.

Two days later Khan was also appointed to crucial committees of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. "This suggests that the party leadership still favours Khan and people behind him," the party leader added.
New Delhi:

A special court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of an alleged middleman arrested in the Election Commission bribery case involving AIADMK (Amma) faction leader T T V Dhinakaran.

Special Judge Poonam Chaudhry said it was not appropriate to grant bail to Sukesh Chandrashekar at this stage as it was a serious crime and he could tamper with the evidence.

The court also said the investigation of the Delhi Police Crime Branch was going on and the agency was probing the recovered CD containing alleged conversation between Dhinakaran and Chandrashekar, who was arrested on May 16.

The court, which was scheduled to hear the bail pleas of Dhinakaran and his close aide Mallikarjuna on Monday, listed the matter for May 26 after the AIADMK faction leader's counsel sought an adjournment.

ALSO READ: AIADMK cash for symbol case: Crime branch finds huge transactions from Dinakaran's accounts to hawala operator



Chandrashekar had filed the bail application claiming he was falsely implicated and made a scapegoat in the case and that he was ready to join the probe.

The police opposed his bail plea saying they were probing the recovered CD allegedly containing telephonic conversation of Chandrashekar and Dhinakaran.

It said the allegations were grave and they have to make more arrests in the case.

Both the accused had earlier refused consent to give their voice samples to the police to compare it with those contained in the CD recovered during the investigation.

ALSO READ: Delhi Police questions AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran for attempt to bribe EC official



Dhinakaran, Mallikarjuna, Chandrashekar and suspected hawala operators Nathu Singh and co-accused Lalit Kumar, are currently in judicial custody.

Dhinakaran was arrested here on the night of April 25 after four days of questioning for allegedly attempting to bribe unidentified Election Commission (EC) officials to get the undivided AIADMK's 'two leaves' election symbol.

His faction had hoped to obtain the symbol for the bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu, which was later on cancelled by the EC after the alleged irregularities were reported in the media.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who was elected from the constituency.

The EC had frozen the AIADMK's symbol after two factions of the party -- one led by Dhinakaran's aunt Sasikala and the other by former chief minister O Panneerselvam -- staked claim to it.

Dhinakaran has been accused of allegedly arranging the money from undisclosed sources and getting it transferred from Chennai to Delhi through illegal channels.

Mallikarjuna was arrested for allegedly facilitating a Rs 50-crore deal between Dhinakaran and Chandrashekar.

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New Delhi:

The Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed on Monday that freedom fighter Bhagat Singhs pistol, with which he shot dead British police officer J P Saunders in 1928, is back in Punjab.

Further, it would be displayed at the Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district. The Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT) of the Border Security Force in Indore, where it was kept all these years, transferred it to the BSF headquarters in Punjab.

In response to the PIL filed by advocate Hari Chand Arora, an affidavit submitted by CSWT BSF DIG Arun Kumar Tambe stated that the pistol was transferred back to Punjab through an order on April 25, 2017.

The affidavit mentioning that the pistol has been transferred back to Punjab was filed by the BSF in the court of Justices S S Saron and Darshan Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the resumed hearing of the case in Chandigarh.

ALSO READ: Bhagat Singh's gun used in British officer's killing to be displayed at BSF museum

The pistol, a US-made .32 Colt was last seen in Punjab at the Police Academy, Phillaur on October 7, 1969. It was transferred to the CSWT, Indore in a lot of eight pistols for display by an order of the president.

READ: Pak group seeks protection from Lahore HC to mark Bhagat Singh death anniversary

The CSWT needed old weapons for explaining the development in weapons technology to the BSF recruits.Local lawyer Arora had moved a PIL for the return of the pistol.

With PTI inputs

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New Delhi:

An unidentified caller has threatened to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi with bomb and a man from Satna has claimed that he has received the alleged phone call, reports said on Monday.

The man has lodged a report about the bomb threat against PM Narendra Modi with Ramnagar Police Station and has handed over the phone recording of the alleged conversation.



The man has claimed that he received a phone call from this number 79651219. The caller has threatened a bomb blast at a mega rally scheduled to be held in Mumbais Kalyan on May 25, he said.

He said that the unidentified caller is allegedly making plans to orchestrate the bomb attack and has claimed that he has convinced two persons and wanted to get him too involved. The caller also offered him Rs 50 crore in return of helping him carry out the attack.

The Satna man didnt take the call seriously thinking it might be a prank call, but he was panicked after knowing the mobile number and hearing the dangerous plans of the caller. The man then rushed to Ramnagar Police Station and lodged a written complaint.

The police have launched an investigation into the matter, however, it has not ruled out the possibility that it might be a hoax call.

ALSO READ | Narendra Modi govt prepares 'report card' with counter narratives as it completes 3 years in office next month



The call has been received from an 8-digit number from a foreign country. The callers accent seems to be Gujarati. Now Satna Police and Cyber Cell are investigating the matter. The Bhopal ATS has arrested two Pakistani spies Balram and Rajiv from Satna district. Thus, we are taking the matter of the threat call seriously, SHO, Satna said.



The number when checked on internet shows the location of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

ALSO READ | Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate longest river bridge near China border on May 26

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Chennai:

Congress veteran P Chidambaram on Sunday remembered former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and turned emotional, saying that he was a messenger of peace, and those who feared that peace would prevail in Sri Lanka were responsible for his death.

The former finance minister said Rajivs mother, Indira, realised that a nuclear-powered India would enter the elite superpower club and conducted the Pokhran I test.

Her son, however, did not do it when he was the prime minister as he was a lover of peace and never ordered nuclear tests despite being well aware of the status it would accord on the country, he said.

#WATCH P Chidambaram gets emotional while talking about late PM Rajiv Gandhi, says he was assassinated because he was a messenger of peace pic.twitter.com/dUFX0ayPio  ANI (@ANI_news) May 21, 2017

Describing Rajiv as a messenger of peace, Chidambaram said the former prime minister had initiated various peace agreements in Punjab, Mizoram, Kashmir and Assam during his tenure.

And when he was trying to ensure one more peace agreement, i.e. in Sri Lanka, some rebels from the (Tamil) race, which would have benefited from the peace accord, took his life, he said in an apparent reference to Rajivs assassination by an LTTE suicide bomber at Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.

Messengers of peace getting killed is not new. Jesus was killed, Abraham Lincoln was killed, Mahatma Gandhi, who was a messenger of peacehe was killed, John F Kennedy was killed.

Rajiv was a messenger of peace and he was killed because of that, Chidambaram said and broke down.

Also Read: BJP's politics of 'revenge and vendetta' would not cow down opposition leaders: Congress after govt raids at Chidambaram premises

He quickly composed himself and proceeded to address the gathering on the Congress leaders 26th death anniversary at the TNCC headquarters Sathyamurthi Bhavan here.

He said Rajiv knew he will face an unexpected end.

He, however, said that he will never withdraw from the

efforts taken for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils. Those who feared peace will prevail in Sri Lanka were responsible for his death, he added.

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New Delhi:

Five days after a Karnataka-cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwaris body was found in Lucknow, the state government on Monday said that the investigations into his death will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).



It has been decided that investigation will be transferred to CBI, Arvind Kumar, Principal secretary Home, said.

Earlier on Monday, the Uttar Pradesh police registered a murder case on a complaint by his family members, who met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and pressed for a CBI probe.



Post-mortem had indicated that Anurag Tiwari, 36, had died of asphyxia but police said that an SIT team probing the case was awaiting the test reports of his viscera and blood samples and heart to find the exact cause of the death.



Tiwaris family had alleged that he was murdered at the behest of corrupt officers as he was about to expose a scam in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru where he was posted as commissioner.



The mother and brother of the officer met the Uttar Pradesh chief minister on Monday and requested him to hand over the probe to the CBI, saying they were unhappy with the probe by the state police.Tiwaris brother Mayank told reporters that the scene of crime has been washed and the mobile phone has been found in unlocked condition.

ALSO READ | Deceased IAS officer Anurag Tiwari was to expose big scam in Karnataka, says UP minister



We demanded CBI inquiry in order to find out why he was killed, his mother Sushila Devi told newspersons after meeting the chief minister.



We are not satisfied with the police probe... The chief minister has assured us that justice will be done, Mayank said, adding that the CM told them that every possible step will be taken to nab the culprits and asked them to wait till the SIT probe is completed.



The UP police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death on May 18.



The SIT team is yet to submit its report as it is going through all the possible clues and angles meticulously, Senior Superintendent of Police, Deepak Kumar said.



The issue has taken political colour after opposition members raised the matter vociferously in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to question the law and order situation under the BJP government. The Assemly premises are hardly a kilometre from the spot where his body was found.



However, an Uttar Pradesh Minister said in the House that the officer was about to expose a major scam under the Congress government in Karnataka.

ALSO READ | 2007-batch IAS officer Anurag Tiwari found dead near Meerabai Guest House in Lucknow



Tiwari, a 2007-batch IAS officer, was staying at the Meera Bai guest house with a batch mate after attending a mid-career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.



(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has put forth a strong case for the defence forces fighting the next war with indigenously built weapons. The Army Chief has harped for a greater collaboration between the corporate sector and the armed forces to bolster the military arsenal and platforms for combat preparedness.

It is notable that the Indian army has been on an acquisition spree of late to modernise much of its combat arsenal with the cutting edge weaponry.

Given the fact that the political relations with neighbours Pakistan have deteriorated to an all time low and the ongoing insurgency engulfing the Kashmir Valley scaling lofty heights, the Indian Army is gearing up on all fronts to keep its defence intact.

"Indian armed forces must fight the next war with indigenous solutions," he said while addressing a seminar organised jointly by the army and the Indian Technical Textil Association.

State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries had confirmed that it has closed another major deal worth USD 630 million with India to supply advanced long-range and missile defence systems for four ships of the Indian Navy.

Also Read: Indian Navy inks USD 630 million deal with Israel firm to make surface to air missiles in India

Indias artillery modernisation plans got a jump start on Thursday as after three decades of limbo, the Indian Army got first modern 155mm artillery guns.

Two of the 145 M-777 ultra-light howitzers ordered from the US arrived in New Delhi on Thursday morning. The guns will be tested at Pokhran in the evening on the anniversary of Pokhran test in 1974.

The deal, a major boost to the Make in India campaign, will be jointly executed with the Indian governments Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and comes close on the heels of Israels largest defence contract ever worth USD 2 billion to supply the Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems.

Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani told the gathering that the National Textile Corporation will have a specialised facility to develop clothes and other gear for the armed forces.

"There must be effective engagement between the armed forces and the industry," the army chief added. He also referred to combat dress and boots being supplied to the US Army by the Indian private sector and said there was a lot of scope for cooperation between the army and the domestic textile industry for developing dress material and other gear for the forces.

"There is huge budget with the Army that has been spent on textiles. It is high time that we look for indigenous solutions," he said. His comments come two days after the defence ministry broadly finalised a much-awaited policy under which select private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.

India is a leading importer of arms and military platforms globally and the current government has been maintaining that indigen sat manufacturing is of defence a priority area.

Rawat said discussions at the seminar must not be confined to files and official papers and practical steps must be taken to boost cooperation between the armed forces and the textile industry.

Irani said there must be cohesive alignment of cooperation between the textile industry and the armed forces.

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Jerusalem:

State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries has confirmed that it has closed another major deal worth USD 630 million with India to supply advanced long-ranger and missile defence systems for four ships of the Indian Navy.



The deal, a major boost to the Make in India campaign, will be jointly executed with the Indian governments Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and comes close on the heels of Israels largest defence contract ever worth USD 2 billion to supply the Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems.



IAI said the USD 630-million contract is for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems.



The LRSAM is a joint development by IAI and Indias Defence Research and Development Organisation. It comprises several key state-of-the-art elements, advanced phased-array radar, command-and-control system, launchers and missiles with advanced radio-frequency (RF) seekers.

Read | Land-attack version of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile test-fired by Indian Navy



The system provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and air borne threats. It is currently operational with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Israel Defence Forces. The Indian Army is also likely to deploy it soon.



The LRSAM was last week successfully tested in India as part of operational interception trial aboard Indian Navy ship demonstrating again the systems operational capabilities in a representative scenario with genuine target, a statement from IAI said.



All components of the weapon system have successfully met the goals set to them, the company said.



The contract will be carried out, for the first time, with Indian government-owned BEL which will serve as the main contractor in the project as part of the Make in India policy.



The new contract adds to other deals signed in the last decade by IAI with Indias defence forces, reinforcing IAIs global leadership position in air and missile defence systems. The inclusion of Indian governmental company BEL for the first time, is a step up in our relationship with the Indian industry as part of the Make in India policy, IAIs president and CEO, Joseph Weiss, said.

Read | Major boost to Make in India: India finalises strategic deal to build submarines, fighter jets



This unique project represents the close collaboration between Indias DRDO, IAI and the defence forces of both countries. We will proceed to implementing it with joint efforts, Weiss added.



We take pride, along with our partners in India, in the great results of the trial conducted last week, which reestablishes the Systems reliability and quality as well as its advanced technological capabilities, Boaz Levi, IAIs executive vice president and general manager of systems, Missiles and Space Group, said.



Israel last month closed a USD two billion defence deal with India, with IAI taking the lions share of it with contracts worth USD 1.6 billion.

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New Delhi:

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday filed another Rs ten crore defamation suit against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after the latters lawyer Ram Jethmalani called him a crook in court.

Kejriwals lawyer Ram Jethmalani used the statement 'guilty of crimes and crookery'. The matter is likely to be heard on Tuesday in the Delhi High Court.

Jaitleys lawyer Manik Dogra said, We have filed a fresh suit for defamation against Arvind Kejriwal seeking 10 crore in damages for ex facie defamation as his lawyer Ram Jethmalani in open court called Jaitley a crook. The statement of Jethmalani was recorded in the judicial order where he has stated that his said the words on specific instructions of his client.

Ram Jethmalani also used the statement 'guilty of crimes and crookery'. Matter likely to be heard tomorrow in Delhi HC.  ANI (@ANI_news) May 22, 2017

Last week, a verbal spat between Union Minister Arun Jaitley and senior advocate Ram Jethmalani had been witnessed in the Delhi High Court during the formers cross-examination in a defamation case against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The recording of Jaitleys statement in a civil defamation suit of Rs 10 crore filed by him against Kejriwal and other AAP functionaries could not take place as the Minister objected to the use of a word against him by the noted lawyer representing the Chief Minister.

Also Read | Defamation case | Ram Jethmalani's remarks against Jaitley 'scandalous,' let Kejriwal to step into box: HC

The Finance Minister, who appeared before Joint Registrar Deepali Sharma, had lost his cool and asked Jethmalani whether the word was used as per instructions from Kejriwal.

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Kolkata:

During a March to Nabanna (state secretariat) programme on Monday, several Left party activists and police personnel were injured in clashes at various places in the city and in neighbouring Howrah.

The march to the secretariat in Howrah district was organised by the Left parties to protest against what they called attack on democracy, and unemployment and lawlessness in the state during Trinamool Congress rule.

The Left activists tried to break police cordons at various locations including Mayo Road, Dufferin road, Hastings in the city and Foreshore Road and Santragachi in Howrah.

They allegedly hurled stones at the police prompting the force to fire tear gas shells and order lathi charge. Water cannons were also used to disperse the workers at Santragachi in Howrah.

The police said that the Left workers were asked not to proceed towards the state secretariat. But they did not listen to instructions and hurled stones at security personnel, in which several policemen were injured.

The Left party sources on the other hand said many of their leaders including former state minister Kanti Ganguly, Foward Bloc leader Naren Chatterjee and a number of workers were injured when the police resorted to the unprovoked batoncharge.

Some journalists covering the programme were allegedly beaten up by the police.

A senior police officer when asked about it said, I was not there but we have received some complaints in this regard. We will look into it.

Earlier in the day at least 12 CPI-M leaders including three MLAs - Sujan Chakraborty, Ashok Bhattacharya and Tanmay Bhattacharjee were detained when they tried to enter the state secretariat ahead of the March to Nabanna programme.

The Left leaders headed for the secretariat from the assembly in three cars and had managed to cross the security cordons. The police, however, recognised them at the north gate of the secretariat and a scuffle took place between them there.

The leaders were then detained and taken to Shibpur police station in Howrah.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not present at the secretariat as she was in Birbhum district for an administrative meeting.

CPI-M state secretary and politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra and Left Front chairman Biman Bose staged a sit-in at Mayo Road in protest against the police action.

Mishra said, Everything is being done according to the chief ministers instruction. But they (the TMC government) cannot stop us this way. A protest day will be observed tomorrow throughout the state.

Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee called the Left programme a drama and said it was nothing but an attempt by the CPI-M to justify its existence.

The CPI-M has been reduced to a signboard, he said.

They (CPI-M) do not work for the state. Instead they are holding this programme when the chief minister is trying to develop the state, he said.

Also read: Clashes between protesters and security forces take place in Kashmir on Friday

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Gujarat from Monday, during which he will attend the annual general meeting of African Development Bank in Gandhinagar and inaugurate some developmental projects.



The prime minister will also address two public meetings in Kutch district.



Modis visit will start with inauguration and laying of the foundation stone by him for various projects of the Kandla Port in Kutch district, followed by his address to a public gathering at nearby town Gandhidham.



Later in the evening, he will be in Bhachau to inaugurate a pumping station built on Narmada branch canal for the Kutch region. The PM will address a public gathering at Bhachau also.

Read | Modi Govt completes 3 years: A look back, details of policy decisions taken by Centre and BJP's rising dominance



Ahead of his visit, Modi informed his followers about the programmes for the next two days through his official Twitter account on Sunday.

Tomorrow I will begin a two-day Gujarat visit, during which I will join programmes in Kutch and Gandhinagar, the prime minister tweeted.



I shall inaugurate & lay the foundation stone for various projects of the Kandla Port and address a public meeting at Gandhidham, he said in another tweet.



Kutch has a very special place in my heart. It is blessed with the wonderful people and a remarkable spirit of resilience, said Modi, a former chief minister of Gujarat.



From suffering unimaginable destruction due to the 2001 quake, Kutch is today known as one of Indias fastest growing districts, he said.



Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat when the massive earthquake hit the state on January 26, 2001. Kutch was worst hit by that quake.



On Tuesday, I will be in Gandhinagar to participate in the opening ceremony of the meetings of the @AfDB_Group, the prime minister added.



The Annual Meetings of @AfDB_Group have chosen the very relevant theme of Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa, he said.

Read | Implementation of GST to be 'biggest achievement' of Modi govt: Assocham



On the sidelines, he will meet some of the distinguished delegates of the AfDB Group.The AGM is expected to see the participation of delegates from around 80 countries, including some African heads of states.



This is Modis third visit to Gujarat in the election year, as assembly polls are expected to be held later this year.



On April 7, he had visited Botad to inaugurate the phase II of the state governments ambitious Sauni project.



Earlier on March 8, he had visited Gandhinagar to address women sarpanch from across the country on the International Womens Day.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Bombay High Court on Monday extended Bollywood starlet Preeti Jains bail and admitted her appeal challenging a lower court order sentencing her to three years in jail on charge of conspiring to kill filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar.

A trial court in Mumbai had convicted Jain and two others on April 28, 2017 for conspiring to kill Bhandarkar apart from sentencing them to three years imprisonment. The court had on the same day suspended Jains sentence for a period of four weeks and granted her bail till May 25.

Jains appeal and application seeking extension of the bail granted to her came up for hearing on Monday before a vacation bench of Justice M S Karnik.The appeal is admitted. The order dated April 28 of the trial court granting bail to the applicant (Jain) is extended till June 7 when the matter will be listed before a regular bench, Justice Karnik said.

In the appeal against the conviction, Jain said that the trial court has erred in convicting her.The trial court in its order has said the FIR was not properly recorded and that the prosecution has not been able to prove the motive theory also against Jain, Jains lawyer Sujit Shelar said.

ALSO READ: Mumbai court grants bail to Preeti Jain in case related to kill Madhur Bhandarkar

The case dates back to July 2004, when Jain had lodged a complaint against Bhandarkar accusing him of raping her on multiple occasions since 1999 under the pretext of giving her a lead role in his films.

Bhandarkar had denied the allegations and the Supreme Court quashed the rape case against him in 2012. In 2005, Jain was arrested for conspiring to kill the film director.

READ: Court to give verdict on Madhur Bhandarkar attempted murder case against starlet Preeti Jain

The police claimed that the plot came to light when she approached the Akhil Bharatiya Sena to recover Rs 40,000 that she had allegedly paid to one Naresh Pardeshi to eliminate Bhandarkar. The filmmaker was one of the 51 witnesses whom the prosecution had produced before the trial court.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone pelters, has been awarded by the Army for his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations.

The Army Chiefs Commendation Card for Major Gogoi is seen as an indication that he is unlikely to be implicated for the incident by a Court of Inquiry which the Army maintains is still going on.

Major Gogoi has been awarded Chief of Army Staffs Commendation Card for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations, Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand said.

Sources said Major Gogoi was given the award during Gen Rawats visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week.

The Army Chiefs Commendation Card is considered a prestigious award and is given for distinguished services and devotion to duties.

A video, showing the man tied to the army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9, had triggered a public outcry, prompting the Army to institute a probe.

The CoI was tasked to look into the circumstance that prompted Major Gogoi to tie the Kashmiri youth to the jeeps bonnet as a human shield.

Also read: India must fight next war with indigenously-built weapons, says Army Chief General Bipin Rawat

Also read: Spending on defence considered a 'burden' by many: Army Chief Bipin Rawat



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New Delhi:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently probing what is being said in hushed voices since a long time. Kashmiri separatists are funded by Pakistan. A recent news channel 'expose' opened the can of worms and alleged that recent unrest in Kashmir Valley was directly financed by Pakistan's agencies.



The NIA questioned Kashmiri separatists for the second day on Sunday in connection with its probe into the role of LeT chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir.



But this is nothing new. In fact, the plot to induce tension in Kashmir was first unearthed in 2011 when NIA arrested Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, legal advisor to separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who had then floated his own front called Tehreeki-Hurriyat. The arrest happened a year after the 2010 round of protest and stone-pelting that paralysed normal life in the Valley for months.

Read | National Investigation Agency questions Kashmiri separatist leaders for second day



The NIA probe in 2011 revealed that Pakistan-based sources gave Bhat little over Rs 2 crore between 2009 and early 2011 through hawala channels.



But what is more interesting is the identity of these Pakistan-based sources. According to a report in Economic Times, individuals who had fled to become militants in the 1990s with the Hizbul Mujahideen and related outfits have now become the clogs in the terror-financing network.



Past their prime 'fighting' age, the terrorist seeking fresh relevance through this role include Maqbool Pandit in Pakistan, Aijaz Bhat in Saudi Arabia, Ginai in Delhi and Ghulam Mohammed Bhat in Srinagar and these are allegedly the last link to the Geelani-led separatist group, the report said.



Mohammed Maqbool Pandit, who fled to Pakistan two decades ago, is allegedly handling the Pakistan end of the financial network, which allegedly leads up to Geelani through Bhat.



"Maqbools daughter is, incidentally, married to Gulam Bhats son. Maqbool used his daughters phone frequently to convey messages to the Indian end. The first red flag came up in 2007 when a Tata Sumo was intercepted in Udhampur on its way to Srinagar with around Rs 46 lakh cash stashed in the CNG cylinder. Questioning of the couriers revealed that the money was handed over by Bhat who was to receive it himself at Srinagar for onward delivery to Geelani. The cash packaging also bore Hizbul Mujahideen stamp," the report said.

Read | JKLF chief Yasin Malik assualts journalist, files FIR against news channel



"Bhats premises were raided, he was placed under detention, but the case couldnt be fully rounded off. In 2011, he was picked up red-handed receiving money at Bemina Bypass, Srinagar, along with one Mohammed Sidiq Ginai, who too had gone to Pakistan in the 1990s. Ginai later revealed that one Col Abdullah and Major Iqbal of the ISI were his handlers in Pakistan until he was sent back via Nepal. Ginai had known Maqbool and teamed up with him in the latest enterprise to move money to the separatists, claimed the NIA chargesheet," it said.



Maqbool, it appeared never returned to India since he fled, and along with one Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, again a face from the 1990s, worked to raise funds in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Aijaz, according to NIA, later shifted to Jeddah, so as to help route the funds from Pakistan to India via Saudi Arabia.



Maqbool and Aijaz Bhat, though identified as absconders, remain at large outside India, while the case continues. The worry for agencies is that the ones oiling the supply chain are the hardcore terrorists of 1990s.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

BJP President Amit Shah said that south superstar Rajinikanth will be welcomed by the party but first he has to take a call to join politics. Shah's remarks came two days after the actor hinted about his intentions to enter into politics.

Speaking at a media event in New Delhi Shah said, "When he has to enter politics, how can I decide that? From our end, every good person is welcome to join politics."

ALSO READ: Rajinikanth will not join any other party, will float his own: TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar

On a question about Rajinikanth's intention to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon, Shah said that "Thousands of people come to meet Modiji. Good people working in every sector meet Modiji and they should meet."

Last week, Rajini asked his fans, who had gathered to meet him, to be prepared for war. It had given a strong signal that he might join politics. Looking at the Tamil Nadus legacy of actors turning into politics, it can be expected that the Tamilians may soon get a new star in politics.

ALSO READ: Will superstar Rajinikanth politics? His statement remain indecisive

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New Delhi:

Despite vowing to curb crimes in state, it seems that UP chief minister Yogi Adityanaths claims, to put law and order on track, have turned mere rhetoric. In another incident , a local Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants near Gopalpur Baghaut village.

The police informed Sumer Singh, SPs former district unit secretary was on his way to attend a wedding ceremony along with his friend last night when the two assailants, with their faces covered, overtook them and opened fire at the deceased, killing him on the spot, police said.

Police superintendent Sujata Singh said that an FIR against four persons has been lodged by the son of the deceased and prima facie the incident appears to be the fallout of election rivalry in the village.

Also Read | UP: Woman shot dead outside a police station in Mainpuri

Sumer Singh was the former village head and presently his wife is the gram pradhan, the SP said, adding that raids are being conducted to nab the assailants.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Family members of a 35-year-old woman have charged the district hospital in Kaushabi district of Uttar Pradesh with refusing ambulance facility which led to the man carrying his wife's body on a stretcher, a charge denied by the senior hospital officials.

The incident surfaced in a video which was later telecasted on local news TV channels.

The video showed the man, identified as Mahesh Chandra, pulling a stretcher on which his wife Malti Devi's body lay covered in white sheet after she died during labour pain.

Chandra also alleged that he was asked to pay Rs 800 for the vehicle.

Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Deepak Seth, however, said that the vehicle for carrying the body home was provided free of cost by the hospital.

"The news being shown in a section of media is misleading ... the man is pulling the stretcher only from the ward to the parking lot from where the vehicle carried the body home," Seth said, adding the woman was brought dead.

Refuting claims of the man that money was demanded for the facility, he said it could be some private vehicle owners outside the hospital who might have asked for money.

"The hospital vehicle is provided free of cost," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)

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New Delhi:

Doctors have confirmed that the condition of the two women on whom womb transplants were carried out last week is stable. The surgeries were carried out at Punes Galaxy Care Laparoscopy institute (GCLI).



On May 18, a 21-year-old woman from Solapur was the recipient of her mothers uterus to enable conception. She was born with a condition known as Mayer Rokitansky Kuster Hauser (MRKH) syndrome (congenital absence of uterus).



According to the doctors, normal blood flow was restored after seventy-two hours after the transplant and she has also started eating food by herself.



"She has started eating on her own. The Doppler study revealed normal blood flow in the entire uterus," oncosurgeon Shailesh Puntambekar, who carried out the transplant surgery on her along with 11 surgeons, was quoted as saying by the TOI.



The second woman, a woman from Vadodara, on whom a womb transplant was performed the next day also has a normal blood flow in the uterus.



"Forty-eight-hours have passed since the surgery and the transplanted uterus is showing normal blood flow. Except the urine catheter, all other tubes attached to her have been removed. The Doppler study on Saturday showed normal blood flow in the uterus," he added.

ALSO READ | Indias first womb transplant successful in Pune; mother donates uterus to daughter



As in the case of the woman from Solapur, she too was the recipient of her mothers uterus. She works as a beautician.



While the successful surgeries performed at GCLI Pune has offered new ray of hope to childless couples, another clinic, the Milann fertility clinic in Bangalore will also be performing two womb transplants in June.



It is reported that as many as 21 women have already enrolled for the procedures after the successful uterine transplants last week at GCLI in Pune.

ALSO READ | Premature babies? Artificial womb developed to improve their chances of survival
New Delhi:

A Chinese official said on Monday that his country has launched a fresh month-long crackdown on online pornography and fake news organisations in 11 provincial-level regions to clean up harmful information. Four teams of inspectors are handling the probe into online pornography and fake news organisations across 11 Chinese provincial-level regions.

The month-long investigation, which will finish on May 26, aims to clean up harmful information online, targeting live-streaming, cloud service providers, mobile apps and websites circulating pornographic content, the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications said in a statement.

Inspectors are also given the task of looking into news blackmailing, fake news, journalists and media organisations, it said. The investigation has been jointly launched by Chinas various anti-pornography, publicity and Internet-related authorities, and is being carried out in areas including Beijing and Shanghai municipalities, along with provinces of Guizhou, Jiangxi and Shaanxi, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

With PTI inputs

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Kathmandu:

At least six persons, including a former Miss India finalist, were on Monday evacuated from the higher camps of Mount Everest after they suffered from high-altitude sicknesses while attempting to climb the world's highest peak.

According to the expedition organisers, 52-year-old Sangeeta S Bahl, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, Argentine climbers Andres Esteban Pariz and Ricardo Dario Birn were airlifted from Camp II.

Phurba Tamang, a Nepali climber, were also brought to Kathmandu for treatment, Damber Parajuli, chairman of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times.

Officials said that the climbers are receiving treatment at different hospitals in Kathmandu.

"They are said to be out of danger," he added. Bahl, the Miss India 1985 pageant finalist and a former model, is undergoing treatment at a hospital, according to an official at the Himalayan Guides, a local partner of the Madison Mountaineering.

"Bahl's condition is out of danger," the official said.

A Chinese climber of Pioneer Adventure Treks and another Slovakian mountaineer were also evacuated from the higher camps after they suffered from high altitude sicknesses, according to the base camp officials.

Most of the evacuated climbers were affected by snow blindness and frost bite when they prepared for final summit pushes from the higher camps on the 8,848 meters tall Mount Everest, the report said.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Beijing:

There is no change in stance on admission of non-NPT states into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), marring Indias chances of entering the 48-member elite club at its crucial meeting next month, said China.

Chinas support is crucial for India as new membership in the NSG is guided by the consensus principle.

Chinas position on the non-NPT members participation in the NSG has not changed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing.

She was responding to a question about the chances of Indias admission into the grouping during the next months plenary session expected to take place in the Swiss capital, Bern.

We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 Seoul plenary session and following building consensus as well as inter-governmental process is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issue in a two-step approach, Hua said.

After India applied for membership in the NSG, Pakistan the all-weather ally of Chinaalso submitted its membership bid with Beijings backing.

While India is backed by the US and a number of western countries, China maintained that new members should sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Also read: OBOR standoff: India, China holding wide range of bilateral meetings and cultural events

India is not a signatory to the NPT. India says it will not sign the NPT as it regards it discriminatory.

After a series of meetings between officials of India and China, Beijing backed a two-step approach which stipulates that the NSG members first need to arrive at a set of principles for the admission of non-NPT states into the NSG and then move forward with the discussions on specific cases.

Analysts here say that with the bilateral discord between India and China increasing, especially after Indias boycott of last weeks Belt and Road Forum (BRF), Chinas stand on Indias admission into the NSG as well as on the UN listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar will be further hardened.

Chinas Belt and Road (BR) initiative is being opposed by India as it includes the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Also read: OBOR: China's economy faces slowdown, needs bigger push to grow; India toughens its stand on Dragon's Border and Road Project

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New Delhi:

An Indian cab driver has been hospitalised in Australia's Tasmania post racial attack by a couple. He has suffered many injuries.

The cab driver (whose name can't be disclosed) picked up a couple on Friday night and was heading towards Mc Donalds. According to reports, the female passenger kept opening the door even after victim's repeated reminders to close it.

The couple got angry and started abusing him. They then de-boarded the cab and started damaging it. Racial slurs were also screamed by the female passenger at the victim.

ALSO READ: Sikh man's murder in US being probed as possible hate crime

Thereafter, the male passenger punched the driver and pushed him to the ground. The Indian driver was then repeatedly kicked and punched by him. He also said, "You f****** Indian, you deserve it."

Later, few people came to rescue the driver. Police and ambulance then reached the spot and took him to the hospital. Police haven't checked even the CCTV footage, the victim alleged. However, an eyewitness has come forward and presented a video to the police.

ALSO READ: Racial attack against Indians in Ireland train: Woman screams 'Go back to India'

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New Delhi:

US president Donald Trump on Sunday acknowledged India as victim of terrorism during Arab-Islamic-US Summit at Riyadh. Trump was speaking before leaders of Islamic nations including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The US president vowed that he would work with all nations as the US to India and Australia to Russia-have been victim of terrorism and have witnessed several barbaric attacks.

Without citing the name of Pakistan, Trump urged leaders of the Middle East and Islamic countries to fight against the Islamic extremism which is being emanated from the region.

US President Donald Trump urges Muslim countries not to shelter extremists: AFP pic.twitter.com/2sTKOi2jbh  ANI (@ANI_news) May 21, 2017

The speech is seen as a reset in Trumps tone after his harsh campaign rhetoric on Muslims stirred concern in the Islamic world.

We are not here to lecture - we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship, instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all, said Trump.

Also Read: Trumps gifts to Saudi Arabia: Arms deal of USD 110 billion, joint-sanction on Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine

Speaking in Riyad Trump said, "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

Also Read: Democrats want impeachment of President Trump for his alleged involvement in obstruction of justice

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
North Korea just made a huge breakthrough in its nuclear program heres why you should be worried

Perhaps anticipating that the Trump administration and regional U.S. allies, including South Korea and Japan, are preparing to preemptively strike its nuclear weapons development program, North Korea is ramping up tests of ballistic missiles even as it works to perfect miniaturization of a nuclear warhead to place atop an ICBM.

The development program got a major boost over the weekend. A ballistic missile launched by the North on May 14 managed to successfully reenter the Earths atmosphere, a crucial test of performance vital to perfecting the design of a missile intended to hit targets thousands of miles away.

As reported by the U.K.s Telegraph, the liquid-fueled Hwasong-12 missiles reentry was confirmed by South Korean and U.S. defense officials.

Pyongyang earlier said the missile had reached a height of 1,312 miles before traveling about 490 miles and breaching Japans exclusive Air Defense Identification Zone then landing in the Sea of Japan, some 60 miles from Russia. (Related: Read Trump administration: Clock has run out on North Korea.)

The missile is believed to have a maximum range of 2,800 miles, putting most of Asia in reach, including substantial U.S. military assets in the region.

The Telegraph noted further:

The missile took a steep parabolic route that tested its ability to survive reentry into the atmosphere, with North Korean state media reporting that the missile  capable of carrying a large-size, heavy nuclear warhead to target the U.S. mainland  had come through the worst reentry situation and truck its intended target.

South Korean government sources confirmed those claims, who told JoongAng Daily that further analysis of the data link between the weapon and the Norths missile control center confirmed it survived the 5,000 degrees Celsius (9,032 F) and extreme vibration upon reentering the atmosphere, the Telegraph reported.

That is one of the last hurdles to building survivable nuclear-tipped ICBMs. Now all the North has to do is perfect the process of affixing a warhead atop a missile, and then building one capable of reaching the U.S., as China, its erstwhile ally, and much of Russia are already in range.

Experts say they estimate it will take Pyongyang another three years to upgrade from the Hwasong-12, which is considered an intermediate range ICBM, to a missile that can hit the United States. But again, the latest test indicates the North has made a grand stride forward in its missile development.

It should also be noted that, following a number of test launches, North Korean technicians and scientists have mastered the ability to conduct long-range command-and-control over missiles, another key element. In addition, Pyongyang has conducted five previous successful underground nuclear weapons tests, demonstrating that the regime has the technology to produce them.

Because of the latest test results, the Telegraph reported, the Trump administration has elected to extend the deployment of the U.S.S. Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group in the Sea of Japan. The group was scheduled to depart the region after another carrier, the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, was refitted at the U.S. naval base at Yokosuku, Japan.

The Reagan and its strike group launched to sea May 16 en route to the area where the Carl Vinson is currently stationed. Both aircraft carrier groups will conduct military drills alongside South Korean navy vessels in the coming weeks.

The development of the Hwasong-12 puts the Trump administration on a shorter timeline to have to deal with North Korea than any previous administration, which the president appears set to do with the deployment of two aircraft carrier battle groups and at least one Tomahawk-carrying Ohio-class submarine in recent weeks. Talks have been held with Chinese, Japanese and South Korean leaders, and its likely that North Korea was also a topic of discussion between U.S. and Russian diplomats as well.

Stay up-to-date and informed at Trump.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

Telegraph.co.uk

TheNationalSentinel.com

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Leading Luxury Lifestyle Group Continues Rapid Global Expansion with Nine New Hotel Signings; Announces Plans to Triple Existing Portfolio by 2022

NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /CNW/ -- Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group, home to its Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and soon-to-launch Unscripted Hotels brands, today announced another year of unprecedented international growth with nine new hotels expected to open in new destinations by the end of 2020.

"We signed more new hotel deals in the last six months than any other year in the company's history," said Dream Hotel Group chairman Sant Singh Chatwal. "After significant investment and repositioning from ownership to hotel brand and management, Dream Hotel Group now boasts its strongest portfolio ever, and we look forward to continuing to build on our success and expand our brands at a rapid rate."

Dream Hotel Group has 16 hotels open today and a robust pipeline of 26 additional properties, including these nine new locations, which, when open, are expected to bring the company's total property and room count to 42 and 10,034, respectively. With the largest and most active pipeline in the company's history, Dream Hotel Group is on track to increase its global footprint by 230 percent over the next four years, tripling its existing portfolio by 2022.

"These nine new developments are a testament to the strength of our brands, and I am proud to announce another record year of strategic growth momentum for the group," remarked Jay Stein, CEO, Dream Hotel Group. "We are finding that our lifestyle brands resonate well in both established and emerging destinations, and every step into a new market demonstrates our unwavering commitment to forging new and enriching partnerships with potential owners and developers across the globe."

Newly signed locations include primary and secondary markets around the worldfrom Dallas to Delhi, Upstate New York to Vietnam, the Maldives to the Dominican Republicand represent $750 million in new hotel development, all with independent development partners.

The news follows that of the highly anticipated summer launch of Dream Hotel Group's newest lifestyle brand, Unscripted, which is on track become the fastest-growing new brand in the company's history. A new hospitality concept for the progressive creative traveler, Unscripted will open its first location in Durham, North Carolina in July 2017.

Dream Hotel Group signed nine new hotel deals in the last six months, including:

Dream Oceanami Villas & Spa (Vietnam)  Fall 2017  Developed by Beegreen Group, Dream Oceanami Villas & Spa marks the first of four new locations to open in Vietnam. Located in Long Hai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the resort will feature 347 villas and eight dining and nightlife venues, including the brand's signature Dream Beach Club, fronting the South China Sea on a one-kilometer stretch of pristine beach.

Unscripted Cocobay Da Nang  Fall 2017  Developed by Vietnam-based Empire Group, the 160-room Unscripted Hotel will feature three dining and nightlife venues. The Cocobay complex will be the largest integrated resort complex in Vietnam with a walking street of shops and restaurants, a water park, a performing arts center, luxury apartments and residences, a beach club and eight hotels, including Unscripted Cocobay, all overlooking the South China Sea.

The Chatwal Lodge  Late 2018  Located in Bethel, NY, The Chatwal Lodge will be the second location to debut in The Chatwal collection of luxury hotels. Developed by Dream Hotel Group, the resort will feature 50 exquisite accommodations on 23 acres, including private villas, suites and rooms, and world-class culinary experiences crafted and managed by renowned chef Todd English and others to be announced soon.

The Chatwal Maaga Maldives  2019  Developed by local entrepreneur Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings, and the first of two new Dream Hotel Group locations in the Maldivian Islands, The Chatwal Maaga Maldives will feature 80 ultra-luxury villas, six private beach villas and two presidential villas, as well as three unforgettable culinary venues bringing fine dining and casual barefoot elegance to the lagoon's edge in picturesque North Ari Atoll.

Unscripted Dallas-Fort Worth  2019  Developed by Newstream Hotels & Resorts, the five-story hotel will feature 134 guestrooms and four restaurants and bars, including a rooftop lounge. Located in the town of Flower Mound, adjacent to Lake Grapevine and six miles north of DFW Airport, Unscripted Dallas-Fort Worth marks the first ground-up build and second U.S. location for the Unscripted Hotels brand.

Dream Delhi  2019  Developed by Asrani Inn & Resorts Private Ltd., Dream Delhi will feature 179 rooms and multiple food and beverage outlets, including a Food Hall concept by internationally renowned chef Todd English.

The Time Dominican Republic  2019  The Time Dominican Republic marks the group's first location in the Caribbean. Set to open in 2019, the upper-upscale resort hotel will feature luxurious beachfront guestrooms and suites, multiple dining and nightlife venues, and a spa.

Unscripted Dominican Republic  2019  Also slated to open in 2019, Unscripted Dominican Republic will feature spaces guestrooms and suites, and multiple food and beverage outlets.

Dream Gasveli Maldives  2020  Developed by local entrepreneur Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings, Dream Gasveli Maldives resort will feature 500 villas, eight experiential dining and nightlife venues, including the brand's signature Dream Beach Club, a 20,000-square-foot wellness spa, and more than a dozen designer brand retail outlets for exclusive duty-free shopping on site.

Dream Hotel Group also signed letters of intent to open hotels in the following markets: Austin, Phoenix, Orlando, Monterey and Long Island City, as well as the United Kingdom, Central America and Vietnam.

The company plans to sign more than 150 hotels and resorts across all its brands  Dream, Time, The Chatwal and Unscripted  in the next four years, continuing to solidify its burgeoning global portfolio.

About Dream Hotel Group

Dream Hotel Group is a hotel brand and management company with a rich, 30-year history of managing properties in some of the world's most highly competitive hotel environments. Home to its Dream Hotels, Time Hotels, The Chatwal and Unscripted Hotels brands, Dream Hotel Group encompasses three business lines: Proprietary Brands, Hotel Management and Dining & Nightlife. The company is committed to the philosophy that forward-thinking design, service and guest experiences should be available across all market segments. Dream Hotel Group is dedicated to offering travelers an authentic connection to their chosen destination through a truly original approach. For more information, visit www.dreamhotelgroup.com. Follow @dreamhotelgroup on Twitter.

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Saad Abubakar III, sultan of Sokoto, says the Almajiri system largely practised in northern Nigeria is not Islamic as it represents hunger and poverty.

The Almajiri system has children sent to distant places by their parents to learn the Quran but many of them end up as beggars.

Speaking at a pre-Ramadan meeting on Sunday, May 21, 2017 in Kaduna, the sultan said Islam frowns at laziness but encourages scholarship and entrepreneurship.

He stressed that attempts must be made to stop the practice and its association with the Islam faith.

The sultan appealed to the government, particularly at the state level to prioritise welfare of their citizens in the bid to address hunger and poverty.

Almajiri does not represent Islam, but hunger and poverty. Almajiri system of begging is not representing Islam and must therefore be distinguished from Islam, the sultan said.

Islam encourages scholarship and entrepreneurship and frowns at laziness and idleness as exemplified by itinerant Almajiri.Therefore attempt must be made to stop the practice Almajiri system of begging among Muslim faithfuls.

He further called on state governments to strengthen the institution of Zakkat  almsgiving  to address poverty.

The Kano State government recently revealed that there were over 3 millions of child beggars in the streets of the Northern state.








A British politician and former military officer, Eric Stuart Joyce has condoled with Nigeria over the reported death of their president, Muhammadu Buhari.Eric Joyce, who is also a former member of parliament for Falkirk West and Falkirk sent the condolence via his Twitter handle, @EricJoyce.Eric Joyce wrote, Very sad to learn, hear of the death of President Buhari, who I campaigned for. Thoughts with his wife @AishaBuhari and family.He went on, The President of one of the worlds largest and sensitive country died today [Friday] in London today. In our main news bulletins, not a word.In another tweet yesterday morning, the former parliamentarian added, UK is curiously uninterested in whether Nigerian president, reportedly in London is dead or alive.Nigeria is one of the most important countries of the world. Its by far the largest country in Africa; its the fastest growing economy there by a long chalk .I do stuff in Africa, the extractive industries and Scotland. Previous a UK politician and soldier. Some good moments and some not so good.See Screen shots:
NNPC Towers

Without a doubt, the reckless manner the nations oil industry was administered by past governments was shoddy, but remains so to this day, even in this dispensation of the change mantra where transparency and due process are being flaunted as trademarks of the oga at the top. Impunity by the government and its appointees may even be worse now than as witnessed in previous administrations.

How else can anybody describe the claim by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Kacchala Baru, that Oil Mining License (OML) 13 belongs to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), an operating subsidiary of the state-owned apex oil concern, if not to say that it was an effort at mischief?OML 13, a 1,923 sq km acreage, hosts the Utapate South and Ibibio fields, as well as a string of producing marginal fields including the Frontier oil operated Uquo, a gas accumulation and the 2,000 bpd Qua Iboe, operated by Network Exploration & Production Ltd.What was Baru up to in cajoling President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerias substantive petroleum minister, to revoke and allocate to NPDC oil licenses that were duly bidden for, won, and awarded to the successful companies? Did it not occur to the NNPC boss that NPDC as the operating subsidiary of the state-owned apex oil concern and as participant in the Nigerias upstream business should be subject to the same laws of the country as any operating company?Although Nigerias extant petroleum laws allow the Minister of Petroleum (who in our current case is also the President of the country) to award oil blocs on discretionary grounds, governance issues in the Petroleum Industry Bill, which the National Assembly is working on to pass into law anytime from now, grossly favors open, transparent and competitive bid rounds as the only transparent way to grant assets/acreages to companies in the upstream sector of the nations oil and gas industry, including the NNPC and its operating subsidiaries.What makes the retrieval and ceding of the oil bloc to NPDC more intriguing is the fact that this same government had, a few weeks before that December 20th presidential transaction, signaled intention to declare a transparent public lease sale of available oil blocs sometime in 2017, so why the hurry and secrecy?Being fair to President Buhari, lets assume he acted on the brief he got from the NNPC boss. The question now is: was it deliberate that the NNPC boss did not inform President Buhari that NNPC/NPDC also submitted a bid for one of the extant blocs in the 2007 open licensing round but lost as a result of low bid? So how could Baru misinform the president that the three blocs (2001, 2002, and 2003) belong to NPDC?That Shell Petroleum Development Companys license to operate OML 13 was revoked and the acreage back-converted to Greenfield and resized into three Oil Prospecting Licences (OPLs 2001, 2002, and 2003) was even acknowledged by the NNPC boss in a memo he routed direct to President Buhari and dated December 20, 2016, as reported. He also in his memo acknowledged that the three resultant acreages from the split OML 13 were openly bided and won in the 2007 licensing round.Would anybody blame the winners of the oil blocks as they are now alleging that the NNPC boss, and the Managing Director of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Yusuf Matashi, misled President Buhari in their secret meeting of 20th December 2016 to revoke the oil blocks without putting Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu in the picture.It beats rational thinking that the NNPC GMD could ask the President who is also the Petroleum Minister, to revoke the 2007open bid awards and merge all the three blocs as in pre-2007 era back to OML 13 and assign it to the NNPC operating subsidiary, NPDC by executive fiat. Haba! Whether Buhari asked for it or not, if Baru forwarded the request direct to the president without seeking legal advice from the Ministry of Justice, or consulting the Minister of State for Petroleum, then there is something sinister in his intentions.In his memo, Baru was quick to remind President Buhari that First Schedule of the Petroleum Act, Section 25 grants the minister, the power to revoke any license or lease based on the ministers opinion of performance on the license or based on non-compliance with the Petroleum Act.The NNPC boss also requested the president to grant approval for NPDC to bear the refund to the offerees of OPLs 2001 and 2003 for the sums of $46 million and $34 million, respectively, and thus absolves DPR of such refund obligation.His logic was that the inadvertent back conversion of OML 13 contravenes the principle of classification of OPLs and OMLs under the First Schedule of the Petroleum Act as the lease area met all requirements for conversion to an OML and already achieved a commercial production of 33,500 bpd of oil equivalent per day, which is above the stipulated 10,000 barrels per day.Curiously, the Presidents approval was also dated the same day with Barus memo of December 20, 2016. So the president read the over 30-page document and approved the same day! Do we still need to ask if there was hidden interest in both the GMDs request and the Presidents approval? What is actually going on in this country?If the NNPC boss is alleging malfeasance in the manner former president Obasanjo recovered, split and brought the contentious oil blocs to the 2007 open bid round, he should come plain and then lets look at the issue differently. But if he mischievously got President Buhari to grab back and cede the acreage to his organization, then he may be in for a long haul of controversy.Now, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presided over by Justice John Terhemba Tsoho on April 16th 2017 has issued notice of consequences of disobedience to order of court to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, over revocation of three oil blocks in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 13 by President Muhammadu Buhari, who acted in his capacity as the Minister of Petroleum.The contempt notice against Kachikwu in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2017, signed by the Court Registrar, Mr. Felix Udofia, was at the instance of Hi Rev Exploration and Production Limited, one of the three companies that won the blocks (OPL 2002) in the 2007 oil licensing rounds.We are waiting to see how this entire drama of the absurd will end. God bless Nigeria!Ifeanyi Izeze writes from Abuja. You can contact him at iizeze@yahoo.com


Few days ago, multiple media houses reported that the Ekiti State government intervened and stopped the burial from taking place in Canada as planned, with the intention of bringing the body back to Nigeria. The remains of late actress, Moji Olaiya, will be flown back to Nigeria after APC Chieftain, Bola Tinubu, offered his assistance. This was revealed by Olukayode Salako, husband of actress, Foluke Daramola, who's the secretary of the committee in charge of Olaiya's burial.Few days ago, multiple media houses reported that the Ekiti State government intervened and stopped the burial from taking place in Canada as planned, with the intention of bringing the body back to Nigeria.

The burial committee however issued a statement denying the reports, saying they were yet to get feedback from the state government concerning the burial. Olukayode Salako has now revealed that Ekiti Governor, Ayo Fayose, dismissed their request even though the Late Moji Olaiya was an indegene and Cultural Ambassador of the state.

Stating that they got assistance from Tinubu instead, Salako wrote;

WHEN SUCH A MAN OF CRUDE, DIRTY CHARACTER AND ORIENTATION IS IN CHARGE OF LEADERSHIP AND POWER

Burial Committee: Your Excellency, Moji Olaiya is dead and as an ambassador of your state, we would appreciate your support to fly her corpse back to Nigeria for befitting burial.

Governor: Who is Moji?! I don't know any Moji. Please, stop disturbing my phone!

What an aberration! What an akwardness and crudity in leadership! Meanwhile, Thank you Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu for always proving it that you remain among the only few reasonable, reliable and benevolent fathers of the Yoruba nation ever since. Moji's remains are coming back home.

Thank you Jagaban! Thank you all well meaning Nigerians who have contributed in one way or the other. Thank you sir! What a man with such a large heart!
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Jemaatu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar III has declared street begging...

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Jemaatu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar III has declared street begging by children, popularly known as Almajiri, unIslamic.He has therefore charged the government, particularly at the state level to rise to their responsibilities of ensuring welfare of every citizen.The Sultan stated these in Kaduna on Sunday while presiding over the pre-Ramadan meeting of JNIs Central Committee, held at the JNI headquarters.The event is an annual meeting meant to set modalities and guidelines for moon sighting and general muslims conduct in the holy month.Delivering his opening remarks, the Sultan said, the meeting would be discussing issues that affect Muslims and Islam in Nigeria and other parts of the world.While disclosing that, the issue of Almajiri would be among the challenges to address at the meeting, the Sultan said, Almajiri does not represent Islam, but hunger and poverty.According to him, Almajiri system of begging is not representing Islam and must therefore be distinguished from Islam. Islam encourages scholarship and entrepreneurship and frowns at laziness and idleness as exemplified by itinerant Almajiri.Therefore attempt, must be made to stop the practice Almajiri system of begging among Muslim faithfuls, he said.While noting that hunger and poverty were responsible for children begging on the streets, the Sultan charged the government, particularly at the state level to prioritise welfare of their citizens to address hunger and poverty.He also charged the state governments to strengthen institution of Zakkat and endowment to address wanton poverty.Prominent traditional rulers and Islamic scholars were in attendance at the meeting.
Chukwuemeka Ejiofor, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Biafra founder, Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, has recalled incidents of the civil war.

Chukwuemeka Ejiofor, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Biafra founder, Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, has recalled incidents of the civil war.

At age 21, he voluntarily joined the Nigerian Army as an officer before defecting to the Biafran Army when the declaration was made in 1967.

In 1970, after the war, he developed psychological and emotional problems. His father died of stroke and by the time he came back from the north, he had lost everything. His mentor and relative, Staff Sergeant Sylvanus Ezekwu also died during the struggle.

In 2008, Ejiofor, now 71, was asked to return home by his people to be their traditional ruler in Oyofo in Ezeagu LGA, Enugu state.

In an interview, he said We were systematically massacred in 1966. I was stationed in Lagos at that time and when it started, we had to escape at night to Enugu.

I feel sad. I was a victim of the Biafran war and you wont believe it that after the war, for many years I suffered from what I call loss of memory. I lost my memory. I didnt know all the things I had studied in college as the best student. It was very painful.

My saviour was that I escaped from Biafra and went into exile for many years. I gradually recovered because of the healing process. I had churches, charities, like St Vincent De Paul coming to help us come out from the environment of war. We were just lucky.

Three million was an underestimation. Every day, I pick little children from the road who were dead. There were many mass graves then that I lost count. I used to go to refugee camps to take children to Queen Elizabeth hospital, Umuahia by the next morning they are dead.

The blood of innocent Biafrans especially women and children is crying to God for vengeance because of the cruelty and injustice done to them. It can never die away. It is a spiritual thing that can never be erased.

We are not interested in our past. In Britain and the US, every November 11, they remember people who died in their first world war. They raise money for their veterans. We dont have that culture here.
Borno residents have appealed to the military to intervene in the increased suicide bomb attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in ...

Borno residents have appealed to the military to intervene in the increased suicide bomb attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the state.Across section of those interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri made the appeal on Sunday in Maiduguri.Malam Bakura Modu, a local hunter said that the wave of attacks especially in Maiduguri, has created negative impression about the current situation in the state.There is no doubt that the military has recorded great successes against the Boko Haram insurgents.But the recent spate of suicide bomb attacks is creating wrong impression in the media that the group is still strong, Modu said.He said that the military must live up to the expectations by finding quick solutions to the bombings.Modu said local hunters were ready to join the military in the search for the insurgents in the bush.We have been expressing our willingness to join the fight against the insurgents in the bush, but the military had always turned us back.We are hoping that this time around they will consider our proposal, he said.Mr Samuel Anjukui, a retired police officer corroborated Modus claim.The military has within a few months decimated the insurgents, reclaiming territories and rescuing many abducted persons.But the recent up surge in the number of suicide bomb attacks has created worries in the minds of the people, Anjukui said.He added: In the last few months it is almost certain that incidences of bomb blasts will occur every weekend.The situation has even worsened now as the blasts have almost assumed a daily dimension.Anjukui, however, expressed optimism in the ability of the military to address the situation.The military has the capabilities to address the problem; it must therefore rise up to the occasion by halting the negative trend.It is either they make use of high technology for early detection of explosive materials or take the battle to the door steps of the insurgents in the bush, he said.Malam Musa Inuwa a civil servant offered a different perspective.I think that the natives hold the key to ending the ugly trend the military has done its best by degrading the insurgents.But ending the crisis depend on the natives because the insurgents live among the people, they plan their attacks among the people.As long as the people are not willing to expose them, the attacks will continue, Inuwa said.(NAN)
Customers flying British Airways (BA) through its Abuja-London route and vice-versa from the Nnamidi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA)...

Customers flying British Airways (BA) through its Abuja-London route and vice-versa from the Nnamidi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA) would pay a slashed fare of $277 between May 15, 2017 and June 30, 2017 for one way trip.Mr. Kola Olayinka, British Airways Regional Commercial Manager, West Africa, said this in statement on Sunday in Lagos.The statement was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Mr Nosakhare Emma-Iyamu of QuadrantMSLGROUP,the communication outfit that handles BA media issues.Emma-Iyamu told NAN that the minimum airfare for a return-ticket from London to Abuja was usually $700 per passenger.This promotional offer from BA is to reaffirm our commitment to our loyal and esteemed northern customers, Emma-Iyamu quoted Olayinka in the statement.He said that the selling period for the slashed fare is from the 15th of May and outbound travel will be from 1st of June to 30th June.He said that BA resumed flights to and from the Abuja International Airport on April 20, after the Federal Government had completed the repairs of the Abuja runway that lasted six weeks.He also said that, BA recognizes that the six weeks period that the Abuja International Airport was closed, was indeed a tough time for their loyal northern customers and the move to compensate them with a slashed fee is coming at a right time.Olayinka said that the slashed fare would create an ease for travellers who fly the Abuja-London route, especially, as they planned to manage their travel budgets.He said that BA was dedicated to providing a first-class experience to their valued customers using the promotion as an incentive.
In a post shared on his Facebook page, former presidential media aide, Doyin Okupe, says Nigeria will not break up despite the recent drum...

In a post shared on his Facebook page, former presidential media aide, Doyin Okupe, says Nigeria will not break up despite the recent drums of war or the rumors of a coup attempt. Read what he wrote after the cut.





Yes, again and again there are drums of war, rumours of Coups and heightened cries for separation. Yet Nigeria will not break. I repeat as God liveth Nigeria is not about to break up .

Those who rely on what is seen physically and those who are not too knowledgeable about life may want to hold this assertion in derision.

Yet there is more than meets the eye in matters that controls the affairs of Nations and Men.





True, all the Ingredients required to justify a dismemberment of our union are fully present: inequality, injustice, nepotism, corruption, deception, sectional neglect and lack of inclusivity, mutual distrust etc; fortunately or unfortunately it is not in the manifest destiny of this great Nation to disintegrate.





To anyone who is discerning, it has been crystal clear that God has shown His guiding hand in the affairs of Nigeria since the June 12 debacle. God does not act in vain but for a purpose. It will be preposterous to assume that the purpose of God's intervention in the affairs of Nigeria in the past 25 years is to lead us to a break up.





In truth the Nigerian experiment or marriage is grossly imperfect and obviously not working. The Nigerian union presents some of the outstanding features of a dysfunctional marriage.





There is sustained anger, mutual contempt and distrust, lack of openness and poor communication among its component parts.





In recent times the health of Mr President has been a source of concern to all. But more importantly, the North is more apprehensive in view of the previous experience with late President Yaradua. But they are not willing to discuss this openly. Official handling of the situation suggests sectional protectionism rather than presenting a national problem seeking for a national solution. After all this is a President loved and voted for by nearly fanatical nationwide followers. Why should his adversity be borne and protected only by a section or just a few disciples?





On the other side are those, mainly southerners who gloat over the President's health challenges and cannot wait for power to be handed over to the Vice president and for the latter to actually assume the full status of the President, almost immediately. They rely exclusively on the provisions of the Nigerian constitution, totally ignoring the main and the central abiding political philosophy of power sharing in Nigeria.





Obviously there are serious and genuine fears across the divide. But as typical of a dysfunctional union, nobody is ready or willing to discuss these fears openly or even within leadership caucuses.





What we then get are heightened calls and counter calls for breakup of the country, calls for restructuring and official rumors of Coups.





This is not the way to develop a great Nation. There is need for a unity of purpose, an abiding faith in the Unity of the Nation. There is an urgent need to develop a national platform from which we can nurture the emergence of an elite political consensus from where we can always look at our problems as national problems and bring about unified national solutions. Then and only can our Nation be on its ultimate journey to its divine destiny of greatness
Following the recent outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Port Health Services and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA have instituted measures to ensure that the deadly virus does not find its way back into Nigeria through the seaports.Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim, informed newsmen over the weekend that all hands are on deck to intensify screening of seafarers coming into the country through the waterways and also ensure appropriate screening at all entry points into the port.She said NPA was giving all necessary support to the Port Health Services to ensure there are no loopholes in carrying out the checks.Last week, the federal government urged Nigerians to remain calm as it expressed committed to ensuring that the Ebola disease does not find its way into the country a second time.The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said this while inspecting thermal screening machines at the Port Health stand of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.We want to assure Nigerians that we have never stopped screening people, it has been going on at the international wing of all the airports in the country, although passengers may not have noticed it, the Minister said. There is no reason to panic, everything is under control. If there is a need to screen local passengers, we would do that but for now we are concentrating on passengers on international travels.The country began health screening at the seaports and international airports during the Ebola crisis of 2014.The Ebola disease first found its way into Nigeria on July 20, 2014, when an acutely infected Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, entered the country through the airport.Sawyer, who died in hospital five days later, set off a chain of transmission that infected a total of 19 people, seven of whom died.The World Health Organisation (WHO) commended the Nigerian Governments strong leadership and effective coordination of the response that in
Kaduna State Government has ordered an investigation into the discovery of five locally-made AK-47 rifles and magazines in a car that was involved in an accident last week.Recall that two vehicles were involved in an accident on May 12 at Mazuga, Kachia Local Government Area and during the rescue of trapped passengers, five rifles and magazine were found in one of the vehicles.In a statement in Kaduna yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, said after a briefing by the state Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Salisu Galadanci, Gover-nor Nasir el-Rufai ordered an immediate probe of the source of the weapons and possible prosecution of those involved.
A Yoruba group, known as Igbimo Odo, has warned that alleged Northern gang-up to harass and intimidate former Aviation Minister, Femi Fan...

A Yoruba group, known as Igbimo Odo, has warned that alleged Northern gang-up to harass and intimidate former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani Kayode or other leaders from the South West will no longer be tolerated.





In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ologun Ayodeji, the group warned that it will resist any attack on Fani-Kayode.

Igbimo Odo issued the warning while reacting to threats by Arewa Youth Forum saying Fani- Kayode should be ready to face the consequences if his verbal attack on President Muhammadu Buhari continues.

The group stated that its ready to use every legitimate means to resist and respond decisively to any form of aggression on Yoruba and its people.

Describing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a true born Yoruba son, a patriot and committed citizen of Nigeria, the group insisted that he remains one of the most vocal opposition voice.





The statement reads, The Igbimo Odo Yoruba, have watched with utmost dismay, the growing threat and assault to free speech, by some elements, from a section of the northern region of Nigeria. Most recent of these threats, is a statement, credited to a paid gang, which prides itself as the Arewa Youth Forum, which in a statement signed by one Gambo Gunjuju, warned a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani Kayode, against what he described as Chief Fani Kayodes verbal attack on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Northern Elders. The self self styled Arewa group in the said statement, also posited, that Chief Femi Fani Kayode should be ready to face the consequences of his verbal attacks if he continues. Hence, necessitating our reaction.



While we sympathise with these elements, who rather than tap from the eye opening patriotic criticisms of Chief Fani Kayode, to liberate themselves from the mental slavery that todays generation of Northern youth have become victims of, they have chosen the path of perdition, by declaring their willingness, to become a willing tool in the hands of the a northern oligarchy, which has held their region and the entire nation on hostage, particularly since the imposition of the ineffective leadership of President Buhari on Nigeria, since 2015.

While we are not moved an inch, by these empty threat by the cowardly group, we wish to remind them, that Chief Femi Fani Kayode is a true born Yoruba Son, a patriot and committed citizen of Nigeria. May we also inform these gang and their sponsors, that the Yoruba Race, particularly the youth, are more than prepared to resist, any form of assault or attack by whatever means, on Chief Fani Kayode or any of our leaders.

For the sake of the Nigerian people, particularly those, who have increasingly appreciated the patriotic criticism of the incumbent ineffectual regime, by Chief Femi Fani Kayode, who today remains the most visible patriotic opposition voice in the country, we want to assure them that no amount of gang-up to harass and intimidate Chief Femi Fani Kayode or any of our leaders, will be tolerated at any given time. We are resolved, to use every legitimate means within our reach to resist and respond decisively to any form of aggression on our land and its people.

Let it be noted by all, that the Yoruba nation are no strangers to antics of the North and its agents like the paid gang of Arewa Youth Forum, in their perpetual attempt at making others feel inferior in a nation that we all own and much more in our own land, going by their latest threats and actions.

In lieu of the above, we are calling on all patriotic Nigerians, to resist this cowardly attempt to internally colonise Nigerians again, by these self serving elements from a section of the northern Nigeria, who are devilishly determined to sustain a nearly totally collapsed Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari on Nigerians. We also urge Chief Femi Fani Kayode and other patriots, who are currently giving their best, to salvage this Nation, from the unprecedented failure of leadership, not to be distracted by the antics of these agent provocateurs.


The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has asked the Nigerian Army to be courageous enough to accept responsibility of its action of atta...

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has asked the Nigerian Army to be courageous enough to accept responsibility of its action of attacking and molesting IPOB women during their Womens Conference on May 19, 2017, in Abiriba, Abia State, instead of lying and trying to exonerate itself from its barbaric act.But in a swift reaction to the accusation, the Nigerian Army denied the allegation by the IPOB, saying nothing of such happened. IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Powerful, alleged that it has been the routine of the Nigerian Army and other military organizations, to lie and exonerate themselves any time they take an action in the public that seemed to tarnish their image in Nigeria and in the face of the international community. It is unfortunate that the Nigerian Army would deny the attack, molestation and harassment of our mothers during their Women Conference in Abiriba, even when the pictures and videos of the foot soldiers are going viral on every social media platform.It is also an act of cowardice for the Nigerian Army to claim that the 78 pictures already trending on the social media were photo-shopped and stage-managed by IPOB to ridicule the image of the Nigerian Army, when the Army in Nigeria and other military formations have at one time or the other done things that put their image at stake and ridiculed them in the face of Nigerians and the international community. So, this latest one is not the first and an exception. We, the entire Biafrans and members of IPOB and our leadership worldwide led by Mr. Nnamdi Kanu wish to use this opportunity to highlight to the entire public that the Nigerian Army has lied again by trying to exonerate themselves from the attack and molestation of IPOB women during their annual conference in Abiriba, Abia State.The Nigerian Army and police stormed the venue where the IPOB women were holding their womens meeting with the intention of disrupting the meeting, molesting and arresting them, but to their surprise, all the women stood their ground and resisted them. They thought they were going to overpower them because they were women, but they saw a different Biafran women in action. It is an indisputable fact from information, photographs and video shots available to us, that some women were arrested nu.de, and their arrest resulted to the other women protesting naked on the streets of Abiriba in Abia State.But in a statement issued by the Headquarters, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, they described the allegation as comical. Signed by Colonel Sagir Musa, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Nigerian Army further described the allegation as funny and as way to discredit the Nigerian Army.According to the statement,Let me make it clear that the drama and the allegation that followed are deliberately staged by IPOB. The allegation, just like others before it, is false, sheer IPOBs propaganda to discredit the Nigerian Army, which at the moment, they will not succeed. Hence, I was able to confirm from the Officer in Charge of patrol of Abiriba and its environs, Major Danjuma Ali, and the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Abiriba, Superintendent Titus Ugwuoke, who briefed me. There was no truth in the IPOBs accusation.Details of what transpired according to Colonel Musa was that on Thursday 18, May 2017, at about 17.05 hours, soldiers of 14 Brigade on routine patrol in Abiriba general area, received a distressed call which alerted them of massive presence of IPOB women wing in Abiriba Stadium. Most of them (women) were carrying Biafran flags, banners and other insignia. Majority were dressed in Biafran T-shirts. Instant intelligence revealed that majority of the women came from Aba, Awka, Onitsha, Owerri and Port Harcourt axis as reflected on the various banners exhibited in the stadium. Consequently, own patrol team was monitoring the situation.By Friday, May 19, 2017, at about 09.30 hours, women in large number surged towards the stadium. It was at that point the patrol team moved close to the arena, with intent to monitor them further. On sighting the team, the women ran out, removed part of their dresses and converged in an alternate venue where the Divisional Police Officer, Abiriba and His Royal Majesty Eze Ogbu of Abiriba addressed the gathering. After the Ezes address, they peacefully dispersed to their various destinations. His royal Majesty, Eze Ogbu has since briefed the Local Government chairman and members of the Local Government Security Council on the matter, and there was nothing to suggest that the women were rough handled or arrested.On the basis of the declared details, it is reasonable to assert that there was no contact between army personnel and the IPOB women wing in Abiriba or in any part of the South Eastern Nigeria. So, it is the position of 82 Division Nigerian Army that no woman was harassed, molested or arrested as comically staged/alleged. It is pertinent to state that the leadership of the Division is doing much to ensure that human rights are protected at all times, Musa said.
Kano State House of Assembly has suspended indefinitely the investigation of the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi ll, the Speaker of the house, Alhaji Kabiru Alhassan Rurum has said.Speaking to Daily Trust on phone, Rurum said the decision to stop the investigation followed a letter from the state Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who pleaded with the lawmakers to suspend the probe.Rurum explained that the state lawmakers deliberated on the letter and agreed to stop the investigation of the emir.He said 34 out of the 40 members of the house attended the sitting and they had all voted in support of stopping the investigation.
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has called for partnership with the North, in order to export education to the region, in exchange...

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has called for partnership with the North, in order to export education to the region, in exchange for farmers.Okorocha made this statement in a release to newsmen by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, yesterday, in Owerri. According to the release, Governor Okorocha spoke when the Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Colleges of Education, Prof. Aliyu Muhammadu, led a delegation from the body to pay him courtesy visit at the Government House, Owerri.He said: What the nation needs more at the moment are citizens who are Nigerians in spirit or at heart and not just those who are Nigerians in name, for the nation to make progress, regretting that Nigerians of this generation have allowed religion and ethnicity to divide them.Until we have that, we may not be heading the proper direction. We have allowed religion and ethnicity to divide us, and so many sentiments of human existence to divide us, while the actual disease we have, which is poverty, we have not collectively tackled.Also, I am happy you have made people to understand that Alvan Ikoku College of Education is moving to a University of Education and there is need for replacement and that, we are doing speedily in trying to provide three colleges of education in the state. We promise to increase our speed in this regards. Our plan is to have three Colleges of Education, one in Okigwe, one in Orlu and one in Owerri.Our plan is to finish them before we handover in 2019. We have adequate partnership with your commission. It was Okorochas view as captured by Onwuemeodos release that the governor promised that before the commission comes back by December, they will see a massive improvement on what is on ground already and must be the pivot upon which other developments must evolve.I call for partnership with the North so that we can tap from each other. We can export education to the North through sending of teachers and they can equally export agriculture to us through the sending of farmers.
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Supreme Court to shun an appeal brought before it by the partys sac...

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Supreme Court to shun an appeal brought before it by the partys sacked National Caretaker Committee led by Ahmed Makarfi.The PDPs National Executive Committee (NEC), led by Ali Modu Sheriff (Chairman), Prof. Wale Oladipo (Secretary) said the Makarfi Committee, having been declared illegal by the February 17, 2017 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, lacked the powers to take decisions for the party, including initiating court proceedings in its name.The PDP leadership stressed this position in a written argument it made in support of an application it filed on March 21 seeking the striking out of the appeal filed on February 27 by the Markafi Committee against the February 17 Appeal Courts judgment. The written submission was filed on May 10 in compliance with the Supreme Courts directive on May 4.The PDP leadership is contending that the Makarfi Committee did not obtain the PDPs authorisation to appeal in its name and on its behalf, because the PDP under the current leadership, was comfortable with the Appeal Court judgment and does not intent to challenge it.It contented, in the address written by a group of lawyers, led by Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), that since the Court of Appeal, in its February 17 judgment, declared that the Sheriff-led NEC is the authentic leadership organ of the PDP, the Makarfi-led Committee could no longer pursue an appeal in the partys name.The Sheriff-led PDP leadership argued that the decision of the Makarfi committee to file an appeal in the name of the PDP without its (the partys) authorisation was not only illegal, it violated the partys constitution.Relying on the provisions of Chapter 5, Articles 35(1), 36(1) and 42(1) of the PDP constitution, it argued that the party, with a corporate personality, could only act through the principal national officer, whose powers and functions are stated in the constitution.It referred to a May 18, 2016 judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital territory (FCT) ordering a return to status quo as at May 18, 2016 and the subsequent judgment of the Federal High Court in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/464/2016 to the effect that only the Sheriff NEC could instruct lawyers for the party, and urged the Supreme Court not to hear the appeal.The Sheriff-led PDP leadership noted that it had not by its argument said the Makarfi Committee could not appeal the May 17 judgment of the Appeal Court, having been parties in the case from the trial court, it (the Makarfi Committee) or its members could only appeal as interested parties after first, obtaining the courts leave to so appeal.In the substantive appeal, among other issues, Sheriff/PDP lawyers urged that the appeal should either be dismissed or struck out because the supposed appellants (Makarfis PDP) did not obtain neither the leave of the Court of Appeal nor that of the Supreme Court before filing the appeal which is based on mixed law and facts.In a counter argument, the Makarfi Committee, represented by a group of lawyers, led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), urges the court to discountenance the Sheriff NECs arguments and proceed to hear its appeal. It among others, urged the Supreme Court to set aside the Appeal Courts judgment of February 17.In its argument dated May 15, the Makarfi Committee queried the legitimacy of the application filed by the Sheriff-led NEC and argued that it was not only strange, but intended to frustrate the hearing of the main appeal.It argued that it was wrong for Sheriff and others to ask the court not to hear the appeal after briefing Akin Olujinmi (SAN) to represent them in the substantive appeal and filling a respondents brief, in which they also made similar arguments in relation to the competence of the appeal.Relying on Order 8 Rule 6 (1), (2) and (4) of the Supreme Courts Rules, the Makarfi Committee faulted the March 15, 2017 letter of the Sheriff-led NEC applying to withdraw the appeal and the subsequent application for its strike out. It argued that since Sheriff and others did not file the appeal, they lacked the right to apply to withdraw it.In a response on point of law, filed by Fagbemi on May 18, the Sheriff-led NEC faulted all legal arguments by the Makarfi Committee, urged the court to discountenance its contention and hold that it lacked the locus standi to file an appeal in the name of the PDP, having been sacked by a subsisting judgment.On the issue of representation, they explained that while Fagbemi and others were representing the PDP as a party, Olujinmi was leading a team for Sheriff and Oladipo, sued in their personal capacities and representing the National officers, NWC and NEC of the PDP.The Makarfi Committee has, however filed papers, seeking to regularise their processes. But, this was done after parties had joined issues and briefs exchanged.It was learnt yesterday that the Supreme Court had rescheduled the hearing of the appeal relating to the PDP leadership dispute for today (May 22).The court had, on May 4, ordered the filing of the written briefs and adjourned till May 25 for hearing. It could not be ascertained yesterday what informed the courts decision to bring the date forward.
Contrary to reports that the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has offered to fly the remains of late actress for proper burial as again...

Contrary to reports that the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has offered to fly the remains of late actress for proper burial as against the scheduled burial in Canada, the cost of that will be borne by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.





Husband to actress, Foluke Daramola and founder Coordinator of Change Agents of Nigeria Network (CANN), Olukayode Salako thanked Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu for sponsoring the Burial of Moji Olaiya, especially the transporting of the corpse back to Nigeria, He wrote that the burial committee called Governor Ayo Fayose and he responded that he doesn't know any Moji Olaiya.





He wrote:

WHEN SUCH A MAN OF CRUDE, DIRTY CHARACTER AND ORIENTATION IS IN CHARGE OF LEADERSHIP AND POWER .

Burial Committee:

Your Excellency, Moji Olaiya is dead and as an ambassador of your state, we would appreciate your support to fly her corpse back to Nigeria for befitting burial

Governor:

Who is Moji?! I don't know any Moji. Please, stop disturbing my phone!

What an aberration!

What an akwardness and crudity in leadership!

Meanwhile,

Thank you Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu for always proving it that you remain among the only few reasonable, reliable and benevolent fathers of the Yoruba nation ever since.

Moji's remains are coming back home.

Thank you Jagaban!

Thank you all well meaning Nigerians who have contributed in one way or the other.

Thank you sir!

What a man with such a large heart!
The Nigerian Air Force Component of Operation Lafiya Dole said it has destroyed operational base of the Boko Haram insurgent group in th...

The Nigerian Air Force Component of Operation Lafiya Dole said it has destroyed operational base of the Boko Haram insurgent group in the Sambisa forest.According to the Director of Public Relation and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore, Olatokunbo Adesanya, an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission in the Sambisa general area was carried out as part of on-going efforts to clear the area of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists group.The NAF Spokesman said On 16 May 2017, the Nigerian Air Force Component of Operation LAFIYA DOLE conducted an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission in the Sambisa general area, as part of ongoing efforts to clear the area of remnants of the Boko Haram Terrorists group.During the ISR mission, a black vehicle and some Boko Haram Terrorists were seen on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest. A confirmatory ISR mission on 17 May 2017 revealed that the Boko Haram Terrorists are attempting to build a logistics base in the location.Accordingly, Nigerian Air Force fighter aircraft were immediately called in to carry out strikes on the location. Subsequent battle damage assessment revealed that some of the structures and vehicles in the location were engulfed in an inferno and destroyed.In addition, several Boko Haram Terrorists within the structures under the tree were possibly killed by the strikes. It will be recalled that the Nigerian Air Force, in a recent attack, frustrated attempts by the Boko Haram Terrorists to regroup in the Sambisa general area.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said that Nigerians have the right of complaining for hunger in view of the e...

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said that Nigerians have the right of complaining for hunger in view of the economic situation in the country but that the worst situation was over. Senator Ngige said that the Federal Government has recorded remarkable impact with just one completed budget cycle, stressing that with the passage of the 2017 budget, it was expected that Nigerians will witness tremendous economic improvement. The Minister who was speaking with newsmen in Abuja while revealing the two years score card of the President Muhammadu Buharis All Progressives Congress, APC-led administration, appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the government. According to him, We have fought recession and I can tell you that by next quarter, Nigeria will be out of recession completely and we take onto full growth. Right now, the growth we are witnessing is growth out of contraction.The APC government has done only one budget cycle and that budget cycle ended May 5 in terms of capital. That same budget cycle has seen us spending a lot of money on infrastructural development. You go all over the federation, you see road construction going on. Companies are back to sites. I can measure the level of success and tell you.This is because the construction workers union has come to tell me that those on stood-off, those on half pay, those who were laid off completely; that they have been called back. That shows me we are making a lot of progress. You go to some parts of Nigeria, you see old roads being rehabilitated and new roads being done. New railway lines are also being marked and laid. Railway workers going back to work. So for me, I do know that with only one budget cycle done, and we have achieved this level of success, by the time we do the second year budget cycle, which is going start immediately this new budget is signed and end next year, I can tell you Nigerians will feel greater impact. I dont have doubt whatsoever.Yes, Nigerians tell us they are hungry, we know and they have the right to say so. But I tell you, the worst is over. The good days shall be ours again. The area of leakages in the system where people get easy money is blocked. The single treasury account system has blocked a lot of money from sinking down as corruption money. The current method of payment has also removed the ghost workers too. These ghost workers are workers who pretend to be one in three.They collect three persons payment but with the IPS system, it is now one man, one payment, one woman, one payment. Equal job, for equal pay. The Minister further said, So, we are asking Nigerians to give us the benefit of the doubt, to be a little more patient with us. We are doing what they sent us here to do. They sent us with their votes and told us to come and salvage a government that was drowning and we are doing just that. So, we are on a rescue mission and every rescue operation is no easy thing.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, yesterday claimed that the nations judiciary is under threat.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, yesterday claimed that the nations judiciary is under threat.





He made this statement during a thanksgiving service at the Methodist Church Nigeria, Abuja Diocese, Zone 3.

He lamented that judicial officers in the country were being castigated and accused of corrupt practices by agents of the Federal Government and politicians without giving them an opportunity to be heard.

I did not set out to be a Judge, but today I am a judge by divine intervention. It is the Lords doing, mine is to follow. My prayer is that God should help me and should not let me down.

I thank Nigerians for attending this event. It is supposed to be personal thing between me and my God, but I have no hiding place. I thank God for fulfilling His promise to me.

The Judiciary is under threat. Judges and judicial officers, including myself are being castigated without giving opportunity to be heard, but God knows our heart.

He cited the case involving Anambra Central Senatorial election where a senator had accused the judiciary of robbing her of her mandate.

Dignitaries at the thanksgiving service presided over by the Archbishop of Abuja Diocese of the Church, the Most Rev. Joseph Oche Job, included the Head of Service of the Federation, former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, his Cross River State counterpart, Senator Liyel Imoke, the Chief Judge of Cross River State and Senator Ndoma Egba.

Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) also attended in their numbers including Adegboyega Awomolo and his wife, Bayo Ojo; Niyi Akintola; Sabastine Hon; Alex Izinyon; Joe-Kyari Gadzama; Damien Dodo; Sunday Ameh; Yakubu Maikyau and Godwin Obla.
A lecturer at the Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese Ijebu, Dr Oluseyi Adu, and a Dental Nursing student, Mosunmola, are embroi...

A lecturer at the Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese Ijebu, Dr Oluseyi Adu, and a Dental Nursing student, Mosunmola, are embroiled in a row over who is responsible for the pregnancy that the nursing student is carrying.

Mosunmola, who is nine months pregnant, alleged that Adu was responsible for the child in her womb, adding that they had sex in a hotel sometime in August, 2016.

She said the lecturer beat her up last month when she confronted him at the college for avoiding her, adding that the case was already at the Ilese Police Station.

However, while Adu admitted to having sex with the 28-year-old, he insisted that he used contraceptive, saying the lady seduced him and he gave in to the temptation.

Mosunmola said that she underwent a three-year course at the college, adding that several lecturers had asked her out before Adu, but she refused.

She said, Dr Adu is the Oral Health Coordinator for the college. During my three years study, he taught me two courses each semester. I have never failed his course.

When I got to second semester, 300 level, he awarded me 38 in one of his courses. I went to his office in August 2016 to know why I failed the course. I needed to pass all my courses to be able to go for my board exam.

He asked me if I thought I could just come to the school and go like that. He said if I dated him, he would waive the course. He said he didnt approach me in 100 level because another lecturer was interested in dating me.

The lecturer he mentioned told me in 100 level that it was either I paid him money or used my body to pass his course. Because I didnt agree, I failed his course. I didnt pass it until I got to 300 level.

I told Adu that I would date him, but I didnt want to have any problem, and he assured me that there would be no regret.

The victim said the lecturer took her to the office of the Head of Department and after some discussions, it was agreed that she could sit for the board exam.

After the board exam at POGIL College of Health Technology, Oke-Eri, Ijebu Ode, on August 21, Adu, who was among those on the panel, was said to have given Mosunmola some of his practical instruments and a laptop for safekeeping.

However, Mosunmola said when the school bus arrived to take the students back to the school; she forgot to give the practical instruments back to the lecturer.

I was preparing to leave when he called me back that I would be sleeping over with him. I met him with another lecturer in my department. I observed that the lecturer also had a female student with him.

From the hotel, we went to different places before we finally lodged in another hotel along Ilese Road. While I was with Adu in a room, my other classmate passed the night with the second lecturer in another room.

We had three rounds of sex. He didnt release on time. He used two condoms for the first two rounds. The third round was, however, flesh-to-flesh. That was when he ejaculated inside me, she explained.

She said when Adu heard the news, he reluctantly accepted responsibility, but allegedly gave her a drug, Eprostol, to abort the pregnancy.

She said, I refused to take the drug because the prescription was not from a medical doctor. He came down to my place to persuade me to take the drug, but I still refused.

He asked me what I wanted and I told him that I needed to change my accommodation because the pregnancy was a shameful thing for me. He told me not to worry, that he would handle it. After that, we had sex.

When he left that day, I could not find my phone again. By the time I got another phone and called him, he started acting funny. Sometimes, he would just laugh at me.

Mosunmola said attempts by Adus HOD, dean, and provost to mediate were rebuffed by the lecturer.

The victim said she later approached the Human Rights Office of the Ogun State Ministry of Justice at Ijebu-Ode, where a lawyer, one Kolade, called the parties for a meeting.

Adu was reported to have agreed to pay N5,000 feeding allowance per month, in addition to paying N7,000 for ante-natal registration.





After paying the allowance for two months, Adu reportedly stopped. The parties reportedly held another meeting in March at the human rights office to review the agreement.

Conflict was said to have broken out among the parties when Mosunmola presented a list of things required for her delivery, which she valued at N50,000.





Adu was said to have insisted on paying N30,000, which the 28-year-old refused.

I didnt have any accommodation and I couldnt buy any of the drugs the doctors prescribed for me. I told him I would only manage the N50,000. He left in annoyance.

Since March, the lawyer didnt call us back and Adu refused to pay the N5,000 he used to give me every month. I called the lawyer late March and asked him to help me get the N30,000, but the lawyer said I should not call him again, she said.

After reporting the lecturer to the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Health, where Adu also worked, without any result, Mosunmola said she became desperate and went to the college on April 13 when she knew Adu would be taking a class.

I am now in my 38 weeks and anytime soon, I will have my child. I am an orphan and I dont have any of my baby items ready. I am begging Nigerians to come to my rescue. I know I have made a mistake, but I need a second chance at life. I dont have anywhere to go. It is a church that is accommodating me now, she said.

When asked to raise the N50,000 for the baby things, Adu said he had no money and would not borrow because Mosunmola had turned him to a cash cow.

Adu said, She was one of my students; but on a personal level, I never knew her until after they released her final results and she failed some courses, including mine.

Her HOD asked her to come and ask me if I could waive the course for her. She called me on the phone and came to see me in the office. That was my first contact with this lady. When she made her request, I met her HOD who said I should assist her. He said even if I did, she might not sit for the board exam because of the other courses she failed. So, I passed her.

When they sat for the board exam, I was surprised to see her and I asked her HOD why she wrote the exam when she had other courses she failed. He said people begged for her.

After the board exam, she came to thank me for the assistance and she asked to carry my bag and the instruments I used to conduct the exam. By the time she was leaving, I collected my bag from her, but I forgot my instruments with her.

That day, I went to hang out with my friend at the pool of a hotel where we lodged. Suddenly, I remembered my instruments and I called her to keep them well. But she said she could come to where I was and she came. After dropping the instruments, she didnt leave as I expected and I decided not to bother her.

We were together at the hotel till evening. One thing led to the other. My brother, she slept in my room that night and we had (sexual) intercourse. This was a girl I never dated or had any relationship with.

He said by weekend, Mosunmola called him that she was pregnant, adding that she later said she was only joking about it and wanted to see his reaction.

Adu said the call made him to stop communicating with Mosunmola and he did not respond anytime she called, until she sent him a text message saying the pregnancy had become real.

He said, I decided to travel down to Ijebu to see her. She brought out the test result and said I was responsible. I told her I used a condom and she couldnt tell me that my condom burst.

She said if I was afraid because I was married, I should not bother because the pregnancy actually belonged to her boyfriend and she merely wanted to see my reaction. I warned her and left.

The next time she called me, she said how would she take my pregnancy to her boyfriend, and that I should take responsibility for it. She said she would abort the pregnancy if I wanted her to, but I must rent a house for her in Ijebu Ode and then she described the kind of house she wanted.

When I heard that, I told her to do her worst, because it was obvious to me that she just wanted to blackmail me. She had been going round different places, telling people that I impregnated her.

The question I ask is, did I rape her? Did I hypnotise her? You came to meet me where I was and we had fun, and now you are pregnant, and you are telling me I am responsible for a pregnancy I am denying?

The medical practitioner said he reluctantly agreed to pay the N5,000 after much persuasion by the human rights lawyer, adding that he regretted the agreement because Mosunmola used it to make more demands on him.

When she brought the list for the baby things, I asked her, Why are you making me as if I am the father of your baby? Am I your husband?

She suddenly flared up and said I should even go away that she didnt want anything from me again. She cursed me and after that encounter, I decided to stop giving her anything. People impregnate people and nothing happens. Why is she treating me as if I had done something criminal?

The worst that will happen now is for me to die. I am not a young man; if I die, people will cry and I will be done. But I also ask myself, what if the pregnancy is mine? My prayer now is for her to deliver safely and we will determine the paternity of the child, he said.
Toad sellers are recording high sales in Hadejia, Jigawa, due to the growing demand of the aquatic animals, the News Agency of Nigeria (...

Toad sellers are recording high sales in Hadejia, Jigawa, due to the growing demand of the aquatic animals, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports.Toad is an amphibian animal with a drier and less smooth skin that lives on land but breeds in water. It is a frog family with long back legs for jumping.Toads are of different species and not all are eatable or good for human consumption, as some of it produced dangerous poison.Althouh it is not on the popular menu in the north, but it is in high demand in some communities in central and southern parts of the country.A NAN check at the Hadejia market showed that toad sellers were making brisk businesses due to a significant increase in the demand for the animals.A big stick, which contains about 20 toads, was being sold for N1, 000 and a small size-stick with 10 toads attracts N450.Traders at the market described the trade as lucrative in view of the growing market.Alhaji Haruna Shuaibu, a dealer, said that he was making good sales due to the rise in the demand of toads.Shuaibu explained that the demand had surpassed the supply, adding that the animals were very rare in the dry season.Toad trade is good; it attracted many people due to its lucrative nature.Buyers are coming to the market from other states to buy.They preferred dried toads, but some buy fresh ones, he said.According to him, traders at the market transport hundreds of sticks of toads to other parts of the country on weekly basis.Zakari Hadi, a toad hunter, said that he was making between N2, 000 and N3, 000 from the sales of toads, adding that this enables him to meet his basic financial needs.Hadi said that he used nets to trap and catch the toads, adding that the animals were available at ponds in the area.He explained that toads are of different species, which were categorised into those that are poisonous and those that are edible.He said toad hunting was hectic because it requires skills to enable one identify the type of toad to catch.We catch toads in waters and sometimes we dig them out from the mud on the river bank.The toads are arranged on a stick and spread in the open for days to dry, he added.Another trader, Mr Sam Akiboh, said that he used to come to the market from Benue to buy toads.Akiboh said it was in high demand in his area due to its good taste and low price.I make about N20, 000 gains from the sales of toads weekly.Miss Phoebe John and Gabriel Tondo, who corroborated Akiboh, said they made good savings from toads trade.They called on the government to adopt measures to encourage toad farming.NAN reports that the Jigawa Government had in 2000 introduced commercial toad farming but the programme was abandoned by the successive administration.The programme was designed to accelerate toad production for export, provided job opportunities and boost states revenue base.Hadejia was selected as a pilot producing area due to the abundance of fish, toads and other aquatic species found in Hadejia River.
The United States has instituted a $20,000 grant in memory of the late John Paul, a final year student of the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin.The United States embassys Counsellor on Public Affairs, Mr Aruna Amirthanayagam, disclosed this during a visit to the university on Monday.He said that the embassy also donated books worth $20,000 to the universitys library in memory of the deceased.Amirthanayagam said that the late Paul drowned in a waterfall on June 25, 2016, while on a Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States.According to him, the books donated and prize instituted are for young Nigerians working in areas of Pauls interest which include peace, child rights and sustainable development.He described Paul as a young man who spent a short but meaningful life having been a child parliamentarian, a UNESCO prize winner and model student.Amirthanayagam, who said that Paul epitomised multiple talents, urged other students to join the Young African Leaders Initiative Network online to enjoy the several benefits which await them.The fellowship, he disclosed, is awarded annually to 1,000 students in Africa, including 100 students in Nigeria.Amirthanayagam, who was accompanied by the embassys Coordinator of the Mandela Fellowship, Mr Diran Adegoke, expressed his condolences to Pauls family and the university.While welcoming the visiting delegation to his office, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, said that the demise of Paul was a divine call.Every soul has to answer at the appointed time. The sad occurrence would not dampen the spirit behind the relationship between the university and the United States, he said.Ambali recalled that delegations from the United States embassy had visited the university about three times during his tenure and he had also paid similar visits.He also said that staff and students of the university were endeared to the Fulbright programme of the United States.Reacting to the honour accorded his late son, his father, Mr Usman Paul, who was also present at the occasion, said that it was exactly 11 months since he drove his son to the airport on his way to the United States.He recalled that as they made the journey to the airport, his son told him he would set up an NGO to cater for the less privileged.The family, he said, therefore set up the John Paul Inspired Organisation in fulfilment of the dream.
Once elected, members of the Public Service Commission typically have an easy time hanging onto their jobs. Voters dont know much about them or their work, and the only real money in the campaigns has traditionally come from utilities and others 
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has been confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to China.

The U.S. Senate voted 82-13 to confirm Branstad Monday afternoon.

Branstad, 70, will soon leave office in Iowa, with Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds taking over as governor.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that a boy from a small farm in Leland, Iowa, would one day have the opportunity to represent my country and my state on the world stage, working closely with one of the worlds most influential countries and one of Americas largest trading partners, Branstad said in a statement released after the confirmation.

While Im temporarily leaving the state I love and have governed for over 22 years, I know Im leaving Iowa in great hands with Kim Reynolds as governor. I look forward to working with both my friend President Donald Trump and my old friend President Xi Jinping for the mutual benefit of both of our countries and the rest of the world.

The governors office said Branstad would resign on Wednesday and be immediately sworn in as ambassador. Shortly thereafter on Wednesday, Reynolds will be sworn in as Iowas 43rd governor in a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol Building.

While in Council Bluffs last week, Branstad called the prospect of being a part of U.S.-China relations the biggest challenge of my life.

Itll be a big adventure, he said.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called the ambassador to China position one of the most important ambassadorial positions in the world.

I am confident that my friend and Governor  Terry Branstad  is the right person for the job, Ernst said on the Senate floor. Having worked alongside the governor for many years, I know he will exemplify the same leadership, thoughtfulness and dedication in his role as ambassador to China on behalf of the United States as he did for the people of Iowa.

On the Senate floor, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Branstad will bring Midwestern humility and level-headed leadership to the job. He is a work horse who is unafraid to get in the trenches to get the job done.

The fact is, hes been an ambassador for Iowa to the nation and to world for his entire career, Grassley said. Hes been a champion for Iowa and on behalf of Iowans around the globe.

Branstad told the Nonpareil last week that hed draw on his friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping in working with the country on trade, potential threats from North Korea and other issues.

Branstad applauded a recent trade deal that will, among other things, allow U.S. beef and poultry to be sold in China for the first time since 2003.

Branstad noted that he and Xi have been friends since their first meeting in April of 1985.

Im hopeful that longtime relationship ... will help me as a go-between for President Trump and President Xi, Branstad said.

Branstad is the longest-serving governor in U.S. history. He was first elected to the position in 1983 and served until 1999. He returned to the governorship after being elected in 2010. He won reelection in 2014.

Terry Branstad is Iowa. And now, we are happy to share the best this state has to offer with the world, Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement. Branstads work ethic is boundless, his passion to make a difference is strong, and perhaps most importantly, his heart is one with Iowa. Our sincere gratitude and prayers go with him as he embarks on this next journey.

Pottawattamie County GOP Chair Jeff Jorgensen said Branstad will represent the country and Iowa well, including promoting Iowa agriculture exports.

I think the governor will be a big plus for Iowa ag exports. He has a lot of connections, Jorgensen said. Hell do very well over there.

Reynolds will become the first woman to hold the title of governor in Iowa.

For over 22 years, Iowans have had a man with a servant heart working tirelessly on their behalf and for a state he loves dearly. His heart to serve has led him to accept a new calling, Reynolds said in a statement. He is uniquely qualified and is the right person for the right time, and we are proud to have him take our Iowa values to the world stage.

Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Derek Eadon congratulated Branstad on the appointment, but noted the transition of power, leaves Iowans with serious questions about the states path forward.

Iowans need a governor focused on supporting job creation and strengthening middle class families. As lieutenant governor, Kim Reynolds record has shown other priorities: focusing on purely partisan agenda while the future of our state has been jeopardized, Eadon said in a release. Lt. Gov. Reynolds has lobbied to defund Planned Parenthood, she led the charge to take away basic rights from workers and she stripped power away from local governments to set their own minimum wage.

Meanwhile, she failed to support education as she supported a state budget that threatens the future of public education in Iowa by raising tuition at community colleges and cutting vital reading programs for our children. And she stood by as Iowas financial security crumbled, with budget shortfalls topping hundreds of millions due to mismanagement.
Russia has sent a request to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body to hold consultations in regards to restrictions imposed on the country by Ukraine, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin told reporters on Saturday.

"Russia's permanent mission to the WTO in Geneva has sent a request to the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body and the Ukrainian government to hold consultations in regards to restrictions, bans, special requirements and procedures, which have been constantly imposed on Russian goods, services, and persons at the Ukrainian market since 2014, as well as on transit through Ukraine," Oreshkin said following a meeting with WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo as part of the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting in Hanoi on Saturday.

The minister said he has informed the WTO head about that in particular at the meeting.

"There are substantial grounds to believe that Ukraine has been taking those measures in breach of its obligations in the WTO, including additional obligations which it had assumed while joining the organization. Moreover, the amount of anti-Russian measures, their nature, and the scope of sectors subjected to restrictions prove that Ukraine consistently and deliberately violates its international agreements, ignoring the rules of international trade and other norms of international law. At that, some of those measures not only fail to protect the Ukrainian economy, but, on the contrary, cause further problems for it," Oreshkin said, voicing Russia's stance on restrictions imposed by Ukraine.

"In particular, the restrictions in question are bans on import from Russia of meat and dairy products, wine, railroad equipment, fertilizers and many other goods. The special procedures are used for import of Russian books and other printed materials. Special tax treatment is imposed on import of second-hand cars from Russia. Activities of hundreds of Russian companies are banned or restricted in a discriminatory manner in Ukraine," he said.

In accordance with the WTO procedures, a request for consultations is the first stage of filing a lawsuit. The WTO regulations stipulate that consultations with the Ukrainian government for the purpose seeking a mutually acceptable solution to the existing situation shall be held in two months.

"If consultations don't yield the desired results, we have the right to initiate the second stage of a dispute, the referral of a case to the panel for consideration," Oreshkin said.
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VALPARAISO  For several years, Lucky, the wheaten terrier, and her handler, Nancy Starewicz, traveled the Region helping young and old with her unique lessons. She came back recently, for a one-day special visit.

Lucky and Starewicz, who now divide their time between Florida and Minnesota, visited John Simatovich Elementary School second-graders Wednesday to meet Lucky's pen pals.

Simatovich second-grade teacher Angela Ross said each year Principal Leigh Barnes asks teachers to create goals for the school year.

"We always work on life skills and have animals in our room," Ross said, about coming up with a new goal involving animals to help pupils learn.

"I remembered there used to be a lady who traveled to the different schools, and some people remembered her name. I Googled her and found out she wasn't in this area anymore."

Ross connected with Starewicz through social media, and her students began a "pup pal" relationship with Lucky. Students wrote letters about their life, school days and adventures, and in return, Starewicz in Lucky's "voice," wrote back to them.

That was last fall.

A portion of each day, students work with Ross on their letters, reading the books Starewicz created around the dog and going to Starewicz's blog to read about Lucky. Starewicz also sent videos to students about Lucky's different adventures in Florida.

Neither Ross nor the students ever expected to meet Starewicz and Lucky face-to-face; instead, they had a stuffed dog they named Lucky. But when Starewicz found she might have a little extra time while traveling to Minnesota, she decided to stop by for a visit.

Starewicz, a former school psychologist, worked with students and families for more than 30 years in the Crown Point Community School Corp. and School City of Hobart. She retired in 2008, and she and her husband, a retired educator, got Lucky as a puppy. The dog is now 11 1/2 years old.

Over the years, Starewicz has written six books about her wheaten terrier, and the important life lessons she's learned from her pet. They have visited thousands of students over the years, mostly in Northwest Indiana.

Lucky a role model

During their interactive programs, students and parents hear about Lucky and see her demonstrate good behavior. All the Lucky books have universal messages for all ages emphasizing empathy, listening, trust, being thankful and friendship.

As Starewicz demonstrated Lucky's skills, she told students Lucky likes people and pays close attention to their hands.

"To a dog, people are their hands; Lucky has never been hurt by hands, so she thinks the whole world has good hands because no one has ever hurt her with their hands," Starewicz said.

"Hands are for helping, never hurting. So take a look at your hands. Be as friendly as Lucky."

She said Lucky is especially good at waiting patiently and paying attention, and she encouraged the children always to pay attention to their teachers and parents.

Second-grader Ava Lukawski said in one of her letters, she wrote about how Lucky taught students to always have "good" hands.

"I made a picture of two hands shaped like a heart," Ava said. "It's fun seeing Lucky in person. We always write to him, and we always think about him. We were thinking we really wanted to see Lucky in person."

Second-grader Nick Brazeau said he likes dogs and has one at home. "My dog is really small," he said, adding he was excited Lucky came to his classroom.

Ross said the students love animals, and Lucky has been an excellent connection for them.

"Lucky has made lifelong memories for the students and me," she said.

"One student asked me, 'Was I dreaming, or was Lucky really here?' Nancy and Lucky also inspired our class to apply for a grant so we could donate supplies and money for Lakeshore Paws animal rescue."

The students intend to make 18 fleece blankets to donate to the animal shelter. They made a blanket for Lucky and presented it to her during the visit, laughing as she planted her paws on it and seemed to take a nap.
The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is undergoing a crisis, and Russia is to blame for the fact that a number of BSEC projects are impossible to implement, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development and Trade Minister Stepan Kubiv said.

"We have to acknowledge that we have a crisis in the BSEC. We see it in the suspension of the memorandum on constructing a ring motorway [around the Black Sea]," Kubiv said.

"How can we build this road through the occupied territory? What can we do with the occupied ports? This also pertains to other major projects involving the development of tourism, infrastructure, and so on," Kubiv said.

The construction of the ring motorway around the Black Sea connected to the Trans-European highways and the development of sea routes is now a key issue addressed in the BSEC.

Ukraine will be the next country to hold the BSEC presidency.
Job seekers will get a chance to meet with employers at a job fair in Gary Tuesday.

The city of Gary and Impact will host the job fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Bethel Church, 225 W. 5th Ave., which is the old Boys & Girls Club.

"Local businesses are hiring for gaming, health care, staffing agencies, sales, manufacturing and many more," the city said in an announcement. "Some companies will be interviewing on the spot."

Confirmed employers that will be on hand include Speedway, Community HealthNet Health Centers, ISM Security, Lippert Components, Horseshoe Casino, Majestic Star Casino, CRST Expedited, Tradebe, Trains Chicago Truck Group, UPS, Peoples Bank and Walmart.

Organizers encouraged those interested in attending to dress in business casual  slacks and a collared shirt for men, and slacks or a skirt and a blouse for women.

"It isn't necessary to wear a suit to a job fair unless you are looking for a job that would require you to wear a suit," the city said in a press release. "Please leave jeans, T-shirts and sandals at home."

The job fair is open only to adults 18 and older, and attendees are encouraged to leave children at home and bring multiple copies of their resume.
VALPARAISO  A second person has been charged in connection with last week's shooting in Portage over allegations of infidelity, according to police.

Nya Zhane Celeste Lewis, 19, of the 700 block of Fremont Road in South Haven, is accused of providing the illegal handgun used in the shooting, according to court documents.

She is charged with a felony count of assisting a criminal and misdemeanor possession of a handgun without a permit.

Lewis is the girlfriend of Daniel Moro, also of South Haven, who is accused of shooting another man over accusations both men were having sex with each other's girlfriends, police said.

Police said Moro shot the other man in the side of the head around 1 a.m. May 15 along Creekview Court, west of Ash Street in Portage, according to charging information. The victim survived the shooting.

Lewis reportedly told police the pink-handled .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun was hers and that it was on the floorboard of her vehicle when she and Moro arrived at the shooting scene. She said she was going back to the vehicle to call 911 and saw the gun on the floorboard when she heard the shots being fired.

Lewis said she threw the gun out of the vehicle window following the shooting; police recovered it from a ditch along the south side of County Road 700 North, about 470 feet west of McCool Road, according to police. Rounds of ammunition collected from the gun are the same caliber and brand name as the spent casings found at the shooting scene, police said.

A witness told police he watched Moro pull the gun out of the vehicle and fire it at the victim four or five times.

"Lewis claimed that she never saw Moro fire the weapon or even possess it," according to charging information. "She denied firing it, and she said that Daniel did not fire it."

Lewis reportedly told police she bought the gun from a friend for safety purposes and does not have a permit.

Moro, who is charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and possession of a handgun without a permit after having a felony conviction within 15 years, made an initial court appearance Monday before Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford.

Pleas of not guilty were entered on his behalf. A bond hearing was scheduled for June 12. He is being held without bond.

Additional hearings are scheduled for Aug. 7 and Sept. 11.
CROWN POINT  Two people arrested last week in a police raid at El Sombrero Bar in East Chicago face drug charges in Lake Criminal Court.

Glorivette Bonilla, 40, of Hammond, was charged Friday with dealing cocaine and cocaine possession.

Gustavo A. Zamora, 56, of East Chicago, is charged with dealing cocaine, cocaine possession and maintaining a common nuisance.

Bonilla was arrested Thursday night at El Sombrero Bar, 2001 Broadway, where she worked as a bartender, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police allegedly found 31 grams of cocaine individually packaged in Bonilla's purse during a search of the premises, the affidavit states.

Bonilla admitted it was her purse, the affidavit states, but claimed she was holding the cocaine for someone else.

Zamora was arrested in an apartment above the bar, the affidavit states. Police found 6 grams of cocaine in the apartment, as well as boxes of sandwich bags, a small scale and a large sum of cash.

The Indiana Excise State Police said in a press release last week that its yearlong investigation into drug distribution at the bar started because of a resident's complaint.

Both defendants have been released on bond pending trial, according to court records.

A court date has not been scheduled for either defendant, records state.
INDIANAPOLIS  Don't even think about using Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act as an excuse for not paying taxes.

That seemingly is the message from the Indiana Supreme Court, which announced Monday that it has let stand a 2-1 Court of Appeals ruling that found there never could be a legitimate religious belief justifying criminal tax evasion.

The 4-0 high court order denying transfer does not prevent the Supreme Court from again considering the issue in the future.

But for now, the Jan. 13 appellate decision is the prevailing interpretation of the controversial 2015 statute, which authorizes the state to burden a person's religious liberty only if it furthers a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive way of doing so.

Rodney Tyms-Bey, an Indianapolis tax protester, claimed the state should have to prove its tax laws comply with RFRA before prosecuting him for failing to pay $1,042.82 in income taxes for 2012.

His argument was rejected without a trial by Marion Superior Judge Annie Christ-Garcia.

Her decision was affirmed by Court of Appeals Judge John Baker, who wrote the ruling, and Chief Judge Nancy Vaidik, a Porter County native.

Specifically, the appellate court found that even assuming Tyms-Bey could show that paying taxes substantially burdened his exercise of religion, the state's enforcement of its tax laws complies with RFRA under any circumstance.

"We find that the uniform and mandatory tax system as a whole, which incorporates the criminal penalties at issue here, is the least restrictive means of furthering the government's compelling interest in collecting revenue," Baker said.

"There are no facts that Tyms-Bey could proffer with respect to his exercise of religion that would not be overcome by the state's compelling interest and the means used by the state in furthering that interest."

Judge Edward Najam Jr., dissented from the Court of Appeals decision.

He said even if Tyms-Bey is unlikely to succeed in his case, he still should be permitted to require the state prove its tax enforcement complies with RFRA.

"The General Assembly has unambiguously declared that the judiciary is not to exempt RFRA claims and defenses from any action and that such exemptions lie solely within the prerogative of the General Assembly," Najam said.

"As a matter of law under RFRA, Tyms-Bey is entitled to present facts in support of his alleged RFRA defense to the state's criminal charges against him, and the trial court erred when it pre-emptively struck his alleged defense."

If convicted of Class D felony tax evasion, Tyms-Bey could be sentenced to up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A final ranking of the 10 Senate seats most likely to flip in Tuesday's midterms. Plus, a look at the polling averages for each of the races, 
New Yorks bravest have been honored with a sky-high tribute.

JetBlue had one of its planes re-painted and dedicated to the NYPD.

It will carry passengers throughout the airline's network.

Now christened as the "Blue Finest," the plane showcases the department's distinctive blue and features the NYPD flag on its tail.

Theres also a badge and shield by the front door.

Commissioner James ONeill says hes happy about the recognition.

"JetBlue has always been great to the New York City Police Department whenever theres a line-of-duty death. They are really gracious in what they do for us," O'Neill said. "I really appreciate the fact that they did the markings on the plane. I think it looks absolutely beautiful. Now the people of America will get to see this."

Back in 2013, JetBlue introduced a red plane painted to honor the FDNY.
In the strike that killed Mr. Jaber, the cleric, that was not enough. At least one drone had been overhead every day for about a month, provoking high anxiety among local people, said Aref bin Ali Jaber, a tradesman who is related to the cleric. After the drone hit, everyone was so frightened it would come back, Mr. Jaber said. Children especially were affected; my 15-year-old daughter refuses to be alone and has had to sleep with me and my wife after that.

Anger at America

In the days afterward, the people of the village vented their fury at the Americans with protests and briefly blocked a road. It is difficult to know what the long-term effects of the deaths will be, though some in the town  as in other areas where drones have killed civilians  say there was an upwelling of support for Al Qaeda, because such a move is seen as the only way to retaliate against the United States.

Innocents aside, even members of Al Qaeda invariably belong to a tribe, and when they are killed in drone strikes, their relatives  whatever their feelings about Al Qaeda  often swear to exact revenge on America.

Al Qaeda always gives money to the family, said Hussein Ahmed Othman al Arwali, a tribal sheik from an area south of the capital called Mudhia, where Qaeda militants fought pitched battles with Yemeni soldiers last year. Al Qaedas leaders may be killed by drones, but the group still has its money, and people are still joining. For young men who are poor, the incentives are very strong: they offer you marriage, or money, and the ideological part works for some people.

In some cases, drones have killed members of Al Qaeda when it seemed that they might easily have been arrested or captured, according to a number of Yemeni officials and tribal figures. One figure in particular has stood out: Adnan al Qadhi, who was killed, apparently in a drone strike, in early November in a town near the capital.
Managing finances online is now the preferred method of 70% of consumers according to a poll carried out in 16 countries including New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe, Canada, Brazil and the US.



New Zealand is leading this sentiment with 81% choosing to manage most of their finances online compared to 58% in the US and 57% in Japan. Kiwis are also among a group of countries (including Australia and Singapore) where smartphones are the second most-preferred option, pushing in-person bank visits into third place.



The study was carried out by YouGov for TransferWise and reveals that New Zealands banks are said to providing a great service and fair deal by 28% of respondents compared to 15% in Australia which was also the survey average.



Kiwis are also less likely to believe that banks are focusing on profit over customers. The survey average was 50% compared with 44% of New Zealand respondents. Australian consumers were less convinced with 60% questioning banks priorities.



For uptake of fintech alternatives to banks, 27% of New Zealanders said they were likely to use a tech company for at least half of their financial needs within the next year, 39% would do so in the next five years. These figures were slightly higher than Australia and significantly higher than those in the UK and US.
France will consider the possibility of expert and consulting assistance and will contribute to raising funds from the European Union for Ukraine's obtaining technical assistance for implementing the project to change the width of railway track.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, this was discussed in Kyiv on May 19, 2017 during the sixth meeting of the Ukrainian-French working group on transport. The Ukrainian delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure for European Integration Viktor Dovhan, the French delegation was headed by the director for international cooperation at the French Ministry of Environment, Energy and the Sea.

The Ukrainian side, in particular, expressed interest in drawing on the experience of specialists of the railway industry in France regarding the further development of railway infrastructure, building new rolling stock, including the use of a system for changing the track width for rolling stock.

In addition, Ukraine reported on the active work on the development of combined/multimodal transportation in the direction of Europe-Asia using the transport infrastructure of Ukraine, in particular within the existing transport corridors defined by the TEN-T network.
A billion dollar boost for education so every child can fly



A billion dollar boost is needed in Budget 2017 to preserve public education and ensure every child has the support they need to learn, NZEI Te Riu Roa says.

NZEI commissioned independent economists Infometrics to cost key measures that would restore funding eroded from education, and address growing pressures and unmet needs. Along with a 4 percent increase in the school operations grant, these amounted to just over $1billion.

"If New Zealand is serious about preserving public education for today's children and the next generation coming after them, a major funding boost will be needed in this weeks' budget," NZEI Te Riu Roa President Lynda Stuart said.

"This isn't just about a funding catch-up - which is desperately needed - this is about putting children first and funding schools and ECE services to meet every child's needs."

NZEI members chose the key measures based on evidence about would have the most positive impact. These include:

A four percent increase in school operational grants to make up for a freeze in funding in last year's budget and pay for growing education costs, including pay rises for school support staff. NZEI estimates this at about $50 million a year.

The following measures were costed by Infometrics:

$56 million to restore funding for 100% qualified and certificated ECE teachers - axed by the Government in 2009 - to ensure our youngest children get high quality learning

$210 million to restore ECE funding rates to 2009 levels, adjusted for inflation

$73 million for smaller class sizes for years 4-8 (where classes are currently the largest) so that teacher:student ratios fall from 1:29 to 1:25

$425 million so that more children with special needs can access support. This would extend the number of students supported through the ongoing resource scheme (ORS) fund from roughly one percent of students now to three percent.

$282 million to improve ratios for babies and toddlers under two from one teacher to five kids to one teacher to three kids. This was a National Party pledge in the 2008 election that has never been implemented.

"New Zealand can afford to fund education properly," Ms Stuart said.

"According to the OECD New Zealand spends 'well below' the average on primary education, or $1500 per child less than the OECD average.

"This Thursday the Government can choose to put children first and fund schools and ECE services so every child can fly," Ms Stuart said.

The Infometrics costing of NZEI Te Riu Roa budget measures can be found here.
The first aircraft engine assembled in China under Ukrainian technologies within the framework of strategic partnership between PJSC Motor Sich (Zaporizhia) and China's Beijing Skyrizon Aviation Industry Investment Co. Ltd. could be demonstrated by late 2017, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv has said.

During a briefing held in Kyiv and dedicated to the results of a recent visit of the Ukrainian delegation to China to participate in a high-level dialogue within the framework of the "One Belt. One Road" forum, the deputy premier highlighted the agreements achieved on Ukrainian-Chinese cooperation in the aircraft engine industry, saying the creation of aircraft engines production in Chongqing under Ukrainian technologies is "one of the priorities of the government."

"Skyrizon and Motor Sich will create a joint venture for production of aircraft engines using Ukrainian technologies in China's Chongqing. We want in 2017 to show the first engine that will be assembled at this plant," Kubiv said.

He also welcomed the plans of the Chinese side envisaged by the cooperation program to invest $250 million in the modernization of Motor Sich, noting that the implementation of the program of Ukrainian-Chinese strategic cooperation in the field of aircraft engine building will strengthen the positions and influence of the Ukrainian aviation industry in the world market.


BGR Speaks for US Biz in China Tue., Oct. 5, 2021 BGR Government Affairs represents the American Chamber of Commerce in South China as economic and political tensions between the two countries escalate.


GOP Should Back Away From Trump in 2024 Wed., Jul. 6, 2022 Trump has allegedly told his inner circle hes considering officially announcing his second run for the White House as early as this month. Heres why it would be a bad idea for the GOP to get behind him.
Ronn Torossian

Theres no doubt that Roger Ailes made a massive impact on television news. Some would argue that, outside Rush Limbaugh, Ailes is the single most important media figure in at least 30 years. Sure, he was never in front of the camera or microphone, but he completely changed the landscape of what TV news could be, and his fingerprints on Fox set the bar for everything that would come after.

That could have been the sum of his legacy. Instead, Ailes, who died last week at the age of 77, will also be remembered for the sexual harassment allegations that destroyed his career and created a domino effect at the network he created, the fallout of which is still reverberating.

Roger Ailes

But that doesnt take away from the mans genius. Ailes understood, perhaps more than any of his contemporaries, the powerful media one-two punch of attracting and then guiding his audience. When Fox News was founded, it was billed as a safe place for conservative political viewpoints. Many on the right at the time felt underrepresented in the media, especially on cable news. Ailes saw that opportunity and turned those feelings of frustrated disenfranchisement into the most profitable news channel on the dial.

As that evolved, other stations were forced to change their formats to keep pace. Instead of being center left, as many were, they pushed further left  and Fox moved further right. Discourse was coarsened as the brands continued to both play to and develop a choir. This shift was as much a reflection of the leader as it was a profit-driven consensus.

A brash and combative personality, Ailes relished confrontation, and that attitude slowly trickled down into the programming he oversaw. By the time social media platforms had people screaming at each other nonstop, theyd been conditioned to do so after years of watching their favorite pundits do the same thing on TV. Bubbles of political opinion developed on both sides, as did the us against them mentality.

While he could be combative and vindictive, sources who knew Ailes well said he could also be very funny. Not always appropriate, but funny. That trait, too, was felt in Fox coverage with humor, which often disparaged the political opposition and delighted the fan base. Once again, it was Ailes fingerprint.

Its not surprising, then, that the verdict was split when the news of Ailes ouster was announced. For a generation who grew up despising Fox and all it stood for, this was reason to cheer. But, for others, many of whom felt they had found a home at Fox, Ailes failings were forgivable.

How will history judge him? That probably depends on who tells the best stories.

***

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, one of Americas leading independent PR agencies.
The Republic of Turkeys embassy in Washington, D.C. has retained the beltway offices of Burson-Marsteller to provide integrated public relations services in a bid to support the embassys communications objectives in the U.S.

The WPP operations work will include media outreach, monitoring and analysis; event support; stakeholder engagement; social media counsel; and support for Turkish consulates across the U.S., according to Foreign Agents Registration Acts documents filed in May.

The retainer comes the same month that a violent clash occurred outside Turkeys D.C. embassy between anti-government protesters and the security team to Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was visiting Washington.

The event, which resulted in the arrest of two Turkish bodyguards, was referred to by D.C. Metropolitan Police as a brutal attack on peaceful protesters.

The Turkish government said its security detail responded only in self-defense to the demonstrators, who it claims were associated with the Kurdistan Workers Party. Government officials also blamed the U.S. for security lapses and aggressive and unprofessional actions, which ultimately led to the brawl.

The State Department, which referred to the melee as deeply disturbing, has since summoned the Turkish ambassador over the incident and said there will be a thorough investigation. Senator John McCain, speaking with Fox News Sunday, said the U.S. should throw their ambassador the hell out.

The Turkish embassy's agreement with B-M, which became effective May 1 and terminates on December 31, fetches the agency a fixed fee of $1.1 million to be paid by the Turkish government in three installments.
Agricultural News

AFR Insurance Honors Rural Fire Departments Who Helped Fight the Early March Wildfires in Northwest Oklahoma

Oklahoma fire departments that helped fight the early March wildfires in northwest Oklahoma were rewarded for their efforts May 20th when AFR Insurance presented $1,500 checks to each department involved. The Company presented more than $200,000 to 140 Fire Departments as thanks for helping battle the fires that covered parts of three Oklahoma Counties that began March 6th.



The money was presented during an invitation-only luncheon at the Woodward County Fairgrounds. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry provided AFR with a list of 140 fire departments that were involved in the fire.



"Words cannot express the appreciation AFR Insurance has for fire departments' efforts in protecting lives and property during the tragic March wildfires," Justin Cowan, CEO, AFR Insurance, said.



The event was called "Funds for Fire Fighters - AFR Answers the Call."



"We wanted to honor the dedication and sacrifices made by these courageous fire fighters, many of whom had to leave their own property while fighting to protect their neighbor's property," Terry Detrick, AFR president, said.



Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays has produced an audio overview of the day, featuring comments from AFR President Detrick and Laverne Fire Chief Ted Bozarth. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story to hear their comments.



It is anticipated the fire departments will use the money to defray costs associated with fighting the fires.



"We know some equipment was damaged in the process of fighting these fires," Detrick said.













Ron Hays offers an audio overview of the AFR Insurance Presentation of $200,000 to Fire Fighters

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State Wheat Specialist Dave Marburger Reviews OSU's '17 Wheat Tour as Harvest Kicks Off in OK

During last week's celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Historic Magruder Test Plots at Oklahoma State University, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn caught with Dave Marburger, Oklahoma's state wheat specialist, to discuss the site's contribution to plant and soil science as well as his thoughts on the discussions surrounding this year's tour of OSU's wheat plots around the state. You can listen to their entire conversation discussing the Magruder plots, harvest and more, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below, at the bottom of this story.





According to Marburger, the Magruder plots are the longest continual wheat experiment in the world, and the second longest-running experiment west of the Mississippi River. Established by and named for A.C. Magruder, the first agricultural professor at the university when it was still called Oklahoma A&M, the test plots began in 1892 on campus where today, Stout Hall stands. Marburger says as the university expanded, the plots were in fact carefully excavated in 1947, and relocated to where they are currently, west of the Stillwater campus on the OSU Agronomy Research Farm. This year marks 125 continuous years that the plots have been under use, for research on the effects of fertilizer in wheat.





This event was the centerpiece of this year's wheat tour consisting of 22 stops across the state, hosted by OSU's wheat team.





"We've been talking a lot about varieties, lot of options out there and moving forward with all of our companies and the development that they're doing," Marburger explained. "In terms of the crop condition- I just hope we can get it in the bin before Mother Nature takes it from us. This past seven days or so has been pretty rough in some areas - laying a lot of wheat down. But, hopefully we'll get some good weather coming up here soon, dry things out so we can get combines rolling."





Early reports show harvest has begun in Oklahoma already in South central Oklahoma, and beginning to spread into the Southwestern part of the state as well now.





"Don't have any good indication yet on where the protein levels are," he said. "We need some more bushels to come in before we start making comments there."





Bets are still being made as to how production will turn out with this crop. Oklahoma's wheat community first guessed the total harvest would come in at 100 million bushels a few weeks ago. The United States Department of Agriculture followed that guess with its own estimate of 89 million bushels, predicting less harvested acres than what Oklahoman's figured in.





"It'll come down to those harvested acres," Marburger agreed. "I think it's going to probably be somewhere in that ballpark - maybe a little bit closer to what the USDA is estimating. But, I think there's going to be some pretty good yields out there overall."



















Listen to Horn and Marburger discuss the Magruder Plots, harvest, and more by clicking the tab below

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Agricultural News

American Soybean Association Welcomes Iowa's Terry Branstad as Incoming Ambassador to China

Following a vote by the Senate today to confirm former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as the U.S. Ambassador to China, American Soybean Association (ASA) President and Illinois farmer Ron Moore expressed congratulations and support, citing Branstad's extensive experience working with China and the importance of the market for U.S. soybean farmers.





"We cannot understate the importance of maintaining a good trading relationship with China, along with all of our top exporting countries, and having Gov. Branstad in place will help ensure that agricultural trade remains a top priority between our two countries," Moore said.





The U.S. soybean sector exported $27 billion in soybean products last year, making it the largest agricultural export. Of that, sales to China comprised more than $14 billion, establishing the market as the most significant for U.S. soy.





"ASA is hopeful that Gov. Branstad's background in agriculture will help the U.S. and China create greater transparency and efficiencies in the biotech approval process and maintain good trade relations," Moore added.







Source - American Soybean Association















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Savings on the purchase of medicines and medical products for the funds of the 2016 national budget, carried out by the British purchasing agency Crown Agents, could reach UAH 86 million.

According to the agency, at present the process of medicine procurement for the funds of 2016 is passing to the phase of active supplies, which will continue by the end of this year.

Crown Agents has already signed a number of purchase contracts. In particular, according to the program of stenting coronary vases, potential savings could amount to more than UAH 70 million, under the reproductive health program, centralized purchases of medicines for the treatment of respiratory disorders of newborns some UAH 700,000, under the program of procurement of medicines and goods for children's dialysis about UAH 15 million.

Crown Agents said that, according to the contract with the Health Ministry of Ukraine signed for one year, the agency signs separate contracts with manufacturers or distributors that have won tenders for purchase of specific positions within 12 programs.

Crown Agents prior to signing all contracts with the winners approves the schedule of supplies from the Ministry of Health. At the same time, at the request of the agency, some deliveries are divided into two or three lots.
Agricultural News

Cattlemen Applaud Terry Branstad's Confirmation as Ambassador to China, Calls Him the Ideal Person

Craig Uden, president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to be the U.S. Ambassador to China:





"As the six-term governor of a state with more than $10 billion in annual agricultural exports, Terry Branstad is an ideal person to help facilitate the U.S. beef industry's return to the Chinese market for the first time in 13-plus years. Ambassador Branstad has said that he intends to serve American-produced beef at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, and America's cattle producers look forward to working with him to make that a reality as soon as possible."





In addition, Mike Cline, president of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association, said:





"Ambassador Branstad has been a great friend to Iowa cattlemen and the agriculture industry as Governor of Iowa. He has shown a great commitment to the growth of beef and other agricultural exports, and we look forward to the work he will do on behalf of all Americans in his new capacity as Ambassador to China."







Source - National Cattlemen's Beef Association













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Ukrzaliznytsia under NSDC decision bans cargo traffic, transit via Ukraine in wagons owned by Russian companies

PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia has introduced a ban on transportation of all types of cargo and empty wagons, including transit through the territory of Ukraine, for a number of owner companies from the Russian Federation.

According to company decree Ts-2/101 dated May 18, 2017, transportation is prohibited in the wagons of Sberbank Leasing, SG Trans, NefteTransService, Freight One, Federal Freight Company, Promtransinvest, Freight One Ukraine, Rail 1520 Service, Agrocomplex, Aston Food Ingredients, a number of SG Trans branches.

At the same time, transportation of all empty wagons owned by the said companies in the direction of Russia is allowed.

The ban was introduced from May 18 until cancellation.
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts on Monday honored 17 graduating high school seniors for a rare feat: earning perfect scores on college entrance exams.

I want to congratulate all the students on their hard work. Getting a top score on the ACT or SAT does not happen by accident, the governor said in a ceremony at the State Capitol.

Ricketts also credited parents for creating an environment in which their son or daughter could excel.

He noted the role of teachers, saying research shows they are the single biggest factor in student achievement.

Sixteen of this years graduates aced the ACT. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of graduates who take the ACT get a perfect score of 36.

The ACT is the most popular college entrance exam for Nebraska students. It measures a students knowledge of English, mathematics, reading and science. There is an optional writing section.

Nebraskas average ACT score for the graduating class of 2016 was 21.4. The national average was 20.8.

The SAT  another grueling exam, which isnt as popular with Nebraska students  has two sections: evidence-based reading and writing, and math. It includes an optional essay.

The highest possible score is a 1600. About one in 3,400 SAT-takers nationwide gets a perfect score.

Ricketts offered the microphone to the young Nebraskans, who took turns telling of their plans.

Their majors include science, math, engineering, pre-veterinary medicine, premed, political science and Spanish.

Justin Xiong, 17, of Millard North High School got a perfect SAT score.

His plans delighted the crowd inside the governors hearing room. He said he will attend Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in business with a focus on finance and entrepreneurship.

Hopefully I will be successful enough to return to Omaha as the new Oracle of Omaha, he said.

After the official ceremony, Xiong said he grew up in Omaha and had the opportunity to attend the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meetings several times. His father owned Class B shares. His parents are software engineers. His father, Simon Xiong, works at Infogroup and his mother, Ying Song, at Union Pacific.

During those Berkshire meetings, Xiong was impressed by the power and influence of a single company.

The amount of money thats located in that single event is amazing, he said. And thats really fascinating.

Xiong said he aspires to be an investment banker and would actually be happy with a fraction of billionaire investor Warren Buffetts success.

I probably wont be able to get as good as Warren Buffett, but at least if I try, if I set my goals high enough, Ill get somewhere at least, he said.

Xiong said he hopes to be successful enough to provide a good life for his family.

Samantha Seaman of Bellevue East High School aced the ACT. She will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and major in applied mathematics, possibly double majoring in theoretical physics.

She wants to become a professor.

In sixth grade, Seaman said, she picked up a copy of Michio Kakus book Physics of the Impossible.

It deals with the outer edges of modern-day physics, issues generally viewed as science fiction, she said.

The book inspired her to seek out more science knowledge.

I opened this book and it was like opening a whole new world I didnt know about, she said. It was crazy.

She only recently took an interest in math.

Her mother, Wendy, is a retired Air Force meteorologist. Her father, Joseph, works for the U.S. Strategic Command.

Ricketts told the students that their academic pursuits may lead them out of state, but at some point they will have to decide where to live and start a career.

He said he wants them back in Nebraska.

When it comes time to make that decision, Ricketts said, I want you to think about this. I want you to ask yourself this: Did the governor of whatever state youre in ask you to stay there?

Honored with Seaman for perfect ACT scores were Walt Mays, Chadron High School; Anthony Benes, Elkhorn; Nathan Stieren, Elkhorn South; Benjamin Rhodes, Gretna; Keenan Allen, Lincoln East; Austin Gronewold, Lincoln Northeast; Abram Turner, Lincoln Southeast; Natalie Schieuer and Amanda Rowley, Pius X; Connor McFayden, Platteview; Matthew Gromowsky and Daniel Thibodeau, Skutt Catholic; Marta Pulfer, Wayne; and Joshua Militti and Preston Noll, Westside.
LINCOLN  Families of fallen military members asked Nebraska senators this year to provide legal recognition to a special flag that honors their loved ones.

What they got is a legislative resolution that makes the Honor and Remember flag an official symbol of the states commitment to remember military personnel who died in service to their country.

Legislative Resolution 95 emerged last week as a compromise between senators who supported the flag bill and those who did not want to put the flag in state law. The Legislature voted 39-0 on Thursday to approve the flag resolution.

Im very grateful that they did something, but Im disappointed the bill didnt get through, said Pat Mracek of Alliance, whose son, Army Sgt. Cory Mracek, was killed in 2004 by an improvised explosive device on an Iraqi road.

She also serves as co-chair of Honor and Remember Nebraska, which has given nearly 140 flags to families of those who died as a result of their service.

Most politicians eagerly get behind any proposal to honor fallen service members, but Legislative Bill 652 could not get the votes to advance out of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Thats in part because an officer with the Nebraska Veterans Council  which represents seven veterans organizations in the state  testified against the bill. Greg Holloway said the groups felt it would set a bad precedent to put the flag in state statutes, because other organizations would want similar recognition for their flags.

Current law recognizes only three emblems: the American flag, the state flag and the POW/MIA flag.

Holloway last week testified in support of the flag resolution.

It was offered by Sen. Joni Craighead of Omaha with the support of Sen. Rick Kolowski, the Omaha lawmaker who sponsored the flag bill.

Kolowski said he sees the resolution almost like a pilot program. It will allow state buildings to display the flag if they so choose for the next year, which he thinks will increase public familiarity with the flag.

Kolowski added that he will likely sponsor the flag bill again next year.

Neither the resolution nor the bill requires that state buildings display the flag. For that reason, the bill generated no fiscal impact on the state budget.

Craighead, however, said she was uneasy that the Honor and Remember flag is copyrighted by an organization based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

George Lutz, founder and executive director of Honor and Remember Inc., said his organization is a tax-exempt nonprofit that works to educate the public about those who have sacrificed their lives to their nation. He started the organization in 2008, three years after his son, Army Cpl. George Tony Lutz II, was killed by sniper fire in Iraq.

The group presents hundreds of personalized flags to the families of the fallen service members each year. The hand-stitched flags, embroidered with the military members name and date of death, cost $350 but are provided free to the families, Lutz said.

The general public can purchase nylon printed versions of the flags from a number of retailers for $35 and up. Under licensing agreements, manufacturers pay a percentage of their proceeds back to the organization, Lutz said, which helps keep it viable.

Lutz said the copyright also allows the group to maintain the quality of the flags and to ensure that they are made in the United States.

He called the Nebraska resolution a good first step but added that he hopes lawmakers will pass a bill recognizing the flag next year. He said a dozen states have passed bills according official status to the flag, while 11, including Nebraska, have passed resolutions.

My ultimate goal is that it flies for the reason it exists, and that is for the public recognition of the fallen and their families, Lutz said.
Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms could develop late this afternoon into tonight across parts of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa as a cold front slips into the region, forecasters say.

Gusty winds and small hail may occur with some of the stronger storms, according to the National Weather Service office in Valley.

Cooler air is likely to fill in behind the cold front for Tuesday, when highs will be around 60 degrees. A few showers also are possible Tuesday in some parts of the region, the weather service said.

In the Omaha area today, expect partly sunny skies and a high temperature in the low to mid-70s. Tonight, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and a low around 50.

Ryan McPike, a meteorologist at KMTV, said the Omaha area might see a heavy thunderstorm tonight.

The weather service said Tuesday in the Omaha area should bring partly sunny skies, a 40 percent chance of showers and a high around 60. North-northwest winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Tuesday night, mostly cloudy skies and a low around 45 are likely.

Wednesday and Thursday are forecast to be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the mid-60s to around 75.

Friday in the Omaha area will be partly sunny with a chance of showers before 1 p.m. and a high around 75, the weather service said.

Saturday looks to be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms and a high in the low to mid-70s, forecasters said.

Temperatures look to be pretty mild as we go through the week, McPike said. Kind of up and down. Very typical for late May.

Meanwhile, Omahas Eppley Airfield received 3.45 inches of rainfall last week from Tuesday through Saturday morning, the weather service said. For the month, Omaha has recorded 4.30 inches rain through Saturday, 1.29 inches above normal amount.

Elsewhere:

 Lincoln received 5.13 inches of rainfall Tuesday through Saturday and it has recorded 5.70 inches in May, 2.92 over the norm.

 Norfolk recorded 2.73 inches of rain Tuesday through Saturday and it has received 4.30 inches this month, 1.88 above normal.

 Falls City received 2.12 inches of rainfall Tuesday through Saturday and it has recorded 2.25 inches in May, .65 below the norm.
A group of representatives of the United States Navy's Sixth Fleet has considered the issues of building several military infrastructure facilities to be used during annual Sea Breeze international drills in the territory of a separate command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Marine Corps in Mykolaiv, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

The objective of the U.S. troops is to consider technical capacities of the implementation of the project, which will ensure a better quality of the Sea Breeze participants' stay in Ukraine, Brant Richardson, the group's leader, said.

For this purpose, the U.S. military officials visited the expected construction site and met with representatives of the city's public utilities companies, on which the project's implementation will depend.

According to the plan, the project's preparatory stage including negotiations and pre-construction works will take 18 months, while the construction will take six months.

In addition to Mykolaiv, U.S. Army is planning to build several infrastructure facilities in Odesa and Ochakiv as part of this project, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

See Breeze exercises are multinational military drills, which have been held in Ukraine since 1997 in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense and Military Contacts signed between the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and U.S. Department of Defense. Ukraine and the U.S. are co-organizers of the exercises.
Four Nebraska Army National Guard aviators who rescued a wounded U.S. special forces soldier in Afghanistan were honored Saturday in Lincoln for their bravery.

The four were assigned to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew on Feb. 9 near Sangin, Afghanistan, in Helmand province when they were dispatched to evacuate the soldier, the Nebraska National Guard said in a statement recounting the rescue. The landing zone still was receiving heavy enemy fire as they arrived and it was already difficult to approach because of a number of nearby obstacles.

After the mission, someone saw that the aircraft had been hit with at least one round of gunfire that had penetrated the helicopters back window and passed within inches of crew members.

At the Saturday ceremony, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts presented the four  Chief Warrant Officer 3 William Score, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Hector Lima-Bermudez, Staff Sgt. Matthew Hawke and Sgt. Jared Cornell  the Air Medal with Valor.

Score and Lima-Bermudez are pilots, Hawke is a helicopter crew chief and Cornell is a flight medic. The four are members of the Nebraska National Guards Lincoln-based Company G, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion that returned April 15 from a 10-month deployment.

Also at the ceremony, at the Guards Joint Force Headquarters, were Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska adjutant general, and Col. John Cyrulik, commander of the U.S. Armys Task Force Nightmare, which served as the units higher headquarters during its deployment.

The crew could have decided there was too much risk to the helicopter, Cyrulik said. Instead, he said, the crew swept in at low altitude and high speed, surrounded by dust and chaos and explosions, and landed in broad daylight in an area that would only fit one aircraft.

Following days of treatment, the wounded soldier was reunited with his family.

After Saturdays ceremony, Hawke said there never was any question what the crew should do: We were there to do a job. One of our comrades was down, so we had to take care of him.
Deep in the basement of the Strategic Air Commands headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Airman 1st Class Michael Davis studied the black-and-white film squares through a magnifying lens on that October day in 1962.

Hunched over the light table, he noticed some cigar-shaped objects. He knew they were out of the ordinary; though only 24, he had been studying aerial reconnaissance photos like these, from a U-2 flight over Cuba, for three years.

Major, take a look at this, Davis told an officer. I think youd better call the colonel.

The Cuban cigars were actually Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles on the backs of transport trucks. The SAC commander, Gen. Thomas Power, looked over the photos. The next day, the president was briefed. For the next two weeks, the United States and the Soviet Union stood toe-to-toe in what came to be known as the Cuban missile crisis.

Davis couldnt share his secret discovery, of course, but he was named Offutts Airman of the Month and received a three-day pass, he told The World-Herald in a 2002 interview.

On Saturday, Davis received additional recognition when he was named to the SAC Hall of Fame, one of four members of its second class of inductees. The ceremony was held on Saturday  Armed Forces Day  at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum near Ashland.

The inductees were selected for their significant impact in service to SAC or to its mission, according to a press release from the museum. Nominees were selected by a committee of six community leaders who are knowledgeable about the military and about SAC history.

This years inductees also included:

 Gen. Russell E. Dougherty, a World War II veteran who was SACs eighth commander, from 1974 to 77, described by the SAC Museum as a transformational leader who positively impacted the quality of life for those serving in SAC. He died in 2007 at age 86 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

 Gen. Larry D. Welch, 82, who headed SAC in 1985 and 1986 before stepping up to become Air Force chief of staff. He is credited by the museum with raising SACs readiness through tough, realistic training, modernization, and improving efficiency. In retirement, he continues to serve on the Defense Policy Board and U.S. Strategic Commands Strategic Advisory Board.

 Ed Wells, longtime chief engineer at Boeing Co., who was involved in the design of aircraft from the B-17 to the 747, and was responsible for designing or improving many SAC aircraft platforms, including the B-29 Superfortress, B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress. He died in 1986 at age 75.

The museum also inducted three supporters to its own Hall of Fame: Bruce Rohde, Lee Seemann and Clarence Werner.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination on Monday and declined to hand over documents sought under subpoena by a Senate panel investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

In a letter to the Senate intelligence committee , Flynn's attorneys justified the decision by citing an "escalating public frenzy against him" and saying the Justice Department's recent appointment of a special counsel has created a legally dangerous environment for him to cooperate with the panel's investigation.

"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him," the attorneys wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the AP.

Flynn's decision not to cooperate with the Senate committee represents a new legal complication for the expanding government and congressional inquiries into Russian interference in the presidential campaign and contacts between Trump advisers and Russian officials and representatives. Flynn is a key figure in both the FBI investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller and in separate Senate and House inquiries.

Trump appointed Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and top military intelligence chief, as his top national security aide in January, only to fire him less than a month later. The White House said that Flynn had misled top U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials, including Russia's ambassador to the U.S.

The Senate committee's subpoena to Flynn dealt heavily with his interactions with Russian officials. It asked for a wide range of information and documents about his and the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians dating back to June 2015.

Flynn's letter to the Senate committee stressed that his decision to invoke his constitutional protection is not an admission of wrongdoing but rather a response to the current political climate in which Democratic members of Congress are calling for his prosecution. Even "truthful responses of an innocent witness" can give the government ammunition that could be used against Flynn, the attorneys noted, quoting a 2001 Supreme Court ruling.

Legal experts had said Flynn was unlikely to turn over the documents without a grant of immunity because doing so might compel him to waive some of his constitutional protections. The attorneys noted that if Flynn complied with the committee's request, he could be confirming the existence of documents, an act that itself could be used against him.

Trump himself walked back into the Russia controversy during his visit to Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing beside him, was asked Monday if he had any concerns about intelligence sharing with the U.S.

After Netanyahu responded he said the cooperation was terrific Trump volunteered that he "never mentioned the word or the name Israel" during his recent Oval Office conversation with top Russian diplomats.

That comment referred to revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat in his May 10 meeting in the Oval Office with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador. U.S. officials have said the information originated with Israel. However, it has not been alleged that Trump told the Russians that Israel was the source.

Trump has defended Flynn since his ouster and called on him to strike an immunity deal because Flynn is facing a "witch hunt." The president's comments are in stark contrast to his harsh words during the 2016 campaign for people who received immunity or invoked the Fifth Amendment in the probe of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

"You see, the mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?" Trump said during a September campaign rally in Iowa.

On Monday, one of Trump's top GOP supporters, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, told reporters during a news conference in Trenton that he had expressed concerns about Flynn during the presidential transition.

"If I were president-elect of the United States, I wouldn't let General Flynn in the White House," Christie said.

Flynn's decision does not fully close the door on future cooperation with the committee. Attorney Robert Kelner said in March that Flynn wants to tell his story "should the circumstances permit." He noted it would be unreasonable for Flynn to agree to be questioned by the committee "without assurances against unfair prosecution.

Flynn's letter comes less than two weeks after the committee issued a subpoena for his documents as part of its ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's campaign. In addition to the Senate investigation, Flynn is also being investigated by other congressional committees, as well as the ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe and a separate federal criminal investigation in northern Virginia.

Washington lawyer Nina Ginsberg, who has extensive national security law experience, said that if Flynn turned over any personal records in response to the committee's subpoena, he would waive his Fifth amendment rights regarding those documents and have to testify about them.

Ginsberg also noted that the committee faces new complications from the Justice Department's move last week to appoint Mueller as special counsel in the Russia inquiry. If the intelligence committee wants to give Flynn immunity, it will likely have to enter into discussions with Mueller to determine whether the move could impede the FBI's case.

Lawmakers of other key congressional committees are pledging a full public airing as to why former FBI Director James Comey was ousted amid the intensifying investigations into Russia's interference with the U.S. election.

In Sunday TV appearances, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they will press Comey in hearings as to whether he ever felt that Trump tried to interfere with his FBI work. Some lawmakers are insisting on seeing any White House or FBI documents that detail conversations between the two, following a spate of news reports that Comey had kept careful records.

Comey was fired by Trump earlier this month. The former FBI director agreed to testify before the Senate intelligence committee after the Memorial Day holiday.

Former CIA Director John Brennan is to testify in open and closed hearings Tuesday before the House intelligence committee, which is conducting its own investigation.
We seem to be talking about two different nations when we hear about Russia.

We have the Russia that Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama referred to as a new, friendly Russia, not the worlds most dangerous threat as 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney stated.

If Russia is now such a serious threat  a nation that helped elect Donald Trump president  then I ask: What are we doing riding Russian rockets to the space station and sharing our science with it?

We want to defeat the Islamic State, so we asked Russia to help. It cant be trusted to help defeat a common terrorist foe, but we can trust it with American science and the lives of our astronauts?

Somehow the media overlooks this and cries Russian wolf.

John Tanner, Omaha
Normandy format to be activated to resolve situation in east in near future Poroshenko

The work in the Normandy format (Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia) will be activated in the near future, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"We are sure that as there is no alternative to the Minsk process, the Normandy format will be actively involved in the near future too," he said after an official visit to Germany on Saturday.
6 held for blackmailing producers of Baahubali 2, Rajamouli thanks cops

India

oi-Gulam Rabbani

By Gulam Rabbani

Hyderabad: Baahubali 2 director SS Rajamouli on Monday expressed gratitude to police officials in Hyderabad for arresting a six-member gang who allegedly created a pirated copy of the movie which crossed Rs 1500 crore collection a few days ago.

Speaking to the media corps in the city, Rajamouli said that "We are very thankful from the film industry, from the Arka productions and from the Baahubali team for their efforts."

He said that a sense of fear should be there in everyone that punishment will be awarded if indulged in piracy. He said that the filmmakers should stop the leak at the source itself as it later becomes difficult to contain the damage.

Cyber crime ACP Raguvir said that the Baahubali team came to thank the police for arresting the gang in connection with the case.

On May 16, six people were arrested from Delhi and Patna for allegedly creating a pirated copy of 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion' and for 'blackmailing its producers on the pretext of circulating the pirated clips on the internet.

One among the six accused was the owner of a theatre in Bihar who allegedly 'blackmailed' and demanded a ransom of Rs 15 lakh to stop the pirated version from uploading on the internet.

As per the complaint lodged on April 29, a man called Rahul Mehta, who said he represented an anti-piracy agency', approached the producers and told them that a pirated high definition print of the film was available.

Mehta showed them a sample video...and informed that release of pirated copy would be withheld for a few days and demanded money.

The producers kept up talking with him while informing the police. Mehta was arrested on May 11 from Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad. He named Jitender Mehta, Taufiq and Mohammad Ali as accomplices. The three were arrested in Delhi the next day.

The SS Rajmouli'a magnum opus, starring Prabhas in the lead, has had a triumphant run at the worldwide box-office till date, garnering an estimated Rs 1,294 crore in all languages. The movie was premiered at the British Film Institute and was theatrically released over 9000 screens worldwide on 28 April 2017.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 16:05 [IST]
Congress-JD(S) camaraderie during bypolls

The step towards Congress' victory in the Gundlupert and Nanjangud bypoll was the JD(S) not fielding a candidate. Almost all votes of the JD(S) was cast in support of Congress candidates in both constituencies. Despite the JD(S) claiming that it had asked party workers to vote freely, the message was loud and clear, 'not the BJP'.

The backdoor support that the JD(S) extended to the Congress became evident after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah thanked JD(S) national president Devegowda after a win in both constituencies. While he maintained that he thanked the party for not fielding candidates, grassroots workers who campaigned for the Congress conveyed that JD(S) votes went straight to the Congress especially because the party's candidate in Nanjangud was a former JD(S) man.

JD(S) will fight 76 seats tooth and nail

In the upcoming assembly elections, the JD(S) considering the candidates and the funds, is set to fight tooth and nail but not in all of the 225 constituencies.

Realistically, the JD(S) will fight about 76 seats. While it is a very real contender in seats from Kodagu to Bengaluru and some scattered seats in North Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka region, JD(S) will not be a key player in more than 80 seats at the most. Even if the party manages to win 10 seats more than its previous count and the rest are divided between the Congress and the BJP with none getting a simple majority, JD(S) becomes the kingmaker.

Pre-poll alliance not a possibility, but post poll is the question

Much like what happened in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike elections, the Congress and the JD(S) are likely to enter into a post-poll alliance. With a pre-poll alliance, the Congress and the JD(S) do not want to give BJP the opportunity to cry foul and play the victim. The BJP is surging ahead in most elections held after 2014 and 2018 assembly elections in Karnataka is crucial for the Congress that is fighting for relevance.

Karnataka is the largest state where Congress is in power currently and the party is trying everything it can to retain power. JD(S) chief Devegowda has time and again reiterated that the BJP should not be allowed to win in the state. He also joined hands with the other Janata parties across the country to put up a united fight. While backdoor discussions about a post-poll alliance are already underway, both parties have denied the same in public. For now, all three parties in Karnataka are going to polls alone.

Is Congress government indulging in arm-twisting?

Ever since the Gundlupet and Nanjangud assembly polls, the Congress' stance on JD(S) in Karnataka has become soft. Even during Chief Minister's interaction with the media on completion of four years of governance, no attacks were launched on the JD(S).

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was careful to attack the BJP but did not speak a word about the JD(S). Incidentally, state president of JD(S) H D Kumaraswamy had been criticising the Chief Minister over the Cauvery issue, drought and farmer issues. But the Congress has not launched any attacks on the JD(S). This selective favouritism among the opposition parties had led to speculation that the Congress is preparing to ally with the JD(S) post the 2018 elections. Workers of the JD(S) believe that the investigations against Kumaraswamy may also be an arm-twisting tactic that the Congress is using to strike a deal on the poll alliance.

BJP to counter a united Congress and JD(S)

BJP claims that it is unfazed by the possible alliance. The party belives that it will get a simple majority to come to power in the state. BJP is confident of emerging as the single largest party. But the question is if emerging as the single largest party is enough.

After all, the party did emerge as the single largest during the BBMP elections but was compelled to sit in the opposition seats after the Congress and JD(S) united to elect a mayor. While the Congress claims that it will not ally with the JD(S) after witnessing what it did to the BJP when they were running a coalition government, the BJP is confident that they would not need a kingmaker to come to power. But the possibility of a post poll alliance looks very real, given the current scenario.

OneIndia News
AAP leaders' Russia trip funded by man involved in Rs 400 crore scam: Mishra

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Kapil Mishra who was sacked as Delhi minister dropped more bomb shells on Sunday when he said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashutosh and Sanjay Singh's Russia trip was funded by a person with alleged direct links with a company which is facing probe in a Rs 400 crore scam.

Mishra posed nine questions to Kejriwal. He sought to know if Kejriwal was aware

of the source of Russia tour's funding and why no action was taken against the company after AAP returned to power.

The allegations were however rubbished by Delhi government spokesperson Nagender Sharma. He termed the allegations made by Mishra as a 'horribly wrong script."

Ashutosh and Mr Singh's trip "was sponsored by a man who is being probed for the Rs 400-crore high-security number plate scam,"Mishra alleged. He also went on to apologise to former AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendar Yadav for not heeding to their views.

Mishra, who has been suspended from AAP's primary membership, said he will stay in the party to cleanse it. He invited former India Against Corruption (IAC) volunteers to help him make Delhi "corruption-free" and "Kejriwal-free."

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 7:08 [IST]
After Bangalore, Delhi holds candle march for IAS officer Anurag Tewari

India

oi-Prabhpreet

By Prabhpreet

With mystery surrounding the death of Anurag Tewari, an IAS officer belonging to the Karnataka Cadre, showing no signs of clearing, friends and family of the officer continue to demand a thorough investigation into the case.

After the Saturday candlelight march by his college friends and Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology Alumni in Bangalore, Sunday saw a procession held in New Delhi's Jantar-Mantar area where similar demands for a CBI inquiry into the matter were raised. According to reports, more than 150 people attended the march held in Delhi.

Tiwari was found dead under mysterious circumstances, in the high-security Hazratganj area in Lucknow, hardly a kilometre away from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

The IAS officer had come to Lucknow after attending a mid-career training programme at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie on the day he was found dead. He was found lying a few metres away from the entrance of his guest house in his night clothes.

A SIT has been constituted to look into the suspicious nature of his death, and two officers from Karnataka have also been sent to take part in the investigation.

The matter has also been raised by the opposition in the UP assembly. According to his family and friends, including the officer's father, Tewari was an honest officer which led to tensions between him and his seniors and such circumstances suggests that his death might be due to un-natural causes.

Earlier, his family wrote to the prime minster's office demanding a CBI probe. In the letter, Tewari's brother had mentioned that Tewari had tumbled upon a major scam in the Food and Civil Supplies department of Karnataka, which he wanted to inform the PMO and CBI. He also alleged that Tewari was forced to withdraw the report which could have nailed senior officers and ministers, had it come to light.

And following his death, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also wrote to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath requesting him to ensure that it is thoroughly investigated by a competent team of investigators and professionals.

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Amit Shah says BJP will come to power in Telangana

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

Hyderabad, May 22: BJP President Amit Shah on Monday exuded confidence that the party will come to power in Telangana in coming days.

Addressing a meeting of BJP workers at Theratpally village in Nalgonda district on the first day of his three-day visit to Telangana, he urged them to take the policies of Modi government to people and make the state a stronghold of the party.

"The way BJP is working in Telangana for last two years, I am sure BJP will form the government in the state in coming days," he said.

Stating that the country was marching ahead on the path of progress under the leadership of Narendra Modi, he appealed to Telangana people to ensure that Telangana join this march so that it could become number one state.

Shah, who visited few houses in the village and interacted with farmers and weavers to know their problems, targeted the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for what he called its "failure" to take the central schemes to the grassroots.

He said the Modi government launched many schemes for poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers, youth women and villages but these schemes had not reached the targeted groups in Telangana.

He said under one such scheme, 4.5 crore toilets were constructed for poor households across the country but alleged that not a single toilet was built in this village.

Accompanied by BJP's national General Secretary Muralidhar Rao, party's state president K. Laxman and others, he visited few houses and interacted with villagers to know about their problems. A farmer told him that the people were facing water scarcity both for drinking and irrigation.

The BJP chief unveiled statue of Gundugoni Mysaiah, a BJP activist who was killed by Maoists in 1999. He along with other BJP leaders had dinner with Dalits in a Dalit locality in the village. He later left for Nalgonda to meet a cross section of people.

Shah's three-day visit to Telangana is aimed at strengthening the party in the state ahead of the 2019 elections.

Earlier, soon after his arrival at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, he left for Nalgonda district by road. Shah will on Tuesday visit Gundrampalli village to pay tribute to those killed by 'razakars' or volunteers of the Nizam before Hyderabad state's merger with the Indian Union. He will also address booth level committees in the two districts. The BJP president on the last day of his trip will return here to address a meeting of party workers of Hyderabad parliamentary constituency.

The BJP is gearing up to make a serious bid to wrest Hyderabad seat from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, which has been winning it since 1984.

IANS
In pictures, grandeur of Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport which PM Modi will inaugurate

BJP hits street in Bengaluru to protest against Satish Jarkiholi's anti-Hindu remark

Probe ordered after Sunny Leone's pic on candidate's admit card for Karnataka govt exam

Bengaluru police registers 1700 traffic violations everyday

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Everyday an average of 1700 traffic violations were recorded through round-the-clock monitoring by Bengaluru City Police.

The BCP is Facebook post cautioned people against traffic rules violations in absence of policemen on roads.

Over 425 surveillance cameras have installed all over the city. The Traffic Management Centre has dedicated policemen who monitor these cameras 24/7 in different shifts. The BCP also posted a video which gives an audio-visual demo of the traffic surveillance.

'Still think there is no policeman at the signal?'

A week ago Bengaluru Traffic Police was in news for wrong reasons. An automated way of recognizing traffic rule violations, as many had been fined for violations they hadn't committed. However, the police issued apology after receiving complaints about people being fined for violations they didn't commit.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 15:19 [IST]
Bharat Jodo Yatra will proceed to Srinagar, come what may, says Rahul Gandhi as march enters Maharashtra

Demonetisation deliberate move by 'PayPM' to help his friends: Rahul Gandhi

BJP-ruled states are descending into chaos, lawlessness. Will PM answer? asks Rahul

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, May 22: Continuing his attack against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states are "descending into chaos and lawlessness". The Gandhi scion demanded an answer from PM Modi in this regard.

'3 years of broken promises,' Rahul takes dig at Modi govt anniversary celebrations

"From Raj to UP, Haryana & now Jharkhand BJP ruled states are descending into chaos & lawlessness.Will the PM answer?" Rahul tweeted. His tweet was accompanied by an article of Hindustan Times titled-- Hands folded, blood-soaked body: Pictures of man begging for life capture brutality of Jharkhand lynching.

Last week, four Muslim men were beaten to death by villagers in Sobhapur, less than an hour's drive from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.

From Raj to UP, Haryana & now Jharkhand BJP ruled states are descending into chaos & lawlessness.Will the PM answer? pic.twitter.com/iOU7sknFVI  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) May 22, 2017

Last week, Rahul criticised the Modi government over its plan to host grand celebrations to mark the "successful" completion of three years of governance at the Centre.

"Youth are struggling to find jobs, farmers are committing suicide & soldiers are dying at the border. What exactly is the Govt celebrating?" Rahul tweeted from his official handle-- @OfficeOfRG.

He added, "3 years of broken promises, non performance & betrayal of a mandate."

According to reports, the National Democratic Alliance is going to have massive celebrations across the country, beginning from May 26 to June 15. Even a recent survey reveals that 61 per cent of Indian people are "happy" with the PM Modi government.

Of late, Rahul is increasingly using Twitter as a medium to attack PM Modi, his biggest political adversary.

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BJP rules out Bhagwat as next President of India

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The BJP has ruled out the candidature of RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat for the post of next President of India. The BJP is yet to take a decision on the candidate for the Presidential polls to be held in July said BJP's national president Amit Shah.

Replying to a question on the BJP-led NDA's candidate for the Presidential polls in July as the opposition was already working on putting up a joint candidate, said BJP President Amit Shah told Aaj Tak channel in an interview that a decision is yet to be taken.

"Even if I have a name on my mind, it has to be discussed within the party first," he said. He also rejected the Shiv Sena's proposal regarding Bhagwat, saying that party has itself ruled it out.

To questions on Kashmir, Shah said there was no need for even an "iota of concern" over the situation in the state which has witnessed months of unrest, and asserted that the Narendra Modi-led government will control it soon.There is a big gap between the reality and the projection of the Kashmir situation and the trouble was confined to "three and a half districts", he said.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 6:05 [IST]
BMC corporators pass motion exempting themselves from tolls across Maharashtra

India

oi-Anusha

Corporators of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation passed a motion demanding an exemption to all its corporators at all toll booths across Maharashtra. The notice of motion that was moved by Shiv Sena's Tukaram Patil was passed by the corporation which has now sent it to the Maharashtra government for approval.

While moving the notice, the Shiv Sena corporator from Ghatkopar claimed that since corporators of BMC make frequent 'official visits' and go on 'study tours' outside Mumbai, they should be exempt from all toll plazas across the state. Currently, the corporators are allowed to use the Bandra-Worli Sealink without paying tolls, but tolls have to be paid on all other routes. BMC corporators also get to commute for free on all BEST services.

Tukaram Patil, a first-time corporator claimed that 'all the MLAs and MPs were exempt from paying the toll. Likewise, corporators from the BMC should also be exempted. The BMC administration's decision to cut down on corporator's development fund has added to the grouse, it is reported. The demand by BMC corporators to exempt them from tolls comes days after they demanded a five-fold salary hike from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. The demand was made by a Samajwadi Party corporator, Rais Shaikh.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 14:10 [IST]
Breakfast at Dalit home: Yeddyurappa accuses Cong for insulting community

India

pti-PTI

Bengaluru, May 22: The BJP's Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa on Monday refuted allegations that he preferred breakfast from a hotel instead of what was prepared at a Dalit's house he had visited and termed it a 'malicious' campaign by the Congress.

Asserting that today also he has had breakfast at a Dalit's house in a colony in Bagalkote in presence of the media, he claimed that the Congress was unable to resist the initiative taken by his party.

"We had gone to understand the issues faced by them and will continue to do it," the state BJP chief said. "What I feel is, the Congress is unable to resist that we are visiting Dalit mohallas, we are eating breakfast at their houses, we are receiving applications from them and trying to respond to their issues. So they are doing this malicious campaign," Yeddyurappa told reporters at Bagalkote.

As part of his drought study tour across the state, the former chief minister was recently in Chitradurga where he along with other leaders partook of breakfast at a Dalit's house. It was alleged that Yeddyurappa had breakfast brought from a nearby hotel instead of what was homemade and he drew flak from both the Congress and the JD(S). Reacting to the allegations, BJP spokesperson and MLA Suresh Kumar noted that the host had confirmed that Yeddyurappa had breakfast prepared in the house. It was also stated they had to get food from outside as they could not cater immediately to the large number of visitors.

"What is central to the whole issue is having food at the residence of Dalits with the members of the family and not to bother whether the food is prepared at home or brought from outside," Kumar said.

He said by casting aspersions on the BJP of not having food prepared at a Dalit's house, the Congress has insulted and humiliated the entire community and it has no moral right to speak on the issue of Dalits after having used them as vote bank for over seven decades.

Meanwhile, Mandya police has received a complaint against Yeddyurappa following the incident, where a person named D Venkatesh has accused him of discrimination, the police said.

PTI
PGO receives U.S. assurances that large portion of Lazarenko's assets will be returned to Ukraine

U.S. officials have assured Ukrainian counterparts that if courts rule to confiscate assets belonging to ex Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, most of them will be returned to Kyiv, head of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office Yuriy Lutsenko has said.

"We cooperate on the Lazarenko case [with the Americans]. We hope that this year, finally, we will complete the case and have assurances from the relative U.S. officials that [Lazarenko's] assets will be returned," Lutsenko said in Kyiv on Monday morning.

As earlier reported, Deputy PGO head Yevhen Yenin in December 2016 said Ukraine can count on receiving $280 million illegally transferred abroad by Lazarenko.

"The amount is $280 million. The money is located in several jurisdictions. We are now nearing the finish line, waiting for a court decision in the U.S. on the matter. Next in a civil case we will begin talks with those five jurisdictions regarding the return of Lazarenko's assets," Yenin told journalists.

Yenin said Antingua, Barbuda Guernsey, Lichtenshtein, Lithuania and Switzerland are the five jurisdictions, adding that Ukraine can count on the return of the full amounts and will negotiate about these assets.
Choice is yours, BJP tells Rajini on joining party

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

It is upto Rajinikanth to join the BJP or not. The doors are however open to him, BJP's national president Amit Shah said. Speaking to a television channel, Shah said that it was up to the actor to take a decision on the same.

Meanwhile in Bengaluru Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that Rajinikanth is a great actor. Modi is a great leader. If he wants to meet the Prime Minister, there is no problem. He however said that he was unaware of any proposed meeting between the star and the Prime Minister.

In Coimbatore, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan, who had previously criticised the actor for praising DMK leader M.K. Stalin, said he was ideologically inclined towards the BJP, and if he joined the party, it would add to its strength. TNCC president Su Thirunavukkarasar said that he expected the actor to float his own party.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 6:13 [IST]
No effect of Ghar Wapsi? 8 lakh Hindus converted to other religions in a year, says VHP

Ghar Wapsi: 22 Muslims convert into Hinduism in Faizabad, UP

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Lucknow, May 22: At least 22 Muslim people, including women and children, got converted into Hinduism in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday, reported ANI. Those who accepted Hindu religion, following proper rituals and tradition, belong to Ambedkar Nagar district in Faizabad.

UP police's Ghar Wapsi initiative, a move to reach out to radicalised youth

It is said that all those who decided to get converted trace their ancestry to Hinduism only. In fact, around 25 years ago their families adopted Islam.

ANI reported that the entire 'ghar wapsi' ceremony was done in a very secretive manner at an Aryasamaj Temple in Faizabad to avoid any controversy. Kailash Chandra Srivastava of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh performed the process of conversion of the 22 Muslims.

Srivastava clarified that it was not a forced conversion ceremony. "All those, who were converted to the Hindu religion, left Islam without being lured," Srivastava said.

However, the state government has refused to make any comment in the matter. At a time when religious polarization is increasing in the country, the latest conversion episode might be used by the opposition political parties to attack the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party which shares close ties with the Hindu outfit RSS.

Ghar Wapsi (Home Coming) is a name given to a series of religious conversion activities, started by organisations like the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the RSS, to facilitate conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 8:19 [IST]
Host of leaders to attend Karunanidhi's birthday bash but DMK chief himself may not

India

oi-Anusha

Leaders of non-NDA parties are all set to come together on June 3 as DMK Chief M Karunanidhi turns 94. While the meeting is expected to be a grand affair, M Karunanidhi himself may not be able to attend the celebrations owing to ill health.

The working President of DMK, M K Stalin stated that a decision on Karunanidhi participating in the gala will be subjected to doctor's suggestion. "Doctors have advised him to take rest. Considering his condition on the day, if doctors permit, Karunanidhi will attend the event," M K Stalin said. The DMK is all set to celebrate Karunanidhi's birthday on June 3 at 5 PM in Chennai's Royapeta YMCA ground with a meeting.

Rahul Gandhi, Nitish Kumar, Seetharam Yechury, Farooq Abdullah, Lalu Prasad Yadav, D Raja, Derek O'Brien, Khader Mohideen, Sharad Pawar, Narayanaswamy will be among the leaders who are expected to be in attendance. "This is only a birthday celebrations and not a political meeting. There will not be any discussions on the Presidential elections," M K Stalin claimed. He reiterated that the largest congregation of opposition party leaders ahead of the presidential elections will have no discussions on the matter.

While invitations have been sent out to all political parties that the DMK considers a friend, DMK supremo may end up not attending the event. This was supposed to be Karunanidhi's big public appearance after a bout of illness towards the end of 2016 restricted him indoors. The DMK has made it a point to release pictures of M Karunanidhi every now and then to assure people that the 93-year-old leader was healthy.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 16:54 [IST]
IAS Anurag Tewari's death to be probed by CBI

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Uttar Pradesh government has recommended that the death of IAS Anurag Tewari be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The decision was made after the family of the deceased approached Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Earlier in the day, the UP police registered a case of murder over IAS officer Anurag Tewari's death. Five days after his body was found in Hazratganj of Lucknow, an FIR has been filed under section 302 of the IPC. An FIR was registered after Mayank Tewari, brother of the slain IAS officer approached the police alleging foul play.

Anurag Tewari's family met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday and demanded a CBI probe into the case. The family, in a written complaint to the state, had alleged that Anurag had a threat to his life and often spoke about the same. The complaint also alleges that Anurag was to expose a scam in Karnataka and was under immense pressure to sign on papers that he was unwilling to.

Mayank Tewari further claimed that contradictory claims were being made about the entire incident and suspected foul play. The special investigation team that was formed by the Uttar Pradesh government is yet to record statements of Anurag's friend was the last person to see him alive. While the autopsy report claimed that Anurag Tewari died of asphyxiation, it did not mention the reason for asphyxia. His heart and visceral samples were saved for further forensic tests, reports of which are yet to be given out.

The case that was initially being looked at as unnatural death, will now be probed as a case of murder. This development comes about even as Congress in Karnataka has brushed aside speculations of a scam in the Food and Civil Supplies department where Anurag was posted. Anurag's family has claimed that he was under immense pressure from higher-ups.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 18:24 [IST]
Zakir Naik wants Indian Muslims to migrate to Kerala, a state he mastered in radicalising

The crimes of Zakir Naik: Extolling every Muslim to be a terrorist, paid Rs 50k per Islamic conversion

Prosecutions story may be attractive but should be backed by evidence

Is Dr Zakir Naik a Saudi national now?

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Has controversial Islamic preacher, Dr Zakir Naik been granted citizenship of Saudi Arabia. A report in the Middle East Monitor claims that the preacher wanted in a host of cases by India was given Saudi citizenship.

The report states that the citizenship was given to save him from arrest by the Interpol. However security officials in India were unable to independently confirm the report.

Naik who is facing a host of charges left India last year. The NIA had registered a case against him after one of the Dhaka terror attackers had claimed on his Facebook page that he drew inspiration from Naik's speeches.

Last week a special NIA court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Non-bailable warrants have also been issued by other courts in connection with money laundering and conversion cases as well.

Indian officials say that the process to extradite him is still on. We are working on the case and there are some issues that need to be sorted out. India will make a request to the Saudi Arabia government to deport Naik to India for Investigation.

The NIA had issued several summons to Naik, but he failed to turn up. His offer to depose through video conferencing was rejected. It may also be recalled that the tribunal had upheld the ban on Naik's NGO, Islamic Research Foundation.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 10:08 [IST]
Suspended ex-Andaman chief secretary Narain claims was in Delhi on day of alleged rape

Man booked for rape of 12-year-old after video of injured girl surfaces on internet

Man rapes 8-year-old to use her blood for removing obstacles to his marriage

Maharashtra: 5-year-old allegedly raped by father, killed by grandmother

India

pti-PTI

Nashik, May 22: A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her father and then killed by her grandmother, in a bid to cover up the crime, at Javulake-Vani village in Maharashtra's Nashik district, the police said on Sunday.

According to the Nashik rural police, the incident took place on Friday night when the accused, Sachin Shinde, returned home and allegedly raped his five-year-old daughter.

"Shinde's mother, Anusaya, witnessed the act and anticipating that her son would be arrested for the crime, killed the child by strangling her," Deputy Superintendent of Police Kalwan division Devidas Patil said.

The accused's wife was not at home when the incident occurred, the DSP said, adding that Anusaya later disposed the body behind a school building near their house to conceal the alleged crime.

"She even approached the police and lodged a false complaint, stating that her grand daughter was kidnapped and killed," Patil said.

During investigation, when the police team recovered the body from the spot, it led them to Shinde's house, the officer said.

Based on preliminary investigation, the police questioned the accused and his mother and they confessed to the crime, he said.

A case was lodged against Shinde under IPC section 376 rape and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act-2012 POCSO, while his mother was booked on charges of murder, Vani police station in-charge, ML Pawar said.

PTI

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 10:05 [IST]
Modi trying to clamp down on Oppn by putting fake cases against them: Digvijaya

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 22: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging he was trying to "clamp down" on the opposition by using agencies like CBI, NIA and ED as "caged parrots". Singh, a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, also accused the government of framing "innocents" in "fake cases".

"Modi is trying to clamp down on the opposition using the tools of CBI, NIA and ED and putting fake cases against them," he said, while talking to reporters outside the Patiala House courts complex here.

Singh had come to the court along with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who had appeared with other accused in connection with a disproportionate assets case lodged by the CBI.

"Their own leaders spent over Rs 500 crore in marriages when the demonetisation drive was going on and their own people are involved in terrorism," he said. "He is framing innocents. The CBI is a caged parrot. Now so are the NIA and ED. The directors are being given extensions as carrots," Digvijaya Singh said.

The Supreme Court, while hearing coal block allocation matters in May 2013, had expressed concern over the Centre's interference in the probe in the scam and had termed the CBI as a "caged parrot".

"It is a sordid saga that there are many masters and one parrot," the apex court had then said, after going through an affidavit filed by the then CBI Director on coal scam probe.

PTI
MP: Rs 50 cr offered via call to youth for killing PM Modi

India

oi-Gulam Rabbani

By Gulam Rabbani

Bhopal, May 22: The Madhya Pradesh police on Saturday registered a case unidentified people after a youth in Satna district received a call from unknown number allegedly had offered Rs 50 crore to join them in killing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally.

The youth who took the call as a joke initially but later complaint to the police in Satna. He said that the caller claiming to be a Pakistani had called the youth using the number +79651219.

According to the police, the youth identified as Kushal Soni received the call and when he picked it, he was offered Rs 50 crore if he joined them in killing Modi at a rally in Mumbai. The caller also said that they had recruited two people and needed a third one for the attack, adding that they will offer as much money as he wanted for the job. The police forwarded the number to the crime branch.

SP Mithlesh Kumar said that the matter is under investigation, adding that the things will be more clear after investigation whether it was a hoax call or not. During the preliminary investigation, it was found that the number belonged to Kazakhstan. Soni had handed over all the call recording to the police.

Incidentally, this incident comes after a man was arrested days ago in Satna for threatening to bomb Vidhan Sabha and the Bhopal railway station.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 13:44 [IST]
"Panneerselvam killed Jayalalithaa to retain CM post": TN law minister

India

oi-Anusha

C S Shanmugam, the law minister of Tamil Nadu has stirred controversy accusing O Panneerselvam of killing J Jayalalithaa. During a public rally, the minister accused Panneerselvam of murdering Jayalalithaa to retain the Chief Minister's post.

Mocking the AIADMK PTA faction's demand for a probe into Jayalalithaa's death, C S Shanmugam said that Panneerselvam should be probed first. "Pannerselvam was made the Chief Minister when Jayalalithaa passed away and he continued to be the Chief Minister even two months after her death.

If there is an inquiry, Panneerselvam should be the first person to be investigated. I am accusing Panneerselvam of killing Amma so that he could retain the Chief Minister's post," he claimed and added that such suspicion was emerging now.

The statement is sure to come as another deterrent to the AIADMK merger talks that have almost come to a standstill. Shanmugam's statement comes in the backdrop of Panneerselvam camp demanding that a probe be ordered into Jayalalithaa's death. The camp has maintained that merger talks will go ahead only after a probe is ordered. The Edappadi Palanisamy camp has maintained that a decision on the probe will be taken by the court since petitions demanding the same have been filed.

Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy has assured that the government would order a CBI probe if the Madras High Court directs it to do so while passing orders in a PIL filed before it. With the merger talks going nowhere, frustration has set in and such statements are indicative of the same. It may be noted that while Panneerselvam camp demanded a probe, they have not blamed anyone of murdering Jayalalithaa. Shanmugam's statements accuse Panneerselvam directly of killing Jayalalithaa to retain power.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 10:35 [IST]
No news about 2 Arunachal youths who went missing from near China border in August

Pigeons with Chinese number tags found at Arunachal Pradesh

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Pigeons with number tags written in Chinese were caught at Anjaw along the Sino-Indian border on Sunday. The villagers of Anjaw in Arunachal Pradesh who spotted the pigeons reported the same to the local police which is probing the matter. The incident had created quite a flutter in the area with security officials suspecting that it could be a Chinese ploy at spying.

It is still unclear if the pigeons were fitted with transmitters. The investigations are on. The messages in Chinese could be an attempt to pass on some information. China has claimed a stake over Arunachal Pradesh and has been setting up spying networks over a period of time.

The incident comes close on the heels of India stepping up its defence preparedness along the Chinese border in Arunachal Pradesh following the frequent incidents of transgression by the People's Liberation Army.

Meanwhile security sources said the Indian Army was prepared for any kind of eventuality along the border with China, and whenever there had been any Chinese Army transgression, the Indian Army has responded to it effectively.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh had on Sunday chaired the first-ever review meeting of Sino-Indian border infrastructure in Sikkim, that was also attended by the chief ministers and representatives of five Himalayan states bordering China, the sources said, adding the meeting was aimed at strengthening the infrastructure all along the Chinese border.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 7:15 [IST]
The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine has sent a motion to the court to allow ex-Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov to be sentenced in absentia.

"As for Azarov, we have completed the investigation and submitted a motion to the Pechersky court for permission to convict him in absentia," Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said in Kyiv on Monday morning.

He said that the same situation is with the case of the former Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Eduard Stavytsky.

As reported, Azarov served as prime minister of Ukraine from March 11, 2010 to January 28, 2014. After Euromaidan in February 2014 he left the country. Later, the ex-prime minister repeatedly spoke on Russian television, where he said that he now lives on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Earlier, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine charged the former prime minister pursuant to Part 2 of Article 364 (abuse of official position, which entailed grave consequences) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the prosecutor's office, Azarov, while being in the office as prime minister, illegally stopped the check of violations in the activities of the state enterprise Antonov in the autumn of 2012. As a result of these actions, according to the PGO, the state suffered damage in especially large amounts of over UAH 37 million ($1.7 million). The Ukrainian court issued a warrant for the arrest of Azarov following the motion of the prosecutor's office.

As reported, on March 24, 2014 the Prosecutor General of Ukraine issued a wanted notice on Stavytsky. He is suspected of large-scale embezzlement.
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PM Modi arrives in Bhuj for 2-day Gujarat visit

India

oi-Gulam Rabbani

Ahmedabad, May 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached Bhuj airport in Gujarat for a two-day visit.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi took to his Twitter handle and shared his itinerary of the visit.

According to reports, he will be inaugurating various projects at the Kandla Port and Bachau, both in Kutch district and will thereafter address a public meeting at Gandhidham and in Bachau as well.

"I shall inaugurate & lay the foundation stone for various projects of the Kandla Port and address a public meeting at Gandhidham," the Prime Minister tweeted.

"In Bhachau, a pumping station would be inaugurated & I shall join a public meeting," he added.

Recalling the destructive earthquake which Kutch witnessed in 2001, PM Modi said that the district is today known as one of India's fastest growing districts.

On Tuesday PM Modi will visit Gandhinagar to participate in the opening ceremony of the meetings of the African Development Bank Group and then he will also meet some of the distinguished delegates of the AFDB group.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 16:38 [IST]
Not just future of Sena but democracy at stake, says Uddhav

Poll campaigning: Uddhav Thackeray urges EC to bar PM, CMs from holding rallies

India

pti-PTI

Mumbai, May 21: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged the Election Commission to bar the Prime Minister and the chief ministers from holding poll campaign rallies to ensure a level playing field for various political parties.

"The PM and CMs make all kinds of announcements while holding election rallies. When the party in power makes promises, it weighs heavy on the minds of people compared to the assurances given by the leaders of other political parties," Thackeray said, addressing a rally in run up to the Panvel municipal corporation polls.

He said that "while CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a package of Rs 6,500 crore for Kalyan-Dombivali municipal corporation and PM Narendra Modi announced Rs 1.25 lakh crore for Bihar, not a rupee was given after the elections."

He said that "after India's surgical strike against Pakistan, the nation has conducted several strikes on Indian territory."

"There is fresh news now that another Indian has been arrested again false cases will be filed and he will be hanged. Why is Pakistan not scared of you?" he questioned.

The PM should be thinking how to make the nation stronger rather than strengthening his party and similarly, the CM, instead of going to every nook and corner for holding rallies, should be mulling ways to improve farmers' plight and the law and order situation of the state, Thackeray said.

Taking a dig at the Election Commission for challenging political parties to hack their EVMs, Thackeray said that "if parties had the intelligence to hack EVMs, they would not hold election campaigns."

"This is like somebody goes to police to complain of theft in his house and police ask them to prove their house has been robbed. It is your duty to ensure EVMs are not tampered with and so you the EC should check your machines not us," he said.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 8:48 [IST]
President's rule likely to be imposed in J&K

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There is every possibility that President's rule may be imposed in Jammu and Kashmir if the state continues to be on the boil. At a high-level meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the possibility of imposing President's rule in the state had been discussed.

Senior officials led by National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval felt that the imposition of President's rule was the only option if the situation in the Valley did not improve. Many officials while scrutinising the situation in the Valley felt that if the rule of the President was in place, then it would give the security forces a free hand to act against the terrorists and the protestors.

The elected government in the Valley has failed to bring the situation under control. There have been no attempts made by the government in the state to restore peace and hence in such a situation it would be best to impose President's rule, a source added.

The Centre realises the importance of breaking the separatists of the Valley who have been primarily responsible for the Pakistan funded protests. The NIA has launched an enquiry against the separatists for receiving funds from Pakistan and fuelling the protests.

On the other hand the Army too has launched a major combing and search operation in the South of Kashmir where at least 200 terrorists are believed to be holed up.

The situation in Kashmir is serious and needs to be dealt with soon, the source added. We are dealing with the issue, step-by-step. If the need be and there is no sign of improvement, then the possibility of President's rule being imposed cannot be ruled out, the source also added.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 6:21 [IST]
Power cut in Chennai on November 8: These areas will be affected

Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government!

Power cut in Chennai on Nov 10: These areas will be affected

Protests against 'Kannadiga' Rajinikanth in Chennai, effigy burnt

India

oi-Anusha

Members of fringe groups staged protests outside superstar Rajinikanth's residence in Chennai. Members of a Tamil fringe group burnt an effigy of Rajinikanth protesting against his entry into politics.

Tamil Nadu: Tamilar Munnetra Padai protests near the residence of Rajinikanth in Chennai pic.twitter.com/1MlbNittJE  ANI (@ANI_news) May 22, 2017

Fringe group Tamilar Munnetra Padai protested against Rajinikanth's entry into Tamil Nadu politics. "He is a Kannadiga and he cannot enter politics in Tamil Nadu," said Veeralakshmi, a protester. Protests were held about a kilometre away from Rajinikanth's house leading to massive traffic pile up.

Security was beefed up around Rajinikanth's residence ahead of protests against him. Protesters who attempted to rally till Rajinikanth's residence were restrained by the police. Protests then continued at Cathedral road, a kilometre away from the superstar's residence. Protests against Rajinikanth come in the midst of debate around his entry into politics. Permission for the protest was granted but at a different venue.

While political parties are divided on Rajinikanth's political debut, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy was the first to pass a remark on Rajinikanth's non-Tamil roots. Rajinikanth had responded to the remarks during his meet with fans and claimed that he had spent four decades in Tamil Nadu and was a pure tamilian.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 12:42 [IST]
Rogue J&K cop who fled with rifles joins Hizbul Mujahideen

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A rogue cop in Jammu and Kashmir has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. The cop Syed Naveed Shah who had fled with four assault rifles was welcomed by the terror outfit thus confirming the news that he has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen.

We welcome Syed Naveed (Mushtaq) Shah in our fold," Hizbul Mujahideen's operational spokesman Burhanuddin told a local news agency in Srinagar, while congratulating the policeman for fleeing with four rifles. "People like Naveed will continue to join our struggle," he said, adding that the Hizbul Mujahideen "salutes the valour and bravery" of the constable.

Shah had on Saturday fled with four rifles which included his own weapon. The incident was reported at the Chandpora village in Budgam district, where he was deployed to guard a facility of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). A resident of Shopian district in South Kashmir, Shah had joined the police force as a constable in 2012.

The J&K police are looking into the authenticity of the claim made by the Hizbul. Police sources however say that there is every chance that Shah has joined the terror group. Why else would be run away with the rifles, the police source also asked.

It may be recalled that in January 2016 Shakoor Ahmad, a policeman who was posted as a DSP's personal security officer in South Kashmir, decamped with four rifles. He was reported to have joined militant ranks, and was arrested about a month later from Kulgam.

In March 2015, Naseer Ahmad Pandit, a police constable from Pulwama, also joined the Hizbul Mujahideen after decamping with two rifles. He was earlier posted as a guard at then PWD minister and senior PDP leader Altaf Bukhari's residence.

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SC notice to centre, Manipur over road rage incident involving CM Biren Singh's son

India

oi-Anusha

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the union and the Manipur government on a plea filed by parents of a teenager who was killed by Ajay Meetai. Ajay, the son of present Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh was shot dead in a road rage incident in 2011. The parents of the victim had claimed that they feared for their safety and life in Manipur.

A vacation bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Navin Sinha asked the union home secretary as well as the chief secretary of Manipur to respond by May 29. Notice has been issued to the state and the centre on the plea by Irom Chitra Devi, mother of Roger, who was shot at by Ajay. The parents alleged that no advocate was willing to represent them since they were being harassed and that they feared for their safety in Manipur where the accused's father is the Chief Minister

What happened in 2011?

Ajay Meetai had opened fire on Irom Rogers on March 20, 2011, after the latter refused to let him overtake his vehicle. Irked by Roger, Ajay, 'in a fit of rage' opened fire and killed him. The CBI probed the incident and charge sheeted Ajay. A local court in January 2017 had awarded Ajay a five-year jail term under section 304, culpable homicide not amounting to murder. When the incident took place, Biren Singh was a minister in the Congress government. Ajay made an appeal before the High Court challenging the quantum of the sentence while the CBI didn't go for any appeal.

Roger's parents flew down to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister last week and to voice their concerns over their safety. A memorandum was submitted to the PMO seeking justice for their son and protection for the family. The family alleges that those who help them are being harassed including lawyers and none was willing to represent them. A plea in the SC was finally made through advocate Utsav Bains. The Supreme Court has asked the centre and the state to respond to the notice by May 29.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 13:36 [IST]
Separatists funded by terrorists: No teething hurry to question Geelani

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The National Investigation Agency which is investigating the funds received by the Kashmiri separatists from Pakistan would take its time before questioning Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The NIA had registered a Preliminary Enquiry against the separatists for allegedly getting funds from the Lashkar-e-Tayiba to create an unrest in the Valley.

NIA sources say that the questioning of Geelani would take place only once more evidence is at hand. We do not want to act in haste as the issue is a sensitive one. We are confident of getting evidence against him and once that is done, we will question Geelani, the officer also said.

The separatists were receiving funds from Hafiz Saeed to carry out subversive activities in the Kashmir Valley, including pelting stones at security forces, damaging public property and burning schools and other government establishments, an NIA spokesperson had said last week.

It may be recalled that a similar enquiry was registered against Geelani last year as well. The NIA had summoned his son, Naeem, but he refused to appear before the NIA for questioning. The NIA is yet to make a major breakthrough in that case. It was found that there were two bank accounts relating to Geelani through which funds were moved, the NIA says.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 7:35 [IST]
Siddaramaiah welcomes UP move for CBI probe into IAS Anurag Tewari's death

India

pti-PTI

Bengaluru, May 22: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday welcomed Uttar Pradesh government's decision to order a CBI probe into the death of IAS officer Anurag Tiwari and assured full cooperation of his government in it.

I welcome a CBI inquiry into the unfortunate demise of IAS officer Shri Anurag Tiwari in Lucknow. Our government extends full cooperation.  CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 22, 2017

"I welcome the CBI inquiry into the unfortunate demise of IAS officer Shri Anurag Tiwari in Lucknow. Our government extends full cooperation," Siddaramaiah has tweeted.

A CBI probe was recommended today by the Uttar Pradesh government into Tiwari's death after his family members told UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that they suspected foul behind his death because he was about to expose a "big scam" in a Karnataka government department.

Siddaramaiah on Friday had written to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart to order a thorough probe into the circumstances and cause of the death of an "upright" state-cadre IAS officer. Tiwari, a 2007 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, serving as Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department's commissioner was found dead under mysterious circumstances on a roadside in Lucknow's Hazratganj area on May 17.

Following doubts raised by Tiwari's family, the opposition BJP had demanded that Karnataka government order a CBI probe into the officer's death.

Tiwari, 36, who had also served as deputy commissioner in Bidar and Kodagu districts in the past was staying at a Meera Bai guest house with a batch mate after attending a mid- career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie. He was in his sleepwear when he was found dead on May 17, which also happened to be his birthday.

PTI
"Situation in Bengaluru not so good," Anurag Tewari's message to brother

India

oi-Anusha

Days before he was found dead, IAS officer Anurag Tewari had told his, brother, that 'situation in Bengaluru was not so good'. He had asked his brother if they could reconsider his parents' travel to the city. This message has led the family to believe that his death was not natural.

"I was thinking, that since I'm coming to north in few days, and since bahraich situation has drastically improved, and also, situation in Bangalore is not so good these days (ongoing political and bureaucratic tussles), can we reconsider parents travel to Bangalore??"(SIC) read a message that Anurag had sent his brother. The IAS officer did not want his parents to visit the city.

Conflicting reports from police confuse Anurag's family, they want a CBI probe

Anurag's family claims that the police theory had many loopholes and contradictions. The police had claimed that Tewari had no plans of travelling on Wednesday, the day he was found dead. But the family claims that he was to take a flight and provided a PNR number. "He cancelled the flight on Tuesday and I have a message confirming the same. The versions do not match and that is why we want a CBI probe," said Mayank Tewari.

Secondly, claims made by the police of Anurag stepping out for a walk and drinking sugarless tea have been rubbished by the family. Anurag's brother Mayank Tewari has now written to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister seeking a transfer of the probe to the CBI. The family is convinced that Anurag was murdered and reiterated that he had a threat to life. The family had highlighted the 'political and bureaucratic tussle' that Anurag complained of.

New leads have emerged in the probe thanks to photographs that were clicked when Anurag Tewari's body was found. Photographs of his body and the spot where he was found dead reveal that Anurag Tewari had discharged urine at the time of death. His soiled clothes as shown in a picture clicked by the local police who cleared his body from the spot, indicate that he died of suffocation. Experts believe that suffocation in an open space was not a possibility without external factors.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 9:50 [IST]
UP polls: Law against triple talaq saved families of thousands of Muslim women from breaking-up: PM

UP: Woman accuses husband for giving her triple talaq over dowry

Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq

For triple talaq victims, judicial verdict in favor but social verdict still against them!

Triple talaq is inhumane, govt should protect Muslim women: Shabana Azmi

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Ludhiana, May 22: On Sunday, noted actor and activist Shabana Azmi said that triple talaq is inhumane and violates the basic rights of every Muslim woman.

She added that it is the duty of the government to protect the rights of Muslim women and there should be no two opinions on the issue of abolishing triple talaq system.

"Triple talaq is inhumane and violates the basic rights of every Muslim woman," she told reporters in the city.

"This triple talaq system is totally inhumane and deprives the Muslim women of their right to empowerment or equality," she said.

The multiple-time national award winner added that "even the holy Quran does not permit triple talaq anywhere".

There is a raging debate in the country on the issue of triple talaq. The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq.

Earlier, addressing a function in the city, she said the only true way to measure a society's progress is by seeing how empowered its women are.

"The women who get empowered must make efforts to empower other women. They must create support groups," she opined.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 6:17 [IST]
The Ukrainian National Police's cyberpolice department has not received any complaints from Ukrainian companies or individuals about WannaCry (WannaCrypt) ransomware attacks.

"The department has been monitoring reports by law enforcement agencies of many countries and the international media on the spread of malicious software for unauthorized encryption of user files and extortion of money for Wanna Cryptor decipherment. At the same time, the department has not received any claims from representatives of the affected Ukrainian companies and individuals over the 'infection,'" the National Police said in response to Interfax-Ukraine's request.

The cyberpolice department said victims of such crimes usually do not inform law enforcement agencies of attacks.

"Most large companies are worried about their business reputation and are trying to eliminate the consequences of cybercrimes on their own," it said.

As reported, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine previously reported that the second wave of WannaCry cyberattacks was not recorded in Ukraine.

Ukrainian mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone-Ukraine, cable TV and Internet access provider Volia and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's administration have reported they have not been hit by cyberattacks with the use of WannaCry ransomware, the press service of these companies and the presidential office said.

Fixed telecoms giant Ukrtelecom said there had been attempts to attack, but its experts had successfully repelled them, and it had had no impact on the company's performance.

The National Bank of Ukraine said that cyberattacks were neutralized by its cybersecurity team.
Twin blasts hit Jharkhand railway station, cause unknown

India

oi-Gulam Rabbani

Giridih, May 22: Panic triggered among the public at Hazaribagh railway station of Jharkhand after two blasts that took place on Sunday night.

The blast occurred at the station which falls on the railway line that goes to Kolkata from Delhi via Gaya and Dhanbad.

Chaos erupted in nearby areas of the station when the two blasts occurred in the railway station. A boy lost his right hand in the blast and was rushed to a hospital in Dhanbad. Soon after the incident, police officials reached the spot and took stock of the situation. According to the police, the type of blasts that rocked the station is yet to be identified.

According to an eyewitness, the explosive which caused the blast was in a bag which was abandoned in the station.

A case was registered and the police have launched an investigation into the matter.

OneIndia News
Violence outside West Bengal secretariat as left workers and police clash

India

oi-Anusha

Violent scenes were witnessed outside the West Bengal secretariat as protesters from left parties along with members of farmers' unions clashed with the police. Clashes erupted as protesters tried to breach barricades set up by the police near the secretariat.

Police resorted to Lathi charge and tear gas to disperse the crowd that was gathering outside the state secretariat where section 144 has been imposed. Close to 2,000 police personnel were deployed in Kolkata ahead of the rallies called by left parties. At least five rallies from various locations of the city led by left parties headed towards Nabanna when clashes broke out.

The West Bengal police arrested 24 Left MLAs including Sujan Chakraborthy for protesting against Mamata Banerjee government. CPI(M) claimed that despite Mamata being away at Birbhum district, 'her police unleashed barbarism on peaceful protesters'. Left parties had given a protest call against corrupt TMC government. Rallies were scheduled to start from various locations across the city including Rani Rasmoni Road, Kidderpore and PTS near Race Course ground, Howrah Rail Museum and Santragachi in Howrah city and rallies were to congregate at Nabanna.

Similar clashes were witnessed in 2015 when left parties had given a protest call. The 2015 clashes left many including left leaders and the police injured.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 14:39 [IST]
'Pollution not a state problem': As Delhi chokes, AAP leader passes the buck to Centre

BJP accuses AAP of siphoning off money meant for welfare of construction workers

Kejriwal now claims BJP offered to spare Sisodia, Jain if AAP backs out of Gujarat polls

AAP \"merely a party of UT Delhi\", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

Water tanker scam: ACB summons Kapil Mishra to join probe

India

oi-Gulam Rabbani

New Delhi: Sacked Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra on Monday was summoned by Delhi's Anti Corruption Bureau and asked him to join the probe in alleged Rs 400 crore water tanker scam.

New Delhi, May 22: Ousted Aam Aadmi Party leader former Delhi Water Souce Minister Kapil Mishra was summoned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday and has asked him to join the probe in alleged Rs 400 crore water tanker scam.

Speaking in this regard, Delhi ACB chief Mukesh Kumar Meena said that it has called Kapil Mishra for quizzing at 11 am on Tuesday.

Earlier, the state ACB has summoned Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's political adviser Vaibhav Patel in the alleged water tanker scam.

It is to recall that Kapil Mishra has recorded his statement with the ACB on May 11, after he submitted evidence in support of his allegations.

But when Patel was questioned regarding the same, he denied his involvement in the scam. Patel and Ashish Talwar names were given to the ACB by Mishra stating that duo is close of Kejriwal and was responsible for the delay in the water tank scam.

The ACB has called Kapil for cross questioning after Patel denied his involvement.

The water tanker scam is the Rs 400 crore scam involving alleged partiality shown in the allotment of contracts to private water tanker operators supplying water to the areas that fall outside the Delhi Jal Board's network. The scam took place under the UPA government in the city.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 15:25 [IST]
IRCTC update: 151 trains cancelled on Nov 09; here is the complete list

Would've been in jail, says Kejriwal breaking his silence on corruption charges

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, May 22: Finally, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal broke his silence on corruption charges, levelled against him by former Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra a few weeks ago.

Irked by Kapil Mishra's allegations, Satyendar Jain files defamation complaint

"I would have been in jail had there been an iota of truth in his allegations," the AAP supremo said at a party meeting in the national capital on Sunday.

"They ask me why am I silent? Why I am not responding? How does one respond to these allegations! No one believes them--even the opposition doesn't believe the charges," Kejriwal added.

Kejriwal lamented the fact that Mishra, one of AAP's leaders, betrayed him. "When your own betray you, it hurts a lot," he said.

Earlier this month, a day after Mishra was sacked as a minister in the Delhi government by the AAP, he alleged that he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain pay Rs 2 crore to the AAP chief at his house.

Mishra also accused Jain of helping Kejriwal's relative win a Rs 50 crore deal and alleged that the AAP had fudged their account statements and lied to the Election Commission.

Thereafter, Mishra was sacked from the party also. While Kejriwal maintained silence on all these corruption allegations against him, his party colleagues came in defence of the Delhi CM.

Mishra also undertook a hunger strike to protest against the top AAP leadership, but he ended the fast after his health condition deteriorated.

After corruption charges against Kejriwal surfaced, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and others demanded the resignation of the Delhi CM.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 9:02 [IST]
Dalit man in Kerala beaten up by wife's brother allegedly for not converting to Christianity

In UP, ex-pradhan thrashes Dalit girl, throws her out of school over uniform

In Rajasthan, Dalit man thrashed for using water from pot 'meant' for upper castes

'Yeddyurappa propagating untouchability', alleges complaint by Dalit activist

India

oi-Anusha

A complaint filed with by a Dalit activist accuses BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa of practising and propagating untouchability. Venkatesh, a Dalit activist has filed a complaint with the Mandya police accusing Yeddyurappa of refusing to eat food prepared at a Dalit's house in Chitradurga and sending the wrong message to the society.

Yeddyurappa landed in a controversy after having breakfast brought from a hotel at a Dalit house.While Yeddyurappa's office maintained that hotel food was brought since there was a shortage of food, Yeddyurappa was accused of indulging in casteism and refusing to eat food prepared in a Dalit household. In his complaint to the police, Venkatesh had alleged that Yeddyurappa's acts propagated untouchability and could 'influence people in his home district Mandya, which has witnessed several honour killings over the years'.

Congress and the JD(S) alike lashed out at Yeddyurappa accusing him of refusing to eat at a Dalit's house and bringing food from a hotel for a photo op."He has dishonoured the Dalit family and the community will now teach him a lesson for his stunts," said Dr G Parameshwara, KPCC President.

Even as a complaint was filed against him, Yeddyurappa maintained that the opposition parties had dishonoured Dalits by raising the issue.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 10:53 [IST]
Yogi Adityanath ends minority quota in Uttar Pradesh?

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday reportedly decided to end minority quota under various welfare schemes of previous Akhilesh Yadav government.

Uttar Pradesh Dy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya told media that the government is studying the issue. ' 'We would retain where quota system is necessary and end if it is found unnecessary,' said Maurya.

According to reports, the move to end quota system is in line with the Bharatiya Janata Party's election manifesto. It may be recalled that BJP chief Amit Shah had sad that politics of nepotism and caste would be delivered a death sentence. It would be the start of the politics of performance.

The Samajwadi Party had reserved 20 per cent quota for minorities in various welfare schemes. In fact, SP leaders Abu Azam had claimed that his plan was to get 25 per cent of the benefits reserved for minorities. Minorities are being given 20 percent quota benefit in 85 schemes in total. Most of them belonged to the Social Welfare and Village Development Department.

In its election manifesto, Samajwadi Party had promised to treat all Muslims as 'most backward' and provide reservation to them like Dalits, in proportion to their population. SP leaders, including Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, had announced they would support any move for the constitutional amendment for reservation to Muslims.

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1st foreign trip to Saudi Arabia: Trump spoke like a 'statesman' on Islamic terrorism

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Riyadh, May 22: US President Donald Trump, known for his anti-Muslim rhetoric, on Sunday made a slight diversion and instead of attacking Islam and Muslim community, spoke like a statesman and asked all the Muslim countries to fight against Islamic terrorism.

Rakhi Sawant slams Trump; asks Americans to elect PM Modi as US President

During his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, Trump addressing a meeting in Riyadh asked Muslim countries to join hands with the US to fight against global terrorism. He also asked Muslims nations to take the lead in combating radicalization.

"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations," Trump said. "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people, all in the name of religion--people that want to protect life and want to protect their religion. This is a battle between good and evil."

Trump alleged that Iran has been funding terror-related activities and asked the Muslim world to help isolate the country.

Trump said that Muslims should 'drive' terrorists out of their countries. "Drive them out! Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land. And drive them out of this Earth."

On Sunday, Trump addressed a gathering of leaders from 50 Muslim nations at the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh.

Currently, Trump is on a hectic foreign trip schedule starting from Saudi Arabia. Thereafter, the US President will also visit Israel, the Palestinian territories, Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.

The Middle East, he said, had long been home to "Arabs and Christians and Jews living side by side" and that it could again be a place for "every person, no matter their faith."

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 10:12 [IST]
IRCTC update: 151 trains cancelled on Nov 09; here is the complete list

China hints it may block India's path to NSG seat again

International

ians-IANS

By Ians

Beijing, May 22: China on Monday said that it has not changed its position on India's membership bid for the Nuclear Suppliers Group, indicating it will again block India's plea at the plenary session in Bern next month.

"China's position on the non-NPT member's participation in the NSG has not changed," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.

"We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 plenary session and following building consensus as well as the intergovernmental process that is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issues in a two-step approach, she added.

China has repeatedly blocked India's bid to enter the elite grouping, which regulates the world's nuclear trade.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 14:24 [IST]
India can't claim victory in Jadhav case at ICJ says Pak lawyer

International

oi-Vicky

It was just a procedural order and India cannot claim victory, Khawar Qureshi who represented Pakistan in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case said. The International Court of Justice only issued a procedural order while staying the execution of Jadhav, he also said.

Qureshi said Jadhav's case is more about political point scoring than about the law. The order issued by the ICJ is just a procedural order to enable full hearing. It certainly is not a victory for India by any means," Geo TV quoted Qureshi as saying.

It was very clear that the court didn't want to hear about the merits or the jurisdiction. The court wanted to be satisfied whether commander Jadhav had been denied consulor access, which he had," he said.

Qureshi criticised the Indian government and the media for running a vicious and baseless campaign against him. "It is very disappointing that India should stoop to this level. I understand that someone said I had charged 720,000 in legal fees pounds. Where did this figure come from? This is nonsense," he lamented.

He also cautioned the Pakistani media not to pick up everything India is saying. "My fees were not even 10 per cent of what the Indian propaganda suggests. I cancelled another professional commitment with another government to travel to Pakistan urgently. I gave a 30 per cent reduction on my fees, besides covering the cost of two of my juniors' fees," Qureshi also added.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 5:58 [IST]
Indian man attacked in Australian, couple abuses, assaults cab driver

International

oi-Anusha

"You f****** Indian, you deserve it," an Australian couple yelled as they assaulted an Indian man in Tasmania. The cab driver who is currently being treated at a hospital reportedly picked up the couple at around 10.30 PM on Friday and was thrashed and abused by them.

The driver in his statement claimed that the woman kept opening the door of the car to throw up despite warning her about other cars. The couple in a fit of rage, the driver alleged, started kicking the car and abusing him with racial slurs. According to news agency ANI, the Hobart-based driver alleged that he was attacked by the couple. The female passenger reportedly referred to the driver as "bloody Indian" while the male passenger repeatedly punched and kicked him.

The cab driver is currently being treated at Royal Hobart Hospital. The police, according to the local media, have booked the couple for assault but also added that the argument may have begun over hire or after the driver asked the passengers to leave after one of them got sick. A police officer told the Australian media that an 'alleged racial comment was made during the assault but it does not appear that the incident was racially motivated'.

The 25-year-old driver who is a student of hospitality was quoted by an Australian news platform, The Mercury, as saying that he would not continue the profession of driving since it was dangerous. He had demanded strict action against the couple who assaulted him.

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The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has not notified Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash of suspicion in any crime, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has said.

"We have serious cases related to the enterprises of Firtash. As of now, no procedural suspicion has been announced to him," he told journalists in Kyiv on Monday.

At the same time, a criminal case involving the businessman is being investigated, Lutsenko said.

"We have been working actively in some direction: siphoning assets from the enterprises he controls in order to evade tax, and most likely - embezzlement of state funds. We opened the case a few months ago, and have been working actively," he said.

Chairman of Group DF Dmytro Firtash was arrested in Austria on March 12, 2014 at the request of U.S. authorities. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the accused attempted to pay a bribe worth $18.5 million to receive a permit for mining operations in India. In case of the extradition, he is facing up to 50 years in prison and the seizure of all assets.

The Vienna Regional Court for Criminal Matters ruled on Firtash's extradition-related arrest but then decided to release him on EUR 125 million bail on condition he would not leave Austria. On April 30, 2015, the same court ruled not to extradite Firtash to the United States. The court said it was impossible to exclude political motives of the extradition request.

In September, the Austrian prosecutors appealed against the ruling.

On, February 21, 2017, the Higher Regional Court in Vienna granted the prosecution's request to extradite Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash to the U.S. at the request of U.S. authorities.

According to the ruling, the Federal Minister of Justice takes the final decision on extradition.

Firtash earlier announced plans to return to Ukraine but he is still in Austria.

In 2015, Ukraine's Interior Ministry opened a criminal case on charges of a secret deal between NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy and OstChem, which inflicted UAH 5.7 billion in losses to the state.

According to Ukraine's Interior Ministry, Ukraine had opened criminal proceedings under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement or enrichment by abuse of power, committed in an especially large scale or by an organized group).

Late in May 2015, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced that Firtash had been invited for an interview about Ostchem's corrupt schemes and embezzlement of state asserts.

Late in November 2015, Avakov announced that Firtash would be detained if he returned to Ukraine as requested by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Iran follows up on its promise to smoke out terrorists from Pakistan

International

oi-Prabhpreet

By Prabhpreet

There is a growing probability that actions, similar to the 'Surgical strikes' that India conducted last year on Pakistani soil, may be taken following the brutal killings and mutilation of two Indian soldiers this year. But Pakistan seems to have its hands full as its other neighbour, Iran, seems to have already taken actions against terrorists inside Pakistan's territory.

Pakistan had earlier been warned by the head of the Iranian armed forces that Tehran would hit terrorist bases inside the country if its government fails to stop cross-border attacks by Sunni militants.

According to reports, Iran seems to be following through on its warning, as five mortar shells fired from Iran landed in Balochistan's Chaghai area on Sunday, with Pakistani security officials adding that no casualties were reported in the incident.

Last month, 10 Iranian border guards were reportedly killed by a Sunni militant group called Jaish al-Adl, using long range guns, fired from inside Pakistan. Iran's border area which it shares with Pakistan has been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs as well as separatist militants.

According to Iran's State news agency IRNA, Major General Mohammad Baqeri had said at the time, "We cannot accept the continuation of this situation." The Major General, who is the head of the Iranian armed forces also reportedly said, "We expect the Pakistani officials to control the borders, arrest the terrorists and shut down their bases." He had further added, "If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are."

The foreign minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif had visited Pakistan after the attack and reportedly asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve the border security and had received assurances that Pakistan would deploy additional security along the border.

In a similar warning in 2014, the country had said that it would send troops to Pakistan to retrieve five Iranian border guards kidnapped by Jaish al-Adl. Pakistan had responded that such an action would violate international law and issued a counter warning to the Iranian forces not to cross the border.

The issue had calmed down when a local Sunni cleric stepped in and helped resolve the situation, with four of the five guards being released a few months later, while one was killed by the militants.

While killings of eight Iranian border guards in April 2015 and 14 in October 2013 have previously been claimed by the group.

The Sunni militant group, Jaish al-Adl, has been blamed for carrying out several attacks the country's security forces in an attempt to highlight what it calls discrimination against the minority Sunni Muslims in a Shi'te majority Iran.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 11:40 [IST]
Refusing to let girls go to school in their hijabs is horrifying: Malala Yousafzai

Pakistan: Taliban attack on Malala Yousafzai was scripted

International

oi-PTI

A Pakistani woman parliamentarian has claimed that the 2012 Taliban attack on Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was "scripted".

Mussarat Ahmadzeb, a member of parliament from Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, said that the entire saga of Malala writing for BBC and later the attack were part of a plan.

"The attack on Malala was scripted way before the incident (in 2012)," she told Urdu newspaper Ummat in an interview. Ahmadzeb, who is the daughter-in-law of former ruler of semi-autonomous state of Swat, doubted if any bullet was lodged in Malala's head.

"She (Malala) was shot in the head but no bullet was found in the Computerised Tomography (CT) scan in Swat. But yes, then the bullet got stuck in her head in CMH (combined military hospital) Peshawar," she later said in a tweet.

She also accused that medics involved in the treatment of Malala were given land by the government to build houses. "The medics who did the CT scan along with the doctor who examined her, all were awarded plots by the government," the PTI lawmaker said.

Ahmadzeb claimed that Malala could not read and write when she was shown as writing stories for BBC as Gul Makai. She alleged that an American lived in the house of Malala for three months to train her for the future role.

It was not immediately clear why the lawmaker was giving the statement attacking Malala and her efforts. Meanwhile, PTI spokesperson Shafqat Mahmood said that his party had already disowned Mussarat in 2014 along with two other lawmakers for violating party discipline.

"During the protest against election rigging, three MNAs (Members of National Assembly) -- Mussarat Ahmadzeb, Gulzar Ahmed and Siraj Muhammad -- refused to abide by party laws (and were disowned)," Mahmood told media.

Yousafzai, 19, became a global symbol of the fight for girls education after being shot in the head in October 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education.

The Pakistani education activist survived the attack and became an advocate for millions of girls denied formal education around the world.

In 2013, Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai co- founded the Malala Fund to bring awareness to the social and economic impact of girls education, and to empower girls to demand change.

She became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate in December 2014, sharing the honour with Indian children's rights and education advocate Kailash Satyarthi.

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Story first published: Monday, May 22, 2017, 23:22 [IST]
OK! Magazine 09 Nov 2022

Donald Trump was reportedly 'livid' and 'screaming at everyone' after disappointing midterm results for GOP, a Trump advisor said.
Maksym Burbak, the leader of the People's Front faction at the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, has called for visa travel with Russia.

"Let me remind you of a bill on visa travel with Russia. We should use every warrantable method to fight the aggressor, which should pay a high price for the attack on our country," Burbak said at a meeting of the conciliatory council of heads of parliamentary factions, committees and groups on Monday.

Burbak also urged the parliament, on behalf of the People's Front faction, to support a legislative amendment on setting a 75% quota for Ukrainian language on national television.
The fact that Russia has sent a request to consult with the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement body over the restrictions imposed by Ukraine against the Russian Federation proves the effectiveness of Kyiv's efforts, Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko has said.

"Our position is crystal clear: we have the right to introduce such restrictions, and these restrictions concern national security. If Russia is hysterical that their economic rights have been violated by the fact that we imposed new sanctions and blocked part (Russia's VKontakte, Odnoklassniki social networks)... controlled by the FSB [Russia's security service], then probably these sanctions are effective if Russia is so disturbed by this action of the Ukrainian authorities," Petrenko told journalists in Kyiv on Monday.

At the same time, the minister said: "Their complaints to the WTO will be given proper legal assessment from Ukraine, as well as WTO members."

Yet, he said, Ukraine would continue blocking the sanctioned websites and social media.

"Ukrainian citizens will do without Odnoklassniki and VKontakte - it's no big deal for us," he added.

As was reported, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin announced on May 20 that Russia had sent a request to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body to hold consultations in regards to the restrictions imposed on the country by Ukraine.

"Russia's permanent mission to the WTO in Geneva has sent a request to the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body and the Ukrainian government to hold consultations in regards to restrictions, bans, special requirements and procedures, which have been constantly imposed on Russian goods, services, and persons at the Ukrainian market since 2014, as well as on transit through Ukraine," Oreshkin said following a meeting with WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo as part of the APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting in Hanoi on Saturday.

The minister said he has informed the WTO head about that in particular at the meeting.

"There are substantial grounds to believe that Ukraine has been taking those measures in breach of its obligations in the WTO, including additional obligations which it had assumed while joining the organization. Moreover, the amount of anti-Russian measures, their nature, and the scope of sectors subjected to restrictions prove that Ukraine consistently and deliberately violates its international agreements, ignoring the rules of international trade and other norms of international law. At that, some of those measures not only fail to protect the Ukrainian economy, but, on the contrary, cause further problems for it," Oreshkin said, voicing Russia's stance on restrictions imposed by Ukraine.

"In particular, the restrictions in question are bans on import from Russia of meat and dairy products, wine, railroad equipment, fertilizers and many other goods. The special procedures are used for import of Russian books and other printed materials. Special tax treatment is imposed on import of second-hand cars from Russia. Activities of hundreds of Russian companies are banned or restricted in a discriminatory manner in Ukraine," he said.

In accordance with the WTO procedures, a request for consultations is the first stage of filing a lawsuit. The WTO regulations stipulate that consultations with the Ukrainian government for the purpose seeking a mutually acceptable solution to the existing situation shall be held in two months.

"If consultations don't yield the desired results, we have the right to initiate the second stage of a dispute, the referral of a case to the panel for consideration," Oreshkin said.
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His name was Yasuke. His height was 6 shaku 2 sun  roughly six feet, two inches  he was black, and his skin was like charcoal. Those words come from the 16th-century samurai Matsudaira Ietada, and they describe one of his colleagues. Though we dont know much detail about his life itself, we do know that there once lived a black samurai called Yasuke, a version of the name he had in Africa, probably the then Portuguese Mozambique. Brought to Japan in 1579 by an Italian Jesuit named Alessandro Valignano on a mission-inspection tour, Yasukes appearance in the capital drew so much attention that thrilled onlookers clambered over one another to get so much as a glimpse at this strange visitor with his unfathomable stature and skin tone.

His celebrity status soon piqued the curiosity of Oda Nobunaga, a medieval Japanese warlord who was striving to unify Japan and bring peace to a country racked by civil war, writes Ozys Leslie Nguyen-Okwu. Nobunaga praised Yasukes strength and stature, describing his might as that of 10 men, and brought him on as his feudal bodyguard.









As many foreigners in Japan still discover today, the foreigners outsider status there also has its benefits: Nobunaga grew fond of Yasuke and treated him like family as he earned his worth on the battlefield and on patrol at Azuchi Castle. In less than a year, Yasuke went from being a lowly page to joining the upper echelons of Japans warrior class, the samurai. Before long, Yasuke was speaking Japanese fluently and riding alongside Nobunaga in battle.

The legend of Yasuke ends soon after, in 1582, with Nobunagas fall at the hands of one of his own generals. That resulted in the first and only black samurais exile, probably to a Jesuit mission in Kyoto, but Yasuke has lived on in the imaginations of the last few generations of Japanese readers, all of whom grew up with the award-winning childrens book Kuro-suke (kuro meaning black in Japanese) by Kurusu Yoshio. This illustrated version of Yasukes life story, though told with humor, ends, according to a site about the book, on a bittersweet note: the defeated Nobunaga kills himself, and Kuro-suke is saved and sent to Namban temple. When he sleeps that night, he dreams of his parents in Africa. Kuro-suke cries silently.

What the story of Yasuke lacks in thorough historical documentation (though you can see a fair few pieces briefly cited on the site of this documentary project) it more than makes up in fascination, and somehow Hollywood, nearly fifteen years after Tom Cruises high-profile turn as a white samurai, has only just awoken to its potential. In March, Hollywood Reporter announced that the film studio Lionsgate has tapped Highlander creator Gregory Widen to script Black Samurai, a period action drama based on the Yasuke legend. Widens considerable experience in the outsider-with-sword genre makes him an understandable choice, but one has to wonder  shouldnt Quentin Tarantinos phone be ringing off the hook right about now?

via Ozy

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Female Samurai Warriors Immortalized in 19th Century Japanese Photos

Hand-Colored 1860s Photographs Reveal the Last Days of Samurai Japan

Legendary Japanese Author Yukio Mishima Muses About the Samurai Code (Which Inspired His Hapless 1970 Coup Attempt)

A Hypnotic Look at How Japanese Samurai Swords Are Made

Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities and culture. Hes at work on a book about Los Angeles, A Los Angeles Primer, the video series The City in Cinema, the crowdfunded journalism project Where Is the City of the Future?, and the Los Angeles Review of Books Korea Blog. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall or on Facebook.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has said that he discussed with the German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel the scenario of exerting pressure on the Russian Federation with the aim of fulfilling the Minsk agreements.

"A considerable part of the time was devoted to coordinating the implementation of the Minsk agreements. It was stated that the Russian Federation does not comply with the Minsk agreements and we need to develop a scenario that would motivate Russia to sit down at the negotiating table and fulfill what it promised, primarily with regard to the security component," Poroshenko said in Berlin on Saturday evening.
Vector Network Analyzer Market 2017- Keysight Technologies, Rohde & Schwarz, Advantest

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Aluminum Foil Used In Food Packing Sales Market 2017- Alufoil Products, Alufoil Products, Contital

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Asparaginase for Injection Market 2017- Alize Pharma II, ZHPHARMA, Liaoyuan Dikang

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2017-2022 Pregnancy Products Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications Regions,Product Types

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Pregnancy ProductsGet Sample Report @Covered In This Report:This report studies the Pregnancy Products market status and outlook of global and United States, from angles of players, regions, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global and United States market, and splits the Pregnancy Products market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Pregnancy Products market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Pregnancy Products. United States plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2022, with a CAGR of XX.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of Pregnancy Products in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaThe major players in global and United States Pregnancy Products market, including Clarins Group, Burt's Bee, Mama Mio US Inc. (Mio), Noodle & Boo, Novena Maternity, Baby Jolie, Motherlove Herbal Company, Johnson & Johnson, LOreal, Mustela, Novena Maternity, Pretty Mommies, Belli Skincare, Nine Natural.The On the basis of product, the Pregnancy Products market is primarily split intoStretch Mark MinimizerBody Restructuring GelBelli Elasticity Belly OilOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report coversPregnancy 0-3 monthsPregnancy 3-6 monthsPregnancy above 6 monthsAfter BirthMake An Enquiry Before Buying This Report@ .Table of Contents2017-2022 Pregnancy Products Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications1 Methodology and Data Source1.1 Methodology/Research Approach1.1.1 Research Programs/Design1.1.2 Market Size Estimation1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.2 Data Source2.1.1 Secondary Sources2.1.2 Primary Sources1.3 Disclaimer2 Pregnancy Products Market Overview2.1 Pregnancy Products Product Overview2.2 Pregnancy Products Market Segment by Type2.2.1 Stretch Mark Minimizer2.2.2 Body Restructuring Gel2.2.3 Belli Elasticity Belly Oil2.2.4 Others2.3 Global Pregnancy Products Product Segment by Type2.3.1 Global Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and Growth (%) by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.3.2 Global Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.3 Global Pregnancy Products Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Types (2012-2017)2.3.4 Global Pregnancy Products Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)2.4 United States Pregnancy Products Product Segment by Type2.4.1 United States Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and Growth by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)2.4.2 United States Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.3 United States Pregnancy Products Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share by Types (2012-2017)2.4.4 United States Pregnancy Products Price (USD/Unit) by Type (2012-2017)3 Pregnancy Products Application/End Users3.1 Pregnancy Products Segment by Application/End Users3.1.1 Pregnancy 0-3 months3.1.2 Pregnancy 3-6 months3.1.3 Pregnancy above 6 months3.1.4 After Birth3.2 Global Pregnancy Products Product Segment by Application3.2.1 Global Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and CGAR (%) by Applications (2012, 2016 and 2022)3.2.2 Global Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017)3.3 United States Pregnancy Products Product Segment by Application3.3.1 United States Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and CGAR (%) by Applications (2012, 2016 and 2022)3.3.2 United States Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Applications (2012-2017)4 Pregnancy Products Market Status and Outlook by Regions4.1 Global Market Status and Outlook by Regions4.1.1 Global Pregnancy Products Market Size and CAGR by Regions (2012, 2016 and 2022)4.1.2 North America4.1.3 Asia-Pacific4.1.4 Europe4.1.5 South America4.1.6 Middle East and Africa4.1.7 United States4.2 Global Pregnancy Products Sales and Revenue by Regions4.2.1 Global Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)4.2.2 Global Pregnancy Products Revenue (Million USD) and Market Share (%) by Regions (2012-2017)4.2.3 Global Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.4 North America Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.5 Europe Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.6 Asia-Pacific Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.7 South America Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4.2.8 Middle East and Africa Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)4.2.9 United States Pregnancy Products Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (2012-2017)Continued...Buy Now @Contact Us:Norah TrentPartner Relations & Marketing ManagerSales@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.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
DRC Telecom Market: Network Coverage Extensions, Mobile Data and Fixed Internet to Drive Telcom Market Growth

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Albany, NY, May 20, 2017: ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " DRC Telecom Market " to it's Large Report database."DRC: Network Coverage Extensions, Mobile Data and Fixed Internet to Drive Telecom Market Growth", a new Country Intelligence Report by GlobalData, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in DRC today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.GlobalData expects overall service revenue to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% during 2016-2021 to reach $1.9bn by 2021. Growth will be driven by the mobile data, mobile voice and fixed Internet service segments. Mobile data will benefit from the growing smartphone penetration and the increasing mobile broadband usage while fixed Internet will be supported by the developing national fiber backbone network.Over the next five years, operators should seize opportunities arising from increased demand for data services. Furthermore, operator focus on 3G network expansion, on mobile data monetization, on development of fixed broadband infrastructure along with the forthcoming launch of 4G in the near future present opportunities for vendors and investors.Get a Sample Research PDF with TOC:The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in DRC compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in DRC.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony (including VoIP), broadband, mobile voice and mobile data markets.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice, data and video from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data services: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in DRCs telecommunications market.Scope- The overall telecom services revenue in DRC will grow at a CAGR of 9.9% during 2016-2021 to reach $1.9bn by 2021. The fixed/mobile revenue split will be dominated by the mobile segment through 2021, with the share of the fixed segment to decline from 10.4% in 2016 to 7.6% in 2021.- Mobile data will grow at a CAGR of 22.0% during 2016-2021, benefitting from growing smartphone penetration and more affordable and highly segmented data plans spurring mobile data usage and adoption.- 2G remains the most adopted technology in DRC accounting for 94.0% of mobile subscriptions in 2016; however, we expect its share to decline to 87.8% by 2021, owing to customers migration to more advanced 3G technologies and the launch of 4G services in the near future.- The top two operators, Vodacom DRC and Airtel DRC, which provide mobile voice and data services, accounted for 59.6% of overall service revenue in 2016. Operators are focusing on expanding their 2G/3G network coverage and offering low-cost smartphones and affordable data and device plans to strengthen their market position.Enquiry at:The global pharmacovigilance market is segmented as follows:Reasons to buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of DRCs telecommunications market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying GlobalDatas Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in DRCs mobile communications, fixed telephony/VoIP and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Botswanas telecommunications market.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in DRC.Browse more details at:ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs 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.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Global Magnesium Bromide Market 2017 - Jordan Bromine, Great Lakes, Perekop Bromine, Morre-TEC

Magnesium Bromide

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Magnesium Bromide Market Research ReportA market study based on the " Magnesium Bromide Market " across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Magnesium Bromide Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Magnesium Bromide industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Magnesium Bromide market on the basis of this analysis.Request For Sample Copy of Report :Top Manufacturers Companies Covered In This Research Report -AlbemarleChemturaICL-IPJordan BromineGreat LakesPerekop BromineMorre-TECAmerican ElementsHonjo ChemicalChemetall GmbHShandong Haiwang ChemicalThe report studies the industry for Magnesium Bromide across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Magnesium Bromide market & dynamics of demand and supply of Magnesium Bromide into consideration. The ' Magnesium Bromide ' research study covers each and every aspect of the Magnesium Bromide market globally, which starts from the definition of the Magnesium Bromide industry and develops towards Magnesium Bromide market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Magnesium Bromide market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Magnesium Bromide market. The geographical segmentation of the Magnesium Bromide industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Magnesium Bromide is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Magnesium Bromide market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Magnesium Bromide market worldwide.Do Enquiry Before Purchasing Here :The global Magnesium Bromide market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Magnesium Bromide production volume, data regarding demand and Magnesium Bromide supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tool of Magnesium Bromide such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in Magnesium Bromide market research to present a comprehensive study of the industry for Magnesium Bromide across the globe.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
WA Wins in Federal Budget

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Western Australias Metronet project has received an investment of $1.8 billion from the Federal Budget among a range of infrastructure projects, creating more jobs in the rail and road sectors.With a steep rise in population projected for the State, centred in Perths CBD, these crucial infrastructure works will support a growing Perth. The project is expected to alleviate the congestion crisis to meet road and rail commuter demands.The Metronet project futureproofs Perths infrastructure, connecting fast growing suburbs through rail services and creates new routes as well as line extensions, easing congestion across the board. One major improvement to rail services will be an east-west connection which will allow travel between Perths suburban centres, bypassing travel into the CBD.Currently awaiting approval from Infrastructure Australia, the project business plan envisions line extensions to numerous stations, connecting the Thornlie link to Cockburn, providing an extension of the Joondalup Line to Yanchep and Byford lines, with plans for rail lines to the Perth Airport and Ellenbrook in the city's north-east. Construction of rail lines is due to start in 2019.WAs Department of Transport, Acting Managing Director Steve Beyer is appearing at the 8th Annual WA Major Projects Conference to explicate the strategic and practical direction of the major transport infrastructure project.Property Councils Executive Director, Lino Iacomella also joins the WA Major Projects Conference to deliver a presentation on a renewed approach to Perths Infrastructure, following the $2.3 billion road and rail infrastructure package promised the state in the Federal Budget.The package sees 17 new projects on the cards for WA which could generate up to 6000 new jobs. Alongside easing congestion and enhancing connectivity, the projects would also improve regional road safety across Western Australia.The 8th Annual WA Major Projects Conference is taking place on the 20th- 21st of June at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.Please visit:for more information.About ExpotradeExpotrade is a global conference and event organizer with its head office based in Melbourne, Australia. Expotrade has delivered some of the largest, most successful B2B industry conferences and events in the areas of infrastructure, major projects, sustainability, technology & architecture. For almost 10 years, our unique blend of knowledge, experience and flexibility has accomplished an array of consistently top quality events. Today, Expotrade events enjoy such a distinctive edge, they are amongst the best patronised in the calendar.Suite 1, Level 1, 2 Brandon Park DriveWheelers Hill VIC 3150 Australia
Global Application Container Market to See 31.26% CAGR Growth to 2021

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The Application Container market 2017 research offers a feasibility analysis for investment and returns supported with data on development trend analysis across important regions of the world.The Report analysts forecast the global Application Container market to grow at a CAGR of 6.22% during the period 2017-2021.An application container allows a user to run a single or thousands of applications from a single server on a single copy of the operating system. Containers have features including security, compliance, and scalability. Containers enable agile development and microservice architectures. Microservice architectures enable businesses to develop and roll out new digital offerings faster with the support of the agile development methodology.Request a sample copy of Global Application Container Market Research Report @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas, APAC, EMEAGlobal Application Container Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors AWS, Docker, Google, MicrosoftOther prominent vendors CoreOS, Mesosphere, Nimble Storage, Red Hat, VMware, BlueData, CiscoThe listed pricing for this Global Application Container Market report starts at $ 3500. Request Discount for Global Application Container Market Research Report @Market driver - Growing volume of data generated by the adoption of IoT, For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge - Concerns over managing cloud environments, For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend - Rapid adoption of hybrid cloud technology, For a full, detailed list, view our reportBrowse full table of contents and data tables For Global Application Container Market Report @Related Reports: -Global and Chinese Image Intensifier Industry, 2017 Market Research ReportThe 'Global and Chinese Image Intensifier Industry, 2012-2022 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Image Intensifier industry with a focus on the Chinese market.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:News:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter
Motorcycle Supercharger Market to Grow at 6.22% CAGR to 2021: Analysis of Key Players, Trends, Drivers, & Challenges

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Motorcycle Supercharger analysis is provided for the markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.The Report analysts forecast the global Motorcycle Supercharger market to grow at a CAGR of 6.22% during the period 2017-2021.A supercharger involves the forced induction of an engine, wherein an air compressor is used to increase the pressure or density of air that is supplied to an internal combustion engine. A supercharger uses belts and chains that are connected to the engine, helping it to drive the compressor. The compressed air provides the engine with more oxygen, letting it burn more fuel and increasing the power of the engine.Request a sample copy of Global Motorcycle Supercharger Market Research Report @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas, APAC, EMEAGlobal Motorcycle Supercharger Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors Ducati, Honda Motor Company, Kawasaki Motors Corporation, BimotaOther prominent vendors Rotrex, ProCharger Superchargers, S Charger, AerochargerThe listed pricing for this Global Motorcycle Supercharger Market report starts at $ 3500. Request Discount for Global Motorcycle Supercharger Market Research Report @Market driver - Enhanced engine power and speed leading to sporty driving characteristics, For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge - High cost of forced induction systems inhibiting wide-scale adoption in the market, For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend - Development of ultimate roadster with superior power output, For a full, detailed list, view our reportBrowse full table of contents and data tables For Global Motorcycle Supercharger Market Report @Related Reports: -North America Motorcycle Carburetor Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022Motorcycle Carburetor is the device inside an internal combustion engine of motorcycle that provides the area for air and gasoline to mix them together so that the engine runs properly.MarketSizeForecasters.com, a Skyline Market Research LLP brand, is an online aggregator of market research reports. MarketSizeForecasters.com offers a comprehensive collection of full length reports on global and regional markets in 100+ industry verticals. We have partnered with some of the leading business and market research publishing houses and regularly update our online library to offer wide range of reports to our customers.Market size forecastersThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketsizeforecasters.comWebsite:News:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter
Global Submerged Arc Welding Machine Market 2017 : Air Liquide, Panasonic, ARCON Welding, Hobart Brothers

Submerged Arc Welding Machine

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Submerged Arc Welding MachineA market study based on the " Submerged Arc Welding Machine Market " across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Submerged Arc Welding Machine Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Submerged Arc Welding Machine industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Submerged Arc Welding Machine market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report1. ACRO Automation Systems2. IDEAL-Werk3. Miller Electric Mfg4. Bernard5. Air Liquide6. Panasonic7. ARCON Welding8. Hobart Brothers9. Illinois Tool WorksThe report studies the industry for Submerged Arc Welding Machine across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Submerged Arc Welding Machine market & dynamics of demand and supply of Submerged Arc Welding Machine into consideration. The ' Submerged Arc Welding Machine ' research study covers each and every aspect of the Submerged Arc Welding Machine market globally, which starts from the definition of the Submerged Arc Welding Machine industry and develops towards Submerged Arc Welding Machine market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Submerged Arc Welding Machine market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Submerged Arc Welding Machine market. The geographical segmentation of the Submerged Arc Welding Machine industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Submerged Arc Welding Machine is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Submerged Arc Welding Machine market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Submerged Arc Welding Machine market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Submerged Arc Welding Machine market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Submerged Arc Welding Machine production volume, data regarding demand and Submerged Arc Welding Machine supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the industry for Submerged Arc Welding Machine across the globe.About Us :Market and Research are a trusted brand in the research industry with capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Market and Research, we believe in building long term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive and Aerospace.Contact Us :Market and ResearchUnited States
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) counts on finishing up their investigation into the activities of the removed head of Ukraine's State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov by the start of June.

"We plan on finishing up the pretrial investigation and opening up the information to the defense team. Maybe this will happen at the end of the month, maybe at the start of June," said NABU head Artem Sytnyk on Monday in Kyiv during a training session on battling corruption organized by the NGO Transparency International.

As earlier reported, Nasirov is suspected of committing crimes pursuant to Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misuse of public office leading to serious consequences).

NABU suspects Nasirov of taking a number of unfounded and illegal decisions on repayment terms for rental payments on exploitation of natural energy reserves from May 2015 through March 2016 as part of the so-called "Onyshchenko's gas scheme." [Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy Oleksandr] Onyshchenko has fled Ukraine. The scheme allegedly led to more than UAH 2.019 billion in losses to the state.

On March 2, 2017 NABU detectives served a notice of suspicion to Nasirov, who was subsequently hospitalized at the Feofania clinic outside Kyiv.

Kyiv's Solomyansky District Court remanded Nasirov in custody for 60 days and set bail at UAH 100 million. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), meanwhile, requested the court set bail at UAH 2 billion.

Kyiv's Appeals court on March 13, 2017 ruled to set bail at UAH 100 million, which was paid by Nasirov's wife on March 16. SAPO agents next filed a motion to arrest Nasirov's property.

On April 27 the Solomyansky district court extended Nasirov's pretrial confinement for two months in lieu of posting bail.
Asia Pacific Suture Needles Market: Industry Analysis, Future Growth, Business Prospects and Forecast to 2021

Asia Pacific Suture Needles Market, Suture Needles Market

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Asia Pacific Suture Needles Market including classification, application and industry chain overview; Then we deeply analyzed Asia Pacific growth forecast indicators by the as well as the regional market conditions that including the product price, profit, utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced medical suction device market SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, market share analysis and competitive landscape, company profiles by analyzing the major players. It is a depth research study on Asia Pacific Suture Needles Market.Request a Sample Copy @Brief TOC for Suture Needles Market:1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of the Study1.2.1 Research Objectives1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model3 Report Excerpt4 Forecast Indicators4.1 Introduction4.2 Growth Drivers4.3 Growth Barriers4.4 Growth Opportunities4.5 Macroecnomical Indicators5 Market Analysis6 Asia Pacific Medical Suture Needle Market, By Needle Type6.1 Introduction6.2 Round Bodied6.3 CuttingContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Asia Pacific Suture Needles Market chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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 AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Non-Halogenated Flame Retardants Market is Expected to Reach US$ 4.5 Bn by 2025

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global non-halogenated flame retardants market in its latest report titled Non-Halogenated Flame Retardants (NHFR) Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015 - 2025.In terms of value, the global non-halogenated flame retardants market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period.NHFR are flame retardant compounds that do not contain any halogen. These are more environment friendly than their halogenated counterparts. These compounds find application in plastics, rubber, and textiles materials. Among these, they find largest application in plastics.Request For Sample@Growing use of plastics in the construction industry, driven by rising urbanisation is propelling demand for NHFR worldwide. NHFR are widely used in automotive plastics, which significantly increases its demand from the transportation and automobile industry across the globe.Rising concerns regarding the environmental impact of halogenated flame retardants is fuelling growth of the non-halogenated flame retardants market. Non-halogenated flame retardants can be recycled and also produce relatively low and non-toxic smoke as compared to its other counterparts.Implementation of stringent environmental regulations across the globe is encouraging adoption of non-halogenated flame retardants, especially in the electrical & electronics industry, which is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the market over the forecast period.Non-halogenated Flame Retardants Market SegmentationThe global non-halogenated flame retardants market is segmented on the basis of product type, end-use industry, application and region.On the basis of product type, the global NHFR market is segmented into metal hydroxide based, phosphorous based, nitrogen based and others product segments.Send An Enquiry@Among product types, the phosphorous based segment accounted for the largest value share in the global non-halogenated flame retardants market in 2014, followed by the metal oxide based and nitrogen-based segments respectively. The phosphorous-based segment is projected to remain the largest segment throughout the forecast period, creating an incremental $ opportunity of US$ 1,117.2 Mn between 2015 and 2025.On the basis of end-use industry, the market is segmented into electrical and electronics, automotive, building and construction and others.Building & construction industry accounted for the largest end-use industry segment in 2014, followed by electrical & electronics and automotive & transportation segments respectively. However, electrical & electronics is projected to emerge as the largest end-use industry segment by the end of the forecast period. The electrical & electronics segment is expected to create incremental $ opportunity of US$ 699.7 Mn between 2015 and 2025.Application-wise, the NHFR market is segmented into polyolefin (PO), epoxy, unsaturated polyester (UPE), rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), styrenics, engineering thermoplastics (ETP) and others.The report also offers in-depth information about the market across seven major regions, namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East & Africa and Japan.In 2014, North America accounted for the largest market value share in the global NHFR market, followed by Western Europe and APEJ respectively. Developed regions namely, North America, Western Europe and Japan collectively accounted for approximately three-fourth value share of the overall market in 2014. APEJ is expected to emerge as the fastest growing market for non-halogenated flame retardants over the forecast period.Non-halogenated Flame Retardants Market: Leading CompaniesThe key players in the non-halogenated flame retardants market that have been covered in this study are Clariant International Limited, Albemarle Corporation, Israel Chemical Limited, Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A, Chemtura Corporation, Nabaltec AG, FRX Polymer Inc, Huber Engineered Material, Amfine Chemical Corporation and THOR Group Ltd. accounted for the largest market share in the global non-halogenated flame retardant market by the end of financial year 20142015.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.comPress: press@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Outdoor Advertising Market 2017 New Investment Projects Review and key Manufacturers Analysis

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Outdoor Advertising Market Professional Survey Report 2017 The report focuses on global major leading players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.This report studies Outdoor Advertising in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022. This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Clear Channel Outdoor, JCDecaux Group, Lamar Advertising, Outfront Media, Stroer, Adams Outdoor Advertising, AdSpace Networks, AirMedia, APG|SGA, APN Outdoor, Burkhart Advertising, Captivate Network, Daktronics, DDI Signs, Euromedia Group, Eye Airports, Focus Media Group, Fairway Outdoor Advertising, IZ-ON Media, Primedia Outdoor, Van Wagner Group and Zoom Media.Purchase This Report -And Get,Discount on Report Purchase -By types, the market can be split into Digital Outdoor Advertising, Physical Outdoor Advertising and Other. By Application, the market can be split into Commercial Propaganda, Transit Display and Other. By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want) North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India.Get free sample copy of report atTable of Content1 Industry Overview of Outdoor Advertising2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Outdoor Advertising3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Outdoor Advertising4 Global Outdoor Advertising Overall Market Overview5 Outdoor Advertising Regional Market Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E Outdoor Advertising Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E Outdoor Advertising Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of Outdoor Advertising Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of Outdoor Advertising Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 Digital Outdoor Advertising of Outdoor Advertising Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Physical Outdoor Advertising of Outdoor Advertising Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.3 Other of Outdoor Advertising Growth Driving Factor Analysis7 Global 2012-2017E Outdoor Advertising Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2012-2017E Outdoor Advertising Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application of Outdoor Advertising Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application of Outdoor Advertising Product Driving Factors Analysis7.3.1 Commercial Propaganda of Outdoor Advertising Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.2 Transit Display of Outdoor Advertising Growth Driving Factor Analysis7.3.3 Other of Outdoor Advertising Growth Driving Factor Analysis8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Outdoor Advertising8.1 Clear Channel Outdoor8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Clear Channel Outdoor 2016 Outdoor Advertising Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Clear Channel Outdoor 2016 Outdoor Advertising Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 JCDecaux Group8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 JCDecaux Group 2016 Outdoor Advertising Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 JCDecaux Group 2016 Outdoor Advertising Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Lamar Advertising8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Lamar Advertising 2016 Outdoor Advertising Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Lamar Advertising 2016 Outdoor Advertising Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Outfront Media8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Outfront Media 2016 Outdoor Advertising Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Outfront Media 2016 Outdoor Advertising Business Region Distribution Analysis9 Development Trend of Analysis of Outdoor Advertising Market10 Outdoor Advertising Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Outdoor AdvertisingGet more information about Outdoor Advertising Market atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Therapeutic Vaccines Market is Expected to Witness a Steady Growth by 2021

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A vaccine is a biological medical product designed to stimulate antibodies inside human body. Vaccine helps in providing immunity against various infectious diseases. Some of the common types of vaccine include inactivated vaccines, subunit vaccines, DNA vaccines and recombinant vector vaccines. Vaccines may be prophylactic and therapeutic. Therapeutic vaccine is a biological combination designed to develop immunity against a diseased cell or tissues. Therapeutic vaccines are developed to treat ailments from various cancers, HIV and Alzheimers disease.Therapeutic vaccine is used for cure and prevention of cancer whereas prophylactic vaccines are only used for prevention of cancer. Therapeutic vaccines are specially designed for HIV positive people who have healthy immune system.A sample of this report is available upon request @HIV virus damages human immune system, which results into weaker immune system and thus leading to less ability to fight with microorganisms. Therapeutic vaccines spur the immune system to attack targeted tissue. A therapeutic HIV vaccine is also known as treatment vaccines. Some of the drugs used for HIV treatment include atripla, epzicom, prezista, truvada, kaletra, isentress, reyataz and viread. In addition, there are large numbers of therapeutic vaccines which are under clinical developments. Therapeutic vaccines are also used to treat cancer as they provide greater bioavailability and specificity with minimal side effects. Some of the side effects associated with therapeutic vaccines are swelling, redness, soreness and pain at the site of injection. In addition, mild-flu like symptom is another side effect for therapeutic vaccines.North America followed by Europe is dominating the global therapeutic vaccines market due to increasing accessibility and affordability of highly expensive tests for HIV and cancer. Rising technological support for the development of new vaccines is also fuelling the growth of the North American therapeutic vaccines market. Asia is expected to be the fastest growing market in coming five years due to rising prevalence of various infectious diseases and aging population.In recent time there is increased use of therapeutic vaccines due to rising incidence of diseases such as cancer and HIV. Technological advancements in HIV diagnosis and rising number of clinical trials for HIV and cancer vaccines are some of the key factors driving the growth of the global therapeutic vaccines market. In addition, increasing awareness among people for severe diseases and increasing R&D investments for therapeutic vaccines are also fuelling the growth of the therapeutic vaccines market. However, higher cost of vaccines and less availability of therapeutic drugs are some of the key factor restraining the global therapeutic vaccines market. In addition, stringent regulation for the approval of therapeutic vaccines is also inhibiting the global therapeutic vaccines market.Human papillomavirus mediated malignancies could develop an opportunity for the growth of the global therapeutic vaccines market. Adverse side effects of therapeutic vaccination could lead a challenge for the growth of the global therapeutic vaccines market. Some of the trends for the growth of the global therapeutic vaccines market are rising number of product innovation and rising number of mergers and acquisitions.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major companies operating in the global therapeutic vaccines market are Agenus, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis AG, Pfizer, Argos Therapeutic Inc., Merck & Co., Celldex Therapeutic Inc., Cytos Biotechnology AG and Dendreon Corp.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Blood Flow Detector Market is Expected to Continue Flourishing in Developed and Developing Regions of World, 2021

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Blood flow detector is a medical device that is used to detect blood flow in the arterial and vinous systems. Analysis of blood flow patterns is important for the treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Blood flow detector helps in detecting heart valve issue, assessing blood flow in stroke patients, detecting blood clots and viewing the heart to monitor carotid artery diseases. Heart disease and stroke are main causes of death in the U.S. Innovations along with advancement in the peripheral blood flow detecting technology, rise in geriatric population and rise in incidence of vascular disease cases are some of the main factors that are driving the blood flow detector market. On the basis of product, blood flow detector market can be segmented into ultrasonic doppler blood flow detector, laser doppler blood flow detector and electromagnetic blood flow detector. Ultrasonic doppler blood flow detector that is used in diagnostic procedure, changes sound waves into an image that can be viewed on a monitor. On the basis of application, blood flow detector market can be segmented into surgery, intensive care, emergency investigations, non-emergency investigations, hemodialysis and research. On the basis of form, blood flow detector market can be segmented into hand-held/small and table-top/systems. On the basis of care site, blood flow detector market can be segmented into radiology, dialysis centers, vascular lab, OR, ER, physicians office, ICU and others.A sample of this report is available upon request @North America, followed by Europe, has the largest market for blood flow detector due to technological advancement, developed healthcare infrastructure, increasing healthcare expenditure and growing peripheral vascular disease cases in this region. Asia is expected to experience high growth rate in the blood flow detector market in next few years due to developing healthcare infrastructure, growing disposable income, increasing elderly population and rise in incidence of various chronic diseases in the region.Technological advancement, increasing incidence of peripheral vascular diseases, rise in demand for blood flow detector in the clinical usages and growing aging population are some of the major factors that are expected to drive the market for blood flow detector. In addition, wide range of applications of blood flow detector is expected to drive the market for blood flow detector. However, issues related to re-imbursement policies, strict government regulations and high cost of the devices are some of the factors restraining the growth for global blood flow detector market.Growing demographics and economies in the developing countries such as India and China is expected to lead the growth in blood flow detector market in Asia. In addition, broader applications of blood flow detector in surgical and clinical procedures, increasing awareness about peripheral vascular diseases and product innovations along with technological advancement such as new cerebral blood flow detecting technology are expected to offer new opportunities for global blood flow detector market. Increasing number of mergers and acquisitions, rise in number of collaborations and partnerships and new products launches are some of the latest trends that have been observed in global blood flow detector market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major companies operating in the global blood flow detector market are Cardinal Health, Inc., ArjoHuntleigh, Nicolet Vascular, Braemar, Inc., Flowtronics, Inc., Atys Medical and VIASYS Healthcare. In addition, some of the other companies operating in the global blood flow detector market are Transonic Systems, Inc., Compumedics DWL, Neoprobe Corporation and Cardiosonix, Ltd.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
United States Barcode Scanner Market industry Analysis, Size, Share, Professional Survey, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017

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"The Report United States Barcode Scanner Market Report 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Barcode Scanner MarketIn this report, the United States Barcode Scanner market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions:The WestSouthwestThe Middle AtlanticNew EnglandThe SouthThe Midwestwith sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of Barcode Scanner in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast).Get Sample Copy of this report @United States Barcode Scanner market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Barcode Scanner sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingCode CorporationHonewell International Inc.ZebraDatalogic S.p.AInfiniti PheripheralsWasp Barcode TechnologiesRadall IOT Tech Ltd.KoamTacCognex CoporationIntermecMotorola SolutionsView Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoHandheld TypeSmall Drum TypePlatform TypeOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Barcode Scanner for each application, includingSupermarketLogistics ExpressLibraryOtherTable of ContentsUnited States Barcode Scanner Market Report 20171 Barcode Scanner Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Barcode Scanner1.2 Classification of Barcode Scanner by Product Category1.2.1 United States Barcode Scanner Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 United States Barcode Scanner Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Handheld Type1.2.4 Small Drum Type1.2.5 Platform Type1.3 United States Barcode Scanner Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 United States Barcode Scanner Market Size (Consumption) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Supermarket1.3.3 Logistics Express1.3.4 Library1.3.5 Other1.4 United States Barcode Scanner Market by Region1.4.1 United States Barcode Scanner Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 The West Barcode Scanner Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Southwest Barcode Scanner Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 The Middle Atlantic Barcode Scanner Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 New England Barcode Scanner Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 The South Barcode Scanner Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 The Midwest Barcode Scanner Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 United States Market Size (Value and Volume) of Barcode Scanner (2012-2022)1.5.1 United States Barcode Scanner Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 United States Barcode Scanner Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 United States Barcode Scanner Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1 United States Barcode Scanner Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 United States Barcode Scanner Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.3 United States Barcode Scanner Average Price by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.4 United States Barcode Scanner Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 United States Barcode Scanner Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 United States Barcode Scanner Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Players/Suppliers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion in United States Market2.5 United States Players/Suppliers Barcode Scanner Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Type3 United States Barcode Scanner Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 United States Barcode Scanner Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 United States Barcode Scanner Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 United States Barcode Scanner Price by Region (2012-2017)MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Construction in Philippines Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2021

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SynopsisIn real terms, the Philippine construction industry registered an average annual growth rate of 12.0% during the review period (20122016). This growth was supported by the Philippines Development Plan 20112016, under which the government invested heavily on transport infrastructure projects, residential buildings and social infrastructure. Investment in energy projects under the Philippines Energy Plan 20122030 also contributed to growth during the review period.GET SAMPLE REPORT @The Philippine construction industry is expected to continue to grow over the forecast period (20172021). Industry growth will be supported by the countrys development plan 20172022, as well as population growth, urbanization, and favorable government policies with regards to public-private partnerships (PPPs).In February 2017, the government launched the Philippines Development Plan 20172022, with an aim to make the Philippines an upper-middle-income country by 2022. Consequently, it plans to reduce unemployment from 5.5% in 2016 to 3.0% by 2022.The industrys output value in real terms is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.79% over the forecast period; compared to 10.68% during the review period.SummaryConstruction in the Philippines, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021 report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Philippine construction industry including: The Philippine construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity Analysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in the Philippines Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Philippine construction industry Profiles of the leading operators in the Philippine construction industry Data highlights of the largest construction projects in the PhilippinesScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in the Philippines. It provides: Historical (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2021) valuations of the construction industry in the Philippines using construction output and value-add methods Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by project type Breakdown of values within each project type, by type of activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) and by type of cost (materials, equipment and services) Analysis of key construction industry issues, including regulation, cost management, funding and pricing Detailed profiles of the leading construction companies in the PhilippinesReasons to Buy Identify and evaluate market opportunities using standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies. Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts. Understand the latest industry and market trends. Formulate and validate strategy using critical and actionable insight. Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures. Evaluate competitive risk and success factors.Key Highlights The governments plan to bridge gap between the demand and supply of affordable houses in the country is expected to support the growth of the residential construction market over the forecast period. According to the government estimate, demand for housing units is growing by 345,941 units annually and it is expected to reach to 6.2 million units by 2030. To meet this, the government plans to provide financial assistance to middle- and low-income families through various programs, such as the Pag-IBIG Affordable Housing Program, Community Mortgage Program (CMP), Core Housing Program and the Abot-Kaya Pabahay Fund Developmental Loan Program (AKPF - DLP). With robust and modern infrastructure vital for economic growth, the government is focusing on infrastructure development. Accordingly, in September 2016, the National Economic and Development Authority announced its plan to spend PHP8.2 trillion (US$173.9 billion) on nine infrastructure projects by 2022. In the Budget 2017, the government increased its total spending on the Department of Transport by 25.0%, rising from PHP42.6 billion (US$903.3 million) in the budget 2016 to reach PHP53.3 billion (US$1.1 billion). The government also increased the budget of Department of Public Works and Highways by 18.3%, rising from PHP384.4 billion (US$8.2 billion) in 2016 to PHP454.7 billion (US$9.8 billion) in 2017, to improve the countrys transport infrastructure. In March 2017, the government approved National broadband plan with an aim to support economic development and growth. Through this, the government aims to create investment opportunities and ensure social and economic inclusion. Consequently, the government plans to deploy fiber optic cables and wireless technology across the country with an investment of PHP200.0 billion (US$4.3 billion), to equip all schools and government offices with a high speed internet connection. Over the forecast period, the governments plan to expand the capacity of manufacturing plants is expected to support growth of the industrial construction market. Under the Manufacturing Resurgence Program (MRP), the government aims to enhance the existing capacity of manufacturing industries, support new entries, increase employment, and maintain the competitiveness of industries by 2025.Table of Content: Key Points1 Executive Summary2 Industry Outlook2.1 Commercial Construction2.2 Industrial Construction2.3 Infrastructure Construction2.4 Energy and Utilities Construction2.5 Institutional Construction2.6 Residential Construction3 Key Issues and Developments4 Market Data Analysis4.1 Construction Output and Value Add4.1.1 Construction output by project type4.1.2 Construction output by cost type4.1.3 Construction output by activity type4.1.4 Construction value add by project type4.2 Commercial Construction4.2.1 Commercial construction output by project type4.2.2 Commercial construction output by cost type4.2.3 Commercial construction output by activity type4.2.4 Commercial construction value add by project type4.3 Industrial Construction4.3.1 Industrial construction output by project type4.3.2 Industrial construction output by cost type4.3.3 Industrial construction output by activity type4.3.4 Industrial construction value add by project type4.4 Infrastructure Construction4.4.1 Infrastructure construction output by project type4.4.2 Infrastructure construction output by cost type4.4.3 Infrastructure construction output by activity type4.4.4 Infrastructure construction value add by project typeContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook: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.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
United States Electrical Ceramics Market: By Applications - Home Appliances, Power Grids, Medical Devices

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Latest industry research report on: United States Electrical Ceramics Market | Industry Size, Share, Research, Reviews, Analysis, Strategies, Demand, Growth, Segmentation, Parameters, ForecastsRequest For Sample Report @Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions:The WestSouthwestThe Middle AtlanticNew EnglandThe SouthThe Midwestwith sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of Electrical Ceramics in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast).Complete Report Details @United States Electrical Ceramics market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Electrical Ceramics sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including3MCeramtec GmbHCoorstek Inc.Enrg Inc.Kyocera CorporationMantec Technical Ceramics Ltd.Morgan Advanced MaterialsMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.Rauschert Steinbach GmbHOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoAlumina CeramicsTitanate CeramicsZirconia CeramicsSilica CeramicsOthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Electrical Ceramics for each application, includingHome AppliancesPower GridsMedical DevicesMobile PhonesOthersTable of ContentsUnited States Electrical Ceramics Market Report 20171 Electrical Ceramics Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Electrical Ceramics1.2 Classification of Electrical Ceramics by Product Category1.2.1 United States Electrical Ceramics Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 United States Electrical Ceramics Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Alumina Ceramics1.2.4 Titanate Ceramics1.2.5 Zirconia Ceramics1.2.6 Silica Ceramics1.2.7 Others1.3 United States Electrical Ceramics Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 United States Electrical Ceramics Market Size (Consumption) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Home Appliances1.3.3 Power Grids1.3.4 Medical Devices1.3.5 Mobile Phones1.3.6 Others2 United States Electrical Ceramics Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1 United States Electrical Ceramics Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 United States Electrical Ceramics Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.3 United States Electrical Ceramics Average Price by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.4 United States Electrical Ceramics Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 United States Electrical Ceramics Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 United States Electrical Ceramics Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Players/SuppliersAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Thailand: Data Services To Spur Robust Growth In The Telecom Market Between 2016-2021

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In 2016, Thailand telecom market will generate total service revenue of $10.2bn (THB360.1bn), (or 2.6% of the nominal GDP), an increase of 1.7% over 2015. Mobile data services will be the key revenue contributing segment, accounting for 36.1% of the total service revenue in 2016. Operator focus on network expansion and service enhancement, and investment in advanced technologies such as VoLTE and VoWiFi, will be the major factors driving growth of mobile data services in Thailand over the forecast period.Key Findings- The overall telecom service revenue in Thailand is estimated to generate $10.2bn in 2016 and is estimated to decline at a CAGR of -0.2% during 2016-2021.- Mobile segment will account for 69.7% of the total telecom revenue in 2021.- The Thailand telecom market will be dominated by AIS Dtac and TrueCorp. AIS will remain the largest player in the telecom market through 2021. Operators focusing on expansion of 4G services, hence offering heavy discount on smartphones with data packages. Moreover the operators are stimulating the data usage through infotainments bundles.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report :SynopsisThailand: Data Services to Spur Robust Growth in the Telecom Market between 2016-2021' a new Country Intelligence Report , provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Thailand today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Thailand compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Thailand.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Thailand 'telecommunication market.ReasonsToBuy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Thailand telecommunication market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Thailand mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Thailand telecommunication market.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Thailand.MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Bluetooth Keyboard Market 2017- Microsoft, Logitech, Lenovo

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Marketreports.biz, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Bluetooth Keyboard Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Bluetooth Keyboard Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Bluetooth Keyboard industry, and estimates the future trend of Bluetooth Keyboard market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Bluetooth Keyboard Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportMicrosoftLogitechLenovoWacomZaggHPSamsungGear HeadAnkerRapooThe market research report explores the Bluetooth Keyboard market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Bluetooth Keyboard Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Bluetooth Keyboard market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Bluetooth Keyboard. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Bluetooth Keyboard market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Bluetooth Keyboard is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Bluetooth Keyboard market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Bluetooth Keyboard market globally.Read full report with TOC @The worldwide Bluetooth Keyboard market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Bluetooth Keyboard production volume, data pertaining to demand and Bluetooth Keyboard supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Bluetooth Keyboard along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Bluetooth Keyboard across the world.About UsMarketReports.biz offers elevating market research worldwide. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different fields. 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 Valadez155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Toll Free: +1-855-918-5551 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +17739042683Web:Email: sales@marketreports.biz
Exclusive Interview of Pavlo Ryabikin, Boryspil Airport CEO, with the Interfax-Ukraine Agency (Part I)If we talk about historical connection, in 1990, I started my professional career as a lawyer, and my clients applied for a contract that at that time had no analogues. It was a contract of purchase of a new Il-86 aircraft by private individuals from the Voronezh Aircraft Plant. This was the first transaction in the history of the USSR when a new aircraft was sold not to a state-owned airline, but to a private owner. That was the time when I first encountered aviation. Over the next five years, I had to accompany the fate of this aircraft, which for a long time flew in Transaero Airlines, became its board number two, and was sold to Aeroflot in the mid-90s. Subsequently, the owners of the aircraft created the company "Express Avia" in the UAE, which began operating as a freight carrier. At that time, there was a large volume of so-called sack shipments of consumer goods from the Emirates to the CIS countries. As a result, I was invited to the company as a director of financial and legal issues, and I was engaged in its activities in terms of financing the restoration of airworthiness. At that time, many IL aircrafts were actually lifted from under the fence, brought to a normal state and operated on the lines of the Middle East, East Asia or Africa. Later, I worked in the aviation industry as a manager. From 2005 to 2006, I worked as Deputy Minister of Transport. Back then, there was the branch principle of appointments, and I was in charge of aviation and fleet. Working as Deputy Minister, I first became acquainted with the problems of Boryspil Airport and with its specifics, supervised the preparation of a general development plan. The general plan was submitted to the government committee for consideration, successfully passed it, but another change of government brought all our efforts to naught. Now, having come to Boryspil, I have to do the same - after 12 years, we again talk about the general plan, that we need to transfer the documents into the category of urban planning documentation. Also, I have experience of work in the parliament in the Transport Committee.I thought about what I would like. I am not the kind of person who looks back. I think that we need to look for ourselves in the future and implement any ideas, not tied to what opportunities were implemented or missed in the past. No, every person has his own way of life, so there is no doubt and no regret. There is a slight fatigue from politics, which, in general, spurred to the desire to go into the real sector of the economy and became one of the motivating factors when I have decided to participate in the competition for the Head of Boryspil. At that moment, the political situation stimulated me. There was a desire to do something with my own hands, taking into account the experience. Politics often needs a fresh look at things, and sometimes one has to give way to someone younger, to someone who sees the situation from a different angle than you after 10-15 years of presence in it. On the other hand, having political experience, sometimes you see the problems of an enterprise in a different way. This is useful in implementing a number of projects.No. It was my decision. At that time, I just left on my own initiative from the Kyiv City State Administration, I had a difficult period in the family. Later, when I had free time, competitions were held. Financial motivation also played a role, because there appeared completely different opportunities, in terms of obtaining an adequate wage for my work. This is also a strong stimulating factor.I understood the activities of both air transport enterprises and seaports, but, unfortunately, Kyiv is very far from the sea, the roots and the family are here, and for me, Boryspil is preferable in this respect. Im a Kyivan, strongly attached to the city. As an adviser to the mayor, I actively work with the city administration. These components did not allow me to look beyond Kyiv.I understood that Boryspil over the past three years has achieved phenomenal growth of all indicators, starting from the passenger turnover, which now beats records, to the financial indicators that are derived from the growth in the passenger traffic. Not stopping at what has been achieved, but rather increasing success - that, in my opinion, is a serious challenge for the manager who came at such a time. First of all, my attention was drawn to the problems and inconveniences that I had faced earlier as a passenger: discomfort in the dealings with the staff; certain discomfort associated with insufficient quality of the premises; discomfort associated with those defects that were incorporated in the project solution when creating terminal D. For today, we have a terminal, in which one-third of passengers is transit, but transit technology was not provided even by the project specification. And now, we have to look for a solution how to improve it in such a way that the transit area and service technology of transit passengers were more humane and convenient, so that people would not stand in long lines because the corresponding area has not been provided.This is a whole complex of measures that we are already implementing. First, this is a physical expansion of the transit area, an extension of about 1 thousand square meters in the transit area, which will allow us to make the passage of the aviation security control area more convenient, plus will expand the waiting area and the commercial area of the airport. Second, this is a corresponding increase in the acceptance rate. We see an increase in transit, and we need to increase it, because terminal D has an acceptance rate of 15 million passengers a year, but it is distributed very unevenly by seasons and by time of day, by peaks. There is a situation where our capacity is limited to 22 departures per hour. Therefore, the next infrastructure project in this vein is the construction of new gates for servicing passengers through the "bus option", which will let us increase the acceptance rate to 27 departures per hour and will relieve the period of peak loads during the next year. In turn, this entails the need to increase the acceptance rate of the baggage handling system. It will be necessary to place a second transfer line, a new baggage claim area for domestic airlines, expand the arrival areas for international flights. Then, we have a clear trend of growth in passenger traffic in the last two years. We understand that transit is our future, and we need to increase the apron area directly near terminal D. When we talk about the handling of a transit passenger, we must understand that if the aircraft has arrived to a distant apron, while the passenger arrives at the terminal, passes formalities, gets on the next flight, it will take a long time. Transit passengers are to be serviced in close proximity to the terminal. Thus, it is necessary to increase the area of the platform parking at the terminal. And this is our next project, which is already undergoing an examination, and in the near future we will put it on the tender. The competitiveness of the transit hub is determined by the transit time. To compete with the nearest transit hubs, which are Istanbul, Warsaw, Moscow hub, Prague, Vienna, we must switch to the standard of 40-45 minutes for a transit.I really want to believe that we will need them. Now they are kept in a preservation. Terminal B is reopened for the period of the "Hasidic program", and terminal F needs a certain intensive cure program. We prepared it, calculated it. It is possible to transfer individual carriers there that fly point-to-point. We plan its reopening when we will have about 15 daily departures of classical airlines; taking into account budget carriers this figure should reach 24-25 flights per day. For the next year, the capabilities of the terminal D are sufficient. All its projects I listed above should have a three-year implementation cycle, the gallery expansion - about four years. And, of course, our famous parking - a monument to buried investments. We should obtain the results of a two-level selection of a contractor for it in early June. We divided this project into two start-up lines. The first one - 1 thousand parking slots, the second one - with the same area; but in the course of rethinking the purpose of parking, we are considering the possibility of placing a bus station in it. Probably, in the second line, we could do this. This parking was built with excess capacity reserves.Before completing the project, we conducted an examination, analysed the state of the structure - it's sad. Not because there is something broken, but because of the large amount of hack-work, poor quality of the main welded seams, improper mounting. There was an impression that they were in a hurry to implement the budget, and now we will not be forced to finish it, but we will have to rebuild it. In some parts, the quantity of non-welded seams reaches 90% - they tacked it, and it holds on spit and bailing wire. If we demolished it now and constructed an open parking lot in these areas, we would have received the number of parking slots we need. But the cost of demolishing is comparable to the cost of completion.For now, I do not know the approximate cost of the gallery, the apron - about 1 billion UAH, parking - 400 million UAH, transit area - 120 million UAH, small projects - 100 million UAH. The gallery can cost about 1.5 billion UAH. These are still the estimated figures.Cargo turnover does not grow as fast as we would like, but, nevertheless, it shows dynamics. Therefore, the existing capabilities of the cargo complex will allow us to work in the current mode for another two to three years without any problems. In three years, a fundamentally new element of the cargo infrastructure must appear there, which will allow us to increase capacity at times. As one of the solutions, here we see an investment project. Since the effective cargo activity is provided by those who have their own cargo flows, some operator must come. At the request of the Ministry of Infrastructure, we prepared the initial documentation for the investment project, to attract the investor. At the same time, we are looking for a solution in case there is no way to find an investor, how we will bring this cargo complex in line with the requirements of today. For now, we are considering different options: from the location of a completely new terminal on the land of the airport, to the reconstruction of the existing facilities.I think that of the two frozen terminals, terminal F is not suitable for this. It was built to service passengers, so I do not understand how to re-equip it, how to use its second floor for cargoes? Yes, and I'm sorry for it, it can serve passengers, and I think that this will be in the future, in particular, servicing point-to-point transportations. I do not consider the possibility of its re-equipment into a cargo terminal. But as to terminal B, its fate will depend a lot on which scheme of the master plan will be approved, in which area it will be. Sometimes, there are unexpected ideas. The other day, the investors came who offered to make there a call centre for 4 thousand jobs. In principle, as an idea, why not? Everything is possible.
Halal Food Market 2017 Trend, Analysis and Forecast to 2021

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Halal in Arabic means permissible. Halal foods are the food products that adhere to the Islamic laws and follow Islamic pattern of slaughtering.Publisher's analysts forecast the global halal food market to grow at a CAGR of 15.52% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global halal food market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.For more information about this report:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEAPublisher's report, Global Halal Food Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- Al Islami Foods- BRF- Nestle- QL Foods- Saffron Road FoodRequest Sample Copy atOther prominent vendors- Al-Falah Halal Foods- Arman Muslim Foods Industrial Group- Beijing Shunxin Agriculture- Cleone Foods- Crown Chicken- Jingyitai Halal Food- Nema Food- Prima Agri-Products- Tahira FoodMarket driver- Improved economic conditions of Muslim countries- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Halal certification and food labeling- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend- Increased demand for convenience foods- For a full, detailed list, view our reportInquire for Report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Contraceptives Market to grow at 6% CAGR from 2016 to 2023

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Contraceptives Market size is driven by favorable government initiatives coupled with increased awareness among people. Majority of women are following non-permanent methods such as pills, patches, injectable, and implants. The U.S. contraceptives to be retailed Over-The-Counter (OTC) and availability of insurance should boost the market. Global campaign Its your life-Its your future is enabling to create awareness among young adults. Contraceptives Market size is estimated to exceed USD 33 billion by 2023; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Contraceptive devices market size in 2015 was over 68% of the global revenue. Surge in the education levels regarding usage of various contraceptive devices should increase demand for contraceptive devices market. Condoms are mostly preferable for contraception due to affordability and availability. Condoms market size was over USD 7 billion in 2015, and expanding at over 8% CAGR from 2016 to 2023. The presence of a varied range of female and male condoms and the overall increase in awareness levels will fuel the market revenue.Request for a sample of this research report -Diaphragms are dome shaped flexible disc made up of rubber and silicone. It acts as a barrier to sperm entrance into womb. Diaphragms market revenue is expanding at 2.5% CAGR from 2016 to 2023. Intra Uterine Devices (IUD) are mainly used for long term contraception up to 5 to 10 years. According to UN statistics, 14% of married women used IUD for contraception. Robust R&D facilities will offer innovative products such as Liletta are expected to boost contraceptives market size over forecast time frame.Contraceptive drugs market size is estimated to exceed USD 9 billion. Oral contraceptive pills market size was the leading product in 2015 on account of high degree of awareness.U.S. contraceptives market size is set to gain traction on account of rise in the education levels of various novel contraceptive methods coupled with increased sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and growth in the population base of women aged between 15 and 44 years. The regional industry revenue was USD 5 billion in 2015, with growth estimation pegged at 5.4% from 2016 to 2023.To access sample pages or view this report titled, Contraceptives Market Size By Product (Drugs [Oral Contraceptive Pills, Injectables, Topical], By Devices Condoms, Diaphragms, Sponges, Vaginal Rings, Subdermal Implants, Copper IUD, Hormonal IUD], Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, China, India, Brazil, South Africa), Application Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016 - 2023 in detail along with the table of contents, please click on the link below:Asia Pacific contraceptives market size growth is a result of the increased healthcare expenditure, infrastructure, and growing disposable income levels. Favorable government initiatives to increase the reproductive education and health levels is a strong revenue driver.The Brazil contraceptives market size is projected to grow at 9.4% CAGR through the forecast timespan. Free sample distribution and government initiatives to create awareness in LATAM expected to fuel the contraceptives market in the region.Key industry players include Reckitt Benckiser, Cooper Surgical, Pfizer, Merck & Co., Church & Dwight Co Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Mayer Laboratories, The Female Health Company, and Actavis.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Browse Related Reports:HIV Diagnostics Market Size By Product [Antibody Tests (HIV-1 Screening, ELISA/EIA, Home Access Dried Blood Spot, Rapid Test, HIV-1 Confirmatory Steps, Western Blot, Indirect Immunoflorescent Antibody Assay (IIFA), Line Immunoassay , RadioImmuno Precipitation Assay (RIPA), HIV-2 & Group O Test, Blood Antibody, Dried Blood Spot), Viral Identification Assay (p24 Antigen, Qualitative PCR, Viral Culture), CD4, Viral Load, Early Infant Diagnosis], Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, China, South Africa, Brazil), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2023About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:
Energy Drinks Market Research, Competitor Strategy, Industry Trends, Forecast to 2022

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Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on the Global Energy Drinks Market has been estimated to grow over 4.5% post 2022.Market OverviewEnergy Drinks Market is a type of beverage which is marketed to provide benefits among health effect of caffeine along with other ingredients present in it. It is one of the fastest growing product categories in global soft drinks market. The growth of the market is driven by growing awareness about health and fitness in young age groups. Depending upon content in energy drinks and their benefits, the industry is looking to attract more demand in upcoming years.Request a Sample Copy of Report @Competitive Analysis-Major Key Players in Energy Drinks Market are National Beverage Corporation (U.S.), PepsiCo (U.S.), Coca-Cola (U.S.), Red Bull (Austria), Rock Star Inc. (U.S.), Monster Beverage Corporation (U.S.), Arizona Beverage Company (U.S.), Cloud9 (India), Mountain Fuel Co (U.K.) Dr Pepper Snapple Group (U.S.)Access the market data and market information presented through more than 60 market data tables and 25 figures spread over 110 numbers of pages of the project report Energy Drinks Market - Forecast to 2022"Key Findings: Secondary data reveals that the energy drinks exports is projected to grow more than 5% annually post the year 2022 The top 5 exporters of energy drinks are Switzerland, Thailand, U.S., South Korea and FranceBrowse Report Details @LIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 PESTLE ANALYSIS - U.S.TABLE 2 PESTLE ANALYSES- INDIATABLE 3 PESTLE ANALYSES- CHINATABLE 4 PESTLE ANALYSES- JAPANTABLE 5 PESTLE ANALYSES- GERMANYTABLE 6 KEY SUPPLIERS OF RAW MATERIALS FOR ENERGY DRINKSContinued..LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGYFIGURE 2 PRIMARY DATA ANALYSIS APPROACHFIGURE 3 SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS APPROACHFIGURE 4 TREND IN ENERGY DRINKS IMPORTS 2011-15FIGURE 5 GROWTH RATE IN ENERGY DRINKS IMPORTS 2011-15FIGURE 6 ENERGY DRINKS IMPORTS MARKET SHARE BY TOP 5 IMPORTERS (2011 VS 2015)Continued..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.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021: Carphone Warehouse, Brightstar Corporation, Assurant, Asurion, Aviva

Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021

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The Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021 is the cornerstone of the global development aspects and prospects, as the development of specific concept requires various technologically supported ideas, theories, methodologies. The Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021 report explains the in-depth summary of current innovations, parameter, specifications, and creation. The Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021 also delivers a full abstract of the economic ups and downs in terms of demand rate and fulfillment ratios.Request For Download Sample Report:The Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market comprise of a large number of reputed organizations, firms, vendors, manufacturer and we deliver an in-detail summary of the overall key players who hold major count in terms of revenue, sales, demand, through their reliable services, products, and post-sale processes. The Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021 report provides a thorough analysis of the prominent driving factors that are identified based on the end user demands, variable market 2017 - 2022 changes, restraining elements and regulatory compliance.Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market each player in these regions, coveringACE European GroupAllianz InsuranceAmTrust International UnderwritersAssurantAsurionAvivaBrightstar CorporationCarphone WarehouseBrowse Inquiry for Buying Toc:The Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021 research report also provides in-detail forecast predictions based on the current business trends and analytical techniques. Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Segments are broadly segmented based on the constant updates in the development parameters, quality parameters, reliability parameters, end user demands, and applications. The slight change in the product profile leads to major modification in the product prototype, production methods and development platforms, these overall factors that are related to production are very well explained in the global Global Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem Market 2017 - 2021 research report.http://www.mrsresearchgroup.com/market-analysis/global-mobile-phone-insurance-ecosystem-market-2016-production.htmlMRS Research Group 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. MRS Research Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,
Global Smartphone Camera Lens Market 2017-2021 : By Type, Technology Used, Services, Drivers & Strains, Size and Share, New Innovations and Future Road-map

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This report helps to analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Smartphone Camera Lens Market.Global Smartphone Camera Lens Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2021A smartphone camera lens (also known as photographic lens or photographic objective) is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body for smartphone and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.Download PDF Sample of Smartphone Camera Lens Market Report@Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Smartphone Camera Lens in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Largan Sunny Optical Kantatsu GeniuS Electronic Optical Asia Optical Kolen Sekonix Cha Diostech Newmax Ability Opto-Electronics KinkoBrowse Full Report with TOC:Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Latin America, Middle and AfricaPlace Purchase Order for this Report@Market Segment by Type, covers VGA 1.3 MEGA 2 MEGA 3 MEGA 5 MEGA 8 MEGA 13 MEGA 16+ MEGAMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into Smartphone Rear CameraThere are 13 Chapters to deeply display the global Smartphone Camera Lens market.Chapter 1, to describe Smartphone Camera Lens Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Smartphone Camera Lens , with sales, revenue, and price of Smartphone Camera Lens , in 2015 and 2016;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2015 and 2016;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Smartphone Camera Lens , for each region, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 5, 6, 7 and 8, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 9 and 10, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 11, Smartphone Camera Lens market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2016 to 2021;Chapter 12 and 13, to describe Smartphone Camera Lens sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, appendix and data source.Table of Contents1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Global Smartphone Camera Lens Market Competition, by Manufacturer4 Global Smartphone Camera Lens Market Analysis by Regions5 North America Smartphone Camera Lens by Countries6 Europe Smartphone Camera Lens by Countries7 Asia-Pacific Smartphone Camera Lens by Countries8 Latin America, Middle and Africa Smartphone Camera Lens by Countries9 Smartphone Camera Lens Market Segment by Type10 Smartphone Camera Lens Market Segment by Application11 Smartphone Camera Lens Market Forecast (2016-2021)12 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers13 AppendixList of Tables:List of Tables and FiguresFigure Smartphone Camera Lens PictureFigure Global Sales Market Share of Smartphone Camera Lens by Types in 2015Table Smartphone Camera Lens Types for Major ManufacturersFigure VGA PictureFigure 1.3 MEGA PictureFigure 2 MEGA PictureTable Smartphone Camera Lens Sales Market Share by Applications in 2015Table Largan Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and CompetitorsTable Smartphone Camera Lens Type and ApplicationsTable Largan Smartphone Camera Lens Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share (2015-2016)Table Sunny Optical Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and CompetitorsTable Smartphone Camera Lens Type and ApplicationsTable Sunny Optical Smartphone Camera Lens Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share (2015-2016)Table Kantatsu Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and CompetitorsTable Smartphone Camera Lens Type and ApplicationsTable Kantatsu Smartphone Camera Lens Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share (2015-2016)Table GeniuS Electronic Optical Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and CompetitorsTable Smartphone Camera Lens Type and ApplicationsTable GeniuS Electronic Optical Smartphone Camera Lens Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share (2015-2016)Orbis Research 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 customised 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 specialisation. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required Market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Email ID: sales@orbisresearch.comFor More PRs Visit @
Ban On Api Imports From China To Boost Heparin Production In Europe

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The heparin market in Europe is rather consolidated, with the Sanofi, Aspen, Pfizer, and Leo Pharma accounting for over 65% of the market in 2015. In a new study, Transparency Market Research (TMR) has found that Sanofi is the clear leader in the Europe heparin market, enjoying a 47.5% share in 2015. Increased global sales of Lovenox can be attributed to the companys success.A focus on the expansion of R&D activities, in-licensing and acquisitions, and portfolio management are the key strategies adopted by the market leader, the author of the study finds. In 2015, the company spent over US$5 bn on the research and development of 18 new medicines and vaccines. Companies in the heparin market in Europe are also emphasizing on key BRIC-M countries, developing market-specific innovations, and prioritizing resource allocation.Obtain Report Details @Rise in Incidence of Coagulation and Renal Disorders Spurring Demand for HeparinThe recall of heparin products imported from China in 2008 was a turning point in the heparin market across the globe. The presence of a high level of allergenic substances in heparin products imported from China resulted in over a 100 deaths in the U.S. Tainted supplies were also found in several European countries, forcing the implementation of strict regulations regarding the use of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) produced outside the European Economic Area (EEA).This event spurred the domestic development of crude and API heparin and a number of companies entered the heparin processing business in the years that followed. This has had a significant impact on the growth of the heparin market in Europe, a lead analyst at TMR comments.The heparin market in Europe is also fueled by the growing incidence of coagulation disorders such as venous thromboembolism (VTE). These disorders cause nearly half a million deaths in the region each year, even more than the collective deaths caused by breast and prostate cancer, AIDS, and highway accidents, the author of the study finds.Low-molecular-weight Heparin to Register Remarkable Growth by 2024The opportunity in the Europe heparin market is estimated to be worth US$3.4 bn by 2024, rising from US$2.2 bn in 2015. The market is projected to register a steady CAGR of 5.2% from 2016 to 2024. Among the key product types, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) accounted for a massive share of close to 80% in 2015, emerging as the leading segment. Generating a revenue of US$2.9 bn by the end of the forecast period, LMWH is also anticipated to post substantial growth, registering a 5.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. Unfractionated heparin, on the other hand, will grow at a sluggish pace.Fill The Form To Gain Deeper Insights On This Market @On the basis of end user, hospitals led the heparin market in Europe by value and are also anticipated to expand at the most rapid pace by 2024. By region, Germany contributed majority of the heparin market share in 2015. In addition to Germany, France, Belgium, and Portugal are likely to register the highest growth rates throughout the forecast period.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.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Advanced Wound Care Management Market by Product Type, Geography , End-user and Forecast 2024

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Advanced Wound Care Management Market: OverviewThe market for wound care is growing phenomenally, due to growing advancement is treating complex wounds. Advanced wound care market is anticipated to grow in forecasted period, as the products has been a promising solution for faster recovery and wound healing. These products offer superior solution than traditional products by offering desired outcome and effectiveness in healing wounds. The increasing incidences of chronic wound has aggravated the need for the products that offers faster and efficient wound healing. Thus, majority of hospitals have shifted their preferences towards the advanced wound care products. It helps to decrease the average length of stay in hospitals through early recovery from wounds. This assists to decrease the length of hospital stay in order to reduce surgical costs. Thus the rising need and demand for advanced products that increases therapeutic outcome drives the advanced wound care market.Obtain Report Details @Advanced Wound Care Management Market: Scope of the ReportThe report is a combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts, with information collected from telephonic interviews and interactions via e-mail. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, stock analysis presentations, and various national and international databases. The report provides market size in terms of US$ Mn for each segment for the period from 2014 to 2024, considering the macro and micro-environmental factors. Growth rates for each segment within the global advanced wound care market have been determined after a thorough analysis of past trends, demographics, future trends, technological developments, vaccination expenditure, and regulatory requirements.The market overview section of the report includes qualitative analysis of the overall advanced wound care market including the determining factors and market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities, along with white space analysis. In addition, market attractiveness analysis by geography, technique, product type, type of wounds, end-user, and competitive landscape by key players have been provided which explain the intensity of competition in the market considering different geographies. The competitive scenario between market players has been evaluated through market share analysis. These factors would help the market players take strategic decisions in order to strengthen their positions and increase their shares in the global market.Advanced Wound Care Management Market: Growth and Competitive DynamicsThe driving factors for advanced wound care market are mainly increasing demand for faster recovery, decrease in healthcare cost by decreasing average length of stay in hospital, rising population falling for trauma, etc. Advanced wound care market is anticipated to grow in forecasted period, as the products has been a promising solution for faster recovery and wound healing. These products offer superior solution than traditional products by offering desired outcome and effectiveness in healing wounds. The increasing incidences of chronic wound has aggravated the need for the products that offers faster and efficient wound healing. Thus, majority of hospitals have shifted their preferences towards the advanced wound care products. It helps to decrease the average length of stay in hospitals through early recovery from wounds. This assists to decrease the length of hospital stay in order to reduce surgical costs. Thus the rising need and demand for advanced products that increases therapeutic outcome drives the advanced wound care market.Fill The Form To Gain Deeper Insights On This Market @Geographically, the global advanced wound care market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The applications of advanced wound care are rapidly growing in North America due to increasing direct and indirect investments by the U.S. Government and private companies in wound care. Increasing investments and penetration by key market players in Asia Pacific are likely to drive the advance wound care market during the forecast period.Major players in the advanced wound care management market are 3M, Acelity L.P. Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, BSN medical GmbH, Coloplast A/S, ConvaTec Inc., Medline Industries, Inc., Medtronic, Molnlycke Health Care, Organogenesis, Inc., and Smith & Nephew plc.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.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cryptococcosis Market (2016  2024) : Competitive Landscape & Growth Opportunities

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Global Cryptococcosis Market: OverviewThis report on the global cryptococcosis market analyzes the current and future scenario of the global market. Cryptococcosis disease burden is rising due to increase in susceptible patient population such as HIV-infected patients, solid organ transplantation recipients, and other immunosuppressive hosts. In addition, the huge patient base in Sub-Saharan countries fuels the growth of the cryptococcosis market. For instance, According to CDC, it is estimated that around 1 million cryptococcal meningitis cases occurs globally. Also, it is also seen that cryptococcosis mortality burden is very high which results in around 625,000 deaths every year. In addition, rise in private and public funding for creating awareness, and favorable regulatory scenario for new product launch are boosting the growth of the global cryptococcosis market.Obtain Report Details @The cryptococcosis market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments. It also provides information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the segments based on treatment, distribution channel, and geography. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints, and opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. Additionally, the section comprises clinical trial analysis and key industry event analysis to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. This section also provides market attractiveness analysis in terms of geography and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global cryptococcosis market.Global Cryptococcosis Market: Scope of the StudyBased on treatment, the market is segmented into Amphotericin B, Flucytosine, Fluconazole, and other antifungals. Amphotericin B further segmented into Amphocin, Fungizone and other products. Flucytosine further segmented into Ancobon and other products. Fluconazole includes Diflucan and other products. In treatment type, Flucytosine was the largest segment of the global cryptococcosis market in terms of revenue in 2015, driven by its increasing adoption in U.S. The market segments have been analyzed based on cost-effectiveness of the drugs, prevalence of the diseases, and growing diagnosis rate of cryptococcosis across the globe. The market size and forecast for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2014 to 2024, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year.Based on distribution channel, the global cryptococcosis market is segmented as hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, drug store, and mail order pharmacies. Retail pharmacy was the largest segment of the global market in terms of revenue in 2015 and is expected to continue to dominate the market by 2024, which is attributed to the increasing contribution of long term medication required for cryptococcosis treatment. Online purchase of drugs has been highly popular in most of the developed economies such as the U.S. and Japan.Geographically, the global cryptococcosis market has been categorized into five major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and Rest of Asia Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC Countries, and Rest of Middle East & Africa).Fill The Form To Gain Deeper Insights On This Market @Global Cryptococcosis Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report also profiles major players in the global cryptococcosis market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson), Abbott Laboratories, Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Sigmapharm Laboratories LLC.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.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Anti-counterfeit Package Market, Industry Survey, Market Size, Competitive Trends, Outlook and Forecasts to 2022.

Anti-counterfeit Package Market

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The Global Anti-counterfeit Package Market Research Report 2017 renders deep perception of the key regional market status of the Anti-counterfeit Package Industry on a Global level that primarily aims the core regions which comprises of continents like Europe, North America, and Asia and the key countries such as United States, Germany, China and Japan.The report on Global Anti-counterfeit Package Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Anti-counterfeit Package industry a propos classifications, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.Request for sample of Anti-counterfeit Package Market research report @The potential of this industry segment has been rigorously investigated in conjunction with primary market challenges. The present market condition and future prospects of the segment has also been examined. Moreover, key strategies in the market that includes product developments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, etc., are discussed. Besides, upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also conducted.Report Includes:-The report cloaks the market analysis and projection of Anti-counterfeit Package Market on a regional as well as Global level. The report constitutes qualitative and quantitative valuation by industry analysts, first-hand data, assistance from industry experts along with their most recent verbatim and each industry manufacturers via the market value chain. The research experts have additionally assessed the in general sales and revenue generation of this particular market. In addition, this report also delivers widespread analysis of root market trends, several governing elements and macro-economic indicators, coupled with market improvements as per every segment.Furthermore, the report contains diverse profiles of primary market players of Anti-counterfeit Package Market.The top players including:Alien Technology, Zebra Technologies, UPM raflatac, Avery Dennison, Flint Group, Catalent, G&D, SICPA, impinj, Sun Chemical, CFC, Essentra, Dupont, Schreiner ProSecure, OpSec Security, Vision S.A, Amcor LimitedAuthentix Inc., Giesecke & Devrient.Detailed TOC and Charts & Tables of Anti-counterfeit Package Market Research Report available @The report is generically segmented into six parts and every part aims on the overview of the Anti-counterfeit Package industry, present condition of the market, feasibleness of the investment along with several strategies and policies. Apart from the definition and classification, the report also discusses the analysis of import and export and describes a comparison of the market that is focused on the trends and development. Along with entire framework in addition to in-depth details, one can prepare and stay ahead of the competitors across the targeted locations.The fact that this market report renders details about the major market players along with their product development and current trends proves to be very beneficial for fresh entrants to comprehend and recognize the industry in an improved manner. The report also enlightens the productions, sales, supply, market condition, demand, growth, and forecast of the Anti-counterfeit Package industry in the Global markets.Every regions market has been studied thoroughly in this report which deals with the precise information pertaining to the Marketing Channels and novel project investments so that the new entrants as well as the established market players conduct intricate research of trends and analysis in these regional markets. Acknowledging the status of the environment and products up gradation, the market report foretells each and every detail.So as to fabricate this report, complete key details, strategies and variables are examined so that entire useful information is amalgamated together for the understanding and studying the key facts pertaining the Global Anti-counterfeit Package Industry. The production value and market share in conjunction with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated in this report.Check for Discount @Some points from TOC:-Global Anti-counterfeit Package Market Research Report 20171 Anti-counterfeit Package Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Anti-counterfeit Package1.2 Anti-counterfeit Package Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Covert1.2.4 Overt1.2.5 Forensic1.2.6 Track & Trace1.3 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Segment by Application1.3.1 Anti-counterfeit Package Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Pharmaceutical1.3.3 Food & Beverage1.3.4 Clothing & Apparels1.3.5 Others1.4 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Anti-counterfeit Package 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 Anti-counterfeit Package (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Anti-counterfeit Package Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Anti-counterfeit Package Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Anti-counterfeit Package Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Anti-counterfeit Package Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Anti-counterfeit Package Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionEnquiry before Buying @QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on Global industries, companies, products, and trends.Jia Wang, Room B1510, ShijiKemao Building, No.66,Zhongguancun East Road,Haidian District, Beijing, 100190,China
Women dominate the African Utility Week Industry Awards in Cape Town this year

750+ top power and water professionals gather to honour achievers

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Women are making an invaluable contribution to the power and water industries as reflected by the many ladies amongst the winners of the 2017 African Utility Week Industry Awards that were announced at the CTICC in Cape Town last week. Three of the awards, namely Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Contribution to Power as well as Young Energy Leader Award, were won by women.More than 750 top level power and water professionals attended the fourth edition of the African Utility Week Industry Awards gala dinner which honour pioneering utilities, projects and people in the energy and water industry on the continent.Former South African President Nelson Mandelas personal assistant, Zelda la Grange, delivered an inspiring guest keynote address with charming anecdotes of working with and for the legendary anti-apartheid activist and politician.The complete list of winners of the African Utility Week Industry Awards:Lifetime achievement award:Winner:Helen Tarnoy, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Aldwych International Ltd, United Kingdom, an engineering company that has been involved in some of the most successful independent power projects on the African continent.I first went to Africa in 1998 and I have never left; so I have almost 20 years of working in the independent power sector in Africa, Helen said in a pre-recorded video acceptance speech. I wont say that it wasnt a struggle in the beginning, it was. There was a lot of education to be done about how private companies could contribute to the economies of the countries in which they were working by providing sustainable power at an affordable price. That is still what we aim to do today. The difference today is that we are seeing more and more people coming into the market.Helen has been a passionate devotee to the African power market since her first contact with it in the mid-1990s. Her first major success was to lead the recovery and eventual success of the Songas Gas to Power Project in Tanzania. Following on the success of the Songas Project, Helen actively participated in all phases of several other AES successes in Africa including the acquisition and successful construction of the Ebute Power Project in Lagos, the privatisation and early operation of the Kelvin Power Plant in Johannesburg and the acquisition of a majority position in the Sonel vertically integrated utility in Cameroon.Outstanding contribution award: WaterWinner:Philip Gichuki, Managing Director, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, KenyaIt is a great honour to win this award, said an overjoyed Eng. Gichuki on Wednesday evening. He continued: this is meant for my staff. It is this dedicated team that has made this happen. I look forward to continue to work with them every day in order to make a difference in peoples lives.As the Managing Director of Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Eng. Gichuki is responsible for running all facets of the business. He has a proven executive management track record and over 20 years of experience in managing growth in the water and sanitation sector. Most notable in his management of the company is the innovative inclusion of low income (informal) settlement communities as partners (customers). In 2016, the company participated in the planting of over 150,000 trees in catchment areas to help deal with climate change. Eng. Gichuki has been instrumental in guiding the sector to develop county specific implementation plans.Outstanding Woman of the Year in Power/WaterWinner:Rose Kaggwa, Director: Business and Scientific Services, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, UgandaWomen must aim to be the best they can be, because at the end of the day, the best multi-tasker is a woman, Rose Kaggwa said after receiving her award, adding in order for us to create change, when we say water for all and we say sanitation is a right it cannot be done without women. So women must rise up and begin to speak.Rose has spearheaded the development and implementation of vocational training and skills development of plumbers and Electromechanical technicians within the NWSC which has benefited over 500 staff and contributed to the operational efficiency of the organisation. Rose is the first African to sit on the UNESCO  International Hydrological Progamme Advisory Board for human settlement, water and sanitation and holds the position of Vice President. In 2017 she was awarded the Golden Jubilee Award for excellence in leadership in service delivery by His Excellency the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Rose is very active in the International Water Association and was at the helm of the International Water Chief Executive Organization forum held in June 2016 that brought together 14 CEOs from various water utilities in Africa and 56 key stakeholders to deliberate on the strategic priorities of the water sector in Africa and efforts to strengthen collaboration.Power Utility of the YearWinner:Ethiopian Electric Power, EthiopiaMr Abeb Kahsay, Executive Officer of EEP received this very prestigious award for the company: It is an honour to be here and hold this award. It is a sign of the success of what we have achieved so far. It will strengthen us for the future to work even harder to serve our people so that we can address the problems of the community.Ethiopia strives to be the hub of renewably sourced energy in the region and beyond. Ethiopian Electric Power is instrumental to this ambitious plan. EEP is a sole provider of bulk electricity to users, mainly to the Ethiopian Electric Utility; direct industrial customers; and exports to neighbouring countries. Djibouti and the Sudan are connected to Ethiopia by a high-voltage power line.EEP operates and maintains more than 12 hydropower and three wind power plants distributed in different parts of the country with installed capacity of more than 4290MW, including the Gibe III plant (1870MW). There are two major hydropower projects under construction, namely the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (6000MW) and GenaleDawa 3 (254MW).Water Utility of the YearWinner:Lilongwe Water Board, MalawiWe have made a lot of improvements and innovations in the last couple of years and this has made a difference in how we deliver our service in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, said a very pleased Alfonso Chikuni , CEO of Lilongwe Water Board, on Wednesday evening. This award is for all the employees of Lilongwe Water Board who really took to the new institutional direction and approach that we had to take before we could produce results.The Lilongwe Water Board is a statutory organisation that supplies water to the residents of Lilongwe, the capital City of Malawi and its surrounding areas. Currently, Lilongwe City has a population of about 1,000,000 and the company serves around 70% of the population. There are about 65,000 metered customers and more than 700 water Kiosks (communal water selling points) within the City. The total pipe network for LWB is estimated at 1,600 Km.Successes in 2016/17 include the significant strides it has made in the reduction of Non-Revenue Water from around 41% in January 2016 to 26% by December 2016 thereby offering a cheaper water source in a way and by increasing capacity to deliver services by initiation and completion of infrastructure projects.Large Scale Renewable Energy Project (10MW+)Winner:Bokpoort CSP Power Plant, ACWA Power, ACWA POWER, South AfricaNandu D Bhula is the CEO of the power plant: this is the second time we have won an award here, the first time we won for Community Project of the Year, now we are recognised for being the best Large Scale Renewable Energy Project. With CSP being a renewable project with some storage makes it a reliable load following operator, so it gives the best of both worlds which is fantastic. For Bokpoort it is just amazing to be the pioneer of, what I think, a revolution in the solar industry.ACCIONA, SENER and TSK built Concentrated Solar Power plant in South Africa set a new African record for the continuous, round the clock supply of electricity. Within the first month of commercial operation, the newly-inaugurated 50 MW Bokpoort CSP plant, produced electricity for a continuous period of 161 hours, equivalent to almost six days.Bokpoort CSPs 50MW is equal to powering 21 000 households and has over 8 600 collectors at the plant with more than 136 000 mirrors. At its construction peak, over 1 300 jobs were created at the plant, filled largely by the local community previously dependent on farm work.Small-Scale Sustainable Energy Project (under 5MW)Winner:Stortemelk Hydro, Renewable Energy Holdings, South AfricaIt is a great honour for us to be recognised amongst all our peers across the continent. There are not many small scale projects such as ours around in South Africa so we sometimes feel a little bit on our own. We do our best to try and keep the standard high so for me and my team this is great encouragement that we are going in the right direction  this is according to Anton-Louis Olivier, MD of Stortemelk Hydro.Stortemelk Hydro RF is located in Clarens in the Free State, South Africa and has a capacity of 4.5MW. The Stortemelk Hydro will result in a reduction of 540 000 tons of CO2 emissions over its 20 year life span and was constructed on an existing dam.The Hydro is the first to use a vertical Kaplan turbine and air cooled indoor transformers in hydro power in South Africa. The highly integrated and compact design reduces operational risk and maintenance costs. The project was constructed on time and on budget with 98% availability in the first 6 months.Technology of the YearWinner:Solar Turtle, South AfricaWhat is really unique about Solar Turtle are the safety features for women working in high crime rate areas such as informal settlements, rural communities or war-torn countries of the world. That is what we are really hoping to achieve. Not just making examples for the next generation of women to follow, but doing it safely. So said James van der Walt, CEO of Solar Turtle, who accepted the award at the gala dinner on Wednesday night.The SolarTurtle is an ultra-secure solar powered MU in a box. Shipping containers are converted into small, mobile solar power stations. These SolarTurtles are designed for off-grid schools where conventional solar PV solutions will not work. In crime-ridden areas across Africa traditional solar PV solutions have failed. The solar panels are typically stolen within a few months of deployment. The problem is so severe that the Gauteng provincial government was prepared to dismiss solar power as a possible electricity solution for schools and community centres.The SolarTurtle is a solar kiosk designed for unparalleled security and maximum portability. These container-based solar kiosks are assembled off site then deployed by simply offloading the container and unfolding the panels towards the sun. In the morning when it is safe the panels are unfolded from their secure location to feed from the rays of the sun. In the evening when it is unsafe the panels are folded away into the hard shell of the container. The power from the SolarTurtle feeds the school and a small woman-owned solar kiosk business inside the container.Deal of the YearWinner:100MW Kathu Solar Park Project, Engie, South AfricaThis is really a great achievement by a large, multi-disciplinary team and we are very proud of this award, said a delighted Maarten van der Horst, Director and Chief Business Development for power and gas investments at ENGIE Africa, after receiving the award. He continued: we are also very grateful and proud of the engagement we received from the local community and from the national government. At the moment the construction is very much underway, the financial close took place in May 2016 and the construction is on track within the timelines and COD is anticipated at the end of 2018. We are making every effort to deliver and stick to that timeline.In July 2016 a consortium led by French multinational electric utility company Engie achieved financial close on the 100MW Kathu Solar Park project in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Developed by the consortium, the park is sponsored by the SIOC Community Development Trust, Lereko Metier, Public Investment Corporation, Investec Bank, and the Kathu Local Community Trust. Lenders on the project are Rand Merchant Bank, Nedbank Capital, ABSA Capital, Investec, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.Once in operation, Kathu Solar Park will have the capacity to supply 80,000 households across South Africa and will help reduce carbon emissions by 300,000t every year. The solar project is expected to be connected to the grid by the end of 2018, supplying clean and dispatchable electricity to the South African power utility Eskom under a 20-year power purchase agreement.Outstanding Contribution Award: PowerWinner:Charlotte Aubin-Kalaidjian, Founding Partner, GreenWish Partners, France, Senegal, Cote dIvoire & NigeriaCharlotte thanked the award audience via video message: We all have a duty to respond to Africas pressing energy deficit. Renewable energy together with innovative business models are at the core of the solution. By giving me this award you are proving that I was right in the path that I chose eight years ago. I am grateful for your trust, especially as a woman entrepreneur.Charlotte Aubin-Kalaidjian is founder and CEO of GreenWish Partners, the independent power producer dedicated to renewable energies in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past 12 months, GreenWish led the development, structuring and financing of the Senergy 2 solar PV plant, the first solar Independent Power Producer in West Africa. Charlottes commitment to the sustainable development of Africa is also demonstrated by her involvement and board positions in the R20 NGO dedicated to climate change actions, the Women in Africa Initiative, as well as sponsor and Jury Member of the Energy Generation Academy out of Lome, Togo. She also acts as business angel and mentor with a focus on social and environmental entrepreneurs as well as young artists. She has initiated an ambitious Photo Project Solar Magic with Initiative for Global Development to illustrate the potential of solar on Africa society, economy and environment.Young Energy LeaderWinner:Fatima Oyiza Ademoh, Founder & CEO, Ajima Youth Empowerment Foundation, NigeriaFatima also spoke in a video message after she was announced the winner: I want to thank all those who have believed in my quest to extend electricity access to off-grid communities, especially in the Waste-2-Watt (W2W) Project. And for all the young people out there, lets keep being the agents for change in our communities.Fatima Ademoh is an energy and finance specialist and currently serves as the Project Developer in the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) funded off-grid Renewable Energy project being implemented by Ajima Farms in Nigeria. In this capacity, she led the preparation of funding proposal that secured US$150,000 grant in the USADF Power Africa Off-Grid Energy Challenge.Industry supportMore than 170 entries were received for the African Utility Week Industry Awards. Huawei, the well-known global information and telecommunication giant, was the lead sponsor this year while other supporting partners were Aberdare, Eaton, Enel, ESI Africa, KPMG, Lucy Electric, SBS Tanks, Standard Bank, Steinmuller Africa.African Utility Week is organised by Spintelligent, a multi-award-winning exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, real estate, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include Agritech Expo Tanzania, CBM-TEC, Kenya Mining Forum, Future Energy East Africa (formerly EAPIC), Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy Central Africa (formerly iPAD Cameroon), iPAD Nigeria Mining Forum, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group.Senior communications manager: Annemarie RoodbolTelephone: +27 21 700 3558Mobile: +27 82 562 7844Email: annemarie.roodbol@spintelligent.comWebsites:Postal address: PO Box 321, Steenberg, 7947, South Africa
Exclusive Interview of Pavel Ryabikin, Boryspil Airport CEO, to the Interfax-Ukraine AgencyIts the right emphasis. Today the base carrier is the one who provides the major passengers influx and the only one who implements the transit politics at the airport due to the increasing number of transit passengers. Therefore, the life forces us to negotiate. We are in continuous interaction, looking for mutually beneficial solutions. In my opinion, one must understand the main thing: a competitive product, against the other hubs or airlines, can be created only by collaborative efforts. Therefore, we are working to ensure that our collaborative product for transit is the most profitable allowing us to compete with the large transfer hubs of our geographical area. Naturally, as any other partners, we always have some disputes, but we are trying to solve them peacefully in most cases. Sometimes, judgement proceedings take place. But we need to understand that it is a working process, nothing personal. We are working on the strategy to make Ukraine a major transit country.It has. These debts are historical, from the previous periods. They are associated with the procedure of fee charging per a transit passenger. The airport considered as transit only those passengers who flew from/to Kyiv on the international flights, and the UIA, during its calculations, proceeds from the fact that a passenger from Dnipro, Kherson, Odesa having connection at Boryspil is transit as well. However, there were no calculation techniques for counting such passengers as transit ones. As a result, the disputes concerning such working moments appear. The airport is too much regulated by similar techniques and orders where the fee refers to the transit international passenger only but the carrier's logic can be also understood. These issues sometimes happen to be solved in court.This is an issue for a separate large discussion. The new version of this order was published. This document gives us a possibility to apply the economic instruments in a more flexible way to stimulate passenger influx growth. How perfect is the document?  There are no bounds to perfection, we always want something better, something greater.Director General has a contract which defines his actions and clearly specifies what he has no right to admit, particularly the worsening of the enterprise economical situation. Therefore, this is a logical regulation to delegate the responsibility to the CEO's level, who is obliged to make an optimal choice. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Minister set the task of attracting the cheaper carriers to increase the number of "flying" Ukrainians, and I support him in this question. During the negotiations with Ryanair, as well as within the Ministry, we worked out the joint Program where the airport and the Ministry potential actions are clearly determined to ensure the possibility to make tickets cheaper for Ukrainians. We have been doing this work for two month. The airport has completed its home task, adjusted its public offer and increased the existing discounts for newly opened destinations. We made every effort at Boryspil Airport for Ryanair to come to Ukraine. We also balanced the volume discounts. They can be given to any airlines without exception, and the Ministry included the reduction of the basic rates concerning the airport fee charging in its document as well. We consider that the income decrease resulting from the rate reduction will be compensated by the passenger influx growth being stimulated by the cost lowering of both - the transportation itself and the visa-free regime with the EU. In terms of transportation cost reduction, we are waiting for a signal from the carriers, primarily from the base one. From their side, they should demonstrate that our actions have not passed them by, and they could offer Ukrainians cheaper tickets. I hope we'll see this in the nearest future. Weve already got the base carriers feedback, which on 13 May reported the sale of 500 thousand tickets per year at the low cost rate.Negotiations are ongoing. We identified the existing problems and divided them into two parts - procedures, consisting in their handling on the territory of the Boryspil airport, and finances, consisting in charging of our fees they are required to pay. The airlines have the approach of the low fixed price and that's all. And we explained that our regulations foresee a differential indicator dependently on the take-off weight, etc. To stimulate new destinations, we determined the necessity to reduce the fees we talked about, then we provided the clear indicators to the Ministry what shall be changed in the regulatory base to enable the carriers of scale and price category to operate flights to Ukraine and offer here their services. Besides, the system of discounts developed by our specialists will be interesting to the base carrier as well as to the others. The negotiations themselves are a working moment, continuous contacts. For me, the importance of this question lies not in the coming of the Ryanair, but in the preconditions of normal operations for any low cost airlines.To say there is someone who can use the airport as a base and operate flights like Wizz Air - no, there is not any, and now they are even not expected. However, the Minister has a plan to create the national low cost carrier but I do not have the right to tell you what I know. We are ready to work with everyone who is ready for normal healthy market conditions. From the potentially new carriers we are waiting for Qatar, more likely in a year, since the summer season. However, there is a chance they will come during winter 2017/2018 season. For the moment they cannot adjust their schedule due to the issues concerning the aircraft procurement from Airbus. In addition, we expect the growth of the base carrier passenger influx, they have very ambitious plans to expand the fleet: at least plus four wide-body aircraft in the following year.First of all, I have put the task to coordinate those infrastructure projects I told about with the plans of the base carrier. We are strictly following their situation in our infrastructure growth.Nowadays, this question probably cannot be solved without loans. So first of all this is the credit financing. Some projects can be implemented at our own expense, for example, parking, apron, transit area.The cheaper the better. Therefore, we will choose the cheapest from all possible sources of financing. Issuing the bonds is theoretically possible, but a couple of weeks ago we closed off the last bonds we had because of they were too expensive for us.In relation to 2016, the passenger influx growth is 32% from January till the mid-May. If this figure is maintained, it will be good. By the end of the year we expect to reach 10 million passengers. We put ourselves the highest possible goals.Assessing the daily traffic from Boryspil and Brovary to Kyiv we see they are approximately similar by size, but Brovary allows 100,000 per day, and Boryspil  50,000. Why? Because Boryspil has an airport that provides many jobs. The average daily wave from Irpin, Gostomel and Bucha is even greater than from Brovary. This is an answer. We realize that Kyiv will need, sooner or later, the third airport. Unfortunately, Zhulyany is bounded and limited by naturally critical length of the runway. So speaking of Gostomel I meant a unique chance to arrange the handling of this low cost carrier there and enable the development of the whole region with the new direction. I don't know if such chance will appear again.The Fund is a strictly regulated organization, and we understand that the only way to increase efficiency and earnings from the leasing is to get away from the SPF by means of corporatisation. This is one of the tasks put to the enterprise for this year.The problems start from a simple glance at the map with the image of the territory named "Boryspil Airport". There are hundreds of objects built since the late 1950s. Later buildings were again constructed and reconstructed. However, these reconstructions were not always properly documented. We have carried out the inventory and now understand that 47 objects have proper documentation for the ownership right. Some objects do not have documentation for reconstruction or modernization. It shall be corrected. Having done this, it will be possible to conduct the corporatisation. There are also problems of land allocation and many contentious issues of boundaries overlapping. Besides, we need a master plan which will be further implemented with clearly defined territory functionalities.Yes, today this issue is raised again. There is a chance to use the loan allocated to its construction. Will it be a format of light underground or lightened railway train? I am not ready to answer. I think the basic scenario will be determined by the end of May. A single investor for both projects - railway to Boryspil and completion of the Ring Road - is not being considered at the moment. Basically, we do not have a choice. We will connect to the Boryspil railway branch. The method and the location of this connection are discussed. The lightened train offered by Kyiv City State Administration can use both railway and city tramways. This can be very extensive network of routes. If this lightened option is approved, it may be launched in 3 years. It has no difficulties. The main thing is to make an order and get the mobile two-system train of Tram-Train type manufactured.Everything will depend on the growth of the economy and the growth of citizen well-being. We see that, for example, the opening of flights from Kherson has shown good loads. This indicates the existing potential. I am sure that all regional airports will be developed and revived. The sequence and the speed - I can not say but I know that they all started talking about revivification of their capacities. It is not possible to say that everyone will come back to life. Nevertheless, the revival will be. And the Lviv airport may become the headliner of the whole western region. It is not for nothing that Ryanair has scheduled more flights there than in Kyiv.
Wafer Coating Equipment Market - Primarily Helps In The Deposition of Functional Layers of Materials On Wafers.

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A coating is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. Wafer coating equipment primarily helps in the deposition of functional layers of materials on wafers. The wafer coating equipment market has been segmented into by coating process which includes vapor deposition, roll-to-roll coating process, chemical and electrochemical techniques among others. The market has been segmented into by end use industry semiconductor and electronics and research and development facilities. The semiconductor and electronics is furthermore segmented into solar panels, IC applications, sensors, display panels, among others. The market for wafer coating equipment by region has been segmented into, Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, MEA (Middle East and Africa) and South America.Obtain Report Details @The market for wafer coating equipment has been segmented into by coating process which includes vapor deposition, roll-to-roll coating process, chemical and electrochemical techniques among others. Vapor deposition is one the leading segment in the market for wafer coating equipment. Wafer coating adds a new property which includes electrical conductivity or magnetic response and forms an essential part of the end product. Coating process primarily helps in chemical and water resistance, abrasion and temperature resistance. Vapor deposition primarily refers to any process in which materials in a vapor state are condensed through chemical reaction, condensation, or conversion to form a solid material. These processes are applied to form coatings to alter the electrical, mechanical, thermal, corrosion resistance, optical and wear properties of the substrates. Roll-to-roll coating is practiced for production of flexible and high-volume printed electronics. Spin coating, spraying, dip coatings are some of the other type of wafer coating process.The prime end use industry of wafer coating equipment market includes semiconductor and electronics and research and development facilities. Semiconductor and electronics is furthermore segmented into IC applications, solar panels, display panels, sensors among others. Semiconductor and electronics is a major end use segment for wafer coating owing to its potential capabilities in emerging semiconductor and energy conversion technologies. Major companies focus on providing researchers a wide array of cutting-edge and high end equipment through which they can concentrate on research activities related to novel thin film coating technologies from inception to commercialization. The major attributes of electronic and semiconductor devices are flexibility, functionality, and printability. Apart from these, one most important requirement is encapsulation. Many of the materials used in organic or printed electronic displays are chemically sensitive and generally reacts with many environmental components such as moisture and oxygen. Wafer coating is generally used to encapsulate the devices against oxygen, impurities, and moisture, thereby ensuring long and failure-free operation, which is one of the major reasons behind the growing application of wafer coating equipment.In 2016, Asia Pacific held the largest market share for wafer coating equipment in terms of revenue. China is leading the wafer coating equipment market in Asia Pacific. Increasing growth of semiconductor industry across Asia Pacific due to the presence of cheap skilled labor, land and government subsidies are is simultaneously boosting the usage of wafer coating equipment in this region. In North America, growing application of wafer coating equipment in industrial set ups, electronics, automotives, medical centers, and semiconductor are contributing to the positive growth of this market in North America. U.S. and Canada is leading the market for wafer coating equipment in North America. In Europe, U.K., Germany, France, Italy are holding a prominent position in the wafer coating equipment market. Brazil, Argentina are expected to witness positive growth over the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. In Middle East and Africa, There has been considerable advancement and development in the field of wafer coating equipment due to the growing demands of the semiconductor industry as well as the usage of coating equipment in the research labs.Fill The Form For An Exclusive Sample Of This Report @Aixtron SE (Germany), Thomas Publishing Company LLC (The U.S.), ASM International N.V. (The Netherlands), Entegris, Inc.(The U.S.), Arradiance, Inc.(The U.S.), Veeco Instruments, Inc. (The U.S.), Applied Materials, Inc. (The U.S.), Oxford Instruments Plc (U.K.), SENTECH Instruments GmbH (Germany), S-Cubed (The U.S.), CVD Equipment Corporation (The U.S.), Encapsulix (France), Picosun Oy (Finland), NOVO Engineering (The U.S.), Ultratech Inc. (The U.S) among others are some of the major players operating in the wafer coating equipment market globally.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:
Healthcare Big Data Analytics Industry Trends and Global Foresight to 2021

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The global healthcare big data analytics market, which broadly utilizes information for qualitative and quantitative analysis, is experiencing an industry change from volume-based solutions and repayment to esteem based pharmaceuticals and repayment. Factors, for example, the sudden accentuation on a more enhanced quality healthcare, diminished length-of-stay at hospitals, lower expenses of health and prescription, and misrepresentation recognition, is the essential requests of payers of this innovation. Moreover, higher incentives for medication, combination of big data in healthcare, and innovative headways, among others are a portion of alternate drivers of this market.Make an Enquiry @Global Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market: Key Players IBM, Cerner Corporation, Cognizant, Dell, Epic System Corporation, GE Healthcare, McKesson, Optum, Philips, Siemens, XeroxGlobal Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market: Market Growth InfluencerGlobal Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market has seen a tremendous growth in the recent years. Various factors, such as, increase in pressure to control healthcare costs, meaningful use impetuses, accessibility of big data in healthcare industry, innovative headways or technological advancements, and expansion in funding ventures are moving the development of global healthcare big data analytics market. Then again, the operational crevice amongst payers and suppliers, absence of skilled people, and high cost of analytics arrangements may confine market development. A few strengths are setting off the support in the general interest for healthcare Big Data analytics in the industry. Government agencies are empowering the utilization of Big Data in the healthcare industries. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Health Data Initiative (HDI) is beginning to discharge information from organizations like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) keeping in mind the end goal to get to open information of patients for clinical trials and other examination exercises.Global Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market: Market SegmentationFor the purpose of this study, the Global Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market is segmented into:1. By Types a. Platform/ Technologyo i. Prescriptive Analyticso ii. Predictive Analyticso iii. Descriptive Analytics2. By applications a. Clinical Data Analyticso i. Quality Healthcareo ii. Professional Performance Evaluationo iii. Reducing the incidence of medical errorso iv. Otherso b. Financial Data Analyticso i. Risk Management Analyticso ii. Revenue Generation Analyticso iii. Others3. By Components a. Software b. Services c. Consulting4. By End Users a. Healthcare b. Pharmaceuticals c. OthersAccess Report Details @Global Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market: Regional Analysis North America: In 2015, North America is required to lead the Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market and acquire the highest rate of CAGR. The high development of this area is ascribed to elected healthcare commands empowering the adoption of HCIT solutions or arrangements, positive government support, huge funding ventures for big data analytics, and the rising focus on health management population, among others. Europe: Government Healthcare policies, Emergence of Big Data, rising focus on Data Collection, technological advancement, rising awareness and Electronic Health Record implementations are the major factors driving the European market.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.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Healthcare Big Data Analytics Market Research Report- Global- forecast to 2027 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Semiconductor Curve Tracer Market - Analyzes The Physiognomies of Separate Semiconductor Devices Such As Transistors, Thyristors, And Diodes

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A semiconductor curve tracer is a specialized test equipment which analyzes the physiognomies of separate semiconductor devices such as transistors, thyristors, and diodes. The device is fashioned on the basis of an oscilloscope. It has voltage as well as current sources that are used to fuel the DUT or device under test. The function of this device is to apply a swept voltage (varying with time) to two ends of the DUT, and calculating the total current that the device allows to flow at each of the applied voltages. The graph thus formed is known as the V-I graph or voltage current graph. Pattern represents the maximum voltage that is applied, the polarization of the voltage (both positive and negative), and the resistance applied in series along with the device. In case of devices the two terminal devices including DIACs and diodes, this process can characterize the device fully. The semiconductor curve tracer can show all the parameters including diode's reverse leakage current, reverse breakdown voltage, forward voltage, among others. For other devices (DIACs), the reverse and forward trigger voltages are clearly displayed. This method is used to find damaged pins on IC devices.Obtain Report Details @Evaluation and testing of semiconductor components have become mandatory processes in the semiconductor industry. Components are a part of a complex electronic equipment and hence play a vital role in inducing the dependability of the end product. Consistency of semiconductors, especially in micro- and macro-electronic devices is vital and presently there is a rising focus on decreasing the defects resulting from engineering deviations and prolonging the lifespan of the components used. With electronics getting advanced by the year, testing of semiconductors is developing into a multifaceted task generating the need for smarter, faster and mechanized testing solutions. Cutting-edge semiconductor tools such as application dependent high density printed circuit boards (PCS) coupled with advanced chip functionality and board designs requires curve tracers. These factors will drive the overall semiconductor curve tracer market in the coming years.Some of the semiconductor curve tracers, especially those which are designed for high current or power or voltage devices, are capable of producing hazardous currents and voltages thereby posing an electrocution hazard. However, advanced curve tracers usually contain mechanical interlocks and shields that make it difficult to come into connection with lethal currents or voltages. This will further encourage the growth of the overall semiconductor curve tracer market.The global semiconductor curve tracer market can be segmented by DUT type, application, and by geography. On the basis of DUT type the market can be divided into two terminal devices and three terminal devices. The two terminal devices segment held a significant market share in the global market owing to their extensive applications in the semiconductor devices. By application, the global semiconductor curve tracer market may be segmented into communication, consumer electronics, computing and networking, industrial, and others. The consumer electronics segment is likely to dominate the global market during the forecast period. Longevity as well as extended warranties demanded by the consumers has made curve tracing a vital phenomenon in the consumer electronics market. By geography, the global semiconductor curve tracer market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. North America held the leading share of the market followed by Asia Pacific. The U.S. is likely to account for the major share of the market owing to the presence of large number of corporations as well as better availability of advanced technologies.Fill The Form For An Exclusive Sample Of This Report @Some of the major players operating in the global semiconductor curve tracer market are Scientific Test, Inc., Tektronix, Inc., Koyo Electronics Industries Co., Ltd, Barth Electronics, Inc., Nihon Denji Sokki Co, Ltd., Mittal Enterprises, Ed Corporation, and Industrial Vision 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:
Surfactants Market Outlook and Global Foresight to 2021

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The global surfactants market has seen a tremendous growth over the past decade due to its huge demand in the industrial applications and it has been anticipated that the global market will retain this position during the forecast period. This market is mainly driven by the increasing demand coming from its application industries. The other major key driver could be considered as availability of broad range of surfactants at lower price, huge demand from household segment, increasing demand for personal care products. Geographically, Asia-Pacific is expected to be the largest market in terms of consumption followed by North America and Europe.Make an Enquiry @Key Players BASF, KAO CORPORATION, CLARIANT, P&G Chemicals, LION Corporation, Evonik Industries, Dow Chemical, Stepan Company, Huntsman Corporation, Akzo Nobel N.V.Study Objectives of Surfactants Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 5 years of various segments and sub-segments of the global surfactants market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the global surfactants 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, APAC, 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 and applications. To provide strategic profiling of the 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 Surfactants MarketAccess report Details @SegmentationAs per MRFR analysis, the global surfactants market has been segmented into:By Types: anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants. By Applications: food processing, personal & household, textiles, agriculture and others.The report for Global Surfactants 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.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Surfactants Market Research Report - Forecast to 2021 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
North America Driver Assistance System Market is projected to Grow More Than 23.11% During Forecast to 2027

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The Driver Assistance System Market statistical report, published by Market Research Future contains succinct information on the North America driver assistance system market, forecast from 2016-2027. The various factors driving the driver assistance system market are a wide range of advantages of driver assistance system types, and governmental regulations mandating driver assistance systems.Make an Enquiry @North American region witnessed similar financial meltdown, as that of by Europe and other regions. Reduced costs, introduction of new competitive vehicle models loaded with fresh features, advanced technologies for safety & driver assistance in accordance with vehicle safety regulations have been the key strategies for North American automobile manufacturers to sustain their market shares. However, meeting the gaps between technology & cost, maintaining the profit share, and operating at lower volumes are restraining the growth of the automobile market in North America.U.S. Driver Assistance System Market is expected to reach USD 26,443.94 Million by 2027 with a CAGR of 23.11%Access report Details @Table of Contents1. Info graphics Information1.1 North America Driver Assistance System Market, by Country, 2016 - 2027 (USD Million)2. Introduction3. North America Driver Assistance System Market, by Country Market DataList of TablesTable 1 North America Driver Assistance System Market, by Country, 2016-2027 (USD Million)List of FiguresFigure 1 North America Driver Assistance System Market, by Country 2016-2027, (USD Million)ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from North America Driver Assistance System Market Country Segment Outlook (2016-2027) chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Profilometer Market - High Lateral Resolution By The Usage of Profilometer Has Formed A Major Factor That Has Driven The Market

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Profilometer is a device or instrument that is used for measuring the surface profile being used for quantifying the roughness of the surface. Vertical resolution of the surface that is the resolution between the high pint and low point is usually measured at the nanometer level by providing lateral resolutions through profilometers. It consists of two main parts namely detector and sample stage. The detector helps in determination of points present on the sample whereas the stage is used for allowing movement at the time of measurement. Nowadays it is being used for both static as well as dynamic topography. The global market for profilometer has been segmented on the basis of type, application and geography. Contact and non-contact are two main types based on which the global market for profilometer has been segmented. Building materials, metals, consumer goods, oil & mines, pharmaceutical, semiconductor and biotechnology among others form the various application areas based on which the global market for profilometer has been segmented. Global profilometer market based on geography has been segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East and Africa.Obtain Report Details @High lateral resolution by the usage of profilometer has formed a major factor that has driven the market for profilometer globally. It also does not require any modelling and can be used directly that further increases its global usage. Moreover, a better resolution along with high speed and reliability has also acted as some other drivers to boost the demand for this market. Surface resolution topography and accuracy is expected to be some other deriving factors for profilometer market. In addition to this, vertical measurement also does not require a scanning mechanism along with vertical calibration that is based on the laser source wavelength that has also positively impacted the market for profilometers. Both MEMS vibrations and on-flight measurement problems are solved with the help of profilometers further contributing to the demand of this market. It is also the flexibility and ruggedness of certain profilometers that has led to its incorporation in industrial processes as well. With all these factors there are also certain restraints that affects the overall demand. One such factor being the inaccuracy in resolutions when the surface features are same as size of the stylus. Another factor being the difficulties related to finding flaws that are of the same size as the roughness of the surface. Laser profilometers are expected to provide growth opportunities for this market where the surface can be measured without the need to physically touch the surface profile.Geographically, it is North America that forms a major region contributing to the overall growth of this market followed by Europe. Demand for technological advancement in the surface analysis to be used across different verticals has been a driving factor for this market in these regions. Asia Pacific contributes to being another major region that has accelerated the demand for profilometers further forming one of the fastest growing region globally. China, Japan and Korea among others are expected to be some of the major regions contributing to the growth in Asia Pacific. It is also the growing demand for reliable and accurate data that has pushed the demand for this market in Asia Pacific region. Moreover, the need for lateral resolution that does not make changes on the surface has also acted as another major driver for this region.Fill The Form For An Exclusive Sample Of This Report @Some of the major players operating in the Profilometer market include KLA-Tencor Corporation (The U.S.), Bruker Nano Surfaces (The U.S.), Mahr (Germany), Jenoptik (Germany), Alicona (Europe), Cyber Technologies (Germany), Nanovea (The U.S.), Taylor Hobson Ltd. (U.K.), Zygo Corporation (The U.S.),Tokyo Seimitsu Co. Ltd. (Japan), Mitutoyo Corporation (Japan) and 4D Technology Corporation (The 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:
High Reliability Semiconductors Market - Aerospace & Defense, Medical And Communications Among Others Form The Various Application

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Semiconductor are made up of materials that has resistance and electrical conductivity coming within the range between that of a conductor and an insulator. Materials such as silicon or germanium among others are used for making semiconductors as it has poor connectivity in low temperatures and is steadily improved after addition of certain substances. State of semiconductors changes after electricity is passed, transforming it from conductive and non-conductive to reflective and non-reflective. Semiconductors also has the capability to increase the conductivity of the materials along with rise in temperature or current or voltage. High reliability semiconductors has the ability to function under extreme conditions along a specified a period of time. The global market for high reliability semiconductors has been segmented on the basis of type, application and geography. Based on different types the global market has been segmented into discrete and analog. Aerospace & defense, medical and communications among others form the various application areas based on which the global market for high reliability semiconductors market has been segmented.High reliability semiconductor market globally on the basis of geography has been segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Middle East and Africa.Obtain Report Details @It is the high duration along with probability of giving failure free performance across different conditions forms a major driver that has resulted in the rise in demand for this market globally. Application wise implementation of discrete high reliability semiconductors has also been another major factor that has led to the increase in applications along with providing huge growth prospects in future as well. Controlled resistance level in semiconductors has helped in its implementation across specific applications by performing the intended function under specified intervals and stated conditions. All these factors has helped the high reliability semiconductors market to grow globally. High reliability semiconductors also has growing space applications that has the capability to operate at higher voltages and temperatures providing better performance. Considering the following factors that act as some major drivers for the market, there are also some restraints that restricts the demand for this market globally. It is the high costs associated with the application of these semiconductors that act as a major restraint for this market. It is also the technical and programmatic challenges that affects the insertion of these semiconductors that has negative impact on the desired reliability act as another crucial reason restraining the demand for high reliability semiconductors market. Opportunities across high end technologically advanced devices along with high-current/high-voltage configurations will further provide growth opportunities for the market in coming years.Geographically, it is North America that forms one of the major market for high reliability semiconductor market globally with U.S., Canada and Mexico being some of the major regions that are contributing to the growth in this market. Technologically advanced applications such as space and aerospace & defense has contributed to being one of the major reason for the growth of this market in this region. Asia Pacific region has been one of the fastest growing regions with China and Japan being some of the major players that has contributed to the growth of this market. Presence of large number of equipment and semiconductor manufacturers has been a major factor that has led to the rise in demand for high reliability semiconductor in Asia Pacific region.The market for high reliability semiconductor is highly consolidated with competitors coming up with technologically advanced products for competing globally across highly advanced application areas. Some of the major players that are operating in the global high reliability semiconductor market are Microsemi (The U.S.), e2v (U.K.), Infineon Technologies (Germany), Skyworks Inc. (The U.S.), Semtech (The U.S.), TT Electronics (UK) and EG Electronics (Sweden) among others.Fill The Form For An Exclusive Sample Of This Report @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:
Ethernet Transceivers Market - Telecommunication And Information Technology Industry Is One of The Prime End User

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Transceiver is a device includes both a transmitter and a receiver that is combined together and share common circuitry or a single housing. Ethernet is a cost effective solution for better and faster connections. Owing to these factors ethernet transceivers is finding its application in different industries. The market has been segmented into by end use industry telecommunication, automotive, healthcare, industrial, consumer electronics, information technology and communication among others. The market for ethernet transceivers by region has been segmented into, Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, MEA (Middle East and Africa) and South America.Obtain Report Details @The prime end use industry of ethernet transceivers market includes telecommunication, automotive, healthcare, information technology and communication among others. Ethernet transceivers are also known as Medium Attachment Unit (MAU), it is a transceiver which transforms signals on an ethernet cable to and from Attachment Unit Interface (AUI) signals. Rising demand for data exchange in advanced vehicles, the automotive industry implemented networks such as Local Interconnect Network (LIN), Controller Area Network (CAN) which is increasing the application of ethernet transceivers in automotive industry. Additionally, increasing demand for advanced technology and increasing data trafficking in information technology field is contributing in the positive development of the ethernet transceivers market globally. Rising demand for wireless base station which facilitates wireless communication between network and user equipment is one of the prime drivers for the market. Growing implementation of ethernet transceivers in medical devices is boosting the market globally.New wireless transceivers technology invented primarily for medical devices is another major driving factor for the market. Telecommunication and information technology industry is one of the prime end user of ethernet transceivers. With the rising advancement in the technological front, some of the companies are focusing on manufacturing ethernet transceivers designed primarily for industrial and consumer electronics applications. The basic features of these devices are Wake-On-LAN and energy efficient ethernet functionality. These features enable system sleep modes for improved power savings. Increasing demand for power saving electronic products across different end use industries such as automotive, telecommunication and healthcare is fueling the market for ethernet transceivers in different regions globally. In 2016, North America accounted largest market share in terms of revenue for the ethernet transceivers market, followed by Asia Pacific and Europe. The U.S. is leading the ethernet transceivers market in North America. Increasing adoption for cloud computing is one of the prime driving factor for the market. China, Japan, India are some of the major market contributing in the positive development of the market for ethernet transceivers. In Europe, Germany, France, U.K., Italy are holding a prominent position in the ethernet transceivers market. Brazil, Argentina are anticipated to contribute positive growth over the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. In Middle East and Africa, there has been considerable advancement and development in the field of information technology and telecommunication field is fueling the demand for ethernet transceivers market.Fill The Form For An Exclusive Sample Of This Report @Microchip Technology Inc. (The U.S.), Analog Devices, Inc. (The U.S.), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), Curvature (The U.S.), Lumentum Operations LLC (The U.S.), Broadcom Limited (The U.S.), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (The Netherlands), Fujitsu Ltd. (Japan), EMCORE Corporation (The U.S.), NEC Corporation (Japan), ROHM Semiconductor (Japan), Accelink Technologies Co., Ltd. (China), Luxtera Inc. (The U.S.), NeoPhotonics Corporation (The U.S.), Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd (China), Qorvo (The U.S.), Foxconn Electronics Inc (Japan), MRV Communications (The U.S.) among others are some of the major players operating in the ethernet transceivers market globally. Merger and acquisition along with long and short term business alliances with other companies are some of the major business strategies adopted by the companies operating in the ethernet transceivers market.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:
Ethernet Switches Market - Rise In Efficiency And Effectivity of The Transmission Has Been A Major Factor That Has Driven The Demand

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Switch is a particular device that is used in a computer network for connecting two devices electrically. It is being used to communicate between network devices by plugging in multiple data cables. Switches also helps in the flow of data through a network by transmission of network packet to multiple devices. A specific network address is maintained for identification of network devices connected to a switch helping in the regulation of flow of traffic thereby maximizing the security and efficiency of the network. An ethernet switch is a central hub that are wired to computers and network devices within an ethernet. It is the extreme temperature and high vibrations durability that has helped in the growing application of ethernet switches in industrial environment as well. The global market for ethernet switches has been segmented into type, applications and geography. The various types based on which the global market for ethernet switches has been segmented includes unmanaged switch, partially managed switch and fully managed switch. Automotive, healthcare and telecommunication among others form the major application areas based on which the global ethernet switches market has been segmented.Obtain Report Details @Global ethernet switches market on the basis of geography has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa.The rise in efficiency and effectivity of the transmission has been a major factor that has driven the demand for ethernet switches market globally. Use of ethernet switches helps in providing connection via a dedicated wire having a single transmitter in the collision domain improving the overall utilization. Reduction in usage of broadcast domains has also been another major driver that has positively impacted the demand for ethernet switches market globally. In addition to this, the benefit compared to the costs involved is quite high providing more number of ports as compared to routers at a cheaper cost. Moreover, use of switches provides changes in configuration along with adjustments in speeds that further helps in the rising demand for this market. Along with this, growth of IoT (Internet of Things) technology and increasing application of ethernet in process automation sector has also been some other major drivers that has a positive impact on the overall market. Considering all these factors that has positively impacted the demand for this market, there are also certain restraints involved that poses challenges to its growth. One such major limitation involved with the application of ethernet switches is the technological complexity involved that makes it vulnerable towards security attacks. Moreover, it is the complexities involved with the design and configuration of ethernet switches that poses challenges for transmission of multiple packets forming another crucial factor that restrains the growth for this market. It is the growing internet penetration in remote places will provide huge opportunities for this market in the coming years.Geographically, it is North America and Europe that forms the major markets for the ethernet switches market globally. Growing application along with rise in demand for quick transmission of data forms some of the major drivers that boosts the demand for ethernet switches in this region. Asia Pacific forms another major region that contributes to the growth of ethernet switches market with China, Japan and India being some of the major regions that boosts the demand. Growing internet penetration along with rising application of data transmission has been some of the crucial factors that has positively impacted the demand for ethernet switches market in this region.Fill The Form For An Exclusive Sample Of This Report @Some of the major players operating in the ethernet switches market include Beckhoff Automation (Germany), Rockwell Automation (The U.S.), Siemens (Germany), Cisco (the U.S.), Schneider Electric (France), General Electric (The U.S.), Honeywell International (The U.S.), Eaton Corporation (The U.S.), Hitachi (Japan), Parker Hannifin Corporation (The U.S.), Omron (Japan) and B&R Automation (Austria) among others present in the market globally.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:
Global Robotic Exoskeletons Market 2017 : Ekso Bionics, Honda Motor, AlterG, Cyberdyne, Panasonic

Robotic Exoskeletons Market

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A market study based on the "Robotic Exoskeletons Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Robotic Exoskeletons Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Robotic Exoskeletons industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Robotic Exoskeletons market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Robotic Exoskeletons Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report;1. AlterG, Inc.2. Bionik Laboratories Corp.3. Cyberdyne, Inc.4. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd5. Ekso Bionics6. Hocoma7. Honda Motor Co., Ltd.8. Lockheed Martin Corporation9. Myomo10. Panasonic Corporation (Activelink)11. Parker Hannifin Corporation12. RB3DThe report studies the industry for Robotic Exoskeletons across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Robotic Exoskeletons market & dynamics of demand and supply of Robotic Exoskeletons into consideration. The 'Robotic Exoskeletons' research study covers each and every aspect of the Robotic Exoskeletons market globally, which starts from the definition of the Robotic Exoskeletons industry and develops towards Robotic Exoskeletons market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Robotic Exoskeletons market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Robotic Exoskeletons market. The geographical segmentation of the Robotic Exoskeletons industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Robotic Exoskeletons is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Robotic Exoskeletons market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Robotic Exoskeletons market worldwide.Enquire Here :Global Robotic Exoskeletons Sales Industry Report 2017 Covers:-1. Robotic Exoskeletons Overview2. Global Robotic Exoskeletons Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application3. United States, China, Europe, Japan Robotic Exoskeletons (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4. Worldwide Robotic Exoskeletons Manufacturers Analysis5. Robotic Exoskeletons Manufacturing Cost Analysis6. Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers7. Industrial Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders8. Market Effect Factors Analysis9. Worldwide Robotic Exoskeletons Market Forecast (2017-2021)10. AppendixThe global Robotic Exoskeletons market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Robotic Exoskeletons production volume, data regarding demand and Robotic Exoskeletons supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the industry for Robotic Exoskeletons across the globe.About Us:Business Worldwide 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.Contact US:Business Worldwide, United States
KYIV. May 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Purchases of medicines and medical products for the funds of the 2017 national budget in 2017 could be disrupted, head of the parliamentary health committee Olha Bohomolets forecasts.

"Procurement of medicines for the 2017 budget funds will also be disrupted. To conduct it, it is necessary to approve nomenclatures and sign agreements. The Ministry of Health has done nothing of these," she said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

She noted the Ministry of Health had not approved standards of treatment that would allow the approval of the procurement nomenclature.

According to Bohomolets, it is possible to correct the situation with purchases of medicines for national budget funds through setting up a national procurement agency.

"We need to create a national procurement agency under the Ministry of Economy, through the ProZorro system, under Nefyodov [Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Maksym Nefyodov]. Today there are instruments to fight corruption," she said.

The expert noted it is impossible to liquidate international purchases without creating a new system.

Bohomolets stressed the creation of a national purchasing agency "is being blocked at the moment by the Ministry of Health, since, according to Ulana Suprun, its creation is not timely until 2019."
Global Nuclear Robotics Market 2017 : iRobot, BAE Systems, AB Precision Ltd, Boston Dynamics

Nuclear Robotics Market

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A market study based on the "Nuclear Robotics Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Nuclear Robotics Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Nuclear Robotics industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Nuclear Robotics market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Nuclear Robotics Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report;1. Northrop Grumman2. iRobot3. BAE Systems4. AB Precision Ltd5. Boston DynamicsThe report studies the industry for Nuclear Robotics across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Nuclear Robotics market & dynamics of demand and supply of Nuclear Robotics into consideration. The 'Nuclear Robotics' research study covers each and every aspect of the Nuclear Robotics market globally, which starts from the definition of the Nuclear Robotics industry and develops towards Nuclear Robotics market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Nuclear Robotics market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Nuclear Robotics market. The geographical segmentation of the Nuclear Robotics industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Nuclear Robotics is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Nuclear Robotics market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Nuclear Robotics market worldwide.Enquire Here :Global Nuclear Robotics Sales Industry Report 2017 Covers:-1. Nuclear Robotics Overview2. Global Nuclear Robotics Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application3. United States, China, Europe, Japan Nuclear Robotics (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4. Worldwide Nuclear Robotics Manufacturers Analysis5. Nuclear Robotics Manufacturing Cost Analysis6. Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers7. Industrial Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders8. Market Effect Factors Analysis9. Worldwide Nuclear Robotics Market Forecast (2017-2021)10. AppendixBy product type, report can be divided into,1. Measurements2. Inspections3. Radiochemical Handling4. Nuclear Decommissioning5. OthersBy application, this report can be divided into,1. Robot Hardware2. Software3. ServicesThe global Nuclear Robotics market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Nuclear Robotics production volume, data regarding demand and Nuclear Robotics supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the industry for Nuclear Robotics across the globe.About Us:Business Worldwide 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.Contact US:Business Worldwide, United States
Sodium Chloride Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size 2024 | Research Report

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Global Sodium Chloride Market: SnapshotThe global market for sodium chloride is primarily driven by the significant rise in demand for chlor-alkali substances and packaged food products globally. The market will gain sizeable traction from the demand across the flourishing food and beverages and chemicals industries across emerging market but will bear the brunt of the declining demand for deicing application in regions such as North America and Europe.This 135 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Sodium Chloride Market. Browse through 19 data tables and 36 figures to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market.Transparency Market Research estimates that the market will exhibit a moderate 3.8% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. If the prediction holds true, the market will rise from a valuation of US$13.85 bn in 2015 to US$19.37 bn in 2024.Usage in Manufacturing of Chemical Intermediates to Remain Most Promising Application AreaOf the key applications of sodium chloride in the global market, applications across the chemical industry helped the global sodium chloride gain the most prominent share in revenue in 2015. In the chemical industry, sodium chloride is used in the manufacture of chlor-alkali products such as chlorine, soda ash, and caustic soda. These products are further used for manufacturing a wide range of products such as PVC, detergents, glass, dyes, and soaps. The rising global demand for these products will be a key factor driving the demand for sodium chloride in chemical applications in the next few years.Over the forecast period, the market is expected to witness the most promising growth across the application segment of flavoring agent and food preservative, an estimated 4.3% CAGR from 2016 through 2024. The flourishing global market for packaged food will be the key factor leading to the high demand for sodium chloride across this application segment over the forecast period.The application segment of deicing, which involves the use of salt for deicing of snow on public and private areas such as roads, highways, airports, public and private grounds, and airplanes, accounted for a nearly 16% of the global sodium chloride market in 2015. However, the segment is expected to witness a decline over the forecast period owing to the fluctuations in snowfall in key regional markets such as Europe and North America. The segment, as a result, is expected to account for a nearly 15% of the market by 2024.Decline across Deicing Application to Hamper Growth in North America and EuropeAsia Pacific holds the top spot in the global sodium chloride market in terms of both production and consumption. The region is also expected to remain the most lucrative market for sodium chloride over the forecast period, chiefly owing to the rising demand from end-use industries such as water treatment, chemicals, and food and beverages. The rising demand for chloro-alkali products in the chemical industry are likely to provide lucrative opportunities for the sodium chloride market in Asia Pacific. Increase in disposable incomes and changing food habits are expected to provide significant growth opportunities owing to the rising consumption of packaged and preserved food products.The sodium chloride markets in North America and Europe are mature and less lucrative than Asia Pacific. However, North America and Europe are also the largest deicing salt consuming markets and will continue to account for a sizeable share in the global sodium chloride market over the forecast period. In the North America market, the U.S., which currently holds a significant share in the regional markets revenues, is likely to continue to remain the primary market for deicing and chemical intermediates segments; Canada is expected to offer higher market potential for deicing.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Sodium Chloride Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Some of the global sodium chloride markets most influential players are Cargill Incorporated, Akzo Nobel N.V., Tata Chemicals Ltd., Dampier Salts, China National Salt Industry Corporation, Compass Minerals International, Inc., Wacker Chemie AG, Sudwestdeutsche Salzwerke AG, INEOS Salts, Swiss Salt Works AG, and Cheetham Salt.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:
Algae Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share 2024 | Research Report

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Algae Market: SnapshotThe global algae market is developing at a gradual pace around the world, with a number of algae oil production facilities yet to be fully commercialized. Growing concerns regarding the emission of greenhouse gases have driven the adoption of renewable energy sources, algae being a prominent one. Apart from a rising demand for algae-based biofuels in road, marine, and aviation applications, the plastics industry has also upped its demand for algae to produce biodegradable plastics.This 236 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Algae Market. Browse through 114 data tables and 86 figures to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market.The global algae market was valued at US$608.0 mn in 2015 and is projected to reach US$1.1 bn by 2024, at a CAGR of 7.39% therein. In terms of volume, the market is poised to expand at a 5.32% CAGR between 2016 and 2024.Low Investment Requirements Drive Adoption of Open Pond Cultivation TechnologyIn terms of cultivation technology, the algae market has been classified into open ponds cultivation technology, raceway ponds cultivation technology, closed photo bio-reactors, and closed fermenter systems. On a global scale, more than 80% of algal biomass is generated through open pond cultivation technology. Open pond cultivation systems require low investment and as a result are utilized on a larger scale.However, in recent years, established players such as Algae Tec and Solazyme, Inc. have been investing more on emerging cultivation technologies such as closed photo bioreactors and fermenter systems for better productivity under the close monitoring of automated systems.Closed photo bio-reactors are an emerging technology used to promote biological growth by controlling environmental parameters such as light. The only disadvantages presented by this technology are high capital costs and long payback periods.Surge in Algae Cultivation in North America a Key Contributing FactorIn terms of geography, the global algae market comprises North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. In 2015, North America led the global algae market. Countries such as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico house more than 135 companies engaged in algae cultivation and this is a key factor driving the algae market in the region. The North America algae market is single-handedly driven by the U.S., constituting around 86.4% of the market by volume and around 87.6% by value in 2016. The U.S. is anticipated to dominate the algae market through 2024 thanks to the expansion of production facilities and efforts to overcome the demand-supply gap. The North America algae market is considerably more mature than other regional markets such as Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and MEA.Countries in Asia Pacific are focusing on algal biotechnology in wastewater bioremediation and CO2 capture and utilization. Asia Pacific hosts five of the top 10 carbon emitters in the world India, China, Japan, Indonesia, and Iran  who contribute to more than 40% of the global emissions. Strong movements are under way to fully commercialize the production of biofuels from algae. Currently, more than 50% of the algae produced through various cultivation technologies are utilized in DHA production to manufacture chemical components for medicines, health foods, cosmetics, and food additives.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Algae Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Key players in the global algae market include Algae Tec, Pond Biofuels Incorporated, LiveFuels, Inc., Algae Systems LLC, Sapphire Energy, Inc., Solazyme, Inc., Diversified Energy Corporation, Algenol, Kai BioEnergy Corp., Algix, DSM Nutritional Products, Dao Energy, LLC, Phycal LLC, and Kent BioEnergy Corporation.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:
Styrene Butadiene Latex Market- Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2023 | Research Report

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Styrene butadiene latex is an emulsion polymer containing styrene and butadiene. Feedstock required for the production of styrene butadiene latex includes styrene, butadiene, water, and emulsifier. Carboxylic acid is added in order to manufacture carboxylated styrene butadiene latex. The mixture then undergoes polymerization reaction, following which the unreacted monomers (light and heavy) are recovered from the emulsion. Latex is generally manufactured through cold process for which efficient refrigeration equipment is required. Finally, the latex is stored and later packaged to be marketed.This 137 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Styrene Butadiene Latex Market. Browse through 49 data tables and 23 figures to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market.The main raw materials for styrene butadiene latex are styrene and butadiene, both of which are downstream derivatives of crude oil. The prices of the two feedstock vary with the price of crude oil and mostly exhibit similar trends. Based on the composition of styrene butadiene latex, content of styrene is higher than butadiene. The higher content of styrene facilitates improved plasticity of the end product. The content of styrene and butadiene varies based on end-user applications. Styrene butadiene latex finds extensive applications in paper processing, fiber processing, glass fiber processing, paints & coatings, adhesives, and mortar additives among others. One of the major applications of styrene butadiene latex is in manufacturing coated paper. Moreover, styrene butadiene latex is generally used in the carpet industry as it is used for carpet backing especially in manufacturing tufted carpet.Paper processing application accounted for the largest share of the global styrene butadiene latex market in 2014. Styrene butadiene latex is used for paper processing which includes manufacturing of coated papers. In coated paper, the treatment of styrene butadiene latex provides gloss, opacity, brightness, image quality, and printability. Coated papers are used in advertising flyers, magazines, and catalogues. Styrene butadiene latex is used in the manufacture of carpets, as it acts as a binding agent to hold the tuft in the carpet, and is crucial in carpet backing. Carpets are used both for residential and non-residential purposes. Most manufactured carpets are used in residential applications and the remaining is utilized in commercial and industrial applications.Mortar additives are anticipated to be the most promising application of styrene butadiene latex during the forecast period, as these additives are used in cement in the construction industry. Mortar additives offer compressive strength, bonding adhesion, water resistance, and tensile strength when added to cement. Global demand for cement due to rising construction activity is expected to increase the consumption of styrene butadiene latex. Styrene butadiene latex is also used as binder and for surface treatment in glass fiber processing applications. Furthermore, it is used in emulsion polymer for paints & coatings applications. The inclusion of styrene butadiene latex in paints & coating provides a classy look to walls, wood, etc. Styrene butadiene latex is also used in other applications such as adhesives, molded foam, and hand gloves.Asia Pacific is the major producer and consumer of styrene butadiene latex accounting for more than 40% of the global market in 2014. The key demand for styrene butadiene latex is a result of the growing carpet industry along with high demand for paper coating in Asia Pacific. In terms of volume, the demand for styrene butadiene latex in Asia Pacific is expected to rise at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2015 and 2023. In the Asia Pacific region, Japan and China account for the bulk of demand for styrene butadiene latex. Developed regions such as Europe and North America are expected to hold a major share of the global market despite the slowdown of paper processing application in this region. Latin America and Middle East & Africa (MEA) are expected to see strong demand for styrene butadiene latex during the forecast period. Latin America and Middle East & Africa (MEA) are anticipated to experience significant demand due to the increasing construction industry across the region coupled with growing usage of carpets in this region.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Styrene Butadiene Latex Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @The global styrene butadiene latex market is highly concentrated in nature with the top two companies commanding majority of the market share. Major companies operating in the market include Dow Chemical Company, Trinseo S.A., BASF S.E., Synthomer Plc, LG Chem Ltd., Synthetic Latex Company (Pty) Ltd, NANTEX Industry Co., Ltd, Asahi Kasei Chemical Corporation, and OMNOVA Solutions Inc. Some of the major players of styrene butadiene latex are intensifying their production capacity to tap the potential demand that would arise due to growth of coated paper in the Asia Pacific market.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:
Offshore Wind Energy Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size 2022 | Research Report

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Offshore Wind Energy Market: SnapshotOffshore wind energy is characterized by a number of advantages in comparison to onshore wind energy. Higher wind speeds can be harnessed within offshore environments and this is a prime factor providing impetus to the overall market for offshore wind energy. In this market, cost reductions are seen across the entire value chain, starting from cabling cost, installation expenditures, and turbine costs. The amount of cost reductions taking place in the market between 2014 and 2022 would depend on the predicted annual capacity additions within the offshore wind energy sector. Thus, offshore wind energy technology will have to continuously compete with other types of renewable energy technologies in addition to its own onshore counterpart.This 180 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Offshore Wind Energy Market. Browse through 19 data tables and 76 figures to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market.The global offshore wind energy market is predicted to touch 52,120.9 MW in 2022, from 7,045.4 MW in 2013, rising at a remarkable CAGR of 25.0% over the forecast period. In terms of annual installations, the market is predicted to touch 7,228 MW by 2022, starting from 1,629.4 MW in 2013, expanding at a whopping 19.60% CAGR over the forecast period. The growing advantages of offshore wind energy over onshore counterpart will provide impetus to the development of the market for offshore wind energy. In addition, regulatory frameworks and promising incentive mechanisms for offshore wind energy sector are raising investments and fuelling capacity additions. This factor will positively impact the development of the global offshore wind energy market.Increasing Investor Confidence Due to Growing Utilization of Project Financing to Bode Well for MarketFurthermore, the growing use of project financing within offshore wind energy projects is predicted to raise investor confidence and will expedite capacity additions, thus driving the overall market. New offshore projects utilizing floating wind turbines are poised to result in numerous project development activities within deep-water locations. This is a key opportunity seen in the market for offshore wind energy. On the other hand, the increasing capital costs involved in projects are impeding brisk capacity additions in the market, thus inhibiting market development.Huge Investments in Offshore Wind Energy Sector to Bring European Offshore Wind Energy Market at ForefrontIn terms of geography, the market is categorized into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, Europe emerged as the only region which has heavily made investments in making the offshore wind energy sector and is trailed by Asia Pacific. In Asia Pacific, China has emerged as a key nation that has made particular targets in offshore wind energy projects. On the other hand, other regions such as North America and RoW are still to make and commission utility-scale offshore wind energy projects. The European offshore wind energy market has evolved over many years and has countries such as Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and the UK as top market leaders. In the coming years, though robust development rates in installation are predicted to take place in Asia Pacific, still the bulk of installations is predicted to happen in Europe. In this region, nations such as France, the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany are poised to augment the development within annual capacity additions in this sector.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Offshore Wind Energy Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @The prominent players in the global offshore wind energy market are China Ming Yang Wind Power, Suzlon, Nordex, Dong Energy, GE Wind Energy, Sinovel Win, Gamesa, Siemens, and Vestas, among others.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:
Packer Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Size 2020 | Research Report

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Increasing global energy demand spurred by rapid industrialization and economic growth is expected to be one of the major growth drivers of the global packer market. Rise in drilling activities to fulfill the growing need for fossil fuel would augment the demand for well completion equipment. Packer is a type of sealing device or flexible tool used to isolate and contain production fluids and pressure within the wellbore. It is made of an elastomeric material and placed just above the producing zone. Packer protects the casing and other important formations above and below the producing zone. It is designed to expand and grip the wall of the casing and form a seal between the inside of the casing and the outside of the tubing.This 81 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Packer Market. Browse through 13 data tables and 14 figures to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market.There are two categories of packers, namely permanent packers and retrievable packers. A permanent packer can only be removed from a wellbore through milling. This type is fairly simple in nature and offers better performance than retrievable packers in operating conditions with extreme temperature and pressure. As the name suggests, a retrievable packer can be removed after the drilling operation, when the tubing is extracted from the wellbore. Complexity of a retrievable packer depends on its application (it can be highly complex for a high pressure and high temperature application or fairy simple for low pressure and low temperature application). Retrievable packers cost more than permanent packers due to the complexity of their design.Majority of the demand for well completion equipment is expected to arise from increased drilling activities in North America. Rise in drilling activities pertaining to oil and gas extraction in the U.S. and Canada is one the major factors fueling the demand for well completion equipment including packers. Companies operating in these regions have strategically located themselves near areas such as Texas and Alberta to gain advantage of the opportunities arising from drilling activities. The packer market in Europe is expected to witness a sluggish growth over the forecast period. Declining oil reserves in North Sea have led to a decrease in drilling activities. This, in turn, has resulted in reduced demand for well completion equipment in the region. A major portion of demand for packers is expected to arise from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries including Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Rest of the World (RoW) in the packer market includes the Middle East, South America and Africa. These regions comprise some of the largest oil and gas producing nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Brazil, Libya, Angola and Venezuela. The packer market is expected to grow, as a result of the ongoing and anticipated drilling activities in these regions. New oil and gas discoveries in Africa and offshore areas of Brazil would continue to drive the demand for packers in the next few years.Permanent packers are expected to hold a majority share of the global packer market in the near future. These type of packers can be used for a range of applications and provide better sealing and gripping capabilities than retrievable packers. Retrievable packers are generally used in wells, wherein subsequent work over or re-completion is required.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Packer Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Some of the key players in the market include Weatherford International Ltd., Halliburton Company, Baker Hughes Incorporated, Schlumberger Limited, Tryton Tool services, TIW Corporation, Map Oil Tools, Inc., Logan Completion Systems, Pinnacle Oil Tools Inc. and KazDuCo LLP.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:
Ceiling Tiles Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size 2024 | Research Report

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Recyclability of Ceiling Tiles to Fuel Adoption in Construction IndustryCeiling tiles are predominantly being used for improving the acoustics of a building and enhancing its thermal insulation. The demand for these panels or tiles has been soaring as they offer excellent sound absorption qualities and are known to be lightweight construction materials. The market for ceiling tiles is expected to witness an upsurge in the coming years as the raw materials used for manufacturing them can be completely recycled. This factor has been identified as a key market driver in a time when the world is looking at sustainable materials to reduce the carbon footprint. According to the research report by Transparency Market Research, the global ceiling tiles market was valued at US$21.6 bn in 2015 and is projected to reach a valuation of US$51.3 bn by the end of 2024. During the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.1%.This 178 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Ceiling Tiles Market. Browse through 54 data tables and 85 figures to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market.Affordability Wins Ceiling Tiles Newer MarketsCeiling tiles are an integral part of the construction industry, which is growing at a relentless pace all across the world. The demand for various types of ceiling tiles is projected to continue in the coming years due to growing number residential and commercial projects. The industrial sector is also showing promise of growth as economies are strengthening. The demand for construction of residential projects is remarkably high due to the improving GDPs, rising disposable incomes, changing standard of living, demand for better structural reliability, and better aesthetic design. Builders have also been increasing the adoption of ceiling tiles in their projects due to their affordable pricing and effective usage. Ceiling tiles have played a crucial role in shaping the market for affordable homes. Owing to these reasons developing countries are poised to witness a significant demand for low-cost ceiling tiles in the near future. Ceiling tiles are extensively being used in offices, hotels, transportation terminals, retail stores, hospitals as suspension, building perimeter, and drywall grid systems.Booming Construction Industry Promises Good Growth RateIn terms of regions, the global ceiling tiles market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Rest of the World. Analysts state that North America holds a dominant share in the global market, which is closely being followed by Europe. Asia Pacific is expected to be an emerging market during the forecast period. The emerging economies of Asia Pacific such as China and India are expected to augment the demand for ceiling tiles as the construction and building industry gains momentum. The report states that Europe held a significant share in the overall market in 2015 due to booming building and construction activities it the region. In all of the aforementioned regions, urbanization and population explosion will boost construction activities for new projects that will create lucrative opportunities for ceiling tiles. The rising investment in infrastructure and construction in the Middle East and Africa will also prove to be beneficial to the global market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Ceiling Tiles Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Some of the leading players operating in the global ceiling tiles market are Armstrong World Industries, Inc., New Ceiling Tiles, LLC, Saint-Gobain S.A., SAS International, USG Corporation, Knauf, Techno Ceiling Products, ROCKFON, MADA GYPSUM, and Odenwald Faserplattenwerk GmbH. Presently, USG Corporation and Armstrong World Industries hold a dominant share in North America ceiling tiles market, while Europe is being dominated by players such as Knauf and Saint-Gobain S.A.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:
Nanorobotics Systems Industry: Future Demand, Market Analysis & Outlook to 2026

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Nanorobotics is an evolving technology arena that creates robots or machines which have components near to the scale of a nanometre (109 meters). Nanorobotics denotes the nanotechnology engineering discipline of planning, designing, and building nanorobots, primarily from molecular components. Nanorobotics is an attractive new field, especially in medicine, which focuses on directed drug delivery using nanoscale molecular machines. These nanobots carry a load with the drug and they are capable of identifying specific categories of cancer cells among billions of healthy cells by using biomarkers. The nanobots then disentangle on contact with the target cells and release the drug, thereby destroying the transmuted cells.Browse To Report @The market for silicon carbide power devices by voltage range is segmented into high voltage, medium voltage among others. Silicon carbide (SiC) has thermal conductivity about 3 times higher than that of silicon. With the growing demand or silicon carbide based semiconductor power devices for better performance and efficiency is one of the major drivers for the market. Silicon carbide based devices can operate in high temperature, which is one of the prime factors behind the growing application across different industry verticals.The major end use industry of silicon carbide power devices include automotive, power electronics, aerospace and defense, consumer electronics, medical devices, industrial sector among others. Silicon carbide is a crystalline compound of silicon and carbon. It primarily possesses certain major qualities for instance, high strength, low density and hardness. These factors primarily boost the application of silicon carbide based power devices in different industries. Moreover, high thermal conductivity and low thermal expansion are some of the key features of the silicon carbide based devices. Furthermore, thermal shock resistance is another major factor which is another major feature of the silicon based power devices. Increasing demand for advanced material based components for automotive, medical, industrial, defense and power electronics applications is contributing in the positive development of the silicon carbide power devices globally. Increasing application of silicon carbide based power devices in military and defense sector along with solar wind and power sector is considered to as one of the prime driving factor for the market.Asia Pacific is dominating the market for silicon carbide power devices globally, followed by North America. Increasing demand for advance and upgraded technology in the developing countries such as China, and India among others are fueling the market. Japan is one of the prime contributors in the silicon carbide power devices market across Asia Pacific. The U.S. is leading the silicon carbide power devices market devices in North America. In Europe, Germany, U.K., France and Italy are holding a prominent position in the silicon carbide power devices market. UAE and Saudi Arabia are anticipated to witness positive growth over the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. Brazil is leading the market for silicon carbide power devices market, followed by Argentina across South America.Business alliances with other companies for increasing product portfolio is one of the major business strategies taken by the companies operating in this industry in order to strengthen its position globally. ON Semiconductor (The U.S.), Norstel AB (Sweden), GeneSiC Semiconductor, Inc. (The U.S.), Cree Incorporated (The U.S.), Microsemi Corporation (The U.S.), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan), ROHM Semiconductor (Japan), Stmicroelectronics N.V (Switzerland) and Toshiba Corporation (Japan) are some of the prime players operating in the silicon carbide power devices market globally. Companies operating in the silicon carbide power devices market are concentrating on research activities along with geographical expansion to strengthen its presence in this market. The companies also focus on distribution channels for better product availability.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.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Silicon Carbide Power Devices market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketNote: 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.Request for Discount 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:
Global Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020

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The global carbon nanotubes (CNT) market is growing at a significant rate, due to growing electronics industry, technological advancements, and high demand from current applications of CNT. Additionally, the growth of polymer industry, increasing importance of alternate sources of energy and superior properties of CNT is also supporting the growth of the global market. The increasing application areas with decrease in CNT prices and emerging economies are some of the factors providing ample growth opportunities for the global carbon nanotubes market. Some of the factors restraining the growth of the market are environmental concerns and health risks regarding usage of CNT, and high price and processing difficulties.To Browse Full Report Visit Here:The importance of nanomaterial among the consumers is increasing, due to favorable regulatory support at domestic levels by the governments in Japan, the U.S., and countries of European Union. For enhancing the mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of bulk products, carbon nanotubes are used as composite fiber in polymers. The increasing application scope in automotive and construction industries is supporting the growth of polymer production in emerging economies, such as Middle East, Brazil, India and China. Silicon is used for coating CNT and it is further used in the manufacturing of lithium ion batteries. CNT is used in the batteries to increase the efficiency of battery with more than 10 times. The increasing application of lithium ion battery in renewable energy storage and grid is supporting the growth of the global CNT market.Among the various regions, Asia-Pacific led the market in 2014, and is also expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. This dominance is due to growing polymer industry in China and India. Additionally, the increasing electronics manufacturing in Japan and China is also supporting the growth of the Asia-Pacific market. North America also holds a significant share in the global market, due to robust production of engineered polymers, such as polyether ether ketone in the U.S. Additionally, the National Infrastructure Plan in Mexico is supporting the growth of electronics and energy sectors in the region, which is further supporting the growth of the carbon nanotubes market.Browse For Related Research Visit Here:Among the products, the multi walled carbon nanotubes segment led the global market in 2014, due to high tensile strength of multi walled carbon nanotubes, in comparison to single walled carbon nanotubes. For increasing repellency towards airborne contamination and dissipating static electricity in engineered polymers, such as polyether ether ketone, polyether amide, and polycarbonate; multi walled CNT are increasingly being used. One of the major advantages of multi walled CNT over single walled CNT is high production cost related to single walled CNT. Among all the applications, the chemical and polymer segment led the global market in 2014 and is also expected to dominate in the coming years. The increasing applications of engineered polymers in automotive and construction industries is expected to support the dominance of chemical and polymer applications of CNT. The application of carbon nanotubes is also increasing in composites with a considerable rate, due to lightweight property of composites.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:KundanManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Chip on Board (COB) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020

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The global chip on board (COB) light emitting diode (LED) market is growing, due to increasing investments in infrastructure, increasing need for energy efficient lighting, and regulatory initiatives. The advancement on design front is one of the major factors, providing ample growth opportunities for the global chip on board light emitting diode market. Two of the major factors restraining the growth of the global market are cost benefit of competing technologies and manufacturing complexity of chip on board light emitting diode.To Browse Full Report Visit Here:The chip on board light emitting diode requires less space, has greater reliability and is energy efficient. Additionally, they also offer homogenous luminosity and high intensity, which makes them more suitable for high power applications. Consumers are adopting chip on board light emitting diode at a rapid rate, due to the introduction of solid lighting technology in them. The increased adoption of chip on board light emitting diode by various lighting application segments, for gaining benefit over traditional technologies, such as incandescent lighting and CFL is also supporting the growth of the global market.Among the various regions, the Asia-Pacific market led the global market in 2014, and is also expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. Moreover, the Asia-Pacific market is also expected to grow with the highest rate in the coming years. This is due to increasing government initiatives of choosing chip on board light emitting diode over traditional technologies, and large number of market participants in the region. As the production of COB LED needs huge capital investment, the debt crisis in Europe has negatively impacted the demand of chip on board light emitting diode in the region. The North American market is expected to grow in the coming years, due to growing usage of ultra-modern lighting in several industries and government support. Dubai is also contributing to the growth of the global market, due to huge investments in infrastructure activities in the country.Browse For Related Research Visit Here:Among the various applications, the illumination segment led the global market in 2014 and is also expected to grow with the highest rate during the forecast period. This is due to enhanced wide area light radiating property of COB LED. The backlighting application of COB LED is also expected to grow with a considerable rate in the coming years, due to growing number of applications in LED televisions, monitors, and handheld devices.Chip on board is a technology of LED packaging through which, the uncoated semiconductor elements are precisely mounted on a PCB with the support of a non-conductive or conductive adhesive. This form of packaging delivers better light distribution capacity and presents enhanced flexibility. Chip on board light emitting diode have better thermal management, a long life span, greater reliability, considerable energy saving capability, and less space requirement. COB LED offers homogenous luminosity and high intensity to be used in high power applications.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:KundanManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Domestic Refrigeration Appliances Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020

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The global domestic refrigeration appliances market has gone through significant product innovation in the past few years. The growth in environmentally-conscious consumer, in addition to technical up-gradation and innovations for more energy-efficient refrigeration appliances are driving the growth of the global domestic refrigeration appliances market. Majority of domestic refrigeration systems are factory produced, free standing appliances with hermetically sealed design which uses vapor compression cycle for refrigeration.To Browse Full Report Visit Here:The demand of domestic refrigeration appliances in most of the developing countries is growing in double digit. The gross domestic product (GDP) of India is expected to grow at 7.5% during the next 3 to 4 years. Despite the slightly decelerated economic growth in China, the country is still expected to maintain a GDP growth of 7% during the next five to six years. The increasing disposable income is one of major driver for the growth of white goods industry in the developing countries. The significant growth in middleclass population within the developing countries is expected during the forecast period, owing to the astronomical economic growth of these countries. Single door refrigerators still dominate the global domestic refrigeration appliance market in developing countries. However, the double door refrigerators are expected to witness higher growth, compared to single door refrigerators during the forecast period.The improvement in energy efficiencies, along with environment friendly and clean technological developments in white good products are driving the growth of the domestic refrigeration appliances market in the developed countries of North America and Europe. The energy cost in Western European countries has increased over the years, and as a result, the replacement of old and conventional home appliance with energy efficient and environment friendly appliance has gained momentum. The new grade of domestic refrigerators with energy label A and beyond is driving the growth of the European market.Browse For Related Research Visit Here:Moreover, the supportive government regulation and funding for the adoption of clean and energy efficient domestic appliances in the member countries of European Union is further expected to increase the growth of the market during the forecast period. The energy efficiency grade of A based domestic refrigerators hold the majority of market share in Europe. However, the market of high energy efficient models with grade A+ and A++ is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.The extended replacement cycle of the domestic refrigeration appliances, in addition to high level of market saturation in developed countries are expected to be two of the major factors that will impact the growth of the market negatively during the forecast period. The new purchases in the developed countries are largely anticipated from the replacement of existing units.Some of the competitors in the global domestic refrigeration appliances market are BSH Hausgerate GmbH, AB Electrolux, Whirlpool Corporation, LG Electronics Inc., and Groupe SEB.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:KundanManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) Pipeline Analysis, 2017 - Clinical Trials & Results, Patent and Other Developments

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The gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) pipeline will rise with various collaborations and R&D investments. Hereditary risk and genetic factors play an important role in the development of gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Increasing family history of the disease and genetic factors associated with gastrointestinal stromal tumor and low penetration in the market are contributing towards the development of the pipeline. Additionally, increasing awareness regarding various health issues among people is another major factor fueling the pipeline growth for gastrointestinal stromal tumor. According to American Cancer Society, every year around 4,000 to 5,000 people suffer from gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the U.S. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors occur mostly in older adults with age more than 50 years. It affects women and men equally.Explore Report at:Gastrointestinal stromal tumorsis rare form of tumor which is found in gastrointestinal tract or digestive tract. It mostly occurs on the walls of stomach, varying from benign to malignant. The symptoms of gastrointestinal stromal tumors include pain or discomfort in the stomach, blood in vomit or stools, fatigue, sickness and anaemia. But in the early stages of the disease symptoms does not occur resulting in late diagnosis of the tumor. The diagnosis of Gastrointestinal stromal tumors is done by conducting endoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scan. The treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors include surgery and biological therapies. Surgery is the most common treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors and it is chosen by analysing the location of the tumor and the size of the tumor. Biological therapies include treatment with drugs including Imatinib (Glivec), Sunitinib (Sutent) and Regorafenib (Stivarga).Request for Table of Content at:Some of the companies having a pipeline of gastrointestinal stromal tumors therapeutics include Chipscreen Biosciences Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Pfizer, Boston Biomedical, Inc., Bayer AG, Immunicum AB, Plexxikon, Inc., Blueprint Medicines Corporation, Array BioPharma Inc., ArQule, Inc., Arog Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Deciphera Pharmaceuticals LLC.Browse Other Related Report at:About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:KundanManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2020

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The increasing demand for power control solution, along with the advancement and replacement of aging power infrastructure in the developed countries is driving the growth of the global flexible AC transmission systems market. The demand for efficient power transmission capacity, improved grid control, in addition with growing need for the minimization of power transmission loses are fueling the growth for global flexible AC transmission systems market.To Browse Full Report Visit Here:The flexible AC transmission systems also facilitate solutions for power transmission bottleneck, and minimize the risk for complete blackouts. It also integrates renewal energy sources to main stream power grids. The increasing adoption of smart grid in developing countries of Asia-Pacific is laying the new market opportunity for the growth of the global flexible AC transmission systems market during the forecast period. However, the high initial installation cost of flexible AC transmission systems is the major factor, hindering the growth of the global market.The flexible AC transmission works on the principal that electric power flow can be enforced along a precise contract path, if the deceptive impedance of transmission line is frequently changed. In flexible AC transmission systems, the power transmission can be kept constant that facilitate a planned response, in case any emergency related to power transmission arises. Parallel technology is used for the modern flexible AC transmission controllers. The advancement in the high power electronics is further expected to boost the control efficiency of FACTS controller in upcoming years.Browse For Related Research Visit Here:Among the industry verticals, electric utilities accounted for the largest market segment in 2014. The industrial segment is expected to be the fastest growing industry vertical segment in the global flexible AC transmission market during the forecast period.North America accounted for the largest share of the global market in 2014. The ongoing replacements of aging power transmission system, along with the development of smart power grid in the U.S. and Canada are the major growth drivers for the flexible AC transmission systems market in North America. Europe was the second largest market of the flexible AC transmission systems in 2014; which was led by Germany, the U.K., France, Russia, Italy and Spain. Asia-Pacific is expected to witness fastest growth during the forecast period, owing to the increasing government expenses in the development of energy and power sector. China, India, Japan are among the fastest growing flexible AC transmission systems market in Asia-Pacific. The flexible AC transmission systems market in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Australia are also expected to grow with a significant pace, during the forecast period.About P&S Market ResearchP&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:KundanManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Smart Greenhouse Market: Trends, Business Strategies and Opportunities 2023

Global Smart Greenhouse Market

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Global Smart Greenhouse Market: OverviewThe global market for smart greenhouse is expected to witness promising growth throughout the forecast period. The rising popularity of the technology is predicted to encourage market growth in the coming years. Moreover, the use of smart greenhouse technology helps significantly in increasing the output and efficiency of solar and floating powered greenhouse.A detailed overview of the global smart greenhouse market has been provided in the research report, focusing on the key factors that are encouraging the growth of the market. The study throws light on the product portfolio, primary applications, latest trends, technological advancements, and geographical segmentation of the global smart greenhouse market. In addition, a thorough overview of the competitive scenario of the global market has been included in the research report to offer a clear understanding and guide the new entrants in making effective business decisions in the near future.Obtain Report Details @Global Smart Greenhouse Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe growing need for smart farming owing to the tremendously rising population is one of the key factors that is expected to supplement the growth of the global smart greenhouse market in the next few years. In addition, the growing popularity for rooftop farming and technological developments are anticipated to encourage the growth of the overall market in the near future. The emergence of vertical farming in urban areas and the growing awareness among consumers regarding the benefits of adopting smart greenhouse are projected to accelerate the markets growth.On the contrary, the high cost of smart greenhouse is considered as one of the key factors anticipated to restrict the growth of the global smart in the coming years. Moreover, the integration of technologies and the requirement of high initial investment are estimated to curb the growth of the market. Nonetheless, the use of artificial intelligence devices, control devices, and sensors that enable automation, irrigation, and control of the environment is expected to contribute substantially towards the development of the smart greenhouse market across the globe.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Smart Greenhouse Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market@Global Smart Greenhouse Market: Region-wise OutlookEurope is expected to lead the overall market and account for a key share in the coming years. The robust growth of this region can be attributed to the increasing adoption of smart greenhouse technology in the last few years. Additionally, a significant contribution from the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy is anticipated to encourage the growth of the smart greenhouse market in Europe throughout the forecast period.Furthermore, Asia Pacific and the Rest of the World segments are estimated to witness progressive growth in the coming years. The swift pace of urbanization in these two regions is one of the important factors predicted to accelerate the growth of smart greenhouse market in the near future. Moreover, the development of economy and the rising population are some of the other factors likely to fuel the growth of the market throughout the forecast period. The research study has provided the share and grow rate of each regional segment to offer a clear understanding to readers and market players.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.Each TMR 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 wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) Market Research Report: Emergence of advanced technologies and global industry analysis 2023

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) Market

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Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a surgical procedure to remove excess part of the prostate gland which obstructs normal urine flow. The prostate gland is a vital part of the male reproductive system which secretes fluid that nourishes and protects sperms. This obstructive condition of prostate is also referred as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Initial signs and symptoms of BPH are often vague, variable, and nonspecific, making its diagnosis challenging. During TURP procedure, prostate gland is investigated through the cystoscope (surgical instrument) and a small surgical tool is inserted through the cystoscope to remove the enlarged prostate. Sometimes, the fluid that is used to flush bladder during transurethral resection enters into bloodstream and causes severe problems such as hypothermia, bradychardia and hypoxia. This condition is known as TUR syndrome and is temporary in nature.For more than 60 year, TURP has been the gold standard for treating lower urinary tract obstructions caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and benign prostatic obstruction (BPO). Current technological advancements such as continuous-flow instruments, bipolar TURP and video-TURP have substantially decreased the mortality and morbidity due to urino-genital infections. Globally increasing elderly population has been identified as one of the major factors contributing to the growing demand for transurethral resection procedures. As per the U.S National Library of Medicine, 60% of men over the age of sixty years and 80% of men over the age of 80 years have been diagnosed as BPH patients. Visual, hands-on access to the prostate, immediate removal of excess tissue and ability to combine with other procedures are some of the advantages of TURP over other available treatment options for lower urinary tract infections. Some major minimally invasive treatment options for BPH include lasers, microwave, radio waves, photoselective laser vaporization of the prostate (PVP) and ultrasound. These treatment options are expected to serve the market for TURP as growth restraints during the forecast period from 2014 to 2019. Moreover, medications, another possible treatment option such as alpha 1-blockers, antibiotics, finasteride and dutasteride to decrease the size of the prostate are also restraining the current TURP market.View Report-Resectoscopes, catheters and resectoscopes electrodes (monopolar electrodes bipolar electrodes, grooved roller turp electrodes and straight cutting loop turp electrodes) are some major devices that are widely used during TURP procedures.Based on geography, the TURP market has been analyzed as North America, Asia-Pacific,Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW). North America and Europe held the largest shares in terms of market revenue of the global TURP market in 2013. The primary reasons for North America and Europe holding the leading positions in the global TURP market are high prevalence of lower urinary tract diseases such as BPH and BPO, and well established healthcare infrastructure in both the regions. According to the American Urological Association, 15 million men in the United States are symptomatic to BPH and in the approximately 150,000 people have TURPs performed each year. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period from 2014 to 2020. A number of factors such as increasing prevalence of urinary tract infections, aging population, increasing focus on research and development would be fuelling the growth of TURP market in Asia-Pacific in coming years. According to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, 23 million individuals aged 80 years or over were living in China in 2013. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs further states that nearly 10 million and 9 million individuals aged 80 years or over were living in India and Japan, respectively in 2013.Some of the major players in TURP market include Olympus Corporation, Richard Wolf, Degania Silicone Ltd, Limbs & Things Ltd and KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG.Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) Market during 2015- 2023About 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:
Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) Market: Pin Point Analysis For Changing Competitive Dynamics

Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) Market

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Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) Market: SnapshotUnified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) is an emerging technology that has rapidly garnered a lot of attention from developer communities and enterprises. The global UCaaS market is poised to witness a significant rise in demand for UCaaS solutions from enterprises and businesses keen on increasing the efficiency of existing processes. A number of these enterprises are now switching from traditional business processes to communications-enabled business processes.The value of the global UCaaS market was pegged at US$8.23 bn in 2015 and is projected to expand at an impressive CAGR of 29.4% from 2016 to 2024 to reach US$79.3 bn by the end of the forecast period.Obtain Report Details @Market for Integrated UCaaS to Gain Precedence over Stand-alone Services by 2024By deployment model, hosted UCaaS solutions led the market in 2015 and the segment is expected to retain its lead through 2024. This is mainly owing to the rising adoption of Internet Protocol (IP) telephony across the world. The low total cost of ownership (TCO) and major advancements in cloud communication platforms are also supporting the adoption of hosted UCaaS solutions across various industry verticals.Based on service, telephony services emerged as the key contributor in the UCaaS market. The segment is expected to continue its lead through 2024 thanks to the growing adoption of hosted telephony as a part of enterprise UCaaS solutions.By delivery model, stand-alone services led the UCaaS market in 2015. However, by 2024, the revenue generated by the integrated services segment is expected to surpass that by stand-alone services. The rising demand for integrated services across various businesses is likely to bring about this shift.This 173-page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) Market. Browse to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market@Asia Pacific to Present Several Opportunities for UCaaS ProvidersGeographically, North America headed the global UCaaS market in 2015 and the region is expected to continue to be the leading revenue generator throughout the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the presence of a massive tech-savvy workforce and advanced network infrastructure in the region. The demand for UCaaS is likely to increase in the coming years as vendors invest in sectors such as banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), consumer goods, retail, transportation and logistics, and telecom. This is likely to open up new offerings for UCaaS.Asia Pacific is forecast to be the most rapidly growing market for UCaaS owing to the rising inclination of large companies toward UCaaS solutions. The region also presents immense opportunities for the establishment of contact center services due to a growing population proficient in the English language. Asia Pacific is a lucrative option for various businesses due to the availability of a comparatively cheaper workforce and rapid growth in emerging economies such as India and China. Campaigns such as Make in India have led to the establishment of offices and manufacturing units in India, which is anticipated to further the need for UCaaS to stay connected with the headquarters situated at a different location. Moreover, the introduction of new mobile phones and tablets is going to increase the demand for unified communication in this region.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.Each TMR 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 wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Ureteral Access Device Market: Technological Advancements, Evolving Industry Trends and Insights 2025

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Ureteral Access Device Market: OverviewThe ureteral access sheath or device (UAS) encourages the utilization of adaptable ureteroscopy, empowering enhanced insignificantly obtrusive administration of complex upper urinary tract infections or diseases. The UAS, which arrives in an assortment of widths and lengths, is passed in a retrograde manner, supported by a hydrophilic covering and different elements intended to give smooth section into the ureter with adequate imperviousness to crimping and clasping. Utilization of a UAS has the benefit of empowering rehashed section of the ureteroscope while limiting harm to the ureter, in this way enhancing the stream of fluid and visualization inside the urethra with diminishments during operative procedures, which enhances both the adequacy of the surgery and lessens the expenses. Arrangement of the UAS conveys an expanded risk of ureteral wall ischemia and damage to the mucosal or strong layers of the ureter, and a hypothetically expanded risk of ureteral strictures. The ureteral stent device is regularly set after ureteroscopy with a ureteral access sheath. Endourologists have start a couple of additional sensible businesses of a UAS, for example, the advanced treatment of patients with ureteral stones, and answers for other endourological challenges. UAS can be used in various mixes to achieve comparative surgical targets and insignificant inconveniences and secondary surgeries. The plenitude of new tools and advanced technology gives specialists the imagination to perform fruitful and effective ureteroscopic surgeries.View Report @Global Ureteral Access Device Market: Drivers and RestraintsUreteral access device market has influenced the demand for ureteroscopy in recent years, rising incidence of ureteral disorders or urinary tract infections are majorly driving the ureteral access device market. Ureteroscopy and PCNL (Percutaneous nephrolithotomy) are present models of care for minimally invasive urologic procedures particularly for stone management in the urinary tract. One in 11 individuals in the U.S. experience the ill effects of kidney stone ailment and the pervasiveness is becoming driven by frequency of heftiness and diabetes, which are regular hazard variables for stone sickness. Quantitative utilization of advanced applications frequently reduces healthcare cost and focuses on patient-centric healthcare delivery. In 2013, more than 350,000 ureterosopy and PCNL systems were performed in the U.S. furthermore, that number is relied upon to become reliably throughout the following decade with the requirement for less obtrusive surgical methods.Mechanical progressions, for example, diminishing extension distance across and creative disposables, drive costs ever higher. Ureteral access sheaths are additionally costly however give the advantage of consistent upper tract drainage, enhanced perceivability, and simple access to the upper tract with insignificant injury from rehashed instrumentation (i.e., basket retrieval of stones). The Cook Flexor Parallel ureteral access sheath (It was one of the early unique sheaths on the market with variant features to have a strengthened loop development to oppose crimping and pressure - Flexor) is a current expansion and simplifies ureteroscopy. Additionally, it has a severe impact on industry base cost savings. Companies are launching new revolutionary medical devices designed to improve patient outcomes and shorten hospital stays. The healthcare devices market is heightening 20% a year. Newly launched ureteral access sheaths are now forming a demanding market by minimizing future expenses and by neglecting unnecessary hospitalizations. Uncertainty by the government regulations, also low guidance from physicians in selecting correct medical device, reimbursement coverage and accuracy or technology infancy is concern to a certain extent during the forecast period.Global Ureteral Access Device Market: SegmentationThe Ureteral access Devises Market: can be segmented as follows:Global Ureteral Access Device Market: By ApplicationUteroscopyOther Urological ProceduresGlobal Ureteral Access Device Market: By End User TypeClinicsHospitalsDiagnostic centresAmbulatory Surgical CentresGlobal Ureteral Access Device Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the ureteral access devises market is segmented into seven regions, namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Overall wellness services are rapidly growing at a healthy CAGR. North American region has a huge market owing to large number of manufacturers, technological advancements with increasing ageing population and growing brand awareness about the upcoming devices and technology. Asian countries (mainly China and India) and Latin American countries (mainly Brazil) are having more growth opportunities for market players in the forecast period. In Asia pacific regions medical device industries are starting to make partnerships, now improving the efficiency of the healthcare delivery system as well as workforce in other sectors too.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Ureteral Access Device Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Global Ureteral Access Device Market: Key PlayersThe key players in the global Ebola Treatment market areBoston Scientific Inc.MEDNOVARichard Wolf GmbHR. Bard, Inc.AmecathEnvaste LimitedROCAMEDApplied Medical Resources CorporationGlobally, the manufacturers of medical healthcare devises have implemented the strategies such as merger and acquisition, and technology advancements such as use of latest design and technology.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:
Head & Neck Cancer (HNC) Market Research Report by Product, End User and Forecast 2025

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Head & neck cancer is characterized as a group of cancers, which initiate in squamous cells that line the mucosal surface of head and neck. It is also called squamous cell carcinoma. In the head & neck cancer, different types of malignant tumors develop in and around the larynx, throat, nose, mouth, and sinus. If the cancer is found only in the squamous layer of cells, it is known as carcinoma in situ (CIS). If the cancer grows beyond the squamous cell layer and moves deeper, it is called invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Nose, throat, and ears are the most common body parts affected by the head & neck cancer. The common symptoms include headache, common cold, change in voice, soreness in the mouth, and swelling of jaws. More than 70% of head & neck cancers are caused by alcohol and tobacco consumption. Other factors include exposure to radiations, infection by human papilloma virus (HPV) Type 16, and consumption of preserved and salted food.View Report @Introduction of advanced chemotherapy and other treatment options and increase in per capita income of people are major factors driving the head & neck cancer market. However, high cost of targeted therapies and low awareness in developing economies about technologically advanced and novel therapies are factors expected to hamper the market for head & neck cancer during the forecast period.The global head & neck cancer market can be segmented on the basis of type of cancer, diagnostic technique, type of treatment, and end-user.Based on cancer type, the market has been segmented into salivary gland cancer, oropharyngeal (oral cavity) cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, and others. The oropharyngeal cancer segment accounted for the maximum market share in 2016. This can be attributed to the increasing consumption of tobacco and alcohol and chewing of betel nuts. Rising incidence of exposure to radiations and increasing intake of processed and raw meat as well as preserved food are the major factors anticipated to boost the oropharyngeal cancer segment of the head & neck cancer market by 2025.Based on diagnostic technique, the global head & neck cancer market has been divided into biopsy, blood tests, diagnostic imaging equipment, endoscopy screening, and dental diagnostic equipment. The diagnostic imaging equipment segment has been further divided into PET/CT scan, MRI, and X-ray. The endoscopy screening segment has been sub-divided into pharyngoscopy, laryngoscopy, and others. In terms of revenue, the diagnostic imaging equipment segment held the maximum market share in 2016. This is due to the rising incidence of oropharyngeal cancer. X-ray and MRI segments are expected to continue to lead the market during the forecast period, owing to the rising demand for cost-effective and non-invasive diagnostic techniques.Based on treatment type, the global head & neck cancer market has been segmented into surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and others. The radiation therapy segment has been further classified into internal therapy and external therapy. Radiation therapy is the most preferred type of therapy. The segment accounted for the maximum share in the global head & neck cancer market in 2016. The radiation therapy segment and the surgery segment are expected to dominate the head & neck cancer market during the forecast period, due to the rising prevalence of head and neck cancer. On the other hand, the targeted therapy segment is expected to expand at the maximum CAGR during the forecast period, due to the increasing investment in research and development of targeted therapy by key players in the market and the rising demand for an effective and safe therapy with less side-effects.Based on end-user, the global head & neck cancer market can be segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and clinics. The hospitals segment held the leading share in the global head & neck cancer market in 2016, owing to favorable reimbursement policies and the availability of well-qualified and specialized staff in hospitals. Government funding to improve the health care infrastructure in emerging economies and long-term procedures of chemotherapy and other surgeries are factors likely to propel the hospitals segment of the market for head & neck cancer by 2025.Geographically, the global head & neck cancer market can be divided into five regions viz. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for a major share of the global market in 2016, which is attributable to technological advancements in the medical sector in the region. However, the market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at the maximum CAGR from 2017 to 2025, owing to the improving health care facilities in China and Japan and rising awareness among the people about diseases such as cancer. In terms of revenue, North America is estimated to remain dominant in the global head & neck cancer market during the forecast period. The rising investment by key players in R&D activities for cancer treatment with a technologically compatible and superior therapeutic approach is a major factor expected to boost the head & neck cancer market in North America during the forecast period.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Head & Neck Cancer (HNC) Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Prominent players in the global head & neck cancer market are DentalEZ, Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Siemens Healthcare Private Limited, AdDent Incorporated, GE Healthcare, AB SCIENCES, Bayer AG, Boston Biomedical, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Prominent players in the market in developed countries are focusing on the targeted therapy segment of the head & neck cancer market.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:
Asthma Therapeutics Market Research Report By Technological Development, Applications And Forecast 2025

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Asthma is a chronic disease of airways of the lungs and characterized by various symptoms such as bronchospasm, and pulmonary airway obstructions. The symptoms of asthma include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and breath shortness. Asthma is considered to be caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetic factors. The few environmental factors include exposure to allergens and air pollution. The symptoms can be prevented by avoiding exposure to allergens and irritants. In asthma, the pulmonary airway muscles get swollen, which in turn cause symptoms leading to bronchospasm and airway obstruction. Some healthy people can develop asthma symptoms during physical activity or exercise. This condition is called exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Patients with family history of asthma and allergies are more prone to developing asthma. It has been proved that there is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled by early and effective asthma treatment. The medications in treatment of asthma includes corticosteroids, long acting beta-agonists (LABA), anti-inflammatory agents, and leukotriene modifiers. Asthma patients are at great risk of developing infections such as pneumonia and influenza and hence are vaccinated annually. Asthma mimicking symptoms have been found in a host of diseases in children. Hence, diagnosis and treatment of asthma in children has remained a challenge. Asthma-related fatalities in children are mostly preventable through proper education and awareness and timely treatment. Hence, spreading awareness about treating asthma in children presents an opportunity for asthma drug manufacturers.View Report @Asthma and COPD are a major burden on the economy of a nation, especially in the U.S. and China due to high incidence of these diseases as well as rise in the number of smokers. This has fueled government initiatives to educate the people regarding awareness about asthma, and their management as well as funding by various government and non-government agencies. Usage of biologics in asthma is a relatively new treatment phenomenon; however, noteworthy advances have been made, leading to effective treatment for select patients, particularly those with severe disease symptoms. Ongoing development of new biologics such as Benralizumab byAstraZeneca and Lebrikizumab by Roche is set to provide the impetus to the growth of the global asthma therapeutics market. Moreover, the FDA approval for GSKs Mepolizumab in November 2015 as an add-on maintenance treatment of patients with severe asthma aged 12 years and older is likely to drive the market during the forecast period. A report by the American Lung Association in 2014 indicated that nearly 47% of the U.S. citizens live in counties with frequently unhealthy levels of either ozone or particulate pollution. Hence, rise in environmental triggers is anticipated to increase demand for asthma therapeutics during the forecast period. Rapid urbanization, air pollution, change in lifestyle, and rise in smoking population has resulted in higher occurrence of asthma symptoms in urban regions of the world, thereby fueling demand for asthma therapeutics.The global asthma therapeutics market has been segmented based on drug class and region. In terms of drug class, the asthma therapeutics market has been categorized into bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory agents, monoclonal antibodies, and combination drugs. The combination drugs segment is projected to account for the largest share during the forecast period. Large share of this drug class is attributed to preference of combination therapies for prescription by doctors and launch of new triple combination therapies during the forecast period. Availability of popular and preferred generics such as salbutamol is attributed to the second largest share of the bronchodilators segment. New launch of anti-inflammatory agents, especially in China, is considered to support the growth of the global asthma therapeutics market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Asthma Therapeutics Market . Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.In terms of region, the global asthma therapeutics market has been segmented into five key regions: Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the market due to greater awareness and higher prices of asthma drugs. Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold the second largest share due to high prevalence of asthma in countries such as China and India. China is estimated to account for the largest share of the asthma therapeutics market in Asia Pacific owing to factors such as improvement in diagnosis rate, rapidly aging population, increase in smokers, and high levels of pollution. Major players in the global asthma therapeutics market include Astrazeneca plc, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck & Co. Inc., and Novartis AG.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:
Sensor Devices for Mobile Health Care Market Research Report by Technology, Application & Geography  Analysis & Forecast to 2025

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Mobile health, also known as mHealth, is medical care provided using mobile devices. Sensor is a type of device that detects and responds to inputs from physical environment. Advances in telecommunication and sensor manufacturing have brought new technologies and applications in mobile health care. The primary reason to use sensors in mHealth is to improve the quality of and provide easy access to health care services. Integration of sensor device into electronics enables health care providers to gather medical data, provide home care, and other preventive digital health programs. Mobile-based health care solutions can also decrease service cost.View Report @The global sensor devices for mobile health care market is expected to witness robust growth during the forecast period owing to maturation of technology leading to miniaturization of sensor devices. Major factors propelling the market are low cost of sensors, integration of sensors into consumer devices, surging geriatric population, rise in awareness about health and fitness, increase in remote patient monitoring, and prevalence of chronic and lifestyle diseases. Surge in penetration rate of mobile and smartphone and reimbursement policies are the other factors likely to drive the global market from 2017 to 2025. Regulatory issues, privacy and security concerns, lack of clarity in health communication, and standard protocols are projected to restrain the global sensor devices for mobile health care market during the forecast period.The global sensor devices for mobile health care market can be segmented base on product type, application, and region. In terms of product type, the global market can be divided into microphone sensors, camera sensors, accelerometer sensors & geolocation facilities, and others. Based on application, the global sensor devices for mobile health care market can be segmented into health and wellness monitoring, safety monitoring, home rehabilitation, early diagnosis of disorders, efficacy assessment (clinical trials), and others. The health and wellness segment is expected to witness high growth owing to rise in awareness about fitness and health and prevalence of chronic disease.Geographically, the sensor devices for mobile health care market can be segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America is expected to dominate the global market in terms of value and volume, followed by Europe. Growth of the market in North America is attributed to rapid innovation of technology, rise in enthusiasm in individuals about gathering quantified data about their health, and prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle.The sensor devices for health care market in Asia Pacific is expected to experience fastest growth rate owing to improving technology, rise in geriatric population, health awareness initiatives undertaken by governments, change in lifestyle, and rise in awareness about health and fitness. China is expected to be the fastest growing market due to factors such as low cost, easy availability of the devices, and growing population.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Sensor Devices for Mobile Health Care Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.The massive potential of the worlds smallest sensor device integrated into consumer devices is the future of the global market. Hence, to maintain a significant position in the global sensor devices for mobile health care market, the key players are adopting various strategies such developing a technologically advanced and highly efficient product, mergers and acquisitions, and geographical expansion to enter into untapped market. Key players operating in the global market are Apple, Inc., Fitbit, Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Samsung, and Medtronic MiniMed.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:
Compressor Rental Market: Geographical and Competitive Dynamics, Report Overview 2025

Compressor Rental Market

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The compressor rental market is expected to develop steadily over the forecast period owing to the recovery of the mining equipment market. Rising demand for modified rental air solutions to meet the needs of the industry is likely to drive the market over the forecast period, along with the growing usage of customized air compressor rental systems in the medical, construction, and oil & gas end-user industries. Demand for compressor rental services in the chemical industry for transporting liquid under pressure has accelerated over the years. The rapid development of this industry in Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to propel the compressor rental market over the forecast period. The untapped market of Latin America is also projected to exhibit potential due to the rising number of mining equipment manufacturers in the region. Introduction of new-age compressors involves the usage of differentiated speed technology with an energy-efficient operational nature. The variable speed drive technology is energy-efficient compared to fixed speed air compressors. Despite the decline in the investments in mining and the need for it in Europe and North America, the industry is estimated to regain its prominence to cater to the compressor rental market over the next few years.Stimulation of the mining equipment market will play a key role in driving the growth trajectories of the global compressor rental market. Compressed rental find its usage in the mining industry raise boring, scaling, tire filling, refuge station air, workshop service air and pneumatic conveying among other functions. Therefore growth in mining activities will fuel the demand for compressed rental and drive the market.Obtain Report Details @The market has been bifurcated by type into the reciprocating and rotary screw segments. The latter accounted for a major market share in 2016 and is predicted to regain its position over the forecast period. Rotary screws are widely used as a power tool in the construction industry as also used in the oil & gas sector  specifically in oil rigs to extract crude oil. Based on end-user industry, the compressor rental market is segregated into the mining, manufacturing, chemicals, and oil & gas categories. The chemical industry constituted a dominant market share in 2016 and is expected to retain its position over the next few years. Compressor rentals are often employed in aeration tanks, pressurizing tanks, and culture vessels for molding plastics and spot cooling. Air compressors are mostly employed in the automatic control systems in the chemicals industry. The rapid growth of the chemical industry in Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to drive the compressor rental market over the forecast period.Geographically, the market can be distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific held the dominant share in the compressor rental market in 2016 and is predicted to maintain its position during the forecast period. The rising infrastructure and industrialization in Asia Pacific offers multiple opportunities for the use of air compressors. Increasing demand for compressors in the construction industry is a crucial driver of the compressor rental market in this region, apart from the burgeoning construction industry in India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. North America and Europe are mature markets for compressor rentals and predicted to expand at a decent pace over the next few years owing to the well-established end-user industries in these regions. Latin America is projected to advance rapidly due to the prevalent mining and construction industry, dominated by Brazil. Middle East & Africa is an emerging market projected to constitute a considerable market share in the near future.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Compressor Rental Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market@The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.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.Each TMR 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 wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
EMEA Free-To-Air Services Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 11.8% by 2024

EMEA Free-To-Air Services Market

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EMEA free-to-air services market: SnapshotThe EMEA free-to-air services market is currently being driven by the speedy rate of adoption of digital technologies. The popularity of digital broadcasting and video-on-demand services are creating an ample demand for FTA services across the world and especially in the EMEA region. The EMEA free-to-air services market is also specifically being driven by the increasing proliferation of IPTV. However, the EMEA free-to-air services market is currently being restricted by the growing scope of piracy that digitization brings with it. The high rate of piracy is denying revenue to multiple players within the market and several of them are taking precautions to protect themselves from this loss of revenue.The EMEA free-to-air services market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.8% within a forecast period from 2016 to 2024, with regards to its value. At the end of 2015, the EMEA free-to-air services market was calculated at US$59.29 bn, and is expected to reach US$155.8 bn by the end of 2024.Obtain Report Details @Europe Poses Leading Demand for Free-to-air ServicesAmong the key regions within the EMEA free-to-air services market, Europe had held the top spot in 2015. Europe is also highly likely to continue leading the EMEA free-to-air services market over the coming years, primarily due to the earlier adoption of key services in the market. As a result, Europe holds a much larger presence of the leading players  especially digital broadcaster  in the EMEA free-to-air services market. The heavy demand for FTA services in Europe has created a massive scope of entry for providers of FTA services in the EMEA region. Germany has especially been a key contributor to Europes lead in the EMEA free-to-air services market over the recent past. All in all Europe is expected to show a very optimistic CAGR of 12.1% in the EMEA free-to-air services market, between 2016 and 2024.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Free-to-air (FTA) Service Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market@Cable Television Takes up Lions Share in EMEA Free-to-air Services MarketThe EMEA free-to-air services market has been segmented on the basis of devices, into cable television, satellite television, mobile television, and radio. Of these, the market was dominated by cable television in 2015 by taking up close to three-fourths of the markets total value. It is also expected that cable television will remain the leading segment in the EMEA free-to-air services market for the immediate future, owing to cheaper and easier access and an already high user population. On the other hand, although satellite television held the second spot in the EMEA free-to-air services market in 2015 in terms of value, it is expected to expand at the leading CAGR between 2016 and 2024. A lot of nations in Europe have already taken to adopting digital TVs, further promoting the development and demand for satellite TV FTA services. The shift to digital TVs has allowed users to gain a better video quality and the highly demanded HD channel services.The list of leading players in the EMEA free-to-air services market in and at points till 2015, includes BT Group Plc., British Broadcasting Corporation, ITV Plc., Deutsche Telekom AG, RTL Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, Rai Pubblicita, Eutelsat S.A., Sky Plc., and Mediaset SpA.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.Each TMR 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 wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Smart Grid Security Market: Advanced technologies & growth opportunities in global Industry by 2026

Smart Grid Security Market

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Global Smart Grid Security Market: IntroductionSmart Grids are an integration of traditional grid with IT systems. They offer the grid operators greater control of the utilities for improving the dependability with improved monitoring and efficiency, through information exchange.The cloud-based smart grid applications provide organizations with several features to reduce the operational costs and also to centralize their resources. The cloud-based applications are exposed to cyber-attacks, consequential in several security firms offering security solutions to guard cloud-based applications from cyber-attacks. The target audience for smart grid security market are, national/state governments, utility companies, IT solutions provider, smart grid security companies, cloud service providers, system integrators, information security consulting firms, IT security agencies, and municipal authorities.Cyber threats and their impacts are rapidly increasing across Europe. Currently, EU is working on some of the fronts to guarantee cyber security in Europe, by providing the delivery of enhanced internet for children, and implementing the international cooperation on cyber security and cybercrime.Obtain Report Details @Global Smart Grid Security Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe primary factors driving the smart grid security market are the global development of smart grids and augmented complexity of cyber-attacks. The smart grid security market is growing rapidly due to the increasing security needs of Internet of Things (IoT) and digitalization in the energy sector and increased utilization of the web & cloud-based business application.However, one of the greatest challenges in the smart grid security market is the long investment cycles in the energy sector that make technology assessment difficult and led to a time lag between implemented and up-to-date solutions.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Smart Grid Security Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market@Global Smart Grid Security Market: Segmentation OverviewProfessional services segment is anticipated to have the largest market size in 2016. The energy and utility companies lack security experts and are outsourcing these services to security vendors. Further, the demand for professional services is high due to the need to address emerging cyber threats.The need to secure the data, network infrastructure, and connected devices are anticipated to surge the demand for smart grid security market during the forecast period. The encryption solution is anticipated to grow at the highest grow rate during the forecast period.Global Smart Grid Security Market: Regional OutlookNorth America is anticipated to account for the largest market share in 2016 owing to the technological advancements and early adoption of cyber security and region. APEJ is expected to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period owing to the factors such as growth in the technological adoption and huge opportunities across emerging power industries in APEJ region.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.Each TMR 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 wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
A Milwaukie man was found dead Saturday in an Estacada park after apparently suffering a health issue.

William W. Kemp, 65, was found by a hiker walking on the Dog Creek Trail in Milo McIver State Park, according to Oregon State Police.

Authorities didn't release any further details, including when Kemp was found or how long he had been there.

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503-294-5923

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A plan to build a transit police precinct has emerged as a lightning rod issue in TriMet's annual budget, which is up for final approval Wednesday.

The agency wants to build a $9 million replacement for the Transit Police Division's central precinct in Old Town. It would be housed in the city-owned parking garage proposed alongside a new hotel near the Oregon Convention Center.

TriMet has been looking to replace the space it leases for the precinct. It says the facility, which houses security-related TriMet functions as well as the transit police, is cramped and has fallen into disrepair.

But activists object to building a new precinct, which would clear the way for expanding the transit police force. They say it's unnecessary, as crime on the TriMet system is in decline.

"We're seeing how there's a disparity of people of color being cited and prosecuted," said Orlando Lopez, an organizer with Bus Riders Unite. "This would only make the situation worse."

Indeed, a Portland State University researcher last year found that black MAX riders were more likely to be banned from riding TriMet than whites and other groups by a small but statistically significant margin. Meanwhile, area district attorneys announced this year they would stop charging most fare evaders with misdemeanors, instead treating the matter like a traffic violation, to avoid disparate treatment.

Though crime on TriMet has dropped generally, the agency has seen a disturbing increase in assaults and threats against its employees. And last week, a transit officer fatally shot a man with a knife following an incident at MAX station.

TriMet said the new facility wouldn't lead to an immediate increase in the police force, though the agency says it expects those ranks to grow by as much as 30 percent over the next decade as the transit system expands.

The new facility would include space for 33 police officers from various jurisdictions who are assigned to the Transit Police. It also includes workspace for five TriMet security staff and five non-sworn police staff.

It also would include two holding cells -- as does the existing precinct -- and two rooms for questioning suspects or witnesses, space not available in the current facility.

TriMet said Monday it was planning a 100-person community room in the space, as well as a location for hearings when individuals temporarily banned from the system appeal their exclusion.

The holding cells are for short-term detention, said Portland Police Commander Sara Westbrook, who oversees the Transit Police Division. They're typically used to detain individuals who will be booked into jail while police officers are finishing necessary paperwork, Westbrook said, and typically for no longer than an hour.

The existing facility -- which TriMet would not make available for inspection, though a reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive has previously visited the precinct for interviews -- does not have room to expand, Westbrook said. The locker rooms officers use also leak, she said, leaving the carpet damp and stained.

And the parking is insufficient, said Harry Saporta, TriMet's director of safety and security. The current facility has 29 dedicated spaces, while its proposed replacement would include 50.

"It's not unusual for patrol cars to park on the street, or even on the sidewalk," Saporta said. "As our system grows, we need to be able to increase our police force with it."

Bus Riders United and its parent organization, Opal Environmental Justice, has said the money would be better spent on reduced fares for low-income riders.

The precinct would cost $9 million to build, paid with the sale of bonds, along with another $3 million to $4 million to outfit the space. Municipal organizations like TriMet are empowered to sell bonds for capital improvements, but not ongoing operations costs like a reduced fare. A bond works like a mortgage to pay up front for a large, one-time cost and pay it back over time.

Those payments could be used over time to support operations. But the agency said continuing to lease the space -- currently $250,000 a year, with an increase coming soon -- would cost more in the long term.

It puts the price tag to remain in the same location at $15 million over 40 years, but that staying in the same building is unlikely given the commercial real estate market. It would also likely require renovation work, which would mean finding temporary quarters.

TriMet's board, in previous meetings, authorized a contract for the precinct's construction, as well as for to sell bonds for the project.

The board meets to consider final approval of the budget at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the World Trade Center, Building 2, 121 S.W. Salmon St. in Portland.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus
A memorial service will be held at Clackamas Community College this summer to honor the life of a longtime former president of the school, John Hakanson, who led and grew the institution in its early years, his family said Sunday.

Hakanson joined the college as its dean of instruction in 1967. Two years later, he assumed the role of college president, a position he held for 15 years until his retirement in 1984.

Hakanson's son, John Haakanson, described his father as a man of high character and morals who was a sharp observer and writer and masterful storyteller and speaker, known for wearing bow ties.

"He had a keen wit and a keen sense of humor," his son said.

"Just a giant of a guy."

Hakanson died of natural causes on March 3 while under hospice care, his son said. Sunday, May 21, would have marked his 97th birthday.

The memorial service will be held July 15 from 1:30-5 p.m., according to family. Further details about the location on campus are being finalized.

Hakanson grew up in towns in the southern part of the state, Haakanson said. He lived in Cottage Grove, Gold Beach and Port Orford before attending and graduating from Douglas County's Oakland High School. Before starting his career in education, Hakanson worked jobs as a logger, forest firefighter and roofer. He was drafted in the U.S. Army during World War II, his son said, and was stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines, earning military honors and the rank of captain.

While he was overseas, he exchanged hundreds of letters with the woman who would later become his wife, Helen Marie. The two, who met during high school, married in 1946 not long after Hakanson returned to Oregon.

Hakanson attended Willamette University and during his years at the college in the late 1940s helped create legislation that gave a permanent home to the then-Portland State Extension Center, leading the way for Portland State University, according to a 1991 story from The Oregonian. He wanted the state to have an urban, public college.

Hakanson earned a political science degree at Willamette before completing his master's degree at the University of Oregon. He worked for schools in Myrtle Creek, Canyonville and Harrisburg before leaving Oregon to earn his doctoral degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

He returned to Oregon and started at Clackamas Community College. During an interview with the Oregon Community College Association, Hakanson said he was the fifth employee hired at the school.

Hakanson saw community colleges as a needed alternative to four-year institutions, his son said. His father used to call community colleges, "a place you could take welding and Shakespeare," Haakanson said. Stories in The Oregonian from 1991 and 2007 quote him saying the same thing.

"A community college is a good thing educationally," Hakanson told The Oregonian in 1991. "Many high school graduates don't know yet what they want to do with life. At a community college, they get an opportunity to explore options."

Haakanson said his father was proud of the way the college's campus expanded under his leadership and of his ability to secure continued funding for the school.

After Hakanson's retirement, he served on state and county economic development committees and on various boards, including the Clackamas County Historical Society.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Helen; his four children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

-- Rebecca Woolington

503-294-4049; @rwoolington
By Kathleen Parker

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- So the pope, the president, a Muslim and a Jew walk into a bar ...

Surely, I'm not the only one to tighten the frame around President Trump's wildly ironic and ambitious foreign odyssey to promote "tolerance." Which, let's face it, would seem to be the joke. The most candidly intolerant president in history set out Friday on a Napoleonic expedition not to conquer the world but to advance a cause he apparently embraced yesterday.

Meanwhile, the many possible outcomes -- from monstrous, Earth-tilting gaffes to World Peace In Our Time (and lots in between) -- are riveting to consider. And, all hinges on the performance of the most unpredictable, unlikely emissary ever to cross the threshold of Air Force One.

That's my inner cynic speaking. My inner Pollyanna has a different take: Maybe he has had a Damascus moment and fallen from his high horse. He had a brutal week, to be sure. Maybe he has received grace, discovered humility, found the key to his cloistered empathy and is embarking upon a historic pilgrimage of repentance and reconciliation.

While these two forces wage war in my head and the media take bets on Trump's first faux pas, I'll give the president's advisers this: brilliant idea. During his nine-day trip, Trump is touching base with three of the world's largest religions, visiting Saudi Arabia, Israel and Vatican City. He's also scheduled to attend a NATO meeting in Brussels and a G-7 conference in Sicily. His itinerary is almost too large to grasp, but grandiosity demands grand plans. And, really, what could possibly go wrong?

The president's mission includes advancing religious unity and beseeching other nations to join the United States in ending religious persecution and human trafficking, as well as putting an end to the Islamic State. The agenda is complicated by more than a few confounding factors. Trump meets with NATO after having questioned its legitimacy. And Saudi Arabia, ostensibly our ally, is a chief funding source and exporter of Wahhabism, Islam's most virulent and fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. Speaking around such inconsistencies is tough turf even for the most experienced diplomats.

Most fascinating and compelling, to me at least, is the slated May 24 meeting between Trump and Pope Francis, the figureheads of the secular and spiritual worlds. The two men have been exchanging potshots since before Trump's election, with Francis criticizing Trump's immigration policy, his attempted travel ban and The Wall. He also suggested that Trump isn't very Christian, which prompted Trump to fire back that no one should question another's religious belief.

With their meeting on the horizon, Francis has said he always tries to find "doors that are at least a little bit open." Maybe if Trump sticks to script, he'll be on solid ground with the topics he intends to discuss.

The U.S. has long recognized that where religious freedom is restricted, terrorism and extremism flourish and minorities suffer. And Francis has made human trafficking, which he has called "a plague on the body of contemporary humanity," one of his key issues. There are today more people living in slavery than at any other time in history, with estimates as high as 27 million.

Trump can make the case that not only is slavery evil in its own right but human trafficking is intricately interwoven with terrorism and religious persecution. This overlap can be seen in the persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East, such as the Islamic State's Palm Sunday slaughter of more than 40 Coptic Christians in Egypt during worship services. Other intersections are seen in the theology of rape practiced by members of the Islamic State, who, in between prayers, have sexually assaulted women and young girls from the Yazidi community as religious ritual.

In other examples of slavery, just from Myanmar: Ethnic Rakhine civilians have been forced by the army to dig graves, porter guns and perform other manual labor. Child soldiers are drafted in to military and forced labor. Ethnic Kachin women are trafficked to China, where they're forced into marriage or work.

One needn't be aligned with Catholic theology to recognize the inherent evil of such practices. One only needs to be human. Out of respect for the purposes of Trump's trip, we should only wish the president godspeed and, if you believe in a higher power, lend him your prayers.

And may your cynic and your Pollyanna make peace.

Kathleen Parker's email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
(File photo)

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Sunday announced a reform plan for the country's oil and gas industry, eyeing better efficiency and competitiveness by giving market a decisive role in the sector.

The plan was approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, or the cabinet.

"Market should play a decisive role in resource allocation and the government role should be better played in order to safeguard national energy security, boost productivity and meet people's needs," according to the reform guideline.

The long-awaited reform of the sprawling state-controlled sector is a priority for Chinese authorities as the world's second largest economy is slowing amid cyclical and structural changes.

The reform is also a key plank of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan for 2016-2020.

The plan reaffirmed the leadership's commitment to deepening the reform of state-owned oil and gas companies, encouraging eligible enterprises to diversify their shareholder base and introduce mixed-ownership reform.

The prime goal of mixed-ownership reform is to create a flexible and efficient market-oriented mechanism with the incorporation of private shareholders, to improve the management of state-owned companies.

According to the plan, efforts should be made to advance reshuffling of the oil and gas industry based on work specialization. Engineering companies and oil and gas equipment manufacturers are encouraged to perform as independent enterprises.

State-owned oil and gas companies should "keep fit to stay healthy", free themselves from running social services, and explore ways to sort out problems left over from history.

China's oil and gas sector is dominated by three state-owned heavyweights: China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) and China National Offshore Oil Corp.

The trio of giants have long been accused of monopolizing the oil and gas resources with redundant workers and low efficiency.

The reform calls for the participation of eligible enterprises in the prospect and development of regular oil and gas resources which used to be dominated by state-owned companies.

Dong Xiucheng, with China University of Petroleum, said the reform will give competitive firms easier market access whether it is state-owned or private.

Gas companies are encouraged to split sales and pipeline businesses in a step by step manner in order to promote a market-based pricing mechanism. The pricing mechanism of fuel and diesel should also be more market-oriented, while government should step in when abnormal price fluctuations occur.

Private capital is welcomed to invest in and run oil and gas storage facilities.

Oil heavyweights have begun to take actions. Sinopec Group plans to cooperate with private companies in sales of refined oil, while the CNPC said it will allow private companies to hold no more than 49 percent of stake in oil exploration businesses.

China aims to increase domestic crude oil output to 200 million tonnes by 2020, while supply capacity for natural gas should exceed 360 billion cubic meters, according to government plan published in January.

China will add 1 billion tonnes of proven oil reserves annually from 2016 to 2020, and the proven reserves of natural gas will reach 16 trillion cubic meters by 2020.
(File photo/CGTN)

PYONGYANG, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday confirmed it test-fired another medium-range ballistic missile on Sunday.

The Korean Central News Agency said DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-fire of a ground-to-ground medium-to-long range strategic ballistic missile "Pukguksong-2."

"The test-fire of Pukguksong-2 was aimed to finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action," said the report.

This was the second time for DPRK to have test fired missile within one week. Sunday, it test-fired a long medium-range ballistic missile "Hwasong 12."

Afte issuing an order to launch the missile at the observation post, Kim analyzed with officials the results of the test-launch, said the report.

"He said the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon. He approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," said the report.

Kim also said "this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the Korean People's Army Strategic Force.

"Pukguksong-2" medium range ballistic missile is capable of striking targets 500 km away.
Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos speaks in an exclusive statement with Xinhua News Agency in Athens on May 20, 2017. Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos has congratulated China on the successful holding of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on May 14-15. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos has congratulated China on the successful holding of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on May 14-15.

In a televised message recorded on Saturday at the presidential mansion in Athens, Pavlopoulos extended wishes for success of the Belt and Road Initiative in future.

"The exceptionally successful organization of the Belt and Road forum in Beijing showed the great significance of the initiative, proposed by our friend Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the international economic cooperation and development," Pavlopoulos said in the message released to Xinhua.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Xi in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.

"The representation of states at the highest level from across the globe underlines the international acceptance of this ambitious plan, which, through trade and investments, aims to bring Asia closer to Europe, the American continent and Africa," the Greek leader noted in the message.

In the context, the success of China's Belt and Road Initiative is certain, and will contribute to the promotion of peaceful coexistence among peoples and subsequently to the consolidation of peace worldwide, Pavlopoulos said.

This is especially important in the currently uncertain and turbulent times, which was also highlighted during the Ancient Civilizations Forum held in Athens in April, he added, referring to the first ministerial conference of 10 countries representing ancient civilizations.

As for bilateral cooperation, he noted that 2017 is the year of cultural exchanges between Greece and China with numerous events scheduled to take place in both countries.

Greece's cooperation with China is of strategic significance, which has been proven by the presence of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Beijing's forum, Pavlopoulos stressed, adding that the forum would further enhance bilateral cooperation in both public and private sectors.

Speaking to Xinhua on Saturday, the Greek president also underlined that Greece, as a member state of the European Union, with its special position between Europe and Asia, encourages every effort to strengthen cooperation between the two sides.

"The emblematic investment of COSCO Shipping at Piraeus is a highly promising start for the future of Sino-Greek ties in all fields," the Greek leader said, referring to the fruitful Sino-Greek cooperation in Greece's largest port.

The Chinese shipping giant purchased a majority stake of Piraeus Port Authority in 2016 and assumed the management of the Greek port, which would play a key role in the plans for the revival of the ancient Silk Road.

"With these thoughts, I congratulate once again Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road Initiative, which is shining internationally, and I wish every success for the future," Pavlopoulos said.
Monday 22 May 2017 12:05pm

Two University of Otago staff have received emerging researcher first grants in the Health Research Councils 2017 funding round announced today:

Dr Moritz Lasse

(Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch)

Improving risk assessment for worsening kidney function in heart failure

$170,877, 36 months

Heart failure goes hand-in-hand with a high risk of kidney injury. Kidney injury occurs in 25 per cent of all heart failure patients and nearly doubles mortality rates. Many patient lives could be saved if clinicians could diagnose kidney injury early, enabling better patient management. Currently, rising plasma levels of creatinine are used as a marker for the onset of kidney injury. However, creatinine only rises days after irreparable damage to the kidneys has occurred. This is too late to adjust treatment of the patient, hence new early markers are needed to detect kidney injury before irreversible damage occurs. This research project aims to use mass spectrometry to identify plasma proteins involved in the first phase of kidney damage as potential new biomarkers for kidney injury. The focus will be on proteins of the cell-senescence pathway, as these molecules have been proposed as exciting biomarker candidates for acute kidney injury.

Dr Damian Scarf

(Department of Psychology)

Extending brief alcohol interventions using mobile technology

$232,371, 36 months

Adolescents have the highest alcohol consumption of any age group. Within this high risk age group, university students stand out, consuming more alcohol than their non-university attending peers. As a result, university students not only have a higher incidence of alcohol use disorders, but also report a higher incidence of alcohol-related harms. The primary aim of the research project is to use mobile technology to extend a brief web-based alcohol intervention. Specifically, Ecological Momentary Interventions (EMIs) in the form of text messages will be used to remind participants of the implications of drinking too much. Short-term health benefits include reductions in acute harms such as blackouts and negative sexual experiences. Long-term health benefits include reduced risk of diseases and conditions that result from the cumulative effects of alcohol.


File photo taken on Nov. 23, 2016 shows the national flags of the United States and China during the 27th Session of the China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Washington D.C., capital of the United States. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Record high Chinese investment in the United States in 2016 demonstrates that Beijing's economic agenda is compatible with the U.S. economic goals, not the other way around.

A report co-authored by the Rhodium Group and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations shows Chinese companies invested 46 billion dollars in the United States last year, tripling the amount seen in 2015, sending two-way direct investment to a record high.

The report characterized past two-way investment as a "one-way street," with money flowing predominantly from the United States to China. But now, investment is a "two-way highway" with tens of billions of dollars in annual FDI flowing in each direction.

While the U.S. administration worried Chinese manufacturing could threaten U.S. jobs and its economy, Chinese companies are bolstering the U.S. economy by creating jobs and paying taxes.

In the last seven years, employment by Chinese-owned firms in the United States had jumped ninefold to 140,000 jobs last year. By the end of 2016, all 50 states and 98 percent of congressional districts hosted operations of Chinese companies.

According to John Ling, president of the Council of American States in China, more and more U.S. states are increasing recruitment efforts to help land the next Chinese manufacturing project. He believes this will "give more leg" to a healthier bilateral economic relationship.

While notable progress been made, there is huge room for expanding the footprint of Chinese investors in the United States.

With China transitioning away from an export-driven economy to one led by consumer spending and services, Chinese investors have begun to shift their target industries in the United States away from traditional energy and real estate industries to consumer services and the high-tech sector.

According to the joint report, more than 90 percent of Chinese FDI in the United States in 2016 focused on services and advanced manufacturing.

Chinese drugmaker Qilu Pharmaceutical offers the latest example. It invested over 40 million U.S. dollars to open an innovation hub and expand its business presence in Boston, the pharmaceutical innovation hub in the United States.

Boston mayor Martin Walsh has lauded Qilu's partnership, which helps reinforce the city's reputation as a global champion of life science research and development.

While Qilu could capitalize on Boston's rich R&D resources to upgrade its product mix, it also helps turn state-of-the-art ideas into reality in the world's largest consumer market.

The great rebalancing of the Chinese economy offers a historic chance to expand Chinese investment in the United States. Understanding this great potential will also help build constructive U.S.-China relations in the 21st century.
Theres nothing like a little Southern hospitality, and over the weekend, it wasnt just something to be found in the South.

On Saturday, Memorial Presbyterian Church hosted its 5th annual Crawfish Boil on the corner of Rodd and Reardon Streets. The event was open for the community to join in and share a real Southern experience featuring music, inflatables and food.

The menu consisted of delicious dishes like crawfish, jambalaya, gumbo, cornbread, red potatoes, corn, beignets and coffee. The crawfish were shipped to Midland from Louisiana and special spices were ordered to make the taste as authentic  and as spicy  as possible.

The event took off five years ago when several members of the congregation relocated to Midland from southern states. Members feel that it is not only a wonderful way to bring members of the church together, but also to bring together the community.

It began because there was a strange number of members from the southern part of the country and those people missed the feeling of the crawfish boil, Hannah Steele, event coordinator, said. Its such an important thing down in Louisiana. So they just started one and we decided to make it a community event. Its been five years now and it just keeps getting bigger. I think its fun because its different. A lot of people in Michigan have never been to a crawfish boil.

John Smith, one of the head cooks, moved to Midland almost 13 years ago from Southern Louisiana.

I think this is a nice cultural event, Smith said. This lets people get to experience a whole new culture. The food from Louisiana is very unique. We generally cook anywhere between 300 and 400 pounds of crawfish, but I typically dont make them as hot in Michigan as I would in Louisiana.

Smith said that the event is a way for the church to give back to the community, and explained the southern meaning of a crawfish boil.

This is a way for us to connect people, he said. The tradition down in Louisiana is neighborhood crawfish boils. Its a way for the neighborhoods to get together with crawfish as a centerpiece, and now a great part of neighboring in Midland is using crawfish as a centerpiece for an event that is unique.

And crawfish were the centerpiece for every table as this event held nothing back when it came to Southern tradition. Crawfish, red potatoes and corn were dumped right from the strainers into the center of the table for anybody to eat and people gathered around and joined in the crunching and tearing of crawfish.

Dave and Elizabeth Neithamer are long-time members of the church who were also raised in southern states. Dave grew up in Florida and Elizabeth grew up outside of New Orleans. They both attended college in Memphis.

We are part of a committee called CP2P which stands for connecting people to people, Elizabeth said. Our purpose is to connect people who wouldnt normally see each other or talk to each other or do things together like early and late services, or older and younger folks, or the church and the neighborhood so we plan and put on events that connect people to people.

This is the fifth year we have done this event and every year we order more crawfish, she continued. The crawfish came up fresh from Louisiana and we make a lot of traditional southern food. We have folks from Mississippi and Louisiana, like myself, teaching people how to take these crawfish apart and eat them which is a way to bring people together. There are a lot of people I dont recognize walking around here, but that is the whole point  connecting people to people. Fellowship is so important to us.

Dave added, I really enjoy this event because I miss a lot of the southern heritage and although we dont have this kind of southern heritage where I am from, we used to do it when we were in school down in Memphis. Our fraternity had crawfish boils and its a big social gathering and a wonderful way to bring people together.

The crawfish boil is open to the public and free of charge. Donations are accepted. The event always takes place on the same day as the Dow Run/Walk and those participating in the race are welcome to join in the festivities afterward, along with the rest of the community.
 The cast and crew of Center Stage Theatres Assassins, which opened last weekend.

 The 13 H.H. Dow High School students who were selected to represent Michigan at DECAs annual International Career Development Conference.

 Calvary Baptist Academy students who won honors at the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Fine Arts Festival.

 The cast of Moms: Weve Still Got It! Revue, which performed on Mothers Day.

 Spencer Cope, a graduate of Midland High, who was selected to participate in a program by the Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics.

 The area athletes who competed in the Midland County (Area 30) Special Olympics.

 The top 10 percent of students in Midland County Schools for their academic achievement.

 The Salvation Army Midland Corps, which celebrated its 75th anniversary.

 The cast of Honoring Our Veterans: Victorian Funeral & Cemetery Tour.

 Joshua Jordan, Tia Li, Alayna OConnell, Naoki Kihata and Braedan Sutter, who were named top high school artists.

 Linda and Brian Brandt on the birth of their son, Davis William Brian Brandt.

 Larry Draves, who celebrated his 80th birthday.

 Catherine Teal, who celebrated her 100th birthday.

 Megan (McLaren) and Jeremy VanEver on their marriage.

 Michelle (Leppek) and Scott Wozniak on their marriage.

 Bob and Marilyn DeNooyer, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
The fire department posted on social media that it was fortunate the fire was reported quickly so crews could make a good stop on it.
Q: I am retired from the Navy. I just heard that TriCare doctor reimbursement is going to be cut. I have enough trouble now finding an acceptable doctor who will take TriCare patients because of the delays in reimbursement by the federal government. What is going on with TriCare?

A: TriCare is the predominant health care insurance program for retired military personnel. For some time, TriCare has been making changes to the contract services they have with doctors and medical facilities. In addition, TriCare Prime was dropped altogether with TriCare for Life now being the dominant plan. In the recent past, doctors who accepted TriCare patients routinely received about 10 percent less than what Medicare would pay. The current change, announced this week and reported by Military.com, indicates that doctors who accept TriCare patients will receive an additional 25 percent less than they receive now. The changes took effect Jan. 1. Some current TriCare users fear that this further reduction will result in a reduction in the number of doctors who will accept TriCare patients.

Q: Many businesses provide discounts and other special offers to veterans. I really appreciate these gestures as a vast improvement over how our Vietnam-era veterans were treated during and after that war. However, most businesses do not do a thorough job in making sure that the person requesting the veterans discount is actually a veteran.

I know it is awkward for the business to card a veteran to prove the veteran's status; however, I frequently hear stories of non-veterans lying about being a veteran in order to get the discount. Cant something be done about this fraud? I thought there was a big push on stopping the stolen valor of claiming to be a veteran.

A: Most states or local municipalities do not have specific state or local provisions in place to criminalize such fraudulent behavior when the object is to get a discount from a local merchant. Where such local laws exist, the charges are normally a misdemeanor. Most veterans have a VA Health Care card, or a veterans organization membership card to prove their status. In addition, the state will print the word veteran on your Illinois drivers license or state-issued ID. The federal government recognizes stolen valor crimes only when the person making the false representation does so to obtain federal benefits.

The federal government is cracking down on fraud when a veteran receives VA benefits to which they are not entitled or when a non-veteran falsely claims to be a veteran with the purpose of receiving benefits from the VA.

Q: I have several American flags that are tattered and no longer serviceable. What is the proper way to dispose of such flags?

A: According to the Flag Code, the preferred method of retiring a no longer serviceable flag is to burn it. However, other disposal methods include burying the flag. Whatever method is used, it should be done reverently and respectfully. Even a retirement of our flag by a private person on their own property should be undertaken with reverence and respect. Many veterans' organizations periodically have flag retirement ceremonies. They will accept flags from private citizens who wish to have their flag properly retired.

The Bloomington VFW maintains a flag box on the east side of the post building on Lincoln Street in Bloomington. If you desire to retire your own flag, there are several excellent websites that explain the acceptable and common ways to retire a flag. One of the best is http://www.wikihow.com/Dispose-of-a-Damaged-American-Flag.

Event reminder

Chenoa VFW will conduct a Memorial Day ceremony on May 29 at the cemetery on Route 24 East in Chenoa. Some 200 American flags will be on display beginning May 27 and will be illuminated at night May 27-28. The Memorial Day ceremony will begin at the cemetery at 11:30 a.m. May 29. The public is invited.
Georgia-Pacific Completes $388 Million Energy Improvement Project at Brewton Mill The two-year project modernized and streamlined the mix of equipment in the mill's recovery boiler system and now provides the mill with the ability to generate its own energy using natural gas and biofuel residuals from the paper-making process. May 22, 2017 - Local and state officials joined Georgia-Pacific Brewton mill employees and their families on Saturday to celebrate the completion of a $388 million energy improvement project after two years of construction. The project modernized and streamlined the mix of equipment in the mill's recovery boiler system and now provides the mill with the ability to generate its own energy using natural gas and biofuel residuals from the paper-making process. On the heels of this completion, Brewton kicks off another $50 million investment for upgrades to the mill's paperboard machine. Slated to begin in late summer, this project will rebuild part of the machine and will improve the quality of the mill's white-top linerboard product and increase the mill's competitiveness. "The investments in Brewton, and across Alabama, drive home our focus on continuously improving operations and meeting the needs of our customers, our company and communities for the long term," said Christian Fischer, president and CEO, Georgia-Pacific. "I'm proud of the hard work and dedication from our 450 Brewton employees and I'm confident that the mill is positioned for continued success." Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and other state and local officials were on hand to congratulate the mill team for the successful completion and startup of the energy project. Approximately 700 people including employees, family members and special guests were in attendance. "Georgia Pacific's total investment of $438 million to grow and expand its business is a testament to the continued opportunity for the success of economic investment in Alabama. Our state is a great place to live, work and to raise a family," Governor Kay Ivey said. "I am committed to continuing to work with existing businesses, like Georgia-Pacific, and to attract new ones to invest here. It's a new day in Alabama and we're open for business." Brewton Mayor Yank Lovelace, Sr., said, "We are very happy for the Brewton mill team and proud to have this mill as part of our community. This project and others at the mill demonstrate GP's intent to remain a valued business partner of the region for years to come." This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Georgia-Pacific's $355 million acquisition of the Brewton mill from Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. In the last five years, Georgia-Pacific has invested approximately $8.5 billion into operations across the country, including Alabama, where approximately $1.2 billion in capital has been invested to grow existing operations, acquire new operations, and improve safety and environmental performance across all businesses. Escambia County Commission Chairman Raymond Wiggins, added, "These projects will keep Georgia-Pacific competitive for generations to come, providing more opportunities for people to make a good living and raise their families here in Escambia County." Teams at the Brewton mill produce white-top linerboard and solid bleached cartonboard. The mill is the largest employer in Brewton, with approximately 450 employees. "Today is not just a celebration of this project, but also a day to acknowledge the hard work and commitment our employees made in making this a reality for the mill," said Jeff Joyce, vice president and general manager, Brewton mill. "Today is about recognizing what we've achieved, celebrating those successes and turning our focus to our future and the other important projects planned for our long-term growth." In Alabama, Georgia-Pacific employs approximately 2,300 people directly, and those jobs create an additional 8,500 jobs indirectly. Total compensation and benefits for Georgia-Pacific Alabama employees is approximately $216 million directly, resulting in a broader economic impact of $644 million in combined wages and benefits. Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the worlds leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. To learn more, please visit: www.gp.com. SOURCE: Georgia-Pacific
The Texas House of Representatives is back at it again, enjoying a busy weekend spent passing a bill filled with extreme abortion restrictions and approving a proposal targeting transgender students' ability to use the restroom in peace and privacy.

The House voted 91-50 to amend Senate Bill 2078, which focuses on schools' emergency plans, to include a clause requiring transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their "biological sex," the Texas Tribune reports. If the student "does not wish" to do that, they would have to use a single-stall bathroom and changing facility instead.

This bill is strikingly similar to the controversial one passed in North Carolina that resulted in mass boycotts and major economic consequences for the state. Lawmakers in Texas reportedly felt okay about their version of the discriminatory bill because it only applies to schools rather than schools and government facilities.

Representative Chris Paddie, who sponsored the proposal, said there was "absolutely no intent to discriminate," and that it "made reasonable accommodations for all children" who wish to use separate bathrooms and changing facilities. He said, "That could be because you're transgender, that could be because you're shy." Forcing children to use bathrooms that are different from other students, however, puts them in the position of being inherently different and opens them up to all kinds of questioning, bullying and potential ostracism from their peers.

Democratic state Representative Senfronia Thompson noted this issue, drawing comparisons between the bill and Jim Crow-era laws enforcing segregation between races. "White. Colored. I was living through that era  bathrooms divided us then, and it divides us now," she said. "America has long recognized that separate but equal is not equal at all."

Here she is speaking powerfully on the issue:

The proposal needs final approval from the House before moving forward to the Senate and potentially Governor Greg Abbott's desk, who is expected to sign it.



The amendment is in direct contradiction to Obama-era guidelines urging schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom matching their gender identity. The Trump administration has already revoked those requirements, and the Supreme Court declined to hear a case that would decide the issue at a federal level, kicking it back to the states to decide on a case by case basis. How's that been working out?

[h/t The Cut]

Image via Getty
CANNES, France, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese director Li Ruijun's "Walking Past the Future" film, selected in the "Un Certain Regard" (In some perspective) section of the 70th Cannes Film Festival, drew wide audience's appreciation during its screening Saturday.

Through the movie, Li featured the life of a family from the first generation of migrant workers in China. The parents of the heroine Yang Yaoting had worked in Shenzhen, a metropolis in southern China for twenty years. But they lost their jobs due to aging and poor health.

They decided to return to their homeland, a village in northwest China's Gansu province with their two daughters. However, living in the countryside is not easy as expected. So Yang, the eldest daughter, returns to Shenzhen, and dreams of buying an apartment for her family.

The Chinese director said he was "honored and surprised" to be selected by the festival. For him, the film reflects the other side of Chinese social development by telling a "family and love story", which could touch the audience all over the world.

After the screening, Dany Wolf, American producer, said the film is "different" and "powerful", and he was deeply touched.

Turkish journalist Defne Gursoy Birgun said the film, with a universal concern, is the most human film she has watched in recent years.

She argued that during the post-industrial era, migration from cities to the countryside represented a challenge for all countries.

"I watched all the Chinese films every year (at Cannes Film Festival). Although it is a worldwide film festival, we think the future of the movie and innovative works are in the East," said the journalist.

This is the first for Li to take part in the Cannes Film Festival, although his works have been selected in many international cinema gatherings. He took part in the 2014 International Festival of Tokyo with film "River Road", and in 2012, Venice International Festival with "Fly with the Crane".

This year, 18 films are selected for the "Un Certain Regard" section. The awards for the section will be unveiled on May 27.

The 70th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 17 to 28.
In April Patently Apple posted a report titled "Foxconn to make 'Capital Intensive' Investment in the U.S. that will be revealed at a Special Event this Summer." Foxconn is one of the Vision Fund contributors along with Apple and SoftBank. The fund played a role over the weekend with the U.S. President and Saudi Arabia signing a deal for $93 billion to invest in U.S. technology. SoftBank's Chief Masayoshi Son followed the President to Saudi Arabia who was behind the deal. Today we learning about another potential deal with Foxconn and a U.S. company.

The Nikkei is reporting today that "Sharp and other Hon Hai Precision Industry group companies will acquire an American startup working on next-generation display technology, aiming to commercialize products such as large displays for which liquid crystals are less suited.

The Japanese electronics maker will team with CyberNet Venture Capital, panel maker Innolux and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology to buy Delaware-based eLux in October, Sharp said Monday. All of the acquirers are owned by or affiliated with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn.

The American startup develops technology for micro-LED displays, which consist of small, light-emitting diodes. The company was established in October 2016 by researchers formerly employed at Sharp research facilities in the U.S.

Sharp will hold a share of just over 30% in eLux, a stake valued at $7 million, in exchange for related patents.

There's intense interest of late for micro-LED displays. Patently Apple posted a report on this earlier this month titled "Samsung Seeks to Join the Micro-LED Display Race along with Apple, Sony and Oculus." Last month we covered another report titled "Korea's Deep Paranoia is Setting in as Apple Considers a Supply Shift to China and Apple Watch 3 Shifts to Micro-LED."





Korea's OLED display manufacturers are paranoid that Apple will kick-start micro-LED for a future Apple Watch. This is where experts believe micro-LED displays will begin in 2018 and steadily ramp-up to other products as the chart from Yole Development illustrates above.

Earlier this month 'Yole Development' put out a document supporting the chart above. They noted that "Micro-light emitting diodes or MicroLED are an emissive display technology. Just like OLED, they offer high contrast, high speed, and wide viewing angle. However, they could also deliver wider color gamut, dramatic  orders of magnitude  higher brightness, significantly reduced power consumption and improved lifetime, ruggedness and environmental stability.

In addition, MicroLEDs allow the integration of sensors and circuits, enabling thin displays with embedded sensing capabilities such as fingerprint identification and gesture control.

The first MicroLED commercial product was unveiled by Sony in 2016 in the form of a small-pitch LED video display where traditional packaged LEDs are replaced by MicroLEDs. The first consumer killer-app could come in the form of smartwatches, propelled by Apple, and its acquisition of LuxVue.







MicroLEDs could also eventually dominate augmented and mixed reality displays thanks to their unique ability to deliver both the brightness and low power consumption required for the application." Of course that translates to a head mounted display with MicroLEDs. "

In the end, the industry believes Apple will be the first to introduce a commercial product with MicroLEDs and so it becomes interesting that Foxconn-Sharp want to invest billions in an LCD plant in the U.S. that may also move into MicroLED production by acquiring eLux.

Last week Patently Apple posted a patent report about an Apple/LuxVue invention relating to both Micro-LED displays for future products like a smartwatch and TV. The drumbeat for Micro-LED displays is getting louder by the week.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
We were just there, on the Israeli side at Qasr al-Yahud, a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.reuters.com/article/uk-israel-palestinians-churches-idUSKBN15227H

I have to say that, just at a glance, the phrase beyond the Jordan strongly suggests to me that the true baptismal site of Jesus is on the far, or eastern, or Jordanian side of the River Jordan. (The author would almost certainly have been writing from the perspective of the Land of Israel.)

Posted from Carentan, Normandy, France
Bihar states situated between 27-31'-15" N latitude and between 88-17'-40" E longitude is the third largest state in India. It is located in the eastern part of the country. The Geographical area of Bihar is 9359.57 thousand hectares out of which 6.6% is forest area, 14.2% is land area and net sown area is 57% while cropping intensity is 1.37%.

Land use pattern in Bihar exhibit substantial variation due to different agro-climate zones. Bihar is the traditional home of medicinal plant of large number of variety, however, planned medicinal plant cultivation was not in practice till late.

Conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants is a need of today as their base is shrinking day by day. Cultivation of it is a potential provider of returns to the cultivator i.e., the farmers. Due to lacking in the awareness among the farmers, they do not recognize the potential of these herbal and medicinal plants.

Agriculture is the prime sector of the state. Over 67% of its population is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. The state is rich in herbal plant biodiversity. However, the commercial cultivation of the same has not been taken on large scale. Of late, efforts have been made to make aware and training of the rural youth in cultivation and processing of medicinal plants which is picking up slowly.

Medicinal plants are extremely potential production sector in Bihar state due to availability of suitable climate, right type of soil, water and other inputs, latest crop production technology and enthusiastic labourious cultivator. Large cultivation of herbal plants will bring prosperity, generate employment, and provide raw material for plant based medicines which are in high demand in domestic as well as global market, besides conservation of our precious environment.

Large Scale cultivation will also attract setting of pharmaceutical industries in the state. Among the available options, the need is to develop a sustainable agro-economy growth strategy with a viable technology development. Medicinal plants are high potential area in this regard.

The state started medicinal plants cultivation by participation of some innovative farmers and its fast-growing demand in the market. For increasing demand of herbal and medicinal plants it is essential to develop Ayurvedic system of therapy. Companies that produce herbal and medicinal plants-based product should be given full priority in the domestic market. Bio partnership between certified farmers and Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical companies like Himalaya, Naturals, Dabur, Jhandu, Baidyanath, and Patanjali should be encouraged. In present and future, these companies should be given priority to settle in domestic market of Bihar as these companies are fast growing.

In Bihar, ample opportunities exist for diversified sustainable agriculture in different agro eco-system. Systematic cultivation of high value medicinal and herbal plants under prevailing agro ecological condition is one of the sincere efforts in the direction of sustainable development.

Preeti Kumari

Research Scholar

Dept of Biotechnology

A. N. College, Patna
Iran's Zarif Scorns Saudi Deals With U.S., Alleged Ties To September 11 Terror Attacks

05/22/17

Source: RFE/RL

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia for their weapons and investment deals and suggested that the Arab country's policies were to blame for the September 11 attacks in the United States.





Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

(source: Iran News daily)

The comments on May 21 came hours after the U.S. president singled out Iran as a key sponsor of Islamist militant groups in a speech during his visit to Saudi Arabia.



The remarks also came after reformist Iranian President Hassan Rohani was resoundingly reelected to a second term on May 19, a result some observers say could improve Tehran's relations with the West.



Zarif took to Twitter to denounce the Saudis' deals with the United States.



"Iran -- fresh from real elections - attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?" Zarif wrote. POTUS refers to the president of the United States and KSA to Saudi Arabia.

Iran-fresh from real elections-attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B? pic.twitter.com/ahfvRxK3HV  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) May 21, 2017

Shi'ite Muslim majority Iran and Sunni-led Saudi Arabia have long been bitter rivals in the region, with each accusing the other of attempting to undermine competing branches of Islam.



Critics of Saudi Arabia have said that its strict view of Islam fuels Sunni extremism, called takfir, and some accuse the Saudis of responsibility for the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States. Fifteen of the 19 attackers were Saudi citizens.



The Saudis deny the allegations.



"[Trump] must enter into dialogue with them about ways to prevent terrorists and takfiris from continuing to fuel the fire in the region and repeating the likes of the September 11 incident by their sponsors in Western countries," Zarif wrote for the website of the London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed news network.



Separately, the deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces rejected U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's demand for Rohani to cease Tehran's ballistic-missile program and support for what he called its "network of terrorism."



Brigadier-General Masoud Jazayeri said Tillerson's remarks "reflected ignorance about Iran."



"Iran's defense policies and aims follow a set trend that cannot be affected by any element," Jazayeri said, according to the state news agency IRNA.



With reporting by AP, Reuters, IRNA, and AFP

Copyright (c) 2017 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Trump Calls For Coalition To 'Stamp Out Extremism,' Slams Iran During Landmark Speech

05/22/17

Source: RFE/RL

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a "coalition of nations" in the Middle East to come together with the aim of "stamping out extremism" during a landmark speech on May 21, the second day of his visit to Saudi Arabia.





WATCH: Trump Calls To 'Isolate' Iran In Address To Arab, Muslim Leaders



In his address to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, before more than 50 regional leaders, Trump also accused Iran of fueling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" and called for its international isolation.



Trump put the onus in the fight against extremism on the region, telling Muslim leaders that they must "drive out" the terrorists in their countries



"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists," he said. "Drive them out. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of the holy land."



Trump promised "that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust."



"This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations," Trump said. "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil."



"We are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship," Trump added. "Instead, we are here to offer partnership based on shared interests and values."

Trump Urges Arab, Muslim Leaders To 'Drive Out The Terrorists'

Trump's stance was later underlined by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart.



"The president is clearly indicating that this fight of good against evil has nothing to do with religion. It has nothing to do with country. It has nothing to do with ethnicity," Tillerson said.



Much of the focus during the summit was on countering what Gulf states see as the threat from Iran, which opposes Saudi Arabia in a range of regional conflicts from Syria to Yemen.



Sitting alongside Trump, Saudi King Salman declared, "The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism."



Trump himself criticized Tehran for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying Tehran's support allowed Assad to commit "unspeakable crimes" during Syria's six-year civil war.



"From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region," Trump said.



"Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it," he added.



Tillerson added that Tehran has Iran continued "its hegemonic activities in this region."



"We will continue to take action through sanctions and we will continue to encourage others in the global community to take action as well so that Iran understands this is not acceptable," he added.



Earlier on May 21, Trump met with leaders of the countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh. The Gulf Cooperation Council consists of six Arab nations which are traditional allies of the United States -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.



Trump's address was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president.



The speech is one of the key moments of his first foreign trip, which will also take him to Israel, Vatican City, a Group of Seven meeting in Sicily, and a NATO gathering in Brussels.



It was closely watched given the anti-Muslim comments by Trump during his presidential campaign and his attempt after his inauguration to institute a temporary U.S. entry ban on nationals and refugees from several Muslim-majority countries, although not including Saudi Arabia.



After leaving Saudi Arabia, Trump will arrive in Israel for a May 22 meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a visit to the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.



With reporting by AP and Reuters

Copyright (c) 2017 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Tillerson Says It Is Likely He Will Eventually Speak With His Iranian Counterpart

05/22/17

Source: RFE/RL

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says it is likely he will eventually speak to his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, "at the right time," although he has no plans to talk to him at this point.



U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) & Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif



Tillerson's comments came on May 20 in Riyadh during President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, the first leg in the president's first foreign trip.



It also came a day after moderate Iranian President Hassan Rohani was reelected by a wide margin, defeating a more hard-line opponent - a victory that could reinvigorate efforts for an economic and diplomatic thaw with the West.



Tillerson said a centerpiece of Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia is to curb any threats to the region posed by Iran.



Sunni-led, U.S. ally Saudi Arabia and mainly Shi'ite Muslim Iran are bitter rivals for influence in the region.



Tillerson, when asked whether he would meet with Iran's Zarif, said he would "not shut out anyone who wants to talk" or have a productive conversation.



"In all likelihood," he added, "we will talk at the right time."



Speaking in a joint briefing, Tillerson and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir criticized Iran for its support of foreign fighters in countries such as Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, and for its nuclear ambitions.



Tillerson called on Rohani to end Tehran's support and financing of terrorist groups, or what Tillerson called "destabilizing forces that exist in this region."



The United States and other critics in the West accuse Tehran of sponsoring international terrorism and destabilizing the region, and Iran is still targeted by U.S. sanctions over its weapons programs and perceived rights violations.



Trump was greeted warmly during his Saudi visit, and U.S. and Saudi officials signed at least $350 billion in business transactions on the first day -- including a $110 billion defense and military deal to bolster the Saudi military.



With reporting by AP and AFP

Copyright (c) 2017 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Word on the Street after Moderate's Landslide Win in Iran

05/22/17

By Sara Rustampour, Radio Zamaneh

Iranian people came to streets to celebrate the victory of Hassan Rouhani, the moderate candidate in Iran's twelfth presidential election. Rouhani secured 57% of the 40 million votes Iranian cast. He defeated the hardliner candidate Ebrahim Raisi, a former notorious prosecutor and jurist, who received 38.5% or 15.7 million of the votes.





People celebrating in the streets of Tehran

(photo by ISNA)

See more photos here and here



Zamaneh has reached a number of Iranian citizens via phone asking them about the outcome of the election, how they think Rouhani's second term will play, and if their demands will be responded to.



Rouhani took to Twitter to thank his supporters writing "The Great nation of Iran, you are the true winners of this election. I humbly bow down before you. I will honor my promises to you."







A huge street celebration in Tehran

(photo by ISNA)



The celebrations for the victory in the presidential election started on noon Saturday 20th and continued to Sunday 21st - the day in which the results were out for the City and Village Councils election. The reformist camp won most seats in Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, and other urban centers' city councils.





Source: Ghanoon daily



In Tehran the reformist and the centrist camp that is close to Rouhani won all 21 seats on the council. They had put out a list of recommended candidates called the Omid List (the List of Hope) and had asked voters to only vote for that list.



Watch a woman and a man dance to the revolutionary song of the Green Movement called "My Schoolmate" - after Rouhani's re-election:

   



    pic.twitter.com/Teid2ghUjm  M. Tayfeh (@tayfeh) May 21, 2017

The List of Hope defeated conservatives and hardliners that enjoyed a fourteen year reign of the very wealth city council and mayor's office.



The next fight is to replace Tehran's mayor, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a conservative who was running against Rouhani in the presidential election but dropped out of the race to endorse Ebrahim Raisi.



The city council members that the Tehranians elected have the power to replace the current mayor and it is likely that they will replace him.







Reformists have won the majority at Shiraz City Council

(source: Afshaneh daily)





Among the winners of the City and Village Councils election all across Iran there are more than 420 woman; a favourable outcome for Iran's women's movement activist who were campaigning for more political participation and leadership of women. The votes are still being counted and not all the names of women elected are out.



Maneli a culture and communication specialist who was arrested after the 2009 disputed presidential election yells into the phone "it is just like 2009, only we are all happy, this is not a Rouhani's victory. It is ours, we are winning this battle. He is moving forward with our names, our slogans, our demands, our blood, just a shell of a politician. We are behind this."







People celebrating in the streets of Kermanshah

(photo by ISNA)





I can hear the celebrations in the city of Karaj in the background and I ask Maneli "do you think Rouhani will fulfill the promise of freeing Green Movement leaders from house arrest?"



"No," she says. "It is Khamenei that put them under house arrest not Rouhani."



In 2011 leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei extra-legally ordered the arrests of Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard.





People celebrating in the streets of Tehran

(photo by ISNA)



The leader has praised the voter turnout in the 2017 election and has thanked the presidential candidates but he has not congratulated Rouhani for winning the election. The clash is clear, the voters that voted for Rouhani do not all represent the group that submit to Khamenei under any circumstances.



Maneli has a message for Khamenei: "we have to be loud and clear every time our demands are being heard. Every time we say we want our leaders free, khamenei knows that we are threatening his legitimacy and he better know that we are."



Maneli's husband, Saeed works as a contractor for an Iranian oil company. He does not agree with his wife that this election is about the Green Movement: "that movement is long gone. People have real problems, real economic problems, many of the university educated youth are coming to the job market and are unemployed. This is not some revolutionary vote for the past, it is for the foreseeable future."



Saeed graduated from university ten years ago. it took him five years to secure a full time contract job. He had to work as a part-time inspector engineer and as a part-time taxi driver for five years. Even now he has to be away from his wife 14 days a month as his job is near the oil rigs in south of Iran.



"We are still living in Maneli's father's basement. We cannot afford our own place. And we have a baby coming. These are the real problems." Saeed says.



In Mashad the story is different, the home city of the hardliner candidate Ebrahim Raisi did not fully support him. A very religious city where the shrine of the 8th Shiite Imam is located is living a cultural divide: the modern westernized Mashahdis do not get along with the religious ones who are part of the establishment and are limiting their freedoms. Including the freedom to attend concerts that are banned all together in the city of Mashhad.



Watch a street party in Mashhad after Rouhani won the election:

               pic.twitter.com/1v0IHdJJvd  Babak (@Arbaks) May 20, 2017

Nazanin, studying education management in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in not from this city but has married a Mashhadi: "My in-laws have all voted for Raisi. They are a religious wealthy family from Bazar (the central market) who love and respect Khamenei (the supreme leader) and think Raisi represents their values. I cannot stand this; voting as a religious cult! I don't get it."



Nazanin and her husband have voted for Rouhani. They both agree that the nuclear deal and the relief from economic sanctions has had a positive impact on their lives. "Our infant son needed a medicated formula that was often imported - it was like a medication. I could not find it anywhere in Mashhad during the sanctions. We felt so helpless. I found it in Tehran in the black-market, ten times the usual price."





People celebrating in Mashhad

(photo by ISNA)



MirHabil on Twitter, however has another story. He is a green movement supporter who has voted for Rouhani but his father is a manual labourer who at the end of the day voted for Raisi. MirHabil is offended that many Rouhani supporters are mocking the likes of his father.



On Twitter some conservative users agree with MirHabil that reformists are stuck up and elitist with no respect for boundaries of a Muslim culture. There are many tweets from Qom, Mashhad, Zanjan, Tehran where users are annoyed by the mixed gender dancing in the streets and the noise.



"The noise in killing us," says Hassan who studies in the seminaries in Tehran. He is not willing to tell me who he voted for but he says it is the fear of war that really is the common ground between the two camps: "who wants war? No one. They are both scared of war. One is voting for Rouhani to prevent it the other is voting for Raisi so that he can fight it well with the help of the Revolutionary Guard."



Rouhani is promising to stand against war by advancing diplomatic relations.







People celebrating in Tabriz

(photo by ISNA)

Hashemi who is active on social media and is from the city of Tabriz does not agree with Hassan that there is a common ground. He has voted for Raisi, despite the fact that most of his city supports Rouhani.



"I voted on an ethical ground" he says, and he is disappointed that Raisi has not won: "Did you see Rouhani's unethical rants during the presidential debates? I am not voting for someone who is disrespecting all religious Iranians by calling us backward and extremist."



Hashemi talks about Rouhani's background working for the intelligence sector and the office homeland security within the government: "This is a war and if anyone knows Rouhani's past they know that he was once a conservative serving security and intelligence positions. He is not a reformist. He is just using the existing cultural and political split to score in politics. I find this unethical and dishonest. He is just after power for economic corruption"



In a televised address, Rouhani said he will serve all Iranians not just the ones who voted for him, but also made sure that his mandate of continuing international diplomatic relations is highlighted: "The Iranian nation has chosen the path of interaction with the world, a path which is distant from extremism and violence."



One of Rouhani's campaign slogans was "we will not go back" suggesting that Iran will go backwards with Raisi. However it also meant that "we will not go back to the time of sanctions and economic isolation". Rouhani is promising an increase in foreign investment.



Mehran who is active on Twitter writing about economic issues has a fancy degree from a western university but has chosen to go back to Iran. I ask him if he is hopeful for Iranian economy: "The investors want to invest; especially from Europe. The banks are finding it a risky investment. The challenge is to convince the banks to loan money to Iran."



Hassan, the seminary student is also hopeful. He is pleased at Rouhani's previous term and thinks that Rouhani is on the right path which is serving the public: "one good thing his health ministry did is that plan they started to subsidize health care costs for those with less income. My older sister was in an accidents. Thank God she is doing better. She went through three surgeries. her husband is just a penniless student. Rouhani's plan covered it. She is still receiving treatment."





"The right to rally"

Iranians ignored authorities, gathered in the streets and celebrated Rohani's victory

(source: Ghanoon daily)



Some Iranians boycotted the election. I call my uncle who has not voted in 30 years. He has lost a son in Iran's notorious Evin prison; my cousin was executed as political prisoner when he was 23 years old. Ebrahim Raisi the hardliner judge and Rouhani's rival was member of a special commission known as the "death committee" that ordered the executions of my cousin and 4000 or more prisoners.



I ask my uncle: "did you not want to vote against this man that killed your son?" He reads me a poem and says "in a system that twenty years past my son's killing those who are responsible are still honoured as political choices, I only have one choice: to stay home and await my death."



My cousin and his wife who live with my uncle have voted and are happy. They have a different perspective: "listen, can you hear, people are chanting and dancing, this is a blessing. This is the future of my son and my little daughter" my cousin's wife, Vida says.



"I don't want my children to live a life of eternal mourning like we did," my cousin Nader says. "Our children have the right to live a happy life and I will work towards that - whatever is the cost."



His wife, Vida says if Rouhani can keep the status quo, no threat of war, no sanctions, no major economic depression,just a little freedom of internet, I'll be happy."
VICE-PRESIDENT Alhaji Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has assured the people of the East Mamprusi District that government would work to get investors to establish a cement factory in the district.



He said the factory would exploit the limestone deposits at Gbandaa, a community in the district, to produce cement as part of the governments One District One Factory initiative to create jobs for the people of the area.



Vice-President Bawumia gave the assurance when he paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Nayiri Mahami Bohagu Sheriga, at his palace at Nalerigu on Saturday.



The call on the Traditional Ruler formed part of the Vice-Presidents four-day tour of the Northern Region, which began on Thursday.



Limestone deposits are in commercial quantities around Gbandaa in the district, and had been the wish of the people of the area that a factory would be established to mine such a resource and turn it into a finished product to create jobs for the unemployed youth of the area.

Vice-President Bawumia said governments vision was to have a Ghana that is inclusive of all in development, adding that no part of the country would be left behind in development.



He said the government had reduced the prices of fertiliser by 50 per cent in a bid to boost agricultural production and that the One Village, One Dam and the One Constituency, One Million Dollars initiatives would also be on course to help transform the economy.



He said the payment of the teacher and nursing trainee allowances would begin in September, this year, as well as the free Senior High School programme.



Vice-President Bawumia also expressed the assurance that government would work to improve the infrastructural situation in the district especially the town roads and the roads from Nalerigu to Bunkpurugu and Nalerigu to Gbintri to facilitate commerce.



He thanked Nayiri for helping to maintain peace in the traditional area calling for peace in the region to ensure success of governments initiatives.



Nayiri Bohagu Sheriga appealed to the government to help expand the water systems in the district to provide potable water to people.







Source: The Finder









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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.
Three suspected robbers who engaged in a shootout with police on Sunday afternoon have been killed at Tatale in the Tatale-Sanguli District of the Northern Region.



According to the police, the robbers numbering about 8 on motorbikes emerged from the Togo end of the border and held market women hostage at a spot noted for currency exchange in view of the fact that Sunday May 21, 2017 was a market day in the area.



They were reported to have advanced in their bid to rob other road users but luck eluded them when the police were notified and rushed in well armed.



The robbers reportedly fired gunshots sporadically as they progressed to scare their victims but a police patrol team that had arrived in the niche of time, came to the rescue of the victims and returned fire while trying to close up on them.



In the heated gunfire exchanges that saw the passengers of Tatale bound bus caught in the cross-fire, one person sustained a gunshot wound and is currently receiving treatment at the Yendi government hospital.



Police in the area say they are currently on a hunt for the other suspects who are believed to be hiding in the bushes or fled into neighbouring Togo because the area shares border with Ghana.

Source: mynewsgh.com









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U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi take part in a bilateral meeting at a hotel in Riyadh on May 21, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

CAIRO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he will visit Egypt soon at an invitation from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to mend soured ties under former U.S. administration, official MENA news agency reported.

"I will get to Egypt. We will absolutely be putting that on the list very soon," Trump said in a statement following his meeting with the Egyptian president in Riyadh, MENA reported.

Sisi had "done a tremendous job under trying circumstance," Trump added.

The Trump-Sisi meeting was held on the sidelines of the Arab-Islamic-U.S. summit.

The bilateral relations between Egypt and U.S. worsened during Trump's predecessor Barrack Obama's administration after the Egyptian military ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Obama did not invite Sisi for a visit and even temporarily suspended U.S. aid to the Arabic country citing U.S. concerns about human rights situation in Egypt.

The ties, however, have improved under the new U.S. administration of President Trump, who pledged to support the key U.S. ally with 1.3 billion U.S. dollars annually in military aid.

Sisi paid his first official visit to the United States and met Trump at White House in Early April.
The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos visit to Senegal, Guinea and Cape Verde as productive.



He said the visit would not only inure to the economic and bilateral benefit of Ghana but also strengthen the resolve for the attainment of the goals of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).



Towards that end, he said, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Charles Owiredu, had been charged with the responsibility for overseeing the attainment of the bilateral agreements reached between Ghana and the three countries.



Addressing the media on the Presidents arrival at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra yesterday, Mr Arhin said the assignment given to Mr Owiredu was to ensure that the meetings and deliberations between Ghana and the three countries moved beyond mere rhetoric to the attainment of mutual benefits.



The President left the country on May 15, 2017 for Senegal, Guinea and Cape Verde on the second leg of his tour of ECOWAS countries.



The first leg took him to Togo, Burkina Faso and Cote dIvoire.



The Presidents next trip, he said, would take him to Sierra Leone and Liberia before the ECOWAS Summit takes place on June 4, 2017.



Senegal



In Senegal, Mr Arhin said, the main item for discussion was how to boost co-operation and trade between the two countries, adding that Senegal had discovered oil in commercial quantities.



In view of the discovery, the President of Senegal made a request to send a team to Ghana to understudy the processes and practices that Ghana had adopted in the management of its oil finds.



He said President Akufo-Addo was taken to an enclave called Diamniado, a new city that was being built in Senegal for the sole purpose of manufacturing and adding value to the raw materials produced in that country.



Also, Mr Arhin said, Senegal was in the process of constructing a railway to connect its major cities, a development that, according to him, was in alignment with President Akufo-Addos vision to construct a railway from the Western Region to Paga in the Northern Region.



President Akufo-Addo was decorated with Senegals highest national award, the Grand Cross of the Line, by President Macky Sall.



Guinea



The main focus of discussions in Guinea, he said, was on the joint exploitation of the natural resources of both countries, as Guinea had the worlds largest deposit of bauxite



He said President Akufo-Addo had declared his intention to present a bill to Parliament aimed at developing an integrated aluminium industry to ensure the addition of value to bauxite.



Cape Verde



In Cape Verde, Mr Arhin said, it was realised that around 2013 the volume of trade between the two countries was about $4 million but that had dropped drastically to $200,000 because Cape Verde had turned to other countries for what it imported from Ghana.



It was, therefore, agreed that the necessary steps would be taken to boost trade between the two countries.

Source: Daily Graphic









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John Mahama made social media explode when he made an appearance at a shopping mall on Mothers Day. The former president of Ghana was spotted with his daughter, Farida Mahama, at a shopping mall and his eager fans could not help but scramble to take photos with him.



In one of the photos, the former president is seen at the checkout counter. Information from Prince Kaye, who posted the images on social media network, Facebook shows that the shopping mall shown was the Palace Hypermall at Spintex.

John Mahama, with his hand around his daughter, was clearly checking out from the shopping center as the eager fan took a selfie with him.



However, some social media users have accused John Mahama of trying to copy former president of the United State, Barack Obamas style.



Earlier, a video of Obama shopping made rounds on social media and some users drew the conclusion that Mahama was trying to ride the hype to gain extra popularity.

More photos below-

video below-

Source: yen.com









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The Central Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Robert Kutin has initiated a legal action against Mathew Botchwey, affectionately known in Cape Coast as Kalifonia, the regions Deputy Organizer of the party, Atinka FM and two other persons from KokrokoFM in Cape Coast.



In the writ of summons issued from Accra High Court date 19 May, 2017, it stated that an action having been commenced against Mathew Botchwey and four others by the issue of this writ by Robert Kutin Jnr.



You are hereby commanded that within eight days after service of this Writ on you inclusive of the day of service you do cause an appearance to be entered for you, the summons said



Mathew Botchwey and the other defendants are expected within eight days to enter their defense.



Robert Kutin was accused of extorting money from Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Central Region and impeding the chances of others from becoming ministers.



Botchwey alleged in an interview with KokrokoFM that Kutin had taken Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis from a son of Mercy Cream.



Botchwey claimed the modus operandi of his Chairman (Kutin) and trend is assuming a new dimension in the region where money has become the prerequisite requirement of one becoming a district Chief Executive. He said, Kutin since assuming office in 2013 become autocratic abhors dissenting views.



He attributed the rejection of both Assin South and Abura -Asebu Kwamankese District Chief Executive nominees to Chairman Robert Kutin.



According to him, Kutin managed to replace some of the nominees a day before the lists was published.



Upon all the opportunities given to Kutin by the President, he still impedes others progress. He (Kutin) is the Chairman of Maritime, while his uncle is chairing the Getfund Board, but he did all he could to block the appointment of Chairman KK twice from serving as deputy minister in the region-he alleged



Others are afraid of Kutin, but I Mathew have resolved to face Kutin everywhere to ensure that I rescue the party from him. Kutin is hurting the image of the party in that. I cannot allow him to continue that trend for the party to suffer in subsequent elections, California told a local radio station.



Meanwhile, Abdul Tarig Bonsu, the DCE aspirant reported to have parted with the bribe has rubbished allegations.



If I have that GHC100,000 on me now, I would rather invest it in my business. Its true that I presented my name for such position but was Okay when my name did not appear in the final list. I feel well all have to support the party to propagate the good works by this government. Mr. Kutin has a reputation and I think its unfair to dent his image in such manner.

Source: mynewsgh.com









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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has expressed satisfaction so far with the outcome of his tour of the countries in the ECOWAS region, as the set objectives prior to the commencement of the tour are being met.



It will be recalled that the purpose of the tour of the ECOWAS countries, as outlined by the presidency, was to afford President Akufo-Addo the opportunity to introduce himself, as the new Ghanaian leader, formally to the governments and peoples of our neighbouring countries, explore and deepen our bilateral relations with them, and reiterate Ghanas full commitment to the ECOWAS project.



According to the President, Everywhere I have been so far, I have been met with a lot of enthusiasm and warmth, because people are reassured about Ghanas role in ECOWAS, and, to me, that is very important. If we can make a success out of ECOWAS, it will help us a lot in the economic development of our country.



With Ghana having the second largest economy in West Africa, and being the second biggest country in terms of population and ECOWAS, President Akufo-Addo stated that what these tours are trying to do is to reassure the ECOWAS world that we are still very much engaged.



The President made this known on Saturday, May 20, 2017, when he interacted with the Ghanaian community resident in Cape Verde, as part of his 3-day tour of that country.



Touching on the issues back home in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that the Asempa Budget, the first budget of his administration, outlined the economic vision of his government, as well as point to the direction in which his government wanted the country to head.



We believe that if we can empower and stimulate the private sector in Ghana, those who do their own businesses and take risk, if we can strengthen them, it will be the quickest way we can develop our economy and thereby create jobs and bring prosperity to our country, he said.



To this end, the President indicated that a lot of taxes that had been irritating many private sector operatives were removed. GH1 billion in taxes was taken out of governments revenue, in order to have this money remain at the level of private businesses for them to be able to reinvest it in the economy.



President Akufo-Addo, just as he has done on his tour of West Africa, reiterated the commitment of his government towards fulfilling the promises he made to Ghanaians in the run-up to the December 2016 elections.



The Free Senior High School Policy, he said, is on its way to being fulfilled, indicating that his government will fund the cost of public Senior High Schools for all those who qualify for entry from the 2017/2018 academic year onwards.



On the revival of the National Health Insurance Scheme, President Akufo-Addo noted that his government has found it necessary to find the money to stave the scheme off collapse.



The scheme has been threatened by mismanagement and by huge indebtedness. We are now having to systematically liquidate the arrears so that the service providers can be encouraged to provide services for NHIS card holders. I am hoping that within 18 months, all the arrears of the NHIS would have been settled, so that we can have a secure future for the scheme, he said.



On the agricultural sector, the President told the gathering that the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs launched in Goaso a month ago is the answer to the twin-problem of the migration of youth to city centres in search of non-existent jobs, as well as an end to the disgraceful spectacle of Ghana importing food stuffs from neighbouring countries.



The programme, he noted, has so far employed 1,200 extension officers, and an additional 2,000 more officers will be employed in 2018. Additionally, the programme, he stated will in its first year target some 200,000 farmers.



Visits to CERMI, National Data Centre



On Saturday, May 19, President Akufo-Addo visited the Centre for Renewable Energy and Industrial Maintenance (CERMI).



CERMI was established to build capacities on the different technologies of renewable energy such as solar, photovoltaic and wind. By the year 2020, Cape Verde aims at achieving a 100% penetration rate of renewable energy in use in all parts of the country.



The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, whose Executive Director is Mr. Mahama Kappiah, a Ghanaian, is working closely with CERMI to this end.



President Akufo-Addo was also taken on a tour of Cape Verdes National Data Centre (NOSi), which was established in August 2015. The Centre aims at providing services in areas such as finance, distance higher education, research and development of software, and other solutions in the field of new technologies.



According to Jorge Lopes, Coordinator of NOSi, who took President Akufo-Addo on the tour, this infrastructure allows us to store and process the data safely. From this centre, Cape Verde can offer storage services and data processing, software development, "hosting" websites, etc., to institutions, national and international, amongst others.



President Akufo-Addo was also taken to Cidade Velha, the portuguese word for "old city". A former capital of Cape Verde, it is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde, and is currently the seat of the Ribeira Grande de Santiago municipality.



The old city was the first European colonial settlement in the tropics. Some of the planned original design of the site is still intact, including a royal fortress, two towering churches and a 16th century town square. Today, Cidade Velha is an Atlantic shipping stop and center for Creole culture. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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There are some corrupt appointees in the Nana Akufo-Addo government, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Prof Emmanuel Martey has said.



Speaking to journalists in an interview on Monday, Prof Martey said: "NPP also has bad elements.



Even some of their appointees are not correct...they are corrupt", he added.



Meanwhile, Prof Martey has also said illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) had a field day under the Mahama administration.



The cleric told journalists that the government of Mr John Mahama identified the cause of galamsey but failed to deal with it despite his promptings.



I dont want to go into politics but it was in Mahamas administration that this thing [galamsey] became worst. I met Mahama, we sat down and I complained about this galamsey. He told me that he was able to identify the Ghanaian who was bringing the Chinese to Ghana so they will deal with it. But rather, things got worse so if the government will sit up and selflessly manage our country, this galamsey business will be solved, Rev Martey said.



The Akufo-Addo government declared zero tolerance for galamsey right after coming into office. The anti-galamsey campaign led by Minister of Lands and Natural Resources John Peter Amewu has resulted in the cessation of the practice across the country.



Also, a six-month ban has been placed on all forms of small-scale mining  both legal and illegal as the government takes measures to regularise the industry.



Rev Martey commended the Akufo-Addo government for fighting galamsey. It is too early to say that the present administration is not doing well. In fact it is because they have come, and thanks to the media everybody knows that galamsey is a necessary evil which ought to be eliminated.









Source: classfmonline.com









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An Australian has died while descending Mount Everest on Sunday morning, amid storms and high wind on the worlds highest peak.

The 54-year-old suffered altitude sickness while at an elevation of 8,000 metres, according to a report from the Tibet Mountaineering Association.

Two other men died on Sunday during their treks to summit the mountain. An American died not far from the top of the mountain, and a Slovak died during his own attempt.

An Indian climber is also currently missing on Mount Everest, after his guide left him with extra oxygen while trying to alert others.

Longtime Mount Everest guide Tendi Sherpa told The Washington Post that Sunday had been an especially bad day for altitude sickness, snowblindness and frostbite.

Several helicopter evacuations were undertaken for other mountaineers, but several groups did reach the summit during periods of clearer weather.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald / The Himalayan Times.

Photo: Frank Bienewald / Getty.
Everyone continues to debate 60 Minutes extraordinarily controversial report on Sunday night, but it wasnt the only show talking about Cassie Sainsbury. On Sunday Night, Cassies uncle Neil Sainsbury alleged that her statements about working for his cleaning business are a lie.

Cassie told her fiance Scott Broadbridge that working for her uncles cleaning business was the reason that she often went to Sydney and abroad  including her fateful trip to Colombia. Her uncle not only denies that she ever worked for him, he denies he ever had any kind of business at all.

I think it needs to be made perfectly clear that my niece Cassie has never been employed by me, has never been employed by anybody I know and like I said, Ive never owned a business whatsoever, Neil says.

ON NOW: Cassies uncle, Neil Sainsbury, denies her claims he sold his business to a mystery couple who sent her overseas. #SN7 pic.twitter.com/Er8GUcnAtI  sunday night (@sundaynighton7) May 21, 2017

He also argued that he believes she is possiibity guilty:

I believe Cassie has a bit of a history of skipping from one place to the next when things get a bit tough. I just dont honestly believe that she was naive. I think, perhaps she may have had knowledge of what she was doing. Complete knowledge.

Broadbridge also appeared, defending Cassies story about what went down. He says that regardless of her claims about the business, she was still set up. I dont know if the business she worked for set her up or it was directly straight from Colombia but I believe she was, I guess, set up as a drug mule without her knowledge.

Also appearing was Cassies faither Stuart Sainsbury, who recorded a message for his daughter.

On #SN7 now: Cassies father, Stuart Sainsbury, records a message for his daughter. pic.twitter.com/fY907IFtgW  sunday night (@sundaynighton7) May 21, 2017

But he wont say whether he thinks she is guilty or not. I cant sit here and lie and say innocent, guilty, theres just 68 different stories. I would like for the truth to come out.

He also says that Broadbridge needs to get his story straight. Now Scott needs to get his story right, dont he, because Im not sitting around and watching this crap anymore.

Source: Sunday Night.

Photo: Supplied.
A clutch of multi-million dollar homes across Sydney and a multi-storey complex in Surry Hills are among the properties placed under freezing orders by the NSW Supreme Court, in relation to an alleged $165 million tax fraud racket.

Fairfax Media reports a massive luxury home in Vaucluse has been frozen in relation to the suspected scam, which allegedly centres around Synep Limited and its payroll company Plutus.

The $8.75 million property belongs to Rachel Anne Keary, whose company Jrio was an original half-owner of Synep. Keary hasnt been charged in relation to the alleged scam, and theres no suggestion she was aware of any alleged misconduct.

Simon Anquetil, who is alleged to have steered Plutus Payroll, has had three properties placed under the freezing order. A Lavender Bay apartment worth over $2.8 million, a $1.15 million Potts Point penthouse, and another $1.15 million spot in the CBD have been put on ice.

A $2.3 million, five-bedroom pad in Wahroonga has also been frozen. Its one of at least three properties linked to alleged co-conspirator Dev Menon, along with an Ultimo penthouse apartment clocking in at a cool $750,000.

A five-storey Surry Hills building owned by the company of developer Michael Teplitsky is another property put on ice. The offices of Teplitskys company were among several premises raided by the Australian Federal Police in relation to the alleged scam.

Teplitsky and Tepcorp Holdings Boris Markovsky have not been charged in relation to this whole deal, and theres no suggestion they had any knowledge of the alleged misconduct.

via Google Maps.

The Bondi apartment of Adam Cranston, Plutus singular shareholder, was also frozen following his arrest last week. Cars, boats, and even a couple of planes have also been frozen.

Freezing orders are handed out to stop goods and properties linked to alleged crimes being disposed of in a manner that may upset the ability of a plaintiff to make their case.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald.

Photo: realestate.com.au.
Donald Trumps currently engaged on his first trip around the world as president, and his very first stop is in Saudi Arabia. Before the trip, multiple news agencies reported that foreign dignitaries and diplomats were doing their very best to accommodate for Trump, who unlike previous presidents is a huge stupid baby who needs his hand held through basic concepts.

As per the AP:

At NATO and the Group of 7 summits, foreign delegations have gotten word that the new U.S. president prefers short presentations and lots of visual aids.

Short presentations. Lots of visual aids (read: the president is a moron who needs big colourful pictures or he wont understand basic facts required to do his job).

In addition to his childs mind, the president also has the culinary tastes of a child. Caterers in Saudi Arabia, according to the AP, are planning to offer the president steak and ketchup alongside the lamb and hefty portions of rice on the menu.

But thats nothing compared what will surely be an iconic photo from Trumps reception with members of the ruling dynasty of Saudi Arabia, the House of Saud. You know, just a few billionaires casually hanging out and putting their hands on a gigantic glowing orb. No biggie:

And heres Trump at the opening of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh pic.twitter.com/gshRT2nFLU  BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) May 21, 2017

The campaign, where Trump said he would fight the globalists and put AMERICA FIRST seems so long ago now that hes in a darkened chamber in Saudi Arabia with his hands firmly planted on a glowing orb. Its safe to say he wouldnt have let Obama get away with those kind of optics.

Twitter had a lot of fun with it:

I think.I believe in the illuminati now? pic.twitter.com/1ZV6Ysi6EH  Bile Cube (@BileCube) May 21, 2017

Imagine how conflicted Alex Jones is seeing an Illuminati Muslim orb ritual but featuring his favorite politician  Dan OSullivan (RIP) (@Bro_Pair) May 21, 2017

Trump During the Campaign: I will NEVER touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles.

Trump Today: pic.twitter.com/eWoaDeXj8n  Nick Greene (@NickGreene) May 21, 2017

Red hat guy 2016: trump is going to own the globalist cucks!

2017: Trump in shadows holding a glowing power orb with saudi royal family  derek (@eedrk) May 21, 2017

just some billionaires gathering in the dark and holding a glowing orb. probably fine  jon hendren (@fart) May 21, 2017

Look, do I agree with the Orbs entire agenda? Of course not. But I do trust that the Orb has humanitys best interests at heart.  Matt Christman (@cushbomb) May 21, 2017

RIYADH  President Trump announced today that the Orb is his God now, praise to Its Luminescence, O how he longs for the warmth of rb pic.twitter.com/lSCjHgotgW  Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) May 21, 2017

HANNITY: Trump orders everyone to kneel before the Glowing Orb, and the media loses it

GINGRICH: They fear the Orb!

HANNITY: Its pathetic  Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) May 21, 2017

Sometimes its good to be online.

Source: Twitter.

Photo: Twitter.
It seemed like such a short time ago that Melbourne was bestowed with a massive mural depicting the Western Bulldogs mascot cocking its leg on controversial fear-machine Pauline Hanson  and thats because it was. The thing only popped up on Friday.

That was still long enough for people to get real mad about Van T Rudds piece, and a spokesperson for the City of Maribyrnong said it was compelled to paint (half) the thing over after receiving a torrent of complaints.

In response to that whirlwind of painting and re-painting, PEDESTRIAN.TV reached out to Rudd to get his take.

Rudd said he wasnt surprised the piece had been amended, as supporters do see Hanson as an idol, so its like pissing on an idol.

But he was shocked it had happened so quickly, and I guess at how neat it was, and that the dog had been left there.

FWIW, the council said the dog was left there to preserve the integrity of artwork as much as possible and that the decision is in no way a political statement. Animals pissing? Fine. Animals pissing on the depiction of a political figure? Not fine.

A subsequent statement from the council says besides, Footscray is home to the Bulldogs! Better off nixing the One Nation leader than both of the murals figures, then.

The artist had suspected it was not actually Hanson supporters themselves who had painted over the mural due to how professionally Hansons face had been covered, but speculated it was maybe Hanson supporters indirectly through the local council.

Im not surprised die-hard Pauline Hanson supporters, the fascists, the far-right would react the way they did, Rudd said. I know theyre not a massive group out there, he continued, but they do tend to flood social media.

Despite the swift reaction from the council to the piece, which had been painted with the building owners consent, Rudd said hed be open to creating similar artworks in the future.

Photo: Van T Rudd / Facebook.
(Photo/CGTN)

Chinese mainland said participation of the Taiwan region in the activities of international organizations must be dealt with in accordance with the one-China principle. Mainland delegation reiterated its position at the press conference ahead of the opening of the 70th World Health Assembly, which took place from 22-31 May in Geneva.

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Resolutions of UN General Assembly and World Health Assembly provide the legal basis for the WHO to follow the one-China principle.

The position of government of the Chinese mainland regarding the participation of Taiwan region in international organizations has been very consistent. Thats one-China principle must be observed, said Li Bin, Minister of Chinas National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Since 2009, Taiwan region had been participating in the World Health Assembly with observer status for eight consecutive years.

It was a special arrangement made on the premise of one-China principle after consensus has been reached through cross-Strait consultations.

It is the Democratic Progressive Party itself which has set the barrier that has impeded the participation of the Taiwan region into the World Health Assembly, said the Minister Li Bin, Only when the political basis that reflects the 'one-China principle' has been confirmed, can the regular exchanges across the Strait be sustained.

After the Democratic Progressive Party came into power in the Taiwan region, it refused to recognize that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China. By so doing, it undermined the political basis of the cross-Strait relations, and made the cross-Strait contact and communication mechanism come to a standstill. As a result, the political basis of the Taiwan region's participation in the World Health Assembly has ceased to exist.

Li Bin stressed that on the premise of the one-China principle, Chinese mainland has made proper arrangements for the Taiwan region to participate in global health affairs. Experts from the Taiwan region can participate in WHO-related technical meetings and activities, while WHO may send experts to the island when needed. Taiwan region can also access the information on public health emergencies released by the WHO. The so-called epidemic prevention gap doesnt exist at all.
Ah, Royals. Theyre just like us, really: shushing their naughty kids, making arses of themselves on dance floors, and having to rush off in the middle of their mates wedding to pick up their girlfriend for the reception.

Although youd think hed have a fleet of chauffeurs, or a Black Hawk helicopter or a Royal Teleportation Device or something, Prince Harry actually did that last one at Pippa Middletons wedding over the weekend.

Harrys girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle, chose not to attend the wedding ceremony so as not to detract from the bride (?? Can a Brit please translate this for me). Still, she apparently likes partying down as much as any wealthy English toff, so she was keen to make an appearance at the reception.

Rather than tell her to catch an Uber, Prince Harry hopped in the car and made the 160km, hour-long trip to give her a lift.

Aww. Thats really sweet actually. Next time your significant other refuses to come pick you up from the pub, youre well within your rights to screech PRINCE HARRY WOULD HAVE DONE IT.

Source: Vogue.

Image: Getty.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has partnered with Stan to celebrate the launch of the brand new Twin Peaks (streaming exclusively on Stan). Together, were bringing you a review of the first two parts of the new Twin Peaks. Were also transforming a Gelato Messina in Sydney today + Melbourne on Thursday into the shows Double R Diners, and giving away show-themed flavours all day.

**SPOILER ALERT**

THERE ARE SOME BIG OL SPOILERS IN THE FOLLOWING REVIEW. IF YOU DONT WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE FIRST TWO PARTS OF THE NEW TWIN PEAKS, I SUGGEST YOU HEAD OVER HERE TO HYPE YOURSELF UP ON OUR DELISH DOUBLE R DINER GELATO FLAVA-FLAVS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Well holy shit.

PEDESTRIAN.TV got the extremely lucky chance to watch the first two hours of the new Twin Peaks and friends, my mind is sufficiently blown.

You know how you go into reboots or sequels or continuations with the highest of hopes, only to have your heart kicked in the butt by a half-arsed job? Well David Lynch and Mark Frost certainly didnt do that.

The first two parts of the new Twin Peaks flips everything on its head, a mystery cloaked in a theory wrapped in an iconic enigma, lain dormant for 25 years, only to rear its wild head to kick dirt in your eyes and make your brain swim.

Buckle up, this one is going to be a wild ride.

The first two parts brings back a bunch of characters we grew to love in Twin Peaks. And yes, each of the re-introductions caused me to gasp, and sigh, and wring my hands in glee, knowing that theyve all aged but time seems to have stood entirely still.

Special Agent Cooper and The Giant open the new vision in Part One, and it seems Coop hasnt left the Black Lodge at all in 25 years. Which can only mean that Doppelganger Cooper (the one possessed by Bob) is still at large.



NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.

Weve got some new locations to speculate over as well. The new Twin Peaks takes us to NYC, South Dakota, and Las Vegas, entertaining the idea that Bobs evil has sprawled further than the dark Douglas fir tree woods that surround Twin Peaks.

In NYC we find ourselves in a large warehouse space, high up off the bustling city streets. Theres a glass box with a hole to the outside of the building, very well lit, surrounded by cameras that never stop recording.

Were introduced to the first younger character, who sits, watches, waits. Is he trying to capture Bob on camera? Is Bob on his way to possess this young man, and hes going to get trapped? Another layer to the mystery.

Hes also got a massive hard-on for a girl, Tracy, who brings him coffee every evening. She wants to get inside  the room, you sick jerks  and when it eventually happens, things dont exactly end up going too well. Youll know when it happens.

Back in Twin Peaks, we see Margaret Lanterman, (aka The Log Lady). A beautiful moment between her and Deputy Tommy Hawk Hill (!!!) on the phone, where her log imparts some serious knowledge onto Hawk. Knowing that Catherine Coulson passed away in 2015, its simultaneously heartwarming and breaking to see her here, reprising her all-knowing, stickybeaking role.

Andy Brennan and Lucy Moran are still working for Sheriff Truman (though Lucy now says that theres two Sheriff Trumans, ones sick and the others out fishing), and they have a son, Wally, who is 24 years old and has never even seen Cooper. Now theres a lot of speculation and theory around who Michael Cera will be playing in Twin Peaks and I mean, where theres smoke, right?



Look at them, sweet angels.

A favourite moment for me was coming across brothers Ben and Jerry Horne again. Ben is still holding down business at the Great Northern Hotel, and Jerry has followed his extremely free-spirited ways. His lucrative erb biz is apparently keeping the place afloat and Im entirely not surprised that Jerrys extremely stoned wearing clothes I can only assume are woven with hemp and have a particular dank smell to them.

Because Lynch is so notorious for everything having meaning and purpose, I found myself leaning forward in my chair, peering into the surreal world before me in an attempt to absorb every aspect of these first two parts. There is a lot to take in, so though you have your whole chair, youll only need the edge, I promise you.

These two parts dont introduce us to all the characters, either. Though there have been set pictures and trailers that have Denise Bryson, Bobby Briggs, Gordon Cole and Norma Jennings, were yet to meet them  and others  again.

The new Twin Peaks seems to have more of a feel of Fire Walk With Me, as well. The intensity and bloodthirstiness of Fire Walk With Me is present again in the first two parts. One scene had me half covering my eyes as one of the most horrific scenes that Ive ever seen on primetime TV played out on the screen. Weve gotten to see multiple gruesome attacks in the first two hours, which is more than the whole of season one and two combined.

NNNNNNNNOPE.

Lets take a look at Doppelganger Cooper for a moment cos hoo-boy thats a whole thing.

So hes been missing pretty much since the last time we saw him, in that iconic Hows Annie? scene in the bathroom at the Great Northern Hotel. Hes managed to make a bit of a name for himself as a badass. Hes got long hair. He wears leather and snakeskin patterned shirts. Hes charming in that mum-warned-me-about-men-like-you and is a bad dude and isnt afraid to prove his power.

Doppelganger Cooper absolutely does a murder, and he also knows that he has to go back to the Black Lodge.

Its looking like the return to Twin Peaks is going to be another trip into surreal dreamscapes and everything, not just the owls, is not what it seems.

Put on a pot of the blackest coffee, were in for the long haul, folks.

Dont forget the only place you can catch the brand new Twin Peaks is over on Stan, so get on over there and sign up for your 30-day free trial and start the binge.

Photo: Supplied.
Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

Used to be, not too long ago, that when you mentioned

Ed Rendell

, the name "

David L. Cohen

" was sure to follow.

He was Rendell's brain, his chief-of-staff when Rendell was Philly's two-term mayor. But now, Cohen, the top executive at cable mega-opoly Comcast, has parted company with his old boss over the eye-watering, $1 million in bonuses paid to host DNC-Philly Host Committee staffers.

As our friends at The Inquirer reported over the weekend, Cohen, a special adviser to the DNC 2016 Host Committee says, "nobody ever ran the idea of giving any bonuses to anyone in connection with the host committee of the convention."

And if they had, Cohen told the newspaper, he "would've done everything in my power to kill the concept."

State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is currently looking into whether public funds got mixed into the bonuses, which included a $310,000 payout to a top staffer who was already making a $13k* monthly salary (updated).

The committee, which received $10 million from Pennsylvania taxpayers, ended up with a $4 million surplus at the end of last year.

Besides the bonuses, it spent the balance of that money on grants to public schools and in repaying the city of Philadelphia for the municipal services it consumed.

DNC officials have defended the spending and the bonuses - authorized by Rendell, the host committee's chairman - saying no public money was used.

But Gov. Tom Wolf has said he's disappointed that the host committee didn't return any extra money to the state.

The Inquirer further reported over the weekend that when the DNC Host Committee filed for non-profit status, it "declared that it would give any leftover funds to charity."

The flap over the bonuses and the non-profit declaration raised eyebrows with one expert, Drexel University law professor Robert Field:

"That sounds problematic," Field, who has expertise in the nonprofit sector, told the newspaoer. "Generally to get federal tax exemption, you have to provide in bylaws and articles of incorporation ... that any leftover funds will go to another charity."

Rendell told the newspaper that the committee's actions were kosher, since $1.2 million was given to charity. The bonuses, he said, were "deferred compensation."

"We aren't legally dissolved yet. ... There will be no money left over when we dissolve," he told the Inquirer.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

The AP tells you what to expect as jury selection for the Bill Cosby trial gets under way today (via The Tribune-Review).

Additional rail service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh is under review, The Post-Gazette reports.

PhillyMag pens an ode to the Philly stoop.

Did you know Philly basically invented the cupcake? Us neither. BillyPenn explains.

Judge Mark B. Cohen? Oyy ... (via City & State Pa).

Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day (Not Obeying Local Traffic Laws Edition):

Pennsylvania may move to seal the records for those convicted of non-violent misdemeanors, NewsWorks/WHYY-FM reports.

A Lebanon Council candidate was apparently roughed up by a Mount Joy cop, The York Daily Record reports (via WITF-FM).

Allentown cops killed an armed robber after he rammed two police cars, The Morning Call reports.

With online sales 'booming' states are still struggling to capture tax revenue, Stateline.org reports.

Politico explains how national Dems are reviving their successful 2006 playbook for 2018.

The Law & Order president has met the ultimate lawman in Robert Mueller, Roll Call reports.

What Goes On.

The House and Senate each convene at 1 p.m. today. And it's the annual Second Amendment lobbying day on the Hill. Expect plenty of bang and clatter over gun rights.

WolfWatch.

Gov. Tom Wolf makes it easy for us today - no public schedule.

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition).

11:30 am.: Luncheon for Rep. Mark Longietti

11:30 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Bernie O'Neill

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Sen. Tom McGarrigle

Hit all three events and give at the max and you'll part with a mere $3,000 today.

Heavy Rotation.

This one's for all the crate-diggers out there. You know who you are.

Monday's Gratuitous Hockey Link.

A resurgent Pittsburgh romped over Ottawa on Sunday, taking a 3-2 series lead in the NHL's Eastern Conference finals.

And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit.
The first American serial killer may have felt remorse for his crimes, after all.

H.H. Holmes (born Herman Webster Mudgett) constructed an elaborate "Murder Castle" full of trap doors, acid vats and a crematorium in Chicago in 1892 where he lured the unsuspecting in with the promise of apartments.

Holmes was caught in 1894 and convicted for the murder of one of his accomplices, Benjamin Pitezel. At the time he confessed to killing more than 20 people (although he later altered the number to just two). He was hanged in 1896 in Philadelphia for his crimes and largely believed to have been unremorseful to the end.

His life and crimes went on to become the subject of the book "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson.

But a family in New Jersey has a found a note, written in Holmes' hand, that may imply he felt guilt at the end, according to NBC 10.

The note was found in a family Bible belonging to Claire and Larry Fanelle. It is addressed to a cousin of Claire Fanelle's great grandfather. The cousin, Father Patrick J. Dailey, was a Catholic priest stationed at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is right by the prison Holmes was kept in.

The note, Larry Fanelle told NBC 10, implies that Holmes asked for forgiveness at the very end for his crimes.

Holmes' death has been of interest lately for another reason.

The family of the serial killer exhumed his body earlier this month in an attempt to verify that Holmes was actually killed in 1896. There are century-old rumors that he may have swindled his way out of his execution and ran off to live in South America. The remains are undergoing a DNA test at the University of Pennsylvania.

Want more stories about Philadelphia? Click here for all our coverage of the City of Brotherly Love.
There was a sense of deja vu in a Dauphin County courtroom Monday afternoon as Shawn Jones went on trial for the murder of John Thomas Carter, the nephew of Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas Carter.



Jones, 20, is the second man to be tried for shooting the 36-year-old John Carter in the back in the 2200 block of Green Street on Easter Eve of 2016. His co-defendant, Glenn Walker III, is already serving a life prison sentence, having been convicted of first-degree murder by another county jury in January.



Chief Deputy District Attorney Johnny Baer is seeking the same fate for Jones.



However, Jones' lawyer, Roy Galloway, is contending his client was not gunman No. 2. As Jones' trial began Galloway told the jurors the second shooter is actually one of the prosecution's main witnesses.



To a large extent, Jones' trial is a replay of the proceedings that landed Walker behind bars for life. Evidence will include a home surveillance video that puts Jones and Walker at the murder scene, but stops short of showing any shots fired.

In his opening statement, Baer told the jurors that the unarmed John Carter was "brutally gunned down from behind" after he "rolled onto the wrong block at the wrong time."



"And unfortunately," Baer added, "he picked a fight with the wrong guys." The fatal result, he said, was "a fistfight that was settled with guns."



The prosecutor said John Carter was riding with his fiance and child when he exchanged glances with three young men. That prompted him to get out of the car to confront them. "We believe this was a chance encounter between strangers," Baer said.



He said the video shows the fistfight, then shows John Carter suddenly run away. John Carter was killed by a single .45 caliber bullet that struck him in the back.



Baer said Harrisburg police determined that Jones and Walker fired the same type of guns during a December 2015 incident outside a city bar. That incident was caught on video, too, he said.



Galloway disputed that claim and insisted Jones never fired at John Carter during the Green Street incident. "My client didn't cause this death," he told the jurors. "We submit that my client was not one of the shooters."



Instead, he said, the actual gunman was Norbell Lynch, who Baer called as an eyewitness to John Carter's slaying during the trial that resulted in Walker's conviction. The prosecutor said he intends to call Lynch to the witness stand during Jones' trial as well.



"He's a corrupt witness," Galloway said of Lynch. "He's not someone who's trustworthy."

The trial is to resume Tuesday in Judge Deborah E. Curcillo's courtroom.
A former dean and interim provost at another State System of Higher Education institution has been named as Bloomsburg University's next president.

Bashar Hanna has been hired by the State System of Higher Education to become Bloomsburg University's next president.

The State System board of governors on Monday voted to appoint Bashar Hanna to take over the reins of the nearly 9,700-student Columbia County university. He succeeds David Soltz, who is retiring from presidency on June 30 after serving in that position since 2008.

Hanna, 50, will start the job on July 1 and receive a salary of $250,000.

Hanna's first stint with the State System was as dean of Kutztown University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 2005 to 2009 as well as an interim provost. Currently, he is a biology professor at Delaware Valley University in Bucks County, where he formerly served as its vice president for academic affairs and faculty dean from 2011 to 2016.

He also has held positions at Ithaca College, Damascus University, DeVry University and Temple University, which is also where he earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees.

Last week, the system hired Laurie Carter to become Shippensburg University's next president. She will start on Aug. 7.
Demonstrators with the high-decibel "March on Harrisburg" had their first direct confrontation with state House leaders Monday morning.

In the video, you can hear marchers serenade House State Government Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler County, with demands for a vote on a bill that would ban all gifts to state lawmakers.

The bill, House Bill 39, is currently sitting in Metcalfe's State Government Committee.

Leaders of the march have promised a series of non-violent protests through the week aimed at drawing attention to government reform causes including the gift ban, redistricting reform and easier voter registration rules.

At present, state lawmakers are permitted to accept gifts from lobbyists, business interests and others, though any gift valued at more than $250, or more than $650 in meals, hotels, travel and other hospitality must be publicly disclosed to the State Ethics Commission.
A 23-year-old Lebanon man is being in police custody on $1 million bail after his arrest early Monday morning following a standoff.

Joshua Isaac Nunez faces numerous charges after the incident May 22. At around 1:55 a.m., Palmyra police were dispatched to the 100 block of North Harrison Street for a suspicious person call.

Officers arrived and made contact with the victim who said that Nunez had broken into her residence and raped her. Authorities established a perimeter around the residence and tried to make contact with Nunez before the Lebanon Count Emergency Services Unit entered the residence and found Nunez hiding in the attic, police said.



Nunez charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, burglary, criminal trespassing, and two counts of sexual assault, all felonies. He is also charged with misdemeanor counts of indecent assault by forcible compulsion, simple assault, indecent assault with out the consent of others, indecent exposure and defiant trespassing.



Nunez faces summary offenses for harassment and criminal mischief. He is awaiting preliminary arraignment, according to online court records.
Pennsylvania Capitol police arrested 23 protesters from the March on Harrisburg protest Monday morning.

The group has planned a series of actions in and around the state Capitol this week to try to force action on a set of government reform measures including changing the rules for redrawing legislative lines and banning gifts to public officials.

The House and Senate are both in session through Wednesday.

About a dozen protestors were arrested following a lively protest inside and outside a House State Government Committee meeting.

They were there, they said, to demand a meeting with Committee Chair Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler County, in whose committee several bills of interest to the marchers have been assigned.

A march spokeswoman, Emily DiCicco, said Metcalfe has stonewalled their attempts to meet with him on the bills for six months.

Earlier, another group was arrested after protesting outside Metcalfe's Capitol office.

The marchers, a state Capitol Police spokesman explained, will likely face disorderly conduct citations for interrupting the committee meeting, and later, refusing to disperse after staging a sit-in outside one of the committee room doors.

Troy Thompson, press secretary of the state Department of General Services, said all will be cited and released, and "ordered not to trespass on Capitol property for the remainder of their demonstration."
Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai released a couple more trial balloons regarding his potential candidacy for the 2018 Republican gubernatorial nomination Monday.

In an appearance before the Pennsylvania Press Club, Turzai positioned himself as a "reformer with results."

He then proceeded to tick off a few, including:

* A 'no' vote as a junior House member against the double-digit, 2005 pay legislative raise, a moment in recent state history that led to the ouster of several senior legislative leaders attacked the next year as being insensitive to taxpayers.

* Leading the legislative defense against Gov. Tom Wolf's proposed increases in personal income and sales taxes

in 2015, and then holding firm after other Republicans had agreed to compromise.

* Successfully crusading for the sale of limited amounts of wine and beer at groceries and convenience stores.

Turzai, 57, has been a member of the state House since 2001, and has been in senior House leadership positions since 2011.

He seriously ramped up speculation about his gubernatorial candidacy with a May 12 letter to members of the Pennsylvania State Republican Committee, in which Turzai said he will make a formal announcement in the summer or early fall.

But he sounded very "runner-ish," in his appearance today.

If Turzai ran, it would mark the modern Pennsylvania history that a top leader of a legislative majority would directly challenge the re-election of an incumbent governor from the opposing major party.

Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf has already announced his bid for a second term.

Other current Republican legislative leaders have publicly cited the obligations of their current jobs - including the need to negotiate a state budget - as one of the reasons they opted out of the 2018 race.

Here's what Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, had to say to PennLive about that combination of roles earlier this year:

"Those negotiations are difficult enough without adding the fact that I could possibly be running against him. I thought all things considered, for the way things need to work, it'd be better if I was not a candidate," Corman said.

Turzai apparently sees it differently.

Asked Monday if he would stay on as speaker while making a run, the Speaker dismissed the question as "non-news...

"You know, I haven't heard anybody asking the governor to resign to run for governor, and yet he's at the budget table," Turzai said. "It's just one of those questions that, you know, that somebody who wants to stir something up comes up with.

"It's just non-news."

Turzai may believe he has a credible path to the GOP nomination.

In a primary field occupied so far by state Sen. Scott Wagner, a fiery fiscal conservative from York County, and Paul Mango, a first-time candidate from Pittsburgh, Turzai can stake out turf as a government professional who has a track record of achieving results within the system.

He previewed that message on Monday, as well.

Turzai called both Wagner and Mango good people whom he credited as recognizing change is needed in the governor's office.

But then he added:

"If you want to be able to actually get things done, you've got to be tenacious, and you have to know people and you have to network, and you have to be principled but pragmatic, and you have to know how to get votes.

"I think Pennsylvania is looking for somebody who has a history of getting stuff done, and I'm that person."

Turzai, an attorney by profession who represents suburban Pittsburgh in the House, is a graduate of Notre Dame and Duke Law School.

In addition to liquor privitization efforts, he has made a name for himself in the legislature as a battler for school choice opportunities, and pro-business reforms in the state's civil courts.

If Turzai gets in the race, that could pretty well set the early field for the Republicans, most observers believe, though Pittsburgh attorney Laura Ellsworth is also said to be considering entering the GOP race.
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, centre, speaks to reporters at a news conference to comment the Bombardier C-Series deal with Delta Airlines, before a party caucus meeting, Thursday, April 28, 2016 at the legislature in Quebec City. Couillard says the province needs to take care of Bombardier because of its unique importance to the province.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga in Bamako, Mali on May 21, 2017. / Chinese Foreign Ministry Photo

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China will expand cooperation with Mali. He also said Beijing firmly supports Mali's efforts in safeguarding its unity and security.

Wang made the remarks on Sunday when meeting Malian Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maiga in the country's capital of Bamako.

The visiting foreign minister added that as a good friend of Mali, China supports the country in finding a development path that suits its national conditions.

China always backs African countries to solve their problems in their own ways and will continue to safeguard African countries' interests in multilateral mechanisms, including the UN Security Council, Wang said.

He also said that China will expand cooperation with Mali in the fields of infrastructure construction, human resources development, and peace and security.

In turn, Maiga said Mali feels grateful for China's long-term support and assistance in its development. He added that Mali is also willing to expand cooperation and communication with China.
New East Jordan trail to be named for Don and EIleen Klein
File Photo: Senior Colonel Wu Qian, deputy director of the Information Office of China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) and spokesperson for the MND

BEIJING, May 20, (ChinaMil) -- China's defense ministry on Friday rejected the US accusation on China's "unprofessional" intercept of a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Yellow Sea and urged the US to stop such activities.

China's Ministry of National Defense(MND) was asked on Friday to confirm and comment on the US media's report that two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets intercepted a reconnaissance aircraft of the U.S. Air Force over the Yellow Sea on May 17 and the nearest distance between the military planes of the two countries was about 46 meters.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, deputy director of the Information Office of China's MND and spokesperson for the MND, responded to the incident in a short statement on Friday night, stressing that "the US account did not accord with the facts. "

Wu Qian said that an American reconnaissance aircraft was conducting surveillance activity over China's Yellow Sea on May 17 and the Chinese military planes identified and verified the aircraft in accordance with laws and regulations. "The relevant action was professional and safe," Wu said.

Wu pointed out that the frequent close-in reconnaissance activities against China by the US military vessels and aircraft are the root cause of military security problems between China and the United States at sea and in the air.

We hope that the US side stops relevant reconnaissance activities, to avoid this kind of incident happening again, Wu added.
With Rouhani UAE minister sees chance for Iran to reset "troubled" ties with neighbours

DUBAI

Petroleumworld 05 22 2017

A senior United Arab Emirates official said on Sunday the re-election of moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani could be a chance for Tehran to reset "its troubled relations" with its neighbours.

Relations between Gulf Arab states, including the UAE, have been strained over fears that Tehran was interfering in their affairs, including in Syria and Yemen, fomenting unrest and sectarian tensions. Tehran denies these allegations.

Rouhani beat his main challenger, hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi, in presidential election on Friday, garnering more than 57 percent of the vote.

It was not immediately clear if the comments by UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash reflected any change in Arab states' views of Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of Tehran was well received at a summit of Arab and Islamic leaders with him in Riyadh on Sunday.

In a tweet about Rouhani's election victory, Gargash said: "With Pres(ident) Rouhani's re-election, one hopes Iran reset its troubled relations with neighbours. Let Tehran not squander another opportunity."

On Saturday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, at a news conference with his U.S. counterpart Rex Tillerson in Riyadh, said Iran's presidential election was an internal matter. "We want to see deeds, not words" from Iran, he added.

Kuwait's emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, an ally of Saudi Arabia, congratulated Rouhani on his re-election.

The UAE, a regional trading and tourism hub, is a main trading partner with non-Arab Iran. The Gulf Arab state last year downgraded ties with Tehran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Tehran after demonstrators angry at the execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric in the kingdom attacked Saudi missions.






OPEC decision time: rollover or deepen cuts? Kemp

LONDON

Petroleumworld 05 22 2017

OPEC ministers head to Vienna next week where they are expected to ratify an extension of the current production cuts that has been agreed informally among the key participants.

Saudi Arabia and Russia announced earlier this week that they have agreed on the need to extend OPEC and non-OPEC output cuts for a further nine months until March 2018.

Riyadh and Moscow pledged the bulk of cuts under the current agreement between OPEC and non-OPEC exporters so their agreement on the need for an extension has made an extension very likely when OPEC meets formally next week.

Other OPEC ministers have already signalled support. Crucially both Iraq and Iran have stated they are in favour, which removes any remaining obstacles.

In theory, OPEC could try to surprise the market by announcing deeper cuts or an even longer extension beyond March 2018, though most analysts and traders have discounted the possibility.

Saudi Arabia and Russia left the door open by promising "to do whatever it takes to achieve the desired goal of stabilising the market and reducing commercial oil inventories to their 5-year average".

Past experience suggests a decision to deepen the cuts would cause a sharp increase in prices in the days following the announcement but an extension would have little impact or cause prices to fall slightly.

OPEC DECISIONS

Researchers have studied the impact on oil prices of all OPEC decisions between 1983 and 2008 ("The behaviour of crude oil spot and futures prices around OPEC and SPR announcements", Demirer and Kutan, 2010).

They found that OPEC decisions to cut production caused prices to rise significantly over the following month, but decisions to rollover an existing agreement caused prices to fall slightly.

"The degree of return persistence following OPEC production cut announcements creates substantial excess returns to investors who take long positions on the day following the end of OPEC conferences," according to Demirer and Kutan.

The authors estimated excess returns on a long position to be around 7.5 percent for the front-month futures contract and 4.5 percent for the 12th-month contract over the course of the following month.

In the build up to most OPEC meetings, crude traders' default assumption seems to have been that OPEC would struggle to reach an agreement on cutting production and would normally take the easier course of extending existing allocations.

Decisions to cut production therefore tended to surprise the market and push prices higher, but a rollover was mostly anticipated and had little impact on prices.

Prior to an OPEC meeting, traders have usually assumed there is a small but non-zero chance output will be cut, and a larger probability that allocations will be rolled over.

Oil prices have reflected these ex ante estimates of the probability of output cuts versus the probability of a production rollover.

In the event that the meeting agreed on a rollover, the relatively low ex ante probability of output cuts declined to zero ex post, and oil prices adjusted downwards slightly.

But if the meeting decided on a reduction, the ex ante probability, usually seen as low, suddenly rose to 100 percent ex post, and the surprise factor drove prices higher.

"The market is not sure what the outcome will be: Will OPEC cut production or maintain the status quo?" according to Demirer and Kutan. "If OPEC announces a production cut, the surprise leads to an upward adjustment in prices."

"However, if OPEC maintains the status quo, the market takes this inaction as a failure to agree on a production cut and therefore adjusts prices downward."

ROLLOVER OR DEEPEN?

The rise in prices following OPEC's announcement of production cuts on Nov. 30. was consistent with this pattern.

Front-month Brent prices jumped by 23 percent from $46.38 on the day before the meeting to reach a peak about a month later of $57.10 on Jan. 6 ( tmsnrt.rs/2qyoPaN ).

In the run up to next week's OPEC meeting in Vienna, OPEC members are reportedly exploring a range of possible scenarios.

But among oil traders, the consensus seems to be that the ex ante probability of deeper production cuts is very low while the probability of a rollover is high.

No one expects OPEC would allow the current cuts to expire and flood the market with an extra 1 million barrels per day from the start of July.

If OPEC were to surprise the market by deepening production cuts, prices are likely to rise very sharply as those probabilities are reappraised ex post.

Short-dated futures contracts will likely rise more than long-dated contracts, causing the contango to narrow.

But in the event of a rollover, prices are likely to remain flat, or even come under mild downward pressure, as the residual threat of a cut is removed.






Nigerian oil labour union calls for Exxon shutdown in Delta

YENAGOA, Nigeria

Petroleumworld 05 22 2017

A Nigerian oil labour union on Friday called for the shutdown of all Exxon Mobil Corp facilities in the Niger Delta, a union representative said.

Reuters was unable to independently verify whether union members had shut down the company's facilities.

Oil sources said there had been no impact on production.

Madubuezi Azubuike, who chairs the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Rivers state, said the call followed the breakdown of talks with the company over sackings and was part of a strike that began last week.

"We have called for the shutdown of all Mobil facilities across the Delta today," he said.

The industrial action is in protest at the sacking of 150 workers in December, of which 82 were PENGASSAN members.

"No resolution has been reached so far. We have had meetings with top management of the union and Mobil executives, but with no avail over issues," Azubuike said.

An Exxon Mobil spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Strikes by Exxon workers in Nigeria at the end of last year did impact output, delaying loadings by weeks.

Nigerian labour unions have held a number of strikes in the last few months over the dismissal of oil workers.






OPEC: Full tanks and tankers: a stubborn oil glut despite cuts - Analysis

NEW YORK/LONDON/SINGAPORE

Petroleumworld 05 22 2017

After the first OPEC oil production cut in eight years took effect in January, oil traders from Houston to Singapore started emptying millions of barrels of crude from storage tanks.

Investors hailed the drawdowns as the beginning of the end of a two-year supply glut - raising hopes for steadily rising per-barrel prices.

It hasn't worked out that way.

Now, many of those same storage tanks are filling back up or draining more slowly than investors and oil firms had expected, according to global inventory estimates and more than a dozen oil traders and shipping sources who told Reuters about storage in facilities that do not make their oil volumes public.

The stalled drawdowns shed light on the broader challenge facing OPEC - the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries - as it struggles to steer the industry out of the downturn caused by oversupply. With U.S. shale oil production surging, inventories remain stubbornly high and prices appear stuck in the low-$50s per-barrel range.

The market has not strengthened enough to drain many major storage facilities around the globe - which OPEC oil ministers had hoped would be a first step toward rebalancing what has been a buyer's market since late 2014.

Estimated inventories in industrialized nations totaled 3.025 billion barrels at the end of March - about 300 million barrels above the five-year average, according to the International Energy Agency's latest monthly report.

Preliminary April data indicated stocks would rise further, the IEA said. Crude stocks stood at a record 1.235 billion barrels.

OPEC and other non-OPEC nations - most notably Russia - are now widely expected to extend production cuts for another nine months, through March 2018. A panel reviewing scenarios for the producer group's meeting next week is also looking at the option of deepening the cuts.

The ongoing struggle to thin supplies has forced economists to cut their oil price forecasts. Bank of America, for instance, last week lowered its 2017 target for Brent crude by $7 a barrel to $54.

During the two-year price war started by OPEC, about half a billion barrels of crude and refined products flowed into storage facilities as oil prices hit lows of less than $30 a barrel in early 2016.

Much of the inventory build-up came as traders started using storage to make easy money on the widening spread between rock-bottom spot oil prices and substantially higher prices for contracts to deliver the oil in future months.

That price spread - a market structure known as contango - allowed traders to profit even after they paid for expensive storage in facilities such as the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) - the only deep-water U.S. oil port and a major conduit for crude imports - or supertankers parked offshore in Singapore.

Although the storage trade has been less profitable since the OPEC production cuts, much of that oil remains in tanks, said Chris Bake, an executive committee member at Vitol, the world's largest independent trader, during an industry conference last week in London.

"This 550 million barrel-plus inventory build of crude and products that started in 2014 is still very much there," he said. "How much is going to come out? That is an ongoing debate among all of us."

"CLOGGED" WITH OIL

From the Malacca Straits in Asia to the ports of Northern Europe and the Gulf of Mexico, drawdowns of global inventories have slowed or even reversed.

In the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region  one of the most expensive areas in Europe to store oil and the benchmark pricing point for fuel - crude is starting to flow back into storage because refiners are "clogged" with oil, an industry source handling deals in that region told Reuters.

Refined fuel inventories have also jumped suddenly, with gasoil in tanks in the ARA hub rising to an eight-month high earlier this month, according to Dutch consultancy PJK International. Gasoil includes jet fuel, diesel and heating oil.

At one of the world's largest oil storage facilities - on the shores of Saldanha Bay in South Africa - millions of barrels were sold in recent months, traders told Reuters.

But more cargoes are flowing right back into its tanks, which can hold 45 million barrels, as sellers struggle to find refiners to buy freshly loaded oil, the traders said.

In the Houston region, stored oil stocks touched record levels at the end of March, according to energy information provider Genscape.

The state of inventories appears more mixed in Asia.

In China, the world's second-largest oil consumer behind the United States, commercial crude stocks hit their lowest level in four years in March, according to the government-controlled Xinhua News Agency. But in nearby South Korea, inventories were near a record, according to the Korea National Oil Corp.

SLOW PROGRESS

While global inventories remain bloated, there are some signs that the OPEC cuts have dented supplies.

Recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that nationwide stocks started draining in April this year - the first decrease for that month since 1999.

Declining costs for storage is another indication that traders and oil companies are putting less oil in storage than at the height of the price war.

At the largest U.S. storage facility at Cushing, Oklahoma, storage tanks costs about 35 cents a barrel per month, traders say, compared nearly 50 cents a year ago.

Parking oil in a supertanker off the shore of Singapore, Asia's refining hub, costs anywhere from 30 to 40 cents a barrel per month, down from 50 to 80 cents just a few months ago.

The futures contract for oil storage at the LOOP, off Louisiana's coast, dropped to about 24 cents per barrel recently, one of the lowest prices this year.

Still, the patchy evidence of draining storage has fallen far short of what investors expected after OPEC and non-OPEC nations agreed on production cuts last November.

The glut is ending, and tanks are slowly emptying, but not at the rate many oil market players had hoped, said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects.

"People were impatient and thought we'd start drawing 10 million barrels a day since the first week of January," she said. "We're still in excess, and there's lots of inventory around."






PDVSA and management vulnerables to indictment: US officials





CARACAS

Petroleumworld 05 22 2017

The US government is weighing federal indictments against current and past senior officials of Venezuela's state-owned PdV, and the oil company itself, for corruption, a top US official and a former senior US official tell Argus .

The US is the top destination for PdV's crude exports, with much of the supply absorbed by Citgo, PdV's US downstream subsidiary and remaining prize asset.

Current Venezuelan ambassador to the UN Rafael Ramirez, who served as energy minister in 2002-2014 and simultaneously as PdV chief executive in 2004-2014, is one of the senior Venezuelan nationals under scrutiny, the current and former US officials said.

US attorneys are also "seriously considering" whether to seek criminal indictments against PdV, as a corporation, under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), they said separately.

US federal courts in Texas and Florida have already successfully prosecuted several Venezuelan nationals since 2015 on bribery and money-laundering charges totaling well over $1bn in corruption under the FCPA. At least some of the cases involve irregular procurement for PdV.

Until now, PdV as a corporation has not appeared vulnerable to potential federal indictments.

PdV chief executive Eulogio Del Pino has insisted that any corrupt practices involving foreign equipment and services contracts with PdV were entirely the work of corrupt individuals who left the company before their corruption was exposed.

But both the FCPA and RICO explicitly give federal prosecutors ample leeway to seek indictments on criminal conspiracy and racketeering charges against PdV, including the parent company in Caracas and any of its subsidiaries incorporated in the US or other countries, a US corporate attorney tells Argus .

The US Treasury Department already plans to review a decision by Venezuela's state-owned PdV to pledge part of Citgo as collateral for a loan from Russia's state-controlled Rosneft. The Treasury's foreign investment committee reviews transactions that could pose national security risks by turning over control of US companies to foreigners.

A US federal indictment of PdV itself or any of its subsidiaries under the FCPA and/or RICO laws would create new hardships for the company as it struggles to sustain its deteriorating oil production and downstream infrastructure.

Potential lenders with financial or corporate interests involving US-based or US-owned institutions and corporations would not make new loans or sign joint venture deals with PdV if the company is indicted for enterprise corruption, the attorney said.

"Venezuela's credit, both the government's and PdV's, already has dried up completely," the attorney said. "Before the latest chaos in Venezuela only China and Russia appeared willing to extend the Maduro government and PdV more credit. But even the Chinese and Russians are now leery about increasing their Venezuelan exposure due to the national assembly's oft-stated warnings that any deals signed without the legislature's prior approval are illegal and therefore null and unenforceable legally under Venezuelan law."

One of the current and former US officials who spoke separately with Argus also said that the targeted sanctions imposed earlier this week against eight Venezuelan supreme court judges for illegally and unconstitutionally nullifying the legislature in March and emasculating its constitutional authority since the start of 2015 are "just the beginning."

Proponents of tougher sanctions against the now openly authoritarian regime of president Nicolas Maduro "are going to be very happy going forward," one of the US officials said.

The sanctions slapped on the high court justices this week freeze their US assets, bar them from traveling to the US or any of its territories, and prohibit US citizens and companies from doing business with them.

The energy ministry and PdV declined to comment. The foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment. But foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez yesterday condemned the sanctions on the eight justices as "outrageous and unacceptable."

At a press conference with Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos yesterday, US president Donald Trump called the Venezuelan situation a "disgrace."

The growing US scrutiny of PdV and PdV officials coincides with violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces, backed by paramilitary gangs. Shortages and food and medicine are acute, sowing a humanitarian crisis that has alarmed the region, particularly neighboring Colombia where many Venezuelans have fled.

Around 50 people have died in the confrontations since early April.










Temer: I will not resign. Brazil pressure for impeachment mounts

Igo Estrela/Getty Images



Michel Temer on May 20. OAB says president was omissive by not denouncing crimes. Group plans to file impeachment request in coming days. - Watch enlarge video

BRASILIA

Petroleumworld 05 22 2017

Brazil President Michel Temer suffered a setback in trying to fend off allegations of corruption and cover-up after the country's influential bar association voted in favor of his impeachment.

The council of Brazil's Order of Lawyers, or OAB by its Brazilian acronym, voted 25 to 1 in favor of an impeachment hearing for Temer, and will file its request in the lower house of Congress in coming days, it said early on Sunday. The OAB says Temer failed to denounce criminal activities, broke with presidential decorum, and promised undue favors to individuals.

Temer's press office didn't immediately reply to requests for comment.

We are going to ask for the impeachment of another president of the republic, the second in a year and four months, OAB president Claudio Lamachia said in a statement posted on the group's website. Temer's predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached in 2016.

Temer attempted in a publicly televised speech on Saturday to discredit evidence the Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot says shows the president engaging in a cover-up and possibly passive corruption. Janot earlier this month obtained Supreme Court authorization to investigate Temer, according to court documents made public on Friday.

Underlying the probe is a recording made by JBS chairman Joesley Batista in March in which he and Temer allegedly discuss payoffs and influence-trafficking. Temer says he met with Batista but denies wrongdoing, saying the evidence was doctored.

Several parties from Temer's ruling coalition will meet later on Sunday to discuss whether they will leave the government. On Saturday, the Brazilian Socialist Party announced it was switching to join the opposition.






OPEC concern on shale threat as members meet in Vienna





Saudis Confident in Extension of Oil Cuts for 9 Months. Delegates meet to discuss state of international oil market. - Watch enlarge video

KUWAIT/LONDON

Petroleumworld 05 22 2017

OPEC officials gathering in Vienna on Friday to prepare for next week's ministerial meeting kept their focus on rising U.S. shale oil production, which has been diluting the price impact of their production cuts.

National representatives from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and officials from several non-members heard a presentation on the outlook for the U.S. industry from Roger Diwan, a Washington-based analyst at IHS Markit Ltd., according to delegates familiar with the matter. Mark Papa, a partner at private equity firm Riverstone Holdings LLC and former boss of shale pioneer EOG Resources Inc., also spoke to the group, delegates said.

Officials at the meeting were relieved that the two outside consultants had estimates for growth in average U.S. crude output of 450,000 to 500,000 barrels a day this year, lower than the 562,000 barrel-a-day forecast from OPEC's own analysts, said two delegates.

The emphasis on U.S. production underscores the dilemma for OPEC and its allies as they consider whether to extend their cuts beyond June. The producers, who together account for about half the world's oil supply, have seen the initial price boost from their historic agreement fade as shale companies deployed more rigs and raised the country's output to the highest since 2015. That recovery could accelerate if they decide on May 25 to prolong the curbs.

IHS's Diwan presented an estimate that U.S. output this year will be about 500,000 barrels a day higher on average than in 2016, the delegates said, asking not to be identified because the meeting was private. That still means that production at the end of 2017 will be 700,000 to 1 million barrels a day higher than at the start, the delegates said.

That compares with a supply reduction of 1.2 million barrels a day from October levels implemented by OPEC, plus a cut of less than 400,000 barrels a day from non-members.

Papa, who helped create the shale industry more than a decade ago, estimated that average U.S. output would be 450,000 barrels a day higher this year, the delegates said.

Three Choices

OPEC is widely expected to prolong its supply curbs, and all producers are backing a nine-month extension, Saudi Arabia Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said Saturday.

We think we have everybody on board, Al-Falih said in an interview with Bloomberg television in Riyadh. Everybody I've talked to indicated that nine months was a wise decision.

OPEC's Economic Commission Board, a panel of representatives from member countries that meets to discuss the market before every ministerial meeting, considered the implications of various scenarios including extended production cuts, deeper supply reductions and the expiry of the curbs in June, the delegates said. Officials in Vienna didn't recommend a specific course of action, the delegates said.

Out of these three choices, an extension is most likely, analysts from Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a note to clients.

If OPEC cuts production even more, it will likely lose additional market share to U.S. shale and prices may not move up much more, the bank said. Conversely, if OPEC hikes output, oil prices could collapse to $35 a barrel, setting the cartel on an even more difficult fiscal path. In our view, most OPEC members cannot afford either scenario at this point.






The China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank expects to grow its membership to 85 by the end of this year, bank president Jin Liqun said on Saturday.

China won broad support for the establishment of AIIB, with 57 founding members, Jin said at the Jiangsu Development Summit in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province.

"By the end of this year, a total of 85 countries and regions will become AIIB's members," Jin said.

Jin said that the Belt and Road Initiative and the AIIB are both great initiatives.

Reflecting on the process of setting up the new bank and securing support from founding members, he said China had shown its willingness to serve the world using the experience of reform and opening up.

"Though the Belt and Road Initiative doesn't cover all AIIB members, we will put more efforts in the future and believe more and more countries will join the AIIB," Jin added.

With 57 signatories at its launch in January 2016 and the approval of 13 prospective members in March 2017, AIIB aims to provide financing to address the daunting infrastructure needs across Asia.
The vessel "Xue Long" used in China's Antarctic expedition (File photo/CGTN)

The 40th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting began in Beijing on Monday. Over 400 delegates from 42 countries are participating in the annual meeting focusing on climate change, and the Antarctic's special protection and management. It is the first time that China is hosting the event.

China's Antarctic research and strategy have progressed in leaps and bounds through the decades. In 1984, Chinas first Antarctic expedition team was established. 33 years on, Chinas first Snow Eagle 601 plane landed successfully in the Antarctic in January this year, opening up a new chapter of Chinas Antarctic expeditions. At this point in time, China has a complete scientific expedition system in place, which comprises scientific research teams.

We have signed bilateral agreements or memos on Antarctic cooperation with the US, Australia, New Zealand and other countries at present, said Qin Weijia, director of China's Polar Investigation of State Oceanic Administration (SOA). He emphasized that China is always implementing the requirements of the "Antarctic Treaty on Environmental Protection" and other relevant international conventions, trying best to protect the Antarctic. In the future, China plans to speed up the establishment of an observation network, which could cover the global oceanic system, said Qin.

It is also reported that Chinas fifth research station in the Antarctic is in the process of being set up.

China will promote to build an international cooperation platform and deepen the polar expedition, said Wang Hong, Administrator of SOA.
This is one of those David vs. Goliath stories -- everybody loves those, right? -- though in this case, David is a tiny Philly homeless advocacy group you've probably never heard of, and Goliath is New York City, because, come on, of course it is.

But for all its might and mouth, NYC couldn't outsmart a nonprofit organization with an inspiring mission: helping people escape homelessness.

After years of back and forth, the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit challenging the city's ridiculous refusal to provide copies of birth certificates for New York City-born residents of Philadelphia without proper documentation.

In doing so, Philly, which is disparagingly referred to as the Sixth Borough, has struck a blow not just for Philadelphians but for all New York-born residents living elsewhere in the country.

How you like them apples?

With some judicially applied pressure from U.S. District Judge William Pauley III, NYC let HAP attorneys use their own photo identifications to vouch for their clients  a well-established protocol -- and picked up the $75,000 in legal fees.



Even as a native New Yorker, I have to give serious props to Philly for putting an end to a vicious cycle that threatened to shut off housing, health care, and employment to already-vulnerable individuals.

And for reminding them that no matter how down on their luck, homeless people don't lose their rights just because they lose some paperwork.

Marsha Cohen, HAP's executive director, described the Catch-22:

"Access to those services requires state-issued IDs, but these people could not get IDs without birth certificates and could not get birth certificates without IDs."

Ah, bureaucracy.

Cohen said she contacted the city in 2015 to tell them their policy was different from those of all 50 state-run birth-certificate offices, including New York state's, but city officials were all, like, fugghedaboutit.

"Yo!" said Philadelphia lawyer and HAP board member Michael L. LiPuma, in our city's well-traveled vernacular, which I'm completely making up, but it's true in its essence: We need to stand up to the giant to our north.

Also named as plaintiffs were HAP clients Anthony Green and John Kagian, whose applications for birth certificates had been denied.

When I reached Kagian the other day, he was eyeing his long-awaited birth certificate, which one of the attorneys had hand-delivered to him.

Kagian, 57, didn't want to get too personal, but it was clear that the document was the key to changing a lot in his life.

"Today is a big day," he said. "It's not the end of the struggle, but it's a big step."

Over the years, Kagian said, life became more difficult as he lost more of his documents. But he hoped things were about to get a lot easier.

"I'm afraid to let it out of my sight," he said of his birth certificate. "I'm going to protect it, make sure it's secure, because I don't want to go through this roller coaster again."

HAP, which offers free legal advice, serves about 3,000 clients a year with a staff of 13 and 350 volunteers. Of those, 800 are requests for help to get birth certificates  often the first step for services.

Over the last four years, they've had 50-plus clients born in NYC for whom they couldn't get birth certificates, no matter how many times they tried to talk some sense and sanity into NYC. Multiply that by 50 states and you get an idea of how big of a deal this is.

The rule change is just a few weeks old, but already Cohen's been hearing from providers around the country.

"Hi Marsha," read one of the many emails, coincidentally from a lawyer in New York City. "Today, after 1 years of struggling to find the proper documentation, we finally got the birth certificate for my client thanks to the new attorney protocol! My client is thrilled. Thank you so much for your organization's hard work with this lawsuit."

I wondered how the small operation would celebrate its win. I envisioned a few celebratory drinks, maybe a party.

Cohen brought me right back to earth.

"We celebrate," she said, "by cheering and then moving on to the next fight."

And that, NYC, is how we roll in Philly.
The foundation started by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul A. Allen and his sister, Jody, has given a $9.25 million, five-year grant to University of Pennsylvania researchers to study what happens to the brain at a cellular and network level when someone gets a concussion. The hope is that better understanding will translate to new and more successful treatments.

The research will be led by David Meaney, chair of bioengineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Douglas H. Smith, director of the Center for Brain Injury and Repair at the Perelman School of Medicine. The project will involve 10 faculty members from Penn, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Duke and Columbia Universities, Meaney said.

Meaney said he and Smith already were studying what happens to cells in the brain during a concussion, but the new grant will allow them to take on higher-risk hypotheses that would be harder to sell to more conservative government funders. Even if only one of their ideas works, he said, "we could have a very different view of concussions."

The team will be looking at how brain damage caused by concussions affects the way that groups of brain cells communicate with each other, and why some concussion victims have more and longer-lasting disabilities than others. Smith said the group also will be looking at how to recruit the "shadow" networks of cells that can begin functioning after brain damage. Think of those as driving an alternative route to work when there's a wreck on your usual highway.

Meaney said the team will be studying parts of brain cells called exosomes that are shed into the blood as clues to the "molecular state of the brain." They could be a way to track injury and recovery. The group also hopes to use this blood testing to compare concussions with neurological diseases, including dementia. The Penn-led team will also try to develop a "brain on a chip" technology that would allow researchers to better test treatments. This is a way of seeing how damaged cells respond to treatment in their natural tissue environment.

The researchers hope to identify more quickly which patients will have difficulty recovering and then be able to individualize treatment.
Shared bikes (file photo/Chinanews.com)

Regulations for bike-sharing are tightening, with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work proposing recently that bike-sharing companies registered in the city must put consumer deposits into a designated bank account, financial website Caixin reported on Sunday.

The deposit issue has raised concerns among consumers as to how the companies manage the money and how refunds are obtained.

Of 2,011 respondents in a recent survey, 65.8 percent expressed support for a deposit-free mode for shared bicycles. They expressed concerns over deposits, citing difficult returns, the possibility of money diversion and high amounts, according to a news report of ifeng.com on Thursday.

"Bike-sharing companies do not have ownership of the deposits, so they cannot use the money for lending or investment, otherwise they will be involved in illegal funding," an official from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Financial Work was quoted as saying in the Caixin report.

Fu Jun, an investor in the Ofo sharing-bike company, said that "some companies take advantage of the deposit mode to rapidly expand their capital scale" by delaying the process of refunding deposit to consumers, according to the Caixin report.

Ofo and Coolqi are the two bike-sharing companies registered in Beijing. "The deposits of Ofo are put into China CITIC Bank for this specific use only, without any other purpose," a public relations representative of Ofo told the Global Times on Sunday.

Coolqi could not be reached for comments as of press time on Sunday.

The development of the industry is likely to reach a bottleneck if the deposits are strictly regulated, an industry insider said, noting that many bike-sharing companies can't cover their costs if each bike is covered by only one deposit, according to the Caixin report.

The profit pattern of bike-sharing companies is based on built-in leverage and the scale effect, and tightened deposit regulations could threaten that, the report said.

It noted that these companies do not only have costs in terms of purchasing bikes but also in their operation, maintenance and depreciation.
(ECNS) -- Chinese domestic air travelers are now required to carry their personal IDs as travel documents rather than passports.

A new rule issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China requires that Chinese passengers who take domestic flights or international flights in China's section should show their IDs.

This new rule mainly affects travelers passing through borders, overseas students and Chinese citizens residing abroad who have been living overseas for a long time, with their IDs expired or lost. They might face refusal by Chinese flights for lack of ID when they return to China, according to Wang Chuang, a ground service manager for China Eastern Airlines.

If their travel Itineraries include domestic flights, then they must carry their IDs at all times, Wang said.

Hu Changsheng, a safety check officer at Xinqiao Airport in Hefei City, Anhui Province, said Chinese passengers with an expired ID would not be allowed to board a plane.

A resident of Hefei City, working in international business, complained that the new policy was a source of inconvenience. In the past, he could easily travel home and abroad with just his passport, but now he also needed to bring his ID with him.

Aviation industry insiders said the new policy might affect passengers' flight choices. For example, tourists in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province could take a domestic flight to Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province before transferring to a flight bound for Brisbane, Australia, if they carry both an ID and a passport. While another option would be to fly through Hong Kong to Brisbane, which would require just their passport.
White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney questioned whether the Office of Government Ethics has authority to review waivers given to administration officials. Read more

White House officials are seeking to stop the federal government's top ethics officer from getting details about waivers granted to lobbyists and other appointees working in the administration, intensifying a power struggle between President Donald Trump and the ethics agency.

Walter Shaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics, sent a memo in April to the White House and federal agencies asking for information about such waivers.

But in a May 17 letter, Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, questioned whether the Office of Government Ethics has legal jurisdiction to get information about waivers that have been granted. He said the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel may need to be consulted.

"I therefore request that you stay the data call until these questions are resolved," Mulvaney wrote Shaub in a letter first reported by the New York Times.

Shaub did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But former OGE officials said the agency has clear authority to seek such documentation under the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. Without such reports, they said, it is impossible to know how many appointees have been granted exemptions from ethics rules  and how much leeway they have under the waivers.

"This is unprecedented interference with OGE," said Don Fox, a former general counsel and acting director of the ethics office.

"The Ethics and Government Act was part of a whole package of post-Watergate legislation that had a common theme of transparency," he added. "If there is nothing to hide, why hide it?"

OMB officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The tussle centers on OGE's effort to determine whether the administration is complying with federal ethics regulations, including an executive order Trump signed in January that, among other measures, prohibits former lobbyists who join the government from participating in any matter they lobbied on for two years.

Trump has not disclosed how many waivers have been granted to appointees who are in violation of his order, even as his administration has tapped numerous lobbyists for posts.

In contrast, the Obama administration regularly released copies of waivers that explained why it was in the public interest to hire appointees whose past lobbying work or employers put them in conflict with ethics rules.

Trump's ethics order also stripped out an Obama-era clause requiring OGE to provide an annual public report detailing who has received ethics waivers.

Shaub now appears to be seeking to compile a public record by reviewing waivers granted in the past year. In his April memo to White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and the heads of federal agencies, he said information about ethics waivers was necessary to further OGE's "mission with respect to the executive branch program."

He is being urged on by Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee, including the ranking Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland.

"If the Trump Administration's compliance or lack of compliance with ethics requirements is shrouded in secrecy, the American people cannot hold to account the Administration officials who participate in matters in which they have conflicts of interest," Cummings and 17 other Democrats on the committee wrote in a letter.

Mulvaney's pushback is the latest episode in which administration officials have questioned the reach of OGE.

Earlier this year, Stefan Passantino, the White House's designated ethics official, argued in a letter to Shaub that many ethics rules do not apply to presidential staffers.

In response, Shaub called Passantino's assertion "extraordinary " and "incorrect."

"It is critical to the public's faith in the integrity of government that White House employees be held to the same standard of ethical accountability as other executive branch employees," he wrote.
Is white trash finally taboo?

Last week, a dean at Yale University was placed on leave for using the term in a Yelp review.

Critiquing a Japanese restaurant, June Chu wrote, "If you are white trash, this is the perfect night out for you! This establishment is definitely not authentic  and perfect for those low class folks who believe this is a real night out."

Chu, who identified herself as Chinese American, has apologized for being "insensitive."

A phrase uttered by rich and poor, liberal and conservative, white trash is the "last racist thing you can say and get away with," the filmmaker John Waters once said.

Maybe not anymore.

Chu's punishment may be proof that, although not as toxic as the n-word, white trash is potent enough to wound.

"I've heard people call me 'white trash' since I was young  always other white people, and it's so hurtful," said Nancy Horton, 63, a retired security guard, who lives on $300 a week in a trailer park on Route 322 in Honey Brook, Chester County. "My family grew up in mobile homes, and people just associate it as being where all the drug people with bad clothes are.

" 'Oh, you're just white trash,' they say. 'You don't live up to my expectations.' "

Expectations is at the core of the denigration.

People who are called white trash "are poor folks who seek the benefit of whiteness but don't have the means to live it in a substantive way," said Eddie Glaude, chairman of the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University.

In other words, if you're white, you're supposed to make it in this world.

"We understand barriers to black advancement in America," said Matt Wray, Temple University sociologist and author of Not Quite White: White Trash and the Boundaries of Whiteness. "We don't understand barriers to white advancement."

That's why even liberals believe that they can use the term with impunity: Poor whites have only themselves to blame for not making it.

"White trash," Wray said, gets dropped into polite conversation all the time by highly educated people as if it were not a term of abuse.

The phrase conveys a sense of superiority in evidence during the election, when Trump voters were dismissed by elites as white trash, said Temple sociologist Judith Levine.

A famously leaked memo from Sen. Marco Rubio's campaign staff referred to Trump followers by that very term.

Unlike slurs about Irish or Jewish people, "white trash" seems to be saying more about class than ethnicity.

That's why people don't rally to oppose the phrase, said Wray: "There is no hillbilly anti-defamation league."

To be sure, some embrace the pejorative, proudly calling themselves white trash  or the related "redneck"  thus owning the term and defusing its sting. That's happened with the n-word as well as queer, Glaude said.

"I wore it like a badge of honor when someone called me white trash," said Chris Terilla, 43, a recovering heroin addict from Kensington, who works for a snack food manufacturer. "I've been white trash in my life  [the] emotionally and financially hurting people."

In Kensington, you can hear people call others white trash all the time, said Karen Pushaw, a staff member of St. Francis Inn Soup Kitchen under the El. Kensington residents, she said, refer to the neighborhood as a kind of Appalachia in the city.

While whites throw around the term often enough, "usually up here, I hear it used more by black people," Pushaw said.

There's precedent for that, Wray said.

The term originated in the 1820s in the Baltimore-Washington area, where it was uttered by free blacks as an aspersion against poor whites, he said.

By the 1930s, he added, white trash was a useful phrase for American eugenicists, who promulgated an ideology of white supremacy.

The thinking was: Blacks and Asians are inferior, so why are there stupid, lazy, alcoholic white people, Wray said. These "imbeciles," as they were called, were defective and needed to be eliminated.

American doctors sterilized as many as 100,000 people considered white trash in the early 20th century, Wray said. A leading proponent of sterilization was H.H. Goddard, a Haverford College graduate who taught in West Chester, then moved to Vineland, N.J., where he ran the New Jersey Training School for Feeble-Minded Girls and Boys. He coined the word moron.

During the Nuremburg trials, to hold the Nazis accountable for World War II atrocities, defenders of the Germans said their ideas for creating a master race derived from the U.S. sterilization programs and American aversion to so-called white trash, Wray said.

"The term carries with it a disgust," said Yitzhak Nates, a Narberth rabbi. "It's so ripe with a raw and unjustified judgment that it makes me want to cry."

Bill Rumig, 64, who lives at Valley View Trailer Park in Honey Brook, said he's too old to weep over harmful words.

But that doesn't mean he's immune to their sting.

After falling on hard times six years ago, Rumig moved to a mobile home. It shocked a longtime friend who'd known Rumig only as a homeowner in town. The friend stopped speaking to him.

"He had old money and couldn't be associated with a trailer-park person," said Rumig, a widower three times over who said he has held 38 jobs in his life. "He thought I must be white trash."

Rumig paused to re-consider the term.

"Everybody has a right to be a person," he said. "Not trash."
The honor of speaking at a university commencement has been shattered for one Chinese graduate of the University of Maryland, after her speech drew widespread criticism for bolstering negative Chinese stereotypes.

The speaker, Yang Shuping, began her speech at the ceremony on May 21 (local time), explaining that it was fresh air that made her come to the university in the first place.

Five years ago, as I stepped off the plane from China and left the terminal at Dallas Airport, I was ready to put on one of my five face masks. But when I took my first breath of American air, I put my mask away. The air was so sweet and fresh, and oddly luxurious, said Yang, adding that she felt surprised because she grew up in a Chinese city where I had to wear a face mask every time I went outside; otherwise, I might get sick.

The graduate then continued, claiming that she would be forever grateful for the fresh air of free speech, since she used to be convinced that only authority figures could define the truth.

The speech, though outwardly inspirational, soon triggered discontent among Chinese students around the U.S. Some complained that Yang had deliberately exaggerated the air conditions in her hometown of Kunming, which in fact has some of the best air quality of any Chinese city.

Many wrote on social media that they were ashamed of Yang for delivering such a biased speech, playing up the wrong stereotypes about China. Netizens opined that the speech was in especially poor taste given that her parents, who allegedly know little English, were present at the ceremony.

In response, an online activity has been launched to call on Chinese students in the U.S. to make videos to introduce themselves and their hometowns in a more objective way. Students at the University of Maryland reportedly mulled to rally with T-shirts reading "Proud of China." They also expected the university, known for its truth-seeking and diversity, to answer to the calls.

I also come from the city of Kunming ... From my experience in the last few years, Kunming's air quality on average is at least as good as [the air quality] in Washington D.C. In the U.S., we share the same rights and values of free speech, but public speech not based on the truth is really inappropriate. Especially when the false contents (lies) in the speech hurt the feelings of a large group of people and damage the image of a nation, commented a Facebook user named Jun Zhang.

A Chinese PhD student at the University of Maryland who requested anonymity told the Peoples Daily Online that he though it was normal for people to express different opinions, but that it was inappropriate for Yang to make her comments as a student representative who speaks for more than herself.

Another Chinese student who majors in womens studies at the university pointed out that Yang, being a psychology major, should have realized that her speech would encourage those who know little about China to believe already pervasive stereotypes.

Directly addressing Yang, the student, who requested to be identified as Qian Mian, shared her own perspective: I also feel that my motherland has many issues to deal with. I wish that I could help fix some problems using what I learn here. We are here not to feel superior to our countrymen, or even to despise them ... What you gave is not free speech, but rumor-mongering and favor-currying. Free speech is based on facts and respect; it carries no biased opinion. Your freedom cannot stand, either factually or morally. I wish that you enjoyed real freedom.
Most adult Americans know what "going postal" means. So why are Postal Police Officers prohibited from carrying firearms on postal grounds when they enter and depart from their tours of duty?

The United States Postal Service (USPS) maintains a policy that requires officers to secure their government-issued firearms at work at the end of their tours. I think that's a flawed policy, but I accept that the agency has the right to dictate policy regarding its guns. What I don't accept is exposing officers to great risk by preventing them from carrying their personally owned firearms in a limited manner on job grounds. It is disheartening when an agency's legal counsel makes officer safety decisions based on paranoid "what if" scenarios vs the harsh realities of "what is."

Postal Police Officers are sworn law enforcement officers with statutory arrest authority under Title 18, United States Code 3061. They receive the same tactical training as other federal uniformed law enforcement components, and qualify with their government-issued firearms at least twice a year. They in effect function as the USPS's uniformed officers while the Inspectors serve as the criminal investigators. There are 572 sworn Postal Police Officers employed among 17 states, including 19 high-crime cities.

All postal facilities are configured differently, and most do not provide secured parking for officers. Therefore, the option of securing a personally owned weapon in a trunk lock-box is not a prudent option. Furthermore, that would not provide the officers with any tactical coverage during their movements from and to their vehicles. They would be vulnerable to targeted attacks, as well as be unprepared to engage in an active-shooter response.

Ambushes are a major concern for law enforcement officers, regardless of agency. In January 2016, Philadelphia Officer Jesse Harnet was ambushed in his patrol vehicle because he was a symbol of law enforcement. In July, Dallas and Baton Rouge officers were assassinated because they proudly wore police uniforms. In total, 21 law enforcement officers were fatally wounded during ambush attacks last year. Yet, the Postal Service thinks it's acceptable to expose unarmed officers to ambush attacks.

To worsen matters, in September 2014 USPS personnel data was compromised by a cyber attack. The data breach included the theft of the personal information for all Postal Police Officers, including home addresses and family members' names. Subsequent to the breach, the USPS took no steps to strengthen protections for its officers. The obvious options were to either authorize 24/7 carry of their government-issued firearms, or allow them to carry their personally owned weapons onto and off Postal premises during tour changes. Unfortunately, the USPS went for a different option of ignoring the heightened threat.

Other federal agencies trust their officers to carry their duty weapons 24/7, or permit them to carry their own weapons and secure them on job premises. For instance, approximately seven years ago, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) raised a similar concern with former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano regarding Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers. Secretary Napolitano recognized the officer safety concerns and ultimately authorized 24/7 carry. Similar concerns were also raised regarding the Veterans' Affairs police force. Management instituted a policy that allowed officers to carry their own firearms onto VA premises and secure their weapons there. Other agencies such as the U.S. Capitol Police and the U.S. Secret Service trust their uniformed officers to carry 24/7. But for some unknown reason, the USPS apparently doesn't trust its officers.

As we all know, the spirit of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA), along with its amendments, was to increase the armed law enforcement presence in our country. September 11, 2001, set off the alarm, and Congress ultimately responded, albeit years later. Yet somehow, the USPS missed that alarm, and the many others that have followed.

Denial of risk does not equip officers with the means to defend themselves from a targeted attack. The USPS is doing both its officers and its customers a disservice by limiting the means by which the Postal Police can protect and serve. Postal Officers should be able to defend themselves and protect postal customers from someone "going postal." I am confident the new Administration will intervene and correct this critically important officer safety issue.

Jon Adler is the president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Foundation.
Miami officer Orlando Machado died of an off-duty aneurysm Sunday. (Photo: Miami PD)

A Miami police officer who patrolled the Coconut Grove area and had been on the force less than five years died Sunday from an apparent aneurysm.

Miami police told the Miami Herald that Orlando Machado, 38, who was married and has two children, suffered the aneurysm Friday while off-duty and doctors removed him from life support Sunday.

Machado will get a proper police burial later in the week, the Miami PD says.
The Baltimore Police Department has brought internal charges against five officers involved in the Freddie Gray case, and three of them face termination, The Baltimore Sun reports.

The three who face firing are Officer Caesar Goodson, who was driving the van where an autopsy determined Gray suffered fatal injuries; Lt. Brian Rice and Sgt. Alicia White, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

Officers Edward Nero and Garrett Miller, who made the initial arrest of Gray, face five days suspension without pay.

Officer William Porter, who was criminally charged with manslaughter by prosecutors, is not facing any internal discipline.

All six officers were criminally prosecuted last year on charges stemming from the in-custody death of Gray. After a series of mistrials and acquittals, Maryland States Attorney Marilyn Mosby dismissed the criminal charges.

The departmental charges come after investigators from the Montgomery and Howard county police departments finished their review of the case. The Baltimore Police Department asked them to conduct the investigation to avoid a conflict of interest.

All of the officers can accept the recommended punishment, or elect to contest the charges before an internal disciplinary panel, called a "trial board." A new state law makes trial boards open to the public.

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Urbandale (Iowa) Police Officer Justin Martin, 24, and Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio, 38, were ambushed and killed last November. (Photo: Screen shot from Des Moines Register video)

An Iowa man was sentenced Friday to two consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty to last year's ambush killings of two Des Moines-area police officers.

During a hearing at the Polk County (Iowa) Courthouse Friday morning, Scott Michael Greene, 46, withdrew not guilty pleas and pleaded guilty to two first-degree murder charges in the shooting deaths of Urbandale (Iowa) Police Officer Justin Martin, 24, and Des Moines Police Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Beminio, 38.

Greene ambushed each officer separately, gunning them down in their patrol cars in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 2016.

In court Friday, Green admitted to both shootings, USA Today reports.

"I took a rifle and I shot an Urbandale police officer," he said. Then, "I was driving down Merle Hay Road, I turned right next to the officer (Beminio) and I took the same rifle and I killed him."
A Kalamazoo, MI, police officer rescued an unresponsive man from a fire that extensively damaged a home Sunday morning.

At 7:29 a.m. Sunday, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers responded to a report of smoke coming from an apartment.

Officer Amir Khillah was the first one to arrive on scene and noted heavy smoke conditions from the apartment.

Fearing for the occupants safety, Khillah forced the door open and began searching the apartment. A 34-year-old resident was located unresponsive on a couch. Khillah carried the man outside and turned him over to other responding officers, the Kalamazoo Silent Observer reports.
A Turkish student could face federal charges for purportedly trying to enter the cockpit of a Los Angeles to Honolulu flight until he was grabbed by passengers, including an off-duty LAPD officer, and duct-taped to a seat.

The threat of terrorism prompted authorities to scramble two Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor fighter jets to escort the airliner on the last leg of its trip to Hawaii on Friday.

American Airlines Flight 31, with 181 passengers and six crew members aboard, landed safely in Honolulu at 11:35 a.m.

The man, identified by law enforcement officials as Anil Uskanil, 25, of Turkey was taken into custody by federal agents, USA Today reports.

According to Hawaii News Now, Uskanli was in the United States on a student visa for an acting school in Santa Monica, Calif.

Uskanil had been arrested earlier before boarding the flight at Los Angeles International Airport for opening a door that led onto an airfield ramp, according to Los Angeles Airport Police.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders spent the weekend barnstorming Montana for Democratic candidate Rob Quist, and by Monday, the House special election in the state had been moved closer to being a toss up.

According to Sen. Sanders office, 12,500 people turned for Sanders/Quist rallies over the weekend, More than 12,500 Montanans came out to see Bernie Sanders and Rob Quist at rallies in Missoula, Butte, Billings and Bozeman Saturday and Sunday ahead of Thursdays special election.

Clip of Sanders campaigning for Quist:

Sen. Sanders (I-VT) urged people to come out and support the Democrat, Rob Quist is running a great grassroots campaign, and it was a real joy to campaign with him over the weekend. He is standing up for working families in Montana and is fighting to create an economy and a government that works for all of us, and not just the billionaire class. If there is a large voter turnout on Thursday, Rob is going to pull off a major upset and win this election. Lets do every we can to bring out that vote.

Roll Call said that the race isnt quite a toss up yet, but the momentum is moving towards the Democratic candidate, There isnt enough evidence that the candidates are neck-and-neck to justify a Tossup rating, but there is enough uncertainty with special election turnout, and with previous special election races as a backdrop, for us to change our Inside Elections rating of the Montana race from Likely Republican to Tilts Republican.

Most of the special election attention remains focused on Georgia, but Democrats have a real shot to win in Montana on Thursday. With the Russia scandal taking up so much of the oxygen of our national dialogue, it is easy to forget about these special elections. While Democrats do win in Montana, it is considered a very red state.

A win by Rob Quist would send shockwaves through the Republican Party and provide the first signal there could be a midterm disaster waiting for Republicans in 2018.
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During a press conference, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie defended James Comey while claiming that he wouldnt have let Mike Flynn into the White House, much less given him a job.

Christie defended Comey from Trumps claim that he is a nut job, I would disagree with the characterization of Jim as a nut job. Ive known Jim for a long time. I dont always agree with him, as Ive told you guys before, but, no, that wouldnt be the way I would characterize Jim.

Christie also said about Trumps decision to hire Mike Flynn:

Christie said, Let me just say this to you, if I were President-elect Of The United States, I wouldnt let General Flynn in the White House, much less, give him a job.

Those comments are a direct shot at the decision making of Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Trump still wants Flynn back in the White House, while Pence, as head of the transition team was responsible for clearing Flynn for the job of national security adviser.

Christie spent a long time first trying to get on the ticket and then trying to get a job in the administration. Christies comments are a sign of the toxicity of Trump among Republicans. The Russia scandal is getting real for them, and it looks like some Republicans are trying to put some distance between themselves and their previous support for Trump.

Chris Christie, like every other self-interested Republican who either endorsed or looked the other way, now owns Donald Trump. Making a few critical comments to save your future is too little too late.

The exodus of Republicans is starting to take shape.

People like Chris Christie are looking to escape the voyage of the damaged before USS Trump sinks after striking the Russia iceberg.
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Donald Trump is looking like a president who is guilty of something after it is being reported that he tried to get the Director of National Intelligence and the head of the National Security Agency to push back against the FBIs investigation into his campaigns potential collusion with Russia.

The Washington Post reported, Trump made separate appeals to the director of national intelligence, Daniel Coats, and to Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency, urging them to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion during the 2016 election. Coats and Rogers refused to comply with the requests, which they both deemed to be inappropriate, according to two current and two former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private communications with the president.

The Rogers conversation was documented with a memo, which will be made available to the special counsel handling the Russia investigation.

There are now reports of three separate incidents where Trump tried to personally interfere with the Russia investigation. Two if these incidents are documented with detailed memos. The pattern of behavior indicates that the President himself is personally trying to squash the Russia investigation.

This may not rise to the level of proof needed for an obstruction of justice conviction, but it does provide ample evidence that Donald Trump was involved with what his campaign did during the 2016 election. Trump has tried to distance himself by saying that he personally didnt collude with Russia, but he knows what the investigation is about, and he wants it gone.

Trump keeps interfering in the Russia investigation, which is why the country needs a completely independent third party investigation of the Russia scandal right now.
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As the Trump administration continues to deny that they colluded with Russia, former national security adviser Mike Flynn will decline a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee and invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The AP reported:

BREAKING: AP Source says Michael Flynn to decline Senate Intel committee subpoena, invoke 5th Amendment later today.  AP Politics (@AP_Politics) May 22, 2017

In case anyone needs a constitutional refresher, the Fifth Amendment states, No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

By invoking his Fifth Amendment rights, Flynn is saying that he wont testify because his testimony would be self-incriminating. While invoking the Fifth Amendment is not a presumption of guilt, it sure doesnt look good for an administration that claims that they did nothing wrong with Russia during the campaign for one of the central figures in the scandal to refuse to testify because his testimony would be self-incriminating.

Mike Flynn wants immunity. So far, no one has been willing to grant him immunity in exchange for his testimony. Flynn wont get immunity if investigators have any other way of getting the information besides talking to the former national security adviser, but something will eventually give.

Trump is whistling through the graveyard at midnight, but with each passing moment, the Russia scandal is closing in on him.
Seafood flown in from Gwadar Port debuts at a seafood exposition in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

More than 2 tons of seafood straight from the Indian Ocean hit dining tables around Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China's furthest inland region, on May 20. The seafood was incredibly fresh, as only 34 hours elapsed between the time it was caught in Pakistan's Gwadar Port to its arrival Xinjiang by air.

The 16 varieties of fish--including lobsters and red and black groupers---parachuted in as part of a seafood exposition in the city of Karamay, coordinated by a Xinjiang fishing company that invested 510 million RMB in the Gwadar Special Economic Zone, built in cooperation with China.

Gwadars quarantine and customs departments offered a fast channel for the seafood, explained Ma Jinglu, a manager at Xinjiang Yufei International Fishing Company. He also said the a direct rail and sea freight service from Gwadar to Xinjiangs capital city of Urumqi started service in April 2016, and those routes have greatly facilitated the transportation of his companys products.

In 2015, it was announced that Gwadar would be developed as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for a cost of $1.62 billion, with the aim of linking northern Pakistan and western China to the deep-water port. Construction on the Gwadar Special Economic Zone began in June 2016. It is being built on a 2,292-acre site adjacent to Gwadar's port.

The Gwadar Port is a flagship CPEC project under the Belt and Road Initiative. Nadeem Javaid, who advises Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government and works closely on the CPEC program, said the Gwadar-Xinjiang corridor should be operational from June of next year, and Pakistan expects up to 4 percent of global trade to pass through the corridor by 2020, Reuters reported.
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White House insiders describe Trump as rattled and down as the Russia investigation escalates and gets inside the West Wing.

Politico reported:



President Donald Trump seemed rattled before he left Washington on Friday afternoon, two people who spoke with him last week said, as he wondered aloud how much investigations into Russias involvement in the 2016 election might damage his presidency.

One adviser said Trump remarked in a conversation last week that he felt that there are a lot of people out to get him, musing that he should not have attacked the intelligence community so vociferously. An administration official who spoke to the president said he seemed down more than angry, even though Trump defiantly tweeted that he was facing a witch hunt.

The Politico report goes on to say that Trumps mood seemed to improve after the Saudis fed him some ketchup and steak while lavishing him with compliments. If these reports sound more recaps of a cranky toddlers mood swings than of presidential behavior to you, youre not alone.

Trump should be depressed. He has been a total failure as president. The refusal to see that it is his own behavior, not people who are out to get him as the source of his problems suggests that the President has learned nothing. It also means that we can expect more of the same behavior out of this president.

Donald Trump is trapped by scandal and failing, and he cant handle his new reality.
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Trump pulled the media aside while in Israel on Monday and made the Russia scandal worse by denying that he told Russia that Israel was the source of the classified intelligence that he leaked to a hostile foreign power.

Video:

President Trump says he never mentioned the word Israel in his Oval Office meeting with Russian officials https://t.co/84ZCW64hcE  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 22, 2017

Trump said, Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or the name Israel during our conversation. They were all sitting at a table, so you had another story wrong, never mentioned Israel.

So Donald Trumps defense is that he definitely leaked classified intelligence to the Russians, but never mentioned the word Israel, so that makes it all good. The Washington Post reporting doesnt indicate that Trump said the word Israel or mentioned Israel. In fact, the Post report makes it clear that Trump leaked enough detail to the Russians that they could easily figure out the source on their own.

Trump may not have said the name Israel, but he could have said, Our Jewish pals have the intel, or my buddy Bibi was just saying. Trumps defense is a lot like telling a child a man in a red suit is going to come down the chimney on Christmas Eve but never saying the name Santa Claus.

Every time Trump opens his mouth about the Russia scandal, he only makes things worse for himself.

If Trump had anyone close to him who could stand up to him, they would tell the President to stop talking right now.
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The White House is refusing to apologize for Trump handing classified intelligence to Russia. At a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, Sec. of State Rex Tillerson said that Trump wouldnt apologize because he is not sure there is anything to apologize for.

Transcript of the Q&A (questions are paraphrased) from the White House press pool as provided to PoliticusUSA:

Q: Does the president plan to apologize for sharing Israeli intel with the Russians?

A: I dont know that theres anything to apologize for.

Q: What about their concerns?

A: To the extent the Israelis have any questions or clarification, Im sure were happy to provide that.

The President betrayed a US ally by handing over highly classified information to an enemy of democracy, but he wont apologize because there is nothing to apologize for.

There is a great deal to apologize for. Trump jeopardized the lives of intelligence sources. He endangered the national security of the country that he is supposed to be leading and stabbed the people of his country in the back.

What Trump did could potentially be viewed as a high crime and a violation of his oath of office, so an apology doesnt begin to cover what this president should be doing.

The lie and deny track that this White House always chooses is what will end up being their undoing.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Tropical storm conditions possible. Rain likely. High 74F. Winds E at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 71F. Winds SE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
SEOUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's first approval rating since his inauguration earlier this month topped 80 percent, a local poll showed Monday.

According to a Realmeter survey, President Moon gained 81.6 percent in support scores. Negative assessment on him was 10.1 percent, while 8.3 percent refrained from replying.

It was based on a poll of 2,526 voters conducted from Monday to Friday last week. It had 1.9 percentage points in a margin of error, with a 95 percent confidence level.

Moon's approval scores were much higher than his predecessor Park Geun-hye's 54.8 percent. Park's predecessor Lee Myung-bak logged 76.0 percent in the first survey results.

Support for Moon surpassed 90 percent in the country's southwest region, a traditional home turf for the ruling Democratic Party.

The support rate exceeded in all regions across the country, including the southeast region, a political home turf for conservative politicians.

Moon's Democratic Party posted 53.3 percent in support scores last week, up 8.6 percentage points from a week earlier. The rate kept rising for the third consecutive week.

Four major opposition parties saw a fall in approval ratings. Support for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party fell 0.6 percentage points to 12.4 percent.

It was followed by the centrist People's Party, whose support rating shed 1.1 percentage points to 7.7 percent.

Support for the minor conservative Righteous Party dipped 1.5 percentage points to 6.8 percent.

The minor progressive Justice Party saw its support tumble 3.0 percentage points to 6.6 percent as support for the party moved to the ruling Democratic Party.
At least 24 injured in hospital explosion in Bangkok

The hospital hit by an explosion (photo/Bangkok Post)

BANGKOK, May 22 (Xinhua) -- An explosion hit Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok at about 10:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Monday, injuring at least 24 people.

Initial reports said the blast went off at a reception room of retired officials and about 24 people were injured, mostly from being showered with broken window glass, according to Saroch Kheawkhajee, chairman of the Army Medical Department.

Three people of the 24 needed further examination, Saroch added.

It is believed that a gas leak and an air compressor may have caused the explosion, Bangkokbiznews reported.

However, Metropolitan Police Bureau Commissioner Lt-General Srivara Rangsi-prammanaku told media that it is still unclear what led to the explosion, and whether the incident is connected with a previous explosion in front of the National Theater a few days ago.
Nadine Langworthy, The Annadine

16 West Main St., Dodge Center / 507-273-9530

 What is your title?

Owner and manager.

 Describe your business.

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It's a bohemian beverage and snack bar, featuring coffee, tea, fine wines, craft and domestic beers. We have live music every Friday night and occasionally Saturday mornings. Soon we'll add Thursday night blues and open mic.

 What drove you to launch your own business?

The desire to offer a beautiful place for people to relax and enjoy quality beverages while listening to great music. I saw a beautiful, empty historic main street building that was perfect for the vision.

 How many hours do you typically work in a week?

Approximately 34 hours here at The Annadine.

 How many employees do you have?

So far no employees, but very wonderful family members: husband, daughter and grandson.

 What sacrifices did you make to launch this business?

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Lots of money and down time.

 What is the best thing about owning a business?

Doing my own thing.

 What is the hardest thing about owning a business?

The bookwork.

 What is your hope for your business in the next year?

Outdoor seating, possibly a rooftop. We plan more diversity in live talent including poetry readings, comedy, art shows, radio theater, etc. We hope for continuous growth and new friends, and discovering new musical talent.

 What inspires you to keep doing it?

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Bank payments.

 Knowing what you know now, would you do anything different?

I should have, but I probably wouldn't. What fun would there be in that? As Helen Keller said, "Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing at all."
Last Tuesday, about 70 of Joliet's thought leaders convened in a magnificent hall inside the former Motherhouse on the campus of the University of St. Francis, the school of higher education founded by Mother Alfred Moes.

Yes, the very same nun who partnered with William Worrell Mayo to establish Saint Marys Hospital. Those holy-bent sisters sure do get around and get their way, do they not? I only wish they had placed an apostrophe where it lacks.

Why were we there? On the lavish bidding of the Chicago Community Trust to elevate civic conversation, foster new relationships, and inspire collaborative action across the region and into communities including Joliet.

Such promising enterprise also was held from time-to-time in Rochester. Thus I was geared for a splendid two hours of idea-sharing and action-planning. Yet, what outcome could happen in a mere two hours?

Voices matter

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For our forum talk, I was seated in not-so-random methodology with six others: Joliet's chief of police, an insurance broker who's also a member of city council, a very recent USF graduate who majored in elementary education, a couple savvy leaders with the Joliet Family Y and the Spanish Community Center, and a cookie-smart staffer from the USF development office.

Here's how it worked: The facilitator opened our subset for discussion, a rapid-fire, round-table, top-of-mind throw-down of challenges that face Joliet. Homelessness, barriers to quality education, psychiatric healthcare, affordable-wage job opportunities, deficient funding for human and social services, and gender and race bias.

'Round the table again, dialogue stuck hard and long upon one topic: the high cost of higher education and the inevitable difficulty in re-paying college loans from entry-level career wages. Sympathy extended to the recent teacher grad, yet her optimistic outlook preserved a positive spirit of conversation.

We talked. We listened. We solved nothing.

Yet, it was time to act. Facilitators from each table, one by one, shared their topside ideas.

And then, by golly, there came forth a theme, an actionable idea iterated similarly from different tables.

Scattered amidst the hall were representatives from agencies who voiced worry about the waste of time and resources of duplicated social and health care services.

A new alliance

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I was fascinated. Three separate tables came to a remarkably similar problem-solving conclusion: Less duplication of services yields more time and resources for all. The open table forum justly produced impetus for action and resolve.

This is not to claim that we, the participants, rallied as one out from St. Bonaventure Hall into the community to make an immediate and positive difference. After all, there would be ensuing discussion from service providers to sort out the prospect of services to be shared. Service sharing ideas among non-profit agencies could include technology, human resources, accounting, and transportation.

We did rally out into the world under a working title, Shared Service Alliance. I like the sound of that.

I also liked this: As one outcome of the Open Table Forum, individuals and agencies were invited to submit a short video as a paperwork-free, fund-request application featuring actionable ideas to benefit the community. The Chicago Community Trust is advancing a hundred $1,000 grants and twenty $2,500 awards to implement Open Table ideas.

The great innovation of this grant-seeking opportunity is that a short video, no more than two minutes, explains the idea, how it would work, and its potential impact. Applicants actually were challenged to shoot their video on the spot with smartphones at the Open Table Forum. I observed several doing so. There was no need for the video to be highly produced.

Money is the catalyst to drive ideas into action, encouraging people to work together and take action for the public good.

People talk. People listen. People take action. People do what matters.
AUSTIN  An Austin man accused of criminal sexual conduct with a 12-year-old girl was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

David Ortiz-Reyes, 27, pleaded guilty Feb. 17 in Mower County District Court to one charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony.

Three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct were dismissed at Thursday's sentencing.

Judge Christa Daily handed down the 90-month prison term, with credit for 234 days served.

The incident with Ortiz-Reyes first came to the attention of the victim's mother when she allegedly found Ortiz-Reyes in her daughter's bedroom on Sept. 26.

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The victim's mother called the girl's father, a Green Bay, Wis. resident, to come pick up the girl. The girl's father told her mother not to report the incident because they would take the girl away, and that he would "take care of things."

The mother decided to contact police, and an employee of the Mower County Department of Human Services interviewed the mother. Ortiz-Reyes was still at the residence, and was arrested.

On Sept. 27, the victim was seen at Mayo Clinic Hospital - Saint Marys Campus in Rochester for a medical evaluation, and told the nurse she and Ortiz-Reyes had had sexual contact on more than two occasions, according to the complaint.

Ortiz-Reyes is also known as Adrian Betancourt and David Ortiz Reyes.
A Rochester man is in jail, accused of attempting to hit a man with his car while a deputy watched.

The incident began about noon Friday, when a deputy on patrol for the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office spotted a vehicle parked in the 800 block of 20th Street Northwest in Stewartville.

Behind the wheel was Jerry Lee Milliken, 35, of Rochester; the officer knew Milliken had been involved in a narcotics incident last fall and a stolen property case last month, the report says, and became suspicious.

The officer parked his car and watched Milliken, said Capt. Scott Behrns. About five minutes later, Milliken began to drive east on 20th Street, then swerved his vehicle at a man who was walking along the road, the report says. The 41-year-old victim had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, Behrns said.

The deputy, who estimated Milliken was traveling between 25 and 40 mph, initiated a traffic stop and took him into custody. A search incidental to Milliken's arrest allegedly turned up 1.9 grams of methamphetamine.

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The victim told the officer Milliken has some sort of unwanted attraction to the victim's wife, Behrns said, which has led to "for lack of a better word, some trash-talking," then to the alleged incident Friday.

Milliken could be charged with felony counts of second-degree assault and fifth-degree controlled substance crime, among other charges.
Many in Rochester have been voicing concern about how the number of venues for musicians are dwindling as the bars and eateries that house the stages close.

In response, a Rochester couple is opening their own "music first" venue, The Jive Mill Listening Room , for intimate house concerts  without the house.

Noelle Tripolino Roberts and Chris Robertshave been organizing local performances in homes for the past four years. Now, they have created their own music venue at 212 North Broadway. The 1,000-square-foot space previously housed Smart Home innovations. It's in the commercial building on the edge of downtown anchored by Dison Cleaners.

The musical couple, who both have day jobs, simply want to provide a place to host small performances to create unique concerts for area music lovers and musicians.

"With the house concerts, we've really had very intimate experiences  an opportunity for musicians and audiences to interact in ways you just don't in other, larger venues. That's really the spirit of it," said Chris Roberts. "We're jumping in with both feet.

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While The Jive Mill still will organize some house parties, this new venue gives them a spot to house a small stage, sound system and room for about 49 concertgoers.

Tripolino Roberts explained they opted to forgo serving food or drinks because music is what they know. They do plan to have food trucks and possibly local breweries to help out at some of their events.

They recently hosted a soft opening to help break in the space. An official grand opening featuring Good Morning Bedlamand Root River Jamis scheduled for June 16. Tickets already are on sale for $15 at www.thejivemill.com

Music is the focus, though they also are open to using the listening room for other types of events such as one act play performances, small art shows, yoga classes or even seminars for bands on the business of music.

"We know we can't put on shows every single night, but we want that space to be used," said Tripolino Roberts

Chris Roberts said there is a growing need in Rochester with the growth of the music and arts scenes.

"There's a lot of creativity going on that we think we can help provide a space for. We do hope we can fill some of those gaps as far as reasonable cost space," he said. "The key is the flexibility of the space."
MAZEPPA  A pair of cars glanced off one another, sending both off the road just west of Mazeppa on Sunday.

Annette Kehren ,55, of Zumbrota, was driving a 2004 Lexus eastbound on Minnesota Highway 60 near 222nd Avenue at about 2:18 p.m. Sunday when her car was sideswiped by a 2010 Dodge that had drifted over the centerline. The Lexus overturned and entered the ditch on the north side of the road. The Dodge, driven by Janice Firchau, 74, of Truman, also ended up in the ditch on the north side of the road, but it did not overturn, according to a report from the Minnesota State Patrol.

Kehren was not injured in the crash, according to the report. Firchau was transported by Zumbrota Ambulance to Mayo Clinic Hospital-St. Marys Campus with non-life threatening injuries.

The Goodhue County Sheriff's Office and Mazeppa Fire Department assisted the state patrol with the call.
Robots exhibited at a Dongguan, Shenzhen based company

Technology is perhaps undeniably a great enabler of the times we live in  the hyper-connected, single-touch-point, fast paced world, which is increasingly becoming intolerant to human errors and thus a trend to automate activities which earlier seem to take hundreds if not thousands of man hours to complete take relatively less given the effect of automation. With Iot (Internet of things) the devices stand to get a higher power thus shorting the time taken by activates which took long. But the real question is how does it convert into employability?

While there will undoubtedly be a surge in jobs in the advance automation and data analytics there is bound to have a negative ripple effect on other low-end jobs which can be easily automated. The change is akin to what the world saw at the helm of Industrial Revolution where machines took the place of factory workers. The employment reports forecast by the World Bank suggest that technology would be affecting two-thirds of the world population across various sectors.

Abhijit Bhaduri, the former Chief Learning Officer of Wipro, and a leading HR professional, in his book Digital Tsunami, draws a parallel between the effects on the jobs by Digital Disruption as that of a real Tsunami. The ripple effect will not only be seen in the technology sector but also other sectors as technology becomes stronger and all sectors become smarter.

Then in face of the impending job crisis which would perhaps change the face of jobs forever, how should one still sustain? The answer lies in the ability to gauge the growing market trend and go through a continuous learning to keep the workforce abreast with the latest skill set needed in any given industry. Education is one sector which needs to keep pace with the latest changes and it has become a challenge to regularly modify the courses which make the skill set more marketable. Thus, there is a greater need of a paradigm shift in the structure of education. While there would also be a debate upon which style is best suited  didactic or open learning and can be implemented more effectively, there is a need for a more inclusive education system which focuses on building curiosity which in turn is needed for an innovative and design-thinking world economy.

It is time when the emerging economies like India and China should come together and collaborate on issues which affects the future of their growing population and build a stronger foundation for the future.

Madhulika Ra Chauhan, is an author based in China.
ST. PAUL  A measure to legalize recreational marijuana in Minnesota would be put on the ballot in 2018 under a bill introduced on Saturday by a Rochester lawmaker.

DFL Rep. Tina Liebling is sponsoring the measure , which proposes a constitutional amendment to allow people age 21 and older to buy and grow marijuana for personal use.

"The time for this has come. Eight states are already doing this, so it's no longer a fringe thing that no one can imagine happening," she said.

Liebling introduced the bill with only a couple of days left in the regular 2017 legislative session. She said she has spent months putting together a detailed proposal outlining how legalization could be done in the state. She introduced the bill to encourage discussion about the issue ahead of next session.

"It's time to get the conversation going," she said.

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Liebling is also one of several Democrats running for governor in 2018. Her support for legalizing cannabis is one of the issues detailed on her campaign website .

If voters approved the constitutional amendment, a new state department  the Bureau of Cannabis Oversight  would be established to oversee recreational cannabis use. A system would be set up where individuals could get a license to sell cannabis and cannabis products. It would also allow residents to grow up to six mature marijuana plants and six immature plants. It would not make any changes to the state's existing medical marijuana program. Her bill has 12 co-sponsors  all Democrats.

Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said he doesn't think Liebling's idea will get far in the Republican-led House. He said there might be a couple of Republicans who would be willing to support it, but the vast majority would oppose it. He is among those who would fight it.

"I have always been adamantly opposed to such a bill. I would fight it very, very hard. I think in the states that have done this, it's been a disaster," Davids said.

Liebling acknowledged it is unlikely her bill will win the support needed to pass next year, but she wants lawmakers to start thinking about the issue. She said Minnesotans spend an estimated $700 million a year on marijuana sold on the black market. She added that recent research has shown that in states where marijuana is legal they have seen a drop in opioid deaths. Nonetheless, she said cannabis is not harmless, and her bill is aimed at trying to provide protections so that young people do not have access to it.

She added, "It's trying to balance individual liberty with the need to have some consumer protection."
Week before last the Minneapolis police recently arrested brothers Abdullah and Majid Alrifahe sitting in a parked car in Minneapolis. Last week the Star Tribune reported briefly on it here. After checking with law enforcement sources, I followed up in Inside a parked car in Minneapolis.

The Star Tribune hasnt returned to the story so far, yet it clearly warrants a closer look. A friend forwarded a copy of the Abdullah Alrifahes arrest report (on which the Star Tribune story appeared to have drawn). Here is the narrative:

On May 11, 2017 at about 5:11 p.m., Minneapolis police were flagged down by a citizen in the vicinity of the intersection of 44th and Humboldt Avenues North, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. The citizen, Witness herein, reported the following. He had walked by a parked car with two men inside who threw food wrappers out the window. When he confronted the men, they at first ignored him; when he paused to get the car license number, the men got out of the car, called Witness a nigger and made gestures indicating one or both had a handgun. Officers tried to calm the situation but the men continued to yell at Witness and resisted officers attempts to control the situation. The men were insistent that they needed to be standing near or in the car because a drone was coming to deliver a package to them. Officers began the citizens arrest process and, given the obstructive nature of the men and suspicious circumstances, officers placed the men in the squad car. As the men had suggested to Witness that they were armed and officers feared harm to Witness if the men were released, officers began a cursory search of the vehicle. In the car officers found a hand grenade and a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun. Both suspects were arrested, including the driver of the car, ABDULLAH NASSIE ALRIFAHE, Defendant herein, who was found to have a suspended drivers license. In an inventory search of the car, officers found a loaded AK 47-type assault rifle, another rifle, several assault rifle magazines and large quantities of different ammunition (including shotgun shells), discharged shell casings and BB ammunition. Also found were several cell phones, computers and electronics equipment including drone parts. Bomb Squad personnel called to the scene noted that the variety of the ammunition and large quantity of BBs and electronic devices could be used for bomb-making. Defendant was found not to have a valid permit to carry a pistol in public and to have been previously convicted of the same offense in December 2016.

KSTP News reporter Matt Belanger took a look at the story late last week in a report that is posted here (video below). Belangers report includes an interview with the good citizen who waved down the police.

Abdullah Alrifahe is in custody subject to $200,000 bail; he is scheduled to appear in court next month. We can only hope in the meantime that he doesnt make bail.

Where is brother Majid? What is the brothers immigration status? What were they up to?

To be continued.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Ant Financial, the affiliate financial service of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, entered partnership with 7-Eleven Malaysia on Monday by officially launching the Alipay cashless payment service in over 2,100 stores in Malaysia.

The payment service, facilitated by local third party payment platform MOL Accessportal, mainly targets tourists from the Chinese mainland, the number of which exceeded 2.1 million in 2016.

The Malaysian government is expecting to receive more than 3 million arrivals from China this year.

The partnership came after Alibaba group in March announced a plan to set up an e-commerce hub in Malaysia encompassing logistics, cloud-computing and e-financial services to boost trade and e-commerce in the region, part of the collaboration between Alibaba and the Malaysian government in the development of a Digital Free Trade Zone in Malaysia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, while attending the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing earlier this month, also paid a visit to the headquarters of Alibaba group.

Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, founder of Malaysia's Berjaya Group and majority shareholder of 7-Eleven Malaysia and MOL Global, Inc., the parent company of MOL Accessportal, said the partnership is a win-win solution for Ant Financial and 7-Eleven, as well as for China and Malaysia.

Tan also pledged to bring Alipay to more businesses and retailer shops under the Berjaya group, including Starbucks, Kenny Rogers, Cosway, Radioshack as well as Berjaya hotels and resorts.

The entry of Alipay to Malaysia will be quite challenging for local Malaysian payment service providers, said Tan, adding it is not a bad idea though, in that someday perhaps Malaysian people can also use Alipay when they go to China.

Douglas Feagin, senior vice president of International Business at Ant Financial, when asked about Alipay's plan to reach local Malaysian customers, said Ant Financial will focus in the first place on serving the Alipay customers as they come to Malaysia, and a local solution comes a little bit later.

He declined to give a user projection for the Malaysian market, but noted that half a billion people in China now are Alipay users.
Thats the headline of Eli Lakes story on the victory of Irans president Hassan Rouhanis in this weekends election. Lake calls the election fake because the Iranian president lacks anything like the power we ordinarily associate with a president:

As anyone who pays attention to Iran knows, the real power in the country resides with the unelected supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and the security services, which operate more like rival mafias these days, controlling many of Irans industries and businesses. This means in practice that Rouhani can inveigh against crackdowns and house arrests of the democratic opposition (which he mainly does during elections), but ultimately its not his call. Rouhani also doesnt have much of a say on Irans foreign policy. . . .

Lake calls Rouhani a fake reformer because there is scant evidence that he truly favors reform. He quotes Sadegh Zibakalam, an activist and professor of political science at Tehran University, who says:

Rouhani did not have the power to free political prisoners or end the house arrests, but he didnt even pretend that he wanted to do something.

I agree with Lakes assessment of the election. However, there still may something to be learned from Rouhanis decisive win in a race that most some in the mainstream media who wrote about it expected to be close.

Rouhanis populist challenger was supposed to have a good shot at winning because Iranians were dissatisfied with the economy. The economic promise of the Iran deal, we were told, had not trickled down. Ordinary Iranians werent benefiting from it.

Rouhanis comfortable win suggests the absence of widespread economic discontent. This, in turns, suggests that the Iran deal may delivering more, from an economic standpoint, than Western journalists say.

This is certainly not the only way to interpret the election results. Rouhani may have won handily because voters still think of him as a reformer. Or maybe some other explanation holds the key. Im certainly not an expert of Irans domestic politics.

All I can say for sure is that the close election predicted by many in the mainstream media did not materialize.
Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist, a military historian and a shrewd observer of the current scene. Everything he writes is worth reading. I do my best to catch all his columns and essays, but I missed his recent appearance on Tucker Carlsons Fox News show. RealClearPolitics has posted a video of the segment below along with a partial transcript including embedded links here. In it Dr. Hanson argues that the Trump/Russia collusion story is  how to put it?  unlikely.

How unlikely is it? [I]t was very unlikely, because Donald Trump, he didnt dismantle Eastern European missile defense, he didnt go to Geneva and press a plastic red button, he didnt make fun of Romney for saying Russia was an existential enemy, he didnt have a hot mic exchange with the Russian president saying he would be more flexible after the election. The entire Reset appeasement of Russia came from the Clinton-Obama team, not Donald Trump. And now were here.
I will be on the Howie Carr show out of Boston later today, at 4:30 Eastern, talking about President Trumps Middle East trip and his speech in Riyadh. You can listen online here.

This evening, I will try to explain recent American headlines to television viewers in Australia on Andrew Bolts Bolt Report on Sky News. Wish me luck. I am not sure just when the segment will air, but if you are in Australia and tune in next time Andrews show comes on the air, you should see me.
Last week, U.S. planes attacked a pro-Assad convoy in southern Syria. The convoy had violated a restricted zone around a base where United States and British Special Forces train Syrian rebels to fight ISIS.

I wrote about the attack here, noting that the area in question is of strategic importance to Assad, Syrian rebels, Iran, Russia, and the U.S., and hence a likely future battleground quite apart from the fight against ISIS. I added that although our attack on the convoy might presage U.S. entry to that battleground, it might also prove to be a one-off, prompted by a specific violation of a deconfliction agreement.

In todays Washington Post, Josh Rogin argues in favor of major U.S. involvement in the impending fight for control of the region in question as a means of dealing a blow to Iran and helping to improve the outlook for Syria. He writes:

According to officials, experts and rebel leaders on the ground, an ongoing and rapidly accelerating confrontation in that area was triggered by an offensive by Iranian-backed militias. Iran is trying to establish strategic control over territory creating a corridor from Lebanon and Syria through Baghdad to Tehran. If successful, the Iranian campaign would drastically reshape the regional security situation, harm the fight against the Islamic State in the nearby city of Deir al-Zour and directly undermine U.S. efforts to train and equip an indigenous Sunni Arab fighting force, which is essential to establishing long-term stability.

Accordingly:

[This is] a fight that the United States cannot and should not avoid. Its also an opportunity for Trump to accomplish what his administration says it wants to do in the Middle East: Push back against Iranian aggression and expansionism.

Iran does not intend to avoid the fight:

The Middle East Institutes Charles Lister said that the bombs hit a militia backed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Forces called Kataib Imam Ali. After the strikes, the Iranian FARS news agency reported that Iran will send 3,000 Hezbollah fighters to the al-Tanf region to thwart a U.S. plot.

Anti-Assad rebels arent avoiding it either:

Two Syrian rebel groups opened up a front against the Iranian-backed forces about two weeks ago, in response to the Iranian campaign, the rebel leader said. One of them is working directly with the U.S. military. The other is supported by the military operations center led by the CIA and allies in Jordan. Even absent public acknowledgment from Washington, the rebel groups believe they have tacit support from the United States to prevent Iran and the regime from taking over the area. That belief is uniting rebel groups on the ground, who have long wanted to fight Iran and the regime, in addition to the Islamic State.

Thus, says Rogin, the battle for Syrias south is already on and the Trump team must decide if the United States will play a decisive role.

Missing from Rogins article is any discussion of what it would take for the U.S. to play a decisive role in the fight. Would training plus air support be sufficient or would a large number of U.S. ground forces have to fight the Iranians and their proxies? And what would Russian involvement, if any, likely be? Finally, are the anti-Assad rebels we would back be jihadists themselves.

Rogins omission is understandable. He probably lacks reliable information that would enable him reliably to make these assessments, and prefers not to speculate.

For the Trump administration, however, these assessment cant be avoided, and theres a good chance they will drive the decision.
Here is the text of President Trumps speech in Saudi Arabia to heads of dozens of Muslim-majority states. The speech is excellent.

Trumps approach to the Muslim world in this speech aligns, in general terms, with his approach to other less than friendly world actors. As with China, to name one, Trump eschews past hostile rhetoric and assumes (or pretends to) the best in the hope of securing assistance in meeting U.S. objectives. If he doesnt secure it, all bets are off.

Frankly, the Muslim leaders Trump addressed in Saudi Arabia are probably a decent bet  better than China and certainly better than the Russia and the Palestinian leaders. Many of the Muslims nations in question are under serious duress and have a stake in cooperating with the U.S.

Trump began the substantive portion of his speech by emphasizing that stake. He noted that the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. . .have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in [the] wave of fanatical violence inflicted by Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. He added that the vast, untapped potential of the Middle East is held at bay by bloodshed and terror inflicted by such extremism and terrorism.

These propositions are difficult to deny.

Trump then stated:

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between Good and Evil.

Portions of this excerpt are controversial. Like his two recent predecessors, Trump is giving Islam a pass for the fanaticism and violence perpetrated, with plausibility, in its name. In Trumps case, as I noted above, doing so is consistent with his general approach to less than friendly powers with whom he wants to deal.

Trump also gave the Muslim world, including his Saudi hosts, a pass on reprehensible human rights practices. He stated:

We are not here to lecturewe are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship.

Finally, to make it a trifecta of passes, Trump acted as if the Saudis and others have not at times supported and funded the ideology of jihad. Instead, he praised the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Saudi Arabia and the establishment of a Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, to be co-chaired by the U.S. and the Saudis.

It was appropriate, for the purposes of his diplomacy, for Trump to have handed out these passes. Presumably, Trump understands that he was indulging, to some extent, in fiction. Given all of the recent leaking, we may find out whether he does or does not.

Having laid his foundation, Trump then delivered a forceful call for action:

We can only overcome this evil [of terrorism] if the forces of good are united and strongand if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden. Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land. America is prepared to stand with youin pursuit of shared interests and common security. But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children. It is a choice between two futuresand it is a choice America CANNOT make for you. A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

Trump explained that this means every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil. It also means cut[ing] off the financial channels that let ISIS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.

And thats not all. There is a crucial ideological component:

[It] means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians. Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory  piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED. And political leaders must speak out to affirm the same idea: heroes dont kill innocents; they save them. . . . [It] means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better lifeincluding women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities.

The final paragraph violated in a small way Trumps promise not to lecture Muslim nations on how to live. It was a violation well worth committing.

Late in the speech, Trump turned to the subject of Iran:

[No] discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all threesafe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran. From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror. It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room. . . . Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.

I wonder how the assembled heads of state assess the efficacy of these measures. Perhaps Trump fleshed out the first two during private talks.

Even if he did not, the assembled leaders were surely relieved, after eight harrowing years, to hear a U.S. president who is prepared to denounce the Iranian regime and seek their partnership in opposing it.

This was a good day for President Trump and a good day for the United States.
When news broke recently that former US President, Bill Clinton, in collaboration with James Patterson, best-selling author for many years, is writing a novel, it generated massive interest around the world. The novel about the White House is The President Is Missing.

Presidents and ex-presidents have been churning out books over the years; novels are rare. But that extraordinary combination of talent, experience and influence of the writers is the coup, considering that the announcement effect alone has made it a must-read, long before it is published in June, 2018.

The announcement was made in a statement on Monday by publishers, Alfred A. Knopf and Little, Brown and Co., who stated that the book will be informed by details that only a President can know.

The book, which is Clintons first novel, will be released by Alfred A Knopf and Hachette Book Group, the parent company of Little, Brown in June 2018.

The publishers called the book a unique amalgam of intrigue, suspense and behind-the-scenes global drama from the highest corridors of power. It will be informed by details that only a president can know.

Knopf has long been Clintons publisher, and Patterson has been with Little, Brown for decades but The President is Missing is the first work of fiction by Clinton, whose best-known book is the million-selling My Life.

Clintons previous books include Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy and Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World.

Pattersons popular series include the Womens Murder Club and Alex Cross, as well as NYPD Red and BookShots, the latter of which is centered on super-short thrillers that are 150 pages or less.

Patterson and various co-authors complete several works a year, ranging from young adult novels to the Alex Cross crime series.

Working with President Clinton has been the highlight of my career, and having access to his first-hand experience has uniquely informed the writing of this novel, Patterson said in a statement.

Im a storyteller, and President Clintons insight has allowed us to tell a really interesting one. Its a rare combination; readers will be drawn to the suspense, of course, but theyll also be given an inside look into what its like to be president.

Working on a book about a sitting president  drawing on what I know about the job, life in the White House and the way Washington works  has been a lot of fun, Clinton said in a statement. And working with Jim has been terrific. Ive been a fan of his for a very long time.

The details of the plot are not currently known, but the two men have announced plans to hold a national book tour to promote it. Financial terms for the novel, which the authors began working on in 2016, were not disclosed.

Former occupants of the White House have written books, but not a novel. One report calls this Clinton-Patterson adventure a thriller.

A political release from the 1990s had a similar arrangement: Random House and Simon & Schuster jointly published the non-fiction Alls Fair by husband-and-wife campaign consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin.

Jimmy Carter, who has been writing since leaving the White House, released the historical novel The Hornets Nest in 2003, and the daughter of Truman had a successful career with her Capital Crime mystery series.

But The Missing President is a whole new level. This unprecedented collaboration with its compelling mix of insider knowledge and edge-of-the-seat suspense is utterly irresistible, said Susan Sandon, divisional managing director at Penguin Random House.

Who writes what?

There is no clarity about the roles of the co-authors of The Missing President. The announcement however said that the novel will be co-written, co-edited and co-published.

Patterson doesnt normally write his novels alone. He is responsible for the vision and plotline of each novel and series but he gives a detailed outline to the hired writer, with who he usually shares authorship. Patterson reads, revises and demands new drafts until he is satisfied.

Clinton writes himself. It is said he actually wrote the text of his autobiography, My Life  with help from three collaborators. He indeed has writing assistants. But it is not known how well he can write fiction. That is where the master, Patterson, comes in.

James Patterson

In a recent interview he explained writing with co-authors is not markedly different from writing solo. He said, Its not terribly different, in the sense that I only work with people who understand that, ultimately, the end product has to be a book that Im delighted to put my name on. Which means fast-paced, good writing. I always go for highest common denominator. I mean, I write popular fiction, but I only want to write good popular fiction. The books I do myself involve several drafts. The first thing Ive got to do is get the story right. If you polish too early, there are chapters that you love that really shouldnt be in the book, or paragraphs that you love that shouldnt be in the chapter, or sentences that you love that really shouldnt be in the paragraph. I always find it best to get the story down first, and then you can polish forever if you want to. I tend not to do that, but you could.

With the co-writing, Ill write a long outline, anywhere from 60-80 pages, and pretty much every chapter is dealt with, at least 80 percent of the chapters. I then ask the co-writer to contribute to the outline. For two reasons: two heads are better than one, but I also want them to feel that theyre part of the process, that theyve contributed throughout, even early on with the outline. I then ask that I see pages every few weeks. Unlike with the publisher, a year later or 18 months later you turn in the manuscript, and they might say, Well, that isnt quite what I expected! It isnt like that. I think its better, every couple of weeks, to get some pages and talk. Sometimes its just This is terrific, I love the way its going, and sometimes its Weve come off the tracks somehow. If I dont like the characters or if Im finding it predictableif I know where its going, then I wont want to read anymore. Ultimately, when I get the full draft from the co-writer, Ill then polish and/or write several more drafts myself, depending.

James Patterson led the 2016 world highest-paid authors, compiled by Forbes. In fact, he has made a permanent home of this spot since 2001, except in 2013, when he was overthrown by 50 Shades of Gray author, LJ James. So it is no news he leads the highest paid authors even when his earning is $75.5 million more than second-placed Jeff Kinney.

In 2016 he co-authored seven novels with seven different writers. Humans, Bow Down, released on August 1, 2016, was written with Emily Raymond.

In it humans are endangered species in a world run by machines. The Great War is over. The Robots have won. Humans can either submit and serve the vicious rulers they created, or they can be banished to a desolate, unforgiving landscape where its a crime to be human. With nothing left to lose, a feisty young woman seeks to save humanity before the robots wipe humans off the face of the earth, once and for all.

Patterson has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Womens Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. As of January 2016, he has sold over 350 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, he also writes childrens, middle-grade, and young-adult fiction and is also the first author to have No.1 new titles simultaneously on the New York Times adult and childrens bestsellers lists.

On how he picks his co-writers, he said, In a lot of cases its people that Ive known and just feel I can work with. I like writers who can write scenes, and who are willing to listen to reason, then I can work with them. I have a lot more trouble writing with Hollywood screenwriters, who always feel that they know a better way to do it than I do. Somebody gives them War and Peace to adapt, and then two weeks later they give them their take on it.

A new genre?

Publishers of The Missing President did not call it a faction or a non-fiction novel, a genre that is dying anyway. Faction is described as a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events woven together with fictitious conversations and using the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely defined and flexible genre. The genre is sometimes referred to using the slang term faction, a portmanteau of the words fact and fiction.

Since the 70s, the non-fiction novel has somewhat fallen out of favor. However, forms such as the extended essay, the memoir, and the biography can explore similar territory.

The fictitious treatment of reality may however not be new. In 2008, Curtis Sittenfeld wrote American Wife, which was a fictionalized version of the life of former first lady Laura Bush. Sittenfeld has reportedly secured a deal with Random House to do a fictional retelling of the life of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The genre promises to be one that will be explored and mined aggressively in the coming years.

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The Ekiti State Government has described as misleading online publications claiming that the State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, promised to fund the movement of the corpse of late Nollywood Actress, Moji Olaiya, from Canada to Nigeria, saying, No official request has been made to the government in respect of the burial.

The Special Assistant to the State Governor on Public Communications and

New Media, Lere Olayinka, who made this known in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti on Monday, described as irresponsible, the comment made by a certain Olukayode Salako, claiming that Governor Fayose declined request to assist with the flying of Moji Olaiyas corpse to Nigeria.

He said, It is totally irresponsible on the part of the said Olukayode Salako, who is said to be the husband of Actress Foluke Daramola to have taken to the online media to disparage the person of the governor when even family members and genuine friends of the deceased are mourning her and seeking means of according her a befitting burial.

The governors spokesperson, who maintained that there was no official

communication between the governor and Moji Olaiyas family, disclosed that; On Thursday, last week, I was contacted on phone by a journalist friend, Yomi Fabiyi, on the need for the Ekiti State Government to assist in raising a sum of $15,000 needed to bring Moji Olaiyas corpse to Nigeria.

My immediate response was that an official request, via a letter should be made and that the letter will be presented to the governor.

I gave him my email address to which I said the letter should be sent.

On Friday, I informed the Chief of Staff to the governor, Chief Dipo

Anisulowo of my telephone conversation with Yomi Fabiyi, and my response that official letter should be written to the governor.

Up till today, the letter has not been sent and as such, no official request has been made to the State Government.

When my attention was drawn to online publication that Governor Fayose had elected to fund the flying of the deceased corpse to Nigeria, I called the journalist who did the report and told him pointedly that no such decision was taken by the governor. It was on the strength of this that Mr Yomi Fabiyi issued a press statement on behalf of the Burial Committee, stating that no request had been made to the government of Ekiti State and the official letter requested was yet to be sent.

It therefore beats our imagination that certain character like Olukayode Salako could take to the online media to make derogatory comments on the governor, purportedly on behalf of the family.

While we condole with the Olaiya family of Ijesha Isu Ekiti, Moji Olaiyas friends, fans and colleagues in the movie industry, we wish to advise that the family should saddle only responsible people with the task of according their daughter a befitting burial.

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Im a Christian, a firm believer in God and His majestic power to order the affairs of man on this plane of existence according to His perfect will. It, therefore, goes without saying that Im also a firm believer in providence, which Wikipedia describes as the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth.

It was this providence that, once again, catapulted me to Las Vegas, in the state of Nevada from December 20, 2016, to January 30, 2017. In case, you have forgotten, Vegas is widely believed to be the money basket of the United States of America. Some people prefer to dub it the world headquarters of gambling. The city is sparklingly attractive.

I found myself by providence in this enthralling city as Lawrence Bisong, my son-in-law, relocated to the place from Salt Lake City in the State of Utah, the citadel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church), whose parishioners are known as Mormons.

I wont sue you for defamation if you liken my journey from Nigeria to Vegas to the well documented biblical journey of the Israelites from Egypt to The Promised land; a journey that, all things being equal, ought to have taken them only 40 days but which took them 40 solid years! Did you say why? Well, as I could not afford to pay over a million Naira for an economy return ticket, courtesy of the terrible crash of the naira at the foreign exchange market, I opted for a cheaper ticket. My son-in-law got me one on Ethiopian Airline.

This is how the trip went. After taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about noon on December 20, we had an hour stop-over at NDjamena in Chad, ostensibly to refuel. Thereafter, the big bird took off for an over five hour-flight to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. In case you didnt know, Addis Ababa has become the hub of most international flights to almost every part of the world. Aviation is certainly a money-spinning industry for Ethiopia. In Africa, Ethiopian Airline is a clear leader. The airline operates two fully booked flights to Nigeria daily, i.e. to Lagos and Abuja.

Anyway, at the Ethiopian capital, we hopped into another Ethiopian airline plane to begin a 10-hour flight to Dublin, Ireland, where we had a stop-over of one hour. When the plane lifted up, it was for a straight 14 hour-flight to Los Angeles. After immigration formalities, I had to wait to connect a 40-minute flight to my final destination, Las Vegas. Then, the unseen hands of nature came in. My flight was delayed for six solid hours due to bad weather. When we eventually took off after the long spell, we landed at Vegas after just 40 minutes. In total, I flew almost half of the world for more than 35 hours. Boy, was it a pleasurable adventure for someone my age? Sincerely, I dont think so.

But there is one interesting aspect of the long haul that I like: it afforded me the opportunity to mingle with different nationals. Almost all the airlines were fully booked. Some who missed their scheduled flight were rescheduled for the next flight. I was curious to know why the rush for Vegas, especially on a Friday. I got the answer from a friend I met on the trip, who introduced himself as Steve, and who told me that 99 percent of the passengers throng to Vegas, including himself, were chronic gamblers who flood the various casinos dotting the city on Fridays to fulfil their passion-gambling. The temptation to stake your money for winning jackpot is so high you never think of any possibility of losing, Steve told me categorically. And when you lose, the money, your loss, goes to the government because the casinos are heavily taxed.

Steve further told me that some hitherto terrible impoverished people had become millionaires overnight through gambling and their testimonies are a veritable source of encouragement to other gamblers to rush to the city that does not sleep and where their lives could be transformed overnight. However, the flip side is not too exciting to the heart and the ears as some who came with their life savings had not only lost all but also ended up committing suicide. When you hear of a SIN CITY, here you are, Steve told me without betraying any emotion. .

Not only gamblers love Vegas. Airlines too. According to those who know, airlines make a hell of money flying to Vegas. They operate the cheapest flights to the city round the clock. I got a foretaste of the city shortly after I disembarked and headed to baggage claim to pick my luggage. I saw gambling machines at strategic points in the hall with some passengers gambling right there. What an infectious habit, I mused to myself. Planes were landing and taking off every five minutes, and the interesting thing is that you could not see any sigh of stress on any of the passengers.

Again, I couldnt stop wondering how the airport could cope with hundreds of passengers in less than 30 minutes interval without any commotion. The answer is not far-fetched. Vegas is in an arid land where you see kilometres of virgin desert land sprawling before you..

The Vegas McCarran International Airport is located in an area called Paradise, 10 kilometres away from the main city. In size, the airport is three times bigger than our Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Yet, the huge size is not peculiar to the airport alone but also to all the landmark structures and monuments in Vegas; ranging from hotels to hospitals, universities etc. The planners of this city put into generous use the God-given expanse of land. I equally noticed that not only commercial planes were on the tarmac but hundreds of private jets of different colors too.

As I said, gambling in Vegas does not discriminate against class. The vice is not class sensitive. From the poor, to middle class, to millionaires, you see all classes of people trooping into various casinos/hotels to gamble. One Mr. Scott told me how a known millionaire whose businesses were going bankrupt came in with what he said was his last savings, $5 million, to stake for a jackpot but got just $3 million, losing $2 million.

What about a Chairman/CEO of a notable courier service, who according to those who know him sensed his company was going under and felt that the only way to salvage the terrible situation was to stake his last $20,000. He was lucky. According to my narrator, he gambled with the money and raked over one million dollars; just like that! What do we call that? Luck? Or providence? Help me out, dear readers.

Still that is not all about the frills and thrills of Vegas. It is an unwritten rule that any hotel in the city should have a casino. The super markets are following suit too having realized that nine out of ten visitors to Las Vegas are casino freaks. Maybe in the nearest future private homes will join the epidemic.

Ten top Casino Hotels in Vegas that make averagely N20 million dollars a week are Las Vegas, Nevada, Aria Resort, Mam Grand, Bellagio, Stratosphere, Treasure Island, The Venetian, the Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Tuscany Suites, The Cosmopolitan and Mandarin Oriental.

Room rates at these hotels range from $300- $1000 per night. Most of the hotels are not smoke free while few are. The hotels are fully booked. So, if you want to be part of the Vegas fun train, you must book your reservation three weeks ahead. You need to be there at weekend to see how people fill up the hotels to the brim, with people queuing up as if waiting to buy tickets for a block-buster movies; whereas they are just waiting to get on the machines. The casinos pay millions of dollars every week as taxes to make America more prosperous. As many as the hotels are, those who cannot afford the high rates or cannot get one take solace in sleeping in their caravans and vehicles. The weekends are like carnivals in Vegas.

THE STRIP

If you are in Las Vegas and you have not visited a place called THE STRIP, then, your trip may be meaningless. The Americans created this city for casinos but also added irresistible tourist attractions to make you empty your wallet, and buoy their revenue base. THE STRIP is the most famous and fabulous stretch of road that has lots of incredible attractions all the way. No wonder the cliche: Stroll the Las Vegas STRIP in all its glory.

To enjoy the opulence and scintillating view of this place, arm yourself with a camera and wear comfortable shoes. The attraction is that almost all the major capitals in the world have one form of presence or another. Easily accessible are: Paris, London, New York, among others. Each of these has alluring landmarks to hold visitors spellbound. One can move around these areas 24 hours non-stop, and without getting tired. Las Vegas is dubbed the Sin City as some of the activities we read in the biblical city of Sodom and Gomorrah are practiced with impunity. Sex is openly advertised and you are confronted with pimps with postcards luring you to girls of easy virtues; the scarlet sisters. Random smoking and heavily drunk people are common sights too.

In spite of the weird behaviours of the revellers, Las Vegas is still touted to be one of the safest cities in America. The crime rate, I was reliably informed, is the lowest because jolly loving people roam the streets. And peradventure you are infirmed, and you need qualitative Medicare, Vegas is the place to be. It is a city that cares as much for men as also for pets. Believe this or not, Vegas has luxurious hotels specially built for dogs, cats and horses. Animals get as much quality care as humans. That is one aspect of this city of sin and gambling that you dont want to miss the next time you visit America. Lesson learnt from Las Vegas is for Nigeria to develop her tourism which include gambling and betting to buoy her Internal Generated Revenue.

Folu Olamiti, Media Consultant, writes from Abuja.

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U.S. President Donald Trumps use of a Saudi Arabian setting to lash out at Iran for spreading destruction and chaos throughout the region shows a lack of knowledge about Saudi foreign policy, charged Iran in a series of sarcastic tweets on Monday.

Of all places, the U.S. president uses this bastion of democracy and moderation to attack Iran shortly after its democratic election, noted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the microblogging site.

Iran saw moderate incumbent President Hassan Rouhani re-elected after Fridays elections, a sharp contrast, Zarif noted, to the inherited monarchy that rules in Saudi Arabia.

We dont draw our stability from alliances (with world powers), but with elections, he added. Thats not the case in many countries, such as Saudi Arabia, he went on.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are fighting multiple proxy wars in the Middle East, most notably in Yemen and Syria.

In both cases, the U.S. sides with Saudi Arabia.

At the same time, U.S. and Iranian forces are both backing the government in Iraq against Islamic State militants.

Speaking before Arab leaders in Riyadh on Sunday, Mr. Trump urged unity in efforts to control the spread of Iranian influence.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region, Mr. Trump said.

All nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, said Mr. Trump, striking a confrontational stance toward Tehran that had been avoided by his White House predecessor, Barack Obama.

Zarif, in his response, noted that Saudi Arabia signed a major military deal with the US during Trumps visit. Saudi Arabian forces have been accused of using excessive force during the fight to oust rebel forces in Yemen.

He also used his series of tweets to accuse Trump of milking the Saudis with the new weapons deal.

(dpa/NAN)

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Eleven-year-old rural-dwelling students covered by a nationwide nutrition subsidy plan are nearly 6 centimeters taller than children of the same age six years ago, as the rate of malnutrition plummets and the children gain physical strength, a recent report found.

Earlier this month, the China Development Research Foundation proudly shared the achievements of its long-term philanthropic project. Since its launch in 2011, the foundation's project fund has climbed to 159.1 billion RMB ($23 billion), and has benefited more than 4 million impoverished students in rural areas across Chinas 13 provinces.

In 2011, research carried out by the foundation revealed that 72 percent of surveyed students in poverty-stricken areas of western and central China were starving during class. Twelve percent suffered from developmental delays. These findings sparked nationwide concern and prompted action from top officials.

In October 2011, the State Council announced that the central government would offer nutrition subsidies to 26 million poor students in rural areas. The central government pledged to allocate about 16 billion RMB ($2.5 billion) annually for a pilot project in 680 counties and cities nationwide, ensuring that all primary-school and junior high-school students received a daily subsidy of 3 RMB to improve their nutrition.

Some regions elevated the subsidy to 4 RMB, and the beneficiaries multiplied. In addition, the central government earmarked special funds totaling 42.9 billion RMB for poor boarding-school students. Another 30 billion RMB was put aside to build and improve school cafeterias, and to subsidize cafeteria workers.

The new report found that the malnutrition rate among beneficiaries had decreased from 18.5 percent in 2012 to 15.4 percent in 2016. The average height of 11-year-old boys had risen from 137.8 centimeters in 2012 to 143.5 centimeters in 2016. For girls, average height had jumped from 138.7 centimeters to 144.3 centimeters. The 4-RMB subsidy for each meal effectively meets the basic nutritional demands of students, according to the report. In addition, meals in more than half of the schools surveyed met national benchmarks in calories, protein, fat and micronutrients.

The project has reversed the malnutrition and delayed physical development of beneficiary students, and their physical fitness has also improved significantly, the report concluded.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus wife, Sara, offered sympathetic words to visiting U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania on Monday, telling them that people still loved them inspite of negative media coverage.

Standing on the red carpet and chatting minutes after Mr. Trump and the First Lady had arrived at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport in Air Force One, Sara Netanyahu was caught on camera exchanging a few private words with the visitors.

The majority of the people of Israel, unlike the media, they love us, so we tell them how you are great and they love you, Sara said to Mr. Trump and his wife.

Mr. Trump then interjected: We have something very much in common.

Mr. Trumps presidency has received widespread negative coverage in the U.S. and international media, not least over his firing of FBI director James Comey and amid an investigation into ties between his administration and Russia.

In Israel on the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office, President Trump is to hold talks separately with Mr. Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a stopover lasting barely 28 hours.

Speaking over the noise of the presidents jet, Sara Netanyahu added: I talk every place about how great you are, she said, and Mr. Netanyahu backed her up saying: I can testify to that.

Mr. Netanyahu and his wife have a tense relationship with the Israeli media, which they have both described as biased against them.

In January, Mr. Netanyahu described the media as left-wing and Bolshevik and said they were out to bring him down.

Testifying in a libel suit the Netanyahus filed against an Israeli journalist, Sara Netanyahu told the court: Everything that is published about me, its all lies, evil lies that bear no connection with who I really am 

The media uses me as a tool to try and topple the prime minister.

Saras red-carpet conversation soon began circulating on social media, along with another awkward arrival moment.

As the Netanyahus strode along holding hands, as they often do, Mr. Trump, walking alongside them, reached out to grasp the First Ladys hand, but video circulated on Twitter appeared to show Melania Trump briefly flicking his hand away.

(Reuters/NAN)

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Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has hailed the decision of the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to sound a warning to military officers planning to delve into politics to sabotage the current democratic dispensation.

Mr. Falana spoke Saturday at the 50th year anniversary summit convened by the Movement of Genuine Change to mark the creation of Kwara State in Ilorin.

A few days ago, the Chief of Army Staff, General Buratai, alerted the Nigerian people of the nefarious plans of a bunch of desperate politicians to invite some members of the armed forces to terminate the democratic process, said Mr. Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria.

Although various civil society groups have warned against the dangerous plot, the media and officials of the federal government should stop playing into the hands of anti-democratic elements by giving false impression that there is political instability in the country.

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, had, last Tuesday, issued a stern warning to army officers to stay off politics and politically related activities.

Mr. Buratais warning came following information to the army that some undisclosed individuals have been approaching some officers and soldiers for undisclosed political reasons.

Mr. Falana said the enemies of democracy must not be allowed to exploit the presidents ill health to truncate the democratic dispensation.

Notwithstanding the glaring shortcomings of the fragile democratic process, the people should be allowed to take advantage of the democratic structures to effect change, Mr. Falana said.

Our bitter experience has shown that Nigerians have opted for political change through the ballot box and not through the barrel of the gun

On their own part, the political class should put their house in order and stop inciting potential coup plotters.

While the decision of the Army Chief to alert the nation of the devilish plot is appreciated, the authorities should proceed to fish out the coup plotters and their civilian collaborators with a view to trying them for treasonable felony.

Mr. Falana also described as embarrassing the statement by Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information and Culture, that the decision on who would sign the 2017 budget would be made when the document was submitted to the presidency.

According to Mr. Falana, the question of who would sign the budget should not be in doubt since the president had properly handed over to his vice before his travel abroad.

I wish to state, without any fear of contradiction, that once the President has transmitted a letter to the National Assembly that he is proceeding on vacation, all presidential powers are automatically transferred to the Vice President who shall be the Acting President.

Therefore, until the President writes another letter to the National Assembly at the end of the vacation, he cannot exercise the powers of his office.

In other words, the President is not competent to sign any bill into law while he is on vacation. The Constitution did not envisage that a President who is on vacation and an Acting President who is standing proxy for him will be exercising presidential powers simultaneously.

To that extent, pending the resumption of duties by President Buhari, the Acting President, Professor Osinbajo, is competent to sign all bills validly passed by the National Assembly.

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U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday, attempting to revive the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process with visits to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Over two days, Mr. Trump is to meet separately with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and visit holy sites. On Monday in Jerusalem, he will pray at the Western Wall and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Mr. Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, as well as Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli cabinet, were at Tel Avivs Ben-Gurion airport to greet Mr. Trump and First Lady Melania in a red carpet ceremony after a direct flight from Riyadh.

On his maiden foreign tour since taking office in January, Mr. Trump is already showing signs of fatigue from a packed schedule.

He is on a nine-day trip through the Middle East and Europe that ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

During a speech in Riyadh on Sunday in which he urged Arab and Islamic leaders to do their share to defeat Islamist militants, Trump referred to Islamic extremism, although advance excerpts had him saying Islamist extremism.

A White House official blamed Trumps fatigue for the switch. Just an exhausted guy, she told reporters.

On Sunday night in Riyadh after a long day of events, many of them delayed, he skipped a tweeps forum for young people that was to be his last activity of the day, sending daughter Ivanka in his place.

Over the weekend, Mr. Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to crack down on Irans influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican presidents Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.

The reception marked a contrast from his difficulties at home where he is struggling to contain a mushrooming scandal after his firing of former FBI Director James Comey nearly two weeks ago.

Mr. Trump has vowed to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but has given little sign of how he could revive long-stalled negotiations.

When he met Abbas earlier this month in Washington, he stopped shortly of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of U.S. policy.

Some Palestinians said they were disappointed by the omission.

Mr. Trump has also opted against an immediate move of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime demand of Israel.

A senior administration official told Reuters last week that Mr. Trump remained committed to his campaign pledge to ultimately relocate the embassy but did not plan to announce such a move while on his trip.

Were having very good discussions with all parties and as long as we see that happening, then we dont intend to do anything that we think could upset those discussions, the official said.

On Sunday, Israel authorised some economic concessions to the Palestinians that a Cabinet statement said will ease daily civilian life in the Palestinian Authority after (Trump) who arrives tomorrow, asked to see some confidence building steps.

Mr. Trump used his visit to Riyadh to bolster U.S. ties with Arab and Islamic nations, announce $110 billion in U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and send Iran a tough message.

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The Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by a factional leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali-Modu Sheriff, asking the court not to hear a motion by his challenger, Ahmed Makarfi.

Mr. Sheriff had asked the court to refuse hearing on the application filed by Mr. Makarfi, challenging the February 17 judgement of the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt which made Mr. Sheriff leader of the PDP.

At the opening of the hearing on Monday, Mr. Sheriffs lawyer, Akin Olujimi, said the application was an abuse of court process because Mr. Makarfi ought to have requested the leave of court before making the application.

Mr. Olujimi prayed the court to dismiss the application.

Responding, Mr. Makarfis lawyer, Wole Olanikpekun, prayed the court to disregard the argument of Mr. Olujimi, describing them as baseless.

In a short ruling on the application, a five-member panel led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, said the application by Mr. Makarfi was considered valid since it complied with the rules of the Supreme Court.

Mr. Onnoghen said according to the Supreme Court rules, an application challenging a decision of a lower court ought to have come within three months after the ruling of the lower court.

He said the apex court had taken note of the fact that the case was decided at the lower court in February, while the motion at the Supreme Court was filed less than three months after the ruling by the lower court.

He therefore gave a unanimous ruling in favour of the Makarfi faction, and awarded an unstated cost against the faction led by Mr. Sheriff.

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The presidency on Sunday said that the two top officials of the Muhammadu Buhari administration remain suspended from office.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Director General of the NIA, Oke, were suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari pending the conclusion of investigations by a panel set up by the president.

The panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was to investigate allegations of contract fraud and bribery levelled against Mr. Lawal by the Senate as well as the about N13 billion found in an Ikoyi apartment by the anti-graft EFCC and claimed by the NIA.

The panel was yet to submit its report to Mr. Buhari before he went for medical treatment in the UK.

Mr. Osinbajo, who is currently the acting president, on Sunday asked Nigerians to be patient about the report.

The acting presidents spokesperson, Laolu Akande, urged for patience explaining that when time comes the outcome of the panel would be made manifestly public and Nigerians would be satisfied.

Mr. Akande said the two suspended officials remain suspended.

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The Kano State House of Assembly has called off its investigation of alleged misappropriation of funds and other infractions by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi.

The House resolved to drop the probe following a plea through a letter by the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, which was read by the speaker, Kabiru Alhassan Rirum, on the floor of the House.

On Sunday, a coalition of civil society groups in the state had also joined in calling on the legislators to stop the exercise.

In his letter, Governor Ganduje said he was calling for the investigation to be dropped as a result of interventions by highly-placed personalities in the matter.

These personalities, according to the letter, include the acting president, Yemi Osinbajo; party leaders; former heads of state Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar; Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar; and businessmen and indigenes of the state, Aliko Dangote and Aminu Dantata.

Mr. Ganduje said although he was reluctant to interfere in the activities of the states legislative arm, he was appealing to the lawmakers to temper justice with mercy and allow peace prevail.

Much as I recognize your independence as a separate arm of government and who has right to investigate the emir, I am pleading with you to allow peace prevail, he stated.

He said there had been a meeting in Kaduna over the matter at the instance of some governors.

There is no gainsaying (the fact) that the Emir Muhammadu Sunusi ii has admitted all his faults and mistakes and agreed to make adjustment. I think at this juncture, we should allow peace as been achieved to continue, the governor said.

The House subsequently resolved to drop the probe.

The decision came more than a week after the Kano State governments anti-corruption agency suspended its probe into the financial dealings of the Emirate council.

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission said it was investigating the alleged misuse of N6 billion.

The states House of Assembly had launched a separate investigation of the Emir following allegations of funds misappropriation, defamation of character, breach of oath of office/oath of allegiance, abuse of office privileges and protocol, and political and religious interference.

The chairman of the anti-corruption body, Muhyi Gado, said the commission was suspending its probe indefinitely.

He said the commission could not continue as the House was also conducting an investigation.

Mr. Gado declined further comments.

But a source told PREMIUM TIMES that the commission viewed the investigation by the House of Assembly as interference and an effort to scuttle the probe.

We are not happy with the coming in of the House of Assembly into this matter and we cannot continue doing the same thing with them; that is why we allowed them to do it themselves, the source said.

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The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Monday expressed shock over the demolition of a property housing Breeze 99.9 FM by Nasarawa State Government.

We are sad that a radio frequency serving as a platform for the airing of views has been destroyed, France Ayetan, NBC Zonal Director for North-Central, said after inspecting the ruins in Lafia, the state capital.

Breeze FM, said to be the first private radio in Lafia, was crushed on Saturday, barely two months after it commenced operations.

Nasarawa State Urban Development Board accused the stations management of failing to procure proper building approval.

We brought down the radio station because its structures did not comply with approved land laws, the boards managing director, Adamu Sule, said in a statement.

But Ms. Ayetan raised serious objections over Mr. Sules assertion, saying state government officials were present during the commissioning of the station on March 31.

On March 31, when we came to commission the station, the state government was fully represented, Ms. Ayetan said. If government had raised any reservation then, as a regulatory body, we would have waited a little more before inaugurating the station. But none was raised.

Nawani Aboki, the stations administrator, said the reasons adduced by the state were questionable and absurd.

We then met with them on May 15, where they raised the issues of my Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) showing `residential, and suggested that the station should not be there.

We agreed at that meeting, based on their advice, that I should apply for ratification of the document only for us to see demolition inscription on May 19, before the structure was pulled down on Saturday May 20, he said.

Labaran Maku, a former Minister of Information, condemned the development in an exchange with reporters in Lafia on Monday, describing it as an attack on the media.

He said that in a democracy where the press had the freedom to operate freely backed up by the law, nobody should try to suppress the media.

Mr. Maku said the demotion was an attempt to suppress media freedom, calling on Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to rise against any impunity and protect its members.

The former minister said it was Mr. Al-Makura himself who commissioned the station in March.

So why will the same government demolish the same station it commissioned after two months, Maku said.

He said that the excuse that the station was operating in a private residence should have been resolved amicably.

Muhammad Ahmed, the chief press secretary to Mr. Al-Makura, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES requests for reactions to claims against his principal Monday night.

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The Chancery of the High Commission of India in Lagos, on Monday announced the scheduled arrival of an Indian Naval Warship, INS Tarkash, to Lagos by the end of this month.

The head of the Chancery, Jagdeep Kapoor, said in a statement that the visit of the warship would coincide with the celebration of the Nigerian Navy Day, that would hold on June 1.

The Indian Naval Warship, INS Tarkash, is arriving on a scheduled goodwill visit to Lagos at the end of this month.

The visit of the Indian warship coincides with the Nigerian Navy Day that is celebrated every year by the Nigerian Navy on 1st June, he said.

According to him, the visiting ship, INS Tarkash, is a state of the art frigate commissioned into the Indian Navy on Nov. 9, 2012.

Kapoor said the ship was packed with a high-density of weapons and sensors.

The Indian official also said that it was being manned by a crew of 300 personnel, adding that the ship was one of the most potent platforms of the Indian Navy.

Kapoor said a joint exercise would be conducted between the Nigerian and Indian Navy ships at the end of the visit.

The visit of the ship at this opportune moment reiterates the strong bond between both Navies in the larger context of growing bilateral defence cooperation between India and Nigeria.

It also reflects the commitment of the Indian Navy to collaborate with the Nigerian Navy, in the face of growing global maritime security challenges, he added.

(NAN)

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The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in the ongoing tussle between factional leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff.

The battle for the PDP leadership at Nigerias apex court began following the February 17 judgement of the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to the appellate court, Mr. Sheriff is the lawful leader of the PDP.

But shortly after that ruling, the faction of the party led by Ahmed Makarfi approached the Supreme Court to upturn the decision of the lower court.

The apex court entertained various applications in connection with the leadership struggle during Tuesdays hearing.

Counsel for the Sheriff faction, Akin Olujimi, contended that Mr. Makarfis request amounted to an abuse of court process.

According to Mr. Olujimi, the Makarfi-led faction cannot present an application in the name of the PDP, like it had done

This constitutes and abuse of court processes. He is using two different processes to sustain his appeal, Mr. Olujimi said.

Mr. Makarfis lawyer, Wole Olanikpekun, however told the court to disregard the request made by Mr. Olujimi.

I urge your lordships to discountenance all that he has said. He is the one abusing court processes.

After listening to the arguments of the two counsel, the five-man panel of justices, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, adjourned hearing till a date yet to be decided.

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An allegedly incestuous father, 56-year-old Sunday Adimagwu, and his son, Kenneth, 21, were on Monday brought before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court charged with raping a 12-year-old girl.

The father is being tried for raping his own daughter, while the son, was arraigned for allegedly raping the same girl (his step-sister).

Both the father, a driver, and the son, a trader, live at 4,Ilogbo Street, Ajangbadi, Okokomaiko, a suburb of Lagos, on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The police prosecutor, Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offences were committed between September 2016 and April 2017 at the apartment of the accused.

Mr. Ogu, an inspector, said the 12-year-old girl had been staying with her father and the step-mother following a separation between her mother and the father.

Both have sexually assaulted the girl on different occasions; father and son took turns to defile her.

When the girl had the opportunity, she ran to her mothers house and told her what she has been going through  persistent sexual assault.

Outraged by the former husbands rape of the girl she had for him, the woman reported the case at the police station and the man was immediately apprehended, Mr. Ogu also told the court.

The offence contravened Section 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The duo, however , pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Taiwo Akanni, granted the accused bail in the sum of N250,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

The case has been adjourned until June 19 for mention.

(NAN)

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The 14th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), together with the first meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation on the South China Sea, were recently held in Guiyang, Guizhou province. Inspiring results and progress were achieved over the course of the two meetings.

The framework of the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea has been approved under the DOC, the 11-party mechanism between China and 10 ASEAN countries. China and the Philippines both reviewed their experiences in dealing with maritime issues, exchanged ideas on the specific concerns of each party, and carried out discussion on pragmatic maritime cooperation in the next phase. All signs indicate that the South China Sea issue, which was once extremely disputed, is getting back on track through dialogue and consultation.

Some parties have hyped the dispute in the past, attempting to blame China for undermining peace and stability in the region. However, this attempt has collapsed when faced with the facts. Under the pretext of establishing rule-based order, the deeds of these parties were carried out neither to realize peace and stability nor for the development and benefit of surrounding countries; instead, they were done to protect the interests of their perpetrators.

Political tricks will never be tolerated in the South China Sea. Efforts to establish rule and order in the region were made by China and ASEAN countries in the 1990s. As a result, the DOC was completed in 2002. The DOC set up a code of conduct for countries directly involved in the dispute. The DOC sets out a plan to manage disagreements and enhance cooperation, establishing a foundation for positive interaction among these nations.

It is not only a reflection of wisdom and mutual trust, but also a showcase of regional countries' ability to deal with the South China Sea issue. Countries in the region have made healthy moves to strengthen dialogue and cooperation. China and the Philippines, for example, will cooperate on seismic research in the related waters.

History serves as a proof that the South China Sea issue can only be solved by the countries actually in the region. The situation stabilizes when these countries remove external disturbances and devote themselves to negotiation and consultation. Meanwhile, progress on the issue deteriorates when outside parties intervene.

Previous setbacks have made the countries involved realize that a bright future for the South China Sea can only be realized through joint efforts. This is a crucial moment. China sincerely hopes to implement the DOC, strive for agreement on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea, strengthen communication and dialogue with regional countries, properly manage disputes and promote pragmatic cooperation.

The South China Sea has the potential to become a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship under the joint efforts of each party.

This commentary is edited and translated from ()

Source: People's Daily
The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, said on Sunday that street begging by children has no basis in Islam and challenged those engaging in the act to find other means of earning a living.

Mr. Abubakar, who is also the President-General of Jamaatu Nasril Islam, JNI, stated this while presiding over the pre-Ramadan meeting of JNIs Central Committee, held at the JNI headquarters, Kaduna.

According to him, Almajiri system of begging is not representing Islam and must, therefore, be dissociate from Islam.

Islam encourages scholarship and entrepreneurship and frowns at laziness and idleness as exemplified by itinerant Almajiri.

Therefore, attempt must be made to stop the practice of Almajiri system of begging among Muslim faithful, he said.

He noted that hunger and poverty were responsible for children begging on the streets, urging the government, particularly at the state level to prioritise welfare of their citizens to address hunger and poverty.

He also urged state governments to strengthen the institution of Zakkat and endowment to address wanton poverty.

The Sultan urged the government at all levels, particularly at the state level to rise to their responsibilities of ensuring welfare of every citizen.

The event is an annual meeting meant to set modalities and guidelines for moon sighting and general Muslims conduct during the holy month.

Prominent traditional rulers and Islamic scholars attended the meeting.

(NAN)

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The coroner inquest set up by Osun government to investigate the cause of death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke has fixed May 29 for its final verdict.

The coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, made this known during the courts sitting on Monday in Osogbo.

Mr. Ayilara said the court commenced sitting on May 10, and 10 out of the 15 respondents summoned by the court had appeared before it.

This court summoned 15 persons to appear before it, an advertisement which was published on May 11 in two national newspapers, the Tribune and The Nation.

However, only 10 out of the respondents appeared before this court. I will not force anybody to appear before this court neither can we wait forever for them to appear.

Their refusal to appear before this tribunal is intentional and so I am setting Monday, May 29 for the final verdict. By then we should know where we are going, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that since the coroner started sitting, the key people who saw the late senator before his death had appeared before the court to give evidence.

They include the nurse that treated him before his death and the forensic team that carried out autopsy on him.

The Adeleke family, however, refused to honour the invitation of the court, stating in a news conference that the death of the senator was being politicised.

According to them, and that they are not in support of the setting up of the coroner inquest by the state government.

(NAN)

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A former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has identified the shift from regional government to a 36 state structure as one of the reasons why the country is still struggling to reach its full potential.

Speaking at an event to mark his conferment as the Hero of Nigeria Democracy organized by the Hall of Grace Magazine in Lagos, Sunday, Mr. Atiku said there is a need to restructure the current federal system to devolve more powers and resources to the federating units.

It will encourage states to compete to attract investment and skilled workers rather than merely waiting for monthly revenue allocations from Abuja, said Mr. Abubakar, who served as vice president between 1999 and 2007.

This will also include the establishment of state police for the states that so desire so as to improve security. We must be open to changing the nature of the federating units such as using the existing geo-political zones as federating units rather than the current 36, of which only a few are financially viable.

Political decentralization must be accompanied by economic diversification. We need to diversify our economy away from the dependence on oil. We need to create opportunities for our people to engage in diverse economic activities which governments will then tax for revenues.

But we cant do that efficiently and effectively without accurate data. I have in the past called for an end to the self-defeating politics we play with census in the country. With all the data gathering and analytic tools in existence in the 21st century we have no good reason not to have accurate data on our people, down to the smallest unit, the individual.

Without data we cannot plan properly and all of us will lose, including those who try to inflate their population figures and those who want to suppress those of others.

Speaking on the topic Building a Nation that Works: My Diary and Way Forward, Mr. Atiku said the countrys continued dependence on revenues from oil derived from mainly three states of the federation would be unable to build a vibrant economy as well as provide qualitative education, security, and employment.

There is a saying that if you want to get out of a hole you dug yourself in you first stop digging, Mr. Atiku said.

So we need to stop our slide towards economic and political precipice. And one way to build a Nigeria that works is to identify what our people want and what they think our priorities should be. The next step is to assess whether the policies and strategies we currently pursue will adequately address those, and if not, in what ways they might be better addressed.

When you talk to ordinary Nigerians as I do regularly what they profess to be at the top of their priority list include the provision of and access to high quality education and training; infrastructure such as power, roads, railways and ports; security; employment and job creation; and accountability and reduced corruption.

They also call for a reorientation of values, which, I think, will come mainly from the change of behaviour by leaders. A Nigeria that works would be one that effectively and efficiently meets these needs.

The former vice president also called for a reform in the electoral system  largely along the line recommended by the Justice Mohammed Uwais Panel on Electoral Reforms  and the anti-corruption agencies.

For example, funding the electoral umpire from the first line charge in the Consolidated Revenue Fund is critical; transferring the power to appoint the chairman of the electoral umpire from the President to the National Judicial Council will help, as will efforts to curb the role of money and godfathers in our elections, Mr. Atiku said.

I have also been arguing that the declared winner of an election should not be allowed to assume office until all legal challenges to that election have been resolved.

We also need to reform the anti-corruption agencies to help depoliticize them and make them really independent. This will help to strengthen the fight against corruption, which is critical in renewing our peoples belief in the integrity of public institutions and pubic officials. Such a reform will require changes to how the agencies are funded, how their heads are appointed and who they report to.

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Police on Monday sprayed hot water and fired tear gas sporadically to disperse protesting members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria at the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, office in Maitama, Abuja.

Hundreds of Shiites, mainly male and female, undergraduates from different institutions across the country, assembled at the NHRC office to urge the commission to facilitate the immediate release of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, his wife and other detained members of the group.

In April, the group staged a nationwide protest to mark 500 days of Mr. El-Zakzakys detention by the government.

Mr. El-Zakzaky and his wife were arrested on December 14, 2015, following a bloody clash between members of his group and the Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State.

One of the organisers of Mondays protest, Sanusi Abdulkadir, said heavily armed policemen stormed the rally and foiled the protest with teargas and hot water.

Students, other members, friends and sympathizers of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria staged a peaceful protest march to the national human rights commission at Abuja to urge the commission to facilitate the unconditional release of the IMN leader, Sheik Zakzaky, his wife and many others members incarcerated in various detention centers, he said.

The Nigerian Police FCT command suddenly came and indiscriminately used teargas and hot water sprays to forcefully disperse the protesters. They harassed and intimidated the participants, he said.

He said no one was arrested.

The action of the police was unlawful and it infringes upon our constitutional rights. Hence we are going to take legal action on such incessant harassment and intimidation by the police, Mr. Abdulkadir said.

Efforts to reach the police were not successful. Spokesperson Anjuguri Manzah told PREMIUM TIMES he could not comment as he was out of town. A police contact he referred the paper to did not respond to phone calls.

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A lawmaker from Kogi State, Sunday Karimi, has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of allegedly using an ongoing personnel revalidation exercise to inflict untold hardship on the people of the state.

In an interview published weekend by The Punch, Mr. Karimi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, said abject penury in Kogi had become so pronounced that the residents now turn to federal lawmakers like himself in droves for financial support in order to eke out a living.

He has been doing screening repeatedly since he came to power, but not paying salaries, Mr. Karimi told The Punch. How do you tell people who served and have retired over 15 years that they were not properly recruited? Workers and pensioners are dying in Kogi State.

The lawmaker said the Bello administration had not paid salaries for over 16 months, despite receiving billions in bailout from the federal government.

That is part of the serious problems we are facing here, he said.

As a fallout of Mr. Bellos alleged draconian policies, Mr. Karimi said he and other colleagues in the National Assembly were now being inundated with requests for support from their respective constituents.

I receive countless telephone calls and text messages from constituents. All they are asking is to assist them. There are many demands from such constituents, such as paying for hospital bills, school fees and feeding money.

All these demands are transferred to us the lawmakers when people work for 16 months without salaries. I am neither a magician nor God; I cant meet everybodys needs.

If these people are paid their entitlements, it will at least reduce the burden on people like us, Mr. Karimi said.

Controversy over salaries for workers in Kogi State remains one of the most contentious issues Mr. Bello has grappled with since assuming office nearly a year and a half ago.

Shortly after his inauguration, the governor ordered a personnel revalidation exercise throughout the state civil service in a bid to eliminate ghost workers and save the state some funds it said were hitherto going to faceless employment racketeers.

The verification exercise took a bizarre turn when, in May 2016, Mr. Bello accused labour leader, Onuh Edoka, of being a ghost worker, after he criticised the policy and vowed to lead workers to resist it.

Weeks earlier, Mr. Bello had confirmed receipt of N20 billion in bailout from the federal government and promised to use a good chunk of it to offset staff salaries and arrears.

But the exercise had lingered for more than a year, prompting incessant allegations of ulterior motive against the administration from critics like Mr. Karimi.

While recalling that Mr. Bello emerged governor in one of the most unconventional circumstances in Nigerian political history, Mr. Karimi said the governor had mismanaged his luck by turning himself into an enemy of the people, adding that the Kogi State was allegedly being run with an iron fist.

But the state denied claims that the verification exercise brought hardship to residents, dragged for too long or even unnecessary, to begin with.

The screening exercise is saving the state N1 billion per month, Gbenga Olorunpomi, a media aide to the governor, told PREMIUM TIMES Monday afternoon.

Mr. Olorunpomi said his principal had prioritised workers welfare in a manner that was unrivalled since he assumed office, a decision he had implemented with utmost transparency.

The governor had paid in excess of N41 billion in salaries and pensions since he came into office just over a year ago, Mr. Olorunpomi said. Of the N11 billion that the state had received from the Paris Club refund, N6.9 billion had been spent on salaries and pensions.

Kogi publishes salaries and pensions payout in national dailies at the end of every month, he added.

Mr. Olorunpomi said the administration recognised that a lot must still be done to improve living conditions of the residents, but added that the nationwide economic downtown also took a toll on the state.

While we acknowledged that Kogi is not isolated from the countrys economic crisis, we strongly advise our people to be patient while the numerous policy moves weve initiated gradually yield desired results.

Agricultural revolution is ongoing in Kogi State. It had seen many trucks bring in fertilisers to supply directly to farmers. Loan facilities are also available for the people to tap into.

Mr. Olorunpomi also highlighted governments strides in security.

Weve had monthly average in reported cases of kidnap reduced to two from 41 that it was before this government came into office, Mr. Olorunpomi said, while highlighting last months demolition an alleged criminal hideout near Okene.

While expressing his respect for honourable representatives from the state, the spokesperson admonished critics like Mr. Karimi to familiarise themselves with latest happenings in Kogi State in order to avoid making utterances that would expose their alleged disconnect with the grassroots.

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Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has described his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as the best civilian governor the state has had since the late Abubakar Rimi.

Mr. Ganduje was Mr. Kwankwasos deputy until he succeeded him in 2015, but both men have since been on different sides of a deep fissure in their party, the All Progressives Congress, in the state.

Speaking at an event on Monday as part of the 50th anniversary of the state, Mr. Ganduje, however, made a rare positive appraisal of his predecessor in public, since the outset of the conflict between both men.

He praised Mr. Rimi, who was governor under the defunct Peoples Redemption Party between 1979 and 1983, for laying the foundation for the development of the state by executing several projects under four years.

He listed the key achievements of the Second Republic governor as creation of the state-owned City Television, also known as CTV, and newspaper, The Triumph; Kano Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, KNARDA; Kano Agricultural Supply Company, KASCO, the State Rural Electricity Company; and many other projects he said still impact lives in the state.

He said Mr. Rimi executed many development projects, especially a series of agricultural programmes and electrification of towns and villages, despite a low revenue base of the state which also included the present Jigawa State at the time.

Mr. Rimi stepped down for Dawakin Tofa in 1983 to seek reelection on the ticket of the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party but lost the bid to Sabo Bakin Zuwo who ran on the ticket of the PRP.

In the still-born Third Republic between 1992 and 1993, Kabiru Gaya, who is now a senator on the platform of the APC, was the elected governor of the state on the ticket of the defunct National Republican Convention.

Why I choose Kwankwaso as my second best governor after Rimi is because of the fact that no matter what, in his first coming he introduced various projects and linkage road networks.

He recalled that Mr. Kwankwaso in his first term between 1999 and 2003 faced many challenges arising from the pressure by Islamic leaders for the implementation of Sharia laws in Kano.

There were a lots of conspiracy against Kwankwaso at that time. Many people wanted him out of power despite the fact that he was trying his best to change Kano and he had to go.

Mr. Ganduje said Mr. Kwankawaso was dogged in his beliefs and stood his ground untill he staged a comeback in 2011, adding, and when he came back he did his best, that is why he remains my best governor.

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The Katsina State Police Command has arraigned a chieftain of the PDP, Umar Tata, for staging a durbar to woo voters in Dutsi ahead of last Saturdays bye-election for Mashi/Dutsi Federal constituency seat.

Mr. Tata was arraigned on Monday before a Katsina Chief Magistrates Court on a one-count charge of holding a durbar without police clearance, thereby constituting nuisance to the public.

Mr. Tata contested for the governorship of the state in 2015 under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Police First Information Report (FIR) stated that the accused committed the alleged offence on May 18, 2017 at about 4:00pm.

According to the FIR, the accused, without clearance from the police, organized a durbar with other PDP supporters in Dutsi.

The accused at the same Dutsi town engaged in distribution of grains to electorates with the aim of seeking favour from them.

The accused took 250 bags of grains and was openly distributing the commodities to the voters, the FIR said.

The police prosecutor, Ibrahim Garba, a deputy superintendent, told the court that the offence contravened Section 119 of the state penal code law.

Counsel to the accused, Uyi Ogunma, however, prayed the court to grant bail to his client, as the offence was bailable.

My Lord, my client is presumed to be innocent based on the provision in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

My client is a well known person in Katsina state and will never jump bail if granted to him, he said

The Chief Magistrate, Nuraddeen El-Ladans, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He said the sureties must be two District Heads who would present their National ID Cards and other vital documents to the court.

The case has been adjourned till July 4, 2017, for further mention.

(NAN)

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The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Monday accused the Minister of Transportation and the immediate past governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, of forming a new cult group with the aim of creating security crisis in the state.

The governor spoke while commissioning the Kpopie-Bodo Road in Gokana Local Government Area as part of activities to commemorate two years anniversary of his administration.

Mr. Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, who was sworn in as governor on May 29, 2015, has been having a running political battle with Mr. Amaechi, his predecessor and member of the All Progressives Congress.

According to a statement by his media aide, Simeon Nwakaudu, the governor said the cult group formed by the minister was christened New Rivers Cult Group.

The governor also alleged that Mr. Amaechi inaugurated the group at a private residence in Woji area of Port Harcourt, the state capital after which he (minister) distributed N500, 000 to its members from each of the 23 local government areas.

He also alleged that the group was being coordinated by the duo of Ojukaye Flag Amachree and Oji Ngofa, who he said were mobilized by the minister.

According to him, Mr Ojukaye is presently standing trial for murder.

Let me alert Nigerians; I am only informing Nigerians and security agencies of the crime against Rivers State by the immediate past governor, Mr. Wike said.

We have successfully concluded the state amnesty programme for cultists in the state, but the former governor has set up another cult group.

The governor, who said the members of the new group had been armed for the 2019 general elections, alleged that Mr. Amaechi assured members of the new group of adequate security protection.

He asked the security agencies to call the minister to order and vowed that the group would be resisted by the law-abiding people of the state.

I am shouting for the security agencies to hear us. Let heaven hear us. Let nobody allow his son to be used, he said.

No amount of cult recruitment can intimidate us. I am calling on the security agencies to call the former governor to order.

Mr. Amaechi could not be reached for comments. Repeated telephone calls to his media aide, David Iyofor, did not connect.

Mr. Iyofor did not also respond to an SMS sent to him.

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The Anambra Police Command said it prosecuted 80 people for cultism-related crimes between January and April.

Christopher Bassey, Commander of the Special Anti-Cultism Squad (SPACS) told journalists in Onitsha on Sunday that the command also secured 80 convictions.

Mr. Bassey, a chief superintendent of police, said the convicted cultists terrorised Obosi, Nkpor, Ogidi, Awada and Onitsha communities, adding that many suspects were set free after being counseled.

We are able to send about 80 notorious cultists to prison by the help of the courts while scores were counseled and released.

I think parents should monitor the company their children keep because investigations showed that those arrested were influenced by suspected criminals, who provide them with hard drugs, guns and money, he said.

Mr. Basey advised youths to shun cultism, warning that the police would not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in the act.

According to him, we will not spare anyone because the hard drugs they take influence them into constituting nuisance, and sometimes, commit violent crimes in the society.

The commander, who denied that the police torture suspects, said they were rather screened for prosecution or counsel when arrested.

We advised them against engaging in crimes, he stressed.

(NAN)

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Former Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Eugene Odo, says the growing popularity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state is a call for good governance.

Mr. Odo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Monday that the current leadership style and quality in the state was inconsistent with what obtained in the past.

He said that the leadership lacuna was so glaring that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state were joining the APC in their numbers.

Part of the reasons why we joined the APC is that with the level God has assisted us, I do not think the state government has anything to offer for now.

We do not want to show the difference between what is happening now and what happened in the past because the facts are glaring.

God has benefitted us and we should be in the vanguard of benefitting others. That is our mission in APC, he said.

The former speaker lauded residents of the state for embracing the APC, adding that with committed men and women, the state will go back to its former glory.

He appealed to members of the party not to join issues with other political parties but to work assiduously in ensuring that APC won future elections in the state.

We should not be reactive to the threats from the PDP because they are confused.

Most importantly, there is nothing like PDP in Enugu again. What we have is a group of people that will soon be lumped into another party, he said.

Mr. Odo said the party faithful in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area were working round the clock to make the APC formidable.

Our slogan and strategy is that any political appointee in the other parties must lose their polling booths during future elections and we are working towards that.

We thank God that the PDP is now history in Enugu State so whatever reaction coming from there is panic measure, he said.

He said it was imperative that members of APC worked together to achieve its set goals.

We were thinking of how to develop and transform APC into a formidable party in the state when former Gov. Sullivan Chime joined us.

His presence has assisted us even in our respective local government areas because people who might not have taken some of us serious now know that we are powerful.

By the grace of God, APC will certainly take over the Government House in Enugu in 2019, Mr. Odo said.

NAN recalls that Mr. Odo, who led the state assembly for eight years as speaker joined the APC in January 2017.

(NAN)

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Wu Zhongliang (file photo)

A 96-year-old Chinese American named Wu Zhongliang has donated more than 20 million RMB to his hometown over the past 30 years. He also set up a 3-million-RMB scholarship to support outstanding students there. On May 20, Wu told his nephew that he hopes to finally return for good to Lezhi, Sichuan province.

Wu became an orphan at the age of 3. He started working in a restaurant when he was 14, and took the opportunity to master Sichuan cooking. Later, he spent time living in Chongqing, Taiwan and New York. With his extraordinary cooking skills, he opened several Chinese restaurants in New York City. In 1976, he obtained U.S. citizenship.

But no matter how successful his career was, Wu never forgot the friends and loved ones he had left behind in his hometown. In the past three decades, he paid for the cities of Neijiang and Ziyang to build a kindergarten, a senior home and more than 30 primary and middle schools. On the occasion of his 90th birthday, Wu donated 300,000 RMB, the sum of his birthday gifts from his sons and grandsons, to local schools.

Wu's nephew remarked, My uncle has donated almost all his savings, but he himself leads a frugal life.

Whenever he comes back to Sichuan and visits the beneficiaries of his donations, he always takes the bus, noted Jiang Yixiang, former headmaster of Wu Zhongliang Middle School in Lezhi. He eats very simple meals every day. If there is anything left unfinished, he always takes it home to have for another meal.
Electricity supply would be disrupted in many parts of Lagos this week as Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) on Monday announced five days power outage in the city.

EKEDC spokesman, Godwin Idemudia, said in a statement that the outage would affect Ikoyi, Victoria Island and parts of Lagos Island from Wednesday to Sunday.

Mr. Idemudia said the outage was to enable maintenance crew from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) address technical and maintenance issues at Alagbon transmission station.

We want to inform our esteem customers that from Wednesday, May 24 to Sunday, May 28, there will be an outage within Ikoyi, Victoria Island and parts of Lagos Island.

This is to enable TCN maintenance crew resolve some technical issues within Alagbon transmission stations, EKEDC said.

The EKEDC spokesman said the company regretted any inconveniences caused by the five-day outage.

He promised that supply would be restored to the affected areas as soon as the maintenance was successfully completed. (NAN)

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The governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday inaugurated a judicial commission of enquiry to investigate allegations of fraud against his immediate predecessor, and current Minister for Steel and Minerals Resources Development, Kayode Fayemi.

This followed a resolution passed by the Ekiti State House Assembly some weeks ago, which directed the governor to pursue the investigations given that the minister failed to appear before the house when summoned the come and testify.

The assembly had accused Fayemi of diverting funds belonging to the state Universal Basic Education Board while serving as governor of the state.

But the minister denied any wrong doing, saying the house and the state government were out to tarnish his image.

Mr. Fayemi had also derided the house for the call for his investigation, saying the case in question was before a court of law.

Mr. Fayose, while constituting the panel in Ado Ekiti, explained that the move was in compliance with the resolution of the House of Assembly.

In compliance with the resolution of the State House of Assembly and pursuant to the powers conferred on Mr. Governor in section 2 of the Ekiti State Commission of Enquiry Cap C10 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, His Excellency, Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose, has set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to look into the financial transactions of the state between 2010 and 2014, the governors speech read on his behalf by the Secretary to State Government, Modupe Alade, said.

The commission is headed by retired Justice, Silas Oyewole, of the Ekiti State High Court.

It has as its terms of reference, to ascertain how much Ekiti State Government received as statutory allocations during the period under review and how same were disbursed.

The commission is also to look into the financial transactions of Ekiti State between 2010 and 2014; ascertain the amount received on behalf of the State from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); investigate the allegations of fraud/loss of funds, including the diversion and conversion of the UBEC funds; ascertain the amount that the Ekiti State Government took as loans during the period under review and how they were utilized.

It was also mandated to consider all other issues relating to the finances of the Ekiti State Government within the period under review, and to make appropriate recommendations to the Ekiti State Government.

This is no witch-hunt because severally, the State House of Assembly, that is conferred with the power to look into the finances of the state, has invited former governor John Kayode Fayemi to clarify some issues bothering on the finances of the state such as the SUBEB funds which was mismanaged and others, Mrs. Aladje said.

But despite having been invited for three times, he has refused to honour the invitation.

Since he has refused to do that, the governor, acting on the directives by the state Assembly and the powers conferred on him by the constitution, has set up this judicial Commission of Enquiry.

Ekiti State Attorney General, Owoseni Ajayi, said the setting up of the enquiry was in strict compliance with section two of the Ekiti State Law on the establishment of Judicial Commission of Enquiry.

Fortunately, this particular law was signed into Law in 2012 by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, which means it is an extant Law, a Law of the state and not intended to witch-hunt anybody, he said.

The Commission is a fact finding one and there is no cause for anybody to be afraid of the proceedings of the Commission which is quasi-judiciary and would be in the open court and not hidden from anybody.

Mr. Ajayi assured that the principles of fair hearing would be upheld as all parties must be given a fair hearing in the proceedings.

It is not at all targeted at former governor Kayode Fayemi in person, but it is to find facts as to how the finances of the state were dispensed under that administration, he said.

So, if anybody is called upon by that Commission, and served adequate notice through a medium by which they can be informed, and they abdicated their right to defend or present facts contrary to what is presented, then they will be taken as if they have abandoned their right of fair hearing and any judgement passed thereof would be binding on such persons.

Exercise in futility

Mr. Fayemi dismissed Mondays inauguration of a judicial commission as an exercise in futility.

Yinka Oyebode, Special Assistant on Media to the minister said in a statement that the governors action was at variance with the laws of the land which makes it subjudice for anyone to entertain a matter that is already before a court of competent jurisdiction.

It is obvious, Governor Fayose is desperate to probe the administration of his predecessor in office, Dr Kayode Fayemi, for personal vendetta. Yet, he is advised to be guided by the rule of law and decency in this wild goose chase.

The Governor and members of the panel are reminded that the two cases involving the House of Assembly, its leadership and top officials of the present administration are still pending In an Abuja High Court and a Federal High Court in Ado, thus making it an act of illegality for another panel to look into the matter.

The governor is advised to concentrate on the serious task of governance and refrain from shadow chasing which the current pursuit of personal vendetta through a kangaroo committee clearly represents, he added.

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Polish President Andrzej Duda and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a telephone talk on Monday to discuss issues including ways of reinvigorating the Weimar Triangle of Poland, Germany and France, the head of Duda's cabinet, Krzysztof Szczerski, said.

President Duda and Chancellor Merkel on Monday held consultations ahead of Thursday's NATO summit in Brussels. Minister Szczerski said that the Monday talk in part dealt with the "Weimar Triangle and possibilities for stimulating it at the highest level". "President Duda and Chancellor Merkel agreed that it was worth taking advantage of the moment after the election of Emmanuel Macron as president of France and his declaration regarding attempts to lend dynamism to the Weimar Triangle", Szczerski noted. He added that this issue would be discussed further between Poland, Germany and France in the near future. (PAP)
Ford Motor Co. will be replacing CEO Mark Fields in an attempt to transform the companys current performance and strategies, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press.

Fields, 56, is retiring after 28 years with the company. He will be replaced by Jim Hackett, who currently leads Fords mobility unit and has sat on Fords board since 2013.

Hackett is also the former CEO of Steelcase Inc., one of the worlds largest office furniture manufacturers.

Fords stock reportedly rose 2 percentage points before the opening bell Monday.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.

Check back for more updates
ATLANTIC CITY  Got the blues? Atlantic City does, and Noel Feliciano will tell you all about it when you visit his Rhode Island Avenue bait shop.

The bluefish are epic right now, Feliciano said from behind the counter at his One Stop Bait and Tackle this week.

As he helped customers find bait and lures, Feliciano talked about how fishermen around the region are reeling over the number of bluefish in the water this spring. It has been a great boost for tourism in a city that focuses much of its efforts on indoor activities, he said.

Were surrounded by water, and Atlantic City doesnt talk about water, Feliciano said. We have one of the deepest channels you can fish in South Jersey.

Every morning he is live on Facebook telling his followers all about the weather and the catches available, which mostly have centered on the bluefish.

This years surge in bluefish follows a couple of years of great numbers, said Michael Shepherd, local fishing expert and columnist with The Press of Atlantic City.

Its the spring run, which has been really great the last couple of years, Shepherd said.

The fish are attracted to the mild water temperature, which is about 50 degrees this time of year, he said.

Shepherd said people from all over the East Coast will come to New Jersey for its fishing, but for the locals  many of whom have grown up on the water  fishing is more than sport.

People need to put food on the table a lot, Shepherd said. Its not just fun for people. Theres still an element of sustenance.

But the sport is still there. Bluefish are one of the fiercest fish to catch, Shepherd said. The fish are strong and have sharp teeth.

Fishermen packed the jetty Tuesday north of New Hampshire Avenue. The large, slick stones jut out dozens of feet into the water, and dips and holes in the structure are sparsely filled in with rocky concrete.

Those with experience have no problem finding their footing as they wait for a tug on their lines. They arent waiting long.

Every five minutes, they hook one, said Wilfredo Martinez, of Atlantic City.

There was a thrill in Isidro Valentines voice as he called out, I got it! to Martinez, who was getting ready to leave for the day.

Valentine carried his rod from the edge of the jetty down to the beach to reel in his catch. It took a few minutes  Valentine was careful not to lose the fish in the surf  but the result was a 35-inch bluefish.

You feel good, Valentine said, after showing off the fish.

He said he has been fishing about 10 years, and lately he has been out every day.

I started for fun. When youre here, the hours run fast. You dont feel nothing. You relax, Valentine said.

Martinez, who has been fishing since he was 6, congratulated his friend.

It seems like it gets better every year, Martinez said of the bluefish. Ive never seen so many people fishing for bluefish.
On May 20, the first Jiangsu development summit was held in Nanjing, capital city of the province. Over 1,200 prominent guests attended the summit to discuss the regions development.

One such guest was Zhu Yuhua, chairman of the Scuderia Ferrari Club Shanghai-China and executive president of the China-Italy Association, whose ancestry is in Jiangsu province. In an interview at the summit, Zhu shared his relationship with the Ferrari brand, talked about Ferraris future development in China and offered his suggestions to fellow overseas Chinese.

Zhu graduated with a degree in Italian literature and language in 1978, and later immigrated to Italy to live. After that, he shuttled between Italy and China, dedicating a large amount of time and energy to trade and cultural exchange between the two nations.

In 2005, as a directly department of Ferrari S.p.a., authorized by Chinese government, Zhu established the Scuderia Ferrari Club in Shanghai, the unique officially Scuderia Ferrari club in China. This legendary vehicle, Zhu commented, perfectly integrates traditional Italian craftsmanship with modern technology.

Zhu believes the Ferrari brand can serve as a cultural link between China and Italy. He also disclosed that the China-Italy Association have started preparations to establish an Italian-style town and in order to carry forward the Ferrari culture, the Scuderia Ferrari Club member recruitment and service desk will be included in the project.

The town, expected to be located in Jiangsu province, would cultivate a unique blend of the two countries cultural elements, offering a rich experience for locals and an attractive new tourist site for visitors, Zhu predicted, The rapid development of his hometown is part of what inspired this vision, according to the businessman.

As for his advice to overseas Chinese, Zhu attributed his own success to knowledge of his motherland. He encouraged fellow migrants to develop a full understanding of their own country before becoming immersed in another one.
VENTNOR  People who care about the city want tourists this summer to consider visiting as they choose among Long Beach Island, Ocean City, Wildwood and other shore communities.

More city events are planned this spring and summer compared with recent years, starting with the Ventnor Chefs Night Out on Sunday, City Commissioner Tim Kriebel said Thursday.

Its kicking off a number of events that we have planned to increase awareness of Ventnor, Kriebel said.

Sean and Heather Fagan purchased a home here last month. They attended a community homeowners association meeting and found out about Ventnors Chefs Night Out.

They attended with Charlene Gray, of Philadelphia. They were eating pork braciola made in Sunday sauce with rigatoni vodka at Tutto Fresco on Ventnor Avenue, a new eatery that is only 2 weeks old.

I want the recipe. It was delicious, Heather Fagan said.

What the city will offer this spring and summer includes concerts on the beach, movies every Monday night and its first food truck event, Kriebel said.

The food truck event has gotten the largest number of hits on our Facebook page since its inception, so we are expecting a good turnout, said Kriebel, who added a Downbeach surf camp and a surfing contest also are scheduled.

We just passed an ordinance that every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we would allow barbecues on the beach, which I think separates us a little bit, said Kriebel, adding charcoal cannot be used.

Chefs Night Out is like citys version of a block party, Kriebel said.

It brings the neighborhoods together. We all ride our bikes. We use the Boardwalk and ride our bikes from restaurant to restaurant. Its a really nice way to show all the city, Kriebel said.

The citys business areas participating in Chefs Night Out were the North Beach district, the Central Downtown area, the Gateway area near Margate and Dorset Avenue. The business section that sat out was the Wellington shopping district.

Michael Einwechter, 37, is a lifelong city resident. He was president of the Ventnor Tourism group in 2015 and 2016, which turned into a new organization, Amazing Ventnor, this year.

Amazing Ventnor created Ventnor PorchFest, which takes place from 1 to 8 p.m. June 11.

We have bands coming from Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Its not just a local thing, he said Thursday.

PorchFest is a citywide music festival celebrated on the front porches of peoples houses.

The Ventnor City Farmers Market returns after five years and will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon every Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend at Holy Trinity Parish at Newport and Atlantic Avenues, Einwechter said.

This will be the second year for the summer beach concerts, and eight new performers are coming in, he said.

We are kind of changing up the mood of the music. We are going for more classic rock. We are bringing in some Latin music, Einwechter said, referring to De Tierra Caliente on July 30 with members from Colombia, Puerto Rico and Philadelphia.

Three Sunset Celebrations will take place at Ski Beach at the end of Dorset Avenue.

For normal sunsets, there are usually 15 to 20 cars parked there anyway, Einwechter said.

This will be like a Key West, Florida-type celebration with music, food trucks, artists, entertainers, face painters and a yoga demonstration, he said. The times and three dates are 6 to 9 p.m. June 16, July 14 and Aug. 11. The first of three Sunset Celebrations on June 16 will be a tribute to Herb Bubba Mac Birch, who died May 16 at age 73.

People will be playing his style of music, Einwechter said.

The city already hosted a street fair May 10 from the 100 to 300 block of Dorset Avenue, with three more planned on June 14, Aug. 16 and Sept. 30 in other areas.
(Xinhua) 17:31, May 22, 2017

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China's top insurance regulator said Monday insurance funds are expected to invest in major projects that will play a significant role in boosting the economy.

These projects will be given easier access to debt investment by insurance funds if the borrowers have a high credit rating, according to a circular from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC).

Such projects are mainly in the areas of water conservancy, energy, transportation, high-tech and advanced manufacturing, with large scale investment and controllable risks, the CIRC said.

For insurance funds to make debt investment in major projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, procedures will be simplified

The CIRC pledged to do more to channel insurance funds into the real economy.

As of the end of March, a total of 4 trillion yuan (580 billion U.S. dollars) of insurance funds had gone into infrastructure construction and other projects aimed at improving the quality of people's lives, according to CIRC figures.

Authorities have stepped up the regulation of insurance funds after some insurers used leveraged money to buy shares in listed companies, triggering market volatility, late last year.

Insurance funds should serve the real economy and help supply-side structural reform, the CIRC said earlier this month.

By the end of December 2016, the combined assets of China's insurance sector totaled 15 trillion yuan, official data showed.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Azerbaijan, a strategically located partner of the United States in the Caspian region, is emerging as a key transportation hub along the historic Silk Road as demonstrated by Azerbaijans Silk Way Airlines recent purchase of 10 new Boeing 737-Max 8 aircraft to be built at Boeings plant in Renton, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov wrote in his article published by HeraldNet.

Suleymanov said that while offering economic opportunities and stabilizing energy supplies, Azerbaijan stands with the US in struggling against terrorism and striving for a more peaceful world.

Our recent purchase helps support more than 12,000 workers at the assembly plant in Renton, which will increase production and ramp up hiring, he said.

In the highly cyclical aerospace industry, now suffering declining demand for widebody jets, Azerbaijans emergence as an export market for Boeing can counter pressures for further job losses, such as the recent layoffs of engineers.

This is Azerbaijans third major investment in Boeing aircraft, the ambassador said.

In 2015, Silk Way purchased three Boeing 747-8 freighters manufactured at Boeings factory in Everett, with a total of 30,000 workers.

The same year, Azerbaijan Airlines  our countrys flag carrier and largest airline  acquired its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, assembled in South Carolina, the ambassador said. Today, Azerbaijan Airlines Dreamliner (an aircraft built in both states) connects our countries via a nonstop Baku-New York flight.

I am proud that Azerbaijan is contributing to a sector that supports some 252,800 jobs in Washington, with $21 billion in wages and nearly $95 billion in economic activity, Suleymanov said.

Azerbaijans partnership with the United States extends far beyond buying jetliners, the ambassador said. Bordering Iran and Russia, Azerbaijan is a trusted ally in a tough neighborhood.

Suleymanov said that within 24 hours of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Azerbaijan offered the US unconditional support against terrorism, granting American military aircraft over-flights for a third of the non-lethal supplies for coalition forces, while Azerbaijani soldiers serve shoulder to shoulder with Americans in Afghanistan.

We continue to cooperate with the US and its allies to combat terrorism, nuclear proliferation and narcotics trafficking, he added. With 7 billion barrels of oil reserves and 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, Azerbaijan provides about a million barrels of oil a day to Europe, as well as 40 percent of Israels consumption.

Through the new Southern Gas Corridor pipeline network, Azerbaijan will also bring 16 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe every year, securing Europes energy supplies while stabilizing the world economy, including air travel, he said.

Azerbaijans economic potential is about much more than energy, Suleymanov said.

He added that last year alone, the US exported $434.2 million worth of products to Azerbaijan, while importing $142 million in goods, for a trade surplus of $292.2 million.

According to the article, American companies are exporting aircraft and heavy machinery to Azerbaijan while exploring investment opportunities in telecommunications and other non-energy sectors.

Just as important as building oil rigs, Azerbaijan is helping America and its friends build bridges to the Islamic world, Suleymanov said. As a predominantly Muslim society with a secular government, Azerbaijan is an example of pluralism and moderation, offering religious freedom for Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

For 1,400 years, our Jewish community, now numbering about 30,000, has lived alongside Muslims without antagonism or persecution, he said.

According to the article, in 1918, Azerbaijan became the first majority-Muslim society to recognize womens right to vote  two years before the entire US.

Participating in European institutions, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which brings together 56 Muslim countries, Azerbaijan promotes mutual understanding, he said. With close ties to the US, Israel, the European Union and the Muslim nations, we strive to transform divisiveness into dialogue.
TOKYO, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Cunningham Lindsey, a global leader in loss adjusting and claims management services, last week (17 May) formally opened its Tokyo office. The Tokyo office is the first Cunningham Lindsey owned operation in Japan and will be directed under the leadership of Yutaka Tada.

Attending the formal opening was Global CEO Jane Tutoki, Damon Bennett, CEO of Cunningham Lindsey Asia Pacific and Yutaka Tada, General Manager, Japan. Mr Tada joined Cunningham Lindsey in January this year and leads the firms' operations in Japan.

CEO Jane Tutoki said, "Japan is one of the most import insurance markets in the world, second only to the US in terms of commercial insurance. It is important that we have a local presence in the country so we can support the insurance market both in Japan and the surrounding regions. Our Japan office reflects our ambition to be able to service our clients wherever they are located with local expertise, a deep understanding of their culture and in their own language."

Yutaka Tada added, "Cunningham Lindsey is well known around the world as a leader in providing the insurance market with a first rate claims management service. Having our experts here in Tokyo will enable us to provide Japan based insurers and customers with a better, faster, local service."

About Cunningham Lindsey

Cunningham Lindsey is a leading provider of claims management services to the insurance market. The group's expertise is deployed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year across a wide range of disciplines, from risk management to technical loss adjusting. Cunningham Lindsey serves clients in the insurance industry in more than 60 countries with over 6,000 employees. Our Asia Pacific team includes operations in 10 countries with 1,200 employees.

Further information can be sourced from http://www.cunninghamlindsey.com

Editor's Notes



If you would like any further information about our Japan office or our services in Japan and across Asia Pacific, please contact:



Yutaka Tada

T: +81-3-6202-2927

Email: yutaka.tada@clglobal.com



For further press information please contact:

Judy Molnar, Tel: +1-813-540-0618

Cunningham Lindsey, Mob: +1-813-215-9358

Email: judy.molnar@clglobal.com



Matt Beasley, Tel: +44(0)20-7280-0649

FWD, Mob: +44(0)7793-241-153

Email: matthew.beasley@fwdconsulting.co.uk



SOURCE Cunningham Lindsey
SYDNEY, NEW YORK and LONDON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Metamako, the leading specialist provider of FPGA-enabled high-performance networking platforms, has been shortlisted in Australia's FinTech Awards, known as the Finnie Awards, in the 'Excellence in Establishing Market Presence: Global' category, primarily due to the company's phenomenal growth in the leading financial markets of North America, Europe and Asia. The Finnies are an awards programme, created for the Australian FinTech community, with the aim of recognising and rewarding the community by honouring innovation, growth and collaboration within FinTech in Australia.

Dave Snowdon, CTO and founder of Metamako, said: "Australia has developed into the leading innovation and technology hub for Asia-Pacific and it's great to be shortlisted from an impressive list of FinTech specialists. Right from the outset, when Metamako launched four years ago, our goal was to bring the fastest network solutions to the global financial markets. Being a relatively new company, it's a real honour to be recognised for building a global market presence as an Australian business, and it's really special to be in the inaugural Finnie list."

Metamako's clients are in the US, APAC and Europe, and in the last two years it has opened offices in New York, London and Tokyo. Its clients include financial institutions, such as banks and exchanges, the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and LMAX, a UK-based FX exchange, among them. Metamako has a number of global partners: the US-based Westcon Group and the Australian Pro IT.

Snowdon added: "Over 95% of our business is exports, with our products being designed, developed and built in Australia, which makes us very proud of our contribution to the Australian economy. Our technology-centric team of 35 people in Sydney, based in the Stone & Chalk FinTech hub, is very diverse."

In independent benchmark tests carried out by the highly-respected Securities Technology Analysis Center LLC (STAC), Metamako set records for Layer 1 switches, averaging just 5 nanoseconds for each switch hop. Metamako is the leading specialist in deterministic ultra-low latency devices for the trading community, exchanges and telco providers.

About Metamako

Metamako is a cutting-edge device company, founded in 2013, with a goal of simplifying networks, reducing latency and increasing flexibility.

The founders, Scott Newham, Dave Snowdon and Charles Thomas, have extensive experience engineering high-performance hardware and software for financial markets, and other users for whom keeping latency to a minimum is vitally important. Metamako's solutions have built-in intelligence and are rich in features, using state-of-art of technology to keep latency to an absolute minimum.

MetaConnect 96 is the latest in a range of high-performance network products which Metamako has brought to market.

For more information visit http://www.metamako.com

Editorial contacts

Alla Lapidus / Ashleigh Brown

Moonlight Media

Email: metamako@moonlightmedia.co.uk

Tel: +44(0)20-7250-4770



SOURCE Metamako
LONDON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Sinolink Healthcare announces the launch of a new Observership Programme that will facilitate medical observership from India to the UK's National Health Service.



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/513673/Sinolink_Healthcare_Logo.jpg )



Observers will be able to learn, develop and share medical knowledge with which to assist India's healthcare system, whilst the hosting department receive a number of benefits from research funding, training development to International collaboration.

The clinical elective programme is designed to enhance learning within the observers' medical specialism whilst gaining experience of the UK's NHS systems and procedures. Sinolink have well established links with the top university hospitals partners in the UK from which bespoke programmes are created.

Sinolink Observership Programmes:

Sinolink have run Observership programmes with medical practitioners from China for nearly ten years, in fact China sends the largest number of Observers to the UK over any other country.

The clinical and non-clinical programmes, range from hospital CEO management training to care assistant training, with the most popular being clinical attachment programmes for doctors and nurses. The programmes include clinical governance, risk management, leadership and complex patient care, as well as medical codes of conduct.

The benefits to observers include being exposed to a wide range of medical practices such as simulation labs, ward rounds, MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meetings, assimilation and theatre training.

Primary care classroom based learning gives each observer the chance to experience a typical NHS patient pathway.

For further information on Sinolink services please contact us on +44(0)1784-730828 or visit the web site at http://www.sinolink.co.uk

Follow us:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sinolinkhealth

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbNIIf6wvXFpR7n0yWGLylQ

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinolink

NOTES TO EDITORS :

Sinolink is a healthcare education and training company. Its' expertise is based on providing, organising and managing collaborative partnerships in the United Kingdom for international doctors and nurses to experience the practices of the National Health Service.

Sinolink believe these programmes are able to make a difference to healthcare by creating the opportunity for medical specialists to observe and share information in order to deliver the best possible service to their patients.

For further information on these services please contact Sinolink on +44(0)1784-730828 or visit the web site at http://www.sinolink.co.uk.

SOURCE Sinolink
GENEVA, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Venture capital firm, Zeno Ventures, has closed an investment in Tizeti Inc., a Menlo Park, CA and Lagos, Nigeria based startup that participated in the latest batch of Y Combinator. Tizeti has developed a cost effective solution to provide reliable broadband internet services to densely populated urban centers in Africa. The company owns the last mile delivery network that routes internet connectivity from submarine cables to its customers' locations through its collection of solar powered Wi-Fi towers in central Lagos. Tizeti's consumer facing brand, Wifi.com.ng, offers unlimited data plans starting at $30 per month as well as hot spot services for short term use.

Currently, less than 1% of Africa's population has a broadband subscription. Tizeti provides unlimited plans at an affordable price - 30% lower than existing mobile offerings.

Tizeti is now the seventh investment of Zeno Ventures, which has completed a closing of its debut fund earlier this year. Zeno Ventures has also invested in Breaker, Joy , Labdoor, Snappr, Standard Bots, Starcity and Tizeti.

About Zeno Ventures:

Zeno Ventures was founded in 2016 by Christopher Kile and Duarte Moreira. It invests internationally in fast growing technology startups from its Geneva and San Francisco locations. For more information please visit www.zenoventures.com .

SOURCE Zeno Ventures
2017 CBD Fair (Shanghai) made a smashing success, which ran from March 23-26 at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai). "More than 400 companies joined CBD-IBCTF (Shanghai), attracting 56,002 visitors, marking a 33.43% year-on-year increase," said President Li of the Organizer.

World's Largest Building Decoration Exhibition

2017 CBD Fair (Guangzhou) will cover 380,000 square meters (93 Acres) of exhibition space, making it the world's largest showcase of building decoration. In addition to demonstrating latest decoration design concepts, the Fair set up a four-theme exhibition layout and opened the new section D (PWTC Expo) at 2016 to cover high-end consumer products including wooden doors, whole-wood furnishing solutions and upscale interior decoration for villas.

Smart Home

Area A of the Fair will feature the latest smart home solutions. Buyers and visitors will be able to explore the latest smart home products in several themed areas:

Smart Home International Pavilion

Home Ecology Pavilion

Smart Laundry Rack Pavilion.

Custom Furnishing and Doors & Windows

Custom-made furnishings will be presented in Area B, where leading wardrobe customization enterprises will join crossover brands specializing in cupboards, wooden doors, furniture, floor tiles, interior decoration and integrated wallboard to demonstrate new products. Meanwhile, Area C will feature world-leading, cutting-edge door and window systems.

"Our partners are eager to share their insights on industry trends as well as valuable experience and ideas. We will strive to provide better service and a top exhibition environment to accommodate everyone."

About CBD Fair (Guangzhou)

The CBD Fair was founded in 1999. It has been hosted twice per year since 2015. The CBD Fair (Guangzhou) is held in the Canton Fair Complex and PWTC Expo in July. It has become a "Debut Platform for Champion Enterprises", Meanwhile, it is the world's largest show for the building decoration industry with a total exhibition area of 380,000 square meters and more than 2,400 exhibitors.

For more information please visit: www.cbd-china.com

SOURCE The China (Guangzhou) International Building Decoration Fair

Related Links

http://www.cbd-china.com


CLEVELAND, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 24, KeyBank will host its 27th annual Neighbors Make the Difference Day. More than 7,000 bank employees will receive paid time off to volunteer with 900 community organizations and service projects, supporting local service efforts that advance neighborhood prosperity.

"At KeyBank, we invest in education, the workforce and service projects that help neighborhoods prosper," said Margot Copeland, CEO and Chairman of the KeyBank Foundation. "Neighbors Make the Difference Day allows our employees the opportunity to directly and visibly demonstrate their dedication to the neighborhoods where we live and work."

This year, KeyBank expects volunteer hours to total more than 28,000. Many of the bank's branches will close at noon on May 24 to accommodate employee volunteers; customers will have access to ATMs, as well as online and mobile banking. In 2016, close to 6,000 KeyBank employees volunteered with more than 720 non-profit agencies, committing a total of 24,000 hours to community organizations and projects.

Neighbors Make the Difference Day launched in 1991, with a group of KeyBank employees in Alaska who volunteered for service projects. By 1993, KeyBank extended the concept to many of the communities it served, making it an official day of employee volunteerism. Now, Neighbors Make the Difference Day is a hallmark program and leading corporate volunteerism effort in America, showcasing KeyBank's commitment to its neighbors.

"Every year, we are proud to watch the positive change created by our employees' volunteerism," said Copeland. "Neighbors Make the Difference Day is part of our corporate DNA. It extends our efforts to work with experienced organizations that stabilize neighborhoods for individuals and families, provide access to financial resources and increase opportunities for local growth."

To participate in the social media conversation on May 24, follow #NeighborsDay and #IAmKey, @KeyBank on Twitter and KeyBank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/keybank.

For more information about KeyBank's culture of service and commitment to philanthropy and volunteerism, visit www.key.com/philanthropy.

About KeyCorp:

KeyCorp's roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $134.5 billion at March 31, 2017. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, insurance, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of more than 1,200 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name.

For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

SOURCE KeyBank

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DENVER, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 915 Labs, which offers a new, healthier way to process and package food, announced today that it has taken significant steps toward the company's goal of improving the way food is processed and distributed around the globe.

The company's microwave assisted thermal sterilization, or MATS, offers a safe but gentler way to process and package food. By reducing exposure to high heat, MATS allows the natural nutrients and flavors in food to remain intact  and eliminates the need for artificial additives, preservatives and excess sodium.

"MATS minimal processing provides the nutritious, great-tasting and clean-label foods that consumers want today," said Michael Locatis, CEO. "It's also the solution for food companies and retailers that desperately need high quality foods that can be shipped ambient (at room temperature)."

High-Capacity Systems

The company is now building MATS-30 commercial production systems capable of processing up to 10 million units annually, including single-serve trays, pouches and food service packaging formats.

"Going production capacity with MATS unlocks the transformation of the food industry," said Locatis. "MATS minimal processing checks all the boxes for taste, nutrition, sustainability and expanded distribution, including direct-to-consumer."

The MATS-30 complements the company's small-scale MATS-B systems, which are operating in food innovation centers around the world. Major food companies are using the MATS-B to develop recipes for new products and for small production runs.

MATS-Made Foods Reach Shelves

The first MATS-processed foods will launch next month in Asia and a major consumer product goods (CPG) company plans to put MATS-made products on U.S. retail shelves later this year.

"We've seen a rapid adoption of the MATS technology in Asia and Australia and by new innovative food startups," said Locatis. "Several large CPGs are looking to MATS as a way to combat declining consumer acceptance and sales of their legacy brands. Early-adopter CPGs see MATS as a growth platform and a way to tap into new consumer preferences and evolving food distribution strategies."

915 Labs Signature Dishes

915 Labs has created its own signature dishes, including macaroni and cheese and an egg frittata, and plans to launch in partnership with Amazon and a food company on the Amazon Exclusive platform.

"When food scientists started working on a new way to process food without destroying it more than a decade ago, a high-quality, shelf-stable mac & cheese was the holy grail," said Locatis. "Our signature dish demonstrates that MATS is truly a revolutionary advancement that has emerged at a time when the world is clamoring for packaged foods that are closer to fresh and taste as good as homemade."

The patented, FDA-accepted MATS technology is radically different than conventional processing systems such as retort, which exposes food to high temperatures for up to an hour; HPP, which has limited product scope and requires refrigeration; and frozen, which is plagued by food safety, consumer inconvenience and sustainability issues.

In MATS, packaged foods are simultaneously immersed in pressurized hot water and heated with targeted microwave energy at a frequency of 915 megahertz, eliminating pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in a matter of minutes. The unique process allows a wide range of foods to be packaged for the shelf, including many that cannot be conventionally processed today including salmon filets, chicken breasts, pasta and whole vegetables.

915 Labs owns a growing portfolio of over 60 patents worldwide related to microwave sterilization and pasteurization and is the exclusive provider of MATS systems along with a suite of services to help customers accelerate the application of the technology around the globe.

SOURCE 915 Labs

Related Links

http://www.915labs.com


BEIJING, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AdMaster, the leading marketing data technology company, jointly with Tencent MIG (Mobile Internet Group), announced a strategic alliance on fighting against fraudulent traffic in mobile marketing by establishing "The Anti Ad-Fraud Big Data Lab". The Lab aims to upgrade the capability to identify and diagnose the invalid traffic and fraudulent ads along the evaluation process for mobile advertising. The vision of both parties is to help build a healthy ecosystem for the digital marketing industry.

As a leading marketing data technology company, AdMaster's advertising measurement covers more than 95% of China's mobile devices, and thus developed a wide range of technologies and accumulated vast experience in the area of anti-fraud. Over the years, AdMaster has invested heavily to protect marketers in the interest of best advertising effectiveness. We innovated different anti-fraud technologies such as BlueAir (traffic filtering module in TrackMaster), VOA (verification of advertising for content-targeting buy) and SNAP (ad verification and screen capture tool) to tackle fraudulent situations comprehensively from a holistic angle and multiple diagnosis levels.

"Beacon" is managed by Tencent MIG. It covers 900 million monthly active devices with a massive library of accurate IP addresses in China including a full range of cellphone models. Leveraged on its significant strength in data analytics, together with modeling power in both client and cloud-end, as well as filtering & validation across multiple business groups within the company, Tencent Beacon provides accurate identification and analytics over all device ID's it covers and the corresponding consumer behavioral path.

In this alliance, with Tencent Beacon's anti-fraud capability on ID recognition and behavioral data, it further enhanced the accuracy of AdMaster BlueAir in identifying traffic quality and singling out the invalid traffic.

Zeng Yu, Vice President of Tencent, said, "Tencent Beacon has profound experience in combating fraud with advanced technology. Supported by its 900 million active user database and a library of hundred of billions of blacklisted devices, Tencent's anti-fraud solution is empowered by its strong capabilities in device feature recognition, multi-dimension features, combination of models and having passed through multiple product validations. We are here to provide public services for the industry by purifying the digital advertising environment. Tencent Beacon will bring tangible solutions that will contribute to the healthy development of the Internet industry.

"Invalid traffic has always been the pain point of the advertising industry", Tenly Wu, Chief Product Officer of AdMaster in the conference reiterated, "this strategic alliance of AdMaster with Tencent MIG together with the establishment of "The Anti Ad-Fraud Big Data Lab", will provide the best platform for both of us to create the largest value for advertisers by leveraging our best technological know-how and experience."

In the future, the two companies will jointly develop more anti-fraud models and products, cover more application scenarios, in particular in the pre-bid phase of advertising placement. Both AdMaster and Tencent MIG are committed to providing more accountable public services for the industry by offering solid solutions to combat ad fraud and hence create a sustainable marketing environment for the Internet industry.

About AdMaster:

AdMaster is an independent marketing data technology company that uses big data to help brands measure the effectiveness of their digital marketing investment. We create value for brands by centralizing digital marketing data from multiple sources and turning it into actionable data delivered through our software-as-a-service platform. We offer solutions for third-party digital advertising verification, cross-screen reach analysis, social media monitoring, e-commerce measurement and data management  including data obtained from computers, mobile devices and digital TV.

For more information, please visit: www.admaster.com.cn

SOURCE AdMaster
"We're thrilled to be partnering with European-favorite Finnair, as they launch their first West Coast service from our San Francisco hub to Helsinki on June 1," said Andrew Harrison, Alaska Airlines executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "Our Mileage Plan members will be able to fly Finnair to over 60 destinations in Europe from San Francisco, Chicago and New York's JFK."

Alaska Airlines recently announced a major expansion of its San Francisco service. Alaska, along with Virgin America, now has 83 daily departures from San Francisco to 35 destinations.

Members of Alaska Mileage Plan can begin earning miles on Finnair starting today. Award redemption will commence later this year. Finnair Plus members can begin earning and redeeming points on Alaska Airlines starting today.

"We are very excited to collaborate with Alaska Airlines on this new frequent flyer partnership," said Juha Jarvinen, chief commercial officer at Finnair. "Our customers travelling to and from the U.S. will greatly benefit from the extensive network both airlines have to offer."

Known for its modern, Nordic-themed service, Finnair connects 18 cities in Asia and seven cities in North America to over 60 destinations in Europe. Finnair operates Airbus A330-300 aircraft on its U.S. routes.

About Alaska Airlines:

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 119 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Alaska Mileage Plan ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

About Finnair:

Finnair flies between Asia, Europe and North America with an emphasis on fast connections via Helsinki, carrying more than ten million passengers annually. In 2017, Finnair's extensive network connects 18 cities in Asia and 7 cities in North America with over 60 destinations in Europe. The airline, a pioneer in sustainable flying, was the first European airline to fly the next-generation, eco-smart Airbus A350 XWB aircraft and it is the first airline listed in the Leadership Index of the worldwide Carbon Disclosure Project. The only Nordic carrier with a 4-star Skytrax ranking, Finnair has also won the World Airline Award for Best Airline Northern Europe for the past seven years running. Finnair is a member of oneworld, the alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

Related Links

http://www.alaskaair.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Azerbaijan calls on the European Parliament and other international organizations to support the Peace Platform between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Samad Seyidov, chairman of Azerbaijani parliaments committee on international and inter-parliamentary relations, told reporters in Baku May 22.

This message is voiced both at the European Parliament, here, and at other international organizations, said Seyidov after a meeting with the European Parliaments delegation, which is on a visit in Azerbaijan.

He noted that these relations should be bilateral.

Azerbaijan is ready for negotiations and for establishing ties, he said, however, the consent of the opposite side is questionable.

Seyidov expressed confidence that open and free relations between the committees will raise the relations between the Azerbaijani parliament and the European Parliament to a high level, and also play a big role in conveying to the European public the truth about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh 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.
SEATTLE, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is inaugurating seasonal flights from Philadelphia to Portland, Oregon starting today. The nonstop, daily flights will operate through August 26.

"Alaska Airlines continues to expand service from the West Coast by adding convenient, nonstop flights to popular destinations like Philadelphia," said John Kirby, vice president of capacity planning at Alaska Airlines. "With this new flight, we now offer Rose City residents nonstop access to 58 destinations for both leisure and business, more than any other carrier serving Portland International Airport."

Summary of new service:

Start date End date City pair Departs Arrives Frequency Aircraft May 22 Aug 25 Portland-Philadelphia 8:39 p.m. 4:50 a.m. Daily 737 May 23 Aug 26 Philadelphia-Portland 6:05 a.m. 8:47 a.m. Daily 737

*Flight times based on local time zones.

Flights will be operated with fuel-efficient Boeing 737 aircraft.

To purchase tickets on Alaska Airlines, visit www.alaskaair.com to find great savings, or call 1-800-ALASKAAIR (800-252-7522 for Hearing & Speech Impaired (TTY): Dial 711 for Relay Services).

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 119 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Alaska Mileage Plan ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

Related Links

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NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, will ring The Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today. The honor marks Alexandria's celebration of its 20th anniversary on the NYSE. Joel S. Marcus, Alexandria's chairman, chief executive officer and founder, will ring The Opening Bell alongside members of the company's board of directors and long-tenured executive management team.

"In reaching its 20th anniversary as an NYSE company, Alexandria has achieved the three outputs that define a great company: Superior Results, Distinctive Impact and Lasting Endurance," said Jim Collins, renowned author and business strategist. "Alexandria's success flows from disciplined focus on what it can be the best in the world at, disciplined insight into what drives its economic engine and people passionate about the company's purpose."

Alexandria, which joined the S&P 500 index in March 2017, is the only publicly traded pure-play office REIT focused on life science and technology campuses in the top urban innovation clusters in the United States. The company continues to pursue its primary business objectives of maximizing long-term asset value and total shareholder return (TSR), while operating as a mission-driven organization. Alexandria achieved a TSR of 1,098%  from the completion of its successful IPO on May 27, 1997, through December 31, 2016  outperforming various indices, including the FTSE NAREIT Equity Office, the MSCI US REIT, the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500.

"Since our IPO, Alexandria's unique vision and business model has sustained a competitive advantage that sets us apart from all other office REITs," said Mr. Marcus. "It is with great pride, humility and appreciation that we celebrate our tremendous achievements, reflect on our journey and look to the future with confidence. From 12 employees at our IPO to nearly 300 nationwide today, we are incredibly thankful for our dedicated team, which directly impacts our success and upholds our critical mission to enable our innovative tenants to cure disease, end hunger and improve the quality of people's lives."

A live feed of Alexandria ringing the NYSE Opening Bell (9:29 a.m. ET) will be available at https://livestream.com/NYSE.

About Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, 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 $14.5 billion and an asset base in North America of 28.2 million square feet as of March 31, 2017. The asset base in North America includes 20.1 million RSF of operating properties, including 1.6 million RSF of development and redevelopment of new Class A properties currently undergoing construction. Additionally, the asset base in North America includes 8.1 million SF of future development projects, including 1.5 million SF of near-term projects undergoing marketing for lease and pre-construction activities and 2.0 million SF of other near-term 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. We believe these advantages result in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns and greater long-term asset value. For more information, please visit www.are.com.

CONTACT: Joel S. Marcus, Chief Executive Officer, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc./Alexandria Venture Investments, (626) 578-9693

SOURCE Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

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HOUSTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- alliantgroup Managing Director Michael Siegel will be hosting a free webinar tomorrow entitled "Industry Secrets: The Best Tax Credit for Software Developers" at 12:00 pm CDT to discuss how software and technology companies can benefit from the Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit.

Due to regulatory changes and landmark tax legislation, the R&D Tax Credit has expanded over the years for the benefit of U.S. businesses. Among the companies to benefit the most from these modifications include software and technology firms, with many of the changing laws and regulations made with the intent of expanding access to the credit to small and mid-size tech firms and startups.

During this webinar, Siegel will cover these sweeping changes and the best practices for software and technology firms when seeking to capture the R&D Tax Credit.

"This is a can't miss webinar for presidents, partners, CEOs and other business leaders within the software and tech space," said alliantgroup CEO Dhaval Jadav. "I would encourage all executives within the industry to sign up for this event to ensure they are claiming full value from this widely under-claimed tax credit."

Click here to register for the event.

alliantgroup's mission is one of education and awarenesswe exist to help industry organizations, U.S. businesses and the CPA firms that advise them, take full advantage of all federal and state tax credits, incentives and deductions available. Our government has legislated these powerful incentive programs to help businesses grow and successfully compete both in the U.S. and abroad. We are proud to have helped over 20,000 businesses claim more than $5 billion in tax incentives. alliantgroup's headquarters is in Houston, Texas, with offices across the country including New York, Boston, Chicago, Orange County, Sacramento, Orlando, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. For more information find alliantgroup on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE alliantgroup

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CONCORD, Calif. and SEATTLE, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AssetMark, Inc., a leading provider of innovative investment and consulting solutions, is expanding its high-net-worth capabilities with the launch of a new strategy from Parametric, a leading global asset management firm and affiliate of Eaton Vance.

The solution, "Parametric Custom Portfolios," is new to AssetMark's platform and employs a number of unique diversification, risk and tax-management features to deliver custom, passive investment-based portfolios for high-net-worth investors. Parametric will provide its tax-management expertise to the strategy, with Eaton Vance serving as the fixed-income subadvisor.

"This is the next step in our long-standing commitment to help advisors serve their most complex clients' needs," said Natalie Wolfsen, EVP and Chief Commercialization Officer for AssetMark. "This solution offers lower-cost, passive portfolios, while also delivering customization and tax management that high-net-worth investors require."

Parametric Custom Portfolios offers many innovative features, including advanced diversification strategies that limit risk. For instance, it combines passive, tax-managed equity exposure with bond ladders in a single account. In addition, the strategy provides key tax-management benefits, including tax-loss harvesting, capital-gains deferral, and tax-efficient transition strategies. The models offered through the AssetMark platform are particularly well-suited for advisors who are using ETF models, but who are interested in achieving greater customization and tax efficiency.

"It's great to partner with AssetMark to deliver this product into the hands of independent financial advisors," said Robert Breshock, Managing Director at Parametric. "The strategy reinforces our commitment to being responsive to the way investors want to build portfolios. We have stayed true to our firm's DNA by focusing on diversification, risk and tax management. This launch reflects the continuing expansion of Parametric's custom solutions in the marketplace."





"Eaton Vance and Parametric have aligned with AssetMark to build a custom strategy to help advisors deliver better, tailored client outcomes," said John Moninger, Managing Director, Retail Sales for Eaton Vance. "Eaton Vance's experienced sales team and distribution capabilities will be bringing these solutions to financial advisors in the marketplace."

About AssetMark, Inc.

AssetMark, Inc. is a leading independent provider of innovative investment and consulting solutions serving financial advisors. The firm provides investment, relationship and practice management solutions that advisors use to help clients achieve their investment objectives and life goals. AssetMark, Inc., including its Savos and Aris divisions, has more than $35 billion in assets on its platform and a history of innovation spanning over 20 years. For more information, visit www.assetmark.com and follow @AssetMark on Twitter.

About Parametric and Eaton Vance

Parametric, headquartered in Seattle, WA, is a leading global asset management firm, focused on the delivery of engineered portfolio solutions, including rules-based alpha-seeking equity, alternative and options strategies, as well as implementation services including custom core equity, futures overlay and centralized portfolio management. As of March 31, 2017, Parametric managed approximately $197.7 billion in total assets. Parametric is a majority-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp., and its principal investment centers are located in Seattle, WA, Minneapolis, MN, and Westport, CT. For more information about Parametric, visit parametricportfolio.com.

Eaton Vance (NYSE: EV) is a leading global asset manager whose history dates to 1924. With offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Eaton Vance and its affiliates managed $380.9 billion in assets as of March 31, 2017, offering individuals and institutions a broad array of investment strategies and wealth management solutions. The Company's long record of providing exemplary service, timely innovation and attractive returns through a variety of market conditions has made Eaton Vance the investment manager of choice for many of today's most discerning investors. For more information, visit eatonvance.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew Jarrell, Group Gordon Marc Fiore [email protected] [email protected] (212) 784 5721 (206) 437 9942

SOURCE AssetMark

Related Links

http://assetmark.com


The healthy, positive and confident image that Luhan exudes coincides with the sensorality , authenticity and respect that are core to the L'Occitane corporate philosophy. The authenticity and warmth that is associated with L'Occitane brand are the same characteristics used to describe Luhan.

As L'Occitane brand ambassador of the year, Luhan first appeared on the brand poster of L'Occitane Cherry Blossom body and hand-care collection. He is clothed in black and standing in front of the pink blossoming cherries with his signature smile and confident on his face. Although Luhan has not yet visited Provence in southern France, he is very eager to travel to the romantic and fantastic land. So he always packs some L'Occitane products as replacements, which bring him a good feeling and smelling as if he traveled to Provence.

Drawing inspiration from Provence cultures, L'Occitane developed skin care products, hair care products, body care products, hand care products, make-up products, home collection and fragrances that were natural and authentic, effective and deliciously appealing and feeling, which let people's dreams and beauty dreams come true. It may be a long way to Provence, but L'Occitane is always within your reach. Using L'Occitane products can make you feel like you are in romantic and fantastic Provence, it is an authentic way to make you better and more beautiful.

Open L'Occitane products at anytime and anywhere, enjoying the pleasant slow life in Provence, southern France.

SOURCE LOccitane Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd
Mr. Waxman first gained fame by pioneering and then popularizing California cuisine together with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeleyand then subsequently made his mark at such prestigious kitchens as Michael's in Santa Monica and Jams in New York City. Today, he is the chef and owner of Manhattan's illustrious Barbuto restaurant, where his ability to make "sophistication seem simple" earned him the 2016 James Beard Award as Best Chef  New York City .

Waxman and NYCA Restaurant Group have now made the decision to open their very first restaurant in Los Angeles at Westfield Century City. The self-described "neighborhood restaurant" will be located alongside the property's front facade on Santa Monica Boulevard.

"I have been looking for the right venue for my return to LA," said Jonathan Waxman. "The location at Westfield Century City is the perfect spot and has everything  great street access, instantaneous valet parking and some of the best shopping in the world coupled with AMC Theatres and exciting new offerings like Nordstrom, Eataly, Shake Shack and Equinox. Our location is steps from Santa Monica Blvd and in close proximity to Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Culver City, Westwood and Santa Monica. All in all, this makes for a stellar location where I'm greatly looking forward to feeding folks in LA again."

"This is going to change the very nature of the food landscape on the westside of Los Angeles," said William Hecht, Westfield's Chief Operating Officer. "Jonathan Waxman is widely credited with bringing California cuisine to the world andin the processreinventing the way America eats, cooks, and seeks out farm-fresh ingredients. He is a native of Californiahe first made his mark hereand we're excited to welcome him back home."

The announcement of Westfield's partnership with NYCA Restaurant Group comes as the center prepares for its Grand Opening in Fall 2017. The redeveloped center will include over 200 stores and restaurants including a new Nordstrom, new Macy's, completely remodeled Bloomingdale's, and a luxurious Equinox fitness club.

In addition to the new restaurant (which has yet to be named), other new dining options at Century City will include the West Coast's first Eataly, Din Tai Fung, Javier's Finest Foods of Mexico, Petros Benekos (Petros fine Hellenic cuisine, The Kafe and Kafe Bugatsa), as well as Tender Greens, MidiCi Neapolitan pizza, Wexler's Deli, Asian Box, Big Fish Little Fish, La Colombe Coffee Roaster, Minamoto Kitchoan, Randy's Donuts, and Compartes Chocolatier. These new offerings will complement Century City's already outstanding food and dining options, including Shake Shack, Meizhou Dongpo, RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen, the elegant Italian trattoria Toscanova, authentic Italian mozzarella bar Obica and Gelson's gourmet supermarket. Among the property's many new nutritious food and probiotic juice bar options will be Pressed Juicery, Lifehouse Tonics + Elixirs, and Beaming Organic Superfood Cafe.

ABOUT NYCA RESTAURANT GROUP

NYCA Restaurant Group, is a division of Jason Giagrande and Jonathan Waxman's new Hospitality company. Waxman and Giagrande have deep roots in New York and California. Jonathan's legendary career has seen him pioneering California cuisine at some of the best-known restaurants in California and New York. Jason's amazing experience in overseeing large-scale national food service operations with Compass Group and NBCUniversal, make him an ideal partner with Jonathan. Knowing it is hard to bottle the magic of Jonathan's restaurantsBarbuto, Jams, Brezza Cucina (Atlanta), and Waxman's (San Francisco)the two seasoned restaurateurs have pulled together some of the most talented people they have worked with over their careers. This team, ably headed by Jason and Jonathan, will span across the country with focus in the New York and California market.

ABOUT WESTFIELD CENTURY CITY

The $1 billion modernization and beautification of Westfield Century City will create an open-air Southern California escape like no other. Opening in stages throughout 2017, this will be a more than 1.3 million sf destination encompassing over 200 shops and restaurants, including a new three-level Nordstrom featuring its latest design concepts, completely remodeled three-level Bloomingdale's, modern new two-level Macy's, luxurious Equinox fitness club and spa, as well as the West Coast's first Eataly.

For more information: www.westfield.com/centurycity

SOURCE Westfield Century City

Related Links

http://www.westfield.com/centurycity


The workshops are being held in all seven states across the Sunbelt where BBVA Compass has a physical presence  Florida, Alabama, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and California. They are part of the first of multiple campaigns the bank will initiate for its Year of Opportunity for Small Business, which kicked off during Small Business Week in early May and is designed to give small businesses the service, expertise and products they need to seize opportunities and fully realize their bright futures.

"Small businesses are the engine of growth for our economy," said Lonnie Hayes, BBVA Compass Small Business Segment Executive. "More than half of Americans either work for or own a small business, and those businesses create about two-thirds of the new jobs in this country every year. They're creating a staggering amount of opportunity, and we want them to know that whatever they need  the capital to expand, the knowledge to thrive  we're here to help provide it."

The curriculum for the workshops is available through the BBVA Compass Center for Financial Education, which offers online and in-person adult financial education courses. Developed in partnership with leading education technology firm EverFi, the small business curriculum includes five modules on topics such as how to use and obtain credit, develop a business plan and understand financial statements. It's designed to give small-business owners the financial management tools they need to successfully grow and maintain a healthy enterprise.

The bank's $6.2 billion commitment

The workshops are part of BBVA Compass' comprehensive, coordinated effort to serve small businesses. The nation's 22nd-largest bank by deposit market share, BBVA Compass is now the fifth most-active lender by total number of loans for the SBA's flagship 7(a) loan program, approving 1,801 such loans in the fiscal year that ended in September 2016. Other banks in the top five included some of the largest in the country, with Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and U.S. Bank claiming spots.

Part of the bank's success is due in part to its commitment in late 2014 to make $6.2 billion in small business loans over the next five years. By the end of 2016, BBVA Compass had made nearly $2.4 billion in loans to small businesses.

"We're putting Main Street on firmer capital footing, and some of our most innovative work is being done in the service of small businesses," said Hayes, the bank's Small Business Segment Executive.

For instance, BBVA Compass mined data to help it identify branches that have high concentrations of small businesses within a 5-mile radius. It gave the managers of those branches advanced training so they can better meet the lending needs of microbusinesses which generate less than $1 million in annual sales.

For more information

To determine if there is a BBVA Compass Small Business workshop being held in your area, email [email protected]. And to learn more about BBVA Compass' Small Business Banking Services, go to www.bbvacompass.com/business.

About BBVA Group

BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group is the largest financial institution in Spain and Mexico and it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States; and it is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's biggest bank for market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. More information about BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 657 branches, including 342 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 19 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 5th nationally in the total number of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2016. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com. For more BBVA Compass news, follow @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visit newsroom.bbvacompass.com.

SOURCE BBVA Compass

Related Links

http://www.bbvacompass.com


"Life can't be lived in this self-referential, self-reinforcing, self-righteous echo chamber we've built for ourselves online. Living in our screens encourages shallow and antiseptic relationships that make it easy to reduce others to stereotypes.  They're not some flattened version of humanity, reducible to a collection of parts and attributes. They're a whole person, flawed, struggling to make it in the world just like you. You have to work to ascribe to your opposition the same emotional complexity you find in yourself that you possess."

Noting that polls have shown that Millennials are capable and tolerant but reluctant to engage in politics, he exhorted graduates to join in the civic process. "No graduating class gets to choose the world they graduate into," he said. "That history gets written by those who came before you. But now it's your job to put your hands on the wheel and bend that arc of history closer to where we want to be as a nation."

Of a trend toward rancor and loss of civility, Biden said, "I assure you it's transitory. The American people will not sustain this attitude." But, he said, change will come only if graduates use their education and abilities to join in "the ceaseless work of perfecting a more perfect union."

Under a vivid blue sky, Biden spoke to a crowd of more than 3,000 at Colby's 196th Commencement, as the College conferred degrees on 478 graduates from 36 states and 42 countries.

"This is a class that has dazzled and challenged us, and these graduates are ready to use their exceptional and unique talents to address the most pressing needs in our complex world," said President David A. Greene. "If their time at Colby is any predictor, this graduating class will lead the way into the future with sharp, creative intellects and compassionate souls, with respect for others, and an openness to new ideas and perspectives."

The nation needs more individuals who embody those skills and traits, Biden suggested. He acknowledged that globalization and evolving technology have hurt many Americans, and left them fearful about the future. But, Biden said, his voice ringing from the podium, "You cannot define an American based on their ethnicity. You cannot define an American based on their religion. You cannot define Americans by anything other than the acceptance of the notions contained within our institutional structures. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'"

Before shaking the hand ofor huggingevery graduate who crossed the stage, Biden left them with a key takeaway from their Colby experience. "The thing that I hope you remember most from your time here is the ethos at Colby, that sought to instill in each and every one of you your sense of obligation that you bear to one another as individuals. A culture of mutual accountabilityaccountability and caring," he said.

Biden received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Colby, one of four honorary degrees awarded Commencement Weekend. They are national editor of The Cook Political Report Amy Walter '91, climate scientist Warren Washington, and historic preservationist Yoshihiro Takishita.

Class speaker Muhebullah Esmat of Kabul, Afghanistan, recounted his journey to Colby and the ways the College sets out to turn students into well-rounded clear communicators.

The class was led by Baturay Aydemir of Kayseri, Turkey, who, as the graduate with the highest grade point average, was class marshal. Aydemir plans to study medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Michelle Boucher, of Fryeburg, Maine, was given the Condon Medal for constructive citizenship, the only award presented at commencement.

Founded in 1813, Colby is one of America's most selective colleges. Serving only undergraduates, Colby offers a rigorous academic program rooted in deep exploration of ideas and close interaction with world-class faculty scholars. Students pursue intellectual passions, choosing among 58 majors or developing their own. Independent and collaborative research, global opportunities, and internships offer robust opportunities to prepare students for postgraduate success. Colby is home to a community of 2,000 dedicated and diverse students from more than 80 countries. Its Waterville, Maine, location provides access to world-class research institutions and civic engagement experiences.

SOURCE Colby College

Related Links

http://www.colby.edu


ARLINGTON, Va., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg BNA today announced that its Big Law Business website was named the 2017 Website of the Year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the top honor given to a website in the business, trade, and specialty press by the association. The award was presented Thursday, May 18 in St. Petersburg, Florida as part of the association's Azbee Awards of Excellence competition, recognizing outstanding writing and design in business-to-business magazines, newsletters, and digital media. Big Law Business is online at http://www.biglawbusiness.com.

Big Law Business focuses on the business of law, featuring original editorial content through digital and live channels. The website reports on significant developments that impact how the largest corporate law departments  and their law firms  do business.

"We are thrilled that Big Law Business, which was only a concept less than three years ago, has received such a tremendous honor," said Mike MacKay, president, Bloomberg BNA Plus. "From the beginning, the Big Law Business team has focused on delivering insightful original content, while building a network of leading attorneys from business, government and academia, whose contributions provide meaningful perspectives for the industry."

The Azbee award judging for the Website of the Year category was based on 11 factors including the quality of writing, reporting, and editing; value and usefulness to readers; use of web technologies and graphic design to support and add usefulness to editorial, and depth of information.

About Bloomberg BNA

Bloomberg BNA provides legal, tax and compliance professionals with critical information, practical guidance and workflow solutions. We leverage leading technology and a global network of experts to deliver a unique combination of news and authoritative analysis, comprehensive research solutions, innovative practice tools, and proprietary business data and analytics. Bloomberg BNA is an affiliate of Bloomberg L.P., the global business, financial information and news leader. For more information, visit www.bna.com.

SOURCE Bloomberg BNA

Related Links

http://www.bna.com


PHOENIX, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blinds Chalet is coming up on celebrating their eleventh year in business and have found it time to update their window treatment program for interior designers, contractors, and property management companies. They have worked closely with professionals in these fields to make this program as beneficial as possible and are now offering additional benefits for those who participate.

Blinds Chalet Designer Bamboo Shades

There are many benefits to choosing Blinds Chalet over big-box stores. When compared side-by-side, it is easy to notice the superior durability in Blinds Chalet's products. All of their products come standard with reinforced steel headrails. The most surprising difference is the price - Blinds Chalet offers better products for better prices! The products are also measured by width and length to fit perfectly in each window. It is not necessary to cut these products or remove slats in order to get the proper height. Each blind or shade is made for each window. When a shipment is received, there is a label on each box stating which window it is custom-made for. Installing blinds and shades has never been easier! Don't worry though, because if installing is not your strong suit, Blinds Chalet is contracted with a nationwide installer network making it simple for you to find a qualified window treatment specialist anywhere across America.

"Interior designers, contractors and property management companies have become an integral part of our business at Blinds Chalet. We wanted to make our designer and contractor programs even more appealing in order to broaden our reach across the United States," says Jayson Ellingson, CEO for Blinds Chalet.

As soon as a business signs up for this free program, they are assigned a Design Consultant. This consultant will be available to take orders, handle any concerns, and answer any questions along the way. Orders can be taken online, through email, or a quick phone call to your assigned Design Consultant.

"Interior designers are finding that our products are perfect for their clients, specifically our bamboo shades. Contractors find our faux wood blinds to be durable, less expensive then big bog retailers and able to withstand hotter climates without fading. Offering the best products at the best prices is the key to our programs," says Brandon Jolley VP Marketing, for Blinds Chalet.

Blinds Chalet has done a great job to cater to professionals by improving this program and they expect many will take advantage of it. To sign up for the Blinds Chalet Interior Design program visit https://www.blindschalet.com/interior-designer-window-treatment-program. To sign up for the Blinds Chalet Contractor and Property Management Program visit https://www.blindschalet.com/contracor-property-management-window-treatment-program.

About Blinds Chalet: Blinds Chalet has been in business since 2006 and they are headquartered in Mesa, Arizona. They sell blinds and shades online to the whole nation, except for Hawaii and Alaska. For more information, contact Blinds Chalet at 1-888-633-7840 or visit www.blindschalet.com .

Editor's Note: Photos, Videos and Interviews Available

Media Contact:

Brandon Jolley,

Blinds Chalet LLC

Office: 480-981-5376

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE BlindsChalet.com

Related Links

http://www.blindschalet.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met May 21 with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The sides noted at the meeting that bilateral relations between the countries are at a high level and develop dynamically.

The increase in the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from the UAE and the flights between the two countries was emphasized, and the availability of good potential for expanding trade ties between the two countries was noted.

During the meeting, the sides noted good prospects for cooperation in the fields of investment, energy, petrochemistry, transport, tourism, agriculture, health care, participation of the UAE in a free trade zone, which is being created in Azerbaijan, as well as exchanged views on these issues.
ARLINGTON, Va. and SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bloomberg Law and Ropes & Gray announced today the publication of Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions: The Transactional Perspective, a new portfolio that provides a comprehensive analysis of the elements of a health care transaction, from initiation to deal closing. The portfolio, which was authored by Ropes & Gray health care practice partners John Chesley, Michael Lampert and Brett Friedman, is available to Bloomberg Law subscribers. To download an excerpt of Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions: The Transactional Perspective, visit http://on.bna.com/G8Ga30bWkkv.

The portfolio examines elements of a health care transaction along an anticipated timeline, starting with structuring considerations and preliminary negotiations and running through definitive agreements and closing (and post-closing) matters. It addresses common forms of equity, asset and non-profit membership interest-based transactions. The detailed analysis offered in this portfolio provides the practical guidance that parties and their attorneys, investors, compliance professionals, boards of directors, tax and accounting professionals need to consider to achieve their business objectives in successful health care transactions.

"Given the ongoing dramatic uptick in health care transactions, teaming with a firm of Ropes & Gray's renown on this portfolio will provide Bloomberg Law subscribers valuable insights into one of the most active areas of health care law," said Scott Falk, Vice President and General Manager, Health Care & Litigation, Bloomberg Law. "We are committed to continuing to build out the impressive array of tools and content that make Bloomberg Law a valuable resource for health care attorneys."

"Health care is an opportunity-rich market. Private equity investment in the health care sector surged to $36.4 billion in 2016 and consolidation in the health care industry shows no sign of slowing down," said Mr. Chesley, who has been recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in California for providing health care M&A transaction counsel. "That being said, the health care industry is highly regulated and there is a need for parties on the buy- and sell-side to understand the fundamentals of deal complexities, regulatory issues, tax, and health law to mitigate inherent risks and avoid transactional pitfalls."

Bloomberg Law portfolios are written by expert practitioners and feature deep-dive analysis and practice tools, such as checklists, sample client letters, forms and other supporting material, on a wide range of key legal topics. For information on the full range of health care resources available on Bloomberg Law, including practical guidance on health care mergers and acquisitions, visit http://on.bna.com/Bynr30bRRFG.

About Bloomberg BNA

Bloomberg BNA provides legal, tax and compliance professionals with critical information, practical guidance and workflow solutions. We leverage leading technology and a global network of experts to deliver a unique combination of news and authoritative analysis, comprehensive research solutions, innovative practice tools, and proprietary business data and analytics. Bloomberg BNA is an affiliate of Bloomberg L.P., the global business, financial information and news leader. For more information, visit www.bna.com.

About Bloomberg Law

Bloomberg Law helps legal professionals provide world-class counsel with access to actionable legal intelligence in a business context. Bloomberg Law delivers a unique combination of practical guidance, comprehensive primary and secondary source material, trusted content from Bloomberg BNA, news, time-saving practice tools, market data and business intelligence. For more information, visit www.bna.com/bloomberglaw.

About Ropes & Gray LLP

Ropes & Gray is one of the world's premier law firms, with more than 1,200 lawyers and legal professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology and government. The firm, found in 1865, is recognized as a leader for health care and private equity and has been named to The American Lawyer's prestigious "A-List" of top 20 firms for six consecutive years.

The firm has offices in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, and has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including private equity, M&A, antitrust, life sciences, health care, finance, investment management, hedge funds, tax, intellectual property, litigation, securities litigation, government enforcement and privacy & data security. For more information, visit www.ropesgray.com.

SOURCE Bloomberg Law; Ropes & Gray
HOUSTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Brightlane Corp. (OTCQB: BTLN), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Brightlane  CLOC Acquisitions, LLC, announces a $5 million credit facility with Colony American Finance. Brightlane Corp. is a publicly traded provider of affordable single family housing.

The credit facility will be utilized to acquire single-family homes in Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida. It should be noted that this is the first credit facility Colony American Finance has granted to a publicly traded real estate operating company.

"We are proud to be the first publicly traded real estate operating company to receive a credit facility from Colony American Finance. The credit facility provides us the ability to scale and allows us to further our corporate strategy of acquiring additional affordable single family homes," states Steve Helm, President and CEO of Brightlane Corp.

"We intend to acquire approximately 100 homes in our target asset class utilizing this credit facility within the next 6 to 9 months creating greater shareholder value. We are actively seeking various additional financing methods and sources to contribute to the growth of the Company," states Peter Hellwig, Chief Operating Officer of Brightlane Corp.

Mr. Helm states, "Colony American Finance supports our commitment to the affordable single family housing market. We are proud to have Colony as a funding partner and look forward to working closely with them in our quest to become the 'American Homes 4 Rent' of the affordable single family housing sector."

About Brightlane Corp.:

Houston, Texas-based Brightlane Corp. (OTCQB: BTLN) is a publicly traded real estate operating company that provides a pathway to affordable single family housing and the opportunity for home ownership. Brightlane's business model in which it acquires single-family homes and portfolios of single-family homes utilizes various methods that allow tenants the opportunity to own the home if they so choose. Brightlane actively pursues the acquisition of these types of homes through one-off purchases, the purchase of portfolios, and other methods of acquisition.

For more information please visit: www.brightlanecorp.com

About Colony American Finance:

Colony American Finance provides specialty finance through a range of debt products 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. 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 please visit: www.colonyamericanfinance.com

Safe Harbor Statement:

Except for statements of historical fact, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements made herein regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Brightlane Corp. are forward-looking statements that reflect numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and any of which could cause our actual future results to differ materially from our stated expectations today. Prospective investors are cautioned that our forward-looking statements are never guarantees of future performance. Important factors currently known to management that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements today include our limited operating history, fluctuations in our operating results, our ability to compete successfully and our ability to attract necessary capital on satisfactory terms. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise our forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated future events or changes in our future operating results.

SOURCE Brightlane Corp.

Related Links

http://www.brightlanecorp.com


BEVERLY, Mass., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Brookwood Financial Partners, LLC ("Brookwood"), a nationally-recognized private equity investment firm, today announced that Douglas Wald has been promoted to Vice President of Operations for BW Gas & Convenience Holdings, LLC, d/b/a Yesway, a gas station and convenience store chain with locations in Iowa and Kansas, and with expansions underway across the Midwest. Yesway is expected to employ over 1,000 people by the second quarter of this year with additional stores soon to be under management in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Prior to today's announcement, Mr. Wald served as Regional Manager for Yesway and in his new role, he will continue to report to Brian Trout, Yesway's Senior Vice President of Operations.

Mr. Wald will continue to manage daily operations of the firm's growing portfolio of convenience stores, assisting individual store managers with all aspects of store operations, including hiring, training and mentoring staff, creating merchandising and marketing plans, and ensuring that all applicable laws and regulations are followed. Mr. Wald's new responsibilities will include overseeing the operating budget for the portfolio, including the P&L for each individual store, and serving as liaison between store-level employees and Brookwood's senior management.

"As part of the announcement of the Wes-T-Go acquisition, we are delighted to have Doug leading day-to-day retail operations and facilitate the growth of the team to support our expansion plans," said Brian Trout, Yesway's Senior Vice President of Operations. "Doug's depth of experience in store operations and retail acquisitions will help lead Yesway into the future."

Prior to joining Yesway, Mr. Wald was a Regional Operations Manager for The Pantry, Inc. where he held P&L responsibility for an 85-store chain in Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky, which generated over $280 million per year in sales. Mr. Wald was also responsible for daily operations and fuel pricing and implemented marketing plans to enhance product merchandising and facility appearance. Prior to this position, Mr. Wald was the Chief Operating Officer for Presto Convenience Stores, where he managed 54 stores in two states with combined annual sales in excess of $250 million. Mr. Wald oversaw all store operations and built long-standing relationships with vendors to enhance product presentation and marketing methods.

Mr. Wald is a graduate of Northern State University.

* * *

About Yesway  BW Gas & Convenience, d/b/a Yesway, is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Yesway plans to acquire, improve and rebrand 500 convenience stores in selected regions of the United States over the next several years. For more information on Yesway, please visit the company's website at www.yesway.com.

About Brookwood Financial Partners, LLC  Brookwood is a nationally-recognized private equity investment firm that specializes in acquiring and managing value-add commercial real estate and related operating businesses on behalf of a select group of institutional investors, family offices and high net worth individuals. Since its founding in 1993, Brookwood has raised over $884 million of equity to acquire a portfolio of 185 commercial real estate properties, seven operating companies, and 38 gas stations and convenience stores, which have a realized and unrealized value in excess of $2.4 billion. The portfolio has spanned multiple asset classes, geographical markets and industries across the United States. www.brookwoodfinancial.com

Contact: Erin Vadala, Warner Communications; (978) 468-3076; [email protected]

SOURCE Yesway

Related Links

http://www.yesway.com


JACKSON, Mich., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CMS Energy and Consumers Energy today announced Brandon J. Hofmeister, currently Vice President of Governmental & Public Affairs will succeed David Mengebier as Senior Vice President of Governmental, Regulatory & Public Affairs, effective July 1, 2017. David Mengebier is named Senior Vice President and Senior Policy Adviser after serving 17 years as Senior Vice President of Governmental, Regulatory & Public Affairs. Mengebier will serve in his new capacity as an adviser to the company ensuring a smooth transition of leadership responsibilities until his retirement on November 1, 2017. Additionally, Lauren Youngdahl Snyder has been named Vice President of Customer Experience.

Hofmeister joined Consumers Energy in 2013 and has held positions of increasing leadership responsibility in the areas of corporate strategy, sustainability, community engagement and governmental affairs. He was a key advocate for the company during the crafting of the 2016 Michigan energy law.

"Brandon brings a wealth of policy knowledge and critical strategic expertise to our senior leadership team," said Patti Poppe, President and CEO of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy. "His understanding of the political climate and strong relationships across Michigan make him an excellent fit to lead our governmental, regulatory and community affairs as well as our corporate communications' functions."

Prior to joining Consumers Energy, Hofmeister served as an energy law professor at The University of Michigan and Wayne State University. Before that, he served as deputy legal counsel and senior energy policy adviser to former Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, where he was active in the negotiations of the 2008 Michigan energy reform package. Hofmeister earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School, respectively.

"During his tenure, David helped craft Michigan's energy policy framework in Lansing and Washington D.C., and facilitated the company's brand and communications transformation from the ground up," said Patti Poppe. "David's deep policy and political acumen as well as his commitment to communicating transparently with our customers, regulators and policymakers helped set us apart in the industry as a world-class utility."

Lauren Youngdahl Snyder, a 12-year veteran of Consumers Energy, is currently Executive Director of Customer Experience and Marketing Strategy. She also served in leadership positions in the regulatory affairs, brand equity, customer care, smart energy and digital customer experience departments. Youngdahl Snyder holds an MBA, as well as a BBA in Marketing, from Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business. She also received a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Michigan State University's James Madison Honors College.

"Lauren is deeply focused on our customers and ensuring their experience with the company is a positive one," said Poppe. "Her diverse career and extensive knowledge about customer insights, along with a strong understanding of our regulatory environment make her an ideal candidate to lead our company's quest to improve the customer experience."

CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS) is a Michigan-based company that has an electric and natural gas utility, Consumers Energy, as its primary business and also owns and operates independent power generation businesses.

For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our website at www.cmsenergy.com.

SOURCE CMS Energy

Related Links

http://www.cmsenergy.com


NES ZIONA, Israel, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CollPlant (TASE: CLPT), a regenerative medicine company utilizing its proprietary plant-based rhCollagen (recombinant human "rhCollagen") technology for tissue repair products announced that the Company has signed a new, exclusive distributor agreement in Turkey to market VergenixFG, for the treatment of chronic wounds. The one year agreement includes a two-year extension option. The market potential for the treatment of chronic wounds in Turkey is estimated at in excess of 400,000 procedures annually.

Yehiel Tal, Chief Executive Officer of CollPlant, noted, "We have received excellent feedback from opinion leaders in Europe who have been using the product, and the signing of the agreement with the Turkish distributor represents a further layer in the implementation of the Company's sales strategy on the continent. Our objective is to build up the sales infrastructure for VergenixFG through distributors in various, key territories."

Below is a link to a video review by Professor Alberto Piaggesi, M.D., Director of the Diabetic Foot Section of the Pisa University Hospital, Italy and a member of the Council of the European Wound Management Association (EWMA). Dr. Piaggesi, who uses VergenixFG to treat patients with hard to heal chronic wounds, describes the product's advantages and its success in closing wounds. ( Warning : the video includes pictures from treatment that some viewers might find distressing ).

CollPlant Vergenix FG - Prop. Alberto Piaggesi - Youtube

About VergenixFG

VergenixFG is an injectable gel compound based on the Company's human collagen, which has shown to treat chronic wounds and operation-based incisions, including diabetic foot ulcer. The gel is injected directly into the wound, thereby filling it and facilitating a healing process through to complete wound closure, without any side effects such as infections or allergies which may occur with other treatment options.

About CollPlant

CollPlant is a regenerative medicine company leveraging its proprietary, plant-based recombinant human collagen (rhCollagen) technology for the development and commercialization of tissue repair products, initially for the orthobiologics, 3D Bio-printing of tissue and organs, and advanced wound care markets. The Company's cutting-edge technology is designed to generate and process proprietary rhCollagen, among other patent-protected recombinant proteins. Given that CollPlant's rhCollagen is identical to the type I collagen produced by the human body, it offers significant advantages compared to currently marketed tissue-derived collagen, including improved biofunctionality, superior homogeneity and reduced risk of immune response. The Company's broad development pipeline includes biomaterials indicated for orthopedics and advanced wound healing. Lead products include: VergenixSTR (Soft Tissue Repair Matrix), for the treatment of tendinopathy; and VergenixFG (Flowable Gel) wound filler, for treatment of acute and chronic wounds. CollPlant's business strategy includes proprietary development and manufacture of tissue repair products and their commercialization and distribution, together with leading third parties, alongside alliances with leading companies for joint development, manufacture and marketing of additional products.

For more information about CollPlant, visit http://www.collplant.com

Contact at CollPlant:

Eran Rotem

Chief Financial Officer

Tel: + 972-73-2325600/612

Email: [email protected]

Contact at Rx Communications Group, LLC:

Paula Schwartz (for US Investors)

Managing Director

Tel: 917-322-2216

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE CollPlant

Related Links

http://www.collplant.com


RESTON, Va., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- comScore, Inc. recently released its monthly ranking of U.S. online activity at the top digital media properties for April 2017 based on data from comScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform.

comScore Top 50 Multi-Platform Properties (Desktop and Mobile)

April 2017

Total U.S.  Home and Work Locations

Source: comScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform Rank Property Unique Visitors/Viewers (000)

Rank Property Unique Visitors/Viewers (000)

Total Internet: Total Audience 252,357







1 Google Sites 241,378

26 CafeMedia 85,351 2 Facebook 203,168

27 Wal-Mart 84,156 3 Yahoo Sites 191,988

28 ESPN 82,202 4 Amazon Sites 180,734

29 TripAdvisor Inc. 81,056 5 Microsoft Sites 178,120

30 Pandora.com 81,020 6 Comcast NBCUniversal 161,210

31 WashingtonPost.com 78,666 7 CBS Interactive 157,047

32 BuzzFeed.com 77,774 8 AOL, Inc. 154,715

33 Meredith Digital 76,718 9 Apple Inc. 142,306

34 Netflix Inc. 76,468 10 Time Inc. Network 136,771

35 PayPal 73,867 11 Turner Digital 136,576

36 Cox Enterprises Inc. 72,541 12 Hearst 108,248

37 WebMD Health 72,383 13 Weather Company, The 108,209

38 Vox Media 70,546 14 USA TODAY Network 107,036

39 VICE Media 68,778 15 Wikimedia Foundation Sites 106,846

40 Mail Online / Daily Mail 68,148 16 Linkedin 104,248

41 SheKnows Media 62,024 17 Twitter 96,966

42 WordPress.com* 60,678 18 Conde Nast Digital 95,697

43 Spotify 60,286 19 eBay 92,850

44 Tribune Media 58,335 20 Yelp 91,963

45 Vimeo 57,931 21 Snapchat, Inc 91,423

46 Dropbox Sites 57,508 22 Pinterest.com 90,807

47 tronc 57,480 23 New York Times Digital 89,948

48 Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. 57,162 24 Zillow Group 87,607

49 Business Insider 55,063 25 Fox News Digital Network 86,773

50 craigslist, inc. 54,997



* Entity has assigned some portion of traffic to other syndicated entities.

For more market rankings from comScore, visit our Rankings page here.

About comScore

comScore is a leading cross-platform measurement company that 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 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. Shares of comScore stock are currently traded on the OTC Market (OTC:SCOR). For more information on comScore, please visit comscore.com.

SOURCE comScore

Related Links

http://www.comscore.com


LONDON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Condor Gold plc ('Condor', 'Condor Gold' or 'the Company') (AIM: CNR) is pleased to announce drill results from an initial 2,000 m drill programme on the Mestiza Vein Set ('Mestiza') at La India Project, Nicaragua. The objective is to test an historic, relatively shallow, Soviet mineral resource (2,392 kt at 10.2 g/t gold for 785,694 oz gold). Initial results from the Tatiana Vein, one of the constituent veins, are excellent. The programme continues.

Highlights:

LIDC344 drill width 3.3 m (true width 2.2 m) at 28.3 g/t gold and 38.9 g/t silver including [email protected] g/t Au. From 76.7 m depth.

g/t Au. From 76.7 m depth. LIDC348 drill width 2.65 m (true width 1.7 m) at 12.6 g/t gold and 21.8 g/t silver including [email protected] g/t Au. From 91 m depth.

g/t Au. From 91 m depth. The initial 2,000 m drilling is now expanded to 3,000 m.

The Tatiana vein has excellent continuity for 1.5km and is a 4-5 m wide mineralised structure.

High recoveries achieved in vein zone, including mineralised fault breccias that previous drilling failed to recover.

Second rig mobilised and has commenced drilling.

Mark Child, Chairman and CEO comments:

"The initial drill results at Mestiza of 3.3 m at 28.3 g/t gold and 2.65 m at 12.6 g/t gold are highly encouraging. The objective is to convert an historic Soviet-style mineral resource of 2,392 kt at 10.2 g/t gold for 785,694 oz gold to Canadian NI 43-101 standard. This will boost the current NI 43-101-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource at Mestiza of 1,490 kt at 7.47 g/t for 333,000 oz gold.

Mestiza is excluded from the current mine plans in the PFS and PEAs. A successful resource conversion has the potential to add large, high grade, and relatively shallow resources to a future mine plan, thereby increasing the annual gold production, life of mine and project economics. The Tatiana vein has excellent continuity for 1.5km and is a 4-5 m wide mineralised structure. In the past few days a second rig has commenced drilling on Mestiza."

Background

La India Project's existing NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource is 18 Mt at 4.0 g/t Au for 2.31 Moz gold. This comprises 7 separate resources, all open along strike and at depth. It includes Mestiza, which hosts a NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource of 1,490 kt at 7.47 g/t for 333,000 oz gold (Table 2). Soviet-backed drilling in 1991 estimated a Soviet-style mineral resource of 2,392 kt at 10.2 g/t gold for 785,694 oz gold at Mestiza (Table 3). The bulk of the resources are contained within the Tatiana vein, the largest of the four main veins on Mestiza.

Current Drill Plan

Condor commenced drilling with one drill rig on Mestiza on 23rd March 2017, to test the Soviet drill intercepts and convert the Soviet GKZ mineral resource estimate to Canadian NI-43-101 standard (See RNS dated 31st March 2017). It is expected that further drilling of about 4,000 m (total of 6,000 m drilling) will be required to convert the majority of the Soviet mineral resource to a NI 43-101-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource.

Initial Drill results

The initial 7 drill holes have focussed on the Tatiana Vein. Results to date have been excellent and broadly validated the Soviet drilling. See Table 1 below. A second drill rig has arrived on site and the initial programme increased to 3,000 m.

Tatiana is an approximately 4-6 m wide mineralized structure crosscutting a major unit of welded tuff with conspicuous fiamme. The structure consists of:

A central high grade vein, 0.5-1.0 m wide, with comb and drusy quartz and minor chalcedony. Textures of the vein vary between holes, from massive silica, to leaching textures with skeletons of former calcite, to locally colloform banded pale green chalcedony with fine streaks of sulphide mineralization.

2.5 m of jigsaw and crackle hydrothermal breccia around the central vein. Drusy and comb quartz forms the matrix of these breccias, normally associated with lower gold grades.

Late fault breccias along the structure containing clasts of vein and hydrothermal breccia, which can contain significant high grade gold mineralisation.

Importantly, the current drilling has, with only one exception, achieved 100% recovery of the vein zone, including the fault breccias.

In 2006 Triton Minera SA (now owned by B2Gold Inc) twinned drilled a number of the Russian drill holes, but failed to recover the mineralised fault breccias, which resulted in narrower and lower grade drill intercepts. In 2011, Condor Gold drilled the southeast extension of the Tatiana vein on the La India concession and experienced similar poor core recovery (typically less than 70%). Part of the future drilling programme will be used to replace the poor recovery drill holes.

Table 1 Current Drill Results on Mestiza

Mestiza in the context of the La India Project

Mestiza is significant for five reasons:

It already hosts a NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource (1,490 kt at 7.47 g/t for 333,000 oz gold; Table 2). However, this is excluded from the current Pre-Feasibility Study ('PFS') and Preliminary Economic Assessments ('PEAs') at La India Project described in points 2 and 3. The December 2014 PEA contains an open pit and underground mining scenario using a 1.6 Mtpa processing plant recovering 1,203 koz gold over the life of mine, with the first 5 years production averaging 138,000 oz gold pa. The January 2016 Whittle Enterprise Optimisation to NPV of the above PEA materially increased the recovered gold and project economics. Using the same 1.6 Mtpa processing plant, recovered gold increases to 1,437 koz gold over the life of mine with the first five years of production averaging 165,000 oz gold pa. All production scenarios to date exclude Mestiza, which is in close proximity to the La India and America vein sets (See Figure 1). There is a high possibility of bringing additional high grade gold from Mestiza into a future mine plan, feeding a centralised processing plant. Importantly, Mestiza hosts a relatively shallow high grade resource, which is currently viewed as a combined open pit-underground mining target. The average drill depth is 112 m for the 6,000 m resource conversion drilling programme. The existing resource is open along strike in both directions and at depth. The shallow, high grade nature of the resource suggests it could be added early on to the mine plan, enhancing the production profile and economics of the project.

Table 2 Mestiza Vein Set NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate

SRK NI-43-101 resource estimate (30-09-2014) Vein Category Tons (kt) Grade (g/t) Au (oz) Espinito Inferred 200 7.7 50,000 Buenos Aires Jicaro Inferred 210 8.0 53,000 Tatiana Inferred 1,080 6.6 230,000 TOTAL 1,490 7.5 333,000

Table 3 Mestiza Vein Set, Soviet GKZ Mineral Resource Estimate (including the above NI-43-101 resources)

Soviet GKZ mineral resource estimate (1991) Vein Category Tons (kt) Grade (g/t) Au (oz) Espinito C1,C2,P1 353 9.8 112,013 San Pablo P1 39 12.2 15,338 Buenos Aires Jicaro C2, P1 317 16.8 171,489 Tatiana C2, P1, P2 1,682 9.0 486,855 TOTAL 2,392 10.2 785,694

Note: The numbers in Tables 1 to 3 and Figure 1 have been rounded where appropriate.

Competent Person's Declaration

The information in this announcement that relates to the mineral potential, geology, exploration results and database is based on information compiled, and reviewed, by Mr Peter Flindell, Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Member of the Society of Economic Geologists. Mr Flindell is a geologist with over thirty years of experience in the exploration of precious metal mineral resources. Mr Flindell is a non-executive director on the Board of Condor Gold plc who also provides technical leadership to the technical team in Nicaragua and has considerable experience in epithermal mineralization, the type of deposit under consideration, and sufficient experience in the type of activity that he is undertaking to qualify as a 'Competent Person' as defined in the June 2009 Edition of the AIM Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr Flindell consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears and confirms that this information is accurate and not false or misleading.

Technical Glossary

Assay The laboratory test conducted to determine the proportion of a mineral within a rock or other material. Usually reported as parts per million which is equivalent to grams of the mineral (i.e. gold) per tonne of rock C1 C1 reserves are broadly equivalent to JORC indicated resources and have been estimated by a sparse grid of trenches, drill holes or underground workings. The quality and properties of the deposit are known tentatively by analyses and by analogy with known deposits of the same type. The general conditions for exploitation are partially known C2 C2 reserves are broadly equivalent to JORC inferred resources and have been extrapolated from limited data, probably only a single hole Geochemistry The study of the elements and their interaction as minerals to makeup rocks and soils Geophysics The measurement and interpretation of the earth's physical parameters using non-invasive methods such as measuring the gravity, magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity, seismic response and natural radioactive emissions. Hydrothermal Hot water circulation often caused by heating of groundwater by near surface magmas and often occurring in association with volcanic activity. Hydrothermal waters can contain significant concentrations of dissolved minerals. Kt Thousand tonnes Mineral Reserve The economically mineable part of a Measured and/or Indicated Mineral Resource. It includes diluting materials and allowances for losses, which may occur when the material is mined. Appropriate assessments and studies have been carried out, and include consideration of and modification by realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors. These assessments demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction could reasonably be justified. Ore Reserves are sub-divided in order of increasing confidence into Probable Ore Reserves and Proved Ore Reserves. Mineral Resource A concentration or occurrence of material of economic interest in or on the Earth's crust in such a form, quality, and quantity that there are reasonable and realistic prospects for eventual economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, continuity and other geological characteristics of a Mineral Resource are known, estimated from specific geological knowledge, or interpreted from a well constrained and portrayed geological model. NI 43-101 Canadian National Instrument 43-101 a common standard for reporting of identified mineral resources and ore reserves Phreatic breccias Fragmental rocks formed near the Earth's surface by the interaction of hot rock and cold water, or vice versa. Commonly occur at the top of mineralized epithermal gold systems. Rock chip A sample of rock collected for analysis, from one or several close spaced sample points at a location. Unless otherwise stated, this type of sample is not representative of the variation in grade across the width of an ore or mineralised body and the assay results cannot be used in a Mineral Resource Estimation Soviet Classification The former Soviet system for classification of reserves and resources, developed in 1960 and revised in 1981, which divides mineral concentrations into seven categories of three major groups, based on the level of exploration performed: explored reserves (A, B, C1), evaluated reserves (C2) and prognostic resources (P1, P2, P3) Soviet GKZ The former Soviet State Commission for Mineral Reserves. Stockwork Multiple connected veins with more than one orientation, typically consisting of millimetre to centimetre thick fracture-fill veins and veinlets. Strike length The longest horizontal dimension of an ore body or zone of mineralisation. Vein A sheet-like body of crystallised minerals within a rock, generally forming in a discontinuity or crack between two rock masses. Economic concentrations of gold are often contained within vein minerals. Zeolite veinlets Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicates found in gas bubbles within basalts and in geothermal districts. They also found in the upper parts of gold-bearing epithermal systems.

About Condor Gold plc:

Condor Gold plc was admitted to AIM on 31st May 2006. The Company is a gold exploration and development company with a focus on Central America.

Condor completed a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) and two Preliminary Economic Assessments (PEA) on La India Project in Nicaragua in December 2014. The PFS details an open pit gold mineral reserve of 6.9 Mt at 3.0 g/t gold for 675,000 oz gold producing 80,000 oz gold p.a. for 7 years. The PEA for the open pit only scenario details 100,000 oz gold production p.a. for 8 years whereas the PEA for a combination of open pit and underground details 140,000 oz gold production p.a. for 8 years. La India Project contains a total attributable mineral resource of 18.08 Mt at 4.0 g/t for 2.31 M oz gold and 2.68 M oz silver at 6.2 g/t to the CIM Code.

In El Salvador, Condor has an attributable 1,004,000 oz gold equivalent at 2.6 g/t JORC compliant resource. The resource calculations are compiled by independent geologists SRK Consulting (UK) Limited for Nicaragua and Ravensgate and Geosure for El Salvador.

Disclaimer

Neither the contents of the Company's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.

For further information please visit http://www.condorgold.com or contact:



Condor Gold plc

Mark Child, Executive Chairman and CEO

+44(0)20-7493-2734



Beaumont Cornish Limited

Roland Cornish and

James Biddle

+44(0)20-7628-3396



Numis Securities Limited

John Prior and James Black

+44(0)20-7260-1000



Farm Street Media

Simon Robinson

+44(0)7593-340107

SOURCE Condor Gold plc
MAUMEE, Ohio, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) has been honored by Ford Motor Company as a top-performing supplier, receiving a Ford World Excellence Award. The announcement was made during the 19th annual Ford World Excellence Awards ceremony, held last week at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Dana was recognized in the category of "Aligned Business Framework" for exemplifying Ford's principles of quality, value, and innovation.

"We are honored to be distinguished among the thousands of Ford Motor Company suppliers as an example of global excellence," said James Kamsickas, Dana president and CEO. "This award is testament to the emphasis Dana places on customer centricity, and we are proud of our passionate team of employees who work daily to deliver advanced mobility solutions and outstanding service to our great customers like Ford."

"The Ford World Excellence Awards recognize our outstanding suppliers around the world," said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford group vice president, global purchasing. "These suppliers deliver excellence at every level, and are key to Ford's success as we transform to an auto and mobility company."

Click to view a complete list of the 19th annual World Excellence Awards winners.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 202,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company's core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com. For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.

About Dana Incorporated

Dana is a world leader in highly engineered solutions for improving the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of powered vehicles and machinery. Dana supports the passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway markets, as well as industrial and stationary equipment applications. Founded in 1904, Dana employs approximately 27,000 people in 34 countries on six continents who are committed to delivering long-term value to customers. The company reported sales of more than $5.8 billion in 2016. Based in Maumee, Ohio, the company's operations were selected as a 2017 Top Workplace in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan by The (Toledo) Blade. For more information, please visit dana.com.

SOURCE Dana Incorporated

Related Links

http://www.dana.com


MUMBAI and DUBAI, UAE, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Deskera makes major foray into the markets in the Middle East, Africa, India and China

Deskera, a global leader in cloud technology, today announced a partnership with Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, to provide a holistic solution to customer requirements in the exponentially expanding Software as a Service (SaaS) segment in the Middle East, Africa, India and China. The collaboration will leverage Deskera's integrated business suite consisting of ERP, CRM, HRMS, Project Management and Learning Management software and Alibaba Cloud's industry leading marketplace and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) capabilities.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/450678/PRNE__Deskera_png_Logo.jpg )



"We are looking forward to this partnership. The association between Deskera and Alibaba Cloud will leverage state-of-the-art technology and will greatly enhance the value to each of our customers. We must take advantage of the boom in the demand for cloud-based business software," said Shashank Dixit, CEO, Deskera. "Working closely with industry leaders like Alibaba Cloud augurs well for Deskera's plans to emerge as the biggest global player in the enterprise software market. We are committed to developing innovative products that deliver cutting-edge performance to our customers while minimizing the total cost of ownership. Our products will ensure an optimum combination of ease of doing business as well as reliability and access for users," he further added.

The Middle East and Africa market is being considered by Deskera to be a huge untapped market that will provide rapid growth to the company in 2017 and beyond. For India, the company believes that the country will provide a once in a lifetime opportunity with the GST mandate by the Government of India entering into force. According to the rule, enterprises - small and large - have to be GST ready by July 2017. Deskera has extensive experience in GST rollouts in Singapore and Malaysia and can help Indian enterprises with GST-specific tax compliance. The company can also help multinationals comply with the tax structure in the various countries in which they operate.

About Deskera

Deskera is a global leader in cloud-based solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. The company was founded in 2008 with the vision of using the cloud to bridge the digital divide between entrepreneurs and big business by creating greater access to the best technology. Our sophisticated, simple-to-use technology provides solutions that help all types of companies manage resources more efficiently across departments, from operations to accounting to sales to HR, on one platform. Deskera is headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices around the world, including locations in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The company has a pan India presence with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Pune.

To find out how cloud solutions can make it easier to run your business, please visit http://www.deskera.com.

Media Contact:

Shikha Samant

[email protected]

+91-20-67257008

Muqbil Ahmar

[email protected]

+91-9717360398



SOURCE Deskera
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by new chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, German member of the European People's Party David McAllister May 22.

The president expressed hope that McAllister's visit with a large delegation to Azerbaijan will be successful, and fruitful discussions on cooperation and partnership will be held during the trip.

Pointing out the delegation's broad program, President Aliyev hailed the importance of the visit in terms of strengthening Azerbaijan's cooperation with the European Parliament and with European institutions in general.

McAllister informed President Aliyev about the program of the visit to Azerbaijan and to the region. He noted that the delegation includes members of different political groups represented in the European Parliament, adding that the visit aims to get closely familiarized with the situation in Azerbaijan.

They also exchanged views on a number of issues, including recent ongoing processes in Azerbaijan, the country's cooperation with the European Parliament and its prospects, the current state of the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, human rights and freedom of expression.
NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Elliman Real Estate, the #1 real estate brokerage in NYC and #4 nationwide, will launch its new brand campaign, It's Time for Elliman  one that integrates media across all platforms, including newspapers, magazines, billboards, social, indoor and outdoor advertising and, for the first time for the brokerage, television. The new messaging will debut across television, print and digital media in all of the markets the company serves, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, The Hamptons and North Fork, Westchester and Putnam Counties, Connecticut, New Jersey, South Florida, Los Angeles, California and Aspen, Colorado.

"With our firm's expansion efforts well underway across the country, we felt it was time to engage the public in new and exciting ways that drive home the key message that no matter the stage of life of homebuyers and sellers, It's Time for Elliman," said Dana DeVito, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the nationally recognized firm.

The entire campaign underscores the important emotional and financial decisions involved in almost every real estate transaction. The ads, designed to celebrate diversity in America, underscore how the company's over 6,000 highly-trained sales agents in 85 offices coast to coast help navigate clients through challenging markets, as well as important life milestones that call for a starter-apartment or a new primary or second residence; or the inevitable time in life when one decides to let go of their longtime, beloved home.

"By stating that 'It's Time for Elliman,' we are reaching both existing and future clients with themes that duplicate the very human experiences and emotions we all share when buying or selling a home," said Dottie Herman, the firm's President and CEO. "Our message will resonate across all of our markets."

Produced in partnership with award-winning Agency Sacks, highlights of the diverse nationwide campaign include giant billboards strategically located on the Long Island Expressway's east and westbound approach to and from the Midtown Tunnel, as well on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, one of the most highly trafficked roadways in California. In addition, Douglas Elliman has struck a partnership with the iconic bus service, the Hampton Jitney, which will wrap buses with creative from the new campaign and the Douglas Elliman logo, which has also been redesigned. The company will be well-positioned at private and executive airports in Aspen and Los Angeles where many high net worth clients tend to travel. Douglas Elliman's brand campaign will also extend to New York City's highly visible buses and taxi tops.

"In all, we anticipate hitting close to three quarters of a billion potential customers nationwide with It's Time for Elliman," said Scott Durkin, COO of Douglas Elliman. "Our company will also unveil a new app and revamp its magazine, Elliman, which will appear for the Memorial Day weekend, with its primary emphasis on real estate." In September, the magazine will sport a new look. Elliman will publish four times a year; two issues will be dedicated to re-sale and two issues to new development.

The firm has forged a new strategic partnership with Frieze New York, the art fair that has brought together the world's leading modern and contemporary art galleries during the month of May 2017 and also has a longstanding relationship with Art Basel Miami and Design Miami which will continue once again in December 2017.

"Art and design are passion points for our company," added DeVito. "The connection between art, design and real estate is undeniable, as our clients and our agents make a correlation between beauty and design found both inside and outside of the home."

"Our efforts to increase brand awareness through this new campaign, along with forwardthinking approaches to expanding markets, technology and the visual arts, further propel us to the top of the real estate industry," stated Durkin.

About Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area and the fourth largest residential real estate company nationwide. With more than 6,000 agents, the company operates over 85 offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, New Jersey, Long Island, the Hamptons & North Fork, Westchester, Greenwich, South Florida, Colorado and Beverly Hills. Moreover, Douglas Elliman has a strategic global alliance with London-based Knight Frank Residential for business in the worldwide luxury markets spanning 59 countries and six continents. The company also controls a portfolio of real estate services including Douglas Elliman Development Marketing; Manhattan's largest residential property manager, Douglas Elliman Property Management with over 250 buildings; and DE Commercial. For more information on Douglas Elliman as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, please visit www.elliman.com.

SOURCE Douglas Elliman
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DOVE Chocolate from Mars Chocolate North America is proud to announce nearly 2,000 women and men in the cocoa farming communities of Cote d'Ivoire have joined CARE Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) in the first year of the programexceeding the brand's original goal by 10 percent.

The joint partnership between DOVE Chocolate and CARE, global poverty-fighting organization that pioneered the VSLA concept in Niger in 1991, was established to provide a safe place to save money and access small loans, encouraging the business efforts of women in farming communities. Experience has shown when women have more income, an increased proportion is invested in family and community, benefiting both the current and next generation of cocoa farmers.

Madame Dogbo is one of the female farmers benefitting from the VSLA program. In 2016, her cocoa farm was destroyed in a fire, leaving her and her four daughters in a perilous financial situation. With the help of a VSLA-funded loan, Madame Dogbo was able to plant cocoa again, and more importantly, earn the money to send her daughters to school. You can view her story, and more about the VSLA program, here.

"On the VSLA meeting days, even if I have things to do like cooking, I stop everything and go there, because the VSLA has changed methe VSLA has provided our community a great opportunity," said Madame Dogbo.

The well-being of cocoa farmers is one of the most important steps of the bean to bar journey. As such, Mars, Inc. has pledged $1 million to CARE to empower female farmers in Cote d'Ivoire. Consumers can now join those efforts. Starting July 7, for every purchase of specially marked DOVE Chocolate PROMISES at CVS Pharmacy locations, $1 will be donated to CARE.

"DOVE Chocolate is thrilled to see the VSLA program with CARE has already exceeded expectations in year one," said Kerry Cavanaugh, Brand Director, DOVE Chocolate, Mars Chocolate North America. "Through our joint efforts, we're starting to see women in these communities flourish, which impacts not only the quality of cocoa bean produced, but also education and healthcare opportunities for their family."

Promoting gender equality and securing a larger voice for women within their communities has also been a major objective for DOVE Chocolate and CARE. Members of the 70 VSLA groups established in Cote d'Ivoire through the DOVE partnership, have demonstrated positive group dynamics, with men and women from various backgrounds working together productively, which was uncommon before the program.

"Now, women have a newfound confidence in their ability to own and manage cocoa farms," said Youssouf Ndjore, Cocoa Sustainability Director, CARE. "Additionally, the community's perception of women is improving as men are beginning to take pride in their support of women who are running their own businesses and having dreams for the future."

The DOVE Chocolate Difference

From bean to bar, Mars Chocolate North America takes great care to maintain the highest standards of quality when crafting DOVE Chocolate. Every batch of beans is carefully and thoroughly evaluated for flavor and quality for use in DOVE Chocolate to ensure the authentic rich taste of the cocoa is enjoyed by consumers around the world.

It all starts with only the best cacao beans, which are tested by expert Mars Associate craftspeople for quality and flavor. The beans are then taken through special roasting and grinding techniques  a process rooted in European tradition - to create the signature silky smooth texture and great taste of DOVE Chocolate. Finally, Mars adds the perfect combination of chocolate liquor and 100 percent pure cocoa butter to create a balanced taste that's not too sweet, nor too bitter.

To learn more about the unique DOVE Chocolate bean to bar process and to follow the CARE partnership progress, please visit www.dovechocolatejourney.com. For more information about DOVE Chocolate, visit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned business with more than a century of history, $35 billion in sales, and six diverse business segments producing some of the world's best-loved brands: PEDIGREE, ROYAL CANIN, IAMS, BANFIELD CESAR (Petcare); M&M'S, SNICKERS, DOVE, GALAXY, MARS, MILKY WAY, TWIX (Chocolate); DOUBLEMINT, EXTRA, ORBIT, 5, SKITTLES (Wrigley); UNCLE BEN'S, DOLMIO, MASTERFOODS, SEEDS OF CHANGE (Food); ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY, KLIX FLAVIA (Drinks); and COCOAVIA (Symbioscience). Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in 421 facilities across 78 countries, where our more than 80,000 Associates all united by the company's Five Principles of Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, Mutuality and Freedom strive every day to create relationships with our stakeholders that deliver growth we are proud of.

For more information about Mars, Incorporated, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About CARE

Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That's why women and girls are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve education and health, create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger. Last year CARE worked in 94 countries and reached 80 million people. To learn more, visit www.care.org.

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America
NEW YORK, May 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Israel has a historic peace opportunity because of two world leaders  the president of the United States, Donald Trump and Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. They both share the same world view of moral clarity or simply put - good versus evil.

They both have similar heroes - Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan  and they both are despised by the liberal Left media.

Friends of Zion all over the world welcome Trump Mike Evans is the founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center. He is the man behind the campaign honoring President Trump.

The both are determined to drain the swamp.

Israel's 9th president, Shimon Peres, and I met with Pope Francis in June of last year. The Pope spoke about the morality of leadership, noting that the chaos the world is facing can only be resolved by moral leaders.

Who could have imagined the historical alliances that Israel has built globally because of Netanyahu's initiatives - extending even to Saudi Arabia?

Or a president who picked America's most pro-Israel political leader, Mike Pence, to be his vice president and whose senior advisor is his Orthodox Jewish son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and who chose a pro-Israel Orthodox Jew, David Freindman, as the US ambassador to Israel?

And who could have imagined a US president coming to Israel in the first 6 months of his term of office, and boldly going to the Western Wall  something no president has ever done before while in office?

Israel and America have suffered at the hands of moral relativists who reject standards of good versus evil. In their view, man is capable of perfection; humanity is on the path of enlightenment. Secular humanists make excuses for evil or, even worse, deny its very existence and coddle evil-doers by refusing to confront them.

The Left, which believes that a perfect world means a weak and anemic America and Israel, embraces the perpetrator of the crime and castigates its victims.

It took Barack Obama 5 years before he came to Israel, at the start of his second term, while he embarked on his "apology tour" to Egypt years earlier.

The Sunni nations viewed Obama as a man who abandoned America's allies like Hosni Mubarak and supported America's enemies like Iran and the "demon of Damascus," Bashar al-Assad.

In Trump's world view, Israel is attacked because it is a Jewish state and America is attacked because it is a Christian nation.

Donald Trump won the election because of a historic evangelical voter turnout - the largest in American history. Evangelicals tend not to be monolithic except on two issues - the Supreme Court and Israel. I know because I am a member of the Trump Founding Faith Board. President Trump promised us he would recognize Jerusalem and move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. We wholeheartedly believe that this promise is non-negotiable and will happen while he is president.

King Cyrus of Persia would never be remembered if it had not been for his willingness to let the Jews return to their homeland. Harry Truman would have not have been remembered as such a great president if it had not been for his recognition of Israel as the Jewish homeland.

We pray that Donald Trump will be remembered in that historic Hall of Fame together with Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Who knows but that you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14).

SOURCE MIKE EVANS
PLANO, Texas, May 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) today announced that it has commenced cash tender offers (each offer an "Offer" and collectively, the "Offers") for up to $180,000,000 aggregate purchase price of its outstanding 7.45% Notes due 2038 (the "2038 Notes") and 6.82% Notes due 2018 (the "2018 Notes" and, together with the 2038 Notes, the "Notes") on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in its Offer to Purchase, dated May 19, 2017, and the related Letter of Transmittal.

The consideration being offered for the Notes accepted for purchase in the Offers is set forth in the table below:

Title of Securities

and CUSIP Numbers

Principal

Amount

Outstanding

2038 Tender

Cap

Acceptance

Priority

Level

Reference

Treasury Security

Bloomberg

Reference

Page

Fixed Spread

(basis points)

Early

Tender

Premium(1)

Hypothetical Total

Consideration(1)(2) 7.45% Notes due 2038 (CUSIP No. 26138EAJ8)

$250,000,000

$125,000,000

1

3.00% due February 15, 2047

FIT1

130

$30.00

$1,446.78 6.82% Notes due 2018 (CUSIP No. 26138EAH2)

$364,128,000

N/A

2

0.75% due April 30, 2018

FIT3

45

$30.00

$1,046.35

_______________________________________________

(1) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase by us. (2) The Hypothetical Total Consideration for each series of Notes is inclusive of the Early Tender Premium but exclusive of Accrued Interest and is based on the Reference Yield (as defined below) of the Reference Treasury Security (defined below) as of 2:00 p.m., New York City time on May 18, 2017 and an Early Settlement Date (defined below) on June 8, 2017, which is expected to be the Early Settlement Date. The actual Reference Yields of the Reference Treasury Securities will be determined by the Dealer Manager (defined below) based on certain quotes available at the Price Determination Date, which is expected to be at 2:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 5, 2017.

The Total Consideration paid in the Offers for the Notes will be determined in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to the applicable fixed spread (the "Fixed Spread") specified for the applicable series of Notes over the applicable yield (the "Reference Yield") based on the bid-side price of the applicable U.S. Treasury Security specified for such series of Notes (the "Reference Treasury Security") specified in the table above and in the Offer to Purchase. Holders of Notes that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 2, 2017 (the "Early Tender Date") and accepted for purchase will receive the applicable Total Consideration, which includes an early tender premium of $30.00 per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes accepted for purchase (the "Early Tender Premium"). Holders of Notes who validly tender their Notes after the Early Tender Date and at or before the Expiration Date will only receive the applicable Tender Offer Consideration per $1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered by such holders that are accepted for purchase, which is equal to the applicable Total Consideration minus the Early Tender Premium. Holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers will also receive Accrued Interest on their purchased Notes from the last interest payment date for such Notes to, but excluding, the applicable Settlement Date.

As set forth in the Offer to Purchase, the Offers are subject to (i) a maximum aggregate purchase price (exclusive of Accrued Interest) in respect of Notes purchased of $180 million (the "Maximum Tender Amount"), (ii) a maximum aggregate principal amount in respect of 2038 Notes purchased of $125 million (the "2038 Tender Cap") and (iii) the application of the acceptance priority levels set forth in the table above (the "Acceptance Priority Levels"). If the aggregate purchase price of Notes of any series tendered exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount available for application to the Acceptance Priority Level for such series of Notes then, if Notes of such series are accepted for purchase, such Notes will be accepted on a pro rata basis.

DPS reserves the right but is under no obligation, at any point following the Early Tender Date and before the Expiration Date, to accept for purchase any Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date (the "Early Settlement Date"). The Early Settlement Date will be determined at DPS' option and is currently expected to occur on June 8, 2017, the fourth business day following the Early Tender Date, subject to all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by DPS. Irrespective of whether DPS chooses to exercise its option to have an Early Settlement Date, DPS will purchase any remaining Notes that have been validly tendered by the Expiration Date and that it chooses to accept for purchase, subject to the Maximum Tender Amount, the 2038 Tender Cap, the application of the Acceptance Priority Levels and all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by it, on a date immediately following the Expiration Date (the "Final Settlement Date" and each of the Early Settlement Date and Final Settlement Date, a "Settlement Date"). The Final Settlement Date is expected to occur on the first business day following the Expiration Date, subject to all conditions to the Offers having been satisfied or waived by DPS. The expected Final Settlement Date is June 19, 2017, unless extended by DPS, assuming all conditions to the Offers have been satisfied or waived by DPS.

The amount of a series of Notes purchased in the Offers will be based on the Acceptance Priority Level for such series, as set forth above and in the Offer to Purchase, and may be prorated. Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount, the 2038 Tender Cap and proration, the Notes with the first acceptance priority level, the 2038 Notes, will be purchased before those with the second acceptance priority level, the 2018 Notes. If there are sufficient remaining funds to purchase some, but not all of the Notes of a series of an applicable Acceptance Priority Level, the amount of Notes purchased in that series will be prorated based on the aggregate purchase price of Notes of that series validly tendered and not withdrawn in the applicable Offer, and no Notes of a series with a lower Acceptance Priority Level will be accepted for purchase.

The Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on June 16, 2017 (the "Expiration Date"), unless extended or earlier terminated. DPS reserves the right to terminate, withdraw or amend the Offers at any time subject to applicable law.

Notes tendered in the Offers may only be withdrawn prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 2, 2017 (the "Withdrawal Date"). Notes tendered after the Withdrawal Date and prior to the Expiration Date may not be withdrawn.

DPS reserves the right, but is under no obligation, to increase or decrease the Maximum Tender Amount or the 2038 Tender Cap, subject to compliance with applicable law, which could result in DPS purchasing a greater or lesser principal amount of Notes in the Offers. There can be no assurance that DPS will exercise its right to increase or decrease the Maximum Tender Amount or the 2038 Tender Cap. If DPS increases or decreases the Maximum Tender Amount or the 2038 Tender Cap or extends the Early Tender Date, DPS does not expect to extend the Withdrawal Date, subject to applicable law. If holders tender more Notes in the Offers than they expect to be accepted for purchase based on the Maximum Tender Amount or the 2038 Tender Cap and the Maximum Tender Amount or the 2038 Tender Cap are subsequently increased on or after the Withdrawal Date, such holders will not be able to withdraw any of their previously tendered Notes. Accordingly, holders should not tender any Notes that they do not wish to be accepted for purchase.

DPS' obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to the Offers is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the relevant Offers, including the condition (the "Tender Financing Condition") that DPS has successfully completed one or more financing transactions (the "Debt Financing Transactions"), which may include at DPS' option issuances of commercial paper (excluding commercial paper issuances for general corporate purposes not related to the Offers), an offering of debt securities or another capital markets or financing transaction, on terms and conditions satisfactory to DPS, providing net proceeds sufficient to pay the aggregate purchase price and Accrued Interest of all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase by DPS in the Offers. There can be no assurance that DPS will be able to complete the Debt Financing Transactions, and thus no assurance that the Tender Financing Condition will be satisfied.

The complete terms and conditions of the Offers are set forth in the Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal which are being sent to holders of the Notes. Holders of the Notes are urged to read the tender offer documents carefully. Notes not tendered and purchased pursuant to the Offers may remain outstanding, mature and be paid in accordance with their terms.

The Offers are being made solely by means of the related Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal. This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase securities or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase any new securities, including in connection with the Debt Financing Transactions, nor does it constitute an offer or solicitation in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. Capitalized terms used in this press release but not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in the Offer to Purchase. None of DPS, the Dealer Manager, the Tender Agent, the Information Agent or the Trustee is making any recommendation as to whether holders of the Notes should tender their Notes in response to the Offers.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is the Dealer Manager for the Offers. Questions regarding the Offers may be directed to Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC at (800) 624-1808 (toll-free). Requests for the Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal may be directed to D.F. King & Co. at 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10005 Attn: Andrew Beck, (212) 269-5550 (for banks and brokers) or (877) 536-1556 (for all others).

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, in particular, statements about future events, future financial performance including earnings estimates, plans, strategies, expectations, prospects, competitive environment, regulation, and cost and availability of raw materials. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "intend" or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements have been based on our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. Our actual financial performance could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of estimates, forecasts and projections, and our financial performance may be better or worse than anticipated. Given these uncertainties, you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date that they were made. We do not undertake any duty to update the forward-looking statements, and the estimates and assumptions associated with them, after the date of this release, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.

About Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is a leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. Our success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. We have seven of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and nine of our 10 leading brands are No. 1 or No. 2 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes 7UP, A&W, Bai, Canada Dry, Clamato, Crush, Hawaiian Punch, IBC, Mott's, Mr & Mrs T mixers, Penafiel, Rose's, Schweppes, Squirt and Sunkist soda. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit www.DrPepperSnapple.com. For our latest news and updates, follow us at www.Facebook.com/DrPepperSnapple or www.Twitter.com/DrPepperSnapple.

Contacts:

Media Relations

Chris Barnes, (972) 673-5539









Investor Relations

Heather Catelotti, (972) 673-5869

SOURCE Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.drpeppersnapplegroup.com


SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Randolph D. Sconiers, DSW, LCSW (Dr.S) is set to take mental health for young people to the next level with practical, powerful, and innovative concepts. This is someone to definitely keep an eye on when it comes to mental health education.

Dr. Randolph D. Sconiers is a Doctor of Social Work and a New Jersey Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Let's face it, mental health in this country is one of the most-talked-about issues. The episodes of bullying, suicide, and depression among our young people continue to rise. Not to mention the ongoing issues of chronic community violence that impact youth in urban cities throughout America. There is hope, and one change agent has set out on a mission to help our young people realize that they are strong enough to overcome the mental-health challenges they are facing. Dr. Randolph D. Sconiers, also known as Dr. S to many, is exactly what this next generation needs: a believer.

Fresh off being recognized as one of 15 Black Male Therapists You Should Know by an article in the Huffington Post, Dr. S is poised to impact the world of mental health in a major way.

Dr. S is not your average Doctor of Social Work or New Jersey Licensed Clinical Social Worker. One look at his style of dress, knowledge of hip-hop culture, and wisdom about clinical interventions, and one knows they're about to connect with someone on a greater mission. Dr. S is a maverick of sorts, with a unique ability to communicate highly theoretical clinical principles into very practical and easy-to-understand concepts for our youth. His Project: EmpowerMENt Program is a 6-8 week empowerment group for young men that focuses on the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and respect. The program that is currently at Plainfield High School in New Jersey has successfully graduated over 40 students. An idea that started as a pilot program has successfully gone on to be a staple with Plainfield High School's Pride program.

https://patch.com/new-jersey/newbrunswick/pilot-program-offers-hope-to-struggling-young-men

Not only does Dr. S facilitate ongoing groups with our youth, he is also a sought-after motivational speaker at middle schools and high schools. Dr. S delivers what he calls "Empowerment Speeches" to youth all over. His speaking engagements are unique in that you feel like he's speaking directly to you in an assembly filled with kids. As a clinical therapist, Dr. S makes every engagement feel like a 1:1 counseling session in which you get to listen, share, and feel empowered to overcome challenges. Dr. S provides speaking engagements on various topics such as "Activating Your Dreams," "Project: Empowerment," and "Character Crazy." He also conducts a presentation on Self-Care for adults to help people avoid the dreaded word burnout, while enjoying more moments of peace and happiness.

For those who may not get to meet Dr. S in person, they're in luck. He is also an author of the 5-star book, "Good Mornings: Wake-Up Calls for Life." This powerful book is available on Amazon, IBooks, Google Play, and at Barnes and Noble's online store. "Good Mornings" is a powerful daily read that's packed with positive messages of hope, inspiration, and encouragement. Dr. S provides the reader with a great way to start their day. It's true, "'Good Mornings,' is like that wake-up call to get you on your way." It's easy enough to read on that drive or bus ride to work but powerful enough to push you in a positive way. http://a.co/7FCCgc7

Lastly, how can you forget about New Steps Counseling, LLC? This is where the "magic" happens. It's the private practice of Dr. S, located in South Plainfield, New Jersey. A small office where people have been finding help to overcome issues such as anger, depression, anxiety, and trauma for many years. Dr. S conducts individual counseling sessions for children, youth, and adults. He specializes in mental health issues for youth and adolescents. It's also the location where he develops all of his ideas to address the stigma associated with mental health. It was at his New Steps Counseling, LLC location that he created Mental-Hop: an innovative and genius way to increase mental health awareness through utilizing the art form of hip-hop. Mental-Hop is in the beginning stages of development but one look at the content on its Instagram page (@MentalHop), and it's easy to see this is going to be huge. The content is so creative and at the same time easy to grasp as he uses hip-hop lyrics to educate people on mental health diagnosis, coping skills, and treatment. There is no doubt that Dr. Randolph D. Sconiers  also known as Dr. S  is on a path of purpose, and anyone that he meets along his journey will never be the same.

http://www.newstepscounseling.com/

https://mental-hop.com/

Contact: Dr. S at 732-474-8109

Related Files

Dr Randolph Sconiers Resume and Bio New.docx

Related Images

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Related Links

15 Black Male Therapists You Should Know

New Steps Counseling, LLC

SOURCE Dr. Randolph D. Sconiers and New Steps Counseling, LLC

Related Links

http://www.newstepscounseling.com


NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Linda Wong, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Yihai Group, was one of dozens of outstanding women leaders to participate in "Women and China: A Forum to Discuss How Women are Shaping the Rising Superpower" on May 18th at the China Institute in New York.

The Yihai Group was founded in 1989 and has investments in real estate development, education management, financial investments, property management and health services. The company has total assets of more than $2 billion US.

Chairman Wong Participating in Women's Forum Panel Linda Wong shares a moment with the young generation

Ms. Wong also founded the Yihai Charity Foundation and has been active in cultural exchange between China and the United States including the Student Leaders Exchange Program and the Teachers Exchange Program between the US and China as well as projects in China. She has also founded and operated 15 education institutions in China for 20 years.

The "Women and China" forum featured discussions on technology, business, culture and the role of top female CEOs and business leaders.

Ms. Wong participated in the CEO/Leaders Panel discussion along with Dorinda Elliott, Editorial and Communications Director of the Paulson Institute, which promotes US  China Relations; Virginia Kamsky, CEO of Kamsky Associates, a strategic advisory firm, one of the first approved foreign advisory firms in Beijing; and Jenny Ming, President and CEO of Charlotte Russe Holding, Inc, a fashion specialty retailer of apparel, footwear and accessories catering to young women.

During the panel discussion Ms. Wong noted: "Sensitivity is a woman's biggest strength and we should take it as an advantage. We are brave and this trait can be powerful when we are pursuing our goals." She spoke about President Trump's relationship with China and believes the President will ultimately embrace China's "One Belt One Road" global strategy.

She said that there are challenges in investing in the US market and that foreign currency is one of her biggest concerns in doing cross-country businesses. However, she came to New York in 2009 during a fiscal crisis and sees her investments in Flushing, NY, where there is a large Chinese population, as one of her best business decisions.

Finally, she believes that one of the keys to her success is her commitment to education and philanthropy, which has helped her tremendously in her business transactions as people trust her and want to work with her.

"As a businesswoman in China, I think I am very fortunate. China believes that women have rights and are not discriminated against when they pursue leadership positions," she added.

In addition to her work as Chairwoman of the board directors of the Yihai Group, Ms. Wong is Special Director of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Executive VP of China Federation of Oversees Chinese Entrepreneurs, VP of China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association, VP of The China Association for Non-Government Education and Life-long Honorary Principal of Sichuan Beichuan Middle School. She also participated in the First Hong Kong Investment Fair held by the Beijing government.

For Further Information:

Kathy Tompkins

Yihai United Development Corporation

90 Broad Street, Suite 1707, New York, N.Y. 10004

[email protected]

Cell: 917 716 9525; Office: 646-455-0600

SOURCE Yihai United Development Corp
AUSTIN, Texas, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ePatientFinder, the leader in EHR-driven clinical trial site optimization and patient identification, announces that two leading life sciences conferences have selected ePatientFinder's Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Life Sciences Greg Sweatt as a featured speaker.

Sweatt will be featured as a thought leader in the following educational panels and sessions:

 MAGI's Clinical Research Conference2017 East, taking place this week, May 2124 in Philadelphia





SESSION DETAILS:





WHEN: Today, May 22, 11:3012:15 ET

TITLE: Patient-Centric Clinical Trials: A Panel Discussion

DESCRIPTION: Panelists will discuss "What's Desirable and What's Practical" when it comes to patient centricity in clinical trials. Sweatt joins the following panelists in a thought-provoking discussion about this important topic:

 Joan Chambers - Chief Operating OfficerCenterWatch

 Lisa Dilworth - Director of Therapeutic Expertise, Rare DiseasesPRA Health Sciences

 Ashley Tointon - Sr. Patient Recruitment StrategistBoehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals



 DIA 2017, taking place June 18-22 in Chicago





SESSION DETAILS:





WHEN: June 20, 2 pm CT

TITLE: If You See Something (About a Clinical Trial), Do You Say Something (to Your Doctor?)

DESCRIPTION: This session will delve into the newest innovations and ideas in patient enrollment and participating in clinical trials. Sweatt's talk focuses on: Leveraging EHR Data and the Physician-Patient Relationship to Raise Patient Awareness of Trials and Accelerate Recruitment. His co-presenters for this session include:





 Tyler Ludlow, MBA, Senior Decision Scientist, Eli Lilly Company

 Candice E Junge, PhD, Development Design Director, Amgen





EXHIBIT HALL: ePatientFinder also will be exhibiting at DIA 2017Booth #1758.

Tom Dorsett, CEO and co-founder of ePatientFinder, said the company's speaking engagements are gratifying because they reflect the life science industry's recognition of ePatientFinder's leadership in the clinical trial space.

"It's extremely important for us to not only offer a game-changing patient identification and enrollment solution, but also to be actively engaged in the dialogue about where the market is now and where it needs to go in the future," Dorsett said. "Our goal is to more quickly and efficiently make more trials available to qualified patients, which benefits patients, providers, sponsors and contract research organizations [CROs], while also keeping clinical trials on schedule and on budget."

ePatientFinder's Clinical Trial Exchange leverages the power of electronic health record (EHR) data analytics and the physician-patient relationship to identify patients who are eligible to participate in clinical trials. In addition to increasing efficiencies, empowering physicians to match their own patients to clinical trials strengthens the physician-patient relationship. ePatientFinder partners with most major EHR vendors, and recently worked with Allscripts to develop GeoPrecise, a solution that makes using EHR data to identify patients for clinical trials more streamlined.

About ePatientFinder

ePatientFinder, based in Austin, Texas, is the only company that provides physicians and clinical trial sites with a secure technology platform that allows them to compliantly leverage EHR data and make it actionable. By tapping into the trusted physician-patient relationship, ePatientFinder produces the highest quality referrals in the business, which in turn help clinical trials get populated more quickly and cost effectively than ever before. With ePatientFinder, physicians and EHR providers develop additional revenue streams with little change to their current activities, and patient satisfaction increases dramatically with access to the advanced care that is only available through clinical trials. Learn more at www.epatientfinder.com and follow @ePatientFinder on Twitter.

Media Contact

Amendola Communications for ePatientFinder:

Tara Stultz, 440.225.9595, [email protected]

SOURCE ePatientFinder

Related Links

http://www.epatientfinder.com


WASHINGTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Government and enterprise business travelers face an ever increasing Cyber threat targeting personal devices & the networks they're attached to. Wherever your team travels, a strong defensive mindset and a few simple tools can make the difference in ensuring your data doesn't end up in the hands of hackers-for-hire or nation state cyber actors.

Fenix Group's Introduction to Digital Fieldcraft Course is an entry level program that breaks down this unseen threat at a personal level to keep your organization "off the Cyber-X." Course content is presented in multi-sensory blocks of instruction allowing students the opportunity to study how hackers target them and their personal devices at airports, hotels, through remote messaging, and other attack vectors. Own your infrastructure. Sign up today to learn how your organization can keep your sensitive data where it belongs.

Fenix Group's President, Dave Peterson, shines a light on the timing of the offering: "Recent events have shown that defensive cyber training is no longer a luxury, but a necessity and more relevant than ever. By making our content available online, we hope to bring baseline knowledge to those who need it most. We're excited to be involved in making the Internet a safer place for government and business travelers."

For more information on Fenix Group's online course offerings, visit https://www.fenixgroupsolutions.com/online-training

Fenix Group is a Virginia based, veteran owned small business specializing in providing unparalleled training, bespoke technology, and direct-support services. www.fenixgroupsolutions.com

SOURCE Fenix Group, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.fenixgroupsolutions.com


MENLO PARK, Calif., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shelley Metz-Galloway has joined global consulting firm Protiviti as a managing director in its Risk and Compliance practice. Based in the Washington D.C. area, she serves clients within the financial services industry focused primarily on matters concerning regulatory compliance and risk management.

Metz-Galloway brings more than 25 years of experience to the firm, offering expertise and knowledge of consumer regulatory compliance and the mortgage business. She also has experience in business and regulatory performance and risk analytics, strategic planning, project management, process reengineering, and the development and execution of strategies to address critical business needs.

Metz-Galloway recently served as a managing director and leader of the Regulatory Compliance, Fair Lending and Technology practice at Treliant Risk Advisors, with a focus on clients in the banking and insurance industries and the mortgage market. Prior to this, she gained extensive knowledge of the consumer banking industry through her role as a vice president at Wells Fargo & Company. Earlier in her career, Metz-Galloway also held leadership positions at Fannie Mae and Aetna Life & Casualty.

"We're thrilled to have Shelley on our Risk and Compliance team," said Cory Gunderson, managing director with Protiviti and the firm's global financial services industry leader. "Her deep expertise in banking and regulation and her specialist knowledge of the mortgage market will greatly benefit our clients."

Metz-Galloway is a public speaker on the topic of regulatory compliance, including at the American Bankers Association (ABA) and Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) conferences. She is also a member of Women in Housing and Finance, an organization of professionals in the fields of housing and finance who dedicate their resources and knowledge to help women and their families in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree in political science from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

About Protiviti

Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that delivers deep expertise, objective insights, a tailored approach and unparalleled collaboration to help leaders confidently face the future. Through its network of more than 70 offices in over 20 countries, Protiviti and its independently owned Member Firms provide clients with consulting solutions in finance, technology, operations, data analytics, governance, risk and internal audit.

Protiviti has served more than 60 percent of Fortune 1000 and 35 percent of Fortune Global 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies. Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half is a member of the S&P 500 index.

Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services.

Editor's note: Photos available upon request.

SOURCE Protiviti

Related Links

http://www.protiviti.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

European Parliament members, who visited the Nagorno-Karabakh without Azerbaijans permission, dont act on behalf of the European Parliament, David McAllister, chairman of the European Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters in Baku May 22.

McAllister noted that the visit of European Parliament representatives to the Nagorno-Karabakh without Azerbaijans permission is their personal initiative.

The visit wasnt paid on behalf of the European Parliament, and they didnt speak on behalf of this organization, said the official, recalling that the European Parliament didnt recognize the referendum held in Nagorno-Karabakh on February 20.

He went on to say that freedom of speech is very important for the European Parliament: everyone can freely express independent opinion or take any steps.

From this point of view, the European Parliament cant interfere in personal visits of these parliamentarians, added McAllister.
"I am incredibly proud of the work, time and effort that went into this research and the value that it brings to treating the current opioid crisis," said Gateway senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer, Cynthia Pigg. "Both Dr. Rowe and Dr. Snyder are shining examples of why Gateway continues to grow and the value it brings to both members and providers as a premier managed care organization. This award reflects their dedication to improving, understanding, and providing direction on one of the fastest rising issues in America today."

The basis of the research conducted by Dr. Rowe and Dr. Snyder was to assess the rise in the number of opioid related overdoses and death and how that effect interacts with the apprehension associated with prescribing opioids. The study identified gaps in provider educations after evaluating providers' training and awareness of chronic opioid therapy, abuse, and universal precautions, as well as providers' model and practice for managing patients on these therapies.

The research conducted by Dr. Rowe and Dr. Snyder used survey results from providers showing that 87% of them recognized opioid abuse as a priority for their practice and that they used an average of 6.3 tools or interventions to mitigate risk. The end result of the survey points to a disparity between provider practices and the level of opioid training they receive, leaving Rowe and Snyder to conclude additional education is necessary to increase a provider's comfort level regarding patients on chronic opioid therapy.

"The results of this study will allow Gateway Health to offer enhanced educational opportunities and resources so providers can improve management of patient care when writing prescriptions to treat chronic pain and the use of long-term opioid therapy," said Pigg.

The annual Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy meeting is a premier event for managed care pharmacists, health plan administrators, medical directors, doctors, nurses and other practitioners. Its goal is to bring awareness, education and share ideas from top managed care leaders on what's working best in healthcare.

About Gateway Health

Gateway Health is a nationally ranked managed care organization that focuses on providing the best possible healthcare to a growing number of Medicaid and Medicare Advantage consumers. A not-for-profit organization, Gateway Health serves the needs of at risk and vulnerable citizens with not only healthcare coverage, but services such as disease management, health and wellness programs and preventive care. The organization provides Medicaid services in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia and Medicare coverage in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio and North Carolina. Our commitment to helping our members and their communities get and stay healthy is what keeps members, providers, communities and partners "Good with Gateway." To learn more about Gateway Health, visit us online at www.gatewayhealthplan.com.

SOURCE Gateway Health

Related Links

http://www.gatewayhealthplan.com


DUBLIN, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Hearing Aid Market (Devices & Cochlear Implants): Industry Analysis & Outlook (2016-2020)" report to their offering.

As per the report "Global Hearing Aid Market (Devices & Cochlear Implants): Industry Analysis & Outlook (2016-2020)", the demand for hearing aid market will be driven by are global diabetic population, global ageing population, increasing healthcare expenditure, increase in chronic kidney diseases and increased use of headphones.

Some of the noteworthy trends and developments of this industry are growth in cochlear implant segment, development of wireless hearing aid, next generation rechargeable hearing aid and changing trends of distribution channels. However, the expansion of hearing aid market is hindered by low average selling price, threat from new entrants and legal regulations.

The competition in the hearing market is quite high and the probable entry of new players will make it more competitive. New technologies are providing more flexible and convenient options in the hearing aid category. Digital hearing aid technology offers benefits such as high efficiency, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity to help the user have a better quality of life.

The key factors driving the growth of hearing aid market are global diabetic population, global ageing population, increasing healthcare expenditure, increase in chronic kidney diseases and increased use of headphones. Some of the noteworthy trends and developments of this industry are growth in cochlear implant segment, development of wireless hearing aid and next generation rechargeable hearing aid. However, the expansion of hearing aid market is hindered by low average selling price and threat from new entrants.

The report presents an in-depth analysis of the global market along with market of the US. The major trends, growth drivers as well as issues being faced by the industry are being presented in this report. A thorough analysis has been conducted on key market players covering their business overview, product portfolio, financial overview and business strategies.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Market Overview

1.1 Hearing Aid: Introduction

1.2 Degree of Hearing Loss

1.3 Types of Hearing Loss

1.4 Hearing Aid Devices

1.5 Types of Hearing Aids

1.6 Industry Value Chain



2. Global Hearing Aid Market Analysis

2.1 Global Hearing Aid Market

2.2 Global Hearing Implant Market



3. Regional Market Analysis



4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Growth Drivers

4.1.1 Global Diabetic Population

4.1.2 Global Ageing Population

4.1.3 Increasing Healthcare Expenditure

4.1.4 Increase in the Chronic Kidney Diseases

4.1.5 Increased Use of Headphones

4.2 Market Trends

4.2.1 Growth of Cochlear Implant Segment

4.2.2 Development of Wireless Hearing Aid

4.2.3 Next Generation Rechargeable Hearing Aid

4.2.4 Market Trend of Distribution Channels

4.3 Challenges

4.3.1 Low Average Selling Price

4.3.2 Threat from New Entrants

4.3.3 Legal Regulations



5. Competitive Landscape

5.1 Global Hearing Aid Market by Company

5.2 Global Hearing Aid Market Forecast by Company

5.3 Comparison of Companies by Segment

5.4 Global Cochlear Implant Market Value Share by Company

5.5 Global Diagnostics Instruments Market Share by Company



6. Regional Market

6.1 The US

6.1.1 The US Independent Market Share by Company

6.1.2 The US Veteran Affair Market by Company

6.1.3 The US Retail Market by Company



7. Company Profiles



GN Re Sound

Sonova

William Demant Holding

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ktj8xr/global_hearing

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

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Wolf today presented Governor's Awards for Excellence to 10 state Bureau of Forestry wildfire fighters for their role in combatting a forest blaze last spring that spread for 15 days, threatening lives and property on the Pike-Monroe county line.

"The employees being recognized today have gone above and beyond their job requirements to provide outstanding service and make government more responsive and effective," said Governor Wolf. "Their accomplishments are truly exemplary and inspiring. We are fortunate to have such outstanding public servants working for the people of Pennsylvania."

Praising all state employees for their dedication at today's ceremony, Governor Wolf presented awards to 37 employees representing 10 state agencies. The Bureau of Forestry is overseen by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

"These men and women honored here today are representative of the incredible group effort that went above and beyond to contain a wildfire that became very dangerous and very large in a matter of days," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. "They filled key positions and worked long shifts over numerous days to extinguish what would become known as the 16 Mile Fire before any loss of life or significant property damage occurred."

Governor's Awards for Excellence recipients were:

Bureau of Forestry Forester DCNR Michael Becker, District Forest Manager John Hecker, Forester Gerald Hoy, Forest Maintenance Supervisor Marcus Kaiser, Forester Daniel Lecrone, retired Forester Robert Martynowych, foresters Joseph Miller and Chad Northcraft, Administrative Assistant Hope Reser, and Forest Maintenance Repairman James Stiteler.

The honorees volunteered to join firefighters from 16 states in a battle against two large wildfires in Monroe and Pike counties that eventually merged, scorching close to 9,000 acres and threatening more than 250 homes and businesses.

A Delaware State Forest cabin colony was evacuated and multiple state forest roads were closed during the fires, which burned two leased cabins, three seasonal homes, and six outbuildings.

Fighting the fire was complicated by rugged terrain, windy, dry weather, and dead trees left by former gypsy moth infestations.

The Bureau of Forestry continues to offer a $15,000 reward for information leading to arrests and convictions in what investigators say were two fires intentionally set. Labeled the 16 Mile and Beartown fires, the wildfires were discovered April 20, 2016, and burned through May 2 in Delaware State Forest.

Cost has been set at $2 million for the wildfires in which more than 100 bureau personnel rotated in and out of fire scenes. They were assisted by federal, state, and local emergency and other personnel, as well as a Smokey Bear Hotshot firefighting team from New Mexico.

Information that could lead to the reward can be forwarded to bureau Special Investigator Terry Smith, 717-362-1472; [email protected]; or by calling 570-895-4000. Anonymous tips also are being accepted but do not qualify for the reward.

DCNR's Bureau of Forestry is responsible for protecting Pennsylvania's 17 million acres of public and private woodlands from damage by wildfire. Visit DCNR's website for more information on wildfire prevention.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Terry Brady, DCNR, 717-705-2225; [email protected]

Dan Egan, Office of Administration; 717-772-4237; [email protected]

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Related Links

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us


BRAINTREE, Mass., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE: HAE) announced that it will host an investor and analyst meeting on Monday, June 19th from 10:00am to 2:00pm Eastern Time at The Sheraton Boston Hotel, 39 Dalton Street in Boston, Massachusetts.

Attendees will be offered demonstrations of the Company's wide array of products and the opportunity to meet management. The meeting agenda will include reviews of fiscal 2017 results and fiscal 2018 guidance, updates on the Company's strategic plans and growth opportunities, and the underlying assumptions for the Company's long-range goals, followed by a question and answer period.

Participants will include Haemonetics' CEO, Christopher Simon, and CFO, William Burke, as well as leaders of the Plasma, Hospital and Blood Center business units.

The meeting is open to analysts, shareholders, and others in the investment community by invitation. Invitations will follow along with instructions for on-line registration. Other audiences are welcome to participate in the presentation and the question / answer portions of the meeting via live webcast. Webcast link: http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/42mzp3ed.

ABOUT HAEMONETICS

Haemonetics (NYSE: HAE) is a global healthcare company dedicated to providing innovative hematology products and solutions, to help customers improve patient care and reduce the cost of healthcare. The Company's technologies address important medical markets: blood and plasma component collection, the surgical suite and hospital transfusion services. To learn more about Haemonetics, visit www.haemonetics.com.

CONTACT:

Gerry Gould, VP- Investor Relations

(781) 356-9402

[email protected]

SOURCE Haemonetics Corporation

Related Links

http://www.haemonetics.com


VIENNA, Va., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Health2 Resources took home its second Gold in the Hermes Creative Awards 2017 competition. The Washington, DC-area specialty communications firm's research and comprehensive communication campaign, Expert practices in the real world: Community pharmacy and patient-centered comprehensive medication management (CMM) was funded by the Community Pharmacy Foundation.

Health2 Resources leveraged the expertise of its medical advisor, Terry McInnis, MD, MPH, FACOEM, president of Blue Thorn Inc. as principal investigator for the project. Primary research included development and use of the MI-AMMP McInnis Index for Advanced Medication Practice to assess how clinical pharmacists, in a variety of community and ambulatory care settings, use CMM to make an impact on patients and practices. More than 900 pharmacists offered data to the research effort. To disseminate the important role of pharmacists as medication experts, the project included research briefs, blogs, a webinar and the report, Get the medications right: a nationwide snapshot of expert practices--Comprehensive medication management in ambulatory/community pharmacy.1 The content continues to be referenced by health plans, pharmacists and other medical professionals, thought leaders and policy analysts.

The report and other materials are available for download at www.health2resources.com/comprehensive_medication_management.html.

Through the effective and appropriate use of medications, CMM seeks to optimize patient outcomes by focusing on the patient and the goals of therapy. It encompasses all medications and all disease states, so pharmacists, through collaborative practice, can add, modify and change medications to resolve drug therapy problems for all conditions.

"With medications representing 85 percent of the means by which we prevent and control disease, getting the medications right should be our number one priorityperiod," McInnis says. "I am thrilled for my friends at Health2 Resources, who share this passion for better care and have the expertise and experience to manage and produce projects of such high quality and impact. "

"This award speaks to the power of collaboration," says Katherine Herring Capps, president of Health2 Resources. "Working with Terrya national expert on the topic--was a privilege. Of course, this work would have been impossible without support from the Community Pharmacy Foundation.

"The work we're being honored for is only the beginning," she added. "The case examples in the report show how CMM canand doeswork, but broad adoption and payment reform are needed to change patients' lives."

The Hermes Creative Awards is an international competition administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Other 2017 Gold winners include AARP and Mathematica Policy Research. Judges are industry professionals who look for companies and individuals whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as an industry benchmark.

Health2 Resources also won a Hermes Gold for its development of a website for Colorado-based Monument Health (www.MonumentHealth.net). Additionally, this project earned a silver Aster Award for outstanding excellence in health care advertising, marketing and communications.

About Health2 Resources

Founded in 1998, Health2 Resources is a full-service communications and public relations firm that exclusively serves health care clients throughout the U.S. by offering a full range of research and public relations support. It works closely with local, state and federal policymakers and regulatory agencies to build and improve relationships on behalf of a mix of clients that buy, pay for, provide and evaluate health care. Visit Health2 Resources at www.health2resources.com.

1 McInnis, T. Capps, K. Get the medications right: a nationwide snapshot of expert practicesComprehensive medication management in ambulatory/community pharmacy. Health2 Resources, May 2016

SOURCE Health 2 Resources

Related Links

http://www.health2resources.com


"Working with these (RED) chef ambassadors to support an important issue is a true honor for HelloFresh," said Ed Boyes, CEO of HelloFresh US. "Bringing EAT (RED) SAVE LIVES into customers' homes with our meal kits will surely help in making an even larger impact in fighting AIDS. HelloFresh is a natural partner to generate awareness and empower home cooks to be a part of the (RED) impact."

These chefs are known for getting creative in the kitchen, and they each developed a recipe that will be offered in the meal kits, weekly throughout June. Starting with Mario Batali's Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes, Chorizo, and Basil available in the box from June 3rd to 9th, home chefs will rightly feel like they are dining in one of Batali's Michelin-starred restaurants. The week of June 10th to 16th will have Emeril Lagasse's Herby Dijon Chicken Breasts with Zucchini and Red Potatoes, which will lead to Rachael Ray's Grilled Buffalo Chicken with Carrot-Celery Slaw and Mashed Taters, the following week of June 17th to 23rd. Lastly, Carla Hall's Summery Lemon Chicken with Tarragon Chimichurri will be available in the box from June 24th to 30th. Customers can select one chef ambassador recipe, plus two others, as part of their weekly HelloFresh delivery.

"Spaghetti with chorizo and juicy fresh tomatoes is what I crave in the summer. It's quick, it's customizable and I love turning up the spice by adding extra jalapenos. The best part when you order it during June, it's raising money and awareness to fight AIDS with (RED). Bring on the heat!," said chef Mario Batali.

Deborah Dugan, CEO, (RED), said "We're thrilled to be teaming-up with HelloFresh this June to bring (RED) into kitchens across the country. There is so much that home cooks can do to support the AIDS fight, and what better place to start that conversation than with the delivery of these delicious (HELLOFRESH)RED meal-kits created by our hugely talented chef ambassadors, Mario Batali, Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse and Carla Hall."

In addition to the $20 donation by HelloFresh for new subscribers, all customers will have an opportunity to donate directly via the HelloFresh website, with those donations being matched by The Gates Foundation, up to $75,000. All money raised will go to The Global Fund. Visit HelloFresh.com /eatRED or RED.org for additional information, or learn more about (RED) on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About HelloFresh

HelloFresh currently operates in the USA, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Canada and Switzerland. HelloFresh delivered 23.9 million meals in the 3-month period up to 31 December 2016 to over 850,000 active subscribers. HelloFresh was founded in November 2011 and is based in Berlin. Additional offices are located in New York, London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Sydney and Toronto. HelloFresh was ranked as the fastest growing European company by the Financial Times based on revenue growth between 2012-2015.

About (RED) 

(RED) was founded in 2006 to engage businesses and people in the fight against AIDS. (RED) partners with the world's most iconic brands that contribute up to 50% of profits from (RED)-branded goods and services to the Global Fund. (RED) Proud Partners include: Apple, Bank of America, Beats by Dr. Dre, Belvedere, Claro, The Coca-Cola Company, GAP, MCM, Salesforce, SAP, Starbucks, Telcel. (RED) Special Edition partners include: aden+anais, Alessi, ALEX AND ANI, Andaz, Billecart-Salmon, Fatboy USA, Fully, Girl Skateboards, Le Creuset, Mophie, S'well and Vespa.

To date, (RED) has generated more than $465 million for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to support HIV/AIDS grants in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia. 100 percent of that money goes to work on the ground  no overhead is taken. Global Fund grants that (RED) supports have impacted more than 90 million people with prevention, treatment, counseling, HIV testing and care services.

PRESS CONTACT:

For HelloFresh:

The Door | [email protected]

Heather Muhleman | [email protected] | 914-299-5533

Shara Seigel | [email protected] | 929-290-5475

For (RED): [email protected]

SOURCE HelloFresh

Related Links

http://www.hellofresh.com


The refurbished HPC features a 7.5-mile high-speed banked oval track capable of testing vehicles at speeds over 200 miles per hour, and a 4.5-mile winding road course that incorporates 28 curves and six different hills into the design.

The proving grounds also includes a new 1.3 million-square-foot vehicle dynamics area and a modified powersports complex to support the development testing of Honda motorcycles as well as all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles, which are designed, developed and manufactured in America*. All original and existing asphalt was recycled on site and used in the rehabilitation of the facility.

"The enhancements we have made at the Honda Proving Center will play an important role in advancing the performance capabilities of our products for our customers," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president automobile division, American Honda. "HPC has long played a valuable role in the development of our products and this renovation will ensure it continues to do so."

The renovation of the 3840-acre warm-weather testing facility provides Honda with two key U.S. proving grounds for the development and testing of new automobile and powersports products. Honda also conducts product testing and verification at the Transportation Research Center, an automotive proving center located in East Liberty, Ohio.

About Honda

Honda began its operations in Los Angeles, California, in 1959. Today, Honda companies in America represent a cumulative investment of more than $17 billion and employ more than 30,000 associates in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, financing and servicing of Honda and Acura automobiles, Honda powersports products, Honda power equipment products and the HondaJet advanced light jet and GE-Honda HF 120 jet engines.

Honda has been producing products in America for more than 37 years using domestic and globally sourced parts and currently operates 12 major manufacturing facilities in the U.S., including five auto plants. Honda also operates 16 major research and development centers in the U.S. with the capacity to fully design, develop and engineer many of the products Honda produces in North America. In 2016, more than 68 percent of all Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were made in America, more than any other major automaker except one.

* Using domestic and globally sourced parts.

SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Related Links

http://www.honda.com


MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and NASA are bringing FMA Live! Forces in Motion, an award-winning hip-hop educational experience, to middle school students in Virginia this week. FMA Live! has already traveled to middle schools in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C., and is now making its way back to Virginia to conclude its 26th tour. Starting Monday, FMA Live! will perform in front of Virginia students at J.M. Dozier Middle School, Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle School and will conclude the tour at Booker T. Washington Middle School.

Since 2004, FMA Live! has traveled nearly 112,000 miles to more than 1,200 schools and performed for 480,000 students in 48 contiguous U.S. states, as well as in Mexico and Canada. The one-of-a-kind show promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) incorporates hip-hop music, dancers, student volunteers, and on-stage, interactive science experiments to demonstrate how physics is part of everyday life.

"FMA Live! is designed to encourage the kids of today to take an interest in becoming our future scientists and mathematicians," said Mike Kincaid, NASA's acting associate administrator for Education. "It is important for students to understand that creativity and personal style can be mixed in with a STEM education. With our long-term partner Honeywell, we are showing students that a career in a STEM-related field is within their grasp if they want to pursue it."

Each performance focuses on Newton's law of universal gravitation and three laws of motion. FMA Live! is named after Newton's second law of motion (Force equals Mass times Acceleration) and uses music videos and interactive scientific demonstrations to teach and inspire students to pursue STEM careers.

"With each school performance, Honeywell and NASA are helping to prepare more students to take an interest in STEM and become our future problem-solvers," said Mike Bennett, president, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. "The longevity of FMA Live! is a testament to how influential interactive STEM programs can be to students."

The FMA Live! Forces in Motion experience also features an online "Teachers' Lounge" that includes National Science Education Standards-based teaching resources including downloadable streaming videos, music from the show and a comprehensive educational guide with lesson plans. This digital tool maintains post-show momentum and can be incorporated into classroom learning objectives throughout the school year. To learn more visit FMALive.com.

About FMA Live!

Using live actors, hip-hop songs, music videos, interactive scientific demonstrations and video interviews with scientists and engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the show teaches Newton's Three Laws of Motion and Universal Law of Gravity.

Honeywell and NASA created FMA Live! in 2004 to inspire middle school students to explore STEM concepts and careers. The program addresses Forces and Motion learning objectives outlined by the Next Generation Science Education Standards for students in grades 58.

Through Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company has a number of award-winning programs focused on inspiring students at all grade levels to embrace STEM education. The company chose physics for FMA Live! Forces in Motion because studies have shown that the middle school years offer the best window of opportunity to get students interested in STEM careers.

Supporting Resources

About Honeywell Hometown Solutions

FMA Live! Forces in Motion is part of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on five areas of vital importance: Science & Math Education, Family Safety & Security, Housing & Shelter, Habitat & Conservation, and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and nonprofit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. For more information, please visit http://citizenship.honeywell.com/.

About Honeywell

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Contacts:

Media

Cecilia Tejeda

(973) 455-3450

[email protected]

SOURCE Honeywell

Related Links

http://www.honeywell.com


THE WOODLANDS, Texas, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Merger of equals to create a leading global specialty chemical company with approximately $20 billion enterprise value at announcement

enterprise value at announcement More than $3.5 billion value creation through annual cost synergies in excess of $400 million

value creation through annual cost synergies in excess of Enhanced returns from improved growth profile in highly attractive end markets and key geographies such as the United States and China

and Opportunities for stronger joint innovation platforms and shared knowledge in sustainability

Stronger balance sheet and cash flow generation; plan to continue Clariant's attractive dividend policy

Transaction targeted to close by year end 2017

Previously announced IPO of Huntsman's Pigments and Additives business (Venator) to continue as planned in summer 2017

Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) and Clariant (SIX: CLN) today announced that their Boards of Directors unanimously approved a definitive agreement to combine in a merger of equals through an all-stock transaction.

The merged company will be named HuntsmanClariant. On a pro forma 2016 basis1, the combination of both companies will create a leading global specialty chemical company with sales of approximately $13.2 billion, an adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 billion and a combined enterprise value of approximately $20 billion at announcement.

The combined entity will benefit from each other's strengths. It will have a significantly improved growth profile in highly attractive end markets and geographies. HuntsmanClariant will leverage shared knowledge in sustainability and boast a much stronger joint innovation platform. This will enable the development of new products in order to deliver superior returns and drive shareholder value.

CEO Comments

"This is the perfect deal at the right time. Clariant and Huntsman are joining forces to gain much broader global reach, create more sustained innovation power and achieve new growth opportunities," said Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant. "This is in the best interest of all of our stakeholders. Peter Huntsman and I share the same strategic vision and I look forward to working with him."

Peter R. Huntsman, President and CEO of Huntsman, commented: "I could not be more enthusiastic about this merger and look forward to working closely with Hariolf Kottmann, a man I have admired and trusted for the past decade. We also look forward to a close association with his immensely talented colleagues around the world. Together, we will create a global leader in specialty chemicals with a combined balance sheet providing substantial financial strength and flexibility."

Transaction highlights

All-stock merger of equals transaction

Clariant shareholders: 52%, Huntsman shareholders: 48%

Huntsman shareholders receive 1.2196 shares in HuntsmanClariant for each Huntsman share (each existing Clariant share will remain outstanding as a share in HuntsmanClariant)

Board of Directors with equal representation from Clariant and Huntsman

Global Headquarters in Pratteln, Switzerland , Operational Headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas

, Operational Headquarters in Dual stock exchange direct listing on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange

Value Creation

The new company will accelerate value creation for shareholders through a more robust combination of technology, products and talent. The combined company expects to realize more than $3.5 billion of value creation from approximately $400 million in annual cost synergies. The full synergy run-rate will be achieved within two years of closing. These synergies will be realized by reducing operational costs and improving procurement. The targeted synergies represent roughly 3 percent of total combined 2016 revenue with one-time costs up to $500 million. There will also be additional cash-tax savings.

Corporate Governance

The combined company, incorporated in Switzerland, will be governed by a Board of Directors with equal representation from Clariant and Huntsman and will follow Swiss Corporate Governance standards. Hariolf Kottmann, current Clariant CEO, shall become Chairman of the Board of HuntsmanClariant. Peter Huntsman, current Huntsman President and CEO, will become CEO of HuntsmanClariant. Jon Huntsman, founder and Chairman of Huntsman, shall become Chairman Emeritus and board member of HuntsmanClariant. The merger enjoys strong commitment from both Clariant and Huntsman family shareholders. The company will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. HuntsmanClariant will use IFRS, and beginning in Q1 2018 will report in USD and will start filing 10Qs and 10Ks consistent with SEC requirements.

Timing

The transaction is targeted to close by year end 2017, subject to Clariant and Huntsman shareholder approvals, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Clariant and Huntsman are confident that the required regulatory approvals can be obtained in a timely manner.

This presentation contains financial measures that are not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. ("GAAP"). For reconciliation of Huntsman's non-GAAP measures please refer the related presentation posted on our website, www.huntsman.com.

Note to Publication

Both Clariant and Huntsman have simultaneously published Media Releases with identical content.

Advisors

Citi and UBS AG are serving as Clariant's financial advisors for the transaction, with Homburger and Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton serving as its legal advisors.

BofA Merrill Lynch and Moelis & Company LLC are serving as Huntsman's financial advisors for the transaction, with Kirkland & Ellis, Bar & Karrer and Vinson & Elkins acting as its legal advisors.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

We will hold a conference call and live web-cast this Monday, May 22, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. CET, 1:30 p.m. London and 8:30 a.m. New York.

Pre-Registration  Link:

http://services3.choruscall.ch/DiamondPassRegistration/register?confirmationNumber=170000&linkSecurityString=fb9e10

Call-in numbers for the conference call*: European participants + 41 58 310 50 00 U.K. participants + 44 203 059 58 62 U.S. participants + 1 631 570 56 13 *Only for participants NOT pre-registered

The conference call will be available via webcast and can be accessed from the company's website at Clariant.com and Huntsman.com or by using the following link:

https://streamstudio.world-television.com/49-50-18401/en

Replay Information

The conference call will be available for replay beginning May 22, 2017 and ending June 30, 2017.

Digital playback numbers: European participants + 41 91 612 43 30 Code 14774# (available 24 hours) U.K. participants + 44 207 108 62 33 Code 14774# (available 24 hours) U.S participants + 1 631 982 45 66 Code 14774# (available 24 hours)

About Huntsman

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals with 2016 revenues of approximately $10 billion. Its chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. The company has more than 100 manufacturing and R&D facilities in approximately 30 countries and employs approximately 15,000 associates within 5 distinct business divisions including the Pigments and Additives division which it intends to IPO as Venator Materials Corporation. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.Huntsman.com.

About Clariant

Clariant is a globally leading specialty chemical company, based in Muttenz near Basel/Switzerland. On 31 December 2016 the company employed a total workforce of 17 442. In the financial year 2016, Clariant recorded sales of approximately CHF 6 billion. The company reports in four business areas: Care Chemicals, Catalysis, Natural Resources, and Plastics & Coatings. Clariant's corporate strategy is based on five pillars: focus on innovation through R&D, add value with sustainability, reposition portfolio, intensify growth, and increase profitability. For more information about Clariant, please visit the company's website at www.Clariant.com.

Social Media:

Twitter: twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp

Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains certain statements that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Clariant and Huntsman have identified some of these forward-looking statements with words like "believe," "may," "could," "would," "might," "possible," "will," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "potential," "outlook" or "continue," the negative of these words, other terms of similar meaning or the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, without limitation, statements about the anticipated benefits of the contemplated transaction, including future financial and operating results and expected synergies and cost savings related to the contemplated transaction, the plans, objectives, expectations and intentions of Clariant, Huntsman or the combined company, the expected timing of the completion of the contemplated transaction and information relating to the proposed initial public offering of ordinary shares of Venator Materials PLC. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Clariant or Huntsman, as applicable, are qualified by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of risks and uncertainties. Neither Clariant nor Huntsman, nor any of their respective directors, executive officers or advisors, provide any representation, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements will actually occur. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ from expectations include: uncertainties as to the timing of the contemplated transaction; uncertainties as to the approval of Huntsman's stockholders and Clariant's shareholders required in connection with the contemplated transaction; the possibility that a competing proposal will be made; the possibility that the closing conditions to the contemplated transaction may not be satisfied or waived, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant a necessary regulatory approval; the effects of disruption caused by the announcement of the contemplated transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, customers, vendors and other business partners; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the contemplated transaction may affect the timing or occurrence of the contemplated transaction or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; ability to refinance existing indebtedness of Clariant or Huntsman in connection with the contemplated transaction; other business effects, including the effects of industry, economic or political conditions outside of the control of the parties to the contemplated transaction; transaction costs; actual or contingent liabilities; disruptions to the financial or capital markets, including with respect to the initial public offering of ordinary shares by Venator or financing activities related to the contemplated transaction; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in Huntsman's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the "Risk Factors" section of Huntsman's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. You can obtain copies of Huntsman's filings with the SEC for free at the SEC's website (www.sec.gov). Forward-looking statements included herein are made only as of the date hereof and neither Clariant nor Huntsman undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. All forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION

This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities will be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC

In connection with the contemplated transaction, Clariant intends to file a registration statement on Form F-4 with the SEC that will include the Proxy Statement/Prospectus of Huntsman. The Proxy Statement/Prospectus will also be sent or given to Huntsman stockholders and will contain important information about the contemplated transaction. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CLARIANT, HUNTSMAN, THE CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and shareholders will be able to obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Clariant and Huntsman through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION

Huntsman and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Huntsman investors and shareholders in connection with the contemplated transaction. Information about Huntsman's directors and executive officers is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. These documents may be obtained for free at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the contemplated transactions will be included in the Proxy Statement/ Prospectus that Huntsman intends to file with the SEC.

1 Includes annual $400 million in run-rate cost synergies; pro forma adjusted for Venator.

SOURCE Huntsman Corporation

Related Links

http://www.huntsman.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hyperledger, a collaborative cross-industry effort created to advance blockchain technology, announced today at Consensus that eight new members have joined the project to help create an open standard for distributed ledgers for a new generation of transactional applications. Hyperledger now has 142 members, a 373% percent increase since the project was announced with 30 members in February of 2016.

"These new members have joined Hyperledger bringing a diverse set of skills at a crucial time," said Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director, Hyperledger. "Consensus is a great platform for our members to set the stage and speak to what's happening in our community, as production blockchain deployments increase. I look forward to working with these new companies to drive open blockchain technologies forward across industries."

Hyperledger aims to enable organizations to build robust, industry-specific applications, platforms and hardware systems to support their individual business transactions by creating an enterprise grade, open source distributed ledger framework and code base. It is a global collaboration including leaders in finance, banking, IoT, supply chain, manufacturing and technology. The latest members include: Alphapoint, Change Healthcare, CITIC, Clause Inc, Deloitte, Ernst & Young LLP, FZG360 Network Co. Ltd and Schroder Investment Management Limited.

New Member Quotes:

AlphaPoint

"At AlphaPoint we are committed to the open source community driving the blockchain and distributed ledger industry forward," said Igor Telyatnikov, President and COO, AlphaPoint. "We are excited to officially join Hyperledger as contributing members and continue to help institutions deploy this exciting technology."

Change Healthcare

"Blockchain is a promising and exciting new technology for secure online transactions," said Aaron Symanski, CTO, Change Healthcare. "But it's crucial that healthcare leaders step up to champion innovation to help take blockchain from its early implementations to tomorrow's healthcare IT solutions. I look forward to collaborating with Hyperledger members to help develop an open, distributed ledger technology that makes secure and safe financial interoperability work better in healthcare and beyond."

CITIC

"Joining Hyperledger is our first step to collaborate with international players in distributed ledger technology(DLT). DLT will bring a huge impact in our daily life and we look forward to working on this with current members," said ZHU Gaoming, CFO, CITIC Group Corporation. "CITIC is China's largest conglomerate and a constituent of the Hang Seng Index. Among our diverse global businesses, we focus primarily on financial services, resources and energy, manufacturing, engineering contracting and real estate. The short term goal is to use DLT to enhance our current business models and upgrade the existing technology; We welcome potential clients to Hyperledger."

Clause, Inc

"The mission of Clause is to transition the world of legal contracting from a largely unintegrated static, paper-based, process to an integrated component of the increasingly data-driven business world," said Peter Hunn, Clause. "Distributed ledger technology is one piece of the puzzle when it comes to the future of legal contracting. Being the only member in contract lifecycle management enables Clause to uniquely contribute to the goals of Hyperledger by bringing expertise and code that will advance distributed ledger technology in new directions. We're looking forward to engaging more with the open source community, and leveraging existing and future Hyperledger projects in building the future of legal contracts."

Deloitte

"As we are growing our blockchain activities and teams across the globe, the choice to join Hyperledger was clear," said Eric Piscini, Global Blockchain Leader, Deloitte Consulting. "We are excited to actively participate in the open source community and drive the development of innovative blockchain solutions for our clients and the industry."

EY

"Infusing blockchains that bring finance and operations together requires an approach that looks at finance, tax, audit, technology, and processes holistically, which has been a challenge to do," said Paul Brody, EY Global Blockchain Leader. "We are delighted to join this project as Hyperledger will empower businesses to execute smart contracts and transact securely across the enterprise; embedding finance throughout the supply chain, sales and marketing and HR."

FZG360 Network Co. Ltd

"We are thrilled to join the Hyperledger community and highly appreciate the opportunity to further explore the application of blockchain technology," said Chen Jun, CTO, FZG360 Network Co. Ltd. "As a leading real-estate portal and trading platform, Fzg360 has entered the market of 60 cities in China, focusing on the marketing and trading of first-hand property, second-hand property and overseas property. We firmly believe that blockchain technology will have much wider use in the real-estate industry and are committed to enhance the application of the technology to a higher maturity level."

Hyperledger Community Growth:

To see a full list of member companies, visit: https://www.hyperledger.org/about/members. If you're interested in joining Hyperledger as a member company, please visit: https://www.hyperledger.org/about/join

About Hyperledger

Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort created to advance blockchain technology by addressing important features for a cross-industry open standard for distributed ledgers. It is a global collaboration including leaders in finance, banking, Internet of Things, supply chains, manufacturing and Technology. The Linux Foundation hosts Hyperledger as a Collaborative Project under the foundation. To learn more, visit: https://www.hyperledger.org/.

Contact:

Jessica Rampen

The Linux Foundation/Hyperledger

[email protected]

650.787.3548

SOURCE Hyperledger

Related Links

http://www.hyperledger.org


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

Trend:

Attempts to violate the internationally recognized borders of countries using force are inadmissible, said Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

He made the remarks at a meeting with a European Parliament delegation, led by David McAllister, chairman of the European Parliaments committee on foreign affairs.

Mammadyarov noted the importance of a single approach to the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of states, as reflected in the Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy for the EU, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry told Trend.

The FM then replied to various questions of the delegation members, including those concerning the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Elmar Mammadyarov expressed confidence that the current visit of the delegation of the European Parliament will make an important contribution to the dialogue and bilateral cooperation.

The sides also exchanged views on the current level and prospects of cooperation.

The delegation of the European Parliament is holding meetings with Azerbaijani officials as part of the visit to the South Caucasus.
CLEVELAND, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Imprise Financial PCC, Inc., is honored to announce that its President, Kelly Price, is a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Award in the Northeast Ohio region. The awards program, which is celebrating its 31st year, recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Mrs. Price was selected as a finalist by a panel of independent judges.

Kelly Price Named EY Entrepreneur of the Year Regional Finalist

"It's an honor and a blessing to count myself among the accomplished entrepreneurs selected by the panel," says Mrs. Price. "I entered the captive insurance industry in 1996 after spending many years managing a captive program for an automobile dealership group, and I based my business on the guiding principal that every client deserves a first-class experience and complete transparency when dealing with a captive provider."

Since then, Mrs. Price has advised clients regarding over 400 captive insurance companies in various domiciles throughout the world. In 2015, she co-founded Imprise Financial, Ohio's very first captive insurance company. Since inception, Imprise Financial has been the largest captive insurance operation domiciled in Ohio.

Providing innovative solutions to its clients is what has propelled Imprise Financial into the fastest growing captive insurance company in Ohio. "Growth is the goal of any entrepreneur," says Mrs. Price. "When people ask how far the companies will go, I always tell them that we'll be as big as we can get, so long as we are excellent at what we do."

Mrs. Price and her team take giving back to the community very personally. Part of the Imprise Financial culture is that of constant gratitude. They work tirelessly at raising money for the Cleveland Christian Home amongst many other charities and organizations around Northeast Ohio and throughout the country.

As finalist in the Northeast Ohio region, Mrs. Price, her family, and members of her team will attend a special gala event on June 22 at the Hilton Downtown Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio, where the regional awards will be presented. Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National competition which will be presented at an awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 18.

Imprise Financial is a captive insurance provider specializing in helping small and midsize companies fill the gaps in their risk management programs, while increasing efficiency and profitability. For additional information regarding Mrs. Price or Imprise Financial's programs, please contact Derek Thomas at [email protected] or 877-220-0180, or visit www.imprisefinancial.com.

SOURCE Imprise Financial

Related Links

http://www.imprisefinancial.com


NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global training provider International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL) announced today that it has acquired Orbital Training and Consulting. This acquisition will allow IIL to bolster its professional services and better serve its European clients.

For the past six years Orbital has provided high-impact corporate learning solutions focusing on Lean Thinking, Six Sigma, business process improvement, Project Management, Agile, PMO and soft skills. Orbital is an accredited/approved center for the Institute for Leadership and Management. It is also on the register of apprenticeship training providers, a UK government initiative to have 3 million apprenticeships established by 2020. Debbie Hughes, Orbital's founder and CEO, will take on her new responsibilities with IIL as the Managing Director of IIL Europe Ltd, based in London.

Hughes states, "I am here simply because of the visionary leadership of E. LaVerne Johnson, President, Founder and CEO of IIL. I loved setting up and running Orbital and I am delighted to bring this success back into the IIL family. I look forward to working with IIL's global teams and know that it will be valuable to everyone to merge our assets. LaVerne Johnson is a true inspiration  she is both a strong business leader and one who leads with compassion and empathy. I'm delighted to be working with her again in building a future of thinking differently and acting differently to create a new era of cutting edge client solutions."

Headquartered in New York City with wholly owned companies strategically located throughout the Americas, ASIAPAC, and EMEA, IIL works locally and globally with clients across a broad range of industries in the areas of Project, Program and Portfolio Management, Business Analysis, Microsoft Project and Project Server, Lean Six Sigma, PRINCE2, ITIL, Agile and Scrum, Leadership and Interpersonal Skills, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Orbital has worked on many successful corporate innovation projects by building understanding, planning and management in evidenced, systematic and robust ways. This acquisition aligns perfectly with IIL's core values "Intelligence, Integrity and Innovation."

Johnson comments, "We are very excited about bringing the achievements of Orbital Training and Consulting to IIL. Orbital has done a lot of work around innovation that complements IIL's offerings. It's an excellent cultural fit for the two companies. Debbie Hughes will be a phenomenal asset to IIL and I am extremely pleased to have her running IIL Europe and working with our great global team members. Orbital's clients will now have full access to IIL's deep portfolio of services, products, and courses using our Many Methods of Learning."

About IIL

IIL's commitment to improving organizational performance with Intelligence, Integrity and Innovation has made it a trusted learning partner to thousands of global companies -- in more than 150 countries and for over 25 years. Courses are also offered through IIL's university affiliate, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYUSPS). Learn more at www.iil.com

Contact:

Lori Milhaven

212-758-0177

[email protected]

SOURCE International Institute for Learning, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.iil.com


NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The fast-growing Italian luxury holding company ItalianCreationGroup is opening its first North American flagship store during the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City on Monday, bringing together its prestigious design firms under one roof for the first time ever.

The company has acquired a stable of luxury brands over the last three years, including some of the greatest names in Italian furniture, legendary Driade and FontanaAarte, as well as luxury, eco-friendly kitchen maker Valcucine and boutique bathroom designer Toscoquattro, giving rise to a new force in Italian luxury.

"Our aim is to bring together the finest in Italian craftsmanship for the discerning global luxury market," said Stefano Core, the Co-Founder and CEO of ItalianCreationGroup. "Italy is known for its excellence in luxury products and we must promote them abroad. We believe in a new Italian renaissance."

At the grand opening of the store in New York's Soho Design District - designed by Milan-based architect studio Ludovica+Roberto Palomba - two maestros of Italian craftsmanship will be present to showcase Italian expertise, flair and finesse that ItalianCreationGroup identifies itself with.

The one-of-a-kind event will feature a master of mosaics from the prestigious Scuola dei Mosaicisti of Friuli - the academy that has produced masterpieces all over the world such as the Library of Congress in Washington - and a gourmet pasta maker from Eataly, metaphors for creativity and composition as well as simple authenticity.

A master from the academy will install the final detail of the store: the group's logo in mosaic. "We are bringing the finest in Italian craftsmanship, heritage and innovation to New York City," Core said. "Our vision is the Italian luxury lifestyle."

ItalianCreationGroup has become the go-to group for high-end Italian design, targeting customers who appreciate the distinctive personality and artisanal know-how associated with the "Made in Italy" style. To that end, it has acquired brands that best represent Italian quality, creativity and innovation in the world of home design, while continuing to strengthen its competitiveness across international markets.

Following the Milan Design Week and the opening of the flagship store in Milan in April, the company's new retail strategy aims to expand the global presence of the ItalianCreationGroup, with North America a key market for Italian design.

Visit: http://www.italiancreationgroup.com

SOURCE ItalianCreationGroup
NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Angelino Alfano, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, will address the AJC Global Forum 2017, which will take place June 4-6, in Washington, D.C.

The AJC Global Forum is the advocacy organization's signature annual event, bringing together more than 2,500 participants from across the United States and 70 countries around the world.

"We are honored that Foreign Minister Alfano will join us in Washington to share his perspective on regional and global challenges," said AJC CEO David Harris, who, most recently, met with the foreign minister in Rome last month. "Italy is one of the world's leading countries  a founding member of the European Union, a NATO member, a current member of the UN Security Council, a member of the G-7, and an active leader in the Mediterranean region."

AJC has long maintained an office in Rome, which is directed by Lisa Palmieri-Billig, and regularly engages with Italian diplomats across the U.S. The global Jewish advocacy organization meets with Italian officials, including most recently in Rome in April.

"The Italian-Israeli bilateral relationship is robust, with frequent visits of officials back and forth between the two countries, and extensive cooperation on security issues and on research and development. Minister Alfano has played a key role in expanding the partnership," said Harris. "Illustrative of the friendship was Italy's courageous decision, the first by a European country, to oppose the most recent UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem. Moreover, Minister Alfano has repeatedly demonstrated his determination to fight anti-Semitism in his country and across Europe."

Other world leaders confirmed to date to address the AJC Global Forum include:

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , via video from Jerusalem , in conversation with five AJC young leaders

, via video from , in conversation with five AJC young leaders Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General Luis Almagro

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis

Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan

AJC, founded in 1906 and with headquarters in New York, maintains 22 regional offices across the United States; 10 overseas posts; and 34 international association agreements with Jewish communities.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


NEW YORK and SAN DIEGO, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaCyte, Inc., a privately-held leading regenerative medicine company, and JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research, jointly announced today JDRF grant funding to support the development of the PEC-Direct islet cell replacement therapy being developed for type 1 diabetes patients with severe life-threatening hypoglycemia unawareness and related risks. Under the agreement, JDRF will provide a new grant to support the preclinical studies designed to enable the clinical evaluation of the PEC-Direct product candidate, and re-allocate a portion of a previously awarded grant to milestones anticipated with the upcoming clinical development of the PEC-Direct product candidate.

"With JDRF's support, ViaCyte has achieved the important goal of advancing innovative islet replacement therapies into clinical trials," said Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., JDRF Chief Mission Officer. "We are excited to support the preclinical and clinical development work with the PEC-Direct product candidate, given its potential to help the type 1 diabetes patients with the most urgent medical need, those at high risk of life-threatening acute complications. In addition, we believe that success with PEC-Direct is an important step on the path to a functional cure for all patients with type 1 diabetes, helping to fulfill our commitment of turning Type One into Type None."

The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers ViaCyte's pluripotent cell-derived PEC-01 pancreatic progenitor cells in an implantable device designed to allow direct vascularization of the cells. Used with concomitant maintenance immune suppression therapy, the PEC-Direct product candidate has the potential of delivering a sustained functional cure to a subset of patients with type 1 diabetes. This novel islet replacement therapy is being developed for people with high-risk type 1 diabetes with hypoglycemia unawareness, severe hypoglycemic episodes, and/or extreme glycemic lability (also referred to as brittle diabetes). It is estimated that approximately 140,000 people in Canada and the U.S. have such high-risk type 1 diabetes.

"We are tremendously grateful to JDRF for their continued support," said Paul Laikind, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of ViaCyte. "High-risk type 1 diabetes has been successfully treated with cadaver islet transplants, but adoption of islet transplants has been limited, due in part to the insufficient supply of donor material. Because ViaCyte's PEC-01 cells are manufactured from pluripotent cells with unlimited proliferative potential, they can be made in vast numbers and therefore may be capable of solving the cell supply issue. The PEC-Direct product candidate has the potential to be a life-saving therapy, and we are working to rapidly advance it in clinical trials."

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF's mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2 billion in research funding since its inception. JDRF is an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. JDRF collaborates with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Its staff and volunteers throughout the United States and its six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and JDRF's vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow JDRF on Twitter: @JDRF.

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a privately-held regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies as potential long-term diabetes treatments to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. ViaCyte's product candidates are based on the derivation of pancreatic progenitor cells, which are then implanted in a durable and retrievable cell delivery device. Once implanted and matured, these cells are designed to secrete insulin and other pancreatic hormones in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte has two products in development. The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers the pancreatic progenitor cells in a non-immunoprotective device and is being developed for type 1 diabetes patients who have severe hypoglycemic episodes, extreme glycemic lability, and/or impaired awareness of hypoglycemia. The PEC-Encap (also known as VC-01) product candidate delivers pancreatic progenitor cells in an immunoprotective device and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 trial in patients with type 1 diabetes who have minimal to no insulin-producing beta cell function. ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and JDRF.

For more information on ViaCyte, please visit www.viacyte.com and connect with ViaCyte on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE JDRF; ViaCyte, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.viacyte.com


SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Kasten Inc. (OTC Pink: KAST)

Kasten's DAKOTA Life Sciences has now received a letter of financial support approval from Commissioner Catherine H. Smith of the Connecticut Department of Economic Development (DECD). This support is comprised of an initial $100,000 Small Business Express Matching Grant and a Small Business Express Job Creation Incentive loan in the amount of up to $299,000.

"We are quite pleased to partner with the State of Connecticut and the City of Bridgeport," according to Steven Keough, the President of Kasten and Chief Operating Officer of DAKOTA Life Sciences. "We expect this initial collaboration will be expanded as our tempo increases" Keough added. The funds from the loan and grant will be utilized for machinery and equipment, as well as leasehold improvements at the Company's Bridgeport facility. Certain additional milestones must be met prior to accessing these DECD funds, and the Company is diligently advancing each of those milestones. The City of Bridgeport Office of Economic Development, headed by Mr. Thomas Gill, has been heavily involved in attracting high quality pharmaceutical and life sciences companies as part of a strategic economic growth plan for the area.

About Us: Kasten, Inc. (OTC Pink: KAST) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development, and commercialization of pharmaceuticals designed to prevent and treat serious conditions arising both in hospital and community settings. We are principally focused on delivering solutions to those people who cannot afford to miss a day of work, but whom are burdened by high risk of morbidity and healthcare costs.

Forward-Looking Statements - This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. You should consider these factors in evaluating the statements herein, and not rely on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and Kasten, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

CONTACT:

Kasten Inc. / DAKOTA Life Sciences

+1-888-679-3679

[email protected]

http://www.kastenbiopharma.com





SOURCE Kasten Inc.
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, and Retired Air Force General Merrill A. McPeak, a Vietnam War veteran, will join National Press Club President Jeff Ballou at a Headliners event for Press Club members and media at the National Press Club First Amendment Lounge at 9 a.m., on Wednesday, June 14th, 2017.

The event will begin with a screening of brief highlights from "The Vietnam War" a new 10-part documentary film series airing in September 2017 on PBS stations nationwide. This film is an immersive, multi-layered epic about one of the most pivotal and divisive eras in modern American history.

As with "The Civil War" (on which Novick was an associate producer) and "The War" (co-directed by Burns and Novick), "The Vietnam War" is a gripping cinematic journey that promises to be a major cultural event when it is broadcast this fall.

Over the course of 18-hours, Burns and Novick present a sweeping narrative that looks at the war from multiple perspectives -- American combat troops, family members of combatants, anti-war protesters and North and South Vietnamese civilians and combatants.

"The Vietnam War" will open up conversations -- sometimes painful and long overdue -- about the legacy of the war and what we can learn from it today.

Following the screening of highlights, NPC President Ballou will moderate a discussion with Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and General McPeak.

The National Press Club is located on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building at 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. This Headliners event is open to credentialed media and NPC members, free of charge. ADVANCE REGISTRATION is required via the following link: https://www.press.org/events/documentary-filmmakers-ken-burns-and-lynn-novick-preview-vietnam-war

Press Contact:

Lindsay Underwood

[email protected]

(202) 662-7561

SOURCE National Press Club
- Kika's Artificial Intelligence Based Personalization Makes Everyday Communication More Expressive and Convenient

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kika Tech, the creator of the #1 downloaded Android Keyboard app in the Google Play Store, today announced its participation at the Licensing Expo, Booth D80, which takes place May 23-25 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas. At the expo, Kika is looking to engage new partners and discover fresh ways to leverage the reach and depth of the company's brand.

The Kika ecosystem includes its award-winning, Kika Emoji Keyboard app, which has received Google's Best of 2016 and Top Developer in 2015. Kika partnerships include Huawei, ZTE, 21st Century Fox and Warner Brothers, amongst others. Kika has also been ranked a top productivity app in more than 77 countries. With 300M downloads, 26M DAU and 50M MAU, it's not surprising that leading mobile manufacturers and movie studios partner with the company.

"After the success of Kika's Hollywood studio partnerships, the company is taking the remainder of 2017 to aggressively broaden its content offering," said Marc Richardson, Director of Business Development, Kika Tech. "By partnering with Kika, companies can grow their established fan base by tapping into our massive 26M DAU base."

About Kika Tech

Kika Tech makes communication easy and fun. Its core enabling technology lies in the areas of big data, machine learning, IoT, and social media. Founded in 2011, Kika's mission is to provide users with a seamless mobile experience that allow them to freely express their ideas. More than just emojis and GIF sharing, Kika provides users with smart predictive Artificial Intelligence (AI) based personalization, making everyday communication more expressive and convenient. Learn more at www.kikatech.com and keep up to date on our progress on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

SOURCE Kika Tech Inc
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kodiak Data today introduced MemCloud, the first memory-speed cloud infrastructure solution for big data scientists and software developers, providing big data analytic clusters at up to one-fifth the cost and five times the performance of typical leading cloud hosting services.

The first memory-speed cloud for Big Data

MemCloud is built on Kodiak Data's Virtual Cluster Infrastructure (VCI) platform, the only solution capable of in-software provisioning of compute, networking, storage and data at the cluster level within minutes. MemCloud is available as a hosted cloud service, as well as a compact on-premise appliance for private clouds  an industry first offering. Both the hosted and on-premise versions of MemCloud are currently live at various Kodiak Data customer sites.

Kodiak Data also announced new investments from Data Collective, Divergent Venture Partners, and Aspect Ventures.

"It's expensive to acquire the computational power needed to push the boundaries and innovate in data science," said Matt Ocko, Managing Partner of Data Collective. "What impresses me most about Kodiak Data is the simplicity and flexibility of their products which make the power of big data analytics accessible to more businesses."

According to Kevin Ober, Managing Director of Divergent Ventures, "Kodiak Data is the rare company that both dramatically slashes the operational cost and increases the performance of the entire pipeline of big data deployments - from development to production."

"We look for companies moving the needle," says Theresia Gouw, co-founder of Aspect Ventures, "and the Kodiak Data team has shown they can deliver on their mission to make production big data clusters fast, simple, and cost-effective, solving for a specific problem in an innovative way."

Kodiak Data's hardware-agnostic VCI pioneers data portability for entire big data clusters (such as Hadoop, Cassandra, Spark and others). VCI allows MemCloud to deliver Big Data analytic clusters in the cloud quickly and cost-effectively. Learn more about MemCloud, the first cloud for Big Data, at http://www.memcloud.works/memcloud.html.

About Kodiak Data

Kodiak Data is a leading cluster virtualization technology company that allows customers to easily deploy and scale big data infrastructure in both public and private clouds. The Kodiak Data Virtual Cluster Infrastructure (VCI) platform is the only solution that can create, within minutes, code-ready virtual clusters that run at memory-speed and scale to the needs of big data applications. For more information about Kodiak Data, visit www.kodiakdata.com.

Media Contact:

Sherri Chien-Niclas

408-504-0400

[email protected]

SOURCE Kodiak Data

Related Links

http://www.kodiakdata.com


RESTON, Va., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a global science and technology company, was awarded a prime contract by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic to provide technical expertise to sustain and update Distributed Common Ground System  Navy (DCGS-N) Family of Systems (FoS). The single-award cost-plus fixed-fee contract has a one-year base period of performance, a single year option, and a total contract value of approximately $43 million if the option is exercised. Work will be performed primarily in Charleston, S.C., Suitland, Md., Norfolk, Va., San Diego, Calif., and Fallon, Nev.

DCGS-N is the Navy's shipboard and ashore intelligence enterprise, providing primary intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting support capability. Afloat or ashore, DCGS-N tools are critical for the operational commander's battlespace awareness and netcentric operations. Under the follow-on contract in support of DCGS-N FoS, Leidos will provide technical assessment and evaluation, program definition, organization, and direction including the development of long and short-range plans. This includes the responsibility for formulating, guiding, and directing the evaluation approach; and defining and negotiating with agency personnel for the necessary resources.

"Leidos has demonstrated innovative technical expertise and guidance for DCGS-N since the program's inception more than ten years ago," said Leidos Defense & Intelligence President Tim Reardon. "We look forward to applying our integrated multi-service systems engineering approach to provide SPAWAR the best solutions to remain interoperable with other service DCGS FoS."

About Leidos

Leidos is a global science and technology solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $7.04 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2016. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 30, 2016, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE Leidos

Related Links

http://www.leidos.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

Trend:

Azerbaijani defense minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, who is on an official visit to Georgia, met with the countrys Minister of Defense Levan Isoria, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry.

During the meeting, the sides noted the importance of ensuring regional stability and exchanged views on promising areas of cooperation in the military sphere, in military medicine and military education, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

The two defense ministers pointed to the contribution made by Azerbaijan and Georgia in the security and development of the two states.

After the meeting, the two ministers held a press-conference for media representatives.

Afterwards, the Azerbaijani delegation laid a wreath at the Heroes Memorial in the Heroes Square of Tbilisi and honored the memory of the people who died for Georgias independence and territorial integrity.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) today announced it has signed a lease with 24 Hour Fitness at the Company's shopping center at the intersection of Sylvan Way and Ridgedale Avenue in Hanover, New Jersey. 24 Hour Fitness will join anchor tenant Wegmans and will occupy approximately 40,000 square feet.

Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., 24 Hour Fitness is a leading fitness industry pioneer with nearly four million members in more than 400 clubs across the U.S. The new club will feature personal training services, popular group exercise classes, and a variety of strength, cardio, and functional training equipment.

Wegmans is currently under construction and is scheduled to open their 134,000-square-foot supermarket on July 23 of this year.

"Mack-Cali is thrilled about bringing 24 Hour Fitness to the Parsippany/Hanover area. 24 Hour Fitness will join Wegmans as key amenities not only for our office tenants and residents in the area but also the entire community. Adding amenities like 24 Hour Fitness and Wegmans are at the core of Mack-Cali's commitment to its tenants and the markets in which we are a part of," said Michael J. DeMarco, Mack-Cali Chief Executive Officer.

Mark Needle of Triumph Realty Group represented Mack-Cali in the 24 Hour Fitness transaction, as well as, the Wegmans deal. Pierson Commercial represented 24 Hour Fitness.

About Mack-Cali Realty Corporation

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is a fully integrated, self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) providing management, leasing, development, and other tenant-related services for its two-platform operations of waterfront and transit-based office and luxury multi-family assets. Mack-Cali provides its tenants and residents with the most innovative communities that empower them to re-imagine the way they work and live.

Additional information on Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and the commercial real estate properties and multi-family residential communities available for lease can be found on the Company's website at http://www.mack-cali.com.

Statements made in this press release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "potential," "projected," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "target," "continue," or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate, and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading "Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

Contacts: Ilene Jablonski Mack-Cali Realty Corporation Vice President of Marketing (732) 590-1528 [email protected] John Gallagher Mercury Public Affairs (212) 681-1380 [email protected]



SOURCE Mack-Cali Realty Corporation

Related Links

http://www.mack-cali.com


ATLANTA and CHICAGO, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) announced the addition of LexisNexis Risk Solutions to the NICB Strategic Partner network of companies that work together to combat fraud. As a leader in the fight to identify and prosecute insurance fraud, the NICB's analytics will now leverage the vast power of LexisNexis Risk Solutions insurance and provider data, advanced analytics and linking technology to cast a wider net and return higher results in the identification of potential fraudsters and their alternate identities.

Fraud is the second most costly white-collar crime in America behind tax evasion. Some insurance industry studies claim that approximately 10 percent or more of property and casualty insurance claims are actually fraudulent.[i] This type of activity can result in higher premiums to the honest policyholder and can also impact tax rates and inflate the prices for consumer goods.

"We are pleased to introduce our alliance with LexisNexis Risk Solutions and anticipate growing a positive impact for our clients as collaboration continues," said Brian Smidt, VP of Data Analytics, NICB. "The inclusion of LexisNexis Risk Solutions into the NICB's analytical process strengthens our fight against criminal fraud by supplying a lift in suspect information on both providers and medical activity not historically available to us."

Through this alliance, NICB will now leverage additional risk information and insights from LexisNexis Risk Solutions as part of its on-going mission to prevent and combat insurance fraud and crime through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness. These insights are powered by provider data from LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which leverages one of the nation's largest medical provider databases and proprietary linking technology, in combination with its unique identifier, LexID, to resolve, match and manage information needed by insurers. LexisNexis Claims Medical Discovery will soon offer NICB members, at their request, the ability to get MedAWARESM alerts through the product.

"Insurers need innovative solutions and tireless support from organizations like the NICB and LexisNexis Risk Solutions to mitigate the growing threats of fraudulent providers and to fast-track good providers through the claims process," said Bill Brower, Vice President of Claims, Insurance, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. "By teaming together, insurers can leverage the fraud-fighting knowledge and best practices across multiple organizations to help protect their bottom lines and better ensure honest policyholders a more seamless insurance experience."

About The National Insurance Crime Bureau

Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness. The NICB is supported by more than 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $436 billion in insurance premiums in 2016, or more than 79 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 94 percent ($202 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.

About LexisNexis Risk Solutions

At LexisNexis Risk Solutions, we believe in the power of data and advanced analytics for better risk management. With more than 40 years of expertise, we are the trusted data analytics provider for organizations seeking actionable insights to manage risks and improve results while upholding the highest standards for security and privacy. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, USA, LexisNexis Risk Solutions serves customers in more than 100 countries and is part of RELX Group plc, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.lexisnexis.com/risk.

[i] http://www.iii.org/issue-update/insurance-fraud

SOURCE LexisNexis Risk Solutions; National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)

Related Links

http://www.lexisnexis.com/risk


BRISBANE, Australia, May 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Megaport Limited (ASX: MP1) ("Megaport"), the leader in global Software Defined Networking (SDN), today announced that Belle Lajoie, a founding member of Megaport and previously Executive Vice President, Asia-Pacific at Megaport, has been appointed to the position of Chief Commercial Officer for the Company.

Lajoie has been working in the Internet industry with Megaport founder, Bevan Slattery for ten years, and has primarily focused on delivering large scale sales and operations solutions to peering, data centre, dark fibre infrastructure, and data services organisations. She has spent her career working as an integral member of leadership teams at both PIPE Networks and NEXTDC and is an expert at rapidly growing technology organisations from startup to scale.

Lajoie will be responsible for leading the Company's sales strategy globally, leading global business development, channel relationships, strategic partnerships and acquisitions, and leading digital and regional marketing strategies aligned with revenue acceleration. She will report directly to Megaport's Chief Executive Officer, Vincent English. Her previous role has been backfilled internally.

"Belle has been with Megaport since inception and has been instrumental in bringing our Asia-Pacific business to where it is today," said Vincent English, CEO, Megaport. "Belle's experience will enhance our global business and we are all looking forward to working with her in this capacity to achieve even greater things at Megaport."

"I'm excited to lead the global team to continue to grow and expand at a pace that captures our first-mover advantage," said Belle Lajoie, CCO, Megaport. "Aligning our global strategy, maximizing our channel engagement, scaling our sales engine, and aligning our customer journey to a self-serve, cloud-based consumption model are top priorities. We have a world class team driving upward momentum to capture the unique opportunity Megaport has created by transforming the SDN landscape."

About Megaport

Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Using Software Defined Networking (SDN), the Company's global platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Network. Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer, or our open API. The Company's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe, provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets.

Established in 2013 and founded by Bevan Slattery, Megaport built the world's first SDN-based Elastic Interconnection platform designed to provide the most secure, seamless, and on-demand way for enterprises, networks, and services to interconnect. Led by Vincent English, Megaport has been built by a highly experienced team with extensive knowledge in building large scale global carrier networks and connects over 670 customers throughout 150 data centres in 37 cities across 19 countries. Megaport is an Alibaba Cloud Technology Partner, Oracle Partner, Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner.

To learn more about Megaport, please visit: www.megaport.com.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Megaport Contact:

Wendy Hill

[email protected]

Sapphire Communications for Megaport

(M) +61 420 604 507

[email protected]

SOURCE Megaport Limited
DURHAM, N.C., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (OTC: MGTI) announced today that it has closed on financing to allow the Company to materially ramp up its Bitcoin mining operations. The financing consists of a $1.35 million 10% convertible note (convertible at $1.05 per MGTI share) issued to a single institutional investor. The note is self-amortizing with a maximum repayment of $90,000 per month. In conjunction with the note, the Company also issued the investor 1.2 million warrants with an exercise price of $1.05 per MGTI share.

The proceeds of the financing, along with Company cash reserves will allow MGT to purchase 1,000 Bitmain Antminer S9 computers and associated power supplies. Following shipment and setup (expected by early July 2017), MGT will be operating a total of 1,400 S9's with total computing power of over 18 PH/s, generating an estimated 225 Bitcoins per month with a value currently of over $450,000. Factoring in electricity, hosting and other direct operating costs, EBITDA from the Company's Bitcoin mining operations is projected at $300,000 per month, prior to note amortization.

John McAfee stated, "Today's announcement is transformational for MGT. Not only does it vastly improve our financial profile, but it positions us as the only public company in the space at a time when Bitcoin has enormous momentum."

About MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (OTC: MGTI) is in the process of acquiring and developing a diverse portfolio of cyber security technologies. With industry pioneer John McAfee at its helm, MGT is positioned to address various cyber threats through advanced protection technologies for mobile and personal tech devices, as well as corporate networks. The Company's first product, Sentinel, an enterprise class network intrusion detector, is scheduled to be released by the end of June 2017. The Company also has entered into a joint venture with Nordic IT to develop and market a mobile phone with extensive privacy and anti-hacking features. The Privacy Phone has a tentative release date of February 2018.

Also as part of its corporate efforts in secure technologies, MGT is growing its capacity in mining Bitcoin. Currently at 5.0 PH/s, the Company's facility in WA state produces about 80 Bitcoins per month, ranking it as one of the largest U.S. based Bitcoin miners. Further, MGT is in active discussions with financial partners to grow Bitcoin output materially.

Lastly, MGT stockholders have voted to change the corporate name of MGT to "John McAfee Global Technologies, Inc." Following a dispute over ownership and permitted usage of the name McAfee, The Company and Intel have agreed to a mediation process to avoid unnecessary legal costs.

For more information on the Company, please visit: http://ir.stockpr.com/mgtci

Forwardlooking Statements

This press release contains forwardlooking statements. The words or phrases "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forwardlooking statements." All information set forth in this news release, except historical and factual information, represents forwardlooking statements. This includes all statements about the Company's plans, beliefs, estimates and expectations. These statements are based on current estimates and projections, which involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include issues related to: rapidly changing technology and evolving standards in the industries in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate; the ability to obtain sufficient funding to continue operations, maintain adequate cash flow, profitably exploit new business, license and sign new agreements; the unpredictable nature of consumer preferences; and other factors set forth in the Company's most recently filed annual report and registration statement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forwardlooking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forwardlooking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof. Readers should carefully review the risks and uncertainties described in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investor and Media Contact

Tiffany Madison

Director of Corporate Communications

MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

[email protected]

469.730.6703

SOURCE MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mgtci.com


Compatible with all mophie charge force accessories, enjoy easy wireless charging at home, the office or in the car. The juice pack made for Google Pixel XL is also compatible with Qi and other popular wireless charging systems, including those found at airports, restaurants, coffee houses, in furniture and many new vehicles. When a quick charge is needed, the USB-C port on the juice pack provides fast-charging speeds at 15 Watts to power your phone up in a hurry.

The juice pack made for Google Pixel XL is equipped with mophie's signature features, including:

High-impact protection: Internal rubberized support pads built to withstand drops and hard falls.

Lightweight, low-profile design: Raised corners provide added protection against scratched and cracked screens.

Priority+  charging: The phone charges first, and then the juice pack battery.

charging: The phone charges first, and then the juice pack battery. Forward-facing speaker ports: Sound is amplified and redirected out the front of the case.

LED power indicator: Turn the juice pack battery on/off or press to display battery levels and charge status.

The juice pack made for Google Pixel XL is available at mophie.com and Verizon retail locations for $99.95.

For the latest updates about all new mophie products, upcoming events and promotions, follow mophie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or register at mophie.com/innovation.

mophie, the #1 selling battery case manufacturer in the US, is a California-based, award-winning designer and manufacturer that empowers the mobile world to Stay Powerful. Widely acclaimed for innovative mobile solutions, mophie is the proud developer of the original juice pack. mophie products are recognized for style and engineered for performance, providing a seamless integration of hardware, software and design. mophie has operations in California, Michigan, Netherlands, Hong Kong, and China. mophie products are available in more than 130 countries, and can be found at Apple, Best Buy, Verizon, and T-Mobile stores, as well as Sprint and other leading retailers. Visit mophie.com and follow us on Facebook, twitter, and Instagram (@mophie).

A ZAGG Inc (NASDAQ: ZAGG) brand.

SOURCE mophie

Related Links

http://www.mophie.com


The event was held at a private River Oaks home, currently listed by Nan and Company Properties, which was expertly transformed into a showcase of luxury cars, entertaining and Christie's Magnificent Jewels.

"The event was a perfect example of the benefit of being a part of the Christie's International Real Estate network," says Dan Conn. "Having representatives from Christie's luxury goods department and real estate division come and support the launch of our new affiliate is something that no other real estate company can do since no other real estate company is owned by a global auction house."

Guests were greeted with champagne, a string quartet, and an exclusive preview from Bentley and Rolls Royce. Hors d'oeuvres from Peska Seafood, Prime Steaks and Ruggles Black were passed, and Bosscat Kitchen & Libations crafted specialty cocktails.

"The evening was absolutely perfect," said Nancy Almodovar, CEO of Nan and Company Properties. "I am always so proud of my city and its people, but words cannot express how wonderful it was to share that with the entire Christie's team."

Nan and Company Properties has become an industry leader in servicing the luxury market in Houston, as well as foreign clientele. The technology-driven real estate company provides excellent customer service to clients buying, selling or leasing luxury properties while supporting sales associates with the technology to succeed.

"Nancy truly understands the importance of luxury branding and international marketing which makes her the perfect partner for Christie's International Real Estate," says Rick Moeser. "Our global network is delighted to be represented by Nan & Company Properties, a leader in the Houston market."

About Christie's International Real Estate

Christie's International Real Estate is an invitation-only affiliate network composed of the world's most proven and qualified real estate specialists in the luxury residential sector. The company has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Moscow, Los Angeles, and Palm Beach, and approximately 135 global affiliates with 31,000 real estate professionals in 45 countries. For more information, visit www.christiesrealestate.com.

Media Contact: Nan and Company Properties, 713-714-6454, [email protected]

SOURCE Nan and Company Properties

Related Links

http://www.nanproperties.com


WASHINGTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Scientists from NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter will discuss their first in-depth science results in a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 25, when multiple papers with early findings will be published online by the journal Science and Geophysical Research Letters.

The teleconference participants are:

Diane Brown , program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington

, program executive at NASA Headquarters in Scott Bolton , Juno principal investigator at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio

, Juno principal investigator at Southwest Research Institute in Jack Connerney , deputy principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland

, deputy principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Heidi Becker , Juno radiation monitoring investigation lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California

, Juno radiation monitoring investigation lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Candy Hansen , Juno co-investigator at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona

To participate in the teleconference, media must email their name and affiliation to Laurie Cantillo at [email protected] by noon Thursday. Media and the public also may ask questions during the briefing on Twitter using #askNASA.

Juno launched on Aug. 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and arrived in orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016. In its current exploration mission, Juno soars low over the planet's cloud tops, as close as about 2,100 miles (3,400 kilometers). During these flybys, Juno probes beneath the obscuring cloud cover of Jupiter and studies its auroras to learn more about the planet's origins, structure, atmosphere and magnetosphere.

Audio of the briefing will stream live at:

http://www.nasa.gov/live

Visuals will be posted at the start of the event at:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/junoteleconference

More information on the Juno mission is available at:

https://www.nasa.gov/juno

Follow the mission on social media at:

http://www.facebook.com/NASAJuno

http://www.twitter.com/NASAJuno

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


ARLINGTON, Va., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestle in the United States today released its 2016 Creating Shared Value Report at Sustainable Brands 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. The report highlights the company's efforts and achievements in nutrition, health and wellness; environmental sustainability; rural development and responsible sourcing; water; and social impact. Nestle has achieved over 40 percent of its U.S. objectives for 2016 through 2020, including five completed one year or more ahead of schedule. Highlights from this past year include achieving zero waste to landfill status at 60% of U.S. factories, implementing a number of water efficiency projects that are projected to save more than 144 million gallons of water per year, and hosting the Company's largest single day of community service in celebration of Nestle's 150th anniversary.

"Through our 2016 report we demonstrate that creating value for our business and creating value for society are inextricably linked," said Paul Grimwood, Chairman and CEO of Nestle USA. "The breadth and depth of our achievements and ongoing commitments are a testament to the complexity of our business and the many areas where we have impact. All of these achievements exemplify how we deliver on our purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future."

To celebrate the 51,000 employees that make these efforts possible, this year's report features employee photos in a mosaic cover and profiles throughout the report, citing employees' personal contributions to creating shared value.

Highlights from the 2016 report include:

Product reformulations: In keeping with its standing as the world's largest food and beverage company, Nestle reformulated 1,830 products for nutrition and consumer preference, including reducing sodium and sugar, eliminating artificial colors and flavors, or increasing essential nutrients.

In keeping with its standing as the world's largest food and beverage company, Nestle reformulated 1,830 products for nutrition and consumer preference, including reducing sodium and sugar, eliminating artificial colors and flavors, or increasing essential nutrients. Responsible sourcing: By the end of 2016, 90% of all cocoa materials in the U.S. were UTZ-certified and purchased through the Nestle Cocoa Plan.

By the end of 2016, 90% of all cocoa materials in the U.S. were UTZ-certified and purchased through the Nestle Cocoa Plan. Reducing water usage: Nestle implemented water efficiency projects across California that are projected to save 144 million gallons of water per year.

Nestle implemented water efficiency projects across that are projected to save 144 million gallons of water per year. Creating jobs: Nestle brought on 1,400 individuals for internships, trainee and development programs, academic hires and apprenticeships through Project Opport unity .

Nestle brought on 1,400 individuals for internships, trainee and development programs, academic hires and apprenticeships through Project Opport . Building community: Nestle held its largest single day of community service with more than 6,000 Nestle employees participating in more than 150 community events across the country in celebration of the company's 150th anniversary.

Completed objectives from the 2016 report include:

Simplifying ingredient lists: In 2016, Nestle expanded the number of products that are no GMO, gluten-free, or made with organic ingredients across some of its most popular brands.

In 2016, Nestle expanded the number of products that are no GMO, gluten-free, or made with organic ingredients across some of its most popular brands. Advocating for effective water stewardship: Nestle implemented water-savings projects in 100% of high-priority manufacturing facilities.

Nestle implemented water-savings projects in 100% of high-priority manufacturing facilities. Taking advantage of renewables: Nestle developed an energy plan for each of its operating facilities that will take advantage of renewable energy and encourage utilities to move to more low-carbon energy mixes.

Nestle developed an energy plan for each of its operating facilities that will take advantage of renewable energy and encourage utilities to move to more low-carbon energy mixes. Enhancing support for new parents: Nestle successfully implemented its Parent Support Policy offering up to 14 weeks of paid leave to primary caregivers to take care of their newborns.

Nestle successfully implemented its Parent Support Policy offering up to 14 weeks of paid leave to primary caregivers to take care of their newborns. Project Opportunity: Nestle enhanced "readiness for work" activities (e.g., participation in job fairs, information sessions, resume workshops, etc.) and increased its emphasis on the recruitment of military veterans, with a special focus on matching veterans to jobs that use their specialized skill sets.

To learn more about the Nestle in the U.S. 2016 Creating Shared Value report, please visit www.Nestleusa.com/csv.

About Nestle in the U.S.

Nestle in the United States is committed to being a trusted leader in nutrition, health and wellness. Our 51,000 employees in the United States are committed to enhancing quality of life, contributing to a healthier future for individuals and families, our communities, and the planet. Nestle in the U.S. offers a wide and varied portfolio of food and beverage products for people and their pets throughout their lives. Nestle in the U.S. consists of eight main businesses: Nestle USA, Nestle Waters North America, Nestle Nutrition, Nestle Professional, Nespresso, Nestle Health Science, Nestle Skin Health and Nestle Purina PetCare Company. The United States is Nestle S.A.'s largest market with combined product sales in the United States totaling more than $27 billion in 2016. For more information, visit Nestleusa.com or Facebook.com/NestleUSA.

SOURCE Nestle USA

Related Links

http://www.nestleusa.com


GREENWICH, Conn., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Brynwood Partners VII L.P. announced today that it has completed the merger of Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (" Sunny Delight ") into Harvest Hill Beverage Company (" Harvest Hill "). Harvest Hill is now one of the nation's leading independent beverage companies with over $800 million in gross sales, seven manufacturing facilities with a national footprint and a portfolio of iconic brands, including Juicy Juice, SunnyD, Little HUG, Daily's, and Nutrament. Harvest Hill is headquartered in Stamford, CT and will maintain an office in Cincinnati, OH.

In conjunction with the merger, Harvest Hill has announced a new executive team. Effective April 4th, John LeBoutillier was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Harvest Hill. "John joins us with over 25 years of experience in the food and consumer products industries having worked at Kraft and Unilever and, most recently, serving as the President of Unilever Canada. John brings significant beverage and consumer products experience to Harvest Hill. We have confidence in John as a key leader in the overall integration and growth of the company," said Hendrik J. Hartong III, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brynwood Partners. Mr. Hartong also serves as the Chairman of Harvest Hill.

Additionally, Doug Behre has been named Chief Financial Officer for Harvest Hill. Mr. Hartong stated, "Doug has over 25 years of experience as a financial leader having spent a majority of his career in the consumer products industry with Campbell Soup and L'Oreal. Most recently, Doug served as the Chief Financial Officer for Truck-Lite, a company with approximately $500 million net sales in the commercial vehicle lighting industry."

With the addition of Mr. LeBoutillier and Mr. Behre, two additional executives have been named to the senior management team at Harvest Hill. Tim Voelkerding has been named Chief Operating Officer. Tim has been an integral part of Sunny Delight having been with the company for 13 years in various financial and executive roles. All of Harvest Hill's supply chain functions will report to Tim. Also, Doug Gillespie has been named the Chief Commercial Officer of the company. Doug brings over 20 years of consumer marketing experience having served at Harvest Hill for the past year as well as previously working at Frito-Lay, Munchkin baby products, and Jarden Home and Family.

About Brynwood Partners:

Founded in 1984 and based in Greenwich, CT, Brynwood Partners is an operationally-focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American-based lower middle market companies in the consumer sector.

Brynwood Partners currently manages more than $725 million of private equity capital for limited partners, which include U.S. and international pension funds, fund-of-funds, endowments, high net worth family investment offices and financial institutions. For more information on Brynwood Partners, please visit www.brynwoodpartners.com.

About Harvest Hill Beverage Company:

Harvest Hill Beverage Company, based in Stamford, CT, was formed by Brynwood Partners VII L.P. (" Brynwood VII ") in July 2014 to acquire the iconic Juicy Juice brand from Nestle USA, Inc. Juicy Juice is the largest 100% juice brand in the U.S. and is focused on the kids segment. The company markets Juicy Juice products in single-serve and multi-serve formats to the retail and foodservice channels. In March 2015, Harvest Hill acquired American Beverage Corporation (" ABC ") from Wessanen, a publicly-traded food and beverage company based in Holland. With the ABC acquisition, the company added the Little HUG juice brand and Daily's Cocktails brand. ABC's brands are distributed to a blue-chip customer base that includes leading grocery retailers, wholesalers, supercenters and foodservice distributors. In October 2016, Harvest Hill acquired Faribault Foods, Inc.'s juice pouch manufacturing facility in Elk River, MN and selected assets. Most recently, in December 2016, the company acquired the Nutrament energy drink brand from Nestle HealthCare Nutrition, Inc.

Sunny Delight Beverages Co. was formed by J.W. Childs Associates in 2004 to acquire the iconic SunnyD brand from The Procter & Gamble Company. Brynwood VII acquired Sunny Delight in February 2016 and, in May 2017, merged the company into its portfolio company, Harvest Hill. The 54-year-old SunnyD brand is a leading chilled juice drink in the U.S. In addition to the SunnyD brand, the company markets the Fruit 2 O and Veryfine beverage brands. Sunny Delight's products are widely distributed through leading retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

Harvest Hill, which currently operates seven strategically located manufacturing facilities in the U.S., intends to grow its branded, private label and co-manufacturing businesses both organically and through strategic add-on acquisitions. For more information on Harvest Hill, please visit www.harvesthill.com, www.sunnyd.com, www.fruit2o.com and www.veryfine.com.

SOURCE Brynwood Partners

Related Links

http://www.brynwoodpartners.com


NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Jersey Health Foundation (NJHF) has awarded another $50,000 Innovation Grant to researchers at Princeton University, announced James M. Golubieski, president of NJHF.

Grant recipients Yibin Kang, Ph.D., Princeton's Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology, and postdoctoral research associate Mark Esposito, Ph.D, are working to develop combination therapies that could target specific metastatic cancer cells to lower the chances of cancer's spread, or metastasis, after treatment. They will use the funding to identify and evaluate compounds that can target metastatic cells.

"If successful, this research could potentially transform the current landscape of how cancer patients are treated," explained George F. Heinrich, M.D., vice chair and CEO of New Jersey Health Foundation. "It is a perfect project for our Innovation Grant program, which is geared specifically to advancing breakthrough research that demonstrates commercialization potential to offer improved and focused treatments and cures for people around the world."

Through this New Jersey Health Foundation program, Innovation Grants of up to $50,000 each are available to full-time faculty and personnel at five major research universities in New Jersey New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Rowan University and Stevens Institute of Technology.

"We are grateful for the continued support of New Jersey Health Foundation," said John Ritter, director of Princeton's Office of Technology Licensing. "This Innovation Grant will enable Prof. Kang and Dr. Esposito to further develop their exciting research program, with the goal of one day having a novel therapy that will improve the lives of cancer patients everywhere."

For more information, contact Mike Wiley, vice president of Foundation Venture Capital Group, an affiliate of NJHF, at (908) 731-6612 or [email protected].

About New Jersey Health Foundation

New Jersey Health Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports health-related research and education programs in New Jersey through its Grants Program and its affiliate, Foundation Venture Capital Group, which makes private equity investments in health-related start- up companies in New Jersey headed toward commercialization.

SOURCE New Jersey Health Foundation

Related Links

http://www.foundationventure.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Anakhanum Hidayatova  Trend:

Romania is willing to develop relations with Azerbaijan not only in the spheres of politics and economy, but also in the spheres of culture and education, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to Azerbaijan Dan Iancu said May 22.

He made the remarks in Baku during a press conference dedicated to the 1st Azerbaijan-Romania Inter-University Forum to be held May 24-25 at the ADA University in Baku.

Representatives of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, as well as rectors and pro-rectors of a number of Romanian universities will arrive in Azerbaijan within the framework of the forthcoming forum.

The diplomat said that Azerbaijan and Romania have been successfully developing relations in many spheres for 25 years, but the energy sector has always been priority area.

The diplomat noted that the sides intend to pay attention to the expansion of educational and cultural ties between the two countries.

Education quality in Romania is one of the highest in Europe, he said, especially noting the countrys educational potential in the oil and gas, as well as the medical sphere.

The diplomat noted that Romanian universities offer a variety of educational programs, both in English and Romanian.

He added that the representatives of the two countries education ministries plan to sign a number of agreements during the upcoming visit.

In the end, the diplomat expressed his readiness to further strengthen cooperation between Azerbaijan and Romania in all areas.
SCHLINS, Austria, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Ex-OMV CEO Dr Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer takes over as Chairman

Today Erne Fittings GmbH elected Dr Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer as a member and chairman of the Supervisory Board. The former Chairman Stephan Zochling takes over as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Since 2013, the ERNE group has been undergoing a process of restructuring, not least because of the weak investment activities in the oil and gas industry.

Dr Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer has been a member of the board at OMV AG since 1992 and has acted as CEO at OMV AG from 2002 to 2011. During his 10 years as CEO, he was responsible for the company's reorientation and international positioning.

Stephan Zochling, who since 2016 has been the owner of the ERNE group together with Hans Peter Haselsteiner, stated: "We are delighted to have won over Dr Ruttenstorfer as Chairman of the Supervisory Board at ERNE Fittings GmbH. His many years of experience in the sector, his international networks as well as his high level of expertise in the oil and gas industry pose a valuable addition to ERNE Fittings GmbH. I am certain that Dr Ruttenstorfer will work closely towards strategic tasks and operative reorientation with the Erne group and will assist the management with his experience."

The Supervisory Board remains unaffected with lawyer Professor Dr Franz Pegger and restructuring expert Dr Bernhard Baumgartner.

The Supervisory Board and the recently newly constituted board of management with Thomas Smetana (CEO), Christoph Geiger (COO) and Andreas Roesslhuber (CFO) will lead the Erne group into the future.

More about the ERNE group: http://www.ernefittings.com

Contact Agency

LOEBELL NORDBERG

Mag. Grazia Nordberg

Phone: +43-1-890-44-06-12

[email protected]

http://www.loebellnordberg.com



SOURCE ERNE Fittings GmbH
NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group, announced today that it has expanded its Tier-1 Global IP Network with a new Point of Presence (PoP) at the Amsterdam Science Park. The site is home to a host of prestigious educational institutions, cutting-edge research units and knowledge-intensive multinationals and start-ups.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/514008/NTT_Com.jpg )



The new PoP is located in the Interxion (formerly Vancis) data center building in Amsterdam Science Park. It is NTT Com's third location in the city and reflects the company's commitment to the local IT community and its growing Benelux customer base.

In addition to the Interxion building, the PoP will cross connect with Digital Realty, SURFsara and the National Institute for Subatomic Physics (Nikhef). Customers will have access to NTT Com's Global IP Network and its IP transit services, Layer 2 Ethernet solutions and DDoS Protection Services.

"NTT Com is focused on anticipating user demand and has identified Amsterdam Science Park as a world-class hub for research, innovation and entrepreneurship. We are delighted to be supporting such a vibrant, leading-edge community," commented Toby Russell, Sales Director, NTT Europe.

As part of this support, NTT Com is also sponsoring MORE-IP, a networking event for the internet industry taking place in Amsterdam. It is hosted by non-profit AMS-IX (Amsterdam Internet Exchange), one of the world's largest internet exchanges with locations in the greater Amsterdam area and also at the Science Park. "The Netherlands plays a strategic role in the global digital infrastructure, which is growing in density and capacity. With this expansion, NTT Com is making an important contribution to its evolution both in the Netherlands and worldwide," said Jesse Robbers, CCO, AMS-IX.

For more information:

About NTT Communications Corporation

NTT Communications provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services to optimize the information and communications technology (ICT) environments of enterprises. These offerings are backed by the company's worldwide infrastructure, including leading global tier-1 IP network, Arcstar Universal One VPN network reaching 196 countries/regions, and over 140 secure data centers worldwide. NTT Communications' solutions leverage the global resources of NTT Group companies including Dimension Data, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA.

About NTT Communications Global IP Network

Consistently ranked among the top networks worldwide, NTT Com's Tier-1 Global IP Network covers North and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, and provides the best possible environment for content, data and video transport through a single autonomous system number (AS 2914). NTT Com is one of the top global wholesale IP providers and the number one provider in Asia according to the latest Dyn Wholesale Rankings.

More information in Europe, Middle East and Africa: http://www.eu.ntt.com | Twitter @NTT Europe

US and the Americas: http://www.us.ntt.net | Twitter @NTT_America (in English) | @NTTComLatam (in Spanish and Portuguese) #globalipnetwork #AS2914

Asia and Oceania: http://www.ntt.com | Twitter @NTTCom

SOURCE NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com)
Ultimately, a range of berries, including blackberries and raspberries, will join strawberries and blueberries as part of the Family Farmer Owned brand of fresh produce. The program expands and elevates Oppy's berry offerings, delivering fruit of high quality and great flavor in a familiar and trusted label. This expansion also establishes a year-round fresh berry presence for the Ocean Spray brand.

"Ocean Spray was founded by three cranberry growers looking to expand the market for their fruit," said Clark Reinhard, vice president of innovation for Ocean Spray. "The brand is well known across multiple grocery aisles but our presence in produce has been limited to just a few months of the year. The perimeter of the grocery store is growing fast and by collaborating with Oppy our brand will be on fresh, high quality produce from family farms year round."

The Ocean Spray brand bolsters Oppy's strategic push in the berry category, according to James Milne, vice president of marketing. "We conducted extensive research throughout North America over the past year and discovered a genuine enthusiasm for berries. There is a clear opportunity for a strong brand like Ocean Spray to enter the market and capture people's imaginations. This new innovation will disrupt an established category and offer a surprising new berry experience to the trade and consumers alike."

Following California strawberries and blueberries, the Ocean Spray Family Farmer Owned brand will feature fruit produced by Oppy domestic berry growers in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and its international network of family farmers.

"Consumers should ultimately understand that when they see the Ocean Spray logo anywhere in the world they are supporting family farms- the same way they do buying at their local farmer's market," said Reinhard. "While cranberries remain at the heart of what we do, bringing other berries to market under the same brand will be a huge benefit to growers, retailers and ultimately the consumer."

"Partnering with Ocean Spray enables us to simultaneously deliver new value to our grower partners and our retail customers," said David Smith, Oppy president and chief marketing officer. "Berry growers everywhere understand the stature of the Ocean Spray brand and are engaging with the opportunity. Meanwhile we're providing our retail partners the exciting option of high quality strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries packed in a label of high consumer awareness and appeal."

Smith notes that the timing is advantageous for all, with berry category sales at retail elevating 15 percent in the last two years, while also realizing average-price-per-pound gains. IRI data shows that berry sales volume has increased throughout the U.S., while branded produce is earning greater dollar share throughout the category.

About Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry and grapefruit growers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. Formed in 1930, Ocean Spray is now the world's leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries and is the best-selling brand in the North American bottled juice category.

The cooperative's cranberries are currently featured in more than a thousand great-tasting, good-for-you products in over 100 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray is committed to managing our business in a way that respects our communities, employees and the environment. For more information visit: www.oceanspray.com or www.oceanspray.coop.

About Oppy

For close to 160 years, Oppy has discovered and delivered the best of the world's harvest. Whether partnering with outstanding international growers to bring sustainable fresh produce to local shores or marketing and distributing North American fruit and vegetables around the globe, Oppy proudly sources over 100 varieties of produce from more than 25 countries each and every day.

Oppy began offering cranberries some 50 years ago, marketing other berries in 2003, building category offerings to include strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and cranberries exponentially in the last half decade. Through strategic and economic partnerships with Rincon Fresh, Harvest 52 and Ocean Spray, Oppy is now a growing competitive force in the fresh berry category.

SOURCE Ocean Spray

Related Links

http://www.oceanspray.com


SOLON, Ohio, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MRI Software, a global leader in real estate software solutions, today announced that 30 percent of the International Council of Shopping Center's top-50 North American shopping center ownership groups are using the company's solutions to increase the performance of their assets, streamline processes and gain critical insights to power rapid decision-making.

MRI Software's solutions for the shopping center real estate market address multiple roles within the industry, including commercial property owners and operators, retail tenants and real estate investment brokers:

Commercial Property Owners and Operators: The MRI Commercial Suite, which includes Advanced Retail, and the MRI Investment Suite together enable commercial landlords to increase performance of both retail leases and real estate operations. Organizations can maximize revenue by automating complex retail lease calculations and improve forecasting with increased visibility into financial performance. Firms can make more informed business decisions based on actionable insights into non-financial retail data with MRI's AnalytiX Portal.

The MRI Commercial Suite, which includes Advanced Retail, and the MRI Investment Suite together enable commercial landlords to increase performance of both retail leases and real estate operations. Organizations can maximize revenue by automating complex retail lease calculations and improve forecasting with increased visibility into financial performance. Firms can make more informed business decisions based on actionable insights into non-financial retail data with MRI's AnalytiX Portal. Retail Tenants: MRI Corporate Real Estate (CRE) empowers retail tenants to take control of lease expenses and terms by automating complex calculations and providing enhanced data visibility. Percentage rent, recurring payments and lease offsets are no longer shrouded in mystery, and retail tenants never need miss a critical lease term or deal with unpleasant financial surprises again.

MRI Corporate Real Estate (CRE) empowers retail tenants to take control of lease expenses and terms by automating complex calculations and providing enhanced data visibility. Percentage rent, recurring payments and lease offsets are no longer shrouded in mystery, and retail tenants never need miss a critical lease term or deal with unpleasant financial surprises again. Real Estate Investment Brokers: With the announcement that a commonly used valuation software product will discontinue support in the near future, many commercial real estate professionals will have little choice but to undergo a major implementation and migration burden. MRI's Global Valuations offers an alternative to companies that are being forced to transition to a new platform that may not meet their unique business needs. With support for multiple valuation methodologies and deployment options including SaaS and desktop, MRI Global Valuations gives clients the flexibility to choose what works best for their organization. In addition, MRI provides the unique ability to share and collaborate on valuation files within the investment broker's real estate community.

"MRI's clients rank as some of the largest shopping center owners and operators based on total global square footage," said Brian Zrimsek, Chief Product Officer at MRI Software. "With billions of dollars of assets under management, our clients require a comprehensive and flexible solution that can provide instant, accurate insight to guide operations and optimize business results. Our open and connected ecosystem means that clients can easily integrate partner and other third-party solutions into their framework to create the best fit for their specific business needs."

MRI Software Solutions in Action: Phillips Edison & Company

Phillips Edison & Company (PECO) is just one member of the ICSC North American Top 50 using MRI's software solutions. PECO owns and manages grocery-anchored shopping centers and uses MRI Software to manage more than 340 properties. MRI Software's ability to configure the solutions and to integrate effortlessly with other critical applications was important to Shaun Smith, CIO at PECO.

"MRI's comprehensive solutions removed the integration pain points by plugging into other key applications and improving our overall software ecosystem rather than trying to force us into a box of their creation. With MRI's open ecosystem we are able to create the best possible system for our business's unique needs at this time," said Smith.

Before the firm deployed MRI Software, every month, the lease renewal group would run spreadsheets to ensure they had not overlooked expirations. Today, MRI keeps that data updated and fresh in real time. Likewise, MRI's ability to automatically feed marketing data to the website and exchange data with the ERP system has saved the company hundreds of hours of work.

MRI Software will be demoing its solutions for the shopping center real estate market at booth N1224 in the Marketplace Mall at ICSC RECon 2017 in Las Vegas, May 20  24. For more information, please stop by the booth or request a meeting.

About MRI Software

MRI Software is a leading provider of innovative real estate software applications and hosted solutions. MRI's comprehensive and flexible technology platform coupled with an open and connected ecosystem meets the unique needs of real estate businessesfrom property-level management and accounting to investment modeling and analytics for the global commercial and residential markets. A pioneer of the real estate software industry, MRI develops lasting client relationships based on nearly five decades of expertise and insight. Through leading solutions and a rich partner ecosystem, MRI liberates real estate companies to elevate their business and gain a competitive edge. For more information, please visit www.mrisoftware.com.

CONTACT: Jeff Miller

LEWIS

[email protected]

541-207-3461

SOURCE MRI Software

Related Links

http://mrisoftware.com


CANTON, Mass., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Organogenesis Inc., a commercial leader in the field of regenerative medicine focusing on advanced wound care and surgical biologics, today closed a $20 million financing facility with Eastward Capital Partners, a leading provider of venture debt and equity financing to technology companies.

"We were fortunate to have several choices in a financing partner as we continue to build our balance sheet and our product portfolio to provide the most advanced wound care and surgical biologics solutions to our customers," said Tim Cunningham, Chief Financial Officer of Organogenesis Inc. "We chose Eastward Capital Partners given their impeccable credentials and stellar reputation, which aligns well with Organogenesis' core values. Additionally, Eastward Capital Partners has decades of experience financing health technology companies and understands the value our products bring to clinicians and patients."

"Eastward Capital Partners is committed to partnering with technology-forward companies who are leaders in their industry segments," said Eastward Partner's Tim O'Loughlin. "We are excited to partner with Organogenesis to provide the capital to support their growth plans."

About Organogenesis Inc.

Originally founded as a spin-off from technology developed at MIT in 1985, Massachusetts-based Organogenesis Inc. is a global leader in regenerative medicine, offering a portfolio of bioactive and acellular biomaterials products for advanced wound care, orthopedics, and spine. Organogenesis' versatile portfolio is designed to treat a variety of patients with repair and regenerative needs. For more information, visit www.organogenesis.com.

About Eastward Capital Partners

Eastward has provided private debt to leading companies in the Information Technology, Communications, New Media and Healthcare sectors since 1994. As one of the oldest and most respected investors in the market, Eastward has a long history of working with companies to craft funding solutions which allow companies to reach their full potential. www.eastwardcp.com

CONTACT:

Angelyn Lowe

(781) 830-2353

[email protected]

SOURCE Organogenesis Inc.

Related Links

http://organogenesis.com/


NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud at PAR Technology Corporation ("PAR Technology" or the "Company") (NYSE:PAR).

The investigation focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws. Specifically, on May 15, 2017, Par Technology filed its Form 10-Q with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), disclosing that "the Company is investigating whether certain import/export and/or documentation of sales activities at the Company's China and Singapore offices were improper and in possible violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") and other applicable laws and certain Company policies." Furthermore, the Form 10-Q disclosed that on May 1, 2017, PAR Technology received a subpoena from the SEC relating to the aforementioned investigation.

As a result, the Company stated that it could be exposed to a broad range of civil and criminal sanctions.

If you invested in PAR Technology stock or options and would like to discuss your legal rights, click here : www.faruqilaw.com/PAR. There is no cost or obligation to you.

You can also contact us by calling Richard Gonnello toll free at 877-247-4292 or at 212-983-9330 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]

CONTACT:

FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP

685 Third Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attn: Richard Gonnello, Esq.

[email protected]

Telephone: (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

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SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP

Related Links

http://www.faruqilaw.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Department of General Services Deputy Secretary for Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities Kerry L. Kirkland today announced that BBC Research & Consulting (Browne, Bortz & Coddington) of Denver, CO has been awarded the contract to conduct Pennsylvania's first-ever comprehensive disparity study on small diverse businesses in state government contracting.

"This is groundbreaking territory for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Kirkland said. "Under the leadership of Governor Tom Wolf, we are strengthening our ability to assist small and small diverse businesses in overcoming the challenges they face in being successful  not only in state contracting, but the overall economy. Now we can look forward to the completion of the disparity study and use it to further our efforts to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the barriers facing our small diverse businesses as it pertains to the state contracting process."

Small diverse businesses are those businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBT community.

BBC Research & Consulting will be charged with delivering a comprehensive and legally supportable statewide disparity study that will serve as an empirical basis for determining the extent to which small diverse businesses face discrimination in the state contracting process. The commonwealth will then determine what race, gender, disabled, LGBT, and/or veteran -conscious measures should be used to remedy the issues raised in the study.

"We need to do a better job when it comes to delivering policies and programs that will enable our small diverse businesses to get a fair shot at doing business with the commonwealth," Kirkland said. "We know there are factors that prevent our small diverse businesses from being able to compete, and this study will provide us with hard data to allow us to get to the root of the problems and move forward in the right direction.

"Pennsylvania is leading by example when it comes to creating an environment where diversity, inclusion and fairness thrive. Even with the contract for this study, we ensured that small and small diverse businesses will play a significant role in its completion."

The two-year contract is worth $899,789.00 for its initial term. There are three additional one-year renewals. In addition, 28 percent, or $251,940.00, is committed to contracting with six small or small diverse businesses. The final study is to be completed within 15 months of project initiation.

BBC Research & Consulting has performed 22 studies over the past five years and have another eight currently under way. Their most recent disparity studies were performed for the Indiana Department of Administration and the California Department of Transportation in 2016.

Kirkland noted that the disparity study was one of many recommendations put forth by the Governor's Advisory Council on Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities.

In addition to the study, the council recommendations included:

Working to achieve a 10% SDB participation rate in FY 2017, a 20% SDB participation rate in FY 2018 and a 30% participation rate by SDBs in FY 2019 and beyond.

Expanding the BDISBO program to promote SB and SDB participation in all contracts, regardless of the procurement method used to initiate the contract.

Establishing an annual goal for each Executive Agency to increase the number of prime contracts awarded to SB and SDB prime contractors each year.

Developing a more robust system to monitor and report on expenditure data electronically so that program performance and outcomes can be evaluated.

Establishing a formal mentor/protege program as called for in Executive Order, 2015-11 by September 30, 2017 .

The Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities, or BDISBO, implements programs to increase contracting opportunities for DGS self-certified small business and third-party verified small diverse businesses; provides training, technical assistance and support for small and small diverse business owners to compete for prime and sub-contracting opportunities; and is also responsible for ensuring contractual commitments are maintained through contract compliance activities.

For information or assistance on BDISBO programs or becoming a DGS self-certified small business or a verified small diverse business visit the bureau's website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Troy Thompson, DGS, 717-787-3197

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of General Services

Related Links

http://www.dgs.pa.gov


PHILADELPHIA, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With their hearts filled with patriotic pride, the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale will take the stage of the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall on Sunday, June 11 at 4pm to celebrate and honor American freedom for this year's annual concert.

From a traditional Shaker song to a 20th century classic work, from honoring the Suffragist movement to a world premiere reflecting the Native American spirit by composer Robert Cohen (who wrote last year's world premiere Genesis), this year's program is varied in its showcase of American freedoms, with its central highlight a new piece put together by author James McBride, entitled "The William Still Guestbook". McBride has woven together several familiar spirituals (many of which were arranged by the late Moses Hogan) with a script featuring the Underground Railroad conductor, William Still (played by local actor Damien J. Wallace).

In explaining his chosen theme and vision for the concert, PBCC Artistic Director Jeff Smith said, "Our concert explores the meaning of freedom and how important it is to remember the beliefs that we have in common: the principles upon which our country was founded, the cost of freedom, the history of our freedom struggles and the sacrifices those who came before us made so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have. Hopefully, by reminding ourselves of these commonalities, we  as parents, children, families and Americans -- can have more respect for each other, listen to each other and find ways towards common goals."

That exploration resulted in the first-time collaboration with author, musician and screenwriter, McBride, whose landmark memoir, "The Color of Water" is considered an American classic and read in schools and universities across the United States.

"I'm delighted to introduce the great Pennsylvanians William Still and Crystal Eastman to American audiences," stated McBride. "And I'm even more delighted that the soaring eloquence of the Philadelphia Boys Choir will do it. These great American heroes and this great American choir have a lot in common. They represent us, the best of us, and the common ground and history upon which we all stand."

In addition, composer Robert Cohen pays tribute to our Native American heritage with the world premiere of "Spirit of the Winding Water". An anthem celebrating Native Americans, it is included in the Ohio ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) choral reading book this month at the regional music conference as a recognition of Native Americans. Drawing from images based on cultural thought, Cohen describes it as, "The philosophy of our country's indigenous people paying tribute to the Spirit of the American Indian on the vast landscapes of our cultural heritage."

About James McBride

McBride's debut novel, "Miracle at St. Anna" was translated into a major motion picture directed by American film icon Spike Lee and released by Disney/Touchstone in September 2008. James wrote the script for "Miracle at St. Anna" and co-wrote Spike Lee's 2012 "Red Hook Summer." His novel, "Song Yet Sung," was released in paperback in January 2009 and his latest novel "The Good Lord Bird," about American revolutionary John Brown, is the winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction.

A former staff writer for The Boston Globe, People Magazine and The Washington Post, McBride's work has also appeared in Essence, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. His April, 2007 National Geographic story "Hip Hop Planet" is considered a respected treatise on African American music and culture. Musically, McBride toured as a saxophonist sideman with jazz legend Jimmy Scott and has written songs (music and lyrics) for Anita Baker, Grover Washington Jr., Purafe and even for the PBS television character "Barney." He received the Stephen Sondheim Award and the Richard Rodgers Foundation Horizon Award for his musical "Bo-Bos" co-written with playwright Ed Shockley. His 2003 "Riffin' and Pontificatin' " Musical Tour was captured in a nationally-televised Comcast documentary.

About The Philadelphia Boys Choir

Established in 1968, the PBCC's achievements include world tours, recordings with internationally renowned orchestras and soloists such as Luciano Pavarotti, national and international television appearances (including Good Morning America and Saturday Night Live), and praise from critics and audiences across the globe. Recent and upcoming engagements include Carnegie Hall, Notre-Dame in Paris, King's College Chapel in Cambridge, and locally the Kimmel Center, the Mann Center for Performing Arts and the Academy of Music.

The Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale's annual spring concert will be held Sunday, June 11 at 4pm, in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts, Broad and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia. Tickets range from $25  $50 and are available for purchase at www.kimmelcenter.org. For groups of 15 or more, tickets are offered at 20% discount. For more information and to purchase tickets, call: 215-893-1999 or 215-875-7633.

For more information about the Philadelphia Boys Choir please visit www.phillyboyschoir.org or call 215.222.3500.

SOURCE Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale

Related Links

http://www.phillyboyschoir.org


"Patients with severe COPD and persistent hypercapnia have historically had limited therapy options available to them and outcomes have generally been poor," said Dr. Nicholas Hart, Professor and Clinical Director of Lane Fox Respiratory Service, St Thomas' Hospital in London. "The trial suggests that combining home oxygen and home non-invasive ventilation therapy can reduce hospital readmissions while maintaining patients' quality of life, which will drastically change the way we approach COPD treatment worldwide. We are looking forward to hopefully decreasing the mortality and readmission rates that result from severe COPD with further research."

The randomized clinical trial of 116 patients in the United Kingdom was co-sponsored by Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA) and carried out by respiratory experts at St Thomas' Hospital in London. The results showed that the addition of home NIV prolonged the median time to readmission or death from 1.4 months to 4.3 months.

"This study shows that home non-invasive ventilation is a potent, therapeutic tool that clinicians can use to help keep patients with advanced COPD out of the hospital. We hope that this will, in turn, allow them to lead healthier and more active lives at home," said Dr. Teofilo Lee-Chiong Jr., Chief Medical Liaison at Philips. "These findings add considerably to our knowledge of this highly prevalent and debilitating respiratory disorder, and are expected to greatly influence how clinicians care for patients with COPD on long-term oxygen therapy."

Preliminary results from this trial were announced in September 2016 at the European Respiratory Society's International Congress in London, U.K. The final paper, entitled Effect of home non-invasive ventilation with oxygen therapy vs. oxygen therapy alone on hospital readmission or death after an acute COPD exacerbation: A randomized clinical trial, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association after being presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference (Washington, D.C., U.S., May 19  24).

In April 2017, another Philips-sponsored study demonstrated significant cost savings for payers and hospitals from reduced COPD readmission rates resulting from a multifaceted care program that included the use of AVAPS-AE, a proprietary mode of non-invasive ventilation in the Trilogy device. Philips' sponsorship of these studies is the latest in the company's continued commitment to pioneering the development of home NIV technologies and ultimately helping COPD patients breathe easier.

Philips works every day to support COPD patients and help them improve their quality of life by offering a range of solutions, including advanced NIV therapies such as the DreamStation BiPAP AVAPS and S/T, BiPAP A40 (available outside the United States) and Trilogy. Today, Philips is enabling more efficient patient management with the expansion of its connected Trilogy and Care Orchestrator, now commercially available in North America. For additional information on Philips' solutions for sleep and respiratory care, follow @PhilipsResp or visit www.respironics.com.

For further information, please contact:

Meredith Amoroso

Philips Sleep and Respiratory Care

Mobile: +1 724-584-8991

E-mail: [email protected]

Elena Calamo Specchia

Philips Group Press Office

Mobile: +31 6 25004735

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.



SOURCE Royal Philips
"We make a difference in the lives of pets and their people, which is at the heart of our vision to create a world filled with unconditional love where pets and their people thrive," said founder & CEO, Roger Morgan.

The investment will go a long way in expanding the reach of pawTree's natural pet products. One of the most unique aspects of pawTree's model is that products aren't sold through traditional retail stores or online pet sites. Instead, products are sold exclusively through a group of nearly 1,500 "petPros", or independent reps who share the products and earn commissions.

"Anyone with a passion for pets can join as a petPro and get paid commissions," said Morgan.

The petPros simply share the pawTree products with others and earn residual commissions when people go to the pawTree site and buy. For information about how the pawTree products will make a difference in any pet's life, or to sign up as a petPro, visit www.pawtree.com.

About pawTree

pawTree is the nation's premier social selling pet product company, inspiring entrepreneurial animal lovers to earn extra money, while sharing a better way to care for pets with customized nutrition and unique product offerings. The company was the first to combine a customer base in both the social selling industry ($36B+ annually) and the pet industry ($60B+ annually) in such a compelling way, creating a brand for those who are passionate about people and pets. In 2015, pawTree earned 4.5 stars by the Dog Food Advisor, a well-known, online source providing third-party reviews of dog food. And, in 2016, pawTree expanded with the introduction of nutrition, health, wellness and accessory products for cats. To learn more, visit www.pawTree.com.

SOURCE PawTree, LLC

Related Links

http://www.pawtree.com


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Vugar Imanov, Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The 4th Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku are an interesting show, Patrick Park, a tourist from South Korea, told Trend May 22.

I see many foreigners here, which means that this event is of great importance, he said.

Park noted that this is his first visit to Baku and the city is very beautiful.

The Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games, the opening ceremony of which took place May 12, started May 8 and wrapped up May 22 in Azerbaijans capital.
SHANGHAI, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The high-profile International Cooperation Summit Forum on the "The Belt and Road" Initiative has been widely recognized and highly praised by the international community. Taking this opportunity, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak attended the forum and met with senior executives from four companies with investments in Malaysia, including LONGi. LONGi President Li Zhenguo, on behalf of the company, attended the meeting and held one-on-one talks with Prime Minister Najib.

At the meeting, Mr. Li Zhenguo first introduced the company's development course and global deployment. As the only PV company deploying the whole value chain other than poly-Si in Malaysia, LONGi has invested a total of RMB 1.6 billion in Malaysia through "acquisition + new construction". Products will be shipped mainly to America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. According to Mr. Li Zhenguo, LONGi's Malaysian project is of strategic significance in the grasp of the best opportunities in global cost elements to secure the company's global leadership in the field of mono-Si.

Prime Minister Najib highly appreciated LONGi's positive impact on Malaysia's economic growth, employment and new energy promotion. He expected LONGi to make further progress in the future.

Coping with economic and trade globalization, LONGi has continuously improved business throughout the whole value chain and actively explored overseas markets by establishing companies in the United States, Japan, Ireland and Germany, as well as production bases in Malaysia and India. LONGi is moving aggressively to expand silicon ingot and wafer capacity in response to strong market demand. In the meantime, LONGi will continue to supply customers with high efficiency monocrystalline cell and module with lower LCOE and better cost performance ratio.

SOURCE LONGi Solar
PARIS, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Saint-Gobain has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the equity capital of Biolink, a German manufacturer of specialty adhesive tapes. Founded in 1997 and based in Waakirchen, 45km from Munich, this business develops and produces environmentally friendly solvent-free acrylic resin adhesive tapes for a variety of applications in the aeronautic, automotive and other industrial markets, mostly in Europe. Biolink has unique skills in the development of adhesive solutions working closely together with its customers and partners.

After taking over H-Old in Italy at the end of 2016, this Biolink acquisition will accelerate the growth of Saint-Gobain's performance plastics business in the fast growing adhesives market.

ABOUT SAINT-GOBAIN

Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions which are key ingredients in the wellbeing of each of us and the future of all. They can be found everywhere in our living places and our daily life: in buildings, transportation, infrastructure and in many industrial applications. They provide comfort, performance and safety while addressing the challenges of sustainable construction, resource efficiency and climate change.

39.1 billion in sales in 2016

Operates in 68 countries

More than 170,000 employees

http://www.saint-gobain.com

@saintgobain

Analyst/Investor relations Media relations Vivien Dardel +33-1-47-62-44-29 Susanne Trabitzsch +33-1-47-62-43-25 Florent Nouveau +33-1-47-62-30-93 Floriana Michalowska +33-1-47-62-35-98

SOURCE Saint-Gobain
LONDON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Santander UK has helped a customer propose to his girlfriend in the most unique and special way.

A viral film, entitled 'Love Virtually,' sees the couple get engaged in Sheffield with the help of hometown hero Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill .

An innovative virtual reality stunt and a real-life surprise & delight, this is the first time a bank has played cupid on the British high street.

URL link to downloadable film - https://we.tl/CLMfXaCmR9

https://we.tl/CLMfXaCmR9 YouTube URL  https://goo.gl/6d5UGD

https://goo.gl/6d5UGD Getty Images - https://goo.gl/W1qcVu

https://goo.gl/W1qcVu Rights-free images - https://we.tl/Fu4khxle71

A couple are set to tie the knot thanks to Santander's 1I2I3 Current Account and a little help from Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill. The tear-jerking moment when Robin King produced a diamond ring, to his girlfriend's total surprise, has been made into a heart-warming digital short released today titled 'Love Virtually.'

Taking brand engagement to a literal level, Santander UK undertook a national search seeking someone ready to pop the question. 'Are you considering getting engaged soon?' it read. 'We may be able to help make the moment very magical for you.'

Robin, 37, responded to the call out. He'd been trying to think up an original way to propose, and the mysterious advert spurred him into action.

Robin and Kate (33), who live in Brighton, have been together for seven years and travelled to Sheffield, Jessica's hometown, for Robin to pluck up the courage and say "Will you marry me?"

Robin is a part-time electrician, a full-time father to their one-year-old son and a member of a British beard growing club. Kate works for a charity, and went along with Robin and Santander's nuptial subterfuge thinking she was in Sheffield for a customer research exercise involving virtual reality. But virtual became Actual Reality when she took off her goggles to find Robin on bended knee and an Olympic gold medal winner as a preemptive Maid of Honour.

Not only that, Jessica bore a 5,000 cheque as a gift from Santander UK to help kick-start Robin and Kate's future together.

The 1I2I3 Current Account, which has 4.7 million UK customers, offers 1.5% interest on balances of up to 20k and up to 3% cashback on their household bills, allowing everyone to spend on the things they really want; such as a long overdue wedding. That's the real, not virtual, reality of the 1I2I3 Current Account.

Santander ambassador Jessica was thrilled to toast Robin and Kate's engagement. "I was just as nervous about it as Robin. Thank goodness Kate said yes! It was such a special and moving moment, and there were a few tears shed in Sheffield's town centre! Kate's reaction was absolutely brilliant. It was amazing to be there as part of Robin's unique proposal!"

"It's still sinking in, to be honest," says Robin. "I saw the call out from Santander while procrastinating on social media and thought 'what a daft idea', which is exactly why I wanted to do it.

"I knew I wanted to pop the question, but I was racking my brains to think of something really memorable and fun. I told Kate just enough of the truth to get her in the car and up to Sheffield; I said we were off to test a VR experience for Santander in return for 250. Obviously, there was a massive twist at the end, and she had absolutely no idea it was coming. We're both thrilled with the result, and big thanks to everyone who helped arrange it. Now we just need to agree on a date."

Kate is certainly getting a lot more than she bargained for. "I went along with Robin's VR ploy because we needed to buy a new oven. I couldn't believe it when I took the headset off and there was Robin with a ring, and the real Jessica Ennis-Hill! It was a surreal and amazing experience, I couldn't be happier. And thanks to Santander we can plan an incredible honeymoon and buy that much-needed oven!"

'Love Virtually' follows on from the recent 'Suntan-der' viral, which saw unsuspecting Santander customers in London and Sheffield donning VR headsets showing beautiful Hawaiian beach scenes, only to remove the goggles and find themselves surrounded by a real beach, palm trees and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and British F1 World Champion Jenson Button presenting cheques for 5,000 to spend on their dream holidays -- https://youtu.be/g-iN_1UZ31E

The information contained in our press releases is intended solely for journalists and should not be used by consumers to make financial decisions.

Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 31 December 2016, the bank serves around 14 million active customers with c20,000 employees and operates through 841 branches (which includes 60 university branches) and 67 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.

About Us

Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, headquartered in Spain, with a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas. It is among the world's top banks by market capitalization. The bank's purpose is to help people and businesses prosper, in a way that is simple, personal and fair. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.52 trillion in managed funds, 125 million customers, 12,200 branches and 188,000 employees at the close of 2016. Santander made attributable profit of EUR 6,204 million in 2016, an increase of 4% compared to the previous year.

SOURCE Santander UK
WASHINGTON, May 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the Arab Islamic American Summit, held today in Riyadh, was an important step in building an effective partnership to combat terrorism, promote positive dialogue and counter Iran.

Minister Al-Jubeir praised U.S. President Donald Trump's attendance at the summit and his efforts to promote dialogue between the U.S. and Muslim-majority countries. He reiterated President Trump's message that the fight against terrorism is one of good versus evil.

"The President deserves a lot of credit for taking this step, making his first visit outside the U.S. to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and land of the Two Holy Mosques, and then going to Israel and then going to the Vatican to deal with the Jewish world and with the Christian world in order to try to bring the three religions together," said Minister Al-Jubeir.

Both leaders stressed the importance of productive understanding, tolerance, and dialogue among nations and different religions.

"I believe that the fact that this summit took place is historic. I cannot overemphasize the importance of it to the history of the world," said Minister Al-Jubeir. "Unless we are able to move from notions of a clash of civilizations and move towards a partnership among civilizations, we will not be able to eradicate the scourge of terrorism."

Minister Al-Jubeir argued that Iran must end its meddling in international affairs and its expansionist behavior.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office
THALWIL, Switzerland, May 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

u-blox (SIX: UBXN), a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and chips, and SIM Technology Group Limited today announced that they will not proceed with the sale, respectively acquisition, of SIMCom cellular module product line.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150826/261282LOGO )



Despite best efforts on the part of SIM Technology Group and u-blox, the Parties could not close the deal as originally intended and were unable to find alternatives that worked for both whilst sustaining the intended benefits. Both Parties have therefore decided to amicably terminate the Asset Purchase Agreement and Technology Assignment Contract with all ancillary agreements.

u-blox CEO Thomas Seiler commented: "While we are disappointed that the deal has not come to fruition, u-blox and SIM Technology Group Limited continue to have a good relationship and expect to find other ways of working together in the future."

Seiler continued: "Our strategy for cellular products remains focused on growth. For some time now we have been working on adapting our product range to achieve a stronger geographical diversification mainly for the Asian markets, where we make 50% of our global revenue. The strong move to LTE based connectivity will naturally open new strategic windows. Our strong focus and investment in our own chipset development especially for IoT applications is a key part of our strategy. Our guidance indicates a continued strong growth."

As a result of this situation, u-blox has revised its guidance figures for 2017 back to levels as provided on January 11, 2017 and foresees for FY 2017 continued growth in all regions expecting revenues of between CHF 410 and 425 million, with EBIT in the range of CHF 60 to 65 million.

About u-blox

Swiss u-blox (SIX:UBXN) is a global leader in wireless and positioning semiconductors and modules for the automotive, industrial and consumer markets. u-blox solutions enable people, vehicles and machines to locate their exact position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short range networks. With a broad portfolio of chips, modules and software solutions, u-blox is uniquely positioned to empower OEMs to develop innovative solutions for the Internet of Things, quickly and cost-effectively. With headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland, u-blox is globally present with offices in Europe, Asia and the USA.

(http://www.u-blox.com)

Disclaimer

This release contains certain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the u-blox Group to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include risks related to the success of and demand for the Group's products, the potential for the Group's products to become obsolete, the Group's ability to defend its intellectual property, the Group's ability to develop and commercialize new products in a timely manner, the dynamic and competitive environment in which the Group operates, the regulatory environment, changes in currency exchange rates, the Group's ability to generate revenues and profitability, and the Group's ability to realize its expansion projects in a timely manner. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this report. u-blox is providing the information in this release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in it as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



This press release is published in German and English. Should the German translation differ from the English original, the English version is binding.

Gitte Jensen

Phone: +41-44-722-74-86

Email: [email protected]





SOURCE u-blox
PRAGUE, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The leading social media management platform is included in the inaugural list marking its continued international growth

Socialbakers, the world's leading social media management platform, has been recognised in the latest FT 1000 among the 1000 fastest-growing European businesses - the only social media analytics vendor on the list. Published by the Financial Times in partnership with Statista, the list identifies the European businesses according to highest percentage growth in revenues since 2012.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160802/395123LOGO )



In today's competitive marketing environment, Socialbakers has become the go-to social media management partner for half of the Global Fortune 500 companies, as well as thousands of enterprise brands and SMBs. Socialbakers' industry-leading marketing suite has helped these brands ensure their investment in social media is delivering measurable business outcomes.

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Prague, Socialbakers has operations in five continents across the world and is available to use across 100 countries. Demonstrating its dedication to continued growth, the business is also currently hiring for 30 positions across the globe covering sales, marketing, product development and engineering.

Dr. John Malatesta, CMO & EVP at Socialbakers commented: "We're thrilled to be included in the FT's list of Europe's Fastest Growing Companies, marking our achievement as a business truly dedicated to not only growing our own business, but that of our clients. As the world's leading social media management platform, we are committed to developing the best products to help marketers understand and improve their social media performance."

ABOUT SOCIALBAKERS

Socialbakers is the trusted social media management partner to thousands of enterprise brands and SMBs, including over 100 companies on the 2015 Fortune Global 500. Leveraging the largest social media data-set in the industry, Socialbakers' suite of solutions helps brands large and small ensure their investment in social media is delivering measurable business outcomes. With over 2,500 clients across 100 countries, Socialbakers is one of the industry leaders in social media management, tracking 10 million social profiles across all major social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, and VK.com. Socialbakers has been a Facebook Marketing Partner since 2011. For more information, visit http://www.socialbakers.com.

SOURCE Socialbakers
Carol Waldo Also Joins Leadership Team as Head of Regulatory Affairs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Spero Therapeutics, LLC, a biopharmaceutical company founded to develop novel therapies for the treatment of bacterial infections, today announced the appointment of Joel Sendek as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Sendek brings more than 25 years of experience in the life sciences sector to Spero.

"Joel's broad experience in biotechnology and financial strategy makes him an ideal choice to lead our financial operations as we continue to expand and advance our diverse pipeline of anti-infectives," said Ankit Mahadevia, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Spero. "I am excited to welcome Joel to the team and am confident that his leadership will help Spero execute on our mission to address the growing threat of multidrug-resistant bacteria."

"I am pleased to join Spero at this pivotal time in the company's development as an innovator in the increasingly important antibacterials field," said Mr. Sendek. "I look forward to contributing to Spero's future growth as we work to bring novel therapies to this global unmet need."

Mr. Sendek was most recently the Chief Financial Officer of Forward Pharma A/S, which he joined in 2014. He previously spent over 17 years as a senior equity research analyst covering biotechnology. As an analyst, he served as a Managing Director at Stifel Financial Corp. where he led the firm's healthcare equity research group, and previously he was a Managing Director at Lazard, where he established the firm's healthcare equity research effort. Prior to his career in equity research, Mr. Sendek worked as a Senior Director of Corporate Development at Progenics Pharmaceuticals and as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Sendek holds a B.A. in Biochemistry from Rice University.

Additionally, Carol Waldo was appointed to the newly created position of Head of Regulatory Affairs. Ms. Waldo has more than 27 years of experience in drug development, including over 17 years in regulatory affairs across a number of therapeutic areas. Prior to Spero, Ms. Waldo served as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Cubist Pharmaceuticals where her responsibilities included regulatory strategy, advertising, promotion and labeling.

About Spero

Spero Therapeutics is a global multi-asset clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts dedicated to developing a novel and highly differentiated pipeline of antibacterials focused on unmet needs of patients with drug resistant bacterial infections. Spero Therapeutics is advancing two lead programs in parallel, SPR741 and SPR994. SPR741, also called Potentiator, is a platform approach to combination therapy to treat serious and life-threatening multidrug resistant Gram-negative infections, such as Enterobacteriaceae and Acinetobacter baumannii, including carbapenem resistant strains. SPR741 increases the spectrum and potency of more than two dozen classes of Gram-positive antibiotics to include activity against multidrug resistant Gram-negative infections when used in combination. SPR994 is a novel oral agent that has demonstrated potent invitro activity against a wide variety of Gram-negative bacteria, including extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs), and Gram-positive bacteria. Spero Therapeutics also has a robust preclinical pipeline including SPR720, which is a preclinical oral therapeutic candidate for mycobacteria infections including nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung disease, a rare and often chronic fatal infection. In addition, Spero Therapeutics has a variety of other discovery stage antimicrobials focused on drug resistant infections.

For more information, please visit https://sperotherapeutics.com.

SOURCE Spero Therapeutics

Related Links

https://sperotherapeutics.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Symic Bio, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel matrix regulator therapeutics, today announced the successful completion of a $30 million Series B financing and provided a program update regarding lead program SB-030. The Series B financing involved participation of all current major investors as well as new investor HEDA Ventures. Proceeds will be used to support clinical programs including SB-030 in the prevention of peripheral vein graft failure and SB-061 for pain management and disease modification in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee, as well as further research on the platform. The company also announced plans to initiate a Phase 3 trial of SB-030 following a Type B pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on a review of interim results from the Phase 1/2a SHIELD study, the FDA recommended proceeding with a single Phase 3 registration trial of SB-030 in the prevention of peripheral vein graft failure.

"This financing reflects support from our committed investor base for the promise of our matrix biology platform," said Ken Horne, CEO of Symic Bio. "Additional funds will allow us to efficiently advance our two clinical candidates into later stage development and support some of the exciting research we are conducting in other therapeutic areas with our matrix regulators. We are encouraged by the depth of involvement of our investors. We are also encouraged by the recent feedback we have received from the FDA regarding our SB-030 program and look forward to initiating a Phase 3 trial in 2018."

About the SHIELD trial

The proof-of-concept Phase 1/2a SHIELD (Study in Humans to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Luminal SB-030 Delivery in peripheral artery disease) trial is a parallel, blinded, randomized (2:1) clinical trial that involves multiple sites in Australia and New Zealand. The trial has enrolled 67 patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease. It will compare the safety and efficacy of balloon angioplasty with or without the administration of SB-030 in patients undergoing angioplasty to address reduced blood flow (occlusions) within the femoral artery. The trial includes a primary efficacy measurement of late lumen loss at six months, a standard measure of restenosis following vascular injury, and will also evaluate other clinically relevant outcomes such as target lesion revascularization.

More information on the proof-of-concept SHIELD study of SB-030 in peripheral artery disease can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02568293.

About SB-030

SB-030 is in development to improve clinical outcomes following surgical vein graft procedures. These procedures are commonly performed for the treatment of critical limb ischemia, which is the most severe form of peripheral artery disease. The SB-030 therapeutic compound is delivered directly to the vein graft at the time of the procedure. By targeting the extracellular matrix exposed inside the vein, SB-030 aims to reduce the scarring (neointimal hyperplasia) that leads to vein graft failure. SB-030 has potential applications in other types of vascular procedures including coronary artery bypass grafting and surgical intervention in end-stage renal disease.

About Symic Bio

Symic Bio is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel matrix regulators, a new category of therapeutics focused on matrix biology. These therapeutics, with potential applications in a wide variety of disease states, are inspired by naturally occurring macromolecules that play key regulatory roles within the extracellular matrix. Symic Bio currently has two clinical candidates: SB-030, which will initially target the prevention of peripheral vein graft failure, and SB-061, directed at disease modification and pain management in the treatment of osteoarthritis. In addition, Symic Bio is investigating applications in the areas of fibrosis, oncology and diseases of the central nervous system. For additional information please visit the company's website at www.symic.bio, LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/company/symic-bio or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/symicbio.

SOURCE Symic Bio

Related Links

http://www.symic.bio


"We are very glad to be recognized for our commitment to workplace safety," said Eric Hahn, site head for Takeda's Brooklyn Park facility. "Our state of the art biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Brooklyn Park is undergoing extensive construction work in order to prepare it for production starting in 2018. While we have a great deal of activity underway, ensuring worker safety is our top priority."

Since acquiring the more than 200,000 square foot facility in 2015 in Brooklyn Park, Takeda is investing more than $75 million in modifications and upgrades. The company estimates that more than 1,000,000 man hours will be dedicated to construction, project management and other activities to ready the plant for full production.

Takeda has added more than 120 positions in Brooklyn Park since the acquisition in 2015 and plans to hire approximately 80 additional positions over the next two years. When the facility is fully operational in 2019, it will be Takeda's first U.S. based manufacturing facility, joining the company's global network of 23 manufacturing sites around the world.

The company initially plans to manufacture Entyvio at the facility, a product used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

"We thank Takeda Pharmaceuticals for its commitment to safety," said Paul Aasen, president of the Minnesota Safety Council. "These efforts protect workers, strengthen the organization and benefit the community as a whole."

Since 1934, the annual Governor's Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers with exceptional safety performance. Applicants are judged on several years of injury data as it compares with their industry's national statistics, and on their progress in implementing a comprehensive safety program.

The Governor's Safety Awards luncheon is part of the 83rd Minnesota Safety & Health Conference, coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council. The conference is the oldest and largest gathering of workplace safety and health professionals in the region. The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1928, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries ("accidents").

This award from the Minnesota Safety Council joins a long list of workplace awards Takeda has earned based on its employee policies and programs. Takeda was included for the fourth year in the Working Mother 100 Best Companies 2016 list and was recognized by Forbes as one of the best mid-size biotech employers in 2016 and 2017.

About Takeda

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a global, R&D-driven pharmaceutical company committed to bringing better health and a brighter future to patients by translating science into life-changing medicines. Takeda focuses its research efforts on oncology, gastroenterology and central nervous system therapeutic areas. It also has specific development programs in specialty cardiovascular diseases as well as late-stage candidates for vaccines. Takeda conducts R&D both internally and with partners to stay at the leading edge of innovation. New innovative products, especially in oncology and gastroenterology, as well as its presence in emerging markets, fuel the growth of Takeda. More than 30,000 Takeda employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients, working with our partners in health care in more than 70 countries.

Additional information about Takeda is available through its corporate website, www.takeda.com.

SOURCE Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Related Links

http://www.takeda.com


SALT LAKE CITY, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TalentTeam, a leading Salt Lake City-based recruiting and staffing firm, announced today they have won Inavero's Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and job seekers. Presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, Inavero's Best of Staffing winners have proven to be industry leaders in service quality based completely on the ratings given to them by their clients and the permanent and temporary employees they've helped find jobs. On average, clients of winning agencies are 2.5 times more likely to be completely satisfied and talent of winning agencies are 3.6 times more likely to be completely satisfied with the services provided compared to those working with non- winning agencies. Award winners make up less than two percent of all staffing agencies in the U.S. and Canada who earned the Best of Staffing Award for service excellence.

Focused on helping to connect people with the right job openings, TalentTeam received satisfaction scores of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 72% of their clients and 89% of their talent, significantly higher than the industry's average.

"Our staff is amazing! We have fun providing our services because we love our customers and our employees!" TalentTeam's President and CEO Steve Pluim said.

"Staffing firms are giving top companies a competitive advantage as they search for talent in North America," said Inavero's CEO Eric Gregg. "The 2017 Best of Staffing winners have achieved exceptionally high levels of satisfaction and I'm proud to feature them on BestofStaffing.com."

About Company

Since 1977, TalentTeam has been committed to providing exceptional service to companies and job seekers throughout the greater Salt Lake City area. With highly skilled and trained staffing and recruiting professionals, TalentTeam is dedicated to matching the right people with the right job, helping clients grow their business and job seekers find rewarding employment. The firm focuses on manufacturing, distribution, call center, finance and accounting industries, providing unique workforce strategies tailored to modern human resource challenges.

About Inavero

Inavero administers more staffing agency client and talent satisfaction surveys than any other firm in the world. Inavero's team reports on over 1.2 million satisfaction surveys from staffing agency clients and talent each year and the company serves as the American Staffing Association's exclusive service quality partner.

About Inavero's Best of Staffing

Inavero's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the U.S. and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service quality based completely on the ratings given to them by their clients and job candidates. Award winners are showcased by city and area of expertise on BestofStaffing.com  an online resource for hiring professionals and job seekers to find the best staffing agencies to call when they are in need.

SOURCE TalentTeam
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijan exported goods worth $227.25 million to Georgia in January-April 2017 that is by 44.3 percent more than in the same period of 2016, according to a report of Georgias National Statistics Office.

According to the report, Azerbaijan ranks second with the specific weight of 9.9 percent as of January-April 2017 among the main countries exporting goods to Georgia compared to 7.7 percent in January-April 2016.

Turkey is the leader with $376.2 million (16.3 percent), while Russia ranks third with $216.29 million (9.4 percent) among the main countries exporting goods to Georgia.

According to the report, Georgias trade turnover with Azerbaijan totaled $272.8 million in January-April 2017. The specific weight of Azerbaijans trade turnover with Georgia is 8.8 percent of a total volume of Georgias foreign trade operations.
WASHINGTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This incredible forum is an outstanding opportunity for attendees to meet and interact with Key ISR thought leaders from DoD, Government & Industry. Additionally, you will hear from Senior Leaders who are defining requirements and shaping the next generation of ISR and speaking on the most critical ISR issues and questions:

Rear Admiral Robert Hayes, USCG

What are the Latest OSD and Service Next Gen ISR Strategies, Roadmaps, Needs and New Initiatives?

What are the key Critical Gaps Needed Now for Providing Actionable Intelligence to Decision Makers and the Warfighter?

How will Next Generation ISR address multi-sensor data fusion technologies across organizations and platforms and diverse operating environments?

What are Needs & Challenges for Integrating All-Source Intelligence to meet Robust Next Gen ISR Intelligence Production requirements?

What are the Needs & Requirements of the Future Force to incorporate an Automated and Secure PED data collection process at the Tactical Level?

Our Distinguished Panel of Military, Government & Key Industry ISR Experts:

Rear Admiral Robert Hayes , USCG Assistant Commandant for Intelligence, U.S. Coast Guard

, USCG Assistant Commandant for Intelligence, U.S. Coast Guard Mr. John Vona , Chief, Intelligence Systems Division, Plans, Programs & Requirements Directorate, HQ Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis

, Chief, Intelligence Systems Division, Plans, Programs & Requirements Directorate, HQ Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis Mr. Steven Armstrong , Chief, NORAD Strategic Engagement, Deputy Chief, NORAD Operations

, Chief, NORAD Strategic Engagement, Deputy Chief, NORAD Operations Mr. Paul Geier , National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Dr. Joseph W. Kirschbaum , Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office

, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office Mr. Michael Said , Assistant Deputy for T&E, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation

, Assistant Deputy for T&E, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Mr. Rick Lober , Vice President and General Manager, Defense and Intelligence Systems (DISD), Hughes Network Systems, LLC

, Vice President and General Manager, Defense and Intelligence Systems (DISD), Hughes Network Systems, LLC Mr. Steve Castillo , Senior Manager, Airborne ISR Systems, Sandia National Labs

, Senior Manager, Airborne ISR Systems, Col (USAF-ret) Gregory Power , PhD., Liaison for Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Emerging Capability and Prototyping and the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration Program, (S&T) Office, (USPACOM)

, PhD., Liaison for Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Emerging Capability and Prototyping and the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration Program, (S&T) Office, (USPACOM) Dr. Sherin Kamal , Chief Scientist, Engineering, SAIC

, Chief Scientist, Engineering, SAIC Col Anthony Sanchez , USA Project Manager, Terrestrial Sensors, PEO IEW&S

, Project Manager, Terrestrial Sensors, PEO IEW&S Dr. Ravi Ravichandran , Director, Strategic Development, Fusion Battle Mgmt and Computing Technology Group, BAE Systems

, Director, Strategic Development, Fusion Battle Mgmt and Computing Technology Group, BAE Systems Mr. Ralph Wade , Vice President, Lead, Navy and Marine Corps C4ISR, Booz Allen Hamilton

, Vice President, Lead, Navy and Marine Corps C4ISR, Mr. Karl Fuchs , Vice President of Technology, iDirect Government

, Vice President of Technology, iDirect Government Mr. Trip Carter, Strategy and Business Development Director, Special Programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

Mr. Andy Vaughn , Executive Vice President, North American Sales, Haivision

, Executive Vice President, North American Sales, Haivision Mr. Tim Cronin , Director, Special Capability Sensors, Surveillance and Targeting Systems, Raytheon SAS

, Director, Special Capability Sensors, Surveillance and Targeting Systems, Raytheon SAS Col ( USA -ret) Joseph Green , Senior Director, nContext Programs, Sierra Nevada Corporation

Would you like to be an exhibitor at this symposium? Host a breakfast, lunch or beverage reception during the symposium? Contact Ken Hood, Director of Marketing, to find out how your organization can participate with many options available including sponsorship.

TTC Media Contact:

Ken Hood, Director Of Marketing

Phone: 310-320-8110

Email: [email protected]

Related Files

5.15.17 P018-_ISR_PROOF-6.pdf

5.10.17 Next Generation ISR Agenda JULY 11-12 2017 DC.pdf

Related Images

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Related Links

Registration Web Page & Fees

Technology Training Corporation

SOURCE Technology Training Corporation (TTC)

Related Links

http://www.ttcus.com


BrunaSeals offers expertise in embossing, printing, foil stamping, die cutting, removal and closure lining capabilities. The company markets its core induction seal and foam closure liners under the ProTecSeals brand. BrunaSeals' most recent product innovations include the LuxeSeal and SniffSeal specialty platforms that provide brand owners with unique sensory and shelf-presence attributes. Founded in 1986 to service Latin American liner and gasket needs, the company has expanded its product portfolio and geographic reach over the past three decades.

"BrunaSeal's expertise in supporting the Latin American market place, coupled with its innovative product line, will help further expand the global Tri-Seal closure liner business,' said David Andrulonis, senior vice president and general manager, Tri-Seal. "The combined capabilities create an even stronger liners portfolio from which to service brand owners around the world."

Juan Bruna, president and founder of BrunaSeals will support the Tri-Seal business unit in future business development efforts.

"We couldn't be happier to become part of a leading global manufacturer who is committed to growing its closure liner and seal business. Our collective customers will benefit significantly from this acquisition," Bruna said.

BrunaSeals is now the fourth closure liner business Tekni-Plex has acquired in the past four years. The three previous acquisitions were Sancap, Alliance, Ohio; Ghiya Extrusions, Ahmedabad, India, and Tech-Seal, Triadelphia, West Virginia.

About Tri-Seal

Tri-Seal is a leading global manufacturer of closure liners and seals for glass, metal and plastic containers. It serves a broad range of product applications including pharmaceutical, nutraceuticals, personal care, food/beverage and household/industrial. With manufacturing facilities across the globe, the company's innovative products ensure that the contents of its customer's packages are secure from contamination, leakage or loss of product efficacy. For more information visit http://www.tekni-plex.com/tri-seal.

About Tekni-Plex, Inc.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, Tekni-Plex is a globally-integrated company focused on developing and manufacturing innovative packaging materials, medical compounds and precision-crafted medical tubing solutions for some of the most well-known names in the medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, household and industrial, and food and beverage industries. Tekni-Plex is headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and operates 29 manufacturing sites across eight countries worldwide to meet the needs of its global customers. For more information visit www.tekni-plex.com.

SOURCE Tekni-Plex, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tekni-plex.com


PHILADELPHIA, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- College graduates live up to 10 years longer than high school graduates. That's what recent research from prestigious academic institutions shows. College graduates suffer from fewer chronic health problems  heart disease, lung disease, dementia, depression. Education is more predictive of future health than income. In fact, the health benefits of completing at least a bachelor's degree are more positively correlated with longevity than the negative impacts to longevity incurred by smoking.

Recognizing this, health insurers typically provide subscribers with benefits beyond the traditional medical and dental coverage  gym memberships and nutritional programs. And, to improve health and wellness of their enrollees, health insurers have begun to encourage college attendance by the students of subscribers by offering Tuition RewardsR by SAGE Scholars, Inc. as a free employee benefit.

The program, now offered by ConnectiCare, Guardian Dental Insurance and Independence Blue Cross, enables families to accumulate rewards points (similar to frequent flyer miles) that can be redeemed for guaranteed minimum scholarships at over 380 private colleges from Maine to Hawaii. In addition, SAGE provides participating families with timely information on how to prepare academically for college and how to finance it.

The participating private colleges boast a significantly higher average 4-year graduation rates than averages at public colleges, so a student who enrolls at a SAGE college is more likely to be earning a living after four years of college instead of still studying for a bachelor's degree (accumulating additional student loans).

The college education benefit can be thought of as a health benefit that leads to a higher income. College graduates ages 45-to-64 have a 60% lower mortality rate than those with only a high school education; are 70% less likely to smoke; and, 70-to-80% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia by age 75. They are 60% less likely to be obese than those with no education beyond high school. Completing one's college education greatly reduces the risk of a chronic disease; medical expenses are twice as high for those with a chronic disease.

Dr. James B. Johnston, CEO of SAGE Scholars and the former Director of Admissions & Financial Aid at the Wharton Graduate School, University of Pennsylvania, believes the program provides a larger, societal benefit. "To the extent that we create awareness of the health and wellness benefits of college attainment, as well as increasing affordability, both families and society are the winners."

A key benefit for the 380+ consortium member colleges is free use of the expanding SAGE database, which currently includes 345,000+ students, birth thru high school senior. Participating students submitted $74.6 million in rewards points to member colleges in 2016, including such schools as Arcadia, Bradley, Clarkson, Creighton, DePaul, Duquesne, La Salle, Messiah, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Robert Morris, Savannah College of Art & Design, Susquehanna, University of Dayton, University of San Diego, University of Tampa, Ursinus, Valparaiso & Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Contact:

Robert Savett

215-564-9930 ext 14

[email protected]

SOURCE SAGE Scholars, Inc.
The new SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer utilizes a unique all-in-one cartridge that combines the capillary array, polymer reservoir and anode buffer, which vastly simplifies preparation and hands-on processing time. Other innovative features of the system allow customers to access individualized protocols, an intuitive touchscreen and connectivity to the Thermo Fisher Cloud for remote setup and monitoring as well as easy data analysis and collaboration.

"Sanger sequencing using CE, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the gold standard sequencing technology. It helped discover novel biological findings such as the first breast cancer gene (BRCA1) and was used to complete the Human Genome Project in 2003," said Kim Kelderman, vice president and general manager of Genetic Analysis at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "The SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer is a smart and state-of-the-art system that provides researchers with a truly plug and play system."

The SeqStudio instrument has a small footprint, with an onboard computer and integrated touchscreen that makes run setup quick, intuitive and flexible. The system allows sequencing and fragment analysis runs on the same plate without the need to change any consumables. This opens new opportunities for streamlining analyses  for example, combining a locus screening test with a copy number variability test on the same CE plate.

The SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer will be available to all global markets in the second half of 2017 and is already in use by select customers in North America, EMEA, Japan and China. These early-access customers have reported exciting successes with more than 2,000 combined runs on the system.

"I am very enthusiastic about the launch of this new CE system because it brings down the cost of capillary electrophoresis platforms and is very simple to operate," said Jan Schouten, CEO of MRC Holland, which is a SeqStudio early access site that develops MLPA-based fragment analysis assays for the detection of small copy number changes. "The system can handle a complete microtiter sample plate and has sufficient capacity for both low- and mid-throughput genetic laboratories."

For more information about the SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer or to learn more about Thermo Fisher's Sanger sequencing applications, please visit www.thermofisher.com/seqstudio. To watch an overview video of the SeqStudio, click here. Thermo Fisher will also host a live unveiling of the SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer via a video broadcast beginning at 7 a.m. PT today. To view the presentation live or on demand later, click here.

SeqStudio Genetic Analyzer is for Research Use Only; not intended for diagnostic procedures.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of $18 billion and more than 55,000 employees globally. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and increase laboratory productivity. Through our premier brands  Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services  we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive support. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

Media Contact Information:

Mauricio Minotta Maurissa Messier Thermo Fisher Scientific CG Life +1 760 929 2456 +1 908 208 9254 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Related Links

http://www.thermofisher.com


DUBLIN, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Thermochromic Pigment Market - Drivers, Opportunities, Trends & Forecasts up to 2022" report to their offering.

According to this research, the global thermochromic pigment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period 2016-2022 to reach $2,612.9 million by 2022. Ink printing application segment is expected to maintain global dominance in application segments, whereas China and Japan driven Asia Pacific is expected to contribute the highest growth in global thermochromic pigment.

Globally, the demand for thermochromic pigment is growing consistently, especially in Europe and North America markets. This growth is supported by increasing automotive coating & printing industries in these regions.



Currently, North America is the global leader in the thermochromic pigment market. The US has built an advantage of having most of the ink printing market thus providing the maximum contribution in the global thermochromic pigment market. After the US, Canada is the major consumer of global thermochromic pigment market in North America. Asia Pacific will show high growth rate during the forecast period due to growing industrialization and increasing per capita income of people.

Reversible thermochromic pigments are extensively popular for their reversible color changing property and make it usable for aesthetics in decorative products.

Irreversible thermochromic pigment has relatively lower cost in comparison to reversible thermochromic pigment and only once it can change the color with a change in temperature. It has larger market share in volume in comparison with reversible, although relatively low market share in value.



Companies Mentioned



3M

Chromatic Technologies Inc

E.I.du Pont,Flint Group

Hammer Packaging

NanoMatriX International Ltd

OliKrom

Quad/Graphics

RPM International

Sherwin-Williams Co



Key Topics Covered:

1 Report Outline



2 Executive Summary



3 Market Positioning



4 Market Outlook



5 Market Characteristics



6 Type: Market Size and Analysis



7 Application: Market Size and Analysis



8 Regions: Market Size and Analysis



9 Companies to Watch for



10 Competitive Landscape



11 Expert's Views



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/7r8vhh/thermochromic

Media Contact:

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

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With critical policy battles looming, including repealing Obamacare and passing pro-growth tax reform, Great America Alliance (GAA), the leading issue advocacy organization supporting the America First agenda of President Donald J. Trump, announced Tomi Lahren is joining their national team. Using her growing national profile, Lahren will help GAA execute communications and messaging strategies to expand grassroots support of the President's policies across the country.

"The liberal establishment and mainstream media continue to fight our President at every turn, so it's critical for all Americans to step up and do all they can to advance the America First agenda," said Lahren. "I'm excited to join the Great America team and continue supporting President Trump and help ensure he can deliver on his promises to the American people."

Lahren's broad appeal to conservative and millennial Americans will combine with GAA's proven team to drive support for President Donald J. Trump's America First agenda in the months ahead, especially in states that strongly supported the President's reform agenda in 2016 and that are paying attention to how their Senators act ahead of 2018.

"Tomi was an important and impactful voice in support of Donald Trump during the campaign," said Eric Beach, a founder of Great America Alliance. "We are thrilled to join forces with her and continue the work of developing unique, effective programs to advance the President's policies."

In 2016, the Great America PAC was the largest and most effective pro-Trump Super PAC, raising and deploying $30 million in support of the President's candidacy. That same team now leads Great America Alliance, a 501(c)4 and issue advocacy organization whose mission is to advocate for a stronger economy, a more secure nation, and a society with less government intrusion and more freedom for American citizens.

CONTACT: 949.287.6150

[email protected]

SOURCE Great America Alliance

Related Links

http://www.greatamericaalliance.com/


WACO, Texas, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 399 of the most elite computer programmers from six continents will battle it out in Rapid City, South Dakota on May 24 in the 41st Annual ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals sponsored by IBM (NYSE: IBM) and hosted by Excellence in Computer Programming. During their time on-site, these top software engineers will interact with advanced technologies in cloud, cognitive computing and more.

Headquartered at Baylor University and known as the "Battle of the Brains," the world's oldest, largest, and most prestigious programming contest fosters creativity, teamwork and innovation in building new software programs. Huddled around a single computer, 133 teams of three students race against the clock to solve a series of complex real-world problems in just five hours.

"Over the last four decades, the ACM-ICPC has grown from a rivalry among the universities of Texas to a worldwide, multi-tiered competition," said Dr. Bill Poucher, ICPC Executive Director and Baylor University Professor. "We're excited to see this exceptional group of students test their creativity and technical expertise at this year's competition with IBM celebrating its 20th year as event sponsor and Excellence in Computer Programming as host."

In addition to competing in the World Finals, students will be exposed to the latest open technologies influencing cloud, mobile, IoT and artificial intelligence. IBM technologists will be on-site to discuss and exhibit the power of these open technologies through engaging, interactive talks and demonstrations.

The participants will also have the opportunity to meet with current IBM professionals to learn about industry trends and professional opportunities.

"As lead sponsor, IBM's goal is to celebrate the achievements of these top programming students, expose them to the next generation of technological trends such as cloud and cognitive intelligence and encourage them as they pursue careers in programming," said Jonas Jacobi, ACM-ICPC Sponsorship Executive and Vice President, IBM Developer Advocacy, Worldwide. "As cloud and other advanced technologies transform the way businesses around the globe operate, the future is truly in the hands of talented developers, like these contestants."

The World Finalists emerged from local and regional ICPC competitions this past fall. Initially, selection took place from a field of more than 300,000 students in computing disciplines worldwide. A record number of students advanced to the regional level, as 46,381 contestants from 2,948 universities in 103 countries on six continents competed at more than 480 sites, all with the goal of earning one of the coveted invitations to South Dakota.

"We congratulate all of the ICPC finalists and are looking forward to hosting this incredible event," said Dr. Richard Gowan, President, Excellence in Computer Programming, Inc. "We thank ACM-ICPC for choosing Rapid City and IBM for their support in the organization of this unique and wonderful competition."

The contest will begin at 9:00 a.m. local time in Rapid City on May 24. A live broadcast will air on ICPCLive.com and live contest standings will be available on MyICPC.ICPCNews.com.

Media Contact:

Courtney Thomas, Tierney Communications

+1 (215) 790-4388

[email protected]

SOURCE IBM
NEWTOWN, Conn., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TUV Rheinland, a global leader in independent technical services, has extended its leadership in the field of IoT (Internet of Things) testing with the election of its global testing and certification body program manager, Bill Graff, as the new Chairman of the Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) Council. The TCB Council is an association of accredited certification bodies with the authority to issue Grants of Equipment Authorization for compliance with Federal Communications Commission rules.

Active in the TCB council since its inception in 2001, Mr. Graff has been involved in wireless testing and approval for over 30 years, spending the last 15 years concentrating exclusively on North American radio rules.

"Before moving to California, Bill lived in Taipei for seven years, meeting and training people through seminars at many independent laboratories in Asia. He has built a reputation as a subject matter expert on FCC and Canadian rules and regulations. Today, as Global TCB Program Manager at TUV Rheinland North America Group, he is respected as a global expert in regulatory affairs," said Mr. Stefan Kischka, Vice President Wireless / Internet of Things at TUV Rheinland.

A growing global IoT testing footprint

By 2020 the number of wireless devices online is expected to top the 23 billion mark, representing a market worth an estimated U$291.2 million. Verizon Ventures estimates that funding for enterprise IoT technology is outpacing that of consumer-grade technologies by roughly two to three times.

This latest development follows a series of key TUV Rheinland wireless and IoT initiatives in recent months, including the acquisition of a new wireless lab in Sweden, becoming the first official LoRa Alliance test house in the US and opening the most comprehensive short and long range IoT wireless testing facility in Silicon Valley.

"It is clear that testing and certification services which help speed products to market are rapidly becoming a critical ingredient for success. The TCB Council provides a forum for dialogue between the FCC and testing and certification bodies to create a common platform for in-depth discussions on a wide variety of technical subjects," said Mr. Graff.

As demand for IoT products grows at breathtaking speed, TUV Rheinland is committed to providing the highest quality testing services to ensure that these inherently connected devices can work at peak performance and with no vulnerabilities.

"The election of a TUV Rheinland veteran like Bill Graff as Chairman of the TCB Council is a prime example of that philosophy in action," said Mr. Kischka.

About TUV Rheinland

TUV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services, founded 145 years ago. The group employs 19,700 people around the globe. Annual revenue is more than EURO1.9 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, technology and the environment in nearly all industrial sectors and areas of life. TUV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, and oversees projects, processes and information security for companies. Its experts train people in a wide range of careers and industries. To this end, the company operates a global network of approved labs and testing and education centers. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Website: www.tuv.com

SOURCE TUV Rheinland Singapore Pte Ltd
DAHLONEGA, Ga., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of North Georgia (UNG) set a new record this year with nine students selected as Fulbright Scholars for 2017-2018, placing UNG among the top-producing institutions nationally for Fulbright Scholars.

Overall, 10 UNG students were selected this year as semifinalists for the prestigious award, eight more than the previous year. One of the students has been named an alternate and will receive the award if other students for their selected country of study are unable to accept.

"Our students continue to showcase their academic prowess by being selected for renowned national scholarships," said Dr. Tom Ormond, UNG provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "The Fulbright Program selects just under 2,000 students across the nation each year, and for 10 of the semifinalists  and nine finalists  to come from UNG is a remarkable feat."

The Fulbright Program, which operates in more than 160 countries, is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other nations.

"This is an amazing opportunity for my personal, student and professional career," said Faith Brown, the first student from UNG's Gainesville Campus to be selected as a finalist. "I intend to go to graduate school for multimedia studies when I return, and Fulbright is going to open so many doors to help make that possible. I have been trying to figure out what career will make me happy; I've been looking more into teaching at the university level, and screenwriting as a profession. I am excited for the opportunity to travel abroad and to share my knowledge with the youth of Bulgaria, while they share their knowledge with me."

For the 2017-18 cycle, more than 700 institutions put forward in excess of 10,000 student applications for the program. Students are typically in their final semesters of study when applying to the program. The National Screening Committee, composed of 457 senior faculty or field of study professionals, advanced 3,600 students as semi-finalists. From that group, about half will become finalists and have the opportunity to travel abroad for 10 months of the 2017-18 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Fulbright award includes financial support for round-trip transportation to the host country and funding to cover room, board and incidental costs.

The 10 students, their majors, their areas of study and their countries of interest are:

Nicholas Allen - modern languages major in Arabic, selected to be an English teaching assistant in Senegal (finalist)

- modern languages major in Arabic, selected to be an English teaching assistant in (finalist) Faith Brown - communications major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in Bulgaria (finalist)

- communications major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in (finalist) Rachael Bryant - psychology major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in South Korea (finalist)

- psychology major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in (finalist) Mitchell Fariss - international affairs major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in Germany (finalist)

- international affairs major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in (finalist) Darion Gibson , international affairs major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in South Korea (finalist)

, international affairs major, selected to be an English teaching assistant in (finalist) Emma Honerbaum , history major, currently an alternate to be an English teaching assistant in Germany (alternate)

, history major, currently an alternate to be an English teaching assistant in (alternate) Katie McCullough - biology major, selected to conduct research in Poland (finalist)

- biology major, selected to conduct research in (finalist) Noah McDaniel - modern language major in Arabic, selected to be an English teaching assistant in India (finalist)

- modern language major in Arabic, selected to be an English teaching assistant in (finalist) Anita Renfroe - modern languages major in Arabic, selected to be an English teaching assistant in Malaysia (finalist)

- modern languages major in Arabic, selected to be an English teaching assistant in (finalist) Dezmone Valentine - middle grades education major, currently an alternate to be an English teaching assistant in Estonia (finalist)

The nine Fulbright finalists and one alternate are among the nearly 50 UNG students who have been awarded nationally competitive scholarships to study abroad in the past four years.

SOURCE University of North Georgia

Related Links

http://www.ung.edu


NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- If you've ever wanted to pilot a high-speed assault craft or extract Navy SEALs from enemy territory, you'll get your chance during Fleet Week New York, when the U.S. Navy will feature its new high-tech, virtual reality experience showcasing what it feels like to be part of today's Navy.

It is a state-of-the-art immersive experience with a virtual reality mission, electronic data capture and digital technology at every touch point. The goal is to transform and elevate the way people think about the Navy, while generating a high-caliber recruit tool.

Take a sneak peek here and then visit the two mobile, virtual reality displays, named the Nimitz and the Burke, during Fleet Week at the following New York-area sites:

Thursday, May 25

Somerset County Vocational High School

14 Vogt Dr., Bridgewater, NJ 08807

8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Nimitz will be on site. This event is for students only and not open to the public.

Saturday, May 27  Sunday, May 28

2017 Beth Page Jones Beach Airshow

1 Ocean Parkway, Wantagh, NY 11793

11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

The Nimitz will be on site. Navy staff will be on hand to answer questions and help visitors navigate the virtual reality experience.

Thursday, May 25  Saturday, May 27; Monday, May 29

2017 Fleet Week New York, Pier 885

711 12th Ave, New York, NY 10019

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Burke will be on site. Navy staff will be on hand to answer questions and help visitors navigate the virtual reality experience.

"We are excited to introduce today's Navy experience to the greater New York City area," says Navy Rear Admiral Doug "Woody" Beal, Deputy Commander at Navy Recruiting Command. "This is a state-of-the-art virtual reality experience that will transform and elevate the way people think about the Navy."

So, what happens inside this display? Participants go through a video briefing before strapping on an Oculus Rift headset and a piece of wearable technology called a SubPac (traditionally used by Club DJs) that percusses in real time to the sounds of the mission, such as helicopter blades whirling and live mortar fire. Participants navigate the mission using a cutting-edge steering wheel and throttle system that replicate the actual sensation of piloting a high-speed assault craft while extracting SEALs. Once finished, participants move to the debriefing station, where they receive feedback and a performance grade.

"This display offers users the most realistic Navy experience possible. Virtual reality has allowed the U.S. Navy to come a long way. Where we once were only able to describe these experiences, now we can present the reality of a Navy mission in an interactive way, using the best technology available," continues Beal.

"It's a new opportunity to demonstrate how the Navy helps develop and deploy the most technologically advanced equipment in the world," says Captain David W. Bouve, National Director of Navy Marketing and Advertising at Navy Recruiting Command. "To reach a high-caliber pool of recruiting prospects, we need high-caliber recruiting tools, and this display is truly state-of-the-art."

The Navy's virtual reality experience travels next to Portland, OR for the Portland Rose Festival and Fleet Week, where it will be open to the public June 9 - 12.

For more information about America's Navy, please visit www.navy.com, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

About America's Navy

In the world today, America's Navy is a necessary force and uncommon opportunity. There, to protect our country and to deter threats around the globe. There, to provide a challenging and rewarding future for those aspiring to pursue a bigger mission in life. There, as a source of lifelong pride for those who ultimately call themselves Sailors  and as an inspiration to all they serve. It's about being a constant presence. It's about applying cutting-edge equipment and technology. It's about people. And this comes across every day through the selfless service of upstanding men and women; through their responsible use of incredible capabilities; and through the pride, purpose and professionalism present in all they do and have done. See for yourself.

About Fleet Week New York

Fleet Week New York, now in its 29th year, is the city's time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an unparalleled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today's maritime services. The weeklong celebration has been held nearly every year since 1984.

SOURCE U.S. Navy
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijans free trade zone (FTZ) will start to operate in 2017, Taleh Ziyadov, director general of the Baku International Sea Trade Port CJSC, told reporters May 22.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the second meeting of sister ports within the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) in Baku.

Ziyadov noted that Azerbaijans concept regarding the development of the Silk Road contributes to the strengthening of competitiveness and the creation of additional value of goods.

For example, if a cargo container is sent to Europe, our concept is to process the cargo in the FTZ in Alat, create additional value and export further. In short, the Azerbaijani concept of the Silk Road is more innovative and aims to create added value in the non-oil sector. As for the FTZ, it will work this year, said the director general.

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree March 17, 2016, on measures to create a free trade zone type special economic area covering the territory of the Baku International Sea Trade Port in the Alat township of Bakus Garadagh District.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Yet, her crew refused to leave her behind, she said, and helped to save her life.

"I knew from that moment on I would spend every single day of the rest of my life trying to honor the courage and sacrifice of my buddies who saved me," Sen. Duckworth told an estimated crowd of 25,000, including roughly 6,000 graduates (photos).

The senator shared her personal story as part of her themes of embracing failure, taking advantage of opportunity and maintaining humility.

"Every time I got knocked down, I got back up. I dusted myself off, and I got back in the arenawhen my face had literally been marred with dust and sweat and blood. And I am so glad that I did," she said.

Resilience is increasingly important, said Sen. Duckworth, M.A. '92. Especially with today's challenges at home and abroad, the stakes are higher for students embarking on their post-university lives. She encouraged her soon-to-be fellow alumni to "step up."

"You can be our nation's next generation of leaders," she said. "Luckily, as GW grads, you already have a head start on many of your peers. Over and over the students of GW have proven to be some of the most civically engaged students in the nation, showing leadership in and out of the political arena."

And she urged graduates to remember the "good fortune and luck" that enabled them to experience the opportunities and take advantage of the resources at GW.

In addition to Sen. Duckworth, the university conferred honorary degrees on Sunday to Lt. Gen. Nadja Y. West and Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron.

In his remarks, Mr. Baron talked about the importance of a free press as journalists face growing threats around the world and in the United States.

"The president has said that he is at war with the media," he said. "We are not at war. We are at work."

Dr. West, the highest-ranking African-American woman in the history of the U.S. Army, said she was "truly honored, humbled and grateful" to receive the honorary degree, citing "the strong foundation that the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences provided in the art of being a compassionate healer."

SOURCE George Washington University

Related Links

http://www.gwu.edu


Technology companies are looking to build robust solutions that help individuals and businesses enroll, understand, and use their health insurance and employee benefits. The lack of a centralized data platform providing reliable, structured data had historically inhibited the building of such solutions. Vericred enables innovation by solving the data problem so that technology companies can focus their resources on creating modern user experiences. Vericred's health insurance data platform, comprised of health plan design and rate , provider-network and formulary data, is the solution to an industry otherwise plagued by highly fragmented, rapidly changing data.

"Vericred is an infrastructure company. Our role is to enable innovation in health and benefits by delivering the data and services that all industry innovators need, but which doesn't make sense for each to build on their own," says Michael W. Levin, Vericred's co-founder and CEO. "We are thrilled to partner with FCA to leverage their deep domain knowledge and network. With their investment, we will have the resources necessary to scale our sales team, expand the breadth and depth of our datasets and to introduce related services to enable important new functionality."

"Vericred's centralized data platform is unique and highly scalable. With its combination of a strong management team and great technology, Vericred is positioning itself to power health insurance and employee benefit related applications, transactions and insights across the industry," says Matthew King, co-managing partner at FCA Venture Partners.

Since the launch of Vericred's first API in September 2015, the company has enjoyed 165% compound quarterly revenue growth. Clients include GetInsured, EaseCentral, Maestro Health, Decisely, Wellthie, Maxwell Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. For more information visit www.vericred.com.

About Vericred:

Vericred, a leading healthcare data services company, partners with carriers across the nation to deliver structured health insurance data to insurtech platforms that are transforming today's healthcare industry. With a mission to drive innovation in healthcare through data, Vericred's data solutions enable functionality, speed deployment and reduce costs for health and insurtech companies, while its modern API allows for hassle-free data delivery for insurance carriers. Learn more at www.vericred.com

About FCA Venture Partners:

FCA Venture Partners, a family of funds founded in 1997, is located in Nashville, Tennessee. FCA Venture Partners focuses on early and growth stage Healthcare IT, Digital Health and Technology companies. The fund is positioned to take advantage of the multiple opportunities provided by current disruptions in the economy and efforts by the healthcare industry to reduce costs and become more efficient in this changing marketplace. Learn more at www.claytonassociates.com/fca-venture-partners.

Media Contact:

Gabriella Velez, North 6th Agency

[email protected]

212-334-9753 ext. 137

For high res images, biographies and fact sheets, click here.

SOURCE Vericred

Related Links

http://www.vericred.com


TUCSON, Ariz., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The language of today's healthcare marketplace is infused with the word "trends"  reimbursement trends, trends in innovation, managed care trends, and trends of EBITDA multiples for acquisitions in healthcare. We seemingly cannot escape the self-delusion of perfect timing and prediction.

vertess.com Tom Schramski, Managing Partner at VERTESS

"Leaders of the most successful healthcare companies recognize that trends are important," says Tom Schramski, Managing Partner at VERTESS, an international M + A advisory firm that helps healthcare business owners prepare their companies to be acquired or to make acquisitions to new create revenue growth.

Owners and operators of healthcare firms can build value that is relatively independent of trends by consistently delivering the kind of results that partners, investors, and buyers appreciate. To do so, they should cultivate the following behaviors:

1. Know Thyself.

There is a profoundly psychological and personal side of effectively positioning a business. Successful healthcare executives understand their personal goals and integrate these into their decision making.

2. Be Clear.

A clear vision and clear operational objectives enable internal alignment and allow everyone to make an on-going commitment to great results despite market fluctuations.

3. Stay Fit and Agile.

Business fitness includes a regular review of the operational dashboard for a company, making thoughtful adjustments, and encouraging experimentation with new products and services that could lead to new healthcare business opportunities.

4. Network with Competitors.

The turbulence of the healthcare market often rewards those leaders who seek out competitors for market intelligence and potential partnerships. Blessed are the affiliators.

5. Be Your Own Customer.

Successful healthcare principals walk in the shoes of their customers. They understand the value of their product and/or service for the customer and market to that personal meaning, rather than the bottom line of their business.

"Underscoring these behaviors and beliefs are basic preparation and discipline that characterize most successful enterprises," Schramski explains.

As entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban noted, "if you're prepared and you know what it takes, it's not a risk. You just have to figure out how to get there." That's great advice for today's healthcare business owners who are looking to build remarkable value for themselves, as well as their employees, customers, and their larger community.

About VERTESS

VERTESS is an international healthcare-focused M + A advisory firm with expertise in diverse healthcare and human service verticals, ranging from behavioral health and I/DD to healthcare IT, DME, home care/hospice, urgent care, life sciences and other specialized services and products.

VERTESS is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, with additional offices in Phoenix, Dallas/Ft. Worth, New York and Mexico City. For more information visit www.vertess.com.

Contact: Tom Schramski at [email protected] or 520-975-5347

SOURCE VERTESS

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SAN DIEGO, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaCyte, Inc., a privately-held leading regenerative medicine company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the company's Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for the PEC-Direct product candidate, a novel islet cell replacement therapy in development as a potential cure for patients with type 1 diabetes who are at high risk for acute life-threatening complications. ViaCyte has also received a No Objection Letter from Health Canada, providing clearance to proceed with the clinical trial of the PEC-Direct product candidate in Canada as well.

ViaCyte is proceeding to initiate an open-label clinical trial to evaluate the PEC-Direct product candidate for safety and definitive evidence of efficacy. In the coming year, the company expects to enroll approximately 40 patients at multiple centers, including the University of Alberta in Edmonton, the University of Minnesota, and UC San Diego. The primary efficacy measurement in the trial will be the clinically relevant production of insulin, as measured by the insulin biomarker C-peptide, in a patient population that has little to no ability to produce endogenous insulin upon enrollment. Other important endpoints to be evaluated include injectable insulin usage and the incidence of hypoglycemic events.

"The loss of insulin-producing beta cells leads to type 1 diabetes, making it an ideal target for cell replacement therapy," said James Shapiro, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Director of the Clinical Islet Transplant Program, University of Alberta. "Islet transplants from scarce organ donors have offered great promise for those with unstable, high-risk type 1 diabetes, but the procedure has many limitations. With an unlimited supply of new islets that the stem cell-derived therapy promises, we have real potential to benefit far more patients with islet cell replacement."

The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers stem cell-derived pancreatic progenitor cells, called PEC-01 cells, in a device designed to allow direct vascularization of the cells in the device. After implantation, these cells are expected to proliferate and mature to human islet tissue including well-regulated beta cells producing insulin on demand. The direct vascularization of the implanted cells is expected to allow for robust and consistent engraftment but will necessitate the use of maintenance immune suppression therapy.

The PEC-Direct product candidate is being developed for type 1 diabetes patients who have hypoglycemia unawareness, extreme glycemic lability, and/or severe hypoglycemic episodes. It is estimated that about 140,000 people in Canada and the U.S. have such high-risk type 1 diabetes. In addition to providing an unlimited supply of cells for implantation, the PEC-Direct approach has the potential to provide other advantages relative to cadaver islet transplants such as delivering a more consistent product preparation under quality-controlled cGMP conditions, with a more straightforward and safer mode of delivery.

"ViaCyte was the first to differentiate human stem cells into glucose-responsive, insulin-producing cells, and now we are running the first and only clinical trials of stem cell-derived islet replacement therapies for type 1 diabetes," said Paul Laikind, PhD, President and CEO of ViaCyte. "While insulin therapy transformed type 1 diabetes from a death sentence to a chronic illness, it is far from a cure. Type 1 diabetes patients continue to deal with the daily impact of the disease and remain at risk for often severe long-term complications. This is especially true for the patients with high-risk type 1 diabetes, who face challenges such as hypoglycemia unawareness and life-threatening severe hypoglycemic episodes. These patients have a particularly urgent unmet medical need and could benefit greatly from cell replacement therapy."

"Those living with hypoglycemia unawareness are at constant risk of life-threatening complications, and even death, because they do not sense the physical symptoms of low blood sugar," said Dr. Jeremy Pettus, Principal Investigator of the clinical trial and Assistant Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego. "An islet cell replacement therapy could be significant for patients with this type of high-risk diabetes." At UC San Diego, the trial will be performed at the School of Medicine's Altman Clinical Trials Research Institute with support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)'s Alpha Clinic and the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center.

PEC-Direct is one of two product candidates in clinical development to treat patients with diabetes. ViaCyte's PEC-Encap (also known as VC-01) product candidate delivers the same cell therapy as PEC-Direct but uses a proprietary device called the Encaptra Cell Delivery System that is designed to protect the cells from the patient's immune system. The PEC-Encap product candidate is being developed as a transformative therapy for all patients who require insulin to control their disease. Early clinical evidence with the PEC-Encap product supports the potential of the replacement cell therapy approach. However, the clinical results also indicate that further work to optimize the performance of the PEC-Encap product is required. ViaCyte recently announced a collaboration with W. L. Gore & Associates focused on modifying the Encaptra device to improve engraftment in patients.

About PEC-01 Cells

ViaCyte's PEC-01 cells are the biological component of both PEC-Direct and PEC-Encap product candidates. PEC-01 pancreatic progenitor cells are manufactured from pluripotent stem cells and are designed to further differentiate and mature after implantation, not only to fully functioning insulin-producing beta cells, but also to the other endocrine cell types that make up the normal healthy human pancreatic islet. This mixture of pancreatic cell types is expected to produce on-demand the necessary insulin, along with other hormones that are important for the regulation of glucose (sugar) in the blood including glucagon, somatostatin, and amylin.

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a privately-held regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies as potential long-term diabetes treatments to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. ViaCyte's product candidates are based on the derivation of pancreatic progenitor cells, which are then implanted in a durable and retrievable cell delivery device. Once implanted and matured, these cells are designed to secrete insulin and other pancreatic hormones in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte has two products in development. The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers the pancreatic progenitor cells in a non-immunoprotective device and is being developed for type 1 diabetes patients who have severe hypoglycemic episodes, extreme glycemic lability, and/or impaired awareness of hypoglycemia. The PEC-Encap (also known as VC-01) product candidate delivers pancreatic progenitor cells in an immunoprotective device and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 trial in patients with type 1 diabetes who have minimal to no insulin-producing beta cell function. ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and JDRF.

For more information on ViaCyte, please visit www.viacyte.com and connect with ViaCyte on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE ViaCyte, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.viacyte.com


CABOT, Vt., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cabot Creamery Co-operative, the New England and New York farm-family owned dairy cooperative, is honoring 60 altruistic individuals for their volunteer work with an all-expense-paid Alaskan Cruise. The 1,100 farm families who own Cabot often volunteer in their own communities. They want to show their gratitude to those organizations and individuals who do the same in the communities where their award-winning cheddar cheese and dairy products are sold.

"There is a lot going on in the world right now," said Cabot Senior VP of Marketing Roberta MacDonald. "Yet with all the change we see around us, one constant is a volunteer's ability to improve the lives of others in their local community. Most people don't volunteer to be recognized, and while the cruise is meant to honor their service, it also serves as a laboratory for like-minded people to network and share ideas to inspire others to give their time."

The cruise, which sets sail from Seattle on June 2nd, marks the sixth Cabot Community Celebrity cruise which has honored more than 250 volunteers since the program began in 2009. Volunteers like Jesse Lockhart, who gives his time as an advocate for children's rights and takes care of those who are abused or neglected through Rainbow House Children's Resource Center.

Joan Stocker is being honored for her incredible volunteer work with Meals on Wheels. Joan has made over 25,000 house visits and delivered more than 50,000 meals to those in need. And there is Sonia Diaz Agron, who is being honored for her service to the 9/11 Tribute Center where she leads tours and tells her personal story of the events of that day. These volunteers represent just a handful of the amazing Community Celebrities whose service makes a positive difference in communities across the country.

The Cabot Community Celebrity Cruise, along with partners AARP Create the Good, National Cooperative Bank and Points of Light's HandsOn Network are working to evolve the notion of celebrity as recognition of volunteerism. Cabot's Community Celebrities program, along with its Reward Volunteers and Gratitude Grille programs, make up the core of the co-operative's Department of Gratitude and illustrate the many ways Cabot's dairy farm families honor, amplify, and reward those who give time to do good. Cabot is proud to celebrate these caring individuals for their good deeds, and build networks of help that can last a lifetime.

SOURCE Cabot Creamery Co-operative

Related Links

http://www.cabotcheese.coop


LOUISVILLE, Ky. and TAMPA, Fla., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the need for quality primary care in rural areas of the commonwealth, WellCare of Kentucky, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), is funding two new scholarship programs aimed at increasing the number of doctors and nurses working in primary medicine and psychiatry in Eastern Kentucky.

WellCare, in conjunction with the University of Kentucky Medical School and College of Nursing, will fund up to 30 scholarships valued at $180,000 for medical and nursing students at various stages of their studies.

"We know that access to doctors, nurses and other health care providers directly affects health outcomes," said Bill Jones, president, WellCare of Kentucky. "When health care is in short supply or located far away, people are less likely to get routine screenings, tests and vaccinations  the type of care that can catch problems early or even prevent illness altogether. Anything we can do to encourage more providers to locate in underserved areas will be a direct benefit to the health of our state."

Despite the importance of primary and psychiatric care, communities in rural Kentucky, particularly in the eastern part of the state, have struggled to attract and retain an adequate number of primary care providers  both doctors and advanced practice nurses.

Dr. Kevin Pearce, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine associate dean for Rural and Community Health thanked the WellCare Foundation for the scholarships, and said that the scholarships will be awarded to students who exhibit interest in caring for medically underserved Kentuckians.

"Kentucky has significant physician shortages, especially in our rural communities, and these scholarships will be helpful in mitigating our physician shortages," said Pearce. "We thank WellCare for this gift that will boost Kentucky's healthcare workforce and thereby improve the health of individuals in our communities."

"We are pleased to see a financial incentive like this that will encourage medical and nursing students to think about the impact they can make on a community that needs their skills," said Dr. Frances Feltner, director of the University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health. "We will be following the results of this program carefully to gauge its success in encouraging more medical professionals to build their careers in Eastern Kentucky."

Medical residents currently training in Eastern Kentucky say immersion in the local communities is a crucial component of preparing for a career in rural communities.

"Students interested in becoming health care providers in rural areas must receive medical training in rural communities," said Jordan Adams, a University of Kentucky College of Medicine graduate and medical resident in Hazard, Kentucky. "Many socioeconomic issues are distinct to these areas and directly affect health. These include critical access to facilities and support systems including transportation, lack of education and employment opportunities, and economic disadvantages of practicing in areas of high poverty and unemployment."

Dr. Sharon Hunsucker, the first Ph.D. graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing's Occupational and Environmental Health Nurse (OEHN) Ph.D. Training Program, said that programs that give doctors and nurses more rural experience will improve lives and even the regional economy.

"It is my hope to give a voice to and increase awareness of worker health in rural areas to improve health and quality of life, decreasing disability in rural areas and improving the social and economic wellbeing of communities by identifying ways to ensure a healthier rural workforce," Dr. Hunsucker said.

"Physicians for the Commonwealth" Scholarship to Support 20 Beginning Medical Students

"The "WellCare Physicians for the Commonwealth Program" will award 20 $5,000 one-year scholarships to incoming medical students who have a strong interest in the University of Kentucky's Rural Physician Leadership program and are interested in serving an underserved population within Kentucky. The College of Medicine scholarships will support medical students in the University of Kentucky Rural Physician Leadership Program in Morehead and students who will attend the new University of Kentucky College of Medicine Branch Campus in Bowling Green opening in 2018.

The Rural Physician Leadership program offers students opportunities to gain two years of clinical experience with a rural, underserved Kentucky populations. Data shows that physicians who train in more rural areas are more likely to stay in those areas to practice.

For more information or to apply for these scholarships contact Julie McDaniel, financial aid director, at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine at [email protected].

College Of Nursing Scholarships will help Nurses Complete Studies

WellCare is also partnering with the University of Kentucky's College of Nursing to provide $80,000 in scholarship funds for the University of Kentucky College of Nursing. The nurses receiving the scholarships will be in the school's Doctorate in Nursing Practice Program, which focuses on preparing graduates to lead at the highest clinical and executive ranks.

These scholarships will cover up to ten $8,000 per-semester scholarships for the five-semester study program, and will be awarded to nurses who plan on practicing in primary medicine or behavioral health in rural Kentucky.

Students interested in pursuing the WellCare Scholarship in Nursing should contact Dr. Sheila Melander, assistant dean of Graduate Faculty Affairs, at [email protected].

As of March 31, 2017, WellCare serves approximately 446,000 Medicaid members, 9,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 22,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Kentucky. To learn more about how WellCare cares for Kentuckians, watch Brandi Logan's member story at http://youtu.be/YwOw5EgeSYo.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. WellCare serves approximately 4.1 million members nationwide as of March 31, 2017. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wellcare.com


WASHINGTON, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WomenStrong International, a consortium of non-profit organizations in five nations supporting women-driven solutions to extreme urban poverty, today launched a campaign to increase menstruation education and reduce obstacles preventing girls from getting the education they need to create better, more prosperous lives.

WomenStrong invited those who care about women and girls to join #WomenStrongWarrior on Menstrual Hygiene Day, May 28, and support the fight for access to menstrual and reproductive health education, sanitary pads and basic facilities, such as school toilets.

"Our experience working with adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa and India demonstrates the importance of education, which is everything to a girl hoping for a better life," said Dr. Susan M. Blaustein, WomenStrong Founder and Executive Director. "We call on schools, local governments, multilateral institutions, policymakers and international development organizations to help create a world where menstrual health is a human right and girls can grow up with dignity and joy in their womanhood."

Studies show that most girls don't receive the information they need on changes that occur at puberty and don't have money to buy sanitary products. These gaps become insurmountable barriers to school attendance. Yet, education is known to be the most critical factor in a woman's ability to delay marriage, survive childbirth, raise healthier and better-educated children, and emerge from poverty. When a girl misses a week of school each month because of her period, or drops out, she is condemned to a life without resources or dignity. The impact of losing this girl resonates in the national economy since educating girls is now known to be one of the highest yielding investments in the economic growth of developing countries.

WomenStrong's Consortium members working at the community level in the slums of Kisumu, Kenya; Kumasi, Ghana; and Madurai, India, have established Girls' Clubs, providing thousands of adolescent girls with a safe place to make friends, build confidence, learn about sexual and reproductive health and rights, and exchange information with peers and mentors. The Clubs have seen the substantial positive impact of training girls and boys on puberty and menstrual and reproductive health and hygiene. Including boys, men, mothers, teachers, health workers and others in trainings helps break the silence around menstruation, destroys negative myths and misinformation, and removes the stigma from this natural biological process.

But trainings alone aren't enough. Girls also need school toilets with doors and locks for privacy, and basic menstrual supplies. So, as often as possible, trainings are followed up with the provision of personal hygiene packs containing sanitary pads, soap and panties, all of which increase a girl's chances of staying in school.

Research funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that 65% of Kenyan women and girls were unable to afford sanitary pads and often resorted to using rags or even leaves, the source of a variety of health risks. Families living on less than $2 per day are faced with choosing between buying sanitary pads for their daughters or food for the family.

"To a young girl, the obstacles seem huge, simply overwhelming. Confusion, embarrassment, no money to buy the supplies so many of us take for granted. But it really takes so little to change a girl's life," Dr. Blaustein said. "Even a small contribution makes a big difference to a girl, now and for years to come."

$12 can buy a girl a year's worth of sanitary pads

can buy a girl a year's worth of sanitary pads $25 pays for two packets of sanitary pads, a monthly recording chart and pencil

pays for two packets of sanitary pads, a monthly recording chart and pencil $50 buys a menstruation kit, with a year's worth of pads, panties and soap

buys a menstruation kit, with a year's worth of pads, panties and soap $100 buys a girl a menstruation kit for two years

buys a girl a menstruation kit for two years $200 provides menstruation kits for four girls in a WomenStrong location of the donor's choosing

#WomenStrongWarrior is a part of a growing global movement calling for menstrual hygiene education that informs and empowers girls and women to make decisions on managing their own bodies. Organizations and governments are calling for menstruation education to be part of national school curricula, as well as policies and programs for teen boys and girls.

For more information on WomenStrong International, and to stay updated on program news, innovations and stories that inspire from around the world, please visit www.womenstrong.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

ABOUT WOMENSTRONG INTERNATIONAL

WomenStrong International is a consortium of non-profit organizations in five nations supporting women-driven solutions to extreme urban poverty. WSI emerged from a decade of work at Columbia University's Millennium Cities Initiative where we found the most successful programs were local and led by women. Through our Consortium members in Ghana, Kenya, Haiti, India and Washington, D.C., we help thousands of women and girls meet their 6 Essential Needs for health, shelter, safety, education, economic empowerment and a functioning urban environment. These women, in turn, improve the lives of their children, families, communities and nations. WomenStrong International believes the path out of poverty and toward a more just and prosperous world can be found by making women strong. For more information, visit www.womenstrong.org.

Media Contacts:

Melissa DiMercurio

Public Relations Manager

[email protected]

Natalie Dudas-Thomas

WomenStrong International

[email protected]

SOURCE WomenStrong International

Related Links

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In keeping with its motto as the "Entrepreneurs behind the Entrepreneurs," Sequoia China is committed to long-term value-creation through providing significant value-add to its portfolio companies' post-investment. The desire and need for lean management skills, guidance on strategic planning, and leadership development opportunities among entrepreneurs were the driving forces behind the creation of this innovative leadership program, which was developed in collaboration with Yale University.

In his graduation address, Neil Shen, Founding and Managing Partner of Sequoia China and a Yale alumnus, noted, "We are delighted to congratulate the first graduates from the Yale SOM-Sequoia China Leadership Program. We are also thrilled to see how far Chinese entrepreneurs have come along - from being trend-followers, status quo-challengers, to path-breaking business leaders. As an integral partner to entrepreneurs and a significant value-creator for our portfolio companies, we at Sequoia China have witnessed how the highest-performing, most enduring businesses all have leaders who possess a growth mindset, a clear strategic vision, and a global perspective. Through this Program, we hope to groom a generation of exemplary, globally minded entrepreneurs to lead successful, lasting businesses in this dynamic and ever-changing marketplace."

Jointly established by a leading VC/PE firm and a top global business school, the Yale SOM-Sequoia China Leadership Program is the first of its kind in China. With a curriculum that incorporates global and multidisciplinary insights, the Program is unique in combining intellectual inquiries into the Chinese and Western entrepreneurial experience and business practices. As a Chinese poet once wrote, "If you wish to learn the art of poetry, you need to acquire the skills and knowledge from outside of the field." With an emphasis on equipping entrepreneurs with an overarching framework for navigating an increasingly complex business environment, the Program draws on both Yale's and Sequoia's wealth of resources to help the Program's participants hone their strategic acumen, grow as leaders, and build a robust support network. Besides learning from Yale's acclaimed faculty members such as Professor Zhiwu Chen, the Program's participants have also had exclusive opportunities to interact with successful business and thought leaders, influential media personalities, as well as conduct in-depth visits at China's most innovative companies. The diverse activities offered throughout the program all contribute to an exceptional learning experience that enables entrepreneurs to become world-class business leaders.

During the graduation ceremony for the Program's inaugural class, Neil Shen was joined by Lun Feng, founder of real estate developer Vantone, Fan Bao, founder and CEO of China Renaissance and Professor Zhiwu Chen, in a lively discussion about the value of lifelong learning and transformative leadership.

"As Chairman of the Executive Council of Yale Center Beijing, Neil has provided visionary leadership and significant resources to help accelerate Yale Center Beijing's growth and establishment as the most active foreign university center in China," said Carol Li Rafferty, Managing Director of the Yale Center Beijing. "Since the Center opened two years ago, we have become an intellectual hub for dialogue among top leaders in politics and international affairs, health and medicine, environment and sustainability, arts and humanities, and business and entrepreneurship. The launch of the Yale SOM-Sequoia China Leadership Program and the graduation of its inaugural class mark an important step for the Center to become a platform for world-class learning opportunities for elevated leaders that transcend boundaries and disciplines. We are excited about having this group of dynamic entrepreneurs join the network of Yale alumni and friends across the globe as they work to shape the future business landscape of China and the world."

Members of the inaugural class of the Yale SOM-Sequoia China Leadership Program were selected exclusively from the founders, CEOs and top executives of Sequoia China's portfolio companies, with over 40 participants from a variety of sectors including TMT, Healthcare, Consumer/Service, and New Energy/Clean Tech. The second class will commence its first session this autumn.

As "The Entrepreneurs behind the Entrepreneurs", Sequoia China focuses on four sectors: TMT, Healthcare, Consumer/Service, and New Energy/Advanced Manufacturing. To date, Sequoia China has invested in over 300 companies.

Jenny Ding

Director, Strategic Communications

FTI Consulting

+86-10-8540-7116

[email protected]

SOURCE Sequoia Capital China
The basic plan includes a Castrol oil change and 50-point safety inspection. Premium packages, designed as complete car care for one or two years of service, include additional oil changes, tire rotations, and discounts for services such as satellite radio and auto related products from YourMechanic partners.

The product lineup offers dealers the opportunity to

provide customers with maintenance services even if their business does not have an on-location service shop,

offer long-distance car buyers a maintenance package that they can take advantage of locally at their home or office, and

reduce warranty complications, such as denied claims.

"We collaborated with independent car dealers and identified an opportunity to introduce a new, aftermarket maintenance program for dealers to offer their customers. YourMechanic is excited to offer this first-of-kind product to agents," said Rob Francis, Senior Director of Growth, YourMechanic.

"The service provided by our mobile mechanics is a win-win for dealers and their customers. Dealerships can now offer convenient, routine maintenance services delivered to a customer's home or office. Simultaneously, following a routine maintenance schedule helps a customer comply with the terms and conditions that warranty products require."

YourMechanic works with a network of more than 1,000 mechanics in over 30 states to deliver on-demand repair, maintenance, and diagnostic services. YourMechanic is partnered with national brands, including Castrol and leading aftermarket suppliers, to ensure mobile mechanics have the parts and equipment needed to complete a wide range of jobs directly on-site.

YourMechanic will exhibit at Agent Summit 2017 in booth 622 from May 22 to 23. The event, designed exclusively for automotive general agents to address the latest techniques, trends, and challenges to help them better serve their dealer clients, will take place at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About YourMechanic

YourMechanic is the industry leader in mobile car repair, offering more than 600 repair, maintenance, and diagnostic services. YourMechanic is available in the top 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. YourMechanic connects mobile mechanics to customers who seek affordable, convenient, and honest car repair services at their home or office, seven days a week. Mobile mechanics enjoy flexible hours and higher pay than at a shop or dealership. Founded in 2012, YourMechanic has secured $32 million in funding. YourMechanic won TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco in 2012 and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, YourMechanic is funded by SoftBank Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, Ashton Kutcher, Data Point Capital, and others. For more information on YourMechanic, to book a service, or to view current career opportunities, visit www.YourMechanic.com.

SOURCE YourMechanic

Related Links

https://www.yourmechanic.com/


NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Z Capital Group, L.L.C. ("Z Capital"), a leading alternative asset manager focused on opportunistic, value-oriented private equity and credit funds, today announced that Gianni Russello has joined the firm as a Managing Director responsible for private equity investment sourcing and transaction development. He will be based in Z Capital's New York office.

Mr. Russello brings extensive deal origination and transaction development experience to his new role at Z Capital, having served as a Managing Director in the Restructuring and Special Situations Advisory Investment Banking Group at Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. ("Oppenheimer") since 2009. As a senior member of Oppenheimer's Investment Banking practice, Mr. Russello's primary focus was advising middle market debtor and creditor parties on a broad range of transactions, including capital raising, distressed M&A, exchange offers and Chapter 11 reorganizations. He was responsible for sourcing, developing and executing new business opportunities driven primarily by his ability to leverage his understanding of the restructuring process to provide strategic advice and creative solutions to distressed debtors and their constituents. Prior to his time at Oppenheimer, Mr. Russello was a Vice President in the Special Situations Distressed Investing Group of Trust Company of the West, where from 2007 to 2009 he was a senior member of a team that managed $1 billion of secured and unsecured debt and equity securities in various distressed situations. Mr. Russello began his career as part of the Special Credits Group within JPMorgan Chase's Investment Banking platform.

"We are excited to have Gianni on board and further expand the firm's origination capabilities," said James Zenni, President, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Z Capital Group. "A seasoned veteran and advisor on numerous successful transactions and special situations, Gianni adds a great deal of expertise that will further position Z Capital for continued growth."

"I am appreciative of the opportunity to join the talented team at Z Capital and look forward to contributing to the success of the firm," said Mr. Russello. "I am eager to identify new opportunities by leveraging my restructuring and transactional experience to drive value for investors as Z Capital adds to its strong investment pipeline."

About Z Capital Group

Z Capital Group, L.L.C. is a leading alternative asset management firm with $2.3 billion in regulatory assets under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. Z Capital manages both opportunistic, value-oriented private equity and credit funds with offices in New York, NY and Lake Forest, IL.

Z Capital's investors are some of the largest and most sophisticated global institutional investors in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East including public and corporate pension funds, university endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds, central banks and insurance companies. For more information, please visit www.zcapgroup.net.

Media Contact

Jonathan Keehner / Julie Oakes / Tim Ragones

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

212-355-4449

SOURCE Z Capital Group, L.L.C.

Related Links

http://www.zcapgroup.net


Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22



By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Rebalancing US crude markets will continue to be a struggle, even if OPEC delivers a renewed deal, according to the forecasts of the US JP Morgan bank.

The US accounts for 45 percent of the current OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) stockpile, as opposed to an average of 42 percent over 2011-2015, according to the report obtained by Trend.

Hence the US holds a greater share of the excess inventory versus the five-year average level. This should not come as a surprise, given the US is the epicenter of the shale oil supply shock that has unbalanced markets over the past three years, said the JP Morgan analysts. Consequently, if OPEC is to achieve its goal of tightening up global inventories, then the adjustment will need to include US markets.

Regarding the possibility of extending the OPEC oil output cut deal, the analysts believe that a nine-month deal would likely be met with a positive, albeit muted, price reaction.

We reiterate the view that a shorter agreement period but with deeper cuts would prove the optimal solution to the quandary facing OPEC members, but this outcome appears to lack the political will to be achieved, said the report.

In December 2016, OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices.

Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from Jan. 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months.

OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from Jan. 1.

Russia and Saudi Arabia earlier said that they will propose during the OPEC meeting to be held May 24-25 the extension of the oil output deal by nine months.

The two countries agreed to do whatever it takes to achieve the desired goal of stabilizing the market and reducing commercial oil inventories to their 5 year average level, as well as to underscore the determination of oil producers to ensure market stability, predictability and sustainable development  the joint actions of the participating producers should be extended by 9 months, through March 31, 2018.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @ Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22



By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The consortium for construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will support eight projects in Italys Salento with 50,000 euros worth grants, the consortium said in a message on its Twitter page.

In accordance with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, TAP AG aims to finance socio-environmental investment projects in three countries through which the pipeline will cross (Greece, Albania and Italy).

TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.

The pipeline will connect 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 Italys south.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).

TAPs shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

---

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San Francisco/New Delhi, May 17 : After facing a massive "WannaCrypt" ransomware attack that exploited a vulnerability in a Microsoft software and hit 150 countries, the same Windows vulnerability (MS17-010) has also been exploited to spread another type of malware that is quietly but fast generating digital cash from machines it has infected.

According to a report in The Registrar on Wednesday, tens of thousands of computers globally have been affected by the "Adylkuzz attack" that target machines, let them operate and only slows those down to generate digital cash or "Monero" cryptocurrency in the background.

"Monero" -- being popularised by North Korea-linked hackers -- is an open-source cryptocurrency created in April 2014 that focuses on privacy, decentralisation and scalability.

It is an alternative to Bitcoin and is being used for trading in drugs, stolen credit cards and counterfeit goods.

"Initial statistics suggest that this attack may be larger in scale than WannaCry[pt], because this attack shuts down SMB networking to prevent further infections with other malware (including the WannaCry[pt] worm) via that same vulnerability," US-based cyber security firm Proofpoint researchers were quoted as saying in the report.

This is how a cryptocurrency attack works.

The hackers need to mine cryptocurrency using computers/computing devices (IoT included).

"Mining of cryptocurrency simply means solving complex cryptography problems designed within the algorithm of a cyber-currency that requires a lot of computing," Saket Modi, CEO and Co-founder of Delhi-based IT risk assessments provider Lucideus, told IANS.

To draw a parallel, there can only be 21 million Bitcoins that can be mined out of which 16 million have already been mined, informed Modi.

"Monero", on the other side, is slightly different than Bitcoin but for simplification's sake, it can be assumed that it follows a similar architecture and similar mining process.

"Hence, there is a new wave of cyber attacks where the hacker is least interested in the personal information of the victim and instead his only motivation is to gain access to the CPU of the victim's computer/mobile/IoT device so that they can use it to mine more currencies (and correspondingly make more money)," Modi told IANS.

This looks like something more dangerous than "WannaCrypt" as the victim doesn't come to know that they have been hacked, but, on the other side, "the good part is that the hacker here is not interested in the victim's personal data," Modi told IANS.

To achieve this, the hackers find a vulnerability in one of the servers in the targeted organisation or they would infect a website which employees of a targeted organisation often visit.

"They would then infect the IT infrastructure of the target with malware and would identify where a server running SWIFT software is installed. They would download additional malware to interact with SWIFT software and would try to drain the organisation's accounts," Altaf Halde, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab (South Asia), told IANS.

According to Proofpoint, the "Adylkuzz" attack is still growing.

"Once infected through use of the 'EternalBlue' exploit, the cryptocurrency miner 'Adylkuzz' is installed and used to generate cybercash for the attackers," Robert Holmes, Vice President of products at Proofpoint, was quoted as saying.

According to experts, the "Adylkuzz" began its attack on or before May 2, more than a week before "WannaCrypt" arrived and hit 150 countries, including India.

"Indications are that the crooks behind 'Adylkuzz' have generated a lot more money than the 'WannaCrypt' ransomware fiends," The Registrar report noted.

According to cyberscoop.com, "Monero" doubled in price over the last month to around $23 while other digital currencies, including bitcoin, saw a mixed month.

"Cybercriminals intrigued by the currency's promises of greater anonymity are using it more often on black markets." it said.

This is how organisations can save themselves from such cryptocurrency attacks.

"If your organisation has software tools for conducting money transactions like SWIFT software, invest into additional protection and regular security assessment in addition to standard protection measures implemented on all other parts of the organization's network," Halde informed.

Protect backup servers as they contain information that can be of use for attackers: passwords, logins, and authentication tokens.

"When deploying specialised software for money processing follow recommendations and best security practices from your software vendor and security professionals," Halde added.

In case of suspicion of intrusion, request for professional assistance with incident response.
Islamabad, May 18 : Two staffers at the Pakistan embassy in Kabul were detained by the Afghan intelligence and freed after some three hours, dealing another blow to Kabul-Islamabad ties.

Hassan Khanzada and Syed Munir Shah were at a Kabul market on Wednesday when they were picked up by members of the National Directorate of Security, the intelligence agency of Afghanistan, media reports said.

They were taken to a detention centre along with the embassy's official vehicle, Dawn reported. Khanzada, a visa assistant at the embassy, was "manhandled", it said.

Shah is a staff driver at the embassy.

The Pakistan embassy approached the Afghan Foreign Ministry and sought their immediate release.

On Wednesday, Pakistan's Foreign Office summoned the Afghan Deputy Head of Mission, Zardasht Shams, and lodged a protest over the incident.

Dawn said the incident had dealt another blow to the already fraught ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The incident took place amid efforts by the US-led coalition in Afghanistan to mend fences between Islamabad and Kabul in the aftermath of border clashes in which about a dozen lives were lost.

Dawn said there were serious concerns about the safety and security of Pakistani diplomats and embassy staff in Kabul.
Beijing, May 19 : Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said he was willing to normalise ties with South Korea following tensions over the installation of a US anti-missile system last month.

At a meeting here, Xi highlighted the importance of bilateral ties to the new South Korean Special Envoy for China, Lee Hae-chan, and hoped that Beijing and Seoul can "safeguard the hard won achievements made in the development of bilateral ties".

At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi urged both sides "to consolidate the mutual political trust and properly handle divergence on the basis of mutual understanding and mutual respect".

Lee, a newly appointed special envoy for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday, and urged Seoul to eliminate any obstacles affecting bilateral ties, particularly the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) anti-missile system.

Thaad has been put into operation in the South Korean territory in case of a potential attack by North Korea, amid a recent escalation of tensions in the peninsula.

China, like Russia, opposes the installation of the system as it fears its sophisticated radars can pick up information from its military bases and offer it to Washington.

The installation of the Thaad has resulted in an unofficial boycott of South Korean companies operating in China, including the supermarket chain Lotte, which had provided land in South Korea for the deployment.

In addition, there has also been a decline in Chinese sales of South Korean car manufacturers Hyundai and Kia, as well as other protests.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 22

By Demir Azizov Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the invitation of King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud took part in the Arab Islamic American Summit held in Saudi Arabias Riyadh, the Uzbek presidential press service reported.

Presidents of the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council of the Arab states, as well as US President Donald Trump and UN secretary generals took part in the summit.

King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, welcoming the participants of the summit, noted that their participation is very important for enhancing the prestige of this summit, which contributes to strengthening the counteraction to extremism and terrorism, promoting tolerance, as well as strengthening security, stability and cooperation.

Attention of the summit participants was drawn to the prevention of threats to peace, preservation of national and religious values and culture of all countries.

The Uzbek president during his trip to Saudi Arabia held informal meetings with Tajik and Kazakh presidents, and the three presidents discussed further prospects for cooperation during these meetings.
Mogadishu, May 19 : Some 30,600 Somalis have returned to their country from Yemen since the beginning of war in Yemen in 2015, the UN refugee agency said on Friday.

The UNHCR said increasing numbers of Somalis are approaching the agency for assistance to support their return, citing safety concerns and limited access to services in Yemen, Xinhua news agency reported.

"UNHCR is now providing some support to those choosing to return on their own," a UN agency statement said.

"In 2017, UNHCR is able to assist up to 10,000 Somali refugees who have made the choice to return, based on the information received at Return Help Desks on conditions in Somalia and the assistance package that is being offered both in Yemen and Somalia," it said.

Yemen has been both a destination and a transit hub for refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa and beyond. The overwhelming majority of refugees in Yemen, 91 per cent or some 255,000, are Somali refugees.

The UNHCR said its humanitarian operations in Yemen will continue to provide support to refugees who remain in Yemen.

It said most Somali refugees registered in Yemen originate from Banadir, Lower Shabelle, Bay, Middle Shabelle and Woqooyi Galbeed regions.

In Yemen, most reside in Aden, Sana'a and Lahj governorates, the latter of which is where Yemen's only refugee camp, the Kharaz refugee camp, is located.

The UNHCR said most refugees opt to return to Mogadishu, in the anticipation that assistance and services will be more accessible and available.
Colombo, May 20 : India should actively participate in Sri Lanka's growing power sector, both traditional and renewable, a top government official has said.

"India has a good opportunity and should actively participate. The two governments are active in exploring business potential," B.M.S. Batagoda, Secretary, Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, told visiting Indian journalists.

He also said the island nation's government is looking at the possibility of three-way joint venture among Sri Lanka, India and Japan in building an LNG terminal at Kerawalapitiya.

Batagoda said the Sri Lankan government has asked its power utility -- Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) -- and the Indian thermal power major NTPC Ltd to come up with a financial model for the proposed 500 MW liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired power plant.

"We have asked CEB and the NTPC to come up with the proposal on the joint venture structure like shareholding pattern and other aspects for setting up the power plant," he said.

He said the financial modelling could be on the lines that was agreed earlier for the 500 MW thermal plant at Sampur in Triconmalee district.

The coal-fired plant project was to be a 50:50 joint venture between CEB and NTPC but was scrapped for a variety of reasons.

Batagoda said the land intended for this power plant can be offered to India to set up 50 MW solar power plant.

Sri Lanka is also planning to build another 500 MW LNG power plant with Japan.

Speaking about the proposed LNG terminal at Kerawalapitiya, Batagoda said Sri Lanka now has power plants with a generation capacity of 900 MW running on costly fuels. This terminal will enable these plants switch over to the cheaper LNG.

"India and Japan are keen to build the terminal. We are thinking of an open tender for the project. But India and Japan want government-to-government talks. We are also looking at the possibility of a three-way joint venture between Sri Lanka, India and Japan in building a LNG terminal," Batagoda said.

He said another 300 MW LNG power plant is waiting to be tendered.

Queried about purchasing power from India, Batagoda said a joint committee is looking at its feasibility. He said a new and shorter route for laying power cables and the financial model for a private player to own and operate it is being looked at.

"The other option is for two organisations of the two governments to own the cable company. Possibly India's Power Grid Corporation can be one of the partners," Batagoda said.

Alternatively, India can buy wind power from Sri Lanka, he added.

"We have 5,000 MW of wind power potential. We can export to India wind power and buy power from India for our base load needs," Batagoda said.

According to him, India should invest in wind power projects in Sri Lanka where the plant load factor (PLF) is good. The PLF of wind turbines in Sri Lanka is around 40 per cent higher than that of the turbines operating in India.

Sri Lanka will also come out with global tender for exploration of new gas wells and for attracting investors to develop gas wells. Cairn Lanka, a subsidiary of Cairn India, had discovered gas in two wells.

In the thermal power sector, Sri Lanka is now looking at super critical power plants instead of sub-critical ones, said Sulakshana Jayawardena, Director (Development), Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy.

The island nation has a total installed capacity of around 4,000 MW and plans to increase this to around 6,400 MW by 2025 while growing renewable energy sources manifold.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan was in Colombo recently at the invitation of wind turbine maker Gamesa. He can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Washington, May 21 : At least 20 US spies were killed or imprisoned by the Chinese government between 2010 and 2012, crippling the country's information-gathering, a media report has said.

It was not clear whether the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was hacked or whether a mole helped the Chinese to identify the agents, officials told the New York Times.

The CIA has not commented on the report, the BBC said on Sunday.

One of the informants was shot in the courtyard of a government building as a warning to others, the NYT report quoted an official.

Four former CIA officials spoke to the NYT, telling it that information from sources deep inside the Chinese government started to dry up in 2010. Informants began to disappear in early 2011.

The CIA and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) teamed up to investigate the events in an operation one source said was codenamed Honey Badger.

The NYT report said this investigation had centred on one former CIA operative but there was not enough evidence to arrest him. He now lives in another Asian country.

In 2012, an official at China's Security Ministry was arrested on suspicion of spying for the US. He was said to have been lured into the CIA.

No other such arrests appear to have reached public attention during that time.

Matt Apuzzo, a New York Times journalist who worked on the story, told the BBC: "One of the really troubling things about this is that we still don't know what happened."

"There's a divide within the American government over whether there was a mole inside the CIA or whether this was a tradecraft problem, that the CIA agents got sloppy and got discovered, or whether the Chinese managed to hack communications," Apuzzo said.

A few years later in 2015, the CIA pulled staff out of the US embassy in Beijing, after a hack blamed on the Chinese state exposed information about millions of US federal employees.

If the events of 2010-2012 were helped by a similar hack, it was not one that was made public.

The disappearance of so many spies damaged a network it had taken years to build up, the New York Times report said, and hampered operations for years afterwards.

It even prompted questions from within the Barcak Obama administration as to why intelligence had slowed.

Officials said it was one of the worst security breaches of recent years.
Kolkata, May 21 : India is formulating a policy on maintaining and sharing science infrastructure so that R&D facilities do not remain limited to academia but are also accessed by industry, according to a senior bureaucrat of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

"The idea is to create infrastructure which becomes shareable, which becomes sustainable and is also accessible to our industry. A whole lot of scientific infrastructure is not available to our industry. We are going to come up with a policy this year, about maintaining, sustaining and effectively using scientific infrastructure in a shared way," Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, told IANS in an interview on the sidelines of a DST Conclave here.

A web portal is being envisaged to implement the policy, Sharma said.

"Indian institutes have R&D labs. We will tell people about the models by which they can share the infrastructure in a transparent way. So in a website, anybody can book a slot and put in a request to access instruments in different labs," he explained.

Talking about broad contours of the policy, he said it would also aim to reduce redundancy and duplication of scientific equipment in institutions.

"Since it's a policy, not a law, the challenge lies in implementation. We have to make people aware of the idea contained in the policy, let them see the value for themselves. That's the only way," he said.

One example of such infrastructure sharing is the EU-funded PAERIP project to share resources between Europe and Africa. PAERIP created the first-ever inventory of research infrastructure in the two continents.

At the DST Conclave, where the ministry took stock of the R&D situation across institutes, Sharma also flagged a key issue: The lack of coordination among institutions.

"One issue is coordination among institutions where they are doing similar things. So it makes sense for them to do it together. The new policy on sharing infrastructure will also help in that direction," he said.

In addition to the science infrastructure policy, a major thrust this year would be on the Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System (CPS) programme.

CPS is a mechanism controlled or monitored by computer-based algorithms, tightly integrated with internet and its users.

Computing and communication system bridges with the physical world are referred to as Cyber Physical Systems. CPS are physical and engineered systems whose operations are monitored, coordinated, controlled and integrated by a computing and communication core.

"This year we will start a new programme in cyber physical systems which includes deep learning, smart machines, machine intelligence, IoT (Internet of Things), etc. We have to start making preparations for it now in terms of generating capacity, human resources and infrastructure," he said.

In addition, Sharma said, India has initiated collaboration on cyberspace with Israel, IoT & BigData with Japan, robotics and advanced materials with South Korea.

"Much more is in the pipeline in emerging areas of research," he said.

To shore up the number of women in IITs, Sharma said 50,000 girls in high schools will be prepared for admission in technical training institutes.

"We are targeting 50,000 girls in high schools, a certain percentile from the top, to prepare them for leadership positions in IITs, especially in those institutes where representation is low. It's not only technical training but also looking at the cultural aspect.

"Often, women are thinking maths is not really for them while their parents don't want to send them away from home and there are the expenses involved. So we have to look into all these aspects," he added.

(Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in)
Jerusalem, May 21 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he would discuss ways to advance peace with Donald Trump on the US President's first visit to Israel on Monday.

"I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Xinhua reported.

"We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace," he added.

Trump, his wife Melania, and a 900-person delegation, including senior administration officials, business executives and security personnel, will arrive on Monday for a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian West Bank.

Trump will meet Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Netanyahu on Monday before travelling to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The meetings will focus on the US efforts to revive the long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The last round of talks reached an impasse on April 2014, mainly over Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.

On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to give a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to conclude his visit, before heading to Europe.

Trump is expected to request Netanyahu and Abbas to make confidence-building steps, Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported.

Citing a White House official, the daily reported that Trump will ask the Israelis to curb the expansion of the settlements and call on the Palestinians to halt payment for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and to stop the "incitement" against Israel.

Trump's first official trip outside the US included a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he signed $350-billion arms deal.
Bangkok, May 22 : At least 24 persons were injured in an explosion in Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok on Monday, police said.

The blast took place in a reception room, Xinhua news agency quoted Saroch Kheawkhajee, chairman of the Army Medical Department, as saying.

A gas leak or an air compressor may have caused the explosion, he said.

An investigation has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the incident.
New Delhi : Catastrophic maternal healthcare expenses push 46.6 per cent mothers in India into poverty -- with the illiterate being especially susceptible -- according to a December 2016 study by researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT-R). The expenses include childbirth, antenatal care and postnatal care expenses.

Catastrophic expenditure is greater than or equal to 40 per cent of a household's non-subsistence income, i.e. income available after basic needs have been met, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The threshold of 40 per cent can differ according to countries, said the WHO; the 2016 study has analysed the data at two thresholds: 10 and 40 per cent.

As many as 63 per cent households nationwide had a catastrophic maternal health expenditure of 40 per cent, the study -- which analysed data from the National Sample Survey Office -- found. Among states and Union territories (UTs), 65.7 per cent households (among those where a woman had delivered) in Telangana were pushed into poverty -- more than any other state/UT -- due to childbearing expenses, followed by Chhattisgarh (53.7 per cent) and Puducherry (53.4 per cent).

In the 10 years to 2014, out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending has pushed 50.6 million people back into poverty.

Households where the mothers were illiterate were the most affected, with 61 per cent of them being pushed into poverty --despite having the lowest maternal health OOP expenditure at Rs 3,600 -- compared to 36.7 per cent of households where women were graduates and above, who had an OOP expenditure of Rs 19,250.

More illiterate women prefer public hospitals for delivery in both rural (79.2 per cent) and urban areas (67.7 per cent), which possibly explains their low OOP.

Among women of different social groups, women belonging to scheduled tribes (STs) had the least maternal OOP expenditure at Rs 2,962, but 71.5 per cent of them were pushed into poverty. As many as 85 per cent ST women in rural areas delivered in public hospitals -- more than any other social group.

The study holds relevance in the context of the central government announcement on May 18, 2017, that it is revising the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (Maternity Benefit Programme), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 31, 2016, by restricting the scheme to firstborns instead of "first two live births" as applicable earlier.

The programme aims to give Rs 6,000 to pregnant women for childbearing expenses. The scheme saw an increase of 226 per cent in allocation in the 2017-18 budget from Rs 634 crore to Rs 2,700 crore. However, the government had estimated that the annual requirement for the maternity benefit scheme would be Rs 14,512 crore, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The 2016 study revealed that, on average, a woman incurred an OOP expenditure of Rs 8,543 on childbearing. There were huge variations among states -- from Rs 2,801 in Uttarakhand to Rs 15,433 in Telangana.

"The most vulnerable women who are trying to reach out for the government aid won't be able to get it," Tania Sheshadri, an independent community health researcher who works with rural women in Karnataka, was recently quoted as saying in news reports.

"In most parts of the country, there is a two-child norm and a scheme like this will not benefit most women. The government should concentrate on quality care for pregnant women and make available the benefits to every woman who reaches a government health care centre."

A limitation of the 2016 study is that it does not consider the benefits of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY, motherhood protection scheme), a 12-year-old government programme focused specially on 10 states with low rates of institutional delivery -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir -- termed as low-performing states (LPS).

Under the programme, pregnant women in rural areas who live below the poverty line are to be given cash assistance -- Rs 700 in high performing states and Rs 1,400 in LPS -- irrespective of the mother's age and number of children so that they opt for birth in a government or accredited private health facility.

The scheme has failed to cover the poorest women, according to a 2014 analysis of JSY data by researchers from Georgetown University. As many as 60 per cent women in Uttar Pradesh said they had to pay for certain public maternal health services, according to an assessment of JSY conducted by United Nations Population Fund in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in 2012.

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Devanik Saha is with the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)
Seoul, May 22 : Samsung on Monday said it will showcase the world's first "stretchable" panel during the SID 2017 hosted by the Society for Information Display US tech fair.

The South Korean company said the stretchable OLED display is unique since it can bend in both directions, while previous flexible panels could only bend in one direction, Yonhap news agency reported.

Industry watchers said the stretchable display calls for more complicated technology than any other displays in the market and can be considered the ultimate product in flexible technology.

The company said its display can stretch as much as 12 mm when pressed and yet still maintains a high degree of resolution.

Samsung Display plans to showcased 9.1-inch versions of the stretchable OLED display.

The product is expected to be widely used on devices that adopt the Internet of Things (IoT) or Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

SID is an international event for the electronic display industry, which will run from May 23 to 25 in Los Angeles.
Beijing, May 22 : A Chinese state-run newspaper on Monday denied that Beijing killed at least a dozen CIA informers between 2010 and 2012 as reported by US daily The New York Times last week.

The Global Times stressed that although that newspaper's information was reported by both American and Chinese media, its authenticity remains unproven.

The New York Times, which cited US officials in its publication on Saturday, revealed that between 18 and 20 agents were murdered or imprisoned between 2010 and 2012 to end a CIA espionage network which had taken years to build.

The US daily added that one of the spies was shot in front of his colleagues at a government department.

The Chinese daily said in its editorial: "As for one source being shot in a government courtyard, that is a purely fabricated story, most likely a piece of American-style imagination based on ideology."

Besides accusing the US media of bragging about capturing Chinese spies, the Chinese media reported that Bejing's counter-espionage activities are "just and legal", while the CIA's spying is "illegitimate".

"If this article is telling the truth, we would like to applaud China's counter-espionage activities," said the Global Times.

"Not only was the CIA's spy network dismantled, but Washington had no idea what happened and which part of the spy network had gone wrong," it said.

The editorial extolled the work of the Beijing secret services as a total victory and questioned the fact that this news comes at a time when bilateral relations between Beijing and Washington are relatively smooth.

"Many American political elites are willing to see more friction between China and the US. Now with the latest report, they have found a new angle to stir up distrust between the US and China over espionage," it said.
New Delhi, May 22 : Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Monday denied any possibility of a loan waiver for farmers, saying the NDA government's focus lay in their empowerment and it instead intended to invest in various schemes and initiatives to boost their income.

"Our focus is on empowerment of farmers. We want agricultural production to increase and maintenance to go down. We are investing in schemes that are aimed at increasing farmers' income," he said while briefing media about achievements of his ministry in last three years.

Singh said that loan waivers cannot solve farmers' problems, so the government's focus was on bringing down input cost of farming and providing facilities to farmers.

The demand for loan waiver came from all quarters after Uttar Pradesh government waived off loans of up to Rs 1 lakh of small and marginal farmers in the state, which was one of the promises in the BJP's manifesto before the assembly elections.

Reacting to a question about this, he said: "It was Uttar Pradesh government's decision to waive off loans in the state. Our (Centre) priority is to save farmers from clutches of sahukars (private-money lenders). We seek transparency in it. We have increased credit (for short-term loans) from Rs 8.5 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore."

Hit by two consecutive droughts, distressed farmers from Tamil Nadu in March launched 40-day long agitation in the national capital demanding loan waiver.

The Madras High Court had then asked the Tamil Nadu government to waive agricultural loans of farmers, irrespective of their land holding.

Ahead of 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-led UPA government had, in the 2008 budget, announced Rs 60,000 crore package to provide relief to the indebted farming community by waiving off loans of small and marginal farmers.

Major opposition parties including Congress has been seeking loan waivers for relief to farmers across the country.

Similar demands have come from states of Maharashtra and Punjab. Last week, around 150 farmers from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region - an epicentre of farmers suicide - held a one day hunger strike to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi of promises he made before 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but have remained unfulfilled.

In the same protest event, Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Oscar Ferandes assured the farmers that their issues would be raised in the upcoming Parliamentary session.

In March this year, State Bank of India Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya had created an uproar after she said loan waivers may disrupt credit discipline among borrowers.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iran has not held any talks with Russian and Chinese companies for purchasing aircraft, a senior Iranian official said.

Iranian Deputy Transport Minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan has denied that the countrys aviation officials have held any talks with Chinese and Russian companies on purchasing aircraft, IRNA reported.

He also said that Iran had earlier negotiated the issue of purchasing aircraft with a Japanese company which was later abandoned.

Back in February, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Iran was interested in acquiring 12 Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes.
New Delhi, May 22 : A Delhi property dealer has been arrested on the charges of murdering his business partner, and the partner's wife and four kids, over a financial dispute, the Delhi Police said on Monday.

The police said realtor Bunty has admitted to his crime.

Bunty shot dead Munnawar Hasan, 45, on Saturday with the latter's licensed revolver in his own house in Burari area of north Delhi.

Hasan, a former Bahujan Samaj Party leader lodged in jail over rape charges, was out on 15-day parole since last week, a police officer said.

The officer said when Hasan reached home on parole from jail, he found his wife and four kids missing. They had not visited him in jail since April 20.

Hasan, accompanied by Bunty, filed a missing persons complaint on Friday. Hasan's bullet-riddled body was found at his home a day later.

The officer said police questioned Bunty as they suspected his involvement in Hasan's murder.

Bunty allegedly revealed that he had earlier killed Hasan's wife and four kids and buried their bodies at different places in Delhi and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

"Bunty confessed to murdering Hasan and also claimed to have killed Hasan's wife Sonia and his two sons Akib and Shakib, and two daughters Arzu and Arsha. We are trying to verify his claim. We have sent police teams to Meerut and two places in Delhi where Bunty said he had buried them," the officer told IANS.

"Bunty said he had asked Hasan to return Rs 20 lakh he had loaned him but Hasan had refused. This led to the murders," the officer added.

Hasan and Bunty lived in Burari's Bhagat Colony and were together into property dealing for 15 years. Hasan hailed from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

He had contested the 2009 Delhi assembly election from Samaypur Badli on a BSP ticket.
New Delhi, May 22 : Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Monday ruled out denied any possibility of a loan waiver for farmers, saying the NDA government's focus lay in their empowerment.

Instead of a waiver, it instead intended to invest in various schemes and initiatives to boost their income, he said.

"Our focus is on empowerment of farmers. We want agricultural production to increase and maintenance to go down. We are investing in schemes that are aimed at increasing farmers' income," he said while briefing media about achievements of his ministry in last three years.

Singh said that loan waivers cannot solve farmers' problems, so the government's focus was on bringing down input cost of farming and providing facilities to farmers.

The demand for loan waiver came from all quarters after Uttar Pradesh government waived off loans of up to Rs 1 lakh of small and marginal farmers in the state, which was one of the promises in the BJP's manifesto before the assembly elections.

Reacting to a question about this, he said: "It was Uttar Pradesh government's decision to waive off loans in the state. Our (Centre) priority is to save farmers from clutches of sahukars (private-money lenders). We seek transparency in it. We have increased credit (for short-term loans) from Rs 8.5 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore."

Hit by two consecutive droughts, distressed farmers from Tamil Nadu in March launched 40-day long agitation in the national capital demanding loan waiver.

The Madras High Court had then asked the Tamil Nadu government to waive agricultural loans of farmers, irrespective of their land holding.

Ahead of 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress-led UPA government had, in the 2008 budget, announced Rs 60,000 crore package to provide relief to the indebted farming community by waiving off loans of small and marginal farmers.

Major opposition parties including Congress has been seeking loan waivers for relief to farmers across the country.

Similar demands have come from states of Maharashtra and Punjab. Last week, around 150 farmers from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region - an epicentre of farmers suicide - held a one day hunger strike to remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi of promises he made before 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but have remained unfulfilled.

In the same protest event, Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Oscar Ferandes assured the farmers that their issues would be raised in the upcoming Parliamentary session.

In March this year, State Bank of India Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya had created an uproar after she said loan waivers may disrupt credit discipline among borrowers.
New Delhi, May 22 : The CPI-M on Monday demanded the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government apologise for the "police brutality" on Left protestors that left over 250 of them injured and also take action against the security personnel responsible.

"We strongly condemn the police brutality that has left over 250 people injured. Over 100 of them are seriously injured. Our protest movements will only intensify until the state government apologises," said Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

"We have seen how male policemen assaulted and manhandled female protestors, which is not just highly condemnable but is illegal and criminal. We demand strict action against those policemen," he added.

The party, in a statement, condemned the Trinamool Congress government's "anti-democratic attitude" and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "disregarding issues of growing hardships being imposed on the livelihood of the people of West Bengal".

"If the state government believes that through such brutality, protests will be crushed in West Bengal, then the least that can be said is that these are entirely misplaced.

"The people of West Bengal will continue to rise in protest and immediate protest actions will take place all over the state against this police brutality," the CPI-M said.

A number of police personnel and Left protesters were injured after the Monday's protest march to the state secretariat Nabanna turned violent.

Security forces used tear gas and baton charges on thousands of belligerent activists who broke barricades during the protest march organised by 11 Left peasant bodies.
Seoul, May 22 : Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday pledged to cooperate with China and other countries to help denuclearise North Korea and curb its missile launches.

During a meeting with S. Korean President Moon Jae-in's special envoy Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in Philippines' Davao City, Park conveyed a handwritten letter from Moon to the Philippines President and the new administration's determination to strengthen ties with the country, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Davao City meeting was Park's first stop as Moon's special envoy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Park also requested support from the Philippines and the ASEAN countries for the Moon administration's plan to denuclearise North Korea and secure peace on the Korean Peninsula.

In response, Duterte said he will persuade North Korea to give up nuclear weapons and stop missile provocations through cooperation with its neighbouring countries including China, according to the office.

On behalf on South Korean President Moon, Park invited Duterte to Seoul and hold a summit on the sidelines of an ASEAN leaders' meeting set for November.

The Seoul Mayor also called for an increased bilateral cooperation in the Philippines' land development projects.

Duterte vowed "proactive" efforts to broaden relations with South Korea and deepen bilateral economic cooperation.
New Delhi, May 22 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned for the third consecutive day on Monday several separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir over the alleged funding from Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

An NIA official told IANS that the counter-terror agency questioned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Ghazi Javed Baba and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Farooq Ahmed Dar, who is also known as Bitta Karate, regarding their involvement in raising, receiving funds through illegal hawala channel for stoking violence in Kashmir.

The two separatist leaders were earlier questioned on Sunday by the NIA team in Srinagar.

On Sunday, the probe agency collected details of 13 accused and charge-sheeted persons in cases pertaining to arson attacks on schools and public property as part of the alleged conspiracy to perpetuate violence in Kashmir.

The agency on Saturday questioned suspended Hurriyat leader Nayeem Khan -- who was shown in a sting operation by India Today news channel confessing that Pakistan was pumping money to stoke trouble in the valley in connivance with Hurriyat leaders.

The channel aired the sting video on May 16 showing Khan allegedly admitting that money from Pakistan-based organisations was routed through hawala.

The official said the agency was probing all aspects of funding of separatist leaders and use of these funds in fuelling the unrest in the valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.

The agency registered a preliminary inquiry against Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Javed Baba.

The separatist leaders were alleged to have received money from the Lashkar-e-Taiba and other sources in Pakistan to fund stone-pelting and violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kutch (Gujarat), May 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday suggested that the Kandla Port Trust in Gujarat should be rechristened Deen Dayal Port Trust Kandla, commemorate the birth centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, founder of Jana Sangh, predecessor of BJP.

Modi arrived this afternoon on a two-day visit to his election-bound home state, his 12th ever since he became the Prime Minister in May 2014.

Describing the 86-year-old Kandla Port as "mini India", he said: "Good ports are essential for the progress of India. Kandla has emerged as one of the finest ports in Asia and is set to scale new heights."

Modi also laid the foundation stone for six projects of Kandla Port Trust worth around Rs 993 crore. He said with a slew of developmental projects in the pipeline, Kandla port will assert itself on the global trade map and will have connection with Iran's Chabahar port once that is developed.

The Prime Minister lauded Gujarat's rich maritime tradition, while highlighting the importance of good ports for economic growth.

"Gujarat is known for its rich maritime tradition. This spirit continues even today. There is something very special about the land of Kutch and the people who live here. Good ports are essential for India's progress.

"Vital pillars of economic growth are infrastructure, efficiency, and transparency," said the Prime Minister, adding that "Kandla has emerged as one of the finest ports in Asia."

Later speaking at Bhachau town after inaugurating a pumping station for Narmada waters, Modi said: "From Keshubhai Patel to Vijay bhai (Rupani), successive Gujarat Governments stressed on water conservation and we can see results of that."

The pumping station on Kutch Branch Canal of Narmada project near Bhachau town has been constructed at a cost of Rs 148 crore. It will lift water 18 metres high into the Canal section flowing towards Anjar and Mandvi. This was Modi's second visit to Kutch after becoming Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister said people in other states always wondered how a big chunk of the state budget was being spent on water in Gujarat and it was because "thousands of tankers ran continuously across the state carrying water", and adding that it was the resolve of his and successive BJP Governments which ensured Narmada waters being accessible to the people of Kutch.

On the occasion, Modi also stressed on the importance of conserving water and said that Kutch can teach people on how to do so.

"The Tappar Dam has been enhanced and we welcome Narmada waters. We will see how water will transform lives here," he added.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the opening session of the annual meeting of the African Development Bank in Gandhinagar.
New Delhi, May 22 : Accusing the Centre of changing its stance vis-a-vis the Hurriyat on a daily basis, the Congress on Monday said the government should adopt a single policy to deal with the conglomeration of Kashmir-centric parties.

"Should there be talks with the Hurriyat or not? When should they be put under house arrest? When should they be put under detention? When should talks with Pakistan be stalled because of them, and when it should not be stalled? All these things should be integrated into one policy," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.

"We believe any of these could be the right policy. But the problem with this government is it keeps changing its policies every day. It is very unfortunate. There should be one policy on dealing with the Hurriyat."

"we have seen how talks have been cancelled because of them, then allowed... then you have lunch with Pakistan. Such U-turns give a wrong message," Singhvi said.

Singhvi said that if a government abdicates its constitutional duties in a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir, it is but natural for the opposition leaders -- who may otherwise differ on many issues -- to get together and try their best, although they may be powerless beyond a point.

Regarding violence in Kashmir, Singhvi said: "We have condemned it and I repeat the condemnation -- but it raises a far more important question."

"we as a party have condemned all symbolic, direct or indirect or other activities which are intended to promote separatism."

"We have had the highest, largest number of homilies and sermons on nationalism from this government, both at the Centre and in the state, in the last 36 months. Never before has the state spiralled out of control with such happenings," the Congress leader said.
Patna, May 22 : Greenpeace India, the environment protection organisation, has welcomed and lauded the Bihar government's decision to give priority to organic farming.

"This initiative will prove sustainable for the agriculture and food security in the long run," a Greenpeace official said here on Monday.

According to the organisation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed the state's Agriculture Department officials to give priority to organic farming, and said it should be the basis of agicultural roadmap.

"Organic farming is the only way for the farmers to ensure better profit and to protect and conserve biodiversity. Bihar government has good schemes for organic farming, it should be implemented on a large scale with the help of the farmers," Greenpeace India senior campaigner Ishteyaque Ahmad said.

Ahmad said Greenpeace expects the Bihar government to give at least 40 per cent of the budget of the agricultural roadmap of 2017-22 to organic farming.

"It will encourage the farmers to say no to chemical fertilisers. Farmers would certainly shift from chemical-based farming to almost completely organic," he said.
Ankara, May 22 : The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the US Ambassador John Bass over a clash outside the Turkish embassy in Washington during President Erdogan's visit to Washington last week.

In a statement, Turkey protested the "aggressive and unprofessional actions" of American security personnel toward the Foreign Minister's protection team outside the Turkish embassy chancery.

The ministry said "a written and verbal protest" was delivered to the US ambassador over the actions of the American personnel that was "contrary to diplomatic rules and practices".

The ministry formally requested the US authorities to conduct a "full investigation" into the diplomatic incident and "provide the necessary explanation".

On May 17, the US State Department summoned Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kilic, and condemned the violent attack by Turkish security personnel on protesters as an assault on free speech.

On the same day, however, the Turkish Embassy said in a statement that the demonstrators in front of chancery had been "aggressively provoking Turkish-American citizens who had peacefully assembled to greet the President".
Tehran, Iran, May 21

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Persian Gulf states have implicitly expressed their interest in buying natural gas from Iran, according to Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Hamidreza Araqi.

Araqi hoped that the post-election time in Iran will provide a suitable opportunity for the country to meet the neighbors interests, IRNA news agency reported May 21.

Except for Qatar and Iran, most Persian Gulf countries lack notable gas reserves, despite the fact that they generally enjoy good oil reserves.

This is while some other neighbors of Iran such as Iraq do have ample gas reserves, but their infrastructure is not well developed yet in order to start meeting their demands.
The Oracle ACE Program has promoted Opal Alapat and Robert Gideon from Oracle ACE Associates to full Oracle ACEs. Oracle ACEs are established Oracle advocates who are well known in the community. They must have a history of demonstrated community activism in certain qualified areas, book authorship, and an established social media profile. In addition to Alapat and Gideon, interRel is home to Oracle ACE Directors Tracy McMullen, Edward Roske, and Glenn Schwartzberg, as well as Oracle ACE Associate Wayne Van Sluys.

The Oracle ACE Program was founded in 2003 as a way to recognize and reward members of the Oracle technology and application communities for their contributions, as well as help Oracle make its products more efficient and effective. Members of the program are technologically adept and eager to share their knowledge and experience.

This is a tremendous honor for Opal and Robert, said Edward Roske, interRel CEO and Oracle ACE Director. They are educators to the entire Oracle EPM community. As a company, we thank them for embodying our value of learning things and passing them on.

Opal Alapat, EPM Cloud Specialist at interRel and a Cloud Oracle ACE, has over 15 years of experience in the EPM industry. As an Oracle Cloud Specialist, she is co-author of Look Smarter Than You Are with Oracle Enterprise Planning Cloud, the first-ever printed book on any Oracle EPM Cloud product, and sole author of the first-ever book on EPRCS, Look Smarter Than You Are with Enterprise Performance Reporting Cloud. Alapat has also been published in the RMOUG SQL>UPDATE magazine. In addition to her publications, Alapat currently serves with ODTUG as a Board Director, the Marketing Chair, and the Assistant Kscope17 Conference Chair. She was formerly EPM/BI Content Chair and Marketing Chair for Kscope, and was named ODTUG Volunteer of the Year in 2015. Furthermore, Alapat has presented at major EPM/BI conferences such as Oracle OpenWorld, ODTUG Kscope, IOUG COLLABORATE, and RMOUG Training Days. She is co-founder of the North Texas Hyperion User Group (NTxHUG), an active member of the EPM community on Twitter (@opal_EPM), and author of a popular EPM blog (WomanInEPM.com).

Robert Gideon is a principal consultant at interRel and has over 17 years of information technology experience with the last 10 years focused on Oracle EPM and BI products. Gideon, an Oracle Essbase Certified Implementation Specialist, co-authored the first-ever book on any Hyperion 11.1.2.4 product, Look Smarter Than You Are with Essbase 11.1.2. He is also certified in Hyperion Planning and Exalytics and is specialized in Oracle Cloud. Additionally, Gideon has presented at ODTUG Kscope, IOUG COLLABORATE, and user groups across the United States. He is Co-coordinator of the OAUG EPM/Hyperion SIG, an active member of the BI/EPM community on Twitter (@rjgideon), and authors a prevalent BI/EPM blog (CubistRamblings.WordPress.com).

Both Alapat and Gideon regularly create educational Play it Forward videos, host webcasts, and speak at EPM/BI roadshows.

About interRel Consulting

Founded in 1997, interRel Consulting is the longest-standing Hyperion partner dedicated solely to implementing Oracle Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Cloud and Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) solutions for Fortune 500 and mid-size companies, and is the only winner of Oracles Global Cloud Partner of the Year for EPM and the only four-time winner of Oracles North America Partner of the Year for EPM and BI. The company is a nine-time Inc. 5000 honoree committed to education with a platform that includes 10+ books in its best-selling technical reference series, Look Smarter Than You Are with Hyperion, free, twice-weekly webcasts, the free-access video education platform, Play it Forward, on YouTube, and multi-track Oracle EPM/BI Road Shows across North America. Home to three Oracle ACE Directors, two Oracle ACEs, and one Oracle ACE Associate, interRel frequently participates in Oracle Technology Network international tours in developing markets. To learn more about interRel Consulting, please visit http://www.interRel.com.

Contact

Rachel Holle, Communications Coordinator

(972) 735-8716

rholle@interrel.com
NEXT Margarita offers an inherently sweet and intensely hydrating experience.

NEXT Margarita is a low calorie drink mix made with non-GMO lime and orange juice crystals and receives its sugar free sweetness from monk fruit. Additionally, NEXT Margarita is fortified with trace minerals, electrolytes, vitamins and antioxidants to support active and healthy lifestyles.

Natures NEXT Beverage founder Arron Turnbull says, "We are very proud to have created a product that brings better beverage choices with or without alcohol. Arron continues, We are excited to be part of the shift in consumer demand for value-added beverage choices. There has been such a positive shift in the food and beverage sector toward healthier options. NEXT is a reflection of that.

NEXT Margarita offers an all natural, inherently sweet and intensely hydrating experience. For a quenching and nutritious drink, NEXT Margarita can be added to alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, including mimosas, mojitos, margaritas, whiskey sours, Moscow mules, juices and even water. Ingredients include:

 Cold Pressed Lime & Orange Juice

 Monk Fruit

 Inulin

 Bioflavinoids (Citrus)

 Prickly Pear

 Acerola Berry (Vitamin C)

 Aloe Vera

 ConcenTrace AC Electrolite Complex Trace Minerals

 Vitamins B1, B2, B6 & B12

 Milk Thistle

Arron Turnbull says, People are getting smarter and smarter about the ingredients they put in their body. NEXT is a response to what people want; quality ingredients, great taste.

NEXT Margaritas initial product launch includes Los Angeles bars in Santa Monica, Hollywood, West Hollywood and Venice.

NEXT Margaritas community activism and involvement has consisted of promotion and sponsorship of charity and fundraising events such as The Boys and Girls Club of Malibu, as well as Healthier Heroes, an organization offering nutrition and support for homeless and at-risk veterans living in Los Angeles. NEXT Margarita donates a portion of its sales to environmental reforestation efforts worldwide.

ABOUT

For more information regarding recipes, ingredient description and nutritional information visit http://www.NextMargarita.com.
Consider yourself both a nightlife connoisseur and a lover of all things Caribbean? Then you couldn't pick a better city to party in than San Juan, Puerto Rico. You can expect salsa music and mojitos, of course, but you'll also find local sounds and flavors left undiscovered by the average tourist. And the best part is that you don't have to wait for the weekend  San Juan is alive and buzzing seven nights per week.

BeachDeals.com (http://www.beachdeals.com), a travel deals site offering flight, hotel, cruise and package deals to beach destinations, has rounded up its picks for the best nightlife spots in San Juan for every night of the week:

Monday: La Terraza Bonanza or Yerba Buena

Ask a local where the best place to hear Puerto Rican music is and they'll point you in the direction of La Terraza Bonanza, a lively corner hangout spot in Santurce with a small stage and a busy bar where workers sling cold beers for just a few bucks. Starting at 7 p.m., musicians put their hearts and souls into the beats of bomba and plena, two musical styles unique to Puerto Rico and sacred to locals. Don't expect to find many tourists here  just multi-generational crowd in the mood to let loose a little early in the week.

Another excellent option is Yerba Buena (http://www.yerbabuenapr.com/), an upscale Cuban restaurant in the Condado neighborhood known for its big band jazz Monday nights and its killer mojitos. The cover charge to sit at a table indoors is a hefty $25, even if you plan to eat dinner. But Humberto Ramirez and his 17-person band certainly make it worth your while, and the passionfruit mojitos will make you linger long after the horns have been packed up.

Tuesday: Mango's Ocean Park

The epic Tuesday "happy hour" at Mango's Ocean Park (http://mangosoceanpark.com) spans much longer than an hour  starting at 5 p.m. you can enjoy the two-for-one drinks and a double portion of appetizers for the same price. The coco margarita goes down pretty smooth, and regulars always come back for the coconut shrimp, the churrasquito satay and the voodoo wings.

At just $4 each, the gnocchi de yuca and the spicy slaw appetizers are delicious and could be a meal on their own. Join city folks on the patio or try for a seat in the air-conditioned interior, but be warned that service slows significantly the later it gets. Come early in the evening to secure your order, and then kick back and enjoy the DJ's musical selections while day slips into night.

Wednesday: Bar Bero on Loiza Street

Loiza Street in Ocean Park is lined with new trendy bars and restaurants, adding some variety to the up-and-coming neighborhood of Ocean Park. Don't miss Bar Bero, a barbershop-themed speakeasy where bilingual bartenders serve up seriously respectable craft cocktails on par with those you'd find in New York or Chicago. The bar opens at 7 p.m., but the party doesn't heat up until much later, and goes until 2 a.m.

Thursday: Piso Viejo 1917 on Loiza Street

If it's dancing you want, dancing you'll get. Stop by Piso Viejo 1917 on Loiza Street in Ocean Park, a tapas bar by day and cocktail joint by night. This tiny spot hosts a live salsa band, Los Realengos, every Thursday night starting at 10 p.m.

As the night wears on, it's a struggle to find enough space on the cramped dance floor to get down, but locals always find a way to manage it. Dancers are a mix of experienced salseros and newbies, but the atmosphere is inclusive and non-judgmental.

Friday: La Placita

Buzzing with locals and tourists, La Placita ("the little plaza") is a purely fun experience with a festive atmosphere not unlike Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The open-air party centers around the Mercado de Santurce farmer's market. Dozens of bars and restaurants surrounding the market crank up the music and chill down the beer, and you can choose between wandering from spot to spot and pulling up a chair to take it all in. At La Tonita's Cafe, a can of Medalla beer is just $1.35 and classic salsa tunes blast from the jukebox late into the night.

Saturday: MIST Rooftop Bar + Kitchen

Most people don't need much convincing to head to a rooftop bar, especially one with a sleek pool and lounge area. At MIST Rooftop Bar + Kitchen (http://waterbeachhotel.com/mist-rooftop-bar-kitchen/), located at the boutique San Juan Water and Beach Club (http://waterbeachhotel.com/) just west of San Juan in Carolina, you'll get something additional: jaw-dropping views of Isla Verde's bright blue, crescent-shaped coastline. Sip cocktails near the pool and listen to house and lounge music spun by a DJ until 1 a.m.

Sunday: La Junta on Loiza Street

Set aside Sunday evenings for a plena jam at La Junta on Loiza Street in Ocean Park. Whole families come to sing along to plena songs performed by a live band comprising a vocalist and a handful of percussionists. Besides cheap beer, this modest and sometimes sweltering bar and restaurant also serves up hamburgers and empanadas. But be prepared for a pause from 6 to 7 p.m.  that's when mass takes place at the cathedral across the street. Afterward, the music resumes and the festivities continue until 10 p.m.

To find deals to beach destinations from top sites, visit http://www.beachdeals.com.

About BeachDeals.com

Launched in 2015, BeachDeals.com helps beach lovers find great travel deals to beautiful beach destinations around the world. Their team of travel experts scours the web to find and post the best flight, cruise, hotel and vacation package deals from top travel sites. BeachDeals.com, along with sister site GoLastMinute.com, is owned by GraphicBomb, named in the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S. in 2016.
Hire Counsel has been named by Forbes magazine as one of America's Best Professional Search Firms in 2017. Forbes worked with analytics firm Statista to conduct the survey and compile the list. The survey was conducted with over 18,000 external recruiters, 3,000 candidates/employees and 500 HR managers from large US companies. For candidates/employees, the assessment was based on quality of offered positions, hiring process, and communication. For HR managers, factors included quality of offered candidates, service, recruitment process, and price-performance ratio of offered services.

Hire Counsel is dedicated to helping candidates achieve true success. Providing excellent career opportunities where they can learn, grow, and innovate is part of what we do; we also help them find satisfaction and balance between their work and personal endeavors, said Joan Davison, President and Chief Executive Officer of HCMC Legal, Inc., the parent company of Hire Counsel. We work together with our clients to create a positive and professional work environment, focused on the development and well-being of our people. We are proud to be recognized by Forbes as one of Americas best professional search firms, especially because this reflects the feedback of candidates and clients at all levels of the organization and from across the nation.

To learn more about Hire Counsel and to explore career opportunities, please visit http://www.hirecounsel.com.

About Hire Counsel, an HCMC Legal Company

HCMC Legal, Inc., the parent company of Hire Counsel and Mestel & Company, is a national leader in attorney placement, temporary staffing, document review management, and legal services since 1987.

Hire Counsel partners with clients across all industries to manage their dynamic workloads and distinct legal needs. We leverage exceptional talent and technology, deliver superior results consistently and profitably, and help organizations excel in todays new legal economy. Mestel & Company specializes in legal search and recruitment consulting, advancing the careers of individual associates, of counsel, partners, in-house counsel as well as facilitating the movement of groups and complex law firm mergers. Our prominent legacy, forward looking vision, depth of experience, and dedication to honesty, candor, and integrity set us apart from our competitors. HCMC is the only 100% employee owned company in the legal staffing and attorney placement industry. For more information, visit http://www.hirecounsel.com and http://www.mestel.com. Follow us on Twitter@HireCounsel and Twitter@Mestel.
LVI We are thrilled to be expanding into Provo, and are looking forward to helping the people of Utah get the great eye care they deserve.

The LASIK Vision Institute, industry leader in laser eye surgery, announced today that it has opened a new facility in Provo, Utah. This state-of-the-art center will offer solutions for a myriad of vision problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Equipped with the latest in vision correction technology, the Provo LVI center will provide high quality eye care for an affordable price. As with all LVI centers, the LASIK team is highly trained and attentive, and the respected independent surgeons are experts in performing these FDA-approved procedures.

With centers throughout the United States, LVI is committed to providing safe and convenient care. LVI surgeons across the company have collectively performed more than 1.1 million vision correction procedures, and the number of happy customers is quickly growing.

There is one LVI facility already operating in Salt Lake City, and the Provo center is the second LVI in Utah. The center will serve the people of Provo and the surrounding communities of Orem, Lindon, Pleasant Grove and Vineyard.

We are thrilled to be expanding into Provo, and are looking forward to helping the people of Utah get the great eye care they deserve, said LVI CEO Ben Cook. Its amazing how much your life can improve just by seeing better, and its our goal to help people see better.

The Provo LVI facility will be located at 898 North 1200 West, Suite 103, Orem UT, 84057, right off Veterans Memorial Highway.

Interested patients should call today to set up free, no-obligation evaluation. For eligible patients, LVI offers easy financing options that make vision correction attainable at every budget.

About The LASIK Vision Institute

The top national provider of laser eye surgery, The LASIK Vision Institute (LVI) operates a growing nationwide network. The company utilizes safe, FDA-approved, advanced LASIK technology. LVIs highly skilled LASIK surgeons have performed more than one million procedures. For more information, visit The LASIK Vision Institute.
Tehran, Iran, May 21

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran has banned 18 brands of cigarette lights for the current fiscal year (to end March 20), IRIB news agency reported May 21.

The banned brands are Marlboro, Royal Five, Royal, Mikado, Kingdom, Sir, Walden, Miami, SX, Bon, Eros, Afire, Senator, Lamborghini, Morad, and Emerald.

Ali Asqar Ramzi, head of Tobacco Planning and Monitoring Center, said the banned brands in the Iranian market are in fact replicas made in neighboring countries with tobacco containing unhealthy amounts of pesticide.

Iran produced 45 billion cigarette lights during the last Iranian fiscal year (ended March 20), indicating an increase of 15 billion year on year. Iran plans to increase the figure to 50 billion during the current fiscal year. Domestic output met 82 percent of Irans cigarette consumption during the last fiscal year.

The Islamic Republic imported 4 billion cigarettes in the last fiscal year, indicating a huge fall by 76 percent compared to the preceding year.

Also about 6 billion cigarettes were smuggled into the country during the 12-month period, which indicated a fall by 30 percent year-on-year.

About 55 billion cigarette lights are smoked in Iran annually.
NLN Education Summit 2017: "Our Community of Colleagues" There is truly no better way for nurse educators to recharge than to participate in the Summit. NLN President Anne Bavier

The glorious sunshine and beaches will beckon the nursing education community to San Diego, September 14-16, as the National League for Nursing welcomes colleagues to the 2017 Education Summit.

Faculty, deans and administrators of nursing schools, students, and other health care professionals will meet thought leaders and experts in nursing education, as they participate in this stimulating annual exchange of information and ideas. The gathering is also an occasion to celebrate professional achievement, an opportunity for formal and informal networking and mentoring; and just plain fun. Early bird registration is advised; as in years past, capacity attendance is anticipated.

Anne R. Bavier, PhD, RN, FAAN, NLN president and professor of nursing and dean of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at the University of Texas at Arlington, reiterated her oft-stated advice to register: There is truly no better way for nurse educators to recharge than to participate in the Summit. This yearly must-attend event embodies the NLNs mission to promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and the global community. I look forward to welcoming colleagues to San Diego.

Keynote speaker David B. Daniel, PhD, professor of psychology at James Madison University and a sought-after educational consultant to health care organizations, will launch the exploration of this years Summit theme, Our Community of Colleagues. Dr. Daniel is an expert on scientific research and analysis of cognition and developmental psychology. His focus over the years has been on developing demonstrable knowledge for use in educational contexts as well as applying scientific findings in psychology to employee training and organizational behavioral challenges.

Nurse educators are essential in the process of translating scientific findings for effective use in educational contexts, as well as for providing important information to enrich scientific theory and inquiry, Dr. Daniel states. I intend to discuss the science of learning, steps for responsible and high impact translation, and generate implications for nurse educators.

Dr. Daniels appearance at the 2017 Summit will also be somewhat of a homecoming for him, noted NLN CEO Dr. Beverly Malone. David earned his undergraduate degree at San Diego State University, before advancing to doctoral study at West Virginia University. Surfing the waves remains a serious hobby, as does stand-up comedy, where he earned bona fides prior to his academic and scholarly career.

Full- and half-day Pre-Summit Workshops earlier Thursday can serve as a warm-up to the main event. Abstracts are available at the 2017 Summits dedicated microsite for participants to select which sessions to attend, based on individual needs and interests. First-time Summit attendees are urged to take advantage of Navigating the Summit, a special welcoming and orientation session on Thursday afternoon, just before the official Opening Session; Keynote Address; and awarding of the Presidents Award. In addition to the dedicated Summit website, a wealth of information is available on the popular Summit App.

In addition to the Summits full schedule of outstanding presentations, workshops, symposia, and posters, participants will not want to miss the other highlights in store:



Debra L. Spunt Lecture, funded by Laerdal Medical, featuring internationally recognized nurse educator Kathie Lasater on Saturday morning

Dr. Malones CEO Summit Address on Friday, followed by the presentation of scholarships, research grants, and constituent league awards

On Saturday: Valedictory Address by NLN president Dr. Anne Bavier and Inaugural Address by incoming NLN president Dr. Rumay Alexander; National Faculty Meeting, which offers a chance to discuss issues of common concern with the NLN Board of Governors

Honors Convocation on Saturday afternoon to announce and celebrate the NLN Centers of Excellence; winners of the prestigious NLN Awards; and Induction of the 2017 Class of Fellows into the NLN Academy for Nursing Education

Presidents Gala Reception, a lively conclusion to the 2017 Summit

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Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its more than 40,000 individual and more than 1,200 institutional members, comprising nursing education programs across the spectrum of higher education and health care organizations.
NextServices announces GIQuIC certification for its easy-to-use enki Endoscopy Report Writer (ERW) that helps gastroenterologists remarkably simplify quality reporting.

We have been using enki Endoscopy Report Writer for the last 6 months at our center. The customization of the program provided by the enki team kept us efficient while maintaining the necessary quality standards, said Peter Caride, MD from North Bergen, New Jersey. He added, The ability to edit reports to fit each physicians needs allowed for greater flexibility among the providers.

With GIQuIC certification, doctors using enki Endoscopy Report Writer can gather compliance data using intuitive and easy to use modules with minimal effort.

We find that gastroenterologists everywhere face challenges with endoscopy documentation. They work harder with old technology and keep paying for expensive upgrades, said Deepak Jadhav, Director of Technology at NextServices. He added, With our simple user-interface and robust cloud infrastructure, our clients have the freedom to focus on patients while effortlessly staying compliant. Its a bonus that they never have to upgrade again.

enki ERW integrates with endoscopes to capture real-time procedure images. Doctors can easily annotate and label images using a proprietary clinical dictionary based on Minimal Standards Terminology (MST). Algorithms automatically check GIQuIC requirements as the doctor completes operative notes and alerts users for non-compliance. The data can be exported in formats as required by the registry.

Additional features include integrated label printing for pathology samples, recall reporting wizard to track appointments and send reminders, integration with other EHR systems and secure report sharing through email and fax.

About NextServices

NextServices works with some of the largest gastroenterology groups in the country in the areas of revenue cycle management, EHR, and compliance. enki is the most advanced endoscopy report writer available in the market, suitable for busy endoscopy suites that wish to benefit from cloud-based technology. enki Endoscopy Report Writer is part of the enki Health IT product platform that includes certified cloud/mobile EHR for offices and surgery centers (ASC), patient engagement portal, and telemedicine system. Learn more about enki ERW at http://nextservices.com/endo or call (734) 677 7700.

About GIQuIC

GIQuIC is a national gastroenterology quality data repository. It benchmarks physicians from hospitals, ASCs, office-based endoscopy units on quality indicators for gastroenterology procedures. For more information, visit http://giquic.gi.org/index.asp
For me, beauty and detail are a basic part of the THG-Paris DNA. I tried to mix the best of both worlds into this new collection - both Grand Central and West Coast reflect a combination of French classicism and All-American boldness and optimism.

THG-Paris, which has collaborated with prestigious brands including Lalique, Baccarat and Christofle, announced its latest collaboration, two new lines produced with internationally recognized interior designer Timothy Corrigan. This new collection joins two other product lines launched this year by THG-Paris: Dean, designed by Studio THG, and Infini, created in partnership with leading French porcelain manufacturer, Haviland.

By incorporating details from 1920s jewelry design, the new collections have a distinctly clean and contemporary feel while also maintaining a classic timelessness about them. THGs new Corrigan collection represents a mix of the more hard-edged modernism so popular in recent years as well as a return to a period in which a more lyrical and detailed aesthetic was desired.

I have always been so impressed by the beautiful design and extraordinary attention to detail that one finds in all of the work of THG-Paris that one cannot but compare them to jewelry for the bathroom, said Corrigan. For me, beauty and detail are a basic part of the THG-Paris DNA. I tried to mix the best of both worlds into this new collection - both Grand Central and West Coast reflect a combination of French classicism and All-American boldness and optimism.

Acknowledged worldwide, Timothy Corrigans timeless designs have landed accolades such as Todays Tastemaker by Architectural Digest. He has been named in many of the worlds best designer lists, including the AD100, Robb Reports Top 40 and the Luxe Gold List. His clients include royalty, Hollywood celebrities and corporate leaders.

THGs West Coast series is a true work of art and pure craftsmanship, featuring inlays within the faucet handles of either black or white onyx or a Guilloche metal pattern. The Guilloche is a decorative technique in which a very precise, intricate and repetitive pattern is mechanically engraved into an underlying material via engine turning. This technique, which was a popular motif in fine watches and decorative accessories in the 1920s, allows for greater delicacy, precision and closeness of line. Corrigans signature sophisticated European design aesthetic displays further with belted waist and finial details on the handles and spouts.

Grand Central, the second product line in the Timothy Corrigan collaboration, incorporates fluted

metalwork on the spout and handles reminiscent of the columns outside New Yorks Grand Central Station. Similar to West Coast, black or white onyx inlays are featured within each handle, as well as the belted waist and finial details on all handles and spouts.

Timothy Corrigan is a leader in the interior design industry and were thrilled to launch our first

collaboration with him, said Pedro Uranga, North American director for THG-Paris. Corrigans passion for detail, seen in our new West Coast and Grand Central lines, gives THG-Paris more depth to its product offerings.

The Timothy Corrigan collection is offered in various configurations for basins, matching bathtub and shower systems and a range of matching accessories. In addition to the signature finishes of the collection, THG offers a variety of finishes to complement each design, including chrome, nickel, rhodium silver and soft gold.

In addition to the collections debut at ICFF, both Corrigan lines will display in THG-Paris new design center, opening May 24, 2017 in the Decoration & Design Building in New York.

ABOUT THG-Paris

Based near Normandy, France, the house of Tetard-Haudiquez-Grisoni (THG-Paris) is world-renowned for its exquisite, handcrafted collections of faucets and accessories for the bath. Bearing a longstanding tradition of aligning with similarly-minded luxury brands, THG maintains partnerships with Lalique, Bernardaud, DAUM, Baccarat, Christofle and Manufacture de Monaco. Many collections are also created by high-profile designers, including Jean-Claude Delepine, Pierre-Yves Rochon, Alberto Pinto, Jamie Drake, Remi Tessier and Studio Putman. These alliances enhance THGs craftsmanship to create products that are unparalleled in their look, composition and design, bringing opulence and artistry to fine baths everywhere. THG also recently received an EPV (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) Quality Label by the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry. This prestigious citation is given to those companies that preserve ongoing artisan craftsmanship traditions emblematic of French ingenuity, are specific to a dedicated region, and are part of Frances rich cultural heritage. The process to receive this label is arduous with company tours, an examination and an evaluation by regional government authorities. THG collections are comprised of over 250,000 products and are found in luxury architectural residences, hotels, resorts, yachts and royal palaces worldwide. Customers may visit one of 90 authorized THG design showrooms across North America and Mexico to choose from a selection of over 150 designs and 35 finishes. For more information about THG-Paris visit http://www.thgusa.com

For media and press inquires contact: DRS and Associates

David Schlocker davidrs(at)drsandassociates.com (818) 981-8210
Paystar Inc. - Delivering Change Its truly a seamless system. We look forward to expanding our relationship with PNB in the future.

Paystar, Inc with its joint venture in the MENA region Translink Global Processing G.P.M.E., is announcing we have successfully added Philippines National Bank (PNB) to our network of beneficiary financial institutions in March of 2016 with a full production test for six (6) months and now in live production for all beneficiaries in the Philippines. Paystar has connected our service directly to the PNB Agent Remittance System (ARS) for real-time electronic enrollment of beneficiaries and remittance transfers.

PNB is issuing the Global Filipino Money Card (GFMC) to Paystars Enrolled Beneficiaries through the PNB Branch Network for instant low-cost transfers at just 85 pesos per transaction. A remitter can initiate a funds transfer to a registered GFMC account and funds are available for use by the beneficiary in seconds.

Joel Talosig, Head - Middle East Region for PNB (and previously AVP in charge of ARS development) said, Paystar is the first remittance company to successfully use our ARS system for instant electronic beneficiary enrollments and remittance transfers. After the initial development period and working out consumer acceptance of the Global Filipino Money Card, Paystar and PNB have built a secure and instant end-to-end electronic remittance system.

Tim Wood, President of Operations for Paystar said, We have been really happy with PNBs staff and ability to instantly deliver funds to beneficiary accounts in the Philippines. We are seeing secure transfers between remitter and beneficiary completed in just seconds. Remitters initiate a transaction via an SMS from their registered mobile device, enter a secure code to authorize the transaction and beneficiaries in the Philippines instantly receive an SMS indicating funds have been added to their account. Its truly a seamless system. We look forward to expanding our relationship with PNB in the future.

For more information, please contact:

Paystar Inc

pr(at)paystar(dot)net

About PNB

Philippine National Bank is the countrys fourth largest private commercial bank in terms of assets and deposits. It is a universal bank providing a full range of banking and other financial services to its highly diverse clientele comprised of individual depositors, small and medium enterprise, domestic and international corporations, government institutions, and overseas Filipinos.

As of June 30, 2016, PNB had a total of 670 branches and 960 ATMs strategically located nationwide. In addition, PNB boasts of having the most extensive international footprint across Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North America among Philippines banks with 72 overseas branches and offices.

http://www.pnb.com.ph

About Paystar

Paystar is a leader in mobile remittance solutions and provides business solutions that enable financial institutions to transform the way remittance services are delivered. Paystars highly-experienced team along with our proprietary innovative technology is dedicated to giving consumers access to new cost-saving convenient solutions and gives financial institutions the ability to capture additional revenue sources. The company has been developing and operating mobile payments solutions since 2012. Paystar is incorporated in the State of Delaware, USA and has offices in Henderson, NV and joint partnership offices with Translink in Dubai, UAE.

http://www.paystar.net
We are extremely excited for the opportunity to partner with Atlanta Technical College. This strategic partnership will allow us to mutually scale our programs and reach more deserving young adults.

The workforce development nonprofit Year Up Greater Atlanta (YUGA) announced today its partnership with Atlanta Technical College (ATC) to meet market demand for skilled entry-level talent.

The first class of 40 students will begin taking Year Up classes and ATC classes in Information Technology in August 2017 dually enrolled in both programs.

Year Up is actively recruiting young adults, ages 18 to 24 with high school diplomas or GEDs, to start in the fall semester at ATC. Admissions information is available at http://www.yearup.org.

The program offers students full college credits and a six-month internship at a top local company looking for mid-level talent. Ninety percent of Year Up Greater Atlantas graduates are employed or attending college full-time within four months of completing the yearlong program, with average starting salaries of $36,000/year.

We are extremely excited for the opportunity to partner with Atlanta Technical College. This strategic partnership will allow us to mutually scale our programs and reach more deserving young adults. My aspiration is to grow our YUGA program to reach 1,000 young adults annually in Atlanta. ATCs new president, Dr. Victoria Seals, is a true advocate and champion of the Year Up program and understands the barriers that often limit so many young adults from achieving success in their lives, said Kim Williams, Executive Director of Greater Atlanta. Together, ATC and Year Up will provide pathways to higher education and professional careers as we empower students to transform their lives and reach their full potential.

Dozens of companies in the area  including Cox Enterprises, General Electric, Rollins, Career Builder, Kaiser Permanente, Worldpay, and Equifax and many more recognize Year Up graduates as a fabulous source of skilled, motivated talent for roles in Information Technology, Programming, Customer Service, Desktop Support, Web Development, Project Management, Business Analytics, Cyber Security and Sales Support.

Atlanta Technical College has been transforming lives through workforce development for fifty years now, said Dr. Victoria Seals, president of Atlanta Technical College. This dynamic partnership with Year Up fits our mission and addresses the industry needs in our region. Alongside Year Up, we will provide additional support for the young adults in Metro Atlanta as they advance their educational and career pursuits. It is a win-win for everyone.

Year Up Greater Atlanta currently serves 330 young adults each year, and plans to serve 410 students annually by 2018. Since its launch in 2009, Year Up Greater Atlanta has served more than 800 young adults (ages 18-24, without college degrees), as they gain in-demand technical, professional and communication skills in areas such as Information Technology, Sales Support and Quality Assurance/Business Intelligence. Learn more about Year Up Greater Atlanta by following us on Twitter @YearUpAtlanta and on Facebook.

About Year Up Inc.

Year Up's mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college-level coursework. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 3,600 students annually across 24 campuses in Arizona, Baltimore, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, National Capital Region, New York City, Providence, Puget Sound, South Florida and Wilmington. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter: @YearUp

About Atlanta Technical College

Atlanta Technical College is a vibrant part of the Technical College System of Georgia and was named its College of the Year in 2012. Prior to that, the college was selected as Americas Best Community College by Washington Monthly magazine. Most recently, Atlanta Technical College has been ranked one of the best in the nation for online courses and programs. In 2017, Atlanta Technical College celebrates 50 years. For more information on Atlanta Technical College and its 150 programs, visit http://www.atlantatech.edu.
www.VentureConstructionGroup.com Im extremely honored to receive the WIND Fellow designation, says Stephen Shanton, CEO and president of Venture Construction Group."

Leading nationwide restoration contractor Stephen Shanton receives prestigious WindStorm Insurance Network (WIND) Fellow Designation. The WIND Designation Program recognizes industry individuals who demonstrate professionalism and technical knowledge in the field of property and windstorm insurance claims, and recognizes individuals who show a dedication to ongoing education in their respective concentrations.

Im extremely honored to receive the WIND Fellow designation. My company is committed to obtaining the highest accreditations and improving the industry to help property owners receive the best level of service possible, says Stephen Shanton, CEO and president of Venture Construction Group.

WIND is a professional association formed in 1999 to bring together defense and policyholder professionals to connect, learn, and engage on important topics in the property and windstorm insurance claims industry. The WIND Designation Program is a distinct credential process for property and windstorm insurance claims professionals. Designees must meet high standards and are recognized for their experience, education, ethics, and engagement in the property insurance claims industry.

WindStorm Insurance Network (WIND) Fellows hold some of the highest standards in the property claims industry. We are pleased to have Stephen Shanton named as a WIND Fellow and look forward to working with him to improve the property insurance claims industry, says Michelle Griffin, Executive Director, WindStorm Insurance Network.

Holding all of the industrys leading accreditations, Shanton is recognized as a nationwide industry leader at the forefront of the insurance claims industry. Shantons companies set the bar for the industry by providing the highest levels of accreditation, education and expertise to property owners.

WIND Network members are dedicated to promoting awareness of property and windstorm insurance claims issues through the application of educational initiatives, shared member resources, and credential programs designed to support and improve the professional delivery of property and windstorm-related insurance claims services.

In addition to providing construction, renovation and restoration services nationwide, Venture Construction Group helps property owners recover quickly after storm events such as hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, wind, fire and flood.

About Venture Construction Group

Venture Construction Group (VCG) is a leader in residential and commercial construction, roofing, renovations, restoration, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services. We are a full-service general contractor and assist property owners throughout Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C. Founded in 1998, VCG services commercial and residential properties throughout the East Coast, Greater Mid-Atlantic Region, Gulf Coast, and Midwest. Operational excellence is our mission in every project we undertake, and we pride ourselves on providing exceptional customer service. Venture Construction Group is a proud Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor, Platinum Preferred Certified Contractor with the National Insurance Restoration Council, WindStorm Insurance Network WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, WIND Certified Fellow, member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors. VCG credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third party Global Risk Management Solutions. With offices nationwide and a solid reputation throughout the country, we are able to respond to your needs with quality, ease, and top-notch service. For more information call 866-459-8348 or visit us online at http://www.VentureConstructionGroup.com.

About Windstorm Insurance Network

The Windstorm Insurance Network, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing education and training, and to promoting a cooperative dialogue among professionals

concerned with property and windstorm insurance claims issues. The Windstorm Insurance Network is dedicated to promoting awareness of property and windstorm insurance claims issues through the application of educational initiatives, shared member resources, and technology designed to support and improve the professional delivery of property and windstorm-related insurance claims services. To learn more visit http://www.WindNetwork.com

Media Inquiries:

Mateusz Orlewicz

Elev8 Consulting Group

Ph: 386.243.5388

Web: http://www.elev8cg.com

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Minor Recovers over $5,300,000 in Damages

The trial lasted two months and included testimony from over 30 witnesses. Plaintiff brought suit against Five Acres on May 2, 2014, alleging eight causes of action arising out of four sexual assaults he suffered at the hands of an older and larger Five Acres resident. According to court documents the perpetrator had a history of sexually predatory conduct, which should have disqualified him for placement at the facility. Nonetheless, court documents allege Five Acres not only allowed the perpetrator into the group home but also failed to supervise him adequately. Group homes must place the safety of these vulnerable children above all else, said Harris, applauding the jury's decision. "Tragically, Five Acres failed my client and allowed him to be victimized on multiple occasions." Plaintiff's CCP Section 998 offer, in the amount of $2,000,000, was also rejected with no counter offer made prior to the start of trial. The jury rejected defendant's arguments, reaching a verdict for Plaintiff on May12 on his claims for Negligence and Breach of Fiduciary Duty. With respect to the negligence claim, the jury apportioned 95% of the fault to Five Acres and 5% of the fault to the perpetrator. The jury awarded $5,000,000 in non-economic damages and $354,000 in lost earnings capacity. My client's greatest wish throughout this ordeal was that no other child will have to endure the horrors of his suffering at Five Acres or other group homes. We sincerely hope that all group homes put the safety and well-being of the children above financial considerations. My client and I are grateful to the jury for helping us send this strong message."

About Wilmer J. Harris

http://www.sshhlaw.com

Phone: 626-441-4129

Fax: 626-283-5770

Mr. Harris graduated from Stanford University in 1986 with an A.B. degree in Economics, with Distinction, and Honors in Humanities. He was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa in 1985.

Mr. Harris graduated from UCLA School of Law in 1990, earning Order of the Coif honors and American Jurisprudence Awards in Evidence, Moot Court and Remedies.

Mr. Harris worked as Law Clerk to the Honorable David W. Williams for one year after law school graduation. Mr. Harris entered private practice thereafter, practicing business litigation for two years with the law firms Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler and Blanc, Williams, Johnston & Kronstadt.

In January 1994, Mr. Harris joined the Law Offices of Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. His practice area changed dramatically as he began representing clients in civil rights cases, including Reginald Denny.

In August 1995, Mr. Harris joined the firm now known as Schonbrun Seplow Harris & Hoffman LLP where he has concentrated primarily on the representation of employees in disputes with employers and individuals in civil rights cases.

In November 1999, Mr. Harris opened the South Pasadena office of the firm where he remains the resident partner.

Mr. Harris is a frequent presenter at MCLE seminars. He has been named a SuperLawyer for many years.

Mr. Harris was co-lead counsel on a class action wage and hour case against Bank of America that resulted in a $41.8 million settlement, USDC Central District of California Case No. 13-CV-00561 DOC (JPRx). Mr. Harris has also achieved seven figure trial results in individual plaintiff cases.
Quovim C3, a provider of Contact Center and Unified Communications solutions and consulting services, will attend CX17, the industrys premier customer experience event, to announce the creation of a dedicated sales, implementation and support department focused exclusively on delivering the PureCloud by Genesys offering. Taking place May 22-25 in Indianapolis, CX17 is organized by Genesys, the global leader in omnichannel customer experience and contact center solutions. CX17 combines the best of G-Force and Interactions in its debut year since Genesys completed its late 2016 acquisition of Interactive Intelligence.

As a Bronze sponsor, Quovim C3 invites attendees to visit their booth #B9 at the Partner Pavilion to learn how they can benefit from a comprehensive turn-key, packaged PureCloud by Genesys offering, ideal for small to mid-size contact centers. Additionally, customers can uncover Quovim C3s value-added products that complement and enhance the Genesys PureConnect solution designed to maximize user satisfaction and return on investment. Combined with this one-stop service offering, Genesys customers benefit from an all-encompassing contact center strategy that addresses the unique requirements of each organization. A long-standing partner since 2008, Quovim C3 has more than 30 combined years of experience implementing, supporting and developing complementary solutions for PureConnect.

We are privileged and honored to sponsor and attend our partners newly created customer event, CX17, said Pierre Lemoine, president for Quovim C3. We are excited to use this amazing platform to showcase our dedicated and certified PureCloud team acting as the clients advocate, managing each and every step of the process, ensuring that they benefit from a strategic solution that becomes the heart of their customer operations. We are anxious to demonstrate our turn-key services, personalized support and value-added tools that make Quovim C3 the partner of choice.

Every day, we join forces with our partners, like Quovim C3, to turn customer journeys into lasting relationships, said Paul Rolfe, vice president of global partners and alliances for Genesys. We are excited that CX17 offers an ideal opportunity for Quovim C3, and other partners, to showcase how their solutions and services extend the value of our Customer Experience Platform to help companies engage with their customers and employees to create world-class experiences.

CX17 is the annual conference that gathers together the strongest ecosystem of solutions, customers, partners and technology pushing the boundaries and future of CX to provide the human touch in a digital world. Attendees will explore topics such as digital transformation, cloud customer experiences, customer journey management, hyper-personalization, predictive analytics, virtual reality and more.

Join the conversation on social media at #CX17INDY.

PureCloud by Genesys is a unified, all-in-one customer engagement and employee collaboration solution that is easy to use, quick to deploy and built for rapid innovation.

PureConnect is a proven multichannel engagement offering with comprehensive services for mid-size to large organizations, available both on-premise and in the cloud.

About Quovim C3

Quovim C3 provides complete contact center solutions, support and personalized consulting services that enable organizations to optimize client communications. A Genesys Gold Partner, Quovim C3 delivers custom solutions and expert guidance throughout the business planning and implementation process. Organizations with service, distribution and retail centers benefit from greater clarity in their operations that generate cost-savings and strengthen customer relationships. Quovim C3 transforms customer interactions into long-term profitable relationships. For more information, please visit http://www.QuovimC3.com.

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SUPPORTING RESOURCES

Connect with Quovim C3 via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Google+.

CONTACT

Hellen Diamantakis

Quovim C3

514.270.5464 x 4525

hdiamantakis(at)quovimc3(dot)com

2017 Quovim C3 Inc. Quovim C3 is a registered trademark of Quovim C3 Inc. All other product/company names are used for identification purposes only, and may be the trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Laurie Knudsen Her knowledge and background create an incredible opportunity for us to advance the careers of our existing advisors and hire additional top talent to complement our team. -Yuriy Vaynshteyn, Owner

Engel & Volkers Charlotte announced today that Charlotte real estate veteran, Laurie Knudsen, will join their existing leadership team as Vice President of Advisor Advancement and Broker-in-Charge. This announcement comes on the heels of the firms grand opening of its second location in Uptown Charlotte and the announcement of its expansion into the Lake Norman area with its shop location in Birkdale Village.

We are thrilled to have Laurie [Knudsen] on board, stated Owner, Yuriy Vaynshteyn. Her knowledge and background create an incredible opportunity for us to advance the careers of our existing advisors and hire additional top talent to complement our team.

Knudsens real estate career spans over 20 years in Charlotte. She has worked for both national franchises and local firms, served on many local, state and national boards and is a pillar in the real estate community. Knudsen is certified by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission to teach continuing education and pre-licensing and post-licensing courses. She also holds her Real Estate Mediator designation from the National Association of Realtors and previously served as President of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association.

Knudsen joins the leadership team at Engel & Volkers Charlotte which is comprised of owner Yuriy Vaynshteyn, Executive Vice President, Frances Bryant, and Vice President, Sue Fessler. The three have led the expansion of the brand over the past two years and have seen a tremendous amount of growth.

In just under two years, we have doubled our growth and volume. Engel & Volkers provides a high level of customer service and a better way of doing of business. Our clients and advisors appreciate the way we run our day-to-day operations and understand the value, stated EVP, Frances Bryant.

Engel & Volkers Charlottes second location in Uptown Charlotte launched in March 2017 to complement the existing Ballantyne location. The firm will further the footprint of Engel & Volkers north to the Lake Norman area with its Birkdale Village location slated to open Summer 2017.

About Engel & Volkers

Since its beginning in 1977 as a specialty boutique providing exclusive, high-end real estate services in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Volkers has become one of the worlds leading companies specializing in the sale and lease of premium residential and commercial property, yachts and private aviation. Engel & Volkers currently operates a global network of over 8,500 real estate advisors in more than 750 brokerages spanning 32 countries across five continents, offering both private and institutional clients a professionally tailored range of luxury services. It established Engel & Volkers North America in 2007 and assembled a team of the industrys top leaders, performers and real estate innovators to expand operations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Committed to exceptional service, Engel & Volkers supports its advisors with an array of premium quality business services; marketing programs and tools; multiple platforms for mobile, social and web; as well as access to its global network of real estate professionals, property listings and market data. Engel & Volkers is an active supporter of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each brokerage is independently owned and operated.
Serving the education community for nearly 85 years, Firstmark is honored to support these outstanding educators and their projects, said Tarwasokono.

Firstmark Credit Union announced its 2017 Educator Grant Award recipients. This year the credit union awarded $5,000 in grants to ten (10) educators across San Antonio. For the past eight years, Firstmark has awarded nearly $50,000 to educators who inspire student learning through creative and innovative programs.

The 2017 Firstmark Credit Union Educator Award winners are:



Amanda Carmelia  Jefferson High School (SAISD)

Anna Cutter  Rodriguez Elementary (SAISD)

Felicia Ruiz  Mission Acadmey (SAISD)

Susanna Hernandez  Carlos Coon Elementary (NISD)

Brenda Carrillo  Westwood Terrace Elementary (NISD)

Claire McCoy  E.M. Pease Middle School (NISD)

Bonnie Garza  Big Country Elementary (SWISD)

Barbara Leas  Las Lomas Elementary (NEISD)

Paul Thompson  Madison High School (NEISD)

Steven Davidson  MacArthur High School (NEISD)

The Educator Award program was designed with full-time, K-12 grade teachers in mind. It is intended to support educators who have innovative ideas for their classroom, but who need assistance with obtaining the necessary funds to implement them. During the application process, educators are asked to outline their project, and explain how it would benefit their students and be supported by the school principal.

Year over year, technology continues to influence the grant applications we have received at Firstmark, said Nathanael Tarwasokono, President and Chief Executive Officer. However, the core goal of the educator continues to remain the same - hands-on, interactive experiences to encourage student learning.

This year, project ideas include the purchase of multi-lingual text books, a variety of math manipulatives, a Smart Board, a trip to Sea World for special needs students, the building of solar ovens, and a robotics contruction kit.

Serving the education community for nearly 85 years, Firstmark is honored to support these outstanding educators and their projects, Tarwasokono added.

To be eligible for an Educator Award, applicants must be a credit union member and an educator for grades K through 12 within Bexar County or one of the 12 surrounding counties.

About Firstmark Credit Union

Firstmark Credit Union has been helping people achieve financial success for more than 80 years. Founded in 1932 by ten teachers within the San Antonio Independent School District, Firstmark has grown their original $475 investment to over 100,000 members and over $1 billion in assets. Firstmark is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution focused on helping people to better their lives and small businesses. For more information, visit http://firstmarkcu.org or call (210) 342-8484.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi accused the US administration of spreading iranophobia as a tactic to sell more weapons to the regional countries.



The US should stop with its baseless provocative and interfering remarks, Qassemi said, Tasnim news agency reported May 22.



Qassemis statements came one day after the US President Donald Trump in a visit to Riyadh accused Iran of fueling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.



Qassemi also accused the US of selling dangerous weapons to the main supporters of the terrorists in the region, saying the US policies have led to re-strengthening of terrorist groups in the Middle East.



During Trumps visit to Saudi Arabia arms deals worth almost $110 billion were signed between the two countries.



Elsewhere in his remarks, Qassemi recommended the regional countries to care about their peoples welfare and peace instead of spending billions of dollars for attracting US support.
Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has expanded its Transaction Advisory Group U.S. practice with two new Managing Directors, Peter Gougousis and Jeffrey Jones. The Transaction Advisory Group continues to grow with the addition of 16 former Big Four professionals throughout the U.S. These appointments further augment A&Ms in-depth merger and acquisition (M&A) experience and demonstrate the firms commitment to solve for clients challenges against the backdrop of an evolving deal-making landscape.

Todays complex and unique business climate carries a degree of uncertainty, which presents numerous challenges  and in many cases, opportunities  for our clients, said Anthony Caporrino, Managing Director and U.S. Practice Leader, A&M Transaction Advisory Group. Peter brings extensive transaction advisory expertise along with a keen understanding of current challenges facing clients and issues looming on the horizon. Jeffrey brings a unique skillset around sponsor coverage in the transaction community.

Mr. Gougousis returns to A&M after co-founding the firms Financial Industry Group in 2009. He has more than 13 years of financial services industry experience and specializes in accounting and financial analysis for both buy-side and sell-side transactions for private equity firms and strategic buyers. Mr. Gougousis advises clients on issues in sectors such as banking, specialty finance, asset management and financial technology. His experience serving clients ranges from due diligence to interim management roles, as well as advising on performance improvement issues. Prior to re-joining A&M, Mr. Gougousis was the Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis at Strategic Funding Source, a Pine Brook Partners portfolio company. He began his career at KPMG working in both the audit and transaction services groups.

Mr. Jones brings nearly 20 years of experience focusing on the investment community. He advises clients on high-yield, initial public offering (IPO) and M&A transactions. Mr. Jones previously served as a Managing Director in Global Capital Markets at Donnelley Financial Solutions, where he advised on numerous high-profile deals. Prior to that, Mr. Jones held similar roles at Merrill Corporation and Elabra, Inc., offering software services around secondary offerings and government debt issuances.

With three key factors likely to impact deal-making  namely tax reform, repatriation and anticipated deregulation  it is critical that we have the right team of experts who can adeptly navigate the potential upside for our clients, said Ryan Farrell, Managing Director and Financial Industry Group Leader, A&M Transaction Advisory Group. The private equity sector may be on the precipice of a real transformation, and we have strategically bolstered our practice in line with these macro trends and client demands.

In addition, Damiano Dragone, formerly with EY, joins A&M as a Senior Director in New York and Christopher Merkt returns to A&M as a Senior Director in Los Angeles. Mr. Dragone performs financial buy-side and sell-side due diligence for proposed acquisitions, mergers and divestitures. He has executed dozens of transactions ranging from $20 million to $5 billion in multiple industries including manufacturing, technology and healthcare.

Mr. Merkt advises both buyers and sellers in the financial and strategic evaluation of potential acquisition or divestiture targets within the technology vertical. He has served in interim management roles and advised on performance improvement issues. He started his career at PwC.

Additionally, Director Scott Koprivetz (Los Angeles); Managers Jerry Cosmas (Chicago) and Mariya Verbitski (San Francisco); Senior Associates Matt Keller (Chicago), Pierce Autry (Nashville), Thomas Sherbakoff (San Francisco), Rajesh Mirchandani (Atlanta), Roshan Mirchandani (Atlanta), Raffi Bloom (Los Angeles) and Pedro Aguirre (San Francisco); and Associates Christopher Linkletter (New York), Nick Kidder (Atlanta) and Tyler Hosea (Houston) have joined A&M. All of these individuals are former Big Four professionals.

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Each year, 140,000 children are harmed and about 7,000 children die needlessly due to dosing errors by medical professionals.

CertaDose, an innovative syringe that addresses the most common type of medical error in children medication dosing errors launched today on Indiegogo.

CertaDose is a fast, accurate and safe way to measure childrens medication and helps eliminate dosage errors, which medical experts believe to be the number one killer of children. Emergency Room Doctor Caleb Hernandez developed the CertaDose Syringe to provide a simple method to measure and confirm the correct dose for any infant or child.

Each year, 140,000 children are harmed and about 7,000 children die needlessly due to dosing errors by medical professionals, Dr. Hernandez said. We want to make it as easy as possible for medical professionals to give patients the correct doses, especially in high-stress emergency situations where a childs life is on the line.

The patented syringe incorporates the right dose, the right concentration and the right route of administration of medication dosing, along with a color-matching technology that creates an easy-to-use system, focused on saving childrens lives by curbing critical medication errors.

CertaDose easily works in two steps-- measure and match. Using the industry-standard color-measuring system, CertaDose allows users to quickly measure a childs weight or height to determine the correct amount of medication for each child. Match and fill the CertaDose Syringe to the childs color zone. Each color-coded zone on the wall chart defines the pre-calculated medication dosages, Dr. Hernandez added.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 1-out-of-6 doses of medicine given to pediatric patients is wrong, and 31 percent of those incorrect dosing amounts result in harm. At home, 84 percent of parents are administering incorrect dosing amounts to their children.

CertaDoses Indiegogo campaign will raise funds for FDA registration of the acetaminophen oral syringe  enabling CertaDose to provide a syringe and wall chart for all parents, caregivers and medical professionals.

For more information on CertaDose, visit the CertaDose Indiegogo Campaign Page or visit certadose.com.

About CertaDoses Developer

Dr. Caleb Hernandez is a specialist in Emergency Medicine. He is currently an attending physician in the Emergency department for the University of Colorado Health (UC Health). Dr. Hernandez also serves as Medical Director for Anheuser-Busch in Ft. Collins, Colorado, where he oversees the First Responder Service. He has first-hand experience in what can go wrong when a patient is accidentally given the wrong dose of medicine. During an incident that occurred a few years ago, Dr. Hernandez acted quickly to avoid a critical overdose on a child in cardiac arrest  which gave him the inspiration to develop the CertaDose syringe.

CertaDose is focused on savings kids lives by reducing medical errors. CertaDose is innovating pediatric medication delivery by addressing the most common type of medical error in children  medication-dosing errors.

A clinical trial comparing the current method of determining correct dosages to CertaDose shows the amazing potential of this simple solution. In the clinical trial of a highly trained group of medical professionals, critical errors dropped from 37% to zero. The color-coded syringes eliminated critical errors in all groups that participated.

Clinically proven, patented and designed specifically for children's medicine, CertaDose incorporates an easy-to-use, color-coded measurement confirmation onto the syringe for pediatric medications.

For more information on keeping children safe from dosing errors, visit http://www.certadose.com.
It's always fun to connect with customers and partners as well as meet potential talent.

PowerObjects, An HCL Company is excited to announce their ambitious networking initiative for 2017. As part of this effort, PowerObjects will host multiple networking happy hours throughout North America in the upcoming year to connect with partners, customers, and potential talent. PowerObjects released a projected line-up of cities that they will bring their networking happy hours to in 2017. The list ranges from San Francisco to Vancouver and even includes a Food Truck Friday Networking Event at the company's headquarters in Minneapolis.

"At PowerObjects, two of our core values are to "Think Team" and "Love What You Do," says Terah Ramaekers, PowerObjects' Director of Talent Acquisition. "These core values help us create lasting relationships with our community and our Networking Happy Hours are a big part of that. It's always fun to connect with customers and partners as well as meet potential talent. We've actually met quite a few future team members at Happy Hour."

Happy Hour attendees will have the opportunity to see what sets PowerObjects apart, "talk shop" with current team members, and connect with members of the PowerObjects leadership team. As Happy Hour dates approach, event information will be listed on the PowerObjects events page.

2017 Happy Hour Schedule:

June 1 - Happy Hour in San Francisco - RSVP Now!

June 2 - Food Truck Friday Networking Event - RSVP Now!

June 15 - Happy Hour in Minneapolis - RSVP Now!

July 13 - Happy Hour in Denver

August - Happy Hour in Seattle

August - Happy Hour in Vancouver

September - Happy Hour on the East Coast

October - Happy Hour in Nashville

November - Happy Hour in Milwaukee

December - Happy Hour in Kansas City

December - Happy Hour in Austin

Please send all press or media inquiries to press(at)hcl-powerobjects.com.

About PowerObjects, An HCL Company

PowerObjects, An HCL Company is a leader in delivering Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions through unparalleled offerings of service, support, education, and add-ons. PowerObjects has built an unmatched team of Dynamics 365 experts that help organizations increase productivity, streamline business processes, and build better relationships.
Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC (RCCB), a law firm offering a distinctive combination of practical business acumen, legal expertise and entrepreneurial passion, today announced that nine attorneys have been selected as 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

Three RCCB Partners have been selected to the 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list. No more than five percent of the lawyers in each state are selected.

Managing Partner John E. Royer, Jr., and Executive Partner Neil A. Cooper, both from the firms Corporate & Business Group, as well as Litigation Partner Barry L. Cohen, a past two time Rising Star and now nine time Super Lawyer, were all selected as Super Lawyers.

Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.

RCCB is also proud of the six attorneys who were selected to the 2017 Pennsylvania Rising Stars list. These attorneys comprise part of the 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.

The attorneys who received the Rising Stars honor are Partner Matthew Faranda-Diedrich, Counsel Sean S. Litz, and Associate Alexander J. Nassar, attorneys in RCCBs Litigation Group. Partner David Kovsky and Associate Erin McQuiggan, attorneys in the Private Client Services Group, also made the Rising Stars list, along with Dustin Covello, a Partner in the Tax Group.

This is the fifth consecutive Rising Stars appearance for Faranda-Diedrich and the second consecutive appearance for Nassar. It is the first appearance for Covello, Kovsky, Litz, and McQuiggan.

About Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC

RCCB empowers your ambition. We are attorneys who think and act like entrepreneurs and business people. We combine sophisticated, cost-effective legal counseling with the type of sound practical judgment that comes from hands-on business experience. We encourage entrepreneurial approaches and creative thinking, while maintaining the utmost in integrity and responsiveness. RCCB understands and delivers the advice that companies, business executives and investors, as well as individuals and their families, need to realize their hopes and goals. From offices in the Greater Philadelphia area and New York, RCCB serves clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Additional information about Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld is available at http://www.rccblaw.com.
Fandor, the streaming service with the largest collection of independent films, documentaries, international features and shorts, announced today that Academy Award winner Jared Leto will join the Company as Chief Creative Officer.

In this new role, Leto will be integral in establishing the creative voice that defines Fandor. He will provide ongoing creative input for the platform, including original programming, and will host one of Fandors live streaming events slated for later this year.

Jared joins us at a critical time in Fandors evolution. With the launch of our new look and feel on and off the Fandor platform, we are ready to move to series production. Jared brings his love of movies, his passion for music, and his keen eye to Fandor's audience," said Larry Aidem, President & CEO of Fandor. "Having worked for Robert Redford for a decade, I'm struck by Jared's similarly multi-dimensional artistry  actor, filmmaker, musician, producer  and remarkably broad fan base... not to mention his tech chops."

Along with Letos creative role, Fandor will utilize VyRT, an online broadcast platform exploring the creative possibilities between content and social. VyRT, founded by Leto in 2011, and headquartered in Los Angeles, is a provider of on-demand Internet streaming media available to viewers worldwide.

Said Leto, "As a longtime Fandor subscriber I developed a special appreciation for their distinctive programming and recommendation engine. Specifically, the 'human element' that sets Fandor apart from so many other services in this space, most of which are purely algorithmic. With my involvement in the broadcasting and social platform business for over 5 years with my company, VyRT, I'm very much looking forward to this collaboration and know I can bring a unique perspective [to it].

Said Gail Gendler, former AMC Sundance Channel Global acquisitions exec, who recently joined Fandor as Head of Programming, "Jared will be instrumental in our ongoing creative evolution as we dramatically expand Fandor's audience to include movie fanatics, in addition to the original base of independent film enthusiasts. Jared is that exceedingly rare artist who enjoys broad and deep appeal to movie AND film audiences. We look forward to working with him to engage our movie-loving audience with hosted live streams for films, documentaries, shorts and originals.

In addition to Leto joining the team, Fandor has launched a major redesign of its site and is amping up their sponsorship activity.

Mike Tuszynski, Chief Technology & Product Officer, who has overseen the redesign of fandor.com and will manage the integration of VyRT, commented, "At the intersection of thoughtful product design and innovative technology, Fandor is fundamentally transforming into an inspiring destination for movie fanatics, and it is very gratifying to see the vision come together fueled by an equally inspiring team."

Added Dan Johns, Fandor's EVP of Advertising & Sponsorships, who most recently oversaw brand strategy at Twitter, "Following a year of extensive discussions with agencies and brands, we are confident that we have a winning combination. We are thrilled to be working with Lexus, CA Technologies, and a host of others to offer the combination of premium, brand-safe video and native platform opportunities targeted to connected movie lovers. Fandor is delighted and appreciative to have them as launch partners."

About Fandor

Fandor handpicks and streams nearly 6,000 award-winning and independently produced titles from around the world. With over 500 genres, from the classics to the latest festival favorites, Fandor connects a global community of movie lovers through curated content through our movie library, digital site and social platforms. The Company is expanding its content syndication through established and emerging OTT services and OEMs. Fandor is available on desktop, iOS, Android, and on TV through Roku, AppleTV and Chromecast.

Press Contact:

Matt Maraynes

522 Washington St. San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone: (626) 657-6073

matt(at)fandor(dot)com

Copyright  2017 Fandor, All rights reserved.
Tracey and I embrace every opportunity we have to help people navigate relationship challenges and reach a better understanding of one another.

The Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) Institute has announced PACT training sessions in Melbourne, Australia from July 5-14 (Level I) and July 17-23 (Level II). The PACT Institute has trained more than 1,000 marriage and family therapists, social workers, counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists from all over the world in the PACT methodology. The Australia training will take place at the Quay West Suites in Melbourne.

Developed by Dr. Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, PACT is a fusion of attachment theory, developmental neuroscience, and arousal regulation. PACT has a reputation for effectively treating the most challenging couples. The method aims to promote secure-functioning relationships based on the principles of sensitivity, fairness, justice, collaboration and true mutuality. PACT specifically focuses on evoking experience for couples through social cues, movement exercises, conflict enactments, and other psychodramatic techniques.

The full training comprises three levels, spanning three years. The Level I (beginner) course is usually taught by the PACT core faculty, and the Level II (advanced) and Level III (practicum) courses are taught by Dr. Tatkin. In Australia, Dr. Takin will conduct both Level I (July 5-14) and Level II (July 17-23) trainings.

We train PACT therapists to find the root of the problem quickly and efficiently so that couples can restore their relationship to a secure-functioning condition as attentive and supportive partners for one another, explained The PACT Institutes founder, Dr. Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, a best-selling author, therapist and researcher. The PACT Institutes faculty members are all highly skilled therapists with successful private practices and have undergone extensive PACT training with Dr. Tatkin.

The PACT Institutes co-founders, Drs. Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, and Tracey Boldemann-Tatkin, PhD, have also announced a Wired for Love Couple Retreat to be held October 7-14 in Tuscany, Italy. The PACT Institute holds several workshops every year for people looking to incorporate the PACT principles of security, trust, and mutual respect into their relationships. These workshops, which draw from neuroscience and attachment theory models, are designed to help couples and individuals seeking secure-functioning relationships. These retreats are for everyone interested in relationship success and long-term happiness.

The Wired for Love Couple Retreats are intended for partners to come together to explore new ways to strengthen relationships. Dr. Tatkin will lead couples though exercises designed to help them identify one anothers attachments styles, read body language and arousal states, and manage conflicts to build secure-functioning relationships.

Tracey and I embrace every opportunity we have to help people navigate relationship challenges and reach a better understanding of one another, explained Dr. Tatkin. Held at a romantic, enchanting villa in Tuscany, the retreat will teach participants powerful PACT principles to guide you in overcoming challenges you face as a couple and help you create a secure, fulfilling, and enduring relationship. Were committed to our mission to make secure functioning relationships the new norm.

For more information about trainings and couple retreats, visit: http://www.thepactinstitute.com.

About Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT

Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, has a clinical practice as a couple therapist in Calabasas, CA, and is assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. He and his wife, Tracey Boldemann-Tatkin, PhD, founded the PACT Institute and lead therapist training programs in cities across the United States and around the world. Tatkin is the author of three well-received books about relationshipsWired for Dating, Wired for Love, and Your Brain on Loveand is coauthor of Love and War in Intimate Relationships. Learn more about Dr. Tatkin at http://www.stantatkin.com.

About the PACT Institute

The PACT Institute is a leading global organization that offers trainings for clinical professionals in a method designed to help secure-functioning relationships flourish. The Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) draws on more than three decades of research on developmental neuroscience, attachment theory, and arousal regulation. Since 2008, the PACT Institute has trained more than 1,000 practitioners across North America, Europe, and Australia and has expanded the training to three levels. PACT has gained a reputation for effectively treating even the most challenging couples.
Francisco Vazquez, Director, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center joined Dr. Poonam L. Alaigh, Acting Under Secretary for Health, and Fisher House Foundation president David Coker here today to dedicate the newest Fisher House at the Houston VA Medical Center. This home will provide lodging for up to 20 families of eligible veterans and military at no cost, allowing them to be close to their loved one at the most stressful time  during the hospitalization for an injury, illness or disease. This is the third Fisher House at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

The Houston Fisher House will not only create an instant community for its residents, united by their common mission of supporting a sick or injured loved one, but it will also provide each individual with a secure and private refuge after a long day at the hospital to rest and recharge.

The 20-suite, 16,800 sq.-ft. comfort home joins 71 other Fisher Houses operating in the United States and Europe, and was gifted to VA as part of todays ceremony. Each bedroom suite comes equipped with a private, handicapped-accessible bathroom, and common areas that include a spacious kitchen, large communal living, dining and family rooms, laundry room and patio.

We are very proud to open a third Fisher House at the DeBakey VA Medical Center, said Mr. Coker. This is a milestone for Fisher House, as this is the first VA to have three Fisher Houses. We recognize that our veterans will be receiving care now and for decades to come, and this home will help ensure their families can continue to heal together.

The Houston VA Medical Center is proud of the top quality healthcare we provide to our nations heroes, said Mr. Vazquez. Having a place right on our campus to house more of our Veterans families so they can be nearby their loved ones is such an amazing gift. We cant thank the Fisher Foundation enough for this generous donation.

Construction of this Fisher House was supported by: James McGinity, United Airlines, Alorica, La Quinta Inns & Suites, John Burkland, Cardinal Health, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, H-E-B, Motorola Solutions Foundation, and Shell Oil Company, as well as one very generous anonymous donor.

About Fisher House

Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans families an estimated $360+ million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.

Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans.

About the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

This is the third Fisher House for the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, which provides top quality health care to more than 112,000 Veterans and service members annually. The Medical Centers first two Fisher Houses have been running at capacity since they opened in 2005 and 2013 respectively; Houston is the first VA Medical Center in the country to receive three Fisher Houses.

HI RES EVENT PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM AESTILL(AT)FISHERHOUSE(DOT)ORG.
Evolutionz, a cannabis-industry business consulting firm, has filled the communication gap between the Marijuana Enforcement Division (M.E.D.) and cannabis-industry businesses. Currently, the M.E.D. can only recite state statute legislature as it is written to licensed cannabis sales businesses; meanwhile Evolutionz, as a third-party consultant firm, can make thorough inquiries to relay in-depth information and advice to cannabis sales companies.

As of four months ago, the M.E.D. no longer provides thorough advisement to cannabis industry businesses. Evolutionz compliance expert, Sam Fortune, sums up the issue at hand, The M.E.D. no longer discusses the answer to questions outside of the context of the statutes that are posed to them; instead they are only allowed to cite the information directly out of the statutes. In other words, the M.E.D. can only recite state statutes verbatim, as is dictated by the law. While the M.E.D. is limited to citing regulation statutes, Evolutionz acts as a mediator, providing communication and advisement to marijuana businesses. Evolutionz, as a third-party consulting firm, attains and disperses regulation and compliance information from the M.E.D. to cannabis industry businesses.

Which companies are affected by the change?

All licensed recreational and medical cannabis sale businesses are affected, including ancillary companies who must have licensing. Evolutionz caters to these businesses compliance demands by providing coherent regulation advice and compliance resources.

For more information about the recent M.E.D. policy change, and Evolutionz solution to the communication gap, visit http://www.evolutionzconsulting.com/evolutionz-bridges-gap-m-e-d-cannabis-businesses. Evolutionz also provides a Customer Resource Center, providing marijuana businesses with up-to-date, plain-English answers to compliance questions. Learn more about Evolutionz Resource Center here:

http://www.evolutionzconsulting.com/resource/.

About Evolutionz

Evolutionz is an all-in-one cannabis industry consultant firm, providing a suite of services ranging from compliance guidance to data analysis, and accounting to human resources. Learn more about Evolutionz at http://www.evolutionzconsulting.com.
In a Landmark decision, U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Leeson denied Cabelas motion to dismiss Kate Lynn Blatts Americans with Disabilities Act claims in Civil Action No 5:14-cv-04822, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Blatt, a former employee of the outdoors retailer, alleges that she was discriminated against due to the fact that she is transgender. She alleges that Cabelas employees subjected her to a cycle of abuse and antagonism when she worked as a seasonal stocker in 2006 and 2007. Blatts suit alleges that she faced abuse from superiors and coworkers alike, and that she was forced to use the mens restroom and wear a nametag that displayed her birth name, despite legally having her name changed in Pennsylvania.

In its opinion, the Court recognized that the experience of having gender dysphoria can cause clinically significant distress. And, when it does, there is no principled reason for excluding transgender people from securing protections under the Americans with Disability Act afforded to all others who face discrimination because of a stigmatized medical condition.

At press time, Neelima Vanguri and Sidney L. Gold, Blatts attorneys from Sidney L. Gold & Associates, acknowledged this cases potential to be cited nationwide, stating that this is the first case in the country to allow a transgender person to pursue a claim under the ADA. This is an important outcome that lays a foundation for transgender people to pursue broad civil rights protections across a range of areas including both in employment and public accommodations. When asked how employers can be more inclusive to trans rights in the workplace, Attorney Vanguri stated that If somebody is doing their job and doing it well, their gender or gender identity should not matter. They should be free of a workplace wherein they experience discrimination.

For more information on this case and how to defend your rights in the workplace, contact the law offices of Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. at 215-569-1999 or visit their site at http://www.discrimlaw.net.
So You Want to be a Gangster Poster Without the cast and crew the director is nothing, its all about teamwork"

Mexico City born Alex Kahuam is proving himself in Hollywood. With his first feature film, So You Want to be a Gangster? gaining distribution, it is set to hit online streaming services including Amazon Prime in the coming months. At the young age of 21 when he started production in 2013, Alex was recognized by his peers as an extremely creative mind and is a versatile and easy going Director. Alex believes in team work. Without the cast and crew the director is nothing, its all about teamwork, he says.

The film was fun and a challenge to make. There were shootouts, fight scenes, long takes with lots of hard work from all the cast and crew. The Director likes to keep it real and he chooses special effects on set rather than in post-production. I think its real and the audience will be more intrigued, and they will be in the film rather than if they see something fake that is not real.

Kahuam was able to realize the film thanks to a great team of stunt men and pyro technicians that worked on set. No one got hurt during the production and at the end it all worked out. It all started with a short film and then it became a feature film. The short version of the feature went to the Cannes film festival in 2013. After the success and impact of this short, Kahuam was able to get funds from private investors in Mexico City to make the feature.

Aside from this film, Alex currently has three other features in development. He has also directed music videos for multiple artists including Salvador Santana, the son of the legendary Carlos Santana. And he is currently shooting commercials as well.

For his other projects Alex wanted to change genre from So, you want to be a gangster? His two other films have serious social matters with an impact, rather than another crime action movie. There is also a horror film Alex is working on finishing the script for to be shot in the next 2 months. Kahuam's philosophy is, "If you as a director are able to direct any movie, any genre, you are a good Director; it shouldn't be an issue for you".

http://www.soyouwanttobeagangster.com
Tehran, Iran, May 22

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran and Azerbaijan enjoy good relations and coordination, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected in the May 19 presidential election.

Azerbaijan is a great neighbor of the Islamic Republic and the ties of the two countries witnessed great development under Irans 11th government and Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev, Rouhani said in his first presser after re-election in Tehran May 22, Trend correspondent reported from the event.

The collaboration and coordination between the two countries will continue, Rouhani said, adding the Iran-Azerbaijan relations are strategic.

The ties between the two countries went even beyond the bilateral level, and trilateral meetings were held with Azerbaijani and other countries leaders, including a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Baku in 2016.

This will go on and the next trilateral meeting most likely will be held in Tehran, Rouhani added.

Iran and Azerbaijan have major plan in the field of transportation and are working on a joint railroad project which will link the EU and Russia, through Azerbaijan, to Irans Bandar Abbas in Persian Gulf.
Moving Analytics Smartphone App Moving Analytics is a game changer, allowing systems of care to greatly increase patient cardiac rehab completion rates by removing those barriers to care and putting access to the program right in the palm of a patients hand.

More than 200 leaders in healthcare and technology joined together for the Heart Science Forum and awarded Moving Analytics with the Judges Choice Award. The Moving Analytics team, lead by Ade Adesanya, featured a health IT platform that allows patients to complete a home-based cardiac rehab program delivered through their mobile device. This opportunity is enormous considering that of patients recommended to cardiac rehab programs, less than a third complete that course of treatment.

Barriers cited for non-compliant patients included lack of transportation, high co-pays, conflicts with work schedules and no access to nearby facilities. Moving Analytics is a game changer, allowing systems of care to greatly increase patient cardiac rehab completion rates by removing those barriers to care and putting access to the program right in the palm of a patients hand. Locally the Moving Analytics team is working with hospital systems, including Lourdes Health System in Camden to implement homebased

cardiac rehab programs. The Movn app that patients are utilizing through Lourdes partnership with Moving Analytics allows for remote monitoring by cardiac rehab staff as well as two-way communication so patients can ask questions or report concerns and clinical experts can deliver advice to manage their progress.

The Heart Science Forum recognizes and celebrates the creative achievements of innovators working to improve cardiac and stroke care in the Delaware Valley and beyond. Celebrating its 4th year, the Forum has firmly established itself as the premier event for innovative healthcare excellence in our region and the opportunity for finalists to pitch during the Innovation Challenge portion of the event is a coveted honor. This year's panel of Innovation Challenge judges included:

Tom Borger, CEO, T B Innovative

Dan Dadourian, Executive Director, Medical Affairs, National Field Physician Head, Advocacy Head, AstraZeneca

Anthony Green, Vice President, Technology Commercialization Group, Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Matthew Plevelich, Vice President, NewSpring Capital

Stephen Popielarski, PhD, CEO, SPHM Enterprises, LLC

Companies were evaluated on a number of criteria including their likelihood of having a real-world impact on the prevention or management of cardiovascular disease or stroke. Innovativeness and clarity of unmet need were also considered, along with fundability and the teams ability to execute. All pitching companies are addressing critical gaps in patient care, making selection that much more difficult. Winning the Innovation Challenge at this event is a significant accomplishment and one that has greatly

affected Ade Adesanya of Moving Analytics personally. An immigrant from Nigeria, Adesanya dreamed of contributing to innovations that could make a positive impact on society. He has experience with a variety of new ventures but has committed himself to healthcare because of its global impact and hopes to one day expand his work to Africa. Adesanya tells us, I often pinch myself because it is a miracle that I am here and living my dreams. It can at times be difficult for immigrants to become entrepreneurs but I

look to my mom for motivation. Her hypertension motivates me and working on this product helps me keep up with the latest evidence in support of her.

This years pitches were truly outstanding. We were excited to award these honors, make these financial investments and also revisit the winning projects from last year that have shown remarkable progress in the 12 months since our last Forum occurs. The Forum was a big part of positioning that project and we are thrilled with its success, shared Popielarski. We look forward to seeing what this years projects can achieve in the next 12 months and inviting you all to the Forum next April to see their impact and meet our next generation of innovators.

About Moving Analytics

Moving Analytics is a digital health company based in San Francisco, CA. Moving Analytics helps hospitals implement evidence-based remote cardiopulmonary rehab programs delivered through patients mobile devices. Their solution Is is based on 20 years of research from Stanford University. Our customers include leading health systems including NYU Langone Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine and Our Lady of Lourdes Center, New Jersey. Moving Analytics is backed by Launchpad Digital Health, HealthX Ventures, OCA Ventures and Almond Tree Capital.

About The American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke  Americas No. 1 and No. 5 killers. The AHA teams with industry leaders and expert in healthcare and research, as well as millions of volunteers, to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health awareness, and provide lifesaving tools and information on treatment and

prevention. The Dallas-based association is the nations oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, and is committed to finding innovative and effective solutions to reduce risk and improve health outcomes for all patients.
Epilepsy is related to disrupted functioning of the brainblood barrier. Anti-HMGB1 therapy may provide a novel strategy for controlling the epileptogenesis.

Researchers at Okayama University describe in Scientific Reports the effect of a particular type of monoclonal antibody on epilepsy in mice. Findings include the prevention of disrupted brainblood barrier function, the inhibition of inflammations, and prolonged epilepsy seizure latency.

Epilepsy is a category of neurological disorders characterized by recurrent seizures. The causes of epilepsy are largely unknown, but it has been established that high mobility group box 1 (HMBG1) protein expression may be linked to epilepsy-related inflammations. A team of researchers led by Masahiro Nishibori from Okayama University has now investigated the HMBG1epilepsy connection in detail, and found that administering anti-HMBG1 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) prolongs the latency of epileptic seizures  an important finding in the on-going quest for understanding and curing epilepsy.

Since an increased production of HMBG1 has been observed earlier in human and rat epileptic brain, Nishibori and colleagues tested the hypothesis that HMBG1 plays a role in epileptogenesis and, specifically, in disruptions of the functioning of the bloodbrain barrier. The latter is a semipermeable membrane in the brain separating blood from other, extracellular fluid.

The researchers did experiments with mice treated with pilocarpine, a model commonly used for the study of epilepsy. Pilocarpine is a molecule normally used as a medicine (e.g. for relaxing increased pressure in the eye), but when injected systematically with a high dose in mice, it could initiate seizure and then cause status epilepticus. Nishibori and colleagues confirmed this disruption: pilocarpine-injected mice undergo a translocation of HMGB1 from the cerebrum (the principal part of the brain located at the front of the skull) to the blood, affecting the permeability of blood-brain barrier. They also proved that administering of exogenous HMGB1 could exacerbate the blood-brain barrier disruption.

The scientists then looked at the effect of intravenously introducing anti-HMGB1 mAb to the pilocarpine mouse model. They found that such treatment leads to the inhibition of HMGB1 translocation and the protection of bloodbrain barrier permeability. This in turn resulted in prolonged seizure latency. Nishibori and colleagues therefore conclude that anti-HMGB1 therapy may provide a novel strategy for controlling the epileptogenesis.

Background

Pilocarpine

Pilocarpine is an organic molecule often used as a medicine, e.g. for treating dry mouth (xerostomia) or decreasing the pressure of the fluid in the eye (intraocular pressure). When injected in rodents, such as rats and mice, it causes status epilepticus. Pilocarpine-injected mice are therefore good models for studying the physiology and treatment of epilepsy. Specifically, pilocarpine-induced epilepsy has been reported to be a very good model for human temporal lobe epilepsy, a form of epilepsy affecting at least 20% of patients suffering from recurrent seizures.

HMGB1 and antibodies

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), sometimes referred to as amphoterin, is a protein produced by almost all kinds of cells. Excessive release of HMGB1 is believed to be associated with brain injury and dysfunction. Masahiro Nishibori from Okayama University and colleagues investigated how exactly the protein is involved in the development of epileptogenesis  what role it plays in the disrupted functioning of the brainblood barrier and the induction of inflammatory processes.

Realizing the importance of HMGB1 in the context of epilepsy, the researchers tried, with success, to inhibit its effects by intravenous HMGB1 antibodies. Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are molecules that are able to identify and capture molecules considered harmful (e.g.HMGB1 molecules).

Reference

Li Fu, Keyue Liu, Hidenori Wake, Kiyoshi Teshigawara, Tadashi Yoshino, Hideo Takahashi, Shuji Mori & Masahiro Nishibori. Therapeutic effects of anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibody on pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in mice. Scientific Reports, April 26, 2017.

DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-01325-y

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01325-y

Reference (Okayama University e-Bulletin & OU-MRU) : Professor Nishiboris team

e-Bulletin Vol.2The invention of an antibody drug for the treatment of brain infarction

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/ipe/vol2/ipe_001.html

OU-MRU Vol.27Keeping cells in shape to fight sepsis

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/research_highlights/index_id38.html

Further information

Okayama University

1-1-1 Tsushima-naka , Kita-ku , Okayama 700-8530, Japan

Public Relations and Information Strategy

E-mail: www-adm(at)adm.okayama-u.ac.jp

Website: http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/index_e.html

Okayama Univ. e-Bulletin: http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/

About Okayama University (You Tube):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDL1coqPRYI

Okayama University Medical Research Updates OU-MRU

Vol.1Innovative non-invasive liquid biopsy method to capture circulating tumor cells from blood samples for genetic testing

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/release/index_id210.html

Vol.39Successful test of retinal prosthesis implanted in rats

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/research_highlights/index_id54.html

Source: Okayama University (JAPAN), Public Relations and Information Strategy
Cd Cover It is my desire that the music will blow powerful (but beautiful) jazz winds towards Jazz Musicians and Music Lovers across the globe, thus creating a force that is enjoyable and certain to be reckoned with.

Mario Lamar Hunter and his Laid Back Jazz Ensemble: Powerful Jazz Winds project is a unique blend of Jazz Standards that offer the listener a nostalgic musical experience through Mario's interpretations that sound like a natural choice for his soulful expression" says Jaijai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide.

His diversified artistry spans genres of music as he is no stranger to international stages over his 35 years in the music industry. During the span of his career, he performed with The Coasters, Charo, Anna Gesteyer, Tommy Tune, Nat Jones and Isaiah "Ike" Oakley from the James Brown and the JBs' bands, Samuel Ramey of The Metropolitan Opera, as well as performing with Ray Charles and his world-renowned Ray Charles Orchestra and with Aretha Franklin in the Aretha Franklin Orchestra as well as the Orchestras of Jerry "The Iceman" Butler and Gene "The Duke of Earl" Chandler. While in Las Vegas he appeared at The Mirage Hotel and Casino, The MGM Grand and Scores Las Vegas performing during Grand Opening Celebrations alongside of performers from the famed Cirque Du Soleil.

As a well-disciplined educator, he is accustomed to assembling great combinations of musicality and many of his students have gone on to become fine musicians, scholars and highly creative professionals. Hunter has taught saxophone at both private and public institutions including colleges throughout the United States.

Hunter is known for appearing as a clarinet-soloist with symphony orchestras and has held the principal clarinet positions with Marylands Salisbury and Goucher Chamber Symphony Orchestras and has performed within the clarinet sections of the North Carolina and Maryland Symphony Orchestras.

"I am extremely thrilled to have been signed to Centaur Records by its President Victor Sachse and look forward to a long lasting relationship with the label. This recording project has allowed me to offer my personal renditions of some of my favorite tunes written by some of the greatest Jazz Composers of all time. Simultaneously, I am able to further expose the wonderful talents of the musicians that perform along with me on the album whom are thriving musically in the region of my birthplace. It is my desire that the music will blow powerful (but beautiful) jazz winds towards Jazz Musicians and Music Lovers across the globe, thus creating a force that is enjoyable and certain to be reckoned with. ~ Mario Lamar Hunter

Not only is Hunter looking to be booked on jazz festivals worldwide for their upcoming seasons with his new band, he continues to work as an on-call Freelancer with Musical Theatre productions, Symphony Orchestras and Stage Bands throughout the U.S.A.

Stop by his soundcloud page at http://soundcloud.com/mario-hunter-reeds/ or visit Amazon.com to hear and purchase his latest release Mario Lamar Hunter and his Laid Back Jazz Ensemble: Powerful Jazz Winds and more!

ArkivMusic

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These 20 new itineraries are just the latest development in response to our growing customer demand, were keenly focused on offering more and varied sailings that effectively leverage our fleet of six small ships.

Small ship cruise line Windstar Cruises continues to make big changes to its deployment, announcing eight new itineraries in Northern Europe and 12 new Mediterranean itineraries, bringing Windstars total unique itineraries in Europe for 2018 to an impressive 40. The itineraries beget 26 new European ports, increasing the companys global number of maiden ports to 93 for 2018.

The sailings, running April through October, include a bevy of unique small ship-only experiences, like cruising the impossibly narrow Trollfjord in the Lofoten Islands; docking in downtown London near the Tower of London, where guests can marvel at Tower Bridge as they sail underneath the iconic structure; or tucking into exclusive San Remo on the Riviera of Flowers, known as Italys own Monte Carlo.

These 20 new itineraries are just the latest development in response to our growing customer demand, were keenly focused on offering more and varied sailings that effectively leverage our fleet of six small ships, said Windstar President John Delaney. Our team constantly seeks out new experiences, lesser known ports and harbors everywhere we sail  hidden treasures that only true small ships can access. Unveiling these new itineraries further demonstrates our commitment to destination authenticity  delivering incredible experiences in a highly customized way.

Windstars three all-suite power yachts have opened up new places for the company to explore, including more ports in Northern Europe and smaller, charming ports in the Mediterranean. The yachts are perfectly suited to sailing into smaller harbors and fjords, scenic coastal cruising, and traversing larger distances at higher speeds.

Windstars destination expansion brings a ship to Asia later this year on a host of new itineraries, also on tap for 2018 are recently announced new voyages in Alaska, Canada and New England.

Europe 2018 cruises will have something for everyone, from shorter week-long sailings to epic multi-week voyages. Here are a few notable highlights in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean for 2018 (see below for a full list of the new Europe 2018 sailings):

Secrets of the Faroe, Shetland & Orkney Islands  Difficult to get to and often listed on the traveler who has done it alls must-see list, the remote islands of the North Atlantic are perfectly suited to exploration by small ship. Most cruise ships merely stop briefly on their way to Iceland, but Windstar is the only cruise line to offer a seven-day journey (round trip from Edinburgh) to these wild landscapes, with access to Shetland ponies, Atlantic Puffins, and the opportunity to meet the laird of a castle.

Norways Famous Fjords  With a focus on scenic cruising in some of the best fjords in Norway, this eight-day, round-trip journey from Copenhagen puts guests into ports like Geirangerfjord and Sognefjord, which are stunning from every angle. Windstar will ensure guests can take advantage of the regions hiking, kayaking, and fishing opportunities, as well as immerse them in the traditional mountain lifestyle with visits to local sheep farms.

Sailing Southern Italy & Croatia  Windstars new 11-day exploration of both coasts of Italy and the Croatian Riviera lets guests take in medieval walled cities, glittering resort towns, and some of the finest cuisine in the Mediterranean. From Rome to Venice, the itinerary includes two stops in trendy Puglias whitewashed villages: Bari and Brindisi.

Hidden Harbors of the Cote dAzur  From Nice to Barcelona over eight days, this sailing visits less-frequented ports of call along the famous coastline. With stops in Bastia, Corsica; Le Lavandou, Marseille, and Sanary-sur-Mer in France; as well as Palamos in Spain, guests can enjoy plenty of palm-lined promenades, local delicacies like Provencal bouillabaisse, and an eclectic mix of art and architecture.

Windstars New Europe 2018 Sailings

Mediterranean:

Ancient Wonders of Greece & Ephesus

Barcelona & the Grand Prix of Monaco

Charms of the French & Spanish Rivieras

Gems of the Adriatic Sea

Hidden Harbors of the Cote dAzur

Iconic Italy

Mediterranean Island Mosaic

Moorish Medley

Riviera Romance

Sailing Southern Italy & Croatia

Tuscany & the Tyrrhenian Sea

Yachting the Riviera

Northern Europe:

Arctic Circle & North Cape Escape

Beauty of the Baltic & Kiel Canal

Belles of the British Isles

Bordeaux, Basque Lands & Brittany

Norways Famous Fjords

Norwegian Fjords & Scottish Isles

Scandinavia & Baltic Spectacular

Secrets of the Faroe, Shetland & Orkney Islands

For additional information private yacht-style cruising with Windstar, contact a travel professional or Windstar Cruises by phone at 877-958-7718, or visit http://www.windstarcruises.com.
"David is nationally recognized in the field of intellectual property law, said Steve Janjic, Amercanex CEO. His understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the technology sector will be a huge asset to our company.

Green Tree International, parent company of Amercanex, announced that David Francescani has joined as Chief Counsel to the Board of Directors.

Francescani has decades of experience in all areas of intellectual property including patent, trademark and copyright protection and litigation. As the Managing Principal of the New York office of Fish & Richardson, he successfully defended the Chicago Board Options Exchange in a patent litigation suit that lasted seven years. He has been a partner in several high-profile law firms, as well as serving on the Board of Directors and various Board committees for a public company. Francescani also served as General Counsel of J.J.Kenny Co., Inc., a municipal bond firm and headed up its muni bond information business.

David is nationally recognized in the field of intellectual property law, said Steve Janjic, Amercanex CEO. His understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the technology sector will be a huge asset to our company.

After many years as a partner at Darby & Darby, a prominent intellectual property firm, Francescani started his own boutique law firm, Francescani & Hayes, that was eventually merged into Fish & Richardson. He began his legal career on the legal staff of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Amercanexs online marketplace and technology platforms are helping redefine the cannabis industry, said Francescani. Im looking forward to joining the board as Chief Legal Counsel.

Francescani is registered to practice law in New York State and admitted to the bar of the state and federal courts in New York.

Says Janjic, We are delighted to bring someone with his incredible level of knowledge and experience to the team.

About Green Tree International and Amercanex:

Amercanex launched ACExchange, the cannabis industrys first fully electronic marketplace. Our comprehensive suite of tools for cultivators, dispensaries, manufacturers, vendors and regulators helps create a neutral, transparent and non-manipulated arena for cannabis market participants and government regulators. Three powerful platforms  ACExchange, ACEpay and ACEtrak  are revolutionizing the cannabis industry. To learn more, please visit http://www.amercanex.com.
Mother's Day prize and touchy stories in the Haitian Facebook Community "I <3 Haiti" powered by SalutHaiti.com Love it... Best way to communicate with my family in Haiti. (Judite Desir on Trustpilot.com)

SalutHaiti.com.com, the service dedicated to the Haitian diaspora, organizes a touchy Facebook contest to celebrate Mother's Day. The winner will receive $10 Voice Credit balance that never expires, for international calls to Haiti and/or other destinations in the world. Participants are required to simply leave a comment to the question: "What did you learn from you mother?" All comments posted by May 28, 2017 enter the contest on Facebook automatically: https://www.facebook.com/SalutHaiti/

Everyone is welcome to the Mother's Day celebration in the Haitian Facebook community "I <3 Haiti". Haitian expats, travellers, foreigners who have a strong connection to Haiti, mainly anyone who feels like it or would like to win some international calling credit with SalutHaiti.com.

The condition to enter the race is to leave a simple comment to a simple question: "What did you learn from your mother?" SalutHaiti.com team aims to trigger some good old memories and good emotions from their fans and followers, and create an authentic Mother's Day mood. Comments are expected between May 23-28, 2017. The winner will be picked randomly and announced on May 29, 2017, on the timeline of the Haitian expat community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalutHaiti/

The winning coupon that will be offered on May 29, consists of free calling minutes worth of $10 Voice Credit that can be used to call Haiti or any other destination on SalutHaiti.com. The credit never expires and can be used any time necessary in 2 different ways, with or without Internet connection, from a smartphone or a regular phone, including a pay phone.

Voice Credit on SalutHaiti.com is prepaid calling balance that can be purchased online without any contract or other constraints. There are no hidden fees, and the Voice Credit balance can be used to call in 2 ways, according to the situation:

-Smartphone users can use KeepCalling app (which is free to install) on their Apple or Android devices. Unlike other services, KeepCalling app does not require that the interlocutor should have a similar app installed;

-Those who want to call without any 3G, 4G or WiFi can use an Access Number in the area where he/she lives. It resembles the old school calling card in terms of functionality, but online credit and PIN makes the lowest rates on the global market for international calls, that are also very easy to make.

The regular price to call Haiti with SalutHaiti.com is 19 cents/minute for calling landlines there, and 24 cents/minute to mobiles. Therefore the winner of the Mother's Day contest gets up to 50 minutes to call Haiti, no matter how long the distance in between.

Everyone who buys a minimum of $2 Voice Credit on SalutHaiti.com also gets Thank You points (loyalty points) on every purchase. Once these points amount to 1000 they can be converted into free calling credit that never expires. Those who want to try the service can do it at any time without any Contract required and minimum values of $2 or $5 Voice Credit.

The calling service on SalutHaiti.com has been optimised thanks to Haitians who tested it on and on and shared their feedback. That's why the service is now among the most competitive on the global market for at least the following aspects:

-The service is easy to use by both experienced or inexperienced users;

-It is very economical thanks to the low rates and no hidden fees, but also since the Voice Credit can be purchased online;

-The transaction is 100% safe; the service bears the label "Verified & Secured";

-All transactions are listed in once/ ones account, including the invoices, and all communications by email or on the website are transparent;

-History is available in one's account too;

-There are free features that can be activated to customize one's calling experience;

-No contract is needed, and no administration fee applies; the account costs nothing and is for life-time;

-Customer Support team is available 24/7 in English, French and other languages;

-Payment is flexible: all currencies are accepted, and all major cards, as well as PayPal.

The Haitian Facebook page powered by SalutHaiti.com for the Haitians abroad and Haiti fans and friends, hosts contests and promotions regularly. Prizes and giveaways range from Voice Credit to Mobile Recharge. The latter is a service that facilitates mobile credit top ups from one country to another. In other words, one can send mobile credit to a mobile in Haiti or elsewhere in less than 1 minute, using SalutHaiti.com from his/her laptop, PC, or smartphone.

SalutHaiti.com is a website dedicated to Haitians overseas and other people who need to communicate with Haiti or support people in Haiti from the distance. SalutHaiti.com was among the supporters of post earthquake efforts to rebuild Haiti. The platform is a brand of KeepCalling, with more than 10 years of experience on the global market. The mother company is a telecommunications business registered in 2002 in the USA, listed by Inc 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the USA for 5 consecutive years. Presently, KeepCalling provides its services to hundreds of thousands of consumers, with a focus on customer satisfaction.
Qorus has been placed in the top 10 of digital marketing company, Fifty Five and Fives 2017 Inbound Marketing Excellence report. Due to be released at Microsoft Inspire - Microsofts World Partner Conference - in Washington, D.C. this July 9th - 13th, the 2017 report celebrates the inbound marketing efforts of the companies in the Microsoft Partner Network.

More companies are focusing their efforts on inbound marketing to attract B2B customers and generate leads, and this year, Microsoft have highlighted the importance of Customer Experience (CX) as part of Partner Marketing. After an in-depth analysis of the marketing efforts of over 250,000 Microsoft Partners, Fifty Five and Five have narrowed down a shortlist of 250 enterprise solution providers.

Following on from the 2016 issue, the independent report analyses and ranks blog content, website, and social media presence; celebrating those Partners who have built a consistent inbound marketing strategy with a clear focus on customer experience.

The very best of Marketing and Customer Experience for Microsoft Partners

Including profiles of the 50 top ranked Partners, this years Inbound Market Excellence report includes interviews, insights and case studies from industry experts, including:



Foreword from Gavriella Schuster, Corporate Vice President, Global Partner Channels and Programs at Microsoft

Ray Meiring, CEO at Qorus

Monica Savut, Head of Commercial Research Services, Econsultancy

Insightful statistics on the value of CX

A B2B customer experience improvement checklist

Adding value

Sign up to download your free copy of the report at http://www.fiftyfiveandfive.com/inbound-marketing-excellence/. The report shares insights, motivation and best practices for any Microsoft Partner wanting to enhance their inbound marketing strategy.

About Qorus

Qorus helps organizations create business critical documents more efficiently and accurately. Our software is incredibly powerful but highly intuitive and very easy to use. Even the most non-technical users can quickly create accurate, personalized and compliant documents like pitches, proposals, SoWs, RFPs, and contracts.

Qorus runs on Microsoft Azure and integrates with Office 365 to enhance document productivity.

To learn more about the benefits of Qorus and Office 365, visit http://bit.ly/2lbfgJY

Contact information:

http://www.qorusdocs.com/contact-us

info(at)qorusdocs(dot)com

About Fifty Five and Five

Based in London, UK, Fifty Five and Five is a digital marketing agency born out of a recognition that Microsoft Partners face a unique set of challenges when it comes to B2B marketing. They help Microsoft Partners communicate more effectively, reach new audiences and drive leads.

Contact information:

Chris Wright, Founder

http://www.fiftyfiveandfive.com/

LM11.2.1, The Leather Market, London, SE1 3ER

0203 805 7791

hello(at)fiftyfiveandfive(dot)com
The global electronics industry is evolving, and Smith is dedicated to always evolving with it.

Smith, a global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, has been ranked #11 in major industry publication SourceTodays 2017 Top 50 Electronics Distributors List.

This ranking, which examines the franchised, independent, and hybrid distributors that have achieved the highest revenues in the previous year, provides a benchmark within the global electronics sphere. In the #11 spot among all distributors, Smith has risen two ranks from last years listing and continues to hold the leading place among independent distributors.

This achievement comes on the heels of Smiths record-breaking 2016, during which the company earned its highest revenues in more than three decades of business. At US $810 million in global annual sales, Smith has achieved significant year-over-year growth from 2015 to 2016 and remains on target for continued expansion. With an eye toward the future, the company continues to focus on the customer support and innovation that power this growth, with the goal of being ranked among the industrys top 5 distributors within the next five years.

The global electronics industry is evolving, and Smith is dedicated to always evolving with it, said Marc Barnhill, Smiths Chief Trading Officer. This resolve shaped our growth strategy in 2016, pushing us to innovate to meet our customers changing support and service needs across regions and industries. We will always push ourselves so we can keep offering the strategies and resources to help them succeed.

The SourceToday 2017 distributor ranking can be accessed here.

About Smith

Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 16 cities around the world, from Silicon Valley to Seoul, Smiths 475 employees communicate in 36 different languages and buy and sell components 24 hours per day. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. With testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam, Smiths processes focus on critical issues, from quality management to counterfeit prevention and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, Saleschain, offering real-time inventory and logistics visibility anywhere in the world. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number 11 among all global distributors. Smiths Intelligent Distribution model adapts to ever-changing demands by providing seamless global electronics sourcing and logistics, regardless of distribution channel or locale. For more information, please visit https://www.smithweb.com, or, to reach a Smith representative 24 hours a day, please call +1 713.430.3000.

For more information, contact:

Margo Evans

Smith, VP of Marketing

+1 713.430.3966

mevans(at)nfsmith(dot)com
Stetson Universitys Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center As we move toward the goal of accreditation, this program is critical to assisting us in perfecting our policies and ensuring the center is a premier venue for visiting exhibitions.

Stetson Universitys Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center is one of 75 institutions chosen to participate in the inaugural year of the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program. It is home to the largest collection of art by modernist painter Oscar Bluemner, with more than 1,000 pieces bequeathed to the university by the artists daughter, Vera Bluemner Kouba. Hand Art Center on the Stetson University campus is at 139 East Michigan Avenue, DeLand, Florida, 32723, and is open to the public free of charge.

Administered by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artist Works, CAP assists museums in improving the care of their collections by providing support for a conservation assessment of the museums collections and buildings. A team of two preservation professionals will spend two days surveying the site and meeting with staff before preparing a comprehensive report that will identify preventive conservation priorities. The assessment report will help the museum prioritize its collections care efforts in the coming years. Hand Art Center expects this program to be a first step in the pursuit of accreditation through the American Alliance of Museums.

We are honored that Hand Art Center has been selected to participate in the CAP program, said Tonya Curran, director of the center. As we move toward the goal of accreditation, this program is critical to assisting us in perfecting our policies and ensuring the center is a premier venue for visiting exhibitions.

The CAP program is administered by FAIC through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal grant-making agency that supports museums and libraries.

In addition to Oscar Bluemner collection, the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center also has a broad collection of artwork by Stetson University students, art faculty and alumni. The 5,000-square-foot building includes multiple galleries: The Oscar Bluemner Gallery exhibits rotating selections of the artists work from the Vera Bluemner Kouba Collection and the Gary Libby Gallery hosts exhibits from the universitys permanent art collection or special shows. Except for holidays and school vacations, Hand Art Center is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Saturday, noon-4 p.m. All exhibits are open to the public free of charge.

About Stetson University

Founded in 1883, Stetson University is the oldest private university in Central Florida, providing a transforming education in the liberal arts tradition. Stetson stresses academic excellence and community-engaged learning, and consistently earns high marks in national rankings. Stetson encourages its students to go beyond success to significance in their lives, the lives of others and their communities. Stay connected with Stetson on social media.

About FAIC

FAIC, the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works, supports conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of our global cultural heritage. Learn more about FAIC at http://www.conservation-us.org/foundation.

About IMLS

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nations 123,000 libraries and approximately 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Seeing our film span three entire walls of an auditorium, and to be able to have the film extend beyond the screen has been exciting. - Jerry Bruckheimer, Producer, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"

ScreenX, the worlds first multi-projection system that provides a 270-degree panoramic film viewing experience within a theatre setting, announced today that the fifth installment of Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films Pirates of the Caribbean franchise will be available in the immersive format. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is the first Disney film to be converted into the format, and will be available in seven countries. In addition to opening in the ScreenX format, the film will also be premiering in CJ 4DPLEXs alternative immersive format, 4DX. The film is set to open on 373 4DX screens in 48 countries around the world.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will be available at a total of 83 pre-existing ScreenX locations throughout the world. The pre-existing locations include Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Indonesia and the United States.

ScreenX is an exciting format that weve been keeping our eyes on for a while now. Were looking forward to providing moviegoers a chance to view our film in the format and are confident that the immersive 270-degree viewing experience will be a big success, said Jeffrey Forman, SVP, The Walt Disney Studios.

Seeing our film span three entire walls of an auditorium, and to be able to have the film extend beyond the screen has been exciting. We look forward to showcasing the end product and giving fans the opportunity to experience it in ScreenX, said Jerry Bruckheimer, Producer, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Were extremely thrilled to be working with Disney and to be able to premiere the newest installment of the famous franchise in our ScreenX format. We truly believe the 270-degree panoramic screen offers a beautifully immersive viewing experience, said Byung Hwan Choi, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX.

About ScreenX

ScreenX is the world's first multi-projection system used within a theatre setting. It was created in 2012 by CJ CGV, part of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, as one of the next cinema formats along with 4DX, the multisensory cinema technology with motion and environmental effects. ScreenX allows moviegoers to go beyond the frame of the movie screen by utilizing a proprietary system that expands images of feature films and pre-show advertising to create an immersive, panoramic, 270-degree format that projects onto three theatre walls. To date, ScreenX has been installed in 119 screens around the world, including 84 screens at 49 locations in South Korea; 26 screens in China; 3 in the United States; 2 in Turkey and Vietnam and 1 in both Thailand and Indonesia.

About CJ 4DPLEX

CJ 4DPLEX is the worlds first company behind the immersive film technologies, 4DX and ScreenX. The company is headquartered in Seoul with international offices in Los Angeles and Beijing. 4DX provides moviegoers with an immersive cinematic experience that utilizes all five senses, allowing the audience to connect with movies through motion, vibration, water, wind, snow, lightning, scents, and other special effects that enhance the visuals on-screen. Since 2009, more than 420 Hollywood titles have been screened in 4DX. As of May 2017, more than 46,000 4DX seats operate in 375 auditoriums spanning 48 countries. CJ 4DPLEX was named a Most Innovative Company of 2017 in Live Events by Fast Company.

About the film

Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle bent on killing every pirate at seanotably Jack. Jack's only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales also stars Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs, Golshifteh Farahani as the sea-witch Shansa, David Wenham as Scarfield, Stephen Graham as Scrum, Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, and Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa.

Joachim Rnning and Espen Sandberg are directing Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales with Jerry Bruckheimer producing. The executive producers are Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Joe Caracciolo, Jr., Terry Rossio and Brigham Taylor. The story is by Jeff Nathanson and Terry Rossio, and Jeff Nathanson wrote the screenplay. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales drops anchor in U.S. theaters on May 26, 2017.

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Tehran, Iran, May 22

By Mehdi Sepahvand, Fatih Karimov  Trend:

The nuclear talks were the only successful US engagement with the Islamic Republic, said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected on May 19.

The US has used numerous measures against Iran in the past 40 years, all leading to failure, Rouhani said in his first presser after the re-election in Tehran May 22, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

The United States has failed in all of its actions in the Middle East, namely Afghanistan and Iraq, Rouhani said.

They achieved a relative success in the nuclear talks, where they "negotiated with respect" with the representatives of the Iranian people, Rouhani added.

"We are still waiting for the new US administration to be established in terms of positions, agenda and thoughts, so we can have a precise judgment," Rouhani said commenting about possible talks between Tehran and Washington under the Trump administration.

Responding to a question about a recent US-Saudi arms deal, worth $110 billion during Trumps visit to Riyadh, he said that buying weapons is not the way of gaining power.

He said Iran doesnt buy weapons but manufactures its needed weapons, but added that power is not obtained through buying or manufacturing weapons.

"Basis of power is national power, derived from election," Rouhani said.

Saudi Arabia already spent about $100 billion during the war between Iraq and Iran (1980-1988), he added.

He further said that Saudi people are Irans neighbors and friends.

Commenting on Irans missile program, Rouhani said the Islamic Republics missile program aims at guaranteeing peace, not aggression.

"Whenever we have a technical need for a missile test, we will carry it out, and will not wait for US permission," the Iranian president said, adding that the missile tests are carried out to strengthen Irans defense capability.

He underlined that Tehran has proven that is not after weapons of mass destruction.

Responding to a question about taking steps to launch talks for removal of non-nuclear sanctions imposed by US against Tehran, Rouhani said, "If it is Iranian peoples will, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei takes the lead [in this matter], all of us will move behind him."
Dr. Michael Culig Every member of the cardiac surgery program team at Forbes is dedicated to providing our patients with outstanding care, and this new report affirms we are living up to that standard.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has recognized the quality of the cardiac surgery program at Forbes Hospital based on its outcomes for two specific kinds of open heart surgery. Forbes, a part of Allegheny Health Network, is among just 21 hospitals in the Northeast United States  and one of just three in western Pennsylvania  featured in the May issue of Consumer Reports for being among the nations best for coronary artery bypass and aortic valve replacement surgery.

We are extremely proud to be recognized on this distinguished list for the exceptional quality of our cardiac surgery program, said Michael Culig, MD, Division Director, Cardiac Surgery, Forbes Hospital. Every member of the cardiac surgery program team at Forbes is dedicated to providing our patients with outstanding care, and this new report affirms we are living up to that standard.

Consumer Reports listing of surgery success rates is featured as part of the magazines May cover story under the headline Special Report: Take Charge of Your Heart Health. Hospitals that made the magazines list fared well in both heart bypass and aortic valve replacement in terms of complications, mortality rates, and other factors. According to Consumer Reports, STS rates hospitals using standardized measures endorsed by the National Quality Forum, a nonprofit organization that has established national healthcare standards for performance improvement.

For heart bypass surgery, the ratings take into account patient survival, the absence of surgical complications, and two factors that reflect an adherence to best-established practices  giving the patient recommended medications and using optimal surgical techniques, with at least one graft coming from an internal mammary artery. These types of grafts improve long-term survival as compared to grafts taken from veins, as the mammary arteries are more resistant to the build-up of cholesterol and are better able to withstand high pressure in the heart. For aortic valve surgery, a hospitals score is based on patient survival and the absence of surgical complications.

For each of these categories, the STS then compares how a hospital performs in relation to all hospitals in the STS database. Results for patient survival and complications are statistically adjusted to take into account that certain hospitals treat older and sicker patients.

The STS represents more than 7,000 cardiothoracic surgeons around the world. In 1989, the STS established the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database. With more than 6 million surgical records, it is the largest single-specialty database of its kind in the U.S. Data is collected four times a year.

Ratings like these are an important, objective tool to help consumers compare the performance of the hospital where they received care to national benchmarks, said Mark Rubino, MD, Forbes Hospital President and CEO. As the STS ratings show, our patients should feel confident selecting Forbes for their cardiac surgery needs.

The Cardiovascular Institute at Forbes offers a wide variety of comprehensive heart services, including heart valve, aneurysm and coronary artery bypass surgeries, as well as cardiac catheterization, interventional cardiology and invasive peripheral vascular procedures. The institute also features a cardiothoracic intensive care unit (CTICU), accredited chest pain and stroke centers, diagnostic testing (including stress testing, echocardiography and EKGs), and electrophysiology (EP) lab, and telemetry and step-down units.

###

About Allegheny Health Network

Allegheny Health Network, part of Highmark Health, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is comprised of eight hospitals, including its flagship academic medical center Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Valley Hospital, Canonsburg Hospital, Forbes Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, Westfield Memorial Hospital and West Penn Hospital; a research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 17,000 people and has more than 2,800 physicians on its medical staff. The Network also serves as a clinical campus for Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
ALL-C is the first vitamin C capsule that does not contain non-vitamin C filler ingredients.

Inteligent*Vitamin*C Inc is proud to introduce, by popular demand, the first vitamin C capsule containing nothing but Vitamin C, ALL-C.

Normally a non-vitamin C filler is necessary for the capsule-filling machinery to function. ALL-C is the first product known to the company to substitute that filler with a form of vitamin C.

The filler used in ALL-C, which is required for manufacturing, is ascorbyl-palmitate  a fat soluble form of vitamin C.

Each capsule has 500 milligrams of the world's best vitamin C, and each jar has 120 capsules. ALL-C capsules are Vitamin C Foundation Approved.

The capsule encasing the powdered vitamin C is made from a top-of-the-line organic cellulose. These capsules encase a mix of l-ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate forms of vitamin C, made by DSM Nutritional Products (formerly Roche) in Darby, Scotland. DSM makes "Quali-C," a non-GMO, non-Chinese vitamin C.

The vitamin C is imported from Scotland, and the capsules are manufactured and assembled by Solara Laboratories in Florida, a new company striving for excellence in supplements.

"Inteligent*Vitamin*C is known for providing fine Quali-C powders that support the high dosages recommended by the late Nobel Prize-winning chemist, Linus Pauling. Normally, added fillers in tablets and capsules make such high dosages problematic. The ALL-C capsules are Inteligent's first capsules that do not use any dose-limiting fillers, " said Robert Fonorow, Vice President of Vitamin C Foundation Approved.

Inteligent*Vitamin*C Inc is confident ALL-C is the best vitamin C capsule to fit consumer needs.

This month only, as an introductory offer, buy one jar and get another one free.

Contact

Robert Fonorow, 800-894-9025

VitaminCFoundation(at)gmail(dot)com

ALL-C is a trademark of Inteligent*Vitamin*C Inc.

Vitamin C Foundation Approved is a registered trademark of the Vitamin C Foundation.

Quali-C is a registered trademark of DSM Nutritional products.
TruSense, LLC (TruSense), an emerging leader of senior home monitoring solutions, has announced the launch of an innovative new service that utilizes wireless data sensors placed throughout the home as an alternative to traditional assisted living solutions. Designed to help aging seniors and their caregivers, the TruSense system promotes senior health, safety, and wellbeing in direct response to the rapidly growing caregiver crisis.

With each passing day, 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 and nearly 18 million Americans are providing care for someone age 65 and older. With the pool of adults available to care for seniors shrinking at a rapid pace, it has become clear that a caregiver crisis has emerged. The need to enact solutions that will aid in the care of seniors is more important than ever.

We are experiencing a family caregiving crisis in America. There are simply not enough caregivers to care for the growing senior population, said Rob Deubell, Vice President of TruSense.

TruSense is the answer to this growing problem. TruSense responds to the caregiver crisis with the use of unobtrusive sensor technology that sits discreetly in the background of the seniors home, providing caregivers with real-time insights and personalized alerts. Dashboards allow you to track and view daily activity to identify potential health issues and trends over time, monitor proper food access and restroom frequency to ensure health and well-being, provide 24/7 emergency response if there is a problem, and much more.

Do you worry when Mom or Dad doesnt answer the phone? Do you wonder if they are okay or just away from home? If so, then TruSense can be a valuable solution to aid in the everyday care of your loved one. Self-installed and costing less than $50 per month, TruSense provides an affordable alternative to more expensive options such as assisted living or in-home care, which are prohibitive for most American families. Also, most seniors do not want to move out of their homes. According to an AARP study, 90 percent of people over age 65 want to age in place. TruSense can make that a reality.

Most family caregivers cannot be with their senior loved one around the clock as they are raising their own families. However, with TruSense they can know their parent is OK all the time, anytime, said Rob Adams, CEO of TruSense.

The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARPs 2015 report on Caregiving in the U.S. showed that when respondents were asked if they had a choice in taking on the responsibility to provide care for their loved one, half of caregivers self-reported they had no choice in taking on their caregiving responsibilities. Over three quarters of these caregivers, who work outside the home and support their own families while also caring for their aging parents, are commonly referred to as the sandwich generation.

Balancing a career and providing caregiving is stressful. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, greater than 50 percent of caregivers said that their health has gotten worse because of caregiving demands. On average, someone 50 and older who stops working to care for a parent gives up nearly $300,000 in lost wages and benefits, said Deubell.

TruSense provides a more comprehensive monitoring solution than the traditional personal emergency response systems (PERS), such as a medical alert pendant or watch. PERS devices used on their own can instill a false sense of security. A U.S. National Library of Medicine study shows that only 15 percent of those who own a pendant wear it often enough for it to be effective. A PERS device combined with TruSense provides the greatest level of care and peace of mind.

As the caregiver crisis continues to intensify, the implementation of solutions like TruSense will become more and more necessary in order to assist in caregiving for the rapidly growing senior population.

Click to Tweet: Help older adults #ageinplace and maintain their independence. Order @TruSenseLLC to achieve greater #peaceofmind. http://www.mytrusense.com

To learn more about TruSense, please visit https://www.mytrusense.com or follow us on Twitter @TruSenseLLC and on Facebook at Facebook.com/TruSense.

TruSense, LLC empowers seniors by enabling them to safely age in place while providing caregivers with greater peace of mind and a true sense of security. TruSense is an unobtrusive solution that provides a continual pulse on activities of daily living (ADLs). Delivering actionable insights and alerts for health, safety and wellness, TruSense allows for greater quality of life for both the senior and the caregiver. Worry less. Live more.
President/Founder of Mercy Ships Don Stephens at Gordon College Commencement What began as an unconventional idea has since impacted the lives of more than 2.5 million people

Don Stephens, President/Founder of Mercy Ships, received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree at Gordon College Saturday at the institutions commencement ceremony. Stephens also delivered the baccalaureate address to the Class of 2017 graduates on Friday. Stephens was recognized by Gordon College for his longstanding service and the profound impact of Mercy Ships around the world, through the organizations use of hospital ships to deliver hope and healing to some of the worlds poorest countries.

Don Stephens founded Mercy Ships in 1978. It was the realization of a dream that was inspired by three life events: the devastation of a hurricane in the Bahamas in 1964, the birth of his profoundly disabled son, John Paul, and a brief encounter with Mother Teresa. His inspiring baccalaureate speech to the Gordon graduates included poignant memories of meeting Mother Teresa in Calcutta. Stephens referenced her pointed question at the time which became his motivation through years of service: Why were you born? After starting Mercy Ships, Stephens and his wife Deyon lived onboard the first Mercy Ship, the Anastasis, for ten years with their four children before moving to land to continue to build the global charity.

What began as an unconventional idea has since impacted the lives of more than 2.5 million people, said Gordon President Michael Lindsay. Today, the floating hospitals of Mercy Ships bring medical teams, sterile operating rooms, clean water, and the training and tools necessary to treat for those without access to medical care. It embodies the example set for us by Jesus, bringing hope and healing to those in greatest need. It is our privilege at Gordon College to honor Don Stephens humble and generous spirit, noble work and great Christian virtue.

It is indeed a high honor to receive the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, from Gordon College, as well as to address the Class of 2017  future leaders in the making, shared Don Stephens, President and Founder of Mercy Ships.

Since 1978, Mercy Ships has provided medical services and materials valued at over $1.3 billion. This includes over 84,000 life-changing surgical procedures in 55 developing countries. The organization has also trained almost 40,000 healthcare professionals in the countries served so that healing can continue after the ship leaves the port.

Stephens honors and awards include the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal nomination (2016); the Points of Light Award (2014); the Variety Club International Humanitarian of the Year (2009); the Commanders of the Republic Award, Republic of Benin (2009); and, from Food for the Hungry, the Two Hungers Award (1989).

Don Stephens followed his passion to provide hope and healing for the poorest of the poor when he founded Mercy Ships nearly 40 years ago. Gordon Colleges conferring of an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity is a fitting tribute to Dons compassion and vision which has changed the lives of the host of volunteers who have served as well as the millions of patients and their families touched by the charity's free services," stated Mike Ullman, International Board Chairman, Mercy Ships.

The Africa Mercy, the worlds largest private hospital ship, is currently docked in Benin, West Africa. Since August, 2016, the volunteer crew onboard have provided 1,793 free surgeries and trained 1,803 participants in medical capacity-building courses.

ABOUT MERCY SHIPS:

Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, capacity building and sustainable development to those with little access in the developing world. Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries providing services valued at more than $1.3 billion, treating more than 2.61 million direct beneficiaries. The Africa Mercy is crewed by 400 volunteers from up to 40 nations, an average of 1000 each year. Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, healthcare trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers, and agriculturalists donate their time and skills to the effort. With offices in 16 nations, Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals and serve nations one at a time. For more information click on http://www.mercyships.org

For More Information Contact:

For USA: Pauline Rick

US Public Relations Coordinator

Mercy Ships

Office Tel: (903) 939-7000

Mob: (972) 922-5442

Email: us.media(at)mercyships(dot)org

For Intl: Diane Rickard

International Media Manager

Mercy Ships

Diane.rickard(at)mercyships(dot)org

http://www.mercyships.org

Hi-res photos and general Mercy Ships B-Roll video footage are available upon request.
Throughout the year of 2017, Naba Dental, a dental practice based in the Memorial/ Galleria area of Houston, is offering promotions for patients coming to the practice. Those looking for Houston dentist patient specials can take advantage of reduced cost exams with x-rays and basic cleanings, dental crowns, and second opinions for dental work.

Naba Dental opened its doors last year and is already working hard to provide the community with affordable dental care. The dental exam is being offered for $75 for adults and $45 for children. The typical value of this dental promotion is $240. Patients looking for dental crowns can receive a new patient special can receive $100 off a new set. Naba Dental is also offering a free second opinion consultation. Patients who are already seeing a dentist can get another option for treatment.

Naba Dental also offers a free newsletter for anyone to receive various updates. These updates include Houston dentist patient specials, promotions, and dental health tips. These promotions are only good until December 31, 2017. After that date, all prices will be subject to standard rates, to learn more about the promotions and terms associated visit us online.

About Naba Dental: Dr. Rubab Mirza, the head dentist, has over a decade of experience in the field of dentistry. She received her doctorate in Dental Surgery in 2004 from the University of Southern California. She is certified by the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, and the Greater Houston Dental Society. She is also an active member of the community, helping children especially understand the importance of healthy teeth.If you are looking for a dentist in Tanglewood, dentist in Memorial and or a dentist in 77057.

Naba Dental is located 1811 Bering Dr #110, Houston TX 77057. You can also call 346-571-7254 or visit us online to make an appointment.
Mark J. McAndrew Presenting at Windy City Summit McAndrew and banking industry experts will discuss, "Detection to Recovery: Tools for Surviving Fraud," exploring internal and external fraud detection, prevention, investigation and recovery and analysis.

The Illinois law firm of Rathje & Woodward, LLC is proud to announce that Managing Attorney Mark J. McAndrew will present at the 2017 Windy City Summit. McAndrew and banking industry experts will discuss, "Detection to Recovery: Tools for Surviving Fraud." Specifically, the panel will explore internal and external fraud detection, prevention, investigation and recovery and analysis.

Illinois attorney Mark J. McAndrew concentrates his legal practice in commercial transactions, employment law, homeowners associations, and commercial and employment litigation. McAndrew has served as corporate counsel for-profit and non-for-profit organizations.

McAndrew is a frequent presenter and continuing legal education (CLE) lecturer. He chairs the Employment Section of the DuPage County Bar Association and has presented at numerous events hosted by the DCBA, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and other legal and business-oriented organizations. Among his notable recognitions, McAndrew has consistently received an AV-Preeminent Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, considered to be the gold standard in attorney ratings.

The Windy City Summit is celebrating its 31st annual event and will be held at the Navy Pier Convention Center from May 23-25, 2017. The Summit is a gathering place for thousands of financial professionals specializing in treasury, accounting, insurance, credit and collections, investments, and banking. The conference focuses on three core values of expanding attendee knowledge, building relationships, and growing businesses. More than 130 high-quality educational courses are offered and assist participants in earning or renewing professional credentials.

For more information about the Windy City Summit, such as the program, exhibitors, or to register for the event, visit http://www.windycitysummit.org.

About Rathje & Woodward, LLC:

The law firm of Rathje & Woodward, LLC provides high-quality legal services to clients in the Midwest and nationwide. With offices in Wheaton, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin, the firm practices multiple areas of law including litigation, real estate, commercial transactions, employment, and as general legal counsel. To learn more about Rathje & Woodward, LLC, please visit http://www.rathjewoodward.com.
Dental visits are often low on people's priority lists, but if it's been longer than six months since you've seen a dentist, it's time for a dental checkup. The American Dental Association recommends seeing a dentist twice per year and getting x-rays once per year.

Dental checkups are a relatively easy procedure that involves visually inspecting teeth. Sometimes, the dentist will conduct x-rays to check for issues below the surface of the gums as well.

Dental Exam: Protecting Your Teeth

When was the last time you went to the dentist? If it has been longer than six months, its time to go again! The American Dental Association recommends seeing your Houston dentist for a dental exam every six months. They also recommend getting x-rays once per year.

Dental Exam

Dental exams are a standard procedure in conservative dentistry. Conservative dentistry emphasizes protecting teeth rather than just treating problems. When you receive a dental exam, your dentist checks for problems such as plaque buildup, cavities, and periodontal disease.

Getting an exam is pretty simple. First, fill out an appointment form. (Pro tip: use our handy online form for fast, easy appointments!) Second, visit your Houston dentist on your appointment date just before your scheduled time. Third, sit back and relax while the dentist checks your teeth.

Dental exams are generally painless unless you have an infection or bad tooth decay. If you do have one of those problems, your Houston dentist will begin a treatment to ease the pain and restore your teeth.

Conservative Dentistry

In addition to the exam, there are other aspects of conservative dentistry to help maintain the health of your mouth. Dental cleanings focus on removing plaque, especially around the gums. This is a high risk site for infection.

X-rays are also part of conservative dentistry. They give the dentist a view under your gums to look for trouble like infections. The sooner a problem is found and treated, the greater the chances of reversing damage. Your dentist will do everything they can to preserve your teeth.

Fluoride treatments are another method of protecting teeth. Your teeth need fluoride to act as a shield to protect them from bacteria. When you brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, you restore some of the minerals lost. Your dentist uses a fluoride treatment when the fluoride level is too low to protect your teeth. This usually occurs when a patient doesnt brush often.

These routine inspections usually are not painful, unless there is a serious problem with the teeth. In the event there is a problem, the staff at Naba Dental will work to correct the issue. Most times, the dentist will make corrections right away, while other times they may schedule them later.

A dentist's goal is to preserve as much of a patient's teeth as possible. The best way to preserve teeth is to regularly check them for problems. The team at Naba Dental will also provide tips for patients that help keep their teeth healthy at home.

Brushing, flossing, and rinsing are are critical to maintaining oral health. Professional cleanings during a dental checkup target hard to reach places and remove plaque, the root cause of decay and disease.

Contact Best Houston Dentist Naba Dental today and take advantage of a discounted exam, x-ray, and cleaning. Stop decay before it takes root in your teeth. Catch disease early to reverse damage. For more information about the specials visit us online.

About Naba Dental: Dr. Rubab Mirza, the head dentist, has over a decade of experience in the field of dentistry. She received her doctorate in Dental Surgery in 2004 from the University of Southern California. She is certified by the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association, and the Greater Houston Dental Society. She is also an active member of the community, helping children especially understand the importance of healthy teeth. If you are looking for a dentist in Tanglewood, dentist in Memorial and or a dentist in 77057.

Naba Dental is located 1811 Bering Dr #110, Houston TX 77057. You can also call 346-571-7254 or visit us online to make an appointment.
The Becky Gloriod Partners The market is flooded with a lot of first-time buyers, in part because people are feeling better about the economy, so investing in a home seems less risky. Past News Releases RSS Realtors The Becky Gloriod Partners...

Becky Gloriod Partners Hosts...

According to an April 22, 2017, article in The Gazette, housing demand in Colorado Springs is fast and furious, with an exceptionally tight supply of homes for sale. Furthermore, numerous area homeowners are hesitant to sell their homes as they are afraid they wont be able to find another house.

This record low inventory in Colorado Springs puts more demand on houses listed for $400,000 or less because the buyer pool is greater. More people can qualify for a loan in the $250,000 range than in the $500,000 range, said Becky Gloriod, founder and broker associate of The Becky Gloriod Partners and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Anything over $500,000, however, is not affected as much by this current market. Houses in a higher price range are still taking longer to sell, which frustrates the sellers of these homes who are hearing that its time to sell with the low inventory.

North Colorado Springs is selling more of the higher-price-range houses than the south side because people are moving to Colorado Springs from Denver, which has an even more competitive market. For the right house, Denver buyers are willing to commute.

The lower-price-range market is being driven because rent in Colorado Springs is at a record high. Additionally, according to an April 26, 2017, KKTV 11 News article, a market study done by the Apartment Association of Southern Colorado found that the average rent price has been rising about $100 each year since 2015.

In fact, potential homeowners could have a lower house payment than their current rent, concluded Gloriod. The market is flooded with a lot of first-time buyers, in part because people are feeling better about the economy, so investing in a home seems less risky.

About Becky Gloriod, The Becky Gloriod Partners, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Becky Gloriod has consistently been recognized as one of the Top 5 Agents in the Pikes Peak Region since 1998. She was chosen as the No. 1 Agent in the Pikes Peak Region in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and the No. 1 Agent in the Southwest & Broadmoor area since 1995. Becky, who specializes in luxury properties, is a charter member of The Elite 25, a luxury real estate networking group. For more information, please call (719) 229-9777, or visit http://www.beckygloriod.com. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Rocky Mountain, REALTORS is located at 660 Southpointe Ct., Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22



By Fatih Karimov  Trend:



Iranian army experts have successfully overhauled 12 US-built helicopters after being grounded for 5-7 years, the Islamic Republic Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari said.



The overhauled helicopters re-joined Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation (IRIAA) in Isfahan on May 22, Heidari said, IRIB news agency reported.



Five Bell 214, three heavy-lift Chinook, two 209 tactical helicopters and one AB-205 chopper as well as one Bell 206 Jet Ranger were among the overhauled American-built helicopters, he said.



The Iranian commander added that the helicopters were overhauled after 370,000 person-hour operation.



Iranian media outlets reported that in recent years, Tehran made great strides in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.



In September 2014, Iranian media outlets reported that Islamic Republic experts successfully overhauled US-made F-4 and F-14 fighter jets.



Iranian Air Force experts reportedly overhauled several Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets for the first time in 2014.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Orkhan Quluzade  Trend:

The Turkish armed forces neutralized 93 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization in the countrys provinces of Sirnak, Hakkari, Diyarbakir, Erzurum, Ardahan, Bingel, Mus and Hatay during the anti-terrorist operations May 11-21, the General Staff of the Turkish armed forces said May 22.

Two mortars, 12 heavy machine guns, 313 assault rifles, 4 sniper rifles, 5 grenade launchers, 597 grenades, 53 improvised explosive devices, 2.3 tons of explosives and 150,000 munitions were seized during the operations.

Seven Turkish servicemen were killed and 27 were wounded during the operations over the past week.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for more than 30 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced on May 19 that the province will move forward with plans to build Canadas first high-speed line after a report by David Collenette, Ontarios special advisor on high-speed rail, concluded the project has a positive business case.

Wynne confirmed that the province will now begin preliminary design work on the line from Toronto to Windsor, which will serve intermediate stations at Pearson, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, London and Chatham. Ontario has also allocated C$15 million (US$11 million) to carry out a comprehensive environmental assessment.

Collenettes report outlines two possible options for the project. Scenario A is an electrified line operating primarily on dedicated rights-of-way. Scenario B in an electrified line using a combination of existing infrastructure and dedicated new alignments to achieve speeds of up to 250 kph (155 mph).

The assessment found that Scenario A offered a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) of 0.36 for Phase 1 (Toronto-London) and 0.17 for Phase 2 (London-Windsor), which rendered this option unviable. The low BCR resulted from the need for extensive tunnelling, which resulted in a base cost of C$19 billion, excluding contingencies for the full corridor.

Scenario B has a BCR of 1.02 for Phase 1 and 0.24 for Phase 2, reflecting higher forecast demand on the Toronto-London section. The base cost for this option is C$7.5 bilion, excluding contingencies.

From Torontos Union Station, high-speed trains would travel along GO Transits Kitchener corridor, calling at Milton for Lester B. Pearson International Airport, and at Guelph station. HSR trains would share the line with the Union Pearson (UP) Express and planned GO RER (Regional Express Rail) services on the corridor to Kitchener. This mixed operating model is likely to require a number of infrastructure improvements on this section, and costs could be shared with the RER project.

A peak HSR service of three trains per hour in each direction is proposed on this section, with two trains per hour off-peak.

From Kitchener-Waterloos planned multimodal station, high-speed services would continue their journey west to London on a new dedicated double-track line, with sustained speeds of 250 kph anticipated on much of this segment.

The second phase from London to Windsor would run on a new electrified single-track line, which would run parallel to the existing CN and Canadian Pacific (CP) lines.

The report says design and construction should ideally start by 2022, with commercial operations beginning in 2025. Implementation of the project will be overseen by a new governing entity, High Speed Rail Corporation (HSRCO).

Ridership is forecast to reach 10 million passengers per year by 2041, with rail capturing an 11% modal share on the corridor, eliminating five million motor vehicle trips per year.

Toronto-Kitchener-Waterloo trip times would be cut to a minimum of 48 minutes by rail, compared with an average of one hour, 14 minutes for the current car journey. HSRwould offer a 25-minute journey time between Kitchener-Waterloo and London, compared with 46 minutes by car.

The corridor is home to around 7 million people and 60% of Ontarios economic activity. Were growing and were outgrowing our current transport network, says Wynne. We have to provide faster, better, more sustainable transport options. The best time to build high-speed rail was 40 years ago. The second-best time is today. So thats what were going to do.

There have been a lot of excuses in the high-speed rail debate in Canadathe country is too large, the population is too small, it wont be worth it. Those were commonly held views in the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s. It may be that they made sense then. But its 2017 and that has changed. We know theres enough demand that we need to get moving on this. The next generation doesnt believe those excuses. They have been to other parts of the world, they know there are better ways to get around.
The Valley Metro Rail Board has authorized the purchase of rail fleet from two manufacturers to support future growth and service expansion.

Valley Metro awarded contracts to two manufacturers. Siemens Industry will receive a contract estimated at $57.9 million for the manufacture of 11 S70 light rail vehicles (LRVs) over a seven-year period. Brookville Equipment will receive a contract estimated at $33 million for manufacture of six off-wire capable, battery propulsion streetcar vehicles over a three-year period.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey and Georgia will discuss development of economic relations during the 2nd meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Turkey and Georgia, the Turkish Economy Ministry told Trend May 22.

Prime Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim will today arrive in Georgia on a two-day visit to participate in the 2nd meeting of the Strategic Cooperation Council. The Turkish PM will be accompanied by Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci and other officials.

During the visit, the sides will exchange views on deepening the bilateral cooperation and mull preparation for signing of various documents, designed to contribute to the Turkey-Georgia partnership.

Binali Yildirim is also expected to hold talks with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and meet with Turkish entrepreneurs working in Georgia.
The recent cyber ransomware attack provides important opportunities for learningreally relearninglessons about how to secure cyber networks. But first, it is important to separate what is known about the attacks from the hard truths about global cyber preparedness.

Recently, a piece of malwarethe WannaCry virusexploded on the scene with unprecedented speed and scale. The virus exploited a known security flaw in Microsoft XP operating software that spread to over 150 countries, infecting over two hundred thousand computers and locking the data of software users. The perpetrators of the attacks demanded a Bitcoin payment of $300 be deposited in exchange for unlocking that data. Failure to pay the ransom would result in the destruction of the data.

Information about the existence of the security flaw was purportedly contained in a U.S. National Security Agency toolkit that was inadvertently discovered. In March of this year, upon realizing the toolkit was compromised, Microsoft developed a patch for the sixteen-year-old software and made fixes available for free for the older XP systems.

But the use of ransomware to lockdown user data and extort a payment is hardly a new occurrence. In a twelve-month period ending June 2016, more than 50 percent of the organizations surveyed had been hit with ransomware. In the first quarter of 2016 alone, more than $209 million had been paid out. Despite these payments, slightly less than half of the organizations that paid the ransom were able to recover their data.

Of course the question on everyone's mind is, Who perpetrated such an act? The answer will likely take days and weeks to establish, and even then there will be uncertainties

The remainder of this commentary is available at nationalinterest.org.

Daniel M. Gerstein works at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and is an adjunct professor at American University. He was the undersecretary (acting) and deputy undersecretary in the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security from 2011 to 2014.

This commentary originally appeared on The National Interest on May 17, 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 court refuses to return case against Rusnano ex-head Melamed to prosecutors

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Cheremushkinsky District Court has refused to return a criminal case against Leonid Melamed, former chief of the Russian nanotechnology corporation Rusnano, to prosecutors, RAPSI learnt in the court on Monday.

Melamed and organizations former financial director Svyatoslav Ponurov are charged with embezzling 220 million rubles (about $3.8 million at the current exchange rate). They could face ten years in prison if convicted.

During the preliminary hearing, the court ruled to put both defendants under house arrest until August 22. The first hearing is set for May 30.

On May 11, lawyer Ruslan Kozhura told RAPSI that Melamed had been released from house arrest. Ponurov was released from detention. Moreover, prosecutors refused to approve indictment in the case, the attorney added. The Prosecutor Generals Office announced later that gross violations of criminal procedure legislations provisions preventing the approval of indictment had been revealed.

Later in the evening of the same day, Prosecutor General Yury Chaika a ruling of his deputy Viktor Grin to send the case back to the Investigative Committee for additional investigation and forwarded it to court.

The Investigative Committee claims that between 2007 and 2009, Melamed along with ex- corporation managers Andrey Malyshev and Svyatoslav Ponurov illegally transferred over 220 million rubles ($2.9 million) from Rusnano to Alemar Co. controlled by Melamed. The defendants pled not guilty.

According to the information available, the case was opened after the check of the corporations finance indicators by the Audit Chamber. The defendants have been charged with large-scale embezzlement of public funds.
Pokemon Go player appeals suspended sentence for inciting enmity

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  Videoblogger Ruslan Sokolovsky, who had received a 3.5-year suspended sentence for playing Pokemon Go in a church, has appealed his sentence, his lawyer Alexey Bushmakov told RAPSI on Monday.

On May 22, Sokolovsky was found guilty of incitement of hatred, violation of religious rights and illegal possession of special technical means intended for obtaining secret information.

Sokolovsky insisted on innocence and claimed that said technical means, photo- and video-camera, mounted in the housing of a ballpoint pen, belonged to one Sergey Lazarev who lives in Ukraine. Russian authorities were not able to locate and interrogate Lazarev, Bushmakov told RAPSI earlier.

According to investigators, from May 2013 to September 2016, the defendant produced nine video files and placed them on the YouTube. These videos, according to a forensic examination, contain signs of incitement of hatred or hostility, humiliation of human dignity and a group of persons on the grounds of nationality, religion, as well as against members of a particular social group. Placement of these videos on the Internet was qualified by experts as public actions, expressing clear disrespect for society and committed to insult the religious feelings of believers.

In addition, Sokolovsky allegedly used unlawfully acquired special technical means. Investigators believe that he recorded videos through camera in the housing of a ballpoint pen. According to experts, the device corresponds to the category of special technical means intended for secret reception and registration of visual and acoustic information.

The case against Sokolovsky was launched after he had published video on Youtube channel, in which he played the mobile app of the popular Pokemon Go game in Orthodox Church-on-Blood in Yekaterinburg.

Pokemon Go, a videogame with elements of augmented reality for mobile devices, became incredibly popular all over the world.
Misanthropic Division members plead guilty to extremism in part

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI)  Three members of Misanthropic Division organization prohibited in Russia have pleaded guilty to extremism in part, RAPSI reports from the Moscow District Military Court on Monday.

According to investigators, defendants in the criminal case are Vitaly Tsaruk, Victor Pekhterev and Cyril Khalepo. They are charged with nine counts of extremist and terrorist crimes.

On Monday, defendants admitted that they had created, administrated groups in Vkontakte social network and published posts about Adolf Hitler there. However, they claimed that their actions could not be recognized as crimes of extremist nature.

Misanthropic Division was allegedly founded in October 2013. In 2014, when revolutionary movements started in Ukraine, the organizations activity assumed an international character and became more radical, according to Russias Investigative Committee.

Misanthropic Division created branches in 19 countries including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, France, Poland, England and other European states. Alleged leader of the organization Dmitry Pavlov and his associates promote on the social media racist and neo-Nazi ideas; publicly call to terrorism and extremism; incite hatred and enmity for a number of nationalities; speak disrespectfully of the Days of War Glory and memorable dates in Russia connected with defense of fatherland, former spokesman for the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin said earlier.

Probe into Pavlov, a citizen of Belarus, was launched in Russia in the summer of 2016.
Russian law enforcement agencies bust criminal group suspected of funneling funds abroad

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI)  Officers of the Russian Interior Ministry's Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department and the Ministrys Investigative Department have busted members of a criminal group suspected of financial crimes, the Ministrys official representative Irina Volk said on Monday.

According to the Interior Ministry, the criminal group consists of more than ten members, including top managers of famous financial institution, and is responsible for transferring of over 800 million rubles (about $14.1 million) to offshore companies. Allegedly, the group has been conducting unlawful financial operations without proper licensing in the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg and the Rostov Oblast since 2014.

The group was using bank details of several hundred legal entities the police suspected to be fictitious firms. Members of the group allegedly transferred funds of their clients to the accounts of these legal entities for further cashing and funneling into offshore accounts.

Eight members of the group were put under house arrest by a courts ruling.
Jehovahs Witnesses turn to Council of Europe over Russias refusal to execute ECHR ruling

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI)  The Jehovahs Witnesses organization banned in Russia as extremist has filed a complaint with the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe over Moscows refusal to implement a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

A copy of the application has been published on the website of the Council of Europe.

In March 2004, the Golovinsky District Court has granted prosecutors motion seeking to liquidate Jehovahs Witnesses in Moscow (Moscow LRO). Following that, the religious organization lodged a complaint with ECHR. In June 2010, ECHR ruled in favor of applicants and ordered Russia to pay them  20,000 in compensation and 50,000 in respect of costs and expense.

The Russian government has refused to implement the above-mentioned judgment, according to the application filed with the Council of Europe.

The situation is now critical. On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia granted the application of the Ministry of Justice of Russia and banned Jehovahs Witnesses nationwide and ordered the liquidation of their national legal entity, the Administrative Centre of Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia (Administrative Centre), and 395 local religious organizations (LROs) of Jehovahs Witnesses, including the Moscow LRO. This is now the second time the applicant organization has been liquidated, the complaint signed by lawyer John M. Burns reads.

The Supreme Court of Russia banned Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist organization in April 2017.

The Justice Ministry said that violations of the law On Combatting Extremism had been revealed during inspection conducted in the organization. The Prosecutor Generals Offices notice concerning inadmissibility of carrying out extremist activities by Jehovah's Witnesses has taken effect, the Ministry said.

Jehovahs Witnesses religious organization has had many legal problems in Russia. Since 2009, 95 materials distributed by the organization in the country have been declared extremist and 8 Jehovah's Witnesses branches have been liquidated.

Jehovah's Witnesses is an international religious organization based in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2004 several branches and chapters of the organization were banned and shut down in various regions of Russia.
Prosecutor demands 9 years in prison for Russian penitentiary ex-head

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova)  Prosecutor on Monday asked the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow to sentence ex-head of Russias Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Alexander Reimer charged with embezzlement to 9 years in prison, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

The court was also asked to fine Reimer 1 million rubles ($17,600) and deprive him of all titles and awards. Prosecutor also demanded 6 and 7 years in prison for two other defendants, Reimers former deputy Nikolay Krivolapov, and ex-director of FSINs Information and Technical Support Center Viktor Opredelyonov, respectively.

In the meantime, prosecutors have dropped charges of abuse of office against Reimer.

According to investigators, Reimer, Krivolapov and Opredelyonov conspired with businessman Nikolay Martynov to embezzle monetary funds from the Russian state budget.

Between 2010 and 2012, Reimer and his accomplices stole money allocated for the purchase of ankle bracelets for persons placed under house arrest. The procurement was pursued at an enormously overvalued price. Damage allegedly caused to the state budget was estimated at no less than 2.7 billion rubles ($47.5 million at the current exchange rate).

The defendants have been charged, depending of their role, with abuse of office and embezzlement committed through abuse of office. Krivolapov was additionally charged with illegal possession of ammunition. They pleaded not guilty.

A case against Martynov was reviewed separately as he fully admitted his guilt in large-scale embezzlement. The businessman cooperated with investigators and announced that he is going to compensate the government with delivery of 7,000 new ankle bracelets. Martynov is a head of NPF Meta company that was supplying bracelets for prison inmates.
Russian national suspected of providing $42,400 financial aid to terrorists

MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI)  A criminal case has been launched against a native of Dagestan suspected of financing terrorists for the sum of about 2.4 million rubles (about $42,400), the Investigative Committees press service announced on Monday.

The suspect is believed to be a supporter of radical Islamist movements and shares beliefs of international terrorist organizations.

According to investigators, from 2015 to 2016, the suspect was in Syria and provided financial services to persons involved in terrorist activities. Allegedly, he cashed money from his account using the Turkish banking system in Istanbul and transferred the funds to the Islamic State and Jabhat an-Nusra terrorist organizations banned in Russia.




Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey and Azerbaijan may jointly invest in tourism sector of the third countries, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Nabi Avci told Trend on May 22.

Azerbaijan has great tourism potential, according to him.

Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are developing in many areas, including the sphere of tourism, said Avci.

The minister noted that Azerbaijan is attractive for tourists from Turkey and Arab countries.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, said Avci, will jointly make efforts in the future at UNESCO for recognition of Dede Gorgud as a common cultural heritage of the Turkic world.
Jeff Wang is the Director of China Learning Initiatives at the Center for Global Education at Asia Society. This piece is part of a special RCW series on the U.S.-China geopolitical relationship. The views expressed here are the authors own.

Before U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sat down for dinner at Mar-a-Largo on April 6, Arabella, Trumps 5-year-old granddaughter, was brought out to greet the Chinese guest. Her mother, Ivanka Trump, noted to the Chinese president that this is to make you feel at home. Thorny discussions on the nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and an imbalanced trillion-dollar bilateral trade, to name just two, awaited. So one can imagine it came as a welcome relief to Xi to hear the first granddaughter recite familiar tunes and texts in his native tongue.

Arabella was confident; she sang in front of the Chinese first lady, an accomplished soprano. She recited text from the classical Chinese book of Sanzijing -- which began with the proclamation that all are born with goodness, counter to probably what the majority of the room believed on the matter of original sin. She was able to pull this off with a powerful tool, her mastery of the audiences native language, in this case Mandarin, and she signaled respect and relatability. Sasha Obama had similarly practiced her Chinese with then-President Hu Jintao back in 2011, when she was 9 years old.

As Xi and Trump dug into their caesar salads, more than 1,200 educators from every corner of the United States were gathered in Houston for the 10th National Chinese Language Conference. George H.W. Bush, a native Houstonian and the 41st U.S. president, told attendees in a letter that, your mission of educating the next generation of global citizens as to the importance of speaking Mandarin in order to enhance our U.S. bilateral relations abroad is more important today than ever before. Another former president, George W. Bush, also told this audience that learning a language -- somebody elses language -- is a kind gesture. Its a gesture of interest and is a fundamental way to reach out to somebody and say, 'I care about you.

Coincidence aside, never before had three American presidents expressed the power of learning Mandarin simultaneously. China and the United States have often disagreed on geopolitics, the flow of trade and investment, and their self-perceived roles on the global stage. Few would have predicted that within the space of a generation, China would come to contribute roughly one-third of global economic growth and would lift millions of people out of poverty. Yet fewer would have imagined, say, President Nixons daughter or President Reagans son showing off their Mandarin skills as their fathers brokered diplomacy with Chinese leaders.

In 2017, one-fifth of humanity use Chinese as their mother tongue, and in the socially and economically vibrant online and mobile world, Chinese-speaking internet users outnumber those of the United States, India, and Japan combined. At the same time, there are more Chinese currently learning English than there are people in the United States. So there is also something of a tug-of-war at play, over whether young people in America, and indeed around the world, should be learning Chinese for future success.

Here are the beginnings of an answer, in a quote from the late Nelson Mandela: "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." And here was U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, speaking during a visit to a Chinese university in 2011: Speech -- communication -- is the currency of understanding. It's the currency with which we exchange ideas, from which flows the sense of whether one is being truthful or honest or sincere.

The key message here is that speaking another language is about much more than getting directions, or facilitating a deal. Language is a currency for trust and respect; it provides bricks and mortar for building an ability to explore the beauty of diverse cultures, traditions, and historical perspectives.

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd remarked that "learning another's language is a simple mark of respect." Rudd remains the only head of state of a major Western nation to speak Mandarin fluently. (Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover was supposedly fluent in Mandarin, though many accounts suggest his wifes mastery of the language was far superior to his own.) Compared to conducting business or diplomacy through interpreters, Rudd argues that speaking the language of your counterpart leads to more effective exchanges, and yields far more rewarding results.

It is true that technology can facilitate exchanges across language barriers. I look forward to the day when advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning affords everyone a personal interpreter. But I would not trade that for the personal experience of learning to think and understand in another language. Foreign language study isn't just about training every student to replace a translator; its about building a society of citizens that invoke mutual trust, respect, and possess the disposition to collaborate. These are critical elements to forging a shared sense and responsibility for security and prosperity. In September 2015, President Barack Obama said at a joint press conference with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, If our countries are going to do more together around the world, then speaking each others language, truly understanding each other, is a good place to start.

Finally, from a purely personal development and fulfillment perspective, learning to speak Chinese is like acquiring a new spice to a cook -- it is a new palette to a painter, a new instrument to an orchestra, a new lens to a camera. We cant augment our taste buds, cochlea, or retina, but luckily, when it comes to speech, we can literally acquire a new tongue.

I believe that making sure more of our young people learn and master a global language affords them not only advantages in career opportunities, but also the lifelong gift of fostering tolerance, sensitivity, and curiosity.

Put simply: The future holds more promise for the United States if more Americans become language students.
This post is part of a debate on Bobo Lo's Lowy Institute Paper A Wary Embrace. Other debate posts can be found here.

Bobo Lo's new Lowy Institute Paper on Russo-Chinese relations dazzles with the brilliance, clarity of thought, precision, and vigour we have come to expect from his work. This essay should be required reading for those who would seek to plumb the depths of this critical relationship and of Russian and Chinese foreign policies.

Lo is certainly right to say that the most dynamic factor in this relationship is the growing imbalance in aggregated power between Russia and China, whereby China is outstripping Russia in most if not all indices of power and capability. He argues that this dynamism and the consequences that ensue from it are placing the relationship under ever-increasing stress. Thus he sees it as a tactical rather than principled relationship or partnership, and dismisses, as do most writers, the idea of an actual alliance appearing anytime soon.

However, despite the many virtues and scintillating insights, the essay fails to answer why, if there is a power asymmetry (and most assuredly there is), the relationship has been a durable feature of world affairs for the last 25 years. Neither does his assessment explain why leaders like China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi repeatedly state that bilateral relations between them have reached 'a historic maximum', are stronger than they ever have been and are based on mutual interests and not external factors like a shared antipathy to the US. Certainly those statements are not just pro forma utterances or words spoken purely for purposes of politeness or domestic consumption. If the irritants and divergences in this relationship are as strong and widespread as Lo suggests, then its continuation is a mystery, as it would appear to be of decreasing utility or benefit to both states.

In accordance with Wang Yi's statement, some authors who have written on this relationship (including this author) argue that it has become or is on the verge of becoming an alliance. Russia has frequently openly solicited one, and there are Russian analysts who clearly believe that an alliance is possible and maybe even desirable. There are Chinese analysts like Yan Xuetong who openly call for it. Moreover, as Wang Yi suggests, the basis for this alliance increasingly is the similarity in political structure and self-presentation or self-representation of the Chinese and Russian state to foreign and domestic audiences. Furthermore, over the years a solid network of bilateral or intergovernmental contacts, regular meetings, and agreements has grown, giving this relationship a considerable degree of institutional and legal solidarity. In the military sphere, as Marcin Kaczmarski pointed out back in 2008:

The scale of cooperation between Russia and China is reflected in the extensive infrastructure of dialogue between the two states. Regular contacts are maintained at nearly all levels of central authority. Political dialogue takes place within an extensive framework for bilateral consultations, including meetings of Heads of State held several times a year (at least once a year on a bilateral basis, and also during several multilateral meetings); meetings of prime ministers and foreign ministers; consultations on strategic stability (at the level of deputy foreign ministers); consultations on military cooperation (at the level of defense ministers); and consultations on security issues (between national security advisors since 2005).

Thus we need to understand why this relationship (if not alliance) endures. One key to understanding what drives it is to take Wang Yi's remarks seriously and emphasise the endogenous factors within each state rather than focus exclusively on the exogenous factors, beginning with resentment of Washington. As Gilbert Rozman has masterfully shown, while the original impulse for rapprochement may have been fear of US power, it is increasingly the converging domestic self-identification and self-presentation of these two states as sovereign, authoritarian, would-be imperial legatees who are threatened by not only US power but by any form of liberalism that has brought them together in an ideological, political and institutional partnership.

The ensuing combination of strong ideological-political affinity and the widely reported personal affinity between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin also fosters an enduring community of both political and material interest between institutions and powerful elites in both countries. Thus Igor Sechin, the powerful boss of Rosneft, has invested enormous time and effort to obtain Chinese investments (and no doubt bribes) for his prize asset Rosneft  any study of Russo-Chinese energy relations will soon reveal Rosneft's deep involvement in them, while Gazprom has clearly been a reluctant player. The same may be said for the Russian military. Not only did Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and his deputy Anatoly Antonov openly solicit an alliance with China in 2014 in Beijing, Shoigu recently stated that the 'attempts of the US-led West to impede the establishment of a new, fair world order are leading to growing chaos...Russia's strategic partner is the People's Republic of China'. Similarly, many analysts have argued that President Xi Jinping is influenced by Putin's example to establish himself as the strongest ruler in China since Mao.

Finally, more attention to the endogenous factors driving these two states together (and potentially apart if Lo's forecasts are true) might help explain why the power asymmetry between them is so critical a factor, and even why it has occurred. Even though these are both highly authoritarian and corrupt regimes with a strong sense of state nationalism and imperial entitlement, it's clear that China functions more effectively to aggrandise power than Russia  this was true even before Russian aggression against Ukraine further aggravated the structural causes of Russian stagnation. Thanks to that stagnation it would appear that Russia's economy has not grown by any appreciable amount since 2008. Inasmuch as Russia only bounced back to 1990 level of GDP by 2007, this means another decade of stagnation, gien the continuing absence of reform. Meanwhile China continues to grow, albeit at a slower rate than before.

One explanation that could also shed light on the Russo-Chinese relationship is that while Chinese elites are corrupt or at least have been, nothing in Russian politics would permit the visible anticorruption campaign now being launched by Xi Jinping. Whereas Chinese politicians may be corrupt, in Russia corruption is the system  the only way the government could function. But that systematic corruption also means that private interests prevail as often as not, whatever state rhetoric may say about the national interest. The presence of powerful private interests like Sechin and the military (no doubt lubricated with Chinese money) inhibits any effort at formulating an objective assessment of Russia's true national interest. China's rescue of Rosneft from the consequences of its own predation, and its more focused sense of national interest compared to Russia's, may go some way to explaining the power asymmetry rightly emphasized by Lo.

Finally, Lo's avoidance of the domestic factor may contribute to his failure to realise that even though Russia's options are narrowing (which he recognises and acknowledges), it has had to abandon past policy positions due to the growing dependence on China. In the Arctic, Russia opposed Chinese entry into the Arctic Council but had to accept it; it now sells China weapons that it never would have sold it before; and it signs energy contracts at prices that remain a state secret, suggesting a very small profit margin for Russia. It has acknowledged China's economic primacy in Central Asia and solicited Chinese shows of naval force in the Mediterranean, a theatre Russia hitherto considered its own. All these facts may well grate on the Russian imperial consciousness, but they are part of the ideological consensus of the 'authoritarian international' that now dominates the relationship, or at least pervades it. Since the purpose of Russian foreign policy is to create a secure environment for the continuation and development of state power, the material and ideational incentives point to a continuation of this relationship, even as the imbalance of power grows and creates strains that might, in time, undermine it.

The so-called Russian pivot to Asia reflects this reality. On Korea, Moscow is virtually out of the running as a serious interlocutor in the current crisis. It refuses to make concessions to Japan, despite five years of Tokyo running after it. In Southeast Asia, despite Lo's argument, one can discern a clear evolution of Russian thinking away from its previous non-aligned stance to one considerably more in tune with Beijing's arguments. Lo argues against a 'complicit Russia', and that may be true. But to do so he has to ignore a dependent Russia that nonetheless preserves and may even expand its relationship with China, not only because it has shrinking choices but also because preservation of the regime is the alpha and omega of the regime's policies at home and abroad.

China may encroach on Russian policy interests, but as long as it does not challenge the fundamental system of rule in Russia (as the US does by virtue of its basic character), then it will remain a preferred partner if not an ally to Russia, even as those Chinese encroachments further weaken its ability to resist China. Indeed, the wholesale corruption of the Russian system plays into Beijing's hands as it not only enfeebles the state's long-term capabilities, it also creates lasting points of leverage for China within Russian politics and economics.

Therefore, for all its brilliance this essay remains, so to speak, impaled on the common belief in what German historians used to call Primat Der Aussenpolitik ('the primacy of foreign policy'). The result is brilliant, but incomplete. To the degree that we are able to assess the interplay of domestic political forces with external ones, then we will be able to get a fuller picture of this relationship that more completely captures its many riddles and paradoxes, among them its durability in a time of accelerating global dynamism.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey has great tourist potential, the countrys Minister of Culture and Tourism Nabi Avci said May 22.

He was speaking at the International Media Forum 2017 in Turkeys Antalya province.

He said that the development of tourism in Turkey began in the 1980s of the last century, adding that the country will further develop its tourism potential.

Avci expressed regret at the fact that Turkey has not yet fully benefited from this potential.

More than six million tourists visited Antalya last year.
Stricter regulations in US forces industry to look at these countries with a market size of $300 billion

The Indian information technology (IT) services sector is looking beyond its primary market, the US - at Germany, Japan and China, to expand its business.

The $150-billion sector gets about 60 per cent of its revenue from the US. Now, its looking at Germany, Japan and China as strategic markets, as these together have opportunities of about $300 billion, said the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).

The market size for the sector in the US is about $400 billion. Indian firms have made a significant impact on it. However, since the election of President Donald Trump in November last year, a cloud has hung over the future prospects of Indian IT firms in the US.

Trump has pushed for local hiring and is planning stricter clearances for H1B visas, traditionally used by Indian firms to send engineers on projects to the US.

Coupled with this, rapid shifts to automation have compelled IT firms to revise their earnings expectations. And, also to look at other markets.

In Germany, the Industry 4.0 initiative is expected to be a key to the plans of the Indian IT firms, said Gagan Sabharwal, director, Global Trade Development, Nasscom, in an interview. Industry 4.0 aligns factories using smart technology and with increased focus on engineering services.

We will invest in new areas for future growth, and have identified three geographies - Japan, China and Germany. These economies are very large, Sabharwal told Business Standard.

He added the industry in Germany was undergoing a sea change with Industry 4.0. Technology such as Internet of Things would be a big enabler for success.

IT will be an enabler for manufacturing in Germany, like it has been for the financial services sector in the UK, said Sabharwal.

Indian firms have traditionally been successful in English-speaking markets, such as the US and the UK.

Their efforts to penetrate markets in Germany and Japan have met little success. In China, a few companies such as Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys and IT-training firms such as Aptech and NIIT have found a foothold.

Japan contributes 2 per cent to Indias IT exports, Germany 5 per cent.

There is a shortage of skilled professionals in Japan, so its government is partnering with India to hire techies from Bengaluru and Chennai. These techies are being trained in Japanese and getting jobs there.

Germany had relaxed its green card regulations a decade ago to attract Indian engineers, but got a lukewarm response. Now, it has renewed efforts with a more liberal visa regime.

Industry 4.0 is a key bet Tech Mahindra has taken from our digital push in manufacturing vertical. Already these solutions have been well received by our customers, industry analysts and experts, and we are encouraged by the response we have received so far.

As we speak, we are delivering some key engagements across the world including Europe, Japan, China, India amongst other geographies. said Aloke Palsikar, Senior VP and Global Head of Manufacturing at Tech Mahindra.

The Nasscom said political relations between Germany and India have also been very cordial, with the former accepting skilled workers from the latter. It has also invited delegates from India for a study tour and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to visit it later this month.

Pareekh Jain, India partner, HfS Research said Indian companies such as Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, L&T Infotech, L&T Technology Services and others stand a better chance with their focus on engineering services in these markets than traditional IT services.

Local language could, however, be a hurdle, he said, adding Indian companies would have to invest to bridge that gap.

It is a long journey. Industry 4.0 will certainly create opportunity. But we will have to wait and watch, considering that these regions have never seen as big a talent movement as the US, said Jain.

Photograph: Rupak De Choudhuri/Reuters
While Digital India, a signature initiative of PM Narendra Modi, took off soon after NDA came to power, it peaked after demonetisation in November 2016

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Even as former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi got the credit for bringing computers to India in the 1980s, its the current NDA government which is top of the mind for its narrative on technology.

While Digital India, a signature initiative of PM Narendra Modi, took off soon after NDA came to power, it peaked after demonetisation in November 2016.

During the past three years, the push for going digital has been all pervasive - from village-level e-panchayats to distributing subsidies under direct benefit transfer (DBT), from launching apps such as BHIM to going big with Aadhaar identity platform.

Goal unclear

However, such rapid growth has its own sets of challenges. Many experts believe that while the intention is noble, the governments purpose is still unclear and there are problems in execution.

Its true that demonetisation and the absence of physical currency popularised the digitisation drive of the government. But, the infrastructure around creating a robust payments ecosystem remains weak, point out experts.

Demonetisation definitely gave a spur to the digital drive. However, it needs to be more about developing an ecosystem rather than being a reaction to an event. While the governments initiative is good, there are no fleshed out game plans, said Raman Roy, chairman of Nasscom, the industry body for the countrys IT sector.

He added there is reluctance on the part of technology companies to work with the government.

There are issues around payments for services given to the government. We provide the best of IT services world over but when it comes to India, companies are reluctant. Such things need to be sorted.

Security concern

Cyber security is another area waiting for attention, as recent attacks such as ransomware WannaCry and Aadhaar data leak have shown.

While the last three years have been historic as far as the digital initiative is concerned, we as a nation have not done much around cyber security.

The Digital India programme has serious drawbacks as it has not taken into account the risks with going digital. The IT Act needs to be strengthened as things such as ransomware are still not covered in it, said Pavan Duggal, cyber law expert and an advocate in the Supreme Court.

He cited breaches in Aadhaar too as a major security risk. So the legal and policy frameworks need to be in place going forward, according to Duggal.

Effect of cash comeback

Once the cash was back in the system months after demonetisation, the digital rush also weakened. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, digital transactions in April fell both in value as well as volume as compared to March when it peaked and reached an all-time high.

April saw total digital transactions of a little more than Rs 1 lakh crore, down 26.78 per cent from Rs 1.5 lakh crore a month before that, according to provisional data from the RBI.

Industry experts pointed out while more money has started flowing into the capital market post demonetisation, digital cash transactions, which peaked in the months following the note-ban, are now plateauing. However, apps such as BHIM are seeing traction.

The drive continues

Meanwhile, the government continues to promote the digital initiative. In this years budget itself, the government allocated Rs 10,000 crore for its BharatNet programme with a target to reach 150,000 gram panchayats with high-speed broadband by end of the year.

Over the next three years, it also plans to integrate 65,000 primary agriculture credit societies (PACs) with the backend banking infrastructure of district cooperative banks at a cost of Rs 1,900 crore.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which gives the technology direction to other ministries, has seen its budget increase by Rs 534 crore to Rs 4,039 crore for the year ahead.

According to government sources, while just 2,000 kilometres of optical fibre cable (OFC), a critical component for broadband and telecom services, was laid under the UPA regime, the BJP government has laid more than 170,000 kilometres of OFC.

Digitisation of various areas has been introduced this year by the government, including women and child development, digital skill development in villages under the DigiGaon initiative and online education. Even donations being made to political parties are going digital.

The build-up

For promoting cashless transactions, the government in the past six months has tried everything from organising massive events such as the Digi-Dhan Mela hosted by the Prime Minister, launching new digital ways of transactions including Aadhaar-enabled payments system, apps such as BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Bharat QR to even a dedicated television channel called DigiShala to educate people in cashless transactions.

The push for digital transactions, use of mobile wallets and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) started just the day after the PMs note ban speech. Wallet companies such as Paytm and FreeCharge even went on to bring out full-page jacket advertisements congratulating the PM for his gutsy move.

We are making a conscious effort to empower citizens, to promote the digital initiative. Our common service centres (CSCs), Aadhaar, DBT among other such schemes are all helping in the Digital India initiative, said Ajay Kumar, Additional Secretary, MeitY.

Way forward

Some of the areas where experts see the next phase of growth in Digital India initiative are the legal system, health, education and job creation. As the government has created a technology backbone around JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) in the last three years, it feels it is time to take it forward.

I believe the government has already hinted that it is going to bring the legal system into the Digital India initiative. The Modi government is linking a universe of things together into the initiative, said Arvind Singhal, chairman and managing director of Technopak, a prominent consulting firm.
'Modi has made mistakes and overpromised.'

'However, his cautious and careful approach have insulated him from criticism,' says Aakar Patel.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

US President Donald Trump made some sweeping promises during his historic campaign to win the election last year.

The most interesting was that he would 'drain the swamp'. This meant he would clean up Washington, DC (which is believed to have been founded on top of a swamp).

This claim today appears ridiculous because Trump does not appear to have any competence at all in governing or in politics.

He was sold as a sort of genius. But his first months in office have shown him to be a clownish figure, who is vain, angry and unable to exercise minimum control over his administration.

This would not otherwise be visible, but Trump's insistence on daily tweeting has amplified his erratic behaviour.

He offers his opinion incessantly and in a state of great excitement (he is fond of using exclamation marks), and so makes things difficult for those in charge of maintaining his image.

Here Trump offers a contrast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also fond of using Twitter, but does so differently from Trump.

Both men have 3 crore (30 million) followers and both used social media to reach their voters directly because neither man trusts journalists.

Trump believes he is being treated unfairly, and that his genius is not recognised or appreciated by his opponents and the media.

Modi thinks that his history with communal violence is used against him even though, according to him, he did nothing wrong.

Social media's rise, which came after Modi took office in Gujarat, offered him the chance to eliminate the media layer and he has done this very effectively.

Till the arrival of Twitter he constantly got into squabbles with journalists (walking off from one interview with Karan Thapar on air).

This showed that he feels anger and irritation as much as Trump does, but he handles it very differently now.

The difference between the way the two men use Twitter comes in the first instance from content.

Trump offers his opinion on things frequently, and is not afraid to show his anger or his irritation.

On May 18, his own justice department launched an investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged ties with the Russians.

Trump tweeted: 'This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!'

He also compared himself to previous presidents and said he was not being treated fairly: 'With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special counsel appointed!'

Trump is also rude and does not hesitate to attack journalists or other individuals through his Twitter account.

On May 12, Trump tweeted this: 'The Fake Media is working overtime today!'

It could be said that he is being honest, but it is difficult to see how this sort of childish behaviour helps Trump in any way.

This is where Modi is very different.

I said that both men feel the same way about the media, but Modi is extremely restrained when communicating formally.

His Twitter feed is usually just a list of things he did for the day.

For example, on May 19: 'Interacted with a delegation of the Nagaland Tribes Council today'.

Or he wishes people, especially other politicians, on their birthdays. Like this on May 17: 'Greetings to former PM & leader of farmers, Shri HD Deve Gowda ji on his birthday. May Almighty bless him with good health & a long life'.

And this on May 19: 'Dear President @ashrafghani, wishing you a wonderful birthday. May you be blessed with a long and healthy life.'

Modi also advertises policy announcements, though he usually links the tweets to reports published on his own official Web site rather than that of newspapers.

It is impossible to assess what the prime minister of India is thinking by going through his Twitter feed, which is not the case with the US president.

It has become easy for journalists to even learn which channels Trump watches, because after watching it he immediately tweets something in response.

Both Trump and Modi came into politics as outsiders promising to clean up the system.

One has been on the job for a little over three years and the other only a little over three months.

But already Trump is not only being linked to failure, but being seen as an incompetent, by many including some of his own supporters.

Modi on the other hand has also made mistakes and overpromised.

However, his cautious and careful approach have insulated him from criticism.

Trump's daily childish hysterics and breast beating about how he is being mistreated are working against him.

It has become embarrassing to watch the holder of the world's most powerful office.

Aakar Patel is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own.
'There is no holistic picture of our own goals and objectives.'

'For some inexplicable reason, the decision makers find it best to listen to their inner souls in dealing with these issues rather devising a carefully thought-out, structured plan,' says Vice Admiral Premvir Das (retd).

'It was the best of times; it was the worst of times' were the words with which the classic A Tale of Two Cities began. Something not very different seems to confront us in India today.

On the one hand, we have a well-established and popular leader with an unmatched following promising to lead his country to growth; even demonetisation, painful to everyone, will ultimately bring hitherto undisclosed wealth to account.

On the other, many, purporting to be his followers, decry everything modern or remotely developmental.

So, what is happening is a question that might well be asked.

But this is not about politics. It is about some harsh truths which should be a matter of concern to all thinking Indians, as they can have adverse repercussions on the nation's integrity, stability and security.

For one, we had a well-known militant leader killed by security forces in Kashmir with thousands of people thronging to his funeral, not all under threat.

Elections for a Lok Sabha seat are held in Srinagar, and less than eight per cent of the electors turn up to vote; in the subsequent re-poll in some booths, just 700-odd out of 40,000 turn up.

A second by election to be held in Anantnag is postponed because law and order cannot be maintained.

People hurl stones fearlesslessly at the paramilitary forces; army and air force stations are attacked.

A young army officer has to have a man tied to the front of a vehicle to enable his contingent to negotiate a hostile crowd.

Deeper inside the country, more than two dozen CRPF troopers are easily shot up by a band of Maoists (not possible without local support) and their weapons snatched.

If all this is not the truth and only misinformation spewed out of air-conditioned rooms, as some allege, then something really is amiss.

On a different plane, the security scenario around the country is becoming increasingly threatening.

The Chinese, for one, are far more assertive if not aggressive when dealing with our country. It is not the first time that the Dalai Lama has visited Tawang, but China's media, some of it reflecting its government, has gone all out to spew venom, even calling for 'a blow for a blow' and warning of instigating problems for us in Kashmir.

This kind of rhetoric has not been heard for quite a while. That country has also consistently refused to accept Masood Azhar as a terrorist even as other members of the United Nations Security Council have. Similarly, China has opposed our membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

China is now supplying military hardware to Pakistan, aimed at enhancing its capabilities versus India. There is occasional talk of cooperation, but the effort is to ensure our containment.

Its naval forces including nuclear submarines are already deployed in the Indian Ocean, where it is setting up facilities in Gwadar and Djibouti, from which such operations can be further enhanced and for sustained periods.

Clearly, the developing situation is ominous and we can afford to treat it lightly only at our cost.

Even otherwise, the situation in our neighbourhood is not satisfactory. Hambantota port, in Sri Lanka, is now being managed by a Chinese company, as is Gwadar.

Several thousand marines are expected to be stationed at the latter port as, indeed, in Djibouti.

The China-Pakistan equation is taking a new and potentially anti-Indian context, with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor directly recognising Pakistan occupied Kashmir (through which it passes) as territory belonging to Pakistan.

In this perceptible change, India's flexibility in dealing with Pakistan has become circumscribed.

With serious American pressure on that country not a realistic possibility, apart from some homilies off and on as seen recently during its national security advisor's visit, there is nothing substantially advantageous that we might expect.

Further away, our interests in Iran are also unlikely to gain momentum with the kind of pressure that the Donald Trump administration could bring to bear upon that country.

In this troublesome scenario, Bangladesh alone seems to be a redeeming factor, even as it has received two submarines from China.

Nepal, presently benign, has recently conducted a joint military exercise with its northern neighbour.

Our responses to this worrisome scenario at home and abroad remain undefined.

To cope with the latter, we are seeking closer ties with the United States and Japan.

This is desirable even though for both, the trade relationship with China is hugely important and even though their geopolitical interests may not be co-terminus with the Chinese, a relationship bordering on 'cooperation with contestation' is likely to pervade the relationship; this does not leave India with much wiggle room.

Russia, a country with which we have had a close relationship for decades, and which helped us indirectly in creating Bangladesh, is now pretty closely engaged with China.

There is no holistic picture of our own goals and objectives, of what comes in their way and, therefore, of the courses that need to be charted to navigate safely.

For some inexplicable reason, and despite having many institutions which can help in doing so, the decision makers find it best to listen to their inner souls in dealing with these issues rather devising a carefully thought-out, structured plan.

The position at home is worse and even scarier.

The guiding theme is the use of force to resolve situations which themselves do not arise out of force.

If every act of militancy in the Kashmir valley is ascribed to Pakistan, there should be a policy to deal with that country.

Either force should be used or negotiation, but to not do anything cannot be strategy; if the problem is more local, then talking to our own people is the only alternative.

Unless there is a thought process, the numbers of our 'brave hearts' will keep increasing.

The army can deal effectively with Pakistan, but cannot neutralise its own people.

The more it tries to do this, the less in awe of it will the populace be.

These are not the best of times.

Vice Admiral Premvir Das (retd) is a former Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command. He has been a member of the National Security Advisory Board.

IMAGE: Indian Army soldiers on the look out for terrorists in Nowgam, north Kashmir, May 20, 2017. Three jawans and four terrorists were killed in the encounter. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 22

By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani will visit Moscow to participate in a security summit, be held in Russia on May 23, Fars news agency reported May 22.

Shamkhani is scheduled to discuss security, political and economic events in region as well as evaluation of terrorism.

Russia will be hosting its annual international security summit on May 23-25 in the city of Tver.

Russian Security Council secretary Nikolay Patrushev emphasized that dialogue between Russian intelligence agents and their counterparts abroad continues.

During an interview with RT, he said that all in all, we see that this eagerness to communicate with us expands. We dont feel any isolation at all. On the contrary, the number of those attending [the security summit] is growing constantly."

He stated that they expect up to 90 countries to participate this year in the summit, as compared to last year when 75 countries were present.

Seventy bilateral meetings are planned, RT noted, adding that "sixteen European countries will be present."

Meanwhile, Ukraine and Georgia are not sending delegations, nor is the United States.
'We have to believe that in the long run, stable and secure societies thrive on a reputable news culture and people will recognise this.'

The BBC remains one of the most popular sources of news globally -- on TV, online and on radio.

In 2016, it averaged 100 million unique users a month. Last year, it began an initiative called Reality Check, to tackle fake news.

Jamie Angus, below, left, the editorial director at BBC Global News, talks to Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, in London.

How does Reality Check work?

We first ran it in the 2010 and 2015 United Kingdom general elections and the European Union referendum in 2016. It proved so popular that we have now made it permanent. We recognise that our audiences expect trusted broadcasters to call out the truth, especially in the current climate.

If in any debate there is a verifiable claim, say, Turkey will join the EU, (the team at) Reality Check will step in and verify the fact. We post the findings on dedicated web pages and share it across our other platforms, like the daily TV and radio show, Outside Source.

We usually pick stories that have researchable facts and the format is very specific. When a claim is made, well state what it is. Then, well use our analysts to dig out authoritative facts and data around the claim that allows us to make an assessment, giving an extended write through around it.

Its a claim and analysis format because we think that works best for our audiences. We are looking at doubling the number of journalists dedicated to the effort.

But, wouldnt you do that in the normal course of reporting?

Fact checking, obviously, isnt new. What is new is actually calling out the facts in a case. Reality Check is only a strand. What is interesting is that the types of questions we need to ask for in Reality Check is changing the news room work flow. The questions of What disputed matter can we get to the bottom of today? and How can the Reality Check format be a part of that? have become central to our morning conferences.

What about comment/opinion?

BBC News has been changing for a number of years in this respect.

We have shifted to having more empowered high-profile, on-air, editors -- people like Lyse Doucet internationally or Laura Kuenssberg, our UK political editor. These are people who have some latitude to call out stories and broadcast judgements on stories in a way we didnt do very much 15 years ago. And, audiences like that, they expect it. They like to have their news built around strong authority figures.

What has the response been?

CNN, Russia Today, everyone is doing fake news checks. But, with our values, people expect the BBC to be the best.

The fact that weve made Reality Check -- something on our books for seven years -- permanent shows our commitment and experience.

However, the problem with the fake news tag is that it is so in the eye of the beholder.

Take (Donald) Trump calling CNN fake news. This is a pejorative tag anyone can apply to things they dont like. But, there is a difference between a man in Macedonia making stories up and a large international organisation. Therefore, we need to push back on this very hard.

Given the colossal number of servers and websites throwing up fake stuff, isnt it a David versus Goliath battle?

Earlier, there was the trusted home page mode. You go to BBC.com, its a secure environment and you can trust whats on there.

Social media and the algorithm model are changing that. The lack of real life curation and moderation in some social feeds means a filter bubble is created. You see news that reflects your existing views and prejudices.

So, we have got to reach out to people growing up into that news environment. Also, we have to believe that in the long run, stable and secure societies thrive on a reputable news culture and people will recognise this. It is a tough race online.
IMAGE: Family members of Karnataka cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari, who was found dead under mysterious conditions, after meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

A Central Bureau of Investigation probe was on Monday recommended by the Uttar Pradesh government into the death of Indian Administrative Services officer Anurag Tiwari after his family told Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that they suspected foul play as he was about to expose a big scam in a Karnataka government department.

The development came as the UP police on Monday registered a murder case in the matter, five days after Anurags body was found on his birthday under mysterious circumstances near a guest house, where he was staying, in the high-security Hazratganj area in Lucknow.

It has been decided to hand over the probe to the CBI, Director General of Police Sulkhan Singh told a press briefing in Lucknow.

Hours earlier, the Karnataka-cadre officers mother Sushila Devi and brother Mayank had met the CM to press for a CBI probe saying they were unhappy with the handling of the investigation by the UP police.

Tiwaris family had alleged that he was murdered at the behest of corrupt officers as he was a whistleblower and was about to expose a scam in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru where he was posted as commissioner.

Mayank alleged on Monday that the scene of crime had been washed and the officers mobile phone was found in an unlocked condition. We are not satisfied with the police probe. The chief minister has assured us that justice will be done, he said.

In his police complaint, Mayank said his brother was an honest officer and was transferred seven to eight times in his decade-long career. He also claimed that Anurag had told them that there was a threat to his life.

We demanded a CBI inquiry in order to find out why he was killed, Sushila Devi told newspersons after meeting the chief minister.

Post-mortem examination had indicated that Anurag, 36, had died of asphyxia but police had said that an SIT team probing the case was awaiting the test reports of his viscera and blood samples and heart to find the exact cause of the death.

In the complaint to police, Mayanak said my brother was a late riser and never went for morning walk, countering what police had suggested in the case.

During discussions, he told me that he was working on some files which can expose a big scam, Mayank said.

He said Anurag was pressured to sign some papers against his wish.

That is why some unidentified people were exerting pressure on him. He was under tremendous pressure in the last few months and he also informed us around two months back that he is facing threat to his life.

I request you (police) to investigate the mysterious death of my brother on May 17, Mayank said in the complaint on which the FIR was lodged.

He had written to the Prime Ministers Office too demanding a CBI inquiry into his brothers death.

In his letter, he claimed that Anurag had stumbled upon a major scam about which he wanted to inform the PMO and CBI.

He also alleged that there was pressure on Anurag to withdraw the report which could have nailed senior officers and ministers, had it come in public domain.

Sushila Devi made a fervent appeal to the prime minister and chief minister seeking justice for her son.

The UP police had constituted the Special Investigation Team on May 18 to probe the death.

The issue took a political colour after opposition members raised the matter vociferously in the Uttar Pradesh assembly to question the law and order situation under the BJP government.

The assembly premises are hardly a kilometre from the spot where Anurag's body was found.

However, an Uttar Pradesh minister said in the House that the officer was about to expose a major scam under the Congress government in Karnataka.

Tiwari, a 2007-batch IAS officer, was staying at the Meera Bai guest house with a batch mate after attending a mid-career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.
After the world's largest charkha was unveiled at Delhi airport in July last year, the national capital on Sunday saw the installation of yet another giant charkha along with the inauguration a charkha museum at Palika Bazar Park in Connaught Place.

Installed by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, the 2.5-tonne charkha, an initiative to link it with tourism in the centenary year of the Champaran satyagraha, is made of high-quality chromium nickel stainless steel and is corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic and heat-resistant.

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah unveiled the 12-feet tall and 25-feet long long charkha on Sunday.

KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the initiative and in his special message said, "As Mahatma Gandhi himself believed, the charkha is a symbol of our swaraj and self-reliance. The museum and the monument for the charkha in the national capital will be a proud tribute the charkha's historic importance in our nation."

Talking about the initiative, Saxena said the charkha, like the memorial to unknown soldiers, is a memorial to the unknown rural masses who took to the demonstrated ways of self-reliance and dignity of labour following the call of the Father of the Nation.

He said the KVIC, in association with the New Delhi Municipal Council, has set up the heritage charkha museum, showcasing 50 to 100-year-old charkhas that were gifted to the commission by their owners.

With inputs from PTI

Photographs: PTI Photo, @AmitShah/Twitter.
Over 100 Left activists and 79 police personnel were injured in clashes on Monday at various places in the city and neighbouring Howrah during a protest march by the opposition party to the state secretariat against the Trinamool Congress government's policies.

IMAGE: Left Front activists attack police personnel during a protest rally in Kolkata.

Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/PTI Photo

As many as 217 people, including 11 Left MLAs, were arrested in the twin cities and at the secretariat in connection with the violence and violation of prohibitory orders during the agitation.

Police fired tear gas shells and used batons after the Left workers allegedly tried to break barricades at several places and attacked the security personnel.

The violence triggered a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Left, which alleged that the unprovoked police action was on the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and announced that a protest day will be observed on Wednesday.

IMAGE: Police lathi charge one of the Left Front activists who were staging a protest at Nabanna.

Photograph: Ashok Bhaumik/PTI Photo

Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee called the Left protest a drama and said it was nothing but an attempt by the CPI-M, which has been reduced to a signboard, to justify its existence.

The 'March to Nabanna (secretariat)' was organised by the Left parties to protest against what they called attack on democracy, unemployment and lawlessness in the state during Trinamool Congress rule.

IMAGE: A protester attacks Murlidhar Sharma, deputy commissioner, Special Task Force of the Kolkata Police. Photograph: PTI Photo

Joint Commissioner of city police (HQ) Supratim Sarkar told reporters here that as many as 182 people, including 45 women were arrested in connection with the violence in Kolkata.

A top state police officer said Howrah police arrested 24 Left activists and 11 MLAs including Sujan Chakraborty, Ashok Bhattacharya and Tanmay Bhattacharjee, Anisur Rehaman, Manas Mukherjee.

10 district police personnel were injured while trying to prevent the Left agitators from marching to the high-security secretariat.

The Left leaders who were in three cars had managed to cross the security cordon but police recognised them at the north gate of the secretariat and sought to know from them the purpose of their visit.

A scuffle then took place between the Left leaders and the police there, he said.

"The Left leaders and others were arrested as they had breached Section 144 Code of Criminal Procedure which was in force around the secretariat.

"The Left leaders had launched unprovoked attack on our forces injuring them in the process," he said on condition of anonymity.

IMAGE: Opposition leaders during a walk out of the West Bengal Assembly to protest over the alleged deterioration of law & order situation in the state, in Kolkata.

Photograph: PTI Photo

Twenty Left activists and MLAs were detained in the morning and taken to Shibpur police station in Howrah where they were arrested. Another 15 Left activists were later arrested from the secretariat area.

The Left activists tried to break police cordons at various locations including Mayo Road, Dufferin road, Hastings in the city and Foreshore Road and Santragachi in Howrah.

They allegedly hurled stones at the police prompting the personnel to fire tear gas shells and order lathi charge.

Water cannons were also used to disperse the workers at Santragachi in Howrah.

Sarkar said the Left organisers had promised us that there will be no violence and they will go for sit-in demonstration wherever the police stopped them.

"But they attacked the police which resorted to baton charge and firing of tear gas shells to disperse the protesters," he said.

The joint commissioner said that according to reports available with the police, over 100 left activists were injured.

Left party sources on the other hand said many of their leaders including former state minister Kanti Ganguly, Forward Bloc leader Naren Chatterjee and hundreds of workers were injured when the police resorted to the unprovoked baton-charge.

Some journalists covering the programme were allegedly beaten up by the police, for which Sarkar expressed regrets.

When asked, he said that the incident was undesirable.

"We will look into it and investigate. If proved correct, departmental action will be taken against the responsible police personnel".

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not present at the secretariat as she was in Birbhum district for an administrative meeting.

CPI-M state secretary and politburo member Surjya Kanta Mishra and Left Front chairman Biman Bose staged a sit-in at Mayo Road in protest against the police action.

Claiming that their programme was a success, Mishra said, "Everything (Police action) is being done according to the chief minister's instruction. But they (the TMC government) cannot stop us this way. A protest day will be observed tomorrow throughout the state."

Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee hit back, saying they (CPI-M) do not work for the state. They are holding this programme when the chief minister is trying to develop the state."
IMAGE: With a black skullcap on his head, Trump prayed at the Western Wall in the Old City of East Jerusalem, becoming the first sitting US President to visit one of the most sacred sites in Judaism. Trump visited the Western Wall in a private capacity and was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

United States President Donald Trump on Monday said that there is a rare opportunity to bring peace to the Middle East as he denounced Iran for supporting terrorists and vowed never to allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.

"I have found new reasons for hope, said Trump upon arriving at the Ben-Gurion International Airport.

"There is a rare opportunity to bring security and peace to the region, but we can only get there by working together, said Trump who arrived here from Riyadh in what is believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Trump went on to say that he met with leaders from across the Arab world in Saudi Arabia and reached historic agreements in fight against terror.

IMAGE: US President Donald Trump, centre, sits next to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Israel's President Reuven Rivlin during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv on Monday. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters



"On my first trip overseas as President, I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm unbreakable bond between us and Israel, Trump said during a welcome ceremony at the airport.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump on what he called a truly historic visit, which he viewed as a powerful expression of your friendship.

Trump left for Jerusalem immediately after the welcome ceremony for his meeting with Rivlin at the Presidents House amid heightened security with all the major roads in Jerusalem completely gridlocked.

At Rivlin's residence, Trump lashed out at Iran.

The United States and Israel can declare with one voice that Iran must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon -- never ever -- and must cease its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias, Trump said in remarks at Rivlins residence.

It must cease immediately, he said, referring to Iran's alleged involvement in arming and training militias.

During his stay in Saudi Arabia, Trump had accused Iran of fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror in the region and called for its international isolation.

IMAGE: Trump looks at his wife Melania signing a guest book as Rivlin and his wife Nechama stand nearby at Rivlin's residence in Jerusalem. Noam Moskowitz/Reuters



Earlier, Netanyahu applauded Trumps call for nations to do more to fight terrorism during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

Israel shares the commitment to peace that you made yesterday. The peace we seek is genuine and durable, in which the Jewish state is recognised, security remains in Israels hands, and the conflict ends once and for all, Netanyahu said while welcoming the US president at the airport.

I hope this trip is a step on the path toward reconciliation and peace, he stressed.

The Israeli leader also noted that it was the first time that a US President has chosen to come to Israel during his first foreign trip after taking charge.

President Rivlin thanked Trump for his commitment to Israels ability to face the threats of today and of tomorrow.

The Israeli president emphasised that while the world, the Middle East, and Israel all need a strong United States, the United States also needs a strong Israel.

"In the Middle East, an area that suffers from terrorism and madness, the alliance between the United States and Israel shines like a beacon of liberty and progress, Rivlin said.

IMAGE: Melania touches the Western Wall. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Trump is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.

He has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement the ultimate deal, but has been vague about what form it should take.

At a summit in Riyadh on Sunday, Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to drive them out of this earth.

Pointing at Iran -- Israel and Saudi Arabias main foe in the region -- the US President accused Tehran of fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

Before meeting Netanyahu, Trump visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem where according to Christian tradition Jesus was buried and resurrected.

Trump is also expected to visit the Western Wall, located in the Old City of East Jerusalem, in a private capacity in what would be the first such visit to Judaism's holiest site by a sitting US President.

IMAGE: Ivanka Trump prays as she touches the Western Wall. Photograph: Heidi Levine/Pool/ Reuters

The US President has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor Barack Obama.

He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their presence might hamper the search for peace.

During his election campaign, Trump had expressed views that seemed to fit neatly with those of the right-wing Israeli government of Netanyahu favouring expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and a tough line towards Palestinian aspirations for independence.

However, after taking charge of Presidency his statements have been rather nuanced on the issue of settlements as well as regarding moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, causing some heartburn among his right-wing supporters here.
The Opposition is putting up a symbolic fight for the presidential polls as it knows that the BJP has the numbers to get its candidate elected to the top post, reports Archis Mohan.

In the second week of April, as the Budget session of Parliament drew to a close, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Communist Party of India-Marxist chief Sitaram Yechury ran into each other in its corridors. Their brief conversation soon switched to a matter of common concern -- the upcoming elections for president and vice-President.

Both leaders felt a united Opposition should put up common candidates for the countrys top constitutional posts. This, however, required a longer strategy session. But they didnt want the news, that they were deliberating on the issue, to become public at such an early stage.

The corridors of Parliament, or the Congress party office, were the places teeming with politicians and journalists and, therefore, were unsuitable for a meeting. The two also explored the possibility of a meeting at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, where the Congress president was to attend an event, but decided against it as Yechurys presence there could have attracted attention.

Finally, they agreed to an old trick. From 2003 to 2008, Yechury was a frequent visitor to 10, Janpath, the official residence of Gandhi, but he had seldom used the front gate to avoid the media throng. This was around the time when Gandhi took the initiative to forge a joint front of opposition parties against the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance and helped the installation of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in 2004, with the Left parties supporting it from outside.

Like earlier, Yechury used the side gate that day to reach 10, Janpath. The Congress president and the CPI-M general secretary soon decided on the division of labour to reach out to the other opposition parties. Yechury was to meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leadership, Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party, and the Abdullahs of the National Conference. Gandhi was to talk to the rest. The two also discussed the probable names for the presidential candidate.

NDA game plan

Strategists in the Narendra Modi government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, including party chief Amit Shah, have kept a keen eye on opposition efforts and busied themselves with crunching the electoral college numbers. The emphatic electoral win in Uttar Pradesh has hugely boosted the chances of a BJP-nominated candidate for the Presidents post to sail through. The NDA was short of nearly 70,000 electoral college votes before the UP elections, which has now shrunk to 18,000 due to its 325 seats in the state.

Though there is still no clarity on the governments candidate, some governors who fancy their chances have been asked not to frequently travel to New Delhi to meet the PM and the BJP chief, according to a senior strategist. They include Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla, Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu and Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao.

There have been suggestions that the President should be from southern India and a non-politician. This, or so the argument goes in BJP circles, will not only reflect the BJPs efforts to expand its base in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, but also elevate the election of the President beyond party politics, as was the case with the Vajpayee governments choice of APJ Abdul Kalam in 2002. But even senior leaders and Union ministers say they do not know the minds of Modi and Shah.

Opposition meetings

Last Tuesday evening, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah landed at the AKG Bhavan, the headquarters of the CPI-M, to meet Yechury. Just back from a meeting with the PM on the situation in Kashmir, Abdullah was enthused about the idea of a common opposition candidate for President. Earlier this month, Yechury had travelled to Bhubaneswar to convince Patnaik. Others like NCPs Pawar and DMKs M K Stalin have also promised support. Besides Yechury, Gandhi also invited Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to hold consultations on the issue. Kumar met with her on April 20.

According to a Congress leader, Gandhi has also spoken to Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, CPIs D Raja, Janata Dal-Uniteds Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Partys Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, among others. She is also slated to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.

Besides, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has had discussions with former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav. Several opposition leaders are scheduled to attend the 94th birthday celebrations of DMK veteran M K Karunanidhi in Chennai in early June where the name of the joint candidate could be announced. As of now, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former governor and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seems to be emerging as the possible candidate.

According to sources, several opposition parties, particularly those that count the Congress as a rival in state politics, were resistant to the idea of a Congress leader being chosen the joint candidate. The Bengal CM and the DMK leadership came on board only when the name of Gopalkrishna Gandhi was suggested.

The neutrals

None in the Opposition has spoken to three key southern parties -- Tamil Nadus All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress, and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. A senior Opposition leader said all three parties, and several of their leaders, were being probed by central investigating agencies and were unlikely to take an independent position on the election.

Last week, the TRS, which is in power in Telangana, promised to support the BJP candidate in the polls. On Wednesday, YSR Congresss Reddy called on the PM and promised support to the BJP nominee. Indications are that the AIADMK could also support the Modi government. For the BJP, the main concern is whether ally Shiv Sena votes in favour of its candidate or not. But, support from the AIADMK, the TRS and the YSR Congress will ensure a victory for the governments nominee.

Need for opposition unity

The Opposition has little illusion that it will lose the presidential poll. But it believes there is an urgent need to put up a symbolic ideological fight to protect the Constitution, Indias pluralistic ethos, and its democratic traditions that it believes are under threat from the Sangh Parivar. On May 1, opposition leaders gathered to mark the 95th birth anniversary of late socialist leader Madhu Limaye, where many advocated unity.

In their meetings with Gandhi, both Yechury and Kumar told her the unity achieved among opposition ranks for the presidential polls would be the acid test for whether these parties can stick together for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Yechury and Kumar also stressed the need for ideological cohesion and drafting a common minimum programme of opposition parties for the 2019 polls.

Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Muslim wing will organise iftars on Fridays in Uttar Pradesh this Ramzan and serve only cow milk and its products to drive home the message of 'save the cow' and that consumption of its meat invites diseases.

Mahiraj Dhwaj Singh, national co-convenor (organisation) of Muslim Rashtriya Manch for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, said it is for the "first time" that people who observe roza (fast), will be ending it with a glass of cow's milk.

The MRM was formed in 2002 at the initiative of the then RSS chief KS Sudarshan to allow the Sangh to reach out to Muslims.

"Emphasis will be laid on the use of cow milk and other dairy products at the iftars. And, it will be for the first time that such an iftar will be held in Uttar Pradesh," Singh said.

Citing the benefits of cow milk, he claimed, "Even Muslim scholars are of the view that cow milk is good for health and ghee made using this milk is medicine. This ghee is used as base is preparing various ayurvedic medicines also," adding consuming cow meat invites a number of diseases.

He also said that during Ramzan, special prayers will be offered in which appeals will be made to protect the cow.

"All living beings (animals, birds, trees and plants) owe their existence to Allah. If we adopt a humane approach towards them, we will incur His blessings," the senior MRM office bearer said.

"During Ramzan, prayers will be held. A message to end animosity and spread love, bonhomie and brotherhood will be disseminated. Message to uphold the unity and integrity of the nation will be spread.

Programmes will be held to pledge for development of the country, while upholding its sovereignty," he said.

Singh also said that MRM volunteers will pledge to spread love and brotherhood. "Let's make a prosperous Bharat. Let's take a pledge to resolve the ongoing Ayodhya dispute amicably," he said.

Welcoming the move of the MRM, Waseem Raini, president of Lucknow-based Pasmanda Muslim Samaj, Muslim organisation, said, "If different sweets such as pedhaa and other edible items made using cow's milk are served during iftar, we have no objections. This will eventually increase the bonhomie and brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims."

Representative image
As many as 20 people have been arrested in connection with last week's lynching of seven persons in Jharkhand.

State Home Secretary S K G Rahate said a probe has been ordered into the two incidents of vigilantism in Rajnagar in Seraikela-Kharswan district and Nagadih in Jamshedpur that claimed four and three lives respectively.

The lynching was allegedly sparked by suspicions that the victims were child lifters.

18 persons were arrested on Monday in connection with the lynching incident at Nagadih on May 18, and the subsequent violence on May 20.

The other two were held Sunday in connection with the lynching of four persons of a community in Seraikela-Kharswan.

Rahate told mediapersons in Ranchi that social media sites are being monitored and a WhatsApp group admin has been questioned.

The report of the probe, to be conducted by the Kolhan division commissioner and DIG, would be submitted within a month, he said, adding that an FIR has also been lodged.

He said the incidents were triggered purely by rumours and villagers, in an act of vigilantism, took the law into their lands.

A Jamshedpur report quoting an official release said the Kolhan DIG Prabhat Kumar has been asked by the home department to suspend the officers-in-charge of Rajnagar police station and Bagbera police station with immediate effect.

On May 20, protests at Mango area in Jamshedpur against the Rajnagar incident turned violent and prompted the police to open fire in the air and hurl tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

Raids were on to apprehend the other culprits involved in the two incidents, Kumar said, adding that security forces, including a company of RAF have been deployed in the two areas.

The Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum district Amit Kumar has sought the cooperation of the people to share information about the miscreants, including their photos on social media and promised to protect the identity of those providing it.

He also directed the sub-divisional officers of Dhalbhum and Ghatsila, block development officers, deputy superintendents of police and panchayats to organise gram sabhas over the next one week from Tuesday to alert the people against social media rumours.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the case and issued a notice to the Director General of Police of Jharkhand, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.

The Commission also expects comments on the preventive measures taken/proposed to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, carried on the May 21, 2017, are unpleasant.

With inputs from M I Khan in Patna

IMAGE: A charred vehicle that was torched by angry people during a violent protest over child-lifting incidents in Chaibasa, Jharkhand. Photograph: PTI Photo
During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, O Panneerselvam urged him to dismiss the Tamil Nadu government, reports R Rajagopalan.

IMAGE: O Panneerselvam (3rd from left) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on May 19, 2017. To Modi's left is Dr V Maitreyan. Photograph: @OfficeOfOPS/Twitter

Last week's meeting between former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw the leader of the Puratchi Thalaivi faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam raise five critical points, the prime among them being the dismissal of the Edappadi K Palaniswami government on corruption charges.

According to sources, the PM assured Panneerselvam that his government was with him to root out corruption at any level. "We will not tolerate corruption, at whichever and whatever level it will be. Let us work together," was the cryptic comment by the prime minister.

Panneerselvam informed Modi that the people of Tamil Nadu welcomed it when the income tax department raided some state ministers. He also told Modi that the people believe that only he (Modi) can take such a bold step.

Sources said the former Tamil Nadu CM met the PM with a five-point agenda.

1. He pointed out that VK Sasikala, who is currently serving a jail term in a Bengaluru prison in the disproportionate assets case, is regularly meeting Tamil Nadu ministers inside the jail and is in touch with the Congress, and is distinctly anti-BJP.

2. Pursue the cases against Tamil Nadu cabinet ministers who were raided by the income tax department, as there has been a lull in the matter since then.

3. The Centre should impress upon the state government to hold panchayat elections where the groundswell for his faction of the AIADMK will be tested. Panneerselvam also assured the prime minister that the Bharatiya Janata Party may have an alliance with his faction.

4. Freezing of the Two Leaves election symbol of the united AIADMK by the Election Commission was a serious step leading to a legal war between the two factions, which the EC is seized of. There has been a delay in the matter due to the filing of huge affidavits by the 1250 general council members of the AIADMK.

5. The Palaniswami camp is still close to Sasikala, with a legislator or even a minister or two meeting her everyday to convey the latest trends in the party as well as the state, although they have presented the opposite to the BJP leaders which even Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu has bought into. OPS said the Palaniswami camp and Sasikala were inseparable.

During the meeting, Pannerselvam also informed Modi that around 25-30 MLAs of the Sasikala group are ready to join his faction.

Rajya Sabha MP Dr V Maitreyan, one of the first leaders to have joined the Panneerselvam camp after he rebelled against Sasikala, told Rediff.com that when Panneereselvam put across these points, Modi listened to him with rapt attention.

Maitreyan said that during the meeting a lot of jokes were made in Hindi which was translated to OPS by him.

Interestingly, Maitreyan is a cancer specialist who did his MD from Government Medical College, Nagpur, and had been part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP before joining the AIADMK in 1995. He speaks Marathi fluently, and is considered to be close to the BJP leadership.

R Rajagopalan is a senior journalist in New Delhi who has been reporting on Tamil Nadu affairs for decades.
'I do feel it's a question of your own upbringing, the way your father treats your mother, how the daughters are treated in the house.'

'You learn so much by osmosis. I suppose it's getting better, but it's not gone.'

'It's still a patriarchal society.'

Justice Leila Seth, who passed into the ages on May 5, was a legal legend.

The first lady chief justice of the Delhi high court reflected on her career as lawyer and judge in this fascinating interview with Pallavi Saluja, for the legal portal, Bar and Bench.

Why did you take up law?

It was a very mundane reason. I had gone to England with my husband, and I found that law was one of the few things you could do without attending classes!

I had no one in the family who did law and I didn't have a particular interest. But once I started doing it, I did quite well.

I wanted to be a teacher and had done a course in Montessori training and I thought I'd come back to India and set up a small Montessori school.

But once I did well at the Bar, everybody said that I must practise.

Tell us about your initial years.

So in Calcutta, I looked to train under the best lawyer in the city, and narrowed it down to Sachin Chaudhary.

When I met him, he tried to dissuade me by saying that the law is not a profession for women.

He told me in a gruff voice, 'Young woman, instead of joining the legal profession, you should go get married.'

So I said that I was already married.

'Then go and have a child,' he said.

I told him that I already had a child.

He then said that it was very selfish to have only one child and that I should go and have a second child.

So I told him I have two children! (laughs)

Taken aback, he said, 'Come and join my chambers. You're persistent and you'll do well at the Bar!'

How was it working in Calcutta and Patna in those days?

It was especially difficult in Patna. There was just one other female advocate.

Bihar being what it is, when I used to go to the mofussil areas to practise, the crowd would gather and say, 'Aurat vakil aayi hai. (A woman lawyer has come).'

But that was true not only of Patna, but also of Delhi.

When I became a judge at the Delhi high court, Charan Singh was the prime minister and he had invited a lot of his constituents to visit Delhi.

One day, I was sitting in court and suddenly I saw a huge crowd.

I asked my peshkar if there was some famous case being heard. He said: 'No, madam. They came to see the zoo. They heard that there's a woman judge at the Delhi high court, so they've come to see you.'

Initially, it was difficult as a lawyer, because everybody thought I wouldn't stay.

I stayed away from women's issues; I didn't want to be known as a woman lawyer doing divorce and custody cases.

So I especially looked for income tax, commercial law, contracts cases.

I wanted to prove myself in the mainstream.

When I was in Calcutta, I was given a brief to write an opinion.

I sent the opinion, but never got my fees.

After about three months, I met him (the person who brought the brief) at a party and he came up to me and said, 'I don't know whether to tell you this or not, but after we got your opinion, we sent it to the client. And the client said that he wanted a male opinion. I told my client that she was a very competent young woman, so there's no question of male or female.'

The client sent the brief to the senior-most lawyer in the Calcutta high court, who returned the opinion with only one line: 'I endorse the opinion of Leila Seth.'

And the client was happy because they got their male opinion, even though they had to pay 10 times the fee.

So that was the attitude back then, they didn't trust women to do a good job.

How did judgeship come about?

I had been practising in the Delhi high court and the Supreme Court for five to six years.

I think it was also at that time when they were anxious to have women on the Bench.

So the then chief justice of the Delhi high court T V R Tatachari asked me to join and I agreed; the custom back then was that when you are offered judgeship, you don't refuse.

Nowadays, a lot of people refuse because for men it's much more difficult, as they have to look after their families.

Being the first woman judge of the Delhi high court, I got a lot of publicity!

What was it like to be the only woman on the Bench?

It was strange.

Whenever my colleagues introduced me they would say, 'Meet our new woman judge.'

I told them that I didn't introduce them as 'gentlemen judges' or something like that.

When I joined they told me, 'Now you can organise our parties!' I said, 'Certainly not! Whoever was organising them earlier would continue.'

They sort of took it for granted that because I was a woman, I would do all these things.

As far as the judicial side was concerned, I never felt singled out.

Except with Chief Justice Tatachari.

Normally, when you join the Bench, you start off by sitting with the chief justice. But he refused to sit with me as it meant not only being together in court, but also being alone in closed chambers for discussion because he was very conservative.

He always had this huge teeka on his forehead. But the second senior-most judge who I sat with, Justice Prakash Narain, was much more open.

In your book, you've written on gender sensitisation of the judiciary. Do you see judges treating men and women equally?

Not at all.

Especially in rape cases, the lower judiciary has a slightly different attitude.

You could see that in the Bhanwari Devi case; the lower judiciary felt she couldn't have been raped by upper class and respectable middle class men.

When it comes to the higher judiciary, they are much more understanding of the victim's position.

I found that the judges who had daughters were much more understanding -- for example, Justice J S Verma and Justice Anand.

I do feel it's a question of your own upbringing, the way your father treats your mother, how the daughters are treated in the house.

You learn so much by osmosis. I suppose it's getting better, but it's not gone.

It's still a patriarchal society.

On the Section 377 judgment of the Supreme Court, you wrote, 'The judgment has treated people with a different sexual orientation as if they were people of lesser value.'

The judgment of the Delhi high court was very creative, and the Supreme Court said that it was just a few people.

They don't understand that it affected probably five per cent of the population.

They are not doing anything wrong, and in fact they are not coming out as they're afraid.

They are even afraid to come out to their parents.

Sometimes, the parents think that they will get 'cured' by getting married, which results in difficult marriages.

If Section 377 is treated as the Delhi high court treated it, things would be on an even keel.

People would come out, parents would stop pushing them to doctors or some kind of magicians, and people can lead a more normal life.

The people I know who have come out are extremely nice human beings, why treat them as criminals?

Sexual orientation should not be grounds for discrimination.

How did you deal with your son's coming out?

The first time I got to know, I wasn't familiar with the whole idea.

I love my son (Vikram Seth, the celebrated writer) and thought he wasn't doing anything wrong, and he was bisexual, so I just accepted it.

But I was afraid for him; somebody could have made a case against him because it is a criminal act, so I was worried.

I mentioned it in my book. He said, 'Put it in, it will give courage to other parents.'

It's a brief paragraph, but it describes how it is difficult to accept in the beginning, but how you must.

And you will lose them if you dont accept it.

Edited excerpts from one of the last interviews with the late Justice Leila Seth, by Pallavi Saluja of the legal portal, Bar and Bench. The interview was conducted in June 2015.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will attend the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Turkey and Georgia to be held on May 22-23, a statement said on Sunday, Anadolu reported.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Ministry, Yildirim will pay a two-day visit to Georgia on the sidelines of the council meeting which will discuss new cooperation opportunities and regional issues.

The implementation of the decisions taken at July 2016's High Level Strategic Cooperation Council in the Turkish capital Ankara will be reviewed, the statement added.

During his visit, Yildirim will also meet Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Turkish businessmen.
Turkish fighter jets hit PKK terror targets in northern Iraq killing four terrorists, Turkish General Staff said Monday, Anadolu reported.

The military statement said the counter-terrorism air raid hit terror targets in the Qandil region, a mountainous area in northern Iraq used as a headquarters by the PKK terrorist organization.

The air force has been conducting regular airstrikes on PKK facilities in both northern Iraq and Turkey since July 2015, when the terror group resumed its decades-old armed campaign.

PKK, a designated terrorist organization to Turkey, EU and the U.S., have been engaged in decade-long insurgency in southern Turkey bordering Iraq.
Malaysia: Activists summoned for questioning in repeated crackdown on peaceful assembly

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 19 May 2017 Reference ASA 28/6287/2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Malaysia: Activists summoned for questioning in repeated crackdown on peaceful assembly, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59228e604.html [accessed 10 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 Malaysian authorities must immediately halt the misuse of the criminal justice system to harass and intimidate political activists and human rights defenders for their peaceful activities. In the past week, more than 7 activists have been summoned by the police as part of their investigations into various peaceful demonstrations.

On 15 May, activists from the Bersih coalition, Mandeep Singh, Zoe Randhawa and Chan Tsu Chong were investigated under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for their alleged failure to provide police with a 10 day notice for a candlelight vigil for human rights defender Maria Chin. The vigil was held in November 2016 to protest against her detention without trial for 11 days under national security laws.

The following day, human rights defenders calling on the authorities to take immediate action in what they believe amounts to the enforced disappearance of three people, were summoned by the police for questioning on 24 May. The three human rights activists, including Sevan Doraisamy, Executive Director of human rights organisation SUARAM, Bersih activist Rama Ramanathan and Thomas Fann from the community organisation Engage, are being investigated under Section 505B of the Penal Code for making statements allegedly conducing to 'public mischief'.

On 17 May, political opponent S. Arulchelvan from the Malaysian Socialist Party was summoned to the Dang Wangi police station and questioned about his involvement in the Labour Day rally organized in Kuala Lumpur on 1 May, following claims that organizers failed to obtain a police authorization in time for the rally. Amnesty International is alarmed that the authorities are increasingly responding to activities that aim to express dissent and protest against injustice with baseless police investigations. These recent actions by the police highlight an escalating pattern of misusing the criminal justice system to target and harass political activists and human rights defenders that Amnesty International has documented over the last few years. These actions have further restricted public debate in Malaysia and reduced the space in which civil society operates. The Malaysian authorities should instead publicly recognize the legitimate work of human rights defenders, and refrain from intimidating and harassing them, including by abusing the criminal justice system to curb their peaceful human rights work.

Amnesty International recently launched a global campaign on human rights defenders in light of the unprecedented dangers they face, calling on states to recognize the legitimate work of those working to stand up for the inherent dignity and equal rights of all people and to ensure their freedom and safety.

Background

The Malaysian authorities have relied on a wide range of criminal laws to target and harass human rights defenders, such as the Sedition Act 1948, the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, the Security Offences and Special Measures Act 2012.

Several offences contained in the Penal Code, ranging from the "intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace", "statements conducing to public mischief" and "word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a person" (Section 504, 505 and 509) have been used against members of the political opposition such as Members of Parliament, Rafizi Ramli and Chua Tian Chang, (section 504 and 509 respectively), while Section 505 has been used to silence bloggers critical of the government.

Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, a relatively recent piece of legislation, has been increasingly used to target and criminalize peaceful protesters for organizing rallies without a 10 day notice to the police. Violations of these provisions can carry onerous fines that impose further obstacles to the effective realization of the right to peaceful assembly. Opposition lawmakers face the threat of being disqualified from holding office if they are slapped with a fine more than RM 2,000 (USD 463), while activists face the threat of paying a maximum fine of RM10,000 (USD 2,313).

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Belarus: first execution of 2017 ignores continuing pressure for abolition

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 19 May 2017 Reference EUR 49/6304/2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Belarus: first execution of 2017 ignores continuing pressure for abolition, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592290534.html [accessed 10 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.

Amnesty International condemns the execution of Belarusian death row prisoner, Siarhei Vostrykau in April. News of this execution was communicated to his mother by the Regional Court of Homel in early May. According to the Belarusian NGO, Human Rights Centre Viasna, he was executed at some time between 13 and 29 April. The last letter his mother received from him was dated 13 April and Homel Regional Court received confirmation of his execution on 29 April. Siarhei Vostrykau had appealed to President Lukashenka for clemency. President Lukashenka has only granted clemency once since he came to power in 1994.

A petition launched by Amnesty International in November 2016, calling on Belarus to introduce an immediate moratorium on all executions with a view to abolition of the death penalty, has been signed by nearly 18,000 people from around the world including from many European countries as well as from Brazil, Nigeria, South Korea and the United States.

Siarhei Vostrykau's execution comes despite the Belarusian authorities' increasingly positive rhetoric regarding abolition of the death penalty. It has been denounced by the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Belarus cannot continue to ignore the regional and global momentum towards abolition and maintain its isolated stance as the sole executioner in the whole of Europe and the Former Soviet Union. Two men remain on death row in Belarus and are at imminent risk of execution.

In Belarus, death sentences are implemented in strict secrecy and without giving adequate notice to the prisoners, their families or their legal representatives. Condemned prisoners are given no warning that they are about to be executed; instead they are taken out of their cells, told that their appeal for clemency has been turned down, and then forced to their knees and shot in the back of the head. Their families are only informed days or sometimes weeks later that their relative has been executed. In accordance with the Criminal Executive Code the bodies of those executed are not returned to their families and the location of the burial site is not disclosed. In October 2013, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus stated: "The way the death penalty is carried out in Belarus amounts to inhuman treatment."

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception. The death penalty violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

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.
Iraq: Scores of Men Imprisoned in Schoolhouse

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 22 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Iraq: Scores of Men Imprisoned in Schoolhouse, 22 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592292394.html [accessed 10 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 government-allied troops arbitrarily detained at least 100 men in late April 2017, in some cases torturing them during interrogations, Human Rights Watch said today.

Human Rights Watch interviewed three men from al-Hadar, a village 90 kilometers southwest of west Mosul, who were detained by the Popular Mobilization Forces (known as the PMF or Hashd al-Sha'abi) and two local officials who had knowledge of the detention operations in the area. The men said the fighters detained them as they fled their homes because of the fighting, and held them for up to 15 days in a school building and in one case a home in an area solely under PMF control. Their captors interrogated them about possible Islamic State (also known as ISIS) links, and in two cases beat them with thick metal cables, before releasing them and a small number of other detainees. Other detainees told them they had also been beaten during interrogations.

"Given the previous track records of PMF abuse in the area of screening and detaining local men, Baghdad should treat these findings with the gravest concern," said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Authorities should do all in their power to ensure that families fleeing the fighting around Mosul are able to get to safety, not tortured in secret facilities."

Human Rights Watch heard similar accounts from other men fleeing the fighting earlier in 2017 and raised the issue with the government, but the detentions and abuse seem to have continued. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi should issue a decree banning screening and detention by the PMF and hold those who have committed abuses accountable.

One man, "Hassan," said that his family and a group of others fled al-Hadar, which was under ISIS control, on April 25, for a camp for displaced people run by the PMF. After two days there, he and 10 of his relatives were then taken to a building they said was a school and held there in a room, along with about 40 others from their village. His family group was interrogated for a week, then released.

Hassan and the other two men interviewed said that they were able to determine that they were being held in a school by speaking to fellow prisoners and guards, and by lifting their blindfolds. A government official from Tal Abta told Human Rights Watch that the PMF held the men in the Tal Abta Janubia primary school and provided the GPS coordinates. The official said that his office had documented the names of 100 men from the area who the PMF had detained as they fled, over the same period, based on calls from their families.

Ali Al-Ahmadi, director of al-Hadar district, told local media outlets on May 1, that the PMF had detained at least 160 people upon their arrival at camps for people displaced by the fighting. The same reports said that the governor of Mosul was calling for a high-level emergency session to discuss these detentions.

Earlier in the Mosul operation, Human Rights Watch documented cases of the PMF arbitrarily detaining, torturing, and executing civilians. Following a Human Rights Watch report, the PMF Commission issued a statement in early February denying that its forces had screened or detained anyone. The statement said the PMF hands over captured ISIS suspects to state security forces who have a mandate to screen suspects.

But in a meeting on February 6, a PMF Commission representative told Human Rights Watch that in limited circumstances they do detain people captured on the battlefield for at least short periods before transferring them to Iraqi authorities with a detention mandate. One man the PMF had detained for eight days and an aid worker confirmed that.

Iraqi authorities should only allow those with the requisite legal authority to screen people. The authorities should ensure that anyone detained is held in a recognized detention center accessible to independent monitors, and granted their due process rights under international and Iraqi law. All detention should be based on clear domestic law, and every detainee should be brought promptly before a judge to review the legality of their detention. Iraqi law requires authorities to take detainees before an investigative judge within 48 hours.

Human Rights Watch has also documented that Iraqi forces, including PMF forces, have used schools for security or military purposes such as for screening and as detention centers. Such use of schools can delay the re-opening of the schools to teach and provide other services to children, and damage classrooms and equipment. Iraqi forces should avoid using schools except as a last resort, when no other facilities are available.

The United Nations Convention against Torture, which Iraq ratified in 2011, obliges member countries to investigate and prosecute torture and to compensate victims.

"While there may be grounds to detain some people fleeing the fighting who are suspected of criminal acts under ISIS's rule, they have to be given their rights under Iraqi law," Fakih said. "That includes the right not to be ill-treated."

Detainees' Accounts

"Hassan"

"Hassan" said that on April 25, when the village of al-Hadar, where he lived, was still under ISIS control, his family and about 15 others managed to escape in several cars. The convoy spent two nights out in the desert just north of al-Hadar, before unidentified security forces arrived and told the families to go to Jarbua, a PMF-run camp for displaced people, 30 kilometers north of Tal Abta.

After they spent two nights at the camp, Hassan said, at around 9 p.m., a group of fighters with PMF badges rounded him up, along with 10 of his relatives, blindfolded them, then drove them to another location where they were held in a room of a large building. When he was able to, he said, he pulled down his blindfold quickly because his hands were bound in front and saw that he was in a room with about 40 other detainees, all from al-Hadar.

After seven days, guards released him and the other 10 men detained with him without explanation, he said. Throughout his detention, he said, the same guards moved him in and out of the room with the other detainees for interrogation, asking why he had remained living under ISIS, whether he had joined ISIS, and for names of ISIS fighters. Hassan said he was blindfolded throughout his captivity but said that he was held and interrogated by fighters with southern accents whom he thought were from the PMF.

"Ahmed"

"Ahmed" said that on the morning of April 26, as Iraqi forces began an operation to retake al-Hadar, more than 60 other families fled the area in cars. Six were families from al-Hadar and the rest were families previously displaced by the fighting, mostly from villages in Tal Abta district, just to the north, he said. When they were about six kilometers north of the village, they reached a base of a large number of fighters carrying flags identifying them as belonging to the PMF unit Ali al-Akbar Brigade (Liwa Ali al-Akbar), with fighters from southern Iraq.

The fighters made them wait for several hours, then checked the men's identity cards. By then it was evening, and the fighters told them it was too late to take them to the nearest camp, which they said was at least 40 kilometers away. They told the families to stay in their cars or erect tents, he said.

At midnight, Ahmed said, he was standing with five of his relatives, including his brother, by their cars when three Ali al-Akbar fighters with PMF badges approached them and said they needed the men to come with them so they could interview them about their area. Ahmed said that the PMF fighters blindfolded him and his relatives, drove them for about five minutes, and then held them in a school, where the fighters detained them for 10 days. His hands were bound in front, so he was able to slip off the blindfold on various occasions. Ali said he saw guards bringing in about 90 men, who told him they were from al-Hadar.

For four days, Ahmed said, guards with southern accents whom he thought were PMF interrogated him blindfolded in a separate room once each day, asking why he had joined Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and beating him for about 10 minutes each time with thick metal cables. Ahmed said that twice the guards held a plastic bag over his head until he lost consciousness. He said he insisted he had not joined any extremist group. After four days of abuse, he asked the 40 or so men held in a room with him if they had confessed and all said they had, to stop the abuse, Ahmed said. He said all his relatives told him the guards also beat them with thick metal cables.

The next morning, Ahmed said, he confessed to being affiliated with ISIS. Later that afternoon, he was again brought into a separate room and a man who sounded different from his interrogators asked if his confession was true, and he admitted it had not been.

While the PMF held them, he and the other two detainees said they were only given one cup of water and limited food every day. The guards moved Ahmed among three rooms. In two he estimates there were a total of another 40 detainees, with one room full of men he did not recognize as from al-Hadar, and about 50 from al-Hadar in the other. After the other man questioned him, Ahmed said, guards loaded him and 11 other men, including his brother and other relatives into cars and drove them to a house about two hours away, where they were held in the same room and interrogated separately for another two days. At that point, guards with the same southern accents as the Ali al-Akbar fighters brought in 20 to 30 men from al-Hadar whom Ahmed recognized as also having been held at the school. One said that PMF fighters had bused all 90 to the house together.

That night, guards with southern accents took him and 10 of the other men, including four of his relatives, to al-Hadar village and let them go. They eventually made their way to displaced camps in Jadah, 54 kilometers northwest, where they rejoined their families. As of May 17, he said, his brother was still in detention.

An official from the area working on the detainees' release told Human Rights Watch that the house the PMF detained the men in was referred to as Yaseen's house.

"Kareem"

"Kareem" said he fled al-Hadhra on April 26, with about 10 families to a nearby village. The next day, they drove 40 kilometers to a PMF checkpoint. Four PMF fighters with badges checked the men's identity cards. The fighters selected him and seven other men, blindfolded them, and bound their hands, then drove them to a nearby large building. Kareem said the building held many other prisoners but he was unable to count because he was afraid he would be caught if he lifted his blindfold.

He said he was held for 15 days and that guards interrogated him daily about ISIS affiliation and beat him with thick metal cables. An older man from his village held with him died from an illness that predated his detention. Kareem said he did not want to speak about what the guards had done to him, but he had visible bruising and scaring around his wrists and up his right arm when he spoke to Human Rights Watch, two days after he was released.

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Thailand: Junta Entrenched 3 Years After Coup

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 21 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Thailand: Junta Entrenched 3 Years After Coup, 21 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/592292f24.html [accessed 10 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.

Thailand's junta has failed to fulfill pledges to respect human rights and restore democratic rule three years after the military coup, Human Rights Watch said today. The ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), led by Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, has instead prolonged its crackdown on basic rights and freedoms, and devised a quasi-democratic system that the military can manipulate and control.

"The Thai junta's empty promises to respect rights and restore democratic rule have become some sort of a sick joke played on the Thai people and the international community," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Three years after the coup, the junta still prosecutes peaceful critics of the government, bans political activity, censors the media, and stifles free speech."

Key constitutional bodies set up by the NCPO - such as the National Legislative Assembly - are dominated by military personnel and other junta loyalists, meaning that there are no effective checks and balances on military rule.

The new constitution, which was promulgated on March 6, 2017, ensures that NCPO members will not be held accountable for any of the many rights violations committed since taking power. It also strengthens and prolongs military control of the government even after an election that the junta promises to hold in 2018.

"The new constitution whitewashes all junta rights violations, ensuring that Thai military leaders can continue to commit abuses without fear of prosecution," Adams said.

Censorship and Restrictions on Free Expression

The junta's promised reconciliation and "road map" to return to democratic civilian rule has become meaningless as a result of the censorship and prosecution of those expressing dissenting opinions.

Immediately after the May 2014 coup, the NCPO forced satellite TV channels and community radio stations from all political factions off the air. Some were later allowed to resume broadcasting if they agreed to self-censorship, by excluding programs on political issues.

Since then, the junta has aggressively restricted media freedom and conducted extensive surveillance of the internet and other online communications. Print media have been ordered not to publicize commentaries critical of the junta. TV and radio programs have been instructed not to invite guests who might give negative comments about the situation in Thailand.

Three years after the coup, repression against anyone openly critical of the government continues. On March 27, 2017, a government order forced Voice TV - a private station known for its criticism of military rule - off the air. Voice TV had aired stories that contradicted and disparaged information provided by military authorities about the raid on Dhammakaya Temple, the army's killing of a teenage ethnic Lahu activist, the arrest of anti-government groups for alleged weapons possession and plotting assassinations of the prime minister and others, and the controversial construction of a casino on the Thai-Cambodian border.

Asserting that political discussions and differences in political opinions could somehow undermine social stability and national security, Thai authorities have frequently canceled political events, academic panels, seminars, and public forums on issues related to the state of human rights and freedom in Thailand. Most recently, on World Press Freedom Day on March 3, Thai authorities ordered the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) to cancel its panel discussion on the disappearance of a plaque commemorating the end of absolute monarchy in Thailand in 1932. On May 19, police arrested eight activists in Bangkok after they staged a mime performance in memory of those killed and wounded from excessive use of force by the military during the political upheavals in 2010. Not only does the military remain completely untouchable, but many of the commanders involved in the 2010 crackdown - including General Prayuth - are now ruling Thailand.

Thailand's new Computer-Related Crime Act, which the junta-installed National Legislative Assembly adopted in December 2016, gives broad powers to the government to restrict free speech and enforce surveillance and censorship. On May 16, Thai authorities threatened to shut down all access for users in Thailand to Facebook to pressure the social media platform to block or remove alleged lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) content posted by various users.

People charged with lese majeste, a serious criminal offense in Thailand, are routinely denied bail and held in prison for months or years while awaiting trial. This is the case of prominent pro-democracy student activist Jatupat Boonphatthararaksa, who faces lese majeste and computer crimes charges for posting on his Facebook page a profile of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, published by the BBC Thai language service. Thai authorities deemed the article to be critical of the monarchy and blocked it in Thailand. Since the May 2014 coup, at least 105 people have been arrested on lese majeste charges, mostly for posting or sharing online commentary. Some have been convicted and sentenced to years or even decades of imprisonment.

Thai authorities continue to enforce the NCPO's ban on political gatherings of more than five people, with violators subject to punishment that includes up to a year in prison and a 20,000 baht (US$600) fine. Thousands of dissenting activists, politicians, journalists, and human rights defenders have been taken to military camps for questioning and, in the junta's parlance, "adjusting" of their attitude. The junta has also compelled those released from "attitude adjustment" programs to sign a written agreement that they will not make political comments, become involved in political activities, or oppose military rule - all in violation of their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Failure to comply with such agreements could result in a new detention or a sentence of two years in prison.

Arbitrary Secret Detention, Torture and Military Courts

Under NCPO Orders 3/2015 and 13/2016, military authorities have the power to secretly detain people for up to seven days without charge and interrogate them without access to lawyers or safeguards against mistreatment. The junta has repeatedly dismissed allegations that soldiers have tortured detainees but then failed to provide any evidence to rebut those allegations.

Human Rights Watch has frequently raised serious concerns regarding secret military detention in Thailand. The risk of enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment significantly increases when detainees are held incommunicado in military custody. The junta continues to refuse to provide information about people in secret detention.

On April 29, Prawet Prapanukul - a prominent human rights lawyer and critic of the monarchy - and five other people were secretly arrested and put in incommunicado military detention for allegedly posting and sharing commentary on Facebook that Thai authorities considered to be offensive to the monarchy. Their whereabouts were unknown for six days until they were transferred to the Police's Technology Crime Suppression Division and charged with lese majeste, sedition, and computer crimes.

There have been no indications of any serious or credible official inquiry by Thai authorities into reports of torture and mistreatment in military custody. In November 2015, Human Rights Watch submitted a letter to the Thai government raising grave concerns about conditions at the 11th Military Circle Camp, where dissidents have routinely been held. The letter was prompted by the suspicious deaths of a fortune teller, Suriyan Sucharitpolwong, and Police Maj. Prakrom Warunprapa during their detention there.

The use of military courts, which lack independence and fail to comply with international fair trial standards, to try civilians remains a major problem. In September 2016, General Prayuth revoked Announcement 37 and other two NCPO announcements that empowered military courts to try civilians for national security offenses, including lese majeste and sedition. However, the action is not retroactive and does not affect the more than 1,800 cases already brought against civilians in military courts across Thailand.

"With each passing year in power, Thailand's junta falls deeper into a dictatorship," Adams said. "Pressure from Thailand's friends is urgently needed to end repression and restore respect for basic rights that are essential for the country's return to democratic civilian rule."

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Local aid workers on the front line of South Sudan's civil war

Publisher IRIN Author Sofia Barbarani Publication Date 18 May 2017 Cite as IRIN, Local aid workers on the front line of South Sudan's civil war, 18 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922943d4.html [accessed 10 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.

Gunshots suddenly crackled as Stephanie and her colleagues went about a routine seed distribution in a small farming community in South Sudan's Upper Nile State.

The moment she heard the bullets zipping through the air, the young aid worker knew the country's civil war had caught up with her.

"[There were] bullets everywhere. Rampant shooting and three dead - one was a child, one was a pregnant woman and one was a man," said Stephanie, whose real name has been changed to protect her identity.

Back then, the 26-year-old from the south-central town of Kajo Keji worked for a local aid agency without the means to coordinate or pay for a rapid evacuation of employees.

With the help of other staff on the ground, Stephanie had to formulate her own evacuation plan: She used the river to navigate to Ethiopia, rented a car, and drove to the Ethiopian city of Gambella. Once in Gambella, Stephanie bought a plane ticket back to the relative safety of Juba, the South Sudanese capital.

"I think that if it was an [international] NGO evacuation perhaps they would have sent a flight to pick me up, but I had to find my [own] way out. At the end of the day, I was reimbursed," she explained, matter-of-factly.

Easy targets

Danger is by no means a rare experience in the aid world, where agencies provide help in the most difficult of circumstances. But no aid workers risk quite as much as national staff.

Eighty percent of the estimated 208 aid workers killed, kidnapped or seriously wounded worldwide in 2016 were local, according to the Aid Worker Security Database's most recent records.

Last year, South Sudan overtook Afghanistan in the list of countries with the most attacks on aid workers, with an estimated 82 humanitarians murdered since the start of the country's civil war in December 2013. There were 24 deaths in 2016 alone, according to the UN's humanitarian chief in South Sudan, Eugene Owusu.

The worst month so far for humanitarians was March this year, when six aid workers and their driver were killed in an ambush in Pibor, in the country's east. Four of the dead were national staff, all belonged to Grassroots Empowerment and Development Organisation, a UNICEF partner.

No one has been held accountable for the murders, though a vigorous blame game has ensued between the warring factions.

Access problems

The humanitarian needs are immense in South Sudan. As a result of a vicious civil war between sides loyal to President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar, 5.8 million people are in need of aid, about 3.6 million have been forced from their homes, and famine has been declared in parts of Unity State.

The proliferation of armed groups hinders humanitarian access and the delivery of aid.

"The spread of conflict across South Sudan has made humanitarian access negotiations more protracted and complex, impacting the work of aid organisations," said Ian Ridley, head of the UN's emergency aid coordination office in South Sudan.

"Humanitarians face repeated challenges to reach people in dire need as a result of clashes, insecurity and access denials," explained Ridley. "Aid workers continue to be killed, injured and harassed across the country, and humanitarian compounds and supplies continue to be looted and vandalised."

Checkpoints are manned by soldiers and rebels, making road travel risky - both in terms of insecurity and the bribes demanded. Similarly, the heavy presence of armed groups on the Nile's leafy banks means the river is off limits. UN charter flights are therefore the only safe option for aid delivery and staff transport to remote areas - something smaller national organisations cannot always afford.

Forty-year-old Panther is the country director of a local NGO that works to improve living conditions for vulnerable youth. According to him, limited funding to smaller local NGOs can result in recklessness and bad decision-making.

"Our project support is entirely from donors and if funding isn't there then decisions like these are made," he said in reference to the six aid workers killed in the March ambush.

"Their organisation could have done better. The road [they were on] is only used by traders. I've never heard of humanitarians [using it]," said Panther, who asked that his surname and the agency he works for not be disclosed for security reasons. "I think it was probably negligence," he added.

Whose side are you on?

According to OCHA's Ridley, there is a limited willingness by donors to give directly to national NGOs.

"National NGOs are on the very front lines of the humanitarian response in South Sudan and therefore face multiple challenges. This includes threats and harassment by parties to the conflict," he said.

"As the conflict has spread and deepened, [national] NGOs have faced allegations of bias, based on perceived political affiliations or alleged allegiance due to ethnicity," said Ridley.

Regardless of whether they operate in a small local organisation or a powerful international one, on an individual level, South Sudanese humanitarians will always be exposed to one overarching risk: the conflict's ethnic dimension.

The government and its army are seen as Dinka-dominated. The Nuer are associated with the rebellion, although much of South Sudan is now a patchwork of ethnic militias.

"Locals have ethnic and tribal challenges, and their own families are affected. They are heroic, resilient people," said Perry Mansfield, country director for World Vision. "National staff are keeping the country alive."

However, having a team that is comprised primarily of local staff is not without its challenges. "We can't put Nuer to work in a Dinka community," explained Mansfield, a reference to the fault line between the country's two biggest ethnic groups.

Nowhere to run to

Johnson Beek, a Nuer and World Vision employee, recalled the day one of his friends, a World Food Programme worker, was murdered by armed men.

"He was arrested and killed. So many guys in the humanitarian world have been threatened or even killed," said Beek, standing amid rows of white tents in a Protection of Civilians site near Juba. Just like the thousands of people in the camp, he too has been displaced by this conflict.

South Sudan has nearly 200 organisations delivering emergency programmes, including community-based groups, national NGOs, international NGOs, and UN agencies.

World Vision is one of the biggest, and is where Stephanie works today. A multi-billion dollar organisation, it can afford to be thorough when it comes to security procedures, although it cannot expunge all risks.

"I think I feel safer than when I'm in a local NGO," said Stephanie. "When I was signing my contract, [I asked:] 'is there any means of evacuation should there be any insecurity'. This is my first priority when I'm taking an offer."

But she is also aware that when a conflict takes a turn for the worst, it is the national staff and national NGOs that remain.

"International NGOs can leave, but these NGOs remain always on the ground, always with their people," she said, with more than a hint of pride.
Central African Republic rebels turn on each other as violence flares

Publisher IRIN Author Philip Kleinfeld Publication Date 18 May 2017 Cite as IRIN, Central African Republic rebels turn on each other as violence flares, 18 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922962b4.html [accessed 10 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 both sides of the rutted, 200-kilometre dirt road that runs from Bria to Bambari in Central African Republic, villages lie empty and desolate. Cramped mud huts with thatched roofs have been reduced to ashes and rubble. Everything of value has been looted.

In Goumba  a small, Christian village to the west of Bria  Ludovic Valongere sat by the side of the road scooping cooked insects out of a large plastic bowl. He had returned two days earlier to bury his brother, killed when rebels from a group called the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) swept into the village a few months before.

"We were hiding from the rebels in the bush with no food," Valongere, 38, explained. "One day my brother decided to return to Goumba for supplies but the rebels were still there. When they found him, they shot him in the head."

To Valongere's right a large pot of alcohol bubbled over an open fire in preparation for the funeral. Save the militiamen that sat languidly beside nearby checkpoints, it wasn't clear anybody from the deserted village would be brave enough to attend.

Central African Republic has been wracked by periodic bouts of conflict since a largely Muslim rebel alliance called the Seleka overthrew the government of Francois Bozize in 2013, triggering reprisals from a Christian militia called anti-balaka.

Now it is descending into levels of violence some say have not been seen since the peak of the conflict in 2014. Recent clashes between armed groups have left hundreds dead, villages like Goumba destroyed, and more than 100,000 displaced.

Days of fighting this week in the southeastern town of Bangassou killed 115, according to the Red Cross, while fighting in Bria left five dead and 15,000 displaced according to the UN. The week prior also saw five UN peacekeepers killed around Bangassou after their convoy was attacked by anti-balaka.

A fight between factions

Much of the current upsurge in violence is being caused by two factions of the now disbanded Seleka fighting one other. On one side is the Fulani-dominated UPC; on the other an ad hoc coalition of rebel groups lead by the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC). The new coalition includes elements of the anti-balaka, the FPRC's sworn enemies just a few months ago.

A rift between the FPRC and UPC first emerged in 2014 when the former called for an independent state in northern CAR, a proposal rejected by the latter. Preferring to operate independently, UPC leader Ali Darassa has since rebuffed multiple FPRC calls to reunify the Seleka, threatening the FPRC's hegemony over CAR's rebel movement and resource-rich territory.

Clashes between the groups erupted around a gold mine in Ndassima in late 2016 and have since morphed into a full-blown bush war.

At the beginning of the year, fighting was clustered around Bambari, a UPC stronghold wanted by the FPRC. Desperate to prevent a battle in the city, which hosts tens of thousands of internally displaced people  the UN's peacekeeping force, MINUSCA, deployed attack helicopters to stop FPRC rebels from advancing, while simultaneously negotiating the removal of Darassa.

Bolder blue helmets

The operation was considered a success for a mission that has often failed its mandate to protect civilians. "There was a willingness by MINUSCA to use much more robust force to deter attacks," said Evan Cinq-Mars, who works at the Center for Civilians in Conflict, a New York-based nonprofit, as United Nations advocate and policy advisor.

But while preventing a bloodbath in Bambari  CAR's second largest town  the operation failed to prevent violence from spreading to other parts of the country. Dislodged from its stronghold, the UPC went in search of new territory. So did the FPRC, according to a UN source, "looking to compensate for the huge material losses sustained at the hands of MISUSCA in the battle for Bambari".

In March, UPC and anti-balaka elements clashed around the town of Goubali 2. In April, more clashes were reported in Bakouma and Nzako. And more recently, 56 civilians are thought to have died in Alindao, 100 kilometres south of Bambari.

In the past, MINUSCA has been able to count on the presence of Ugandan soldiers and US special forces to help deter fighting in a part of the country where its peacekeepers are thinly spread.

Security vacuum

Both countries had troops stationed in the southeast as part of a campaign to capture Joseph Kony, leader of the infamous Lord's Resistance Army rebel group. But that mission has now ended and, as troops withdraw, a dangerous "security vacuum" is emerging, according to Paul Ronan, researcher with Invisible Children.

"Ugandan troops had a presence in places like Nzako until relatively recently and did not allow fighting of this nature to occur," Ronan said. "The violence we have seen in the last two weeks shows the withdrawal of US and more significantly Ugandan troops is creating a vacuum that other armed groups can fill."

While the current conflict is primarily rooted in a struggle for power over land and CAR's mineral-rich resources, violence is also following ethnic lines. Anti-balaka and FPRC have targeted Fulani civilians associated with the UPC, and UPC fighters have targeted non-Fulani in response.

"We're seeing the conflict morph into these reprisal killings," said Lewis Mudge, a researcher with Human Rights Watch. "A couple of Fulani are killed, then a couple of non-Fulani are killed in return. They increase and increase until we get to massacres of 15 to 20 civilians."

Pushed out of FPRC territory in Bria last November, the UPC went on a rampage, killing, looting, and burning villages like Goumba where many Christians lived.

At a makeshift camp beside a UN base in Bria, 1,500 Christians from across the region are now living in deplorable conditions. Stood arms folded in front of a flimsy tent, 50-year-old Josephene Lengba said UPC combatants forced her family of 15 to flee in late March after the rebels "killed [people] and burnt down homes".

Dead unburied

"We saw the people that they had killed," she said. "There were many of them. Some of the dead people were lying on the ground for many days because there was nobody to bury them. [Eventually] we fled to the bush. If we hadn't, they might have killed us too."

On the other side of town Fulani civilians in Bria are living in enclaves under the protection of UN peacekeepers. Those that leave face harassment, extortion, and in some cases death.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, 40-year-old Abdouley Aiclia said her Fulani husband was decapitated, stuffed in a large plastic bag and thrown into a river. Now she is unable to feed her four children.

"There is nobody that can help me," she said, cradling her youngest and nervously thumbing an amulet.

Even the enclaves are dangerous. In late March, anti-balaka breached a UN checkpoint and attacked the population with spears and hunting rifles.

"Go! Kill them! Slaughter them!" Yerima Ahmatou, remembers hearing as he was praying at the local mosque. Three people were shot, he said, including one in the eye.

FPRC general Ibrahim Alawa denied the group is targeting Fulani civilians.

"Our problem is Ali Darassa," said the coarse 54-year-old, based in Bria. "He has decided to be King of the Fulani and wants to make them into an army. We tried to tell him: 'We are one country, you can't rule with one wing.'"

Them and us

But the FPRC has repeatedly cast the UPC as a foreign force, playing on a stereotype that views the traditionally nomadic cattle-herding Fulani community as outsiders.

As things stand, mutual antipathy towards Fulani has been enough to hold together an improbable alliance with anti-balaka. But few believe it will last for long.

"I don't think these groups have established any degree of the Central African brotherhood that they claim," said Mudge. "Once the Fulani have been marginalised, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if they start attacking each other again."

As well as civilians, international interveners also face an increasingly dangerous and unpredictable environment.

Last week's attack on UN peacekeepers, "was the deadliest incident against MINUSCA since being deployed", said Cinq-Mars. "We haven't seen anything like this in terms of the sheer scale of deaths and injuries".

Meanwhile, 33 incidents targeting humanitarians were recorded during the first quarter of the year, including 16 since March in the northern province of Ouham.

"We are not able to deliver [aid] anymore," said Kathy M. Kabeya, head of mission for INTERSOS, an Italian NGO that recently suspended operations in the Ouham region. "We need humanitarian access. We need to reach these people. They rely 100 percent on humanitarian assistance."

New fighting and access challenges are aggravating an already underfunded humanitarian crisis. In Bria, displaced people face squalid conditions with scant food, water, or medical supplies.

"We don't have money to buy anything to eat," said 34-year-old Roger Mapouka, laughing grimly as a storm turned the camp into a swamp. "We just sit here like this."
Threatened attack on Yemen port will trigger catastrophe, aid groups warn

Publisher IRIN Publication Date 25 April 2017 Cite as IRIN, Threatened attack on Yemen port will trigger catastrophe, aid groups warn, 25 April 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922979e4.html [accessed 10 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.

Aid groups in Yemen are warning that an impending assault by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition on the rebel-held western port of Hodeida could tip the country into famine.

"It would be catastrophic, and the impact would be felt immediately," said Caroline Anning of Save the Children. "Hodeida is one of seven provinces already on the brink of famine, and an attack could trigger it."

The port, in the hands of Houthi rebels, normally handles more than 70 percent of all Yemen's imported goods, including aid, food and fuel. Airstrikes in 2015 damaged four of the port's five cranes, reducing capacity, but Hodeida remains the country's lifeline.

"There is no viable alternative," Anning told IRIN. "[Trucking aid] overland, airlifting, using other ports  there is nothing else that would be able to fill the current gap."

Aid and human rights groups are ringing the alarm as a donor conference on Yemen opened in Geneva today, with the UN urging action to tackle what it describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

More than 17 million Yemenis are short of food out of a population of 27 million, with close to seven million on the brink of starvation. The UN has appealed for $2.1 billion for this year, and by the end of Tuesday has received $1.1 billion in pledges.

Yemen's deep humanitarian emergency has been exacerbated by two years of fighting. The conflict pits a Saudi-led coalition of Middle Eastern and African states that supports the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi against Houthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The coalition and the US government accuse Iran of arming the rebels, a charge Tehran denies. Hodeida is near the Bab al-Mandab strait, a choke point through which nearly four million barrels of oil pass daily. Both Riyadh and Washington regard Iran as a strategic threat to the waterway.

Hodeida is one of two remaining ports on Yemen's Red Sea coast under Houthi control. Capturing it would deprive the rebels of the taxes they levy on imports, but is an operation that would be unlikely to be surgical or quick.

An attack on Hodeida would halt aid operations at a desperate time for Yemen, and would have an immediate impact on the population of the densely-packed city.

"Any military campaign in its vicinity, from the ground or air, would have devastating civilian consequences," the Yemen UN Country Team warned in a statement.

Blocked aid

Already, aid blockages mean agencies cannot keep pace with needs. According to the International Rescue Committee, it currently can take six months to get life-saving medical supplies from outside the country into health facilities in Yemen.

"Sea and air blockades that are already in place mean essential humanitarian supplies in Yemen are scarce, and will become even scarcer if these attacks go ahead," the relief agency said.

All vessels carrying humanitarian cargo are inspected at sea by coalition forces. Commercial shipments to Yemen's western ports are subject to a UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism to ensure enforcement of a Security Council arms embargo.

The inability to offload new cranes to replace the damaged ones in Hodeida is an example of the impact of the current restrictions.

According to the UN's special rapporteur on human rights and international sanctions, Idriss Jazairy, the blockade and long clearance procedure "involves grave breaches of the most basic norms of human rights law, as well as of the law of armed conflict".

Saudi concerns over the monitoring of cargo, ostensibly aimed at preventing weapons reaching the rebels, could be achieved by strengthening and expanding the current UN verification mechanism, or bringing Hodeida under third-party management, possibly a UN agency.

"That would depoliticise the process and keep what is a lifeline for northern Yemen open," said one aid official, who asked not to be named.

The military option seems to be top of the coalition's list, with the port a key prize on the way to the Houthi held capital of Sana'a. But Oxfam has warned that if Hodeida is attacked, "the Saudi-led coalition will not only breach International Humanitarian Law, they will be complicit in near certain famine".

Enter the "Janjaweed"

An assault would probably happen before the holy month of Ramadan, due at the end of May, and would likely include Sudan's Rapid Support Forces  better known as the "Janjaweed" militia.

The RSF are "shock troops", with a long history of abuse against civilians, drawing complaints from even Sudan's regular army. Several thousand have reportedly been sent to Yemen, according to a new Small Arms Survey report.

The Darfur-recruited militia are directly answerable to President Omar al-Bashir and the intelligence service. "What we don't know is how much control will be extended over the RSF [by the military commanders of coalition forces]," said Magnus Taylor of the International Crisis Group.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are believed to have provided Sudan with $2.2 billion in aid since 2015, as part of a political deal to "keep Khartoum afloat and in the coalition of Sunni states opposed to Iran", said Taylor.

Although regular Sudanese troops are fighting and dying in Yemen, the RSF's deployment is seen as a reward for the loyalty of their commander, Mohammed Hamdan 'Hemmeti', to al-Bashir. But that could turn sour if they become cannon fodder for the attack on Hodeida.

Stop the war

Yemen's conflict has already claimed more than 10,000 lives. According to Amnesty International, all sides in the war "have carried out unlawful attacks that have killed or injured civilians and failed to distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives". Both have blocked aid supplies.

Advocacy groups are warning that more aid is not enough to save Yemen from catastrophe. Amnesty has called on the international community to suspend transfers of military equipment to all parties to the conflict.

Oxfam has also urged the British government to "pressure all parties to the conflict to resume peace talks, to reach a negotiated peace agreement".

It pointed out that while aid is desperately needed to save lives now, "many more people will die unless the de-facto blockade is lifted and major powers stop fuelling the conflict".
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Libya: UN chief urges all sides to restore calm in aftermath of deadly attack on southern airbase

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 20 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Libya: UN chief urges all sides to restore calm in aftermath of deadly attack on southern airbase, 20 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922b54b4.html [accessed 10 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.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the military escalation at the Brak al-Shati air base in southern Libya and calls on all parties to exercise restraint and restore calm, the UN chief's spokesman said today.

[The Secretary-General] is particularly disturbed by the high number of fatalities as well as reports of summary executions of civilians, which, if confirmed, may constitute war crimes, said a statement from Stephane Dujarric, which added that the continued insecurity in Libya is a reminder that there is no military solution.

News reports suggest that perhaps more than 100 people have died as a result of Thursday's attack on the airbase, mostly soldiers but also civilians. This is the latest flare-up of violence in the North African nation since the civilian uprising in 2011 led to the ouster of long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The UN Spokesman said Mr. Guterres urges all key Libyan stakeholders to re-commit to the political dialogue and engage constructively towards that goal.

The Secretary-General appreciates the efforts of a number of regional and neighbouring countries for their contributions aimed at strengthening the dialogue between key stakeholders in support of the overall UN-led process, the statement concluded.

In the aftermath of the attack Martin Kobler, the top UN official in Libya and the Head of the UN Support Mission known as UNSMIL, strongly condemned the deadly incident as a vicious attack [that] undermines political efforts.

I am outraged by reports of significant numbers of fatalities, including civilians and by reports that summary executions may have taken place. Summary executions and targeting civilians constitute a war crime, which may be prosecuted by the International Criminal court (ICC), Mr. Kobler said.

The Special Representative stressed that this vicious attack must not lead to further, serious conflict. There is no military solution to Libya's problems. I call upon all parties to condemn this attack and not to allow it to undermine intense efforts to find peaceful political solutions." he added.
Intra-Syrian talks end with 'incremental progress;' possible resumption in June  UN negotiator

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Intra-Syrian talks end with 'incremental progress;' possible resumption in June  UN negotiator, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922b6654.html [accessed 10 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.

United Nations-facilitated talks to help resolve the Syrian conflict have ended on schedule in Geneva, where UN negotiator Staffan de Mistura said he was satisfied that some progress had been made, and that there had been "less rhetoric" on all sides.

Speaking to journalists after his meetings with delegations from the Syrian Government and opposition, as well as representatives from Russia and the United States, the UN Special Envoy said that he would look to hold further intra-Syrian talks "sometime in June."

Mr. de Mistura underlined that the purpose of this short round of discussions was to address "constitutional and legal issues" which could provide a "strong, legal and constitutional basis" for any future negotiated political process.

The mechanism for this was a series of high-level meetings in Geneva - which the Special Envoy explained were meant to complement the existing intra-Syrian talks.

But only the Syrian people - and not the UN - would be in charge of writing their own constitution, he insisted: "We are not planning or aiming through this to draft a new constitution for Syria; this has to be done by the Syrians. We are rather trying, and we intend to pursue trying to lay the ground for the Syrians to do exactly that, in the context of an overall political solution that is in the context as you know, of [UN Security Council] resolution 2254 (2015)."

As well as a new constitution for Syria, the UN-facilitated process remains focused on three other main issues: free and fair elections, combating terrorism and governance.
Thousands of migrants rescued on Mediterranean in a single day  UN agency

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Thousands of migrants rescued on Mediterranean in a single day  UN agency, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922b9664.html [accessed 10 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.

Nearly 3,000 migrants were rescued trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, according to the United Nations migration agency, which also reported that more than a dozen rescue operations were under way in the area yesterday.

Citing the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Rome, IOM spokesperson Joel Millman told reporters today at the regular bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva that: "2,139 migrants had been rescued on 18 May alone through more than a dozen different operations in Mediterranean international waters. Additionally, IOM learned of about 500 people rescued in Libyan waters that day."

While exact casualty numbers were not known, IOM's Libya office has reported the remains of six migrants that were found over the past four days in various spots and communities on the Libyan coast.

Mr. Millman noted that it is quite possible that some of those had been from a previous shipwreck or perhaps all from new wreckage, which IOM is still trying to determine.

He also highlighted the numbers who had been crossing from Greece in the first four months of 2017.

"Almost 6,000 people have come through Greece in 2017 - 5,200 through the end of April - which was a low number compared to the numbers in 2016 and 2015. Of those 6,000, half came from Syria and Iraq. Following those two countries, cones Congo, Algeria, Kuwait, or Cameroon, ahead of countries like Afghanistan or Iran, that have been countries of origin of many migrants in the past," Mr. Millman explained.

"Observing this," he continued "one could wonder about the degree to which Turkey continues to be an escape valve for the Iraq and Syria conflicts. It is surprising how many other country nationals seem to be accessing Turkey to make the voyage to Greece, including Haitians and Dominicans who have been seen coming to Greece through Turkey."
Cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen spreading at 'unprecedented' speed, UN warns

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen spreading at 'unprecedented' speed, UN warns, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922ba264.html [accessed 10 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.

As war-torn Yemen grapples with heavy rains, a collapsed healthcare system and crippled economy, a resurgent cholera outbreak has spread with "unprecedented" speed and taken medical professionals by surprise, the World Health Organization warned today.

According to WHO, more than 240 people have died from cholera in just the last three weeks, out of a total of 23,400 infections. The agency estimates that 7.6 million people live in areas at high risk of cholera transmission.

"I have to admit that when I see the data that I saw this morning, not officially released; are really taking us by surprise. The speed of the resurgence of the cholera epidemic is unprecedented" said Dr. Nevio Zagaria, the WHO representative in Yemen speaking to UN News in Geneva.

The current disease outbreak has its roots in an original episode last October. It peaked in December 2016 and never fully went away, amid conflict between Government and Houthi-backed opposition forces that has left over half the country's medical facilities closed or damaged, and the economy in freefall.

The lack of local health centres - and the fact that staff haven't been paid in seven months - have left Yemenis with no option but to seek help from hospitals, which WHO says are now "overwhelmed."

Additional problems include massive damage to the country's sewage and electricity infrastructure, which have left the water supply contaminated. A WHO map showing cholera hotspots in Yemen indicates the highest number of suspected cases - more than 6,000 - in the capital city, Sana'a.

Responding to the cholera outbreak in Yemen, WHO has so far distributed 32 tonnes of Intravenous fluids, over 300 cholera beds and 27 cholera kits. PHO: WHO Yemen

Few communities have been left untouched by the disease, which is characterized by severe diarrhoea that can kill within hours, if not treated promptly.

In some places the fatality rate is as high as four to five per cent, and WHO is extremely concerned that the disease is being passed from one person to another.

"But if the transmission goes on at this speed, we need to revise the figure and we need to expect something that can go up over 200, 250,000 cases over the next six months, in addition to the 50,000 cases that already occur [] so you can understand by yourself with this number the price we pay in terms of life is extremely high," explained Dr. Zagaria, adding: "We have to do more."

In response to the crisis, WHO has begun the task of setting up 350 cholera treatment centres and 2,000 oral rehydration points. It is also focusing on tracing infection hotspots, to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

The agency has stressed that the scale of the threat is "too big" for the Yemeni authorities to do on their own, and that to date only around 20 per cent of its $22 million cholera appeal has been met.
South Sudan: UN report exposes human rights violations against civilians in Yei

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, South Sudan: UN report exposes human rights violations against civilians in Yei, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922ba964.html [accessed 10 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.

A United Nations report has documented human rights violations and abuses against civilians that may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity, in what used to be a peaceful multi-ethnic town in South Sudan.

"The conflict in Yei, in particular, highlights the startling level of impunity in South Sudan, which has fed successive cycles of violence across the country," said the report, which contains the findings of an in-depth investigation into violations committed in and around the Central Equatoria town, 150 kilometres southwest of the capital, Juba, between July 2016 and January 2017.

The report by the Human Rights Division of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) exposes violations and abuses by both sides of the conflict, based on ethnicity or their presumed association with the other side, including 114 killings by pro-Government forces.

The extent of the abuses by armed opposition groups remains unclear due to lack of access to areas where these groups are active. The report finds that these violations and abuses may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and that they warrant further investigation.

Yei had been a largely peaceful town, with between 200,000 and 300,000 residents of many different ethnicities, until July 2016, when violence erupted between Government and opposition forces, which led to the departure of opposition leader Riek Machar into the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

As Government forces chased him, fighting simultaneously broke out along the route, particularly in Yei, fuelling strong divisions along ethnic lines and resulted in targeted killings, arrests, rapes and mass civilian displacement of more than half of the population of the town.

Satellite imagery shows that there was widespread burning of homes and businesses, resulting in the forcible displacement of tens of thousands of civilians.
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Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well, thats a shame, because with some watches, youll need one to understand how to tell the time. Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well,...
Southern Africa: UN, Mozambique host first-ever forum to fight trafficking of people with albinism

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Southern Africa: UN, Mozambique host first-ever forum to fight trafficking of people with albinism, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922bd224.html [accessed 10 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.

United Nations agencies are joining forces with governments in Southern Africa in a push to strengthen protections for persons with albinism, who often fall victim to a raft of abuses, including maiming, trafficking and even murder, linked to the belief that their parts have magical powers in witchcraft potions.

A two-day regional forum on preventing and combating human trafficking and protecting people with albinism in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania is currently underway in Pemba, northern Mozambique. The first-of-its-kind workshop was organized by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the General Prosecutor of the Republic of Mozambique and the Prosecutor of Cabo Delgado province.

"UNICEF is supporting the Government to enhance civil registration by investing in the establishment and expansion of a digitalized system of birth registration to ensure the basic rights of every child to name, identity and nationality," said the UNICEF Representative in Mozambique, Marcoluigi Corsi.

Participants include representatives of Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania's counter-trafficking coordination bodies, prosecutors, criminal investigation police, national human rights institutions, NGOs concerned with the protection of people with albinism and traditional healers.

"This will in turn prevent and address disappearance of children, abandonment or assist in investigations when children with albinism are affected. Following new instances of kidnapping and killing of children and people with albinism in Mozambique, UNICEF launched in August 2015 a social media campaign called #TodosIguais to create awareness on this issue. The ongoing campaign has so far reached over five million people," Mr. Corsi added.

UN-backed forum hopes to agree cross-border action plan

Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania share common borders and are either countries of origin or destination for the trafficking of people with albinism and their body parts. The forum will result in a plan of action on cross-border cooperation for the prevention and prosecution of human trafficking-related crimes and the protection of the rights of people with albinism, eventually resulting in more effective investigation and prosecution, as well as victim protection.

"A regional approach like this that complements national efforts in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania is the only way we will improve cross-border coordination and investigation to protect people with albinism," said Katharina Schnoering, IOM Chief of Mission in Mozambique. "This regional approach to investigation, research and cooperation was recommended in a recent report by the UN independent expert who visited Mozambique in 2016," she added.

IOM is working in partnership with the Governments to assist trafficking victims and provide strengthened national counter-trafficking responses in the three African countries.

UNICEF backs the strengthening of child-friendly justice systems through capacity-building support to the police, judiciary and public prosecution to enhance accountability for violence and crimes against children.

The agency also endorses the strengthening of multi-sectoral case management systems to enable adequate channelling of cases of violence, harmful practices, including ritualistic killings or trafficking, child abandonment or any other risks that children face. UNICEF's health and education programmes help increase access to health and education services, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized children.
UN agency micro-loan helps Palestine refugee's small business thrive amid rubble of Syrian war

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN agency micro-loan helps Palestine refugee's small business thrive amid rubble of Syrian war, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922be234.html [accessed 10 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.

Hidden literally under the rubble of the Syrian war is the economic success story of a widow who, refusing to submit to despair, founded a thriving micro-enterprise venture with assistance from a United Nations agency loan.

Hanan Odah is a 30-year-old Palestine refugee who, living in the Jaramana refugee camp in the Syrian capital, Damascus, supports her displaced family of three with a stationery and perfume business that she first founded with a loan from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

"Young, innovative and courageous, she is living proof that as large businesses have collapsed, small scale enterprises can survive and even thrive in the markets opening up at the grassroots," said UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl in an opinion piece published today.

As senior leaders and key business figures gather this week at the World Economic Forum in Jordan, Mr. Krahenbuhl hopes that they find Hanan's story "revealing, instructive and perhaps even inspiring," flagging UNRWA's micro finance initiative as a rare but significant example of optimism in the country.

Calling her "an extraordinary young woman who in the face of untold adversity is bravely transforming her community from within, one business plan at a time," he adds that that "is what the World Economic Forum, at its best, is striving to achieve."

According to the Syrian Centre for Policy Research, de-industrialization has inflicted $254.7 billion in economic damage on Syria. In 2015 alone GDP loss was $ 163.3 billion. As a result of the economic collapse, more than 85 per cent of Syrians were living in poverty by the end of 2015, with more than 69 per cent of the population barely surviving in extreme poverty. Nearly three million jobs have been lost and unemployment is now over 50 per cent.

However, Mr. Krahenbuhl pointed out: "With recent donor funding, in particular $1 million from the European Union, we have expanded our micro finance outreach. Always searching for new openings, we have been actively mapping new locations of internally displaced people to reach the Palestine refugees we serve and to deliver loan products where market opportunities open up."

In a country where nearly three million jobs have been lost and unemployment is over 50 per cent, the UN has expanded its Microfinance programme in Palestine. Worth nearly $2 million, UNRWA's programme supports the resilience of Palestine refugees and Syrians alike.

For many beneficiaries these loans are vital to support their families and rebuild their homes but, most importantly, they provide a renewed sense of hope and dignity in a country devastated by six years of conflict.

"Across Syria, UNRWA's Micro Finance Department disbursed a staggering 9,520 loans in 2016, worth nearly two million dollars. We can build on this track record and expand with the support of donors and partners," stressed Mr. Krahenbuhl.

"Our loans have also developed flexibly in response to the evolving conflict. There are currently five products that respond to the deepening emergency situations in Syria and help Palestine refugees re-build their houses and maintain stable incomes for themselves and extended families; no small achievement as war rages relentlessly in the country," he concluded.
UN emergency food agency sending rations to war-torn Central African Republic

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, UN emergency food agency sending rations to war-torn Central African Republic, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922c8524.html [accessed 10 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 emergency food agency has started dispatching supplies by air and road to the Central African Republic (CAR), where violence erupted in March and has since claimed the lives of more than 120 people, it was announced today.

We are moving food stocks by road and air to provide food to all those affected and stave off hunger among already highly vulnerable families, said Felix Gomez, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in CAR.

The UN agency wants to reach about 7,200 people displaced by militia violence in Bangassou, in south-eastern CAR, and neighbouring areas.

In addition to food rations, WFP will deliver specialized nutritional food for children two years of age and younger, to fight malnutrition.

WFP has requested $9.9 million to continue to provide aid to CAR, one of the world's poorest countries. So far, half of that amount has been secured.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
UN chief congratulates Algeria on peaceful parliamentary elections

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN chief congratulates Algeria on peaceful parliamentary elections, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922c8b54.html [accessed 10 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.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has congratulated the people and Government of Algeria for the peaceful conduct of the 4 May parliamentary elections, for which he dispatched a group of electoral observers, his spokesperson said today.

The Secretary-General notes the announcement by the Algerian Constitutional Council of the results of the 4 May 2017 elections to the People's National Assembly, said a statement issued by his spokesperson.

The Secretary-General would welcome any further steps the Government and all stakeholders can take to continue to strengthen the democratic process, it added.

The Secretary-General deployed a panel of electoral experts to the country from 28 April to 7 May 2017, at the invitation of the Government.
Yemen's war pushing Somali refugees to return home  UN agency

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Yemen's war pushing Somali refugees to return home  UN agency, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922c90b4.html [accessed 10 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.

More than 30,000 Somali refugees have apparently returned to Somalia from Yemen, the United Nations refugee agency said, and an increasing number are seeking aid to return home.

Babar Baloch, spokesperson at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), today told reporters at the UN's Geneva Office that Somali refugees are approaching the agency for assistance to return citing safety and security concerns and limited access to services in Yemen.

The UN agency can assist up to 10,000 Somalis who voluntarily want to return to their home country. Their assistance would include documentation, travel and transportation aid, as well as financial support in Yemen to facilitate the journey.

Most refugees opt to return to Mogadishu, in the anticipation that assistance and services will be more accessible and available, Mr. Baloch said.

Among the people who want to return is Barei Ibrahim and her 10 children. Ms. Ibrahim has been living in Yemen for 26 years, after war drove her from Somalia in the early nineties.

I don't have anything here, she told UNHCR from Yemen's only refugee camp, Kharaz, in the Lahj governorate. I don't have a job or a future and we are facing difficulties. We are begging to get by and are living in sorrow and grief.

Some 30,600 Somalis have reportedly already returned to Somalia from Yemen since the beginning of the current war, according to UN figures.

The conditions facing the almost 280,000 refugees in-country are worsening and their needs are growing by the day, UNHCR said. About 91 per cent of those refugees are Somalis, many who fled to Yemen years ago.

Yemen has traditionally accepted those in need of international protection, and is the only country in the Arabian Peninsula signatory to the Refugee Convention and the Protocol. However, the ongoing war has limited the capacities to provide adequate assistance and protection to refugees.

The UN agency is working to support those refugees living in Yemen, providing protection and services that include legal assistance, education and access to health and psycho-social services.
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UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the fifth periodic report of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 28 February 2017, CRC/C/PRK/Q/5, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922cb304.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
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UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the fifth periodic report of Denmark, 8 March 2017, CRC/C/DNK/Q/5, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922cce34.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
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UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the second periodic report of Vanuatu, 3 March 2017, CRC/C/VUT/Q/2, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922d2894.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
The Secretary General of the Arab Legue, Ahmed Abo El-Gheit, heads to Brussels on Tuesday, to participate in the Libya Quartet meeting, news agency MENA reports.

The meeting is set to cover the latest developments in Libya, especially the tensions in the capital, and the deadly attack on Burak Al-Sahty air base in southern Libya, Abo El-Gheit's spokesperson Mahmoud Afify said.

The meeting also aims to continue coordination and consultancy between the Arab League, United Nations, European Union, and the African Union, around developments in Libya.

Discussions will consider joint action on Libya's political process as it plans to resume the implementation of the Skhirat Agreement.

The agreement was signed in Morocco in December 2015 and mandates the reaching of a peaceful transition of power in Libya and the establishment of a national unity government.

The Quartet group is expected to confirm their position on support for counterterrorism operations in Libya, their rejection to armed military or foreign military interventions, and the importance of the political process in reaching solutions, in accordance with the Skhirat Agreement.

The meeting is hosted by Federica Mogherini, the high representative of the European External Action Service, a European Union body.

It will be attended by Martin Kobler, the special representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN support mission in Libya, as well as Jakaya Kikwete , the African Union's high representative for Libya.

This will be the second meeting of the Libya Quartet, following a meeting hosted by the League of Arab States in Cairo on 18 March 2017.

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UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the report submitted by Guinea under article 12, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, 8 March 2017, CRC/C/OPSC/GIN/Q/1, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922d3444.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
Freedom in the World 2017 - Pakistan

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2017 - Pakistan, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922d85d2f.html [accessed 10 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.

Freedom Status: Partly Free

Aggregate Score: 43/100 (0 = Least Free, 100 = Most Free)

Freedom Rating: 4.5/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Political Rights: 4/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Civil Liberties: 5/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Explanatory Note:

The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, which is examined in a separate report.

Quick Facts

Population: 203,400,000

Capital: Islamabad

GDP/capita: $1,435

Press Freedom Status: Not Free

Net Freedom Status: Not Free

OVERVIEW

Pakistan has a thriving and competitive multiparty system. However, the military exerts enormous influence over security and other issues. Islamist extremist violence targets religious minorities and those deemed impediments to Islamization. The military and intelligence services enjoy impunity for indiscriminate use of force. Authorities routinely curtail freedom of expression and association.

Key Developments

Terrorist violence declined sharply, in large part due to a deescalation of an insurgency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Documents released in the Panama Papers leak raised questions about undisclosed assets held by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family. In November, following a series of antigovernment protests, the Supreme Court began hearings into the matter.

In August, the National Assembly passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill, which failed to include safeguards proposed by civil society and digital activists.

In November, Sharif appointed a new chief of army staff in line with the constitution, indicating a consolidation of the civilian leadership's role in national policymaking.

Executive Summary

Pakistan remained relatively stable in 2016. Terrorist violence continued to decline, with the South Asia Terrorism Portal counting 1,803 terrorism-related fatalities during the year, about half the number it had documented in 2015. The cumulative effect of the army's clearance of terrorist sanctuaries in Waziristan, and intelligence-led operations elsewhere in the country, was that radical Islamist violence no longer directly threatened democratic order.

In October, a series of antigovernment protests took place at which demonstrators expressed anger over documents released in the Panama Papers leak that raised questions about undisclosed assets held by Prime Minister Sharif's family. Hundreds of demonstrators were detained following violent clashes with police, who employed tear gas and rubber bullets against the crowd. The Supreme Court opened hearings into corruption allegations against Sharif in November. Meanwhile, the army leadership was changed in line with the constitutional process and normal timeline, reflecting some consolidation of the civilian leadership's role in national policymaking.

There was little progress on expanding civil liberties in 2016. Instead, a restrictive law governing the use of the internet was passed, and civil society organizations faced a continuing clampdown. An orchestrated campaign of harassment against Afghan refugees in in Pakistan, launched during the summer, precipitated a mass exodus to Afghanistan despite continuing insecurity there.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights 21 / 40 (+1)

A. Electoral Process 7 / 12

A1. Is the head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections?

A2. Are the national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair?

Pakistan consists of four provinces (Baluchistan, Punjab, Sindhi, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, or KPK) and two federal territories (the FATA and the Islamabad Capital Territory). The parliament (Majlis-i-Shoora) is bicameral, with a 342-member National Assembly (NA) and a 104-member Senate. The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government headed by a prime minister. An electoral college of the Senate, the NA, and the provincial assemblies elects the president for up to two five-year terms.

The Senate provides equal representation to all units of the federation. Each provincial assembly chooses 23 members, NA members representing the FATA elect 8, and 4 are chosen by the NA to represent the capital territory. Senators serve six-year terms, with half of the seats up for election every three years.

Members of the NA are elected for five years. Of the 342 seats, 272 are filled through direct elections in single-member districts, 60 are reserved for women, and 10 are reserved for non-Muslim minorities. The reserved seats are filled through a proportional representation system with closed party lists. The seats for women are allocated in proportion to the number of general seats a party gains in each of the provinces. The provincial assemblies employ a similar electoral system.

International and domestic election observers judged the 2013 elections favorably, citing active competition and campaigning. Voter turnout was 55 percent. The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) overtook the incumbent Pakistan People's Party (PPP) at the federal level, winning 126 of the directly elected seats in the NA. The PPP won 31 seats and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took 28. Various smaller parties won less than 20 directly elected seats each. The PML-N formed a governing majority with the help of allied independents, and Sharif became prime minister.

The 18th constitutional amendment, adopted in 2010, significantly decentralized power from the federal level to the provinces. Under this arrangement, the provincial assemblies and governments have legislative and executive responsibilities, including in health, education, and local government. The 2013 provincial elections left a different party in government in each of the four provinces: PML-N in Punjab, PPP in Sindhi, a PTI-led coalition in KPK, and a National Party/PML-N coalition in Baluchistan.

Effort continued in 2016 to clear electoral business left over from the 2013 national and provincial elections, as election tribunals settled petitions relating to winning candidates accused of serious violations of electoral law, and several by-elections were held.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation 8 / 16

B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

B2. Is there a significant opposition vote and a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?

B3. Are the people's political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group?

B4. Do cultural, ethnic, religious, or other minority groups have full political rights and electoral opportunities?

Pakistan has a thriving and competitive multiparty system. Opposition parties are generally free to operate both inside and outside the assemblies. The PPP, which had been defeated by the PML-N in 2013 federal elections, attempted to rebuild its national base in 2016, with former Pakistani president and party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari returning to Pakistan in December after spending a year and a half abroad. Meanwhile, his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the PPP's other co-chairman, staged a series of rallies during the year. In contrast, the strongest party in Karachi, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), faced a crackdown by authorities, who closed the party's offices and arrested influential members after exiled party leader Altaf Hussain gave an August address that was highly critical of the army. Demonstrators allegedly affiliated with the party had subsequently launched a violent attack on two television stations. The MQM nevertheless continued operating during the year, participating in by-elections and the Sindh assembly.

There is a history of use of accountability mechanisms against national politicians, some of which has been selective and discriminatory. However, in 2016 the main focus on accountability for national politicians revolved around whether Prime Minister Sharif would be held to account on claims of concealing assets. In November, the Supreme Court appointed a one-judge commission to investigate the issue. Proceedings were still underway at the year end.

Terrorist violence fell further in 2016. There were no assassinations of prominent political figures and the army saw success in pushing radical Islamist groups out of the remainder of their main sanctuaries. Therefore, despite the periodic mass-casualty terrorist attacks that occur in all provinces, terrorist violence did not represent a direct threat to the democratic order.

Since 2002, a joint electorate system has allowed members of minorities to participate in the general vote while also being represented by reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies through the party-list system. However, the participation of non-Muslims in the political system continues to be marginal. Political parties nominate members to legislative seats reserved for non-Muslim minorities, leaving non-Muslim voters with little say in selecting the parliamentarians who supposedly represent them. Ahmadis, members of a heterodox Muslim sect, face political discrimination and are registered on a separate voter roll.

C. Functioning of Government 6 / 12 (+1)

C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government?

C2. Is the government free from pervasive corruption?

C3. Is the government accountable to the electorate between elections, and does it operate with openness and transparency?

The shifting terms of civil-military relations remained one of the most important underlying themes in national politics. The most concrete development in 2016 was the November appointment by the prime minister, in line with the constitution, of Qamar Javed Bajwa as the new chief of army staff. The high-profile incumbent, Raheel Sharif, retired in November without seeking an extension, thus breaking with the precedent set by previous army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who had maneuvered to stay on for a second term. In December, the intelligence chief was also replaced. Both moves indicated a consolidation of the civilian leadership's role in national policymaking. However, the military continued to exert enormous influence in the conduct of relations with India and on internal security issues, such as the prioritization of areas for counterterrorism operations.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is Pakistan's premier anticorruption body. In 2016 it continued to pursue dozens of "mega cases" involving investigation or prosecution of public representatives and commercial figures accused of serious corruption. Popular perception was that corruption remained endemic in public bodies.

Accessing official information remains difficult, and existing provisions for obtaining public records are ineffective. At the end of 2016, lawmakers had yet to approve a draft freedom of information bill, which would replace a 2002 ordinance on the topic and had drawn praise from local and international transparency advocates. Think tanks, civil society organizations, and universities all contribute to lively debate on many aspects of public policy. However, debate on certain aspects of national security policy, particularly the military's alleged support for militant groups targeting Afghanistan and Indian Kashmir, have in effect remained taboo.

Civil Liberties 22 / 60 (+1)

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief 6 / 16 (+1)

D1. Are there free and independent media and other forms of cultural expression?

D2. Are religious institutions and communities free to practice their faith and express themselves in public and private?

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free of extensive political indoctrination?

D4. Is there open and free private discussion?

Pakistan has a vibrant media sector that presents a range of news and opinions and hosts lively debates on current affairs. However, there is a history of violence and intimidation selectively directed against media figures by both intelligence agencies and violent extremist groups, and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented two journalists' murders in 2016. The perpetrators of such violence enjoy impunity.

The military retained a prominent place in the media landscape, in part relying on the well-resourced Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) to maintain its profile and project its perspectives. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) awards radio and television licenses, maintains a code of conduct which was toughened in 2015, and exercises the power to suspend operators. In October 2016, PEMRA banned the transmission of radio and television broadcasts from India, days after the Indian government had banned Pakistani actors and actresses from working in Indian films; the developments came amid increasing tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) demarcating the Indian- and Pakistani-held parts of Kashmir. The Pakistani Broadcasters Association indicated that they would legally challenge the order, which appeared to be in place at year's end.

More than 200,000 websites are banned in the country because of their allegedly anti-Islamic, pornographic, or blasphemous content. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) in January 2016 lifted a three-year ban on the video-hosting website YouTube, with the launch of a new country-specific version of the service and a protocol for the authorities to approach Google, YouTube's parent company, to suppress objectionable material.

In August, after a year of controversy, the NA passed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill (PECB). While civil society was heavily involved in debate surrounding the bill, activists complained that the act as passed gives the executive-controlled PTA unchecked powers to censor material on the internet. The act also increases punishments for some offenses already in the penal code and relaxes safeguards against surveillance and breach of privacy.

Constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and protection of minorities have not provided effective checks to discriminatory legislation, social prejudice, and sectarian violence. Members of the Hindu community have complained of vulnerability to kidnapping and forced conversions, and some continue to migrate to India, where they are housed in refugee camps. High-profile blasphemy cases and mob violence have affected the Christian community and others. The most specific discriminatory legislation has been directed at the Ahmadi community, who are prohibited from asserting themselves as Muslims. In December 2016, in Chakwal District, a mob attacked Ahmadis in their place of worship, ultimately setting fire to the building and wounding several people. The mob action occurred soon after a rare example of public recognition of members of the Ahmadi community; days before, Prime Minister Sharif announced that he was renaming the physics department of Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad after Nobel Prize winner Abdus Salam, a theoretical physicist who belonged to the Ahmadi community.

Pakistan has a long history of using education to portray Hindus and other non-Muslims negatively and to rationalize enmity between Pakistan and India. Attempts to modernize education and introduce tolerance into school textbooks have proven slow and controversial. In recent years, some space has opened for scholars to discuss sensitive issues involving the military. However, the threat of accusations of blasphemy or reprisals from the military still obliges ordinary Pakistanis to self-censor on topics of religion and security.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights 6 / 12

E1. Is there freedom of assembly, demonstration, and open public discussion?

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations?

E3. Are there free trade unions and peasant organizations or equivalents, and is there effective collective bargaining? Are there free professional and other private organizations?

The constitution guarantees the rights to associate, demonstrate, and organize, but the government sporadically imposes arbitrary restrictions to temporarily ban gatherings or any activity designated a threat to public order, often invoking Section 144 of the Penal Code. Authorities violently dispersed antigovernment protests that took place in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in October 2016, and arrested hundreds of people under Section 144.

The government, acting at both the federal and provincial level, in recent years has significantly limited the ability of civil society organizations to function by enforcing rigid regulatory and reporting rules. Among them are requirements that international and domestic organizations seek official "no-objection certificates" (NOCs) before launching various projects. Foreign NGOs were required to undergo a cumbersome reregistration process under a 2015 initiative, and many had yet to secure official status by the end of 2016.

The rights of workers to organize and form trade unions are recognized in law, and the constitution grants unions the rights to collective bargaining and to strike. However, many categories of workers are excluded from these protections. The procedures that need to be followed for a strike to be legal are onerous. Nevertheless, strikes are organized regularly. Roughly 70 percent of the workforce is employed in the informal sector, where there is limited unionization.

F. Rule of Law 4 / 16

F1. Is there an independent judiciary?

F2. Does the rule of law prevail in civil and criminal matters? Are police under direct civilian control?

F3. Is there protection from political terror, unjustified imprisonment, exile, or torture, whether by groups that support or oppose the system? Is there freedom from war and insurgencies?

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population?

Over the last decade, executive interference in the higher judiciary has decreased, and the judiciary in some cases holds the executive to account. However, the broader justice system is marred by endemic problems including corruption, intimidation, a large backlog of cases, insecurity, and low conviction rates for serious crimes. A separate Federal Sharia Court is empowered to determine whether a provision of law goes against Islamic injunctions. Some communities resort to informal forms of justice, leading to decisions outside formal safeguards.

The National Commission for Human Rights, now in its second year of operation, has made little progress in strengthening human rights protections in the country.

Military courts with powers to try civilians accused of terrorist-related offenses were established in 2015 in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack on a military school, and continued to operate throughout 2016. These courts have convicted scores of people, at least 140 of whom received death sentences; of those, 12 people had been executed by the end of 2016. The courts have drawn significant criticism for their lack of transparency and absence of safeguards to ensure fair trials. Strikingly, the army claimed in November 2016 that over 90 percent of those convicted in the courts had given a confession. The courts' mandate will end in early 2017. In addition to the military courts, the government continued to seek implementation of death sentences awarded by the judiciary, and more than 400 Pakistanis have been executed since the lifting of the death penalty moratorium in December 2014. Separately, the Protection of Pakistan Act, which gave authorities broad license to carry out arrests and detentions, expired in July 2016 and was not extended.

The FATA are governed by the president. They are subject to the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and lie outside the jurisdiction of the Pakistan Supreme Court. The FCR authorizes the government's political agents and tribal leaders to apply customary law, and provides for collective punishment. In 2016, a government committee recommended that the FATA integrate with KPK, though there is no clear timetable for implementation.

The military and the intelligence services enjoy impunity for indiscriminate use of force. Extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other abuses are common. Terrorism suspects, Balochi and Sindhi nationalists, journalists, researchers, and social workers have all been victims of alleged disappearance.

Insurgencies and military efforts to counter them continued to disrupt residents' lives in 2016, though a deescalation of the insurgency in the FATA was a primary contributor to the national-level reduction in terrorist violence; terrorism-related fatalities fell approximately 50 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year, to 1,803. The army continued security operations in Karachi, which significantly brought down levels of violence there. A major insurgency continued in Baluchistan, and the army also notably deployed in Rajanpur, reportedly to root out a local criminal group. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its offshoots, along with the regional branch of Islamic State militant group and its ally Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, claimed responsibility for high-casualty attacks against civilians and security forces during the year.

Pakistan has long hosted some 1.5 million registered Afghan refugees, with approximately one million more unregistered. These include a generation of refugees born and raised in Pakistan, with little or no experience of Afghanistan. The UN Refugee Agency and Pakistani authorities periodically negotiate extensions to refugees' authorized stays. During the summer of 2016, authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Baluchistan launched what amounted to a campaign of harassment of Afghan communities. Measures taken included mass arrests and deportations, restriction on the ability to rent property, evictions, exclusion from schools, adverse commentary amounting to hate speech, and tighter control of border crossings. Hundreds of thousands of refugees returned to Afghanistan, where security and economic conditions were likely to leave leave the uprooted refugees vulnerable.

Members of the transgender and intersex community are authorized to register for official documents under a "third gender" classification recognized by the Supreme Court in 2009. In a ruling in 2011, the court granted them the right to vote, enabling them to participate in the 2013 elections. Nonetheless, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community are subject to societal and legal discrimination. The penal code prescribes prison terms for consensual sex "against the order of nature." Although prosecutions are rare, such laws deter LGBT people from acknowledging their orientation or reporting abuses. Transgender and intersex people face de facto discrimination in housing and employment. They are also refused inheritance rights. Many are forced into prostitution or to beg in order to survive.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights 6 / 16

G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of travel or choice of residence, employment, or institution of higher education?

G2. Do individuals have the right to own property and establish private businesses? Is private business activity unduly influenced by government officials, the security forces, political parties/organizations, or organized crime?

G3. Are there personal social freedoms, including gender equality, choice of marriage partners, and size of family?

G4. Is there equality of opportunity and the absence of economic exploitation?

There are few legal limitations on citizens' travel or their choice of residence, employment, or institution of higher learning. The main tool for restricting foreign travel is the Exit Control List, which blocks named individuals from using official exit points from the country. The list is meant to include those who pose a security threat and those facing court proceedings, but on occasion it has been used against civil society activists who have worked on issues embarrassing to officials. Some 5,000 names were removed from the list after the Interior Ministry ordered a review of it in 2015. In October 2016, a senior reporter was added to the list after publishing an article discussing counterterrorism strategy, but was soon removed following an outcry from media freedom advocates. The Supreme Court in December ordered the removal of former president Pervez Musharraf from the list, allowing him to leave Pakistan for medical treatment; Musharraf faced treason charges at the time. Separately, restrictions on movement in the FATA were imposed as the army carried out counterinsurgency operations and resettlement programs.

Pakistan's rampant corruption, weak regulatory environment, and ineffective legal system undermine property rights and economic freedom.

A number of reforms have been enacted in recent years to improve conditions for women. However, the implementation of protective laws has been weak, and violence against women continues unabated. In addition to acid attacks, domestic violence, rape, and so-called honor crimes, women face restrictions on voting and education, especially in KPK, the FATA, and Baluchistan. Political parties maintain women's wings that are active during elections. However, currently no women hold posts in the federal cabinet or at the helm of mainstream political parties.

Exploitative forms of labor remain common, in particular in the brick kiln industry, where owners have significant political influence that protects them from prosecution. Though bonded and child labor are outlawed, they are widespread in practice.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2017 - Nicaragua

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2017 - Nicaragua, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922d85fa.html [accessed 10 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.

Freedom Status: Partly Free

Aggregate Score: 47/100 (0 = Least Free, 100 = Most Free)

Freedom Rating: 4.5/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Political Rights: 5/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Civil Liberties: 4/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Quick Facts

Population: 6,300,000

Capital: Managua

GDP/capita: $2,087

Press Freedom Status: Partly Free

Ratings Change, Trend Arrow: 

Nicaragua's political rights rating declined from 4 to 5, its civil liberties rating declined from 3 to 4, and it received a downward trend arrow due to a court's ouster of the leader of the main opposition party and the National Assembly's expulsion of 16 opposition lawmakers in the run-up to November elections, combined with government efforts to silence journalists and academics with opposing views.

OVERVIEW

The election of Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega in 2006 began a period of democratic deterioration in Nicaragua that continues today. President Ortega has consolidated all branches of government under his party's control, limited fundamental freedoms, and allowed unchecked corruption to pervade the government. In 2014, the National Assembly approved constitutional amendments that paved the way for Ortega to win a third consecutive term in November 2016.

Key Developments

In November, President Ortega was reelected for a third term, with his wife chosen as vice president. Ortega received more than 72 percent of the vote, with the next closest competitor receiving just 15 percent. The Sandinista party also expanded its already significant majority in the National Assembly.

In June, the Supreme Court removed the leader of the opposition Independent Liberation Party (PLI), severely limiting the competitiveness of the November election. In July, the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) pushed 16 opposition members of the National Assembly from their seats for failure to recognize the actions of the Supreme Court.

Freedom of expression and association continued to decline as environmental activists and investigators of the interoceanic canal project were detained and sometimes expelled.

Executive Summary

In 2016, the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) tightened its grip on power. The Nicaraguan Supreme Court stripped the main opposition candidate for president of his party's leadership in June, and the following month the CSE removed 16 opposition members from the National Assembly for their failure to recognize the new party leader. This resulted in certain defeat for the opposition in the November elections. Despite regular protests against deteriorating democratic conditions, Ortega enjoyed high approval ratings, largely as a result of his handling of the economy and popular social programs.

The Ortega administration engages in systematic efforts to obstruct and discredit critics, and the environment for the media has been in steady decline in recent years. Corruption has been a major issue, with Ortega's sons and daughters appointed to prominent positions such as ambassador and presidential adviser, and his wife elected as vice president. Significant concerns have also been raised over the lack of transparency and consultation in the project to dig the interoceanic canal across Nicaragua, which was approved quickly and with little public debate. Protests against the plans continued in 2016. Foreign researchers and journalists investigating the project have been detained and removed from the country. In July, six foreign activists holding environmental workshops were expelled.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights 14 / 40 (-5)

A. Electoral Process 3 / 12 (-3)

A1. Is the head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections?

A2. Are the national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair?

The constitution provides for a directly elected president and a 92-member unicameral National Assembly. Two seats in the legislature are reserved for the previous president and the runner-up in the most recent presidential election. Presidential and legislative elections are both held every five years. Since constitutional reforms that went into effect in 2014, presidents are elected with a simple plurality of the vote. The reforms also eliminated term limits and mandated that half of all candidates for elected office be women.

President Ortega was reelected in November 2016 with over 72 percent of the vote. The previous June, the Supreme Court expelled the main opposition candidate, Eduardo Montealegre, from his Independent Liberation Party (PLI), replacing him with a pro-Ortega leader. The following month, the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) removed 16 members of the National Assembly for their refusal to accept the court's decision. In November, Maximino Rodriguez of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC) received 15 percent of the vote, with no other candidate reaching 5 percent, including the replacement PLI candidate. Ortega's wife, Rosario Murillo, ran as the vice presidential candidate despite opposition voices decrying this as further evidence of the Ortega administration's consolidation of power. In the legislative elections, Ortega's FSLN increased its majority to 70 seats in the National Assembly, followed by the PLC with 13 seats. The PLI won just 2 seats, in contrast to the 26 seats it won in the 2011 election. Ortega refused to allow international election observers into the country.

Numerous changes to the municipal electoral law approved in 2012 include a provision allowing mayors to run for reelection and a requirement that half of each party's candidates for mayoralties and council seats be women.

Nicaragua's North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) and South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) have regional councils, for which elections were last held in 2014. The FSLN won 52 percent of the votes in the RAAN, followed by the majority-indigenous YATAMA party with 21 percent; the PLI and the PLC won the remainder. In the RAAS, the FSLN garnered 48 percent of the vote; the PLC, the PLI, YATAMA, and the Multi-Ethnic Indigenous Party each won small portions. YATAMA supporters organized minor protests following the vote.

The selection of Judith Silva, who had been nominated by President Ortega, to fill the vacant position for CSE magistrate in 2015 renewed concerns about the institution's independence.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation 6 / 16 (-1)

B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

B2. Is there a significant opposition vote and a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?

B3. Are the people's political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group?

B4. Do cultural, ethnic, religious, or other minority groups have full political rights and electoral opportunities?

The formerly dominant PLC has experienced a sharp decline in its voter base since 1999, while the FSLN's backing has increased. Public opinion polls consistently reveal high levels of popularity for Ortega and the FSLN.

The FSLN's majority in the National Assembly enables it to pass laws without requiring support from opposition parties. As a result of the 2014 constitutional reforms, legislators who do not vote with their party may lose their seats. In 2014, the PLI and PLC signed a pact in hopes of launching a unified opposition for the 2016 elections. Their efforts were undermined by the Nicaraguan Supreme Court, which in June 2016 disqualified the leader of the PLI from his party. In July, the CSE removed 16 legislators who refused to recognize the new leadership from the National Assembly.

Minority groups, especially the indigenous inhabitants of Nicaragua's eastern and Caribbean regions, frequently complain that they are politically underrepresented and that the government and the FSLN largely ignore their grievances.

C. Functioning of Government 5 / 12 (-1)

C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government?

C2. Is the government free from pervasive corruption?

C3. Is the government accountable to the electorate between elections, and does it operate with openness and transparency?

The FSLN dominates most public institutions, working closely with labor and private business in a tripartite alliance (COSEP) that is recognized in Article 98 of the constitution. The manipulation of the 2016 election and the expulsion of 16 opposition politicians from the legislature have prevented freely elected representatives from determining government policies. Constitutional reforms passed in 2014 include the ability of the president to issue binding decrees, to appoint active military personnel to executive-level positions previously designated for civilians, and to direct changes in tax policy without legislative approval.

Corruption charges against high-ranking government officials are rare except in the most egregious cases, and corruption cases against opposition figures are often criticized for being politically motivated. Ortega's sons and daughters have been appointed to prominent positions such as ambassador and presidential adviser. The Communications and Citizenry Council, which oversees the government's press relations, is directed by First Lady Rosario Murillo and has been accused of limiting access to information. Murillo became vice president following the 2016 presidential election.

The 2007 Law on Access to Public Information requires public entities and private companies doing business with the state to disclose certain information. However, it preserves the government's right to protect information related to state security.

A wide range of civil society groups have raised concerns over the lack of transparency and consultation in the project to dig the interoceanic canal across Nicaragua, which was approved quickly and with little public debate. Results of environmental studies detailing the human and environmental toll have been kept from the public.

Civil Liberties 33 / 60 (-2)

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief 11 / 16 (-1)

D1. Are there free and independent media and other forms of cultural expression?

D2. Are religious institutions and communities free to practice their faith and express themselves in public and private?

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free of extensive political indoctrination?

D4. Is there open and free private discussion?

The constitution calls for a free press. Radio remains the main source of information in Nicaragua. Six television networks, including a state-owned network, are based in the capital; many favor particular political factions. Three national newspapers cover a variety of political viewpoints, though coverage is polarized. Access to the internet is unrestricted.

The press has faced increased political and judicial harassment since 2007, and the Ortega administration engages in systematic efforts to obstruct and discredit media critics. Journalists, including several reporters with the newspaper El Nuevo Diario, have received death threats. In 2015, reporters faced harassment from police and some were detained while they were covering protests related to the opposition's push for electoral reforms, as well as demonstrations against the canal project. In June 2016, police briefly detained a photojournalist investigating the canal. Members of the ruling elite have acquired stakes in media outlets and have used their influence as owners to sideline independent journalists. In October 2016, the director of Confidencial, a notable opposition magazine, accused the Nicaraguan army of spying on the publication. President Ortega has not held an open-access press conference since in 2007.

Religious and academic freedoms are generally respected, although some university-level academics refrain from open criticism of the government.

Private discussion is generally free, though there are increasing reports of self-censorship. Both private citizens and government employees have complained of retaliation for opposing the interoceanic canal project.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights 5 / 12 (-1)

E1. Is there freedom of assembly, demonstration, and open public discussion?

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations?

E3. Are there free trade unions and peasant organizations or equivalents, and is there effective collective bargaining? Are there free professional and other private organizations?

Nicaraguan law recognizes freedoms of assembly and association, but in practice respect for these rights has been problematic. While public demonstrations are generally permitted, members of the opposition have accused the police of failing to protect demonstrators and of engaging in partisan behavior. Gangs with tacit government support have reportedly attacked antigovernment protesters. In 2015, police clashed with protesters in a labor dispute at El Limon mine, resulting in injuries to both sides and the death of one police officer.

Although nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are active, they have faced harassment and occasional violence in recent years. NGOs have also been weakened by the system of Citizens' Power Councils, which operate from the neighborhood to the federal level. Critics say they blur the line between state and party institutions, and that they are highly politicized. In June 2016, a professor researching the interoceanic canal was deported. Organizations representing the interests of indigenous groups in the scope of the canal project have been marginalized.

The FSLN controls many of the country's labor unions, and the legal rights of non-FSLN unions are not fully guaranteed. Although the law recognizes the right to strike, unions must clear a number of hurdles, and approval from the Ministry of Labor is almost never granted. Employers sometimes form their own unions to avoid recognizing legitimate organizations. Employees have reportedly been dismissed for union activities, and citizens have no effective recourse when those in power violate labor laws.

F. Rule of Law 7 / 16

F1. Is there an independent judiciary?

F2. Does the rule of law prevail in civil and criminal matters? Are police under direct civilian control?

F3. Is there protection from political terror, unjustified imprisonment, exile, or torture, whether by groups that support or oppose the system? Is there freedom from war and insurgencies?

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population?

The judiciary remains dominated by FSLN and PLC appointees, and the Supreme Court is a largely politicized body controlled by Sandinista judges. The court system also suffers from corruption, long delays, a large backlog of cases, and a severe shortage of public defenders. Access to justice is especially deficient in rural areas and on the Caribbean coast.

Despite long-term improvements, the security forces remain understaffed and poorly funded, and human rights abuses still occur. Forced confessions and arbitrary arrests continue. Nicaragua has generally been spared the high rates of crime and gang violence that plague its neighbors to the north, and the police have been active in combating drug trafficking and organized crime. Generally considered to be the most professionalized in the region, the police have come under increasing criticism for skirmishes with civilians. In 2015, Nicaraguan police killed three members of one family, including two children, during a botched antidrug operation. Nine police officers were sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted on various charges related to the incident. Also in 2015, police and military allegedly used tear gas and rubber bullets to turn back a group of Cuban migrants seeking to reach the United States by traveling through Nicaragua from Costa Rica. Prison conditions are poor and overcrowding is a problem.

Changes to the military code in 2014 gave the army a role in internal security at the discretion of the president, further concentrating power under the executive. Critics suggested that it opened the military to executive manipulation. A 2014 law that restructured the National Police allows the president to appoint and extend the terms of the body's director, increases service eligibility, and permits members of the National Police to engage in political campaigning and political party activity. The Sovereign Security Law, passed in 2015, has been criticized for blurring the line between public safety and national security by potentially militarizing civilian agencies, and because the threats it combats are defined too broadly. Those concerns were heightened by the failure of the Ortega administration to issue a regulatory decree by the February 2016 deadline, thus requiring the National Assembly to draft it. Without that guidance, application of the law could be very broad.

The constitution and laws nominally recognize the rights of indigenous communities, but those rights have not been respected in practice. Approximately 5 percent of the population is indigenous and lives mostly in the RAAN and the RAAS.

Same-sex marriage and civil unions remain barred in Nicaragua, and the country's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) population is subject to intermittent threats and discriminatory treatment. LGBT activists blasted the family code, which went into effect in 2015, for defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman and, as such, depriving same-sex couples the right to adopt children or the ability to receive fertility treatment. A resolution approved in 2014 prohibits discrimination in health service provision based on sexual identity, though few steps have been taken toward implementation.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights 10 / 16

G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of travel or choice of residence, employment, or institution of higher education?

G2. Do individuals have the right to own property and establish private businesses? Is private business activity unduly influenced by government officials, the security forces, political parties/organizations, or organized crime?

G3. Are there personal social freedoms, including gender equality, choice of marriage partners, and size of family?

G4. Is there equality of opportunity and the absence of economic exploitation?

Governmental and nonstate actors generally respect travel, residence, and employment choices. Property rights are protected on paper but can be tenuous in practice. Titles are often contested, and individuals with connections to the FSLN sometimes enjoy an advantage during property disputes.

Property owners in the construction zone for the new canal have complained that they have felt intimidated, sometimes with violence, by surveyors with the backing of the army and police. Indigenous groups and farmers have raised concerns that they will be negatively impacted by the digging of the canal. Protests against the project continued into 2016.

In 2015, land conflicts in the RAAN resulted in forced displacements and clashes between indigenous groups, settlers, and police, as disputes over indigenous lands turned violent. Dozens were injured and at least nine were killed in September alone, with YATAMA leader Mario Lemans among the deceased. Hundreds of members of the Miskito community sought refuge in Honduras from the violence. Residents and human rights groups claimed that the Nicaraguan government, regional government, and the police had done little to stop the violence or to protect the property rights of indigenous communities. In August 2016, two Miskito men were kidnapped during a clash with settlers and found dead 11 days later.

In 2016, Nicaragua was ranked 10 out of 144 countries surveyed in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, indicating that its gender-based disparities are among the smallest in the world. However, violence against women and children, including sexual and domestic abuse, remains widespread and underreported; few cases are ever prosecuted. The 2012 Comprehensive Law Against Violence toward Women addresses both physical and structural forms of violence, and recognizes violence against women as a matter of public health and safety. The legislation codified femicide and establishes sentencing guidelines for physical and psychological abuses against women. A 2013 reform to the law allows mediation between the victim and accuser, despite concerns from rights groups. The family code includes protections for pregnant minors, the elderly, and ethnic minorities; establishes equal duties of mothers and fathers; and prohibits physical punishment of children.

Abortion is illegal and punishable by imprisonment, even when performed to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incest. Scores of deaths stemming from the ban have been reported in recent years.

Human trafficking is a significant issue in Nicaragua, which serves as a source country for women and children forced into prostitution. A 2010 law classifies human trafficking as a form of organized crime. Adults and children are also vulnerable to forced labor in some sectors. In 2016, the U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report noted inadequate protections for victims and the vulnerability of women on the Atlantic Coast, where institutions are weaker and crime is more prevalent. The National Assembly's passage of a law in 2015 meant to address human trafficking is a sign of some progress. The law establishes prison terms of up to 20 years, creates a databank to track cases, and enables the confiscation of property gained through human trafficking.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2017 - Hungary

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2017 - Hungary, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922d860a.html [accessed 10 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.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 76/100 (0 = Least Free, 100 = Most Free)

Freedom Rating: 2.5/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Political Rights: 5/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Civil Liberties: 2/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Quick Facts

Population: 9,800,000

Capital: Budapest

GDP/capita: $12,364

Press Freedom Status: Partly Free

Net Freedom Status: Free

Ratings Change:

Hungary's political rights rating declined from 2 to 3 due to government practices that curtailed the ability of the opposition to freely and meaningfully participate in the formal political system, as well as continuing impunity for high-level corruption.

OVERVIEW

Since taking power in 2010, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Alliance of Young DemocratsHungarian Civic Union (Fidesz) has pushed through constitutional and legal changes that have allowed it to consolidate control over the country's independent institutions. Following a dip in its popularity in 2014 and 2015, support for the party has recently increased, likely in response to its hard-line policies on migration.

Key Developments

In February, a group of men physically prevented an opposition lawmaker from filing a referendum initiative on an unpopular government-backed law. The perpetrators were not held accountable.

In October, a government-initiated referendum was held on a European Union (EU) asylum quota plan that would require Hungary to take in about 1,300 refugees housed in other EU countries. Despite heavy government spending on frequently xenophobic campaign materials, the referendum, which participating voters overwhelmingly approved, was ultimately invalid due to low voter turnout.

In April, the release of information about several foundations created and endowed by central bank revealed a number of questionable transactions, including ones that benefit the bank's director and his allies.

In October, Hungary's leading political daily, Nepszabadsag, was shuttered. Its closure came after it had uncovered a string of scandals involving the ruling party.

Executive Summary

Support for Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Alliance of Young DemocratsHungarian Civic Union (Fidesz) increased in 2016, likely reflecting support for the government's tough stance on migration. During the year, the government refused to take in some 1,300 asylum seekers and examine their applications under the EU's quota system, and challenged the underlying regulation before the European Court of Justice, in addition to holding a referendum on the issue.

Orban announced the referendum on the EU asylum quota in February 2016, one day after a widely criticized incident at the National Election Office in which an opposition lawmaker was physically prevented by roughly a dozen men from submitting a separate referendum initiative against an unpopular, Fidesz-backed law requiring most stores to close on Sundays. The Supreme Court weeks later confirmed the opposition's referendum initiative, declaring that the use of physical force to block its filing had been illegal. The government then repealed the Sunday closure law before a referendum on the issue could take place.

The government-initiated asylum referendum was held in October, amid serious concerns over the constitutionality of the question. Following an expensive government campaign marked by xenophobic rhetoric, participating voters overwhelmingly agreed that Hungary should reject the European quota. However, turnout was only 41.3 percent, short of the 50 percent threshold needed for the referendum to be considered valid.

In March, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Hungarian Central Bank could not withhold data about public funds it had disbursed to six foundations the bank had established, which amounted to about $1 billion. The following month, information released regarding the foundations' operations revealed a number of questionable transactions, including ones that benefit the bank's director and his allies.

Hungary's media situation came under international scrutiny after the country's leading political daily, Nepszabadsag, was abruptly closed after it ran a series of articles scrutinizing actions of ruling-party members. Shortly after the suspension, the newspaper's publisher was sold to a company linked to a close ally of Prime Minister Orban.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights 29 / 40 (3)

A. Electoral Process 9 / 12

A1. Is the head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections?

A2. Are the national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair?

Voters elect representatives every four years to a 199-seat, unicameral National Assembly under a mixed system of proportional and direct representation (106 from districts and 93 from compensatory party lists). The National Assembly elects both the president and the prime minister. The president's duties are mainly ceremonial, but he can influence appointments and return legislation for further consideration before signing it into law.

The coalition of Fidesz and its junior coalition partner, the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), won 2014 parliamentary elections with 45 percent of the vote, capturing exactly two-thirds (133) of the seats. Unity  a new coalition of five leftist parties  won 38 seats. The far-right-wing Jobbik took 23 seats, while the green-liberal Politics Can Be Different party (LMP) won 5 seats.

Throughout the rancorous campaign, opposition parties criticized recent changes to electoral legislation, including rules that facilitated the creation of instant parties, splitting the antigovernment vote; alleged gerrymandering in the ruling coalition's favor; and the government's heavy influence over state television and radio. Most of these grievances were echoed in critical assessments from international transparency watchdogs and an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) election-monitoring delegation, which also pointed to strong government influence over media and advertising outlets and grossly unequal financial resources. Election monitors also suggested that the dual system for foreign voters, under which ethnic Hungarians who have been awarded citizenship but have never lived in the country can register and vote more easily than native Hungarian citizens living abroad, "undermine[s] the principle of equal suffrage."

In 2015, Zoltan Kesz, an independent candidate who drew support from left-wing parties, won with 43 percent of the vote in a parliamentary by-election in Veszprem, a traditional Fidesz stronghold. The Fidesz-KDNP coalition consequently lost the two-thirds parliamentary supermajority it had held since 2010.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation 13 / 16 (2)

B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

B2. Is there a significant opposition vote and a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?

B3. Are the people's political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group?

B4. Do cultural, ethnic, religious, or other minority groups have full political rights and electoral opportunities?

Political parties are able to organize without interference. After Fidesz's electoral victories in 2014, public support for the party declined significantly due to corruption allegations, political infighting, and an attempt to tax internet traffic, among other factors. However, the 2015 refugee crisis and the referendum on the EU asylum quota proposal offered opportunities for Fidesz to reassert itself among anti-immigrant and Euroskeptic voters. The ruling party's popularity, which was at a two-year low in the first half of 2015, grew in 2015 and in the second half of 2016. Parties must take at least 5 percent of the national vote to win parliament seats by proportional representation.

Fidesz and its allies have increasingly harnessed their political and economic power to prevent the opposition from influencing policy. In recent years, the government has made efforts to block referendum proposals at odds with its policies. In February 2016, an opposition politician, Istvan Nyako of the Socialist Party, was physically prevented by roughly a dozen men from submitting to the National Election Commission a referendum initiative against an unpopular, Fidesz-backed law requiring most stores to close on Sundays. However, the Supreme Court weeks later confirmed the referendum initiative, declaring that the use of physical force to block Nyako had been illegal. The government subsequently moved to repeal the Sunday closure law before the referendum  which if approved was likely to damage the ruling coalition's popularity  could take place. Although it is a crime under Hungarian law to obstruct referendum initiatives by force or threat of force, the men who blocked Nyako were never charged.

Both the National Election Commission and the Supreme Court allowed the government's referendum initiative challenging EU asylum quotas, despite legal objections maintaining that the question could not be put to a national referendum because it challenged the country's obligations under an international treaty. The referendum campaign was unequal and costly. The government spent heavily on billboards, television campaigns, and mailings, and public media outlets echoed the government's negative view of refugees ahead of the vote. The opposition parties were divided over strategy, with Jobbik officially supporting the government's initiative, and most left-wing parties calling on voters to stay home. The satirical Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) relied on donations to launch the most visible antigovernment campaign, which called on voters to spoil their ballots. The overwhelming majority of the valid votes (98.4 percent) agreed with the government's position rejecting the European quota, but turnout was only 41.3 percent, short of the 50 percent threshold needed for the vote to be considered valid. Nevertheless, the prime minister subsequently announced that there was a "new unity" and that the ruling parties would seek to amend the constitution, inserting clauses that confirm the protection of the "constitutional identity" of the country and ban the settlement of "aliens" in Hungary. The amendment failed to clear a parliamentary vote in November, with Fidesz lacking a two-thirds majority and opposition parties abstaining.

Hungary's constitution guarantees the right of ethnic minorities to form self-governing bodies, and all 13 recognized minorities have done so. Minorities can also register to vote for special minority lists  with a preferential vote threshold  in parliamentary elections, but they are then excluded from general party-list voting. None of the 13 minority lists won enough votes to secure a seat in 2014, meaning each is represented only by a nonvoting spokesperson. The Roma population in particular has long been underrepresented in political office.

C. Functioning of Government 7 / 12 (1)

C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government?

C2. Is the government free from pervasive corruption?

C3. Is the government accountable to the electorate between elections, and does it operate with openness and transparency?

Corruption remains a problem in Hungary, and instances of high-level government corruption have not been properly investigated. The lack of an appropriate public-spending database presents an obstacle to the transparency of government finances. Transparency International's Hungary chapter has reported that that a number of companies with close ties to the government are supported primarily by public funds. Fidesz-allied businessmen who have fallen out of favor, like Lajos Simicska and Zoltan Speder, have experienced financial and legal pressure. In 2015, Hungary's public procurement board banned Simicska's construction firm Kozgep  which had won billions of forints in state contracts before the emergence of a rift between Simicska and Orban  from participating in public tenders for three years. Speder, a businessman with holdings in media and the financial sector, came under police investigation as did several of his companies in 2016, after an apparent falling out with the ruling party.

In March 2016, the governing majority adopted a controversial amendment to the law on postal services that limited the scope of public information that could be disclosed about the postal services' dealings with private companies. The same month, the parliament adopted an amendment to the law on the Hungarian National Bank that restricted public access to data on the functioning of six foundations the bank had created and endowed. European Central Bank head Mario Draghi, assessing the Hungarian National Bank's activities in a July 2016 letter, found that these foundations "could be perceived as potentially being in conflict with the monetary financing prohibition" applicable to central banks. The two legislative measures together shielded access to information on public funds amounting to more than $1 billion.

President Janos Ader declined to sign the national bank amendment, and instead referred it to the Constitutional Court, which struck it down. Much of the information revealed in April, following the court decision, showed irregular spending by the foundations, including decisions that benefit central bank head Gyorgy Matolcsy, a close ally of Orban and a former minister of economy, and Matolcsy's allies.

Civil Liberties 47 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief 13 / 16

D1. Are there free and independent media and other forms of cultural expression?

D2. Are religious institutions and communities free to practice their faith and express themselves in public and private?

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free of extensive political indoctrination?

D4. Is there open and free private discussion?

Hungary's constitution protects freedoms of speech and the press, but complex and extensive media legislation enacted under the Fidesz government has undermined these guarantees. Since 2011, media outlets must register with the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH), which can revoke licenses for infractions. A Media Council under the NMHH can close outlets or impose fines of up to $950,000 for failure to register or for airing content that incites hatred. Fidesz, with its parliamentary supermajority, controlled the initial appointments to the Media Council, whose members serve nine-year terms; it now requires some outside support for the approval of its nominees. The government has withdrawn most advertising from independent media since Fidesz took power in 2010.

Editorial bias and political pressure are problems at both public and private media outlets. The largest political daily, the liberal Nepszabadsag, abruptly ceased its operations in October 2016. While its Austrian investor owner cited economic reasons for the closure, the move came after the paper published stories of alleged misspending of public funds by senior government officials. Shortly after it ceased publication, Nepszabadsag's parent company was sold to a firm linked to Orban ally Lorinc Meszaros. In December, Nepszabadsag's new owner announced that it did not plan to reopen the paper. There is a growing number of progovernment media outlets, including private companies, operating with heavy support from the state and state-affiliated entities. The government does not restrict or monitor the internet.

The constitution guarantees religious freedom and provides for the separation of church and state, although these guarantees were weakened in the 2011 constitution, whose preamble makes direct references to Christianity, including the recognition of "the role of Christianity in preserving nationhood." Adherents of all religions are generally free to worship. However, a two-thirds parliamentary majority must approve the right of any religious community or church to receive tax and other benefits reserved for "accepted churches." Both the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights have found the law in violation of the Hungarian constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, respectively. A 2015 government proposal sought to remedy this while maintaining limitations, but it did not get a two-thirds majority in the parliament.

The state generally does not restrict academic freedom. However, a gradual overhaul of the public education system has raised concerns about excessive government influence on school curriculums, and legislation adopted in 2014 allows for government-appointed chancellors empowered to make financial decisions at public universities. Selective support by the government of certain academic institutions also threatens academic autonomy. There are no significant constraints on freedom of private discussion in Hungary.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights 11 / 12

E1. Is there freedom of assembly, demonstration, and open public discussion?

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations?

E3. Are there free trade unions and peasant organizations or equivalents, and is there effective collective bargaining? Are there free professional and other private organizations?

The constitution provides for freedoms of assembly and association, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. However, in July 2016, the Constitutional Court dismissed a challenge to a ban on demonstrations at the Supreme Court and the home of the prime minister. Separately, people opposed to a government project to create a museum district in a public park in Budapest set up an encampment to prevent the cutting of a large number of trees, but were forcibly removed by security personnel in June and July.

A broad array of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate in Hungary, but groups pursuing activities counter to government priorities have come under pressure in recent years. Since taking power, the Fidesz government has instituted burdensome registration and reporting requirements for NGOs, and some groups have seen their offices illegally raided by police. As part of the campaign for the referendum on the EU asylum quota proposal, Fidesz lawmaker Szilard Nemeth called for a security screening of NGOs that opposed the referendum initiative. A 2016 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders noted a "general stigmatization" of NGOs and "shrinking civil society space," and called on the government to "refrain from criminalizing defenders' peaceful and legitimate activities." Recent years have seen the creation of a number of GONGOs, or government-organized NGOs, many of which were active during the migration crisis. State funding to NGOs and other civil society groups is distributed through the National Cooperation Fund (NEA), whose nine-member council is dominated by government and parliamentary appointees.

The government recognizes workers' rights to form associations and petition public authorities. Trade unions represent less than 30 percent of the workforce.

F. Rule of Law 10 / 16

F1. Is there an independent judiciary?

F2. Does the rule of law prevail in civil and criminal matters? Are police under direct civilian control?

F3. Is there protection from political terror, unjustified imprisonment, exile, or torture, whether by groups that support or oppose the system? Is there freedom from war and insurgencies?

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population?

Judicial independence is a matter of concern. All of the 11 judges put on the Constitutional Court between 2010 and 2014 were appointed by the Fidesz government, and rulings in recent years have favored government interests. It was only well after the government lost its two-thirds majority that one opposition party  the green-liberal LMP  was included in the discussions over the election of four new judges, in November 2016.

In March 2016, the government declared a nationwide "state of national crisis," expanding the designation from a handful of counties where it was first declared the previous year; the declaration was made in response to "mass immigration," despite the fact that the number of people arriving in the country remained under the legal threshold for declaring this type of special legal order. A new government-initiated Sixth Amendment to the Fundamental Law  a draft of which was kept secret until it was leaked by a Jobbik politician  created a new type of special order granting extraordinary powers to the government in the case of a "terrorist threat." It was approved in June.

Prisons are generally approaching European standards, though overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and poor sanitation remain problems.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Hungary fails to observe its obligations under international and European law protecting asylum seekers, and the European Commission started an infringement procedure against Hungary concerning its asylum law in December 2015. The erection of a fence along its border in 2015, to be extended and strengthened according to government plans; the recognition of Serbia and Turkey as "safe third countries;" the criminalization of irregular entry; and the creation of "transit zones" outside of the fence have been criticized as deterring applicants from access to asylum. Only around 15 people are allowed into a transit zone each day, and the government holds asylum seekers in dire conditions. The asylum system serving those who are eventually let in the country has been scaled back, relegating even recognized refugees to live without work or shelter. Legislation adopted in 2015 allowed Hungary's army to enforce border controls, restrict civil liberties, and employ "coercive weapons." A 2016 law allows police forces to "escort" out of the country migrants found within 8 kilometers (5 miles) inside Hungary's borders. The government continues to recruit "border hunter action units" that receive expedited training. During the year, Human Rights Watch reported cases of police violence against asylum seekers at the border. The government also impedes humanitarian efforts by NGOs and activists seeking to assist migrants and asylum seekers.

The government disseminated xenophobic propaganda in the period leading up to the October 2016 quota referendum with heavy spending on billboards, television campaigns, and mailings, connecting asylum seekers and immigrants to acts of crime and terrorism. In July 2016, Prime Minister Orban called immigration a "poison."

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights 13 / 16

G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of travel or choice of residence, employment, or institution of higher education?

G2. Do individuals have the right to own property and establish private businesses? Is private business activity unduly influenced by government officials, the security forces, political parties/organizations, or organized crime?

G3. Are there personal social freedoms, including gender equality, choice of marriage partners, and size of family?

G4. Is there equality of opportunity and the absence of economic exploitation?

Hungarians enjoy freedom of travel and choice of residence, employment, and institution of higher education. Citizens have the right to own property and establish private businesses. Critics of recent sectoral taxes see them as efforts by the state to drive out or take over foreign businesses. Recent difficulties of business owners who have fallen out of favor with the government illustrate the extent to which business success depends on government connections.

Women possess the same legal rights as men, but they face employment discrimination and tend to be underrepresented in high-level business positions and political life. Women hold no cabinet posts and only 20 of 199 seats in the National Assembly, or 10 percent  the lowest percentage in the EU, with even lower representation (7 percent) among members of the ruling parties. The UN working group on discrimination against women found especially problematic "the pervasive and flagrant stereotyping of women, with repeated statements by some public figures that women are unsuited to political power and insistence on woman's role as primarily wife and mother." The right to life from conception is protected under the 2011 Fundamental Law, but access to abortions remained largely unrestricted in 2016. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is banned under the Act on Equal Opportunity. However, in 2016, the government inserted into a budget bill an amendment seeking to make it easier to deny benefits to same-sex couples. The proposal was ultimately withdrawn after extensive media coverage and public criticism. The constitution enshrines the concept of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Hungary is a transit point, source, and destination for trafficked persons, including women trafficked for prostitution, and the country's efforts to support and reintegrate victims are insufficient. Roma women, men, and children; those who have been raised in state-run children's homes; and unaccompanied asylum seekers are particularly vulnerable.

Hungary has taken a number of steps to improve monitoring of Roma rights and equal treatment, but Roma, who form Hungary's largest ethnic minority, still face widespread discrimination, societal exclusion, and poverty. Roma students continue to be segregated and improperly placed in schools for children with mental disabilities. The European Commission in May 2016 sent a formal notice to the Hungarian government that it was beginning an infringement procedure on the discrimination of Roma children in education.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2017 - Ecuador

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 19 May 2017 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2017 - Ecuador, 19 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922d861f.html [accessed 10 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.

Freedom Status: Partly Free

Aggregate Score: 57/100 (0 = Least Free, 100 = Most Free)

Freedom Rating: 3.5/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Political Rights: 3/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Civil Liberties: 4/7 (1 = Most Free, 7 = Least Free)

Quick Facts

Population: 16,500,000

Capital: Quito

GDP/capita: $6,205

Press Freedom Status: Not Free

Net Freedom Status: Partly Free

Ratings Change:

Ecuador's civil liberties rating declined from 3 to 4 due to the government's decision to order the closure of a major teachers' union as well as regulatory actions and legislation that threatened the sustainability of two graduate universities.

OVERVIEW

Ecuador transitioned to democracy from a military regime in 1979, and since then has experienced the ouster of three presidents under popular or military pressure. Elections take place regularly amid a highly fragmented party system. A leftist government has ruled the country for the past decade, and has introduced a new constitution that guarantees the rights of women and minorities, among other improvements. However, the government has a poor record regarding respect for civil liberties, particularly freedom of expression.

Key Developments

Journalistic coverage of the leaked documents dubbed the Panama Papers, which appeared in the international press beginning in April, triggered authorities to launch corruption investigations into Ecuadorian entities mentioned in the leak.

In July, close to 150 Cuban nationals were detained and deported while trying to obtain authorization to seek asylum in the United States or Ecuador; human rights watchdogs decried due process violations during the deportation proceedings.

In August, the government ordered the dissolution of the largest teachers' union in the country, claiming that the group had failed to fully disclose information about its leadership.

In December, the National Assembly passed legislation eliminating public funding for research at universities that operate under international agreements; the legislation has the potential to undermine the sustainability of two graduate universities, Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar and FLACSO Ecuador.

Executive Summary

The administration of Rafael Correa, who has held presidential office since 2007, maintained pressures on the media environment and civil society in 2016. In August, the Ministry of Education declared the dissolution of the National Union of Teachers (UNE), the largest trade association for teachers in the country. The ministry claimed that UNE had failed to submit all information about its leadership as part of its state registration, and was in violation of regulations for the functioning of social organizations. Domestic and international rights groups, among them the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), protested the decision, finding it a politically motivated violation of freedom of association. Academic freedom also faced threats in legislative amendments passed in December that cut research funding for universities operating under international agreements. The legislation, which affects two graduate universities in particular, followed vocal criticism of public funding for such institutions by Correa.

The government has increasingly cracked down on social media and other internet activity in recent years, leading some online outlets to disable public comment sections out of fear of reprisal. The local press watchdog Fundamedios reported that in 2016, officials continued monitoring speech on the social-media platform Twitter and filing complaints against accounts that are critical of the Correa administration.

In July, authorities detained and deported around 150 Cuban nationals who had established an encampment in a Quito park while attempting to gain asylum in the United States or Ecuador. Human rights watchdogs decried the move, claiming that the judicial proceedings involved in the deportations violated due process rights. Ecuador is the largest recipient of refugees in Latin America, and in 2016, the government continued to struggle to uphold refugees' rights.

Tensions between the presidency and the military surfaced in February, when Correa dismissed the military high command amid allegations that the Social Security Institute of the Armed Forces had overcharged the Ministry of the Environment in a land deal. Correa announced plans to withhold the overpaid sum, sparking popular protests over concerns about the impact on military pensions. The disagreement also led to the resignation of the minister of defense and prompted a cabinet reshuffle in March. Separately, international journalistic coverage of the Panama Papers, which made headlines beginning in April, triggered authorities to launch corruption investigations into Ecuadorian entities mentioned in the leaked documents.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights 24 / 40

A. Electoral Process 7 / 12

A1. Is the head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections?

A2. Are the national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections?

A3. Are the electoral laws and framework fair?

The 2008 constitution provides for a directly elected president. The unicameral, 137-seat National Assembly is elected for four-year terms, with 116 members elected in 24 provinces (each province elects at least two representatives and then one additional representative for every 200,000 inhabitants), 15 elected through nationwide proportional representation, and 6 elected in multimember constituencies representing Ecuadorians living abroad. The president has the authority to dissolve the legislature once in his term, which triggers new elections for both the assembly and the presidency. The assembly can likewise dismiss the president, though under more stringent rules. The president can veto individual line items in legislation. The election law requires that women account for 50 percent of party lists in national legislative elections.

In the 2013 presidential election, Correa won a second term with more than 57 percent of the vote in the first round, followed by Guillermo Lasso Mendoza of the Creating Opportunities Movement (CREO) with 22 percent. In concurrent legislative elections, Correa's Alianza PAIS won an overwhelming 100 of the 137 seats. CREO took only 11 seats; the Social Christian Party won 6; Patriotic Society, Avanza, and the Pachakutik Plurinational Unity Movement won 5 each; and five smaller factions took 1 seat each. A 2008 constitutional mandate called for a significant female presence in public office; women won 53 of 137 assembly seats in the 2013 elections.

International observers reported that the elections were generally free and fair. According to the Organization of American States (OAS), the environment for political competition among candidates was more equal than in previous elections due to new regulations imposed during the campaign period. The OAS noted, however, that competition between candidates in the precampaign period remained unregulated, giving an advantage to the incumbent. Prior to the elections, the Correa administration promoted changes to the parliament's seat-allocation formula that favored larger parties, which critics warned would benefit PAIS.

In 2014, a majority in the National Assembly approved 15 constitutional amendments. Among other things, the changes lowered the minimum age of presidential candidates to 30 years, limited the subjects on which citizens and local governments could request a referendum, and eliminated term limits for elected officials. The removal of term limits included a provision restricting current officials who had already served two terms, including Correa, from running again in 2017, though these individuals would be eligible again beginning in 2021. The opposition and several civil society groups condemned the amendments.

In October 2016, the National Electoral Council opened the candidate registration process for the February 2017 general elections.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation 11 / 16

B1. Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system open to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings?

B2. Is there a significant opposition vote and a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections?

B3. Are the people's political choices free from domination by the military, foreign powers, totalitarian parties, religious hierarchies, economic oligarchies, or any other powerful group?

B4. Do cultural, ethnic, religious, or other minority groups have full political rights and electoral opportunities?

For decades, Ecuador's political parties have been largely personality based, clientelist, and fragile. Correa's PAIS remains by far the largest party in the legislature. Other parties include CREO, the Social Christian Party, and the Patriotic Society Party.

The 2008 constitution mandated that political organizations register in order to be eligible for participation in the 2013 general elections, although the process drew controversy. In preparation for the 2014 local elections, the registry of local organizations expanded. At the end of 2016, there were more than 150 registered political organizations, most of them at the local level.

Ecuador's constitution promotes nondiscrimination and provides for the adoption of affirmative action measures to guarantee equality and representation of minorities. In practice, however, indigenous groups often lack a voice in key decisions pertaining to their land and resources. The Pachakutik movement is loosely affiliated with the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities, the leading national organization representing indigenous groups.

C. Functioning of Government 6 / 12

C1. Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government?

C2. Is the government free from pervasive corruption?

C3. Is the government accountable to the electorate between elections, and does it operate with openness and transparency?

Ecuador has long been racked by corruption, and the weak judiciary and lack of investigative capacity in government oversight agencies contribute to an environment of impunity. Corruption investigations fall under the jurisdiction of the government's Office of Transparency and Social Control, created under the 2008 constitution. In 2013, the agency launched a national plan aimed at eradicating corruption by 2017. In April 2016, the National Assembly Justice Commission began investigating the involvement of Ecuadorian entities in potential financial wrongdoing suggested by the Panama Papers, a cache of documents leaked from a major offshore law firm. The initiative produced an August report on tax havens that included a recommendation for further investigations of institutions, officials, and private individuals. In May, former head of the state-owned oil company Petroecuador, Alex Bravo, was detained on charges of illicit enrichment. In June, Ecuadorian authorities dismantled a criminal network involved in money laundering and the illegal export of gold. Also in June, the National Assembly passed a law designed to help the detection, prevention, and prosecution of money laundering.

Ecuador was ranked 90 out of 176 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Civil Liberties 33 / 60 (-2)

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief 11 / 16 (-1)

D1. Are there free and independent media and other forms of cultural expression?

D2. Are religious institutions and communities free to practice their faith and express themselves in public and private?

D3. Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free of extensive political indoctrination?

D4. Is there open and free private discussion?

Ecuador remained a hostile environment for freedom of expression in 2016. The press watchdog Fundamedios recorded 535 cases of aggression against media workers during the year, of which 32 were instances of physical aggression. Correa continued to use national broadcasts to castigate opposition leaders and other critics. The government also made use of its unlimited access to public service airtime to interrupt news programming on privately owned stations for the purpose of discrediting journalists.

Criminal prosecution of defamation remains a problem. In September 2016, a judge sentenced Quito's CREO vice-mayor, Eduardo del Pozo, to 15 days in prison for defaming Correa. Del Pozo planned to appeal the sentence.

Ecuador's controversial Organic Law on Communications, approved by the National Assembly in 2013, has faced strong criticism from international press freedom groups and human rights commissions for overly broad restrictions on the media. Among other provisions, the legislation created powerful regulatory bodies with little independence from the executive, placed excessive controls on journalistic content, and imposed onerous obligations on journalists and media outlets, such as barring reporters from working unless they hold degrees from accredited institutions. The law also employs vague language that could be used to censor critical reporting, prohibiting "media lynching" and "character assassination." The former extends to investigative reporting, while the latter covers the dissemination of any information that could undermine the prestige of an individual or institution. The Constitutional Court upheld the law in 2014, rejecting a challenge by opposition politicians and civil society groups. According to Fundamedios, from October 2013 to June 2016, the law resulted in 398 sanctions, 98 percent of which were levied against privately owned media. In August 2016, the media regular sanctioned award-winning journalist Janet Hinostroza and the television network Teleamazonas, for which she hosts a program, for "media lynching" in their investigative reporting about a government purchase of medication. Before the sanction was announced, Correa personally denounced Hinostroza and Teleamazonas in his weekly television address.

The 2013 criminal code contains potential restrictions on freedom of expression, including provisions penalizing the propagation of information that could erode equality, the unauthorized dissemination of personal information, the publication of false news that could affect the economy, and the defense of someone sentenced for a crime. The code retained existing libel and terrorism clauses. A constitutional reform package approved in 2015 included a provision to make communications a "public service," which gives the government broad regulatory powers over the media.

Freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed and generally respected in practice.

In 2016, some government maneuvers around higher education funding threatened to compromise academic freedom. In December, the National Assembly approved changes to the Law on Higher Education that eliminate public funding for research at universities that operate in Ecuador under international agreements. Earlier in the year, Correa criticized the use of public funds by such institutions. Critics noted that the changes would severely undermine the viability of two graduate institutions, Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar and FLACSO Ecuador.

Critical content published online has been subject to increasing pressure from the government in recent years. Crackdowns on social media have led some online outlets to disable sections for public commentary for fear of reprisal, limiting the freedom of private discussion online. The government has employed private firm Ares Rights to force the removal of YouTube videos and Twitter posts that are critical of the government, mostly relying on copyright infringement as grounds. Fundamedios reported that more than 800 complaints against at least 292 Ecuadorian Twitter accounts were filed between mid-April and mid-July 2016. The complaints targeted accounts that had a significant following and that posted content criticizing the government.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights 6 / 12 (-1)

E1. Is there freedom of assembly, demonstration, and open public discussion?

E2. Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations?

E3. Are there free trade unions and peasant organizations or equivalents, and is there effective collective bargaining? Are there free professional and other private organizations?

Numerous protests occur throughout the country without incident. However, national security legislation that predates the Correa administration provides a broad definition of sabotage and terrorism, extending to acts against persons and property by unarmed individuals. The use of such charges against protesters has increased under Correa. According to Human Rights Watch, delays in the appeals process of sabotage and terrorism cases are likely the result of political pressure.

Weeks of national protests in 2015 over indigenous rights left more than 100 injured, including civilians and police personnel. Watchdogs condemned police officers' use of excessive force and arbitrary detention in response to the events.

While the right to organize civic groups and unions is granted by law, domestic and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have come under increasing government scrutiny and regulation. A 2013 presidential decree, codified in 2015, introduced onerous requirements for forming an NGO, granted officials broad authority to dissolve organizations, and obliged NGOs to register all members. Critics contended that the decree violated international standards, and activists challenged its constitutionality in Ecuadorian courts.

In December 2016, the government initiated the dissolution process of Accion Ecologica, an environmental NGO, arguing that the organization had diverged from its goals after it supported a Shuar community that clashed with police amid a conflict with a Chinese mining company. Authorities accused the organization of acting beyond its authority, participating in violence, and interfering in politics.

Private-sector labor unions have the right to strike, though the labor code limits public-sector strikes. The 2015 constitutional amendments limit public sector collective bargaining. There are more labor unions in the public than in the private sector. The ILO has recommended that Ecuador review a constitutional provision mandating that only one association represent public sectors workers. It is estimated that only a small portion of the general workforce is unionized, partly because many people work in the informal sector.

In August 2016, the Ministry of Education dissolved the UNE on the grounds that the union had failed to properly register its leadership and was noncompliant with regulations on social organizations. UNE sustained that its attempts to register its leadership encountered obstacles within the government. The dissolution was widely viewed as a political move and prompted criticism from the public and international organizations, including the ILO.

F. Rule of Law 6 / 16

F1. Is there an independent judiciary?

F2. Does the rule of law prevail in civil and criminal matters? Are police under direct civilian control?

F3. Is there protection from political terror, unjustified imprisonment, exile, or torture, whether by groups that support or oppose the system? Is there freedom from war and insurgencies?

F4. Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population?

Ecuador's highest-ranking judicial bodies are the 21-member National Court of Justice and the nine-member Constitutional Court. Opposition members and foreign experts have expressed concern about the pronounced lack of transparency in the appointment process for the National Court of Justice, and the Constitutional Court has likewise faced criticism because members of its selection committee are closely aligned with the government. The system used by the Council of Popular Participation to vet candidates for the attorney general, appointed in 2011, was similarly criticized for its lack of transparency.

Judicial processes remain slow, with many inmates reaching the time limit for pretrial detention while their cases are still under investigation. Overcrowding plagues the prison system, and torture and ill-treatment of detainees and prisoners are widespread. The 2013 criminal code introduced more restrictive rules on pretrial detention, penalties for specific crimes such as hired killings, and tougher sentences for existing offenses. The government maintains strict visitation protocols for inmates' families.

There have been some tensions in the president's relationship with Ecuador's military. In February 2016, amid a dispute over a 2010 land deal between the military and the Ministry of the Environment, Correa dismissed the high command of the armed forces. The dismissals led to the resignation of the minister of defense and prompted Correa to initiate a cabinet reshuffle in March.

Indigenous people continue to suffer discrimination at many levels of society. In the Amazon region, indigenous groups have attempted to win a share of oil revenues and a voice in decisions on natural resources and development. The government, however, has steadfastly refused the claims of indigenous inhabitants, maintaining that development of protected land is a matter of national interest. Those who continue to campaign against the government often face harassment or violence. In reports submitted for Ecuador's 2017 United Nations Universal Periodic Review on Human Rights, several human rights organizations highlighted violations of the rights of prior consent and free association of indigenous peoples.

Ecuador is the largest recipient of refugees in Latin America. A 2015 report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) asserted that Ecuador needed to better uphold the right of asylum and to fight discrimination against refugees. In July 2016, authorities detained and deported around 150 Cuban nationals who were living in an encampment in Quito and protesting poor access to immigration and asylum mechanisms. Most of the individuals were attempting to obtain humanitarian visas from the Mexican government and continue to the United States; some had requested asylum in Ecuador. Human rights watchdogs condemned the move, arguing that the judges who presided over the deportation proceedings violated due process.

The government has shown some responsiveness in upholding the rights of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people. The constitution includes the right to decide one's sexual orientation, and discrimination based on sexual orientation is prohibited by law. Nevertheless, LGBT individuals continue to face discriminatory treatment.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights 10 / 16

G1. Do individuals enjoy freedom of travel or choice of residence, employment, or institution of higher education?

G2. Do individuals have the right to own property and establish private businesses? Is private business activity unduly influenced by government officials, the security forces, political parties/organizations, or organized crime?

G3. Are there personal social freedoms, including gender equality, choice of marriage partners, and size of family?

G4. Is there equality of opportunity and the absence of economic exploitation?

Freedom of movement outside and inside the country is largely unrestricted. Individuals can determine their place and type of employment. There has been some controversy over entrance to public institutions of higher education since the government introduced a nationwide examination and reorganized admission procedures.

Citizens have the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue influence by nonstate actors. While there may be delays due to red tape, Ecuador's business environment is close to the regional average in the World Bank's 2017 Doing Business report. The results of a 2011 referendum and a subsequent antimonopoly law prevent asset holders in private financial institutions or private companies in the communications sector from simultaneously holding stakes outside each of these sectors.

Employment discrimination is common. The government has taken steps to protect women's rights through public campaigns and legal measures. The 2013 criminal code included femicide as a crime, with penalties reaching 26 years in prison. Sexual harassment is punishable with up to two years in prison. From the 2013 enforcement of the code to April 2016, the attorney general's office investigated 84 cases of femicide, resulting in 24 guilty verdicts. The constitution does not provide for same-sex marriage, but civil unions are recognized.

Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian individuals, as well as migrants and refugees from Colombia, are most vulnerable to human trafficking in Ecuador.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Cite as

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the report submitted by Tajikistan under article 12 (1) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, 10 February 2017, CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/Q/1, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922d9674.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
Cite as

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the report submitted by Cyprus under article 8 (1) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 3 March 2017, CRC/C/OPAC/CYP/Q/1, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922dacc4.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
Cite as

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the report submitted by Guinea under article 8, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 8 March 2017, CRC/C/OPAC/GIN/Q/1, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922dc3e15.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
Cite as

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), List of issues in relation to the report submitted by Tajikistan under article 8 (1) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, 10 March 2017, CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/Q/1, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922df254.html [accessed 10 November 2022]
Greece: People displaced by imminent closure of refugee camps must get safe and adequate housing

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 22 May 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Greece: People displaced by imminent closure of refugee camps must get safe and adequate housing, 22 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922e7014.html [accessed 10 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.

Greek authorities must ensure that refugees and migrants expected to start being evacuated from three Elliniko camps tomorrow, are provided with safe, adequate, alternative housing, said Amnesty International.

"Whilst no one will mourn the closure of these uninhabitable, unsafe camps, the failure to provide people living there with information about their imminent removal has only served to increase their fears and anxieties," said Monica Costa Riba, Amnesty International's Regional Campaigner.

"There has been no consultation with Ellinko residents who have been kept in the dark as to when and where they will be moved to. The authorities must urgently guarantee that no one will be rendered homeless or placed at risk as a result of the closure. Safe and secure adequate alternative housing which takes account of the particular needs of women and girls must be made available."

Amnesty International's request to visit the camps between 21 and 23 May was refused but researchers interviewed residents outside Elliniko.

One Afghan man told Amnesty International: "They don't give us information, which creates a lot of anxiety...They want to confuse us so that we cannot decide and they'll decide for us."

One Afghan woman told Amnesty International: "We talked with everyone but no one tells us anything. I am really worried about ending up on the street".

Another Afghan woman who described the poor conditions in Elliniko including poor sanitation, lack of privacy and security, told Amnesty International: "We have been through hell here. I won't go to another camp."

BACKGROUND

The evacuation of the Elliniko refugee camps in Athens is expected to begin tomorrow. More than 800 refugees and migrants, mostly from Afghanistan, are currently living there in tents.

Join Amnesty International's campaign for the residents of Elliniko here.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
The Egyptian armys chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazi, met in Cairo on Monday with the UKs chief of defence intelligence, Air Marshall Philip Osborn, for talks on a wide range of issues, including regional security.

Among the key topics under discussion was developments in the MENA region that impact negatively on regional and global security and stability.

In an official statement from the Egyptian armed forces, army spokesman Tamer El-Refai said the meeting covered ways of supporting military cooperation between the armed forces of Egypt and the UK, seeking to enhance the exchange of views and information in various areas.

The talks were attended by several officials from the Egyptian military, as well as the British ambassador to Cairo John Casson.

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Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 22 May 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups, 22 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922e7aa4.html [accessed 10 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.

For the past four years, the Kremlin has sought to stigmatize criticism or alternative views of government policy as disloyal, foreign-sponsored, or even traitorous. It is part of a sweeping crackdown to silence critical voices that has included new legal restrictions on the internet, on freedom of expression, on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and on other fundamental freedoms.

An enduring, central feature has been the 2012 law requiring independent groups to register as "foreign agents" if they receive any foreign funding and engage in broadly defined "political activity." In Russia, the term "foreign agent" can be interpreted by the public only as "spy" or "traitor." To date, Russia's Justice Ministry has designated 158 groups as "foreign agents," courts have levied staggering fines on many groups for failing to comply with the law, and about 30 groups have shut down rather than wear the "foreign agent" label. Organizations targeted include groups that work on human rights, the environment, LGBT issues, and health issues, groups that do polling about social issues. A court forced the closure of AGORA Association, one of Russia's leading human rights organizations , in response to a Justice Ministry suit alleging that the group violated the "foreign agents" law and carried out work beyond its mandate. The ministry has removed its "foreign agent" tag from over 20 groups, acknowledging that they had stopped accepting foreign funding. Accordingly, as of May 22, 2017, the official list of active "foreign agents" consisted of 96 groups. The 'Foreign Agent' Law Under the 2012 law, groups must register with the Justice Ministry as "foreign agents" if they receive even a minimal amount of funding from any foreign sources, governmental or private, and engage in "political activity." The definition of political activity under the law is so broad and vague that it effectively extends to all aspects of advocacy and human rights work. Initially, the law required all nongovernmental organizations that met these criteria to register with the ministry and to identify themselves as "foreign agents" in all their public materials, with legal consequences for failure to comply. Russia's human rights groups resolutely boycotted the law, calling it "unjust" and "slanderous." In 2013, Russia's then-federal ombudsman, Vladimir Lukin, challenged the law in Russia's Constitutional Court. In 2014, the court upheld the law, finding that there were no legal or constitutional grounds for contending that the term "foreign agent" had negative connotations from the Soviet era and that, therefore, its use was "not intended to persecute or discredit" organizations. The court also found that the "foreign agent" designation was in line with the public interest and the interest of state sovereignty. Two years of mounting pressure by the authorities, court proceedings, and massive fines did not succeed in forcing groups to voluntarily register as foreign agents. In May 2014 Russia's parliament amended the "foreign agents" law to authorize the Justice Ministry to register groups as "foreign agents" without their consent. In May 2016, parliament adopted another set of amendments to the law, expanding the controversial definition of "political activity" to include, among other things, any attempt by an independent group to influence public policy, regardless of the group's mandate. To date, the registry of "foreign agents" includes the following organizations:

Association of NGOs in Defense of Voters' Rights "Golos" (Moscow) - June 5, 2014 Regional Public Association in Defense of Democratic Rights and Freedoms "Golos" (Moscow) - June 5, 2014 Center for Social Policy and Gender Studies (Saratov) - June 5, 2014 (the organization was shut down - May 22, 2015) Women of Don (Rostov region) - June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - February 29, 2016) Kostroma Center for Support of Public Initiatives (Kostroma) - June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - June 19, 2015) Interregional Human Rights Association "Agora" (Kazan) - July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down - December 29, 2016) Regional public organization "Ecozaschita! - Womens' Council" (Kaliningrad) - July 21, 2014 Public Verdict Foundation (Moscow) - July 21, 2014 Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Moscow) - July 21, 2014 Lawyers for Constitutional Rights and Freedoms / JURIX (Moscow) - July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down - May 26, 2015) Soldiers' Mothers (Saint Petersburg) - August 28, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - October 23, 2015) Freedom of Information Foundation / Institute for Information Freedom Development - August 28, 2014 PIR Center - September 3, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - February 24, 2016) Association "Partnership for Development" (Saratov) - October 2, 2014 (the organization was shut down - November 6, 2015) "News Agency MEMO.RU" (Moscow) - November 20, 2014 Regional Press Institute (St. Petersburg) - November 20, 2014 Moscow School of Civic Education - December 9, 2014 Rakurs, Arkhangelsk regional non-governmental LGBT organization - December 15, 2014 All-Russian movement "For Human Rights" - December 22, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - December 30, 2015) Human Rights Center (Kaliningrad) - December 25, 2014 Krasnodar Regional Social Organization of University Alumni - December 25, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - April 22, 2016) Regional social organization "Public Commission for Academic Sakharov's Heritage Preservation" - December 25, 2014 Resource Human Rights Center (St. Petersburg) - December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down - November 3, 2015) Regional Public Organization "Man and the Law" (Republic of Mari El) - December 30, 2014 Center for Social Development "Vozrozhdeniye" (Pskov) - December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down - January 31, 2017) Public Human Rights Organization "Civil Control" (St. Petersburg) - December 30, 2014 The League of Women Voters (St. Petersburg) - December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down - May 22, 2015) Free Press Support Foundation - December 30, 2014 Interregional Non-Governmental Organization "The Committee Against Torture" - January 16, 2015 (the organization was shut down - September 13, 2016) Educational Center "Memorial" (Sverdlov region) - January 16, 2015 Autonomous non-profit human rights organization "Youth Center for Consulting and Training" - January 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - July 22, 2015) "Information Bureau of the Nordic Council of Ministers in St. Petersburg" - January 20, 2015 Jewish regional branch of the Russian public organization "Municipal Academy"- January 26, 2015 (the organization was shut down - May 22, 2015) The noncommercial partnership "Press Development Institute - Siberia" - January 30, 2015 Center for social, psychological and legal help to victims of discrimination and homophobia "Maximum" (Murmansk) - February 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down - October 28, 2015) Interregional public fund for civil society development "Golos-Povolzhye" (Samara) - February 6, 2015 Interregional charity organization "Siberian Environmental Center" (Novosibirsk) - February 12, 2015 Center for Civic Analysis and Independent Research / GRANI (Perm) - February 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - June 19, 2015) Municipal public organization "Samara Center for Gender Studies" (Samara) - February 16, 2015 Regional Fund "Center for Defense of Mass Media Rights" (Voronezh) - February 26, 2015 Regional Charitable Social Foundation "For nature" (Chelyabinsk) - March 6, 2015 (the organization was shut down - April 18, 2017) Regional Ecological Social Movement "For nature" (Chelyabinsk) - March 6, 2015 Humanist Youth Movement (Murmansk) - March 13, 2015 (the organization was shut down - August 25, 2015) Regional Social Organization for Contribution to Harmonization of Interethnic Relations "Azerbaijan" - March 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - July 22, 2016) Regional Social Environmental Organization "Bellona-Murmansk" - March 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down - October 16, 2015) "Educational Center for Environment and Security" (Samara) - March 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - October 8, 2015) Foundation "Migration XXI Century" - March 27, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - November 25, 2016) Eco-logika (Rostov) - April 3, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - March 30, 2016) Transparency International Russia - April 7, 2015 Social Environmental Organization "Planeta Nadezhd" - April 15, 2015 Foundation for Consumers' Rights Defense (Novosibirsk) - April 17, 2015 (the organization was shut down - May 12, 2016) Civic Assistance Committee - April 20, 2015 Foundation 19/29 - Foundation for Support of Investigative Journalism - April 24, 2015 Commemorative Centre of History of Political Repressions "Perm - 36" - April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down - August 18, 2016) Women's League (Kaliningrad ) - April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down - December 16, 2015) Legal Expert Partnership "Soyuz " - May 7, 2015 (the organization was shut down - 25 August 2015) Center for Development of Non-Commerical Organizations - May 13, 2015 Club of Accountants and Auditors of Non-Commercial Organizations - May 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - March 30, 2016) Informational Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Northern Countries (Kaliningrad) - May 13, 2015 Sutyajnik (Yekaterinburg) - May 15, 2015 Human Rights Academy (Yekaterinburg) - May 15, 2015 Ecological Center "Dront" (Nizhny Novgorod) - May 22, 2015 The non-profit organization "Liberal Mission" Scientific Foundation of Theoretical and Applied Research - May 25, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - September 11, 2015) The non-profit Dynasty Foundation - May 25, 2015 Union of Employers (Tula region) - May 28, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - December 13, 2016) Youth organization "Nuori Karjala/Young Karelia" - June 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down - March 25, 2016) Siberian Center for Support of Social Initiatives - June 19, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - September 21, 2016) Interregional Social Foundation for Peace in the South and in the Northern Caucasus - June 19, 2015 Informational Center "Free Inform" - June 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down - June 21, 2016) Center for Independent Sociological Studies (St. Petersburg) - June 22, 2015 Regional Organization for Population and Development - June 23, 2015 Geblerov Ecological Societ (Barnaul) - June 23, 2015 Association "Legal Basis" (Yekaterinburg) - July 3, 2015 Interregional Non-governmental Organization "Northern Environmental Coalition" (Petrozavodsk) - July 8, 2015 (the organization was shut down - December 1, 2015) Komi Human Rights Commission "Memorial" (Syktyvkar) - July 21, 2015 Altai Regional Public Fund for 21st Century Altai (Barnaul) - July 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down - March 28, 2016) Interregional Public Foundation for Civil Society Development "GOLOS-Ural" (Chelyabinsk region) - July 22, 2015 SREDA Foundation - July 28, 2015 Non-governmental environmental organization "Green World" (Nizhny Novgorod) - July 29, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - October 28, 2016) Civic Action Foundation (Perm) - August 5, 2015 Alliance of Funds of Local Communities of the Perm territory - August 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - October 26, 2016) Kabardino-Balkaria Human Rights Center - regional branch of the "For Human Rights" All-Russian movement (Nalchik) - August 18, 2015 (the organization was shut down - November 6, 2015) The Human Rights Center of the Chechen Republic (Grozny) - August 21, 2015 Interregional Social Ecological Foundation "ISAR-Siberia" (Novosibirsk) - August 26, 2015 Perm Regional Human Rights Center (Perm) - September 3, 2015 Siberia's lifeline (Novosibirsk) - September 3, 2015 Golos Foundation in Support of Democracy - September 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down - June 21, 2016) Jewish Cultural Center "Hesed-Teshuva" (Ryazan) - September 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - December 13, 2016) Sakhalin Environment Watch (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) - September 18, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - April 10, 2017) Yasavey Manzara Information and Research Center (Naryan-Mar) - September 23, 2015 (the organization was shut down - June 15, 2016) Consumer Rights and Environment Protection Association "Princip" (Moscow region) - October 5, 2015 Far East Center for the Development of Civil Initiatives and Social Partnership (Vladivostok)- October 13, 2015 Russian Research Center for Human Rights - October 20, 2015 Women of the Don (Rostov region) - October 27, 2015 Friends of the Siberian Forests (Krasnoyarsk) - October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down - December 6, 2016) Photography Club "Sobytiye" (Omsk) - October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down - December 16, 2015) Research and Information Center "Memorial" (St. Petersburg) - November 6, 2015 Baikal Environmental Wave (Irkutsk) - November 10, 2015 (the organization was shut down - August 1, 2016) Glasnost Defense Foundation - November 19, 2015 Human Rights Institute - November 20, 2015 Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North - November 27, 2015 Green World (Leningrad region) - December 2, 2015 Mashr (Republic of Ingushetia) - December 8, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - April 18, 2017) Woman's World (Kaliningrad) - December 11, 2015 Panorama Information and Research Center (Moscow) - December 18, 2015 Dauria Ecological Center (Chita) - December 30, 2015 (the organization was shut down - September 1, 2016) Yekaterinburg Memorial Society (Yekaterinburg) - December 30, 2015 Bureau of Public Investigations (Nizhny Novgorod) - January 14, 2016 Committee for the Prevention of Torture (Orenburg) - January 14, 2016 Institute of Forecasting and Resolving of Political Conflicts (Nizhny Novgorod) - January 22, 2016 Ryazan Historical, Educational and Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Ryazan) - February 1, 2016 Society of Assistance to Social Protection of Citizens "Peterburgskaya EGIDA" (Saint Petersburg) - February 2, 2016 (the organization was shut down - April 26, 2016) Center for Health and Social Support "SIBALT" (Omsk) - February 15, 2016 Chelyabinsk Regional Organ of Public Independent Action "Ural Human Rights Group" (Chelyabinsk) - February 15, 2016 Women of Eurasia (Chelyabinsk) - February 15, 2016 Ural Democratic Foundation (Chelyabinsk) - February 15, 2016 Legal and Social Support Charitable Foundation "Sphere" (Saint Petersburg) - March 1, 2016 Centre for Civic Education and Human Rights (Perm) - March 3, 2016 The International Development Fund for Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation "Batani" (Moscow) - March 11, 2016 Center for Social and Labor Rights (Moscow) - March 21, 2016 Arkhar (Gorno-Altaysk) - April 5, 2016 (the organization was shut down - October 6, 2016) Publishing House "Valentin Manuylov" - April 15, 2016 Tengri School of Soul ecology (Altay) - May 17, 2016 Hanse Buero / Information Bureau of Schleswig-Holstein in Kaliningrad (Kaliningrad) - May 24, 2016 (the organization was shut down - December 30, 2016) Krasnoyarsk Regional Public Organization Agency of public initiatives (Krasnoyarsk) - May 27, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - September 21, 2016) Saratov Regional Public Organization "Socium" (Engels) - May 30, 2016 Perm regional non-governmental organization "Perm Civil Chamber" (Perm) - June 9, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - September 21, 2016) Regional non-governmental organization Integration center "Migration and Law" (Moscow) - June 16, 2016 Non-Profit Partnership "ESVERO" (Moscow) - June 22, 2016 Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice (Moscow) - June 29, 2016 Altai regional sport and patriotic youth public organization "Arctica" (Biysk) - July 6, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended - February 8, 2017) Autonomous non-governmental organization "Free Word" (Pskov) - July 13, 2016 The Institute of Economic Analysis (Moscow) - July 22, 2016 Penza regional youth civic organization for prevention of negative phenomena among youth "Panacea" (Kuznetsk) - August 15, 2016 (the organization was shut down - December 8, 2016) Samara regional, civic organization "American alumni club" (Samara) - August 26, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit organization "Publishing house 'Park Gagarina'" (Samara) - August 31, 2016 Levada Analytical Center (Moscow) - September 5, 2016 Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (Maikop) - September 13, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit human rights organization "Draftee's school" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 Foundation for support of civil freedoms "Legal mission" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Moscow) - October 4, 2016 Sverdlovsk regional non-profit foundation "Health Era" (Ekaterinburg) - October 11, 2016 Chapaevsk non-profit organization "Chapaevsk city medical personnel association" (Chapaevsk) - October 21, 2016 Regional charity foundation "Samarskaya gubernia" (Samara) - November 2, 2016 Non-profit partnership "Internet Community" (Samara) - December 13, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization for social support "Project April" (Tolyatti) - December 19, 2016 ANNA Centre for the prevention of violence (Moscow) - December 26, 2016 Southern Human Rights Centre (Sochi) - December 26, 2016 Sverdlovsk branch of the International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Ekaterinburg) - December 29, 2016 SOVA Center for Information and Analysis (Moscow) - December 30, 2016 Sverdlovsk civic organization for assistance to legal migration "Nelegalov.Net [No Illegals]" (Ekaterinburg) - January 10, 2017 Environmental human rights center Bellona (Saint Petersburg) - January 16, 2017 Youth civic organization "Pro-movement" (Altay region) - January 25, 2017 Kaliningrad regional civic organization "Society for German culture and Russian Germans Eintracht - Soglasie" (Kaliningrad) - January 31, 2017 Foundation for development assistance to mass communication and legal education "Tak-Tak-Tak" (Novosibirsk) - February 20, 2017 Murmansk regional non-profit organization "Kola ecological center" (Apatity) - April 20, 2017

And the four NGOs which registered voluntarily:

Non-commercial Partnership "Supporting Competition in the CIS Countries" - June 27, 2013 "The Union of Young Political Scientists", Karachay-Cherkess Republican Youth Social Organization - December 15, 2014 Regional Social Movement "Novgorod Women's Parliament" (Veliky Novgorod) - March 6, 2015 Center of Independent Researchers of the Altai Republic - June 10, 2015

Leader of at least 1 NGO faces criminal charges personally:

Women of Don (Rostov region) - criminal proceeding is in process. Chair Valentina Cherevatenko faces up to two years in prison for "malicious evasion of the duty to file the documents required for inclusion in the register of nonprofit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Congolese may be holding Deutsche Welle reporter from Burundi

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 22 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Congolese may be holding Deutsche Welle reporter from Burundi, 22 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922e8f84.html [accessed 10 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) is concerned about Antediteste Niragira, a Burundian reporter for German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, who went missing after calling his wife two days ago to say he was crossing the land border between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Antediteste Niragira has been planning to do a report on a refugee camp with many Burundian refugees at Lusenda, a locality about 60 km inside the DRC.





His wife has received no word from him since he called her from the border. According to information obtained by RSF, he has been arrested by the DRC's National Intelligence Agency (ANR) on the grounds that he did not have a visa.





Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reached an ANR official in Uvira, a Congolese town on the border, but he refused to answer any questions.





"There is no reason for Antediteste Niragira to be in prison, said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. This journalist has broken no law. If the Congolese authorities don't want to let him into the DRC, they should release him so that he can return home."





The DRC is ranked 154th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Drop charges against Maati Monjib and six co-defendants, RSF says

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 22 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Drop charges against Maati Monjib and six co-defendants, RSF says, 22 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922e97d4.html [accessed 10 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) calls for the withdrawal of all charges against Maati Monjib and six other journalists and activists, whose trial in connection with their defence of media freedom and human rights in Morocco will resume in Rabat with RSF in attendance.

They are being tried on serious charges that range from receiving illegal foreign funding to endangering state security, but they have not been detained. The charges were brought against them after they organized training in investigative reporting.

Monjib and four of the other defendants - Samad Ayach, Hicham El Mansouri, Rachid Tarek and Maria Moukrim are journalists or regular contributors to Moroccan media outlets such as Lakome2 and Zamane, and all are members of the Moroccan Association of Investigative Journalism (AMJI).

The other two defendants are Hicham Khreibchi, better known as Hicham Al-Miraat, who used to run the Digital Rights Association (ADN) and Mohamed Essabeur, who heads the AMJI.

If the charges are confirmed, they are facing the possibility of one to five years in prison under article 206 of Morocco's penal code. As a result of repeated harassment by the authorities, three of the defendants - Mansouri, Ayach and Miraat - have left the country and could be tried in absentia.





"We are in Rabat to reiterate our unwavering support for these seven journalists and media freedom defenders, who should not be on trial," said Paul Coppin, the head of RSF's legal committee. "The Moroccan authorities must drop the charges against them and stop gagging the media."





Since opening on 19 November 2015, the trial has already been postponed five times, which in itself constitutes a form of psychological torture.





Morocco has fallen to 133rd position in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
First jail sentence in Kurdish newspaper solidarity trials

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 22 May 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, First jail sentence in Kurdish newspaper solidarity trials, 22 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5922f5ef4.html [accessed 10 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) is alarmed to see that the Turkish authorities are stepping up their persecution of those who took part in a campaign of solidarity with the pro-Kurdish daily Ozgur Gundem and that, for the first time, they have imposed an actual prison sentence on a participant, Murat Celikkan. All previous jail sentences were suspended. The trial of RSF Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu for participating in the same campaign is meanwhile due to resume on 8 June.

Celikkan "has not shown enough remorse," an Istanbul court said on 16 May when it announced that it was sentencing this journalist and human rights activist to 18 months in prison on a charge of "propaganda for a terrorist organization."





A total of 56 journalists, human rights defenders and intellectuals took part in the solidarity campaign, taking turns at being Ozgur Gundem's "editor for a day" from May to August 2016 because it had been hounded by the justice system. Forty-one of them were charged.





Most of those whose trials are already over have been convicted on the same charge as Celikkan. They include university academic Beyza Ustun, who was given a suspended 15-month jail sentence on 16 May.





"This is the first time that one of this solidarity campaign's participants has been sentenced to actual imprisonment and it is extremely disturbing," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.





"We call for the convictions of Murat Celikkan and Beyza Ustu to be overturned on appeal and for the withdrawal of all charges against the other participants, who just defended pluralism."





The articles cited in evidence against Celikkan, published when he was "editor for a day" on 25 May 2016, were mostly reports on operations by the Turkish security forces in the troubled southeast of the country. One was about a Turkish conscript who deserted and joined the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) after an attack on pro-Kurdish activists.





Thirteen of the campaign's participants have so far been convicted of "propaganda for a terrorist organization" (the PKK) or "publishing its statements." They have been given suspended sentences that, combined, so far total 11 years and 10 months in prison. They have also been fined a total of 50,000 Turkish lira (13,200 euros).





The suspended sentence of 15 months in prison and fine of 6,000 lira that well-known composer and free speech advocate Sanar Yurdatapan had received was upheld on appeal on 14 April.





When RSF representative Onderoglu's trial before the same court as Celikkan resumes on 8 June, the prosecutor is expected to present his summing-up. If that happens, Onderoglu's lawyers will request an adjournment in order to prepare their speech for the defence.





Onderoglu is being tried along with Sebnem Korur Fincanc, the head of the Turkey's Human Rights Foundation (TIHV), and the writer Ahmet Nesin. These three are the only ones to have been placed in pre-trial detention for their role in the solidarity campaign. That was last June, when they were held for ten days before being freed conditionally.





They are facing up to 14 and a half years in prison on charges of PKK propaganda, condoning crime and inciting crime.





Turkey is ranked 155th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, between Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sultanate of Brunei. The media freedom situation in Turkey was already worrying but it has become critical since the July 2016 coup attempt. Around 150 media outlets have been closed and more than 100 journalists are currently in prison.
From 2-7 to sectional champs, Monrovia has one question: 'Why not us?'

high-school
Terrorism destroys efforts and opportunities for development, the Egyptian foreign minister said

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Monday, in an address to the Rhodes Conference for Security and Stability, that the terrorist phenomenon is the greatest challenge in the region as it aims at dismantling societies and shaking their stability,

"It requires collaboration to stop the expansion of terrorist organisations, by supporting the concept of the nation state and consolidating its bases and institutions, which form the core of the Egyptian vision for meeting the region's challenges and crises," Shoukry said, foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abo Zeid told state news agency MENA.

Terrorism should be challenged with a perspective that includes political, developmental and ideological dimensions, Shoukry added.

The second annual Rhodes Conference, held 22 and 23 May in Greece, is attended by officials from various southeastern European, Mediterranean and Arab Gulf nations.

The conference focuses on three topics: common challenges across the region; education, culture and environment; and reinforcing security and stability.

The agenda also includes illegal migration, terrorism, and the crises in Libya and Syria.

The foreign minister quoted President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's speech at a Riyadh summit on Sunday, asking "who is financing terrorist organisations and providing them safe haven? Who purchases the natural resources they have control of, like oil? Who is involved in arms and drugs deals with them? And how do they get to Media outlets?"

Shoukry also spoke on Egyptian efforts to resolve the crises in Libyan and Syrian to reach stability and unity in both countries, Abo Zeid told MENA.

The foreign minister underlined the importance of education and culture in reinforcing cultures of dialogue and coexistence, capable of achieving security and stability and confronting violent and extremist ideologies.

Shoukry is expected to hold bilateral meetings with a number of participating foreign ministers during his visit

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Supporters of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party dance during a rally at Democracy Park in Phnom Penh, Oct. 6, 2013.

UPDATED at 10:20 A.M. on 2017-05-22

Opposition parties and civil society groups in Cambodia objected on Friday to what they consider last-minute rules issued by the countrys election committee to reduce political campaigning to two days, keep campaigners off main roadways, and maintain public order during election rallies in the run-up to next months commune elections.

The National Election Committee (NEC), which oversees national elections in Cambodia, has limited public rallies to two days during a 14-day election campaign period, and said that the remaining time should be used for normal political campaign activities. It has also restricted the number of campaigners involved in public activities, such as distributing leaflets, and the number of vehicles they can use during this time.

Opposition parties and civil society groups interpreted the moves as further restrictions on their right to hold public rallies during the official campaign period from May 20 to June 2 before commune elections on June 4.

Meng Sopheary, head of the Election and Legislative Affairs Department of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), said the instructions issued by the NEC, which oversees the countrys national elections, restrict political parties ability to disseminate their messages.

She raised questions about why the NEC, a supposedly independent body, was putting in place various restrictions and said that the move likely came as a result of the CNRPs growing popularity.

For the CNRP, we want the campaign rally to be held as widely as possible to send our political messages to the people, she said. We want the people to join us, and our supporters also want to take part in the rally to show that the CNRPs campaign can attract many [people]. Such limitations dont allow us to stage activities on a grand scale.

Observers say the CNRPone of 12 political parties competing for 1,646 commune council seatscould give the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) a run for its money in the June polls, foreshadowing a possible CNRP win in national elections scheduled for 2018.

Thorn Chantha, deputy secretary-general of the royalist Funcinpec party, said the NECs instructions for holding campaign rallies do not provide complete explanations, and he is concerned that campaigners may interpret the rules differently.

Nevertheless, CPP headquarters official Chhao Vanndeth agrees with the NECs instructions, arguing that the bodys regulations are based on reason and the law.

The CPP can accept all the NEC instructions in addition to [election campaign] laws and directives, he said. We dont have any problems with them. The CPP will implement and abide by the NECs instructions.

Meng Sopheary, head of the CNRP's Election and Legislative Affairs Department, speaks at a press conference in Phnom Penh, May 19, 2017. Credit: RFA Ensuring public order

Tep Nitha, the NECs secretary general, said the body has put in place what others consider to be restrictions and procedures for the commune elections to ensure public security and order to create a sound environment for political parties to disseminate their messages to voters.

If the political campaigns were held in a disorderly manner, and any party could do whatever it wanted, then all of society would encounter a deadlock," he said.

He cited the example of campaigning at public markets, saying that if the NEC allowed parties to use loudspeakers everywhere, it would affect merchants ability to sell their goods because people would stay away.

Meanwhile, authorities in the capital Phnom Penh, where the largest rallies are held, have instructed representatives of six political parties with candidates up for election not to gather in major public parks and have banned rallies from being held along the citys main boulevards.

The municipal authorities also informed the parties to notify them in advance if they distribute campaign material in public markets.

Sin Tithseyha, an investigation official with the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel), said this is a further restriction imposed on political parties during the campaign period.

He also said the NEC should not prohibit political parties from holding campaign rallies at key gathering places because the agency had already reduced the campaign period to 14 days.

The NEC said it will impose fines ranging from 5 million riels (U.S. $1,200) to 30 million riels (U.S. $ 7,400) on political parties that breach the procedures in accordance with the commune/sangkat (administrative division) election laws and the law on the election of members of parliament.

CNRP to begin rally

Amid criticism of the NECs move by opposition parties, the CNRP said it will kick off its campaign rally Saturday along roads designated by municipal authorities in Phnom Penh.

Morn Phalla, the CNRPs executive committee chairman in the capital, said the party agreed to use diverted roadways per the NECs instructions to avoid traffic congestion.

The regulation also does not affect the roads along which the CNRP had chosen to hold its campaign rally, he added.

That is neither a strict measure, nor does it pose any major problem because we can change directions according to the map, he said, referring to a map issued by the NEC that designates roads in Phnom Penh where campaign rallies cannot be held.

The CNRP will begin the rally at its headquarters near Wat Chak Angre Krom and move through major boulevards in the capital, including National Road No. 2, the Preah Monivong Bridge, Preah Monivong Blvd., and Preah Sihanouk Blvd., until it arrives at Chumpou Voan market on the outskirts of town.

CNRP president Kem Sokha will participate in the rally on Saturday.

The CPP, however, will not hold any major rallies across communes on the first day of the campaign period, because the law only allows parties to hold a rally in each individual commune/sangkat, said CPP lawmaker and spokesman Sok Ey San. Instead, the party will hold a meeting at each of its commune offices.

The CPP will hold another meeting at each commune/sangkat party office on the second day, he said.

During the remaining 12 days of the campaign period, the party may hold rallies inside communes/sangkats to distribute leaflets about its political platform, he said.

All communes/sangkats will hold their own meetings, [and] each commune will have its own rally, Sok Ey San said.

The CPP will also acknowledge May 20 as the date of remembrance of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime that ruled the country from 1975 to 1979.



Reported by Sonorng Khe and Vanndeth Van for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Correction: A previous version of this story erroneously listed the number of days in the official campaign period as 12 instead of 14.


The third day of campaigning ahead of commune elections remained relatively quiet Monday in Cambodias capital Phnom Penh amid tight restrictions by the countrys electoral body, while civil society groups urged parties to refrain from using rhetoric that could lead to political violence.



Yang Kim Enga contributor to the Situation Room group of civil society organizations (CSOs) that includes the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL), Licadho, and Adhoctold RFAs Khmer Service that National Election Committee (NEC) regulations had kept political party gatherings calm in the capital, compared with previous campaign periods.



The rallies are small due to NEC restrictions  [on] both the form of campaigns and materials used during those campaigns, he said.



For instance, one car, a motorbike and a couple of tuktuk tricycles with more than 10 people using loudspeakers to spread a political message is considered a rally.



The NEC placed no restrictions on the size or number of rallies during the lead up to elections in previous years, but on May 19 issued rules limiting public rallies to two days during 2017s campaign period, which began a day later, prompting objections form opposition parties and CSOs.



Yang Kim Eng said that the 12 political parties competing for 1,646 commune council seats across the country on June 4 dared not stage multiple large cross-commune rallies for fear of not being allowed to hold them on the final day of the 14-day campaign period.



On May 20, thousands of supporters from both the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) and the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) had flooded the streets of the capital to mark the beginning of the campaign period.



But each of the six political parties vying for seats within Phnom Penh staged only a small march in each of the citys communes on day three of campaigns, he said.



Prime Minister Hun Sens CPPwhich staged a major rally at the capitals Koh Pich Convention Center on May 22did not hold a gathering on Monday, and instead arranged kiosks at several major boulevards and at its various commune offices around the city.



The CNRP held a small rally with marches and tuktuks in each commune within Phnom Penh, distributing stickers and discussing its platform and plans for local development to residents along the way.



The four remaining partiesFUNCINPEC, the Khmer National United Party, the League for Democracy, and the Beehive Social Democratic Partydid little campaigning in the capital Monday.



Meas Chhorporn, the chairperson of the Phnom Penh Election Campaign, told RFA that there had been no disputes related to campaigning in the capital since May 20, and commended political parties for maintaining a sound environment while holding their events.



There have been no major challenges for us to resolve, he said.



Campaign rhetoric



On Monday, COMFREL investigation coordinator Korn Savang called on political parties to show restraint and refrain from using insults and threats against one another that could lead to violence during the campaign period, urging the NEC to take action against offenders.



For civil society, we believe that any messages intended to intimidate or threaten are illegal, he told RFA.



The NEC should take measures, such as warning or advising parties concerned, in accordance with its stipulated procedures.



On May 14, defense minister Tea Banh had warned that the army will smash the teeth of anyone protesting an election win by the CPP and quickly suppress any demonstrations by CNRP members like those that followed the oppositions loss in national elections in 2013.



Hun Sen has also made several references in recent months to civil war if the public does not support his CPP in local elections on June 4.



While observers view such statements as intimidation tactics by the ruling party, the NEC has said it has no authority to act because the threats were made ahead of the campaign period.



On the first day of the campaign, however, co-chairperson for the CPPs Prey Kabas district working group in Takeo province was quoted by local media accusing the CNRP of inciting its supporters and activists to cause social chaos, and said the opposition had never done so much as build a toilet for the people of Cambodia.



The commune council election on June 4 is one of peace or war, development or tragedy, prosperity or death, he said at the time.



And on May 21, the CPP expressed anger over a CNRP supporter who posted a video clip on her Pey Pey Ly Facebook account suggesting the ruling party had hired Vietnamese citizens to bolster the ranks of its rallies because Cambodians will no longer vote for it in exchange for petty gifts.



NEC spokesperson Hang Puthea on Monday said that the committee had not investigated either of the two cases because no complaint had been lodged for either incident, adding that it is currently looking into other more immediate cases, and urging all political parties to comply with campaign procedures.



The NEC has a department for monitoring all content and forms of the election campaign, he said.



The NEC cannot work at the same time as both judge and plaintiff for a complaint, since it may cause confusion, he added.



On May 20, U.S. State Department spokeswoman for East Asia Alicia Edwards said Washington had urged Cambodias government to guarantee a political space free from threats or intimidation and respect freedom of expression for all its citizens, according to a report by the Associated Press.



CNRP lawmaker and spokesperson Yim Sovann said Monday that the statement was issued to encourage Cambodian citizens to be brave and confident, and realize that only an election can solve the nations most important issues.



Local ban



Concerns over campaign practices came as Huong Chamnab, a CNRP candidate for Orussey communes Kapo village, in Kratie provinces Kratie city, told RFA that local authorities had prevented residents who previously accepted CPP gifts from participating in the campaign events of other parties.



They did not allow those people who had accepted [CPP] gifts to take part in the opposition partys [campaign activities], he said, referring to a May 21 event held in Orussey, during which CNRP lawmaker Son Chhay explained the partys platform to around 300 attendees.



This is a threat, because citizens should be allowed to listen to the political messages of all political parties for their own consideration. We consider such a ban as a threat.



Huong Chamnab said the CNRPs local working group had already reported the matter to the Commune Election Committee (CEC), but had yet to lodge a formal complaint.



Attempts to contact Kapo village chief Ros Chheng for clarification went unanswered Monday.



Tonn Dara, vice-chairperson of the Kratie Provincial Election Committee, confirmed that the CEC had yet to receive a complaint over the allegations, but said blocking residents from taking part in campaign activities is considered a breach of the law.



If such an incident truly occurred, it is against the law and legal procedures, he said.



It could lead to a charge of obstruction and punishment.



COMFRELs Korn Savang told RFA that village authorities should not use their power to obstruct citizens from taking part in any campaign events, even if such obstruction is verbal, as it constitutes a violation of their rights.



Legally, citizen participation must not be obstructed or forced by any individual, he said.



Such activities are illegal and should be punished accordingly.



Campaign promises



Also on Monday, CNRP president Kem Sokha promised to abolish the Ministry of Rural Development and allocate U.S. $500,000 from the national budget to each commune across the country if his party wins the general election slated for 2018.



On the second day of a two-day campaign tour through communes in Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk provinces, the opposition chief told supporters that the Ministry of Rural Development had failed to deliver to the people of Cambodia, despite spending lavishly from the countrys budget.



This doesnt mean that when the CNRP wins the election, the party will carry out revenge against the losers, he said.



A CNRP victory means a victory for all Khmersa win-win for both sides. All Khmers will live harmoniously together.



Kem Sokha also promised change for the communes he visited during his campaign trip, saying that by electing CNRP candidates residents would replace unclean commune chiefs with uncorrupted and nonpartisan ones, who would work to address the difficulties they endure.



Government spokesperson Phay Siphan told RFA that Kem Sokhas plan to abolish the Ministry of Rural Development would destroy Cambodians livelihoods, and reverse development and progress for farmers in rural areas.



Observers say the CNRP could give the CPP a run for its money in the June polls, foreshadowing a possible opposition win in next years national elections.



Reported by Vanndeth Van, Sothearin Yeang, Chanthy Men, and Yuthea Touch for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
A string of reported cases of torture and degrading punishment of rights lawyers and prisoners of conscience continues to emerge from Chinese jails and detention centers.



Chinese political prisoner Chen Yunfei has been forced to wear manacles and leg irons in police detention for several weeks after making apparently sarcastic comments about his detention center governor, sources told RFA.



Chen, who was handed a four-year jail term in March after visiting the grave of a 1989 Tiananmen massacre victim in 2015, received the punishment after shouting "Our leaders are great!" at Zhang Lin, head of the police-run Xinjing County Detention Center, where he is being held pending his appeal, his lawyer said.



Lawyer Guo Haibo, who met with Chen last Friday, said his client's wrists showed injuries from the manacles, which were put on to punish his "arrogant attitude," detention center officials told Guo.



Another of Chen's defense attorneys, Sui Muqing, said he was detained illegally by the detention center for several hours after he complained about his client's treatment.



"I went to see him a couple of weeks ago, and found that he had been wearing the manacles for two weeks already," Sui said. "Chen Yunfei has a rebellious spirit, and hasn't entirely submitted to the discipline of the detention center."



At his March 31 trial in the Wuhou District People's Court in Sichuan's capital Chengdu, Chen appeared in his pajamas in a satirical reference to President Xi Jinping's slogan "the Chinese dream," and made the "victory" sign during the hearing.



Chen, who was initially detained on subversion charges on March 25, 2015 near after visiting the grave of Tiananmen massacre victim Wu Guofeng near Chengdu, has denied all charges against him.



Recently, the wife of a Chinese activist jailed on subversion charges after he was forcibly repatriated by Thailand despite having been granted political refugee status by the United Nations said he has also been mistreated in prison.



Political cartoonist Jiang Yefei had been in Thailand since fleeing China in 2008, where he was detained and tortured after he criticized the ruling Chinese Communist Party's handling of the devastating Sichuan earthquake, and was granted refugee status last April by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).



But he was handed back to Chinese authorities after securing refugee status in Thailand in November 2015, in a move that drew strong criticism from the U.N. High Commission for Refugees and human rights groups.



Beijing sought his extradition on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power" after he published a number of satirical cartoons targeting President Xi Jinping.



Jiang's Canada-based wife said in a recent statement that he has sustained lasting damage to his vision following a severe beating in jail.



An anonymous dissident who has suffered torture during detention said such stories are a sign that the ongoing crackdown on critics of the communist party shows no sign of easing.



"Overall, violence on the part of the police and the state security police seems to be on the increase," the dissident said. "Perhaps there are certain political trends at work behind the scenes."



"The accounts of people who have been detained, tortured and mistreated indicate that there is no rule of law whatsoever, and [such practices] are getting more and more common," he said.



Award for jailed activist



Meanwhile, a rights activist jailed last year for publicly supporting the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong has been honored by an independent association of Chinese students study in the United States.



Xie Wenfei was awarded the 2017 "Free Spirit Award" by the pro-democracy Independent Federation of Chinese Scholars and Students (IFCSS).



He is currently serving a four-and-a-half-year prison term in the southern province of Guangdong, one of four activists to be convicted recently for supporting Occupy Central.



Xie's friend Xiao Biao welcomed the award.



"This is a recognition of Xie Wenfei's street protests and his hard work promoting the democracy movement in mainland China," he told RFA on Monday.



"Xie Wenfei's friends haven't forgotten about him even though he is in jail," Xiao Biao said. "This award is a form of encouragement and support for his friends outside, and I hope the rest of the world doesn't forget about these protesters who are suffering in Chinese jails."



Xie Wenfei and Wang Mo were handed four-and-a-half-year prison sentences by the Intermediate People's Court in Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou, after being found guilty of "incitement to subvert state power," their lawyer told RFA.



At the same time, Zhang Shengyu was jailed for four years, while Liang Qinhui, also known by his online nickname "Sharp Knife," was handed an 18-month prison sentence on the same charges.



All four men had expressed public support for the Occupy Central movement, and were detained amid a nationwide roundup of at least 100 mainland Chinese supporters of Occupy Central, rights groups said at the time.



Xie Wenfei, who is also known as Xie Fengxia, was detained in October 2014 after wearing a black T-shirt and holding a banner in support of the 79-day Hong Kong pro-democracy movement on the streets of Guangzhou.



He entered the courtroom for the sentencing hearing on Friday shouting "Build a democratic China!" and "Down with the Communist Party!", Wang's lawyer Tan Chenshou said after the hearing.



The Occupy Central, or Umbrella Movement campaigned for Beijing to withdraw an Aug, 31, 2014 electoral reform plan, which it rejected as "fake universal suffrage," and to allow publicly nominated candidates to run for chief executive in 2017.



The plan, which offered a one-person, one-vote in 2017 elections for chief executive, but required candidates to be vetted by Beijing, was voted down on June 18, 2015 by 28 votes to eight in Hong Kong's Legislative Council, leaving the city with its existing voting arrangements still in place.



Reported by Ding Wenqi and Xin Lin for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Egypt is set to continue going after violations of nature reserve territory in line with a state campaign to reclaim public lands, environment minister Khaled Fahmy announced on Monday.

Fahmy said on the sidelines of the country's World Environment Day celebrations that the ministry has already started removing violations on protected areas, starting with South Sinais Nabq Protected Area, state news agency MENA reported.

He added that the ministry intends to carry on by developing the protected areas and preserving them.

Egypt has around 30 nature reserves which cover 12 percent of the country.

Fahmy said that much of the world adopts an economic approach to maintain reserves, by charging admission for visitors to enter and recreate, rather than through government investment.

He said that the budget allocated for protected areas was EGP 30 million last year, but this year has fallen to EGP 15 million, forcing the ministry to coordinate with other bodies to secure the resources needed to protect the reserves.

The minister added during his speech that biodiversity plays a key role in sustainable development and poverty reduction, calling it the cornerstone of life on Earth despite the human activities that endanger it.

He said that Egypt was adopting more than one approach to protect biodiversity on nature reserves, through preservation and development projects.

Last week, Egypts President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed during a televised speech his frustration at delays in the ongoing process of reclaiming state land, urging the interior ministry and the armed forces to put an end to transgressions.

Shortly after the speech, Egypts Prime Minister Sherif Ismail gave governors a deadline of 30 May for reclaiming state-owned land that has been illegally appropriated by private parties in recent decades.

Since then, thousands of feddans of land nationwide have been reclaimed by the state through the interior ministry and the army.

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Myanmar fisherman protest the presence of Chinese oil tankers in waters off the port town of Kyaukphyu in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, May 22, 2017.

About 600 residents of the deep-water port town of Kyaukphyu in western Myanmars Rakhine state on Monday protested against Chinese oil tankers moving into the area, as the operation of a long-delayed and controversial U.S. $2.5-billion dual pipeline project gets underway.

The residents boarded more than 100 motorboats and piloted them from Kyaukphyu to Maday Island, site of the local office of the Chinese state-owned oil company China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), or PetroChina, which operates the tankers.

The protesters said that local fishermens livelihoods are threatened because Myanmars Fisheries Department has banned them from fishing in the area, while allowing oil tankers to operate there, and that the government has failed to rectify the situation.

Protesters demanded that officials do something to ensure the fishermens survival and provide adequate health care and education so they can eke out a living.

We fishermen are in trouble, protester Ko Lone Lone told RFAs Myanmar Service. We protest today because we want to know whether CNPC or the government will assume responsibility for our survival, health care, and education.

The protesters also demanded the delivery of electricity to their homes 24 hours a day and the construction of communication towers, high schools, and dams that will benefit residents.

Myanmar and China agreed in April to open the 770-kilometer (480-mile) oil pipeline between Kyaukphyu and Kunming, capital of southwestern Chinas Yunnan province, after years of project delays and negotiations.

The pipeline will allow China to import oil from the Bay of Bengal, thereby diversifying its oil supply routes and scaling down its dependence on sensitive shipping lanes in the South China Sea.

A twin gas pipeline that is part of the same project has started operating.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Ethnic Lisu protest killings by the Kachin Independence Army in Myitkyina, capital of northern Myanmar's Kachin state, May 22, 2017.

Thousands of ethnic Lisu in Myitkyina, capital of northern Myanmars Kachin state, protested on Monday against an ethnic armed group for violating human rights by indiscriminately arresting and killing civilians and extorting money from them.

The protesters also took issue with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the military wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) political group, for failing to apologize for killing the Lisu people, the protesters told RFAs Myanmar Service

They demanded an apology from the KIA and pledges not to commit the same crimes in the future and to provide assistance to the families of those they killed.

Ethnic Lisu from the towns of Myitkyina, Waingmaw, Tanaing, and Puta-O joined in the protest.

They violate human rights, and they are unfair, said Alay Phar Phar, a member of Lisu National Protest Committee. They practice chauvinism when they deal with us.

The KIA killed four Lisu people last year in the Sadon region of Kachin state as well as some this year, he said, adding that local residents have not yet been able to determine the number and identities of those who died.

RFA was unable to contact KIO leaders for comment.

The Lisu people are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group who live in northern Myanmar, southwestern China, and parts of Thailand and India. Many are Christians. An estimated 600,000 Lisu live in Myanmar.

Because they inhabit mountainous areas largely covered by dense forests, they must rely on raising livestock and hunting to make a living in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar.

Armed clashes in Kachin

The KIA has been engaged in fighting with the national army in Kachin state, with the latest clash occurring on May 19 in Hpakant township, according to a report by the online journal The Irrawaddy.

The ethnic armed group, which controls large swathes of northeastern Kachin state, has regularly engaged in hostilities with the Myanmar army since a cease-fire agreement collapsed in 2011.

In November 2016, the KIA teamed up with three other ethnic armed groupsthe Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA)to form the Northern Alliance.

The alliance then launched coordinated attacks on 10 government and military targets in three townships in neighboring Shan state and along the105-mile border trade zone between Myanmar and China in retaliation for government army offensives against its soldiers.

The fighting resulted in heavy losses on both sides and displaced tens of thousands of civilians.

The protest by the Lisu in Kachin state comes as the Myanmar government gets ready to hold the second round of key peace talks known as the 21st Century Panglong Conference with various ethnic militias on May 24.

The KIA is not a signatory to the governments nationwide cease-fire agreement signed with eight ethnic armed groups in October 2015.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is spearheading the peace initiative, previously said all ethnic armed groups would be invited attend, but the KIA has suggested that it would not take part if it was invited only as an observer to the summit, The Irrawaddy said.

Reported by Kyaw Myo Min for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
After 10 years working as a bartender, Chris Burke is pursuing a new career opportunity as a skilled tradesman.

Wayne Matthews is doing the same, taking classes to become an HVAC technician after working for 30 years in customer service and information technology for a defense contractor.

Both are undergoing training through a new in-house academy created by Michael & Son, an Alexandria-based plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning company.

One of their classmates, Cody Campbell, 20, is looking to get started in a high-demand career. Another classmate is Jonathan Hicks, 26, who is pursuing training that he hopes will move him out of a series of low-paying retail jobs.

Theyve all come to Richmond from various other communities  Washington D.C., Virginia Beach, Alexandria  to enroll in Michael & Sons intense, 13-week training program, designed to prepare them for careers as plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical technicians.

I needed a change in career path, Burke said. Bartending is not a career for me. I wanted to find something better for my life. I love working with my hands, and I want to be outside more.

I had been working part-time minimum wage jobs in retail, so I needed something that actually pays me a living wage, added Hicks, whose hunt for a better job led him to do some online research on skilled trades.

Their schooling is happening at the Richmond office of Michael & Son, a company founded in 1976 by Mousa Mike Mansour, and now owned by his son, Basim Mansour.

The Michael & Son Technical Academy LLC started last year and is now in its third class. So far, 19 students have finished the program and 11 others are enrolled. Not everyone finishes the challenging course.

Weve built this school because people are not going into the trades, said Basim Mansour, who built Michael & Son from a two-man operation into a company with 12 offices from Baltimore to Charlotte, N.C.

Everybody is taught that you need to go into IT or other types of jobs, he said. The truth is, if I wanted to hire a lawyer or an accountant or an IT guy, I would have 1,000 resumes in 10 minutes, but not when I want to hire a plumber.

***

In 2012, Michael & Son acquired the former Wyeth complex on Cummings Drive in Richmond  you can see it from Interstate 95 just north of downtown.

The 8.8-acre site once served as the headquarters for Richmond-based pharmaceutical maker A.H. Robins Co. before the company was acquired. It subsequently was owned by several different business entities.

Michael & Son has converted the 273,000-square-foot complex into its Richmond regional office, a home base for the companys local service technicians that also houses a call center serving all of the companys operations.

It also is now home to the Michael & Son Technical Academy.

One part of the complex has been turned into classrooms, while three larger rooms  former production areas for A.H. Robins  have been transformed into training labs where students get hands-on experience working on HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. One room even has several full-scale models of bathrooms, with functioning plumbing.

Part of the former six-story office tower on the complex is being renovated to serve as a dormitory building for the academy students. (Another part of the office tower is being leased to CodeRVA Regional High School, which focuses on computer science and is scheduled to open this fall.)

The instructors for the academy are Jeff Onofrio and Jim Hays. Onofrio is a master plumber and Hays is a master electrician, plumber and HVAC technician. Both also are certified to teach the trades.

The students are paid employees of Michael & Sons hired by managers at the companys regional offices and selected to attend the academy. The company charges them no tuition, but they must commit to a four-year contract with the company for the entire cost to be forgiven.

When they finish the 13-week program, they become junior technicians for the company, able to work with a more experienced technician while gaining more on-the-job skills.

The course includes classroom and lab training, as well as several weeks of riding along with experienced technicians on service calls.

It is a very compressed, intense program, Hays said of the training.

Students who finish the training will have completed most of the coursework needed to take an examination for a journeymans certificate, though they still must get four years of on-the-job experience to do so.

If they can make it beyond us, they can quickly move into a decent paying job, Onofrio said.

***

Mansour said he decided to open the academy in Richmond because it is centrally located among all the companys offices, and partly because the Richmond facility had infrastructure and space available for a training program. He wants to create a steady flow of trained workers for the companys regional offices.

The number of licensed plumbing, HVAC and electrical technicians in Virginia has stagnated since 1997, said Eric Olson, executive director of the Virginia Board for Contractors.

For instance, the number of licensed journeyman and master plumbers declined from 10,611 in 1997 to 7,555 this March. The number of master or journeyman electricians stood at about 19,494 in March, down about 500 over the past 20 years.

Olson said one reason for the stagnation over that 20-year period may have been the impact of the economic recession. I am sure there are other factors, too, he said.

The median annual wage for plumbers was $51,450 in 2016, according to the U.S. Labor Department. It was $52,720 for electricians and $45,910 for HVAC technicians.

Employment in those fields is projected to grow 12 to 14 percent by 2024, faster than other occupations.

In Virginia, five companies, including Roto Rooter and Southern Air, both of which have Richmond-area business operations, have internal HVAC and plumbing vocational training programs approved by the state. That number does not include businesses that have apprentices.

Six companies have state-approved continuing education programs for their technicians to maintain their certifications.

Eleven of Virginias 23 community colleges  including John Tyler Community College in Chesterfield County  offer courses in HVAC and plumbing, or both.

Not every community college offers the same programs. For example, some may offer an applied associate degree, while others offer certifications. Others offer only short-term workforce training programs. Typically, the decision on what type of program to offer is market-driven by the communities the college serves, said Jeffrey Kraus, a spokesman for the Virginia Community College System.

At John Tyler, for instance, students can earn a career studies certificate in heating and air conditioning in about a years worth of classes.

With increased employment opportunities in the heating, air conditioning and electrical field, employers are looking for someone with educational experience in these fields to supplement on-the-job training, said James Gay, an instructor at the college.

We encourage our students to obtain career studies certificates in both heating and air conditioning and the electrical program and, if possible, for them continue working toward an associates degree, Gay said.

***

In choosing candidates for its program, Michael & Son looks for more than just talent or experience in the skilled trades.

One of the criteria is being professional, said Dani Sheldon, office manager for the companys Richmond office. Ambition and respect is huge  a desire to learn and the motivation to want a fantastic career.

Mansour said he wants people with good customer service skills.

I want good, decent people, said Mansour, 46, who has run the company since his father passed away nearly 30 years ago.

His father, Mousa Mansour, immigrated to the United States from Palestine in 1968 and scratched out a living as an electrician. Basim was born in 1970 and recalls some hard times growing up.

I was 19 years old when my father passed away at age 47, he said. I was in community college. I didnt have any money and had to borrow $5,000 to bury my father.

When he took over the business, it was just one guy with one truck, he said. I was working out of my house.

Now, the company has about 900 employees.

At the academy, we are looking for quality people who have seen that what (job) they are doing now might not pay off. We are teaching them a trade that will always be in demand, he said. Were not just teaching them the trade; we are teaching them why you do it, and how you should do it, he said. This is a very concentrated (course), but at the end of that time, they know how we want it done.

***

The academys students go to class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Most of them come from outside Richmond, so they are living in the area temporarily during the three-month course.

While the company creates a 64-bed dormitory, the students live together in a house provided by Michael & Son. The dorm will also serve as temporary housing for employees who have to work during inclement weather.

While staying in Richmond, the students say their evenings are mostly filled by studying.

A lot of us end up just studying all night, said Burke, the former bartender turned student. We all have our faces in a book.

It is intense, Hicks said of the class. You have got to really put your all into this.

While they are enrolled in the program, they get help and support from Sheldon, the office manager who is known as Mama D among the students.

I am the one there for them, she said. Im always checking on them.

They are like my kids, she said. When I talk to my friends or family, I am so proud of being involved in this part of the work we do.

Matthews said he joined the Michael & Son program after a long career in IT because he believes that a skilled trade offers better job stability prospects.

The reason I came to Michael & Son is not only to work as an HVAC technician, but my goal is to own a franchise, he said. I came with a plan.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi invited his French counterpart President Emmanuel Macron to visit the country soon in a telephone call Monday, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Egyptian president called Macron to congratulate him on assuming office as the president of France.

The two leaders discussed Egyptian-French relations, and El-Sisi expressed his hopes of working with Macron to bolster cooperation and coordination with Egypt on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

According to the Egyptian president's office, the two also discussed ongoing cooperation between Egyptian and French authorities on investigations into the causes of the deadly crash of EgyptAir MS804 flight into the Mediterranean in May 2016.

El-Sisi and Macron also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, including Egyptian efforts to restore stability in Libya and support a political transition in the war-torn country.

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Chesterfield County school leaders are considering altering their public comment policy after two people protested from their seats when they nearly lost their chance to speak.

School Board members may do away with a rule allowing residents who have signed up in advance to speak on every action item, which are items on which board members vote. Instead, the School Board is exploring adding a block of time for public comments on all action items before the board discusses them.

Staff members are working on a draft policy for the board to consider at its next work session at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

I can say in an early analysis, I havent found a school division that does public comment on each action item, Superintendent James Lane said.

In addition to the public comment option for each action item, the School Board has a block of time at the end of each business meeting for general public comment. School Board members take up action items once a month during the business meetings under a new meeting structure adopted earlier this year.

School Board Chairman Javaid Siddiqi pitched the change at a April 25 work session. His suggestion came after an April 19 meeting in which two regulars who signed up in advance to speak on an action item stood up and shouted at School Board members when they nearly lost their chance to comment.

The action item was on potential changes to the controversial supplemental retirement program. The School Board decided not to take action on it, so after reading a prepared statement on that decision, Siddiqi attempted to move on to the next item. Without a vote, the School Board no longer considered it an action item.

Brenda Stewart and Rodney Martin then shouted from their seats at the April 19 meeting, saying they signed up in advance for what was published as an action item.

Siddiqi allowed Stewart and Martin to come up to the podium to speak, as well as two other speakers who signed up in advance.

At the next meeting, he suggested changing the structure.

Im all about transparency. ... We should be available and accessible. I dont think that has to come with a comment for every action item. Some of the behaviors that were displayed (at the April 19 meeting) are not representative of our community, Siddiqi said.

Siddiqi then mentioned that a couple of people had signed up for every single action item and that some didnt have a whole lot to say because they hadnt really dug into it.

I dont want to neutralize or cut folks out, but I also want to make sure that everybodys time is valued. I think we are extending the process. And I dont think we are really getting a lot of insight that it really added value to our decision making, Siddiqi said. I think there is a way for us to value everybodys input before we actually take a vote.

School Board member Dianne Smith expressed support for exploring the change on April 25.

Our goal is always to listen to the public. Whatever changes we want to make going ahead, I dont think we want to deviate from that, Smith said on May 9, stressing that board members take time before making a decision. School Board member John Erbach agreed.

School Board member Carrie Coyner preferred not to change anything, saying later she believed the public benefited from hearing staff presentations that come before each action item. Even though not every public comment is on point, she said, residents opinions on school start times helped her make a decision on that issue.

To avoid a situation that happened April 19, Coyner suggested moving public comment on an action item in which no vote was taken to the general public comment period to the end of the meeting.

School Board member Rob Thompson said May 9 that supervisors seemed to be getting it right with their meeting structure, and said he wanted to investigate that further. But Coyner said comparing the School Board to supervisors isnt apples to apples.

The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors has three public comment periods, one in its afternoon session and two during the evening session.

Those 15-minute public comments are only for those items not on the agenda.
On a website for River Mill, a planned community of more than 1,000 homes that boasts of a rich lifestyle amid an idyllic natural setting, developer HHHunt gives an overview for reasons residents should live there.

There are the aesthetic draws  an extensive trail system and a clubhouse, for example. And then theres Henrico Countys top-ranked schools. Elsewhere on the website, it lists the schools as Greenwood Elementary School, Hungary Creek Middle School and Glen Allen High School.

But that would change if a group of parents in western Henrico frustrated by overcrowding at Hungary Creek has its way. Parents with the newly formed Equitable Advocates have launched an online petition calling on the countys School Board to reject any redistricting plans that would send students from River Mill, which has yet to be built, to Hungary Creek and Glen Allen.

We ask that the School Board serve the needs of its CURRENT student population. Priority should always be given to the students you already have in your district, not the ones you may gain in the future, reads the petition started by Tonia Blanchet, a parent with kids at Hungary Creek and Glen Allen Elementary School.

Stephen Scott, whose daughter is in the first grade, said hes concerned that overcrowding would again occur in future years if children from the River Mill development attend Hungary Creek and Glen Allen High School.

Were really going to be right back in the same situation, he said.

The desires of those parents have clashed with the wishes of some residents in the neighboring Magnolia Ridge development, who view River Mill as critical for driving commercial investment in the area. They say the lone redistricting possibility that would keep River Mill kids out of Hungary Creek and Glen Allen would send them to less desirable schools.

Jill Crews, a spokeswoman for HHHunt, and other company officials did not return numerous requests for comment, including questions about whether school redistricting would influence the companys decision to move forward with the project.

The School Board is weighing three separate possibilities for redistricting. Two of them would maintain current zoning for the would-be students in River Mill and send them to Hungary Creek and Glen Allen. The third would rezone those children to Brookland Middle School and Hermitage High School.

Parents involved with the petition raised concern about the potential for continued overcrowding  under current conditions, Glen Allen High School is forecast to reach 105 percent capacity in 2024, whereas Hermitages would be 83 percent, according to estimates from the school system.

We do not need to cater to this developer and his marketing campaign to bring new residents here. We need to serve the ones that already exist, wrote one person who signed the petition.

Conversely, Fairfield District School Board representative Roscoe Cooper said during a public hearing this month that he has fielded emails from people who live in Magnolia Ridge, a subdivision that would neighbor River Mill, saying they favor keeping zoning for the subdivision as is.

Adrian Young, one of the Magnolia Ridge residents who spoke during the public hearing, recalled that his communitys support for River Mill was predicated on the idea that children from both developments would attend school together. Both developments are situated in northern Henrico, off Brook Road near the Chickahominy River.

But the benefits of River Mill are broader reaching  an attractive development, he said, would help bring spending in and around Brook Road.

We would be missing the bus entirely for all of Henrico County, he said.

In making their argument, Young and others have pointed to school test scores and academic reputation  Hungary Creek was fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education this academic year, whereas Brookland was partially accredited. Glen Allen was also named among the top 20 high schools in the state by U.S. News and World Report this year.

John Heyel, a Magnolia Ridge resident, said having River Mill zoned for Hungary Creek and Glen Allen would raise the desirability of those homes and the community, in turn, would benefit.

Heyel, who is vice president of Magnolia Ridges homeowners association but gave only his personal opinion, said he doesnt want to discount other parents concerns. Instead, he said it was the countys responsibility to invest in underperforming schools.
An 83-year-old Henrico County woman fell to her death Friday at a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook in North Carolina after stopping to see a waterfall while on a trip to vacation with her sister, a relative said Sunday.

Nancy Ann Martin fell over the edge of the East Fork Overlook at milepost 418 in Haywood County, just west of Asheville, according to parkway spokeswoman Leesa Brandon.

Martin, a retired circulation supervisor at the T.C. Williams School of Law library at the University of Richmond, was on her way to meet her sister for an eagerly anticipated vacation around Asheville. She had flown from Richmond to Charlotte that morning, and her nephew was driving her to meet her sister for their 12-day vacation.

My mom loved the mountains and waterfalls, said a son, George Martin.

He said his mother and nephew had pulled over at an overlook to look at a waterfall, but couldnt see it from that vantage point.

They were about to get back into their car to drive to another overlook when Martin lost her footing on the pavement and fell over a knee-high wall and down a short hill.

It happened in a split second, her son said.

My cousin yelled down to her, Dont move, Aunt Nancy. Dont move! But she was disoriented and tried to get up. He ran to the road to get help and found a group of bikers, but when he got back to Mom, she had fallen 150 feet to her death, George Martin said.

According to park officials, Nancy Martins nephew called 911, and National Park Service law enforcement rangers, in cooperation with Haywood authorities, responded to the scene.

George Martin, 56, said his mother, who lived in northern Henrico, was in good health. He had gotten up at 2:30 a.m. on Friday to help his mom catch the early flight to Charlotte.

We were so excited for this trip. Her sister had health problems last year, but was doing better. They were going to see the Biltmore Estate and stay in this beautiful cottage, he said. My mom had been a widow for 22 years and hadnt traveled much. She was so excited about going. She loved to fly and she loved to travel.

Were obviously in shock and everybody is in disbelief. This was a horrible accident that happened. But it could have happened anywhere.

His brother, John Martin, added: It is tough, but were holding up.

What Nancy Martins children remember most was her role as a caregiver.

She was a very strong woman with a strong faith, said John Martin, 54. She was a caregiver at heart. That was one of her gifts in life. She opened her heart, her home and her life to those in need.

She cared for a cousin with multiple sclerosis in her home for 20 years, as well as for many other friends and family members throughout the years.

She volunteered at a local nursing home, as well as the Fisher Memorial Library at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and the clothing room at her church.

Peggy Castelvecchi, 62, who worked with Martin at their church library, said she was shocked when she learned how her friend died.

She described Martin as friendly to everyone and very strong in her faith.

Pat Stevens, 76, knew Martin for more than 25 years. They volunteered together at the Our Lady of Lourdes clothing room, where every Tuesday those in need can purchase a bag of clothing for $3.

She was always kind and upbeat to the people we served, Stevens said. Its just tragic the way she died.

In addition to her sons, Martins survivors include another son, Daniel Palese, and a sister, Virginia Bedard.

Martins family will receive friends on Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 8200 Woodman Road in Henrico County. A Christian vigil service will be held at 7 p.m.

A funeral will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes on Wednesday at 11 a.m., with visitation beginning at 10. Entombment will follow in Hollywood Cemetery.
After a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump travels to Israel on Monday, with visits planned to Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

Over two days, Trump is to meet separately with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and visit holy sites. On Monday in Jerusalem, he will pray at the Western Wall and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Trump's maiden foreign tour since taking office in January follows a packed schedule. His nine-day trip through the Middle East and Europe ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

In his speech in Riyadh on Sunday, attended by dozens of Arab and Islamic leaders, he urged regional governments to do their share to defeat Islamist militants.

"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists. Drive them out," Trump said.

Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to crack down on Iran's influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican president's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.

The reception marked a contrast to his difficulties at home where he is struggling to contain a mushrooming scandal after his firing of former FBI Director James Comey nearly two weeks ago.

Trump used his visit to Riyadh to bolster US ties with Arab and Islamic nations, announce $110 billion in US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and send Iran a tough message.

By the end of his tour, the US president will have visited significant homes of three major religions  Islam, Judaism and Christianity  a point that his senior aides say is important in bolstering his argument that the Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil."

Long-stalled peace talks

Trump has vowed to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but has given little sign of how he could revive long-stalled negotiations, which were last halted in 2002.

When he met Abbas earlier this month in Washington, he stopped short of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of US policy.

Trump has also opted against an immediate move of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime demand of Israel. Some Palestinian officials said that this step would mean the end of the peace process.

"We believe that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would mean the end of the peace process," Saeb Erekat, second-in-command of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said on Saturday, according to AFP.

A senior US administration official told Reuters last week that Trump remained committed to his campaign pledge to ultimately relocate the embassy but did not plan to announce such a move while on his trip.

"We're having very good discussions with all parties and as long as we see that happening, then we dont intend to do anything that we think could upset those discussions," the official said.

Trump will meet Netanyahu at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Monday, AFP said. He will visit the occupied Palestinian territories on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Israel authorized some economic concessions to the Palestinians that a Cabinet statement said "will ease daily civilian life in the Palestinian Authority after (Trump) who arrives tomorrow, asked to see some confidence building steps."

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed the east of the city in a move never recognised by the international community.

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George Balanchine took his first steps in what would become the Soviet Union. He learned to dance in what then was the dance capital of the world. Petrograd boasted the Mariinsky, Moscow the Bolshoi. The beloved Tamara Karsavina wrote her alluring memoirs in Theatre Street. Olga Spessivtsevas life proved as tragic as the heroines she danced. Mathilde Kschessinska seemingly came from the pages of Tolstoy. Natalia Bessmertnova danced a Giselle beyond belief. Memories of her dancing in the Act II pas with Albrecht never fade.

The balletic art traced its Russian roots to the czars; the commissars preserved the schools and the companies. Although the performing arts reinforced communist ideology and implicitly asserted party supremacy, the USSR was famed for the excellence of its dance. St. Petersburg/Petrograd became Leningrad. The Mariinsky became the Kirov. Balanchine became an American who wore Western shirts. The greatest choreographer ever transformed New York City into a global capital of classical ballet. Mr. Bs genius also implicitly boosted modern dance, a form Stalinists did not appreciate. Long before the defection of Rudolf Nureyev, Balanchine left the workers paradise for the Free World. Historys cruelty ultimately blessed the United States.

In 1962, Balanchine and the New York City Ballet toured the USSR. Their performances enthralled audiences, although many of their pieces would have appalled the ideological arbiters of taste. Balanchines so-called abstract ballets defied party admonitions against formalism. The nomenklatura preferred story ballets, whether the characters be swans, princes, sleeping beauties or proletarian maidens.

Balanchines gifts could not be suppressed. The masters American patron, Lincoln Kirstein, described ballet as movement and metaphor. Balletomanes in the Soviet Union saw with their eyes and in seeing heard. The NYCBs tour played out against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Choreography did not affect geopolitical maneuvering or mitigate the fears of nuclear confrontation, yet Balanchines insights into the human condition ultimately prevailed.

An age ignorant of the transcendental knew not why. Works such as Serenade, Apollo, and The Four Seasons bring liturgy into physical cadences. Balanchine believed. A pilgrim progressed.

But first a school, Balanchine said as he explained the importance of ballet academies. Ballerinas and danseurs never stop practicing. Even Suzanne Farrell and Mikhail Baryshnikov daily returned to the barre. Farrells interpretation of Diamonds resembled a graduate thesis, a love song or a homily. Her partner ended with her hand in his as he worshipped on bended knee. Balanchine taught manners  and deference to elevated callings.

The School of the American Ballet begat the New York City Ballet; its graduates became principals, soloists and members of the corps. The favored few reached the status of muse. The SAB is not alone. The School of the Richmond Ballet trains young people and has staged performances  in the beginning with students and imported dancers followed by a professional troupe with in-house apprentices and stars. Artistic Director Stoner Winslett dreamed the dream and led the transition; she has infused Richmond with stability and ambition. Richmonds Minds in Motion initiative introduces the regions schoolchildren to a realm of possibility and fruition. Brett Bonda moved from dancer to the coordinator of Minds to the companys managing director.

The Richmond Ballet has won bravos, and not just from hometown fans cheering the locals. Several years ago the New York Times rated Richmonds Nutcracker as one of this countrys three best versions of the holiday staple. Richmond excels in an eclectic repertoire. It performs the romantic and classical ballets familiar to all and pieces in a variety of styles. It has restaged ballets introduced elsewhere and has commissioned international premieres. Richmond enjoys a thriving arts scene and thinks of itself as a Renaissance place; in ballet it punches above its weight.

If it is fair to say that Balanchines Mozartian capacities encouraged ballets growth in what used to be called the provinces, then it is just that the Richmond Ballet has danced in New York (and in London and Beijing, one might add). The capital of Virginia recently sent its emissaries to the capital of dance.

The company played a one-week season at the Joyce Theater. The Chelsea venue draws audiences that are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The intermission conversation reaches levels worthy of graduate schools in the humanities. The Joyce attracts those who like the premises and trust the sponsors diverse offerings; it also appeals to New Yorkers fond of particular companies and approaches. The Richmond Ballet has danced there before; a full house on the night of May 13 clearly attended because it wanted to see Richmonds best.

The ballet treated the crowd to four pieces that reflected the companys mission and its gifts. It presented classical excerpts and new ballets with contemporary scores. Richmonds dancers are earning a reputation for speed combined with grace. The Richmond Ballet communicates. After the performance, the audience lingered. It will return to the Joyce when the Richmond Ballet does.

New Yorkers may be pampered. The New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre are based in Manhattan. Broadway musicals emphasize dance. Guest companies of global stature often appear, as do more specialized outfits. The Richmond Ballet has earned its place.

New York offers an overall atmosphere conducive to nourishments sacred and profane. The Fraunces Tavern was the site of Washingtons farewell to his officers in the Continental Army.

A museum preserves the surroundings as the patriots enjoyed them. If dress codes still existed, the tavern would require blue coats. Today an occasional blazer would be welcome among the sea of sweats and tees. The place may serve pub grub not three-star feasts but its fish and chips are the best outside the mother country. They arrive at the tables on plates, however, not wrapped in newspaper. Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall nearby. Wall Street leads to Trinity Church, whose tenets collide with values that do not always live up to the Founding vision or to the great covenant. Humans forget how to render.

On Sunday mornings, Trinitys parish center on Rector Street sponsors a discussion centering on the editorial pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the days Gospel.

Trinity is high church; the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is low. An Anglo-Catholic sensibility appreciates both forms but leans North where the incense burns.

Whether chanted or recited the Psalms unfold the yearnings of those who find hope in the Word made flesh. Whether by coincidence or design, ballet and its sister arts reach similar heights.

Dancers do not need to be disciples or believers, for that matter, yet they remain missionaries for permanent things. The Joyce generated pride. Trinity intensified the sensation.

Grace abides.
MONDAY

The Richmond City Council will hold an informal meeting at 4 p.m., followed by a regular meeting at 6, in council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 900 E. Broad St.

The Prince George County Planning Commission will hold a work session at 6:30 p.m. in the first-floor planning conference room, 6602 Courts Drive.

TUESDAY

The Chesterfield County School Board will meet at 4 p.m., 13900 Hull Street Road.

The Richmond School Board will hold a forum to solicit community input on whats needed in a new superintendent from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at John Marshall High School, 4225 Old Brook Road.

The Henrico County Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. in the Western Government Center, 4301 E. Parham Road.

The Prince George County Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m., 6602 Courts Drive.

The Hopewell City Council will meet at 7:30 p.m., 300 N. Main St.

The Colonial Heights School Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the audiovisual room of the technical building, 3451 Conduit Road.

WEDNESDAY

The Henrico County Planning Commission will meet at 9 a.m. in the Western Government Center, 4301 E. Parham Road.

The Chesterfield County School Board will meet at 3 p.m., 9901 Lori Road.

The Richmond School Board will hold a forum to solicit community input on whats needed in a new superintendent from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1000 Mosby St.

THURSDAY

The Henrico County School Board will meet at 2 p.m. for a work session, followed by a regular meeting at 6:30, in the New Bridge Auditorium, 5915 Nine Mile Road.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
LEXINGTON  The water is deceptively calm on a stretch of the Maury River that borders the city, beckoning swimmers, boaters and tubers to Jordans Point Park.

But danger lies below the surface. WARNING, reads a sign on the riverbank, just upstream of a low-head dam. Strong currents and turbulent water above and below the dam can trap and drown a person.

Theres another undercurrent at Jordans Point, one that is pulling the community back into an old debate.

Some say the dam should be demolished before it takes another life. In 2006, a 16-year-old boy out for a swim was swept over the spillway and drowned in the roiling waters just below the dam.

Others acknowledge the dams potential danger but say the risks are outweighed by the benefits: Deep, pond-like stretches interspersed with cascading water, a recreational and scenic spot that for more than a century has been a Lexington landmark.

Calls for the dams removal were made following the fatality in 2006, but faded away.

Now they are back  this time with a proposal by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to demolish the 185-foot-long stone and mortar structure.

Nearly 100 people attended a May 15 public hearing that showed a community divided.

Those who favored removal cited public safety concerns as well as the ecological benefits of restoring the river to its natural state. About as many were opposed, for reasons that were perhaps best summed up by Lexington resident Leon Johenning.

Its not a damn dam, Johenning said to applause that night. Its a beautiful dam.

A final decision rests with Lexington, which owns the dam. A vote by the city council could come next month.

One year after Charles Volpe drowned in the turbulence at Jordans Point, an inspection of the dam pointed to another danger. The inspection, conducted by a private firm for the city of Lexington, found a vertical crack that ran the full 10-foot height of the dam, plus numerous places where water was seeping through the structure. The bottom part of the dams foundation is shifting downstream, creating a staircase-like formation on which the water falls.

The dam will fail, Louise Finger, a stream restoration biologist for DGIF, told the crowd assembled at Lylburn Downing Middle School for the public hearing.

Theres no way to predict when that might happen, she said.

But to illustrate the hazard that currently exists, Finger showed a video of the white water just below the dam. A stick in the water rotated as if caught in a huge washing machine, showing the dangerous recirculating currents that can drag someone under the water.

Removing the dam would do more than just eliminate a danger, according to DGIF. It would also restore the river to its natural state, correcting disparities in water temperature and hydrology that currently make the dammed-up portions unsuitable for some species of fish and the bugs they feed upon.

Some of the pools in an approximately mile-long stretch of the Maury upstream of the dam are 12 to 15 feet deep. The water level would go down by five to six feet if the dam was removed.

Critics of the removal plan say it will replace popular swimming holes and fishing spots with a trench of mud, trash and possible contamination. Those skeletons will remain when the water is long gone, one speaker at the hearing said.

And why remove the dam now, more than a decade after the last fatality? Far more people die in accidents on highways like U.S. 11, which crosses the river near the dam on its way into Lexington, supporters of keeping the dam said.

Ive been on the rescue squad for 20 years and Ive pulled a lot more people out of cars and trucks than I have out of the river, Bill Wade said.

Following the drowning accident in 2006, Lexington put up signs along the riverbanks and placed buoys in the water to warn Jordans Park visitors of the risks. There have been no drownings since then.

Yet the dam could still be a liability. Following Volpes death, the boys family members filed a $9 million wrongful death lawsuit against the city, claiming among other things that it failed to warn swimmers of dangers posed by the dam.

A jury found the city negligent and awarded $100,000 to the family. Although the sum was far less than what was sought, the Volpes attorney, Mark Obenshain, said at the time the family was grateful that attention to the case prompted the city to put up signs and take other measures in an effort to prevent another drowning.

People just dont recognize the dangers of these dams, Obenshain said last week.

They may look very safe and benign, and on the day that these two boys were swept over the dam, it looked like a placid little mill pond that wasnt going to hurt anybody. A second boy who was swimming with Volpe was able to escape the dams undercurrent.

A memorial to Volpe at Jordans Point Park serves as both a reminder of his death and what appears to be a tribute to the free spirit that led him into the water.

Live to love, love to live, the carving on a stone monument reads. No regrets.

If Lexington City Council were to approve the deconstruction project, it could be months or years before work would begin. DGIF has offered to pay  the cost is estimated to be upward of $200,000  and take the lead on coordinating the removal.

But there is no money for the project currently in the agencys budget, regional aquatics manager Paul Bugas said.

In addition to seeking grants or other funding sources, DGIF would work with city officials to obtain permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other state and federal agencies.

DGIF offered several other options at the May 15 meeting: Leave the dam as it is, repair it, or partially deconstruct it and build a series of smaller dams that would create a whitewater park at Jordans Point.

Nothing short of removal would be funded by DGIF, the agency said, because the other alternatives do not meet all of its objectives.

As is often the case in Lexington, history played a role in the debate.

The dam, built about 100 years ago to divert water into a narrow channel used to power a mill, is an integral part of the history of Jordans Point and should remain intact, preservationists said at public hearing.

Just last year, Jordans Point was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Other Lexington residents said they simply like the way the dam makes the river look, which is easily seen from the U.S. 11 bridge. Some consider the linear rapids as much a landmark as House Mountain, the distinctive twin summit that can be seen in the background.

It is sort of a Norman Rockwellian picture when you come across the bridge and enter the city, Lexington Mayor Frank Friedman said.

On a recent spring afternoon, Rick and Susan Liso of Connecticut stopped by Jordans Point during a trip to Lexington to visit relatives. With their dog Daphne in tow, they admired the view from a bench on the riverbank.

Honestly, I like the dam, Rick Liso said. One of the reasons we come here is because its such an idyllic spot. I understand the safety concerns, but thats why you have signs.

Susan Liso agreed.

There must be something else they could spend the money on, she said.
WIRTZ  Residents of a Franklin County neighborhood worry that a bridge leading to their homes will prevent them from getting help in the case of an emergency.

To access the 15 or so homes on Ridge View Street, a vehicle must cross a bridge that goes over the Norfolk Southern railroad. But because of a posted weight limit of 4 tons, thats not possible for fire trucks and ambulances. When the countys public safety department became aware of the reduced weight limit last year, it informed residents in a letter dated Dec. 2 that it could no longer provide the neighborhood with fire and emergency medical services.

Residents are looking for ways to address the problem  engaging Norfolk Southern, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the county  but that has proven complicated. Discussions among the various agencies about the bridge date back to the 1990s. The bridge does not fall under VDOTs purview, as the agency considers it a private road, and residents say they havent gained much traction with the railroad.

A representative for the railroad said in a statement that the history of the bridge is unclear and that Norfolk Southern, with help from its legal counsel, is looking into it.

Based on information known at this time, Norfolk Southern does not believe it has a legal obligation to maintain or repair the bridge or to take any actions beyond what is necessary to protect its right-of-way and personnel operating in the area, the statement reads.

However, Norfolk Southern in keeping with its role as a corporate citizen is prepared to cooperate in any state or local efforts to provide alternative access.

Residents didnt pay much attention to the posted weight on the bridge over the years, said Judy Hutchins, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years. It wasnt until they received the letter from the county that they realized the 4-ton limit was problematic.

Now I realize all the stuff we cant get, she said.

The people who live in the neighborhood are stuck there, she said. Nobody would buy a home that doesnt have access to emergency services, and even if they did, she wondered whether a moving truck could make it over the bridge.

You just assume that people who are supposed to be maintaining things will maintain and keep things up, Judy Hutchins said.

Edward Jewell, who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years, said he worries about how the termination of emergency medical services could impact his niece, who has pancreatic cancer and recently moved into a home on his property.

If we need to get her out, then we have to put her in a vehicle to get her across the bridge, he said. Weve been kind of holding our breath on that one.

In January, resident Scott Harpers job transferred from Roanoke to Blacksburg, so hes looking to move. But if the county doesnt provide fire service to the neighborhood, it would be difficult to get homeowners insurance, which could pose problems for potential buyers.

Whos going to approve a loan for a house that has no fire service? Harper asked.

Hes been holding off on putting the house on the market, hoping the issue would be resolved. But he cant wait forever.

Lewis Hutchins grew up in the neighborhood, and his parents still live there. He says theyll retire and move one day and need this issue to be addressed to sell their home. He is lending his expertise as a civil engineer to the residents, serving as their advocate.

In his research, Lewis Hutchins said, hes come across maps that indicate the bridge dates back to the early 1900s, meaning the road existed prior to the 1932 adoption of the Byrd Road Act creating the secondary system of state highways. He said its possible Ridge View Street was a county road and should have been turned over to VDOT then but for whatever reason, fell through the cracks.

Todd Daniel, residency administrator for VDOT, cant say why the road was never brought into the states system.

I dont know why a road was chosen, why it wasnt, Daniel said. I do know that it had to be public at the time. Maybe this road was public; maybe it wasnt.

For VDOT to consider adding the road to the state-maintained secondary system, Daniel said, the road must have a publicly dedicated right of way, and it would have to be brought up to current standards. In this case, that means the bridge would have to be brought up to standard also.

But the department wouldnt pay for the improvements to the road and bridge, at least not entirely. Daniel said revenue sharing would be an option, in which case the department and the locality would split the cost. But in the recent past, Daniel said, Franklin County has asked homeowners to pay the county share. The funds would simply be distributed through the county, as VDOT doesnt enter into agreements with residents.

Lisa Cooper, principal planner for Franklin County, said the residents who request such revenue-sharing projects live on private roads that werent intended to be taken into the system, so the county asks them to cover 50 percent of the project cost. She said the county has successfully completed various projects in this manner.

But the bridge complicates things. Its not in good condition, Daniel said, and repairing or replacing it would likely be quite expensive.

The road being privately maintained and the citizens wanting it to be part of the system is not unusual. We have those quite often, in fact, he said. The unique part of this is the railroad bridge.

Lewis Hutchins said that although the weight limit was reduced several years ago, the countys public safety department only became aware of it late last year when a rescue squad responded to a call in the neighborhood  though not until after an ambulance had gone over the bridge, said Public Safety Director Daryl Hatcher.

He said the county is working with landowners in the area to find alternate routes of entry to the neighborhood.

Though its unsafe for ambulances and fire trucks to cross the bridge, Hatcher said Franklin County Public Safety is still dedicated to serving the neighborhoods residents.

If someone in that neighborhood calls 911 because theyre having an emergency, he said, I guarantee you were going to do everything in our power to get there.
When Ella Stulce moved to shift into a warrior pose Sunday, she found herself sharing her yoga mat with two curious interlopers: a pair of fuzzy, brown-and-white speckled baby goats causally grazing at her feet.

Theyre just so sweet and little, Stulce, 14, said of the diminutive goats that were exploring the field where 40 people had gathered for an outdoor yoga class.

The class, which was also a fundraiser for the therapeutic New Freedom Farm in Buchanan, capitalized on the cuddly new goat yoga craze that has been sweeping the nation.

Started last summer at a farm in Oregon, goat yoga is a blend of meditation and animal life, with the hijinks of the roaming goats delighting the audience.

Its something interesting, and who doesnt like goats, right? said Shelly DuQuette as her husband cradled one of the tinier kids.

Sunday afternoons class, organized by a group of friends who adopted the name Goat Gurus, was held in a field at the New Freedom horse farm and offered a backdrop of mountain views.

The goats, a herd of about a dozen Nigerian dwarf goats ranging in age from 1 month to adults, occasionally meandered through peoples legs or interrupted a breathing exercise with a sharp burst of bleating  stirring up giggles among the class.

The setting offered the group a novel way to spend an afternoon outdoors and commune with the friendly farm life, said yoga instructor David Kish.

Hanging out with goats generates a different energy than the pets many have at home, he said.

Its good to get out into nature and breathe a different air, Kish said.

The 40 slots offered for Sundays event sold out in less than two days. Nearly 30 others bought observer tickets that allowed them to share in the goat snuggling and join the lunch that followed.

Many said part of the draw for the event was that all proceeds would benefit the nonprofit farm.

Opened last fall, New Freedom Farm specializes in working with rescue horses and with veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Caring for horses can be a healing outlet that helps ease anxiety and build community, said owner Lois Fritz, a Navy veteran who speaks from personal experience.

The 13-acre farm also offers a peaceful refuge for those who now struggle in crowded environments.

Beth Culpepper, a Gulf War veteran who first came to the farm in January, described it as her safe haven.

I dont know where Id be without this place, she said. Its been amazing.

Working with the horses has helped Culpepper find a new, calmer center. The horses themselves all but demand it, she said.

Youve got to settle down, because they feed off your energy, Culpepper said. If youre not right, theyll walk away from you.

Goat Gurus member Kristen Terra, whose own farm in Montgomery County supplied Sundays goats, is also an occupational therapist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and has seen patients thrive at New Freedom.

Its been a really great community resource, she said.

Sundays event was the first for Goat Gurus, but it is already making plans for more fundraisers later this year.

The New Freedom benefit raised around $1,400. Organizers made sure to set aside plenty of time for visitors to pet the goats and snap a few selfies.

Surveying the scene, Fritz marveled at the unlikeness of the goat-yoga combination.

But Im very grateful, she added with a smile as she thanked the group for its support of New Freedoms work.
Palestinians in the occupied territories observed a general strike on Monday in solidarity with more than 1,300 Palestinians in Israeli prisons who have been on hunger strike for more than a month, according to news agencies.



In a statement earlier this week, the National Committee to Support the Palestinian Prisoners' Hunger Strike called for a number of protest actions during the week.

A partial strike on Sunday was followed by a full strike on Monday for all Palestinians in the occupied territories and the diaspora.



Monday's general strike came as the prisoners hunger strike entered its 36th day, coinciding with US President Donald Trump's visit to Israel on Monday.



Prisoners say they have been facing a harsh crackdown from Israeli prison authorities, while their medical conditions continued to decline.



Schools, banks, and public transport networks were shut down in cities of the occupied West Bank on Monday, although hospitals and emergency services remained open, Palestinian news agencies Wafa and Maan reported.



In the city of Ramallah, the capital of the Palestinian Authority, all businesses and factories were closed, with the streets almost empty, while international diplomats and employees of international organizations who live in the outskirts of Ramallah were unable to reach their work, according to Maan.



The strike paralysed east Jerusalem as well as West Bank cities and suburbs, with shops closed and both public and private sector employees refusing to work, AFP reported.



The committee supporting the prisoners also called on people to join the prisoners' hunger strike for a 12-hour period on Monday, as well as a rage demonstration on Tuesday at noon.



Israeli security forces have previously used deadly force against popular rallies supporting the hunger strikers, most recently on Friday.



On 17 April, more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners began a hunger strike in response to a call by Marwan Barghouti  the prominent Palestinian political figure in the Fatah movement who has been jailed since 2002  to protest poor prison conditions and the detention of thousands of Palestinians by Israeli authorities without trial since the 1980s.

Israeli forces moved Barghouti into isolation since the start of the strike.



President Trump's two-day visit to Israel will include separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as visits to holy sites.



On Monday in Jerusalem, Trump will pray at the Western Wall and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.



The US president said he would do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but has given little sign of how he could revive long-stalled negotiations.



Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed the east of the city in a move never recognised as legitimate by the international community.

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Business News Singapore S Ocbc Bank Starts Private Banking Business In Indonesia | RobinsPost News & Noticias

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd is hunting for acquisitions in Indonesia ... United Overseas Bank agreed to buy Citigroup's consumer business in four ... Read More The results rounded up a strong showing by Singapore banks after larger peer DBS Group reported a forecast-beating 32% jump in quarterly profit to a record high and UOB Group also posted a record ... Read More SINGAPORE: Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd (OCBC) is hunting for acquisitions in Indonesia ... United Overseas Bank agreed to buy Citigroups consumer business in four South ... Read More Southeast Asia's second-largest lender Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd (OCBC) joined its Singapore peers in beating market estimates and pumping out record quarterly profits as banks rake it in on ... Read More Helen Wong, Group CEO of OCBC Bank poses for a portrait during an interview with Reuters in Singapore October 10, 2022. Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd is hunting for acquisitions ... Read More SINGAPORE, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd (OCBC.SI ... 11 AM UTC Business UK's Next set to buy British furniture retailer Made.com - Bloomberg News, article ... Read More SINGAPORE, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd OCBC ... business, financial, national, and international news to professionals via Thomson Reuters desktops, the ... Read More SINGAPORE  Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd is hunting for acquisitions in Indonesia ... OCBCs domestic rivals, meanwhile, have this year been active in acquisitions. United Overseas ... Read More
A young protester was killed Monday after a national guard vehicle "accidentally" ran him over in south Tunisia, raising fears of more social unrest in a region already rocked by weeks of protest.

The death comes as tensions have risen between protesters and security forces outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station.

Protesters have been camping outside the desert installation in the Tataouine region for around a month, blocking trucks from entering, to demand a share of local resources and priority for jobs in the sector.

"The health ministry announces the accidental death of a young man, (run over) by the national guard. He was a protester," it told AFP.

Interior ministry spokesman Yasser Mesbah later told reporters the man was hit by a national guard vehicle as it was reversing and died in hospital.

Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators in El Kamour on Monday as they tried to storm the facility, local radio said, with another protest later reported in the city of Tataouine some 100 kilometres (60 miles) away.

Defence ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati said the protesters "used trucks to run down" barricades erected outside the installation.

The health ministry said 50 people were hospitalised after suffering from broken bones or the effects of tear gas during clashes with security forces both in El Kamour and Tataouine.

Mesbah said 13 policemen, six national guardsmen and a member of the civil protection unit were also wounded, with the latter in intensive care.

The demonstrator's death came two days after soldiers fired warning shots in El Kamour to deter protesters.

It was the first escalation of unrest since President Beji Caid Essebsi said earlier this month the army would protect key economic installations from being disrupted by protests over social and labour issues.

Late Sunday, the defence ministry in a statement warned the army would use force against anyone who tried to enter these installations.

The statement warned "all citizens of legal proceedings in the case of clashes with military or security units" and of possible casualties in "the case of a gradual escalation of use of force".

"One must understand that attempting to enter by force an installation protected by the army... is not a peaceful act... It requires a reaction," Oueslati told Express FM radio earlier Monday.

An AFP correspondent said clashes also erupted outside the Tataouine governor's office Monday after residents staged a protest in support of the El Kamour sit-in.

"We only went out to protest after violence erupted in El Kamour," one participant said, asking to remain anonymous.

"We have no problem with the army, who behave in a very civilised way," the protester added.

Two protests were also held in the capital, with demonstrators echoing the rallying cry of Tataouine residents and chanting: "We won't give up!"

"The people of Tataouine are demanding their right to have a share of resources, and Essebsi responds with force," said Tunis protester Marwan.

The Islamist party Ennahdha urged calm but said in a statement that the people's demands are "legitimate".

Mesbah said the headquarters of the national guard in Tataouine was torched and security forces vehicles set ablaze.

An AFP correspondent said the atmosphere remained tense in the city.

Tataouine, around 500 kilometres south of Tunis, has been rocked in recent weeks by protests over unemployment and poverty, and perceived marginalisation of the country's periphery.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed travelled to the region last month in an attempt to address concerns but was shouted down and forced to leave a heated town hall meeting.

Dozens of protesters interrupted his speech with cries of "Work! Freedom! National Dignity!" -- a slogan from the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In January 2016, Tunisia was rocked by some of the worst social unrest since the 2011 protests that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.

Anger erupted after the death of a 28-year-old unemployed man who was electrocuted when he climbed a power pole while protesting in the central town of Kasserine.

That unrest echoed the public anger after the death of a young fruit seller who set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010 in protest at unemployment and police harassment.

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Business News Kazakhstan Uae To Set Up Joint Business Council | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Madyar Menelikov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UAE, said that the UAE is one of Kazakhstan's main trading partners in the Middle East, and the volume of trade exchange between the two countries ... Read More The Business Council has been established to facilitate the exchange of information on economic conditions, market and investment opportunities The UAE-Saudi Business Council, established to ... Read More If you are looking to set up a free zone company in Dubai, you must also choose a suitable free zone based on your industry and business activities. Step 3: Apply for the necessary approvals. Last but ... Read More The UAE has called for joint international action to develop the global trade system to ensure efficient flow of goods and services. Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, who ... Read More ABU DHABI. WAM  Madyar Menelikov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UAE, said that the UAE is one of Kazakhstan's main trading partners in the Middle East, and the volume of trade exchange ... Read More Abu Dhabi - The UAE-UK Business Council hosted its 20th Plenary Meeting in Abu Dhabi, co-chaired by Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State, and Lord Udny-Lister. The event commemorated the first ... Read More Minister of Transport Wajih Azaizeh and Minister of State for Follow-up and Government Coordination Nawaf ... which offers an attractive investment climate for UAE ventures, according to the Jordan ... Read More The Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council discussed its upcoming initiatives to support women and entrepreneurs, by providing them with the required advice to launch their business in the emirate and the ... Read More Superbrands were voted not only by the brand council but also by online voting ... There is vast potential for the UAE and Kazakhstan to expand business ties in key sectors and areas of mutual ... Read More Wio Business ... News Well send you latest news updates through the day. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon. Dear Reader, This section is about Living in UAE ... Read More We envision it as a real catalyst to unlock SME business success in the MENA region. The UAE launch is expected to be followed up by further rollouts to other markets including Saudi Arabia and ... Read More UAE Golden Visa eligibility criteria: Eligibility criteria for the UAE Golden Residence Scheme has been simplified and the categories of people eligible to apply for the long-term 10-year visa have ... Read More
Economy News What S Weighing On Utah S Economy Not A Dearth Of Work But Of Workers | RobinsPost News & Noticias

SALT LAKE CITY  Utah's engineering and computer science workforce generates $19.1 billion and represents 12-15% of the state's economy ... and computer science workers making $89,500 in ... Read More The U.S economy has ... is throughout the economy. Expectations are for it to have declined on a monthly basis in September to 0.5% from 0.6% in August. Other economic news this week will include ... Read More By Alicia Wallace, CNN Business The economy was top of mind for voters in the midterm elections, exit polls showed, adding even more weight to a highly anticipated inflation report due out on Thursday ... Read More "If you punch someone in the face on the picket line, that's a crime. That's not ... there's economic harm  incidental economic harm  to the employer, that will really thwart workers ... Read More Inflation may not be the only ... have blamed the publics economic pessimism on media coverage. For tens of millions of people, there is a huge amount of good news about the economy over ... Read More Will that make them act differently if the economy ... since todays inflation burst has been shorter-lived and rates are not expected to climb nearly as much. Many of the workers Mr. Pritchard ... Read More Some days the high-speed news cycle can bring more questions than answers. WSJs news explainers break down the day's biggest stories into bite-size pieces to help you make sense of the news. Read More This can occur after a quarter or two of economic contraction, said Samana. "The tricky part this time around is how much does it come off," he said. "How it should work is the economy would ... Read More independent contractors would, if implemented, have a ripple effect in the business world and gig economy. The U.S. Department of Labor today proposed an important change in how workers are ... Read More
Health News Despite Health Care Wall Vermont Legislature Made Changes | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Education, prevention and serious regulation of pharma and the chemical and industrial food industries  thats the only way to reduce the chronic diseases that drive so much health care expense now. Read More Voters in Vermont on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights in the state, including abortion. Here in Vermont, voters took responsibility to protect care wherever ... Read More Were gathering news, updates, analysis, and results from high-stakes races across Massachusetts and the United States. Follow along. Read More Democrats care most about abortion rights, while Republicans are most concerned about inflation, according to the poll. Independent voters also named inflation and abortion as the most important ... Read More Fox News Digital is providing live updates for the 2022 midterm elections. Stay up-to-date about poll results, candidates, and other latest news events surrounding key battleground states, House and ... Read More Election Day has begun in the U.S., with control of Congress and of state capitals hanging in the balance. While many have already voted early in-person or submitted mail-in ballots, voting concluded ... Read More Republican J.D. Vance bests Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate race. Democrat Josh Shapiro defeats Trump-backed Doug Mastriano in PA gubernatorial contest. Read More Were gathering news, updates, analysis, and results from high-stakes races across Massachusetts and the United States. Follow along. Read More US midterm election will be held on Nov. 8, but early voting is already underway and candidates are making their closing arguments. Follow CNN for the latest election news and updates. Read More With scant oversight, schools routinely physically restrain students or confine them alone in small rooms. Parents dont always know. Abuses and discrimination occur. Children are traumatized, injured ... Read More With four days to go, Democrats are seeing the limits of their focus on abortion. Republicans have a chance to win veto-proof supermajorities in Wisconsins State Legislature. Read More Florida state department tells DoJ that federal election monitors wont be permitted  follow all the latest news ... Read More
Health News Hcm City Develops Ward Level Health Centres | RobinsPost News & Noticias

A health assessment in July revealed that residents of the historically Black 5th Ward have a life expectancy five to 13 years shorter than residents in local predominantly white neighborhoods. Every ... Read More Elsewhere, fentanyl "candy" conspiracies and confidence in science were in the news. Newsweek ... ruled on Tuesday that the citys health commissioner could not change the workers terms ... Read More Agenda: USA is Kansas Citys largest and only accredited Destination ... industry trends with experts in every facet of KU Health expansion into South JoCo brings possibilities, competition ... Read More Showcase your company news with guaranteed exposure both in print and online Most Admired CEOs were built for times like these. Their leadership & actions are guiding the Join the Memphis ... Read More Nov. 2, 2022  People who suffer from chronic pain at age 44 are more like to report pain, poor general health ... New Findings on the Development of the Autoimmune Disease in Children Oct ... Read More U.S. News & World Report  known for its healthcare rankings, including those that compare hospitals and physicians  has formulated a way to measure hospitals' health equity. And it may ... Read More Round-the-clock maternal and neonatal health services will be available at 500 "Model Union Health and Family Welfare Centre" from now ... For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google ... Read More United Nations - The World Health Organization published a 132-page report that found 500 million people will develop heart disease ... told CBS News. "Physical activity is a key ingredient ... Read More Oct. 6, 2022  Three babies have been born after receiving the world's first spina bifida treatment combining surgery with stem ... Oct. 13, 2022  Even months after critical illness for ... Read More AHA News: 5 Questions to Ask Before Sharing Health Stories on Social Media By ... an associate professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Read More Others note that there's only so much negative news coverage a person can take before it affects their mental health ... control," McKernan said. "That develops a sense of what's predictable ... Read More Ward 3 is Brantfords smallest ward in geographic area, bounded by Dundas Street in the south, King George Road on the west and West Street and Park Road North on the east. There is also a rural ... Read More
Health News Jamaica Adjust Free Health Care Policy Idb | RobinsPost News & Noticias

HEALTH and wellness brand FirstCare Medical Plan announces its launch in Jamaica, providing discounts and benefits at more than 100 health-care providers throughout the island and a solution for ... Read More HEALTH care for the poor and vulnerable populations is a significant problem globally. This problem is more pronounced in many developing countries like Jamaica ... or free care when such care ... Read More KINGSTON, Jamaica Opposition Spokesperson on Health and ... to pursue the CODE CARE PROGRAMME model, which promotes the transfer of surgeries to private facilities. This policy option is ... Read More KINGSTON, Jamaica  The Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Health & Wellness ... The second is eye care, a long-term agreement which had to be suspended, primarily because of ... Read More THE poor marketing of food messages has pushed Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher ... said Tufton during the Heart Foundation of Jamaica's (HFJ) Media Workshop at Spanish Court Hotel ... Read More YOUR urine can indicate much about your health. Urine is produced when blood passes through the kidneys, which in turn filters out waste and water. This waste travels through the ureters (narrow ... Read More Compounding the issue is that mental health is not often definitively dealt with in Jamaica. To begin with, fear of being stigmatised will often prevent people from getting professional help. Read More Jamaica's broadcasting regulator has banned ... said he viewed the ban as a free speech issue, and that the Jamaican government would be better served addressing root causes of violence like ... Read More Jamaicas broadcasting regulator has banned ... said he viewed the ban as a free speech issue, and that the Jamaican government would be better served addressing root causes of violence like ... Read More We have good news and bad news: life constantly throws ... On this, the fourth day of our collaboration with JaMHAN for World Mental Health Week, we're sharing a brief practice you can add to ... Read More Weve partnered with the communications team at the Jamaica Mental ... World Mental Health Week. Starting today (through to Saturday), well share simple, practical self-care tips you can ... Read More Jamaica's broadcasting authority has banned content that "glorifies illegal activity" - such as drug and gun use. The new rules cover TV and radio - including music - and list specific topics that are ... Read More
Politics News Immigration Department Admits Shots Fired At Manus Island Refugees And Staff Politics Live | RobinsPost News & Noticias

MADISON, Wis.  The Madison Police Department is investigating a shots fired incident that happened early Tuesday morning. Officers responded to the 1000 block of Hathaway Drive around 2:45 a.m ... Read More But the left are going to build a following on their Instagram pages, create memes and reels that connect "The Real Housewives" fans with progressive politics. And only progressives could come up ... Read More New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin shut down a reporter Sunday who questioned why he chose to "talk politics" after ... were inside the Long Island home when the shooting ... Read More November 1, 2022  With one week out before the 2022 midterms, WSKG Government and Politics Reporter Vaughn Golden discusses the recent U.S. Senate debate and some of the last campaign finance ... Read More Officers were called to the scene at 6:06 p.m. Police said that numerous people heard shots but could not pinpoint ... to call the Davenport Police Department at 563-326-6125, Crime Stoppers ... Read More A neighbor on the scene told News 12 the victim was a father. Officials have not confirmed any information yet. An officer told News 12 that shootings in the area are unusual. Read More At the Smithsonian Institution, historian Jon Grinspan is a curator in charge of that part of the "Nation's Attic" that holds the objects of American democracy and politics. "I call this the ... Read More Troy Police are investigating a shots fired call. According to Troy Police, the call came in Monday shortly after 6 p.m. at the 500 block of Second Street. Shell casings were recovered at the scene. Read More Police are searching for the person or people who shot at a car in Centereach. Police tell News 12 a South Setauket man was driving south on North Washington Avenue. That is when he was stopped at ... Read More too critical of the capitalist system and not critical enough of what he calls unrestricted immigration. If America is so bad, if America is such a terrible country to live in, why did 50 ... Read More British Secretary of State for the Home Department Grant Shapps ... safe pair of hands to guide the country through economic and political turbulence. Read More
Elections News Iran Elections Pro Rouhani Reformists In Tehran Power Sweep | RobinsPost News & Noticias

In his message congratulating Abdul Latif Rashid's election as the President of Iraq ... He also hoped that the relations between Tehran and Baghdad would develop and deepen even more. "Iran has ... Read More Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus push for the Americans to withdraw from the 2015 Iran deal was detrimental ... with the US, he said. With the elections a week away, Gantz stressed ... Read More received intimidating emails in the weeks before the election, instructing them to become Republicans. The emails were signed Proud Boys, the extremist pro-Trump group. Iran denied ... Read More In a comprehensive study done by Fars news agency, a thorough examination of ... sought to seize the moment to exercise more pressure on Iran, with imposing additional sanctions on Tehran. The heavily ... Read More The United States intends to further crack down on Iran for helping Russia in the war on Ukraine, a U.S. official said Monday following reports that Tehran plans to send Moscow missiles to use on ... Read More Anti-government protests in Iran continued throughout the country on Thursday night and Friday, with videos showing large crowds chanting and blocking roads in Tehran and initial reports ... Read More Amid mass unrest across Iran following the death of Mahsa ... 1 A photo released on October 16 by the Iranian Mizan News Agency shows a corridor inside Tehran's Evin prison after deadly violence ... Read More To really understand an election, you have to understand the motivations ... We've got the data for it: tens of thousands of interviews in our CBS News polling over the year where people ... Read More Iranian climbing champion Elnaz Rekabi has arrived back in Tehran after sparking ... Province was quoted by the Meezan news agency, which is close to Iran's judiciary, as saying Salehi was ... Read More This year's elections have the possibility to significantly shake up the balance of power in Washington for the remainder of President Joe Biden's term, as well as which party holds control of ... Read More The 2022 midterm elections will take place on Tuesday ... These issues can be affected not only by congressional power in the House and Senate but also by governorships, state legislatures ... Read More What are the midterm elections? Midterm elections occur every ... according to the latest Fox News Power Rankings. In the Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada Senate races, Democrat incumbents face ... Read More
Elections News Turkmenistan Holds Parliamentary Elections | RobinsPost News & Noticias

"Yes, the president has given an instruction to hold them," the Central Election ... of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said at a session of the upper house of the republics parliament ... Read More CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will hold parliamentary elections on Oct. 24-25, elections commissioner Lasheen Ibrahim told a televised press conference on Thursday. Egypt last held elections for the House ... Read More This time, it could reach double digits. If anything, these elections could consolidate the populist movements in the Parliament, where up to four formations of this type could obtain representation. Read More Yet in the upcoming parliament election, they could hold the key to breaking an entrenched political deadlock. Israelis vote Tuesday for the fifth time in under four years. The country remains ... Read More SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP)  Bulgarians will go to the polls for the fourth time in less than two years in a general election overshadowed ... turnout and a fragmented parliament where populist ... Read More KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia will hold its next ... the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10 with the consent of the countrys King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah. A general election must be held within ... Read More Polls ahead of the general election have shown a weakening of populists ... him get past the five percent threshold for entering parliament. "Russians invading Ukraine helps Karins to secure ... Read More Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has now decided to hold elections -- a year ahead of schedule -- in a bid to expand the slim parliamentary ... The Barron's news department was not involved ... Read More 11 (UPI) --A little more than a year after being named Malaysia's prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob called for early elections and dissolved parliament ... struggled to hold his current ... Read More Speaking on state television on Monday, Ismail Sabri said the date of the election, which has to be held within 60 days of parliament ... after top court upholds his graft conviction. Read More (Reuters) - Malaysia will hold a general election on Nov. 19, its election commission said on Thursday. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob dissolved parliament on Oct. 10 and called for snap polls, ... Read More
Elections News President Hasan Rouhani S Landslide In Iran Show Elections Alone Do Not Make A Democracy | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The 2022 midterm elections on Tuesday ... The FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Florida estate in August has motivated Republican base voters, but polls show it's a concern for ... Read More The midterms typically don't draw as large of a turnout as presidential election years, but the races can make a big impact on national and local politics. This year's elections have the ... Read More President Joe Biden is often compared to Jimmy Carter, but his best midterm election scenario is to be another Ronald Reagan. As Reagan approached his first-term election, the Federal Reserve had ... Read More What are the midterm elections ... the presidency is not on the ballot during midterm election years, the midterms generally serve as a litmus test for the presidents popularity halfway ... Read More The 2022 midterm elections will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The midterms are elections that occur halfway through a ... Biden's future in office? Again, midterm elections do not include the ... Read More Here's how to prepare ... The sooner you do it, the better," Schmidt said. CBS3 spoke with senior CBS News political correspondent, Major Garrett, about the upcoming midterm elections, and how ... Read More Heres what key votes around the world mean for climate action. Or inaction. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Read More Theyre school board elections, and thats a ... for president. A similar trend has played out from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to Idaho and Montana, among many others. Voters may not be ... Read More
Travel News Rubio Pushes Taiwan Travel As Trump Plays To China On North Korea | RobinsPost News & Noticias

President Joe Biden said Wednesday he plans at an anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, ... Read More Sherman will travel to Asia at a time of heightened tensions over North Korea and Taiwan, a self-administered island China claims as it own. North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of ... Read More Reunification of China and Taiwan meets the interests of all, including Taiwan compatriots, Sun Yeli told a news conference in Beijing. President Xi Jinping is poised to win a third five-year term ... Read More Here in Taiwan, you'd never know that the dragon to the north recently sent warships to surround the island. People told us over and over, "no big deal" China's been doing versions of that for 70 ... Read More Editor's Note  Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel's weekly newsletter. Get news about destinations ... is the world's -- and North America's -- epicenter of cool. Read More More info There are rising fears in Taiwan it could ... for an attack from China "in their own way", and that an attack could happen in "three to five years". He told Sky News: "After the Ukraine ... Read More China claims democratically ruled Taiwan ... able to travel large distances and bear significant firepower with precision and standoff munitions. Bomber task force missions "play a critical ... Read More The U.S. Navy must keep sailing warships in international waters claimed by China ... seeking Taiwan independence, The New York Times reported. As for North Korea, which has recently ... Read More an instant messaging app popular in Taiwan. "Fake news on social media is a way for [China] to pave the way for their eventual operation," Kitsch said. "They want to basically sway public opinions ... Read More All Nippon Airways will restart service from Tokyo this month to Dalian, China, and next month to Seoul, the carrier announced Tuesday. ANA this month also is set to increase service to the Chinese ... Read More Xi expressed willingness to strengthen the relationship between China and North Korea ... the region and the rest of the world, North Korea state news agency KCNA said. The reported expression ... Read More WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will discuss North Korea's recent missile launches, China and tensions over Taiwan, in meetings with her Japanese and ... Read More
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged $100 million to a women's business fund supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president who Monday wound up a visit to Riyadh.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced the donation from both oil-rich Gulf states on Sunday, during a meeting between Ivanka Trump and a group of Saudi women, a member of the US delegation said.

The idea of a fund providing microfinance to women in underdeveloped countries was floated by President Donald Trump's daughter and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a conference in Berlin last month.

Kim said the donation along with other pledges from the United States and other countries will allow the World Bank to announce the creation of a $1-billion fund for women empowerment during the G-20 summit in July.

"This is really a stunning achievement. I've never seen anything come together so quickly," he commented, according to the source.

The US president flew to Israel on Monday after a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.

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Us News Us Embassy Conducts Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training With Security Forces In Barbados | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The US military conducted a successful test launch of a rocket with experiments for hypersonic weapons development at the Wallops Flight Test Facility in Virginia Wednesday. The rocket carried 11 ... Read More The MarketWatch News ... The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Robot market analysis identified a select few regions as having a high growth rate, including North America: United States, Canada ... Read More The MarketWatch News ... United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Explosive Ordnance Disposal ... Read More "Frankly, the Chinese and the Russians just plain got ahead of us," Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, told Fox News earlier this year. Read More SAN DIEGO (July 29, 2021) Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Evan Bruce, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit (EODTEU) 1, jumps from a KC-130 aircraft during ... Read More Held simultaneously with combat drills between US and Japanese forces on Japans northern ... Stahl told The Associated Press news agency. American Marines in Capas, Tarlac province, northern ... Read More The US embassy in South Africa says the US government received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack ... said anything concerning the security alert. Read More If you wish to depart Russia, you should make independent arrangements as soon as possible, U.S. Embassy in Moscow, security alert, via CNN Like us on Facebook to see similar stories Please give ... Read More The United States has issued a security advisory on insecurity in Nigeria. According to the advisory on Sunday, US asked its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel or movement as a result of ... Read More And since then, there's no news ... U.S. Embassy's security warning in a statement Sunday urging citizens to stay calm but cautious. Authorities also assured citizens that security forces would ... Read More The Biden administration announced Wednesday that starting early next year, the US Embassy in Havana ... personnel in Havana to process cases and conduct interviews as part of the Cuban ... Read More
Us News Us Trade Representative Says United States Won T Return To Trans Pacific Partnership | RobinsPost News & Noticias

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's congress voted to approve the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade deal ... The United States formally withdrew in ... Read More Never miss a trade again with the fastest news alerts in the world! This headline only article is a sample of real-time intelligence Benzinga Pro traders use to win in the markets everyday. Read More Supporters of the amendment say such criticisms are part of a campaign to keep exception clauses in place. If this doesnt pass, it will be used as a weapon against us, said Max Parthas ... Read More China's Xi Says Willing to Work With United States for Mutual Benefit BEIJING (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping said China is willing to work with the United States to find ways to get along to the ... Read More Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary ... Trump's views haven't changed since 2021. "No President has done more for Israel than I have," Trump says. "Somewhat surprisingly, however ... Read More Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad ... and who have asked us to support their fight. Irans future as a prosperous and free nation rests with them. Read More A retired social worker who leads the Trade Union Leadership Council, Ms. Johnson said she was concerned that a representative of another race wouldnt look ... in the United States in 1979 ... Read More Its official; The Blackshirts will not be returning to Nebraska football this season. Interim head coach Mickey Joseph made the announcement during his Thursday appearance on the Husker Radio Network ... Read More The strike occurred about 218 kilometers north-northwest of Mogadishu and the initial assessment is that it killed two attacking al-Shabaab terrorists, US Africa Command said in a news ... Read More
Us News Turkey Man Detained On Us Plane Just Wanted 1st Class Seat | RobinsPost News & Noticias

A man flying JetBlue from Kennedy Airport to Detroit was arrested Monday afternoon after he allegedly masturbated on the two-hour flight. Read More The 72-year-old New Zealand man was charged with disorderly behavior in public over the incident on Wednesday evening. Read More The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office have arrested a man on a charge of human trafficking ... A male passenger was also seated in the front seat. The suspect was identified as Frank Ramos ... Read More (WMC) - A woman is in the hospital and a man is detained after a crash in Frayser Thursday night. The crash happened just before 10 ... include the headline. Like us on Facebook to see similar ... Read More On October 20, Wander Wisdom published a story about a passenger on a plane who was sitting in first class. Maresa Friedman ... and was asked to give up her seat for an elderly or pregnant person, she ... Read More A man was arrested outside the US Capitol carrying multiple unregistered guns and ammo in a suspicious van, the US Capitol Police said. Tony H Payne was arrested on Wednesday and charged ... Read More Turkish police on Wednesday detained the head of Turkeys Medical Association ... ties to outlawed Kurdish militants and for "making news inciting hatred were also detained in widespread ... Read More CARACAS (Reuters) - The last five members of an Iran-linked cargo plane grounded in Argentina arrived in Venezuela on Friday, according to footage from Venezuelan state television, after being ... Read More Two Spanish Tourists Killed in Air Balloon Accident in Turkey's Cappadocia ANKARA (Reuters) - Two Spanish tourists were killed and three were injured on Tuesday when the hot air balloon they were ... Read More The Washington Times reported citing local media of New Jersey, News 12 New Jersey, that the passengers flying in business class spotted the snake while the plane was taxiing after landing. Read More BROWARD COUNTY, Fla.  Broward Sheriffs Office deputies have taken a man into custody after they say he barricaded himself inside a home near Fort Lauderdale Monday night. The scene was still ... Read More This bullying is not correct, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a news conference in southern Turkey on Friday. We dont think its right for the US to use it as an element ... Read More
Us News Iran S Zarif Suggests Us Milking Saudis Of 480bn | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with American officials that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom. That's according to three U.S. officials who spoke Tuesday ... Read More The news came at a time when the Biden administration is looking to reevaluate its relationship with Saudi Arabia ... are held by top U.S. adversaries such as Russia, Iran and China. Read More The US says it agrees with Western allies that Iran's supply of explosive drones to Russia violates UN sanctions. Kyiv was struck by so-called "kamikaze" drones on Monday, unleashed by Russia but ... Read More At the time of his release early this month, Iran claimed through state-run media that it was proof of the regime's "good faith ... the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every ... Read More ADDS US comments ... Activists News Agency (HRANA) said Thursday. Major flashpoints of the unrest have been Amini's western home province of Kurdistan and the city of Zahedan in Iran's ... Read More Washington  The U.S. on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on members of Iran's intelligence agency, leaders of the country's Revolutionary Guard, prison wardens and others. The action came 40 ... Read More Since he has no trustworthy advisers and no good memory, I remind him that Iran is too strong and steadfast to surrender to US's cruel sanctions and absurd ... and Persian-language news networks ... Read More Irans president has accused the U_S_ of conducting a failed policy of destabilization. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Irans president on Thursday accused the U.S. of conducting a ... Read More Kazemi Qomi said that "America's attempt to engage ... in Afghanistan as Iran does," the Iranian envoy added. "In the new academic year, 520,000 Afghan students are studying in Iranian schools," the ... Read More Washington is currently "focused" on authorities in Iran being "accountable for what they are doing" to the protesters, Kirby added. ap/pjm/fz The Barron's news department was not involved in the ... Read More Iran said Saturday it would take legal action against the United States, accusing it of direct involvement in the protests sweeping the country. Tehran also warned the United Kingdom and ... Read More Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with American officials that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom. That's according to three U.S. officials who spoke on ... Read More
Us News Us Interference In Venezuela | RobinsPost News & Noticias

The jury is investigating allegations of interference in the 2020 election by former President Trump and his allies. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories Please give an overall site rating: ... Read More Venezuelas socialist government has been fighting to extricate from the U.S. justice system an insider businessman it claims was on an ultra-secret mission to Iran when he ... Read More Let's hope they rectify, let's hope the interference ... on US President Barack Obama to stop an alleged conspiracy by former US diplomats Roger Noriega and Otto Reich to destabilize Venezuela ... Read More (Emily Zantow/Courthouse News Service) WASHINGTON (CN ... were being screened and released to await immigration court proceedings. Migration from Venezuela has been on a yearslong upswing. Since ... Read More TASS/. The government and the opposition in Venezuela managed to begin their dialogue despite US attempts to obstruct it, the Venezuelan presidents envoy to the talks, Adan Chavez, told ... Read More Venezuelas government and opposition parties are poised to restart political negotiations after the US midterm elections next week, a move that could lead the US to start easing some sanctions on the ... Read More President Joe Bidens administration has struggled to cope with record migrant and asylum seeker arrivals at the southern US border as more people come from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. Read More Studying Xi Jinpings manipulation of language is a disorienting mental exercise. It is nonetheless crucial since Xi and the Chinese Communist Party routinely co-opt and redefine concepts the West ... Read More Pair allegedly tried to bribe top US official as attorney general says ... integrity of our judicial system, Garland said at a news conference unveiling the indictment. The Chinese intelligence ... Read More Iran dismissed President Biden as a "tired" politician and condemned U.S. "interference" in Iran's ... Iranian authorities sought to conceal news of Shakamari's death for nine days. Read More
Us News Mexico Fears Us Trade Tariffs | RobinsPost News & Noticias

US President ... lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, the three governments said, removing a major obstacle to legislative approval of a new North American trade ... Read More The US has slapped tariffs on Chinese exports such as steel ... given that the dollar jumped significantly upon recent news that a trade deal on both sides is being considered. Read More Well send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Globalisation news every ... into the World Trade Organization in 2001, which decimated certain areas of US industry. Read More Four years into the trade war, China has lost significant US market share in IT hardware and consumer electronics to Mexico and Taiwan ... imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Chinese-made network ... Read More Editors' Blog / Analysis & Opinion News Live Blog Morning Memo ... offered to narrow their politically sensitive trade surplus with the United States by purchasing more American goods. Read More Last week, Mary Ng, Canadas minister of international trade, told the press that Canada ... for the fact that CPTPP gives Canadian rivals tariff-free treatment on 99 percent of goods, 94 ... Read More Europe wants to reset trade relations with incoming U.S. President Joe Biden but is not laying down arms just yet. Indeed, the first major EU action after Biden's victory has been to slam higher ... Read More Although the Office of the United States Trade Representative claimed that US domestic industries benefit from the tariff actions in the Section 301 investigation of China last month, the call ... Read More And for them  along with nearly every other Chinese exporter and manufacturer affected by Washingtons tariffs  it did not necessarily matter why the US-China trade war was suddenly making ... Read More On Tuesday, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai tried to deliver a reasonable explanation for why the tariffs shouldn't be abolished, as she said a move to remove tariffs will do little to tame ... Read More The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced the next steps of its four-year review on the Section 301 tariffs against China, following requests for continuation from the US domestic ... Read More
World News Pakistan S Fight Against Disease Outbreaks Recognised At World Forum | RobinsPost News & Noticias

She is one of thousands of Pakistanis disabled by polio, an incurable and highly infectious viral disease that can infect a persons spinal ... marks World Polio Day on Oct. 24, only Pakistan ... Read More Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. The UN says the amount of aid it needs to raise to help the flood-hit country needs to be ... Read More A barely-noticed comment by President Joe Biden at a fundraising event describing Pakistan as one of the most dangerous countries in the world ... Biden's original comments had reached news ... Read More The new fund will help redouble and speed efforts to fight this disease ... host a pledge event at the World Health Summit on Oct. 18 in Berlin. "India's success against poliovirus showed the ... Read More Joe Biden on Pakistan: US President Joe Biden has called Pakistan the most dangerous country in the world. He said on Saturday ... Despite this, Bidens statement describing Pakistan as ... Read More Pakistan's government says the ... Pakistan wants the world community to scale up aid for flood survivors, now also threatened by waterborne diseases, malaria and dengue fever. Read More Inside, a series of sterile laboratories  capable of handling the worlds most dangerous pathogens ... This is the biggest animal disease outbreak weve ever had on the planet ... Read More Pakistan had included Shaheen in the 15-man squad for the World Cup subject to fitness. Pakistan play two warm-up games, first against England ... sh/bsp The Barron's news department was not ... Read More 21 (UPI) --The Pakistan government ... the U.S. government has outlined a roadmap that could pave the way use nature to fight back against climate change. World News // 9 hours ago Zelensky ... Read More World Arthritis Day is celebrated on October 12 every year to raise awareness about two rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases ... a good health benefit to fight against bone loss. Read More Malik played an integral part in Pakistan's excellent run in the T20 World Cup last year ... I don't have a problem with anyone and I am not against anyone because being positive has been a ... Read More I already have my XI for the Pakistan match. Already those players ... Read Also Mohammed Shami replaces injured Jasprit Bumrah in India's T20 World Cup squad Bumrah has been ruled out of ... Read More
World News Hong Kong 2017 World Economic Conference May 20 21 | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Chinese regulators downplayed Chinas real estate slump and slowing economic growth while Hong Kong's top leader pitched Hong Kong as a unique link to the rest of China at a high-profile investment ... Read More The two leaders addressed the topics during a news conference on the global economic outlook in Washington ... Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President David Malpass ... Read More "(Officials) may be aware ... boost the economy and plans to deliver more housing in a city with one of the world's least affordable property markets, something successive Hong Kong ... Read More The Nord measures 141.6 meters (464.6 feet), has two helipads, a swimming pool and 20 ... Hong Kong to China in 1997, promising to respect its semi-autonomous status as a separate economic and ... Read More Chan is due to deliver a keynote speech at an international banking conference in Hong Kong on ... battered its economy and standing as a financial centre as the rest of the world lives with ... Read More Official data in August showed that Hong Kong's economy was 1.4pc smaller in the three months to June than it had been a year earlier, in a further sign that some of the world's toughest pandemic ... Read More Hong Kongs consumer inflation rate jumped in September to the highest in seven years, as the Asian finance hub reopens to the rest of the world and joins other economies experiencing rising prices. Read More Chief executive says territory will trawl world for talent after lockdowns ... Oct 2022 09.05 EDT Last modified on Thu 20 Oct 2022 00.11 EDT Hong Kong has unveiled a HK$30bn ($3.8bn) co ... Read More Foxconn on Monday announced plans to invest up to $170mn in electric truck company Lordstown Motors as the Taiwanese manufacturer pursues its goal to supply half the worlds EVs. Best known for making ... Read More Beijing-anointed Chief Executive John Lee gave a debut policy speech that focused heavily on reviving the economy ... around the world who have relevant working experience. Overseas talent who paid ... Read More
World News Pakistan Committed To Muslim World S Unity Sharif | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has commended ... for providing assistance to Pakistan in these difficult times. The Prime Minister was also appreciative of the role being played by Muslim World League ... Read More could take place during Shehbaz Sharif's China visit, according to The News International newspaper. Citing unidentified sources, the Pakistan daily said the new corridors would become sources of ... Read More Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ... security," ARY News quoted Pakistan's PM as saying. Earlier, Biden described Pakistan as "one of the most dangerous nations" in the world which holds ... Read More US President Joe Biden (L) and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Political confrontation and polarisation have weakened Pakistans democratic institutions and with increased turmoil, it is unlikely ... Read More It has expressed its regret over the incident that has sent shockwaves in Pakistan. Sharif was one of the countrys top news anchors with ... released worldwide, is Pakistans most ... Read More May the day bring peace, joy and harmony to our world!  Shehbaz Sharif ... Pakistans Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with ... Read More Going against his policy, the ISI chief held a press conference for the first time since getting appointed. It was about de-popularising Imran Khan and clearing Army's name. Read More (AFP) Pakistan's former prime minister, Imran Khan, on Monday said that his successor Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's brother and PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League ... network ARY News, Khan also ... Read More Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed ... as the sacrifices of security personnel cannot be forgotten, it added. Sharifs assurance notwithstanding, the Swat valley has become one of ... Read More RELATED Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador over Biden's nuclear remarks "Shocked at the brutal murder of Arshad Sharif ... the world's fight to curb climbing temperatures. World News // 6 hours ... Read More Pakistan's government says the World ... between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and experts on climate change. There was no immediate word from the World Bank on the new estimate. Read More Virat Kohli may have played arguably the greatest innings in T20 history during the ICC TwentyT20 World Cup opener against Pakistan, but it's Suryakumar Yadav who is hogging the limelight Down ... Read More
World News Story Times Of Israel By Sidestepping Israel In Speech Trump Misses Chance To Push For Peace | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Calls to expel Arabs, intolerance of Israel's gay community and an apparent acceptance of political violence mark the newly powerful Religious Zionist faction. Read More For many in Israel, it feels like Groundhog Day. As ballots are cast on Tuesday and the political process trudges onward, heres what you need to know. Read More World Final tally confirms Netanyahu victory in Israel election. Posted . Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu on his election win as fina ... Read More
Clash director Mohamed Diab Calls for solidarity with In The Last Days of the City during Cannes Arab Critics ceremony

Tamer El-Said's In the Last Days of the City won the award for best film at the Arab Critics Awards' ceremony on Sunday. Youssef Shazli, the founder and managing director of Zawya, one of the film's co-producers, accepted the award on behalf of its director.

Egyptian director Mohamed Diab won the award for best director and best screen play for Clash, which he wrote with his brother Khaled.

Diab was given the award by prominent film critic Youssef Sherif Rizkallah.

Diab called on Arab and foreign critics and filmmakers to join in solidarity and show their support for El-Saids film Last Days of the City, which has not been screened in Egypt. The film, according to its Egyptian distributors, has not yet been screened in its home country due to failure to gain permission from Egypt's Censorship Authority.

Diabs comment came during the The Arab Cinema Center Annual Critics Awards ceremony at the Cannes Film Market.

Diab is also attending the Cannes Film Festival as a member of the Un Certain Regard Jury.

His film Clash was screened in the same section last year, receiving positive reviews from critics.

Shazli told the audience that he is happy In the Last Days of the Ciy received the best-film award and hopes it will be screened soon in Cairo, the city that provides the background for the protagonists struggle.

Earlier in March, Zawya Distribution announced that the film would not be released as previously announced, saying they could not secure a permit from the Censorship Authority.

El-Said was not present at the ceremony due to personal engagements. However, he told Ahram Online by email: "This award feels very special since it's the first that bears the name of the region from which our film was born. Critics are the amazing people who allow us as filmmakers to discover a new depth in our work. I'm so thankful to all the jury members for honouring us with this award.

"Although In the Last Days of the City gave me beyond what I dreamt of in many ways, my biggest dream is to release the film in its home country. I hope that this award will help set this film free and allow it to be seen in Egypt, by the Egyptian people," El-Said added.

It is sad that the film till now didn't get the censorship's permit to be screened in Cairo. And there is no clear information whether we will ever get this permit."

I can understand that Mohamed Diab as a filmmaker feels how hard it is to work for years on a film and not be able to show it to your familiy and friends. Not showing this film in Cairo is a scar that is left with us. Despite all the success of the film abroad, it wont have the same effect as screening it in Cairo, he explained.

Other winners at the awards ceremony included Majd Mastoura for his role in the Tunisian film Hedi, while the best-actress award went to Heba Ali for her role in the Egyptian film Mohammed Hammads Withered Green (Akhdar Yabes).

Hammad's Withered Green, an Egyptian-French production, had its MENA premiere at Dubai International Film festival (DIFF). The film first screened at Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur (FIFF), which ran between 30 September and 6 October. The film tells the story of a traditional and conservative woman, who has to take care of Noha, her younger sister, after the death of their parents.

Alaa Karkouti, Co-founder of the ACC and CEO of MAD Solutions, said in a press release: The Arab Cinema Center, through the Annual Critics Awards, continues to support and promote Arab cinema on the Arab and international levels.

He added that other initiatives will be employed by the company to help Arab cinema establish its presence.

Ahmed Shawky, a film critic and the manager of the Critics Awards, said that this years ceremony will be the first of many in the future.

Shawky dedicated the ceremony to late Egyptian film critic Samir Farid and Palestinian film critic Bashar Ibrahim.

Among the critics behind the nominations and winner selection were Egypts Osama Abd El-Fatah and Tarek El-Shinnawi, as well as a round of renowned critics from around the world.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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World News Story Venezuela Toll Rises To 48 Dead After Protester Is Killed | RobinsPost News & Noticias

Venezuela Flooding Death Toll Rises After Three Perish Near Maracay MARACAY (Reuters) - Flooding in Venezuela's central Aragua state killed at least three people on Monday, adding to the death ... Read More Flooding in Venezuela's central Aragua state killed at least three people on Monday, adding to the death toll from weeks of ... Like us on Facebook to see similar stories Please give an overall ... Read More LAS TEJERIAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -Hundreds of Venezuelans roamed the streets of Las Tejerias on Tuesday, digging and searching for missing relatives amid a rising death toll from devastating ... Read More The number killed by landslides in Venezuela has risen to at least 36 people after the country was hit by flooding and days of torrential rain. Search and rescue operations have been taking place ... Read More The number of people killed has risen to 36, and 56 others are missing, after landslides swept away ... According to Efe news agency, the electricity supply to the town has been cut, leaving ... Read More Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae whipped the Philippines yesterday after unleashing flash floods and landslides that officials said left at least 45 people dead. Read More MARACAY - Flooding in Venezuelas central Aragua state killed at least three people on Monday, adding to the death toll from weeks ... of Las Tejerias on Oct 8 after heavy rains provoked ... Read More A resident removes mud inside a house after devastating floods swept through the town over the weekend, in Las Tejerias, Venezuela October 11, 2022. REUTERS/Gaby Oraa Rescue personnel work to ... Read More
Amr Salama's film Sheikh Jackson is yet to be released in Egypt

Upcoming Egyptian film Sheikh Jackson was picked up by Media Luna, a reputable world sales company based in Germany, for international distribution plans.

The company provides marketing strategies tailored to each film, offering them an effective and sensible placement at the international market, as stated on their website.

Directed by Amr Salama, the film is set on the day of pop star Michael Jacksons death in 2009, and centres on a sheikh, who in his youth at school was dubbed "Jackson" by his colleagues. The story goes on to explore the emotions stirred by the pop star's death, sparking a series of existential questions within the sheikh.

Salama is a self-taught, award-winnig filmmaker and writer, who previously wrote and directed Zay Ennaharda (On a Day like Today, 2008) and Asmaa (2011) and La Moakhza (Excuse My French, 2013).

Sheikh Jackson stars Ahmed El-Fishawy, Ahmed Malek, Maged El-Kedwany, and Amina Khalil.

The film is produced by Egyptian production houses The Producers and Film Clinic, which reportedly negotiated the deal with Media Luna.

We are proud to lead this young talented director to cross borders with such a delicate story, told with such an original tone and visionary in its way, Ida Martins, CEO of Media Luna, was quoted as saying by Variety.

On their website, Media Luna says their focus is on international arthouse productions by emerging talents, whose realisations differentiate themselves through their original approach and unique style.

Last December, Sheikh Jackson was selected from a number of highly-anticipated Arab films in different stages of production, to be screened exclusively as part of the Arab Cinema Lab  an incubator for financing new projects -- at the Dubai International Film Festival.

The film has yet to be given a release date in Egypt, but is expected in cinemas soon, Salama has shared the films poster on his Facebook page with the caption coming soon.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Egyptian Marxist author and former communist activist, Sharif Hatata, died on Monday 22 May in a hospital in Germany. He was 93 years old.

Hatata, who was married to Egypt's most notable feminist writer, Nawal Saadawi, was born on 13 Septempter 1923, to an Egyptian father and an English mother.

Hatata's father was a feudal landowner and his family from the upper-middle class. However, despite this privileged social background, Hatata developed leftist political views.

In the aftermath of World War II, he joined the Egyptian Communist Organization (know as Ash-Sharara), later helping to co-found the leftist movement HAMITU.

He had his first experience in prison in 1948, when he was arrested during an anti-communist crackdown by the Egyptian authorities. He was released after King Farouk of Egypt was toppled by the Free Officers movement.

Hatata, who was also a medical doctor, met his wife Nawal Saadawi, in 1964 and they remained married until 2010.

He authored many books including his autobiography The Open Windows, in which he details his struggles in the Egyptian leftist movement.

He also authored many novels, such as The Eye with an Iron Lid (1982) and The Net (1986).



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DEMENTIA charity Lost Chord is bidding to bag a massive cash boost from Tesco.

The supermarket giant teamed up with community charity Groundwork to launch its community funding scheme, which sees grants of 4,000, 2,000 and 1,000  all raised from the 5p bag levy  being awarded to local community projects.

Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

Lost Chord, which is based in Maltby, is one of the groups on the shortlist and voting is now open for the latest windfall.

Helena Muller, Lost Chords founder and chief executive, urged people to show their pride by backing the trail-blazing Rotherham charity and helping it to put on musical sessions for people with dementia.

Voting is open in stores until the end of June.

Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

Tesco's Bags of Help project has already delivered over 28.5 million to more than 4,000 projects up and down the UK.

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities.

Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online.

To find out more visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp.
Polished diamond imports to the US fell 3% to $1.99 billion in March, according to government data.

By volume, polished imports slid 10% to 970,953 carats, while the average price of imports rose 8% to $2,045 per carat. Israels exports to the US jumped 13% to $606.4 million, with Indias shipments to the worlds largest diamond-consumer market slipping 3% to $673.8 million. Belgiums contribution to US polished intake dropped 1% to $281.5 million.

US polished exports, meanwhile, grew 7% to $1.58 billion, leaving net polished imports 28% lower at $402 million.

Rough exports increased 81% to $47 million, while rough imports fell 22% to $35 million, meaning net rough imports stood at negative $12 million versus positive $19 million a year earlier. The US net diamond account  its total rough and polished imports minus total exports  contracted 33% to $389 million.

In the first three months of the year, polished imports fell 11% to $2.45 billion, with polished exports declining 3% to $4.58 billion.




The Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE), a subsidiary of DMCC has announced the successful conclusion of the first of six tenders scheduled for 2017. The tender was held at the Almas Tower and was facilitated by the Dubai Diamond Exchange in a secure, transparent and regulated environment, which resulted in 50,000 carats worth of rough diamonds being sold, says a press release from DMCC.

The DMCCs collaboration with Trans Atlantic Gem Sales (TAGS) saw more than 130 buyers attended the 12-day event. The partnership will see TAGS organise six rough diamond tenders in Dubai in 2017. Commenting on the series of tenders, Gautam Sashittal, Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, said:Dubai is one of the worlds top three diamond trading hubs and recorded a rough diamond imports rise of 16% to $6.3 billion in 2016 and DMCC has contributed significantly to that growth. The Dubai Diamond Exchange, a DMCC platform, provides industry participants with the infrastructure, and regulatory framework they require to grow, while leveraging Dubais unique geographic position between producing and consuming markets across East and West.

Through this sales platform, artisanal suppliers with smaller productions are able to market their goods alongside larger industrial miners. This tender featured diamonds from South Africas West Coast, which is renowned for its clarity and quality, says the press note.

Reflecting on Dubais ability to connect the industrys global supply chain, Mike Aggett, General Manager of TAGS, said:

Dubai is an important trading hub for TAGS, featuring not only a robust customer base but also a unique ability to access and connect markets across the globe. By collaborating with the Dubai Diamond Exchange, miners and producers of all sizes and scales have an exceptional opportunity to enter the global supply chain through Dubai, and reach a wider market.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




The Israeli Diamond Industry is in high gear with preparations for JCK Las Vegas scheduled for June 5-8, 2017. According to the press release from Israel Diamond Institute (IDI), the Israel Diamond Pavilion will this year comprise 33 exhibitors, with more than 30 Israeli companies exhibiting at other locations throughout the show.The Israel Diamond Pavilion will be located in the heart of the Diamond Plaza.

The GET-DIAMONDS Shows search engine, which enables buyers to search for goods among Israeli exhibitors, will have dedicated stations in two separate locations, says the press note.

IDI Chairman Shmuel Schnitzer said, We are quite optimistic about the JCK Las Vegas show this year. It seems that the diamond industry worldwide is beginning to bounce back. It's no secret that the past few years have been quite challenging, but it looks like we are emerging from the slump. We are seeing steady demand from the U.S. and an upturn in trade with Asia. The United States is our largest market for polished diamonds and we are keen to continue to lead in this market.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Trans Hex has placed its Bloeddrif mine, which is part of its ageing Lower Orange River (LOR) operations in South Africa, on care and maintenance.

The company said it was also engaging relevant stakeholders, including the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which earlier this week condemned the sudden closure of the mine, which employs 115 people.

The ever-declining diamond grade and stone size, together with increasing production costs, have resulted in significant financial losses being incurred, Mining Weekly quoted TransHex as saying.

The situation has worsened in the current financial year and action has now been taken to contain further losses and, critically, to give Baken mine the best possible chance of survival, at least in the short term, would continue to receive full pay while the company undertakes the necessary statutory processes of engagement and consultation with relevant stakeholders.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




Wyclef Jean is rallying for support of Haitian immigrants in light of the Trump administration's decision to extend the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program or terminate it.

After taking the stage at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex where Trump once promised to be Haitians biggest champion, Jean, rapped, "Donald Trump renew TPS." He then performed the Fugees' hit "Ready or Not," rapping: "You need to renew that TPS; too many Haitians are feeling that stress."

"Haiti can't take these deportations," he also sang.

Haitian and immigration advocates have been gathering support among Democratic and Republican lawmakers, Haitian and non-Haitian professionals and businesses to urge Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to renew the designation for 18 months ahead of its July 22 expiration date.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Entertainment News
Huntsman Corp. (HUN) and Clariant (CLZNY.PK,CRN.L,CLZNF.PK) announced their Boards approved an agreement to combine in a merger of equals through an all-stock transaction. The merged company will be named HuntsmanClariant. Clariant shareholders will own 52%, and Huntsman shareholders will own 48% of HuntsmanClariant. Huntsman shareholders will receive 1.2196 shares in HuntsmanClariant for each Huntsman share. The transaction is targeted to close by year end 2017.

The combined company, incorporated in Switzerland, will be governed by a Board of Directors with equal representation from Clariant and Huntsman. Hariolf Kottmann, current Clariant CEO, shall become Chairman of the Board of HuntsmanClariant. Peter Huntsman, current Huntsman President and CEO, will become CEO of HuntsmanClariant. The combined company will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. The previously announced IPO of Huntsman's Pigments and Additives will continue as planned in summer 2017.

On a pro forma 2016 basis, the combination of both companies will create a global specialty chemical company with sales of approximately $13.2 billion, an adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 billion and a combined enterprise value of approximately $20 billion. The combined company expects to realize more than $3.5 billion of value creation from approximately $400 million in annual cost synergies. The targeted synergies represent roughly 3 percent of total combined 2016 revenue with one-time costs up to $500 million.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NOV), A provider of , equipment, and services to oil and gas industry, announced Monday that it is entering into a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Aramco to form a joint venture in Saudi Arabia. The JV will manufacture high-specification drilling rigs and advanced drilling equipments.

In the joint venture, NOV will own a 70% interest, while Saudi Aramco will own 30%.

The memorandum of understanding, which includes a detailed commercial term sheet, remains subject to final negotiation.

The joint venture will manufacture high-specification land rigs, rig and drilling equipment, and offer certain aftermarket services. Additionally, the companies announced their proposed joint venture will establish a training center to develop Saudi technicians to maintain and operate the sophisticated drilling technology produced by the venture.

The JV will be supported by a commitment from the recently announced Saudi Aramco Nabors Drilling Company to purchase fifty onshore drilling rigs over a ten-year period. The joint venture will have the opportunity to supply, through an exclusivity agreement, Saudi Arabia, GCC and MENA region.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Crude oil futures rose Monday, as traders looked ahead to OPEC's meeting in Vienna.

The cartel is expected to announce it is extending its supply quota plan by nine months in an effort to re-balance oil and drive prices toward $60.

"Everybody I talked to... expressed support and enthusiasm to join in this direction, but of course it doesn't preempt any creative suggestions that may come about," Saudi oil chief Khalid al-Falih said.



"We believe that continuation with the same level of cuts, plus eventually adding one or two small producers, if they wish to join, will be more than adequate to bring the five-year balance to where they need to be by the end of the first quarter 2018."

This morning, crude oil is up 65 cents at $51 a barrel, the highest in more than a month.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Google on Monday dedicated its doodle to honor the 75th birthday of American Indian rights activist Richard Oakes, the Mohawk Native American activist who promoted and campaigned for rights and freedom of the American Indian community.

Google Doodle shows Oakes and in background three of the most important places related to his life, i.e. Akwesasne reservation, where he was born; Alcatraz Island, where he led the famous occupation in 1969; and Pit River, where he helped to recover tribal land.

Richard Oakes was born on May 22, 1942, in Akwesasne, New York. When he was 18, he moved to San Francisco and enrolled in San Francisco State University shortly after.

In 1969, he led protests that included leading a group of 89 people to occupy Alcatraz Island for almost 19 months in 1969. At the height of the occupation there were 400 people. Native and non-native people brought food and other necessary items to the people on the island.

The occupation of Alcatraz had a direct effect on federal Indian policy and established a precedent for Indian activism.

Oakes also helped the Pit River Tribe recover tribal land in Northern California in 1971.

Oakes was shot dead in 1972 at the age of 30 by a YMCA camp manager. Throughout his life as an activist, he fought peacefully for freedom, justice, and the right of American Indians to have control over their lands.

"Today's Doodle recognizes places that were important in his life's story and mission, depicting the Akwesasne reservation, Alcatraz Island, and Pit River. Here's to Richard Oakes, for his unwavering dedication to his community and social justice," Google wrote on its Doodle page.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
By SA Commercial Prop News

SA Commercial Property News Media Director, Ortneil Kutama says Technology is always changing in Real Estate and much like other industries.



Its irrefutable that the internet and digital media tools continue to change the way we do business, as it plays a pivotal role in the Commercial Real Estate Sector from brokerage to asset management.

While the continual developments in technology have raised the efficiency of many businesses, it has also had a massive impact on the way property transactions are handled across the globe.

SA Commercial Property News Media Director, Ortneil Kutama says with so many hoops to jump through to close transactions, falling property prices, and unrealistic sellers and buyers, todays property companies have to work harder than ever before.

"This doesnt have to be the case. With the right systems and the right processes in place, you can work smarter rather than working harder. Everyone has systems. The question is: Which systems support your business to thrive vs. which systems create a drag on your production? A system can be as simple as taking a different route to work online," said Kutama.

A major area of technology influencing the South African Commercial Real Estate Indusrty is the evolution of digital media web portals to list property vacancies.

This year alone, we have facilitated in closing several property deals and still receiving a growing number of leads accessed through our website from clients looking for space to let and selling their properties. Thus has shown confidence in digital media platforms that they have taken real root," said Kutama.

Although the older generation quite often buck the trend and often still buy and sell property entirely with the advice of and through their Broker.

The last 24 months have seen SA's Commercial Property industry undergo a significant transformation. The landscape of marketing and advertising is shifting and, with a focus on economically sound practices, the industry is relocating itself into the online environment.

Online property portals have recently seen an increase in consumers searching for property online  an indication of a shift in house-hunting strategies consumers are making use of in the market.

With access to comprehensive reports, statistics and news, South Africas buying audience is becoming increasingly informed with respect to their buying options, and this is likely to trigger increased sales in the coming years.

According to Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, the way forward is to tap into mobile internet users. He refers to The Internet Access in South Africa 2012 study conducted by World Wide Worx, headed by Arthur Goldstuck who is regarded as South Africas leading expert on Internet and mobile technology trends.

The report indicates that broadband access in South Africa has more than doubled in the last two years as mobile operators cut the cost of data and network roll-out accelerated.

World Wide Worx found that the total number of fixed line broadband subscriptions in South Africa is now outnumbered 8 to 1 by mobile broadband subscriptions.

The study also shows that Internet penetration in South Africa is now approaching 20%, and, for the first time, the mass market is embracing digital tools on their phones.

Kutama says an increasing number of companies and brokers are electing to go paperless. Many associations already publish their various contracts in a digital format.

They may also be available in the cloud, using systems such as DocuSign. Digital signatures can be obtained either through the equivalent of a lock-and-key approach (think of your credit card number tied to a password) or with an actual digital signature.

"On the tablet PCs, your pontential clients sign their documents with a light pen. On the smart phone devices, they can sign using their finger with apps such as Zosh. Going paperless is one of the most effective ways to save both time and gasoline costs," says Kutama.

Despite the fact that technological decisions have improved and costs have become more competitive, many South African property firms continue to rely on the spreadsheet to manage and organize their business. Additionally, real estate companies are challenged with making thousands of complex technology decisions each year.

As the leading commercial real estate portal that prides itself on enhancing productivity through harnessing progressive technology, SA Commercial Prop News is forging ahead with development of a mobile app to give users an easy way of searching and navigating.
Turnout for general election less than expected for Saline County

Ballots are still being counted as of Wednesday, but it seems the turnout for the 2022 general election was lower than expected by the county clerk.
A national seminar on copyright has pushed for more original compositions reflecting the Samoan spirit.

The message came from the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour, Lautafi Fio Purcell, during the opening of the National Seminar on New Developments in Copyright and its Role In Sustainable Development last week.

Gao Hang the Director of the Copyright Development Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (W.I.P.O) was among the officials at the seminar.

She spoke about the importance of the two-day meeting.

We are living in times of rapid change, particularly technological change in which innovation and creativity are at the heart of any modern knowledge based, she said.

She noted that Samoa several weeks ago celebrated the importance of Intellectual Property and they focused on young students who are innovators.

W.I.P.O and M.C.I.L organised the seminar with financial support from Australian Government.

Lautafi noted the importance of new developments in copyright and its role in sustainable development.

Samoa acceded to the Beijing Treaty last month. I believe this is important for Samoa and all the parties to the Beijing Treaty as it recognizes the rights of performers of audio-visually fixed works.

These type of Seminars are important in helping all stakeholders including Government Ministries to have a better understanding of such treaties and other developments in area of copyright to help formulate relevant recommendations for Government Policies and Legislative developments.

The Minister noted discussions on the Collective Management Organization and the experience of the New Zealand Office for Australasian Performing Rights Association and the Consumers and Communications Branch of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

This is important for Samoan Musicians, Producers and Broadcasters so they are able to get financial rewards and protection for their works to ensure that creators of Samoan music and other works are encouraged to create more original compositions reflecting the Samoan spirit.

He thanked W.I.P.O and the Government of Australia for their continuous support to the government of Samoa.
The government has a responsibility to provide jobs.

So says 21-year-old Miliona Lua of Solosolo.

Speaking to the Village Voice, he argues that its not his fault hes unemployed.

Im not trying to be smart or something but this is the truth, he said.

To be realistic, our government should prioritise their duty to our people.

I used to go school and I dreamed to become a teacher but things turned out differently.

My parents lost their jobs because they are both sick and I got no other choice but to stay home and look after them.

It was my last year at Malua Fou College when I dropped out.

I couldnt continue on with school because we have no money.

Miliona challenged the government about their responsibility.

It is the responsibility of the government to provide any job compensation to these distraught families so that these families could survive, he said.

I dont want to offend anyone or someone but I want to voice this issue.

None of us go school anymore so the plantation is where we get some food from. We need money all the time and we need to prioritise our sick parents.

Like any Samoan would, Miliona is looking for a job to ease his suffering.

I spend most of the time to look for a job because this is the only way for us to care our parents. I can do any job and Im a very hard working person.

We have nothing left except of hope and faith.

He went on to thank his parents.

My mom and dad are everything to us, he said.

They worked days and days to put food on the table.

If only the government is able to visit us here and see whats going on they would know what Im talking about.

This is just a humble request and a simple plight for the government to consider. I am very much in need of a job to help my family.
Well heres the good news. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaois government is in the good books of the International Monetary Fund (I.M.F) so that today, the orgsanisation established to ensure the stability of the international monetary system only has great things to say about Samoa.

According to a story titled I.M.F positive about Samoas economy published on page 3 of your newspaper yesterday, the Funds Executive Board has been left extremely impressed following their last monthly review of economic activities in Samoa.

Samoas economy continues to perform well, the Funds report reads.

Economic activity picked up during 2015/16 driven by tourism arrivals, lower fuel prices, and new fish processing facilities, further boosted by two major sporting events and infrastructure projects.

Although the pace will moderate in 2017/18 and in 2018/19 with the closure of a large manufacturing plant, growth is expected to remain buoyant, with G.D.P growing at around 2 percent annually, driven by construction activity, infrastructure development and improvements in the business environment.

According to the I.M.F, the outlook in terms of the economy is moderately positive. But this is subject to Samoas vulnerability to a number of issues including natural disasters, elevated contingent liabilities, and withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships.

Overall, however, the I.M.Fs Executive Directors commended the Samoan authorities for their prudent policies which led to strong economic performance.

Now who wouldnt be proud about such praises?

Its wonderful, isnt it? Think of the high reputation the government has raised Samoa to both regionally and internationally over the years. Think of our recent graduation from the least developed country status to what we are today.

Think of all the wonderful international meetings weve hosted in the past few years and how they have earned Samoa nothing but praise.

They are achievements to be proud of.

But there is a growing sense of uneasiness that is threatening to undo all this hard work. Samoa looks beautiful from afar but it really is struggling at the core. And it involves the governments inability to address the very basic needs of the citizens of this country.

This is why such immodest praise is hard to accept sometimes.

There is of course the diplomatic speak and reality.

On the Village Voice section of this newspaper every day, the reality is crystal clear. Take the Sunday Samoan for example, it featured a story titled Its not much but its home for father of six. There was a picture of Joe Isaako of Malie and his children in what is their home.

We have a hard time in our home when bad weather strikes, he said. I have six kids and my wife and I try our best to make this house a comfortable home for them.

I know I have a job but my job cant afford to help me in renewing our home. Heavy rainfall is good for other people but not for us because of how our house is.

On the very next page was another sad story. Titled Mother dreams of running water, it highlighted the plight of Lisi Toma of Vailele and Malie whose family do not access running water.

For me, taking care of my grandchildren is not a difficult task. Its fetching of water on a daily basis thats difficult, she said.

Countless people like Joe Isaako and Lisi Toma have been featured in the Village Voice. But these are not the only issues.

Yesterday, a young man was featured in a story titled Miliona challenges the govt. over jobs. The 21-year-old from Solosolo is unemployed.

Speaking to the Village Voice, he argued that its not his fault hes unemployed.

Im not trying to be smart or something but this is the truth, he said.

It is the responsibility of the government to provide any job compensation to these distraught families so that these families could survive.

I dont want to offend anyone or someone but I want to voice this issue. If only the government is able to visit us here and see whats going on they would know what Im talking about.

This is just a humble request and a simple plight for the government to consider. I am very much in need of a job to help my family.

We can go on and on but we will stop here.

Now here we have the government being immodestly praised for economic development and yet we have citizens who are absolutely desperate for basic necessities like housing, electricity, water and jobs.

This doesnt make sense. What it comes down to is that the government should prioritise these concerns, instead of pumping more millions into their grand dream of turning beautiful Samoa into a mini foreign city with all these unnecessary high rises and dead pieces of infrastructure.

What do you think?
The Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, welcomed Chinas Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zheng Zeguang, yesterday.

The Vice Minister is leading a delegation from China in the country to meet with a host of government officials  including Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi  to discuss the relationship between the two nations.

At Tuaefu yesterday, Mr. Zeguang was welcomed during an ava ceremony.

During their discussion, Mr. Zeguang paid tribute to the work of the Head of State.

We remember that you were in China when we had the Beijing Olympic Games and youve been working so hard for the development of Samoa and the betterment of everyones lives here, he said.

Not only that but in promoting mutual understanding of the friendship with China and Samoa.

The Vice Minister assured that Chinas goal is to promote peace in the world and help their friends.

Our relationship was first established under your leadership in 1975 and I am very proud and we will continue this relationship.

We highly appreciate it.

In welcoming Mr. Zeguang, His Highness Tui Atua said Samoa and China share a very special bond.

I am a great fan of your country, His Highness Tui Atua said.

Samoa and China have enjoyed a friendly and fruitful relationship since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries.

We appreciate the assistance of your government through the development... in this spirit we look forward to working closely with your government in the future.

Mr. Zheng Zeguang is the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Areas of responsibility in Policy planning, North America and Oceania.

Born in Guangdong Province, Mr. Zheng is married with a son.
The $1million lawsuit against the former Minister of Police, Sala Fata Pinati, Commissioner of Police, Fuiavailili Egon Keil and the Ministry of Police is set for a full hearing.

The development comes after a Judiciary Settlement Conference (J.S.C) failed to reach a compromise.

The hearing is now scheduled for 13 November 2017.

The lawsuit was filed by Suitupe Misa, who was wrongfully arrested at gunpoint at the Fugalei market two years ago.

The matter had been postponed several times since it was first filed in Court.

Yesterday, it surfaced before Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaesua Falefatu Sapolu.

State Solicitor David J. Fong, of the A.Gs office represented the defendants while the plaintiff was represented by Sarona Ponifasio.

During the Civil mention yesterday afternoon, it was revealed that the J.S.C was not successful.

A Judiciary Settlement Conference is held behind closed doors between the parties.

Mr. Misas lawsuit targets as first defendant, Sala Fata Pinati, second defendant the Commissioner of Police, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil and the Ministry of Police as the third defendant.

Mr. Misa is suing the Minister of Police for a breach of statutory duty.

In the statement of claim, the plaintiff argues that the first defendant breached his duty under section 13 (3) of the Police Powers Act.

In particular, Sala is accused of failing to consider any exceptional circumstances to establish whether or not a police officer(s) ought to be armed when the police arrested the plaintiff.

The second cause of action against the Commissioner is an alleged abuse of process.

The second defendant received information from the first defendant that a person by the name of Suitupe apparently made threats to kill the first and second defendants, and other senior government officials (alleged threat), says the statement of claim.

The first defendant had also informed the second defendant of a witness who may verify the alleged threat. The second defendant however failed to verify the reliability of the alleged threat through direct enquiry with the witness referred to.

The second defendant could have easily found out the truth regarding the alleged threat if he had made reasonable enquiries with the witness.

The second defendant used and relied on the apparent validity of the Ministers approval by ordering certain police officers including Officer Iosefa to be armed and to arrest the plaintiff upon confirmation of the plaintiffs presence at the market.

Fuiavailiili is accused of using the legal process in order to accomplish an ulterior purpose of oppression against the plaintiff.

Mr. Misa claims that the Commissioner abused the process to effect an improper purpose.

The third cause of action is against the third defendant or the Ministry of Police for unlawful arrest and unlawful detention.
The Acting Prime Minister, Papalii Niko Lee Hang, has given the countrys blessings to sixty-nine local seafarers who are bound for work overseas.

Papalii wished them all the best during a ceremony held at the T.A.T.T.E. Building on Monday. The formalities commenced with a prayer service conducted by Rev. Faafetai Fata of the Apia Harvest Centre Church, during which he reminded them to put God first in all that they do.

The seafarers have secured jobs on M.S.C. Cruise and Cargo ships. Fifty-six will be working on the M.S.C. Cruises while the other 13 will be working on Cargo Ships.

The 69 seafarers are: Ainini Vaipae, Popese Popese, Landy Faasavalu, Tony Tuneva, Lionel Filiga, Asoono Iosefa Levao, Tulimanu Fereti, Pogisa Junior Suitu Taalolo, Faiupu Aso Fiu, Faletoese Laloata, Falepau Niu, Derek Lefau, Faavae Tuitasi, Eric Osa Isaia, Faavevela Suafai, Kirifi Fiu Sefau, Ierome Sia, James Schuster, Levesi Colins Forbes, Simone Ioane, Michael Ekueni, Sao Lio Sao, Paulo Pisa Paulo, Semurana Nouata, Pene Ueta, , Iakopo Leu Ah Sam, Lepua Tapulaaia, Ulufale Samoa, Mauola Iasepi, Samu Iasepi, Hemana J. Raymond, Michael Maestro Lemauai, Iosefa Meki, Lotu Sililo Mafutaga, Charles Iose Mafua, Pene Ropati, Isaako Mapu, Daniel Vaefaga, Junior Faresa Aumua, Tresil Fepuleai, Kaisara Vaueli, Lawrence Ropati Magele, Laauli Pulu, Hernandez C. Tofilau, Faatoialemanu Elia, Ota Joseph Gorlina, Sefulu Pupumai Meki, Logan Ah Kee Lalomalava, Mau Leone Ioane, Jocob Sione, Maersk Faalogo, Pesamino Une, Konifesi Isaia, Fili Kovati, George Afakasi Malie,Lauina Kalolo, Praise Sootaga Ofisa Mauga, Paulino Sefoloi, Benny Maulupe, Filipo Tavita Toloa, Ieremia Masivao, Too Aleki Too,Asuina Elisara, Fereti Matagi Tomasi, Junior Kolio,Tala Kelemete, Vaifale Malie, Viliamu Viliamu Asaga, Faiese Malaefono,and Tavita Faailoga Sataua.
North Korea said Monday its ready to start mass-producing and deploying a new medium-range missile capable of reaching Japan and major U.S. military bases there following a test launch it claims confirmed the missiles combat readiness, providing an answer to President Trumps policies.

The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 310 miles and reached a height of 350 miles Sunday before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. North Koreas media said more missiles will be launched in the future.

Trump, traveling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday. The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its adaptability under various battle conditions before it is deployed to military units.

Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, approved the deployment of this weapon system for action and said that it should be rapidly mass-produced.

North Korea has significantly sped up its missile tests over the last year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that not only poses a threat to South Korea and Japan  which together host about 80,000 U.S. troops  but produces an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

Its moving ahead with its nuclear weapons program as well.

The North conducted two nuclear tests last year. It claims one was a hydrogen bomb, and the other device created a more powerful explosion than any the North has previous tested. Satellite imagery suggests that it could be ready to conduct its next test  which would be its sixth  at virtually any time.

Pyongyangs often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington or other U.S. cities.

North Koreas media, meanwhile, have stepped up their calls for even more missile launches because of what Pyongyang claims is an increasingly hostile policy by Trump.

The Trump administration would be well advised to lend an ear to the voices of concern that are heard from the U.S. and the international community, the Norths Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Sunday. Many more Juche weapons capable of striking the U.S. will be launched from this land. This is the DPRKs answer to the Trump administration.

Juche, in this usage, refers to domestically produced and DPRK is short for the Norths official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is disappointing and disturbing.

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting after the launch, and its Foreign Ministry said the launch throws cold water on efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

At the request of diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea, a United Nations Security Council consultation on the missile test is set for Tuesday.

North Korea a week earlier had successfully tested a new mid-range missile  the Hwasong 12  that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

See the most-read stories in World News this hour 

Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea, and represents another big advance toward a viable ICBM.

David Wright, an expert on North Koreas missiles and nuclear program who is with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the latest missile could have flown farther but was fired on a lofted trajectory, which sends the missile high up so that it will land in the open seas rather than flying over or splashing down near neighboring countries.

He noted the Pukguksong-2s solid fuel is of particular concern.

Solid-fuel missiles have their fuel loaded in them before being moved into place, allowing them to be launched faster and with more secrecy. Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, are fueled at the launch site in a process that can last an hour and requires fueling and other vehicles. That makes then easier to spot and easier to destroy than the solid-fuel variety.

ALSO

White House calls North Korea flagrant menace after seventh missile test launch this year

In a rare direct criticism, North Korea says Chinas reckless remarks are testing its patience

North Korea accuses U.S. and South Korea of assassination attempt
This month, we are going to begin to see our college students leaving the comfort of their student lives and entering the real world. I wanted to talk directly to all of those starting their job hunt.

Landing your dream job can be harder than it looks. I know that many of you are excited to put your education to use and start immediately in your chosen profession. You have fresh ideas, you have a new energy that many companies are searching for, but you need to make certain you are real world prepared. Interviewing can be a challenge, especially if you havent interviewed much. Thats especially true when youre interviewing for entry level jobs, because, in general, its a level playing field with all candidates having the same basic qualifications.

The more you prepare - by practicing your interview skills, researching the company, being able to show why youre qualified, and by following up after the interview - the better chance youll get at securing that second interview and/or job offer.

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Fine tune the resume and personalize the cover letter: Make sure your resume includes an objective or summary statement detailing the concrete contributions you can bring to the organization. Use your skills from your time with studies, including accomplishments you can translate into work experience.

Customize your cover letter for each position you apply for. Keep the letter short and to the point, leaving the reader with a professional first impression. Always bring extra copies, prepared and packaged like you were turning in your final report to the interview.

Do your homework: You thought this was over, but I need to articulate to you that every interview you are fortunate to attend, you must prepare! Research the organization, the interviewer or the interview panel, if you are fortunate to know who you will meet. Exhaust everything on the Internet, and in print. Read the company website, twitter feed, Facebook timeline, LinkedIn profiles, newsletters, and annual reports. Treat your interview as if you were studying for a final. Know everything you possibly can about the company before you walk in.

Practice Interviewing: Before you go on any interviewPRACTICEPRACTICEPRACTICE. There are common interview questions you are likely to come up against, so think about how you would respond. Practice your responses with advisers and use the interview preparation modules offered by the career office at your college. There are also some great interview review samples for common questions in my book, Job Won, that might be a good study guide. Dont overlook talking with college alumni working in your target field. Ask them about what it takes to be a success in your chosen career.

First impressions: A CareerBuilder study found that inappropriate clothing and appearance was considered the most damaging interview mistake by 51 percent of hiring managers. Normally it takes 5-9 seconds to make a first impression and you do not get a second chance for that first impression. You may have only 30 seconds. Dressing professionally is important. No wrinkled, dirty shirts, unhemmed trousers, ill-fitting clothing, revealing cleavage, short skirts, or scuffed shoes.

Pay attention to your body language. What you dont say actually can speak more for you with 95 percent of communication occurring non-verbally, and 55 percent of your first impression comes from your body language. During the interview, be sure to pay special attention to your body language: shake hands firmly, make eye contact as you articulate your points, and sit up straight. Make sure you are paying close attention to the questions you are being asked before you respond. It is important you give the impression of being engaged in the conversation.

Be positive about the potential position. Your passion will shine come through your words and speak volumes more than any resume could. Employers want dedicated team members, show them your genuine professional interest. Be ready to articulate why you are interested in the target job/organization, how it relates to your goals. Show enthusiasm during the interview for the job.

Be ready to ask questions: Be prepared to ask questions about the job that reflect your genuine interest and build on the research you have done about the position. Write down a few before you go to the interview. Keep paper and pen handy to write additional questions as the interview goes on. Toward the end of the interview, let the interviewer know that you think the job is an excellent fit and briefly let them know why and that you are highly interested - that you want the job!

Say thank you: Make sure you get the contact information for your interviewer and send a follow-up email and handwritten thank you note, as soon as possible after the meeting.

A successful job-search starts with a thorough plan. Every interview you take requires the same dedicated research. Remember that finding a new job opens up a world of exciting possibilities, opportunities to increase your earning power, meet new people, discover new companies, and acquire valuable skills. It can be the most important test you will ever take.

Phil Blair is co-founder of Manpower San Diego and author of Job Won.
San Diego Gas & Electric wants to build a 47-mile natural gas pipeline between Rainbow and Miramar and this week the public has an opportunity to offer opinions to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which will ultimately decide if the project gets built or not.

Calling it the Pipeline Safety and Reliability Project, SDG&E proposes using the new pipeline to relieve pressure on a 30-inch pipeline that runs in a north-south direction near Interstate 5 and replace a 16-inch pipeline that runs along the Interstate 15 corridor and has been in existence since 1949.

SDG&E would partner with Southern California Gas on the project. The two utilities are subsidiaries of Sempra Energy, a Fortune 500 company based in San Diego that operates natural gas-fired power plants, pipelines and storage facilities.

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As part of the CPUC review process evaluating potential environmental impacts of the pipeline, three public scoping meetings will be held in San Diego County this week.

Sessions will held Tuesday in Fallbrook, Wednesday in Escondido and Thursday in San Diego from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

SDG&E has proposed this project to enhance safety, to comply with pipeline safety laws here in California, but also to improve the reliability and operational flexibility of our natural gas system, said Jennifer Ramp, senior communications manager at SDG&E.

But ever since SDG&E proposed the pipeline in 2015, there has been opposition on some fronts.

Escondido resident Jim Schafer said he will attend Wednesdays meeting because he objects to the proposed route the pipeline will take in his town, saying it would make traffic worse, negatively impact schools and businesses and go through a huge residential area.

It just seems wrong to me on so many levels, Shafer said.

Some environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, have said the pipeline is not needed, especially as state policymakers implement rules requiring greenhouse gas reductions.

California ratepayers should not foot the bill for costly new fossil fuel infrastructure investments that are, or will soon become, stranded assets, and whose benefits appear primarily intended to flow to Sempras unregulated subsidiaries, Sierra Club attorney Matthew Vespa wrote in a filing with the CPUC last year.

Shafer echoed those concerns.

If we really needed it, Id be OK with that, Shafer said. But I cant imagine, with solar and the way were getting built out population-wise in this county, why we need a huge three-foot diameter pipeline.

SDG&E officials say the pipeline is necessary to ensure reliable natural gas delivery for the 3.2 million people in San Diego County, the second-largest county in the state and 17th largest metropolitan area in the country.

Last month the San Diego-based Utility Consumers Action Network said that while it was originally very skeptical of the project, an analysis led the group to support the pipeline proposal.

If the CPUC approves the pipeline project, SDG&E anticipates starting construction in 2020 and having it in service by 2022. The pipeline is estimated to cost $639 million that will be paid for by ratepayers.

SDG&E has estimated that a typical residential customer would see a 1.7 percent increase on their monthly bills, which works out to a 57 cents more.

The pipeline would run from a metering station that SDG&E operates in Rainbow to existing facilities on the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Following a 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people, the state Legislature passed new regulations, including replacing or pressure-testing gas lines.

SDG&E concluded that its aging 16-inch pipeline should be replaced and said it would cost more than $130 million to pressure-test the line.

And (it) would require taking this line out of service, which could impact reliability to our larger customers, Ramp said. We would still be left with a nearly 70-year-old pipeline.

Public scoping meetings on SDG&E pipeline proposal

2 p.m. to 4 p.m., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday

Fallbrook

Pala Mesa Resort, Ballroom

2001 Old Highway 395

Wednesday

Escondido

Park Avenue Community Center, Auditorium

210 E. Park Avenune

Thursday

San Diego

Alliant International University, Green Hall

10455 Pomerado Road

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
A former Customs and Border Protection officer who took bribes of money and sex to allow unauthorized immigrants into the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry was sentenced Monday to five years in prison.

Jose Luis Cota, 51, pleaded guilty in January to three charges of smuggling unauthorized immigrants for financial gain and another charge of bribery. He admitted he was part of a small group of smugglers who brought in at least 10 people at a cost as high as $15,000 each, court records say.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller also ordered Cota to forfeit two cars and $63,837 in cash  proceeds he got from the smuggling operation.

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Cota was a 15-year veteran of Customs and Border Protection. Court records say that from November 2015 to September 2016 Cota worked with the husband-and-wife team of Miriam Juarez Herrera and Gilberto Aguilar Martinez to smuggle people through his inspection lane in San Ysidro.

He becomes the latest border officer to be ensnared in corruption allegations. Since 2004, when the federal government embarked on a hiring spree that doubled the size of CBP and the Border Patrol, some 200 officers and agents have been arrested on misconduct and corruption charges.

While Customs and Border Protection has said repeatedly that the 200 figure represents a fraction of the total force of more than 43,000 officers and agents, the impact of Cotas misconduct clearly troubled the judge.

These offenses erode confidence in law enforcement in matters of national security and border security, Miller said. Cotas corruption fuels what the judge described as the belief that there is a spot of rot in the foundations of government.

And that belief, the veteran jurist said to Cota, has far wider impacts.

It affects national confidence in the ability of the government to simply do its job, Miller said.

Cota apologized to his family for his conduct.

Court records say the the conspiracy started in November 2015, with Juarez recruiting immigrants to be smuggled in her vehicle and Cota waving them through his lanes at the port of entry while he was on duty.

Aguilar handled the transportation of the clients once they had crossed the border, and he collected the smuggling fees.

In addition to a share of the money, Cota also traded sexual favors from Juarez as part of the scheme.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Stingley said in court that when Cota was arrested in September investigators from the Border Corruption Task Force found a ledger in his backpack that listed in detail the money he had received from the smuggling and the dates he had received it.

Those dates corresponded exactly to deposit dates in his personal bank account, Stingley said. Investigators also found $17,000 in cash when they searched his home.

Cota had a clean record prior to his involvement in the scheme. Miller noted he was a decorated Army veteran who joined CBP and served without incident.

His case comes at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to ramp up hiring for Border Patrol agents as part of its program to beef up border security. A Senate committee passed a bill this month that would allow Customs and Border Protection to waive a pre-employment polygraph exam for applicants who have experience in law enforcement or the military.

The tests were mandated by Congress in 2010 in response to the rising number of corruption cases involving border officers. CBP officials have said two-thirds of applicants fail the polygraph exam.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said the full Senate had passed a bill waiving polygraph tests for some CBP applicants. It was a Senate committee that passed the bill. The story has been updated.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
Nearly 40 years after the world was jolted by the birth of the first test-tube baby, a new revolution in reproductive technology is on the horizon  and it promises to be far more controversial than in vitro fertilization ever was.

Within a decade or two, researchers say, scientists will likely be able to create a baby from human skin cells that have been coaxed to grow into eggs and sperm and used to create embryos to implant in a womb.

The process, in vitro gametogenesis, or I.V.G., so far has been used only in mice. But stem cell biologists say it is only a matter of time before it could be used in human reproduction  opening up mind-boggling possibilities.

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With I.V.G., two men could have a baby that was biologically related to both of them, by using skin cells from one to make an egg that would be fertilized by sperm from the other. Women with fertility problems could have eggs made from their skin cells, rather than go through the lengthy and expensive process of stimulating their ovaries to retrieve their eggs.

It gives me an unsettled feeling because we dont know what this could lead to, said Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell researcher at UC Davis. You can imagine one man providing both the eggs and the sperm, almost like cloning himself. You can imagine that eggs becoming so easily available would lead to designer babies.

Some scientists even talk about what they call the Brad Pitt scenario when someone retrieves a celebritys skin cells from a hotel bed or bathtub. Or a baby might have what one law professor called multiplex parents.

There are groups out there that want to reproduce among themselves, said Sonia Suter, a George Washington University law professor who began writing about I.V.G. even before it had been achieved in mice. You could have two pairs who would each create an embryo, and then take an egg from one embryo and sperm from the other, and create a baby with four parents.

Three prominent academics in medicine and law sounded an alarm about the possible consequences in a paper published this year.

I.V.G. may raise the specter of embryo farming on a scale currently unimagined, which might exacerbate concerns about the devaluation of human life, Dr. Eli Y. Adashi, a medical science professor at Brown; I. Glenn Cohen, a Harvard Law School professor; and Dr. George Q. Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School, wrote in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Jeanne Loring at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla is a pioneer of stem cell science. (K.C. Alfred / U-T San Diego)

Still, how soon I.V.G. might become a reality in human reproduction is open to debate.

I wouldnt be surprised if it was five years, and I wouldnt be surprised if it was 25 years, said Jeanne Loring, a researcher at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla who, with the San Diego Zoo, hopes to use I.V.G. to increase the population of the nearly extinct northern white rhino.

Loring said that when she discussed I.V.G. with colleagues who initially said it would never be used with humans, their skepticism often melted away as the talk continued. But not everyone is convinced that I.V.G. will ever become a regularly used process in human reproduction  even if the ethical issues are resolved.

People are a lot more complicated than mice, said Susan Solomon, chief executive of the New York Stem Cell Foundation. And weve often seen that the closer you get to something, the more obstacles you discover.

I.V.G. is not the first reproductive technology to challenge the basic paradigm of baby-making. Back when in vitro fertilization was beginning, many people were horrified by the idea of creating babies outside the human body. And yet, I.V.F. and related procedures have become so commonplace that they now account for about 70,000, or almost 2 percent, of the babies born in the United States each year. According to the latest estimate, there have been more than 6.5 million babies born worldwide through I.V.F. and related technologies.

Of course, even I.V.F. is not universally accepted. The Catholic Church remains firm in its opposition to in vitro fertilization, in part because it so often leads to the creation of extra embryos that are frozen or discarded.

I.V.G. requires layers of complicated bioengineering. Scientists must first take adult skin cells  other cells would work as well or better, but skin cells are the easiest to get  and reprogram them to become embryonic stem cells capable of growing into different kinds of cells.

Then, the same kind of signaling factors that occur in nature are used to guide those stem cells to become eggs or sperm. (Cells taken from women could be made to produce sperm, the researchers say, but the sperm, lacking a Y chromosome, would produce only female babies.)

Last year, researchers in Japan, led by Katsuhiko Hayashi, used I.V.G. to make viable eggs from the skin cells of adult female mice, and produced embryos that were implanted into female mice, who then gave birth to healthy babies.

The process strikes some people as inherently repugnant.

There is a yuck factor here, said Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University. It strikes many people as intuitively yucky to have three parents, or to make a baby without starting from an egg and sperm. But then again, it used to be that people thought blood transfusions were yucky, or putting pig valves in human hearts.

Whatever the social norms, there are questions about the wisdom of tinkering with basic biological processes. And there is general agreement that reproductive technology is progressing faster than consideration of the legal and ethical questions it raises.

We have come to realize that scientific developments are outpacing our ability to think them through, Adashi said. Its a challenge for which we are not fully prepared. It would be good to be having the conversation before we are actually confronting the challenges.

Some bioethicists take the position that while research on early stages of human life can deepen the understanding of our genetic code, tinkering with biological mechanisms that have evolved over thousands of years is inherently wrongheaded.

Basic research is paramount, but its not clear that we need new methods for creating viable embryos, said David Lemberg, a bioethicist at National University in California. Attempting to apply what weve learned to create a human zygote is dangerous, because we have no idea what were doing, we have no idea what the outcomes are going to be.

Lewin writes for The New York Times.
San Diego labor unions say the state Supreme Court should overturn last months appellate court ruling vindicating San Diegos 2012 pension cutbacks because the ruling threatens to disrupt labor-management relations across California.

In a formal appeal of last months ruling filed on Friday, the unions say it must be reversed to avoid threatening nearly 50 years of labor peace by creating confusion about when management must negotiate with employee groups.

RELATED: Appeals court vindicates San Diegos 2012 pension cutbacks

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The appeals court ruled that city officials dont have to confer with labor groups about ballot measures if such measures are placed on the ballot by a citizens initiative, such as the citys pension cutback ballot measure  Proposition B.

The unions contend in their 43-page appeal that the states Meyers-Milias-Brown Act requires negotiations with labor groups when a citizens initiative is launched and supported by a city official, former Mayor Jerry Sanders in the case of Proposition B.

The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act essentially says leaders of a government agency must confer with labor groups about anything that would impact wages, hours or working conditions.

The appeals court ruling said one reason it was OK for Sanders to help craft the measure is that it was the City Council that eventually voted to place it on the ballot, not Sanders.

The unions argue against that distinction and contend that last months ruling contradicts many previous appellate rulings on the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, creating confusion for labor groups and governments across the state about what is required of them.

If the Supreme Court chooses to overturn the appellate ruling, San Diego could be forced to spend millions creating retroactive pensions for more than 3,000 workers hired since 2012.

Proposition B, which was approved by 65 percent of voters in June 2012, replaced guaranteed pensions with 401(k)-style retirement plans for all newly-hired city employees except police officers.

The Supreme Court could also take the less aggressive step of de-publishing the appellate ruling, which would eliminate its status as a precedent that arguably conflicts with many other rulings.

But the unions are urging the court to go further, because merely de-publishing would leave the ruling in place and San Diegos pension cutbacks still in effect.

A spokesman for City Attorney Mara Elliott said the city would file a response to the unions appeal by a June 8 deadline. The unions will then have 10 days to respond to that, and then the Supreme Court will have 60 days to decide whether to review the case.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Even moments before he got up on stage, Stephen Davis wasnt entirely sure he was going to go through with it.

But there he was, standing in front of a couple hundred people in an activity room at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility  just off the A yard  talking about overcoming obstacles, rising to a challenge and finding ones purpose in life.

Im engaging, seizing my life. Im making it my own, said Davis, explaining to the crowd how he mustered the nerve to step on stage, when not so long ago just the thought of delivering his own TED talk had been terrifying.

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Were enriching ourselves with each new experience, said the 40-year-old, who is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. Near the end of his speech he asked the audience: Are you accepting lifes challenges or are you the one on the sidelines?

It was a positive message from a somewhat unusual messenger.

But that was pretty much the point.

Davis, was one of about a dozen speakers  some of them inmates, some not  at Sundays TEDxDonovanCorrectional event held at the Otay Mesa prison. Its theme was Beyond the Surface, an exploration of what happens when people dig deeper for connection and understanding.

Organizer Mariette Fourmeaux du Sartel, a North Park resident whose background is in business and marketing, worked with the inmates and a group of volunteers to set up the event, the first of its kind at Donovan state prison. Although she had no previous connection to the criminal justice system, she said her interests called her to the prison late last year.

When I set foot in Donovan, I found a profound richness of experience, of knowledge that I saw had been untapped, she said.

On Sunday, Fourmeaux du Sartel beamed at the back of the activity room as five months of preparation and work came to fruition. One by one, the speakers were called to the stage to give their talks  each one filled with personal tales of love, loss and lessons learned the hard way.

Davis, who was sent to prison at 19, said he once believed his purpose was to serve in the Marine Corps. But then his life took a dramatic turn.

He said hes still searching for his purpose despite being incarcerated. Hes worked on educating himself, tutoring others and has taken up yoga. And hes working on becoming a better friend, sibling, husband and human being.

Martin Huey, 25, delivered his TEDx talk with a mixture of poetry and movement. With the cadence of a spoken-word artist he talked about the many colors that make up who he is now: dancer, linguist, convicted felon.

Ive never done this before, he said after leaving the stage to rousing applause. This is a very humbling experience.

Lionell Tholmer, 59, talked about growing up on a farm in Northern California with a father who abused him. Whenever Tholmer made a mistake, he said, his father would punish him with a bullwhip.

He recalled gentle moments from his childhood centered on his love of animals, like the strawberry-colored pony that would see him in the distance and come to greet him. The pony provided comfort when his father did not.

I always could sense that this pony could tell that I was standing in the storm, Tholmer said.

Then there was the jackrabbit he found one day while coming home from school. Though normally skittish, the animal allowed Tholmer to pick it up, hold it in his arms and carry it back to the farm.

That moment of trust, he said, taught him that whatever my dad was beating with that bullwhip wasnt in me.

Almost two decades after he was sent to prison on a homicide case, Tholmer became gravely ill while serving time in prison in Coalinga, in Fresno County. He said his life was saved not just though medical intervention, but because of the compassion and caring shown to him by the doctors and nurses. They healed me with their hearts, he said.

The experience, like his childhood interactions with the animals, taught him that love can be both spiritual and restorative, even when expressed without words.

Be like the rabbit, he told the audience. Find someone whos in need like I was.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
Two prison officers were indicted this week on unrelated allegations of smuggling cellphone, drugs and tobacco products into an Imperial County prison in exchange for money.

Officer Gabriel Villagomez, 38, is accused of soliciting bribes from Centinela state prison inmates and their associates. He received at least $41,000 to smuggle cellphones and tobacco products into the facility, according to an indictment filed in San Diego federal court.

In the other case, authorities allege Officer Diego Montanez, 34, received more than $10,000 for delivering cellphones and drugs to Centinela inmate Jared Brown, who is serving a life sentence and also is known as Squally. Montanez accepted the cash payments from Lavoijunee Pichon, 24, of Los Angeles, authorities said.

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The trio was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to distribute drugs within the prison, located in Imperial, Calif.

Agents with the FBI and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations internal affairs office served a search warrant at Montanzes home on April 19. They seized 18 package containing 38 cellphones and about 300 grams of methamphetamine, 260 grams of heroin, tobacco, phencyclidine, or PCP, and suspected marijuana, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

After he was arrested, Montanez admitted to authorities that cellphones and drugs were intended to be smuggled into the prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

The FBI and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations internal affairs office constitute the San Diego Prison Corruption Task Force.

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Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
Long before Southern California Edison sought permission to bury millions of pounds of nuclear waste along the San Diego County coast, utility executives were in close contact with state officials responsible for protecting the world-famous shoreline stretching from Mexico to Oregon.

Edison managers and their lawyers began frequent communications with the California Coastal Commission as early as July 2014, 15 months before the permit to expand the dry cask storage system at the failed San Onofre nuclear plant was heard in public.

Once the utility filed its application, in February 2015, Edison convened a fresh series of private meetings with individual Coastal Commission members where they presented detailed information about why the project must be approved.

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We made some corrections to the slide deck you are using for your commissioner ex parte meetings, Edison senior attorney Linda Anabtawi wrote to colleagues before the October 2015 public hearing. Please use the attached version of the document. Thanks.

Commission records show 17 ex parte meetings with nine different commissioners in the three months leading up to the October 2015 hearing, including one the morning of the meeting.

The permit was strongly opposed by environmentalists, nearby property owners and others worried about the plan to entomb 3.6 millions pounds of spent fuel on the beach within a few dozen miles of more than 8 million people.

It won unanimous approval after commissioners were told they could not consider safety issues because waste storage is the exclusive purview of the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The commission review was largely limited to land-use issues.

Under Coastal Commission rules, there was no public notice or attendance at pre-hearing discussions between Edison and Coastal Commission members and staff. The meetings with commissioners were disclosed after the fact, but only to people who went to commission offices  not online. The public was allowed to submit to commissioners dozens of comments related to the application, with the majority opposed.

The plan to store radioactive waste on the San Diego County coast until Congress approves a permanent repository is critical because the material remains dangerous for tens of thousands of years.

Meanwhile, researchers expect the site to be inundated by rising sea levels within a few decades and the property is vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and continuing cliff erosion. State officials are not sure the canisters can be moved, once buried.

It remains uncertain whether it will be possible for SCE to remove the (spent fuel) as planned in 2051, commission analysts concluded. The (storage facility) would eventually be exposed to coastal flooding and erosion hazards beyond its design capacity or else would require protection by replacing or expanding the existing (San Onofre) shoreline armoring.

Commission officials said the meetings and email exchanges with applicants are consistent with the Coastal Act, the landmark state law that governs the California shoreline.

Staff routinely meets with permit applicants on projects that run the gamut in terms of size, complexity, and public controversy, spokeswoman Noaki Schwartz said. Pre-application meetings are not unusual, especially for more complicated projects such as this.

Edison said the discussions were a sensible part of the evaluative process. The commission conducted a rigorous review that included public comment before the permit was approved, the company said.

The hearing process for the permit was properly noticed, opponents of the project submitted written information prior to the hearing, and had the opportunity to speak during the hearing, Edison spokeswoman Maureen Brown said. Communication between commissioners and civic, business or similar organizations was expressly authorized by the Coastal Act and procedural requirements for reporting such communication were followed.

Opponents of the storage plan say the private communications between Edison and regulators puts the public at a disadvantage.

The idea is were supposed to have these public hearings and they are supposed to really involve the public, so we make better decisions for society, said Tom English, a retired nuclear waste expert from Carlsbad who testified against the project before the commission when it convened in San Diego this month.

If their goal is to have public debate, why are they having private discussions with a monopoly they are involved in regulating? he asked. It just doesnt make any sense.

Other regulatory agencies like the Public Utilities Commission allow groups and individuals to sign up as parties to a case, receiving notifications and viewing filings online as they are submitted.

The Coastal Commission does not invite stakeholders to formally join a proceeding, and case filings generally have to be reviewed in person.

Ralph Faust, who served as general counsel to the Coastal Commission for 20 years before retiring in 2006, said the private communications between staff and applicants inform the decision-making process. He said regulars know to double-check information submitted by permit-seekers.

But the former general counsel acknowledged it can be difficult for opponents of a particular project to stay on top of an open case.

The Coastal Commission is a little bit more like a planning agency, he said. They are much more informal and that has significant effect in terms of the public ease in learning what is happening.

Faust noted that unlike the San Onofre waste-storage plan, most applications before the commission were previously approved by a city or county board.

That offers the public more opportunity to influence the debate and outcome of any request, he said.

For a member of the public to actually follow whats happening (at the Coastal Commission), they need to be much more proactive, Faust said.

Access to government officials can be beneficial for people or companies with business pending before a public agency.

As a result, most so-called ex parte communications are required to be disclosed. But the impacts of such meetings are not recorded and not all disclosures are duly reported.

An undisclosed meeting in 2013 between an Edison executive and a former utilities commission president in Warsaw, for example, led to a deal that assigned ratepayers the lions share of the nearly $5 billion in San Onofre closure costs. The plant failed the year before after a flawed upgrade caused to a radiation leak.

The utility disclosed the Poland meeting nearly two years later, days after The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that state agents seized notes from the discussion while executing a search warrant.

The state utilities commission has been under criminal investigation since 2014, when emails that were released in a Northern California court case exposed deep and troubling ties between utility regulators and executives.

State lawmakers considered a ban on ex parte meetings at the utilities commission but no such moratorium was signed into law. Similar legislation aimed at prohibiting Coastal Commission members from meeting with applicants was defeated last year.

Only five of the 12 current coastal commissioners accept ex parte meeting requests, including San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox.

Cox, who was among the commissioners who reported ex parte meetings with Edison about its fuel-storage plan, said through an aide that the discussions are part of the.process that leads to an educated vote.

Ex parte meetings are allowed under the Coastal Act and are disclosed as part of the public record, and the supervisor has always fully disclosed his meetings, spokesman Luis Monteagudo said. Supervisor Cox has met with both proponents and opponents of projects, as his schedule allowed, in order to learn more about the projects.

San Diego attorney Michael Aguirre, who is suing the commission over its approval of the San Onofre waste-storage application, said the debate should have included many more voices.

What makes it improper is you have this completely backroom process in which information  much of it inaccurate  is presented to the commission in private, Aguirre said. At the same time they are preparing the case for a very brief presentation to the public.

The only chance people have is to stand up for two minutes at the public hearing and try to take on momentum that built up over a year, he said. There was no check or balance.

The lawsuit Aguirre filed on behalf of the Citizens Oversight advocacy group in 2015 prompted Edison last month to agree to discuss alternatives to burying the spent fuel from San Onofre on the beach.

The litigants have until mid-July to report progress to the San Diego Superior Court judge overseeing the case. Neither Aguirre nor Edison would discuss the status of negotiations or even confirm the two sides are meeting.

The Coastal Commission is monitoring the settlement discussions rather than participating.

Schwartz said the agency understands why some people are frustrated by a process that allows for the interim storage of radioactive waste so close to millions of Southern California homes and businesses.

We have heard and understand the publics serious ongoing concerns about this project, she said.

After being bombarded by complaints at this months meeting in San Diego, the commission announced it will hold a hearing in July in Monterey, where the public can comment on the project and hear from commission staff, utility representatives and federal regulators.

 Update: Coastal Commission pushes San Onofre hearing to August

Those who cannot attend may submit letters to the commission or email their thoughts to SanOnofreComments@coastal.ca.gov.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
A Canadian harbor official is lashing out at the family of a little girl who was pulled into the water by a California sea lion in a scary incident recorded in a now-viral video.

Robert Kiesman, who is the chairman of the Steveston Harbour Authority, accused the girls parents of putting their daughter in harms way with their reckless behavior.

The video, which was shot Saturday by college student Michael Fujiwara at Steveston Fishermans Wharf in Richmond, British Columbia, begins with a shot of the sea lion swimming in the harbor as onlookers laugh and comment on his looks and his size. Thats huge, a man is heard saying. Hes so cute, says a woman as the hungry animal gobbled up food that was thrown at him.

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At one point, the sea lion lunges out of the water and comes inches away from the face of the girl who was leaning over the water. That was followed by much laughter and exclamations and a few seconds later the girl sat with her back to the dock.

The animal then lunges again and this time he grabs onto the girls white dress and drags her under the water as horrified onlookers scream and a man, thought to be the girls grandfather, jumped in to save her.

In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Kiesman said that there are signs all over the dock telling people not to feed the sea lions as well as warnings that disturbing the mammals could lead to a $100,000 fine.

He said the incident is a clear example of why feeding the animals is prohibited, dangerous and frankly stupid.

You wouldnt go up to a grizzly bear in the bush and hand him a ham sandwich, so you shouldnt be handing a thousand-pound wild animal in the water slices of bread, said the official.

Further, he said the parents should not have allowed the girl to sit on the dock anywhere near the large, male sea lion who had already snapped at her once.

You can only spend so much time protecting people from their reckless behavior, he said.

The girl, who appeared to be unharmed, is seen on the video being hurriedly led away. The man who jumped in after her said he was not hurt.

619-293-1710

debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com

twitter.com/Debbi_Baker
The San Diego Unified School District reported a 91 percent high school graduation rate for 2016  an impressive figure for any large district.

Yet its hard not to take that with a grain of salt, if only because California has a history of districts manipulating graduation data to make themselves look good. In 2005, the Harvard Civil Rights Project issued a stunning analysis of education statistics that concluded the states 2002 graduation rate was 71 percent  not the 87 percent that California claimed. Given this history, Voice of San Diegos ongoing investigation into San Diego Unifieds graduation rate is a public service.

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The latest story by Mario Koran showed how easy it was for students to cheat when taking the online courses that thousands use to make up for previous Fs. He went to East Village High School and watched students take online quizzes and use Google searches on other screens to find the answers. Everyone is cheating, one student told him.

A spokesman told an editorial writer at The San Diego Union-Tribune that the district does not condone cheating. He called online learning essential and claims about cheating anecdotal. It would have been more reassuring if he said the district would investigate and crack down on the problem.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Think the Democratic Party is one happy family? Think again.

Divisions within the Democratic Party, at least in California, were revealed over the weekend with a three-day conference that boiled over with frustration and protests and even featured profanities flying out of the mouth of one of its leaders and a candidate for the partys chairmanship refusing to concede.

Shut the [expletive] up and go outside, outgoing state party chairman John Burton told an anti-corporate group of Democrats protesting the partys national chairman, Tom Perez, in one of several tense moments throughout the weekend. Politicos David Siders caught video of that moment, which includes a profanity.

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'Shut the fuck up and go outside,' #CADem17 chair John Burton tells protesters b4 @TomPerez speaks pic.twitter.com/aKwhXl9n1u  David Siders (@davidsiders) May 20, 2017

As sensational as the video became on social media, the moment was overshadowed by a bitter feud between Eric Bauman, the newly-elected California Democratic Party chairman, and Kimberly Ellis, who lost by 62 votes. Politico referred to it as a caustic contest. More on that in a bit.

Here are a few points to help explain the Democratic Party divisions in California.

Nurses vs. DNC chairman Tom Perez

The tensions essentially pit Bernie Sanders supporters, or Berniecrats, against other Democrats who establishment politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Perez, the Democratic National Committee chairman.

That group of protesters  the ones who drew disdain and an expletive from Burton  were members of the California Nurses Association who supported Sanders and Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, the candidate to challenge Perez for the national chairmanship. The group supports single-payer healthcare as Sanders did.

We are booing because we feel Perez is part of the establishment that keeps co-opting the progressive movement, Gilbert Feliciano, one of the protesters, told the political blog In These Times. The corporatists have an ally with Tom Perez. We felt like it was important to come and voice our discontent.

Rally in support of #singlepayer disrupts @ca_Dem convention. @johnburton tells them "some people were fighting for this b/f you were born" pic.twitter.com/VqC3QdtbSQ  Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) May 20, 2017

Kimberly Ellis vs. Eric Bauman

The rift between Berniecrats and establishment Democrats widened as the party voted for a new California Democratic Party chair.

Sanders supporters who wanted a fresh face and progressive force to lead Democratic efforts in the 2018 elections favored Ellis over Bauman because Bauman is an establishment figure. He has led the party in Los Angeles County since 2000 and had been the partys state vice chair since 2009.

Ellis lost the election by such a close margin, 62 votes, that she refused to concede the race and called for an audit of the vote. Her supporters protested the results and on Sunday, the last day of the conference, they stood up and walked out of the hall where Bauman was introduced as the next party chair.

Ellis supporters are rallying in convention hall lobby. Officials say there will be no recount. Bauman has declared victory. pic.twitter.com/Olh99ebwaT  Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) May 21, 2017

After heated debate, Burton introduces Bauman as next party chair. Ellis supporters boo and leave en masse pic.twitter.com/qGvkgMFQru  Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) May 21, 2017

Rep. Maxine Waters microphone cut off

As if things werent tense enough, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, was silenced as she spoke out against President Donald Trump. On Monday, the African American caucus within the party was seeking to find those responsible for cutting off Waters microphone.

In video from the event, Waters is approached by a man, presumably to be told to cut the speech short, and then shown speaking without a microphone.

Audience members were outraged that a convention staff employee attempted to cut US Rep. @MaxineWaters' speech short. #cadem17 pic.twitter.com/IeQy0H2JHd  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) May 21, 2017

US Rep. @MaxineWaters continues speaking after convention staff cut off the sound at the African American Caucus meeting. #cadem17 pic.twitter.com/N7C90iJq65  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) May 21, 2017

In spite of the dissension among California Democratic Party leaders, the three-day conference served as an opportunity for the dominant party in the state to showcase politicians who are leading the fight against Trump and Republicans in Congress like Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, and gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state treasurer John Chiang and Delaine Eastin.

Ironically, one of the weekends unifying moments came from none other than Burton  the colorful party chairman who was exiting the job.

In a photo shared on Twitter by Associated Press reporter Jonathan Cooper, a crowd can be seen raising the middle finger after Burton rallied them to yell an expletive at Trump.

Outgoing CA Dem Chairman John Burton gives fingered salute to #President @realDonaldTrump at CA Dem Convention #CADem17 pic.twitter.com/7FuEpp0zee  Jay L. Clendenin (JLCvisuals) (@jaylclendenin) May 20, 2017

What do you think of the California Democratic Partys action this weekend? What does it mean for the state going forward?

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

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.
On the heels of his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, day one of President Donald Trump s two-day stop in Israel included a first for a sitting president: a visit to the Western Wall.

Words fail to capture the experience, Trump said of the moment on Monday. It will leave an impression on me forever.

The Western Wall is considered a holy site in what is known as the Old City within Jerusalem. The Old City is home to religious sites for Judaism, Christianity and Islam and the U.S. has never recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory therein.

Israel took control of the Old City after the Six Day War in 1967 and Israelis consider it, and all of Jerusalem, to be the capital of Israel, though Tel Aviv is recognized as the capital by the international community.

So Trumps visit to the wall, at which he stood and pressed his hand against it in a solemn moment, is being closely followed by many, in part because Trump will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday. Palestinians seek to make the eastern part of Jerusalem the capital of the independent state they hope to create.

Even the way Trump arrived in Israel was a big deal. His flight from Saudia Arabia to Israel is said to be the first such flight, or at least a rare flight path, though a fact checker at The Washington Post said President George W. Bush made the same trek in 2008.

After the day's big visit to the Western Wall, Trump made a trip to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, identified as the place where Jesus was crucified and later buried and resurrected.

Even as Trump focused on religion and broader Israeli relations, he was asked about a report that said he shared classified information provided by Israels intelligence community with Russian officials who visited the White House earlier this month.

Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or the name Israel," Trump told reporters about the exchange after a day of trips to religious sites. (The White House has not denied any exchange of intelligence between him and the Russian officials occurred.)

His first day of the Israeli trip ended with a joint speech with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump expressed three priorities when it comes to the U.S.-Israeli alliance: advancing prosperity, defeating terrorism and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region.

U.S. presidents have visited Israel and called the country an important ally over the years, so Trumps policy positions are worth noting, especially as they evolve.

For instance, Trump and his campaign often said they thought  as Israelis do  that the U.S. embassy should be in Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv. Now a White House official says We dont think it would be wise to do it at this time.

Trump is also on a mission to negotiate peace between Israelis and Palestinians, which will likely be the subject of Wednesdays trip to the West Bank.

Ive always heard that perhaps the toughest deal to make is the deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians; lets prove them wrong, Trump said earlier this month. I will do whatever is necessary to facilitate the agreement  to mediate, to arbitrate, anything ...

Trumps itinerary for Tuesday includes his talk with Abbas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, a trip to the Holocaust museum and a speech at the Israel Museum. And the world will likely continue watching and commenting, optimistically and pessimistically, about how hes representing the U.S. as happened on Monday.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin

ALSO

What to expect from Trumps trip to Middle East, Europe
Sheriffs deputies will be on the campus of Olive Peirce Middle School (OPMS) all day Monday as a safety precaution because a student found a note in a girls bathroom threatening a school shooting, reported Sgt. Robert Samuels.

An investigation is being conducted in collaboration with school officials, said Samuels, adding that at this time they have no reason to believe this is a credible threat. The investigation is ongoing, he said.

A student, who texted her mother, said the students were told to go back into the classroom because of a safety issue.

OPMS Principal Pauline Leavitt sent the following message to families, said Superintendent Anne Staffieri:

There is no confirmed immediate emergency or threat. However, in an abundance of caution in communicating with parents and families we wanted to share that an anonymous note was found in the girls bathroom today making some general threats towards the school.

Immediately upon finding the note, law enforcement was notified. Upon investigation, the determination was made that the note did not justify a credible threat. However, the sheriffs department will have a heightened presence on the OPMS campus today and in the near future to ensure the safety and well-being of the campus. Please know that we place the safety and security of all of our students as the highest priority. I will continue to keep you informed as necessary. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Last Thursday at Rancho Bernardo High School, students found a threatening note in a boys bathroom indicating there would be a shooting at the school, prompting a two-hour lockdown at the high school and adjacent Bernardo Heights Middle School.

The note was found after a photo was posted on Snapchat of three teens with a handgun and there were vague threats, according to the San Diego Police Department.

One student was arrested and two older teens were detained, state reports.

A police captain said the teens who posted the Snapchat photo thought it was funny, and the detained students could face a variety of charges.
Carla Battle is worried shell have to sleep on the sidewalk somewhere.

Mark Sheetz is hoping to couch surf and then get a dirt-cheap apartment, possibly in Tijuana.

Sepanda Djalaly thinks hes saved enough to afford one of the downtown residential hotels that cater to people on government assistance.

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They are among more than 350 homeless people at risk of returning to the streets Tuesday morning when San Diegos two homeless shelters close for the first time in nearly two years.

Former Mayor Bob Filner declared the shelters year-round facilities in fall 2012 and said theyd remain open until they were no longer needed.

But Mayor Kevin Faulconer and other city leaders announced in April that the shelters would close June 30 and revert back to opening only from late November through March each year.

The goal is redirecting nearly $2 million it cost to make the shelters year-round toward programs that aim to get people permanently off the streets  instead of just temporarily.

Its unfortunate people have to sleep out in the elements, but were pushing for more permanent solutions and we need to implement new strategies, said Dolores Diaz, executive director of the San Diego Regional Task Force on the Homeless. These shelters were originally intended to be seasonal.

While getting people permanently off the streets is a great goal, year-round shelters serve as central intake points for homeless people where they get put on a path back to self-reliance, said Bob McElroy, who runs the citys 220-bed shelter near Petco Park for the Alpha Project.

You need a place to start the process, and there wont be one when the shelters are closed, McElroy said. Theyll be over 200 people sleeping outside who had been sleeping inside.

McElroy said the shelters keep people safe, give them a chance to stop using drugs and, in some cases, keep them alive by allowing them to refrigerate the medicines they use.

Its a tremendous resource and were not going to have it for four months, he said.

Police Lt. Debra Farrar, supervisor of the citys homeless outreach team, said shes confident closing the shelters wont be a disaster.

I dont think its a sky-is-falling moment, she said. We didnt see a large increase of homeless people on the streets the last time they closed.

Farrar said some homeless people have used the extra time in the shelters to save up for rooms in downtown residential hotels that they probably could have afforded anyway.

The city will solve the lack of a place to take homeless people needing emergency shelters in September when a new 25-bed triage facility opens with case management counseling aimed at finding permanent housing.

Farrar said the citys shift toward permanent solutions and outcome-based programs is the right move, contending it will create incentives for people to become self-reliant and accountability for those receiving assistance.

While the shelters will be open less, Faulconers new approach will help boost assessment and case management services when they are open. In addition to the downtown shelter, there is a federally funded 150-bed shelter for veterans on Pacific Highway.

Another $400,000 that the mayor is redirecting is being spent on software allowing social service agencies to share data and apply for more grants.

The citys Connections Housing will get $300,000; $150,000 will fund a place where homeless people can store their goods while applying for jobs or seeking treatment; and the Serial Inebriate Program will get $120,000.

Another new program in San Diego is the 25 Cities Initiative launched in June by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Melissa Peterman, an analyst with the San Diego Housing Commission, said the program has brought together nearly every local group fighting homelessness. They survey homeless people and figure out the best approach to get them off the streets.

Instead of one size fits all, we tailor the homeless solutions to the person based on their scores, Peterman said.

She said the program helped with the mad rush to place people living in the shelters before they close. She also said it has spurred great optimism about eventually solving homelessness in San Diego, where 6,000 people were found on the streets during last winters official count.

Peterman said the Housing Commission helped 396 people find permanent housing during the 19 months the shelters were open, while another 328 were placed in transitional housing.

But Carla Battle, 47, isnt one of those people.

Its going to be hectic for me because I dont have any income, Battle said Monday afternoon at the downtown shelter. Ive been going from place to place trying to find another shelter or permanent housing, but I dont have a case manager. Im really nervous.
Springfield, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/22/2017 -- 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



The End of the Mayflower: "Mayflower's End," by Mike Haywood. The Mayflower returned to England from Plymouth Colony, arriving back on 9 May 1621. Christopher Jones took the ship out on a trading voyage to Rochelle, France, in October 1621, returning with a cargo of Bay salt. Christopher Jones, master and quarter-owner of the Mayflower, died and was buried at Rotherhithe, co. Surrey, England, on 5 March 1621/2. No further record of the Mayflower is found until May 1624, when it was appraised for the purposes of probate and was described as being in ruins. The ship was almost certainly sold off as scrap.



The claim, first originating from J. Rendel Harris' book The Finding of the Mayflower (1920), that the Mayflower ended up as a barn in Jordans, England, is now widely discredited as being a figment of an overzealous imagination on the tercentenary anniversary of the Mayflower's voyage, combined with a tainted oral history. None of the evidence has withstood subsequent investigation. Regardless of the lack of evidence for its authenticity, it has been featured in National Geographic on several occasions and is a tourist destination. It is important to realize that in 1624, when the ship was scrapped, it was not at all famous, and nobody would have thought twice about letting it rot away.



The Mayflower was hired in London, and sailed from London to Southampton in July 1620 to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage--much of which was purchased at Southampton. The Pilgrims were mostly still living in the city of Leiden, in the Netherlands. They hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfshaven, the Netherlands, to Southampton, England, to meet up with the Mayflower. The two ships planned to sail together to Northern Virginia. The Speedwell departed Delfthaven on July 22, and arrived at Southampton, where they found the Mayflower waiting for them. The Speedwell had been leaking on her voyage from the Netherlands to England, though, so they spent the next week patching her up.



On August 5, the two ships finally set sail for America. But the Speedwell began leaking again, so they pulled into the town of Dartmouth for repairs, arriving there about August 12. The Speedwell was patched up again, and the two ships again set sail for America about August 21. After the two ships had sailed about 300 miles out to sea, the Speedwell again began to leak. Frustrated with the enormous amount of time lost, and their inability to fix the Speedwell so that it could be sea-worthy, they returned to Plymouth, England, and made the decision to leave the Speedwell behind. The Mayflower would go to America alone. The cargo on the Speedwell was transferred over to the Mayflower; some of the passengers were so tired and disappointed with all the problems that they quit and went home. Others crammed themselves onto the already very crowded Mayflower.



Finally, on September 6, the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, and headed for America. By the time the Pilgrims had left England, they had already been living onboard the ships for nearly a month and a half. The voyage itself across the Atlantic Ocean took 66 days, from their departure on September 6, until Cape Cod was sighted on 9 November 1620. The first half of the voyage went fairly smoothly, the only major problem was sea-sickness. But by October, they began encountering a number of Atlantic storms that made the voyage treacherous. Several times, the wind was so strong they had to just drift where the weather took them; it was not safe to use the ship's sails. The Pilgrims intended to land in Northern Virginia, which at the time included the region as far north as the Hudson River in the modern State of New York. The Hudson River, in fact, was their originally intended destination. They had received good reports on this region while in the Netherlands. All things considered, the Mayflower was almost right on target, missing the Hudson River by just a few degrees.



As the Mayflower approached land, the crew spotted Cape Cod just as the sun rose on November 9. The Pilgrims decided to head south, to the mouth of the Hudson River in New York, where they intended to make their plantation. However, as the Mayflower headed south, it encountered some very rough seas, and nearly shipwrecked. The Pilgrims then decided, rather than risk another attempt to go south they would just stay and explore Cape Cod. They turned back north, rounded the tip, and anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor. The Pilgrims would spend the next month and a half exploring Cape Cod, trying to decide where they would build their plantation. On December 25, 1620, they had finally decided upon Plymouth, and began construction of their first buildings.



Springfield Illinois 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.rich.goodchocolateblog.com/



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



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.



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
According to new research, some of Earths atmosphere was brought to the planet by comets billions of years ago.

The mystery of how the Earths atmosphere was formed has long baffled scientists. Some think comets might have originally brought some of the water, organic and atmospheric molecules to Earth that now make up its life.

Now a new study, led by Dr. Guillaume Avice of Caltech, CRPG-CNRS and the University of Lorraine, has found evidence to back up the theory.

Dr. Avice and co-authors have been analyzing tiny samples of ancient air trapped in water bubbles found in the mineral, quartz, which dates back more than 3 billion years.

The researchers found that the air in the rocks is partly made up of a primordial component labeled U-Xe.

Xenon (Xe) is a noble gas which, being chemically inert and having nine isotopes, is an ideal element to reveal the xenon isotopic composition in the Earths primary atmosphere. This also makes it an ideal way of finding out where the atmosphere came from, Dr. Avice said.

U-Xe has solar-like composition for the light isotopes of xenon (124-130Xe), and is depleted in heavy Xe isotopes, the authors explained.

It isnt usually found on Earth. The component is not present in the Earths mantle, nor is it found in meteorites.

Therefore, the scientists believe that the U-Xe must have been added to the Earth after a primordial atmosphere had developed.

Simply put, comets are the best candidates for carrying the U-Xe to the planet.

The Earth formed too close to the Sun for volatile elements, such as U-Xe, to easily condense and they would have rapidly boiled off the surface and been lost to space, said co-author Prof. Ray Burgess, from the University of Manchester, UK.

The reason that oceans and an atmosphere exist at all is because volatiles were still being added after the Earth formed.

The puzzle is in identifying where the volatiles came from and what objects carried them to the early Earth.

The difficulty is that many of the different volatile ingredients that were originally added have been thoroughly mixed together by geological processes during Earths long geological history.

To combat this mixing issue the team used tiny samples of ancient air trapped in water bubbles found in quartz in drill cores from the Barberton area of South Africa.

The rocks from this region of the continent are extremely old and very well preserved.

The researchers found that, in the Barberton quartz, 3.3-billion-year-old U-Xe has a composition very different from the xenon found in the Earths atmosphere today.

We measured the amount and isotopic abundance of xenon in the 3.3 billion year old air with unparalleled precision, Dr. Avice said.

Our study reveals that 3 billion years ago there was already a xenon component in the Earths atmosphere different from solar gases and in asteroids. One possibility is that this xenon was from comets, said co-author Prof. Bernard Marty, from CRPG-CNRS and the University of Lorraine.

But the discovery also shows the research possibilities of studying gases found trapped deep in the Earth.

The study of gases trapped in ancient rocks opens new perspectives in our understanding of the origin and evolution of Earths volatile elements which are key factors for our planets habitability, Dr. Avice said.

The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.

_____

Guillaume Avice et al. 2017. The origin and degassing history of the Earths atmosphere revealed by Archean xenon. Nature Communications 8, article number: 15455; doi: 10.1038/ncomms15455
The origins of topography or surface elevation on Titan, Saturns largest moon, may have had an evolution more similar to Mars than Earth. Researchers studied the river maps of Titan, the Red Planet and Earth to make the comparisons.

According to a report in Oman Daily Observer, the research team found that Titan has not experienced any active plate tectonics in its recent past just like Mars. Moreover, plate tectonics cause upheaval of mountains that deflects river paths. The scientists found that this particular feature was missing from the river networks of both Titan and Mars.

"While the processes that created the topography of Titan are still enigmatic, this rules out some of the mechanisms we are most familiar with on Earth," study lead author Benjamin Black said, as reported by First Post. Instead, the topography of Saturns largest moon is influenced by processes like changes in the thickness of its icy crust, as a result of tides from Saturn.

The research team compiled a map of river networks for Titan, Mars and Earth to conduct the study. The map for Titan was generated with the help of images captured by NASAs Cassini spacecraft, which has been sending back photos of the Saturn system since 2004.

Incidentally, Titan is the only celestial body in the solar system that has actively flowing rivers. Interestingly, they are not fed by water but liquid methane. Associate Professor of Geology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Taylor Perron said that it is astonishing to see that there are three worlds in the solar system where flowing rivers have sculpted into the landscape, either presently or in the past.

There is this amazing opportunity to use the land forms the rivers have created to learn how the histories of these worlds are different," Perron added.
The United States is making a milestone in renewables energy and California leads the way. The state just broke another renewable record on May 13, 2017. It gets more than 67 percent of its energy from renewables.

This was managed by California Independent System Operator (CISO) and it was the largest grid. Furthermore, there was a total of 80.7 percent when the hydropower facilities in the mix were added. So, about 80 percent of California's power grid is controlled by the CISO.

Steven Greenlee, the CISO spokesperson, said that it is going to be a dynamic year for records. He further said that the solar records in particular are falling like dominoes.

Meanwhile, Sachu Constantine, the director of policy of the Center for Sustainable Energy, explained that the grid can handle 67 percent renewable power from many sources. She added that it is a great moment and displays potential they have.

The renewable energy in the United States has its major milestone in the first quarter of 2011. This was the period when it contributed about 11.7 percent of total U.S. energy production with about 2.245 quadrillions BTU of energy. This has surpassed energy production from the nuclear power with about 2.125 quadrillions BTU.

The biggest producer of renewable power in the U.S. is the hydroelectric power. It generated about 6.14 percent of the total electricity of the country in 2015. This was about 45.71 percent of the total renewables power in the United States. This makes the country the fourth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world. Among the top three largest producers are Brazil, Canada and China.

Some states and cities are also leading in generating renewables. These include Atlanta that will run 100 percent renewables by 2035. Chicago will also empower all its city building with renewables by 2025. Other cities and states that are empowered and will be powered by renewables are Las Vegas, Nevada, Massachusetts and Hawaii, according to Futurism.
Singapore-listed Marco Polo filed an application to place PT Marcopolo Shipard (PTMS) under Indonesias Penundaan Kewajiban Pembayaran Utang (PKPU) to suspend debt repayments while it seeks to restructure.

A temporary restraint from legal proceedings was granted for 45 days from 18 May. A supervisory judge has been appointed to and team of administrators designated to manage the process.

During this initial 45 day period, PTMS is required to submit a debt restructuring plan for its creditors to consider at a creditors meeting and is subject to the consent of the requisite majority of creditors as prescribed by applicable law, Marco Polo said.

Last week Marco Polo filed an application to the Singapore High Court for a scheme moratorium to allow the company to proceed with restructuring.

Early this month, the woes of the company deepened after it failed to reach an agreement on refinancing and restructuring with some of its lenders.
The LMAA is the pre-eminent body for shipbuilding and offshore construction disputes. A sub-committee of the LMAA under the chairmanship of David Owen QC, a full time arbitrator with experience of shipbuilding and offshore construction disputes, drafted the 2017 Terms taking the approach of if it aint broke, dont fix it, because the previous edition worked well for many arbitrations covering a wide range of disputes.

The driver behind the changes seems to be improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness of arbitration proceedings. For example, the 2017 Terms now incorporate the LMAAs existing guidelines on promoting cost-effectiveness and efficiency, known as the Checklist. Furthermore, the 2017 Terms require the parties to provide a separate breakdown of actual or estimated fees for solicitors, counsel and experts when completing the LMAA Questionnaire.

Subsequently, if the tribunal considers costs, the 2017 Terms expressly provide that it may consider any unreasonable or inefficient conduct by a party (which could include failing to comply with the Checklist), and the parties cost estimates in the Questionnaire. They therefore actively discourage such conduct and encourage the parties to consider costs seriously.

The 2017 Terms also hone the timing of certain procedural steps, which will assist shipyards and buyers who need to resolve their disputes quickly if, for example, their dispute concerns the on-going construction of a complex offshore unit. Firstly, if concurrent arbitrations are on foot (perhaps commenced by different SPV buyers under the same ownership and control in relation to sister vessels under construction at the same shipyard), the tribunal now has the power to modify time limits for serving submissions in order to save time and costs. Secondly, after exchange of Questionnaires the 2017 Terms now provide a 21-day time limit for parties to agree or make submissions as to the future procedural steps before the tribunal makes an order for directions.

Another notable addition in the 2017 Terms is the introduction of a mechanism for the appointment of sole arbitrators, but it still provides for considerable flexibility in the constitution of the tribunal, which can be useful in technically complex shipbuilding disputes.

For further information on the 2017 Terms (not all changes are addressed here), the revised Small Claims Procedure and the revised Intermediate Claims Procedure, please see the LMAA website www.lmaa.london.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 Sen. Bam to anti-death penalty advocates: Convince pro-death penalty Filipinos to change view Sen. Bam Aquino challenged anti-death penalty advocates to work hard in persuading 60 percent of pro-death penalty Filipinos that its revival will not solve the country's pressing problems and will only lead to injustice to the poor. "Challenge po ito sa ating lahat. We have a lot of work to do para makumbinse ang 60 percent ng ating kababayan na mali ang death penalty," said Sen. Bam during the "Lakbay Buhay Laban sa Death Penalty" program at the University of Sto. Tomas. Sen. Bam was referring to the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, showing that 60 percent of Filipinos support the government's move to revive the death penalty as deterrent to crime. However, Sen. Bam contradicted this view, saying in the end, only the poor will suffer from injustice due to lack of capability to defend themselves in court. With the death penalty yet to hurdle the committee level in the Senate, Sen. Bam said there is enough time for those against it to conduct more marches and activities to educate Filipinos about the truth on the capital punishment. "Mahaba-haba pa po ito. Kailangan handa tayo hindi lang sa isang martsa kundi sa marami pang martsa. Kailangang handa tayong kausapin ang ating mahal sa buhay at ipaliwanag sa kanila kung bakit tayo naninindigan sa isyung ito," said Sen. Bam. "Hindi po sapat na kumbinsihin lang natin ang ating mga mambabatas. Kailangan ang taumbayan ang kumbinsihin natin," he added. The Lakbay Buhay is a 21-day cross-country march led by anti-death penalty advocates to educate communities on why the revival of the death penalty must be stopped. The tour started May 4 in Cagayan de Oro and it will end May 24 at the Senate where they will call on senators to prevent the restoration of death penalty. Sen. Bam is a staunch advocate against death penalty in the Senate. He has committed to vote against its reimposition, together with other senators. "Kapag tayo'y sabay-sabay na gumagalaw, sa ilalim ng pagmamahal sa bayan at sa Diyos, tiwala akong makakamit natin ang sapat na numero sa Senado upang hindi maibalik ang death penalty," said Sen. Bam.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 Hontiveros to gov't: Identify aid with unjust conditionalities PASAY CITY - Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday challenged the Duterte government to show to the public aid, grants and loans that it deemed had unjust conditionalities and could interfere with the country's state of affairs. Hontiveros issued the statement after the government decided to reject aid from the European Union (EU) citing unfair conditionalities that could possibly interfere with domestic affairs. Four questions "I have four basic questions for the government. First, which of the EU aid packages had unfair conditionalities? Can the government provide the public a list? Second, what exactly were the unjust conditionalities in the said grants and/or aid that could interfere with our national affairs? Third, how could the said conditionalities possibly interfere in our domestic affairs? Fourth, what audit mechanism was used by the government in rejecting the said aid?" Hontiveros asked. Hontiveros also asked the Duterte government if the billions of dollars in loans acquired from China are free from any conditionalities. The senator said that in the spirit of fairness and transparency, the government should divulge all the details regarding the Chinese loans. Tied Chinese loans? "Since the government said that it is their policy to reject all aid and loans from countries with unjust conditionalities, I therefore ask, are Chinese loans without any conditionalities? Are they not tied loans? Are they not tied to Chinese companies, contractors, supplies, technical experts and manpower? Were Chinese loans given with the condition that the Philippines will not enforce against China the UN-supported arbitral decision of the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal? Can the government provide the public the loan contracts and other documents to ascertain that they, too, will not interfere with our national affairs? Are Chinese loans in accordance with the principles on promoting responsible sovereign lending and borrowing by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)? Hontiveros further queried. Hontiveros said that unless the government can provide the public more information about the supposed unfairness of EU aid, its decision appears to be a retaliation for the criticisms that the regional bloc aired on the human rights situation in the country. "Walk the talk, conduct a debt audit" "To answer all these questions, I call on the government to walk the talk and conduct a comprehensive debt audit as called for by Senate Resolution 253 and the debt audit provision we've managed to include in the 2017 General Appropriations Act. There is a strong need to scrutinize all the loan agreements the Philippines has entered into, if they are legitimate and not riddled with questionable processes, contractual obligations, purposes and use. These include the recently acquired loans from China," Hontiveros stressed. "If the government is serious in rejecting aid and loans with unjust conditions, it must be based on the appraisal of a debt audit process conducted in partnership with social movements working on debt and development issues. The principle of rejecting aid and loans with unfair and onerous conditions should apply to all, whether they are from EU or China," Hontiveros concluded.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 Speech of Senator Loren Legarda*

Press Launch of the Museum of PH Biodiversity and Junyee's Installation Art

22 May 2017 |Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, Quezon City

(*Read by a Representative) Today, we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity and I am pleased to be with the employees of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), who are frontliners in the management and conservation of our biodiversity and protected areas. It is an opportune time to launch the Museum of Philippine Biodiversity project as well as Junyee's installation art today and at this venue because the theme for this year's celebration is "Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism". The Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, a protected area amidst our highly urbanized environment, is an embodiment of the theme. It is a tourist attraction and at the same time, sanctuary for rescued and abandoned animals. In different parts of the country, sustainable tourism is a continuing challenge. Some of our natural tourist sites are poorly managed. But we could get inspiration from areas which have made sustainable tourism an advocacy and more than just a source of profit, like the El Nido Resorts in Palawan, which promotes environmental stewardship through its Environmental Code of Conduct called "Ten El-NiDos," reminding guests about environmentally sensitive Protected Areas. According to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, "A well-managed tourist sector can contribute significantly to reducing threats to, and maintain or increase, key wildlife populations and biodiversity values through tourism revenue." Through our projects with the DENR-BMB, we hope to propagate these ideas. Junyee's installation art, "Ugnayan", while originally meant to visualize the unity and cooperation of the 21 nations composing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in pursuit of common goals in various fields, also serves as a reminder of our ugnayan with Mother Earth and our duty to protect and conserve our ecosystems. Thank you, Junyee, for sharing your gift of art, and your talent of using indigenous and organic materials. I am likewise looking forward to the completion of the Museum of Philippine Biodiversity. I have envisioned this project to be an instrument for people to appreciate the natural bounty of our country, realize the effects of our exploitative practices, and hopefully be engaged in efforts to rehabilitate and preserve what is left of our protected areas and biodiversity. I thank the University of the Philippines Diliman for undertaking this project with the DENR-BMB. The upcoming museum and the constructed installation art within the park should not only serve as additional attractions but also instruments that will broaden our perspective and deepen understanding about biodiversity. It should not be hard for us Filipinos to realize that we are fortunate to be living in a country that is considered a mega-biodiversity country. With our declining ecosystems and the continuing climate change that has been greatly caused by environmental degradation, I hope that we can all take a moment to pause and examine ourselves and how our way of life has affected the other living things that we share the Earth with. Employees of the DENR and BMB are already aware of the challenges ahead. I hope you would never get tired of doing what is good for our planet. We are confronted with the task of protecting our country's unique, and at the same time endangered, biodiversity. Pursuing a kind of development that has genuine regard for the state of our natural wealth has never become more crucial than it is today. Let us use this installation and the upcoming museum as the starting point to encourage people to step-up for the welfare of our environment and participate in its conservation. Thank you and good morning.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 Legarda Calls for Bolder Action to Protect PHL Biodiversity In observance of the International Day of Biological Diversity (May 22), Senator Loren Legarda today urged the government to intensify efforts in protecting biodiversity by integrating biodiversity conservation into the country's development policies and agenda, recognizing eco-tourism's potential role in sustainable development. "The decline of our ecosystems has been found as one of the underlying drivers of disaster risks and poverty, in the context of climate change. Therefore, protecting ecosystems - which involves rehabilitating our forests, cleaning our rivers, and stopping pollution, among other actions, requires action by all sectors and stakeholders including the civil society, the academe and the private sector. Multidisciplinary approach is essential in developing integrated solutions to these challenges," Legarda stressed. The theme for this year's celebration is "Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism" which has been chosen to coincide with the observance of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Legarda, the Philippines' foremost advocate of climate change awareness and environmental protection, is happy to witness the unveiling of the Museum of Philippine Biodiversity project as well as Junyee's installation art, "Ugnayan", at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City. The Senator is looking forward to the completion of the Museum of Philippine Biodiversity. "I have envisioned this project to be an instrument for people to appreciate the natural bounty of our country, realize the effects of our exploitative practices, and hopefully be engaged in efforts to rehabilitate and preserve what is left of our protected areas and biodiversity." She added, "Junyee's installation art, Ugnayan, while originally meant to visualize the unity and cooperation of the 21 nations composing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in pursuit of common goals in various fields, also serves as a reminder of our ugnayan with Mother Earth and our duty to protect and conserve our ecosystems." These events are hosted and organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) in partnership with the University of the Philippines, Office of Senator Loren Legarda and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Legarda noted that in different parts of the country, sustainable tourism is a continuing challenge as some natural tourist sites are poorly managed. But she said that there are existing practices that can be emulated like in El Nido Resorts in Palawan, which promotes environmental stewardship through its Environmental Code of Conduct called "Ten El-Nidos," reminding guests about environmentally sensitive Protected Areas and the appropriate behavior to ensure conservation. According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, "A well-managed tourist sector can contribute significantly to reducing threats to, and maintain or increase, key wildlife populations and biodiversity values through tourism revenue." "The upcoming museum and the constructed installation art within the park do not only serve as additional attractions but also as instruments that will broaden people's perspective and deepen their understanding about biodiversity. Let us use this installation and the upcoming museum as starting point to encourage people to step-up for the welfare of our environment and participate in its conservation," Legarda concluded.
Transcript of Interview of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III

On Senator Leila de Lima asking to be able to vote on landmark legislation.

Q: Is it doable na makaboto siya dun sa mga landmark legislation?

SP : Ang rule sa Senado ay personal is required for you to vote. If you are under detention, you ask temporary permission to leave your detention place to vote. There is a decided case that when you are under detention, expect that your right to practice your profession or to exercise your duties in your occupation so pagtiningnan natin sa rules physical presence. Nasa jurisprudence that detention says you accept the reality that if you detained, you cannot do some things. Tingnan lang natin. Alam mo through motions, the courts can be convinced of having a new way of looking at a circumstance. Through motions. Yun lang ang gusto kong sabihin.

Q: Sir yung statement of support from you and fellow senators

SP: Try, try, try. Wala namang masama. Through motions that are filed by your lawyers.

On the Inter Parliamentary Union Committee on Human Rights visit to Senate President Pimentel.

SP: Ang IPU for the record, I invited them to visit the Philippines when they were in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They are here upon my invitation. We're helping them but ayaw nila ng help sa substance. We're helping them sa coordination. I hope meron silang traffic cop escort. Ayaw rin nila ng too much help kasi interference din yun.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 Senate passes expanded NIPAS bill on 3rd reading The Senate today passed on third and final reading a bill that would bring 92 new areas, including six internationally-recognized natural sites, under the protection and management of the country's landmark National Integrated and Protected Areas System Act. Senate Bill No. 1444, or the "Expanded NIPAS Act of 2017," was authored by Senators Cynthia Villar, Loren Legarda, Chiz Escudero, Nancy Binay, Migz Zubiri, and Joel Villanueva, and was approved with 22 affirmative votes, zero negative vote, and zero abstention. According to Villar, sponsor of SBN 1444 and chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, the bill sought to amend Republic Act 7586 or the NIPAS Act of 1992, in order "to include more areas and to ensure greater protection for all protected areas." She explained that the NIPAS Act, which was first enacted in 1992 as a "mechanism to conserve the biodiversity in the Philippines," provides the legal framework for the establishment and management of protected areas in the country. "The Philippines' rich biodiversity is a source of pride and joy for all of us Filipinos. We actively protect and strongly defend the breadth and depth of our territories to ensure that the future generation of Filipinos will still have the opportunity to take pride and find joy in our country's rich biodiversity," she said. Villar noted that among the 92 new protected areas, six sites were internationally recognized and classified as ASEAN Heritage Sites: Mount Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok and Mount Iglit-Baco; Malaysia-Philippines Heritage Parks, Turtles Islands Heritage Protected Area; and Ramsar Sites Agusan Marsh, Olango Island and the Las Pinas Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA). She said that among the key provisions of the bill were the creation of 'Protected Area Management Office' for each of the protected areas, and the rationalization of the existing Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB), which will now include local government officials, indigenous peoples, non-government organizations, academic institutions and women. The bill also upheld the recognition of Indigenous Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs), "apart from merely respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their ancestral lands within protected areas." Villar added that the bill allowed the development of renewable energy resources of protected areas, as long as these are "subject to adoption of reduced impact technologies, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and such development is not detrimental to ecosystem functions and biodiversity." She said that the bill was meant to address the worsening cases of habitat loss, destruction and deterioration of many protected areas in the country. "Time has always been of great essence when it comes to the preservation and protection of our country's biodiversity. But it is a sad fact that many areas in our megadiverse country remain under-protected. In fact, the protection of some supposedly protected areas remain inadequate," Villar said. She said that the Philippines has been known as one of the 35 world's biodiversity hotspots or "regions containing exceptional concentrations of plant endemism, but experiencing high rates of habitat loss." "As the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity pointed out, the continued deterioration of natural resources and ecosystems, as well as the extinction of numerous animal and plant species pose a threat to sustainable development. The clock is fast ticking away," Villar concluded.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 Senate official gets compensation as Martial Law victim A top official of the Senate is one of the 317 Martial Law victims to have received last May 08 the first tranche of monetary compensation from the government for the human rights abuses they suffered during the period. Senate Secretary Lutgardo Barbo is among the more prominent personalities found by the Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB) 1st Division to be a "human rights violation victim," citing his arbitrary detention, torture and sexual offense at the hands of military agents in 1980. "It is a welcome development, but this amount could not possibly repay the fears that I felt for my life and for my family during the time. I suppose no amount of money could pay for what we have lost," he said. Barbo, a former Eastern Samar governor and president of the Philippine Normal University (PNU), said that he is grateful that the government is finally "taking concrete steps to help those who have suffered so much during those dark years." "The scars of those years remain, even after all these decades. Even among the victims who still live, Martial Law took away a part of their lives that they are never going to get back," said Barbo. According to the resolution penned by the HRCVB first decision on his claim, Barbo was arrested at San Fernando, Pampanga by operatives of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) in September of 1980. He was detained in relation to the September 6, 1980 explosion in the YMCA building in Manila, which authorities blamed on the anti-Marcos 'Light-a-fire movement," since his name appeared in the telephone book of Victor Burns Lovely Jr., the alleged bomber. Barbo proved to be an "unusual target" compared to most individuals pursued by the security services during Martial Law, as he was already a legal counsel for the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Philippines at the time. However, his status did little to protect him from the armed men, who forced him at gunpoint to come with them. "When I told them that I was a lawyer, they said, "Huwag kang mag-lalawyer lawyer dito ah. They told me to be cooperative if I wanted to live," he said. Paraded as "one communist terrorist big fish" by the military, Barbo was eventually brought to Camp Aguinaldo, where he was subjected to repeated beatings and long hours of interrogation, as agents would insult him, spit at him and threaten to shoot him in his genitals or his head. The same agents also offered to free him and even schedule him a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos, if he would "testify against then Senator Jovito Salonga." Barbo refused the deal, which angered his captors. Barbo said his worst ordeal was when he was forced to strip naked by a military interrogator, who then hit and probed his private parts with a wooden stick. "Right then, I thought that I was going to die. I prayed for more than thirty minutes, and ignored everything that they were saying or doing to me," he said. "What was painful really is to be humiliated like that, and to be mentally and physiologically tortured," he said. Barbo was detained for two months, until his wife, lawyer Rebecca Barbo, and his mother -in-law Nieves Bautista Ambulo, secured his release. However, he was placed on house arrest and was forced to report to Camp Crame every week. While it has been nearly four decades since his detention, Barbo said that the traumatizing experience remained with him through the years. "For years, whenever I am in a room, I made sure to keep the door open. I could not stand to be locked inside a room - I felt like the ceiling and the walls were going to close in on me," he said. However, Barbo said that he wished no ill to the military men who were involved in his arrest and torture. "There had been a time that I wanted to seek revenge, for what they did. But I eventually found out that the commanding officer who was largely responsible for my torture had live a wretched life after the Marcos years, nasira ang buhay. In the end, I only felt remorse," he said. Barbo said that he has since made it his mission to help those, who like him, suffered abuses at the hands of law enforcers and government officials. In 1988, the Supreme Court, through a decision penned by former Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee, gave a rare commendation to Barbo "for his fearless and unrelenting pursuit of the cause of truth and justice" as lawyer for the families of three fish merchants who were arrested and became missing persons in Eastern Samar during Martial Law. The reparations and the HRVCB are mandated under the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 or RA 10368, signed by former President Benigno Aquino III. The HRVCB has earlier said that the second tranche will be given after the board finishes going over the 75,000 claims of human rights violations that have been submitted.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 SEN. JOEL VILLANUEVA'S SPONSORSHIP SPEECH ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS BILL

Safety and Health in the Workplace: Making it Work for All Magandang hapon po sa ating lahat. Mr. President, we envision humane conditions of work for all Filipinos. By ensuring maximum safety and health at work, we believe that productivity will increase and businesses will be more successful and more sustainable. For this cause, I am pleased to sponsor Senate Bill No. 1317 or "An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof" under Committee Report No. 100. The House of Representatives has already approved this bill on third reading. It is my fervent hope that this august chamber will also support and approve this bill as soon as possible, thing being one of the priority measures of the Government. Napakaimportante po ng panukalang ito sapagkat buhay at kaligtasan ng manggagawa ang nakataya sa pagpapabaya. Integridad ng mga negosyo ang nalalagay sa alanganin sa tuwing may aksidente o peligro sa trabaho. Kung ligtas at malusog ang ating manggagawa, magiging mas maayos ang kanilang trabaho, mas lalago ang negosyo, mas lalakas ang ekonomiya ng bansa. Workplace Accidents Mr. President, no one should be expected to risk life in return for a contract of employment. Deaths, injuries and illnesses due to unsafe or unhealthy workplaces affect both workers and employers. The pain and suffering caused by these accidents and illnesses to workers, their families and to the nation is incalculable. Just a few days ago, a three-hour fire gutted the warehouse of Yokohama Tire Philippines, a tire factory in Clark, Pampanga. Up to now, the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Last February, the House Technology Industries or HTI burned for 46 hours due to a mechanical accident. HTI is the biggest employer in Cavite Export Processing Zone with over 15,000 workers. The fire left behind three deaths and a total of 125 injured workers not to mention the cost of damage estimated to reach P12-15 billion pesos. Isa sa mga manggagawang nasawi dahil sa sunog sa HTI ay si Alex Lerog, 30 taong gulang, matapos masunog ang mahigit animnapung porsiyento ng kanyang katawan. Line Leader sa factory ng HTI si Alex, tubong Monica, Surigao del Sur. Ang haligi ng tahanan ng mga Lerog, nagbuwis ng buhay sa trahedyang naganap pa mismo sa kanilang lugar-paggawa. Lugar na dapat sana'y nagseseguro sa kanilang kaligtasan habang ginagampanan ang kanilang mga gawain sa kumpanya. In November 2016, two children were killed and five others were injured when a firework factory exploded in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. In May 2015, seventy-two workers perished at the massive fire that razed the two-storey factory building of Kentex Manufacturing in Valenzuela City. In July 2015, nine workers were buried when the open pit coal mine of Semirara Mining Corporation collapsed. In January 2011, ten construction workers plunged to their deaths in an accident at the construction site of the Eton Residences in Makati City. Workers fell from as high as the 34th floor to the 7th floor after the service elevator carrying them collapsed. They were installing a glass panel at the time of the accident. Mr. President, these tragedies are preventable through the implementation of sound prevention, reporting and inspection practices. Actions should be taken by the government and within enterprises to promote occupational safety and health and to improve working conditions. Gravity of the Problem According to DOLE, from January 2014 to October 2016, there were reported 199 fatal workplace accidents and 232 non-fatal accidents. These numbers show the poor state of compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS). Despite the fact that workplace accidents would always prompt tighter regulations, compliance by all industries continue to be an issue. Mr. President, diseases or chronic illnesses also hound our workers: back pain, hypertension, peptic ulcer, stroke, tuberculosis, cataracts, deafness, and the multitude of chronic ailments that arise from exposure to chemicals and other hazards in the course of work. The survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in October 2015 showed that occupational diseases in establishments employing 20 or more workers doubled in 2013 at 171,787, from only 85,483 in 2011. Cases of occupational diseases increased in eleven industry groups, with high increases occurring in mining and quarrying, construction, administrative and support service activities and information and communications. Nakakaawa po ang mga manggagawa na nagkakasakit dulot ng kanilang trabaho na pwede naman sanang maiwasan kung tatalima lang tayo sa mga alituntunin para sa kaligtasan at kalusugan sa mga lugar-paggawa. Mr. President, your Committee believes that non-compliance with occupational safety and health standards is a crime, a reckless endangerment that should not be tolerated. The need to Amend the Labor Code Sadly, for the longest time, there are no fines or penalties meted out for the violation of occupational health and safety standards. The DOLE Regional Director can only issue a Work Stoppage Order in cases of imminent danger that would result to disabling injury, pursuant to Article 128 of the Labor Code. The 42-year old Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended, does not declare unlawful violations of OSHS, which makes Article 288 of the Code inapplicable. Mr. President, Senate Bill No. 1317 seeks to amend the Labor Code to emphasize the importance of OSH, outlining the rights and obligations of the employer and workers and the responsible government agencies. Mr. President, we have witnessed the massive changes in our workplaces brought about by the dynamism of work processes, and innovations in products, services and technologies. It's about time that we "modernize" the Labor Code specifically, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards, which does not yet contain criminal penalties. Let's make OSHS attuned to the times. Let's make safety and health in the workplace work for all. Important provisions the Bill For this reason, Senate Bill No. 1317 provides penalties for non-compliance with OSHS. This is to reiterate that violation of OSH standards is a deliberate disrespect of the well-being of our workers and derogation of their right to humane conditions of work. The proposed administrative penalty of I00,000.00 pesos for every day of non-correction of violation intends to bring about immediate correction. The proposed measure also guarantees the payment of workers wages or income during work stoppage or suspension of operation due to imminent danger as a result of the employer's violation or fault. Kung mapatigil ang trabaho o masuspinde ang kumpanya dahil sa kapabayaan, karapatan ng mga manggagawa na makatanggap pa rin nang tuloy-tuloy ng kanilang sweldo. Ginagarantiyahan po ito ng panukalang batas. Furthermore, the bill outlines the duties and responsibilities of all stakeholders and including a coordinative mechanism for inter-agency harmonization of functions and mandates on occupational safety and health of the nine (9) concerned government agencies. Labor Law Compliance Officers Mr. President, since a large part of this proposed measure deals with enforcement and inspection, the role of Labor Law Compliance Officers is a crucial aspect in achieving the intent of the measure. We are glad to hear that DOLE has increased the number of its Labor Law Compliance Officers, now with 574 plantilla officers. This figure is close to the ILO recommended whole-year work standard ratio enforcement of one compliance officer for every 120 establishments. Early this year, the DOLE has requested for additional budget to hire 200 more labor law compliance officers. Once granted, this will bring the number of labor law compliance officers to 774. In this light, the bill seeks to complement the role of our Labor Law Compliance Officers by requiring a safety and health program that contains policies in all establishments, projects, sites and all other places where work is being undertaken. It shall be enforced by full-time safety officers who shall undergo the mandatory training on basic occupational safety and health as prescribed by the DOLE. The bill also seeks to professionalize, upgrade, and update the level of competence of workers in all critical occupations or jobs that affect people's lives and safety, through the mandatory competency assessment and certification by TESDA. Mr. President, it is not enough that we express our heartfelt sympathy to those who were killed in workplace accidents or those who suffered workplace injuries or illnesses. We need a proactive approach to help employers, workers and the government find and fix workplace hazards before workers are hurt. We need a law that places a premium on safety and health in all workplaces. Let's make safety and health in the workplace work for all. Again, Mr. President, I urge our colleagues' support. Let us all work together to ensure the immediate passage of the OSHS Bill. Ipasa natin ang Senate Bill No. 1317 upang maipatupad ang mga pamantayan sa ligtas at maayos na lugar ng paggawa sa lahat ng lugar, oras at pagkakataon para sa kapakinabangan ng lahat. Maraming salamat po at pagpalain tayo ng Panginoon.
Press Release

May 22, 2017 Villar sponsors bill providing free irrigation services to farmers Sen. Cynthia Villar sponsored today the bill making free irrigation services to small farmers permanent. Senate Bill No. 1465 under Committee Report No. 103 or the "Free Irrigation Service to Small Farmers Act of 2017," exempts small farmers, or those farmers whose combined farm-holdings cover an area of not more than five hectares, from paying the irrigation service fees (ISF). Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, noted that farmers are already reaping the benefits of free irrigation with the inclusion of P2 billion in the 2017 national budget to cover the ISF being collected from farmers, but stressed "the need to make free irrigation a policy, institutionalize it to make it more permanent." "As I have repeatedly cited, Filipino farmers and fisherfolks are still among the poorest in the country and freeing farmers from the burden of paying irrigation service fees will significantly reduce production cost, hasten productivity and increase the income of farmers," Villar said in her sponsorship speech. "Farmers and fisherfolks comprise 40 percent of Filipinos living below the poverty line," she added. Villar said the bill is in line with the commitment to contribute to the lowering of the cost of production of small farmers who cannot afford to pay the ISF of national and communal irrigation systems, and relieve them from the burden and consequence of unpaid ISF. She noted that the proposed bill seeks to level the playing fields for Filipino farmers with the farmers of Thailand and Vietnam who are heavily subsidized by their governments. "As I have mentioned in many occasions, those small farmers or family farmers will be the ones to feed us--not the corporate farmers. Even the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has acknowledged that the future of food is in the hands of small family farmers and fishersfolks," she said. In sponsoring the measure, Villar also highlighted the need to enact legislation addressing the barriers that keep Filipino farmers from being more successful such as lack of mechanization, lack of technical expertise, lack of financial literacy, and inadequate access to cheap credit. "As we work on breaking down the barriers, we also have to take care of helping them in their daily burdens and concerns, such as irrigation service fees. Being among the poorest in the country, for them, every few centavos do count," Villar said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Courtesy Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Courtesy Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Show More Show Less



A fire broke out at a seemingly normal residential home that turned out to be a marijuana grow house in Antioch on Sunday, officials said.

The fire was reported at the house on the 2000 block of Bugle Street about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
San Francisco has 230 parks, playgrounds and open spaces that cover 3,400 acres spread across the city. To keep those areas safe, the park department employs 53 rangers  in essence, its own police force.

And while those rangers, who give out information, protect the parks from vandals and enforce safety, are the public face of the citys parks, theres one thing they arent: female. San Franciscos park ranger force has fewer female members than many other major American cities.

And while the citys police and fire departments have increased or held steady the number of women in their ranks, female rangers have dropped from 18 percent of the force in 1997 to 11 percent today. In comparison, the number of female firefighters jumped from 8.9 to 16 percent over the past two decades, and female police officers stayed at 15 percent, higher than the national average of 12 percent.

You know, I wasnt aware of that, said Recreation and Park Commission President Mark Buell. My general attitude, being surrounded by strong women in my life and considering myself a feminist, is that it ought to be our goal to correct that. If there isnt parity, there ought to be, and we should strive for that.

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Departments force looks like this: 53 full-time park rangers made up of 47 men and six women. Zero women in upper management. Three of the women are dispatchers, and two of them are patrol rangers are on disability leave. The only woman on active patrol duty is a trainee on new-hire probation.

Tonya Lett of Vallejo, 57, is that ranger. She began classes in December and will remain on probation through June. Lett studied criminal justice and spent 20 years working as a high school security guard in Richmond. She said she hasnt minded being the only woman on the patrol force.

They cover me, and vice versa, Lett said. I get along great with the men on the force. I handle my own, and they respect me. Im just one of the guys.

So why is Lett one of so few women?

Thats just all who applied, said San Francisco Ranger Chief Mike Celeste. Those are the applications we got. With civil service, we are required to go through a list. We are mandated by that list who and how we bring people on board.

Rec and Park spokeswoman Connie Chan said the department is bound by the job qualifications set by the citys human resources department and that there is little it can do outside of recruiting to increase the number of women on the force. Jobs are posted by the city, and applications flow directly into the human resources department, not the park department. Applicants are sorted based on criteria decided by the city.

Typically what we do is a job analysis, said Susan Gard, chief of policy for the San Francisco Human Resources Department. We analyze what the nuts and bolts are of what that person does every day. Thats how we establish the minimum qualifications.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

The most recent round of applications, for a training class of 13 rangers that began in December, brought in 198 people  171 men and 27 women. Only two of those women passed the written exam, Chan said  31 men passed.

Those are some shocking numbers, said Supervisor Katy Tang, who has advocated for womens issues on the board. Its the first that Ive been aware of the issue specifically regarding park patrol officers.

On a recent afternoon, ranger Elmer Jimenez drove a white, four-door pickup around the fringes of Golden Gate Park, then parked to do a foot patrol near Alvord Lake at the parks eastern boundary. He pointed a pair of tourists from the Midwest to the nearest restroom and ordered people in a small homeless camp to throw away their trash.

Our job isnt to go after you, he said. Its to work with you to make things better. I have family living in San Francisco. My motivation is to make a difference in the park system and the people who use it, like my family.

If Jimenez worked somewhere else, he would have more female colleagues  other major cities have more equitable gender distributions.

New York City has 246 park patrol officers, of whom 84  34 percent  are women. There are 31 women in upper management.

San Jose has 30 full-time park rangers, of whom 12 are women and 18 are men, making the force 40 percent female. A woman holds the single upper management position.

In Philadelphia, there are 18 full-time rangers. One-third of them are women, and another two women hold supervisorial roles.

Phoenixs force employs 47 park rangers and is 17 percent female, with eight women and 39 men. One woman holds a supervisors job.

San Francisco park officials say they cannot legally set a gender preference. But the citys minimum qualifications could inherently disqualify women from the career.

One year of work experience in police, military or park ranger field work is required, plus a state powers-of-arrest certificate or completion of a POST academy, which is peace officer basic training, and a drivers license. Higher education is not required.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

Traditionally, women are minorities in those prior work categories. According to Pentagon figures, only 14.6 percent of the U.S. military is female, and a 2016 Department of Justice report found that 15 percent of sworn police officers in San Francisco are women.

Other cities have different criteria. San Jose requires applicants to have at least two years or 60 semester units of college with an emphasis in natural or environmental science, park management or park operations. The arrest certificate is not required, and basic law enforcement training comes after hiring.

In Los Angeles, applicants must have a four-year degree with a major in park administration, recreation, botany, zoology, biology, fire science, criminal justice or related fields. Full-time experience as a park ranger, firefighter, paramedic or other peace officer may be substituted for education.

Having more women on the force is important for diversity, said Pam Helmke, San Joses senior park ranger and a director of the Park Rangers Association of California. If a force doesnt have women, there wont be a pipeline for other women to follow, she said.

When I do recruiting and hiring, I look at the big picture long term, she said. I like to see diversity in our ranger ranks because when we go out recruiting, we cant recruit from the population if people dont see themselves in the workforce.

So how how can San Francisco go about attracting more female applicants?

Theres no quick fix, said April Lidinsky, director of the womens and gender studies program at Indiana University South Bend. If organizations are looking at persistent inequalities, they have to think about more ways to address that than just throwing their hands up and saying, We dont understand why we only get male applicants.

Ranger Chief Celeste said San Francisco tries to address that now.

Its just us getting out there and promoting, he said. Thats the biggest thing we can do. And our HR Department does do that. I believe they go to colleges and job fairs and do everything they can to get diversity and women in the force.

Gard said Rec and Park reached out to 30 public agencies and educational institutions for their most recent hiring class, including the Womens Career Opportunity Fair in San Francisco in 2015.

We try to reach out to women who arent traditionally in these fields, she said.

Another source may lie in education.

West Valley College in Saratoga is the only community college park management program in the state, and one of only a smattering across the country. School officials say about half the students in the program are female.

The school works with many Bay Area parks programs  including the East Bay Regional Park District, San Mateo County parks, the National Park Service, and San Jose parks  to funnel women into the career field. But it hasnt worked with San Franciscos park department.

There are certain agencies that have clung to that male environment, but there are so few of them, said Chris Cruz, department chair of the park management program. Its not the issue it used to be. San Francisco is surprising to me because its not consistent with what other agencies are doing.

I have female rangers that have graduated from our program that have worked all over the Bay Area, he said. Nothing is perfect in any agency, but I do see a lot more variety nowadays. San Francisco  why they havent done that, I dont know.

He said the civil service criteria mandated by the city is a limiting factor that would bar many of his female students from getting a job in San Francisco.

Some agencies will set the minimum requirements up in a more general format to cast a wider net and get more candidates, Cruz said. Some agencies will narrow down the focus to a specific type of person. I see that happen on occasion. It could prevent anybody, not just women, from applying.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
Say this about Salesforce Tower: The 1,070-foot high-rise nearing completion at First and Mission streets commands attention  and demands a response.

Its 200 feet taller than the Transamerica Pyramid, downtown San Franciscos previous high peak. The full-barreled bottom is twice as stocky as any other recently built tower in the neighborhood. For much of last year, the structure climbed at a rate of two stories per week.

But numbers alone arent why people are talking about the new kid in town. Here are five reasons Salesforce Tower is so provocative  whether you love it, hate it or feel a little bit of both.

Its everywhere: Like President Trump on CNN, the tapered obelisk of metal and glass is impossible to avoid.

Last week, for instance, I happened to visit the island of Alameda, and guess what punctuated the horizon beyond Willie Stargell Avenue, a hazy mirage amid blocks of mock-historic suburban homes. A few days later, there it was above the billboards of Bayshore Boulevard along Highway 101.

Co-workers tell of unexpected perspectives from Geary Boulevard in the Outer Richmond to the Marin Headlands.

These are more than fleeting glimpses. Theyre the visual proof that cultural tumult goes far beyond a skylines silhouette. San Francisco and the region are changing in profound ways, and Salesforce Tower shows that they arent just passing fads.

Size matters: Theres a reason the silvery shaft is so tall: City Hall wanted it that way.

The design competition that planted the seed for Salesforce Tower and the adjacent Transbay Transit Center was held in 2007, and one goal from the start was an iconic presence that will redefine the city's skyline. After Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects was selected, a new neighborhood plan specified that the tower should be the tallest building on the citys skyline, with a height of at least 1,000 feet.

By comparison, downtown heights in the 1980s were capped at 550 feet.

The 1,070-foot summit was reached even though there are only 61 stories within the 900 feet of inhabitable space. The office floors have a ceiling height of almost 14 feet, several feet more than whats found in a typical high-rise. The 170 feet above the top floor is purely for show  the panels now being installed will conceal mechanical equipment and a sizable void.

In other words ... its a stretch.

Perpetual flux: From the moment it began to climb in January 2016, Salesforce Tower has put on a show.

First it was a thick concrete bar ascending with grim determination. Then, steel floors started snapping into place like some Erector Set on steroids.

The concrete and steel soon broke free of nearby buildings, followed by curtain-wall panels scrambling upward in a quest to close the gap. And lets not forget the two gaunt cranes rising ever higher likened to everything from robotic arms to ominous pincers, always on the move.

No wonder the newcomer has attracted so much attention in recent months. Not only can you see it from just about every vantage point west of the Caldecott Tunnel, its alive! Will it ever stop?

Yes.

By mid-August, the tower should be fully enclosed. But even then ...

Design mysteries remain: There still are unanswered questions about how the tapered titan will touch the ground  including its half-acre plaza at Fremont and Mission streets, which will double as the main entrance to the Transbay Transit Center, set to open early next year.

The approved plan features a grove of redwood trees and an enormous sculpture assembled from concrete blocks salvaged from the old terminal. But apparently Salesforce is no fan of the design, and the development team of Boston Properties and Hines is expected to submit a new version next month to the City Planning Department.

Despite the late hour, any major revision needs a thorough review. This will be the districts civic crossroads  we deserve a design that welcomes the public at large.

The shock of the new: Salesforce Tower is immense. It is, by far, the tallest of a new crop of high-rises that have altered the balance between this citys natural hills and its built terrain.

And many longtime residents dont like it one bit.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

I would hope that you could recognize this monstrosity of a building to be nothing more than graffiti in the sky, one wrote me in March. It has completely ruined and polluted our beloved skyline.

Thats also the view of Dianne Feinstein, the citys mayor when the downtown height limits were lowered.

When Chamber of Commerce leaders visited the four-term senator in Washington last month, the conversation quickly shifted to how much she hates the citys new skyline, one person at the meeting told Chronicle columnists Matier & Ross.

But consider this: The initial reaction to Transamerica Pyramid, downtowns summit from 1972 until last fall, was exponentially more intense. There were protests not only from neighbors but also such groups as the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The architectural critic of the Washington Post warned of a threat to one of the most breathtaking skylines of the world.

The story of the Bay Area since the 1960s is defined by the tension between a region with global aspirations and one that doesnt want to lose what made it special in the first place. Salesforce Tower raises the stakes, like other towers have before.

The question is what happens when the shock of the new wears off  and whether most of us then will wonder what the fuss was all about.

John King is The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron

What comes next?

Fans of the two gaunt cranes that top Salesforce Tower, take note: The one located along First Street will start to be dismantled early next month, followed by the Fremont Street crane a few weeks later.

The tower should be fully enclosed by the end of July, and Salesforce employees should begin reporting to work there in October. Dont expect a grand opening before January, though, because plenty of details inside will need to be finished.

And hows business? According to Bob Pester, executive vice president and regional manager for developer Boston Properties, 1 million of the 1.4 million square feet of office space already are leased. Salesforce has 730,000 square feet.
Editor s note: Here are five Bay Area startups worth watching this week.

Like many local businesses, Chuck Siegels emerged out of a college apartment. But instead of tinkering with computer codes late into the night, he was working with chocolate.

As much as technology is synonymous with San Francisco, so is the niche food scene. In Siegels world of artisanal chocolate, disruption happens to taste buds: A piece of chocolate suddenly exploding with the minty and citrusy flavors of a mojito, or an elegant butterfly-shaped piece loaded with the familiar taste of a Reeses Pieces.

My business just exists to make people happy, Siegel, owner of Charles Chocolates, said while sitting outside his small factory in Mission Creek. The Bay Area isnt just about tech.

An unconventional find among attention-getting new companies, Charles Chocolates probably saw increased interest recently on Crunchbase, a startups database, because of Mothers Day on May 14  one of its busiest days of the year.

While the artisanal food industry exists on the fringes of San Franciscos bustling tech scene, Siegel said Charles Chocolates has benefited from the citys influx of wealth. The companies that move in to the area bring more people with disposable incomes willing to splurge on simple pleasures like chocolate.

Siegels creations can be found in every Starbucks in California and every Peets Coffee & Tea in the country. But can a company still be considered artisanal with big corporate partnerships?

Absolutely, said Siegel. Artisanal speaks more to the ethos and how it is made and the attention to detail.

Siegel takes pride in his 16 employees attention to detail. On a recent afternoon behind his small factorys glass windows, chefs carefully placed hazelnuts doused with salt and sugar into chocolate bar moldings, guaranteeing a crunch in every bite.

While the Bay Areas tech sector includes household names like Facebook and Uber, its food brands include Sees Candy and Ghirardelli Chocolate.

Artisanal business can thrive in the Bay Area because many people care  and can afford to care  where their products are made, said Pierre Coeurdeuil, the advising and education manager at SFMade, a nonprofit that supports San Franciscos manufacturing sector.

There is really a renewed interested these days when information is more easy to find, and you can decide to shop somewhere that fits with your values, he said. Each of Siegels products are made by hand, and most of his ingredients, from the chocolate to the apricot garnish, are bought locally, he said.

Charles Chocolates started in 2004. But after some trouble with an investor  which Siegel could not disclose details of  he had to completely shut down his operations in 2012. A year and a half later, he restarted his beloved chocolate company from scratch. He declined to say how much funding the company currently has. Its Crunchbase profile shows its last round of funding was in 2007 for $1.5 million.

The company now has more than 3,200 retail partners around the country.

It is always a good time to start a chocolate business, Siegel said.

Also trending:

August Home

Offers home security devices including locks and video cameras that can connect to smartphones.

What happened: The company recently released an integration with Google Home. Over the past year it has also integrated with Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa.

Why it matters: While a connected home isnt the average persons priority, the number of smart home devices shipped this year is expected to nearly double, according to CNBC.

Headquarters: San Francisco

Funding: $50 million

Employees: 85

YayPay

Works to modernize the back office by automating menial tasks like reminding clients to pay their monthly bills.

What happened: It showed off its technology last week at 500 Startups, and released a machine-learning feature that can predict when cash will arrive from certain clients. It is also in the midst of raising a $2 million round.

Why it matters: CEO Anthony Venus says the company is going to one day get rid of the back office, relieving teams of hours of menial tasks.

Headquarters: San Francisco

Funding: $900,000

Employees: 10

Nectar

Creates a smart pour spout and stopper that can sense how much liquid is left in a bottle of alcohol. Bar owners can track that information on their smartphones.

What happened: Nectar officially released its product this month, and it is accepting advance orders.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Why it matters: CEO Aayush Phumbhra says his company can save bars 75 percent of the manual costs associated with tracking inventory.

Headquarters: Palo Alto

Funding: $4.55 million

Employees: 20

Pluot

Offers video conferencing hardware and software, designed for small companies with many remote employees.

What happened: Pluot recently released a few updates and will have an iOS update soon.

Why it matters: As more companies have remote employees, CEO Kwindla Kramer said, video conferencing is becoming even more prominent in the workplace.

Headquarters: Mountain View

Funding: $2 million

Employees: 8

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadadni

How we pick

the companies

Every week, The Chronicle and Crunchbase, a San Francisco firm that tracks key businesses in technology, analyze private Bay Area companies based on their financial backing, employees and activity on Crunchbase. We feature five that are moving up in the ranks. For more information on the companies: www.crunchbase.com
A home-invasion robbery in San Francisco led to gunfire Sunday night between assailants attempting to make a getaway and police, officials said.

The incident unfolded around 11 p.m. at a home in the 2100 block of Quesada Avenue near Rankin Street in the Bayview neighborhood, police said.

Officers received a report of a robbery in progress and quickly set up a perimeter around a house they suspected was targeted. As they moved in to search the home, they saw several people fleeing out a back door, officials said.

One fired an errant shot at a uniformed officer, and the officer shot back as those fleeing jumped fences and ran through neighboring backyards, officials said. Apparently, no one was hit by the gunfire.

Mark Winema / Getty Images / /

Officers fanned out and issued a shelter-in-place order for neighborhood residents.

One person was taken into custody, but it was not clear if he was the one who shot at the officer. The suspects name was not released.

Backup officers and a K-9 unit responded, but the other assailants got away.

Police were interviewing victims of the home invasion on Monday, but did not immediately release details of the robbery, which resulted in minor injuries to one victim.

Police called off the search and lifted the shelter-in-place order at 4:45 a.m. on Monday.

Anyone with information about the incident can call police at (415) 574-4444, or text tips to TIP411.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi
While the pink gorillas and Oompa Loompa costumes are streaking by you, it feels like the Bay to Breakers race is very of the moment. It's easy to forget the race's historical roots. The semi-official San Francisco holiday actually dates back to 1912, making it older than Fremont, Pacifica and a bunch of other local bergs.

The race started "six years after the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, as a morale booster and to promote the planned upcoming 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco," according to race organizers.

Bay to Breakers is often called the longest consecutively run footrace in the world, covering 7.46 miles (12k) from Howard Street near the bay, through Golden Gate Park, to the breakers at Ocean Beach. But, as anyone who has ever witnessed horde of revelers approach the Panhandle knows, the event often feels more like a Mardi Gras parade than a punishing endurance challenge. In 2015, there were at least 11 arrests at the Panhandle as police moved to herd people away from the area following the race.

We were curious to see when the costume tradition entered in to the century-old spectacle, so we started digging around in the Chronicle archives for evidence of the first furry footracers. We found evidence of the race dating back to the late 1970s, but we turned to the race organizers, Wasserman Media Group, to get their official answer.

"It's actually up for a bit of debate," said Chris Holmes of Wasserman. "I think it grew out of the running craze of the late 70s and early 80s. I think this was just the next step in that movement."

But who was the first to ever wear a costume?

"From what we have found, the first person to have dressed up was in 1940s. There was a gentleman who dressed up as a comic book character: Captain Kidd," said Holmes. That character was based on a real pirate from the late 1600s. So apparently "pirate" is the most old-school Bay to Breakers costume possible.

There's no evidence of spandex racers through the 50s and 60s, but, photos from our archives above show, Gumby was ready to break out in a full sprint by the 1980s. Since then, the costumes have continued evolving.

"I'm impressed every year with the level of intricacy," said Holmes, who explained his company was inspired to take over the event in 2013 because of the unique relationship between the city and the race.

"We wanted something that had deep roots within the city that could only be done in one place in the world," said Holmes. "San Francisco is a very welcoming town...it's really an extension of the personality of the city...I think it goes beyond partying. The event has always had a festival feel to it."
The owner and operator of the Fulton Rest Home, an independent living facility for men with disabilities in Berkeley, told residents last month they had 60 days to clear out.

Annie Jacob, who has run the facility at 2555 Fulton St., gave residents notice on April 20. They have to be out by June 20.

More than a dozen men live at the home and many, especially those with limited resources, dont know where theyll go. And there isnt an abundance of housing options for them.

Jacobs attorney, David Finkelstein, said his client sold the property to another party. He wouldnt say who.

The house did sell, he said. I am very confident in telling you that is has sold.

Reached by phone Thursday, Jacob said, I dont own the building anymore, before abruptly hanging up.

A private operator of a residential care facility can close the business and evict the tenants with only a 30-day notice, according to Disability Rights California, an advocacy group that runs a website listing tenant rights for people in care homes.

This unfortunate situation is reflective of the broader challenges in the Bay Area housing market and the general trend of closures of licensed facilities as longtime operators move out of the business, Robert Ratner, the housing services director for Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, wrote in an email to parents and guardians of the Fulton Rest Home residents.

As long as these sites remain privately rather than publicly held, there are few restrictions on these types of closures, Ratner added.

Meghan Gordon, an East Bay Community Law Center attorney who has met with two parents and several residents, said it is unclear whether there is legitimate legal basis to evict the tenants.

We also believe that based on the notice that (the Fulton Rest Home operator has) given, if they were to proceed with an eviction lawsuit, they might have some difficulty prevailing, she said. I dont think its a slam dunk.

The property has a long, college dorm-like hall with rooms  two beds, two chests of drawers, maybe two lamps  on either side of the hallway. Its near the UC Berkeley campus.

One woman, who requested her name not be printed, said her son has lived at Fulton Rest Home for 18 years. Hes 47 and was diagnosed with schizophrenia as an adolescent.

Her son walks the five blocks from Fulton Rest Home to her apartment almost every day. Its part of the routine that allows him to maintain a sense of independence. Sometimes he takes a long nap in his childhood room. Sometimes he washes dishes.

I just feel so grateful, because thats an amazing thing, his mother said.

He stays with her every other weekend. When they go out together, they like to shoot a couple of games of pool. And during almost every visit, her son flips through an old family photo album.

Shes begun the search for her sons next home, a move she knows will be disruptive for him.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Parents and relatives of the men feel they werent given adequate notice. They say Jacob gave the men the notice and didnt notify their guardians. Two people told me they havent gotten an explanation from Jacob.

Calleen Fulcher is the guardian for her brother, Leslie Fulcher, 57, who has lived in the rest home for 27 years. She said she didnt find out about the closure until a parent of another resident called to ask if she knew anything about it.

Fulcher went to the facility to talk to her brother.

He said, Yeah, the lady came at bedtime and gave us the notice, Calleen Fulcher told me. Even if you were going to share that kind of information, why share it with them at bedtime?

Fulcher says she sees herself as more than just an advocate for her brother. Shes thinking about the other residents, like the man who has been at Fulton Rest Home for 30 years but whose parents are dead. Another man only has his mother, who is 94.

And theres not much out there, Fulcher said about adult residential facilities.

After living there for so long, many of the men are attached to their routines. And for them, a routine is essential for their independence and well-being.
Amy Osborne/Special to The Chronicle

Despite a $20 million overhaul and endlessly patient efforts to accommodate San Franciscos least conscientious recreators, picturesque Dolores Park keeps living down to its sorrowful name, thanks to garbage-strewing weekend hordes. It seems the city has tried every available means of dissuading the littering swarms from breaking the law  with the exception of actually enforcing the law.

One otherwise beautiful April Sunday in the park left it carpeted with enough garbage to fill 460 bags, and yet The Chronicle reported last week that park rangers have yet to issue a single ticket this year for littering there. While officials protest that catching litterbugs in the act is difficult, a reporter witnessed several instances on a recent Saturday.
The regents of the University of California should make sure that the system-wide audit office they oversee focuses on auditing the Office of the President rather than providing support services to management. A strong and independent audit organization that follows the Government Accountability Offices government auditing standards would:

Be fully independent of President Janet Napolitanos office.

Increase transparency and public trust.

Strengthen UCs efficiency, effectiveness and equity in delivering services.

The UC Board of Regents must take ownership of its own audit committee responsibilities and provide the resources and guidance needed to maintain a robust, independent audit function.

State Auditor Elaine Howle is spot-on in recommending that the UC regents adopt a formal reserves policy and increase budget transparency. Napolitano has wisely agreed to implement these important recommendations. But what is still missing?

How the regents can improve their governance of the statewide university system without relying on the state auditor.

The regents, through their Audit and Compliance Committee chaired by Regent Charlene Zettel, must ensure that the audit staff they appoint is focused on auditing UC management. As a public institution, the university should require GAOs Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards  standards followed by the state auditor and by city auditors in San Jose, Palo Alto, Berkeley, Sacramento, Oakland, Long Beach and San Francisco. This would ensure the credibility of the audits and the independence of the auditors. It would also reduce non-audit services performed by auditors following standards from the Institute of Internal Auditors, the current practice.

The GAOs standards make clear that institute standards should be used only by internal auditors  those appointed and overseen by management  as in the corporate world. The GAO considers internal auditors as lacking the independence needed for public reporting, especially if they perform management functions, as is currently the case. Even corporate auditors, since the Enron debacle, now are required to increase the oversight of audits by the board of directors independent audit committee. As a public institution, UC needs to go further to ensure independence.

The auditors must have the standards and support to identify risks, robustly audit the UC Office of the President and speak truth to power. The audit committee can also help increase auditor independence and audit visibility by monitoring implementation of recommendations and making reports easy to find on its website.

Citizens, as strong supporters of public education and as taxpayers, should let the regents and our state legislators know that the UC Board of Regents needs to step up to the plate as steward of our public trust.

Ann-Marie Hogan is the elected city auditor for the city of Berkeley. For more information on how to have an effective, powerful audit committee, see the Association of Local Government Auditors website at www.algaonline.org.
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Hundreds of Rep. Barbara Lees constituents flocked to a town hall meeting Sunday afternoon  not to confront her about health care, pepper her with questions or otherwise put her on the spot.

They came instead to listen to a former Nixon attorney and a former spy warn about President Trump and how to best ensure his demise.

About 750 people filled the auditorium at King Middle School in Berkeley, an area that Lee, D-Oakland, proclaimed to be the heart and soul of the resistance movement.

That was evident from the signs on the wall featuring Lees name and the hashtag #Resist, the vendors selling anti-Trump buttons outside the meeting, the loud cheers, the Barbara Lee speaks for me signs and the standing ovations inside.

Separate speakers also asked Lee whether she would run for Senate in 2016 or president in 2018. Each time, she smiled but didnt comment. After the meeting, Lee said she was happy being in Congress and building the resistance to Trump.

I dont have any political ambitions, she said.

The congresswoman spoke only briefly at the beginning and end of the meeting and offered an occasional interjection. She acknowledged that her district gets it and pledged to keep fighting in Washington for transparency and accountability as well as for a fair and thorough investigation of the Trump administrations connections and possible collusion with the Russians.

Lee said she brought President Richard Nixons former White House counsel, John Dean, and Malcolm Nance, a retired Navy senior chief petty officer and spy, to Berkeley to help educate her constituents and encourage them to keep fighting.

I never in my wildest imagination would ever have dreamed I would be bringing a former spy and a Nixon attorney to Berkeley, California, to talk about how we resist and what we do next, she said.

Dean and Nance, whom Lee mistakenly introduced as Malcolm X, told the audience they cant necessarily count on impeachment or the 25th Amendment, which addresses succession to the presidency, to drive Trump out of office. People need to be ready for a long fight, and Watergate, from beginning to end, took 928 days before Nixon resigned, Dean noted.

Dean described himself as a social liberal and fiscal moderate. Hes written columns and books opposing neoconservatism, but he said he hasnt really moderated his views since the Nixon era.

The Republican Party has moved so far to the right, he said, that Im on the left.

Dean said that Nixon and Trump have similar personalities as authoritarians, but that Nixon usually acted behind closed doors while Trump tends to act out publicly. Impeachment is a simple process, he said, but a difficult one given the Republican dominance of the House and Senate.

Republican leaders, he said, are not likely to turn on the president, or attempt to hold him accountable, because they dont want to lose power. And Trumps followers, he said, are not open to persuasion.

Nance called the allegations of Russian interference in U.S. elections Watergate 2.0. He said the Russians began a major cybertheft campaign against the United States with a goal of electing Trump president and destroying democracy.

While the two seemed an unlikely pair to call for protests, they told the crowd  many of them older Berkeley residents  that they need to get out and protest and make sure the millions of American who stayed home from the polls in 2016 get out and vote.

Earlier, Nance said: You wont change things in 2018 unless you bring along the people who didnt vote in 2016.

Audience members such as Tania Schwarz, 48, of Berkeley, seemed both disappointed and encouraged by the discussion, and buoyed by the hundreds of people who cared enough to come out on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and carry on the fight.

Basically I felt proud to be an American today, she said. I think it was disheartening for some people who are so frustrated to hear that impeachment and the 25th Amendment are not likely. But sometimes change takes time.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
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SACRAMENTO  The ongoing family feud among California Democrats just got worse.

The election of longtime party insider Eric Bauman as the new chair of the California Democratic Party has inflamed painful feelings among progressives that the party isnt listening to its grassroots members.

Supporters of the runner-up, Richmond resident Kimberly Ellis, wanted a recount Sunday, but party rules dont provide for a recount. Bauman won by a mere 62 votes  1,493 to 1,431.

And hes got a problem on his hands: This party is divided, said Carlos Marroquin, a Los Angeles resident who organized young voters in several states as part of the Bernie Sanders Brigade. And if theyre thinking about (midterm elections in) 2018, forget it. Because theyre not going to win if theyre divided.

While such internal disputes may seem arcane to everyday voters, splits like this could have repercussions because even though Democrats dominate California politics, holding every statewide office and a supermajority in the Legislature, there is concern the party could lose the younger voters who supported Sanders presidential candidacy last year.

Those feelings erupted Sunday in a chaotic scene on the floor at the Sacramento Convention Center, the final day of the three-day party convention, as Bauman was introduced as the new chairman. Ellis supporters, waving signs that read Validate the votes! and Resist corporate Democrats, demanded a recount.

But outgoing party chairman and longtime San Francisco politician John Burton told the delegates the partys bylaws dont provide for a recount. He explained that the rival camps agreed the ballots, which are signed by each voter, would be counted and inspected soon and that Ellis had not asked for a recount or to delay the proceedings.

As Ellis supporters continued to press him by citing parliamentary procedures, the famously profane Burton grew frustrated, extending a middle finger to the audience.

The results stood, but if the ballot examination doesnt soothe the simmering mistrust, it may be harder for Democrats to woo back voters who have Demexited the party  even though they may agree with most of its positions, they feel its not paying sufficient attention to working and middle-class Americans.

Sitting on the floor of a hallway outside the convention floor Sunday morning, Tania Singh feverishly wrote signs that said, Strike 3: Hillary. Perez. Bauman. Just like the election of Hillary Clinton over Sanders in last years Democratic presidential primary and the narrow victory of Tom Perez as Democratic National Committee chair over progressive favorite Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., earlier this year, each race was against the grassroots, said Singh, a 28-year-old administrative assistant and party delegate who lives in Riverside.

A lot of older folks talk about how proud they are to be Democrats. Millennials dont feel that way, Singh said. I almost wish that (Clinton) had lost the popular vote so the party could understand what people want. But since they didnt, they can continue to remain arrogant.

Longtime Democratic strategist and former state party spokesman Roger Salazar appreciates that young voters in particular want change within the party to happen quickly. But the bottom line, Salazar said Sunday on the convention floor, is that we are a democracy, and a vote is a vote.

But the new leaders of the party would be smart to bring in all elements of the people who lost and listen to them and not ignore them, Salazar said.

RoseAnn DeMoro, a national progressive leader who is the executive director of the National Nurses United union, told Ellis supporters that the loss was a blow. Its wrong. And you know its wrong. And you know its going to hurt the Democratic Party.

But she also praised the activists for taking on the establishment and coming close to winning.

For you to come, and us to come, this close is pretty amazing, DeMoro said. Dont feel discouraged. You showed tremendous power and strength. These votes mean that you can take out just about any Democrat in the state if you continue to organize.

The division within the party was an ongoing subtext to the weekend convention. Some establishment figures in the party sought, without trying to take sides in the internecine battle, to unite Democrats against a common enemy.

If last years election taught us anything, its that too many Americans believe our political system is rigged against them, billionaire San Francisco environmentalist Tom Steyer, a possible 2018 gubernatorial candidate, told the delegates Sunday. And theyre not wrong, because corporate interests still hold the high cards at the table of power.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, a rising star in the party for his work investigating Russian interference in last years presidential race, told delegates during his keynote address that the stakes are high and the party needs to unite. California Democrats need to remain strong, Schiff said, because they are the bulwark to counter the Trump administration.

We must bind up our partys wounds, for only then can we save our country, Schiff said Saturday. And it is not our country alone that needs us right now. In these extraordinary times, it can be said with little exaggeration that the fate of the free world depends upon us, even we here in our golden nation-state.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli

Online extra

To see video of the contentious convention: http://bit.ly/CADemsCon
Even above the din of Hayward BART station you can hear the wheels of Robert Tylers dolly clicking on the tiled floor. The 59-year-old pauses to give money to a man singing for change before boarding a train en route to Oakland Coliseum for work.

Can you make a living? says Tyler. Thats what my journey really is about. Hes been on this journey for years now.

For over three decades he had worked on and off in the communications field but was unable to keep a steady job. Somehow it dont last, says Tyler. Always have good jobs, but they dont last.

In 2012 he found himself unemployed and living in someone elses home. He had a choice to make. Youre homeless, unemployed, but how do you go? asks Tyler. Do you beg or do you keep on with what you do?

The wind is whipping as Tyler arrives at his spot on the Coliseums pedestrian bridge. He begins to unhook the straps securing his equipment to the dolly. The tools of his trade are all there. Three DieHard portable power units, a surge protector, microphone, cords, mixer, amplifier, collapsible basket and a bass guitar. A self-taught musician, Tyler learned the ropes of making money on the street from a friend after losing his last job.

Guy Wathen/The Chronicle

Im looking at it as a business, says Tyler. He considers himself a professional musician and uses some of the money he makes to improve the quality of his performance, upgrading equipment as needed.

Often seen outside of Bay Area sporting events, Mr. Rob Bass, his stage name, is an engaging and familiar presence. With a beaming smile and trademark white hat, he encourages passersby to take part in the fun and many do, with impromptu dance parties or songs of their own. Sometimes they show their appreciation by leaving a tip, even though Tyler doesnt ask. One day he hopes those tips will allow him to find a secure living situation. He lives in a friends living room, renting the space for the cold winter months and living in his vehicle for the rest of the year.

A stream of fans, fresh off the train, make their way past Tyler as he performs the Temptations hit My Girl. He smiles, sings, points, and dances. I dont need no money, he sings adding, but I do. Despite his efforts, most people just walk by.

The foot traffic slows to a trickle as the sun begins to set over the distant San Francisco skyline and a chill sets in. Some nights are better than others. Still, Tyler enjoys life as his own boss.

This is the first time nobody ever laid you off, says Tyler. Its the first time that someone didnt tell you that its slow this year.

I do what I do. I think I kinda like it.

When it becomes clear that most fans are now inside, Tyler moves his equipment to the other side of the bridge. Pausing, he counts the money hes made so far, $13. He plugs his equipment in again, this time facing the Coliseum, ready to greet fans as they leave.

Watch an accompanying video at www.sfchronicle.com/theregulars/. The Regulars is a weekly photo and video column that offers a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in the Bay Area, caught in routine activities of modern urban life. If you know a regular, email kduncan@sfchronicle.com.
School officials and a group of distressed parents in Alameda agree that if a big earthquake strikes, the saturated ground under Lum Elementary School would likely become unstable, a process known as liquefaction that could cause classrooms to sink and come apart.

But the two sides disagree on how serious and urgent the problem is  and what the school board should do about it when it meets Tuesday.

District Superintendent Sean McPhetridge, on the advice of two structural engineering firms that studied the soil, recommended closing Lum at the end of the school year and moving students to several other city schools.

Some parents, though, responded by gathering their own expert advice and mounting a campaign to keep the school open next year, allowing time for the district to further explore the problem and possible solutions.

The Alameda Unified School District board is expected to decide the schools fate at its regular meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

Its been less than a month since parents first learned that the soil under Lum was especially prone to liquefaction. District officials said they discovered the issue while preparing the site for the construction of a new building.

The school consists of single-story buildings, with groups of classrooms, or pods, circling a common area. Based on soil samples, the projects engineer determined that in the event of a catastrophic 100-year quake  one with a probability of 1 percent in any given year  the buildings could sink up to 5 inches, potentially collapsing or partially collapsing.

I know this is terrible news to hear, McPhetridge told parents in late April. But as staff we will be recommending to the board that we close the site in 2017-18 due to our concern for the safety of students and staff.

The board initially scheduled a vote in early May on whether to transfer students over the summer, but postponed the vote after parents demanded more time to understand and discuss the situation.

It came as a total shock to everyone there, said parent Joe Keiser, who is helping spearhead the fight to keep the school open. My sense is that (district officials) are being conservative compounded by conservative.

The parents gathered their own evidence, including opinions from engineers and other experts who said the issue needs further study to determine whether school structures would be at risk and, if they are, what options are available to shore them up.

With each day, as more information is gathered, it has become clearer and clearer that the districts recommendation was premature, said Keiser, who has a son at Lum and a daughter who previously attended. We ask that the board look at the expert opinion that weve gathered, and we trust they will come to the right decision.

District officials understand the parents feelings and are deeply empathetic, said spokeswoman Susan Davis. But the focus, she said, is student and staff safety in the face of potential building collapse.

We have done all the kinds of tests that you can do, Davis said. Were recommending removing the kids from the campus because we dont want to take the risk that the Big One is going to happen while theyre there.

The 500 Lum students would be distributed among a handful of other Alameda schools, district officials said. They acknowledged that many Alameda schools sit on soil that could liquefy but said that Lum faces heightened risk because the ground is subject to liquefaction down 60 or 70 feet.

Keiser remains unconvinced.

My kid goes there every day, he said. I could tell you absolutely that Im 100 percent convinced that he would be less safe at a multistory school than he would be at the single-story school at Lum.

Parent Deb Balot, whose daughter is a Lum first-grader, said the district is moving too quickly to close a school that has sat on the same soil since the 1950s  and has seen its share of earthquakes without buckling. If the risk is so great, she asked, why didnt the district pull out students immediately?

Balot and other parents fear that moving students will remove the incentive for the district to improve and reopen the school. They want the students to remain in place in the fall, and hope any repairs can be done with the students still on the campus.

They need to slow down, she said.

District officials said there is no way to fix the problem over the next school year, and that keeping the school open is too risky.

As a district we have a legal, moral, and professional obligation to protect the lives and safety of our students and staff, McPhetridge said.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@jilltucker

School closure vote

The Alameda school board meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave. For information on the seismic issues, go to https://tinyurl.com/l7x667g.
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Authorities are continuing their search for a 59-year old Fairfield man who has been missing since a boating incident in the waters off of the Pittsburg Marina on Saturday.

The man was fishing with another adult and a 9-year-old-child, which local television stations reported was the mans son, when the child fell out of the boat. The man jumped in to help the child, who was recovered and treated for hypothermia at a hospital.
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A fire broke out at a seemingly normal residential home that turned out to be a marijuana grow house in Antioch on Sunday, officials said.

The fire was reported at the house on the 2000 block of Bugle Street about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
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PITTSBURG, Calif. (NBC)  Rescue teams are searching Sunday for a Fairfield father who disappeared after jumping into the confluence of Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers in Contra Costa County to save his son.

Search efforts began around 5:30 p.m. Saturday near the Pittsburg Marina, which is located on the Broad Slough and the Sacramento River Channel, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said.
A proposal meant to push Twitter to explore the possibility of becoming a user-operated cooperative was met with staunch resistance at the companys annual shareholder meeting Monday, but supporters of the measure still considered it a victory.

Preliminary counts of Twitter investors ballots indicate that the proposal, which asked investors to back a study on how Twitter might allow its users to buy the company, indicate the measure failed to gain a majority of votes.

Supporters had expected that result. They had been less sure about whether the proposal would hit the 3 percent threshold. If it did, the measure would be allowed to be resubmitted next year.

In fact, the aptly hashtagged #BuyTwitter initiative got 4 percent of shareholder votes, according to Jim McRitchie, the shareholder advocate who got the measure on the ballot.

McRitchie said following the meeting, he spoke with CEO Jack Dorsey and members of Twitters investor relations team about how to move forward with the initiative. Despite ardent opposition from Twitters board of directors, Dorsey on Monday seemed interested in learning more, McRitchie said.

This proposal caught fire not with shareholders; it caught fire with users, he said. My point to Jack (Dorsey) was you want to harness that fire. Users obviously feel a certain amount of alienation, they feel they dont have a voice in how Twitter is run, but if they had ownership to some extent the excitement around Twitter could grow even more. He seems to be as open to that idea  or as open as a CEO whos got two different companies to run could be.

Backers of the #BuyTwitter movement hope the attention generated by their first attempt will lead to greater support and more open-mindedness on the part of investors next time around.

Twitters board openly opposed the proposal, saying in an SEC filing that preparing such a report would be a misallocation of resources and a distraction to our board of directors and management. The board noted it did not believe the proposal would enhance the value of the platform or Twitter.

The board even attempted to get the proposal removed from the shareholder ballot. It was unsuccessful.

Those who want to see Twitter take on a more democratic ownership structure argue that Twitter is too much of a public utility to be held to Wall Streets demands. They view it as a service best used for the public good, rather than to turn a profit  which in Twitters 11 years of existence and nearly four as a publicly traded company, it has yet to accomplish.

Nathan Schneider, a scholar in residence of media studies at the University of Colorado Boulder who has helped organize the campaign, said several shareholders who spoke with him privately said they were hesitant to support the study for fear that it could create market uncertainty by indicating that Twitters leadership was in panic mode.

What a shame that a viable funding option like this could create that kind of uncertainty, he said. Thats not at all what we want to convey. There is a widely held perception that Twitter is performing below expectations. ... The whims of Wall Street may not be the most appropriate vehicle for the service that Twitter has become. Its a matter of a kind of mismatch between the culture of Wall Street and the culture of the media economy that we need.

Over the past week, several big-name co-op organizations voiced their support of the measure including British research firm YouGov, which conducted a study that found that nearly 2 million Twitter users in the United Kingdom would consider participating in a cooperatively owned Twitter.

The proposal was first introduced in December, giving backers five months to ratchet up support. If they choose to resubmit the ballot measure, theyll have a year to try to build consensus  among shareholders, but also among Twitters leadership.

If we can talk and reach an agreement in the meantime, then we wont have to resubmit, McRitchie said. Why shouldnt Twitter, which considers itself a beacon of free speech and democracy across the world, why shouldnt some of that be reflected in the way Twitter is governed?

Marissa Lang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Marissa_Jae
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When Uber picked Pittsburgh as the inaugural city for its driverless car experiment, the city played the consummate host.

You can either put up red tape or roll out the red carpet, Mayor Bill Peduto said in September. If you want to be a 21st century laboratory for technology, you put out the carpet.

Nine months later, residents and officials say Uber has not lived up to its end of the bargain. Among the San Francisco companys perceived transgressions: charging for driverless rides that were initially pitched as free. It also withdrew support from Pittsburghs application for a $50 million federal grant to revamp transportation. And it has not created the jobs it proposed in a struggling neighborhood that houses its autonomous-car testing track.

Fingers are being pointed in many directions. While Peduto had trumpeted his relationship with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, he didnt get any commitments in writing about what the company would provide for Pittsburgh. That became an issue in the citys Democratic mayoral primary this month. Pedutos challengers criticized his relationship with Uber and one called the company a stain on the city. (Peduto won the primary.)

This was an opportunity missed, said Michael Lamb, the city controller, who has called on Uber to share the traffic data gathered by its autonomous vehicles.

The deteriorating relationship offers a cautionary tale, especially as other cities consider rolling out driverless car trials from Uber, Alphabets Waymo and others.

Towns like Tempe, Ariz., have already emulated Pittsburgh and set themselves up as test areas for self-driving vehicles. Many municipalities see the experiments as an opportunity to remake their urban transportation systems and create a tech economy.

It was inspiring, and we knew in Tempe, the innovation center of Arizona, we wanted to have that kind of partnership, said Mark Mitchell, the mayor of Tempe, where Uber began testing driverless cars last fall.

Yet Pittsburgh shows the clash of private-versus-public interests that can result. The lessons are college course level 101, said Linda Bailey, executive director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

Uber is a business, and they want to make money, she said. With Pittsburgh, we learned we need to present the citys needs up-front.

Uber said it was open to a deal with Pittsburgh but had yet to see a draft of proposed commitments the city is seeking from the company. Uber said it planned to share some data collected by its autonomous vehicles with the city this year, though Pittsburgh officials say the data Uber shares with other cities is insufficient.

The company, which still has allies in Pennsylvanias state and county governments, said it created 675 jobs in the greater Pittsburgh area and had helped local organizations like a womens shelter, among other moves.

Uber is proud to have put Pittsburgh on the self-driving map, an effort that included creating hundreds of tech jobs and investing hundreds of millions of dollars, the company said. We hope to continue to have a positive presence in Pittsburgh by supporting the local economy and community.

Pittsburghs frustrations with Uber are encapsulated in the Hazelwood neighborhood along the Monongahela River, where the company opened a driverless vehicle testing track last year. From the second floor of the neighboring Center of Life church, the track is in full view. Sky-blue Volvo SUVs with large revolving sensors called lidar on their roofs navigate around shipping containers and stoplights. The area is enclosed by a chain-link fence wrapped in a black tarp.

When Uber picked the site in 2016, a company representative told community leaders that it wanted to hire from the neighborhood. Tim Smith, a pastor at the Center of Life church and the head of a neighborhood group, said he had given Uber a list of job candidates, including a mapping engineer and technicians.

Since then, Smith said, he has been told that applicants should go through Ubers general jobs site. No one has been hired.

We have been underserved for decades, and now there are people who live right on the other side of that fence that are missing out, he said.

Uber has benefited Pittsburgh in some ways. The company has raised Pittsburghs profile, and the Advanced Technologies Center that Uber opened for driverless research in 2015 has revived the former steel mill neighborhood known as the Strip District.

Yet city officials and residents are reconsidering even those benefits, especially as Uber has recently grappled with several controversies. Those include a Justice Department criminal investigation into Ubers use of a software tool to deceive law enforcement. Some Pittsburghers also objected to Kalanicks being a member of the Trump administrations business advisory council this year.

In January, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, a nonprofit representing bus drivers and riders, organized a #DeleteUber social media campaign and a street demonstration against the companys decision to continue service at JFK airport in New York after taxi drivers halted rides to protest the Trump administrations travel ban.

Molly Nichols, executive director of the group, said Uber had called to ask her to cancel the protest, which ultimately went ahead.

The warning signs about Ubers questionable business practices were all over the place, and the mayor should have recognized that and worked harder to create a partnership that was more equitable, Nichols said.

She added that there might be longer-term problems from autonomous vehicles, including automations effect on Ubers 4,000 drivers in the city. Parking fees also make up about 15 percent of Pittsburghs revenue, and the city has not said how those funds would be replaced if fewer people owned and parked cars and used driverless services instead, she said.

Peduto, a third-generation Pittsburgher, has perhaps had the most noticeable change of heart.

Kalanick first approached Peduto in 2015 with plans to start driverless trials in Pittsburgh. At the time, Kalanick had hired away more than three dozen researchers and robotics experts from the citys Carnegie Mellon University, upsetting some faculty and officials. Peduto defended Uber and said he shared Kalanicks vision.

The two exchanged texts frequently. In September, Peduto became the first passenger to hail a driverless car and posted a photo of himself grinning in the back seat of an Uber car.

But hidden from the public was Pedutos simmering frustration with Uber. In early 2016, Uber had indicated it would support Pittsburghs application for a federal grant to redo local transportation, according to Peduto. He asked Uber to commit private funds to enhance the proposal. Uber said the request had come too late and the desired amount  $25 million  was too much. Pittsburgh didnt win the federal competition.

In January, Peduto was also surprised to get billed for a ride home in an Uber autonomous vehicle. Travis Kalanick had told me the rides would be free and a service for the public, he said.

Uber said it had always intended to charge for driverless rides.

Still, there are signs that Uber is trying to improve some relations. The company said it had agreed to work with Hazelwood residents on an art installation along the black chain-link fence surrounding the test track. This month, Uber officials also invited Smith, the church pastor in Hazelwood, to discuss job training for young adults.

Im cautiously optimistic, Smith said.

Peduto, who has stopped texting Kalanick, said Uber and other self-driving car companies remained crucial to Pittsburghs ability to break from its steel industry past. He said he was talking to Ford, which is investing $1 billion in a Pittsburgh driverless technology company, Argo AI, about signing commitments on data sharing and workforce development. Ford declined to comment.

Cecilia Kang is a New York Times writer.
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Seven years after a suitcase carrying the body of Pearla Louis floated to the surface of San Francisco Bay along the Embarcadero, a city prosecutor asked a jury Monday to convict the victims boyfriend of murder in a classic case of a man who physically abuses women.

Lee Bell, 55, killed the 52-year-old Louis after nearly two years of domestic violence, said Assistant District Attorney Michael Swart in his opening remarks in San Francisco Superior Court. The trial had been repeatedly delayed as Bell changed attorneys, claiming they were unfit to represent him, and as his own ability to participate in the proceedings was questioned.

The slaying of Louis, Swart said, was the result of his continuing propensity to commit acts of domestic violence against his partners.

Louis was last seen alive May 16, 2010, by a desk clerk at the Harcourt Hotel on Larkin Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood, where Bell was staying. Bell was seen talking to Louis in an angry manner that day, Swart said, and the next day surveillance video from another residential hotel showed him retrieving a suitcase that matched the one that held Louis body.

The suitcase was discovered a day later, on the morning of May 18, by a San Francisco resident who had been walking with his young niece on the Embarcadero near Folsom Street.

Swart said Bells history of domestic violence, dating to 1995, showed he was more than capable of killing Louis. They had met in 2008, and Louis was soon in and out of the hospital for injuries allegedly caused by Bell  facial fractures, black eyes, fractured ribs.

Bells attorney, Malcolm Smith, said that while there was no excuse for Bells history of violence toward women, it has nothing to do with this trial.

This history of domestic violence proves suspicion, he said. It doesnt prove guilt.

Stating that suitcases tend to look alike, the defense attorney said the suitcase possessed by Lee in the surveillance video was not the one that held Louis body. He said the autopsy findings will tell you that the killer was not Mr. Bell, but did not elaborate in his opening statement.

Louis struggled with drug addiction and was homeless at the time of her death. But her son, Kareem Marshall, who sat near the front of the courtroom with his two sisters, said she had been getting her life on track before she died.

The last time he saw her, Marshall said, was May 9, 2010  Mothers Day  and she had been baptized that day. She called him once more on the day she was last seen, he said, and left him a voice mail asking whether he was going to church that morning.

But Marshall had been asleep, and the staff at the respite center where Louis was receiving treatment said she told them she was going to see Bell.

Ive been dealing with that for seven years, Marshall said outside court. I feel like I didnt protect her.

Swart said a nurse at the respite center begged Louis not to see Bell. In March 2010, Bell had essentially told a social worker that he was going to kill Louis, the prosecutor said.

At the end of April, he said, Bell began obsessively calling the center where Louis was staying, so much so that the centers staff made a note to never allow him into the facility.

But on the day she was last seen, Louis told the staff at the center that she wanted to see Bell to get money back from him. The next day, when she hadnt returned, the staff filed a missing-person report.

Before opening statements could even begin Monday, Bell had another outburst.

I need to be heard correctly, he told Judge Carol Yaggy, as courtroom sheriffs deputies stood at the ready.

Ive been asking for seven years. You will not have a fair trial without all the evidence.

Yaggy reasoned with him, telling him he had the opportunity to be present in court, and Bell responded, Youre not treating me with respect.

All I want is for my attorney to hear me, he said. Am I speaking English?

Outside court, Marshall said he had made peace with Bell and his antics, and was happy the trial had finally begun.

We expected it to be long, but we didnt think it was going to be seven years, he said. Im just happy we got to this place. This is going to be the closure we need.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
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The budget proposed by President Trump, set for release Tuesday, is clear from coast to coast to coast: Don't clean up the water.

The budget not only zeroes out the Puget Sound cleanup, but programs from Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain to New England's Lake Champlain to the Great Lakes.

The information on axing of cleanup money was obtained by the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, and comes directly from an administration document. Overall, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency budget would be slashed from $8.2 billion to $5.6 billion, a 30 percent-plus cut.

The Trump administration has argued that states should take up the slack on cleanup. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has explained that with the state under Supreme Court order to fully fund K-12 education, money to take up a $27 million Puget Sound cleanup cannot be found.

Here is what the Trump budget would do:

--Puget Sound: The federal contribution to Puget Sound cleanup, much of it in grants to tribes and local government, is funded at a rate of $27.9 million in the continuing resolution that funds government for the rest of the 2017 fiscal year. The Trump budget proposal: Zero.

--Chesapeake Bay: Just downstream from the nation's capital, and fed by polluted rivers, Chesapeake Bay is at $72.86 million under the 2017 continuing resolution. The Trump budget proposal: Zero.

--San Francisco Bay: The California estuary, long dredged and filled in, is at a modest $4.8 million under the FY 2017 budget. The Trump budget proposal: Zero.

--The Great Lakes: Great Lakes Restoration is the largest chunk of water cleanup in the federal budget, funded at a rate of $299 million in Congress' FY 2017 continuing resolution. It's appropriate in that they are the greatest concentration of fresh water on earth, while bordering on eight states and Ontario. The Trump budget proposal: Zero.

--Long Island Sound: The states of New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island line its shores, and some of the richest Americans sail its waters. Long Island Sound cleanup is funded at just under $4 million for FY 2017. The Trump budget proposal: Zero.

--Lake Champlain: The great lake of New England, which forms a border between New York and Vermont, is receiving $4.39 million in the FY 2017 budget. The Trump budget proposal: Zero.

--Gulf of Mexico: The site of America's greatest oil spill, the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, currently gets $4.473 million under Congress' 2017 continuing resolution. The Trump budget proposal: Zero.

Arguments in defense of cleanup have come from around the country.

Reps. Derek Kilmer and Denny Heck, D-Wash. have argued that a healthy Puget Sound is pivotal to fisheries, recreation and economic growth . . . and that the cost of vital remediation will simply soar if the federal contribution is cut off.

Joel Brammeier, CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, told PBS' News Hour earlier this year that the lakes were vital to industries that developed 20th Century America, but which later abandoned the Rust Belt areas that voted for Trump in November. In particular, Lake Erie was long an industrial dumping ground.

"The program is paying for the cleanup around the Great Lakes that really built much of 20th Century America," said Brammeier. "It also left a legacy of contamination, toxics and loss of access for people and cities around the region."

The Trump administration proposes, but Congress disposes. The fate of waterways cleanups will rest largely with the Senate and House Appropriations Committees.

For instance, five Republican senators represents states that border on the Great Lakes. Nine Republican senators represent Gulf of Mexico states.

Two Washington Republicans, Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse, sit on the House Appropriations Committee. So does Rep. Kilmer and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
WASHINGTON  Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser under President Trump, refused to comply with a Senate Intelligence Committee subpoena as a top House Democrat disclosed portions of new documents suggesting Flynn lied about his Russia ties to federal investigators.

Members of the committee must now meet to vote and decide whether to hold Flynn in contempt or accept his attempt to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The committee has demanded that Flynn provide it with a list of any contacts he had with Russian officials between June 16, 2015, and Jan. 20, 2017.

In a statement late Monday, the committee chairman and vice chairman, Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Mark Warner, D-Va., said they were disappointed by Flynns decision and would vigorously pursue Gen. Flynns testimony and his production of any and all pertinent materials pursuant to the Committees authorities.

Flynns refusal comes as Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, cited a previously undisclosed document alleging that Flynn had lied to security-clearance investigators about payments he received directly from Russia for appearing at a December 2015 gala hosted by Russian state-owned media company RT.

In the letter, Cummings cites the March 14, 2016, Report of Investigation indicating Flynn told security clearance investigators that he was paid by U.S. companies when he traveled to Moscow for that gala and told investigators that he has not received any benefit from a foreign country. But payment vouchers and other documents showed that Russia had directly paid for Flynns airfare, accommodations and other expenses, Cummings wrote, citing the investigators report.

Cummings stressed his view that the Oversight Committees chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, must issue subpoenas against various White House officials to learn what top officials knew about General Flynn  and when they knew it. But thus far, the only witness who has been subpoenaed as part of the congressional probes into Russian meddling during the 2016 elections is not complying with the request.

In a letter to Burr and Warner on Monday, Flynns attorneys cited the Justice Departments recent appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel for the federal investigation into Russian interference in the election as reason to steer clear of congressional probes. They argued that Muellers appointment creates new dangers for Flynn and gives rise to a constitutional right not to testify.

Across Congress, lawmakers have openly worried that Muellers probe might serve to muzzle witnesses they had hoped would participate in the various committees parallel probes.

Karoun Demirjian is a Washington Post writer.
Jean Fritz, the author of almost 50 books for children, most of them fast-paced, vividly written works of history and biography, died May 14 at her home in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. She was 101.

Her death was first reported by the New York Times and Publishers Weekly. The cause was not disclosed.

Mrs. Fritz began her literary career by writing conventional fiction picture books for children, but she turned to history when she realized the facts were more exciting to me than my own stories.

Part of her inspiration for exploring American history came from her childhood, which was spent in China, where her parents were missionaries.

I was American, but I didnt feel like an American, she told the Times in 2003. It didnt help that a British bully at the school she attended often taunted her about the country she scarcely knew.

Every day at recess, Mrs. Fritz said in 1990, that boy came up to me and said, George Washington is a stinker. So I had to fight. I was the only one there to defend my country.

In 1958, she wrote her first historical book, The Cabin Faced West, based on a family story about her great-great-grandmother, who encountered George Washington on horseback in a remote part of western Pennsylvania and invited him to join her family for supper.

Mrs. Fritz embarked on a series of books on heroes of the Revolutionary War, followed by others on explorers, presidents and historically significant women, including voting rights advocate Elizabeth Cady Stanton and author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her books were illustrated by a variety of artists, including Tomie dePaola and Margot Tomes.

Mrs. Fritz did monumental amounts of research for her books, including visiting the places where her subjects had lived. All the dialogue in her books was taken from the historical record.

At her best, historian Elisabeth Griffith wrote in the Times in 1986, Mrs. Fritz is a skillful biographer and a graceful, entertaining writer.

Most of her books were directed toward children at least 8 to 10 years old. She plunged right into the story, often beginning with descriptions of childhood.

Harriet Beecher had always understood that, along with her sisters, she was second best in her family, Mrs. Fritz wrote in her 1994 book on Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Toms Cabin.

On June 14, 1811, when shed been born, her father had grumbled to a neighbor, Wisht it had been a boy! Of course her father was disappointed. He was Lyman Beecher, a minister in Litchfield, Conn., and he was collecting boys. He wanted lots of Beecher preachers in the family.

When she was young, Mrs. Fritz said in a 1990 interview, history held little interest to her.

I kept thinking as a child that there was more than I was being told, more than just dates and wars, she said in 1990. I wanted to get acquainted with the people.

Jean Guttery was born Nov. 16, 1915, in Hankow, China (now Hankou). Her parents often spoke wistfully of the United States, which Mrs. Fritz did visit until she was 12.

My interest in writing about American history, she later wrote, stemmed originally, I think, from a subconscious desire to find roots  I felt like a girl without a country.

She grew up mostly in West Hartford, Conn., and began writing stories as a girl. She was a 1937 graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., and later worked as a textbook researcher and studied childrens literature at Columbia University.

After her marriage in 1941, Mrs. Fritz lived in San Francisco and Tacoma, Wash., and reviewed childrens books for local newspapers. In 1951, she and her family settled in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., where she worked as childrens librarian. She wrote her first book for children in 1954.

Her husband, Michael Fritz, died in 1995. Survivors include two children and two grandsons.

Mrs. Fritzs 1982 book, Homesick: My Own Story, drawing on reflections from her childhood, won an American Book Award for childrens fiction. She wrote another autobiographical volume, Homecoming, in 1985.

She received many honors for her work, including a National Humanities Medal presented by President George W. Bush in 2003.

Among other subjects, Mrs. Fritz wrote about the Constitution and such historical figures as Benjamin Franklin, Pocahontas, Christopher Columbus, Alexander Hamilton, George Washingtons mother, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

The question I am most often asked is how do I find my ideas? Mrs. Fritz wrote in a personal essay. The answer is: I dont. Ideas find me. A character in history will suddenly step right out of the past and demand a book.

Matt Schudel is a Washington Post writer.
PITTSBURGH  The difficulty of finding 12 impartial jurors to weigh sexual-assault charges against Bill Cosby was on full display as jury selection began on Monday, when most of the potential jurors admitted to being aware of the blaze of publicity surrounding that entertainer in recent years, amid allegations by dozens of women.

When asked by Judge Steven ONeill if they had already formed an opinion about Cosbys guilt or innocence, 34 of the first 100 potential jurors questioned raised the numbered cards used to identify them. When the judge asked if they had heard, read or seen anything about the case, more than 80 of the cards shot up.

In addition, 67 jurors said it would impose a personal hardship on them to serve on the panel, sequestered, for a trial expected to last two weeks in June.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Gene J. Puskar/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Pool Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Nearly 17 months after Cosby was charged with the aggravated indecent assault of Andrea Constand at his home in suburban Philadelphia in 2004, ONeill and the lawyers in the case began the arduous process of choosing among potential jurors, drawn from lists of registered voters and drivers in Allegheny County.

By midafternoon, three jurors had been selected: two men and one woman. The defense had struck four using its peremptory challenges.

Cosby, 79, arrived at the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh before 8 a.m., wearing a tan jacket, holding a cane and helped by an aide. He walked slowly through a courtyard in the middle of the building and declined to answer reporters questions.

The jury pool is being drawn in Allegheny County because of concerns raised by Cosbys defense team that it would be hard to find open-minded jurors in Montgomery County  near Philadelphia  where Cosby has a home and where the trial is scheduled to start June 5 in Norristown.

Cosbys lawyers had requested instead a larger and more diverse jury pool drawn from either Philadelphia or the Pittsburgh area.

In proceedings that could take several days, ONeill and the lawyers will try to select the 12 jurors, plus six alternates, who not only have been unmoved by the pretrial publicity but also are available to be bused 300 miles east to Norristown, and sequestered for the duration of the trial.

Foreseeing the difficulties of overcoming those factors, the court sent out a jury summons to a larger-than-usual pool: 2,934 people.

Graham Bowley is a New York Times writer.
BART investigators pinpointed the location where a train slipped off the rails over the weekend in Daly City, causing major delays across the system, officials said Monday.

Two middle cars in a nine-car train came off the tracks at a rail joint about 400 feet from the Daly City platform, BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said.

Investigators were still working to determine what caused the train to derail at the joint.

The section of rail was last inspected on May 18 and checked out fine, Trost said.

The minor derailment happened around 2:55 p.m. Saturday as the train left the Daly City platform in the Dublin/Pleasanton direction.

No one was injured in the incident but emergency crews had to escort 24 riders back to the Daly City platform. Trains were delayed throughout the system for the rest of the day.

The incident caused damage to the third rail and to the two cars that derailed, Trost said. BART did not have an estimate on the cost of the damage.

Service was stopped for more than an hour at the Balboa Park, Colma, San Francisco International Airport and Millbrae stations.

A BART spokesman said on Saturday that there was no evidence the derailment was caused by operator error.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has formally extended the state of emergency declared after a failed 2016 military coup, saying the decree will remain in place until the country finds "welfare and peace."

Erdogan spoke Sunday in Ankara to tens of thousands of his followers and members of his ruling (AK) Justice and Development Party, which convened to re-elect their party co-founder to the post.

The state of emergency permits Erdogan and his Cabinet to issue decrees without parliamentary approval or judicial review.

Erdogan's announcement and his return as party chief came four weeks after Turkish voters narrowly approved a national referendum greatly expanding presidential powers.

The April 18 vote created a powerful executive presidency that largely sidelines Turkish lawmakers and the office of prime minister. Under the constitutional amendments, Erdogan will also set the national budget and appoint judges to the high court and the constitutional court.

Critics, including prominent human rights organizations, have argued the reforms are tantamount to creating an elected dictatorship. Erdogan and his supporters claim they will create a less cumbersome system of government better able to confront terrorism and a sluggish economy.
U.S. President Donald Trump focused Sunday on a major address to Muslim leaders at a summit in Riyadh, but back home the day's news shows were dominated by talk of his firing of FBI chief James Comey and investigations into the Trump campaign's links to Russia.

Two key Trump officials, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, told interviewers that at a May 10 White House meeting with two Russian diplomats, Trump brought up Comey's ouster the day before in an effort to show how "distracted" he had been by Comey's investigation of possible Trump campaign collusion with Moscow interests to help him win the election.

According to a New York Times report Friday, Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Moscow's U.S. ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, that Comey was "a real nutjob" and that his removal would relieve "great pressure." Some opposition Democratic lawmakers say that Trump's dismissal of the official investigating him amounts to obstruction of justice, an impeachable offense.

Another Times story said Comey's notes from a February meeting with Trump the day after he fired his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, showed that he urged Comey to drop his probe of Flynn's calls to Kislyak.

McMaster told ABC, "The gist of the conversation was that the president feels as if he is hamstrung in his ability to work with Russia to find areas of cooperation because this has been obviously so much in the news."

Tillerson told Fox News that Trump was also trying to convey to the Russians that he was "not going to be distracted by all these issues at home that affect us domestically."
President Moon Jae-in paid his respects at his father's tomb in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province on Sunday and takes Monday off to attend a memorial for former President Roh Moo-hyun in the same province on Tuesday.

Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook visited Moon's father's tomb in a Catholic cemetery on Sunday afternoon before they went to their house in Yangsan.

Moon is taking on day of his 21 days of annual leave, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Su-hyun said.
North Korea test-fired another ballistic missile on Sunday evening, which flew about 500 km, the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said.

The missile is presumed to be a Pukguksong-2 ballistic missile with an intermediate range of 2,500 to 3,000 km. It is a surface-to-surface version of the Pukguksong submarine-based ballistic missile and uses solid fuel. It reached an altitude of 560 km and flew some 500 km.

The launch came just a week after the test-launch of a Hwasong-12 mid-range ballistic missile.
President Moon Jae-in on Sunday tapped Kang Kyung-wha, a special adviser to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as his foreign minister.

Kang (62) told the Chosun Ilbo, "The president has appointed me to such a significant post, so the only thing on my mind is to do my best."

Currently in Geneva, Switzerland on UN business, she added, "I need a little bit of time to gather my thoughts on various issues. I've lived overseas for 10 years working for the UN, so I intend to return to Korea as soon as possible after I go back to New York."

Kang would become Korea's first-ever female foreign minister if her appointment is confirmed by the National Assembly. Born in Seoul in 1955, Kang lived in the U.S. from 1964 to 1967 when her father, former KBS announcer Kang Chan-son, was sent to work for Voice of America.

She graduated in political science from the prestigious Yonsei University and worked as a producer for English-language programs at KBS from 1977. She then went to the U.S. again to study with her husband and completed a PhD in communications at the University of Massachusetts.
U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain on Friday reiterated that Washington will pay for the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery in Korea.

They come after U.S. President Donald Trump, in one of many unguarded outbursts last month, claimed Washington will make Korea pay the US$1 billion for the battery.

Later, White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster tried to contain the controversy by saying the existing agreement of the U.S. covering the entire cost is still valid.

Diplomatic sources in Washington quoted McCain, who has clashed with Trump on several occasions, as saying the U.S. is "committed to make sure" Korea does not pay for the deployment. He also pledged to explain to Trump how much Korea contributed in building the U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek south of Seoul.

Seoul covers W9 trillion of the cost of relocating U.S. Forces Korea headquarters from Seoul to Pyeongtaek (US$1=W1,125).


Mercedes-Benz and BMW sold more cars in Korea than in Japan for the first time in history from January to April this year.

The Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association and its Japanese counterpart said Mercedes-Benz sold 24,877 cars in Korea and BMW 18,115 in the first four months of this year, up 48 percent and 32.4 percent from a year ago. But in Japan, Mercedes sold 21,370 cars and BMW 15,818 in the same period, up 0.7 and 2.2 percent.

Japan's population of 120 million is nearly double the size of Korea's and the car market there is more than twice the size. On average, 4.8 million new cars are sold in Japan every year but just 1.82 million in Korea.

But Mercedes and BMW have expanded extremely quickly in Korea, posting average growth of over 40 percent while imported cars made up 14.5 percent of newly registered cars in Korea last year. In Japan, they make up just six percent of all cars in Japan.

Another reason the two German carmakers fare less well in Japan is that consumers are more sophisticated there and prefer small cars, while Koreans are still obsessed with big status symbols.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW may also have benefited from a sales ban on some Volkswagens and Audis in the wake of Volkswagen's emissions-rigging scandal. In Japan, where there was no such ban, 16,493 Volkswagens and 8,396 Audis were sold from January to April this year while in Korea no Volkswagens and only 917 Audis were sold.


Ex-President Park Geun-hye was busy over the weekend preparing for her trial, which gets properly underway Tuesday, as some 400 protesters massed to demand her release outside the remand prison where she is being held.

Sources said Park no longer watches TV or reads newspapers but spends all her time preparing her defense against charges of corruption and abuse of power. One aide said, "She's not eating a lot, but is in good health and exercising daily."

On Tuesday morning, Park will appear in the dock at the Seoul Central District Court along with her fatal confidante Choi Soon-sil and Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin, who is accused of bribing her.

It will be Park's first public appearance in the 53 days since she was ousted in late March. The last time a former president appeared in court was in 1996, when both Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo appeared before a judge on charges of sedition and bribery.

Park will be allowed to wear civilian clothes rather than prison uniform but sport her prisoner number 503 prominently on her outfit.

She denies all charges against her.


BANGKOK  A bomb wounded 24 people at a military-owned hospital in Bangkok on Monday, the third anniversary of the armys seizing power in Thailand.

The attack struck Phramongkutklao Hospital, leaving three people with shrapnel wounds to the face and neck, with most of the others suffering minor injuries, said Maj. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, a government spokesman.

The Thai military seized power in the kingdom on May 22, 2014, to derail a populist movement that had won several national elections over more than a decade. The coup was at least the 12th military takeover since Thailand abandoned the absolute monarchy in 1932.

Although the hospital that was bombed is owned by the military, it also treats civilians. Gen. Chalermchai Sittisart, the Thai armys chief of staff, said the blast took place in a room full of people who were waiting for their medications.

Most of these people are elderly and retired, and their families, he said. The bomb was made with the intent to take lives, because it consisted of a lot of nails.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack. Investigators found debris from a battery, a timer and wiring at the scene of the explosion, Gen. Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, the deputy national police chief, told reporters.

Sittisart said the blast bore similarities to a small explosion at the National Theater in Bangkok last week.

The military held an emergency meeting Monday in response to the blast, and Sittisart said that security had been increased at various government buildings.

Thailand has been grappling with low-level insurgencies, particularly in the south of the country, where Muslim separatists have carried out attacks against soft targets like markets in retaliation for crackdowns on militants.

Ransibrahmanakul was sharply critical of those behind the Bangkok blast, for having struck a hospital, saying that insurgents in three provinces in the deep south dont even choose a hospital as a target.

Last summer, Thailand was rocked by multiple explosions that struck popular tourist destinations such as Hua Hin and Phuket. Official suspicion fell on supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was removed as prime minister in a military coup in 2006, and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who also served as prime minister and was forced from office in the 2014 military coup.

Ryn Jirenuwat And Gerry Mullany are New York Times writers.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  New Zealand has never had a space program but could soon be launching commercial rockets more often than the United States.

Thats if the plans of Los Angeles company Rocket Lab work out.

Founded by New Zealander Peter Beck, the company was given official approval last week to conduct three test launches from a remote peninsula in the South Pacific nation. Rocket Lab is planning the first launch of its Electron rocket sometime Monday, depending on conditions.

So far, its only superpowers that have gone into space, said Simon Bridges, New Zealands economic development minister. For us to do it, and be in the first couple of handfuls of countries in the world, is pretty impressive.

Rocket Lab sees an emerging market in delivering lots of small devices, some not much bigger than a smartphone, into low Earth orbit. The satellites would be used for everything from monitoring crops to providing Internet service.

The company hopes to begin commercial launches this year and eventually launch one rocket every week. It plans to keep costs low by using lightweight, disposable rockets with 3-D-printed engines. Its a different plan than some other space companies like Elon Musks SpaceX, which uses larger rockets to carry bigger payloads.

The venture has left New Zealand officials excited and struggling to keep up. Politicians are rushing through new space laws, and the government has set up a boutique space agency, which employs 10 people.

Bridges said that if Rocket Lab is successful, it could change peoples perception of New Zealand from a place full of farms and nice scenery to a technologically savvy nation on the rise.

He said the space industry could soon bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each year and rival industries like wine and kiwifruit. He envisions spinoff companies and many high-paying jobs, much of it built on the back of Rocket Lab.

The companys Electron rocket is unusual in many respects. It carries only a small payload of about 331 pounds. Its made from carbon fiber and uses an electric engine. Rocket Lab says each launch will cost just $5 million, a tiny fraction of a typical rocket launch.

Unlike SpaceX, which seeks to build a rocket thats fully reusable, Rocket Labs rockets are disposable. Beck said they are light and use relatively little fuel. Customers who have signed up so far include NASA and Moon Express.

Space has always held a fascination for me, Beck said. Not enough people go out on nice starry nights and look up.

Both Beck and Bridges are careful to temper expectations for the test launch, which is scheduled to take place within a 10-day window. They say there could be delays, and things could go wrong.

Rocket Lab, which is privately held, has received about $150 million in venture capital funding, including an undisclosed amount from Bessemer Venture Partners in Silicon Valley.

Bessemer partner David Cowan said that for years, the trend was for both rockets and satellites to get bigger until many satellites were the size of a bus or even a house.

Needs have changed rapidly over the past few years as technology has allowed tiny, cheap satellites to be put into lower orbits, he said.

Nick Perry is an Associated Press writer.
HANOI  Pacific Rim trade ministers meeting in Vietnam committed Sunday to move ahead with the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact after the United States pulled out.

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay said the remaining 11 TPP countries are open to others joining provided they accept the trade agreements high standards on labor and environmental protection. He said the door remains open to the U.S., even after President Trump withdrew from the pact in January, saying he prefers bilateral free trade deals.

Its clear that each country is having to consider both economic values and strategic importance of this agreement, but in the end there is a lot of unity among all of the countries and a great desire to work together to come up with an agreement among 11 that not only delivers for all of our economies and the people of our countries, its also open to other countries in the world to join if they can meet the high standards in the TPP agreement, McClay said.

Since the U.S withdrawal, Japan and New Zealand have been spearheading efforts to revive the deal. In its current form, the TPP requires U.S. participation before it can go into effect. That means the remaining countries would need to change the rules for any deal to go ahead, and it would be significantly smaller without the involvement of the worlds largest economy.

The 11 countries represent roughly 13.5 percent of the global economy, according to the World Bank.

The ministers have tasked their trade officials to present the assessment to their leaders when they meet for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam in November, which will also include Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, making his international debut since taking office a week ago, defended Trumps decision to pull out of the TPP.

We expect to engage with members here in many cases on bilateral basis, he told reporters.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia  President Trump implored Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries Sunday to extinguish Islamic extremism emanating from the region, describing a battle between good and evil rather than a clash between the West and Islam.

In a pointed departure from his predecessor, Trump all but promised he would not publicly admonish Mideast rulers for human rights violations and oppressive reigns.

We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship, Trump said, speaking in an ornate room in the Saudi capital. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all.

The presidents address was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first overseas trip since his January swearing-in.

During the 2016 U.S. campaign, Trump mused about his belief that Islam hates us. But on Sunday, standing before dozens of regional leaders, he said Islam was one of the worlds great faiths.

While running for the job he now holds, Trump heartily criticized President Barack Obama for not using the term radical Islamic extremism and said that refusal indicated that Obama did not understand Americas enemy. In his Saudi speech, Trump condemned Islamic extremism, Islamists and Islamic terror, but didnt once uttered the precise phrase he pressed Obama on.

Trump made no mention of the disputed travel ban, signed days after he took office, that temporarily banned immigration to the U.S. from seven majority Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Both the original order and a second directive that dropped Iraq from the banned list have been blocked by the courts.

In some ways, Trump delivered a conventional speech for an American politician. He pledged deeper ties with the Middle East to tackle terrorism and encouraged more economic development in the region. He heralded the ambitions of the regions youth and warned that the scourge of extremism could tarnish their future.

Trump offered few indications of whether he planned to shift U.S. policy to better fight terrorism. There were no promises of new financial investment or announcements of increased U.S. military presence in the region. The president put much of the onus for combatting extremists on Mideast leaders: Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities.

Trumps remarks came in a meeting with dozens of regional leaders who gathered in Riyadh for a summit with Trump and Saudi King Salman.

Julie Pace and Jonathan Lemire are Associated Press writers.
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Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, the medical device maker, posted an 18 percent gain in full-year profit, meeting its guidance amid record annual sales, and said sales in the current year may reach $1 billion.

Profit rose to a record $169 million in the 12 months ended March 31, from $143 million a year earlier, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. Operating revenue climbed 10 percent to $894 million.

The medical device maker's profit was within the $165 million to $170 million range the company affirmed with its first-half results in November, and the performance for the 2018 year was expected to be better again, with operating revenue seen rising to about $1 billion at current exchange rates, with forecast profit of between $180 million and $190 million. F&P Healthcare declared a final dividend of 11.25 cents a share, making 19.5 cents for the year, up from 16.7 cents a year earlier.

We are well placed to meet the growing global demand for our products," said chief executive Lewis Gradon. "We have a consistent,well-proven strategy for delivering sustainable, profitable growth."

F&P Healthcare counts North America as its biggest market and in the latest year revenue grew 13 percent to $435 million, making it the company's best-performing market. Sales in Europe rose 7 percent to $272 million while Asia Pacific sales advanced 9 percent to $155 million.

Sales in its hospital division rose 15 percent to $500 million, while homecare product sales increased a more modest 4 percent to $381 million. Helping drive profit growth was a 205 basis point increase in gross margin to 66 percent, which the company said reflected a favourable product mix but also increased output from its manufacturing plant in Tijuana, Mexico, where it aims to expand to supply global sales.

F&P Healthcare competes with Resmed and Respironics and is currently engaged in a patent dispute with Resmed which generated $20.7 million in legal costs in the 2017 year, it said.

We recognise that this is a significant cost and did not enter into litigation lightly," Gradon said. "We have been providing unique solutions for patients for more than 45 years and we take pride in our proprietary technology. We also respect the valid intellectual property rights of others and we are confident in our position.

The company filed patent infringement proceedings against Resmed, which countered with its own suit claim that F&P Healthcare's OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) products infringed its patents.

Research & development costs rose 17 percent to $86 million in the latest year.

F&P Healthcare shares last traded at $10.17 and have gained 1.9 percent in the past 12 months, lagging behind a 7.1 percent gain for the S&P/NZX 50 Index.

(BusinessDesk)

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Prime Minister Bill English says he doubts any New Zealand public servants would have got involved in shenanigans with Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian defence contractor known as Fat Leonard who has been jailed in the US for cheating the US navy out of almost US$34 million.

The Guardian newspaper has reported that the Royal New Zealand Navy paid about $710,000 to Franciss company Glenn Defence Marine Asia between May 2007 to December 2011 "for specific ship visits in South East Asia". Some 20 current and former US Navy officials have been charged so far, while 10 have pleaded guilty, mostly for bribes involving lavish trips and sex workers in return for routing ships to ports where Francis could overcharge for ship husbandry services, The Guardian said.

Francis, known as Fat Leonard because of his girth, was arrested in 2013 after being lured to the US. He pleaded guilty in 2015 and faces up to two decades in prison, the report said.

"It's a matter for the Navy to sort out," English said at his post-Cabinet media conference. "Just because there are allegations doesn't mean something happened. I would be very surprised if any New Zealand public servants was involved in something of that nature."

The Washington Post reported last year that Francis admitted to bribing scores of Navy officials with cash, sex and gifts worth millions of dollars to win defence contracts and overcharge with impunity. That report said Glenn Defense was "a pillar of US maritime operations for a quarter-century" and that the 7th Fleet "depended on the firm more than any other to refuel and resupply its vessels".

(BusinessDesk)





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Seven financial technology start-ups pitching ideas after a three-month accelerator programme drew a big crowd to their demonstration day in Wellington but were strangely coy in actually asking for capital despite two already pulling in revenue.

The participants in the Kiwibank Fintech Accelerator programme wooed more than 500 people at their demo day pitch on Friday, touting their burgeoning ideas as viable businesses. The fintech programme was the first of its kind, run through CreativeHQ's Lightning Lab, allowing participants to develop and validate their business ideas so they could be pitched to the start-up and investment community. State-owned lender Kiwibank sponsored the accelerator, which was co-funded by Callaghan Innovation and software developer Xero.

Callaghan chief executive Victoria Crone, who took over the Crown entity tasked with raising innovation in February, told the audience that a lot of New Zealand businesses aren't prepared for the wave of technological change taking place and that programmes such as the fintech accelerator and Callaghan's grants were there to help address that.

"We do need to create a mindset, a new capability for New Zealand to break down barriers," Crone said. "Put your hand up when you need some support because theres a lot of support in this system."

Flatfish was generating monthly recurring revenue of $1,000, with 1,000 rental properties listed on a platform where property managers and/or landlords can communicate with their tenants to deal with maintenance issues. Chief executive Tal Meser told the audience the start-up has another 4,000 properties wait-listed and expects to generate $100,000 of annual recurring revenue by the end of the year, which would include a push across the Tasman. It would then seek more capital to explore breaking into the UK, with a goal of achieving $1 million of annual recurring revenue.

Accounting Pod had more than 200 registered users of its accounting simulation education product, and co-founder XingDong Yan said the start-up projected 5,000 students would be using its platform within 12 months to generate annual revenue of $1 million. Accounting Pod wasn't looking to raise money yet, he said.

Online business insurance broker Teddy was looking to displace existing, fee-charging insurance brokers and had several insurance firms already interested in selling products on its platform. Co-founder Calum MacLeod said Teddy would look to introduce robo-advice once it was legalised by the government in a review of financial adviser legislation. While the company wasn't raising money right now, it could in the months ahead, he said.

Sharesies was another company that was keen on latching on to the advent of robo-advice. Chief executive Brooke Anderson told the audience that the investment platform would let people make regular small investments in a broad range of funds, giving them access to opportunities which typically have a minimum investment. The platform has 2,200 people waiting to join the beta site when it's launched in the next few weeks, and Anderson said it hopes to launch in Australia within 12 to 18 months.

Other pitches came from Kiwibank team Wicket, whose research found people in the Millennial generation were an underserved market for life insurance due to the way firms market those products, and Liberac, which wanted to reduce the cost of remittances to the Pacific Islands but subsequently found there was no problem that needed fixing and is now looking at how the convergence of education and fintech products can benefit those communities.

The National Account Registry saw John Hancock and Simon Hay build a digital identity bank account register for small businesses, and they are investigating how that platform can be used in New Zealand and overseas.

(BusinessDesk receives assistance from Callaghan Innovation to cover the commercialisation of innovation.)

(BusinessDesk)





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Rouhani said he hopes the Trump administration will "settle down" enough for his nation to better understand it.

Rouhani also said that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without his country's help. "The Americans do not know our religion, that's what the catch is," Rouhani said in response to a question from AP.

Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that Iran's relationship with the U.S. is a "curvy road," and called President Donald Trump's summit in Saudi Arabia this past weekend "just a show."

Rouhani was re-elected in a landslide win Friday, after his first term saw a major nuclear arms deal with world powers in 2015. Trump has threatened to try to renegotiate the deal.

Sunday, Trump delivered a speech in Saudi Arabia, pushing for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism, which he called "a battle between good and evil."

In that address, Trump also took aim at Iran, accusing Tehran of contributing to instability in the region. "The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind," Rouhani said. The Iranian president criticized Trump's decision to visit Saudi Arabia, noting that the kingdom "has never seen a ballot box" while Iran just had another successful presidential election in which over 40 million people voted.

In response to the recent billion-dollar deals signed between Trump and the Saudi government, Rouhani said, "You can't solve terrorism just by giving your people's money to a superpower."

Rouhani also defended Iran's ballistic missile program, which has been highly opposed by the Trump administration. "The U.S. leaders should know that whenever we need a missile test because of a technical aspect, we will test. We will not wait for them and their permission," he said.
China has managed to outperform itself in the MSCI China Index, hitting the highest level since July 2015, which is believed to be attributed to the booming development of new growth engines.

The booming of Chinas tech stocks is the main reason for Chinas rise in the MSCI China Index, and its outstanding performance compared to traditional economic stocks will be continued, said Daniel So, a Hong Kong-based strategist at CMB International Securities Ltd.

MSCI has been at the forefront of index construction and maintenance for more than 40 years, launching its first global equity indexes in 1969. MSCI Index offers a modern, seamless and fully integrated approach to measuring the full equity opportunity set.

The MSCI China Indexes consist of a range of country, composite and non-domestic indexes for the Chinese market, intended for both international and domestic investors. Information technology industry in this index occupies an absolute advantage, with over 35 percent of the proportion.

Despite the downward pressure of Chinas macro economy, China, at its transition period, will continue to support new growth engines in such fields as robotics, artificial intelligence, medical treatment and financial technology that are favored by investors.

New growth engines are opening new prospects for Chinas development, Premier Li Keqiang said in this years Government Work Report on March 5.

The dazzling MSCI China Index turned out to be a microcosm of booming new growth engines. In the first quarter, Chinas strategic emerging industry recorded a growth of 10 percent, high-tech industry gaining 9.2 percent, the production of the new energy automobile at a growth rate of more than 80 percent, and medical equipment, as well as intelligent electronic products, all maintaining rapid growth.

New growth engines not only support China to maintain a stable performance with good momentum, but also push forward the transformation and upgrades of traditional driving forces.

In the first four months of this year, the investment in the technological upgrades of the manufacturing industry grew by 7.9 percent, 3 percent higher than the manufacturing industry as a whole.

Premier Li stressed at a State Council executive meeting on the transformation of old and new growth engines in January that the new economy, business patterns and momentum should support and drive the restructuring of traditional industries.
China will start a pilot program on standardizing and regulating the openness of government affairs at grassroots authorities, according to a circular released by the State Council on May 22.

It is expected that, by the end of 2018, a set of mature standards would be established for the whole country.

The pilot program will be launched in 100 county-level governments of 15 provincial regions, including Beijing municipality, Anhui and Shaanxi provinces, regarding issues such as urban and rural planning, major construction projects, fiscal budget, taxing management, safe production and environmental protection.

The authorities are asked to list and classify all openness items in a scientific and clear way, and clarify what details are to be open.

Meanwhile, standards are also urged in releasing government affairs. According to the circular, open government affairs include at least names, content, responsible departments, time limits and openness methods.

The procedure and mechanism of open governance should also be standardized and optimized, in order to promote coherent flow among information release, interpretation and response and an entire open process from policy-making to its implementation and feedback.

In addition, platforms for government affairs openness should be improved and diversified. According to the circular, government websites are the priority outlet for such information. Other platforms such as new media, broadcasting, television, newspapers and city halls can also be used for citizens convenience.

The pilot program will last for one year, until the end of August 2018. The 100 authorities should submit a summary report about the pilot work to the State Council by the end of September 2018, said the document.
WASHINGTON: An Indian boy has won the world's largest pre-college science competition in the US in the environmental engineering category for his project on biodegradation of pesticides.



Prashant Ranganathan, a 12th grader from Jamshedpur, alongwith over 20 high school students from various parts of India, participated in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.



"My project will actually help farmers in biodegrading the pesticide which is plaguing the country," Prashant told PTI after he was declared winner in the environmental engineering category at this years' competition.



Four Indian-Americans received top awards in various categories.



In all, more than 1700 students from across the world participated in the week-long event which concluded here yesterday.



Student of Carmel Junior College in Jamshedpur, Prashant's project 'Biodegradation of Chlorpyrifos using native bacteria' said that farmers should not use pesticides.



Prashant who bagged the coveted award for his innovation for fighting against pesticide and getting rid of its side effects through biodegradable use.



"In almost all the states, like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, Haryana and Bihar and Jharkhand, there's extensive farming. Using excessive amounts of pesticides, is affecting the health and the environment around them," he said.



While the topmost Gordon E Moore Award of USD 75,000 went to Ivo Zell, 18, of Germany for designing and constructing a remote-control prototype of a new "flying wing", almost participants of the Indian delegation returned from the annual competition with one award or the other.



"India really boasts really extraordinary mathematics, science, physics, education," Maya Ajmera president and CEO of Society for Science and Public, told PTI in an interview.



In fact, every section the award ceremony had the budding Indian scientists on the stage.



So were the Indian American high schoolers, promoting one of the Intel official to say "Indians and Indian Americans rock today" as the awards ceremony concluded at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles.



Indian-American Pratik Naidu from Virginia bagged an award in the category of computational biology an bioinformatics, Adam Nayak from Oregon was declared the winner in earth and environmental sciences, Karthik Yegnesh from Pennsylvania in Mathematics and Rahul Subramaniam from Connecticut in the microbiology category.



As a result, Indians and Indian Americans accounted for nearly one-fifth of the top categories of the awards.



"I think that many generations of Indian scientists and engineers and computer scientists, have truly paved the way of this generation of young people doing extraordinary things," Ajmera said referring to the incredible and innovative projects of Indian students who participated in this year's science competition.



For instance, a sister-brother team of - Sairandi Sathyanarayanan & Sacheth Sathyanarayanan - from the National Public School in Chennai have invented a gearbox that generates electricity when a fisherman's boat is lying idle in night, which they said is enough to meet the energy needs of a fisherman's house for a day.



The team not only received accolades from the judges but were on the stage Friday for receiving awards in various categories.



Shinjini Ghosh, a 12 grader from South Point High School, Kolkata was recognised for developing a language identification kit based on the variations in intonation using discrete markov-chain model.



Similarly, Sahithi Pingali from Inventure Academy, Bangalore received multiple awards for developing a new approach to monitoring lakes in developing countries in a crowdsourcing environmental science.



Kunj Siddharth Dedhia, from the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai have developed a smartphone application based on user feedback for cyclists to reduce incidence of lower back pain, while Chaitanya & Geeve George from the Little Rock Indian School in Udupi received an award for developing a smartphone aided multispectral imaging system.

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HYDERABAD: Microsoft India, as part of the software giant's 'Public cloud for good' initiative, is making public cloud platform Microsoft Azure broadly available to eligible non-profit organisations, bringing the power of technology to them.

Qualifying non-profits can avail free Azure credits worth $5,000 for a year to unlock benefits such as insight, agility and operational efficiency.

Globally, Microsoft is donating $1 billion in cloud computing resources between 2016 and 2018 to 70,000 non-profits and NGOs worldwide, including in India, the company said in a statement.

To drive greater inclusion, Microsoft India partnered with NASSCOM Foundation to organise an Azure for Good workshop in Hyderabad on Friday.

Attended by 22 representatives from 12 local non-profits, the workshop highlighted how other organisations in the sector are using the cloud platform to drive greater impact among communities in the face of constant challenges of limited manpower and resources.

Some of the participating non-profits included Share India, Rural Development Foundation, Parents Association for the Mentally Handicapped Persons, LEPRA Society, Hyderabad Eye Institute, CHORD, CAP Foundation, Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, Ashray Akruti, Jaldhaara Foundation, Dr. Reddy's Foundation and Aide et Action.

"At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering non-profits with technology and technology skills as fundamental enablers to help them solve basic human challenges and are pleased to partner with NASSCOM Foundation who share our vision for this initiative," said Manju Dhasmana, Head - CSR and Philanthropies at Microsoft India.

"We are glad to partner with Microsoft in offering the Azure services worth $5,000 for a year free of cost to the eligible NGOs and are confident that this grant will more than suffice their cloud platform needs," said NASSCOM Foundation CEO Shrikant Sinha.

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Army Major Danny Sjursen, who grew up in Midland Beach, shares his research and reflections in a report that's intended to get Staten Islanders talking. Read Advance editor Brian J. Laline's introduction here. And comment on this report when you're done reading. (Sjursen engaged in the comments Monday afternoon and may follow up further.) Sjursen wishes to make it clear that the views expressed here are his alone, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

By Major Danny Sjursen, U.S. Army

November 2014. I watch with my students -- 16 West Point cadets -- as Eric Garner chokes to death in a grainy YouTube video. It all rushes back. See, I grew up in it -- a lower-middle-class white kid on the borderlands of Staten Island's East Shore. Wedged between, yet wholly apart from, the affluent, hyper-Caucasian South Shore and denser African-American enclaves to the northeast, Mid-Island kids gained some unique perspective.

We learned the ropes fast: Stick with your buddies and beware of the "other" (read: Puerto Rican) side of Midland Avenue.

The irony, of course, is we had plenty of problems on "our" side of the avenue. South Shore residents considered Midland Beach a "white trash" haven -- drugs marred the neighborhood and robbed my mother of two brothers. But on "our" side of town, see, we labeled petty offenders or addicts as characters, not criminals like the neighborhood Hispanics and North Shore blacks. Language is a peculiar, powerful device, delineating boundaries and partitioning the populace.

High school meant new lessons: Take heed of black teens riding the train in red hoodies -- probably Bloods gang members.

Purchasing one's first car brought a warning: Stay off Jersey Street and blow through the traffic light at Targee and Vanderbilt Avenue.

The message was clear. Play it safe and look out for minority communities in New Brighton and Park Hill. Subtle rules shaped our generational paradox. We were proud of the Island's own Wu-Tang Clan, yet wary of minorities in our midst -- blacks and Hispanics lost in segregated corners of a forgotten borough.

East Shore neighborhoods reflected the whole -- a radicalized geography in microcosm. And nothing so starkly polarizes the city like allegations of police brutality.

Tragedy strikes and we often race to familiar battle stations. North Shore minorities (and most of the city) rally to the victim, while the vast majority of South Shore whites vehemently defend the police and some, taking it a step further, attack African-Americans, activists writ large.

Consider the coded (and not-so-coded) language posted in Staten Island Advance online comments during a protest of the Garner grand jury decision held on the Staten Island Expressway.

"Let the people who pay for your government cheese and welfare checks get through so they can get to work -- so in turn you can continue to protest and not work." Or: "It's over! Law & order won. Now go home and start being respectful if the police ever stop you. Better yet, don't do anything that would give them reason to stop you."

Multiply these by a few thousand to get a sense of the intense backlash so pervasive in many corners of the borough.

THE BACKSTORY MATTERS

Lost in these seemingly age-old disputes, as in most political conversation, is even the barest sense of historical context. A few unanswered questions linger. Why did the police choke Garner on that North Shore street corner? Why were blacks incensed and whites unmoved?

The backstory matters.

Consider this: If slavery is America's original sin and wrought contemporary social strife, perhaps Staten Island's lengthy and determined history of racial segregation set the stage for Eric Garner's death.

The borough's relative lack of integration is hardly deniable: Though the Island remains about 60 percent white, more than 61 percent of African-Americans live in districts where blacks and Hispanics make up a hefty majority.

Over 65 percent of blacks also live in neighborhoods with greater than 50 percent of the population classified as low-to-moderate income. Minorities cluster in several hypersegregated census tracts in West Brighton (53 percent black, 5 percent white), Mariners Harbor (54 percent black, 7 percent white) and Stapleton (47 percent black, 7 percent white).

Driving 15 minutes south reveals a contrasting community fabric. You can hardly find an African-American in Annadale (0.2 percent), Prince's Bay (0.2 percent) or Eltingville (0.1 percent) -- where, incidentally, Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who choked Garner, resided.

Segregation does not -- and never did -- reflect mere personal preference. A confluence of individual, community and government decisions deliberately shaped an explicit racial housing pattern for Staten Island.

This isn't ancient history, either. Most of the story unfolded in the decades following the 1964 opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Despite boasting the United States' oldest free-black settlement, few minorities (about 4 percent) called Staten Island home by 1960.

That suited most residents just fine. Lacking a physical connection to the rest of New York City, the borough remained a curious hybrid -- at once rural, suburban and urban -- well into the 20th century.

"Native" Islanders crafted, and still propagate, the myth of a bucolic pre-Verrazano utopia, but in actuality 220,000 people lived here in 1960. That was more than Nashville, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C.; or San Jose, Calif.

Nonetheless, for years Staten Islanders fretfully lived in the shadow of the Verrazano's looming construction. Many feared the impending change, afraid of crowds, apartment houses, crime and ... "Negroes."

Hundreds of local newspaper articles in the 1960s and '70s decried the influx of migrants from the "other" boroughs.

Naturally, many natives condemned black and white newcomers alike, but only African-Americans faced a multifaceted, systemic process of residential discrimination.

During debates over the comprehensive rezoning resolution from 1960 to 1961, South Shore community organizations doggedly battled the city planning commission to exclusively zone their neighborhoods for detached homes on 40- to 60-foot lots.

Nearly every civic organization fought, successfully, to prohibit attached structures, apartment buildings or any low-cost housing on the vast vacant tracts of -- largely city-owned -- land. With few in positions of power willing to lobby on behalf of impoverished minority communities, tedious and seemingly innocuous zoning maps converted Staten Island's oldest and densest North Shore districts into segregated prisons.

Blacks received no aid from fellow -- mostly Italian and Irish -- migrants, since many whites left other boroughs seeking refuge from minorities.

WHITE FAMILIES FILL SOUTH SHORE

Meanwhile, middle- and lower-middle-class white families filled up and enjoyed the immense expanse of the suburban South Shore.

Every public housing project completed after 1960 stood north of the expressway, even though the first three of four complexes (constructed from 1950 to 1954) were to the south.

In 1967, when city officials proposed a planned low- to medium-priced apartment community in the seemingly limitless acres of the Annadale neighborhood, the natives quickly balked. One builder bluntly summed up the locals' obstinacy: "Let's be honest. To them (apartments) means Negroes."

Thus, thousands of blacks and Hispanics seeking tranquility were instead corralled in duplicate ghettos -- Bronx facsimiles in neglected corners of Staten Island.

Should the rare family attempt to buy (and could afford) a Staten Island home, real estate agents regularly steered blacks to the older, densely populated and economically depressed northern sections.

Numerous federal and city housing audits confirmed this pervasive pattern of real estate bias throughout the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. Agents showed African-Americans only the houses in existing (North Shore) minority enclaves -- and even then, often jacked up down payments by 15 to 20 percent.

Unsurprisingly, these neighborhoods were situated adjacent to the recently padlocked factories and idle piers of one-time manufacturing centers in Stapleton and Mariners Harbor.

A perfect storm of inherited poverty, de-industrialization, plus pervasive housing and employment bias burdened blacks across the United States, but hit particularly hard on Staten Island. Relegated to the least desirable -- and economically destitute -- communities, most newcomers lacked the requisite education or skill set to transition into an increasingly professional, service-oriented economy.

The very industrial jobs -- of which there were once 12,200, or one-sixth, of the borough's workforce -- that had served as a catalyst for the upward mobility of white native Islanders moved south, to New Jersey or overseas, in the intervening decades.

Thus, reliable, blue-collar jobs were unavailable or denied (last hired, first fired) to blacks. African-Americans stagnated in impoverished districts of overcrowded, subpar schools and consequently social mobility opportunities dissipated.

NO ISOLATED INCIDENTS

White citizens' frequent violent outbursts -- which drew far more attention than black-on-white attacks -- enforced the boundaries of Staten Island's racial geography. Whether perpetrated by police officers or private citizens, such skirmishes reflected twin features of borough society -- a casual culture of prejudice and strict separation of racial spheres.

In April 1972, unknown assailants set fire to a New Dorp home the day before the new black family's scheduled move-in date, an attack the City Commission on Human Rights labeled "arson and terrorism."

The day before a black family was set to move into this New Dorp home in 1972, arsonists torched it. (Staten Island Advance photo)

August of the same year brought more tragedy when a police officer shot in the back and killed an unarmed, black 11-year-old in New Brighton as the boy allegedly fled in a stolen car. Although unclear exactly how many shots the officer fired, the body count was unmistakable -- one dead 11-year-old and both his companions wounded along with two bystanders on a nearby stoop.

That's five gunshot victims on account of a nonviolent crime. Months later, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict the officers involved. Sound familiar?

The '80s ushered in a wave of racial incidents at New Dorp High School. In 1980, on the heels of a limited integration effort -- 85 percent of the student body remained white -- a "race riot" broke out so severe that outnumbered black students hastily evacuated in buses. White teens gave chase, hurling stones and racial slurs. Administrators temporarily shuttered the school and it was several days before black students could return.

This report in the Staten Island Advance on Oct. 15, 1980 details racial tensions at New Dorp High School.

Three years later, 15 white teenagers confronted Brooklyn students at a middle school picnic on nearby Miller Field.

"This park's for whites only," someone yelled.

"Go back where you belong," another cried.

With bottles tossed and punches thrown, a lone teacher waved a bat, desperately attempting to shield his students. Ultimately, police escorted the students out of the area in new school buses (theirs were littered with broken glass).

Interviewed later, one New Dorp store owner proudly defended the attack.

"We've got a neighborhood to protect," he declared. A teen outside the store chimed in: "You let in one colored, and you gotta let in a thousand!"

In 1985, 30 white teenagers stashed bats and tire irons in bushes near the bus route of black students headed south to New Dorp High. Although the targeted teen was not, in fact, on board, the frenzied youths smashed the bus windows and struggled to pry open the bus door, screaming, "Open the door so we can get that nigger!"

Check the archives. These were no isolated incidents, but rather a systemic and familiar pattern of racial violence spanning several decades. Nor are such attacks relics of a cruel, distant past.

On Labor Day 2003, white teens attacked a young black woman from New Jersey in a Great Kills park. Neighborhood kids yelled racial epithets, a verbal confrontation ensued and a white girl punched the black college student in the jaw. Two of the woman's friends were seriously injured by the Great Kills crew -- one cut with a sickle and another slashed with a knife (requiring 17 stitches).

Later, the NYPD suspended two officers who were found to have discouraged the victims from filing a complaint.

Or, think back to Election Night 2008, during which four white teens viciously beat a random Liberian immigrant with a steel pipe, landing the victim in a coma for several weeks.

Or just a year earlier when four white men screamed racial epithets as they brutally thrashed a young black man for allegedly jumping on their parked car.

THE INNOCENT CHILDREN

Tragically, innocent children bear the brunt of racial and class segregation. Take the awkward, yet formative, middle school years. Blacks and Hispanics comprise 70 percent of the student body at Intermediate School 51 (Port Richmond), 75 percent at I.S. 49 (Clifton) and 77 percent at I.S. 61 (New Brighton).

Drive half a dozen miles south -- or less -- and blacks are 2 percent at I.S. 75 (Huguenot) and an astonishing 0 percent at both I.S. 7 (Huguenot) and I.S. 34 (Tottenville). It should come as little surprise that students at I.S. 7 performed fully 30 percentage points over the city average on state math and English assessments while children at I.S. 49 scored 15 percentage points below the city average.

Separation matters. Sixty years later, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education still resonates:

"Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children. ... A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. ... (It), therefore, has a tendency to (retard) the educational and mental development of Negro children and to deprive them of some of the benefits they would receive in a racially integrated school system."

Why should it matter whether segregation is "official" -- written in law -- or "de facto" -- caused by injudicious policy and apathy -- when the effects on blameless children are the same?

A LOOK AT THE STATISTICS

Why, then, was it Eric Garner the detectives approached on that day? To broaden the point a bit, why did police stop a black man in the northeast corner of the Island?

Furthermore, why all the alarm -- and repeated police encounters -- regarding Garner's alleged sale of loose cigarettes?

Check the research: Whites and blacks use and distribute drugs at remarkably similar rates. In fact, Staten Island is quite representative. Though still the whitest borough, it has led the city in opioid (including heroin) overdoses over the past several years.

Probably owing to irresponsible minorities in North Shore housing projects, right? Hardly: In 2013, 32 of 34 heroin overdose victims were white.

The Island's south and whitest shore faces a veritable heroin pandemic. The Great Kills neighborhood (90 percent white, 0.3 percent black) is particularly hard-hit. The South Shore actually leads the newest borough drug crisis, but you wouldn't know it from the way the NYPD polices the Island.

Annually, from 2000 to 2009, the North Shore's 120th Precinct made an average of 775 felony drug arrests -- 14 times the average in the South Shore's 123rd Precinct -- and higher than the notorious 73rd Precinct in Brooklyn's Brownsville section.

Such disparate arrest statistics derive from outrageously uneven -- and recently discarded -- "stop and frisk" procedures in Staten Island's communities. "Stop and frisk" required little to no probable cause and left much to the discretion (and biases) of individual officers.

In the second quarter of 2013, the North Shore's 120th Precinct clocked in at an astounding 1,245 stops. That's four times the rate of the South Shore's 123rd Precinct (despite comparable populations), and way more than Brownsville's historically violent 73rd Precinct.

Among those stopped on the North Shore, 64 percent were black, 22 percent Hispanic and just 13 percent white -- this within a precinct population that is 40 percent white and just 22 percent black overall.

Lest one conclude that Staten Island blacks are disproportionately predisposed to crime, of the 75 suspects arrested -- just 6 percent of those frisked -- 23 percent were white.

Additionally, even with a highly white (85 percent) and token black (1 percent) population that they serve, police in the 123rd Precinct stopped African-Americans at four times the statistically appropriate rate. Worse still, the top two reasons for North Shore stops included "furtive movements" (50 percent) and "fits a relevant description" (24 percent) -- hardly explicit justifications.

Beyond the aggravating inconvenience of repeated stops, racial disparity in neighborhood policing has real, often tragic, consequences. More stops mean more arrests, usually for minor drug-possession offenses, which translates to disproportional incarceration rates.

Things spiral downward from there. A felony conviction translates to fewer employment opportunities, eviction from public housing, disqualification from government benefits and a lasting social stigma.

The stats astound. On the Northwest Shore, in the Mariners Harbor section, 77 percent of the population is black or Hispanic. In this remote corner of the Island, the prison admissions rate is 13 times higher than in Great Kills -- the very neighborhood most plagued by the South Shore heroin epidemic.

If the South Shore is battling heroin use and abuse, then why the utter lack of street-level stop-and-frisk in those neighborhoods? Easy. Most Island police live down there. So do their friends, neighbors, relatives and other "respectable" middle-class white people.

Imagine the public outcry in Great Kills or Annadale if police officers used the same aggressive, war-on-drugs, "stop-and-frisk tactics" against a few thousand white teenagers.

Most of the Island's wealth is in the South. So is political power (two-thirds of City Council districts are south of the expressway). And the North Shore selected its first-ever black elected official in 2009!

It's simple: Different policing produces different, usually inequitable, outcomes. This, in turn, creates powerful, lasting cultural stigmas that many Island residents still live with.

THE TRUTH DISCOMFITS

We are all, in a sense, prisoners of the borough's very old and quite deliberate racial geography.

Staten Island's spatial inequality triggers a stark racial mapping in the imagination. Perhaps this explains the offhand, if veiled, racial language we all learned while growing up.

Where did most blacks live on the Island? North of the "Mason-Dixon line" (the Staten Island Expressway).

Which housing projects were most dangerous? "Crack Hill," of course (the Park Hill Apartments).

What's the "bad" side of Midland Avenue? Easy: the Puerto Rican side.

It's but a short walk from these potent cultural constructs to biased, unjust public policy. In 2011, a Staten Island police officer pleaded guilty to charges of falsely arresting a black Stapleton man and bragged to a female friend about how he'd "fried another nigger."

In a leniency plea addressed to his federal district judge, the officer claimed that he "did not use that word out of a racist motivation, but, instead, as part of the culture that I was accustomed to." Language reflects culture, exudes meaning and exerts power.

The enforcement of racial hierarchy, contrary to popular imagination, does not require overt, Jim Crow-era decrees. The absence of "whites only" signs on public drinking fountains did not preclude construction of a complex, subtle and highly pervasive system of racial -- and spatial -- caste in Staten Island.

Notably, this mostly occurred after the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Most citizens (even in my own family) fervently deny the very existence of such arrangements and, quite frankly, get anxious at the very suggestion.

But the truth discomfits -- perhaps it is well that it does -- and requires this admission: There's nothing accidental or inevitable about pervasive racial segregation.

The present was not preordained. Neither is our future. Human beings -- grass-roots citizens' councils, local power brokers, city bureaucrats and cranky curmudgeons -- made millions of decisions that erected a system of racial geography on Staten Island.

Like it or not, we avoid the historical context of local -- and national -- problems at our peril.

"Blissful" ignorance satisfies our natural desire for clear, simple solutions and obviates collective responsibility for an untidy past, but we'll find no wisdom in expediency.

Erecting a structure of systemic repression demands a subtraction of context. Tyranny is the deliberate removal of nuance. Rejecting one-dimensional analyses and considering the long game leads to an unnerving conclusion:

Eric Garner died because he was the wrong color, standing on the wrong corner, on the wrong side of Staten Island.

Major Danny Sjursen is a U.S. Army strategist and former history instructor at West Point. A native of Staten Island, he graduated from West Point and served tours with reconnaissance units in Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned his master's degree in history from the University of Kansas and is working on his Ph.D. in civil rights in New York City. His recent book, a memoir and critical analysis of the Iraq War titled "Ghostriders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge," was released by University Press of New England in October 2015. He lives with his wife and three sons in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Some graduating seniors at the University of Notre Dame walked out of their own graduation ceremony to protest Vice President Mike Pence when he began to deliver the commencement speech on Sunday morning.

Pence was chosen to give the commencement address at the nation's most prominent Catholic university - even though the school ordinarily invites newly inaugurated presidents to give the address in their first year of office. Thousands of students and faculty members signed a petition asking Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, not to invite President Donald Trump, and the university chose instead to invite Pence, a former Indiana governor.

A coalition of student activist groups at Notre Dame called We StaND For planned a walkout to protest policies Pence pursued as governor that they say targeted the most vulnerable. Pence was planning to seek reelection as governor when Trump selected him to be his vice presidential running mate in the summer of 2016, but Pence was unpopular at the time in his own state and many thought he would lose his reelection bid.

School officials knew of the student walkout plans and did not try to stop them. The students -- more than 100 -- walked quietly out, and there were some cheers and boos sounded, though only briefly. Paul Browne, vice president for public affairs and communications, said Notre Dame has been the site of protests of presidents and vice presidents in the past, and as long as the students did not disrupt the ceremony, it would be allowed to take place.

Hundreds of antiabortion activists protested President Barack Obama when he spoke at the 2009 graduation ceremony, and there were smaller protests too for Vice President Joe Biden at the 2016 commencement.

On Saturday, Pence delivered the commencement speech at Grove City College, a Christian liberal arts school in Grove City, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh. Grove City is one of a handful of religious schools that have refused federal funds so they do not have to comply with specific federal mandates, such as Title IX, which bans discrimination based on the sex of a student.

There were strong similarities -- even identical language -- in his speeches before the Grove City and Notre Dame audiences. For example, in both speeches, Pence urged the graduating students to become leaders in various walks of life, and he asked them to stand up, "catch the eye of a loved one's in the crowd" and thank them for their support through college.

The Notre Dame protest was far smaller than that faced by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos when she recently delivered the commencement speech at Bethune-Cookman University, a historically black college in Florida. Some students stood up and turned their back, and the booing was so loud at different points in the speech that the school's president stood up, interrupted DeVos, took to the microphone, and said to the students, "If this behavior continues, your degrees will be mailed to you. Choose which way you want to go."

(c) 2017, The Washington Post. Valerie Strauss wrote this story
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island man had 24 bags of heroin with him when he was arrested at a PATH station in New Jersey, according to the Port Authority Police.

Anthony Caldarola, 33, also was wanted on an outstanding warrant in Jersey City when he was apprehended at about 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Journal Square Path plaza, said Joseph Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority.

Police found four bags of the drugs in his wallet and the remainder in his jacket pocket.

Caldarola attracted the attention of law enforcement by acting erratically while Port Authority Police officers were conducting a quality-of-life operation at the station. Officers were watching for people committing crimes such as drug use and sale or turnstile jumping.

The suspect told police that he had been at PJ Ryan's Squared tavern at the station, but staff told police he had not purchased anything.

Police charged Caldarola with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and bail jumping. The suspect was taken to the Hudson County Jail.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A domestic spat resulted in delays on the Staten Island Expressway westbound near the Goethals Bridge during the Monday morning rush hour, according to Port Authority Police.

The woman had a disagreement with a man in a car while they were traveling New Jersey-bound on the Staten Island Expressway near the toll plaza, according to a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

She left the car and walked a short distance before police escorted her off of the roadway, the Port Authority spokesman said.

No arrests were made and no summonses were issued, the spokesman said.
A comprehensive analysis of President Trump's first 100 days in office by Harvard University's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy has documented an unprecedented degree of media hostility toward America's new president, with some outlets reporting negatively on him as much as 98 percent of the time. In telling contrast, the Harvard researchers noted that Barack Obama's first 100 days received overwhelmingly positive coverage. Commenting on the report, Thomas E. Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press, declared: "The sheer level of negative coverage gives weight to Trump's contention, one shared by his core constituency, that the media are hell-bent on destroying his presidency."

In reality, only a fool would have expected anything different. Led by leftist organs such as the New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN, each of which was cited as offenders in the report, and joined by every other major television news outlet not named Fox News, the media were positively apoplectic at the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency from the moment it emerged as a possibility. So they weren't merely content to undermine his candidacy as they reliably do to Republican presidential nominees every four years. No, in Trump's case, they assumed full battle mode.

Media tactics

This included smearing him as a racist, homophobe, xenophobe, transphobe and every other catch-phrase out of their politically-correct playbook. The tactic dovetailed with Hillary Clinton's categorizing half of his supporters as belonging in "a basket of deplorables." The media's onslaught involved donning psychology hats too, as they labelled him narcissistic, paranoid, delusional and flat-out crazy. Trump, however, was still standing, to the consternation of a media now frantic to derail him. And so it came pass that an explosive video, made 11 years earlier, mysteriously surfaced only weeks before the election. The liberal Washington Post, which has never endorsed a Republican for president, broke the story with this screaming headline: "Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005."

Unquestionably repulsive, the video was so damaging to Trump that even some Republicans joined widespread demands that he quit the race. The candidate, however, apologized, cast his comments as "locker-room banter," and pressed ahead. Less than a month later, he defied both the odds and the polls by garnering 304 electoral votes to Clinton's 227.

Election night

The media's hatred for him never relented, however, even on the night of his election, as evidenced by the dour expressions and subdued tones that announced it. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow put it this way to her viewers: "You're awake by the way. You're not having a terrible, terrible dream. Also, you're not dead and you haven't gone to hell. This is your life now." What the media couldn't fathom was that millions of ordinary, hitherto silent Americans supported the very positions Trump was vigorously advocating and the media were routinely mocking.

When, during his final debate with Clinton, Trump refused to say whether he would accept the election results, the media joined prominent Democrats in savaging him once again. Nancy Pelosi, for example, said Trump had demonstrated "contempt for the sanctity of our elections" and disrespected "the voice and votes of the American people." After it was Trump, not Clinton, who emerged victorious, however, the Democrats and the media changed their tune with a level of hypocrisy that was stunning. Violent protests across the country were portrayed not as "contempt for the sanctity of our elections" but as proof positive of how divisive Trump, now President-elect, really was to the nation. Similarly, Time Magazine, while, of necessity, naming him its "Person of the Year," couldn't resist describing him on its cover as "President of the Divided States of America."

Inauguration boycott

Next came Green Party candidate Jill Stein's sour-grapes quest for recounts in key battleground states, indignant, endless trumpeting of Clinton's utterly-irrelevant popular vote tally, and concerted efforts, some involving threats of violence, to pressure members of the Electoral College to abandon Trump and vote for Clinton. All this before Trump was even inaugurated. And when that day did arrive, his media detractors spent as much time covering and otherwise discussing the defiant, sore-loser Democrats who refused to attend as they did on the ceremony itself. One can only imagine the outrage that would have ensued had a single Republican similarly protested Barack Obama's inauguration in 2008.

Now, post-inauguration, the media, undeterred, has settled on a Russia strategy to try to either bring down Trump or weaken him so badly that he'd be unable to implement the agenda that got him elected. To date, however, they've established absolutely nothing, notwithstanding the daily bombardment of deceptive, inflammatory headlines implying otherwise. In fact, the only crimes that we know about are being perpetrated by Trump-haters in sensitive positions who continue to leak classified information to left-wing propaganda organs like the New York Times. As for Donald Trump, however, his only real offense was winning an election that the media desperately wanted him to lose.

[Daniel Leddy's column appears each Tuesday on the Advance Editorial Page. His e-mail address is column@danielleddylaw.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/LegalHotShots.]
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An alleged drunken driver and his two passengers remain hospitalized following a crash on Hylan Boulevard in Annadale.

Anthony Daleasandro, 59, of Wellington Court, has been charged by police with two counts of vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated for the crash at about 3:40 a.m. Saturday at Hylan Boulevard and Arden Avenue.

Daleasandro allegedly was behind the wheel of a 2017 black Jaguar heading southbound on Hylan Boulevard that hit a utility police.

The three patients were transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze.

A 55-year-old woman who was riding in the front passenger seat suffered a severe back injury and broken ribs and was in critical condition after the crash at Hylan Boulevard and Arden Avenue. A 60-year-old woman suffered a broken wrist and minor back pain, according to police.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD promoted its Neighborhood Coordination officers in a post about an illegal ATV that was confiscated on the South Shore of Staten Island.

"NCO Officers are already making a difference on the South Shore following up on a community concern and seizing this quad," said a post on the 123rd Precinct Twitter feed.

It's illegal to ride ATVs and dirt bikes on the streets of Staten Island and the rest of New York City.
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The Swami Sandeepananda Giri ashram was attacked and set on fire by a group of unknown assailants on October 27, 2018.
The official Korean Central News Agency confirmed Monday that the missile was a Pukguksong-2, a medium- to long-range ballistic missile also launched in February. The Pukguksong-2 is a land-based version of a submarine-launched missile. The missile advances North Korea's weapons capabilities because solid-fuel missiles can be fired faster and more secretly than those using liquid fuel, which must be added separately and transported to a launch site using trucks that can be seen by satellites.
Construction of a new 2.6 metre security barrier across the lawns at Parliament House will involve a temporary fence and traffic delays during construction, Senate President Stephen Parry said on Monday.

Senator Parry told Senate budget estimates hearings work on the permanent fence was already under way and access to grass across the front of the building would be completely blocked during the construction period.

A security guard patrols the lawns at Parliament House. Credit:Andrew Meares

After construction equipment was installed at Parliament last week, Senator Parry again refused to outline the cost or final design of the fence, citing national security concerns. He said Parliament would remain one of the most open and accessible buildings in the world.

Temporary security fencing will be in place until the permanent steel fence is completed, with architects and the Department of Parliamentary Services seeking to minimise the visual impact while maximising access for members of the public.
Is there anything more unlucky than a gambler's losing streak? This time last year James Packer's biggest worry was his big bet on the Philippines casino market  it was not going well.

The share price of the publicly listed Melco Crown Philippines Resorts had slumped more than 80 per cent in 2015 and last year Melco Crown reported that the venture  its first investment outside Macau  had generated a net loss of 9.14 billion pesos ($259 million)  a 45 per cent increase from the 6.3 billion peso loss the previous year.

One year later, it is a very different story. Melco Crown Philippines Resorts has been anointed the best-performing casino stock in the world this year despite the fact the company has only just started to turn a profit.
Before this donation, two existing trusts had $400 million or more, in addition to an estimated $4 billion in a fund left by late Ramsay Health Care chief Paul Ramsay, the largest fund by far. Professor John Fitzgerald confirms Forrest's donation is right up there among the biggest in Australia. Fitzgerald says that, unlike Forrest, some other living donors prefer to keep their donations private, and there are "very wealthy contributors" who are "flying under the radar". "Mr Forrest is to be commended for going out and making this a public event, but there are other generous donors who want to come up with creative solutions out of the spotlight," Fitzgerald says. The late Paul Ramsay left $3 billion to his personal foundation. Credit:Peter Braig

This trend, towards greater transparency among philanthropists, was highlighted in a recent report from QUT and Swinburne's Centre for Social Impact, Giving Australia. Published last month, the report said that in the past decade, one of the biggest changes was that philanthropists were more likely to be public about their giving. Philanthropy Australia chief executive Sarah Davies. Credit:Peter Anthony "The old style philanthropist was a quiet achiever, Andrew Forrest represents the new, more entreprenerurial philanthropist," Fitzgerald says. Technology is also having a transformative effect, so that philanthropy (setting up trusts to fund future gifts) is becoming more available to everyday people, not just the very rich.

The rise of social media and crowd-funding, for instance, can "democratise" philanthropy targeted at particular social problems or issues. Another key trend is that philanthropy is catching on more widely among the wealthy, even though we still have a long way to go before catching up to the world leader, the United States. The pledge by Forrest comes after several bumper donations in 2014, which was seen as a key year in Australian philanthropy. This was when the late Paul Ramsay, health care and media entrepreneur left $3 billion to his personal foundation, and Westpac made a $100 million donation, the largest corporate gift at the time. Graham Tuckwell of ETF Securities also made a $50 million gift for university scholarships a year earlier. All these announcements grabbed plenty of media attention, and it's argued that the extra publicity helps to foster a greater culture of giving among the wealthy.

"There's this real sense that philanthropy in Australia is coming of age," says Philanthropy Australia chief executive Sarah Davies. "Until about five years ago, philanthropy was not something that we really spoke about much in Australia, but that has changed." "We're seeing more wealthy Australians giving, and by talking about it publicly they can inspire others," she says. So how do our philanthropists compare with those overseas? While things are changing, there is still a long way to go before we catch up with the United States, where giving among the business elite is deeply ingrained in the corporate culture.
With news that Sweden has ended its investigation into sexual assault allegations levelled against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder enters a new, uncertain legal landscape with US authorities still eyeing his prosecution.

With Assange long a thorn in Washington's side for his relentless campaign to publish sensitive government documents, Trump administration officials have in recent months signalled that they plan to pursue and perhaps seek his arrest.

Julian Assange gestures as he speaks to the media from the balcony of the embassy of Ecuador in London. Credit:Jack Taylor

The end of the Swedish investigation and the lifting of a European arrest warrant presents American prosecutors with a series of tough decisions about how  and whether  to pursue the case. While a grand jury investigation of Assange has never been officially confirmed, US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has said that the WikiLeaks founder's arrest remains a "priority", and a federal inquiry is widely assumed to be under way by prosecutors in Virginia.

In April, CIA director Mike Pompeo slammed WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service". According to a former senior US Justice Department official, who requested anonymity to discuss the Assange case, American authorities are now presented with a "cat and mouse game".
Today both spouses are usually in paid employment. Of course, children have to change school and university, and houses have to be bought and sold and rented. These are human beings, not "mere public servants". Recently I heard Barnaby Joyce say "There is a chemistry when people meet face to face". Exactly so. Modern communications are brilliant, but real personal contact remains vital. Why are we taking this retrograde step, scattering our government?

Why are we spending millions to become less efficient? All right, I confess. My father was (R. G.) Menzies. Heather Henderson, Yarralumla People should choose Bill Deane (letters, May 20) defends Prince Philip's joke about British students in China getting slitty eyes as an attempt to put people at ease but I doubt that Chinese people enjoyed that remark.

Joking at the expense of others has gone out of fashion, as has the idea that the eldest child should be forced into the same career as his/her parents. Unexpectedly some believe that the Queen is pushing her grandson, William, towards the role of monarch instead of Charles and his unpopular wife. However in a democracy why can't it be the people who choose their monarch? And why not allow anyone to nominate? The elected monarch could then be trained in diplomacy but only face, say, a five-year term instead of a life sentence.

Rosemary Walters, Palmerston It's all too late Perhaps it's time to stop comparing the 1500 mine jobs with 70,000 Barrier Reef jobs. The reef and those jobs are gone. With the locked-in warming over the next 25 years, and the inept and token efforts to reduce other destructive factors, the GBR as a whole is finished.

There will be a few isolated lucky spots which may regenerate somewhat over the next 50 years, which the vandals' polemical sock puppets like Miranda Devine will point at and claim it's still perfectly all right. I'd just like the coal lovers to tell the others face to face why one coal job is better than 50 reef jobs. But if I had my say, I don't think I could do better than to quote David Bowie: "the wrong words make you listen in this criminal world". S. W. Davey, Torrens I thought there could be nothing more irresponsible than Australian governments funding the Adani Carmichael coal mine.

Then I heard that the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation, an Australian government agency, is considering a multimillion-dollar loan for a South African coal mine that would be in direct competition with the Adani Carmichael coal mine. Both of those mines would undermine existing Australian coal mines and their associated jobs and take carbon emissions to dangerous levels. Encouraging any new coal mine anywhere is madness. Peter Campbell, Cook Map it out

Google Maps tells me it is 3920km from San Antonio, Texas to Quito, Ecuador and 7500km from New York to Moscow. If CIA snatch squads are not already stationed all over South America, including Ecuador, a CIA team could be in Quito in a few hours. Russia has kept Edward Snowden out of harm's way since 2013. So if Julian Assange ever gets safe passage, I would advise him to go straight to Russia and give South America a miss. Kenneth Griffiths, O'Connor 

Our NBN debacle As Kevin Rudd's NBN vision for the country sinks further and further into a sick joke little if anything ends at Malcolm Turnbull's door for the mess. After all it was his side of politics that came up with the foolhardy idea of having a mix of fibre and copper to the home to save Treasury funds. Turnbull was given this impossible mess to put the square peg in the round hole. And we are now more than aware this exercise has been an incredibly costly failure that Turnbull is now attempting to tell us that this mess is taking us forward when in fact we are being taken backwards.

Australians have been sold a costly mess that will at some point in the future have to be fixed and not one of the architects of this mess will ever be held to account for the mess they created. D. J. Fraser, Currumbin, Qld I only changed from Dial Up to ADSL five years ago and the latter works fine. We are told the original ALP plan for NBN was too expensive but the Liberal plan does not work property with internet speeds slower at times. I can do everything on ADSL from email to You Tube.

As an average Australian I don't need a faster internet nor my copper wire replaced. Copper is strategically important as a back-up to electronic communication if they are interrupted by hackers, war or dodgy government like what happens overseas. Adrian Jackson, Melbourne, Vic Labor joining the wrong clubs I assume it was a coincidence that Chief Minister Andrew Barr launched the new government-friendly CFMEU Clubs Association on the day that submissions to the Legislative Assembly select committee inquiry into the establishment of an independent integrity commission closed.

I don't know if it is just me but the Chief Minister's Trump-like response to Clubs ACT daring to oppose the government over the decision to give the casino poker machines does seem, at best, a tad petulant. Residents and community organisations are entitled to disagree with and to oppose the actions of government. It's called democracy. As an aside, I vividly recall it was my colleague Wayne Berry, now a director of the Labor Club, who convinced me that under no circumstances should the casino ever have poker machines. A view I continue to hold. My fundamental concern about the ACT government's declaration that it will in future only deal with the CFMEU Clubs Association and not Clubs ACT, which represents the overwhelming majority of clubs, is the gross conflict of interest it represents. The CFMEU is not just affiliated with the ACT branch of the Labor Party, it is the most powerful and influential organ of the party.

I would imagine that at least half, if not more, of the Labor members of the ACT Legislative Assembly owe their preselection to the CFMEU. I think it inevitable that the Assembly select committee into the establishment of an independent integrity commission will recommend such a commission be established. If so, I can see, particularly in light of the position adopted by the government in relation to Clubs ACT, that the first inquiry it undertakes will be into the relationship between the ACT government and the Labor Party and CFMEU group of clubs. If the Labor Party was smart it would sell the clubs before it comes to that. Jon Stanhope, Bruce Best guide to the bush

It was with great sadness that I read in tributes.canberratimes.com.au on May 20 of the passing of renowned Canberra author Graeme Barrow, having collected several of his walking books over the years. I never met him but thought of him fondly always. Graeme gave our family the courage and motivation to discover, appreciate and enjoy the wonderful landscape that surrounds us. Over the years the books have taken us on many walks both short and long. We have had lots of fun comparing our walk times to those in the books, while enjoying his descriptions of the scenery along the routes.

While Graeme has departed, his books live on in this family. Commiserations to the Barrow family. Janet Reynolds, Greenleigh, NSW Icon bill bloopers I sympathise with R.S. Baczynski ("Icon Water Failure", letters, May 22).

My latest bill from Icon Water showed a doubling of the water supply charge and two sewerage supply charges. The response to my telephone call querying the bill was that "a new bill has been sent to you". Two weeks later, I'm still waiting to receive the amended bill. ACTEW/AGL/Icon's accounting system appears to be a shambles. Last month I was informed that my Even Pay gas amount was to be tripled. When I queried this I was told there had been a mistake made in the system and the Even Pay amount was reduced considerably. I urge all consumers to carefully check all their accounts from this utilities company. M. Burns, Phillip

A toy, not a tool Queanbeyan East Public School principal Fiona Senior-Conroy says the spinning toys are welcome in her classrooms. "We allow them in classrooms for children who need the sensory item as a learning tool" ("Ex-pastor selling fidget spinners", May 20, p.25). Has the principal directly observed the impact of these toys around highly distracted children? These fidget spinners promote more fidgeting and more distraction. They are toys and not learning tools, there are other approved occupational therapy solutions for children that need assistance in class. V. Scipione, Monash Get Foy to stump up The Chief Minister is correct in his consultation Comments piece (May 20, p.11) in saying, "The first thing we'll do is involve experts [good] ... deliberative democracy and citizens juries [good] ..."

And, "These processes are expensive [correct]." Case in point: the Foy inquiry panel engaged experts and got a good outcome but likely cost the ACT north of $300,000. The Planning and Development Act allows for the recovery of inquiry panel costs (s 233). One has to ask, why did the government not recover this cost? G. Downing, Macarthur No pool for a dip

As a visitor to golden autumnal Canberra last week, I could not find a 50-metre public swimming pool for a dip. Tuggeranong had 32 lanes  with a single swimmer in each. Apparently abandoned forever is the standard layout of four lanes (slow, medium, fast and free play) with two way traffic in each. I wonder if this slicing and dicing is a symptom of the false premise that if you divide something in half you can fit in twice as many people. Or (is it) another symptom of the age of individualism? John Synnott, Enmore, NSW

Autumn in full glory Love this city. Best autumn in 20years in my opinion. Glorious autumn colours. How lucky are we? How's the serenity. John Mungoven, Stirling NO HOME TO GO TO Re: Bob Salmond "Refugees free to go", letters, May 20.

Refugees cannot go home, that is why they are refugees. Why do the ignorant keep up the fiction that kidnapping, trafficking, jailing and torturing refugees for years is "housing" them and that all they wanted was food and water? Marilyn Shepherd, Angaston, SA ASSANGE JAILED HIMSELF Julian Assange should have handed himself to US authorities five years ago, received a long sentence, and then probably would have been pardoned after 10 years. As it is, he's "imprisoned" in the London Ecuadorean embassy, and the US will chase him for life. Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic

SAVING A FAST BUCK I express my appreciation to those voluntarily contributing to the ACT's budget bottom line through traffic fines. The vast majority of drivers who do not pay fines therefore need to pay less tax, and I am sure they and all who don't drive are grateful for that benefit. Steve Blume, Chapman GUNNING FOR PEACE

The Trump-Saudi $350 billion arms deal will only lead to more weapons being funnelled to the Saudi-backed IS in Syria and the anti-Houthi al-Qaeda forces in Yemen. What a great first step to peace in the Middle East. Khizar Rana, Walkerville, SA What a shame Donald Trump's shopping trolley in his whistle stop to Saudi Arabia wasn't full of those things that represented peace instead of more weapons of war for the region. D.J.Fraser, Currumbin, Qld TRAIN OF THOUGHT

John Gray (Letters, May 19) muses what the Chief Minister was thinking about on his recent train ride to Sydney. If Mr Barr had waited until next Friday (May 26) the Vivid Festival is starting in Sydney, and he would see the light. Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman, NSW NO LONGER A LEADER While Islam may have been a leader in women's rights in the distant past, Khizar Rana (Letters, May 20), sadly it has not maintained that position in the modern world.

Patricia Saunders, Chapman POLICY IMPERFECTIONS The problem with voting for major political parties is that people vote "warts and all", and more often than not it is the warts that float to the top of the pile. Mario Moldoveanu, Frankston, Vic Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message eld, not as an attached le. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.
I'm a Czechoslovakia-born migrant to Britain, who moved to the east coast town of Boston more than 10 years ago. I've felt more welcomed here as my English has improved, but much of this ease changed last year, after the Brexit vote.

At the time I didn't really care much about the referendum, I was too busy being a mum, working and volunteering. Then the results came and everybody was shocked. I didn't want to believe it, and wasn't sure what it would mean for me.

Hana Rafajova and her partner Paul. Credit:Dateline

I was more upset when my partner Paul told me  I forced him to tell me  that he voted for to leave the EU. I couldn't believe it. My first thought was: does he realise he is in a relationship with a European woman who will be affected by his vote?

I felt betrayed and hurt. We had been together a few months then, but I seriously considered leaving him after I found out.
United States President Donald Trump told Russian officials recently that the FBI chief he had just sacked was "crazy, a real nut job". Dismissing James Comey relieved "great pressure" on the Trump administration, or so the president felt.

Now that same "crazy nut job" is going to testify in public before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He will explain what he knows about the FBI's investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 US presidential election. He will also be quizzed about his claims that Mr Trump encouraged him to drop an inquiry into Mike Flynn, the national security adviser who quit after lying to Vice-President Mike Pence about what Mr Flynn had told the Russian ambassador to the US.

President Donald Trump talks with Saudi King Salman at the Arab Islamic American Summit. Mr Trump likely hoped that his trip abroad would distract from the turmoil at home. Credit:AP

If Mr Trump thought dismissing Mr Comey or calling him names was going to relieve the pressure on the administration, he was sadly misguided.

He probably thought the world's focus would turn away from the FBI and towards the President's first official overseas trip, for eight days through four countries, too.
If there is one thing our politicians agree on, it is that Australia's federal system is broken. A long succession of state and federal leaders have made this point, including most recently NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who says the Commonwealth "needs a massive overhaul". She wants "an honest conversation about our federation" and a new system that encourages states to pursue reform.

She has a point. Federal-state relations are driven by choices made in the 1890s in drafting the Australian Constitution. It sets down the powers of the Commonwealth and the states, and a host of other arrangements that govern their financial and other affairs. Many changes and workarounds have come into place since that time, but the underlying structure remains and continues to have a powerful effect.

Gladys Berejiklian says the Commonwealth "needs a massive overhaul''. Credit:AAP

The result is that Australia's leaders must solve modern challenges such as globalisation and climate change according to rules made in the horse-and-buggy era. Not surprisingly, the result can be inferior government in which the best outcome is unattainable. Second or third-best solutions are common.

A good example is how our schools are funded. Unclear lines of responsibility and the states' parlous financial position shape this debate in ways that override the needs of our children. Similar problems arise around our hospitals and other health providers. In these areas, government services are delivered at a lower quality than would otherwise be possible. And taxpayers' money is spent in inefficient and wasteful ways.
Four months in, it's fair to say the Trump administration is in trouble. A special counsel has been appointed to look into potential criminal wrongdoing by the President and members of his team. Congressional hearings are ramping up, with fired FBI director James Comey slated to offer public testimony later this week. Americans have heard more about Watergate in the past two weeks than any time since Richard Nixon resigned.

Talk of impeachment, while rampant, is premature. But we can start to draw some conclusions about Trump's shortcomings as commander-in-chief. He ran on his business and leadership credentials, promising to run the country like he ran his real estate empire. It turns out that Trump's leadership skills are better suited to reality television than the White House. In fact, the failures of Trump's first few months suggest the very notion that the government should be run by a CEO should be retired.

Illustration: Andrew Dyson.

Before his presidential run, Trump's claim to fame was his ability to hire and fire people. His hit television show The Apprentice was a jazzed-up job interview; his tagline "You're fired" a decisive dismissal. So it's ironic that the future of his presidency may hang on his decision to hire one man and fire another.

When Trump teamed with Michael Flynn, a retired general who had been pushed out of the Obama administration, the partnership raised eyebrows. After all, Flynn had a penchant for the conspiratorial, tweeting that Hillary Clinton was involved in a paedophile ring and arguing that Democrats were trying to institute sharia law in America. But it was the decision to make Flynn the national security advisor that raised serious concerns about Trump's ability to hire the right people.
The first part of the video shows a sea lion swimming near a dock in Steveston, a seaside community on Canada's western coast.

The sound of cameras clicking can be heard in the background as onlookers on Fisherman's Wharf near Vancouver marvel at its size.

The sea lion swims closer to the dock after grabbing a piece of food that someone threw.

It rises from the water towards a little girl kneeling near the dock, then goes back in. The girl and others laugh.
The Berejiklian government will issue warnings of potential threats to electricity supplies from next summer after its review of February's heatwave found the power sector to be vulnerable.

The initial report of its Energy Security Taskforce led by NSW Chief Scientist Mary O'Kane said the electricity industry was under strain during February 10's "hot day" when temperatures topped forecasts.

The unexpected loss of 1000 megawatts of gas-fired power capacity at two plants meant demand exceeded supply for 36 minutes during that afternoon  the first such shortfall in NSW since 2004  and transmissions lines to Victoria and Queensland temporarily dropped below a secure operating state, the report said.

The government "as a priority" should refine emergency management procedures in case of a major blackout  noting such events are so rare as to be unpractised  and lead by example by introducing demand-management measures that would encourage consumers to curb power use when hot weather is predicted.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten joined Mr Forrest for the announcement at Parliament House in Canberra.

Fairfax Media first revealed details on the donation overnight but the figure was confirmed by Mr Forrest on Monday morning.

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest will give away $400 million of his personal fortune to charity.

Mr Turnbull declared the donation an "extraordinary act" and an example of "love, generosity and leadership".

Billionaire Andrew Forrest is giving away a large chunk of his personal fortune. Credit:Philip Gostelow

"This is not extracted from you by force of law, this is a matter of conviction, of your love and your commitment," Mr Turnbull told Mr Forrest.

"All of us know that, no matter how successful, know that if life's wheel had turned somewhat differently, we could be much less well off, much less well situated.

"All of us who have done well have been blessed by good fortune. So the generous person, the loving person gives back."
Former prime minister John Howard has thrown cold water on the idea that Tony Abbott might soon return as Coalition leader, saying there is "no appetite for change" within the Liberal Party.

The Liberal elder's comments are significant, given Mr Abbott considers the former prime minister his political mentor.

Labor has been ahead in the polls since September 2016. A year prior in 2015, when Malcolm Turnbull challenged Tony Abbott for the leadership, he cited Mr Abbott's loss of 30 Newspolls as a reason for the change. Mr Turnbull has now lost 12 Newspolls.
Former NBC host Billy Bush has spoken publicly for the first time in more than seven months about the 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which President Donald Trump bragged about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women.

In an exclusive interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Bush said he regretted not changing the topic as Trump talked about grabbing women by the genitals. Instead, Bush laughed and egged him on.

"Looking back upon what was said on that bus," Bush said, "I wish I had changed the topic. [Trump] liked TV and competition. I could've said, 'Can you believe the ratings on whatever?' But I didn't have the strength of character to do it."
A few thousand fans lined Market Street outside the State Theatre in Sydney on Monday evening to catch a glimpse of Tom Cruise at the premiere of his new action-packed film, The Mummy.

Always the crowd-pleaser, the Hollywood A-lister, 54, arrived early and spent around 30 minutes greeting fans and posing for countless selfies before jumping back on the black carpet to chat with media.

When asked what it was like to be back in Australia where he used to often visit when married to Nicole Kidman, whom he split from in 2001, he told Fairfax Media: "It's amazing, so beautiful. I love it here.

"It will always be a home for me. My family is Australian and I make films here and I have many friends, so it's wonderful. I am very happy to be back."
Russell Crowe is taking some time off from acting so he doesn't miss out on his two sons growing up.

The New Zealand-born, Australian-raised actor, 53, took Charles, 13, and Tennyson, 10, as his plus-one-and-two to the Australian premiere of his new film The Mummy with Tom Cruise on Monday night in Sydney and showed off his softer side when he told Fairfax Media he was "loving" the quality time he now has with them.

"I am pretty much spending most of the last year just being around for my kids and I am loving it now," he said.

Not ruling out retiring from acting fully, he added:
Sitting across the interview table, recent law graduate James Campisi knew he had a much better chance of getting a job in the crowded industry than many of his peers.

His decision to combine a University of Technology Sydney law degree with a bachelor of business paid off, but Mr Campisi says he and many other students were never told how important this would be.

"There's definitely a need to have more than a sound law qualification," Mr Campisi said. "I had work experience at law firms and accounting firms, and I've also done a coding course.

"Coming out the other side, it definitely benefited me [but] I don't think I was explicitly told it would be important," said Mr Campisi, who is now employed by law firm Gilbert + Toibin.
The boss of the federal government's overseas trade promotion and marketing agency has dismissed concerns about the departure of three senior bureaucrats within two weeks, dubbed "the nuclear option" for staff reorganisation by insiders.

Austrade executive director for international operations Grame Barty finished in his role on Friday, while executive director for tourism, investment and education Jane Madden and chief operating officer Phillipa Dawson are set to finish at the trade commission on May 31.

Former Austrade executive Grame Barty quit last week. Credit:Jeremy Piper

The moves - leaving the third tier of Austrade's senior leadership completely vacant - have raised questions among some staff and come after former management consultant and Monash University deputy vice chancellor Stephanie Fahey started as Austrade chief executive in February.

One Austrade insider said it was extraordinary that Mr Barty, who was acting chief executive before Dr Fahey's appointment in January and joined as general manager for international marketing in June 2013, had left last week. They questioned the role of Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Steven Ciobo in the growing shake up and continuing corporatisation of the agency.
A Sydney man convicted of insider trading has admitted he "fished" for information from an investment banker friend who went jogging with him in The Domain.

Michael Hull, who has served a prison sentence for insider trading, told the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday he "breached the trust" of his close friend and former Credit Suisse vice-president Darren Thompson.

Former Credit Suisse vice-president Darren Thompson leaves the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

He agreed Mr Thompson received "no financial benefit whatsoever" from the trades and his friend would have been "risking everything for no reward" if he had encouraged him to trade improperly.

Mr Thompson has been charged with 11 counts of procuring insider trading by Mr Hull in seven Australian listed companies.
A north shore tax lawyer accused of being part of a $165 million tax fraud syndicate was already being targeted by authorities for professional misconduct in another matter.

Wahroonga lawyer Dev Menon, 33, was one of 10 people arrested last week over an allegedly fraudulent scheme that skimmed $165 million in taxes through a complex web of payroll businesses.

Adam Cranston, with his bride Elizabeth Rouhliadeff on October 15, 2016. This car was seized during a AFP raid on his Bondi home. Credit:Facebook

The syndicate allegedly included the son and daughter of Australian Taxation Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston, who has also been charged with related offences.

Mr Menon, from Clamenz Lawyers, is captured in hundreds of phone taps, allegedly advising the members on how to structure and disguise a series of sub-contractor companies run by 'straw' directors.
A jury has been urged to believe the confessions Vincent O'Dempsey allegedly made to three separate people that he killed the McCulkin women.

Mr O'Dempsey has pleaded not guilty to murdering Barbara McCulkin and her two daughters Vicki, 13, and Leanne, 11, in January 1974.

Barbara McCulkin (right) and her daughters Vicky (left) and Leanne (centre) disappeared from their home on January 16, 1974.

His trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court is entering its final days with prosecutor David Meredith stating in his closing submission that the evidence against the 78-year-old was "overwhelming".

"It's murder because Vincent O'Dempsey says so," Mr Meredith said on Monday.
Brisbane's Queen Street bus station will get a $3 million makeover, with work set to begin on Friday.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the work would improve the waiting area for passengers and make travel easier and more accessible.

"New lighting, tactile ground indicators, hand rails and seating will be installed, as well as a new ceiling and tiles," Ms Trad said.

"During the works, passengers will have access to alternate stops and platforms to catch thier normal service."
Luke Halcro said he was a little nervous about donating blood for the first time.

"The unknown aspect was a little bit daunting, not not knowing how I was going to feel afterwards ... but I was just happy to help," he said.

Luke Halcro donated blood for the first time this month.

Mr Halcro's first-time donation came as the Australian Red Cross Blood Service launched an appeal for people with O-Negative and O-Positive blood types to give, as the national supply dwindles to just two days' worth of donated blood.

Red Cross Blood Service spokesman Shaun Inguanzo said they needed 8000 donors to help in the two weeks between May 22 and June 2 to avoid a shortage that historically coincided with the winter flu season.
Brisbane councillor Steven Toomey (The Gap) said the state government changing their decision was a win for the community. Credit:Glenn Hunt According to the SEQ Regional Plan 2009, new residential developments in development areas should achieve a minimum dwelling yield of 15 dwellings per hectare. The council was quick to object to the changes the state government imposed on the area and councillor Steven Toomey (The Gap) started an e-petition rejecting the state government's changes to the draft neighbourhood plan. To date, the e-petition has attracted 454 signatures. On May 18, Ms Trad wrote again to Cr Simmonds.

"I have decided to remake my decision," she said in the letter. "In my reassessment of the proposed amendment, I have concluded that the only matter requiring direction in order to satisfy the SPP (State Planning Policy) and SEQRP (South East Queensland Regional Plan) relates to bushfire hazard. I am also requiring that a minor technical error be corrected." The letter stated the conditions relating to extent and development provisions within the Cedar Creek diverse housing sub-precinct be removed. "To remove any doubt...my position is that the density and yield envisaged for the site is a matter for the council to determine," Ms Trad wrote in the letter.

"It is my clear intention that this should result in no increase to the density or yield provided for on the site put forward by the council in the proposed amendment." Cr Toomey said the state government's reversal of its previous direction to increase density was a win for the community. "Clearly the local state MP Kate Jones had not previously relayed community concerns about development on this site, but the minister had now heard our community voice and I thank her for this," he said. "This confirms the state government knows it got this wrong, this is excellent news for local residents." Ms Trad said decision to lower the densities was made following a meeting with Ms Jones and Member for Ferny Grove Mark Furner and community groups.



"This shows the Palaszczuk Government's commitment to ensuring the community can have their say in local planning, especially where sensitive issues like National Parks are involved.

"As with all draft neighbourhood plans, I now expect council to thoroughly consult with the community to ensure it reflects good planning outcomes and the views of local residents." The council is still required to perform further bushfire analysis before the draft plan can be put to the public for consultation. The e-petition will be presented to the council for consideration on Tuesday. Cedar Woods timeline June 2014  The Cedar Woods development application was lodged and proposed 1349 residential lots and one mixed used commercial lots to be delivered over a 10 year period. Less than 10 dwellings per hectare were proposed and 91 hectares of the site was to be given to the council as green space.

December 9, 2014 - The council approved the development with a reduced yield of 980 lots per hectare, a 27 per cent reduction in lots. January, 2015 - At the state election, Kate Jones was fighting to reclaim the seat of Ashgrove and the Cedar Woods development was the focus of one of her key election promises. Election material distributed by Ms Jones said if she was re-elected at the January 31 election, her first act would be for the Queensland government to use its call in powers to re-assess the Cedar Woods development. Ms Jones successfully won the seat of Ashgrove in 2015. April 24, 2015 - Deputy Premier Jackie Trad called in the project to review the development application. The call-in notice said the state government would consider the proposed development and how the approval from council could impact on the perception of an efficient, effective and accountable planning and development assessment system. July 31, 2015 - The state government issued their decision notice in which it awarded preliminary approval in part and approved the development permit for reconfiguring a lot for Stage 1 in part, both subject to conditions, and refused the development permit for reconfiguring a lot for Stage 2. August 7, 2015 - As part of the approval, Ms Trad wrote to Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and requested the council amend the Ferny Grove-Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan to determine appropriate planning and development outcomes for the site. The existing neighbourhood plan was first adopted in 2007.
Two teenagers have been taken to hospital after a suspected drug overdose at a Gold Coast carpark.

Paramedics were called to Mal Burke car park on Hicks Street, Southport, just before 11am after a group of teenagers were reportedly under the influence of "unknown drugs", according to a Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman.

Police were called to the Gold Coast site. Credit:Nine News Gold Coast

Two teenagers were transported in a stable condition to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Paramedics assessed four other people at the site, which is a block away from the Southport Magistrates Court.
North Korea's main spy agency has a special cell called Unit 180 that is likely to have launched some of its most daring and successful cyber attacks, according to defectors, officials and internet security experts.

North Korea has been blamed in recent years for a series of online attacks, mostly on financial networks, in the United States, South Korea and over a dozen other countries.

Cyber security researchers have also said they have found technical evidence that could link North Korea with the global WannaCry "ransomware" cyber attack that infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries this month. Pyongyang has called the allegation "ridiculous".

The crux of the allegations against North Korea is its connection to a hacking group called Lazarus that is linked to last year's $US81 million cyber heist at the Bangladesh central bank and the 2014 attack on Sony's Hollywood studio. The US government has blamed North Korea for the Sony hack and some US officials have said prosecutors are building a case against Pyongyang in the Bangladesh Bank theft.
A high-end Audi was the target of thieves who terrorised a young family in Melbourne's west.

The gang are also thought to have been involved in the carjacking of another Audi belonging to a female real estate in Tarneit on Friday, who was seriously hurt in the incident.

Sanna Farrukh and her family were terrorised in the early morning home invasion on Monday. Credit:Seven News

Farrukh Naeem, his wife Sanna Farrukh and their two young sons were sleeping in their Brookfield home in the early hours of Monday morning when five masked climbed the back fence and snuck into the house through a sliding door about 1.20am.

The group apparently searched the home for the keys to the family's brand new Audi A5. They also took cash before storming into the main bedroom and threatening the family with wooden stakes pulled from the fence outside.
A retired Catholic priest from Melbourne has been charged with the sexual assault of four Aboriginal girls at a West Australian orphanage more than 50 years ago.

Father Allan Mithen, 78, was recently arrested in Clifton Hill over the sexual abuse that allegedly occurred when he served as rector at the Wandering Mission between 1965 and 1969.

All religious organisations have a statutory exemption from the Anti-Discrimination Act.

The elderly priest was charged with one count of rape, six counts of indecent assault and a further six counts of indecent dealing with a girl under the age of 13.

The four alleged victims were aged between eight and 15 at the time of the attacks.
Yarra Trams said it was investigating the collision, and that the driver of the tram had been taken to hospital. Fire crews contain the risk of fire at the scene of a collision between a tram and a truck in Parkville. Credit:Chris Hopkins "Our priority today has been on the welfare of our tram driver, passengers and everyone involved in this incident," a spokesman for Yarra Trams said. "Our focus is now on the safe restoration of services as quickly as possible." The Parkville tram derailment has created traffic havoc. Credit:Channel 7

Twelve firefighters were on the scene of the diesel spill, with the clean up expected to take hours. "The tram has been derailed so Yarra Trams heavy maintenance will attend to put the tram back on its tracks," an MFB statement said. Saul McCausland. Credit:Chris Hopkins Elliott Avenue between Flemington Rd and Royal Parade in Parkville remains closed in both directions and is not expected to reopen until after Monday afternoon's peak-hour commute. MFB crews are preparing for a 12-hour operation to remove the damaged tram via crane.

Dozens were injured in the crash. Credit:Chris Hopkins It's expected the tram won't be removed until midnight and the route 58 won't be operation until "well into Tuesday". Drivers have been advised to avoid the area and seek an alternative route such as using Brunswick Road to Mount Alexander Road and then travelling to Flemington Road from there. Photos from the scene show the tram's windows were broken by the force of the smash and the inside of the tram has been covered in the dirt the truck was transporting. Passenger Sam told Fairfax Media the accident happened "really quick".

"I was standing in the back of the tram in the back doorway. I had music on so I was just on my phone when I felt the tram start to stutter, like the tram brakes had been slammed. "I noticed the front of the tram was veering off the tracks and going toward the park. I held on and got bounced around a bit." "I just saw a couple of people with minor cuts, one woman had a cut on her cheek. "The tram driver sat at the front of the tram and was just holding his heart the whole time. I think he was in a bit of shock." One woman named Jennifer who witnessed the crash told ABC Radio Melbourne that passengers heard screams before being thrown from their seats.

She said after the crash the truck driver had been seen sitting next to the tram, shaking, and passengers were "lying everywhere". The young man who freed the trapped driver of the truck said the injured man was not to blame . Cable hauler Saul McCausland, 21, was on his way to a job and was driving behind the soil truck and said the lights in the intersection were green. "The tram must have malfunctioned. The truck driver was not at fault," he said.

Pictures from inside the tram show the broken windows. Photo: Sam Hodgson Credit:Sam Hodgson Senior Sergeant Steven Wilson said its lucky the outcome wasn't a lot worse. "Given the impact, and if you have a look at the damage to the truck and tram and the severity of the derailment we are very, very lucky," he told 3AW. Yarra Trams said route 58 trams automatically trigger a green light for themselves at the tram stop before they cross Elliott Avenue. Police are now investigating whether a signal fault is to blame for the crash.

The Parkville intersection has a history of nasty collisions between trams and heavy vehicles. A tram and a delivery truck loaded with beer kegs smashed into each other at the same spot in January 2015. "It's a black spot," Phil Altieri, secretary of the tram division of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, said. "We had a really bad one there with a CUB truck a couple of years ago and that [tram] driver is still not driving."

Broken glass and spilt soil litter the floor of the tram. Credit:Sam Hodgson Mr Altieri said it was too soon to say what had caused Monday morning's crash, but the intersection of Elliott Avenue and route 58 could be dangerous because it was halfway down a hill. "They're both heavy vehicles coming down the hill, although we don't know if it was a factor," he said. Meanwhile, less than half an hour before the Parkville crash, a truck slammed into an inbound tram at Riversdale Junction in Hawthorn about 7.30am. Lanes were temporarily blocked after the tram was dislodged several metres and blocked the intersection at Power Street.
Accidentally gulping saltwater may have prompted a 22-year-old Victorian man to resurface and call for help while he was diving for pearls off Western Australia's north coast, an inquest has heard.

Jarrod Hampton was on his second day of drift diving for Paspaley Pearling Company on April 14, 2012 when he got into trouble off Eighty Mile Beach, between Port Hedland and Broome.

Jarrod Hampton died while working as a pearl diver off Broome. Credit:Facebook.

Drift divers hold on to a line connected to a boat and are pulled along slowly, allowing them to gather shells while receiving air from a hose.

Diving medicine expert Carl Edmonds told the WA Coroner's Court on Monday that just one millilitre of sea water per kilogram of body weight could make a diver breathless and weak.
Bangkok: A bomb exploded in the reception room of a military-owned hospital in the Thai capital on Monday, the third anniversary of a 2014 coup.

Twenty-five people were wounded in the blast at the Phramongkutklao Hospital near Bangkok's historic Victory Monument, which is popular with retired military officers.

"It's confirmed to be a bomb," said Bangkok police commissioner Srivara Ransibrahmanakul.

Traces of a battery and wires were found among the debris.
Washington: Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn refused on Monday to comply with a subpoena from the Senate Intelligence Committee as it investigates possible Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

Flynn invoked his Fifth Amendment constitutional protection against self-incrimination, according to a letter to the Senate committee from his attorney, which was seen by Reuters.

Former adviser Michael Flynn. Credit:AP

Flynn's attorneys did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The retired lieutenant general is a key witness in the Russia probe, which has roiled the first months of President Donald Trump's presidency with a spate of negative news reports.
Supporters of Ahok gather in Jakarta on May 10 to show their concern over the outgoing governor's conviction and sentence. Credit:Jeff Tarigan Remarkably the prosecution itself appealed, complaining the panel of five judges had ignored their request he be found guilty of the lesser charge of inciting hatred. Mr Sudirta said Ahok's principle in life was to place the interest of the nation ahead of his own. "That's his way of life, he wants to serve the people, believe in the Bible, believe in God's plan," Mr Sudirta said. "If those were some of the reasons behind the withdrawal ... I don't know yet."

He said Ahok defended Pancasila, the state ideology that stresses belief not in one religion but in one God, and the national motto of unity in diversity. A press conference will be held on Tuesday to explain Ahok's decision. Ahok has reportedly been reading the Bible and writing to stave off the loneliness of a life behind bars. "Who knows, he may produce quality writing in prison, just like (Indonesia's first president) Sukarno," his sister Fify Lety Indra, a lawyer who represented Ahok in court, told The Jakarta Post. Mr Sudirta said Ms Fify and Ahok's wife, Veronica Tan, approached him at the North District Jakarta Court on Monday and conveyed they had new information from Ahok indicating he wished to withdraw the appeal.

"(We asked): 'Have the family agreed?'" Mr Sudirta said. "They said yes. Then we asked 'What to do now?'" He said the legal team had asked for a reason, given they had some explaining to do before the court. "But since we were in the middle of the courtroom, it was not appropriate to discuss matters with our client. People could hear us." Mr Sudirta did not know if the prosecution would also withdraw their appeal. "We have never communicated with them, it's not ethical for us to intervene. If they decide to withdraw than this will not go to the High Court, as long as they withdrew before a ruling is made."

Chief prosecutor Ali Mukartono told Fairfax Media: "Today we have not received any official statement from North Jakarta District Court, so as prosecutors we do not have a position on it yet. We will wait for the development later." The withdrawal was soon trending on social media on Monday night, with some arguing Ahok's sacrifice would be remembered, while others said he was afraid of getting more than two years' jail. Dr Melissa Crouch, an expert in Indonesia's blasphemy laws, said Ahok's case illustrated many of the turf battles going on in Indonesia. "His case is not just a battle between Islamists and the secular state, but also between rival legal institutions," said Dr Crouch, a senior lecturer from the University of NSW. "The Ahok case now seems to have fallen into this mess, and the appeal could be a battle between the public prosecution and the courts in Indonesia."
Zachary Ailes in 2014. Credit:djzailes101/WikiCommons It's a popular quote, and has even sparked a line of T-shirts. The Palm Beach funeral was attended by numerous conservative media luminaries, including Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. LifeZette's founder and editor, Laura Ingraham, also attended. Roger Ailes, the founder and former CEO of Fox News, has died at the age of 77. Credit:AP "I loved my father," Zachary Ailes told LifeZette on Saturday. "He considered how much certain people hated him as a measure of success."

Ailes died May 18, days after hitting his head during a bathroom fall. He'd built the Fox News empire from the ground up during President Bill Clinton's administration to counter cable news outlets that he and media titan Rupert Murdoch believed tilted too far to the left. Gretchen Carlson Credit:AP Ailes steered the channel to the top of the cable news ratings heap, becoming, as The Washington Post reported, "a primary architect of the modern-day Republican Party and conservative movement." After his death, Hannity tweeted that Ailes had "dramatically and forever changed the political and the media landscape single-handedly." But lawsuits and complaints against Ailes and O'Reilly detailed a woman-demeaning "locker-room culture" at Fox News. The news organisation did not return messages seeking comment. Last July, Gretchen Carlson, who co-hosted "Fox & Friends" and, later, her own show on the network, filed a lawsuit saying Ailes had sabotaged her career because she wouldn't sleep with him.

According to Carlson's lawsuit, Ailes told her: "I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago, and then you'd be good and better and I'd be good and better." Fox News Channel's parent company, 21st Century Fox, ultimately settled with Carlson for $US20 million, although Ailes denied wrongdoing. The suit opened a floodgate of accusations, and 25 other women came forward with similar accusations. Through a spokesman, Nancy Erika Smith, the attorney for Carlson and several of Ailes' other accusers, declined to comment for this story. As The Post's Manuel Roig-Franzia, Scott Higham, Paul Farhi and Krissah Thompson wrote in July: "Interviews with four of those women portray the 76-year-old television powerhouse as a man who could be routinely crude and inappropriate, ogling young women, commenting about their breasts and legs, and fostering a macho, insensitive culture. Three of the women were speaking about their allegations for the first time, including a 2002 Fox News intern who says Ailes grabbed her buttocks, and a Fox News employee who says Ailes touched her and tried to kiss her against her will at his office in 2004.

"It became a locker room, towel-snapping environment. He would say things like, 'She's really got the goods' and 'look at the t - s on that one.'" Fox News announced Ailes' resignation July 21. Several other top executives also lost their jobs. Then, in April, O'Reilly was pushed out by Fox News, following a New York Times story that revealed that the network had settled five sexual harassment allegations brought by employees against him over 15 years. To quiet his accusers, Fox News and O'Reilly handed them nearly $US15 million. The O'Reilly news was part of a tumultuous year for Fox that began with reports about Ailes' unwanted workplace advances. Some of the accusers were stars who had their own shows and made headlines. Others just happened to work close to Ailes.

His assistant-turned-accuser recounted to The Post a time Ailes sent her out to get a copy of the men's magazine Maxim. "When I gave it to him, he said: 'There are some great articles in here. And you're pretty enough to be in here. You look like the women in here. You have great legs. If you sleep with me, you could be a model or a newscaster.' " The woman told The Post that she spurned Ailes' advances, but said, "he persists. At first it was once a week. Then it got to be every day." After a few weeks, she told him she was quitting. "When I told him I was leaving, he said he was sorry I was leaving and that he was really disappointed that I didn't sleep with him," she recalled. "He said, 'You could have gotten anything you wanted.' "
MARIGOT/ PHILIPSBURG:---- The LAssociation des Hoteliers de St. Martin (AHSM), Saint Martin Tourism Office in conjunction with St. Maarten Tourist Bureau and St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) have proudly opened the appointment scheduling of the Sint Maarten / Saint-Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow SMART. The appointments between international tour operators and agents as well as local hoteliers and activity providers are one of the key elements of the annual event.

Over 15 years, SMART has been of service in reinforcing both sides of the islands economy. Tourism buyers, suppliers, vendors, and media take part in appointments. Next to a key moment for Sint Maarten businesses, SMART has always been an important moment for sharing the state of the world of tourism. Amongst others, the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), MasterCard, Expedia and AltaVista AG (official Google technology providers for hotels) have confirmed to share their newest insights within workshops. These workshops will be repeated during the day so that visitors have the opportunity to meet with their preferred appointments, as well as learning from the desired lectures.

In previous years, SMART featured suppliers from Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Maarten-St. Martin. This year, a former regional challenge of overlapping Caribbean tradeshows was avoided by the four partners involved in SMART organizing a Caribbean-wide event agenda as soon as October. As various Caribbean tradeshows collided last year, SMART 2016 was canceled as Puerto Rico and Turks & Caicos tradeshows coincided.

Visitors arriving early can already visit a sneak preview of Sint Maarten / Saint-Martins newest attraction of the Rainforest Adventure Park. SMART 2017 kicks off on Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 with a magnificent opening party at Westin.

When delegates have the opportunity to meet and mingle with their peers at the Welcome Reception, Then on Thursday, June 15th we welcome all delegate to a full day of business where participants have set up appointments with travel partners and wholesalers as well as hotel and excursion operations, afterward all delegate are invite to a magnificent Farewell Party.

Sint Maarten / Saint Martin local creatives made an introduction movie for visitors (https://youtu.be/RAFGr3axPFc). More information on the event can be found at shta.com/SMART. Organizers are happy to answer questions at 5420108 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
PHILIPSBURG:--- Without exaggeration, the in June upcoming Caribbean Aviation Meetup in St.Maarten may be called the most significant and largest airlift conference ever held in the Caribbean. The numbers speak for themselves; thirty highly qualified professionals making thirty presentations spread over three days.

Conference participants are coming from 28 countries and territories being: Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Jamaica, Luxemburg, Nevis, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Saba, St.Barth, St.Eustatius, St.Lucia, St.Maarten/St.Martin, St.Vincent, Suriname, Switzerland, Trinidad, Turks & Caicos, UK, USA, and US Virgin Islands.

Airlift is not just an aviation or airline matter. Its impact is vital for any economy. The number of tourists who are flying to visit a destination determines the overnight stays. The overnight stays are related how many rooms are occupied, how many restaurants are visited and how many days cars are rented. It is therefore that this conference gathers stakeholders from both aviation and tourism industries.

The Caribbean Aviation Meetup sets itself apart from any other political summit or industry association meeting that emphasizes one particular theme or subject only, be it airline routing, tourism sustainability, or a business sector. These meetings often miss an important point. If one focusses on one segment but cannot bring it in the perspective to other segments, then it becomes a matter of, popularly said, the left-hand doesnt know what the right is doing. Problems do not get solved effectively; they may even become more complicated. Departmental thinking may have an isolating effect.

Exactly that it is why it is important to have a conference platform where stakeholders from aviation and tourism industries, as well government agencies and politicians gather. The purpose of the Caribbean Aviation Meetup is to bring parties from all industry perspectives and geographical areas together. The presentations have different objectives. For one, each of them is the introduction to what might be further discussed during the conference. Some of the presentations offer new ideas and food for thought. Others may be informing, explaining, or educational.

The conference will start with an opening reception in St.Maarten Culture Style sponsored by the St.Maarten Tourism Bureau on behalf of the Government of St.Maarten. The conference itself is hosted Princess Juliana International Airport  SXM Airport. During the Award Evening, the winner of the Most Scenic Airport Landing in the World contest will be celebrated. Four outstanding performances in Business Aviation will be honored with a Sapphire Pegasus Award.

On the first conference day, plenary sessions will be held. On the second and third day, there will be two parallel streams of break-out sessions. The presentations include the following:

Leadership in aviation

What the Caribbean needs to pay attention to

Private aircraft charter and its luxury tourism clientele

Airport hub partnership

US Customs and Immigration Pre-Clearance

Taxation; airline passengers and tourists

Seaplanes in the Caribbean; potential for airlift and as tourism product

International Media Panel Discussion on aviation and travel

Inter-Island Tourism

Regional Airline Development

How simple and efficient IT operations drive great results

Tourism Development in Suriname

Decision making in aviation based on gathered data and intelligence

A new model for a private-sector airline in the Caribbean

Luxury Tourism

Presentation of aircraft and models

Merchandising concept combining efforts of airlines, airports, and hotels

Airport and airline route planning

Aviation and airport safety - compliance with ICAO

Trip Planning in Business and Private Aviation

Disaster planning under volcanic and hurricane conditions

The Use of VVIP Helicopters in the Caribbean

Managing Aviation Safety in the Growing Caribbean Region

International Air Rally to the Caribbean

Airport Development and Construction

Why and how airlines, resorts, and tourism boards should cooperate for a common goal

Solutions for Inter-Island Airlift in the Caribbean

FBO safety and FBO staff training

On Wednesday afternoon of the conference, there will be Airport Terminal and Air Traffic Control Tower tours, as well as a Static Display of four Aircraft.

A factory-new seaplane will be flown in from Wichita Kansas by the US aircraft manufacturer Cessna/ Textron. The airplane will be available for demonstrations and splash landings in St.Maarten, Anguilla and Nevis.

During the conference the potential future founding of a Caribbean Aviation Association or Caribbean Airlift Council will be discussed in informal meetings. An independent and impartial entity is considered desirable to provide professional expertise, coordination, and mediation in order to solve dilemmas and streamline procedures as well as for assistance in initiating and planning projects in the region. The entity may serve both aviation and tourism industries, but also government authorities.

Currently twelve international aviation and travel journalists as well as a TV crew are accredited. They are coming from the USA (4), Canada, UK, Spain, Switzerland, Barbados, St. Lucia and Trinidad. The conference will have a professional photographer on duty to support the media representatives. A videographer will cover the events and presentations of the conference. A selection of videos will become available on a YouTube channel of the Meetup.

The conference venue is the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort. Participants are offered a special corporate room rate. The conference is held June 13-15. Further detailed information like speaker profiles, conference registration, hotel reservation, etc. can be found on the website: www.caribavia.com
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday, May 19th representatives from the Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM) participated in the 2017 Career day held at the Milton Peters College. The Police Department was represented by Community Police Officer Felix Richards, Officer Marcia Bremer and Head Public Relation and Communication Chief Inspector Ricardo Henson.

A complete PowerPoint presentation of what the police do on a daily basis, the type of equipment in use by the police, the structure of the organization and of course the encouragement of the students to join the police force as a future career.

The students that attended the presentation were full of enthusiasm and participated fully in the discussions. They asked many questions which were all answered.

The Police Department is taking this opportunity to congratulate the Career Guidance Counselor and her staff for a job well done in organizing this event.

KPSM Press Release
ST. JOHNS ANTIGUA:--- The Management of LIAT (1974) Ltd notes the recent press release issued by the Leeward Island Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) and restates the company's position that it will not discuss such matters in the press.

The company refutes the statement that its Management has acted in bad faith.

LIAT continues to commit itself to open dialogue with its employees and their union representatives and for continued discussion to achieve a mutually agreeable outcome for all parties.

LIAT also continues to assure its passengers that it is committed to ensuring smooth operations for our customers across the region.

-
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has a forward-thinking space program

While the United States increasingly puts science on the back burner, the United Arab Emirates is forging ahead with an ambitious program meant to increase knowledge and economic opportunities for its citizens.

Their long-term goal is to put men on Mars by 2117.

No Arab state has ever launched a spacecraft, but UAE intends to launch its first space probe in 2021 to celebrate the country's golden jubilee. That probe, named Al Amal (Hope), will mark the beginning of UAE's plan to become a significant player in space exploration.

Saeed al Gergawi, program director of Mars 2117, spoke at this year's Humans to Mars Summit in Washington, D. C.

"We believe that we are on the cusp of a new age for exploration, a new space race that affects literally every human on earth," he said.

Early images from UAE indicate plans for construction of an extensive infrastructure.

Al Gergawi hopes the project will get people, and particularly young people, excited about science and interplanetary exploration.

Last year, UAE made several significant moves forward in commitment toward its space effort.

At the January 2016 Global Art Forum, they conducted a panel discussion on their future in space, and the significance of having Arab countries enter into the 21at century Space Race.

In June 2016, UAE signed an outer space cooperative agreement with NASA. NASA reported that the agreement is "to cooperate in aeronautics research, and the exploration and use of airspace and outer space for peaceful purposes, working together in the peaceful use of outer space for the benefit of humanity."

NASA administrator Charles Bolden met with UAE Space Agency Chairman Khalifa Al Romaithi to discuss the possibility of putting men on Mars, and what that act would mean to the world.

"The United Arab Emirates and the United States of America are long-standing allies and have deep economic, cultural and diplomatic ties," said Al Romaithi. "We at the UAE Space Agency genuinely welcome the opportunity to collaborate and work with the USA and NASA in the fields of aeronautics, space science, and the peaceful exploration of outer space toward the common goal of fostering the well-being of humankind."

Al Romaithi noted the financial, scientific, and humanitarian benefits that could come from international collaboration.

"We believe that working alongside international partners is the best way to accelerate the development of space technologies and the space sector within the UAE," he said, adding "The space sector serves as catalysts for economic development and diversification, creating job opportunities and enabling scientists and engineers to become leaders of an industry that can bring huge benefits to our daily lives."
Urbanimmersive Provides the 2017 Second Quarters Highlights

MONTREAL, QUEBEC  (Marketwired)  05/17/17  Leading real estate content exchange platform Urbanimmersive Inc. (Urbanimmersive or the Company) (TSX VENTURE: UI)(OTC PINK: UBMRF), a real estate content marketing platform, today provides highlights for the second quarter of the financial year that ended on March 31, 2017.

During the second fiscal quarter of 2017, Urbanimmersive and its valued partner Centris, the organization that operates the Centris.ca real estate portals and offers technological tools to more than 13,000 real estate agents in Quebec, officially launched the Centris Marketplace in the Province of Quebec.

The Company worked hard to finalize the last technological and logistical adjustments to the platform to meet the quality and performance standards established jointly by Centris and Urbanimmersive.

30 days after the official launch, the Company believes that the initial data shows a real growth in the adoption of our solution. Combined with the launch of the Centris Marketplace, Urbanimmersive announced the first signing of the independent affiliate supplier program. With these new agreements, the Company is confident of demonstrating sustained growth in the coming quarters.

The signing of the affiliate program agreements with GraphicID Inc., Drone Studio Inc. and PhotoPano360 Inc., could generate revenue growth of more than $400,000 over the next 12 months.

There are a multitude of benefits to suppliers who become members of the Independent Affiliate Program: increases their visibility on the Centris Marketplace, improves revenue through the ability to add new services from complementary affiliate suppliers, and ultimately optimizes their billing and accounts receivable management.

As mentioned by the Company in previous quarters, the launch of the Centris Marketplace was the starting point for the return to growth of Urbanimmersive. Because the official launch was only made at the end of the second quarter, the revenues of the quarter are affected as anticipated.

For further financial information, please consult the Corporations interim consolidated financial statement as well as the Management Report for the quarter ended March 30, 2017, at

About Urbanimmersive

Urbanimmersive is a content marketing platform for the real estate industry. The Company connects real estate professionals, photographers and writers in order to simplify and optimize original content production workflow. Urbanimmersive enables its customers to leverage their marketing investment while increasing productivity, competitiveness, their web visibility, consumer engagement with their brand and ultimately, their revenue.

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties. Such statements relating to, among other things, the prospects for the company to enhance operating results, are necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which are significant in scope and nature. These uncertainties may cause actual results to differ from information contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of the management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management estimates or opinions change. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other assumptions and risk factors, please refer to the last Corporations MD&A filed with the Canadian securities commissions. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our expectations as of the date hereof. We disclaim any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Urbanimmersive Inc.

Ghislain Lemire

President & CEO

514-394-7820 X 202

Contact Financial Corp.

Frederick Chabot

438-863-7071
CB Scientific (CBSC) is Launching CannaRAPID, a Novel Sublingual Product for Precise Cannabinoid Dosing  Optimized with Nanotechnology and Tissue Permeation Enhancing Molecules for Faster Absorption

DENVER, CO  (Marketwired)  05/15/17  CB Scientific, Inc. (OTC PINK: CBSC), a designer, developer and manufacturer of Cannabis Analytical Tools and Devices, Cannabis Medical Delivery Systems and Personal Analytical Kits and Devices, announces today that the Company has developed a novel product medical device portfolio since acquiring Marutronics Medical Devices in February 2017. The company has developed three core platform technologies; CannaRAPID, CannaNASAL, and CannaDERME, focused on precise dosing and controlled release of cannabinoid compounds for patients. CB Scientifics will be launching CannaRAPID, a sublingual cannabinoid delivery product, at the end of May 2017.

There are several inherent benefits of sublingual delivery of drugs such as fast absorption, avoidance of unwanted liver and gut microbiota metabolism on active drug. Further, as medical cannabis is going to be on mainstream medicine, there is an urgent need for a new dosage and delivery form that can improve patient compliance. Common complaints about the difficulty in swallowing tablets in the order of frequency of complaints are size, surface, form, and taste of tablets are common in various patient groups. Geriatric and pediatric patients and traveling patients who may not have ready access to water are most in need of easy swallowing dosage forms.

Almost 50% of people suffer from some form of dysphagia, or difficulty in swallowing, said Bobban Subhadra, M.S., Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer of CB Scientific. Solid dosage forms that can be dissolved or suspended with water in the mouth for easy swallowing are highly desirable for the pediatric and geriatric population, as well as other patients who prefer the convenience of readily administered dosage forms, and that is reason why we come up with CannaRAPID, he added.

CB Scientifics sublingual product, CannaRAPID is a sugar-free Orally Disintegrating Tablet to deliver precise dose cannabinoids to neural tissues in a matter of seconds. The formulation is optimized with nanotechnology and tissue permeation enhancing molecules for faster absorption. CB Scientific is pairing up with clinical organizations and various clinical practitioners for conducting clinical studies using CannaRAPID for various indications such as stress and anxiety relief, cognitive focus, various kinds of pain, migraines etc.

About CB Scientific, Inc.

CB Scientific (), through its subsidiaries, designs, develops and manufactures Life Science Analytical Tools and Devices, Medical Delivery Systems, laboratory services, personal analytical kits and devices and CBD hemp oil and nutraceutical formulations for growers, care takers, dispensaries and companies worldwide. CB Scientific is continuing to develop new technologies specifically for cannabis (hemp) analytics. CB Scientific believes every product sold to patients as Medical Quality should be inspected for health benefits, safety, consistency, purity, potency and packaged properly for distribution. CB Scientific has worked with many of the cannabis industry leaders in the country and have also been featured in cannabis industry publications including High Times Magazine, Culture and many trade publications, on-air interviews and panel discussions across the United States. CB Scientifics focus has been the education and safety of consumers combined with innovation to put power into the hands of the patients.

To request further information about CB Scientific, please email us at , log onto our website at or visit us on Twitter @cbscientific and Facebook at cbscientificinc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements covered within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply and demand conditions, and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties. Our expectations regarding future revenues depend upon our ability to develop and supply products and services that we may not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words plan, expect, believe, and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in pervasive markets. This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions.

Media Contact:

CB Scientific Inc.

(720) 370-3554

Twitter  @cbscientific

Facebook  cbscientificinc
Wandera Announces $27.5 Million in Funding Led by Sapphire Ventures to Extend Leadership in Mobile Security and Policy

SAN FRANCISCO, CA  (Marketwired)  05/18/17  , the leader in enterprise mobile security and policy provided through its pioneering mobile gateway, today announced it has completed a total $27.5 million Series C equity and venture debt financing. New investor, Sapphire Ventures led the round with participation from existing investors, Bessemer Venture Partners and 83North, bringing the companys total funding to date to $50 million. As part of the new investment, Andreas Weiskam, managing director at Sapphire Ventures, will join the Wandera Board of Directors.

The new financing follows a spectacular year for Wandera which has increased its number of Fortune 500 clients fivefold and which is now growing bookings at 250% year on year. Major global deployments include leading organizations in healthcare, finance, technology and professional services.

After thoroughly researching the mobile security and policy market, we see a winning technology leader in Wandera and its differentiated secure gateway. Mobile risk control, including threat defense, is a rapidly growing market and enterprises must prioritize an investment in mobile security solutions to ensure mobile employees have seamless, secure access to applications, said Andreas Weiskam of Sapphire Ventures. Very quickly we recognized the strength of Wanderas cloud architecture and the effectiveness of its technology to identify emerging threats and enable proactive policy actions. We are excited to partner with this experienced leadership team right at the forefront of their market.

Wandera plans to use the funding to expand its global footprint and further develop its gateway technologies, in particular its intelligence engine, MI:RIAM, designed to identify zero day threats and surface new analytic insights using a sophisticated blend of machine learning and data science techniques. Just last week, MI:RIAM detected 400 new variants of the dangerous SLocker ransomware, previously thought to have been eradicated. The power of MI:RIAM comes from its unmatched visibility into mobile data  in 2016 the gateway scanned 26 billion mobile web requests including 700,000 unique apps and over 10 million plus web domains.

This funding is a real testament to the team and technology we have built here at Wandera, said Roy Tuvey, Co Founder and President at Wandera. We are thrilled to partner with Sapphire Ventures, a leading growth investor with an impressive track record in identifying global market leaders including a number of high profile IPOs. They have demonstrated clear expertise in our area of enterprise software, particularly given their history and relationship with SAP. We are looking forward to working together to rapidly scale our pioneering cloud mobile gateway, and provide global enterprises a single integrated platform for mobile security and policy.

Wandera is headquartered in San Francisco and London, and opened offices in Athens, Brno and Tel Aviv in 2016.

Wandera offers organizations a solution for Enterprise Mobile Security and Data Policy, using a unique gateway architecture to protect and enable corporate mobility. It works with more than 500 global enterprises, and has alliances with among others Deutsche Telekom, BT, Orange, Verizon and VMware. The company is frequently recognized by analyst firms Gartner, IDC and Forrester for its powerful Mobile Threat Defense and Content Filtering capabilities. Wandera is headquartered in the US and UK, and recently won Mobile Security Solution of the Year at the Computing Security Awards and the Mobile Security Award at Computing Magazines Security Excellence Awards. Find us at wandera.com and follow us @wandera.

Sapphire Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on helping innovative technology companies become global category leaders. Leveraging nearly two decades of experience and an extensive global enterprise network, Sapphire Ventures invests capital, resources and expertise to enable its portfolio companies to scale rapidly. Whether entrepreneurs sell to businesses, consumers or both, Sapphire Ventures offers a platform for business development and operational excellence to help them accelerate growth. With over $2.4 billion under management via direct growth investments and early-stage fund investments, Sapphire Ventures is positioned to elevate companies to the global stage. Find us in Palo Alto and at .

Contact:

Liarna La Porta
Metatron ($MRNJ) Public Marijuana Company Deal

DOVER, DE  (Marketwired)  05/18/17  Metatron (OTC PINK: MRNJ), a pioneer of releasing Marijuana & CBD related apps on iTunes and Google Play, has closed out the negotiation and sent a Letter of Intent to KindcoDist LLC, a California Marijuana/CBD company. KindcoDist LLC currently has products in dispensaries as well as many celebrity endorsements. The proposed deal will include a public offering for KindcoDist and at the present time, Metatron and partner funders will retain at a minimum a 1/3 equity position. As part of the proposal, Metatron will develop apps, in which it will provide an online marketing for Kindcos products.

Visit to see their product line

North American marijuana sales grew by an unprecedented 30% in 2016 to $6.7 billion as the legal market expanded in the U.S. and Canada, according to a new report by Arcview Market Research. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been in opposition to relaxing marijuana restrictions, and as announced in a recent report from Newsweek.com, Congress wont give Sessions any money to fight a war on state laws to legalize marijuana. A growing market, coupled with more legislative seeing the potential in this industry, should only lead to a higher value than what was forecasted for marijuana public and private companies. Metatron continues to remind its shareholders the aggressive strategy thats designed to ensure success in an active and liquid market for its products.

Metatron approved investors can acquire Series B shares in blocks of various sizes. The first round investors will receive the highest discount. Series B shares can be redeemed through the Company, are immune to reverse splits, and will convert at 1 B share to 50,000 common shares. For more information, please visit metatronstock.com.

Metatrons Apps:

iTunes:

Google Play:

Facebook:

Twitter:

News:

Forward-Looking Statements: Any statements made in this press release which are not historical facts contain certain forward-looking statements, as such term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning potential developments affecting the business, prospects, financial condition and other aspects of the company to which this release pertains. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results of the specific items described in this release, and the companys operations generally, to differ materially from what is projected in such forward-looking statements. Although such statements are based upon the best judgments of management of the company as of the date of this release, significant deviations in magnitude, timing and other factors may result from business risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the companys need for additional financing, which is not assured and which may result in dilution of shareholders, the companys status as a small company with a limited operating history, dependence on third parties and the continuing popularity of the iOS operating system, general market and economic conditions, technical factors, receipt of revenues, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the company. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such statements, and we disclaim any obligation to update information contained in any forward looking statement. Metatron retained Global Discovery Group Inc. for $30,500 for consulting services, CSC Partners for $1,500, Bas1 for $2501 and the company retained Pacific Equity Alliance LLC by issuing Integrative Business Alliance LLC 100m rule 144 for 1 year consulting services. Metatron does not grow, sell or distribute any substances that violate United States Law or the Controlled Substances Act.

Contact:

Joe Riehl

302-861-0431
Noie: One more time around college basketball for ND's Nate Laszewski

Nate Laszewski is one of five super seniors in Notre Dame's rotation this college basketball season
WASHINGTON  Separating space operations from the Air Force would hamper the service's efforts to address threats in orbit, Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said May 17.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee, Goldfein argued that setting up a separate "Space Corps" within the Air Force  similar to the Marine Corps within the Navy  would only cause confusion.

"I don't support it at this time," Goldfein told the senators. "Right now, as we make this transition from a benign to a warfighting environmentany move that actually ends up separating space as opposed to integrating space, I would argue is a move in the wrong direction." [The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Concepts Ever]

The Air Force has been facing questions on reorganizing military space operations from lawmakers, many of whom are weighing whether to eventually create a separate space force.

But Goldfein argued that it's not the time to try to set up a new service.

"Right now, to get focused on a large organizational change would actually slow us down," he said. "Whether there's a time in our future where we want to take a look at this again, I would say that we keep that dialog open, but right now I think it would actually move us backwards."

It's a topic that will likely spring up again May 19, when Gen. Jay Raymond, head of Air Force Space Command, testifies before the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), one of the leading advocates for creating a special force.

The Senate hearing came as the Government Accountability Office, the congressional watchdog office, released a report detailing continuing concerns with of the Defense Department's manages the acquisition of military space systems such as satellites.

"GAO has reported over the years that DoD's culture has generally been resistant to changes in space acquisition approaches and that fragmented responsibilities have made it difficult to coordinate and deliver interdependent systems," the report said.

Cristina Chaplain, director of acquisition and sourcing management at the GAO, told the committee that past attempts to fix space acquisitions haven't been very successful.

"We didn't make a particular recommendation because we think how it affects operations needs to be taken into account," she said. "But I will say that the solutions tried to date that don't separate space as people think it should be separated haven't worked very well."

Part of the reason it doesn't work is that budgets for space systems often get sacrificed in favor of other military programs, Chaplain said.

"People in these prior studies and today believe that there needs to be some kind of segregation to protect the space budget, to leverage expertise from the workforce, and it's to really clearly designate who's in charge," she said. "So if it's not going to that, it needs to be some kind of solution that does those things."

Air Force leadership doesn't want to lose responsibility for space, and is creating a new three-star position  known as the A-11  on the Air Staff that will oversee military space matters.

Goldfein and Chaplain both agreed, however, that streamlined acquisition is needed. The general said that he wants to see a single person be the ultimate authority in overseeing and executing space acquisitions and contracts, much in the way that contracting is handled now for more traditional purchases like aircraft.

Chaplain cautioned that in addition to streamlining authority, the Air Force  or Congress  is going to need to take a hard look at the way the contracts themselves are being executed.

"We're hearing issues about systems engineering, contractor performance, lots of management and oversight issues that really seem to persist," she said.

The GAO reported estimated that some of the service's leading satellite programs are ballooning in cost from their original estimates.

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellite constellation was originally projected at $6.9 billion, but is now closer to $15 billion, the report said. And the Air Force's missile-warning constellation, the Space Based Infrared System, has grown from $5 billion to more than $19 billion.

The subcommittee session was also the first hearing for newly minted Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson since her confirmation May 8.

Wilson said that she has been impressed at the changes the Air Force has made to better address threats in space, but noted that there's still a lot of work to be done.

"There's been a lot going on in the last 18 to 24 months to change the culture in the Air Force, to develop better training methods, develop new techniques for dominating in space, and the assumption that space will be a contested domain," Wilson said, adding that it was a subject she was looking forward to getting involved with.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is pictured with an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft (left) during a May 12, 2017 spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Whitson, the station's commander, and fellow NASA astronaut Jack Fischer will conduct a repair spacewalk on Tuesday, May 23.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  NASA astronauts will take an unplanned spacewalk Tuesday (May 23) to replace a failed data relay box outside of the International Space Station, restoring critical redundancy to the orbiting outpost, agency officials said Sunday (May 21).

The failed device, known as a multiplexer/demultiplexer, or MDM, was installed on March 30 during a spacewalk by NASA astronauts Peggy Whitson, now the station's commander, and then-flight engineer Shane Kimbrough, who returned to Earth last month. Whitson will perform Tuesday's spacewalk repair with fellow NASA astronaut Jack Fischer who arrived at the orbiting laboratory in April. [Watch: Whitson and Fischer Play Zero-G Water Ping Pong]

The MDM, one of two located on the outside of the station's S0 segment of the station's backbone-like main truss, controls exterior U.S. systems, including solar arrays, cooling loops, radiators and other equipment.

The upgraded MDM failed on Saturday (May 20), NASA officials said in a statement, adding that the crew was never in any danger.

"The cause of the MDM failure is not known," the statement said.

After the failure, the station switched over to the spare MDM, but NASA wants to restore redundancy as quickly as possible.

Station program managers met on Sunday to assess troubleshooting efforts and decided to replace the failed unit with a spare.

Working inside the station, Whitson spent Sunday assembling and testing a new MDM, which will be installed during a two-hour spacewalk Tuesday. The unit measures 10.5- by 14.9- by 16.4 inches (27- by 38- by 42 centimeters) and weighs 51 lbs. (23 kilograms.)

Whitson and Fischer conducted the station's last spacewalk on May 12. The stations current crew also includes two Russian cosmonauts and French astronaut Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency.

The MDM failure and replacement is not expected to impact next week's launch of a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship to the station, NASA spokesman Dan Huot said.

Launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon freighter currently is targeted for June 1.

Tuesday's spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). NASA's live webcast coverage will begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT). You can watch the webcast live here, courtesy of NASA TV.

Irene Klotz can be reached on Twitter at @free_space. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Sothebys will offer an Apollo 11 lunar sample return bag used on the moon, which the auction firm describes as the "most important space artifact to ever appear at auction."

An Apollo 11 moon rock bag that was at the center of a legal dispute is now set for what could be a record-setting auction.

The moon-dust stained, lunar sample return pouch will be offered as part of Sotheby's first space history-themed sale to be held in more than 20 years. The auction is scheduled for July 20, the 48th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission's historic first moon landing, in New York City.

The zippered bag, which was used to protect the first-ever samples of lunar material collected by an astronaut off the surface of the moon, is expected to sell for $2 to $4 million  potentially more than any space exploration artifact has ever commanded at auction. [NASA's Apollo 11 Moon Landing in Photos]

"This seemingly modest bag ... played a crucial role in the most important scientific task of the Apollo 11 mission  to bring back the first sample of lunar material ever collected. To be able to see such an object in person is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Cassandra Hatton, vice president and senior specialist in charge of the space exploration sale at Sotheby's, said in a statement.

"It is one thing to read about going to the moon; it is quite another to hold in one's hands an object that was actually there and still carries traces of that faraway place," Hatton said.

Apollo 11 moon rock collected by Neil Armstrong (Image credit: collectSPACE.com)

Apollo 11 artifacts are rare in private hands. The command module Columbia that carried Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins from the Earth to the moon and back, as well as the crew members' spacesuits and most of their equipment, were transferred by NASA to the Smithsonian in the 1970s. The astronauts retained some items flown on the mission as mementos, and some have been sold in the nearly five decades since.

But most of those sales were for items that were launched specifically as souvenirs  for example, patches, medals and postmarked envelopes. Of those that were not, most were items that were used in lunar orbit, not on the surface of the moon.

The lunar sample return bag, which Sotheby's describes as "the only such artifact in private hands," would likely be in a museum today had it not been for an inventory error and the improper sale of other space artifacts by a former curator at a space museum in Kansas.

The bag, known to be flown but at the time unassociated with the Apollo 11 mission, was mistakenly sold in 2015 on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service to cover the restitution due by the co-founder of the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, who was convicted of stealing and selling space artifacts belonging to the museum and NASA. The pouch was offered at auction three times, before finally selling for just $995.

Nancy Lee Carlson of Inverness, Illinois, won the bag and, in a bid to learn more about its history, sent it for analysis to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

"Scientific tests revealed the dust in the bag to be moon dust, specifically from the Apollo 11 landing site and a part number printed inside of the bag matched up to that of the "Contingency Lunar Sample Return Decontamination Bag" listed in the Apollo 11 stowage list," Sotheby's stated.

NASA, having no record of ever releasing the bag from its inventory, refused to return it to Carlson, instead offering to refund her the money she had spent. Carlson refused and the dispute became the subject of two court cases.

In December 2016, a U.S. District Court in Kansas ordered that the lunar sample bag belonged to Carlson, citing that the government had not provided sufficient justification to overturn the U.S. Marshals' sale. A Texas judge followed suit, instructing NASA to turn over the Apollo 11 moon rock bag to Carlson.

Carlson was returned the bag at Johnson Space Center on Feb. 27 and subsequently consigned it to the auction.

Sotheby's first entered the space memorabilia market with a pair of high profile Russian artifact auctions in 1993 and 1996. For the Apollo 11 bag to set a new sale record, it will need to surpass another Sotheby's lot, the 2011 auction of a Soviet Vostok space capsule for $2,882,500.

The most paid to date for a U.S. space artifact was $1.625 million for a Bulova wristwatch worn by Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott on the moon in 1971. The 2015 sale was held by RR Auction of Boston.

According to Sotheby's, Carlson plans to share a portion of the sale proceeds with a number of charities, including the Immune Deficiency Foundation and Bay Cliff Health Camp Children's Therapy and Wellness Center in Michigan. She is also planning to fund a scholarship for students studying speech pathology at Northern Michigan University.

Watch a video of NASA returning the moon rock bag to Nancy Carlson at collectSPACE.

Follow collectSPACE.comon Facebookand on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2017 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
This brick was 3D-printed from simulated lunar soil using concentated sunlight from the solar furnace at the DLR German Aerospace Center facility in Cologne.

Moon explorers could one day build their houses from bricks made out of lunar soil, or regolith, using just the energy of the sun, according to a new experiment by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Using volcanic material with composition similar to that of lunar dust, a team led by materials engineer Advenit Makaya 3D-printed bricks and baked them in a solar furnace. The German Aerospace Center's (DLR) facility in Cologne, Germany, runs the furnace.

"This was done on a 3D-printer table, to bake successive 0.1-millimeter layers of moon dust at 1,000 degrees Celsius [1,800 degrees Fahrenheit]," Makaya said in a statement. "We can complete a 20 x 10 x 3-centimeter [8 x 4 x 1 inches] brick for building in around 5 hours." [3D Printing: 10 Ways It Could Transform Space Travel]

This brick was 3D-printed from simulated lunar soil using concentated sunlight from the solar furnace at the DLR German Aerospace Center facility in Cologne. (Image credit: G. Porter/ESA)

The researchers said the strength of the bricks is equivalent to that of the mineral gypsum, which is a major component of plaster. However, the team has not yet performed all the necessary mechanical testing.

The project is part of ESA's initiative aiming to develop technologies that could allow future lunar colonists to take advantage of local resources on the moon, according to the statement. By using locally sourced materials, the explorers would avoid the need to bring everything from Earth, and could travel more cheaply with a smaller spacecraft.

However, the equipment used to make the 3D-printed brick is rather bulky. It consists of 147 curved mirrors focusing sunlight into a high-temperature beam that sinters the regolith into a solid mass.

"For now, this project is a proof of concept, showing that such a lunar construction method is indeed feasible," Makaya said in the same statement.

The solar furnace at the DLR German Aerospace Center facility in Cologne can work with just sunlight, but it also relies on the light of xenon lamps when the weather doesn't agree. (Image credit: DLR)

As the weather in Cologne doesn't always provide the pure sunlight needed for the printing process, the team sometimes had to help the natural forces with an array of xenon lamps, similar to those found in cinema projectors, the study said.

The researchers found that some of the lunar bricks tended to warp around the edges, which cool faster than the center.

"We're looking at how to manage this effect, perhaps by occasionally accelerating the printing speed so that less heat accumulates within the brick," said Makaya.

The team will continue developing the technology as part of the EU-funded RegoLight program.

"Our demonstration took place in standard atmospheric conditions, but RegoLight will probe the printing of bricks in representative lunar conditions: vacuum and high-temperature extremes," Makaya said.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Mouse pups derived from sperm that was freeze-dried and stored on the International Space Station for nine months.

Mouse sperm preserved on the International Space Station for nine months gave rise to healthy pups, a new study reveals.

This finding suggests that animals, perhaps including humans, can one day reproduce safely in space, researchers said.

This work also raises the possibility of a "doomsday vault" for sperm in space that could help preserve animal species from disasters on Earth, much as the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, does for plant species. The sperm-vault idea is similar to one depicted in a novel by the author of "A Game of Thrones," scientists added. [The Human Body in Space: 6 Weird Facts]

If humans ever want to live permanently in space, they will need to make sure they and any farm animals they bring with them can reproduce, said study senior author Teruhiko Wakayama, a reproductive biologist at the University of Yamanashi in Kofu, Japan, and his colleagues.

However, outer space is dangerous. For instance, the average daily radiation dose on the International Space Station (ISS) is more than 100 times higher than that on Earth, and could damage the sperm and eggs that give rise to most animal offspring, the researchers said.

To examine the damage that space radiation could do to potential animal offspring, the researchers shipped samples of freeze-dried mouse sperm into space. (Freeze-drying preserves items by rapidly freezing them and then subjecting them to a high vacuum that dehydrates them. Freeze-dried ice cream is often known as "astronaut ice cream.")

This mouse sperm was stored on the ISS for 288 days, from August 2013 to May 2014, at temperatures of minus 139 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 95 degrees Celsius). The sperm was then returned to Earth and compared with freeze-dried samples that were preserved on Earth during the same time under similar conditions.

The researchers found evidence that space-preserved sperm did experience slightly more DNA damage than Earth-preserved samples.

"This was a little bit surprising, because the storage period was only nine months," Wakayama told Space.com.

The scientists then employed in vitro fertilization techniques, using both the space- and Earth-preserved sperm to produce embryos that were transferred into female mice. The average birth rates from the two kinds of samples were comparable, and the ratio of male to female in the two kinds of pups fell within the normal range, the researchers said. Furthermore, analyses of the pups' genomes revealed only minor differences between the two types of mice, and the pups from space-preserved sperm went on to develop into adults with normal fertility.

All in all, the researchers said their findings suggest that the DNA damage seen in the space-preserved sperm got largely repaired in the embryos after fertilization. Previous research done over nearly 40 years has found that egg cells have a strong potential for repairing damaged DNA, the scientists explained.

These findings suggest that healthy animal offspring could be produced using sperm preserved in space and artificial insemination techniques, the researchers said. Many domesticated animals are already produced using artificial insemination.

"If humans live in space for a very long time, then we will want to eat beefsteak," Wakayama said.

The scientists noted that freeze-dried sperm can be preserved at room temperature for up to two years, and in a freezer almost indefinitely. This raises the possibility that a sperm bank in space could help protect animal species from catastrophes on Earth, the researchers said. Wakayama cited a similar idea that was brought up in the science-fiction book "Tuf Voyaging" by George R.R. Martin, the author of "A Game of Thrones."

For example, the spaces within lava tubes on the moon are cold, protected from space radiation by thick bedrock and isolated from Earth. "Therefore, sperm could be preserved forever" on the moon, Wakayama said. Still, he added that this notion "is too preliminary to say it is a good idea or it is possible."

The scientists detailed their findings online today (May 22) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Updated May 20 at 9 a.m. Eastern.

WASHINGTON  More than $560 million in budget cuts will be spread across many NASA programs, from science to human spaceflight, when the White House releases its complete fiscal year 2018 budget proposal next week.

The White House is expected to release its full 2018 budget proposal May 23, more than two months after issuing a "budget blueprint" that provided highlights of the proposal. Individual agencies, including NASA, will also provide greater details about the budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

However, on May 18 the policy think tank Third Wave published a spreadsheet that it said it received from an anonymous source, dated May 8, that provided details about the spending proposal. That includes requested funding for NASA down to the account level, although not in greater detail.

The overall funding for NASA included in the spreadsheet is $19.092 billion, essentially identical to the $19.1 billion listed in the budget blueprint released in March. The amount for aeronautics, $624 million, also matches the amount listed in that blueprint.

The spreadsheet suggests that most major NASA accounts will see cuts compared to what Congress provided in the fiscal year 2017 omnibus spending bill enacted earlier this month, which gave NASA $19.653 billion overall. Science would receive a little more than $5.71 billion, $53 million less than what it received in 2017.

The document doesn't specify how that science funding will be allocated among NASA's four science divisions and the James Webb Space Telescope. However, the budget blueprint said that the administration would request $1.8 billion for Earth science, $121 million less than appropriated for 2017, and $1.9 billion for planetary science, $54 million more than the record funding level that division received in 2017.

Exploration, which includes the Space Launch System, Orion and related ground systems, as well as other research and development, would get $3.934 billion in the request, $390 million less than in 2017. The budget blueprint didn't specify an overall spending level for Exploration, but did state SLS, Orion and ground systems would get $3.7 billion, more than $200 million less than in 2017.

Space Operations, which funds operations of the International Space Station, commercial cargo and crew transportation, and other spaceflight support activities, would receive $4.74 billion in the request, $210 million less than the request.

Other NASA accounts getting cuts compared to the omnibus include aeronautics, which received $660 million in 2017, and space technology, which would get a $7.9 million cut to $678.6 million in the 2018 request.

Some accounts that fund NASA support activities, by contrast, would get more money in the 2018 request. Safety, Security, and Mission Services, an agency support account, would see its budget increase in 2018 by more than $60 million to $2.83 billion. Construction would get a $135 million increase to $496 million, while the Office of Inspector General would get a $1.4 million increase to $39.3 million.

The leaked spreadsheet included $37.3 million for education, even though the budget blueprint stated that the administration would seek to close NASA's Office of Education. The spreadsheet did not disclose how that money would be spent, but the amount could be allocated for science education activities that NASA bookkeeps in its science directorate.

When formally released, the full budget proposal will mark only the beginning of a long process where Congress drafts appropriations bills that may end up bearing only a faint resemblance to the original proposal. Key appropriators have already suggested they will use the budget proposal as a guide, but will not be bound by it.

"The budget is important. It's a good starting point," said Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), chairman of the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA, in a May 3 presentation to the Space Studies Board of the National Academies here. "If the funding is recommended in the president's budget, it makes my job a lot easier."

Culberson, though, said he would seek to increase funding for NASA, including the agency's planetary science division. Despite the record funding for planetary science in the proposal, it specifically excludes a proposed Europa lander, a project that is of particular interest to Culberson.

"The appropriations bill is it," he said. "What matters is the appropriations bill."

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, also called for "robust" funding for NASA in fiscal year 2018 in a May 19 letter to President Donald Trump. Nelson put a specific emphasis on NASA's exploration programs as well as commercial cargo and crew.

"In particular, we need increased funding for work at Kennedy Space Center to prepare for the launch of Orion and the Space Launch System 'monster rocket' as our triumphant return to deep space nears," Nelson wrote. "We also need to sustain funding for the Commercial Crew Program that will end our reliance on Russia for access to space."

"Robust funding for NASA in the fiscal year 2018 budget request is critical, especially as we near the first launches of SLS and Commercial Crew," he added.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
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Wilaya of Awserd (Refugee Camps), May 21, 2017 (SPS) -Sahrawi president and Secretary General of the Polisario Front Brahim Ghali hailed Saturday the support of the international community to the Sahrawi cause and the efforts made by all defenders of the Sahrawi people's struggle, notably Algeria, and called on the United Nations to fully assume its responsibility vis-a-vis the completion of the decolonization of Western Sahara.

"We hail Algeria, a brotherly country, which has supported, in accordance with its principle and international resolutions and charter with neither reserve nor hesitation, the struggle of the Sahrawi people to put an end to colonialism in its country," said President Ghali in a message to the international community on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the outbreak of the struggle against the Moroccan occupation, highlighting "Algeria's deserved position at the regional, continental and international levels as it wisely addresses the challenges and dangers facing the region including those resulting from Morocco's hostile policy."

"We also hail the support of the Republic of Mauritania and our brothers in the African continent, which make the Sahrawi cause an African cause despite Morocco's refusal," he stated.

The Sahrawi president also welcomed "the solidarity movement in Europe and in the whole world," highlighting "the solidarity shown by the Spanish people and the Spanish state's historical and legal responsibilities vis-a-vis the Saharawi people.

Ghali reiterated its call to the UN "to fully assume its responsibility in the completion of the decolonization of Western Sahara," stressing that "the Polisario Front affirms its full readiness to cooperate with the UN Secretary General and its special envoy to speed up the Minurso mission and implement the provisions of the last resolution of the Security Council, particularly the one relating to the continuation of the negotiation process and the handling of all suspended issues arising from Morocco's violation of the ceasefire and the N1 military agreement in Guerguerat." (SPS)

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Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow today will meet the family of late IAS officer Anurag Tiwari. The body of Tiwari was found dead outside Meera Bai VIP guest house in Hazratganj area of Lucknow.

He was posted as food and civil supplies commissioner in Bengaluru at present and was staying at the guest house from last two days.

He became an IAS officer in July 2007 and is an engineer by qualification.

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Grassland & Muck is the industry leading event showcasing the latest technology and business information on forage production, harvesting, storage and utilisation as well as the latest in muck management and application.

Approximately 15,000 visitors will attend the Grassland and Muck show. Organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of England in partnership with Yara UK, the event will host over 250 exhibitors showcasing a wide range of products and services with 190 acres of working grass and muck machinery.

McHale will be demonstrating their latest products which include the new ProGlide Mower Range consisting of the F3100 Front Mower, the R3100 Rear Mower and the B9000 Combination Mower.

The McHale Fusion Integrated Baler Wrapper range will be on Plot 107 which will include the Fusion 3 Plus Film on Film Integrated Baler Wrapper and the Fusion Vario Variable Chamber Baler Wrapper which has a number of new changes for 2017, most notably that of a continuous full width single belt bale chamber.
Photo courtesy NRC

WASHINGTON - Newly crowned Miss USA Kara McCullough (the second Miss DC in a row to win the big crown) will have a lot of royal responsibilities. But the crown might be even heavier at her day job - the 25-year-old scientist works for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where her duties are no stroll down a catwalk.

A spokeswoman at the NRC explained what McCullough does as an "emergency preparedness specialist" in the agency's Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response: basically, she reviews emergency plans for nuclear power plans to determine if they meet regulators' muster (glittery gown and bikinis are obviously not part of the dress code). A radio chemist by education who has worked for the agency for four years, she is also on a team that would rush to the agency's operations center if something were to go south at a nuclear facility.
The following headlines and articles appeared in The Advocate decades ago on May 22.

30 years ago ...

Fireworks for the Fourth: Citys extravaganza will be 1st since 83

An extravagant Fourth of July fireworks display at Cummings Park this summer will revive Stamfords sputtering tradition of pyrotechnics, according to the chairman of the citys Parks Commission.

It will be a party for the citizens of Stamford, said William Cahill, chairman of the commission. It will be a spectacular day.

Cahill said a $25,000 fireworks show will be produced by Grucci of Bellport, N.Y. The fireworks will cap a daylong celebration commemorating the bicentennial anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.

The last fireworks displays in Stamford on the Fourth of July occurred in 1976 and 1983, he said.

50 years ago ...

Bandit waylays two tellers, gets $18,000

A pistol-wielding bandit waylaid two women tellers of the state National Bank yesterday, making off with almost $19,000 in what police described as a well-thought out holdup.

According to the police report, the two employees were taking the days receipts from the banks drive-in branch to the rear door of the bank when a masked man said hello.

Police said the two women were carrying two large cash boxes containing $18,825. A bank attendant had gone before them with bags of coins to unlock a gate leading to the rear entrance of the bank.

80 years ago ...

Stamford police seek identity of mystery woman

Stamford and New York police seek relatives or friends of a woman, whose head was bandaged to cover a four-inch wound, when she was found wandering on Main Street near Stage Street, at 2:05 a.m. The woman, apparently an amnesia victim, was unable to give any information about herself.

The woman was picked up by Officer Asa Scanlon a few minutes after a New York-Boston bus had left the spot where the policeman noticed her head swathed in bandage. When she was unable to give any information of herself, police communicated with the New York Bureau of Missing Persons and the bus company headquarters in Boston.
E uropean planes maker Airbus on Monday revealed it has established an independent review panel led by outsiders, amid allegations of corruption.

Airbus said the new panel will have access to all levels of the company and will report to the Airbus chief executive Tom Enders and its board on how to further improve Airbuss compliance processes and culture.

The decision comes two months after French authorities joined the Serious Fraud Office in investigating allegations of fraud and bribery.

The SFO last year launched its probe into the defence and aerospace giants use of third-party consultants to win lucrative aircraft orders across the globe.

The new team will include Tory life peer Lord Gold, one of the UKs most senior lawyers with a track record of scrutinising allegations of illicit practices at organisations.

Also on the panel is former German finance minister, Theo Waigel.

Enders said the members are all well-versed in compliance monitoring of large corporations.

He added: A year ago we self-disclosed to the authorities mis-statements and omissions that we had found. We have been cooperating fully with the investigations that ensued and further improving our compliance system is obviously our number one priority now.
D eutsche Borse chief Carsten Kengeters lawyers are thrashing out a possible deal with prosecutors to ditch a London Stock Exchange-linked insider trading probe against him.

Kengeter was put under investigation by German public prosecutors in February over buying 4.5 million (3.9 million) Deutsche shares, two months before a tie-up with the LSE was announced.

Prosecutors are probing whether Deutsche failed to tell investors about the deal in a timely manner. In return for the action being dropped, Deutsche may have to pay a fine of up to 10 million for unveiling the LSE too late, German daily Handelsblatt reported.

The 21 billion merger between Deutsche and the LSE collapsed in March after the EU competition watchdog vetoed the deal.

Kengeter, who also lectures at the London School of Economics, has always denied wrongdoing. Last week he said he was fully co-operating with the prosecutors office, adding he believed the allegations would be unfounded.

Deutsche declined to comment.

LSE chief Xavier Rolet on Monday warned that the Brexit-related battle for the euro-clearing market would raise the cost of trading by 100 billion.

Writing in The Times, he said Continental plans to shrink Londons 850 billion-a-day euro clearing markets would lead to increased levels of systemic risk.
I n October 1998, Hurricane Mitch, one of the deadliest tropical cyclones on record, ripped through the Atlantic coast, destroying villages and killing thousands. Duncan Goose, founder of ethical drinks company One, saw the devastation first hand.

Inspired by Ted Simons famed travelogue Jupiters Travels, the 30-year-old marketing chief was travelling along the Mosquito Coast in Honduras during a two-year round-the-world motorbike adventure when disaster struck.

I went down to a local village and there was a house that had been filled with a liquid mud, he says, sitting in his sunlit Richmond office. I picked up a roof tile and started digging it out. Everyone looked at me like I was bonkers but then everyone else picked up roof tiles. By the end of the day, wed dug a house out.

Goose, now 48, says the expedition and experience of living under the helicopter  he survived eating grapefruit after food ran out during the disaster  was pivotal in his creation of One Water, which is stocked in Starbucks, City boardrooms and restaurants like Hawksmoor. The reason its called One is because you cant change a billion peoples lives but if you can change one, thats a definition of success, he says.

Britains bottled-water market is a competitive place  22 million drink it and the market expanded 10.6% last year  but Ones ethical credentials make it stand out from the crowd.

If you put two bottles side by side and they were roughly the same in price and aesthetics but one will make money for shareholders and one will save some kids life, which one are you going to go for? Goose says.

The premise is simple: a donation is made from each case sold to the One Foundation to invest in water projects around the world.

The company has handed over 15 million since it started, for tasks like training engineers in Africa to fix vital village water pumps, and has set an ambitious target to donate 20 million by 2020. A new range of botanical drinks called Origins launches in July and it has also rolled out its first gin, made with sage collected from the Sussex Downs, to tap into the growing craze for bespoke booze.

The former marketing man got the idea for the company in the pub on Grand National day in 2003. One of his marketing mates told him there were one billion people in the world without access to clean drinking water, a startling fact that prompted him into action.

Goose, whose sister is Casualty actress Claire Goose, started plotting a new bottled water company to solve the problem, and a few years later quit his job at marketeer J Walter Thompson.

He remortgaged his Teddington flat and started the first big production run of 12,000 bottles in June 2005, on the same day that Live 8 launched. He wrote a pitch in the evening, and the next day drove to Bob Geldof and Richard Curtiss London offices, trying to clinch a deal to make One the official water for the charitable concert. He blagged his way in and won the contract.

We were globally televised in the hands of Brad Pitt, and U2 were playing One Love, he says with a grin.

Months of graft followed but contracts were few and far between.

One wet Friday in October, he met the regional manager of Total petrol stations and got a breakthrough. He said we think this is a great idea and wed like to support it. Somebody believed in it. Thats all it took really.

The company grew quickly, boasting a board stocked with execs from the likes of RBS and Red Bull. Then the recession hit and Goose nearly lost everything. Top stockists Co-op, Sainsburys and Waitrose took cover and ended their contracts, forcing the company to shrink from 25 people to just three. It was awful, he admits. I knew it was horrible for us but there were people out there having a much worse time than I was.

Nine years on and it is back on its feet.

The Foundation is pushing into more sustainable projects, including solar pumps and deep water extraction in places like Kenya and Rwanda.

Goose wants to retire in 2030 when hes 62 and the water crisis is over  an audacious goal, he admits.

When I started, I said the problem will never be solved in my lifetime but Im going for it now. Theres still 663 million people in the world that dont have access to clean water. I want to see that problem eradicated. Lets drink to that.
W ho is going to win: economics or politics? Put another way, does the populist revolt sweeping the world mean globalisation will be reversed?

Donald Trump was elected on the back of nationalist populism. Theresa May will get her big majority partly because of her rejection of the globalist agenda of Tony Blair and David Cameron. Beyond the developed world, populism has been harnessed by elected leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. One sentence from May caught the power behind the revolt with brutal clarity: If you believe you are a citizen of the world, youre a citizen of nowhere.

The forces behind the rise in populism have been brilliantly analysed by David Goodhart in his book The Road to Somewhere, published in March. In it he describes how greater economic openness in the West has not benefited all its citizens.

The effect is that there is a now a new divide between the mobile people who feel they can achieve their own identity as global citizens  the people from Anywhere  and those who identify with their roots and feel marginalised, the people from Somewhere.

There are two sides to the revolt. It is partly political, a desire to have our country back. But it is also economic, a push against some aspects of a more global economy. Of course they are interlinked. But looking at the economics, nearly everyone wants the benefits of globalisation, such as an iPhone made in China, even if they resent immigration from Mexico or the Continent.

That prompts a huge question: can globalisation continue economically while its being rejected socially?

This is the theme of a book Grave New World, The End of Globalization, the Return of History, by Stephen D King, senior economic adviser to HSBC.

Until recently, most in the West, whatever their views as to its benefits or costs, believed globalisation was inevitable. Kofi Annan, former UN secretary-general, put it this way: It has been said that arguing against globalisation is like arguing against the laws of gravity.

But now globalisation is stuck. Take a simple measure: for the past three or four years international trade has no longer been rising as a proportion of global GDP. In fact it has fallen back a little. We also know what happened to the last great burst of globalisation at the end of the 19th century. Anyone with a sense of history can pick up many uncomfortable parallels with the world of 1914 and today, including the rise of an aggressive Germany then compared with the rise of China now.

King argues that if the US retreats from its overall support for globalisation, the progress of the past half-century is threatened. Successful globalisation, he writes, cannot be just a market-driven process. It must also involve cross-border sponsorship of both ideas and institutions In the absence of firm US leadership  and persistently weak economic activity in the developed world  is there any future in western-style globalisation? It is tempting to suggest not.

He argues that the West has to defend globalisation by highlighting the inconsistencies in the arguments of its detractors. For example, those who oppose the World Trade Organisation have to explain why the old world in which small countries could not challenge import restrictions by big ones (he quotes Ecuador tackling the US over a ban on imports of shrimps) was somehow better. But he ends by saying that if the views of those who favour insularity and protectionism prevail it really will be a Grave New World.

Too gloomy? Well I suppose the key questions are, first, whether we face a gradual slide into greater trade restrictions or, worse, tit-for-tat import controls; and second, whether once the present tensions are resolved, globalisation can resume its upward path.

Part of the problem is that memories of the pre-globalisation world fade. How many people in the UK remember that, until 1979, you were restricted on how much currency you could take when you went on a foreign holiday?

Most of our new freedoms we take for granted: the ability to buy foreign goods, or to move money to friends or family abroad. There is understandably huge resentment against companies that use such freedoms to avoid paying tax in the countries where they do much of their business, but that is really a flaw in tax law rather than in globalisation itself. There is, of course, concern when firms shift production to countries where labour is cheaper, but anyone who opposed that has to answer the question: do we really want to be a cheap-labour economy?

Where competition seems unfair  for example, when a foreign company receives government subsidies  there are measures to tackle this.

But one aspect of globalisation causes the greatest tension  the movement of people. Goods, services and money can tolerably move around freely. But people no.

All countries to some extent restrict migration and the question is how to order migration to the benefit of the largest number of people.

Indeed if countries could manage migration more effectively, that would do the most to persuade electorates to support globalisation generally. Otherwise Im afraid we might move towards a graver new world economy.
A nalysts at Barclays helped to enliven a quiet day for markets with a dose of patriotism as they urged clients to buy British.

Shares in companies whose performance is closely linked to the UK economy have been underloved and undervalued since Brexit and as the High Street decline continues, Barclays said.

Valuations continue to price in a recessionary drop in consumer spending growth, the investment bank said.

However, it added that a collapse in the UK economy appears unlikely and reckons some of the UKs biggest names are now worth a punt, even after a slight recovery recently.

Lloyds Banking Group, Marks & Spencer, and WH Smith were all added to its European recommended portfolio today. Barclays backing helped the bank to rise 0.4p to 72.18p, M&S to improve 4.05p to 388.95 and WH Smith to gain 16p to 1790p.

However, optimism eluded pub operator JD Wetherspoon  another bell-wether of British spending.

Not only did it miss out on being on Barclays list, but it was dragged down 7p to 1007p as Citi analysts contradicted their rivals and downgraded Wetherspoons from Buy to Neutral amid growing concern for the outlook of UK consumers and after a strong share price run.

The FTSE 100 nipped back above 7500, climbing 31.41 points to 7502.12 thanks to mining and oil shares, which rose as commodity prices strengthened. Royal Dutch Shell rose 9.39p to 2174.39p and mining heavyweight Rio Tinto was up 39.5p to 3207p.

Credit Suisses downgrade to underperform knocked Micro Focus, which is soon to buy HP Enterprises software business for 6.8 billion, down 79p, or 3.2%, to 2393p as analysts expressed concerns about structural pressures at the software giant. They said cash conversion is just 75% of profits, lower than many industry rivals.

Premier Oil was 1.25p up at 63p after drilling started at a well off the coast of Mexico in which it has a 25% stake.

Metals Exploration, the Philippines gold miner controlled by property moguls Nick and Christian Candy, tumbled 0.88p, or 26%, to 2.5p on AIM after annual losses swelled to 18 million.
R oyal Bank of Scotland on Monday made a last-ditch 200 million offer to placate angry shareholders suing the bank over its 12 billion rights issue in 2008, months before it was bailed out.

The case, due to start today, is now adjourned for at least 24 hours as investors mull the offer.

Around 9000 retail investors and 20 funds say they were misled into stumping up 2 a share to raise 12 billion after RBS disastrous ABN Amro deal.

The bank went bust and had to be bailed out by the government. The litigants claim Fred Goodwin  who was stripped of his knighthood  and other executives knew the bank was in effect broke when they went to the investors.

Investors allege the prospectus for the rights issue did not tell the truth, claiming funds were needed for business purposes when the bank was under pressure from regulators to boost its balance sheet.

Today RBS made an 82p-a-share, 200 million, offer to end the 520 million claim, hours before it was due to start. Thats double earlier offers.

The shareholders said they were hopeful of making progress.

If the shareholders take the deal, that will deny onlookers a chance to see Goodwin and others held to account.

Goodwin came to prominence when he masterminded RBSs takeover of bigger rival Natwest in 2000. He has seldom been seen in public since RBS went bust.

Some observers say the issue is about more than money for some of the litigants. They remain furious at how few bankers have been held to account.

The case, led by Jonathan Nash QC for the claimants, is likely to be extremely uncomfortable for RBS, with embarrassing details emerging of how the bank was run into the ground. RBS has managed to settle with nearly 90% of investors who originally sued. They took 41p per share, with the bank admitting no liability.

Goodwin is due to appear in court on June 8, the day of the general election. He has not publicly discussed his role at RBS since he gave evidence to MPs in February 2009. He expressed profound sorrow for what happened to the bank under his watch and agreed to cut his pension from 703,000 a year to 342,500.

Others due to take the witness stand are ex-RBS chairman Sir Tom McKillop, former investment banking chief Johnny Cameron and former finance director Guy Whittaker. RBS has spent more than 100 million on legal fees.

David Bevin, 57, said he lost more than 20,000. He told the Standard on the steps of the Rolls Building: We dont want to waste any more time on this. A settlement is in everybodys interests.

RBS declined to comment.
T he Conservative manifesto is being seen as the biggest assault on private enterprise by a Tory leadership in living memory.

Business leaders have been left baffled about a set of election pledges whose tone, they say, panders to the populist impression that chief executives and big companies are only interested in feathering their own nests, boosting their bonuses and ripping off the public.

As one FTSE 100 chairman said: Yes, there are a few Philip Greens out there, just like there are a few less savoury politicians. But that doesnt mean were all like that. Its actually rather offensive to suggest we are.

Another said: You have to be very careful if you fan the flames of populism. While its easy to talk about the value of small firms, the economy is largely dependent on 100 million-plus businesses and their supply chains. Do we want to damage them?

Even former Tory treasurer Michael Spencer could only offer qualified support, telling the BBC: Governments do not generate wealth. A prosperous country has to have prosperous businesses.

Another chairman said: To suggest we should be punishing businesses and interfering in the way they operate is just naive.

He was among several who suggested the lack of business experience between Theresa May and her advisers Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill had left the Conservative leadership naive about business.

But enough of the tone of the thing, what did Britains biggest corporate leaders think of the specifics?

We spoke to bosses of some of the most-affected sectors and scored the manifesto marks out of 10.

Household bills

Pledge: a safeguard tariff cap will be introduced to protect customers on the poorest value tariffs.

Big energy company chiefs are, unsurprisingly, appalled at the idea of caps, warning they will force prices up for those on other tariffs, stifle competition and put companies off investing here.

SSE warned in a statement of unintended consequences of state interference. Other bosses fretted more generally about the concept of the state setting prices. Said one: History tells us governments are not very good at business. They must not go down the slippery slope to intervention.

Score 2/10

Energy mix

Pledge: extraction of shale gas will be encouraged with streamlined planning rules. North Sea oil industry will be backed.

Francis Egan, chief executive of fracker Cuadrilla said: We welcome the comments around the significant benefits to the UK economy, energy consumers and the environment from responsible development of the shale gas industry.

Stephen Bowler, chief executive of iGas, added the policy could help reduce Britains reliance on foreign imported gas.

Score 8/10

Trade

Pledge: with Brexit looming, the Conservatives will create nine new regional trade outposts headed by HM Trade Commissioners, responsible for drumming up business overseas.

The idea met cautious welcome in some quarters but was broadly considered inadequate to cope with the need to find new markets post-Brexit.

Edmund Truell, chairman of Disruptive Capital, said the trade policy was far too cautious. He called for trade to be tied to Britains aid.

Score 5/10

Action against boardroom excess and mega-mergers

Pledge: worker representation on boards, a review into whether share buybacks should be blocked if they are aimed at boosting directors bonuses, plus further clampdowns and disclosure on boardroom pay. Look harder at takeovers not working in the national interest with possible blocks.

Some chiefs were not overly concerned about the worker representation pledge, particularly as it is watered down from previous leaks, but the issue of share buybacks is deeply unpopular.

One chairman and veteran chief executive said: This is meddling to a baffling degree. You return cash to shareholders to create an efficient balance sheet. Whether that is through share buybacks or special dividends has always been down to what shareholders prefer. To think buybacks are done because some chiselling chief executive wants to boost the share-price element of his bonus is just absurd. Besides, the share price will tend to rise if you signal special dividends anyway.

However, not everyone agreed. Goldman Sachs alumnus and former government adviser Jim ONeill said: I am rather pleased. It is sensible. Companies need to be encouraged to distinguish between truly giving money back to all their shareholders, managing their books incessantly (often to ensure they meet their pay conditions), and taking real investment decisions.

Executives were instinctively wary about the government meddling in takeovers, with one saying it sent the wrong message about Britains openness to trade.

However, much of what was pledged was described as window dressing which added nothing substantial to the current regime.

Score 3/10

White-collar crime

Pledge: to roll the Serious Fraud Office into the National Crime Agency.

Lawyers representing businesses oppose the plan, saying the SFO under David Green has taken huge steps to improve the agency, which has unrivalled experience in investigating and prosecuting complex white-collar crime.

Business leaders want a fair, dependable system that keeps companies clean and fair. They fear that at the NCA, white-collar crime will play second fiddle to drugs, weapons and eventually terrorism. Jonathan Pickworth, partner at White & Case, said: The SFO is just getting going. Who says the NCA is equipped to do it any better? Its a gamble.

Score 1/10

Business rates

Pledge: more frequent rates valuations and a full review of the business rates system which has just seen many businesses in London and the South-east hit by huge rate increases.

Simon Townsend, chief executive of Ei, the pubs group formerly known as Enterprise Inns, was encouraged by the direction expressed but Youngs boss Patrick Dardis said it fell short of the fundamental overhaul needed and said populist politics is in danger of choking business with the dirty fumes of an unduly onerous tax regime.

Des Gunewardena of D&D Restaurants and Mike Coupe of Sainsburys welcomed the review, but Brian Bickell of West End landlord Shaftesbury said it was hard to be optimistic and Ewan Venters of Fortnum & Mason said the manifesto did not really commit to anything.

Score 6/10

Immigration

Pledge: to slow immigration and make businesses pay 2000 a year to hire skilled workers. Tighten visa rules on overseas students and make it harder for them to stay after completing their courses.

Service sector companies in the retail and leisure trades were deeply worried about how to fill job vacancies, and have been since the Brexit referendum. But those needing higher-skilled workers were particularly concerned by the Tory clampdown pledges.

Simon Cook, chief executive of venture capitalist Draper Esprit, said: The tech industry wants access to the best skilled people in the world. Anything that adds friction to us recruiting the best talent we can is something we always try to avoid.

Russ Shaw, boss of lobby group Tech London Advocates, said the policies were harmful and not forward looking.

University bosses pointed out that education is one of Britains biggest export revenue earners, with foreign students bringing in an estimated 25 billion to the economy through tuition fees and spending, according to industry association Universities UK.

Marianne Lewis, dean of Cass Business School, where 75%-80% of the students are from overseas, described the immigration curbs as incredibly short-sighted.

Score 1/10

Economic plan

Pledge: to eliminate the deficit by the middle of the next decade, a slight softening from the Autumn Statements pledge giving the new government some respite from austerity measures.

Andrew Sentance, former Bank of England rate setter, said the incoming government would be benefiting from the hard work on deficit reduction under the pre-Theresa May government. Borrowing is already very close to a reasonably sustainable level.

Score 7/10

Conclusion

Dismal scores on most fronts mean the Conservative party risks alienating its most loyal following: Britains wealth creators.
I cannot, off-hand, remember any Prime Minister or party leader complaining about an excessive majority provided it is their own. I do, on the other hand, recall Margaret Thatcher being incensed when her former Foreign Secretary Francis Pym gave a public warning that too big a majority for her would be dangerous because it would increase her dictatorial tendency. He had just been sacked, so I suppose he would say that, wouldnt he? Even so, warnings about the dangers of big majorities dont go down well. The simple rule of thumb in British politics is: a big majority is better than a small majority and a small majority is better than no majority.

Under our first-past-the-post electoral system the number of votes cast does not necessarily exactly match the number of seats you win: it depends on distribution. In 1992, John Major won more votes  14 million  than any previous election victor but ended up with only a narrow majority of seats in the Commons. In 1997, Tony Blair polled fewer votes than Major in 1992 but won the biggest majority in modern parliamentary history.

The conclusion is that its always better to go hellbent for every vote you can get in the hope that it translates into the biggest possible majority in Parliament. Anyway, whoever heard of a party leader going into an election begging voters not to give them too big a victory? Theresa May illustrates the point: she is intent not only on maximising the turnout of traditional Tory voters but mopping up Ukips remnants and touring Labour strongholds in the Midlands and North, rustling up as many former Labour supporters as she can. She is not holding back in going for a big win. The opinion polls suggest she will get it, though following the manifesto mugging of the elderly it may not be as big as seemed likely in the early stages of the campaign. Thats fine until the point where the election is won and the big majority safely gathered in.

The benefits of a big win endure for a while. An aura of invincibility surrounds the winner and bestows untrammelled patronage to fill the Cabinet with allies without having to balance different factions. The contrast between Mrs Thatchers first Cabinet following her relatively modest victory in 1979 when she had to carry over many of Ted Heaths appointees and Tory swells with whom she was less than comfortable, and her post-Falklands landslide in 1983 when the gloves came off and heavy-hitters such as Norman Tebbit and Nigel Lawson moved into the front rank is instructive. The same is true about David Camerons unexpected victory in 2015 which enabled him to dump the Lib-Dems.

A big majority also confers prestige internationally and  assuming she achieves it  will benefit May in the Brexit talks. A negotiator with the backing of a big majority is much more convincing than one who is backed only by a narrow squeak in a referendum.

But landslides have downsides. One is a fatal temptation to relax and assume manifesto promises to solve problems are the same as actually solving them. Blairs first government reflected Wordsworths description of the French Revolution  bliss was it in that dawn to be alive  but was so dazzled by the scale of victory that it never did much beyond planning to win another one.

Inflated parliamentary majorities reduce accountability and tempt governments to be cavalier about imposing their will on Parliament, ramming through legislation and cutting short debate, relying on unchangeable Henry VIII Orders in Council to implement the details of policies. That is going become a major issue when the legislation for Brexit comes before Parliament.

General Election round-up: May 21

Election campaigns these days focus more on the leader than the party  though not so much in Labours case just now  and landslide victories can encourage prime ministers to think of them as more a personal coronation than just a mandate, thus absolving them from continuing to cherish supporters in Parliament. Its not hard to think of examples, not least Mrs Thatchers latter years when mixing with her supporters in the Commons tea-room came to seem a chore and sorting out the Cold War seemed more productive use of time.

Too sweeping a victory also makes it harder for a government to maintain party unity and discipline. Once safely elected, MPs feel at liberty to make trouble in a myriad ways, knowing that another election is five years away and that nothing they do will be likely to deprive the government of a majority and force an early election. Trouble-making becomes the norm. Majors problems with the bastards showed that having a modest majority was no guarantee against sniping within his party but at least rebels had to think long and hard about the risk of bringing the government down and losing their jobs.

After a landslide the temptation for the winning sides MPs to create factions becomes irresistible. Willie Whitelaw, when Thatchers deputy, used to wander into the No 10 private secretaries room, sink his head in his hands and say they are all mad, absolutely mad as the backbenchers launched themselves on another escapade. Mark you, he often said the same about Thatcher herself.

Remember too that a landslide can produce the wrong sort of majority as a helpful one. May springing the surprise of an early election could be interpreted not just as a chance to ditch Labour for a generation but as a way to liberate herself from the Brexit ultras in her own party. That should give her greater flexibility in negotiating a Brexit agreement with the other Europeans which is at the soft end of hard. But who knows? Its just as possible that the influence of those wanting hard Brexit will increase. Several of those who have studied the leanings of first-time Tory candidates think they will break that way and a large majority will mean anything other than hard Brexit will be impossible to achieve.

Nothing will stop any political party going all-out to win the biggest majority it can. But a runaway majority can turn out to be a mixed blessing leading to an over-mighty government and an easily cowed Parliament. The only obstacle to that is a well-organised and credible Opposition  which is what we dont have at present and seem unlikely to have after the election.

Charles Powell was a senior foreign policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher in the Eighties


J ust four days after the Conservative manifesto proposals on social care were announced, Theresa May has performed an astonishing U-turn. There will now be a cap on the total care costs that any one individual faces. The details are still sketchy but it is not encouraging that the original proposals were so badly thought through.

When it comes to the principle behind paying for social- care provision, Conservatives need to show the courage of their convictions in asking more from better-off pensioners. The partys manifesto last week set about dismantling three universal benefits that the middle classes have enjoyed in their old age: winter fuel payments, a state pension guaranteed to rise by at least 2.5 per cent a year and the protection of the family home when the costs of domiciliary care are assessed.

Presumably, they knew this centrepiece of their plan for government  which Charles Powell describes as the manifesto mugging of the elderly would invite fierce opposition. It was the relentless attack by much tougher Labour opponents in the past two elections that forced previous Conservative leaders into promising to protect these universal benefits. In fact, as we report today, some of the backlash against the proposals is coming from Tory MPs, which may help explain todays hasty changes

The current Tory leaders should have been ready to defend their approach. Instead we had a weekend of wobbles that presumably prompted todays U-turn. The Pensions Secretary Damian Green was unable to answer basic questions in a TV interview about who will lose their fuel payments, and how much extra money will go into social care. Either the Government is prepared to remove these payments from millions of pensioners who are not in poverty, and dont receive pension credit, and spend their substantial savings on social care; or they chicken out, target the tiny percentage of pensioners who are on higher tax rates, save paltry sums and accept the whole manoeuvre is a gimmick. Certainly, if the savings are to pay for a new care cap, then many pensioners will lose their winter fuel payment. This isnt for consultation after an election  its an issue of honesty before an election.

Equally, Boris Johnson should have spent more time genning up on his own notes rather than trying to steal those of his TV interviewer. When asked about changes to social-care funding, he immediately retreated, saying that while the broad thrust was right, the details might change. It was unfortunate that this weekend, of all weekends, was when he compared other politicians to blancmanges.

Theres a perfectly reasonable argument to be made that wealthy pensioners shouldnt ask other, less well-off, taxpayers to bear the costs of old age  whether its heating bills or dementia care  that they themselves can bear. That is fair, and it reduces burdens on the state. It is, however, not an argument we are hearing.

The Tory manifesto has only just come out, and already it is being rewritten. Now ministers will struggle to explain where the cap will be set, how much it will cost  and why the manifesto originally said that previous proposals for caps on care costs were unfair. Just as well, really, that this manifesto wasnt written on a tablet of stone.

Culture of knife crime

The fatal stabbing of Hosam Eisa, 20, in Romford, the 14th killing of its kind in a month, seems to have been almost random. A culture in which young men can resort so quickly to knives cannot be solved by stop-and-search alone. The head of the Mets anti-knife operation, Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Gallagher, is asking academics to shed light on the reasons for the change. To deal with the problem, we need to know more about its root causes.

The 100-second Tube

The Victoria line is now a 100-second service, with 36 trains an hour during peak time as a result of 900 million investment. That makes it among the most frequent Tube services in the world. Lets hope its also the most reliable
I f you visited the Royal Academys recent America After The Fall: Painting in the 1930s exhibition and wanted more, theres good news. Victoria Miro Gallery is holding an entire show devoted to Alice Neel, one of the artists featured.

Neels portrait of union organiser Pat Whalen was featured in the Royal Academys show, given five stars by our critic Matthew Collings. Victoria Miros show of Neels portraits is curated by acclaimed US critic Hilton Als, and focuses on the paintings she made in the five decades that she lived in Upper Manhattan until her death in 1984.

Als, who notes her fascination with the breadth of humanity that she encountered, brings together portraits she created of New York personalities, both famous and unknown.

In these works, she painted friends and neighbours as well as cultural figures and people connected with the civil rights movement.

Als argues that Neel broke away from the canon of Western art by painting only people who looked like her. By creating portraits of Latino, black and Asian people, she was opening up portraiture to include those person who were not generally seen in its history.

Alice Neel, Uptown, is at Victoria Miro until July 29; victoriamiro.com

Are you a budding artist? Enter the Evening Standard Contemporary Art Prize in association with Hiscox and you could win 10,000. Visit standard.co.uk/artprize
C alifornia culture touches most corners of the world, from the bungalow suburbs of Australia to the Orange County cadences of, like, London school kids. Dont have a data plan in a remote part of Indonesia? No problem; Facebook comes in a text-only Free Mode version. Disney helps shape our childhoods and West Coast internet companies our online social life.

Above all, though, for Justin McGuirk and Brendan McGetrick, the curators of California: Designing Freedom, opening at the Design Museum on Wednesday, the state represents personal freedom. The freedom to see, to say, make, go where and join what you want. It is organised around these five themes.

Previously, the design world has tended to look at California through the lens of mid-century Modernism, but this show leads us from the late Sixties to the future by way of skateboards, Easy Rider (1969) and the Waymo/Google self-driving car (a thing of true ugliness and one of more than 200 exhibits). It is a show about the emergence of the digital and partly overlaps with the last rooms of the recent V&A show, You Say You Want a Revolution about Sixties counter-culture.

It traces the weird alchemy by which hippies living in communes and into LSD and technology found new ways of getting tuned in and connected, setting up businesses in suburban garages that went on to become Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard and the like. A key figure was Stewart Brand, whose Whole Earth Catalog (on display) was a how to guide providing the tools for millions of the hippy generation who went back to the land  at least temporarily.

The exhibition design begins with a shining sun and presents the story in an open, airy way. Colours are optimistic ice-cream pink, primrose yellow and baby blue.

Theres Gilbert Bakers first, eight-striped gay-liberation rainbow flag, Black Panther civil rights posters and the graphic artwork of the radical artist nun Sister Corita Kent. Were shown the trajectory of Black Lives Matter from a Facebook post, to a hashtag then a real- life protest movement on the streets. Theres the earliest Mac and laptop computers. Theres a Micky Mouse acid tab and the latest virtual reality.

Whether these things have been used or abused by governments and corporations, says McGetrick, the origins were deeply democratic and generous. Were trying get to the philosophical and ideological source so you can tell where it might head in the future.

The ubiquity of this technology, McGetrick and McGuirk believe, will make it invisible as keyboards gave way to touchscreens and now sound commands. It is getting less clear where the machine ends and the human begins, argues McGetrick as he points out the ODIN, a DIY gene-manipulating kit that can help create your own bacteria  for good or ill, the next frontier for maker/hackers.

It is going to be more and more difficult to disentangle your life from your machines, and you are absorbing the makers assumptions. So its really important we know who is making these things and what they want to happen.

McGuirk points out that the Sixties idea of freedom was the motorbike on the open road, while in 2020, freedom is a car that you dont own or drive but submit yourself to an artificial intelligence. And indeed, its unnerving to look in the window of the Google car and see no steering wheel; youre definitely not in charge of this particular journey.

Also on display is Bill Gates pre-Microsoft letter of 1976 saying he wasnt going to share software for free any more, but the show is less clear on how the digitals earliest communitarianism morphed into something else far less freewheeling. In California, notes McGetrick, there is no distinction between making the world a better place and making a million dollars; in Europe there is.

An alternative culture with an emphasis on individualism emerged  if you cant change the world, at least you have the freedom to shape your own consciousness or the shape of your body  from self to selfie. The outcome of all this technology doesnt seem to be a more generous, sharing world  unless we are only talking personal data. Its about creating this ideal, independent, entrepreneurial individual, says McGetrick. The exhibition is a celebration but not an uncritical one. Designing Freedom? We use it ambiguously.

While the curators claim not to have drained the Kool-Aid to the bottom and presented a balanced show that includes both Bladerunner concept images and the creativity of desktop publishing, this darker side of the sunny state is far less present. Architect Frank Gehrys curvaceous Walt Disney Concert Hall is included, for instance, but not the fact that the CATIA software used to build it originally derives from that used to make jet fighters. Indeed, although the eco-system of venture capitalists, lawyers, universities and the like that invented Silicon Valley is described, its debt to the military industrial complex is not.

A significant difference between this technological revolution and previous ones involving steam hammers or light bulbs is that, this time around, the tools themselves are not neutral but embody the assumptions of their designers. Last year, Microsoft had to apologise after its Artificial Intelligence chatbot started tweeting racist and genocidal statements. Like Facebooks political bubbles, algorithms can reinforce and intensify positions. This matters more as we give over our daily decisions to machines.

So many of the assumptions are built into the tools themselves, accepts McGetrick, you are buying into the value system. Brilliant things will be added from Europe and Asia but it will always be onto a Californian platform thats post-hippy and libertarian.

AI is a dramatic leap of faith, he continues, and in California the assumption is optimistic that it will all turn out for the best. A dream rather than a nightmare.

It remains to be seen if California is right. Will these tools bring us together or atomise communities further? Perhaps the punk band Dead Kennedys were prescient when they sang California uber Alles  as a satire on hippy fascism. Whether the outcomes will be more Facebook-led Arab Springs or shady data consultancies aiming to steal elections is yet to be seen. But at least in some ways, we are all Californians now.

California: Designing Freedom is at the Design Museum, W8 from Wednesday until October 15; designmuseum.org

Are you a budding artist? Enter the Evening Standard Contemporary Art Prize in association with Hiscox and you could win 10,000. Visit standard.co.uk/artprize
P olitical drama Oslo, which has delighted audiences in New York, is heading to London in the autumn.

The thriller, about the secret Middle East peace talks that led to the 1993 peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation, will run at the National Theatre for three weeks in September. It will then transfer to the West Ends Harold Pinter Theatre, in a new partnership between the National and the commercial sector.

Oslo, written by American J T Rogers, is favourite to win best play at Broadways Tony Awards. It depicts the efforts of Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul, now ambassador to the UK, and her husband, social scientist Terje Rd-Larsen, to achieve peace in the Middle East. They are played in New York by Jefferson Mays and Jennifer Ehle but the show is being re-cast for London.

Director Bartlett Sher said: The play has a basic belief in the idea that important, special people can get into a room, absolutely hate each other and agree to make sense of whats going on. That is its own special thing in this Brexit era.

Oslo opens at the Lyttelton Theatre on September 5 and the Harold Pinter Theatre on September 30
F irst we had ab cracks, then we had thighbrows - and now theres a new body buzzword thats about to take over Instagram.

Alien yoga is the strange new fitness trend that's gaining steam on the app, a viral challenge that sees users contort their ribcage into inverted shapes.

The yoga move is practiced by exhaling fully, isolating the abdomen and then pulling it into the ribcage.

The mesmerising effect looks like rolling water, showing off the persons core strength through one fluid movement.

Videos of people practicing their best alien yoga poses have been flooding Instagram, splitting opinion from users.

It looks like a freak show parlour trick, wrote one commenter on an Instagram tutorial for the trend.

I'm sorry, but I don't think my belly does that, wrote another. "It actually looks painful to me.

While alien yoga might be something entirely foreign to Instagram users, the move has been around for centuries.

Traditionally known as nauli, the practice is said to have numerous health benefits from toning the core and helping with digestion to correcting hormone imbalances.

The challenging move can supposedly be mastered by a person of any age and level of experience, according to Nauli.org.

Nauli cleanses the internal organs and tones the abdominal region via a side-to-side rolling motion of the abdominal muscles, the website reads.

Although nauli is not widely taught or used today in most Western yoga classes, in some classical yoga traditions, it was among the first exercises taught to new students, even before any asana was taught.

In order to perform the yoga feat, Nauli practitioners suggest you first master four movements.

The first is an abdominal lock called uddiyana bandha, followed by madhyana nauli, vama nauli and daksini nauli which contract the central, left and right side muscles.

Best yoga Instagrammers - in pictures 1 /14 Best yoga Instagrammers - in pictures Click through to discover 10 essential Instagram accounts for any yoga-lover Instagram/@steffywhiteyoga Adam Husler @adamhusler Teaches at Equinox, Yotopia, Stretch, Hot Yoga Society, KX, Yogahaven, Indaba, Tripspace



Though its not necessarily what I teach in my classes, naturally, people love to see the more flamboyant poses in cool settings. But beware trying to copy these poses: dont get drawn in by the aesthetics and focus on the integrity and alignment of the pose, not the prettiness! Sarah Highfield @sarahhighfield Teaches at Bodyism, Form Studios



Its not too difficult to photograph the poses but I do need to warm up before the deeper stretches. I dont have a dedicated photographer  its pretty much anyone who is with me at the time, so usually my friends or boyfriend. Natasha Sherikhora @soluckysogreen Teaches private classes



I love seeing people from all over the world enjoying yoga on Instagram, regardless of their experience or body type. I get ideas and inspiration while teaching and I try to capture all facets of yoga in my photos  its grace, beauty, fun and challenges. 5. Naomi Absalom @naomiabsalom Teaches at Triyoga, Indaba Yoga, Union Station Yoga



I dont plan what I post at all; I just post what I feel like, when I feel like it. I like that Im in charge of what I say and how I communicate  its very much my voice. Zarouhi Grumbar @yogawithzaz Teaches at iLumi Power Yoga, Yoga West



I have made real friends through the Instagram yoga community. One friend travelled from Sweden so that we could meet and go to a yoga retreat together. At the end of my personal practice, or after teaching, I may set up my iPhone and simply take whatever poses I feel my body needs or what I want to express at that time. Calli Popham @calliyoga Teaches at Stretch



My shots are done by me on my iPhone timer or by friends and some are from professional shoots. Unless its a professional shoot the light is always natural light. I tend to take them in the studio after Ive taught or if I am somewhere particularly beautiful I might get inspired to do something upside down  it tends to be quite spontaneous. Nell Clough @danielle5freedomsyoga Teaches at Third Space, Fitmibody, Alex Fitness



A quick browse of Instagram and Im always itching to get back on my mat (it also makes me want to book lots of holidays). Its not all about crazy handstands or arm balances, although its good to be encouraged to safely develop your practice with more difficult poses. Steffy White @steffywhiteyoga Teaches at Frame Shoreditch



My top tip is to press the brighten button. I dont have someone walking around with me taking photos on a proper camera. Just me, randoms on the street and sometimes my boyfriend  nothing too fancy! My favourite pose at the moment is hanging out in caterpillar pose. Katarina Rayburn @katarinarayburnyoga Teaches at Frame, Dragonfly Yoga Studio, The Power Yoga Company



I enjoy looking at poses on Instagram as it gives insight into variations that I may not have discovered so I am inspired to try and explore new poses and transitions within my practice. Charlotte Wellfare @charyogi Teaches at The Refinery, Shoreditch House, Frame, More Yoga



The best Instagram pictures, in my opinion, are a balance of amazing yoga poses but also some fun and not-so-serious pictures to capture who you really are in life.

By putting all four elements together, a person can learn to recreate the fluid movement demonstrated in the alien yoga videos on Instagram.

But although many people are now taking on the viral challenge at home, experts have warned that nauli shouldn't be practised without supervision.

"It is a powerful action that can cause discomfort, or possibly, minor injury," say the team at Nauli.org. "Learning from an experienced yoga teacher is recommended."
W ith exam season well underway, students across the country will poring over their textbooks and revision notes in the hopes of boosting their chances of scoring top marks over the next few weeks.

But while many students turn to caffeine and sugary energy drinks to help them get through an all-night cramming session before a big exam, experts are saying there may be a healthier way to sharpen your memory ahead of an important test.

According to new research, sniffing a handful of rosemary could significantly help to sharpen your skills of recognition before a big exam.

A study by Northumbria University looked at how different aromas could impact memory function.

The researchers found that students who took a memory test in a room that had been diffused with the familiar herby scent scored five to seven per cent better results.

It could be that aromas affect electrical activity in the brain or that pharmacologically active compounds can be absorbed, said researcher Mark Moss.

He described it as "almost like a drug interaction" where the brain is influenced by what is being inhaled.

Now students are bulk buying the herb ahead of exam season, in a bid to improve their memory skills.

According to health food shop Holland & Barrett, sales of rosemary have increased by 187 per cent over the past year.

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The high street chain says it has had to order in extra stocks to meet the unprecedented high demand for the herb.

We saw a sharp rise in customer demand, a spokesperson for Holland & Barrett said. As the exam season continues, we have increased provision in store to meet demand.

As news of the rosemary rush spread, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver took to Twitter to give students some top tips on getting the most out of their herbs.

Students i hear youve been using #rosemary to boost revision memory??, he Tweeted.

Top tip - dip in boiling water to release more oils!!! good luck guys!

People have linked rosemary with memory-improvement for hundreds of years. Students in Ancient Greece even went as far as wearing thick garlands of rosemary around their necks for good luck.

The researchers how hope to extend the study, with "large-scale trials of aroma application in education settings".

They believe that adults, as well as teens and children, could benefit from inhaling the memory-boosting aroma.
A n actor has said he was threatened after jumping to the defence of an Asian family who were allegedly racially abused on a London-bound train.

The 21-year-old, who asked not to be named, said he was on a Southern Rail service to London Victoria from Brighton on Sunday when a couple started shouting get out of our country at the family.

He says the pair then turned on him and his friends when he confronted them about the abuse, branding them lefties, "d*******s" and "f*****s".

The actor was on the way back from a performance at the Brighton Fringe when the alleged attack took place.

He said: "As soon as we sat down on the table there was a couple who were shouting racist abuse at an Indian/Hindi family.

"They were shouting things such as "get out of our country" as well as "p***s" and other things. The family left and moved to another carriage.

"My friends and I were disgusted and said 'that's totally wrong' to which they then started calling us 'lefties' and 'd*******s' and 'f*****s'."

He and his friends complained about the abuse to a member of train staff, who he claimed warned the pair to stop.

The couple then threatened to smash his head in, before targeting other ethnic minorities on the train, the actor said.

He added: Some more passengers came to sit down, of which there were people of lots of different ethnicities. They then started saying similar things as before.

Before [the police] came however, an Asian family came to sit down, of which they then said 'oh not them again'."

A man and a woman were removed from the train by officers from British Transport Police (BTP), with a 41-year-old man arrested and on suspicion of a public order offence and being in possession of an offensive weapon.

He was released pending further investigation.

A BTP spokesman said: Officers are currently investigating an alleged racial incident on board a Southern service between Brighton and East Croydon.

Police were called to East Croydon at approximately 5.55pm on Sunday. Two people - a man and a woman - were ejected from the service.

A Southern spokesman said: "We don't tolerate anything that incites racial hatred on the railway."

Anyone who witnessed what happened is asked to send a text to 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 448 of 21/05/2017.
A convicted fraudster and former Nigerian state governor has won a High Court declaration that he was unlawfully detained by Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

But a judge ruled that James Ibori, who claimed 4,000 in damages for breaches of his human rights, is only entitled to a nominal 1 of the sum.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb declared he was unlawfully held for one day, 18 hours and 10 minutes between December 20 and 21 last year.

She said the Home Secretary "failed to have regard to her limits to detain" as attempts were made to claw back millions from the fraudster.

But in rejecting Ibori's bid for thousands in compensation, the judge ruled: "There is no compensatory loss to Mr Ibori and I fix nominal damages at 1."

Ibori was extradited to the UK for trial in February 2012 and prosecuted on the basis of evidence from the Metropolitan Police.

He pleaded guilty to 10 serious criminal charges over the appropriation of massive amounts of public funds during his two terms as governor of Delta State, Nigeria.

He was sentenced in April 2012 at Southwark Crown Court to 13 years imprisonment, and an order for his deportation as a foreign criminal was made in May 2015.

Having spent time in custody in the United Arab Emirates, he was due to be conditionally released from prison on December 20 2016.

But the Home Office indicated that there was no intention to deport Ibori to Nigeria until he handed over at least 57m "proceeds of crime".

An email stated "we cannot deport Mr Ibori until the confiscation matter has been resolved".

On December 21 last year, the day after his due release date, High Court Mrs Justice May ordered Ibori to be freed on conditions, describing the attempts to detain as "quite extraordinary".

The judge said: "You don't hold someone just because it is convenient to do so and without plans to deport them."

A Home Office application that Ibori be electronically tagged and subject to strict curfew conditions was also rejected after the judge accepted arguments that the Home Secretary was attempting to misuse her immigration and deportation powers.

Ibori left the UK under his own steam on February 3 2017, but also launched his claim for damages for false imprisonment and breach of his rights under the 1998 Human Rights Act not to be unlawfully detained.

Ruling on Monday that Ibori had been held unlawfully for almost two days, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said it followed a failure to hold effective confiscation proceedings.

It was in the context of awaiting the making of an assets confiscation order, and likely subsequent efforts to "recoup" a sum estimated to be at least 57m, that the decision to detain Ibori was made.

The judge ruled: "In this case, the secretary of state has been wrong-footed by the failure of the prosecution to achieve determination of its confiscation proceedings against Mr Ibori prior to his release from prison on licence."

Ibori, a former London DIY store cashier, was jailed for fraud totalling nearly 50m in April 2012.

He evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police, but was arrested in Dubai in 2010 and extradited to the UK.
A delivery rider told today how moped muggers slashed him with a hunting knife in a terrifying bid to steal his scooter.

Alex Crepaldi, 36, was delivering food in Hackney when he was confronted by three youths on a silver moped speeding towards him down an alleyway.

A teenager on the back leaped from the saddle with a blade in his hand and tried to knock the victim from his 3,000 Yamaha.

The youth fell down in the struggle and Mr Crepaldi used the moment of confusion to hit the kill switch on the assailants scooter and accelerate away.

But as he did so the mugger sprawled on the floor and slashed his left ankle with a large hunting knife.

A teenager tried to knock the victim from his 3,000 Yamaha

Mr Crepaldi said: I didnt look back. I drove away as fast as I could, I was terrified. If the guy hadnt have fallen off I think they would have stabbed me in the chest.

I was in terrible pain and losing a lot of blood but luckily I was very close to the hospital and they stitched me up. I was worried I was going to lose my whole foot, the nerves have been damaged and I cant move my toes.

Mr Crepaldi, who lives in Stamford Hill, has been unable to work since the attack at 7pm on Saturday May 13, and is relying on friends to bring him his shopping.

The victim feared he would lose his foot in the attack

He said: Its too dangerous to ride a scooter in London right now, its too hard. I had only just recovered from being knocked off by a car and that broke my same leg. Ive been left out of work and will have to look for a new profession in a kitchen somewhere.

These cases are happening daily in London. People like this want to use my bike to steal mobile phones and commit other crimes. They need to be stopped.

Police were called to Homerton Hospital after Mr Crepaldi was admitted.

A Met spokesman said: It is understood the victim had just made a delivery in Hassett Road, and after setting off on his scooter he was attacked by the pillion passenger of a silver scooter.

Having suffered his injury the victim did not stop and made his way to hospital. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

There were 11,389 moped-enabled crimes in London last year, a sevenfold increase on 2015  a year in which motorcycle thefts in London were said to be have netted criminals a total of 28 million.

Witness are asked to contact Hackney police on 101 or by tweeting @MetCC.
A violent racist has been jailed for kicking a pregnant Muslim woman in the stomach, who went on to suffer a miscarriage.

David Gallacher attacked Samsam Haji-Ali in the car park of a co-op in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, after verbally abusing her in the store on August 6 last year.

The 37-year-old racially abused her as she sat in her car, before kicking her in the stomach despite her shouting "I'm pregnant".

He then set upon her husband Abdullah Sulamain, hitting him across the head.

Prosecutor Christopher Wing said Gallacher told the expectant mother: "You come here with your clown outfit on, you f***ing people, you are the f***ing problem in this place".

Assault: Police said the victim was first verbally abused in this Co-op branch / Google Street View

The court heard when Mr Sulamain went to try and calm Gallacher, he was hit across the head with a wine bottle and bag of ice.

He received a four-inch cut, which later required stitches.

Judge Francis Sheridan sentenced Gallacher to 47 months behind bars, saying: "(He) swung the bottle towards her before he kicked her.

"She told him she was pregnant, and he continued to kick her again, after he was told she was pregnant."

The woman was left rolling around on the floor in agony, and miscarried on August 24 last year.

He added: "This lady's pregnancy was absolutely fine before she attended that shop and the defendant kicked her again in the stomach having been told she was pregnant.

"There was a racial element to this attack.

"The defendant is a shabby racist on the language that he used towards this lady."

He continued: "She is left rolling around on the ground in agony and later found there is bleeding before she lost the baby."

Wanted: Police released this image of David Gallacher following the attack / Thames Valley Police

Judge Sheridan said he would leave it to others to decide whether the crown needed medical evidence to prove the link between the attack and the miscarriage, or whether common sense was enough.

He said he was of the view that "the loss of that baby was a direct result of a kick to the stomach of a pregnant woman".

Addressing Gallacher, he added: "You are a thug and a racist to boot.

"It is time you learnt that your vile conduct and abhorrent views are a thing of the past.

"This county will not bow to the views of racists, because decent society demands that intolerance is shown to all racists of any sort, however they chose to express their hatred of others, or dislike of others and the abuse that goes with it."

The judge said he had not awarded compensation in the case because he "simply could not put a price on the lost baby".

Mr Wing told the court that, when questioned by police, Gallacher claimed he was not a racist because he "taught himself Muslim" and speaks to members of the Muslim community.

Wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans, Gallacher of no fixed address, appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court, and spoke only to confirm his identity and plead guilty.

He admitted two counts of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and three counts of assaulting a police officer during his arrest on September 14 last year.

He was jailed for three years and seven months for the race attacks, and four months for the officer assaults.

When arrested Gallacher was aggressive, spat at officers, and attempted to bite them, telling them he had Hepatitis B.

Court reporting by Press Association
F ormer TV star Rolf Harris waved to the cameras as he arrived for his child sex abuse trial for the first time since being freed from prison.

The 87-year-old Australian was accompanied by his niece Jenny as he was driven to Southwark crown court on Monday morning, briefly waving and letting out a smile before entering the building just after 8am.

It was the ex-entertainers first public appearance at the court since being released from Stafford Prison on Friday morning.

Harris is on trial accused of groping three teenage girls during TV and celebrity appearances in the 1970s and 1980s.

It is said he had an appetite for inappropriately touching the girls, but Harris says the claims are false and are part of bogus compensation claims.

Judge Deborah Taylor told the jury last week that Harris, who had been following the trial via videolink, would return to the dock from today.

Jurors have been told the TV star was convicted and sentenced for other offences in 2014.

Harris denies four charges of indecent assault against three girls.

The trial continues.
A young man was stabbed and killed in a cinema car-park after making eye contact with a group of strangers, his devastated girlfriend has said.

Hosam Eisa, 20, was allegedly set upon by four teenagers in the multi-storey car park in Romfords Brewery shopping centre, before one of them pulled out a knife.

His partner Salma Begum, 19, said she was paralysed by fear during the attack, adding: I could not move, scream or run away.

Passers-by administered first aid to Mr Eisa before he was rushed to hospital, where he died an hour later at about 5.30pm on Thursday.

Mr Eisas killing was the 14th fatal stabbing in London in a month.

Scene: Passers-by rushed to administer first aid before the Mr Eisa died / Nigel Howard

The Standard understands that Mr Eisa was born in Egypt and moved with his family to Mantova in northern Italy in 2002. They moved to Dagenham last year.

He was working as a waiter to save money before starting a university course next year, friends said.

Miss Begum told how Mr Eisa tried to defend himself after being pursued as the couple left the Vue cinema.

She told Italian newspaper Gazzetta di Mantova: We were together when four boys approached us. Hosam didnt know them, I have no doubt about this.

They made eye contact, they became immediately aggressive and a fight broke out.

He was the 14th person to be stabbed to death in the past four weeks / Nigel Howard

They started to beat him and Hosam tried to defend himself, but he was alone against four boys. I was completely paralysed by fear. I could not move, scream or run away.

A man tried to help, but then one of the four pulled out a knife and stabbed Hosam. Then they fled running and other people arrived to give us aid, but it was too late.

Tributes to the 20-year-old have flooded in on social media since his death.

One friend wrote: Thanks for being an older brother, always ready to help me. Thanks for everything. Still cant believe youre no longer here but hope to see you again up there.

Another said: I talked to you few days ago and now Im still shocked Im not going be able to talk to you anymore. Thanks for all those moments together.

Passerby Jodie Freeman, 22, administered CPR after seeing Mr Eisa slumped on the floor next to a car.

The betting shop manager said: He was stabbed on the left side either on the heart or close to it. He was trying to speak but he didnt manage to say anything. He was struggling to breathe.

After everything had happened I gave his girlfriend a cuddle and said Im sorry I couldnt do anything more. Washing his blood off my hands has got to be the worst moment of my life.

The killing took place at the same time as Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick spoke to community leaders in Putney about the forces response to the recent wave of fatal stabbings.

Today, the head of the Mets anti-knife initiative accepted the force had failed in the past to engage with communities blighted by knife crime, and called on the public to help detectives tackle the epidemic.

Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gallagher, who leads the Mets anti-knife initiative Operation Sceptre, said: We are an enforcement agency and were not the best fit to this societal problem. Londoners recognise this and they do recognise that were not going to solve it on our own.

Che Pullen, 19, of Romford, and a 17-year-old boy will appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday charged with Mr Eisas murder.
A woman was rushed to hospital after being ploughed into by a motorbike in a hit-and-run in north London.

Paramedics and police were scrambled to the scene in Tottenham High Road at about 7.15pm on Monday.

The woman was rushed to a north London hospital along with a child, who police say was not injured in the crash.

The motorcyclist failed to stop after the collision, Scotland Yard said.

Pictures from the scene show traffic coming to halt as police cordoned off the street while they dealt with the incident.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: The woman's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

"The child was not injured.

Enquiries continue. There have been no arrests.
A father-of-four has admitted stabbing to death his estranged wife while suffering delusions that she and his doctors were spies conspiring against him.

Bashir Ali, 42, was in the grip of a paranoid episode when he attacked Deeqa Ibrahim at his home in Tottenham.

Ms Ibrahim, the 41-year-old mother of four, had gone to visit Ali on November 23 last year to say goodbye as he prepared to return to his native Somalia.

However, during the visit he locked them both in the bathroom and began stabbing her repeatedly.

Paramedics and police rushed to the home in Bramble Close, Tottenham, after the stabbing, at around 9pm, but Ms Ibrahim died at the scene.

At Inner London crown court on Monday morning, Ali denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

"Having regard to the facts of the offence and the defendant's established psychiatric history, the Crown takes the view such a plea is appropriate", said prosecutor Jacob Hallam.

Ali had suffered bouts of mental illness in the past and was planned to go to Somalia with his mother at the time of the stabbing.

However, he had been gripped by the delusion that his doctors were spies and when Ms Ibrahim came to visit, he believed she was working with them.

Until 2015 she had lived with Ali and their four children in Ealing, but he then moved out because of his mental illness.

Ali, flanked by guards and medical professionals in the dock, was remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
T he family of a murdered schoolgirl have had their bid to sue the Metropolitan Police thrown out by a judge, who ruled officers did not promise to keep the teenager safe.

Arsema Dawit, 15, was stabbed more than 50 times in a lift on the estate in Waterloo where she lived by her ex-boyfriend Thomas Nugusse in June 2008.

More than a month before her death, Arsemas family had reported Nugusse, then 21, to the police for threatening to kill her and leaving her with a black eye after an assault in a McDonalds.

In 2010, the Independent Police Complaints Commission found collective and organisational failings in the handling of Arsemas case. It said the threat to kill was not logged adequately and the inquiry was not pursued urgently enough.

A 2014 inquest found that the police investigation of the McDonalds attack had been insufficient and was not carried out in a timely manner.

Nugusse confessed but could not be tried after a suicide attempt in jail that left him brain-damaged

Arsemas mother, Tsehaynesh Medihani, and relatives sued the Met for 100,000 in damages. They argued that Arsema would be alive if police had dealt with Nugusse and acted to protect her.

But Judge Charles Freeland QC, at Central London county court, threw out the claim last week. He told the family: The police do not generally owe a duty to members of the public in the detection and prevention of crime.

The general sense of public duty that motivates police officers is unlikely to be improved by the imposition of such liability on their duty to investigate crime. The judge said compensation claims against the police should be exceptional to succeed.

Una Morris, for the family, had argued Arsema was a vulnerable child who had been given assurances of police protection. The lawyer said officers should have taken responsibility for her safety after the threat to kill. But the judge ruled: At no particular point did any officer promise to secure Arsemas safety  nor could he or she do so.

The actions taken by the police amounted to a routine expression of expectation, rather than any assurance. In the absence of exceptional circumstances, the police owe no common law duty of care to protect individuals from harm by third parties.

Nugusse confessed but could not be tried after a suicide attempt in jail that left him brain-damaged. In 2009, an Old Bailey jury returned a special verdict that he had committed the acts. He was given an indefinite hospital order.
T heresa May has performed a dramatic U-turn in promising to cap the so-called dementia tax in the face of a major Tory revolt.

The policy shift over plans to increase the amount elderly homeowners will pay towards their care in old age came just four days after her manifesto that included the initial plan was published.

After launching the Conservative manifesto, Mrs May has now said there will be an upper limit to the amount taken from peoples estates after their death.

Announced on Monday, the major reversal is the latest in the Prime Ministers list of retreats from policies performed since she came to power.

The U-turn on dementia tax comes after Mrs May repeatedly said she would not hold an early election and after she campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union.

Here are the other big shifts in policy the electorate has seen from Mrs May over the past 12 months:

BREXIT

The Prime Minister campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union during the EU referendum. She said Brexit would risk Britains future, our influence around the world, our security and our prosperity.

In what is arguably the biggest U-turn of all, Mrs May said in the leadership campaign after David Camerons departure that she believed Brexit means Brexit.

Theresa May campained for Remain ahead of the EU vote / AFP/Getty Images

EARLY ELECTION

Launching her leadership campaign last June, Mrs May insisted there should be no General Election until 2020.

In September the Prime Minister told interviewer Andrew Marr that there was no need for an early election, as the UK needed a "period of stability" to deal with Brexit.

General Election polls and projections: May 21

As late as March 30 her official spokesman was telling reporters: "There isn't going to be one. It isn't going to happen. There is not going to be a General Election."

But on April 18, after mulling the question over on a hiking holiday in Snowdonia, she announced that she had decided an election was needed "to guarantee certainty and stability for the years ahead".

NATIONAL INSURANCE

After Mrs Mays first full Budget as leader, Chancellor Philip Hammond's Budget announcement of a hike in National Insurance contributions for self-employed workers was ditched within days.

The policy was scrapped following complaints that it breached a commitment in the Conservative 2015 manifesto not to raise the levy.

Philip Hammond delivered a budget that will see increased powers for the Mayor of London

BRITISH BILL OF RIGHTS

Having argued for withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights and the introduction of a British Bill of Rights, Mrs May dropped the idea when campaigning for the Tory leadership and said in her 2017 manifesto that the UK will remain an ECHR signatory "for the duration of the next parliament".

FOREIGN WORKERS

At the Conservative conference last September Home Secretary Amber Rudd suggested that companies would be required to publish details of its number of foreign employees. It was quickly dropped after facing opposition.

General Election 2017 Campaign - In pictures 1 /57 General Election 2017 Campaign - In pictures Jeremy Corbyn joins leaders for the BBC's Election Debate Stefan Rousseau/PA Prime Minister Theresa May samples cheese at the Royal Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet Leon Neal/Pool/Reuters First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during the launch of the SNP General Election manifesto at Perth Concert Hall Jane Barlow/PA Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at the launch in central London of a Liberal Democrats campaign poster attacking the Conservatives' school meals policy Victoria Jones/PA Jeremy Corbyn appears on The One Show BBC Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron and the party's local candidate Sir Simon Hughes are given a baking lesson at Comptoir Gourmand, an artisan bakery in Bermondsey, London Gareth Fuller/PA Prime Minister Theresa May answers questions from the studio audience during a joint Channel 4 and Sky News general election programme recorded at Sky studios Stefan Rousseau/PA Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is interviewed by Jeremy Paxman during a joint Channel 4 and Sky News general election programme 'May v Corbyn Live: The Battle for Number 10' at Sky studios Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty Images Home Secretary Amber Rudd (left) and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott appearing on the BBC One current affairs programme, The Andrew Marr Show. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 28, 2017. Abbott has said she no longer opposed the security services as she insisted her time as a graduate civil servant would prepare her for becoming home secretary Jeff Overs/BBC/PA A new poster by the Green Party featuring pictures of the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary either side US Preseident Donald J Trump Green Party/PA Conservative party leader Theresa May during the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch at Gresford Memorial Hall, Gresford, Wrexham Stefan Rousseau/PA Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott during General Election campaigning in Hull Chris Radburn/PA A man is arrested after protesting against fox hunting as Theresa May arrives at the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch at Gresford Memorial Hall, Gresford, Wrexham Stefan Rousseau/PA Green Party co-leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley launch the Green Party's 'Green Guarantee' of key priorities for the party at a general election campaign event in London AFP/Getty Images Julie Etchingham presents the ITV Leaders' Debate, a live two-hour debate with Caroline Lucas, Tim Farron, Leanne Wood, Paul Nuttall, Nicola Sturgeon ITV/PA Conservative party leader Theresa May during her party's general election manifesto launch in Halifax Danny Lawson/PA Demonstrations take place before the arrival of Prime Minister Theresa May as she launches the Conservative Party Election Manifesto in Halifax Getty Images Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond listens as Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during an election campaign event in east London Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn launches the party's manifesto at the University of Bradford, in Bradford Nigel Roddis/EPA Prime Minister Theresa May meets Cathy Mohan at Abingdon market in Oxfordshire during an General Election campaign visit Stefan Rousseau/PA Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron leaves the Royal College of Nursing conference at Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre following a General Election campaign visit Gareth Fuller/PA Screengrab taken from Facebook Live broadcast, hosted by ITV News of Prime Minister Theresa May answering questions sent in by users of the social media website, with presenter Robert Peston ITV News Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaking about national security and foreign policy at Chatham House in Londo David Mirzeoff/PA Jeremy Corbyn the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party holds one year old Angelo during a campaign event in Harlow, Essex Neil Hall/Reuters Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reads with children as he visits Brentry Children Centre in Bristol on 21 April 2017 during Labour's election campaign. Steve Parsons/PA Jeremy Corbyn looks around as he arrives at Savoy Place. His vehicle hit BBC Cameraman Giles Wooltorton on the way into the garage entrance Neil P. Mockford/Getty Images British Trade Union leader Len McCluskey falls on the steps outside the Clause 5 Labour meeting to finalise the Labour manifesto in Londo Andy Rain/EPA Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller breaks down after receiving an ovation from the crowd during her speech at the Convention on Brexit in central London Andy Rain/EPA The Liberal Democrat party campaign bus is unveiled at an event at the Harts Boatyard on 01 May 2017 in Surbiton Leon Neal/Getty Images Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy at the Space Studio in London Stefan Rousseau/PA The Liberal Democrat party leader Tim Farron listens to a speech during an event at the Harts Boatyard on May 1, 2017 in Surbiton Leon Neal/Getty Images Anti-racism protesters speak to the media after being removed ahead of UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall's speech Jack Taylor/Getty Images UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall gestures as he makes a speech as the party launch their general election campaign at the Marriott County Hall Hotel on 28 April 2017 in London Jack Taylor/Getty Images Britain's opposition Labour party Leader Jeremy Corbyn walks past a bus shelter with Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton, and local councillor Satvir Kaur (right), before meeting local residents Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott Diane leaving Four Millbank in Westminster, London, following her stumbling explanation of how the party would fund its plans for 10,000 extra police in an interview that left her struggling to do the sums live on air. Victoria Jones/PA Philip Hammond and David Davis at a General Election campaign event in Central London Jeremy Selwyn Pensioner Malcolm Baker confronts Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron while he was the election campaign trail in Kidlington, near Oxford Sam Lister/PA Prime Minister Theresa May eats chips as she meets with residents in Mevagissey, south-west England Dylan Martinez/AFP/Getty Images Conservative party handout of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on a new poster, warning that families face a tax and debt bombshell under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership Conservative Party/PA Nick Clegg delivers a campaign speech on the European Union at the National Liberal Club in London Stefan Rousseau/PA Ukip leader Paul Nuttall (left) eats grapes during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge (right) and Phil Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Richard Vernalls/PA Former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband retweeted a photo of him mowing a lawn whilst canvassing in his Doncaster North constituency Jane Nightingale Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on 18 April calling for a general election Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

WORKERS ON COMPANY BOARDS

The Prime Minister said she would ensure workers were represented on company boards.She outlined that companies would be forced to put workers on boards to give them a say in decision making.

But following business disquiet at the plan, the manifesto said listed companies would be required "either to nominate a director from the workforce, create a formal employee advisory council or assign specific responsibility for employee representation to a designated non-executive director.
M ore than half the public think the Conservatives will hike income tax if they win the general election, an exclusive poll shows today.

Ipsos MORI found that despite the Governments promises to take less tax from the less well-off, 54 per cent of people think the Tories would put income tax up, while only one in three believe they will not.

Even among Conservative voters, nearly half (46 per cent) think a Conservative government will raise taxes.

Fewer than half trust Mrs Mays administration to keep its promises in general if it wins, while half expect the Conservatives to break their word. Only 31 per cent think their standard of living will rise if the Tories get back in.

For Labour, expectations are also mixed. Some 70 per cent think Jeremy Corbyn will raise taxes.

Seven in 10 predict a Conservative victory on June 8, including half of Labour supporters. And 60 per cent think the Conservatives will negotiate a good deal on Brexit, twice as many as believe Labour will.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said the expectations of a Tory win echoed polls before the landslide victories of Margaret Thatcher in 1983 and Tony Blair in 1987. And our past experience shows that people expected Tony Blair and David Cameron to raise tax too  and that didnt stop them, he added.

General Election polls and projections: May 21

Only half the country think earning 80,000 makes you rich, the research discovered. Although this income level was chosen by the shadow chancellor as the point where income taxes would go up if Labour wins, the country is divided over whether it makes a person wealthy.

Some 23 per cent, however, think that riches mean an income of more than 150,000.

Ipsos MORI interviewed 1,053 adults across Great Britain by telephone from May 15 to 17. Data is weighted.
B efore the Conservatives descend from wobble weekend to outright panic, they should remember: we have been here before.

Every Tory victory since the Fifties has been preceded by at least one campaign poll pointing to defeat or a close finish. David Cameron confounded soothsayers like me two years ago; so did John Major in 1992 and Edward Heath in 1970. Margaret Thatcher had to navigate single polls suggesting she was in trouble.

We should therefore treat with caution latest polls from YouGov and Survation showing the Tory lead halving in a week to nine points. Until more polls are out we cannot be sure whether this is sampling tremor, a blip after the manifesto launch or a lasting shift in loyalties.

That said, Labour was gaining ground even before the headlines about the dementia tax, with both Ukip and the Lib Dems losing support. In contrast, the Tories average poll rating has stayed steady for four weeks.

The first of my weekly projections combines the latest surveys, not in a crude poll of polls but allowing for the tendency of surveys over many years to overstate Labour and understate Tory support. Without that adjustment I would project an 11-point Tory lead, not the 13 points in the table: I believe the big Labour bias in the polls two years ago has been reduced but not eliminated. But even that 13-point lead, identical to Tony Blairs victory margin in 1997, would not quite give Theresa May the majority she really wants.

I estimate the Tories would capture 29 seats from Labour (thanks to Ukips collapse since 2015) and six from the SNP. The Lib Dems could pick up a handful of Labour and Tory seats in strong Remain areas where there are few Ukip supporters for the Tories to squeeze. The upshot is a Conservative majority of about 80 had the election been held at the end of last week.

For Mrs May to have the freedom to swat aside rebellions on a compromise Brexit deal she really needs a three-figure majority. A month ago she was on course  unless she can halt Labours rise, it may slip from her grasp.
L ondoners said people are disillusioned with politics as it emerged one million people in the capital have not registered to vote.

Figures released by the Electoral Commission showed up to seven million people have not registered or are registered incorrectly ahead of the deadline of 11.59pm on Monday.

It came as analysis found the Conservatives could win a majority of more than 100 seats in the election if young people between 18 and 24 stay away from the polls in similar numbers to 2015.

Turnout among 18 to 24-year-olds at the 2015 General Election was estimated to be just 43 per cent, compared with 77 per cent of 55 to 64-year-olds and 78 per cent of people aged 65 and over.

And Londoners today explained why they think there are still so many people who have not been able to register in time to vote in June 8's General Election.

Siddiqui, a courier, said: "I don't think they think it's crucial to vote, especially the youth in the age bracket that can vote. They just don't know - or they can't be bothered."

Nigel, a 53-year-old investor, said: "I think that the EU referendum showed that from John o' Groats down to Lands End the mechanism for making your view count has been lost. We keep getting elections where nobody seems to know what's going on, so that needs to change in some shape or form."

Jennifer, who is retired, said of the expected turnout: "I'm not sure that it will be much above average because I think people are very disillusioned with most political parties."

Rhiannon, a 31-year-old music manager, added: "People will complain about politics but they won't actually do anything to really make an effort to change it. They're like armchair supporters when it comes to voting."

But Joshua, a 23-year-old shop worker, said: "From talking to other people I think they seem very excited about this election. I think it's a very big one in comparison to the 2015 one."

Click here for all you need to know about registering to vote.
L abour has been accused of promising to scrap university tuition fees this September without the money to back it up.

The party has promised 400,000 students that Labour will write off fees for the academic year 2017/18 at a cost to the taxpayer of around 3 billion.

The policy, which was not included in Labours manifesto, was seen as a last ditch attempt to win over younger voters as registration for the general election closed today.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said: Corbyn has promised that tuition fees will be abolished this year but he hasnt banked the money. As ever, Corbyns figures dont add up and his shadow cabinet cant explain where the money would come from.

But shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said the promise was fully costed  and they had gone off what the Student Loan Company provides to universities.

Labour said the cost of writing off student loans in 2017/18 would cost 3 billion and would be paid for by increasing corporation tax and a tax rise for the top five per cent.

General Election polls and projections: May 21

However the Conservatives argue that if Labour won the election, they would not be legally able to raise corporation tax until next April, six months after students start their courses.

The row came as campaigners said parents across London were still in the dark about education funding even after the Tories promised an extra 4 billion to help schools balance their books. The parent-led group Fair Funding for All Schools claimed that Theresa Mays plans would still mean that per-pupil funding would go down in real terms, reducing but not eradicating the budget gap.

Headteachers could still face the prospect of cutting staff, dropping subjects, shortening the school day and begging parents for cash donations.

General Election 2017 Campaign - In pictures 1 /57 General Election 2017 Campaign - In pictures Jeremy Corbyn joins leaders for the BBC's Election Debate Stefan Rousseau/PA Prime Minister Theresa May samples cheese at the Royal Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet Leon Neal/Pool/Reuters First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during the launch of the SNP General Election manifesto at Perth Concert Hall Jane Barlow/PA Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at the launch in central London of a Liberal Democrats campaign poster attacking the Conservatives' school meals policy Victoria Jones/PA Jeremy Corbyn appears on The One Show BBC Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron and the party's local candidate Sir Simon Hughes are given a baking lesson at Comptoir Gourmand, an artisan bakery in Bermondsey, London Gareth Fuller/PA Prime Minister Theresa May answers questions from the studio audience during a joint Channel 4 and Sky News general election programme recorded at Sky studios Stefan Rousseau/PA Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is interviewed by Jeremy Paxman during a joint Channel 4 and Sky News general election programme 'May v Corbyn Live: The Battle for Number 10' at Sky studios Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty Images Home Secretary Amber Rudd (left) and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott appearing on the BBC One current affairs programme, The Andrew Marr Show. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 28, 2017. Abbott has said she no longer opposed the security services as she insisted her time as a graduate civil servant would prepare her for becoming home secretary Jeff Overs/BBC/PA A new poster by the Green Party featuring pictures of the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary either side US Preseident Donald J Trump Green Party/PA Conservative party leader Theresa May during the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch at Gresford Memorial Hall, Gresford, Wrexham Stefan Rousseau/PA Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott during General Election campaigning in Hull Chris Radburn/PA A man is arrested after protesting against fox hunting as Theresa May arrives at the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch at Gresford Memorial Hall, Gresford, Wrexham Stefan Rousseau/PA Green Party co-leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley launch the Green Party's 'Green Guarantee' of key priorities for the party at a general election campaign event in London AFP/Getty Images Julie Etchingham presents the ITV Leaders' Debate, a live two-hour debate with Caroline Lucas, Tim Farron, Leanne Wood, Paul Nuttall, Nicola Sturgeon ITV/PA Conservative party leader Theresa May during her party's general election manifesto launch in Halifax Danny Lawson/PA Demonstrations take place before the arrival of Prime Minister Theresa May as she launches the Conservative Party Election Manifesto in Halifax Getty Images Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond listens as Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during an election campaign event in east London Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn launches the party's manifesto at the University of Bradford, in Bradford Nigel Roddis/EPA Prime Minister Theresa May meets Cathy Mohan at Abingdon market in Oxfordshire during an General Election campaign visit Stefan Rousseau/PA Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron leaves the Royal College of Nursing conference at Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre following a General Election campaign visit Gareth Fuller/PA Screengrab taken from Facebook Live broadcast, hosted by ITV News of Prime Minister Theresa May answering questions sent in by users of the social media website, with presenter Robert Peston ITV News Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaking about national security and foreign policy at Chatham House in Londo David Mirzeoff/PA Jeremy Corbyn the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party holds one year old Angelo during a campaign event in Harlow, Essex Neil Hall/Reuters Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reads with children as he visits Brentry Children Centre in Bristol on 21 April 2017 during Labour's election campaign. Steve Parsons/PA Jeremy Corbyn looks around as he arrives at Savoy Place. His vehicle hit BBC Cameraman Giles Wooltorton on the way into the garage entrance Neil P. Mockford/Getty Images British Trade Union leader Len McCluskey falls on the steps outside the Clause 5 Labour meeting to finalise the Labour manifesto in Londo Andy Rain/EPA Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller breaks down after receiving an ovation from the crowd during her speech at the Convention on Brexit in central London Andy Rain/EPA The Liberal Democrat party campaign bus is unveiled at an event at the Harts Boatyard on 01 May 2017 in Surbiton Leon Neal/Getty Images Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy at the Space Studio in London Stefan Rousseau/PA The Liberal Democrat party leader Tim Farron listens to a speech during an event at the Harts Boatyard on May 1, 2017 in Surbiton Leon Neal/Getty Images Anti-racism protesters speak to the media after being removed ahead of UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall's speech Jack Taylor/Getty Images UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall gestures as he makes a speech as the party launch their general election campaign at the Marriott County Hall Hotel on 28 April 2017 in London Jack Taylor/Getty Images Britain's opposition Labour party Leader Jeremy Corbyn walks past a bus shelter with Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton, and local councillor Satvir Kaur (right), before meeting local residents Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott Diane leaving Four Millbank in Westminster, London, following her stumbling explanation of how the party would fund its plans for 10,000 extra police in an interview that left her struggling to do the sums live on air. Victoria Jones/PA Philip Hammond and David Davis at a General Election campaign event in Central London Jeremy Selwyn Pensioner Malcolm Baker confronts Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron while he was the election campaign trail in Kidlington, near Oxford Sam Lister/PA Prime Minister Theresa May eats chips as she meets with residents in Mevagissey, south-west England Dylan Martinez/AFP/Getty Images Conservative party handout of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on a new poster, warning that families face a tax and debt bombshell under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership Conservative Party/PA Nick Clegg delivers a campaign speech on the European Union at the National Liberal Club in London Stefan Rousseau/PA Ukip leader Paul Nuttall (left) eats grapes during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge (right) and Phil Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Richard Vernalls/PA Former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband retweeted a photo of him mowing a lawn whilst canvassing in his Doncaster North constituency Jane Nightingale Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on 18 April calling for a general election Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Tory MPs claimed victory after the manifesto pledge which promised a levelling-up of funding through a real-terms increase to schools budgets by 2022. A spokesman for the campaign said: Parents are still in the dark about the distribution of funding across different areas and what it will mean for their local schools.

A Conservative spokesman said: We will make sure that no school has its budget cut as a result of the new formula.
T om Brake is in the fight of his political life. I thought 2015 would be the toughest but I think this could be the hardest I have ever fought, explains the last Liberal Democrat MP to be left in London after the election two years ago.

The 55-year-old is battling to hang on to Carshalton and Wallington, which he has represented for two decades. While the Conservatives are having to fend off Lib Dem assaults in other parts of south London, they believe they can claim Brakes scalp.

His majority was cut from more than 5,000 in 2010 to just over 1,500 two years ago. All sides know that what happens to the 7,049 votes Ukip won in 2015 is key  and this time Ukip is not fielding a candidate. The constituency, on the suburban commuter belt bordering Surrey, is part of Sutton, one of only five London boroughs to vote Leave in the EU referendum.

But Brake  who saw the number of London Lib Dem MPs double when Sarah Olney beat Zac Goldsmith in Richmond Park last year  does not believe the vote locally will be a second referendum on Brexit.

Im not finding Europe to be the consistent issue on the doorstep, he says. Most of the voters are just as interested in the future of public services, funding of the NHS, and local school funding.

Tory Matthew Maxwell Scott with greengrocer Linda Thomson. / Alex Lentati

They want an MP who is going to fight for the future of our local hospital, and oppose the disastrous cuts to school funding from the Conservative government. Ill be campaigning on my record of delivering for 20 years for residents here.

There are mixed views on the doorstep as to how significant the Leave vote will be.

The same local issues keep coming up  pressure on schools, transport, the future of St Helier hospital, a waste incinerator and a disastrous recent introduction of a new bin collection scheme overseen by the Lib Dem council. Undecided voter Jackie Barker, 37, says she is worried about the pressure on school places.

General Election 2017: What you need to know

The area has some of the best schools in the country, with its grammars taking many pupils from outside the borough. Her neighbour in Wallington, charity manager Conchita Anastasi, 33, was born in the UK to Spanish parents. A Remainer, she is concerned about the future of EU citizens living here.

But Lisa Allan, 39, who runs the Fudge Cakes bakery in St Helier, an area in the north of the constituency where John Major was born, says she wasnt fussed about Brexit. She said she would vote on local issues. We could have more support for businesses, and they could sort out the bins.

Linda Thomson, 69, a keen Brexiteer who has run Pick n Pay greengrocers with her husband Edward for more than 40 years, said she was voting Conservative and loved Theresa May. Shes the only one to take us out of the European Union, she says.

The Conservative candidate is Matthew Maxwell Scott, who works in public affairs for a law firm and is a former speechwriter to director generals of the BBC. After his defeat to Brake in 2015, he joked he must be a two-headed, baby-eating monster to be beaten by a Lib Dem in London.

But Maxwell Scott, 40, is confident the Brexit issue will see him over the line this time round  along with a growing desire for an MP who will do more to hold the council to account. People are fed up with the Lib Dem MP and the council who havent done enough for them in the past 20 years, he says.

Ill do more. Secure the school places for local children, improve transport links, protect and enhance local health services, and take on the council over its chaotic decisions.

Ministerial big guns have already been rolled out with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt visiting St Helier hospital to declare it was here to stay.

Maxwell Scott says he is happy to be Theresa Mays candidate in an area where their polling shows she resonates with residents. This election is about local issues but also who will lead this country, he says. Thats what people say on the doorstep.
T heresa May performed an emergency U-turn today by promising to cap the so-called dementia tax.

The Prime Minister bowed in the face of a major Tory revolt over plans to increase the amount that elderly homeowners and savers will pay towards their care in old age.

In a reversal just four days after her manifesto was published, Mrs May said there will be an upper limit to the amount taken from peoples estates after their death. We will make sure theres an absolute limit on what people need to pay, she said in a speech launching the Welsh version of the manifesto.

One senior Conservative, former deputy Speaker Nigel Evans, said she had not gone far enough and should unveil the exact level of the cap before polling day. Some Tories were suggesting 150,000, 200,000 and 300,000 as possible levels.

Health Secretary: Jeremy Hunt / Neil Hall/PA

Ministers said the upper limit would be set only after a consultation, starting with a green paper on care issues this summer.

Today, the Prime Minister shook her head as journalists accused her of abandoning strong and stable leadership, of having buckled under pressure and of being weak and wobbly. The manifesto had offered increased protection for the savings of many people, raising the amount of assets protected from being seized to 100,000 from the current 23,250 level in England. However, it extended the principle that homes could be counted as assets to cover bills for care at home, as well as care in residential homes. Polls suggest the proposal alarmed voters, with the Tory lead falling dramatically although still showing Mrs May as well ahead.

She echoed Donald Trumps language by accusing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of making fake claims about the policy. Tories said she was referring to him saying the party had asset-stripped the ill by forcing those who need social care to pay for it with their homes.

Her announcement came a day after Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green denied in a BBC interview that any concessions were on the cards. It followed protests from Tory candidates who reported that homeowners were anxious and furious that hundreds of thousands of pounds could be seized from their childrens inheritance.

General Election polls and projections: May 21

More worryingly for ministers, the row injected life into the Labour and Lib-Dem campaigns. Yesterday, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson appeared to hint the party may rethink the plans, dubbed a dementia tax by Labour.

Downing Street denied a U-turn, saying it was consistent with the manifesto, which promised there would be a green paper on system-wide issues over elderly care. Others said it was the first time in memory that a key manifesto pledge had been altered before polling day. Nick Clegg called it Theresa Mays manifesto meltdown.

Tory Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, one of those who urged a cap, welcomed the move. The candidate for The Cotswolds said: This is what people have been asking for on the doorstep. I have people whose homes are worth 300,000 to 500,000 who feared that they could lose nearly everything they had worked and saved for. He called for the upper limit to be 150,000.

General Election 2017 Campaign - In pictures 1 /57 General Election 2017 Campaign - In pictures Jeremy Corbyn joins leaders for the BBC's Election Debate Stefan Rousseau/PA Prime Minister Theresa May samples cheese at the Royal Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet Leon Neal/Pool/Reuters First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during the launch of the SNP General Election manifesto at Perth Concert Hall Jane Barlow/PA Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at the launch in central London of a Liberal Democrats campaign poster attacking the Conservatives' school meals policy Victoria Jones/PA Jeremy Corbyn appears on The One Show BBC Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron and the party's local candidate Sir Simon Hughes are given a baking lesson at Comptoir Gourmand, an artisan bakery in Bermondsey, London Gareth Fuller/PA Prime Minister Theresa May answers questions from the studio audience during a joint Channel 4 and Sky News general election programme recorded at Sky studios Stefan Rousseau/PA Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is interviewed by Jeremy Paxman during a joint Channel 4 and Sky News general election programme 'May v Corbyn Live: The Battle for Number 10' at Sky studios Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty Images Home Secretary Amber Rudd (left) and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott appearing on the BBC One current affairs programme, The Andrew Marr Show. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 28, 2017. Abbott has said she no longer opposed the security services as she insisted her time as a graduate civil servant would prepare her for becoming home secretary Jeff Overs/BBC/PA A new poster by the Green Party featuring pictures of the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary either side US Preseident Donald J Trump Green Party/PA Conservative party leader Theresa May during the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch at Gresford Memorial Hall, Gresford, Wrexham Stefan Rousseau/PA Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott during General Election campaigning in Hull Chris Radburn/PA A man is arrested after protesting against fox hunting as Theresa May arrives at the Welsh Conservative manifesto launch at Gresford Memorial Hall, Gresford, Wrexham Stefan Rousseau/PA Green Party co-leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley launch the Green Party's 'Green Guarantee' of key priorities for the party at a general election campaign event in London AFP/Getty Images Julie Etchingham presents the ITV Leaders' Debate, a live two-hour debate with Caroline Lucas, Tim Farron, Leanne Wood, Paul Nuttall, Nicola Sturgeon ITV/PA Conservative party leader Theresa May during her party's general election manifesto launch in Halifax Danny Lawson/PA Demonstrations take place before the arrival of Prime Minister Theresa May as she launches the Conservative Party Election Manifesto in Halifax Getty Images Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond listens as Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during an election campaign event in east London Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn launches the party's manifesto at the University of Bradford, in Bradford Nigel Roddis/EPA Prime Minister Theresa May meets Cathy Mohan at Abingdon market in Oxfordshire during an General Election campaign visit Stefan Rousseau/PA Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron leaves the Royal College of Nursing conference at Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre following a General Election campaign visit Gareth Fuller/PA Screengrab taken from Facebook Live broadcast, hosted by ITV News of Prime Minister Theresa May answering questions sent in by users of the social media website, with presenter Robert Peston ITV News Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaking about national security and foreign policy at Chatham House in Londo David Mirzeoff/PA Jeremy Corbyn the leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party holds one year old Angelo during a campaign event in Harlow, Essex Neil Hall/Reuters Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reads with children as he visits Brentry Children Centre in Bristol on 21 April 2017 during Labour's election campaign. Steve Parsons/PA Jeremy Corbyn looks around as he arrives at Savoy Place. His vehicle hit BBC Cameraman Giles Wooltorton on the way into the garage entrance Neil P. Mockford/Getty Images British Trade Union leader Len McCluskey falls on the steps outside the Clause 5 Labour meeting to finalise the Labour manifesto in Londo Andy Rain/EPA Pro-EU campaigner Gina Miller breaks down after receiving an ovation from the crowd during her speech at the Convention on Brexit in central London Andy Rain/EPA The Liberal Democrat party campaign bus is unveiled at an event at the Harts Boatyard on 01 May 2017 in Surbiton Leon Neal/Getty Images Co-Leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, speaks during the launch of the Green Party Brexit policy at the Space Studio in London Stefan Rousseau/PA The Liberal Democrat party leader Tim Farron listens to a speech during an event at the Harts Boatyard on May 1, 2017 in Surbiton Leon Neal/Getty Images Anti-racism protesters speak to the media after being removed ahead of UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall's speech Jack Taylor/Getty Images UKIP Leader Paul Nuttall gestures as he makes a speech as the party launch their general election campaign at the Marriott County Hall Hotel on 28 April 2017 in London Jack Taylor/Getty Images Britain's opposition Labour party Leader Jeremy Corbyn walks past a bus shelter with Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton, and local councillor Satvir Kaur (right), before meeting local residents Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott Diane leaving Four Millbank in Westminster, London, following her stumbling explanation of how the party would fund its plans for 10,000 extra police in an interview that left her struggling to do the sums live on air. Victoria Jones/PA Philip Hammond and David Davis at a General Election campaign event in Central London Jeremy Selwyn Pensioner Malcolm Baker confronts Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron while he was the election campaign trail in Kidlington, near Oxford Sam Lister/PA Prime Minister Theresa May eats chips as she meets with residents in Mevagissey, south-west England Dylan Martinez/AFP/Getty Images Conservative party handout of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on a new poster, warning that families face a tax and debt bombshell under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership Conservative Party/PA Nick Clegg delivers a campaign speech on the European Union at the National Liberal Club in London Stefan Rousseau/PA Ukip leader Paul Nuttall (left) eats grapes during a walkabout in Dudley town centre in the West Midlands, with Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge (right) and Phil Durnell, West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Richard Vernalls/PA Former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband retweeted a photo of him mowing a lawn whilst canvassing in his Doncaster North constituency Jane Nightingale Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on 18 April calling for a general election Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Tory candidates urged Mrs May to clarify or refine the reforms. Mr Evans, seeking re-election as MP for Ribble Valley, said today: We need clarity and to give answers and a generalisation of a consultation will no longer do. People need to know they are not going to see their life savings haemorrhaged at a time when they are looking to their familys future.

The storm centres on the decision by No 10 to ditch the Conservative 2015 commitment to limit bills for social care to 72,000. Ministers believe an upper limit cannot be too generous because the policy must ensure extra revenues are raised towards the bills for care for the elderly. Only 10 per cent of people have care costs of more than 100,000.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Standard: We want to make sure that people who have worked hard and saved up all their lifetimes do not have to worry about losing all their assets through a disease as random as dementia. Thats why we want to introduce an absolute limit on the amount of money anyone has to pay for their care.
V oters are preparing to head to the polls on June 8 for the snap General Election, with a result expected in the early hours of the following morning.

Polling stations will be open for people to cast their votes from 7am to 10pm on the day of the election.

An exit poll published by news broadcasters at 10pm will give an indication of the result. The survey is carried out at polling stations across the UK on the day.

Counting begins after polling stations close and takes place throughout the night with the first seat usually declared before midnight. Sunderland is usually the first area to declare a result and has been for the last six general elections.

General Election 2017: What you need to know

If it is a clear victory for one party, the final result can be predictable at about 3am. All the latest polls have shown Theresa Mays Conservatives enjoying a lead over Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party.

The voting system is known as first-past-the-post. The candidate with the most votes in each of the 650 constituencies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland becomes the MP for the area.

For a party to be able to form a Government and its leader to become Prime Minister, it needs to win more than half the seats in the House of Commons  326. The party that wins the second largest number of seats becomes the main opposition party and its leader the leader of the opposition.

The results are reported in rolling media coverage throughout the night. Each local authority publishes the results for parliamentary constituencies in that area, while the Electoral Commission publishes the overall election results and the individual constituencies.

Counting can go on until the afternoon of the following day. St Ives is traditionally the last of the 650 constituencies across the UK to declare. The newly-elected Prime Minister is expected to meet the Queen later that day.
A local BBC radio station has sparked outrage after running a "guess the headline" competition about twisted child serial killer Ian Brady.

BBC Radio Leeds ran the feature during its Sunday breakfast programme, asking listeners to try and guess the famous person from a series of songs.

But listeners were angered when it became clear guest host Nathan Turvey had chosen serial killer Brady, playing Psycho Killer, and the theme tune to the Brady Bunch.

He also played All the Young Dudes and Suffer Little Children by The Smiths, a track written about the Moors murders.

The BBC has since apologised for the unacceptable feature.

Twitter users were left amazed by the broadcast.

Stuart Petch branded it "crass to the max", writing: "Think that's funny? You're kidding me?

Mr P said: Please tell me that this isnt genuine.

Killed: 12-year-old Keith Bennett's remains were never found

Darren Longhurst PT said: Jeez....someone left their brain cell on the bus #epicfail

Brady and his partner Myra Hindley tortured and murdered five children in the 1960s, burying their bodies in Saddleworth Moor.

He died last week having failed to reveal the burial site of Keith Bennett, one of the victims to the couples horrific killings.

BBC Radio Leeds ran a feature playing four songs asking listeners to guess who the songs were related to.

Announcing the winner Mr Turvey said: I think most of you worked out the answer was Ian Brady, which is someone were talking about this morning of course, who died earlier in the week.

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: This is clearly unacceptable and we apologise."

Police in the north west have vowed never to stop searching for the remains of 12-year-old victim Keith Bennett, pledging to act on all credible and actionable information.
T hese are the five biggest stories from the last 24 hours in the capital and across the globe.

Tories tear into Jeremy Corbyn after Labour buoyed by opinion polls boost

A row erupted over Jeremy Corbyn's comments on the IRA / PA

The Conservatives accused Jeremy Corbyn of "siding with Britain's enemies" in a furious onslaught following Labours success in opinion polls.

The row erupted after the Labour leader appeared in a television interview in which he faced repeated questions over whether he condemned the IRA.

Meanwhile Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also hit out at Mr Corbyn, saying he "hasn't got a clue" when it comes to Brexit and that EU negotiators would "have him for breakfast".

Pippa Middleton marries groom James Matthews in front of royals, family and friends

Kate with the bridesmaids and pageboys as they wait for sister Pippa. / Getty Images

Bride Pippa Middleton wowed the crowds and guests as she arrived at the church in a beautiful white Giles Deacon gown ahead of her wedding to James Matthews.

Pippa, 33, beamed with happiness as she showed off her famous figure in the fitted lace gown by the British designer.

On the arm of her father, Michael Middleton, Pippa smiled with joy as she arrived at the St Marks Church in a vintage car ahead of her vows.

North Korea carries out another missile test despite UN warnings

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves to scientists and technicians (file photo) / REUTERS

North Korea carried out another missile test despite warnings form the United Nations and US President Donald Trump.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile was fired on Sunday afternoon, near capital city Pyongyang.

It comes a week after the secretive country successfully tested a new midrange missile that could reportedly carry a nuclear warhead.

Moped thieves target lone mobile phone users in spate of muggings across south London

Attempted theft: A gang failed to steal their victim's scooter / YouTube

Police issued a warning after thugs on mopeds and bikes targeted mobile phone users in a spate of muggings across south London.

Gangs on scooters and push bikes hit six lone victims while they walked along holding their devices in their hands, Southwark police said.

Two thefts occurred in Burgess Park on Saturday afternoon while muggers also struck in Old Kent Road, Elephant and Castle and Walworth.

Champions sign off in style as John Terry says goodbye to Stamford Bridge

Chelsea lift the Premier League title / Getty Images

Chelsea lifted the Premier League trophy on Sunday as long-serving captain John Terry said goodbye to Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte's men were crowned champions nine days ago after Michy Batshuayi's 82nd-minute goal secured a 1-0 win against West Brom at the Hawthorns, but signed off in style with a thumping 5-1 win over Sunderland.

John Terry was given a guard of honour after he was substituted on the 26th minute, before the club captain took the mic at full time to address the fans after being presented with their fifth Premier League title.
D onald Trump arrived in Israel today hoping to revive his presidency by preparing the ground for a Middle East peace deal.

The embattled US president was due to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders over two days, with the shadow of the Russia-gate scandal in Washington still hanging over him.

He was likely to face questions about his decision to share classified Israeli information on Islamic State with Russian officials last week.

Mr Trump insisted he was within his rights to share the information despite it allegedly putting the source  understood to be an Israeli spy embedded within IS  in danger.

The Israelis will also want to know more about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Mr Trump announced on Saturday in Riyadh. Senior Israeli officials described the sale as trouble.

According to the Jerusalem Post, some Israeli ministers threatened to boycott the airport welcome ceremony because of Mr Trumps mixed messages about their country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to issue an order instructing them to attend.

The president has told aides that he regards his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as the key to unlocking the Middle East impasse. Mr Trump and his advisers, including Jason Greenblatt his long-serving business lawyer, were first to have a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem.

Mr Trump was expected to lay a wreath at the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem before meeting Mr Netanyahu. Later this evening, accompanied by First Lady Melania, Mr Trump will have dinner with the Prime Minister and his wife.

Tomorrow he will sit down with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem. Middle East analysts believe the climate is ripe for an agreement, especially since Israel was taking steps to improve relations with initiatives such as construction permits for sites along the West Bank.

Mr Trump remains confident that daughter Ivankas husband can establish a path to peace. If you cant produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can, he told Mr Kushner during a speech at a pre-inauguration dinner on January 20.

Mr Trump surprised Mr Netanyahu during a visit to the White House by asking him to delay laying down settlements in Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, the father of former FBI director James Comey said he believed Mr Trump fired his son because the president was scared to death of him.

J. Brien Comey told CNN his son was a straightforward and honest guy.

But he said he thought the president had got rid of him because Jim tells the truth (while) Trump runs around lying most of the day.

The president has come under heavy fire since axing the popular FBI chief, who was overseeing an investigation into the Trump campaign teams alleged links with Russia.
D onald Trump has been relentlessly mocked on social media and likened to a film villain after a bizarre photo emerged of him rubbing a glowing orb.

The US leader was pictured alongside Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi at a summit in Riyadh with their hands on the bright ball.

Taken during a summit in Riyadh during his state tour, Mr Trump was on a visit to a new anti-extremism centre at the time.

As part of the opening ceremony, the three men placed their hands on the glowing globe.

But the simple explanation did not stop the image becoming an instant meme.

Many people invented previous tweets from the President. One simply read: All hail orb.

Another said: Disgusting of Barack Obama to touch the Saudi orb.

I would never touch the precious orb despite its immense and alluring power.

Other tweets continued on a similar theme.

Another tweeter likened the scene to something from the Lord of the Rings.

Some people even suggested it was part of a strange Illuminati ceremony.

The visit was Mr Trump's first official foreign trip as US President and he used it to call for action against Islamic extremism.

Mr Trump arrived in Israel on Monday as his diplomatic tour continued.
I ndonesian police have arrested more than 100 men in a raid on a gay sex party in the capital city Jakarta.

Authorities descended on The Wild One event, held at a sauna and gym, on Sunday evening.

Police spokesman Agus Yuwono confirmed that a total of 141 men were detained, including a Briton and a Singaporean.

The owner and several performers were also reportedly among those held for questioning over the event, which cost 185,000 rupiahs (10) to attend.

Police arrested 141 men in the raid on the party / AP

It comes a day before two men are due to be publicly flogged for having homosexual relations in the northern province of Aceh.

Homosexuality is not illegal under Indonesian law except in Aceh, where Shariah law is practised following a concession made by the national government to end a years-long war with separatists.

However, police said the men arrested at the party may be charged under harsh anti-pornography laws.

"There were gay people who were caught strip-teasing and masturbating in the scene," Mr Yuwono told BBC Indonesian.

In Aceh, the Shariah code implemented two years ago allows up to 100 lashes for "morality offences" including gay sex.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Constitutional Court is currently considering a judicial review seeking to criminalise sex outside marriage and sex between people of the same gender.
A woman whose husband punched a shark that almost bit her foot off in a terrifying attack has hailed him a hero for saving her life.

Speaking for the first time since the horrific encounter in the South Atlantic, mother-of-two Frankie Gonsalves revealed she needed four operations to save her foot.

The 40-year-old Londoner was snorkelling with her husband Dean when the 9ft Galapagos shark clamped on to her as her children paddled nearby.

Mr Gonsalves reportedly punched the large predator to scare it away near English Bay on Ascension Island, 1,000 miles off west Africa, on April 21.

I owe my life to Dean. Were it not for his quick thinking, I would have been dragged to my death, his wife, a social worker on St Helena, told the Mail.

The attack came out of nowhere. One minute I was swimming in clear water, the next I saw a huge mass of grey. Just as I realised it was a massive shark, I felt its jaws clamp on my ankle.

The mother-of-two was being attacked by a shark before her husband punched it to scare it away / Shutterstock

Mrs Gonsalves, who lives with Dean and their children 11-year-old Katie and Louis, seven, in Ealing, said she was in such shock when the shark struck that she didnt feel any pain.

She described how she saw her children crying as they desperately tried to swim to shore, which was just 15 yards away.

Mr Gonsalves, who reportedly punched the creature three times, said he remembers how hard it felt, saying: It was like hitting a metal bar with sandpaper over it.

He said: Each time I punched its head and it swam off. After what seemed a long time, but was probably minutes, I felt bystanders drag me out of the water, so exhausted I could barely stand.

After being treated in the local hospital, the family were five days later flown back to Britain where she received surgery at St Marys Hospital in west London.

She said: Dean is not only my husband, but my hero.
A big game hunter has been crushed to death by an elephant which was shot by another member of his group in Zimbabwe.

South African Theunis Botha, 51, who is well-known for his trophy hunting exploits, was leading an expedition in a game reserve when they ran into a group of elephants.

The elephants, including pregnant females, reportedly became distressed and three charged towards the hunters.

Mr Botha began shooting with his rifle which prompted a fourth elephant to rush towards him and lift him up with her trunk, according to Netwerk24.

Another member of his party then reportedly fired at the elephant, which collapsed dead on top of Mr Botha, killing him as well.

The incident, which took place near Hwange National Park, led fellow hunters to pay tribute to a world-class houndsman on social media.

Mr Botha, who reportedly took wealthy US customers on hunting trips in southern Africa, leaves behind a wife and five children.

He had been good friends with another hunter, Scott van Zyl, who was also recently killed by crocodiles on a river in Zimbabwe.
A dam Sandler received a standing ovation after his new film The Meyerowitz Stories screened at Cannes, defying his critics.

The US actor has been criticised for his poor film choices in recent years but was lauded for his performance in Noah Baumbachs new Netflix film as it screened for press on Sunday night.

Following the premiere at the Grand Palais, the audience gave the film a four-minute standing ovation, with special praise going to Sandler for his performance.

Earlier in the day, Sandler told how he had got misty-eyed when he first read the script and was worried about letting anybody down.

Rave review: Adam Sandler has been praised for his role in The Meyerowitz Stories / Netflix

Its different for a comedian when you get an offer like this, he said. My first thought is, I dont want to let anybody down and work as hard as I can to know the material and be as good as I can be.

Sandler plays a straight role in Baumbachs comedy about a dysfunctional New York family, opposite Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

Cannes Film Festival 2017 - In pictures 1 /160 Cannes Film Festival 2017 - In pictures Nicole Kidman and her husband musician Keith Urban REUTERS Nicole Kidman, Irish actor Colin Farrell and British actress Raffey Cassidy pose following the screening of the film 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Eva Longoria attends the "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer" screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Dave Benett Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban attend the official after party for "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" at the Nikki Beach pop-up during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Dave Benett Eva Longoria attends the "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer" screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival AP Jordan Dunn poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer at the 70th international film festival, Cannes Reuters Nicole Kidman poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer at the 70th international film festival, Cannes, AP Andie MacDowell poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer at the 70th international film festival, Cannes AP Izabel Goulart poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer at the 70th international film festival, Cannes, Arthur Mola/Invision/AP Sara Sampaio poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer at the 70th international film festival, Cannes AP Bernie Taupin, Spike Lee and Sir Elton John attend the World Premiere screening of 'The Cut', Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin's classics "Rocket Man", "Tiny Dancer" and "Bennie And The Jets" reimagined in video, supported by YouTube at The Cannes Film Festival at the Cinema Olympia in Cannes Dave Benett Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan attend the official after party for "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" at the Nikki Beach pop-up during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Dave Benett Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid attend the Fashion for Relief gala dinner during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Dave Benett Nicole Kidman signs autographs Eric Gaillard/Reuters Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore, and Salma Hayek Pinault attend the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Ro Dave Benett Jessica Chastain arrives for the premiere of 'The Meyerowitz Stories' during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Uma Thurman arrives for the Kering Women In Motion awards during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman pose for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Meyerowitz Stories at the 70th international film festival, Cannes AP Nicole Kidman poses for photographers during the photo call for the film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer at the 70th international film festival Arthur Mola/Invision/AP Salma Hayek arrives for the Kering Women In Motion awards during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Dustin Hoffman takes a picture as he attends the "The Meyerowitz Stories" photocall during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Andie MacDowell attends the "The Meyerowitz Stories" screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Olga Kurylenko poses for photographers upon arrival at the screening of the film The Meyerowitz Stories at the 70th international film festival, Cannes AP Salma Hayek and Jessica Chastain attend the Women in Motion Awards Dinner at the 70th Cannes Film Festival Getty Images for Kering British-Thai actress Araya Hargate poses as she arrives on May 21, 2017 for the screening of the film 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Ben Stiller and Dustin Hoffman pose as they arrive on May 21, 2017 for the screening of the film 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festiva AFP/Getty Images Salma Hayek and Isabelle Huppert arrive for the Kering Women In Motion awards during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Robin Wright poses during the 'Kering Women in Motion Talk' photocall at the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Juliette Binoche arrives for the Kering Women In Motion awards during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Isabelle Huppert arrives for the Kering Women In Motion awards during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes EPA Kate Moss attends the Fashion for Relief gala dinner during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu Dave Benett Naomi Campbell on the catwalk at the Fashion For Relief Charity Fashion Show as part of the 70th Cannes Film Festival PA Arizona Muse, Petra Nemcova, and Isabeli Fontana attend the Vanity Fair and Chopard Party celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Jessica Chastain attends the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Mary J. Blige attends the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Lily Collins attends the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Julianne Moore attends the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Bella Hadid walks the runway at the Fashion for Relief event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu Dave Benett Kendall Jenner poses backstage at the Fashion for Relief event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Dave Benett Bella Hadid poses backstage at the Fashion for Relief event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu Dave Benett Laura Bailey attends the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Arizona Muse attends the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Daniela Lopez and Allie Rizzo attend a dinner hosted by Jamie Reuben & Michael Kives with Arnold Schwarzenegger to celebrate Jean-Michel Cousteau's "Wonders Of The Sea" during the 70th International Cannes Film Festival at Villa Golden Gate Dave Benett Uma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzenegger attend the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Emma Thompson and Jake Gyllenhaal attend the Vanity Fair and HBO Dinner celebrating the Cannes Film Festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Dave Benett Kendall Jenner, Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid attend the Fashion for Relief gala dinner during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu Dave Benett Jourdan Dunn attends the Fashion for Relief cocktail party during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Dave Benett Kate Moss walks the runway at the Fashion for Relief event during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Aeroport Cannes Mandelieu Dave Benett Dave Benett Lily Collins attends the photocall for 'Okja' during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes EPA View on British actress Lily Collins' tattoo reading 'Love always and forever' as she attends the photocall for 'Okja' during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Tilda Swinton poses for photographers during the photo call for the film Okja at the 70th international film festival AP Jake Gyllenhaal poses during a photocall for the film 'Okja' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Director JR jumps during a photocall for the film "Visages, villages" (Faces Places) out of competition at 70th Cannes Film Festival Reuters Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal pose on May 19, 2017 during a photocall for the film 'Okja' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes AFP/Getty Images Rihanna attends the Chopard dinner in honour of her and the Rihanna X Chopard Collection during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Jeremy Scott and Cara Delevingne attends Magnum party during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival PA Petra Nemcova attends the Chopard dinner in honour of Rihanna and the Rihanna X Chopard Collection during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Julianne Moore attends the Chopard dinner in honour of Rihanna and the Rihanna X Chopard Collection during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Winnie Harlow attends the Chopard dinner in honour of Rihanna and the Rihanna X Chopard Collection during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Tallia Storm attends Magnum party during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Cara Delevingne attends Magnum party during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Petra Nemcova attends the Chopard dinner in honour of Rihanna and the Rihanna X Chopard Collection during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Julianne Moore attends the Chopard dinner in honour of Rihanna and the Rihanna X Chopard Collection during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Tallia Storm arrives for the screening of 'Nelyubov' (Loveless) during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Emily Ratajkowski arrives for the screening of 'Nelyubov' (Loveless) during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Lily Donaldson arrives for the screening of 'Nelyubov' (Loveless) during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Winnie Harlow attends the "Loveless (Nelyubov)" screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Uma Thurman arrives for the screening of 'Nelyubov' (Loveless) during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Petra Nemcova attends the "Loveless (Nelyubov)" screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Reuters Adriana Lima attends the "Loveless (Nelyubov)" screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Reuters Julianne Moore poses during a photocall for the film 'Wonderstruck' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Michelle Williams poses during the photocall for the film 'Wonderstruck' at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Millicent Simmonds, Julianne Moore, Todd Haynes, Jaden Michael and Michelle Williams pose during the photocall for 'Wonderstruck' at the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Emily Ratajkowski poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Bella Hadid is greeted by Susan Sarandon as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski have their own first night Cannes after-party on a yacht Mistress of Ceremony actress Monica Bellucci kisses actor Alex Lutz on stage Reuters Bella Hadid poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival EPA Lily-Rose Depp poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Uma Thurman poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Reuters Naomie Harris poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Arthur Mola/Invision/AP Jessica Chastain arrives on stage during the opening ceremony of the 70th international film festival in Cannes AP Marion Cotillard, Louis Garrel and Charlotte Gainsbourg attend the "Ismael's Ghosts (Les Fantomes d'Ismael)" screening and Opening Gala during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals Getty Images Lily-Rose Depp poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AP Eva Herzigova poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Will Smith poses for selfies as he arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Elle Fanning poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Julianne Moore and Susan Sarandon arrive for the screening of 'Les Fantomes d'Ismael' (Ismael's Ghosts) and the Opening Ceremony of the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival EPA Hailey Baldwin poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Rex Features Emily Ratajkowski poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Ceremony host Monica Bellucci arrives on stage during the opening of the 70th international film festival inCannes AP Naomie Harris poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Elle Fanning and Susan Sarandon arrive for the screening of 'Les Fantomes d'Ismael' (Ismael's Ghosts) and the Opening Ceremony of the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Jessica Chastain poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Barbara Meier and Naomie Harris pose as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Emily Ratajkowski poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival Getty Images Bella Hadid poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Sara Sampaio poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Ismael's Ghosts' (Les Fantomes d'Ismael) during the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Adrien Brody and Lara Lieto attend the "Ismael's Ghosts (Les Fantomes d'Ismael)" screening and Opening Gala during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals Getty Images Bella Hadid arrives at Nice airport ahead of the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Photopix/GC Images Pedro Almodovar, Jury President of the 70th Cannes Film Festival and Jury members Jessica Chastain and Will Smith Reuters Marion Cotillard attends the "Ismael's Ghosts (Les Fantomes d'Ismael)" photocall during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals Getty Images Susan Sarandon waves as she arrives on May 16, 2017 at the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel on the eve of the opening ceremony AFP/Getty Images Jury member Jessica Chastain attends the Jury photocall during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals Getty Images Italian actress and master of ceremonies Monica Bellucci waves during a photocall ahead of the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images Julianne Moore arrives at Nice airport ahead of the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival GC Images Elle Fanning arrives at a cocktail reception for the jury at the Martinez Hotel EPA The official poster, featuring actress Claudia Cardinale, is seen on the facade of the festival palace Reuters Marion Cotillard and Charlotte Gainsbourg attend the "Ismael's Ghosts (Les Fantomes d'Ismael)" photocall during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals AP Bella Hadid arrives at Nice airport ahead of the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival Photopix/GC Images Will Smith AFP/Getty Images Susan Sarandon AFP/Getty Images Jessica Chastain smiles upon arrival in Cannes Rex Features Will Smith arrives AFP/Getty Images Elle Fanning EPA Spanish director and President of the Feature Film Jury Pedro Almodovar waves as he arrives at the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez on the eve of the opening ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival AFP/Getty Images My ever constant traveling companion #Chaplin #Cannes2017. Jessica Chastain Instagram's a picture of her flying to Cannes with her dog Jessica Chastain Staff members lay out the red carpet outside the Palais des Festivals AFP/Getty Images

He was last at the Cannes Film Festival back in 2002 to promote Punch Drunk Love.

Sandler recently signed a multi-film deal with Netflix, with many of his films for the racking up impressive viewing figures on the streaming site.

Cannes Film Festival 2017: Stars on the red carpet

Despite the success of recent film, The Ridiculous Six, it was universally panned by critics and received 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Neflix is also screening film Bong Joon-hos Okja in competition at this years festival, which has become a bone of contention among jurors.

Jury president Pedro Almodovar has argued that any film that isnt available to watch in cinemas shouldnt be up for the Palme dOr.
B rian May has revealed his late Queen bandmate Freddie Mercury lost most of his foot while battling AIDS.

The iconic frontman died at his home in west London, aged 45, on November 24, 1991 of bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.

May has opened up about Mercurys illness in his new book Queen in 3-D, in which he recalled the time he was left upset on learning how much pain his friend was in.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: The problem was actually his foot, and tragically there was very little left of it. Once, he showed it to us at dinner.

Stage presence: Freddie Mercury / Hulton Archive/Getty Images

And he said, Oh Brian, Im sorry Ive upset you by showing you that. And I said, Im not upset, Freddie, except to realise you have to put up with all this terrible pain.

May also revealed that he and the other members of Queen knew that Mercury was battling the disease, but struggled to come to terms with it.

Brian May attends unveiling of English Heritage plaque at Freddie Mercury's childhood home

May recalled: He said, I suppose you realise that Im dealing with this illness. Of course, we all knew [he had AIDS], but we didnt want to. He said, You probably gather that Im dealing with this thing and I dont want to talk about it and I dont want our lives to change, but thats the situation. And then he would move on.

May said the magic cocktail of drugs - which means HIV and Aids is no longer considered a certain death sentence - came too late for Mercury.

Freddie Mercury - In pictures 1 /20 Freddie Mercury - In pictures Freddie Mercury on stage at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes on 5 June 1982 Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 3rd September 1984: British rock group Queen in concert with singer Freddie Mercury 1982: Rock singer Freddie Mercury Steve Wood/Express/Getty Images Singer songwriter Elton John (Reginald Dwight) with star of musicals Peter Straker, and Freddie Mercury in 1977 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Freddie Mercury performing with Queen in June 1977 Gary Merrin/Keystone/Getty Images) circa 1975: Freddie Mercury Keystone/Getty Images circa 1975: Freddie Mercury, lead singer of 70s hard rock quartet Queen, in concert during the group's British tour. Keystone/Getty Images Freddie Mercury with British rock group Queen in September 1976 Ian Tyas/Keystone/Getty Images Musicians Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) and Roger Taylor of British rock band Queen perform a free concert in London's Hyde Park on 18 September 1976 Keystone Features/Getty Images Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) in concert with Queen in June 1977 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock group "Queen", during a concert at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy on 18 September 1984 AFP/Getty Images Freddie Mercury on stage in 1984 Hulton Archive/Getty Images Freddie Mercury's 38th Birthday Party at Xenon Nightclub, London in 1985 with Mary Austin Rex ONE TIME USE Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ilpo Musto/REX (1271607aj) Freddie Mercury and Brian May of Queen in concert at Rasunda Football Stadium, Stockholm in 1986 Rex Freddie Mercury with close friend Dave Clark at the Groucho Club, London in 1989 Rex

He added: He missed by just a few months. If it had been a bit later he would still have been with us, I'm sure.

Hmmm. You can't do 'what if ' can you? You can't go there because therein lies madness.

Born Farrokh Bulsar in Zanzibar on September 5, 1946, Mercury moved with his family to Middlesex in England in 1964 before meeting May and Roger Taylor and forming Queen in 1970.

The band went on to record a multitude of hits including Bohemian Rhapsody and Dont Stop Me Now before Mercurys death in 1991.

He was posthumously awarded the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music in 1992 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
A fter announcing he was retiring from royal duties earlier at the beginning of May, ITV takes a look back over Prince Philips 70 years in the public eye.

Presented by Alan Titchmarsh, who has interviewed Philip several times, the one-off special will focus on the longest-serving royal consorts life and career.

The programme will also include one of the Dukes last official interviews as well as anecdotes from his close friends, giving viewers an unusually personal insight into a man who Titchmarsh credits with modernising the royal family.

Titchmarsh also follows Philip off duty at the Royal Windsor Horse show, a short time after announcing his retirement and considers what his stepping down could mean for the Royal Familys future.

Prince Philip: The Duke of Edinburgh - In pictures 1 /90 Prince Philip: The Duke of Edinburgh - In pictures Getty Images 2020 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, looking at their homemade wedding anniversary card, given to them by their great grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, ahead of their 73rd wedding anniversary PA 2020 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrives for the transfer of the Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles ceremony at Windsor castle AFP via Getty Images 2020 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle. The Queen in the 70th year of her reign PA 2017 Prince Philip, in his role as Captain General, Royal Marines, attends a Parade to mark the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge on the Buckingham Palace Forecourt Getty Images 1947 Princess Elizabeth (The Queen) and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at their wedding in 1947 1969 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh painting at Buckingham on 15 June 1969 Joan Willams/Rex Features 2008 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh laugh as they watch the games during the Annual Braemar Highland Gathering on 06 September 2008 Getty Images 2019 The Duke of Edinburgh talks to the Duke of Sussex as they leave after the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle PA 2019 The Duke of Edinburgh watching Lady Louise Windsor in the Adelaide Arena during the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor, Berkshire PA 2019 Prince Philip stands with other guests as he as they leave following the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA 2018 The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh wait for the carriage carrying Princess Eugenie of York and her husband Jack Brooksbank to pass at the start of the procession after their wedding ceremony at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018 AFP/Getty Images 2018 The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of the royal family wave, after the wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle AP 2018 Prince Philip waves as he is driven away from King Edward VII's Hospital where he underwent hip replacement surgery Reuters 2017 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh gestures as he is followed by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry with Meghan arriving to attend the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Day church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk AFP via Getty Images 2017 Prince Philip, in his role as Captain General, Royal Marines, attends a Parade to mark the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge on the Buckingham Palace Forecourt Reuters 2017 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Honorary Life Member, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is shown a cricket bat which belonged to West Indies batsman Eveton Weekes, by former England cricketer John Stephenson during his visit to open the new Warner Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground AFP/Getty Images 2017 The Duke of Edinburgh talks to school children from St Edwards Catholic Primary School, during a visit to Lord's cricket ground PA 2017 The Duke of Edinburgh, The Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall observe from a balcony during the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph PA 2017 The Queen and Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh (C-R) attend the Royal Maundy Service in Leicester Cathedral EPA 2017 Prince Philip prepares to sign the guest book during the Royal Maundy service at Leicester Cathedral Reuters 2017 The Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh leave the National Army Museum in London Reuters 2017 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Tom Cruise meet during a dinner to mark the 75th anniversary of the Outward Bound Trust at Buckingham Palace Getty Images 2017 The Queen watches Prince Philip feed an elephant during a visit to Whipsnade Zoo Reuters 2016 The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot Getty Images 2016 The Queen's Speech as Prince Philip listens during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords on 18 May 2016 AP 2016 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave St Paul's Cathedral in London following a national service of thanksgiving to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen PA 2016 The Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Edinburgh and Peter Phillips in the Royal Box during the Patron's Lunch in The Mall, central London, in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday PA 2016 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh leaves a service of thanksgiving for the Queen's 90th birthday at St Paul's cathedral Getty Images 2016 The Queen ccompanied by her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh greet well wishers during a 'walkabout' on her 90th birthday in Windsor, west of London, on April 21, 2016. Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images 2015 Prince Philip leaves after attending the British royal family's traditional Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham on 25 December 2015 AP 2015 The Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Cambridge during the Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham, London PA 2015 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh smiles during a visit to the headquarters of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force's (RAuxAF) 603 Squadron on July 4, 2015 in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images 2014 The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visit the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red poppy installation at the Tower of London on 16 October 2014 2014 Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince Harry and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge look on from the balcony during Trooping the Colour - Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Parade, at The Royal Horseguards on 14 June 2014 Getty Images 2014 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attends day two of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on 18 June 2014 Getty Images 2014 The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attend the Thistle Service at St Giles' Cathedral on July 3, 2014 in Edinburgh, Scotland on 03 July 2014 Getty Images 2014 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh speaks with guests in the Great Hall as he attended a commemorative service for the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle on 03 July in 2014 Getty Images 2013 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, have an audience with Pope Francis, during their one-day visit to Rome in Vatican City Getty Images 2012 The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh look out from the Spirit of Chartwell during the Diamond Jubilee Thames River Pageant on 03 June in 2012, Getty Images 2011 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh meets female Chelsea pensioner Majorie Cole during a visit to the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey Getty Images 2011 Queen Elizabeth II poses with U.S. President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle Obama and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace ahead of a State Banquet on May 24, 2011 Getty Images 2010 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attends a reception at the Ambassador's residence in Muscat, Oman Getty Images 2009 The Queen and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrive in the parade ring in a horse drawn carriage on the first day of Royal Ascot Getty Images 2007 The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh walk at Broadlands AFP/Getty Images 2006 The Queen and her husband The Duke of Edinburgh ride out of Buckingham Palace towards Horse Guards Parade AFP/Getty Images 2006 The Duke of Edinburgh speaks to Prince William and Prince Harry at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy after The Sovereign's Parade that marked the completion of Prince Harry's Officer training PA 2005 The Duke of Edinburgh rides on his mini motorbike during the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Home Park, Windsor Castle Getty Images 2003 HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at the dressage event of the International Grand Prix in the Royal Windsor Horse Show on 16 May 2003 at Home Park, Windsor Castle Getty Images 1997 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales walk outside Westminster Abbey during the funeral service for Diana, Princess of Wales AFP/Getty Images 1991 Kuwait. British forces homecoming parade. The Queen wiith Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Associated Newspapers 1989 The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh watch the fly past of The Trooping the Colour in 1989 Associated Newspapers 1986 The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, on the Great Wall of China at the Bedaling Pass PA 1977 The Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wave goodbye at Heathrow Airport today, as they embark on the Queen's Silver Jubilee Tour of Canada Associated Newspapers 1976 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh drives a team of bays owned by Queen Elizabeth II whilst competing in the Marathon event at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Berkshire on 15 May 1976 Getty Images 1975 M.C.C. president Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh looks on as West Indies captain Clive Lloyd raises the trophy after his team won the final of the Prudential World Cup against Australia on 23 June 1975 Getty Images 1967 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (centre) meets Kumara, a 7 month-old elephant, during a visit to Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire on 19 July 1967 Getty Images 1958 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh playing cricket at Highclere Castle, Highclere, Hampshire on 03 August 1958 Getty Images 1958 English boat designer Uffa Fox sailing at Cowes with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Charles, Prince of Wales at Isle of Wight in 1958 Getty Images 1957 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on television, broadcasting from Studio 2 at Riverside, Hammersmith. Prince Philip, making his television debut as lecturer-entertainer in BBC Children's Hour, overran his time by 12 minutes eight seconds on 17 May 1957 1951 Princess Elizabeth and Philip, wearing formal dress as they attend a concert at Festival Hall, London in May 1951 Getty Images circa 1951 Princess Elizabeth and Philip with their two children, Charles and Anne AFP/Getty Images 1950 Philip at polo on 1 June 1950 Getty Images 1949 Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh hold their first child Prince Charles (aged six months) in April 1949 PA 1949 Philip climbing a ladder as he visits Aberdovey Training Camp, Wales in July 1949 Getty Images 1949 Princess Elizabeth talking to Philip at the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, England on 12 May 1949 Getty Images 1948 Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, taking an oath as he receives the Freedom of the City of London, watched by Princess Elizabeth and the Mayor of London (right), Guildhall, London on 8 June 1948 Getty Images Circa 1927-1930 Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, as a boy PA

The Prince gave up the chance of a glittering naval career when he married the Queen and exchanged one kind of service for another, becoming one of the hardest-working members of the royal family.

Hell most likely be remembered for his many gaffes, but Philips legacy also includes the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, a presidency of the World Wildlife Fund and association with over 780 charities and organisations.

The Duke has been married to the Queen for almost 70 years, with the couple due to reach their platinum wedding anniversary in November this year.

Prince Philip: 70 Years of Service will air on ITV at 9pm tonight.
D iane, Im watching Twin Peaks: The Return and, even amid a cacophony of expectations, it has lost none of its capacity to unsettle.

David Lynch and Mark Frosts transcendental murder mystery ran for 30 episodes in 1990-91, causing TV audiences nightmares on both sides of the Atlantic. Of the choice exhibits on display last night, I think my favourite would have to be a pulsating organ resembling a testicle with a mouth perched on the top of a tree branch saying: 253. Time and time again. Bob. Bob. Bob. Go now! Go now!

The first two hours of the 18-hour revival also provided us with a jet-black man levitating in a prison cell; a sinister Ace of Spades; and a cautionary image of what might happen if you have sex at work.

The locale of Twin Peaks  the Pacific Northwest mill town devastated by the murder of schoolgirl Laura Palmer  was glimpsed only in a few scenes. Instead, Lynch offered a dark and multi-stranded narrative, a series of cryptic clues (430; Richard and Linda; the secretarys car), a groaning soundtrack and the sure touch of one of Hollywoods truest auteurs.

Return of a classic: the new series of Twin Peaks sees Kyle MacLachlan revisit his role as Agent Cooper / Suzanne Tenner/SHOWTIME

Much of the action takes place at the Red Room, the velvet-curtained purgatory where the soul of FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) was trapped at the end of the second season, his body possessed by the demon spirit Bob. We learn that the evil Cooper is due back to the Black Lodge soon.

Then we have a strand in a New York tower block, where a college student (Ben Rosenfield) is being paid by a mysterious billionaire to monitor a creepy glass box. Theres a cutaway to Las Vegas, too, where a Mr Todd (Patrick Fischler) informs his young associate: You better hope you never get involved with someone like him.

But the most Lynchean happenings take place in Buckhorn, South Dakota, where the police are investigating the murder of a librarian, beheaded in bed. The evidence fingers the local high-school principal (Matthew Lillard). Meanwhile, the evil Cooper is at large nearby, with a striking new look: long hair, black leather jacket, a snake-print shirt.

Twin Peaks - what the cast looks like now 1 /6 Twin Peaks - what the cast looks like now Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper Twin Peaks Productions / Showtime Dana Ashbrook as Bobby Briggs Twin Peaks Productions / Showtime Kimmy Robertson as Lucy Moran Twin Peaks Productions / Showtime James Marshall as James Hurley Twin Peaks Productions / Showtime Harry Goaz as Deputy Andy Brennan Twin Peaks Productions / Showtime

One question hanging over the revival was: would Twin Peaks still seem special now that so many shows have been born in its image? There are echoes of The Bridge and Stranger Things. But these are not so much borrowings as Ill-have-that-backs, and Lynch is too distinctive a director ever to seem anything other than himself.

More of its time is the emphasis on sexualised violence. In the original, Lynch didnt linger over the brutality of Palmers murder but let you feel its effect through the emotions of her friends and family. Lynch now has more control. Perhaps inevitably, whats sacrificed is the magic of TV as populist medium, where a random viewer might tune in hoping for a soap opera, only to be taken somewhere else entirely.

Still, the last scene at the Bang Bang bar does locate that note of rhapsodic emotion. The Chromatics sing Shadow, James (James Marshall) makes eyes at Shelly (Madchen Amick), and youre only too happy to be haunted again.
One-hundred twenty-eight students from the Class of 2017 graduated from Gering High School on Sunday, May 21.

The graduation ceremony was held in the gymnasium of Western Nebraska Community College where the students turned their tassels in front of friends and family.

They (the class of 2017) have done some pretty amazing things, Principal Eldon Hubbard said.

Hubbard referenced students such as Rebekah Rawlings who received two gold and one silver medal at state track on Friday and Saturday and Jim Eastman who has helped out with the high schools video production. He is looking forward to what the class will do as they embark on their next stage in life.

Im excited to start my life, graduate Dreah Hinze said.

The class had three salutatorians: Danika Atchison, Shelly Reza and Dalton Scott, and three valedictorians: Rebecca Boyd, Grant Maser and Austin Schilz. The top 10 in the class were also recognized and wore medallions during the ceremony. Students included: Kaylee Bohnsack, Courtney Conn, Whitney Kleich, Samantha Powers and Rebekah Rawlings.

In addition, students who plan to serve the country were also recognized during the ceremony. Keaton Ebbers and Daniel Merritt plan to serve in the United States Air Force, Amanda Horrocks plans to serve in the United States Marine Corps, Alexis Robles and Daniel Marshall plan to attend college and serve in the National Guard.

Before the ceremony, some students discussed how it hasnt quite hit them yet that they are graduating, but graduate Jefferson Lenoir said the reality has definitely hit him already.

Ive been mentally done for a while, today just made it official, Lenoir said. It feels good, like the first step to adulthood.

Gering High Schools foreign exchange student, Yessenia t Kint who is from Belgium and her host family, Dr. Todd and Annie Boggs were also recognized during the ceremony.

During the ceremony, the band performed under the direction of Randy Raines, Harmony performed under the direction of Shelley Muggli and four students gave commencement speeches. The speakers, each of which had to try out in front of Gering staff and school board members, included Austin Schilz, Emma Sterkel, Rebecca Boyd and Sydney Havengar.

Each year Gering High School counselors, David Lashley and Sharyl Hamer, inform the students of scholarships and help them apply for them. During the ceremony, Lashley announced that the Class of 2017 had $2.6 million dollars in scholarship offers.
Rural Romania is still "less attractive financially" for the banks, on Monday asserted Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu, adding that it is high time for at least an ATM to exist in each village or commune.

"Rural Romania is still too little attractive financially for you and I can understand this, but perhaps it is high time that apart from the church, the mayoralty, the school and the socialising place, so to say, there is at least an ATM in each village or commune. I am not asking you for pioneering or volunteering, I'm asking you to think to the huge potential of the rural area that is gathering currently half of Romania's population and, in my opinion, unlimited opportunities," Grindeanu told the participants in the Financial Market Forum.

According to the Premier, the payments and financial transactions through the digital technology are more and more frequent.

"If we look (...) at the evolution of the most developed countries, where such payments are almost exclusively online, we realise that our country, too in rapid steps, is heading to this direction. The advantages of these technologies do not surprise anybody, anymore - way less bureaucracy, shorter time allocated for transactions, cheaper financial-banking products and services for the people, a limitation of the grey economy and the growth (...) of our economy's attractiveness for the foreign investors," also stated Grindeanu.

The Financial Market Forum is organised on Monday in Bucharest by the Romanian Association of Banks (ARB). The event is attended by the National Bank of Romania (BNR)'s governor, Mugur Isarescu.

agerpres.
Missouri lawmakers convene in special session Monday afternoon in Jefferson City for what Gov. Eric Greitens says is an attempt to bring hundreds of jobs to the southeast corner of the state  but which some contend looks like an attempt to coddle a key Greitens political donor, potentially at the expense of electric utility ratepayers.

Greitens issued last week his call to lawmakers to return to work at 4 p.m. Monday, after adjourning their regular session for the year on May 12.

We are fighting to bring more jobs to the people of Missouri, Greitens said in a statement Thursday. Some career politicians failed to do their jobs and then went home. Thats wrong. Were canceling their summer vacations and calling a special session to get this done.

At issue is a bill that Greitens wants passed that backers say could help lure both a potential steel mill to New Madrid and restart the former Noranda aluminum plant in Missouris impoverished Bootheel region.

The measure would allow Ameren to charge lower electric rates to large steel and aluminum plants in the area.

The people of southeast Missouri are counting on (Gov. Greitens), Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, a proponent of the legislation, told the Post-Dispatch last week.

The problem, say critics, is that by loosening the regulatory process around Ameren, the monopoly utility could ultimately end up charging more to regular individual ratepayers  a potentially controversial concession to the utility, which has been a six-figure political donor to Greitens.

This would leave businesses and families vulnerable to monopoly utilities, such as Ameren, Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, said in a statement. We cannot now allow monopoly electric companies to control legislation that could put our remaining job providers out of business with unreasonable electric charges.

Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, was blunt on Twitter last week: Appearance of Impropriety = Greitens calling a special session for Ameren, having taken $178K (not including dark) from electric utilities, he wrote. Dark refers to money that cant be traced, such as any money donated to a nonprofit that Greitens aides set up to promote his agenda.

Rone had proposed an amendment to a bill last session that included provisions allowing the special rates for aluminum and steel facilities. But John Coffman, an attorney for the Consumers Council of Missouri, said that seems like a smokescreen to provide cover for another portion of the legislation.

At issue, he said, is one paragraph giving utilities broad discretion to ask regulators for special rate adjustment mechanisms outside of normal rate cases.

If a company wants a special rate, it currently doesnt need legislation. It can ask for it in front of the Missouri Public Service Commission.

Its so broad I think they could pretty much invent whatever they wanted, Coffman said. That part of the legislation has nothing to do with the Bootheel. That is only something that could enhance utility profits.

Ameren pointed out that the ratemaking provision in Rones amendment doesnt mandate anything and keeps the authority to make rate changes in the hands of the Public Service Commission. It could allow additional regulatory provisions encouraging energy efficiency or incentives for infrastructure investment to be discussed and debated in front of the PSC, said Warren Wood, Amerens vice president of external affairs.

Sometimes we get into these conversations and the stakeholders will throw up their hands and say, Oh, the commission doesnt have the authority to consider that, Wood said.

Wood said he was not sure yet what kind of provisions the utility would want the PSC to consider should legislation expanding its authority pass. Ameren had been focused on another bill, SB 190, that didnt pass during the recently concluded legislative session. It would have allowed faster reimbursement for new infrastructure, among other changes, that Ameren argued would encourage more grid investment but consumer groups said would have unnecessarily increased electric rates.

The Rone amendment is a step forward in the regulatory framework, but it certainly doesnt have the certainty or timeline in grid investment that SB 190 would have enabled, Wood said.

Utility-friendly language or not, New Madrid City Administrator Richard McGill said his city had been working with a steel mill operator.

Another company is looking at the former Noranda aluminum smelter, which closed last year and laid off 900 people. Norandas closure was, in part, due to its failure to win a lower electric rate, but a global commodity glut that depressed aluminum prices was a major factor.

The former Noranda smelter was sold to Switzerland-based ARG International for $13.7 million at a bankruptcy sale in September 2016. A company called Magnitude 7 Metals is reportedly seeking to open at least part of the Noranda smelter.

The Noranda smelter is outside of New Madrids city limits, so McGill said he had been focused on the steel mill. Because of confidentiality agreements, he said he couldnt disclose who the company was, but he said Missouri was competing with two other states for the facility.

The company has been speaking with Greitens staff and legislators, McGill said, and it needs to know quickly whether it can access a special rate. If the legislation fails, McGill is less hopeful the project will choose New Madrid.

I dont know that it kills it, but it would certainly take away my optimism, he said. I really feel that with (the electric rate legislation), we will land it.

Under state law, the governor can call a special session to allow legislative consideration of any topic for up to 60 days. The debate is supposed to be limited to the declared topic. Both Coffman and Ameren point out that new language could be filed in the special session that looks different than the Rone amendment.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  For the third year in a row, the three men at the center of Illinois politics are circling inside the Capitol, and nobody is pulling punches.

In one corner is Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, and in the other are Democratic leaders Michael Madigan and John Cullerton. The goal: pass a budget before the end of the legislative session on May 31.

The past two years have seen lawmakers come up short, both sides throwing in the towel, as an untold number of Illinois residents suffer through the longest gap between budgets of any state in the country.

Lawmakers remain optimistic they can come to terms in the final days of this session, though perhaps it is because the thought of heading home without a budget would mean further devastation. The states universities, social service providers, vendors and others sit on a long list waiting to get paid.

How close the two sides are to an agreement depends on whom you ask. Lawmakers are on the ropes to provide a plan, and political observers paint a dark picture of financial ruin without it.

A spokeswoman for Rauner deferred questions for this story to an opinion piece the governor wrote Tuesday in the Springfield State Journal-Register and several subsequent news conferences hes held across the state.

In the opinion piece, the first-term Republican governor reiterates many of the policy stances he has taken during his tenure, arguing he would support the passage of a tax increase, but only with fundamental changes to what he sees as a broken system.

Weve been trying to negotiate a good deal for taxpayers for more than two years, Rauner wrote. But we wont be pressured by special interests, insiders and career politicians to take a bad deal for taxpayers.

Much of the spotlight over the past few years has been on the battle between Rauner and Madigan, the powerful longtime speaker of the House and chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party.

While Rauner has painted Madigan as a career politician who bows to special interest, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown points to the budgets passed since Madigan first became speaker in 1983, saying Madigan worked with governors and legislators of both parties to get them approved.

As Ive said, the governor needs to look at himself in the mirror and ask that figure that he sees, Why did you screw up this state budgeting process? Brown said.

Eyes on the Senate

This springs session has seen much of the budgeting focus turned to the Illinois Senate, where months of bipartisan talks have seen senators taking swings at passing a grand bargain budget that would include items as varied as a property tax freeze, gambling expansion, workers compensation reform, an income tax increase and changes to the school funding formula.

These talks failed in March, when Republicans pulled their support and said more negotiations were needed.

Last week saw another effort in the Senate to pass budget items on to the House, with bills that expand gambling, change state purchasing rules, reform pensions, change the school funding formula and allow the state to borrow $7 billion to pay down some the states $14.1 billion backlog of bills.

But work to pass a bill to implement necessary cuts to get to the previously approved $36.5 billion spending plan failed, and bills that would reform workers compensation or raise taxes were never called for a vote.

As in March, Democrats said time was running out to get a budget approved and that Republicans needed to vote.

I was under the impression we had reached an agreement on the budget, Cullerton said in a news conference after the vote.

But Republicans said the two sides were close to an agreement on the remaining issues and that Democrats need to wait for both sides to agree to terms before putting items up for a vote.

I think there were significant reforms that were done today, said Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, shortly after the Senate voted Wednesday. But the better course of action would have been to move the items that were in agreement, then go back into the room and make sure the budget balances, get the language finalized and then put it for a vote.

Were this close to getting something done.

Several senators said they believe all parties have been negotiating in good faith and that an agreement can be made.

Rauner has publicly been cordial when addressing the Senates effort to pass a budget, but he did not mince words when asked about Madigan and House Democrats during a stop Tuesday in Springfield.

House Democrats, under Speaker Madigan, have showed no good-faith willingness to engage in negotiations, Rauner said.

He also addressed a recent move by Madigan to have four of the top Democrats in the House negotiate with the governors office over nonbudgetary items, referring to it as an effort to derail budget talks in the Senate.

Brown dismissed the governors concerns, saying the House wants to work with Rauner on ways to improve the states economy.

Similar sentiment is shared by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs, who said Thursday afternoon that he was cautiously optimistic a deal could be reached before May 31.

The sense of urgency is immense, Durkin said. You can feel it in the air, and I agree that we need to bring this to a resolution.

How did we get here?

Those who watch Illinois politics said the budget impasse represents a perfect storm of conflicting personalities and years of poor planning.

Those decisions stretch back decades and stem from members of both parties, said Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

He cited the pension strain created by the crooked bargain at the end of Republican Gov. George Ryans tenure, when thousands of longtime state employees were allowed to retire early so the incoming Democratic administration could fill those openings with their own people.

He also noted the overall tenure of impeached Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is in federal prison after being convicted of corruption, and the 2008 recession as events that put Illinois in a perilous fiscal position well before Rauner took office.

The recession significantly changed the way the state handles its budgeting, said Jak Tichenor, interim director at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Before then, a majority of spending was related to federal mandates such as Medicaid, making for a fairly predictable budget process. State lawmakers negotiated over discretionary spending such as K-12 and higher education funding, but Tichenor said they would enter those negotiations knowing state revenue was stable.

But if you go back to 2008 to the great recession, and state revenues just went off a cliff, he said. You had appropriation committee chairs at the Capitol looking at balance sheets and saying, Well Im trying to fund a $32 billion budget, and I only have $24 (billion) to $25 billion in income.

And thats where you started to see the real allocation of pain and scarcity instead of budget making as we traditionally did it.

A temporary income tax increase approved by lawmakers and then-Gov. Pat Quinn in 2011 moved the personal tax rates from 3 percent to 5 percent and the corporate tax from 4.8 percent to 7 percent, which helped to pay down some of the bill backlog. But the increase was allowed to expire in 2015, reducing the rate for individuals to 3.75 percent and to 5.25 percent for corporations.

The motivation behind letting it expire was so the newly elected Rauner could negotiate a new budget with the Democratic-led House and Senate.

Two-and-a-half years later, the sides have only managed to agree to a stopgap budget in 2016 that provided some money for struggling universities and social service providers. Most spending has been court-ordered.
ST. LOUIS  Each marching band, drum line and dance crew breathed a new life into every block along the route of the 107-year-old Annie Malone May Day Parade Sunday.

Mothers danced with babies on their hips. Children bobbed, weaved and stepped along to the lively hip-hop music behind the parade barricades.

The Annie Malone parade is the countrys second-largest African-American parade, and one of the biggest fundraisers for the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center, which helps families and children in crisis. Malone donated money to build the center in 1922.

The music is the best part of the whole day, according to Sharhonda Beasley-Crosby, who drove in to watch the performers with her daughter and mother from Belleville.

I love seeing people coming together and bringing their talented children out, she said. The candy doesnt hurt either.

Others use the annual event to reconnect with old friends. Paula Drones used to play in the Vashon High School marching band, and the parade is one of the only times she sees old classmates. Shes been coming for years.

So has Jeanette Joyner.

Joyner and her friend were a little frustrated, though. Near the beginning of the parade, there was one marching band and then dozens of cars. Some cars carried local politicians, but none had signs indicating who they were.

She joked that if it was an effort to sell cars, some of which were high-end Mercedes, to the crowd, we dont have the money, so nice try.

Its not just Joyners imagination. There were slightly fewer marching bands than usual, though the overall number of parade entries stayed the same at 140. Leslie Gill, chief executive officer of the Annie Malone Center, said some schools have had to cut their fine arts budgets. Others struggle to arrange transportation on a Sunday.

Its a balancing act, but Gill said the bands that showed up, showed out. Like most, one of her favorite parts is the music.

The parade moved from the Ville neighborhood to downtown in 2006, and it continues to draw hundreds of people each year. The move was an attempt to get past a rough patch marred by isolated violence.

Reatha Gurley of St. Louis has attended for 15 years and said the parade felt more peaceful than ever.

We just love it, she said. This is the only black parade we have that supports and celebrates our culture.
Two St. Charles firefighters who died on duty 48 years ago will be among four honored at memorial events this weekend.

A candlelight vigil is planned at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Fire Fighters Memorial of Missouri in Kingdom City. At 10:30 a.m. Sunday, the names of four Missouri firefighters who died on the job will be added to the Fire Line of Duty Memorial Wall at the memorial.

Among the four are Art Civey, 45, and Francis W. "Bud" Vogt, 59, of the St. Charles Township Volunteer Fire Department, who were responding to an apartment fire on May 13, 1969, when they were fatally struck by a fire truck whose driver suffered a seizure.

The St. Charles Township fire district consolidated with the St. Peters fire district in 1998 to create Central County Fire and Rescue.

Also being honored are two firefighters who died last year: Edward Crosgrove, Jr., 53, of the Green Township Fire Protection District in Utica, who suffered a fatal heart attack while responding to a recreational vehicle fire on July 24, and Assistant Chief Todd L. Hartlein, 49, of the Matthews Volunteer Fire Department, who died shortly after responding to a vehicle crash on Aug. 24.

"We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the members of Missouri's fire service and their families for the heroic, life-saving work they perform on a daily basis," Missouri Fire Marshal Tim Bean said in a statement.

The ceremonies will be moved to Auxvasse Elementary School at 650 East Harrison Street if it rains.
A slew of alarming headlines appeared recently regarding the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Water had apparently breached this fail-safe trove of the planets seeds that is supposed to protect Earths food supply in the event of a doomsday scenario.

The alleged failure of the vault, buried deep into an Arctic mountainside, had occurred after warmer-than-usual temperatures had caused a layer of permafrost to melt, sending meltwater gushing into the entrance tunnel and presumably putting the worlds most diverse collection of crop seeds at risk, according to the Guardian.

Arctic stronghold of worlds seeds flooded after permafrost melts, the newspaper announced.

The Arctic Doomsday Seed Vault Flooded. Thanks, Global Warming, Wired stated.

Though water did get past the vaults threshold, none of the seeds had been damaged.

But a spokeswoman for Statsbygg  a group that advises the Norwegian government, which owns the vault  cautioned that it might be only a matter of time before they were.

A lot of water went into the start of the tunnel and then it froze to ice, so it was like a glacier when you went in, Statsbygg spokeswoman Hege Njaa Aschim told the Guardian of the water breach.

She added that officials were now observing the seed vault around the clock to minimize all the risks and make sure the seed bank can take care of itself.

The question is whether this is just happening now, or will it escalate? Aschim asked.

Statsbygg seemed to soften some of those comments in a statement published on the seed vaults website.

Yes, there had been season-dependent intrusion of water into the outer part of the seed vault, but the group was now taking precautionary measures to make improvements to the outer tunnel to prevent future occurrences.

The seeds in the seed vault have never been threatened and will remain safe during implementation of the measures, the statement read.

According to the statement, the proposed improvements include removing heat sources, such as a transformer station, from the tunnel, as well as constructing drainage ditches on the mountainside to prevent meltwater from accumulating around the entrance.

In addition, waterproof walls would be erected inside the tunnel.

Finally, to be better safe than sorry, Statsbygg said researchers would closely follow the development of permafrost on Svalbard.

The seeds are safe and sound, tweeted the Crop Trust, an international nonprofit group that helped establish the Svalbard vault in 2008.

So which is it? Is the fact that some water seeped into a fail safe vault no big deal? Or are we as a human race doomed to die, starving and cropless, in the event of global catastrophe?

The answer is more measured. Representatives for Statsbygg and Crop Trust did not immediately respond to an emailed interview request.

However, Crop Trust twice retweeted a Popular Science article that seemed to indicate the situation was not as dire as had been initially reported.

In my experience, there has been water intrusion at the front of the tunnel every single year, Cary Fowler, an American agriculturist who helped create the seed vault, told the magazine.

Though he was not at the vault to observe the incident, he noted that flooding was probably not the most accurate word to describe what happened.

The tunnel was never meant to be watertight at the front, because we didnt think we would need that, Fowler told Popular Science. What happens is, in the summer the permafrost melts, and some water comes in, and when it comes in, it freezes. It doesnt typically go very far.

However, that doesnt mean that the underlying cause for the melting permafrost  warming temperatures  should be ignored.

At the end of the day we have to realize that in a sense, everything is relative with this initiative, Fowler told the magazine. This whole planet is warming, and that includes Svalbard.

Global warming has been particularly noticeable in the Arctic regions, and the melting of permafrost is only one consequence; another includes the melting of major glaciers, which could lead to a dramatic sea-level rise, as The Posts Chris Mooney reported.

Currently, the vault holds nearly 900,000 seed samples, from maize and sorghum from Africa and Asia to barley and eggplant from Europe and South America. It has the capacity to store up to 4.5 million crop varieties, or about 2.5 billion seeds, according to the vault website.

Inside, imposing concrete walls shelter those seeds at minus-18 degrees Celsius (minus-0.4 degrees Fahrenheit). From the outside, only a portion of the entrance is visible as it juts out at an angle from the snow and ice. It looks like the type of structure you might get if you commissioned I.M. Pei to design an Arctic hideaway for a James Bond movie.

The site was chosen for its accessible location, geological stability, low humidity levels and its perch well above sea level. Officials just hadnt anticipated the permafrost would melt into the entrance.

Theres no doubt that the permafrost will remain in the mountainside where the seeds are, Marie Haga, head of Crop Trust, told Reuters. But we had not expected it to melt around the tunnel.

For his part, Fowler has always maintained confidence in the seed vaults ability to endure natural or man-made disasters. In 2015, he told then-Guardian reporter Suzanne Goldenberg that perhaps an atomic bomb dropped on top of the mountain would be the only thing that could destroy the vault. Fowler repeated those sentiments to Popular Science.

We did this calculation; if all the ice in the world melted  Greenland, Arctic, Antarctic, everything  and then we had the worlds largest recorded tsunami right in front of the seed vault  what would happen to the seed vault? Fowler told the magazines. We found that the seed vault was somewhere between a five and seven story building above that point. It might not help the road leading up to the seed vault, but the seeds themselves would be okay.

In other words, there are no guarantees about humanity in that scenario. But the seed vault is probably going to be fine.
Another year; another "record-breaking" flood; another debate about levees. Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. It is time to recognize that development in flood plains, wetlands and riparian buffers is causing these catastrophes. It is also time to recognize that nature has provided the only solution that is practical, cost effective and scalable.

We can soak up water before it floods.

A strategic reintroduction of native grasslands on just 10 percent of the Mississippi River watersheds tributary landscape would significantly reduce flood levels. The potential positive impact is enormous with simultaneous benefits for the environment, wildlife and renewable energy.

Missouri receives more than 138 million acre feet of rainwater annually; eight times more than the flow through the Colorado River basin. We need to store that water by absorption, infiltration and transpiration instead of diverting it to creeks, streams and rivers. Roughly one-third of Missouri was once covered by tallgrass prairie, with root systems capable of absorbing water deep in the soil and underground aquifers. Native prairie can soak up eight-inch rainfalls using high concentrations of soil organic matter that hang on to water and nutrients.

It is equally clear from hydrology research on major U.S. rivers, including studies involving ecologist Steve Apfelbaum of AES Inc., that the absence of native vegetation coincides with a dramatic increase in flooding. Along Illinois Des Plaines River, low and median flood levels are 200-400 times greater than historically; high flow floods are three to five times greater. The increases coincided with original plowing and drainage of prairies and wetlands followed by development of impervious landscapes in towns and cities.

We are documenting the benefits of native grasses at my northern Missouri farm. Ranjith Udawatta and Shibu Jose at the University of Missouri are comparing soil and water conditions of constructed prairie on highly erodible land with adjacent land planted in row crops. Initial results show far less water run-off from the prairie tract. And the water is much cleaner.

We are also implementing the innovative Iowa State University STRIPS program, which calls for planting native grassland species in strategic locations within row crops to protect soil and water quality.

More than 5 million acres of grassland, wetland and fragile land were converted to corn and soybean production between 2006 and 2012; a period of high commodity prices and generous government crop insurance programs. With lower commodity prices, owners of highly erodible acres should be open to returning these assets to their natural intended use.

One private market incentive to accomplish this conversion is to sustainably harvest and sell a portion of the grass as feedstock for renewable energy production. A broad cross-section of stakeholders at the Midwest Conservation Biomass Alliance is working to determine the optimum mixture of native plantings to sustain energy production, the environment and wildlife habitat.

Another step involves the increasingly popular use of cover crops on commodity agriculture land. Corn and soybean production provides food, feed and fiber for a growing world population. But their production systems reduce water infiltration and storage. Planting cover crops after harvest facilitates water absorption, enhances soil health, prevents erosion and reduces soil compaction, while providing wildlife and pollinator habitat.

The floodplain closest to waterway channels needs restoration to take strain off free-flowing streams and rivers modified by dams and levees. Continuous riparian corridors containing natural vegetation retain flood water and prevent property damage. However, riparian corridors are frequently disrupted by development that replaces native vegetation.

The main point is that catastrophic flooding is avoidable. Restoring native grasslands, promoting cover crops and fortifying riparian corridors delivers a natural water accumulation system to reduce the environmental impact of major floods. It creates new habitat where wildlife and pollinators can thrive. Renewable energy production makes the concept economically viable.

The elimination of most native prairie over the past two centuries happened for reasons commensurate with the time. But this is a new and different time. We are obligated to change land management practices because of our collective responsibility to sustain our planet. A vast amount of good can come about as a result.

If we cannot learn from our mistakes then why bother recording history? The great Dust Bowl was created when people on the semiarid plains mistakenly believed "if we plant wheat it will rain." Documentary producer Ken Burns called it the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history; when the irresistible promise of easy money and the heedless actions of thousands of individuals, encouraged by government, resulted in a collective tragedy that nearly swept away the breadbasket of the nation.

Sadly, we are again trying to make land do something it cannot do. Todays misconception is that millions of hilly acres unsuitable for farming can be terraced to permit corn and soybean production. But when it rains, most of the water runs off the hills or is quickly carried into creeks by drain tiles.

H. Howard Finnell, a soil scientist from Oklahoma A&M who had the daunting task of saving the soils of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, concluded that nearly 80 percent of a years rainfall never soaked deeply enough into the subsoil to benefit crops.

The Meramec River basin has nearly four thousand square miles (or 2.56 million acres) feeding it. When it rains 12 inches, 840 billion gallons of water must go somewhere. So, if 80 percent runs off, more than 672 billion gallons of water goes into the Meramec River basin without the benefit of accumulation of its prior flood plains, riparian areas and the accumulation created by prairies and wetlands.

This is a problem that can be turned into an opportunity to store water, preserve soil and prevent this continuous cycle of flooding and misery. Restore our prairies, our flood plains, and change our agricultural practices. Then we can solve this ever-worsening man-made calamity.

Finnells conclusion after the Dust Bowl rings true about recent historic flooding: Our efforts to manipulate the forces of nature to fit our own convenience are wrong. Instead we should attempt to harmonize our farming operations to fit conditions as they are, rather than as we hope they will be.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says Pakistan had a deep commitment to the unity of Muslim Ummah and to the promotion of interfaith harmony and dialogue.

He sated this during his interaction with Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, US President Donald J. Trump and other leaders from the Arab and Islamic countries in Riyadh.

The prime minister said that being the frontline state, Pakistan had rendered remarkable sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism.

He said the rising tide of terrorism and extremism is the most daunting challenge that the world confronts today.

He said the turnaround in Pakistan both on the security and economic fronts, with the last year witnessing the lowest number of terrorist attacks in a decade, could bring about the desired results in countries afflicted with the scourge of terrorism.

The prime minister appreciated the leadership of President Trump to make this Summit as his first overseas engagement.

The Prime Minister also exchanged views with a number of other leaders including the Emir of Qatar, King of Bahrain, Presidents of Tajikistan and Azerbaijan and Prime Minister of Malaysia.
A bid to smuggle heroin was foiled at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Monday when 20 kilogrammes of the contraband was seized from a London-bound flight of the national carrier.

The drugs were found by the Pakistan International Airlines' vigilance team concealed in catering galley of PK-785.

Although the plane was cleared to fly to London, the smuggler remained unidentified.

Prime Minister's Aviation Adviser Sardar Mehtab Abbasi ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident and posted AIG Hussain Asghar as the inquiry head.

Last week, heroin concealed in packets was seized from a PIA flight in an intelligence-based operation carried out by the United Kingdoms National Crime Agency (NCA) at Londons Heathrow Airport.

NCA officers are investigating following the seizure of heroin found by Border Force officers on a flight from Pakistan at Heathrow Airport on Monday, May 15," an NCA spokesperson had told Geo News. "No arrests have been made, but enquiries are ongoing.

Customs officials who investigated the discovery of narcotics, seized in London, believed the heroin was hidden in the plane while it was in Karachi on May 8.

Earlier in April, 15kg heroin estimated to be worth Rs300 million in the international market was seized from a plane inside the hangar at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
US Ambassador David Hale met with Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa on Monday, said the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency.

The Pakistan Armys media cell said that the US ambassador lauded the Army Chiefs May 18 statement regarding Afghanistan. The COAS had mentioned measures ensuring that the Pakistani soil would not be used against anyone, said the ISPR.

During the meeting, the hope for a stable and safe Afghanistan was expressed by both the sides.

The Army Chief had reiterated that Pakistan would not let its soil be used against its neighbouring country.

According to the US embassy in Pakistan: Ambassador Hale noted President Donald Trumps call during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit for a vision of peace, security, and prosperity, and unity in conquering extremism and terrorism.

The embassys website said that Ambassador Hale acknowledged Pakistans role and great sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for what he termed an ineffective tour of Saudi Arabia.

The prime minister had attended the first-ever Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh on Sunday, where he interacted with Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, US President Donald Trump and other leaders from Arab and Islamic countries.

The PTI chief, speaking to the media, accused the prime minister of failing to take a stand for Pakistan and other Muslim communities, including Iran, Kashmir and Palestine, during his interactions in Riyadh.

Khan pointed out that in his speech, US President Trump had failed to mention the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war against terror, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had failed to correct him.

"The most important thing is that he [Trump] did not even mention Pakistan ... the country that fought America's war and lost 70,000 people," Khan said.

The country became a front-line state and sacrificed lives in the war but ... instead [Trump] praised [India]," Khan added.

During his speech, Trump had named India among the countries that are a "victim of terrorism".

Imran Khan also criticised the US president for not speaking about the atrocities committed by India against the people of India-held Kashmir.

"He [Trump] praised India for making sacrifices and did not speak about the atrocities being committed against the Kashmiris ... he did not speak about Palestinians," he added.

The PTI chief said that when Trump lashed out against Iran and called for the country to be isolated, Prime Minister Sharif should have taken a stance and said that such a move would be against the interests of the Muslim world.

During his speech, Trump had accused Iran of fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror and called for its international isolation.

"He [the prime minister] should have spoken about the parliamentary resolution which was unanimously accepted by all parties and which said that Pakistan would work to bring the Muslim community together," Khan said.

He added that since Nawaz was representing Pakistan at the summit, it was his duty to emphasise that Pakistan does not want Iran to be isolated.

"We had an opportunity, but he kept silent," the PTI chief said. "We do not want the Muslim world to be divided," he added.

Imran Khan added that considering the destruction Pakistan has suffered due to its involvement in "the wars of others," it should have been highlighted by the prime minister that the country "will not be a partisan to these matters."
Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday granted protective bail to MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar in 31 cases, asking him to submit surety bonds worth Rs50,000 in each case.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar heard the pre-arrest bail application submitted by MQM leaders Farooq Sattar and Amir Khan.

The court granted pre-arrest bail to both the leaders and asked them to submit surety bonds worth Rs50,000 in each case pending against them. It is pertinent to mention that Sattar has 31 cases pending against him while Khan is wanted in four cases.

It further asked them to appear before the trial court in a months time. The cases include facilitation of hate speech specifically the August 22 case. Sattar was represented by Barrister Farogh Naseem.

Talking to media outside the SHC, Naseem said that the government should punish those who are involved in anti-state elements, but should also work to strengthen the elements that are loyal to the state.

MQM leaders are facing charges in connection with cases pertaining to the incendiary Aug 22 speech of MQM founder Altaf Hussain, which triggered a violent protest, arson attacks and ransacking of media houses.

Sattar had been taken into police custody in March, and senior police officials had confirmed his 'arrest'. However, he was 'freed' in less than two hours  reportedly on the intervention of a top provincial authority.

Later, a spokesman for the Sindh chief minister said Sattar had escaped when a police team went to arrest him.
Brazilian President Michel Temer is trying to have a corruption investigation against him suspended.

Temer said on Saturday that he had filed a petition with the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the countrys highest court, to suspend the probe.

He challenged a recorded conversation allegedly incriminating him in a corruption scandal, claiming that the incriminating audio recording had been doctored.

That clandestine recording was manipulated and doctored with [ill] intentions, Temer said at a news conference in the capital, Brasilia.

The 39-minute audio recording appears to prove Temer endorsed the payment of bribes to ex-house speaker Eduardo Cunha in exchange for his silence in the probe against Temer.

Cunha is himself serving a 15-year prison sentence for corruption and money laundering. He spearheaded the impeachment push against President Dilma Rousseff last year, which eventually ousted her, and paved the way for Temer, who was her vice president, to assume power. Temer, too, had turned against Rousseff, who was his boss at the time.

Experts say it is unlikely for the court to drop the current investigation against Temer, as it authorized the opening of the investigation in the first place and ordered it to be made public.

Temer also questioned the motives of the person who made the recording, JBS meatpacking company executive Joesley Batista. Temer claimed Batista had purchased large quantities of dollars to cause chaos on the exchange market prior to giving the audio recording to prosecutors.

Analysts believe Temers plea is also unlikely to have an impact on the growing movement demanding his resignation from office.

On Friday, Brazils highest court released documents revealing that the countrys top prosecutor was accusing Temer of corruption and obstruction of justice.

Attorney General Rodrigo Janots formal presentation of evidence was an extraordinary development in a corruption probe.

Janot accused Temer and Sen. Aecio Neves of trying to derail the three-year-old Car Wash investigation into a huge kickback scheme involving bribes-for-contracts at the state-run oil company Petrobras.

Three former Brazilian presidents, namely Dilma Rousseff, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Fernando Henrique Cardoso, have been included in the legal investigation.

With a formal investigation opened, Janot will now decide whether his case is strong enough to send it for consideration by the Chamber of Deputies in Congress.

If at least two-thirds of the members of the lower house vote in favor of the probe, the case will be sent back to the top court, which would then decide whether to put Temer on trial. If the court decided to try Temer, he would be suspended from office for up to 180 days and undergo a trial. A conviction would permanently remove him from office, pretty much the same thing that happened to Rousseff.

At least eight pieces of proposed legislation to impeach Temer have been submitted at the Congress.

Calls for Temers resignation have also been reinforced by Globo, a popular paper in Brazil, which wields enormous influence among Brazilians and had previously been supporting the presidents legislative program to boost the economy.

Temers ruling coalition is also breaking apart, as parties decide to separate, further putting his political future in doubt.
A search for truth in muddied waters View(s):

Professor Ravindra Fernando has carved a niche for himself as the foremost medico-legal writer on sensational murder cases in Sri Lanka. His writings on the Wijedasa Liyanarachchi killing, the unsolved Sathasivam Case and the sensational Murders at the Vicarage have enthralled the reader with their fascinating mix of social history, character studies, forensic expertise and legal authority.

In his latest book he boldly wades into the murky waters of a sensational political assassination that stunned Sri Lanka in that year of tragedies 1993. Shakespeare would have crafted a great tragedy of this assassination that took place on the Bards birthday April 23. On this day, Lalith Athulathmudali, a rising star in our political firmament, was shot dead in cold blood. This tragic event yet reverberates in the nations memory giving rise to many theories as to who, how and why this assassination took place.

Although President Kennedys assassination took place over half a century ago, and the Warner Commission pronounced its findings, there has been no end to the wild theories regarding this event. This is, perhaps, inevitable  as in the case of Athulathmudali  when a famous political leader is killed. Professor Fernando has now produced a meticulously researched study into the shooting, the Police investigations and the subsequent judicial proceedings.

The author begins with an outline of Laliths brilliant academic and political career but he tip-toes diplomatically over the bitter political rivalry that wanted to eliminate him from the political stage. His account of the shooting brings into play a strange and disturbing cast of characters. Among these are the mystery officials who switched off all the street lights before the fateful meeting, Tilak Shanta, Athulathmudalis bodyguard of dubious antecedents,the volunteer witness Wijegunawardena who went to meetings because he liked to see politicians, Janaka Jayamanne, an underworld suspect, the unidentified body at Mugalan Road, Lingeswaran, the alleged killers LTTE minder, the Police officers who, strangely, never saw the body at Mugalan Road.

The Police investigation is presented in detail as well as the deliberately confusing statements made by key witnesses and the disappearance of vital items. By this stage President Premadasa, who had his ear to the ground, had become aware that fingers were pointed at him as the perpetrator, and beneficiary, of the assassination. With characteristic shrewdness he decided to deflect these suspicions by requesting the British Government to support the Police investigation with a team from Scotland Yard. He was confident that their objective investigation would absolve him of complicity.

The Scotland Yard Polce Officers and medical experts inspected the scene of the crime and the bodies of Athulathmudali and the Mugalan Road Man. Their report, though meticulous is, inevitably, devoid of the human motivations behind the crime. The record of our Police investigation, though evidently correct, seems riddled with gaps and inconsistencies, One can hardly believe that their search of the crime scene did not notice the body sprawled by the blood spattered wall of the Mugalan Road Co-op . Nor the inexplicable disappearance of Laliths bodyguard, noted for fictional statements, from hospital custody. Meanwhile, a shady character, Lingeswaran, was arrested on suspicion that he was involved in the murder. Strangely, he remained in custody till 2002 when he was released to the LTTE at their request, during the abortive Ceasefire.Yet another mystery.

President Premadasa was assassinated a week after Lalith Athulathmudali. After the brief Presidency of D.B.Wijetunga and the assassination of Athulathmudalis colleague and rival Gamini Dissanayaka, the next Presidential Election brought into power Chandrika Bandaranike Kumaratunga [CBK]. Her husband Vijaya, the film star politician, was also assassinated during that annus horribilis. There was no love lost between CBK and the remnants of the Premadasa gang. She was, probably genuinely , convinced that Premadasa masterminded Athulathmudalis killing, she then appointed a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry [SPC] into his assassination whereas numerous allegations have been made that the investigation..was not conducted in a proper and impartial manner.

The proceedings of this SPC, headed by retired Judges, makes depressing reading. It is fairly obvious they strained hard to link the President, via his minions, with the killing. Their vain attempt to implicate Sirisena Cooray, Premadasas trusted right hand man, is sheer black comedy. The blind determination of the SPC to fulfil its contract (to put it crudely) can be seen in their summing up . The Commission is of the view that President Premadasa himself was directly involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Athulathmudali and that others did his bidding.

In the course of its proceedings the SPC also proceeded to accuse eight Police Officers of being involved in the killing. This was so bad in law that the Supreme Court quashed these findings and exonerated these upright officers whose careers had been in jeopardy.

The authors conclusion is that it is crystal clear that Lalith was shot dead by the man whose body was found in Mugalan Road. But that, I am afraid, is not the whole truth. I firmly believe what Eric Ambler, master of espionage fiction, said about an assassination in his masterpiece The Mask of Dimitrios it is not the finger on the trigger that kills but he who pays for the bullet. As such, the authors sub-title The Whole Truth should, therefore, end not with a full stop, but with a question mark.

It is an immensely gripping narrative and a window into a dark period of Sri Lankas recent political history.
This years Acorn Foundation funding round has opened with preliminary applications now being accepted.

Acorn Foundation Operations Manager Margot McCool says charities and community organisations have until May 29 to complete their applications.

For the first time this year we have set up an online application process and we are hoping this will make it easier for our regions charities and organisations who seek funding.

In line with the Acorn Foundations Vital Signs research, charities and organisations seeking funding can look to Acorns 2017 funding priorities to seek guidance.

Four categories have been selected as areas for priority funding this year:

- Belonging and Engagement  activities that build strong communities, increase involvement of marginalised and minority groups and reduce intolerance.

- Getting Started  initiatives that support children and youth to develop skills to cope with challenges, and initiatives associated with good parenting.

- Safety  initiatives that reduce drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence

- Reducing Inequity  initiatives that improve basic household financial skills, support the transition from unemployment to the workforce and programmes that address social inequalities.

Margot says the core funding priorities align with the Vital Signs research programme.

The beauty of this research programme is that we know the communitys greatest needs and can ensure our support is well matched to that.

Another way that Acorn Foundation identifies the charities and community organisations that need the greatest support is with a hands-on approach.

Greerton Village School Principal Anne Mackintosh says they are extremely impressed with the integrity of the process.

What really impressed me about Acorn Foundation is that they came to meet with us and really understand our school and our needs that the funding would meet. Without the support that we have received from Acorn Foundation and consequently Kidscan, our kids would be cold, wet and hungry and we are so grateful for their support.

Darryl Wesley from Salvation Army says Acorn Foundation has provided them with vital funding for assistance with training costs for their Bridge and Oasis programmes for people battling addictions.

For an organisation like us the funding for training is quite an on-going challenge. Its enabled us to have a much wider access to the trainings offered throughout New Zealand than we would have had before.

For the Growing Through Grief programme, Area Coordinator Amy Colonna says Acorn funding has transformed the lives of children who are struggling to cope with grief and loss.

The funding has been vital for us to be able to offer up to 6 programmes in the community at no cost to the families.

"It means that 48 children every term can have access to this educational programme. Without this funding we wouldnt be able to help.

Margot says Acorns funding can have a significant impact on many of the community organisations it supports.

Last year we had a 24 per cent increase in funds available. It has always been our vision that if we could provide consistent annual funding to many of these organisations they will be able to focus more on their day to day core provision of services to the community rather than fund raising. It is extremely rewarding to be able to advise organisations across the community that we can do this.

The Acorn Foundation has one funding round annually.

Preliminary applications are now open and will close at 3pm on May 29.

Successful charities and organisations will be advised in August. For further information on the 2017 funding priorities and to apply for funding visit www.acornfoundation.org.nz.
The inaugural Paradox: Tauranga Street Art Festival has seen more than 35,000 visitors head to the art gallery, with many more exploring the citys walls and participating in a variety of events hosted around the CBD.

People are being encouraged to head down to the exhibition before it closes on June 15.

Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout, whos attended many of the Paradox events, says hes chuffed by how Taurangas communities have engaged with street art.

Seeing people of all ages, young and old, families, teens, grandparents and their grandkids  all demographics of Tauranga enjoying the festival and its event offerings is simply exciting.

The street art festival showcases what our urban city centre has on offer: world-class pieces of street art around town and an outstanding exhibition in our art gallery.

Tauranga Art Gallery director Karl Chitham says he is thrilled by the interest in the Paradox Inside exhibition.

Lots of locals have come to the gallery, and people have travelled from all over the country and further afield to see the exhibition. It has been a fantastic start to our 10th anniversary year.

This show and the whole of Paradox: Tauranga Street Art Festival has given an incredible boost to the energy in the CBD, which is great to see.

Tauranga will come to life even more in the last four weeks of the festival, with some very special events for our community to participate in.

The transformed walls can be explored at night to see the nocturnal creatures come to life. Guided night walks will be taking place in the last week of the festival, starting outside Tauranga Art Gallery on the corner of Wharf and Willow Streets, from June 11-15.

The art gallery will also be open late on Thursday, June 15, to give people one last chance to see the show.

While the winning pieces of the Paradox Youth Street Art Competition will be exhibited alongside works by Wongi, Lucy McLauchlan and Jacob Yikes from May 29 to June 9 in Toi Ohomais newly opened Te Ara o Mauao building.

The building at the Windermere Campus houses Toi Ohomais creative students and provides a great gallery space for the public to enjoy.

For the Paradox painting days, five Powerco substations around the central city will be painted by local artists, just as Christchurchs Wongi has recreated the substation at Spring Street. One of the substations will be reimagined by the overall winner of the Paradox Youth Street Art Competition.

Tauranga Art Gallery is also offering a number of workshops where visitors can print their own street art T-shirt on June 3. To book your spot, visit artgallery.org.nz/events.

The Paradox Inside exhibition is open to the public at the Tauranga Art Gallery daily from 10am to 4.30pm until Thursday, 15 June.

For all the Paradox: Tauranga Street Art Festival event details, visit taurangastreetartfestival.nz
John Campbell, John Key, Richie McCaw and the Topp Twins are New Zealanders worth trusting.

So say the just-released results of the 2017 Readers Digest Most Trusted People poll.

Readers Digest engaged the services of Roy Morgan Research to canvas the opinions of 1400 New Zealanders.

All were asked whom they considered the most trustworthy New Zealander in four categories  most trusted TV presenter, politician, sportsperson and entertainer.

Our shining stars in this years Most Trusted New Zealanders poll have mostly stepped down  or been moved  from positions of prominence. But, their trustworthiness still reigns supreme, says Readers Digest Australasian managing editor Louise Waterson.

For Richie, and the two Johns, the honour of being hailed amongst New Zealands most trustworthy citizens is not new.

All three took the top spots in their respective categories last year too, although John Campbell shared his podium with Hilary Barry.

This year Hilary, who moved from the former TV3 to TV1, also shifted in the trust polls from first equal to fourth place, pipped by Peter Williams and her former co-host Paul Henry.

New Zealanders may have heard, rather than seen, John Campbell more of late, but he garnered an 18.4 per cent vote of confidence, followed by Peter Williams with 9 per cent and Paul Henry with 7.9 per cent.

In the political category, our former Prime Minister collected 24.7 per cent of the vote.

Its many years since Helen Clark led the Labour Party and the country, but shes still front of mind and ranking in second place on 15.3 per cent.

New Zealands Labour party leaders of today, however, fail to make the top three.

Third place goes to NZ First Party leader Winston Peters with his 8.4 per cent voting result.

All Black stars and Olympians consistently rank highly in the polls most trusted sportsperson category and this year is no different.

Richie McCaw collected 26.4 per cent of the vote, Valarie Adams scored 10.5, and Lydia Ko was in third place with 6.7 per cent.

Sisters, Jools and Lynda Topp, are our most trusted entertainers, collecting 9.5 per cent of the vote in this category, which was won by Dai Henwood last year.

Also up on stage taking a bow this year are singing sensations Sole Mio in second place (7.3 per cent) and radio and television host and presenter Simon Barnett close behind in third (7 per cent).
A plan to increase tourism spendng in the Bay of Plenty to a billion dollar industry by 2028 was presented to Tauranga City Councils finance committee today.

Tourism Bay of Plenty plans to increase the annual visitor spend from $901 million in 2016 to $1.45 billion by 2028. Thats growth of 60 per cent or four per cent annually.

It will be achieved by increasing overseas visitors from the current mix of 80:20 to 70:30 domestic and international, says Tourism Bay of Plenty CEO Kristin Dunne.

Tourism BOPs draft strategic 10 year plan proposes international visitor spending by 5.3 per cent per annum and growing the domestic visitor spend by 3.7 per cent per annum will also create more than 4000 extra jobs throughout the region via public and private investment, says Kristin.

The plan is the result of collaboration and insight from specialists throughout the country, including Shane Vuletich from Fresh Information Company, Air New Zealand and Tourism Industry Aotearoa.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa New Zealand CEO Chris Roberts and Air New Zealand Regional Affairs Manager Ian Collier unveiled the plan to Tauranga City Councils Economic Development & Investment Committee today.

Tourism Bay of Plenty is seeking feedback on the consultation document from its three funding councils  Tauranga City, Western Bay of Plenty and Whakatane District.

The plan will also be released to the tourism industry at a networking event tonight with consultation running until June 30, 2018.

Chris has reviewed many Regional Tourism Organisations plans and is impressed by Tourism Bay of Plentys strategy.

They have identified the opportunities, come up with a tangible set of actions and set a clear vision. Now, with the support of local government and local businesses the strategy can be the catalyst for the Bays economic and social transformation, says Chris.

Ian is pleased with the comprehensive strategy and story Tourism Bay of Plenty has created over the last 12 months.

As a result, we are here to show our support for Tauranga and the wider Bay of Plenty and Tourism Bay of Plentys aspiration to grow the visitor economy, says Ian.

The Coastal Bay of Plenty region encompasses both the Western Bay of Plenty/Tauranga and Whakatane districts.

Tourism is an intrinsic part of regional economic development and while we believe the prognosis for the Bay of Plenty is very good there is potential to exceed this with support from the public and private sectors and local government, says Kristin.

With a strategic approach, tourism can help underwrite the regions economic and social transformation over the next decade.

To achieve this, increased investment is required to support interventions that reduce barriers to growth, build competitive advantage, and create a unique and compelling visitor proposition, says Kristin.

Tourism Bay of Plenty also plans to take a lead role not only as destination promoter but as destination manager, assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of the product, facilities, services and programs that altogether provide memorable tourism experiences for visitors.

Undertaking these roles will ensure we are working closely with public and private organisations to make the Coastal Bay of Plenty a more compelling and attractive visitor destination, says Kristin.

The Visitor Economy Strategy presents a clear aspiration for the contribution tourism makes to the Coastal Bay of Plenty, supported by a tangible set of actions to align thinking, identify opportunities, and direct public and private sector investment in tourism-related initiatives over the next decade.

And to gain a larger share of the national visitor economy the Coastal Bay of Plenty needs to transform itself into a must see destination with a compelling point of difference for domestic and international visitors.

The composition of the Coastal Bay of Plentys visitor economy has remained unchanged over the past decade, 80 per cent domestic and 20 per cent international. While destination promotion led to a 36 per cent growth in the last three years, Coastal Bay of Plentys market share of international visitors remains below the national average.

Coastal Bay of Plentys 3.6 per cent share of national tourism expenditure remains the same as it was in 2009, while international market share has remained relatively stable at 1.8-1.9 per cent over the same period.

Natural and built attractions still play a key role in the visitor experience, but a rich social fabric is now a critical success factor for any destination, says Kristin.

This has resulted in a shift away from destinations built solely around icons and towards those in which visitors can immerse themselves in the local culture and see and do things that are not available elsewhere.

The convergence between the visitor experience and the resident experience is being driven by growing demand for authentic experiences, and a desire to understand and interact with the local culture, environment and way of life.

If implemented, careful management will be required to preserve the Coastal Bay of Plentys unique identity and ensure that visitor-related developments do not conflict with resident interests, says Kristin.

Its also been identified that the Coastal Bay of Plenty must extract maximum value from its limited resources by targeting the right visitors at the right time of the year  negating the drop off in visitor numbers outside peak season periods.

This strategy will be executed in partnership with Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, and Tauranga airport and other airport partners. It will focus on four-high value visitor segments; leisure - domestic short-stay visitors; International short-stay visitors; major events; and business events.

The Strategic Plan also reveals the Regional brand story and new brand for Tourism Bay of Plenty and positioning of Its in our Nature, which industry will see tonight at an industry event.
The completely unique, one-of-a-kind drophead coupe celebrates H.R. Owens 85 years of expertise in creating desirable motor cars, featuring a number of one-off touches only available on this Rolls-Royce to add to its exclusivity.

Among the bespoke features is the worlds first copper dashboard on a Dawn, as well as embroidered treadplates that read: Special Commission  Mayfair Edition One of One.

The Berwick Bronze colour scheme adds a special sense of occasion, while theres more unique copper on the audio speakers and on the Arctic White seat bullets.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London staff designed the car  drawing inspiration from the world of high-end horology  and brought their ideas to life in the design studio at the companys headquarters in Goodwood, West Sussex.

Claus Andersen, Brand Director of Rolls-Royce, said: We are delighted to welcome this ultra-rare car to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, appropriately on an anniversary year for the dealership.

Our clients value exclusivity very highly indeed, and this 1 of 1 Dawn Mayfair Edition has that overwhelming exclusive appeal. The success of the Berkeley Square showroom has put us in a position to be able to offer such a stunning car, and were excited to find its very lucky owner.

H.R. Owen is Britains leading luxury motor dealer group, dealing with some of the worlds most sought-after premium car brands, including Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini.
I am taking a brief timeout from my weekly farm and home columns to tell you about some of the wonderful work in which my coworkers are engaged. Hannah Call and Kim Russell are both Smyth County natives and each work with the less fortunate in our communities to help those citizens lead healthier, more productive lives.

Hannah and Kim are part of the Family Nutrition Program (FNP), a program funded through the USDAs Farm Bill. As part of the educational piece of the federal food stamp program, FNP and its program assistants are charged with helping people make sound decisions on food selection, preparation and safety.

The FNP program is divided into two subgroups. Kim works with the youth who qualify under the guidelines and Hannah handles the adult side. As part of this grant, Kim and Hannah cost the county nothing, so every benefit they offer is a total win for the county, and win, they do. Kim Russell was recognized recently as the platinum award winner as the outstanding FNP program assistant in the state of Virginia. Hannah Call received recognition as the outstanding new program assistant in the state.

Kim Russell is a strong program assistant and a great asset to our office in general. Over the years, Kim has participated in nearly every office activity and is a valued partner to agencies in Smyth County. She is the ultimate team player by being a talented, helpful and willing individual.

Kim offers nutrition and activity lessons in a wide variety of settings. She teaches our cooking class at 4-H camp. She is an important station at our 4-H Ag Day for fourth-graders, making important connections between farming, food production and nutritious eating. She teaches classes in the after-school program in partnership with our local school system, and she maintains her numeric goals in a county that has seen a good deal of enrollment declines in recent years.

Every tool in the shed is a great way to describe Kims teaching methods. She uses a powerful combination of visual aids, structured lessons and physical activities to allow her students to internalize the themes of the day. For example, she uses innovative recipes that not only teach healthy eating, but she also provides lessons on soil profiles during our annual watershed field day for county sixth-graders. Kim works closely with our 4-H agent and 4-H program assistant to reach underserved audiences and achieve overall goals of youth programming success. Kim regularly assists with programming with the county 4-H youth camp, and she plans and delivers programming in conjunction with the summer day camp program here in Smyth County

Kim even helps with recipes and food preparation for our winter farm management meetings and meals catered by our 4-H livestock club. She utilizes local products to promote the agricultural industry in southwestern Virginia. Kim is interested in the entire community. She works with the Lifetime Wellness Center in Marion by assisting with their daycare programming. Kim also helped our office in the absence of FCS agent support to provide canner testing and food safety programming at various events such as our booth at the local farmers market. Kim cares about doing the best job possible. Even when faced with some tough family health issues, Kim works to make sure that her clients want for nothing programmatically.

As a graduate of FNP programming herself, Hannah Call has a special appreciation for the power that the lessons provided to her clients can provide. She also serves as a personal example to her clients that they can use the information provided to them through FNP to improve their lot in life.

Hannah is a great asset to the total extension offerings in the Smyth County VCE office. She possesses strong work habits, is willing to listen and learn, and is always ready to lend a hand. Hannah is well connected in the county and is active in our communities. She has already made many inroads into partner agencies and is valued by our partners because of her willingness to be a part of their events as well. I personally have worked with Hannah at events such as the back-to-school health fair, sponsored by the Smyth County Community Hospital foundation board, and Older Americans Day, sponsored by the town of Chilhowie and the Smyth County Chamber of Commerce.

Hannahs easy-to-approach communication type endears her to people from many walks of life and different socio-economic backgrounds. She answers questions with the upmost respect for others and is quick to ask for help if she is at a loss for an answer. Hannah wants to make a difference. Hannah is trusted by her clients. A young mother who had run out of infant formula contacted Hannah for help. Hannah jumped into action and helped the lady provide for her child. Further, she contacted Similac and has established a relationship with the company whereby they will be providing Hannah with free samples to use in the future.

Following the leads provided to her by our office and via our county ELC, Hannah has developed a new partner, the Blue Ridge Job Corps in Marion. Hannah also does regular programming with seniors across the county. Her nutritional information and recipes are well received because she incorporates games into the lessons. The seniors respond positively to this extra effort. Because of her outgoing personality, her innovative recruit efforts and her willingness to change and grow, Hannah was an easy choice as the outstanding new program assistant award.

As you can see, we are indeed fortunate to have Hannah and Kim in our office and in Smyth County. I urge you to congratulate these fine public servants when you see them out and about, helping to make Smyth County a great place to live.

Upcoming Events

May 26--Older American Day, Chilhowie Town Park, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 29--VFW Post 4667 Memorial Day Parade, Marion 10 a.m.

June 23--Last day to consign VQA calves for the July 10 sale.

June 26-30--VQA calf inspections on farm.

June 26-30--Smyth County 4-H Camp, Abingdon.

July 3--VQA calves listed with VCA office.

July 7--Wool Pool, Farmers Milling, Wytheville, 8-11 a.m., 276-223-6040.

July 10--VQA calf sale. Calves must be consigned by June 23.

July 11--Wool Pool, Lebanon Southern States, 8:30-10:30 a.m., 276-889-8056.

July 11--Wool Pool, Tazewell Southern States, 1-4 p.m., 276-988-0405.

July 17--VQA steer take up, Tri-State Livestock Market.

July 19--VQA heifer take-up, Tri-State Livestock Market.

July 28-Aug 5--Rich Valley Fair, Rich Valley.

Aug 4--Last day to consign calves to the Aug. 21 VQA sale.

Aug 21--VQA calf sale.
Nvidia earlier this month launched a massive new push for intelligent machines, including what is likely the most expensive volume workstation in the world designed for this purpose.

IBM, which has a tight relationship with Nvidia, launched a quantum computing processor that has a good chance of massively increasing the speed and intelligence of thinking systems.

IBM also has been the most aggressive in promoting the concept that systems such as these could have a dramatic effect on the performance of people who use them. I think that after last week, regardless of your personal political preferences, you likely wish a lot of folks in Washington were wired to these machines, because it feels like the country is being run by partisan idiots at the moment.

A deep learning system could have reversed the election results. Its too late for that, but it still could turn Trump from a train wreck into the best president the country has ever had. Furthermore, it actually could provide a healthcare system that is both comprehensive AND affordable.

Ill explain and then close with my product of the week: the workstation that has the potential to make you superhuman  and it only costs US$70K!

President Trump

One of the things you learn by going through one of the very few formal CEO training programs that exist in the world is the importance of causality  in other words, the understanding that you cant do or fix anything successfully unless you understand deeply the mechanism that will, or did, create it.

Many of the foundational skills for effective leadership arent taught  they are built through experience. The problem with experience is that we have a tendency to remember selectively the things that had the greatest beneficial impact and that support a view that we dont make mistakes. Also, most of us tend to learn from our own experiences but not from the experiences of others.

At the heart of the Trump train wreck is the presidents resistance to accepting his own mistakes or to learning from those of others. Things started out badly, and they now seem to be getting worse and spinning out of control.

This is the kind of thing a deep learning system could fix. It not only learns from its own mistakes, but also aggregates the history that has been fed into it and learns from the mistakes and conclusions of its peer machines.

Implemented properly, it would showcase in real time, and in gruesome detail, the outcome of any Trump decision. Simply placing it between the president and Twitter would massively change the character of President Trumps tweets.

In fact, given the presidents unwillingness to read, study or admit mistakes, he might be the poster child for the type of person who would benefit most from this kind of a system. A deep learning AI system is designed to do best what the president doesnt seem to want to do at all.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clintons campaign was a different kind of train wreck. Early on, I pointed out that I thought she would lose because Bill Clinton would be more successful at causing her to lose than Trump would be at figuring out how to lose without looking like he was doing it intentionally.

A few weeks back, the now ex-head of the FBI testified that Bill Clinton was indeed the trigger for his late reporting about Clintons emails, which perhaps played a major part in her loss.

What should have been obvious was that despite Bills verbal support, Hillarys win would have been a massive unacceptable loss for him. Being very status-oriented, he couldnt accept going from being remembered as the 42nd President to being remembered as the first guy in a womans job  the first male First Lady.

There was no way he could bring that up without sounding like a jerk, but someone in the campaign should have flagged it, and the fix would have been easy. Either rename and reposition the role as far more powerful  something that would have benefited every presidential spouse that followed him  or do what Trump effectively has done: Get someone else to fill it. Bill could have been given the title of president emeritus or something equally impressive-sounding.

Trained deep learning systems can see patterns we might miss  and in this case, the pattern that should have emerged was that people dont like to take title demotions. Those who are heavily driven by status stand out in this group. How often are people demoted successfully, even if they change companies, and how often does that not work out? The answers are rarely and very.

Using a deep learning system to analyze a strategy likely would have pointed out that one of Hillary Clintons biggest assets, Bill, was going to become a liability. It could have helped her make a number of problematic decisions, like resource utilization, more effectively. It also might have flagged that a strategy of disparaging Trumps voters would motivate them to vote while doing nothing to get her own people to the polls, because thats what typically happens.

Universal Healthcare

The big problem with both the Obama and Trump efforts is that they were founded on several lies that way too many people believe. The three critical lies are these: 1. that you can make something that is unaffordable affordable by getting the government to pay for it; 2. that you can add a very expensive new government service without raising taxes; and 3. that insurance can cover pre-existing conditions.

The first is a lie because government oversight adds cost  it doesnt remove it. Alone, it is simply another expensive layer of management, and the additional costs still get passed on to you.

The second is Economics 101. The money to pay for something has to come from someplace. Obamacare was creative, but because it required people who didnt need insurance to buy it, insurance premiums became a tax that wasnt called a tax. I could call a duck a dog and it would still be a duck.

Third, it is clear that most folks dont understand how insurance works. It isnt a service  it is gambling. Much like going to Vegas, collectively we lose. What happens is that you bet the insurance company you will get sick, while they bet you wont. The fee reflects the odds plus overhead and profit.

It works, because the collective fees cover the costs when the insurance company loses. However, with pre-existing conditions, this would be like having a slot machine that always paid out. That isnt gambling anymore  it is like betting on a horse after the horse race is over. To buy the winning ticket, youd likely have to pay the face value plus any overhead for handling the transaction.

Now, it isnt uncommon for someone who doesnt have insurance try to buy it after they have a loss that the insurance might have covered. Say you would have paid $5K for house fire insurance, but you didnt get it. Then you have a fire with a $200K loss. Of course, it NOW looks good to pay $5K to get $200K back  but from the insurance companys perspective, that would be going-out-of-business stupid.

What a deep learning system would do is not only flag that pretty much everyone is misleading you on this topic, but also provide you with examples of where healthcare is working best and recommend that path. It likely would be a single-payer system where healthcare isnt handled through insurance but as a government service  and better managed than most DMV offices now are. My best guess right now is that a machine would pick Luxemburg as the example (Australia is ranked 8th).

Wrapping Up: Deep Learning

One of the shortcomings of humans is that we are very selective about what we choose to retain. The most powerful of us often are more driven to appear right than actually to be right, leading to hosts of avoidable mistakes. Even though we have more information at our fingertips than ever before, we have an aversion to using it  choosing to learn by our mistakes rather than taking the effort to avoid them.

This is the exact opposite of deep learning systems, and it is why they already are better at driving cars  and, on paper, better at flying planes. They lack the creativity and the out-of-the-box thinking that define the best of us, but they can avoid the kinds of mistakes that trip up the best of us. In short, applied properly, a deep learning system could turn any one of us into a huuuuuge success.

Lets hope this happens before a big-enough avoidable mistake turns us into fossils.

The kind of cloud service that would provide the capability Ive described above likely will come with a relatively affordable monthly cost eventually, but we are at least five and more likely 10 years away from that.

If you wanted to create a secure personalized service for someone like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, then youd likely start with a very unique workstation focused on deep learning and dedicated to them.

Until this month, such a thing wasnt available  but that changed with the launch of the Nvidia DGX Station.

Nvidia DGXStation

It isnt a cheap date at nearly $70K  yes, that is seventy thousand dollars  and youd still need to develop the related AI and train it. However, once trained, this little puppy could be your dont get into jail in the first-place card.

What would you pay to become superhuman?

For now, this is mostly used for those who want to develop a deep learning system, and prices certainly will come down as more mainstream hardware vendors move to this opportunity. However, a person who, say, was a billionaire, and who could afford to make something like this work  oh, and who didnt want to be impeached  might be willing to fund the first one. Just saying.

In any case, although it likely is the most expensive mainstream workstation in the world, it likely is worth the price, and so the Nvidia DGX Station is my product of the week.
As Facebook draws ever closer to 2 billion monthly average users, the moderators that remove graphic and extreme content from the platform face an increasingly difficult job. Leaked copies of 100 internal documents obtained by The Guardian show it's not just sheer volume that's overwhelming workers, but confusing policies over exactly what should and shouldn't be deleted.

"Facebook cannot keep control of its content," said one source. "It has grown too big, too quickly." The publication reports that moderators often have "just 10 seconds" to decide if a piece of flagged content violates its T&Cs.

It also seems that rules over what images and videos are allowed on the site aren't very clear. Threatening to kill specific people, especially political figures, will be deleted. "Someone shoot Trump," for example, won't be allowed, but the generic "I'm going to kill you" is okay as it's "not credible and is a violent expression of dislike and frustration."

Videos of violent deaths and self-harm are sometimes allowed as long as they are marked as "disturbing" and raise awareness of issues such as war crimes and mental health. The same allowances are made for images of non-sexual animal or child abuse, on the condition that they don't celebrate the act. Facebook says it does not automatically delete content showing the abuse of children so "the child [can] be identified and rescued, but we add protections to shield the audience." Even videos of abortions are allowed as long as there is no nudity.

The UK's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has described Facebook's rules on child abuse images as "alarming."

Facebook's controversial decision to remove the iconic "Napalm Girl" photo last year because she is naked has led to the social network issuing new guidelines. Nudity is now allowed for "newsworthy exceptions," though it won't allow "child nudity in the context of the Holocaust."

The social network has faced criticism recently for not removing extreme content quickly enough. The video of Steve Stephens shooting a man in Cleveland was viewable for over two hours, while two clips of a Thai man killing his 11-month-old daughter remained on Facebook Live for around 24 hours.

Like so many websites, Facebook must walk a fine line between allowing free speech and censoring content deemed as too offensive. With over a quarter of the world's population now using the platform, it's no easy task.
You might remember the story of an Australian woman back in March whose headphones exploded in her face during a flight. At the time, there was no information about the headphones, other than they were battery powered. We now know that they were a pair of Beats. And according to Australian news site news.com.au, Apple, which bought Beats for $3 billion in 2014, won't be compensating the woman.

The Cupertino company says it isn't to blame for the incident, and that the fault lies with the third-party batteries that were being used.

The Unnamed woman had fallen asleep listening to music during a flight from Beijing to Melbourne on February 19 this year, but was soon woken by an explosion. "As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face," she said. After throwing them to the ground, flight attendants doused the headphones with water. The woman suffered burns to her hands and face.

Despite her injuries, the only reimbursement the victim requested from Apple was for replacement headphones and her damaged clothes. But the company has refused to accept responsibility.

"Our investigation indicated the issue was caused by a third-party battery," Apple said in a statement issued by the woman's lawyers.

She says the Beats headset was bought in 2014 and required AAA batteries that weren't included. It's unknown what brand of batteries was used, but they were bought in Australia. Apple no longer manufactures AAA-powered headsets.

The woman was unhappy with Apple's response. "The headphones don't work without batteries, yet nowhere on the headphones - or their packaging - did it specify which brand of batteries should be used," she said in a statement.

Following the incident, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) reminded passengers to carry batteries with them and not in their stowed luggage.
Reports out of Korea indicate Samsung will be unveiling a new "stretchable" OLED scene at the Society for Information Display's trade show.

The new technology falls into the same category as other flexible displays that have been demonstrated but have yet to be introduced commercially. Likewise, the Korea Herald reports that the screen is in very early development and Samsung is unsure when it can be commercialized.

The screen that the company plans on demonstrating in L.A. is a 9.1-inch display that is capable of bending in on either side of the screen.

"While current flexible OLED is able to be transformed in only one side, this stretchable OLED can be transformed -- whether curved, bended or rolled -- in both sides, above and below," said a Samsung spokesperson. In other words, the screen can stretch outwards (convex) or inwards (concave).

The amount of flexibility is 12 mm in either direction and after flexing the display will resume its original shape. The teaser image released by Samsung (see above) reminds me of that movie The Frighteners with the face coming through the wall.

The practical applications of the technology are sketchy this early into development. However, screen durability and resiliency on smartphones is a use that immediately comes to mind. Samsung also envisions it being used in automotive applications, wearables, and IoT devices. Having a screen that could wrap 360 degrees must have its uses.

Samsung is also expected to exhibit its "glassless three-dimensional OLED," which is a 5.09-inch display that shows objects from different angles depending on the angle in which you view the screen. And if that is not enough they also have a 1.96-inch screen that is capable of a 3840 x 2160 UHD resolution that is designed for use in VR and AR devices.

The SID Symposium kicked off yesterday, May 21 and runs through May 26.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers Chagas Disease as one of the five neglected parasitic infections (NPIs) that require public health action based on records of its severity and widespread infection.

A new study published on May 18 In the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, however, claims that the disease may be more fatal than experts believe because cases of death caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi have been under-reported.

Under-Reported Fatalities

Researchers from University of Sao Paulo in Brazil studied more than 8,000 people who donated blood from 1996 to 2000 and found that among the participants, 2,842 donors tested positive for Chagas disease at the time of blood donation while 5,684 tested negative. The researchers studied the participants' records for the next 14 years and crossed reference their identities with death certificates recorded in the Brazil national mortality information system (SIM).

Among the Chagas-positive blood donors, 5.6 percent or 159 participants died during the 14-year time frame, while only 1.8 percent or 103 Chagas-negative participants passed away.

In the more chronic stages of Chagas disease, patients can develop cardiac abnormalities and intestinal complications but only 58 percent of cardiac deaths were recorded as Chagas-related.

When the researchers added abnormal cardiac-related deaths to the equation  one of the disease's more fatal symptoms  the result showed that Chagas-positive participants have a 17.9 times higher risk of heart disease leading to death.

"The fact that Chagas disease was not reported as an underlying or associated cause of death on the death certificate of 42% of seropositive donors that died due to cardiac causes demonstrates under ascertainment of Chagas disease pathogenesis, highlighting its status as a neglected tropical disease," the researchers write.

The Kissing Bug Of Death

Triatomine bugs, more commonly known as the kissing bug due to its preference for biting sleeping humans close to the lips and eyes, transfer the T. Cruzi parasite through its feces, which it leaves near or in the broken skin after feeding.

The parasite then enters the bloodstream to slowly wreak havoc in the human body, but its symptoms are mostly mild and, in some cases, patients don't even experience any.

Despite its asymptomatic nature, however, the researchers concluded that T. cruzi continues to affect an infected person's body and can result in death.

"What the parasite does to the body takes a long time; (it) slowly goes into the heart and destroys it," Dr. Ester Cerdeira Sabino explained. Dr. Sabino is a co-leader in the study.

Researchers continue to find a way to develop an effective drug to kill the T. cruzi parasite but there is currently no vaccine against the Chagas disease. So far, the only solution is to control the kissing bug population in order to stop the spread of the parasite.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Twitter may have killed Vine, but the information users provided apparently lives on and some details may have been exposed.

In an announcement on Medium on Friday, May 19, Twitter warned former Vine users that an archive bug may have exposed their phone numbers and email addresses. Twitter says that it fixed the issue as soon as it became aware of it and the bug affected the Vine archive for just 24 hours. Nevertheless, there's still a chance that the bug exposed some users' details.

Vine Archive Bug: Were You Affected?

Twitter notes that it has already reached out to all Vine account holders who have been affected by this bug, provided that it has a verified email address for them on file.

This means that if you received an email from Twitter regarding Vine, your email address and phone number were exposed. If you did not receive any email of the sort, you were most likely not affected by this Vine archive bug.

For those affected by this Vine bug, Twitter says that the emails and phone numbers involved were shared with third parties "under certain circumstances." The company adds that it's not aware of any other information being compromised. That said, at least user passwords are apparently safe.

"While we have no information indicating that any user information impacted by this incident has been misused, it's always a good idea to be cautious of emails or text messages received from unknown senders," Twitter notes.

"Please keep in mind that Vine will only send communications from @twitter.com, and we will never send emails with attachments or request your password by email."

Remembering Vine

Vine was once a popular video sharing application famous for its short looping videos. The platform proved to be greatly entertaining, with funny short Vines taking over the internet. Back in 2014, Vine was one of the most popular and successful mobile apps on the market, with numerous users enjoying Vine's unique take on videos. Vine videos were similar to GIFs thanks to their short-looping format, but they also had sound to go with the footage and enhance the experience.

Twitter ultimately decided to shut it down, however, and Vine saw its demise last year. Some top Vine stars even tried to save the app, to no avail. The associated software made its way to a camera app and Twitter no longer allowed Vine users to upload new videos.

Vine Users, Beware

Although it shut down the service, Twitter still kept an archive of all Vines, leaving them visible to users on the web. That archive has now been compromised, but the impact should be limited considering that Twitter was quick to solve the issue.

To be on the safe side, Vine users who received a warning from Twitter are advised to be on the lookout for any suspicious emails. If their email addresses have been compromised, attackers might try to lure unsuspecting users with various scams and phishing attempts sent to that address. Even without any breach, however, it's still highly advisable to always avoid suspicious emails from unknown senders.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The consistently perplexing and always fascinating KIC 8462852, also known as "Boyajian's Star," is up to its old tricks again. The mysterious celestial body is once again displaying its trademark pattern of dimming and brightening.

At about 4 in the morning on May 19, scientists got a call asking them to point their telescopes toward the star in an effort to help solve the mystery once and for all.

"At about 4 a.m. this morning I got a phone call ... that Fairborn [Observatory] in Arizona had confirmed that the star was 3 percent dimmer than it normally is," said Jason Wright, an associate professor of astronomy at Pennsylvania State University, who is in charge of a study on the mysterious star. "That is enough that we are absolutely confident that this is no statistical fluke. We've now got it confirmed at multiple observatories, I think."

ALERT:@tsboyajian's star is dipping This is not a drill. Astro tweeps on telescopes in the next 48 hours: spectra please!  Jason Wright (@Astro_Wright) May 19, 2017

Boyajian's Star

Also known as "Tabby's Star" in honor of astronomer Tabetha Boyajian who led the team that first discovered it, KIC 8462852 is odd in that its fluctuations don't follow any regular pattern. It was first discovered by use of NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, which was actually designed to search for similar fluctuations in a star's brightness.

Normally, these changes in brightness are caused by planets moving in front of the star. In fact, the reason the Kepler Telescope was invented in the first place was to help astronomers discover new worlds. However, the star's habit of dimming and brightening doesn't appear to follow any sort of regular set pattern, which is what should happen if it was the result of a planet's orbit.

A Range Of Theories

Scientists have proposed a number of theories regarding the star's strange behavior. Some have speculated that it is the result of the star absorbing a planet, which would have caused it to brighten before slowly returning to its original brightness.

Another theory is that Tabby's Star isn't even a star at all, but rather some sort of alien artifact. Those scientists speculate that the object is a kind of of communications device. For others, the irregularity in KIC 8462852's light patterns suggests that there are alien megastructures orbiting it.

Another more mundane theory is that the star's light fluctuations are the result of magnetic interference.

As of now, no single theory has emerged to unify the scientific community, which is why they are so interested in studying this object. Someone will figure it out eventually, but for now, what's really going on with KIC 8462852 is anyone's guess.

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A variety of reports about Facebook's rules and policies over content moderation have just been published, offering an in-depth look at how the company deals with content shared on its site and how it determines what users can post.

Overall, the leaked documents show that Facebook has to deal with an enormous influx of content, and the rules by which it moderates can at times be difficult for the moderators themselves.

Facebook's Rules For Content Moderation

The document dump is thanks to The Guardian, which published the series of reports on Sunday, May 21. The whole series, called Facebook Files, offers readers a compelling read, assuming one wishes to observe how the company handles threats of violence; non-sexual child abuse; graphic violence; sex, terrorism, and violence; and cruelty to animals.

The Guardian says it has reviewed over 100 documents pertaining to moderation, including manuals, spreadsheets, and flowcharts. These documents aid Facebook's moderators deal with reported content.

At its core, Facebook's internal moderation manuals have a simple goal: to espouse free speech while also avoid real-world harm. It leverages automated systems to get rid of some content, but moderators handle the rest.

Some moderators find difficulty with determining if a particular content violates Facebook's rules, especially since some policies are clear-cut, while some are more nuanced, requiring more effort to filter through an enormous array of reports and recognize distinctions.

Facebook's Manual For Moderating Graphical Violence

Take Facebook's internal manual for graphic violence, for instance. Moderators are tasked to remove content "upon report only," meaning graphic content  be it of a sexual or violent nature or both  could be seen by a great number of people before it's eventually removed, assuming  and this is crucial  someone reports it.

Sadism is one area that's particularly complex. As a subject, photos and videos of sadism can pass, but as an expression, they can't. This means that a video that might explain what sadism is and a user posting "I love seeing how much pain he's in" are two entirely different things.

Facebook's manual for credible threats of violence, on the other hand, also contain nuances that moderators have to pick up on. The document notes that people, as in real-life communication, often express threats or violence in generally "facetious and unserious ways." It also highlights what sort of sentences are passable  "I'll kill you, John!"  and what's not  "I'll kill you, John! I have the perfect knife to do it."

The guidelines task moderators to recognize posts that are tongue-in-cheek and ones that are genuine threats  for instance, posts with exact methods, timing, and such are more prioritized over general blanket statement threats.

To hone the point further, the nuances of moderation also bleeds over to the manual on animal abuse. Like sadist posts mentioned above, photos and videos documenting animal abuse is allowed, if only to raise awareness. However, those too disturbing are marked as such. Yet one slide is a bit perplexing because it advises moderators to ignore content depicting animal abuse when it's a photo but mark it as disturbing when it's a video. The photo, it's worth noting, shows a man pulling a dog by the leash violently.

Facebook And Its Moderators

The Guardian notes that moderators review millions of reported content. That number is enormous, and it's no surprise that the reviewers "often feel overwhelmed by the number of posts they have to review." Needless to say that they sometimes get it wrong, especially in areas where nuances are involved, such as permissible sexual content.

That said, Facebook recently announced that it's adding 3,000 more people to its community operations team to review the reports. How adding more people would impact the influx of reports is uncertain, but it's a step forward considering the series of violent and highly controversial content  such as a man livestreaming his murder spree  that was shared on Facebook but took a long time before being taken down.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A Lenovo representative has confirmed via Twitter that the forthcoming Moto Z2 Play will pack in a non-removable 3,000 mAh battery, in response to a user who told Lenovo it was making a "big mistake" if rumors pertaining to a "small battery" were true.

Lenovo Confirms Moto Z2 Play Battery Capacity

Lenovo didn't address the criticism outright but did confirm the Moto Z2 Play's battery life. It's unclear whether the Lenovo representative, named Auxen, was acting on their own or was a deliberate reveal from the company's marketing team.

The post is still active, so it doesn't appear to be a slipup. Still, it's not every day that a phone manufacturer confirms its forthcoming product's battery life without an official announcement.

Upcoming Moto Z Line

The Moto Z2 Play was leaked recently by virtue of product renders, ahead of Lenovo's planned release by the end of this year. In fact, the company's entire 2017 smartphone lineup was leaked recently, including the Moto Z, Moto X, Moto G, and the Moto C series. It's easy to imagine that now with everything laid out on the table, Lenovo, which owns Motorola, has no choice but to unveil key metrics piece by piece.

It's unclear if the company is set to unveil more details soon, but confirming the Moto Z2 Play's battery capacity first is a curious choice, seeing as how it might be a negatively perceived feature of the handset. The fact that it's a significant downgrade from the Moto Z Play's 3,510 mAh battery is a definitive demerit, especially if the predecessor previously racked up glowing accolades thanks to its battery life.

It's yet to be determined why Lenovo opted for a lower-capacity battery for the Moto Z Play sequel, but it would presumably allow it to design the Moto Z2 Play in a much thinner profile while not significantly losing battery efficiency, which it owes in large part to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 chip purportedly packed in, a more energy-efficient system-on-a-chip than the Snapdragon 625 before it.

Moto Z2 Play Rumors

Details are slim, but with the battery capacity reduced to 3,000 mAh, it's highly likely for Motorola to retain the Moto Z Play's 1080p display on the successor, since a screen with more pixels cause more strain on battery life.

The only sure thing as of now is the Moto Z2 Play, like its predecessor, will support Moto Mods accessories, Motorola's proprietary attachable add-ons that add extra functionality to the host smartphone.

Moto Z2 Play Release Date

By contrast, the Moto Z Play had a 16-megapixel camera on the back, a 5-megapixel camera on the front, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of internal storage. It's possible these elements can be upgraded, but don't expect anything grand. The phone was announced in August then launched a month later. If history repeats itself, expect more Moto Z2 Play news this August.

Thoughts about the Moto Z2 Play? Are you disappointed by the battery downgrade? What features do you expect on the forthcoming handset? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
All the tech jargon mumbo-jumbo often makes it hard to keep up with Google's many products and services. What's Android O? What's Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat? Now that it has announced a new platform named "Android Go," people might be more confused as ever.

For starters, Lollipop, Marshmallow, and Nougat are major versions of Android  like Windows XP, Vista, 7, 10. Google releases software updates in an alphabetical order, meaning Nougat is newer than Marshmallow, which is newer than Lollipop, and so on. The newest one, "O," doesn't have a name yet because it's just been announced. But there's a separate Android version altogether called Android Go. What is it?

Gadgets 360 caught up with Sameer Samat, Google's VP of Product Management for Android and Google Play, and he provided more details about Android Go.

First things first: Android Go isn't a new version of Android  but a "project name inside Google." In fact, there's no separate operating system called Android Go. All Android Go devices will ship with Android O, explained Samat.

Android Go: What Is It Exactly?

So if it's running Android O, then why is it still called Android Go? Well, Samat likened it to preset settings that your Android O device ships with. If you purchase an Android Go device, it'll run Android O, yes, but a bit differently  some OS settings will be switched on by default, some Google apps will be configured differently, and the Play Store will highlight different apps optimized for Android Go specifically.

Android Go: Why Are Apps Optimized?

So why do apps need to be optimized for Android Go? Well, that's because at its core, Android Go is a platform meant to cater to developing countries, some of which might not have highly stable and reliable internet speeds. Android Go is developed around such limitations, providing users a smooth Android O experience despite the handicaps associated with underwhelming internet connectivity.

"The way this works is that Android has a configuration when you build a device in factory and we are effectively putting a Go configuration in place ... what we are saying is if you are gonna build a device that [has 1 GB of RAM or less] then you should build it with the [Android] Go OS configuration," explained Samat.

Android Go Is Still Android O

Samat stressed that all Android apps that can run on Android O can run on Android Go devices, assuming, of course, the hardware can support it. The point is, Android Go isn't a specialized Android version that's weaker or less powerful. It's still Android O in its marrow  it's simply the optimal configuration for devices that have low specs. There will simply be a separate category of apps optimized specifically for Android Go  such as YouTube Go  to better suit the Android Go configuration.

By 2018 all Android devices with only 1 GB of RAM or less will automatically run Android Go. What's more, Google plans to release Android Go configurations for every major version of Android moving forward. So when Android eventually comes out with Android P, you can expect an Android Go configuration for that as well.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
New Zealand is joining the worlds space race through its first attempt to fire a rocket into space, with the historic launch facing its weather-related delay.

American-New Zealand aerospace company Rocket Lab seeks to blast off its Electron rocket from the quiet Mahia Peninsula during a 10-day window that supposedly begins Monday, May 22.

High winds on Sunday, May 21, however, prevented the planned rollout and launch preparations and delayed them until Tuesday, May 23, as Rocket Lab tweeted. The launch, which was four years in the making, was expected to face postponements given the need for optimal conditions.

Excitement Is In The Air

Mahia, a country settlement with less than 800 inhabitants, suddenly saw itself in the center of the nations space aspirations.

If we get to orbit on the first flight, we will have done something most countries have never achieved, said Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck, adding the vehicle will be ready by the next 1.5 weeks.

Its not a simple case of launch, however, as the ideal conditions involve radar and weather balloons for measuring wind velocities as well as air pressures both at ground and high levels. New Zealands weather, too, is known for being complicated, making it difficult to pinpoint an exact launch date.

The company has just moved from ground testing to a flight test program, said Beck. A dress rehearsal was performed last Tuesday, May 16, where the launch was done right up to ignition phase, including closing airspace and fueling the rocket.

Theres over 20,000 sensors that were monitoring, explained Beck. And if any of those sensors turn red then we wont fly.

Rocket Labs Desired Spot In The Space Industry

Becks company seeks to offer lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services to the small satellite segment.

It caters to pretty much the same market targeted by Vector Space, now in small-scale suborbital tests and with plans to enter the launch market in 2018, with a dedicated launch system removing the ride-sharing compulsories on the larger launch firms.

The company, which lists its intended service with Electron as $4.9 million worth per flight, started its orbital launch ambitions some 11 years ago. Its foray into rocket flight took place three years after its founding, via the launch of the Atea-1 suborbital sounding rocket.

This rocket stood 20 feet tall, weighed 132 pounds upon liftoff, and can carry a 4.5-pound payload as high as 74.5 miles.

What happened with Atea-1? It flew for the first (and only) time in November 2009 from New Zealand, and liftoff came more than seven hours behind schedule due to fueling issues. Rocket Lab was quick to claim that it had reached the internationally set boundary to space, rendering the company the first in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space.

The rocket, however, had no telemetry downlink, was untracked by ground-based assets, and was unrecovered, among many things. As a result, it proved impossible to verify the actual claim that the rocket reached the space, although launch was generally deemed a success.

Rocket Lab proceeded to develop the Electron, which was earlier slated for a 2015 test launch. Mahia Peninsula was favored as launch site for various factors, such as its less interaction with standard aviation routes allowing for a greater flight rate.

The rockets liftoff will herald the first time an orbital launch was attempted by a commercial firm from a 100 percent commercial launch site.

Earlier this month, on the other hand, SpaceX appeared to be near the launch phase of its Falcon Heavy rocket, deemed the worlds most powerful today.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An Eastern Oregon mother took to Facebook to share the daunting experience her family went through after her daughter unknowingly got bit by a tick and ended up with tick paralysis.

Lyme disease is not the only thing to worry about when it comes to tick bites. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ticks carry numerous infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

The CDC states ticks can spread multiple diseases, not just Lyme disease. The list of tick-borne diseases also includes Colorado tick fever, the Powassan virus, as well as a dozen other illnesses.

In the case of Amanda Lewis and her daughter, Evelyn, the culprit behind the incident was an American dog tick. This tick species doesn't typically carry Lyme disease.

However, it still managed to give the family quite a fright, causing the little girl to become temporarily paralyzed.

Unsuspected Tick Bite

In her Facebook post, Lewis tells the tale of how her daughter "started acting a little weird" the previous night and "want to stand up after her bath to get into her pajamas." By the following morning, the little girl was struggling to stand up.

"This morning she was having a hard time standing. She could barely walk, or crawl, and could hardly use her arms," wrote Lewis on May 13.

The concerned mother took a video of her daughter to record her symptoms, which she also uploaded on the internet.

According to Lewis, she captured the video footage with the intent to show it to family members, in hopes they would recognize the symptoms and figure out what had caused them.

Since the symptoms were getting worse, Lewis rushed her daughter to hospital, where she was immediately diagnosed with tick paralysis.

"The doctor talked to us for a minute and said over the past 15 years he had seen about seven or eight children her age with identical symptoms and more than likely she had a tick," Lewis wrote on social media.

Soon enough, the doctor found a tick in Evelyn's hair, after carefully examining the patient. Once the tick was removed, Evelyn's symptoms subsided and she has since then made a full recovery.

What Is Tick Paralysis?

Tick paralysis is a rare disease believed to be caused by the toxins in tick saliva, which enter the bloodstream while the insect is feeding. This condition can also affect dogs and is potentially fatal.

"Tick paralysis results from injection of a toxin from tick salivary glands during a blood meal. The toxin causes symptoms within 2-7 days, beginning with weakness in both legs that progresses to paralysis. The paralysis ascends to the trunk, arms, and head within hours and may lead to respiratory failure and death. The disease can present as acute ataxia without muscle weakness," Lewis wrote in her Facebook post, citing Wikipedia.

The CDC notes tick paralysis symptoms include acute, ascending, flaccid paralysis which can be easily mistaken for other neurologic disorders or diseases, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome or botulism.

According to the CDC, the paralysis typically subsides within 24 hours after removing the tick. In Evelyn's case, she was up on her feet by the next morning.

Lewis posted the video of her daughter, which immediately went viral, to raise awareness of this rare disease.

"It's not terribly common for this to happen but it's good to be aware that if your children or pets start having weakness in their limbs to look for a tick," she said in her Facebook post.

Although the American dog tick is not as prevalent in Oregon as it used to be, the CDC warns the geographic ranges of ticks are expanding and infections from tick-borne diseases are steadily increasing.

"Ticks differ in their tolerance to heat, cold and aridity, making certain tick species more common than others in any given location in the United States. Different species transmit different diseases and this leads to differences in incidence of tick-borne diseases by geographic region in the US," shows the CDC.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Seventy-three people sit on Louisiana death row  convicted of crimes so horrific that a jury of their peers sentenced them to death. But as things stand, the state has no way to execute them.

Over the past several weeks, Louisiana lawmakers have debated whether they should end the practice of capital punishment entirely, citing their faith, the costs of the program and whether the death penalty is an effective deterrent.

But to some extent, the question of whether to ban the death penalty is moot. Louisiana finds itself in the same predicament as many other states with capital punishment: It has run out of its supply of drugs for lethal injections, and pharmaceutical companies whose drugs were being used for the deadly cocktail have largely blocked further access. And, like other states, Louisiana law details how the execution is to be carried out by lethal injection, meaning the Legislature would have to pass a bill to allow the state to kill the condemned using other methods, such as by electrocution or firing squad.

"The state currently does not have a supply of the drugs to carry out the death penalty," said Ken Pastorick, spokesman for the Department of Corrections. Without access to those drugs, Pastorick says, "the state will not conduct executions."

It's been seven years since Louisiana executed a death row inmate  Gerald Bordelon, who was convicted of killing his 12-year-old stepdaughter. Bordelon hastened his own execution by waiving his appeal.

Bordelon is the only person Louisiana has executed in the past 15 years. Before that, executions occurred steadily if not routinely: Between 1983 and 2002, 27 people were executed in Louisiana. During that period of time, the longest lag between executions was two years. In 1987 alone, eight people were executed.

But Louisiana's lack of urgency in carrying out death sentences  which distinguishes Louisiana from other law-and-order states like Texas and Oklahoma  has been a frustration to at least one state lawmaker. Rep. Steve Pylant, R-Winnsboro, said he's a proponent of the death penalty and believes it's an effective deterrent to crime but not if criminals see the state has cold feet about going through with it.

"We need to start executing folks," he said. "They say they can't get the pharmaceuticals  well, then why can other states get them but we can't? If we don't want to do lethal injections, we got firing squads, we got gas chambers, we got other means."

Pylant ruffled feathers this week when he cast a game-changing vote in a House committee to spike a bill that would abolish the death penalty. Pylant was a co-sponsor of the bill and had previously said the state was wasting money if it wasn't going to go through with executions. But after he voted against his bill, which failed by a single vote, he said he had only attached his name to draw attention to his concerns.

Since 1993, Louisiana law has only allowed for lethal injection as a means of execution. Pylant said he wouldn't comment on whether he intended to propose legislation next year to expand the ways the state can execute people.

As recently as 2014, the Legislature mulled ways to allow executions to move forward. Former state Rep. Joe Lopinto, R-Metairie, pitched a short-lived proposal to bring back the electric chair, which is on display at the museum at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. After pushback from the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, that legislation morphed into a bill that would keep secret the sources of lethal injection drug providers and allow the state to tap out-of-state pharmacies. The bills lost steam after two botched lethal injections elsewhere in the country made national headlines.

The soonest Louisiana could execute anyone would be next year. A lethal injection scheduled for convicted child-killer Christopher Sepulvado has been delayed by the courts since 2014, after attorneys on his behalf filed a suit challenging the constitutionality of the death penalty in Louisiana. In his appeal, Sepulvado has requested to learn exactly how he'd be put to death in light of botched lethal injections in recent years, and a lack of access to the drugs.

The state has previously used lethal doses of pentobarbital, an anesthetic. But in 2011, European drug manufacturers banned the export of the drug for lethal injections.

Since then, states have moved to a drug called midazolam, a sedative commonly used for colonoscopies, combined with hydromophone. That combination was challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court, after inmates sued saying the drug wasn't strong enough to block the pain of the other lethal drugs in the injection. Midazolam was the drug used in a handful of high-profile botched executions, like Arizona's Joseph Wood, who strained in agony for two hours after receiving the injection in 2014.

But in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled midazolam was not "cruel and unusual" in a 5-4 vote.

Some states, however, are still having trouble getting access to midazolam for the use of lethal injections.

"It's becoming increasingly difficult for states to obtain drugs for executions, and it's gotten to the point where some companies won't sell to state prisons even for medical purposes because they're afraid the drugs will be diverted for the use of executions," said Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center.

In Arkansas, the state raced to execute four death-row inmates in April because its supply of midazolam was set to expire.

Only 32 states still allow the death penalty. And of those states, lethal injection is the most widely used means of execution; however, in some states, electrocution, lethal gas and firing squads are still options.

A 2015 report by Louisiana State Penitentiary officials recommended using nitrogen induced hypoxia  which is a deficiency of oxygen  as an alternative to lethal injection. A gas chamber was ruled out, but the recommendation considered using a mask to deliver the nitrogen.

"The research reviewed suggests that this method would be the most humane method and would not result in discomfort or cruel and unusual punishment to the subject," the report said.

Dunham said he disagrees, noting that the effect is people are effectively suffocated to death.

"The American Veterinary medical association won't even euthanize large mammals with nitrogen hypoxia," he said. "Their guidelines on euthanasia won't allow it."

Though a bill was rejected last week in a House committee to abolish the death penalty, its sponsor Rep. Terry Landry, D-New Iberia, said there could be a glimmer of possibility for its revival.

He said there was a possibility the lone Democrat who voted against the bill, Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, could ask the chairman of the committee for reconsideration. Norton could not be reached for comment.

But Landry said it's a difficult and emotional vote, and he's not sure if he'll put his colleagues through another debate.

"It's a very, very tough vote," he said. "It's literally about life and death. I'm not sure whether I want to do this again."
With the legislative session nearing its end, the Republican majority in the state House has yet to find a way to raise the money necessary to fill a huge budget gap looming in 2018  or to indicate a willingness to do so.

That makes it likely Gov. John Bel Edwards will have to order this Legislature to return to Baton Rouge in the coming weeks or months for its fourth special session, in yet another attempt to solve the states budget woes.

At issue during the final two weeks of the regular session is how to replace $1.3 billion in temporary taxes authorized by the Legislature last year that will vanish on July 1, 2018. Its known at the State Capitol as the fiscal cliff.

The most that Republicans in the House have done so far is to pass a budget for the next fiscal year that limits spending. That, they say, would roughly halve the fiscal cliff.

Many of them want to put off dealing with the rest of the shortfall immediately.

Later this year or early next year, well be in a better position to see what the fiscal cliff actually is and address it, said state Rep. Jay Morris, R-Monroe, offering the hope that oil prices will rise in the coming months, which would both improve Louisianas economy and generate more tax revenue.

In the meantime, House Republicans have yet to coalesce behind tax measures that would provide the other $650 million to $700 million, although the Republican leaders are said to be searching for possible answers.

Unless they do something in a hurry, theyre not going to address the cliff, Edwards said in an interview Thursday. Well be back in a special session, which is unnecessary.

Republicans  and Democrats  are confronted daily by outside groups demanding "no votes on income tax measures and business lobbies pressuring them not to touch their tax breaks.

And its unclear whether the House can count on the savings from the spending cuts it passed. The governor and Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, say the Houses version of the budget is unacceptable because it would cut too deeply into health care programs that serve the poor and disabled.

Whatever budget the Legislature eventually adopts will take effect July 1 when the new fiscal year begins.

Failure to find common ground to approve that budget before the regular session ends June 8 would cause an immediate special session apart from the fiscal cliff issue  because of the need to have the budget approved by July 1.

The Senate Finance Committee is drafting the Senates version of the budget.

The Houses version limited spending to 97.5 percent of projected dollars as of July 1, to ensure, its Republican leaders say, the state doesnt ultimately overspend, a development that has happened repeatedly in recent years. The House is proposing to cut the states investment into health care programs by about $225 million, but the ultimate reduction to the budget would be some $700 million because of the added loss of matching federal dollars.

Edwards noted archly that the Houses budget did not spell out which programs the Republicans think are ineffective and ought to be cut.

The House members who insisted on large cuts did not have the courage to specify where theyd go, he said.

In its budget, Alario said, he expects the Senate will want to spend closer to the full 100 percent of the money available, an extra $200 million or so.

There are some real big needs in children and family services, he said. If we dont fund them, there will be abused children.

After the Senate approves its version of the budget, the two chambers will have to settle on a final version by June 8  or else trigger the immediate special session.

House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, on Friday did not return a phone call or respond to a text from The Advocate.

Edwards and Alario are still hoping  unrealistically, perhaps  that the House will approve revenue measures that would address the related but separate issue of the fiscal cliff.

The governor and Senate president cant do much because the House is in the drivers seat, for two reasons. One is that major revenue-raising bills have to originate in the House. The other is that, in his biggest failure so far as governor, Edwards couldnt get the House to approve his choice for speaker, state Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans. Instead, the House elected Barras.

As a result, Barras answers first and foremost to House Republicans, not to the governor unlike past speakers who were generally allied with the governor. Barras has had trouble corralling the fractious Republican caucus.

As The Advocate has reported, Edwards also has less leverage than some of his predecessors because he has fewer dollars to spend on state construction projects. Governors have traditionally pledged repairs to roads, courthouses and sewage systems in the districts of legislators in return for votes on key issues.

The governors weak hand in the House has meant the Ways and Means Committee, stacked with conservatives by Barras, has shot down all of Edwards proposals to raise tax revenue.

Were hearing it from our constituents not to vote on more taxes, said state Rep. Jim Morris, R-Oil City, the committees vice chairman.

The House still has several measures in play that lawmakers could amend to eliminate sales-tax exemptions  which would both raise revenue and adopt one of the recommendations of a task force that spent 2016 studying the states tax system and declared it broken. Lawmakers also could try to amend one of these bills to reauthorize all or part of the 1-cent sales tax increase approved last year that is due to expire in mid-2018.

On Wednesday, the House passed a small tax measure. House Bill 651 would raise $12.5 million per year by permanently removing 28 percent of certain corporate income tax exemptions. But passage of the measure on a 55-34 vote showed the difficulty of passing taxes in the House. HB651 needed only 53 votes, but most other tax measures would need at least 70, a super-majority in the 105-member House.

Barras and another key Republican, state Rep. Lance Harris, of Alexandria, who heads the GOP House caucus, voted for it, but several chairmen of committees voted no, including state Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, state Rep. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, and state Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Albany. Another key committee chairman, state Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, missed the vote.

Getting only 55 votes led the bills sponsor, state Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond, to abandon plans to follow with another tax measure, House Bill 653, that would have raised another $16 million by eliminating tax breaks. That measure needed 70 votes.

In an interview afterward, Broadwater said he is hearing from colleagues that they would be more willing to vote for tax measures if the governor and the Senate would accept the Houses budget.

The difficulty in getting House members to raise more revenue was also on full display Wednesday when the lower chamber considered House Bill 609 by Jay Morris. It would have raised $173 million per year by permanently eliminating tax exemptions on 2 cents of the state sales tax.

First, though, state Rep. Mike Danahay, D-Lake Charles, offered an amendment sought by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry that would exempt manufacturers from sales tax on their utility bills. The House overwhelmingly approved Danahays amendment, which knocked out $100 million from Morris bill. The House then soundly rejected the bill anyway 20-81.

Nearly all Democrats voted against Morris bill because they instead want the House to pass a similar measure, House Bill 411, by state Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge. In an interview, James said he will present his bill Tuesday, but Danahay said he would return with his popular revenue-gutting amendment. Either way, it seems unlikely that many Republicans would reverse their vote from Wednesday to help Democrats pass their bill.

The vote on Morris bill led him to say afterward that Democrats cant pin the entire blame for not addressing the fiscal cliff on Republicans.

Also still waiting its fate is House Bill 355, which would rewrite the income tax system by imposing flat corporate and individual rates, eliminating the corporate franchise tax, ending many tax breaks and granting a more generous break for the working poor. The bills sponsor, state Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central, spent hundreds of hours to master the tax system well enough to propose the revamp.

But neither the Edwards administration nor Iveys GOP colleagues have gotten behind the bill. Ivey said he hasnt been able to get even a sit-down with the governor, despite asking since November.

Ivey had to pull back from having the House hear the bill Wednesday in the face of questions about its cost by colleagues.

Im disappointed in the lack of leadership, from the first floor to the fourth floor, Ivey said afterward. Thus far, it appears as though its more about the politics than it is the people. Thats speaking about both sides of the aisle.
Consider Scott Angelle one of those up-and-comers who never quite up and came.

The public service commissioner from Acadiana built a long resume in Louisiana politics, having previously served as St. Martin Parish president, cabinet secretary under Govs. Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal, and interim lieutenant governor.

But Angelle's attempts to broach the highest levels of elective office fell flat. He failed to make the runoff in the 2015 governor race, despite ample financial backing from the oil and gas interests that he once regulated at the state Department of Natural Resources and that have such a strong presence in his home region. A year later, he lost a congressional race to upstart Clay Higgins, which pretty much ended his prospects of making another run for the state's top job.

That doesn't mean Angelle won't be moving on up. This week, the Trump administration appointed him as new director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, part of the Department of the Interior and the office created after the 2010 BP oil spill to oversee offshore drilling safety. The appointment does not require Senate approval.

Angelle is the second electoral also-ran to land a job in the administration; he'll be joining former U.S. Rep. John Fleming of Minden, who lost out in the 2016 Senate race. Fleming works at the Department of Health and Human Services.

In a statement, Angelle made it clear he continues to see the industry as ally, not adversary.

It is an exciting and challenging time for BSEE; I look forward to leading our efforts to empower the offshore oil and gas industry while ensuring safe and environmentally responsible operations, Angelle said.

All in all, not a bad consolation prize for a politician coming off two big defeats. And not a bad consolation prize for the industry he'll once again be overseeing either.
Indian mining giant Adani has deferred making a final investment decision on its controversial Carmichael coal mine after the Queensland government delayed a cabinet discussion over royalty payments on Monday.

Factional wrangling over a so-called "royalties holiday" for Adani has seen the state Labor government put the issue on the back-burner before next month's state budget.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pictured with Gautam Adani. Credit:AAP

In light of that, an Adani spokesman said the mining company has deferred it's final investment decision, due next Monday, "until cabinet makes a decision".

The Palaszczuk government has been considering a mining industry agreement that could include deferred or reduced royalties.
Perhaps sentiment is changing. On Monday, mining magnate Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola, pledged to donate $400 million of their personal fortune to charity  an extraordinary gift with the potential to transform lives.

Such a perception is mistaken. Wealthy individuals and companies in Australia have proved remarkably adept at minimising the amount of tax they pay. There is little excuse, bar parsimony, for such a national philanthropic deficit.

Yet perhaps Donald Trump nailed the reason best when he recently conceded that Australia has a better healthcare system than in the US. There appears a common view that the overall welfare safety net provided by government in Australia is of a higher quality than that in America. With taxation rates also consequently higher, the corollary assumption follows that the need for charity and incentive for generosity are less.

It is a regular lament that Australia does not boast a culture of private and corporate philanthropy in a manner similar to that found in the United States. The Rockefellers and Carnegies have no historic peers in Australia, with countless excuses offered to explain the difference in attitudes, ranging from tall poppy syndrome to simple greed.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten led the congratulations for what is thought to be the single largest gift by living Australians in the nation's history. As Mr Turnbull put it, for all the commercial success Mr Forrest has enjoyed with Fortescue Metals, "you have nonetheless recognised that all good fortune comes with an element of fortune".

The essence of charity is to bestow a little good luck on those in need of a helping hand. The gift by the Forrests will be split among disparate areas. About $75 million will be devoted to cancer research and $75 million to higher education.

Childhood education will be the focus of another $75 million, with $50million to be spent on tackling Indigenous disadvantage. Another $75 million will be used to eliminate modern slavery, an issue Mr Forrest has taken special interest in over recent years.

There is no disputing that each area will benefit from an injection of funds. Hopefully the example set by the Forrests will be a standard for others to follow, and there is encouraging research into the psychology of charity to suggest large gifts of this type can inspire others to act. In recent times, commodities trader Graham Tuckwell and his wife, Louise, pledged donations worth about $200 million over several decades to the Australian National University, and Westfield's Frank Lowy has donated millions to medical research.

But nor is it churlish to note that high-profile causes are often the beneficiaries of generosity. Individuals are free to spend their money as they see fit  Bill Gates, for example, chose to focus principally on development assistance. But if philanthropy is to become a more common feature of Australian society, ensuring the effective use of precious dollars is crucial. The country will benefit from careful debates to understand what can most effectively be supported by private generosity.
For Andrew Forrest and his wife, Nicola  as for so many people  the fight against cancer is personal.

Both sides of their family have been afflicted, dating all the way back to Mr Forrest's great-great-uncle John  the first premier of Western Australia  who was killed by melanoma 99 years ago. More recently, both have watched close family members struggle against the "emperor of all maladies".

Neither is keen to talk about these personal experiences. "Cancer has probably touched every family in some way," Mrs Forrest said. But these experiences are at least part of the reason cancer research was at the top of the couple's philanthropic to-do list.
Okay, time for me to wrap up. What happened?

question time was topsy-turvy as the government exploited division in the opposition about its approach to the rise in the Medicare levy ;

as the exploited division in the about its approach to the ; the government was quick to capitalise and portray itself as the defender of the National Disability Insurance Scheme ;

was quick to capitalise and portray itself as the ; the opposition tried to bite back by questioning aspects of the bank levy ;

tried to bite back by questioning aspects of the ; but this risks confusing voters because the opposition supports the levy ; and

because the supports the ; and there was some rare bipartisanship at an event to announce a $400 million giveaway by billionaire Andrew Forrest to a range of charitable causes.

My thanks, as always, to Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares for their work and to you for reading and commenting.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Andrew and I will be back tomorrow (Alex will be on assignment). We hope to see you then. Good evening.
Some world leaders like to tweet, others like to power walk with their wives and counterparts. Justin Trudeau, however, enjoys photobombing unsuspecting constituents in his spare time.

Canada's Prime Minister was photographed over the weekend while out running and accidently made his way into a frame of high schoolers en route to their school formal.

In the shot, a group of students stand in their best dresses and rented tuxedos while Trudeau, in shorts and a T-shirt advertising a small Canadian winery called Norman Hardie, trots through in the background like a gazelle directed by David Attenborough.

No one in the photo, which was taken in Vancouver and posted on Twitter, nor the photographer, appeared to notice the politician running by.
Ten-year-old Grace Gregson from year 5 at Seaforth Public school speaks to the media Senate inquiry at NSW Parliament House. Credit:Jessica Hromas I love the idea of helping kids become informed about the world in an age-appropriate way and see tremendous value in an edited, curated product in this era of fake news and conspiracy theories. I also love that Crinkling offers the opportunity to be a child reporter with help from professional editors. At six, my pair are on the young side of the Crinkling audience, but I'm happy to give it a go now to make sure it's still around in a year or two. Crinkling already has tens of thousands of subscribers and a working business model but its seed funding was about to run out and it needed a bit longer to become fully sustainable. The crowdfunding campaign helped it both secure the money it needs and raise its profile.

Crinkling's success demonstrates why I love crowdfunding. At its best, it democratises the financing of good ideas. Crowdfunding has been around for about a decade  IndieGoGo launched in 2007, Kickstarter in 2009, Australian business Pozible in 2010, Start Some Good in 2011. There are other platforms, too. Each site has its own flavour and rules but the basic premise is the same: a creator comes up with a project, pitches it to the public and and people have the opportunity to back it by pledging money. There are also sites such as Patreon that let supporters pay a regular subscription to creators to sustain their work. Many artists, musicians, writers and independent journalists use Patreon. But while crowdfunding is not new, people are continually finding creative ways to use it, and it continues to be mostly a force for good.

Sometimes it's personal life funding, or creative projects or worthy causes. Other times, it's commercial. In the old days to get an idea off the ground you either needed to secure a government grant, or someone  either the owner or an investor  had to take on substantial financial risk. Most creative or socially minded projects don't have enough potential commercial return to attract investors, and creators themselves have limited means to take on unpaid work. Usually projects are structured with rewards for different tiers of support  in my case with Crinkling News, it was the subscription to the paper. The reward structure is key when it comes to commercial projects, because the rewards are usually the actual products.

Before crowdfunding, the general public still effectively voted on product ideas because in their role as consumers they either purchased the item or didn't. But they couldn't make that choice until after the producer had already taken on a whole lot of risk by manufacturing it. Using crowdfunding as a pre-order channel is a more efficient way of deciding what gets made than the entrepreneur's gut feeling. It's effectively a real-world consumer focus group. Often the project structure is all or nothing, meaning that if it's not fully funded the money is returned to supporters and the creator gets nothing. This is designed to ensure the creator doesn't become committed to doing something without having sufficient funding to follow through. The problem with crowdfunding is it relies heavily on trust, and that's risky if you are supporting the project mainly to get the promised reward. It's not like going shopping. Backing a crowdfunding project may not have the same legal status as pre-ordering a product directly through the company, and there have been some spectacular failures. One of the best known cases is ZionEyez (now Zeyez), which promised streaming HD video built-in to glasses for $US199 back in 2011.

As Forbes reports, it aimed to raise $US55,000 through Kickstarter, smashed its goal with $US343,415 in funds committed, but then struggled to deliver. Consumers who pre-ordered through the website eventually got a refund, but Kickstarter backers did not. ASIC's MoneySmart website advises that the main motivation for pledging funds should be to help the project succeed. MoneySmart suggests that you read the terms and conditions of the crowdfunding site carefully, and check out the credentials of the project creator. For example, have they used crowdfunding before, have they been involved in successful projects in the past, and if so did they deliver the gift as promised? Rewards or warm fuzzies are all very well, but the next frontier in crowdfunding is crowd-sourced equity funding, where backers get ownership in the company. It's like venture capital for retail investors. This already exists in many other countries, and in March the Senate passed legislation to enable it in Australia.
An Islamic bookstore owner jailed for sending money to foreign fighters in Syria will spend additional time behind bars for extortion.

Omar Succarieh, who is already serving 4 years in prison for foreign incursion offences, was found guilty in March after a judge-only trial in the Brisbane District Court of trying to extort $50,000 from a Brisbane cafe owner.

Omar Succarieh, pictured after his arrest in September 2014. Credit:Seven News

On Monday, Judge Brian Devereaux sentenced him to two years and nine months for the extortion.

This sentence pushes Succarieh's previous parole eligibility date out from September this year to May 2018.
Police are asking for public help to find three teenage girls who have been missing since Saturday afternoon.

Elisha Nguyen, 15, and her friends Jennifer Ly and Julie Le, both 14, were last seen at an address on Highfield Road, Cairnlea, at about 4pm on Saturday.

Missing girls Elisha Nguyen, Jennifer Ly and Julie Le. Credit:Victoria Police

The three girls hail from Melbourne's north-west.

Police and their families hold concerns for their welfare due to their age and the length of time they have been missing.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Melbourne face a bigger risk of tidal flooding by century's end, and major roads, tram routes and industrial areas could disappear under water due to future sea level rises, new modelling shows.

The updated modelling of possible sea level rises caused by climate change predicts Victoria's coastline could be hit by sea level rises of two metres or more by 2100, due to the rapid melting of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland.

Streets in Elwood after a flash flood in December. Credit:Wayne Taylor

A two-metre rise would flood several low-lying suburbs in Melbourne including South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, Southbank, Docklands, Altona, Williamstown, Elwood, St Kilda, Seaford, Carrum, Bonbeach and Aspendale.

Large areas in Geelong and the seaside towns of Barwon Heads, Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale would also be heavily inundated at high tide by century's end, it is predicted.
That's it for Melbourne Express today. Follow our coverage of the bombing at Ariana Grande's concert in Manchester here.

Back tomorrow, bright and early - well it will be dark when Express cranks up but you get the gist.

Check in then.
The young man who freed the trapped driver of a truck which collided with a tram in Parkville on Monday morning, hospitalising 14 people, says the injured man was not to blame.

Cable hauler Saul McCausland, 21, was on his way to a job and was driving behind the soil truck on Elliott Avenue when he witnessed the smash with the route 58 West Coburg tram about 8am on Monday.

Mr McCausland jumped out of his truck to come to the aid of the driver who was trapped in his vehicle after his truck rolled several metres.
Beijing: The Chinese government has confirmed the arrest of six Japanese men in China for "illegal activities".

A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman declined to comment on reports the men had been involved in spying or what the "illegal activities" were.

China wouldn't say if the arrests were connected to spying. Credit:Greg Newington

The Chinese government has been carrying out an investigation into six Japanese in China and has informed the Japanese consular office in China, she said.

The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported earlier on Monday that the six men had been in custody since March. Three were detained in Shandong province and three were detained in Hainan, on the southern coast.
Beijing: Monash University's reputation in the lucrative Chinese student market has taken a battering after an online exam for business students claimed it was widely said Chinese government officials only tell the truth when they are drunk.

Almost half a million Chinese social media users have reacted to a Chinese news report of the incident over the weekend.

A screen grab of the Monash University quiz, which offended Chinese students. Credit:Suppplied

Chinese students in the Monash business school had complained about the quiz, which posed the multiple choice question: "There is a common saying in China that government officials only speak the truth when:".

A lecturer has been suspended after the quiz gave the correct answer "d) They are drunk or careless".
Jerusalem: Unlike the royal pomp and ceremony with which President Donald Trump was greeted in Saudi Arabia, the plans for his arrival in Israel had devolved into an unseemly political ruckus before Air Force One touched down.

An infuriated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to order his ministers to attend the airport welcome ceremony, the Hebrew daily newspaper Haaretz reported, after he learned that most of them were planning to skip it because there was no time scheduled for Mr Trump to shake their hands on the tarmac.

Mr Netanyahu also had to wrestle much of Sunday in a closed cabinet meeting with right-wing ministers of his coalition to win approval of even modest gestures meant to encourage the Palestinian economy and ease conditions in the West Bank and elsewhere.

The confidence-building measures were aimed as much at convincing Mr Trump of the Israelis' commitment to seek an agreement as they were intended for the Palestinians. Mr Trump has said that he wants to seal the "ultimate deal" to resolve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an ambitious goal that has so far eluded two generations of US presidents and numerous international mediators.
CARLSBAD, Calif. and REYKJAVIK, Iceland, May 22, 2017 -- Icelandair, in operation since 1937, has a long history of bridging North America and mainland Europe through Iceland. Today, the Airline announced it will bring the fastest, most powerful in-flight connectivity and internet streaming service to passengers  across this transatlantic bridge  through a new partnership with global broadband services and technology company, ViaSat Inc. .

To deliver ultimate internet experiences at 35,000 feet, Icelandair will tap into ViaSat-2, expected to be the most powerful, highest capacity satellite communications system at launch, and will leverage ViaSat's latest generation (Gen-2) in-flight internet system. By using the latest advancements in ViaSat's in-flight internet portfolio, Icelandair will be able to offer full internet and streaming services at scale.

"Icelandair continues to expand its global network with additional flights, aircraft and service capabilities across the Atlantic  our investment in new technology, from ViaSat, will deliver one of the best internet experiences in the skies," said, Gumundur Oskarsson, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Icelandair. "In partnering with ViaSat we continue our strong reputation of putting our passengers first by giving them the opportunity to use the internet the way they want to  by providing internet with fast web browsing speeds and video streaming."

Icelandair will integrate ViaSat's in-flight internet system across its fleet of 16 Boeing 737MAX aircraft through post-delivery modifications. ViaSat plans to deliver continuous, reliable high-speed connectivity from Icelandair's 18 North American gateways across the Atlantic Ocean to Iceland and more than 25 destinations in Europe. By using ViaSat's Gen-2 equipment, which is optimized to take full advantage of the highly-anticipated massive amounts of capacity offered by the ViaSat-2 satellite, Icelandair can offer passengers even faster and higher-quality in-flight internet connections, as well as keep pace with the growing broadband demands of the fully connected aircraft.

"This is a watershed moment for ViaSat  as this is the first time an airline will use our technology to offer full internet connectivity and internet streaming to passengers over the Atlantic Ocean," said Don Buchman, vice president and general manager, Commercial Mobility at ViaSat. "This boldly speaks to Icelandair's commitment to ensuring passenger comfort and loyalty while showing how far ViaSat has taken the in-flight internet industry in just a matter of years."

How It Works

Highest-quality internet connections are made possible by connecting passenger devices directly to ViaSat's ViaSat-2 Ka-band satellite network (over North America and the Atlantic Ocean), and then switching these passenger connections over to the European KA-SAT network, a high-capacity Ka-band satellite system part owned by ViaSat through its European joint venture with Eutelsat.

Availability

The installation of the ViaSat in-flight internet equipment is expected to begin in March 2018 and continue through 2020.

About Icelandair

Icelandair offers service to and from Iceland through Icelandair's hub at Keflavik International Airport serving 18 destinations in North America and more than 25 destinations in Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe. Only Icelandair allows passengers to take an Icelandair Stopover for up to seven nights at no additional airfare.

About ViaSat

ViaSat, Inc. keeps the world connected. As a global broadband services and technology company, ViaSat ensures consumers, businesses, governments and military personnel have communications access - anywhere - whether on the ground or in-flight. The Company's innovations in designing highest-capacity satellites and secure ground infrastructure and terminal technologies coupled with its international network of managed Wi-Fi hotspots enable ViaSat to deliver a best available network that extends the reach and accessibility of broadband internet service, globally. For more information visit ViaSat at: www.viasat.com, or follow the Company on social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements, among others, include statements that refer to the speed, performance and quality of the ViaSat/Eutelsat internet service offered through its joint venture; the roll-out and uptake of products and services by, and services offered by Icelandair; and the expected capacity, service, coverage, service speeds, availability and other features of the satellites, and the timing, cost, economics and other benefits associated therewith. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the ability to successfully implement ViaSat's business plan for broadband services on the anticipated timeline or at all; risks associated with production, installation and implementation; risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; ability to successfully develop, introduce and sell new technologies, products and services; government audits; changes in the global business environment and economic conditions; reduced demand for products and services as a result of continued constraints on capital spending by customers; changes in relationships with, or the financial condition of, key customers or suppliers; unexpected challenges with joint venture; reliance on a limited number of third parties to manufacture and supply products; increased competition; introduction of new technologies and other factors affecting the communications and defense industries generally; the effect of adverse regulatory changes on ViaSat's ability to sell products and services; ViaSat's level of indebtedness and ability to comply with applicable debt covenants; ViaSat's involvement in litigation, including intellectual property claims and litigation to protect proprietary technology; and ViaSat's dependence on a limited number of key employees. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in ViaSat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including ViaSat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. ViaSat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Copyright  2017 ViaSat, Inc. All rights reserved. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. ViaSat is a registered trademark of ViaSat, Inc.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/icelandair-becomes-first-airline-to-bring-high-speed-connectivity-and-internet-streaming-to-transatlantic-flights-with-viasats-in-flight-internet-system-300461183.html

SOURCE ViaSat, Inc.

CONTACT: ViaSat, Inc., Chris Phillips, Public Relations, 760-476-2322, chris.phillips@viasat.com; June Harrison, Investor Relations, 760-476-2633, IR@viasat.com

RELATED LINKShttp://www.viasat.com
Thousands Join Mass Action Lawsuit Against Ford Motor Company Over PowerShift Transmission







DETROIT - May 22, 2017: A mass action lawsuit has been filed, under the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, against Ford Motor Company claiming a defective PowerShift transmission in Ford Focus models from 2012-2015 and Ford Fiesta models from 2011-2015. Currently, there are more than 4,000 past or current owners who have joined the lawsuit.

Thousands of Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta owners have reported consistent jerking and shuddering while driving these vehicles, and many have experienced delayed acceleration and deceleration. In some instances, drivers reported unintended acceleration when stopped at traffic lights, and other times the cars would roll backwards on an incline.

"A friend had a Ford Fiesta, and when he started experiencing problems with the transmission and the dealership was unable to come up with a solution, we looked in to it and found that thousands of people across the country were experiencing the same issues," said Ken Stern, founder and principal of Stern Law PLLC. "Ford must be held accountable for design and manufacturing defects of the PowerShift transmission that has compromised the safety of the vehicles and cost owners significant loss in vehicle value, reliable transportation and time," Stern said.

Ford has issued more than 20 Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) on these models to alert dealership service technicians about known mechanical issues. A TSB is not public and dealers are not mandated to contact owners to complete the repairs. The most common course of dealer action has been to re-flash the transmission control module (TCM) and replace clutches, but the transmission problems persist.

Many customers have taken their vehicles to dealerships for repairs and spent hundreds of dollars, but the vehicles continued shudder. Often customers were told that the problems weren't real, but were part of normal operation. Feeling their cars were unsafe and unreliable, some customers ultimately sold them at a loss."

According to Kelley Blue Book, the resale value of Ford Focus and Ford Fiestas with the PowerShift transmission is $3,000  4,000 less than Focus and Fiesta models without it.

In 2014, Ford extended the powertrain warranty on the vehicles from five years and 60,000 miles to seven years and 100,000 miles to cover the clutch shudder on cars built before June of 2013, but no consistently reliable repair has been provided.

Consumers interested in participating in the mass action suit should visit FordTransmissionProblems.com and www.facebook.com/YourLegalJustice. Since this is a mass action lawsuit with "fee shifting", consumers will incur no legal fees.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/05/2017 (1998 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Hanover Agricultural Society kicks off a season full of fun with its annual three-day Spring Rodeo May 26-28.

We are proud of what the Spring Rodeo has accomplished year by year, said Hanover Ag president Curtis Dawydiuk, Our grounds have hosted this event for nearly a decade and it is always a pleasure to see passionate people coming together to celebrate the sport.

The Rough Stock Riding School will be hosting two-time CCA champion Ben Kinkead as its instructor for bull & steer riding, as well as Scott Byrne, a 14-time CFR fighter and 10-time PBR Canada National Finals fighter, for bull fighting.

Gymkhana events will be held on Friday, May 26 starting at 6:30 p.m.. A barbeque at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 27 with be followed by a dance at 8 p.m.

Heartland Rodeo events are scheduled on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, with slack at 1 p.m. and show at 4:30 p.m.
What do you like to drink? I love juices. But they have to be fresh juice, with a tiny exception of canned pineapple juice. It has to be fresh grapefruit juice. It has to be fresh orange juice. My favorite thing in the entire world is passionfruit. I love passionfruit more than anything. And theres nothing better than passionfruit puree but not many places carry it. And I came up with this drink, where I mix it with Grey Goose Vodka and thats my go to drink.

Youve lived in California off and on for years. Are you also a wine drinker? Wine Ive been into for many years. When I first moved to Southern California we would drive up to Napa on a regular basis. I still love French wines and there are certain Italian wines I like, but California does have some great stuff. My favorite wine is something called Petite Sirah and its not like a typical Syrah its a whole different grape. When you walk in to a restaurant they either know what youre talking about or they dont. Theyll say, yes, we have Syrahs. And you go thats not what this is.

Why Petite Sirah? It has a unique flavor. I have a friend who when he goes to a bar he says give me a big red, smelly wine. And thats kind of whats this is. Its got a lot of flavor, its got a lot of rich, fruity deep tones to it. I like the depth of those flavors. Its a heavy wine. No question about it.

Are you into other types of wine, too? Recently for whatever reason, after drinking red wines for a bazillion years, I started drinking sauvignon blancs primarily from New Zealand. I find that they have amazing wines. Ill tell you another place that has amazing wines is South Africa. Just killer stuff. So, I like to go and experiment and try different South African wines and see whats going on there. But thats it. Im not a big whiskey drinker. I know thats the hot thing. Everybody goes and drinks it. Ive tried it, but its just not my cup of tea.

Wow! Is there any type of whiskey you like? Ill tell you another thing, I dont drink Scotch. So, I go to Scotland and we do a small tour of this place called Bladnoch. Afterwards we were sampling and it is pretty good. So, I bought three bottles. My friend Mike Jerrick, who hosts the Fox morning show in Philly, I called him up and said I have some Scotch here, you want to drink some? I went over to his house and we annihilated the first bottle in like 30 minutes. It was hysterical.

Thats amazing. And another thing, I dont drink rum. Im not a rum drinker at all but I was just in Cuba a year ago, I shot a shark special for Discovery, and the rum you get in Cuba is nothing like the rum you get over here. Oh, my god! It was fantastic.

Given your extensive career in television, would you ever produce a spirits or wine show? Ive been dying to do that. Ive been pitching Food Network on a spirits show for ten years. When you start talking about the punt of the bottle and various terminology thats connected, they think it scares the viewer. I dont think so. I would love to be the first guy to have a spirits show on Food Network. Its time. Theres no question its time.

Find the Drinking Rules of other famous tipplers

Interview has been condensed and edited.
Growling at carriage horses while wearing a full-body Tyrannosaurus Rex suit is illegal, a South Carolina woman has learned.

As two horses pulled a carriage of tourists through Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday evening, the horses came face to face with an unfamiliar animal: a six-foot, orange dinosaur. The extinct beast, however, was actually a person in an inflatable T-Rex suit. And when the person allegedly growled at the carriage, the horses became startled, backing the carriage into a parked car, unseating the carriage driver, and running over his leg.

Though multiple onlookers captured photos and video of the incident, the agitators face was concealed inside the dinosaur suit, leaving police without a suspect until 26-year-old Nicole Wells turned herself into police Friday night. She was charged with disorderly conduct and wearing a mask or disguise.

Wearing a mask is illegal in South Carolina, and Charleston has particularly strict anti-mask ordinances. City residents over the age of 16 are prohibited from wearing masks in public places, even on Halloween. And after Wells allegedly spooked the carriage horses, locals placed a bounty on her T-Rex head.

A Thursday video shows a chaotic scene as the two carriage horses faced down the dinosaur suit. Get out of here! a person is heard shouting as tourists leap from the carriage. But the person in the dinosaur suit advanced, police said.

The individual in the costume  began making growling noises at the horses, police said in a statement. This spooked the horses and they began backing up. The carriage then struck an unoccupied vehicle and caused minor damage to its bumper. The driver then lost balance and fell off the carriage. A wheel on the carriage ran over one of his legs resulting in him being transported to Roper Hospital with minor injuries.

The incident has reignited an already fraught debate over Charlestons controversial carriage horses. Animal rights activists say the animals are overheated, overworked, and at risk of being startled or hit by cars in the city streets where they pull carriages. The horses, brothers named Yogi and Boo Boo, were unharmed, aside from minor scrapes on Yogi, Palmetto Carriage Works said. But the companys owner Tommy Doyle accused animal rights activists of provoking the dinosaur incident.

Today's assault is outrageous and has no place in Charleston, Palmetto manager Tommy Doyle told Charlestons Live News 5. The harassment our horses and mules receive from radical animal rights activists is creating an environment that is dangerous for animals and people. The City of Charleston needs to condemn these tactics and warn groups that encourage this behavior that their rhetoric is fueling this danger."

But Joe Elmore, CEO of the Charleston Animal Society said there was no evidence that the incident had anything to do with animal rights activists.

How can you jump to all these conclusions? Elmore told The Daily Beast of Doyles claims that animal rights activists prompted the dinosaur scare, adding that the Charleston Animal Society had nothing to do with the incident. He pointed out that the inflatable dinosaur costumes are something of a viral sensation online, where people film themselves wearing the T-Rex suits to ballet class, trampoline gyms, and skate parks.

Theres this phenomenon of people dressing up in dinosaur costumes, Elmore said. If you go online, its all over the place. Someone told us they saw this person in the market earlier that week.

It is unclear whether Wells, who could not be reached for comment, had any involvement with animal rights groups, or was simply outside in a dinosaur costume.

The Charleston Animal Society supports new regulations and scientific studies to improve the horses health, not an overall ban on carriages, although Palmetto Carriage Works has accused the group of trying end horse-drawn carriages in Charleston. The group condemned the incident and offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to the dinosaurs arrest.

According to reports, an individual dressed in a dinosaur costume intentionally tormented the horses, placing both people and animals in danger, the Charleston Animal Society said in a statement.

If true, we view this as animal cruelty and it is not only unacceptable, but also against the law, Elmore said.

Police say an investigation into the event is ongoing.
He is the classic lone wolf, radicalized in front of the glowing computer screen in the darkened room of his own home, brooding over what he reads on the internet, but going back there again and again to feed his frustrations, his dreams of glory, his anger, and his hatred until finally he feels compelled to act.

He could be the shooter in Orlandos Pulse nightclub last June, or the man who drove a truck through the crowd on the seaside promenade in Nice, France, last July; those, too, were people with no clear links to any terrorist organization (despite ISIS claims), but they had long histories as losers who couldnt get their lives together.

Those mass murderers died at the scene of their crimes. This one didnt have the courage to kill himself, and didnt emerge from the carnage he inflicted to die in a hail of bullets as hed expected.

This one was arrested, and confessed, and was interrogated, and given multiple psychological exams. And now the records of those many hours of interviews have been unsealed by a federal court, giving us some of the most detailed information we will ever have about the psychology of a murderous lone wolfif only we recognize thats what he is.

The catch is that this terrorist is Dylann Roof, who is not a Muslim. He is the young white supremacist who murdered nine black men and women in a Bible study group at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, one evening in June 2015. And because his atrocity does not fit into the category of radical Islamic terror," it's often assumed his way of thinking must be very different from other lone wolves.

As terrorism authority Peter Bergen points out in his book, United States of Jihad, By any reasonable standard, the attack on the church in Charleston was terrorism, but it did not fit into the political and media narrative that Muslim militants are the major terrorist problem in the United States.

As a result, the importance of what can be learned from Roofs psychological profiles has largely been missed, starting with the fact that while he did not embrace the doctrines of Islam or jihad, he compared himself to those who did, and saw himself very much in the mold of a holy warrior for his own cause.

James C. Ballenger M.D., who conducted multiple interviews with Roof to judge his competency to stand trial and participate in the death penalty hearing that came after it, wrote in January in a just-unsealed evaluation that Roof stated the best way he has found to explain his thinking is the analogy of being a Jihadist.

Later in the same interview, Roof stated clearly that his situation is like a Palestinian in an Israeli jail after killing nine people. He said the Palestinian would not be upset or have any regret, because he would have successfully done what he tried to do.

Typically, people who engage in terrorist causes, particularly the lone wolves or stray dogs, as Rands veteran authority on terrorism Brian Jenkins calls them, share at least three basic characteristics.

First theres testosterone. Almost all are young men, and often very frustrated young men on the edge of society with difficulty holding down jobs and problems as well in their sexual relationships, if they have such relationships at all.

Second, theres a narrative. This is perhaps the most important and most misunderstood element in the shaping of a terrorists thinking. Its often confused with ideology or with religion, but whats important is identification with a story in which a people are oppressed and the terrorist sees himself as a hero who comes to the rescue, even if the price of his courage and commitment is martyrdom.

It is no accident that the seminal ideological tract for al Qaeda is Ayman Zawahiris Knights Under the Prophets Banner, or that the so-called caliphate of the self-proclaimed Islamic State tries to cloak its atrocities in the language of ancient chivalry. But this identification with narratives of oppression is not unique to Islamist extremists. One could say the same of terrorists over the years carrying out attacks, for instance, in the name of oppressed Irish Catholics, or downtrodden Tamils, or the peasants of Peru.

And third, the terrorist wants his act to have theatrical impact, projecting his cause and his identification with it on the world stage, a task made much easier today by the prevalence of social media.

What the unsealed psychological evaluations of Dylann Roof show is that this formula of testosterone, narrative, and theaterTNT, if you willfits his case perfectly.

That does not preclude what several of the evaluations commissioned by Roofs defense attorneys hoped to prove: that he suffered from psychological problems, even pathologies, some of them on the autism spectrum. But it should be obvious that very few terrorists of any stripe have well-balanced psyches. And Roof is particularly interesting because the tests show he is quite intelligent, with an overall IQ of 125, in the 96th percentile, and even higher verbal comprehension.

So virtually from the moment of his arrest he was able to say what he believed and why he believed it, vile as those beliefs might be.

In his chilling first interview with the FBI, for instance, Roof made no effort to hide his crime, discussing in the most matter-of-fact way precisely how he murdered those nine innocent people at Mother Emanuel Church and making it clear he picked them just because they were black and were easy targets.

Obviously I realized that these people, theyre at church, theyre not criminals or anything, he told the FBI, but the criminal black people kill innocent white people every day.

That sort of reasoning for attacks on soft targets is common to almost all terrorists: once you have defined your enemy broadly, you can slaughter men, women, and children with what you consider to be moral impunity. Thus, al Qaeda issued its declaration of war in the 1990s against all crusaders [Christians] and Jews who supposedly were victimizing Muslims; ISIS added heretical Shia Muslims to that roster.

Much of what is revealed in Roofs psychological evaluations and the hearings that touched on them came to light as a result of his efforts to thwart his own defense attorneys. They wanted to reduce the chance of his receiving the death penalty by presenting testimony about his psychological issues, particularly those related to the autism spectrum. But he wanted none of that.

The portrait that emerged from those defense evaluations is of a young man with very high anxiety, especially about his appearance, and no apparent sexual relationships. He dropped out of high school, preferring to earn a GED alone in his room with his computer. He worried that his head was misshapen (hence the bowl haircut to hide his forehead). He supposedly thought that his testosterone was pooling on one side of his body when he slept, causing further physical problems. He convinced himself that a mild thyroid condition, which was real, caused him to be losing all his hair, including eyelashes and pubic hairs, which he found and counted. He said he would kill himself if he went bald.

Reading through the evaluations, however, Roof starts to look more and more manipulative, at one point even writing to the prosecution suggesting that his defense team should be disbarred, and telling one of the psychologists that if he got out, hed kill the lead defense lawyer.

Judge Richard Gergel, presiding over the case in federal court, at one point expressed concern about the pencils and pens on the desk near the defendant, lest he use one to stab his attorneys.

But Gergel eventually was persuaded that Roof knew perfectly well what he was doing when he murdered the parishioners at Mother Emanuel. Roof had even left a manifesto on his computer, where he had built a crude website, The Last Rhodesian, explaining his motives and how he had come to his conclusions. Written in his shadowed room at home, it laid out the narrative of white victimization he had learned about from hate-filled sites on the web, and was meant to be the platformthe theaterthat would spread his name and his ideas around the world.

After his arrest, Roofs aim at any cost was to preserve his reputation as a man fighting for his cause, and he knew that would be diminished by an autism defense or anything that called into question the image he believed he earned as a hero of white supremacy.

If people think I have autism, Roof told Judge Gergel in a closed hearing before the trial began, it discredits the reason why I did the crime.

Gergel said hed read the manifesto and other writings by Roof, And I take it you dont want others to think that you did these things because there was something wrong with you?

Roof: Exactly.

Gergel: And you are willing to have the case tried before a jury with essentially no defense so people wont think that?

Roof: Yes.

Gergel: And you are prepared to face the death penalty to avoid anyone thinking that?

Roof: Yes.

Dylann Roof was convicted in Charleston's federal court on December 15 on nine counts of using a firearm to commit murder and 24 counts of violation of civil rights. On January 10, a jury recommended the death penalty. He is currently and for the foreseeable future on death row at a federal penitentiary in Indiana.

Roof may now cherish the belief, as his frustrated defense attorney told the court in order to illustrate his client's bizarre thinking, that there will be a white nationalist takeover of the United States within roughly six, seven, eight years, and when that happens, he will be pardoned. And he also believes it probable, although not certain, that he will be given a high position, such as the governorship of South Carolina.

Like many another terrorist, this deludedif not delusionalloser-turned- lone-wolf is sure that the future belongs to his cause.

Research for this story was contributed by Brandy Zadrozny
Two men arrested over the weekend in separate incidents of driving while intoxicated had a child in their car and were speeding, according to reports filed with the Department of Public Safety.

Jesus Ernesto Maldonado, 28, of Houston, and Jimmie Sustaita III, 26, of Hearne, both were arrested on the state jail felony charge, which carries a sentence of up to 2 years behind bars and a $10,000 fine.

Authorities said Maldonado was pulled over by officers late Saturday evening after he was spotted driving roughly 93 mph in the northbound lanes of Texas 6, where the speed limit is 75 mph.

A Department of Public Safety trooper wrote in his report that he recognized the smell of alcohol coming from Maldonado during the traffic stop and discovered an open container of beer on the floorboard near his feet.

The man told the trooper he drank one beer, but the officer didn't believe him, saying that the man -- who couldn't stay in a single lane while driving -- smelled strongly of alcohol and failed a few parts of a field sobriety test before quitting it, court documents state.

The man's car and the 18-month-old in the backseat were released to the toddler's mother; the relationship between the child and Maldonado wasn't detailed in the court document.

Sustaita was pulled over by officers early Sunday after authorities said he was following too close behind a trooper and almost struck her patrol unit while traveling 75 mph in a 60 mph zone, according to the trooper's report.

He was traveling with his 9-year-old cousin, according to authorities.

The trooper said Sustaita consented to give a breath sample, which showed his alcohol level to be between 0.114 and 0.115.

Sustaita was released on a $10,000 bail Sunday. Maldonado remained in the Brazos County Jail on a $10,000 bail as of Sunday evening. He also was charged with driving without a license.
If such dire prognosis were to happen, "it means the income of people here will be affected," says Laing. "Right now people come here because they want to see dolphins, if the dolphins are gone then no tourists will come again."

Why governments are damming the Mekong

Around 120 million in Southeast Asia have no access to electricity. South East Asia Energy Outlook

In Cambodia this equates to 44 percent of its population according to Word Bank figures. Access To Energy

For governments that border the river, the cheaper and greener solution is to dam. In China for example, 88 percent of energy consumption uses fossil fuels. Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption

Large hydropower dams already exist on the Mekong in China, but more than 100 are planned by Mekong bordering countries. Of these, 11 will dam the river's mainstream in Laos and Cambodia built by Thai, Malaysian, Chinese, and Vietnamese developers.

Laos, the poorest of its neighbors with a GDP of just $12.37 billion has declared its ambition to be the battery of Southeast Asia.' It will host nine of the dams for much needed revenue generation despite not benefitting from the electricity produced. For example, Don Sahong's energy will be exported mainly to Thailand and Cambodia.

Life in Preah Rumkel remains as it has for centuries

Fish is a staple sought from a river containing over 1,000 species of fish. The Mekong accounts for an astonishing one quarter of the world's freshwater catch.

Every morning, 29-year-old fisherman Horn Phoeun heads onto the Mekong.

"Before there was a lot of fish but now there are not many," says Phoeun. He has frequently changed the pools he fishes from in order to accommodate for the loss of catch. He blames illegal fishing and dams.

"It takes longer to catch the same amount of fish," he says. Like many other villagers, he is considering switching to farming seeds and nuts. But it's an expensive occupation costing $750 more to run and one riddled with risks of flooding.

"My father was a fisherman, my whole generation were fisherman," he adds.

Upstream the Lower Sesan 2 dam is almost complete.

Some 34 miles east of the Don Sahong, fishermen and women gather on the muddy banks of the river's Sesan channel with reams of mesh nets cascading around them.

Almost lost in the fabric of the net, they must decide whether any further attempts at fishing today will bring in a catch.

Here most come from Pluk Village in northern Cambodia, close to the $800m Lower Sesan 2 dam nearing completion on a Mekong tributary. It's a venture between China's Lancang Hydropower International Energy, Cambodia's Royal Group, and Vietnam's EVN International.

Utha Camy, a fisherman in his late 50s, stoops beside the nets. "Before the dams I would have caught more than 5 kilos by now," says Camy. "And if I kept fishing from now until 6.30pm I would have caught a further 10 kilos."

Today, after an unsettling 6am rise he has caught just one fish in five hours. The number of dams already built mean irregular variations in water levels that interfere with fish migration and spawning. There is no longer enough fish to go around.

"We all know this but right now there is no job for us to do, so we continue to just fish," shrugs Camy.

A 2012 study by researchers from the U.S. and Cambodia estimated that the Sesan 2 dam once complete would reduce fish catch by 9 percent. Fish Biodiversity, Food Security & Hydropower in the Mekong River

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) oversees dam constructions on the lower Mekong through a 1995 agreement. It's a committee of four member nations-Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. China is not part of the voluntary commission and it's yet to resolve disagreements on projects.

And as the Ecologist has reported previously, many of the dams have gone ahead without backing from all member states. Death By Strangulation

So many dams are catastrophic for fisheries activists warn

According to conservationists, Cambodia's 400-megawatt Sesan 2 dam will prevent sediment travel down to the Mekong's delta, depriving it of nutrients needed for aquatic life and rice production.

A two and a half year study submitted by Vietnam to the MRC in 2016 concluded that there were "high to very high adverse effects on some of the key sectors and environmental resources in Cambodia and Vietnam," as a result of planned dams.

Around 40 percent of Vietnam's rice stock is grown in the delta. The country is still recovering from last year's scathing El Nino induced drought - its worst in a century. [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/vietnam-hit-by-worst/2562802.html].

"The further downstream a hydropower is sited, the more impact it will have on fisheries, notably on fish migration," Marc Goichot, water lead at WWF's Greater Mekong Programme said via email.

In the case of Don Sahong, for example the dam would block the only channel known as a year round route for migrating fish, vital to around 60 million people who rely on the protein the Mekong's fish provide.

Mega First Corporation, the dam's developers have in the past dismissed concerns, saying a new fish passage would be built.

"What the developers have done is widen some of the other surrounding channels and blast clear them out so that they are passable for fish migration as alternative routes," says Maureen Harris, Southeast Asia program director at advocacy group International Rivers. "The problem is they've been doing this as they build the dam."

Scientists believe there is lack of sufficient evidence that fish would migrate through new channels. The Myth of Sustainable Hydropower

"There are no example of success in large tropical rivers," says Goichot.

In northern Cambodia villagers battle developers

Bai Pumsen, a 30-year-old rice farmer and his family of five were relocated six months ago to make way for the Sesan 2. His old home in Kbal Romeas will be flooded along with 5,000 others when the dam opens later this year.

Pumsen's resettlement village currently called Kbal Romeas II is a regimented mix of yellow and blue concrete houses alongside traditional wooden builds.

Each family is entitled to either a house or $6,000 to build a new home as compensation and a 12-acre land to farm. New villages boast schools, health centers, and crucially electricity. However villagers complain the land isn't ideal for farming, and is far from freshwater sources.

"Staying here is more difficult," says Pumsen. "More than 50 families are waiting with no job to do."

Land is yet to be cleared for agriculture.

Like Pumsen, many frequently make the two hour round trip back to their old rice fields for work and food and are demanding to move back.

"Here I have to spend a lot of money," says 31-year-old mother of two, Sarun Nan. "Before there was no need to buy food, we just go down to the river and catch fish ... now also for drinking and cooking I need to buy water."

Nan and her husband commute by motorbike to their old village to fish and hunt in the forest. "I don't know what I will do if I cannot continue to go," she says.

There are some in Kbal Romeas who refuse to move to the resettlement site having seen how their former neighbours are struggling.

Dams are not the problem say experts but they need to be better planned

"It is easy to assess which ones will have the greatest negative impacts and the most positive. Common sense would be to prioritise the ones with least negative impacts, and postpone the ones with the greatest," says Goichot. "Don Sahong, Lower Sesan, are in the 20 percent group with the highest negative impacts. They should not have been prioritised."

Others point to more ecological means of energy generation through solar power. But these are difficult to attract financial investment and slow to generate immediate revenue.

"Typically what's usually done in these projects is an economic impact assessment, where they weigh up the benefit but not the costs," believes Mark Zeitoun, professor of water policy and security, at the University of East Anglia in England.

Zeitoun has been researching similar environmental issues on the $2.4 billion Merowe dam built on the River Nile in Northern Sudan. It's displaced more than 50,000 people, blocking fish migration and degrading water quality. Impacts of Merowe Dam

In the US, older dams are being decommissioned. After its largest dam removal - the 210-foot-high Glines Canyon dam - salmon have returned to the Elwha river in Washington after almost a century of absence say scientists. River Restoration

But, "decommissioning is very expensive, much more expensive than building a dam," adds Zeitoun. "Once you build a dam you are locked into it for a very long time."

"The dams are affecting everyone who live along the river," reflects Laing as he sits, legs crossed in front of his house looking ahead towards the calm waters. "We have to try to find a way to keep the fish and the dolphins within the Mekong. But how I don't know."

This author

Nosmot Gbadamosi is a freelance journalist based in London. She can be followed on Twitter @nosmotg

Nicolas Axelrod and Thomas Cristofoletti are co-founders of Ruom, a collective of journalists based in Asia. Read stories here [http://www.ruom.net/feature-stories/]

More information: Save the Mekong [https://savethemekong.org] campaign.

Also on The Ecologist: How the largest inland fisheries in the world are being destroyed. Destuction of the world's largest inland fisheries
Brynn Casady makes most of her volleyball season at Spoon River College

Casady played defensive specialist, libero and outside hitter at various times during the season
A tentative arms agreement Saudi Arabia signed with the Trump administration could be worth $110 billion  some of which could help support Sikorsky jobs in Connecticut.

President Donald Trumps over the weekend signed a deal that consisted of memorandums of understanding and letters of intent that would require further negotiation and could lead to more manufacturing and job creation from U.S. companies in Saudi Arabia.

Among the deals was a commitment from Lockheed Martin, Stratford-based Sikorskys parent company, to work with the Saudi government in several capacities. In a release, Lockheed Martin said that Saudi Arabia has expressed its intent to procure more than $28 billion worth of Lockheed Martin integrated air and missile defense, combat ship, tactical aircraft and rotary wing technologies and programs.

Under the agreements, Lockheed Martin and Taqnia, a Saudi technology development and investment company owned by the Saudi governments investment arm, would form a join venture to complete an estimated 150 S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters for the Saudi government.

The program would support more than 450 U.S. jobs and another 450 in Saudi Arabia.

Paul Jackson, a Sikorsky spokesman, said until the venture is completed and the contract negotiated, details of the deal wont be available, including a timeline and final workforce impact.

What we currently anticipate is that the (joint venture) will help to maintain more than 450 U.S. jobs including in Connecticut and throughout the U.S. supply chain, he said in an email. That would include an estimated 200 Lockheed Martin jobs, many of them based in Connecticut, and additional work for about 30 Connecticut-based suppliers. It also would support 450 jobs in Saudi Arabia.

Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson, in a statement, said the company was proud to be part of the historic deal.

We are especially proud of how our broad portfolio of advanced global security products and technologies will enhance national security in Saudi Arabia, strengthen the cause of peace in the region, and provide the foundation for job creation and economic prosperity in the U.S. and in the Kingdom, Hewson said.

In February, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabias Taqnia Aeronautics and Sikorsky have agreed to look at producing Black Hawk helicopters in the kingdom.

According to Lockheeds website, its relationship with Saudi Arabia began in 1965 with the delivery of the kingdoms C-130 Hercules airlifter. The site states the kingdom is now home to one of the largest fleets of these airlifters in the world.

ktorres@hearstmediact.com; 203-330-6227
BURWELL  Abigail Moody started writing a book when she was 8 years old. Shes been reading since about age 4, and her parents joke that her love of theater stems from her being a drama queen her whole life.

Well, according to my parents, Ive been a drama queen since I was born, Abigail said.

Abigail, who lives near Burwell but grew up in Lincoln, is a recent home-school graduate and plans to attend Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, in the fall. Shell major in theater and minor in business. She said one day shed like to run a photography business.

Theyre just two things I really enjoy doing, Abigail said.

She said theater is special to her because of the emotional connection she has to make with her character. She was involved with a drama camp out of Camp Witness in Long Pine. While with the group for a few summers, she was cast as the lead, which challenged her. The plays were based on true stories about missionaries being persecuted for their faith.

I just put myself in their shoes, Abigail said. When Im on stage, Im not me anymore.

In the last show she acted in last summer, Abigails characters husband died. She said its really neat to be able to channel someone else. She flips her switch and does her best to become the character, which often involves a lot of emotion.

My goal was to make my mom cry, Abigail said about playing the woman whose husband died. If I can make people cry, then Im doing a good job.

Abigail prepares for her roles by reading, another of her loves. Since the characters she recently played were real people, she read autobiographies and watched video testimonies.

I had a really amazing time with it and just loved it, Abigail said of being in the drama camp.

Her mom, Connie, said shes proud of her daughter and is excited to see what her future holds.

Its very rewarding to just have watched her through the years, Connie said.

Of Abigails love of acting, Connie said her daughter used to go on a trailer in the yard and perform shows. Anything could be her stage if she wanted it to be.

A Christian fiction novel Abigail started when she was 8 involves a plot with the Titanic. She said she recently picked it back up and started developing the story more.

Whenever the inspiration comes, she said about when she writes.

She often journals and makes sure to keep a notepad in her purse. She has a folder in her room to store story ideas. Abigail has written skits and short stories, too.

What has helped her with her writing, though, is reading.

Whenever I have an opportunity, Ill read, she said.

The walls of her familys home are covered with full bookshelves, floor to ceiling. The books range in genre, from travel to classic novels.

Family and faith, though, are Abigails pride and joy. She has two younger siblings, a brother and a sister.

My parents are some of my favorite people to be around, Abigail said.

Her dad is a pastor at Cedar Creek Bible Church, which is right next to her house. Shes been around the church her whole life and has a strong faith.

Thats a huge part of who I am, Abigail said. I wouldnt be who I am without it.
An Illinois congressman is introducing legislation that would prevent members of Congress who have been convicted of a crime related to their public office from receiving workers compensation.

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Hillsboro) introduced the bill to protect taxpayers.

Its unfortunate when anyone games the system, but it is especially disappointing when its done by a public official who swore to defend the Constitution and faithfully execute the office he or she holds, Davis said. I believe all members of Congress should be held to a higher standard and if youre convicted of a crime related to your job as a member of Congress, you should not be eligible for benefits that are in place to help honest, working Americans.

The proposed bill lists more than 20 offenses that would make the member of Congress ineligible for benefits including conversion of campaign funds for personal use, bribery, fraudulent claims, expenditures to influence voting and theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.

If passed, the bill would ban former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. from collecting about $100,000 a year in workers compensation, for an unspecified job-related injury. Jackson, and his wife Sandi, a former Chicago alderman, did prison time for their role in stealing about $750,000 from campaign funds and using the money to finance spending sprees between 2005 and 2012.

We want to make sure that anybody convicted of a crime, be that Congressman Jackson or any member of Congress, is not able to submit a claim for workers compensation at the same time, Davis said.

Members of Congress choose to run for office and willingly ask voters to renew their term. This bill protects taxpayers and creates more transparency within Congress.

The Protecting Taxpayers from Corruption Act amends the law to make any member of Congress who has been convicted of a crime related to their public service duties ineligible to receive workers compensation.

This would be similar to the standards that make a member of Congress ineligible to receive pension benefits.

To create more transparency, the bill would require the Chief Administrative Office to submit a report to the Committee on House Administration containing a list of each individual who received workers compensation benefits.
The Illinois Route 66 Blue Carpet Corridor will be celebrating its third annual festival event on Saturday, June 10. From Virden down to Collinsville on several historic alignments of Route 66, twelve communities will be offering car shows, festivals, museum and attraction open hours, children's activities, food, photo ops, and fun.

Souvenir Blue Carpet Corridor 2017 passports will be available for free in all the participating communities, and visitors can get a unique stamp in each town. The complete list of passport stops is available at www.bluecarpetcorridor.org. Passport Stop open hours will be from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and many events and attractions will also follow that schedule. Also available on the website is a downloadable Schedule of Passport Stops and Activities.
Over the weekend of May 20-21, EHS 2017 Graduate Aly Gabriel won the State Champion for Voice at the MFMC (Missouri Federation of Music Clubs) competition. Aly also took first place in this competition her sophomore year but was required to take a year off her junior year. The competition took place on May 21 at Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri. Gabriel will be attending Millikin University in the fall and majoring in Commercial Music. Aly (left) is pictured with Jennifer Harkey, her voice teacher from The Green Room.
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Linkedin Wincen Santoso (The Jakarta Post) New York  Mon, May 22, 2017 15:14 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1f120e 3 Opinion debt,debt-restructuring,bankruptcy,global-economy,offshore,bonds Free

In the past year, the global corporate default rate reached its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, and continues to climb. In response, both Singapore and the European Union are exploring new approaches to debt restructuring inspired by Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which has successfully revived corporations like Chrysler and American Airlines.

In particular, the Singapore government, which has been working to position itself as a preferred venue for cross-border restructuring, recently passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill. This legislation, which aims to modernize corporate reorganization procedures and facilitate access to such procedures by foreign companies, is the first step in a series of anticipated law reforms aimed at implementing recommendations of the Insolvency Law Review Committee and the Committee to Strengthen Singapore as an International Centre for Debt Restructuring. Likewise, the European Commission has, for the first time, proposed a set of European rules on business insolvency, which promote early restructuring to prevent bankruptcy and layoffs. Both of these initiatives reflect a similar strategy for adapting to and taking advantage of changes in the global economy.

Indonesia is not immune from global economic trends. Non-performing loans held by Indonesian banks are on the rise. So too are defaults by Indonesian guarantors of offshore bonds. Many of such loans and bonds are issued in Singapore or US dollars, and are often rearranged in Singapore, where security enforcement and legal certainty are strong. As additional debtor friendly features are introduced into Singaporean law, it can be expected that Indonesian companies with international creditors will increasingly opt to restructure their debts in Singapore.

The key features of US-style debt restructuring, which are now reflected in Singaporean law, include rescue financing, cram-down, and worldwide moratorium orders. The first feature  rescue financing  allows a debtor, under certain circumstances, to obtain secured credit or credit entitled to a super-priority status. These possibilities incentivize both the provision of new loans and the extension of existing loans, which may save the debtor company not only from bankruptcy but also from the loss of key employees and damage to important business relationships with customers and suppliers. The second key feature  cram-down  allows a debt restructuring plan to proceed despite objections by even secured creditors, as long as certain requirements, such as that the plan be fair and equitable for the dissenting classes of creditors, are fulfilled. Finally, the third key feature of US-style debt restructuring which has been adopted in Singapore is the automatic imposition of a worldwide moratorium once a petition for reorganization is filed in court. This prevents the commencement or continuation of any legal or enforcement action against the debtor.

These debtor-friendly features are not presently available under Indonesian law. Therefore, if Indonesia wants to compete with Singapore as an attractive venue for debt restructuring by Indonesian companies, it should consider reforming its bankruptcy laws to keep pace with leading-edge developments in this area, as Singapore is already doing. Alternatively, or in addition, Indonesia might consider incentivizing corporate lending and debt restructuring by strengthening its security enforcement laws in a manner that decreases risk and increases legal certainty for potential creditors. Yet another option would be to support, and then reap the second-hand benefits of, Singapores efforts to facilitate debt restructuring by entering into a bilateral agreement to recognize and enforce Singaporean restructuring in Indonesia. Such cooperation would allow for better-coordinated approaches to cross-border insolvency. As a result, the value of assets held by Indonesian companies facing bankruptcy would be better protected and efforts to rescue such companies would be more likely to succeed. The successful reorganization of an Indonesian company, whether in Indonesia or Singapore, benefits the Indonesian economy and should be facilitated through any means available.

In todays rapidly evolving global economy, to stand still is to fall behind. It is therefore high time that the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights explore and evaluate these and other options for ensuring that Indonesia keeps pace with current trends in the world of corporate debt restructuring.

***

The writer, an Indonesian citizen, is New York attorney, alumni of UI and USC Law School, with DLA Piper International Law Firm. This is a personal opinion.

---------------

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Nina V. Guno (Inquirer.net/Asia News Network)  Mon, May 22, 2017 14:05 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1e6b4e 2 Health Charlie-Sheen,HIV,health Free

Research on Charlie Sheens disclosure of being HIV-positive shows how star power can influence peopleup to increasing awareness on public health.

When actor Charlie Sheen publicly revealed he was HIV-positive last November 17, 2015, researchers found that there was an uptick in both online searches on HIV and in sales of home-testing kits.

Whats striking is that Sheens public disclosure increased sales of HIV home-testing kit OraQuick almost eight times more than after long-running awareness campaign World AIDS Day, which has been held every December 1 since 1988.

San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health research professor John W. Ayers headed the research that analyzed Google search data, which found that there were millions of searches on HIV prevention and testing after Sheen discussed his illness. Notable was that there was no call on HIV awareness at that time from either Sheen or public health leaders. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Read also: Which countries have the best healthcare?

Ayers and his team then analyzed search queries and sales of home-testing kit OraQuick within the United States. They found that there was a correlation between the online searches on HIV and testing to the number of home-testing kits purchased. OraQuick is an oral swab test and is the only rapid in-home HIV test kit available in the United States, according to EurekAlert.

The findings of the follow-up study on testing were published in Prevention Science. OraQuick sales almost doubled following Sheens public admission and 8,225 more sales than expected was recorded in the three weeks after. The research could impact how public health leaders could use data such as online searches, and also how they could influence peoples mindsets and behavior towards chronic illnesses such as HIV. Ayers said that their studies show public health leaders can use big media data to become more responsive to the public it serves instead of waiting for traditional data and only taking action after it. Co-author Jon-Patrick Allem also concluded that their findings build on earlier studies that suggest empathy is easier to motivate others when the empathy is targeted toward an individual versus a group. It is easy to imagine that a single individual, like Sheen, disclosing his HIV status may be more compelling and motivating for people than an unnamed mass of individuals or a lecture from public health leaders.

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This article appeared on the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 09:14 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1d9154 4 Art & Culture essay,Chinese-descents,identity-politics,violence,racial-discrimination Free

Geographically, Indonesia is located in the Ring of Fire, a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and eruptions occur, triggered by 452 volcanoes (more than 75 percent of the worlds active volcanoes). Indonesia itself has 127 volcanoes with about 5 million people living inside the danger zone.

Apparently, its not just Indonesian volcanoes that have a dormant potency for explosions: its people do, too.

My good ol book club Baca, Rasa, Dengar (Read, Sense, Listen) held a meeting in late March, at a time when sectarianism and bigotry surrounding the Jakarta gubernatorial election became almost too painful to bear. Not just for a triple minority like myself (Chinese, gay and non-Muslim), but also for my Muslim and non-Chinese friends who were present during the discussion.

In order to seek solace from the unbearable heat of hatred against Chinese and non-Muslims prevalent during the campaign period, we decided to use Politik memecah-belah, puisi menyatukan (politics divide, poetry unites) as a theme for the meeting, in which we discussed poetry.

A friend, Aqmarina Andira, recited a poem from F. Aziz Manna. A line stuck in my mind and it haunted me for weeks:

Tanah kami menyimpan bara api. Api tak kunjung padam dari kisah yang terpagar. Siap jebol kapan saja. Membakar di mana saja: Priok. Batam. Tuban. Mojokerto. Sampit. Aceh. Ambon. Lebih merah dari magma.

(Our land sustains embers. Unextinguished flames from muffled stories. Ready to combust at any time. To catch fire anywhere: Priok. Batam. Tuban. Mojokerto. Sampit. Aceh. Ambon. Redness fiercer than that of magma).

[The poem] reminds us of unresolved violence-related wounds in our history, Aqmarina said of the poem, which referred to the brutal and violent horizontal conflicts that have occurred across Indonesia through time.

Film director Edwin seemed to bring this issue to light through his 2008 film Babi Buta Ingin Terbang (Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly). Portraying the anxiety felt by Chinese-Indonesians as a result of the stigma they have to bear, the film is told in fragments of disparate events, effectively leaving the majority of audience members attending the screening on Feb. 27 in Kineforum with a sense of dejection and dread.

According to Edwin, the film itself seeks to portray the explosion of emotions that we cant articulate through effective communication. He attributes our inability to articulate our emotions to the way Indonesians tend to suppress their emotions and thereby not develop the necessary skills to talk about difficult issues until molehills eventually turn into mountains.

Anthropologist Niels Mulder says this emotional suppression is rooted in our cultural value of placing social harmony above all. Meanwhile, historian Bernard Vlekke proposes the idea that Indonesians tend to avoid conflict because their unpleasant experience in clashing with the colonialists has turned the notion of conflict into something distasteful.

The irony is, the more you suppress conflict, the more malignant it becomes when it is time for the conflict to play itself out. Not just in terms of horizontal conflicts, but also in our personal realms. Lets be honest here: we all have resentments against friends or family members but often decide to remain silent about it because we are too reticent to talk about our resentments openly.

On a socio-political level, our politicians and authority seem to be able to exploit this tendency too well to create horizontal conflicts and divert our attention away from the real issues.

According to historian Bonnie Triyana, our inability to deal with conflict in a constructive manner was exacerbated by the New Order regime, which prohibited its citizens from discussing issues pertaining to ethnicity, religion, race or intergroup (SARA) issues.

Therefore, we have never learned to manage diversity and conflict in a constructive manner. During the totalitarian regime, all conflicts were resolved by force. Our inability and lack of experience in dealing with diversity render us vulnerable to political manipulation through sectarianism and bigotry.

Anyone reading Benny G. Setionos 1,166-page Tionghoa dalam pusaran politik(The Chinese amid political turbulence, 2003) will be familiar with how we have been convenient scapegoats (tumbal politik) for the powers that be to legitimate their own corrupt power for hundreds of years.

People have stereotypes that the Chinese are wealthy. Jemma Purdey, in her 2006 book, Anti-Chinese violence in Indonesia, 1996-1999 has debunked that stigma. When conflicts occur, as they did in May 1998, the victims are small and helpless Chinese-Indonesian merchants who owned small shops and went to work every day to earn their living.

Joseph R. Stiglitz in his 2012 book The Price of Inequality explains how through the financial business, the powerful 1 percent of society continues to accumulate wealth and power for themselves.

When the fragile and speculative nature of derivatives and the finance industry disrupts the economy, as indicated by our latest crisis, which started in 2009, it effectively destroys the real economy, involving trade and commodities, which in fact are pillars of real economic growth.

A 2003 Kompas report titled Keretaku tak berhenti lama (My train does not stop for long) indicated that this method of wealth accumulation will mean that in a few years, no more than 3 percent of Indonesians will be counted in the socio-political circle of influence.

Therefore, 97 percent of us will lose resources.

And the wealthy will continue to be a small elite, untouchable privileged people. And our politicians will continue to create horizontal conflicts by blaming scapegoats for the inequality, thereby absolving themselves, erasing traces of their own fingerprints.

The question is: do we want to continue to be divided by bigotry and consumed by our hatred?

In the end, hatred will kill us all. Whether we are Chinese-Indonesians, LGBTs, radical Islamists, kafir (infidels) or Ahmadiyah, in xenophobic times like this, the most dangerous thing you can possess is an identity.
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Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 10:33 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1dcb9e 4 Books 1965-mass-killing,history,Book Free

Years after the 1965 tragedy, which started with the kidnapping and murder of several military generals, the issues remain sensitive.

The now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was blamed for the killings. Revenge by the military caused the deaths of between 500,000 and 1 million alleged PKI supporters in many parts of the country. Millions of people were also imprisoned without trial.

Those responsible for the tragedy have never been brought to justice. Until today, there is intimidation and increasing attempts to shut down books, films, plays and discussions on the issues.

Through a new anthology, titled Cahaya Mata Sang Pewaris: Kisah Nyata Anak-Cucu Korban Tragedi 65 (Glimmers in the eyes of the heirs: True stories from children and grandchildren of the 65 tragedy), Balinese artist and writer Putu Oka Sukanta has put the spotlight back on the issues.

The writer, an activist who has tirelessly pushed for reconciliation surrounding the tragedy, was a political prisoner incarcerated from 1966 to 1976 without trial for his involvement with the now-defunct leftist artists association Lekra.

He has edited the anthology, published by Ultimus, which features testimony from 25 individuals, who are second- and third-generation family members of the 1965 victims.

They are Astuti Ananta Toer, Awal, Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi, Efdi, Fidellia Dayatoen, Gita Laras, Gusti, I Wayan Willyana, Ieda Fitriani, IGP Wiranegara, Karina Arifin, Konrad Penlaana, Mado, Nasti Rukmawati, Ni Wayan Sinten Astiti, Nurhasanah, Phoa Bing Hauw, Putranda, Siauw Tiong Djin, Soe Tjen Marching, Sono, Syafrina Alam Sitompoel, Tuti Martoyo, Uchikowati and Wangi Indria.

Some of them wrote the stories themselves; others were helped by interviewers who listened to their stories and subsequently put them on paper.

[Indonesian heroine] Kartini said after darkness, let there be light. Unfortunately, though, in Indonesia, the darkness that covers our history never seems to fade. This is why we have to continue our efforts to find some ray of light, Putu said during the recent book launch in GoetheHaus Jakarta.

[The powers that be] still cast dark shadows over our cultural and legal rights. Therefore, let us join a collective effort to make our cultural rights a reality.

Read also: From victims to survivors: The healing journey of the Dialita choir

Putu said to make the dream a reality, the counter-narrative about the 1965 tragedy had to be preserved to be passed down to the younger generation. I hope the younger generation will continue our struggle, he said.

Echoing Putus notions of involving the younger generation, during the launch event, a 1961 clip of a speech by former attorney general of the Hessen state of Germany, Fritz Bauer, pushing for the bringing of those complicit in the Holocaust tragedy to justice, was also screened.

I believe that Germanys young generation is ready to know the complete picture of history and the truth, but sometimes their parents still find it difficult to accept and overcome such a burden, Bauer said in the speech.

Putus biographer, Okky Tirta, questioned why Indonesia could not follow Germanys footsteps in overcoming its political trauma, considering that both the Holocaust and 1965 tragedies could be said to represent equally dark chapters of both countries respective histories.

Germany has now moved on to a different political constellation and Indonesia is still pretty much in the same repressive constellation, Okky said during the discussion.

The stigma for 1965 victims still persists until today. Despite this, the writers do not attempt to drown in self-pity or bitterness but instead tell stories of how they turned their lives around and reclaimed their dignity in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Gita Laras, member of the all-female Dialita choir made up of 1965 survivors, for example, tells a poetic story of how the arrest of her father destroyed her happiness and how she became a phoenix out of the ashes through her singing activities with the musical group.

She said that in Sanskrit, the name Gita Laras means harmonious songs. The 1965 tragedy had temporarily taken the s out of her second name  turning her into gitalara, which in Sanskrit means songs of sorrow.

Having worked through being a victim and stigmatized by other people, Gita said she now realized people must not succumb to the narrative created by historys victors but reclaim their dignity.

Having realized that, I have now reclaimed the name Gita Laras again, she writes in the book.

A story from another family member called Gusti, whose father was also a political prisoner, has an empowering title: Menaklukkan Penistaan (Conquering Humiliation), which tells of how his parents worked hard, against all odds, for him to get a higher education as they believed education could restore their sons dignity, regardless of societal stigma. And it did.

Although the writers admit to fearing for their safety after having their stories published, as a result of the still prevalent stigma about 1965 survivors, they said they had pushed through their fears because they felt as though writing the book was the right thing to do.

Pak Putu told me not to write my story in a way that was full of grudges. But we must tell our stories so that such tragedies will not happen again, Wiranegara said.

In her introduction to the book, Nani Nurrachman Sutojo, who is a daughter of the kidnapped and murdered Gen. Sutoyo Siswomiharjo, echoed Okkys ideas.

She said that trauma was not something to be feared  if properly processed, trauma could be a great asset for the nation as it could help society to ask the question, what really happened to us?

The next question, which is very important because it could help a nations advancement, is: which direction will we want to take our country to in the future?.
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Linkedin Fiachra Gibbons (Agence France-Presse) Cannes, France  Mon, May 22, 2017 11:11 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1dd769 2 People arnold-schwarzenegger,celebrity,#celebrities,environment,#environment,actor,#actor,environmental-evangelist,environmental-issues Free

Arnold Schwarzenegger has four Hummers and likes nothing better than getting up at 5am to ride his Harley Davidson to the beach for breakfast.

Yet "The Terminator" star insists that should not stop him being an environmental evangelist.

"Saving the planet is also about technology," the former California governor told AFP, putting his foot on a chair and wagging a skull-ringed finger to make his point.

Three of his Hummers run on hydrogen, vegetable oil and bio-diesel and he's hoping to put an electric engine into the fourth.

"You know one day soon we are going to have hydrogen-fuelled planes. We can get rid of this dirty diesel tomorrow.

"I hate it when environmentalism comes down to 'you can't do this and you can't do that'. There's a bad habit of shaming, guilt and finger pointing. 'Don't smoke this, don't take a jacuzzi and don't take a plane.' Everything's bad."

Which is why Arnie is giving it an injection of his legendary pumped-up positive attitude.

"We didn't blame anyone" when Schwarzenegger the young bodybuilding Mr Universe was a pin-up of the "physical fitness movement 40 years ago", he said.

"We didn't say he's fat or she's got a big ass. We celebrated the body."

Now on top of the global R20 network of regional leaders he has put together to fight climate change, Schwarzenegger the activist has got behind a new documentary at the Cannes film festival by the son of undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau which he also narrates.

"Wonders of the Sea 3D" will make "people fall in love with the ocean", he declared. "And if they love it they will protect it," he said.

Read also: Scientists seek holy grail of climate change in Oman's hills

'We can do it!'

"The oceans give us half the food we eat and half the oxygen we breath and we better protect that. Seven million people die every year because of pollution."

Even such apocalyptic statistics cannot survive long in the white heat of the Austrian-born star's can-do charisma.

"Look, we can do it, we can save the planet with people power and positive attitude.

"If you want people to change you got to make them feel good about it.

"I had a very clear vision as a kid of what I was going to do," he recalled.

"I was going to be a bodybuilding champion, go to America and get into the movies. And I was going to make millions of dollars."

It all came true, and then some.

"But I never thought I would have the biggest movie of the year with 'Terminator 2', and that I would be doing comedy or politics."

Nor has the march of time dimmed his optimism.

Asked about turning 70 in July, Schwarzenegger joked, "Are you asking because you want to send me a birthday gift? I like Montecristos (cigars), No. 2s."

Schwarzenegger looks a good two decades younger, and says his secret is that he "works out every day and I really love my life.

"One month I make a movie, fly to South Africa for a bodybuilding conference, pump up some students and get my eighth honorary degree.

Read also: Why these environmental documentaries are still relevant today

Trump in 'Stone Age'

"Then you make a few more million dollars in a real estate deal and get up at 5am and ride your motorcycle to Santa Barbara for breakfast. How can you not feel good about your life?"

"Imagine not enjoying what you are doing. That's terrible. That's the reason for depression," he said.

Only when you mention Donald Trump does Schwarzenegger's incredible positivity flicker. Specifically "The Apprentice" television show, whose ratings plunged when Arnie took over when Trump left to run for the US presidency.

Trump blamed Schwarzenegger, tweeting that Schwarzenegger "isn't voluntarily leaving 'The Apprentice', he was fired by... his bad ratings".

Arnie said viewers were put off by its association with Trump, the show's executive producer.

That the two men find themselves at war over climate change has added extra edge.

Trump is "back in the Stone Age" on the environment, Schwarzenegger told AFP.

"When I hear he wants to bring coal back.... The next thing he'll want to bring horses and buggies (carts) back," he said.

His assessment of his fellow Republican's time in the White House is withering: "So far nothing has got done since he became president."

Yet he won't be tempted by talk that it is time to call in the Terminator. "Look, I wish Trump good luck. We should support the things he wants to do that are good."

But if the call ever came? "I was not born in America (so can't be its head of state). But if I had been, yes, I would run for president. That's clear."
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Linkedin Olivia Hampton (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Mon, May 22, 2017 15:10 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1f07fa 2 Art & Culture united-states,France,art,exhibition Free

When Napoleon's elder brother Joseph Bonaparte was forced into exile, he brought to the United States a collection of lavish rococo and neoclassical paintings that earned enduring American fascination.

Among the works Bonaparte left behind when he returned to France in 1839 was Noel Nicolas Coypel's "The Abduction of Europa" (1726-1727), a period indulgence, complete with fleshy nudes, cherubs and a white bull basking in golden sunlight.

Bonaparte would show off this monumental work to visitors of his sprawling Point Breeze estate in New Jersey at a time when so much nudity could still offend Puritan minds in America.

In a perhaps oddly humoristic touch, the bull -- the mythological god Jupiter, who transformed himself into the earthly creature to abduct the nymph Europa -- is presented tongue out and eyes half-closed in delight.

Visitors look at Noel Nicolas Coypel's "The Abduction of Europa" (1726-1727) at the National Gallery of Art's "America Collects Eighteenth-Century French Paintings" in Washington, DC, on May 19, 2017. When Napoleon's elder brother Joseph Bonaparte was forced into exile, he brought to the United States a collection of lavish rococo and neoclassical paintings that sparked enduring American fascination.(AFP/Nicholas Kamm)

Thomas Jefferson, too, helped fuel American interest with his earnest appreciation of works he saw at the Paris salon, especially what he called "superb" paintings by Jacques Louis David.

These and other stories of the collectors, dealers and art lovers behind the huge trove of 18th century French paintings spread across the United States are the focus of an exhibition that opened Sunday and runs through August 20 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

This first ever look at American taste for 18th French painting strays from the beaten path by showing the great variety of works from this period in an unusual grouping that prominently features women artists and even one of the first known mixed-race painters of the Western canon, Guillaume Lethiere.

A David can be as neoclassically sober and edifying as a Jean Honore Fragonard can be an opulent indulgence of the senses.

The show also reflects the elevated status American institutions have given to French women painters of the era, one that is notably diminished in their native country.

Read also: Bamboo bike movement seeks to revitalize Indonesian village

Royal ties revered

In entering a room dedicated to more playful and fanciful expression, painted in the pastel blue once associated with theater, Marie Antoinette's court painter Joseph Ducreux admonishes the viewer to keep quiet, his index pressed firmly against his lips in his little known self-portrait "Le Discret" (circa 1791).

Or could he have committed some grave transgression and is anxiously demanding you keep his secret? Ducreux leaves you guessing.

"We tend to have a perception of these works of art as relatively heavy or serious or purely decorative," assistant curator Yuriko Jackall told AFP.

"So being able to present them as sometimes ironic, mocking, hopefully shows a new aspect."

Visitors look at Joseph Ducreux's "Le Discret" at the National Gallery of Art's "America Collects Eighteenth-Century French Paintings" in Washington, DC, on May 19, 2017. When Napoleon's elder brother Joseph Bonaparte was forced into exile, he brought to the United States a collection of lavish rococo and neoclassical paintings that sparked enduring American fascination.(AFP/Nicholas Kamm)

The period during which many of the works shown here came into American hands was one in which US collectors were especially keen on acquiring objects with royal connections -- ties that collectors played up, be they real or imagined.

At an American sale in 1905, the "Self-Portrait with a Harp" (1791) by Ducreux's daughter Rose Adelaide Ducreux was incorrectly presented as a work by Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun, then revered for her role as Marie Antoinette's portrait painter.

It was also a time when entire rooms were shipped across the Atlantic -- from a "Marie Antoinette Boudoir" transplanted to the Deacon House in Boston with its ceiling of Fragonard cherubs to Alva Vanderbilt's Louis XV-style white and gold New York salon featuring Francois Boucher tapestries.

In one of the more fascinating discoveries made during the five years of preparations for the National Gallery's show, Jackall and a team of researchers found that one of the museum's most beloved paintings, Fragonard's "Young Girl Reading" (circa 1770), was in fact painted over a long-lost composition.

Near-infrared and X-ray technology helped reveal a painting of a woman with a feathered headdress gazing directly at the viewer. It had previously belonged to a series of 18 known as Fragonard's "fantasy figures."
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 17:26 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1f6624 1 Business Gaikindo,automotive,sales,slowdown Free

Association of Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers (Gaikindo) chairman Yohannes Nangoi has said automotive sales are expected to increase 3.7 percent to 1.1 million vehicles this year.

"Auto sales are still flat," he said on Monday.

Vehicle sales stood at 1.06 million last year.

(Read also: Suzuki hopes new Ignis will propel sales in Indonesia)

As of March, almost 300,000 vehicles had been sold, Yohannes said, without elaborating on sales numbers, last year.

He said the economic slowdown was the cause of the slow sales.

He expected commercial cars, multipurpose vehicles and low-cost green cars to lead the sales growth this year. (bbn)

Topics : Gaikindo automotive sales slowdown
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Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22 2017

A book has collected memories of the 1965 tragedy to be passed on to the next generation.

Years after the 1965 tragedy, which started with the kidnapping and murder of several military generals, the issues remain sensitive.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 12:18 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1e2ce7 1 National Middle-East,Islam,riyadh-summit,radicalism,extremism,terrorism Free

In front of the 55 heads of state who attended the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, President Joko Jokowi Widodo espoused religious and cultural approaches to countering radicalism and extremism.

Both hard power and soft power must be put to use since a military approach is not enough to uproot the terrorism that stems from the wrong understanding of a religion, Jokowi said.

Society, the family members of former terrorist convicts and community organizations have been involved in the deradicalization program [in Indonesia], he said.

Jokowi also claimed that besides collaborating with young social media influencers to spread peace messages to their followers, the Indonesian government has also worked together with the two biggest Muslims organizations in the country, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, to promote tolerance among Muslims.

Muslims are the biggest victims of the radicalism, terrorism and conflicts, Jokowi said. Therefore, the President added, the summit must be an opportunity for all the leaders to join hands in countering terrorism and to send peaceful messages to the world. (hol/wit)
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Linkedin Ati Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 19:21 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1f8d2d 1 National women-empowerment,CEO,family,equality,workplace Free

It was a strange sight  an all-male panel of CEOs talking about family and equality at the workplace.

But as CEO Shinta W. Kamdani said, men should also be involved in taking care of children and the household, therefore conversations on family and gender equality [] must also be a mans business.

The CEOs are male champions, which could be a benchmark for gender equality in the workplace, said Shinta, who leads the Indonesian Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (IBCWE), which held the talks recently in commemoration of International Family Day on May 15.

The corporate chiefs stepped up to the challenge of not only ensuring equality at the workplace, but also of bringing about balance between careers and family life.

New Garuda Indonesia CEO Pahala Mansury, formerly of Bank Mandiri, said he realized he was returning home at 2 a.m.

Particularly with the 24/7 nature of the aviation industry, he said, its a real challenge to retain talent as todays Generation Z, known for less loyalty to the the workplace compared to elders, seek a stimulating environment and a balance of work and life.

Other speakers were Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) chairman Rosan Roeslani, Lippo Group Director John Riady and Handry Satriago of General Electric Indonesia.

A few Western countries and South Korea are among those with paternal leave, but generally men are not encouraged to play a larger domestic role, while women are overwhelmed, John said.

Companies, he said, could encourage fathers at certain levels to take kids to school, for instance. He said he managed to do so a few times, and I was the only male among parents dropping off their children at school.

Seeking work for wives in areas where their husbands were assigned to is one way to help families stay together, John said.

The CEOs said they had found that a better mix of men and women made better teamwork and creativity.

However they acknowledged women tended to leave when they had families, and, as Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson said, women tend not to apply for leadership positions.

Australias program called Investing in Women, which builds on the country's existing partnership with Indonesia, focuses on improving gender equality in businesses.

Garuda CEO Pahala said from over 1,300 pilots and co-pilots, we only have one [female] captain. He added Garuda could also try to attract more females into its engineering department apart from the female-dominated flight attendants.

General Electrics Handry said worldwide GE has recently started its program called STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to gain 20,000 women by 2020 since it realized it had too few women in technology-related sectors. The policy makes business sense, Handry said, quoting findings that closing the gender gap could increase national and global gross domestic product.

IBCWE executive director Dini Widiastuti said women often have to choose between family and careers when policies at their workplace are not conducive.

As a result, the Asia Development Bank shows that while 57 percent of Indonesias university graduates are women, only 47 percent enter the labor force; of which 20 percent reach middle management positions and just five percent reach the boardroom.

We have to ensure working women and parents are better facilitated to balance career, working life and family, Dini said.

The IBCWE currently comprises PT Gajah Tunggal, PT Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nastional, PT Pan Brothers, PT Accenture, PT Adis Dimension Sportwear, PT Mitra Adi Perkasa, PT Unilever Indonesia and Shintas Sintesa Group, which business includes renewable energy.
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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 20:51 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1fa046 1 City jakarta,Seoul,sister-city Free

After being sister cities for decades, Jakarta and Seoul tightened their bonds on Monday when the Seoul metropolitan government visited the Jakarta administration to discuss cultural exchange programs.

"Jakarta and Seoul have been sister cities since 1984. Our main purpose in visiting Jakarta this time is to introduce the tourism and culture of Korea," said Seoul Deputy Mayor Gyoung-Gee Liu at City Hall in Central Jakarta.

He said his government was willing to facilitate Jakarta officials if they wanted to promote Jakartas tourism potential in Seoul.

Related to Lius visit was a concert by Korean girl band Red Velvet themed Seoul talk concert in Jakarta in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Sunday evening. "The performance was a part of our visit in Jakarta to promote our culture. We were surprised that the enthusiasm of the audience was very high," the deputy mayor said.

On Monday evening, the Seoul entourage is expected to meet tourism agents in the capital to discuss the possibility of working together to promote tourism in both Seoul and Jakarta.
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 09:05 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1d8815 1 Politics Joko-Widodo,JusufKalla,2017JakartaElection,anies-baswedan,basuki-tjahaja-purnama Free

Responding to rumors of disharmony between President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, senior Golkar Party politician and senior Cabinet member Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that relations between the two were "definitely fine."

Speculation of tensions between the two has escalated following the revelation that Kalla, also a Golkar politician, had aided the nomination of former education minister Anies Baswedan, who later trumped non-active Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

Ahok was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which is also Jokowi's party, and Golkar.

"Many people ask me about what happened [between Jokowi and Kalla]. I can assure that Jokowi and Kalla are fine," Luhut said on Sunday. "As a Javanese, Jokowi was able to embrace people who are more senior than him."

(Read also: Jokowi, Kalla attend press conference together amid rumors of a rift)

Luhut was speaking in front of around 650 Golkar members and party executives during a rapimnas (national leadership meeting) in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

Jokowi, he said, is a firm president. "I have met so many commanders, some of them are firm, some are not. But Jokowi is a firm one, he always stands by his decision and he never changes," Luhut said. (wit)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Kuala Lumpur  Mon, May 22, 2017 10:42 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1dcffb 1 Business Malindo-Air,Lion-Air,Boeing-737-Max8,Rusdi-Kirana,Kuala-Lumpur-International-Airport Free

Malaysia-based airline Malindo Air is the first airline to receive the Boeing 737 Max 8, a new aircraft that Boeing says is more fuel efficient and lowers operational costs.

Malindo Air, part of Lion Group, welcomed the new aircraft on Monday. The group's co-founder, Indonesian tycoon and politician Rusdi Kirana, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Asia Pacific and India sales senior vice president Dinesh Keskar and Malindo Air CEO Chandran Rama Muthy attended the ceremony.

Boeing says its 737 Max 8 operates at costs 8 percent lower than its rival Airbus' A320neo and consumes 9 percent less fuel, as well as 14 percent less fuel than the most efficient single-aisle airplane, the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG), and 20 percent less fuel than the original 737NG (1998 entry into service).

(Read also: Tourism Ministry, Lion Air Group discuss new routes, partnership)

"These new aircraft will allow us to go to further destinations and will play a key role in providing lower air fares to our customers," Chandran said in a statement.

Malindo Air will receive four aircraft of the new series this year operating as "Batik Malaysia," a re-branding of the airline starting in the second half of the year.

They will be deployed mostly for chartered flights, with a maiden route of Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. (bbn)
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Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Pontianak  Mon, May 22, 2017 19:14 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1f8789 1 National Dayak,culture,music,Gawai-festival Free

About 500 Dayak Malaysians and an Indian American band will participate in an annual music festival in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

This year, the Gawai Dayak festival, which is in its 32nd year, opened on May 20 and is concentrated in a traditional Dayak Radakng longhouse. The festival takes its inspiration from a Dayak harvest party.

The festivals committee head, Kartius, said foreign and domestic interest in attending the festival had increased each year.

The Dayak [culture] is part of [Indonesia], therefore we have to contribute to the nations culture, Kartius said. He added that appreciating the arts and culture was an opportunity to promote harmony among the community.

Representatives of 50 cultural groups will perform at the festival. Several traditional competitions will also be held, including catching pigs and blowing sumpit (traditional Dayak blowpipe).

Alim Ga Mideh, a Dayak Iban from Malaysia, said he attended the festival every year with friends because although they lived in a different country, they were of the same ethnicity.

"There are some similarities between Indian and Dayak cultures, such as the style of dance, rituals and color of the clothes we wear," said Doug Good Father, a member of Lakota, a three-piece Indian-American band that was invited by the US Embassy as the part of a cultural exchange program. (hol/wit)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Balikpapan  Mon, May 22, 2017 13:18 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1e47ce 1 Politics communism,Jokowi-administration,Golkar Free

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has called on people not to worry about a communist resurgence in the country because he said the government would not let the banned ideology return.

"We must overcome this issue about communism. All Golkar members must be deployed to help the government overcome this issue and we must ensure that there is no room for the growth of communism," the senior Golkar Party politician said on Sunday during the party's national leadership meeting in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

(Read also: Government will not apologize for 1965 massacre)

"We can't bury the ideology. It will still exist, but if those people try to establish a political party or aim to change the country's ideology [of Pancasila], we have to [combat] that because that violates the Constitution," Luhut said.

Despite the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) having been banned for almost 50 years, Indonesian government, law enforcement and military officials are currently experiencing another surge of communist-phobia.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has cracked down on people selling and wearing T-shirts bearing the hammer-and-sickle symbol and religious zealots have even forced Bank Indonesia to clarify that its signature recto-verso logo on new bank notes have nothing to do with the PKI.

The official fear has grown worse because of unfounded reports about huge numbers of Chinese workers coming into the country.

Luhut said that there were definitely many Chinese workers arriving along with Chinese investment and illegal workers were unavoidable. (wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 15:23 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1f22ce 1 National sharia-law,aceh,homosexual Free

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the Aceh administrations plan to sentence two men to public caning for engaging in same-sex relations. They will be subject to 85 lashes.

The group also asked President Joko Jokowi Widodo, who has spoken out in support of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Indonesia, to use his authority to cancel the public caning scheduled for May 23.

HRW Asia deputy director Phelim Kine wrote on the organizations website that it was a crucial moment for the President to act to defend the LGBT communitys rights by thwarting the plan.

Jokowi needs to be clear to Acehs authorities that flogging is torture for which they will be held accountable for, Kine wrote.

The case emerged on March 28 when unidentified men forcibly entered an apartment in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, and took two men in their 20s into police custody for allegedly engaging in same-sex relations. A sharia court convicted them of sodomy on May 17.

This is the first time the sharia courts have sentenced people to caning for engaging in same-sex relations. (hol/wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 11:18 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1de558 1 City land-acquisition,eviction,jakarta Free

The Jakarta Police have deployed 1,000 personnel to assist in the land acquisition process carried out by the South Jakarta District Attorney on Jl. Abdul Rochim in West Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Monday.

"The personnel were deployed to safeguard the process," said Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that the district attorney's office issued a warrant last week allowing them to remove squatters from the area.

"Around 100 squatters, three tents and three vehicles were on the land," Argo said. (kuk/wit)
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Linkedin News (AFP) Riyadh  Mon, May 22, 2017 06:59 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1d5256 2 World Middle-East,Islam,terrorism,radicalism,Iran,RI-US,RI-Saudi,Joko-Widodo,extremism Free

US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Muslim leaders to take a stand against violence committed in the name of religion, describing the struggle against extremism as a "battle between good and evil".

In a highly anticipated speech to dozens of leaders of Muslim countries in Saudi Arabia, Trump lashed out at Iran and softened his tone on Islam by rejecting the idea of a battle between religions.

He also avoided criticising his Saudi hosts and assembled leaders of Arab and Islamic nations on any human rights violations in their countries -- a clear break from the practice of his predecessor Barack Obama.

"This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil," Trump said.

His stance was later underlined by his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, in a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart.

"The president is clearly indicating that this fight of good against evil has nothing to do with religion. It has nothing to do with country. It has nothing to do with ethnicity," Tillerson said.

Trump's address was the centrepiece of his visit to Riyadh, which started on Saturday with the announcement of billions of dollars in trade deals with Saudi Arabia and continued Sunday with the speech and meetings with Arab leaders.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that Washington may be "milking" Saudi Arabia.

"Iran -- fresh from real elections -- attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?" Zarif tweeted of the US-Saudi trade deals days after the re-election of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.

The Saudi visit is the first leg of an eight-day foreign tour -- Trump's first as president -- that will take him on Monday to Israel and then the Palestinian territories and on to Europe.

- 'Drive them out!' -

His speech sought to rally Islamic leaders behind a renewed push to tackle extremism, with Trump urging religious leaders to condemn violence and governments of Muslim countries to make further efforts to end support for extremists.

"Of course, there is still much work to be done. That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds."

Advance excerpts of the speech had Trump using the term "Islamist terrorism" -- an apparent softening in tone -- but the president veered off-script in his delivery.

Trump appealed to Muslim nations to ensure that "terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil", and announced an agreement with Gulf states to combat financing for extremists.

"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists. Drive them out! Drive them out of your places of worship! Drive them out of your communities!" Trump said.

The president made no mention of human rights during his visit, and in the speech insisted: "We are not here to lecture -- we are not here to tell other people how to live."

In another move sure to please his hosts, Trump accused Saudi Arabia's regional rival Shiite Iran of fuelling "the fires of sectarian conflict and terror".

"Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate it," Trump said.

Some 35 heads of state and government from Muslim-majority countries were in Riyadh for the Arab Islamic American Summit, mainly from Sunni states friendly to Saudi Arabia.

- Iran 'spearhead of terrorism' -

Much of the focus was on countering what Gulf states see as the threat from Iran, which opposes Saudi Arabia in a range of regional conflicts from Syria to Yemen.

Introducing Trump, Saudi King Salman called Iran "the spearhead of global terrorism" and also vowed to "eliminate the Islamic State group".

Washington is leading a coalition battling IS, a Sunni Muslim jihadist organisation, in Syria and Iraq, and Trump said he would hold a press conference "in about two weeks" on how the US is faring in the battle.

Trump's speech was touted as a major event -- along the lines of a landmark address to the Islamic world by Obama in Cairo in 2009.

It was especially sensitive given tensions sparked by the Trump administration's attempted travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority nations and his previous remarks, including a 2015 statement that "Islam hates us".

Reacting to Trump's address, the Council on American Islamic Relations said "one speech cannot outweigh years of anti-Muslim rhetoric", and urged "concrete actions... to reset relations with the Muslim world".

Trump was welcomed warmly in Riyadh, where he and first lady Melania Trump were given an extravagant reception.

The first day saw the announcement of hundreds of billions of dollars in trade deals, welcome news for Trump as he faces mounting troubles at home.

Among the agreements was an arms deal worth almost $110 billion with Saudi Arabia, described as the largest in US history.

On Sunday he met Arab leaders including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Bahrain's King Hamad.

- Warm talks with 'friend' Sisi -

The meeting with Sisi -- an avowed fan -- was especially warm, and Trump said he would "absolutely" be putting Egypt on his list of countries to visit "very soon".

Trump called Sisi "my friend", and Sisi said the US president was "capable of doing the impossible", to which Trump responded: "I agree!"

Trump, who travels on Monday to Israel and the Palestinian territories before visiting the Vatican, Brussels and Italy for NATO and G7 meetings, is taking his first steps on the world stage as he faces increasing scandal at home.

The past week has included the announcement that James Comey, the former FBI chief fired by Trump, has agreed to testify publicly about Russian interference in the US elections.

Reports have also emerged that Trump called Comey "a nut job" and that the FBI has identified a senior White House official as a "significant person of interest" in its probe of Russian meddling.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 21:25 1997 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1fa9a5 1 World Natuna,Vietnam,illegal-fishing Free

Indonesian authorities released five Vietnamese vessels after a patrol boat belonging to the neighboring country intercepted in the arrest of the vessels for fishing illegally in Natuna waters in Riau Islands on Sunday, an official has confirmed.

Thats true, we will give more details in a media conference tomorrow, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministrys director general of oceanic and fisheries resources surveillance (PSDKP), Eko Djalmo, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

The PSDKP reportedly arrested on Sunday morning five foreign fishing vessels flying Vietnamese flags that were equipped with gill nets, fishing equipment and 55 crew members.

When the PSDKP prepared to escort the vessels to its Batam base for processing, a Vietnamese patrol boat appeared. The patrol boat reportedly intercepted and rammed into one fishing vessels, which subsequently sank.

The Vietnamese patrol boat crew also reportedly apprehended a PSDKP crew member and asked that the fishing vessels and crews be released. Tension escalated in the afternoon when two Vietnamese navy ships arrived in Natuna waters.

Later in the afternoon, PSDKP patrol vessels returned to base without the arrested vessels. (mrc/hol)
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 13:07 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1e39ea 1 Business Kertajat-Airport-Majalengka-West-Java,West-Java,Budi-Karya-Sumadi,comments Free

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has said he is optimistic that Kertajati Airport in Majalengka, West Java, will operate in 2018 as planned, with the topping off ceremony of the airport held on Sunday.

"The development progress [of the airport] by BIJB (Bandara Internasional Jawa Barat) has been really fast and running smoothly, so I am sure that the operation target in 2018 will be achieved," Budi said in an official statement, referring to the province-owned enterprise, BIJB, in charge of building the airport.

Once it operates, people in West Java will no longer have to go to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangareng, Banten, when they want to travel, the minister said.

Construction of the airport's 2,500-meter-long runway is expected to be completed this year.

Meanwhile, West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan said his administration would build a toll road connecting an existing toll road of Cikopo-Palimanan to the airport.

The construction progress of the airport as of May reportedly reached 40 percent. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 12:15 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1e1299 1 News bali,yacht,yachters,Competition,outdoor-activities,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia Free

The 2017 Fremantle to Bali Ocean Classic, a yacht race starting in Fremantle and ending in Benoa Harbor in Bali, has provided an economic boost to Bali.

Seventy racers who brought along 52 family members participated in the event.

Racing yachts typically cost more than rally yachts, which carry three crew members who spend around US$123 per day. Some yachters stay for three to six months in Indonesia, visiting areas as Labuan Bajo, Tual and the Anambas Islands.

Read also: Balinese garden part of Gardens of the World at Erholungspark Marzahn

Those who wish to extend their holiday can apply for a social-cultural visa, which grants a stay permit for up to six months.

The services have been improved. You can just go to yachters-indonesia.id, fill out the form and you can enter Indonesia, said Principal Race Officer Bernie Kaaks.

However, still lacking is a one-stop destination for customs, immigration and quarantine and a 24-hour service for yachters during the race, which is important considering that not all participants reach the finish line at the same time.

Read also: Five destinations in Indonesia to visit this year

Meanwhile, yacht owner Garth Curran expressed hope for the addition of exit zones and sailing routes.

My friends and I initially wanted to go to Labuan Bajo to see Komodo dragons. However, there is not an exit point there. The nearest one is located in Kupang and this is a problem for us because to go there we have to sail against the wind, which is impossible. Another thing, Indonesia needs to create a sailing route as guidance for yachters to sail in the safe zone, said Curran. (asw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, May 22, 2017 11:40 1998 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a1df96e 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,tourism-promotion,aceh,expo Free

After a successful tourism event in Yogyakarta last month, residents of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province traveled to Bali to take part in the 2017 Bali Arts Festival and Buleleng Expo that was held from May 17 to 21 in Singaraja, Bali.

We are promoting Aceh as a halal tourist destination, or what is now called family-friendly, said Aceh Tourism Agency head Reza Pahlevi.

Read also: Bali Arts Festival returns for 39th time

Members of the Cut Nyak Dhien Meuligo studio under the mentorship of Niazah A. Hamid traveled to Bali to showcase some of Acehs most famous traditional dances, such as the Prang Sabil and Saman dances.

The Saman Dance was recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It was also briefly featured in British band Coldplays Amazing Day Global Film Project video.

The Aceh Tourism Agency also set up a booth at the Buleleng Expo involving two travel agencies: Aceh Great Wall Tour and Asoe Nanggroe Wisata. The two of them sold tourist packages and local products such as coffee, traditional costumes and souvenirs.

Read also: Gunung Padang to have tourist train next year

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that the halal tourism market has experienced growth since 2014. Of the estimated global population of 7.5 billion people, around 1.6 billion are Muslim and 60 percent of them are below 30 years old.

The total spending of Muslim tourists in the world is US$143 billion, almost equal to the spending of Chinese tourists of $160 billion, said Arief Yahya. (asw)
A look at the latest fundraising numbers for city elections coming up in four months, including in District 2, where a crowded field is competing to replace term limited CM Rosie Mendez. [Gotham Gazette]

A few of the condo units at 265 East Houston St. (Suffolk Street) have finally hit the market for more than $2 million each. [Curbed]

The city has cracked down on five stores  Zara, Uniqlo, Hollister, Topshop and American Eagle  which have violated zoning laws restricting stores to 10,000 square feet. City Council member Margaret Chin said, I am pleased to see that some of the most egregious violators of the ban on oversized retail in SoHo are being held accountable. Neighborhood activists are worried the retailers will receive little more than a slap on the wrist. [New York Post]

Parks Department employees are reportedly being made to attend spin classes to more effectively evade community opposition to park projects. A city spokesperson says it is a complete mischaracterization to call the sessions spin classes. [New York Post]
Carol Anne Duffys new play is fascinating and haunting. My Country: A Work in Progress has just completed the Birmingham leg of its tour and, despite only being an hour and 20 minutes long, it's a must see.

On the 23rd June 2016, the British public voted to leave the European Union, a decision that shocked some and brought joy to others. In March 2017, Theresa May triggered Article 50 and Britain began negotiations to leave the EU.

But what led the British public to vote leave? Why did 48% of the public vote remain? The EU referendum was definitely something that divided the nation  and arguably still does.

After the referendum, a team from the National Theatre interviewed people across the country aged nine to 97, from different ethnic backgrounds, to hear their opinions on Britain at this current moment in time. Carol Anne Duffy then reworked these interviews into an honest and emotional play. It explores topical debates such as immigration, the role of politicians in our communities, and what it means to be British.

The setting for the play was bare: school desks, chairs, and ballot boxes were all that were required as props. This was very effective in emphasising the stories being told on stage. After all, the message throughout the performance was that we need to listen.

The premise of the narrative was that Britannia called upon different areas of the UK to share their views. The sections of the country present were Caledonia, Cymru, East Midlands, North East, Northern Ireland, and the South West.

Each section bought a different voice and a different opinion. Each actor fantastically portrayed each individual, with each area speaking for more than ten people.

Britannia had the job of voicing the politicians involved in the referendum: David Cameron, Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, Theresa May, and Jeremy Corbyn. Penny Layden (Britannia) did a fantastic job in both portraying the politicians (which according to the interviews are not favourable), Britannia as a history, as a culture, and as a country that has gone through many wars and hardships, watching her country fall apart again.

Despite the intense and passionate debate that separates them, and forces an intensely emotional and poetic monologue from Britannia, the areas come together to share their food in a touching and heartfelt moment.

Here, everyone is allowed to mock the others. The audience laughed along as each section was put down by their won issues; for instance the north is known for intense alcohol drinking and the East Midlands has a high rate of teenage pregnancy. Each area takes the insult, except Scotland who storms out screaming thats fake news! when reminded Donald Trumps Mother was born in Scotland. Its not only British politics that coming under scrutiny here.

The performance ended with each area coming together around Britannia to hear the result of the referendum vote. Under a spotlight, we hear how each individual voted and their subsequent reaction. Raw and emotional, this moment was almost as chilling as the beginning, when images were shown of each person who was interviewed.

The ending of the play was haunting, with the actors voices fading into the voices of those who were actually interviewed. We are taken back to the beginning, with the voices of those who were used at the start of the performance. The audience are reminded that everything theyve heard in the performance is a real voice from someone who currently lives in the UK.

Ultimately, My Country: A Work In Progress, is a unique take on the political opinion of the moment. Original and captivating, this play is a must see before the tour ends.
Europeans will have to face the inevitability of more terrorist attacks by dangerous and disillusioned Islamic State fighters possibly seeking revenge, the UN Security Councils counter-terrorism chief has warned.

A growing number of foreign Islamic State jihadists, eager to return to Europe, are more dangerous than they have been previously, Jean-Paul Laborde told RT reporters on Thursday. Some may be determined to take revenge after recent confrontations and defeats, including in Mosul.

Laborde warns that this wave of returnees may consist of extremists, who built up connections with criminal bodies over time, who could potentially aid them in carrying out terrorist attacks.

Almost half of foreign rebels who fled to Syria and Iraq have since left IS controlled territories. Laborde added: These people are much more committed, more experienced and more skilled.

Despite strict travel restrictions, Laborde warns of a number of foreign terrorist fighters which will probably slip through the borders and go back, come back to these countries, especially with smuggling networks.

Around 5,000 terrorists from EU nations presently fight in Syria amongst IS and other jihadist groups, according to Syrias Deputy Minister of Expatriates and Foreign Affairs, Ayman Susan. If allowed to return, European security could be greatly compromised.

The official told Sputnik in April: Imagine that these 5,000 terrorists will return to Europethey can do it.

IS currently gives refugees who volunteer to join the extremist group free passage to Europe, whilst offering them a sum of $1,000, British anti-extremism think tank Quilliam cautioned in February.

Quilliam added: Groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram recruit using financial incentives within refugee camps and work with smugglers and traffickers to facilitate the journey to asylum.
Comments posted on Facebook about killing Donald Trump are banned by the social networking site  though violent threats against other people are often allowed to remain untouched, an investigation based on leaked guidelines has claimed.

A dossier apparently containing dozens of training manuals and internal documents obtained by the Guardian newspaper claims to offer an insight into how content posted by Facebooks users is moderated.

It shows credible violence such as posting the phrase someone shoot Trump must be removed by the staff because he is a head of state  but generic posts stating someone should die are permitted as they are not regarded as credible threats, the newspaper claims.

(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Staff are told videos of abortions are allowed to remain on Facebook as long as they do not contain nudity, while footage of violent deaths does not have to be deleted because it can help create awareness of issues such as mental illness, the Guardian said.

All handmade art showing nudity and sexual activity is allowed but digitally made art showing sexual activity is not, the newspaper claimed.

Facebook will also allow people to livestream attempts to self-harm because it doesnt want to censor or punish people in distress, it added.

(Lauren Hurley/PA)

The leak is likely to reignite the debate between freedom of expression, safety and censorship on the internet, with Theresa May last week outlining plans for widespread reform of cyberspace.

She said the internet had brought a wealth of opportunity, but also significant new risks which have evolved faster than societys response to them.

Outlining plans under a future Tory government, she said: We want social media companies to do more to help redress the balance and will take action to make sure they do.

These measures will help make Britain the best place in the world to start and run a digital business, and the safest place in the world for people to be online.

(Niall Carson/PA)

Under the plans, social media firms will have to take action to stop search terms directing users to inappropriate sites.

In March tech giants Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft pledged to join forces to tackle extremist content on their platforms.

Facebook has come under fire for allegedly failing to remove sexualised pictures of children from its website after the BBC said it used Facebooks report button to flag up 100 photos on the website but 82 were not removed.

The images included under-16s in sexualised poses, pages aimed at paedophiles and an image appearing to be taken from a child abuse video.
A Russian YouTuber and vlogger has been handed a suspended three-and-a-half-year sentence by a court in Yekaterinburg for inciting religious hatred and offending religious sensibilities, after filming himself hunting virtual cartoon creatures in an Orthodox church.

The video was titled Pokemon Go Prank and filmed in a church

in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in August last year.

Ruslan

Sokolovksy

made the video,

in which he likens Jesus Christ to a Pokemon creature, in response to a news report on state television warning that Pokemon Go players should not trespass while playing and could be fined or jailed if found playing at holy sites.

Sokolovskys video went viral and prompted a police investigation.

Police emphasised that the video was only one of several made by the young YouTuber, some of which also heavily mocked the church and challenged the faiths of Russian citizens.

Russian court judge Yekaterina Shoponyak said the vloggers video shows his disrespect for society and his intentional mockery of religious sentiments.

Despite Russian media warnings of such actions being punishable by law, the vlogger took on the risk of a fine of up to 500,000 rubles (around 6,300) and up to three years in prison.

In an online statement Sokolovksy said: Who could be offended by the fact that youve walked into a church with a smartphone in your hand?

Why the hell would they put you in prison? So, I decided to catch some Pokemon in a church  because why not? I think its safe and legal.
With just a couple of weeks until the election, it's going to be easy to be overwhelmed by the weight of political discussion - but stick in there. This is vital. Take a break, or soundtrack your election activities and feast your ears on the below new music gems.You probably already know RAYE from her guest spot last year on Jax Jones' 'You Don't Know Me', but with her new single 'The Line' the 19-year-old South Londoner now takes centre stage and shows off her skill for delivering big and catchy club anthems.London four-piece Factory Seconds have just released their latest single, and the fact that it's available to pre-order on cassette should give you an idea about the kind of music they play - 'We Live on the Crest of a Wave' connects directly to 80s indie. Desperately sad yet desperately hopeful, it's certainly the most beautiful track you'll hear this week.The latest single from Rancid features a heavy dose of nostalgia as the punk outfit pay tribute to the titular street from their childhood. Honouring the Free Speech Movement and the protests against the Vietnam War that took place on their hometown campus, it's one that should go down a treat at their upcoming summer shows, particularly for its rousing and emotional chorus.Taken from their upcoming sophomore album GN, Chicago's Ratboys (no, not that Rat Boy) have released their new single 'Elvis Is in the Freezer'. It's a wonderfully sweet but melancholy slice of indie Americana that comes with a Memento-esque video recognising the importance of intimacy and friendship in times of loss.Gift-wrapped in a surreal video that feels like a marriage between David Lynch and Yorgos Lanthimos, the latest single from Andy Shauf's new album is atmospheric folk-pop at its finest. Sombre yet majestically alluring and with some fantastic string harmonies, it's a poignant offer on what it's like to be completely surrounded yet feel completely alone.Dark and moody garage beats underscore Marin's new track 'Elixir', taken from her upcoming EP Only Echoes. It's a track that's made for the neon after hours, with gorgeous, glistening melodies dancing atop of the North Londoner's chilling yet soulful vocals.Utah pop-rock outfit The Aces elicit strong and sunny grooves on their new single 'Baby Who', a song they describe as being "about not needing anyone or anything but yourself to be happy". Full of sweet harmonies and head-bobbing rhythms, it's a perfect listen for everyone trying to de-stress from the toll of exams and get in the mood for summer.Arizona punks Authority Zero have just shared the lyric video for their new single 'Bayside' taken from their new album Broadcasting To The Nations. High on energy and full of empowering lyrics, if this doesn't get you amped up and ready to face the week ahead, we don't know what will.
The Southampton

University

Conservative Society is in the midst of a scandal surrounding one committee member's views on nurses.

On May 19th a screenshot showing the message Im just gonna say it, if youre so shit at managing your finances you have to go to a food bank on a nurses sallery [sic] youre not safe around patients" was shared on the Soton Marxists' Facebook page.



blog post Southampton University Conservative Association On the same day, Union Southampton wrote aresponding, as later did

petition titled " titled " Southampton Conservative Society Must Apologise to the Nursing Profession", has over 6,600 signatures as of Monday morning.

Ros Frayard-Smith, President of NurSoc, said: "I would welcome anyone who holds these beliefs to come and speak to any nursing student about how hard we work and the ways in which nurses frequently go well above and beyond their pay grade to provide care and compassion to all. Then well see if they still question our capabilities."

We reached out to Soton Marxists, who said: " We didnt view this as an isolated case of one ignorant person saying something stupid... sinister views like this form an integral part of the conservative ideology... The reaction to our post shows that the student body is in solidarity with the plight of the nurses under the current society.

"We demand that the students union represents this sentiment by getting political and joining with the nurses unions and the Labour movement in condemning the Tory government and fighting for students' and workers' interests. "

Soton Marxists

also said that they have refused to leak the name of the person who write the post to mainstream media, despite requests.
Dozens of students and their family members have walked out of their graduating ceremony in protest as US vice-president Mike Pence took to the podium to speak.

Pence was giving the commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame in his home state of Indiana.

Local news reported that about 150 people in total walked out of Pences speech and they said it was President Donald Trumps policies which caused the protest.

Student Cassandro Dimaro told the South Bend Tribune that the walkout was a sign of solidarity for those of us impacted by the policies of the Trump administration as well as the rhetoric the Trump administration has used.

Students turned their backs to Pence (Robert Franklin/AP)

The walkout was planned and although he didnt specifically acknowledge it, the vice-presidents speech suggested he knew it was coming.

Notre Dame is a campus where deliberation is welcomed, where opposing views are debated, and where every speaker, no matter how unpopular or unfashionable, is afforded the right to air their views in the open for all to hear, Pence, the former governor of Indiana, told the crowd.

Pence received an honorary degree at the ceremony (Robert Franklin/AP)

Earlier in the ceremony, Caleb Joshua Pine  the student who provided the valedictory speech  urged a stand against the scapegoating of Muslims and criticised Trumps push to build a wall along the US border with Mexico.

By contrast, Pence spoke warmly of the president, complimenting his speech to the leaders of 50 Arab and Muslim nations earlier in the day on the presidents state visit to Saudi Arabia.

Protesters congregated outside the Universitys main gate (Santiago Flores/AP)

Pence said Trumps speech spoke out against religious persecution of all people of all faiths and on the world stage he condemned, in his words, the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews and the slaughter of Christians.

The action group behind Sundays demonstration, named WalkOutND, said it had intended to take back the graduation ceremony, and show our dissatisfaction with the Universitys selection of Mike Pence as honoured speaker.

A YouTube video linked to the campaigns Facebook shows students explaining their own reasons why they were taking the stand.
Since its very beginning, the city of Philadelphia has remained important for the becoming of America. Still today, three centuries after being founded by European settlers, there are many influences on the city - including architecture, food and customs.

It is hard for architecture not to reflect the place from where a specific style originated, being that the style and craft is something learned, perfected and taught so to preserve the time it represents. In Philadelphia, historic buildings such as City Hall, and other institutions like The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Friends Hospital reflect styles particularly from England.

The Swedes were the first to settle in Philadelphia, making their home at the mouth of the Schuykill in 1643. Later, in 1681, England came to control the entire region and William Penn was granted the land that is now called the state of Pennsylvania.

The obvious tension caused by the Revolutionary War probably prevented buildings from being erected in popular English styles early on, which is most likely the case for City Hall, which was built in the Second Empire architecture in Europe.

Friends Hospital, located in Northeast Philadelphia, was designed by William Tuke and influenced by the York Retreat in York, England. The purpose of the Friends Hospital is the same as that of the York retreat, as mental health treatment is provided for those who may be deprived of the use of their reason.

While there may be little to choose from in the food sector, Philly does have some spots offering fine English cuisine where it is well worth spending an evening.

Stargazy has your traditional pies and mash and The Victorian Freehouse offers an assortment of U.K. beers on tap. Nothing, however, compares to The Dandelion, which is a three story Victorian style gastropub serving everything from full English breakfasts and a pint to a Sunday Roast and a master-crafted cocktail.

As for events and activities, Philadelphia offers a variety of British influenced occasions such as the British themed flower show, which took place in 2013 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and Barnes Museum also tip their cap to England with the obvious homage to the great poet, but also by creating a classic English atmosphere with furniture and design replicating that of England.

Even the style in which people living in Philadelphia dress can sometimes be seen as influenced by the Brits. With stores like Dr. Martins, Metro Mens Clothing, Burberry and Duke & Winston, English style obviously never fully left this city.

Philadelphia is a great place to visit in the US as it has a rich history, and will probably not be too hard to get used to if you are British - or European, for that matter.
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Diplomatic moves are underway to end the standoff that has seen WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012, officials said.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Britain, May 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Assange, 45, had been accused of rape in Sweden and, until Thursday, was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Swedish prosecutor. However, the Swedes announced they were halting their investigation and withdrawing the warrant because they were unable to question Assange directly or bring him before a court. Prosecutor Margaret Nye said at a press conference that charges remained on file.

The Australian-born WikiLeaks founder, who jumped bail after an initial appearance on the Swedish request in front of a British judge in 2012, sought asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy in West London. He said he feared being extradited to the United States after WikiLeaks released more than 20,000 classified documents that had been passed to his organization by US Army intelligence specialist Bradley Manning, who was subsequently jailed for 35 years before being pardoned by President Barack Obama just before he left office.

Assange, who says he still fears being arrested by British police on charges of jumping bail, said his lawyers were trying to establish a dialogue with the British and US authorities, to facilitate his safe passage out of the embassy.

The Times newspaper reported this weekend that Assange wanted to ask France for help in arranging that safe passage, either by granting him asylum status  a move lawyers here said was unlikely, given Frances close ties with the UK  or by arranging safe passage under Ecuadorian protection to a French airport from where he could be put on a direct flight to Quito.

At present, Assange could be arrested by British police on charges relating to skipping bail, once he steps outside the embassy.

Lawyers said one solution would be an immediate appearance in front of a standing magistrate who has the power to deal with the offence, either with a suspended sentence, or a small fine, on condition he leave the country.

Last month, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions said prosecuting WikiLeaks and Assange was a top priority, although during his election campaign last year, President Donald Trump praised WikiLeaks for its role in releasing documents relating to rival Hillary Clintons campaign.

However, British officials say no formal request for his extradition has been filed by the US authorities.

Assange himself claims the reason he is being pursued is political. He hailed the lifting of the Swedish arrest warrant as a victory and has always denied the rape allegations, saying the sex with the two women in Sweden was consensual.

"We have today won an important victory, but the road is far from over," he said in a speech from a balcony at the Ecuadorean embassy. Raising a clenched fist he said: "The proper war is just commencing."

Assange said his legal staff have contacted the UK authorities.

"And we hope to engage in a dialogue about what is the best way forward. The claim that the UK has the right to arrest me for seeking asylum in a case where there have been no charges is simply untenable."

Ecuador has said it hopes for a diplomatic solution "which would allow Mr Assange to enjoy his asylum in Ecuador," according to Guillaume Long, that countrys foreign affairs minister.
Actress Taapsee Pannu has finished the London schedule of the Judwaa sequel, and says it was quite an experience.

"It was a long schedule in London city where the weather becomes bizarre in no time. We saw rain, hail, sun all in one day. The good part is we finished more than half of the film. Will be back now to shoot for the remaining in June and July," Taapsee said in a statement.

The Pink and Naam Shabana actress is now off to New York before commencing the remaining shoot of the film in Mumbai where she will also be shooting with Jacqueline Fernandes.

Judwaa 2, being helmed by David Dhawan, features her with actor Varun Dhawan.
Delhi Universitys (DU) online registration for merit-based entry into its undergraduate programmes starts at 6 pm on 22 May. The application system will be open for all colleges offering undergraduate programmes under Delhi University.

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Apply: Applicants have to re-enter their Username and password and click on the Apply Now to start the application process.

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On the occasion of the third death anniversary of noted Swiss German writer Urs Widmer, Pro Helvetia New Delhi in partnership with Readers' Break, invited literature enthusiasts for a participative discussion on Urs Widmer's unique dyad (two-volume set), My Mother's Lover and My Father's Book.

The evening of text and translation attracted an eclectic mix of writers, translators, academics, journalists, publishers, diplomats, students and literature and text enthusiasts.

Be it novels, plays or audio books, Widmer has published countless pieces, making him one of the most-read Swisscontemporary authors.

In 2011, as part of the project Moving Words, sponsored by Pro Helvetia ~ Swiss Arts Council, Widmer's novels were published in English by the Indian-American publishing house Seagull Books as part of the Swiss List.

Urs Widmer's writing remains relevant even in today's context; even though he was born in 1938, he is counted amongst the top contemporary German literature authors.

His biggest hit Top Dogs (1996) deals with a group of fictional corporate managers who are fired and put into a rehabilitation centre, where they are supposed to recover from their recent fall in status.

The play reflects the struggles that are so true in today's globalised and competitive world. My Mother's Lover is based on a real-life affair.

Set against a backdrop of the footloose 1920s, the Depression, the Second World War and its changing fortunes for citizens of a neutral Switzerland and the effects of Italian fascism on a wine-producing family, its deceptively simple narrative explores the destructive nature of yearning for what, or whom, one cannot have, and the cruelty of carelessness.

Musical references and eccentric characters flourish.

The pathos of mother Clara's situation, her love for the renowned conductor Edwin, is portrayed with a lightness of touch and fairytale quality that enchants, but does not detract from the pain of unrequited love nor the absurdities and horrors of war.

Clara, its manager, is still a young lady of means. In Paris, after a concert attended by Ravel, we read of "thirty sleeping musicians, their dreams all in major". Clara's obsession grows even as the maestro marries into wealth: "Every fibre in my mother's body called 'Edwin'. Soon all the birds were singing 'Edwin'  The wind whispered it, the sun burned it into her skin." Translator Donal McLaughlin captures all the charm and sweet sorrow of the original Der Geliebte der Mutter.

While My Father's Book brings the creative recollection further, the son goes on rewriting the father's interrupted journal, discovering his participation in 1920s artistic collectives that resisted the rise of imminent totalitarian forces.

Samuel Buchoul, founder of Readers' Break, the book club of the Institute for the Study of Texts, says, "Urs Widmer's narration style is truly captivating. In just a few lines, he can skim through entire years of character development, or just as well zoom in and inspect the very instants of epiphanies. Far from an easy thing to do, My Mother's Lover and My Father's Book combine the specific difficulties of multiple genres: autobiography/familial memoir, historical novel and socio-cultural commentary. Human relations form the core of the intrigue, with the two pitiless, unrequited love stories of the mother with her lover, and the father with the mother. But Widmer does not fall for any touch of hopelessness or cynicism. His observational attitude remains lighthearted, curious and cheeky."

Rites of passage, unrequited love and Swiss cosmopolitanism the evening was too short to discuss and 'condense' Urs Widmer, one of the finest Swiss authors of the German language with works so nostalgic, melancholic and bitter-sweet
As part of the annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) that begins here from Monday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will open the India-Africa Cooperation sessions to discuss ways of boosting mutual cooperation, industry chamber CII said in a statement here.

The session will cover areas such as trade and investment, agriculture, renewable energy and manufacturing, IT and ITeS, among others, it said.

This is the first time the AfDB is holding its annual meeting outside the African continent. The five-day meeting will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 May.

During the meetings, India is also eyeing cooperation with Africa on the International Solar Alliance (ISA) initiative, of which France and India are the co-chairs.

Total trade between India and Africa increased almost five-fold between 2005-06 and 2015-16, and stood at $52 billion at the end of the fiscal 2016-17.

India's exports'to Africa increased from $14 billion in 2007-08 to $23 billion in 2016-17, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6 per cent.

Indian imports from Africa increased from $20 billion in 2007-08 to $28 billion in 2016-17, accounting for 7.5 per cent of total Indian imports.

Heads of states from Benin and Rwanda and other African countries as well as Vice-Presidents from Comoros and Cote d'Ivoire, and AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina are expected to address the sessions.

The government is also planning an exhibition to showcase the capabilities of Indian companies in terms of technology, innovation, and start-ups, which could be relevant to African countries.

During the India-Africa Forum Summit 2015, the announcement of $10 billion Line of Credit marked a new beginning in India's approach to engage with African countries in a more constructive manner.

India joined the African Development Fund in 1982 and the AfDB in 1983, initiating a long history of cooperation spanning over 30 years.
The BJP on Monday dared Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to confiscate the alleged "benami" properties of ruling Grand Alliance partner, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family, and use them to open schools for poor children.

"I challenge Nitish Kumar to confiscate the benami properties of Lalu and his family and open schools for poor children," senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said here, days after the Income Tax Department conducted raids at 22 places in and around Delhi in connection with the Rs 1,000 crore worth "benami" properties linked to Lalu.

Earlier, Modi demanded legal action against the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and his family under the Bihar Special Courts Act 2010. Modi said Lalu's eldest daughter, Misa Bharti, should reveal the source of funds with which she bought a farmhouse in Bijwasan area in New Delhi and asserted that the money actually belonged to Lalu, and was part of the Rs 1,000-crore fodder scam.

Lalu has refuted reports that the Income Tax Department has conducted raids at 22 places linked to him.

Modi, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister who is considered the man behind the revelation of the "benami" properties of Lalu, said that since most of the properties are illegal the state government should go ahead to confiscate them and open schools for poor children.

"Benami properties of Lalu and his family are a result of corruption. There is a provision in Bihar under the special law to fight corruption to confiscate the property of corrupt officials and open schools for poor children. Now Nitish Kumar should order for it," he said.

Modi had last week demanded a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the links of Lalu Prasad and his family with jailed businessmen brothers Surendra Jain and Virendra Jain.

According to BJP leaders, the illegal properties of Lalu also include several big and palatial buildings in Patna besides several plots of land.

Lalu's RJD is a constituent of Bihar's ruling Grand Alliance of JD-U and Congress, led by Nitish Kumar.

His younger son Tejashwi Yadav is Deputy Chief Minister and elder son Tej Pratap Yadav is Bihar Health Minister.

In the past, the Bihar government has confiscated property of several corrupt officials.

The government has seized the houses of an IAS officer, an IPS officer and a treasury clerk in Patna and handed them over to schools.
The West Bengal government on Monday said that it has no plans to scrap the iconic tram services of the city, state Transport Minister Subhendu Adhikary told the assembly.

However, tram services on some loss-making and congested routes might be discontinued, Adhikary said during the passage of The Stage-Carriages (Repealing) Bill, 2017.

The Bill, he said, was as per the Law Commission of India's recommendation and had no relevance in the present times.

Several state assemblies had also done this, he said adding that the repeal has no connection with the horse-driven stage carriages which ply around areas like Babughat, Victoria Memorial and others.
Two suspected terrorists arrested from the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar district had planned terror activities to avenge several incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in the state in 2015, police sources said on Monday.

Mann Singh, 40, of Sri Hargobindpur (Gurdaspur) and Sher Singh, 28, of Kartarpur (Jalandhar) were remanded in five-day police custody on Monday by a court in Ajnala town near Amritsar.

Both were arrested on Sunday by the Punjab Police in coordination with the Border Security Force.

An AK-47 assault rifle, five hand grenades, six pistols, a .32 bore revolver, two rifles, including a modified one, along with ammunition of different calibre were seized from the two while they were trying to retrieve the weapons pushed into the Indian territory from Pakistan side.

The two suspected terrorists were interrogated by officials of various security agencies at the joint interrogation centre near Amritsar.

We wanted to take revenge for the sacrilege incidents. We were told that we will get the weapons to carry out terror strikes, Mann Singh told the media on Monday while he was escorted out of the court by the police.

Police officials claimed on Sunday that the terror module was raised and indoctrinated by Canada-based Sikh hardliner Gurjivan Singh, who had visited Punjab twice in six months and arranged for arms and ammunitions through his Khalistani contacts in Pakistan.

The arrested duo claimed Gurjivan Singh was in touch with them for two years and motivated them for terror strikes in Punjab. He also imparted them training in handling arms, including AK-47s, they said.

Mann Singh confessed to making several visits to Pakistan and being in touch with some Khalistani activists there.

Two persons were killed in police firing in Behbal Kalan village in Moga district in October 2015 and scores were injured in violence across Punjab as protests erupted over the sacrilege of the Sikh holy book.

In October 2015, two brothers were arrested for the act of sacrilege of the holy book or bir in Bargari village in Faridkot district.

A bir was stolen earlier on June 1, 2015, from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village of Faridkot. Over 100 pages of the holy book were found scattered in a street near a gurdwara, which incensed the people.
Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal landed in a controversy on Monday after he tweeted that writer Arundhati Roy should be tied to the front of an Army jeep instead of a stone-pelter.

Instead of tying a stone-pelter on the army jeep, tie Arundhati Roy, he said in a tweet late on Sunday. He was apparently saying this with regard to the human shield controversy in Kashmir, which Roy had criticised.

A video went viral last month showing a young man tied to the front of an Indian Army vehicle as human shield in Budgam district of Central Kashmir, as a loud warning to stone-pelters as well as a measure to avoid stones from the protesters.

However Rawals comments drew flack from many Twitter users with some seeing it as an attempt to incite violence by an elected public representative.

"@SirPareshRawal Your acting was often commendable but your prejudiced mindset is condemnable. Telling d army to hide behind a brave woman is shameful," ziya us salam @ziyaussalam, a Twitter user said.

"Member of Parliament inciting mobs!," Swati Chaturvedi said on Twitter.

A National Award-winning actor, Padma Shri Paresh Rawal became a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Ahmedabad East constituency during the 2014 general election.

Arundhati Roy became a household name in 1997 when her novel The God of Small Things won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Since then, she has been an extremely vocal political activist.

(With inputs from agencies)
Vardit Kaplanand and Dr Rahab Abd Halim are two valiant Israeli women who are leading the 'Women Wage Peace' movement which has over 20,000 members associated with it. The movement was set up in the wake of the 2014 Gaza war. The women ~ mothers, grandmothers, sisters and daughters ~ are striving for a new approach towards finding peace in the conflict zone. The group members come from all walks of life and consist of both Jewish and Arab women. The movement's leaders have been recognised at major global platforms, they tell Debdeep Mukherjee in an interview. Excerpts:

Tell us about how this peace movement was founded and how you two got involved.

Halim: After the pillar of defence operation took a toll on lives in 2014, the mothers of the soldiers felt anxious because of the war and came together to demand peace. I was known for my school for children with special needs which I started in the 1980s. After the war ended in 2014, consultations began to start this 'Women Wage Peace' movement. Once I was sure this group was serious about peace and cared about women on all sides, I joined this movement and was sure that together we can promote civil dialogue. We wanted to work for a better horizon for our children.

Kaplan:There was huge anxiety in the 2014 war period. During my mandatory service in the Israeli Defense Force, I hoped that when my children grew up, there would be peace. In 2014, a family I know lost their groom just two hours before the wedding. This incident moved me deeply. Then I decided 'Enough is Enough'. I thought "As a mom, I must ensure that these don't get repeated again and again". Women Wage Peace's uniqueness is that it's a grassroots movement. Ordinary women, irrespective of religion and political inclinations, came together and joined the movement.

How did you strategise to reach your goals?

Kaplan: We fasted for 50 days in 2015 to remember the gruesome memories of the 50-day war in 2014. We organised marches all over the country. We invited political leaders to address our rallies irrespective of which parties they came from. We also interacted with Palestinian women near the Dead Sea and prayed for peace together. We believe that by listening to each other, a common path can be reached.

The movement has two main principles.One is to push for peace at the negotiation table.The other is to enforce UN resolution 1325 which reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, which got seconded in 2006 in Israeli Parliament. We emphasised the need for women's voices being heard in conflict resolution.

Halim:The movement, spread all over Israel, generates activities every day. We screen an inspiring movie on Liberia in high schools and colleges, then conduct a dialogue on the role of women in conflict and peace. There was a project to make quilts for peace. We encourage people to come together and suggest ideas. We don't say this is right and that is wrong. We are not an organisation, we are a movement.The movement was started by mothers, though now it has young women too.

How did you try to bring a change?

Halim: We address colleges and schools. Education starts from homes by influencing the mothers about peace. The mothers go back and teach the benefits of peace to their husbands and sons. In this way, the message gets implemented effectively. As Mother Teresa said: "Love begins from home and a man craves for love more than food."Our movement aims to spread peace and love. Margaret Thatcher once said: "If you want to talk politics, go to men but if you want to do peace, go to women."

Kaplan: A research in Israel showed 60- 70 per cent in Israel want peace. We are trying to create dialogue because the moment a dialogue takes place, a window for a better future is created. To overcome years of hatred, we need to work hard.

Do you think there should be greater efforts to promote tourism between India and Israel?

Halim: I love Indians and I am very glad to be finally here. I have always been fond of Indian movies. Shah Rukh, Salman have been my favourites. In my childhood I used to go watch Bollywood movies every Friday. Mahatma Gandhi has been an icon for his message of non-violence, and he is my personal role model.

Kaplan: Tourism is a bridge between cultures.Since coming to India for the first time last year, I have already visited the country thrice and I love India. For both nations, there are many things in common. Indians are so creative and warm that we feel as though we are in our own country.

We have historical and archaeological linkages. We can work together in agriculture, IT and other businesses together. I have noticed that Indians love Israelis and know more about us than Americans.
Even 20 months after the Narendra Modi government signed the framework Naga peace accord (3 August 2015) with NSCN -IM leaders, the Nagas are yet to know its contents.

This comes as little surprise though, because even the contents of the 25 July 1997 ceasefire accord, announced in Parliament amid thunderous applause by then United Front Prime Minister IK Gujral, are yet to be made public.

At that point of time, NSCN chairman Isak Swu was in Bangkok. After a week of the truce coming into force, when the Naga leaders claimed it also covered Manipurs four hill districts, the people in the Imphal valley were outraged.

For the first time it drove a wedge between the Meiteis and the hill people. Over the years it has merely strained the relationship between them.

For one, the Naga leaders have all along kept the integration issue alive.

After the BJP government under Atal Behari Vajpayee took over at the Centre, the two Naga leaders were so determined to confirm the ceasefire jurisdiction that they even followed the Prime Minister to Paris in February 1998 and, after holding a 15- minute talk with him, claimed the ceasefire would be extended to other states as well.

When no decision on this was forthcoming, three years later, then Indian emissary P Padmanabhiah took the two Naga leaders to Osaka to meet Vajpayee again.

What transpired there is not known, but the very fact that they followed Vajpayee even to Japan was suggestive of their determination to bring parts of Manipur under the truce, apparently to fulfill their aspiration for Greater Nagaland.

The Vajpayee government made a last-minute attempt to please the Naga leaders by extending the ceasefire to Manipur in June 2001 when the state was under a short spell of Presidents Rule. All this took place after signing what was described as the Bangkok agreement with Naga leaders. In the mayhem that followed, 18 Meitei protesters lost their lives and government property worth crores of rupees went up in flames. The BJP government was left with no alternative but to backtrack.

Vajpayee, in fact, had accepted the Nagas unique history  that they had never lived under any foreign rule and assured them a homeland even if this necessitated amending the Constitution. He promised that in 2003 when the NSCN -IM leaders came to India for formal talks with the Centre. Vajpayee appointed lawyer Swaraj Kaushal (by virtue of his being the Mizoram governor at the time of signing of the historic 1986 Mizo accord with Laldenga) for talks with the Naga leaders but he quit after a few months, alleging that the Prime Minister did not keep his promise to extend the ceasefire to Manipur.

During the UPA governments 10- year-rule, neither serious attempts were made to solve the mystery of the truce jurisdiction nor did it seriously take talks with Naga leaders because of the latters insistence on integration.

The framework accord may be the Narendra Modi governments masterstroke, but by keeping its contents under wraps it has merely hoodwinked the Nagas.

All that can be said is that it was the result of a panic reaction. The Centre knew full well that any final settlement without the signatures of both Swu, a Sema from Nagaland, and Muivah, a Tangkhul from Manipurs Ukhrul district, would do more harm than good.

At that point of time, Swu was undergoing treatment in a Delhi hospital. So the best thing the Modi government did was to have the framework accord duly signed by Swu. It has apparently taken care of the political aspects. Swu expired in August last year.

In the peace talks, too, there has been no transparency.

The contents of the charter of demand, the Naga leaders submitted in 2010 to the Centre are not known nor is the governments counter charter. For one, the demand for integration is not new.

In May 1947, when then Assam governor Sir Akbar Hydari visited the Naga Hills, in his welcome address Naga National Council general secretary, T Sakhrie said, The ancient boundary with the Ahom kingdom, previously scrupulously observed by the Ahoms, has been overstepped throughout its length.

All the valuable forests, previously part of the Naga Hills, have been transferred to Sibsagar or Nowgong districts.

In fairness and equality, Nagaland should be restored to Nagas for it is an open cry that Nagaland should be for the Nagas. In the June 1947, a nine-point agreement with the governor was signed by the Nagas.

There was also the demand for modification of present administrative division to bring back into the Naga Hills, all districts and forests transferred to Sibsar and Nowgong and put them under a unified administrative unit.

The 16-point agreement of 1960 arrived at between the Centre and the Naga Peoples Convention, ultimately led to the creation of Nagaland on 1 December 1963.

It says, The other Naga tribes-inhabited areas contiguous to the present Nagaland should be enabled to join the new state, if they so desired. It was pointed out to the Nagas that Articles 2 and 4 of the Constitution provided for increasing the area of any state but it was not possible for the government of India to make any commitment in this regard at this stage.

In November 1975, the Shillong accord that moderate Naga National Council leaders signed with the Indira Gandhi government also mentions territorial integration.

At the far end of the BJP rule, in February 2004, Vajpayee told a crowd at Kohima that integration was an issue requiring political consensus and that as far as the Centre was concerned it was a closed chapter. It took Muivah a month to react. He said that having acknowledged the uniqueness of Naga history, Vajpayees approach was highly questionable and unacceptable, adding that insisting on consensus of other people to determine the future was absolutely irrelevant, rather it was an attempt at shifting responsibility to switch the peace process off the track.

The other people was obviously a reference to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. In 2003, the Kohima-based Naga Hoho submitted a 73-page white paper to the President explaining that integration meant the removal of arbitrary borders and blamed the British for superimposing this conditions wherein they were placed under different administrative units without their knowledge and consent.

It continued that Nagas want to reclaim 100,000 sq km (more than six times the present size of Nagaland) on the plea that the Naga-inhabited areas did not spring up overnight.

The dangerous implication of the failure of talks alone should convince the Centre to discuss the emotive issue of integration with the three adjoining states who fear their territorial integrity is under threat.

Both the BJP government and Indias interlocutor for negations, RN Ravi, have assured the people of Manipur that the integration issue does not figure in the framework deal.

Muivah, however, is not amused, and says the Centre has recognised the Nagas demand for Greater Nagaland. All this niggling uncertainty is merely pushing the Northeast to the brink.
The BJP on Monday announced a detailed itinerary of party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and president Amit Shah, for the 21-day countrywide celebrations marking the third anniversary of

the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh and Union Minister Smriti Irani, outlining the details of the party leaders programme at a joint press conference here, said besides the Prime Minister and the party president, 450 prominent leaders including 330 MPs, 13 BJP chief ministers, Union Ministers and central and state office-bearers will take part in various programmes at 900 venues across the country.

Terming the third anniversary function as Loktantra Utsav, Smriti Irani said: The BJP leaders will interact with the people on the Central governments flagship programmes, Ujjwala, Jan Dhan, Suraksha Bima schemes, during the anniversary events across the country.

PM Modi will flag off the functions from Guwahati on 26 June with an address to the nation. The party has firmed up two main programmes for the celebrations.

One of the programmes titled Making of Developed India (Modi) or Modi Fest would be aimed

mainly at the youth, Irani said.

Through the fest the BJP leaders will seek to inform youths across the country about the Centres schemes using technology.

Facilities to enable people download government apps will also be made available.

Through another programme, Jan Ki Baat, people will be allowed to give their messages to the Prime Minister, the minister said. Arrangements are being made to hold Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas conventions in tandem with state government agencies.

Besides, there will also be a conference of beneficiaries who have benefited from centrally sponsored schemes over the last three years.

Elaborating on the events slated for the occasion, Arun Singh said Gao,Garib and Kisan would be the centre of focus during the anniversary programmes.

He said ministers and MPs would hold press conferences at the district level.

An Intellectuals Meet will make presentations on the Centres achievements. Besides, there would be Swacchata Abhiyan events, visits by leaders to slums or Bastis where they would engage with the poor people and ask about their well being, Singh said.
The Narendra Modi government is making two Indias  a shining one for the rich and one full of miseries for the poor, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said here.

"The Modi government as part of the 'Aacche Din' slogan is making two Indias  shining for the rich people and full of miseries for the poor people," he said here late on Sunday evening after attending a two-day meeting of the state committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

"At a time the Modi government is celebrating three years of its office, the government statistics says that over 12,000 farmers committed suicide every year since 2014 due to debt burden and the government's anti-farmer policies," he said.

"When the 'annadata' (food provider) is in distress how can the country grow. The government has taken anti-farmer steps by not increasing the minimum support price, import duty and input costs."

Another CPI-M politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat, also attended the two-day meeting of the state committee. The meeting discussed about the next assembly polls in Tripura.

Tripura, one of the two states (including Kerala) where the CPI-M-led Left Front is in power along with other Left parties, goes to polls in February next year.

Yechury said: "As part of the 'Aacche Din' package the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised to generate two crore new jobs every year. But very few new jobs have been created. On the other hand, thousands of people are losing their existing jobs."

He said around 56,000 jobs have been laid off by the major Information Technology companies in the country. "According to a survey by an international agency, 50 to 60 per cent of the total of 40 lakh people engaged in the information technology sector might lose their jobs in the coming years."

"What celebration do they (BJP) want to hold on May 26 (on completion of three years)? This must be a celebration of failure and betrayal. Modi is taking the country into a dark past."
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned for the third consecutive day on Monday several separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir over the alleged funding from Pakistan-based terrorist groups.

An NIA official said that the counter-terror agency questioned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Ghazi Javed Baba and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Farooq Ahmed Dar, who is also known as Bitta Karate, regarding their involvement in raising, receiving funds through illegal hawala channel for stoking violence in Kashmir.

The two separatist leaders were earlier questioned on Sunday by the NIA team in Srinagar.

On Sunday, the probe agency collected details of 13 accused and charge-sheeted persons in cases pertaining to arson attacks on schools and public property as part of the alleged conspiracy to perpetuate violence in Kashmir.

The agency on Saturday questioned suspended Hurriyat leader Nayeem Khan  who was shown in a sting operation by India Today news channel confessing that Pakistan was pumping money to stoke trouble in the valley in connivance with Hurriyat leaders.

The channel aired the sting video on May 16 showing Khan allegedly admitting that money from Pakistan-based organisations was routed through hawala.

The official said the agency was probing all aspects of funding of separatist leaders and use of these funds in fuelling the unrest in the valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.

The agency registered a preliminary inquiry against Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Javed Baba.

The separatist leaders were alleged to have received money from the Lashkar-e-Taiba and other sources in Pakistan to fund stone-pelting and violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from Centre and the Manipur government on a plea by parents of a youth who was killed in a road rage case in 2011 by Ajay Meetai, the son of present Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The parents alleged that they fear for their safety.

A vacation bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Navin Sinha asked the union home secretary and the chief secretary of Manipur to respond by May 29 on the plea by Irom Chitra Devi, mother of Irom Roger.

Meetai, son of the chief minister, has been awarded five years jail term under section 304 (culpabale homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC for firing at Roger in a road rage incident on March 20, 2011.

Roger had allegedly not allowed Meetai to overtake him in his SUV. The incident irked Meetai who fired at Roger who later died.

The plea, filed through advocate Utsav Bains, alleged that the parents of the victim were fearing for their safety in the state ruled by BJP through Biren Singh. Moreover, no lawyer was willing to appear on their behalf in the high court which is hearing the appeal against conviction.


Exactly four days after Moon Jae-un assumed office as President of South Korea, his secretive, yet hostile, counterpart across the demilitarized zone has upped the ante, this time with nuclear potential.

By supervising last Sundays brazen show of military might, Kim Jong-un has accorded short shrift to Moons overtures for a new phase of diplomatic engagement, one that was advanced even before he assumed office.

Pyongyang has informed the world, notably the US and South Korea, that the test of a mid-to-long range missile was aimed at verifying what it calls the capability to carry a large-scale, heavy nuclear warhead.

Posturing has seldom been so robust and can be contextualised with the change of guard in Seoul. Indeed, Washington has described the test as a message to South Korea, days after its new President took office pledging to engage Pyongyang in dialogue.

Kim has utilised the opportunity to accuse the United States of browbeating countries that have no nukes and warned Washington not to misjudge the reality that its mainland is in the Norths sighting range for strike.

If the US awkwardly attempts to provoke the DPRK, Kim said, it will not escape from the biggest disaster in history.

Implicit was the warning to the US that it has all powerful means for a retaliatory strike. If the message relayed by Pyongyangs KCNA news agency is any indication, the missile was a Hwasong-12 that is capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead.

North Korea is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching mainland United States.

However, the US militarys Pacific command has said the type of missile that was fired was not consistent with an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The comity of nations now looks forward to the Security Councils meeting to discuss North Koreas latest missile launch. It is significant that the meeting has been called at the request of the United States and its allies ~ South Korea and Japan.

The development has already provoked an acerbic reaction from the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley ~ You first have to get into Kim Jong-uns head, which is, hes in a state of paranoia, hes incredibly concerned about anything and everything around him.

Haley has hit the bulls eye, and the chief regret must be that any hope of a paradigm shift in relations between the South and the North has floundered in the span of a week.

And it has floundered on the missile launchpad. North Koreas latest successful missile test represents a level of performance never before seen from a North Korean missile, was the grim prognosis of the Washington-based monitoring project, 38 North.
The Pakistan envoy to the US, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, recently blamed India for stalling the peace process. He stated that Pakistan was always ready and willing to start the dialogue process but India was not.

He went on to add that bilateral ties were affected due to delay in the negotiation process. In the same breath, he stated, India is using force and committing horrendous human rights violations in Kashmir.

Similar suggestions for talks have been made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his foreign affairs advisor, Sartaj Aziz.

Every international leader visiting Pakistan is requested to be an intermediary and the joint statement at the end of the visit states his willingness to help.

The Turkish President prior to his visit to India echoed the same words, which found no takers in Delhi. The desire for talks by representatives of the Pakistan government could be due to a variety of reasons.

First is the shakiness of the present regime. Nawaz came to power with the promise of improving relations with India. He has been unable to even commence dialogue; hence his main promise remains unfulfilled. Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has repeatedly raised this subject. Nawazs involvement in the Panama papers, now under investigation, might lead to his indictment, reducing his present tenure.

Elections are due next year and even if Nawaz survives the Panama crisis, he would have little to show, hence may face defeat.

Secondly, there is the increasing rift between the powerful deep state and the government. With open support to terrorism in both India and Afghanistan, it has ensured that Pakistan faces antagonists on both fronts. The civil government has desperately attempted to improve relations on both sides, but to no avail. India cancelled talks post Pathankot. Pakistani officials did comment that terror strikes should not derail talks. They have commented that the only way forward is to continue talks irrespective of terror strikes, but it cut no ice in Delhi. The Afghan president turned down an invitation to visit Islamabad.

Thirdly, Pakistan needs to project itself as a nation seeking peace, while India turns its back on it. It repeatedly suggests multiple options for talks, even attempts to send personal messages through couriers, Sajjan Jindal being an example, however receives no answer. Its sincerity has always remained in doubt, solely because the core issue of terrorism has been unaddressed. Pakistans active interference in Kashmir has reduced chances of talks.

Fourthly, Pakistan is being clearly viewed as a terror producing factory. Its products have been exported to Afghanistan and India and may soon enter China.

It is also losing trust of Iran. To safeguard its image, it plays its own terror card, blaming India and Afghanistan as sponsors of terror on its soil. Its announcements of talks to resolve issues are also aimed at projecting itself as a victim, rather than the benefactor.

However, none of its actions have won it any sympathy. The latest battle ground emerging is Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The visit of industrialist Jindal to Pakistan and his personal interaction with Nawaz only increased the distance between the army and the government.

Nawaz did make a statement that the visit was his initiative, thus indicating another attempt to resume dialogue.

The Pakistan army reacted immediately.

The beheading incident and the announcement of death sentence to Kulbhushan, both under its tutelage, ensured an end to resumption of talks.

Everything is now back in cold storage, despite temporary relief being granted by the ICJ. For the civilian government, relations with India are essential for growth and development.

Whether India has a hand or not in the insurgency on Pakistans western borders is not the question, the fact is that India has a greater hold on Afghanistan than Pakistan, hence the ability to influence the Afghan government. Islamabad is aware and desires peace, but the army is unwilling.

The CPEC is strictly dependent on the security of routes and of Chinese citizens employed for its monitoring and development. Attacks on them and projects under construction can offset it, leaving Pakistan in financial doldrums. Attacks are already increasing in tempo in Baluchistan and could soon spread, after all CPEC also transits through the area dominated by the Pakistan Taliban and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

It could offset the delicate economic balance which would enable Pakistan to repay its loans. In such a scenario, it is the civilian government which would lose face, not the army.

Pakistans army remains unconcerned, after all its generals have limited exposure to economics and diplomacy, though they believe they cannot submit the power they possess. Further the careful nurturing of the Pakistani mind into believing that India seeks its downfall and is suppressing human rights in Kashmir would be shattered if talks commence and progress.

As has been aptly said, while nations have an army, the Pakistan army has a nation. For the civilian government, peaceful resolution of issues with all its neighbours, is the answer. Antagonism on two borders, with an increased threat from the third, only weakens the polity.

While it faces internal brickbats, the military gains credit despite its failures since it projects itself as the saviour of the nation. Pakistans Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) cracks down on anyone who criticises the army on social media; but not the government.

Thus, the perpetual battle between the polity and the army would continue. The polity would continue to strive for talks in every forum, while the military would obstruct. Never once has the all-powerful army chief even mentioned talks as an answer to resolve issues.

For India, the choices are limited. Every time it has taken a step forward, it has been stabbed in the back.

Hence irrespective of offers, unless the Pakistan civilian establishment gains control over the army, ignoring talks is the only solution.

The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.
From the time of Pakistans independence to the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1989, Pakistan was known for its close ties with the US, which made analysts jokingly refer to the three As which dominated Pakistan ~ Allah, Army and America.

The main reason for Pakistans proximity to the US was its fear and dislike of India ~ a much larger neighbour which was presumed to have refused to accept the sub-continents Partition in 1947 and, therefore, was unwilling to accept Pakistan as a legitimate country.

Hence, Pakistans arms agreements with the US in order to boost its defences vis-a-vis India.

The end of the war in Afghanistan and the rise of terrorism in Pakistan led to a rupture with the US.

Earlier, too, the strain in ties between the two countries because of Pakistans clandestine nuclear programme had brought China closer to Pakistan, so much so that theirs was described as an all-weather friendship.

However, there may well be a twist in the tale of this camaraderie because, as the respected Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, has said, the Belt-Road Initiative (BRI) envisages a deep and broad-based penetration of most sectors of Pakistans economy as well as its society by Chinese enterprises and culture. Its scope has no precedent in Pakistans history.

Nor is there any precedent in the history of colonialism where a country has spent billions of dollars on building roads, ports, dams and special economic zones, as China is doing, in another country ostensibly for economic development but paving the way for establishing its own hegemony by pouring in capital, labour and technology.

As the Dawn has noted, thousands of acres of agricultural land will be leased to Chinese enterprises for projects relating to seeds, irrigation, fertilizer, processing units for fruits, vegetables, meat and grain along with storage and transport systems.

There will also be a construction of safe city surveillance facilities from Peshawar to Karachi with 24- hour recording of roads and markets.

In addition, fibre-optic cables will be put in place not only for the Internet, but also for television programmes which will be engaged in disseminating Chinese culture. Two dams will be built in the Gilgit-Baltistan region (which India claims as its own), displacing an estimated 28,000 people and submerging important archaeological sites.

Evidently, there is much more to BRI than the building of a road from Kashgar in Xinjiang in China to the Gwadar port in Baloochistan in Pakistan, especially because China has taken note of the risk posed by the security situation which has been described as the worst in recent years.

It is worth asking in this context whether India has been right ~ or wrong ~ in keeping away from the BRI jamboree in Beijing.

Those who want India to be a part of BRI believe that it will gain from the surge in business deals along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which the Chinese ambassador in India wanted to rename to please India before his bosses in Beijing shot down the proposal.

But an acceptance of CPEC will mean an acceptance of the fact that the corridor passes through territories which India says is under Pakistans and Chinas illegal occupation.

Can India afford to legitimize such a land grab for the sake of dollars ? What is more, these are areas where there already have been protests against Chinese imperialism, as has been reported from Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and Ghizer, and also from Hambantota port in Sri Lanka which has virtually been taken over by the Chinese because Colombo could not repay the $1.2 billion loan given by Beijing.

Not surprisingly, BRI has been called Chinese debt-trap diplomacy, which is intended to increase Chinese leverage over the debtor nations. India may well prefer, therefore, to wait and watch since the BRI is riddled with unanswered questions.

In all probability, Indias main interest will lie not so much in trade and investment opportunities as in seeing what impact the increasingly large Chinese presence in Pakistan ~ there are already 8,000 Chinese personnel working in the 210 ongoing projects in the country ~ will have on the security situation, especially on the various terrorist networks such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed ( JeM), Tehreek-e-Taliban ( TeT), the Haqqani group, the Al Qaida and others. Some of these outfits, such as the LeT, are nurtured by the Pakistan army and the ISI for targeting India while the JeM will have a soft corner for China because it refuses to allow the UN to brand its leader, Masood Azhar, as a terrorist.

But there are others like the TeT which specifically targets Pakistan for not being Islamic enough. There is little doubt that these will not like the influx of Chinese troops, ostensibly for the sake of protecting the CPEC, but, in effect, strengthening Pakistans security apparatus, thereby hampering the terrorist operations. For these terrorist groups, there is also the question of culture via the television programmes controlled by Beijing.

For the jihadis, the dominance of their country by the atheist Chinese will be detrimental to their ideal of imposing the Shariat or the Islamic religious, social and behavioural doctrine on Pakistan. The BRI, therefore, can open a Pandoras box.

The writer is former Assistant Editor, The Statesman
It has been a famous victory even in the reckoning of Irans adversaries, notably Saudi Arabia.

The landslide triumph of President Hassan Rouhani carries a pregnant message both in terms of domestic policy and foreign affairs, pre-eminently matters nuclear.

It is a sweeping endorsement for efforts to end Irans international isolation and bring about greater freedoms at home.

The victory must seem still more significant as the scale was not wholly expected ~ 23.5 million votes for Rouhani against his rival, Ebrahim Raisis 15.8 million.

The powerful mandate protects the nuclear deal, which was the incumbents headline achievement, and the courting of foreign investment.

The outcome will doubtless lend more power to Rouhanis elbow, most importantly in his pursuit of a reformist agenda and the choice of a new supreme leader who calls the shots in the overall construct. The social division in a country with nuclear potential was underscored by Rouhani himself in course of his victory speech on TV.

Instead of the ha-ha that might have been expected, he was remarkably realistic to describe the presidential election as the most competitive ever, even referring to his opponents as dangerously backward-looking.

Yesterday, you said no to those who wanted us to return to the past, he told his nation. Implicitly, he has ruled out any turning back of the clock as indeed it was in 1979 with the eclipse of the Shah. He sounded acutely aware of the challenge posed by hardliners who still hold ultimate control in Irans dichotomy of theocracy and democracy ~ one antithetical to the other.

Nonetheless, the scale of his victory provides

Rouhani with the opportunity to challenge the hardliners. While much will be expected of the President, it will not be easy to fulfil all expectations not least because of the constraints of Irans complex government system and the crippling sanctions that Donald Trumps America is in no mood to lift.

The US Presidents visit to Saudi Arabia, Irans adversary, in the midst of the election, carries a twin message to Tehran and Riyadh.

The Wests repeal of nuclear sanctions, that followed his landmark deal, was not followed by the expected foreign investment because the unilateral US sanctions remained in place. Doing business in Iran continues to be complicated, when not illegal.

Rouhani will need the cooperation of Western powers to urge the US to roll back sanctions, or to step up investment in the areas they allow.

For now, the victory has tilted the political balance towards reformists. Iran has reaffirmed the continuance of Hassan Rouhani for a second term; yet both the reformists and moderates are gearing up for the high stakes ~ the choice of the new supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. now 77, takes the bow.

The uncertainty over the incumbents second term is over; less easily settled is the dilemma over change and moderate theocracy.
For the second time in recent weeks have ships of the Indian Navy on patrol in the Gulf of Aden responded to distress calls from merchant vessels that fear they have come under pirate attack.

The most recent incident saw INS Sharda steaming some 30 nautical miles and deploying its attack helicopter to ward off a raid on the Liberian-registered MV Lord Mountbatten.

Not only did the incident testify to a revival of pirate activity in the waters off North Africa, it confirmed that the corsairs were resorting to their tactics of using dhows as mother-ships to a series of skiffs that pose as fishing boats before striking.

The teams launched from INS Sharda searched the dhows and five skiffs (three had fled as the Indian warship approached), but since no evidence of fishing was found a malicious intent was confirmed.

The seizure of an assault rifle and ammunition from one of the mother-vessels proves that persons with mischievous intentions are back in business, and that it is time international shipping reverts to the intensive policing effort that had subdued the once-notorious Somali pirates.

The Indian Navy has been conducting antipiracy duties since 2008, has intervened 41 times, apprehending 120 pirates and rescuing 74 fishermen who had been taken hostage.

Perhaps more importantly, it has escorted 3749 ships through those troubled waters. Since the beneficiaries have been vessels flying the flags of various nations, the Navys has been a solid, if silent, diplomatic effort that does not appear to have been fully leveraged by those prosecuting Indian foreign policy. Even domestically has the Navys role been only marginally recognised, focused as Indian military thinking has customarily been on the Pakistan border, and to a lesser extent on the disputed boundary with China.

The Navys war record would be modest, its diplomatic contribution has been immense. And that is despite its personnel, certainly those having to tackle piracy, having to operate under constraints. No comprehensive policy on countering piracy has been formulated, the commanding officers of ships on patrol have often to take quick, independent decisions.

There is clandestine activity aplenty off the Indian coastline too: and though on paper there exists a three-tier security plan involving the Navy, Coast Guard and local police the marine wings of the police forces are neglected.

The gaps are there to be exploited ~ not just by terrorists as they did when wreaking havoc in the financial capital but also in what are euphemistically written-off as petty crime.

There was a period when the pressure mounted on Somali pirates caused them to look East, even as far as Lakshadweep. Boosting the maritime defences at all levels is a national imperative: South Block, alas, remains fixated on the northern front.
The governments of Germany and China on Monday urged the US not to walk away from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Speaking alongside her Chinese counterpart, Germany's Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks told the media here that standing by the agreement would benefit Washington economically and politically, as US President Donald Trump's administration continued to revise the pact signed under his predecessor, Barack Obama, Efe news reported.

"We call on the US to remain within the Paris Agreement, as we believe that this is not only important for the agreement itself, but also for the US economy," Hendricks said ahead of the opening of the eighth Petersburg Climate Dialogue, a German government initiative aimed at allowing countries to discuss international climate policy.

The US upholding its commitment to the agreement would help tackle rising temperatures and ensure Washington could exercise its "influence" on the issue in future, she said.

The minister said a possible walking away from the agreement would not be good economically for the US.

Xie Zhenhua called on all countries to remain committed to the agreement, ensuring that China would stand by it, independent of Washington's final decision.

Trump's government has spent weeks studying a possible withdrawal from the climate change agreement and was looking to arrive at a decision in the coming days.

Hendricks pointed out that Chancellor Angela Merkel had spoken to Trump and asked him to keep the US within the framework, while Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel spoke to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the same topic.
First lady Melania Trump and the oldest child of President Donald Trump, Ivanka, on Sunday created controversy in the US when they refused to wear headscarves in Saudi Arabia.

Interestingly, Trump had criticised former first lady Michelle Obama for failing to wear the head covering when she visited the Arab nation in 2015, Efe reported.

Melania and Ivanka are accompanying Trump on his first international trip as president, arriving in Riyadh on Saturday, the first stop on a journey that will take him to Israel, The Vatican and to NATO and G7 summits in Brussels and Sicily, respectively.

The first lady and Ivanka on Saturday appeared at several official events in the Saudi capital with uncovered heads, although they did conform to the conservative kingdom's accepted modesty norms by wearing sober outfits consisting of loose-fitting pantsuits with long-sleeved blouses in dark colours.

According to the Saudi kingdom's strict dress code, Saudi women who go out in public must wear the "abaya," a loose over-garment or robe, and many also hide their hair by wearing the "hijab," or Islamic headscarf.

However, it is normal for foreign women visiting the Arab country as part of international delegations not to cover their heads.

For instance, British Prime Minister Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel did not wear headscarves during their separate visits to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not cover her head on her several trips to the kingdom.

"Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies," tweeted Trump on January 29, 2015, using a common social network abbreviation for the word "enough."

On the other hand, some Republican politicians, including Senator Ted Cruz, at the time applauded Michelle Obama for her choice.

When asked about why Melania and Ivanka opted not to cover their heads in Saudi Arabia, the White House said that there was no requirement to wear such coverings, CNN reported.

On his first day in Riyadh, Trump was warmly welcomed and feted by the 81-year-old Saudi king, Salman bin Abdulaziz.

The US and Saudi Arabia on Saturday signed a series of accords in various areas valued at $380 billion over the next 10 years.
Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa on Monday in a meeting with US Ambassador David Hale reiterated their nations commitment to a secure, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan, a statement issued by the US Embassy Islamabad said.

Ambassador Hale, the statement said, reiterated US President Donald Trump's call during his recent speech at the Arab-Islami summit for a vision of peace, security, and prosperity, and unity in conquering extremism and terrorism.

"Ambassador Hale affirmed Pakistan's role and great sacrifices in this effort," it said.

A similar statement was released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), which said that the US ambassador acknowledged Pakistan Army's efforts in securing control of areas on Pakistan side of the border.

"Both the countries can carry forward the work done towards enduring peace and stability in the region through enhanced coordination and cooperation," the military media wing quoted Hale as saying.

The Army chief also made it clear that no cross-border attack shall be tolerated by Pakistan.

Islamabad blames Kabul for hosting Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and other militants responsible for carrying out a wave of attacks in February that killed over 130 people across the country and prompted fears of a militant resurgence.


Taliban militants have been using money collected as taxes from poppy growers to buy weapons and continue their fight against the Afghan government, the media reported on Monday.

Farmers in the northern restive province Saripul are controlled by the Taliban and encouraged to cultivate opium poppy, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Increase in poppy plantation means increase in Taliban revenues and supporting their financial resources to buy more weapons and further destabilise the province and the country at large," a resident said.

Saripul Governor Zahir Wahdat said the militants have been encouraging farmers to cultivate poppy and that is why poppy fields are constantly increasing in areas controlled by the Taliban.

Militancy-battered Afghanistan produced 4,800 tonnes of opium poppy in 2016 against 3,300 tonnes in 2015, showed an Afghan Ministry for Counter-Narcotics and United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) survey.

Majority of the illegal crop was produced in the restive areas controlled by anti-government militants.
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Olympic gold medalist Kaetlyn Osmond can't wait to skate in front of Newfoundland crowd for her first performance since COVID

When Kaetlyn Osmond steps on the ice at the Mary Browns Centre in St. Johns next month, it will be the first time the Marystown native has performed on ice in front of an audience since before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. It's also the ...
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
Maharashtra government is holding a special three days session for ratifying the GST bill and amending state Acts in order to fulfill the requirements of proposed GST bill. Sudhir Mungantiwar tabled four bills that will address issues like goods and services produced, provided and consumed within the state, goods and services produced, provided or consumed between two or more states and compensation to the local self governments for five years in absence of octroi or LBT.

Opposition parties took this as an opportunity and came down heavily on various lacunas and the unpreparedness of the state government. Jayant Patil, former finance minister and NCP leader, resorted to pinching humour while exposing the short-comings in the GST bill.

He said, People don't understand your planning. You have announced Rs 45,000 crore worth Samruddhi Corridor, Rs 1 lakh crore for bullet trains, Rs 27,000 crore for the Seventh Pay Commission. But from where are you getting the money for it when almost every sector is badly underperforming? He added that the chief minister himself has admitted to Rs 400 crore scam in Toor procurement and the huge misappropriation in the Farm Ponds scheme. Jayant Patil took a dig at chief minister asking, Uddhav Thackeray has alleged that there are robbers in the government. Is it a fact, Mr. CM?

The Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis, while replying to the demand of loan waiver, had said, We will give loan waiver if opposition parties give a guarantee that the farmer suicides will stop. Jayant Patil retorted, We will give written guarantee that the suicides will stop. Give loan waiver first. He added, The district co-op banks in the state has Rs 5000 crore in old currency, deposited by ordinary farmers. RBI has not exchanged it yet and the banks have to pay interest of Rs 48 crore on it. Do not ruin the farmers and their credit system.

Earlier, Prithviraj Chavan, former chief minister said, Government abolished LBT, without any foresight, to lure traders, but lost Rs 15,000 crore in just 30 months. This money would have come handy to compensate local self governments. According to the GST Act, central government will reimburse the state for the loss of octroi to the local self governments, assuming an annual growth of 14 per cent. What we object to is the fact that why is the state government going to compensate the loss at only 8 per cent when the centre will be paying 14 per cent more than the previous year?, said Jayant Patil. This will cripple the infrastructure growth of the municipal corporations and the municipalities in the state, he said.

Prithviraj Chavan suggested that considering the lack of preparation, the implementation of GST should be deferred till September 2017. He said, The staff is yet to be trained. The software is not yet ready and the IRS cadre is likely to protest. The Chartered Accountants in the state are not yet ready as every trader will have to file 37 different returns in an year. He stressed the need to simplify the procedure of filing returns. Jayant Patil warned, You will lose the benefits of GST if you do not prepare well in advance. The government should not end up losing revenue and creating chaos.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh's statement on Sunday that Modi government will find a permanent solution to the Kashmir problem is centered on isolating the Hurriyat Conference, launching of more kinetic operations against militants and their overground workers, and involving '"stakeholders" to counter the growing separatist buzz in Kashmir, The Week has learned.

The government also has decided to use more fire power on the Line of Control to counter infiltration and ceasefire violations.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley recently told reporters in Srinagar that the government would act tough against militants and their supporters, but would adopt a citizen-friendly approach towards the common people.

The Centre, sources said, also plans to involve religious and ethnic minorities  shias, Gujjars, Paharis and other minorities  in Kashmir to counter the growing separatist's discourse in Kashmir.

Muhammad Yousuf Sofi, a BJP legislator in the upper house of J&K assembly said the Centre has decided to induct more local youth in the police force, paramilitary forces, and the Army.

He said the idea is to provide more employment to the youth in the state.

He said the government has so far employed 8,000 special police officers (SPO) and approval for another 2,000 is expected soon, he said.

Sofi said in a recent meeting of the J&K chapter of the BJP that was attended by party president Amit Shah and other ethnic and minorities were identified as stakeholders in the restoration of peace in Kashmir.

"The PMO will also provide monetary help to youth who wish to start their businesses," Sofi said.

The Centre has also directed the forces to launch more kinetic operations against the overground supporters of the militants.

On May 20, the body of Muhammad Yousuf Lone was recovered at Gudoora after the Army ended a search operation in Pulwama. Huge protests erupted against the killing with locals accusing the army of the killing. The police described the deceased was an "overground worker of Lashkar".

About 18 civilians, during a protest at the encounter sites, have been killed after the Army Chief Bipin Rawat warned the protesters disrupting operations against the militants will be treated as over ground workers of militants.

At a recent meeting of the officials of Home Ministry and Defence Ministry, a plan to wean away youth from separatism was discussed in detail, sources said.

The meeting stressed on the need to isolate the Hurriyat leaders. The NIA's probe against separatist leaders like Nayeem Khan, who was caught on tape admitting that separatists receive money from Pakistan to foment trouble in Kashmir, and others like Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bita Karate is part of the plan to marginalise the separatists.

Sources said the meeting decided to squeeze the space for Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik who have formed the Joint Resistance Movement after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July last year.

The Army and BSF have been given a free hand to deal with the infiltrators and ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

The state government has also taken steps to improve governance. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti recently made key changes in police with an aim to get a handle on the situation. She replaced IGP Javid Geelani with Muneer Khan who had made changes in postings to ensure results. The security forces are hoping the recurring protests by student and youth will subside in Ramazan that starts at the weekend.
The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday welcomed the Uttara Pradesh government's decision to recommend a CBI probe into the mysterious death of IAS officer Anurag Tiwari. However, the saffron party has also expressed concern over the Congress government in the state trying to tamper with evidence in the case.

Tiwari, a 2007 batch Karnataka cadre officer, was found dead in Lucknow a few days ago.

Soon after the Uttar Pradesh government decided to recommend a CBI probe into the case, the BJP leaders in Karnataka, who had written a series of letters to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, welcomed the prompt action, while expressing concern over the Tiwari case too meeting the same fate as that of deceased officersIAS officer D.K. Ravi and DySP M.K. Ganapathy. The BJP leaders alleged that Siddaramaiah government was witch-hunting honest officers.

The actions of the Karnataka government in the previous cases of officers' mysterious deaths have raised suspicion. We fear that in Tiwari's case too, the evidence might be tampered with. As a former food and civil supplies minister, I have come across pilferage and had tried to streamline the system. I am afraid evidencethe relevant files which Tiwari might have gatheredmay no longer be traceable. The CM and home minister have had long meetings after the incident. Such doubts are in the minds of the department officials too, said Udupi-Chikmagluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, who had urged Adityanath to handover the case to CBI.

Despite the rumours of Tiwari having unearthed a scam worth Rs 2,000 crore in the food and civil supplies department in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had ignored the demand for a CBI probe by the opposition parties stating, The cause of action (death) has been in UP and it is for the UP government to take a call on CBI probe. We are ready to cooperate in the probe.

On Monday, Siddaramaiah said, "We welcome the CBI probe. We will cooperate. Still maintain there was no scam we were told about."

Home Minister G. Parameshwar welcomed the CBI probe, while insisting there was "nothing to hide". "The central agency can come to Bangalore for any investigation. We will cooperate," he said.

Food and civil supplies minister U.T. Khader had raised apprehensions over Tiwari's alleged claims stating, The deceased officer had hardly worked for 38 days in his current posting (as the commissioner of of food and civil supplies) as he was on deputation to Punjab during the assembly polls, and once back, he was again away in Mussoorie for a training.

Ruling out the possibility of a scam, Harsh Gupta, principal secretary of the department said, Tiwari was an honest officer. But none of us in the department have any clue of the alleged scam. I agree that there has been organised pilferage of grains in the public distribution system and we had brought in many reforms to curb it. In fact, we had cracked down on bogus rations cards much before Tiwari was posted in this department. He was getting to know the department and had deliberated on the reforms too. But the alleged scam in rice procurement from Chhattisgarh worth Rs 2,000 crore is something I am not aware of. The total amount of rice procured from Chhattisgarh amounts to around Rs 337 crore only.
A seemingly harmless act of relishing hot idli-vada brought from a local hotel during a visit to a dalit household has landed senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in a major controversy. The party leaders visited dalit houses during their statewide Jan Samparka Yatre (drought study tour).

BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa, who is leading the tour, now finds himself accused of practising untouchability after the ruling Congress and the JD(S) alleged that the BJP leaders had chosen to eat the hotel food instead of the meal cooked by the dalit family. However, the dalit families that hosted the saffron party leaders and party workers at Tumkur and Chitradurga have rushed to the rescue of their guests, stating It is nobody's business to monitor what food we serve our guests.

On May 18, senior BJP leaders embarked on a statewide tour, and as part of the itinerary and to promote inclusiveness, they had breakfast at a dalit household at Tumkur and the following day at Chitradurga. Based on some media reports, the Congress and the JD(S) mocked the BJP leaders for favouring hotel food at dalit households and accused them of practising untouchability. A complaint was also filed by a dalit youth from Mandya district against Yeddyurappa.

Earlier, KPCC chief G. Parameshwara had dubbed it as an insult to dalits and also alleged that Yeddyurappa, during his tenure as CM, had removed the portrait of Dr B.R. Ambedkar from his cabin. Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge alleged the BJP has exposed its fondness for varna system.

Yeddyurappa's act goes against the philosophy of social reformer Basavaeshwara, who dreamt of a casteless society. He does not consider dalits as Hindus, though BJP makes tall claims of Hindu unity, he further said.

However, the family which hosted the BJP leaders came to their defence and sought to clarify the situation. We had prepared Kesari baat, Upma and Chitranna for 30 people. As the number of party workers were more, we had to order food from a hotel, said Hanumantharayappa, one of the hosts at Tumkur.

Madhu Kumar, the host at Chitradurga, released a letter and video clip to the media. We were happy to host Mr Yyeddyurappa. We offered breakfast prepared by us, but as there were many party workers, we also ordered food from a hotel. We are hurt by the controversy. I am a common man and not any party worker. Nobody should play politics, he said in the letter.

Madhu Kumar also questioned the critics if they had ever fed a huge number of guests with home-made food. We are capable of providing meals to any number of guests. But we are not chefs and we do not have servants at home, like in your households, to cook for us. Your comments have only hurt us. It is not important what the leaders ate, but where they ate. Five-star hotels might be your favourite, but visit to a dalit household is important for social change. I hope every leader understands this, added Kumar.

Defending the BJP, senior leader and former law minister S. Suresh Kumar said, Congress is at its old game of malicious campaigns against the BJP. What is principal in this matter is having a meal with members of the host family and not bothering about whether the food was prepared at home or bought from outside. The Congress has insulted the dalits by making baseless allegations. It shows the utter frustration of the Congress over the good response the BJP is getting from the dalit community.

Govind Karjol, a senior dalit leader from the BJP, alleged that caste discrimination was prevalent in chief minister's own constituency and yet the Congress was falsely blaming the BJP.
It may seem that the present dispensation under Edappadi K. Palanisamy in Tamil Nadu has consolidated and would continue to run successfully for the next four years to complete its full term. But the pulls and pressures within the ruling party just show how the insiders are still in no mood to accept his coronation. The ruling AIADMK (Amma) faction with its thin majority seems to be facing dissent from within.

With the proposed merger hanging in the air, the fissures within the ruling AIADMK seem to be widening day by day. Eight disgruntled legislators led by former minister V. Senthil Balaji, who are part of the AIADMK (Amma) faction, on Monday met the chief minister and demanded an immediate meeting of the party MLAs. Legislators Thoppu Venkatachalam and Palaniappan were also part of the group which called on the CM.

Reportedly, two of these eight MLAs have been holding secret meetings with the other legislators and getting ready to rebel. In April, Senthil Balaji had filed a PIL in the Madras High Court seeking permission to hold a fast in Karur. He was vociferous in expressing his opposition to the ruling AIADMKs decision to shift the site for the construction of a government medical college hospital from Kuppuchipalayam to Sanappiratty near Karur. The court directed a special government pleader to take notice of his plea. Balaji wanted to hold a fast claiming that the present government was unnecessarily changing the place of construction of the government medical college despite the project having been approved by former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Thoppu Venkatachalam, who is also a former minister, reportedly, had been convening meetings with the rebels among the 122 legislators who had voted Palanisamy to power. For the past few weeks, the buzz has been that a group of MLAs led by Senthil Balaji, Thoppu Venkatachalam and Palaniappan have been holding conclaves, which had rattled the chief ministers office.

Sources say that the reason for the dissent is the non-communique between the ministers and the chief minister. For the past three months after we made Palanisamy win the trust vote, there had been no discussion with former ministers like us. We dont know in what direction the party and the government are heading towards. There have been lots of bureaucratic reshuffles recently, but no key issue is being resolved, said a senior leader close to the new dissent team. Rumours have it that Palanisamy did not give space to these MLAs and hear their grievances.

Soon after the eight MLAs met Palanisamy on Monday, Lok Sabha deputy speaker M. Thambidurai also called on the chief minister. Sources say they discussed the issues that can be taken up with the prime minister. During his meeting with Modi, Palanisamy is likely to seek funds for Centre-funded state projects and update the prime minister on the progress of central schemes in the state.
Following increasing pressure, the Lucknow police on Monday filed murder case against unknown persons in connection with the death IAS officer Anurag Tiwari. The case was filed under section 302 of the IPC.

The police action came soon after the family of Anurag met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded a CBI probe. After the 20 minute meeting, Anurag's mother said the chief minister had given them a positive assurance.

Anurag, a 2007 batch IAS officer, was found dead in mysterious circumstances a few days ago near the VIP guest house in Lucknow. So far, police have remained clueless about the culprits and how the Karnataka cadre officer was killed.

His brother Mayank Tiwari said, We are not satisfied with the way police have been probing the matter, so we decided to meet the chief minister. Since beginning, the family has been alleging foul play in Anurag's death. According to them, the officer was about to expose a huge scam in Karnataka governments food and civil supplies department in which he was working. The family had also alleged that Anurag was being pressurised by some senior government officers and politicians and had urged the central government about three months ago to change his cadre.

Anurag, who hails from eastern UP district of Behriach, had come to Lucknow after finishing his training from Mussorie and stayed in Meerabai Marg guest house.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and others appeared before a court in New Delhi on Monday and sought bail in an over Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case.

Singh and others appearing before Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal were summoned by the court, which listed the matter for the next hearing on May 29.

To show solidarity with Singh, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was also present at the hearing.

The court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to file a reply on the bail plea of the accused.

Apart from Singh, the others accused in the case are Life Insurance Corporation agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Lawan Kumar Roach, Vakamullah Chandrashekhar and Ram Prakash Bhatia, who were also summoned.

The CBI, in its chargesheet said the chief minister was in possession of assets worth Rs 10,30,47,946.40 in his own name as well as in the names of his family members.

Singh has failed to give a satisfactory answer regarding the assets which did not tally with his known income, the agency said.

The court while issuing summons to the accused on May 8, had observed that during the period between May 28, 2009 and June 26, 2012, Virbhadra Singh, as union minister of steel and micro, small and medium enterprises, committed criminal misconduct.

The Himachal chief minister's wife Pratibha and the other eight accused abetted the offence by investing his money in the names of his family members, the probe agency added.

Co-accused Pratibha Singh intentionally and actively abetted Virbhadra Singh in "investing his ill-gotten and unaccounted money in her and their children's names", the court observed.

The senior Congress leader was accused of trying to justify the income as agricultural.

The other accused allegedly tried to legitimise his disproportionate assets by creating false documents in the shape of a memorandum of understanding, sale proceeds and others.

Chauhan was instrumental in depositing the unaccounted money in LIC policies, the agency alleged.
Yogi Adityanath-led government in UP seems to be tightening its noose around the pet projects of former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. First it was Gomati River Front project in the heart of Lucknow and now it is the Lucknow-Agra expressway project which is on the radar of the CM.

The CEO of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) Avanish Awasthi has been asked to unearth irregularities in the Rs 15,000 crore project. Awasthi, along with his team of experts, began the probe on Sunday and collected road samples from five different places to find out whether the construction had taken place as per norms.

The 302-km long expressway, connecting Lucknow and Agra with a three-km long air strip on which fighter planes can land, has been a dream project of Akhilesh Yadav. The SP had introduced the project during the poll campaigns to show the development of the state under the party's rule.

The SP government bought around 3,500 hectares of land from farmers in over 200 villages spread over 10 districts. There were allegations that norms were flouted while acquiring the land and sub standard materials were used for construction.

Earlier, CM Adityanath himself had inspected the Gomti River Front Project worth Rs 1,400 crore, initiated by Akhilesh government for the beautification of river Gomti and surrounding areas, and subsequently ordered and inquiry into the project. There were complaints of large-scale irregularities into this project. A three-member inquiry commission, headed by a sitting judge of the high court, was constituted to probe the project. The commission had submitted its report a few days ago.

PWD Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had made it clear that the present government will inquire into all major construction projects initiated by the previous SP regime. This is the first time an inspection has been carried out to check construction quality.

Awasthi said inspection was spread over five zones and samples have been collected from all these zones for preliminary inspection. A detailed inspection will be carried out later.
President Donald Trump urged Arab and Islamic leaders on Sunday to unite and do their share to defeat Islamist extremists, making an impassioned plea to "drive out" terrorists while toning down his own harsh rhetoric about Muslims.

Trump singled out Iran as a key source of funding and support for militant groups. His words aligned with the views of his Saudi Arabian hosts and sent a tough message to Tehran the day after Hassan Rouhani won a second term as Iran's president.

The US president did not use his signature term "radical Islamic terrorism" in the speech, a signal that he heeded advice to employ a more moderate tone in the region after using the phrase repeatedly as a presidential candidate.

"Terrorism has spread all across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land," Trump told leaders from about 50 Muslim-majority countries representing more than a billion people.

"A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists. Drive them out! Drive them out of your places of worship, drive them out of your communities, drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this earth."

The president's first speech abroad provided an opportunity to show his strength and resolve, in contrast to his struggle to contain a mushrooming scandal at home after his firing of former FBI Director James Comey nearly two weeks ago.

He portrayed the conflict as one between good and evil, not between civilizations, and made clear in a forceful tone that Washington would partner with the Middle East but expected more action in return.

"There is still much work to be done. That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism, and the Islamists, and Islamic terror of all kinds," he said in his speech.

The advance excerpts of the speech had him saying "Islamist extremism." A White House official blamed Trump's fatigue for the switch. "Just an exhausted guy," she told reporters.

The term "Islamist extremism" refers to Islamism as a political movement rather than Islam as a religion, a distinction that the Republican president had frequently criticized the administration of his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, for making.

As a candidate, Trump proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States. In office, he ordered temporary bans on people from several Muslim-majority countries, which have been blocked by courts that ruled they were discriminatory.

The speech in a gilded hall bedecked with chandeliers is part of an effort to redefine his relationship with the Muslim world. Trump's "America first" philosophy helped him win the 2016 election and has rattled allies who depend on US support for their defense.

Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who set aside his campaign rhetoric and focused on his desire to crack down on Iran's influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in Obama.

"For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror," Trump said. "It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this very room."

Trump did not make overt mentions of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia or the other Gulf nations in his speech. White House officials has said he did not want to lecture, something they believe Obama did, unsuccessfully.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back at Trump in a tweet that Trump had attacked Iran in "that bastion of democracy & moderation" of Saudi Arabia and suggested he had "milked" his hosts for hundreds of billions of dollars in business deals.

Joint fight, royal welcome

Introducing Trump, Saudi King Salman described their mutual foe Iran as the source of terrorism they must confront together.

"Our responsibility before God and our people and the whole world is to stand united to fight the forces of evil and extremism wherever they are ... The Iranian regime represents the tip of the spear of global terrorism," the king said.

Iran is a Shi'ite Muslim country. The groups the United States has been fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere since the September 11, 2001, attacks on Washington and New York are mostly Sunni Muslims, and enemies of Iran. Iranian-backed militia are also fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq.

The United States and Gulf Arab countries announced an agreement to coordinate efforts against the financing of terrorist groups.

Trump's welcome in the region was put on display during a series of individual meetings with Arab leaders.

He praised Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, telling him: "You have done a tremendous job under trying circumstances." The Obama administration had a difficult relationship with Sisi, who came to power after leading a military coup in 2013 during which hundreds of demonstrators were killed, and has since jailed thousands of opponents.

Trump promised to schedule a trip to Egypt soon, and he singled out the Egyptian's choice of footwear, a pair of shiny black shoes. "Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes," he said.

To Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, Trump declared that the two nations had a lot in common and "there won't be strain with this administration."

The king lauded the relationship and said it had led to "great stability in the region and prosperity." Bahrain is home to the US fleet in the Middle East. Its Sunni Muslim royal family rules over a majority Shi'ite population and was occasionally rebuked by the Obama administration for harsh treatment of opponents.

Trump's Riyadh visit kicked off his first presidential trip abroad, with Saudi Arabia the first stop on a nine-day journey through the Middle East and Europe.

Soon after Trump embarked on his trip on Friday, he was hit with more accusations that, with Comey's firing on May 9, he was trying to squelch a federal investigation into his campaign's ties with Russia last year.
Hundreds of patients across Sri Lanka went without treatment on Monday as government doctors went on a 24-hour strike, crippling the island's health sector.



The strike by doctors of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) that began on Monday at 8.00 a.m. led to patients being turned away from the state hospitals without medical attention, Xinhua news agency reported.



The GMOA announced last week that it would launch the token strike to protest several issues, including the police firing tear gas on medical students during a May 17 protest to oppose legalising the SAITM College which is Sri Lanka's first private medical college.



GMOA Secretary Nalinda Herath said the strike was to oppose the government's attempts to arrest GMOA President Anuruddha Padeniya on contempt of court charges, and the police action taken against medical students last week.



However, he said emergency services, maternity hospitals, children hospitals, cancer hospitals, tri-forces hospitals and renal treatment units would be free from the strike.


US President Donald Trump said in Israel on Monday he came away from a weekend visit to Saudi Arabia with new reasons for hope that peace and stability could be achieved in the Middle East.

On the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office, Trump is to hold talks separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a stopover lasting 28 hours.

Later on Monday, the US leader will pray at Judaism's Western Wall and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and on Tuesday he will travel to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu and his wife Sara, as well as President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli cabinet, were at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport to greet Trump and first lady Melania in a red carpet ceremony after what is believed to have been the first direct flight from Riyadh to Israel.

"During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope," Trump said in a brief speech on arrival.

"We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity and peace, but we can only get there working together. There is no other way," he said.

Trump's tour comes in the shadow of difficulties at home, where he is struggling to contain a scandal after firing James Comey as FBI director nearly two weeks ago. The trip ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily.

During his two days in Riyadh, Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to restrain Iran's influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican president's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.

"What's happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel," Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Rivlin.

"And you could say that's one of the - if there's a benefit, that would be the benefit. Because I've seen such a different feeling toward Israel from countries that as you know were not feeling so well about Israel not so long ago. And it's brought a lot of folks together," Trump said.

'Ultimate deal'

Earlier at the airport, Netanyahu said Israel shared Trump's commitment to peace - but he also repeated his right-wing government's political and security demands of the Palestinians, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

"May your first trip to our region prove to be a historic milestone on the path towards reconciliation and peace," Netanyahu said.

Trump used his visit to Riyadh to bolster US ties with Arab and Islamic nations, announce $110 billion in US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and send Iran a tough message.

Trump has vowed to do whatever is necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians -- something he has called "the ultimate deal"but has given little indication of how he could revive negotiations that collapsed in 2014.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters en route to Tel Aviv that any three-way meeting between Trump, Netanyahu and Abbas was for "a later date".

When Trump met Abbas this month in Washington, he stopped shortly of explicitly recommitting his administration to a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, a long-standing foundation of US policy. He has since spoken in support of Palestinian "self-determination".

Trump has also opted against an immediate move of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a longtime demand of Israel.

A senior administration official told Reuters last week that Trump remained committed to his campaign pledge to ultimately relocate the embassy, but would not announce such a move during this trip.

On Sunday, Israel authorised some economic concessions to the Palestinians that it said would improve civilian life in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority and were intended to respond to Trump's request for "confidence-building steps".

The United States welcomed the move but the Palestinians said they had heard such promises before.

Trump will have visited significant centres of Islam, Judaism and Christianity by the end of his trip, a point that his aides say bolsters his argument that the fight against Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil".
The New York State Police will team up with local law enforcement to conduct a seat belt and child safety seat enforcement period starting on Monday, May 22 and running through Sunday, June 4, as part of the annual Buckle Up New York, Click it or Ticket campaign.

In addition, New York will be among 24 states participating in a Border to Border enforcement campaign, during which law enforcement will set up safety belt checkpoints along highways connecting neighboring states. This enforcement will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 22.

State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said, As the summer travel season begins, we are joining with our law enforcement partners to strongly encourage the proper use of seat belts and child safety seats in motor vehicles. Wearing a seat belt is a simple measure that dramatically reduces the risk of severe injury or death in a crash. We will continue our efforts to reduce the senseless tragedies caused by those who ignore New Yorks seat belt laws.

During the two week enforcement campaign, the State Police will supplement regular patrols with special seat belt and child safety seat details, in addition to conducting safety restraint checkpoints.

During last years campaign, Troopers and local law enforcement issued more than 28,000 adult and child safety restraint violations.

Under New York State Law:

 All front seat occupants must be properly secured, regardless of age;

 All rear seat passengers under 16 years of age must be properly secured;

 Children up to the age of 4 must be properly restrained in a federally approved child safety seat that is attached to a vehicle by a seat belt or universal child restraint anchorage (LATCH) system.

 Children less than age 4 but weighing more than 40 pounds may be restrained in a booster seat with a lap/shoulder safety belt. However, a child safety seat that accommodates higher weights can be used.

 Children ages 4, 5, 6 and 7 must be properly secured in an appropriate child restraint system, one for which the child meets the height and weight recommendations of the child restraint manufacturer.

 A vehicles safety belt is NOT a child restraint system.

 Children riding in booster seats must be secured with a combination lap/shoulder seat belt (State Police advise motorists to NEVER secure a child in a booster seat with only a lap belt).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that seat belts saved 13,941 lives in 2015 nationally and could have saved another 2,804 if people who werent wearing them had done so. In New York, NHTSA estimates seat belts saved 443 lives in 2015 and another seven children under age 5 were saved by car seats. The NHTSA also estimated another 55 lives could have been saved with 100 percent compliance.

(YWN Desk  NYC)
President Donald Trump on Sunday implored Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to extinguish Islamic extremism emanating from the region, describing a battle between good and evil rather than a clash between the West and Islam.

In a pointed departure from his predecessor, Trump all but promised he would not publicly admonish Mideast rulers for human rights violations and oppressive reigns.

We are not here to lecture  we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship, Trump said, speaking in an ornate room in the Saudi capital. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all.

The presidents address was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first overseas trip since his January swearing-in. For Trump, the trip is a reprieve from the crush of controversies that have marred his young presidency and an attempt to reset his relationship with a region and a religion he fiercely criticized a candidate.

During the 2016 U.S. campaign, Trump mused about his belief that Islam hates us. But on Sunday, standing before dozens of regional leaders, he said Islam was one of the worlds great faiths.

While running for the job he now holds, Trump heartily criticized President Barack Obama for not using the term radical Islamic extremism and said that refusal indicated that Obama did not understand Americas enemy. In his Saudi speech, Trump condemned Islamic extremism, Islamists, and Islamic terror, but not once uttered the precise phrase he pressed Obama on.

Trump made no mention of the disputed travel ban, signed days after he took office, that temporarily banned immigration to the U.S. from seven majority Muslim countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen. Both the original order and a second directive that dropped Iraq from the banned list have been blocked by the courts.

In some ways, Trump delivered a conventional speech for an American politician. He pledged deeper ties with the Middle East to tackle terrorism and encouraged more economic development in the region. He heralded the ambitions of the regions youth and warned that the scourge of extremism could tarnish their future.

Trump offered few indications of whether he planned to shift U.S. policy to better fight terrorism. There were no promises of new financial investment or announcements of increased U.S. military presence in the region. The president put much of the onus for combating extremists on Mideast leaders: Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities.

White House officials said they considered Trumps address to be a counterweight to Obamas debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo. Obama called for understanding and acknowledged some of Americas missteps in the region. His speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticized by a number of Americas Middle East allies as being a sort of apology.

Trumps remarks came in a meeting with dozens of regional leaders who gathered in Riyadh for a summit with Trump and Saudi King Salman.

The king has lavished praise and all the trappings of a royal welcome on the new American president, welcoming in particular Trumps pledge to be tougher on Iran than Obama was. Indeed, Trump and Salman were in lockstep on the threat Iran poses to the region when they addressed their fellow leaders: Trump accused Iran of destruction and chaos and the king said its rival has been the spearhead of global terrorism.

The Saudis warm embrace was welcome change for the besieged White House. Officials spent the days before Trumps departure dealing with a steady stream of revelations about the federal investigation into his campaigns possible ties to Russia and the fallout from his firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The president, who is known to tear asunder the White Houses plans with a provocative tweet or offhand comment, has largely stuck to the script for opening days of the trip. Apart from Sundays address, hes made no substantial remarks, other than exchanging pleasantries with other leaders.

Before the speech, Trump held individual meetings with leaders of several nations, including Egypt and Qatar.

His meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi underscored their burgeoning kinship. Trump praised el-Sissi for the April release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi, detained in the country for nearly three years.

El-Sissi invited Trump to visit him in Egypt, adding, You are a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible. As the participants laughed, Trump responded: I agree.

The president then complimented el-Sissis choice of footwear: Love your shoes. Boy, those shoes after their brief remarks to the media.

From Saudi Arabia, Trump was scheduled to visit Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Hell also go to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis, to Brussels for a NATO summit and to Sicily for a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major industrial nations.

(AP)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

There has been, of late, a vast proliferation of Jewish organizations, dinners and dinner honorees. The proliferation of these three has in turn given birth to a new phenomenon called Dinner Honoree Ad Chiseling. It goes something like this:

Yes, I would like to put in a full page color ad for the honoree, but I cant pay the regular price.

Okay look. I can give you the full page for $700 instead of $1000.

No. Cant do that. I will give you $300 but you have to give me two seats too.

Fine. But dont tell anyone.

Sure.

THE PROHIBITION

The prohibition known as Gneivas Daas, is about fooling or deceiving others in physical practice. Is putting in a $1000 ad, but only paying $300 considered Geneivas Daas?

The Gemorah in Chullin (94a) cites Shmuel as saying that the prohibition applies to everyone.

The Gemorah in Chulin 94a cites a Braisah which discusses four examples given by Rabbi Meir of things that are forbidden on account of the issue of Gneivas Daas:

 It is forbidden to repeatedly invite someone to a meal when you know that he will refuse.

 It is forbidden to repeatedly offer gifts when you know that he will refuse.

 It is forbidden to appear to up a new barrel of wine (when one is actually opening it for a previous sale) unless one informs him of the real reason he has opened it [the underlying issue is that the wine will not last as long now that the barrel is open and it is a big favor to the guest, much like opening a brand new bottle of Blue Label would be nowadays].

 It is forbidden to offer someone oil from an empty flask to anoint oneself when one knows full well that the person will refuse it. If, however, he is offering the oil to show (others  Rashi) his fondness for the person it is permitted.

We see, therefore, that Gneivas Daas is violated even if there is a non-financial deception  in other words even if the honoree is not getting less money. The prohibition of deceiving is a clear out and out prohibition according to all opinions. According to the Sefer Yereim and the Ritvah it is a biblical prohibition. According to the SMaK the prohibition is derabanan. But all hold that it is a full blown prohibition.

There is a fascinating Shaarei Teshuva (3:181) which states that the leniency of Mutar lshanos mipnei haShalom, sometimes it is permitted to tell a white lie to maintain peace does not apply to Gneivas Daas. Gneivas Daas is an important and essential value in Torah Judaism.

AN ILLUMINATING GEMORAH

The Gemorah in Rosh HaShana 26b records the following incident:

[Someone came and said,]

John Doe blanked me! [The word that he had used was, kevaa.]

Levi did not understand what that man was saying to him. He did not know the meaning of the word, kavaa.

He went and asked the meaning in the Beis Midrash. They said to him: That man said to you: He robbed me, as it is written: Will a man rob [hayikba] G-d? (Malachi 3:8).

Rava of Barnish said to Rav Ashi: Had I been there in Levis place, I would have tried to uncover the meaning of the word in a different way. I would have said to him: How did he kevaa you?

With what did he kevaa you? And why did he kevaa you? And from his answers I would have understood on my own what was being said.

We see from this Gemorah that Rava of Barnish was suggesting a type of deception of sorts that would not be considered a prohibition of Gneivas Daas.

The operative definition of non-financial Gneivas Daas according to the TaZ (Yore Deah 120:11) is where the deceiver receives a benefit of favor. It is where the person being deceived would feel that they owe you something. In Hebrew this term is called, yachzik lo tovah. Since the deception here may involve someone doing someone else a favor  it may be considered Gneivas Daas. The same would be true both in this Gemorah in Rosh HaShana.

IS IT LYING?

In regard to the verse (Shmos 23:7) in Parshas Mishpatim of midvar sheker tirchak  stay away from a false matter, there is a three way debate as to how we understand this pasuk. The Chofetz Chaim rules in his Ahavas Chessed that there is an out and out prohibition to lie. This is in accordance with the view of some Rishonim. Other Rishonim hold that the verse is merely good advice, but not halacha. A third opinion holds that it is applicable to judges adjudicating law. Generally speaking, the view of the Chofetz Chaim is normative halacha.

But here, there is no actual lie being said  it is just that the person placing the ad is misleading the other. The Targum Unkelus, according to the Sefer Beer Moshe, translates the verse as meaning  regarding falsehoods look at it as something disgusting to stay far away from.

It could be, however, that everyone knows that it is being done  so it may not be a violation of midvar sheker tirchak.

EVEN FURTHER

Perhaps the person placing the ad cannot afford it, and doing this is a form of lying mipnei hashalom.

The Gemorah in Yevamos 65b is the source for the idea of lying for the sake of Shalom. The Gemorah cites Rabbi Eelaah in the name of Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Elazar derives this principle  that one may change to maintain the peace from the fact that the brothers told Yoseph that Yaakov their father had instructed them to tell Yoseph to forgive their sin against him. In fact, Yaakov did not leave any such instruction.

Rav Nosson even goes further  it is not just that permission is granted  it is even a Mitzvah! How do we know this? Because Hashem instructed Shmuel the prophet to lie to Shaul the king by telling him that he was bringing something to slaughter to Hashem. In fact, Shmuel was going to anoint Dovid as king in his stead.

It seems that Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Nosson are not in agreement with each other but are actually arguing. Rabbi Elazar says that one may lie for the sake of peace. Rabbi Nosson says that it is a Mitzvah to do so.

The Eliyahu Rabbah OC 156 understands this Gemorah in this way too  that they are taking opposite positions.

Do we pasken, rule, like Rabbi Nosson? The Chofetz Chaim (Hilchos Rechilus 1:14) rules that we do rule that it is a Mitzvah. He is not alone. The Rif in Yevamos and in Bava Metziah 13a quotes our Gemorah and clearly rules in accordance with Rabbi Nosson. The Rosh in Yevamos 6:21 also rules like Rabbi Nosson and the Ohr Zaruah BM 3:63 does so as well.

So we see that not only may it be permitted in such case, when there is a Mitzvah to perform, Rav Nosson holds that it is a Mitzvah and it looks like we rule in accordance with Rav Nosson.

CONCLUSIONS

The conclusions may be vastly different. These ads depend upon the situation. If the person chiseling can afford it  it may be a genaivas daas. If he cannot  it may be a Mitzvah.

One last thought: There is another understanding of the verse. MiDvar Sheker  Regarding something that is a lie  tirchak  you will become distant  that is you will end up being distant from Hashem  Whose signet ring is truth. The goal of our life here on earth is to do Hashems Will and emulate Him to the greatest extent that we can.

The author can be reached at [email protected]
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman of the Five Towns Jewish Times

It is the earliest memory of my life. My sister and I huddled in a bomb shelter with my mother ah, who was bleeding profusely with a deep shrapnel wound on her shin. It was a wound she proudly carried throughout her life.

It was the Six Day War. At 9:00 AM on June 5th, Jordanian forces bombed Jerusalem. My father zl had gone to help dig trenches somewhere on a frontline. Later, after he had passed away, I read my fathers entire account of what happened to him, and what happened to us, in a letter he had written his parents.

My father zl returned quickly to Yerushalayim, and he was one of the very first people to enter the Har HaTzofim campus of the Hebrew University. He described it in remarkably poignant and descriptive terms. It had been abandoned for nineteen years, but it was as if no one had left. This was emblematic of the entire city. It is as if we have never left.

On June 7th, 1967, at 10:00 AM, Lt. Colonel Mutty Gur announced to the nation on the radio, Har HaBayit BeYadeinu..

Jerusalem. It is the city, where my parents had met  a city that embodies the greatest love of any people for any city in the history of mankind. It is a love that has existed for thousands of years.

Weddings. At the sheva brachos recited both under the Chupah and after bentching at every Jewish wedding  we say the blessing of Sos Tasis. It is blessing #5 of the seven blessings of a Jewish wedding. The blessing is, May the barren one rejoice and be glad as her children are joyfully gathered to her. Blessed are You, Hashem who gladdens Tzion with her children.

Tzion, of course, is Yerushalayim. And from this blessing, we see two remarkable things.

The first thing we see is that the relationship between Yerushalayim and the nation of Israel is more than just an un-severable bond. It is that of a mother and her children.

Yerushalayim, of course, is not just something that is deeply important to us. She is our mother. We will never sell out, sell off, or trade away our mother. It just will not happen.

Throughout the world, wherever Jews are, we pray facing Jerusalem. She is everything to us, and it is only in our literature that Jerusalem plays such a central role in the universe. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a based upon the verse in Yechezkel 38:12) describes Jerusalem as the very center, the core of the universe.

2] The second thing we see is that the wording of the final section of the blessing is in the present tense. Hashem gladdens  mesamayach. It is a gladdening, a rejoicing that is happening now. It does not refer to some future Messianic time, but rather a present, ever constant time. Shortly after the Six Day War, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz gave a shmuess to his students at the Mirrer Yeshiva (Hagaddah, RY of Mirrer, p. 226) about the open miracles we encountered in reclaiming Yerushalayim.

The point is that the blessing at every Jewish wedding is that G-d currently gladdens Yerushalayim with her children. The Talmud tells us that whomsoever gladdens a bride and groom it is as if he has rebuilt one of the destroyed homes of Jerusalem. The rebuilding referenced is a current one. So the building projects in Jerusalem are actually mentioned and predicted in the very wording of the blessings recited at every Jewish wedding.

RECENT HISTORY

And speaking of the Six Day War, lets go back to some recent history.

Yerushalayim. 1967 was very special. Israel defended itself against attackers that wished to annihilate her at ever border. It is special not because we captured the eastern half of yerushalayim. But because we re-captured her and freed her.

It is a very essential difference.

That reunification was the culmination of the prayers of two thousand years  something that our ancestors could only dream of. For the previous 19 years, we American Jews could only access the Kosel as Americans, flying to Amman, Jordan, on an American passport. After 1967, we could visit the Kosel once again through Eretz Yisroel.

Ah, Yerushalayim!

You were once as remote as the stars in the sky to the victims of the Crusades. To the victims of Rindfleish massacres, and to the victims of the Chmelnieki Massacres of tach vetat. Indeed, even to the victims of the pogroms of Europe and to the victims of Auschwitz and Treblinka, you were unimaginable.

But now, we have you.

We must continuously fulfill the words of Isaiah (62:1), Lemaan tzion lo echesheh, ulemaan yerushalayim lo eshkot!

MASHIV HARUACH

Rav Mordechai Gifter ztl used to say that we must all focus on the fact that when Chazal enacted the addition of, Mashiv haruach omorid hagashem they did it to correlate with the weather of Eretz Yisroel instead of the individual patterns in all of the far flung places in which the Jewish people ended up. They did so in order that we would always remember her.

Imagine a farmer in a far off land. He needs rain. He adds it in his prayers, but not for the location where he is located. The prayer for rain is for the needs of Eretz Yisroel! Why? So that Eretz Yisroel and Yerushalayim will never be forgotten.

KING DAVID

King David said it best in Tehillim (137:5-6):

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let me forget my right hand.

Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you.

If I do not set Yerushalayim at my highest aspirations of joy.

In these words, King David is pointing out the two tell-tale signs of a stroke. He is essentially saying that he should have a stroke if he does not remember Jerusalem.

The world should dare not tell us to forget Jerusalem in light of these words of King David. The Bible tells us that G-d has said, Yerushalayim is the city where I have chosen to place My Name (Kings I 11:36). Indeed, Yerushalayim is mentioned throughout TaNaCh some 650 times and not once, lhavdil in the Koran.

This is the time, fifty years after its reunification, where we stand proud and declare to the world:

Jerusalem is not some theoretical or symbolic word. We take the Bible seriously. Jerusalem, and Israel are real. They are physical. They are both our possession and the destiny of the Jewish people.

SYNONYMOUS WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE

Indeed, Jerusalem is actually synonymous with the Jewish people.

The holy prophet Isaiah says, Be comforted, be comforted, My people  Nachamu Nachamu Ami (Yishayayhu 40:1-2) , speak unto the heart of Jerusalem  dabru al leiv Yerushalayim.

Why Yerushalayim?

The answer is because Yerushalayim  all of it  is intrinsically connected with the people of Israel. The prophet further states, For Hashem has comforted His people  He has redeemed Yerushalayim (Yishayahu 52:9). And also Yishayahu (65:19), I will rejoice in Yerushalayim and be glad in My people.

Europe, the United Nations, BDS supporters  take heed and Know that it was always, always ours. Look at Tehillim 102:15, Her servants desired her stones, her very dust moves them to pity. We have never, ever, left Yerushalayim, and even when times were difficult, we always pined for her. We pined for her stones, her dust, and her spiritual nurturing.

HOLY SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL

Jerusalem has been holy to the Jewish people since the dawn of history and before. Where was the binding of Yitzchak? It was on Har haMoriah, in Jerusalem, the place that Hashem shall choose (See Dvarim 12:5).

Maimonides tells us (Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 6:14) that the sanctification that was made in Israels First Commonweath still stands and will stand for all time.

He writes, the sanctity of the [area of the] Mikdash and of Jerusalem emanates from the Shechina (Divine Presence) and the Shechina can never be annulled.

Part of the bible is the book of Esther. It is, in fact, from this book that we read each year in the month of Adar, on a day that we were saved from destruction. Throughout the world, this book is read by Jews on the 14th of the month. But in walled cities  the book is read on the 15th of the month. In Jerusalem it is also read on the 15th of the month. What is fascinating is that this is not just in the parts of Jerusalem that were around in Jerusalem of old. It is the custom to read it on the 15th even in modern, contemporary Jerusalem.

The message is clear. There are modern day Hamans that blow themselves up, that stab us, that set fire to our trees and forests, and that declare that Jerusalem and Israel do not belong to us.

But they shall join the dustbins of history. And Jerusalem and Israel will endure. Fifty years have passed. May it be united until the arrival of Moshiach!

The author can be reached at [email protected]
North Korea says its ready to deploy and start mass-producing a new medium-range missile capable of reaching Japan and major U.S. military bases there following a test launch it claims confirmed the missiles combat readiness and is an answer to U.S. President Donald Trumps policies.

The solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles) and reached a height of 560 kilometers (350 miles) Sunday before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. North Koreas media said more missiles will be launched in the future.

Trump, traveling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday. The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its adaptability under various battle conditions before it is deployed to military units.

Kim reportedly said the launch was a success, approved the deployment of this weapon system for action and said that it should be rapidly mass-produced.

North Korea has significantly speeded up its missile tests over the past year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that poses a threat not only to South Korea and Japan  which together host about 80,000 U.S. troops  but also toward an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

Its moving ahead with its nuclear weapons program as well.

The North conducted two nuclear tests last year. It claims one was a hydrogen bomb and the other device created a more powerful explosion than any the North has previous tested. Satellite imagery suggests it could be ready to conduct its next test  which would be its sixth  at virtually any time.

Pyongyangs often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington or other U.S. cities.

North Koreas media, meanwhile, have stepped up their calls for even more missile launches because of what Pyongyang claims is an increasingly hostile policy by President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration would be well advised to lend an ear to the voices of concern that are heard from the U.S. and the international community, the Norths Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Sunday. Many more Juche weapons capable of striking the U.S. will be launched from this land. This is the DPRKs answer to the Trump administration.'

Juche, in this usage, refers to domestically produced and DPRK is short for the Norths official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is disappointing and disturbing.

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting after the launch, and its Foreign Ministry said the launch throws cold water on efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

At the request of diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea, a United Nations Security Council consultation on the missile test will take place Tuesday.

North Korea a week earlier had successfully tested a new midrange missile  the Hwasong 12  that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea and represents another big advance toward a viable ICBM.

David Wright, an expert on North Koreas missiles and nuclear program who is with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the latest missile could have flown farther but was fired on a lofted trajectory, which sends the missile high up so that it will land in the open seas rather than flying over or splashing down near neighboring countries.

He noted the Pukguksong-2s solid fuel is of particular concern.

Solid-fuel missiles have their fuel loaded in them before being moved into place, allowing them to be launched faster and with more secrecy. Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, are fueled at the launch site in a process that can last an hour and requires fueling and other vehicles. That makes then easier to spot and easier to destroy than the solid-fuel variety.

(AP)
President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive at the Kosel on Monday, 26 Iyar, at 3:15PM. Mr. Trump will become the first America president to visit the Kosel.

Speaking to Kol Berama Radio on Sunday morning, L. Marc Zell, head of the Republican Party in Israel, explains in recent days he has been in London and other areas, in contact with persons in charge of Trumps delegation to arrange his visit here.

Zell explains Chief Rabbi of the Kosel and Holy Sites Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz Shlita will officially greet President Trump when he arrives at the Kosel, adding he is hopeful that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will decide to be present at the Kosel as well. Zell explains that while he cannot detail the content of his meetings in Europe, he would confirm that they addressed the Kosel visit and Mr. Netanyahus presence for the Trump visit among other items.

Due to the controversial status of the Kosel in the eyes of the international community, President Trumps visit to the Kosel is billed as a private visit of religious sites.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Egged announces on Sunday afternoon, ahead of the visit of US President Donald Trump, that the presence of the president in the capital will result in changes and disruptions in service. This refers to Monday 26 Iyar and Tuesday 27 Iyar. The bus company explains this is due to police road closures.

The public is advised to call *8787 for information as the operators are constantly updated by traffic police.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
At the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and with the participation of the Ministry of Health, a United Nations seminar aimed at encouraging the participation of Israeli doctors in UN medical activities was held last week at the MFA in Jerusalem. Over 100 Israeli medical professionals, specialists in various fields, participated in the seminar.

Based on their understanding of the countrys professional capabilities, Dr. Jillian Farmer, Head of the UN Medical Services Division and Steve Damond-Fagota, a senior officer of the UN Human Resources Department, presented the array of UN medical services and the range of employment opportunities available to the Israeli doctors.

This is another expression of Israels integration into the positive global agenda and the interest shown by the UN in recruiting Israelis into its ranks.

Photo: Dr. Jillian Farmer addressing the seminar in Jerusalem

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman unit)
Hatikvah was not played at a Hebrew University event last week as was announced to be the case to avoid offending Arab students who do not identify with the national anthem. The decision was met with much criticism, including from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

The prime minister now explains that this was sufficient for him to use an example to highlight the need of the Nationality Law, which officially declares Israel to by a Jewish state, a move that will undoubtedly elicit the ire of Arabs and other non-Jewish citizens.

In a meeting with Likud faction colleagues, he used the Hebrew University incident as a case in point to prove the need for passing the law and to enlist their support.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu echoed the words of Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, condemning pashkavilim against IDF Chief of Personnel Branch Major-General Moti Almoz. the pashkavilim decry ongoing efforts to compel chareidim to serve in the military.

At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, 25 Iyar, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu commented on the pashkavilim in front of the media saying, I would also like to comment on events that took place over the weekend. Again, there was an assault, in this case on IDF Chief of Personnel Branch, by an extremist faction that does not represent the chareidi public, but I view these assaults with utmost severity. The State of Israel, the IDF, are the only thing that separates between the fate of our people in the past and the future that is assured to us today. The IDF protects all citizens of Israel, including this small and extremist faction that denies the State of Israel and the peoples army, and which does not represent the chareidi public. I expect all public leaders to condemn these phenomena and this incitement.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed all his Cabinet ministers to attend the official greeting for President Donald Trump, after some of them planned on skipping the event.

The move Sunday is the latest in a series of last-minute schedule changes to a presidential visit far different from the meticulously-planned operations of the past.

Trumps arrival was initially planned to include speeches and greetings with a long list of dignitaries on the tarmac of Israels international airport. Later, the White House asked for a brief ceremony to avoid the heat. As a result, most ministers were planning to skip the event.

The Haaretz newspaper reports that Netanyahu fumed at his ministers and ordered them all to attend Mondays ceremony.

Netanyahu is eager to make a good impression on Trump during the presidents first trip abroad.

(AP)
Many diplomats are hoping to be counted among those standing in line to meet President Donald Trump in the official welcoming at Ben-Gurion Airport on Monday, 26 Iyar.

Among those invited are the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rishon LTzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita and Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita.

However, the invitation does not take the kovod of their posts into account as they must agree to be screened by security and rather than arriving in their vehicles with their drivers, they are expected to be placed on the minibus with others attending, having to be dropped off at the central location where the minibus will pick them and others up. The aides to the Chief Rabbis were told the rabbonim must arrive 2.5 hours earlier to permit sufficient time to undergo security inspections.

It is pointed out that the first-row diplomats are not even expected to shake Mr. Trumps hand, but these are the regulations as the Chief Rabbis received them.

As of now, the Chief Rabbis are not planning to attend and this is not likely to change unless PM Netanyahu decides to call on all cabinet ministers to attend the kabolas panim.

Interior Minister Deri is also not planning to attend since music will be played and he is in the shloshim for his mother.

Some opine that what is no less sad than the lack of respect for the Chief Rabbis is the fact that no one on the government level cares enough to open their mouth on their behalf or on behalf of what they represent, questioning if the pope is to be subjected to the same rigid security check and conditions when Mr. Trump continues his visit from Israel to Rome and the Vatican.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
In a major victory for nonpublic school students in the Lakewood School District, school administrators, newly informed by Agudath Israel of the nuances and changes in federal law, were able to gain greater access to Title I funding for their students.

One of the largest sources of funding for private schools, Title I is a federal program designed to help high need children in both public and private schools. Its latest iteration, known as the Every Student Succeed Act, or ESSA, would make a larger amount of Title I dollars and additional services available to nonpublic schools. In addition, multiple changes were recently made to the regulations that governed how these services would be provided.

As Agudath Israels New Jersey director, Rabbi Avi Schnall, acquainted himself with ESSA, he came across two aspects of the Title I distribution process that were not being fulfilled by the Lakewood Board of Education (BOE). The first was that private school funds are allocated through a process called consultation, which requires the local BOE to meet with private schools to discuss how they intend to use their Title I funding. One-on-one meetings, which allow for some amount of give and take, typically give schools an opportunity to secure greater amounts of Title I funding and services.

However, many private schools in the Lakewood School District, were unaware that private consultations were available and instead they participated in a group consultation with the BOE informing them how much funding they would be receiving. In contrast to private consultations, group consultations provided no forum for further discussion about any additional Title I funding and opportunities for additional services.

A second aspect of the Title I process was a requirement that schools sign an affirmation saying that they were accepting the results of their consultation. Lakewood private school administrators had actually been signing their affirmations for years as they walked into the mass consultation, locking themselves into whatever allocations had been made by the BOE before they even knew what they were, thereby forfeiting their right to pursue any further funding or services through the private consultation process.

The combination of these two factors had been having a detrimental result on Lakewoods private school students for years, with schools missing out on the chance to enjoy their legally mandated piece of the Title I pie. Agudath Israel arranged workshops with administrators to bring them up to speed on ESSA and advising them to come to the upcoming consultation meeting. Schools were counseled not to sign the affirmation as they walked into the group consultation as they had done in previous years, ensuring that they did not deprive themselves of the opportunity to their rightful share of the allocated Title I funding as outlined in ESSA.

After the school superintendent made her annual presentation, Rabbi Schnall posed two questions to BOE representatives.

I asked them how the schools were expected to sign the affirmation if the Board of Education hadnt discussed the issues that were relevant to them and how much money had been allocated to their particular school, said Rabbi Schnall. I also asked the administrator of the Board of Education when every school would be scheduled for the one on one consultation that they were entitled to under state law.

While BOE officials responded by saying that few changes had been made so there was no need for private consultations, Rabbi Schnall held the ESSA guidelines in his hand, demonstrating that Title I had undergone extensive modifications.

Since then, every yeshiva in Lakewood has been scheduled for a private consultation. Agudath Israel has been working closely with each one to make sure that they are prepared for the meeting in order to be awarded the maximum allowable funding during their consultations.

The Agudah was also able to help schools receive the higher amount they now deserve by encouraging schools not to renew their previous years contracts with their Title I providers which would have shortchanged private school students that are now entitled to more funding and services under the ESSA.

All of this came about when we started hosting workshops for the schools on Title I funding and we discovered that the private consultations that schools were entitled to had never been provided, said Rabbi Schnall. Without a proper consultation, full funding and services can be totally lost, which is what had been happening in Lakewood for the last several years.

(YWN Headquarters  NYC)
U.N. diplomats say the Security Council will hold urgent consultations on the latest North Korea missile test.

The council diplomats say the closed discussion was requested by the United States, Japan and South Korea and will take place Tuesday. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting hasnt been officially announced.

U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea fired a medium-range missile Sunday that appears to be similar to one the country tested earlier this year.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff says the rocket flew eastward about 500 kilometers (310 miles). The U.S. Pacific Command says it tracked the missile before it landed in the sea.

(AP)
Americas top diplomat says the Trump administration has expressed its dismay to the Turkish government about a violent confrontation between Turkish security officials and protesters outside Turkeys embassy in Washington.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Turkeys ambassador has met with State Department officials, and that it was made clear during that meeting that the U.S. believes that Tuesdays clash was simply unacceptable.

Tillerson tells Fox News Sunday that an investigation is underway, and hell let that finish before making any decision about a more formal response.

(AP)
12:18PM IL: [PHOTOS & VIDEOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Israelis are bracing for a day and a half of traffic snarls and transportation surprises as it is official, US President Donald Trump has arrived in Israel accompanied by the First Lady and a large delegation.

This marks the beginning of Operation Blue Shield, the massive security arrangements that surround the visit, which involves the US Secret Service, Shin Bet, Israel Police and other agencies. Israel Police reports over 10,000 persons are involved in security.

After the arrival of Air Force One, President Trump was met by a large welcoming ceremony including high-ranking state and military officials led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. Also present of course is US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman.

The official ceremony is about to begin. Photos and videos to follow.

In the photo above, Air Force Two, one can see an open door at the front being used by security personnel leaving the plane.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The condition of the Betar Illit resident found in cardiac arrest in his room near the tziyun of Rav Nachman on erev Shabbos remains serious. Chaim Meir Simcha ben Rus was supposed to be flown to Jerusalems Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, however, due to the US president visiting Israel, the flight from Uman has been delayed.

The flight was arranged with the assistance of Hatzoloh Ukraine and despite the fact the patient was onboard the plane Sunday night, he had to be returned to the Kiev hospital due to technical problems that are not being detailed.

The medical flight was delayed leaving Ben-Gurion Airport for the Ukraine due to ongoing preparations for the US presidential visit. Hatzoloh Ukraine officials are working to expedite the flight to get the patient to Israel as soon as possible.

Rabbi Yaakov Meir Schechter of the Breslov community added the name Chaim.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

MK )Likud) & Deputy Speaker Oren Chazan elicited the ire of his boss, PM Netanyahu. As the prime minister introduced President Donald Trump to the VIPs in line after his arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport on 26 Iyar, Chazan ignored Mr. Netanyahus efforts to push the president along in the interest of getting done.

Not only that, he embarrassed the prime minister and Israel when he reached into his pocket for his smart phone, compelling Mr. Trump to agree to a selfie.

Opposition leader MK Yitzchak Herzog also stopped Mr. Trump and began speaking with him as PM Netanyahu tried to move the procession along as scheduled. Herzog presented himself as head of the opposition to Trump as the president passed.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
As President Trump reviewed the VIP line during the official welcoming ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport, he engaged in conversation with Minister of Transportation (Likud) Yisrael Katz.

PM Netanyahu introduced Katz as Minister of Intelligence & Transportation. During their brief dialogue, Mr. Trump asked Katz what do you do and he then explained the regional initiative to connect to Saudi Arabia and Arab Gulf nations by railroad via Jordan to Israel and the Mediterranean.

Katz responded asking President Trump if he knows what this will be called, to which Katz added Trump Rails, bringing a smile to Mr. Trumps face, adding very nice.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Weekly, five minute shiurim on issues surrounding illness and loss, delivered via phone from leading rabbonim and roshei yeshiva, is the newest way that Chai Lifeline is enabling families to cope with adversity.

Divrei Chizuk from Chai Lifeline, the organizations newest program, provides short weekly shiurim via phone or web. It is a free community service, explained Rabbi Simcha Scholar, executive vice president.

At our last LH Financial Services Winter Retreat, we were privileged to have Rav Elya Brudny give over some of his knowledge and all his compassion to our families. They were so moved and affected by his presence. Afterwards, we realized that we had the ability as an organization to affect the lives of anyone who is dealing with illness, loss, tragedy, or trauma.

The shiurim began the week of parshas Tazria-Metzorah; new shiurim are uploaded every Thursday. The first ten shiurim are given by Rav Brudny; Rabbi Simcha Scholar; Rabbi Lipa Geldworth, Khal Kol Torah, Brooklyn; Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Leiff, Agudath Bais Binyomin, Brooklyn; Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, Congregation Shaarey Tefilah, North Miami Beach; Rabbi Baruch Yehuda Graydon, Rosh Kollel, Torah Center of Los Angeles; Rabbi Yitzchok Sorozkin, Rosh Yeshiva, Telze and Mesivta of Lakewood; Rabbi Eytan Feiner, Congregation Knesseth Israel, Far Rockaway, NY; Rabbi Reuven Fink, Young Israel of New Rochelle; and Rabbi Zev Cohen, Congregation Adas Yeshurun, Chicago.

Response from the rabbonim has been universally positive. Everyone weve spoken to about the project has praised it and agreed to participate, Rabbi Scholar noted.

Listeners can access the shiurim in several ways.

1. They are sent to the cell phones of people who have registered in advance. (Email your name and cell phone number to [email protected].)

2. Listeners can also call the Divrei Chizuk line, 646-277- 5075 or listen online at www.chailifeline.org/chizuk-line. Past shiurim can be accessed on the page as well.

3. Beginning this week, Chai Lifeline is offering an email reminder with a link to the current shiur. Email [email protected] with the text join in the subject line to be added to this group.

Feedback has been excellent so far. Thank you so much for sending me the invite. You have no idea how timely and much needed this is for me, was typical among the comments. Thousands of people from around the world are calling in, registering their cell phone numbers or email addresses and accessing the web page every week.

Like all Chai Lifeline programs, Divrei Chizuk from Chai Lifeline is available at no charge.
The Tikvah Fund has announced the addition of Edward Whelan to its lineup of speakers at this summers Tikvah Institute for Yeshiva Men. Mr. Whelan is the president of the Ethics & Public Policy Center and a prominent commentator on issues of constitutional law. He is a lead contributor to National Review Onlines Bench Memos blog and a former law clerk to the late United States Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia.

At Tikvah, Mr. Whelan will discuss the role of the judicial branch in modern-day American society, with a special focus on how decisions of the court system affects religious communities. His presentation will be one of many throughout the week-long program, in which leading experts and rabbonim focus on political challenges confronting the Torah community in modern times.

Among those presenting at Tikvah this year are the celebrated author and columnist Yonason Rosenblum, Rabbi Aaron Kotler, CEO of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, New Jersey, and Professor Robert P. George, a leading U.S. public intellectual and distinguished teacher at Princeton University.

Dr. Yuval Levin, founding editor of National Affairs political journal, will be the programs anchor faculty member. Dr. Levin served on the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush, and was the Executive Director of the Presidents Council on Bioethics. He has been referred to as probably the most influential conservative intellectual of the Obama era.

The institute will take place August 14-18 at the Tikvah Funds headquarters in New York City, and is open to those between the ages of 20 and 35 who have considerable yeshiva background. The program is fully subsidized by the Tikvah Fund, including tuition, travel, books, activities, and a modest stipend.

The application deadline is this Thursday, May 25. For more information or to apply, visit www.tikvah2017.org.
So after all the public hype about Fred Goodwin and other former Royal Bank of Scotland bankers finally being forced into the courts, it is a case of back to the future.

Rather than guts being spilled in public for the near decade-long horror show which has cost the taxpayer so dearly, the latest action brought by RBS shareholders looks like being settled in smoke-filled rooms.

We should not be surprised. Chief executive Ross McEwan had no interest in headlines about bad banking, which could only delay a return to public markets.

Looking ahead: During the production of the 2011 FSA report into the RBS failure, Fred Goodwin was able to sanitise the document

During the production of the 2011 Financial Services Authority report into the RBS failure, former chief executive Goodwin  armed with fancy legal advice  was able to sanitise the document of direct criticism.

One of the great mysteries of the universe is that even though the near-collapse of Britains financial system caused the greatest disruption to the City and the nations living standards for a century, those involved have never been held responsible through a Chilcot-style public inquiry.

Investors, taxpayers and some customers suffered irreparable financial and personal damage as a result of events at RBS. The current management cannot be blamed for wanting to slam the door on a ghastly episode, even if it means a payout to shareholders who brought the action. But it should not end there.

One cohort of shareholders must not be treated differently from another: an iron rule in takeovers. All investors at the time of the flawed 12bn April 2008 rights issue should be compensated.

There is an overriding lesson from RBS, which is highly relevant to the current general election campaign. Public ownership, as advocated by Labour for the railways, water, energy and Royal Mail, does not work in the national interest.

Detailed interference by the Coalition and the Treasury in the day-to-day running of RBS delayed its repair. A desire to steer it away from casino banking was understandable. But no one in Whitehall understood that RBS was primarily a commercial bank, and turning it into just another retail bank was wrong. In pursuit of this course, RBS was required to sell good assets, including fintech pioneer Worldpay (a 6bn plus public company), Citizens in the US and Direct Line (market value 4.8bn) at bargain prices.

The Government also lacked the courage to cut RBS free by selling some shares at a loss with the goal of establishing a more liquid and realistic float. What a costly mess.

Air pollution

A taint of corruption has long hovered over aerospace.

Lockheeds misdeeds inspired the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act way back in 1977, and more recently in Britain the Serious Fraud Office successfully used a deferred prosecution agreement to settle bribery and cover-up allegations against Rolls-Royce.

At the time it was argued few governments, other than Britain, would persecute one of the nations biggest exporters in an industry riddled with payments to middle-men.

The clean-up crew has now arrived at Airbus, which is being probed by fraud authorities in Britain and France. Airbus has anointed Lord Gold, the lawyer who conducted an internal review of Rolls-Royces anti-corruption policies, and two former politicians  Theo Waigel of Germany and Noelle Lenoir of France  to advise the Franco-German company on how best to deal with the probes.

It is in the interests of Airbus that the cloud over the firm  hugely important to the UKs world-leading aerospace industry  is cleared quickly so that it can keep up the pressure on Boeing in key markets.

Airbus boss Tom Enders must commit to full transparency by publishing all the panels findings. At Rolls-Royce, Golds report never saw the light of day. There is also a danger that internal reviews get in the way of fraud inquiries. Anything which is a roadblock to transparency should be firmly resisted.

Drive by...

Ford is the only US car maker to survive the financial crisis without a bailout. But it is struggling now.

Chief executive Mark Fields has been fired after income, earnings and the share price tumbled. A board dominated by scion Bill Ford didnt much like it when the Motown giants market value was overtaken by electric and autonomous driving upstart Tesla.

New boss Jim Hackett is being heralded as the transformational leader Ford needs. Quite a task when Silicon Valley rich kids are tailgating.
The FTSE 100 closed up 25.63 points at 7496.34 after crude oil prices rallied from five-months lows.

Brent crude rose above $54 and US WTI crude regained a $51 handle for the first time in May, before they fell back a bit later in the afternoon.

This latest leg up comes as the Saudi Arabian oil minister is due to arrive in Iraq to discuss stretching OPEC's production cuts, with markets expecting a minimum six-month extension to be agreed. The official OPEC meeting takes place on Thursday in Vienna.

It is expected that both OPEC and non-OPEC ministers will be able to coalesce around an agreement to extend the current output cap for another nine months this week

But there are jitters around, particularly concerning the upcoming general election and Prime Minister Theresa May's latest U-turn over social care.

Theresa May said proposed changes to social care funding in England will now include an 'absolute limit' on the money people will have to pay.

Last week's Tory manifesto did not mention a cap but the PM said her plans still offered a long-term solution.

But Labour and the Lib Dems said the policy was 'in meltdown'.
Royal Bank of Scotland has made a last-minute bid to reach a settlement with a group of its shareholders over claims they were misled by the bank in the run-up to a 2008 share issue, according reports.

The 82 pence per share proposal is nearly double the amount RBS earlier offered and suggests the bank is keen to avoid a court process which would see its behaviour in the run-up to the financial crisis brought back into the public spotlight.

RBS chief executive Ross McEwan was personally involved in negotiations over the weekend, the reports said.

Royal Bank of Scotland has made a last-minute bid to reach a settlement with a group of its shareholders ahead of a court case.

At the planned trial, former chief executive Fred Goodwin is due to face fresh scrutiny over the decisions which contributed to the lender's near-collapse in 2008.

The civil trial brought by thousands of RBS investors is centred on the claim that former executives gave a misleading picture of RBS's financial health ahead of a 12 billion cash call a few months before the bank was bailed out by taxpayers.

RBS remains 70 per cent owned by the tax payer. It denies any wrongdoing over the rights issue.

The bank has already settled with 87 per cent of the investors who originally brought the case, but a group remains which have so far rejected its offers in favour of having their day in court.

A group of investors claim that under Fred Goodwin's leadership the bank misled them over its financial health in 2008.

The shareholders are said to be considering the proposal by may hold out for even more according to the reports, with a figure of 100p per share being suggested as adequate.

The group consists of about 9000 retail shareholders and 20 institutional investors. The institutions include U.S. bank Wells Fargo, the Boeing pension fund, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and local British council pension funds.
The Hertfordshire home of the boss behind Londons newest tech darling is at the centre of a 21.1m legal dispute.

Hyver Hall, the grade II-listed mansion where Herman Narula lives, is part of a case being brought by one of Indias biggest lenders against a relative.

The Dubai branch of Axis Bank has filed a claim in the UK courts which puts the multi-million-pound home at risk of repossession or sale.

In a world of his own: Improbable uses software to create virtual worlds

Narula, 29, is part of an ultra-wealthy Indian dynasty and co-founder of virtual reality firm Improbable, which earlier this month won 390m of investment from Japanese tech giant Softbank.

It turned Cambridge graduate Narula into an overnight paper millionaire, with a business valued at 800m.

The gated property in a secluded part of High Barnet is where Narula launched the business with university friends after graduating. The average house price in the area is 1.7m. His family and friends piled in 1.2m to keep it afloat in the early days, and at one point 20 people were camping out in a converted barn beside the mansion.

However, Axis Bank claims a cousin of Narula, Mohinder Singh Narula, took out a mortgage on the property in August 2008. This was to the secure a loan between the bank and DS Construction, the Narula family empire incorporated in Dubai, according to The Times. The bank sent a demand to Hyver Hall in September 2015, but is yet to receive a repayment or reply, it alleges.

While Hyver Hall has been described as the home of Hermans father, tycoon Harpinder Singh Narula, it is Mohinders name on the court documents.

The case was transferred to the High Court, where the proceedings are stayed pending an arbitration process.

A spokesman for Herman Narula declined to comment.
The boss of Ford has resigned as the car maker falls behind upstart rival Tesla in the race to sell driverless vehicles.

Mark Fields has stepped down as chief executive after 28 years at the company and three years as boss, leaving with a 10.8m payout.

His retirement comes amid growing investor unease about Fords recent financial performance.

It faces growing competition from electric vehicle maker Tesla, which overtook Ford by market value last month.

Fields, 56, will be replaced by 62-year-old Jim Hackett, who runs the smart mobility unit that oversees work on autonomous vehicles.

Fords shares have fallen by 37 per cent since Fields became chief executive on July 1, 2014, and it has been outpaced by both new and traditional rivals. In April, Tesla overtook Ford and General Motors to become the most valuable player in the American auto industry  despite selling 30 times fewer cars than Ford.

The electric car maker, which is backed by billionaire Elon Musk, delivered 25,000 vehicles in the first three months of the year, while Ford sells 236,000 a month. It is worth 39bn compared to Fords 34bn.

Most crucially, earlier this month Tesla boss Musk  who is paid just 28,800 a year because of his fortune in shares  revealed that driverless cars reliable enough for people to sleep in were just two years away from becoming reality.

Ford doesnt plan to sell its first autonomous car until 2021. Shareholders were given the opportunity to voice their grievances at the car makers annual general meeting two weeks ago. One investor called the performance pathetic and questioned how the board could continue to support Fields.

Fields, who took home 17m last year, including 224,000 towards the use of a private jet, came under fire for failing to expand the companys core business and for lagging in developing the high-tech cars of the future.

Hackett will now lead Fords worldwide operations and 202,000 employees globally.

He has a reputation as a cost-cutter and previously served as chief executive of furniture giant Steelcase.

The decision to replace Fields did not result from a single event, Bill Ford, chairman and great-grandson of Ford founder Henry Ford, suggested yesterday.

There is no smoking gun here, he added. Its more the way we are organised, the way Jim is going to streamline the organisation.

Hes a true visionary who brings a unique, human-centred leadership approach to our culture, products and services that will unlock the potential of our people and our business.

Hackett said: I am so excited to work with Bill Ford and the entire team to create an even more dynamic and vibrant Ford that improves peoples lives around the world.

I have developed a deep appreciation for Fords people, values and heritage during the past four years as part of the company and look forward to working together with everyone tied to Ford during this period.
Barclays has tightened its online security after the banks boss was caught out by a fake email he thought was from his chairman.

It is understood safety measures were being planned before Jes Staley fell for the prank  but the lender has now activated an alert whenever an employee sends a message to an external email address from a mobile phone.

Gaffe: It is understood safety measures were being planned before Jes Staley fell for the prank

Two weeks ago Staley, who had earlier survived a bruising shareholder meeting, received an email which appeared to be from John McFarlane. The fake message said the pair had ceased the rally calling for Staleys head, adding: You owe me a large scotch.

Staley, 60, responded: You came to my defence today with courage not seen in many people. How do I thank you?

The prankster replied referencing McFarlanes nickname: What else would Mack the Knife do but support those he can trust in?

Barclays declined to comment last night.
Warming Saudi-US ties are likely to cause concern in London as the battle heats up for Saudi oil giant Aramco.

The London Stock Exchange is hoping the 1.6 trillion state-owned business will choose it for what will be the biggest public float in history.

Concerns: The London Stock Exchange is hoping Aramco will choose it for what will be the biggest public float in history

New Yorks chances were thought to have been weakened by political relations between the kingdom and the US. But the relationship is being reshaped under President Trump, with the Saudis said to be encouraged by the USs more hardline stance towards Iran.

The two nations companies signed business deals worth around 130bn, including 38bn involving Aramco, Saudi officials said on Saturday as Trump visited.

We want foreign companies to look at Saudi Arabia as a platform for exports to other markets, energy minister Khalid al-Falih told a conference attended by dozens of US executives.

London Stock Exchange boss Xavier Rolet joined Theresa May on a visit to the kingdom last month.
Traders should splash out on British stock as the threat of a Brexit recession fades, Barclays analysts have said.

While UK shares have recovered somewhat since their sharp sell-off after the European Union referendum, researchers said they were still under-performing by nearly 20 per cent as investors fret about the future.

Buy British: Researchers say British shares are still under-performing by nearly 20 per cent as investors fret about the future

But Barclays said the prospect of a post-Brexit recession is unlikely and punters should snap up stock while it is still cheap. Analysts added that the FTSE 250 index, with greater exposure to the domestic economy, looks cheap relative to the FTSE 100.

They said that retail estate stocks such as British Land, Hammerson and Land Securities appear to be pricing-in a 20 per cent decline in book value. But they argued there was too much worry about the impact of a clean break with Brussels.

They added: While Brexit negotiations will undoubtedly cause volatility around economic sentiment, we suspect markets currently overestimate the impact of a hard Brexit.
Shoppers are facing a spike in olive oil prices after crops were hit by droughts in the Mediterranean.

Falling production in Greece, Italy and Tunisia is likely to drive up prices on supermarket shelves, and cause grocers to cut down on the number of bottles they sell on promotion.

There could even be an olive oil shortage by the end of 2017, according to experts.

World production is forecast to fall 14 per cent, while Italian output is expected to almost halve in the year to September, according to the International Oil Council.

Experts say the problem is being compounded by a fall in the pound, which has made the cost of imports more expensive.

Walter Zanre, chief executive of olive oil brand Filippo Berio, said: Ive been in the olive oil business for almost 20 years and these are the highest prices I have seen in sterling terms. We have seen higher euro prices per ton but never with such a weak pound. This is creating a lot of volatility in the market.
I'm 47, and I have an interest-only mortgage held jointly with my wife that is due for repayment shortly after my 62nd birthday.

I have a few pensions, including a personal pension that I've been paying into for over 20 years.

I'm considering increasing my payments into this pension and using the 25 per cent tax-free lump sum from it to go towards paying off my mortgage. It seems like the most tax-efficient way of saving.

Peering into future: Will Government axe 25% pension tax-free lump sum before you can take advantage of it?

However, I realise that there are a couple of risks: the rules may change and remove the 25 per cent tax-free lump sum option; and the minimum age for withdrawing from a pension may continue to rise and be above 62 when I need the money.

There may be others. What are your views on this approach and these risks?

SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK STEVE WEBB YOUR PENSION QUESTION

Steve Webb replies: I generally try to avoid using my crystal ball when answering readers questions, but your question highlights the fact that the wisdom of decisions we take today may be affected by policy changes in the future over which we have no control.

Given how frequently things like pension tax relief limits have been changed in recent years, I can well understand why you wonder if other elements of the system on which your plan depends may be likely to change.

Steve Webb: Find out how to ask the former Pensions Minister a question about your retirement savings in the box below

Naturally, I can only give you my best guess, but I think that there is a good chance that both the 25 per cent lump sum and the ability to access pensions well before state pension age will both continue for some years to come.

Starting with the tax-free lump sum, there is pretty much annual speculation that a cash-strapped government will try to raise money by scrapping or capping the tax-free lump sum.

Indeed, the very fact that it is technically known as the pension commencement lump sum rather than tax-free lump sum has made some people wonder if its tax-free status is at risk.

However, it would be a big political risk for any government to scrap the tax-free status of lump sums which have already been built up.

Back in the 1980s the reforming Chancellor Nigel Lawson took a good look at this but announced that he would not be touching the much-loved, but anomalous tax-free lump sum.

I am sure that Chancellors since then have also had a look but have come to the same conclusion.

If tax-free lump sums were abolished overnight, the government could raise several billion pounds a year. But this would be a huge upheaval for millions of savers and would create a storm. Not least because many people  such as yourself  have made financial plans based on the assumption of a continuation of the current policy.

As an alternative, a government could cut or cap the tax-free lump sum for the future only  perhaps keeping it only for contributions made before a certain date. But this would save the Treasury very little cash and would still create a big fuss.

Chancellors want measures that raise lots of money with little fuss, and this sort of change would do the opposite. So, although you can never say never, I think tax-free cash is probably safe for the foreseeable future.

Turning to your second question, the ability to access your pension pot at 55 is obviously relatively new and therefore might be more vulnerable to change.

The basic idea is that people are able to access their cash 10 years before state pension age. As state pension age rises, the current 55 will rise, but only to 57 in the late 2020s when the state pension age rises to 67.

Interestingly, the government is not currently planning to raise the age of access to 56 when the state pension age reaches 66 in October 2020. This was specifically to give people time to adjust.

There is, of course, nothing that says access should always be possible 10 years before state pension age, and it could be cut (for example) to five years.

But for someone of your age, with a state pension age of 67, even a cut to five years would still allow you to access your pension at age 62 which is in line with your plans.

I should stress that governments can  and do - change their mind about things and make changes with relatively little notice. You therefore need to think about a Plan B  what you would do if a future government did change the rules.

But my best guess is that a strategy of using a tax-free lump to pay off an interest-only mortgage has a good chance of surviving likely changes in legislation.
NKOYOYO  Same cause, same result. That is how two fatal road accidents that happened minutes apart at Motshane and Nkoyoyo yesterday can be described.

These accidents were both caused by the drivers loss of control and resulted in one person dying in each.



Motorists watched in shock as five people were vigorously thrown out of a moving Corsa utility van on the MR3 Road 200 metres from the off-ramp to the Nkoyoyo Palace.

According to eyewitnesses, the car was coming from the Ngwenya direction headed towards Mbabane and was travelling at a high speed. There were two other passengers in the front seat of the car.

Witnesses say the driver failed to negotiate the corner towards the palace off ramp and that was when the vehicle overturned and landed on the side of the highway.



Pictures that went viral moments after the accident depict unconscious people lying in the storm water drainage system. Some of the people were severely injured and blood was flowing down the drain.

By the time this reporter arrived at the scene, the survivors had already been transported to the Mbabane Government Hospital through an ambulance.

Police officers and firefighters were found recording statements and cleaning the road respectively, while concerned people watched in disbelief. There were two trucks from the National Fire and Emergency Services and about three police vehicles.



An unidentified man who seemed to be related to the injured people was found speaking to the police and was later seen picking up items that flew out of the now wrecked vehicle. He was also seen collecting damaged car parts and loading them in the back of the grey Corsa which had South African registration numbers.

The man, who seemed to be distraught said the car was not his, but had only stopped to assist those involved in the accident.

It could not be established whether he was related to the injured people but was later seen communicating with the police about where the car would be parked for examination.

Just before the firefighters could leave, a car ferrying several women arrived and one of them failed to control her emotions but broke down in tears. She was comforted by one of the women she arrived with before being put in a vehicle driven by the unidentified man.
stanley@times.co.sz



MBABANE  The Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) is ranked as one of the most corrupt armies in the world.

The ranking was done by the government defence organisation.org, a division of transparency international.



It noted that the country did not have the formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy.

One of the questions posed during the assessment of the army was whether there was a formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy.

The response was: There is no formal provision for effective and independent legislative scrutiny of defence policy. While the Constitution provides for a Parliament and freedom of speech to parliamentarians, the legislature is neither independent nor constitutionally in charge of defence scrutiny.



It further highlighted that the country did not have an identifiable and effective parliamentary defence and security committee (or similar organisation) to exercise oversight.

Swaziland is an absolute monarchy where the king has final authority over all branches of government. Although parliament includes both appointed and elected members and a prime minister, international observers have concluded that the September 2013 parliamentary elections did not meet international standards - it can, therefore, not be considered independent. US State Department reporting notes authorities have failed at times to maintain effective control over the security forces.



There is nonetheless a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for the Ministry of Defence that reviews the budgets and performance reports of the ministry.

Interviewees have raised concerns over the effectiveness of this committee, however. For example, while legislators may raise concerns over the defence budget and its size, the budget is approved without amendment.

Through the assessment done by the organisation, some of the questions that were to be answered were: Is the countrys national defence policy debated and publicly available?

Do defence and security institutions have a policy, or evidence, of openness towards civil society organisations (CSOs) when dealing with issues of corruption? If no, is there precedent for CSO involvement in general government anti-corruption initiatives?
MBABANE  Means to pay the suppliers are being made, but the medical woes still seem far from being over.



This is what Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) President Bheki Mamba fears could be the case in the crisis faced by the health sector in the country.

In an interview, Mamba said the drug shortage issue in the countrys health centres was handled by the Ministry of Health as per the directive of Parliament.



The president said the Parliament had ordered the Minister of Health, Sibongile Simelane, to pay the suppliers and subsequently have drugs available at hospitals in seven days. He mentioned that since the ministry also depended on funds given by the Ministry of Finance, it was still not known when the balance would be paid.



Mamba stated that it had been communicated to SWADNU that government was able to pay half of the over E400 million debt to the suppliers. This leaves a remaining balance of E236 million. Until the debt is paid in full, Mamba said the situation in hospitals remained extremely bad due to the deficiency of drugs.



However, Mamba said the E236 million only covers for drugs, but not clinical supplies. He described drugs as medicine supplies and other equipment needed to administer injections and other necessities. The union leader said this still meant that at some point there would be drugs and vaccines available but not the syringes and cotton wool pertinent when injecting a patient, for instance.



The fact that the E236 million only covers the drugs, it means that there would still be a problem of shortage of supplies like syringes and cotton wool, needed to administer injections. The problem will still stand because if we cannot inject patients it means they would still not get the service they need from the countrys health institutions, he said. When sought for comment, Minister Simelane said she could not comment on the matter, but referred the Times to the minister of Finance.



Finance Minister Martin Dlamini confirmed that E200 million had been paid and only E236 million remained as the balance.I am currently out of the country, but when I left, besekuvele kusetjentwa. E200 million has already been paid and only about E230 million is remaining, he said.
PIGGS PEAK  It appears the police are getting tougher on women suspected of engaging in sex work in Piggs Peak.



Sex work is one of the booming businesses according to recent concerns raised by the municipality through the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mzwandile Ndzinisa.

During night time, the town becomes a hive of activity such that it is said to have more young people at night than during the day.



This past weekend, 15 people who had been suspected of engaging in sex work were rounded up by the police. Others, however, managed to flee from the police as soon as they noticed that their friends were being rounded up by a local police unit known as Lunyazi.



Women who had travelled from as far as Manzini to allegedly engage in sex trade were also apprehended in the town centre.

Ripped jeans and revealing tops covering only the breast area, were among the reasons the women were arrested for suspected prostitution. They are said to have been wearing clothes which were deemed too revealing and were also charged with loitering.



Out of the 15 women, 11 were adults while the other four were minors with the youngest aged 14 while two claimed they were 16 years old another aged 17.

They were picked up from around the town center on Friday night by members of the Lunyazi Task Team, which patrols the streets in the evening. Some of the women had been wearing mini-skirts while others wore ripped jeans with half tops.



The women were then taken to the police station where they were locked up and only released in the morning after paying an admission of guilt fine of E60.

However, the minors were not as lucky. One of the women is said to have been arrested for lifting her skirt high above the knees, exposing her underwear.

The younger females were warned that they would not be released until their parents showed up.



Superintendent Khulani Mamba, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, confirmed that some people had been taken in during an operation by Lunyazi.
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By Mark Hallum

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to improve education across the city by expanding the Community Schools Initiative.

Up to 69 additional schools will serve up to 108,000 students by utilizing and supporting community resources to impact the growth of families across the five boroughs.

The unique approach to education incorporates the services available from neighborhood organizations to support the child and the family. The strategy is what one elected official called a holistic approach to academics, health and mental health services, youth development, expanded learning opportunities and family supports that are critical to improving student success.

Equity and Excellence is about evening the playing field for our students, and Community Schools help to do just that, said de Blasio. To reach success in their classes, our students often require some extra support outside the classroom. This expansion allows us to provide additional after-school activities, mental health counseling, enhanced family engagement, and so much more.

Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said the program is making a positive impact on students by taking the best parts of community organizations and using them as key ingredients to student success.

Its essential that we invest in the whole child, and through the Community School model, we are bringing additional social emotional supports, mental health services, and deepening family ties, Farina said. Schools are anchors for the entire community, and by embedding high-quality, community-based organizations into schools, we can meet the needs of students and families. With this expansion, these game-changing resources will benefit more than 108,000 students in all five boroughs.

There are currently about 146 community schools in the city, and the addition of 69 exceeds the goal of meeting the 200 mark by the end of 2017, according to a release from the mayors office. The new additions will be funded with grants from the 21st Century Community Learning Center at $25.5 million a year for the next five years.

There was no breakdown on the number of schools for Queens.

State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), a member of the renegade Independent Democratic Committee, argued that community schools are not only good for students, but bring their families into the mix.

Expanding learning opportunities to students and their families is vital to strengthen our communities, Peralta said. With the key participation of community-based organizations, community schools offer students a mechanism to build academically while engaging and supporting their families, a formula for success.

State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) said the Community Schools Initiative is a creative approach to giving students at struggling schools a leg up.

Supporting our schools is essential in providing a well-rounded education for our children, Stavisky said. The Community Schools program operates with the understanding that improving struggling schools requires a holistic approach. It is more than just throwing money into equipment. It is also about engaging the community, health and wellness services and partnering with parents.

Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), chairman of the Education Committee and a former public school teacher, said the transition of two schools in particular into community schools will make a direct impact on his constituents.

Transforming IS 230 and PS 148 into community schools will benefit students in my district for years to come, Dromm said. Community Schools empower our children by offering a wide range of services, including support groups and childcare for parents, access to healthcare, mentorship and other valuable programs.

According to the mayors office, more students will be enrolled New York City community schools than the entire student population of Baltimore or Denver.
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By Mark Hallum

The Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade organizers have announced the honorees for the big event coming up May 29. Among them will be civic leaders and elected officials who have served their community with distinction.

The parade, which has run continuously for 90 years and is the largest in the country, will kick off at around 2 p.m. in recognition of the entry of United States into the World War I, while also celebrating the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force. The celebrations will wrap up with a performance by the USAF Blue Aces rock band in the Divine Wisdom Academy schoolyard in Douglaston.

Retiring Community Board 11 District Manager Susan Seinfeld will be named Woman of the Year for her service from establishing organizations within her neighborhood to her work as director of constituent services for former Councilman Sheldon Leffler (D-Hollis) and his successor, now Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows). Seinfeld has been deeply involved in PTA organizations in her area.

State Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside), born and raised in the district he represents in Albany, will be awarded Man of the Year. Braunstein passed legislation which has had a direct effect on the lives of his constituents, such as a bill which put a limit on the increase of market values for co-ops, provide tax and rent relief to seniors, as well as a law that makes a tax credit available for small businesses that hire senior citizens.

John Ottulich will be honored with the Community Service Award for his service through organizations such as the Bayside Historical Society, Queens Museum, Douglaston Civic Association and Douglaston Club. The self-described Queens kid has worked in the scaffolding business for 35 years, but acquired a sense of community activism while studying at Queens College.

Kathryn Cross will serve as an Honorary Grand Marshal for her status as a Navy Gold Star Mother. Her son, Tyler Connely, was killed while serving in the Navy. Raised on Air Force bases across the globe, Cross has been involved with many veterans organizations, including the Department of Veteran Affairs Voluntary Services.

Terrance Holliday, who served as the commissioner of the Mayors Office of Veterans Affairs under the Bloomberg administration and the de Blasio administration until 2014, will serve as grand marshal. A retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Holliday worked in public affairs and received distinctions such as Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal among others.

Brigadier General Edward W. Thomas, Jr. will serve as honorary grand marshal, while Jack Stollakm, Bernard Rader, Jeannette Rosen and Joe Reveman will be parade marshals.

Opening and closing ceremonies will take place in the Divine Wisdom St. Anastasia schoolyard in Douglaston.
By Bill Parry

The citys speed camera program in school zones would be greatly expanded under legislation introduced Monday in Albany. Dozens of street safety advocates joined state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) as he proposed adding 610 cameras, up from the current 140 school-zone locations citywide, in an effort to crack down on speeding.

This bill will save lives and make our streets safer for everyone, Peralta said. Every day more than 1 million children, teachers and parents travel to and from school, so we must ensure we deter drivers from speeding to keep everyone safe, Peralta said. Speeding is a leading cause of traffic fatalities in New York City, and with this mechanism we will crack down on reckless drivers. The safety of our children, and all New Yorkers, is a top priority. It is my hope we pass this measure and keep saving lives.

The pilot program that allowed for the installation of 140 speed cameras, approved in 2013, has been successful, according to the city Department of Transportation. Between 2014 and 2016, there has been a 63 percent decline in speeding violations issued at a school zone camera location, and 81 percent of motorists who received a violation for speeding in school areas have not received a second ticket. Injuries to pedestrians, motorists and cyclists have declined by an average of 13 percent at locations where cameras are located, despite the fact that the cameras are turned off during weekends and nights.

Under Vision Zero, we have had three successive years of declining traffic fatalities, bucking national trends that show fatalities rising, city Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said. Speed cameras have been instrumental to our success in slowing drivers down and saving lives  and so we look forward to getting this critical legislation passed this session.

As part of the proposal to improve pedestrian safety, the cameras will be in operation from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The use of these speed monitoring devices around city schools is limited to periods surrounding school hours and times of student activities. Additionally, the bill calls for installation of warning signs within 300 feet of a camera, and it would mandate that a camera cannot be placed within 300 feet of a highway exit.

New Yorkers overwhelmingly support more speed enforcement cameras near schools to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely White said. In a citywide poll, 84 percent of all respondents support placing speed enforcement cameras near more city schools than the 140 locations currently allowed under state law. Why are they so popular? Because they work. Less speeding means fewer injuries, fewer deaths, and less-severe crashes. Its a simple, cost-effective, fair way to tackle a problem that is killing New Yorkers.
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By Naeisha Rose

JAMAICA  A 22-year-old woman from Jamaica living near Union Hall Street and Guy R. Brewer Blvd. was shot in the torso by an unidentified individual at 2:15 p.m. on Friday, the 103rd Precinct said.

Fleeing the scene was a black Nissan Maxima with no front license plate heading westbound on 107th Avenue and Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, police said.

EMS brought the victim to Jamaica Hospital, where she was in stable condition.
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By Zach Gewelb

A Ridgewood man who was missing since Friday has been located in good condition, according to authorities.

The NYPD had been searching for Radivoje Matovic, 80, who was last seen at his 60-73 68th Ave. residence in Ridgewood last Friday at about 4 a.m., according to the authorities.

Police said Monday he had been found.

Matovic is from Serbia and speaks little English, according to police.
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By Gina Martinez

Police were searching for a man suspected of assault inside a Flushing grocery store.

On May 3 at 6:35 p.m. a 28-year-old man said he was paying for grocery items inside the Chung Fat Supermarket, located at 41-82 Main St., and got into a verbal dispute with a man, police said.

Authorities said the victim left the store and was followed by the man, who picked up a rock from the ground and struck the him on the left side of the face outside 134-54 Ave., before running away in an unknown direction.

The victim sustained bruising and a small laceration to his face and refused medical treatment at the scene.

Police described the suspect as an Asian male in his mid-20s, 5-foot-8 inches tall with short straight black hair. Police said he was last seen wearing blue jeans, tan work boots and a white T-shirt with the word Rowland written on the front.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish
Times' Game of the Week Preview: No. 4 Mapletown vs. No. 5 South Side

No. 5 South Side gears up to stop the top-scoring No. 4 Mapletown Maples and star running back Landan Stevenson in the quarterfinal Class 1A matchup.
Saratoga -- A man with Schenectady roots was found dead in Saratoga Lake Sunday afternoon, New York State Police said.

Guy Simmons, 52, who was homeless, but stayed with a niece occasionally in the Electric City was found at the bottom of the lake off a private dock on Route 9P, Investigator Thomas Gibney said. The cause of death is unknown, but Simmons has a history of seizures.

"He might have been at the wrong place at the wrong time," Gibney said. "And he was alone."

Police said the man who owned the dock noticed a bicycle and shoes on his dock. He called police at about 4:30 p.m. The trooper dispatched noticed Simmons in the water not far from the dock.

Gibney said an autopsy will be performed on Tuesday to determine the cause of death. At this time, police do not believe it was a suicide or that foul play was involved.
Brunswick

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The FBI is probing the business dealings of Halfmoon-based developer Bruce Tanski in connection with at least two major housing projects his company has in the town of Brunswick.

The federal probe began at least several months ago and initially focused on construction material  topsoil  that was trucked from one of Tanski's Brunswick construction sites to the 1,200-acre dairy farm of town Supervisor Phil Herrington. The Brunswick Town Board, including Herrington, voted several years ago to approve the residential housing project off Hoosick Street.

It's at least the second time federal agents have investigated Tanski since 2013.

FBI agents also are reviewing flight records for a private plane that Tanski either owns or leases that is kept at the Schenectady County Airport, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Tanski last week referred questions to his attorney, William J. Dreyer of Albany, who declined to comment.

Tanski's two-phase housing project in Brunswick  The Ridge and The Summit at Duncan Meadows  is a mix of single-family residences and apartments. Fill from The Ridge project site was trucked to Herrington's farm off Tamarac Road. Herrington runs a topsoil and mulch business there, in addition to farming.

The material was trucked by Kingsley Arms Construction of Brunswick, which was hired by Tanski to handle excavation work on the project. Dick Bayly, whose family runs the company, said he was questioned by the FBI about the material and that he told them it was basically worthless.

"They told me not to talk to anybody about it," said Bayly, whose younger brother, Robert, is a Rensselaer County legislator and also works for the company. "It was full of rock and shale, and it really wasn't of any real value. ... The farm was a good spot."

In recent weeks, multiple contractors who worked on Tanski's Brunswick projects have been interviewed by FBI agents.

Herrington, who has been Brunswick's town supervisor since 1998 and a member of the Town Board since 1989, did not respond to a request for comment last month. He referred the request to his attorney, Thomas A. Capezza, a former assistant U.S. attorney and former general counsel for the State Police. Capezza declined to discuss the probe but provided a statement on Herrington's behalf.

"Philip Herrington is proud of his decades of public service and stands by his voting record as town supervisor, as he has consistently voted in the best interests of the Town of Brunswick and its residents," Capezza said. "Mr. Herrington is a lifelong resident of the community, and is entirely devoted to the well-being of that community."

It's unclear whether the FBI's investigation is still focusing on the fill that Herrington received from Tanski's project. In recent weeks, subcontractors who have done work for Tanski's company, Bruce Tanski Construction & Development, have been interviewed or served with federal grand jury subpoenas by FBI agents, according to people familiar with the matter.

Tanski is a politically active developer who has given tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations through the years  mostly to Saratoga County Republicans. He has also been the largest campaign contributor to state Sen. Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon, who has described Tanski as a close friend. A spokesman for Marchione on Wednesday said the senator has "never flown on any aircraft owned or leased by Bruce Tanski, either as a senator, or before she was elected senator."

In 2014, following a two-year investigation by the FBI and state attorney general's office, Tanski pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in Saratoga County and admitted using six accomplices, including his employees, to conceal large political donations to a former Halfmoon supervisor.

That same investigation resulted in the conviction of the former supervisor, Melinda Wormuth, on state and federal felony crimes of taking bribes and using campaign funds for personal expenses. Wormuth was sentenced in 2015 to a year and a day in federal prison, and received a 10-month jail sentence for her state crimes.

Tanski received a sentence of three years probation, 200 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine.

Following his conviction, Tanski scaled back political donations made in his name and has used various limited liability companies  usually for housing and apartment projects he owns  to make large campaign donations. A loophole in state election law allows individuals who control LLCs to multiply the force of their political donations to candidates and campaign funds.

Seven months ago, an LLC called The Ridge at Duncan Meadows, which is named after Tanski's residential project in Brunswick, made a $1,000 donation to the Friends of Phil Herrington campaign fund, according to records on file with the state Board of Elections. The LLC carries the address of Tanski's construction company on Cemetery Road in Halfmoon. The donation to the Brunswick supervisor's campaign fund is the only one the LLC has made, according to the records.

In prior interviews with the Times Union, Tanski has said he supports political candidates who foster interests in business and economic development, and that he does not believe he has ever received preferential treatment on his multitude of development projects as a result of a campaign donation.

In the Halfmoon case, the FBI's probe also examined a $50,000 payment that Wormuth and her husband received from Tanski that he described as a loan that was later paid back. The loan was made at a time when Wormuth was supervisor and Tanski had projects before the town. Wormuth, who was released from federal prison last year and has remained out of the public gaze, did not disclose the payment to other town officials or the public.

Tanski was never accused of wrongdoing in connection with the loan to Wormuth's husband.

The FBI's investigation of Wormuth and other political figures in Halfmoon was prompted by a series of articles in the Times Union that raised questions about Wormuth's private land deals and connections to developers.

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547  @brendan_lyonstu
Halfmoon

Water rescue on the Mohawk River just got easier.

On Sunday, the West Crescent Fire Department in Halfmoon showed off its Grumman TriToon, a three-pontoon patrol fire rescue boat. It was purchased with a $60,000 state grant that was secured by the State Sen. Kathy Marchione (R-Halfmoon), chair of the Senate's Local Government Committee.

West Crescent Fire Department Chief Bill Bryans said the new boat will help save lives.

"On behalf of our entire department, and the communities we serve, I want to say 'thank you' to our Senator, Kathy Marchione, for delivering this critical funding," Bryans said.

At a riverside press conference, Marchione said the boat is essential to the safety of all who spend time on the river.

"Meeting the needs of our first responders is critically important to ensure the safety and security of families," Marchione said. "These dedicated first responders are true public servants who make our town an even safer place for everyone,"

Sunday's boat launch coincides with National Boat Safety Week.

wliberatore@timesunion.com  518-454-5445  @wendyliberatore
Bethlehem

A current Democratic Town Board member and environmental advocate will face the town GOP's top pick, a former Albany County Sheriff's officer, in this year's race for town supervisor.

The campaign will likely be competitive, as incumbent Democrat John Clarkson decided to not seek re-election, and Republicans are attempting to wrestle control away from Democrats who currently occupy all of Bethlehem's elected seats.

The Bethlehem Republican Committee recently endorsed Gary Fish to run for town supervisor. He's a former sheriff's deputy who worked in drug prevention in the Voorheesville and Berne-Knox-Westerlo school districts. Fish will challenge Town Board member and Democrat David VanLuven, who was the Democrats' early presumed pick to run for Clarkson's seat. VanLuven runs his own consulting firm, and previously worked for The Nature Conservancy in New York and New Hampshire.

In the 2015 election, the Bethlehem police union campaigned against Clarkson in the wake of a contract dispute  bringing then-GOP supervisor challenger Jim Foster within 12 votes of Clarkson after absentee ballots were counted.

Fish's experience in law enforcement might come into play in this supervisor's race as well. But VanLuven, who was elected to the Town Board in 2015, said he has gone on ride-alongs with the Bethlehem police force and tried to understand the challenges officers face.

Foster, an attorney, is running again but for a Town Board seat. Republicans are only putting up one town board candidate, although there are two seats up. Current Democratic Town Board member and real estate company owner Julie Sasso is not seeking re-election. Current Democratic Town Board member Giles Wagoner, a military veteran and former airline pilot, is seeking to win his first four-year term for the seat; he ran successfully to fill a one-year term in 2015.

Democrats are also putting up for Town Board Maureen Cunningham, whose sister Joanne is a former Bethlehem school board member and current Albany County Legislator. Current Highway Superintendent Democrat Brent Meredith, who is also seeking another term, is Joanne Cunningham's husband  meaning he is also Maureen Cunningham's brother-in-law.

Maureen Cunningham, executive director for the Hudson River Watershed Alliance, said she has read the town's ethics codes, and saw nothing precluding her from serving alongside a family member. If elected, she said if any issue about Meredith came before the town board she would recuse herself.

Republicans selected John "Tiger" Anastasi, a previous candidate, to run against Meredith for Highway Superintendent.

lstanforth@timesunion.com  518-454-5697
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Albany

A fire on a porch outside a two-apartment home on Western Avenue that broke out Sunday evening was quickly extinguished, Albany fire officials said.

Greg Sokaris, battalion chief, said the fire on a rear porch was reported at 7:11 p.m. by a first responder who saw flames while driving by the home at 875 Western Ave. The fire, burning between the three-story building's vinyl siding and the wood, was knocked down in minutes, Sokaris said.

All six residents of the home evacuated safely. No one was injured.

Olga Novikov, who lives with her black cat Night Fury, said she was working on her computer when she heard the crackling of the fire.

"I picked him up and left," said Novikov, holding her shivering cat outside the home.

It was unclear whether Novikov and the other residents would be allowed back inside on Sunday evening.

Inspectors were on the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

 Wendy Liberatore
Saratoga Springs

The Saratoga Springs Democratic Party announced the roster of candidates it endorses for the November election.

Charles Brown, chair of the committee, said Democrats back incumbents John Franck for Commissioner of Accounts and Michele Madigan for Commissioner of Finance.

The committee also supports sitting city judge Francine Vero, who was appointed, but never elected, by resigning Mayor Joanne Yepsen, and Saratoga County Supervisor Peter Martin for Commissioner of Public Safety. Current commissioner Chris Mathiesen has decided to not seek re-election.

The committee also endorsed political newcomers Pat Friesen and Tara Gaston for the two County Supervisors seats, to replace Martin and to run against incumbent Matthew Veitch, who will be the Republican candidate.

"I'm very optimistic," Brown said Sunday. "In general, we have a strong Democratic turnout in the city; and the depth, qualifications and commitment of the candidates is extraordinary."

The committee is still considering who it will endorse to replace current Democratic Mayor Yepsen, who just announced Friday that she won't seek re-election.

"I believe it was a hard decision for her," Brown said. "We waited as long as we could. But we will proceed with interviews for mayoral candidates."

Brown said party officials will interview candidates including Meg Kelly, the city's deputy mayor, whom Yepsen backs. Brown also said that anyone interested in running should contact the committee.

Democrats are still seeking a challenger for sitting Commissioner of Public Works Anthony "Skip" Scirocco, who is being endorsed by Republicans. The choice is complicated by the ongoing debate over changing the city charter from a commission form of government to one that is run by a city administrator and an enlarged council. If the changes are approved, there will be no commissioner of public works by January 2020. If a new charter referendum fails, which will also be on the November ballot, the commission form of government will be preserved and so too will the Commissioner of Public Works seat. That means a level of expertise will be required for the candidate who is voted in.

Brown expects that endorsements for candidates for mayor and DPW commissioner will be announced in mid-June.

The city's Republican Committee has already announced its line-up of candidates. In addition to Scirocco for commissioner of public works and Veitch for county supervisor, Republicans have endorsed Mark Baker for mayor, Don Braim for commissioner of public safety and John Safford for county supervisor. Republicans do not have candidates for commissioners of accounts or finance.

@wendyliberatore
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ALBANY  City police will field questions from residents about their updated body camera policy and unveil which company will provide the hardware during a Tuesday evening forum.

The rules now explicitly state that any use of force must be captured on video.

Albany police posted a new version of their body camera policy on Facebook May 15. The changes will be discussed from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Albany Public Library's main branch at 161 Washington Ave.

The police force recently completed a seven-month-long pilot program that tested the rules using four different vendor's cameras. Twenty patrol officers and supervisors wore the cameras and completed weekly surveys.

The videos will be stored on a cloud-based system for six months unless tagged for longer retention.

Under the new rules, video requested under state Freedom of Information Law no longer has to be stored indefinitely, while video that captures a use of force will be saved  but not released without the chief's approval.

If any audio and video is interpreted as elements of an officer's personnel file, it could be shielded from public view by the state's civil rights law.

Police must record the following events with their body cameras:

all calls for service;

any time their vehicle's emergency lights are on;

when they stop someone;

when they arrest someone;

when they speak with a civilian for a law enforcement purpose;

when they administer a standard field sobriety test;

when they use force;

during chases of any kind;

during prisoner transport;

when they ask a witness or victim to identify a suspect on the street;

any time a supervisor tells them to record;

or "any situation the officer feels that the activation of the body-worn camera would serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, unless prohibited by law or this policy."

The updated policy expands rules regarding when detectives and other plainclothes officers will be required to wear body cameras to include regular enforcement duties, not just planned operations.

Officers assigned to traffic safety, neighborhood engagement and patrol must wear the cameras during their entire shift. Canine officers only need to wear the cameras when they are working in the field.

But wearing the camera does not mean it's switched on.

The updated rules make it clear that, while certain things must be recorded and "the decision to electronically record an encounter is not discretionary," the officers still actually have to press record.

Officers are required to turn the cameras on "without unnecessary delay" after a dispatcher gives them directions to the scene. Or, if an officer initiates the encounter, he has to turn the camera on "when feasible" before approaching civilians or immediately after seeing something that could be illegal.

If an officer fails to activate the camera, doesn't record the whole event or interrupts the recording, he must explain the reasons why in his investigation report. The policy does not describe what would happen next, or whether the officer would face discipline.

The policy was also updated to include more explicit instructions on when an officer can use a body camera (only after being trained and approved by the chief), how the cameras can be used by department employees (only for the official purposes outlined in the policy) and what footage an officer can review before writing his incident report (only his own camera's video).

Training was expanded to include not only usage, limitations, activation, deactivation and retention, but also review and placement.

The updated rules do not explain where officers will position the cameras on their body, but they do clarify how supervisors should use the footage to manage their staff.

The old policy required supervisors to complete a monthly audit of each officer under their command, but did not specify how many videos to watch or what to look for. The updates dictate that first-line supervisors review two videos per officer every month to determine whether their staff needs more training and if they're following the department's policies.

The new rules also reflect the technical issues discovered during the pilot program, including where and when the cameras should be charged and stored, how the digital content should be filed and saved, and how officers should test the cameras before and after their shifts.

The policy instructs officers to use the cameras to document evidence, oral statements and Miranda warnings, and calls for administrators to use the footage for data review, internal investigations and training purposes.

Read the full policy here:

emasters@timesunion.com  518-454-5467  @emilysmasters
THE ISSUE:

The loosening of government regulations on the internet could backfire.

THE STAKES:

The result could be suppression of new and creative ventures that could fuel our economy and enhance our lives.

More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse

---

Even before the state began awarding economic development grants to spur the growth of New York's burgeoning video game industry, Troy was already becoming a mini-hub for such innovation. The right combination of creative, tech-savvy talent and a supportive environment fueled the launch of some enterprises that could become the next generation's Google, Apple and Microsoft.

To provide the ecosystem where such innovation can hatch and thrive, we must have a free and open internet. That way all the players, big and small, can rise or fall depending on the quality of their creations. Unfortunately, action by the Federal Communications Commission last week threatens that dynamic. The commission voted to move away from the Obama-era policy of regulating the internet like it's a public utility, where the broadband providers have no say who uses the web and how it is used.

Some compare this to the way an electricity provider only delivers the power to your home and how you use it is your business. This concept of maintaining open and equal access to the internet is commonly called "net neutrality."

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

Under the policy pushed by the new FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, the big internet service providers, like AT&T and Verizon, will get to set rules about how the net can be used and who has access. Some fear this may result in these companies limiting potential competitors by charging them more to get onto the high-speed lanes of the so-called information superhighway. For example, if Verizon has new apps or is streaming its own programming, it could conceivably charge online services like Netflix and Amazon more.

Multibillion-dollar corporations like Amazon or Netflix could absorb the extra cost, but for the new kids on the block it may be prohibitive. For a talented individual or a small technology company, like those taking root in Troy, this could be the difference between success and failure. Open and neutral internet access allowed once-little startups like Facebook and Twitter to became major players.

In the ever-changing tech economy we don't know what products will be the next big thing, but it's clear that video games have enormous economic potential. It's a global industry worth $25 billion in the U.S. alone. Through grants last year to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York University and the Rochester Institute of Technology, the state hopes to expand its relatively small share of the industry. Companies like Vicarious Visions, launched in Troy by RPI grads Guha and Karthik Bala, or their newest company, Velan Studios, and others like them, are taking their place alongside other tech enterprises that are making our region's future bright.

This could all be stifled if the big tech giants are allowed to run the internet in a way to suit their own needs. It's bad public policy that threatens to keep creative new ideas from ever coming to fruition.
[May 22, 2017] net2phone Launches Hosted PBX Service in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- net2phone, a rapidly growing global provider of unified communications solutions, today launched its Hosted PBX Unlimited service in Argentina, providing businesses with unlimited calling within the country and to ten popular international destinations. net2phone Argentina's Hosted PBX solution leverages local infrastructure and the power of the cloud to help Argentine businesses upgrade from their expensive, inflexible, legacy phone systems to affordable, feature-rich, cloud-based communications. The net2phone Argentina Hosted PBX Unlimited package includes: Unlimited domestic calling to land lines throughout Argentina and low per-minute rates to domestic cell phones;

Unlimited calling to the United States and 10 other popular international destinations;

Feature-rich VoIP telecommunications functionality and versatility including voicemail-to-email, customized auto-attendants, and find me  follow me call management; and

Free advanced VoIP phones. All of these advantages are included in one low, flat monthly rate per seat or user. "We have tailored our Hosted PBX solution specifically for the Argentine markt based on over 20 years of experience, our extensive local infrastructure, and our experienced Argentine staff," said Jonah Fink, President of net2phone. "We understand the needs of Argentinian businesses and are dedicated to providing them with world-class cloud-based business phone solutions and an unrivaled offering of unlimited calling."



The net2phone Hosted PBX service is available in the US, Canada, Brazil, and now Argentina, and the company expects to roll out solutions in additional regions worldwide. Businesses can sign up for net2phone cloud-based phone solutions through channel partners and distributors. For more information on becoming a distributor, please email us at [email protected]. For more information on net2phone Argentina's offerings, visit us at: http://net2phoneunlimited.com.ar/

About net2phone:

net2phone is a rapidly-growing unified communications as a service (UCaaS) provider. net2phone's flagship hosted PBX and SIP Trunking services are offered exclusively through channel partners. net2phone is a subsidiary of IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a global provider of telecommunications and payment services. To learn more, please visit net2phone.com. All statements above that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "target" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements due to numerous important factors. Our filings with the SEC provide detailed information on such statements and risks, and should be consulted along with this release. To the extent permitted under applicable law, IDT assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/net2phone-launches-hosted-pbx-service-in-argentina-300460487.html SOURCE net2phone

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[May 22, 2017] SkyPixel Aerial Photography Contest Showcases the Best of Australia From Above

SYDNEY, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SkyPixel, the world's most popular aerial photography community, Friday concluded the two-month Australia from Above aerial photography contest. This was SkyPixel's first region-specific aerial photography contest that showcased the stunning natural beauty of Australia seen from above. Run in partnership with DJI and Tourism Australia, the SkyPixel Australia from Above aerial photography contest received over 6,000 entries, including photos from the inspiring expanse of Australia's pristine white beaches to the raw power of its rich, red outback. The winning photo, Refreshing Places to Float, taken by Airloft, focuses on a person enjoying on a float in a refreshing rock pool in Wyadup Spa, Western Australia. For his winning entry, Airloft will receive a DJI Inspire 2 Premium Combo, a SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO MicroSD and 480GB Extreme 500 Portable SSD, a 1-year Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (1-year membership), and 2-nights at Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island and 2-nights at Capella Lodge, Lord Howe Island. "The amazing work from participants really shows the growing interest around this new photographic artform and the potential of aerial technology" said Danny Zheng, DJI Vice President of Marketing. "We were thrilled to see so many quality entries, from local photographers as well as those outside the country who captured Australia's extraordinary beauty in an entirely new way." The second and third prize winners were skysnaps with a photo titled Sea of Green respectively, one showing a breaking wave at Secret Harbour, south of Perth, and Yantastic for Rigby Island, and the other a top-down shot of a boat navigating its way through Rigby Island in Victoria. These winners will take home various DJI, SanDisk, Adobe and Epson products. Separatey, 10 additional entries were shortlisted by SkyPixel users and awarded with an Osmo Mobile Silver, SanDisk MicroSD and Portable SSD.



The winning photos were selected by a judging panel that included Tourism Australia's Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson, Australian landscape photographer Kirk Hille, who won the Grand Prize in SkyPixel's first annual contest in 2015, Todd Kennedy, adjudged "Travel Photographer of the Year" by Australian Photography Magazine, and Tom Rex Jessett, a globetrotting New Zealand-based landscape and travel photographer. Tourism Australia's Chief Marketing Officer, Lisa Ronson, was blown away by the quantity and the quality of entries. "There are some amazingly talented photographers out there who are using drone technology to capture some breath-taking images of Australia. Drone-facilitated photography as well as other new technologies such as VR and 360 are enabling us to tell our story in ways which were just not possible a few years ago. It's very exciting for our industry and will, I'm sure, provide inspiration to many Australian tourism operators as they look at new and engaging ways to promote their businesses," she said.

All the winning photos can be viewed here: www.skypixel.com/events/australia High resolution photos can be downloaded at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nx09alr54xfnm3q/AADDr4NDLKPg3bODgASmWv2na?dl=0 *Note: Media may use photos with credits offered to the original photographer and SkyPixel (www.skypixel.com) or the Australia from Above contest (www.skypixel.com/events/australia) For more information, please contact: [email protected] About DJI DJI is a global leader in developing and manufacturing innovative drone and camera technology for commercial and recreational use. DJI was founded and is run by people with a passion for remote-controlled helicopters and experts in flight-control technology and camera stabilization. The company is dedicated to making aerial photography and filmmaking equipment and platforms more accessible, reliable and easier to use for creators and innovators around the world. DJI's global operations currently span across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and its revolutionary products and solutions have been chosen by customers in over 100 countries for applications in filmmaking, construction, emergency response, agriculture, conservation and many other industries. About Tourism Australia Tourism Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for attracting international visitors to Australia, both for leisure and business events. The organisation is active in around 16 key markets and activities include advertising, PR and media programs, trade shows and industry programs, consumer promotions, online communications and consumer research. About SkyPixel SkyPixel (www.skypixel.com) was founded in 2014 and has become a leading global community for aerial photographers and videographers. The platform has over two million registered users and hosts thousands of aerial images and videos uploaded daily by users from around the world. Leading works have received over one million views. The world's largest aerial photography contest was hosted by SkyPixel in 2016, with over 27,000 entries received from 131 countries. In addition, SkyPixel also promotes the growth of the aerial community, with an educational section featuring key experts of aerial imaging who provide tips on how to produce the best aerial photography. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170522/1857404-1 SOURCE DJI

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[May 21, 2017] Linius & IBM Collaborate To Promote & Sell The Linius Video Virtualization Engine

MELBOURNE, Australia, May 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Linius Technologies Limited (ASX: LNU) and wholly owned subsidiary, Linius Solutions Pty Ltd (Linius), are pleased to announce the commencement of a collaboration project with IBM to promote and sell the Linius Video Virtualization Engine (Linius VVE), including building onto the IBM Bluemix platform, to IBM's extensive network of corporate clients and beyond in Linius' target market sectors. This collaboration project, between Linius Solutions and IBM, provides for the joint promotion and marketing of the Linius VVE (including pre-sales support) and submission of proposals for selling the Linius VVE to targeted customers as a stand-alone or integrated offering with IBM products. Linius has been accepted as an IBM Business Partner in PartnerWorld, IBM's channel program. Linius will build and offer the Linius VVE on IBM Bluemix, IBM's cloud platform. IBM Bluemix weaves together services, infrastructure and data to help businesses bring their ideas into production quickly. Video is estimated to represent 80% percent of internet traffic, consisting of huge data files which are cumbersome and static. The Linius solution virtualizes videos, exposing the internal data in much the way that Big Data virtualizes the world's text. As a result, organizations can more easily and quickly add, splice and merge videos as needed. For example, a cable TV company will be able to deliver personalized TV ads, whilst a search company could return deliver hyper personalized video search from within videos. Linius will work with IBM technology solutions to enhance the Linius VVE with IBM products and then promote and market these across all four of Linius' trget market sectors. This will include virtualization hosted on the IBM Cloud, personalized advertising, anti-piracy, security and surveillance.



Chris Richardson, CEO of Linius, commented: "We see the relationship with IBM as significant validation of our technology and commercialization plan. IBM has existing relationships with the who's who on our potential client target list.

"IBM Bluemix provides a great technology environment to build out the virtual video ecosystem. The Bluemix APIs offer a flexible development platform and additional functionality such as video search and blockchain, and enhance our capabilities to meet the needs of our vertical markets. "Also, IBM has the resources and experience to assist us in deployment and management of our commercial solutions and the infrastructure to scale for global distribution." Anthone Withers, Head of Software as a Service, IBM Australia and New Zealand, said: "I feel Linius could be a game changer in the world of video, from personalized advertising to search and security. We're now actively working with Linius to identify and market the technology to target customers." About IBM Cloud

For more about IBM Cloud, visit: http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing. About Linius Technologies Limited

Linius Technologies Limited (ASX:LNU) is set to revolutionize the world of video. The Linius Video Virtualization Engine has cracked the code of content intelligence and created the next evolution of video streaming. Linius transforms cumbersome, static video files into agile, dynamic files that can be easily manipulated on the fly, in order to deliver an enhanced, custom experience for both broadcasters and end-users in any way imaginable, and some as yet to be imagined. Linius has the potential to transform many market sectors, and is initially focused on: Delivering personalized advertising solutions for broadcasters Video security and reduced piracy Enhancing search engine monetization Security-service applications Linius' patented Video Virtualization Engine cuts costs and boost revenues across the multi-billion dollar video industry. For more information, please contact: Chris Richardson, Chief Executive Officer

Linius Technologies Limited

T: +61 3 9607 8234

Press and Media: [email protected]

Investors: [email protected]

General: [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/linius--ibm-collaborate-to-promote--sell-the-linius-video-virtualization-engine-300461182.html SOURCE Linius Technologies Limited

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[May 22, 2017] Connected Aircraft: Embraer Jets To Fly With Honeywell's JetWave System For High-Speed Wi-Fi

GENEVA, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) has been selected by Embraer to upgrade its Lineage 1000E Executive Jets with the company's JetWaveTM satellite communications hardware to provide global, high-speed Wi-Fi via Inmarsat's Jet ConneX service. Whether accessing work networks, staying connected to friends and family on social media, or streaming movies, passengers will experience a new level of consistent high-speed wireless connectivity over land or sea virtually everywhere around the world at speeds similar to those found in their home. Honeywell's JetWave system will receive initial aircraft installation certification at the beginning of 2018 that will boost Embraer's Lineage 1000E platform to provide passengers with reliable, high-speed in-flight Wi-Fi. Available as forward-fit and retrofit options, JetWave hardware enables a global Ka-band connection from Inmarsat's Jet ConneX service. With Inmarsat's global satellite coverage passengers can experience a seamless connected experience. "Since entering the market, Embraer Executive Jets has been committed to rethinking convention in business aviation by introducing innovative technologies, higher performance standards, and premium comfort for a superior flight experience," said Luciano Castro, vice president Programs, Embraer Executive Jets. "This is just one more way that the Lineage 1000E delivers on its promise of enhancing every customer's experience." "As passengers continue to demand consistent Wi-Fi performance in the cabin, operators and flight crews recognize the benefits of staying connected with those on the ground," said Michael Edmonds, president, Services and Connectivity, Honeywell Aerospace. "With a connected cabin and cockpit, pilots and operators can improve their workload productivity and aircraft safety, while reducing costs. For passengers and the crew, this means a smoother flight experience with fewer flight delays because the gound crews can maintain constant communication with pilots to stay connected to crew on the ground."



"Our Jet ConneX service can support multiple passengers streaming video, simultaneously, anywhere the Linage flies," said Kurt Weidemeyer, vice president, Business Aviation, Inmarsat. "It means everyone can watch what they like, when they like, where they like." To learn more about Honeywell's connectivity solutions at EBACE 2017, visit booth #O121 in hall 5, Palexpo, Geneva.

About Honeywell Connected Aircraft Solutions From the cockpit to the cabin, Honeywell provides a unique suite of Connected Aircraft solutions for airlines, business and general aviation jet owners that spans satellite components and equipment as well as software and services. This broad product offering aims to improve and redefine the flying experience for pilots and passengers alike. In addition to being the exclusive hardware provider, Honeywell is also the master airtime distributor for Inmarsat's Jet ConneX service. Honeywell's GoDirect Cabin Connectivity enables business jet operators to more easily manage and control their satellite communications services and usage. By providing operators with the tools they need to manage an aircraft's connectivity network via an online portal or mobile device, Honeywell has limited the need for third-party services support and put operators in control of network troubleshooting, access, data consumption, billing and more. Through Honeywell's connected aircraft solutions for the cockpit, Pilots now have more information about the flight environment than ever before. New technologies such as GoDirect Weather Information Service, connected flight management systems, and additional connected cockpit services deliver increased flight efficiency and improved flight planning while providing pilots with expanded situational awareness for better decision-making, which in addition help to decrease maintenance costs and downtime. Honeywell Connected Aircraft Solutions aim to deliver safer, faster and more comfortable flights for passengers; streamline workload for pilots and maintainers; and help reduce costs while increasing ease of ownership for operators. Supporting Resources Read more about Embraer

Learn more about JetWave

Read more about Honeywell Aerospace on the Follow The Aero blog

Like Honeywell Aerospace on Facebook

Follow @Honeywell_Aero on Twitter Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/connected-aircraft-embraer-jets-to-fly-with-honeywells-jetwave-system-for-high-speed-wi-fi-300461142.html SOURCE Honeywell

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[May 22, 2017]

Extenua Leadership, Steve Visconti, President & CEO, And Federico Simonetti, Chief Technology Officer, Discuss Ransomware Solution "In The Boardroom" on SecuritySolutionsWatch.com

NEW YORK, May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SecuritySolutionsWatch.com today announces a discussion regarding an important ransomware solution with Extenua Leadership, Steve Visconti, President & CEO, and Federico Simonetti, Chief Technology Officer.



Please click here or here:

http://www.securitysolutionswatch.com/Interviews/in_Boardroom_Extenua_Visconti.html for the interview.

Steve Visconti, President and CEO, said, Last week there was a global ransomware cyberattack as never been seen before. This single attack affected more than 200,000 computers and wreaked havoc on financial institutions, healthcare organizations and transportation to name just a few. To put the problem in perspective in 2015 the industry saw nearly 3.8 million ransomware attacks while 2016 saw approximately 638 million attacks. 2017 is expected to see a triple digit rise over last year. Additionally, ransomware continues to morph. It is estimated there are over 32,000 variants currently. This is costing businesses billions of dollars and will likely cost lives if the industry does not take active steps to minimize its impact. This is a very serious problem which is why we developed a solution to protect your data in a way which is impervious to current iterations of ransomware.

Federico Simonetti, Chief Technology Officer, said, Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts access to the infected computer system, and demands that the user pay a ransom to the malware operators to remove the restriction. Probably the most famous ransomware, even though not the only one, is Cryptolocker, and its certainly something you dont want to deal with. Regardless of the strenuous efforts put in place by Antivirus developers, the rate of infection is astonishing, and these days its becoming even worse with an unprecedented outbreak of infection. To make things even worse, ransomware can also access all the shared folders on your NAS/SAN, so if you backup to a network drive your backups will be compromised too. The ransomware goals include, in fact, preventing you from being able to restore your old (healthy) data from a backup. Ransomware, in general, takes advantage of humans natural behaviors, therefore theres not much that can be done to prevent its action entirely; for this reason, making sure to have an always safe and totally healthy backup is absolutely essential.

Extenua has just released a most timely white paper about Ransomware.

This free white paper discusses the challenges of keeping ransomware (Cryptolocker, WannaCry, and the like) out of the corporate data storage, whether it is local, in the cloud or hybrid.

Download the complete White Paper (in PDF format) by clicking here or here: http://dl.extenua.com/no-ransomware.pdf

CLOUD2DRIVE-PROTECTED ONLINE STORAGE IS IMPERVIOUS TO RANSOMWARE BY USING SILVERSHIELD

Even in case your systems are infected by a ransomware,

you will simply be able to format your computer,

reinstall your operating system,

and restore all your data from an always-healthy backup.

About Steve Visconti, President & CEO

Steve Visconti is responsible for Extenuas strategic direction and day-to-day business operations. As CEO, Mr. Visconti brings to Extenua over 25 years experience in both domestic and international business development, sales, marketing, and management success. Steves leadership experience includes top technology companies and startup ventures including Cisco Systems, Inc., Airespace, Ascend, Chipcom, and Banyan Systems. His understanding of technology and market conditions, together with the ability to lead high growth companies and build shareholder value, has contributed to his proven performance record and several successful startup successes.

About Federico Simonetti, Chief Technology Officer, Founder

Federico is a serial entrepreneur and hardcore software designer and developer. In his career he has founded several companies in Europe and in the US, growing them and bringing them to successful exits. Dr. Simonetti is a former professor of Operating System Security at the University of Milan, his areas of major expertise are information security and artificial intelligence. Federicos recognized deep and broad understanding of computer security, encryption and computer forensics have been called upon by both private and public sector organizations assisting in preventing and solving many crimes from business fraud and anti-terrorism.

About Extenua

Extenua Inc. is an award-winning developer of enterprise security software that provides end-to-end data security for cloud and on-premise storage as well as SFTP server for Windows. Extenua's customers include Fortune 500 companies IBM, Fujitsu, Boeing, Nokia, Sony, Toyota, Kaiser Permanente, US Bank and Motorola as well as government institutions, security agencies, and thousands of small and mid-size businesses. Additional information about Extenua and Cloud2Drive is available at www.extenua.com Extenua Inc. is a privately-held corporation based in San Jose, California

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Where Geolocation Powers IoT Innovation

Conference, Exhibition & Testbed  June 6&8, 2017  Brussels, Belgium www.geoiotworld.com

Geo IoT World is dedicated to the new location-aware technologies boosting IoT opportunities. Over 2 days, 70 speakers will deliver concrete expertise and use cases to innovate with Geo IoT: from IoT networks such as LPWA, Bluetooth LE or UWB to high precision GNSS, from Beacons and new sensors to Big GeoData, the full spectrum of Geo IoT innovation will be addressed. 30 exhibitors and testbed participants will further showcase the power of geolocation in IoT. Geo IoT World will welcome 250+ attendees representing IoT, geolocation and analytics industries along with implementers in multiple Verticals.







*****

SECURING FEDERAL IDENTITY 2017

Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel - Almas Temple

1315 K Street NW Washington, DC 20005

June 6, 2017

http://www.securingfederalidentity.com/

*****

Infosecurity Europe 2017

06  08 June 2017

Olympia London

*****

International-Summit-On-Borders

JUNE 13  14, 2017

THE ARMY AND NAVY CLUB, WASHINGTON, D.C.

http://www.internationalsummitonborders.com

*****

IFSEC

20-22 June 2017

ExCel London

IFSEC International gives you exclusive hands-on access to over 10,000 security solutions,

live product demonstrations, and networking with over 27,000 security professionals.

Covering every aspect of security, from access control and video surveillance

to smart buildings, cyber, border control and so much more,

visiting IFSEC International

is the perfect way to keep up to date, protect your business and enhance your career in the security industry.

*****

MONEY20/20 EUROPE

26-28 June 2017

Copenhagen

https://www.money2020europe.com/

*****

Cyber Security Summit: D.C. Metro

Thursday, June 29, 2017 | 7:45AM to 6:00PM | The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner

https://cybersummitusa.com/2017-dc/

*****

INTERPOL WORLD 2017

Congress: 4-6 July 2017

Exhibition: 5-7 July 2017

Singapore

https://www.interpol-world.com/

*****

The CyberSecurity International Symposium

July 10-11, 2017

Chicago

http://www.cybersecurity-symposium.com

*****

IoT Evolution Expo

July 17-20, 2017

Caesars Palace

Las Vegas, Nevada

*****

ASIS 2017

ASIS International 63rd Annual Seminar and Exhibits

25-28 September 2017

Dallas, Texas

https://securityexpo.asisonline.org

*****

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Contact: Deborah Gilbert President [email protected]
[May 22, 2017] Cubic Executive to Discuss the Importance of Leadership and Mission Command at 2017 LANPAC Symposium & Exposition

Cubic Global Defense (CGD), a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), today announced the participation of retired U.S. Army Lt. General Frank Wiercinski, senior vice president and managing director of Asia-Pacific, as the moderator of a panel titled, "Empowering the Team: Leveraging Leadership and Mission Command to Maximize the Human Dimension," at the Association of the United States Army's 2017 LANPAC Symposium & Exposition in Honolulu, Hawaii from May 23 - 25. Additionally, CGD will be showcasing its training-to-tactical capabilities with live, virtual and constructive, game-based training, while Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS) will present the latest in expeditionary communications and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions.



"LANPAC is a unique opportunity for Cubic to demonstrate how our training solutions and expeditionary communications technologies can fulfill the requirements of the U.S. military and its efforts to assist our allied land forces in the Pacific theater," said Wiercinski. "I also look forward to leading the discussion on the importance of mission command and how to best leverage leadership for alliance within the Indo-Asia-Pacific region." Wiercinski will moderate the following panel discussion:

Empowering the Team: Leveraging Leadership and Mission Command to Maximize the Human Dimension.

Thursday, May 25, 8:05 - 9:30 a.m. (local time); Kauai Ballroom at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii CGD will showcase the following advanced training solutions at booth #505: Ground combat training: Through the use of live, force-on-force, instrumented ground combat training, Cubic integrates realistic training environments and performance-based training initiatives to raise both individual and collective performance.

Through the use of live, force-on-force, instrumented ground combat training, Cubic integrates realistic training environments and performance-based training initiatives to raise both individual and collective performance. Instrumented Tactical Engagement Simulation System II (I-TESS II): Cubic's I-TESS II is a fully integrated ground combat training system in a deployable package, based on Cubic's latest laser-based wireless instrumentation products. The system requires minimal set-up time and delivers After-Action Reviews (AAR) immediately upon training completion. From unloading the equipment through exercise set-up, execution and AAR, all aspects are carefully designed to provide maximum training value. CMS will showcase the following expeditionary communications and ISR capabilities at booth #L9: Satellite Communications (SATCOM): Cubic | GATR provides ultra-portable, inflatable SATCOM terminals that enables comparable performance to rigid deployable antennas of similar size, but with up to 90 percent reduction in the logistical size/weight of those systems. This translates to a tremendous operational and transportability advantage for customers across both government and commercial industries.

Cubic | GATR provides ultra-portable, inflatable SATCOM terminals that enables comparable performance to rigid deployable antennas of similar size, but with up to 90 percent reduction in the logistical size/weight of those systems. This translates to a tremendous operational and transportability advantage for customers across both government and commercial industries. Atlas Baseband Kit: Cubic's Atlas is a high-data rate, ruggedized Full Motion Video (FMV) baseband product that enables the reception, backhaul and management of real-time video and airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (AISR) sensor data, anywhere in the world. Attendees can visit Cubic Global Defense at booth #505 and Cubic Mission Solutions at booth #L9 on the show floor at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Follow Cubic Global Defense at @CubicDefense, Cubic Mission Solutions at @Cubic_C4ISR on Twitter (News - Alert) and join the social conversation on with #LANPAC2017. About Cubic Corporation Cubic Corporation designs, integrates and operates systems, products and services focused in the transportation, defense training and secure communications markets. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions, special operations and intelligence for the U.S. and allied forces. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522005303/en/

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[May 22, 2017] SkyX Announces $5m Investment From Kuang-Chi

ONTARIO, Cananda, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- - Leading Chinese technology group providing investment and support to SkyX to capture multi-billion dollar pipeline monitoring market - Drones able to recharge themselves, offering maximum range at minimum cost SkyX, the innovative aerospace group that has developed a self-charging drone for use in the monitoring of long-range assets like oil and gas pipelines, is pleased to announce that it has received $4m USD of a planned $5m USD investment from Kuang-Chi Group ("Kuang-Chi"). Kuang-Chi is a Chinese disruptive technology group based in Shenzhen with a particular focus on investing in cutting-edge aerospace solutions. SkyX will bring fully autonomous drones to service the oil and gas industry. The drones have been developed to inspect pipelines for damage and also provide clients with mapping and security surveillance. SkyX is looking to help the oil and gas industry limit its reliance on road vehicles and manned aircraft to improve efficiency and lower costs. SkyX is bringing revolutionary technoloy to the market. The SkyOne model offers Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capabilities, while providing an invaluable remote recharging feature into the field. This means instead of returning to base, drones instead fly to a local xStation and recharge in a specially designed dome that also provides protection from any inclement weather. The drone then continues to complete its mission.



Kuang-Chi launched an international innovation fund in 2016, known as the Kuang-Chi GCI Fund (GCI Fund), to invest in companies worldwide. Kuang-Chi has been investing funds in SkyX in a series of tranches at key milestones with a total planned investment amount of $5m USD. Kuang-Chi transferred its latest investment tranche earlier this week after SkyX reached yet another development milestone. Didi Horn, founder of SkyX, commented that "Kuang-Chi is a fantastic example of a visionary disruptive technology investor that is prepared to provide value-added support to start-ups operating in key industrial sectors, like oil and gas. SkyX and Kuang-Chi are a perfect fit, sharing a sense of adventure and passion for innovation. We are excited to have Kuang-Chi on board both as a financial and also crucially as a strategic partner helping us grow our markets and develop our products."

Dr. Ruopeng Liu, Chairman of Kuang-Chi, said: "SkyX has developed ground-breaking technology and we had no hesitation in providing our full backing to this exciting project. SkyX is exactly the type of company in which we at Kuang-Chi look to invest - innovative, disruptive, visionary and commercially attractive. This is a project with which we are passionate to be involved and we are excited to be part of the SkyX journey." Doron Zauer, Board Member at SkyX, added: "SkyX is looking to disrupt the pipeline monitoring market by developing drones that have the capability to travel further, for longer, at lower cost and with more accurate data than anything on the market. Kuang-Chi is the optimal investor for SkyX and I am looking forward to seeing this mutually beneficial partnership strengthen and deepen." For more information on SkyX please visit http://skyx.com/ For more information on Kuang-Chi please visit http://www.kuang-chi.com/en/ SOURCE SkyX

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[May 22, 2017] NoviFlow Launches NoviWare FlowShaper, Dramatically Driving Down The Cost of Traffic Management and H-QoS Solutions

NoviFlow Inc., a leading vendor of high-performance OpenFlow-based switching and routing solutions, today announced the release of FlowShaper, an optional feature enhancement of NoviWare, its Network Operating Software (NOS) for high-performance fully programmable forwarding planes. NoviWare FlowShaper leverages the Traffic Management and Hierarchical Quality-of-Service (H-QoS) capabilities of the same network processors already deployed around the world in chassis-based edge routers. The difference is that NoviFlow packages this awesome capability in a 1U enclosure, making NoviSwitches the ideal platform for implementing QoS-based services at a fraction of the price of conventional solutions. An example of the use of FlowShaper is the cloud-based Border Network Gateway (News - Alert) (BNG/BRAS) being announced jointly by NoviFlow and Ordnance Networks (see today's partnership news release) at CommunicAsia 2017 where the companies are exhibiting May 23rd to 25th. (All interested parties are invited to NoviFlow Stand BG3-07 where NoviFlow will also demonstrate SDN-based Cybersecurity live.)



The gateway solution combines the separation of control and data planes of Software Defined Networks (SDN) with the resource optimization of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), turning BNG/BRAS functionality into on-demand services and enabling user self-provisioning. Combining this cloud-based BNG/BRAS solution with FlowShaper expands possibilities and lowers the costs for advanced functions such as resource pooling, link optimization, dynamically reactive Quality of Service (QoS), network resilience and business continuity. FlowShaper also benefits from the advanced SDN architecture of NoviWare, giving it many advantages over traditional H-QoS solutions:

Far more flexible classification (more varied sources of classification) as NoviWare implements the most complete set of OpenFlow match fields in the SDN industry, and even makes it possible for users to define new match fields, even in the packet payload.

implements the most complete set of OpenFlow match fields in the SDN industry, and even makes it possible for users to define new match fields, even in the packet payload. The ability to track to 1 million meters using these flexible flow classifications and associated policies (Drop, DSCP Remark) compliant with RFC2697 srTCM and RFC2698/ MEF (News - Alert) 5 trTCM.

Flows can be placed into any of 16 queues per class and a maximum of 46,000 classes for a total of 736,000 queues, and can then be forwarded through a 4-level hierarchy where traffic shaping is applied based on priority and rate limits, with 1 GB of deep DRAM buffer memory used for traffic shaping and Weighted Random Early Detection (WRED), providing for congestion avoidance. According to Dominique Jodoin, President and CEO of NoviFlow, "FlowShaper is a game-changer, and with its release NoviFlow is extending the radical CAPEX and OPEX (News - Alert) benefits of our technology to two new areas that are critical to our customers: Traffic Management and H-QoS enhancement. This innovation again demonstrates the tangible benefits SDN can bring to network operators once they start using NoviWare, the NOS platform developed by NoviFlow specifically for their environment. We will continue to expose the rich set of networking features inherently supported by the NPUs from Mellanox (News - Alert), and will release new Traffic Management features to enable network infrastructure providers and enterprises to get the most out of their WAN links." NoviFlow's NoviWare provides the industry's broadest support of the OpenFlow specification, including all OpenFlow 1.3 and 1.4 actions, instructions and match fields, and key OpenFlow 1.5 features. NoviFlow's NoviSwitch line of high-performance fully programmable match-action forwarding planes leverage NoviWare and the advanced packet handling capabilities of network processors to significantly boost throughput, offer enhanced filtering options at line rates of 1Gbps, 10Gbps, 25Gbps, 40Gbps and 100 Gbps, and support up to 16 million simultaneous flows. The NoviSwitch/NoviWare architecture simultaneously supports in a single device multiple network services such as switching, routing, service chaining, firewalling, load balancing, and software defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), among others. FlowShaper adds to the already rich list of features making NoviWare the most programmable and useful match-action pipeline on the market, and it extends the foundation on which NoviFlow and its partners are building some of the networking industry's most innovative and disruptive solutions. ABOUT NOVIFLOW NoviFlow Inc. provides high-performance OpenFlow-based switching solutions to network carriers, data center operators and enterprises seeking greater control, security and flexibility over their networks. NoviFlow has offices in Montreal, Sunnyvale and Seattle, and representatives in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit http://noviflow.com/. Follow NoviFlow on Twitter (News - Alert) @NoviFlowInc. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522005385/en/

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[May 22, 2017] LMD's V-Sensor Set to Measure Vital Signs in India

Leman Micro Devices (LMD), the developer of regulated consumer healthcare products that is backed by major players within the mobile device industry, has announced that its V-Sensor and app - the only smartphone-integrated solution that measures blood pressure and other vital signs with medical accuracy - will satisfy new requirements imposed by changes in laws governing the use of medical devices in India, and will therefore be suitable for use in the Indian market. This is significant since leading Indian healthcare professionals have predicted a hypertension epidemic in the near future. In an interview in the Times of India, senior surgeon Dr Ramakanta Panda explained that estimates of hypertension range from 20-40% in urban populations and 12-17% in rural areas. "People are normally not aware that they have a problem", the Times of India quoted him saying, before going on to detail: "High blood pressure kills nearly 1.5 million people every year in South-East Asia". LMD's V-Sensor is currently being readied for submission to the FDA and European Regulators, and once it has been approved, smartphone makers are expected to begin integrating it into next-generation handsets from next year. The size of the Indian population means that the device, once integrated, could play a major part in reducing the number ofdeaths, since the price, power consumption and size of the sensor means that there is no penalty for users, either in cost or performance. Effectively, they get a medically accurate, easy-to-use blood pressure monitor free with their next smartphone upgrade.



The new Medical Devices Rules (2017) which come into force with effect from January 31st 2018 categorize the V-Sensor in Class B and state: 'Where a free sale certificate has already been issued in respect of any medical device by the national regulatory authority or other competent authoritya license shall be grantedwithout carrying out clinical investigation.' Crucially, the smartphone itself does not become the regulated medical device; LMD's V-sensor is the regulated element with the handset classified as an accessory. In order to tackle the growing and deadly problem of hypertension, everyone must have access to an effective, simple and cheap method of monitoring their blood pressure. As Dr Narsingh Veerma, Secretary General of the Indian Society for Hypertension, said: "In hypertension the most important, the vital thing, is the measurement". Smartphone ownership is becoming ubiquitous, even in poor communities, so a smartphone-integrated technology that can deliver accurate measurement is likely to prove extremely efficacious.

Added LMD CEO, Mark-Eric Jones: "India has the fastest growing market for smartphones in the world, so we sincerely hope that our V-Sensor and app can make a significant contribution to reducing the number of avoidable deaths in India, as well as in other countries." About Leman Micro Devices Founded in 2010, Leman Micro Devices (LMD) is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the heart of the "Health Valley" and close to EPFL University and major phone sensor companies. Funded by Business Angels, Venture Capital, and two major players in the smartphone sector, the ISO 13485 certified company's first product is a unique sensor and software combination that measures blood pressure and other vital signs to medical accuracy using a smartphone. LMD's V-Sensor health sensor and app is expected to garner international regulatory body approval this year. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522005611/en/

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[May 22, 2017] Whirlpool Corporation Showcases Product Innovations and Research for Sustainable Living at Sustainable Brands Conference 2017

DETROIT, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today at the Sustainable Brands 2017 conference in Detroit, Whirlpool Corporation is celebrating its 47-year leadership in sustainability and product excellence. The company will be showcasing the waste-reducing benefits of the latest products from WLabs, the innovation incubator of Whirlpool Corporation, as well as providing a virtual look into its living research laboratory, ReNEWW House. Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here:

https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8099451-whirlpool-corporation-sustainable-brands-conference-2017/ "Finding solutions to today's sustainability issues isn't just an environmental concern -- it's smart business," said Ron Voglewede, Global Sustainability Director of Whirlpool Corporation. "At Whirlpool, we're constantly adopting a consumer-facing approach to look for innovative solutions that will help our customers live more sustainable lives. We're thrilled to showcase the innovation and research that allows us to solve real-world issues." The Whirlpool Corporation booth experience will feature the following highlights: ReNEWW House Virtual Tour: booth visitors will have the chance to virtually experience ReNEWW House, a living research laboratory spearheaded by Whirlpool Corporation and Purdue University to explore innovations that will shape the future of sustainable living and improve quality of life. The home allows Whirlpool Corporation to collaborate with Purdue researchers to accelerate the development of next-generation ultra-high efficiency appliances. The collaboration has demonstrated that existing technologies can be used to achieve net-zero energy and water consumption. The end goal is to create a model that allows the home to work for people, rather than people working for their home.

booth visitors will have the chance to virtually experience ReNEWW House, a living research laboratory spearheaded by Whirlpool Corporation and to explore innovations that will shape the future of sustainable living and improve quality of life. The home allows Whirlpool Corporation to collaborate with researchers to accelerate the development of next-generation ultra-high efficiency appliances. The collaboration has demonstrated that existing technologies can be used to achieve net-zero energy and water consumption. The end goal is to create a model that allows the home to work for people, rather than people working for their home. ReNEWW House Research Collaboration: Whirlpool Corporation will also today announce new collaborations that will elevate the ReNEWW House experience by enabling researchers to explore sustainable solutions across all areas of the home.

Whirlpool Corporation will also today announce new collaborations that will elevate the ReNEWW House experience by enabling researchers to explore sustainable solutions across all areas of the home. Collaborations with Ford and BTCPower will allow ReNEWW House to explore how vehicles and the home can interact as a cohesive ecosystem. Ford will be supplying a new Focus Electric with all-new DC fast charge capability that can be charged using a BTCPower DC Fast Charger, connecting to the home via smart connection.



Through collaborations with P&G and other leading companies, Whirlpool Corporation will further ramp up its research in addressing waste.

The Latest Innovations from WLabs: The recent debut of WLabs, Whirlpool Corporation's innovation incubator, is allowing the company to engineer innovations outside of its core business. At Sustainable Brands, WLabs of Whirlpool Corporation will be showcasing two new products.

The recent debut of WLabs, Whirlpool Corporation's innovation incubator, is allowing the company to engineer innovations outside of its core business. At Sustainable Brands, WLabs of Whirlpool Corporation will be showcasing two new products. Zera  Food Recycler: Engineered to tackle the pressing issue of food waste, Zera  Food Recycler can convert one week's worth of the average U.S. family's food waste into homemade fertilizer within 24 hours [1] , helping reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills. The Zera  Food Recycler, which was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2017, was inspired by an insight that an average family in the United States produces over 400 pounds of food waste every year. This food waste accounts for an estimated 20 percent of America's landfill waste. [2] Upon its debut at CES, the Zera  Food Recycler received Best of Innovation Awards Honoree in the Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies category and Innovation Awards Honoree in the Tech For A Better World and Home Appliances categories.

Engineered to tackle the pressing issue of food waste, Zera Food Recycler can convert one week's worth of the average U.S. family's food waste into homemade fertilizer within 24 hours , helping reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills. The Zera Food Recycler, which was launched at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2017, was inspired by an insight that an average family in produces over 400 pounds of food waste every year. This food waste accounts for an estimated 20 percent of America's landfill waste. Upon its debut at CES, the Zera Food Recycler received Best of Innovation Awards Honoree in the Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies category and Innovation Awards Honoree in the Tech For A Better World and Home Appliances categories.

Vessi  Beer Fermentor and Dispenser system: Also on display from WLabs will be the Vessi  Beer Fermentor and Dispenser system, which -- launched in 2016 -- ferments, carbonates and dispenses home-brewed beer in as little as seven days[3]. The at-home process can reduce bottle and can waste, and many brew enthusiasts work with fresh, locally source ingredients.



Jennifer Bonuso , Senior Director of CPG & WLabs for Whirlpool Corporation. "We've taken this approach to heart at WLabs. The ZeraTM Food Recycler is just one example of how product innovation can improve consumers' lives while simultaneously helping them to live more sustainably." Further demonstrating its commitment to purposeful, sustainable innovation that delivers on unmet consumer needs, Whirlpool Corporation will also be sponsoring the Sustainable Brands Innovation Open, which encourages entrepreneurs and inventors to think outside the box when finding solutions to today's environmental challenges. Colette Matthews, Director of Global Innovation for Whirlpool Corporation, will be among the judges for the competition.

Whirlpool Corporation's involvement in Sustainable Brands is one part of the company's larger commitment to sustainability. On the consumer product side, Whirlpool Corporation engineers its products to be more energy efficient than ever before -- for example, the refrigerators it makes today use less energy than a 60-watt incandescent light bulb.[4] This commitment to sustainability is also integrated into supply chain and operations, where the company is incorporating wind energy to power its manufacturing facilities. With a zero waste-to-landfill goal for all of its global manufacturing facilities by 2022, Whirlpool Corporation continues to work to minimize its impact on the environment. Attendees at Sustainable Brands can learn more about the ReNEWW House, the Zera Food Recycler, the Vessi Beer Fermentor and Dispenser, and other innovations at booth 709. [1] Based on estimated 3.5 kg weekly household food waste for average U.S. family

[2] Based on USDA information. https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/faqs.htm

[3] Brew times will vary. Based on a light blonde ale beer at 3.3% ABV and use of clarification agent.

[4] Based on U.S. DOE refrigerator testing data and 60 Watt light bulb used 24 hours/day. About Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 93,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2016. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/whirlpool-corporation-showcases-product-innovations-and-research-for-sustainable-living-at-sustainable-brands-conference-2017-300461054.html SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation

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[May 22, 2017] Towerstream Adds Industry Veteran Don MacNeil to its Board of Directors

MIDDLETOWN, R.I., May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Towerstream Corporation (OTCQB:TWER), a Fixed Wireless Internet Service Provider, announced today industry veteran Don MacNeil has joined its Board of Directors. Mr. MacNeil currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer at EdgeConneX, where he is responsible for the design and architecture of EdgeconneXs award winning data centers. Previous to this he served as EVP, Chief Operating Officer at XO Communications (XO), where he was responsible for the customer experience and the alignment of the products and services with XOs Go-to-Market strategies. While at XO, Don also served as CMO for two years and was Vice President of Carrier Services Operations for six years. In this role, Don was overseeing service delivery, service assurance, product management, and the customer experience for XO Carrier Services, the companys wholesale services business unit. Prior to XO, Don was an officer in the United States Navy, serving at-sea in operational leadership roles as well as various leadership roles in weapon system design and procurement. As a well-respected executive with deep experience in technology, perations, and network engineering, Don will add valuable perspective to our Board of Directors, said Ernest Ortega, Chief Executive Officer of Towerstream. We appreciate his willingness to serve as a director and look forward to benefiting from his judgment and insight.



About Towerstream Corporation Towerstream Corporation (OTCQB:TWER) is a leading Fixed-Wireless Internet Service Provider delivering high-speed Internet access to businesses. The Company offers broadband services in twelve urban markets including New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay area, Miami, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Las Vegas-Reno, and the greater Providence area.

Safe Harbor Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable federal securities laws, including, without limitation, anything relating or referring to future financial results and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified based on current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Consequently, future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investor Contact Arthur Giftakis Chief Operating Officer Towerstream 401-608-8252 [email protected] Media Contact Jason Dennis Director Marketing and Sales Operations Towerstream 401-608-8246 [email protected]

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[May 22, 2017] GoZoneWiFi and Sky Packets Launch A Large WiFi Proximity Advertising Channel to Monetize Hundreds of Public WiFi Sites

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GoZoneWiFi has been selected by Sky Packets, owners and operators of large public WiFi districts, to transform community WiFi zones into powerful proximity advertising channels with GoZone's Ads4WiFi platform, which enables operators to deliver relevant location-based ads across its WiFi networks.

The long-term, exclusive partnership gives advertisers the opportunity to reach millions of mobile, connected visitors leveraging GoZoneWiFi's Ads4WiFi advertising media network. The addition of Sky Packets' locations including New York City, Boston, Boulder, Vancouver and Washington D.C., increases the overall footprint of the Ads4WiFi Media Network allowing advertisers to easily choose specific markets and demographics for targeted engagements. "GoZoneWiFi's Ads4WiFi is bringing WiFi operators together into an innovative media network that gives WiFi providers the ability to generate new revenue streams," said Todd Myers, CEO of GoZoneWiFi. "This partnership means advertisers and agenies can leverage consumer mobile WiFi use to achieve improved ad targeting and efficiency," he added. The partnership can place brands in front of people for a much higher engagement rate compared to other forms of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising mediums.



Sky Packets has deployed tier-one wireless infrastructure in large urban zones across the United States. For example in New York City, Sky Packets currently manages WiFi corridors from the tip of Lower Manhattan up to 138st in Harlem and across the five boroughs. Within these hot-zones, users can use the Internet without losing WiFi signal. "Sky Packets has been implementing and managing large municipal WiFi networks in diverse communities throughout the country. Our new WiFi Ads service must have a platform that can meet the needs of the individual networks we deploy and the Ads4WiFi solution is flexible and scalable enough to handle all of our needs, said Henry Quintin, CEO of Sky Packets.

About GoZoneWiFi

GoZoneWiFi develops cloud-based platforms to monetize public and guest WiFi networks. GoZone's Ads4WiFi platform manages the delivery of geo-targeted, digital advertisements to people using public and guest WiFi networks. The Ads4WiFi Media Network aggregates disparate networks allowing operators to sell advertisements matched to locations. Its innovative Smart WiFi platform enables WiFi operators to collect user data, while delivering unique marketing tools to help venues promote their businesses and re-target guests. For advertising opportunities, visit http://www.ads4wifi.com. About Sky Packets

Sky Packets designs, installs and maintains WiFi Mesh networks and new smart city applications to bridge the interaction between people and public/private spaces. With our powerful, turnkey, integrated set of applications and hardware solutions, municipalities, BID's property owners and event coordinators can attract, engage, and delight customers and residents by delivering experiences that are relevant, helpful, and personalized. For more information visit us at www.skypackets.nyc Contact: Special Public Communications Steve Capoccia [email protected]

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[May 22, 2017] Honeywell And NASA Fuse Hip-Hop And Physics In STEM Education Show For Virginia Students

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and NASA are bringing FMA Live! Forces in Motion, an award-winning hip-hop educational experience, to middle school students in Virginia this week. FMA Live! has already traveled to middle schools in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C., and is now making its way back to Virginia to conclude its 26th tour. Starting Monday, FMA Live! will perform in front of Virginia students at J.M. Dozier Middle School, Ethel M. Gildersleeve Middle School and will conclude the tour at Booker T. Washington Middle School. Since 2004, FMA Live! has traveled nearly 112,000 miles to more than 1,200 schools and performed for 480,000 students in 48 contiguous U.S. states, as well as in Mexico and Canada. The one-of-a-kind show promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) incorporates hip-hop music, dancers, student volunteers, and on-stage, interactive science experiments to demonstrate how physics is part of everyday life. "FMA Live! is designed to encourage the kids of today to take an interest in becoming our future scientists and mathematicians," said Mike Kincaid, NASA's acting associate administrator for Education. "It is important for students to understand that creativity and personal style can be mixed in with a STEM education. With our long-term partner Honeywell, we are showing students that a career in a STEM-related field is within their grasp if they want to pursue it." Each performance focuses on Newton's law of universal gravitation and three laws of motion. FMA Live! is named after Newton's second law of motion (Force equals Mass times Acceleration) and uses music videos and interactive scientific demonstrations to teach and inspire students to pursue STEM careers. "With each school performance, Honeywell and NASA are helping to prepare more students to take an interest in STEM and become our future problem-solvers," said Mike Bennett, president, Honeywell Homtown Solutions. "The longevity of FMA Live! is a testament to how influential interactive STEM programs can be to students."



The FMA Live! Forces in Motion experience also features an online "Teachers' Lounge" that includes National Science Education Standards-based teaching resources including downloadable streaming videos, music from the show and a comprehensive educational guide with lesson plans. This digital tool maintains post-show momentum and can be incorporated into classroom learning objectives throughout the school year. To learn more visit FMALive.com. About FMA Live!

Using live actors, hip-hop songs, music videos, interactive scientific demonstrations and video interviews with scientists and engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the show teaches Newton's Three Laws of Motion and Universal Law of Gravity. Honeywell and NASA created FMA Live! in 2004 to inspire middle school students to explore STEM concepts and careers. The program addresses Forces and Motion learning objectives outlined by the Next Generation Science Education Standards for students in grades 5?8. Through Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company has a number of award-winning programs focused on inspiring students at all grade levels to embrace STEM education. The company chose physics for FMA Live! Forces in Motion because studies have shown that the middle school years offer the best window of opportunity to get students interested in STEM careers. Supporting Resources Read more about FMA Live! Forces in Motion

Visit the FMALive! Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HoneywellAero

Follow @HON_Citizenship on Twitter

Follow FMA Live! on Instagram

Visit Honeywell's Corporate Citizenship page

Learn more about NASA's education programs About Honeywell Hometown Solutions

FMA Live! Forces in Motion is part of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, the company's corporate citizenship initiative, which focuses on five areas of vital importance: Science & Math Education, Family Safety & Security, Housing & Shelter, Habitat & Conservation, and Humanitarian Relief. Together with leading public and nonprofit institutions, Honeywell has developed powerful programs to address these needs in the communities it serves. For more information, please visit http://citizenship.honeywell.com/. About Honeywell

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 software-industrial company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace and automotive products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, cars, homes and buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom. Contacts:

Media

Cecilia Tejeda

(973) 455-3450

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/honeywell-and-nasa-fuse-hip-hop-and-physics-in-stem-education-show-for-virginia-students-300461092.html SOURCE Honeywell

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[May 22, 2017] OSE Immunotherapeutics Strengthens R&D Team with Appointment of Two Senior Talented Immunologists

NANTES, France, May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OSE Immunotherapeutics SA (ISIN: FR0012127173); (Mnemo:OSE) announced today the appointment of Aurore Morello, Ph.D., as Immunology Researcher, and Riad Abes, Ph.D., as CMC Project Manager, further strengthening the Companys R&D team, based in Nantes.

Dr. Morello holds a Ph.D. in cellular biology and physiopathology, and will serve as an immunology researcher at OSE Immunotherapeutics. She received her doctorate focused on cancer immunotherapy at the CNRS of Bordeaux*. Prior to joining OSE Immunotherapeutics, Dr. Morello was a post doctorate researcher at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She has significant expertise in CAR T-Cell immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors. Dr. Abes holds a Ph.D. in cancer immunology**, and joins OSE Immunotherapeutics as a project manager and developer, specializing in monoclonal antibodies. Dr. Abes brings several years of experience in both academic research in immunology and at biotechnology companies, including the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies, from R&D to clinical development phase. "We are pleased to welcome Aurore and Riad to the OSE Immunotherapeutics team. With their high scientific and industrial levels, these new talents will bring their experience to advance our products from preclinical to clinical phase," said Bernard Vanhove, Chief Operating Officer of OSE Immunotherapeutics, in charge of R&D and International scientific collaborations. *UMR 5164, CIRID (Composantes Innees de la Reponse Immunitaire et Differenciation)

** Centre de recherche des Cordeliers (Cancer, immune control and escape), UMRS 872 ABOUT OSE IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS

Our ambition is to become a world leader in activation and regulation immunotherapies

OSE Immunotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative immunotherapies for immune activation and regulation in the fields of immuno-oncology, auto-immune diseases and transplantation.

The company has a balanced portfolio of first-in-class products with a diversified risk profile ranging from clinical phase 3 registration trials to R&D: In immuno-oncology: Tedopi, a combination of 10 optimized neo-epitopes to induce specific T activation in immuno-oncology - Currently in registration Phase 3 trial advanced NSCLC HLA A2+ patients EU /US - Orphan Status in the US in NSCLC is considered in 2017.

to induce specific T activation in immuno-oncology - Orphan Status in the US OSE-172 (Effi-DEM), new generation checkpoint inhibitor targeting the SIRP-a receptor - In preclinical development for several cancer models.



In auto-immune diseases and transplantation: FR104, CD28-antagonist in immunotherapy - Phase 1 trial completed  For the treatment of autoimmune diseases and for use with transplantation - Licensed to Janssen Biotech Inc. to pursue clinical development.

CD28-antagonist in immunotherapy -  For the treatment of autoimmune diseases and for use with transplantation - to pursue clinical development. OSE-127 (Effi-7), interleukin receptor-7 antagonist - In preclinical development for inflammatory bowel diseases and other autoimmune diseases. License option agreement with Servier for the development and commercialization. The portfolios blockbuster potential gives OSE Immunotherapeutics the ability to enter global agreements at different stages of development with major pharmaceutical players.

Immunotherapy is a highly promising and growing market. By 2023 Immunotherapy of cancer could represent nearly 60% of treatments against less than 3% at present * and the projected market is estimated at $67 billion in 2018 **. There are more than 80 autoimmune diseases that represent a significant market including major players in the pharmaceutical industry with sales towards $10 billion for the main products. The medical need is largely unmet and requires the provision of new innovative products involved in the regulation of the immune system. Click and follow us on Twitter and Linkedln

https://twitter.com/OSEIMMUNO

https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/10929673/

Forward-looking statements This press release contains express or implied information and statements that might be deemed forward-looking information and statements in respect of OSE Immunotherapeutics. They do not constitute historical facts. These information and statements include financial projections that are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by OSE Immunotherapeutics management in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate.

These forward-looking statements include statements typically using conditional and containing verbs such as expect, anticipate, believe, target, plan, or estimate, their declensions and conjugations and words of similar import.

Although the OSE Immunotherapeutics management believes that the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, the OSE Immunotherapeutics shareholders and other investors are cautioned that the completion of such expectations is by nature subject to various risks, known or not, and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of OSE Immunotherapeutics. These risks could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those discussed or identified in the public filings made by OSE Immunotherapeutics with the AMF. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.

This press release includes only summary information and should be read with the OSE Immunotherapeutics Reference Document filed with the AMF on 28 April 2017 under the number R.17-038, including the annual financial report for the fiscal year 2016, available on the OSE Immunotherapeutics website.

Other than as required by applicable law, OSE Immunotherapeutics issues this press release at the date hereof and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information or statements.

Contacts OSE Immunotherapeutics Sylvie Detry [email protected] +33 143 297 857 Contacts media: Alize RP Caroline Carmagnol / Laetitia Abbar [email protected] +33 647 389 004

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[May 22, 2017] QGenda Honored as 40 Fastest Growing Companies in Georgia

QGenda, the #1 cloud-based automated physician scheduling software, has been honored by The Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) as one of the top 40 fastest-growing middle-market companies in Georgia. QGenda has grown to serve more than 1,500 customers in over 30 medical specialties across 5,000 hospitals. "I am honored that after a decade in the healthcare software market, we're still able to report such outstanding growth," said Greg Benoit, founder and CEO. "QGenda has continued to thrive by developing high-quality solutions that are valued by healthcare professionals and for delivering phenomenal customer success. The strong results we've achieved are a testament to our amazing employees who provide the best healthcare workforce management solution on the market." Honorees for the Fast 40 were determined based on three years of verifiable revenue and employment growth records, which were validated by national accounting firm Cherry Bekaert LLP. An ACG Selection Committee evaluated each application and conducted in-person interviews with all qualified applicants. All companies on the list are for profit, headquartered in Georgia and reported 2016 annual revenues ranging from $15 to $500 million. This year's Fast 40 represent 9,574 new jobs and $2.03 billion in revenue growth. QGenda influenced the lower middle-market honorees in displaying more than a 133 percent weighted growth rate. ACG Atlanta wil present the award at the Georgia Fast 40 Awards Dinner and Gala at Flourish Atlanta in Buckhead on June 22, 2017. Guests will enjoy an evening of celebration with Honorees and 600+ of the Who's Who of the Georgia business community.



About QGenda QGenda is the #1 cloud-based, automated physician scheduling software. Since its launch in 2006, QGenda has grown to serve more than 1,500 customers in over 30 medical specialties across 5,000 hospitals. Leading physician groups, hospitals, academic medical centers, and enterprise health systems use QGenda to optimize their workforce which allows them to provide the best possible patient care. QGenda is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Connect with QGenda at www.QGenda.com, the QGenda Blog, or on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About ACG Atlanta ACG comprises more than 14,500 members from corporations, private equity, finance, and professional service firms representing Fortune 500, Fortune1000, FTSE 100, and mid-market companies in 59 chapters in North America and Europe. Founded in 1974, ACG Atlanta is one of the oldest and most active chapters, providing the area's executives and professionals a unique forum for exchanging ideas and experiences concerning organic and acquisitive growth. Programs include Atlanta ACG Capital Connection, The Georgia Fast 40 Honoree Awards and Gala, a Wine Tasting Reception, a Deal of the Year event as well as an active Women's Forum and Young Professionals group. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522006060/en/

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[May 22, 2017] API Technologies to Exhibit at the International Microwave Symposium in Honolulu June 6-8

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- API Technologies Corp., ("API" or "the Company"), a leading provider of high performance RF and microwave signal conditioning and electromagnetic spectrum management solutions, will showcase a variety of the Company's latest high reliability solutions at the 2017 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS). API will be in booth #718 for the exhibition, which takes place June 4-9 at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, HI. In support of IMS 2017's focus on 5G Technologies, API will be exhibiting microelectronic, component and subsystem-level examples of flexible, high frequency product platforms designed to adapt to the emerging ultra-high bandwidth, 5G needs of the wireless telecommunications industry. API will demonstrate its expertise in multi-disciplined vertical integration by showcasing a variety of complex assemblies, configurable product families and standard platforms which provide a competitive advantage to systems integrators by delivering improvements to overall performance across the block diagram. To address the emerging needs in the electronics market for reduced size, weight and power consumption (SWaP) solutions, the Company will also be promoting its high packing density, miniaturized solutions designed to achieve some of the smallest footprints in the industry. A new product latform to be featured at the show, API Technologies' OPTO-FireTM, a U.K. designed and manufactured high speed micro-optical transceiver, addresses the need for a retrofit solution designed to significantly reduce size and weight requirements in airborne, naval, and renewable energy applications. The OPTO-Fire "optic core" offers a replacement for traditional copper cabling while delivering improved data transfer performance.



Additionally, the Company will display custom and customizable high performance solutions for mission critical applications that demand uninterrupted performance and uncompromised reliability. "IMS is an ideal venue for API to showcase our ability to support customers on every level, from components to subsystem solutions" said Don Barnas, Vice President Worldwide Sales, API Technologies. "Through our participation in the event, we look forward to gaining a deeper understanding of the emerging needs and challenges facing customers and developing new insights into next-generation strategic programs supported by the RF and microwave industry."

In addition to showcasing its solutions in the exhibit space, API will be presenting Configurable Octave Bandwidth Synthesizers as part of the Microwave Application Seminars (MicroApps) Program. The Company's presentation on this standard product platform designed for adaptability and ease of integration will be held on Thursday, June 8 at 11 a.m. in the MicroApps Theater. To explore API Technologies' full line of RF and microwave signal conditioning and electromagnetic spectrum management solutions, visit http://apitech.com. About API Technologies Corp. API Technologies is an innovative designer and manufacturer of high performance systems, subsystems, modules, and components for technically demanding RF, microwave, millimeterwave, electromagnetic, power, and security applications. A high-reliability technology pioneer with over 70 years of heritage, API Technologies products are used by global defense, industrial, and commercial customers in the areas of commercial aerospace, wireless communications, medical, oil and gas, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, C4ISR, missile defense, harsh environments, satellites, and space. Learn more about API Technologies and our products at www.apitech.com. Contact:

Megan Ensminger

Marketing Specialist

API Technologies Corp.

+1 855-294-3800

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/api-technologies-to-exhibit-at-the-international-microwave-symposium-in-honolulu-june-6-8-300461540.html SOURCE API Technologies Corp.

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[May 22, 2017] Poll Finds Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina Voters Support Atlantic Coast Pipeline, More Energy Development and Infrastructure

A majority of voters in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina support the expansion of domestic energy production and infrastructure - including the approval and construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a new poll from Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) reveals. Sixty percent of the voters surveyed by CEA in West Virginia, where the pipeline would start, support the project. Fifty-four percent support the project in Virginia and 52 percent of surveyed voters support it in North Carolina. The approximately 600-mile pipeline would run though the former state and end in the latter. Another much-discussed U.S. pipeline proposal, Keystone XL, also garnered a majority or plurality of support from surveyed voters in all three states. The polling was done to examine how much support the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Keystone XL pipeline, offshore production and other key energy issues have amongst voters - and what role each or all could play in the 2018 midterm elections. Other key findings from this poll include: A least half of voters in each state have heard about the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and support it

Across all three states, about two-thirds of voters believe pipelines are the safest means for transporting natural gas

At least 80 percent of voters in each state say issues are very or somewhat important in their voting decisions

Candidates in next year's midterm elections will need to take a strong stance on pipeline construction and energy development

Substantially more voters are likely to vote for a candidate who supports natural gas infrastructure projects - like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

This poll's findings closely mirror what CEA found in a similar poll two years ago



CEA President David Holt said. "And promoting the expansion of domestic energy production and infrastructure, especially pipelines, remains the best way to achieve all of the above." Holt added: "Voters clearly support the safe, responsible development of energy infrastructure, such as the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. To win, candidates are going to have to listen and side with voters."

Organizations from Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina also shared their thoughts about the findings. "Stable supplies of affordable and reliable natural gas are vital to North Carolina's manufacturing base, which provides more than 440,000 jobs and generates nearly $90 billion in economic output for our state," Preston Howard, President of North Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, said. "This poll confirms what many of us already know: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is widely supported, safe and a critical piece of energy infrastructure needed to keep North Carolina growing." "The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will bring good-paying jobs to Virginia and make us more attractive for businesses," Barry DuVal, president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, said. "Virginians support this project because they recognize the need for energy that's safe, reliable and affordable." "Virginia manufacturers support the ACP project and encourage stakeholders to find an amicable resolution to the pathway challenges," Brett Vassey, President and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, said. "The natural gas that this pipeline will deliver to Virginia will provide affordable, reliable, clean electricity, fuel and raw material for our manufacturing facilities. This supply of natural gas from the Marcellus reserves in West Virginia will allow manufacturers to plan and compete for future investments. We encourage Governor McAuliffe and all state and local elected officials to support this critical project." "This is one of several important pipeline projects pending in West Virginia, one that's a big issue for us and one that we're very excited about and supportive of. These pipeline projects, together, make up the largest private-sector investment this state has ever seen, and we feel like the construction of this pipeline and others are crucial for the success of our oil and gas industry," Anne Blankenship, executive director of the West Virginia Oil & Natural Gas Association, said. "Pipelines like these would equate to more than $5 billion in economic impact, tens of thousands of jobs and significant local tax receipts for local government. Once this pipeline and others are constructed, they'll provide even more incentive for gas development in West Virginia, which will equate to more local jobs and tax benefits for local communities." "The hard-working men and women of the Laborers' International Union of North America strongly support the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the thousands of high paying jobs that this critical project will create," Justin Meighan, assistant regional manager for the Laborers' International Union of North America Mid-Atlantic region, said. "In addition to lowering energy costs for families and manufacturers and generating millions of dollars in tax revenues for state and local governments, this project will create more than 17,000 high paying jobs and spur $27 billion in economic activity across the Mid-Atlantic. We call on the Governors of West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina to support the ACP and the men and women who will build it." CEA's survey also showed that the governors in each polled state have significantly more supporters than detractors, especially in West Virginia and North Carolina, where newly-elected Democratic governors Jim Justice and Roy Cooper each garnered 54 percent support among voters. Survey documents are available here. About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) brings together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers and manufacturers to support America's energy future. With more than 450,000 members nationwide, our mission is to help ensure stable prices and energy security for households across the country. We believe energy development is something that touches everyone in our nation, and thus it is necessary for all of us to actively engage in the conversation about how we develop our diverse energy resources and energy's importance to the economy. Learn more at ConsumerEnergyAlliance.org. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522006189/en/

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[May 22, 2017] Gigamon to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gigamon Inc. (NYSE: GIMO), the leader in traffic visibility solutions, today announced that the Company will participate in the following conferences: Stifel 2017 Technology, Internet & Media Conference

The Fairmont Hotel

San Francisco, CA

Monday, June 5, 2017

Presentation Time: 2:25 pm PT/5:25 pm ET

Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2017 Global Technology Conference

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel

San Francisco, CA

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Group Meetings only William Blair 37th Annual Growth Stock Conference

Four Seasons Hotel

Chicago, IL

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Presentation Time: 4:00 PM CT/5:00 PM ET



William Blair conferences can be accessed live from Gigamon's investor relations website at http://investor.gigamon.com. Replays of the events will also be available on the website for at least 90 days. Gigamon

Gigamon (NYSE: GIMO) provides active visibility into data-in-motion network traffic, enabling stronger security and superior performance. Gigamon's Visibility FabricTM and GigaSECURE, the industry's first Security Delivery Platform, deliver advanced intelligence so that security, network and application performance management solutions in enterprise, government and service provider networks operate more efficiently and effectively. See more at www.gigamon.com, the Gigamon Blog, or follow Gigamon on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gigamon-to-participate-in-upcoming-investor-conferences-300461621.html SOURCE Gigamon Inc.

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[May 22, 2017] Turbonomic Named "Next Pillar Tech Company" at New England Venture Capital Association's 2017 NEVY Awards

Turbonomic, the autonomic workload management platform for all cloud environments, today announced that it has been named the "Next Pillar Tech Company" at the fifth annual NEVY Awards, hosted by the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) and presented by GE. The NEVY Awards honor "the best and the brightest individuals and organizations from New England's innovation economy." Turbonomic was recognized for its disruptive, game-changing technology, market momentum and demonstrated long-term commitment to the New England region. "The NEVY Awards are designed to unite and celebrate the region's vibrant tech and life sciences communities and accomplishments. NEVY award recipients, including Turbonomic, have demonstrated tremendous momentum in the last year, and exemplify the world-class innovation happening across the region," said Jody Rose, Executive Director, at NEVCA. "New England is one of the world's leading hubs of innovation, and we're proud of our contributions to the region's entrepreneurial spirit and technology breakthroughs," said Geeta Sachdev, Chief Marketing Officer at Turbonomic. "We're honored by this recognition, which is a testament to our incredibly talented team acrossthe world."



The company has achieved strong customer, partner, and financial momentum over the past year. In January 2017, the company announced a $50 million investment from General Atlantic and the addition of former GE CIO, Gary Reiner, to its Board of Directors. Today, more than 1,700 organizations trust Turbonomic to manage over 3 million dynamic workloads in real-time, assuring application performance while reducing costs and ensuring continuous compliance, both on-premises and in cloud environments. Winners and nominees of this year's NEVY awards were selected by an academy of judges made up of previous NEVYs winners, technology and life science industry experts, and the Boston area's top industry influencers who have made a significant impact on the city's economic landscape.

You can view all this year's NEVY Awards nominees online at http://thenevys.com/. About Turbonomic

Turbonomic delivers an autonomic platform that enables workloads in cloud environments to self-manage in real-time assuring performance, controlling cost, and ensuring compliance. Turbonomic's patented decision engine curates workload demand to dynamically control resource supply maintaining a perpetual state of application health. Launched in 2010, Turbonomic is one of the fastest growing technology companies. Turbonomic's autonomic platform is trusted by thousands of enterprises to simplify and accelerate their migration to cloud-enabled and cloud-native applications. About the New England Venture Capital Association The NEVCA is the premier organization for venture capital investors in New England. It strives to keep Boston competitive by championing the community's top emerging and proven venture-backed companies, and making sure Boston students know about the many opportunities presented by such a thriving startup community. Its ultimate goal is to promote economic growth and entrepreneurship throughout the region. With more 800+ venture capital professionals from 80+ firms, its members collectively manage more than $50 billion in capital. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170522006310/en/

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Election results: Check out results from various races across the state
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the best big-screen phone yet, thanks to its versatile dual cameras, S Pen improvements and beautiful 6.3-inch screen.

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is a big-screen phone that commands your attention  and not just because it's a sequel to a device the company was forced to recall. It's because the Note 8 ushers in a new class of smartphones that is super-premium.

Priced between $930 and $960 (depending on the carrier), Samsung's new phablet has the loftiest price tag of any mainstream Android handset yet. But the Note 8 tries to justify its high price with the first dual-camera setup ever on a Samsung phone; the biggest screen ever offered by Samsung, at 6.3 inches; and a host of new tricks for the S Pen. The Note 8 also offers more RAM than the Galaxy S8 and S8+, as well as a smart new way to multitask.

Is all of that worth about $80 to $100 more than the already large-and-in-charge Galaxy S8+? After living with the Note 8 for more than a week, I would say "yes."

We've updated our review of the Galaxy Note 8 based on our in-depth smartphone drop tests. See the results below.

Design: The pinnacle of phablets

With its curved Infinity Display that goes from nearly edge to edge, the glass front of the Galaxy Note 8 is simply stunning. In fact, it makes other big-screen phones like the LG V30, Google Pixel XL and iPhone 7 Plus look downright dowdy.

I know what you're wondering: Is 6.3 inches too big? Not really, and I have pretty small hands. That's because this phone has the same narrow 18.5:9 aspect ratio as the Galaxy S8 and S8+. I found I could reach across the screen with my thumb, but because the Note's design is so tall, I sometimes had to reposition the phone in my hand to target items on the top or bottom of the display.

Samsung purposely made the curves on this screen less severe than those on the S8 or S8+, which gives you more usable real estate for the pen. I dig these more slanted edges, as they also help visually differentiate the Note 8 from its siblings. However, I do wish Samsung would offer more color options in the U.S. to make this phone truly pop. U.S. carriers are offering midnight black and orchid gray, but I want to see the gold and blue versions that are available overseas arrive stateside, too.

Around the back, you'll find the dual-lens cameras and a fingerprint reader to the right of the flash. I'm not a fan of this somewhat awkward placement, as it would be easier if the sensor were beneath the camera. It also didnt always work on the first try; fortunately, you can log in via facial recognition or iris scanning.

MORE: Which Carrier Has the Best Note 8 Deal?



Measuring 6.4 x 2.9 x 0.34 inches and weighing 6.9 ounces, the Note 8 is on the heavy side, but it feels pretty balanced in my hand. By comparison, the S8+ is slightly shorter, at 6.3 inches, but significantly lighter, at 6.1 ounces. That's to be expected, though, because the Note 8 carries a stylus.



Durability: It could be tougher

As with the Galaxy S8, the Note 8 is water-resistant. It's also pretty tough; I accidentally stepped on the screen, and it didn't crack.

But to get a better sense of the phone's durability, we tested the toughness of the Galaxy Note 8 by dropping it on its face onto wood from a height of 4 feet and 6 feet; we then dropped it on its edge and face onto concrete from 4 feet; we then dropped it on its edge and face from 6 feet onto concrete.

Samsung's phablet withstood 4- and 6-foot drops on its face onto a wood surface without any difficulty. A 4-foot fall on its edge onto concrete caused some minor scratches on the bottom edge, but a 4-foot drop on its face cracked the screen in a number of places, including in front of its front-facing camera, which gave selfies a very artistic look. A 6-foot face drop onto concrete caused the Note 8's screen to start flashing white, black and green, and the touch screen was completely unresponsive.

As a result, the Note 8 earned a low toughness score of 4.3 out of 10. To see the results of other smartphones, as well as our complete scoring methodology, check out our smartphone drop tests.

Galaxy Note 8 Specs

Price $930 to $960, depending on carrier

Display: A big and beautiful canvas with more purpose

The 6.3-inch Infinity Display on the Note 8 makes your jaw drop even before you put it in your hands, and Samsung devised a clever new way to make the most of the phone's billboard-like real estate.

For starters, the Note 8's screen is deliciously colorful. I was mesmerized by the multifaceted silver armor of Cyborg in the Justice League trailer, as well as his piercing red eye. When playing Mortal Kombat X, I marveled at how grotesquely awesome the gooey brains of my splayed enemy looked when they spilled out of his head.

MORE: The Best Smartphones Available Right Now



In our lab tests, the Note 8's display covered 204.8 percent of the sRGB color gamut. By comparison, the Moto Z2 Force's OLED screen hit 199.7 percent, and the LG G6's LCD displayed 134 percent. The Note 8's display delivers accurate hues, too, as it registered a Delta-E score of 0.5; a score of 0 is perfect. The Z2 Force notched 1.06, and the LG G6 scored 1.1.

Because the Note 8's panel supports HDR (high dynamic range), you should be able to enjoy better contrast and more colors when streaming HDR content.

To maximize this phone's ultrawide screen, Samsung introduced a feature called App Pair with the Note 8. When you swipe in from the right side of the screen, you can launch two apps on the screen at once  side by side or on top of each other, depending on how you hold the phone. It's also pretty easy to create pairs.

I liked being able to have the Email app open on the left and the Calendar app on the right, or the browser on one side and YouTube on the other.

Dual Cameras: Amazing photos, great flexibility

Samsung isn't just playing catch-up with the dual cameras on the Note 8. It has leaped ahead of the iPhone  at least for now. That's because both 12-megapixel cameras on this device offer optical image stabilization; the iPhone 7 Plus' telephoto lens doesn't have that feature.

What can you do with these dual shooters? For starters, you get a 2x optical zoom with a simple tap on the screen. In Union Square, I could easily zoom in on a statue from afar without losing any detail.

You also get a new Live Focus mode, which is similar to the Portrait mode on the iPhone 7 Plus, which blurs the background and makes your subject pop. But only the Note 8 lets you adjust the intensity of this effect both before and after you snap the photo.



I felt like a pro when I snapped an image of purple flowers in front of a fountain. The iPhone 7 Plus did a better job than the Note 8 of blurring the background more consistently through the frame, but I liked that I could control how much of the fountain I could see.



I also really like the Dual Capture feature on the Note 8, which snaps both a close-up and a wide-angle photo at the same time, and then lets you toggle between both views in the gallery. One pic I took of the New York City skyline looked so good that a woman sitting next to me on the bus asked me to text it to her. Even in a moving vehicle, the picture turned out fairly sharp, thanks to the optical image stabilization.

My only complaint is that I sometimes had to tap more than once on the screen to switch between the close-up and wide-angle views.

In terms of image quality, the Note 8 delivered the same type of remarkably sharp and colorful pics that made the Galaxy S8 our top camera phone.

Compared with a shot taken with the iPhone 7 Plus, a Note 8 photo of trees and a statue in Union Square had richer greens and slightly more refined details around the edges when zoomed in. However, as with most iPhone photos, its colors were warmer than the Note 8's, and the Samsung image ran a bit cooler and nearly blew out some of the highlights.



S Pen: Neat new tricks (with some kinks)

Samsung has been broadening the appeal of the S Pen for the past few years, and the Note 8 takes it to the next level.

For starters, you can now take up to 100 pages of notes using the Screen Off memo feature. You just take out the pen and start writing. It's easy to pin notes to the always-on display and to edit notes in place. I found this feature handy when crossing off items on my to-do list and shopping lists.

The coolest new S Pen feature is Live Message, which turns your scribbles into animated GIFs to share with others. For example, I wrote "Love you" on top of a photo with a fun sparkle pen tip and then tried to send it to my wife via text message. I say "tried" because I got an error message that said "Maximum total size of attachments exceeded." Strangely, other times, I didn't get that error, so it might depend on the size of the image captured.

The other noteworthy new S Pen feature is the ability to translate full sentences into different languages just by hovering the pen above the screen. This worked well when I visited the French site Le Monde and highlighted a few rows of text.

For those so inclined, the S Pen remains a viable tool for sketching and drawing. I handed the Note 8 off to a colleague to create a couple of sketches, and he found the pen to be fairly accurate. However, he wished that the pen offered more nuanced control, as the Apple Pencil does on the iPad.

Battery Life: Surprisingly good

We'll have to wait and see whether the Note 8's battery lives up to Samsung's safety claims, but I can say that the phone lasts quite a long time on a charge. Although the battery's 3,300-mAh capacity is a bit lower than that of the battery inside the ill-fated Note 7, as well as the battery in the Galaxy S8+ (both 3,500 mAh), it turned in excellent results.

On the Tom's Guide Battery Test, which involves continuous web surfing over 4G on 150 nits of screen brightness, the Note 8 lasted a very strong 11 hours and 11 minutes on T-Mobile's network. That's even better than the 11:04 that the S8+ turned in and the 10:39 runtime from the S8, both also tested on T-Mobile. It's possible that the Note 8's extra RAM makes it slightly more efficient.

MORE: Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life

By comparison, the iPhone 7 Plus lasted 10:38, and the Moto Z2 Force ran for 10:23. The LG G6 mustered only 8:39.

Performance: More RAM, serious power

The Note 8 has the same Snapdragon 835 processor as other current Android flagships, but it ups the ante with 6GB of RAM. Most other phones make do with 4GB of RAM; exceptions include the OnePlus 5, which comes with up to 8GB of RAM.

In everyday use, the Note 8 was very swift, whether I was jumping right into the camera from the lock screen instantly (just double-press the home button) or playing Injustice 2 with silky-smooth frame rates. However, there were more than a couple of times when I had to tap the screen more than once for the phone to do what I wanted.

On Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the Note 8 scored 6,564 on the multicore portion of the test. That's better than the Galaxy S8 (6,124), a bit better than the Moto Z2 Force (6,489) and just slightly faster than the OnePlus 5 with 8GB of RAM (6,542).

When it comes to graphics performance, the Note 8 more than holds its own. It notched 39,834 on the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test, which beat the Galaxy S8 (35,903) and edged out the Z2 Force (39,807) and the OnePlus 5 (39,576).

Software: Bixby is underrated

Other than the added capabilities of the S Pen and the App Pair feature for split-screen multitasking, Bixby is the highlight software feature on the Note 8, which runs Android 7.1.1. It's best not to think of Bixby as a direct Siri competitor but rather more of a personal assistant that speeds up tasks that typically take multiple taps.

For instance, I said, "Capture a screenshot, and show it to me in the gallery," and the Note 8 did both tasks in succession successfully. I also liked that I could add specific items to my to-do list by saying them aloud, such as "Add 'approve vacation day' to my task list." At first, Bixby thought I said "A prove," but the mistake was easy to correct.

MORE: Galaxy Note 8: Features to Enable and Disable

The other main highlight is the Apps Edge menu, which makes it easy to pull up your favorite apps without having to go back to the home screen. You can also quickly access your favorite contacts from this menu.

Accessories Aplenty

The Galaxy Note 8 has a new design, so you're definitely going to need a new case for this 6.3-inch monster. The good news is that there are plenty of options to choose from already, including a suede-like Alcantara cover that's available in multiple colors. My favorite is green.

MORE: 11 Best Galaxy Note 8 Accessories

The Note 8 also supports a new version of the Gear VR headset ($129) for people who want to get into virtual reality. The headset comes with a motion controller to make the VR experience more immersive.

DeX Station

If you want to leverage the full power of the Note 8 on a bigger screen, check out the DeX Station, which costs about $125. With this dock, you can run Android apps on a full-size HD monitor, and get a desktop-like experience with a mouse and keyboard connected to the peripheral. More developers are starting to support this accessory, including Zoom, which lets you seamlessly continue your conference call after you plug the phone into the dock.

Bottom Line

Spending nearly $1,000 on a smartphone seems a bit nuts when you can get a very good phone, like the OnePlus 5, for less than $500. But the Note 8 isn't just very good  it is awesome. The combination of its glorious 6.3-inch Infinity Display, excellent dual cameras and more versatile S Pen makes it the big-screen phone to beat. Some people may want to wait for the iPhone 8, but if you're an Android fan, you need look no further.

The Note 8 could be better in some ways. The fingerprint sensor is located in an awkward spot, and the Live Message feature (as novel as it is) doesn't always work the way it should. Then, there's the price. If you don't have a need for the S Pen and you just want a big screen, you'll be plenty happy with the $850 Galaxy S8 Plus. But I'd spend the extra dough on the Note 8 simply because of its dual-lens camera and what you can do with it.

Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide


UPDATE: Ryan Adams is playing tonoight at the Woolly Mammoth in Brisbane. Tickets are $5 and only available on the door. Password is Wednesday and all proceeds go to Little Paws Kitten Rescue: a no kill, non-profit kitten and cat rescue based in Brisbane and surrounds.

Ryan Adams is currently in the country, touring his John Hughes-esque album Prisoner, and tonight hell be playing a secret show in Brisbane.

So far all we have to go on is this cryptic poster Adams tweeted out this morning  and it doesnt really tell us too much.

More details as we find them out  if you have any idea where Adams is playing tonight, whack it in our comments section, whydoncha?
During his visit to Istanbul, Pavlopoulos will visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate where he will meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

President of Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos will participate in the Summit for the 25th anniversary of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) that will be held on Monday in Istanbul following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's invitation. On the sidelines of the Summit Pavlopoulos will meet in private with the Turkish president.

During his visit to Istanbul, Pavlopoulos will visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate where he will meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

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
One of the highlights of the winemakers showcase will include in-depth masterclasses on Greek wines

Greek wine is making its way to Australia with over 20 winemakers showing off their native varieties at a series of trade and consumer tastings in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

One of the highlights of the winemakers showcase will include in-depth masterclasses on Greek wines led by Greeces Master of Wine, Yiannis Karakasis. The masterclasses will be held in Sydney on June 19 at Establishment, in Adelaide on June 21 at Georges on Waymouth and in Melbourne on June 26 at Crown Towers.

There will be the opportunity for wine enthusiasts to sample the Greek wine at two of the events: First at Georges on Waymouth in Adelaide on June 21 and then at the Greek wine show, Oinofilia, at Melbournes Meat Market on Saturday, June 24.

There is unprecedented demand for Greek wines with a 30 per cent increase in sales in Australia over the last two years, Wines of Greece president Vangelis Argyris said according to openhousemagazine.net. Our native grape varieties are leading this demand and were hoping to bring some new varieties in June that havent been widely seen in Australia before. We are thrilled Australia has fallen in love with Greek wines and so excited for this third tour in as many years.

For more information on the events look 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
Xpress Money, a global money transfer brand, has seen a 14 per cent increase in remittances from the UAE that culminate onto mobile wallets in Kenya in the last 2 years.



The brand forecasts an additional increase of 5 per cent by the end of 2017.



Mobile payments are growing worldwide, with the number of active users expected to hit 450 million in 2017. A new World Bank report released in 2017 indicates that mobile wallets have emerged as the cheapest way of conducting a remittance transaction, at fees averaging 3.73 per cent



Kenyans overseas are increasingly realizing the convenience that mobile wallets offer to their beneficiaries back home. In addition to convenience, the affordability of the service has also drawn their attention as they can save the extra money and send it to their families in Kenya.



Arundhoti Banerjee, associate vice president  Strategy & Digital, Xpress Money, said: m-Pesa has become an indispensable tool for Kenyan expats remitting from overseas. Mobile wallets create transfer corridors that are more agile and affordable when compared to conventional remittance streams.



A process of disintermediation lowers costs by shortening the transaction value chain. Xpress Money is very aware of the power of mobile wallet services in offering customers lower fees, financial inclusion and greater convenience. Mobile wallets are particularly advantageous in markets where bank growth and physical branches havent kept pace with large audiences and extended geographies  such as in Kenya. We are constantly investing in the mobile services space  either through in-house innovations or by partnering with existing providers with proven technologies. Xpress Money is committed to providing money transfer solutions that help us better serve our customers, she added.  TradeArabia News Service
The Kuwait government is set to spend around KD94 million ($309 million) for development of roads and other key infrastructure in South Surra neighbourhood of the capital city, said a report.



The project, being implemented by the Ministry of Public Works, involves construction and maintenance of roads and overpasses in areas within the vicinity of Sheikh Jaber Hospital and parts of the Sixth Ring Road, reported the state news agency Kuna.



Two contracts linked to the consultancy agreement and implementation of the project would be submitted to the Minister of Public Works Abdulrahman Al Mutawa, it added.



Meanwhile, in another development, Al Mutawa has signed a consulting agreement for designing, construction, and maintenance of overhead intersections and U-turns on Al Nuwaisib road.



The agreement includes rehabilitating the existing road, eliminating all 33 U-turns besides providing the suitable multi-level intersections all over the road and the needed intersections for entrances and exits of the new cities, according to Kuna.



The agreement also includes developing 43-km-long roads, nine multi-storey intersections, an overhead U-turn bridge that connects Al Wafra Road to Al Nuwaisib Road (Intersection 5); in addition to four bridges for camel crossing, said the report.



Nuwaisib road is extended from intersection 91 (Al-Dubaiya Bridge), to the exit of Al-Nuwaisib area that is close to the border of Saudi Arabia, it added.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz has urged Arab nations to promote a genuine partnership with the US and fight "the forces of evil and extremism" together.



He made the remarks at the historic Arab Islamic American Summit yesterday (May 21) in Riyadh, where he and US President Donald Trump urged more than 50 leaders from the Arab and Muslim world to cooperate in the fight against terrorism.



King Salman thanked President Trump for visiting Saudi Arabia on his first official trip abroad. He praised the kingdom's partnership with the US, which he said was aimed at achieving "peace, security and positive development."



"We are meeting today at this summit to express the seriousness in taking rapid steps to promote a genuine partnership with the friendly United States of America in a way that serves our common interests and contributes to achieving security, peace and development for all mankind, which is confirmed by our Islamic religion," said King Salman.



"Due to our responsibility before God and then before our peoples and the world, we have to stand united to fight the forces of evil and extremism whatever their source," said King Salman.



King Salman criticised Iran for "rejecting good neighbourliness" and instead pursuing regional expansion, engaging in criminal behaviour, interfering with other countries' internal affairs and violating international law.



"The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of terrorism since the Khomeini revolution until today," said King Salman.



Following the summit, King Salman and President Trump inaugurated the Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. The centre will work to counter and prevent the spread of extremism by promoting moderation, compassion and productive dialogue. - TradeArabia News Service


Bahrain is hosting the first Bahrain Restaurant and Hospitality Forum (BRHF), organized by Culinaire & Beyond, from May 21-22 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center.



Held under the patronage of Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, chief executive officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA), the forum is strategically supported by the BTEA and Tamkeen, which seek to stimulate the launch of new projects and expand the scope of small and medium-sized businesses in the restaurant and hospitality sector, both locally and internationally.



Culinaire & Beyond is the authorized licensee of The Next Idea [International], a global hospitality and restaurant consulting group based and registered in the US. Representatives from Culinaire &Beyonds US partners including Robert Ancill, chief executive office of The Next Idea; Thelma Weaver, senior consultant of The Next Idea; and Phillip Gay, chief executive officer of Triple Enterprise, will be present during the forum and will play an active role in sharing their experiences and key trends in both sectors. Culinaire & Beyond is also thankful to the Gold, and Silver Media and event partners for trusting in the potential of this forum and helping to make it a huge success.



The BTEA is committed to supporting initiatives aimed at boosting investments in Bahrains tourism sector. Restaurants and hospitality facilities are the most important aspects that help to enhance the experience offered to visitors. We therefore encourage this forum, which is in line with the Authoritys long-term strategy to make the Kingdom a leading regional center offering a diverse and distinct variety of restaurants and hospitality facilities, said Shaikh Khalid.



The BRHF 2017 has also invited young Bahraini concept owners such as Dona Murad from Hopscotch, and Rob Nakfour from Grub Shack to share their entrepreneurial journey with the audience. The purpose of sharing local success stories such as that of Sawsan Baluch, the chief executive officer of My Cafe, was to convey the commitment and passion it takes to execute an idea. The forum also includes prominent speakers such Shaikh Rashid Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, general manager of Peninsula farms.



BRHF 2017 is also fortunate to host an esteemed panel of speakers during the event including: Celebrity Michelin-Star executive chef Francesco Brocca, developer of the Cavalli Group; Chris Tapirdea from Asia De Cuba; Andre Gerschel from Baker & Spice; Jean-Paul Dantil, general manager of the Ritz Carlton; Yousif Al Khan, director of Tourism Marketing and Promotions at the BTEA; Jesus Florido-Banqueri, advisor at the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority; and Khalid Rabeea Hussain Of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Tourism.



I am truly humbled by the support and feedback I have received about the vision for BRHF 2017 and am delighted to see the number of attendees this forum has attracted. It gives me great pleasure to have sowed the seeds of a platform that will address key issues pertaining to the restaurant and hospitality industries, both of which are poised to grow in Bahrain and within the Middle-eastern region. Our key partners from the government, corporate and private sectors have proven that collaboration is the best way forward and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their relentless support and appreciation, said Leena Al Mannai, chief executive officer of Culinaire & Beyond. She believes that this forum should be a yearly occurrence and hopes that next years event will be even bigger than the first. She extended her thanks and gratitude to all the supporters of the vision of BRHF 2017. - TradeArabia News Service
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark - William Shakespeare Author: William Shakespeare isbn: 9781905716807

A young prince meets with his father's ghost, who alleges that his own brother, now married to his widow, murdered him. The prince devises a scheme to test the truth of the ghost's accusation, feigning wild madness while plotting a brutal revenge. But his apparent insanity soon begins to wreak havoc on innocent and guilty alike. Hamlet's combination of violence and introspection is unusual among Shakespeare's tragedies. It is also full of curious riddles and fascinating paradoxes, making it one of his most widely discussed plays.Illustrated throughout by Sir John Gilbert (1817-1897), famous for his depictions of historical scenes. As well as Shakespeare, he illustrated works of Sir Walter Scott, Cervantes, Wilkie Collins and Wordsworth.With an Introduction by Dr Robert Mighall.

Collectors Library Edition

The Collectors Library Editions consists of pocket sized complete works, story anthologies and scholarly abridgements, all containing the finest illustrations. Beautifully designed for all who love classic literature produced to traditional high standards; substantial books bound in real cloth, illustrated throughout, with head and tailbands, ribbon markers, top edge gilt and handsome jackets.

2010 Hardback 216 pages Good condition

DISCOUNT SALE: We have selected items heavily reduced this week, check our listings.

COMBINED SHIPPING: I will ship up to 6 books together for 4.90 p&p, above this it may be a little more depending on size eg I can send 5kg for 9.80 p&p. Please pay when you've finished buying.
Joyces Arxis Capital Shutting Down, Sources Report

Has the ax fallen on Arxis?

According to several market sources, yes, it has.

Electronic market making firm Arxis Capital, founded in 2014 by a team of experienced trading, risk management, quantitative research and technology executives from Bank of America Merrill Lynchs Global Market Making business, together with seasoned market professionals from several other banks and trading firms.

The firms executive chairman and CEO Tom Joyce, was the former CEO of Knight, where he worked for over 11 years before leaving the firm after a computer malfunction caused the company to lose more than $450 million on a single day through erroneous trades. Knights computers flooded markets with unintended trades on Aug. 1, 2012, sending dozens of stocks into fits and starts. The fault caused shares to swing as much as 151 percent and left the firm with $450 million trading loss that would have sent it into bankruptcy hadnt a group of Wall Street firms bought a commensurate amount of convertible securities a week later.

Eventually, Joyce was able to save his firm and stave off bankruptcy and get a deal done with Getco for $1.4 billion.

Joyce took many former KCG professionals with him to the new firm.

According to one source who spoke on conditiion of anonynimity, the firm was looking to partner up with another firm in a merger failed and Crestview Partners, Arxis' backer, pulled its funding while there was any left.

Market making has become an increasingly compettitive and less profitable business as technology costs, including connection fees to dozens of exchanges, and a prolonged dearth of substantial equity trading volume has hurt the business.

As of Monday morning, sources reported the firm was clearing out it books as it prepares to shutter operations.

An email seeking comment to the firm was unreturned.

According to the firms website, the firms name was derived from the Latin word Arx, meaning stronghold. Like the Arx fortress that defended ancient Rome from the Capitoline Hill, Joyce and the companys founders viewed Arxis Capital as a defensive structure for capital and clients interfacing with complex markets. Maintaining the highest level of risk management, compliance, capital preservation and client protection is at the heart of what we do.

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
An island in Japan continues to follow Shinto religious tradition and requires its male visitors to undergo cleansing rituals. Women can never behold the beauty of the sacred island because they are not allowed to set foot on the island.

Men before arriving on Okinoshima Island have to strip naked and do the purification ritual. They cannot take any souvenirs with them -- even a blade of grass -- and cannot divulge the details of their trip, as per News.

For the Japanese, the whole Okinoshima Island located in Fukuoka is a holy ground inhabited by priests that work at the Okinoshima Shrines, which form part of the Munakata Grand Shrine. The priests were the ones that imposed the ban on women. A writer with the Japan Times explained that Shinto treats blood as unclean and might have connected it to women's monthly cycle. Another possible reason seen was the perils of sea journeys that are dangerous for women.

The Okinoshima Island is a refuge to seafarers and a place where they can offer valuable things like beads, mirrors and swords in exchange for travel protection. For the longest time, the island of Okinoshima has amassed almost 80,000 of these precious treasures that now form part of the nation's treasures.

UNESCO is now considering making the sacred island as a World Heritage site this year. However, this is not taken wholly by the island high priest because their ban on women might create problems being listed as one of the world's heritage sites for 2017.

At present, the Okinoshima Island gets only very limited visitors, mostly coming during the May 27 festival celebrated to "comfort the spirits" of the Japanese and Russian men who were killed in battle in the Sea of Japan back in 1905.

The ban on women was refuted by many, particularly of a Hindu group that objected on the island being considered a UNESCO heritage site unless it allows women to enter the island. The island's chief priest Takayuki Ashizu said that even if Okinoshima becomes a heritage site, they will still not open it to the public that mostly come for the purpose of curiosity.

Independent reported that if Okinoshima Island becomes listed by UNESCO, it will be the 17th of all Japanese cultural sites with a world heritage status. Historically, the island of Okinoshima has been a trade route by trade travelers from Japan to China between the 4th and 9th centuries.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
For Immediate Release

Source: United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (May 22, 2017) - The Government of the United States Virgin Islands and Airbnb have confirmed the first tax agreement in the Caribbean, which will allow the platform to collect the Territory's 12.5 percent Hotel Room Occupancy Tax on behalf of hosts and remit the funds to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). The agreement will also create a framework to help promote tourism to the U.S. Virgin Islands, highlighting the cultural and historical heritage of this world-class destination.

Airbnb has been investing in partnerships in the region to support a thriving community of homeowners who are renting their spaces and creating new flows of local economic benefits.

Agreements have been signed with several countries and with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) to create policy frameworks for this growing hospitality trend of home sharing. Today's announcement spearheads the company's efforts in the Caribbean to collect and remit lodging taxes on behalf of hosts, allowing hosts to comply and give back to their communities.

The Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kenneth E. Mapp, supported the agreement and noted that locals will increase their participation in the economic benefits of tourism. "This is good for our Government because it streamlines the collection process and enables more of our residents to participate in the visitor industry. Our hospitality sector will also greatly benefit from the promotional reach of this multibillion-dollar organization," Mapp said.

The agreement with Airbnb is a component of the Mapp-Potter Administration's Five Year Plan to fully restore economic stability to the V.I. Government through economic growth, increased revenue collection and better resource management. It will help improve and diversify the tourism industry and create unique experiences for and by the locals of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas and their visitors.

Airbnb has about 2,000 active listings across the U.S. Virgin Islands and a typical Airbnb host earns US$7,700 a year. "Airbnb represents a supplemental income, which helps families pay their bills and improve their quality of life. As local hosts bring more tourism to the region, visitors get to know the country from an organic and more authentic point of view, spending in local businesses and services, as well as encouraging others to visit the islands as a result of their positive experience," said Shawn Sullivan, Airbnb's Public Policy Manager for the Caribbean and Central America.

Local authorities also pointed to the importance of the growth and diversification of tourism to the island and the improvement of tax collection for both hosts and government.

"This agreement brings to the table a well-resourced partner to help with our efforts to attract people to our islands," observed Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty.

Marvin Pickering, Director of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue, said the additional revenue would be beneficial for the treasury. "This voluntary collection agreement for the hotel room tax provides the bureau with an additional resource to ensure that the tax is collected and remitted in a timely manner. We look forward to pursuing this additional avenue of increasing the tax revenue from Airbnb hosts as they participate in our Territory's tax regime by fulfilling their filing and payment obligations."

About Airbnb:

Founded in 2008, Airbnb's mission is to create a world where people can belong when they travel by being connected to local cultures and having unique travel experiences. Its community marketplace provides access to millions of unique accommodations from apartments and villas to castles and treehouses in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries.

With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to local communities and interests, while Places lets people discover the hidden gems of a city as recommended by the people that live there. Airbnb is people powered and the easiest way to earn a little extra income from extra space in a home or from sharing passions, interests and cities.

About the United States Virgin Islands:

For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com , follow us on Twitter ( @USVITourism ) and become a fan on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI ). When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel - including on-line check-in - making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.

ENDS
This summer Azores Airlines is bringing the Bay Area and Portugal closer together. For the summer of 2017, Azores Airlines has flights from Oakland to Terceira in the Azores and Lisbon that will run from June 14 to September 6, 2017, every Wednesday.



(TRAVPR.COM) USA - May 5th, 2017 - Oakland --This summer Azores Airlines is bringing the Bay Area and Portugal closer together. For the summer of 2017, Azores Airlines has flights from Oakland to Terceira in the Azores and Lisbon that will run from June 14 to September 6, 2017, every Wednesday.

The flights serve the local Portuguese community, but it is a great opportunity for people from the Bay Area to visit one of the most beautiful islands in the Azores, Terceira  or to explore Lisbon, one of Europes hottest destinations.

Terceira is the culture capital of the Azores and is known for it music, architecture and cuisine, not to mention and the popular bull running on a rope (touradas a corda) that happens on the streets and sometimes on the beach. You can go down a lava tube, at Algar do Carvao - into one of the few volcanoes in the world in which visitors can explore a volcanic chimney and secondary magma chambers.

For some local wine go to Biscoitos. This little town is covered with green pastures and small vineyards protected by black basalt walls. The coast is marked by many deep breaches and coves, often creating beautiful natural swimming pools and there are platforms and steps for those who feel tempted to swim in the clear waters. There is also a small wine museum with the Verdelho grape history.

There are a wide variety of activities on the island. Surf, body board or windsurf at Praia da Vitoria, climb Canoca, Chupa Cabras or Grota do Medo, fish along the coast and taste cheese for free at Queijo Vaquinha.

Azores Airlines, part of the SATA Group, has connected New England with the Azores and mainland Portugal for more than 35 years and now is also connecting the Bay Area. For more information about booking flights visit http://www.azoresairlines.pt or call 800-762-9995.

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Raneh Waterfall near Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh has been given the Best Holiday Award -2017 as the countrys most favourite waterfall. The award was given to Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation by the countrys well-known Travel and Information Portal Holiday IQ at a ceremony in New Delhi.



(TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - May 22nd, 2017 - Minister of State (Independent Charge) at the Prime Ministers Office Dr. Jitendra Singh, Founder and Chairman of Mahindra Holiday Homes and Resort India Shri Arun Nanda, Facebook India and South Asia MD Shri Umang Bedi and Make My Trip Chairman Shri Deep Kalra besides Tourism, Hospitality, Travel representatives were present at the Award ceremony organized at Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi.

Raneh-Waterfall

Raneh-Waterfall is situated hardly 20 kms away from world famous heritage spot Khajuraho. While the temples of Khajuraho where there are amazing examples of man-made crafts, the multi-coloured and layered pure crystal granite, lime-stone, conglomerate, basalt and dolomite mountains leave the tourists open-mouthed. This is perhaps the reason why one can find foreign tourists compare the Raneh-Fall with North Americas famous Canyon. Tourists from the all over the country and abroad come here every year to enjoy this spectacular natural beauty.

The beauty of Raneh waterfalls is a treat to the eye in the rainy season. The number of tourists to the spot increases in rainy season. A little further from here is the Panna Tiger Reserve.

Raneh Fall which is situated in the proximity of Panna Tiger Reserve is also known as the countrys Grand Canyon. The beautiful Raneh-fall begins where Ken river merges with Yamuna. Ken river water falls have created the Canyon with the 5 km-long and 98 feet deep Bunelkhand Granite and Vindhyan layered mountains. The beauty of the rays of the setting sun falling on the huge pink, red, gray and green coloured mountains and the greenish blue water takes the tourist to some other world. The Ken Crocodile Sanctuary is also nearby. Crocodiles and alligators can be seen basking in the sun on the banks of Ken river. Wild animals including deer, Nilgai Sambhar, Chital and several colourful birds attract the tourists.

CONCLUSION:

For more information on destinations & points of interest in Madhya Pradesh, please visit our website http://www.mptourism.com/ or reach out to us on our toll free helpline at 1800-233-7777 available 24 x 7.

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Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

The Centres plan for launching a nationwide scheme for dry and wet segregation of garbage from households on World Environment Day has got a blow in the City Beautiful with garbage collectors protesting against the move at a meeting with the MC Joint Commissioner today. They have threatened to take to the streets if the plan is brought into force on June 5.

The garbage collectors are against the move of segregation of waste from households by carrying six dustbins of two colours on a rehri and not making any money out of the waste.

Manoj Khatri, MC Joint Commissioner-I, held a meeting with garbage collectors of different areas at the Sector 23 community centre to apprise them of the scheme, which they did not support. After he left, they gathered outside the community centre to protest against the move.

At present, the collectors have divided the sectors among themselves and privately collect garbage in the city. Besides charging a monthly fee from residents, they also make money out of the waste. The waste is later supplied to the Dadu Majra garbage processing plant. The plant is run by the Jaypee Group, which had claimed last year that it was suffering a loss of Rs 50 lakh every month and had even demanded tipping fee from the civic body.

We were told by officials today that we will get gloves, dress and a rehri to collect waste. However, we want to continue with the old plan as we have to support our families. For the past many years, we have been collecting waste, but they did not bother to engage us. Now that they have got orders from the top, they are asking us to follow suit. How can an old woman carry big dustbins, to be provided by them, to the fourth floor, rued Naresh Kumar Loth, vice-president of the Chandigarh Door-to-Door Garbage Society. They earlier told us they would give us an e-rickshaw, but they didnt. They again want to cheat us. They earlier tried to impose the contract system in Sector 22, which we did not allow by protesting for a week. If the present system is implemented, we will take to the streets on June 5. We want to segregate the waste on our own and in our own way, said Jai Kishan Dhula, president of the garbage society.

The Joint Commissioner, however, said they had understood and agreed to what he said. I am only following the governments initiative. We have told them to be part of the system. As 700 of them have already registered with us, the others should also get themselves registered. There are various garbage societies and each one has a different take. We will implement the scheme. If they want, they can take the waste and make money, we have no problem with that, said the Joint Commissioner.

Some made the most of waste

At the last MC meeting, an official had pointed out that over the years, some collectors had constructed their own houses and bought cars by segregating waste and selling it further.

MCs June 5 plan

The MC will distribute two separate bins for door-to-door collection of dry and wet garbage from June 5. The MC is also bringing in a proposal to fix the fee for residents for garbage collection.
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 22

The Pushpa Gujral Science City, Kapurthala, today celebrated the International Day for Biological Diversity in collaboration with the Punjab Bio-Diversity Board, Chandigarh. Dr Neelama Jerath, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Desh Bhagat University, Mandi Gobindgarh and former director general, Science City, said India was the seventh largest country in the world and Asias second largest nation with an area of 3.29 million sq km. With only 2.5 per cent of the world land area, it accounts for 7.8 per cent of the global recorded species especially because of its varied physiographic, diverse climatic conditions and a variety of habitats. It is one of the top 12 mega biodiversity countries and has four of 35 biodiversity hot spots: Western Ghats, Himalayas, Sandilands and Indo-Burma (Nicobar Island). The country is estimated to have 49,000 plant species and 81,000 animal species representing 12.5 per cent of the worlds flora and 6.6 per cent of its fauna.

Dr Jerath said Punjab had a very small area under forest cover (approximately 6 per cent of the total geographical area). The state was known to harbour great genetic variability; however, over the years this has reduced due to change in cropping pattern and higher dependence on certain high yielding varieties of crops.

She said the International Day for Biological Diversity was celebrated across the globe every year on May 22 to increase the understanding and awareness on issues concerning biodiversity conservation. Biodiversity provides an important foundation for many aspects of tourism. A well-managed tourist sector can contribute significantly in reducing threats to, and maintain, key wildlife populations and biodiversity values.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 22

The Army on Monday saluted the three Nepalese soldiers who were killed in the two-day-long counter-infiltration operation in Nowgam which concluded this morning. Four militants, suspected to be members of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, were also killed in the operation.

Three soldiers Havaldar Giris Gurung, 38, Havaldar Damar Bahadur Pun, 40, and Rifleman Rabin Sharma, 23, of 4/1 Gorkha Regiment were killed in the Nowgam operation while foiling a major infiltration bid in the sector.

Joined by top officials of the civil administration and other security forces operating in the Valley, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu paid rich tributes to the three soldiers in a solemn ceremony in Badmibagh Cantonment, Srinagar, an Army spokesman said.

Havaldar Giris Gurung from Nagidhar village in Kaski, Nepal, had a distinguished service spanning 19 years and had been a part of many counter-terrorist operations earlier. He is survived by his wife Panch Maya Gurung and two young children.

Havaldar Damar Bahadur Pun, who hails from Karaing Tun in Gulmi, Nepal, was an experienced soldier with 21 years of selfless service. He is survived by his wife Kalpana Pun and two young children.

Rifleman Rabin Sharma, 23, a resident of Nepals Chuwa village in Parbat district had joined the Army in 2013. He is survived by his wife Sabita Sharma.

The mortal remains of the three will be taken by service aircraft to Subathu in Himachal Pradesh for their last rites with full military honours, he said.

Meanwhile, sources said the recoveries made at the encounter site indicate that the four slain militants belonged to the Lashkar.

This year the Army has foiled two major infiltration bids in Kashmir and killed at least eight militants.
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 22

Indias hopes of getting into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) does not seem to be getting fulfilled anytime soon. The NSG will hold its plenary session next month in the Swiss capital of Bern and though India has intensified its efforts to get the membership, chances of it happening are an almost nil.

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The main opposition to Indias entry remains China and today Beijing once again made it clear it hasnt changed its mind on as far as Indias NSG bid is concerned.

Chinas position on the non-NPT members participation in the NSG has not changed, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a media briefing in Beijing.

This was in response to a question about the chances of India getting into the NSG grouping during next months Bern session.

We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 plenary session and following building consensus as well as the intergovernmental process that is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issues in a two-step approach, Hua said.

In effect, it means China will stick to its proposed two-step formula for non-NPT states to join the NSG. The first step is that a certain set of principles or guidelines will have to be decided upon for non-NPT states to enter the NSG. The second being after the first step is met, specific cases will be discussed.

The problem with the two-step approach is that it tends to put both India and Pakistan, both non-signatories to the NPT and both vying to get into the NSG, into the same category. India had applied for the NSG membership last May and Pakistan followed soon with its application.

Sources in the government point out that India has maintained that India and Pakistan should be treated as separate cases when it comes to consideration for NSG membership.
New Delhi: Former Coal Secretary HC Gupta was on Monday awarded two-year jail by a special court here in a coal scam case. Special CBI Judge Bharat Parasher also sentenced two senior government officials, KS Kropha and KC Samaria, to two-year imprisonment in the case. PTI
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday filed yet another defamation case against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the HC. Kejriwals senior counsel Ram Jethmalani had, while cross-examining the FM in a civil defamation case last week, used an objectionable word against the BJP leader on the advice of his client. TNS
New Delhi, May 21

With the NDA keeping mum over its nominee for the presidential poll, major Opposition parties have intensified efforts to finalise a joint candidate for the top post.

Asked about who would be the NDA's presidential candidate, BJP president Amit Shah today told a TV channel that a decision on the issue was yet to be taken.

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"Even if I have a name on my mind, it has to be discussed within the party first," he said. He rejected the Shiv Sena's proposal to field RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, saying the Sangh had itself rejected the idea.

Despite BJP's emphatic victories in UP and Uttarakhand, the NDA is still short of 20,000 electoral college votes to have the candidate of its choice occupy the top Constitutional position. The KCR Congress and the ruling TRS of Telangana have already promised to back the NDA nominee in the election.

Meanwhile, the Opposition wants to put up a candidate with impeccable secular credentials," said sources. PTI
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 22

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Manipur Government to a protection plea by the parents of a youth killed in a road rage incident in 2011 by Ajay Meetai, the son of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.

The parents pleaded that they feared for their safety.

A vacation Bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Navin Sinha asked the Union home secretary and the chief secretary of Manipur to respond by May 29, the next date of hearing, to the plea by Irom Chitra Devi, mother of Irom Roger.

Meetai has been sentenced to five years in jail under Section 304 (culpabale homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC for firing at Roger in a road rage incident on March 20, 2011, as the victim did not allow the accused to overtake.

Women rights activist Binalakshmi Nepram has also sought protection from Manipur CM alleging that he ordered police raids, disconnected electricity connection to the victims house and illegally detained the victims brother to ensure a compromise.

The parents also pleaded that no lawyer was willing to appear on their behalf in the high court which was hearing the appeal against the conviction.
Lucknow, May 22

The trial in the politically-sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case by a special CBI court will resume here on Monday, following a Supreme Court order to it to hear the case on a daily basis and deliver the verdict in two years.

The Supreme Court had on April 19 directed the special court to start the proceedings in the matter within a month and deliver its verdict within two years.

The CBI court during its first hearing in the state capital granted bail to five VHP leaders named as accused, including Ram Vilas Vedanti, who appeared before it on Saturday.

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Besides Vedanti (59), those who appeared before the CBI court here on Saturday were VHP leaders Champat Rai (71), Baikunth Lal Sharma (88), Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (79) and Dharmdas Maharaj (68). The sixth accused, Satish Pradhan, did not appear.

CBI special court judge S K Yadav allowed their bail pleas asking each of them to furnish two sureties of Rs 20,000 and a personal bond of the same amount.

The Supreme Court had last month directed that BJP stalwarts, including L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti, will face trial on conspiracy charges in the demolition case.

It had dubbed the demolition of the medieval era monument as a "crime" which shook the "secular fabric of the Constitution" and allowed CBI's plea on restoration of criminal conspiracy charges against the VVIP accused.

The matter is likely to have political implications, particularly against 89-year old Advani, reported to be a front-runner for the post of the President.

The top court, however, had said Kalyan Singh, who is currently the Governor of Rajasthan and during whose tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh the disputed structure was razed, is entitled to immunity under the Constitution as long as he held a gubernatorial position.

"The Court of Sessions will frame charges and move against him as soon as he ceases to be Governor," it said.

The apex court had come down heavily on the CBI for a delay of 25 years in the trial and said, The accused persons have not been brought to book largely because of the conduct of the CBI in not pursuing the prosecution of the aforesaid alleged offenders in a joint trial, and because of technical defects which were easily curable, but which were not cured by the State Government."

Issuing a slew of directions, a bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and R F Nariman had said, "The proceedings viz. Crime No. 198/92 (against Advani and five others) in the court of the Special Judicial Magistrate at Rae Bareilly will stand transferred to the Court of Additional Sessions Judge (Ayodhya Matters) at Lucknow."

Conspiracy charge

Besides Advani, Joshi and Bharti, the accused against whom the conspiracy charge would now be invoked, are Vinay Katiar, Sadhvi Ritambhara, Vishnu Hari Dalmia, who were being tried at Rae Bareilly.

"The court of sessions will frame additional charges under Section 120-B (conspiracy) and the other provisions of the Penal Code mentioned in the joint charge sheet filed by the CBI against Champat Rai Bansal, Satish Pradhan, Dharam Das, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahamadleshwar Jagdish Muni, Ram Bilas Vadanti, Vaikunth Lal Sharma and Satish Chandra Nagar," Justice Nariman, writing the judgement for the bench, said.

"The court of sessions will, after transfer of the proceedings from Rae Bareilly to Lucknow and framing of additional charges, within four weeks, take up all the matters on a day-to-day basis from the stage at which the trial proceedings, both at Rae Bareilly and at Lucknow, are continuing, until conclusion of the trial.

"There shall be no de novo (fresh) trial. There shall be no transfer of the Judge conducting the trial until the entire trial concludes. The case shall not be adjourned on any ground except when the sessions court finds it impossible to carry on the trial for that particular date," the apex court had said.

The court also said if the trial is adjourned, then it should be fixed on the next day or a closely proximate date and the reasons for it shall be recorded in writing.

"The sessions court will complete the trial and deliver the judgement within a period of 2 years from the date of receipt of this judgement," it said.

The CBI shall ensure that on every date fixed for recording of evidence, some prosecution witnesses must remain present, so that for want of witnesses the matter is not adjourned, the Supreme Court had said.

"We make it clear that liberty is given to any of the parties before the Sessions Court to approach us in the event of these directions not being carried out, both in letter and in spirit," the court said.

Dealing with the issue of protracted trial, the bench said almost 25 years have gone and yet "we are solemnly reminded that Respondent Nos.4 and 5's (Advani and Joshi) fundamental rights should not be curtailed by any order passed under Article 142.

The court, in its 40-page judgement, termed the Allahabad High Court's February 12, 2001 verdict dropping conspiracy charge against Advani and others as "erroneous".

It said the High Court had "clearly and unequivocally" held that a joint chargesheet was filed by CBI on the ground that all the offences were committed in the course of the same transaction to accomplish the alleged conspiracy.

"The evidence for all these offences is almost the same and these offences, therefore, cannot be separated from each other, irrespective of the fact that 49 different FIRs were lodged," it said, adding that the dropping of the conspiracy charge was "clearly erroneous".

The apex court said the decision to have a joint trial in demolition cases at one place was set aside by the High Court on the legal ground that it was not consulted.

The infirmity could have been cured either by the state government or by the CBI by filing an appeal against the verdict, it said.

"This (removal of legal infirmity), however, did not happen because the CBI did not challenge the rejection of the request to cure this technical defect. Instead, the course taken by the CBI has caused great confusion," it said.

The decision to file supplementary chargesheet against eight accused in a pending case at Rae Bareilly and dropping of charges against 13 other accused, after the high court judgement, has "completely derailed the joint trial envisaged, it said.

This decision of the probe agency resulted in "fractured prosecution going on in two places simultaneously based on a joint chargesheet filed by the CBI itself", it said.

"In our view, since the charge of criminal conspiracy against all 21 accused is already in the joint chargesheet filed by the CBI at Lucknow, this charge could be added to the charges already framed against the survivors of the group of 8 accused."

Out of eight VIP accused, Giriraj Kishore and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal have died during trial and the proceedings against them have been abated.  PTI
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 22

Acknowledging that triple talaq is an undesirable practice in the Shariat, the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board today assured the Supreme Court that men resorting to divorce through this route would be boycotted socially.

The Muslim community should boycott such persons socially who pronounce three divorces in one go so that such incidents may be minimised, AIMPLB general secretary Mohammad Wali Rahmani said in an affidavit to the top court. Further, qazis solemnising marriages would prod the couples to include a clause in their nikahnama (wedding agreement)' shunning triple talaq.

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The board would issue an advisory through its website, publications and the social media, asking qazis to make it clear to the groom that he would not be allowed to pronounce triple talaq in one sitting. ...The person performing nikah will advise the bridegroom that in case of differences leading to talaq, he shall not pronounce three divorces in one sitting since it is an undesirable practice in Shariat.

That he will advise both the bridegroom and the bride to incorporate a condition in the nikahnama to exclude resorting to pronouncement of three divorces by the husband in one sitting, the board said in the affidavit.

A five-Judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar had on May 18 reserved its verdict on the validity of triple talaq. While doing so, it allowed the litigants to file written submissions. The Bench will deliver the judgment before Justice Khehar demits office on August 27. The board told the court it had issued the following guidelines: If there are differences between spouses, they should try to resolve these mutually, keeping in view the provisions in the Shariat that one should overlook the mistakes of others.

If this fails to yield the desired results, there may be a temporary withdrawal.

In case of failure of these two steps, members of both families should try to mediate continued on page

Softening stand

Muslim board submits affidavit in court, stating divorce in one sitting is undesirable practice in Shariat

Will issue advisory to qazis on its website and social media

.
Gurbaxpuri

Tarn Taran, May 22

Rasoolan Bibi (80), wife of Param Vir Chakra (posthumous) awardee Abdul Hamid, the hero of 1965 IndoPakistan war, paid homage at his samadhi at Asal Uttar today.

She was accompanied by her sons and grandchildren. Many veterans as well as civil and military dignitaries also graced the occasion and laid wreaths at the Shaheedi Smarak. Immaculately dressed troops of Gurki Brigade presented a Guard of Honour to the martyrs.

Later, Bibi also inaugurated a medical camp on naturopathy and Yoga wherein specialist doctors from Delhi rendered valuable advice and treatment to locals and veterans. She also motivated school children to join the forces and serve the nation.

She said she was proud of her husbands sacrifice for the nation.

Company Quartermaster Havildar Abdul Hamid of 4 Grenadiers was mortally wounded in the Battle for Asal Uttar in the Khem Karan sector in 1965.

Amid artillery shelling by enemy, he turned himself into a tank-destruction element. With a 106 mm recoilless rifle (RCLR) mounted on his jeep, he camouflaged himself in the field of cotton and sugarcane. Ditching the armoured formation of the enemy, he shot down three M48 Patton tanks but was blown to bits while targeting the fourth one.
Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

The Leader of Opposition HS Phoolka today said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would not allow the Congress government to run away from fulfilling its poll promise of farm debt waiver.

Questioning the setting up of Haque committee on this count, Phoolka said the Congress should read its manifesto again which states that it (Congress) shall ensure the waiver of agriculture debt of farmers. Why set up a committee when debt waiver was promised? he questioned.

Capt Amarinder Singh is trying to wriggle out of a difficult situation, he added.

Our party will not allow this to happen. We would make sure that Amarinder waives the entire debt, institutional or non-institutional, of all the farmers, said Phoolka.

If a committee was to be formed on this issue, it should have been done before the elections. Then the Congress could have explained to the farmers on how it would go about waiving their debt. Now constituting the committee was not only a meaningless exercise but a delaying tactic, he pointed out.

While two or three farmers daily commit suicide, the Congress was waiting for the Haque committee report. It would have been better if the waiver decision had been taken in the first cabinet meeting. We will make farmer suicides and farm debt waiver a big issue during the Budget session,said Phoolka.
Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

The Congress poll promise to waive the loans of more than 30 lakh farmers in Punjab could well turn out to be a debt waiver for only marginal farmers owing to the states poor fiscal health. Farmers with large land-holdings (more than five acres) could be paid relief.

Sources said a scheme in this regard would be finalised at a meeting of the expert group next week. The draft policy would be submitted to the CM by May 30.

The latest data compiled by the state-level Bankers Committee reveals there are 17,19038 small and marginal farmers (who will be the major beneficiaries) who have availed a loan of Rs 36,600.37 crore. The total agriculture advances in Punjab stand at Rs 85,360. 86 crore with 31.29 lakh farmers having taken these loans from banks. Crop loan (limits are made for availing loan for each crop season) has been taken by 21.51 lakh farmers. It stands at Rs 63,180.13 crore.

The government has now sought data from the Bankers Committee on the amount of crop loan and term loan availed by small, marginal and big farmers, placing the amount in various categories  less than Rs 50,000; between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh; Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh; Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and a group committee is headed by Dr T Haque, former chairman, Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices.
Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, May 22

Uncertified paddy seeds are in high demand this season even though they cost three times more than the certified varieties.

Reason: The farmers are tricked by seed dealers by claiming that the uncertified varieties are high yielding and mature early.

Some farmer unions had raised objections to this practice in the past and the department too had initiated action, but the uncertified seeds continue to be available in the open market.

Ranjit Singh, a farmer from Gidderbaha, said, I have sown uncertified paddy seed CR-212 variety for transplantation in one acre on trial basis. It cost me Rs 95 per kg, whereas the certified seeds are available at about Rs 35 per kg. I bought it from a famous seed dealer who did not give me an invoice but assured high yield, he added.

Many farmers in my village had sown it last year and got good results. They did not even face any problem while selling the crop. This is the reason behind the high demand for uncertified seeds this season, he said.

Meanwhile, some other farmers said that if a genuine survey is conducted, the department would come to know the ground reality of high demand of such seeds.

Beant Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, said, I recently warned some farmers in an awareness camp, but they objected saying that high yield was their sole motive. Still we have issued notices to some dealers..

Jasbir Singh Bains, Director, Agriculture, said, After getting field reports on this count, we stopped the sale of seeds not certified by PAU at nearly 15 shops in Bathinda and 10 shops in Mansa districts.

We cant take strict action against the dealers since they might have certification from the Centre or from other states. We have warned farmers that if they face any problem during procurement, the government will not be responsible, he added.

On reasons behind seed companies not opting for certification, he said, I cant comment, but it seems the companies are unwilling to pay the mandatory fee to get certification of a seed variety, he opined.
Seoul, May 22

North Korea said on Monday it had successfully tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile which met all technical requirements and could now be mass-produced, indicating advances in its ambitions to be able to hit the United States.

The North fired the missile into waters off its east coast on Sunday, its second missile test in a week, which South Korea said dashed the hopes of the Souths new liberal government under President Moon Jae-in for peace between the neighbours.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test of the Pukguksong-2, which confirmed reliable late-stage guidance of the warhead and the functioning of a solid-fuel engine, the KCNA state news agency said.

It quoted Kim as saying the Pukguksong-2 met all the required technical specifications so should now be mass-produced and deployed to the Korean Peoples Army strategic battle unit.

Pyongyang has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programmes, even from China, its lone major ally, saying the weapons are needed for defence against US aggression.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Tuesday behind closed doors to discuss the latest test, which defies Security Council resolutions and sanctions, at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea, diplomats said.  Reuters
Jerusalem, May 22

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had come to Israel from a weekend visit to Saudi Arabia with new reasons to hope that peace and stability could be achieved in the Middle East.

On the second leg of his first overseas trip as President, Trump was to hold talks separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The US leader visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalems walled Old City and was due to pray at Judaisms Western Wall. He travels on Tuesday to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank at the end of a stopover lasting 28 hours.

Netanyahu and his wife Sara, as well as President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli cabinet, were at Tel Avivs Ben-Gurion airport to greet Trump and first lady Melania in a red carpet ceremony after what is believed to have been the first direct flight from Riyadh to Israel. During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope, Trump said on arrival.

During his two days in Riyadh, Trump received a warm welcome from Arab leaders, who focused on his desire to restrain Irans influence in the region, a commitment they found wanting in the Republican presidents Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. He also announced $110 billion in US arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Israel shares the antipathy that many Arab states have towards Iran, seeing the Islamic Republic as a threat to its very existence. Whats happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel, Trump said in public remarks at a meeting in Jerusalem with Rivlin.

Earlier, at the airport, Netanyahu said Israel hoped Trumps visit would be a milestone on the path towards reconciliation and peace. But he also repeated his right-wing governments political and security demands of the Palestinians, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.  Reuters

Hope of ultimate deal
OKLAHOMA CITY  State lawmakers return to work on Monday with no budget agreement and a Friday deadline for adjournment approaching.

Some sort of special session now appears almost certain after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach agreement on a revenue package that would offset an $878 million general revenue decline without a third straight year of deep cuts to state spending.

Because bills defined as tax increases require three-fourths majorities in both the House and Senate, and because the Republican majority is divided on tax increases, the small House Democratic contingent is in the unusual position of holding outsized leverage in negotiations.

The pivotal issue is the gross production tax on new wells. Currently, producers pay 2 percent on the first 36 months of production. This is generally the highest volume period of production. After 36 months the rate goes to 7 percent.

House Democrats initial position was a return to 7 percent for all production. Republicans had no gross production proposal on the table, but several budget-makers said they were open to an increase.

On Friday Minority Leader Scott Inman, D-Del City, said Democrats would accept between 4 and 5 percent on new production, depending on the length of the tax discount period.

Republicans said such an increase would lead to layoffs in the oil and gas industry, even as it gears up exploration in new formations northwest of Oklahoma City.

Some frustrated legislators have taken to Twitter to attack each other and the opposing parties positions. Republicans blame the situation on Inman, who they say is grandstanding for the benefit of his 2018 gubernatorial bid.

Democrats, after years of ridicule, blame GOP leadership and its close ties to the oil and gas industry for the states financial straits.

Largely overlooked in the budget controversy, several other issues remain unresolved heading into the final week of the session.

Among them are several pieces of Gov. Mary Fallins justice reinvestment initiative.

Opposition by district attorneys and a few key legislators apparently has apparently trapped those bills in conference committee, which could result in them not only failing this session but being ineligible for 2018, as well.
The Trump administration, in a significant escalation of its clash with the governments top ethics watchdog, has moved to block an effort to disclose any ethics waivers granted to former lobbyists who now work in the White House or federal agencies.

The latest conflict came in recent days when the White House, in a highly unusual move, sent a letter to Walter M. Shaub Jr., the head of the Office of Government Ethics, asking him to withdraw a request he had sent to every federal agency for copies of the waivers. In the letter, the administration challenged his legal authority to demand the information.

Dozens of former lobbyists and industry lawyers are working in the Trump administration, which has hired them at a much higher rate than the previous administration. Keeping the waivers confidential would make it impossible to know whether any such officials are violating federal ethics rules or have been given a pass to ignore them.

Shaub, who is in the final year of a five-year term after being appointed by President Barack Obama, said he had no intention of backing down. It is an extraordinary thing, Shaub said of the White House request. I have never seen anything like it.
They went head to head chasing the same story but 60 Minutes came out on top last night with 956,000 viewers over Sunday Nights 861,000. It was the highest episode so far this year for Nine.

Both stories, including news of a court injunction and alleged sex worker past, drew plenty of headlines and social media chatter yesterday.

Meanwhile The Voice won its slot with Knockout Rounds, down on last Sunday. House Rules rose beyond the magic million, also its biggest audience this year. TEN moved a new Modern Family episode into the 7pm slot, but MasterChef managed a rise on last Sunday, including topping the demos.

Both Grantchester & Doctor Who dipped for ABC but Italys Invisible Cities pulled viewers in for SBS.

Nine network won Sunday with 30.7% then Seven 29.6%, TEN 18.4%, ABC 14.7% and SBS 6.6%.

Nine News was best for Nine with 1.09m then The Voice (1.06m), 60 Minutes (956,000) and 9/11: The Plane that Hit the Pentagon (460,000).

Seven News was #1 with 1.23m for Seven then House Rules (1.05m) and Sunday Night (861,000). The Suspects: True Australian Thrillers pulled 404,000.

MasterChef Australia drew 839,000 for TEN, its best Sunday audience this season. Modern Family was 535,000/ 374,000, Bull was 434,000, TEN Eyewitness News was 345,000, Family Feud was 298,000 and NCIS: New Orleans was 204,000.

ABC News (764,000), Grantchester (596,000), Doctor Who (422,000) and DCI Banks (362,000) comprised ABCs night.

On SBS it was Italys Invisible Cities (325,000), SBS World News (195,000) and The Story of God with Morgan Freeman (171,000).

Shaun the Sheep (183,000) showed up the multichannels.

OzTAM Overnights: Sunday 21 May 2017.
Foreign Correspondent screens a two part Channel 4 report, Hunting the KGB Killers on the 2006 murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

In 2016 British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned Vladimir Putin for presiding over state sponsored murder after an inquest into Litvinenkos death by radiation poisoning.

Part 1 airs this week.

For the first time, British investigators tell the inside story of the bizarre murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko  and the Kremlins attempts to thwart them at every turn. In a tale thats stranger than fiction, a teapot is the murder weapon.

Meddling in western elections, seizing territory in Ukraine, bullying critics at home and abroad  how far will Russia go to impose its will?

A clue lies in the murder of a former KGB spy-turned-whistleblower in a hotel in Londons swanky Mayfair just over a decade ago. While meeting with two Russians, Alexander Sasha Litvinenko took some green tea with honey and lemon.

For some reason I didnt like it. Its almost cold tea. I drink maybe three or four times  statement by Alexander Litvinenko to police

It took weeks for Litvinenko to die

He was in diabolical pain  Clive Timmons, Met Police

and for British police investigators to establish that apart from honey and lemon, the teapot contained a million times the lethal dose of polonium-210, one of the most deadly, radioactive toxins known to science.

The investigators have maintained their silence  until now.

In this gripping documentary from Channel 4, they speak for the first time about their investigation  the initial disbelief, the race to extract Litvinenkos story before he died, the tracking of the Russian suspects along a winding radioactive polonium trail through London, and the cat and mouse games they encountered when they came up against the might of the Kremlin.

Also speaking out are Marina and Anatoly, the wife and son Litvinenko left behind.

Once upon a time, back in Moscow, the then KGB operative Litvinenko had raised concerns about abuse of power with his boss, then KGB director Vladimir Putin. Next he went public, and got jailed for his trouble. Upon his release he fled to London, sought asylum and began helping British spy agency MI6.

Last year an official British inquiry concluded that there was a strong probability that the FSB (formerly the KGB) had killed Litvinenko, and that President Vladimir Putin had probably approved the operation.

9.30pm Tuesday May 23 and part two at 9.30pm on Tuesday May 30 on ABC.
A civil case by actress Rebel Wilson against Bauer Media got underway in Melbourne yesterday with the Pitch Perfect and Big Night Out star suing the magazine empire for loss of income, claiming she lost roles after a series of magazine articles.

Wilsons team claims eight articles published by Womans Day in 2015 gave the impression she was a serial liar who invented fantastic stories including falsifying her age.

Barrister Matthew Collins, QC, told the six-woman jury Bauer tore down an Australian star to sell magazines claiming the magazine said she had lied about her age, from 35 to 29.

Everyone was saying that Rebel was a liar, the grapevine went beserk.

[Bauer Media] refused to let the facts get in the way of a good story, he said.

This defendant knows that what it wrote was simply false.

The court also heard she lost acting opportunities because of the articles.

The phone just stopped ringing, he said.

In court the jury watched home videos and clips from Pitch Perfect to illustrate how Wilson had made a career from her suburban upbringing.

Hugh Sheridan, as well as Wilson and her family, are set to give evidence during the trial.

The court also heard about a stoush between Wilson and Bauer Media after a journalist contacted the stars 86-year-old grandmother and tried to manipulate the elderly woman to dish dirt on her granddaughter.

Wilson then tweeted about the journalist, stating here she is, total scum, but got the womans identity wrong.

Bauer Media then threatened to take legal action.

The companys lawyer, Georgina Schoff QC, told the jury that was why we are all here.

Outside the court Wilson remained determined to take on the media company, saying she wouldnt be intimidated.

The case is expected to last for 3 weeks ..and 3 months of headlines.

Source: Fairfax, AAP
Good news for Seven with US comedy Trial and Error renewed for a second season.

The series stars John Lithgow as a professor who is accused of murdering his wife, while a young New York attorney (Nicholas DAgosto) winds up as his defence lawyer.

The cast also included Jayma Mays, Steven Boyer, Sherri Shepherd, and Krysta Rodriguez.

It debuted in the US with just under 5 million viewers and is currently screening Wednesday nights in Australia on Seven.

Season 2, which will feature a new case, will comprise 10 episodes.

Source: EW.com
A Review into the Australian Communications and Media Authority has recommended the regulator take over the functions of the Classification Board and Classification Review Board Scheme.

It found content classification in Australia is highly fragmented and responsibility for regulation is split across the Classification Board, the ACMA, the Childrens eSafety Commissioner and state and territory law enforcement bodies.

While films in cinemas and on DVD are classified by the Classification Board, the same content on television is classified under ACMA. Online films and computer games fall under the responsibility of both the Classification Board and the Childrens eSafety Commissioner.

The Review has concluded that the ACMA would be well placed to administer a harmonised

classification scheme, including associated industry self-classification arrangements and

electronic classification tools.

This would unite online and offline classification functions within a modernised classification scheme for the benefit of consumers and industry.

While the Classification Board noted in its submission that the community values its independence and impartiality and that its members are broadly representative of the Australian community the

Review said ACMA makes decisions independently of government and provides options for incorporating community views in its decision-making.

The Review also recommended splitting the Chair and Chief Executive Roles to allow the Chair to focus on strategic direction with the CEO responsible for administration and operational performance.
The latest trial involving disgraced Australian entertainer Rolf Harris is underway in the UK.

The case is being retried after an earlier jury could not agree on a verdict.

Harris, 87, is on trial on four charges of indecent assault against three teenagers between 1971 and 1983. He appeared in person for the first time after being released from prison. He had been participating via video-link beforehand, but was released from prison on Friday morning.

The woman, who was 13 at the time of the alleged incident, claimed Harris groped her after he appeared on the BBCs Saturday Superstore in 1983.

He denies the charges.

The complainant, who gave evidence via video link was quizzed on her motives for coming forward 30 years after the alleged incident.

Asked by prosecutor Jonathan Rees if she had made a claim for compensation, she said: No I havent, and I dont intend to.

This has never been about compensation, its been about vindication and justice.

The jurors have previously been told that Harris was convicted and sentenced for other offences in 2014.

The trial continues.

Source: BBC, HuffPost
This is a review of episodes 1 & 2 of 2017 series.

Whatever questions we have about Twin Peaks (and there are plenty), one thing is clear: David Lynch has lost none of his striking touch, some 25 years after this series ended.

Baffling, dazzling, trippy it may be, but across it all is a distinctive directorial tone unlike anything else on television. While other shows may have ventured down a path of surreal television (lookin at you American Gods), Lynch is unafraid to play with time and space.

There is so much stillness in his work. There are wide shots, slow-tracking cams, pregnant pauses and actors sitting in silence. And then it is all disrupted with flashes of chaotic violence. Its like Lynch brings us Waiting for Godot on acid

But for anyone unfamiliar with the previous outings there are no free passes here. No Previously on Twin Peaks to bring you up to speed in the script by Lynch and Mark Frost.

Ill see you again in 25 years, Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) told FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) all those years ago in the red confines of the Black Lodge. Now 25 years on its time for Cooper to leave the Lodge -but only after his doppelganger (McLachlan in a dual role) returns first. Thats going to be some challenge given he is wreaking havoc in South Dakota and has no plans to return.

This instalment shifts between several locations, those in Twin Peaks Washington, were amongst the most fleeting of all.

Instead we focus on a young student (Ben Rosenfield) in an NYC warehouse apartment, hired by a mysterious billionaire to watch a glass box under the glare of lights and video cameras. Working without any insight into the mysteries of the box, he gets a rude lesson in dark forces during an intimate moment with sexy friend Tracy (Madeline Zima). Its a scene we will revisit later

The key action takes place in Buckhorn, South Dakota where Marjorie Green calls police over fears for her neighbour Ruth Davenport. Its a black comedy of errors until Ruths grisly remains are discovered, setting in motion the arrest of school principal Will Hastings (Matthew Lillard). Meanwhile Coopers doppelganger is going after co-conspirators Ray and Daria, and tidying up other business in Buckhorn.

At Twin Peaks loglady (Catherine Coulson) is passing on crucial information to Deputy Sherriff Hawk (Michael Horse): Something is missing and you have to find it. It has something to do with Special Agent Dale Cooper.

And in the hypnotic, eerie surrounds of the Red Room, Cooper is visited by several previous characters all passing on widsom: Laura Palmer, Leland (Ray Wise), Mike (Al Strobel) and a talking tree suggesting it is the re-embodiment of The Man from Another Place (aka Mikes Left Arm).

There were other blast-from-the-past cast members, Grace Zabriskie, James Marshall, Kimmy Robertson, Harry Goaz, Richard Beymer, David Patrick Kelly, Madchen Amick -and a cameo by Aussie Gia Carides. Trying to stay on top of everybody and how they connect is a chore.

From its opening strains of Angelo Badalamentis theme (which frankly, we dont hear enough of) to the parade of perplexing scenes, Twin Peaks raises far more questions than it answers.

Twin Peaks is streaming on Stan.
The immersive new website answers five common questions people are asking about the Syrian refugee crisis.  Getty Images

New York / London / Paris / Berlin / Madrid  UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and Google are launching a powerful new website that gives global online audiences an informative and compelling insight into the Syrian refugee crisis, its staggering human cost and the worlds humanitarian response aimed at helping millions of Syrian families, forced from their homes by violence and persecution, survive and restore their dignity.

The Searching for Syria website (https://www.searchingforsyria.org) combines UNHCR data and stories, Google Search Trends and other sources to deliver answers to the five most common queries that people around the world are asking about the Syrian refugee crisis:

What was Syria like before the war?

What is happening in Syria?

Who is a refugee?

Where are Syrian refugees going?

How can I help Syrian refugees?

The answers are delivered through rich and immersive multimedia content  some produced by UNHCR and some provided by Google.

Searching for Syria aims to dispel myths and misconceptions about Syria and refugees and provide an entirely fresh look at the biggest humanitarian tragedy of today, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. This is a fantastic project with Google that allows us to pinpoint and answer the five key questions about Syrian refugees and displaced that audiences most want to know and help us rally much needed support and funding for our humanitarian effort.

Were proud to work with the UNHCR to develop Searching for Syria to help raise awareness and inform the world on the human cost of the ongoing conflict and the refugee crisis, said Jacquelline Fuller, Vice President of Google.org. The scale of the Syrian refugee crisis is difficult for most of us to fathom, but the questions on Searching for Syria are a reflection of many people's desire to understand. Among the top searches in Germany, France, and the UK last year was: What is happening in Syria?

With the Syrian crisis in its seventh year testing the international resolve and ability to end the conflict, more than five million Syrian refugees face increasing hardships and risks. Host communities in neighbouring countries region continue to bear the brunt of the response to the Syrian crisis in a manner that is not sustainable. Meanwhile, the humanitarian effort for Syrian refugees, led by UNHCR, faces critical challenges with only 17 per cent of funds available to meet the immediate needs of uprooted Syrian families this year.

Throughout the experience of the Searching for Syria website, audiences can browse through the five queries and dive deeper into the content through short editorial passages, refugee profiles, photographs and videos. For users wishing to engage further, the website will offer options to share content via social networks, donate or sign up to UNHCRs #WithRefugees global petition asking the world leaders to ensure education for refugee children, adequate shelter and livelihoods for refugee families.

The Searching for Syria website is available in English, French, German and Spanish with an Arabic version soon to follow. The website will be featured on the Google home page (http://www.google.com) in selected countries or can be accessed directly at http://www.searchingforsyria.org.

About Syrian refugee crisis:

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, approximately half of the countrys population (estimated 22 million) has been forced to flee their homes. More than five million live as refugees in neighbouring countries. This makes Syrians the largest refugee group in the world. Another 6.3 million are displaced inside Syria.

Nine in 10 Syrian refugees live in rural and urban host communities in neighbouring countries. Only about 10 per cent of more than five million Syrian refugees live in camp settings.

Turkey, with nearly three million registered Syrian refugees, is the top refugee hosting country in the world.

Iraq hosts 236,772 registered Syrian refugees.

Lebanon hosts more than one million Syrian refugees (1,011,366). Approximately one in four people in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee.

The 2017 appeal to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees is only 17 per cent funded.



About UNHCR:

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is mandated by the United Nations to lead and coordinate international action for the worldwide protection of refugees and the resolution of refugee problems. Established in 1950, UNHCR has been twice awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its humanitarian work  in 1954 and in 1981.



About Google:

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.



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For Google:
All the security of a Transgender bathroom at TargetLOl (Hi CIA guys - look at my **** dooods...jealous?!...kiss mah Trumper!)WikiLeaks: CIA can hack into phones, TVs  everythingHow Digital Detectives Deciphered Stuxnet, the Most Menacing Malware in HistoryIt has already been confirmed since at least 2010 and in multiple ways that Stuxnet (malware/virus), created by the U.S. and Israel, infected and continues to sabotage the Fukushima nuclear power station by attacking the Siemens SCADA control systems.The same Stuxnet is also responsible for sabotaging the thermometers in the nuclear reactors that continue to fail, like it is the case in unit 2, falsely blamed on workers who cripple the instruments. Thermometers like in Fukushima are operated through/linked to the SCADA control systems which are still infected with Stuxnet, this means that also the thermometers are exposed to the Stuxnet infection.Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against IranWASHINGTON  From his first months in office, President Obama secretly ordered increasingly sophisticated attacks on the computer systems that run Irans main nuclear enrichment facilities, significantly expanding Americas first sustained use of cyberweapons, according to participants in the program.Mr. Obama decided to accelerate the attacks  begun in the Bush administration and code-named Olympic Games  even after an element of the program accidentally became public in the summer of 2010 because of a programming error that allowed it to escape Irans Natanz plant and sent it around the world on the Internet. Computer security experts who began studying the worm, which had been developed by the United States and Israel, gave it a name: Stuxnet.A leading Japanese journalist recently made two incredible claims about the Fukushima power plant that suffered a nuclear meltdown in March 2011, sending shockwaves around the world. First, the former editor of a national newspaper in Japan says the U.S. and Israel knew Fukushima had weapons-grade uranium and plutonium that were exposed to the atmosphere after a massive tsunami wave hit the reactor. Second, he contends that Israeli intelligence sabotaged the reactor in retaliation for Japans support of an independent Palestinian state.In the radio show, Wigington points out the all-too-obvious hypocrisy, namely the Obama administrations angry denunciations of unproven allegations of Russian hacking of the US presidential electionwhile the very same administration is guilty of having launched a cyber attack on Iranian nuclear facilitiesan act of war essentially.I am reproducing below the three articles Wigington cites in his discussion on Stuxnet, plus the additional one I found on the discovery of the Stuxnet worm in Japan five months before the nuclear disaster.America and Israel Created a Monster Computer Virus Which Now Threatens Nuclear Reactors WorldwideThis Is Insane: Former CIA Chief Lauds (Praises) Stuxnet Virus Use Against Iran! (And What About Fukushima?)(just like terrorist events which have happened to britian and belgium and france and Malaysia(2 jets) have done -db)HERES THE PUBLIC EVIDENCE RUSSIA HACKED THE DNC  ITS NOT ENOUGHWikileaks: CIA can make cyberattacks look like they originate from RussiaWhat did we learn about how the CIA may try to make American hacking look like the work of hackers from other countries like Russia?The CIA has a library of attack code taken from multiple sources and sorted by function, including a program from a Russian criminal kit that permits spyware to survive rebooting and a data-destruction tool lifted from a suspected Iranian operation. One purpose of such a collection is to avoid having to write programs from scratch, while another is to confuse anyone who discovers the malware in action.The documents released so far do not show that the CIA set out to deceive victims into believing they had been hacked by someone else, but it suggests that the agency was capable of doing so if it wanted.tax dollars at werk
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella teases that the upcoming Surface Phone will change the perception of tech enthusiasts about the current line of handsets in the market. Although the tech giant remains tight-lipped about the highly anticipated Microsoft Surface Phone, but reports are claiming that Microsoft is building three versions of the smartphone aiming at business and corporate users.

The Redmond, Washington based tech titan is expected to roll out a new smartphone, dubbed as the Surface Phone. Microsoft CEO Nadella made it known that tech fans could see an amazing smartphone that may not look like handsets that are already out in the market.

Although Microsoft remains mum on the highly anticipated Surface Phone, but reports are claiming that the tech giant is building three versions of the Surface Phone to target business and corporate users. Tech fans and experts could expect that the Microsoft Surface Phone would be a strong competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S8, Google Pixel and iPhone, Market Exclusive reported.

Meanwhile, the upcoming Surface Phone will likely stand to benefit Microsoft from a price break, which may have the same price like the tablets or phablets. Nonetheless, the upcoming Microsoft Surface Phone is expected to come along with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor and will be equipped with a 4 to 6GB of RAM.

The Microsoft Surface Phone may also run the Windows 10 Continuum mobile version to support Win32 apps. Microsoft's upcoming device is expected to boast a foldable feature. The Surface Phone could be a pocket sized PC that can keep an on the go person productive, Learn Bonds reported.

The specs of the Microsoft Surface Phone also include a 5.5-inch AMOLED display screen. The upcoming handset is expected to have a 21MP primary snapper and an 8MP front-facing shooter. Several reports are claiming that Microsoft's much awaited device could roll out during the holidays of 2017.

Watch The Video Here:
PLATTSMOUTH  Two southeast Nebraska men entered guilty pleas Monday morning in Cass County criminal cases involving motor vehicles.

The first Cass County District Court case involved Nebraska City resident Adam J. Ellison, 30. He pled guilty to Class I misdemeanor charges of false reporting and carrying a concealed weapon. He also pled guilty to one Class II misdemeanor offense of leaving the scene of an accident.

Deputy County Attorney Steven Sunde told the court Ellison had been involved in a hit-and-run incident at the intersection of Highway 75 and Chicago Avenue this winter. Ellison collided with the rear end of a trailer truck at the intersection. He then left the area without exchanging information with the other driver.

Two Cass County Sheriffs Office deputies spotted a car that fit the description of the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run while they were on duty on Feb. 14. They stopped the car after they noticed it had front-end damage.

Sunde said Ellison denied being involved in the accident when the deputies spoke to him in the car. They said Ellison gave several conflicting stories during the conversation. They then requested permission to search the vehicle after smelling the odor of marijuana. They found a knife with a seven-inch blade concealed in the console of the car.

Ellison remains free on bond. Sentencing will take place July 31.

The second case involved Lincoln resident David O. Mitchell, 49. He pled guilty to one Class IV felony charge of driving under revocation-first offense. The state agreed to reduce its original Class IIA felony charge of driving while revoked from DUI as part of a plea bargain. The plea deal called for Mitchell to have his drivers license suspended for an additional 15 years.

Deputy County Attorney Steven Sunde told the court a Nebraska State Patrol trooper spotted Mitchell speeding in his vehicle at 9 a.m. Jan. 4. Mitchell was westbound on Highway 34 near 250th Street when the trooper pulled him over.

Sunde said Mitchell was currently serving a 15-year license revocation for having two prior drunk-driving offenses. The most recent offense happened in 2014.

Mitchell remains free on bond. Sentencing will take place July 17.
May 22 2017

JCDecaux has unveiled its latest digital billboard, the Edinburgh Arch, overlooking the Gogar Roundabout close to Edinburgh Airport.Motorists are now presented by two 41 sq/m HD screens displaying branded content as part of a citywide digitization of roadside and public transport signage.Spencer Berwin, co-chief executive officer at JCDecaux, said: The Edinburgh Arch is perfectly situated to reach a diverse audience of affluent urban residents and a growing number of international visitors. The grand scale of the installation and premium quality of the screens make the Edinburgh Arch a highly impactful addition to Channel Edinburgh and a significant step in our digital network expansion across the UK.Paul Lawrence, executive director of place at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: Weve been pleased to develop a strong partnership with JCDecaux over the past two years, introducing 21st century technology to the Edinburgh streetscape. The digitisation of Princes Street has enhanced the capitals already thriving retail environment, offering both the Council and businesses an innovative way to reach the community, and the Edinburgh Arch will further demonstrate the partnerships pioneering approach.JCDecauxs Blueprint for the Future has previously seen bus shelters on Princes Street given a facelift with similar arch structures having already been installed at Trafford and Salford.
May 22 2017

Smith Scott Mullan Architects have filed plans for a new fire and rescue training facility at Newbridge, Edinburgh , following expiry of a previous outline approval for the same site.Located adjacent to an existing fire service HQ within Claylands Road Industrial Estate the facility will rise on an area of scrubland to provide a range of environments to simulate hazards and disaster scenarios.The headquarters building will also house office space, changing rooms and a reception area, with the expectation that this will be delivered in two phases.In their design statement the architects wrote: The building is clad in dark brick, lending it a robust appearance fitting to its function. Window sizes are generally limited to control undesirable solar gain to offices and similar spaces. Larger areas of glazing are concentrated on the entrance corner and south elevation, serving reception and canteen spaces. Vertical timber batten solarshading on the corner and the overhanging roof signal the main entrance.A tall parapet to the roof hides roof-top plant and affords safe maintenance access without the need for other forms of edge protection or harnesses.Offering real-fire training for the east of Scotland the centre will include a technical support building as well as training buildings with LPG-powered fires and artificial smoke following closure of two other real-fire training facilities in Edinburgh.
PLATTSMOUTH  Four eastern Nebraska residents appeared in Cass County District Court on Monday for plea hearings in their drug cases.

The mornings first case involved Plattsmouth resident David A. Adsit, 52. He pled guilty to one Class IV felony of possession of controlled substance-methamphetamine. The state agreed to recommend probation if Adsit enters a drug treatment program. The state also agreed to dismiss a similar charge against co-defendant Julie A. Adsit, 49.

Deputy County Attorney Colin Palm told the court Plattsmouth police officers conducted a search warrant at the Adsit residence in Plattsmouth on Nov. 4. Officers located two glass pipes that contained drug residue during their search. The glass pipes were on a coffee table in the living room.

Police contacted David Adsit after he returned home from work and questioned him about the glass pipes. Palm said Adsit admitted to authorities that he had used one of the pipes that morning. Workers at the state crime lab later confirmed the presence of drug residue on the pipes.

Adsit remains free on bond. The court set a sentencing date of July 10.

Plattsmouth resident Melissa A. Ingram, 45, took part in the days second case. She pled guilty to one Class I misdemeanor of attempted possession of controlled substance-methamphetamine. The state agreed to recommend probation as part of a plea bargain.

Deputy County Attorney Steven Sunde said Plattsmouth police and Cass County Sheriffs Office deputies conducted a search warrant at Ingrams Plattsmouth residence on Dec. 9. Ingram was present at the time of the search.

Sunde said authorities found several drug-related items that contained trace amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana. The state crime lab confirmed the presence of drugs on a glass pipe.

Ingram remains free on bond. Sentencing will take place July 17.

Fremont resident Ryan T. Laufer, 25, appeared in the third case. Laufer pled guilty to Class I misdemeanor charges of attempted possession of controlled substance-oxycontin and false reporting. He also pled guilty to a Class III misdemeanor of criminal mischief-less than $500.

The state agreed to recommend probation as part of a plea bargain. The state also reduced the drug offense from its original felony status and lowered the criminal mischief charge from its original Class II misdemeanor level.

Sunde told the court Laufer drove from his home in Fremont to the KFC/Taco Bell restaurant in Plattsmouth on Jan. 22. Sunde said Laufer knew a female would be working at the restaurant on that date and knew what her car looked like. Several eyewitnesses told police they saw Laufer get out of his car and puncture a tire on the victims car.

Police found Laufer in his vehicle a short distance away from the restaurant parking lot. He denied he had been near the victims car and said he had not ruined her tire. The officer who was interviewing Laufer saw a sandwich baggie full of blue pills in plain sight in his car. The baggie contained 17 pills that were later identified as oxycontin.

Sunde told the court Laufer had paid $60 in restitution prior to the court appearance. Laufer remains free on bond. Sentencing will take place July 17.

Former Nehawka resident Shonnelle K. Poppleton, 44, appeared in the fourth drug-related case. She pled guilty to one Class IIA felony of distribution of a controlled substance-marijuana. The state agreed to dismiss a Class IIA felony charge of distribution of a controlled substance-oxymorphone as part of a plea bargain.

Deputy County Attorney Richard Fedde told the court a Cass County Sheriffs Office investigator worked with a confidential informant on the case against Poppleton. The confidential informant arranged to meet Poppleton at her former Cass County residence in October. Poppleton, who now lives in Bellevue, sold 1.06 grams of marijuana to the confidential informant during the meeting.

Poppleton remains free on bond. Sentencing will take place July 24.
UW Students Honored During Nursing Convocation Ceremony

Fourteen University of Wyoming nursing students were honored for their various contributions during the recent Nursing Convocation ceremony, which took place May 12 in the College of Arts and Sciences auditorium.

Drew Adriaens, of Sheridan, was the recipient of the Rudolph Rudy and Louise Anselmi and Jeri Kirk Family Trust Nursing Scholarship for demonstrating leadership and responsibility. This scholarship was established by Rudolph Anselmi, who was instrumental in sponsoring the legislation that authorized the establishment of the UW School of Nursing in 1951. The leadership award is one of the many ways Anselmi supported the school and is presented in memory of his wife, Louise.

Lawrence Boram, of Laramie, received the Lina Kennedy White Memorial Award for interest in and aptitude for gerontology. This award honors White, who was active in nursing in the Laramie community for many years. Following her death in the fall of 1980, her daughters -- Mrs. Billie Shepard, of Laramie, and Mrs. Bob McBride, of Buffalo -- established a memorial fund.

Barbara Eakin, of Cheyenne, received the Professional Nurse Award for excellence in practice, community service and professional service. A former faculty member sponsors this award, which is given to a graduate of the RN-BSN completion program.

Anna Felton, of Lander, received the Dr. Carol Macnee Scholarship award for demonstrating excellence in scholarship and/or research. Macnee was a professor in the School of Nursing, who was killed in a car accident in 2008. The faculty and staff of the School of Nursing established this award to remember Macnees commitment to research and scholarship.

Kristy Gambill, of Cody, received the Gertrude Gould Memorial Award for excellence in public health nursing practice. Gould was a member of the planning committee to establish a nursing program at UW. The award in her name was established by funds donated by the Laramie Medical Group.

Kristin Kapeles, of Casper, received the Amelia Leino Memorial Award for demonstrating academic excellence and a strong aptitude for family nursing. Leino was appointed the first dean of the nursing program when it was established in 1951. She provided the leadership necessary to establish a Bachelor of Science degree program at the university. Funds for this award come from friends and alumni of the School of Nursing to be given to an on-campus, Basic BSN Program graduate.

Chris Klein, of Fort Collins, Colo., is the recipient of the Courage to Teach Award for the personification of a critically reflective attitude about learning and teaching. Two former faculty members, as well as a previous recipient of this award, sponsor this award for a graduate in the masters nurse educator program. The recipient of this award is able to teach from the heart.

James Kuster, of Boulder, Colo., received the Dr. Patsy Hesen Haslam Leadership Award for demonstrating leadership and grace in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program. This award was created by DNP Program faculty member Ann Marie Haslam Hart, in memory of her mother, Patsy Hesen Haslam. Haslam was a nursing and public health advocate in southern West Virginia, whose community leadership inspired educational and public health initiatives across Appalachia.

Mackenzie McCoy, of Casper, received the School of Nursing Spirit Award for demonstrating exceptional spirit and enthusiasm. This award, given to an on-campus, Basic BSN Program graduate, is specifically funded by faculty and staff to show appreciation for a student who cheered everyone up, who was a pleasure to have in class, who is a pleasure to be around, and who makes us proud to know as a graduate of our program.

Anne Monahan Jones, of Gillette, received the Change Agent Award for demonstrating a commitment to improving and changing health. This award was created by the DNP Program faculty.

Gretchen Palmquist, of Moran, received the Dorothy Tupper Memorial Award for demonstrating caring, compassion and interpersonal communication. Tupper joined the faculty in 1952, serving as dean for several years. This award has been maintained with funds given by the class of 1962 in memory of Judy Oglivie, a public health nurse.

Rebekah Sabados, of Brighton, Colo., received the Beverly McDermott Award for demonstrating leadership and political activism. McDermott was on the UW faculty for 25 years, was counselor for the Student Nurses Association and was active in the American Nurses Association.

Sarah Smith, of Gillette, received the Susan McCabe Psychiatric Mental Health Award for demonstrating academic excellence, passion for knowledge and superior clinical practice in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program. McCabe was killed in a car accident in 2008. The faculty and staff of the School of Nursing established this award to remember McCabes passion for psychiatric mental health nursing.

Sarah Stone, of Hill Air Force Base, Utah, received the Passion for Nursing Award for demonstrating passion, a spirit of eagerness and devotion for nursing. This award is given to a graduate from the Bachelors Reach for Accelerated Nursing Degree (BRAND), and is sponsored by a former faculty member.
PLATTSMOUTH  A former local resident admitted Monday morning that he had neglected to pay more than $80,000 in child support over the past 15 years.

Jon M. Lewin, 50, pled guilty to three counts of attempted criminal non-support during a hearing in Cass County District Court. The state had originally charged Lewin with six felony-level counts but agreed to dismiss three of the cases. The state also agreed to reduce the remaining three charges to misdemeanors.

Deputy County Attorney Richard Fedde told the court Lewin went through divorce proceedings in Cass County District Court in February 2001. The divorce settlement required Lewin to pay $452 per month in child support.

Fedde said Lewin owed $82,297.99 in unpaid child support and interest payments as of Sept. 30, 2016. He said Lewin had paid a total of $75 from April 2015 to September 2016. He said authorities determined Lewin had the ability to pay a larger amount of child support but had failed to do so.

Lewin lived in Athens, Ala., before he was arrested by Alabama authorities in December. He was transported to Cass County Jail earlier this year.

Defense attorney Julie Bear told the court Lewin had been incarcerated on federal charges for a period of time. She said that was the primary reason he had not paid a large portion of his required child support.

Lewin remains in Cass County Jail. The court set a sentencing date of July 17.
The three deaths on Everest over the weekend bring the toll to five so far this season, which has been hit by unpredictable weather, strong winds and unusually cold temperatures AFP/ROBERTO SCHMIDT

More than a dozen climbers have also been rescued from the 8,848m mountain in the last three days after running into difficulties while attempting to summit, helicopter rescue operators told AFP.

The three deaths over the weekend bring the toll to five so far this season, which has been hit by unpredictable weather, strong winds and unusually cold temperatures.

Slovak climber Vladamir Strba was found dead on Everest on Sunday, a few hundred metres from the summit, Kamal Parajuli of Nepal's Tourism Department confirmed.

He was above the 8,000-metre mark -- known as the mountain's "death zone" -- when he died, an area that also claimed the life of American climber Roland Yearwood.

The death zone is notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air, where low levels of oxygen heighten the risk of altitude sickness.

An Australian climber died on the Tibet side of the mountain, local media reported, quoting the Tibet Mountaineering Association.

The 54-year-old from Queensland was reportedly hit by altitude sickness after reaching 7,500m and died as he was trying to descend.

A forth climber has been missing since Saturday when he lost contact shortly after reaching the summit. His Nepali guide was found unconscious at Camp 4, just below 8,000m, with severe frostbite.

A search operation in underway for the climber, who is from India's northern Uttar Pradesh state, but authorities at base camp were unable to contact the rescue team on Monday morning.

Other deaths this season include that of legendary Swiss climber Ueli Steck in late April while on an acclimatization climb, and 85-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan who perished attempting to reclaim his title as the world's oldest person to summit Everest.

More than 120 climbers have successfully summited Everest from the south side so far this season with another 80 reaching the peak from the Tibet side.

Hundred of climbers are still waiting to summit before the monsoon arrives in early June, which marks the end of the short spring climbing season.

Last year Everest claimed the lives of five climbers, while a total of 640 people summited from both sides of the mountain.
PLATTSMOUTH  A Hickman man admitted Monday morning that he had been driving drunk in Cass County after he was found asleep in his car with an empty vodka bottle.

Matthew P. Morrison, 47, pled guilty to one Class W misdemeanor of driving under the influence of alcohol-third offense in Cass County District Court. Morrison also admitted he had committed two prior DUI offenses in the past 15 years. The state reduced its original felony-level charge to a misdemeanor as part of a plea bargain.

Deputy County Attorney Colin Palm told the court a citizen saw Morrisons car parked in the middle of an off-ramp in western Cass County on Nov. 24. The off-ramp led from Interstate 80 to Highway 66. A Cass County Sheriffs Office deputy soon arrived on scene and attempted to talk to Morrison in the car.

Palm said Morrison was asleep behind the wheel and was initially unresponsive. The deputy saw one empty bottle of vodka and one opened bottle of vodka in the car. Morrison eventually woke up and began talking with the deputy. The deputy arrested him after conducting several field sobriety tests. A chemical breath test taken at Cass County Jail revealed a blood-alcohol content level of .187.

Morrison had been convicted of two prior DUI offenses in the local area. The first conviction took place in April 2005 in Sarpy County. The second conviction took place in October 2005 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

The court set a sentencing date of July 24. Morrison remains free on bond. He has completed a chemical dependency evaluation and has enrolled in treatment. Palm told the court Morrison was required to begin treatment as part of the plea bargain.
Infrastructure to be Chinas signature export

It is not a coincidence that the high-speed rail was chosen as the first and main mode of transportation for a press trip regarding Chinas One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. The 10-day trip included reporters from 10 ASEAN nations and tours of Hunan and Jiangxi.

The distance between Guangzhou and Hunan is 800 kilometres. The high-speed train, at full capacity, can travel 300km per hour  and this is not even Chinas newest high-speed passenger train. At the end of December, China opened the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed rail linking the prosperous east with the disadvantaged southwest.

According to CRRC Corporation, the 2,252km long Shanghai-Kunming rail link is one of the longest in the world, passing through the five provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. Its maximum velocity of 330km per hour reduces the journey from Shanghai to Kunming from 34 to 11 hours.

The quality and punctuality of Chinas high-speed rail system is comparable to systems in Europe and Japan.

In only one decade, the country has built more than 20,000km of high-speed rail lines, connecting the majority of Chinese urban areas. Chinas experience in high-speed locomotives has led them to choose it as their national symbol, to be highlighted as a product that the country can export to the rest of world.

CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., one of the subsidiaries of CRRC, which supplies carriages and locomotives, is targeting ASEAN members and countries in the OBOR region specifically. The companys first export order was in 1997, and its products are now present in over 30 nations worldwide. In Southeast Asia, the company has built a strong presence in Malaysia. Its success here has helped CRRC to win building contracts for the 350km high-speed rail linking Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia to Singapore.

Because the Trans-Asia rail link between Singapore and Kunming passes through Vietnam, it is a market that infrastructure and locomotive companies in China have their eye on.

Before Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang visited China recently, local government agencies received proposals from CRRC, in which the company expressed its desire to help Vietnam finance and solve technical problems in various rail projects  specifically the Yen Vien-Pha Lai-Halong-Cai Lan project, the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong project, the Saigon-Moc Bai project, and the high-speed North-South railway. These projects can potentially be connected to the Trans-Asia rail system that China and other regional countries are working to build.

Promise of win-win

Authorities and companies in Hunan and Jiangxi have been preparing for exponential growth when the 21st century Silk Road project is finished. Products that will be transported on this road are mainly pieces of heavy industrial equipment and made in China.

Chinese companies and investors in the OBOR region are eligible for preferential financing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). More than a year since its establishment, AIIB, with total capital of $100 billion  of which China has contributed $50 billion  has lent $1.73 billion to nine projects in the public and private sectors. Countries in the OBOR region expect that the bank will also accelerate lending to investors in the private sector for large infrastructure projects.

China confirms that companies from all nations involved will benefit from OBOR, and trade between China and other nations will be balanced and equitable.

The Chinese Ambassador in Vietnam, Hong Xiaoyong, said that the OBOR initiative is in line with the aim of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, issued by the governments of the Asean members in September 2016.

The plan targets a seamless, and comprehensively connected ASEAN that will promote competitiveness, inclusiveness, and a greater sense of community through physical, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity.

This is what all countries in the region are targeting and is inevitable for sustainable growth, Xiaoyong said.

There are ASEAN companies that have achieved a lot of success in China. Thai company Charoen Pokphand is one of them. As one of the first companies to invest in Chinas animal feed industry, the company has invested a total of RMB100 billion ($14.5 billion) there, and has built 300 facilities.

Vithit Powattanasuk, director of the Information and Public Relations Division of the ASEAN-China Centre, said the initiative would give ASEAN companies a chance to access the 1.4 billion people in the Chinese market.

China has policies to support foreign firms that join in the project and it is up to the companies to make the most out of this chance, he said.

The OBOR initiative is set to reach 65 countries and 4.4 billion people. These countries account for 30 per cent of global GDP, and constitute one third of all global trade.
Children learn swimming at Tang Bat Ho swimming pool in Ha Nois Hai Ba Trung District. Drowning is still one of the leading causes of mortality among children in Viet Nam.-VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

ang Hoa Nam, director of the Child Care and Protection Department, said many children go swimming when its hot but do not have swimming skills.

Though Viet Nam boasts 3,260km of coastline and many rivers and lakes, swimming is only taught as an extra-curricular activity or at courses outside schools.

A recent survey by the department found only 35 per cent of children in the Mekong Delta and 10 per cent in the Red River Delta can swim.

The rate of children who can swim in cities is lower than in rural areas, according to the department.

In late 2010, the Government approved a 10-year strategy aimed at having all schools include swimming lessons in their extra-curriculum activities and universalise swimming among all students by 2020.

Drop in deaths

All provinces were instructed to pilot swimming programmes in primary schools by 2015, with a focus on third, fourth and fifth grade students.

The situation appears to have been somewhat improved. Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs data shows that the number of children who died of drowning dropped from 3,300 in 2012 to 1,800 in 2014.

Nonetheless, the goals are still far from fulfilled as most schools cant teach swimming regularly due to a lack of swimming instructors as well as money and land to build pools.

Vu Duy Anh, an official from the Ministry Education and Training, said teaching students to swim had been difficult due to limited funds and poor infrastructure. Many schools dont have swimming pools and it is difficult to build them depending only on State fund, he told Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper.

The ministry has encouraged schools to work with organisations and individuals to hold swimming courses in and outside schools.

Duong Thi Sau, head of education and training office in Ha Nois ong Anh District, said only 30 per cent of students in local schools could swim, although the capital has many lakes and ponds.

Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) ao Hong Lan advised schools to be more creative, suggesting using pools made of waterproof materials instead of cement, or swimming training in rivers instead of waiting for funds from the State.

Poor families

Last week, at least 10 drowning cases occurred, with more than 10 children dying in Binh Phuoc, Tien Giang and Quang Ngai provinces. Two of the dead were aged eight, Viet Nam Television reported. These children came from poor families and their parents were at work when the incidents occurred, it reported.

On April 25, two secondary school children in the central province of Quang Ngai drowned at a waterfall in Son Ha District. Earlier, four other sixth grade students in Gia Lai Province were reported to have drowned in a local river.

Nguyen Trong An, former deputy director of Child Care and Protection Department of MoLISA, attributed the problem mainly to the carelessness of families and concerned agencies.

Leaders of provinces and cities will find solutions to overcome current difficulties, such as funds to build pools or organise swimming courses for local children if they are really interested in the childrens rights and safety, An told Viet Nam Television recently.

They could seek investment from organisations, individuals and the community, he added.

The ministry sent a letter requesting the Peoples Committees of provinces and cities to strengthen work to prevent children drowning, Nam said.

Provinces would also need to review areas where drowning is common to ensure the safety of children during summer, rainy and flood seasons.

Localities were urged to set up warning signs at dangerous ponds and holes, increase communication activities to raise public awareness and mobilise efforts from different ministries, sectors, and communities to prevent child drowning, An said.
Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan addresses the National Assembly

At the opening ceremony of the session, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stated that the National Assembly is very important in institutionalising the Constitution, implementing regulations on the market economy, and boosting the economic restructuring process.

During the 22-day session, the legislature will consider and raitfy 13 laws and five draft resolutions and provide comments for another five drafts (see box).

These laws and resolutions are very important and they have drawn great attention from the public, Ngan said.

During the session, the National Assembly will also review, debate, and give opinions on a number of reports regarding the socioeconomic situation of 2016 and set objectives for 2017. In addition, the NA will evaluate the implementation of the 2016 national budget and make proposals for 2017.

The National Assembly ready to discuss laws and regulations essential for Vietnam's economic development

Ngan stated that the local economy has been witnessing positive developments, such as the improving investment and business climates, rising living standards, as well as the elevating global position and prestige of the country.

The government reported to the legislature that the economy grew by 5.1 per cent in this years first three monthsthe lowest first-quarter growth rate in the last few years.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who dictated the governments report on Vietnams economic situation in this years first four months and the whole of 2017, stated that the government would have to make great efforts to reach the growth target of about 6.7 per cent earlier set by the National Assembly.

Enterprises production and confidence are on the rise, Binh said.

The General Statistics Office reported that last year, that a record number of more than 110,000 enterprises were newly established, with a total registered capital sum of over VND891 trillion ($40.5 billion). This is far higher than 2015s 94,754 newly-registered enterprises and VND601.5 trillion ($27.34 billion). In addition, 27,000 enterprises resumed operations, another encouraging figure.

During this years first four months, Vietnam saw nearly 40,000 newly-established enterprises registered at $16.82 billion, up 14 and 49 per cent, respectively. The economys total newly-registered and newly-added capital was $37.5 billion.

The crucial issues in front of the National Assembly are the status of the private sector and next year's economic growth

Spain-based FocusEconomics, which provides in-depth economic analysis globally, told VIR that with a strong start to 2017, the Vietnamese economy is poised to accelerate this year after last years slowdown.

FocusEconomics panellists forecast that the economy will grow by 6.4 per cent in 2017 and 2018.

The outlook for the Vietnamese economy is bright: the on-going surge in manufacturing is fuelling household incomes and promises a sustained trade surplus. This should protect the economy from the headwinds of a weakening dong as rates in the US continue to climb, said the FocusEconomics report.

The panellists see fixed investment rising by 8.3 per cent in 2017, and 8 per cent in 2018.
Can you give us an update on the Wanna Decryptor cyber attack, also known as WannaCry? How secure is Vietnams cyberspace in light of this attack?

The major WannaCry ransomware attack used the network infection vector Eternal Blue, which exploits vulnerabilities in Microsofts implementation of the Server Message Block protocol, to spread itself, and there is likely more damage to come. The presence of a kill switch and the low turnover of ransom payments indicates that this attack was possibly testing the waters and may be followed up with something more serious in due course.

The group responsible for WannaCry has yet to be identified. However, many researchers conclude that the attack was not very sophisticated and may have used code samples published by other hackers.

International peers do not currently consider Vietnam as a safe Internet environment. Due to the high prevalence and adoption rate of new technologies, Vietnam is currently ranked the number-one most-attacked country in the world, with a malware encounter rate of over 40 per cent  the global average is 20 per cent. Awareness levels in Vietnam are still low for both the general public and IT professionals, since cyber security issues do not make headlines very often.

This view is confirmed by the various engagements that KPMG runs for our clients and the problem areas that we assist our clients with. That said, cyber security has become a growing concern for a lot of organisations in Vietnam after a number of attacks on Vietnamese airports, airlines, and banks in 2016.

Speaking of banks, recent scandals on card fraud and identity theft have caused Vietnamese cardholders to worry. What should banks do, and can firms in financial technology (fintech) help?

We can see that the banking sector is taking steps to make itself more secure. The State Bank of Vietnam now expects all Vietnamese banks to include a chip in their cards, which promises stronger security features to combat card fraud.

Other notable initiatives include more stringent identity verification and card centre operations that inform cardholders about their transactions. Many banks are planning, or already undergoing audits and certifications in line with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which introduces more than 300 controls that must be present to protect cardholder data and prevent card fraud.

We believe that only mature and large fintech companies are in a position to effectively protect customer information or to have their own internal identity verification controls. KPMG works with a number of banks on IT transformation projects, which aim to figure out how fintech can be integrated into the delivery channels and IT architectures securely.

It is also important to ensure that fintech companies cannot access sensitive customer information from the banks database. An emerging standard for data exchange is ISO 20022, in which banks can classify what information to pass on to fintech firms and what to keep private.

Likewise, resultant technologies in Format Preserving Encryption and Secure Stateless Tokenization ensure that banks do not share sensitive customer information with third-party technology partners.

Not only banks, but Internet users in Vietnam are vulnerable to losing their personal information in the era of social media and online shopping. How severe is this problem, and what can be done to solve it?

It is true that peoples online data is being exploited by companies. There are many ways in which people can divulge their personal information, such as through social media or by sending their bank information to various websites, including online shopping sites.

Browsing logs, search queries, or content on Facebook can be automatically processed to infer potentially more intrusive details about an individual, such as sexual orientation, political and religious views, race, substance use, intelligence, and personality. Agencies are hired to exploit this information for advertising purposes, or worse, for phishing and other scams.

Several social networking sites try to protect the personal information of their subscribers, but many do not. The best control is to discuss Internet privacy in open forums and disseminate information to educate the general public about safe practices. It is also advisable to educate Internet users as early as possible, since children already use such systems and services from an early age.

In your opinion, is the current legal framework on cyber security in Vietnam up-to-date? What regulations should be introduced or strengthened?

The Vietnamese government has issued several laws and regulations, namely the 2015 Internet

Security Law and Circular No.31/2015/NHNN, which outlines the minimum cyber security controls that every bank in Vietnam must implement.

Having said that, Vietnam can always enjoy benefits from increasing cyber laws and regulations to protect Vietnams critical infrastructure providers as digital disruption continues to transform businesses and cyber threats are on a rise. As seen from the latest WannaCry attack, once affected, the compromised systems can cause significant chaos or even harm to people or property. Therefore, we believe that this area should be addressed in the near future.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (R) flies to Russia Monday to meet his hero Vladimir Putin, seen together on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Lima in 2016, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States AFP/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in ties between the two nations since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling the Philippines' decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

Duterte will on Thursday meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as his "favourite hero" and proclaimed a personal bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting.

Duterte said on Friday one of the top priorities of his trip was to secure Russian precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

"If they can spare us with the precision guided (bombs)," Duterte said when discussing the purpose of his trip.

"We have so many smart bombs but not as accurate."

Duterte's seeking of weapons from Russia comes as he dials down cooperation with the United States, the Philippines' former colonial ruler that has for decades been its most important military ally and protector.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the US, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, and called for the withdrawal of American troops from the Philippines.

The shift occurred as China has become more assertive in challenging US might in the region by expanding its presence in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety.

Despite China's expansionism extending into areas of the sea claimed by the Philippines, Duterte has been determined to pivot his nation's foreign policy away from the United States in favour of Beijing and Moscow.

This has partly been due to China and Russia supporting or at least not criticising his controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war.

'IDEOLOGICAL FLOW'

On a state visit to China last year, Duterte announced the Philippines' "separation" from the United States.

"I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world - China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," he said in Beijing.

Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November.

"Historically, I have been identified with the Western world. It was good until it lasted. And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations," Duterte told Putin then.

Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

"The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid," Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but, until Duterte took office, relations remained relatively low key.

This was partly due to the Philippines' alliance with the United States.

Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just US$226 million, according to government data. Philippine-US trade was worth more than US$18 billion last year.

Relations remain at the "nascent stage", but this will change, assistant Philippine foreign secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad told reporters in a briefing on Duterte's trip to Russia.

"We consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines' commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with non-traditional partners," she said.

Duterte visiting Moscow will be a "propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia," Richard Javad Heydarian, a foreign policy analyst in Manila, told AFP.

"It will be their way of poking the eye of America."
The new star of the apartment market welcomed its first customers at its recent sales launching event

Located in a prime location on Le Van Luong Street, Thanh Xuan district, the high-end apartment complex was identified as a worthy living complex of the year.

40 per cent of the complexs land area was reserved for construction, with the remainder housing ample green space and public areas. Its utilities and services harmonise people and nature. It has a four-season swimming pool, a large community space, a nursery school, an outdoor playground, and other facilities, such as a coffee shop, a gym, a supermarket, and a shopping centre.

The project is developed by a consortium including Song Da-Viet Duc JSC, Construction and Industrial Equipment Corporation, and Construction Materials Trading JSC.

Also at the ceremony, Nguyen Van Bay, chairman of Song Da-Viet Duc management board, said that the project has all resources ready to for deployment and will apply modern technologies, such as 3D panels from Germany.

Homebuyers are dazzled by the loan policy offered by prominent bank partners

The investors expect to hand over the project to customers in 2018. Homebuyers can enjoy preferential 80-per-cent loans for purchasing apartments from reputable banks, such as BIDV and Vietinbank, among others.

At reasonable prices starting from only VND24.5 million ($1,078) per square metre and superior advantages in infrastructure and facilities, Viet Duc complex is a perfect choice for families.
Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh announced the results of the meeting

The ministers and deputy ministers are from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. They arrived at the conclusion at a meeting on the side-lines of the 23rd meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade in the framework of the APEC 2017, which took place on May 21 in Hanoi, in order to discuss the TPP.

They agreed that they have to realise the benefits of the TPP and the remaining 11 countries are open to accept additional members provided they accept the trade agreements high standards.

The ministers reaffirmed the strategic economic importance of the TPP. They also emphasised that the high standards of the pact is what would push economic integration in the area, contribute to the economic growth of the member states, and create more opportunities for workers, households, farmers, businesses, and consumers.

The ministers assigned their trade officials to prepare an assessment of the options available to realise the TPP. This work should be done before the TPP countries meet again on the side-lines of the APEC Summit in the central city of Danang in November.

RCEP enters a post-TPP void Following the uncertain future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership due to US withdrawal, special attention is now being given to the under-negotiation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership  RCEP  led by China. Tim Harcourt, former chief economist of the Australian Trade Commission and now professor of economics at University of New South Wales, spoke with VIRs Thanh Tung about Vietnams trade future in RCEPs huge market of over 3.4 billion people.

TPP member states commit to regional economic, trade integration Member states of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) committed to seeking a new path to promote regional economic and trade integration during a high-level meeting in the Chilean city of Vina del Mar on March 15.

TPP flop a thorn in rosy future Though the US has cancelled its participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is expected to have drawbacks for both Vietnam and the US, Vietnams economic outlook remains bright without the deal. Sesto Vecchi, managing partner of US law firm Russin & Vecchi, gives VIR his analysis.

Growth remains without TPP Vietnam was the country with the most to gain from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Increased market access, especially to the US, would have supported an export manufacturing boom and outsized GDP growth in what is already one of Southeast Asias fastest growing economy.

Whats left for Vietnam after US withdraws from TPP? US President Donald Trump yesterday signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP).

Vietnam will rise with or without TPP International economic experts remain upbeat about Vietnams economic prospects in the coming years, even without the much-heralded Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Opposition demonstrators set an alleged thief on fire during a protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. (CARLOS BECERRA/AFP)

The attorney general's office said gunmen were alleged to have opened fire on Saturday on an anti-government demonstration in the western city of Valera.

"At that moment, (Edy Alejandro) Teran Aguilar received a bullet in the chest," it said in a statement.

Also wounded in the shootings were an 18-year-old male and a 50-year-old woman, it said. Teran was 23.

The incident came amid massive demonstrations across the country on Saturday demanding elections to replace Maduro.

In some cities, the protests degenerated into violent clashes between demonstrators and police and government troops.

In Caracas, the mayor of a municipality in the eastern part of the city said 46 people were injured, and in the suburb of San Antonio Los Altos a youth was wounded by gunfire, the opposition governor of the state of Miranda said.

Since the protests began Apr 1, hundreds of people have been injured and some 2,200 have been detained, 161 of them jailed on orders of military courts, Foro Penal, a non-governmental monitor, said.

Seven in 10 Venezuelans reject Maduro's leadership, according to private surveys, amid widespread economic devastation aggravated by the drop in the prices of oil - Venezuela's chief revenue source - in 2014.
The 2017-18 Miss Plattsmouth will be crowned during Plattsmouth Chamber of Commerces newest event, First Nebraska Truck Wars, June 24, in the towns historic downtown district.

Judges interviewed three 2017 Plattsmouth High School graduates seeking the crown including 17-year-old Sydnee Bell, 17-year-old Leah Church and 18-year-old Kylie Turner. The contest is sponsored by the chamber.

The candidate chosen as Miss Plattsmouth will receive a $500 scholarship provided by Plattsmouth Rotary

Sydnee Bell

Bell, the daughter of Shelly and Donald Richt, carried a 3.90/4.0 GPA throughout her high school year. Her extracurricular activities included National Honor Society, DECA in association with marketing, Positive Relationships Influencing Students Multi-culturally Club, Show Choir and Peer Tutoring.

Her favorite subjects were biology and chorus and she enjoys reading.

In addition to studying and school activities, Bell worked at Eagles Aerie 365, Slattery Vintage Estates, as a legal assistant at Rensch-Slattery-Bear and Minahan P.C., L.L.O. and Plattsmouth Animal Hospital.

She volunteered at Open Hearts Kitchen, Eagles Aerie, 40&8 meetings, American Legion and Sunday school.

She received the Plattsmouth Community Foundation Funds 2017 Youth Citizen Award, was first place in the Plattsmouth Optimist essay contest and the second runner-up in the 2016 Plattsmouth Harvest Festival Sweetheart Contest.

Bell plans on attending Nebraska Wesleyan University in the fall to study biology and take pre-chiropractic classes. She is aiming to earn a Degree in Chiropractic Medicine and establish her own practice.

Leah Church

The daughter or Rob and Melissa Church, Leah Church maintained a 3.86 GPA in high school. She was also active in cheerleading, softball, Student Council as secretary and president, Big Pal and National Honors Society. Church was a student ambassador during the college fair her senior year.

She took part in the HSB program in 10th, 11th and 12th grade, Letter club 9th through 12th grade,

Her favorite subject was English.

In addition to schoolwork and activities, Church also volunteered at the Open Hearts Soup Kitchen, for the Parent Teacher Organization, during the Trunk-or-Treat, at the Elementary Carnival, for Big Pal, for blood drives and at the Open Door Mission.

She served as a delegate for Nebraska Leadership Seminar, was a PHS Sweetheart in 2016, made Academic All Conference in softball in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and Academic All State for softball in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

She plans on attending Hastings College where she will study criminology and earn a Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree.

Kylie Turner

Kylie Turner, daughter of Alicia Turner, carried a 3.47 throughout her Plattsmouth High School career.

In school, she participated in softball, power lifting, track and field, HOSA as president, yearbook as editor-in-chief, PRISM, Leadership Cadre, Positive Relationships Influencing Students Multi-culturally Club, Letter Club, JROTC as a major, Little Pal, and choir.

She was one of 50 high school students chosen to attend a day at the state capitol with Sen. Ken Haar and took part in a Cadet Leadership Camp through JROTC.

Her favorite subject was history and her favorite hobby is weightlifting. Since September 2016, she has worked as a checker for Plattsmouth Hy-Vee.

She was involved in Habitat for Humanity for three years, reading to elementary students, decorating Main Street, highway cleanups, nursing home visits, card-making for veterans, Christmas caroling, the JRROTC Color Guard, taking photos at school events and Peer Tutoring.

Her career goal is to graduate from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and then attend law school. She wants to become a successful lawyer and to into politics.
The Dangerous Side-Effects of Plastics, and How to Minimize Their Toxic Impact

Plastics are not only an environmental disaster; these man-made conveniences introduced a century ago are also harming our physical and mental health. Phthalates  chemical compounds used to make plastic more flexible and durable  are found in more products than you might imagine, and have become the human bodys
Prime Minister Hun Sen has frequently warned of impending conflict and instability should his party, the Cambodian Peoples Party, lose an election.

The message has been repeated ad nauseam in speeches over the past several years, where the premier has gone as far as to warn that civil war could follow an opposition victory at the polls and equating the fallout to a return of the Khmer Rouge regime.

On April 20, during a speech at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, he once again questioned whether peace could be guaranteed if the criticism [of the government] and the blame persists.

While officially campaigning was not allowed to begin until this past Saturday, Hun Sen said the speech was not part of his campaigning for the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, but rather a reminder ahead of the election.

What does one vote for? Vote for peace or war? You can choose between war and peace. A vote for the CPP is a vote for continued peace and development opportunities, he said.

Political analysts and economists said that such inflammatory rhetoric could undermine the countrys development and shake investor confidence.

Ear Sophal, associate professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said the prime ministers warnings could end up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Investors dont like war because its bad for their investments and especially returns on investments, unless these investors are weapons dealers, he said in an email.

Stephen Higgins of consultancy Mekong Strategic Partners said investors were likely to keep a close eye on political developments and rhetoric in the run up to next years general election. As part of that they will take into account the nature of politics and the context in which statements are made.

The analysts said that the government should work harder to reduce corruption and further strengthen the legal system to provide greater protections to investors.

Mu Sochua, an opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party vice president, said Hun Sens threats were empty as he would not risk endangering his familys huge investments in Cambodia.

Everyone knows that the families of the ruling party are involved in most investment in Cambodia. Will they risk their businesses?

Em Sovannara, a political scientist, said the references to conflict were intended to secure support from the elderly, the rich and the business community. It will not affect the educated youth, he said.

On Monday, Cambodias defense minister, Tea Banh, said any Cambodians protesting the results of the elections will be beaten until their teeth come out.
[Editors Note: Last week, Cambodia hosted the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Phnom Penh, bringing hundreds of senior decision-makers in trade, business, and commerce. The forum covered entrepreneurship, the digital revolution, cross-border trade, and governance for greater collaboration between industry, government and civil society. On the sidelines of the event, VOA Khmers Hean Socheata and Khan Sokummono spoke to Arancha Gonzalez, executive director of the International Trade Center, about the future of Cambodian trade.]

VOA: Early this year, you met with the Minister of Commerce, and you also supported Cambodia in conducting impact analysis in the garment sector. Why do you think its important?

Arancha Gonzalez: Well the beginning of this year, the Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak told me that the United States was increasing its preferences that it offers to Cambodia. Therefore, he wanted to explore together with ITC that were looking to how to tap into the additional type of line that the US is offering great markets to Cambodia. He also wanted to understand a little bit better where is the export potential for Cambodia. The products that Cambodia already exported, you know that the current trade by Cambodia is very concentrated into E.U. and U.S. markets, where its very concentrated in the textile and clothing sector is one. And therefore the second question you have for us was to start looking at supporting identification of Cambodian trade, which also has a lot of potential compared to disadvantages in juices and fruits and vegetables.

VOA: So what are the elements of the impact analysis?

Arancha Gonzalez: So it was not an analysis of what textile and clothing and how it impacts the economics of Cambodia. It was more looking at how can Cambodia open up new opportunities for more small and medium enterprises. And its also a very interesting conversation which I had with Prime Minister [Hun Sen] at the World Economic Forum. The bulk of companies in Cambodia are small and medium enterprises. But the bulk of the companies dont export, they are very limited to the domestic market and the domestic market is 15 million Cambodians, but that is not a lot, so the question that Cambodia has to ask itself is where else could Cambodia diversify. And of course, we know that traditionally the country has exported clothing, but they are other sectors, like services for example, like digital services, and like tourism services. Tourism has increasing potential in Cambodia, so the question is how can we help the country grab better opportunities for small and medium entrepreneurship.

VOA: You also agreed to draft the proposal in order to obtain more aid for the implementation for Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), could you tell us about the proposal?

Arancha Gonzalez: So WTO has agreed to simplify its customs procedure of each member. Thats what we call the Trade Facilitation Agreement. It is an agreement to reduce somewhere between 10 to 15 percent because of moving goods through borders. It has to do with automatizing customs. We export only one place to go to do all of purpose procedure. Unlike previous WTO agreements, this style is very understood among WTO members that the countries that have difficulties in implementing this agreement by themselves will get necessarily technical and financial assistance to implement this agreement. This is why we have been working with Cambodia to help Cambodia. We have experts in customs issues that come here and are sitting with the government to help them do some of these reforms. Its not billions. Sometimes its not even millions. Sometimes its hundreds of thousands. For example, having an online portal, having an online single window for which you would do for your customs procedure. They are good investments because at the end of the day they will immediately result in benefits in terms of low cost for small and medium enterprises to export.

VOA: What do you think about the free and fair trade in Cambodia, particularly in the garment sector?

Arancha Gonzalez: I dont generally like to talk about free trade. I like to talk about open trade because free seems to imply that we agree that it has to be without any rules and without any exceptions. And I dont think that its without any rules and without any exceptions. I think trade has to be more open. There have to be less barriers, have to be less costs, but there should be safeguards to make sure that trade is a safe and sound product and that its not a poisonous product that has to be a minimum of rules, this is why I prefer to talk about open trade. Theres also in the meantime a great opening of trade in textiles and clothing by other developing countries like China, India, Turkey, Chile and all of these help Cambodia. Now the only problem is that traditionally Cambodias exports have been very much directly to the EU and the US market because this is where the investment came regionally to set up production facilities in Cambodia. I think it is time to start looking at the opportunity for diversification.

VOA: So what is the mechanism that the WTO and ITC would suggest Cambodia adopt to ensure transparency?

Arancha Gonzalez: I think its the question of mapping where the opportunities are and very decisively moving into tackling those markets. You see its very comfortable to remain in the market that you know, in the sector that you know, but you need to look into diversification. Its also good that you dont put all your eggs in one basket. You put all your different eggs in different baskets. If anything happens in one country, you can go to other countries that can provide the potential. So first I would say take domestic measures to bring your producers to other foreign markets.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Lawmakers in the United States have called for free and fair elections in Cambodia and urged Washington to stand up for what was promised by Prime Minister Hun Sen ahead of local and general elections scheduled for June and next year.

Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D, CA), said in the past the U.S. Congress had expressed concern over the arrest of opposition activists and officials through petitions and public forums, but similar moves had not been made this time around.

Its time for us to stand up for what was promised to the people of Cambodia and those are free and fair elections, Lowenthal said.

He added that his counterpart on the Cambodia Caucus, Steve Chabot (R, OH), was studying the possibility of sending election observers to Cambodia and also other mechanisms for vote monitoring of commune elections.

Im going to fight for it, Lowenthal said.

Cambodia will hold commune council elections on June 4. Twelve political parties are fielding candidates, but only the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party have registered candidates in all 1,646 communes.

The Californias legislature has also introduced a resolution calling for a free and fair election in Cambodia, according to Assemblyman Patrick ODonnell.

Thats what democracy is all about, said ODonnell. Thats what America is all about and thats what the Cambodian government should be all about.

State Senator Ricardo Lara of California said that he is planning to visit Cambodia next year to strengthen ties with the country and will also discuss human rights issues its leaders.
No End in Sight is the title of the British-based Amnesty International report into the ongoing crackdown in Turkey, after last Julys failed coup.

The 21-page report focuses on what it describes as the arbitrary dismissals of more than 100,000 public service workers, since the introduction of emergency rule after a botched military takeover.

People are losing not only their jobs, but also their professional careers are destroyed; their family lives are destroyed; this is a disastrous situation facing a vast number of people, warns Andrew Gardner, Amnestys Turkey researcher, and there appears no end in sight.



The Amnesty report says mass firings cover all fields of public service, including the armed forces, police, teachers, doctors and academics, as well as people working across all ministries and local government.

The report was compiled from interviews of human rights lawyers, local NGOs, trade unions and those whove been dismissed. It claims that those fired are provided with only generalized justification and no specific evidence against them. All dismissals are done by presidential decrees using emergency powers.

Ankara claims the crackdown is necessary due to the unprecedented threat posed by the coup attempt, in which more than 200 people died. Followers of the U.S. based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen are blamed, with the government arguing that many have infiltrated all parts of the Turkish state, and continue to pose a threat.

The Amnesty report acknowledges the severity of the July coup, and says all those involved should be brought to justice. But it claims the investigation through 33 interviews of those fired indicates no evidence of any connection to the coup, and that the crackdown is more about silencing criticism.

Legitimate peaceful criticism

From people that Amnesty has interviewed, there is very strong evidence that these people were targeted not because of their violent opposition to the government, but for their legitimate peaceful criticism of the ruling AK Party government, said Gardner.

The report cited an interview with a Ministry of Justice official, who gave the example of a dismissal because the person cancelled a subscription to a digital TV provider, after Gulen supporters called for a boycott of the provider.

Amnesty said the crackdown has targeted many academics who signed a petition calling for an end to the conflict against the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK. Despite government denials that it's targeting those petitioners, Amnesty says more than one-third of those who signed the petition have been dismissed.

Lack of redress of those dismissed is a key point in the report.

Currently, no courts in Turkey have accepted jurisdiction to review the dismissals, the report wrote. Last week the government announcement a seven-man panel (all those on the panel are men), for those seeking redress, a move that has drawn derision.

Even if this seven-person commission took hundreds of decisions a day it would not get through all the likely appeals in the two years it has been set up for. So the effectiveness of this panel and its independence is deeply in question, says Amnestys Gardner.

The impact on the families of those dismissed also was mentioned, with a series of case studies explaining the economic and social hardship endured. Those who are sacked are banned from seeking any work in other state sectors, while opportunities also are limited in the private sector.

Due to the stigma of being branded terrorists under the decrees, many have not been able to find any work at all, said the report. People can't function in society anymore, points out Gardner. "Many highly qualified people have ended up in menial jobs like cleaning, and with no hope of redress.

The door has been closed to those seeking work abroad, with Amnesty saying the passports of many of those fired have been seized by authorities - a move that has prevented many academics taking job offers abroad. Several organizations assisting persecuted academics have provided scores of job offers to Turkish academics.

The emergency rule period is scheduled to end July 17, but hopes of any letup in the ongoing crackdown were dashed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Speaking Sunday on being elected as head of his ruling AK Party, he declared that emergency rule will continue indefinitely.

It will not be removed. Until when? Until we reach peace and prosperity, declared Erdogan.

The Amnesty report concludes that the dismissals and associated measures threaten a broad range of human rights protected by international conventions to which Turkey is a party. The report says a legitimate means of redress must be created.
The Belarus government has returned to a policy of large-scale repression, causing a dramatic deterioration in human rights, according to a report published on Monday for submission to next month's session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Last month the United States extended sanctions relief for Belarus for a further six months, part of an effort to engage with its veteran leader President Alexander Lukashenko. The European Union last year ended five years of sanctions against Belarus.

The report by the Council's Special Rapporteur on Belarus, Miklos Haraszti, called on the international community to remain vigilant on human rights in Belarus.

"The human rights situation in Belarus has seen a dramatic deterioration," it said.

It said a suppression of peaceful protests in March was the severest crackdown since 2010, and ended a brief period where the government had been reticent about using force.

"The Special Rapporteur regrets that his warnings about the dangers inherent in the systemic character of the entrenched oppressive laws have proved right," the report said.

The crackdown in March followed protests against a law imposing a tax on those not in full-time employment, popularly known as the "law against social parasites".

Haraszti's report said more than 900 people were detained "on trumped-up charges", including opposition leaders, human rights defenders, journalists and foreign visitors.

"It is another instance of the cyclical pattern of the human rights policy of the authorities," the report said.

"Over the past two decades, they have repeatedly returned to repression, following brief periods of relative liberalization, while leaving intact the legal order that was purposefully developed to suppress several basic human rights."

Belarus also executed four people in 2016, the highest since 2008 and a return to the death penalty after the European Union partly lifted its sanctions in February 2016.
Boeing Co said on Sunday it had signed several defense and commercial deals with Saudi Arabia including for the sale of military and passenger aircraft during a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to the kingdom.

The announcement is the latest in tens of billions of dollars in deals signed between U.S. and Saudi firms since Trump arrived in Riyadh on Saturday.

Boeing said Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy Chinook helicopters, associated support services and guided weapons systems, and intends to purchase P-8 surveillance aircraft.

The total value of the deals or how many aircraft Saudi Arabia intends to buy was not given in the statement announcing the agreements.

A Boeing spokesman declined to comment beyond the statement.

The U.S State Department announced in December plans to sell Saudi Arabia CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters and related equipment, training and support worth $3.51 billion.

Saudi Arabia is seeking closer defense and commercial ties with the United States under Trump, as it seeks to develop its economy beyond oil and leads a coalition that is fighting a war in Yemen.

"These announcements reaffirm our commitment to the economic growth, prosperity and national security of both Saudi Arabia and the United States, helping to create or sustain thousands of jobs in our two countries," said Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg.

Boeing also said it would negotiate the sale of up to 16 widebody airplanes to Saudi Gulf Airlines which is based in the country's east in Dammam.

Boeing did not say which aircraft it was negotiating to sell to the privately-owned commercial airline. Saudi Gulf, which started operations last year, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Boeing will also establish a joint venture with Saudi Arabia to provide "sustainment services for a wide range of military platforms," the statement said, whilst a separate joint venture would "provide support for both military and commercial helicopters."
Brazilians around the country staged demonstrations Sunday calling for their president to step down after the supreme court opened an investigation into allegations he endorsed the payment of hush money to a jailed former lawmaker.

The accusations against President Michel Temer have plunged Latin America's largest nation into crisis yet again, sending its currency and stocks plummeting and stalling a series of reforms designed to pull the economy out of a protracted recession. It's been just a year since Temer took over as president following the impeachment and removal of his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff.



Now, the calls are growing for Temer himself to be impeached or resign. The latest to join that chorus was Brazil's bar association, which voted late Saturday to submit a request for Temer's impeachment to Congress.



On Sunday, several hundred people huddled under umbrellas and building porticos to avoid the rain in Sao Paulo as they called for Temer to leave office. Many said they have opposed Temer since he took over from Rousseff because they regard her impeachment as politically motivated and illegitimate. On Sunday, they were protesting Temer's proposals to loosen labor laws and change the pension system as much as they were responding to the recent allegations.



We're here to get Temer out of government because he is a coup-leader, because he is against teachers and other workers, said Tatiana Camargos, a 41-year-old biology teacher.



Others said the latest revelations confirmed their suspicions of widespread corruption.



It is funny because we have always said that they rob, said Ana Borguin, a 28-year-old subway worker. But in fact now we have a concrete proof and the worst thing is that they do it openly and talks about millions as if they were talking about a grocery shopping.



In Rio de Janeiro, protests were smaller than expected. Around 150 people waved union flags along Rio's Copacabana beach, and they signed a giant banner with messages, such as, Out with Temer and I want a better Brazil. Another 100 people marched to the house of Rodrigo Maia, speaker of the lower house of Congress, to call for Temer's ouster and immediate elections.



Temer has defied calls to resign, saying the recording was doctored and denying any wrongdoing. The recording appears to have Temer endorsing the payment of bribes to ex-House Speaker Eduardo Cunha in exchange for his silence. Cunha is serving a sentence after a corruption conviction.



Temer has asked the Supreme Federal Tribunal, Brazil's highest court, to suspend its investigation into him - something that it is unlikely to do.



Attorney General Rodrigo Janot, who has accused Temer of corruption and obstruction of justice in the case before the court, has said that a preliminary analysis of the recording showed that the conversation it contained was logical and coherent and its contents were consistent with the testimony of people cooperating with the prosecutor's office.



Some allied political parties have already withdrawn their support for Temer and others are considering it. The proposals to change the labor law and pension system have stalled in Congress amid the political turmoil, and many fear the country will remain in limbo for as long as Temer is in power.
British police are confirming a number of fatalities after a massive explosion at a concert by American pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester, England Monday night. At least 19 have been killed. Incident is treated as a terrorist attack until police know otherwise.

Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue, and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area. Earlier, several media outlets reported that there were two explosions from within the 21,000-seat venue, but that was not confirmed by authorities.

Police have released few details and have not said how many people have been killed. Several news outlets quoted witnesses as saying 20-30 people were seen on the ground after the explosion.



Many in the audience were young girls who are fans of Grande, a singer and actress who has appeared in TV and film roles. A spokesman for her record label said the singer is "okay." The blast or blasts occurred after she had finished performing.

Her "Dangerous Woman Tour" is to support her third studio album, Dangerous Woman. The tour began on February 3 in Phoenix, Arizona. From Manchester, the tour is to move through Europe, including Belgium, Poland, Germany, Switzerland and France, through the summer with stops in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and on to Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand and Australia.

Video from the concert showed thousands of fans scrambling and screaming, trying to escape the building. The incident caused transport chaos, with traffic jams outside the venue and rail services being cancelled.

"It was a huge explosion. You could feel it in your chest. It was chaotic. Everybody was running and screaming just trying to get out," a concertgoer told Reuters.

Police have yet to say what caused the blast and have given little information.

Audience members say the arena was loaded with large pink balloons that may have been filled with gas.
China confirmed Monday that it is investigating six Japanese citizens, following a Japanese news report that Chinese authorities had detained six men possibly for spying.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing that six Japanese nationals are suspected of engaging in illegal activities, but did not give details.

Japan's Kyodo News reported earlier that three Japanese were detained in Shandong province and three in Hainan province - two regions with major Chinese naval facilities - in March.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday that China told Japan that authorities detained six Japanese in Hainan and Shandong provinces in March for violation of domestic law. He said he would not provide further details.

China has periodically detained Japanese citizens on suspicion of spying, including four in 2015.

Last December, a Chinese military-run newspaper lashed out at Kyodo for publishing photos of an under-construction aircraft carrier and suggested that the incident highlighted the need for China to better protect its military secrets, even though satellite images of the vessel were publicly available at the time.

China's government and state media have repeatedly warned of the country's vulnerability to foreign spies. Beijing, the capital, has encouraged neighborhood patrols and offered cash rewards of more than $70,000 for tips about foreign agents, while the national government has introduced an annual National Security Education Day and disseminated cartoon posters warning government workers to stay vigilant against attractive foreigners who might seek to seduce them.

China's government crippled a U.S. spy network in China by killing or imprisoning more than a dozen CIA sources between 2010 and 2012, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Hua, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, declined to comment about the Times article on Monday but said that as a general matter, China's state security apparatus investigates threats to national security and carries out its duties effectively and according to law.
U.S. President Donald Trump touched the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Monday, the first visit at the Jewish holy site by a serving American leader, and one that is steeped in the centuries-old conflicts of the Middle East.

Trump, a Christian wearing a black yarmulke, walked alone to the massive stone wall after hearing a brief history of the holiest site in Judaism. He placed his right hand on the wall for about 30 seconds and then, as is custom, tucked a small prayer note into a crevice.

Later, Trump said he was "deeply moved" by the experience. "It will leave an impression on me forever," he said.

The U.S. leader made his brief stop at the Western Wall unaccompanied by Israeli leaders, even though they welcomed the visit and the Western Wall is a site where Jews pray.

"The people of Israel applaud you" for visiting the Western Wall, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump at the end of a day of meetings and ceremonies.

Trump's visit was ensnared in the history of Jerusalem and the unending disputes between Israel and the Palestinians over boundary lines if the two sides are ever to reach a peace accord with creation of a Palestinian state alongside that of the Jewish state.

In planning for Trump's visit to Israel, the U.S. delegation rejected a request that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accompany him to the Western Wall, telling the Israelis it is "not your territory. It's part of the West Bank," part of lands that Israel annexed in the Six-Day War in 1967.

The future status of Jerusalem is one of the major unresolved issues in whether the Israelis and Palestinians can reach a two-state solution. Israel considers Jerusalem as its capital, although the international community does not recognize it as such and foreign embassies are located in Tel Aviv.

The Palestinians, if an independent Palestinian state is created, want to claim east Jerusalem as their capital.

Trump, during his run for the White House, said he would move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, but has since backed off that pledge.

The Western Wall is the outer wall of what Jews call the Temple Mount, the last remnant of the second Jewish temple, built by King Herod and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Muslims call the same compound al-Haram al-Sharif, home to the al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Jewish worshippers visit and pray at the Western Wall, while Muslims visit and pray at the mosque above the wall.

With no controversy, Trump also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb.

On his nine-day trip, Trump has noted that he is visiting lands where Muslims, Jews and Christians celebrate their founding beliefs, first stopping in Saudi Arabia, then Israel before heading to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Francis, leader of the world's Roman Catholics.
The rainbow flags have once again disappeared from public view, but in a week that saw the launch of Beirut Pride, hopes are that a week of LGBTQI activism may be felt for a long time to come in Lebanon.

In a country often regarded as socially liberal compared to its Arab neighbors, conservative social values remain deeply embedded among many, with LGBTQI Lebanese facing widespread discrimination.



But at the end of a week that  amid threats and pressure  saw events take place not just in conference halls but the streets, bars and cafes of Beirut, there are hopes that a push into the public spotlight offered by the newly launched Beirut Pride platform could further drive change.



"It is like you are in a plane about to skydive for the first time," said LGBT activist Lea Freiha, "and you are looking over the edge. You get super afraid of jumping, but when you do it's the most exhilarating thing."



Freiha spoke to VOA in front of Radio Beirut, one of about 20 bars in the city's hip Mar Mikhael district to fly the pride flag for a public party on Saturday night as part of Beirut Pride.



Held near the end of a week of activism, it followed everything from drag shows to movie screenings and panel discussions.



It also carried with it the all-too-familiar danger of retribution, with two major events held by prominent LGBTQI NGOs already canceled amid threats.



'Totally universal' message



NGOs in Lebanon have campaigned for years for improved rights, but Beirut Pride emerged separately as the brainchild of Hadi Damien, who was inspired having seen similar events in both Prague and Amsterdam.



"We're not coming with an attempt to be provocative or aggressive at all," said Damien, adding that the idea was to communicate what he called a "totally universal" anti-discriminatory message over the course of the week.



To the chagrin of some, Damien's vision for the event focused more on collaborating more with the creative industries than with NGO's  an attempt, he told VOA, to be more creative and less politicized.



His efforts involved a balancing act between pushing the LGBTQI community into the public realm and an awareness of the potential security risks such steps carry  risks that became all to evident last week.

An event due to be held by NGO Proud Lebanon last Sunday was canceled by the venue amid threats by a Salafist group called The League of Muslim Scholars  echoing last year's cancellation after complaints from a Christian group.

Meanwhile, an annual conference by nonprofit Helem to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on May 17 was also pulled amid rumors of warnings by the government over unspecified threats.



Turning tides



Attempts to quash LGBTQI events come in the context of ongoing and institutionalized discrimination against Lebanon's wider LGBTQI community.



A 2015 report by advocacy group Helem revealed that 81.2 percent of Lebanese polled disagreed that homosexuality was normal and natural.



Fears of harassment from the public and authorities remain widespread, while an article of Lebanese penal law that prohibits sexual acts that "contradict the laws of nature" have been used to prosecute members of the LGBTQI community.



In recent years, however, judges have issued rulings challenging this use of Article 534, while public attitudes are thought to be slowly shifting.

Georges Azzi, who co-founded Helem in 2004, and is now executive director of Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality, saw many reasons to be positive.



"The support offered in the wake of the canceled events [during Beirut Pride] was overwhelming," he said.



Although the LGBTQI community has been active in Lebanon for years, Beirut Pride has brought different initiatives under one name and given "much more visibility" to the cause, Azzi added.



Meanwhile, Damien is planning for next year's event and is determined that it can act as a vehicle for change.



Efforts by VOA to speak to government figures about Beirut Pride elicited no response, and while soldiers were present for Saturday's event in Mar Mikhael, some questioned the lack of security offered to NGOs for events that were canceled.



Damien was quick to point out, however, that the government had given Beirut Pride the green light.

"If these people had an issue with it, they could have stopped it," he added.



Taking hope



Back on the streets of Mar Mikhael, as the Pride party got into full swing, Lea Freiha acknowledged that such events would be impossible in many parts of Lebanon. As an out-and-proud lesbian, she added life would continue to present her with its share of struggles.



Yet in looking around at the crowds filling the bars and spilling out onto streets, Freiha took hope.



"I thought people would be closeted or scared to come out, attend and raise awareness of the cause. I didn't expect this," she said.
U.S. lawmakers of both political parties have told VOA they are not surprised by media reports that President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, will refuse to hand over documents pertaining to a Senate investigation of Russian meddling in last year's presidential election.

Im not the least bit surprised, said Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. He (Flynn) is facing, potentially, potentially, criminal charges. I can't imagine his lawyer would advise him to do anything but plead the Fifth.



Flynn resigned in February

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects Americans against self-incrimination, stating that no person can be compelled to be a witness against himself in a criminal case.

Flynn was forced to resign in February after media reports surfaced that he lied about his contacts with Russia's ambassador. Last week, The New York Times reported that Flynn had informed Trump's transition team that he was under federal investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkish interests during the presidential campaign, but he was named national security adviser nonetheless.

We have certain constitutional protections, said Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. We (Americans) have a right to refuse to testify. But that also has implications that may not be good for the person invoking that particular privilege.

Could face contempt charges

By declining to cooperate with a congressional investigation, Flynn could be held in contempt of Congress, which could add to his legal woes. Leahy said it is too soon to speculate on that possibility.

Let's see where the investigation goes, the senator said. The truth will come out. There's a number of people in this administration involved improperly with the Russians, and it will all come out eventually.

Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chairman, issued a statement saying, While we recognize General Flynn's constitutional right to invoke the Fifth Amendment, we are disappointed he has chosen to disregard the committee's subpoena request for documents relevant and necessary to our investigation. We will vigorously pursue General Flynn's testimony and his production of any and all pertinent materials.

Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow to influence the election, and he blasted last week's naming of a special counsel to probe the Russian matter as a witch hunt.



Flynn paid by Russians

While former FBI director Robert Mueller takes over the Justice Department's Russia investigation, two congressional committees are continuing separate probes, including the Senate Intelligence Committee, which subpoenaed Flynn to turn over documents.

Flynn previously sought congressional immunity from prosecution before testifying, although no one has granted it to him. Legal experts say that if he had complied with the subpoena for the documents, he risked being unable to invoke his constitutional right not to testify against himself.

Flynn was paid more than $500,000 for his Turkish representation. He also was paid more than $30,000 for his involvement with Russian interests, including attending a 2015 dinner in Moscow celebrating the Kremlin-supported RT television network, where he sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(Ken Bredemeier contributed to this report.)
Gambia's government used a court order Monday to seize assets belonging to exiled former President Yahya Jammeh.

They include nearly 90 bank accounts and 14 companies linked to Jammeh.

Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou says Jammeh stole $50 million in public funds before fleeing Gambia for Equatorial Guinea in January.

Jammeh and his associates have been unavailable for comment since he left the country.

Jammeh ruled Gambia for 22 years before losing December's presidential election to Adama Barrow. He contested the results for several weeks before giving up and fleeing the country.

His long-ruling political party lost April's parliamentary elections to the opposition United Democratic Party.

Along with allegations of looting public funds, investigators in Gambia are also probing a number of disappearances under the Jammeh government.
Iran's newly re-elected President Hassan Rouhani said Monday that Iran's relationship with the U.S. is a "curvy road," and called President Donald Trump's summit in Saudi Arabia this past weekend "just a show."

Rouhani also said that stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without his country's help.

"The Americans do not know our religion, that's what the catch is," Rouhani said in response to a question from AP.

Rouhani said he hopes the Trump administration will "settle down" enough for his nation to better understand it.

Rouhani was re-elected in a landslide win Friday, after his first term saw a major nuclear arms deal with world powers in 2015. Trump has threatened to try to renegotiate the deal.

Sunday, Trump delivered a speech in Saudi Arabia, pushing for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism, which he called "a battle between good and evil."

In that address, Trump also took aim at Iran, accusing Tehran of contributing to instability in the region.

"The gathering in Saudi Arabia was just a show with no practical or political value of any kind," Rouhani said. The Iranian president criticized Trump's decision to visit Saudi Arabia, noting that the kingdom "has never seen a ballot box" while Iran just had another successful presidential election in which over 40 million people voted.

In response to the recent billion-dollar deals signed between Trump and the Saudi government, Rouhani said, "You can't solve terrorism just by giving your people's money to a superpower."

Rouhani also defended Iran's ballistic missile program, which has been highly opposed by the Trump administration. "The U.S. leaders should know that whenever we need a missile test because of a technical aspect, we will test. We will not wait for them and their permission," he said.
3 An aerial view of an art installation featuring Korean war-era tanks painted in different colors around a globe with a slogan reading: 'Peace All Around the World', at the Peace dam, north of Hwacheon near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea, May 21, 2017.
More than 30 million people were displaced within their own countries last year, says a new report.



The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center and the Norwegian Refugee Council cite conflict, criminal violence and natural disasters as the driving force behind the uprooting of tens of millions.



When a family is pushed out of their home, sometimes for years, it is a sign something is wrong in a nation, the locality, but also in international relations, Norwegian Refugee Council Director-General Jan Egeland told reporters at the launch of the report Monday.



Nearly seven million people were newly displaced last year alone.



The Democratic Republic of Congo topped the list of conflict-driven dislocation, with more than 922,000 new IDPs in 2016, exceeding Syria and Iraq, which came second and third, respectively.



Egeland said North and South Kivu and Kasai province were responsible for much of the displacements. He said despite a massive international presence in eastern Congo, the United Nations has its largest peacekeeping mission there with 22,000 troops and police, funding for humanitarian appeals has dwindled and the Congos problems have fallen off the top of the international agenda.



The other countries topping the list were Syria (824,000 displaced), Iraq (659,000), Afghanistan (653,000), Nigeria (501,000) and Yemen (478,000).



In 2016, one person every second was forced to flee their home inside their own country, Egeland said. Internally displaced people now outnumber refugees by two to one, he added.



"We need to acknowledge that without the right kind of support and protection, a person internally displaced today may become a refugee, an asylum seeker or an international migrant tomorrow," said Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director.



Criminal violence is fueling displacement in places like Central America, where drug violence caused more than 200,000 new movements in 2016 in El Salvador.



Storms, floods, drought, wildfires and other natural disasters are also forcing people from their homes. The numbers are on the rise, with three times as many people displaced due to these factors in 2016 than in 2015. Researchers fear these figures will grow as countries cope with climate change and more extreme weather events.



Bilak said the international political response and funding is not in line with the needs and must be dramatically scaled up.
Margaret Chan, the outgoing Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has opened this years World Health Assembly (WHA) by staunchly defending the organization against critics who say it has lost its relevance.

Chans tenure as head of WHO will soon end and after 10 years of service, she appears intent on handing her successor, who will be elected Tuesday, an organization that is viable and remains the essential leader in global health.

In addressing the WHA for the last time, Chan presented 3,500 delegates from WHOs 194 member states with, what could be seen, as a report card of her work by presenting some highlights from a report issued this month tracking the evolution of public health during her 10-year administration.

The report sets out the facts and assesses the trends, but makes no effort to promote my administration. The report goes some way towards dispelling criticism that WHO has lost its relevance. The facts tell a different story, Chan said.

Drug costs

The report covers setbacks as well as successes and some landmark events. Among the successes, she cited WHOs decade-long fight to get the prices for antiretroviral treatments for HIV down.



In contrast, she said prices for the new drugs that cure hepatitis-C plummeted within two years.

The results in both cases have been dramatic in making life-saving drugs affordable for millions of people. During the past 10 years, antiretroviral treatments have fallen from $10,000 to less than $100 a year and Hepatitis C drugs, which cost a prohibitive $80,000 just two years ago can now be had for less than $200.

Chan noted for most of her tenure she has been faced with shrinking health budgets resulting from the 2008 global financial crisis.

Despite the austerity measures forced upon the organization, she said WHO has made significant progress in many areas. These include the elimination or reduction of neglected tropical diseases, bringing mental health out of the shadows and into the spotlight, and bringing polio and guinea worm closer to eradication.

Ebola epidemic

Along with these successes, Chan accepted responsibility for mistakes and bad decisions, including the WHO failure to recognize the magnitude of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

She acknowledged the devastating consequences of this lapse for the people of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, 11,315 of whom died from the deadly Ebola virus before the epidemic was declared at an end in January 2016.



But, WHO made quick course corrections, said Chan, and brought the three outbreaks under control through team work and partnerships and gave the world its first Ebola vaccine that confers substantial protection.

This happened on my watch, and I am personally accountable, she said.

New leader competition

The World Health Assembly, which runs through May 31, has an exceptionally heavy and important agenda, with the election of a new Director-General topping the list.

On Tuesday, delegates will choose the new head by secret ballot. The three nominees include the first African candidate Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia; David Nabarro of Britain, and Sanja Nishtar of Pakistan.

This is the first time that there has been more than one candidate. Whoever wins this fiercely contested post will take office on July 1.

During the coming nine days, delegates will approve WHOs program budget for 2018-19, which has risen to $4.7 billion. The Assembly also will discuss a wide-range of health-related issues, including polio eradication, antimicrobial resistance, access to medicines and vaccines, health emergencies and the health of refugees and migrants.

This forum offers an opportunity for health ministers and other officials to present their views.

Newly appointed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price took the floor Monday to express the Trump Administrations commitment to work with the new director general on an agenda for ongoing improvements including changes to ensure a rapid and focused response to potential global health crises.

Price stressed the need for reform and said Washington expected the next director-general to prioritize threats to global health, including influenza.

He said we will work to enable all countries around the world to prevent, detect, respond to, mitigate, and control these outbreaks.

Looking ahead

In closing her remarks to the WHA, Margaret Chan urged governments to maintain investments in health development, which, she said brings dramatic results, also as a poverty reduction strategy.

She said behind every number and every statistic is a person who defines our common humanity and deserves our compassion, especially when suffering or premature death can be prevented.

Judging from the thunderous applause at the end of her speech, the delegates appeared to have given Margaret Chan a good report card for her work during the past 10 years.
A North Carolina educator says she plans to move back to her native Canada because of the amount of racism her family has encountered in their four years in the southern U.S. state of North Carolina.



Robin Attas, an assistant professor of music at Elon University, says people in the town of Burlington, where she lives, have treated her well. But her husband, Nicolas Narvaez Soza, has had a different experience.



Narvaez Soza is originally from Nicaragua, although he has had dual citizenship in Canada since 2013. He has thick black hair, brown skin, and speaks English well, though it is his second language.

After 10 years together in Canada, where, Attas says, most legal documents don't even include a question about race, North Carolina culture came as a shock. While Attas encountered few problems with the locals, Narvaez Soza experienced reactions ranging from mere unfriendliness to drive-by attacks, cursing, and racial epithets when he was out with his kids.

The most recent statistics from the FBI show that hate crimes in the state rose 15 percent between 2014 and 2015. Incidents motivated by racial bias numbered 96 in 2014, and 106 the following year.



Nationwide, hate crimes are up, too. Brian Levin, the director of the nonpartisan Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, told Reuters news service earlier this year that he believes the U.S. presidential campaign may have emboldened both the people who commit hate crimes and those who report them.



'Mexican go home!'



For the first year in North Carolina, Attas said, the couple didn't know what to expect. Her husband would go to the post office and note that the people serving him seemed "really grumpy," in his words. At first, they just assumed that was how North Carolinians were.



But when fair-skinned Attas did business in the same places, "they'd be really nice to me," she said.



Narvaez Soza said he was at his favorite store -- the home-improvement store -- when he asked another customer for help remembering the name of an item he needed. "You need to learn English," the customer replied.



Narvaez Soza has also been targeted by motorists who yell racial slurs, sometimes in the presence of their two small children. He and Attas were shaken in 2015 when a motorist sped past their house, tossing a bottle and yelling, "[Expletive] Mexican, go home!" while Narvaez Soza and his children played in the front yard.



"This is not somebody having a bad day," Attas says. "This is actual behavioral differences based on skin color and accent."





'Reach out'



The couple says things have gotten worse since last November's presidential election. Alamance County, which includes Burlington, voted for Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton by 13%, and Trump has repeatedly called for tough measures for illegal immigrants.



Narvaez Soza is not an illegal immigrant. But in four years, he has been pulled over by police three times, twice in Burlington and once in neighboring Greensboro. In the most recent incident, he was told it was because he wasn't wearing a seat belt. But he was.



The cop then asked for identification papers and gave Narvaez Soza permission to reach into his backpack to get them. As he did so, Narvaez Soza noticed the cop put his hand on his gun.



"At that point," Attas said, "my husband feared for his life."



Greensboro police spokeswoman Susan Danielsen says Attas and Narvaez Soza could have called the department to talk about what happened.



"We encourage anybody who felt that they were treated unfairly ... to give us a call," Danielsen told VOA. She said professional mediation is available to help both parties understand the other person's side of the story. "We don't want people to leave an engagement or encounter with us with questions on their minds."



In Burlington, Assistant Chief Chris Verdeck said the police department documents all traffic stops and checks of those records for patterns of race bias. "We really do try our dead-level best," he said, "to make sure those types of things don't happen."



A conversation with the police department, or any of the other businesses where Narvaez Soza felt he experienced racism, might not have changed Attas' and Narvaez Soza's decision to move. Their children are 2 and 5, and they decided it was better to go while the kids were young.



In addition, talking about this stuff is anything but easy.



"I saw ... how traumatized my husband was to even tell me his stories, let alone relive them for strangers who might or might not be receptive to his perspective," Attas said.

"For me, it's a reminder of how hard it is for victims to speak up, and how important it is for allies, and people in places of power, to stand and speak with them."
International summits this week are expected to touch on problems dealing with Moscow, including the NATO Western military alliance and the G-7 meeting of developed nations. Neither embraces Russia as a member.

NATO leaders meet May 25 in Brussels, while the G-7 holds talks in Sicily a day later. U.S. President Donald Trump is attending both meetings. He is not expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin until the July 7 G-20 meeting in Hamburg.

While Moscow has never applied to join NATO and often depicts the alliance as its adversary, its leaders have over the years touched on the idea of Russia one day becoming a member.

"It was half-serious," said the Carnegie Moscow Center's Alexander Baunov. "... because all other members of NATO, even the major economic powers in military aspect, are under American leadership. It's quite difficult to imagine psychologically and practically that Russian military forces, that Russia as a military power, would be just a minor player under the command of American generals."

The Kremlin has painted NATO as "moving eastward," intent on surrounding Russia for possible aggression. To ease mistrust and build cooperation, the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act established regular meetings between the two sides through the NATO-Russia Council, or NRC.

Russia suspended

After Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, NATO suspended cooperation with Russia, but the NRC still meets a few times a year.

The G-8 also suspended Russia, changing the group's name back to G-7 for the first time since 1998. Russia's ejection came just two months before it was to host a G-8 summit.

"Of course it is a failure for Russian leadership, because in the long run it was one of the major priorities for Russian elite to be accepted as equals, well, as part of equal member[ship] of the international elite," said Boris Kagarlitsky, director of the Institute of Globalization Studies and Social Movements.

Russia was G-8 outsider

The G-8 was more of a symbolic and prestigious gathering than one aimed at any negotiating or decision-making, say analysts, as a Western-oriented, liberal-democratic consensus is usually reached before any summit takes place.

"At [the] G-8, there was no possibility [for Russia] to make alliances," said Baunov. "It was only [the] Western alliance of the G-7 and Russia." Besides the United States, the other members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain.

Russia's G-8 membership was seen to advance Boris Yeltsin's choice of pursuing democracy and a market-based economy, but was always tenuous, Baunov said. "Almost every year or every second year, there was a subject or topic that allowed to the Western media, the politicians, the public opinion, to put under question Russian membership in the G-8, showing basically that it's not a democracy so what's this country doing in the club."

Russia's G-20 strategy?

Russian officials in January said Moscow had no intention of re-joining and its priority is the G-20.

Russia is more comfortable with the G-20's diverse format where there is no consensus and Moscow is not the least democratic or free member of the club, as it was with the G-8, says Baunov. "So, you're not the only bad among good," he said. "There's Turkey, there's China. There are different, more problematic countries."

Kagarlitsky says the Kremlin struggles with setting goals and objectives.

"The main problem is what is Russia going to do within these structures," he said. "And, well, that was always the biggest failure for Russian diplomacy because they didn't have a strategy, they didn't have a list of priorities to achieve. And, in that sense, they were much weaker than, say, Brazil or China or India or even South Africa."

Putin-Trump meeting

Analysts say little is expected to come from the Trump-Putin meeting at the July G-20 summit.

"Of course, at some point there was a tremendous illusion among Russian elites, because they thought that Trump was going to change totally the relationship between Russia and the West," Kagarlitsky said. "And, it didn't happen and it's not going to happen."

Analysts say the ongoing investigations into the Trump administration's ties to Russia have made it very difficult for the U.S. president to negotiate with Putin. He's not free to offer something without being heavily blamed for it, says Baunov, "So, for me, it can be only the opportunity to establish real, personal relations."
Thousands of Moscow residents protested this month against plans to move more than a million people if their apartments, built during the 1950s era of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, are torn down.

Russian authorities say some 8,000 short-story buildings are in disrepair, and promise to find or build the residents better apartments. While some living in crumbling buildings celebrate, many Muscovites are skeptical and suspect corruption.

Families like Elmira Shagiakhmetovas have lived in their home for generations. They are shocked that it may be demolished.

Ill be here until the bulldozers start, says Elmira. I am not going to leave as by the (Russian) Constitution I have the right to stay in my property. This building is not falling apart.

Family home



For Elmira and her mother, Galina, their modest but recently-refurbished two bedroom apartment is a home full of memories. We moved here in 79 and its the place where my children were born, lived and their conscious experience started, says Galina. Its my history and my memory.

Galina moved out some years ago and her husband passed away. But the apartment is still their family home.

When my father was still alive we celebrated his 50th birthday, says Elmira describing the scene as she sits in the same living room. So many people came to congratulate him that we couldn't find seats for them all in one room. So the tables continued into the corridor. And I remember this because then I understood how important it was to have a home that would hold all your friends together.

Public uproar



After a public uproar, Moscow guaranteed the residents better apartments in the same areas or 'appropriate' financial compensation. City authorities removed about half the buildings from a demolition list, including Elmiras, and say they now will be razed only if more than two-thirds of residents agree. Those living in Elmiras building are to take a vote at the end of May.

But, like many Muscovites resisting the plan, Galina and Elmira suspect corruption as their building was not even inspected before its supposed need for demolition was announced. You know, a special commission should work and declare the building dangerous to live in, says Galina. We have not seen such a commission ever here. So by many indications we may judge that it is not the people who are most important, but the location.

Elmira agrees. The draft (law) that's debated now is not about improvement of the living conditions, it's about overriding the rights of property owners, she says. It allows the authorities to get the land on which the houses stand free and to strip off the owners of their right to own and defend their property.

No comment



The Moscow mayors office did not respond to VOAs request for a TV interview with a spokesperson on the issue or written replies to submitted questions.

Russian media reports quoted Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin saying he was prepared to take unpopular moves if he felt it was best for the city and people.

Russias parliament is still drafting the final legislation for the Moscow renovation plan. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the law should not violate property rights or he would not sign it.

For families like Elmiras, the controversy has moved them - for the first time - to protest against the state. If authorities fail to satisfy Russians in the capital, they risk growing opposition at the polls in next years key presidential and mayoral elections.

Ricardo Marquina Montanana contributed to this report.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that North Carolina placed too much of an emphasis on race when two congressional districts were created in 2011. The move upholds a lower court decision from February.

In its decision, the high court said too many African-Americans were placed in those two Democratic districts in an improper effort to dilute their political strength elsewhere in the state and protect Republican congressional seats.

"The North Carolina Republican legislature tried to rig congressional elections by drawing unconstitutional districts that discriminated against African-Americans and that's wrong," said Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who took office in January.

The state had argued it was acting in accordance with the Voting Rights Act, but Justice Elena Kagan, in writing for the majority, said North Carolina did not offer compelling reasons to justify its reliance on race in either district. She said the state's arguments do not "withstand strict scrutiny." New U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was not on the bench when the court heard arguments in the case last year and did not participate in the decision.

The court ruled unanimously in the case of one of the districts, located in the northeastern part of the state. Kagan said the court will not "approve a racial gerrymander whose necessity is supported by no evidence."

The court's decision on the other district was split 5-3, with three conservative justices dissenting.

The civil rights group the NAACP had accused Republicans of packing African-American voters into what the organization described as "apartheid voting districts" to weaken their clout.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday makes his first official visit to Israel, where he is determined to broker a long elusive peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Trump's schedule includes talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust remembrance center.

He also will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall - Judaism's holiest site.

Trump, who prides himself as a first-rate dealmaker, has called peace between Israel and the Palestinians the "ultimate deal." But since becoming president, he has given few hints on how he intends to pursue that goal.

Trump said during the presidential campaign that the best way to negotiate an agreement is taking what he called an "objective" approach to the serious and extremely emotional issues keeping both sides far apart. But he has said continued Israeli settlements do not help the peace process.

He also is backing away from his promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Despite what some Israelis may perceive as discouraging rhetoric from Trump, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, tells the Israel Hayom newspaper that it is time for "the parties to meet with each other without preconditions and to begin a discussion that would hopefully lead to peace."

There have been no full-fledged peace talks since 2014.

Tensions have festered over Israeli settlement expansion and Palestinian violence sparked by rumors Israel was planning to completely take over an east Jerusalem holy site, sacred to both Jews and Muslims.

Israel Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of its occupation of east Jerusalem, captured during the Six-Day War.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel did not occupy Jerusalem, but instead "liberated" it. He said Jerusalem always was and always will be the Israeli capital. He urged Israeli allies to move their embassies there.

The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. The international community has said the status of Jerusalem must be settled in peace negotiations.
When U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive Wednesday at the Vatican for a planned 20-minute audience with Pope Francis and Roman Catholic Church leaders they will be received with far less pomp than in Saudi Arabia.

Their arrival at the Vatican will be via whats in effect a side-entrance to the Holy See, Porta del Perugino, a consequence of the popes request the faithful not be disturbed in St. Peter's Square on the eve of Ascension Day. The pope is scheduled to hold his regular general audience in the square shortly after meeting Trump.

The understated arrival, though, is reflective of an eagerness by both the White House and the Vatican to lower expectations. American and Vatican officials have been nervous in the run-up to the meeting.

Tense exchanges



The two men have never met, but they have traded pointed exchanges. Last year, in February, Trump accused Francis of allowing himself to be used as a political pawn by the Mexican government on the issue of migration. The pontiff responded by questioning then-candidate Trumps Christian faith, saying his plan to build a wall on the border with Mexico had no basis in the Gospel. A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges is not Christian, the pontiff told reporters while flying to Mexico.

That drew a harsh retort from Trump, who replied to Francis' comments with a three paragraph statement in which he warned the Vatican could be attacked by Islamic State terrorists and then church leaders would be grateful if he were in the White House. For a religious leader to question a persons faith is disgraceful, Trump said.

Since then the pair have not argued directly, but the pope, the spiritual leader of Americas 50 million Catholics, has clearly been at odds with Trump on a range of issues, including climate change, asylum-seekers and nuclear arms.

Bridging the divide



Earlier this month, though, Francis was more conciliatory, saying the upcoming Trump visit offered an opportunity to listen to each other. I never make a judgment about a person without listening to them, the pontiff said. He followed up by saying, I will say what I think; he will say what he thinks.

In recent weeks there have been intense discussions about the agenda for the meeting, and, a Vatican official told VOA, they aimed to avoid mishap and to stage a partial reconciliation between the pope and the president. For the White House, a good visit at the Vatican will help further the goal of presenting Trump as a figure eager to unite three religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, in the fight against Islamic militants.

Papal aides told Corriere della Sera newspaper Sunday, the meeting will be fine. Although the paper commented that it wasnt sure if this were a prediction, a wish or a prayer. An official told the newspaper that Melania Trumps attendance was being seen by some papal aides as useful, as it would likely help to prevent the encounter from becoming too hard-edged.

But for all their differences, the pope, who is highly political, is guided by a deep wish to forge unity and to build consensus and he sees disagreement as a useful dynamic, argue some Vatican-watchers. In Argentina, as a cardinal he strove to nurture relationships with diametrically opposed politicians and to build trust with them and between them, acting as a pastor.

American Catholics

Francis will also likely be mindful that six in 10 white American Catholics backed Trump in the November elections. There is already considerable tension between the Vatican and American Catholics, especially over the churchs handling of child abuse by parish priests.



While some U.S. and Italian reporters are anticipating the meeting between the pair as a possible prize-fight between ideological pugilists, some who know the pontiff say he will search for common ground and may focus on the downsides of globalization to the need to combat human trafficking.

Austen Ivereigh, who has written a book on the pontiff, argued Sunday in Crux, a U.S.-based independent Catholic media outlet, Pope Francis wants to be in a relationship with world leaders, whomever they are, and whatever their views, so that when the opportunity to work together arises, the bond is there.
President Donald Trump has cast the elusive pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians as the ultimate deal. But he will step foot in Israel having offered few indications of how he plans to achieve what so many of his predecessors could not.



Trump has handed son-in-law Jared Kushner and longtime business lawyer Jason Greenblatt the assignment of charting the course toward a peace process. The White House-driven effort is a sharp shift from the practice of previous U.S. administrations that typically gave secretaries of state those responsibilities.



Kushner and Greenblatt were to accompany Trump on his two-day visit, set to begin Monday and include separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump also planned to visit the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site.



On the eve of Trump's visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet approved several confidence-building measures, including construction permits for Palestinians near their cities in parts of the West Bank that had previously been off limits, a senior official said. Under interim agreements, 60 percent of the West Bank, known as Area C, site of Israel's settlements, is under Israeli control and Palestinian development there has mostly been forbidden by Israel.



Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with protocol, he said the package also includes economic concessions and opening the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.

White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Trump's stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive. Yet Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State group with top Russian officials, without Israel's permission.



Israel also has expressed concern about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Trump announced Saturday in Riyadh. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant, called Saudi Arabia a hostile country and said the deal was definitely something that should trouble us.



Trump's first overseas trip as president comes as the dynamics between the United States and the region's players are moving in unexpected directions.



While Israeli officials cheered Trump's election, some are now wary of the tougher line he has taken on settlements: urging restraint but not calling for a full halt to construction. Trump has retreated from a campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other presidents who have made similar promises.

Seeking real deal

Palestinians, who viewed Trump's victory with some trepidation, are said to have been pleasantly surprised by Trump's openness during a recent meeting with Abbas in Washington.

A senior official who was part of the Palestinian delegation said Trump is planning to try to relaunch peace talks, with a goal of reaching an agreement within a year. The Trump administration rejected a request from the Palestinians to push for an Israeli settlement freeze, but promised to sort out the issue during peace negotiations, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.



Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official close to Abbas, said Trump was a serious president who seeks to have a real deal, not just managing the conflict.



David Friedman, the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, told the newspaper Israel Hayom that Trump's goal at the start is simply to begin a discussion that would hopefully lead to peace.



Friedman attended a celebration Sunday with Netanyahu of Israel's capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, days after the White House declined to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area.



The area is home to sensitive religious sites, including the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray. Israeli officials are on edge over the U.S refusal to say the Western Wall is part of Israel.

Israel considers the entire city to be its capital. The international community says the fate of east Jerusalem, claimed by the Palestinians, must be resolved through negotiations.



The last round of peace talks, led by then-President Barack Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, fell apart in 2014.

Greenblatt has quietly done much of the heavy work for the U.S. thus far. The low-profile Greenblatt, who spent about two decades as a lawyer at the Trump Organization before joining the White House, has traveled to the region twice since the inauguration and is in weekly contact with pivotal players from both sides.



Aaron David Miller, a Middle East peace adviser to Democratic and Republican secretaries of state, said that despite Greenblatt's positive reviews in the region, there are limits over how much influence he, or any American officials, can have over the process.



The issue over many years has not been the mediator in the middle - it's the guys sitting on the other sides of the mediators, said Miller, now a vice president at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.



Israeli officials say they are largely in the dark about what ideas Trump might present for peace or what concessions he may demand. Hard-liners who dominate Netanyahu's government grew particularly concerned when White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster voiced support last week for Palestinian self-determination.

Naftali Bennett, leader of the nationalist Jewish Home Party, lamented a kind of change in the spirit of Trump's positions since he was elected in November. He urged Netanyahu to reject Palestinian statehood and insist that Jerusalem remain under Israeli sovereignty forever.



While Netanyahu in the past has expressed support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, he has been vague about this goal since Trump took office.



Trump's trip began in Saudi Arabia and takes him, after Israel, to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis, to Brussels for a NATO summit and to Sicily for a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major industrial nations.
Bomb. Acquiesce. Or negotiate. These are probably the only options available to prevent North Korea from developing a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM.) And the only option that has any reasonable chance of success is to pursue a deal similar to the 2015 Iran nuclear accord that was called the worst deal ever by U.S. President Donald Trump.

These are some of the insights and recommendations made by non-proliferation expert Robert Litwak during a recent talk he gave at an East Asia Foundation Seminar in Seoul about his book entitled Preventing North Koreas Nuclear Breakout. Litwak is director of international security studies with the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars and served as director for non-proliferation under former President Bill Clinton.

The U.S. can no longer wait for the repressive North Korean state to collapse under the weight of international sanctions, Litwak argued, but instead must make a realistic deal that would allow Pyongyang to maintain its current nuclear and ballistic missile arsenal in exchange for suspending further tests and development.

The narrative would be that the United States is not accepting North Korea as a nuclear weapons state but rather this was an interim step, freezing capabilities towards the long-term objective of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, he said.

Latest missile test

The current status quo of international sanctions, diplomatic isolation and military deterrence has failed to halt or even slow North Koreas nuclear advance, Litwak said.

Pyongyangs latest intermediate-range missile test Sunday would seem to back up this argument. The North's state news agency KCNA said Monday the solid fuel rocket flew about 500 kilometers and reached an altitude of 560 km, and confirmed the reliability of a late-stage guidance system to be used with a nuclear warhead.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Sundays missile test disappointing and disturbing in an interview with Fox News, but also said increased economic and diplomatic pressure will be imposed to pressure the Kim Jong Un government to change its behavior.

Litwak argues that China, the Norths key trading partner, has conflicting strategic interests on the Korean peninsula. Beijing wants a denuclearized North Korea, but continues to temper its support for sanctions with maintaining regional stability and backing the Kim regime as a check against U.S. and South Korean power in the region.

Also, last week Russian President Vladimir Putin said while he opposes the Norths nuclear program, intimidating (North Korea) is unacceptable." Moscow recently launched a new ferry service with North Korea despite objections from Washington.

Military option

The Trump administration has seemed to back off its earlier emphasis on the possible use of force to end the North Korean nuclear threat, including moving military assets like the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group into the region.

Analysts say limited surgical U.S. missile strikes would not be able to destroy North Koreas extensive nuclear and ballistic missile arsenals that are reportedly in numerous fortified underground sites across the country. Instead such an attack would almost certainly trigger retaliatory strikes against South Korea and Japan that could plunge the region into a catastrophic nuclear war.

Also, Litwak said many in the international community would likely denounce the U.S. as an aggressor nation if it launched a preventive attack against the North.

It would not be an imminent threat, it would be the preventive use of force against a growing threat, and that is highly controversial in international law, he said.

Nuclear freeze

The Iran accord has delayed that countrys nuclear development for 10 to 15 years by imposing restrictions on nuclear activities, reducing uranium enrichment, plutonium production plans, and allowing inspectors access to facilities in exchange for easing international sanctions. Critics say it just delayed the nuclear crisis while allowing Tehran access to more than $1 billion in seized funds and approval to sell oil to pay for future arms transactions and terrorism in the region.

The 2015 agreement was negotiated by the administration of President Barack Obama. While Trump in the past said he would dismantle the disastrous deal," his administration continues to adhere to it.

To prevent the looming ICBM threat, the Trump administration would have to commit to a similar transactional compromise deal that leaves the North with limited nuclear capabilities and would likely help keep the repressive Kim leadership in power.

Beijing had proposed a compromise in which Pyongyang would stop further nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a suspension of joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises. So far neither side has endorsed such a deal.

Getting Kim Jong Un to accept any limits on his nuclear program will be difficult as he considers a strong nuclear deterrence essential to his survival. North Korea has also reneged on past deals to suspend nuclear activities for economic aid.

Critics argue that strong military deterrence, effective missile defense systems and the U.S. nuclear arsenal will restrain North Korea from launching what would be a suicidal ICBM attack, and that continued containment will eventually produce transformational change in North Korea and lead to the collapse of the Kim government.
Many Muslims around the world reacted positively to U.S. President Donald Trump's speech Sunday to dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders at the Arab Islamic American Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh. There, Trump called for Muslim unity in the fight against terrorism.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S. But Sunday he outlined his vision for U.S.-Muslim relations and the need for Muslim countries to jointly combat terrorism, saying the fight against terrorism was "a battle between good and evil."

President Trump gave an effective speech focusing on one of the major challenges facing the Middle East and the world: terrorism and extremism, said Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations. His call on Muslim leaders at the summit to do more to take on extremists and terrorists was important.

The former top Muslim U.S. diplomat praised Trumps offer to build partnerships with Muslim majority countries to promote peace and prosperity.

Bravo President Trump, tweeted Anwar Gargash, UAEs state minister for foreign affairs. Effective and historic speech defining approach towards extremism and terrorism with candid respect and friendship.

Muslim leaders and analysts said the U.S.-Saudi initiative would help counter the expanding waves of extremism in the region.



A Muslim nations -U.S. cooperation would help counter extremism and extremist groups, Siraj Wahab, deputy managing editor of the Arab News daily in Jeddah, told VOAs Urdu service.



Buffalo University professor Faizan Haq echoed Wahabs comments and said President Trump talks straight and this trip on the whole will enhance the cooperation between Muslim countries and United States.



Afghan Ambassador to Washington Hamdullah Mohib said the historic battle between good and evil cannot be won unless the world is united and acts as one.



Global threat

Terrorism is a global threat that demands a global solution, and the Afghan people and security forces have been thrust into the forefront of the fight, Mohib told VOAs Afghan service. As President Trump said, 'every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil,' and I would add that every country in the region also has a duty to cut off all financing and sponsorship for these groups.



In his speech, Trump accused Iran of destabilizing the Middle East region. From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region.

Pakistani politician Shireen Mazari tweeted that it seemed that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have teamed up against Iran.

After KSA King's speech & Trump's speech there can be no doubt that the KSA-led alliance is focused against Iran!

Khalilzad said Trump should have also mentioned other factors that have contributed to the emergence of extremism in the region.

Besides highlighting the negative role played by Iran's policies in producing extremism and terror and calling for an end to providing sanctuaries, it would have been good if the president had also focused on additional factors, especially the challenge of governance that contribute to the rise and persistence of the challenge, and reforms and changes needed to address them.



Reacting to Trumps speech in a tweet, Irans Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, suggested that the speech was rather a business deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

Iran - fresh from real elections - attacked by @POTUS [President Trump] in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign Policy or simply milking KSA of $480B?

Speaking with VOAs Afghan service prior to Trumps speech, Afghan Ambassador to Qatar, where the Afghan Taliban has a political office, said that while the Arab governments are concerned about the Islamic State group (IS) and Taliban, some wealthy Arab individuals are supporting them. It all depends on what President Trump says to them today, to gain their full cooperation in the fight against ISIS, Faizullah Kakar, the Afghan Ambassador said.

In Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, Foreign Ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir said Saturday the Riyadh meeting was important because it is the first time a meeting between the new American government and Islamic countries [are] addressing issues that are of concern to us all, especially regarding the fight against radicalism and terrorism. Indonesia has recently been hit by a wave of terror attacks. As many as 384 Indonesians have joined the Islamic State group, according to Indonesia's counterterrorism agency.

Indonesia will convey our experience and the steps we have taken in the fight against terrorism and radicalism. How we use soft power and hard power approach in combating radicalism and terrorism."



Robertus Robet, an Indonesian analyst, believes the speech indicates the U.S. no longer wants to be at the forefront of the war on terrorism.

"America will play a supportive role and the countries in the Middle East are front-line in the so-called 'good and evil, war," Robet told VOA. "Whether later will be realized in the form of a policy where American troops are no longer in the front lines, and diplomacy plays a bigger role in the future, we will have to see."



Possibility of reset

Some Muslim analysts said the speech would help Trump hit a reset with the Muslim world.



The soft tone and positive narrative in Trumps speech would help eliminate the reservations of Muslims about his narrative during the election campaign, journalist Wahab said.



As a candidate, Trump proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States which led to a strong condemnation by Muslims in the U.S. and around the world. Analysts say that Sundays speech will present a softer image of Trump in the Muslim world. As president, he ordered temporary bans on people from certain Muslim-majority countries, which have been blocked by courts that ruled they were discriminatory.



In Turkey, the opinion remained divided.



Some of them [Turks] think that Trump picked Saudi Arabia for his first foreign visit to make up for his anti-Muslim stance in the campaign period and also his executive orders to limit travels of some Muslim countries' citizens, Ilter Turan, a political science professor at the Istanbul Bilgi University, told VOAs Turkish service. Others think that Trump still doesn't like Muslims but pretend that he likes because of trade agreements and interests.



Some analysts, however, are skeptical if Trump would be able to effectively execute his vision as he faces many domestic challenges.



The question is, can president Trump fulfill the promises he made during his visit and the speech? asked Bilal Wehab, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The answer depends on how Trump will solve his internal problems in Washington, D.C.



But Dhaka-based Bangladeshi journalist, Mizanur Rahman Khan, believes that Trumps speech was indicative of a new angle about how America looks forward to the Muslim World and certainly a departure from earlier perceptions.



VOAs Afghan, Bangla, Deewa, Indonesian, Kurdish, Turkish and Urdu Services contributed to this report.
Doctors and medical students took to the streets of Venezuela's capital Monday, the latest in a series of ongoing and increasingly violent street demonstrations, following protests over the weekend in which one man was set on fire.

The protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro have claimed 48 lives since they began more than six weeks ago, including supporters on both sides, bystanders and security personnel.

Witnesses say a man was doused with gasoline and set on fire at a protest in Caracas on Saturday. Some witnesses say the man was targeted because he was trying to steal from the protesters, while Maduro says the man was singled out because he supports the government.



Video shows the man running through the crowd engulfed in flames.

Maduro said the 21-year-old man was hospitalized with first- and second-degree burns over much of his body, and also suffered from stab wounds.

Fresh clashes broke out Monday in Caracas between police and protesters who blocked streets with barricades.

Authorities also launched tear gas against doctors and medical students who tried to march to the Health Ministry. The demonstrators are protesting a shortage of medical supplies and are demanding the government open up a foreign humanitarian channel to supply medicine and food to the country.

Venezuela is in the fourth year of a recession caused by a collapse in crucial oil exports that has led to widespread shortages of basic goods, including food and medicine.

Maduro is resisting pressure to hold early elections, calling the economic crisis a U.S.-backed conspiracy. Opponents of Maduro blame his socialist policies for the crisis.
Vietnam's prime minister will be hoping for answers for Southeast Asia about the future role of the United States in helping the region resist Chinese expansion in a widely disputed sea.

Next week Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is expected to become the first Southeast Asian leader to visit the White House since Trump took office in January. Trade and maritime claims in the disputed South China Sea are expected to be high on the agenda.

Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines claim parts of the South China Sea, while China and Taiwan claim all of it.

Trumps predecessor Barack Obama, who ran a much-hyped pivot to Asia policy, had helped Southeast Asian countries with defense against Beijing. But it is not yet clear what direction the Trump administration will take.

Being the first Southeast Asian leader to visit Washington, the Vietnamese prime minister will want to explore U.S. plans and goals for engagement with the larger Southeast Asian region, said Murray Hiebert, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington.

Vietnam will also want to understand U.S. policy and strategy toward the South China Sea and Chinas activities there, particularly at a time when Washington is looking to Beijing to rein in North Koreas nuclear and missile programs, Hiebert said.

China continues to worry Southeast Asian countries by sending coast guard vessels through their exclusive economic zones in the 3.5-million-square-kilometer sea and building artificial islets ready for radar systems and combat aircraft.

Obama last year lifted an embargo on lethal arms sales to Vietnam, stepped up joint naval exercises with the Philippines in 2014 and kept China on alert with the passage of U.S. vessels inside Chinas maritime claim, all angering Beijing, which resented the U.S. role in a sea where Washington has no sovereignty claim but insists on freedom of navigation.

China uses historical records to back its claim to 95 percent of the sea that's prized for fisheries and fossil fuels.

Trump is trying to work with China to stop weapons proliferation in North Korea, which looks to Beijing as its chief supporter. Some analysts say Trump may have shelved U.S. involvement in the maritime dispute to get on better with China, which the U.S. government normally regards as a post-Cold War rival in global politics.

They dont really need to say it, but its very important that the (Southeast Asian) region is seeing that U.S. is still engaged, said Frederick Burke, partner with the international law firm Baker & McKenzie in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam wants stronger U.S. backing to offset a growing yet uncomfortable trade and economic relationship with old foe China, experts believe.

To reduce Washingtons influence, China is talking one-on-one with Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, about managing their disputes. Beijing sometimes offers the other countries aid and investment, such as promoting a surge in Chinese tourists in Vietnam.

Last week China and a 10-member group of Southeast Asian nations agreed to the draft framework of a code of conduct aimed at preventing mishaps in the sea. China had stalled for more than half a decade before giving its approval to move forward.

All the Southeast Asian states tend to play a hedging strategy with great powers, said Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia program director with Washington-based think tank the Stimson Center.

No one state is too interested in getting too far into Chinas or the U.S. or another great powers sphere of influence," he said. "There are too many lessons of history that show thats the wrong road to go.

On other issues, the Vietnamese prime minister who took office last year, is expected to remind the Trump Administration about a U.S. commitment to cleaning up the toxic defoliant Agent Orange. The United States sprayed the herbicides over 4.5 million acres during the Vietnam War period from 1961 to 1972.

Analysts believe Nguyen is also all but certain as well to ask Trumps administration about its pledge in January to negotiate a two-way free trade deal that would replace the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Vietnam stood to gain as a member of the tariff-cutting agreement because it depends largely on exports.

Washington left the deal in January about a year after it was signed, but Trump said the U.S. government would consider one-on-one deals if it found them better for American interests.
Ethiopia is battling an outbreak of acute watery diarrhea (AWD) that has affected more than 32,000 people. At the same time, Ethiopia's former minister of health, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is a candidate to lead the World Health Organization.



The two facts are linked in that critics of Tedros say he has tried to minimize the outbreak by refusing to classify it as cholera, a label that could harm Ethiopias economic growth.

The WHO's 194 member states will gather in Geneva for a 10-day assembly starting Monday. One of their first tasks is to choose the organizations next director-general.

Tedros is one of three top contenders for the position, along with candidates from Britain and Pakistan.

Lawrence Gostin, director of the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University, told The New York Times that Ethiopia has a long history of downplaying cholera outbreaks, and the WHO could lose its legitimacy if Tedros, who is also a former Ethiopian minister of foreign affairs, takes over the leadership of the organization.

Dr. Tedros is a compassionate and highly competent public health official, he told the Times. But he had a duty to speak truth to power and to honestly identify and report verified cholera outbreaks over an extended period.

But others have risen to Tedros defense. Tom Frieden, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the controversy over naming the outbreak is overblown. During the time that Tedros was health minister, it would have not made any difference, Frieden told VOA.

Cholera vs. acute watery diarrhea

Ethiopia has been accused of covering up three cholera outbreaks during Tedros tenure as health minister.

Declaring cholera would not have changed Ethiopias response to past AWD outbreaks, according to Frieden. In fact, he says, avoiding the cholera label has not been irresponsible but rather a necessary compromise.

It allowed public health to respond rapidly," Frieden said.

The literature on AWD and cholera shows that treatment is the same. It calls for hydrating the patient, chlorinating water and improving sanitation. In fact, the WHO uses the terms interchangeably in their teaching materials on how to deal with an outbreak.

Lately, the development of cholera vaccines has brought the value of identifying the bacterial disease to the fore, said Frieden. At this time, all African countries that report acute watery diarrhea should be rapidly doing lab confirmation and, if it's cholera, considering the use of cholera vaccine in the response, he said.



In the current outbreak, Ethiopias Somali region has been hit the hardest, with 768 deaths since January, according to a WHO report published May 12. Almost 99 percent of the deaths and 91 percent of cases are in the same region.

The WHO representative to Ethiopia, Dr. Akpaka Kalu, says the government is right to call it AWD because regional health centers do not have the capacity to test every case.

If all cases are treated as cholera, the disease has the potential to spread more quickly when children who do not have it are brought into cholera treatment centers, Kalu said.

We know, biologically, malnutrition causes diarrhea. Now, if you admit that child into a cholera treatment center, you've actually turned that center into a cholera transmission center, he said, speaking by phone from Addis Ababa.

Current response

Over the past six weeks, the response to AWD in Ethiopia appears to have been effective.

Kalu said his team, along with regional leadership and government officials, have focused on prevention and intervention. They have instituted community-based surveillance to monitor the regional drought in general and AWD in particular, and there has been a drop in reported cases.

We have evidence the average number of cases [dropped] from over 600 a day to about 54 a day, he said.

Kalu argues that early interventions are getting results and doesnt think that vaccinating 6 million people in the Somali region is feasible.

He says Ethiopia is now preparing to prevent outbreaks from spreading to other parts of the country such as the Afar and Amhara regions as the rainy season approaches.

We need to enhance preparedness because, as the rains come, usually what happens is the rains wash and enter the water bodies including where there is open defecation, he said. Thats how water bodies get contaminated and people use the water and become sick. So there is a need, our focus is to build capacity to be able to detect and contain so that it doesn't spread.
The hum of tiny machines fills a fenced-off obstacle course, as small robots compete to gather mock natural resources such as diamonds and gold.

The robots were built by teams of young people gathered in Dakar for the annual Pan-African Robotics Competition.

They're among the several hundred middle school and high school students from Senegal and surrounding countries who spent last week in Dakar building robots. Organizers of the annual robotics competition say the goal is to encourage African governments and private donors to invest more in science and math education throughout the continent.

'Made in Africa'

The event's founder, Sidy Ndao, says this year's theme is Made in Africa," and focuses on how robotics developed in Africa could help local economies.

We have noticed that most countries that have developed in the likes of the United States have based their development on manufacturing and industrialization, and African countries on the other hand are left behind in this race," Ndao said. So we thought it would be a good idea to inspire the kids to tell them about the importance of manufacturing, the importance of industry, and the importance of creation and product development."

During the week, the students were split into three groups.

The first group worked on robots that could automate warehouses. The second created machines that could mine natural resources, and the third group was tasked to come up with a new African product and describe how to build it.

Building a robot a team effort

Seventeen-year-old Rokyaha Cisse from Senegal helped her team develop a robot that sends sound waves into the ground to detect the presence of metals and then start digging.

Cisse says it is very interesting and fun, and they are learning new things, as well as having their first opportunity to handle robots.

As part of a younger team, Aboubacar Savage from Gambia said their robot communicates with computers.

It is a robot that whatever you draw into the computer, it translates it and draws it in real life," Savage said. It is kind of hard. And there is so much competition, but we are trying. I have learned how to assemble a robot. I have learned how to program into a computer."

The event's founder, Ndao, is originally from Senegal, but is now a professor at the University of Nebraska's Lincoln College of Engineering in the United States.

I have realized how much the kids love robotics and how much they love science," Ndao said You can tell because when it is time for lunch, we have to convince them to actually leave, and then [when] it is time to go home, nobody wants to leave."

Outsourced jobs cost Africa billions

A winning team was named in each category, but Ndao hopes the real winners will be science and technology in Africa.

The organizers of the Next Einstein Forum, which held its annual global gathering last year in Senegal, said Africa is currently missing out on $4 billion a year by having to outsource jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to expatriates.

Ndao said African governments and private investors need to urgently invest more on education in those fields, in particular at the university level.
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(St. Paul, MN) After being told by Gov. Mark Dayton their first proposal fell short, the omnibus higher education conference committee continued to craft a compromise Sunday.

Conferees adopted a conference committee report for HF2080/ SF943*, sponsored by Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Fergus Falls) and Senate President Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville). The bill now heads to the Senate where action is expected later in the day.

The report represents a $3.28 billion spending target, a 2018-19 biennium base funding increase of $210 million  $85 million more than the previous proposal vetoed by the governor.

Increases from the previous proposal include $28.5 million more to Minnesota State ($1.4 billion in total funding), $35.9 million to the University of Minnesota ($1.3 billion) and $20.5 million to the Office of Higher Education ($516 million).

The move signifies continued compromise between lawmakers and the governor after a day of seemingly stagnate negotiations, but its still a far cry from the request of $318 million in additional funding Dayton sought.

I hope in the future we can have an easier time dealing with this, but right now we have come up with what I consider to be a fair compromise for all involved, Nornes said.

Opponents of the bill gathered inside the Capitol Rotunda Saturday to voice concerns over a perceived lack of investment in post-secondary education.

Our targets did go up, but it may continue to be not enough, Fischbach said.

Policy still in place

Policy provisions remain in the bill, but have been adapted.

A provision prohibiting mandatory student fees at Minnesota State and University of Minnesota campuses have been replaced by a student vote requirement on increases of more than 2 percent. If the University of Minnesota raises fees by more than 2 percent without a student vote approval, its appropriation base would be punitively decreased by 1 percent over the next biennium.

An amendment adopted Sunday would eliminate the cap for family living and miscellaneous expense tax allowance credits, instead setting the limit at an allowance of 101 percent of the federal poverty level.

Another provision has been changed that would have required Minnesota State to freeze tuition during the 2017-18 academic year and reduce tuition by 1 percent in 2018-19.

Under the new proposal, 2017-2018 academic year tuition rates would not exceed the previous years rate by more than 1 percent. For the 2018-2019 academic year, tuition rates for undergraduates at colleges and universities would not exceed the 2017-2018 rate.

The bill requests a tuition freeze at the University of Minnesota over the biennium, but due to the universitys constitutional autonomy, the state cannot require it to adhere to legislative requests.

Tuition relief could not be offset by increases in mandatory fees, but universities would be permitted to increase different tuition charges to cover costs of programs facing increases due to unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances.
I want to thank King Salman for his extraordinary words, and the magnificent Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting todays summit. I am honored to be received by such gracious hosts. I have always heard about the splendor of your country and the kindness of your citizens, but words do not do justice to the grandeur of this remarkable place and the incredible hospitality you have shown us from the moment we arrived.

You also hosted me in the treasured home of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the Kingdom who united your great people. Working alongside another beloved leader  American President Franklin Roosevelt  King Abdulaziz began the enduring partnership between our two countries. King Salman: your father would be so proud to see that you are continuing his legacy  and just as he opened the first chapter in our partnership, today we begin a new chapter that will bring lasting benefits to our citizens.

Let me now also extend my deep and heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of the distinguished heads of state who made this journey here today. You greatly honor us with your presence, and I send the warmest regards from my country to yours. I know that our time together will bring many blessings to both your people and mine.

I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith.

In my inaugural address to the American People, I pledged to strengthen Americas oldest friendships, and to build new partnerships in pursuit of peace. I also promised that America will not seek to impose our way of life on others, but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.

Our vision is one of peace, security, and prosperityin this region, and in the world.

Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.

And so this historic and unprecedented gathering of leadersunique in the history of nationsis a symbol to the world of our shared resolve and our mutual respect. To the leaders and citizens of every country assembled here today, I want you to know that the United States is eager to form closer bonds of friendship, security, culture and commerce.

For Americans, this is an exciting time. A new spirit of optimism is sweeping our country: in just a few months, we have created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in our military that will protect the safety of our people and enhance the security of our wonderful friends and allies  many of whom are here today.

Now, there is even more blessed news I am pleased to share with you. My meetings with King Salman, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Crown Prince, have been filled with great warmth, good will, and tremendous cooperation.

Yesterday, we signed historic agreements with the Kingdom that will invest almost $400 billion in our two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.

This landmark agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase  and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations.

We have also started discussions with many of the countries present today on strengthening partnerships, and forming new ones, to advance security and stability across the Middle East and beyond.

Later today, we will make history again with the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology  located right here, in this central part of the Islamic World. This groundbreaking new center represents a clear declaration that Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in combatting radicalization, and I want to express our gratitude to King Salman for this strong demonstration of leadership.

I have had the pleasure of welcoming several of the leaders present today to the White House, and I look forward to working with all of you.

America is a sovereign nation and our first priority is always the safety and security of our citizens. We are not here to lecturewe are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership  based on shared interests and values  to pursue a better future for us all.

Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet historys great testto conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism.

Young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred.

And young Muslim men and women should have the chance to build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their peoples.

Gods help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practice terror and spread its vile creed. At the same time, we pray this special gathering may someday be remembered as the beginning of peace in the Middle East  and maybe, even all over the world.

But this future can only be achieved through defeating terrorism and the ideology that drives it.

Few nations have been spared its violent reach.

America has suffered repeated barbaric attacks  from the atrocities of September 11th to the devastation of the Boston Bombing, to the horrible killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.

The nations of Europe have also endured unspeakable horror. So too have the nations of Africa and even South America. India, Russia, China and Australia have been victims.

But, in sheer numbers, the deadliest toll has been exacted on the innocent people of Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern nations. They have borne the brunt of the killings and the worst of the destruction in this wave of fanatical violence.

Some estimates hold that more than 95 percent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.

We now face a humanitarian and security disaster in this region that is spreading across the planet. It is a tragedy of epic proportions. No description of the suffering and depravity can begin to capture its full measure.

The true toll of ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and so many others, must be counted not only in the number of dead. It must also be counted in generations of vanished dreams.

The Middle East is rich with natural beauty, vibrant cultures, and massive amounts of historic treasures. It should increasingly become one of the great global centers of commerce and opportunity.

This region should not be a place from which refugees flee, but to which newcomers flock.

Saudi Arabia is home to the holiest sites in one of the worlds great faiths. Each year millions of Muslims come from around the world to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Hajj. In addition to ancient wonders, this country is also home to modern onesincluding soaring achievements in architecture.

Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage.

All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty. And the United Arab Emirates has reached incredible heights with glass and steel, and turned earth and water into spectacular works of art.

The entire region is at the center of the key shipping lanes of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Straits of Hormuz.

The potential of this region has never been greater. 65 percent of its population is under the age of 30. Like all young men and women, they seek great futures to build, great national projects to join, and a place for their families to call home.

But this untapped potential, this tremendous cause for optimism, is held at bay by bloodshed and terror. There can be no coexistence with this violence.

There can be no tolerating it, no accepting it, no excusing it, and no ignoring it.

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith.

Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorisms devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killingthen not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

This is a battle between Good and Evil.

When we see the scenes of destruction in the wake of terror, we see no signs that those murdered were Jewish or Christian, Shia or Sunni. When we look upon the streams of innocent blood soaked into the ancient ground, we cannot see the faith or sect or tribe of the victims  we see only that they were Children of God whose deaths are an insult to all that is holy.

But we can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong  and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden.

Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land.

America is prepared to stand with you  in pursuit of shared interests and common security.

But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their children.

It is a choice between two futures  and it is a choice America CANNOT make for you.

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

For our part, America is committed to adjusting our strategies to meet evolving threats and new facts. We will discard those strategies that have not workedand will apply new approaches informed by experience and judgment. We are adopting a Principled Realism, rooted in common values and shared interests.

Our friends will never question our support, and our enemies will never doubt our determination. Our partnerships will advance security through stability, not through radical disruption. We will make decisions based on real-world outcomes  not inflexible ideology. We will be guided by the lessons of experience, not the confines of rigid thinking. And, wherever possible, we will seek gradual reforms  not sudden intervention.

We must seek partners, not perfectionand to make allies of all who share our goals.

Above all, America seeks peace  not war.

Muslim nations must be willing to take on the burden, if we are going to defeat terrorism and send its wicked ideology into oblivion.

The first task in this joint effort is for your nations to deny all territory to the foot soldiers of evil. Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil.

Many are already making significant contributions to regional security: Jordanian pilots are crucial partners against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia and a regional coalition have taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Lebanese Army is hunting ISIS operatives who try to infiltrate their territory. Emirati troops are supporting our Afghan partners. In Mosul, American troops are supporting Kurds, Sunnis and Shias fighting together for their homeland. Qatar, which hosts the U.S. Central Command, is a crucial strategic partner. Our longstanding partnership with Kuwait and Bahrain continue to enhance security in the region. And courageous Afghan soldiers are making tremendous sacrifices in the fight against the Taliban, and others, in the fight for their country.

As we deny terrorist organizations control of territory and populations, we must also strip them of their access to funds. We must cut off the financial channels that let ISIS sell oil, let extremists pay their fighters, and help terrorists smuggle their reinforcements.

I am proud to announce that the nations here today will be signing an agreement to prevent the financing of terrorism, called the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center  co-chaired by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and joined by every member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is another historic step in a day that will be long remembered.

I also applaud the Gulf Cooperation Council for blocking funders from using their countries as a financial base for terror, and designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization last year. Saudi Arabia also joined us this week in placing sanctions on one of the most senior leaders of Hezbollah.

Of course, there is still much work to do.

That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamist extremism and the Islamist terror groups it inspires. And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians.

Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear: Barbarism will deliver you no glory  piety to evil will bring you no dignity. If you choose the path of terror, your life will be empty, your life will be brief, and YOUR SOUL WILL BE CONDEMNED.

And political leaders must speak out to affirm the same idea: heroes dont kill innocents; they save them. Many nations here today have taken important steps to raise up that message. Saudi Arabias Vision for 2030 is an important and encouraging statement of tolerance, respect, empowering women, and economic development.

The United Arab Emirates has also engaged in the battle for hearts and soulsand with the U.S., launched a center to counter the online spread of hate. Bahrain too is working to undermine recruitment and radicalism.

I also applaud Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for their role in hosting refugees. The surge of migrants and refugees leaving the Middle East depletes the human capital needed to build stable societies and economies. Instead of depriving this region of so much human potential, Middle Eastern countries can give young people hope for a brighter future in their home nations and regions.

That means promoting the aspirations and dreams of all citizens who seek a better life  including women, children, and followers of all faiths. Numerous Arab and Islamic scholars have eloquently argued that protecting equality strengthens Arab and Muslim communities.

For many centuries the Middle East has been home to Christians, Muslims and Jews living side-by-side. We must practice tolerance and respect for each other once againand make this region a place where every man and woman, no matter their faith or ethnicity, can enjoy a life of dignity and hope.

In that spirit, after concluding my visit in Riyadh, I will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then to the Vatican  visiting many of the holiest places in the three Abrahamic Faiths. If these three faiths can join together in cooperation, then peace in this world is possible  including peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I will be meeting with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, will be the basis for defeating them.

But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be complete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all threesafe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in the region. I am speaking of course of Iran.

From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms, and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For decades, Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.

Among Irans most tragic and destabilizing interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has committed unspeakable crimes, and the United States has taken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad Regime  launching 59 tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.

Responsible nations must work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate ISIS, and restore stability to the region.

The Iranian regimes longest-suffering victims are its own people. Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.

Until the Iranian regime is willing to be a partner for peace, all nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.

The decisions we make will affect countless lives.

King Salman, I thank you for the creation of this great moment in history, and for your massive investment in America, its industry and its jobs. I also thank you for investing in the future of this part of the world.

This fertile region has all the ingredients for extraordinary success  a rich history and culture, a young and vibrant people, a thriving spirit of enterprise. But you can only unlock this future if the citizens of the Middle East are freed from extremism, terror and violence.

We in this room are the leaders of our peoples. They look to us for answers, and for action. And when we look back at their faces, behind every pair of eyes is a soul that yearns for justice.

Today, billions of faces are now looking at us, waiting for us to act on the great question of our time.

Will we be indifferent in the presence of evil? Will we protect our citizens from its violent ideology? Will we let its venom spread through our societies? Will we let it destroy the most holy sites on earth?

If we do not confront this deadly terror, we know what the future will bringmore suffering and despair.

But if we actif we leave this magnificent room unified and determined to do what it takes to destroy the terror that threatens the worldthen there is no limit to the great future our citizens will have.

The birthplace of civilization is waiting to begin a new renaissance. Just imagine what tomorrow could bring.

Glorious wonders of science, art, medicine and commerce to inspire humankind. Great cities built on the ruins of shattered towns. New jobs and industries that will lift up millions of people. Parents who no longer worry for their children, families who no longer mourn for their loved ones, and the faithful who finally worship without fear.

These are the blessings of prosperity and peace. These are the desires that burn with a righteous flame in every human heart. And these are the just demands of our beloved peoples.

I ask you to join me, to join together, to work together, and to FIGHT together BECAUSE UNITED, WE WILL NOT FAIL.

Thank you. God Bless You. God Bless Your Countries. And God Bless the United States of America.
In a letter addressed to 12,000 officers of the Indian Air Forces Army, the Air Forces Chief Marshal, Birender Singh Dhanoa, asked them to get ready for new operations for which very little notice would be given.

General Dhanoa made explicit reference to a terrorist threat to Jammu and Kashmir.

We have recently indicated that numerous members of Daesh are leaving Syria for Kashmir via Pakistan.

There have only been two occasions in the past where Superior Indian officers have addressed a letter to their junior officers: on 1 May 1950 by General K M Cariappa and 1 February 1986 by General K Sundarji.
Contrary to what Western Press agencies are reporting and President Obamas delivery in Egypt eight years ago, President Donald Trump did not deliver a speech on Islam during his trip to Saudi Arabia.

Recalling that his voyage which began in Saudi Arabia, the land of Islams holy places and would continue to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Vatican. He has called for the practice of tolerance and respect between the three religions of Abraham.

Focusing his discussion on the fight against terrorism, he appealed to the religious and humanist sentiments of the Muslim leaders present, pleading that they no longer cooperate with those sowing the seeds of death. He invited them to participate in the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. What follows are the principal extracts of his speech:

 We are not here to give sermons; we are not here to preach to others how they must live, act, learn or worship. Instead, we are here to offer a partnership  based on interests and shared values  so that we all can pursue a future that will be brighter for us all.

() It is a choice between two futures  it is a choice that America cannot make for you. A better future is only possible if your nations reject terrorists and extremists. Throw them out. Throw them out of your places of worship. Throw them out of your communities. Throw them out of your holy land. Banish them from our earth .

For our part, America is committed to adjusting its strategies to face new threats and facts as they develop. We will eliminate strategies that have not worked and will apply new techniques that have emerged from experience and judgement. We are adopting a pragmatic approach, anchored in common values and shared interests.

() The religious leaders must make this absolutely clear; inhumanity will not bring any glory to you  devotion to evil will not bring you any dignity. If you choose the path of terror, then your life will be short and your soul condemned.

() With Gods help, this summit will mark the beginning of the end for those who practise terror and who propagate their vile credo. At the same time, we pray so that we may remember the day of this gathering as the beginning of peace in the Middle East - and possibly throughout the entire world.

() I ask you to join me, to join me, to work together  United, we will not fail. I thank you. May God bless you. May God bless your country. And may God bless the United States of America .
When the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, arrived at the Turkish embassy at Washington, he was greeted by demonstrators who had assembled before the embassy, peacefully demonstrating against his draconian policies.

The Embassys security services considered that these peaceful demonstrators included militants of the Kurdish cause, who according to Ankara are terrorists and left to defend President Erdogan. This was followed by a brawl during which a dozen people were seriously injured.

Not knowing what action to take against a security service that benefitted from diplomatic immunity, police action was limited to separating the two camps. The two diplomats arrested when they were beating up demonstrators, were released some minutes later.

The State Department has summoned the Turkish Ambassador who has stuck to his version of the facts: the security of President Erdogan, attacked by terrorists, had to be ensured.

Several members of the US Congress, including John McCain, have asked for the Turkish diplomatic personnel to be expelled. For his part, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlut Cavusoglu, has asked Washington to recall its special envoy for the Syrian conflict, Brett McGurk, whom he accuses of supporting Kurdish terrorists.

The President of the Senates Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, wrote to the Attorney General and to the Secretary of State to ask them to take measures.

A video provides evidence that President Erdogan ordered and observed those opposing him, being beaten up.

President Erdogan, who has now raised questions as to his commitments with respect to the minority Kurd and who has unilaterally broken the truce with the PKK, is leading a harsh repression of Kurds militants.
Spoilers ahead for Sunday nights episode of The Leftovers.

Laurie Garvey, Amy Brennemans character on The Leftovers, has had quite the journey from the pilot to the third-to-last episode, which ends with what looks like, maybe, her suicide. She began as the series most inscrutably unstable main character: Though the Sudden Departure had spared her family, she left them to join a nihilistic cult. Then it turned out shed been a successful and very put-together therapist, and by season two she was a kind of faith healer. Now, in Certified, shes the only stable member of an extended family that seems to have gone suicidally insane in anticipation of the apocalypse. After saying maybe-good-bye to her character and the show, Brenneman talked to us about Lauries motivations, showrunner Damon Lindelofs twists, the lessons of her own producing days on Judging Amy, and intersectionality.

Did the script for Certified catch you by surprise?

The end did! To the point where I didnt entirely know how she got there, so there was some awesome conversations with Damon. The flashback didnt catch me by surprise because thats the backstory that Damon and I came up with a long time ago. Theres always a million scenes that we discuss that often are not filmed. You just see the tip of the iceberg. So I was thrilled that it was going to be part of the episode. You know, most of the stand-alone episodes are a variation on Sisyphus. The character has an impossible task. When I looked at this episode structurally I was like, wow, Laurie does take action here and there, but the bulk of the episode is sitting and listening to people telling plans to me. Almost to a person they say, I know youre gonna stop me. I know you think Im crazy. And I say, Do what you need to do. Its Laurie expressing unconditional love to a bunch of different people. So its this tricky passivity-activity piece. Well, she takes this big action at the end.

Possibly killing herself, yeah. Did you ask Damon what happens underwater?

I honestly didnt know. I was of two minds, I truly was. What Nora says about scuba diving is purposely enigmatic. I had to call him up and say, What do you think Laurie is intending, and he said, I think she intends to kill herself. So that was all I needed. Thats as much as she knows.

I know there was some debate about whether this move makes sense for Laurie. Did you have those types of questions for Damon?

I had a million questions, and he had limited answers for me. You know, Im just not a suicide kind of gal. I can be extremely self-destructive but I had to really make the leap. Listen, for the entire season Laurie has said all this anniversary-of-the-departure hocus-pocus is just mob hysteria. But I think with her falling into Melbourne Bay, that is her expression of this existential possibility.

And what about her evolution since episode one? She was in the Guilty Remnant.

I feel like the final version of her is very consistent with who she was pre-departure, and I think the person that she always hoped to be, and so in a funny way the first season is the aberration. But thats Damons brilliant storytelling. We meet this person and thats the only information we have about her. But even in that first season with that [pre-departure] flashback, she wasnt a marginal person, she was extremely high-functioning and aware. How did she get from there to here? To me its more like what she covered up. I think that last moment, talking to her kids on the boat, is the happiest and the most true to who she is way down deep.

What do you think this last season is about?

This sounds softer and more sentimental than I mean it, but I think its about love, its about rigorous love. One reason I love this episode so much is that Lauries spent a lot of time judging people and telling them what they should do. Thats her thing. When we think about it, in The Leftovers, everybodys constantly saying, You should do this, and You should think that. So to surrender and just say, I dont effing know, but if this is the last time I see you or if the world ends tomorrow, I want this to be a phase of love that we end on.

Youre more than 15 years older than Carrie Coon. Is that something youve thought about in the course of the show? Are you playing a little younger?

No, I think that Laurie was older than Kevin. Damon and I, four years ago, we walked around Central Park and made up Lauries backstory together. He said, Okay, now that weve cast the show, Chris Zylka [who plays her son] is a little bit older than Id anticipated Tom to be, and frankly a little bit blonder. I think Laurie was married before. I loved it. That was built into the DNA. So I only thought about it to the extent that I am both psychologically and physically not in childbearing mode anymore. Nora is still in that mode  and I know from when I was in that mode  of Oh my god, I have to have a baby in the next blah-blah-blah years. It was very maddening. Lauries out of that, and I think thats good for the story.

Carrie Coon has worried in interviews about getting parts after 40. Have you ever thought about that?

It just hasnt been my experience, and some of it is Judging Amy, which I created. Its nice to be cast in things, but because Im a writer-producer, I just dont feel like Im at a dance waiting to be chosen by a dude. I do think the diversity thing is changing, and cable is leading the way. But I also think if youre gonna talk about women in Hollywood, you also have to open up the intersectionality of disabled actors and non-white actors. I get a little annoyed when its like, Oh, the poor girl. Its just a much bigger question about representation.

Does your past producing experience make you more tolerant of, say, Damons need to keep actors out of the loop about their own characters?

It was frustrating to him as well, and I never take things personally that you would if you didnt know how the sausage was made. And then to me, just being an actor is such a pleasure, because the producing end is so difficult. The sun is setting, we have to get the shot! I remember patting him on the back: Okay, buddy, Ill be in a trailer. I love producing when Im producing, and I love not producing when Im not producing.
Photo: Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images

Over seven months ago, a video recorded on the set of Access Hollywood in 2005 leaked to the public, revealing then-co-host Billy Bush laughing and encouraging now-president Donald Trump as he made lewd sexual comments about women, including but not limited to his infamous declaration that he can freely grab em by the pussy if he wanted to. In a new Hollywood Reporter interview, Bush, who subsequently lost his job hosting NBCs Today and retreated from public life, discusses the tape and its aftermath, largely echoing his previous comments about his embarrassment and the many years that have passed since the conversation occurred. Its not lost on Bush, however, that there is a vast difference between the tapes repercussions on his professional life and those experienced by POTUS. I will admit the irony is glaring. [Trump] has his process for his participation [in the tape], and I have mine. I had to turn this into a positive, Bush remarks now. When a woman watches that tape  and this is what really hit me  they may be asking themselves, Is that what happens when I walk out of a room? When I walk out of a meeting, is that what theyre saying about me? Are they sizing me up? I cant live with that.



Fired by the network during his suspension from the Today show (I would have welcomed addressing the audience, he says of the decision), Bush tells THR that he has since reached out to former Access Hollywood cohost Nancy ODell, one of the women discussed in the tape, but declined to reveal the content of their conversation. I recently sent her a communication, yeah, he reveals. I need to keep that between me and Nancy. Having worked with Trump before, Bush says at the time he interpreted The Apprentice stars comments as Trumps normal showboating, the veracity of which Bush could never be sure. I felt that, in that moment, he was being typically Donald, which is performing and shocking, he claims. Almost like Andrew Dice Clay, the stand-up comedian: Does he really do the things that hes saying or is that his act? And in Donalds case, I equated it that way. When he said what he said, Id like to think if I had thought for a minute that there was a grown man detailing his sexual assault strategy to me, Id have called the FBI. As for his own enthusiastic participation in the tape, Bush blames his sycophantic desire to please the shows famous guests: I remember that guy, he was almost sycophantic. It was my first year as co-host of Access Hollywood, and I was an insecure person, a bit of a pleaser, wanting celebrities to like me and fit in. There is an expression, Meet them where they are for each person. For Ben Affleck, its Boston sports. But I went way too far in my desire to keep this number one star happy.

Bush, who is currently developing his own series in the hopes of returning to TV, doubts his famous last name (and more famous relatives) played much of a role in the ensuing scandal. This situation happened because I participated in a terrible moment and it became public. It doesnt matter what your name is, he concludes. Anyone who is participating in that moment is going to get it. In that way, I deserved it. Judgment day arrived all of a sudden and very quickly, and it is my own personal hell that judgment day was solely based upon a bad moment 12 years ago and not the complete evolution of the man. But thats my own private cross to bear and my own issue to work through. It does not in any way excuse the moment on that tape and the way people reacted because I completely understand it.
This year, James Camerons Titanic celebrates its 20th anniversary. (Oh, yeah, youre that old.) But, more iconic, its Oscar-winning theme song also turns 20. In honor of the anniversary, Celine Dion returned to the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night, a year after she covered Queen in the wake of her husbands death to receive the Icon Award, to sing the song that has defined her extensive career. Wearing an eye-catching white ensemble worthy of her next (hopeful) Met Gala takeover, Celine left the show barely able to go on after her nostalgic, emotional performance.


Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Heres something we dont acknowledge enough: We all ought to be a little more thankful for Drake and his shameless thirst for pop cultures reigning women. Is there a woman on earth Drake hasnt found a way to publicly appreciate or openly lust after? The Billboard Music Awards were mostly boring, save for Drake  who broke a record for most BBMA wins in a single year last night  bowing down before celestial songstress Celine Dion and planting the seeds of an (ostensibly Instagram-exclusive) romance with Vanessa Hudgens (he also called Nicki Minaj the love of his life, but since when is that news?). When Aubrey Drake Graham  nothing but a humble rapper from Toronto  was in the presence of Celine Dion, he responded as we all would: with a bow. Then the thirst took over, and Drake said that hes a year away from a Celine tat.

Onstage, Drake told Vanessa Hudgens she looked beautiful. He promptly followed her on Instagram, and probably slid into her DMs.

Drake wasted no time. pic.twitter.com/Hwz8gNuxAb  Karen Civil (@KarenCivil) May 22, 2017

In this time of political upheaval, its nice to know that some things will never change: Drake will never turn down an opportunity to be flirtatious.
Finally, John Oliver has given us a phrase to describe the week in daily 5:30 p.m. news dumps and hourly push alerts about the collapse of the Trump White House: Stupid Watergate. Last week in Trumps America was probably just as damning as the scandal that took Nixon out of office, but every news story is moving at lightning-fast speed. Say what you will about Nixon, but at least he wanted the fucking job, Oliver says. The host offers three key questions that will help you understand last weeks reports of Russian leaks, Comey memos, and federal investigations: How big a deal is this, where do we go from here, and, finally, is this real life? Dont go getting your hopes up: When it comes to President Trump, hes always approaching the end of the line, but it never seems to come, Oliver says. Its as if for him and him alone, the end of the line is drawn by M.C. fucking Escher.
One degree from Kevin Bacon. Photo: Andrew Toth/2017 Getty Images

While everyone in Hollywood might be six degrees away from Kevin Bacon, hes been a fixture on the Upper West Side since he moved to New York City at the age of 17. Back then, he was crashing on his sisters couch while he was in an educational program at Circle in the Square. During those early years as a struggling actor, he would go to Studio 54 by himself.

I loved Studio 54, but I didnt go famous, because I wasnt. I was just a guy, he told the crowd at Vulture Festival. I got in. I learned quickly how to do it. I always went alone; I never brought a friend or brought a date. It was tough as a single guy to get in, but I remember one time seeing Steve Rubell out there and he was looking over the rope and was looking down at someones shoes and then asked him or her to come in, so I realized the shoes were really important. I got the shoes that would get me into Studio 54.

Vultures Hollywood Editor Stacey Wilson Hunt asked if once he was inside he would see famous people, but Bacon doesnt really remember. I would have a great time by myself; I would try to pick somebody up but I didnt have enough coke, he joked.

These days Bacons life is much more low key. He lives with his wife of 30 years Kyra Sedgwick on the Upper West Side, even though he says that every few years they have a mid-life housing crisis and wonder if their lives would be cooler if they lived downtown. We go and try to look in Soho or TriBeCa, and then we come home and I go, Why would we want to move? He might not be as cool, but at least hes consistent.
Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. The gospel according to Matthew (the evangelist, not Reverend Jamison) tells us that Jesus said this to Peter the night he was arrested, and he was right. Maybe Ive just got the Bible on the brain after tonights episode of The Leftovers  given that it included a dinner scene in which the characters assign themselves the roles of figures in Christs Last Supper, who can blame me?  but I thought of this quote when reflecting on my own reaction to the show. I remain agnostic on the divinity of Kevin Garvey, so I didnt deny him per se. But three times before the closing credits, I did say, Oh no out loud.

The first time was when I realized who starred in the cold open. Not Laurie Garvey, that was obvious enough, but her patient  the woman who opens the episode with the words, I gave up. Shes telling the story of how she and her husband went through years of fertility treatments and debates about adoption before calling it a day, only for her to get pregnant and give birth, only to lose the infant during the Sudden Departure. This, of course, is the woman whose plight opened the entire series: We watched as she discovered the disappearance of her bawling baby from the back seat of her car in a grocery-store parking lot. Shes back now in a flashback from a time when Laurie was working as a therapist, seeking nothing so much as affirmation that its okay to move on. But thinking of the unborn baby she lost from within her own body at that same moment, Laurie cant offer this to her. For an endless moment, she cant say anything at all. Tell me what to fucking do! her client shouts. I dont know, she replies.

From there, the sinister strains of the metal cello group Apocalyptica kick in with a cover of Metallicas Wherever I May Roam, and Laurie proceeds to try to kill herself with an overdose of pills. She rethinks it at the last moment, swallows ipecac, vomits in painfully graphic fashion, gathers up every item of white clothing she can find, slips it all on, and heads outside to the members of the Guilty Remnant whove been stalking her office to pick off her clients. Tell me what to do, she tells them, ending actor Amy Brennemans finest sequence in the history of the show. Her pain  to quote Radiohead, the panic, the vomit  comes across as so real and so immobilizing in her frightened face and absent voice. The origin of her time in the Guilty Remnant now makes perfect sense: They may be nihilists, but as she decides in her extremis, nihilism is better than nothingness.

Up next is the second oh no moment of the evening: the opening credits, this week soundtracked by Gravediggaz 1-800-SUICIDE. In an already surprisingly Wu Tangheavy season, this cult-classic side project featuring Wu mastermind the RZA and alt-rap mastermind Prince Paul is a delight to students of Shaolin, for sure. But its also very, very grim  and not just because of its explicit references to the method the groups contemporary Chris Cornell used to take his own life just days ago. As weve discussed before, the opening credit songs this season have a certain predictive value. Struck as I was by the unsparingly blunt suicide, its a suicide chorus, I still managed to convince myself this was just a reference to Lauries long-ago episode. I wanted to believe.

The episode moves quickly and unpredictably, beginning with a time jump and a rearrangement of the players thats hard to miss, but still subtle enough that I thought Id somehow watched next weeks episode by mistake. Laurie somehow found the ranch where the Kevins Garvey are hiding out, and she traveled there without Matthew or John or Michael, but with a black eye. John and Michael beat her there, though, because shed spent some time working with Matt and Nora, trying to track down the physicists running the Departure machine that Noras so desperate to access.

Nora isnt with her on the ranch because shes decided to try to use the machine  but not to kill herself, she tells Laurie. If she were gonna do that, she says, shed just go scuba diving and fake an accident, as she believes countless people have probably done before. (Also, Nora gave Laurie that black eye when they fought over the lighter Jill Garvey had given her as a present.) Matt isnt there because hes more or less lost faith in his Book of Kevin, but still loves his sister and wants to be by her side when she Departs. Kevin Jr. isnt there because he rode off on horseback when he heard his fathers plan and hasnt returned. That plan, in full, is to drown Kevin Jr. so he can make contact with the aboriginal clever man Christopher Sunday in the afterlife, learn his part of the world-saving song that Kevin Sr. was trying to access, return to life, teach it to his dad, and thus save the world from the biblical flood.

Oh, and Kevin Sr. seems to be hiding the shoes of his new disciple Graces dead children, whose corpses were found barefoot, so that shell continue helping him with his plan. She wants Kevin Jr. to find her kids in the astral plane and ask them where the shoes went, you see.

At dinner that night, everyone compares themselves to Jesuss disciples, then Laurie pulls a Judas by drugging everyone so she can say good-bye to Kevin Jr. without interruption  a good-bye that includes informing him she was pregnant with their baby during the Sudden Departure  and wish him luck on his journey. Somewhere in there, a cop also shows up investigating the murder of his chief, Kevin Sr. knocks the guy out with a shovel and drives out into the middle of nowhere, and we learn that the nude French naval officer was trying to destroy the seven-headed dragon from the Book of Revelation before its egg could hatch in a volcano. (Nora: Hey, Doc, I have access to nuclear weapons and I need to destroy Godzilla. What do you even say to that? Laurie: Dont miss.) Yknow, just your basic Leftovers plot at this point  arguably more jam-packed with disconcertingly bizarre and life-changing events than last weeks episode, which, need we remind you, was about a lion orgy attended by God. The confidence this show has in its own mad momentum is awe-inspiring.

Then we get to the final scene. Laurie has had heart-to-hearts with her husband, John, her ex-husband, Kevin, and her frenemy Nora, and seems unburdened by it all, though shes decided not to stick around to see if Kevin is the messiah. (Is Nora gone? he asks her as she leaves. Were all gone, she replies, not unkindly.) The whole wide world is open to her, and sure enough she seems to be taking advantage of it. We pick up with Laurie as she rides a boat out into the ocean, wearing scuba gear, and  oh, God, scuba gear. Thats my third and final oh no moment: the realization Laurie intends to kill herself, just as Nora described. Then she gets a phone call, from her daughter Jill, with her son Tommy laughing along in the background. Theyre calling to clear up an argument about a kids show Jill used to watch on a tape salvaged from a garage sale  the old Nickelodeon show Todays Special about a mannequin who comes to life, which has got a real earworm of a theme song. Grinning from ear to ear, Laurie clears up the question for her kids, tells them she loves them, and hangs up.

Its now or never, miss, the captain tells her. A storms been coming since the day before, as Kevin Sr. pointed out earlier with evident satisfaction, so if shes going to dive shed better go before it hits. She puts on her mask and mouthpiece, breathes, breathes, breathes, breathes, breathes, and falls backwards into the sea. The camera just sits there, filming the emptiness shes left behind. The sound of the storm approaches. The scene cuts to black. Lauries love for her children, for her husbands, for Nora, for everyone  its all real, and its still not enough to stop her. Everyone involved, from Brenneman to episode writers Patrick Somerville and Carly Wray to director Carl Franklin, seems determined to drive both points home. Love is real, and love is not enough. The episode ends as it begins: with a woman giving up.

What an extraordinary show.
Selina Meyers problems are so relatable. Dont you just hate it when youre attending the funeral of a crown prince and you cant tell your Sudanese warlords from your doormen, the chitchat is super awkward because, as Selina would say, Its like six degrees of Al Qaeda in here, and you have to worry that the U.S. might drone the place while youre inside?

This episode gives us a chance to admire Selina totally in her element  a moving, shaking, dealmaker who knows how to turn competing interests into aligning ones  and to highlight her astonishing inability to care about anyone more than she cares about herself. But it also veers awfully close to a pretty repetitive pattern in the Veep-verse: No matter how savvy Selina is or how carefully she plots, she will inevitably end the episode not only being denied the thing she fought for, but also losing ground shed already won. I get that the show is funnier when Selina and her staff of incompetents are denied their hearts desires, but I wonder if for the sake of surprise, at least one thing should play out in Selinas favor? Its hard to stay invested in her efforts when its obvious theyll all come to nothing.

At the funeral, Selina runs into the Chinese president who (hilariously) pretends he cant speak English whenever he doesnt want to talk to her. She gives him shit for conveniently editing her out of the whole Tibet narrative, heaping all public credit on President Montez. But she also has a much more pleasant run-in with Jaffar, who is oh-so-kind about the Tibet situation  Tell it to that ingrate, the Dalai Lama, Selina replies. I guess hell be thanking me in his next life  and sure hopes, wink-wink, that hell see her again soon.

Lucky Jaffar! He gets to see the next morning in front-page news because Selina got photo-bombed by that Sudanese warlord! Catherine and Marjorie have chosen this inopportune moment to Skype their big news to Selina (Richard, dad-to-be: Maybe I can stop masturbating now?), so of course Selina doesnt hear anything they say, except she does catch enough to ask if a lousy connection is the reason why Catherines voice sounds so whiny.

Time to brainstorm: Whats the opposite of a warlord? Richard has the answer: A peace lady? Thank you, Richard. Amy finds the perfect photo op: a womens-rights dissident from the Sudan, currently under house arrest for opposing that photo-bombing (also literal bombing) warlord.

The sequence that follows enters dicey territory, and not just because Selina is walking through landmines like Princess Di. Can an episode of television that comments on xenophobic, hateful assumptions about Africa not be, on some level, perpetuating all the lamest stereotypes about Africa? (Did you think we would be able to make it through this whole stretch without a Lion King reference? Alas, we could not. You know that little animal that Nathan Lane plays in the Lion King? So three of those got caught in the engine.)

Some of these jokes hit the sweet spot where its obvious that Selina is the clueless fraud to Nyarings no-bullshit survivor. I especially enjoyed the riff on the curtains made from Nyarings husbands death shroud. What a touching tribute, Selina says, but Nyaring corrects her: It was a purposeful desecration of the man who beat and raped me. Selina, down but not out: Well, they go with everything.

But theres a lot of recurring stuff about genital mutilation  high-wire humor here, kids  and Americans sending flowers that require constant watering to a place where theres no water, so the rotting flowers actually kill people. It all just feels a little beneath Veeps usual level.

Because of the Timon-in-the-engine deal, Selina calls upon Jaffar to send his massive plane to rescue her, which is definitely 10,000 times cooler than anything anyone has ever done to pick me up on a date. Then Selina spends the night with Jaffar in his palace (again, impressed) and they plot some sexy international trade deals with China. Selina is feeling fantastic, so you know its all going to go to hell, but at least we get to watch her tough-talk to the Chinese president  who conveniently speaks English again!  on Jaffars yacht. Although weve yet to see Selina express a real passion for any issue other than power and the acquisition thereof, this does give us a sense of one reason why she got into politics in the first place. Isnt this a rush? she says to Jaffar, who honestly doesnt seem to be quite as turned on by the wheeling (yachting?) and dealing as Selina. This is what the Arab Spring was all about, she says as a toast. Arms deals and the exploitation of third-world resources. Plus, she can finally get that credit for Tibet shes been angling for.

But her glory is short-lived, of course: She spots Montez on TV standing side-by-side with Nyaring, or, as Selina calls her, my dissident. Selina wants to double-back to the Sudan and make some big statement about womens rights. No more stoning of the rapee! Lets stone the raper.

And yet this flash of sisterhood is also short-lived, because the Sudanese warlord whos crucial to the deal is at the Arab Conference on Human Rights, where Selina is supposed to speak so passionately about womens rights. (Actually, hes a sponsor.) Even Selinas artful, on-the-spot edits  the most horrifying of which is her roundabout way of being cool with female genital mutilation because male circumcision is practiced in the U.S. and Im sure you have your reasons  arent enough. The deal is off, and Jaffar dumps Selina because shes white. Turns out his dad saw paparazzi pics of these two lovebirds and he wasnt pleased. Also, he thought Selina might be Jewish. Advice for the future: As we say in Qatar, you should never build your house on shifting sands. Okay, well, everything is built on sand here, Selina points out. So, that doesnt make any sense at all.

Speaking of things that dont make any sense at all: Jonahs life is radically improving back in D.C. He and Shawnee are engaged, not that he had anything to do with it  Theres a ring on hold at Tiffanys, pick it up at six, its already paid for  and he has a little clique in Congress who will vote the way he tells them to. He even gets to pull rank on choosing a team name: the Jeffersons. No, Jonahs never heard of the television show. But in his defense, the other names did all sound like gay a cappella groups. I mean, the Libertonians? Come on. Jefferson, Jonah explains, isnt played out like other presidents George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Also, dont bother trying to explain Hamilton to him, as Jonah is convinced he was our first Puerto Rican president!

Perhaps just by osmosis, Jonah may actually be learning how government works. When Furling comes to him for the votes he needs for a transportation bill, it dawns on him: You need something from me. That means I get something from you! He and Shawnee score an invite to a dinner at the Furlongs, a surprisingly religious and profanity-free affair, except for when Mrs. Furlong heads to the kitchen to cut up oranges for the sangria. Furlong resists Jonahs request for a better office  And I want Rihanna to put a gun to my head while she makes me eat her out, are his exact words which, cool, thats a vivid fantasy to share with your colleagues  but with Shawnees skill and the presence/pressure of Mrs. Furlong, Jonah gets everything he hoped for. Said it before and Ill say it again: I predict in the series finale of Veep, Jonah will be sworn in as president.

While theres been plenty of buzz about Veep and other political shows inadvertently echoing our bananas political reality, its Dans story line in TV land that feels most lifted from life: He complains to HR that Jane is sexually harassing him, ultimately getting her fired. (Dan does this in the midst of supporting the use of air conditioning as a tool to make Brie and Janes nipples pop on camera, but thats neither here nor there, I guess.) Jane did too good a job convincing everyone that she and Dan were having sex, so, too late to walk back that rumor. Looks like well be tuning into CBS: This Morning with Dan(ny) Egan from now on.

A Few Other Things 

 For someone who struggles to make conversation with ordinary citizens all over the world, Selina is very quick with a graceful edit for the more depraved members of society. Very impressed by how quickly she provided import-export as a euphemism for human trafficking.

 Selina has nothing left but her international reputation. Well, that and her amazing calves.

 Did you see that kid in the Sudan wearing a Jonah Ryan T-shirt? It happens real quick, but hes right next to that feral-looking dog. (FWIW: 12/10, would eye cautiously before petting.)

 How could Richard tell that the goat had an ear infection?

 Selina needs to send the Egyptian presidents mistress a gift from any department store that wasnt started by Jews. Amy: I will have to start one myself.

 Garys face when Selina says she has to learn how to say morning-after pill in Qatari. Its probably a stoning. Which would also do the trick.

 A-plus to the Veep makeup department for giving Mike a sunburn that sizzles and aches just to look at it. (Mike seems pretty unbothered by what I have to believe is excruciating pain. When I talk I can hear my skin crunch, it makes me want to eat cereal.)

 Selina only has one glass of Champagne on Jaffars yacht. I dont want this whole evening to go all Natalie Wood on me.

 Richard, accidentally breaking news to Selina of Catherines pregnancy: Im just so optimistic about the world were creating for your coming grandchild. Do you prefer Gram-Gram or Meemaw?

 Jane, going out with a bang: I built this goddamn network with my own two tits.

 Dan never misses a glutes day.

Insult of the Episode

Jane, to Dan: You microdick weasel! You couldnt even fill my pisshole.

Compliment of the Episode

Selina, to Jaffar: Oh, yeah, I dont see color. To me youre like white!

Also, Jonah, talking about himself: Good things happen to good people.

Jonah Shall Henceforth Be Known As:

Little Miss Muffless (h/t Furlong)
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InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened the doors to the highly anticipated Kimpton De Witt. The unveiling of the hotel in the heart of Amsterdam, marks the first Kimpton in Europe and outside of the Americas.

The hotel has been fully transformed with Kimptons bold and playful design. Inspired by Dutch heritage with Kimpton's signature wit, its spirited edge is immediately evident from the striking living wall of vibrant florals and botanicals trailing the entrance. It marries the old and the new  a late 20th century building with architecture from the Dutch Golden Age  interlocking modern luxury and historical elegance.

The hotels 274 rooms, which include 9 signature suites in the original Golden Age buildings, are inspired by Dutch design, from a modern take on classic Dutch art in the bedrooms to the blue Delft-inspired tiles paving the bathroom floors. Within the property stands a three-storey Little House, which dates back to the 1600s and was once the childhood home of the Dutch playwright, P.C. Hooft. Little House can be rented for groups looking for the luxury of a private abode; it offers two king-sized rooms and a first floor living room. Kimpton De Witts signature suite, Penthouse De Witt, is split over two storeys and its 30-square metre roof terrace offers spectacular views of the city and the iconic canal house rooftops.

Kimptons much-loved perks and thoughtful touches can be experienced throughout the hotel. Guests have access to a modern fitness centre, Gaiam yoga mats in every room and a complimentary all-day tea station in the lobby. True to Kimpton form, extra special perks take on a local slant. Guests can pedal away and explore the city on complimentary VanMoof bikes, luxurious in-room toiletries are supplied by Amsterdam-based natural skin care brand, Marie-Stella-Maris, and a hosted social hour every evening gives guests the chance to socialise and enjoy the hotel.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is famous for its award-winning restaurants and bars and Kimpton De Witt is no exception. Next to the hotel, Wyers Bar & Restaurant, run by Executive Chef Sam DeMarco aka SammyD, offers American staples with Dutch influences, whilst House Bar provides guests and locals with a luxurious resting post where bartenders craft creative cocktails using unexpected ingredients as well as serve an extensive menu of local gins and genevers. Local passers-by can grab a hot cup of strong coffee, made with coffee beans roasted locally especially for the cafe and fresh sugar-dusted beignets, at Miss Louisa Coffee & Beignets. The walk-up window is open for early morning, afternoon and evening snacks.

The hotel, which is in the heart of Amsterdams vibrant city centre and near the citys Centraal Station, marks a milestone for IHG as it brings the Kimpton brand to Europe for the first time.
A record turnout of more than 17,600 visitors, 3.5 per cent more than the previous year, attended Entrepreneur Day on 19-20 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the two-day event hosted more than 270 exhibitors from various sectors for its ninth edition.

"Vision Explorer: Venturing into the Future" was the theme of the Start-up Runway forum which took place on both days of the event, featuring successful entrepreneurs from a wide range of industries who shared start-up experiences and insight. Opening day plenary session speakers included Ming-wai Lau, Chairman of the Commission on Youth and Gene Soo, Co-founder of StartupsHK, joining local start-up entrepreneurs Simon Loong of FinTech giant WeLab Holdings, Shing Chow of logistics platform Lalamove and TravelTech pioneer Terence Kwok of Tink Labs Limited.

- Age Doesn't Matter

"Starting up a business is not just the dream of the youth," said Mr Lau. "According to some overseas surveys, the average age of entrepreneurs is about 40. It's never too late if one wants to start their own business."

Mr Loong recalled quitting his job at the age of 36 to become an entrepreneur after he came up with the idea of building his online loan platform WeLab Holdings. "I used to work in the loan department of a bank and found that personal loans could solve one's financial difficulties. However, loan applicants had to go to the bank in person to sign documents and their application might eventually be declined. So, the idea of combining the strengths of traditional banks in risk management and treasury management with innovative big data technologies popped into my head," he recalled. "Capitalising on big data and loan applications that can be approved round-the-clock without face-to-face contact, a deeper understanding of people can be achieved."

A straight-A student and Stanford University graduate, Shing Chow of Lalamove wanted to change the world as an entrepreneur. "The process of hiring a van is no longer a manual task since digital took over, and I saw this change as the opportunity of a lifetime. There is an old saying about how if you don't study hard as a child, you will end up as a transport worker - but studying hard led me to this sector. In the past, people thought this city was only strong at property development and finance, but as Hong Kong becomes more tech-driven, we can change the way people think."

- Taking on the World

Fast-growing start-ups should view the global market as part of their recipe for success, according to Mr Lau of the Commission on Youth. He encouraged entrepreneurs to develop not only in Hong Kong, but on the Chinese mainland and in overseas markets as their personal goals, business nature or products and services lead them. "Global connectivity is a double-edged sword," he said. "This means that global interaction becomes more frequent as competition increases, and entrepreneurs with a focus on the worldwide market can take things to a higher level."

Targeting youth aged 25 to 30, WeLab has built up a base of more than 17 million users, according to Mr Loong, who has learned that some start-ups can enjoy exponential growth when they are not dependent on face-to-face contact. A report called "Fintech 100 - Presenting the world's leading Fintech innovators for 2016" by KPMG, ranked WeLab sixth on the mainland and 33rd in the world. "Every country or region has its own regulations. So, we chose to open the huge market in our vicinity, the Chinese mainland," said Mr Loong.

Mr Chow of Lalamove said his entrepreneurial team has a strong commitment to success and his team members are willing to live in different cities to expand their business. While Mr Kwok of Tink Labs recalled studying philosophy and Arabic at the University of Chicago before dropping out to try and cater to the needs of travelers. He started with a service offering mobile phone handset rental at airports before widening the offer to include rental handsets and tablets at hotels around the world. He said a focus on "how to kickstart a business" was "not important, since the business model keeps on evolving."

- No Pain, No Funds

Speaking about persistent cash-flow problems entrepreneurs face, Ming-wai Lau noted that a range of sources should be pursued, with Hong Kong SAR Government assistance schemes and events such as Entrepreneur Day offering potential avenues for fundraising.

"The performance of the financing market is more volatile than that of the real economy. In 2014, O2O went hot, and investors responded swiftly with an actual investment amount. However, the trend reversed in late 2015," said Shing Chow of Lalamove. "We met with over 50 prospective investors, but none showed any interest. Venture capitalists have been hunting for unicorn start-ups (with an estimated valuation of US$1billion or above), and this is one major reason why we were being rejected."

But even Hong Kong's prospected "unicorn" start-up, Tink Labs, has hit fundraising roadblocks. "We were turned down more than 50 times. Don't take it too seriously when being rejected. Sticking to your beliefs and persistence counts," Mr Kwok said.

A popular method of fundraising is pitching, and Entrepreneur Day offered a forum for entrepreneurs in the form of pitching events, organised with StartHub, Hong Kong Startup Council and Cocoon, connecting start-ups with potential angel investors.

For more information about the Entrepreneur Day visit www.hktdc.com/eday
A Robinson man who said he tried to kill himself after his reckless-driving crash claimed the lives of two women in October 2015 was sentenced to 30 years in prison Monday.

Judge Ralph Strother of Wacos 19th State District Court rejected Richard St. John Bruckers pleas for probation and sentenced him to 15 years in prison each in the deaths of Maria Arredondo and Francisca Dominguez.

The judge ordered the terms to be served consecutively, meaning the 26-year-old restaurant worker must serve at least 15 years in prison before he can seek parole.

Brucker pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in February. The emotion-racked sentencing hearing Monday included testimony from Brucker, family members of the victims and a truck driver who witnessed Bruckers reckless driving and who tried to help the women, who were ejected from a van in which they were riding with three others.

Brucker pleaded guilty without benefit of a plea bargain after rejecting a plea offer of 10 years in prison from prosecutors, said his attorney, Lewis Giles.

Ruben Arruna, a truck driver who said he watched helplessly as Brucker swerved from lane to lane on Interstate 35 at a high rate of speed before crashing into a trailer being pulled by a van, testified that Brucker showed no emotion and did not try to help the victims after the 10 p.m. crash.

Brucker told officers he was traveling south on the interstate when he saw a trailer in front of him with no lights on.

He told the officer he tried to swerve to the left to avoid hitting the trailer, but there was a car in the center lane, so he swerved back and crashed into the trailer.

The driver of the van, Sanjuana Lopez, testified she and her friends were driving to Mexico when she felt the impact from the collision before her vehicle left the roadway and rolled. She said they had just stopped to get gas and they checked the trailer lights to make sure they were still working.

A state trooper noted in his report that the speedometer was locked on Bruckers vehicle at 89 mph after the crash. He also noted the lighting system on the trailer was intact.

Arruna, who choked back his emotions, told Strother how frustrating it was for him to see how Brucker was driving and not be able to do anything about it. After the crash, he stopped his truck and ran over to the overturned van. He said he thought he was approaching a pile of clothes, but it was one of the women lying in the median.

He said she was gasping for breath and told him in Spanish that she was in great pain. He said he had seen fatal accidents in his time as a truck driver, but never before was he the first person on the scene of an accident.

Hoping I could save her

I was very angry, Arruna said. I just spent 15 or 20 minutes doing CPR on that woman until a paramedic pulled me off of her and said she was gone. I was really hoping I could save her and I was going through a very emotional time and I looked at him and he just had this look on his face like he didnt care. I thought, Dude, you dont know what youve done. You just took these women away. 

But Brucker said he does care and feels the gravity of his actions every day. He said at the time of the accident, his life was spiraling out of control emotionally.

He said he had a terrible childhood and that his grandfather, whom he leaned on for support, died three days before the accident. Also, he said his wife was not allowing him to see his 3-year-old daughter on a regular basis. He said his wife called him that evening and said he had a small window of opportunity to see his daughter if he could make it to Covington in Hill County.

For a reason he did not explain, Brucker said his wife would not allow him to see her when he got to her home. So he angrily drove away and was speeding excessively when he came upon the van pulling the trailer, he said. He denied that he had been drinking or using drugs.

He said Arrunas description of him that night was off-base. He said he was knocked unconscious by the air bag and was dazed by the impact. He said when he stumbled out of his car, he was almost hit by a passing motorist on I-35.

I couldnt believe that I did that and I felt like I didnt deserve to live anymore, he said. I wish I could somehow take the place of the two people in the accident.

Criminal history

Prosecutor Amanda Dillon put Bruckers criminal history into evidence, which showed he was arrested for possession of marijuana in 2009, with his probation revoked in 2012. He got a DWI in 2013, and his probation was revoked in 2016 after his manslaughter arrest.

Five days after the deadly traffic incident in October 2015, he was arrested for DWI again and possession of a controlled substance. He bonded out and was arrested one day later for possession of a controlled substance. Five days later, he was involved in a rollover accident in Tarrant County.

Brucker said the accident was actually his first attempt at suicide. He said after that, he became more depressed and started cutting himself.

I tried to end my life over the shame and remorse I felt, Brucker said. There are no words to describe how it made me feel. I didnt deserve to walk away from that accident, and in my mind, I was trying to make it right.

He sought psychological treatment and is taking care of his elderly grandmother now that his grandfather is gone, he said. He also is getting to see his daughter more because her mother is incarcerated and his former mother-in-law is allowing regular visits, he said.

He asked the judge not to take him away from his daughter.

During cross-examination, Dillon noted Bruckers many tattoos, including one on his hand that reads, What goes around comes around.

Isnt it time for it to all come around on you now that youve killed two people? Dillon asked.

Yes, maam, Brucker said.

In sentencing Brucker, Strother said he has compassion for both sides and made his decision with a heavy heart.

But mercy for the guilty would be cruelty to the innocent, Strother said.
A woman accused of driving while intoxicated with three young children from Dallas to Harker Heights was arrested this weekend after she crashed her vehicle, disabling it, Hewitt Police Chief Jim Devlin said.

Sheronica Fagan, 32, of Dallas, was arrested Saturday when Hewitt police were called to the 700 block of Enterprise Boulevard, near Fun Town RV, at about 12:30 p.m., when a woman was spotted with a disabled car. When police arrived, the woman appeared disoriented and had three children inside her car, Devlin said.

Fagan gave "elusive answers" to police when they attempted to identify the children, ages 1, 2, and 5, Devlin said. Through a standard field sobriety test, police determined she was intoxicated and took her into custody.

The three children were not in child safety seats when police searched the car. They also found a 9mm handgun in Fagan's purse and she had an invalid driver's license, Devlin said.

The car was damaged, but police could not determine where she crashed the car. All three children were taken to a local hospital as a precaution to ensure their safety and Child Protective Services were also contacted to assist, Devlin said.

Officers asked the 5-year-old child where his home was, but the child was unable to give information, Devlin said. After using paperwork found in the car, the registration of the vehicle matched a person from Dallas, where police made contacted the mother of the 1-year-old and 2-year-old.

Devlin said the family said Fagan was watching the children . During the investigation, a mutual friend of the involved parties contacted police and it was determined that the 5-year-old lived in Harker Heights.

"As it turns out, Ms. Fagan was watching the 1-year-old and 2-year-old when the 5-year-old was being watched by a mutual friend," Devlin said. "The mutual friend asked Ms. Fagan if she could take the 5-year-old down to Harker Heights and drop him off at his parents', so she took the other two children, unbeknownst to the mother in Dallas, down to Harker Heights."

None of the children were injured and were reunited with their families. Fagan was arrested on three state-jail felony counts of driving while intoxicated with a child, a Class B misdemeanor of driving with an invalid license, and a Class A misdemeanor of unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Fagan remained in McLennan County Jail on Monday with a bond listed at $17,500.
Prairie Hill is a community so small that the residents mow a section of the town bridges right of way themselves. The school that once served students has long been closed, and the landscape forever changed when Highway 84 came through.

This is area where Donald J. McFarland, 83, grew up. Born during the Great Depression, he was raised on a cotton farm. It was a typical country town, he said.

But McFarland wasnt typical. He ended up making a lifetime career as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel with 26 years of service and 9,760 flight hours  400 during combat over Vietnam.

McFarland attended the Prairie Hill School, with all grades under one roof. After graduating, he went to Tarleton State College in Stephenville, where he studied industrial arts. Like many schools at the time, there was a mandatory ROTC program, which meant uniforms.

Everyone was in uniform. It wasnt bad, McFarland said. You didnt have to worry about what to wear.

McFarland transferred to North Texas State Teachers College (now the University of North Texas) and earned his bachelors degree. When he graduated, he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the summer of 1955. Then he was off to Lackland and Hondo air bases for training on the PA-18 and T6 Texan.

Finished with primary, he went to Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo to train on the B-25 (a twin-engine WWII bomber), earning his wings. McFarland, whod never traveled anywhere, suddenly had the world open to him.

Flying over, around Japan

His first assignment was with the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron, a C-119 squadron sent to the Tachikawa Airfield in Japan. There he flew scheduled flights, hauling people and cargo around Japan, Korea and Okinawa. I got to see lot of things and go a lot of places, he said. He also went to the Philippines, Guam and Iwo Jima.

He was at Tachikawa for two years before transferring to Naha Air Base on Okinawa, doing a similar job on the C-130, a four-engine turboprop.

Everybody called us trash haulers, McFarland said. It was sort of an inside joke as to the variety of cargo they carried. He spent a year on Okinawa before returning to Randolph AFB in San Antonio.

Now a captain, McFarland joined the 8th Weather Group, which only lasted a short time because they took our airplanes away from us, he said. He went to Air Force Communication Services, conducting flight checks of navigation aids for three years. He then transferred to the Continental Air Command at Robins AFB in Georgia, responsible mostly for administering the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. McFarland flew a T-29, hauling passengers while serving as a base pilot.

But in late 1965, it was his turn to go to Vietnam. He wasnt apprehensive. It was just another job, he said.

He trained at Hurlburt Field in Florida on the 0-1 Bird Dog before serving with the Republic of Korea Unit as a forward air controller with the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron. McFarland was stationed outside of Quy Nhan where he flew reconnaissance missions and, when needed, called in air strikes.

McFarland spent more than eight months there before moving to Quang Ngai, where he flew visual reconnaissance and directed air strikes. Lots of air strikes, he said, with smoke rockets to mark targets for fighter pilots.

Return to the States

After a year in Vietnam, he returned to Robins and was assigned as base flight pilot, transporting people wherever they needed to go. Because he didnt get promoted, he got out of active duty and remained in the Air Force Reserves, where he received the rank of major.

McFarland flew in the reserves from 1970 to Dec. 1, 1981. During that time, he went all over the world, with stops that included Guam, Berlin, Vietnam, Germany, Argentina, Brazil and Iran.

He got to know the Golden Knights, transporting them to air shows. His most interesting assignment, he said, was dropping sterile screwworm flies in Puerto Rico to help eradicate the invasive species affecting livestock.

McFarland earned many medals, including the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He flew dozens of aircraft, including the De Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou.

Today, he has a daughter (his son died years ago) and two grandchildren. Hes been involved with the community for years until recently, as its hard for him to get around.

He doesnt make a big deal of his service, talk about being shot at (which happened) or any accidents. He doesnt talk about his medals or why he received them. Hes content with the choices he made.

I had a good career. I enjoyed it, McFarland said. In fact, I think Im lucky.
WAHOO  The Wahoo Public Schools Board of Education approved one summer construction project, but is still looking at another.

The board gave approval for M. E. Collins Contracting Co. to fix a drainage issue at the elementary school at the cost of $17,800.

Superintendent Brandon Lavaley said the construction would be done this summer and should fix the problem in its entirety.

But Lavaley is still getting information from contractors regarding a new roof at the high school.

Lavaley said the price of the new roof hinges on the length of warranty and that hes asking for a 20-year warranty.

Preliminary cost esti

mates to remove the old roof and install the new roof are close to $750,000, said Board Chairman Mike Hancock.

To get the project done this summer, Lavaley said he plans to call a special board meeting later this month to go over bids for the roof.

In other business, the board approved hiring Alexandra Munch as the new high school Spanish teacher.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has expanded its sales capabilities by announcing its new commercial sales representative in Turkey.

Kaan Air Inc. named as their sales representative in Turkey. Based in Istanbul, Kaan Air is a multi-purpose company offering aviation and helicopter sales and rental, VIP transportation and air-taxi service. Backed by the strength and experience of Basari Holding, Kaan Air has, over many years, established itself as a reliable aviation partner in the Turkish multi-engine, rotary-wing industry.

We have seen steady growth in both Europe and Asia over the past five years, said Scott Neal, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales, Gulfstream. Turkey, with more than 15 Gulfstream aircraft, has been no exception, growing by more than 50 percent since 2012. We are pleased to work with Kaan Air, an experienced and accomplished company with which we share a common customer base, to further expand the Gulfstream presence in the region.

Kaan Air will work closely with Nic Robinson, regional vice president, International Sales, Gulfstream, and Trevor Esling, regional senior vice president, International Sales, Gulfstream.
Families may be unwittingly exposing themselves to the risk of liability for injuries to au pairs and nannies they hire directly from online jobs platforms.

Sarah Meier, an industrial relations lawyer at a top tier firm, and president of the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association ACT, said parents might also find themselves vicariously liable for an injury caused by a negligent act of an au pair.

Sarah Meier, industrial relations lawyer and President of the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association, ACT.

Traditional agencies that provide nanny services usually provide them with workers' compensation insurance.

However, the growth of online jobs platforms has meant that some families were now bypassing those agencies and directly sourcing labour on the internet from nannies and au pairs, particularly from overseas.
The notion of "crisis" is invariably set to a sliding scale.

Depending on who you are, or where your sentiments lie, a crisis could be a chipped nail. Or it could be two pop-eyed maniacs in a room wrestling over a comedy joystick marked "Global Destruction".

But this column isn't even about the United States/North Korea relationship.

It's about the Trump/Reality relationship and  more centrally  whether the most recent week in Donald Trump's busy life in fact constitutes a proper crisis, or more of a chipped nail sort of thing that has been inflated to doompocalyptic proportions by the shallow hyperventilations of the fake news lamestream media.
Several of Marx's other predictions, including the increasing concentration of market power among a few firms and the rise of a powerful and crisis-prone finance sector, are also standing the test of time. But The Economist must, however, draw the line at Marx's characterisation of capitalism's inevitable "immiseration" of the poor, pointing to the success of the welfare state and minimum wage in protecting workers. Overall, concludes The Economist, Marx was good at identifying the "disease" at the heart of modern capitalism, but he did not, in his advocacy of a mass revolution by the workers, identify an appropriate cure. At which point, your scribe felt safe to take another sip of one's Earl Grey and conclude that not all had gone topsy-turvy in this world. But it remains true that one no longer needs to be a communist to observe that modern capitalism is in crisis. It is increasingly clear that capitalism, as a system for organising economies by liberating individuals to make private transactions, is not a system that lends itself to increasing equality, as was once hoped. The post-World War II era of greater equality now stands as the aberration, giving way to rising inequality as the central tendency.

The selfish impulse at the heart of capitalism may still be the most powerful motivator to action, to progress and to innovation, known to human kind. But it is also proving a baser instinct, in need of greater external restraints. Increasingly, the rent-seeking and cronyism once dismissed as the purview of the Third World is on display in the world's biggest economies, most notably the United States where even the most innovative tech companies have amassed huge market power. At home, in the space of just one week, we witness big bank bosses colluding to fight a modest new levy to bolster the public purse; the strange spectacle of the greatest Treasury secretary of the past few decades turned into a bank spokesman; and the exposure of a tax evasion racket allegedly led by the son of a deputy commissioner of the Tax Office. In an essay titled "A few big firms" for The Monthly magazine, Australia's Labor shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh and ANU researcher Adam Triggs document a worrying concentration of power in corporate Australia into the hands of the few. Not only is the big end of town increasingly getting into bed with each other  with a record 3057 mergers and acquisitions in 2007, compared to just 346 in 1990  but every year there are fewer little guys setting up shop. In the 2000s, the number of new businesses created each year grew by around 17 per cent. In the 2010s, this has fallen to 13 per cent.

From the big bank scandals of CommInsure, Storm Financial and Timbercorp to Murray Goulburn's decision to retrospectively cut prices for dairy suppliers; from the creation of faux craft beer brands like White Rabbit, Little Creatures and Kosciusko by the big brewers, to Nurofen's suite of misleading "targeted pain relief" products: big business is flexing its muscles. "We are seeing a rise in firms using their market power for anti-competitive purposes to the detriment of small businesses, workers and consumers," Leigh and Triggs conclude. "And we are seeing a rise in anti-consumer conduct which is reducing the incentive of firms to compete on the price, quality and effectiveness of their goods and services." Increasingly it's clear that capitalism and the rule of free markets is an ideal to which we should strive, not some innate state of being waiting to be unleashed from excessive government control. The invisible hand of markets has, in fact, always required the strong arm of state to support it, by guaranteeing property rights, minimum standards for workers and imposing strong laws against collusion. And now, more than ever, that arm needs strengthening.

As Leigh and Triggs note, healthy markets and strong competition is good for consumers and workers, driving capital owners to be more innovative and driving better choice and product quality for consumers, and conditions for workers. Leigh and Triggs propose a range of policies to help improve markets, including a crackdown on "non-compete clauses" for employees, more sensitive planning and zoning laws, easier visa access for entrepreneurs, bigger penalties for misleading advertising, and giving the ACCC the power to conduct random "market studies" to identify problematic industries, like happens in Britain and was recommended by the 2015 Harper review of competition. The Economist prescribes stronger anti-trust or pro-competition laws, a crackdown on chief executives' salaries, shutting the revolving door between politics and business and giving greater attention to the increasing casualisation of work. Capitalist's most fervent advocates would do well, as The Economist has, to concede the flaws in their system. Because capitalism needs fixing, not overthrowing. But if it comes to it, the masses can be surprisingly undiscerning, throwing the baby of free trade away with the bathwater of rising inequality and cronyism.
Taxpayers would pay up to $23.6 billion for Australia to meet international climate targets if the Turnbull government were to continue with its "direct action" emissions-reduction fund as its main policy.

Following a request by the Greens, the federal Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the cost of using the fund to meet the target the Coalition submitted at the Paris climate summit  a 26 to 28 per cent emissions cut compared with 2005 levels by 2030.

The fund pays businesses and farmers through an auction process, with the cheapest bids winning contracts to cut emissions.
He receives reminders that repayments are due. Credi helps keep track of the loan and if there is ever disagreement over the amount of interest or other terms of the loan, the agreement is readily available to both parties. "I could get a loan contract together with a lawyer for a healthy fee, but the real value to me is that I can go to one spot and find it all there," Hopper says. With Credi, which is believed to be the first product of its type, lenders and borrowers negotiate the terms of the loan, agree and sign it electronically. There is a legally binding record of loan agreements and repayments. Reminders are sent to the borrower that repayment is due and the lender is notified when the repayment has been made. Credi is free to the public for loans under $10 million and will stay free, other than for advanced options that may be offered in the future.

Tim Dean, the founder of Credi, says parents are sometimes happy to give money but want to structure it as a loan to give their children some life lessons. "We want to educate them about money and meeting their obligations but we probably want to let them off [repayments of the loan] after they have shown you that they are taking their financial responsibilities seriously," Dean says. "That's what happens with my kids." With Credi, lenders can choose to send a notification to the borrower to forgive the remaining debt. Formal documents People often don't formalise their agreements or they email or call to communicate their wishes, which can lead to misunderstandings.

At best, many people simply download a loan template document that they pass between themselves, but documentation is often not understood or properly completed. Ian Macleod, from RP Emery & Associates, a publisher of legal documents, says lending to family and friends is risky without proper documentation. "The reality is most people enter into these loan arrangements on a hug and a handshake, but the terms and conditions are often unspoken or inferred," Macleod says.



"A verbal contract is binding on the parties, but without a written agreement the parties will find it difficult to prove the terms of that contract." Laura Menschik, a financial planner and director of WLM Financial Services, says if it is parents lending money to their children it is important that the loan be noted with their estate planning documents to avoid any disputes with siblings over who gets what if the parent should die before the loan is repaid. Michael Harris, a senior associate, commercial litigation at Slater and Gordon, says if it is a loan and not a gift it definitely should be documented.

"Otherwise, if there's a dispute, the borrower will sometimes say it was a gift," he says. Harris knows of cases where a loan was made by a parent to an adult child and their partner to help buy a property. The couple splits up, the house is sold and the partner takes half of the proceeds of the sale of the house, leaving the lender's son or daughter to repay the debt. Harris says that's why it's important for the lender to have some security over the property. "The security on the loan can be just as important as the documentation," he says. For real estate, an interest called a "caveat" can be lodged with the lands and titles office of the state or territory in which the real estate is located. The caveat alerts a potential buyer of the property that someone else has an interest in the property.

However, that can only happen if the loan agreement contains a clause that specifically allows the lender to lodge a caveat over the property. Business lending Menschik says it is particularly important to document financial agreements when the loan is for a business purpose. "That's especially for larger loans and even more so when the loan is for someone to start a new enterprise, such as a business or purchasing a vehicle to earn income, for example." Menschik says the risks of lending for a business are much greater than lending to someone to put a deposit on a house.

"I have seen parents made almost bankrupt because they wanted to help their children and their children's businesses have failed," Menschik says. "When lending for a business there is usually no collateral and while property can go down in value at least there is collateral." Like with caveats over property, lenders can register a "chargeable interest" over an item of property, such as a motor vehicle, whether for business or personal use. That is an obligation, restriction or condition on the sale of the good. An interest in a motor vehicle, for example, can be registered on the Australian Government's Personal Property Securities Register and noted in the loan agreement. Harris says if the loan is to help a friend or family member with a business start-up, the loan agreement could specify that the lender receives equity in the business rather than cash, for example. Risks for guarantor

If a lender is not willing to give a loan to a person, it may ask for a guarantor. Parents and friends should think carefully before guaranteeing a loan, WLM Financial Services financial planner and director Laura Menschik says. It really means that you are a co-borrower. And, if the person for whom you are guarantor does not keep up their repayments the lender may come calling on the guarantor to repay the loan. There can also be implications for the guarantor's credit record if something goes wrong, making it harder, or perhaps impossible, for the guarantor to obtain credit. Menschik says it is better to only guarantee a part of the mortgage, up to a certain amount, where the guarantor would be able come up with the cash if required.
The couple found it difficult to sleep apart after more than 50 years of marriage. They hadn't been told there was another option. "She wasn't sleeping and neither was I; worrying about her, and getting up in the night for her." Mr Stevenson said when he rang to advise he planned to change providers, the old one insisted on picking up Mrs Stevenson's special needs bed and other equipment immediately. Mr and Mrs Stevenson say they want to warn others they might face an exit fee when taking control of their care. Credit:Emma Young They also informed him he faced a $500 exit fee and that they would not release Nola's funds to acquire a new bed for 90 days.

"They didn't ask us how we would cope," Mr Stevenson said. "They didn't seem to care." Their new case manager at KinCare managed to organise a local supplier to deliver a double hospital bed and waive the charges until KinCare received the funding. Mr Stevenson said his old provider refused a request to waive or lower the fee and the $500 withheld from Nola's funding could have afforded her six hours of services, such as extra registered nurse visits or medical supplies beyond the bare essentials presently funded. "I have heard that some of these fees are up to $4000 so I can consider us almost lucky," Mr Stevenson said.

"That much for someone on a level one or two package would be a lot harder. "How many clients are there in that organisation and how much money are they getting? It's many many millions; the government has to be up for billions. They are grabbing money now because they can. "They are absolutely greedy, there is no other word for it. Suddenly these entrance and exit fees are diminishing the help that the government is trying to give. He advised other people considering changing providers to check their contracts carefully. KinCare says it is one of the few in-home care providers that chose not to charge joining, upgrade or exit fees.

"The whole point of the government's CDC scheme is to deliver increased choice and flexibility, not lock in thousands of older people into care arrangements they might not be satisfied with," said chief executive Brian Bissaker. "The introduction of exit fees is unfair and it's hitting our most vulnerable the hardest, at a time when they are supposed to have greater choice in selecting a care provider for the first time. "We understand that life and family circumstances can change at any time, and so do people's service needs. As an industry, we have a huge opportunity to reshape the sector," he said. A spokesman for the federal Department of Health said regulation of exit fees under the home care reforms were developed through a co-design approach with the sector, including consumer groups. Under the new arrangements, providers could charge exit fees to "recover administrative costs" associated with reconciliation and transfer of clients' financial accounts.

"There are a number of legislative safeguards in place to protect consumers in relation to exit amounts, as they are published on My Aged Care, must be agreed by the consumer and disclosed in the home care agreement. Further, the exit charge is limited by the amount of unspent funds remaining," he said. The government has surveyed 419 providers' exit fees and found that while they can reach $5000, the average maximum was $417 in February and this dropped to about $300 by the end of April. The most common amount was about $500. He said consumers concerned about exit arrangements including the return of equipment, should check their Home Care Agreement for conditions or fees and speak to their provider in the first instance. Service providers had to meet certain responsibilities by law and consumers that were unhappy with their care or service could complain to the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner or call a National Aged Care Advocate on 1800 700 600. "Provider behaviour and consumer complaints under the new arrangements are being closely monitored," he said.

"The Department is also working closely with peak groups representing consumers and providers on issues that arise." He said before the reforms, it was very difficult for a consumer to change providers and all unspent funds could be retained by the provider if the consumer left. Consumers now had more choice and control with "portable" funding. The Department had written to more than 200,000 home care recipients to explain these changes and introduced a My Aged Care hotline. He encouraged anyone with concerns to check out the new system guides. Exit fees covered the administration costs of advising service providers there had been a change in arrangements, Aged and Community Services Australia WA divisonal chief executive Trevor Lovelle said. "Someone on the highest package, about $50,000 a year, would be getting a significant amount of services from a number of providers. This would take a long time to organise," he said.
Rio de Janeiro: Demonstrators gathered across Brazil on Sunday to call for the resignation or removal of President Michel Temer who is implicated in a widening corruption scandal that is undermining his government's fragile efforts to end a historic recession.

Scattered demonstrations, manly by supporters of ousted president Dilma Rousseff, took place in cities including Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where hundreds of demonstrators marched along the shoreline, chanting and waving banners reading "Temer out".

Demonstrators march against Brazil's President Michel Temer, holding banners reading "Temer Out", in Sao Paulo, on Sunday. Credit:AP

The protests were small, however, compared with massive marches in recent years as fortunes flagged in Latin America's biggest country, including 2016 demonstrations that built support for the leftist Rousseff's impeachment.

Brazilians were shocked by a recording disclosed last week that appeared to show Temer condoning the payment of hush money to a lawmaker jailed in a corruption probe that has ensnared dozens of politicians and executives in the last three years.
HANLONTOWN | A man accused of driving 118 mph on Interstate 35 near Hanlontown early Monday faces multiple charges.

Spencer Gee, 23, of West Fargo, N.D., was arrested for misdemeanor speeding, driving without a valid license and driving without insurance.

A state trooper from the Cedar Falls post clocked Gee driving 118 mph around 5 a.m. on I-35 northbound near mile marker 205, said State Patrol Sgt. Brian Beenen.

That's between the interstate exits for Hanlontown and Joice.

A photo of the traffic stop was posted on the Iowa State Patrol's Facebook page on Monday morning. Last week, the agency posted a photo of a traffic stop where someone was clocked driving 144 mph on Interstate 80.

Beenen, of the Cedar Falls post, said it is not unusual for troopers to pull over drivers going 90 or 100 mph.

"It happens all the time," he said.

Gee was taken to the Worth County Jail in Northwood, but had already bonded out as of mid-morning.

 Molly Montag
MASON CITY | The ElmwoodSt. Joseph Municipal Cemetery office will be open during the Memorial Day weekend to assist people visiting the cemetery and needing grave site locations.

American flags for veteran flag holders and flower bouquets, both patriotic and others, are available for purchase to decorate grave sites.

The office will be staffed during the following hours:

 Saturday, May 27 -- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 Sunday, May 28 -- noon to 3 p.m.

 Monday, May 29 -- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Call the cemetery office at 641-421-3687 for more information.
CHALRES CITY | Police in Charles City were searching Monday for a man who robbed a gas station at gunpoint.

It happened about 12:14 a.m. Sunday at The Rush Stop, 609 S. Main St.

Officers say the person, who is described as a white male, displayed a weapon and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The store clerk, who was not hurt, was the only person present at the time of the robbery, said Charles City Police Chief Hugh Anderson.

A reward of up to $400 is offered for information leading to the suspect's arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information can call Charles City police at 641-228-3366.

 Molly Montag
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Real Weddings

Weve Got Florida Envy Thanks To This Tropical Woodland Wedding

Weve Got Florida Envy Thanks To This Tropical Woodland Wedding

We've got Florida envy thanks to this tropical woodland wedding. Steph envisioned a wedding with hints of whimsy and vintage touches, and in our opinion that dream was successfully accomplished! They fell in love with Cauley Square since it embodied all the qualities they were looking for: whimsical, woodsy and romantic. They opted for a warm color palette of wine red, light pink, blush, amethyst and gold to bring out the lush greens of their surroundings.



Everything about this wedding is completely magical. The flowers are so dreamy and the twinkle lights decorating the reception create the perfect atmosphere for a night of romance and festivity! Explore deeper into this day via the full gallery, beautifully photographed by Merari Photography.



You Don't Have To Toast With Champagne, Mix It Up!



From the vendors: Julia Rohde created gorgeous , colorful bouquets and centerpieces to bring together the color palette and added some blooms and small succulents to the gold-flaked two tier cake by Cloud 9 Bakery. Rob and Steph exchanged vows under a beautiful tree and were married by Rob's childhood friend. After the ceremony, guests made their way to the reception area where they found a surprise! Cold Coca Cola bottles on their table settings. The newlyweds wanted to toast with their favorite drink instead of the traditional champagne. After toasts and a paella dinner, Rob, Steph and their guests spent the rest of the night dancing under the stars.



Find Out How These Two Love Birds Met



Rob and Steph met at work. She was the dance teacher and he the music teacher. The arts brought them together and soon they bonded over their love of teaching and good food. For their two year anniversary, they drove to Orlando and after a traditional Blue Man Group show, Rob nervously popped the questions and after a teary "yes!" from Steph, they went to celebrate at Disney World.



A Checklist And Some Confetti Will Be Your Best Friends



From the bride: Having a checklist is so important to keep you from feeling overwhelmed with all the details. I would recommend The Knot's checklist. They have reminders, due dates, as well as vendors and articles to help with just about every detail. Also, don't be afraid to ask a vendor for other wedding vendor suggestions. Most of my vendors were booked because of my photographer's list of suggestions. Finally, RELAX and remember all that matters is that you are getting married to the love of your life. If anything goes wrong, it was meant to be; grab some confetti and let it go!
      

 

""""  White Deer Plain By Chen Zhongshi Translated by the NiuJustSaid on May 22, 2017 Chapter 1 Bai Jiaxuan was proud of having married seven women in his life. At 16, he married his first wife, the eldest daughter of the wealthy Gong family of Gong Village on the West Plain. She was two years older than him. The wedding night was a mess. He was ashamed to tell others his ignorance and ludicrousness, although it was an unforgettable experience. One year later, the woman died in the childbirth. His second wife was the foster daughter of Pang Xiurui, the well-off family of Pang Village on South Plain. She was two years younger than him. She was pretty and had sparkling eyes. She knew nothing about marriage and sex. He already knew all the secrets between men and women. He felt excited when he saw her in confusion. She dared not to resist and let him to wrap her under his body. What he got was her pain rather than joy. After the long and exacting effort, he stopped and felt pain at his shoulders. She had bitten the inner sides of his shoulders. He was to burst of anger at her being spoiled and wayward but at this moment she insinuated that she wanted it again. After the first copulation, the woman became unrestrictably wayward. It was less than one year between she was carried into this house and she was carried out in a coffin. She died of tuberculosis. His third woman was the daughter of an equally rich family of Fan Village on North Plain. She was 16 but had a body of the woman of twenty, plump and well developed with round shoulders and round butts and a pair of magnificient breasts. She was either precocious or had the knowledge about sex. She immediately held him tightly after getting into the bed, eager and greedy, pressing her plump and swelled breasts against his chest without feeling awkward. When he entered her body, she screamed out of joy rather than pain. In a year, this round and plump woman became as thin as a corn stalk. She vomited blood and died with unidentified ailment. The fourth woman was from Mi Village at South Plain. He had hardly any memory of this woman. She seemed not responsive to his initiative. She did not resist when he wanted her. She did not initiate it when he did not. She performed all her duties and hardly spoke. He was out of town when she died. When he was back, he saw her still biting a corner of the quilt. Her fingernails were off. The blood on her hands was not completely dry yet. The mark of scratch and blood stain were visible on the pillow and the carpet. She had felt stomach pain after the noon time. Dr. Leng was sent for. Leng diagnosed as "sheep wool disease". Leng performed bloodshedding with needle puncture, but the blood was already too thick to come out. She died in extreme pain with her body wrung into a curved shape like a dried shrimp. Jiaxuan became scared after four women had died one after another at his home. He started to believe what villagers said about him that he had a hard fate and his wife could not survice. He was afraid of having to remain single for his whole life. His father wanted him to marry again. He wanted to wait for a while. His father Bingde blowed at the tabacoo pipe and ashes flied everywhere and loaded it with fresh tobacco, blowed the flame, two whiffs of smoke out of his nostrils. He said unequivocally, sell one more mule. In the morning of the following day, Bingde went to the fair at Bailu Town to sell the mule. It was dusk when he was back. He tossed the half-chain half-rope rein onto the ground and told him that his next wife would be the third daughter of the carpenter Wei of Li Village at East Plain. This girl was from a poor family. Statuses did not match but it was not a consideration anymore. Carpenter Wei had five daughters, and worried about how to feed them all. What the carpenter cared about was the money, not about whether his daughter would be another victim. Then, the rumour spread all over the villages around that his penis was like that of a dog, long enough to wrap the waist, and at the end of it there was a poisonous backward hook. Womens liver, lung, intestine, and stomach were all damaged and poison was injected. Not a single wealthy family would like to consider the highly vaulted morality and wealth of his family. Nobody wanted to send their daughters to the family of someone with a dogs penis and to be killed. Only this carpenter who could not wait to drive his dauther away disregarded all this rumours. When the wedding was being arranged according to the traditional cusmtom, Bingde died in a sudden. That was lunar April, Small Fullness per Chinese calendar, when wheat developed ears and rape developed pods. The farmers had changed from quilted clothes into single layer clothes and still felt uncomfortably warm. After lunch, Bingde advised Lu San to start planting cotton after feeding the horses and went to rest. He took a rest every day after lunch, sometimes as short as a nap, and then got off the bed and wiped his face with wetted towel. He felt relaxed and fresh. All the fatigue was gone right away. Then he sat down and drank tea, smoked pipe, and felt energetic again, like a fully loaded clock. After Lu San fed the horses, they carried plows toward the field. He was like a general heading for a battle. During the entire afternoon, he had been energetic and concentrated to the work, exerting a huge pressure on Lu San who had to work harder to catch up. He had never scolded his employees, let alone beating them. He kept his promise and never shortchanged them. He and his employees used the same copper wash basin and the same dining table. His former employees had all worked hard and become his good friends. His reputation was well known across the plain. Bingde fell asleep soon after lying down. He dreamed he was carrying a sickle on a cattle-driven cart heading for the wheat field. It was the wheat harvesting season. Suddenly a bright light flashed in the sky overhead and flames fell all over like dust. One piece of flame fell on his chest and he heard the burning sound. He rolled off the cart and fell into the rut filled with leaves and grass. He woke up and found that he was already on the brick floor. He felt his chest and found no trace of burning. But he felt a burning sensation in his heart. The fire seemed rushing out and burning and burned his throat and tongue which had become hard, stiff, and dry. His wife rushed into the room upon hearing the noise but could not manage to bring him onto the bed. She panicked and called her son Jiaxuan and her employee Lu San. They together moved Bingde onto the kang and asked what had happened with anxiety. But Bingde could not speak anymore. He scratched his neck and chest with the hardened fingernail and made a sound a suffering dog made. Jiaxuan and his mother were shocked into dumbness. Lu San was still at manageable situation, and shouted, Go to get the doctor. Jiaxuan bolted out of the courtyard and ran toward Bailu Town. Bailu Town was located to the west of the village, boasting a narrow road and a drug store. Mr. Leng was the doctor, serving the patients and selling Chinese medicine. He got an idea after hearing out what Jiaxuan had to say about the symptoms and extracted a leather bag from the drawer and pinned it onto his belt and headed out for Bai. Leng was the respected doctor of Bailu Plain, in delicately tailored yellow silk shirt and black silk pants that waved with his every move. At his forties, he had hair as black as ink and as shiny as wax, rosy complexion, and lucid eyes. He received patients in his clinic and his business was booming. He treated all the patients, rich or poor, the same way. The wealthy people would carry him with a sedan or blanket padded cart. The poor people would carry him on a donkey. Some patients did not have even a donkey and he woudl go on foot. He did not refuse gold and silver offered by the wealthy. He accepted the copper coins from the poor. He sometimes did not charge the really poor patients if the patients or told them to pay him at their conveniences. His good reputation was established. When his father died, all the patiens who had been saved from the brink of death by his father and those who only had admired him had sent so many plagues and silk ribbons that lined half the street. People found that he was ever colder than his father, sitting on the chair painted pitch black. He was not talkative. He did not slight the anxious patiens. He remained calm and in aplomb at all times, no matter when he found the cure, did not find the cure, or the patient died. The patients trusted him fully. When the cure was found, they thought that Leng had the superior technique. Otherwise, they thought the ailment had been incurable and one hundred other doctors could not do better. Upon entering the room, Leng spotted Bingde on the bed in a convoluted shape. He was still whimpered in pain like a suffering dog. He maintained his composure, felt the pulse of Bingdes left hand and then his belly, pried open his mouth, made a weak sound and turned to ask Jiaxuan, Do you have alcohol?. Jiaxuans mother, Baizhao, said yes, yes, yes and turned and fetched a whole bottle of alcohol. Leng asked for a blue porcelain bowl, poured the alcohol into the bowl, and signaled Jiaxuan to ignite the alcohol. Jiaxuan was sweating cold sweat and failed to start a sparkle with the flints in his shaking hands in a few attempts. Lu San took over, started the sparkle at the first try, blowed out a flame, and ignited the alcohol. Leng unfastened the leather bag from his belt, unlocked it, and a row of knivies, awls, hooks, needles, and a shiny scrubing knife of prism shape came to view. Leng extracted a steel needle of the size of the wheat stalk, a steel plate, and held them in the blue flame. He told Jiaxuan to hold still Bingde's two hands, Baizhao to press Bingdes legs still, and Lu San to hold Bingde's head and neck still. He told them by no means loosen it. Everyone performed their duties according to Lengs instructions. Leng inserted the steel plate into Bingdes mouth, formed a V-shaped bracing plate with his index finger of his left hand, prying his mouth in a wide open position. He inserted the red hot steel needle into Bingdes throad with is right hand. Before everyone got a sense what was going on, the steel needle was already pulled out. A whiff of smoke escaped from Bingdes mouth. Accompanied it was the stinking smell of buring flesh. Leng wiped the tools and said, Release. It is done. He blowed out the flame in the bowl filled with alcohol. Bingdes twisted limbs relaxed and rested on the bed without movement. Black sticky liquid oozed out of his mouth, nauseating indeed. Jiaxuan carefully cleaned with a towel. Bingde slowly opened his eyes. The four people discovered at the same time this great transition and the light of life from his eyes, resemling a ray of soft and lively sunlight through a crack of the dark cloud. The three exclaimed and turned to Leng in unison with teary eyes. Leng remained his usual composure and said, Feed him some cold boiled water. The three fed several spoons of water into the wide mouth in a careful yet quick manner. Bingde sat up, miraculously, grabbed Lengs hand, and joked, ah-y, my nephew Leng, I was putting ticks on the notebook of the death Satan. Suddenly someone pulled away my brush pen and inserted it into my throat. I told the Satan that he could not blame me. It is you! The three people burst into tears and laughed. Bingde accused his wife, Why not hurry to prepare the meal for Leng? Baizhao left with obvious guilt of slighting the benefactor and from the kitchen came the sound of water and wind blower. Leng sat down but did not say a word. He started smoke slowly Bingdes water pipe handed over by Jiaxuan. Baizhao carried over a gilded fine china bowl with three cooked eggs in it. Leng refused determinedly with a gesture. Baizhao wanted to say some comforting words. But Bingde fell again on the kang and his limbs became twisted again, worse than before. The light in his eyes dimmed instantly. He was obviously dying, with the same painful sound from his throat. The wife, son, and the employee, having relaxed, were shocked again and sensed that they had congratulated too soon. The crisis was not dissolved. They plunged into the second round of suffering. Leng was again at his composed manner and repeated what he had done. The three performed their dutiesy without being instructed, with each one restraining a part of the body. Steel needle was again inserted into Bingdes throat and a stinking smell and blue smoke came out. Bingde was again quiet and his eyes were illuminated with light. He did not make a joke this time. The three had solemn faces and douts in their eyes. Leng picked up the leather bag and fastened onto his belt again and wanted to depart. Jiaxuan and Lu San grabbed his arm, how can you leave? How would we cope with it without you? Leng said plainly, without making slight movement of his eyebrows and facical muscles, It is said that you can have it once or twice but not thrice or for four times. If it does not happen again, it is Bingdes luck. Otherwise, it will not cut it even if I pull his brush pen. He went outside of the room, the courtyard, and to the street. Jiaxuan saw him off and asked what ailment his father had contracted. Leng said it as xia xia disease. Jiaxuan felt he was too weak to make back to his home. Xia xia disease meant terminal disease. Bai Bingde died. It was the first time for Jiaxuan to see the process of dying with his own eyes. His grandfather had died before he came to the world. He did not have the capacity of memory when his grandmother died. He did not witness the dying of his four women. He was pulled into Lu Sans horse stable and covered with a red kerchief to prevent the ghost from sticking on his body. His fathers death was the first time he saw someone going to the other world. His death left an eternal memory on him. That memory did not diminish or disappear with time but became ever clearer like a repeatedly polished copper mirror. After Leng returned to his clinic in Bailu Town, Jiaxuan and his mother Baizhao and Lu San encircled Bingde like loyal guardians around the King. He and his mother fed Bingde with a spoon of sugared water. They held hope that he would not repeat the seizure. Bingde scanned the three with his weak vision and sad feeling and then the room through the gaps between their bodies. He realized that Leng was no longer present and closed his eyes after a light hesitation. When he opened his eyes again, it was the deadly quietness that occupied the room. He knew that his time was limited and stared at his son Jiaxuan and said determinedly, After I die, you should marry the daughter of carpenter Wei immediately. Jiaxuan replied, Dad, do not mention that. We will cure your ailment first. We will talk about it later. Bingde said, What I mean is if I die. You have to promise me. Jiaxuan felt awkward, If, , that is the case, I will wait for three years. This is the custom. Bingde said, No posterity is the biggest sin among the three sins. Have you forgotten what you have learned? Our family have been wealthy but we have not had enough kids. Your grandfather had been the single son. So was I. And so are you! As I can remember, the men from Bai family all live short lives. Your great grandfather died at 48. Your grandfather died at 46. I am the longest, above 50. Waiting for three years does not make you a good son. It is the greatest vice not having a son. Jiaxuan started sweating. Bingde continued, After the fourth, you need to marry the fifth. The past women were not meant for Bai family. The deaths were the result of our not having paid back the money we owed. I only want to say one sentence, even if we have to sell all the cattles, horses, land, and houses,  Jiaxuan saw his mother was signalling him, but he could not utter a word. He did not think it was appropriate to wed within three years after his father's death. Bingde suddenly twisted his body and the light in his eyes came and went. The dog-like noise came out from his mouth again. Nobody knew what to do. Jiaxuan's one hand was suddenly grasped by his father. The nails cut deep into his flesh. The dying eyes emitted vicicous light. White foam oozed out of his mouth. He tossed and wrung on the bed. The grasping hand remained tight. His mother shouted, Promise your father. Lu San also panicked. Just agree with him. Jiaxuan burst into tears. DadI will follow your adviceRest assured. Bingde loosened his hand, leaned backward, and breathed his last breath. Jiaxuan fainted after a long cry. When he woke up, his father had been dressed in funereal clothes. Incenses were burned on the table. Lu San said, Stop crying. Do the funeral first. You have to take the lead or others cannot start. Jiaxuan conferred with elderlies of his clan and determined on the things that had to be done first - sending out four people from his clan closer to his family on the family tree as messengers to inform relatives, one to each direction; sending out eight people from his clan distant to his family on the family tree preare the the grave and moving the bricks to the field before the location of the tomb was finalized by the fengshui master; sending a couple of helping relatives to grind the flour on the water mill since his own water mill was too slow. Next thing was the musicians for the funeral. This had to be decided by Jiaxuan. How many of them would be hired? How much fanfare would be made? How many days would it last? Jiaxuan said, My dad had toiled for his whole life. He should have been kept at home for three years before he would be interred. But my dad had told us to bury him in three days, no musician was needed, and simplicity was everything. I think although I cannot keep him for three years, I will not bury him in three days. I will keep him for seven days at home, and this time will be needed to build the tomb. Uncles, please advise. All the related elderlies knew that Jiaxuan was under a bad situation. There was not even a woman beside him yet in the funeral ceremony. They all agreed to Jiaxuans plan. One uncle said frankly, People said that you need to look forward and also look backward. That cannot be done at the same time. So you should look forward first, and look back later on. Life and death cannot be handled at the same time. So you take care of the life first and death later on. Things were settled at once. He sent one person to the neighboring village to hire the musician troupe head and to determine the number of musicians required. For the first three days and the last day, the whole troupe should be present. For other days, only five would be required to play in front of the coffin. The funeral was carried out according to plan. Seven days later, Bingde took a spot on the cemetery. A fresh and moist mound was formed there. His mound was under his fathers and to the left. The right side was reserved for his wife Baizhao. This sad event was finally over. After he was gone, the room and the courtyard suddenly felt void and suffocating. His mother was in the upper room alone. He was in the attached room alone. Lu San was in the horse stable alone. If not for the coughing of his mother, the whole courtyard was dead silent, day and night. This evening, his mother asked him about his plan to get married. He said he would wait for one year. His mother said he should not wait anymore because it was useless. She said the home was too quiet and she could not even do cleaning, laundry, and cooking, let alone spinning the yarn and other chores. He said, If that is the case, let us wait for one hundred days. His mother said, Do not wait for even 100 days. You should do it after seven by seven (49 days). It turned out that he married his fifth wife, the third daughter of the carpenter Wei, within in two months during the short lull period after the wheat was harvested and ground, the field was cleared and the autumn crops were planted. The first night after wedding was a very hot day. Jiaxuan latched the door of the side room, turned and removed his sleeved shirt and trousers. The bride who had been sitting on the kang properly suddenly knelt down and genuflected to him, beseeching him not to remove the short sleeved shirt and the underwear. He asked her why. She said that she had had a bad fortune, it was more so to be the third daughter in a poor family (1). He sensed something and pressed her whether she had heard any rumour. She said she knew that he had married four women and all of them had died. She also said that she heard heard that he not only had a killing tendency, but also a poisonous backward hook at the end of his penis that would destroy womens heart, lung, and liver. Even a woman made of iron could not withstand. She started to tremble and weep, My dad was after your money and did not care about me being alive or dead and I had no other choice even if I had to jump off a cliff or into a well. I do not want to die young and early. I want to look after you for more years. I will prepare the water, the tea, wash your feet, cook, sweep the floor, sew and mend, whatever, without complaint. I only hope you would not scare me with that thing in the evening. Please! Please! You are a good brother. Please agree with me. Jiaxuan plopped on the chair of a sudden. All the anticipation of the wedding night vanished. He had heard this ridiculous rumour but he felt incapable of putting in an argument. He wondered how different others penis was from his. He had pretended to use the latrine when he went to fair in an attempt to take a sneaky view of others penises and found all were the same. This made him more puzzled. What his new wife had done to him did not raise his sympathy, but hurt his self respect and angered him. He stood up from the chair and lept onto the bed, undressed in an instant, and showed his penis to her. Where was the poisonous backward hook? She felt shameful, afraid, and started to weep and tremble. He got evern angrier and undressed her. After that, he asked her what innards had been destroyed, only found that she was dead already. He pressed his finger hard on her Ren Zhong spot. After waking up, she curled up in a corner of the kang. He felt funny and incensed. He kissed her and caressed her and talked sweetly to her. No matter what, her psychological ailment could not be dispelled. Every evening, she trembled in the kang. She became half mad. When she went to wash clothes the last time she seized and fell into the washing pond and was drowned. The financial situation improved when he interred the third daughter of Carpenter Wei. He made a coffin with poplar panels and put on five layers clothes on her. The former wives were put on only three layers. No musician was hired. The funenal was simple. It was already luxurious for a young woman. Jiaxuan wanted to treat her slightly better only for undescribable psychological reasons. He developed an intense feeling of guilt when her body, smudged by the dirty mud in the pond, was put into the coffin. At the day of wedding, at the moment he opened her head covering, he found that she was pretty and strong, with rosy face and two pit-black sparkling eyes, and her arms emitting strength. She even had a thin layer of cocoon on her palm, the evidence that she and her mother had taken care of the field work when her father was out looking for carpentry work. The strong body resulted from labour could not eventually withstand the attack of the rumour He could not dispel the image of her beseeching him and her cold and trembling hands and legs. She had never experienced the joy of lovemaking. What she had experienced was just fear. She could not dispel the fear that accumulated and finally took her down. He was dispirited. He lied on the cold kang after coming back from field. This kang had received five women with various statures. He had buried five hard corpses. He had spent half of his familys fortune, including crop, cotton, mules, and silver coins, in the marriages. But it was eclipsed by his creastfallen mood. He did not lament, and was not sorrowful. He lacked energy and spririt. Ge felt his hands were as light as a piece of paper. He was as weak as if being able to be blown to a corner by a breeze without making a sound. The world became vague and void and irrelevant to him. He lied on the kang until dusk. His mother called him to eat. He said he was not hungry and did not want to eat. His mother called Lu San. Lu San did not feel appropriate eating alone and came to his room to console and persuade him. He told Lu San to go to eat and do not wait for him. Lu San made a loud noise when eating under the grapevine in the courtyard and quickly finished the meal. Jiaxuan could not imagine what type of food could be so delicious to make Lu San to evince such joy in eating. After cleaning up the kitchen, his mother dusted her off in the courtyard and called him. Jiaxuan went to the upper room and saw his mother sitting on the simplified chair once used by his father in a posture like his fathers. He sat down in a chair at the other end of the table, pretending to be worry free. His mother said she wanted to visit her mothers home the following day to asked her brother to find another wife for Jiaxuan. He wanted his mother to suspend the action for a while. His mother asked him why and said he was already above twenty and could not afford to wait anymore. His mother got irritated and agitated while speaking. Do not be so dispirited. Women are like the paper covering the window. Put on the new when the old was torn. I want you to marry another five wives afte five of them had died. I would rather exhaust our wealth than not to have the posterity to inherit the wealth and let it be taken away by others. Jiaxuan did not say anything further. His mother came back from his uncles home after five days absence. Things had been settled. A family named Hu on South Plain had gambled away all his fortune over night. The gamblers raided his house and took away the crop, the cattle, and the mules. The woman was reduced to half death. The husband was ashamed and wanted to hang himself on the walnut tree in his backyard, only to be discovered and rescued by others. They wanted to marry their daughter and asked for exorbitant bride price. That money could be substituted by 20 dan of wheat and 20 bundless of cotton. Everything had to be paid at once. That number made Jiaxuan feel a cold spine but his mother said she had agreed to the condition. Only thing to to be done was for his uncle to follow the customary procedures of engagement. Jiaxuan discovered, to his surprise, that his mother was quicker and more determined than his father used to be. She had less worrying and was going directly to the goal without looking back. One month before the anniversary of his father came, in the March while plum blossoming, the sixth wife came to his home accompanied by the joyful music. He was shocked when he removed her head covering. All the people coming to examine her were equally stunned and became speechless. This woman reminded them the legenary beauty or the noble woman or the daughter of wealthy families as depicted on the theater stage. He heard people calling out the name of Hu Fenglian when he force his way out of the room and came to the dining table in the courtyard. Hu Fenglian was a character in Qing Melody Opera Touring the Turtle Mountain with unparalleled beauty. In the evening when he and she sat on the same kang and gazed each other, her splendor and beauty instantly cleared him of the downcast mood created by the former five women. He did not regret the 20 dan of wheat and 20 bundles of cotton. But soon he found things were so not splendid. She willingly accepted his caress, hug, and kiss, but when he attempted to unlace her underwear she jumped and retrieved a pair of scissors from underneath the pillow. The scissors had been polished carefully and the sharp edge reflected the light from the candle that was buring red. She knelt on the kang, with two snow-white and standing breasts exposed, directed the tip of the knife to him and said, If you dare to unlace my underwear, I would cut off your stuff. He compromised, conceded, and agreed to Hu. He thought he should be satisified with sleeping beside such a woman, but could not help feeling regret every night. He even truly started to suspect whether the stuff coming out of his penis was poisonous. He secretly dispersed that stuff into pig food and observed, for three times, and the pig had displayed no abnormity. He revealed his thoughts to Dr. Leng. Leng burst into laughter and said he had heard of this bullshit. In his twenty strong years of career, he had seen men with sperm, without sperm, with dead sperm, and with watery sperm, but had never seen a man with poisonous sperm or backward hook. Leng continued after laughter, Brother, why not make the falsehood true and take advantage of it! He laid out a piece of paper and grabbed the brush pen, and wrote down the prescription for yin nurturing, yang strengthening, and mild remedy. Jiaxuan tool the medicine for seven servings and was told to take the medicine for 100 consecutive days. Jiaxuan carried the buddle of medicine hom and handed to Hu, declaring that the medicine was for poison removal. Hu could not hold her joy. She boiled the medicine every morning and evening and watched her husband drinking it. That night she cuddled in his arms and said with great tenderness and warmth, As long as you take the medicine for 100 days despite the bitterness and the poison is removed, you can do whatever. I have no evil intention at all. Jiaxuan was elated to great happiness and took the bitter medicine liquid like honey. One hundred days later and after being nurtured by the medicine, Jiaxuan was in great shape and complexion. Hu did not have the anxiety anymore and unlace her underwear. The two were of same passion, same greed, could not be satisfied, and were never fatigued, until the earth bricks under the kang collapsed and they then moved to a new spot on the kang. They did it for three nights in a row and both of them were exhausted. They did not have the strength for it in the fourth night and fell into dream together. A scream woke him up from sound sleep and he did not know what to do. Hu hugged him tightly, trembled violently liking sieving the bran, and dared not breathe freely. He ignited the oil lamp and saw suspicion and wandering in her eyes. He asked her and she stammered and finally a word was squeezed out of her mouth Ghost. Jiaxuan instantly felt numbness at calp and coldness at spine, and goose bumps appeared everywhere on his body. Where is the ghost? he asked. I dare not to say. I fear. Hu said with trembling voice. Jiaxuan got off from Hus hand, put on his pants, ran out of the room with bare feet, climbed to the second floor and scooped half liter of soybeans, spread the beans one handful after another, from ceiling to corner of the walls, from kang to floor, dense like rain with scary sound, until greenish beans were all over the kang, table, and floor. His father had dislodged ghost in this way when he was little. After so much effort, Hu recovered from terror and liveliness reappeared in her eyes. She started to weep while hugging him tightly. She stopped trembling. He held her and sat upright until dawn and she dared to talk about the ghost in her dream. She said she saw his previous five women. Those five women pinched her, wrung her, scratched her, beat her, and spit on her and wanted to grab him and sleep with him. It puzzled Jiaxuan was that Hu had not seen any one of the five women but her description of the five women was all correct. Jiaxuan narrated to his mother and his mother said immediately, Lets invite the master to cath all these ghosts tonight. This master did not disclose his name and surname and was nicknamed a lock of hair, because of the foot long lock of hair at the black mote to the left of and below his cheek. Jiaxuan described the ghost episode. The master asked him to go back after getting his address and said he would arrive in a minute. Jiaxuan knew that masters travelled faster like moving in the air and therefore hurried back home. The master did arrive shortly after, and threw a net onto the gatehouse. The master made his way into the room, with red kerchief on his head, red belt around his waist, and red shoes on his feet, went up to the house and down to the floor. Hu was scared and covered her with the quilt. Finally the master caught the ghost at the corner of second gate. He showed a porcelain jar with mouth covered and tied by red fabric under the oil lamp. The red fabric trembled incessantly as if a mouce was bumping all around in the confined space. The master ordered, pour water into the pot, boil it to death and then bake it dry. Lu San and Jiaxuan operated the blower in turn. After the water was boiled, a stinky gas came out of the pot. Jaxuan vomited and so did Lu San afterwards. They did not give up and continued to boil until all the water evaporated. The master got the pay, carried the porcelain jar, retrived the net, and came back to the hill in the sedan. After this the ghost was gone. But Hu never recovered. She became thiner and thiner and was always in sad mood. Tens of packs of medicine prescribed by Dr. Leng had not helped. She miscarried and a mound of blood and flesh came out of her. She became bedridden and left the world not long after that. Jiaxuan was in total despair. Leng advised him, Brother, hire a fengshui master to examine the house location and the tomb and find out what the problem is and then find a solution

darkrifle  2017-05-23 15:55:43



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  2017-05-22 10:58:06

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  2017-05-22 10:44:39


Little sign of relief expected in October US inflation data
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 20, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 20, 2017 | 08:10 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Local race track manager D.J. Irvine has been promoted to the FASTRAK Companies International, LLC General Manager effective immediately.



FASTRAK Founder and CEO Stan Lester said Irvine will relocate from Paducah to northeast Georgia to handle the day-to-day operations of the company that consists of six different dirt late model racing series.



Irvine was hired by Lester in February to become the Director of the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series Battle of the Bluegrass Region. But as Lester looked for help in the home office, Irvine became a good fit for FASTRAK.



Irvine was introduced to Lester by FASTRAK/ULTIMATE Communications Director Roby Helm, who knew Irvine when he served as the General Manager and Promoter of Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, KY before the track property was taken over by eminent domain for an interstate highway interchange.



Just when his dream of working in racing fulltime looked like it was going to end as soon as it got going, opportunity knocked for Irvine with FASTRAK/ULTIMATE. The company was growing with two new ULTIMATE Regions coming online in 2017, and Lester knew he needed additional personnel to make it work.



"FASTRAK/ULTIMATE is growing at a rapid pace and there is more to come in the future months and years," Lester said. "Roby Helm and I were discussing bringing on someone to direct the ULTIMATE BoB Series, and he suggested D.J. Irvine. I trust Roby's judgment, and he got me and D.J. together. I had to agree with Roby that D.J. is a good fit for us, and after spending a lot of time with him, I'm confident he's going to do a great job as General Manager."



FASTRAK Companies International consists of the FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series South East Region, the FASTRAK Pro Late Model Series Mid-Ohio Valley Region, the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series South East Region, the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series Battle of the Bluegrass Region, the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series Mid-Ohio Valley Region, and the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series North East Region.



"I am beyond excited to have accepted Stan Lester's offer to become the FASTRAK/ULTIMATE General Manager and my fiancee Lauren and I are looking forward to moving to Georgia next month," Irvine said.



More information is available at the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 22, 2017 | 11:19 AM | MARSHALL COUNTY, KY

A Marshall County man faces drug and other charges after his arrest on Sunday.

The Marshall County Sheriff's Office said deputies were dispatched Sunday afternoon to US 68 West in reference to a man walking through the area, approaching homes, making obscene gestures to passing motorists and yelling at people. Deputies said the man, identified as 38-year-old Jeremy Don Hicks of Hardin, became agitated and started threatening officers and others.

When deputies tried to take Hicks into custody, he ran and a short foot pursuit ensued. Hicks was apprehended a short time later.

He's charged with fleeing or evading police, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal mischief.

Hicks was booked into the Marshall County Jail.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 21, 2017 | 10:10 PM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

A two vehicle crash Sunday morning in Graves County left one person injured.

According to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, the collision happened just before 11:30 am at the intersection of KY 339 South and KY 58 West. Deputies said a vehicle driven by 16-year-old Macie Morgan pulled out in front of a vehicle driven by Preston Stroud of Wingo.

Stroud's vehicle struck Morgan's vehicle in the right side. Stroud's passenger, Melissa Stroud, was checked by EMS at the scene and declined further treatment. Morgan's parents took her to Jackson Purchase Medical Center for treatment of her injuries.

Morgan was cited for driving without a license.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 21, 2017 | 09:50 PM | MAYFIELD, KY

in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency.

The Graves County Board of Education celebrated the districts recent ENERGY STAR awards for Graves County High School and Wingo Elementary at the May 18th board meeting. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPAs) prestigious ENERGY STAR is the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. This signifies that the building performs

This is a significant achievement for the Graves County Schools, said school district maintenance director John Oldham. Im very pleased and proud that our maintenance staff, with support from our schools, the board of education, and the finance and technology departments that collaborated so well with Harshaw Trane in striving toward a common goal! Two of our schools have attained ENERGY STAR status in only one year! With that as inspiration, we as a team are working toward attaining ENERGY STAR status at other schools in our district soon.

To earn the ENERGY STAR awards, the district began a partnership with Louisville-based energy services company Harshaw Trane in 2015 to update facilities by taking the following actions:

High-efficiency LED lighting district-wide

Total HVAC system replacement at high school

HVAC replacement at elementary (1980 section)

Address comfort concerns in high school

Variable flow pumping conversions

Water conservation

Minimal disruption to school during construction period

Significant utility cost reduction

Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Graves County Schools improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire district and by making cost-effective improvements to its buildings. In 2016, the district has saved a total of $81,852 in energy costs Seen a 16% energy reduction overall. Since its baseline year, the district has saved 1,188,078 kWh in electric and increased natural gas by 10,759 ccf. These savings are equivalent to:

245 Passenger Cars not driven for a year

2,637 Barrels of oil not burned

9 acres of forest saved

15 school buses taken off the road

The ENERGY STAR certifications at these schools are validation that the Graves County school board made an environmentally and fiscally-sound decision to move forward with an energy savings project in 2015, said Kyle Johnson, Harshaw Trane Education Sustainability Leader. This project resulted in a better learning environment for the students and created a new revenue stream for the district with avoided energy costs generated from this project. Harshaw Trane looks forward to working with the district staff in the future to ensure their continued success.
By Keith Todd, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet May. 21, 2017 | 09:41 PM | PADUCAH, KY

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Graves County Fiscal Court have entered into an agreement that will put the county road crew to work mowing along state highways.

According to KYTC District 1 Chief Engineer Mike McGregor, bids on state mowing contracts came in high for several counties. In the process of seeking alternatives, highway engineers starting talking to Graves County about the need for a contractor. After discussion, the Graves County Fiscal Court offered to pick up the mowing contract to help fund county road department operations.

"So far as we know, this is the first such interagency agreement where a county road crew will be mowing along state highways," McGregor said. "The agreement helps us maintain roadside mowing this summer while providing an alternate funding source for county roads."

District 1 has about 2,800 miles of highway across Kentucky's 12 westernmost counties. About half are mowed by state crews, with about half mowed by contractors. Under the interagency agreement, the Graves County Road Department will be responsible for about 251 total highway miles.

KYTC District 1 personnel will be mowing along the Julian Carroll-Purchase Parkway from Calvert City to the Kentucky-Tennessee state line at Fulton. Two Graves County class D inmate crews will assist that effort by picking up litter along the parkway.
MASON CITY | A Mason City man who was sentenced in October to up to 10 years in prison now is only required to serve up to five years.

Brandon Dean Olsen, 32, was ordered on Oct. 24 to serve up to five years in prison for a felony Cerro Gordo County conviction of enticing a minor with the intent to commit sexual abuse or sexual exploitation.

He also was ordered to serve up to five years in prison for violating his probation on an September 2015 Cerro Gordo County conviction of felony third-degree burglary. Consecutive sentencing was ordered.

Earlier this month the Iowa Supreme Court ordered the case to be sent back to district court for re-sentencing.

The higher court ruling stated the consecutive terms were illegal because the sentencing order was entered before Olson's probation was revoked on the burglary conviction.

A corrected order was entered last week in district court indicating Olson is to serve up to five years in prison.

-- Mary Pieper
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 22, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 22, 2017 | 11:19 AM | PADUCAH, KY

A Marshall County man has been sentenced on bank and identity fraud charges.



Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell sentenced 41-year-old Corey Thorson in Paducah Friday to 51 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release. He must also pay $109,064.94 in restitution.



On Jan. 12, Thorson pleaded guilty to five counts of identity theft and one count of bank fraud related to a loan from State Farm Bank, which he received while working at a Paducah insurance office.



At his indictment last September, evidence was presented showing that between May 2013 and December 2014, Thorson used personal information of five different clients to apply for and obtain vehicle loans from State Farm Bank. He then allegedly used the proceeds - about $150,000 - for himself and his family.



After his initial arrest, Thorson's bond was revoked after investigators say he contacted the witnesses in the case using text messages and social media. Thorson was in federal custody at the time of his sentencing.



The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nute A. Bonner, and was investigated by the Kentucky Department of Insurance and the Kentucky State Police.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 22, 2017 | 09:03 AM | MAYFIELD, KY

Last month Kemp & Wright, PLLC in Mayfield, participated in the first annual Kentucky Legal Food Frenzy. The Kentucky Legal Food Frenzy is a statewide completion among Kentucky law firms, law schools, and legal organizations to support local food banks.

The goal of the Legal Food Frenzy and Kemp & Wright was to provide a much-needed supply of resources to Kentuckys food bank network to meet increased demand during the summer months when schools are closed.

Im not surprised that our community stepped up to donate to such a worthy cause, but they exceeded my expectations, said attorney Richie Kemp. We received an overwhelming response from many individuals and businesses throughout our community  too many to name, but Id like to thank everyone that helped out."

In just two weeks, Kemp & Wright received 970 pounds of food donations and $200 in monetary donations. The donations were taken to the Mayfield-Graves County Needline and Food Pantry.
Gorey music students jet off to L.A. to experience the sights and sounds of the showbiz world
MASON CITY | A Mason City man police say drove a stolen SUV into a church, a tree and a moving vehicle faces criminal charges.

Daniel Solano, 31, was charged with felony second-degree criminal mischief and conveying contraband into a correctional facility.

He also faces several misdemeanors, including reckless driving and leaving the scene of a crash.

Police say Solano took off when an officer, who realized the 2008 Suburban was stolen, began following him around 10 p.m. Sunday.

Mason City Police Sgt. Tiffany Creekmur said Solano entered the property of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 670 12th St. N.E., and hit a tree along the side of the driveway.

He then backed away from the tree, put the SUV back into drive and continued forward, hitting the back corner of the building, she said.

A set of swerving, muddy tracks leading to the corner of the church were still visible Monday on the property's lawn and driveway. The siding at the corner of the building was broken.

Solano also is accused of hitting a moving vehicle while pulling across 12th Street.

He was arrested later in Mason City and booked into the Cerro Gordo County jail around 1 a.m. Monday.

Solano was charged with felony drug possession after marijuana fell out of his sock while he was changing into a jail uniform, according to court documents.

He allegedly told officers the marijuana was his and that he'd forgotten about it.

Solano remained jailed Monday afternoon.
FOREST CITY | Rodney E. Westerberg, 81, of Forest City died Friday, May 19, 2017, at the Good Samaritan Center in Forest City.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City, with Pastor Rod Hopp and Pastor Zech Anderson officiating.

Visitation will be held 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at Cataldo Schott Funeral Chapel, 505 North Clark St., Forest City, IA 50436, and also one hour prior to the service at the church Wednesday.

Burial will be held in Madison Cemetery in Forest City.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Rodney Westerberg memorial fund in care of the family.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.cataldoschottfh.com.
Makenna Gabel and Karen Scharleau competed at the International Science and Engineering Science Fair held May 14-19, in Los Angeles, Calif.

This is the largest science fair in the world, where 2,000 students from 78 countries present their projects to judges.

Gabel and Scharleaus project was in the Behavioral Sciences division and analyzed the effects of texting and cell phone use on driving responses. They were awarded the prestigious American Psychological Association award for their project.
Saturdays commencement celebrated not only University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County graduates, but the institution itself.

Moved inside the campus gym due to heavy morning rain, the ceremony saw dozens of students earn associate degrees and a few receive bachelors degrees. They were assured a University of Wisconsin education will propel them to the next phase of their lives.

Charles Clark, the regional dean who oversees the campus, said a UW degree is the best the state has to offer. It doesnt get any better than that, he said.

Hermes Ed Duran, president of the Student Government Association, hailed the two-year schools broad course offerings and extracurricular activities. This campus may be small, but it offers such a wide variety of options, he said.

Commencement speaker Jennifer Morales said she was taken with the campus beauty and the dedication of its staff. You have a treasure here, the author said. Its a gem.

Morales declined to deliver a rainbow and puppies speech full of inspirational quotes. Rather than encouraging graduates to aim high or reach for the stars, she warned them about a changing job market.

Im going to give it to you straight, said Morales, winner of the 2016 Wisconsin Book of the Year award for her short-story collection, Meet Me Halfway.

In the modern high-tech economy, where people earn a living selling items on eBay or driving for Uber rather than working a traditional job, there is uncertainty. But there also are opportunities for young people unafraid to make their own way, she said. This is a time for doers, Morales said.

She challenged graduates to transform an expensive health care system that yields mediocre results, a prison system that has re-created slavery by disproportionately incarcerating minorities and poor people, and an environment adjusting to climate change. Were leaving it up to you, Morales said.

Because 58 percent of the graduates were first-generation college students, she expressed confidence the class of 2017 is full of trail blazers.

Go remake this world the way that it needs to be, Morales said. You are ready for this work.

Before her speech, staff and faculty accepted year-end awards. Clark requested a moment of silence for former campus Dean Thomas Pleger, who died this month. Clark called Pleger an articulate champion of liberal arts education and the Wisconsin Idea, which holds that UW research and services should extend to every corner of the state.

Dean Pleger embodied the Wisconsin Idea, Clark said. He truly did this. He did this every day of his life.
It was a frustrated Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who quipped to reporters last week: Can we have a crisis-free day? Thats all Im asking.

And shes not alone. She probably spoke for the majority of senators and House members, Republican and Democrat, as well as most congressional and White House reporters, who are tired of reeling from crisis to crisis and yearn for just one day to pursue business as usual without yet another colossal blow-up from the Trump White House.

But the answer is: No, senator. No, you cant. Not as long as Donald Trumps in the White House. Hes so inept, and hes surrounded himself with such a bunch of amateurs, they couldnt organize a two-car funeral without mucking it up.

Consider the crises weve lived through in recent history:

May 9: Trump fires James Comey.

May 10: At the suggestion of Vladimir Putin, Trump invites Russian Ambassador Kislyak and Foreign Minister Lavrov to the Oval Office.

May 15: Washington Post reports that Trump gave Russians top secret intelligence.

May 16: Comey reveals that Trump asked him to drop his investigation of Michael Flynn.

May 17: Trump claims to be the most persecuted president in history.

May 18: Reuters reports that Trump campaign staffers were in touch with Russian officials at least 18 times.

Fortunately, something else very positive happened on Wednesday: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named former FBI Director James Mueller as special counsel in the Russian investigation. At which point everybody, even Susan Collins, could breathe a sigh of relief. It looks like well finally learn the truth: whether, for the Trump team, it was just connection or actual collusion with Russia.

Either way, appointment of a special counsel is Donald Trumps worst nightmare. For two reasons. First, because it means the Russian thing is not a nothing-burger, as Trump calls it. Its serious enough to merit a full-scale criminal investigation. Second, because, with Mueller in charge, the FBI probe will not go away anytime soon. Itll hang over the Trump White House for months, if not years, and could expand anywhere Mueller decides to take it. Remember Ken Starr, who started out investigating Bill Clintons failed real estate investment and ended up exposing a White House sex scandal?

Actually, Mueller wont have to hunt for new material. He has plenty on his plate already, starting with revelations this week that Trump shared state secrets with Kislyak and Lavrov and tried to shut down the FBI investigation. Its hard to tell which is more serious.

By revealing to Russian officials top secret intelligence the United States had received from Israel, Trump not only put Israels entire intelligence operation at risk, he undermined any confidence our allies have in his administrations capacity to keep a secret. And by trying to shut down a criminal investigation into members of his own administration, Trump, like Richard Nixon, seems guilty of obstruction of justice.

Indeed, Trumps troubles are compounding so much that the unthinkable is starting to happen. Its not just Democrats like Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, who are starting to utter the I word. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Michigan, told reporters that, if what Comey says about Trumps efforts to shut down the FBI investigation is true, that would amount to an impeachable offense. And the conservative commentariat also is starting to pile on.

Under the headline Conservatives Begin to Whisper: President Pence, Politico notes that leading conservative blogger Erick Erickson urged his followers to abandon Trump because they have no need for him with Mike Pence in the wings. And conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat wrote that Republicans need not fear getting rid of Trump because Hillary Clinton will not be retroactively elected if Trump is removed, nor will Neil Gorsuch be unseated. In other words, Trump has served his purpose, but hes clearly not up to the job, so now lets dump him.

For those of us old enough to have lived through it, the whole mess is so reminiscent of Watergate  except that the Nixon administration took years to unravel. The Trump administration has fallen apart in 120 days. And, like Nixon, it has become abundantly clear that theres no way Trump can survive.

This madness cannot last four years. Until this week, I disagreed with friends who insisted that Trump would not serve a full term. But no longer. Were witnessing the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. Its no longer a question of whether Donald Trump will go, but how and when.
The stage was set for the last time on Sunday as 227 students at Beaver Dam High School dressed in the green cap and gown crossed the stage.

It was the last class to use the north gym as its backdrop for graduation, but as the class motto said, that was fine with them: We didnt want a new school anyways.

The class had five graduates who were named valedictorians: Lindsey Budde, Ashley Kulka, Brianna Lerwick, Megan Salomaki and Cassidy Trotter.

Mitchell Klug, Alexis Conkey, Conrad Winkelman and Cassie Coenen were this years speakers.

Klug reminded the students that they lived a life of order but they have to make way for change.

How many of you followed the exact educational plan we figured out in eighth or ninth grade?, Klug said. Not many of us. Our plans change, new and unexpected things come up and rarely does everything go as planned all the time.

After today, our stories are solely ours to write, Conkey said. Some of us will laugh, others will cry, but all of us will sigh in relief and exclaim thank God thats over. As much as graduation day is about smiles and laughter, there is still some genuine sadness about leaving. In the past four years, Beaver Dam High School has grown into our home and our teachers and friends have grown into our family. It has been within these walls and among these people that weve made some of the greatest memories of our young lives.

Conkey went on to explain some of her favorite moments in school including a sophomore trip to Florida and her senior trip to Iowa.

We all have these little things called dreams, Winkelman said. From this day on, we step out of the safety net of high school and step into the bizarre, strange world in front of us. In the real world, we will be pursuing the things that makes us happy. It will be an exciting journey, paving an uncharged path filled with enjoyable encounters and unexplainable occurrences. Along the road, we may experience a few bumps and failures and it is how we react to failing that ultimately decides whether we become successful or not.

Winkelman said that giving up led more people to not reaching their dreams than failure.

After today, I want you to remember every great thing on this planet is here because the creator learned not only what did work, but learned more from what did not work.

Winkelman said that they are all dreamers and they should follow their dreams.

Never quit chasing your dreams, because the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of dreams, Winkelman said.

Coenen said that they all have changed a lot since they first entered the school four years ago.

We are not the same people who sat in those bleachers four years ago, Coenen said.

As they age, Coenen said they will continue to change and the reputations they had in high school will no longer matter.

You have spent less than 25 percent of your life in high school and as you get older that percentage will get smaller and smaller, Coenen said. No matter what we do we can succeed and be happy.

Class of 2017, you will be missed and I wish you the best, Principal Crystal Bates said.
WAUPUNThis years Veteran of the Year honor will be given to Eugene Rusty Kastein of Alto.

Kastein, a 1949 Waupun High School graduate, joined the Navy in 1950 and spent basic training at the Great Lakes Navel Reserve before attending Yeomans school in Norfolk, Va. He spent the rest of his enlistment in Greece, Ireland, England, Germany, and floating around the Mediterranean Sea.

December of 1953, he married his wife Elaine Bronkhorst of Brandon.

The couple settled in Alto for two years, then moved to the country and joined Kasteins brother Wyman in the chick hatchery business.

Back in those days farmers had cows, sheep, pigs, goats, and chickens and usually two hundred to three hundred chickens, Kastein said. The amount varied.

They hatched and sold thousands of chicks daily to farmers throughout the area and some beyond.

They also sold eggs.

Today, the farmer just focuses on cows, or sheep, or pigs, and they might have a few chickens just for their own eggs, he said.

In the 1980s Kastein sold the business and went to work for Northern Hatcheries, now called Sunnyside Hatcheries in Beaver Dam. His wife also went to work for them.

Both are retired now and living in the same home they bought 60 years ago.

About the Navy, Kastein says the food was good, I enjoyed the travel, Id do it all over again.

The couple have four boys, eight grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

Kastein will be given the Veteran of the Year plaque at the Memorial Day Ceremony at 11 a.m., May 29 at Shaler Park, 500 N. Madison St.
The Wisconsin State Assembly honored Willard Weiss as a Hometown Hero for his dedication to the Columbus Community Veterans Memorial. He both designed and developed the site, and currently voluntarily maintains it.

Weiss served in the Army and Army National Guard in both enlisted and officer ranks. He served during the Korean Conflict, Berlin Conflict and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He retired from the military after more than 20 years of service. Two of his children, and two of his grandchildren have followed in his footsteps in serving their country.

Willard represents the best of Wisconsin; a man who has served his country and continues to serve his community and care for his family. He has dedicated his life to memorializing our states veterans said state Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown).

The memorial reads, in part, Lest we forget that freedom isnt free, and thanks to Mr. Weiss, the people of Columbus will never forget because of the memorial he fought so hard to create.

Weiss was nominated to be a Hometown Hero by his daughter, Shelley. He was joined at the ceremony by his daughters, grandchild and great-grandchild.
On May 9, I received a CNN Breaking News email that ended with, Perhaps the least we can do is pay attention. It should have been more appropriately titled CNN Breaking Opinion.

The news alert was a report that CNN had obtained and revealed unsanitized video of what happened after Syrian fighters launched a chemical attack on a northern Syria town in an early morning bombing on April 4. The attack left 92 dead.

I personally refuse to watch videos of this nature whenever possible but, CNN claimed the video was difficult to watch ... children choking on what were likely their last breaths, but its important to understand the horror of a war crime.

The CNN reporting staff was correct in its conclusion. The grief of those who survived cannot be erased. Perhaps the least we can do is to pay attention. Unfortunately, those reporters crossed the line from reporting news to editorializing.

There is no way any reasonable person could watch a video of children dying and not feel compelled to pay attention. There was no need for the CNN staff to direct readers otherwise.

A few days after the chemical attack, CNN wasnt alone in reporting the news that President Donald Trump ordered a military strike against the Syrian airport where the chemical strikes were launched. A month later, however, CNN seemingly had forgotten the attack had not gone unnoticed by the American government.

The true hypocrisy of the Ted Turner-founded company hit the pavement a short time later, however. After the American military dropped the mother of all bombs on an ISIS cave network in Afghanistan, CNNs main headline was Why the mother of all bombs and why now? At least they had the decency to call this one an opinion piece despite its prominent placement on the website.

People who pay attention to the news are smart enough to wade through this kind of stuff, but when you have a casual viewer the prominent placement of opinion-generated news tilts the scales toward the news sources opinion. Whether that opinion is well-meaning or not, this is not appropriate. The news and the opinion pages deserve two different and clearly defined classifications.

Running an op-ed piece on the front page, even when categorized as such, is misleading. That is historically where the most important news of the day is placed. Replacing that space with opinion pieces only misleads the reader  even the most experienced news reader.

Editorializing the news doesnt end there. This past weekend the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran the headline Man hiding in dumpster dies after encounter with police. At face value, that can be taken a couple of ways. With the toxic environment former President Barack Obama allowed to fester against law enforcement, the headline was misleading and intended to affect the readers viewpoint.

The reality was the man in the dumpster was a suspect in an armed robbery just five minutes before he shot at police, who attempted to stop and arrest him. Police responded with gunfire and he was found dead.

The headline wasnt enough. The article then went on to further question, How much time elapsed between the suspect opening fire and the police doing so? Was the man still armed while he was inside the dumpster? Did he threaten the officers at that time? If he didnt, did his earlier gunfire or other circumstances give officers the legal authority to shoot?

It really doesnt matter when he was shot once the man opened fire on police. Any reasonable officer isnt going to wait to see if his next shot misses. What does matter is the police put an end to an extremely volatile situation that could have resulted in the death of a cop rather than a suspected armed robber.

It is exactly this kind of news reporting that allows Trump to call major news outlets, like CNN, fake news. If networks and the national media are going to be fair and balanced, they need to keep the news news and the opinion opinion. I dont mind that CNN or FOX News mostly run editorial programming all day but when the news hour starts, I want unopinionated reporting.

A former Madison news anchor once told me that he earned his journalism degree when journalism was a respectable field. It can be a respectable field once again. They simply need to replace headline opinions with headline news.
Ocean View, Delaware, May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



The industry trends report Secondary Alkane Sulfonate (SAS) Market Size By Application (Dish Washing Liquids, Household Detergents & Cleaners, Industrial Cleaners, Personal Care Products), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, GCC), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024 by Global Market Insights, Inc. says Secondary Alkane Sulfonate (SAS) Market size is set to surpass USD 1.3 billion by 2024.

Robust detergent demand industrial applications such as textile, hospitality, paper & pulp, laundry services, etc. will positively influence the global secondary alkane sulfonate market size over the forecast timespan. This is chiefly due to product usage in detergents manufacturing owing to its superior foaming and cleansing characteristics.

Additionally, increasing household demand in the recent years, particularly due to improved consumer lifestyle dynamics and awareness towards personal hygiene will complement business growth by 2024. For instance, the global household detergents market industry shall experience growth over 6% during the forecast timeframe.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1516

Cleanliness is an essential parameter adhered in the food & beverage industry. Thus, strong growth indicators in the food 7 beverage business will stimulate dish washing liquids demand, which will subsequently boost the global secondary alkane sulfonate market share in the coming years. In 2005, the overall food & beverage business was roughly recorded at USD 8 trillion and surpassed USD 15 trillion in 2016, with growth close 8% between the same timeframe. In addition, favoring FDA regulations towards ensuring cleanliness food & beverage processing along with opening up of numerous food outlets such as Burger King, McDonald's, KFC, etc. in Asia Pacific will boost industry growth.

The secondary alkane sulfonate market share is negatively influenced by prevalence of strict government norms due to potential product threat on exposure to human as well as the environment. For example, direct product (high concentration) contact with the human skin may cause irritation and its consumption via residue remains from plates and crookery may lead to indigestion. Furthermore, associated toxicity with SAS makes is vulnerable for marine flora & fauna on its disposal into water bodies. These factors may hinder the overall SAS market size by 2024.

Browse key industry insights spread across 100 pages with 88 market data tables & 11 figures & charts from this 2017 report Secondary Alkane Sulfonate (SAS) Market in detail along with the table of contents at:

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In 2016, household detergents & cleaners led the global secondary alkane sulfonate market by accounting approximately 40% of the global volume. Growing population along with increasing consumer awareness towards health & hygiene are the factor contributing business growth across the globe.

Industrial cleaners will witness gains more than 4% CAGR over the forecast period. Rapid industrialization across the globe along with considerable detergents demand for removing grease and oil stains will boost the global secondary alkane sulfonate market size by 2024.

Global secondary alkane sulfonate market share was led by Asia Pacific in 2016. In addition, the region, mainly led by China and India, captured more than 40% of the total business share in the same year. Growing Population in China and India, rapid industrialization & urbanization, escalating food & beverage business and growing consumer awareness towards cleanliness are the prime factors propelling Asia Pacific secondary alkane sulfonate market size in the recent years.

Furthermore, expanding personal care product customer base in the region will stimulate business growth 2024, as the product is used in cosmetic products such as bar soaps, shampoos and shaving cream due to its foaming, moisturizing and emulsifying traits. However, North America will experience moderate gains close to 3.5% CAGR over the forecast timespan.

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Browse Related Reports:

Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) Market Size 2016  2024

Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) Market size was recorded at over USD 1 billion in 2015 growing at a CAGR above 5%. Growing awareness regarding cleanliness and hygiene all over the world will likely bolster the global sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), also known as sodium laureth sulfate, market in the coming years, which is an anionic surfactant popularly used in detergents.

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/sodium-lauryl-ether-sulfate-SLES-market

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Market Size 2016  2024

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Market size was more than USD 450 million in 2015 and is likely to exhibit a CAGR of over 5% over the forecast timeframe. Rising demand for household and industrial detergents and cleaners will likely have a positive impact on the global sodium lauryl sulfate market in the forecast spell, which is an organic chemical surfactant with extensive applications in manufacturing detergents and other hygiene related products.

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/sodium-lauryl-sulfate-SLS-market





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European consortium completes first Iter magnet

22 May 2017

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The first of 18 toroidal field coils has been made in Europe. Gigantic superconducting magnets, they will generate the magnetic cage to contain the Iter fusion reactor's plasma.

The toroidal field coil magnet - "the most high tech magnet in history", according to F4E (Image: F4E)



The toroidal field coil is 14 metres wide, 9 metres high and weighs 110 tonnes. Nine of Iter's 18 toroidal field coils, plus a spare, are being fabricated in Europe with the other nine being made in Japan. The European fabrication is the result of a collaboration between Iter's European domestic agency Fusion for Energy (F4E) with ASG Superconductors, Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion, Elytt Energy, CNIM, SIMIC and the ICAS consortium. At least 600 people from 26 companies have been involved in their production.

Construction of the coil has been underpinned by various contracts including the production of 20 kilometres of conductor by the Italian Consortium for Applied Superconductivity, consisting of ENEA, Criotec Impianti Srl and TRATOS Cavi spa. Antonio della Corte. ASG, Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion and Elytt worked together to manufacture the magnet at ASG's La Spezia facility in Italy, winding 750 metres of conductor to form a double spiral - known as a double pancake - to an accuracy of fractions of a millimetre. The core of each toroidal field coil contains seven 'pancakes' which are stacked, electrically connected and impregnated together.

SIMIC and CNIM have produced the radial plates for the European-manufactured magnets. These are D-shaped stainless steel plates which support the insulated conductor in spiral grooves, closed by cover plates.

The completed magnet will be transported to SIMIC for testing after which it will be inserted into its case, welded, impregnated with resin and machined, prior to shipment to the Iter construction site at Cadarache in France.

F4E has since 2008 signed contracts worth 5 billion ($5.6 billion) with European companies and R&D organisations.

Alessandro Bonito-Oliva, F4E's manager for magnets, said the achievement demonstrated the "excellent collaboration" between the organisation and its partners. "This is the result of the good cooperation between the different parties of this one-of-a kind project and clear proof that when Europe wants to be a pioneer - Europe can!" he said.

Iter - which stands for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor - is a major international project to build a 500 MW tokamak fusion device designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy. The European Union is contributing almost half of the cost of its construction, while the other six members (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the USA) are contributing equally to the rest.

Site preparation works at Cadarache began in January 2007, with first concrete for the buildings poured in December 2013. Under a revised schedule established by the Iter organisation last year, first plasma is planned for 2025, with deuterium-tritium fusion experiments commencing in 2035.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Reno, NV, May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dakota Territory Resource Corp (DTRC) ("Dakota Territory" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's research of historic data has identified high grade gold mineralization under Dakota Territorys recently acquired property at Maitland. In the 1960s, Homestake Mining Company collared diamond drill hole # 6091A at the western fringe of the Maitland Mine and drilled at a -50 degree angle to the southwest across Dakota Territorys recent land acquisition. The hole was drilled to a total depth of 137.5 meters, including an 11.3 meter-long intercept from 111.2 meters to 122.5 meters down hole containing 5.18 grams per tonne gold. The gold intercept in diamond drill hole #6091A was in the Precambrian Poorman  Homestake  Ellison stratigraphic sequence that hosted the 40 million ounce Homestake gold deposit located just over 4 km to the south.

Dakota Territory acquired the historic Homestake diamond drill data through a commercial use agreement with the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center at Deadwood, SD. The Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center maintains the 125-year record of Homestakes mining activities in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, including data sets and technical reports for the Homestake Mine and other properties.

Richard Bachman, Certified Professional Geologist, has reviewed the technical disclosure contained in this news release and is a Qualified Person of the Company.

About Dakota Territory Resource Corp

Dakota Territory Resource Corp. is a Nevada Corporation with offices located at Reno, Nevada. Dakota Territory is committed to creating shareholder value through the acquisition and responsible exploration and development of high caliber gold properties in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

In terms of total historic US gold production, the Black Hills ranks second only to the Carlin District of northeast Nevada, with the gold production of the Black Hills concentrated in a 100 square mile area known as the Homestake District. Dakota Territory maintains 100% ownership of three mineral properties including the Blind Gold, City Creek and Homestake Paleoplacer Properties, all of which are located in the heart of the Homestake District and cover a total of approximately 3,341 acres. The Blind Gold Property is located approximately 4 miles northwest and on structural trend with the historic Homestake Gold Mine. Through its 125 year production history, the Homestake Gold Mine produced approximately 40 million ounces of gold and is the largest iron-formation-hosted gold deposit in the world

In the 1980's and 1990's Homestake Mining Company undertook a $70 million exploration program managed by Richard Bachman, president and chief executive officer of Dakota Territory that was focused primarily on the search for a repeat of the Homestake Mine. This program successfully discovered significant new gold mineralization beyond the confines of the producing mine, demonstrating repeatability and the potential for additional gold deposits in the Homestake iron-formation host. This program also proved the continuous extension of the Homestake iron-formation to a distance of approximately 4 miles from the producing mine and under the Blind Gold Property.

Dakota Territory Resource Corp is uniquely positioned to leverage Management's extensive exploration and mining experience in the Black Hills of South Dakota with Homestake Mining Company. For more information on Dakota Territory, please visit the Company's website at http://DakotaTRC.com/.

Investor Relations

Investor Relations Contact: For more information, please contact Dakota Territory Resource Corp (775) 747-0667

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") limits disclosure for U.S. reporting purposes to mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. Our property currently does not contain any known proven or probable ore reserves under SEC reporting standards. Our reference above to the various formations and mineralization believed to exist in our property as compared to historical results and estimates from other property in the district is illustrative only for comparative purposes and is no indication that similar results will be obtained with respect to our property. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our latest reports filed with the SEC. You can review and obtain copies of these filings at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Readers are advised to review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that can be accessed over the Internet at the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Lillian Constantine and Ashraf Miah

By: Alexis Bell WorldWideWeirdNews.com

A woman in the United Kingdom, was brutally raped in the streets by an illegal immigrant.

The woman fought back and tried to free herself from the rapist.

However, when he overpowered her and she was unable to get away, she decided to record the act so that she can hand the evidence over to police.

18-year-old Lillian Constantine was walking to her home in Ramsgate, Kent at 2:00 a.m., when she was attacked and raped.

In the video clip that lasted for 2 minutes and 47 seconds, the teenager can be heard screaming and pleading with her attacker to leave her alone.

When the man finally left, Constantina stumbled home and her mother Karen, who is councillor and magistrate, called police.

She was taken to a hospital, where nurses took samples of her hair and fingernails for DNA and treated her for cuts and bruises.

The teenager also had many blood tests done, including HIV and a pregnancy test. She received HIV prevention medication that left her bedridden for one month.

Meanwhile, officers reviewed the video of the sexual assault and tracked down the suspect who was identified as 34-year-old Ashraf Miah from Bangladesh, He worked at a restaurant in London.

Now, Miah was sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in prison. He must serve a minimum of nine-and-a-half years before being eligible for parole.

Although police did not release her identity, Constantine decided to go public with her story to help other victims and to encourage them to take video of their attackers if they are unable to free themselves so that they too can get justice.
Prime Minister Theresa May In Wrexham Area This Morning

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 22nd, 2017

The Prime Minister Theresa May is in the Wrexham area this morning as part of a promotional visit to launch the Welsh Conservative manifesto.

Update 8am: We will be at the event (inside or out!) and will bring you updates later this morning.

Original overnight information below

We believe this is the first visit to Wrexham by a Prime Minister since May 4th 2010 when Gordon Brown came to town, a few days later he lost the General Election.

Mrs May is here to launch the Welsh Conservatives election Manifesto. There has been no further detail released of what the visit will entail.

Perhaps reflecting security concerns, or the well documented reluctance to appear at publicly trailed events, local Conservatives were only invited yesterday afternoon to todays event, with the exact location not being revealed until late into the evening to those who pre-registered by 9pm.

Security was so tight even the time of the mid morning event was only released at 7pm.

The Daily Post has published an apparently embargoed copy of what she will say here a few seconds after midnight, however it does not state she is in Wrexham just North Wales.

No detail of the location of the visit has been made available.
WATERTOWN, Mass., May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- #FlowerOnEveryGrave, the national campaign organized by RallyPoint to commemorate Memorial Day, has brought together a diverse coalition of supporters, donors and volunteers in the weeks leading up to May 29 in an effort to deepen Americans connections to this important but often overlooked holiday - encouraging service members, veterans and civilians alike to visit their local cemetery on Memorial Day and place a flower on fallen service member and veterans graves.



To support this effort, RallyPoint, the premier social network for the military community, has successfully mobilized more than 2,000 volunteers, raised more than $15,000 and partnered with a diverse array of likeminded organizations, including: The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation, National Museum of the United States Army, Association of the United States Army, American Military University, Vet Tix, The Darby Project, Navy Mutual, R4 Alliance, Life Flip Media, Patriot List, Victory for Veterans March on America, Gallant Few, Steel City Vets and Patients Like Me.

From the earliest days of my military career, the phrases never forget and never leave a fallen comrade have been core to the leadership principles that I aspired to fulfill both as a service member and now as a veteran, said RallyPoint CEO Dave Gowel. The #FlowerOnEveryGrave campaign is important because it allows RallyPoints million members to act upon those defining phrases in a meaningful way, regardless of their military status or location around the globe. We thank everyone who has supported this campaign in our inaugural year and look forward to providing more opportunities for RallyPoint members and partners to show that collectively, we will never forget our fallen comrades.

RallyPoint has activated its network of nearly 1.2 million service members and veterans to help coordinate and encourage volunteer efforts across the country. The effort will revolve around Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where 300,000 service members and veterans are buried. RallyPoint and The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation will build on the Foundations past efforts with the help of volunteers, government and military officials and other dignitaries who will come together on May 28-29.

Other notable efforts supported by RallyPoint volunteers and donors include those that will take place in Denver, Colorado and Alabama National Cemetery outside of Birmingham, Alabama where flowers will be distributed to volunteers who wish to assist in similar efforts.

Donors, volunteers and all supporters directly or indirectly involved with the campaign are encouraged to use the hashtag #FlowerOnEveryGrave on social media in the days leading up to Memorial Day 2017 to help raise awareness of the campaign and to share their own stories of honoring the fallen.

ABOUT RALLYPOINT:

RallyPoint is the online platform where the troops talk. With nearly 1.2 million members, RallyPoint is the premier social network for military service members and veterans to come together and discuss military life through both professional and personal perspectives. Visit www.RallyPoint.com to learn more. Follow RallyPoint on Facebook and Twitter @RallyPoint.
The conflict between government and opposition in Albania, which has been going on for months, has been temporarily resolved with the Socialist (PS) and Democratic (PD) parties agreeing to postpone parliamentary elections scheduled for 18 June and form a joint government.

As the opposition the PD are to receive the office of deputy head of government, as well as four important ministries and the presidency of the state electoral commission.

On May 13, tens of thousands of followers of the PD took to the streets in the capital city, Tirana, to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama (PS) and the formation of an all-party government. Lulzim Basha, chairman of the PD, declared that this would be the only way to a fair and free parliamentary election. Otherwise the opposition would boycott the elections, he threatened.

Alarmed about recent developments the American deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, Hoyt Brian Yee, traveled to Albania for all-party talks. He met first with Rama and parliamentary president Ilir Meta of the Socialist Movement for Integration (LIS), which had formed a coalition with the PS. Afterwards he met with Basha.

The European Union also sent emissaries to Tirana. An agreement was reached allegedly based on proposals made by David McAllister, a former conservative (CDU) premier in the state of Lower Saxony and current member of the European Parliament.

The crisis began in February, when the PD called for a boycott of the upcoming election, the resignation of Rama and the formation of a cabinet of experts to ensure a regular election. After Rama refused to resign, the party boycotted parliament and did not register for the election. On April 24, several thousand of its followers blocked numerous motorways.

PD leader Basha has accused the government of being dependent on criminals and drug traffickers, and turning the entire country into a cannabis plantation. According to the Austrian Standard, many people in parliament, in city halls, and in public institutions, were formerly inmates in European prisons prosecuted for trafficking in drugs, women, weapons, for prostitution and murders.

For his part Rama accused the PD of preventing a reform of the judiciary because of their close links to corrupt judges and prosecutors.

Rama had also been subject to heavy criticism from EU representatives because he used the nationalist card and threatened to form a small union with Kosovo, in the absence of any perspective of accession to the EU. This was not his wish, but just a possible alternative if the EU closed its doors.

The formation of a Greater Albania could once again set the entire region ablaze. Serbia, in particular, which has never recognized Kosovos independence, is vehemently opposed to any merger with Albania.

There are no fundamental differences between the policies of the PD and the PS. Both parties, which represent a small upper class elite and are up to their necks in corruption, nepotism and openly criminal activities, are widely despised. They are both committed to rapprochement with the EU and business friendly policies.

The PS is largely made up of Stalinists from the former party of Enver Hoxa, while the PD evolved from a right-wing movement that emerged in the early 1990s. Both parties have participated in government. Basha has formerly occupied ministerial posts and was formerly mayor of Tirana. In 2013 the Socialists won the election and replaced the Democrats.

The result of the rule of both parties is a social catastrophe, as is the case throughout the Balkans.

Following the collapse of the Stalinist bloc in the early 1990s mass emigration took hold. As of 2011 Albania had 2.9 million inhabitants, down from 3.3 million in 1990 and the number of those emigrating remains high. The World Bank ranked Albania at ninth place among countries with the highest emigration rate in relation to the population in 2015before Barbados and behind Tonga.

The main motivation for the exodus is widespread poverty. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe. According to the Finance Ministry, GDP per capita amounted to about 3,400 euros in 2015. The average monthly wage is only 390 euros. The unemployment rate is over 35 percent and is even higher for young people. The majority of Albanians simply could not survive were it not for a flourishing black market economy.

The main concern of the US and the EU is not for the conditions affecting those poor and low-paid workers in the region. Rather, their main concern is growing instability in the Balkans.

Two decades after the US and Europe broke Yugoslavia apart and waged war, nothing has been resolved, the region is once again descending into political crisis and is dominated by nationalist elites. Warnings of the danger of new wars in the Balkans are mounting. Once again the Balkans resembles a social and political powder keg.

The Serbian government has threatened that ethnic Serbs in Kosovo will be defended by military means when necessary. In Macedonia, nationalists stormed the parliament and attacked representatives of the Albanian minority and Bosnia-Herzegovina is more divided than it was at the time of the 1995 Dayton Agreement.
The meeting of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers held in Hanoi, Vietnam, over the weekend was the third major international meeting to abandon a commitment to resist protectionism, following similar decisions at G7 and G20 summits over the past two months.

Like the earlier decisions, the statement issued by the 21 APEC trade ministers was a response to the America First program of the Trump administration in the US. Since coming to office Trump has scrapped the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and demanded the renegotiation of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada.

After somewhat tense back-and-forth negotiations on the wording of the text, leading to conjecture as to whether there would even be a statement, the meeting simply called for officials to deepen APECs structural reform agenda to remove barriers to trade and investment.

It was very different from the statement issued at the last APEC meeting held in Peru in November last year.

That statement had declared: We reaffirm the pledge made by our leaders against protectionism through a standstill commitment that we recommend be extended until the end of 2020 and to roll back protectionist and trade-distorting measures, which weaken trade and slow down the progress and recovery of the international economy.

What has changed between the two meetings is the coming to power of the Trump administration in the US and its insistence that international agreements, including the operations of the World Trade Organisation, have disadvantaged the US. The White House wants to pursue bilateral agreements, rather than all-embracing arrangements and commitments.

The role of the US at the meeting, which was attended by trade representative Robert Lighthizer, was the subject of some pointed remarks by Russias economy minister Maxim Oreshkin.

In an interview with Bloomberg on Saturday, in the midst of discussions over the text, he said there was a risk there may not even be statement as there was one country opposed to a commitment to fight protectionism. When there were talks about the memorandum of the forum, there were 20 countries that agree on everything and one country that has not agreed on anything, he said.

Asked what country that was, he replied: You can guess.

Lighthizer said the US faced a huge trade deficit and it would fight against what he called unfair trade, reiterating the commitment to pull out of the TPP.

This does not mean we will not engage in this region, he said. The president thought it was so important that I come here and demonstrate to this region how important it is to the US to be involved.

Trade talks and economic arrangements, however, have been thrown into disarray because no one is sure how the America First agenda of the Trump administration will play out and what exactly it is demanding.

Its not only us, its everybody on this forum wants to get clarity on what the US thinks about its trade policy, Oreshkin told Bloomberg .

These views were echoed by He Weiwen, a former Chinese trade diplomat in San Francisco and New York.

They claim that US policy is free trade but what they say they want is what they call fair trade. They havent explained what fair trade really is and are just claiming that it is something different. This is certainly not workable. It wont help APEC, the G20 or the whole course of the global economy. It is a pretext for protectionism.

There were other expressions of concern. Vietnams industry and trade minister Tran Tuan Anh told a press briefing that the APEC group strongly support a multilateral trading environment, and warned of signs of protectionism.

Some countries tried to avoid the threat posed to the trade environment posed by the US administration, and downplay the significance of the scrapping of the commitment to resist protectionism.

Canadian trade minister Francois-Pilippe Champagne said the focus should be on actions rather than statements and that economies have agreed to maintain rules-based, open and free trade. It was necessary to look at the big picture, he asserted, and the countries represented at the meeting had expressed a desire to strengthen the system that exists in the Asia-Pacific.

The New Zealand trade minister, Todd McClay, said that we should not become overly concerned where we cant reach agreement on a statement, clearly and quickly, at every meeting. There would only be concern, he said, when countries were not willing to come back and talk to each other.

He said the US had different views about what fairness in trade meant and from what I have seen I have a lot of sympathy for the view that seems to be forming in the US.

Notwithstanding such attempts to downplay the significance of the Trump agenda, the divisions are widening. The commitment to resist protectionism was introduced at the G20 heads of state meeting which followed the global financial crisis of 2008. It was endorsed in recognition of the enormous dangers of a return to the kind of beggar-thy-neighbour policies which played such a disastrous role in the Great Depression.

Now such a commitment is not able to be made at any major international economic gathering. It is a sign of the growing division of the world into rival trade groups and the abandonment of a multilateral approach.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Japan held talks with other members of the TPP in pursuit of its push to make the agreement effective even without the participation of the United States. The Japanese desire to continue with the agreement, which excludes China, signifies an intention to advance its interests against the growth of Chinese economic power.

China held discussions at the conclusion of the meeting with the 16 members of its proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Beijing is presenting itself as the champion of free trade against the growing protectionism emanating from the US.

Oreshkin, who warned protectionism was the greatest threat to global growth, said he had not approached Lighthizer about a meeting and that its more important to contact our Asian partners rather than the US.

For the US part, Lighthizer held discussions on the sidelines of APEC with individual countries, in line with the Trump administrations pursuit of preferential bilateral deals.

While the global economy continues to operate under the multilateral agreements that characterised the post-war international economic order, the APEC meeting was another indication that it is starting to fracture.
Thousands of AT&T workers manned picket lines over the weekend to press for improved wages and job security and oppose the telecom corporations demands for sweeping health care concessions. According to the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the three-day strike involved up to 40,000 workers at AT&T Mobility in 36 states and Washington, DC, as well as workers at AT&T West (California, Nevada and Hawaii), AT&T East (Connecticut) and DIRECTV (California and Nevada).

Most of the workers have been laboring without a contract for months or up to a year. The CWA called the limited job action, which included token pickets at mobile phone retail stores, to allow workers to blow off some steam and reinforce the authority of union over an increasingly restive workforce. Rank-and-file workers are determined to recoup past givebacks granted by the CWA to the worlds largest telecom, which raked in $13 billion in profits in 2016 and is currently involved in an $85 billion merger with Time Warner.

Nearly 40,000 workers struck the number two telecommunications company, Verizon, last year, and 1,500 workers in New York and New Jersey are currently on strike against Spectrum, formerly Time Warner Cable. In every case the highly profitable corporations are slashing jobs, monitoring workers to increase output and punishing technicians for customer problems, which stem from a crumbling and poorly maintained infrastructure even as billions are squandered on deals to enrich top shareholders and executives.

Far from uniting all telecom workers in a common struggle, the CWA, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and other unions have deliberately isolated the different sections of workers and strung out negotiations for months, if not years. If forced to call a walkout, the unions wear down workers with fruitless publicity stunts and starvation strike benefits before imposing managements dictates. The Verizon strike, hailed as a resounding victory by the CWA and the liberal and left supporters of the trade union bureaucracy, was a serious defeat, paving the way for the destruction of jobs and deep health care concessions.

Once again, the CWA is urging AT&T workers to rely on various Democratic politicians, although the Democrats spearheaded the deregulation of the industry and the destruction of hundreds of thousands of jobs. The CWA is also exploiting workers concerns over the outsourcing of call center jobs to the Philippines and other low-wage countries by encouraging workers to support the US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act. The Democratic Party-backed measure would encourage customers to demand that they speak to call center workers in the US, and is in line with Trumps scapegoating of foreign workers for stealing American jobs.

On picket lines in Pennsylvania, California and New York, rank-and-file workers who spoke with World Socialist Web Site reporting teams expressed support for broadening their fight and waging real struggle against the telecom giants.

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Larry, who has been working for AT&T for 22 years in the operations department, said, Weve been without a contract since February. They keep on outsourcing jobs. It gives them more profit. In terms of the three-day strike, I think we should go a little longer so they realize we are serious. We ought to be working as a group, he said, referring to other striking workers who have been isolated by the CWA and IBEW bureaucracy.

Another worker interjected saying, Our health care premiums have already gone up. The union voted it in, but we didnt vote for it.

Shelly is a Sales Support Representative and started in 2000. In 2012, she was arbitrarily laid off. She said, The company did not tell the union they were getting rid of me. I was hired back. I am out here for job security and pay. I need more money. I get 2 percent a year. We should be striking for a longer time.

Katrina said, Im doing more and getting paid less. I took a $7,000 pay cut last year because of commission. I made $49,000 this year and I am doing way more. The company can change the commission, which is not in the contract.

I owe the doctor $300. The insurance doesnt cover squat. Then they want us to pay more. We get 10 sick days a year but after six times calling off you are fired. I dont know how people do it with kids. They probably get fired.

She also said a serious struggle was needed. We were just talking about how we should strike for longer. AT&T is greedy. It is time we stood up.

Cindy talked about the authorized retailers the company is pushing. They are franchises and sell AT&T phones and services, but they do not have to pay commission, and then they send customers to us and we fix the problem, but dont get paid for it. Then they have the nerve [AT&T] to put out a quarterly report to show employees what they are not getting. The CEO is making millions and they claim the sales representatives are making $75,000, which is not true.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has been showered with money for axing labor costs and enlarging profits. In 2016, he made $28.4 million, a 13.1 percent raise from the year before.

Cindy continued, Im on three different medicines for anxiety; its too much stress and pressure. I do text support. We do everything and are forced to take every single call. They watch over you and mark it down. We had 400 some people at a call center and now are down to 126. We cant use vacation time either.

Katrina chimed in saying, They micromanage me. Everything is documented and written up. Those authorized retailers just make the company more money. They dont have to pay those people and they dont know how to fix things. If their SIM card is broken, they have to come here to fix it.

Dave, who has been working at AT&T for 18 years in operations. said, The company is going in the wrong direction. We get a 2 percent raise a year and then our insurance goes up 3 or 4 percent. AT&T supposedly flew in managers to fill striking positions and they closed a bunch of stores for the strike. Some of the things in sales are ridiculous. We get 10 sick days and we cant use them or we will get fired.

I think it [the strike] should be longer. I wish we had 120,000 workers [out here], but we dont have the numbers we want to.

Chuck drove to the picket line from Hershey as a member of Local 465, Chocolate Workers, saying, Im here in solidarity to support the AT&T workers. They are fighting for better pay, better insurance. The company wants to make them pay more and give them less of a raise. How much is too much? I dont want to be greedy, but if you make employees happy they do better work.

About a dozen workers at AT&T's store in Culver City, an enclave of Los Angeles, were on the picket line Saturday. The striking retail sales consultants explained that they were striking for better wages and health benefits, fairer commission rates and reasonable quotas.

The workers expressed their frustration with how their commission rates have been continually reduced over the last few years. Juan explained how they must sell many different products such as alarm systems, DIRECTTV satellite service, wireless internet and streaming services. For us to earn a livable wage, we have to double our quota, which corporate keeps raising, and if we are able to do that we are then taxed at 40 percent.

Aaron pointed out how they all have to work twice as hard to earn income from commissions, and end up earning less than half of what we used to earn.

Terrell pointed out that the money AT&T has spent to acquire DIRECTV [$48.5 billion] and their $85 billion offer for Time Warner is money that should have been used for us workers. Instead they have lowered our commissions consistently in the past few years and they now want to raise our health care costs.

As for the scapegoating of foreign workers for the loss of jobs that is being carried out by both the company and the CWA, a WSWS reporter emphasized the need to unite all workers globally to fight the profit system, which is the real source of the problem. In response Terrell described what might be termed as domestic outsourcing. AT&T Corporate stores are closing and re-opening as authorized retailers so they can pay those employees a lot less than us.

The AT&T store being picketed was still open and staffed by managers from this and other stores. The pickets, however, believed that many of these managers were supportive of their efforts, particularly because AT&T had laid off almost 50 percent of all managers nationwide during the last year.

In New York City, Dennis, a sales agent who works in Manhattan, said, It is horrific that a company that makes so much money cant pay us better wages and lower health care premiums. We sweat bullets for them and the CEO took in $28 million last year. This is at a time when rent is going up and life is getting harder for working people in New York City.

Another striker picketing at the AT&T store on 34th Street told the WSWS, Maybe on Monday we should decide not to go back to work if there is no change from AT&T. He added that he felt that the Verizon workers and the AT&T workers struggles should not have been separated.
A New York University (NYU) graduate recently reported his experiences working undercover at one of Chinas largest Apple iPhone factories, owned by Pegatron, in Shanghai. His experiences highlight the oppressive and poor working conditions in China, which remains a cheap labour platform for global capitalism.

Dejian Zeng undertook his trip in pursuit of a Master of Public Administration in 2016, in partnership with China Labor Watch (CLW), a New York-based organization. CLW and the BBC have previously exposed super-exploitation, including excessive and illegal overtime work, at Pegatron Shanghai, which currently employs around 60,000 workers.

Zeng related his experiences on the assembly line in an interview on the Business Insider web site.

One line might have about a hundred stations, Zeng said, each station does one specific thing  What I did is that I put the sticker on the case and I put a screw on it  Its like, thats the work. I mean its simple, but thats the work that you do. Over, over, over again. For whole days.

Zeng repeated this particular task 1,800 times a day, to the point where he could perform the task blindfolded. He regularly worked 10.5-hour days, 6 days a week. Factoring in unpaid break times and security clearances, this amounted to 12.5 hours a day spent at the factory.

Zeng reported that it was usual for managers to yell at workers and keep them working at full capacity. Many workers became fatigued with the prolonged intensity of their tasks and struggled to catch sleep in the breaks.

Sleep is really a thing in the factory. You can see that in the lounge; we have a lot of like long sofas but its not really very comfortable  Its like you can feel the iron.

People just sit there and sleep. But you cant lay down. There are people walking around. If they see you lay down they will swipe the ID and take a record on it. And they put the record in your profile. And then they will publish it to your whole assembly line. So your manager would come and yell at you later. Sometimes if it happens multiple times they deduct money.

After finishing their shifts, Zeng and his co-workers returned to 8-bed dormitories, with little energy or time left for leisure, or access to culture.

The time left in your life is very, very limited. Its just a couple of hours. And then theres not much you can do  you really need to go to bed. And then the other day you wake up at 6:30. Again. And thats just a routine.

Zeng noted that a fellow employee worked 11 days straight.

In 2010, the world was shocked by reports of 14 suicides at iPhone factories operated by Foxconn, prompting Apple to introduce a minimal set of standards and marginally improve workers pay and conditions. Pegatron emerged as one of Apples principal manufacturing suppliers in the aftermath, taking advantage of its ability to better exploit its workforce.

As Zengs experiences testify, the oppressive conditions still persist, evidenced by the crude installation of suicide nets around buildings and inside stairwells, as well as bars around all windows. Toward the end of Zengs employment in August, the Wall Street Journal would report the suicide of a Foxconn worker in Zhengzhou.

Pegatron and Foxconn are monolithic corporations based in Taiwan. They are able to operate on low margins by brutally exploiting workforces of hundreds of thousands. One facility operated by Foxconn in Shenzhen is known as Foxconn City. The walled-off compound houses an industrial army of approximately 420,000, with a population density roughly five times that of the worlds most populous city, Mumbai.

In 2014 the Pegatron factory where Zeng was employed was profiled by the BBC, which found breaches of numerous of the standards supposedly put in place by Apple. These included excess overtime, bypassing the use of ID cards to record workers shifts, and exploitation of juvenile workers. One undercover reporter was required to work 18 days in a row, despite repeated calls for a day off.

Apples standards and appeals to its manufacturers to uphold them are cynical window-dressing. Details of the horrendous working conditions are also suppressed by the Beijing regime, which enforces police-state conditions on behalf of conglomerates such as Apple.

But the social tensions in China are increasingly erupting to the surface. The China Labour Bulletin recorded 2,663 strikes and protests in 2016, double the total of 2014. The real figures are likely to be higher.

According to CLW, workers pay was cut significantly in the eight months prior to Zengs employment, by eliminating bonuses, ending compensations for meals and sharing insurance payments with workers. As a result, despite Pegatron reporting an increase in wages, the hourly wage decreased from $US1.85 in 2015 to $1.60 in 2016.

Zeng spent six weeks at the factory, earning a monthly wage of 3,100 yuan ($480). This paltry figure places out of workers reach the products of their own labour. His 200-person assembly line churned out 3,600 iPhones a day, but workers could not afford to buy them. Instead, they worked overtime out of economic necessity in order to support themselves and their families.

Can they save two months wages to get an iPhone? asked Zeng, They wont do that. The phones they generally use are Chinese productions like Oppo or something like that.

The only thing that were thinking about is really money, money, money. I need to get some money for my family, I need to support my life, support my kids. Thats the only thing in their mind, sometimes they dont even care how tired they are.

One perverse measure of the extreme exploitation at play is the $378 million compensation package granted to Apples CEO Tim Cook upon employmentit is more than 65,000 times the annual salary of a Pegatron worker.

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Detroit public school teachers are once again facing demands for sweeping wage and benefit concessions, this time from the newly reconstituted school district. A one-year labor agreement covering nearly 3,000 teachers expires on June 30.

The Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) is deliberately concealing the scale of givebacks being demanded by officials of the Detroit Public Schools Community District and the financial review board, which has dictatorial powers over all contracts. On May 16, the executive board of the DFT decided not to bring back to the membership a tentative agreement reached by union negotiators. This was followed by a membership meeting last Thursday, May 18, where DFT President Ivy Bailey, claiming this was the best deal we could get, insisted that the union would not reveal the details of its agreement.

Bailey made the absurd claim that the union could not reveal information about the contract because if incorrect information were leaked to the press, it would mean, the union getting hit with an unfair labor practices suit.

The DFT president then got around to the real reason, responding angrily to teachers questioning why the union was cutting a deal behind their backs. We will not negotiate this contract on Facebook! Bailey declared. The DFT is concerned that teachers will use social media to mobilize against another sellout agreement, just as they organized the wildcat sickout strikes in January and February of 2016 in defiance of the union and then-emergency manager Darnell Earley.

Fearing that widespread opposition by teachers could derail a bipartisan financial restructuring plan for the district, the Republican administration of Governor Rick Snyder and former US bankruptcy judge Steven Rhodes, who replaced Earley as the districts emergency manager, reached a one-year deal with the DFT in September 2016, which sidestepped the issue of health care reductions. Earley had previously demanded a hike in deductibles of as much as $8,000 per family, on top of concessions already granted by the DFT, which forced teachers to sustain a nearly 125 percent increase in premiums over the previous six years.

At the time of the negotiations, the DFT told teachers that they had no choice but to accept the continued erosion of their living standards and work conditions and that they needed To Get Real and face financial realities! Teachers were told to forget about restoring the 10 percent pay cut imposed on all school employees or the additional $10,000 teachers loaned the state, let alone a return to a pay scale based on tenure, degrees and credits earned. Step pay has been frozen since 2005.

The DFT and Democrats on the state legislature and in Detroit claimed the passage of the bipartisan school restructuring plan, which ended the 174-year-old Detroit Public Schools district, and the removal of the emergency manager and return to local control would lead to more favorable terms for teachers to improve their wages, job security and benefits.

The opposite has been the case. The elected school board and the local Democrats answer to the same banks and wealthy bondholders who carried out the restructuring of DPS to drastically cut costs, get rid of older, higher paid and more skilled teachers, and replace them with inexperienced teachers making substandard wages and benefits. Local control only means that local Democrats and the corrupt establishment of politically connected minority business owners can share in the spoils from the expansion of for-profit schooling.

The DFT executive board did not reject the tentative agreement for any principled reason. The DFT has long collaborated in the destruction of the jobs and living standards of teachers, only asking in return that it have a seat at the table to implement pro-business school reforms and maintain some base of dues-paying members no matter how miserable their wages and conditions.

If the union executives rejected the deal it is only because the school boards demands are so draconian that the DFT fears it might have another rebellion on its hands. Teachers are determined to restore past concessions, particularly since the school board is boasting that it has a $100 million surplus due to teacher vacancies and the liquidation of the districts debts in the bankruptcy.

The DFT knows if it reveals the details of the districts concession demands it will explode the lie that the newly elected school boardwhose decisions in any case must be approved by the unelected Financial Review Commissionis no less ruthless than Snyder and the emergency manager.

Last Thursdays union meeting was attended by fewer than 60 teachers. Considering that the meeting was held amid contract negotiations, this amounted to a boycott by rank-and-file teachers who have no confidence in the DFT after decades of wage and benefit concessions. A quiet rebellion has already taken place with teachers making a conscious decision not to pay dues to an organization that has sabotaged their struggles and collaborated in the state, local and federal plans to privatize public schools.

During the 2016 sickouts, teachers used social media to circumvent the control of the DFT. The unauthorized protests over the long-neglected conditions in the schoolsvermin, black mold, leaking ceilingsquickly coalesced with mounting protests in Flint, Michigan over lead-poisoned water, which was overseen by the same emergency manager, Earley, who would impose dictatorial control over the Detroit schools. The largest teacher protests occurred during President Obamas visit to Detroit and threatened to highlight the anti-public school agenda of Obama and his handpicked successor Hillary Clinton.

The DFT and its parent union, the American Federation of Teachers, worked feverishly with the Democrats to defuse the teacher protests, with AFT President Randi Weingartena super-delegate for Clinton and the Democratic Party National Conventionrepeatedly coming to Detroit to suppress opposition and pave the way for the bipartisan restructuring of the public schools, further attacks on teachers and the expansion of for-profit charter schools.

In addition to the continued unacceptable physical conditions in the schools, teachers are faced with evaluations that force them to sacrifice quality teaching time by entering the minutia of each assignment and assessment into the districts computer system. The schools face chronic teacher shortages and a lack of supplies, while educators have lost prep time and face overcrowded classrooms.

Having lost more than a third of its dues-paying members due to the states Right to Work law, which makes union membership and payment of $80 a month in dues voluntary, the DFT is doubling down on demonstrating its worth to the Democrats and Republicans. As for the school board and the financial powers behind it, they have no intention of returning past concessions to teachers, and are relying on the DFT to impose further rollbacks and privatizations.

Outside last Thursdays union meeting teachers expressed their determination to fight. One thing thats nonnegotiable is the 10 percent that was taken away in 2009, said Karen. I have a doctorate and Im making less now than with a Masters Degree.

Referring to Trumps education secretary, another teacher declared, Betsy DeVos is the pits! She is the worst! We have got to get her out. I agree both parties are for the billionaires. We need a party of the working people.

To defend their jobs and living standards and the social right to high-quality public education teachers must take the initiative in their own hands. But they must draw the lessons of the last years. It is impossible for teachers to defend themselves through the DFTwhich is a direct tool of the corporate-controlled political establishment.

Teachers should elect rank-and-file committees committed to the broadest mobilization of the working class throughout Detroit to defend public education. At the same time, they must reject the lie that there is no money for decent schools, living wages, secure jobs, health care and a comfortable retirement. The profits of the auto corporations are hitting record highs, trillions are squandered on war and tax cuts, and the top 20 billionaires are worth as much as half of America.

Teachers must make a decisive political break with the Democrats, which, no less than Trump and the Republicans, are the party of austerity, war and social inequality. The working class must be organized in its own politically independent party whose aim is to take power, break the grip of the financial oligarchy that rules America, and reorganize economic life along socialist lines to raise the material and cultural level of the entire population.
On Tuesday, May 9, Haymarket Books, the publishing house of the International Socialist Organization (ISO), hosted a public conversation between authors Naomi Klein and Michelle Alexander at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. The conversation was moderated by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, assistant professor of African-American studies at Princeton University in New Jersey and a leading member of the ISO.

Alexander is a Stanford University law professor and the author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (2010). Klein, who lives in Canada, is the author of several books that cover economic and environmental issues, including The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (2007) and This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate (2014).

The conversation was held against the backdrop of a ferocious conflict within the ruling class in the United States. The Democrats have centered their opposition to Trump not on the deeply right-wing and authoritarian tendencies of his administration, but on his alleged ties to Russia.

The conflict was not even mentioned in the event, which took place as the ISO was maintaining a complete silence on the crisis consuming the American political system. This is because the ISO supports that faction of the ruling class that favors a harsher line against Russia, and in general seeks to channel social opposition behind the Democratic Party.

Taylor presented the opening remarks, which revealed to the audience what the meeting was really aboutto build a base of support for a multi-racial, democratic, left-wing movement among a left that is disparate and seeking to define itself. That is, to develop a new regroupment to function as a prop for the Democratic Party.

The entire event sought to provide a political cover for the Democrats. This began with the analysis of the 2016 elections, which were presented as the consequence of racialist animosity among white workers. Alexander declared that the election of Obama created resentment among whites. Any time theres been a movement toward racial progress, she said, theres been a whitelash throughout history. She also blamed sections disgusted with the establishment that are prone to bigotry or turn a blind eye to it, referring to working class voters who supported Trump in the 2016 elections.

This is entirely in line with the position of the Democratic Party itself, aimed at denying and obscuring the impact of the right-wing policies of the Democrats and the Obama administration, while sowing divisions in the working class along racial and gender lines. (See Once again on race and the 2016 elections)

Alexanders racialist view of history is expounded upon in her book The New Jim Crow, which argues that nothing fundamental has changed for African Americans in the US since the era of chattel slavery of the pre-Civil War South.

In addition to covering up for the significance of the Democrats defeat in 2016, the participants spoke entirely uncritically of the election campaign of Bernie Sanders. Klein lamented Sanders loss, saying that he almost got it. Her solution was for Sanders to connect the dots between economic issues and identity politics. Such a strategy should be pursued next time to assure a Democratic Party victory.

None of the panelists sought to draw any conclusions from the Sanders campaign, which was aimed at channeling social discontent behind the right-wing, pro-war agenda of the Democrats. Over the past month, Sanders, now a leader of the Democratic Party caucus in the Senate, has been touring the country with Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez to try to shore up support for the Democrats.

There was also an attempt to dismiss and avoid discussion of the crimes of the Obama administration outright. Taylor remarked, Obama is probably the only president with a scandal-free presidency, a comment which elicited no contest from the other two participants. Apparently, unending war, a US-backed right-wing coup in Ukraine, and the transfer of billions of dollars of wealth from the working class to the banks in the form of a Wall Street bailout that resulted in mass layoffs, unemployment and cuts to social programsdo not amount to scandal in Taylors book.

Perhaps it was not a coincidence that Klein, the only non-US resident of the three, was allowed to pass even a reluctant semblance of criticism toward the former president. Klein started off by apologizing for the forthcoming criticism, then stated that the mass deportations of immigrants and drone killings carried out by the Obama administration were not a part of Obamas brand. It would have been better, in other words, if he had been a bit better at his marketing strategy.

Given that the ISO claims to be socialist, it is notable that socialism was hardly mentioned throughout the entire event. At one point, following Kleins open embrace of the Democratic Party through a revival of a Sanders-type movement, Taylor felt obliged to ask, apologetically, Can equality truly existin a free-market capitalist system?

The response from the guests was one of nervous laughter. Alexander eventually replied by suggesting, We need a democratic socialist model to guarantee the basic human rights that everyone should be entitled to but that doesnt necessarily mean the end to all business, to all entrepreneurship. In other words, any political undertaking by Alexander and her lot will pose no threat whatsoever to the capitalist system.

Both Alexander and Klein took a nationalist approach on the question of capitalism, criticizing globalization of capital as the source of mass unemployment, low wages, and poor living conditions. Not a word was mentioned about the profit system itself.

Another topic that was carefully avoided was the subject of war, aside from a passing reference in Taylors opening comments to the dropping of the MOAB bomb in Afghanistan. Nothing was said about the attacks carried out by the Trump administration in Syria, the increasingly aggressive stance of the administration toward North Korea and Iran, or the militarization of Russias western borderall conflicts which could spark a global conflict, and all supported by the Democratic Party.

This was a clear expression of the true class interests present at the discussion. No mention of warthe most important political issue before the working class of the world todayspelled their allegiance to the ruling class.

All in all, the event was thoroughly conformist in its analysis and outlook. It gave expression to the politics of the pseudo-left, which speaks for privileged layers of the upper middle class. Organizations like the ISO function as arms of the Democratic Partypro-war, pro-capitalist, and hostile to the independent mobilization of the working class. To the extent that they want any changes, it is only to secure a more favorable redistribution of wealth within the top 10 percent of the population.

Workers and youth can advance their interests only in opposition to the politics represented on the stage at Roosevelt University.
Claude Hermant, a police informant arrested in the case of the January 7, 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris, has implicated the French state in the preparation of the attack. Hermant, who allegedly sold weapons used by Amedy Coulibaly and the Kouachi brothers to commit the attacks, is reportedly charging that three gendarme military policemen and two customs officials, as well as organized crime circles, were involved.

The case shatters the official narrative, according to which terror attacks in France, Belgium, and Germany since 2015 have been the work of isolated Islamists.

Hermants lawyer, Maxime Moulin, does not dispute the fact that weapons that passed through the hands of his client, who was acting for the customs intelligence agency until 2013 and then worked for the gendarmerie, reached Coulibaly. The media and established political parties covered up this fact, together with Hermants arrest after the attacks due to his relations with Coulibaly. The interior minister in 2015, Bernard Cazeneuve, even invoked the states secrets privilege in regard to investigations of the relations between Hermant and the Islamists.

Moulin filed a suit with the state prosecutors office in Lille on May 2, accusing the interior minister of endangering his clients life. He stated, We are demanding the lifting of the states secrets privilege. Things are being hidden, this was the solution that we found to obtain the truth.  We want to have access to this information. We are officially asking that the Interior Ministry lift the states secrets privilege on all contact reports [between the gendarmerie and Claude Hermant]. We want to know what reports were handled, what information was not transmitted, what reports were ignored, and why.

Moulin said that Hermant had acted purely in the interests of the customs service and of the gendarmerie: We cannot accept when the gendarmerie s work is really borderline. When things work out, they are happy, but when things dont, they hang you out to dry in the ruins. They cant abandon a soldier in the field like this.

According to the daily Liberation, Moulin justified his clients suit by citing a Mediapart article of March 2017. Claude Hermant had warned the gendarmerie that a convoy with weapons was passing through the tollbooths on the Lille to Paris highway, but the gendarmerie only succeeded in intercepting half of the vehicles. The second convoy, which had been warned that the gendarmes had been alerted, managed to evade them. And those weapons were used by Coulibaly.

The Voix du Nord daily published a few extracts of emails exchanged between Hermant and a gendarme in November 2014: Hey Claude, we talked it over with our superiors.  Were giving you a green light for the two cases you showed us (weapons[the city of]Charleroi) ...

These emails suggest that Hermant may have received official approval from some intelligence agency for his actions in the Coulibaly-Kouachi affair. The Voix du Nord encourages its readers to draw their own conclusions: Suppose you ran across this type of message (of a dozen or so in total), that a gendarme allegedly sent to Claude Hermant on 20 November 2017 at 8:47 a.m., and that a close friend of the accused insists that Claude Hermant has all his bases covered.

It is by now quite clear that far broader forces besides a few Islamist networks were involved in the processes that led up to the attacks. The governments recourse to the states secrets privilege and the deafening silence of the major media has produced a false and one-sided narrative of the attacks, which incites anti-Islamic racism and whitewashes the role of the state and far right.

The state of emergency, imposed after the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris, is based on this lie, which the capitalist media do not challenge because it is at the heart of official politics in France. The attacks served to justify former President Francois Hollandes shift towards relations with far-right forceswith the state of emergency, creating a new national guard police agency, the electronic spying law, and legitimizing neo-fascism by inviting National Front leader Marine Le Pen to the Elysee presidential palace.

The 2015 attacks were carried out by Islamist networks known and followed by French intelligence, who were using them as foot soldiers in the NATO war in Syria. The Kouachi brothers, Coulibaly, and the leader of the November 13 attack squad, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, were all known to the intelligence services for their ties to Al Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS) militia.

The Kouachi brothers were closely followed from 2010 to 2015 and considered extremely dangerous due to their direct contacts with leaders of Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula. Cherif Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly repeatedly visited Djamel Beghal, a member of Al Qaeda in Algeria, who was under house arrest in France.

Abaaoud, a leading IS member well known as the public face of its Facebook recruitment campaign, was allowed to freely travel across Europe to prepare the November 13 attacks.

Salah Abdeslam, one of the survivors of the attack squad, supposedly Europes most wanted man, was in fact located in December 2015 by a policeman in the city of Malines. His report was inexplicably lost by his superiors, and police only arrested him in March 2016, a few days before the March 22, 2016 attacks in Brussels.

As for the terrorists who planned those attacks, they were allowed to organize the attacks even after Turkish, Israeli and Russian intelligence had warned their European counterparts of their identity as well as their targets.

Commentary on these various attacks by the media and the established political parties was manipulated in order to terrorize the public and push the political atmosphere further and further to the right.

Hermants revelations emerged between the two rounds of the French presidential elections, a few days after the murder of a policeman by IS sympathizer Karim C. The latter had been in prison for attempted murder against policemen in 2001 and was known both to police and counterterrorism officials. According to press reports, he had remained in prison until shortly before the attack and, after leaving prison, he soon began threatening police again.

It is impossible to understand how the security and intelligence services decided to leave such a figure at large, unless it was by a conscious decision, assuming he would commit a crime that would prove politically useful.

The media and the political establishment reacted to the murder of the policeman, Xavier Jugele, with law-and-order hysteria that cut across rising antiwar and anti-austerity sentiment among youth and workers after the April 7 US strikes in Syria. In this climate, Emmanuel Macron, the preferred candidate of the dominant factions of the ruling class, was falling in the polls as Jean-Luc Melenchon rose. The attack thus served to shift the political and media atmosphere to the right, stabilizing Macron and the neo-fascist candidate Marine Le Pen in the polls.

The state of emergency is not aimed at the terrorists, but to suspend democratic rights and undertake unpopular policies through repression of opposition, as during the police attacks on last years protests against the labor law and the arbitrary searches and seizures in immigrant suburbs.
HOOVER, Ala., May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valuable information on social media preceded the vast majority of recent incidents of violence in the nations schools. Its more important than ever for school resource officers and others who are responsible for campus safety to know how to find and assess digital threats. A session on that topic is one of many valuable breakout sessions that the National Association of School Resource Officers plans for its annual conference, July 23-28 in Washington, D.C.

Two experts from Safer Schools Together  a training company that specializes in helping schools minimize and manage risks of student violence  will present Digital Threat Assessment: How Publicly Available Social Media can be Utilized and Assessed to Ensure Safe Schools. It will be one of 27 conference break-out sessions that will cover a wide variety of school safety and policing topics.

Other break-out sessions will cover topics including:

The 2013 Arapahoe High School shooting.

Incident de-escalation.

Creating positive school climates.

Sexting investigations.

Mobile apps that are good and bad for teens.

Suicide risk assessment.

Special education and the role of the school resource officer.

Recognizing signs of violent extremism.

NASROs 27th annual global conference takes place at the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave NW. The conference provides education and networking opportunities to school resource officers (SROs) and other law enforcement officers, as well as school security and safety officials, school board members, administrators and anyone interested in school safety.

Last year, nearly 1,000 people attended the annual NASRO school safety conference. The annual event offers attendees an opportunity to complete on-site NASRO training courses at no additional charge; receive in-service training; visit an exhibit hall with the latest in products, technologies and innovations; and interact with SROs, school administrators, sheriffs and chiefs of police from throughout the country and world. Available training includes NASROs Basic SRO Course, ideal for law enforcement officers who are newly assigned to work in schools.

More information about the conference, including a complete agenda and online registration, is available at www.nasro.org/conference/.

About NASRO
Hassan Rouhani has won a second four-year term as Irans president. He polled 57.1 percent of the more than 41 million votes cast in Fridays election, eliminating the need for a runoff election on May 26.

Rouhani, who has been part of the Islamic Republics ruling cadre since its creation in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shahs bloody US-backed dictatorship, appealed for votes by casting himself as a proponent of peace and moderation.

He in fact speaks for the sections of the Iranian bourgeoisie most eager for a rapprochement with the European imperialist powers and Washington.

Throughout the campaign, Rouhani held up the nuclear accord Iran reached with the US, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union as the signal achievement of his first term in office. Under the accord, which came into force in January 2016, Iran dismantled or rolled back key elements of its civilian nuclear program. In exchange, the European powers lifted all, and the US suspended some, of the punishing economic sanctions that they had jointly imposed on Iran.

Rouhani and Irans foreign minister, Javad Zarif, insisted during and after the negotiations that Iran was open for business and ready to partner with the imperialist powers in stabilizing the broader Middle East.

To woo Western investors, Rouhanis administration solicited IMF advice, revised the rules governing investment in Irans energy sector to make them more favorable to foreign-based energy companies, and stepped up privatization. It also slashed what it derided as unproductive and wasteful social spending, vowing, to use Rouhanis expression, that it would not foster beggars. Shortly after completing the phasing out of subsidies on basic foodstuffs, gasoline and cooking fuel and replacing them with meager cash handouts of less than $20 per month per household, the government raised energy prices by 30 percent.

In its second term, Rouhanis administration will intensify these right-wing, anti-working class policies, while seeking to cultivate a base of support by loosening the reactionary restrictions that the Shia religious establishment has imposed on dress, gender mixing, and access to foreign culture and media.

In his victory speech Saturday evening, Rouhani emphasized his governments eagerness to expand economic and strategic ties with the Western powers. Iran, he declared, is ready to expand its relations with the world based on mutual respect and national interests. He added, Today, the world knows that Iranians have chosen the path of interaction with the world away from extremism and violence.

In an interview Sunday with Agence France Presse, a top official with the Iranian Privatization Organization and key Rouhani aide, Farid Dehdilani, enthused about how the reelected president will aggressively pursue his economic agenda, with productive investments to attract foreign capital.

A lot of investors I hadnt heard from for three months were suddenly phoning me this morning, added Dehdilani. Some are already booking their tickets.

In Fridays election, Rouhani drew support from all sections of Iranian society, increasing his total vote from the last election by five million to 23.5 million. But, as in 2014, his support came disproportionately from the most privileged sections of Iranian society. As a whole, these wealthy layers are either indifferent to the impact or, citing Thatcherite nostrums, enthusiastically support the governments drive to eliminate the little that remains of the social concessions made to the working class and rural poor in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution.

They believe they will benefit from Irans increased economic integration with Europe and North America, including through access to better consumer products, high-paid professional jobs and business opportunities.

Rouhanis principal challenger was Ebrahim Raisi, a former prosecutor-general who in recent years has headed a major religious foundation. He won 15.7 million or 38.3 percent of the votes cast Friday, leaving the two remaining candidates to share just 2 percent of the vote between them.

Raisi was the standard-bearer for the Principalists and other factions tied to more socially conservative elements in the clerical political establishment. He also reputedly had the backing of Irans Revolutionary Guards.

Raisi made a calibrated appeal to socioeconomic discontent. He attacked the 4 percent who he said are monopolizing Irans wealth and promised to increase taxes on the rich and triple the cash payments now provided in lieu of price subsidies for the poorest 30 percent of Iranian households.

Raisi pledged that he would uphold the Iran nuclear accord, but suggested that the government had made too many concessions to secure it. Pointing to Irans official 12.5 percent jobless rate and 27 percent youth unemployment rate, he lampooned Rouhanis and Zarifs claims that the nuclear accord would produce an investment boom.

Although there is mounting anger over rampant social inequality, growing poverty, especially in rural areas, and mass joblessness, Raisis attempt to cast himself as the votary of the poor and downtrodden had limited traction at best. The Iranian working class and poor have a long experience with the claims of various factions of the Islamic Republics political elite to support social justice.

The Principalists and other conservatives have participated in and profited from the privatization drive. They joined hands with their rivals from the Rouhani-Rafsanjani and reformist camps to press Rouhanis predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to eliminate all price subsidies, and they savagely oppose any efforts by the working class to assert its independent class interests.

Fridays election saw a record participation rate, with 73.5 percent of eligible voters casting ballots. Detailed analyses of the voting results have yet to be published in English, but it appears that Rouhani did especially well in Tehran. In the local elections, which were held simultaneously with the presidential poll, Rouhanis supporters swept the board, winning all 21 seats on Tehrans city council, ending 14 years of Principalist/conservative domination of the municipal government of Irans largest city.

As balloting was underway Friday, Irans theocratic supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, called for national unity, saying all Iranians should accept the results. Such appeals only underscore the extent to which the Islamic Republics ruling elite is divided as it confronts an increasingly explosive social and geopolitical situation.

For decades, Khamenei has played a Bonapartist role, maneuvering between competing ruling factions. He has repeatedly supported attempts to reach an accommodation with Washington. In 2003, with his blessing, secret emissaries offered the Bush administration a grand bargain, including recognizing Israel and halting all military aid to Hamas and Hezbollah in exchange for a US pledge to renounce regime change.

Rouhani, himself for decades a close adviser of the supreme leader, was able to conclude the nuclear accord only because Khamenei endorsed it and ordered the entire state apparatus and political establishment to rally round it.

But Khamenei has voiced increasing anger over the sweeping economic sanctions the US continues to impose on Iran on other pretexts. These sanctions, along with the prospect that the US-fomented regime-change war in Syria could lead to a broader conflict, have caused European big business to shy away from making major investments in Iran.

Rouhani vowed during the election campaign that he would secure the removal of all remaining US sanctions. But he offered no explanation as to how this would be possible.

Continuation of the sanctions and preparations for war with Iran are strongly supported by the Pentagon and Republican and Democratic Party leaderships. Speaking from Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State and former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson responded to the Iranian election Saturday with a vituperative denunciation, labeling Iran a state sponsor of terrorism and abuser of human rights.

Tillerson was in Riyadh along with Trump to reaffirm US imperialisms decades-long partnership with Saudis absolutist regime, sell it tens of billions of dollars in new armaments, and discuss a US proposal for a NATO-style Arab alliance against Iran.

Today the US president will fly to Israel, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, like Trump himself, has condemned the nuclear deal the Obama administration negotiated with Iran in the most strident terms.

Under Trump, the US continues to formally adhere to the nuclear accord, including last week authorizing the temporary waiving of some US sanctions. But the new administration has signaled that if and when it judges it opportune, Washington will repudiate the agreement and/or find another pretext, such as Irans ballistic missiles program or the fighting in Syria or Yemen, to rapidly escalate tensions with Iran.

Further underscoring Washingtons menacing attitude toward Iran, US officials have boasted that the pro-Syrian militia that US fighter planes bombed in southern Syria last week was Iranian-backed, i.e., had Iranian logistical and command support.

The author also recommends:

Iran holds presidential election amid mounting geopolitical turbulence

[18 May 2017]
For his first official visit outside Europe, Emmanuel Macron traveled on May 19 to the military base at Gao in Mali, to which 1,700 French troops are deployed in the context of Operation Barkhane. There, the newly-elected French president paid a full-throated tribute to the French army. Macron was accompanied by the chief of the general staff of the army and by two ministers, former Defense Minister and now Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and the new minister of the Armies, Sylvie Goulard.

As I took office, among the living forces of the nation  I wanted to give the first rank to the French army, he declared in a 20-minute speech to the assembled troops. He then hailed the continuity of our admirable military tradition and the faultless solidarity of the army, which he called an example for all the French people.

Referring to France's colonial past in Africa, he said: Here, you are the vanguard of the Republic, as so many generations of military men were here on this continent.

To conclude, after having stressed his role as commander in chief of the army, he said: My confidence in you is total. I know I can count on you in all circumstances, just like you can count on me.

Macron repeated the tired and false cliche that the French military intervention in Mali is the spearhead of the war on terror, which the media dutifully trumpeted. But in fact, France, like its NATO allies, uses the same terrorist forces it is claiming to fight in the Sahel as allies in its war for regime change in Syria.

In fact, the political context of this priority visit suggests that other motives are at stake. Macron went to Mali amid the deepest crisis of the French political establishment since the Algerian war. Since the presidential elections, the two-party system that governed France over the last 50 years has collapsed, with the electoral disintegration of the Socialist Party (PS), as the bourgeoisie plans to impose unprecedented social austerity and military spending increases on the workers.

The state of emergency has already been repeatedly extended and effectively made permanent, in order to repress working class opposition to austerity and war, which was clearly expressed before the first round of the presidential elections in the sudden rise of Jean-Luc Melenchon's vote after the US missile strikes against Syria on April 7.

One indication of the explosiveness of the situation was the preparation of a coup d'etat by the PS government, revealed by L'Obs last week, in the event that neo-fascist candidate Marine Le Pen won the presidential elections. The PS was planning to impose martial law and a massive mobilization of the security forces in order to crush anti-fascist protests. Le Pen would have been kept in power but the PS ministerial cabinet would have refused to step down. There have been no official denials or reactions to this report.

Even more than the former PS President Francois Hollande, Macron is relying on his relations with the security forces. Since his election, Macron has repeatedly signaled that he would place the army at the center of his policy, traveling down the Champs-Elysees on a military truck on his inauguration, and renaming the Defense Ministry the Ministry of the Armies.

Amid a massive extension of military operations by the NATO powers around the world, French imperialism is preparing a major escalation in Africa. Macron declared in Gao that he wanted to accelerate operations in the region. He has already signaled that he would respond favorably to requests from the generals for more resources and materials.

But Macron's visit to an army at war is above all designed to consolidate his government's political ties with it.

His visit was aimed to check if the army would respond favorably if it was asked to intervene inside France, and that it could be reliably counted upon to defend his government if its situation collapsed. What Macron said about the army in Gao is quite revealing, well beyond operations in Africa: You are more than ever our sentinel and our rampart.

It is necessary here to alert workers and youth: French imperialism is perfectly conscious that its policy of social counter-revolution and war will provoke deep opposition in the working class, and that it will not be able to impose it without repression. It is consciously preparing for revolutionary struggles in France and across Europe.

The colonial army of an imperialist country is not simply an instrument of overseas conquest and of the subjugation of foreign populations. It plays an enormous and reactionary role in the political equilibrium of the country itself. Its objectives and methods overseas make it well suited for repression of the working class at home.

Macron has barely been in power one week and he is already unpopular. According to an Elabe poll for Les Echos, the new president's approval rating is only 45 percent. The new president is entering the Elysee palace with less support than any of his predecessors, Les Echos noted, and his prime minister has only 36 percent support. All Macron's political decisions and announcements since his election show that he is preparing a confrontation with the working class.

The greatest danger is that the workers and youth are not fully conscious of the depth of the political crisis and the danger posed by the Macron government and its international allies.

Responsibility for this state of affairs lies entirely with the political parties that obtained millions of votes from workers and youth who opposed Macron in the first round of the presidential election: Melenchon's Unsubmissive France (UF) and the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA). Neither of them warned the population of the growing risks it faces.

UF press officials told the World Socialist Web Site that they had nothing to say about the coup that was being plotted by the PS, and the movement's spokesmen, though they are in the middle of the legislative election campaign, have kept silent on the matter. As for the NPA, its press officials dismissed news of the coup plot as journalistic sensationalism that did not deserve to be taken seriously or even read. Even though NPA members have already been banned from protests and threatened with legal action under the state of emergency, the NPA still treats this news as if it had no importance.

These parties, which for decades claimed to be the left or even the far left in France, are totally indifferent to the attacks on basic democratic freedoms carried out by the PS, and new, even more drastic attacks being prepared by Macron. This testifies to the bankruptcy of the petty-bourgeois parties that for decades revolved around the PS and presented it as a working-class party and an alternative to Stalinism.
A West Virginia coal miner was killed May 18, bringing to seven the number of fatal coal mine accidents in the US this year. Luches Rosser, 44, of Man, died Thursday night in a horrific accident at the Wyoming County Pinnacle Mine near Pineville. Rosser is the fourth mine fatality in the state since January.

Few details have been released about the accident and, as of this writing, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has yet to release a preliminary report. According to the West Virginia Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training, Rosser was operating an electric-powered track-mounted underground locomotive at the time of the accident.

An MSHA spokesperson quoted in the Charleston Gazette-Mail May 20 said Rosser and another miner were on the locomotive when a pole connecting the machine to its power supply detached. Rosser raised up to grab the trolley pole to place it back on the trolley wire, when his head contacted the mine roof, the MSHA spokesperson stated.

After an attempt to treat him at the site, Rosser was transported to a local hospital where he died Friday morning. He leaves behind a wife and four children.

The Pinnacle Mine is operated by Pinnacle Mining Company LLC, controlled by ERP Compliant Fuels, LLC since November 2016. ERP Compliant Fuels is a firm operated by the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund, a group that has snatched up numerous coal mine properties from bankrupt operators such as Patriot Coal. The group operates the mines in the name of green sustainability, planting trees on mine reclamation sites, selling coal as compliant fuel by bundling it with reforestation carbon credits. The Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund is run by Tom Clarke, a Virginia entrepreneur who owns tourist attractions and Kissito Healthcare, a chain of nursing homes. Clarke controls some 150 mining permits in West Virginia, along with other operations in Alabama and elsewhere in Appalachia.

The mine is unionized, although a growing proportion of its 339 miners are employed as non-union contractors. United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts issued a pro-forma 72-word statement to relay hearts and prayers on the May 18 accident.

The Pinnacle Mine was originally developed by US Steel in its Gary Hollow operations. US Steel introduced longwall mining into the metallurgical coalmine in 1969. By the mid-1980s, US Steel had closed most of its southern West Virginia mines. Pinnacle was sold to PinnOak Resources LLC in 2003, but a huge underground fire that was difficult to extinguish made the mine unprofitable for several years. It was sold to Cliffs Natural Resources in 2007.

As with miners across the industry, workers at the Pinnacle Mine have been put through a wringer of layoffs and ownership turnovers over the past few years. In 2015, Cliffs cut its workforce in half and sold its coal operations, including Pinnacle, to Seneca Coal Resources, LLC, a shell of ERP. In April 2016, the union agreed to the layoff of 120 miners at Pinnacle in exchange for a hold on cuts to health care benefits. In early January, nearly 200 Pinnacle Mine employees were turned away when they showed up for work and laid off.

The downturn in the coal industry has only ratcheted up pressure on remaining miners, further undermining safety and working conditions. So far in 2017, MSHA records indicate eight injuries at the Pinnacle Mine; in 2016, 18 workers were injured on the job, resulting in an injury incidence rate of 6.18almost double the national rate for mines of similar size and type.

The brief summaries of some recent accidents suggest near misses that could easily have resulted in death. On May 6, a miner was struck in the back by a rock measuring two feet wide by two feet long by 1.5 inches thick. The roof fall caused a contusion to the employees lower right back and hip. On March 7, an employee was crawling along the pauline on the 9L Longwall panel when a rock rolled out and struck the employee in the left arm. Nine days later, the roof of that same area collapsed overtop of the crusher and stage loader, where workers could have been buried had they been on the job at the time. Since January, the mine has seen at least six instances of a fall of the roof or walls.

MSHA has issued the Pinnacle Mine 207 citations so far in 2017 and more than $88,000 in fines. Last year the mine racked up 366 citations and nearly $421,000 in fines, of which less than $55,000 has been paid. In the past 12 months, the mine has received 134 citations for significant and substantial (S&S) violations, far more than the 50 per year MSHA considers excessive. S&S violations are those that pose mortal danger to miners and could require immediate halting of operations. The mine also exceeds the industry average for MSHAs Injury Severity Measure, a metric determining the rate of injuries requiring days away from work. Nevertheless, MSHA does not consider the mine a pattern violator.
With a letter to lawmakers Thursday, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally triggered the 90-day consultation period required before the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) can begin. The move was a key pledge of President Donald Trump during last years election campaign and comes after the Trump administration has ratcheted up tensions with Mexico and Canada over recent months, including with a threat in April to ditch NAFTA altogether.

Trump demagogically attacked Mexico during the presidential election campaign for stealing American jobs and since coming to power, with the full support of the right-wing trade union bureaucracy, has taken steps to push forward with his buy American, hire American agenda. This amounts to offering business tax breaks and other incentives to major corporations so as to entice them to maintain and expand production at US manufacturing plants on the basis of low wages and minimal or no workplace benefits.

Lighthizers letter stated that the goal of the talks was to improve US opportunities by modernizing parts of the agreement that were outdated. He cited concerns related to intellectual property rights, state-owned enterprises and customs procedures. He also vowed to overturn chapter 19 of the deal, which provides for the appointment of a two-judge panel to rule on anti-dumping cases when disputes arise between NAFTA members.

Washington is seeking to renegotiate NAFTA in order to bolster US corporate interests through the adoption of protectionist and economic nationalist measures. Trump has made clear that this is not merely an issue of trade in North America, but will form the basis of Washingtons aggressive efforts internationally to retain its hegemonic position against emerging rivals, above all China and Germany. Trumps America first strategy will not only be limited to trade negotiations and diplomatic initiatives, but is closely bound up with the Trump administrations ever more open resort to dangerous military provocations, whether these take place in the Middle East over Syria or in the Asia-Pacific over North Korea.

The close connection between economic protectionism and Washingtons increasing reliance on military force was underscored by the language used by leading US officials to characterize the talks. Wilbur Ross, Trumps commerce secretary, declared earlier this month that with respect to trade laws, the trump administration would pursue stricter enforcement than any previous administration, and added that Washington would push for a far more aggressive meeting schedule than usual in the NAFTA renegotiation process.

Ross attacked Mexico last month for allowing cheap Chinese goods into the country, which he alleged then found their way into the US. The whole idea of a trade deal is to build a fence around participants inside and give them an advantage over the outside, he declared.

The NAFTA renegotiation takes place in the context of a dramatic strengthening of economic protectionism around the world over recent months. Trump administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin, have insisted upon the removal of even a token reference to efforts to combat protectionism in the text of agreements reached at recent international financial gatherings, including the G7 finance ministers meeting in Germany and the IMFs spring meeting. This resulted in a sharp rise in tensions between the US and Europe, as Germany in particular, which relies heavily on exports, criticized Trumps policies and threatened to respond in kind to the adoption of any tariffs.

The NAFTA talks will be made even more uncertain by the ongoing political crisis in Washington, which saw the appointment of an independent counsel this week to oversee investigations into the Trump administrations alleged ties to Russia. Under increased pressure from the Democrats and substantial sections of the military-intelligence apparatus, the potential for abrupt shifts in policy, such as the Trump administration seizing on specific points of friction to lash out at its economic rivals and divert attention away from its internal difficulties, cannot be excluded.

At the same time, sections of the Democratic Party are no less committed to the adoption of protectionist measures than the Trump administration. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden harshly attacked Lighthizers letter for not going far enough, complaining that it was disappointingly vague.

The vast majority of US corporations are opposed to scrapping the deal. The manufacturing sector, and the auto industry in particular, has developed cross-border supply chains including factories in all three NAFTA members since the deal was signed in the early 1990s.

But regardless of such desires, the protectionist tensions incited over recent months could prove difficult to control. The Commerce Department announced the same day as Lighthizers letter was sent to Congress the launching of anti-dumping investigations against Canadas Bombardier. US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has alleged that the Montreal-based firms C-Series jets have breached anti-dumping laws. Following the announcement, the Canadian government fired back a warning shot by threatening to halt the purchase of 18 Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets.

Earlier this month, Trudeau said his government would study the option of blocking US companies from exporting thermal coal through the port of Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Bombardier spat follows comments by Trump in April in which he denounced Canadas supply-managed dairy sector for unfairly treating US farmers. Ross subsequently slapped tariffs of 24 percent on softwood lumber imports in a long-running trade dispute.

This was swiftly followed by Trumps threat to withdraw from NAFTA if talks do not go his way. An executive order had reportedly been drafted by right-wing nationalist adviser Stephen Bannon and Peter Navarro, Trumps top economic adviser, who has led the administrations aggressive criticism of China and Germany on economic issues.

Nonetheless, the Canadian bourgeoisie remains overwhelmingly in favour of reaching a deal with the United States, which is the destination for 75 percent of Canadian exports and fully 99 percent of oil exports. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus strategy of establishing a close partnership with Trump has received cross-party backing, exemplified by his appointment of former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, a friend of Trump, as the Liberal governments special adviser on dealing with the administration. Trudeaus efforts have involved a pledge that Canadian military forces will align even more closely with Washington, through a beefed-up commitment to NATO and a promise to modernize the North American Aerospace Defence agreement.

Ottawa has even indicated that it would be prepared to ditch Mexico in order to maintain its strategic military partnership and reach a new trading arrangement with the United States. Speaking recently to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Maryscott Greenwood, head of the Canadian-American Business Council, told MPs, If its politically impossible  for the U.S. to move forward with a comprehensive economic relationship with Mexico for various reasons  Mexican politics, U.S. politics  then we think, Dont be delayed by that; move forward with a bilateral negotiation.

Lighthizer hinted Thursday that similar considerations were being weighed in Washington. I would note that many of these negotiations will be bilateral and many of the issues are bilateral, but our hope is that we will end up with a structure that is similar to what we have now, he stated. If that proves to be impossible, we will move in another direction.

Mexican officials reacted by cautiously welcoming the talks. The Mexican economy, a third of which is made up of exports, relies heavily on its access to the US market. Mexican governments have offered up workers as a cheap labour force for US and Canadian corporations, which have expanded investment under NAFTA. We do have a preference: The agreement is trilateral and should continue to be a trilateral platform, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said in Washington.

A critical role in facilitating the growth of economic nationalism and protectionism has been played by the trade unions, which have been transformed over the past three decades into appendages of corporate management and the state, and have responded to globalization by dividing workers in North America along national lines. Trumps reactionary economic agenda has been endorsed by unions including the United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers, whose president, Leo Gerard, was present as an invited guest at the White House last month when Trump signed an executive order initiating an investigation into the dumping of foreign steel products.

In Canada, major unions like Unifor have argued that the reopening of NAFTA offers the chance to strengthen the position of Canadian corporate interests. The trade-union aligned New Democratic Party has just concluded a right-wing election campaign in British Columbia in which it advanced an economic protectionist programme to which Trump could have easily subscribed.
The US, Japan and South Korea have requested that another emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council be held this Tuesday in response to the firing of a missile by North Korea on Sunday.

The Security Council met last Monday and Tuesday following the test of a long-range missile by North Korea on May 14. The US and its allies are demanding that China, and to a lesser extent Russia, collaborate with escalating economic sanctions on the Pyongyang regime, with the aim of compelling it into talks on dismantling its nuclear and other weapons programs.

If it does not agree to such talks, Washington has threatened that all options are on the table to disarm North Korea.

Unlike the device fired on May 14, the latest test has not been assessed as militarily significant by White House and Pentagon representatives. It was a medium-range missile that travelled some 500 kilometres. Nevertheless, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated it was disappointing and disturbing. South Koreas foreign ministry condemned the test as reckless and irresponsible. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared it was a snub and a challenge to international efforts for a peaceful resolution.

The weekend test, however, followed actions by the US and its allies that would have heightened fears in the North Korean regime that a massive military assault on the isolated country is being prepared, regardless of what concessions it makes or are made by Beijing.

On Thursday, the Japanese air force used the alleged entry of Chinese coastguard vessels into Japanese-claimed waters to scramble jet fighters. According to figures released in April, Japans air force has scrambled its war planes 1,168 times over the preceding 12 monthsup from 873 in 2016to drive off Chinese and Russian aircraft or warships and assert dominance in the airspace adjacent to the Korean Peninsula.

The same day, the US Navy reported that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battlegroup, which is permanently based in Japan, has left port for exercises in the Sea of Japan. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its support ships and submarines are already operating in the area.

US command in South Korea revealed that special forces among the 28,000 American troops based in the country had completed training with their South Korean counterparts for operations to take out North Koreas weapons of mass destruction.

On the ideological front, a series of unsubstantiated claims were made in the American and international media last week that North Korean intelligence was behind the WannaCry malware attacks and other acts of cyberwarfare. Further lurid reports were published on the weekend concerning the alleged operations of the North Korean Unit 180, a secretive cell that purportedly hacks international banks and companies from locations outside the North, such as China and Eastern Europe, so it cannot be tracked back to Pyongyang. North Korea dismissed the allegations as ludicrous.

Military analysts openly concede that a war on the Korean Peninsula, even if it did not draw China into conflict with the US and Japan, would be devastating. US Defense Secretary General Jim Mattis bluntly stated on Friday that if this goes to a military solution, its going to be tragic on an unbelievable scale.

The US Military Times published modelling on Sunday of how the US and South Korea would wage war on the North. Retired general Mark Hertling, who commanded forces during the occupation of Iraq and is now a frequent media commentator, told the journal: Anybody that assumes this [North Korea] could be knocked out in 30 days would be dead wrong. There would literally be thousands, tens of thousands, of casualties, some say more than 100,000 civilian casualties.

The modelling reviewed the prospect of throngs of US aircraft flying 24 hours a day to slaughter and destroy largely defenceless North Korean ground forces. Hertling speculated that if the Norths military could strike Seoul and its suburbs with mass artillery fire, however, the world would see civilian casualty numbers equal to the entire Syrian conflict in a matter of days. An estimated 465,000 people have been killed in Syria, millions more wounded and over 10 million displaced.

Among the most warmongering American analysts, the possibility of North Korean resistance is presented as evidence that a US strike must be pre-emptive and on a scale of immense proportions. On May 18, Lamont Calucci of the American Foreign Relations Council advocated such a war crime in the Washington Times, calling for the elimination of the North Korean regime, a massive military assault, followed by the occupation of North Korea by 500,000 foreign troops for a few decades.

Calucci declared that the president should justify a war as the only way to ultimately prevent the vaporisation of San Francisco and Milwaukee.

The US imperialist motive in the ever more dangerous confrontation with North Korea is, in fact, to weaken the position of China and escalate American pressure upon the Beijing regime. For all the hype of the threat posed by North Korea, it is an impoverished, backward country with a population of around 25 million and a GDP of barely $25 billiona national income less than what Japan, South Korea and Australia spend on their armed forces each year, and some 30 times less than what the US spends on its military machine.

North Koreas significance is geo-strategic. It borders both China and Russia, with Vladivostok and the major Russian Pacific naval and air bases just hundreds of kilometres away. It has served since the Korean War as buffer between China and key US allies and bases in East Asiain Japan and in South Korea. The establishment of a unified US-aligned Korea, achieved by either a deal with the North or through regime-change, would represent an ever-present challenge to Beijing and Moscow.

The greatest danger in the situation is that the degree of tension produced by the accusations and military movements dramatically heightens the possibility of miscalculations or accidents. A minor incident could trigger open clashes on the Korean Peninsula itself, or between US and Japanese forces and the Chinese military in the Sea of Japan.
A report in Sundays edition of the Washington Post accuses the Pentagon of operating a multi-billion dollar slush fund which it has accrued over the past seven years by overcharging the armed forces for the cost of fuel purchases. The $5.9 billion it has built up since 2010 has been used to fund military operations in Syria and Afghanistan, effectively avoiding any of the budgetary oversight requirements necessary to obtain additional funding from Congress.

The most significant expenditures from the fund identified by the Post were a total of $1.4 billion used in 2016 to maintain the United States brutal occupation of Afghanistan and the use of $80 million to train Islamist militias in Syria in 2015 with the aim of toppling the government of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

The explosion in spending on the Afghan war illustrates the deepening crisis of the more than 15-year-old US occupation of the impoverished, war-torn country.

Billions of dollars have been spent on waging a ruthless counter-insurgency war against the resistance of the local population to the US presence, led by the Islamist Taliban. This has included the expenditure of vast sums of money to establish and prop up a corrupt puppet regime in Kabul, which is struggling to exercise authority over more than a few major cities, is deeply reviled by wide sections of the population, and is losing ground to the Taliban. Just last month, Taliban fighters carried out their bloodiest attack on the Afghan army since 2001, killing upwards of 200 soldiers.

The $80 million redirected by the Pentagon to Syria helped continue to fund a US training program to create a Sunni militia capable of fighting ISIS and ousting Assad. The program proved to be an unmitigated disaster, managing to train only 150 of the original target of 5,000 fighters. Most of these fighters were captured by al-Qaida or other groups when they were sent into Syria, or deserted.

This setback only caused Washington to intervene even more aggressively, first by funneling aid through its Gulf allies and the CIA to Jihadi proxy forces to wage war in Syria, and later by bolstering the presence of US ground forces. Under President Trump, the number of US ground forces in Syria has more than doubled and he has relaxed restrictions on airstrikes, leading to a dramatic spike in civilian casualties.

The sharpest criticism of the Pentagons slush fund came from Navy officials, who described the surplus built up by the Pentagon as a bishops fund.

The Post noted that the Defense Logistics Agency, the body responsible for selling fuel, sets a fixed price which is often substantially higher than the commercial rate and is intended to remain in place for a year. Before 2009, no major discrepancies arose, but from 2010 onwards, the DLA began setting prices at levels sometimes $1 per barrel above the commercial rate.

A review of Pentagon purchasing data found that the branches of the armed forces had been charged $23 billion more for fuel between 2010 and 2016 than commercial airlines would have paid.

While Pentagon officials acknowledged that around three-quarters of this covered additional costs, such as specialized fuel requirements and overheads, this still left a $5.9 billion surplus. The only time Congress appears to have directly intervened was in 2015, when it requested the Pentagon to return $1 billion to reflect reduced fuel prices.

The Defense Departments use of such a fund to meet the costs of military operations is only the latest example of the increasing ability of the military-intelligence apparatus to act outside of any accountability to Congress. Despite the US gargantuan defense budget, which dwarfs those of all of its nearest competitors, the Pentagon has over recent years taken advantage of accounting methods to allocate tens of billions more in funding to military operations beyond the funds approved by Congress.

Under the Obama administration, Democrats and Republicans included a so-called parity regulation as part of their 2011 budget deal which stipulated that any increase in defense spending had to be accompanied by a corresponding rise in domestic budgets. To avoid this requirement, the Pentagon increasingly relied on Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding, which is designed to cover the costs of foreign wars. Reports suggest that the Pentagon now uses $30 billion of OCO annually to supplement its base budget.

Such developments could only take place under conditions where there is a bipartisan consensus to retain the US military as a force capable of waging war around the globe. Both the Democrats and Republicans, speaking on behalf of the super-rich oligarchy in the United States, are fully committed to the increasing resort to military violence in a desperate bid to offset Washingtons economic decline and retain its hegemonic position against its geopolitical rivals in every region of the world. Under conditions in which Washington has been waging virtually uninterrupted war for a quarter-century, the maintenance of even a semblance of democratic control over the militarys operations is increasingly impossible.

President Obama initiated the US intervention in Syria, expanded the US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, launched air and drone strikes on at least eight countries across the Middle East and North Africa, and facilitated the bloody Saudi onslaught on Yemen, where tens of thousands of civilians have died.

In a revealing finding that shows how routine the waging of war has become for the US military, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the Pentagons accounting systems do not recognize a difference between wartime operations and routine expenditure, which was traditionally covered by the base defense budget.

The GAO wrote that the Defense Department internally reallocated $146 billion in operations and maintenance (O&M) funding between 2009 and 2015, but added, [T]he effects of such realignments on base obligations were not readily apparent because DOD did not report its O&M base obligations to Congress separately from its O&M overseas contingency operations (OCO) obligations used to support war-related programs and activities.

Even greater sums of money are to be allocated to the military under Trumps budget proposal, to which the Democrats have offered virtually no opposition, of an annual defense spending increase of $54 billion, equivalent to almost 10 percent of the existing budget. Such additional funds will pay for the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, where the US is seeking to maintain its dominance over one of the most energy-rich regions of the world against its chief rivals, Russia and China.

On Friday, Defense Secretary James Mattis put forward a plan for the waging of war by the US across a region stretching from Central Asia to West Africa. Presented as a fight against Jihadi terrorism, it is in reality only one step in the global military strategy of US imperialism, which carries the increasing risk of triggering a catastrophic world war between the major powers.
In editorials published simultaneously for their Sunday editions, the New York Times and the Washington Post called for caution in the anti-Trump campaign they have been spearheading with claims of nefarious connections between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government.

The Times editorial, headlined Watergate? Were Not There Yet, cites comparisons between the crisis of the Trump administration and the scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon 43 years ago, only to suggest that impeachment or forced resignation is not yet the order of the day.

After repeatedly slamming Trump as a stooge of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a threat to US national security, including the publication last week of an editorial with comparisons to Watergate, the Times now counsels the Democrats to proceed cautiously and avoid distraction. It advises leveraging the official investigations into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, along with the continuing decline in Trumps poll numbers, to win back a majority next year in at least one house of Congress in the 2018 mid-term elections.

The Washington Post editorial similarly suggests that the anti-Trump campaign will require time, both for newly appointed special counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI director, and for the various House and Senate committees investigating alleged Russian intervention into the 2016 election.

The Post editorial, under the headline Its time to focusfinallyon running the country, demands that the Democrats talk about something other than impeachment in the coming weeks, and that Republicans face the task at which they have so far failed: governing responsibly.

The Post is more explicit about the social and class policies underlying the campaign over alleged Trump-Russia connections. It demands action on health care to reduce uncertainty among the insurers upon which the system relies. In other words, the two big-business parties must contain their mutual mudslinging and get on with the pro-corporate austerity measures demanded by the financial elite.

Similarly, Congress must pass a new budget and raise the debt ceiling. It must carry through tax reform, which means cutting taxes for the wealthy and for corporations, while making sure that such actions cannot result in higher deficits. In other words, tax cuts for the rich must be paid for by slashing social programs for working people.

Last but by no means least, the editorial cites concerns about Trumps foreign policy in relation to North Korea, Syria, the Islamic State, Iran, Russia and other hostile powers.

Neither newspaper attempts to square the intensity of their onslaught against the Trump administration, particularly over the past two weeks, with their current declarations in favor of caution and biding ones time.

The situation could shift quickly, but the editorials from the Times and the Post reflect a broader pullback from immediate calls for impeachment and references to Watergate from within the media and political establishment. In recent days, prominent congressional Democrats such as Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, and Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, have called talk of impeachment premature.

These developments underscore the fact that there is no democratic or progressive content to the opposition to Trump from within the political establishment and the capitalist state. The Democratic Party and the media are not concerned with having a fascistic-minded president and an administration packed with corporate CEOs and generals dedicated to waging war, tearing up social programs and organizing a further redistribution of wealth to the rich. On such matters, there is far more that unites the ruling class than divides it.

What are the considerations driving the warnings about proceeding too rashly on the question of impeachment?

First, the central concern of Trumps opponents within the ruling class since his inauguration has always been to force a shift in policy, particularly foreign policy. On the US war in Syria, the maintenance of the NATO alliance and, above all, aggression toward Russia, Trump was deemed to be not on message by the dominant factions of the military and intelligence apparatus.

The president has already sought to appease such concerns by ordering a missile strike on Syria, followed last week by a US bombing raid on a pro-Syrian government militia and approval of a Pentagon plan to escalate the US intervention in Syria, Iraq and northern Africa.

There are related concerns that a perpetual crisis at the center of the American state and a protracted impeachment process pose a threat to the international standing of the United States and the overall interests of American imperialism.

Second, there are the concerns outlined by the Post that a full-scale impeachment crisis will derail the administrations program of corporate tax cuts, deregulation and the gutting of social programs upon which Wall Street has been banking and is determined to see pushed through. This was the message sent by the financial markets in last weeks huge one-day selloff. That the message was received was indicated by the announcement the same day of the appointment of a special counsel to take the political faction fight in hand.

Third, there are fears that a full-scale constitutional crisis and fratricidal struggle within the ruling class can create an opening for an independent intervention by the working class. Under conditions of mass disaffection from both political parties, rising social anger and a general discrediting of all official institutions of power, the destabilization of the political system has potentially revolutionary implications.

The appointment of Mueller, who headed the FBI for 12 years, under both Bush and Obama, puts the Trump administration under the effective receivership of the intelligence agencies, with the constant threat that if he steps too far out of line, he could quickly be faced with criminal charges. References to the formation of some sort of caretaker regime have begun appearing in the press. A Post op-ed column by Dana Millbank devoted to celebrating the anti-Russian campaign as a heroic journalistic exploit, while acknowledging that it was made possible by systematic leaking from the military-intelligence apparatus, concludes by describing Mueller as a regent, if you will, to protect against future abuses.

All of this underscores the completely reactionary character of both factions of the ruling class, whatever turn the crisis might take in the days and weeks to come. It demonstrates the political dead end of subordinating the struggle against the Trump administration to the Democrats, whose opposition to Trump is entirely different from and hostile to the concerns and interests of millions of workers. They must intervene on the basis of their own, socialist, program and perspective.
Riddled with hypocrisy, cliches and absurdities, President Donald Trumps speech Sunday before an assembly of monarchs and despots in Saudi Arabia spelled out an agenda of escalating US militarism throughout the Middle East and a buildup in particular toward war with Iran.

Hailed by a fawning American media as presidential--supposedly eclipsing for the moment the crises and factional struggles engulfing the administration--the speech was reportedly drafted by Stephen Miller, the extreme right-wing ideologue credited with being the chief architect of Trumps abortive executive order banning people from seven predominantly Muslim nations from entering the US.

Much in Trumps half-hour address echoed the speech delivered by Barack Obama in Cairo eight years earlier. Both presidents declared their desire to reset US relations with the Middle East, while absurdly posturing as leaders of a pacifist nation seeking only good for the region and offering to head up a united struggle against violent extremism.

In what was meant as a rhetorical invocation to action against terrorism, Trump told his audience, Drive them out. Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land. And drive them out of this earth.

Like Obama before him, Trump had no interest in dealing with who brought Al Qaeda and similar forces in, as the historical trail leads directly to the CIA in Afghanistan and US imperialisms longstanding support for right-wing Islamist organizations and terrorist groups as a counterweight to left nationalist and socialist influence in the Arab and Islamic world. Jointly, the US and Saudi Arabia continue to fund and arm such forces in their drive for regime-change in Syria.

Both speeches were laced with flowery tributes to Islamic culture. Trump noted in particular how impressed he was with the splendor of Saudi Arabia and the grandeur of the palace in which the so-called Arab Islamic American Summit had been convened.

What separated the two addresses were the different shifts in strategy by Washington. While Obama sought to repair the damage done by the Bush administrations criminal war in Iraq by offering a new face for US imperialism, Trump traveled to Saudi Arabia to make clear his administrations break with his predecessors policy of seeking a rapprochement with Iran based on the 2015 nuclear deal. He adopted an openly confrontational stance toward Tehran.

Above all, America seeks peace--not war, Trump proclaimed, in what stood out as the most blatant of the many lies in his brief address. The reality is that US wars in the region have killed millions over the past decade-and-a-half. And the thrust of the US presidents visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop in a nine-day foreign tour, is the preparation for new and even bloodier conflicts.

This was made plain by the principal agreements forged between Trump and the Saudi monarchy, which included a $110 billion arms deal that incorporates the option to purchase $350 billion worth of weapons over the next 10 years.

The arms agreement supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the entire Gulf region, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil CEO, told reporters in Riyadh, in particular in the face of the malign Iranian influence and Iranian-related threats which exist on Saudi Arabias borders on all sides.

In his speech, Trump painted Iran as the principal state sponsor of terrorism, accusing Tehran of providing terrorists with safe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment, and fueling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror, all charges that could be leveled, with justification, against his Saudi hosts.

He portrayed the US cruise missile attack on Syria last month--followed just last week by the US bombing of a pro-government militia in the southeastern part of the country--as part of a wider struggle against Iranian influence. He went on to call upon all nations of conscience to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve. That he was speaking in Saudi Arabia, a brutally repressive absolute monarchy, just two days after more than 70 percent of Iranian voters participated in a sharply contested election, did nothing to blunt Trumps call for regime-change.

He specifically praised Saudi Arabia and its allies for having taken strong action against Houthi militants in Yemen. The near-genocidal Saudi war has killed some 12,000 Yemenis, while destroying basic infrastructure in the Arab worlds poorest country, leaving over 7 million people on the brink of starvation and unleashing a cholera epidemic that threatens a massive death toll.

In March, US Defense Secretary James Mad Dog Mattis issued a memo calling for stepped-up US support for this criminal war, in which the Pentagon is already supplying intelligence and logistical backing to the Saudi bombing campaign.

Part of the weapons deal signed by Trump involves the shipment of precision-guided munitions that had been cut off in a highly limited gesture of disapproval of Saudi tactics in Yemen by the Obama administration, which itself concluded over $100 billion worth of weapons deals with Riyadh. Also included in the new deal are tanks, artillery, helicopters and other weaponry that can be directly funneled into the slaughter in Yemen.

In addition to his speech and the signing of arms and investment deals, Trump participated in a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Saudi-led coalition of Gulf oil sheikdoms. Trump administration officials have raised the objective of using the GCC as the foundation of a Sunni Arab version of NATO directed at military confrontation with Iran.

Beyond the drive to militarily confront Iran, a principal regional rival of US imperialism in the Middle East, and the huge profits that Saudi arms purchases reap for the US military industrial complex, there are broader strategic considerations in the US turn toward a closer alliance with Riyadh.

Some of these issues were outlined on the eve of Trumps trip in a piece published by the influential Washington think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies and authored by Anthony Cordesman, a longtime Pentagon adviser. First among them is, according to Cordesman, the continued level of US dependence on Saudi help in securing the stable flow of Gulf oil.

While US imports from the Gulf have fallen sharply over the past quarter-century, Cordesman cites indirect dependence in terms of the impact a disruption in oil exports would have on global energy prices and the world capitalist economy. In particular, he points to the dependence of Asian economies on Gulf petroleum exports.

If the United States failed in providing power projection forces and arms to the region, he writes, its principal global rival, China, might fill the void. China may not yet be ready to try to assume the role, but the entire South China Sea crisis would pale to near insignificance if China became the de facto guarantor of Gulf stability.

Cordesman continues: The real-world nature of US influence and power in the Pacific would be cut massively, Chinas leverage over other major Asian economies like Japan and South Korea would be sharply increased, and the potential rise in tension between China and India--and cut in Indias relative position--would have a massive impact on the balance of power in South Asia and the Indian Ocean.

In other words, the turn toward closer relations with Saudi Arabia and the related Gulf oil sheikdoms is bound up with US imperialisms mounting conflict with China, which it has identified as the principal challenge to the drive for American global hegemony. Washington is determined to dominate Asia, including China, by maintaining the military power to choke off the regions energy imports.

The fact that the sclerotic House of Saud, one of the worlds last absolute monarchies, has become a lynchpin of Washingtons imperialist strategy, not only in the Middle East but globally, is a measure of the crisis of American and world capitalism.

Oil revenues, which account for fully 90 percent of the kingdoms export earnings, have been cut nearly in half since 2014. Last month, the government was forced to reverse itself on austerity measures that hit the military and public employees over fear that declining living standards and rising unemployment are creating the conditions for social revolt.

In the predominantly Shia Eastern Province, the center of the kingdoms oil production, security forces laid siege to the town of Awamiyah, a center of resistance to the regime, during the week preceding Trumps visit. Combined with the failure of the Saudi bid to topple the Assad regime in Syria by supporting Al Qaeda-linked militias and the regimes inability to retake Yemen from the Houthi rebels, the deepening domestic crisis is creating the conditions for revolutionary upheavals against Washingtons principal ally in the Arab world.
This is the fourth in a series of articles containing interviews conducted by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) with Victorian teachers about the public education crisis in their state; the recent sell-out deal negotiated by the Australian Education Union (AEU) with the state Labor government; and the campaign being waged by the Socialist Equality Party, and its teacher members, for a No vote in the forthcoming secret ballot on the deal.

Michael, a primary school teacher for 17 years, said that while the union claimed it had addressed workload issues in the agreement, which were becoming increasingly problematic, he did not agree it had. As a classroom teacher, he said, the four-year deal had to address the day to day workload.

If I was given a least one extra hour a week planning time, this would allow me to provide a much higher quality of teaching to my students. I previously worked at a school where we had an extra hour of planning timeit made a huge difference to staff morale, to the type of planning, it was better for student well-being, and allowed time to communicate between school and home. Instead, we have a once-a-term day, and it is not clear how that will work. It will make no difference to stress and the thousands of teachers leaving the profession.

My job has changed in the last 15 years, Michael explained. There are so many more demands made on teachers. Every time the government makes a new demand, there is no thought to the impact on our workload. It would be good if it was recognised that we are working beyond capacity.

Michael went on to criticise the amount of public money being handed over to the private schools by the government at the direct expense of public education.

Why arent we fighting for freezing the money that is going to the private schools and using it for the public schools? One of the teachers from my school left and went into the private school system. She was getting seven hours planning time a week at the private school, and we get three hours. Imagine how much planning you could do if we had that time! We could have younger teachers working with older experienced teachers and so much time to assist students. The private schools have a heap of money to do that, we dont. [Victorian Labor Premier Daniel] Andrews says we are the Education State. What a joke!

Our performance reviews are tied to data. I think the biggest problem with education here and internationally is that they are using data, which might be able to apply in other fields, but is being crudely applied to education.

What is apparent over the last 1020 years is a continual focus on things like literacy and maths, at the expense of other areas. Governments are copying the US model of standardised testing and then applying that to teacher performance, school performance and principal performance. Studies have shown that standardised test scores dont capture everything about a school or students, and they certainly arent a measure of teacher effectiveness.

The AEU always seems to be very co-operative in dealing with Labor governments. Many of the reps are looking to establishing a political career. Given the deal falls way short of our log of claims, why have they been so quick to sign off? The timing of this is highly suspicious, in terms of trying to ram through a yes vote.

Attacking the agreement for its failure to deal with the growing number of contract teachers, as opposed to those with permanency, Michael said, It is basically the same as the last three agreements  We will be back here in four years time and the figures on contract teaching will be the same.

Ive had experience in trying to follow through on the previous agreement, trying to hold the principal to account about contracts and ongoing positions. The principal gave some bs reason not to advertise an ongoing position. We then contacted the union, and the union said, Well, if that is what the principal said, then we have to accept that. That is the best we can do.

All this talk about self-regulating and monitoring of contracts, it has not worked in the past and we will have the same. On contracts the agreement is an epic failure.

Like many other teachers who have spoken to the SEP, Michael raised that he knew of material that had been deleted from the AEUs Facebook page.

The moderators of the AEU Facebook dont need to agree with people who oppose the agreement, he said. If comments are seen by the union as baseless, then leave them on the web site, and let AEU members decide for themselves. It reminds me of regimes where there is no democracy.

Ollie, a secondary teacher, who works in Melbournes eastern suburbs, was scathing about the union-government agreement and emphasised that teachers needed to reject it.

The pay rise is minimal. What the union has done about work conditions is a nonsense. Theres not going to be less work or any relief at all.

So, were worse off, and it needs to be rejected, because over the next 3 to 4 years it will get very much worse within schools for teachers, and therefore for kids. Teachers are under enormous stress.

All the new teachers come in, theyve got fees hanging over their heads from the university and theyve got to re-register with their qualifications and all sorts of certifications with the Department. As well as that they have to start a career usually on a contract rather than permanent employment and ongoing employment. So the union really has become the policeman to enforce these agreements, which sell our conditions down the drain.

Ollie referred to the high levels of anxiety and stress suffered by teachers, which had an effect in the classroom. He said that students could feel the impact, along with their own stresses, caused by a future of unemployment or underemployment, climate change, looming wars around the world, insecure incomes and so on, from the massive inequality in society.

Schooling, he declared, is just becoming a joke. Its based on all the assessment items of VCE [final Year 12 school examinations] and NAPLAN [standardised testing regime introduced by the former Labor government] and teach to the test.

The essence of education: of life and living and learning genuine skills and critical thinking, is being substituted with being work ready. And very basic literacy and numeracy is really all that employers want from the mass of students and the working class.

Public schools are being underfunded. Theres real inequality between public and private education and theres a huge shift of government money being transferred to private wealth.

At the school where I teach, there is a large number, close to a hundred members, of the AEU. We called a meeting, we had an industrial officer come to attend the meeting last week. We had only seven people able to attend, due to people being stressed out and lots of other sorts of meetings they had to attend. The meetings that weve had, and discussions around the school, have really shown that, by and large, teachers are probably hostile towards the union. They dont see a lot of hope in trying to overturn [the agreement] or what else can be done.

Ollie said he thought something had to be doneperhaps start some sort of independent discussions within the school. The problem is more than just the agreement. Its the whole function of the school in society.

As an example, he raised the problems faced by ES (Education Support) staff. They were little more than low-paid workers, he said, who undertake difficult and highly skilled jobs for very small reward.

Often many of them are employed as 0.8 [80 percent of full-time] and on a limited contract basis and, more or less, cannot progress up any scale to get higher salaries or full-time employment.

They were therefore working on below poverty wages, despite being very dedicated to the students they worked with, all of whom had learning or social difficulties. They do a wonderful job under very poor conditions and this EBA is not going to improve them either.

Ollie concluded by declaring that the failure of the union to hold mass meetings, allowing no real time for this discussion before the agreement is accepted, or put to the membership to be ratified, was essentially anti-democratic.

Click here to visit and follow the Teachers and ES Staff Against the Victorian Education Agreement Facebook page.
English Latvian

Latvia, 2017-05-22 20:49 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latvijas Juras medicinas centrs JSC has published audited report for the Year 2016 and financial result (acquisition of fixed assets) differs more than 10% from forecasts in companys shareholders confirmed budget for Year 2016. Companys net profit differs more than 10% from interim report for the 12 months of 2016, comment has been prepared by Latvijas Juras medicinas centrs JSC.

The aim of the investment (acquisition of fixed assets) has been reached with lower financial resources consumptions. Latvijas Juras medicinas centrs JSC consolidated net profit has been reached by performing adjustments in audit process: the main adjustment was in capitalizing non-deductible VAT on construction for the Year 2016 and eliminating this position from cosolidated statement of comprehensive income.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- Opponents have mobilized to try to convince Governor Rick Scott to veto a bill that would repeal a decades-old law requiring hard spirits to be sold in separate facilities from groceries and other goods an issue that has become known as the "liquor wall."

Governor Scott, who faces a deadline on Wednesday, May 24, to decide whether to sign, veto or let the measure become law without his signature, hasn't said what he'll do with the proposal.

Members of the Florida Independent Spirits Association, along with Publix and ABC fine wine & spirits, oppose the bill.

They have stepped up the pro-veto movement since the house narrowly signed off of the measure.

The governor's office as of Friday, May 19 had received nearly 27 hundred emails, 570 letters and 235 calls in opposition to the bill since lawmakers gave approval. Another 32 hundred names were submitted via petitions collected at independent liquor stores, like the one owned by Mike Patel.

Mike Patel, owner of Market Liquors, says, "I'm hoping and I am praying every day that he will veto this. I don't think that he wants to lose all of these jobs and all the small businesses. Everybody will be bankrupt right away".

The governor's office during the same period had also received 434 phone calls, 320 emails and seven letters that voiced support for the bill.

Proponents feel the policy promotes a free market and provides more convenience to shoppers. They also dispute the argument about minors getting access to liquor, saying minors are more likely to get alcohol at home.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) -- The Leon County Sheriff's Office is hosting a media event on Wednesday, May 24 at 10 a.m. at the Leon County Sheriff's Office.

This event is inviting the community to come hear about their new partnerships with local law enforcement agencies and community organizations.

These partnerships are launching in efforts to help fight and prevent crime in the community.

Sheriff McNeil will also present the agency's newly developed Strategic Plan and encourage the community to be "all in" to help reduce crime in the county.

MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go.
MAGNOLIA, AR (KSLA) - Evidence indicates the parents of a Southwest Arkansas infant were nearby while rats severely bit the child 75 to 100 times over the course of several hours, authorities say.

The 15-day-old girl's face, arms and hands were covered in rodent bites when she was brought to Magnolia Regional Medical Center in Magnolia, Ark., the morning of May 14, city police say.

Her fingers also had been bitten, an ER nurse told authorities.

In one instance, a bite was so severe that the child's skull was visible through a one-inch wound in her forehead.

The girl, estimated to weigh about 5 pounds, has since undergone reconstructive surgery to address the forehead wound.

A physician at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Ark., later noted that the child had "severe skin destruction from rat feeding, and stated that it would have taken hours to occur and (the) patient would have been in distress during the process," Magnolia, Ark., police reported.

Now the child's parents, 18-year-old Charles Elliott and 19-year-old Erica Michelle Shryock, each faces a charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, authorities said.

They are being held in the Columbia County, Ark., Jail.

When questioned by detectives, the child's parents said she had been sleeping in a bassinet in the same room with them.

The Arkansas Children's Hospital doctor opined to investigators that the couple would have to have been absent or incapacitated to not respond to the child's screams.

During a search of the residence, authorities found the bassinet in the living room. Blood and rodents' bloody footprints were in it, police reported.

Authorities also reported finding a blood-soaked toboggan on the floor of the room where the parents were sleeping.

Both parents admitted knowing there were rats in the house and doing nothing to get rid of them, investigators said.

They also reportedly said that, fearing the child would be taken from them, they waited 1.5 to 4 hours to take the girl to the hospital.

Copyright 2017 KSLA. All rights reserved.
QUINCY, Fla. (WTXL) - A man has been arrested in connection to a string of overnight car break-ins.

The Quincy Police Department said that on May 16, they responded to a rash of 12 car break-ins on the North side of Quincy.

Most of the break-ins involved criminals entering unlocked cars and taking valuables such as money and a computer tablet. Two of the break-ins involved windows of cars being broken with bricks to gain entry.

The majority of the burglaries occurred near Bellamy Drive and W. Franklin Street.

While police spoke with victims in the Burmah Heights Neighborhood, they located a resident whose home security video system captured two people trying to break into cars on N. 10th Street.

Using this evidence and other information obtained during criminal interviews, Quincy Police have been able to place car burglary and theft charges on Jacob Arnett, 21, of Quincy.

Arnett was already being held in the Gadsden County Jail on other charges.

QPD is still investigating these cases and expect more arrests.

According to Chief Sapp we are still working to identify the second accomplice who was with Arnett breaking into cars and need more information from the public.

Anyone with information about these crimes or any crimes should contact Capt. Robert Mixson with the QPD Criminal Investigation Division at (850) 627-0138. You could receive a reward.
PEMBROKE, Bermuda, May 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sompo International, a Bermuda-based specialty provider of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, announced today that its U.S. Insurance business has launched a new middle market property insurance product, offering ground up single carrier coverage to U.S. mid-size companies across a broad range of industries through its retail broker network. Mr. Patrick Mulhall joined Sompo International on May 8, 2017 to build and lead the new team, which includes Mr. James Berringer. Both Mr. Mulhall and Mr. Berringer are Senior Vice Presidents, reporting to Sompo International Executive Vice President of U.S. Commercial Property, Mr. Mark Maritzen. They are located in Sompo Internationals New York and Chicago offices respectively.



Mr. Mulhall spent the past 15 years with Axis Capital, most recently as Executive Vice President in the Risk Management Property Unit. Prior to that, Mr. Mulhall held various underwriting and management roles at companies including Liberty Mutual, CNA and St. Paul Fire and Marine. He holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Western Connecticut State University and a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

Mr. Berringer was most recently at Axis Capital where he was Senior Vice President since 2003, having played a key role in starting their U.S. Property unit. Prior to Axis, Mr. Berringer held various underwriting and management roles within CNAs Risk Management Property unit. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and an MBA, both from Northern Illinois University.

Mr. Maritzen commented, The addition of a middle market property product is a natural complement to our U.S. Commercial Property book which focuses on large multi-national accounts across industries, including but not limited to manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, healthcare, education and transportation. With over 30 years each in the property market, Pat and Jim bring extensive underwriting experience and have developed longstanding relationships with key retail brokers. They are a welcome addition as we build out this new team with presence in key markets across the U.S.

Christopher Sparro, CEO of U.S. Insurance, added We are excited to integrate the new team into our U.S. Insurance platform as we continue to broaden our offerings and provide value added services to our clients. This new middle market product further complements Sompo Internationals extensive property capabilities across geographies, risk size and exposures, and distribution channels, offering not only responsive underwriting and claims service, but also in-house loss control engineering services.

About Sompo International

Sompo International is a global specialty provider of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, headquartered in Bermuda. Through its operating subsidiaries, Sompo International writes agriculture, professional lines, property, marine and energy, and casualty and other specialty lines of insurance and catastrophe, property, casualty, professional lines and specialty lines of reinsurance. We maintain excellent financial strength as evidenced by the ratings of A+ (Superior) from A.M. Best (XV size category), A (Strong) from Standard and Poors and A2 from Moodys on our principal operating subsidiaries. Sompo Internationals headquarters are located at Waterloo House, 100 Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke HM 08, Bermuda and its mailing address is Sompo International, Suite No. 784, No. 48 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda. For more information about Sompo International, please visit www.sompo-intl.com.
LIBERTY COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Two Northwest Florida correctional officers face charges after authorities said an inmate was sprayed with a chemical agent and placed in a supply closet.

William Jeffery Davis, a sergeant at Liberty Correctional Institution, was charged with malicious battery, official misconduct and submitting a false use of force report, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

Capt. Steven Cloud was charged with official misconduct and submitting a false report.

The charges stem from an April 8 incident in which an inmate sought protection from another inmate.

Cloud and Davis refused the inmate's request and told him to go back to his dorm, according to investigative affidavits posted on the department website. The inmate, whose name is redacted from the affidavits, refused to go to his dorm.

Davis is accused of then taking the inmate to a supply closet, spraying him in the face with a chemical agent and leaving him in the closet, according to the affidavits.

The department's Office of Inspector General investigated the incident and requested arrest warrants for the officers.
WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Wakulla County Sheriffs Office is asking for help identifying several women wanted for questioning.

The women are wanted for questioning regarding a theft from Walmart in Crawfordville, Florida.

Anyone with information concerning these subjects, is requested to contact Detective Scott Powell at 850-745-7100.
While the Chinese economy returned to a stabilizing trend in April after a stronger-than-expected first quarter, the traction behind its firm steps is somehow different from what it used to be.
Shulamit (Shula) Cohen-Kishik, who was an Israeli spy working as an undercover agent in Lebanon, has passed away at the age of 100.

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Cohen, who was laid to rest on Sunday, is survived by her seven children and dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Cohen's story could have easily served as an inspiration for a Hollywood movie.

Shulamit Cohen-Kishik (Photo: Guy Esel)

Born in 1917 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she was raised by Zionist parents who immigrated to Israel when she was but a child, before the State of Israel was established.

At the young age of 16, she married Joseph Kishik, a wealthy Jewish-Lebanese businessman from Beirut, who took her back with him to Lebanon. By the time she was 24, Cohen had given birth to five children.

Cohen quickly became a prominent and active member of her community, and even managed to establish ties with senior Lebanese officials.

At the eve of the 1948 War of Independence, Cohen felt an obligation to help the budding country andbelieving she could make a differencemanaged with great effort to contact Israeli intelligence sources, becoming a Mossad secret agent code named "The Pearl."

Cohen with her family (Photo: Guy Esel)

Cohen spent the next 14 years helping to bring persecuted Jews from Arab countries to Israel and gathering intelligence about Lebanese military activities. She was caught smuggling in 1952, and imprisoned for 36 days.

In 1961, Cohen was finally caught and arrested for espionage. She was brutally tortured during the months of her trial, and upon her conviction she was sentenced to death by hanging. Upon appeal, however, the sentence was dialed back to 20 years hard labor.

In 1967, Cohen was released in a secret prisoner exchange after the Six Day War. She then immigrated with her family to Jerusalem, where she spent the rest of her life.

In 2007, Cohen was chosen to light the torch for the Independence Day ceremony. "I never worked for a prize or for glory. I did what I did because I wanted to, because I loved the country and I wanted to help its establishment," she said at the ceremony.

Laid to rest

Cohen passed away early Sunday morning in Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem's Mount Scopus, surrounded by loved ones. Her son, Itzhak Levanonan Israeli diplomat who served as Israel's ambassador to Egypt from 2009 to 2011said "my mother was sharp until her last moments, unbelievably so. She was a hero. I think the best word to describe her by was 'brave.' You just don't see her kind anymore these days; one of selfless giving, utter sacrifice, absolute love and uncompromising patriotism."

(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
Handcuffed, her inmate number 503 attached to her clothing, former South Korean President Park Geun-hye begins her corruption trial Tuesday in the same courtroom where a brutal dictator was sentenced to death two decades ago.

Once the most powerful person in the country, Park will now face judgment over charges of extortion, bribery and abuse of power that could send her to jail for life.

The hearing in room No. 417 of the Seoul Central District Court will be Park's first public appearance since she was jailed in the early hours of March 31. Her arrest came weeks after she was removed from office in a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which upheld the December impeachment by lawmakers after massive street protests over the corruption allegations began last October.

Prosecutors boast of having "overflowing" evidence proving her involvement in criminal activities. They accuse Park, South Korea's first female president, of colluding with a friend of 40 years to take about $26 million from the country's largest companies through bribery. She also allegedly allowed her friend to manipulate state affairs from the shadows.
A rare historic moment took place in Riyadh on Sunday: US President Donald Trump found himself in an awkward situation. Why? The amount of flattery he was showered with appeared to be too much, even for him.

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It happened during his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi , who went to the trouble of defining him as a unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible. Trump, who is no stranger to megalomania, burst out laughing and replied: I agree.

It was a symbolic moment in his trip to Saudi Arabia, which focused on anointing the president with refined oil and dollar bills. The deal it devised was simple: We will embrace you and do the sword dance around you, add a huge check for the arms deals and you will create an anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian axis.

Trump in Riyadh. Well do the sword dance around you and add a huge check for the arms deals, and youll create an anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian axis (Photo: AFP)

Its a deal which works for both sides: Trump wants to show that he is providing budgets and workplaces to the American arms industry, which supported him in the presidential election. The Saudis are terrified by Irans progress and achievements in Yemen. There is also the war in Syria, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the oil prices. The last point is critical: If the oil prices remain low, the International Monetary Fund predicts that the Saudis will lose their foreign currency reserves by 2020, which means the kingdom will become a failure: After decades of cheap oil, it has missed the opportunity to build a real economy75% of its income is still from oil.

Trumps speech was basically a continuation of the traditional line adopted by all US presidents since the 9/11 attacks: The battle is not between religions or civilizations, but between barbaric criminals, the terrorists, and the decent people. Between the good and the bad. An attempt to embrace the Arab world which opposes terror, and emphasize its centralitywhile pushing the radicals away. Ironically, of course, the speech took place in the homeland of Wahhabist Islamist radicalism. But irony is not an obligation in the Trump era.

Where is the Trump who built his political career on condemning Islam and the Muslims? The Trump who said, I think Islam hates us? Well, he has evaporated. Some people are trying to define every comment he makes as a historic change from the Barack Obama era, but a review of his predecessors Cairo speech demonstrates that the call on the Muslim nation to denounce terror, the distinction between terrorists and law-abiding Muslims, the opposition to the clash of civilizations characterized the Obama rhetoric as well. Obama also signed $115-billion arms deals with Saudi Arabia. Trump signed on $109 billiona deal which was prepared during the Obama era. The Saudi promise for another $350 billion over 10 years is written on the shifting sands of Hejaz.

What was different about the speech was the American presidents oath of allegiance to the Sunni narrative in the Middle East: A day after the Iranians celebrated a reformist victory, America informed them that it is actually severing ties. The Saudis were satisfied, and satisfaction may have been recorded in Jerusalem as well.

Its hard for us, as Israelis, to accept the fact that the presidents visit here is a supplement of his important visit to the Arab world. But this is reality: The money is there, and so are the big troubles, as Trump sees themthe radicalization which is followed by the violence.

The real American-Israeli dialogue began as Air Force One landed at Ben-Gurion Airport on Monday. Does Trump intend to invest a real political capital in Mideast peace, or is it only rhetoric? Will he push the parties into an agreement, or will he settle for sincere efforts, as American diplomacy is accustomed to? And most importantly, what part will Israel play in the regional alliance that is taking shape against Iran and in the possibilities of a conflict with the Islamic Republic? This possibility, without a doubt, increased significantly on Sunday evening.
Hundreds of Syrian rebels and their families left the last opposition-held district of Homs on Sunday, completing a deal that brought the whole city back under President Bashar Assad's control for the first time since the start of the war.

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Homs Governor Talal Barazi said "the city of Homs is completely clear of weapons and militants after completing the reconciliation deal in al-Waer district," Syrian state TV reported.

Photo: Reuters

Government forces backed by the Russian military have already moved into many areas of al-Waer, state media say.

Some 700 fighters and their families, a total of nearly 3,000 people according to Barazi, left aboard buses on Saturday and Sunday in the final phase of the evacuation of insurgents from al-Waer. Government troops had long besieged the last opposition-held area in a city that was one of the early centers of the anti-Assad uprising.

Thousands of opposition fighters and their families have left a number of areas in western Syria in recent months in what the government calls reconciliation deals. Assad's government now controls the country's main urban centers.

Photo: Reuters

The opposition and the United Nations have criticized the deals as forced displacement of Assad's enemies, often after months or years of siege and bombardment.

One of the rebels leaving al-Waer on Sunday said many of the fighters had come to the district from other areas of Homs, including the Old City, after those areas were retaken by government forces earlier in the conflict.

"I don't want to stay here. I'll go to Idlib, and want to go on to Turkey and then Europe after that," he said to a Reuters journalist on the scene before the buses left, without giving his name.

Photo: AFP

Evacuees have mostly headed for insurgent-held Idlib province, or for Jarablus, a town along Syria's northern border near Turkey.

Most leave, some stay

Al-Waer has been under full siege for more than a year, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Government forces backed by Russian military police had begun to take control of key parts of the district, a Russian officer told Syrian state TV.

Photo: AFP

Moscow, a key Damascus ally, has helped Assad gain the upper hand against insurgents in the west of the country, along with the support of Iranian fighters and members of Lebanon's Hezbollah Shi'ite militia. Western nations, Gulf Arab states and Turkey support the opposition.

Barazi said that more than 14,000 people had left al-Waer in several phases since the agreement began to be implemented in March. Among them were some 3,700 rebels, allowed to leave with their light weapons.

State television early on Sunday showed rebels milling around, depositing bags and suitcases in front of buses, and holding Kalashnikov assault rifles as armed men from the government side watched the proceedings.

Photo: AFP

Some 1,150 rebel fighters have decided to stay in the district and hand over their weapons under a government amnesty, Barazi said.

The Syrian conflict, now in its seventh year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million, and drawn the military involvement of most major world powers.
In his speech in Riyadh on Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced the opening of a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. Since the announcement was made in all seriousness and not as a satire, it was one of the unfortunate moments of the war on radicalization. It seems the gap between words and reality has never been bigger.

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There were many nice words in the speech, even appropriate words. But while Trump talks about opening the joint center, Saudi Arabia keeps funneling a fortune towards the funding of Islamic radicalization. Trump spoke about soldiers from the Gulf who are fighting terror, but as we speak, Saudi tycoons keep funding the Taliban, with the leaderships knowledge.

Its safe to assume that Trump did not read Dr. Dore Golds critically-acclaimed book "Hatreds Kingdom" before leaving for Saudi Arabia. Nor has he read Prof. Vali Nasrs research on the massive Saudi funding of the distribution of Wahhabism and Salafism in the past few decades, which created the ideological infrastructure for global jihad and the huge wave of terror that is troubling the West and mercilessly hitting the Muslims themselves.

Trump spoke about Irans support and funding of terror, but there is only one country which does it more than IranSaudi Arabia (Photo: AFP)

This massive funding, of course, goes hand in hand with the fact that Saudi Arabia is one of the most unenlightened countries in the world. Forty-nine countries are defined as not free in the 2017 Freedom in the World index. Saudi Arabia is among the bottom 10. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia is at the center of a double paradox: On the one hand, it offered endless support to Salafist organizations, but has become the bitter enemy of global jihad because of its cooperation with the United States; on the other hand, it has not learned its lesson and keeps funneling a fortune to education systems, Islamic centers, imams and mosque that continue along the same Salafist line.

Trump is not the first leader to trust Saudi Arabia. Britain established centers for Islamic studies in a bid to make the Muslim students more moderate. Saudi Arabia offered to help. It transferred 233 million pounds to these centers in eight leading universities. Prof. Anthony Glees published a study revealing the grim outcome: More radicalization among those young students. Saudi capital is funneled to leading universities in the US as well, weakening academic freedom. Trump is no different from the professors who receive donations. They too are living in denial. One has to be really naive to believe that Saudi Arabia would suddenly make a historic change.

The map of interests of the past few years creates an odd situation, in which the Sunni states, led by Saudi Arabia, stand in the same front with Israel and the American administration. Its not the result of love. Its happening primarily because of the shared enemyIran. Even Dr. Gold, who understands the problem much better than others, and who has no illusions about Saudi Arabia, was one of the architects of the renewed tiesmainly secret tiesbetween Israel and Saudi Arabia. Yes, there are shared interests.

The problem is that interests have a blinding power. The Obama administration suffered from blindness when it signed the nuclear agreement, completely ignoring Irans long reach. In his speech Sunday, Trump rightfully spoke about Irans support and funding of terror, but there is only one country which does it more than IranSaudi Arabia.

And now Trump is repeating the same mistake. He is arming the kingdom of hatred, thereby continuing his predecessors policy. For nearly a decade now, Saudi Arabia has been at the top of the arms import list. From 2008 to 2015, the kingdom purchased weapons for $93.5 billion (compared to $30.1 billion purchased by Egypt and $14.3 billion by Israel). There are no accurate estimates of the parallel expenses in the area of Wahhabism exports, as they involve both governmental capital and private capital, but different estimates point to a fortune. Saudi Arabia is far from the glory days as a rich oil country, but when it comes to weapons and radicalization it seems to have no limitations.

Trump did not forget to praise Saudi Arabia for advancing the status of women. That is as true as saying that Saudi Arabia is fighting radicalization. The Saudi king, on his part, claimed that Iran was the big exporter of terror. No one was allowed to mention, of course, that most of the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks were Saudis. Have I already mentioned that the gaps between words and reality has never been wider? Well, I must say it again.
In light of the President Trump's visit and the relief measures for the Palestinians approved by the cabinet Sunday, Palestinians are reacting with mixed feelings ranging from cautious optimism to apathy and anger

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Palestinian leadership in Ramallah regard the visit with the utmost seriousness, especially in light of the indications broadcast by Trump and his team of restarting the peace process after three years of total stagnation.

President Trump and President Abbas meet at the White House (Photo: Reuters)

A senior Palestinian official told Ynet that the feeling among decision makers is that there is a sincere desire in the American administration to attempt to reach an arrangement that addresses the needs of Palestinians.

However, the same official admitted that the consensus among decision makers in Ramallah is a lack of confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which would make a political breakthrough difficult to achieve.

Another Palestinian official emphasized that Palestinians are in a position of complete lack of faith in Netanyahu. "Netanyahu is not a panther. We won't be able to reach an agreement with him," said the official.

As such, Palestinians will agree to sit at the negotiating table in order not to appear as the party refusing a deal. However, they will arrive as they have every time in recent yearswith floor-level expectations.

Photo: AP

Therefore, the main achievement Palestinians seek with Trumpat this stageis economic in nature. This is evidenced by Abbas bringing his senior economic advisor Muhammad Mustafa and Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Abu Amr to his meeting with Trump in Washington.

Trump's schedule while in Israel

Palestinians also know that Trump's main demand will be for Palestinians to rein in and stop incitement in the media and textbooks. Additionally, Palestinians also expect the American government to pressure them to sit at the negotiating table without a complete halt on settlement construction.

Trump is due to arrive in Bethlehem Tuesday for a quick visit under the protection of 2,000 Palestinian security officers.

(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
US President Donald Trump claims he never "mentioned the word or the name Israel" during a recent conversation with top Russian diplomats in the White House.

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Trump made his comments to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting between the two at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

Trump and Netanyahu (Photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO)

Trump was referring to recent reports that information he gave to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak endangered the life of an Israeli spy embedded deep in ISIS.

In addition to his denial, Trump also told Netanyahu that intelligence cooperation between the two allies is "terrific." Instead, according to Trump, it's another story the media has gotten wrong.
Among the many events and images of Donald Trump's historic visit to Israel, a short clip recorded a few minutes after landing Monday at Ben-Gurion International Airport revealed an embarrassing moment between the president and his wife, Melania.

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As they walked the red carpet on the way to deliver speeches, the president tried to take his wife's hand only for her to seemingly deny him by slapping it away in front of the cameras.

Melania rebuffs Trump's attempt at hand holding

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This is not the first awkward interaction between the president and Melania that the media have captured and speculated upon.

When Trump was inaugurated in January, cameras captured a moment that aroused astonishment and speculation. Melanie Trump seemed to be smiling at her husband, but the second he looked away her expression immediately changed from a smile to a stone-cold stare.

Trump was also criticized for not helping Melania out of the car when they arrived at the White House on the day of his inauguration, as both Barack and Michelle Obama helped her up the stairs.

Foreign media outlets have repeatedly focused on the relationship between Trump and Melania, speculating over whether Melania is happy in her new role and in the marriage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara, offered sympathetic words to visiting US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania on Monday, telling them that people still loved them despite negative media coverage.

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Standing on the red carpet and chatting minutes after Trump and the First Lady had arrived at Ben-Gurion airport in Air Force One, Sara Netanyahu was caught on camera exchanging a few private words with the visitors.

Photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO

"The majority of the people of Israel, unlike the media, they love us, so we tell them how you are great and they love you," Sara said to Trump and his wife.

Trump then interjected, "We have something very much in common."

Trump's presidency has received widespread negative coverage in the US and international media, not least over his firing of FBI director James Comey and amid an investigation into ties between his administration and Russia.

In Israel on the second leg of his first overseas trip since entering office, Trump is to hold talks separately with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a stopover lasting barely 28 hours.

Sara and Melania stroll down the red carpet (Photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO)

Speaking over the noise of the president's jet, Sara Netanyahu added, "I talk every place about how great you are," she said, and Netanyahu backed her up saying, "I can testify to that."

Later in the the day, the Trumps sat down with the Netanyahus to sign to the Prime Minister's Residence's guestbook. "All the house was painted for you," Sara told the Trumps. "It's a beautiful house," Melania assured her.

Sitting down to sign the Prime Minister's Residence's guestbook

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Netanyahu and his wife have a tense relationship with the Israeli media, which they have both described as biased against them. In January, Netanyahu described the media as "left-wing" and "Bolshevik" and said they were out to bring him down.

Testifying in a libel suit the Netanyahu's filed against an Israeli journalist, Sara Netanyahu told the court: "Everything that is published about me, it's all lies, evil lies that bear no connection with who I really am ... The media uses me as a tool to try and topple the prime minister."
Colombo: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena switched the finance and foreign ministers in a cabinet reshuffle on Monday in a bid to restore confidence in the administration`s handling of the economy.

Managala Samaraweera, who has been foreign minister since January 2015, was appointed as finance and media minister. He swaps roles with Ravi Karunanayake, who takes over at external affairs, the president`s spokesman Dharmasri Ekanayake told Reuters.

Karunanayake sought to revive the economy with a $1.5 billion loan from the IMF in June last year. The IMF has long urged Sri Lanka to boost tax revenue through modernisation and simplification of its fiscal system, which the government has been struggling to implement because of political opposition.

Growth, however, has remained anaemic, falling 4.4 percent in 2016 from 4.8 percent in the previous year.

The exchange rate was allowed to depreciate 14 percent in the two years through December 2016 and further 1.9 pct so far this year to boost exports.

The change at cabinet is aimed at giving fresh impetus to development work, the spokesman quoted the president as saying.

Sirisena also shifted Arjuna Ranathunga out of the ports ministry after he blocked a $1.1 billion Chinese port deal following criticism that it would draw the tiny nation deeper into debt.
New Delhi: Major Leetul Gogoi shot to fame in social media after he tied a stone-pelter to his jeep as a human shield to stop violent protesters from targeting a security convoy in Kashmir.

The incident took place in Budgam area of Kashmir. The decision had helped save lives.

He received strong support from BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu Pratap Simha for his action.

Calling for a nationwide campaign in support of Gogoi, the BJP MP tweeted, If any kind of action is initiated against brave Maj Gogoi, lets start a nationwide campaign to support him. The incident drew positive reactions on social media where he received a lot of support.

On Monday, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat honoured him with a commendation card for his sustained efforts in anti-insurgency operations in the state.

Major Gogoi, 38, hails from Assam. His father is a farmer.

He reportedly joined the force at the age of 18 and served as a jawan in the 3rd Battalion of Assam Regiment. He then moved to Dehradun-based Army Cadet College (ACC) to become an officer.

Gogoi was commissioned as a lieutenant in December 2008.

The army service corps (ASC) officer volunteered to serve with the Rashtriya Rifles in Kashmir.

The ASC provides logistics support, ranging from supplies to transport, to the army.
New Delhi: Former Coal Secretary H C Gupta and two serving senior officials were Monday awarded two-year jail term by a Delhi court for irregularities in the allocation of a coal block in Madhya Pradesh to a private firm.

Besides Gupta, who was the Coal Secretary from December 31, 2005 to November 2008, then joint secretary K S Kropha and then director K C Samaria in the Coal Ministry have also been awarded two-year jail term.

Soon after the pronouncement of the sentence, special CBI court granted bail to all the convicts in the case.

CBI had in October 2012 lodged an FIR in the matter, but on March 27, 2014 it filed a closure report in the case.

The court rejected the closure report on October 13, 2014 and summoned Gupta and others as accused.

The CBI had alleged that the firm had misrepresented its net worth and the existing capacity, adding that the state government had also not recommended the firm for the allocation of any coal block.

The court had on October 14 last year framed charges against the accused, observing that former prime minister Manmohan Singh was kept in the "dark" by Gupta, who had prima facie violated the law and the trust reposed in him on the issue of coal block allocation.

As many as ten more coal cases are pending against Gupta and the proceedings are going on individually. The Supreme Court had last year dismissed his plea seeking joint trial in all these cases.
New Delhi: A man was held for killing his 55-year-old father and injuring his mother over a property dispute here, police said on Monday.



Digamber Singh on Sunday night shot his father Nahar Singh, a former CRPF personnel, and injured his mother Suman, 53, during a conflict over property in Sainik Enclave part-III in Desh Bandhu Gupta Nagar here.



"Nahar Singh, who was taken to Rao Tula Ram hospital with a bullet injury on his chest, later succumbed to his injuries. His wife is still in a critical condition," a senior police officer said.



Five empty cartridges were recovered from the spot. Digamber Singh was later arrested from the spot, the officer said.
Chandigarh: In an embarassing gaffe, the Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE) on Monday released an incorrect merit list for the class X examination conducted by it, which it had to rectified later.

Two employees were suspended for the goof-up, which authorities said had occurred due to a computer glitch.

The overall results too did not cover the the Board with glory as almost every second student who took the exam, failed.

Out of the 3,15,900 students who took the exam, only 1,59,490 passed.

During the day, the HBSE initially declared Monika Rani of Senior Model High School, Bhirdana, Fatehabad as the topper having secured 493 marks out of the total 500.

However, later in the evening, it was clarified that Rani had secured a creditable fifth position while Yudhvir, a student of a school in the Sirsa district was the topper.

Yudhvir's marks - a whopping 499 out of 500 - while the second position holder, Sumit from Jind scored 496 marks, according to a Board official said.

The official said that the error regarding the incorrect merit list had been caused by "computer glitch, which was later rectified".

However, two Board officials were suspended in the matter, she informed.

The goof-up gave the opposition Congress, an opportunity to attack the BJP.

"Another blunder on part of Haryana BJP Govt, that perpetually dithers on all planks! Why are you jeopardising the future of 4 lakh students?," senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.

The examination was conducted by the Bhiwani based board in the month of March.

According to officials, 50.49 per cent of the students who appeared, passed the exam.

While 55.30 per cent girls passed, only 46.52 per cent of the boys cleared the examination, according to a Board release.

Out of the total 3,15,900 candidates, 16,738 students got compartment while 1,39,672 students remained unsuccessful.

As many as 1,73,193 boys appeared in the examination out of which 80,572 passed whereas out of 1,42,707 enrolled girls, 78,918 passed.

The pass percentage for candidates from the government schools in the examination was 43.50 whereas, it was 51.18 per cent in case of government aided schools and 58.13 per cent in case of private schools.

While the pass percentage for students from rural areas was 52.58 per cent, it was 48.38 per cent in case of students from urban areas.

Former Education Minister and senior Congress leader Geeta Bhukkal also attacked the BJP government over the results.

"They are busy in observing Gita festivals, finding course of mythical Saraswati river, giving lectures on moral education and they are involving teachers and students in these campaigns. They should rather devote time to filling up vacancies in schools and creating better infrastructure," Bhukkal said.
Beijing: Twenty-five Indian doctors and their families, stuck in a hotel in China's Shenzhen city after their travel agent failed to pay the Chinese tour operator, will travel to India on Tuesday.



"They are in Macau and will travel to Mumbai tomorrow," an Indian official at the Consulate in Guangzhou told IANS.



Macau is a Special Administrative Region of China.



The doctors are from Mumbai and were on a trip to China with their families.



According to a news report, Chinese tour operators refused to facilitate their return until their fee is paid after their Mumbai tour operator failed to make payments.



The doctors claimed the hotel authorities asked them to vacate their rooms on Sunday and forced them to remain in the lobby until they paid the entire money.


New Delhi: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a series of mega-events to mark the completion of three years of NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Giving out the details, Union Minister Smriti Irani said that the government will hold 'Making of Developed India (MODI) fest across the country from May 26-June 15.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event from Guwahati on May 26.

Irani said that the idea behind holding MODI fest in 900 cities is to make the common people and the youth about the various path-breaking schemes launched by the Modi government.

The union minister added that along with the MODI fest, the government will also be holding 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas' sammelan across the country which will see the participation of those who have benefited from the schemes.

The number(of beneficiaries) is so big that there will be massive participation, she said.

Ms Irani pointed out that over 25 crore people have joined the formal banking system with the Jan Dhan Yojna while the Mudra Yojna has ensured that 7 crore people have got loans and over 2 crore women has got gas connections under the PM Ujjwala Yojna.

All union ministers, MPs, CMs, Dy CMs will take part in the massive exercise that will see PM's message of growth and development reach every district in the country.

Party president Amit Shah will take part in the MODI fest in Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the events in Jaipur and Mumbai, while Sushma Swaraj will be in Delhi and Lucknow.
New Delhi: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ruled twice in India's favour in cases involving Pakistan.

In May 1973, Pakistan had moved The Hague Court to oppose repatriation of 195 Pakistani prisoners of war, including its Eastern army commander Lt Gen. AAK Niazi, to Bangladesh.

However, the court nullified that move due to the New Delhi Declaration which was signed by the three nations in August the same year.

This allowed the repatriation of all PoWs, India Today reported.

The PoWs were held by India after the 1971 war.

In 1999, Islamabad moved the ICJ again, demanding action against New Delhi for shooting down a naval patrol plane months after the Kargil War.

The case was dismissed by The Hague on technical grounds.

In May, 2017, it was India's turn to move the ICJ.

India petitioned the court to put an immediate stay order against Pakistan's move to execute Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of espionage, a claim India considers false and motivated.

Eminent lawyer Harish Salve is representing India's case at the ICJ.

The court last week stayed the execution pending final proceedings in the court.

On April 10 this year, Pakistan's powerful military court had sentenced Jadhav to death.

Indian maintains Jadhav is innocent, saying that he was kidnapped from Iran by Pakistan as part oa bigger conspiracy.

The ICJ is expected to pronounce its verdict soon.
Beijing: Marring India's chances of entering the 48-member elite club at its crucial meeting next month, China said on Monday that there was no change in its stance on admission of non-NPT states into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

"China's position on the non-NPT members' participation in the NSG has not changed," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing.

She was responding to a question about the chances of India's admission into the grouping during the next month's plenary session expected to take place in the Swiss capital, Bern.

"We support the NSG group following the mandate of the 2016 Seoul plenary session and following building consensus as well as inter-governmental process is open and transparent to deal with the relevant issue in a two-step approach," Hua said, as per PTI.

Meanwhile, official sources say, India has renewed its efforts to become a member of the group by engaging with all member countries.

India had officially applied for membership of the grouping which controls export of nuclear materials, equipment and technology in May last year.

After India applied for membership in the NSG, Pakistan also submitted its membership bid with Beijing's backing.

While India is backed by the US and a number of western countries, China maintained that new members should sign the non-proliferation treaty (NPT).

After a series of meetings between officials of India and China, Beijing backed a two-step approach which stipulates that the NSG members first need to arrive at a set of principles for the admission of non-NPT states into the NSG and then move forward with the discussions on specific cases.

India is not a signatory to the NPT.

India says it will not sign the NPT as it regards it discriminatory.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone-pelters, has been honoured with the Army chief's 'Commendation Card' for his 'sustained efforts' in counter- insurgency operations.

The award for Major Gogoi is seen as a backing of the action of the officer belonging to the 53 Rashtriya Rifles even as the Army maintained that a court of inquiry (CoI)into the incident is "under finalisation".

"Major Gogoi has been awarded the Chief of Army Staff's Commendation Card for his sustained efforts in counter- insurgency operations," Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand said on Monday.

All factors including notable performance of Major Gogoi and "overall emerging indicators" of the Court of Inquiry, have been "well-considered" while conferring the award on him, Army sources said, in clear indication of the Army's support to his prompt decision to tie the man purportedly to protect soldiers from stone-throwers, as per PTI.

A video, showing the man tied to the Army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypolls on April 9, had triggered a public outcry, prompting the force to institute a probe.

The sources said Major Gogoi was given the award during Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat's visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week.

They said the CoI into the incident is still under finalisation.

The Army chief's 'Commendation Card' is considered a prestigious award and is given for distinguished services and devotion to duty.

Soon #MajorGogoiHonoured started trending on Twitter.

Following are how some people on social media reacted:

#MajorGogoiHonoured @republic @RealArnabG its a great initiative to honour the performance of the forces n grt motivation  Pankaj Pokhriyal (@pankajp7777) May 22, 2017

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat awards Medal of Commendation to #MajorGogoiHonoured 2 mins silence for #Presstitutes #Sickulars #Liberals  Ganpat Amarnath (@aganpat) May 22, 2017

@TimesNow I Salute the Bravery of Major Gogoi... and our Army Chief for recognizing the bravery & wisdom of his men...#MajorGogoiHonoured  Saroj Kumar (@SarojKarnataka) May 22, 2017

#majorgogoihonoured congrats to Mj gogoi govt rtly honoured 4 his tactical handling of situation withh no bloodshed jai hind  Sudheendra K N (@SudheendraKN1) May 22, 2017
Delhi: In a significant statement, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) told Supreme Court on Monday that they will issue advisory to Qazis to advise bridegrooms not to resort to triple talaq.

"Triple talaq is an undesirable practice under Shariat and a Nikahnama should not have any provision allowing it, the AIMPLB said in its affidavit to the apex court.

The board will issue an advisory through its website, publications and social media platforms asking Qazis to tell bridegroom at the time of execution of 'Nikahnama' (marriage contract) that they would not resort to "three divorces in one sitting" in case of differences as it was an "undesirable practice in Shariat".

"At the time of performing Nikah (marriage), the person performing the Nikah will advise the bridegroom/man that in case of differences leading to talaq the bridegroom/man shall not pronounce three divorces in one sitting since it is an undesirable practice in Shariat," the affidavit filed by AIMPLB secretary Mohammad Fazlurrahim said.

"At the time of performing 'Nikah', the person performing the 'Nikah' will advise both the bridegroom/man and the bride/woman to incorporate a condition in the 'Nikahnama' to exclude resorting to pronouncement of three divorces by her husband in one sitting," it said, as per PTI.

The affidavit would be perused by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar which has reserved its verdict on the issue of triple talaq last week.

The apex court had on May 18 reserved its verdict on a bunch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq among Muslims after hearing parties including the Centre, the AIMPLB and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board for six days in summer vacation.

During the hearing it had asked Muslim bodies as to how can a practice like triple talaq be a matter of "faith" when they have been asserting that it is "patriarchal", "bad in theology" and "sinful".

Ready to bring in legislation to stop triple talaq: Centre

Meanwhile, the Centre had said yesterday that it would bring in a legislation to stop the triple talaq, if necessary, "but after allowing the Muslim community to reach a positive conclusion following internal deliberations."

"The government has made the stand very clear saying that we want this (triple talaq) to end. If necessary, the (Central) government will bring in a legislation, but after allowing the community to reach a positive conclusion after internal deliberations," Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu had told reporters in Bengaluru.

Naidu had added that Muslims, like Hindus who had put to an end so many social evils, should come forward and move towards ending triple talaq, which was against the interests of women.

"Dowry, sati, child marriage - all of these, the society came forward and finally decisions were made (to end these social evils). The Muslim women also have taken legal course and the matter is being heard in the Supreme Court," he had said.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioned for the third consecutive day on Monday several separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir over the alleged funding from Pakistan-based terrorist groups.



An NIA official told IANS that the counter-terror agency questioned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Ghazi Javed Baba and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Farooq Ahmed Dar, who is also known as Bitta Karate, regarding their involvement in raising, receiving funds through illegal hawala channel for stoking violence in Kashmir.



The two separatist leaders were earlier questioned on Sunday by the NIA team in Srinagar.



On Sunday, the probe agency collected details of 13 accused and charge-sheeted persons in cases pertaining to arson attacks on schools and public property as part of the alleged conspiracy to perpetuate violence in Kashmir.



The agency on Saturday questioned suspended Hurriyat leader Nayeem Khan - who was shown in a sting operation by a news channel confessing that Pakistan was pumping money to stoke trouble in the valley in connivance with Hurriyat leaders.



The channel aired the sting video on May 16 showing Khan allegedly admitting that money from Pakistan-based organisations was routed through hawala.



The official said the agency was probing all aspects of funding of separatist leaders and use of these funds in fuelling the unrest in the valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.



The agency registered a preliminary inquiry against Hurriyat Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his close aide and Hurriyat provincial president Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Javed Baba.

The separatist leaders were alleged to have received money from the Lashkar-e-Taiba and other sources in Pakistan to fund stone-pelting and violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir.


Mumbai: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police on Monday said that it is in touch with the government to determine whether the Mumbai resident held in Pakistan is the same person figured during an earlier probe into SIMI activities in the country.

Citing the ATS, the ANI reported that the agency is currently ascertaining the identity of the person reportedly held in Islamabad for incomplete travel documents.

The Maharashtra ATS is in touch with GoI as a person Nabi figured in the interrogation of people connected with SIMI in 2005-06, the report said quoting the agency.

On Sunday, media reports had claimed that a Mumbai-based businessman was arrested in Islamabad for allegedly not having complete travel documents.

Though Indian citizen, who has been identified as Sheikh Nabi Ahmed, was arrested on May 19 but the incident came to light only after the Pakistani media reported on Sunday.

He was picked up by the Pakistani authorities from Islamabad's F-8 area.

Ahmed, a Mumbai resident, was sent to 14-day judicial custody after his arrest under Article 14 of Pakistan's Foreign Act, the Pakistani channel Dunya TV reported.

Ahmed reportedly lives in Jogeshwari (East) with his family.

However, there was no confirmation from the MEA regarding the arrest.

The detention comes amid a bitter fight between the two countries over Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence by a Pakistani military court.

The death sentence was stayed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) following an appeal by India last week.

The Pakistan Army's powerful military court had sentenced Jadhav to death on charges of espionage but New Delhi maintains that he is innocent.
Agartala: The Narendra Modi government is making two Indias -- a shining one for the rich and one full of miseries for the poor, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said here.



"The Modi government as part of the `achhe din` slogan is making two Indias -- shining for the rich people and full of miseries for the poor people," he said here late on Sunday evening after attending a two-day meeting of the state committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).



"At a time the Modi government is celebrating three years of its office, the government statistics says that over 12,000 farmers committed suicide every year since 2014 due to debt burden and the government`s anti-farmer policies," he said.



"When the `annadata` (food provider) is in distress how can the country grow. The government has taken anti-farmer steps by not increasing the minimum support price, import duty and input costs."



Another CPI-M politburo member and former general secretary Prakash Karat, also attended the two-day meeting of the state committee. The meeting discussed about the next assembly polls in Tripura.



Tripura, one of the two states (including Kerala) where the CPI-M-led Left Front is in power along with other Left parties, goes to polls in February next year.



Yechury said: "As part of the `Aacche Din` package the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had promised to generate two crore new jobs every year. But very few new jobs have been created. On the other hand, thousands of people are losing their existing jobs."



He said around 56,000 jobs have been laid off by the major Information Technology companies in the country. "According to a survey by an international agency, 50 to 60 per cent of the total of 40 lakh people engaged in the information technology sector might lose their jobs in the coming years."



"What celebration do they (BJP) want to hold on May 26 (on completion of three years)? This must be a celebration of failure and betrayal. Modi is taking the country into a dark past."



"On the industrial front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced `Make in India`, `Startup India`, `Digital India` and many more things. But no significant investment has been made in the last three years," the CPI-M leader said.



The Left leader said that rural, urban and services sector employment is declining rapidly. "The allocation in rural job scheme (MGNREGA) has been reduced to such an extent that around 20,000 people each year in the past three years did not get wages."



The CPI-M general secretary said that when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance was in power one per cent of Indians possessed 49 per cent of the country`s GDP, but in the BJP regime one per cent Indians have 58.4 per cent of the GDP.



"The PDS (Public Distribution System) is now in doldrums. Kerosene oil, sugar, both essentials for the common man, are being removing from the PDS supplies. People`s legal entitlement like MGNREGA is being curtailed."



He said that according to a recent survey of an international body, out of 195 countries, India ranked 154 in the disease burden after Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.



Criticising the BJP government`s "appeasement towards corporate sector", Yechury said the loans taken by the corporate houses has crossed Rs 11 lakh crore. Total loan taken from various banks by corporate houses stands at 37 per cent while it is only 14 per cent by the peasantry sectors in the Modi regime.



"It is good that the government is against triple talaq. But why is the BJP government silent about the women`s reservation in Parliament and assembly despite it having majority in the houses."



It said the Modi government has "miserably failed" in dealing with the Jammu and Kashmir issue, and stressed on the need for a political settlement.



"Dialogue and engagement is a must to solve the Jammu and Kashmir crisis. The government has also backtracked from its commitment given to the all-party delegation headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh that visited the violence-hit state in September last year," Yechury said.
Mumbai: Actress Kangana Ranaut's sister Rangoli has reacted to rumours that there's a rift between the siblings, saying her pregnancy is the only reason why she is not seen enough with Kangana nowadays.

Rangoli, who manages Kangana's work, also added that their love for each other is never-ending.

"I have been by Kangana's side ever since she started off as an actress. She has not only supported us but has also made our careers. I have taken a break from work since I am pregnant and have been advised bed rest," Rangoli said in a statement.

"I am glad that Akshit (Kangana's brother) and Kangana spend time out together despite their busy schedules. It is very sad to hear media talking wrong things about us. We have been brought up with great values and our love for each other is never-ending. Kangana will always have me by her side and I shall be back in action soon," she added.

Rangoli even clarified her stance on Twitter.

"I am clarifying this one last time that I am pregnant and have been advised rest, that's why not accompanying Kangana," she tweeted.
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New Delhi: Sonam Kapoor- the fashionista of Bollywood never fails to impress people when it comes to style. Yesterday she was seen rocking an Ellie Saab gown and looked nothing short of majestic as she walked the red carpet. And Sonam's day 2 look at Cannes is all about the drama and loud colors. She is seen wearing a custom made Anamika Khanna piece which is giving out a very trippy vibe. The red cape, the head scarf, and flare'y' pants all combined make for a winner outfit.

Check out the look Sonam rocked at Cannes Day-2

A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor) on May 22, 2017 at 1:06am PDT

A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor) on May 22, 2017 at 1:13am PDT

Well, the pro never really gets it wrong!
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday recommended a CBI probe into the death of Karnataka-cadre IAS officer Anurag Tiwari after his family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of the investigation by the state police.

After his body was found under mysterious circumstances five days ago, Anurag's family had alleged that he was murdered at the behest of corrupt officers as he was about to expose a "scam" in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru where he was posted as commissioner.

Post-mortem examination had indicated that Anurag, 36, had died of asphyxia but police had said that an SIT team probing the case was awaiting the test reports of his viscera and blood samples and heart to find the exact cause of the death.

Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra today said that the UP police had registered a murder case against unidentified persons in the matter following a complaint by the officer's brother Mayank Tiwari.

Mayank, who along with his mother met the chief minister to press for a CBI probe, alleged that the scene of crime had been washed and the mobile phone was found in an unlocked condition.

"We demanded a CBI inquiry in order to find out why he was killed," his mother Sushila Devi told newspersons after meeting the chief minister.

""We are not satisfied with the police probe.... The chief minister has assured us that justice will be done," Mayank said.

Hours after the meeting, a senior police officer told PTI that the government has recommended a CBI probe in the case.

Mayank had written to the Prime Minister's Office too demanding a CBI inquiry into his brother's death.

In his letter, he said Anurag was an honest officer and wanted to work for the betterment of the society. "A few days back, Anurag had told me that he had stumbled upon a major scam in the Food and Civil Supplies department of Karnataka, which he wanted to inform the PMO and CBI," he wrote.

He also alleged that there was pressure on Anurag to withdraw the report which could have nailed senior officers and ministers, had it come in the public domain.

Sushila Devi made a fervent appeal to the prime minister and chief minister demanding justice for her son.

She said that she wanted to know why an honest officer was killed. She also said that her son never went for morning walk, countering the police which had suggested that he may have gone out for a morning walk when he died.

The UP police had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death on May 18.

The issue has taken a political colour after opposition members raised the matter vociferously in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to question the law and order situation under the BJP government. The Assemly premises are hardly a kilometre from the spot where his body was found.

However, an Uttar Pradesh Minister said in the House that the officer was about to expose a major scam under the Congress government in Karnataka.

Tiwari, a 2007-batch IAS officer, was staying at the Meera Bai guest house with a batch mate after attending a mid-career training programme at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he would discuss ways to advance peace with Donald Trump on the US President's first visit to Israel on Monday.

"I will discuss with President Trump ways to strengthen even further the first and strongest alliance with the US," Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Xinhua reported.

"We will strengthen security ties, which are strengthening daily, and we will also discuss ways to advance peace," he added.

Trump, his wife Melania, and a 900-person delegation, including senior administration officials, business executives and security personnel, will arrive on Monday for a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian West Bank.

Trump will meet Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Netanyahu on Monday before travelling to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The meetings will focus on the US efforts to revive the long-stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. The last round of talks reached an impasse on April 2014, mainly over Israel's refusal to halt the construction in the West Bank settlements.

On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to give a speech at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to conclude his visit, before heading to Europe.

Trump is expected to request Netanyahu and Abbas to make confidence-building steps, Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported.

Citing a White House official, the daily reported that Trump will ask the Israelis to curb the expansion of the settlements and call on the Palestinians to halt payment for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and to stop the "incitement" against Israel.

Trump's first official trip outside the US included a visit to Saudi Arabia, where he signed $350-billion arms deal.
Washington: United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump did not schedule a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, even as he met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the sidelines of the Riyadh Summit.

The diplomatic meet between Sharif and Trump did not take place even as the Saudi Arabia was strongly backing the idea. The US embassy on Sunday confirmed that the two leaders are not scheduled to meet, amid speculations.

During the Summit, Trump acknowledged that India was a victim of terrorism and asked countries to ensure that terror groups don't find sanctuaries on their soil.

Without naming Pakistan, Trump said "every country must ensure that terrorists don't find any sanctuary on their lands", as Prime Minister Sharif listened in the audience.

However, despite having no bilateral meeting scheduled, the President Trump had a brief encounter with Sharif and exchanged pleasantries.

The Riyadh summit was a two day convention attended by 54 leaders of the Arab Islamic worlds along with the U.S. President to discuss security co-operations and to form a possible Arab-NATO coalition.
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledged USD 100 million to a women's business fund supported by Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president who today wound up a visit to Riyadh.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced the donation from both oil-rich Gulf states yesterday, during a meeting between Ivanka Trump and a group of Saudi women, a member of the US delegation said.

The idea of a fund providing microfinance to women in underdeveloped countries was floated by President Donald Trump's daughter and German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a conference in Berlin last month.

Kim said the donation along with other pledges from the United States and other countries will allow the World Bank to announce the creation of a USD 1-billion fund for women empowerment during the G-20 summit in July.

"This is really a stunning achievement. I've never seen anything come together so quickly," he commented, according to the source.

The US president flew to Israel today after a two-day stay in Saudi Arabia, which he chose for his first foreign trip since taking office in January.
Tokyo: Six Japanese citizens have been detained in China for alleged illegal activities, officials in both nations said Monday, more than doubling the number previously held in the country.

Relations between the two nations have been marred by several irritants, including a maritime territorial dispute and lingering tensions over Tokyo`s history of aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

China had already detained five other Japanese citizens since 2015, largely on suspicion of spying.

Four of them have been brought before criminal courts, according to the Asahi Shimbun daily.

Six other men -- three in Shandong province and three in Hainan province -- were detained in March, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a regular press conference.

Citing "the nature of the issue", he offered few details.

"We`ve been notified by the Chinese authorities that they violated domestic laws," he said, adding the government is "discussing the issue through our diplomatic missions abroad".

Suga did not answer when asked whether Tokyo had protested to Beijing over the issue.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the six were being investigated and Japanese consular officials had been notified.

"Chinese authorities have been investigating illegal activities," she said, declining to provide details and referring journalists to "competent authorities in China".

The latest detentions bring the number of Japanese held in China to 11, a foreign ministry official told AFP.

All six of those held in March were Japanese company officials who visited China after a local company or companies asked them to search for hot springs, public broadcaster NHK and major national dailies reported.

Japanese media speculated that the presence of military ports in both provinces may have caused them to be suspected of trying to access intelligence.

In recent years, Beijing has drafted a series of legislative measures including laws on national security, espionage and cyber-security.
Tel Aviv: US President Donald Trump on Monday said that there is a "rare opportunity" to bring security and peace to the Middle East as he arrived here from Saudi Arabia to reaffirm America's "unbreakable bond" with Israel.

"I have found new reasons for hope," said Trump upon arriving at Ben-Gurion International Airport.

"There is a rare opportunity to bring security and peace to the region, but we can only get there by working together," said Trump who arrived here from Riyadh in what is believed to be the first direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Trump went on to say that he met with leaders from across the Arab world in Saudi Arabia and reached "historic agreements" in fight against terror.

"On my first trip overseas as President, I have come to this sacred and ancient land to reaffirm unbreakable bond between us and Israel," Trump said during a welcome ceremony at the airport.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump on what he called a "truly historic" visit, which he viewed as a "powerful expression of your friendship".

Netanyahu applauded Trump's call for nations to do more to fight terrorism during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

"Israel shares the commitment to peace that you made yesterday. The peace we seek is genuine and durable, in which the Jewish state is recognised, security remains in Israel?s hands, and the conflict ends once and for all," he said.

"I hope this trip is a step on the path toward reconciliation and peace," he stressed.

The Israeli leader also noted that it was the first time that a US President has chosen to come to Israel during his first foreign trip after taking charge.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin?thanked Trump for his "commitment to Israel's ability to face the threats of today and of tomorrow".

The Israeli president emphasised that while the world, the Middle East, and Israel all need a strong United States, "the United States also needs a strong Israel".

"In the Middle East, an area that suffers from terrorism and madness, the alliance between the United States and Israel shines like a beacon of liberty and progress," Rivlin said.

Trump left for Jerusalem immediately after the welcome ceremony for his meeting with Rivlin at the President's House amid heightened security with all the major roads in Jerusalem completely gridlocked.

The US president is scheduled to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister this evening and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow.

He has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take.

At a summit in Riyadh yesterday, Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth".

Pointing at Iran - Israel and Saudi Arabia's main foe in the region - the US President accused Tehran of fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

The US President has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor Barack Obama.

He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their presence might hamper the search for peace.

During his election campaign, Trump had expressed views that seemed to fit neatly with those of the right-wing Israeli government of Netanyahu favouring expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and a tough line towards Palestinian aspirations for independence.

However, after taking charge of Presidency his statements have been rather nuanced on the issue of settlements as well as regarding moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, causing some heartburn among his right-wing supporters here.

Trump is expected to visit the Western Wall, located in the Old City of East Jerusalem, later today in a private capacity in what would be the first such visit to Judaism's holiest site by a sitting US President.

He will also visit the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre where according to Christian tradition Jesus was buried and resurrected.
London: Rejecting Donald Trump's continuous attacks on Tehran, Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif Khonsari said that the U.S. President should rather discuss how to prevent Saudi Arabia from carrying out another 9/11 attack.

Trump, in his address at the Riyadh Summit, repeatedly slammed Iran claiming that it funds arms, trains militias that spread destruction and chaos" and pointed to Iran's support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad as he committed "unspeakable crimes."

The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasised that Trump himself had earlier suggested that Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 attacks.

Majority of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi citizens and speculations have suggested that members of the Saudi hierarchy were involved in the attack, reports the Independent.

During the presidential campaigns ahead of elections, Trump had repeatedly condemned the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran and had promised to 'dismantle the disastrous mistake.'

However, it was found that Tehran was complying with the obligations under the agreement. This has led to speculations that the Trump administration may try to impose unilateral sanctions on Tehran following a religious ideological difference leading to proxy wars between the Sunni Saudi, and Shia Iran.
The father of Alyssa Elsman, the 18-year-old woman who was fatally struck by an unhinged driver who injured 20 others in a high-speed rampage down sidewalks in Times Square on Thursday, has left a heartbreaking note at a memorial near the spot where his daughter died.

In his letter, framed and draped with a rosary, Thomas Elsman repeatedly thanks New Yorkers for their kindness, noting that "Alyssa loved this city...she loved Times Square." The message sits beside a photo of Alyssa, propped up against an NYPD barricade along with several bouquets, candles, and stuffed animals.

"There is no words that can express out gratitude with the outpouring of love and support this city has shown us," the letter begins. "I have met so many people from different countries, religions, creeds etc..it doesn't matter..you have shown us that when you remove bias..racism..and ignorance..WE ARE ALL ONE."

He adds that the "impromptu memorial dedicated to our daughter and seeing and talking to you many of you has helped me cope with our loss."



(Scott Heins / Gothamist)

The letter was dropped off some time this weekend, after Elsman drove overnight from the family's home in Portage, Michigan to visit his 13-year-old daughter, who is recovering from a broken leg sustained in the collision. The distraught father then went to Midtown, but was taken to Bellevue after he reportedly told law enforcement officials that he wanted to kill Richard Rojas, the man who admitted to the rampage.

After the incident, Thomas Elsman told Fox 5, "My first born daughter is gone. My heart died in New York yesterday."

In the note, part of which is addressed to Alyssa, the father adds, "I always have the answers.. But I am blank... I have a hole in my heart that can never be filled. My world changes when you came into it and it is unexplainable with you leaving it. I love you kid. Just no words."

The letter concludes with several expressions of love, and is signed simply "Dad."

Read the full letter below:

There is no words that can express our gratitude with the outpouring of love and support this city has shown us. Our medical staff, The NYPD and most of all YOU. This impromptu memorial dedicated to our daughter and seeing and talking to many of you has helped me cope with our loss. I have met so many people from different countries, religions, creeds etc..it doesn't matter..you have shown us that when you remove bias..racism..and ignorance..WE ARE ALL ONE... Your condolences have been sincere and taken to heart. Please also remember there are 20 other families affected by this and please keep them in your thoughts too. Alyssa loved this city...she loved Times Square. She would appreciate all your kind words but she would also tell us all to get back up and continue. That's how full of life my daughter was This city and our hearts are scarred, cut to the core, but in true New York City fashion..We will heal..We will prevail..and we will never forget. Alyssa Lynn Elsman, my beautiful 18 year old girl. I look at myself and will never understand how I could ever have made such an angel...Im glad you got your mothers looks.. I don't know anything currently..I always have the answers..but I am blank...I have a hole in my heart that can never be filled. My world changed when you came into it and it is unexplainable with you leaving it. I love you kid. Just no words <3 Love you love you love you Dad

Rojas, 26, is being held without bail on charges of murder and attempted murder for the May 18th incident. He has reportedly told police that he had smoked marijuana laced with PCP before driving through the crowded sidewalks at high speed. And Mayor Bill de Blasio said last week that Rojas's family told him Rojas suffered from "mental health issues going back to childhood that, like so many other such situations in our society, went unaddressed, even during the time he was in the U.S. military."



Richard Rojas's car in Times Square, May 18, 2017 (Getty Images)
Editors Note: Peter Wren-Hilton is founder at Wharf42. Wharf42 was established in 2012 to support early stage Kiwi tech companies connect with Silicon Valleys vast innovation ecosystem. Its also a cofounder of WNT Ventures. This year he organized New Zealands first agtech conference Farming2020 and here offers his key takeaways from the event.

New Zealands annual Techweek initiative has just ended. Over 270 tech-focused events, representing multiple tech domains, were held across this South Pacific nation last week. Farming2020 was Techweek 2017s signature event, giving centre stage to the countrys rapidly emerging agtech sector.

Farming2020 was hosted at the Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC)s Innovation Farm in New Zealands dairy heartland, the Waikato. It included an on-farm exhibition, where many of New Zealands most exciting startup and early stage agtech companies demonstrated their tech. In the adjacent Hooper Innovation Centre, major New Zealand agribusinesses detailed their strategies for increasing engagement with the countrys emerging agtech sector, over three days of intense presentations.

Investment was a hot topic of conversation. The recent NZ$25 million ($17 million) investment in the mini Rockit apple variety, reported by AgFunderNews here, and the NZ$3.95 million raised by Ubco, a New Zealand technology company responsible for the worlds first electric farm bike, are just two recent examples in New Zealand. During Farming2020, CropLogic also announced it had raised $2 million from investors ahead of its initial public offering to list on the Australian stock market later this year.

Other early stage Kiwi agtech companies currently in the market for funding include Altus Intelligence, Autogrow, Robotics Plus, Ceratech, Ectosolutions, Elastic Green, Encounter Solutions, Knowby, Mastaplex, Origins Software, Pastoral Robotics, and Regen.

Luckily for these companies and the overall ecosystem, new corporate venture funds are emerging with capital to invest in agtech. They include Fonterra Ventures, the venture arm of the dairy cooperative & Spark Ventures, the telecom companys VC arm.

Significant New Zealand agribusinesses Gallagher and LIC have also both recently announced investments in agtech start-ups along with established local funds, such as WNT Ventures, Enterprise Angels, and MIG Angels. New Zealands agtech industry also has its own dedicated accelerator program in Sprout, which has prepared startups to raise funding from some of the above investors.

In spite of this growing wealth of local funds, one of the key themes that emerged from the Farming2020 event was the need for New Zealands agtech sector to engage more directly with global agtech investment funds and networks.

New Zealand has an abundance of agtech innovation and technologies that have the ability to transform farming practice.

Farming2020 demonstrated particular depth the pastoral space (pasture-fed livestock), horticultural sensor & robotic technologies, and digital farm management systems.

Agrigate is a good example; it is a new joint venture between New Zealands two largest dairy co-operatives, Fonterra & LIC. It provides dairy farmers with a digital dashboard that contains multiple metrics about their own farms herd and milk production performance and benchmarks that performance against neighbouring, regional and national dairy farms. The dashboard provides insights that individual farmers can deploy to improve herd and milk production performance. Agrigate is adding additional third party data providers to the platform to provide farmers with even more custom data to help them become not just more productive and profitable, but also initiate more sustainable farming practices.

Increasing sustainability on the farm and improving environmental practice was another key theme throughout the Farming2020 talks.

New Zealands agtech sector is in robust health with no lack of great deal flow opportunities for international, as well as domestic, investors. But what the country lacks, however, is a coherent story that articulates our strengths in this space. Farming2020 is one of the several current initiatives designed to address this and attracted some international industry leaders to speak, such as Rob Trice of the Mixing Bowl, Bill Reichert of Garage Technology Ventures, and Dennis Donahue, head of the Western Growers Innovation & Technology Centre, based in Salinas, CA.

Plans are already underway to build a more significant Farming2020 presence for New Zealands Techweek 2018, where we expect to see greater international exposure. With the countrys growing reputation for developing some of the smartest robotic, sensor, drone and other digital agtech technologies, its time that we built that story and shared it with the rest of the world.

Agriculture lies at the heart of our national economy. By accessing and leveraging that domain expertise, the opportunity for international venture funds to invest in New Zealands agtech sector will only grow.
YEREVAN, 17 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 17 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.16 drams to 483.86 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.34 drams to 536.84 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.06 drams to 8.52 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.65 drams to 626.36 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 7.66 drams to 19199.78 drams. Silver price up by 1.93 drams to 260.1 drams. Platinum price up by 26.29 drams to 14607.51 drams.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Demonstrators gathered across Brazil on Sunday to call for the resignation of President Michel Temer who is implicated in a widening corruption scandal that is undermining his government's fragile efforts to end a historic recession, Reuters reports.

Scattered demonstrations took place in cities including Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where hundreds of demonstrators marched along the shoreline, chanting and waving banners reading "Temer Out!"

Brazilians were shocked by a recording disclosed last week that appeared to show Temer condoning the payment of hush money to a lawmaker jailed in a corruption probe that has ensnared dozens of politicians and executives in the last three years.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused opposition protesters of setting alight a government supporter in Caracas on the 50th day of protests, BBC reports.

The protester suffered burns to 80% of his body after he was engulfed in flames. Officials said he was also stabbed in Saturday's protests.

On the same day, an opposition activist was gunned down, bringing the overall number killed in recent protests to 48.

Speaking on his weekly TV programme, Mr Maduro described it as "a hate crime and a crime against humanity".

"A human being is set on fire at a 'peaceful demonstration' by the opposition in Caracas," he wrote, posting a video of the incident.

Anti-government protests are underway in Venezuela for several weeks already, with the death toll rising.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Justice Ministry of Armenia carries out significant works in connection with the personal data, acting Justice Minister Artur Hovhannisyan told Armenpress ahead of the Workshop on Personal Data Protection and Video Surveillance.

In 2015 the law was adopted in accordance with European standards which clearly states in which case the persons personal data can be collected. Under this law a body, a personal data agency, controlling the legality of personal data collection was formed. The agency examines the complaints, applications sent from people who consider that their personal data has been collected illegally. The agency carries out investigation based on the appeals, receives an information from the one who collected the data and then makes a decision, the acting Minister said.

He said the workshops objective is to reveal to what extent the law on protection of collected personal data is complete in terms of video surveillance. He added that there are still problems in this field which are unresolved by law, and it is necessary to provide complete response by law in which cases a person can be videotaped.

In 2015-16 the personal data agency provided recommendations to 251 people.

Hoa-Binh Adjemian, Head of Cooperation Section at the EU Delegation to Armenia, said in certain places cameras are necessary, however, in line with this, the personal data must be protected.

The two-day Workshop on Personal Data Protection and Video Surveillance is being held by the personal data protection agency, in cooperation with the European Commission.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Islamic State militants, who have been cooperating with an Azerbaijani national, plotted a terror attack at the extraordinary congress of Turkeys ruling party, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was re-elected chairman of the AK party, Hurriyet reported citing Ankaras Governor Ercan Topaca.

Ankara police neutralized two Islamic State terrorists in a May 21 operation. The two IS members plotted an attack in the Turkish capital.

The Governor said police traced the terrorists through Azerbaijani national Ebu Hussein Jelilov, who was arrested earlier in Istanbul.

According to the Governor, one of the targets of the terrorists was the extraordinary congress of Turkeys ruling party on May 21.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Aurora Prize nominee Dr. Tom Catena, as the sole doctor permanently based in Sudans Nuba Mountains, home to 750,000 people, told the students of the Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) how it is possible to achieve success with limited opportunities, reports Armenpress.

Photos by Gevorg Perkuperkyan

Dr. Tom Catena assured the future doctors that even in case of isolated, limited opportunities, there is no need to be disappointed. Even without the latest tools and technologies it is possible to treat people. I am working at a place where there are even no nearby settlements. There are 450 beds in our hospital, but sometimes we have to fit several patients in one bed, he said.

The Aurora Prize nominee presented with photos how he treated soldiers injured in anti-personnel mine explosion, children suffered from bombardment and leprosy patients.

Dr. Tom Catena gave the following advice to the future doctors: sometimes there is no need to interfere, leave the body to be treated and recovered itself.

In the years since war broke out, Dr. Tom Catena  known to locals as Dr. Tom  has worked tirelessly to address the horrors of war. Removing shrapnel, amputating limbs and delivering babies as bombs rain down has become the norm for a man who first came to the region in peacetime, sent by the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB).

Amid ongoing civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement, Dr. Catena has saved countless lives at the Mother of Mercy Catholic Hospital  the only fully functioning hospital in the region.

By the decision of the YSMU Scientific Council, Tom Catena was awarded with YSMU Honorary Doctor title. Three Armenian doctors will substitute for him in Sudan while he is in Armenia.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. The summit dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) launched in Istanbul on May 22.

Armenias delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Ashot Hovakimyna is taking part in the summit, MFA spokesman Tigran Balayan told Armenpress.

Before the launch of the summit, meetings were held between the members of the Foreign Ministers Council of the BSEC member states, as well as between the heads of healthcare, agriculture, economic coordinating agencies. During the meetings the preparation works of the summit were discussed.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. The countries of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) need to normalize the partnership with other international organizations, including with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for integration processes, Russias Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the BSEC summit in Istanbul, RIA Novosti reports.

Each of our countries has real opportunities for cooperation, we participate in trade procedures facilitation, sectoral cooperation agreements. Russia works at several formats. We develop the Eurasian Economic Union by creating an unhindered atmosphere for movements of goods. Our Union is open for partnership, Medvedev said.

He informed that earlier a free trade zone has been established with Vietnam and a number of states, and in connection with this common space needs to be created for all integration unions, including the Eurasian partnership, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and other organizations.

Given these realities, our organization can be more deeply involved in the regional cooperation system. It is necessary to establish firm mutual partnership with the international and regional organizations, banks, foundations and form a complete thorough partnership, the Russian PM said.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. The German delegation led by Minister of Science, Research and Culture of the federal state of Brandenburg, Dr. Martina Munch visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan and laid flowers at the Eternal Flame by paying a tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide, reports Armenpress.

This was the delegations first visit to Armenia which they decided to start with a visit to Tsitsernakaberd.

The delegation members were accompanied by German Ambassador to Armenia Matthias Kiesler.

The guests toured the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute during which they got acquainted with the exhibits about the greatest crime of the 20th century.

The German Minister said she is happy that the Bundestag clearly expressed its stance on the Armenian Genocide and mentioned the word genocide in a resolution adopted by it. Martina Munch stated that this must have taken place regardless of Turkeys stance on this issue.

We are deeply impressed with this visit, and it is very important for us, the representatives of Brandenburg state, that today we are here. The Brandenburg was the first among the German federal states where the topic of Armenian Genocide started to be taught, and it was already introduced during my predecessors. It is already being taught in schools for at least 10 years, she said.

On June 2, 2016 the German Bundestag adopted the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia Ara Babloyan sent a congratulatory letter to Armenias Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Confederation, the National Hero of Armenia Charles Aznavour on the occasion of his birthday, press service of the Parliament told Armenpress.

Ara Babloyans congratulatory letter reads:

Your art, walking through time and generations, unites different cultures, countries and people. Belonging to one of the popular song art directions, it is national and all-human - at the same time peculiar, that is, Aznavour-like.

Your voice and performing art are equally unique, and thanks to all this, the songs sounding in your performance have  happy destiny, enjoying for many years the audiences love and affection. Today, keeping inside me the indelible impressions received from your songs, I warmly remember also my meetings with you in Armenia and France.

Speaker Babloyan wished Charles Aznavour health, longevity and all the best.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Acting Healthcare Minister of Armenia Levon Altunyan and Deputy Minister Samvel Margaryan departed for Switzerland to take part in the 70th World Health Assembly works in Geneva on May 22-24, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress.

The Assembly will discuss healthcare global affairs, will give instructions and directions for work.

This time the agenda will cover issues related to infectious and non-infectious diseases, public health, financing and etc. It will also review and approve the proposed programme budget for 2018-2019.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. Hassan Rouhanis re-election as President of Iran is beneficial for Armenia, expert on Iranian studies Vardan Voskanyan told reporters on May 22, stating that in case of change of the President, new government would be formed which again would clarify the agreements, programs with Armenia and so on, reports Armenpress.

The results of presidential election in Iran showed that Armenia-Iran joint decisions have great prospects to come into force. President Hassan Rouhanis re-election is beneficial for Armenia in terms of time. Rouhani is a very perceivable, predictable person for Armenia, having certain partnership with Armenia. However, I want to state that Irans political agenda will undergo changes. The expectations of Iranians increased in connection with the countrys liberalization, economic achievements and etc, the expert said.

According to Voskanyan, President Rouhanis administration implemented almost all points of foreign policy agenda.

Vardan Voskanyan said Iran with the election further strengthened its positions in the world since it managed to ensure high participation in the election. Iran will continue operating in Syria, will have an influence in the Arab peninsula, Afghanistan and etc.

The expert stated that in some fields Armenia and Iran already recorded achievements.

The locomotive of the Armenian-Iranian relations is the energy sector which is successfully developing. However, there are some fields which slowly develop, such as communication paths, roads problems. Rouhani personally announced that Iran considers Armenia as a key connecting country. We must carry out the first component of that communication paths, North-South highway, as soon as possible, Voskanyan said.

At the moment the Armenian side must keep the issue of the Armenian-Iranian railway in its agenda.

I consider it very important the formation of trilateral, quadrilateral format partnership with Iran, by including Georgia on the one hand, in some cases also Russia, Turkmenistan and etc. Armenia and Iran negotiate on Armenia-Iran-Turkmenistan gas agreement. We also hold talks with Georgia on similar trilateral gas agreement, and certain progress has been achieved here. The creation of Syunik free economic zone must be also made as soon as possible. We have huge potential which we need to utilize in upcoming years. The Iranian side is ready to cooperate with us to implement those programs, Vardan Voskanyan said.
YEREVAN, MAY 22, ARMENPRESS. The 25th anniversary summit of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) organization was held on May 22 in Istanbul, which was preceded by the BSEC foreign ministers special session and the extraordinary session of the organizations senior officials committee.

The summit was opened by Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Presidents of Greece, Moldova, Russias Prime Minister, Vice-PMs, foreign ministers and deputy foreign ministers of several countries participated in the summit, the foreign ministry of Armenia told ARMENPRESS.

The Armenian delegation was led by deputy foreign minister of Armenia Ashot Hovakimyan at the summit and the FMs meeting. Hovakimyan delivered a speech at the event.

The deputy FM of Armenia touched upon the implemented work within the framework of the organization in the last 25 years, highlighting the necessity of developing and strengthening the economic component of the organization.

He emphasized that regional economic cooperation, multilateral and bilateral format economic projects cant be fully implemented in case of the presence of closed borders, while regional economic projects must include all member states  ruling out any discrimination.

Commenting on the accusations of Azerbaijani Speaker of Parliament Ogtay Asadov addressed to Armenia, Hovakimyan mentioned that once again the representative of Azerbaijan tried to use the BSEC floor to present a distorted picture of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

We believe that this Summit is not the place and the Organization of BSEC is not the format to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This said, the Azerbaijani side displayed its disrespectful attitude for the BSEC Charter, principles and goals of the organization and this summit, Hovakimyan said.

In terms of the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs directed at the continuous bellicose policy of Azerbaijan, namely the April aggression and eliminating its consequences, Hovakimyan presented Azerbaijans steps aimed at the failure of these efforts, emphasizing that Accusations, belligerent stance and unilateral maximalist demands cannot resolve this conflict. Progress in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution is achievable once Azerbaijan abandons its policy of using force and engages in good faith in negotiations within the agreed format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

The summit adopted the BSEC anniversary declaration, where once again the economic nature of the organization was reaffirmed.

After the speech of Armenias deputy FM Ashot Hovakimyan, Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who chaired the session, by agreeing that BSEC is not the platform for discussing the NK conflict, mentioned that this issue is dealt by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing states, with one of its representatives  Russia  being present at the session.

Erdogan expressed hope that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries will soon find a solution to this issue which lasts more than 20 years.
Most read of the week
Mars Chocolate UK is aiming to tap interest in bakery snacks with the launch of a new variation of the Mars Bar, the Mars Choc Brownie.

Available from today (22 May), the Mars Choc Brownie (RRP 61p) will come in single, four-pack multipacks, and four-pack snack-size multipacks.

It brings together two of the nations favourite food categories  cakes/pastries and chocolate, according to the company.

Bep Dhaliwal, trade communications manager at Mars Chocolate UK, said: We know cakes and pastry snacking is the category most in growth among millennials and, by combining this trend with our iconic Mars Chocolate, were confident weve created an innovative product that can help boost singles sales across the grocery and convenience channels and drive category growth.

Baked goods and confectionery brands have a long history of partnerships, such as the Cadbury cakes range produced by Premier Foods. Earlier this month, Premier announced it was renewing its Cadbury licensing deal with brand owner Mondelez International.

CSM also produces Cadbury-branded products such as muffins and doughnuts.
Hummingbird Bakery is to open its first site outside the London area.

Specialising in authentic American cupcakes, cakes and desserts, Hummingbird Bakery opened its first branch in Londons Notting Hill in 2004 and has since launched a further five branches across London in South Kensington, Soho, Spitalfields, Islington and Richmond.

It also has a franchise presence in the Middle East, with two branches already operating in Dubai and further launches planned.

The opening date for the Guildford shop has yet to be confirmed, and more information will be available soon, a spokesperson from the company told British Baker.

The bakery has said it would be hosting a surprise giveaway to celebrate the launch.
MR. ANONYMOUS

Without This Guy Anonymous, We Would Not Know Anything.

(I published this Foolishness...Or Is It? about Captain Phillips years before Tom Hanks got involved.)

Headline ... "Picky Boss Fires Public Servant"

------------------------

Mr. Anonymous Now Has the Rule of Law on His Side

The Mr. Anonymous' Of the Future Have the Law on Their Side.

------------------------

MAY I INTRODUCE MY LAWYER, MR. ANONYMOUS, LLB?

April 2009Mr. Anonymous really gets around. We owe him a lot. Without him, we would all be like Sergeant Schultz on Hogan's Heroes. We would be walking around saying,Being sly, cunning and alert, I am beginning to think that there is more than one Mr. Anonymous because he is everywhere.I read an article about the U.S. Ship Captain (Captain Phillips) who was being held captive by those dastardly Somali Pirates. In this, there wereof Mr. Anonymous' contributions to our collective wealth of knowledge about this riveting news story... "They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss sensitive ship movements." "...spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals." "...according to Defense Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, because they are not authorized to talk about the sensitive, unfolding operations." "...who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media." "...said the man, who asked that only his first name, Badow, be used to protect him from reprisals." "...according to a U.S. official who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation." "...said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss operational matters."Back in Grammar School, we would have called this guy a. The Mafia would call him a. In Modern Day America, we call him aIf Mr. Anonymous is going around talking about "sensitive ship movements" and "sensitive unfolding operations" about which he is "not being authorized to speak" and "operational matters he is not authorized to discuss" then maybe we ought to tread lightly on thedesignation.If I were Mr. Anonymous' boss, I would make the news Big Time ...Would I kid u?SmartfellaAugust 2016I just published in Beaufort County Now a very informative and entertaining (or was it?) posting about that guy Anonymous. Even if you did just read it, you might want to go back and read it all over again because I have been told by thousands of you that reading my past foolishness over and over is a delightful way to while away the hours.OK, maybe I have not been told what I just said I was told by anyone. However, in the mode of darn near any member of our present Congress...Back to why Mr. Anonymous Now Has The Rule Of Law On His Side...In my local newspaper there are these words, "said a spokesman for Brazil's civil aviation authority, who spoke on condition of anonymity". (I added the bold lettering to the quote.)The wordsmean...Don't you feel better? I know I do.Would I kid u?SmartfellaToday May 21, 2017I have written in the past about Mr. Anonymous. He is everywhere, commenting on everything and no one knows who he is. Does it surprise you that lawyers have now gotten into theMy newspaper tells me that the highest ranking Female Executive at an Automobile Manufacturing Company quit her job after her arrest over alleged illegal drug imports into a foreign country.My newspaper goes on to tell me that she submitted her resignation through her lawyer and here is where I start getting confused...I know lawyers can be a tricky lot but how exactly did Mr. Anonymous Lawyer go about handling his Resign For His Client Duties?... Did he call in and resign for her while holding a handkerchief over the phone's mouthpiece? Did he resign for her by sending a Tweet from another Twit's Account? Did he resign for her at a press conference while wearing a bag over his head?The bigger question is why was it important that he remain anonymous? If our Senators can stand up in the Well of the Senate (whatever that is) and make fools of themselves for all to see, why can't a lawyer stand up and handle a little ole resignation?Actually I may be getting deeper into this issue than I need be. Lawyers go to school for a long time to get to the point where they can do what they do. Whatever their reason, who am I to quibble? We have all learned a long time ago, if a lawyer does it, it must be the right thing to do...Or is it?On the other hand, if they always know what they are doing, why do they refer to what they do asWould I kid u?Smartfella
The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day?

Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount.

Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists.
5 Causes of Nursing Home Resident Anxiety Unfortunately, for many reasons anxiety happens more often by long-term care residents than by those who live in
There's lots of juicy, behind-the-scenes details in this New York Times expose about the Fyre Festival  a promised lavish music event in the Bahamas that was cancelled after people who paid thousand of dollars arrived by plane and discovered crappy tents on a gravely beach with little food or security and no performers. Fyre Festival co-founder Billy McFarland, 25, is accused of not paying workers and contractors. McFarland and his partner, Ja Rule, are blaming others for the calamity. Aggrieved parties are serving lawsuits by the dozen. And federal authorities are "looking into possible mail, wire and securities fraud," according to the Times.

Snip:

Well into March, the event's website  which briefly vanished because its designer had not been paid  claimed it would take place on Fyre Cay, a private island that once belonged to the drug lord Pablo Escobar. Ticket packages included the $400,000 "Artist's Palace," with four beds, eight V.I.P. tickets and dinner with one festival performer.

But there was no such island or palace. Fyre employees recalled higher-ups inventing extravagant accommodations just to see if people would buy them  and some did, they said.

Mr. McFarland had been scouting sites, taking private planes to the Bahamas with his Fyre entourage and models in tow. But long after tickets had been sold, he was still nailing down a location.

By early April, the festival team finally set up at Roker Point, a largely unbuilt housing development on Great Exuma that borders a Sandals resort.



Back in New York, at the early May meeting, rattled employees pressed Mr. McFarland and Ja Rule on a troubling thought: They had committed fraud.

"That's not fraud, that's not fraud," Ja Rule said, according to the recording. "False advertising, maybe  not fraud."

Mr. McFarland stayed silent.
Botwood native Cheyanne Smart says she is bringing a little bit of Newfoundland attitude with her as she kick-starts a business almost 4,000 kilometres away.

Smart has just entered her second year running Bergen Food Tours, which promises to take curious tourists behind the scenes to authentic local restaurants and bars in the Norwegian city.

It's a business that started after Smart took her very first tour on a trip to Stockholm in 2012.

"As time went on, and we travelled more, I wanted to experience different cultures, but not in the way as a normal tourist would. But instead through food, and this is where it all blossomed."

The Newfoundlander moved to Bergen, Norway, with her boyfriend, as he relocated to work. A job in the tourism industry was ideal for her, as an English speaker in a town with a lot of tourists.

Smart advertises the opportunity to become a "Bergen insider" on the tours, which she said feature up to 30 local restaurants and businesses.

"I'm actually taking my guests to restaurants that I would eat at, and bars that I would normally go to," she said.

"We're trying to connect our guests with the individuals that work there, whether they're cutting the vegetables or they're just cleaning the dishes at the end of the night."

Smart said she tries to build meaningful relationships with the local restaurants, especially because she's the first in her city to offer a food tour experience.

"What I've taken from my time in Botwood, or even Newfoundland, is I still have the values," she said. "I'm trying to bring income and recognition and highlight all of these different local restaurants and farmers and so on. I'm still trying to help a neighbour in a sense, that you know I would have normally had in Botwood."

Smart said she's also been influenced by her family, particularly her grandmother, who was a baker at a local supermarket.

Story continues

"My entire life, I was tasting different baked goods The funniest part of it all was my mom doesn't know how to cook, so in fact I was actually raised on chicken nuggets, fries, those microwave pizzas."

As an entrepreneur, Smart is looking now to expand her business to other parts of Europe, and maybe some destinations closer to her home.

"You need someone who's going to understand the food history and appreciate the food history, and if you have the right connections  whether it be homes or restaurants or what have you, I believe that rural Newfoundland has a very rich food history."
The Canada Revenue Agency has fired an employee for the biggest single privacy breach ever detected involving confidential taxpayer accounts.

The employee improperly accessed the accounts of 38 taxpayers in detail, and briefly accessed another 1,264 accounts using a search function to find surnames and postal codes.

The incident happened in an agency office in the Prairie region before March 23, 2016, when an investigation was launched, says an internal report.

"No changes were made to any of the accounts," says the document, obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act.

"The type of personal information included: name, contact information, social insurance number, income and deductions, and employment information.  Law enforcement will not be notified."

The document does not identify the worker or the precise date and location of the breach.

A spokesman for the CRA acknowledged the incident, but played down the impact.

"This represents the largest such breach at the CRA when measured by numbers of accounts," Patrick Samson said in an email.

"However, it's important to note that these (1,264) accounts were viewed for approximately two seconds per account.  The employee in question was terminated for their actions."

The internal investigation into the breach concluded Nov. 16, 2016, with a decision to notify the 38 individuals that their accounts had been improperly scrutinized.

"Regional management has indicated that there is a possibility of media attention," says the report to the office of the federal privacy commissioner, which is mandatory when there is a material privacy breach.

The disclosure follows the CRA's acknowledgment in February that one of its couriers lost a DVD containing the confidential tax information of 28,000 taxpayers in Yukon  about three-quarters of the entire population in the territory.

The information  referring to the 2014 filing year, and destined for the territorial government  was encrypted and organized in a way to resist unauthorized access.

Story continues

"At this time, we have not been made aware that the data has been accessed or used in any way," said Samson. "There is no evidence in this instance that the personal information on the DVD has been compromised."

"The investigation is still ongoing in this case and no charges have been laid."

The CRA reported nine material privacy breaches in the year that ended March 31, eight of which involved employees improperly accessing taxpayer information. All the workers involved were fired, said Samson.

The CRA has come under scrutiny for lax controls. Canada's privacy commissioner investigated the problem in 2009 and 2013, and the agency is typically among the top five privacy offenders of some 240 federal institutions subject to the Privacy Act.

Unlike in other departments, the culprits are usually snooping employees rather than inadvertent breaches such as lost memory sticks. About 40,000 people work for the agency.

CBC News has obtained details of other previously unreported incidents through the Access to Information Act, including one in the Ontario region last June in which a worker improperly accessed 11 accounts, changing two of them; and another Ontario incident, where an employee got into 25 accounts, disclosing information about six of them outside the agency.

On March 31, the CRA completed a $10.2-million technology project that it says will more closely check on worker snooping. The system "will monitor employee accesses to taxpayer information and will flag accesses that appear inconsistent with the employees' assigned workloads or duties," said Samson.

He added that the annual number of CRA-reported breaches has been falling, from 34 in 2014 to 27 in 2015 and to 10 since Jan. 1, 2016.

Among the 2014 incidents was one in which a mailroom mix-up sent a CD full of confidential taxpayer information to CBC News, including personal information about more than 1,000 people, many of them celebrities.
By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that shared concern about Iran was driving Israel and many Arab states closer and demanded that Tehran immediately cease military and financial backing of "terrorists and militias". In stressing threats from Iran, Trump echoed a theme laid out during weekend meetings in Saudi Arabia with Muslim leaders from around the world, many wary of the Islamic Republic's growing regional influence and financial muscle. Trump has vowed to do whatever necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, dubbing a peace accord "the ultimate deal". But ahead of his Holy Land visit, he gave little indication of how he could revive talks that collapsed in 2014. Trump will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Tuesday and the Palestinian leader said he hoped the meeting could be "useful and fruitful ... (and) will bring results". But in the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinians rallied against Trump and burned his picture and an effigy of him. Trump received a warm welcome in Riyadh from Arab leaders, especially over his tough line on Tehran, which many Sunni Muslim Arab states regard as seeking regional control. In Jerusalem, in public remarks after talks with Israeli leaders on the first day of his two-day visit, he again focused on Iran, pledging he would never let Tehran acquire nuclear arms. "What's happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel," Trump said at a meeting with President Reuven Rivlin. In his comments to Netanyahu, Trump mentioned a growing Iranian influence in conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, where it either backs Shi'ite fighters or has sent its own forces. Trump said there were opportunities for cooperation across the Middle East: "That includes advancing prosperity, defeating the evils of terrorism and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering." He also welcomed what he said was Netanyahu's commitment to pursuing peace and renewed his pledge to achieve a deal. Netanyahu, in his remarks, did not mention the word "Palestinians", but spoke of advancing "peace in our region" with Arab partners helping to deliver it. Israel shares the antipathy many Arab states have toward Iran, seeing the Islamic Republic as a threat to its existence. "I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran which you enunciated so clearly," Netanyahu, who had an acrimonious relationship with former U.S. President Barack Obama, told Trump at his official residence. Trump, who is on his maiden foreign trip since taking office in January, urged Iran to cease "its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias". REGIONAL STABILITY Iran's newly re-elected, pragmatist president, Hassan Rouhani, said regional stability could not be achieved without Iranian help, and accused Washington of supporting terrorism with its backing for rebels in Syria. He said the summit in Saudi Arabia "had no political value, and will bear no results". "Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran? Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Syria. But who funded the terrorists?" Rouhani noted the contrast between young Iranians dancing in the streets to mark the re-election of a leader seeking detente with the West, and images of Trump meeting with a galaxy of Arab autocrats, some of whose countries have spawned the Sunni militants hostile to Washington and Tehran alike. He also said Iran would continue a ballistic missile program that has already triggered U.S. sanctions, saying it was for defensive purposes only. Trump's foreign tour comes in the shadow of difficulties at home, where he is struggling to contain a scandal after firing James Comey as FBI director nearly two weeks ago. The trip ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily. In Jerusalem's walled Old City, Trump toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest place where Israel allows Jews to pray in a city sacred to three religions. Trump will have visited significant centers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity by the end of his trip, a point that his aides say bolsters his argument that the fight against Islamist militancy is a battle between "good and evil". (Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Richard Lough and Alison Williams)
Rodrigo Duterte

Thousands march against the death penalty

On Friday, 19 May, the 'March for Life' a caravan of pilgrims who left from Midanao on May 6, along a route that crossed the entire archipelago, reached Manila, to say "no" to the death penalty





Fr Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of the 'National Secretariat for Social Action, of the Philippines Bishops Conference, took part in the march, together with many priests and religious faithful, members of civil society organizations.





The marchers will present a petition to the Philippine Senate on May 24, inviting senators to reject the death penalty, a measure promoted by President Rodrigo Duterte and approved 2 months ago.





"The death penalty will only punish the poor, who cannot afford lawyers, and many innocents", says the text of the petition. It notes that "capital punishment is illegal as it would violate the existing international treaties, of which the Philippine Government is a signatory."





The adoption of capital punishment, it says, will also have economic repercussions, since "the European Union will impose a tax on 6,000 products imported from the Philippines", especially agricultural and fishery products.





"Let us pray for our senators to decide on the basis of conscience and reason by rejecting the death penalty."





The marchers will join thousands of people for a Mass presided by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila today, 21 May.





"The use of the death penalty should be ruled out as an instrument in the fight against crime, and should be replaced by alternative measures", the cardinal said.





"All crimes violate life, but (we must respond) without resorting to measures that also violate life, like capital punishment", said Tagle. "With personal and collective study, prayer, discernment and action, we hope to be a people that promote a culture of life", he said.

Atienza: Duterte admin has lost chance to reinstate death penalty

President Rodrigo Duterte may have already lost his chance to reinstate and implement the death penalty during his term, a lawmaker said on Sunday.





House senior deputy minority leader and Buhay Representative Jose "Lito" Atienza said the administration has already lost its chance to execute convicted criminals given the lack of time.





"The administration may have already come to terms with the reality that it is now impossible for anybody to be executed via a court order throughout President (Rodrigo) Duterte's tenure, simply because at best it takes around 5 years for any potential (death penalty) case to go through due process of law, and his term also ends in 5 years," he said in an emailed statement.





"Owing to lack of time, the President won't get to have his show after all, so it seems that the administration is no longer keen on producing the show," he added.





The House of Representatives last month approved on 3rd and final reading the bill to reinstate the death penalty.





Several groups such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the Human Rights Watch have expressed concern over the Duterte administration's move to reimpose death penalty in the country.





"The Senate is clearly not going to pass the bill before the end of the 1st regular session of the 17th Congress on June 2," Atienza said.





"We reckon the Senate, in particular, will also be extra busy deliberating on the proposed Comprehensive Tax Reform Package, assuming the bill gets through the House before June 2," he added.





7 death penalty proposals are pending at the Senate justice committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon, who is against the proposals.





The House of Representatives and the Senate must agree on all provisions of a death penalty proposal before it is sent to Malacanang for the President's signature.

No more death penalty?

The administration may have already come to terms with the reality that it is now impossible for anybody to be executed via a court order throughout President (Rodrigo) Duterte's tenure, simply because at best it takes around 5 years for any potential (death penalty) case to go through due process of law, and his term also ends in 5 years. Owing to lack of time, the President won't get to have his show after all, so it seems that the administration is no longer keen on producing the show.





Duterte has publicly said he intends to send hundreds of convicts to the gallows once Congress reintroduces the death penalty that was abolished in 2006.





"Restore it and I will execute criminals every day--5 or 6. That's for real," Duterte said in General Santos City in December. The bill reviving death sentences was passed by the House in March. But the measure is already "dead" in the Senate, where at least 13 members are committed to vote against it, according to Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon.





There is now no chance at all that the return of death verdicts would be enacted this year. The Senate is clearly not going to pass the bill before the end of the first regular session of the 17th Congress on June 2.





In the 2nd regular session of the 17th Congress, both the House and the Senate would be preoccupied with the proposed General Appropriations Act for 2018 from August to December. We reckon the Senate in particular will also be extra busy deliberating on the proposed Comprehensive Tax Reform Package, assuming the bill gets through the House before June 2.





The death penalty was "killed" by a series of dreadful police atrocities, starting with the Oct. 18 tokhang-for-ransom and murder of South Korean business executive Jee Ick-Joo inside Camp Crame itself. It served as a big eye-opener.





Every citizen would be vulnerable to the death penalty as long as we have thousands of rotten officers around. Somebody up there truly works in mysterious ways, because Jee's killers obviously went to great lengths to cover-up their crime by immediately cremating his remains, and yet they were still exposed.

 | 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



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: Independent Catholic News, May 19, 2017: gmanetwork.com, May 21, 2017: Subn Star, Opinion; Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, May 21, 2017
What it was like waiting for death with one of the four men executed by the state in April.





Just before his execution in Arkansas on April 24, Jack Jones ate a final meal of fried chicken, potato logs with tarter sauce, beef jerky bites, three candy bars, a chocolate milkshake, and fruit punchor at least thats what was reported in the news. But its not true.





According to the only person who sat with Jones as he waited to die, what he really ate was a small serving of the potato logs and a melted chocolate shakean account confirmed by the official internal affairs log of the execution. There was no chicken. Jones asked for it but didnt get it.





He had a very small last meal that was rushed. He was being told every few minutes to hurry up, said Morgan Holladay, who served as Jones spiritual adviser in his final daysan end-of-life relationship permitted to death row inmates by Arkansas law.





For many Americans, last months executions of Jones and three other men in Arkansas epitomized our larger debate over capital punishment. There was the pending expiration of midazolam, one of the drugs used in lethal injection; multiple stays by the courts; and a tie-breaking vote from Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch that cleared the way for the spate of executions. But while all this drama played out, Holladay was helping Jack Jones prepare to die.





Holladay, 30, had never seen someone die before Jones execution. She runs an organization, Compassion Works for All, that teaches meditation and conflict resolution in Arkansas prisons, so she was used to being around inmates, but never one on one and never on death row. In prison, Jones, a convicted rapist and murderer, became a Buddhist. His Zen Buddhist teacher, Harada Roshi, was leading a retreat in Europe and couldnt be at the execution, so Holladay, a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner and trained social worker, hesitantly stepped in. Because she believes Jones wanted the world, and his victims families, to know that he had changed, she agreed to share her experience.





Buddhists work to tame their minds and overcome fear and hatred. The idea is to decrease suffering and increase compassion. As a spiritual adviser, Holladay believed her role was to be present with Jones as he was in the moment, and to suspend judgment of who he was in the past.





She met with Jones twice. During the first visit, five days before his execution, Holladay waited alone in a prison cell. She had heard he was a little gruff and could be challenging to work with. It seemed like a lot could go wrong, she told me.





Jones was diabetic, and while in prison one of his legs was amputated. He finally arrived, in a wheelchair. As soon as I saw Jack all of my fears just melted away, Holladay said. Oh, hes a person, OK. But Jones was surprised by Holladays youth. He kind of freaked out, she said.  I dont want to put you through this is what he said. Holladay thanked him for his concern.





The second time Holladay met Jones was on the day he died. She arrived as he was taping pictures of his adult daughter into a scrapbook. He had met his daughter for the first time the day before, though they had been corresponding for a few years. Jones and his first wife put their daughter up for adoption when she was young. They didnt think they could afford to have her and give her a good life, Holladay said.





Most of what Holladay knows about Jones she learned during the two days she spent with him, when all he wanted to do was talk about his life. Somehow in telling me his experience it was like this prolonged apology, Holladay said. He told her about the trauma of his youth, about the people who shaped his life, about his horrible crimeswhen he raped and murdered a mother and beat her 11-year-old daughter, and when he raped and murdered a second woman in Florida.





Holladay sat and listened to everything he said.





In his book Old Path White Clouds, the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh writes about the Buddhas encounter with a serial killer. One day, while the Buddha was out walking, a brutal killer approached him and demanded he stop, but the Buddha kept walking with ease. This frustrated the killer, and he demanded to know why the Buddha didnt stop. The Buddha told him, I stopped a long time ago. It is you who has not stopped. The killer, confused, looked into the Buddhas eyes and realized he had never seen such serenity and compassion. That was the day the killer stopped killing and vowed never to harm another being.





This idea that we should be stuck, or that we should stick people in one place and say, You cant move emotionally and physically, is totally crazy, Holladay told me. Weve all done terrible things and sometimes they are illegal, and sometimes theyre just terrible, and not illegal.





The way she understands it, when Jones committed the rapes and homicides, he was in the throes of bipolar disorder and was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. He was out of control and was perpetuating the harm he had experienced as a child, she said. There are degrees, of course. Murdering someone is worse than stealing or selling drugs, which is worse than running a red light. But Holladay possesses an unusual capacity to view such actions not in terms of a persons guilt or worthiness, but instead in terms of the persons need for healing.





Jones told Holladay he was disgusted by his crimes. I cant believe thats what I did, but I did do it. Holladay said he was adamant about taking responsibility, but she didnt know how he lived his life. I can only report what he said to me in his last days, she said. But she felt his desire to not harm others was genuine. He had that intention, and that is the way he saw himself.





She saw Jones cry only once. On the day of his execution he was lying down as the head prison chaplain held a cellphone to his ear and played a 12-minute recording of Jones Zen Buddhist teacher, Harada Roshi. The recording was in Japanese, and even though Jones couldnt understand the words, he cried at the sound of his teachers voice. Afterward, Holladay read him a translation. We have done confession and repentance and prostrations in the prison cell together. That which has to be done, we did. Now this time has come. His teacher said that all of his students knew about Jones and that if he wanted, Roshi would pick up his ashes so that they could be placed next to Roshis when he died.





Later on, Jones was wheeled off to the infirmary. He had agreed to have stents placed in his veins to make this as easy as possible for the state.





He knew that his death was stirring up a lot for the victims family, Holladay said. He also had a very strong sense that his death was going to be painful and potentially traumatic for everyone involvedthe executioner, the medical professionals who placed his IV, the director of the Arkansas Department of Correctioneveryone was complicit in his killing and he knew it wasnt good for them. As someone who had killed, he knew that.





The operation took longer than expected. Jones was wheeled back into the cell with Holladay an hour and a half before his execution. In that time he was to eat, change into starched white pants and shirt, and write his last words. But the drugs hadnt worn off from the operation.





He could barely stay awake, Holladay said. He would start to talk to me and then his words would get sort of jumbled and then he would be passed out.





Mostly what I was thinking was, where is the dignity? she said.





Holladay was upset later when she read the news accounts of a gluttonous-sounding final meal, which she felt added to a narrative that Jones was a monster. For some reason people are just obsessed with what others are eating as their last meal, she told me. Its kind of this sick fascination. And it was wrong.





When it was time, Holladay was escorted to a dimly lit room with a black curtain covering a big window in the wall. All the chairs were facing the window.





It was almost like a twisted theater, but once the curtain was pulled back, that room looked sterile, Holladay said. It looked like we were peeking into some sort of medical procedure.





Jones lay on the gurney, his eyes closed, and before the drugs were administered, he spoke his last words. Im so sorry, he said to the daughter he had beat, calling her by name. Try to understand I love you like my own child.





Once alone again, Holladay was able to reflect. What Jones did was really hard to deal with.





She told me, We could just go in circles for a really long time, forever and ever, but at some point, we have to make the conscious decision to wake up and to begin to heal rather than continue to cause harm.





All those people hungry for blood, that is your shadow. What is the difference from you wanting to see someone murdered, than Jack murdering someone? Its the same thing. Its the same seed.





And it will continue to grow, until we stop.

 Related content: Arkansas Death Row Inmate's Sister: 'Why Can't I Witness my Brother's Execution?' Jack Jones' sister says she wants to be there for her brother in his final hour, April 22, 2017 , April 22, 2017

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Market analysts and Fed watchers will be closely monitoring the May employment numbers when they are released on June 2. As well as the normal signs of economic activity, they will be trying to gauge the effect of the recent political turmoil on the economy. Employment numbers may go up or down, but its unlikely that the past fortnights developments will contribute to whatever trend emerges. Heres why.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Employment Report includes data from the establishment survey and the household survey. As suggested by the names, the former samples nonagricultural business establishments and the latter samples households, and is wider in breadth, including self-employed workers whose businesses are unincorporated, unpaid family workers, agricultural workers, and private household workers, who are excluded by the establishment survey.

The establishment survey produces the popular headline nonfarm payroll number, but the household survey also includes its own measure of employment. Both estimates of employment converge over the long-run. The household survey produces estimates of the number of unemployed persons and the unemployment rate.

The survey period for both surveys differ somewhat. For the establishment survey it is the pay period that includes the 12th of the month and for the household survey it is the calendar week that includes the 12th of the month. In this time framework, the stream of tumultuous political news was initiated May 9 when FBI Director James Comey was fired by President Trump.

For May 2017, the household survey week ran from May 713. For the establishment survey, pay periods at most establishments presumably cover at least some of this tumultuous period, but the start of the pay period is important as the survey counts as employed anybody who was on payroll for any part of the survey period. Accordingly, if a firm decided to fire employees after the start of the political turmoil, if their pay period includes the 12th and starts before the 9th these fired employees would still be counted as employed by the BLS.

With all of the timing nuances of how the BLS calculates the jobs numbers, it is unlikely that these developments significantly influenced hiring and firing decisions during this period, and if business decisions were influenced, they probably would not be reflected in the May data based on the BLSs survey methodologies. Moreover, the duration of pay periods tend to be longer, so the chances of the survey pay periods including dates before the 9th is high.

The few pieces of labor market data received thus far for May have been solid. Initial jobless claims covering the week of the 12th fell to its second lowest level since 1973 suggesting that layoffs remain low. Moreover, the employment subindexes within the current conditions sections of the Philadelphia Fed and Empire State manufacturing surveys remained high. However, manufacturers in these regions appeared to lower their future hiring plans in early May, presumably due to the increased uncertainty surrounding the outlook.

If the heighted political turmoil continues, confidence surveys would be adversely affected in coming months. This likely would have some dampening effects on economic activity, more so in business investment and hiring decisions than in consumer spending. This may potentially moderate the recent momentum in the economy.

Moreover, if sustained, severe political turmoil may influence economic policy deliberations and monetary policy. In particular, tax and fiscal reform initiatives may be delayed, and some of President Trumps support for legislative proposals in Congress may be diluted. These outcomes are highly uncertain at this point.

In addition, any significant reversal in confidence indicators may influence the Federal Reserves decision on whether to raise rates in June or the economic forecasts of FOMC members or the projections of the Fed funds rate they deem appropriate. Currently, the futures markets place a greater than 90% probability, of the Fed raising rates in June, down only modestly from its near 100% probability following the strong April jobs report.

We continue to expect the Fed will raise rates; the potential downside risks posed by the Washington turmoil are unfortunate.

Mickey Levy is Chief Economist for the Americas and Asia, Berenberg Capital Markets, LLC and Member, Shadow Open Market Committee.

Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, E21 delivers a short email that includes E21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the E21 Morning Ebrief.
Swiss Voters Back Phaseout of Nuclear Power

They endorsed a new energy law that bans new nuclear power plants, supports renewable energy sources, and seeks to encourage lower energy consumption. The vote was 58 percent in favor.

A national voter in Switzerland endorsed a new energy law that bans new nuclear power plants, supports renewable energy sources, and seeks to encourage lower energy consumption. The vote was 58 percent in favor of the Energy Strategy program.

Opponents pointed out that the five existing nuclear power plants currently supply 38 percent of Switzerland's power, and that portion won't be easily replaced.

Voters who live closest to the five nuclear reactors rejected the reform, according to local coverage of the results.

Claude Longchamp of the GfS Bern research institute said the voters put their faith in the arguments of Energy Minister Doris Leuthard and the government rather than the opponents' arguments. "After six years of debate in parliament and at committee level, a new chapter in Switzerland's energy policy can begin," Longchamp said, "but there is still a lot of work to do."

The Energy Strategy 2050 was approved by the Swiss parliament last year but was challenged by the Swiss People's Party and brought to a nationwide vote.
Don Francis Dunwell, 82, passed away from kidney cancer on April 29, 2017, surrounded by family and friends at St. Peters Hospital in Helena, MT. Don was born on July 25, 1934, at St. Patricks Hospital in Missoula. He was the first of three sons of Leone and Francis Dunwell, and spent his childhood in Montana and Idaho where his Dad worked on the Hungry Horse, Fort Peck and Palisades Dam projects.

During the Korean conflict, Don served in the US Army 11th Airborne Division as a paratrooper instructor at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, GA. He received the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Senior Parachutist Badge.

He then attended the University of Montana and earned a Bachelors Degree in liberal arts. While at UM, Don liked spinning records on the campus radio, playing early rock & roll, blues and jazz. He became a life-long UM Grizzly fan  with Griz apparel, license plates, season tickets and hoarse post-game voice to show for it.

Don enjoyed a long career as a television journalist that spanned more than half a century dedicated to the pursuit of truth and public interest. Don was the first to volunteer for challenging  even risky assignments, like covering conflict in Honduras in the late 1980s and organized crime in Louisiana. An active member of the Radio Television News Directors Association and Investigative Reporters & Editors, Don worked in radio and public TV in Wilmington, DE, Philadelphia and Columbus, OH. He took a brief detour as a Hollywood screenwriter, then back to TV news in Lake Charles, LA, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and in 2004, home to his beloved Montana for a job at KTVH-TV, Helena. There, he filled various roles of news director, reporter and producer/host of public affairs show The Dunwell Report until just days before his death. Don believed in a free press covering history in the making.

The Presidency of John F. Kennedy and message of community service influenced Dons life. He belonged to American Legion, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus and Catholic Church where he was a lay minister and lector of scriptures. He volunteered for Boy Scouts and school activities.

Books Don Quixote and Once and Future King that he read in his early years sparked a life-long passion for reading and writing. Young Men and Fire moved him deeply.

He enjoyed other hobbies throughout his life, like fly fishing, photography, wine making, gourmet cooking and traveling. Don and his wife Mary Ann explored Greece, Egypt, ancient Mayan ruins, the back roads of wherever they were living, and with son John, camping near Banff, Canada and Montanas marvelous places, like Many Glacier, Yellowstone, Badlands, and of course, the dams where he grew up.

Don was preceded in death by mother and father Leone and Francis Dunwell, and brother Jack Dunwell. He is survived by his wife of 35 years Mary Ann, their son John, brother Gary (Sandy) in NC, Dons children from a previous marriage Scott (Karen) in AZ, Alexi Montana in AL, and Kevin (Monica) in CA, plus grandchildren, great grandchildren, relatives and friends.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30th at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, 1502 Shirley Road. A luncheon reception will follow the Mass in the fellowship hall of the church. Burial with military honors will follow the reception at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Harrison. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Dons name may be made to the Montana Historical Society, PO Box 201201, Helena, MT 59626, to any Veterans charity or to an organization of your choosing. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Don. Good luck and God speed, as Don would say. And in your loving memory, Don, Go Griz!
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Many people believe that having a glass of wine with dinner--or moderately drinking any kind of alcohol--will protect them from heart disease. But a hard look at the evidence finds little support for that.

That's the conclusion of a new research review in the May 2017 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Over the years, studies have found that adults who drink moderately have lower heart disease rates than non-drinkers. That has spurred the widespread belief that alcohol, in moderation, does a heart good.

But the new analysis, of 45 previous cohort studies, reveals the flaws in that assumption: A central issue is that "non-drinkers" may, in fact, be former drinkers who quit or cut down for health reasons.

Furthermore, seniors who are healthy may be more likely to keep enjoying that glass of wine with dinner.

"We know that people generally cut down on drinking as they age, especially if they have health problems," said researcher Tim Stockwell, Ph.D., director of the Centre for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada.

"People who continue to be moderate drinkers later in life are healthier," Stockwell said. "They're not sick, or taking medications that can interact with alcohol."

And in studies, that can lead to a misleading association between moderate drinking and better health.

In their analysis, Stockwell's team found that overall, "current" moderate drinkers (up to two drinks per day) did, in fact, have a lower rate of heart disease death than non-drinkers.

However, that was not the case in studies that looked at people's drinking habits at relatively young ages -- age 55 or earlier -- and followed them to their older years when heart disease might strike. Similarly, studies that rigorously accounted for people's heart health at baseline indicated no benefits from moderate drinking.

According to Stockwell, it all suggests that "abstainers" tend to be less healthy than moderate drinkers--but not because they never drank. Instead, their health may influence their drinking choices. That is, they may not drink because their health is poor.

"We can't 'prove' it one way or the other," Stockwell noted. "But we can say there are grounds for a healthy skepticism around the idea that moderate drinking is good for you."

A second study in the same issue supports that.

That research followed more than 9,100 U.K. adults from the age of 23 to 55. Overall, researchers found that people's drinking habits evolved over time--and few were actually lifelong "abstainers." Nearly all people who were non-drinkers at age 55 had given up alcohol.

What's more, non-drinkers--even those in their 20s--tended to be in poorer physical and mental health compared with those who drank moderately and did not smoke. They were also, on average, less educated, and education is an important factor in lifetime health.

However, no one is saying that people who enjoy alcohol in moderation should stop.

"The risks of low-level drinking are small," Stockwell said. But, he added, people should not drink solely because they believe it wards off disease.

"The notion that one or two drinks a day is doing us good may just be wishful thinking," Stockwell said.

###

To arrange an interview with Tim Stockwell, Ph.D., please contact Suzanne Ahearne (University of Victoria, Communications + Marketing) at sahearne@uvic.ca or +250-721-6139. Tim Stockwell can also be contacted directly at +250-415-7376 or timstock@uvic.ca.

For Chinese-speaking media, please contact study co-author, Jinhui Zhao, Ph.D., at zhaoj@uvic.ca or 250-472-5935.

Zhao, J., Stockwell, T., Roemer, A., Naimi, T., & Chikritzhs, T. (May 2017). Alcohol consumption and mortality from coronary heart disease: An updated meta-analysis of cohort studies. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(3), 375-386. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.375

Staff, J., & Maggs, J. (May 2017). Alcohol and cigarette use from ages 23 to 55: Links with health and well-being in the long-term National Child Development Study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(3), 394-403. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.394

Editorial and Commentaries

Caetano, R. (May 2017). Editor's Corner: Does a little drinking make your heart stronger? Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(3), 341-343. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.341

Maggs, J. L., & Staff, J. (May 2017). No benefit of light to moderate drinking for mortality from coronary heart disease when better comparison groups and controls included: A commentary on Zhao et al. (2017). Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(3), 387-388. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.387

Ding, E. L., & Mukamal, K. J. (May 2017). Robustness of the J-shaped association of alcohol with coronary heart disease risk. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(3), 389-391. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.389

Stockwell, T., Zhao, J., & Chikritzhs, T. (May 2017). Whether low volume alcohol use is cardio-protective is important for public health policy so the available evidence deserves critical analysis: The authors respond. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(3), 392-393. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.392

Chikritzhs, T., Naimi, T. S., & Stockwell, T. (May 2017). Bias in assessing effects of substance use from observational studies: What do longitudinal data tell us? A commentary on Staff and Maggs (2017). Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 78(3), 404-405. doi:10.15288/jsad.2017.78.404

The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (http://www.jsad.com) is published by the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. It is the oldest substance-related journal published in the United States.

University of Victoria's Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC) is a network of individuals and groups dedicated to the study of substance use and addiction in support of community-wide efforts to promote health and reduce harm. To learn more, visit: http://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/carbc

To learn about education and training opportunities for addiction counselors and others at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, please visit AlcoholStudiesEd.rutgers.edu.




mark zuckerberg

On an ordinary work day in mid-2016, a handful of Facebook engineers were sitting on the couches in a corner of the company's Menlo Park, California, headquarters when one of them tossed out a wacky idea.

He suggested doing something that had never been done before and could potentially upend the $350 billion telecom market.

"It can't be so difficult to build our own system," the engineer said, referring to the telecom equipment that sends data across cables and wireless networks, and which the engineer suspected could be made to operate faster and cheaper than the pricey equipment sold by big vendors like Nortel, Huawei, Ericsson, Cisco or Juniper Networks.

The engineer was suggesting building the telecom industry's first "white box" transponder, made with off-the-shelf parts such as chips from Broadcom and Acacia Communications, optical equipment from Lumentum, and software from one of the many new networking startups cropping up these days.

Facebook's director of engineering Hans-Juergen Schmidtke, who was among those on the couch that day, was at first a naysayer.

"I was a little bit skeptical about it at the time," he recounted to Business Insider. As a former engineer at Juniper Networks, Schmidtke knew from experience that building telecom equipment systems was an expensive undertaking that involved hiring teams of specially trained engineers and sizeable R&D budgets.

"Building a system ten years ago was like building a new company," Schmidtke said.

Still, Schmidtke agreed to help this tiny group hack together a white box system at one of Facebook's famous hackathons. Three months later they had a working prototype. Six months later, on November 1, they announced it to the world as a real product called Voyager.

The products unveiling sent shockwaves through the telecom industry, putting gear makers on notice that the lucrative market they controlled for decades was about to get turned upside down  and not necessarily to their advantage.

Story continues

While the effort is essentially a side-project for Facebook, a social networking company whose bread-and-butter business is online advertising, the stakes could not be higher for the telecom equipment companies which risk seeing their specialized products reduced to interchangeable commodities and their influence diminished.

For the industrys established companies, theres unease about Facebooks growing clout and its ultimate intentions. But in a sign of how serious Facebooks foray is being taken, theres already a recognition by some that the repercussions could be even more painful it they dont adapt.

Voyager has already been tested by Facebook and European telecom company Telia over Telias thousand-kilometer-telecom network. Plus, German telecom equipment maker ADVA Optical Networking is manufacturing the device and, as of a few weeks ago had nine customers trying it out for their telecom needs, a mix of big telecom companies and enterprises, it said. And Paris based telecom provider, Orange is also testing the device, working with Equinix and African telecom company MTN.

"We pulled it off essentially showing that when a few engineers can build a system within six months, the world has changed," Schmidtke said.

One person told us that Schmidtke, who is insanely proud of Voyager, has become a star in his own corner of the tech world. When he and his team "go to conferences, they treat him like a tech celebrity, like a rock band," that person said.

From one cult to another

Voyager was the first product, and a major proving point, for Facebook's young Telecom Infrastructure Project (TIP), a consortium led by Facebook and launched at the industry's worldwide gathering, Mobile World Congress, on February 21, 2016.

Facebook Hans Juergen Schmidtke

TIP is a spin-off from a similar organization Facebook launched a few years ago called the Open Compute Project (OCP).

Facebook launched OCP and TIP because it had to take control over the technology it uses to support over 1.8 billion people uploading billions of photos, videos and updates every day.

It has been designing its own IT equipment for years, things like computer servers, hard drives/storage systems and data center networks. Its versions were cheaper to build and easier to maintain than standard gear made by companies like Dell, HP, EMC and Cisco, it says.

Lots of big internet companies build their own tech, including Amazon and Google. But Facebook is unusual in that it openly shares all the designs, literally gives them all away for free, inviting anyone at any other company to come work on them, with contract manufacturers standing by to sell it all. It's a concept called open source hardware.

In this way, Facebook gets lots of help in maintaining and advancing its infrastructure. And the rest of the world gets access to tech designed to work in the most demanding circumstances, like at a huge internet company.

OCP has radically changed the data center tech industry and those involved say it has created a cult-like following. For instance, when secretive Apple refused to join OCP to let its IT engineers collaborate with others, it's crew of network engineers quit their jobs. They turned around and launched a startup called SnapRoute and built network software for the OCP community, the story goes. Apple later joined OCP. SnapRoute wound up being the software chosen for Voyager.

OCP created so much competetion for hardware vendors like Hewlett Packard and Dell that they opted to join the organization and embrace the white box concept. The alternative was to be squeezed out of selling their products to companies with the biggest and fastest-growing data centers in the world, not just Facebook, but Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and dozens of others.

There was just one major area that had been somewhat left out of OCP's free and open source hardware revolution, the telecommunications part. That's the equipment that connects homes, businesses and data centers together across long distances, via undersea cables, wireless networks, and so on.

Facebook Jay Parikh

And the big telecom companies, those that spend millions of dollars a year on this gear, wanted in. They needed an OCP of their own, Facebook discovered when it launched its Internet.org, CEO Mark Zuckerberg's project to bring internet to underdeveloped countries.

"As we were thinking about Internet.org and helping get more people connected, the idea was, we're doing this thing called OCP to help the data center community to build infrastructure that's more efficient, more cost effective, that's greener and more sustainable, more flexible. And we said, can we do that for the telco industry?" said Facebook's VP of engineering Jay Parikh.

"Facebook, having learned from OCP, comes in and says, we can play maybe a catalyzing function," Parikh said, describing early meetings he and his crew had at Mobile World Congress. "We're investing our people and our dollars into technology that is going to solve these problems and we're going to contribute that technology, that IP [intellectual property] into the ecosystem so that you all can benefit from this."

Voyager is one big example. "That's something we developed and it's like, wow, we actually solved a problem that a bunch of operators seem to be struggling with," he said.

Signing on huge partners

South Korea Telecom's CTO Alex Choi agrees that telecom operators like SKT want faster, cheaper and more open equipment and were inspired by Facebook to take it into their own hands.

SKT Dr. Alex Choi

"The idea all started from Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg was always addressing the importance of connecting the unconnected," Choi said.

In 2015 and 2016, Zuckerberg came to the MWC conference, gave keynote speeches and hung out with top telecom executives.

He wanted to know what was keeping those people off the internet. He discovered that bringing telecom services to far-out parts of the world "was too expensive," for telecom operators, Choi recalls.

Facebook wanted to help bring the costs down. But developed nations in Europe, Asia and the Americas had the same problem. People are buying more devices, using more video. And with the Internet of Things, millions more objects are joining the internet daily, communicating over telecom networks.

"There's a huge growing traffic demand. That means we have to install more base stations, find more sites, invest more in the fiber and the backbone and supporting IT infrastructure," Choi said. But telcos can't charge more to cover the costs. People are are pushing them to charge less, for unlimited data plans.

mark zuckerberg mobile world congress

While Zuck didn't do the actual recruiting to get TIP off the ground, he "inspired people" Choi said.

When Facebook executives approached him about forming the new organization, (including Aaron Bernstein, responsible for partnerships with mobile providers, and Jason Taylor, Facebook's vice resident of infrastructure who leads OCP), Choi liked the idea so much, he became the chairman of the TIP organization.

It felt revolutionary.

OCP has invented lots of cool new hardware for the data center and telecom operators had never banded together to build their own gear, he said.

"Operators rely too much on the big telco incumbent vendors. We kept pushing the vendors to do more innovations, to do something to bring down their premium price tag. They are making efforts and making progress but not as fast as we want them to be. So what can you do? You explore other opportunities," he said.

Deutsche Telekom's Axel Clauberg was in a similar boat. He first got in touch with Facebook in 2015 about participating with OCP's networking efforts.

There had been a push for more telcos to join OCP at that time because Facebook has been helping usher in a new way to build computer networks. It takes all the fancy, complex features out of the hardware and put them into software. In the corporate network world this push is called software-defined networking (SDN). But it's happening in the telecom service provider world, too, where its called Network Function Virtualization or NFV.

Facebook didn't invent SDN or NFV, but in the slow and conservative world of network engineering, OCP and TIP are radically pushing these concepts forward. OCP is proving the technology works even for a huge demanding internet site like Facebook or for a giant telecom network like AT&T.

"We are facing exponential traffic growth," explains DT's Clauberg. "We needed to do something."

And there's one more issue going on besides tight budgets and huge growth, he said: the war for talent. Decades ago, hardware and communications engineers went to the telcos to build amazing new things, like mobile networks. Then they went to the tech companies like Cisco to build the tech that created the internet. Today, they are going directly to the internet companies like Google and Facebook and creating new hardware so they don't have to rely on the vendors, he said.

TIP gives them a way to access the smartest minds, without having to poach them.

"When [engineers] come out of the universities, which companies are they looking at? In old days, it was the telcos, then it was the suppliers, now it's the internet companies. The funny thing is with OCP, you have all these parties working together. I envision achieving the same [with TIP]. So having players from internet companies, from startups and established vendors, and the telcos, working together on what the infrastructure of the future should look like."

DT's Clauberg joined TIP as a founding board member, alongside SKT's Choi. This was a powerful first step. SDK and DT are two of the most advanced telcos in the world, role models for many others. Facebook also convinced Intel's Caroline Chan to join TIP, which was an easy sell. Intel is also a founding member of OCP. And TIP was off and running.

But there was one surprise founding member of TIP: Nokia's Laurent Le Gourrierec.

The brave choice of Nokia

Telecom devices that can be put together with standard parts and software are deeply threatening to the multibillion telecom equipment market dominated by companies like Huawei Technologies, Ericsson, Cisco, ZTE, and Nokia.

Deutsche Telekom Axel Clauberg

And Voyager isn't the only product. TIP's OpenCellular project is working on an open source 4G LTE/LTE base station, the hardware and the software.

As SKT's Choi describes it, TIP wants to "democratize" the technology, making it easier for anyone to build, use, or modify. That means taking it out of the hands of the equipment providers who create proprietary radios and base stations today.

TIP's impact won't happen overnight, explains analyst Rohit Mehra, vice president of IDC's Network Infrastructure practice. But the goal is clear: to overhaul the telecom equipment industry which he says is about a $350 billion market today, when factoring in software, hardware and services.

"This is not the first time Facebook has done this. They've been somewhat successful with what they call OCP," Mehra says. "The Telecom Infrastructure Project is disruptive not just to telecom equipment makers but in some cases the telecom service providers. Though in some cases it helps the service providers because it intends to give them more cost-effective infrastructure."

So TIP is, in some ways, threatening Nokia's main telecom business.

But Nokia is a close partner of Facebook and the one telecom equipment vendor embracing TIP as a founding member and board member.

Nokia's Laurent Le Gourrierec explains why, via an adaptation of Abraham Lincoln's famous quote.

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it," he tells Business Insider. "You have all these equipment makers saying, 'The world is changing so let's try to hold on to what we know.' But the thing is that the world is changing anyway, so it's much better to take an active role in shaping the future."

If all goes well, TIP and Facebook will actually help create new customers using new telecom services, those people in undeveloped nations that never had telecom or internet, Le Gourrierec believes.

"So it's best to participate in the definition of new partnerships, new services in partnership with the existing actors in addition to the new ones," Le Gourrierec said.

From spies to community members

When Facebook created Voyager, Nokia didn't shake in fear. Engineers there thought, "Maybe we can learn something for this," Le Gourrierec said.

But there are other equipment makers who are, technically, part of TIP too. Currently the organization boasts over 100 members from all facets of the industry.

But Choi, Clauberg and Le Gourrierec said that many of them have only been nervously watching the group so far.

Laurent Le Gourrierec

"They are not actively contributing," Le Gourrierec said.

Obviously, the kumbaya concept of open source doesn't work well like that. Everyone has to contribute their ideas for a community to blossom.

One way that TIP is encouraging them to jump in is a different approach to sharing intellectual property. Participants don't have to share all their closely held, lucrative ideas and secrets for free like they do with OCP, or with other open source organizations, like Linux.

Each working group in TIP can instead decide to use an older, more established method for sharing, known as Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory Terms (RAND). RAND allows vendors to be paid tiny fees by everyone who uses their intellectual property as long as those fees are reasonable and the tech is made available to everyone without bias. The company can't, for instance, jack up the price to its competitors.

The TIP board members are also encouraging participation by telling members that TIP will lead to plenty of other new commercial opportunities, too, even if TIP successfully turns the hardware into low-cost generic white boxes. Teleco providers can instead develop new software that can be bought via lucrative subscriptions, similar to the software startups that have sprouted up around OCP.

In fact, Nokia is already experimenting with a high-performance software product able to run on low cost, ordinary computer network hardware. It's geared toward businesses, not service providers, but it's a start, Le Gourrierec tells us.

TIP is also encouraging engineers and companies to join by creating a "culture" working group that helps teach telecom engineers how to "work fast and break things" as the internet world does.

"One of things we learned in the last 1.5 years in working on TIP is people saying, 'How do you help me transform my culture and my team so that we can move faster?'" Facebook's Parikh said.

Telecom is a world that traditionally frowned on that. Working fast and breaking things could take down the network and get you fired.

The culture group has become a popular entry point for engineers wanting to check out TIP. They then bring these ideas back to their jobs. It helps some engineers become more open minded about sharing. For others, like Le Gourrierec, it inspires "a new sense of urgency," in his work at Nokia, he describes.

Afraid of Facebook

We only heard one major criticism regularly lobbed at TIP: that Facebook is becoming extremely powerful. Maybe too powerful. After Facebook launched Voyager, Facebook dominated the gossip at the last Mobile World Congress, sources told us.

Facebook Voyager optical network device

There's good reason to worry. Facebook is making equipment with TIP and OCP, it's got state-of-the-art data centers, it has a roster of talented engineers and it's also laying its own telecom cable, including a new record-breaking fast subsea cable installed with Nokia between New York and Ireland.

It could snap its fingers and become a powerful telecom and cloud operator tomorrow, some people fear (and others predict) like Amazon did with Amazon Web Services or Google did with Google Cloud and Google Fiber.

But Parikh said that Facebook has zero interest in doing that. "We arent operating any networks ourselves. We are trying to help the telcos solve this," he said. The idea is to "share" lessons and technology to "always benefits" the whole community.

SKT's Choi just shrugs off the idea that Facebook is a threat, saying telecom operators have more to gain than to lose.

"I can understand the concern. It's very much natural, because operators are always being disrupted," he said, especially by large American internet companies "like Amazon, Google, and Facebook."

Facebook OpenCellular access point

"But in the long run, I strongly believe in mutual benefits," he said. He notes that because Amazon helped create cloud computing, there are brand new billion-dollar markets and "everyone benefits. I think the same thing will happen in the teleco sectors."

Not everyone is convinced that TIP will succeed. IDC's Mehra cautions that it's a huge undertaking and the two biggest telecom equipment vendors, Ericsson and Huawei, have remained cool toward the project, for obvious reasons, he says.

"TIP may see progress over the years. But the challenges are higher. They are working on four to five different domains of telecom infrastructure, each with its own set of technologies and own set of tech providers," Mehra says.

All the board members of TIP admit the project is in its early days and could fail. It could fail to attract a community. It could fail to produce products the world wants to use.

But they believe it will succeed.

"Today most telecos remain as the status quo but all the telcos leadership, if you ask them, they want transformation. They want changes. They want innovation. They have to overcome it by collaborating with Facebook and others," he said. "Again, witness all the innovations that have already happened in the cloud industry. We want to apply all those innovations to the telco industry, which will make operators happier and customer happier and for everyone, a win/win."

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More From Business Insider
In a week that saw that saw the largest sell-off of the year and had some people thinking a true correction was ready to start, top hedge funds and executives reached into their wallets and made some major purchases. Like the week before, we also saw a huge amount of insider activity concentrated on the buy side, as selling was once again very light in comparison.

We cover insider buying each week at 24/7 Wall St., and we like to remind readers that while insider buying is usually a very positive sign, it is not in of itself a reason to run out and buy a stock. Sometimes insiders and 10% owners have stock purchase plans set up at intervals to add to their holdings. That aside, it remains an overall positive indicator.

ALSO READ: Warren Buffetts Top Stock Holdings Keep Changing

Here are some of the companies that reported notable insider buying this past week.

Pentair PLC (PNR) had a major holder and director of the company buying more shares last week. Trian Fund purchased 863,000 shares of this diversified industrial manufacturing company at prices that ranged from $65.13 to $65.41 apiece. The total for the trade was posted at a huge $56 million. The stock closed Friday at $67.11, so the purchase appears to be well timed. The 52-week trading range is $53.80 to $69.03, and the Wall Street consensus price objective is $67.50.

Tempur Sealy International Inc. (TPX) saw a 10% owner of the company making another huge purchase last week. H Partners acquired a massive 640,000 shares of the stock at prices that ranged from $46.98 to $48.61. The total for the trade was posted at a whopping $31 million. But the shares closed Friday at $45.99, in a 52-week range of $39.52 to $87.37. The consensus price target is $50.67.

ALSO READ: Baird Dividend Portfolio Offers Big Yields, Safety and Solid Upside Potential

SunOpta Inc. (STKL) also had a big fund buying stock last week. Oaktree Capital purchased 1,392,699 shares of this organic food and beverage products at $8.00 a share. The total for the purchase was set at $11 million. The stock closed Friday at $9.35, above both the buy-in price and the consensus price target of $9.00. The new 52-week range is $3.16 to $9.45.

Story continues

General Electric Co.'s (GE) CEO was buying shares last week, a move that will be seen as very positive. Jeffrey Immelt picked up a 100,000-share block of the stock at prices that ranged from $28.03 to $28.08. The total for the purchase was set at $3 million. The stock closed last Friday at $28.05. The 52-week trading range for the iconic industrial is $27.20 to $33.00, and the consensus price objective is $32.29.

ALSO READ: Top Strategist Says Nows the Time to Buy Stocks With International Exposure

Wesco Aircraft Holdings Inc. (WAIR) has been pounded this year, so shareholders will be pleased to know a director at the company bought a million-share block of the stock last week. That board member purchased the shares between $8.00 and $9.00 apiece, and the total price for the trade was set at $9 million. Shares closed Friday at $9.10, in a 52-week range of $7.46 to $15.78, and with a consensus price target of $9.88.

Apollo Global Management LLC (APO) had a huge hedge fund once again acquiring shares last week. Tiger Global Management bought 202,100 shares of the private equity giant at prices that ranged from $26.75 to $27.01. The total for the purchase was reported at 5.5 million. The stock close last Friday at $26.10, and the 52-week range for the shares is $14.25 to $27.78. The consensus price target is $30.

ALSO READ: Merrill Lynch Has 5 Semiconductor Stocks to Buy for the Next 5 Years

These companies also reported insider buying last week: Apache Corp. (APA), Halliburton Co. (HAL), Revlon Inc. (REV), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (VRX) and U.S. Steel Corp. (NYSE: X).

Another week of insider buying absolutely swamping the sellers, and again, in a week that saw some of the highest volatility we have seen this year. This is a positive sign for investors given that once again, despite the selling, all the indexes are trading at or near their all-time highs.

Related Articles
By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - A pair of astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station on Tuesday for an emergency spacewalk to replace a failed computer, one of two that control major U.S. systems aboard the orbiting outpost, NASA said on Sunday.

The primary device failed on Saturday, leaving the $100 billion orbiting laboratory to depend on a backup system to route commands to its solar power system, radiators, cooling loops and other equipment.

The station's current five-member crew from the United States, Russia and France were never in any danger, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a statement.

Station commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineer Jack Fischer, both with NASA, will partner for the spacewalk, which is expected to last two hours, the U.S. space agency said.

Earlier on Sunday, Whitson assembled and tested a spare electronics box to replace the failed device, which had been installed during a spacewalk on March 30, said NASA spokesman Dan Huot.

NASA's last emergency spacewalk took place in December 2015 when two U.S. astronauts left the station to release the brakes on a robot arm's mobile transporter.

The ISS, which is staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts, serves as a research laboratory for biology, life science, materials science and physics experiments, as well as astronomical observations and Earth remote sensing.

The station, owned and operated by 15 nations, flies about 250 miles (400 km) above Earth and orbits the planet about every 90 minutes. It has been continuously staffed since 2000.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Sandra Maler)
Eddie Lampert Sears





Sears Holdings spent $5.8 billion buying back shares from 2005 to 2010, draining the company of resources.

CEO Eddie Lampert defended the buybacks as the most efficient use of capital, arguing that investment in stores wasn't necessary.

The company  considered the most vulnerable publicly traded retailer  is now selling off assets to stay afloat.

Sears has survived two world wars and the Great Depression. But after a decade under the control of a former Goldman Sachs executive turned hedge fund manager, the 124-year-old retailer is imploding.

Sales have been cut in half since 2009, and the company is burning through cash, closing hundreds of stores, and selling off assets in an attempt to stanch the bleeding. Executives are fleeing and store workers face a grim future.

A debt repayment from a $500 million loan facility is looming, and some suppliers are trying to cancel contracts and cut back on orders amid fears that the company could soon go bankrupt.

The man in charge of Sears, Edward S. Lampert, has blamed the company's decline on everything from shifts in consumer spending to the rise of e-commerce, and even  at times  the weather. More recently, he's taken to attacking the media, saying reports speculating on a Sears bankruptcy are thwarting his efforts to turn the business around.

"Every time people use the word bankruptcy, somebody who reads that doesn't get past that word," he told the Chicago Tribune in a recent interview. "It makes it very unfair for us, and it's a very uneven playing field for us."



While other retailers are also struggling, analysts take the demise of Sears, which owns Kmart, as a matter of when not if.

But what sets Sears apart from other suffering retailers is something that's not as obvious as the rise online shopping and falling foot traffic in shopping malls. It's the steps that Lampert took when he first acquired the company: putting shareholders like himself in front of everyone else, he drained the company of vital resources.



When Sears was flush with cash, this took the form of billions of dollars of share repurchases, even as the stores suffered years of underinvestment. Repurchases, or buybacks, are common among cash-rich companies, but also derided in some corners as a waste of a company's resources as they only serve to create the appearance of improving earnings.

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No apologies

BI Graphics_Sears Chart 1 copy

In the early days, Lampert was unapologetic about these. According to an executive at the company then, Lampert was genuine in his belief that Sears could be run differently than other retailers and that the shares were being acquired at a bargain price.



"Unless we believe we will receive an adequate return on investment," he wrote in a 2007 letter to investors, "we will not spend money on capital expenditures to build new stores or upgrade our existing base simply because our competitors do. If share repurchases or acquisitions appear to be more productive, then we will allocate capital to those options appropriately."

And for years Lampert concluded that share buybacks were the best use of the company's money. They continued even through the financial crisis and totaled $5.8 billion between 2005 and 2010, sometimes at prices as high as $170 per share. Sears' earnings in the same period were $3.8 billion.



Today the stock is trading for under $8.

Now that Sears is short on cash and faces mounting debt, Lampert has turned from buybacks to dismantling what was once America's largest and most successful retailer, said David Tawil, president of New York-based Maglan Capital. Tawil has spent his career working in corporate restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings. Sears spun off its Lands' End brand to investors in 2014 and is exploring "alternatives" that could include sales of Kenmore appliances and Craftsman tools.

"Eddie has orchestrated for himself, and for the benefit of shareholders, the most protracted liquidation in history," Tawil said in an interview with Business Insider.

A Sears spokesman, Howard Riefs, said last year that the spinoffs were meant to create shareholder value and to fund Sears' turnaround. He noted that the company has raised billions from the asset sales and other financing efforts, and those funds have "provided liquidity to help fund our transformation."

More recently, he pointed Business Insider to a blog post Lampert published on May 11, in which Lampert said the company is "fighting like hell" to overcome its challenges.

"We continue to do what is necessary to improve the near-term performance of our business," Lampert said in the post, noting that the company planned to cut $1.25 billion in costs this year.

Wall Street superstar

AP_02021206916

Lampert got his start at Goldman Sachs, working in the New York-based bank's risk-arbitrage department. He left the bank after four years and in 1988 started a hedge fund, ESL Investments, at just 26 years old.

For a time he was a Wall Street superstar. BusinessWeek compared him to Warren Buffett because of his incredible track record as an investor. ESL Investments generated annualized returns of more than 20% per year for 20 years, marking one of the strongest long-term investment records in history, according to a 2013 Wall Street Journal article.

Through ESL, Lampert gained control of Kmart in 2003 and he combined it with Sears in 2005 to create Sears Holdings in an $11.5 billion deal. ESL, long one of Sears' largest shareholders, now owns about half of the company.

It was soon after he took the reins at Sears, first as chairman, that Lampert began the share buybacks. In his annual letters to Sears shareholders, Lampert defends buybacks as a way to provide "liquidity" (or a buyer) for shareholders who are looking to sell and increase ownership of the company for investors who hold on.

But to critics, they are simply a financial maneuver to drive up per-share earnings and create the illusion that a company is doing better than it really is.

With the buybacks came cuts in spending on the retailer's stores, as well as reduced promotions and advertising, despite Lampert's promises to revive the company.

Never cheaper

RTRFZ3X

Lampert "had a perspective that the retail industry as a whole was too sales-oriented and not enough profit-oriented," one former high-level Sears executive told Business Insider. The executive asked not to be identified discussing private matters.

"He wanted to demonstrate to the world that you could reduce advertising and inventory investment  and yes, sales would fall to some new normal  but you would have a more profitable business," the former executive said.

At the time, Lampert believed in the long-term success of Sears, according to the executive. When he was buying the stock at $170, more than $150 per share above where it is today, he thought it was a better capital investment than store upgrades, because it was his theory that the stock would never be cheaper. Lampert had high hopes for himself and for Sears.

"I want to be known as a great businessman," he said in 2006, shortly after the Sears acquisition. His greatest fear, he said, was that he wouldn't live long enough to complete all his goals.

"He was completely confident that he was going to be the next Warren Buffett," the former executive told Business Insider. "He felt that he had created a long-term winner in Sears and it would be his Berkshire Hathaway."

That is not how it has worked. Instead, the company has been unable to keep up with shoppers.

Serving the customer?

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"The retail industry is predicated on serving the customer, valuing the customer, listening to the customer, and ultimately giving the customer what she wants  and its the employees who deliver this. Anything less is a recipe for terminal illness, if not suicide," says Robin Lewis, a 40-year retail consultant and CEO of industry publication The Robin Report. "Clearly, in the case of Sears, Eddie Lampert has turned a completely blind eye to this truism, and has been bleeding the company to a long and slow but well-managed death for the sole benefit of major investors and himself."

Under Lampert, Sears failed to invest in major capital improvements, such as store maintenance or new store concepts. Fortune recounted a 2005 strategy session between Lampert and the top two-dozen executives of the company:

Once their presentations started, Lampert also began poking holes in virtually every idea. 'What's the benefit of that?' he asked again and again. 'What's the value?' He shot down a modest $2 million proposal to improve lighting in the stores. 'Why invest in that?' He skewered a plan to sell DVDs at a discounted price to better compete with Target and Wal-Mart. 'It doesn't matter what Target and Wal-Mart do,' he declared.

As Lampert slashed spending in-store improvements, "the stores began going down," a 41-year Kmart store employee who was laid off in February 2016 told Business Insider.

Don't talk about it

IMG_7085.JPG

When Lampert took over, company executives visited stores and told workers they were no longer allowed to discuss any problems the stores were having, according to the employee.

"When they quit asking and started telling you how it should be run according to corporate standards, the stores began to go down," the employee said. "There is no morale in any of the stores."

An employee of a Sears store in Elyria, Ohio, told Business Insider last year that his store is falling apart.

"The walls and floors in my store are all beat to hell ... the roof leaks, the escalator and the elevator break down frequently, but 'Fast Eddie' doesn't want to spend money on the stores," the employee said.

Sears spokesman Howard Riefs has denied that employees are discouraged from giving feedback.

"One of our cultural beliefs as a company is to embrace feedback," Riefs has told Business Insider. "We have a variety of ways that associates can give authentic feedback  even anonymously, so we would disagree with that suggestion."

Lampert, meanwhile, has defended his decisions.

"I was criticized for not investing enough in the stores," Lampert said in 2013. "My point of view is we couldn't invest in everything."

Losing investors

IMG_7095.JPG

Investors bought into Lampert's strategy, at first. In 2006, Sears' stock rose roughly 45%, to $156.

Then quarterly sales started declining in early 2007, and the stock followed suit.

Many Sears executives were expecting Lampert to eventually refocus on investing in stores and advertising. When that didn't happen, some employees began to grow concerned.

"There was a feeling of, 'OK, now we have to invest and compete,' through some combination of advertising and promotion," the former Sears executive said. "But it became clear that he either didnt know how or didnt want to spend the money."

At that point, senior executives began leaving the company.

Since May 2007, Sears' shares have dropped 95%. Over the same period, sales have dropped from $50.7 billion in 2007 to $22.1 billion in 2016.

To raise money, the company started selling its real estate and spinning off brands like Sears Hometown and Outlet stores and Craftsman, which was sold to Stanley Black & Decker in January for about $900 million to be paid out over the next several years.

In one of its biggest transactions to date, Sears launched and spun off a real-estate investment trust, Seritage Growth Properties, to execute sale/lease-back agreements for 266 Sears and Kmart stores. The deal helped Sears raise about $2.7 billion, most of which was quickly burned through to pay off debt.

Seritage is in the process of recapturing the stores it bought from Sears and renting out the space to new tenants for as much as four times the rent that Sears paid. If it can profit from this, that's good for Lampert. He is Seritage's chairman and his hedge fund owns about 40% of the real estate investor's limited partnership, as well as 8.5% of the voting power in its common stock.

Starving the business

IMG_7066.JPG

Meanwhile, Sears has been cutting costs by closing hundreds of stores and laying off hundreds of thousands of employees. In 2007, Sears had 3,418 stores and 315,000 employees in the US. The company now has fewer than 1,430 stores and 140,000 employees.

Lampert's strategy of underinvesting in stores and selling off assets "starved capital and management resources from the retail business, leaving it unable to respond and adapt to the needs of the evolving consumer and marketplace," Lewis said.

The stores are now shells of what they once were, with leaking ceilings, broken escalators, and sometimes no employees to work the registers, according to analysts, customers, and employees from the store level to corporate headquarters. In some stores, employees hang bedsheets to shield shoppers from sections that stand empty.

"The majority of stores now border on disgraceful and show a complete lack of retail standards and proper store management," Neil Saunders, the CEO of retail consulting firm GlobalData Retail, told Business Insider. "The impression is of a retailer that has completely given up, and this is something consumers notice."

But there was one party that was benefiting  at least for some time  from this strategy: shareholders.

Bruce Berkowitz of Fairholme Capital Management told The New York Times in 2013 that Lampert's spinoffs had helped deliver about $10 a share in assets to Sears shareholders, even as the stock price was tanking. At the time, Fairholme owned about 20% of Sears shares. Berkowitz and Fairholme own closer to 25% now.

Not working out

BI Graphics_Sears Chart 2 copy

The losses eventually lost Lampert the support of many investors in his hedge fund, ESL Investments.

"Investors are heading for the exits, discouraged by the declining fortunes of Mr. Lamperts signature stake in Sears Holdings," Randall Smith at the Times wrote in 2013.

The fund's assets are now down to $2 billion from $18 billion in 2007, according to a March 2017 regulatory filing.

Lampert says he is committed to restoring Sears to profitability and continuing retail operations online and through a smaller fleet of stores.

"I believe Sears Holdings can continue to operate as a very significant member-centric integrated retailer with a large number of stores as long as we receive the support of our vendors and other stakeholders," Lampert said in a blog post this week.

The company's window of opportunity for a turnaround is shrinking. It's falling deeper into debt and just lost its second chief financial officer in six months, just as it begins talks with lenders over its $500 million loan facility maturing in July.

Most vulnerable

IMG_7079.JPG

In addition to its chief financial officer leaving, Sears has lost more than a quarter of its executive team in the last five months. The company posted a loss of $471 million in the first quarter, compared to a $303 million loss last year. Revenue declined to $5.39 billion from $5.88 billion.

Analysts say a turnaround is hard to imagine at this point.

S&P Global Market Intelligence in April identified Sears as the most vulnerable public retail company in the US, saying it has a 24% chance of default within a year.

Sears recently said that it's planning to cut more costs and that it's reviewing bids in excess of $700 million for more than 60 of its real estate properties.

Selling off real estate will give the company a much-needed cash infusion, but it also diminishes the company's lifeline as it struggles to staunch losses, according to Moody's vice president and senior analyst Christina Boni.

"Sears financial performance remains extremely weak which is prompting the acceleration of cost reductions by an additional $250 million," Boni said recently. "Its effort to sell real estate which has produced over $700 million of bids currently will enhance liquidity, but accelerates the timeline required to stem operating losses as it asset base diminishes."



Eventually, the company will run out of funding sources, according to Tawil.

"Normally businesses like this fail and get sold off in pieces in bankruptcy," Tawil said. "This has been the greatest out-of-court liquidation in the history of our nation."

*A version of this story was published in June 2016.





More From Business Insider


This post originally appeared on The Collaborative Fund.

To realize how outdated the five-day, 40-hour workweek is, you have to know where it came from.

Before 1900 the average American worker worked more than 60 hours a week. A standard schedule was 10-hour days, six days a week. The only structural limits to working were lighting and religion. You stopped working when it was too dark to see or to go to church. It was exhausting. It was often fatal.

Unions helped turn this around. In 1916, railroad unions demanded an eight-hour work day, largely because work after that point correlated with a rise in accidents and death. The railroads declined. So workers went on strike. Americas rail system nearly came to a halt.

This was during World War I, when transporting military equipment by rail was vital to national security. President Woodrow Wilson, desperate to get the trains moving, asked Congress to write an eight-hour railroad work day into law. He told a joint session in 1916:

I have come to you to seek your assistance in dealing with a very grave situation which has arisen out of the demand of the employees of the railroads engaged in freight train service that they be granted an eight-hour working day  I turn to you, deeming it clearly our duty as public servants to leave nothing undone that we can do to safeguard the interests of the nation.

It worked. Congress passed the Adamson Act, and overtime pay after an eight-hour day became railroad workers right.

Twenty years later, the New Deal pushed for broader workers rights. It used the Adamson Act as a template, as no one wanted to favor one field over another. The eight-hour, five-day workday was standardized for all industries.

Eighty years later this work schedule  originally designed for the endurance constraints of railroad depot workers  has become so ingrained that we rarely question it, regardless of profession.

Which is crazy.

The biggest employment change of the last century is the number of careers that shifted from physically exhausting to mentally exhausting. From doing stuff with your arms to doing stuff with your head.

Story continues

Since the constraints of physically exhausting jobs are visible, we took decisive action when things werent working, like the Adamson Act. But the limits of mentally exhausting jobs are nuanced and less visible, so we get trapped in a spot where most of us work a schedule that doesnt maximize our productivity, yet we do nothing about it.

Every person Ive worked with comes back from vacation saying some variation of the same thing:

Now that I had some time to think, Ive realized 

With a few days to clear my mind, I figured out 

While I was away I got this great idea 

The irony is that people can get some of their most important work done outside of work, when theyre free to think and ponder. The struggle is that we take time off maybe once a year, without realizing that time to think is a key element of many jobs, and one that a traditional work schedule doesnt accommodate very well.

Not all jobs require creativity or critical thinking. But those that do function better with time devoted to wandering and being curious, in ways that are removed from scheduled work but actually help tackle some of your biggest work problems.

Its just hard to do that because were set on the idea that a typical work day should be eight uninterrupted hours seated at your desk. Tell your boss you found a trick that will make you more creative and productive, and they ask what youre waiting for. Tell them that your trick is taking a 90-minute walk in the middle of the day, and they says no, you need to work. Another way to put this is that a lot of workers have thought jobs without much time to think.

Former Secretary of State George Schultz on a recent Face the Nation appearance.

David Leonhardt of The New York Times recently wrote about former Secretary of State George Shultz, who carved out time to sit and wonder:

His hour of solitude was the only way he could find time to think about the strategic aspects of his job. Otherwise, he would be constantly pulled into moment-to-moment tactical issues, never able to focus on larger questions of the national interest. And the only way to do great work, in any field, is to find time to consider the larger questions.

That last sentence is crucial for anyone whose jobs involves strategy, analysis, creativity, innovation, managing people, non-structured decision-making, or really anything outside of repetitive tasks.

The moment-to-moment tactical issues Shultz refers to are what happens in the office during the eight-hour, five-day workweek. Meetings. Spreadsheets. Meetings. Phone calls. Meetings.

The larger questions often cant be tackled at work, because creativity and critical thinking require uninterrupted focus  like going for a walk or sitting quietly on a couch by yourself. Or a bike ride. Or talking to someone outside your field.

Steve Jobs did most of his serious conversations while walking. Tim Armstrong spends four hours a week just thinking. Jeff Weiner does something similar. Jack Dorsey famously wanders about. Someone once asked Charlie Munger what Warren Buffetts secret was. I would say half of all the time he spends is sitting on his ass and reading. He has a lot of time to think.

Amos Tversky, the late collaborator of Nobel-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, once said the secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours.

The same is true for a lot of jobs.

The traditional eight-hour work schedule is great if your job is repetitive, customer-facing, or physically constraining. But for the large and growing number of knowledge jobs, it might not be.

You might be better off taking two hours in the morning to stay at home thinking about some big problem.

Or go for a long mid-day walk to ponder why something isnt working.

Or leaving at 3 p.m. and spend the rest of the day envisioning a new strategy.

Its not about working less. Its the opposite: A lot of knowledge jobs basically never stop, and without structuring time to think and be curious you wind up less efficient during the hours that are devoted to sitting at your desk cranking out work.

Theres never going to be an Adamson Act for knowledge workers who need time to think. Its up to you to figure it out. The first step is realizing that taking time in the middle of your day to do stuff that doesnt look like work is the most important part of your work day.

More from Morgan Housel:

Residential housing can tell you were the economys going, and its not where you think

My case for saving money  even if you dont have a reason to save

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The most important question to ask when thinking about risk
Yahoo Finance is tracking Lockheed Martin, Boeing, National Oilwell Varco and Blackstone in intraday trading on Monday.

Lockheed Martin (LMT), Boeing (BA)  Defense contractors are in focus following a $110 billion U.S.-Saudi arms deal over the weekend. Lockheed Martin played a major role in the deal. The agreement with Saudi Arabia is for about $28 billion worth of Lockheed Martin integrated air and missile defense, combat ships, tactical aircraft and rotary wing technologies and programs. Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Marillyn Hewson said in a statement, At Lockheed Martin, we are proud to be part of this historic announcement that will strengthen the relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are especially proud of how our broad portfolio of advanced global security products and technologies will enhance national security in Saudi Arabia, strengthen the cause of peace in the region, and provide the foundation for job creation and economic prosperity in the U.S. and in the Kingdom. Boeing also signed deals with Saudi Arabia over the weekend, including an agreement between the jet maker and SaudiGulf Airlines to negotiate the sale of up to 16 wide-body airplanes.

Blackstone (BX)  The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia has agreed to commit $20 billion to Blackstones new infrastructure fund, which will invest in the enhancement of US infrastructure assets. Blackstone plans to raise another $20 billion from other investors and expects to have more than $100 billion in purchasing power for its targeted projects. Blackstone Chief Executive Officer Steve Schwarzman attended the Saudi-U.S. CEO Forum in Riyadh over the weekend.

National Oilwell Varco (NOV)  One of the major energy deals reached during President Trumps weekend visit to Saudi Arabia was a signed a memorandum between National Oilwell Varco and Saudi Aramco to build rigs and drilling equipment, and offer certain aftermarket services in the kingdom. The two companies announced that the proposed joint venture will also establish a center to teach Saudi technicians how to maintain and operate the equipment.

For more on Mondays big stock movers and the latest on President Trumps overseas trip, check out the Final Round, live at 4 p.m. ET, right here on Yahoo Finance.




Donald Trump

President Trump is abroad on his first foreign trip, but that hasn't stopped his problems from piling up at home. And despite administration officials' public attempts at pivoting the focus to the national security risks of leaking information to the public, staffers are privately "exasperated" by Trump, according to Axios' Jonathan Swan and Mike Allen.

"They view their boss as completely undisciplined and self-destructive," Axios reported.

On Friday, the New York Times reported that Trump told Russian officials former FBI director James Comey was "a real nut job" and that firing Comey had taken "great pressure" off of him. Trump had fired Comey one day before making the alleged comments to Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during an Oval Office meeting.

The Times' story was just the latest in a slew of bombshell revelations that raised questions about whether the president was actively trying to squash an FBI investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia. Following a tumultuous two weeks, legal analysts and lawmakers said the controversy could be bigger than Watergate and have even raised the possibility of presidential impeachment on obstruction of justice charges.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

The "entire landscape of Trump's behavior" is what would prompt an obstruction of justice charge, said Jens David Ohlin, an associate dean at Cornell Law School and an expert on criminal law. That includes "telling Comey to back off on the Flynn investigation, firing him when he wouldnt, and then admitting on national television that he dismissed Comey because of the Russia investigation."

Trump's statement about Comey to the Russians is significant because it "is indirect evidence of his corrupt intent when he fired Comey," Ohlin added. "Any good lawyer would tell Trump that he needs to stop talking about the Russia investigation.

Story continues

donald trump kislyak

In the wake of Trump's comments and explosive media coverage over the last 2 weeks, White House lawyers have reportedly begun researching presidential impeachment, sources told CNN.

But despite escalating tension surrounding the Russia probe and Trump's interference with the investigation, White House staffers are more "numb than panicked," according to Axios.

"Those who went through the campaign with Trump are numb to the crises and thought so many times before that this [sic] would be the one to break Trump," Axios reported. And despite their apparent frustration with their boss, White House officials admit "Trump has got some special resilience that they can't begin to understand. A coat of protection that almost seems supernatural to them."

Trump's most stalwart supporters, Axios added, are "unfazed" by the Trump-Russia revelations and fallout from Comey's firing. "They're just swinging for Trump and have no qualms working to defend him."

The Trump-Russia controversy picked up new steam on Wednesday when deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller to helm the FBI's Russia probe.

Rosenstein's decision drew bipartisan support, and intelligence officials said Mueller's selection meant Trump "may have gone from the frying pan into the fire."

"Mueller has a reputation for being a straight shooter and wont be swayed by pressure from the White House," Ohlin said. And although there's no timeline on how long the investigation will take, "its not a good development for the Trump White House."

NOW WATCH: China built a $350 million bridge that ends in a dirt field in North Korea





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Lithuanian English

Elektrenai, Lithuania, 2017-05-22 08:55 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, company code 302648707, registered office at Elektrines st. 21, Elektrenai (hereinafter referred to as the Company). The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 635 083 615, ISIN code  LT0000128571.



On 19 May 2017 the Company received Vilnius Regional Administrative Court decision (dated 18 May 2017) which accepted Companys appeal regarding cancelation of the decision of Vilnius Regional Administrative Court dated 19 April 2017. The Companys appeal was referred to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania.



As it was noted by the Company, on 19 April 2017 Vilnius Regional Administrative Court rejected the Companys claim on paragraph 1 of Resolution No 03-391 of the National Commission for Energy Control and Prices Regarding the Setting of Price Caps for 2017 of Services of Assurance of Electricity Reserve Power of AB Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba of 29 November 2016 (hereinafter  the Resolution).



In paragraph 1 of the Resolution, costs of Kruonis Pumped Storage Power Plant (hereinafter - KPSP) attributed to the service of secondary emergency power reserve of 2017 are subject to proportionate cost allocation, i.e. two KPSP units with the total power of 450 MW are used in the provision of secondary emergency active power reserve service, however the Company gets compensation of costs only for 400 MW of power.
PRESS RELEASE

KLEPIERRE ACQUIRES

NUEVA CONDOMINA,

the leading retail hub

in MURCIA AREA, SPAIN

Paris - May 22, 2017

Klepierre, the leading pure play shopping center property company in Europe, announced today that it has acquired Nueva Condomina, the leading shopping mall in the region of Murcia, Spain, for a property value of 233 million (including duties). Following this acquisition, Nueva Condomina becomes the third largest asset in Klepierre's Spanish portfolio in terms of net rental income.

Covering approximately 110,000 sq.m. (a 73,000 sq.m. shopping center and 37,000 sq.m. retail park) Nueva Condomina boasts an exceptional mix of 178 shops. In 2016, it attracted nearly 11 million visitors and generated 257 million in retailer sales.

Klepierre purchased 100% of the shares of the Spanish entity that directly owns Nueva Condomina from a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV. Klepierre financed the acquisition through available credit lines.

Based on current annualized net rental income (NRI) of 12.5 million (80% shopping center; 20% retail park), the EPRA net initial yield amounts to 5.4%. Klepierre has been managing the entire retail site since 2012, and has already identified asset management and leasing initiatives which should result in an 18% uplift in annualized NRI by 2019.

A more detailed presentation of the acquisition is available on Klepierre's website.

THE LEADING MALL IN THE MURCIA REGION

After Plenilunio in Madrid (March 2015) and Oslo City (December 2015), this new acquisition reflects Klepierre's strategy of focusing on retailers' must-have destinations with high rental growth potential.

Nueva Condomina is the leading retail destination in the entire region around Murcia, Spain's 7th largest city. The mall is strategically located in a catchment area of 800,000 people. It is well connected to road networks as well as to public transportation facilities, such as a dedicated tramway stop and two direct bus lines connecting the Murcia City Center. The region also benefits from increasing tourist traffic (1 million in 2016). This translates into a higher basket at Nueva Condomina than the average of Klepierre's Spanish portfolio.

Opened in 2006, Nueva Condomina is a recently developed shopping mall with a good architectural design. Its pleasant look-and-feel was further enhanced in 2014, thanks to a refurbishment (entrances, mall corridors, food court, outdoor signage, etc.).

The mall is anchored by the largest Primark store (5,306 sq.m.) on Spain's Southern Mediterranean coast, the only Apple store in the region, as well as a 2,350 sq.m. H&M. The entire Inditex Group galaxy of brands - Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Lefties, Oysho, Stradivarius, Zara Home and Zara Kids - is also in the mall. In autumn 2017, the main Zara store's extension from 1,912 sq.m. to 3,400 sq.m. is scheduled to open. Together with Mango, C&A and New Yorker, these brands position Nueva Condomina as the leading fashion destination in the Murcia area. Other anchors include Fnac and a 15-screen Cinesa movie theater (more than 500,000 tickets per year).

The 178 shops are organized over two levels with an efficient and smooth layout. A 5,700-car parking facility is connected to the mall and the retail park, which is anchored by Leroy Merlin, MediaMarkt and Maisons du Monde (opened in May 2016).

STRONG VALUE CREATION POTENTIAL

In 2012, Klepierre Management Espana was appointed leasing and property manager of Nueva Condomina. Since then, retailer sales and footfall have grown respectively by 35% and 15%. In the coming years, Klepierre will further implement its Retail Only operational strategy to accelerate re-tenanting and optimize occupancy to ultimately enhance value creation. The occupancy rate is expected to increase to 90% by

year-end 2017 (vs 85% in April 2017) and Klepierre is confident in its ability to capture high levels of reversion, since occupancy cost ratios are below the average of its current portfolio in Spain (9.3% vs 13.5%). Given the lease expiration schedule, most of renewals and potential re-letting will take place after 2019.

By 2019, these new asset management and leasing initiatives should lead to an 18% net rental income increase.

Pictures available on demand

AGENDA July 25, 2017



First-Half 2017 Earnings (press release after market close)



INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS MEDIA CONTACTS Hubert d'AILLIERES

+33 (0)1 40 67 51 37 - hubert.daillieres@klepierre.com

Julien ROUCH

+33 (0)1 40 67 53 08 - julien.rouch@klepierre.com



Lorie LICHTLEN, Burson-Marsteller i&e

+33 (0)1 56 03 13 01 - lorie.lichtlen@bm.com

Camille PETIT, Burson-Marsteller i&e

+33 (0)1 56 03 12 98 - camille.petit@bm.com

ABOUT KLEPIERRE

The leading pure play shopping center property company in Europe, Klepierre combines development, property and asset management skills. The company's portfolio is valued at 22.8 billion at December 31, 2016 and comprises large shopping centers in 16 countries in Continental Europe which altogether welcome 1.1 billion visitors per year. Klepierre holds a controlling stake in Steen & Strm (56.1%), Scandinavia's number one shopping center owner and manager. Klepierre is a French REIT (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris and included in the CAC Next 20, EPRA Euro Zone and GPR 250 indexes. It is also included in ethical indexes, such as DJSI World and Europe, FTSE4Good, STOXX Global ESG Leaders, Euronext Vigeo France 20 and World 120, and is ranked as a Green Star by GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark). These distinctions underscore the Group's commitment to a proactive sustainable development policy.

For more information: www.klepierre.com

This press release and the Nueva Condomina power point presentation are available on Klepierre's website: www.klepierre.com
bc1991 wrote:

Hi bc1991 . Thanks for reaching out and will answer your questions below!

- 25yo, English, white male, middle class



- Undergrad at London School of Economics in Government, 2.1 honours (not the top grade, but top 10% of class)[color=#1a7b30]Overall this is pretty strong.

Good work experience

Less important to have the brand name here as you have the big 4 already

[color=#0000ff][color=#1a7b30]Very impressive

I would not count on the regular blood donations to get you into B School! Try to up your game here- there is still time now to get some meaningful involvement somewhere in next 6 months

- Short term: to pivot to a senior role in a focussed strat. house in the U.S. Ideally working in the public / transport sector to help improve public services and reduce emissions



- Longer term: get increasingly involved in NGO work

- Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT, Booth, Yale

- Is my profile competitive at these schools?[color=#1a7b30]HBS likes to see a "habit of leadership" in all areas of life-

extracurricular, work etc- so I am not seeing that here... not sure I am seeing MIT either... nor Booth... but Yale, Kellogg are probably your strongest bets from this list. Might also look at Tuck, Georgetown, Fuqua for the public sector- social enterprise connection.



Hello! Hope this message finds you well, any tips or pointers would be greatProfile:- 3.5 years at Big 4. First two were on the grad scheme, last 2 in Strategy department working on a large infrastructure strategy project- About to move to smaller strategy boutique (no-brand name in the US, but recognised in Europe / France)- 730 GMAT (49Q,40V) Only 6 on the IR, but also 6 on the essay[/color][/color]- Weak extra-curricula activities (regular blood donations, limited involvement in mentoring scheme at work)[/color]Reasons for wanting to do an MBA:Target schools:Questions:- Other that working on the pro-bono elements of my application, what else could I do to stand out?[/color]
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
GREAT FALLS -- Hundreds of antlers, horns and hides piled high outside Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Great Falls office drew bids ranging from a few dollars to the thousands on Saturday.

It was the states semiannual auction of confiscated wildlife, with items including bighorn sheep horns, elk racks and shed antlers and even a few frozen mountain lion, bobcat and otter carcasses. The auction drew a wide variety of bidders, whether wildlife artists looking for horns to carve, crafters needing antlers or taxidermists buying trophies for the wall.

While some of the items came from roadkill, the majority were seized in poaching investigations, housed in all seven FWP regions until Saturdays auction.

Logistically, its a lot of work for us to round up all the evidence, bring it to Great Falls and break it down by species, said FWP Warden Captain Dave Holland.

Wardens organize the items by species into lots, which can be a single elk rack on the skull or several individual antlers bundled together. More than 400 lots were available for bid Saturday.

Its run through a private auction and all the proceeds go into the state general fund, and then to the state food bank network to help fund the food banks around Montana, said FWP spokesman Bruce Auchly.

First up for auction was a massive bighorn sheep head destined for a taxidermist. Fred Burow with Burows Auction took center stage, sporting a cowboy hat and bolo tie, and began rattling off numbers in a classic western spectacle. Within a few seconds the bid climbed over $1,000, stalled briefly, and then took off again. When the bidding stopped, the price tag was $2,700.

Another sheep head followed, this one only fetching $650.

The value of wildlife varies so much and is so much about the individual and the aesthetics they like, Holland said. What I like may not be what you like so its so hard to put one value on something.

Many of the individual antlers will become knife handles or door knobs, some will be ground into powders for medicinal purposes and others formed into lamps or chandeliers.

Bidders purchased more than 25 sheep heads on Saturday. Due to their high value and the related incentive to kill and then sell them illegally, it is unlawful in Montana to even pick up a naturally killed head or horns.

FWP acquired several sheep via those who did not realize the law and picked up a deadhead. Upon discovering their mistakes, the heads were turned in.

A few of the bighorns also came from the Tendoy Mountains. In that range, FWP is removing all the sheep due to persistent disease with the goal of eventually reintroducing a herd.

While most bidders attended Saturdays auction to purchase items for eventual resale, Holland acknowledged that the crowd included a few familiar faces to wardens, meaning those who had illegally killed the animals in the first place. Nothing prevents a poacher from buying the animal he or she unlawfully killed, he said.

The takeaway of seeing the evidence from numerous wildlife crime investigations all collected in one place was not lost on Holland.

What the underlying take home for me is that these are from illegally taken wildlife -- over limit, shot at night. Every head here is an opportunity taken away from a hunter to harvest or for a nonhunter to enjoy.
On 3-5 October 2017 Kyiv is going to host the Space and Future Forum to network international experts and youth, many of whom will also participate at the first CosmoHack in the world. Joinfo provides media coverage of the Forum, and some of its topics were already discussed ...
Having a high blood platelet count is a strong predictor of cancer and should be urgently investigated to save lives, according to a large-scale study.

Around two per cent of people over 40up to half a million people in the UKhave a raised blood platelet countknown as thrombocytosis.

Now, a study of 40,000 patient records led by the University of Exeter Medical School found that more than 11% of men and 6% of women over the age of 40 with thrombocytosis went on to be diagnosed with cancer within a year. This rose to 18% of men and 10% of women if a second raised platelet count was recorded within six months.

In the general population, around 1% develop cancer in any one year. In the cohort analysed, of people who had been sent for a blood test by their GP, around 4% of men and 2% of women developed cancer. Lung and colorectal cancer were more commonly diagnosed with thrombocytosis. One-third of patients with thrombocytosis and lung or colorectal cancer had no other symptoms that would indicate to their GP that they had cancer.

The paper, published in the British Journal of General Practice, calls for GPs to consider a diagnosis of cancer in patients with unexpected thrombocytosis, to increase early diagnosis which can save lives.

Lead author Dr Sarah Bailey, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "We know that early diagnosis is absolutely key in whether people survive cancer. Our research suggests that substantial numbers of people could have their cancer diagnosed up to three months earlier if thrombocytosis prompted investigation for cancer. This time could make a vital difference in achieving earlier diagnosis."

The research was carried out using data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, which includes anonymised data from around 8% of UK general practices. The researchers compared records of patients aged 40 and over. They analysed 30,000 with thrombocytosis and 8,000 with normal blood platelet counts.

They calculate that if only a conservative estimate of 5% of patients with cancer have thrombocytosis before a cancer diagnosis, one third of them have the potential to have their diagnosis expedited by at least three months by the identification of this risk marker, equating to 5,500 earlier diagnoses annually.

The study has revealed the first new indicator of cancer to have been robustly identified in 30 years. The Exeter group specialises in identifying which symptoms predict cancer to aid early diagnosis, however most of their work centres around quantifying known risk markers. Thrombocytosis first arose when they were investigating other features, and the paper is the first to thoroughly investigate the association between thrombocytosis and undiagnosed cancer.

Professor Willie Hamilton, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: "The UK lags well behind other developed countries on early cancer diagnosis. In 2014, 163,000 people died of cancer in this country. Our findings on thrombocytosis show a strong association with cancer, particularly in men - far stronger than that of a breast lump for breast cancer in women. It is now crucial that we roll out cancer investigation of thrombocytosis. It could save hundreds of lives each year."

Dr Ukoumunne is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care - South West Peninsula.

More information: The paper, 'Clinical relevance of thrombocytosis in primary care: a prospective cohort study of cancer incidence using English electronic medical records and cancer registry data' is published in the British Journal of General Practice. Journal information: British Journal of General Practice The paper, 'Clinical relevance of thrombocytosis in primary care: a prospective cohort study of cancer incidence using English electronic medical records and cancer registry data' is published in the
Long-term anabolic-androgenic steroid use may reduce the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

In addition, long-term anabolic-androgenic steroid use damages the heart muscle's ability to relax and may cause atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

Anabolic-androgenic steroids mimic naturally occurring testosterone, a muscle-building hormone that promotes male sexual characteristics. Since illicit use of these steroids became widespread in the American general population in the 1980s, those users are now reaching middle-age and adverse long-term effects are becoming evident.

Researchers conducted an observational study of 140 male weightlifters: 86 who used anabolic steroids and 54 non-users. Of the users, 58 were on the drug and 28 were off the drug during evaluations. The off-drug users had last used these steroids an average of 15 months prior to these evaluations. Anabolic steroid users showed higher body- and fat-free mass indexes, consistent with known effects of anabolic steroids.

Using two-dimensional ultrasound imaging, researchers found that the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, was significantly weaker during contraction (systolic function) in those taking anabolic steroids compared to the non-steroid users.

Seventy-one percent of the anabolic steroid users who were on-drug at the time of evaluation had a low pumping capacity (less than 52 percent) whereas off-drug users had largely normal pumping capacity. In contrast, researchers found that only two of the non-users had a low pumping capacity.

Diastolic function, which is when the left ventricle relaxes and fills with blood, was impaired both for on-drug and off-drug anabolic steroid users. The researchers said this suggests a more permanent heart problem.

"Compared to non-users, anabolic steroid users displayed both higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as a higher prevalence of levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol in their blood," said Aaron Baggish, M.D., study co-lead author and associate director of the cardiovascular performance program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

In addition to documenting impairments in heart function, researchers used coronary CT scans to examine the potential link between anabolic steroid use and coronary artery disease. This portion of the study revealed strong associations between the lifetime duration of illicit anabolic steroid use and the amount of plaque build-up in the coronary arteries. "This finding places illicit anabolic steroid use on the list of factors clinicians should consider when caring for men with premature disease of the coronary arteries," Baggish said.

Researchers note that it's estimated that between 2.9 million and 4 million Americans have used anabolic steroids. About a million of them, almost all of whom are male, have developed anabolic steroid dependence.

"It is critical that clinicians become aware of the long-term risks of anabolic steroid use on the heart. Most people relate anabolic steroids to cheating among athletes and fail to realize that there is a large population of men who have developed dependence upon these drugs, but who are not readily visible. The oldest members of this population are only now reaching middle age," said Harrison Pope, Jr., M.D., the study's other co-lead author and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

"Clinicians need to know that there may be a marked increase in anabolic steroid-related cardiac pathology as this population moves into later middle-age and beyond," said Pope who is also director of the Biological Psychiatry Laboratory at McLean Hospital, Harvard's largest teaching hospital in psychiatry.

More information: Aaron L. Baggish et al, Cardiovascular Toxicity of Illicit Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid UseClinical Perspective, Circulation (2017). Journal information: Circulation Aaron L. Baggish et al, Cardiovascular Toxicity of Illicit Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid UseClinical Perspective,(2017). DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.116.026945
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) delivered online is effective for treating depression in adults concludes a new meta-analysis presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Diego.

CBT, a type of talk therapy, has been shown to be effective in treating depression in adults with mild to moderate depression. However, a number of barriers, including cost, availability and stigma prevent many from accessing these services. Delivering CBT over the Internet (iCBT) may help address some of the barriers.

Researchers led by Charles Koransky, M.D., a psychiatric resident at the University of Maryland Medical Center, sought to assess whether iCBT for adults with depressive symptoms leads to a reduction in these symptoms. They identified and reviewed 14 randomized controlled studies published between 2005 and 2015 in which iCBT was used with adults with depression.

They found the Internet-delivered CBT was effective in reducing depressive symptoms. iCBT also maintained the positive effects on symptoms for six months after the therapy. The study found no statistically significant difference in depressive symptoms between studies where clinicians participated in the iCBT program and those without clinician assistance in the iCBT treatment.

The researchers conclude that online CBT is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and may be a good treatment modality for individuals unable to access traditional face-to-face therapy.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Cyberbullying may exacerbate mental health conditions among adolescents, particularly teens who have experienced previous emotional abuse, according to new research presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Diego.

Cyberbullying is a common experience among adolescents and has received wide media attention. It has been linked to mental health consequences and suicide.

Researchers led by Samantha B. Saltz, M.D., Child and Adolescent Chief Resident, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, examined cyberbullying victimization among adolescent psychiatric inpatients and related it to social media use and histories of adverse early life experience. They collected data on social media use and cyberbullying among 50 psychiatric inpatients between the ages of 13 and 16.

Most participants engaged one or more times a day on at least one type of social media (Facebook 54 percent, Instagram 53 percent, chat rooms 33 percent, Twitter 30 percent). Ten participants (20 percent) had been victims of cyberbullying, while only three (6 percent) admitted to partaking in cyberbullying. Cyberbullying victims reported that several media outlets were used (Facebook 6/10, Instagram 6/10, Twitter 4/10, chat rooms 3/10). None of the victims reported bullying via email.

Cyberbullying was associated with symptoms of depression and dissociation, and with anger. Previous experience of emotional abuse was significantly correlated with cyberbullying. Other types of early life trauma, including physical and sexual abuse and physical and emotional neglect, were not associated with cyberbullying. Saltz and colleagues suggest educating adolescents about healthy use of technology may be helpful.
According to a newly published study, "light" cigarettes appear to be largely to blame for an increase in cases and deaths of a type of lung cancer known as adenocarcinoma. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

A new study shows that so-called "light" cigarettes have no health benefits to smokers and have likely contributed to the rise of a certain form of lung cancer that occurs deep in the lungs.

For this new study, researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James) and five other universities/cancer centers examined why the most common type of lung cancer, called adenocarcinoma, has increased over the last 50 years, rather than decreasing as smokers have been able to quit. Other types of lung cancer have been decreasing in relationship to fewer people smoking, but not lung adenocarcinoma. Because of this, lung adenocarcinoma is now the most common type of lung cancer.

Results confirm what tobacco-control researchers have suspected for years: There is no health benefit to high-ventilation (light) cigarettes - long marketed by the tobacco industry as a "healthier" option - and these cigarettes have actually have caused more harm. Holes in cigarette filters were introduced 50 years ago and were critical to claims for low-tar cigarettes

"This was done to fool smokers and the public health community into thinking that they actually were safer," says Peter Shields, MD, deputy director of the OSUCCC - James and a lung medical oncologist. "Our data suggests a clear relationship between the addition of ventilation holes to cigarettes and increasing rates of lung adenocarcinoma seen over the past 20 years. What is especially concerning is that these holes are still added to virtually all cigarettes that are smoked today."

A new study shows that so-called "light" cigarettes have no health benefits to smokers and have likely contributed to the rise of a certain form of lung cancer that occurs deep in the lungs. The study was led by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in partnership with five other cancer centers. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was given the authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009. Current regulations ban tobacco companies from labeling and marketing cigarettes as "low tar" or "light." Study authors, however, say that given this new data, the FDA should take immediate action to regulate the use of the ventilation holes, up to and including a complete ban of the holes.

"The FDA has a public health obligation to take immediate regulatory action to eliminate the use of ventilation holes on cigarettes," adds Shields. "It is a somewhat complicated process to enact such regulations, but there is more than enough data to start the process. We believe that such an action would drive down the use and toxicity of conventional cigarettes, and drive smokers to either quit or use less harmful products. There are some open questions about unintended consequences for enacting a ban, which provides for an important research agenda."

Study Design and Methods

A team made up of lung oncology, public health and tobacco regulation researchers conducted a comprehensive, multi-faceted analysis of existing literature that included chemistry and toxicology studies, human clinical trials and epidemiological studies of both smoking behavior and cancer risk. They studied scientific publications in the peer-reviewed literature and internal tobacco company documents.

According to a newly published study, "light" cigarettes appear to be largely to blame for an increase in cases and deaths of a type of lung cancer known as adenocarcinoma. Credit: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

Researchers hypothesized that the higher incidence rates of lung adenocarcinoma were attributable to the filter ventilation holes, which allow smokers to inhale more smoke that also has higher levels of carcinogens, mutagens and other toxins.

"The filter ventilation holes change how the tobacco is burned, producing more carcinogens, which then also allows the smoke to reach the deeper parts of the lung where adenocarcinomas more frequently occur," explains Shields.

To date, all the scientific evidence involves the adverse impact of adding ventilation, but not removing it. Additional research is needed to confirm that the addictiveness of the cigarette or toxic exposures from cigarettes would not increase with elimination of the ventilation holes. The OSUCCC - James and researchers at the University of Minnesota, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Virginia Tech, Harvard University and Medical University of South Carolina are conducting additional research to reconcile human biomarkers studies and smoke distribution/exposure in the lung.
A study led by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine sought to answer the question: Do early sepsis care regulations work? Credit: University of Pittsburgh Department of Critical Care Medicine

Following the tragic and widely publicized death of Rory Staunton, 12, from undiagnosed sepsis in 2012, New York became the first state to require that hospitals follow a protocol to quickly identify and treat the condition.

The mandate led to widespread controversy in the medical community as to whether such steps would have saved Rory or anyone else's life.

Now, five years after the boy's death, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine-led study covering nearly 50,000 patients from 149 New York hospitals is the first to offer scientific evidence that "Rory's Regulations" work. The announcementwhich gives fuel to other states pursuing rapid sepsis care initiativeswill be made today at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference in Washington, D.C., and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Sepsisa condition that arises when the body's response to an infection injures its own tissues and organsis the No. 1 killer of hospital patients, and more than 1 in 5 do not survive. At least 1.5 million sepsis cases occur in the U.S. annually.

"There is considerable controversy about how rapidly sepsis must be treated," said lead author Christopher W. Seymour, M.D., M.Sc., assistant professor in Pitt's departments of Critical Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine, and member of Pitt's Clinical Research Investigation and Systems Modeling of Acute Illness (CRISMA) Center. "Some question the benefit of rapid treatment with protocols, saying they can have unintended side effects and be a distraction in busy emergency departments. After reviewing the data, we can finally say that faster is better when it comes to sepsis care."

Credit: University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

Rory's Regulations require hospitals to follow protocols for early identification and treatment of sepsis, and submit data on compliance and outcomes. The hospitals can tailor how they implement the protocols, but must include a blood culture to test for infection, measurement of blood lactate (a sign of tissue stress) and administration of antibiotics within three hours of diagnosiscollectively known as the "three-hour bundle."

Seymour and his team found that 83 percent of the hospitals completed the bundle within the required three hours, overall averaging 1.3 hours for completion. For every hour that it took clinicians to complete the bundle, the odds of the patient dying increased by 4 percent.

"With the implementation of Rory's Regulations, New York State has been a leader in the fight against sepsis. Thanks to Governor Cuomo for recognizing the need for statewide evidence-based protocols and the work of the New York State Sepsis Advisory Workgroup, we have a system in place that quickly identifies sepsis cases, collects data and allows for ongoing communication with hospitals to improve care of their septic patients," said Marcus Friedrich, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.P., medical director, New York State Department of Health Office of Quality and Patient Safety. "It is my hope that with this study, combined with the efforts of the New York State Health Department, other states will see that this is a model for combating and improving sepsis-related outcomes and reducing mortality rates."

The results come on the heels of an international analysis of several clinical trials, one led by physicians in Pitt's School of Medicine, none of which found a benefit from a standardized approach to treating sepsis when compared to good physician judgment.

An analysis of nearly 50,000 patients is the first to scientifically show that early sepsis care regulations work. Credit: Nicole Santo/UPMC

Senior author Mitchell Levy, M.D., professor of medicine in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, explains that those clinical trials picked up after the initial urgent resuscitation period was over, and that more than 3 out of 4 sepsis patients in those trials had received elements of the three-hour bundle before they went on to the intensive care unit for further evaluation.

"When the patient is newly diagnosed and possibly still in the emergency department is when it is most important to check the boxes of the three-hour bundle," Levy said. "Minutes matter, and it is critical to perform the correct tests and get the patient antibiotics as fast as possible."

In an editorial in the same issue of NEJM, Tina Batra Hershey, J.D., M.P.H., of Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health, and Jeremy M. Kahn, M.D., of Pitt Public Health and Pitt's Department of Critical Care Medicine, as well as CRISMA, examine the potential of additional state sepsis mandates in light of Seymour's study and the regulations. The pair note that Rory's Regulations represented a major shift in the use of health policy to improve the quality of health care, rather than using market-based incentives and reimbursement penalties.

"Sepsis is a public health crisis worthy of a policy response," they state in the editorial, while also noting that any such policies should give hospitals the flexibility to ensure they can evolve as the science of sepsis care advances. "More direct efforts are needed to ensure that the government response to sepsis maximizes benefits, minimizes harms, and remains responsive to a complex and evolving evidence base."
Its been 12 years -- spanning seven legislative sessions -- that Montana lawmakers have tried to find a way to finance a new heritage center for the Montana Historical Society.

This Legislative session, we came closer than ever before. Two bills -- sponsored by myself and Rep. Jenny Eck of Helena -- passed in every committee and floor vote they encountered, indicating that most legislators want to get this done. But the session ended a few days early, and they didnt make it across the finish line.

The needs of the Montana Historical Society are clear. And the solution is an economic opportunity that will benefit the entire state.

The 65-year-old building that houses many of our states historic treasures is inadequate for the job. Ultimately, priceless and irreplaceable objects -- Native American cultural items, relics of pioneer days and military service, art from Charles M. Russell, Jackson Pollack and others -- are at risk of damage or degradation in the current facility.

A new heritage center would make sure these items are well kept for generations to come. It would also help more and more Montanans, plus visitors and scholars from around the world, experience and enjoy all we have to offer.

The Legislature has authorized the historical society to issue bonds to partially fund the center, and MHS has raised millions more in private donations and pledges -- although some of those pledges could disappear if we dont get the project going soon.

What the Legislature considered this year for the center was a half-percent increase in our lodging tax. Thats just 50 cents extra on a $100 hotel room. Out-of-state visitors now pay about 60 percent of this tax. In other words, this would be a bargain for Montana.

Whats more, some of that revenue would be slated for local historic preservation efforts around the state, so smaller museums and historical societies could continue to share their stories with their own communities and with visitors. Thats in addition to the ongoing work by MHS around the state, loaning out items and sharing knowledge and technical expertise with local historians and teachers in numerous cities and towns. The MHS may be located in Helena, but its a treasure for all of Montana, welcoming visitors, school groups and historic family items from every corner of the state.

Cultural and historic tourism is on the rise. The latest proposal would mean more visitors to historical societies around the state, and an estimated 78,000 additional visitors annually to Helena. It would provide a major anchor and attraction midway between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. It would add to the corridor of natural and cultural attractions along the way, including the Charles M. Russell Museum and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls; the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman; the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning; hot springs; ghost towns; and attractions in Butte, Boulder, Fort Benton and along the Rocky Mountain Front.

The good news is that most of the 2017 Montana Legislature understood what a great opportunity the heritage center offers for the entire state. It was only the ticking clock of the legislative session and struggles over other bills that ultimately stopped the effort this year.

Please make sure that your legislator hears from you soon, before the next legislative session, about how important this museum is to every corner of Montana. Learning our history can help us chart our way to the future.

Good things, and good policies, take time. I hope that in 2019 -- or even sooner, if we have a special session -- well finally move this project forward. Our children and grandchildren will thank us.

Sen. Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena, represents Senate District 42 in the Montana Legislature.
Gearah Goldstein always felt a disconnect between her body and who she knew herself to be. With the help of a team of experts, she was able to make a transition that allows her to live her life as her true self. Credit: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

For the first time, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is reporting on the number of gender confirmation surgeries in the United States. ASPSthe world's largest plastic surgery organizationfound that more than 3,200 transfeminine and transmasculine surgeries were performed in 2016. The procedures can include anything from facial and body contouring to gender reassignment surgeries.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gender confirmation," said Loren Schechter, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Chicago. "There's a wide spectrum of surgeries that someone may choose to treat gender dysphoria, which is a disconnect between how an individual feels and what that person's anatomic characteristics are."

Access to gender confirmation procedures has improved in recent years. In just the first two years of collecting data, ASPS found the number of transgender-related surgeries rose nearly 20 percent from 2015 to 2016. "In the past several years, the number of transgender patients I've seen has grown exponentially," said Dr. Schechter. "Access to care has allowed more people to explore their options, and more doctors understand the needs of transgender patients."

Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons undergo intense training to help these patients address the incongruity between their bodies and the gender they know themselves to be.

"Surgical therapy is one component of the overall care of the individual," said Dr. Schechter. "It takes a team of experts across different disciplines working together to provide comprehensive care. I often partner with doctors who may prescribe treatments such as hormone therapy and mental health professionals who help patients through their transitions."

Experts say access to care has allowed more transgender patients to explore options. Credit: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Choosing a team of experts can be a difficult path to navigate. ASPS President Debra Johnson, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Sacramento, California, says it is crucial to choose a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to ensure the highest safety and training standards.

"Board-certified plastic surgeons undergo rigorous training that is designed to not only provide the safest and best quality care, but also give patients a variety of options when it comes to gender affirming surgeries," said Dr. Johnson. "Our goal as plastic surgeons is to help get transgender patients to a place where they feel the most comfortable."

Gearah Goldstein worked with Dr. Schechter throughout her transition and says she had full confidence that she was in good hands. Goldstein knew from a very early age that that her gender did not align with her body. She now feels that she can live her life as the person she's always been.

"For transgender people, like myself, surgical options are a corrective treatment, not cosmetic," she said. "The types of surgeries someone has is very personal and private, and you wouldn't even know someone had surgery if you saw them walking down the street. It's not about how we're perceived by the public, but how we perceive ourselves."

Gearah Goldstein speaks with her plastic surgeon, Dr. Loren Schechter, about her gender confirmation surgery. Credit: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Goldstein is now an advocate for transgender youth. She says everyone has a unique story, but that her experiences help her understand what someone with gender dysphoria is feeling and how it can become an unbearable burden. She says gender confirmation, whatever that means for the individual, can be truly life-changing.

"It has been a lifelong journey for me. Growing up, there wasn't even a word for transgender. There were no role models or anyone to tell me that I could do something about this feeling of being disconnected from the body I was born with," said Goldstein. "The reality that I lived through has allowed me to assure the next generation that there is nothing abnormal about what they're feeling."
Credit: Xtreme Everest

Sherpas have evolved to become superhuman mountain climbers, extremely efficient at producing the energy to power their bodies even when oxygen is scarce, suggests new research published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The findings could help scientists develop new ways of treating hypoxia - lack of oxygen - in patients. A significant proportion of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) experience potentially life-threatening hypoxia, a complication associated with conditions from haemorrhage to sepsis.

When oxygen is scarce, the body is forced to work harder to ensure that the brain and muscles receive enough of this essential nutrient. One of the most commonly observed ways the body has of compensating for a lack of oxygen is to produce more red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying blood around the body to our organs. This makes the blood thicker, however, so it flows more slowly and is more likely to clog up blood vessels.

Mountain climbers are often exposed to low levels of oxygen, particularly at high altitudes. This is why they often have to take time during long ascents to acclimatise to their surroundings, giving the body enough time to adapt itself and prevent altitude sickness. In addition, they may take oxygen supplies to supplement the thin air.

Scientists have known for some time that people have different responses to high altitudes. While most climbers require additional oxygen to scale Mount Everest, whose peak is 8,848m above sea level, a handful of climbers have managed to do so without. Most notably, Sherpas, an ethnic group from the mountain regions of Nepal, are able to live at high altitude with no apparent consequences to their health - as a result, many act as guides to support expeditions in the Himalayas, and two Sherpas are known to have reached the summit of Everest an incredible 21 times.

Previous studies have suggested differences between Sherpas and people living in non-high altitude areas, known collectively as 'lowlanders', including fewer red blood cells in Sherpas at altitude, but higher levels of nitric oxide, a chemical that opens up blood vessels and keeps blood flowing.

Evidence suggests that the first humans were present on the Tibetan Plateau around 30,000 years ago, with the first permanent settlers appearing between 6,000-9,000 years ago. This raises the possibility that they have evolved to adapt to the extreme environment. This is supported by recent DNA studies, which have found clear genetic differences between Sherpa and Tibetan populations on the one hand and lowlanders on the other. Some of these differences were in their mitochondrial DNA - the genetic code that programmes mitochondria, the body's 'batteries' that generate our energy.

To understand the biological differences between the Sherpas and lowlanders, a team of researchers led by scientists at the University of Cambridge followed two groups as they made a gradual ascent up to Everest Base Camp at an elevation of 5,300m.

The study was part of Xtreme Everest, a project that aims to improve outcomes for people who become critically ill by understanding how our bodies respond to the extreme altitude on the world's highest mountain. This year marks 10 years since the group's first expedition to Everest.

The lowlanders group comprised 10 investigators selected to operate the Everest Base Camp laboratory, where the mitochondrial studies were carried out by James Horscroft and Aleks Kotwica, two PhD students at the University of Cambridge. They took samples, including blood and muscle biopsies, in London to give a baseline measurement, then again when they first arrived at Base Camp and a third time after two months at Base Camp. These samples were compared with those taken from 15 Sherpas, all of whom were living in relatively low-lying areas, rather than being the 'elite' high altitude climbers. The Sherpas' baseline measurements were taken at Kathmandu, Nepal.

The researchers found that even at baseline, the Sherpas' mitochondria were more efficient at using oxygen to produce ATP, the energy that powers our bodies.

As predicted from genetic differences, they also found lower levels of fat oxidation in the Sherpas. Muscles have two ways to get energy - from sugars, such as glucose, or from burning fat (fat oxidation). The majority of the time we get our energy from the latter source; however, this is inefficient, so at times of physical stress, such as when exercising, we take our energy from sugars. The low levels of fat oxidation again suggest that the Sherpas are more efficient at generating energy.

The measurements taken at altitude rarely changed from the baseline measurement in the Sherpas, suggesting that they were born with such differences. However, for lowlanders, measurements tended to change after time spent at altitude, suggesting that their bodies were acclimatising and beginning to mimic the Sherpas'.

One of the key differences, however, was in phosphocreatine levels. Phosphocreatine is an energy reserve that acts as a buffer to help muscles contract when no ATP is present. In lowlanders, after two months at high altitude, phosphocreatine levels crash, whereas in Sherpas levels actually increase.

In addition, the team found that while levels of free radicals increase rapidly at high altitude, at least initially, levels in Sherpas are very low. Free radicals are molecules created by a lack of oxygen that can be potentially damaging to cells and tissue.

"Sherpas have spent thousands of years living at high altitudes, so it should be unsurprising that they have adapted to become more efficient at using oxygen and generating energy," says Dr Andrew Murray from the University of Cambridge, the study's senior author. "When those of us from lower-lying countries spend time at high altitude, our bodies adapt to some extent to become more 'Sherpa-like', but we are no match for their efficiency."

The team say the findings could provide valuable insights to explain why some people suffering from hypoxia fare much worse in emergency situations that others.

"Although lack of oxygen might be viewed as an occupational hazard for mountain climbers, for people in intensive care units it can be life threatening," explains Professor Mike Grocott, Chair of Xtreme Everest from the University of Southampton. "One in five people admitted to intensive care in the UK each year die and even those that survive might never regain their previous quality of life.

"By understanding how Sherpas are able to survive with low levels of oxygen, we can get clues to help us identify those at greatest risk in ICUs and inform the development of better treatments to help in their recovery."

The 10th anniversary of the original Caudwell Xtreme Everest expedition will be marked this month by a conference at the Royal Society of Medicine, and an event open to the public on the evening of 23rd May at the Royal Geographical Society entitled A Celebration of Six Decades of Medicine on Everest.
Pre-eclampsia kills 59 000 women around the world every year. Credit: 'You'll shine like gold in the air of summer' by David Salafia / Flickr is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

For most women, the first pregnancy is a joyous time that they will remember with tenderness for the rest of their lives. But for 5 % of all pregnant women around the world, the journey towards childbirth takes an unexpected turn for the worse.

The culprit is a disorder that many young women expecting their first child have never heard of, a disease that kills 59 000 and affects approximately 800 000 women every year globally.

Pre-eclampsia can go undetected until it's too late, leading to complications of the liver and lungs or even to convulsion and stroke. It is characterised by high blood pressure and protein in urine, and the only known treatment is the delivery of the baby and the placenta.

'If the disease occurs early in the pregnancy, the baby is born prematurely with various complications of low birth weight, incomplete organ maturation, blindness and motor and cognitive complications,' said Hamutal Meiri, from the EU-backed project ASPRE with the company Hylabs Diagnostics, in Rehovot, Israel.

The multinational ASPRE team has paved the way for the roll-out of a preventive treatment targeting women at risk of developing pre-eclampsia early in the pregnancy, known as 'pre-term pre-eclampsia', when its occurrence is more dangerous and the prognosis mostly dire.

The treatment is based on one simple ingredient, aspirin.

They've done it by working out how to identify women at risk of the disease, making it worth their while to take the drug, and then running tests with aspirin.

What they found was that in pregnancies identified by first-trimester screening as being at high risk, 150 mg per day cut the incidence of pre-eclampsia. However, they could not elaborate as the results have not been published yet.

Before this breakthrough, doctors had been reluctant to recommend that all pregnant women take the drug as the studies weren't that extensive.

'While aspirin had been previously offered as a preventive drug, doctors refrained from using it as the evidence was not based on large enough studies, the dose taken was too small and in many cases the drug was taken too late,' said Meiri.

'Our approach emphasised the importance of early screening for the prevention of major pregnancy disorders with simple and cheap means.'

The researchers used a combination of pregnancy and medical history, and the presence of tell-tale molecules known as biomarkers to build a personalised picture of each woman's vulnerability to the condition.

Hundreds of years

Hundreds of years ago doctors put eclampsia, the point at which pre-eclampsia develops into seizures, down to a mother's 'bad blood'.

'In historical documentation eclampsia was referred to as toxaemia ... which is basically linking a woman's blood  with the seizures' that can occur if the condition goes undetected', said Nicolai Murphy, the midwife coordinator for the research consortium IMPROvED.

The pre-term pre-eclampsia targeted by the ASPRE project accounts for only about 30 % of all cases.

The EU-funded IMPROvED project is developing a different way to help researchers identify women at risk of pre-eclampsia at any stage in the pregnancy.

The project helped establish a biobank of maternal blood which stores samples from women at various points in their first pregnancy.

With over 4 000 participants to date, the biobank is a one-of-a-kind resource that will aid researchers all over Europe in the quest to devise early screening systems for pre-eclampsia. As with the ASPRE project, researchers believe that the solution lies in looking for tell-tale molecules in the blood.

'Our research partners identified  tiny molecules whose levels, they believe, are altered when a woman is at risk of getting pre-eclampsia,' said Murphy.

The challenge now is to test the idea of a bigger sample. If they are successful Murphy hopes that one day testing for risk of pre-eclampsia 'could be as simple as a blood finger prick'.

Developing world

Such a test would prove life-saving in the developing world, helping identify women who need increased surveillance.

Professor Louise Kenny, also on the IMPROvED project and director of the Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research, said: 'Currently, antenatal care schedules throughout the world are a one-size-fits-all approach.'

She explained that an affordable testing system 'would have the greatest impact in low-resource settings where more than 90 % of deaths from pre-eclampsia occur'.

Despite scientific progress, pre-eclampsia still leaves many questions unanswered for doctors trying to prevent and control it. What are the causes, what is the genetic and biochemical relation between the placenta, the foetus and the mother?

One thing they know for sure? It's a disease that runs in families. And this could be the starting point for a more effective investigation into its triggers.

'If you think about it, it's almost a miracle that you can grow a baby that is genetically half-foreign to your body,' said Dr Hannele Laivuori, at the University of Helsinki, in Finland.

Mixing genomes is part of a healthy reproductive system, so what goes wrong with pre-eclampsia?

'It's like if there was some sort of maternal-foetus incompatibility,' Dr Laivuori said.

She participated in a research project called InterPregGen, which is trying to pinpoint the genetic traits responsible for the condition.

'The purpose of this study, the largest of its kind ever undertaken, was to analyse genetic factors in women and babies, from blood samples and DNA from (umbilical) cord blood after the delivery,' she said.

The researchers collected genetic material from research centres in a number of countries, including Iceland, the UK, Norway, Finland, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The results revealed several regions of the maternal and foetal genome that might be associated with pre-eclampsia.

This research  like the work to develop a test for at-risk mothers - remains a work in progress. Yet as a result of the work being done, a cheap and effective set of measures that could become part of the antenatal routine, both in rich and poor nations, seems now within reach.
Ketamine has been used for decades as an anesthetic, but researchers are exploring its potential as a treatment for severe forms of mental illnesses like OCD and bipolar disorder. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

As research shows that the hallucinogen is a potentially powerful treatment for intractable mental disorders, and academics continue to debate its safety, private clinics across the country offer the drug to patients now.

Geuris "Jerry" Rivas, a native of New York, was diagnosed with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder when he was 15. Obsessions with organizing and reorganizing the belongings in his bedroomposters, comic books, videostook over most of his day.

Forced by germ obsessions to compulsively wash and rewash his hands, he started wearing gloves all day to both protect him from the germs and stop him from washing his hands raw. Now, at 36, OCD symptoms continue to cost him jobs and relationships. He's managed to turn his organizational skills into a professionhe's a home organizer and house cleanerbut still he struggles daily with his obsessions, missing work, risking relationships.

"It's caused me a great deal of suffering," Rivas said. "I've tried many, many medications. I've wasted so much of my life."

In 2012, running out of answers, Rivas took part in a clinical trial to try ketamine as a treatment for OCD. The trial was run by Carolyn Rodriguez, MD, PhD, then a researcher at Columbia University and now an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medicine.

Life-changing experience with one infusion

And with a single infusion of the drug, he experienced, for two weeks, what it was like to live without the compulsions and obsessions that had for years controlled his life.

"I felt like, for the first time, I was able to function like a regular person," he said.

Beginning more than a decade ago with a study funded by the National Institutes of Health that showed ketamine infusions inducing dramatic improvements in treatment-resistant depression, ketamine research has burst into the field of psychiatry, spurring studies like Rodriguez's that have shown success in treating OCD, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Researchers have a way to go, though, in determining exactly how ketamine works in the brain and whether another drug might be identified or developed that has the same benefit as ketamine without its addictive potential and hallucinogenic effects. Meanwhile, enticed by headlines about the drug's efficacy, private ketamine clinics have begun popping up across the country, making costly new treatments available to patients who are searching for help to stop their suffering now. Ketamine is approved as an anesthetic by the Food and Drug Administration, but insurance companies don't cover its off-label use for mental health disorders. So patients who have run out of treatment options are paying hundreds of dollars a dose for repeated ketamine infusions.

As scientists continue to search for answers about the drug, many patients are already taking the risk of trying it. Advocates say that the dose used for mental health disorders is smaller than that used for anesthesia or by abusers and can be administered safely. But there is evidence from people who abuse the drug routinelyin much higher dosesthat chronic, high-frequency ketamine use may be associated with increased risk of cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder, and cognitive impairment, Rodriguez said.

'Desperation of patients'

"The fact that these clinics exist is due to the desperation of patients," said Rodriguez, who is currently researching the drug's safety as a long-term treatment for OCD. Still, she understands what motivates the clinicians to prescribe the drug now to patients in dire straitsthose who are suicidal or who have tried every possible medication and therapeutic option and continue to suffer each day.

"I see it as a way to treat people whose OCD is very, very severe," she said. "People who can't come out of the house, who are suicidal, who have no other options."

Janssen Pharmaceuticals is currently conducting a phase-3 clinical trial of ketamine in people with treatment-resistant depression. The company plans to ask the FDA to approve the drug for use in treating this condition. Alan Schatzberg, MD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, along with other Stanford faculty including Rodriguez, is investigating the mechanism of action for ketamine in treating depression.

A few academic research institutions have begun offering ketamine treatment to patients, including UC-San Diego and Yale University.

"I think it's a game changer, and it's here to stay," said David Feifel, MD, PhD, professor emeritus of psychiatry at UC-San Diego, who studies the effect of ketamine on clinical depression. Feifel began prescribing the drug for patients with treatment-resistant depression in 2010.

"I've found it to be very safe," Feifel said, adding that the American Psychiatric Association recently issued safety guidelines on how to use ketamine clinically.

"There's a recognition that people like me and others are using the drug to treat patients now," he said. "There's an incredible need for something."

The drug hasn't worked for everyone he's treated, Feifel said, but for many it's been "life-changing."

"I usually tell people to wait and see for 24 hours after treatment," he said. "I had one patient who said she was eating cereal the next day and suddenly it felt like all the lights were popping on in different parts of her brain."

When Rivas, the patient who received a single dose of ketamine during a clinical trial four years ago, heard that certain private ketamine clinics are now offering the drug as treatment for OCD, he said he understands why patients take the risks and pay the high prices. As more research has become available, he's begun considering it himself.

"I've been suffering through my OCD for so long, I've gotten to the point where I'd try anything," he said.
The World Health Organization's outgoing chief Margaret Chan defended her legacy Monday, insisting the world had become better prepared to face health emergencies like Ebola on her watch.

In her final address to WHO's member states, Chan acknowledged that mistakes had been made during her decade at the helm, but stressed that while "we falter sometimes, ... we never give up."

"The world is better prepared, but not nearly well enough," she told the some 4,000 delegates gathered from WHO's 194 member countries for its annual assembly in Geneva.

Chan, whose successor will be elected Tuesday, presented a range of achievements she insisted dispelled "the frequent criticism that WHO has lost its relevance".

She had reason to be on the defensive: During her tenure, WHO faced crushing criticism for its handling of several health emergencies, but none more than the west Africa Ebola epidemic that killed more than 11,300 people between late 2013 and early 2016.

"The outbreak took everyone, including WHO, by surprise," Chan said.

"WHO was too slow to recognise that the virus, during its first appearance in West Africa, would behave very differently than during past outbreaks in central Africa."

But she pointed to a wide range of reforms initiated while the crisis roared, saying the UN health agency had "made quick course corrections", brought the outbreak "under control, and gave the world its first Ebola vaccine".

'History will judge'

"I saw it as my duty to do everything possible to ensure that a tragedy on this scale will not happen again," Chan told the delegates, adding that "history will judge" if she had succeeded.

Among WHO's achievements over the past decade, Chan highlighted efforts to develop "affordable vaccines for priority pathogens... as a head-start for responding to the next inevitable outbreak."

She also pointed to significant progress in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as against a wide range of long neglected tropical diseases.

Many country representatives took the floor to hail Chan's time at the helm.

"You have pursued essential reforms that will make WHO more transparent, more effective and more accountable," US Health Secretary Tom Price said.

But he, like many of his colleagues, said the next WHO head must continue overhauling the agency, "taking a clear-eyed view of what needs to change".

All three candidates to replace Chan have vowed to push ahead with reforms.

The finalists include former Pakistani health minister Sania Nishtar and WHO insider David Nabarro, a British doctor and diplomat who has spent two decades inside the UN system.

Ethiopia's former foreign and health minister Tedros Adhanom is also on the list, aiming to become the first African to hold the post.

He enjoys strong backing from Africa, but on Monday around 100 demonstrators gathered outside UN headquarters in Geneva to protest at his candidacy, according to the Swiss ATS news agency.

One briefly delayed Chan's speech inside the assembly hall, shouting "No Tedros at WHO".

The demonstrators charged that he downplayed cholera outbreaks in Ethiopia with disastrous consequencessomething he has denied.

Taiwan excluded

The opening of the 70th World Health Assembly was also marred by the exclusion of Taiwan, which had been permitted to participate as an observer for the past seven years but did not receive an invitation this year under pressure from China.

Earlier Monday, 11 countries urged the assembly to debate whether to offer Taiwan permanent observer status.

But China, which sees the self-governing island as a renegade province awaiting reunification, insisted it alone should decide whether Taiwan could access the meeting, and the motion was rejected without a vote.

"Taiwan is part of China. Questions regarding Taiwan are China's internal affairs," the Chinese representative at the meeting said.

In an interview with AFP on Sunday, Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said he was "very, very disappointed" at Taipei's exclusion.

US Secretary Price also voiced disappointment Monday, insisting that Washington "remains committed that Taiwan should not be excluded from WHO".

 2017 AFP
Credit: Monash University

A Monash University study into the sleep patterns of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) has found, even when the disease is clinically stable, they experience less sleep than healthy children, impacting their health and quality of life.

More than 3,000 Australians have CF, a genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time, leading to an average life span of just 40 years. Monash University researchers have conducted a world first study of the sleep patterns of children with CF, published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

A second study published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis today shows that this poor sleep is related not only to lung health and other complications of CF, but also to family characteristics and poor sleep hygiene such as use of electronic devices in the bedroom. Improving sleep has the potential to improve health and quality of life in these children, according to the study.

The study was part of the PhD of Dr Moya Vandeluer, a paediatric respiratory and sleep specialist, led by Professor Rosemary Horne, from the Monash Children's Hospital. Dr Vandeleur studied 87 Victorian children with CF and 55 healthy control children aged between 7 and 18 years of age. The study is important because  unlike previous research that relied on subjective responses from parents  the Monash study measured sleep using Actigraphy (a wrist watch  like device which detects movement levels) as well as testing children with recognised questionnaires for sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness.

While there have been numerous studies of sleep quality in adults with CF, this is the first to objectively and subjectively study the quality of sleep in children with clinically stable disease.

The study found that  even in periods when a child's CF was clinically under control  the children with CF got less sleep than their peers. "This was due to the children with CF spending more time in wakefulness during the night rather than less time in bed," Professor Horne said.

According to Professor Horne the study is important because it tested sleep over a 14 day period in the home environment, including weekends and weekdays "to get on overall view of how the child was sleeping and the quality of their sleep."

The study revealed that poorer quality of sleep in children with CF, compared to healthy children without CF, was due to increased time spent awake during the night, rather than differences in time spent in bed due to treatment regimes such as physiotherapy and nebulised treatments as had previously been thought.

Professor Horne argues that decreased quality of sleep in children with CF may be impacting on their mood, quality of life, behaviour and emotional regulation, "all of which impact on the treatment and long term outlook for these children."

"Sleep is clearly something that needs to be considered when developing overall treatments for children with CF," she said.
Researchers from Princeton University's Department of Molecular Biology have identified a small RNA molecule that helps maintain the activity of stem cells in both healthy and cancerous breast tissue. Above, the microscopic image shows different cell types in the normal mammary ducts of a mouse. The luminal cells (red) are milk-producing cells and the basal cells (green) have contractile functions, but also are responsible for regenerating the mammary gland, as they contain the majority of mammary gland stem cells. These stem cells, located in the outer layer of the gland, are exposed to microenvironmental factors and interact with various immune cells, including macrophages, in the mammary gland. Credit: Toni Celia-Terrassa and Yibin Kang, Department of Molecular Biology

Researchers from Princeton University's Department of Molecular Biology have identified a small RNA molecule that helps maintain the activity of stem cells in both healthy and cancerous breast tissue. The study, which will be published in the June issue of Nature Cell Biology, suggests that this "microRNA" promotes particularly deadly forms of breast cancer and that inhibiting the effects of this molecule could improve the efficacy of existing breast cancer therapies.

Stem cells give rise to the different cell types in adult tissues but, in order to maintain these tissues throughout adulthood, stem cells must retain their activity for decades. They do this by "self-renewing," dividing to form additional stem cells, and resisting the effects of environmental signals that would otherwise cause them to prematurely differentiate into other cell types.

Many tumors also contain so-called "cancer stem cells" that can drive tumor formation. Some tumors, such as triple-negative breast cancers, are particularly deadly because they contain large numbers of cancer stem cells that self-renew and resist differentiation.

To identify factors that help non-cancerous mammary gland stem cells (MaSCs) resist differentiation and retain their capacity to self-renew, Yibin Kang, the Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology, and colleagues searched for short RNA molecules called microRNAs that can bind and inhibit protein-coding messenger RNAs to reduce the levels of specific proteins. The researchers identified one microRNA, called miR-199a, that helps MaSCs retain their stem-cell activity by suppressing the production of a protein called LCOR, which binds DNA to regulate gene expression. The team showed that when they boosted miR-199a levels in mouse MaSCs, they suppressed LCOR and increased normal stem cell function. Conversely, when they increased LCOR levels, they could curtail mammary gland stem cell activity.

Kang and colleagues found that miR-199a was also expressed in human and mouse breast cancer stem cells. Just as boosting miR-199a levels helped normal mammary gland stem cells retain their activity, the researchers showed that miR-199a enhanced the ability of cancer stem cells to form tumors. By increasing LCOR levels, in contrast, they could reduce the tumor-forming capacity of the cancer stem cells. In collaboration with researchers led by Zhi-Ming Shao, a professor at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in China, Kang's team found that breast cancer patients whose tumors expressed large amounts of miR-199a showed poor survival rates, whereas tumors with high levels of LCOR had a better prognosis.

Kang and colleagues found that LCOR sensitizes cells to the effects of interferon-signaling molecules released from epithelial and immune cells, particularly macrophages, in the mammary gland. During normal mammary gland development, these cells secrete interferon-alpha to promote cell differentiation and inhibit cell division, the researchers discovered. By suppressing LCOR, miR-199a protects MaSCs from interferon signaling, allowing MaSCs to remain undifferentiated and capable of self-renewal.

The microRNA plays a similar role during tumorigenesis, protecting breast cancer stem cells from the effects of interferons secreted by immune cells present in the tumor. "This is a very nice study linking a normal and malignant mammary gland stem cell program to protection from immune modulators," said Michael Clarke, the Karel H. and Avice N. Beekhuis Professor in Cancer Biology at Stanford School of Medicine, Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, who first discovered breast cancer stem cells but was not involved in this study. "It clearly has therapeutic implications for designing strategies to rationally target the breast cancer stem cells with immune modulators."

Toni Celia -Terrassa, an associate research scholar in the Kang lab and the first author of the study, said, "This study unveils a new property of breast cancer stem cells that give them advantages in their interactions with the immune system, and therefore it represents an excellent opportunity to exploit for improving immunotherapy of cancer."

"Interferons have been widely used for the treatment of multiple cancer types," Kang said. "These treatments might become more effective if the interferon-resistant cancer stem cells can be rendered sensitive by targeting the miR-199a-LCOR pathway."

More information: Toni Celia-Terrassa et al, Normal and cancerous mammary stem cells evade interferon-induced constraint through the miR-199aLCOR axis, Nature Cell Biology (2017). Journal information: Nature Cell Biology Toni Celia-Terrassa et al, Normal and cancerous mammary stem cells evade interferon-induced constraint through the miR-199aLCOR axis,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncb3533
A depiction of the double helical structure of DNA. Its four coding units (A, T, C, G) are color-coded in pink, orange, purple and yellow. Credit: NHGRI

Scientists on Monday announced the discovery of 52 genes linked to human intelligence, 40 of which have been identified as such for the first time.

The findings also turned up a surprising connection between intelligence and autism that could one day help shed light on the condition's origins.

Taken together, the new batch of "smart genes" accounted for 20 percent of the discrepencies in IQ test results among tens of thousands of people examined, the researchers reported in the journal Nature Genetics.

"For the first time, we were able to detect a substantial amount of genetic effects in IQ," said Danielle Posthuma, a researcher at the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research in Amsterdam, and the main architect of the study.

"Our findings provide insight into the biological underpinnings of intelligence," she told AFP.

Most of the newly discovered gene variants linked to elevated IQ play a role in regulating cell development in the brain, especially neuron differentiation and the formation of neural information gateways called synapses.

An international team of 30 scientists combed through 13 earlier studies in which detailed genetic profiles and intelligence evaluationsbased on IQ testshad been compiled for 78,000 people, all of European descent.

Links with autism

Increasingly powerful computers have made it possible to scan and compare hundreds of thousands of genomes, matching tiny variations in DNA with diseases, body types or, in this case, native smarts.

The human genome has some 25,000 genes composed of more than three billion pairing of building-block molecules.

Many of the genetic variations linked with high IQ also correlated with other attributes: more years spent in school, bigger head size in infancy, tallness, and even success in kicking the tobacco habit.

One of the strongestand most surprisinglinks was with autism, noted Posthuma.

"Gene variants associated with high IQ are also associated with higher risk of autism spectrum disorder," she said in an interview.

One gene in particularSHANK3"is a very good candidate for explaining that," she added.

Conversely, the absence of certain high-IQ genes was more common in people suffering from schizophrenia or obesity.

A genetic IQ test?

To challenge their own results, the researchers separately checked the 13 databases they drew fromeach had used slightly different IQ testsagainst the 52 gene variants to see if the combined match-up between intelligence and genetic profile held up. It did.

They also scanned a very large database that had not been part of their study. Once again, the link held up, thoughas expectedwith a smaller percentage overlap between with IQ.

Scientists would have to scan millions of genomes to find them all, and the raw data and computing power for doing so is still out of reach, Posthuma explained.

"For intelligence, there are thousands of genes," she said. "We have detected the 52 most important ones, but there will be a lot more."

Experts agree that genes probably account for up to half of measured intelligence. But even if scientists could map all the genetic quirks that contribute to being brainy, that might not be enough to predict IQ, much less success in life.

"We are looking at all these genetic effects in isolation," said Posthuma. "Maybe it's a certain pattern of genetic variants"and not just their sheer number"that makes you more intelligent."

The other major ingredient for achievement, she added, is exercising one's quotient of grey matter, however big or small it might be.

If someone with a big genetic endowment "chooses not to put any effort into learning, then that will definitely diminish their chances for achievement," Posthuma said.

More information: Suzanne Sniekers et al, Genome-wide association meta-analysis of 78,308 individuals identifies new loci and genes influencing human intelligence, Nature Genetics (2017). Journal information: Nature Genetics Suzanne Sniekers et al, Genome-wide association meta-analysis of 78,308 individuals identifies new loci and genes influencing human intelligence,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/ng.3869

 2017 AFP
Two weeks and several political disasters ago, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act of 2017, and soon lists of "pre-existing conditions" festooned news feeds. We all ticked off a few. But the lists, although acknowledged as incomplete, offered a highly inconsistent menu of maladies as broad as "cancer" yet as specific as "cystic fibrosis." I don't know whether the focus on the familiar reflects editorial choices to appeal to the masses, or ignorance of or deliberate avoidance of mentioning many of the lesser-known rare diseases. More than 30 million people in the US have rare diseases, many of them genetic and some of those treatable with approaches more complex than those used for more common conditions.

Last week DNA Science addressed the possibility of the AHCA forcing pregnant women to carry doomed fetuses to term, the discussion now in the hands of 13 senators, whom I suspect have never been pregnant. This week I fear for the treatments for single-gene conditions, both the short-term and available protein-based ones as well as the not-yet-approved gene therapies. So here's a brief look at two ways to counter errant single genes.

ENZYME REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Last week between crises CNN.com told the remarkable story of recent college grad Ryan Dant. Born in 1998, Ryan seemed healthy until a routine check-up at age 3 revealed a liver and spleen twice normal size. That led to diagnosis of a form of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), a class of devastating inborn errors of metabolism (the lysosomal storage diseases) in which specific sugar-like molecules accumulate in many tissues, including the brain, due to a missing enzyme. May 15 was MPS Awareness Day.

Ryan wasn't expected to survive beyond age 10, but entered a clinical trial for an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), what would be named Aldurazyme, in 1998. It won FDA approval in 2003 and Ryan still has the four-hour, weekly infusions of the drug he needs to live. It costs about $200,000 a year; I found a discounted price of $865.82 at CVS with an online coupon, and some quick math revealed that this is likely for one infusion.

So ERT is expensive. One of the first, Adagen, to treat severe combined immune deficiency due to adenosine deaminase deficiency (SCID-ADA), was FDA-approved in early 1990, and treated 19 children the following year, for $100,000 to $350,000 each. More recently, Baby Etienne's parents told their story, thanking Canada's newborn screening program for adding SCID-ADA to the standard panel. Etienne's Adagen costs $10,000 a week, adding up to $520,000 a year. It's a once or twice weekly injection.

The high cost of lifelong frequent infusions or injections of ERT is why the "forever fix" of a gene therapy is an attractive alternative, even if a booster or two becomes necessary. Gene therapy delivers the DNA instructions for making the missing enzyme. Another reason to seek gene therapy (or editing) is that enzyme infusions don't reach the brain.

Theoretically, gene therapy should be more economical than ERT, once research costs have been recouped. Barry Byrne, MD, PhD, from the Powell Gene Therapy Center at the University of Florida, explained the regulatory reasoning at a meeting on gene therapy at the New York Academy of Sciences May 11: "Of 10,000 compounds investigated, 250 might get to preclinical trials, and 5 into clinical trials, to get one FDA-approved drug. If you realize a gene can be a drug and that single gene is the cause of the disease, you can eliminate that discovery period, the clinical trial shortened, and overall the concept of genes as medicine is becoming reality." But the hurdles are still quite high, and even regulatory approval isn't a sign of sustained success (see Pulling the Plug on the First Gene Therapy Drug here a few weeks ago).

ERT and gene therapies have evolved in tandem, since the mid-1980s. Both work; one researcher compares them to the co-existence of standard toothbrushes and the electric variety. The two approaches echo the "central dogma" of genes encoding proteins: each is a point of potential intervention.

By enabling patients to live longer, ERT can reveal unknown manifestations of a disease, perhaps providing new drug targets or suggesting uses for existing drugs. And new ERTs continue to be approved  a recent one was for a form of Batten disease (late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2). Yet the first FDA approval for a gene therapy has yet to happen. One reason may be the relative complexities of the two strategies. I put gas in my Prius every few weeks  like ERT  but I wouldn't mess with the car's computer controls  like gene therapy.

Encouraging news from a gene therapy trial is incremental, for many reasons.

Single-gene conditions tend to be rare

Gene delivery systems are painstaking and costly to create

Assessing progress entails comparison to detailed natural history studies that chart the course of the illness

Last week at the annual meeting of The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, Abeona Therapeutics discussed interim findings for their clinical trial to treat Sanfilippo syndrome type A, aka MPSIIIA, a different form of the disease from what Ryan Dant has. So far Abeona has treated two cohorts of kids, the first three children receiving 5 trillion adeno-associated viruses (AAV9) carrying the healing gene per kilogram of body weight and the second trio getting twice the dose. The researchers reported on the first 5 kids.

Eliza O'Neill, treated May 10, 2016, is part of the first cohort, and just yesterday she completed her one-year evaluation at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. DNA Science has covered Eliza's journey in many posts, most recently here. She received a one-time intravenous injection into a vein in her hand. AAV9 crosses the blood-brain barrier, enabling a less invasive delivery than directly into the brain, as past clinical trials have done.

Eliza and Ryan's diseases directly affect the lysosomes, the sacs in cells that house enzymes that chew up specific molecules. Disable or remove any of the 43 types of lysosomal enzymes and the substance it normally breaks down instead builds up. For kids with Eliza's form of the disease, heparan N-sulfate builds up.

Like Ryan, Eliza had a few years of good health. Results of the recent natural history study pinpointed the start of the rapid decline for her disease: around 30 months.

"About 70% of the kids don't reach the age of 18, due to the profound deficiency in the lysosomes, which are the garbage factories of the cell. And when an enzyme that breaks down one sugar in the cell is deficient, the entire metabolome shows effects," explained Abeona CEO and president Tim Miller, PhD on a conference call from the meeting last week. He was referring to a mouse study on a different form of MPS that showed that a glitch in one lysosomal enzyme type has ripple effects on others.

Treating kids with either of two doses revealed a possible dose-response, Dr. Miller reported.

Specifically, levels of heparan sulfate in the cerebrospinal fluid and the sizes of the liver and spleen went down in both cohorts, as nonverbal IQ scores either stabilized or increased in the first cohort (the second hasn't been post-treatment long enough to tell). So far there's no evidence of immune rejection. Some of the changes began earlier and more dramatically among the higher-dose children. "With the increased dose in cohort 2, we see a 2.5-fold increase in reduction of heparan sulfate in the cerebrospinal fluid and a drop in heparan sulfate of 6%," Dr. Miller said.

Importantly, the kids in the first cohort are ages 4.2-6.5; those in the second cohort are 2 to 4. The natural history study will be able to parse any effects of age and dose. But there's evidence for other lysosomal storage diseases that treating before the brain is damaged is best. And of course the sample so far is tiny.

Still, one year out, there's a sense of optimism about gene therapy for Sanfilippo, although "it's too early to make any conclusions," says Glenn O'Neill, Eliza's dad. And even though only a few kids have been treated, results so far have enabled the researchers to utter, albeit hesitantly, such phrases as "potential functional cure" and "disease modification." It's a start  one that I hope will help the parents who post on Facebook when either their diagnostic odysseys lead to an MPS, or they learn about it suddenly, as Ryan Dant's parents did when they took their seemingly healthy 3-year-old for a well child checkup.

This story is republished courtesy of PLOS Blogs: blogs.plos.org.
(HealthDay)American teens are hitting the bottle less often than they did 25 years ago, new research reveals.

The analysis found that while 5 percent of 13-year-olds frequently binge drank between 1991 and 1998, only 2.6 percent were doing so in 2015.

Among 18-year-olds, that number fell from 20 percent to less than 15 percent in the same time frame.

"Frequent binge drinking" was defined as knocking back five or more drinks in a row, on two or more separate occasions, over the span of two weeks.

And while rates are down overall, study author Joy Bohyun Jang said the trend isn't benefiting all teens equally.

"First," she said, "black youth have experienced slower declines since 1991. Second, the gender gap is narrowing recently due to female's slower decline in the frequent binge drinking rates. Third, the socioeconomic status gap is growing, due to slower decline among adolescents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds."

Still, the overall decline in binge drinkng means that "national and state-level programs targeted at underage drinking may have been effective," Jang said.

She's a postdoctoral researcher with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.

Her team's study was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse and the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. It will be published online May 22 in the journal Pediatrics.

The researchers noted that teens who engage in frequent binge drinking tend to be at higher risk for injury, risky sexual behavior, worse grades, and long-term drug and alcohol abuse.

The analysis relied on data on 8th-, 10th- and 12th-grader drinking habits that had been collected in a national study that surveyed more than 1 million youths between 1991 and 2015.

The biggest decline in frequent binge drinking was found among those born between 1985 and 1990.

As to what exactly is driving the trend, Jang suggested that "there's no clear answer."

But the team highlighted a number of positive factors that may have contributed, including increased public health efforts to raise awareness about the risks involved and a growing disapproval of binge drinking among youthful peers.

The rise of social networking as a means for meeting people may also have reduced the allure of drinking as a socializing mechanism, the investigators added.

On the downside, however, the team also theorized that some youth may simply be turning to drugs as an alternative to drinking.

Regardless, study co-author Megan Patrick pointed to a number of ways the trend could be improved even further going forward.

"Our results," she said, "suggest that more attention should be paid to those who are experiencing slower declines in frequent binge drinking," such as blacks, girls, and the poor.

Patrick is a research associate professor also at Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

Dr. Justine Welsh wrote an editorial that accompanied the study. She characterized the overall drop in frequent teen binge drinking as "substantial." Welsh directs the Emory Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Services at Emory University in Atlanta.

But she pointed to the racial and economic "disaparities" found in the study.

The problem, said Welsh, is that it's difficult to know what's behind the differences. "There are likely many factors," she said.

More information: Joy Bohyun Jang, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Megan Patrick, Ph.D., research associate professor, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; Justine Wittenauer Welsh, M.D., assistant professor and director, Emory Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta; May 22, 2017, Pediatrics, online. Joy Bohyun Jang, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Megan Patrick, Ph.D., research associate professor, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan; Justine Wittenauer Welsh, M.D., assistant professor and director, Emory Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta; May 22, 2017,, online. There's more information on binge drinking at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Journal information: Pediatrics

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON -- The president has the greatest self-pity. The best!

"No politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly," Donald Trump said last week as he heard the special prosecutor's footsteps.

Thus did our assured head of state, equal parts narcissistic and uninformed, rank his treatment worse than that of Benito Mussolini (executed corpse beaten and hung upside down in public square), Oliver Cromwell (body disinterred, drawn and quartered, hanged and head hung on spike), Leon Trotsky (exiled and killed with icepick to the skull), and the headless Louis XVI, Mary Queen of Scots and Charles I.

Trump hasn't been treated badly. He has been treated exactly as he deserved, a reaction commensurate with the action. He took on the institution of a free press -- and it fought back. Trump came to office after intimidating publishers, barring journalists from covering him and threatening to rewrite press laws, and he has sought to discredit the "fake news" media at every chance. Instead, he wound up inspiring a new golden age in American journalism.

Trump provoked the extraordinary work of reporters who blew wide open the Russia election scandal, the contacts between Russia and top Trump officials, and interference by Trump in the FBI investigation. This week's appointment of a special prosecutor is a direct result of their work.

I suspect they won't be getting Presidential Medals of Freedom anytime soon, so let's celebrate some of them here. At The Washington Post: Adam Entous, Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima, Matt Zapotosky, Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz, Greg Jaffe and Julie Tate, along with columnist David Ignatius. At the New York Times: Michael Schmidt, Matthew Rosenberg, Adam Goldman, Matt Apuzzo and Scott Shane. The two rivals, combined, have produced one breathtaking scoop after another, including:

The Post's Feb. 9 report that national security adviser Michael Flynn, contrary to the Trump administration's claims, talked with the Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions before Trump took office. Flynn was out soon thereafter.

The Post's March 1 report that Jeff Sessions also spoke with the Russian ambassador but did not disclose the contacts when asked about possible contacts during his confirmation as attorney general. He was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.

The Post's March 28 report that the Trump administration tried to block former acting attorney general Sally Yates from testifying on the Trump campaign's possible Russia ties. She later testified about the White House's failure to act on warnings about Flynn.

The Times's March 30 report that two White House officials helped provide Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, with intelligence that Nunes made public. Nunes was forced to recuse himself from the committee's probe.

The Post's report this week that Trump shared highly classified intelligence with Russian officials, jeopardizing the cooperation of allies.

And the final blow: The Times's report last week that Trump asked FBI Director James B. Comey to shut down the FBI's Flynn investigation, according to a contemporaneous memo Comey wrote before Trump fired him.

There were many more, and other outlets have flourished, too. On one day last week, the United States awoke to a report from Reuters that the Trump campaign had at least 18 undisclosed contacts with Russians; a McClatchy report that Flynn, who had been paid as a Turkish representative, stopped a military plan that Turkey opposed; a Times report that the Trump team knew Flynn was under investigation before he started work at the White House; and a Post report that the House majority leader told colleagues last year that he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was paying Trump.

This journalistic triumph, made possible by nameless government officials who risked their jobs and their freedom to get the truth out, is all the more satisfying because it came as a corrective after one of the sorriest episodes in modern journalism: the uncritical, unfiltered and unending coverage of Trump -- particularly by cable news -- that propelled him to the Republican nomination and onward to the presidency.

It's a great relief to have special prosecutor Robert S. Mueller III now keeping his eyes on the executive -- a regent, if you will, to protect against future abuses. This doesn't mean Trump won't nuke Denmark tomorrow. But those racked by anxiety for the past four months can exhale: Grown-ups within the government have restored some order.

Trump may feel as if he's been drawn and quartered, but what he's experienced is the power of a free press in a free country. That is entirely fair, and fitting.

Dana Milbank is a columnist for The Washington Post.
A form of cortical direction selectivity relies on retinal direction selectivity

Botond Roska and his group at the FMI have elucidated how the retina and the visual cortex work together in visual motion perception. They found that cortical cells, which respond preferentially to backward image motion, are dependent on input from direction-selective cells in the retina, while other cortical cells are less dependent on such input.

Detecting the direction of moving objects in the visual scene is of critical importance for animals. The predator seeking to catch its prey and the prey seeking to escape attack each have to perceive the other animal's direction of motion. Not surprisingly, the visual system comprises several specialized components to perform this task.

In the eye, information on the direction of motion is extracted by dedicated retinal circuits. These consist of starburst cells  a highly conserved cell type  and direction-selective ganglion cells, which respond to visual inputs along one of the four cardinal directions. In the brain, the primary visual cortex also contains direction-selective neurons. However, it has not been well understood how these two components of the visual system work together, and how retinal computations contribute to cortical computations.

To address this question, scientists in Botond Roska's group at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research adopted two different approaches. For their first experiments, they used a mouse model of congenital nystagmus, in which a defect in starburst cells leads to the loss of direction selectivity along the horizontal axis in the retina. In a second set of experiments, they disrupted all retinal direction selectivity by genetically ablating starburst cells. Using high-density microelectrode arrays (developed in Andreas Hierlemann's lab at ETH Zurich) and a two-photon microscope (developed by Balazs Rozsa in Hungary), they then monitored neuronal responses to visual motion in the retina and the visual cortex.

First author Daniel Hillier, a postdoctoral fellow in the Roska lab, explains: "We found an interesting asymmetry in the upper layers of the visual cortex. At fast visual-motion speeds, the proportion of cells that respond to backward visual motion was larger than the proportion of cells that prefer other directions. If you consider that, in an animal with laterally positioned eyes, forward locomotion results in backward image motion, you start to understand the underlying logic: you rarely see a mouse running backwards, falling downwards or flying upwards. Forward locomotion is the most common whole-body motion, so it makes sense that there is an overrepresentation of motion sensors in the brain that detect backward visual motion."

Interestingly, when direction selectivity was disrupted in the retina, the overrepresentation of cells preferring backward visual motion disappeared. According to Hillier, this indicates that there are two different forms of visual motion computation in the visual cortex: "One form, tuned to backward direction and higher speeds, is dependent on signals computed by the starburst cells in the retina. The other form, covering the different directions more broadly and evenly, is independent of retinal computation."

The study thus sheds new light on the interplay between retinal and cortical computations of visual motion. Roska comments: "The influence of retinal direction selectivity on cortical direction selectivity in species with laterally positioned eyes, such as mice, is likely an adaptation of their visual system. How the computation of visual motion in the retina and visual cortex is adapted in animals with frontally positioned eyes poses intriguing questions in neuroscience."

More information: Hillier D, Fiscella M, Drinnenberg A, Trenholm S, Rompani SB, Raics Z, Katona G, Juettner J, Hierlemann A, Rozsa B, Roska B (2017) Causal evidence for retina-dependent and -independent visual motion computations in mouse cortex. Nat. Neurosci. nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nn.4566 Hillier D, Fiscella M, Drinnenberg A, Trenholm S, Rompani SB, Raics Z, Katona G, Juettner J, Hierlemann A, Rozsa B, Roska B (2017) Causal evidence for retina-dependent and -independent visual motion computations in mouse cortex.
Nearly 40 years after the world was jolted by the birth of the first test-tube baby, a new revolution in reproductive technology is on the horizon  and it promises to be far more controversial than in vitro fertilization ever was.

Within a decade or two, researchers say, scientists will likely be able to create a baby from human skin cells that have been coaxed to grow into eggs and sperm and used to create embryos to implant in a womb.

The process, in vitro gametogenesis, or I.V.G., so far has been used only in mice. But stem cell biologists say it is only a matter of time before it could be used in human reproduction  opening up mind-boggling possibilities.

With I.V.G., two men could have a baby that was biologically related to both of them, by using skin cells from one to make an egg that would be fertilized by sperm from the other. Women with fertility problems could have eggs made from their skin cells, rather than go through the lengthy and expensive process of stimulating their ovaries to retrieve their eggs.
JavaScript in South Africa (JSinSA) will hold its seventh annual conference in Johannesburg on 15 July.

This 2017 event has moved to a larger venue to accommodate up to 350 attendees.

Local sponsors of the event include bbd, Entelect, OfferZen, EPI-USE Labs, nReality, Intersoft, DeskStand, and Broken Keyboards Software.

The event has also attracted international sponsors like Amazon, Mozilla, SyncFusion, and Tower.

The 2017 event will have 17 speakers across 15 sessions, and tickets are R925. Tickets are on sale through the JSinSA website.

This includes a pass to all sessions, snacks, lunch, entries into lucky draws, and a welcome pack.

Organiser Simon Stewart said one of the unique features of the event is that they do not do cash sponsorships.

Instead, we find a mutually-beneficial arrangement with each of the individual sponsors, such as them giving away branded items, prizes, or arranging for good coffee, he said.

Sponsored tickets are also available to students and junior developers who would otherwise not be able to attend.

All sessions will be recorded and made available for free on the JSinSA YouTube channel.

Now read: The interview questions programmers are asked in South Africa
Armenia Security Council chief meets with Lithuania officials

Armenia FM heading for Paris

Egypt launches Tax Free system for foreign tourists

Newspaper: Armenias Mirzoyan makes it clear to Blinken that wording Artsakh should be included

Poland and Slovakia will increase defense spending

Audi presents new crossovers Q8 e-tron

Benny Gantz: Israel has an opportunity to strike Iran's nuclear facilities

Samvel Babayan: Russia will withdraw peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh

Hungarian government sets price ceiling on eggs and potatoes

Benny Gantz: Israel does not have the production capacity to supply Ukraine with air defense systems

Germany must adopt energy-saving measures in face of skyrocketing inflation

Beglaryan: Azerbaijan continues and will continue its policy of genocide and hatred against the Armenian people

Kiev believes it is too early to talk about withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson

Raisi: Relations between Tehran and Moscow have a bright future

Taliban virtue representative kills minor for refusing to marry

Meeting held at Ministry of Defense

Kaljurand: A fair peace agreement, that will guarantee the rights and security of the Nagorno-Karabakh people, is needed

ATMs closed at night in Germany because of increasing number of break-ins

Moldova to request 450 million from EU amid fears of stopping Russian gas supplies

Kazakhstan plans to make knowledge of Kazakh obligatory for obtaining citizenship

Vladimir Putin to visit Armenia

Ayoob Kara: Israel and Azerbaijan must act together against Iran

Macron: France ends its military mission in Africa

Military forces of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey take part in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline protection exercise

Shoigu orders withdrawal of troops across Dnieper River

Swedish parliament will vote to change constitution for NATO membership on November 16

Reactor at nuclear power plant in southern Sweden stops unexpectedly due to turbine malfunction

Margaret Thatcher's dressing table case sells for $145

Zakharova comments on Azerbaijani attacks on Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh

Israel may reconsider its position on military aid to Ukraine because of threat from Iran

Tehran expresses readiness to play role in resolving conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Zakharova: Russia closely coordinates with Armenia and Azerbaijan on preparation of peace treaty

U.S. cut its oil production forecast in 2023

Gen. of Justice: Armenia is already going to abyss

MFA says Russia promotes comprehensive settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

Australia to ban former military pilots from working in China

Ministry: 1,034 participants of 44-day Karabakh war declared disabled

Russian Security Council Secretary accuses Western intelligence services of organizing unrest in Iran

Niagara Falls is illuminated in colors of Azerbaijani flag through efforts of Azerbaijani Embassy to U.S.

'Armenia' bloc: Authorities going to peace at any cost legitimize change of power

Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia

FT: Taiwan plans to establish drone production, allocated $1.6 billion

Azerbaijan's 'Horst Wessel' for Iran: Baku media replicates 'murder story'

Tesla recalls 40,000 electric cars because of problems with power steering

Sky News: Russia handed over Javelin, NLAW and Stinger missiles to Iran in exchange for drones

Russia has record number of Armenia migrants outflow

Stoltenberg says NATO summit will be held in Vilnius on July 11-12, 2023

Iranian Interior Ministry: Organizers of riots in Iran were trained in 8 unfriendly countries

Europe fills its gas storage facilities almost 100% before cold season

Greece MPs visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Strasbourg city council adopts resolution on supporting Armenia

Ohanyan: We see hope in Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan format regarding Karabakhs future

Turkey says it will not focus only on Russian gas

David Babayan says Azerbaijan makes propaganda against Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh

Former ECHR judge: UN Security Council does not consider Karabakh's separation illegal

Shavarsh Kocharyan says current PM took step of declaring Armenia aggressor

AraratBank underwrites FINCA UCO bonds

First ombudsperson says current Armenian authorities are illegitimate

Armenian National Committee of America: Dr. Oz Defeated in Pennsylvania Senate race

Head of Turkish Ministry of Agriculture: 10.1 million tons of grain exported from Ukrainian ports

Putin and Lukashenko discuss upcoming CSTO meeting by phone

Armenia legislature discusses issues of residents of Karabakhs Kashatagh region handed over to Azerbaijan

President pays tribute to martyrs of 3rd Artsakh war

Australian pedophile sentenced to 129 years in Philippines

Japan says North Korea launches alleged ballistic missile

British cabinet minister resigns after recent harassment allegations

Eleving Group member Mogo applies the best practices in Armenia

Artsakh FM: Azerbaijan will have to take new realities into account in near future

Iran MFA. Azerbaijan president's reaction is incomprehensible

Parliament speaker considers transit visa requirement for Armenia citizens at Poland airports worrisome

Pashinyan: Armenia-Cambodia warm relations have great prospects for development

Karabakh state ministers advisor: Aliyev statement was once again filled with confessions of use of force

Javier Colomina: NATO supports normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Copper falls in price

Iran official: Goal of $3bn trade with Armenia will be realized under this government

Karabakh FM: Azerbaijan has become more aggressive, brazen with Turkeys support

MOD: Artsakh army units did not open fire towards Azerbaijan positions

Oil prices go down

Armenia Security Council chief briefs Poland Senate vice-speaker on regional developments

Azerbaijan fires at Armenia positions

Gold prices go down

Newspaper: Armenia law enforcement agencies operative intelligence teams to enter several officials houses

US midterm elections virtually over, counting of votes underway

US State Department: Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs agreed to continue meetings, direct dialogue

India's Supreme Court releases men sentenced to death for rape and murder

Global South needs $2 trillion year to fight climate crisis

McDonald's releases chair for gamers with burger stand

The Telegraph: Rishi Sunak to announce major natural gas deal with US after COP27 summit

U.S. officials secretly ask major banks to continue doing business with some Russian firms

19fortyfive: Is America tired of the war in Ukraine?

EU replaces pipeline Russian gas with imported Russian LNG

Kommersant: China split the 'unity' of the West

Expert estimates level of Azerbaijan's information attack on Armenia in September, comparing it to 44-day war

UK wants to work more with the U.S. on gas supplies

Donald Trump votes in Florida midterm elections

EU admits: It is impossible to set a ceiling on gas prices that will not affect contracts or security of supply

Most valuable metal of year is named

Mehr: Nikolai Patrushev arrives in Tehran

Turkish TV company confesses that Ankara and Israel were arming Azerbaijan against Armenia

Who is Baku threatening? Armenia's former deputy defense minister decodes Aliyev's statements
The results of the examinations into the murder of the soldier of the Russian military base in Gyumri are yet unclear.

Gurgen Harutyunyan, the attorney of Arman Janjughazyan who is charged with the murder of this Russian soldier, on Monday told the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Harutyunyan noted, however, that he cannot provide details due to the confidentiality of the investigation into the criminal case, but assured that his client has mental problems.

Janjughazyan declined from the services of a public defender.

The body of 102nd Russian Military Base serviceman Dmitry Yalpayev (born in 1996) was found on April 22, nearby a shop in Gyumri, and with a stab wound on his neck.

Stepanavan resident Arman Janjughazyan, 20, is accused of committing the murder. He is under arrest.

According to the Investigative Committee, however, Janjughazyan has mental disorders.

A criminal case was launched on murder charges.

An investigation is underway to find out the details of this incident.
Gov. Steve Bullock has rejected five more bills, including one he said was a well-intentioned effort to bring more transparency to health care prices but would have done little to drive down costs.

The governor on Monday also vetoed a bill that would have required some employees of the legislative staff to take a course on federalism, the body of political thought that espouses decentralized government power. Bullock asserted that the proposal was unnecessary and its intent had too much of an ideological bent.

The governor also signed 32 bills, including one that makes it illegal to feed wild turkeys. He also signed a bill especially important to hunters that bans importing deer urine from certain states.
YEREVAN.  Azerbaijan clearly demonstrated that it cannot be trusted; it will not honor and fulfill its promises.

Ambassador Ara Papyan, Armenias Modus Vivendi Center Director and political scientist, noted the above-said at a press conference on Monday.

He stated this reflecting on Bakus recent violations of the ceasefire, and firing a Spike guided missile toward the line of contact of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

Consequently, in his conviction, it is illogical to make concessions to Azerbaijan.

Yes, the OSCE Minsk Group made a targeted statement, stressed Papyan. But, in fact, we have lost one military equipment; this is a consequence of a sense of impunity.

Azerbaijan is not of the countries with which an agreement can be reached. Countries such as Azerbaijan understand solely the language of punishment.
Armenia wants to re-launch production of cranesbill essential oil

The author of the project, Aren Ter-Balyan, told Armenian News  NEWS.am that the project has already been submitted to the Government and the issue of support is currently under discussion.

In Soviet Armenia, state farms round Hoktemberyan (now Armavir) were one of the Union centers for growing cranesbill (along with Georgia and Tajikistan). The essential oil plant was located there. Its strong fragrance is the important part of many perfume recipes.

In the 90s, the connections with perfume plants of the former Soviet republics were severed, the plant was robbed and the farmers stopped growing cranesbill. But when Aren went to agree on the seeds, elderly villagers immediately recalled the old times and their earnings. (1 kg of cranesbill oil cost roughly 300 Soviet rubles).

There Aren also got acquainted with the technologist of the former plant. When he learnt what we want, he said: You can rely on me in the issue of technology. Thus, he will either find or train the necessary specialists himself. The only thing left is to find nursery plants to distribute to the villagers. There are almost no nursery plants left here. We will try to get them, and will bring the rest, Ter-Balyan added.

His family decided to re-launch the production, first and foremost, for their own company. Our company, Bnatur, produces make-up from natural ingredients. Thus, we decided to have our own raw material at our disposal. Then we will know for sure that no chemicals have been added to it, he said.

In the 90s, China drastically increased the cranesbill planting. But Ter-Balyan is not afraid of competition. The French perfumers are very exigent as regards the aromatic agents. Therefore, they dont buy bulk commodities, say, from China or Egypt, but acquire them from the African Reunion island instead. We also want to compete by quality. All the more so because according to the technologist, in the Soviet times the essential and spirit indexes of our cranesbill were high, he noted.

In the coming months, the company wants to find investors and install production equipment. We havent yet chosen the location. We want to station ourselves where more farmers will express a wish to sow. In the conditions of our country, it is sowed from spring to fall. We want to distribute nursery plants to the villagers by spring 2018. We also want to look for investors by then, the perfumer said.
Alparslan Celik, who has claimed the responsibility for the murder of Russian pilot Oleg Peshkov, was sentenced to five years in prison in Turkey for unlawful possession of weapons, his attorney, Murat Ustundag, told RIA Novosti.

The court didnt consider Celik's implication in the death of Russian pilot Peshkov. The investigation in respect to him is underway, the attorney said.

Oleg Peshkov was killed in Syria on 24 November 2015. Turkish F-16 fighter jet downed Russian Su-24 attack aircraft, following which the pilot was shot dead from the ground. The title of Hero of Russia was bestowed upon the killed pilot.

Immediately after the incident, Alparslan Celik claimed the responsibility for the incident. However, during the investigation he claimed that he didnt kill the pilot and ordered his subordinates not to fire at Peshkov.

Last April, the Turkish police arrested Celik for unlawful possession of weapons. During the investigation, he didnt admit to the charges brought against him.
National Safe Boating Week Under Way

On average, 700 people die in boating-related accidents annually in the United States, and eight of every 10 victims weren't wearing a life jacket.

"Ready, Set, Wear It!" events statewide in Ohio are part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' observance of National Safe Boating Week, taking place May 20-26 as a way to raise life jacket safety awareness. "Don't just have your life jacket close by when you are boating, wear it," stressed Mike Bailey, chief of the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft. "If an accident occurs and you suddenly end up overboard, a life jacket will keep your head above water and could save your life."

The eighth annual "Ready, Set, Wear It!" Life Jacket World Record Day was held May 20, as the department hosted nine events at state parks in Columbus, Toledo, and elswhere.

The National Safe Boating Council and the Canadian Safe Boating Council also participated in awareness events on May 20. Last year, more than 6,700 people gathered at more than 210 events held around the world, including Ohio, setting a new record for attendance, with the National Safe Boating Council reporting that Ohio had the third-highest participation rate at a single event in the country.

On average, 700 people die in boating-related accidents annually in the United States, and eight of every 10 victims weren't wearing a life jacket. The National Safe Boating Council works in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators to reach more than 70 million boaters in North America with the life-saving message.
New Action Plan to Fight Organized Crime Announced in Austria

Each organization will give the other access to its online training portals  the INTERPOL Global Learning Centre and the OSCE Policing Online Information System.

INTERPOL and the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) have reached agreement on a joint action plan to fight transnational threats, including organized crime and terrorism. The three-year plan was signed last week by OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and INTERPOL Secretary General Jurgen Stock during the 45th INTERPOL European Regional Conference held in Austria.

Key areas for their cooperation include border security, counterterrorism, forensic and police data management, fugitive investigative support, combating human trafficking, illicit drugs, and firearms tracing.

"Since the signing of our Memorandum of Understanding in 2014, our two organizations have closely cooperated and supported each other in a number of capacity building activities in addressing transnational crime," said Zannier. "This Joint Action Plan will also provide the foundation for developing joint capacity-building projects, including the development of training materials and tools and the implementation of joint training courses. This will help us further strengthen our cooperation with INTERPOL and deepen our partnership."

"Today's threat landscape is increasingly complex, requiring a cohesive and effective global response. This joint action plan will provide a more strategic and concrete blueprint for our activities which will benefit our member countries in terms of enhancing security," Stock agreed.

Each organization will give the other access to its online training portals  the INTERPOL Global Learning Centre and the OSCE Policing Online Information System.
MISSOULA  The parking lot of a Missoula convenience store on the corner of West Broadway and California Street has been cordoned off for investigation after a shooting on Monday morning sent one person to the hospital.

Missoula County Undersheriff Rich Maricelli said the incident started around 8:30 a.m. when a plumber at Mountain Supply Co., which is across Mullan Road from the county jail, heard what he believed were two loud backfires. The plumber went out into the street, saw the truck driving off and called 9-1-1 after finding two shell casings.

Officers were asked to be on the lookout for a blue truck, which was sighted parked next to the Cenex Zip Trip. Deputies and Missoula police officers approached the truck around 8:45 a.m., which had several people inside.

Maricelli said at some point, a deputy saw that one of the occupants had a gun. After he spotted the gun, the people in the truck began to fight with each other. During the scuffle, a single gunshot was fired in the truck.

A male passenger was injured and taken to the hospital; his condition is unknown. The other three occupants have been taken into custody. Because the Missoula police and Missoula sheriff's office were were involved, the Ravalli County Sheriffs Office has been brought in to investigate.

Maricelli said none of the officers fired a shot, and no officers were injured.

Missoulian reporter David Erickson contributed information for this story.
On a damp, wet and windy late May afternoon, Mayor Tom Barrett, Gov. Scott Walker and MillerCoors Chief Legal Officer Kelly Grebe ceremonially turned the earth to celebrate the official groundbreaking for an expansion of Leinenkugels Tenth Street Brewery.

The $50 million addition to the brewery  which was built by G. Heileman in the mid-1980s and purchased by Miller for Leinenkugel production in 1995  will add as many as 65 new full-time jobs to the plant, which now employs about 15.

The project will also create a number of temporary construction jobs, Grebe said.

The expanded brewery  which operations manager Dan Pearson described as "nimble"  is expected to be up and running by March 2018.

Production at the plant is expected to grow ten-fold, from the roughly 25,000 barrels currently brewed annually to 250,000.

Tenth Street Brewery currently makes Leinenkugels Big Eddy line, IPL and other brews. Bigger selling brands like Honey Weiss, Berry Weiss, Leinies Red and Summer Shandy are brewed in Chippewa Falls and at Miller in the Valley.

You can read an in-depth story about the brewery and see inside here.

"MillerCoors and Milwaukee have been intricately connected since 1855," said Grebe at the brief groundbreaking event, at which Barrett and Walker also addressed a gathering of employees and media. "Over the past 162 years, we have been investing in this community and our 10th Street Brewery expansion is the latest indication of how important this City is to our success.

"This expanded facility will result in incremental employment and drastically improve our brewing flexibility," Grebe added.

After the expansion  which will include a 2,280-square foot addition to the south end of the brewhouse and a nearly 10,000-square foot tank cellar on the north side of the building  Tenth Street Brewery will continue to brew specialty beers and focus on Leinenkugel variety packs.

"Its a long way from a small craft brewery to the (large MillerCoors) brewery on State Street," said Randy Burroughs, MillerCoors operations business manager. "This is that in-between."

The project, Burroughs added, "is not just about expanded capacity but also more diversity of styles we can brew here."

"This expansion is just the latest example of MillerCoors investment in our state as it continues to provide economic empowerment and job opportunities to our residents," said Walker. "More jobs, more investment, more beer."
Theres no shortage of articles and television shows that showcase the dishes that chefs love to cook at their restaurants. But, what do they love to eat at the end of their exhausting 16 hour days? Or on their days off?

In this series, we ask Milwaukee area chefs to share their favorite dishes  both from area restaurants and for eating at home. In this edition, we talked with Chef Juan Urbieta of Ristorante Bartolotta.



Juan Urbieta was born in Oaxaca, Mexico's culinary mecca. His family got together often, and he says he has fond memories of watching his mother and grandmother prepare extensive meals for family celebrations. His home, he says, was just four blocks from the Oaxacan market, Central de Abastos. It was a place he traveled with his mother on a regular basis. It was a place teeming with fresh produce, meats and cheeses. It was also place that fed Urbieta's appreciation for fresh, high quality food.

But, being a chef was never at the top of Urbietas mind.

Intent on being a commercial pilot, his dream was shattered when he was denied entry into the Air Force due to a prior appendectomy. Disappointed, he took a job working at a Japanese restaurant in Santa Monica, California.

It wasnt until moving to Colorado with a friend at 19 that he says his interest in the hospitality industry began to move from a passing curiosity to an enduring interest. There, he discovered his love for Italian cuisine. It was a passion that drove him from Colorado to Chicago, where he worked for a number of restaurants, including Charlie Trotters. More significantly, he landed a position at Spiaggia with Paul Bartolotta, a mentor who opened the door for Urbieta to live and work in Italy.

From there, he came to Milwaukee, where he opened Nonna Bartolottas in 1998 before moving on to became executive chef at Ristorante Bartolotta, where he has been at the helm for 16 years.

Pollo al Mattone at Ristorante Bartolotta

"Its a Tuscan recipe. And for such a humble ingredient, its a really fantastic preparation. Its chicken that is cooked underneath a weight so that the skin has constant contact with the hot pan underneath. To me, whats not to like about that? If I came here to eat, its what I would order."

Bistec en chile de arbol at El Senorial

"I love their steak with the chile de arbol sauce. Its so hot, but its so good. I crave it every time. I love truly spicy food, but this is a dish that also has incredible flavor. Its definitely not for the faint-hearted, but even if you just try a bite or two, youll see what I mean. I also love their parrillada. The cuts they use are so humble. Maybe a chunk of chorizo or steak made from the meat youd use for short ribs. Its what youd get in Mexico. So, on top of everything, its a very traditional experience."

Pizza Capricciosa at Il Ritrovo in Sheboygan

"Its a pizza that I ate quite a bit in Italy. I love pizza, so Id go to pizzerias quite often. I appreciate some of the traditional ones like margherita and quattro formaggi. But, this one has mushrooms, olives, artichokes and prosciutto. And I always go back to this one. In fact, I go there and and think to myself: Im going to try something different today. And I just cant."

Ultimate comfort food

"Tacos. I truly love tacos. Well-made tacos. And when I say that, I mean traditional tacos with cilantro and onion. And a great salsa. I love asada. But I also love the real al pastor. Theres a place on Mitchell and 11th Street called Los Gemelos, and they have al pastor on weekends that's made in the traditional way, roasted on a trompo. The owner is from Oaxaca, too, and he worked and trained in Mexico City. He also makes his own adobo; its light and flavorful and balanced. And his salsas are outstanding. He has a morita pepper salsa thats just fantastic.

"Ive also become very much a fan of a really good burger. But when I eat burgers, I dont want to take chances. So, right or wrong, I find myself going to places that are known for their burgers and where I know what to expect. I think Five Guys makes a great burger. When they cook it right, I think their burger is one of the best. I also think Kopps has a great burger. People keep telling me to go to Oscars. And thats definitely on my list."
Milwaukee was recently focused on the Goll House, 1550 N. Prospect Ave., built in 1898 for Fred T. Goll by Ferry & Clas, which a developer proposed moving 30 feet away to accommodate a new residential tower.

But, Milwaukees Department of City Development has been keeping an eye on another Goll House in Milwaukee, this one dating to 1900, designed by architect Carl Ringer, and located at 3005 W. Kilbourn Ave., adjacent to a row of gorgeous turn of the 20th century houses in the near West Side Concordia neighborhood.

While Fred Goll was heir to the founder of the successful Goll & Frank wholesale dry goods company, Henry G. Goll  who hired Ringer to design his west side house  was an assistant cashier at First National Bank.

It is unclear how and if these Golls were related, but considering that Fred was a director of First National, it would seem quite possible that they were kin.

The house seems a rather lavish one for an assistant cashier, but it seems that Henry Goll was also an investor, having funded and owned, along with bank president Frank Bigelow and a Samuel Watkins, Christiansen Engineering Co.  run by inventor Niels Christensen  on a site along the Milwaukee River that is now home to the Rotary Centennial Arboretum run by the Urban Ecology Center.

And perhaps Goll  who had previously lived on Cambridge Avenue on the East Side  had over-extended himself when he built this more than 4,000-square foot Tudor Revival gem in buff brown brick.

That might explain why in 1905, after Bigelow was caught with his hands in the bank till, Goll was also implicated and quickly disappeared.

In the meantime, panicked Milwaukeeans flooded the bank demanding their money, leading Mayor David Rose to take one of his typically flamboyant measures.

"One of the most spectacular happenings of the day was the action of Mayor Rose in walking down Wisconsin Street, in full view of the crowd, with $500,000 in currency and gold in canvas bags," wrote The New York Times.

"He was surrounded by policemen and detectives, and walked into the bank with the treasure. This money was part of the shipment from Chicago banks and some from other Milwaukee banks."

On the lam since Bigelow threw him under the bus on April 25, a $1,000 reward was offered for information leading to Golls whereabouts. On May 4, the "absconding cashier" was arrested at Chicagos Dakota Hotel, where hed checked in as A.C. Smith.

Turns out detectives had been hot on his trail as he wended his way around Illinois and Indiana before landing at the Dakota. According to a report in the Pittsburgh Press  the details of the Milwaukee embezzlement case made newspapers around the country  noted that "Goll had only $26 on his person. He refused to answer any questions and would not tell his age on being booked" at the central police station on Broadway and Wells.

Charged with 34 counts, Goll was convicted of 19 of them in May 1906 and sentenced to 10 years at Leavenworth. President Taft refused a 1910 request for a pardon, and Goll was released in October 1911.

"It is not known what he will be employed at after he reaches Milwaukee," wrote the Milwaukee Journal.

What is known is that the house at 3005 W. Kilbourn Ave. (3015 Cedar Street in those days) had already become the property of a T. S. Smith. By the 1920s, the home belonged to Dr. Frederick H. Emmerling.

A 1930 permit to install a fire escape lists C. Hennecke as the owner, though by 1932, the building was occupied by the Bethany Home for Girls, which soon became Lutheran Welfare Society of Wisconsin. In 1941, the building was converted to offices and the second floor was converted into a one-family apartment, occupied in those days by caretaker Alf Hartung and his wife Elisa.

Meanwhile, Goll appears to have returned to and stayed in Milwaukee at least for a while, working as a clerk, bookkeeper and accountant and renting apartments at 170 Chambers Street and 1193 2nd St. (later 2943 N. 2nd St.) until he passed away in 1940.

According to FindAGrave.com, "After serving his sentence Henry Goll returned to his family and help cared for them. He never married again and his sister Lily who was a widow helped care for his children and then his grandchildren. Henry Goll worked as a manager and then as a bookkeeper in a restaurant. He died on 19 July 1940 and was laid to rest in Forest Home Cemetery."

In 1951, Marquette's Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity  nicknamed Da Zoo  moved into the old Goll house with room for about 18 students, and they seem to be the ones who got the most fun out of the basement. The frat's Greek letters are still painted in a mural on a wall down there.

Former frat brother Vince DiPaolo remembers roughly 12-15 guys living in the house's second and third floor, with a kitchen in the basement and a billiards room on the first floor. They'd roast pigs at parties in the backyard, but downstairs is where the fun really was, according to DiPaolo.

"The room with that painting (above) was where the band was, and we had a dance floor and a bar," he recalls. "We were allowed to have one party a week at the house. Every Friday night. We'd order five half-barrels every week. We'd party until the beer ran out."

DiPaolo estimates the parties were attended by 30-40 active members and their dates.

"Every year we had a beach party and we had this big truckload of sand and the pledges had to bring it all down into the basement. We had a little pond with water in it and a little iguana running around. And of course the pledges had to take all that sand back out. I remember when I was a pledge, that was one of the hardest things cleaning that place up."

DiPaolo, who graduated in 1971 and now lives in Arizona, says that the basement was up and running by the time he got there and some of the paintings on the wall  which are still there now  pre-date his years living in the house.

The fraternity lost its charter soon after DiPaolo's time there and, by 1973, John Langmesser was the owner. That year a city permit called for, "general renovation of the building three floors ... per department orders," which suggests the house  described in the document as a one-family home  had fallen into disrepair.

In the late 1990s, the garage  added in 1911 and designed by Kirchhoff & Rose  fell victim to fire and the building has undergone a string of sales over the past six years, ending up in the DCD's portfolio last year.

Nowadays, Goll's name lives on in the home he built at 3005 W. Kilbourn Ave. and you could add your name to the saga because the eight-bedroom house with three full bathrooms and two half baths, is owned by the city, which is in the process  as always  of liquidating its seemingly endless influx of real estate, which come to the city, typically, via tax foreclosure.

Last year, the Department of City Development, which handles these properties  historic or otherwise  sold 511 homes, 245 vacant lots and 19 commercial properties.

"We are delighted by the inspiring and successful rehab stories from our buyers, each of whom took a once blighted property and breathed new life into it," reads a DCD flyer.

The H.G. Goll house was listed by the city at $58,000, with an estimated rehab cost at $86,500, though, frankly, that seems a little optimistic (indeed, in October 2016, the DCD updated that renovation estimate to $138,850). Thats because, DCDs Tina Klose tells me, thats the estimated amount it would take to get the property up to code. The price has now been lowered to $38,000.

Amazingly, while the City's assessment is $111,700, Zillow lists the home's value as $222,979.

Certainly, the bones of a $223,000 house are here. The exterior with its brown brick and quoins is beautiful. Inside there is some remaining wood paneling and a gorgeous built-in buffet.

A regal staircase connects the first and second floors and there are nice little details, like a curved molding and tile bathroom floor, throughout.

The attic is tall enough to serve as bedroom or other spaces, and there are a couple fireplaces.

But most of the finishes are gone and most rooms are stripped down to the studs. The attic floor feels risky and, indeed, there are some gaps that allow you to look down to the floor below.

On the flip side, the city has done some major repairs, including not only a new roof, but new roof rafters, too. There are also new galvanized gutters and downspouts, to help keep the house water-tight while a buyer is found.

For someone with the skills and/or means, there is serious potential here to build out a stunning modern home inside a vintage Milwaukee mansion. One need look at the trio of houses standing just to the west to get a sense of the possibilities.

But, let Henry Golls story be a lesson. Dont over-extend yourself.
Eleven months after announcing it was breaking ground in the Windy City, Colectivo opened its first location in Chicago today at 6 a.m., at 2530 N. Clark St. in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

The 1,800-square-foot cafe is located in a former Einsteins Bagels, just a short walk from the park itself.

A parking lot has been converted to a patio, and theres a firepit like the one at the 68th Street location in Tosa. Heaters have been installed to create a year-round outdoor area.

Much like the cafes here, the Lincoln Park location will serve coffee drinks, sandwiches, salads, Letterbox tea, Troubadour Bakery items, bulk coffees and beer.

The Colectivo opens daily at 6 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, then an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays.

Colectivo is also planning a Logan Square cafe, slated to open in October, with yet another location in the works. So stay tuned for announcement on that.

Chicago Eater has a good collection of photos taken just before the Colectivo cafe opening, and heres what DNAinfo, Time Out Chicago and The Trib are saying about the Milwaukee coffee roaster's debut.

In March, Stone Creek announced it, too, will move into the Chicago market. The 2,000-square-foot location will be at 945 W. Belmont Ave., at Sheffield, in Lakeview, underneath the el and just around the corner from The Vic Theater.
PHANG NGA, THAILAND  Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the official launch of Yaowawit School, Kapongs Pre-Vocational Education Academies on 18 May 2017.

This special occasion marks Her Royal Highnesss fourth visit to Yaowawit School, the last one being in 2008 and we are proud of her ongoing support and interest in our school. Since then, we built a meditation house, started a visiting program with today 16 international schools from all over the world, set up a solar energy plant, added 12 hotel rooms for the Yaowawit Lodge and started our bilingual Thai/English program in Kindergarten and Primary School. From the beginning, Yaowawit practiced Life-Skills Education and in 2016, Yaowawit teamed up with Marriott International, the Phang Nga Technical College and the Office of Vocational Education Commission to design and build the Yaowawit Pre-Vocational Hospitality Academy. In February of 2017 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the Yaowawit Pre-Vocational Agriculture Academy with OVEC and the Phang Nga Agriculture and Technical College, said Mr. Philipp Graf von Hardenberg, Founder of Yaowawit School.

Mr. Hardenberg introduced six supports of Yaowawit, who made donations to Her Royal Highness, who then gave them to Yaowawit Schools representative:
Pseudomonas bacteria forming a biofilm. Credit: Vernita Gordon/U. of Texas at Austin.

Microbial biofilmsdense, sticky mats of bacteria that are hard to treat and can lead to dangerous infectionsoften form in medical equipment, such as flexible plastic tubing used in catheters or in tubes used to help patients breathe. By some estimates, more than 1 million people contract infections from medical devices in U.S. hospitals each year, many of which are due to biofilms. A study from The University of Texas at Austin suggests a possible new way to prevent such biofilms from forming, which would sharply reduce incidents of related hospital-borne infection.

Vernita Gordon, an assistant professor of physics and senior author of the paper appearing today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, detected the key mechanism that triggers biofilms to form. She next envisions creating coatings for medical devices and other surfaces that would block the trigger and keep bacteria from clustering to form intractable biofilms.

"It's important to prevent biofilms before they start," Gordon said. "It's much easier to wipe out free-floating bacteria than a biofilm."

Certain patients are especially susceptible to biofilm related infections. People with cystic fibrosis, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often develop serious and even life-threatening bacterial infections that are hard to treat, in large part because the bacteriasuch as Pseudomonas aeruginosaform biofilms that are resistant to the host's immune cells and to antibiotics.

Earlier work had shown that before Pseudomonas bacteria form a biofilm, they have to sense that they are attached to a surface. But it wasn't clear what cues the bacteria sense. Now, according to the new study, the bacteria sense something called mechanical shear, which is a kind of stretching that happens when a bacterium is attached to a surface and the surrounding liquid is moving and/or it pulls itself along.

Vernita Gordon and a colleague researching the formation of biofilms. See her profile video at: http://www.benefunder.com/life-science-causes/vernita-gordon/a-physical-approach-to-biology Credit: Image used by permission from Benefunder.

So what is shear? Imagine you're in a river and you're trying to pull yourself along underwater by grabbing rocks on the bottom and pulling forward. Shear is the force that is stretching your body; it's what you feel in your arms and legs as you pull against the resistance of the water. You might not feel much shear if the water is still and you're moving slowly, or it might be high if the river is moving fast and you're going the opposite way. Let go of the rocks and just "go with the flow" of the river, and you won't feel any shear.

Sensing shear tells Pseudomonas that it's no longer free-floating but attached to a surface and triggers it to start producing a biofilm. Gordon says the discovery paves the way for biomedical engineers to begin developing methods to stop bacteria from sensing shear. So far, most strategies being developed to prevent the formation of biofilms use one of two approaches: kill the bacteria outright or prevent them from attaching to the surface.

Both those methods are problematic. Antimicrobials usually only work against certain types of bacteria under certain circumstances, and they can become ineffective if susceptible bacteria evolve resistance. It's also hard to develop a universal anti-stick surface because bacteria have many ways to attach to a surface.

"What we suggest is, if they are responding to a mechanical cue, then you could make a third class of biofilm-preventing surface," Gordon said. "You could modulate the mechanics of the surface so they never get the signal that they are attached, and they never start making a biofilm."

Gordon suggests that for maximum effectiveness, surfaces could be engineered with a combination of these three approaches.

Because of inconsistent reporting and differences in analytical methods, it is difficult to measure exactly how many people in the U.S. each year acquire infections from biofilms forming on medical devices. Estimates range widelyfrom 185,000 infections (based on a 2014 CDC study) to 2.8 million (based on a 2007 study in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases estimating up to 4 million health-care acquired infections (HAI's) and a 2008 study in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering estimating up to 70 percent of HAI's are associated with medical implants).
Credit: University of Portsmouth

The number of clawed frogs used worldwide in research could soon be a fraction of the current number, following new research at the University of Portsmouth.

Xenopus are aquatic frogs native to sub-Saharan Africa and one of the mainstays of science in understanding disease and healthy development in humans.

The frogs became popular in science because from the 1940s to the 1960s they were used worldwide as a pregnancy test. Doctors would ship women's urine samples to frog laboratories, a sample would be injected into the hind leg of a frog, and if, the next morning, the frog had laid eggs, doctors were 100 per cent confident a woman was pregnant.

Research by the University's Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Science has shown it's possible  and, crucially, simple  to make 32 embryos from one sample of sperm, instead of the current 4-8.

By freezing sperm rather than using it fresh, thousands of male frogs will now not need to be humanely killed and the welfare of those used will be improved.

Professor of Developmental Genetics at the university Matt Guille led the study, published in the journal Theriogenology.

He said: "We've made the process very simple so it can be replicated easily, and it's very effective. Critically, it also greatly enhances animal welfare  hormone levels show frogs are stressed when sent via airfreight around the world, now it seems highly likely that male Xenopus won't have to be.

"It will be a big saving internationally in the number of male frogs used in research."

The University of Portsmouth houses the European Xenopus Resource Centre, the world's largest Xenopus research facility, and which makes, houses and distributes genetically altered clawed frogs, frog sperm and frog embryos to more than 150 medical research laboratories worldwide.

The research team is now refining the process further and testing it by sending samples to laboratories in Japan, the US and in Europe in a project funded by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). Once feedback has been received and any tweaks made to the method, it will be rolled out across the other Xenopus resource centres in the US and Japan.

The advances it has now made are likely to help laboratories worldwide also reduce the number of frogs they use for research.

More information: Esther Pearl et al. An optimized method for cryogenic storage of Xenopus sperm to maximise the effectiveness of research using genetically altered frogs, Theriogenology (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.01.007
Several pendulum clocks can synchronize to one frequency of oscillation as if by magic when they have a common suspension. Christiaan Huygens observed this phenomenon for the first time in 1665. Credit: Henrique M. Oliveira & Luis V. Melo

As if by magic, seemingly independent pendulum clocks can come together to tick simultaneously and in synchrony. The phenomenon of "self-organized synchronization" frequently occurs in nature and engineering and is one of the key research fields of Marc Timme's team at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization. The physicists in Gottingen are part of a German-Italian collaboration which has now published an amazing discovery in Nature Communications: even quantum systems can synchronize through self-organization, without any external control. This synchronization manifests itself in the strangest property of the quantum world  entanglement.

In 1665, the Dutch researcher Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) was working on a novel clock for ships. At the time, pendulum clocks were the state of the art, and a specially shaped pendulum was intended to respond less sensitively to the rocking of the ships. Ship's clocks working as precisely as possible were the key to exact determining longitude. For protection, Huygens had built two of his pendulum clocks into a heavy housing, which was suspended such that it should largely compensate the rocking of the ship. He then discovered a surprising phenomenon: Although the clocks ran independently of each other and were not subject to any external influence, their pendulums swung in precise synchrony within at most half an hour after each restart.

Huygens surmised even back then that the two pendulums synchronized via tiny "imperceptible motions" in the joint suspension of the two clocks. His guess was correct, as physicists were later able to demonstrate for such oscillating systems. "One can observe such clocks as well as manyother oscillating objects to synchronize with each other even in the absence of any external influence," explains Marc Timme, theoretical physicist at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Gottingen. The professor heads a Research Group that studies the dynamics of networks and analyses, for example, the behaviour of electricity grids.

A joint suspension causes the pendulums to synchronize

The self-organized synchronization of seemingly independent oscillators to one frequency can be observed in many systems in nature and engineering. The prerequisite is often a "hidden" coupling, as via the joint suspension for the pendulum clocks. Scientists like Timme also call this a locking behaviour, with all oscillators involved synchronizing to precisely one frequency and then remaining trapped in it. This actually works with children's swings suspended from a joint beam as well. If they are pushed off from different starting positions, they may synchronize to a single frequency at some stage.

The examples are not limited only to mechanical oscillations. "Synchronization alsohappens for many different biological networks," explains Timme "The phenomenon for instance occurs in the brain when nerve impulses synchronize." This synchronization of brain waves in certain areas seems to be important for the working of our thinking organ. But it can also achieve too much. "Large-scale, extensive synchronization of brain waves in the brain is characteristic for epilepsy," says Timme.

On the left, the pendulums do not oscillate in synchronization; on the right, they have organized themselves to a synchronized oscillation. With quantum systems, such a classical synchronization can be the smoking gun for entanglement. This prediction of the German-Italian collaboration working with Marc Timme and Dirk Witthaut can be checked in the laboratory. Credit: Julich Research Centre

Quantum objects synchronize without any external influence

All these self-organized ordering phenomena are based on the fundamentals of the classical  non-quantum world. However, a German-Italian research collaboration has now discovered synchronization emerging even for pure quantum systems. This collaboration was initiated by Marc Timme together with his former postdoc Dirk Witthaut, who in the meantime heads an independent research group at the Forschungszentrum Julich. The conceptually new work has now been published in the renowned Nature Communications journal. In the publication, the scientists demonstrate for the first time that isolated systems comprising large numbers of quantum objects, such as the atoms of a Bose-Einstein condensate which is trapped in an optical lattice, for example, can synchronize in a very similar way to classical systems of physics.

In a Bose-Einstein condensates, whose experimental realization was honoured with the Nobel Prize in physics in 2001, several atoms behave like a single quantum object, individual atoms can nevertheless be trapped in an optical lattice. Such grids are constructed from the electromagnetic potential of crossed laser beams and resemble an egg box made of light, in which the atoms are spread out. The quantum particles can synchronize in the box without any external influence whatsoever, meaning they are likewise self-organized. "This is the main news of our article," says Timme.

These oscillating quantum systems can be imagined as manyHuygens' pendulum clocks. These clocks were coupled with each other via a beam, from which they are all suspended. In consequence, their pendulums oscillate synchronously after some time. The quantum systems synchronize in just the same way by interacting with each other. This self-organized transition to a synchronized collective is in complete correspondence with classical physics.

Synchronized quantum objects are entangled

But something more happens in the quantum world  a collective quantum state forms. This quantum state represents the uncertainty of quantum mechanics as such: entanglement. Quantum systems which are entangled with each other can no longer be described independently of each other. In our example of the clocks this would be roughly as if it were no longer possible to recognize the pendulums individually  each pendulum would contain information on all the others. All pendulums would therefore behave together like one object, a quantum object. "Classical synchronization is the 'smoking gun' for the formation of quantum mechanical entanglement," says Dirk Witthaut, lead author of the study, "and this is extremely surprising."

This finding throws new light onto the fascinating phenomenon of entanglement. Entangled systems have been routinely produced in many physics laboratories for decades. The new results are not just important for basic research. For some time now the quantum information research field has been working on using entanglement as a technical resource, be it in quantum computers of the future or in the error-proof transmission of information. The article now published by the German-Italian collaboration also makes concrete proposals as to how the self-organized synchronization of a quantum collective can be detected in the laboratory. It will therefore be fascinating to see in which form the phenomenon really shows up and how it inspires new lines of research.

For Marc Timme, this paper is also evidence of how important the collaboration between different disciplines is in making such unusual discoveries. He himself is an expert on the dynamics of classical self-organizing systems and synchronization in particular. His research fields are known as "nonlinear dynamics" and "network dynamics", the former of which has also become widely known as "chaos theory". Dirk Witthaut in contrast comes from the area of quantum physics. Only the intense collaboration of the two schools of thought in physics led to the discovery that classical synchronization in the quantum world has something to do with quantum mechanical entanglement. "It is often very difficult to fund and carry out such interdisciplinary projects in particular, because they cannot be assigned to any of the traditional disciplines," says Timme. The success in Gottingen was only possible because the Max Planck Society supported this interdisciplinary research in the long term and as pure research without a predefined goal.

More information: Dirk Witthaut et al. Classical synchronization indicates persistent entanglement in isolated quantum systems, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14829 Journal information: Nature Communications
A University of Adelaide researcher is proposing Australia use a "climate sharing system" to help solve the current power crisis. The system will transform a national liability into a national asset.

The architect of the system, Professor Mike Young, is Professor of Environmental and Water Policy with the University of Adelaide's Centre for Global Food and Resources. He played a leading role in creating Australia's water sharing system, which is now internationally regarded as global best practice.

Rather than using a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme, Professor Young suggests we learn from our water and fisheries management experience and develop a climate sharing system. He says the water system model is easily adaptable to suit our current energy needs.

Professor Young's system advocates for the creation of "climate shares", which would be allocated to all power stations and other greenhouse gas emitters in proportion to their current emissions. The annual emission allocations are then made in proportion to the number of shares held by emitters, but systematically reduced over time.

"The water sharing system brought wealth to much of rural Australia. The system structure encourages investment and the search for more efficient ways to work within defined limits," says Professor Young. "It worked for water  I see no reason why it wouldn't work for energy."

To make sure that everyone benefits and the impact of transitioning to a low carbon economy is as minimal as possible, Professor Young proposes that a community return initiative should become a major pillar of the climate sharing system. Community returns work by auctioning between 1% and 3% of shares every year. The proceeds of the sale are then distributed to the community on an annual basis.

"Ideally, the Federal Government would establish a climate sharing system in partnership with state and local governments," Professor Young says.

"The system is surprisingly simple and easily understood. Every investor and every emitter is given a carbon account that looks just like your bank account. Emission allocations are credited to this account. As you use them, they are debited."

In 2016, Australia's greenhouse gas emissions amounted to almost 540 million tonnes of CO2. One third of these emissions came from electricity generation.

"Shareholders would discover they could pay for emission reductions by mortgaging their shares, and once they have reduced emissions, sell off their surplus shares. In the water sector, these features have made us one of the world's best water managers  we can do the same with carbon emissions," he says.

Professor Young says the flow-on effect for the energy industry of a climate sharing system would be significant. "Sharing systems like these bring certainty and confidence to industry. They expedite change and encourage innovation. A new set of partnerships between the existing and renewable energy sector would soon emerge. This would extend quickly to include the energy used to produce heat in factories. The need for government involvement and expenditure in the sector would be much less," he says.

"Unlike conventional emissions trading schemes, a climate sharing system locks in a commitment that enables all involved to plan with certainty."

As is currently the case for water, an authority or board would need to be established to manage and enforce the system, with penalties for emitters that don't keep their carbon account in the black.

"Conceptually, the introduction of climate sharing could bring wins for business, for the finance sector, for government and for the environment," Professor Young says.

"As we have found with water and also fisheries, bi-partisan commitment to a climate sharing scheme would do much to bring confidence back to the energy sector, helping Australia to avoid the electricity crisis that commentators are currently predicting."
For most major events around the world, public access is only available through the media. In a new study, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Journalism examined the photographic news coverage of a visit Pope Francis made to Cuba to determine how major media outlets from different countries covered the international event. T.J. Thomson, a doctoral candidate at Mizzou, found that the cultural values of the photojournalists' home countries affected the ways in which the pope's visit was framed by each media outlet.

Thomson, along with Margaret Duffy, a professor of strategic communications at MU, and Gregory Perreault, an assistant professor at Appalachian State University, examined more than 400 photographs taken during Pope Francis's 2015 visit to Cuba. The photographs were made by photographers working for the Associated Press (AP) in the U.S., Reuters in the U.K. and Cuba-based Prensa Latina. The researchers examined the camera angles, as well as the cultural priorities and values that were expressed in each photo.

The researchers found that the camera angles in which the photographers shot photos revealed cultural differences. The AP and Reuters photographs framed the pope at higher angles than the Cuban politicians. The Cuban photographers framed their photos with the pope on an equal level with the politicians.

"Camera angles of the pope visiting with various Cuban dignitaries can be seen as direct evidence of the social and cultural values inherent in each photographer's background," Thomson said. "Placing the pope higher than Cuban dignitaries through the angle of the camera shows cultural values that place religious figures above politicians. The Cuban media's tendency to show the pope on an equal angle with state leaders may illustrate a culture of higher deference toward government officials."

When examining the news priorities and values of each media outlet, researchers found that Cuban-based Prensa Latina focused almost exclusively on covering the pope's meetings with dignitaries. U.K-based Reuters, and the AP to a lesser degree, focused more on everyday people and how they were affected by the pope's visit. For example, Reuters featured several photographs of shop owners hanging posters of the pope as well as onlookers, including protesters, reacting to seeing the pope. The AP and Reuters photographers also featured the pope in religious settings or presiding over religious events, while Prensa Latina showed more images of him engaging in diplomatic activities.

"It is important for media members to realize how their cultural predispositions can have a profound impact on the nature of their reporting on international events," Thomson said. "This specific example of the pope's Cuban visit showcases how differently people in different countries receive the news about international events. While none of the photos taken of the pope in Cuban were the 'wrong' way to cover the story, the framing and intent behind the photos can change the way news readers understand the news."

The study, "Politicians, Photographers, and a Pope," was published in Journalism Studies
BILLINGS  A woman was killed early Sunday morning when she was struck by a train in Miles City.

A 23-year-old woman from Butte died in the wreck, though she may have recently moved to Williston, North Dakota, said Dep. Spencer Anderson of the Custer County Sheriff's Office.

The incident involved a BNSF train and occurred at about 12:30 a.m. in area that was not a crossing, said Ross Lane, public information officer for BNSF Railway.

The empty coal train was westbound when the collision occurred.

The engineer saw something on the tracks and went into the emergency braking procedure. It can take a mile to stop a freight train, and the train was not stopped in time, Lane said.
Tresa Pollock stands next to an electron microscope linked to a custom-made table mounted with a chamber used for advanced 3-D printing. Credit: Matt Perko

When the Space Shuttle hit the Earth's atmosphere on its return trip from the cosmos, it was traveling at 17,000 miles per hour25 times the speed of sound. Were it not for the protection of the ceramic tiles that acted as heat shields, the entire spacecraft would have burned to nothing.

Talk about extreme conditions.

And those are exactly the kinds of the conditions UC Santa Barbara scientist Tresa Pollock often has in mind as she seeks to discover new and better materials.

Now, Pollock, chair of the materials department at UCSB, has received one of 13 prestigious 2017 Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowships from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The award includes $3 million to fund five years of Pollock's research, which is aimed at developing a 3-D platform for discovering new materials capable of operating in extreme environments such as those experienced by rockets, aircraft engines and hypersonic flight vehicles.

The fellowship program provides awards to top-tier scientists from U.S. universities to conduct revolutionary "high risk, high pay-off" research that addresses the "hard" problems that DoD needs to solve.

"I am very honored to be selected for this award, which is named after a visionary scientist who shaped the U.S. research infrastructure," Pollock said. "I am also grateful for the research support this provides and for the support the DoD has provided for many of my previous research efforts. The Vannevar Bush Fellowship will allow us to pursue research in directions not possible with other types of research programs."

Said Rod Alferness, dean of UCSB's College of Engineering: "For Tresa Pollock to receive a prestigious Vannever Bush Award from the U.S. Department of Defense is a tremendous and well-deserved honor. I have no doubt that the funding that comes with the fellowship will enable her and her team to develop breakthroughs in 3-D printing, nanoscale analysis and efficient production of important new materials."

"Printing advanced materials into complex architectures on demand poses many technical challenges, and this fellowship will enable us to tackle what are currently limiting materials-science issues," Pollock said. "The award builds on our previous research on crystal growth and solidification, 3-D materials science and alloy design. These intellectually challenging areas of research are highly suited to the talented Ph.D. students at UCSB."

In recent years, it has become possible to use both laser and electron beams to "print" engineering objects that have complex shapes. The process involves melting and fusing metallic powder particleseach about 10 times finer than a grain of beach sandin millimeter-scale "pools" created by local focusing of a laser or electron beam.

Drawing from the entire periodic table, it would be possible to mix and print millions of metallic powders having different combinations of elements. But until now, Pollock explained, it has been possible to print with only six or seven types of powders. Not enough was known, she said, about the complex series of events that occur during the melting, mixing and vaporization of the material that occur when the powder bed is scanned by a high-intensity beam, and afterward as the material cools.

"The grand challenges for making materials in this fashion are twofold and three-dimensional," Pollock said. "We need to design material compositions in which defects will not form during melting and cooling within the cubic-millimeter pool, and we need 3-D tools to examine the structure of that millimeter-scale volume of material at the nanometer scale to ensure that the structure is sound. The Vannevar Bush fellowship will enable us to focus on these two aspects of the printing problem."

Building upon a combined laser and electron-beam tomography system she developed at UCSB, Pollock will design and integrate an additional open-source, highly automated laser-powder-processing platform that can be operated either in layer-by-layer additive build mode for a given material, or in combinatorial chemistry mode to vary chemistry locally.

According to Pollock, the 3-D platform will enable exploration of previously inaccessible design spaces of higher-dimensional compositional materials and will also provide rapid acquisition of 3-D information about the materials' chemistry, structure and crystallographyfrom the nanometer-to-millimeter length scales critical in emerging approaches to additive manufacturing.
Fossilised dinosaur eggs in nests, uncovered by a raid on illegal fossils in 2004. Credit: John Long , Author provided

China's record of life's past history on Earth is second to none.

The country is famous especially for the excellent preservation of the 130 million year old feathered dinosaurs and early birds from Liaoning Province. These specimens have reframed the narrative about how birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs.

China has also long been famous for its abundance of fossil dinosaur egg localities.

A recent study just published reveals that a well-preserved nest of the largest known dinosaur eggs, called "Macroelongatoolithus" from Henan Province, contains a complete skeleton of a dinosaur new to science, Beibeilong.

It's a case that brings a stark reminder that incredible scientific findings rely not only on careful and ethical research activities among scientists across the world, but also on governments that value scientific heritage.

New dinosaur revealed in returned fossil

The Macroelongatoolithus fossil, first uncovered back in late 1992 or early 1993, became famous when it made the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1996, and the baby dinosaur was dubbed "Baby Louis" after photographer Louis Psihoyos.

The new research links this 23cm long curled dinosaur embryo to a strange clade of dinosaurs named caenognathids. It is new dinosaur, named Beibeilong, meaning "baby dragon".

The adults of this group were large, toothless forms with short curve beaks, perhaps best represented by closely related forms like Oviraptor. They looked more like giant zombie parrots than your run-of-the-mill dinosaur.

Other oviraptosaurs have been found in China with complete coverings of feathers on the body, and sporting large expanded tail feathers (Caudipteryx).

Beibeilong had a stretched out "snout to vent" (that is, from nose to base of the tail) length of 38cm, making it a very big embryo. The eggs it came from are among the largest known of all dinosaur eggs, measuring up to 45cm in length.

Beibeilong would therefore have been among the biggest of the caenagnathid dinosaurs, and like its close cousin Gigantoraptor, may have reached sizes of around 8 metres and weighed up to 1,400kg. They were less terrifying than other theropods, being omnivores feeding on seeds, plants and occasional small animals.

Not just another dino story

Yet there is more to this story than just another new dinosaur discovery.

An artists rendition, showing the approximate size of the Beibeilong embryo inside a Macroelongatoolithus egg. Credit: Vladimir Rimbala/Nature Communications, CC BY

It was and still is illegal to export Chinese dinosaur fossils.

In 2003 the famous "Baby Louis" fossil was acquired by the Indianapolis Children's Museum in the US, imported through The Stone Company, which dealt with the sale of fossils. The museum had an agreement with China that it would repatriate the fossil after a period of display, and this agreement was finalised in late 2013, when the fossil made it home to Henan Province.

Canadian dinosaur expert Phil Currie and his team went back to China to track down where the fossil had originally been found. They found the farmer who discovered the specimen, and were able to find other egg fragments that matched the original specimen to confirm its locality.

This story had a happy ending but it is reminiscent of another side to the fossil business. In those days, many Chinese fossils were being smuggled out illegally to markets in the US, Germany, Japan and other countries who were not part of the UNESCO convention agreeing to repatriation of other country's cultural heritage items.

In 2002 I wrote a book outlining these issues, and stating case studies of the international illegal fossil trade. Penalties were extremely harsh in China.

In 1995 three Chinese men caught trying to sell 16 dinosaur eggs were sentenced to five and half years imprisonment. At the time there were many shops in Australia openly selling Chinese dinosaur eggs. It had to be stopped, so I was brought in to assist both local police units in some states, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to advise them.

How we stopped the illegal fossil trade in Australia

It was dark, well before sunrise, on a cold June day in 2004, when a fleet of AFP cars came to pick me up.

A large haul of suspected illegal fossils was identified at a private residence south of Perth, so I had been brought in as the expert witness and fossil identifier. It was crucial to know with 100% certainty if the fossils represented species from Australia, which meant no crime had been committed, or if they were smuggled in from China, where it is against the heritage laws of the country to export certain fossils.

At the time the Chinese government had made a request to Australian officials to specifically crack down on illegal Chinese fossils being sold in Australian fossil shops.

The dawn raid went well. The warehouse had many large packing crates, piled on top of each other from floor to ceiling. I spent all that day opening crates, examining and photographing the fossils.

That night I sent many images to my palaeontological colleagues in China to obtain confirmation that every specimen we unpacked belonged to species only found in China.

This totally nailed the case for the AFP. Even the wrapping paper provided good evidence for the case, as each fossil was wrapped in Chinese newspapers giving approximate dates and specific provinces of the wrapping event.

About A$6 million dollars worth of illegal chinese fossils were seized that day.

The author identifying fossils during an Australian Federal Police raid on a private property in Western Australia, June 2004. Approximately A$6 million worth of illegally imported fossils from China were seized and eventually repatriated. Credit: John Long, Flinders University

In 2008, after the AFP had finished with the evidence, the whole collection was handed back to China at a ceremony at the Chinese Embassy in Canberra.

The vast collection  including superb dinosaur eggs, dinosaur skeletons, many fossil rhinoceros and sabre-tooth cat skulls, exquisite complete fish fossils, and beautiful long-necked marine reptiles  was all handed back to Chinese officials in Canberra, at the Chinese Embassy. To show their gratitude for our efforts, the Chinese government gave a gift of several important Chinese fossil specimens to two Australian museums.

After this case was heavily publicised, the illegal importing of fossils from China was stopped in Australia. The threat of large fines or jail sentences for illegal fossil imports reinforced how seriously the government views these offences.

In the case quoted above, the importer of the fossils pleaded he knew nothing about the illegality of importing Chinese fossils. In a show of mercy he was neither fined nor prosecuted. Instead, he lost several million Australian dollars worth of fossils which he had purchased and imported.

Few illegal fossils have been detected for sale in this country since then.

New threats to protecting fossil sites

In recent years new threats to the protection of significant fossil sites are emerging, and this time it's not from illegal activity.

Donald Trump recently issued a Presidential Executive Order to "review prior national monument designations and propose changes or modify or rescind lands".

One under threat is Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Aside from its very significant cultural value to some 30 Native American peoples, the area contains very important fossils sites that could suddenly be open to unwanted exploitation by amateur fossil hunters or commercial dealers.

Many vertebrate fossil discoveries already made in the area are the only examples of their kind in the USA or the world, including new species of extinct fish, amphibians, mammal-relatives, and reptiles.

President of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Dr David Polly has said in a private correspondance:

"Legal regulation has become key for ensuring that paleontologists can continue discovering the history of life on Earth. The few protections that are in place in the US are currently threatened by reviews of public lands, such as at Bears Ears and Grand Escalante Staircase National Monuments."

In addition, the threat of development over highly significant fossil sites here in Australia is not to be overlooked. One such case is the internationally famous Beaumaris Fossil sites in Melbourne, currently under threat of being built over by a proposed marina. A proposed dam at Cranky Rock near Orange has also been raised as a potential threat to fossils at Cliefden Caves.

Fossils are a part of our natural and cultural heritage. They tell a story that we all need to hear - how we evolved, and where we are heading as a species.

It's my opinion that we must stand up against development and legislation that could result in the desecration of internationally significant fossil sites, and the potential loss of unique scientific specimens.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

(Phys.org)A pair of researchers with the University of Massachusetts has found evidence that suggests women are more likely to continue to pursue a degree in engineering if they have a female mentor. Nilanjana Dasgupta, an instructor, and her Ph.D. student Tara Dennehy paired first-year female engineering majors with older mentors for a year and then looked at the impact mentoring had the decision to continue pursuing their degree as they moved into their second year. They have published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Far fewer women than men receive bachelor's degrees in the STEM fields (just 13 to 33 percent), despite women comprising approximately 56 percent of all students attending college in the United States. Dasgupta and Dennehy note that the disparity is most notable in engineering. They suggest the reason that women choose to drop out or to change majors is because many such environments are unfriendly, or even hostile to female students. Quite often, female students are made to feel as if they do not belong. They note also that some efforts have been made to make such environments friendlier, but thus far, little progress has been made. They wondered if female students in such fields might benefit from having a female mentor. To find out, they enlisted the assistance of 150 people (male and female) working as engineers to serve as mentors for 150 female engineering students during their freshman year. The students met with their mentor once a month and were interviewed by the research pair three times during their first year and then again, a year later.

The researchers found that the female students were much more likely to continue to pursue their engineering degree if they had a female mentor, but not if they had a male mentor (18 percent of them dropped out) or no mentor (11 percent dropped out). They report that all of the female students given a female mentor chose to continue with their major their second year. They also note that mentoring appeared to have a lasting impact, as most of those assigned female mentors reported plans to continue with their engineering degree into their third year.

More information: Female peer mentors early in college increase women's positive academic experiences and retention in engineering, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1613117114 Abstract

Scientific and engineering innovation is vital for American competitiveness, quality of life, and national security. However, too few American students, especially women, pursue these fields. Although this problem has attracted enormous attention, rigorously tested interventions outside artificial laboratory settings are quite rare. To address this gap, we conducted a longitudinal field experiment investigating the effect of peer mentoring on women's experiences and retention in engineering during college transition, assessing its impact for 1 y while mentoring was active, and an additional 1 y after mentoring had ended. Incoming women engineering students (n = 150) were randomly assigned to female or male peer mentors or no mentors for 1 y. Their experiences were assessed multiple times during the intervention year and 1-y postintervention. Female (but not male) mentors protected women's belonging in engineering, self-efficacy, motivation, retention in engineering majors, and postcollege engineering aspirations. Counter to common assumptions, better engineering grades were not associated with more retention or career aspirations in engineering in the first year of college. Notably, increased belonging and self-efficacy were significantly associated with more retention and career aspirations. The benefits of peer mentoring endured long after the intervention had ended, inoculating women for the first 2 y of collegethe window of greatest attrition from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. Thus, same-gender peer mentoring for a short period during developmental transition points promotes women's success and retention in engineering, yielding dividends over time. Press release Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

 2017 Phys.org
Earlier discovery of cancer and greater precision in the treatment process are the objectives of a new method developed by researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy and Boston University. Investments are now being made to roll out this innovation across healthcare and broaden the scope of the research in this field.

"We can screen at-risk patient groups, and we also plan to spot the cancer patients who are relapsing so that we can adapt their treatment," says Anders Stahlberg, docent in molecular medicine and corresponding author for two articles about the method.

The technique was created based on the fact that people with cancer also have DNA from tumor cells circulating in the blood, molecules that can be discovered in a regular blood sample long before the tumor is visible via imaging such as tomography, MRI, X-ray and ultrasound.

The researchers have now increased the sensitivity of detecting tumor DNA in blood thousand-fold by eliminating the background noise from the measurements using "DNA barcoding".

Soon Ready for Patients

"One of the benefits of the technique is that it makes use of available instrumentation, which means it can be applied in most labs. We are not first in the world to show that barcoding concept works, but in our case we have developed a fast and flexible method that is simple, flexible and cost-effective to use," says Anders Stahlberg.

In articles in Nature Protocols and Nucleic Acids Research, he and his colleagues talk about how the ultra-sensitive mutation analyses find individual tumor cell molecules among 10,000 healthy molecules.

The method is now also being implemented as a generic platform at Sahlgrenska University Hospital by the Wallenberg Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine at University of Gothenburg, in close collaboration with the hospital, and with the backing of Astra Zeneca and Region Vastra Gotaland.

"The method has major potential and should soon be ready for patients. However, first the application need to be tested on patient material in clinical studies, there really is no way around that," says Goran Landberg, professor and director of the Wallenberg Center, who has the task of bringing research and clinical work together.

"We work together closely both at the hospital and the university, and with Astra Zeneca. These efforts are completely in line with our ambitions," says Goran Landberg.

Treatment Customized More Effectively

Screening of at-risk groups for certain types of cancer, leading to earlier diagnosis, is being described as an area with major potential, both with regard to saving lives and saving money within healthcare. No tissue samples are needed for the method, and the tumor does not even need to be located.

It can also be used in the calibration of chemotherapy treatments, and help to avoid problematic under- and overdosage. It can also be used to discover whether a patient is becoming resistant to a certain cancer drug, according to Anders Stahlberg.

"There is a great need for something like this in this area. After all, targeted treatments work well for some patients at the moment, but not others. We hope to be able to find out how well a treatment is going, detect relapses at an early stage and improve our options with regard to changing treatments," he says.
Credit: National Physical Laboratory

A new UK-China collaborative project is developing a sensor to provide an easy, low-cost method of diagnosing hepatitis on the spot using graphene  an advanced 2-D material known for its high electrical conductivity. The sensor will be the first to simultaneously test for three types of hepatitis  A, B and C  out of the five types that exist. The multi-partner project, supported by the UK's Newton Fund and led by Biovici, will bring together the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the University of Chongqing, Swansea University, and industry partner CTN, to develop this new diagnostic technology.

Hepatitis is a huge global health problem, with nearly 400 million people worldwide affected, resulting in over 1.4 million deaths per year. The World Health Organisation has reported that 257 million people are infected with hepatitis B alone. Those affected with hepatitis suffer chronic infection, resulting in one million deaths per annum from liver cirrhosis and cancer, with 40% of those deaths occurring in China. Funded by the UK's Newton Fund, which aims to promote the economic development and social welfare of partner countries by strengthening science and innovation capacity, this project aims to help tackle the incidence of hepatitis in China. Hepatitis B in particular is endemic in China, with one-third of the 350 million infected individuals worldwide residing in China.

Blood tests are currently used as the diagnostic method for hepatitis, but there are challenges associated with this. With blood tests, results can take five to seven days, during which patients are still contagious and therefore a risk to the non-infected. Moreover, the technique is invasive and expensive, as it requires medical personnel.

Graphene is a 2-D material with unique electrical and mechanical properties, which derive from its one-atom-thick structure. The material's exceptional electronic characteristics, surface sensitivity and selectivity make it ideal for sensor applications, including those used for medical diagnosis. To date, graphene electrochemical biosensors exist for diagnosing one type of hepatitis. This project, however, will develop sensors for the detection of three hepatitis types at a time, by using three graphene sensors, each tailored to identify the antibodies associated with a certain strain of hepatitis, integrated in a single test. Unlike conventional blood tests, this sensor will provide a non-invasive, quick and less expensive screening method. The ease and speed of this method will be beneficial for bulk testing of the food, agriculture and education workforces in China, over 300 million people, for whom tests are obligatory.

The team's approach is to use the graphene sensor technology to develop a point of care diagnostic for early detection and monitoring of multiple salivary or serum-based hepatitis biomarkers. This will be a novel, real-time monitoring sensor technology, based on chemically-modified graphene, that simultaneously monitors for hepatitis A, B and C. The test will be simple, low-cost and rapid, similar to a blood glucose sensor or pregnancy test, but testing saliva instead. This two-year project will develop a prototype, and establish the reliability, stability and sensitivity of the sensor in preparation for its commercialisation. It is estimated that if the sensor is produced in large quantities, each device could cost as little as 1 GBP.

While each of the five partners involved in the project has a different role, all of their activities are required in combination for the effective development of this new technology. The two Chinese partners, CTN and Chongqing University, are responsible for graphene device production and manufacturing. On the characterisation side, NPL is carrying out electrical characterisation and testing, whilst Swansea University is conducting chemical characterisation. Lastly, Biovici, who develops next-generation POC diagnostic devices, is responsible for packaging and commercialisation.

Dr Olga Kazakova, Principle Research Scientist in Advanced Materials at NPL, said: "Graphene's unique characteristics mean it has great potential to be used in a variety of sensing applications. In addition to hepatitis, it could be used in other similar tests, including allergen sensors, pollutant identification and other life sciences applications. It is imperative for us to understand the exact characteristics of the material to be able to assess how it can be manufactured and used in these different applications. This is a key focus for us and the National Graphene Metrology Centre at NPL supports the commercialisation and application of the advanced material by conducting world-leading research into its measurement and characterisation. Through this research, we are working to develop international standards for graphene which will help to unlock new applications for the incredible material."

Paul Morgan, Chief Executive at Biovici, said: "This collaboration between NPL, Swansea University's Centre for NanoHealth and our partners in China opens a unique opportunity to develop a low-cost, affordable test, which will bring major benefits to the global fight against the spread of this highly infectious disease. Many people associate hepatitis as a problem that happens elsewhere and not in their home country. However, hepatitis is a global epidemic which is rapidly affecting parts of the UK, throughout Europe and the USA."

Professor Owen Guy, Director (Engineering) at the Centre for NanoHealth at Swansea University, said: "Using semiconductor process technology applied to graphene enables us to make low-cost sensors. With the right lab-on-chip technology, there is the potential to develop sensors for a host of diagnostic and screening applications."
Artistic interpretation of an Archean komatiite lava flow. Credit: Professor Claude Herzberg of Rutgers University

An international team of researchers led by geoscientists with the Virginia Tech College of Science recently discovered that deep portions of Earth's mantle might be as hot as it was more than 2.5 billion years ago.

The study, led by Esteban Gazel, an assistant professor with Virginia Tech's Department of Geosciences, and his doctoral student Jarek Trela of Deer Park, Illinois, is published in the latest issue of Nature Geoscience. The study brings new, unprecedented evidence on the thermal evolution of the deep Earth during the past 2.5 billion years, Gazel said.

The Archean Eoncovering from 2.5 to 4 billion years agois one of the most enigmatic times in the evolution of our planet, Gazel said. During this time period, the temperature of Earth's mantlethe silicate region between the crust and the outer corewas hotter than it is today, owing to a higher amount of radioactive heat produced from the decay of elements such as potassium, thorium, and uranium. Because Earth was hotter during this period, this interval of geologic time is marked by the widespread of occurrence of a unique rock known as komatiite.

"Komatiites are basically superhot versions of Hawaiian style lava flows," Gazel said. "You can imagine a Hawaiian lava flow, only komatiites were so hot that they glowed white instead of red, and they flowed on a planetary surface with very different atmospheric conditions, more similar to Venus than the planet we live on today."

Earth essentially stopped producing abundant hot komatiites after the Archean era because the mantle has cooled during the past 4.5 billion years due to convective cooling and a decrease in radioactive heat production, Gazel said.

However, Gazel and a team made what they call an astonishing discovery while studying the chemistry of ancient Galapagos-related lava flows, preserved today in Central America: a suite of lavas that shows conditions of melting and crystallization similar to the mysterious Archean komatiites.

Gazel and collaborators studied a set of rocks from the 90 million-year-old Tortugal Suite in Costa Rica and found that they had magnesium concentrations as high as Archean komatiites, as well as textural evidence for extremely hot lava flow temperatures.

"Experimental studies tell us that that the magnesium concentration of basalts and komatiites is related to the initial temperature of the melt," Gazel said. "They higher the temperature, the higher the magnesium content of a basalt."

X-ray chemical maps of olivines of the Tortugal Suite that record extremely hot crystallization temperatures. Image taken from research paper spearheaded by Esteban Gazel, an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences, and doctoral student Jarek Trela. Credit: Virginia Tech

The team also studied the composition olivine, the first mineral that crystallized from these lavas. Olivinea light green mineral that Gazel has obsessively explored many volcanoes and magmatic regions to search foris an extremely useful tool to study a number of conditions related to origin of a lava flow because it is the first mineral phase that crystallizes when a mantle melt cools. Olivines also carry inclusions of glassthat once was meltand other smaller minerals that are helpful to decipher the secrets of the deep Earth.

"We used the composition of olivine as another thermometer to corroborate how hot these lavas were when they began to cool," Gazel said. "You can determine the temperature that basaltic lava began crystallizing by analyzing the composition of olivine and inclusions of another mineral called spinel. At higher temperatures, olivine will incorporate more aluminum into its structure and spinel will incorporate more chromium. If you know how much of these elements are present in each mineral, then you know the temperature at which they crystallized."

The team found that Tortugal olivines crystallized at temperature nearing 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,600 degrees Celsius)as high as temperatures recorded by olivines from komatiitesmaking this a new record on lava temperatures in the past 2.5 billion years.

Gazel and collaborators suggest in their study that Earth may still be capable of producing komatiite-like melts. Their results suggest that Tortugal lavas most likely originated from the hot core of the Galapagos mantle plume that started producing melts nearly 90 million years ago and has remained active ever since.

A mantle plume is a deep-earth structure that likely originates at the core-mantle boundary of the planet. When it nears the surface of the planet it begins to melt, forming features known as hotspots such as those found in Hawaii or Galapagos. Geologists can then study these hotspot lava flows and use their geochemical information as a window into the deep Earth.

"What is really fascinating about this study is that we show that the planet is still capable of producing lavas as hot as during Archean time period," Gazel said. "Based on our results from Tortugal lavas, we think that mantle plumes are 'tapping' a deep, hot region of the mantle that hasn't cooled very much since the Archean. We think that this region is probably being sustained by heat from the crystallizing core of the planet."

"This is a really interesting discovery and we are going to keep investigating Tortugal," said Trela, a doctoral student and the first author of the paper. "Although the Tortugal Suite was first discovered and documented more than 20 years ago, it wasn't until now that we have the technology and experimental support to better understand the global implications of this location."

Trela added, "Our new data suggest that this suite of rocks offers tremendous opportunity to answer key questions regarding the accretion of the Earth, its thermal evolution, and the geochemical messages that mantle plumes bring to the surface of the planet."

More information: The hottest lavas of the Phanerozoic and the survival of deep Archaean reservoirs, Nature Geoscience (2017). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/ngeo2954 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
The study was conducted with 32 white women that were randomly assigned to a white or black virtual body. Credit: Universidad de Barcelona

Researchers of the University of Barcelona have studied the influence of immersive virtual reality (IVR) on racial bias. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, has used this technology to analyse the effects of immersion in automatic behaviours towards other races.

The results show that adopting a certain virtual race, regardless of the user's actual race, has an effect on certain unconscious behaviours towards virtual people. According to the researchers, these results show the impact of these experiences in the perception, behaviour and attitudes but they also open the door to the uses of this technology to fight racist attitudes.

Embodying a different person virtually

During social interactions, people identify as members of social groups to which they belong spontaneously. This identification, in which features such as race or sex are strong contributors, has an influence on interpersonal perceptions and behaviours. A common method to counteract this bias is perspective taking, which usually requires people to imagine what it would be like to have another skin color or sex. In the new study, researchers have changed this perspective using IVR: "Instead of making them imagine they are another person, we put the participants in the situation of actually 'being' another person," says Mel Slater, a researcher of the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB.

The study was conducted with 32 white women who were randomly assigned to a white or black virtual body. With virtual reality glasses and clothes, the participants embodied the given avatar and had to interact with another virtual woman that was created by the program. In the experiment, the participants had to describe a set of pictures that appeared on a virtual wall, and then listened to the description by the other virtual woman. Each participant repeated the experiment twice in different weeks, but always with the same skin color that was first assigned. However, the skin color of the avatar with which they shared the virtual space was different in every test.

Mimics as a harmony indicator

Researchers recorded the experiments and analysed the level of imitation of participants with the other virtual person. To do so, they recorded the times the participant imitated movements of the other person unconsciously, such as touching her face, resting the arms on the hips or scratching their arm. "Unconsciously, participants copied a lot more the gestures of the other virtual person when they had the same skin color. For example, when the volunteer met a black avatar, she imitated her more than when meeting a white one," says Slater.

"This imitation is important, since it is an unconscious behaviour which, according to studies of social psychology, indicates a social understanding. That is, we unconsciously tend to imitate more those with whom we are in harmony".

Changes outside the virtual experience

The researchers emphasize that it is not possible to compare these results outside the virtual simulation, since it would be necessary to monitor the participants to certify the variation of racial bias in their daily lives. In this sense, a previous study by EventLab has shown that embodying a virtual person of a different race "reduces racial bias at least a week after the exposure to virtual reality."

According to researchers, this impact on implicit behaviours of the participants makes IVR a future promising tool to fight racism in everyday life. "When its use gets generalized in society, I can imagine non-violent games and interactive films with IVR in which the player embodies different roles and bodies," says Slater.

"Other possible applications would be the use of IVR so that public officials, such as policemen who work directly with people experience what it would be like to be treated differently depending on their virtual race. This would be more important in countries with severe racial problems than others where this is not a serious problem," concludes the researcher.

More information: Beatrice S. Hasler et al. Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174965 Journal information: PLoS ONE
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) and the Sheba Medical Center have developed a new therapy to treat atherosclerosis and prevent heart failure with a new biomedical polymer that reduces arterial plaque and inflammation in the cardiovascular system.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease causes 56 million deaths annually worldwide, according to the 2015 Lancet Global Burden of Disease Report. Arteries are lined by a thin layer of cells called the "endothelium" which keep them toned and smooth and maintain blood flow. Atherosclerosis begins with damage to the endothelium and is caused by high blood pressure, smoking or high cholesterol. The resulting damage leads to plaque formation.

When endothelial cells experience inflammation, they produce a molecule called "E-selectin," which brings white blood cells (monocytes) to the area and causes plaque accumulation in the arteries.

"Our E-selectin-targeting polymer reduces existing plaque and prevents further plaque progression and inflammation, preventing arterial thrombosis, ischemia, myocardial infarction, and stroke," says Prof. Ayelet David of the BGU Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology.

This innovative nano-polymer has several advantages. First, it targets only damaged tissue and does not harm healthy tissue. At present, there are several available treatment options for atherosclerosis, but no other therapy reverses arterial damage and improves the heart muscle. Lastly, the polymer has no side effects, unlike statins, which are currently the leading medication used for treating atherosclerosis.

Patented and in preclinical stage, the new polymer has been tested on mice with positive results. In a study that has been submitted for publication, the researchers treated atherosclerotic mice with four injections of the new biomedical polymer and tested the change in their arteries after four weeks. "We were stunned by the results," says Prof. David. "The myocardial function of the treated mice was greatly improved, there was less inflammation and a significant decrease in the thickness of the arteries."

Prof. David and collaborator Prof. Jonathan Leor, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of the Sheba Medical Center and professor of cardiology at Tel Aviv University, suggest that this polymer-based therapy can also be helpful to people with diabetes, hypertension and other age-related conditions. "As such, the new polymeric therapy may have life-changing benefits for millions of people," the researchers say.

"This is unprecedented," says Prof. Leor. "We achieved an adherence level similar to that of an antibody, which may explain the strong beneficial effect we observed."

"We are now seeking a pharmaceutical company to bring our polymer therapy through the next stages of drug development and ultimately to market," says Dr. Ora Horovitz, senior vice president of business development at BGN Technologies (BGN). BGU's technology transfer and commercialization company. "We believe that this therapy has the potential to help a great number of people."
NASA's Search and Rescue office performed three controlled plane crashes at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to evaluate the performance of current emergency locator transmitter (ELT) systems and make recommendations for improvements. Credit: NASA

Some NASA missions fundamentally change the world of science or help win Nobel prizes, but only one helps save thousands of lives worldwide every year.

Employees at NASA's Search and Rescue office spend their days advancing systems critical to locating and saving people in distress, whether from an aviation, marine or other outdoor incident. The office is the primary research and development team for both the U.S. Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) effort and the International Satellite System for Search and Rescue (Cospas-Sarsat).

Search-and-rescue satellite systems are complex, comprising beacons, spacecraft and ground systems all carefully calibrated to work together efficiently. Rescue efforts usually start with beacons, which transmit distress signals to passing satellites.

For years, ships, airlines and even amateur hikers have used emergency locator beacons originally developed in the 1970s. They have saved more than 40,000 lives over the years and are available at virtually any outdoors store at affordable prices. But the SAR office is developing an even more effective beacon.

"Current beacons are accurate to about a 2-kilometer radius using technology from the 1970s," said Lisa Mazzuca, SAR mission manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Within that radius of about 1.25 miles, there's still quite a bit of searching to be done.

"The intent with these second-generation beacons is to get that to about 100 meters (about 110 yards) in an effort to take the 'search' out of 'search and rescue,'" Mazzuca said.

At less than a tenth of a mile, the improved accuracy would mitigate risk to both the person in distress and responders, who risk their own lives at times, by greatly reducing time needed to search.

The team tested a version of the prototype beacon in October 2016 and were able to demonstrate location accuracy to about 140 meters (153 yards). NASA used its Research and Development Second Generation Beacon SAR ground station, located at Goddard, to resolve locations of the beacon from more than 3,000 miles away.

A technician works on a prototype of a second-generation emergency locator beacon, which will improve search-and-rescue efforts. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

National and international SAR operations will use second-generation beacons in a wide variety of new technologies over the next several years. Mazzuca's team is working on a number of new projects incorporating the new beacons, including improved emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) for commercial and general aviation aircraft, as well as unmanned aerial search vehicles. These technologies could be game-changing to SAR efforts.

New ELTs could help mitigate aviation search disasters like several that have been seen in the news in recent years. Shortly after a high-profile crash in 2014, NASA launched a two-year study to investigate ELT failure modes and recommend beacon and system-level improvements, including a better installation policy for the United States.

The team researched historic failures and performed three controlled airplane crashes at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to better understand ELT vulnerabilities. In February, they released a report with their findings, one of which was a recommendation to take advantage of smaller, lighter and more accurate second-generation beacons.

Beyond distress-tracking systems, the team is working on a new SAR operational platform.

"One of the things we're doing is taking advantage of an up-and-coming platform that seems to be the answer for a lot of problems in SAR operations," Mazzuca said. "We are building a new direction-finder homing prototype based entirely on second-generation beacons with a terrestrial signal and proving it out using unmanned aircraft systems."

By using existing NASA UAVs and expertise at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California; NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia; and Langley, the team is getting a jump on where technology is going next. Mazzuca said it's also a way to produce an inexpensive system that small local SAR organizations that rely on very old technology can afford.

Beyond fitting the UAVs with the direction-finder system, they are working with the U.S. Coast Guard to determine what else can be placed on the aircraft to assist with rescues. Using UAVs for searching will cut down on risk to responders and allow SAR organizations to deploy forces more efficiently. For example, the UAVs could determine whether doctors are needed, how many victims are there, what kind of injuries people in distress have and more before responders ever hit the ground.

From better beacons to high-tech systems, NASA's SAR office's work is improving rescue operations in the United States and around the world.
Top domains queried by samples of malware studied by cybersecurity researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Credit: Georgia Tech

By analyzing network traffic going to suspicious domains, security administrators could detect malware infections weeks or even months before they're able to capture a sample of the invading malware, a new study suggests. The findings point toward the need for new malware-independent detection strategies that will give network defenders the ability to identify network security breaches in a more timely manner.

The strategy would take advantage of the fact that malware invaders need to communicate with their command and control computers, creating network traffic that can be detected and analyzed. Having an earlier warning of developing malware infections could enable quicker responses and potentially reduce the impact of attacks, the study's researchers say.

"Our study shows that by the time you find the malware, it's already too late because the network communications and domain names used by the malware were active weeks or even months before the actual malware was discovered," said Manos Antonakakis, an assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "These findings show that we need to fundamentally change the way we think about network defense."

Traditional defenses depend on the detection of malware in a network. While analyzing malware samples can identify suspicious domains and help attribute network attacks to their sources, relying on samples to drive defensive actions gives malicious actors a critical time advantage to gather information and cause damage. "What we need to do is minimize the amount of time between the compromise and the detection event," Antonakakis added.

The research, which will be presented May 24 at the 38th IEEE Security and Privacy Symposium in San Jose, California, was supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The project was done in collaboration with EURECOM in France and the IMDEA Software Institute in Spain - whose work was supported by the regional government of Madrid and the government of Spain.

In the study, Antonakakis, Graduate Research Assistant Chaz Lever and colleagues analyzed more than five billion network events from nearly five years of network traffic carried by a major U.S. internet service provider (ISP). They also studied domain name server (DNS) requests made by nearly 27 million malware samples, and examined the timing for the re-registration of expired domains - which often provide the launch sites for malware attacks.

Chart shows the time difference between when malware signals were detected in the network traffic of a major ISP and when the malware appeared on black lists. Credit: Georgia Tech

"There were certain networks that were more prone to abuse, so looking for traffic into those hot spot networks was potentially a good indicator of abuse underway," said Lever, the first author of the paper and a student in Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "If you see a lot of DNS requests pointing to hot spots of abuse, that should raise concerns about potential infections."

The researchers also found that requests for dynamic DNS also related to bad activity, as these often correlate with services used by bad actors because they provide free domain registrations and the ability to add quickly add domains.

The researchers had hoped that the registration of previously expired domain names might provide a warning of impending attacks. But Lever found there was often a lag of months between when expired domains were re-registered and attacks from them began.

The research required development of a filtering system to separate benign network traffic from malicious traffic in the ISP data. The researchers also conducted what they believe is the largest malware classification effort to date to differentiate the malicious software from potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). To study similarities, they assigned the malware to specific "families."

By studying malware-related network traffic seen by the ISPs prior to detection of the malware, the researchers were able to determine that malware signals were present weeks and even months before new malicious software was found. Relating that to human health, Antonakakis compares the network signals to the fever or general feeling of malaise that often precedes identification of the microorganism responsible for an infection.

"You know you are sick when you have a fever, before you know exactly what's causing it," he said. "The first thing the adversary does is set up a presence on the internet, and that first signal can indicate an infection. We should try to observe that symptom first on the network because if we wait to see the malware sample, we are almost certainly allowing a major infection to develop."

By analyzing network traffic going to suspicious domains, security administrators could detect malware infections weeks or even months before they're able to capture a sample of the invading malware, Georgia Tech researchers have found. Credit: Fitrah Hamid, Georgia Tech

In all, the researchers found more than 300,000 malware domains that were active for at least two weeks before the corresponding malware samples were identified and analyzed.

But as with human health, detecting a change indicating infection requires knowledge of the baseline activity, he said. Network administrators must have information about normal network traffic so they can detect the abnormalities that may signal a developing attack. While many aspects of an attack can be hidden, malware must always communicate back to those who sent it.

"If you have the ability to detect traffic in a network, regardless of how the malware may have gotten in, the action of communicating through the network will be observable," Antonakais said. "Network administrators should minimize the unknowns in their networks and classify their appropriate communications as much as possible so they can see the bad activity when it happens."

Antonakakis and Lever hope their study will lead to development of new strategies for defending computer networks.

"The choke point is the network traffic, and that's where this battle should be fought," said Antonakakis. "This study provides a fundamental observation of how the next generation of defense mechanisms should be designed. As more complicated attacks come into being, we will have to become smarter at detecting them earlier."

More information: Chaz Lever, et al., "A Lustrum of Malware Network Communication: Evolution and Insights," 38th IEEE Security and Privacy Symposium, 2017.
In this April 16, 2012, file photo, a small, likely juvenile, bobcat is perched on a power pole in a residential neighborhood of Victorville, Calif. Bobcat numbers have almost tripled nationwide since the 1980s to as many as 3.6 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, the most recent national survey. (James Quigg/The Daily Press via AP, File)

As someone who has studied bobcats for almost four decades, wildlife ecologist John Litvaitis remembers many times returning from the field without spotting a single one of these solitary and shy creatures that often hunt at dusk.

But bobcats are less elusive now as their numbers rise and they become more comfortable around humans. Joining the likes of foxes, coyotes and even mountain lions in rare cases, bobcats are making a home in small towns and suburbsand realizing there is plenty to eat in the cities.

They have turned up in recent years in such places as Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city; Waverly, Iowa; and outside Los Angeles. They have been spotted below backyard bird feeders, waltzing along streets in search of their next meal and, increasingly, as roadkill.

A website that Litvaitis set up to understand the bobcat rebound in New Hampshire features hundreds of amateur photographs of a cat lounging on someone's lawn, another stalking a chipmunk, a third sitting contentedly after gobbling up a guinea fowl and peacock.

"They are back in New England and at least as abundant as they were 100 years ago, if not more," said Litvaitis, who conducted much of his research while at the University of New Hampshire. "They are adapting to a landscape that has changed. You have roads and people everywhere, and they have figured out how to get along with most of that."

The resurgence of Lynx rufus comes during a shift over the past several decades from treating bobcats as vermin to be exterminated to being considered a top predator worthy of protection.

In contrast with the 1970s, when 40 states had no bobcat protections and bounties were common, most now put strict limits on hunting and trapping bobcats. As many as eight, including New Hampshire, completely outlaw both.

The naturally bobtailed catsas big as medium-sized dogs and known for brown or rust-colored fur with black and white spots on their belliesalso are benefiting from warmer Northeast winters that allow for easier hunting, as well as expansion of public lands that increased prey, including white-tailed deer.

Bobcat numbers have almost tripled nationwide since the 1980s to as many as 3.6 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, the most recent national survey.

"Bobcats have been a real success story in wildlife conservation in the past several decades. They are at the point now that they are growing or stable across their range," according to Nathan Roberts, a wildlife research scientist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who co-authored the survey.

In New Hampshire, Litvaitis said, that is exactly what has happened.

He estimates bobcat numbers dropped to as low as 150 in the late 1980s, which prompted the state to ban hunting in 1989. Numbers have increased ever since. A University of New Hampshire/New Hampshire Fish and Game survey estimated their population in 2013 at 1,400.

The bobcat's success also reflects its ability to eat almost anything and thrive almost anywhere, from cornfields to swamps to suburban parks. With cottontail rabbits declining in New Hampshire, they shifted to preying on plentiful wild turkeys and squirrels.

"They are clever animals and creative animals," said Roberts, who has attached GPS collars to 60 bobcats in the past three years in Wisconsin. "We had one animal in particular in a small town that spent all of its time in town going from bird feeder to bird feeder."

Not everyone is rolling out the welcome mat.

In Massachusetts, police last month said they shot and killed a bobcat that had attacked two large dogs and was coming after officers. Farmers in New Hampshire have shot bobcats.

"Many people enjoy seeing them, but for others they are a nuisance," according to Patrick Tate, a wildlife biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. "Complaints about bobcats preying on domestic chickens have increased, requests from the public to trap and relocate bobcats have risen, and instances of road-killed bobcats have become common throughout the state."

Many states have considered reintroducing hunting and trapping to help regulate growing populations.

The New Hampshire proposal to offer 50 permits annually was withdrawn last year, over concerns that bobcat traps could ensnare Canada lynx, considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

In Illinois, however, hunting and trapping resumed last year.

"There has been a lot of conservation to get us back to this season," said Neal Graves, president of the Illinois Trappers Association. "It's something we haven't been able to do for 40 years."

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Author Jonathan Baker and colleagues examine stalagmite KC-1 prior to collection. This stalagmite, which was analyzed at UNLV and UNM, had grown for approximately 10,000 years. Credit: Petr Yakubson

Things are heating up in Russia. UNLV Geoscience Ph.D. student Jonathan Baker has found evidence that shows nearly continuous warming from the end of the last Ice Age to the present in the Ural Mountains in central Russia.

The research, which was published today in top geoscience journal Nature Geoscience, shows continual warming over the past 11,000 years, contradicting the current belief that northern hemisphere temperatures peaked 6,000 to 8,000 years ago and cooled until the pre-Industrial period.

Baker's research, done in conjunction with UNLV geoscientist Matthew Lachniet, Yemane Asmerom and Victor Polyak of the University of New Mexico, and Russian scientist Olga Chervyatsova, shows that winter temperature variations in continental Eurasia are warmer today than any time in the past 11,000 years.

This study contradicts previous work likely because those studies focused on summer temperature trends and not the more sensitive winter temperature variations that were not previously available, Baker said.

The new finding is based on precisely dated isotope temperature record and supports computer models for Eurasia that predicted continual warming. The research showed that disappearing ice in the Arctic regions of North America controlled the warming trend as the Ice Age glaciers retreated. Later, rising greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, were likely responsible for the continued warming in the Ural Mountains.

The cave climate record has important implications for the future, Lachniet explained. "Because greenhouse gas concentrations are increasing at rates unprecedented for the past 800,000 years, human-caused warming will be superimposed on the 'natural' trend," he said.

Baker added, "Over the past century, winters in continental Eurasia warmed 70 times faster than during the previous 7,000 years, according to our record. At this pace, the warming will continue to pose severe and detrimental impacts throughout the region."

As modern temperatures are influenced in part by greenhouse gases, both summers and winters are expected to warm, whereas past temperatures in those seasons had opposing trajectories, Baker said.

More information: Jonathan L. Baker et al, Holocene warming in western continental Eurasia driven by glacial retreat and greenhouse forcing, Nature Geoscience (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ngeo2953 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
The lower jaw of the 7.175 million year old Graecopithecus freybergi (El Graeco) from Pyrgos Vassilissis, Greece (today in metropolitan Athens). Credit: Wolfgang Gerber, University of Tubingen

The common lineage of great apes and humans split several hundred thousand years earlier than hitherto assumed, according to an international research team headed by Professor Madelaine Bohme from the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tubingen and Professor Nikolai Spassov from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The researchers investigated two fossils of Graecopithecus freybergi with state-of-the-art methods and came to the conclusion that they belong to pre-humans. Their findings, published today in two papers in the journal PLOS ONE, further indicate that the split of the human lineage occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean and not - as customarily assumed - in Africa.

Present-day chimpanzees are humans' nearest living relatives. Where the last chimp-human common ancestor lived is a central and highly debated issue in palaeoanthropology. Researchers have assumed up to now that the lineages diverged five to seven million years ago and that the first pre-humans developed in Africa. According to the 1994 theory of French palaeoanthropologist Yves Coppens, climate change in Eastern Africa could have played a crucial role. The two studies of the research team from Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, Canada, France and Australia now outline a new scenario for the beginning of human history.

Dental roots give new evidence

The team analyzed the two known specimens of the fossil hominid Graecopithecus freybergi: a lower jaw from Greece and an upper premolar from Bulgaria. Using computer tomography, they visualized the internal structures of the fossils and demonstrated that the roots of premolars are widely fused.

"While great apes typically have two or three separate and diverging roots, the roots of Graecopithecus converge and are partially fused - a feature that is characteristic of modern humans, early humans and several pre-humans including Ardipithecus and Australopithecus", said Bohme.

A 7.24 million year old upper premolar of Graecopithecus from Azmaka, Bulgaria. Credit: Wolfgang Gerber, University of Tubingen

The lower jaw, nicknamed 'El Graeco' by the scientists, has additional dental root features, suggesting that the species Graecopithecus freybergi might belong to the pre-human lineage. "We were surprised by our results, as pre-humans were previously known only from sub-Saharan Africa," said Jochen Fuss, a Tubingen PhD student who conducted this part of the study.

Furthermore, Graecopithecus is several hundred thousand years older than the oldest potential pre-human from Africa, the six to seven million year old Sahelanthropus from Chad. The research team dated the sedimentary sequence of the Graecopithecus fossil sites in Greece and Bulgaria with physical methods and got a nearly synchronous age for both fossils - 7.24 and 7.175 million years before present. "It is at the beginning of the Messinian, an age that ends with the complete desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea," Bohme said.

Professor David Begun, a University of Toronto paleoanthropologist and co-author of this study, added, "This dating allows us to move the human-chimpanzee split into the Mediterranean area."

Environmental changes as the driving force for divergence

As with the out-of-East-Africa theory, the evolution of pre-humans may have been driven by dramatic environmental changes. The team led by Bohme demonstrated that the North African Sahara desert originated more than seven million years ago. The team concluded this based on geological analyses of the sediments in which the two fossils were found. Although geographically distant from the Sahara, the red-colored silts are very fine-grained and could be classified as desert dust. An analysis of uranium, thorium, and lead isotopes in individual dust particles yields an age between 0.6 and 3 billion years and infers an origin in Northern Africa.

An electron microscope image of a dust particle rounded by eolian transport. It originated in the Sahara desert and was found in 7.2 million year old sediments in Greece. Credit: Ulf Linnemann, Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tubingen

Moreover, the dusty sediment has a high content of different salts. "These data document for the first time a spreading Sahara 7.2 million years ago, whose desert storms transported red, salty dusts to the north coast of the Mediterranean Sea in its then form," the Tubingen researchers said. This process is also observable today. However, the researchers' modelling shows that, with up to 250 grams per square meter and year, the amount of dust in the past considerably exceeds recent dust loadings in Southern Europe more than tenfold, comparable to the situation in the present-day Sahel zone in Africa.

Fire, grass, and water stress

The researchers further showed that, contemporary to the development of the Sahara in North Africa, a savannah biome formed in Europe. Using a combination of new methodologies, they studied microscopic fragments of charcoal and plant silicate particles, called phytoliths. Many of the phytoliths identified derive from grasses and particularly from those that use the metabolic pathway of C4-photosynthesis, which is common in today's tropical grasslands and savannahs. The global spread of C4-grasses began eight million years ago on the Indian subcontinent - their presence in Europe was previously unknown.

"The phytolith record provides evidence of severe droughts, and the charcoal analysis indicates recurring vegetation fires," said Bohme. "In summary, we reconstruct a savannah, which fits with the giraffes, gazelles, antelopes, and rhinoceroses that were found together with Graecopithecus," Spassov added

"The incipient formation of a desert in North Africa more than seven million years ago and the spread of savannahs in Southern Europe may have played a central role in the splitting of the human and chimpanzee lineages," said Bohme. She calls this hypothesis the North Side Story, recalling the thesis of Yves Coppens, known as East Side Story.

The findings are described in two studies pubished in PLOS ONE titled "Potential hominin affinities of Graecopithecus from the late Miocene of Europe" and "Messinian age and savannah environment of the possible hominin Graecopithecus from Europe."

More information: Potential hominin affinities of Graecopithecus from the Late Miocene of Europe, PLOS ONE (2017). journals.plos.org/plosone/arti  journal.pone.0177127 Messinian age and savannah environment of the possible hominin Graecopithecus from Europe, PLOS ONE (2017). journals.plos.org/plosone/arti  journal.pone.0177347 Journal information: PLoS ONE
When a fruit fly turns, E-PG nerve cells that form the ellipsoid body compass (purple) get updates from P-EN nerve cells in the handlebar-shaped protocerebral bridge (green). Credit: Credit: Tanya Wolff and Gerry Rubin

Nestled deep inside a fruit fly's brain, specialized nerve cells knit themselves into a tiny compass. New results from neuroscientists at the Janelia Research Campus illuminate the architecture of this circuit and the neural forces that collectively move the compass needle.

In addition to revealing details about how fruit flies navigate, the results offer insight into a more grand and mysterious process: how brains create and maintain internal pictures of the outside world. That possibility is "the most exciting thing for us," says Vivek Jayaraman, a Janelia group leader. "It's a window into something that borders on cognition."

A brain structure shaped like a doughnut acts as the internal compass of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Some of the nerve cells that form this structure, called the ellipsoid body, play the part of the compass needle. If a fly changes direction, for example, a patch of nerve cell activity changes direction too moving from cell to neighboring cell around the doughnut as a fly turns, Jayaraman and Johannes Seelig reported in Nature in 2015. Seelig, a former postdoctoral researcher at Janelia, is now a group leader at the Center of Advanced European Studies and Research in Bonn, Germany.

Now, Jayaraman and colleagues have gone a step further to show how the fly's brain creates such a precise neural needle.

A group of ellipsoid body nerve cells called E-PG neurons set up the compass needle, by effectively activating neighboring neurons and suppressing more far-flung nerve cells, Jayaraman and colleagues Sung Soo Kim, Herve Rouault and Shaul Druckmann, all Janelia scientists, reported May 4 in Science. Those dynamicsnearby activation and far-flung repressionhelp maintain a single, stable heading direction on the compass.

Compass nerve cells in the spherical ellipsoid body (purple) get information about turns from a different groups of nerve cells in a handlebar-shaped structure perched above the compass. Some of those cells, called P-EN neurons, detect left turns (orange), while others detect right turns (blue). After a turn, P-EN neurons help shift the needle formed by active compass neurons (red) to the left or right. Credit: Emily Nielson

But E-PG neurons don't act alone to move the compass needle, another collaboration between Jayaraman and Janelia Group Leader Shaul Druckmannshows. Like fingertips delicately resting on a ouija board, another group of nerve cells called P-EN neurons shift the needle, the researchers report May 22 in eLife.

P-EN neurons form a handlebar-shaped structure that sits above the ellipsoid body, where they are able to send signals to E-PG neurons and receive messages back. Perched atop the circular compass, these handlebar neurons are perfectly positioned to both steer the compass needle and respond to its movements. That spatial arrangement, described by Janelia neuroanatomist Tanya Wolff, tipped the researchers off to how the system might work. That's "one of the most beautiful things about this particular circuit," Druckmann says. "Having this intuition from the structure of how it may work is a huge boost."

The researchers studied flies genetically engineered so that certain neurons glowed when active. Daniel Turner-Evans, a Janelia research scientist, then used a sophisticated microscope to watch this neural activity in flies as they walked on a ball. Turner-Evans watched neurons glow, indicating activity in the E-PG compass neurons. But he also saw what appeared to be the P-EN neurons shifting that neural activity around as the flies turned. "You could see the interplay, the push-pull of the system," he says.

Experiments with flies tethered to thin metal rods helped researchers see how nerve cells in the doughnut-shaped ellipsoid body interact to create a reliable compass. Credit: Igor Siwanowicz

When P-EN neurons in the handlebar detect that a fly has turned, they send signals to E-PG neurons in the compass to nudge the needle slightly in the direction of the turn. "Essentially you have a set of puppet strings by which you can pull the activity one way or another," Jayaraman says. But it's not a one-way street. Information about the fly's current position then moves back to the handlebar P-EN neurons, keeping both sets of neurons informed about the fly's position.

Other experiments conducted by Janelia postdoctoral associate Stephanie Wegener showed that some individual P-EN neurons respond when the fly turns right and others respond when the fly turns left. Still, some undiscovered factors are likely shoring up the fly's navigational abilities, the researchers suspect. "We are by no means trying to say we understand how everything works," Wegener says. "We understand one part of the puzzle pretty well, but it's a rather small part of a big puzzle."

More clues come from neuroscientist Gaby Maimon's group at Rockefeller University in New York City. In a paper published online May 22 in Nature, he and colleagues describe the navigational roles played by distinct groups of P-EN neurons.

Jayaraman and his colleagues' progress came quickly thanks to the unique collaborative environment at Janelia, he says. "You can actually have theorists in the same room while the experiment is going on, talking incessantly to experimenters," he says. "That's a wonderfully Janelian thing, that ease of interaction and focus on collaboration." Rouault and Druckmann's theoretical understanding of how the system could work was tested with experiments, which offered results that researchers used to refine the theories.

As the fly turns, a virtual compass within its brain rotates. Credit: Mario Morgado for The Rockefeller University

Taking both an experimental and a theoretical approach should help the researchers as they dive in to deeper questions about the fly's navigation system. "We'd love to know the big picture," Jayaraman says. "How does this compass get used?"

In humans, a sense of direction is just one of many factors that go into making navigational decisions. A person might usually walk straight to reach the subway station, but on a hot day might instead make a detour to the market for a drink. Similar sorts of factors may influence decisions in the brain of a fruit fly. "We imagine this compass being used some of the time for some of the things the fly does," Jayaraman says.

He and his colleagues are working on ways to study those more complex decisions in fruit flies. Figuring out how the fruit fly creates and uses models of its environment may provide important clues about how we humans know where we are and where to go next

More information: Jonathan Green et al, A neural circuit architecture for angular integration in Drosophila, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature22343 Journal information: Nature

Provided by Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Seawater in Egypt could be turned into drinking water using biomass energy as a source of heat in a new collaborative project from academics at the University of Sheffield UK and Port Said University in Egypt.

The unique two year project will see academics from the world-leading Energy 2050 Institute partner with Egyptian experts to develop a system that could provide fresh and safe water to poor and rural communities.

Egypt's growing population and scarcity of water resources means that freshwater supplies are becoming increasingly stressed.

Desalination technologies, which produce drinkable water from seawater, offer an alternative source of water but at a high energy cost. Renewable solar energy has been used extensively in these technologies but is not consistent due to not enough sunlight on cloudy days and at night.

A hybrid system using biogas and solar is an entirely new technology with only a handful of studies being attempted so far. There are several options for the integration of the hybrid energy system and the desalination process and the process will explore both thermal and electrically based freshwater production systems.

The collaborative team will investigate whether biogas produced from biological matter - such as cattle manure - could be used as a feasible backup to solar. At the same time, the team will find the optimum way of integrating the two technologies to maximise fresh water production.

The project will involve a survey of biogas resources in Egypt, a model-based design and optimisation of the hybrid desalination system and will investigate the operational strategies to ensure cost-effective and reliable drinking water supply to rural communities.

The team hope that the hybridisation of biogas and solar energy sources will lead to more reliable and flexible energy production but also will be cheaper than using a single renewable energy technology alone, given that both biomass and solar energy are in abundance in Egypt.

Dr Mark Walker, Research Associate at Energy 2050, said: "The first part of the project will see us look at how to maximise fresh water production at the lowest cost. We'll also be investigating how different wastes can help us to produce the most energy to supply the system.

"Our project could provide continuous production of fresh water to rural areas, at a low cost and smaller carbon footprint than current technologies."

A pilot demonstration system will be built in Egypt and will be monitored by the joint UK/Egyptian team to assess its performance. The team hope to install integrated desalination systems in poor and rural communities of Egypt like Sinai, Nile-Delta and Upper Egypt.

Dr Mohamed Hammam, Assistant Professor at Port Said University, said: "This project is important from many perspectives. Beside the technological and economical benefits, it allows researchers from two institutes with famous experience in the field of renewable energy and combustion to work closely together."
Credit: Northwestern University

Imagine Alexander Graham Bell's reaction if someone handed him an iPhone and told him that the device in his hand was the same as the large, cone-mounted transmitter he invented and used to call Thomas Watson in 1876.

He'd probably say, "What the hell is this?" according to Kevin Self, senior vice president of strategy, business development, and government relations for Schneider Electric North America, and a member of ISEN's executive council.

Conversely, Self notes, if Thomas Edison, the father of the modern-day grid, were to look outside in 2017 and see all the wires and poles, he'd say, "Yep, nothing has changed in 100 years."

Nonetheless, after decades of stagnation, power grids are modernizing. Utilities are using consumer data to optimize usage. "Prosumers"consumers who also produce electricityare emerging, with a greater interest in managing their own usage. Energy storage is a priority. Still, many wonder if these changes will bring the sweeping effects that many envision.

Fuel, Renewables, and the Decline of Coal

Electricity demand has stabilized in the United States and production is plentiful, with natural gas sustaining much of the country's requirements. "From an industry standpoint, people have been [thinking] that gas in the United States will remain cheap and plentiful for many years to come," says Tom O'Flynn, executive vice president and chief financial officer of AES, a multinational energy distributor based in Arlington, Virginia, and a member of ISEN's executive council.

Meanwhile, non-hydroelectric sources of renewable energymost notably wind power and solarhave begun to gain market share. In just seven short years from 2009 to 2016, wind power tripled as improvements to turbine technology saw gains in efficiency and a reduction in costs.

Solar generation quadrupled between 2013 and 2016, topping off at 33.3 billion kilowatt-hours in that final year as more people and businesses installed rooftop solar panels.

Another reason for the increase in renewables has been the rise of battery storage. As part of a grid storage system, batteries can retain electricity from these intermittent resources when production outpaces consumption, and use it later when needed. "We're using batteries to store power for when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining," O'Flynn says.

As the use of renewables has grown, the use of coal has begun to shrink. Both wind and solar are cheaper than coal on average, with wind costing $0.05 per kilowatt-hour and solar coming in at $0.06 per kilowatt-hour. Coal on average costs between $0.09 and $0.27 per kilowatt-hour, once you factor in health and environmental costs.

"A coal plant's life expectancy is being jeopardized by the rising cost of operations, maintenance, and capital improvements," O'Flynn says. "These are being replaced with cost-effective gas and an increasing amount of solar and wind as costs per hour continue to decline."

Trends aside, coal will still have its place for some time, O'Flynn says, especially in fast-growing economies with an immediate need for electricity generation, and where local gas is not available. "The energy puzzle going forward is about balancing capacity resources," he says, "because what you need are resources that are available 24/7."

Power Grid 2.0

Changing how we produce electricity also means changing how that power is delivered. In other words, says Adilson Motter, Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern, "the power grid needs a reboot."

Over time, consumption has grown, and the grid hasn't expanded fast enough to catch up. The result is a strained system that suffers from outages and other interruptions that cost Americans $150 billion annually, according to a US Department of Energy (DOE) report.

"Which is why we need to rethink the system to prevent this type of loss," Motter says.

Currently, the grid system is being overhauled, from replacing physical components to installing modern outage and distribution management systems. An ISEN team led by Motter and Takashi Nishikawa, research associate professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern, secured a $3.2 million DOE grant to examine ways to avoid outages and help increase stability.

"We need some way to compensate for the loss of stability due to the intermittent nature and other salient properties of renewables," says Nishikawa, who, with his colleagues, is working on a new control architecture for the grid that can address the problem. Their project builds on the prospect that the power grid will soon evolve to include two-way communication between utility companies and consumers, including realtime pricinga defining characteristic of smart grids.

"This opens the possibility of creating incentives to control consumption to match intermittent production through the use of smart appliances," Motter says. He notes that a smart washing machine, for example, would turn on at a time when price is low, which is precisely when there is excess energy production.

It's a Smart, Smart World

So, how does a smart grid actually work? Smart grids use information and communications technology to track electricity usage within the system. That data is collected by energy companies and analyzed to help optimize usage. Interest is high. Many companiesstartups and multinationals alikesee this as an opportunity to enter an emerging technology field adjacent to an industry known for its strong, asset-based growth.

"No one wants to be left behind," says Self of Schneider Electric. "There are thousands of experiments going on right now in cities. It's definitely a state of learning."

But of greater interest (and concern) to energy companies is the emergence of the microgrid, a self-contained system that can connect and disconnect from the larger electrical grid. Microgrids are common within medical facilities; in case of a power outage, onsite generators keep respirators and other life-sustaining devices operational.

The concept gained greater attention after Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012. While major portions of New York and New Jersey were without power, Princeton University kept the lights on, thanks to its on-campus microgrid.

Solving for EV

This trend toward modularity could help solve a challenge facing another emerging trend in electricity: the electric vehicle (EV). Thanks to companies like Tesla and the growing prominence of electric-gas motor hybrids, EVs are at a tipping point, poised to become commonplace.

But power usage, the EV's internal battery length, and mileage range are still pain points for consumers. Charging stations for EVs are nowhere near as prolific as gas stations.

"Right now, you can only get 200 to 250 miles per charge, and then you have to wait a few hours to charge," says Ermin Wei, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern.

That's where modularity comes in, Wei says. Similar to using batteries to solve the intermittence problem with renewable energy generation, building storage capacity into EVs in the form of "swappable batteries" would help lengthen mileage range, making the automobiles more practical.

The extra capacity would also help keep EVs off the grid during peak demand hours, allowing owners to charge at night when pricing is lower. Wei suggests that these "swappables" could be sold to EV owners or discharged into the grid during the day.

So why aren't we doing this already? "Right now, it's still very expensive and batteries are big and heavy," Wei says. "We're looking for a breakthrough."

Not Too Small for Big Data

Amid all this change in production and transportation of electricity on the grid, more questions arise. What about residential customers? How will things change for them?

"We have a lot more data coming in now, and if you know how to use that data, you can turn it around into something that's valuable to the customer," says Ty Benefiel, a 2014 graduate of the Kellogg School of Management and CEO of MeterGenius.

Based in Indianapolis, MeterGenius works with utilities to provide analytics services to its customers. Benefiel's company employs the same information and communications technology used in smart devices to retrieve electricity usage data, then merges that with additional customer information to recommend ways to cut down on costs.

"It's not enough to tell a customer what they spent. We also tell them why they spent and how they can make changes to reduce that in the future," Benefiel says. "We give the customers the answers rather than the homework."

Many utilities offer similar services. And smart devices have been around for a while (think Nest thermostats and Bluetooth-enabled light bulbs). But it's the connectivity that Benefiel says will have lasting effects in the future.

"As these devices gain the ability to receive signals from the utilities and make smart choices, that's going to be our first real crack at what the future's going to look like," he says. "It could be within the next few years if utilities and energy companies are smart about this."
(Left to right) Dr Md Shahriar Hossain, Prof Yusuke Yamauchi and Dr Katy Wood at the Quokka instrument. Credit: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)

A large international collaboration, which included ANSTO, has successfully synthesised highly porous rhodium nanoparticles that could be used as a more effective catalytic converter for vehicles.

The mesoporous rhodium nanoparticles, produced using a soft template and simple solution chemistry, were thermally stable up to 400C and three to four time more effective than normal catalytic converters.

Mesoporous nanoparticles are used as catalytic converters to reduce the pollution from vehicle exhaust by converting toxic gases and pollutants to less toxic pollutants.

The research has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of pollution caused by cars and trucks.

The study, led by Bo Jiang and Prof Yusuke Yamauchi of the National Institute of Materials Science and Waseda University in Tokyo and the University Wollongong, was published today in Nature Communications.

Professor Yamauchi said the porous rhodium nanoparticles could make a dramatic improvement to air pollution in cities around the world.

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) was performed on the Quokka instrument at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering by Dr Katy Wood and Dr Md Shahriar Hossain, Senior Research Fellow from the University of Wollongong, to characterise the micelles in solution at two stages of the five step process.

Researchers from Waseda University in Japan, Bilkent University in Turkey, and Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahaman Agricultural University in Bangladesh also contributed to the study.

Growing metals inside hard templates, such as mesoporous silica, had previously been achieved but there have been few reports of the synthesis of mesoporous rhodium catalysts.

Credit: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)

The use of a soft template is considered a robust platform to prepare various types of metallic nanoparticles and nanostructured films with uniform mesoporous architecture,

Synthesis by chemical reduction

Because rhodium is characterised by stable, closely packed atoms, it is less reactive chemically under mild conditions.

The investigators overcame this challenge by their selection of polymer precursor, reduction agent and mixing solvent.

The polymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methylmethacrylate (PEO-b-PMMA) self- assembled into spherical micelles with the addition of water.

The micelles act as a soft yet robust template for mesoporous nanostructures.

When a solution of Na3RhCl6 was added, composite micelles were formed.

After undergoing nucleation, they coalesced and grew into mesoporous rhodium nanostructures that could be extracted using a solvent.

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) patterns of two types of polymeric micelle solutions undertaken on the Quokka instrument. Credit: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)

Characterising the micelles

Because the micelles act a template for the formation of the nanoparticles, the investigators needed to fully characterise them in solution.

"SANS was able to determine the size of the micelles, which was approximately 20 nanometres, and confirm that they were homogenous, well-shaped spheres," said Wood.

"Because the polymer molecule is defining the pores, it opens up the possibility of changing pore size or other modification to tune the final product," said Wood.

Quokka measurements also indicated that the micelles did not change shape after the addition of the metal precursor, which was an important consideration.

Transmission electron microscopy was also used for a visual characterisation of the micelles.

Low angle X-ray diffraction provided detailed information about the pores; confirmed the openings were uniform in size and closely packed and suggested the particles were purely metallic.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the electron state of the rhodium surface.

The investigators also gained insight into the atomic mechanism that contributed to the formation of the mesoporous structure.

Ultraviolet-vis absorption spectroscopy suggested the dissolved metal ions coordinate to the micelle surface and drove the nucleation of the rhodium precursor.

The study found the nanoparticles retained their shape and structure in temperatures up to 400C and would perform well as catalyst for the removal of nitrogen oxide from lean burn exhaust containing high concentrations of O2.

More information: Bo Jiang et al. Mesoporous metallic rhodium nanoparticles, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15581 Journal information: Nature Communications
Researchers created a three-dimensional representation of predicted slab geometry and mantle flow. The image outlines areas with a temperature at 300 degrees Celsius cooler than the surrounding mantle, with different colors representing different depths. Oceanic plates and slabs are semi-transparent, and continents are entirely transparent. Green arrows represent velocity vectors inside the mantle Credit: Lijun Liu, University of Illinois.

Contrary to posters you may have seen hanging on the walls in science buildings and classrooms, Lijun Liu, professor of geology at Illinois, knows that Earth's interior is not like an onion.

While most textbooks demonstrate the outer surface of the Earth as the crust, the next inner level as the mantle, and then the most inner layer as the core, Liu said the reality isn't as clear-cut.

"It's not just in layers, because the Earth's interior is not stationary," Liu said.

In fact, underneath our feet there's tectonic activity that many scientists have been aware of, but Liu and his team have created a computer model to help better explain ita model so effective that researchers believe it has the potential to predict where earthquakes and volcanoes will occur.

Using this model, Liu, along with doctoral student Jiashun Hu, and Manuele Faccenda from the University of Padua in Italy, recently published a research paper in the journal of Earth and Planetary Science Letters that focuses on the deep mantle and its relationship to plate tectonics.

"It's well-known that there are plate tectonics driving the Earth's evolution, but exactly how this process works is not entirely clear," he said.

Liu and Hu looked specifically at the continent of South America to determine which tectonic factors contribute to the deformation, or the evolution, of the mantle.

To answer this question, the team created a data-centric model using the Blue Waters supercomputer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at Illinois. The sophisticated four-dimensional data-oriented geodynamic models are among the first of their kind.

"We are actually the first ones to use data assimilation models in studying mantle deformation, in an approach similar to weather forecasting," Liu said. "We are trying to produce a system model that simultaneously satisfies all the observations we have. We can then obtain a better understanding about dynamic processes of the Earth evolution."

While there are many debates in regards to how the Earth's internal evolution is driven, the model created by the team seemed to find an answer that better fits available observations and underlying physics. The team found that the subducting slaba portion of the oceanic plate that slides beneath a continental plateis the dominant driving force behind the deformation of the mantle.

Essentially, the active subduction of the slab determines most other processes that happen as part of a chain reaction. "The result is game-changing. The driving force of mantle flow is actually simpler than people thought," Liu said. "It is the most direct consequence of plate tectonics. When the slab subducts, it naturally controls everything surrounding it. In a way this is elegant, because it's simple."

By understanding this mechanism of Earth evolution, the team can make better predictions regarding the movement of the mantle and the lithosphere, or crust.

The team then evaluated the model's predictions using other data. Hu, the lead author on the paper, said that by comparing the predictions to tectonic activities such as the formation of mountains and volcanoes, a clear consistency emerged.

"We think our story is correct," Hu said.

Consequently, the model also provides interesting insight on the evolution of continents as far back as the Jurassic, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth on Pangaea, the only continent at the time. This is still the team's ongoing research.

Liu said that in a separate paper that uses the same simulation, published by Liu and Hu in Earth and Planetary Science Letters in 2016, the model provided an accurate prediction for why earthquakes happen in particular locations below South America. He explained that earthquakes aren't evenly spread within the subducting slab, meaning there are potentially areas where an earthquake is more or less likely to take place.

"We found that whenever you see a lack of earthquakes in a region, it corresponds to a hole in the slab," Liu said. "Because of the missing slab in the hole, there's no way to generate earthquakes, so we might be able to know where more earthquakes will take place."

The model also explained why certain volcanoes might exist further inland and have different compositions, despite the common thought that volcanoes should exist solely along the coast, as a result of water coming off the down-going slab. As the model helps explain, a volcano can form inland if the slab subducts at a shallower angle, and a hole in the shallow slab allows for a special type of magma to form by melting of the crust.

"Ultimately this model will provide a promising way of solving the question of how and why continents move the way they do," Liu said. "The answer should depend on what the mantle is doing. This is a way to much better understand Earth evolution."

The team is currently expanding the model to analyze the entire globe.

"We are looking forward to more exciting results," Liu said.

More information: Jiashun Hu et al, Subduction-controlled mantle flow and seismic anisotropy in South America, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2017.04.027 Journal information: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
People with an inheritance are more than twice as likely as those without one to feel prepared for retirement (38 percent vs. 17 percent), according to a new survey of Americans age 50 or older from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The survey also found that 56 percent think it is an adult child's responsibility to provide financial assistance to a parent if needed. At the same time, 46 percent say it is a parent's responsibility to provide financial assistance to an adult child if needed. Though Hispanics and African Americans are less likely than whites to benefit from family wealth, they are the most likely to provide financial assistance to parents or in-laws.

"Naturally, people who report receiving help from family members have less anxiety when it comes to planning for retirement, but there is much more to these results," said Trevor Tompson, director of The AP-NORC Center. "Four in 10 anticipate that they will outlive their savings. As Americans continue to recover from the Great Recession, and with broader income inequality on the rise, saving and preparing for retirement will not get any easier for future generations as many are unlikely to be able to rely on inheritances from their parents."

The survey's key findings include:

Overall, 51 percent of adults age 50 and older say they have received at least one type of monetary gift or loan from a parent or other relative since turning 18. Forty-four percent of older Americans have received an inheritance from a family member or other loved one or expect to receive one in the future.

Fifty-nine percent of older adults who have an inheritance say they are more excited than anxious about their retirement compared with 47 percent of older adults without an inheritance who say the same. Similarly, older Americans who have been given a financial loan or gift are more likely than those who have not to say they are mostly secure when it comes being able to keep up with a mortgage (69 percent vs. 58 percent) and being able to pay for major unexpected medical expenses (49 percent vs. 42 percent) during retirement.

Compared to those who do not expect to inherit assets from family, older Americans who have already received an inheritance or expect to receive one in the future are more than twice as likely to feel prepared for retirement (38 percent vs. 17 percent) and are less likely to say they are not prepared (25 percent vs. 44 percent).

Older Americans who have received or expect to receive an inheritance are more likely to have a retirement account, income from the sale of physical assets, income from a trust fund, other investments, and other savings.

While many older adults have inherited or expect to inherit assets from their parents or other family members, 31 percent of adults age 50 and older have provided financial support to their parents or their spouse's parents at some point.

Fifty-six percent of Americans age 50 and older think it is an adult child's responsibility to provide financial assistance to a parent if needed. At the same time, 46 percent say that it is a parent's responsibility to provide financial assistance to an adult child if needed.

One in 10 Americans age 50 and older currently have family members helping with their regular expenses, including providing housing or helping to cover other monthly expenses like utilities and groceries.

Racial disparities emerge in intergenerational wealth transfer, with older white Americans being the most likely to receive large monetary gifts or inheritances. Eight percent of African Americans and 11 percent of Hispanics have received a financial gift of $10,000 or more, compared with 24 percent of whites. Similarly, whites are more than twice as likely as African Americans and Hispanics to say they have or will receive an inheritance.

Overall, older white Americans are nearly twice as likely as African Americans to say they have a sufficient nest egg for retirement (38 percent vs. 20 percent).

The 2017 study, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is a continuation and expansion of the 2013 and 2016 surveys from The AP-NORC Center. The 2017 study extends the previous research and examines new topics, including older workers' experiences with intergenerational wealth transfers, unemployment and saving for retirement, and how experiences with the penal system affect the retirement planning of older Americans. The survey also tracks a number of attitudes and behaviors that were examined in 2013 and 2016 surrounding issues facing older workers.
Diebold Nixdorf Announces Partnership With Kony for Transformation In Financial, Retail

NORTH CANTON, Ohio  Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD), the global leader in connected commerce, today announced a strategic partnership with Kony, Inc., the leading enterprise mobility and application company, to offer white label mobile application solutions for financial institutions and retailers. The next generation mobile application suiteDN Mobilewill enable a unified and highly personalized experience by leveraging cross-platform data and integrating multiple channels to drive connected commerce.

Digital trends are impacting every touchpoint and this partnership aims to help banks and retailers on their digital transformation journey by putting the consumer at the center of the experience. To address key mobility trends around consumer loyalty and differentiated digital experiences, this partnership will focus on the following core areas:

Move to the next generation of mobile applications: DN Mobile will have a pre-packaged option, as well as a build-your-own toolkit to empower financial institutions and retailers to innovate quickly and better engage with their customers.

DN Mobile will have a pre-packaged option, as well as a build-your-own toolkit to empower financial institutions and retailers to innovate quickly and better engage with their customers. Engage the API economy: An open services-oriented application platform will facilitate new types of collaborations with payment providers, merchants and FinTechs.

An open services-oriented application platform will facilitate new types of collaborations with payment providers, merchants and FinTechs. Transcend legacy channel silos: Integrated software product lines will enable connected commerce across self-service, POS, branch and digital channels.

This partnership marks a transformative moment for the industries we serve. We are extending our leadership in systems of engagement all the way from the branch and store through to cloud connected mobile applications for the consumer, said Alan Kerr, senior vice president, software, Diebold Nixdorf. This extended reach into mobile applications will blend channels together in innovative new ways and propel our vision of connected commerce into the marketplace. We couldnt be more pleased to be partnering with Kony, the market leader, on this exciting journey.

Kony is recognized as a top leader by Gartner and Forrester, and is the largest mobility provider focused purely on cross-platform, cloud-based enterprise solutions. Kony serves more than 250 million mobile app users worldwide every day and manages more than 3.4 billion user sessions annually.

We are thrilled to join forces with Diebold Nixdorf, said Thomas E. Hogan, chairman and chief executive officer, Kony, Inc. Diebold Nixdorfs vision and commitment to connected commerce, combined with their domain expertise in banking and retail, make them the perfect partner for Kony. Our joint vision is clear: to deliver the industrys most innovative digital solutions. Together, we will disrupt and lead the market. 

In conjunction with the partnership, Diebold Nixdorf is investing in a minority equity stake in Kony and will have a seat on its board of directors. Financial terms of the investment are not being disclosed.

About Kony, Inc.

Kony is the fastest growing, cloud-based enterprise application and mobility solutions company, and a recognized industry leader among mobile application development platform (MADP) providers. Kony helps organizations of all sizes drive business ingenuity by rapidly transforming ideas into innovative and secure omni-channel applications. Built on the industrys leading digital platform, Kony provides the most innovative and secure omni-channel applications, with exceptional user experience and app design. Konys cross-platform, low-code solution also empowers organizations to develop and manage their own apps to better engage with their customers, partners and employees. By seamlessly leveraging and connecting apps to all types of data sources and information, Kony also enables organizations to transform their business processes and gain valuable insight. Kony was named the first place winner in CTIAs MobITs Awards in the Mobile Applications, Development & Platforms category and included on the Inc. 500|5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America.

About Diebold Nixdorf

Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce for millions of consumers each day across the financial and retail industries. Its software-defined solutions bridge the physical and digital worlds of cash and consumer transactions conveniently, securely and efficiently. As an innovation partner for nearly all of the worlds top 100 financial institutions and a majority of the top 25 global retailers, Diebold Nixdorf delivers unparalleled services and technology that are essential to evolve in an always on and changing consumer landscape.

Diebold Nixdorf has a presence in more than 130 countries with approximately 24,000 employees worldwide. The organization maintains corporate offices in North Canton, Ohio, USA and Paderborn, Germany. Shares are traded on the New York and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol DBD. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information.



Other Point of sale news of interest:
(L-R) Former detainees Low Yit Leng and Chng Suan Tze, moderators Constance Singham and Kirsten Han, and former detainees Vincent Cheng and Kenneth Tsang. Photo: Nicholas Yong

Former detainees and social activists marked the 30th anniversary of the alleged Marxist conspiracy in 1987 with the launch of a new book at The Projector on Sunday (21 May).

Entitled 1987: Singapores Marxist Conspiracy 30 Years On, it consists of essays by some 30-odd contributors, including many who were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). It is published by civil society group Function 8.

The launch was preceded by a screening of the documentary 1987: Untracing The Conspiracy by filmmaker Jason Soo, and a dialogue session with former ISA detainees Vincent Cheng, 70, Kenneth Tsang, 64, Chng Suan Tze, 68, and Low Yit Leng, in her 50s. The ex-detainees called for the abolition of the ISA and to allow political exiles to come back to Singapore.

Cheng, who was a full-time church worker in 1987, was fingered as the ringleader of the so-called conspiracy.

Deep down, the trauma is still there it still features back, now and then, in my dreams, he said in response to a question from the audience about whether he had suffered any post-detention trauma. He also noted that, before the events of 1987, he had been very pro-PAP  referring to Singapores ruling Peoples Action Party  while training at a seminary to become a Catholic priest.

Veteran activist Constance Singham, who moderated the event, also called the detainees experience the cruelest of injustices, adding that the events of 1987 had made Singaporeans cynical, suspicious and fearful of civil society. We all lived in fear of detention, that knock on the door at midnight, she said.

(PHOTO: Yahoo Newsroom / Nicholas Yong)

The Marxist conspiracy

On 21 May 1987, the authorities carried out Operation Spectrum, which saw 16 people detained under the ISA for their alleged involvement in a Marxist conspiracy to overthrow the government. Those arrested included social workers, church workers and theatre practitioners. The following month, another six individuals were arrested.

Many of the detainees made televised confessions of their roles in the alleged plot. Nine of them later signed a statement saying that they had confessed under duress and were subjected to torture. They were subsequently re-arrested in 1988, with some of them detained for up to three years.

An International Court of Justice delegation visited Singapore in 1987 and concluded in a report that there was no evidence of a Marxist conspiracy. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong also revealed in 2009 that former National Development Minister S. Dhanabalan left the Cabinet in 1992, partly because he did not agree with how the issue had been handled.

About 200 people were in attendance at Sundays event, including opposition figures Chen Show Mao, Chee Soon Juan and Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss.
Photo: Lim Teans Facebook page

National Solidarity Party secretary-general Lim Tean has quit the Singapore political party less than two years after being elected to the post. He contested in the last Singapore general election in 2015.

In a statement posted on Facebook at around 11am on Monday (22 May), Lim said that his approach to politics was fundamentally different to the partys. He said he had informed NSP president Sebastian Teo of his resignation on 18 May.

Lim said his participation in an event in March at Speakers Corner to protest the 30 per cent water price hike was met with disapproval from some party members. He said he was surprised to learn that elements in the party disapproved of his taking part. I am proud of that speech which has reached over a quarter of a million people, far far surpassing any post which the NSP has ever put out, he wrote.

Lim also said he disagreed with the party for keeping silent over the issue of the Elected Presidency.

He said that he [intends] to use other platforms and innovative methods to speak out for Singaporeans.

Goh Meng Seng, secretary-general of the Peoples Power Party said on Facebook on the same day that he was totally shocked to hear of Lims resignation.

Lim was part of a five-man team which contested in Tampines GRC during the 2015 general elections together with Teo, Reno Fong, Choong Hon Heng, and Nor Lella Mardiiiah Mohamed.

They lost to the Peoples Action Party team, garnering 27.9 per cent of the votes.

Yahoo Singapore has reached out to the NSP for a response.
MANILA (Reuters) - Talks last week between leaders of China and the Philippines were frank and friendly, with no threats or bullying, Manila's foreign minister said on Monday, after his president said he was warned of war if he drills for oil in the South China Sea. Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano would not disclose more details of the Beijing meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and China counterpart Xi Jinping, but said they had the kind of relationship in which they could openly discuss preventing maritime conflict. The notoriously outspoken Duterte said during a televised speech on Friday that Xi warned him there would be war if he tried to explore for oil in a stretch of the sea that both countries claim. China has yet to respond to Duterte revealing contents of the meeting. "The conversation was very frank. There was mutual respect, there was mutual trust," Cayetano told reporters. "The context was not threatening each other, that we will go to war. The context is how do we stabilise the region and how do we prevent conflict." The maverick Duterte has faced criticism at home for refusing to push China to comply with an award last year by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which ruled largely in favour of the Philippines. It also said the Philippines had a sovereign right to access offshore oil and gas fields in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), including the Reed Bank. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims to sovereignty in the South China Sea, a vital conduit for trade and a hotbed of territorial squabbling that has stoked nationalist fervour in some countries. "I will not contradict the president's words. I am just telling you...my interpretation: there was no bullying or pushing around, it was not a threat," Cayetano added. "It was more the threat of conflict will always be there if we don't have dialogue." A Philippine Supreme Court judge on Saturday urged the government to file another international arbitration case over the alleged Chinese threat, and also lodge a complaint with the United Nations. Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella on Monday said the Philippines was "very clear that we are not giving up our claim of sovereignty and sovereign rights." (Reporting by Martin Petty and Karen Lema; Editing by Toby Chopra; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
RADM Lew Chuen Hong (left), currently Chief of Staff  Naval Staff, will take over as Chief of Navy on 16 June 2017. Rear-Admiral (RADM) Lai Chung Han (right), the outgoing Chief of Navy, has served the SAF for 25 years since 1992.

Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han will be stepping down and Rear-Admiral Lew Chuen Hong will take over as the Singapore Navy chief, said the Ministry of Defence on Monday (22 May).

Lew is currently the Chief of Staff  Naval Staff, a post he has held since August 2016.

This change is part of the continuing process of leadership renewal in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), said Mindef.

Lew, 40, joined the SAF in 1995. During the course of his military career, Lew has held appointments including Commanding Officer of the Missile Corvette RSS Vengeance, Deputy Commander of the Maritime Security Task Force, Head Joint Manpower Department, Head Joint Plans and Transformation Department, and Fleet Commander.

Outside the SAF, Lew also served as Director of the Research & Enterprise Division in the Ministry of Trade & Industry.

Lai, 44, has held the post of Chief of Navy since 1 August 2014.

During Lais tenure, the contract for the acquisition of two additional Type-218SG submarines was signed. The Navy also took delivery of four Littoral Mission Vessels, of which the first-of-class, RSS Independence, was commissioned by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 5 May 2017.

Most recently, the Navy hosted the inaugural Singapore International Maritime Review (IMR) on 15 May this year, which involved 46 warships and four aircraft as well as more than 50 military delegations from 44 countries.
Long Live Southbank will be hosting the SkatePAL Southbank Jam to raise funds for SkatePAL within the confines of the Undercroft on Saturday 17th June. Check out details via the flyer and press release below, check the event page by clicking on the image and get down to help out a worthy cause!

Saturday 17th June // 10am  7pm // Southbank

-

Join us for our first SkatePal fundraiser of the summer supported by Long Live

Southbank. Get yourself down to Southbank to raise money for skateboarders in the West Bank! All proceeds go towards building a new skatepark in Palestine this September.

-

10am  12noon: Skate Lessons hosted by LLSB

12noon  2pm: Jam begins

2pm  3pm: Best trick contest

3pm -7pm: Jam on!

Prizes from:

Isle Skateboards

Brixtons Baddest Skate Shop

Slam City Skates

Theobalds Cap Co.

and more!

**This is a free event, but dont forget  all the money we raise

is going directly to help

build a new skatepark for young people in Palestine**
2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #20

Posted on 21 May 2017 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... El Nino/La Nina Update... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... SkS in the News... SkS Spotlights... Video of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

Story of the Week...

April 2017: Earths 2nd Warmest April on Record

April 2017 was the planet's second warmest April since record keeping began in 1880, said NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) on Thursday; NASA also rated April 2017 as the second warmest April on record. The only warmer April was just last year, in 2016. April 2017 ranked as the eighteenth warmest month (expressed as the departure of temperature from average) of any month in the global historical record in the NASA database. The extreme warmth of January 2017 (thirteenth warmest month of any month in NASAs database), February 2017 (sixth warmest), March 2017 (fifth warmest) and now April gives 2017 an outside chance of becoming Earths fourth consecutive warmest year on record--if an El Nino event were to develop this summer and continue through the end of the year, as some models are predicting. It's more likely, though, that 2016 will remain as the warmest year in Earth's recorded history. For the year-to-date period of JanuaryApril 2017, Earth's temperature was 0.95C (1.71F) above the 20th century average of 12.6C (54.8F). This was the second highest such period since records began in 1880, behind 2016 by 0.19C (0.34F.)



Global ocean temperatures last month were the second warmest on record for any April, and global land temperatures were the fourth warmest on record. Global satellite-measured temperatures for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were the fifth warmest for any April in the 39-year record, according to the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH).

Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average for April 2017, the second warmest April for the globe since record keeping began in 1880. Warmer-than-average temperatures during the month were observed across much of the world's land surfaces, with the most notable warm temperature departures from average across the Northern Hemisphere higher latitudes, specifically across much of central and eastern Asia, Alaska and the eastern half of the contiguous U.S., where temperatures were 3.0C (5.4F) above average or higher. Image credit: National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

April 2017: Earths 2nd Warmest April on Record by Jeff Masters, Weather Underground, May 18, 2017

El Nino/La Nina Update...

The tropical Pacific Ocean is once again carrying on a will-it-or-wont-it flirtation with an El Nino event, just a year after the demise of one of the strongest El Ninos on record.

The odds right now are about even for an El Nino to develop, frustrating forecasters stuck in the middle of what is called the spring predictability barrier. During this time, model forecasts arent as good as seeing into the future, in part because of the very nature of the El Nino cycle.

The reason scientists try to forecast El Nino is because of the major, often damaging, shifts in weather it can cause around the world. The last one brought punishing drought to parts of Southeast Asia and Africa and torrential rains to parts of South America.

An El Nino also helps boosts global temperatures, as it did in 2016, the hottest year on record, and previously in 1998. Global warming, though, means that 2016 was almost 0.5F (0.3C) hotter than 1998, even with comparably strong El Nino events.

If another El Nino does materialize this year, it would be only the second time in the records that the Pacific went from the hot phase of an El Nino to the cold phase of a La Nina and then back to an El Nino again within three years. The relatively limited nature of those records, though, means researchers cant be certain that such a combination is all that rare.

El Nino Again? This Is Why Its Hard to Tell by Andrea Thompson, Climate Central, May 18, 2017

Toon of the Week...

Quote of the Week...

John DeCicco, a professor at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Energy Institute, called the paper excellent and thoughtful, but it does not sufficiently recognize that the global carbon cycle already includes carbon removal processes. He said the paper doesnt sufficiently factor in ways forests and soils could be managed to store more carbon than they do naturally.

DeCicco said that he agrees with the papers conclusion that its unwise for countries to automatically assume that technology will be developed to bring atmospheric carbon concentrations and global temperatures down to tolerable levels eventually.

Hoping that future generations might somehow figure out an atmospheric CO2 decline in a way that undoes climate catastrophe is just foolish, he said, adding that its critical for humanity to pursue both emissions cuts and carbon removal technology as quickly as possible.

We cant wait for some sort of technological deus ex machina to save us from ourselves," DeCicco said.

Focus on Carbon Removal a High-Stakes Gamble by Bobby Magill, ClimateCentral, May 18, 2017

SkS in the News...

The peer-reviewed paper, Neutralizing misinformation through inoculation: Exposing misleading argumentation techniques reduces their influence by J Cook, S Lewandowsky & U Ecker (PLoS ONE) continues to garner considerable attention. John Cook's article about the paper, Inoculation theory: Using misinformation to fight misinformation, originaly published in the he Conversation has been reprinted by numerous publications including: Science Codex, Albany Times Union, Idaho Press-Tribune, Lincoln Journal Star, San Antonio Express News, Houston Chronicle, and Laredo Morning Times.

In her Moms Clean Air Force post, Teachers and Students React to Climate Denial Book Sent to Schools, Katy Farber included the following endorsement of SkS.

The mailing also reached college science professors. Ted Fink, a professor at Marist College School of Science, said this of the mailing: The book and DVD was a thinly veiled attempt to impersonate credible scientific research with a mix of misinformation that appeals to economic self-interest and a sense of patriotism. Heartland works hard to make their arguments sound credible. Almost all of their assertions have been debunked. Skeptical Science is a great resource for anyone who has questions about the veracity of Heartlands claims.

How to Recognize Science Denial is John Cook's critique of Oren Cass's National Review article, Whos the Denier Now?.

In his Vox article, The fake but accurate climate change news delivered to Trump? Its fake all the way down., David Roberts advises readers to check out SkS...

SkS Spotlights...

Global Landscapes Forum Paris. Photo by CIFOR

The Global Landscapes Forum is the worlds largest and only science-led multi-sectoral platform designed to produce and disseminate knowledge and accelerate action to build more resilient, climate friendly, diverse, equitable and productive landscapes. The GLF platforms connects diverse stakeholders; provides learning opportunities; gathers and shares knowledge; and accelerates action to produce positive, sustainable impact.

Landscape approaches embrace compromise amongst competing social, environmental, political and economic demands to produce multiple benefits from limited resources. The GLF utilizes this approach around five broad themes; Restoration; Financing; Rights; Measuring Progress; and Food and Livelihoods. The science-led Forum convenes diverse stakeholderscivil society, private sector, policy makers, community members, farmers, indigenous groups, international organizations, and moreto share knowledge and best practice to produce collaborative contributions to achieving the 2030 Agenda.

Video of the Week...

Expert explains link between Extreme Weather and Climate Change (March 2017)

Dr. Kevin Trenberth from the National Center for Atmospheric Research will explore the role of El Nino, climate change, and other influences on the weather and climate, and their role in recent costly and unusual extremes of weather, such as record breaking temperatures, drought and wildfires in the United States and around the world.  Dr. Trenberth will explain how these are linked and what they imply for the future.

Release via https://vimeo.com/211711747

Climate State, May 15, 2017

Coming Soon on SkS...

Trump's Fox News deputy national security advisor fooled him with climate fake news (Dana)

(Dana) SkS Analogy 05 - Linear, Non-linear, and Coastal Flooding (Evan)

(Evan) Explainer: Dealing with the loss and damage caused by climate change (Carbon Brief)

(Carbon Brief) Guest Post (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) Mapped: Climate change laws around the world (Simon Evans)

(Simon Evans) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #21 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Waming Digest #21 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week...

Climate Feedback Reviews...

Climate Feedback asked its network of scientists to review the article, Global Quackery: Earth Has Not Warmed For Past 19 Years, New Study Finds byJoseph Curl, The Daily Wire May 8, 2017

Eight scientists analyzed the article and estimated its overall scientific credibility to be very low.

A majority of reviewers tagged the article as: Biased, Cherry-picking, Flawed reasoning, Inaccurate, Inappropriate backing, Misleading.

Click here to access the entire review.

SkS Week in Review...

97 Hours of Consensus...

Mojib Latif's bio page and Quote source

High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide)
FORSYTH  The Alpha-Omega Walk at Decatur Christian School celebrates both a completion and a beginning as seniors walk the hallways one last time, accepting congratulations and cheers from the other students, and also spend time with kindergartners, giving them advice.

This year, that walk included an ending and a beginning for Superintendent Randy Grigg, who is retiring after five years at the school, and 36 years in public education before that.

I just really felt like it was time for me to step away, Grigg said. I like it here. There are not issues. Everything is good. But I've been here five years and I think it's important sometimes to get fresh ideas, new ideas, so I just decided to step away and let somebody else come in.

Grigg worked at Central A&M for 36 years before retiring from that district and taking the reins at Decatur Christian. He said he loved the students at both schools and will miss that daily contact with kids.

I could stay another two or three years, and really wear out my welcome, he said, laughing. At this point in my life, I still want to work, but maybe not 50 or 60 hours a week. I'd like to slow the pace a little but still find meaningful, productive work.

Grigg has worked since he was 16 years old, and served in the military and as a police officer as well as his years in education. He hasn't made plans for his retirement yet.

I want to finish strong, he said. We tell kids all the time, finish strong. Do the sprint at the end of the race. That's what I'm trying to do, too. Finish strong, make sure we have everything all set up for next year for whoever the new person is going to be. Staff in place, curriculum, everything finished and ready to go so the new person coming in can just come in and not be stressed with the things that are on the to-do list.

He'll be at Decatur Christian through July, the end of the fiscal year, and the board is searching for his successor. He said he has no plans to be involved in the search because it wouldn't be appropriate.

Brian Minott, one of the school's administrators, said he knew Grigg only by reputation prior to his arrival at Decatur Christian. That reputation was one of a good, fair, likable man, all qualities that Minott said proved to be true.

Randy arrived to DCS as I completed my 21st year. He has been used of the Lord to continue our movement forward and brought with him great ideas that have helped to get us to where we are today," Minott said. As I finish my 26th year at DCS I am still learning, changing, improving my teaching and administrative skills with much of the credit going to Randy.

As Randy retires, for the second time, I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for future of DCS. I have worked alongside five administrators over the years, each with various gifts from the Lord. He (the Lord) always seems to bring the right person at the right time to do the right thing for His work. There are exciting days ahead, but Randy will be missed.

Other changes coming in the new school year include a new band program beginning with fifth-grade students. The school has a library of donated instruments and is inviting home-schooled students to join as well.

It's part of a cooperative agreement among Decatur Christian, St. Teresa High School and the Lutheran School Association to share resources to provide more opportunities than any of them could do alone, Grigg said. The search for teachers is underway, and the program will be coordinated by Jim Culbertson, who led the MacArthur High School jazz band to national acclaim for many years.

Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade will be part of the cooperative program unless their skills are more suited to beginning band.

Each school will still have its own music program, while the cooperative program will be an extracurricular activity to provide an extra challenge to interested students, said Allison Nolen, principal of the LSA High School.

Whatever teacher we get on board here will be a part of it, Nolen said. They'll take the bus over to transport the kids back at beginning of day to our own program. This is an extra opportunity to work with band members and instructors from other schools. We'll still have band and choir every day and we'll still have chamber and jazz opportunities for those who want to go to the next level.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands. The company provides jeans, and specialty apparel and accessories for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections, as well as personal care products for women. It also offers graphic tees and other clothing products under the Tailgate brand name; and menswear products under the Todd Snyder New York brand name. As of January 29, 2022, the company operated 880 American Eagle stores, 244 Aerie brand stand-alone stores, and five Todd Snyder stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong. It also ships to 81 countries through its Websites; and offers its merchandise at 260 locations operated by licensees in 28 countries, as well as provides products through its Websites ae.com, aerie.com, and toddsnyder.com. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Suppose you were given $1 million to invest equally across ten start-up companies and you were told that you would receive $100 million if all ten failed and lost your entire investment. Are you sure you could lose all of your money?

This seemingly bizarre question highlights an important point about the role of luck and skill in angel investing. If you cannot guarantee that you will lose money on your angel investments, then there must be some luck involved in the activity. Moreover, if bad luck is necessary to lose all your money on the downside, then good luck might also be necessary to make money on the upside.

How Luck Affects Investing in Startups

Now suppose that there is a cost to trying to lose all your money by picking start-ups in which to invest. Maybe you are required to incur a $10 million loss to try to make the $100 million by identifying ten start-ups that would fail and wipe out your entire investment. Would you take this deal? If you would not accept this deal, then you must believe that there is some amount of bad luck that could result in one of your companies surviving and thereby causing you to lose $10 million.

Remember that luck cuts both ways. You can get lucky and happen upon a winner and you can get unlucky and fail to pick any winners at all. That point has another implication for investing in start-ups. If youre not sure you can pick losers, then why do you think you can pick winners?

But dont fall into the trap of thinking luck has a symmetrical effect on the upside and on the downside. Human beings love symmetry and tend to assume that good and bad luck will have similar effects on angel investments. That need not be true. As one angel investor who has funded over sixty startups pointed out to me, a single stroke of bad luck can destroy a company, but a single strike of good luck cannot make a company successful.

When luck plays a role, you need a large portfolio. With long shot outcomes, which is what angel investing is, you need a very large sample size to identify whether or not someone has any skill at the activity.

Moreover, the relative balance between luck and skill in an investment tells you something about the size of your investment portfolio. The more luck-dependent something is, the larger a sample size that is needed to draw inference. As the French mathematician Abraham De Moivre found, the variation of the mean is inversely proportional to the size of the sample.

What about the balance between the base rate and the individual case? Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman said that prediction depends on identifying the balance between the two. Translated to luck and skill, this means if skill is the most important, you should heavily weight the individual case. But if luck is the most important, then you should focus on the base rate.

A final point I would like to make about luck is how bad human beings are at making attributions to luck. Most people are terrible about understanding the cause of outcomes. We tend to look for patterns in random data. This means that just because someone got lucky and picked a winner the first time doesnt mean they know anything about picking winners. Following the advice or investment choices of someone who was lucky the first time wont get you higher returns. Emulating someone elses approach makes sense only if their skill has contributed to their investment performance.

*This piece is my interpretation of several presentations of an experienced angel investor who would prefer to remain anonymous.
Sonny Perdue, President Donald Trumps secretary of agriculture, said once China begins importing American beef under a new trade deal, they will want more.

When the Chinese people taste our high-quality U.S. beef, theres no doubt in my mind that theyll want more of it, Perdue said in a statement Friday.

US Beef Export Deal with China

This is tremendous news for the American beef industry, the agriculture community, and the U.S. economy in general, Perdue said. We will once again have access to the enormous Chinese market, with a strong and growing middle class, which had been closed to our ranchers for a long, long time.

The bi-lateral trade deal announced Thursday will open Chinese markets for American beef by July, allowing American producers to export meat for the first time in 13 years.

China banned U.S. beef in 2003 after it discovered imported meat contaminated with mad cow disease. American beef exports dropped from $3 billion to $1.1 billion by 2004, but the market has since recovered to pre-2003 levels without exporting to China.

Under the new trade deal, China will also be able to export certain cooked poultry products to the U.S. Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said that the impact of poultry products on U.S. producers is uncertain but would not be severe.

American beef producers are pleased by the deal, which finalizes a preliminary agreement to lift the ban on beef imports in China reached in September.

After being locked out of the worlds largest market for 13 years, we strongly welcome the announcement that an agreement has been made to restore U.S. beef exports to China, the National Cattlemans Beef Association said in a statement.

Republished by permission. Original here.
It is important to know who your target audience is and the position you aspire to achieve as an employer on the market.

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What makes a company unique as an employer? The answer provides the key to securing a good position on the labor market. A company should be clear about its goals and values. It is important to know who your target audience is and the position you aspire to achieve as an employer on the market. Not everyone can be Google.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

Building a recognized trademark requires intensive co-operation between the HR and PR/Marketing Department more than ever before. This is the so-called HR Marketing Trend. Today, both startups and established companies require specialists in marketing, PR and communication. Their role is to build a brand concept and ensure HR departments have a clear vision, which can be relied on during the recruitment process.

The success of recruitment has become highly dependent on external and internal corporate communication and often requires an allocated employee from the HR department to examine the market mood, employee preferences and competition from other companies.

Benefits do not ensure loyalty

Many medium and large companies in Slovakia offer jobs to people from the local region. Employees perceive this as an advantage, but they may not feel loyalty to their employer. During the current economic boom, new companies are also likely to locate in your area and may offer better company benefits and values that may lure away your employees.

In terms of successful employee recruitment, there is a need for a reliable system of CV registration and communication with unsuccessful candidates (phrases such as We will only contact selected candidates should not be used in job ads). Suitable candidates should be granted a personal interview as rapidly as possible after receipt of the candidates application.

The first impression matters and this occurs before the interview

The interview is no longer the first impression a candidate gets about your business.

Most candidates we want to employ have already checked the company on the Internet and asked their friends about the company. When informed candidates come for an interview, they have an opportunity to confirm the mood at the company and the behavior of its employees. The interview is of key importance and the length and manner in which it is conducted provides information on the atmosphere at the company. If the interview is conducted in the spirit of what can you offer us, this may not be the best way to win over the candidate.

Acting fast is important

Feedback and the way it is given is also very important. Sometimes potential employees send their CVs and they are not invited for an interview until a month later, the selection process takes another two months and then finally the company offers them a job. Good candidates will often have already accepted another offer.

After such a long period, a candidate looking to change their job will have had several other interviews and will select a position according to the salary and benefits, working environment and the feeling that the new employer perceives them as a partner.

Making your employees brand advocates

Company branding is primarily created essentially for free by employees.

If they are satisfied, they will not want to change their employer, but rather will improve the companys reputation among their friends. Such a company often has a low employee turnover and its referral can provide the required inflow of candidates. In large cities, there are already many companies providing attractive benefits, which including flexible working hours, home office or the family-friendly concept of shorter working hours for mothers with small children. It is, of course, difficult to apply these principles for a manufacturing position with shift operations, where work benefits are of a different character, i.e. transport and meal allowances, vouchers, extra healthcare, etc.

Be consistent and authentic

Even if you have a great marketing strategy and tools, it still does not mean you have won. Many companies declare their values outwardly, but are not able, or not truly interested in putting them into practice.

If a company is not serious about building its branding strategy and only explicitly focuses on shortterm recruitment targets, it will struggle to be a successful employer.

If your company has a clear vision of its concept for developing and strengthening its position on the labor market, it is certain to obtain results via recommendations from employees, which is the best advertising any company can get.

Katarina Novakova is branch office manager at Lugera & Makler spol. s r. o.

Originally published in Connection, the magazine published by AmCham Slovakia
What does this country stand for? Slovaks could  and should  shout a little louder about what they have achieved, and where they want to go.

Slowly  agonizingly so in the suburbs and more remote towns  modern buildings, bridges, motorways and ideas continue to spread across the country. (Source: Sme Jan Kroslak)

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People sometimes ask me if Slovakia has changed much over the years I have known it.

The polite, and only partly misleading, answer is of course yes.

Slovakia is now indisputably part of Europe, and of the world, in a way that seemed almost inconceivable in the mid 1990s.

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Nowadays, if you talk to bar staff, plumbers, shop workers or university professors from Bardejov to Petrzalka you will find that, even if they themselves have not lived abroad (and many have), they invariably have children or cousins or siblings working or studying or bringing up children in the UK, Germany, Spain or the USA.

Slowly  agonizingly so in the suburbs and more remote towns  modern buildings, bridges, motorways and ideas continue to spread across the country. We can even dream that one day the D1 highway might finally link Bratislava and Kosice.

Its education system is in a state of semi-permanent crisis, and a criminal amount of its wealth is being stolen or wasted, but Slovakia is becoming a rich country. Slovaks are still trying to adjust.

Some things, though, stay the same.

In time-honoured fashion, once-thriving restaurants and cafes cease trading without notice; a note on the door bearing the words z technickych pricin (for technical reasons, never specified) acts as a latter-day black spot, signalling irrevocable demise.

Despite intermittent efforts at reform, the bureaucracy remains elephantine. For this, newcomers tend to blame the legacy of communism. In fact, Marxs followers merely toughened the hide of a beast with centuries-old Habsburg bloodlines.

The woman on the Bratislava omnibus is as stunning as ever, and just as Sphinx-like. Even the recent, rather startling debut of Kiwi-English public transport announcements (rekwust stup anyone?) will not disturb her composure.

Nor will her driver, despite his gleeful attempts, assisted by the improved acceleration and braking of each new generation of bus, to hurl his charges about.

Slovakias public expression can seem similarly vacant: the country still struggles to define or project itself in any very coherent way.

When I told a prominent man of letters here that I would soon be working for a Europe-wide project, his first concern was whether I spoke Slovak. The thought that I might be more usefully employed discussing Slovak ideas abroad in a foreign language seemed not even to occur to him.

But then, what are those ideas? The poverty of Slovak politics can make it seem like there are precious few.

In fact, there are many. Years of working with and meeting some outstanding academics, businesspeople, students, parents and journalists  not least those at The Slovak Spectator  have taught me that Slovaks have interesting things to say.

Europe, which needs new ideas now more than ever, should hear them.

James Thomson is the new editor-in-chief of Eurozine.com, a network of European cultural journals.
The Slovak Spectator brings a selection of hoaxes that appeared on the internet in Slovakia over the past week.

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Savchenko is a traitor is a hoax

There is a text circulating on the internet, which originates from the Russian social network VKontakte. Ukrainian soldier and politician Nadia Savchenko is the alleged author of the text which reads that Russia is not the aggressor and did not start the war in Ukraine, and that the Ukrainian army was killing its own citizens.

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This is a propaganda hoax that also appeared on the Slovak alternative news website Hlavne Spravy. Their translation of the text into Slovak got over 2,300 likes on Facebook.

But the Facebook page Disinformation, Hoaxes, Propaganda noted that Savchenkos profile on VK is fake. Also, there are several profiles with Savchenkos name on the social network.

Savchenko herself distanced herself from the text and on her official Facebook profile she published the status of her sister Vira who wrote that the profile and the letter are both fake.

Hlavne Spravy later added the information about Savchenkos sister to their text but then questioned it with the claim that the two sisters are not close.

Far-right party lies about pictures

Under the threat of being fired from their jobs, the municipal authorities of Topolcany forced the staff of a dog shelter to delete pictures of LSNS members from its Facebook page. The party members donated dog food and other supplies to the shelter. This was the information that people from the Topolcany branch of the LSNS published on their Facebook profile.

The post was subsequently liked and shared by dozens of people, mostly LSNS supporters.

The quarantine station in Topolcany, however, denied the information in the post. They said that indeed three men brought a pack of dog food and three sacks of things to be used as bedding for the dogs. They also took pictures, wearing the green-coloured T-shirts of the party, and posted the pictures on Facebook.

But a volunteer from the shelter then asked them to remove the pictures.

They spent maximum ten minutes in the quarantine altogether, they petted one dog and then took pictures, the shelter staff wrote on Facebook. We would have no problem with that, if they were not dressed in party T-shirts.

Jan Kecskes from LSNS reacted by posting a status on Facebook that the municipal authorities in Topolcany threatened the shelter staff that they would lose their jobs if they did not remove the pictures with Kotleba people.

The staff of the shelter deny the accusations.

Nobody from the municipality contacted us, nobody threatened that we would lose our jobs, the quarantine station wrote to the Sme daily. People who work for the shelter are volunteers and do the job free of charge, so there is basically no job to lose.

Any statements that the quarantine would be closed are pure non-sense, they wrote to Sme.

The shelter staff opposed the fact that the pictures from their facility were used for political promotion. It is not the first time that LSNS used charity for such purposes. On March 14, at an event organised by the party, they distributed larger-than-life cheques to families in need, in the amount of 1488. The number is a symbol in the neo-Nazi community.

Extra-terrestrial blood is a hoax

People with the Rh negative blood type might not be from Earth. Scientists believe they might be seers, they have a lower body temperature and some have spare ribs. Their blood might be proof of the existence of an unknown type of civilisation.

This information appeared in early May on a Slovak website that publishes shocking and unfounded news. It originates from various foreign conspiracy websites. The articles are based on the claim that people with Rh negative blood must have some other, divine or extraterrestrial, ancestor. The main proof is supposedly the fact that individuals with Rh+ and Rh- blood types are incompatible and their union might lead to death.

The entire hypothesis is based on an erroneous understanding of blood groups, antigens, and antibodies.

There are approximately 32 blood types in humans, while the best known classifications are the AB0 system and the Rh factor. The authors of the hoax only focus on the latter.

The Rh+ and Rh- label is used exclusively for the D antigen. But there are approximately 50 other similar antigens in human blood and in the Rh system.

The hoax is mainly referring to the fact that Rh+ and Rh- blood types represent a threat in transfusion and pregnancy. The blood of the pregnant mother or the blood of the recipient of transfusion, if it is Rh-, starts producing antibodies in contact with Rh+ blood (of the newborn or of the transfusion donor). The first transfusion or the first pregnancy are not problematic, but in the next pregnancy or transfusion, the antibodies start attacking the foreign Rh+ erythrocytes. They start clustering, decomposing, and finally cause a serious illness or even death.

There is, however, the Rh immunoglobulin vaccination that is used for pregnant mothers.

The same process of antibodies production goes for all other antigens, not just the D antigen. The immune system is protecting the body from substances that are unknown to it.

People who do not have the D antigen, and thus are labelled as Rh negative (about 15 percent of population), do not have a gene that would produce the D antigen, they do not have any special additional substance, divine or extraterrestrial, in their blood. The Rh- type most often occurs in European populations, mostly the Basques.

The Slovak Spectator brings a selection of hoaxes that were published on the internet and shared by Slovak users on social networks in cooperation with the Sme daily, which runs the project aimed at spotting hoaxes and confronting them with facts.
DECATUR -- Sunday was a day almost 10 years in the making for Matt Gremo.

After serving four years in the U.S. Marine Corp. shortly after high school, Gremo tried his hand at a factory job. But soon after, he decided it was time to go back to school, and after talking with several friends, decided to enroll at Millikin University.

And when it came time to select a major, Gremo looked back on his own education for inspiration.

I had an amazing teacher at MacArthur who was one of the greatest people Ive ever met, he said. She inspired me that this was something I could do.

All that work paid off on Sunday, as Gremo was among the 340 students who walked the stage Sunday at the Decatur Civic Center as the newest graduates of Millikin University.

Several speakers took turns to reflect on the meaning of graduation, and how those graduates will carry on the Millikin legacy long after they leave campus.

Haley Hogenkamp, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, used her speech to classmates to reflect on a question posed to her and others who are you? She spoke of how the students come to Millikin to learn how to better themselves and to give a little of themselves to help the university in return for becoming a better person.

We deposited so much love to this university, and now we get a little piece of paper  a receipt for all those deposits, Hogenkamp said. And in return, we became more capable leaders, fearless in our pursuit of success and happiness. That is how we will answer the question Millikin poses, who are you? 

Her speech was followed by the commencement speech from Eric Zollinger, who graduated from Millikin in 1997 before heading off to New York City to pursue a career in theater.

But instead of finding success on the stages of Broadway, Zollinger instead has thrived in the citys real estate scene as the executive manager of sales at Douglas Elliman Development Marketing.

Zollinger said he is still applying his Millikin education to his current career, but the stage is now a boardroom and the audience are potential clients.

Opportunities are everywhere if you just keep yourself open to receiving them, he said.

For Billy Neumann, Sundays graduation was a family affair.

Neumann, a native of Forsyth, became the fourth of six siblings to graduate from Millikin with a degree in Information Systems. A combination of a lifelong interest in technology and seeing his three older sisters graduate inspired him to enter the field.

Seeing my three sisters go ahead in front of me and do information services made me interested in it, Neumann said. I cannot really imagine myself majoring in anything else.

Several students spent Sunday talking about how Millikin will help them as they enter the workforce, as it has allowed those such as Gremo to take leadership roles that will help them stand out among other graduates.

I think that will give me the edge in helping out smaller schools and helping out this community, Gremo said. I just want to help Decatur. It sounds corny, but its my hometown and I want to help.
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To begin with, young enthusiast Roman Kovacs just wanted to change his local environment for the better, and to help people. The idea of manufacturing environmentally friendly wooden toothbrushes and selling them to finance non-profit community projects occurred to him only later. And because Kovacs aims to be as local as possible, he is currently collecting money to move his production of wooden toothbrushes from China to Slovakia. He wants to manufacture the brushes on historical machines and thus also help renew part of Bratislavas industrial history.

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How it started

Kovacs approach to business was the opposite of the typical one. Entrepreneurs usually draw up a thorough business plan, earn money and only then start to think what they can do for the environment in which they live, or for society in general. In Kovacs case, it was the other way round.

Primarily, he wanted to do something concrete to improve and enhance the environment in which he lives and at the same time to motivate people. And he wanted to do this via a non-profit organisation, for which he needed a source of finance.

I said to myself: why not do something that can earn a living for me as well as this organisation, and from this also help others? Kovacs told The Slovak Spectator.

This is how the concept for his company, ecoheart, was born. The company manufactures an eco-friendly product and invests 10 percent of the profits in local community projects.

To begin with, Kovacs did not have a product to manufacture. It was an accident which helped him to find one: when surfing the internet he came across a US producer of wooden toothbrushes, Bogobrush.

At that moment I realised that a toothbrush is a perfect product for what I want to do, said Kovacs. A person uses a toothbrush every day. In the morning, when cleaning his teeth he thinks about what a day he will have. In the evening he thinks about everything he did during the day. And all this while looking into the mirror.

Kovacs immediately started to research where he could manufacture wooden toothbrushes. But he did not find any such factory in Slovakia or elsewhere in Europe. All toothbrush production had moved to China, where it was cheaper.

In Slovakia there were left only brush companies manufacturing birch brushes, painting brushes and various brushware, said Kovacs. But they were not able to manufacture toothbrushes for us.

Thus he also turned to China and found a factory there that could produce bamboo toothbrushes for him.

But now, four years on, he plans to move production to Slovakia.

I like this country and even though we are not a very big company, we can employ local people and use local materials and support this country in this way, said Kovacs.

Kovacs estimates the costs of moving production from China to Bratislava at about 30,000. Of this sum, he plans to raise 7,500 via the crowd-funding project First Plant for Manufacturing Toothbrushes in Europe. The rest he intends to cover from his own resources.

By May 18, he had already managed to collect more than the target sum; people can still contribute, and thus qualify for related rewards, until May 25.

Machines

New machines for the production of toothbrushes cost hundreds of thousands of euros, which Kovacs does not have. But he discovered he could buy old, disused machines for manufacturing toothbrushes, dating from 1969, at a much lower cost.

These machines were originally used to make toothbrushes at the Cosmos plant in Bratislava, near to where the National Bank of Slovakia building now stands. The plant occupied the former Gruneberger Brothers brushware factory, built in the late 19th century. This plant was so successful that it grew to be the biggest brushware producer in the whole of Austria-Hungary at that time.

The Cosmos plant operated into the late 1980s, but after privatisation in the 1990s it went bankrupt.

Later, much of the premises was pulled down and the Hotel Saffron was built on the site. The surviving buildings are not suitable for production of toothbrushes any more, even though Kovacs primary idea was to return the old machines to their original location.

Now Kovacs is looking for space where he can move the historical machines and start making toothbrushes again. His dream is to have a cafe next to the workshop, from which people can view the brush production through a large glass window while drinking their coffee. Those with a particular interest could even take a factory tour.

In the workshop, Kovacs would like to employ disabled or socially excluded people, i.e. people who typically find it difficult to secure employment. At the beginning, he says he will need two people, but the number may later rise to six.

Wooden toothbrushes

While the Chinese produce bamboo toothbrushes, in Slovakia Kovacs want to have them manufactured from local wood.

Among locally sourced types of wood, beech is the most suitable for toothbrushes. But they can also be manufactured from oak, walnut or poplar.

It will depend on what kind of wood we get, because we will manufacture the toothbrushes from wood that is not suitable for any further processing and has been selected for burning, said Kovacs.

It is possible to manufacture as many as 20,000 toothbrushes from a single cubic metre of wood, so the production does pose any threat to Slovakias forests.

The surface of the brushes will be treated with local beeswax.

The brushes now being produced have bristles made from nylon fibres designed for toothbrushes. When production moves to Slovakia, the bristles will be from Dentex, a polymer. This material is also designed for toothbrushes, and is produced in Germany.

In China, ecoheart manufactures toothbrushes with only soft bristles, but the plan is to extend the range with other varieties and also manufacture toothbrushes for children.

So far, ecohearts toothbrushes have undergone three stages of innovation, and the Dr. Martin dental clinic in Bratislavas Petrzalka district is also helping with their design.

Ecoheart distributes the toothbrushes via various channels. People can buy them via its e-shop, or at Profimed or DM drogerie. One toothbrush costs 5.49 in its e-shop.

10 percent

Kovacs has not calculated how much of the money from production and sale of the toothbrushes has gone into local community projects. He rather remembers the projects themselves. Ecoheart supported, for example, the initiative Thanks, neighbour, which installs public book boxes.

We created for them a large two-metre long seat with a wooden book box in front of the Old Market Hall, recalled Kovacs. Now it is placed near the Zufana bistro in Dulovo Square.

Ecoheart started a food-sharing project using public fridges, and participated in the improvement of a rail crossing in the unused Filialka train station. It also sent wooden toothbrushes to children in Rwanda, distributed them among refugees, and collected clothes and co-financed dental treatment for a Nota Bene salesperson.

Kovacs is currently investing all his energy and money into moving production from China to Slovakia.

Also, moving the production to Slovakia has a social dimension, said Kovacs. We want to manufacture from local materials and employ local people. If we succeed, and manufacture the toothbrushes in Slovakia, we will certainly continue to donate 10 percent of the profits to local community projects.
The PTG company has developed tailor-made robots for this assembly plant near Bratislava.

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The Dutch company, PTG, has built a new assembly plant for car wheels in the P3 industrial park in Lozorno near Bratislava. It will assemble tyres and discs into complete car wheels for all the car types manufactured at the nearby carmaker Volkswagen Slovakia. The lines are now under trial operation. Production in the new plant will be officially launched on May 29, the SITA newswire reported.

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Assembling wheels is challenging and physically demanding work, since the weight of one assembled wheel can be up to 35 kilograms, company representatives said as cited by SITA. The help of machines significantly improves employees working conditions.

Thanks to technology and robots, the new assembly line will substitute up to 80 percent of the work of the employees, as the robotic line works with various combinations of tires and wheels. One assembled wheel leaves the assembly line every 18 seconds. The plant employs about one hundred people.

The robots were specially developed and designed for this plant, making it the most developed facility of its kind in the whole of Europe.

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The assembly hall is linked to production at Volkswagen Slovakia and provides the timely delivery of tyre-fitted wheels directly to the production facility for cars, according to the specifications of individual brands.

A realised delivery is set at 360-minute cycles, this time includes the entry of an order into the system, the preparation of the wheels, their assembly and subsequent delivery directly to the car factory, said the executive director of PTG Slovakia, Roman Prokes. Wheels for 2,000 vehicles per day can be assembled in the hall which has a total area of 17,000 square metres. The warehouse capacity is 40,000 tires.
For the first time since 2008, the unemployment rate in Slovakia was lower than 8 percent.

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The unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points (p.p.) month-on-month in April and by 1.9 p.p. year-on-year, to stand at 7.74 percent, the TASR newswire wrote on May 19, citing Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Centre (UPSVaR) general director Marian Valentovic.

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The number of jobseekers immediately able to start work was 211,104 in April, a decrease of 8,045 individuals m-o-m and of 50,810 (19.4 percent) y-o-y.

The unemployment rate calculated from the total number of jobseekers reached 9.13 percent in April, down by 0.32 p.p. m-o-m and by 2.27 p.p. y-o-y.

Meanwhile, the total number of jobseekers stood at 248,753 in April, falling by 8,805 m-o-m and by 60,830 (19.65 percent) y-o-y.

In terms of individual regions, the unemployment rate fell in all Slovak regions in April, with the Nitra region seeing the most significant drop. Labour offices reported 50,173 job vacancies in late April, up by 5,352 m-o-m, Valentovic added.

Labour Minister Jan Richter sees several projects implemented to boost employment as reasons for the drop. He also assumes that the joblessness rate might hit an all-time low this summer. We have launched several projects, there are vacancies, there is demand from employers, Richter opined. Last month 1,513 long-term unemployed found a job and their number for the past year was 12,774, he explained. One third of the long-term unemployed who managed to find a job were unemployed in the extremely long term.

Foreigner filling gaps

The labour minister also commented on foreigners working in Slovakia. At the end of April 26,169 people from EU countries worked here, with Romanians making up the highest portion. There were 9,203 citizens from third countries, holders of the so-called information card, working in Slovakia in late April with foreign Slovaks from Serbia prevailing among them, minister said, as cited by TASR. The third category was citizens from third countries who have a permit: there were 4,830 of them. In connection with the competition for these jobs, Richter said that foreign workers only get permits when it is impossible to find local labour after some attempts.

Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Slovakia's unemployment rate is attacking the historic 7.36 percent low from August 2008 in the jobless rate. A major challenge for the government is rather to address the shortage of skilled labour.

Analyst specifies the image

However, the lower figures in statistics are also due to the change in methodology compared to 2008 (in about 0.32 p.p.), Lubomir Korsnak, macro-economy analyst of the UniCredit Bank for the Czech Republic and Slovakia wrote. Moreover, the unemployment rate still lags behind the absolute minimum from November 2008  by about 0.4 p.p.. It is also the traditional start of seasonal work, which helps push down the unemployment rate  but even including this feature, the unemployment keeps declining dynamically. Behind this is a cyclic revival of domestic  but also European  economy, relatively demanding for labour.

It seems that the structure of the unemployed does not overlap with demands of employers  nor with regional distribution of the unemployed and low work mobility, and labour offices seem to be unable to supply a sufficient number of applicants. This is confirmed also by the number of vacancies and the number of foreigners working in Slovakia. This demand creates good conditions also for the decline in the long-term unemployed.

Unemployment fell in all regions of Slovakia, according to Korsnak, but most quickly in the Nitra, Presov and Zilina regions and the slowest in the Bratislava region. In eight of 79 districts, it grew mildly m-o-m, in two it stagnated, and in the remaining 69, it declined.

The outlook seems to be positive also for the coming months, pushing the unemployment rate even closer to 2008 historical minimums, the analyst wrote.

In May and June, graduates of colleges and universities may slow-down the decline, but this effect is expected to be milder this year.

It is rather the unsuitable structure of those unemployed that hampers a more prominent drop in thre unemployment rate in most Slovak regions (especially in western Slovakia) than the lack of vacancies, Korsnak summed up.
Black boxes will be sent to the US for examination in a thorough investigation.

The furneral march of the two deceased firemen-rescuers who died in the helicopter crash (Radoslav Lacko and Peter Todor). from the fire station to the Concathedral of St Nicolas in Presov, May 16. (Source: SITA)

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The first results of the investigation hint that the crash of the police helicopter in Presov was probably not caused by a pilots mistake but rather by a technical failure.

The ministry intends to continue investigating the causes of the accident thoroughly and thus, the black boxes and parts of the machine will be sent to the United States, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry Petar Lazarov informed the SITA newswire.

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The helicopter involved, of the Bell 429 type, was produced in the USA.

Citing a source from Prague where the black boxes were examined, the pluska.sk website wrote that both engines of the helicopter broke down simultaneously, the Sme daily wrote.

The accident in early May claimed two lives and two serious injuries after the helicopter crashed from a height of 100 metres during an exercise at a military airport in Presov.

The Interior Ministry intends to continue scrutinising the reasons for the accident, according to Sme.

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Slovakia wants to participate in Chinas New Silk Road project.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking at the opening of the Belt and Road Forum is displayed on a big screen near decorations depicting a modern high speed train and Chinese Admiral Zheng, who commanded expeditionary voyages across Asia and East Africa in the 15th century, in Beijing on May 14. (Source: AP/TASR)

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Slovakia wants the trade exchange between Slovakia and China to become more balanced, writes the Slovak Economy Ministry in the Concept of Development of Economic Relations between Slovakia and China for 2017-2020 document which the Slovak government adopted on April 11.

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Slovakia has been reporting a long-term trade deficit with this Asian country. In 2015, imports from China made up more than 7 percent of Slovakias total imports. The share of Slovakias exports to China accounted for only 2.5 percent of the export total, the TASR newswire wrote.

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Read also: Will the New Silk Road pass through Slovakia? Read more

It is not only desired, but also urgently needed to look for new forms of cooperation with the goal to achieve a change in the commodity structure of mutual trade, the ministry wrote in its material, as cited by TASR. It stressed that the basket of exported products on the Slovak side especially should change, because cars make up almost 70 percent of Slovakias exports to China.

The mutual trade between Slovakia and China exceeds 6 billion in the long term but Slovakia has been reporting a trade deficit, which moreover, has been deepening each year.

Analysts: Economic ties between Slovakia and China likely to expand

Trade relations between China and Slovakia are likely to grow deeper in the following years, agree analysts, who believe that Slovakia is attractive for China in terms of geographical location and its cheaper labour force.

They stress that China belongs among the countries boasting high economic growth.

That trend translates into rising living standards and the growing purchasing power of its inhabitants, said Postova Banka analyst Jana Glasova as cited by TASR. Also on the rise is the Chinese demand for EU products, particularly those on the more expensive and luxurious side, whether it be electronics or cars. Therefore, China represents an interesting market for Slovak exporters.

The analysts expect economic ties between Beijing and Bratislava to expand, as Slovakia may serve as a gateway into Europe for Chinese investors.

There is room for greater cooperation in foreign trade and the proposed restoration of the Silk Road could contribute to that, said Slovenska Sporitelna analyst Katarina Muchova. However, much will depend on its specific form and extent.

Muchova believes that there are several factors working in favour of Slovakia that attract foreign investments. Among these are geographical location, eurozone membership, a good ratio between the quality and cost of the labour force as well as well-developed industry.

There could also be other factors at play behind Chinese interest in Europe.

Growing Chinese investments are also likely to be the result of the fact that in many cases its more advantageous for Chinese entrepreneurs to open up their branch in Europe or carry out an acquisition than having to deal with the physical distance when exporting their products to European countries, said Glasova.

Any potential slowdown of the Chinese economy shouldnt have a direct influence on the Slovak economy, as China is not one of Slovakias most important export partner countries. However, Slovakia could feel the adverse effect indirectly, via the deceleration of economies of individual European countries or America.

Experts: More words than actions in boosting ties with China

Several experts warn that while Slovakia is speaking about boosting economic ties with China, for now there are more words than action.

Slovakia has fallen asleep at the switch, said Peter Balaz of the Bratislava-based University of Economics, as cited by TASR. The government is making statements that it is committed to boosting economic ties with China, but tangible results are lacking.

Head of the Stratpol think tank, Richard Turcsanyi said that, from among the Visegrad Four (comprising Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary), Slovakia is the least important trading partner for China.

The biggest difference between us and the rest of the V4 resides in the fact that theyre truly committed to developing relations with China, said Turcsanyi as cited by TASR. In Poland and Hungary, for example, theres quite a broad consensus on the issue across the political spectrum. By contrast, no such discussions are taking place in Slovakia. Since Robert Ficos second government (2012-16), Slovakia has been doing only the necessary minimum or even less than that.

Chinas New Silk Road plan

The Slovak government has shown an interest in Chinas New Silk Road plan, in which some $124 billion (114 billion) should be invested in the years to come.

It affords an historic opportunity and is considered the project of the century, said Slovak Economy Minister Peter Ziga as cited by TASR. Theres every indication that China and other major countries such as Russia are strongly committed to launching the new Silk Road. While details have yet to be announced, the question is whether or not we will be involved.

The government is looking to hold talks with China in the near future, following the approval of the Concept on the Development of Mutual Relations group, in April.
Representatives of the biggest investors in Slovakia met with Fico to discuss the local business environment.

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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico calls on foreign investors to disclose whether they have encountered any non-transparent or corrupt behaviour while doing business in Slovakia. If not, they should declare this clearly. On May 22, PM Fico met with representatives of 14 large foreign investors in Slovakia including representatives of carmakers, the online retailer Amazon and Whirlpool to discuss the business environment in Slovakia. Economy Minister Peter Ziga and Finance Minister Peter Kazimir also attended the meeting.

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I turned to representatives of these foreign investors and asked them to disclose whether they have at any time encountered any behaviour that can be considered corrupt or non-transparent, said Fico as cited by the SITA newswire, adding that permit procedures involve meetings that bring together investors and representatives of the cabinet and municipalities. None of the representatives of our foreign investors has informed me that such a situation has occurred.

Fico expects that companies will express their interest in creating a transparent environment in Slovakia via a declaration of cooperation with the Slovak cabinet.

Fico and the representatives of the investors also discussed the need to secure a qualified labour force. The labour market is currently lacking between 40,000 and 50,000 qualified workers and due to this companies are pushing the cabinet to enable the import of foreign workers to Slovakia.

We want to focus on the topic of dual education and mobility of the labour force because this is very low in Slovakia and also topics related to the accommodation of employees, or new forms of employment, said Fico.

Another discussion topic was the support of science and research. In this respect Fico said that Slovakia is a country of interest from the viewpoint of investments but that the quality of an investment matters more than quantity. Thus he expects from investors , in exchange for various forms of support, proposals on how they would support science and research while investing in Slovakia.

Fico in this respect reiterated that Slovakia is increasingly attractive for R&D investments.

While companies can now deduct for each euro invested into research and development 1.25 from their taxes, this so-called super deduction will increase to 2 as of January1, 2018, said Fico.

Fico and the investors also discussed the possibilities of involving as many Slovak companies as possible in the chains of subcontractors.

We want to create a system that guarantees as high a share of sub-contractors from Slovakia as possible with foreign investors, said Fico.

Ralf Sacht, CEO of Volkswagen Slovakia, described the discussion as constructive and acknowledged the will of the cabinet to enter into discussions with investors. They also spoke about building infrastructure. More meetings will follow, the TASR newswire reported.

Michal Major, general director of Whirlpool Slovakia from Spisska Nova Ves in eastern Slovakia, said that the lack of a labour force in this area is a big problem. At Whirlpool Slovakia they have solved it by hiring people from marginalised groups and offering upper-standard wages.

The Fico cabinet wants to involve representatives of Slovak business and employers associations in discussions about the improvement of the business environment in Slovakia. The discussions will take place as part of the platform of the Council of Solidarity and Development which serves for discussions between representatives of the cabinet with representatives of professional organisations.
The Foreign Ministry gives opposing statements about suspicious procurement related to the Slovak Presidency over the EU Council.

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When Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak defended his ministry's choice of the Evka event agency to organise a major event under the Slovak Presidency of the EU Council, he also referred to a market survey that his ministry performed to aid them in choosing the best option. The documents from the official audit however, do not show that any such survey took place.

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The allegations of misconduct in the organisation of presidency-related events were first raised by former ministry staffer, Zuzana Hlavkova, who together with Transparency International Slovensko (TIS) described in a blog post how she started at the ministry in July 2015 as an expert for cultural presentation for the presidency.

But the allegations that the launch of the logo was an overpriced event surfaced shortly after it took place in February 2016. The price was originally reported at 156,000 including VAT, which is the sum that the ministry paid to the Evka agency. Hlavkova, however, later alleged that some of the costs of the event were not included in that price and that the final bill could be as much as 300,000.

Read also:

Read also: Ex-employee points to overpriced presidency-related orders Read more

The ministry at that time claimed that they chose Evka from among three reviewed companies in a market survey. Lajcak repeated this claim after the visit of MPs to the ministry over the allegations in November 2016, the Sme daily noted.

But the Public Procurement Office (UVO) audit report now shows that might not be true.

"To close the contract for the realisation of the event, the ministry did not call on any companies to submit their offers and no companies submitted their offers," the audit reads, citing a letter from the ministry, as quoted by Sme. In that letter, the ministry claims Evka had been selected based on a direct order. This was legal and possible for the ministry thanks to the exception in public procurement which parliament passed earlier for the purposes of the presidency, providing the amount of the order does not exceed 162,000 including VAT.

Read also:

Read also: TIS: More people trust whistleblower Hlavkova than Foreign Ministry Read more

Despite these discrepancies in the statements of the ministry, the UVO audit was closed with the conclusion that no legal violations have been found.

"The UVO can repeat and confirm its earlier statement that in this case it strictly followed the law on public procurement," UVO spokesperson Jan Mazgut told Sme when asked whether they will investigate the discrepancies and added that the audit is based on the documentation that the ministry provided to the authority.

The ministry only submitted the offer from Evka, even though it had the approval of at least one company to publish its offer too. It is unclear why the ministry did not publish the offers of the other two companies and why it told the UVO that no other agency submitted an offer to organise the event.

Transparency International Slovensko head, Gabriel Sipos, said that the UVO decision may become a dangerous precedent for all speculators in the state administration.

"It literally gives instructions on how to make a tender so that the wolf is sated and the UVO is satisfied," he said as quoted by Sme.

Procurement at the Foreign Ministry is also expected to be inspected by the Supreme Audit Office and by the National Criminal Agency.
President Andrej Kiska spoke to the crowd at the protest gathering, asking Slovaks what kind of country they want to have.

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Hundreds of people gathered in front of the office of the Banska Bystrica Regional Governor Marian Kotleba, to protest against the ideology he represents.

"Even if they put in the name of their party that this Slovakia is theirs, in reality it belongs to all of us," blogger Jan Bencik said in his speech to the crowd. "But Slovakia is not yours, make no mistake, we are not leaving it to you."

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The gathering in Banska Bystrica is the highlight of the Forgotten Slovakia string of gatherings that journalist Andrej Ban and activist Michal Karako organised around Slovakia, mostly in the poorer parts of the country, where Kotleba's party scored in the parliamentary elections.

President Andrej Kiska came to address the crowd in Banska Bystrica as well and asked what kind of country Slovaks want for themselves and their children.

"An open, modern, and friendly one, or one full of hate?" he said as quoted by the Sme daily. He stated that everyone needs to stand up against extremism: the church needs to fight against the abuse of religion to spread hate, the police must secure order, state bureaucrats must really work for the people, teachers must instil values and politicians must return people's trust in the state and lose the misconception that their post is a tool to gain power and wealth.

"I support the police intervention against the politicians of the People's Party - Our Slovakia," Kiska said.

People who addressed the crowd included the Holocaust survivors, like doctor Pavel Traubner, or Olympic winner Matej Toth who admitted that he too in the past harboured opinions that he now considers wrong and perhaps extremist.

"I too used to say that those who live in Slovakia should speak Slovak," he admitted as he spoke to the crowd, as quoted by Sme. But later he changed his mind, also thanks to his travels around the world. "I have realised that a Hungarian may often be a better person than any nationalist from Zilina. It is always about the concrete person."
This site focuses on Republican politicians and conservatives that rip off their constituency. We have the Tea Party, fundamentalist churches, the corruption of ALEC and other special interests groups. But the site also supports progressive Democrats and the local Democratic Socialist of America. We must have ideas on how to replace regressive and corrupt politicians with something better. For comments steveotto2001@yahoo.com or ottozero2001@yahoo.com.
Dear Dr. Roach: I'm a 78-year-old woman, and I don't have the greatest appetite. My doctor has recommended that I take a liquid breakfast drink (like Carnation Instant Breakfast) and vegetable juice along with my regular meals. Are they worth the expense? Do they help nutrition?

-- E.I.

A: I'd want to find out why your appetite isn't so good. Some medications can affect appetite, and so can some chronic illnesses. However, if a thorough search hasn't found a reason, then a nutrition supplement is a reasonable idea. They do have macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat all contribute calories) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). I often see people who are overweight consuming them, which makes very little sense. However, they certainly are appropriate for people who are struggling to keep their weight up.

Magnets

Dear Dr. Roach: I am in my 80s, have shrunk over 6 inches and am walking stooped over. What is your opinion of garments using magnets embedded along the spine, designed to "correct posture, improve circulation, reduce stiffness and relieve pain"?

If you think I'd be wasting my money by purchasing the garment, is there anything else you can recommend to straighten me up?

-- E.B.

A: In my opinion, you'd be wasting your money on the magnets, as there's no high-quality evidence showing that magnets are any better than placebo. Placebo may work to relieve pain, but I don't think it will correct your posture, and I don't think circulation is your issue.

It sounds to me that you are describing kyphosis, sometimes still called a "dowager's hump." This can be caused by many issues, but especially by fractures of the neck bones, mostly due to osteoporosis. Treatment needs to be individualized, but it often includes exercise, a spine brace, physical therapy and sometimes medications for osteoporosis. Depending on how stooped over you are, it may be necessary to halt progression rather than try to reverse what has already occurred.

Psoriasis

Dr. Roach writes: A recent column on psoriasis generated some letters from my professional colleagues in dermatology. None was more eloquent than Dr. Stephen Glinick, who wrote:

"You suggested that the patient's physician should give systemic corticosteroids because they did well during a similar treatment session for poison ivy. I believe this is not good advice. While systemic steroids certainly can control psoriasis of virtually any degree, its benefits are decidedly very transient. In addition, there often can be a fairly significant rebound flare of the psoriasis once they are discontinued, making it worse and harder to control after the systemic steroids have been stopped. In some cases, the use of systemic steroids also can result in the development of pustular psoriasis, which can be a very severe, sometimes life-threatening, form. It would be highly unusual for a dermatologist in this country to try to manage psoriasis with systemic steroids. In residency, we are taught to avoid their use in psoriatic patients unless it is absolutely necessary for other disorders. We then monitor the patient closely."

I appreciate Dr. Glinick's expertise.
(For other news from Reuters Central & Eastern Europe Investment Summit, click on http://www.reuters.com/summit/CentralEasternEuropeInvestment17)

By Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai

BUDAPEST, May 22 (Reuters) - Hungary will not withdraw its laws on asylum seekers, foreign universities and non-governmental organisations, which were slammed by the European Parliament last week, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told Reuters on Monday.

The European Parliament condemned what it called a "serious deterioration" in the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, at the start of a process that could theoretically lead to Budapest losing its EU voting rights.

It called on Budapest to repeal legislation tightening rules against asylum-seekers and NGOs, and a law on foreign universities that critics say is aimed at forcing Central European University (CEU), founded by U.S. financier George Soros, out of Hungary.

Asked if Hungary would backtrack on any of the three laws, Szijjarto said:

"No. Why should we?"

"These laws belong to national competence, so I think European institutions should refrain from making attempts at interfering with domestic issues," Szijjarto said at the Reuters Central & Eastern Europe Investment Summit.

The minister also said Budapest was counting on support from its ally, Poland, to veto any sanctions on Hungary. The European Union's rule of unanimity means the Hungarian government is unlikely to be stripped of its voting rights as Poland could block such a move.

"After the vote we have talked on the phone with my Polish colleague who made it very clear that they would not assist any kind of politically-motivated actions and they do not support the process of threatening any member state with such kind of Chapter 7 issues," Szijjarto said.

"I have no doubt that Poland would act in a situation (like this) as we would act regarding Poland."

Since coming to power in 2010, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has eliminated checks on his power by taking control of much of Hungary's media, curbing the powers of the constitutional court and placing loyalists in top positions at public institutions.

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The nationalist-minded government in Poland has followed in Hungary's footsteps in some areas.

Szijjarto also said the Visegrad countries -- Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia -- should have a common position regarding Brexit talks and that Poland should take the lead in this drive.

"We hope that we can have common positions, the more the better," he said.

The most important issues are protecting the rights of those who have been working or studying in Britain, and "a tightest possible cooperation agreement regarding trade and economy", he added. (Reporting by Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai; Editing by Catherine Evans)
The Independent

Elon Musk , Reportedly Considers , Putting All of Twitter Behind a Paywall.According to CNBC, on Nov. 7, online news source Platformer said it had learned that "Musk has discussed putting the entire site behind a paywall.".While the move "does not appear imminent" and it's not clear whether Musk will go through with it.the new Twitter CEO has been vocal about generating more revenue for the company.In fact, he's already decided that Twitter Blue will now cost $8 a month and provide verification for users. .Musk also fired Parag Agrawal, dissolved Twitter's board and changed the platform's misinformation policies ahead of midterm elections.Musk also fired Parag Agrawal, dissolved Twitter's board and changed the platform's misinformation policies ahead of midterm elections.Musk also fired Parag Agrawal, dissolved Twitter's board and changed the platform's misinformation policies ahead of midterm elections.CNBC reports that Twitter has also laid off nearly half of its employees since Musk acquired the company. .Given Musk's radical changes, a platform-wide paywall doesn't seem out of the question.Neither he nor Twitter have commented on the possibility.Twitter has experienced a significant drop in revenue due to advertisers pausing spending while they observe how the platform changes under Musk's direction.Twitter has experienced a significant drop in revenue due to advertisers pausing spending while they observe how the platform changes under Musk's direction
As someone who has studied bobcats for almost four decades, wildlife ecologist John Litvaitis remembers many times returning from the field without spotting a single one of these solitary and shy creatures that often hunt at dusk.

But bobcats are less elusive now as their numbers rise and they become more comfortable around humans. Joining the likes of foxes, coyotes and even mountain lions in rare cases, bobcats are making a home in small towns and suburbs  and realizing there is plenty to eat in the cities.

They have turned up in recent years in such places as Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city; Waverly, Iowa; and outside Los Angeles. They have been spotted below backyard bird feeders, waltzing along streets in search of their next meal and, increasingly, as roadkill on highways.

In Illinois, hunting and trapping resumed last year. Nearly 150 bobcats were taken during the first season, which ran from November to January, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

"There has been a lot of conservation to get us back to this season," said Neal Graves, president of the Illinois Trappers Association. "It's something we haven't been able to do for 40 years."

Of those taken, 69 were taken by hunting and 49 by trapping. Another 12 were taken by archery and 11 salvaged from roads. The top counties were Pike, Jackson and Jefferson.

The hunting season didn't apply to Macon County, where there aren't an abundant number of the animals, said Richie Wolf, nature center manager for the Macon County Conservation District.

Bobcats need more forest for their habitat than most of the agricultural land surrounding Decatur can offer, Wolf said. Still, the district does receive occasional sighting reports and the animals are believed to be living here.

What should you do if you see one? "You should enjoy it," Wolf said. "Take a picture if you can. Theyre very elusive and shy."

Wolf said hes never seen a wild bobcat alive. Theyre more likely to come out at night, and they wont attack people, he said.

"A lot of animals have rebounded quite well, including the eagle and the river otter, and we should appreciate and respect them," Wolf said. "I would hope people would be thrilled that our wildlife is coming back here to Illinois."

The resurgence of Lynx rufus comes during a shift over the past several decades from treating bobcats as vermin to be exterminated to being considered a top predator worthy of protection.

In contrast with the 1970s, when 40 states had no bobcat protections and bounties were common, most now put strict limits on hunting and trapping bobcats. As many as eight, including New Hampshire, completely outlaw both.

The naturally bobtailed cats  as big as medium-sized dogs and known for brown or rust-colored fur with black and white spots on their bellies  also are benefiting from warmer Northeast winters that allow for easier hunting, as well as expansion of public lands that increased prey, including white-tailed deer.

Bobcat numbers have almost tripled nationwide since the 1980s to as many as 3.6 million, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, the most recent national survey.

"Bobcats have been a real success story in wildlife conservation in the past several decades. They are at the point now that they are growing or stable across their range," according to Nathan Roberts, a wildlife research scientist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who co-authored the survey.

In New Hampshire, Litvaitis said, that is exactly what has happened.

He estimates bobcat numbers dropped to as low as 150 in the late 1980s, which prompted the state to ban hunting in 1989. Numbers have increased ever since. A University of New Hampshire/New Hampshire Fish and Game survey estimated their population in 2013 at 1,400.

A website that Litvaitis set up to understand the bobcat rebound in New Hampshire features hundreds of amateur photographs  of a cat lounging on someone's lawn, another stalking a chipmunk, a third sitting contentedly after gobbling up a guinea fowl and peacock.

"They are back in New England and at least as abundant as they were 100 years ago, if not more," said Litvaitis, who conducted much of his research while at the University of New Hampshire. "They are adapting to a landscape that has changed. You have roads and people everywhere, and they have figured out how to get along with most of that."

The bobcat's success also reflects its ability to eat almost anything and thrive almost anywhere, from cornfields to swamps to suburban parks. With cottontail rabbits declining in New Hampshire, they shifted to preying on plentiful wild turkeys and squirrels.

"They are clever animals and creative animals," said Roberts, who has attached GPS collars to 60 bobcats in the past three years in Wisconsin. "We had one animal in particular in a small town that spent all of its time in town going from bird feeder to bird feeder."

Not everyone is rolling out the welcome mat.

In Massachusetts, police last month said they shot and killed a bobcat that had attacked two large dogs and was coming after officers. Farmers in New Hampshire have shot bobcats.

"Many people enjoy seeing them, but for others they are a nuisance," according to Patrick Tate, a wildlife biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. "Complaints about bobcats preying on domestic chickens have increased, requests from the public to trap and relocate bobcats have risen, and instances of road-killed bobcats have become common throughout the state."

Many states have joined Illinois in considering reintroducing hunting and trapping to help regulate growing populations.

The New Hampshire proposal to offer 50 permits annually was withdrawn last year, over concerns that bobcat traps could ensnare Canada lynx, considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the people have chosen engagement with the world during his televised remarks on Saturday, May 20, after securing re-election.

He had promised reform during his re-election campaign before securing 57 percent of the vote, according to reports. He also defied a court order by mentioning former President Mohammad Khatami on air. Khatamis name has been banned from being mentioned on television by courts. Credit: YouTube/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful
Police in the Moldovan capital Chisinau blocked a planned LGBT community march on Sunday, May 21, after counter protesters threw eggs and water, RFE/RL reported.

Activists had gathered for a fifth annual No Fear solidarity march when they were confronted by the protesters. The protesters reportedly comprised Orthodox priests and believers. President Igor Dodon was among the outspoken critics of the LGBT event.

This video shows the march and shows counter protesters dressed in religious clothes and carrying Christian symbols. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful
The University of North Georgia (UNG) has signed an agreement creating a new partnership with the National University of Public Service (NUPS) in Budapest, only the third U.S. partner for the Hungarian university.

The agreement was signed by UNG President Bonita Jacobs and NUPS President Andras Patyi in a ceremony held May 12 on UNG's Dahlonega Campus. Administrators and faculty members from both universities were on-hand for the event.

NUPS, which has more than 8,000 students including active duty military and law enforcement in graduate courses, was formed in 2012 through the Hungarian government's merger of three separate educational institutions. The university's mission is dedicated to offering a comprehensive education in all areas of public policy and national security and offers degrees through doctorate level.

One of the goals of NUPS is to educate future career officers for the Hungarian army, an aspect shared with UNG as one of only six senior military colleges in the United States. The two universities also share common focus areas of international affairs and security, particularly cyber security.

"The relationship we are forming is beneficial for both universities, and there is a great deal of excitement about what we are going to be able to accomplish together," Jacobs said. "I look forward to a very long relationship that will provide new opportunities for students and cadets to expand their international understanding and advance the professional development of faculty and staff."

Patyi said the collaboration also will help advance the progress of his institution.

"Contracts and documents are only papers; it's not our signature that is important, but the mutual confidence and the belief in our cooperation and collaboration," Patyi said. "For our university and our nation, it is an honor to be here and to be engaged into the collaboration with your university."

The new partnership will include faculty and staff exchanges and exchanges and internships for students and cadets. Other opportunities for partnership include cooperation on scholarly publications through the University of North Georgia Press and collaboration with UNG's Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies.

UNG cadets Clay Carlton, left, and Zachary Chebat, right, tour the main Ludovika, Hungary, campus of the National University of Public Service with 1st Lt. Janos Csengeri, center. The two are the first from UNG to study at the Hungarian university through a new partnership between the schools.



This summer, two UNG cadets are taking courses at NUPS and Lt. Col. Csaba Bakos, the NUPS Faculty Fulbright Scholar, is a guest lecturer in UNG's Department of Political Science and International Affairs. Bakos is a NUPS faculty member and doctoral candidate who, as an officer in the Hungarian army, deployed with NATO and UN forces in the Balkans, Mediterranean and Afghanistan.

"The United States is a great nation and a great country; Hungary is a great nation but a small country. To my students I can bring a European perspective and a small state perspective," Bakos said. "The values of our two nations are the same and we share similar beliefs.  We have many interesting discussions in class and I hope that we can learn some things from each other."

Clay Carlton, a senior in international affairs with a Middle Eastern concentration, is at NUPS taking courses in military operations, strategic studies and politics.

"I hope to gain an understanding of Hungarian and European culture and its relation to the United States in the military," said Carlton, who is a major in UNG's Corps of Cadets. "I am curious how our strategies differ and correlate in terms of logistics, intelligence and information. I am hoping with this new information, and the cultural experiences abroad, I can further improve myself as a leader and an Army officer."

Zachary Chebat, a junior in business management is taking courses at NUPS in computer information systems, logistics and international relations.

"My primary goal for this trip is to make as many connections as possible, whether it be military or civilian, while representing the University of North Georgia," said Chebat, who is a cadet staff sergeant.
New Mexico is still mired in muck from the recession, but better times may be coming for local entrepreneurs looking to start new businesses.

About $40 million in new venture capital could soon be flowing into startups across the state now that the State Investment Councils new Catalyst Fund has begun doling out money for local venture funds that want to pump up budding New Mexico companies. The Catalyst Fund, managed by Sun Mountain Capital in Santa Fe, approved the first $4.65 million in early May for three investment entities to back some of the wave of new businesses emerging from the states incubator and accelerator programs looking to take new products and services to market.

Those investments will provide a bridge for struggling startups to traverse the infamous early-stage financial ravine known as the valley of death, where emerging companies need a small amount of capital to further develop and prove their technologies before larger, institutional investors are willing to back them.

That, in turn, could attract a lot more interest from deep-pocketed, out-of-state investors to commit more money to help grow those firms into viable companies, potentially spurring a new cycle of venture investment here that New Mexico hasnt seen since the Great Recession. That upward investment spiral, where startups can find larger rounds of capital as they grow and succeed, is a critical part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem that the SIC, state officials, and venture investors hope to catalyze through the new Catalyst Fund.

Economic Development Secretary Matt Geisel calls it another key instrument in the states tool box to spur economic activity, alongside Local Economic Development Act funds, employee training assistance for businesses and tax breaks.

It gives us a new tool, and a unique one, Geisel said. It helps put more capital on the street to support new startups that transfer technology from our research universities and national labs to drive the commercial economy.

Economic Development worked closely with the SIC and state and local officials to build the $20 million Catalyst Fund, which includes $10 million from the SIC-managed Severance Tax Permanent Fund, plus $5 million from the U.S. Treasury, and $5 million from private investors. Local funds receiving investments must match the Catalyst money dollar for dollar, potentially generating $40 million or more in capital available for local startups.

The Catalyst money will be channeled into eight to 10 local funds, which will then invest in 50 or more startups around the state.

As the money gets deployed and new companies advance toward market, New Mexico could capture a lot more of the immense amounts of venture capital now concentrated in places like the Silicon Valley, especially given the compelling, cutting-edge technology that local startups are pulling out of the states research institutions, said Julia Wise, manager of Economic Developments Office of Science and Technology.

It primes the pump for follow-on investment, Wise said. We have killer innovation here that can lure more capital away from traditional places like the East and West Coasts or Houston. Were not trying to fill the capital gap, but strategically deploy our investment to attract more capital from elsewhere.

Post-recession recovery

New Mexico had successfully attracted a lot of out-of-state venture capital before the recession through the SICs private equity program, which allows the council to commit up to 9 percent of the Severance Tax Permanent Fund to venture firms that invest in local companies. That includes a Co-Investment Fund managed by Sun Mountain Capital for direct SIC investments in businesses.

Under the program, about 15 venture firms became active in the state, driving venture investment here to record highs of about $120 million per year in 2007 and 2008. But that plummeted when the recession hit, dropping to just $22 million in 2009 and then continuing at an annual average of about $37 million from 2010-2015, according to the New Mexico Venture Capital Association.

In part, thats because the SIC ceased investing in local venture funds for about three years after the recession, and venture firms active here dwindled to only about half a dozen. Most of those remaining firms have concentrated only on follow-on investments in companies they had already committed to, rather than put more seed and early-stage funds into new startups.

Meanwhile, the venture industry nationally has flourished since the recession ended, reaching $79 billion in 2015, an 11-year record, and $69 billion last year, according to the National Venture Capital Association.

The lions share is concentrated in traditional bastions like California and the Northeast. But surrounding states have also managed to capture far more in new venture capital in recent years than New Mexico, which only netted $31.5 million in 2016, according to the national association. More than half of that was follow-on investments in existing companies, not money for new companies.

In contrast, Colorado captured $912 million last year, Arizona $297 million, Nevada $168 million and Utah $1.17 billion.

Out-of-state financiers

In 2013, the SIC did reauthorize new investments in venture firms doing business in New Mexico, leading to commitments to four funds since then. But until recently, many well-known national venture firms passed on the program, in part because previous rules mandated that they open a local office here, said Sun Mountain managing partner Brian Birk.

The state changed that requirement last year, now allowing venture firms with SIC money to operate from elsewhere and visit the state to scout for investments. As a result, a lot more firms have expressed interest, with 28 funds vetted by Sun Mountain last year for potential SIC commitments.

That change resulted in a very full pipeline with interest from lots of high-quality financiers, Birk said. Weve narrowed that down to three new funds, which are now in advanced stages for approval.

With the Catalyst Fund now pumping money into local startups that may attract out-of-state financing, plus more SIC-backed venture firms ready to deploy money here, a new day may be dawning.

I believe the situation will change dramatically in the years to come, Birk said.

Local venture investors agree. David Blivin, managing director of Cottonwood Technology Funds  which received a $2.5 million Catalyst Fund commitment this month  said the national pool of venture capital has grown significantly in recent years, and corporate-venture funding is also climbing. But New Mexico must seed a lot more local technology startups with early stage capital to grab the attention of national investors.

We have really good, hard-science innovation here, and thats a major strength for New Mexico, Blivin said. But we have to get it out of the labs and through proof of concept before investors take a serious look.

Cottonwood has already invested in about half a dozen local startups in recent years, including Skorpios Technologies and TriLumina Corp., which are developing new breakthrough innovation in optics chips for high-speed data transfer and sensing applications.

The Catalyst Fund also awarded $800,000 to New Mexico State Universitys Arrowhead Innovation Fund, and $1.35 million to Tramway Venture Partners, a new group focused on the life sciences. Both recipients expect to begin making startup investments this year.

That could be as soon as this summer for Arrowhead, which will invest in technologies either developed at NMSU or created by faculty, students and alumni. The Arrowhead Center, which manages all of the universitys technology transfer programs, has helped dozens of startups take their first steps to market in recent years. But only a few have achieved significant venture backing to date, such as the New Mexico Shrimp Co. in Las Cruces, which created technology to growing all-natural, saltwater shrimp in indoor tanks.

The Catalyst Fund is critically important, said Tramway Venture Director Waneta Tuttle. It will greatly multiply the number of businesses launched in New Mexico. Theres no lack of opportunities here, but we need that seed and early-stage capital to get companies going.
PORTALES  Donald Elder III, professor of history at Eastern New Mexico University, has assisted Portales resident David Montoya  a seventh-grade dropout  in publishing his memoir.

Montoya, 67, says he would like to title the memoir One of a Kind because he has made over 1,000 one-of-a-kind handcrafted items, including barbed-wire crosses, personalized wooden plaques and hundreds of clocks.

Montoya said, The book includes my life experiences ranging from spending time in prison for drugs and other things, to taking a gun to school in Floyd in junior high to show to some bullies. No one but them saw it, and they stopped bullying me.

Montoya, a seventh-grade dropout, was born in Las Vegas, N.M. He has been happily married for 48 years and has four daughters and 19 grandchildren.

Writing books can be challenging and the editing process can be lengthy and timely, Elder said. For me, the biggest challenge was that I found Davids stories so interesting that I would simply stop taking notes and just listen to him. After our first two meetings, I started to tape-record our sessions. I would then listen to the recording later, and put the stories down on paper.

According to Elder, getting a book published is a daunting task. Usually, you send a publisher a query letter in which you describe the book and explain why it would be a good project for that particular company. You also usually submit the first three chapters.

Floricanto Press was different in that they wanted Montoyas entire manuscript.

We were very fortunate, as Floricanto was the first press that I suggested. I knew they had a reputation as the top-tier publisher of works dealing with Hispanic culture and I thought that it would be a tremendous coup if we could get them to publish Davids story, Elder said. Fortunately, they loved it, and three weeks after we submitted it they agreed to publish it.

For aspiring writers, Elder said, Dont be afraid. If you have a story, put it down on paper. If your work gets published, great. If not, realize that it is not a reflection on you personally. Your story just didnt have a market at that time. With my third book on the Civil War, I sent the manuscript to 18 publishers before I found one that put it into print.

Elder has been teaching at ENMU since 1995, has published six books, and is the Rooney-Moon sportscaster for ENMU and high school sports.
New Mexicos Spaceport America next month is hosting its first ever worldwide collegiate rocket competition featuring 110 teams from 12 countries who will launch solid, liquid, and hybrid rockets to target altitudes as high as 30,000 feet.

Dubbed the Spaceport America Cup, the June 20-24 event is designed around the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition for student rocketry.

The event, now in its 12th year, will be the competitions biggest year yet, according to Spaceport America Cup website.

Rocketeer teams are coming from dozens of U.S. states as well as from Switzerland, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Canada, Egypt, India, Australia, Colombia, Mexico and Turkey.

We could not be more excited about the level of interest the first annual Spaceport America Cup is generating for the IREC and this inaugural year is sure to be something special, the IREC said in a statement.

The first day of the event is Presentation & Conference Day at the Las Cruces Convention Center, giving students, judges, recruiters, and the public a chance to see all of the rocket and experiment projects. Students will be giving presentations on their advanced research and technologies.

The second day moves to Spaceport America for preparation and testing.

Launch days will be June 22-24. Teams will be launching and recovering rockets through all three days. Teams will be able to display their rockets after recovery.

Tickets for rocketeers ($50 each) and spectators ($10 a day or $20 for all three launch days) are available through the Spaceport America Cub website: spaceportamericacup.com.

Children under 6 years of age are not permitted access to the event, according to organizers.

Event organizers also are looking for volunteers and judges.

People trained or with work experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are needed to evaluate the rocket engineering teams and projects.

Potential judges will need to dedicate five days, beginning the evening of June 19, and must be 18 years or older.

Volunteers are also needed to help with special events, set-up, check-in, tear-down and managing spectators and contestants both at the Las Cruces Convention Center and at Spaceport America throughout the event. Volunteers must also be at least 18 years old.

Judges and volunteers will be fed and receive commemorative shirt, cup, patch and swag bag.

See specific tasks, schedules and accommodation details, visit www.spaceportamericacup.com, where you can find the judges registration form and volunteer registration form.

The Las Cruces Sun-News contributed to this report We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.
ISTANBUL  Turkeys official news agency says the FBI has detained a Turkish man who attempted to sit in first class on a Los Angeles-Honolulu flight.

The Anadolu news agency reported Sunday that 25-year-old Anil Tuvanc Uskanli bought an economy ticket on American Airlines Flight 31 but left his seat to try first class. Flight attendants stopped him but in the ensuing argument, he kicked a service cart.

The agency said Uskanli was handcuffed to his seat after refusing to sit.

Uskanli was taken into custody after the plane, escorted by two fighter jets, landed in Honolulu. He now faces a possible charge of interference with a flight crew.

Anadolu said Uskanli studied film and journalism in California and London.
The 25-year-old man accused of acting as a hit man for an Albuquerque sex trafficking ring has been taken into custody and is facing two open counts of murder, according to court documents.

Adrian Causey, 25, is accused in the deaths of Tobi Lynn Stanfill, 20, and Daryl Young, 39, in January. An Albuquerque police detective wrote in a criminal complaint that Causey, who was booked into jail on Sunday, and another man who has not been charged, were involved in the killings on behalf of Cornelius and Danielle Galloway. The Galloways, who were arrested Wednesday, are charged in federal court with commercial sex trafficking and commercial sex trafficking of a minor.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said Stanfill and Young were killed because their activities were contrary to the objectives of the criminal sex trafficking organizations.
Student leaders at the University of New Mexico want state officials to prolong an expiring legislative lottery scholarship revenue stream  a move that could keep student costs from spiking  but there are no obvious indications the subject will arise when lawmakers reconvene for a special session this week.

UNM student government President Noah Brooks wrote an open letter to Gov. Susana Martinez and the Legislature, asking the state to continue bolstering the scholarship fund with distributions from the state liquor excise tax  a temporary financial fix set to end this summer.

The scholarship aided nearly 16,000 New Mexico students in the 2017 spring semester, covering an average of 90 percent of their tuition at in-state institutions, according to figures from the New Mexico Higher Education Department.

The department has not announced what share of tuition the scholarship will cover in 2017-18 yet. That announcement is expected next month.

A legislative analysis earlier this year estimated it could cover 70 percent, but it could be lower, given declines in transfers from the New Mexico Lottery.

Brooks letter warns that cutting off the supply of liquor excise tax revenue would cause students unforeseen financial hardships.

As a state, we need to ensure that the cost of tuition is never a barrier that stops a student from pursuing a degree, Brooks wrote.

About a third of UNM undergraduates get the scholarship, with about 8,800 benefiting for at least one semester during the 2016-17 academic year, according to UNM officials.

Noah Michelsohn, spokesman for the UNM Student Government Association, said many UNM students do not realize the possible change coming. Hes hopeful they can galvanize and prompt officials to act during the special session.

The student leaders favor a soft drop approach that gradually decreases alcohol tax infusions over the next several years.

So many students rely on this; we see students every day that are here because of that, he said. Wed hate to see someone miss out on that opportunity to get a higher education (due to potential scholarship changes).

But neither Higher Education Secretary Barbara Damron nor Marc Saavedra, who represents New Mexicos four-year colleges as executive director of the Council of University Presidents, said they know of any plan to address the liquor excise tax use for scholarships during the special session.

Martinez did not specifically list the Lottery scholarship on her agenda. She did include tax reform legislation, which opens the door for anything related to taxes.

Her spokesman said she supports the lottery scholarship but did not directly address Journal questions about whether she would advocate to extend using the liquor excise tax for the scholarship during the special session.
New Mexico is providing so little funding to public schools that it violates the state constitution, according to a lawsuit that will be heard in Santa Fes 1st Judicial District Court.

Yazzie v. State of New Mexico  a case that includes a number of families and the Cuba, Gallup, Lake Arthur, Moriarty/Edgewood, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe school districts  claims the lack of education money disproportionately impacts students who are low-income, Native Americans or English Language Learners.

Today, the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty will request a summary judgment on behalf of the group during a pretrial hearing.

Yazzie v. State of New Mexico was filed in March 2014 and eventually consolidated with Martinez v. State of New Mexico, which makes similar claims.

Martinez v. State of New Mexico was spearheaded by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and includes parents and children from Espanola, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Zuni, Magdalena, Las Cruces and Gadsden. The consolidated lawsuit goes to trial on June 12.

While the funding problem predates the current state leadership, Edward Tabet-Cubero, executive director of New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, said things have gotten worse under Gov. Susana Martinez. Districts went through two rounds of budget cuts during the current fiscal year, including a reduction in their cash reserves.

At the same time, the Martinez administration panders to corporations and blames teachers for New Mexicos poor academic performance, according to Tabet-Cubero.

Regardless of what the governor wants to do with her blame game, we dont blame the teachers, he said during a conference call with news media Friday.

Tabet-Cubero feels the central issue is whether the state is providing valuable enrichment opportunities equitably to all students.

He cited the K-3 Plus summer program, which offers an additional 25 days of school for kids in kindergarten through third grade.

Launched nearly a decade ago, K-3 Plus is funded across the state through a grant distributed by the New Mexico Public Education Department. Recently, PED reduced the grant funding, leading Albuquerque Public Schools to announce that it would drop 20 schools sites and cap total enrollment at about 3,000 students, compared with about 5,000 last year.

PED has said other districts have found alternative funding sources to maintain K-3 Plus.

In an emailed statement, PED spokeswoman Lida Alikhani also pushed back on the lawsuits claims, calling them flat-out wrong.

The fact is, we are spending more on education than ever before  with more dollars going into the classroom  and have implemented bold reforms that help struggling students learn, she said.

Lets be clear: These political activists are only suing because they want to preserve the status quo, and we are the only ones standing in their way.

Veronica Garcia, superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools, countered that funding has gone up incrementally over years but is still far from sufficient  the standard laid out in the state constitution.

She and Tabet-Cubero believe that districts should receive an additional $600 million, though it would be up to the judge to decide how much more is needed if the lawsuit is decided for the plaintiffs.

A spokesman for the National Education Association of New Mexico, a union that represents teachers in many of the school districts involved in the lawsuit, said Education Secretary Hanna Skandera is disconnected from the realities most New Mexicans know: our public schools are not sufficiently funded.

Every day she sounds more Trumpian with her name-calling, said Charles Goodmacher, NEA-NM government and media relations director. She posits that she alone knows what is best. Ivory tower arrogance. What a different legacy she might leave were she to fully embrace every effort to champion sufficient funding for our public schools!

The case will hinge on the meaning of sufficient funding, Tabet-Cubero said, but even if the court does not find in their favor, the center is prepared to lead an appeal.

We are in this for the long game, he said.
DO A LOT OF WRECKS HAPPEN AT MOUNTAIN AND I-25: That question comes from an email from RB, who was in a two-car crash on April 17 that left me with two broken legs. I was a passenger in a sedan headed east on Mountain Road (and) we collided with a pickup headed south on the Interstate 25 service road/exit ramp. Are there a lot of accidents at that intersection?

First, officer Fred Duran, public information officer for the Albuquerque Police Department, says many intersections are prone to accidents due to drivers not paying attention, running red lights or being distracted while driving.

Second, according to the most recent Mid-Region Council of Government data online, in 2014 Pan American West (the southbound frontage road) handled just over 12,000 vehicles a day north of Mountain, and Mountain just west of the frontage road handled just under 6,000 a day.

And third, Emilee Cantrell, spokeswoman for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, says in order to find out if an intersection is prone to crashes, an engineer investigates the site by observing the existing geometry at and prior to the intersection. The engineer would also look at driver behavior at the intersection, as well as the crash history.

And in the area of Mountain and I-25, from January 2011 to December 2015, vehicles traveling east, west and south on Locust, Mountain and the frontage road were involved in 85 wrecks, with no fatalities, eight incapacitating injuries, 15 visible injuries and 81 possible injuries.

PLEASE DEFINE ORIGINAL: That request comes from Mark, who emails when renewing my drivers license at Motor Vehicle Division official location, I was so pleased. I had all my documents in order, including my original birth certificate issued from the Denver Presbyterian Hospital, embossed seal and all.

And then pleased turned to something else.

I was told an original hospital-issued birth certificate is determined to be an invalid document for Real ID drivers license renewal. MVD will only recognize a state records birth certificate as a valid proof of documentation.

So back to the question, what does MVD mean by original when it says you need an original or certified copy of birth certificate?

Ben Cloutier, spokesman for the state Taxation and Revenue Department, which oversees MVD, says original means both not a copy and the original, i.e. first, certificate issued by the issuing agency. We do not accept birth records from a hospital. Were looking for a record of birth that has been registered with the state, county or city registrar  depending on what that state requires. When somebody applies to their jurisdictions appropriate birth certificate issuing agency for a copy or replacement of their birth certificate, it is then a certified copy.

The seal, whether embossed or stamped, needs to be from the registrars office, not from the hospital.

ITS ROUGH ON THE EAST SIDE, TOO: After a West Side reader expressed concern over the lack of decent driving, Eastside Jimmy had to weigh in.

I agree with Westside Tony 100 percent. He is correct about Albuquerque having the worse, dumbest drivers in the country. I have driven all over the United States and most of its large cities and Albuquerque has the worst drivers I have encountered.

I got my drivers license 65 years ago, and one of the things I learned is that one doesnt change lanes in a turn. I dont believe that 95 percent of the drivers in Albuquerque know that and probably all of the police. That and switching lanes without signaling are two of the most flagrant violations drivers in Albuquerque make. Think how more easily traffic would flow if people obeyed these rules.

Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M., 87103.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

The clock was ticking for Albuquerque police Chief Gorden Eden to issue a special order instructing officers to issue citations  instead of making arrests  for certain misdemeanor crimes.

The city had entered into a settlement agreement in March that, if approved by a federal judge, would eventually bring an end to the citys role in the McClendon case, which is a more than 20-year-old lawsuit over jail conditions and arrest procedures in Bernalillo County.

The case affects city and county law enforcement, especially in regard to the treatment of mentally ill people.

The settlement calls on Albuquerque police to take several actions  and one was for the chief to issue a special order explaining that people suspected of nonviolent misdemeanor offenses, not including drunken driving, will be issued citations instead of being arrested when there are no circumstances necessitating an arrest.

The settlement agreement was signed March 28 and gave the chief 45 days to issue the order, which he issued 43 days later on May 10.

The document hasnt been approved by a judge or filed in court.

City and police officials have pointed out that the special order makes no changes to police policy. They said former APD Chief Jerry Galvin in 2001 issued a similar order, and since then department policy has been to advise officers to issue citations for such crimes where appropriate, and officers have discretion in deciding when to arrest someone.

If there is any part of a situation that makes an officer think an arrest is warranted, theyll make the arrest, City Attorney Jessica Hernandez said.

Crimes affected by the new order include drinking in public, marijuana possession, prostitution, some shoplifting offenses, littering, panhandling, criminal trespass and others.

The district attorney, who has said that his office will prosecute fewer criminal cases as part of a strategy to target repeat criminals and give others second chances, said he was in favor of the order.

The District Attorneys Office applauds APDs long-standing policy of issuing citations to nonviolent misdemeanor offenders, Michael Patrick, a spokesman for the district attorney, said in a statement. Our collective energy and resources should remain focused on getting the worst of the worst off the streets.

But the police union argued the order undermines officers and will lead them to second guess whether someone should be arrested. The union also predicted that more citations will strain an already overworked police department, since officers have to appear in court themselves to prosecute the offenses.

What if the guy has a bad attitude and he deserves to go to jail? Is that OK or is it not? asked Shaun Willoughby, the president of the police union. The special order is the last thing Albuquerque and the community needs right now.

Peter Cubra, an attorney for mentally ill inmates in the McClendon case, declined to comment until the settlement is approved.

Metropolitan Detention Center records show that about 38 people per month are booked into the jail on a petty misdemeanor charge alone. That number doesnt include people who are also being booked on outstanding warrants or parole violations. Those bookings are by Albuquerque police officers, Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office deputies or other law enforcement officers.

The special order brought an end to the most recent back and forth between the police department and attorneys for mentally ill inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center in the McClendon case.

In April 2014, Cubra sent city attorneys a letter that asked the chief to advise officers to hold back on arresting homeless or mentally ill suspects and instead issue citations in some cases. He threatened litigation if the city didnt give those instructions and take other steps.

Cubra mentioned in the letter that, weeks earlier, officers had fatally shot James Boyd. Cubra said officers should have issued Boyd a citation for camping in an unauthorized area instead of trying to arrest him.

However, officers on scene said they were trying to arrest Boyd for assault on a police officer, not for a misdemeanor violation.

Two Albuquerque police officers were charged with murder in the shooting. The jury didnt reach a verdict in the case, and the district attorney said his office wouldnt prosecute the two officers again. The city settled a lawsuit brought by Boyds family for $5 million.

Cubra wrote, This letter is our final attempt to get the city to address, without litigation, how the city defendants (in the McClendon lawsuit) are treating people with mental disabilities, Cubra wrote. Particularly how APD trains and supervises its officers with respect to encounters with them, and especially whether APD officers should resolve and encounter informally, transport the person to an evaluation facility, issue a citation to the person, or arrest them.

APD didnt voluntarily comply.

So Cubra and others filed motions against the city in the McClendon case. After three years of court filings, on May 10, Eden gave the order in response to the settlement.

Before the settlement was reached, the city was facing a June hearing in front of U.S. District Judge James Parker on the matter.

Parker had written an opinion late last year stating, The court will order the city defendants to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of (a court order) for failing to consistently direct APD officers to cite and release nonviolent misdemeanants.

In addition to the special order, APD agreed to take several other actions.

The department must revise policies concerning biased-based policing; arrests, arrest warrants and booking; search and seizure without a warrant; and domestic violence.

Policy changes include orders that, for instance, officers must have reasonable suspicion before stopping, searching and asking identification or frisking someone who appears to be homeless or disabled.

Attorneys for plaintiffs in the case will also get to make presentations to APDs Office of Policy Analysis.

The city also agreed to produce records detailing how many people are booked on nonviolent misdemeanor offenses or arrested on domestic violence calls and create public reports on the topics.

The city will also have to work with Bernalillo County on jail diversion and other programs.
President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner visits the Western Wall, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) US President Donald Trump, centre and first lady Melania visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, Monday, May 22, 2017. Trump opened his first visit to Israel Monday, a two-day stop aimed at testing the waters for jumpstarting the dormant Middle East peace process. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara stand during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv, Monday, May 22,2017. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walk during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv, Monday, May 22,2017. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, center, stand in attention during welcome ceremony accompany by the Israeli President Rueben Rivlin and his wife Nechama, on the left, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah in Tel Aviv, Monday, May 22,2017. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Kuwait's Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Riyadh. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) US President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin after delivering statements, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. Trump opened his first visit to Israel Monday, a two-day stop aimed at testing the waters for jumpstarting the dormant Middle East peace process. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Prev 1 of 9 Next

JERUSALEM (AP)  President Donald Trump solemnly paid tribute Tuesday to the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust, calling on the world to never forget history's darkest hour.

On a visit to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem, the president and first lady Melania Trump laid a wreath on a stone slab under which ashes from some of those killed in concentration camps are buried. They were joined by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, as well as daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who are both White House senior advisers.

Trump spoke on his fourth and final day in the Middle East. Earlier Tuesday, his motorcade crossed through the barrier surrounding biblical Bethlehem for a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, where he pressed for progress on the dormant peace process.

If Israel and the Palestinians can forge an agreement, it can begin a process of peace all throughout the Middle East, Trump said.

Abbas said he was keen to keep the door open to dialogue with our Israeli neighbors. He reiterated the Palestinians' demands, including establishing a capital in East Jerusalem, territory Israel claims as well, insisting that our problem is not with the Jewish religion, it's with the occupation and settlements, and with Israel not recognizing the state of Palestine.

Trump also condemned Monday night's deadly explosion at a concert in England, calling those who carried out the attack evil losers.

The terrorists and extremists and those who give them aid and comfort must be driven out from our society forever, Trump said. This wicked ideology must be obliterated.

The White House said Trump was being updated on the attacks in Manchester, England, by his national security team. More than 20 people were killed by an apparent suicide bomber. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

So many young, beautiful innocent people living and enjoying their lives, murdered by evil losers in life, Trump said, echoing the theme he presented during his meetings with Arab leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The White House said it was Trump's idea to use the term evil losers.

Trump declared that he would not call the attackers monsters, a term he believes they would prefer, instead choosing losers, a longtime favorite Trump insult and one he has directed at comedian Rosie O'Donnell, Cher and others.

Trump's visit to Jerusalem has been laden with religious symbolism. He toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which by Christian tradition is where Jesus was crucified and the location of his tomb. Wearing a black skullcap, he became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, the most holy site at which Jews can pray.

Trump was also joined at the wall by his family, who separated by gender to pray. The president and Kushner visited one side, while the first daughter and first lady visited a portion of the site reserved for women. Trump approached alone and placed his hand on the stone.

The visit raised questions about whether the U.S. would indicate the site is Israeli territory. The U.S. has never recognized Israeli sovereignty over parts of the Old City seized in the 1967 war.

The White House struggled to answer the question. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley declared the site part of Israel, while U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday dodged the question. Trump himself never commented.

The president also unexpectedly offered a new defense of his disclosure of classified information to Russian diplomats in a recent Oval Office meeting. Standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he argued he never mentioned Israel, the source of the classified intelligence, according to various officials  something he has not been accused of doing.

So you have another story wrong, he told reporters.

Netanyahu played down what has appeared to be a violation of an intelligence-sharing agreement with his country, saying U.S.-Israeli intelligence cooperation is terrific. But Trump's offhand remark was another stark reminder that his troubles at home, including the investigation of his campaign's ties to Russia and his firing of FBI Director James Comey, have followed him across the ocean.

The moment was an abrupt interruption of an otherwise warm and smooth welcome for Trump to the Holy Land. After years of butting heads with Trump's predecessor, Netanyahu celebrated a new American president's arrival as a moment of hope in the stalled peace talks between Israel and Palestinians.

I also look forward to working closely with you to advance peace in our region, because you have noted so succinctly that common dangers are turning former enemies into partners, Netanyahu said. It won't be simple. But for the first time in many years  and, Mr. President, for the first time in my lifetime  I see a real hope for change.

Netanyahu and Abbas were not scheduled to meet during Trump's visit. Both men met separately with Trump at the White House in recent months.

Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Karin Laub in Bethlehem, West Bank, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Darlene Superville, Vivian Salama and Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JonLemire and Pace at http://twitter.com/@JPaceDC

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

The daughter of a deceased Albuquerque author suing a commercial guardian and conservator firm is questioning the impartiality of the judge in the case, citing in part his appearance in April with representatives of the guardianship industry at an Albuquerque Lawyers Club panel discussion.

Attorneys for Leonie Rosenstiel are asking District Judge Alan Malott to recuse himself from presiding over her lawsuit against Decades LLC in part because of his participation on a panel whose explicit purpose was to address newspaper articles about matters that included the Defendants (Decades LLC) performance as a guardian or conservator, according to a motion filed May 15.

The panel discussion was titled The Truth Underlying the Reporting on Guardianships/Conservatorships in New Mexico.

The panels membership included Gregory MacKenzie, one of the lawyers who has been representing Decades in the pending lawsuit filed by Rosenstiel in 2013. Rosenstiels lawsuit contends that Decades and its CEO, Nancy Oriola, were negligent in handling her mothers assets and in administering her guardianship and conservatorship.

Decades served as Annette Rosenstiels court-appointed guardian and conservator from 2003 until her death at the age of 100  according to court records  in 2012. She had previously been deemed mentally incapacitated by a judge and in need of a guardian and conservator.

The Journal published a series late last fall titled Who Guards the Guardians? but didnt mention Rosenstiels mothers case by name.

Decades and MacKenzie were mentioned in the series because they were involved in another controversial guardian/conservator case.

Malott has set a June 26 hearing on the matter and all parties will have an opportunity to be heard, said court executive officer James Noel on Friday. Subsequently, the Court will make its ruling.

The Code of Judicial Conduct encourages judges in New Mexico to engage in appropriate extrajudicial activities to the extent that time permits, and judicial independence and impartiality are not compromised.

The recusal motion filed on May 15 contends that Malotts participation in the April 5 panel would cause a reasonable person to question the Judges impartiality and that rules governing judges require him to step aside if thats the case.

Malott appeared at the lunch meeting panel discussion of the Albuquerque Lawyers Club, a group of attorneys that has informal discussions about legal matters. Other panelists were MacKenzie; Mary Galvez, a professional guardian who is also frequently appointed by judges as a court visitor to advise whether guardianships are needed; and an elder law attorney, Ellen Leitzer.

Panelists, including Malott, were critical of the Journal series.

Leitzer and Galvez have both worked with MacKenzie and Decades CEO Oriola to lobby on behalf of the elements of the commercial guardianship industry in, among other matters, vigorously resisting even modest efforts to improve transparency in guardianship proceedings, Rosenstiels motion contends.

The membership of that panel was slanted in favor of the commercial guardianship industry, Rosenstiels motion states. Malotts mere participation with attorney MacKenzie conveys the impression that the Defendants are in a position to influence the Judge.

The motion also cites statements Malott made as a panelist during a public town hall on guardianships held March 22 and sponsored by the Albuquerque Journal and KANW-FM. Malott appeared as the courts representative.

That panels membership was more diverse than the attorneys club panel, Rosenstiels motion states, but Malott told the audience that although state law requires all records in guardian/conservator cases to be kept secret, he personally believed only medical and financial information should be sequestered. That directly relates to confidentiality issues pending before the Court in this (Rosenstiels civil case against Decades), the recusal motion states.

The motion also notes that an attorney for Decades sent Malott a letter about the case in 2014 without notifying Rosenstiel or her attorney. The judge later noted in an order that the defendants sought no special consideration from him and none was given, stated that all communications with him should be filed motions or related to scheduling matters.

Sealed documents

Malott hasnt yet ruled on the Albuquerque Journals motion to open the 20-some sealed filings in Rosenstiels lawsuit against Decades  a request echoed by Rosenstiel and her attorneys. Malott recently permitted public inspection of portions of Decades response to the Journal motion for unsealing, which was filed in late March. He redacted other portions.

Decades contends that the records in the case should be kept confidential to protect the privacy of Annette Rosenstiel, even after her death. Rosenstiel, who published various articles and books, was married to a New York financial heavyweight, Raymond S. Rosenstiel.

Decades added that they welcomed a public trial on Rosenstiels lawsuit, but could not get one if the Journal is allowed to report on the court filings prior to trial.

The Journal and Leonie Rosenstiel argue that the case is a straightforward malpractice civil lawsuit and is improperly sealed. The only privacy interest being protected, they say, is Decades.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in rebuffing a subpoena Monday in the investigation into Russias election meddling. Then a top House Democrat cited new evidence he said appeared to show Flynn lied on a security clearance background check.

With Trump himself in the Mideast on his first foreign trip as president, investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign  and allegations of Trump campaign collaboration  showed no sign of slackening in Washington. Flynns own defensive crouch revealed the high legal stakes he faces as investigations intensify: a U.S. counterintelligence probe of Russia, a federal investigation in Virginia and multiple congressional inquiries.

As well, The Washington Post reported Monday that Trump asked two top intelligence chiefs in March to deny publicly that there had been collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign.

Citing current and former officials, the Post said the national intelligence director, Daniel Coats, and the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, both refused Trumps request, judging it inappropriate. Coats could face questions on the report Tuesday when he is scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Flynns attorneys told the Senate intelligence committee on Monday that he will not turn over personal documents sought under the congressional subpoena, citing an escalating public frenzy against him. They also said the Justice Departments appointment of a special counsel has created a legally dangerous environment for him to cooperate with the Senate panels investigation.

Hours later, Rep. Elijah Cummings, senior Democrat on the House oversight committee, said government documents hes reviewed showed inconsistencies in Flynns disclosures to U.S. investigators in early 2016 during his security clearance review.

Cummings said Flynn appeared to have misled authorities about the source of a $33,000 payment from Russias state-sponsored television network, failed to identify foreign officials with whom he met  including Russias President Vladimir Putin  and glossed over his firing as chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration. Cummings made his points in a letter asking the committees chairman, Jason Chaffetz of Utah, to subpoena the White House for documents related to Flynn.

Its unclear from Cummings letter whether Flynn would face legal jeopardy for his answers to security clearance investigators. But in an April statement Cummings warned that falsifying or concealing material facts on security clearance reviews are federal crimes and convictions could lead to fines and up to five years imprisonment.

Flynn attorney, Robert Kelner, declined to comment on Cummings assertions.

Trump appointed Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and top military intelligence chief, as his top national security aide in January, only to fire him less than a month later. The White House has said that Flynn had misled top U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials, including Russias ambassador to the U.S.

Cummings and other Democrats have blasted Trump and his team for failing to more carefully check Flynns background before they brought him to the White House, while the Trump administration has attempted to blame the Obama administration for failing to properly vet Flynn earlier.

Cummings said Monday that Flynn provided inconsistent or misleading statements to U.S. security clearance investigators in early 2016 during the renewal of his credentials.

Cummings cited a government report in March 2016 that he said showed the retired Army general telling authorities that payments he received for his 2015 trip to Moscow were paid by U.S. companies. In fact, the oversight committee released detailed email and payment records months ago showing that the source of Flynns payment of more than $33,000 was RT, the Russian state-sponsored television network that has been labeled a propaganda network by U.S. intelligence.

The payments, which were made through Flynns U.S.-based speakers bureau, stemmed from Flynns trip to Moscow to appear at an RT gala, where he sat at the head table with Putin.

In his letter, Cummings also cited a standard security clearance question that asks respondents to disclose contacts with foreign governments or their representatives. According to Cummings, Flynn told investigators he had only insubstantial contact with foreign nationals over the previous seven years and he did not detail the names of any foreign officials he had met. Among those omitted were Putin, RT officials and Russian military intelligence officials whom Flynn had met in Moscow in 2013 as part of his duties as defense intelligence chief.

Cummings said he found it difficult to understand how Flynn could have characterized his dinner with Putin as insubstantial contact.

General Flynn had a duty to be truthful in his security clearance renewal form and during his interview with security clearance investigators, Cummings wrote, noting that hes been in contact with the Justice Department and the newly appointed special counsel about his findings.

Meanwhile, the Senate committees subpoena to Flynn focused on his interactions with Russian officials. It sought a wide range of information and documents about his and the Trump campaigns contacts with Russians dating back to June 2015.

Flynns response stressed that his decision to invoke his constitutional protection was not an admission of wrongdoing but rather a response to a political climate in which Democratic members of Congress are calling for his prosecution. The attorneys also said that if Flynn complied with the committees request, he could be confirming the existence of documents, an act that itself could be used against him.

Trump has defended Flynn since his ouster and called on him to strike an immunity deal because Flynn was facing a witch hunt. The presidents comments were in stark contrast to his harsh words during the 2016 campaign for people who received immunity or invoked the Fifth Amendment in the probe of Hillary Clintons use of a private email server.

If youre innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? Trump asked in a campaign rally in Iowa in September.

Trump himself walked back into the Russia controversy during his visit to Israel, volunteering that he never mentioned the word or the name Israel during his recent Oval Office conversation with top Russian diplomats.

That comment referred to revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat in his May 10 meeting in the Oval Office with Russias foreign minister and ambassador. U.S. officials have said the information originated with Israel. However, it has not been alleged that Trump told the Russians that Israel was the source.

Flynns decision does not fully close the door on future cooperation with the committee. But if congressional committees move to grant Flynn immunity, they would probably have to enter into discussions with the special counsel, Robert Mueller, to determine whether that could impede the FBIs case.

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Read the letter: http://apne.ws/2q3S9Y9

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Associated Press writers Eileen Sullivan, Vivian Salama and Darlene Superville and Michael Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
JERUSALEM  President Donald Trump on Monday took in the sweeping history of Jerusalems Old City on a visit in which he hopes to make some of his own, urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take strides toward peace that have eluded U.S. leaders for decades.

Starting the second leg of his foreign trip, Trump said he wants to make progress on what he has called the ultimate deal, a Middle East peace accord to end generations of conflict.

We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, Trump said in a ceremony after he landed at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport. But we can only get there working together. There is no other way.

Trump has yet to offer a diplomatic initiative to restart negotiations, no less break the broader political impasse. Nor is it clear whether the Israelis or the Palestinians have the inclination or political capital to make substantial progress given their deep divisions.

Still, Trump raised the prospect of a peace deal during each of his three public appearances with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, though in the third he conceded it was perhaps the toughest deal to make.

Netanyahu leads a fragile coalition that depends on right-leaning parties who strongly resist the kinds of territorial or political concessions to Palestinians that a peace deal likely would require.

So he sought continually to steer the conversation toward Iran, a common foe for Israel and the Sunni Arab leaders whom Trump visited over the weekend in Saudi Arabia.

Trumps call in a speech Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to isolate Iran to neutralize the threat it poses through proxy militant groups not only helps security but also helps propel the possibility of reconciliation and peace between Israel and the Arab world, Netanyahu said.

But he said Israel has not changed its own formulation for peace, one that Saudi Arabia and most other Arab states have rejected until now.

The peace we seek is a genuine and a durable one in which the Jewish state is recognized, security remains in Israels hands and the conflict ends once and for all, the Israeli leader said.

Trump will travel Tuesday to Bethlehem, in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who visited the White House last month.

In his comments Monday, Trump said he had found new reasons for hope in his meetings with Arab leaders in Riyadh.

Echoing a White House argument, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the common threat of terrorism has united Sunni Arab nations, Israel and the United States in a way that did not exist in the past.

I think (Trump) feels like theres a moment in time here, Tillerson told reporters traveling with the president on Air Force One.

I think the president has indicated hes willing to put his own personal efforts into this, if the Israelis and the Palestinian leadership are ready to be serious about engaging as well, he said.

Trumps domestic troubles over Russia re-emerged during his visit Monday, one with potential diplomatic consequences with Israel. As with many of the presidents problems, it was self-inflicted.

After a reporter asked Netanyahu if he was concerned by reports that Trump had shared highly sensitive intelligence about a terrorist threat with two senior Russian officials in an Oval Office meeting on May 10, Trump jumped in to deny that he ever mentioned the word or the name Israel.

Theyre all saying I did, he said, pointing to reporters. So you have another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel.

News accounts never said that Trump had identified Israel as the source of the intelligence, only that he had divulged intelligence from an unnamed allied country that did not want it shared.

Subsequent news reports, citing anonymous sources, identified the country as Israel, and said Israeli intelligence officials were furious that Trump had shared the material in violation of spying protocol.

For his part, Netanyahu avoided the intelligence controversy. He cut through the shouts of multiple questioners to say simply, Intelligence cooperation is terrific. Its never been better.

Trump heads to the Vatican after his two-day visit here, and the White House argues that his visit to holy sites of three of the worlds major religions demonstrates his commitment to religious tolerance and peace.

And so Trump is mixing religious symbolism with his substantive discussions.

Wearing a Jewish skullcap, he touched the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem and, as cameras clicked away, tucked a private note into one of the crannies. Nearby, first lady Melania Trump and the first daughter, Ivanka, visited the womens area of the wall, one of Judaisms most sacred sites.

(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)

He also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was crucified and later resurrected.

Words fail to capture the experience, he said at days end. Fireworks later lighted the skies over Jerusalem.

Trump is the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall, and the first president to visit Israel so early in his term. His arrival on Air Force One from Riyadh marks the first known direct flight between Saudi Arabia and Israel, which do not have formal diplomatic relations.



2017 Tribune Co.

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PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): TRUMP-ISRAEL

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LONDON  Russia faces the strong possibility of being excluded from a second Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping scheme.

The International Paralympic Committee said on Monday it remains unconvinced Russia has adopted a new anti-doping culture and implemented the changes required to prove it is cleaning up in time for the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang.

The Russian Paralympic Committee claims it has fulfilled 62 of 67 criteria on the IPC reinstatement plan. But the IPC said if Russia does not meet its obligations in full by early September then there is a strong chance of the team missing out on South Korea.

This is not quite a final warning, but it is saying we are running out of time fast, IPC President Philip Craven said. With each day that passes theres time to sort this one out.

The IPC remains concerned about Russias closed cities where many athletes train but that limit access to drug testers, a matter in the control of the government rather than the Paralympic organization in Russia.

Ultimately, Russia has to restore confidence in the wider sporting world, Craven said. The RPC and Russian authorities need to build trust in their actions and prove to us all that from now on sport really is about morals over medals and not the other way round.

Russia remains critical of the IPCs demands that it must demonstrate a change of culture and mentality in a country that denies there was a state-orchestrated doping operation.

Such statements are of an extremely subjective and vague nature, the Russian Paralympic Committee said, and make it extremely hard to discuss the road map in terms of concrete dates and measures.
Rep. Steve Pearce was recognized for his 2016 solo flight around the planet with a Circumnavigators Diploma from the National Aeronautics Association.

Im pleased to be here to congratulate Congressman Pearce on his successful circumnavigation. He made the westbound flight single pilot, with no one to help tune the avionics or walk through the checklists, AW Greenfield, National Aeronautics Association Director of Contest and Records, said in a news release from Pearces office.

Pearce completed the journey in two parts. In March 2016, he set out from Nevada in a Mooney M20M Bravo single engine aircraft and traveled across the Pacific Ocean, stopping at the Mediterranean.

He returned to the United States for the legislative session, then completed the remainder of the flight in early June 2016.

What makes this flight especially significant is that Congressman Pearce did this in honor of those who flew west to fight in Vietnam, but were not lucky enough to return, Greenfield said.

Pearce served as a pilot in the Vietnam War, logging more than 500 flight hours.

He ended his service in the U.S. Air Force with the rank of captain. Pearce left memorials from Isleta Pueblo along the way.

Created in the shape of a bear, they symbolize strength, courage, and human healing, the news release said. Like his flight, these memorials honor the power of the human spirit to persevere no matter the obstacle.

Pearce said he was honored for the recognition.

The mission was remembering, Pearce said in the news release. Every time I faced an obstacle, I said, this is in memory.

Maddy Hayden may be reached at 575-628-5512, mahayden@currentargus.com and @Maddy_J_Hayden on Twitter.



2017 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.)

Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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GLENDALE, Ariz.  Authorities have released the name of a man who was fatally shot by a police officer in Glendale last week.

Glendale police say 18-year-old Jayden Smith was found dead Friday night in the backyard of a home after he had crashed a stolen car.

Police say an officer saw four men in a fight along the side of a road and then he heard two shots.

They say Young had pulled out a handgun and began firing at two of the men.

Police say Officer Andrew Johnson returned fire and Young was struck but continued to run from the scene and fire shots.

They say one of the men Young shot and wounded remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Johnson wasnt injured.

Police say an investigation of the shooting is ongoing.
By Anoush Torosyan

One can see Francisco Maldonado Guachkhan, a 50-year-old street musician from Ecuador plying his trade in the streets of Yerevan.

Dressed in an ornate head dress and playing the traditional pipes of the indigenous Inca people, Francisco gets his shares of stares from interested passersby. Some stop and watch, while others approach to ask questions.

He finds Armenians to be warm and welcoming. The local police are another matter. When convenient, cops like to follow the letter of the law, and seem incapable of flexible interpretations of the law based on specific circumstances.

Police have demanded that Francisco obtain a permit, in advance, for all his performances.

"I come from Otavalo. Each of us has his own way of trying to preserve the culture. I like travelling from one country to another and meeting people. It is interesting to get to know new nations, new cultures, to make new acquaintances. I like it when people smile, when they get interested in my music," says Francisco, whos a dual citizen of Spain and Ecuador.

Francisco plays traditional music that comes from his ancestors: meditative, soothing melodies of nature, united by love. The musician says that one needs to deeply experience and comprehend those seemingly simple melodies.

"You should listen to the music with closed eyes, to imagine it, to let the music take you away, otherwise you wont feel it. If you just stand and play the instrument, you wont have many people listening to you. I dont write melodies, but I try to bring rhythms into them, and to convey warmth," Francisco explains.

Music became a way of life for Francisco ten years ago. While working his land one day, he realized that the borders of his land were too restricted for his music. He put aside his shovel, got into his car, and went away to find new outlets for his melodies. Travelling to different countries to play without financial resources is neither an adventure nor romanticism for him  its a mission which he fulfills with pleasure.

I really like Armenia. I would just like for the police to allow me to sing. Its the only country where we face difficulties. They dont allow us to use speakers. We dont harm anyone. Neither do we ask for money. Those that want to can, Francisco explains. Despite these problems, Francisco visits Armenia once or twice a year.

Hetq wrote to the police, asking clarification as to why they were banning the musician from playing outside. We wanted to find out what kind of documents were required to obtain a permit, whether the problem was related to time or place, and, if so, where and when could Francisco and his friends play. We also asked whether the police regarded their playing as problematic from a safety aspect.

Heres what we received from the police as a reply:

"Please be informed that a group of Ecuadorian citizens has regularly organized musical performances in Yerevan's Kentron district within the past two years. Theyve used technical equipment for this: speakers, audio amplifiers and so on. These performances have been public events by their nature, and taking into account the use of technical equipment, police officers directed the organizers to inform the mayor about the conduct of public events, in accordance with the Law on the Local Self-Government of Yerevan City. In particular, the notification process is regulated by the Article 56.1 of the Law."

The law defines what a public event is, saying that event organizers must inform the mayors office "if the event is expected to have more than three hundred participants." Otherwise, no notification is required, but "the public event organizer may inform the mayors office about it to ensure public security and a normal course of events.

Franciscos usual spot, near the Vernissage market in downtown Yerevan, has no shortage of "spectators", but their number does not exceed ten or twenty people.

Thus, one would assume that Francisco shouldnt have to inform the mayors office in advance.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  The principal of an Oklahoma high school apologized after its yearbook featured a quotation attributed to Adolf Hitler.

Students at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City discovered the quote when they got the books earlier this month. Graduating seniors chose quotes to pair with their portraits.

A quote listed above Hitler's name says, If you want to shine like the sun, first you have to burn like it. Some translations of Hitler's manifesto Mein Kampf include similar wording, though the author of the excerpt is disputed.

It appeared in the yearbook directly below a quotation attributed to Anne Frank, the Holocaust diarist who perished in a Nazi death camp.

Principal David Morton sent parents a letter last week accepting blame for the gaffe and saying the school was buying stickers students could place over the offending quote. Morton could not be reached for comment Monday.

A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which oversees the school, says the student who chose the Hitler quote was disciplined. The school also is reviewing its process for the student-chosen quotations.

Unfortunately, and clearly, the process failed to work in this case, Diane Clay said in an email. The school is evaluating changes.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
93.5 RED FM, Indias most awarded and largest private radio network added several more feathers to its cap at the prestigious India Radio Forum (IRF) by winning 23 awards across 43 award categories. The awards won included the prestigious BEST RADIO NETWORK AWARD and the POPULAR RJ OF THE YEAR PEOPLEs CHOICE AWARD that was introduced for the first time this year! Thus, 93.5 RED FM continues its trend of being the most dominant player at the India Radio Forum this year as well.

IRF is an annual event that celebrates the best creative work in the Indian radio industry. It is a one-day event that talks about the latest industry developments in the Indian radio industry. IRF selects the best creative talents in radio craft, that are honoured at the post-forum awards ceremony every year. The event was scheduled at Qla, New Delhi.

Speaking about the awards won Nisha Narayanan, COO, RED FM said, RED FM is honoured to win the maximum awards at the India Radio Forum including the best network of the country and also the most Popular RJ of the year Award by Raunac: Peoples Choice! Red FM has always been receiving tremendous support from both the listeners and the advertising community, which makes it a leading brand in the country. This makes RED FMs popularity enormous. Its rather humbling to get so many awards for the team; it is a recognition of the work we do. The strength of RED FM lies in the innovative ideas and aggressive thinking that we believe in. We hope to receive such continued support from the community. It is particularly encouraging to see that the IRF team is continuously trying to evolve the format by introducing newer award categories. We look forward to a greater volume of awards in the coming years too. Bajaate Raho!

Talking about the winning categories, B Surendar, Chief Operating Officer, RED FM/ Suryan FM , said We are elated to get a thumping victory at such a prestigious forum for the radio industry and to win awards across all categories. Radio has reinvented itself at a stupendous rate complimented by other new age digital options to reach out to its target audience. Today it is the second fastest growing sector after internet in India. While Digital is growing exponentially, private FM radio is the only other medium in India which is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 14-15%. This is fuelled by FM expansion in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

RED FMs Rj Raunac on his big win says Thanks a lot India Radio Forum awards 2017 for giving me this honour and choosing me as the Popular RJ of the year. I will take this moment to say that I will be eternally grateful to Superhits 93.5 RED FM for giving me the opportunity to speak to my listeners every single day. Every morning when I take up a social issue that is relevant to the city, I silently thank God for the team I have, without whom this wouldn't be possible.

The Indian Radio Forum is an annual one-day event that presents and discusses latest industry developments, issues and challenges. With over 40 award categories the awards at India Radio Forum celebrates the very best of Indian radio, honouring outstanding programming, on-air personalities, marketing & promotions and creativity within the industry.
Dentsu Aegis Networks CSR initiative One Day For Change, witnessed 1,750 employees engage with 2,000 children to execute the project, Tools For School. Now in its fourth edition, the CSR initiative was conducted across all Dentsu Aegis Network offices in India including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Kochi.

One Day For Change is an annual social commitment by the Dentsu Aegis Network, where employees from each of the countries are encouraged to go out and volunteer on the same day. Incidentally, Dentsu Aegis Network recently launched its CSR advisory, Indeed, to facilitate corporate investments by companies in Corporate Social Responsibly, through insights & a brand-led approach.

With a focus to empower underprivileged children across the country, this years Tools For School project centred its efforts on education. Thereby, it tied up with 13 NGOs in an attempt to provide school kits such as note books, lunch boxes, water bottles and other amenities which directly and indirectly impact a childs education.

Commenting on the initiative, Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO, South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network, said, A significant number of children in the primary years drop out of school and the chief reasons for this are poverty and accessibility. Therefore, this year for our One Day For Change, we decided to focus on education. After all, no country can move forward unless it is 100% literate. We partnered with Bitgiving to raise funds to utilise for our project, Tools For School

Last year, over 1500 employees volunteered in India, contributing 6,000 staff hours. While the final numbers are still trickling in, it is estimated that in 2017 in India 1750 employees volunteered over 5,000 staff hours for the ODFC initiative.

Last year, over 6,100 staff across the APAC region participated in One Day for Change contributing over 29,000 hours of their time to local communities under the theme Champions for Children.
The multiple frequency feeds row has dominated the English news channels space for some days now, with things coming to a head when English news channels, with the exception of Republic TV, decided to pull out of BARC on May 18, 2017. The impasse continues at the time writing this report.

However, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, as according to a senior official of BARC India, some English news channels have expressed that they are open to amicably resolving the issue.

A distribution expert, on conditions of anonymity, pointed out that the Logical Channel Numbers (LCN) issue was not a new one and had been around for a while. Most broadcasters have resorted to it as a short term measure gain reach. However, it is not a right practice, the expert maintained.

On a similar note,said, There were much bigger issues raised before BARC earlier as well, but they were never addressed properly and surprisingly even the industry titans shrugged it off. Today, it has become big because it is national!

Pankaj Krishna, Founder, Chrome Data Analytics & Media, remarked, You clearly cannot garner numbers simply on the back of multiple LCNs. It is a very small factor, but has a positive impact. Republic TV has got these three critical things right  content, presentation and distribution.

He further said, Every time there is disruption, there is engagement. And what Republic TV is doing today is disruption with its new format, new planning, and new presentation. 

When asked why the English News channels genre has taken this stance towards a disruptive newcomer, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media, remarked that the issue of using multiple LCNs has existed in the English news genre earlier. India Today used it at the time of its re-branding from Headlines Today to India Today Television, and other channels have also followed suit at times. It is a practice that was bound to turn into a big issue, which has happened now, he opined.

According to, this stance was simply because they are worried about the competition. She, too, stated that a case of multiple frequencies is not a new one and added that, some of those crying foul were themselves doing the same.

Taking a firm stance on the whole issue, a leading broadcaster, who did not wish to be named, commented, I think the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) is against the malpractice and nothing else. If such malpractice is left unchecked and spirals out of control, the industry itself will be blamed later. The time to take action is now. And we wish there are more actions like these that clean up the system. Everyone wishes Republic TV well and competition is most welcome, if you ask me. News channels are known to up the ante always  but legally.

felt that the LCN issue was waiting to erupt, and it has. He noted, The bitter rivalry between Times Now and Arnab Goswami may have further fuelled it, but the decision has been taken by all channels together.

According to Divya Radhakrishnan, the resistance was both towards the newcomer channel or the person behind the channel. The channel is about Arnab, but is called Republic TV. It was the case with Times Now, too, while he was there. They are struggling to build a brand without him, which is a tough task.

Both Kapoor and Radhakrishnan were of the opinion that pulling out the watermark was an extreme decision. Kapoor felt that the decision might have been taken because other solutions would have all required negotiations and discussions, which, in the broadcasting industry, could mean several weeks, if not months.

Radhakrishnan, on the other hand, remarked that it seems to be an excuse to keep their rankings hidden. The first week ratings were bound to be this high, given the euphoria built up pre-launch. In this genre, market shares or ranking is critical and not GRPs. The social media buzz too was a strong indication of what was coming up on ratings.

Kapoor felt that Republic TV has to take part of the blame in creating this hostility. He added, Arnab Goswami has been very critical of his previous employers since he left Times Now. Also, using tapes from the Times Now days to run exclusive stories on Republic TV is simply unethical. These decisions, along with the use of multiple LCNs, have created a hostile environment.

According to Radhakrishnan, In business nobody is accommodating; it is just that this drew more attention.

When asked what according to him was a way out of this impasse, Kapoor opined, The nature of the watermark technology is such that channels have the ultimate resort of pulling out the watermark and hence not being measured. It is difficult to say at this point on what would happen next. If it was a genre like GEC, there would have been total chaos. But English News is sold primarily on perception, and absence of data may complicate things, but its exact impact of sales may not be evident in the short run.

Without mincing words, Radhakrishnan stated, It is rather immature and unfair that many are ganging up and bullying a single entity.

Elaborating further on the dual frequencies issue, Pankaj Krishna said that the problem with dual LCNs is that if one player is occupying more than one channel frequency, then the others are compelled to do the same to get the same advantage. He further explained, If there are 1,200 channels that are active, the cable network cannot possibly carry them all. So, networks will carry only those which have a very high consumer pull or carriage push. When a particular channel opts for multiple LCN then rest of the players follow suit, hence the carriage fees exponentially shoot up. Eventually if everyone engages in multiple frequencies, the winner is the cable network."
Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd., Indias fastest growing media network, has once again proved its creative mettle by winning a whopping 18 awards across categories at the recently concluded PromaxBDA India 2017 Awards. Viacom18s brands COLORS, MTV, Vh1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Rishtey Cineplex and COLORS MARATHI brought in a total of nine golds and nine silvers for excellence in various creative campaigns. All the winning campaigns at Viacom18 have been conceptualized and produced in-house. MTV turned out to be the biggest winner for Viacom18 with a total of 10 awards being scooped up by its creative team alone.

PromaxBDA leads the international conversation about the role that marketing plays in the monetization of media. The association represents more than 10,000 companies and individuals at every major media organization, marketing agency, research company, strategic and creative vendor and technology provider and is considered to be the leading global resource for education, community, creative inspiration and career development in the media and media marketing sectors. The awards ceremony was held in Mumbai on 18th May 2017.

Below is a list of the award-winning campaigns at the PromaxBDA India 2017 Awards:
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.
Antitrust investigations of Googles business practices in the European Union will be wrapped up in the next few months, European Commissions top competition economist Tommaso Valletti revealed on Monday, suggesting that the EU antitrust watchdog is looking to conclude all probes into the Mountain View-based company and its alleged violations of EUs competition laws, including the case related to the firms possible Android-related transgressions. While the latest charges against the Alphabet-owned tech giant were raised by the European Commission last year, the agency has been looking into Googles operations for years now, with some probes dating back to 2010.

The company is currently being investigated on three major fronts as its facing scrutiny from European regulators in regards to its Search, Android, and AdSense for Search businesses. All three cases pertain to Googles possible abuse of its market power by intentionally stifling providers of competing products and services within its ecosystems in an effort to promote its own solutions. While speaking at a conference at the University of Oxford Centre for Competition Law and Policy, Valletti reiterated some of the allegations made against Google in recent years but didnt provide a more specific timeframe for when the European Commission may conclude its probes of Googles businesses.

According to previous comments made by officials from the European Union, Google may be fined with up to one-tenth of its annual revenue. For reference, Alphabets total turnover amounted to $90 billion in 2016 and while its unlikely that the Mountain View-based Internet giant will receive a maximum fine, its penalty may surpass a billion dollars, i.e. euros. Google previously dismissed all of the accusations made against the company and claimed that its business practices encourage competition and promote innovation by creating entirely new ecosystems and markets, though the European Commission wasnt convinced by the companys statements, as evidenced by the fact that Google unsuccessfully attempted to settle certain antitrust lawsuits on the Old Continent on several occasions. Apart from the Alphabet-owned firm, European regulators are currently also investigating Amazon and a number of other U.S. tech giants over possible violations of competition laws. An update on the situation is expected to follow this summer.
A private internal email from Google, sent by the leader of a team charged with investigating leaks, has made its way into the public eye as evidence in a lawsuit against Google from a former employee. The email makes three things very clear; Googlers will face job loss if theyre found to be leaking, there is a team dedicated to investigating any internal information that reaches the public, and discussions within the company are getting heated. The leak investigation lead, Brian Katz, goes over Googles stance on leaks in the email, lays out plainly that employees who leak are dealing a blow to the company and will be let go, and asks for discussions that have taken on a less than civil tone to be more respectful. The email had been mentioned and brought to attention before, but this is the first time its full text has been available to the public.

Katz starts out the email by introducing himself, which could mean that the team hes leading is fairly new, hes fairly new to it, or its been working largely in the background up until now. From there, he goes over some changes to Googles internal TGIF talks meant to prevent leaks. Rather than a text transcript, Google will provide live streams and videos. The next order of business is to go over the value of openness in the company, and how that ties into the damage that leaking could do, and the consequences for being a leaker. Katz rounds out the message by calling for colleagues to be more respectful of one another on internal communication platforms like Memegen and Google+.

Google has been subject to numerous leaks in the past, and a good chunk of their highly secretive company culture has been exposed piece by piece over the years because of it. The aforementioned Memegen internal meme generator tool, for example, ended up seeing some of the content that Googlers had made with it leaked out at one point. In the face of multiple security threats and prevalent leaks all over the tech world, seeing a company like Google openly cracking down is par for the course.
Google I/O is the companys yearly developer conference, and its a place that many people would love to attend each year, but just arent able to. Since Google moved from Moscone West in San Francisco, to the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, they have made the event much larger than before. In fact whats interesting about the Shoreline Amphitheater is that the majority of Google I/O  including the Sandboxes, other stages and such  are in the parking lots outside of the actual venue. But having a much larger venue for Google I/O means that Google is able to invite many more press to the event, as well as bring in more developers. I went to Google I/O in 2015, the last year they were at Moscone West, and compared to 2017 at the Shoreline Amphitheater, Google I/O has become a much larger beast.

As it does every year, Google I/O began day one with a keynote hosted by the companys CEO, Sundar Pichai. The keynote was scheduled to be about 90 minutes but ended up being closer to two hours. Thats still shorter than it had been in previous years (some being over 3 hours long). Google decided to take out a lot of the more developer-focused announcements from the main keynote and have a separate developer keynote after lunch on the first day. This was likely aimed at the press, as a lot of the developer announcements do go over our head. But it also gave everyone a chance to run out and use the bathroom, and grab lunch before coming back for the second keynote.

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The keynote had plenty of announcements, but of course the big theme was artificial intelligence and machine learning. Google, as expected, announced some new features and APIs for Google Assistant. For starters, the demo that Google used was the fact that you can talk to Panera and order your food through Google Assistant and have it delivered, without even going to Paneras website. With Google Assistant, they also made it easier to find apps and services that work with Google Assistant, similar to what Alexa has with her Skills section in her app. Probably one of the more overlooked announcements in Google Assistant is the fact that you can now type to the assistant, instead of always speaking to it. Making it easier to use without the whole world knowing what youre saying. And of course, Google Assistant came to the iPhone.

Android Go was another big part of the keynote. Its basically looking to be the next evolution of Android One. Instead of Google working with manufacturers to make cheaper handsets running stock Android, they are making Android leaner for these lower-end devices. Android Go is made to run on devices with as little as 1GB of RAM, by making many parts of the OS more lightweight and they even have many of the larger apps available for Android Go which are more lightweight and use less resources, making it great for these cheaper devices. This is the continuation of Google looking to reach the next billion users. Google did also mention that there are now 2 billion people using Android around the world. Considering there are just over 7 billion people in the world, thats a pretty significant number of people using Android.

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After the keynote, the huge crowd of people exited the Amphitheater and headed out to get some lunch. Afterwards, many started hitting up the many sandboxes, which were in these huge tents in the parking lot. One of the more interesting demos was the Android + Audi and Android + Volvo demos. Basically, Audi and Volvo had taken Android Auto and turned it into a full-fledged infotainment system for their respective vehicles. So instead of taking your phone to your car and plugging it in, you are simply interacting with an Android interface, but with a skin on top. In fact, most people likely wouldnt even know it was Android. But it does all the usual things youd expect. Like streaming music, navigating and much more. Now that wasnt all for Android Auto. They were also showing off Waze on Android Auto, which is going to be launching in Beta soon. There was no word on when exactly. But itll be an option for Android Auto users, instead of having to stick with Google Maps. And finally, the ability to use Android Auto wirelessly. So that means over Bluetooth instead of plugging in your smartphone. This is actually not as simple as it sounds, as it needs to be enabled by Googles partners (so Pioneer, Audi, Ford, Chevrolet, etc), and it wont be enabled for everyone when its complete.

Google Assistant was also shown off in the Sandboxes this year. They were showing it off on different devices like the Pixel, LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8 and even the iPhone. They were also showing developers how they can get started with Actions on Google Assistant and make their app work with Assistant. Speaking of Google Assistant, Deeplocal was there showing off their project they made with the Assistant SDK  Its Mocktails Mixer. Basically, inside there is a Raspberry Pi that has the Assistant installed and it mixes and pours you a drink. Now the cool thing here is that the Assistant will get better over time thanks to Machine Learning, but you can also set it up to pour specific drinks, and even add your own jokes to it. One of my favorite jokes that Deeplocal had added was what did the C++ programmer say to the C Programmer? You have no class, thats a joke that developers will really only get though.

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Rounding out day one, Google had quite a few things happening After Hours. There was plenty of food to go around, with different cuisine available as well. There was a Comedy Club, a VR Drive-In, a pizza party and a few other fun events going on once it got dark at Google I/O. It was a good way for everyone to relax and still have some fun at Google I/O before heading back to their hotels for the night, and before day two got underway.

Speaking of day two, that kicked off with the AR/VR Keynote in the morning. This is where Clay Bavor, whos the head of Googles virtual reality ambitions, took the stage and talked about the future of both Tango and Daydream. He reiterated a lot of points that were mentioned in the first keynote. But this keynote did also mention that Daydream 2.0 is coming later this fall. And in this update, Google Cast support is coming, as well as Chrome, among other things. On the AR side of things, the ASUS ZenFone AR is making its way to store shelves this summer, and hitting Verizon in the fall. The rest of the day was mostly full of different sessions and such, with the Android Fireside chat capping things off for the day. The Android Fireside chat is where people  usually developers  can come in and ask the Googlers that work on Android some questions about the platform, but they wont talk about the future, as those things can change, and often do. Some of the questions were in regards to Kotlin, but they did also mention that now graphics drivers can be updated through the Google Play Store, which can be a pretty big deal  especially since a lot of security issues have been due to graphics drivers in recent security patches.

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The second day capped off with lots of food, as well as a concert by Holy Ghost and LCD SoundSystem. It was a great time at the Shoreline Amphitheater, at Google I/O 2017. But while youre in Mountain View, and literally right next to the Googleplex, you cant not make the walk over there. Its about a 10-15 minute walk from the Shoreline Amphitheater, and definitely worth it. Googles campus is massive (and they are actually under construction as they are adding onto the campus) as expected. With lots of cool looking Android statues. Last year, Google moved the Android Statues over to the Visitor Center Beta and the Google Merchandise Store. Inside the Google Merchandise Store, youll find just about anything with a Google logo on it. From t-shirts, to hoodies, to pens, to backpacks, and even dog toys. The prices are actually not too bad, I was expecting a slight markup, with them being Google merchandise.

It was another great show for Google at their annual developers conference, and according to many that attended in 2016, the infrastructure was much larger this year (making less room for the sea of people to get around), and it was also much better put together, instead of just a mess  especially when it came to logistics. Sure there werent a lot of consumer-focused announcements at Google I/O this year, but that is also to be expected, since Google I/O is actually a developers conference and not a regular press conference. But it is still nice to see announcements like Android O, Android Go, Daydream and more.
By Mane Gevorgyan

Having lost his wallet several times, Azat Tovmasyan started to think about developing an easy way to find it.

Azat felt the need even more when his baby hid the wallet behind the stove. Family members, thinking the it was lost, spent much time and effort getting the documents inside reissued. The wallet was accidentally found later.

All this led to creating the world's most powerful wallet, named Volterman, with its five super capabilities.

It has a mechanism to be easily found, a phone battery charging system, a GPS, a built-in camera to take a snapshot of the thief's face and send it to the owner, and, finally, the opportunity to have Wi-Fi.

Volterman has a Bluetooth alarm system to notify you every time you leave your wallet behind. Even if your mobile is on silent mode, the voice switches on for that function and informs you that your wallet is not with you. The reverse is also possible: if you forget your phone, your wallet will quickly inform you about its absence.

Anyone designing a new wallet wants to build in as many functions as possible. Apparently, when the phone battery is dead, the owners mood worsens. They start to panic, fearing the loss of connectivity. That's where Volterman comes to the rescue. The wallet has a power bank, allowing you to charge your phone's battery at any time.

To take Volterman to the international market, Azat needed to find people who had experience in this field. He applied to GlobalAM NGO. NGO president Gevorg Poghosyan, realizing the potential of the wallet and Azats enthusiasm, decided to find the best companies and professionals.

"When Azat came to us, we were sure that the wallets success would exceed our expectations. The idea was good, and we began to think about the name, design, corporate style, how to take it to the market and present it. We studied the market of smart wallets and the functions already available, and decided to add more functions to make it different and the smartest. We decided that, apart from the built-in power bank and distance alarm system, it should have a global GPS tracker, which just doesnt tell you that the wallet isnt with you, but if you forget it somewhere, it shows its place on the map, regardless of the location. This is a function that no other wallet has. The next feature we added is the global Wi-Fi hotspot. Many people have issues with the Internet, especially while traveling, because it is very expensive when roaming, and there is a problem with WiFi in many places. Now, its enough to have this wallet, and the Internet issue will be solved anywhere," says Gevorg.

The fifth function is the funniest. You get the urge to deliberately lose your wallet to test it. It seems a little bit incredible, but there is a micro camera in the wallet. When you leave your wallet somewhere, the lost mode switches on and the camera gets activated. Then, when someone opens the wallet, the camera takes their photo and sends it to your telephone. If you have also forgotten your phone, you can see the photo on www.volterman.com . It sounds a little bit strange, but it will soon become normal to say "Oh, look at the photo of the person who tried to steal my wallet".

After learning about these functions, dont be inclined to automatically imagine a thick wallet with a variety of devices in which you cant fit even coins. As there was no other wallet in the world that has these five functions, convenience was very important for the founders. They managed to create a thin, handy wallet made with exquisite taste.

Gevorg describes the wallet: "It is already completely finalized. It was designed in Armenia. We cooperated with Backbone Branding and got what we really wanted. Many people do not realize the importance of design and they fail because of it. The chip design is also done in Armenia. Theyre manufactured in China. Its a leather wallet, and we collaborate with the Safian Company. If we come to a price agreement, we will import the equipment from China and sew the leather wallets here."

It took more than two months to choose the wallets name. Volterman easily fit in to the list of superheroes like Spiderman, Batman, Superman, being a wallet of super capabilities.

At the heart of Volterman is a voltage measuring unit, as there is electricity in the wallet.

Because the main markets for the product are the US, Canada, and Australia, and that 60-70% of potential buyers are Americans, who prefer European, especially German product fashion and technology, they turned it into Volterman - a name that resembles a German surname.

Volterman is based on the idea of confidence to continue. In other words, if you have the wallet, you can be sure that nothing will be left unfinished, the battery of the telephone wont run out, and the internet connection and important documents wont be lost.

In addition to the initial investments, Volterman was one of the nine winners in a recent innovation grant competition and received 50,000 euros. Voltermans website is ready and a crowdfunding video clip will be up soon.

Narek Vardanyan, one of the world's top fifteen crowd-funders, heads the campaign. The video clip will soon be available on one of the online fundraising platforms. Lets suppose ten thousand people buy it. Well invest that money in production and we hope to be able to deliver it all over the world in November or December this year. After that, we will enter the retail market, being in touch with the major networks, and start on other products - purses, backpacks, suitcases, next year. Since many people in the United States use card holders instead of wallets, well present three products during crowdfunding - wallet, card holder, travel wallet. The latter can also be used by women, and the larger sizes will allow one to recharge phone batteries several times," says Gevorg.

Gevorg says that the example of Volterman underlines the importance of GlobalAM's main goal: to help Armenian start-ups reach the international market, so that the money comes from the outside not as just a salary or even investment, which later becomes even more money and returns where it has come from, but as payment for a product or service emanating from Armenia. Such payments are stable, foreseeing more profit, which has a large impact on economic development.

The success of Volterman will be very inspirational. The start-up community is now more active, but due to such examples, creating ones products and going to the international market via crowdfunding will become more achievable. Everybody sees a bit of themselves in Volterman  the leather producer, fashion designer, engineer, programmer. Anyone, regardless of their field, understands that they can make this kind of product, reach the international market and earn money. They see that people achieving such things are their neighbors and friends. They realize that they have all the chances to advance. They clearly understand who to apply to, what to do, and how to implement their ideas, concludes Gevorg.
LG has officially announced their rugged, Snapdragon 435-powered X Venture smartphone, the next device in the X series family of smartphones and LGs second device in the lineup so far. As this is a rugged smartphone it comes with an IP68 rating to protect it against water and dust. LGs aim with the X Venture was to build a phone that suits the needs of the outdoor explorer, or anyone that just wants a good device that can handle the life of an adventurer. Having been designed for consumers who want a tougher than normal phone, LG also made sure that the X Venture was MIL-STD 810G rated, which means consumers will be able to use it without worrying that a drop or two is going to completely destroy the device.

As part of the rugged exterior LG added physical buttons to the device so its easier to use outside where its colder. With touchscreens having a harder time responding to presses in colder climates, some of the functions of the device will still be usable thanks to these physical keys. LG also lumped a handful of different features together into one single application called Outdoor Essentials that are meant to help during outdoor activities if needed. These features include a flashlight, a barometer, an exercise tracker, a compass, weather report, and activity tracker.

In addition to the IP68 rating and the Snapdragon 435 processor, the LG X Venture will be equipped with a 5.2-inch Full HD screen, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage thats expandable via a MicroSD card, a non-removable 4,100mAh battery, and and it comes running on Android 7.0 Nougat for the software. Users will also find that the X Venture has NFC, GPS, and Bluetooth 4.2 support, and because its a device meant for adventures itll have a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera for images, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video chat. The LG X Venture landing page will go live in the U.S from today and will launch in both black and brown color options, and itll be available from AT&T, though at the moment its not yet available for purchase as the phone hasnt actually launched. In the upcoming weeks LG also plans to launch the X Venture in the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Prices for all regions are unclear at this point as theyll be announced by retailers where the phone will be sold. For U.S. consumers on AT&T, the LG X Venture will be available at $11 a month for 30 months on the AT&T Next plan.
The Samsung Chromebook Pro will be available for purchase in the United States from Sunday, May 28, the South Korean consumer electronics manufacturer announced. The Samsung Chromebook Pro will launch in the country via Best Buy and Amazon, as well as through Samsungs online store, and it will carry a price tag of $549.99, which is exactly $100 more than the Samsung Chromebook Plus.

Labeled as a Chromebook specifically designed for professionals, the Samsung Chromebook Pro takes the form of a convertible device featuring a display connected to a 360-degree hinge, and unlike the majority of Chromebooks launched in the past, Samsungs model also incorporates a built-in digitized Pen working hand-in-hand with Google Keep and Samsung ArtCanvas software. Spec-wise, the device features a 12.3-inch LED touchscreen with a resolution of 2400 by 1600 pixels and draws power from the Intel Core M3 6Y30 processor with 4MB L3 Cache, operating at a frequency of 999MHz or a maximum Turbo frequency of up to 2.20 GHz. The Samsung Chromebook Pro also houses the Intel HD Graphics 515 chip, 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 32GB of e.MMC storage, and a microSD card reader. Other details worth mentioning include a 720p HD camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, two USB Type-C connectors which can be used as 4K display outputs through an optional adapter, a 3.5-millimeter headphone out/mic-in connector, and a battery thats said to provide enough juice for up to eight hours of usage, though initial reviews dont corroborate that claim. The components are wrapped in a lightweight metal body with a Platinum Silver finish, weighing 1.08 kilos (2.38lbs) and measuring 280.8 x 221.6 x 12.9mm in size.

The Samsung Chromebook Pro was officially introduced earlier this year at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and it was accompanied by the Samsung Chromebook Plus. That model shares many characteristics with the Samsung Chromebook Pro save for an ARM-based CPU, but also carries a lower price tag of $449. The Samsung Chromebook Plus has already been released not long after CES 2017, and the Samsung Chromebook Pro will finally follow suit in the United States this week. More details on Samsungs Chrome OS-powered products should be available later this year.
Samsung Display today announced that it will attend the annual SID 2017 event hosted later this week in Los Angeles by the Society for Information Display and confirmed that it will showcase a new display technology during the event, namely the worlds first stretchable OLED panel called the Dynamic Stretchable AMOLED Display.

Samsung Display has been improving its OLED display technology for many years, and the companys efforts in this area led to numerous iterations of its flexible and bendable displays, most of which have been showcased at numerous tech shows in the past. In practice, the companys efforts in this direction throughout the past several years eventually led to the creation of the so-called Edge display, which is now a staple of the firms flagship smartphone lineup including the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S8 series. Samsung Display is now apparently ready to push the boundaries of AMOLED display technology once again with a new type of stretchable OLED panels. The Dynamic Stretchable AMOLED Display can reportedly stretch as much as 12 millimeters while maintaining a high resolution, and unlike the companys previous flexible panels, it can be bent in both directions. According to industry reports, Samsung Display will showcase a 9.1-inch Dynamic Stretchable AMOLED Display at SID 2017, which will run this week in Los Angeles from May 22 to May 25. The South Korean consumer electronics manufacturer expects the stretchable display to be eventually adopted by devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) segment, recent reports indicate, without clarifying on the matter.

Theres still no word in regards to when the company might be ready to commercialize the Dynamic Stretchable AMOLED Display but considering the pattern Samsung followed with its previous OLED panel advancements, it may take a few more years before stretchable OLED screens become a more common sight in the consumer electronics industry. Although Samsung Electronics has been filing various patent applications revolving around flexible display technologies in the past  including flexible tablets and smartphones  these technologies have yet to prove their commercial viability beyond the now-popular Edge display. An update on the companys advancements in this field may follow later this year.
SUV

With an important part of the psychedelic wrap covered, the more rugged look of the next GLE becomes more obvious. It's no secret that the upcoming 2018 Mercedes-Benz G-Class will serve as a styling inspiration for future three-pointed star crossover. And the list of Gelandewagen influences seems to be led by the upright silhouette of the prototype.Zooming in on the side view of the test car, we notice bold wheel arches, as well as a single crease, with both elements pointing towards a tougher appearance.The light clusters of the prototype seem to pack a futuristic appearance, but the camo still prevents us from getting a good look at the production headlights and taillights present on the test vehicle.As you'll notice in the piece of spy footage below, the dashboard of this tester was fully covered. Nevertheless, we'll remind you that we managed to catch a glimpse of the's dash earlier this year. You can check out the resulting spyshots in the gallery to your right.The second-gen GLE prototype we spied back then features the expected twin-screen layout (instrument cluster plus infotainment display), with the two displays being clearly separated.No less than four air vents sit just below the central screen, with the white trim surrounding them raising questions. We can say the same about the massive handles placed on the center console and, since these seem to affect the ergonomics of the Comand infotainment controller, they could disappear en route to production.While the current GLE is actually a reworked ML, the next incarnation of the model will ride on the automaker's MHA (Modular High Architecture), which will bring improvements in terms of both handling and comfort.Now that the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has marked the automaker's inline-six return, the 2019 GLE will be one of the other models benefiting from the new engines.The German engineers have made sustained efforts to reduce emissions and you should expect to see a 48V electric system offering mild-hybrid assistance, involving intelligent coasting and regenerative braking. Moving deeper into green motoring territory, we'll mention that the 2019 GLE should come with a pair of hybrid powertrains.Go-fast aficionados will also have their needs catered to, with Affalterbach's twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 taking the GLE past the 600 hp border. Mercedes-Benz should introduce the second generation of the GLE next year and, as we've mentioned above, the SUV should land as a 2019 model.
It is called the XC40, and it will compete with comparable products from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. While the German trio of premium brands may seem like the only players because of their massive sales volumes, Lexus, Jaguar, and Infiniti have comparable products in the field, among other automakers.Volvo has demonstrated that it can fight with the Germans in many ways, and the XC40 will only underline the capabilities of the carmaker. It is evident that the new product will have to be good to keep the companys momentum going, and we think the Swedes are on the right track.Our spy photographers have supplied us with a fresh set of images of the new XC40, which include the interior. As you can observe, it comes with the companys most recent styling ideas and materials, which means that XC40 clients will get a shrunken XC90 on the inside.As you can see in the photo gallery, the new model comes with a similar style for the central console, multimedia unit, steering wheel, and air vents as its big brother. The front seats have the shape that Volvo has accustomed us over the past few years. Camouflage still covers the exterior styling, but you can discern that it comes with the T-shaped Thor's Hammer" LED daytime running lamps. The side does not seem to hide any surprises, while the rear is expected to show an influence from the XC90.While no brand makes perfect cars, and the premium automakers are included on this list, it is fair to say that Volvos recent models can make a comparable product from the German trio shiver.That is because the Swedes have improved their cars in all aspects, while also providing a different styling language from anything else on the market.Compact SUVs are popular these days, and everything in the market looks like the trend is going to continue in the following years, so Volvo might have a product on its hands that will bring new clients into showrooms, along with possible upgrades from existing customers.
kWh

It's impossible not to draw parallels with Tesla 's Gigafactory in Nevada, where the American company builds its new lithium-ion battery cells, with help from Japanese specialist Panasonic. However, the estimated cost of Daimler's facility is significantly lower than that of Tesla's at 500 million ($543 million).But it still makes Daimler's plant the largest of its kind in Europe, which explains why the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was present there today, May 22, to break ground for the construction site.Tesla is expected to open its own Gigafactory in Europe soon, as well as in China and at least one more in the U.S., but the exact timeframe for any of these is unknown. Elon Musk has been scouting for locations and he hasn't been short on suitors, but he hasn't revealed his decision yet - if he's even made one in the first place.Late last year, during the Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz launched a new sub-brand dedicated to alternative propulsion methods (read battery-powered electric vehicles) that it called EQ. After showing a concept for the brand's first model, a medium-sized crossover with an impressive estimated maximum range and an exterior that was both revolutionary, and yet very Mercedes-Benz, the company also made plans for more than ten other electric cars that it would bring to market by 2022. The first of them, the one based on the Generation EQ crossover, is expected to debut in 2019.The plant located just 130 km (81 miles) south of Berlin is going to be vital for Mercedes-Benz's new venture into home energy storage devices as well. The Germans have recently launched their version of the Powerwall, with stackable 2.5modules offering up to 20 kWh of storage capacity for those looking to have a backup or make better use of their solar energy systems. Mercedes also teamed up with Vivint Solar in the U.S. to offer a complete solar energy package.Daimler did not disclose when the plant is going to be ready and what its final capacity will be, nor whether any other similar facilities are planned for the foreseeable future. However, depending on how successful its electric enterprises turn out to be, we will likely see an expansion similar to Tesla's.
He never planned on becoming a figure in Hollywood, but that did not stop him when he launched Night of the Living Dead in 1968. The black-and-white movie was made on a tight budget, but it became a cult classic in the first few years of the decade that followed.Not all of his movies rocked the charts, but he did launch a trend in cinematography with zombies, which are supposed to be undead people who come back to kill or hurt the living in various ways.All zombies are portrayed as unintelligent creatures, who tend to move slowly in most cases, but have a thirst for violence built into their bodies.With all of the above information in mind, it came as a surprise to us to learn that the 77-year-old filmmaker has another project up his sleeve, and it is called Road of the Dead. Apparently, it will go to the Fantasia International Film Festivals annual co-production market, which takes place in Montreal in July.As Indiewire informs, Mr. Romeros latest project was written by him and Matt Birman, and the latter will be the director of the movie. The two partners have worked together before on projects like Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and Survival of the Dead.The idea for the film, which blends zombies with cars, along with ideas and concepts that will make you think about a mash-up between Rollerball, Road Warrior, Ben-Hur, and a NASCAR race.The description presented above comes from Birman, who pitched the film about a decade ago from scratch. The plot includes zombie prisoners on an island, and they race cars in something similar to the modern equivalent of a Coliseum.
Vinales was showing great strength from the beginning of the 28th lap. Starting from the pole position, he shot off the line to take the holeshot and slotted into second as he dived into turn 3, behind Johann Zarco.With 22 laps, the Spaniard made a textbook move on the satellite Yamaha rookie taking over the lead and putting the hammer down. He managed his pace to perfection and made sure he held on to his first position until he got in a fierce battle with a fast approaching Rossi. The Doctor had a good start from second on the grid and put his bike in fourth position behind Marc Marquez after the first couple of corners but passed him a bit later on. With Vinales in front of him, the Movistar Yamaha men rode in tandem as they chased the leader of the race.Outbraking himself with 16 laps to go, the Italian lost some time, which left him within the grasp of Marquez. The Doctor responded quickly to the situation and upped his pace as the Spaniard crashed out of the race, allowing Rossi to focus on the battle in front.With five laps until the checkered flag, Rossi overtook Zarco for second place, making it a perfect Movistar Yamaha 1-2, but the nine-time Champion wanted more and planned an attack on Vinales on lap 26. He briefly took the lead, but a small mistake during the last lap prevented him from reaching the finish line.Vinales won the race getting 25 points in the process. This puts him on 85 points in the lead, 23 points ahead of Rossi in third place.
Several U.S. manufacturers announced models that now are certified for sales in Europe this week at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, being held in Geneva. Piper said it has been awarded approval for its top-of-the-line single-engine turboprop, the M600, which was FAA-certified in June last year. The six-seat aircraft sells for about $3 million. Cirrus said it has received EASA certification for its $2 million Vision jet and has made its first delivery in Europe. Sales of both aircraft are expected to benefit from a recent rule change in Europe that now allows single-engine turbine aircraft to be used for commercial operations in IFR conditions.

HondaJet officials said at the show the company has expanded sales of its twin-engine jet to Southeast Asia, and sold several aircraft to a new fractional ownership program that plans to operate in the United Kingdom and Southern Europe. Larry Anglisano, editor of Aviation Consumer, recently went for a flight trial in the HondaJet; click here for his video report. Also at the show, Cessna said its new super-midsize Citation Longitude jet, at EBACE for the first time, has made its first sale in Europe, with a copy going to Travel Service, in the Czech Republic. The jet is still in development, with four aircraft in the flight-test fleet.
In a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee Monday, Michael Flynn's attorneys cite the Department of Justice's appointment of a special prosecutor and an "escalating public frenzy against him" as the reasons Flynn is refusing to turn over records in response to a congressional subpoena, reports the AP. An excerpt from the letter:

"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him."

Flynn is exercising his 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination.

Meanwhile: NBC News reports that Paul Manafort and Roger Stone have turned over documents to the committee.
I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it.

I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it. Alvin McEwen

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Some homophobic citizens in this Michigan township may win out after all against the little queer-friendly library that could.

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President Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a photo opportunity this morning, where he held the press pool back to refute last week's reports that he disclosed sensitive Israeli intelligence on ISIS to Russian officials in the Oval Office.

I never mentioned the word or the name Israel during that conversation. They're all saying I did, so you have another story wrong. Never mentioned the word Israel.

Okay, but... the initial reporting from May 15 on Trump's conversation with the Russians never claimed that he mentioned Israel at all, only that he disclosed information given to the United States by a key ally  which was reported to be Israel the next day  that was not intended to be shared. And of course, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said last week that Trump "wasn't even aware of where that information came from."
Turkey has summoned the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara to deliver a "written and verbal protest" over the treatment of Turkish security personnel on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent visit to Washington.

You read that right. After Turkish bodyguards beat peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington while Erdogan watched, Turkey has seen fit to lodge a protest with the U.S.

What the U.S. is saying: Rex Tillerson told Fox News Sunday, "We called the Turkish ambassador into State Department to say this is unacceptable," but said he'd wait for the results of an investigation before taking further action.
22 May 2017 11:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenians see the military service as the true hell  its good luck if an Armenian soldier returns home safe and sound. Todays doleful situation in the army is one of the main topics discussed in the Armenian society.

Frequent death cases, violence, brutality, and non-obedience reign in the army of this South Caucasian country. The Armenian government is faced with protests and disagreements among people who are unwilling to do their military service.

Since April 20 to May 14, eleven soldiers were killed in the Armenian army, human rights activist Ruben Martirosyan told 1in.am.

He said that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan is the main perpetrator of the murders in army, as he created the current system there.

This system, the current prosecution and investigative systems, military police were created by him. The system that was designed to prevent murders works in exactly the opposite way. It is completely corrupt system and it ruins the army, said Martirosyan.

Distortion of the army begins with the military police, as soldiers are being kept in isolation cells, where they are beaten, Martirosyan said. They are forced to confess serious crimes, while the real criminals are being concealed.

He also noted that conscription of young people with health problems continues to be alarming  this suggests that corruption in the Armenian army has reached its peak.

Another disturbing fact is that only the sons of poor families serve in the front line  there is no equality, said Martirosyan, noting that all these problems have accumulated in the Armenian army for years.

But the one who declares the conscription [Sargsyan] doesnt lift a finger to change the situation, although he is well aware about the shameful situation in the army, Martirosyan concluded.

Armenian parents are afraid of sending their sons to army and therefore try to find any opportunity to keep their sons far from that horror. Many youth flee abroad so that not to serve in the army.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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22 May 2017 16:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Turkey and Azerbaijan may jointly invest in tourism sector of third countries, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Nabi Avci told Trend on May 22.

Relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are developing in many areas, including the sphere of tourism, said Avci, adding that Azerbaijan has great tourism potential.

The minister also noted that Azerbaijan is attractive for tourists from Turkey and Arab countries.

Today tourism is developing with high speed in Azerbaijan, with a contribution of 4.5 percent to the national GDP. There are more than 500 hotels in Azerbaijan, while the capital hosts the worlds leading hotel chains. Last year, 35 hotels were built in the country, while 25 are under construction.

In 2016, the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan amounted to 2,242 million people and this is 11.7 percent more than in 2015.

Hailing great tourist potential of his country, Avci said that the development of tourism in Turkey began in 1980s.

Avci expressed regret at the fact that Turkey has not yet fully benefited from it enormous potential.

He further said that Turkey and Azerbaijan will jointly make efforts in the future at UNESCO for recognition of Dede Gorgud as a common cultural heritage of the Turkic world.

This heroic epic poem, dated to the 16th century, is an invaluable source uniting the Turkic world. The book is distinguished for its antiquity and the information it carries about the culture of the Oghuz  a Turkic tribal group who were the ancestors of the Azerbaijanis, Turks, Turkmens and the Gagauz.

In 2000, Azerbaijan and UNESCO celebrated the 1,300th anniversary of the epic legend Dede Gorgud.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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22 May 2017 16:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Over the past two days, 85 trucks and 49 wagons transporting tomatoes left Azerbaijan for Russia, the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan reported.

The Committee reported that currently no problems are observed in the export of tomatoes from Azerbaijan to Russia.

The Azerbaijani side exercises strict control over the observance of norms and rules of international cargo transportation by trucks transporting tomatoes to Russia. Any problem arising at customs checkpoints is quickly resolved through negotiations between the leadership of the customs services of both sides, the Committee said.

Azerbaijan is among the leaders in the agriculture market of Russia. According to the information of the National Union of Fruit and Vegetable Producers of Russia, 109,000 tons of tomatoes were imported from Morocco, 106,000 tons - from Azerbaijan in 2016.

The country has recently increased the export of fruits and vegetables to Russia. Even in winter Azerbaijan exports tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and eggplants grown in greenhouses to Russia.

Azerbaijan is one of the main economic partners of Russia among the CIS countries. Interregional cooperation plays an important role in the development of Russian-Azerbaijani trade and economic relations and the increase in trade turnover.

The trade turnover between Russia and Azerbaijan amounted to almost $2 billion in 2016.

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22 May 2017 14:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

A personal exhibition of Azerbaijani artist Emil Aziz has opened in Port Baku Mall.

More than twenty paintings are displayed at the exhibition within "Art BAHAR" festival, Trend Life reported.

Flowering, Renaissance nature moments, captured on canvas - all these was the main idea of the exhibition "Blooming".

The son of the famous Azerbaijani artist Rafig Aziz, a member of the International Association of Fine Arts at UNESCO, t popular painter Emil Aziz lives and works in Istanbul since 1995. The portraits of world celebrities, including Vivienne Westwood, Andrea Bocelli and Aziza Mustafazadeh are among the best works of the artist.

But despite living in another country, he managed to keep in his works unique national color of Azerbaijan.

For the festival Emil has created a new collection of works. The artist's fourth solo exhibition in Baku attracted great interest of art lovers. His new exhibition "Blooming" is the birth of new life, ideas and thoughts.

"Nowadays there are too many negative events, and all of us do not have enough positive and bright cheerful colors. I use bright colors. This is part of my style, even rainy theme in my paintings do not make me sad. I am inspired by nature, but my paintings are generally the fruits of my imagination or memory," said the painter.

The exhibition is open to the public from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on the first floor of Port Baku Mall.

The artist's solo exhibition will run until May 31.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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22 May 2017 14:48 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijans young talent won the talent contest "Talent 2017" in Sweden.

18-year-old Ibrahim Nasrullayev won the talent contest organized by the Swedish TV channel TV4, Swedish media reported.

In the final, he won the hearts of millions of viewers with a song "Hold My Heart".

Nasrullayev, together with his family, immigrated to Sweden a year ago. In just one year the young man learned Swedish and he is now fluent in it.

After his brilliant victory, Nasrullayev announced that part of the price money, which is half a million kroons, he will donate to the school where he studied Swedish.

In 2012, he won a Grand Prix Award of the competition and was awarded a Shining Star diploma. He also successfully performed at the 7th International Competition for Academic Vocal, which was held in Estonia.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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22 May 2017 18:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The illegal occupation of sovereign territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia and constant violation of international law by Yerevan cause instability in the South Caucasus region.

American political analyst Peter Tase said this in his interview with Report, while commenting on recent attacks of Armenian Armed Forces on the Azerbaijani positions.

The expert mentioned that the Armenian Armed Forces breached the truce hundreds of times in the past few days. Last week, Armenian Armed Forces subjected to intensive fire from mortars of various calibers the Azerbaijani positions and human settlements in the territory of Azerbaijans Agdam and Tartar regions.

Do not forget that Armenian Armed Forces are, in fact, the only ones in Eurasia that continue to commit atrocities not only against civilians, but also against cultural monuments, destroying more than 1,600 monuments, he said.

Tase went on to say that the Armenian government continues to blackmail the international community and provide its army with missiles of 60 and 82 mm caliber for mortars, using which it shells Azerbaijani villages.

The expert is sure that the OSCE Minsk Group should put pressure on Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to force him to adhere to the peace process and the outcome of negotiations in St. Petersburg and Vienna.

The current ceasefire is not a lasting solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and will never bring peace and stability to the region, Tase noted.

This requires that the Armenian armed forces leave all the occupied Azerbaijani territories, he said, adding that Armenia must stop its ambitions of territorial expansion and end the blockade of Nakhchivan.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. within the OSCE Minsk Group have produced no results so far.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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22 May 2017 11:39 (UTC+04:00)

Amina Nazarli

Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev, commenting on the visa regime between Azerbaijan and the European Union, said that Europe a bit simplified a visa regime for Azerbaijani citizens.

The agreements signed between the two sides so far cover both visa facilitation and readmission agreements, he told APA.



Mammadguliyev added that the issue of visa free regime may be discussed at the monitoring committee. If both sides implement all assigned obligations, then the issue may be discussed in the future, he said.

Asked about visa free regime between Azerbaijan and the EU, the deputy foreign minister noted that it is too early to speak about this.

Earlier, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys Spokesperson Hikmat Hajiyev said that abolition of visas for Azerbaijani citizens is one of the topics of discussions between Baku and Brussels.

Mammadguliyev added that since the negotiations began recently there is a lot work to be done.

The European Council adopted a mandate for the European Commission and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to negotiate, on behalf of the EU and its member states, a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan in November 2016.

The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The agreement will follow the principles endorsed in the 2015 review of the European Neighborhood Policy and offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.

The EU is Azerbaijan s biggest economic partner representing 44 percent of its total trade and providing the largest share of foreign direct investment to Azerbaijan.

The Union has repeatedly voiced support to Azerbaijan in its reform efforts, and aims at increasing networking and contacts between companies that will increase trade and economic activity even further.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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22 May 2017 16:08 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by new chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee David McAllister in Baku on May 22, Azertac reported.

The head of state expressed his hope that David McAllister's visit with a large delegation to Azerbaijan will be successful, and fruitful discussions on cooperation and partnership will be held during the trip.

Poiting out the delegation's broad itinerary, President Ilham Aliyev hailed the importance of the visit in terms of strengthening Azerbaijan's cooperation with the European Parliament and with European institutions in general.

New chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, German member of the European People's Party David McAllister informed President Ilham Aliyev about the program of their visit to Azerbaijan and to the region. He noted that the delegation includes members of different political groups represented in the European Parliament, adding that the visit aims to get closely familiarized with the situation in Azerbaijan.

They also exchanged views on a number of issues, including recent ongoing processes in Azerbaijan, the country's cooperation with the European Parliament and its prospects, the current state of the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, human rights and freedom of expression.

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22 May 2017 12:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan, a strategically located partner of the United States in the Caspian region, is emerging as a key transportation hub along the historic Silk Road as demonstrated by Azerbaijans Silk Way Airlines recent purchase of 10 new Boeing 737-Max 8 aircraft to be built at Boeings plant in Renton.

Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijans ambassador to the U. S. said this in an article published Herald net.

While offering economic opportunities and stabilizing energy supplies, Azerbaijan stands with the U.S. in struggling against terrorism and striving for a more peaceful world, he said.



The ambassador noted that the contract for the purchase of American aircraft helps support more than 12,000 workers at the assembly plant in Renton, which will increase production and ramp up hiring. In the highly cyclical aerospace industry, now suffering declining demand for widebody jets, Azerbaijans emergence as an export market for Boeing can counter pressures for further job losses, such as the recent layoffs of engineers.

This is Azerbaijans third major investment in Boeing aircraft. In 2015, Silk Way purchased three Boeing 747-8 freighters manufactured at Boeings factory in Everett, with a total of 30,000 workers, according to Suleymanov.

That same year, Azerbaijan Airlines  our countrys flag carrier and largest airline  acquired its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, assembled in South Carolina. Today, Azerbaijan Airlines Dreamliner (an aircraft built in both states) connect our countries via a nonstop Baku-New York flight.

The ambassador said he is proud that Azerbaijan is contributing to a sector that supports some 252,800 jobs in Washington, with $21 billion in wages and nearly $95 billion in economic activity.

Azerbaijans partnership with the U.S. extends far beyond buying jetliners, he said. Bordering Iran and Russia, Azerbaijan is a trusted ally in a tough neighborhood.

Within 24 hours of the September 11, 2001, attacks, Azerbaijan offered the U.S. unconditional support against terrorism, granting American military aircraft over-flights for a third of the non-lethal supplies for coalition forces, while Azerbaijani soldiers serve shoulder to shoulder with Americans in Afghanistan.

We continue to cooperate with the U.S. and its allies to combat terrorism, nuclear proliferation and narcotics trafficking. With 7 billion barrels of oil reserves and 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, Azerbaijan provides about a million barrels of oil a day to Europe, as well as 40 percent of Israels consumption. Through the new Southern Gas Corridor pipeline network, Azerbaijan will also bring 16 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe every year, securing Europes energy supplies while stabilizing the world economy, including air travel, the ambassador said.

Azerbaijans economic potential is about much more than energy, said the article. Last year alone, the U.S. exported $434.2 million worth of products to Azerbaijan, while importing $142 million in goods, for a trade surplus of $292.2 million. American companies are exporting aircraft and heavy machinery to Azerbaijan while exploring investment opportunities in telecommunications and other non-energy sectors.

Just as important as building oil rigs, Azerbaijan is helping America and its friends build bridges to the Islamic world, according to Suleymanov.

As a predominantly Muslim society with a secular government, Azerbaijan is an example of pluralism and moderation, offering religious freedom for Islam, Christianity and Judaism.



For 1,400 years, our Jewish community, now numbering about 30,000, has lived alongside Muslims without antagonism or persecution. In 1918, Azerbaijan became the first majority-Muslim society to recognize womens right to vote  two years before the entire U.S. (but eight years after Washington state), he said.

Participating in European institutions, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which brings together 56 Muslim countries, Azerbaijan promotes mutual understanding, Suleymanov noted, adding that with close ties to the U.S., Israel, the European Union and the Muslim nations, we strive to transform divisiveness into dialogue.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



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22 May 2017 15:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijan is a very important and reliable partner of the European Parliament, David McAllister, Chairman of the European Parliaments committee on foreign affairs, told reporters in Baku.

During the current visit to Azerbaijan, the delegation of the European Parliament has once again demonstrated support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Azerbaijan, McAllister said.

"We discussed new challenges and interests as part of talks in Baku, he noted.

On May 22, the delegation led by David McAllister holds meetings with Azerbaijani officials as part of the visit to the South Caucasus.

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22 May 2017 17:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan plan to hold joint military drills in June and September 2017, said Levan Izoria, Georgian Defense Minister.

Izoria made the remarks after a meeting with Azerbaijans Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov in Tbilisi on May 22. The meeting focused on the issues relating to the strengthening of military cooperation in the field of defense and exchange of experience in the military sphere.

The sides also discussed the format of trilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, as well as the protection of strategic transport structures.

The dynamics of this trilateral cooperation is very positive and growing. This year we will have joint exercises. Approximately after two weeks, the special operation forces of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, will hold joint exercises, said Izoria, adding that in September, military computer exercises will also be held.

Georgian media outlets report that Izoria, Hasanov, as well as Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik will hold a trilateral ministerial meeting in Batumi on May 23.

The Turkish-Georgian-Azerbaijani military drills Caucasus Eagle with participation of the three countries special operations forces will reportedly be held in Turkey from June 4 to June 14, 2017.

Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey actively cooperate in the military sphere. The countries developed a trilateral format in 2014, involving meetings at the level of defense ministers.

The last such meeting was held in Gabala in May 2016, where the sides decided to hold trilateral military exercises.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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22 May 2017 22:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijans hosting the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games is the manifestation of respect and support of the whole Islamic world to Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people, said Mehriban Aliyeva, First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Chairperson of the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games Organising Committee.

She made the remark while addressing the Baku 2017 Closing Ceremony May 22.

Mrs. Aliyeva said Azerbaijan has achieved one more historic victory, and voiced her confidence that athletes from more than 50 countries and the guests of the capital Baku will preserve the good memories about Azerbaijan.

The people of Azerbaijan over the past days has once again demonstrated the hospitality and kindness, she stressed. "Azerbaijan showed that it is a great sporting nation."

Reminding that Azerbaijans national team ranked first in the medal standings, Mrs. Aliyeva said she is proud of this historic victory and heartily congratulated the people of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijans first vice president noted that the celebration of solidarity and unity of the Islamic world is the greatest victory achieved over the past days.

She called for preserving this unity and strengthen the Islamic solidarity.

May Allah bless all the Muslims! she said.

She made the remark while addressing the Baku 2017 Closing Ceremony May 22.

Mrs. Aliyeva said Azerbaijan has achieved one more historic victory, and voiced her confidence that athletes from more than 50 countries and the guests of the capital Baku will preserve the good memories about Azerbaijan.

The people of Azerbaijan over the past days has once again demonstrated the hospitality and kindness, she stressed. "Azerbaijan showed that it is a great sporting nation."

Reminding that Azerbaijans national team ranked first in the medal standings, Mrs. Aliyeva said she is proud of this historic victory and heartily congratulated the people of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijans first vice president noted that the celebration of solidarity and unity of the Islamic world is the greatest victory achieved over the past days.

She called for preserving this unity and strengthen the Islamic solidarity.

May Allah bless all the Muslims! she said.
22 May 2017 11:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Oil extended gains as Saudi Arabia announced that all producers participating in output cuts agree on prolonging the deal through the first quarter of 2018.

On the New York Stock Exchange NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) cost of the US Light crude oil increased $0.41 to stand at $50.74.

Price of the Brent crude oil at the London ICE (InterContinental Exchange Futures) rose $0.42 to trade at $54.03.

An extension into next year will help producers reach their goal of trimming global stockpiles to a five-year average, Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said Sunday.

Iraqs Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said almost all countries participating in the cut had agreed to extend it, though there was no consensus yet on how long the extension should be. Some ministers say nine months, some ministers think six months, al-Luaibi said Sunday in an interview in Jordan. Iraq is OPECs second-largest producer; Saudi Arabia, the biggest.

Oil has climbed as OPECs de-facto leader Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC member Russia backed a nine-month extension to the output-cut deal reached in late 2016.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached their first deal since 2001 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1.

The Cartel will meet in Vienna on May 25.

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22 May 2017 13:10 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned as leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) - Turkey's ruling party on May 21.

The April referendum expanded the powers of the Turkish president allowing him to be both the head of state and belong to a political party. Erdogan co-founded the AKP in 2001, and the political party has ruled the country since its 2002 election win.

The Justice and Development Party is the guarantor of reforms and democracy, the locomotive of reforms in Turkey, Erdogan said addressing the Third Extraordinary Congress of the AKP in Ankara, Anadolu reported.

Speaking to tens of thousands of people, Erdogan outlined a vision for its immediate future and elections scheduled for November 2019 with new executive and grassroots teams.

The head of state recalled that over the 15 years of the AKP's rule, Turkey's agenda, priorities, problems and expectations changed.

"The coming months will be like spring for every single area in Turkey, from fighting terrorism to the economy, from rights and freedoms to expanding investments, he added.

He also said the trouble which is suffered on the way to the nation's service is no burden but an honor.

Erdogan vowed to keep Turkey's state of emergency until Turkey achieves peace and welfare. He cited the casualties from last July's coup attempt by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

"In my country, they tried to overthrow the state, and we gave 249 martyrs, and had 2,193 injured," said Erdogan. "How dare you ask us to lift the state of emergency?"

He stressed: "It will not be lifted. Until when? Until our situation reaches welfare and peace."

After the deadly coup attempt last July 15, Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20. Under the Constitution, a state of emergency can be declared for a maximum six-month period, but can also be extended.

Erdogan further said that Turkey and the Turkish nation can no longer tolerate any more FETO attempts at treason, also warning, "If the fight [against FETO] cant be waged as powerfully as needed, our country will face much graver danger."

President Erdogan also blasted the EUs treatment of Turkey amid strained ties, especially over a promise of visa-free travel for Turkish citizens in the Schengen zone as well as 3 billion euros to help Syrian refugees in Turkey.

"We should no longer tolerate the EU's duplicity, which came to the point of offending the honor of our country and nation," said Erdogan.

He added: "Either the EU keeps its promises to us, grants free movement [in the Schengen zone], sends the aid which they committed for refugees, and lift the blocks on opening and closing [accession] chapters, or lets all go our own way."

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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22 May 2017 13:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia does not see any problems in the implementation of the memorandum on de-escalation zones in Syria, which was signed in Astana, although "it doesnt go without patches and roughness," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, RIA Novosti reported.

"I do not see any problems with the implementation of the memorandum signed in Astana, apart from the somewhat ideological position of our American colleagues, who, as I understand it, reject the status of Iran as a guarantor of the implementation of this memorandum," Ryabkov told reporters.

According to the Deputy Minister, "taking into account the complexity of the situation in Syria it doesnt go without rough edges, but this is not a sign that the document is in question or requires revision."

"On the contrary, just concluded sixth round of Geneva talks under the auspices of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura confirmed that no one puts the effectiveness of Astana as a process and the efficiency of the work done there in doubt, he said.

Ryabkov further mentioned that the contacts will be continued at the expert level. We consider this memorandum to be an effective instrument for solving the problem of stabilizing the situation and strengthening the ceasefire regime," he concluded.

Earlier, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Moscow is already working as an intermediary in the settlement of relations between the U.S. and Iran.

Previously, Russia, Turkey and Iran signed a memorandum on creating four zones at talks involving the Syrian government and opposition groups in Kazakhstans capital.

The civil war in Syria between government and opposition with various terrorist groups involved, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), began back in March 2011.

Syrian President Bashar Assad managed to turn the tide of war in his favor after Russia started an air campaign in September 2015, while Iran is an uncompromising supporter of the Syrian leader.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the countrys pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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22 May 2017 16:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia and Turkey have signed a joint statement on mutual lifting of trade restrictions, as Deputy Prime Ministers Arkady Dvorkovich and Mehmet Simsek inked the document on the sidelines of the BSEC summit on May 22.

The signing ceremony was attended by the two countries' Prime Ministers Dmitry Medvedev and Binali Yildirim.

Medvedev attended the summit of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), on the margins of which he held talks with his Turkish counterpart.

As the Russian government's press service reported, during the visit to Istanbul the Russian prime minister is also expected to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Although Turkey and Russia could mend relations after a long-crisis due to Turkeys downing a Russian warplane in November 2015, a number of sanctions imposed on Turkish goods, as well as a strict visa regime on Turkish nationals have not been lifted for a long time.

The meeting held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 3 has marked the "full-format" restoration of bilateral ties and focused on trade restrictions and barriers lifting. During this meeting, Russia and Turkey agreed upon comprehensive settlement of restrictions in bilateral economic relations.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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22 May 2017 17:58 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Irans President Hassan Rouhani announced that his new government plans to double non-oil exports by 2022.

My administration will do its best to eliminate the extreme poverty, Rouhani, who was re-elected to the second term on May 19, said during his first presser in Tehran on May 22, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

Irans non-oil export (including gas condensate) was worth $43.93 billion during last fiscal year (ended March 20).

Rouhani said that if $240 billion is annually invested in the economy, including $20 billion of foreign funds that are to be attracted, creation of 950,000 new jobs per year is possible.

Annually one million young people reach working age, but the countrys unemployment rate was very high during the last decade. Iran needs a permanent 8-percent GDP growth to create one million new jobs annually.

According to the World Bank, Iranian economy bounced back sharply in 2016 at an estimated 6.4 percent, compared to the previous year.

However, the unemployment rate returned to a three-year high of 12.7 percent (or 3.3 million unemployed) in the second quarter of 2016 despite the high growth rate in this period.

The newly-elect president further spoke about ties with Washington, noting that the nuclear talks were the only successful U.S. engagement with the Islamic Republic.



The U.S. has used numerous measures against Iran in the past 40 years, all leading to failure, Rouhani said.



The United States has failed in all of its actions in the Middle East namely Afghanistan and Iraq, Rouhani said.



They achieved a relative success in nuclear talks, where they negotiated with respect with the representatives of the Iranian people, Rouhani added.



We are still waiting for new US administration to be established in terms of positions, agenda and thoughts, so we can have a precise judgment, Rouhani said while commenting about possible talks between Tehran and Washington under the Trump administration.

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22 May 2017 12:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

With spring and beautiful weather finally here, everyone tries to spend time outside.

As nature offers one of the most reliable boosts to mental and physical well-being, its worth visiting Lahij village in Azerbaijan's Ismayilli region.

Lahij, located not too far from the city center Ismayilli, is a historical and architectural reserve with no hint of modern times. This historical village, protected by the state, has its unique atypical style of life and its appearance is preserved in its original form till now.

In Lahij residential blocks, mosques, ancient towers and constructions, as well as private property have been accurately preserved. Plaques showing are installed on almost all walls and houses here showing the date of construction and saying that they are preserved on a government level.

The scenic road to this picturesque village is full of adventure and adrenalin. The cars are not allowed into the village because its streets are very narrow. Visitors have to tour it by walking or riding a horse.

The historical sources report that first settlements in Lahij date back to the 3rd-4th centuries. It is interesting that the village's water and sewerage system is more than 1500 years old.

The village is also developed as an ancient craft center. The village was one of the main centers of manufacture of copper dishes and weapons in the 18th  19th centuries.

There were more than 200 craftsmen workshops in Lahij in the middle of the 19th century. The ornaments of Lahij masters have always been associated with the image of the real world of flora and fauna. The patterns of the dishes are rich in visual elements and original interpretation of flowers and leaves.

They say that the legendary Monomakh's cap, a chief relic of the Russian Grand Princes and Tsars, was made here.

There is a large collection of Lahij products in the Azerbaijan Museum of National History, which reflects the many different and richly made items produced by the Lahij craftsmen.

Lahij folklore ensemble is quite popular. It is an active participant of music festivals held in the country.

Lahij `s another feature is a mystery of the number 7. Historically there were 7 mosques, 7 spring waters, and 7 residential blocks in the village, which was also surrounded by 7 chains of Niyal mountains.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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For a couple of quarters in a row, Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) has been touting the strength of America's shale boom and how the company is the best positioned to produce high rates of return from that market over time. Its most recent quarterly conference call touched on a lot of similar themes as well as some of the other trends happening in the oil services industry today.

Here are four quotes from it that should help give investors an idea of how management is attacking the market today and how it plans to stay ahead of its competitors.

North American activity going strong

When it comes to the North American drilling market, no one is more in tune with the situation on the ground than Halliburton. The company has a such a dominant market share that its largest rivals are combining forces to be more competitive in the shale drilling and fracking business. So if you want to know what's going on in North America, you need to listen to what Halliburton COO Jeff Miller has to say on conference calls. Here's what he said most recently about North American drilling:

[T]he market is a tale of 2 cycles. North America activity increased rapidly but not without growing pains, while activity in the rest of the world declined due to typical seasonal pressures that were exacerbated by current cyclical headwinds. In North America, the first quarter brought a lot of change, both to our strategy and our customers' view of the market, and I love the way the market is shaping up. I'm excited because customers are investing to meet production targets. Pricing is moving. Supply versus demand dynamics are tight. Our reactivated equipment is going to work at leading-edge pricing, and we are working to manage our input costs.

These past two quarters have been challenging for Halliburton's earnings because it has had to spend a lot of money getting idle assets in working condition and rehiring crews. Management even warned of a weak quarter because of these costs, but this is a good problem to have.

The international market remains in neutral

For all the positive things we have seen in the North American market lately, Miller reminded those on the conference call that the entire oil and gas market isn't all rainbows and unicorns right now. Almost every market outside North America is struggling under the weight of low oil prices.

Outside of North America, our more conservative outlook for the last several quarters is proving accurate. Our customers around the world have different breakeven thresholds and production requirements, but none are immune to the impacts of the current commodity price environment. We continue to see customers defer new projects, most notably in the offshore exploration markets. Now due to lower cash flow and project economics, they are more focused than ever on lowering costs. The result of this combination is less activity and more pricing pressure.

This trend is likely going to hurt the bottom line of competitors more than Halliburton's. Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) and Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI), for example, rely much more on either international markets or the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, which as of late has more in common with the global market than North America.

Eventually, more money will flow back into the offshore markets because shale in the U.S. alone won't be able to keep up with increasing demand and the natural decline of currently producing reservoirs around the world. From an investor's standpoint, though, this market is the embodiment of that famous John Maynard Keynes quote: "The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent."

Taking a shot at the competition

One emerging trend among the big oil services companies has been combining equipment manufacturing with services to create integrated solutions. Schlumberger did it when it bought subsea equipment manufacturer Cameron International and Baker Hughes' pending deal with General Electric's oil and gas division will accomplish similar things.

The risk with these high-profile mergers is the possibility that they won't necessarily pan out, which would equate to an inefficient allocation of capital. Miller took a couple of potshots at the competition this past quarter, saying that Halliburton didn't need to make a similar move to achieve the same things as its competitors.

Our capital investment strategy is absolutely focused on the things that competitively differentiate us. For example, we are always developing solutions that drive capital off location and make us more efficient. In hydraulic fracturing, we already make the most efficient pumps and have the most efficient surface configuration. What you probably don't know is that we're doing the same thing in all other parts of our business. For example, our subsea intervention systems are more compact, our rotary coring tool is the ultra-deepwater market leader and our state-of-the-art Completions Tools manufacturing allow us to design and deliver lower-cost tools. We have continuous improvement initiatives across all of the company to maximize the efficiency of our capital investment.

Integration time?

In conjunction with the boom in shale drilling, demand for frack sand has skyrocketed recently. Frack sand suppliers are reporting sequential increases in volumes sold in the 20%-40% range for the past couple of quarters. Halliburton is one of the largest sand buyers out there, and some analysts were wondering if management was considering acquiring some frack sand production of its own to control logistics and ensure supply for customers. According to Miller, that isn't necessary at this point:

No. I mean, where -- we want to invest in those things where we believe we add unique value to them. And so clearly, that's our equipment and the kind of technology we can roll out to make that more efficiently -- efficient. As we look up and down the value chain, we try to be fairly surgical about those things that we think we need to own, one of those being the logistics piece of that, just because it's quite portable, actually, in terms of where sand is at any point in time. Our experience with actually owning -- we don't have that experience. But our view of owning the actual commodity is that sand is rarely in the right place or is at the right size. Those tastes change over time, and so that's not a place where we want to put a lot of capital.

The boom and bust nature of commodity prices is the exact opposite kind of business Halliburton wants to become today. So it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to add sand production to its portfolio. Sand transportation and logistics, on the other hand, is a valuable service to ensure on-time deliveries and to get a fixed price fee. Investors shouldn't completely rule out a competitor buying sand production, though, because it could be a way to distinguish its service from Halliburton's.

What a Fool believes

The oil services industry is at a fascinating crossroads today. Companies are trying to cut costs, offer integrated equipment and service packages, and fight for market share at the same time. Halliburton has an advantage because of its overwhelming market share in North America. The most pressing question for its investors in the coming quarters will be whether its competitors can claw away at its market share with these consolidation efforts. Based on management's statements, it doesn't seem too worried about that just yet.

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500 years of Reformation: Luther's home town launches anniversary celebrations

The official celebrations marking 500 years since the Reformation have been launched in the ancient city of Wittenberg in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt, home of Martin Luther.

Around 4,000 people attended a worship service in the town square, which features statues of Luther and his fellow Reformer Philipp Melanchthon, who also lived and worked in the town.

The service included a contribution from Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who said the Reformation had influenced Germany's entire history, culture and way of life for centuries and was still doing so today. He said one of its lessons was that that human beings could 'overcome the intolerance and the violence which is committed in the name of religion'.

The President of the Lutheran or Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, said he wanted people to be inspired by the message of the Reformation and that it was his dream and his hope that sceptics would find faith after the events of the 'Reformation Summer'.

Also unveiled at the weekend, at the town's railway station, was the mobile Luther exhibition set to tour Europe  including the UK  during the next few months. A prayer service attended by around 250 people was led by Bishop Ilse Junkermann at its inauguration.

As the town most associated with Luther, where he formulated his revolutionary theology of grace and nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church, Wittenberg is at the heart of the anniversary celebrations and is preparing for a major tourist incursion during the next few months. The EKD has prepared a major exhibition around the small town with seven zones featuring 80 exhibitors on themes including Church, society and politics. The aim is to show how Luther's legacy is impacting the world and the Church today.

It will also feature events this coming weekend as part of the Kirchentag, the bi-annual EKD-organised event which attracts tens of thousands of participants from across the denominations and around the world. This year Berlin will host most of the events with Wittenberg as an additional venue.

As well as the two great churches associated with Luther  the Castle Church and the Stadtkirche where he preached  the town is also home to the largest permanent Luther exhibition, in his old home. The Luther House also features a new exhibition bringing together objects and insights especially for the 500th anniversary, 95 Treasures  95 People. The houses of Philipp Melanchthon and Lucas Cranach, the artist responsible for the iconic images of Luther, can also be visited.
9 top tweets about President Donald Trump and the viral 'glowing orb'

Donald Trump almost broke the Internet when he was filmed with his hands on a glowing globe, along with the President of Egypt and the King of Saudi Arabia. The event was the official opening of Saudi Arabia's new Ideological War Centre, set up to combat extremism. Below, we have collected some of the best tweets  although as yet there has not been a tweet from Donald Trump himself!

1. 'Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and caldron bubble.' @BillKristol

2. 'For clarification, this is not a satanic ritual.' @ChurchofSatan

3. 'I haven't been able to catch up on the news but I know there is no way Trump touched the Glowing Orb of Global Islamic Dominance.' @kumailn

4. 'The next Lord of the Rings movie looks terrible.' @Mikel_Jollett

5. 'Trump During the Campaign: "I will NEVER touch The Orb, even though its mysterious glow seduces and beguiles." Trump Today....' @NickGreene

6. 'ALL HAIL THE ORB! The giant glowing globe Trump touched in Saudi Arabia has become a huge meme.' @frittaker

7. 'Trump, the Egyptian president, & the Saudi king touching a glowing globe looks like in Space Jam when the Monstars stole the players' talent.' @CaseyJSkeens

8. 'A google search I never predicted: Why is trump hold a glowing globe orb with the Saudis?' @devintoshea

9. 'Look if Trump is going to take down the Illuminati he's obviously going to have to do it from the inside.' @samthielman

WATCH: Trump and the glowing globe.
Bishop Warns Of 'Serious Risks' To CofE Reputation After Cathedral Cash Crisis

Twelve people have been made redundant at the Peterborough Cathedral as the bishop seeks to resolve a "cash flow crisis" at the historic medieval cathedral.

The Bishop of Peterborough launched an inquiry last autumn after the Early English Gothic former Benedictine abbey built in the 12th century, got into financial difficulties.

The cathedral was running at a "substantial" loss, most of its properties were mortgaged, there were no free reserves and serious levels of debt.

In the resulting "visitation charge", a legal document published today, Bishop Donald Allister says the redunancies were "necessary" along with some property sales. And he warns that more "tough decisions" lie ahead.

He also warns that the current independence enjoyed by England's 42 cathedrals poses "serious risks" to the reputation of the entire Church of England.

The cathedral, which will be celebrating its 900th anniversary next year, last year suffered a "cash flow crisis" as a result of problems far deeper than simply managing cash flow, he writes.

Cathedrals are normally the province of a dean and chapter, made up of both canons of the cathedral and, more recently, some lay members as well. Cathedrals also have larger bodies, councils, which meet twice a year to advise the chapter. The bishop has a right to preach in the cathedral and under his or her powers as visitor, can invoke other powers, discussed recently on the Law and Religion blog.

In his charge, the Bishop of Peterborough takes advantage of this.

He says the cathedral is the "mother church" of the diocese as well as the "bishop's cathedral". He says the bishop should be invited to attend and speak at chapter meetings and directs that he sent all copies of chapter papers.

"There has been a culture of small groups within chapter making decisions," he writes. He directs it instead to make its decisions corporately, to give lay members and part-time members with the full-time Canons, and to stop using the term "dean and chapter".

Bishop Allister also warns that the Church of England's reputation is at risk and calls for the laws surrounding cathedrals to be tightened up.

"The Peterborough situation has convinced me that the high degree of independence currently enjoyed by cathedrals poses serious risks to the reputation of the whole Church, and thus to our effectiveness in mission. A closer working relationship of cathedrals with their bishop and diocese would be of benefit to all, both practically and spiritually," he writes.

Canon Jonathan Baker, the Acting Dean, said: "While the cathedral faces many challenges, there are also some exciting opportunities for us to seize as we move into a new phase of serving the diocese and city of Peterborough."

A spokesperson for The Church Commissioners said: "We were made aware of the financial difficulties at Peterborough Cathedral last year and have worked with both the cathedral and Bishop Donald to provide support."

He added: "Cathedrals offer spiritual sanctuary for millions of people each year and are the jewels in the nation's heritage crown. The financial problems that have faced Peterborough Cathedral are being resolved. Together our 42 cathedrals will continue to serve their communities and prosper for the benefit of future generations."

Bishop Allister said in a statement: "This wasn't about attributing blame. It was to help the Cathedral get things onto a better footing for the future."
Christian private school bans student from graduation ceremony because she's pregnant

A Christian student has been banned from attending graduation at her Maryland Christian private school because she is pregnant.

Maddi Runkles, 18, finds herself caught between conservative groups: pro-life advocates who laud her choice to keep her baby, and her Christian school which is punishing her for breaking the school's code on premarital sex.

Now Ms Runkles won't be able to join her fellow students at Heritage Academy's graduation ceremony next month, according to the New York Times.

Ms Runkles desribed herself as a 'a practising born-again Christian'. She learned she was pregnant in January, and said that she does not plan to marry the baby's father. She describes her baby boy as a 'blessing', and plans to raise her child with the help of her parents.

She initially tried to keep her pregnancy a secret, but soon told her parents, and later confessed in front of her school. The school's 'statement of faith' insists that 'no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of the marriage commitment between a man and a woman,' and Runkles knew she had violated the code.

Heritage Academy is a nondenominational, independent Christian private school in Hagerstown, Maryland. Ms Runkles will still earn her diploma, but her punishment is being barred from attending graduation, and being removed from her position as student council president.

'I told on myself,' she said. 'I asked for forgiveness. I asked for help.' She said many students thanked her, but also that she felt her punishment was disproportioantely harsh, and that she was still an outcast.

However, she won the support of the pro-life group Students for Life, who unsuccessfully tried to dissuade the school from its punishment.

'She made the courageous decision to choose life, and she definitely should not be shamed,' said Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins. 'There has got to be a way to treat a young woman who becomes pregnant in a graceful and loving way.'

Her parents are holding their own graduation ceremony for their daughter the day after the academy's event, on June 3.

'Some pro-life people are against the killing of unborn babies, but they won't speak out in support of the girl who chooses to keep her baby,' Ms Runkles said. 'Honestly, that makes me feel like maybe the abortion would have been better. Then they would have just forgiven me, rather than deal with this visible consequence.'
Church of England takes on energy giant ExxonMobil

The Church Commissioners have won widespread support for a move to put pressure on energy giant ExxonMobil to disclose the impact of climate change policy on its business.

The Church Commissioners manage a fund of around 6.7 billion, whose revenues are used to support the Church of England. The Commissioners co-filed a shareholder motion with the New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. It asks Exxon to disclose the effect on its business if measures to restrict global warming to two degrees are successful.

More than 30 institutional investors have so far said they will vote for the motion.

Exxon's competitors Shell and BP have already agreed to disclose how much they will be impacted by efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions. They were targeted by similar shareholder proposals co-filed in 2015 by the Church Commissioners and other investors. Exxon had attempted to have the resolution struck down by the Securities and Exchange Commission but its request was denied last month.

Church Commissioners spokesman Edward Mason said: "We are delighted with the scale of support this resolution has received so far. The resolution is part of a much wider trend following the Paris Agreement for investors to ask companies to improve disclosure on how they are positioned for the risks and opportunities posed by climate change."

Exxon has funded groups spreading information denying human-induced climate change and lobbying politicians against climate change legislation. While it pledged to cease doing so in 2007, a Guardian report last July claimed it was continuing the practice.

It has a long history of rejecting shareholder motions on climate change and of rejecting the scientific consensus.

When Exxon challenged the most recent shareholder motion, DiNapoli said: "ExxonMobil risks becoming an outlier among its peers who have publicly supported reining in climate change.

"As investors, we need to know how ExxonMobil's bottom line will be impacted by the global effort to reduce emissions and what the company plans to do about it."

Exxon is also under under pressure from a coalition of 17 US attorneys general, Attorneys General United for Clean Power (AGUCP), who have banded together to enforce climate change laws. New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman announced at a press conference on March 29 that the coalition was working to find "creative ways to enforce laws being flouted by the fossil fuel industry and their allies in their shortsighted efforts to put profits above the interests of the American people and the integrity of our financial markets".

Schneiderman referred to a "relentless assault from well-funded, highly aggressive and morally vacant forces that are trying to block every step by the federal government to take meaningful action" to fight climate change.

The initiative by the attorneys general was criticised by some religious conservatives, however.

Jeffrey Riley, professor of ethics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press: "Few deny that the climate is changing  it always has. The debate is on the cause. In spite of the public rhetoric that declares scientific consensus, the debate is still out. Public and political rhetoric on this issue is neither truth nor an argument for truth. Christians who hold that we are stewards of the earth ought to be interested in truth, and for that reason should not support any action that stifles legitimate scientific and economic debate."
Egypt calls 48 suspected ISIS terrorists to court for Coptic church bombings

The Egyptian government has referred 48 people to its military courts on the charge of suspected involvement in three church bombing claimed by ISIS.

Egypt's public prosecutor's office said on Friday that of the 48 suspects, 31 are in custody, with 17 still at large, according to Al Jazeera.

Public prosecutor Nabil Sadek said that some of the accused were leaders within ISIS, and had formed terrorist cells in Cairo on Qena, southern Egypt, to plan and execute the church bombings.

ISIS previously claimed responsibility for three suicide bombings on Coptic churches in the past six months.

In December, the jihadists claimed responsibility for a Cairo Coptic church bombing that killed 27.

This year ISIS vocally incited violence against the Coptic community, forcing hundreds to flee their homes in northern Egypt in February. Palm Sunday bombings on two Egyptian churches in Tanta and Alexandria  the seat of the Coptic Pope  killed at least 45 and injured over 100.

The suspected terrorists are believed to have undergone training at ISIS camps in Libya and Syria. They are also accused of killing eight policemen and wounding three in a January attack.

After April's bombings, Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi placed the country in a three-month state of national emergency.

Earlier this month, ISIS' leader in Egypt warned Muslims to stay away from Christian gatherings, as well as government facilities, warning of future attacks on what he called 'legitimate targets' to come.
How Martin Luther changed the world: 500 years of Protestantism

It's the 500th anniversary of the Reformation this year, and Germany in particular  where it all began, with Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg  is marking it in every conceivable way. There are roadshows, lectures, services and exhibitions, most of them focusing on the great man himself.

One exhibition in Berlin, however, makes a point of taking a much broader view  and it's not shy of pointing out the negatives of the Reformation as well as the positives. The Luther Effect at the prestigious Martin Gropius-Bau doesn't only tell us about Luther. Entered via an enormous art installation depicting the different though intertwined paths taken by Protestantism and Catholicism, it shows the huge changes wrought by the new doctrine on the societies that adopted it.

What was so revolutionary about Luther? The Augustinian monk was tortured by a sense of his own unworthiness. For the Catholic Church at the time, the medicine for a sick soul was confession and penance  acts of self-sacrifice, sometimes even of self-harm, performed as part of the process of forgiveness. Luther  deeply read in the Scriptures and part of a community of intellectuals at the edge of the Catholic world, where loyalty to the Pope and the papacy was tenuous  tried all that, and found it didn't work. He would weary his confessor by the length of his confessions, and the most rigorous of penances made no difference to his sense of sin. In the end, he came to a different understanding altogether: it wasn't the Church that dispensed forgiveness at all. Salvation was by faith alone. It was personal, between the believer and God.

During the centuries since his death, the Protestant movement of which he was one of the principal founders has spread all over the world, and his key insight  that justification is by faith, not works  is at the heart of it.

The Luther Effect is an excellent account of how it happened. In its main sections it has the foundational texts of Lutheranism on display, including the 95 Theses, To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church and the Augsburg Confession. Evangelicals aren't known for their devotion to Church history, but this is where we came from and seeing these texts sends a shiver up the spine.

There's a section on Women and Men and one on Mission, this one including Luther's notorious On the Jews and their Lies. There are Anabaptist items, too. Luther was a fierce opponent of these forerunners of the Baptists and they were savagely persecuted; understandably, given what some of them got up to. Anglicans are there  Foxe's Book of Martyrs, and a painting showing the dying Henry VIII commissioning his son Edward VI to follow in his Protestant footsteps. Importantly, Catholics are there too. Many of them recognised the need for reform, if not Reform, and the Council of Trent was a spiritual as well as a theological event.

There are also sections focusing on four countries, showing how the Protestant faith  and Lutheranism in particular  took root and flourished there; Sweden, the USA, Tanzania and Korea. In Sweden Lutheranism was established by King Gustav Vasa in 1527 as part of a break from Catholic Denmark. Among fascinating documents and other objects  including weaponry and the elk-skin tunic worn by Gustavus Adolphus when he was wounded in the Swedish-Polish war of 1627 (you can still see the bloodstains) are artefacts that show how 'by faith alone' can become a creed just as controlling as the one it sought to replace.

Sweden's nomadic Sami people were victims, targeted by missionaries who saw their traditional beliefs as witchcraft; some were executed for it. And it's not just history: there is a quote from a modern Sami, Tomas Colbengtson, who says: 'My generation is struggling to heal the damage that the Church inflicted on Sami culture.' There is a Sami ceremonial drum, one of the very few to survive; missionaries destroyed most of them.

There's a chilling 'punishment stake', to which victims were chained before being flogged, and a 'shaming bench' where those guilty of sexual misconduct were forced to stand or kneel. The Church drew on all the resources of the state to enforce morality. Alongside the deep piety and spirituality of many adherents, these things should be remembered.

Tanzania, where German missionaries established Lutheranism in the 19th century, is represented largely by photographs taken specifically for the event by Karsten Hein. It shows the Church's deep involvement in social projects as well as its worship experiences and pastoral engagement.

The section on the USA shows the breadth of Protestant life in the country, including artefacts from Quakers, Amish, Moravian, Lutheran and other communities. There are sections on slavery and Black churches, camp meetings and revivals. Some of the most thought-provoking are paintings; one of the Moravian evangelist Nikolaus von Zinzendorf's treaty with the Five Chiefs of the Iroquois in 1742, for instance, allowing him to set up mission stations in Pennsylvania. The Moravians were tireless in their efforts to convert the Indians, but largely failed; Christian missionaries among America's aboriginal peoples were inevitably associated with the project to dispossess and subjugate them.

Emanuel Leutze's painting Westward Ho! Or Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way shows the settlement of the West as a succession to the settlement of Canaan; a Moses-figure stands on an American Mount Nebo pointing to the land to be conquered. And the Exodus is recalled again by Georg Caleb Bingham's Daniel Boone Leading a Group of Pioneers Westward.

Protestantism in Korea is a global force. After the Korean War most Christians fled South and now around 30 per cent of South Korea is Christian. Its megachurches attended by tens of thousands of people are represented in the exhibition by a video from the Yoido Full Gospel in Seoul, but the heart of this section is an extraordinary picture cycle by Kim Ki-Chang (1914-2001), If Jesus Had Been Korean. Dozens of exquisite paintings show scenes from the life of a Jesus depicted as a traditional Korean from the Choson period (1392-1910). He is dressed as a Confucian scholar, and the pictures draw on Korean culture and legends as they tell their stories.

Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg's Castle Church on October 31, 1517. Since then Protestantism has achieved much to be proud of, and done much to be ashamed of. The Luther Effect shows how the sound of Luther's hammer still echoes through the world today.

The Luther Effect is at Berlin's Martin Gropius-Bau until November 5.
Johnny Depp to play an Anti-virus creator in the new Biopic 'King of the Jungle'

Johnny Depp will be adding yet another name in his list of character roles as the actor will take on another film. What kind of film will he be starring in now?

Depp is revealed to star in a biopic about the McAffiee Antivirus creator in the movie "King of the Jungle." As reported by Variety, the upcoming dark comedy will be directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. The script will be penned by Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.

The movie will be based on Joshua Davis' Wired article "John McAfee's Last Stand."

With the correct strategy and wit, John McAfee birthed the arrival of the McAfee antivirus software. After making huge amount of money with the success of his product, McAfee cashed in on his wealth and went to Belize. There, the founder of the software started pursuing other endeavors. These new ventures, however, made his life more difficult. After being raided down, MacAfee was discovered to be busy making unlicensed drugs.

Aside from this, the McAfee creator lived a life of luxury and excess in Belize with little regard for the law. The film will also cover a certain part of his life that really made it more complicated.

After already breaking a lot of laws, McAfee was then arrested as a suspect for the murder of Gregory Viant Faull, another U.S. expat in Belize found dead with a gunshot wound.

"King of the Jungle" is going to be produced by Dawn Ostroff, Jeremy Steckler, Charlie Gogolak, Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, and John Davis. The executive producers of the film would be Joshuah Bearman and Marc Butan.

Depp will be very busy this year as the actor is slated to appear in other movies as well. Depp will be reprising his role as Sherlock Gnomes in the 2018 animated film "Gnomeo and Juliet." He will also be reprising another role in the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them 2" as Gellert Grindelwald.
Martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero's murder case reopened

The murder case of revered Catholic archbishop Oscar Romero was reopened last week, in a further attempt to prosecute the prelate's suspected killer.

Romero was assassinated in 1980 whilst celebrating Mass in a small hospital chapel. The Salvadorian's murder case is nearly 40 years old, but was reopened on Thursday by Salvador Judge Ricardo Chicas, according to Catholic News Agency.

Romero's suspected killer was not previously convicted because of an amnesty law that banned criminal prosecution stemming from the the El Salvador Civil War. The case was closed in 1993. The country lifted the law last year, and reopened cases from 1980 to 1992.

The suspect is a soldier named Alvaro Rafael Saravia, who has ties to a right-wing death squad believed to be behind the priest's death.

In January the release of a new book about Romero's case, Assassination of a Saint by human rights lawyer Matt Eisenbrandt, was announced. It was thought that the evidence compiled in the book might be enough to warrant a new prosecution.

Eisenbrandt said: 'There are clear [evidential] threads on who gave the original order and who paid for the murder that any concerted investigation in El Salvador would absolutely be able to gather enough evidence to prosecute those involved.'

In his priesthood Romero was famous for speaking out against poverty, social injustice, and military oppression. In January 2015, Romero was officially recognized as a martyr, and a month later Pope Francis approved his beatification.
New grounds for 'hope' for peace in Middle East, says Donald Trump in Israel

US President Donald Trump has spoken of a 'rare opportunity' to deliver longed-for peace in the Middle East as he arrived in Israel, continuing his tour of the geographic hearts of three main world religions.

In the first of a series of remarks he will make in Israel, he said he had 'new reasons for hope' after talks with leaders of the Arab world in Saudi Arabia.

'We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people. But we can only get there working together, there is no other way.'

He said Israel had built 'one of the great civilisations: a strong, resilient, determined nation'. Israel was 'forged in the commitment that we can never allow the horrors and atrocities of the last century to be repeated'.

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who greeted Trump at Ben Gurion airport, said Israel was equally committed to peace.

He said: 'Israel also shares the commitment to peace that you expressed yesterday. We've already made peace with Egypt and Jordan and Israel's hand is extended in peace to all our nieghbours, including the Palestinians.'

He added: 'The peace we seek is a genuine one, in which the Jewish state is recognised, security remains in Israel's hands, and the conflict ends once and for all.'

No specific mention at this stage was made of precise details of any negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and prospects of an imminent breakthrough are not believed to be high.

For Trump, the focus remains on defeating the terror threat.

As he left Saudi Arabia, he posted on Facebook: 'Terrorism has spread across the world. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH! '

He will meet both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, during his visit, which lasts for two days. After this, he will travel to Italy for an audience with Pope Francis.

Later today, Trump will make a private visit to the Western Wall and will also visit Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which marks the site of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Trump has opted against moving the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A senior administration official told Reuters last week that Trump remained committed to his campaign pledge to ultimately relocate the embassy but did not plan to announce such a move while on his trip.
Pope Francis pleas for peace in CAR, after Muslim-Christian clashes see 22 killed in a week

Pope Francis has offered prayers for peace and reconciliation for victims of sectarian violence in the Central African Republic, where 22 have been killed in the past week.

'Painful news unfortunately comes from the Central African Republic, which I carry in my heart, especially after my visit in November 2015,' the pope said on Sunday during a trip to the region, according to Crux.

Intense violence has spiked in parts of the Central African Republic, with 22 people killed, and thousands forced to flee, in the past week in clashes between Muslim rebels and Christian militias.

The pontiff lamented the 'numerous victims' and the threat to the 'process of peace' inherent in the violence.

He expressed his solidarity with 'all those who work for the good of the people and for peaceful coexistence', and implored that 'weapons be silenced and the good will of dialogue prevail in order to give peace and development to the country.'

Violence erupted in the region in December 2012, when several rebel groups, mainly Muslim militants, formed a coalition known as Seleka and in 2013 overthrew the CAR's then-president Francois Bozize. In retaliation, several 'anti-balaka' (meaning 'anti-machete') groups formed to combat the rebels. Some militias  predominantly comprised of Christians  began attacking Muslims in revenge. Thousands have since been killed in the ensuing conflict.

The past week saw 22 killed, including 17 civilians in fighting in the town of Bria, western CAR. Fearing for their lives, nearly 10,000 were forced to flee the area.

Pope Francis' message emphasised the call to love of God and neighbour as the greatest commandments.

'At times conflict, pride, envy and division leave their mark even on the beautiful face of the Church,' he said, noting that 'if there is an attitude that is never easy, is never a given even for the Christian community, it's knowing how to love, to love one another well based on the example of the Lord and with his grace'.

The pontiff said the divine call to love can be lived out by 'putting God at the center of our lives and dedicating ourselves to the service of our brothers, especially those most in need of support and consolation'.
Ray Comfort defends God of the Old Testament against atheists who call Him 'tyrannical'

Evangelist and Young Earth Creationist Ray Comfort has addressed atheists who believe the God of the Old Testament to be a "tyrannical dictator" by arguing that without God's judgment, there would be no justice in the world.

Comfort, who regularly answers challenges by atheists on his Facebook page, responded to one such commenter on Thursday who was critical of God's actions in the Old Testament:

"Save your prayers, I'm quite comfortable with myself in my own faith and comfortable enough to know if God exists, the God who created this beautiful star, he won't be the God of the Bible or any other man made religion on this planet.

"No loving God would brutally slaughter every man, woman and child of this planet in the Great Flood, pregnant women drowning at the bottom of the ocean, children screaming for help as the crushing waves devour them, just because a few people ticked him off. He wouldn't be the tyrannical dictator of the Old Testament. Of that I am sure."

In his response, Comfort argued that the non-believer's version of God would be "even more tyrannical," however, because it would mean God "coldly stands back and lets millions starve, allows rape and murder  and lets Hitler slaughter 6 million Jews."

"He gives no explanation, refuses to bring justice to the wicked, and leaves us all hopeless in the face of death," Comfort said of such a God.

"However, the God of the Bible will bring final justice to all evil, and in His great kindness offers everlasting life to guilty sinners," he argued.

Comfort has tackled several atheists' questions regarding the Great Flood story, and in February insisted that God does not have to justify Himself for wiping out most of humanity in the cataclysmic event.

"Everyone will die, because the judge of the universe has proclaimed our death sentence," Comfot wrote at the time. "We are the ones who need justification, not God, and we can be justified through repentance and faith in Jesus because of what He did on the cross."

Prominent atheists, such as HBO's Bill Maher, have criticized the Christian belief of God precisely due to the Great Flood story.

"It's about a psychotic mass murderer who gets away with it and his name is God. Genesis says God was so angry with Himself for screwing up when He made mankind so flawed that He sent the flood to kill everyone. Men, women, children, babies, what kind of tyrant punishes everyone just to get back at the few he's mad at?" Maher said in his description of the Genesis story in a March 2014 episode of his "Real Time" show.

Conservative radio host Bryan Fischer fired back, however, and said: "Remember the picture that we are given of God in Scripture  He is the potter, and we are the clay. He is the judge of the living and the dead. He is the judge of all the Earth," adding that the evil of men was the reason behind the Flood.
Rowan Williams warns against 'messianic leadership' with Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump

Rowan Williams is warning of 'messianic leadership' with the rise of Donald Trump and the Brexit vote.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury said the UK needed to learn lessons from fascism's growth in 1930s Germany as it navigated the withdrawal from the European Union.

Referring to a new edition of a 1940s book, Darkness Over Germany: a Warning from History, Williams told the Guardian: 'One of the things [the author] notes is the deep disillusion in politics, and the romantic, idealistic feeling that if we get the right leader, then things will change. As trust in conventional politics goes down, expectations of messianic leadership go up.'

Asked if there were parallels to Donald Trump's rule as US President he said: 'That's right. But history never just repeats itself. Whatever happens next, it's not going to be a rerun of Germany in the 1930s. But some of the symptoms, and some of things we ought to be learning from, are still there. When you lose confidence in political process, that's when some very strange people come out of the woodwork.'

In an intervention that enraged some conservative critics, Williams said 'the rhetoric that comes out of the current White House is pretty contemptuous of the rule of law' and warned there was a danger of 'executive power emerging independently of the rule of law ... in other words, an erosion of real accountability in public life'.

Moving on to Theresa May, Williams heavily criticised her talk of Christian values.

'It's a phrase that's flung around constantly. The heart of Christian values has something to do with mutuality  a real commitment to and investment in the wellbeing of your neighbour, and the confidence that they are invested in your wellbeing. Not everyone shares these values,' he told the Guardian.

'The job of Christian communities is to keep arguing, keep nudging ... The church is obliged to be both a good and an awkward neighbour to the state. It earns its place in a plural state by asking certain unwelcome questions.'

He called for a 'systematic programme of prevention' for issues such as homelessness and warned Brexit was 'taking our eyes off the ball' in some important difficulties.

'We look at how much money we need to throw at a problem to solve it, rather than in the longer term what we need to invest to stop these problems arising,' he said.

'There is innate short-termism in our political language ... We need to build as broad a consensus that we can on long-term issues [rather than] party political issues for this election. If we don't, the spring coils tighter and tighter.'
The 21st Century Solution To Displaying 16th Century Luther Artefacts: Print Them In 3D

A series of worldwide exhibitions to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's posting of his 95 theses includes the ability to make 3D printed replicas of 16th century artefacts.

A series of international exhibitions is being coordinated by German's heritage department.

The posting of the theses at Wittenberg marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation that transformed the Western world.

In the United States alone, the 'Here I Stand' Luther exhibitions include rare archaeological finds, authentic relics, original works of art, manuscripts and prints.

The State Museum of Prehistory in Halle will contribute recent finds from Luther sites in Mansfeld, Eisleben and Wittenberg.

There will be printed materials and artworks as well as manuscripts from the Reformation period along with loans from collections at the Luther house.

Exhibitions in Wittenberg New York, Minneapolis, and Atlanta are being financially under-written Germany's foreign office.

This early 16th century indulgence chest, made for storing income from the sale of indulgences, is among the items that can be 3D printed.

There is also this relief depicting the Protestant Law and Grace theme by the Wurzburg sculptor Peter Dell the Elder.
Mark Fields has been an outstanding leader and deserves a lot of credit for all he has accomplished in his many roles around the globe at Ford. His strong leadership was critical to our North American restructuring, our turnaround at the end of the last decade, and our record profits in the past two years.

We are fortunate to have three dynamic and talented leaders in Jim Farley, Joe Hinrichs and Marcy Klevorn taking on greater responsibility. Each has a track record of driving innovation, cost efficiency and delivering results around the world. They will work closely with Jim Hackett to lead Ford's day-to-day operations, build our brand and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Vice President Pence applauds free speech  as 100 Notre Dame students walk out of his graduation speech

US Vice President Mike Pence gave a graduation speech at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday, but more than 100 students staged a walk-out protest against him.

The peaceful protest had been planned for weeks by the student organisation WeStaNDFor, according to USA Today. The group said they opposed the former Indiana governor for his positions on gay rights, supporting Donald Trump's controversial travel ban, and previous attempts to stop Syrian refugees settling in Indiana.

'It was a wonderful show of solidarity,' said one of the protest leaders, former student body president Bryan Ricketts.

The university was aware of the planned walk-out, plans for which began in late April, after Pence's presence was announced in March. The commencement ceremony hosted 3,171 graduates, about 100 of which walked out when Pence began his address.

A large group of students just walked out of Notre Dame's commencement during VP Mike Pence's address. #ND2017 pic.twitter.com/g3dCuqPbXg  WNDU (@WNDU) May 21, 2017

WeStaNDFor previously promoted the protest online, and dropped 500 rainbow pride flags around Notre Dame's campus. They advised students on how to protest: 'Walk away from Pence quietly, in confidence, with your head up high, taking your time. Embrace the moment, maybe even hold hands/lock arms with those joining you.'

One ceremony attendee Nataline Duffy, who was there to watch her son graduate, said the demonstration was 'in poor taste. We think it's disrespectful. It's so unnecessary. This is a good man who is coming here for graduation.

'I wonder about this new generation, how they do this kind of thing. And I think better of Notre Dame students that they'd do this kind of thing. But it's a very small group. I don't think they represent Notre Dame at all.'

Pence is an evangelical, but was raised as a Catholic. Sunday's ceremony also saw him receive an honorary degree from Notre Dame.

His address did not reference the walk-out directly, but praised the university for its facilitation of free speech and its 'atmosphere of civility and open debate'. He condemned campuses where there are 'safe zones, tone policing, administration-sanctioned political correctness, all of which amounts to nothing less than suppression of the freedom of speech.'

He added: 'Notre Dame is a campus where deliberation is welcomed, where opposing views are debated, and where every speaker, no matter how unpopular or unfashionable, is afforded the right to air their views in the open for all to hear.'
Why It Is Wrong To Pretend That Catholics And Protestants Agree #Reformation500

If the Reformation had never happened, what would Western Christianity look like today? That's an obvious question to ask this year, which marks the 500th anniversary of the publication of Luther's Ninety-five Theses on October 17, 1517. What's less obvious is whether Catholics should commemorate it. I won't be.

Naturally, Protestants everywhere will be celebrating the day that they consider to be the true start of their Reformation. That's fine by me, but it's the wrong party for Catholics to crash. Ecumenical functionaries in my church think differently, but their arguments are painfully convoluted: I don't see how dwelling on an event that  from a Catholic perspective  deprived countless millions of Christians of most of the sacraments instituted by Jesus can possibly bring us closer together.

As an exercise in alternative history, however, imagining a Europe without Luther is quite a challenge. Would Christendom have remained overwhelmingly Catholic (or "Roman Catholic", if you insist: it's not what we call ourselves)? Surely not. The church had already been horribly wounded by the Western Schism, during which England supported a pope in Rome and France supported one in Avignon. The dispute was formally resolved in 1417, exactly a century before the publication of the Theses, but it left a papacy that was vulnerable to being pushed around and pulled apart by newly emerging nation states.

It would have happened again, even without theological disputes about the means of salvation and the nature of the Eucharist. So one possible alternative future for Christianity in the West is that it would have come to resemble the church in the East  fractured by rival popes or patriarchs under the control of secular monarchs. Would that have been better, from a Catholic point of view, than what did happen?

Ecumenical etiquette in the West dictates that both Protestants and Catholics pay tribute to the "riches of Orthodoxy"; Anglicans are especially keen on this, though the compliments are rarely returned. The problem is, however, that those riches are so often obscured by Orthodox pandering to temporal power. Many Eastern churches are compromised by nationalism. This has been true of Western churches, too, but not so consistently. Or, to put it another way, Catholics and Protestants operate in more of a free market than Christians in the East, and there is a huge body of data suggesting that internal competition is good for sustaining Christian practice, if not coherent doctrine.

That market in religious ideas is inseparable from technology, and that is the main reason why a Luther-free Europe would not have divided along Orthodox lines. The freedom to question orthodox Christian tradition went hand in hand with the invention of printing and Western modernisation generally. If not Luther, somebody else would have uncorked the bottle.

Everything we know about late-medieval religious dissenters such as the Lollards suggests that, at some point in the 16th century, there would have been an eruption of religious enthusiasm directed against the sacramental priesthood. Where alternative historians can have fun is in speculating how the temporal powers would have reacted. If non-Lutheran Protestantism had been confined to radical sects, lacking the support of princes and city fathers, would Henry VIII have nudged England into the rejection of core Catholic teachings in addition to challenging the authority of the pope?

But enough of this. Self-conscious games of alternative history get boring after a time. What bothers me is the thought that church leaders are constructing a different sort of alternative reality: one that they would like us to substitute for the real thing. Catholics and Protestants (the latter including most Anglicans) disagree fundamentally on the significance of the Eucharist. This is a tragedy that has not been reversed by earnest dialogue: it is a vitally important part of the fabric of Christian life, and the attempts by ecclesiastical bureaucrats to persuade us otherwise misrepresent the convictions of ordinary Christians, perhaps especially in England.

A few months ago, by accident, I stumbled on a Low Church Anglican Eucharist being held by a nice young vicar in an old people's home. After reading a Eucharistic prayer very similar to one that we use in the Mass, he went round offering the residents  many suffering from dementia  a communion wafer. "What's this?" asked one old lady. "Just a bit of bread," replied the vicar.

He meant no disrespect, but any Catholic priest who uttered those words would have been betraying his vocation. And that, in a nutshell, is why I won't be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Damian Thompson is an associate editor of The Spectator and editorial director of the Catholic Herald. Find him on Twitter @HolySmoke.
The announcement that the 2017 Puerto Rican Day Parade would honor seditionist and Puerto Rican independentista Oscar Lopez Rivera as a National Freedom Hero has led several sponsors of the parade to withdraw their endorsements. Lopez Rivera was a leader of FALN, which conducted a campaign of deadly bombings around New York City and Chicago in the 1970s, and he was recently released from prison after having his 75-year sentence commuted by President Obama. Goya Foods, a significant backer of the parade for its entire 60-year history, has backed out, as have the NYPD Hispanic Society, the Patrolmens Benevolent Association, and the other police unions representing the NYPD senior ranks. NYPD commissioner James ONeill announced this afternoon that he will not march in the parade because he deems Lopez Rivera a terrorist.

In response, city council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito today held a rally to defend the parade, though the parade itself is not in need of defense, its only sticking point being the inclusion of a convicted terrorist as guest of honor. About 50 ardent supporters of Rivera assembled in a meeting hall at the headquarters of 32BJ, the building-service workers local of labor powerhouse SEIU, where they displayed banners and chanted, We stand with the Puerto Rican Parade/Oscar Lopez is our hero today!

A number of speakers addressed the press and the few supporters of the rally who were not already on the dais. Estela Vazquez, executive vice president of SEIU 1199 (the nations largest union local), explained that George Washington fought for his country, and Oscar Lopez Rivera fought for his country. He should be celebrated just as George Washington is celebrated. This parallel might hold up if Lopez Rivera were being celebrated in his homeland of Puerto Rico, but it stretches credulity to demand that New York City celebrate the man who actually blew up Fraunces Tavern (where George Washington bade his officers farewell), and who in fact murdered and mutilated New Yorkers.

Much of the rally consisted of similarly flaccid historical comparisons. Supporters chanted, Oscar Lopez Rivera/Puerto Ricos Mandela, and speakers drew a connection between the fight against apartheid and Puerto Ricos struggle for independence. The trouble with this parallel, however embarrassing it may be for the Puerto Ricans, is that black South Africans voted overwhelmingly to overturn the apartheid system, while the independence movement in Puerto Rico has virtually zero support. In four referenda held since Oscar Lopez Rivera went to prison, the Independence line has received between 2 percent to 5 percent of the vote.

The quaint rhetoric of the Lopez Rivera faction also overlooks the fact that the United States gains nothing from its supposed colonial domination of Puerto Rico. Were Puerto Rico to decide to go its own way and pursue nationhood, would any non-Puerto Rican Americans wish them anything but the best?

Mark-Viverito spoke angrily about the lies that have been peddled about Lopez Rivera by people who wish to undermine the significance of who Oscar Lopez Rivera is, but she would not go into specifics about what those lies were, or the motivations of the liars. But she insisted that his conviction for seditious conspiracy, as opposed to murder, demonstrates that he was a political prisoner jailed for his beliefs, and that he remains a symbol for the fight for justice. When a reporter asked her why Lopez Rivera had dynamite, blasting caps, and bomb-making diagrams in his apartment when he was arrested, Mark-Viverito said, in regard to the specifics of that situation you are talking about, I dont know everything that was presented in the court proceedings.

Just for claritys sake: the FALN claimed responsibility for more than 100 bombings, including the one at Fraunces Tavern that killed four people and injured 50. At his trial, Lopez Rivera refused to participate in his defense on the grounds that he was a combatant in an anti-colonial war against the United States and thus a prisoner of war; he demanded to be tried by an international tribunal. He was tried in open court and convicted of seditious conspiracy, use of force to commit robbery, interstate transportation of firearms and ammunition to aid in the commission of a felony, and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles. Lopez Rivera refuses to take responsibility for the consequences of his acts, nor has he renounced violence, conceding only that other means are more effective. When asked about the surviving family of his victims, he told an interviewer in 2011, If you dont respect me, why should I reciprocate? I wasnt there to tell them, Hey, listen, Im sorry. Thats not me.

Leaving the rally, I found myself face to face with Mark-Viverito in the elevator going downstairs. I asked her, Speaker, will you take Oscar Lopez Rivera to Fraunces Tavern to eat after the parade? She and one of her aides gasped at the impertinence of my question, and her entourage closed ranks around her as she stared at her cell phone. Apparently it is not in bad taste to parade a terrorist murderer through the streets of New York City and hail him as a hero; the scandal is to be reminded of his victims.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
The sector has come a long way on visible diversity, but could go further in terms of having diversity of thought on trustee boards, delegates heard at Charity Finance Groups Annual Conference last week.

Judith Miller, a partner at Sayer Vincent, was speaking on a panel session on governance at the conference last week. The panel session in part referred to the Charity Governance Code, which was produced by sector bodies and replaced the Charity Commissions publication The Hallmarks of an Effective Charity (CC10).

Speaking at the conference last week, Miller spoke of a need for trustee boards to have representation froma wider range of perspectives.

She said: I think diversity is really important and I think the sector has come a long way in terms of what I think Id call the visible diversity of boards. You can make sure you get the gender balance and all of those sorts of things right, but the thing for me, which the code does actually mention and calls diversity of thought, and I use this fancy expression neuro-diversity.

We need to avoid group think, do we have an environment where people can actually challenge people constructively and bring different ideas to the table, instead of being quashed.

See also

Embrace failure

Andrew OBrien, head of policy and public affairs at CFG was also speaking on the panel, alongside John Williams, vice chair of the Association of Chairs.

OBrien spoke about the need for trustees to embrace failure, which is something that he said the code addresses.

He said that there is a need for getting trustees comfortable with the idea that mistakes will be made, there will be bad mistakes made, but as long as they are trying their best, they are tackling these issues and they are do something about them, that is what is expected of them.

He continued: I think in this sector we talk about being risk-averse, but we can be quite risk-taking if we know we are going to succeed in that I think.

But as a sector when we get a whiff of failure we try and back away from those issues, and I think trustees can often be guilty of that, and executives and everybody else in charities can be, because we know the stakes are so high. Because often these organisations are the last line for vulnerable individuals. But we have got to get better as a sector at accepting failure, and that there will be failures, and that organisations will fail with decision-making.

Neal Green, senior policy adviser at the Charity Commission, who was chairing the session, said that the Charity Commission believes that it is ok to do something that doesnt work out.

He said: Whether it succeeds or not is not the important issue, the process of decision making that led you to say weve got to give this a shot is the important thing. Not everything has to work first time.

Civil Society Media is hosting a course on Risk Management for Trustees on 28 September 2017. For more information, and to book, click here.
BlackRock, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. It also provides global risk management and advisory services. The firm manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. It also launches and manages open-end and closed-end mutual funds, offshore funds, unit trusts, and alternative investment vehicles including structured funds. The firm launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and real estate mutual funds. It also launches equity, fixed income, balanced, currency, commodity, and multi-asset exchange traded funds. The firm also launches and manages hedge funds. It invests in the public equity, fixed income, real estate, currency, commodity, and alternative markets across the globe. The firm primarily invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, SMID-cap, large-cap, and multi-cap companies. It also invests in dividend-paying equity securities. The firm invests in investment grade municipal securities, government securities including securities issued or guaranteed by a government or a government agency or instrumentality, corporate bonds, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. It employs fundamental and quantitative analysis with a focus on bottom-up and top-down approach to make its investments. The firm employs liquidity, asset allocation, balanced, real estate, and alternative strategies to make its investments. In real estate sector, it seeks to invest in Poland and Germany. The firm benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against various S&P, Russell, Barclays, MSCI, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch indices. BlackRock, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in New York City with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; London, United Kingdom; Gurgaon, India; Hong Kong; Greenwich, Connecticut; Princeton, New Jersey; Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, District of Columbia; Toronto, Canada; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Francisco, California.
The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogeness

A&M Farms of Lyons, Ga., is recalling select whole Vidalia onions packed on one pack line between June 20, 2022, and June 23, 2022.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses or adverse events have been reported to date.

A list of the recalled products, sold at retail stores in five states, may be found here.

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it. Instead, they should discard or return it to the place of purchas...
Windstar Cruises made a big deployment announcement on Monday, introducing eight new itineraries in Northern Europe and 12 new Mediterranean itineraries.

Overall the company will offer 40 different itineraries in Europe for the 2018 cruise season.This includes 26 new ports, part of a 2018 season that sees the cruise line visiting 93 new ports.

The Europe sailings, running April through October, include a number of what Windstar calls small ship-only experiences, like cruising the narrow Trollfjord in the Lofoten Islands; and docking in downtown London.

These 20 new itineraries are just the latest development in response to our growing customer demand, were keenly focused on offering more and varied sailings that effectively leverage our fleet of six small ships, said Windstar President John Delaney. Our team constantly seeks out new experiences, lesser known ports and harbors everywhere we sail  hidden treasures that only true small ships can access. Unveiling these new itineraries further demonstrates our commitment to destination authenticity  delivering incredible experiences in a highly customized way.

Also new for 2018 is deployment in Asia (Japan), Alaska and Canada/New England.

Europe deployment ranges from week-long voyages to multi-week sailings, the Seattle-based company said.

Among new options: Secrets of the Faroe, Shetland & Orkney Islands, Norways Famous Fjords and Sailing Southern Italy & Croatia.
I made $5.00 an hour when I was 9. Every Friday afternoon my mom would take me in to work with her to clean my uncles office building. I vividly remember cleaning meant scuffing the walls with the vacuum and collecting a Santa-like bag of trash from all the offices. If I did a satisfactory job and it was on the right Friday (aka payday), my mom would hand me my arguably well-deserved check from my gracious uncle. After our strenuous workday, my mom and I would head over to the bank right down the road. It took a couple years of maturing and a few jobs later before I even noticed that the bank I went to wasnt actually called a bank but rather a credit union. It performed the same services as a bank, so I thought nothing of it; must be a fancy bank or something.

More than a fancy bank

My mom clearly understood the importance of a credit union by financing our money there and I wish I could say the same. I wish I could say I fell into the credit union industry because I supported their mission and purpose. Too much time elapsed before I even started to comprehend the many reasons you should clearly be part of a credit union, but instead by happenstance, I landed a summer internship my junior year of college at CUNA Mutual Group. It wasnt until that year (21 years old) that I finally started to understand why my mom made that decision to join a credit union such a long time ago. At CUNA Mutual Group, I was on the e-commerce team where I helped various ongoing website projects including boosting SEO efforts and researching content strategy. The summer flew by but I grasped a totally new understanding of the cooperative model and credit union mission from learning workshops and co-workers. I still didnt fully understand the industry in its entirety since it was only a summer and I was only exposed to one small facet of the organization that seeks to do so much to help.
Credit union bribery is illegal.

Perhaps this is news to no one, but I was reminded of this recently when asked by a NAFCU-member whether a credit union employee could accept a monetary gift of thanks from a member. While gifts of appreciation and other gratuities from members to credit union employees are, in most cases, innocent and well-intentioned, an employees receipt of such gifts can raise bribery concerns.

Code of Conduct

NCUA has an old, but still effective, Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statement (IRPS) from 1987 (See, IRPS 87-1) that provides guidance to federally insured credit unions with respect to the Bank Bribery Act. See, 18 U.S.C. 215. Among other things, IRPS 87-1 encourages federally-insured credit unions to adopt codes of conduct that describe the prohibitions of the bank bribery law and recommends procedures to ensure compliance with the law.

By way of brief background, the Bank Bribery Act generally prohibits a credit union officer, director, employee, agent, or attorney  from seeking or accepting anything of value, with the corrupt intent to be influenced or rewarded in connection with any business or transaction of the credit union. The law also prohibits anyone from offering or giving anything of value to a credit union officer, director, employee, agent, or attorney in connection with any business or transaction of the credit union, with the intent to corruptly influence or reward that person.
Commissioned one week after the end of World War II, the USS Midway held the record of largest ship in the world for nearly a decade. It was also the first ship too large to pass through the Panama Canal. Now this historic aircraft carrier is a floating museum docked in San Diego. And this past Thursday night, it became the location for the 6th annual Corelation Client Conferences closing event. The event was co-sponsored by conference exhibitors ISD.com and SwitchThink Solutions and welcomed conference attendees and exhibitors alike.

In addition to exploring a historic military vessel that served the United States Navy for nearly five decades, event attendees had a chance to enjoy two different flight simulators. The Air Combat 360 flight simulator was co-sponsored by conference exhibitors Ascensus and JHA Payment Processing Solutions, while the Flight Avionics simulator was sponsored by conference exhibitor ProfitStars.

There were also a number of other fun activities that arent normally a part of the USS Midway experience. These included fortune tellers co-sponsored by IMM and Jwaala, a photo booth sponsored by Stickley on Security and a caricature artist jointly sponsored by Bankjoy and IMM.

All of these activities took place on the aft of the lower deck. After a festive cocktail hour, event attendees were directed to the fore of the lower deck for a sit-down dinner. Dinner was followed by dancing and, for those brave enough to attempt it, karaoke sponsored by Fiserv.

Although San Diego weather had been chilly during the week, it warmed up on Thursday night, helping make for a perfect evening.
President Trump is planning massive cuts to programs that have helped millions of Americans get affordable college loans, and plans to eliminate a program that offers limited debt forgiveness for some people who go to work for nonprofits.

However, credit unions might help ease the impact through expansion of private loan and refinance programs, a student loan CUSO official said.

The Washington Post reported Thursday on Education Department documents dated May 23  the date the White House is expected to announce its education budget.

The budget proposal calls for a $9.2 billion cut to the department, or 13.6 percent of the spending level Congress approved last month for programs from kindergarten to college. That amount is net of at least $1.7 billion in increased spending for new K-12 programs to encourage school vouchers and school choice programs.
Just Who Are Russia's Cyber Warriors?

Western intelligence services and cyber security firms say they have identified two particular groups involved in the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that led to a series of embarrassing emails being leaked to the public ahead of the US presidential election.

The first group, known as APT 29, Cozy Bear, or The Dukes, penetrated the DNC in July 2015. It is believed to be linked to the FSB, the main successor agency to the KGB, the Soviet Union's sprawling intelligence outfit.

The second, which security experts call APT 28, or Fancy Bear, hacked in March 2016. Crowdstrike, the security firm hired by the DNC to investigate the hack, concluded it was linked to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), the Russian ministry of defence's intelligence agency.

APT stands for Advanced Persistent Threat, a term cyber security experts use, to refer to known networks of hackers. Cozy and Fancy Bear are not the only ones linked to national governments. APT-1, for example, is believed to be a Chinese government operation.

How do they work?

Both Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear gained access to computers through a technique called spear phishing, where attackers use carefully tailored fake emails and websites to trick target individuals into uploading malware onto their computer systems.

But thinking of them as glorified bank scammers would be a big mistake, says Thomas Rid, the author of Rise of the Machines and an expert on espionage at King's College London.

In the DNC hacks, the emails they used were so carefully targeted and convincing that they achieved a success rate of one in seven emails.

Thats not one in seven people who opened the email or clicked a link, thats one in seven who actually typed in their passwords, a phenomenal success rate, said Mr Rid. Its extremely sophisticated. Dont think they wouldnt fool you.

So now Russia has divisions of nerds as well as tanks?

No one knows. The German intelligence services have estimated that Russias three main intelligence outfits, the FSB, GRU, and SVR (the foreign intelligence service, roughly Russias MI6), have up to 4,000 cyber agents. That's not an outlandish number, the United States said in 2014 it would seek to hire 6,000 such staff.

Between them they have targeted foreign political parties, the German parliament, defence companies, and media organisations.

But that doesnt mean there are thousands of nerds wearing shoulder-board epaulettes. Much more likely, says Andrei Soldatov, co-author of The Red Web, is the use of informal actors, activists, criminal groups, and possibly even legitimate cyber tech firms, who are curated by and act for the state, but hold no formal rank or position.

Outsourcing is a tactic Russia has used elsewhere to create plausible deniability and lower the costs and risks of controversial overseas operations.

When Russian troops moved into Crimea and east Ukraine in 2014, they were preceded by nationalist activists who insist they were acting independently.

It also makes it difficult to build an accurate picture of the Russian cyber warfare programme. Given the information publicly available, says Mr Soldatov, it is difficult to see how intelligence agencies are so sure Fancy Bear is definitely the GRU, for example.

What about Mr Putin?

Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman, says US officials should "either stop talking about it or finally produce some evidence, otherwise it all begins to look unseemly."

However, it is generally believed that sophisticated cyber operations go up to the Kremlin, and strategic direction and final sign off on large scale operations like the one that targeted the DNC almost certainly sits with Mr Putin or one of his close advisors.

But most experts believe the Russian cyber programme is too big to be micro-managed by one man.

In fact, rival agencies appear to be running rival programmes, and they may not always be coordinating with one another.

APT 29, Cozy Bear, supposedly linked the FSB, for example, displayed a stealthy, low-profile modus operandi that you might associate with a civilian spy agency looking to gather intelligence.

They werent caught until APT 28, their presumably military colleagues, blundered in and set alarm bells ringing.

How does America fight back?

Barack Obama has promised to respond, but a tit-for-tat retaliation presents obvious risks.

For a start, it is not difficult to image how a war in cyberspace could spill into a war in the real world, said General Lord Richards, a former chief of the defence staff.

"You never really, quite know, where it's going to end up. Are they going to start having a go at our financial system, electricity? he said on the BBCs Today programme.

You have got to be very, very careful and that is why he has been rather cagey, I think, in choosing his words the way he has," Lord Richards added.

And leaking politically compromising information related to the Russian government probably would not be as politically damaging to Vladimir Putin as it was to Hillary Clinton.

Thats partly because the Kremlin maintains a near monopoly on the Russian media landscape, and partly because many Russians have few illusions about their politicians.

The Panama Papers, which revealed one of Mr Putins close friends had been handling suspiciously large sums of money, was largely greeted with a collective shrug, but also with the suspicion that it was a CIA operation trying to discredit the countrys leadership.



If anything, a mirror image response from Washington would confirm those suspicions, reinforcing the perception of Mr Putin is a strong leader defending the country against an aggressive US.

Telegraph:

You Might Also Read:

Handbook Of Russian Information Warfare:

Bank Attack Hackers Use Russian Decoys:

Russian Military Was Behind Hacking Clinton Campaign:

Meet The Fancy Bears:
Service Corporation International provides deathcare products and services in the United States and Canada. The company operates through Funeral and Cemetery segments. Its funeral service and cemetery operations comprise funeral service locations, cemeteries, funeral service/cemetery combination locations, crematoria, and other businesses. The company also provides professional services related to funerals and cremations, including the use of funeral facilities and motor vehicles; arranging and directing services; and removal, preparation, embalming, cremation, memorialization, and travel protection, as well as catering services. In addition, it offers funeral merchandise, including burial caskets and related accessories, urns and other cremation receptacles, outer burial containers, flowers, online and video tributes, stationery products, casket and cremation memorialization products, and other ancillary merchandise. Further, the company's cemeteries provide cemetery property interment rights, such as developed lots, lawn crypts, mausoleum spaces, niches, and other cremation memorialization and interment options; and sells cemetery merchandise and services, including memorial markers and bases, outer burial containers, flowers and floral placements, graveside services, merchandise installations, and interments, as well as offers preneed cemetery merchandise and services. Service Corporation International offers its products and services under the Dignity Memorial, Dignity Planning, National Cremation Society, Advantage Funeral and Cremation Services, Funeraria del Angel, Making Everlasting Memories, Neptune Society, and Trident Society brands. As of December 31, 2021, it owned and operated 1,471 funeral service locations; and 488 cemeteries, including 299 funeral service/cemetery combination locations covering 44 states, eight Canadian provinces, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The company was incorporated in 1962 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Morgan Stanley is the 6th largest financial institution in the US. The company is ranked 61st on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 39th largest bank in the world. A financial holding company, Morgan Stanley provides a full range of financial services to clients around the world.

Morgan Stanley was formed in 1935 as a result of the Glass-Steagall Act. Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking in a way that forced the then-largest bank J.P. Morgan & Co to split into two groups. J.P. Morgan & Co. chose to retain the commercial side of the business while partners Henry S. Morga, grandson of J.P., and Harold Stanley took the investment end. In its first year, Morgan Stanley did 24% of the IPO business and maintains a lions share of the market to this day.

The original company existed and grew through acquisitions until 1987 when it merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co. The new Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Discover & Co existed for 14 years until 2001 when the name was shortened back to Morgan Stanley.

The bank is credited in part with both beginning and ending the financial crisis of 2007/2008. The Process Driven Trading unit lost $300 million in one day due to a short-squeeze that popped the bubble in the housing market. After teetering on the brink of failure Morgan Stanley agreed to become a bank holding company regulated by the Federal Reserve, a key factor in the original decision to split from parent J.P. Morgan & Co. Ironically when given the chance, present-day J.P. Morgan refused to buy Morgan Stanley but that was for the better.

Today, Morgan Stanley operates through three segments via offices in 41 countries and employs more than 75,000 people. Revenue in 2021 topped $49 billion and total assets topped $1.15 trillion.

The operating segments are Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. The Institutional Securities segment is by far the largest and most profitable. It offers a range of services and products for businesses, institutions, and entities that include capital raising, strategic advisory, underwriting, advice on M&A, restructuring, and real estate. The Wealth Management segment provides brokerage and investment advisory services for individuals and employers. The services include brokerage, financial planning, company stock-plan administration, insurance, mortgage loans, lines of credit, and retirement planning. The Investment Management segment provides investment products to a range of institutions, organizations, corporations, and governments.
U.S. President Donald Trump began his first visit on Monday to Israel as the U.S. president. The stop is for two-days and will include talks about restarting the now-dormant peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Trump was in Saudi Arabia for the weekend prior to landing in Israel. In Saudi Arabia, Trump was given a huge welcome by the royal family of the kingdom.

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The president was greeted warmly by Benjamin Netanyahu the Israeli Prime Minister on Monday.

However, Trump may be questioned by officials in Israel about the revelations he disclosed sensitive intelligence about Israel with the Russians, as well as over concerns of the new arms deal worth $110 billion he announced with Saudi Arabia.

Before Monday meetings with Netanyahu, Trump and Melania the first lady will visit the important Jewish holy site the Western Wall as well as what is believed to be the place where Jesus was crucified and where his tomb is located, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Trump on Tuesday will meet with Mahmoud Abbas the President of the Palestinian Authority. After Abbas visit in March to the White House, Trump stated boldly that achieving Middle East peace is not as difficult as many have thought during the years.

However, Trump continued by saying there needs to be two parties who are willing to find peach and he believes Israel is and that the Palestinians are as well.

Aides at the White House have attempted to play down the expectations for progress in peace negotiations during the current stop by Trump, making it seem more symbolic than it is substantive.

While officials in Israel cheered the election of Trump, some are wary now of a tougher line the president took on settlements of urging restraint but not calling for a complete halt to their construction.

Trump retreated as well from a pledge made during his presidential campaign of moving the Tel Aviv U.S. Embassy into Jerusalem bending to the same security and diplomatic concerns as other presidents that made promises of a similar nature.

Palestinians, who looked at the victory by Trump with trepidation, are now pleasantly surprised at the openness of Trump during the recent meeting in Washington he had with Abbas.

A senior officials who was part of the delegation, said that Trump planned to try to relaunch the peace talks, with the only goal being reaching a full-fledged agreement with the next year.
The graduation cap you tossed in the air has barely hit the ground before you start to worry. What next?
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
After several delays, Egypts 4G frequencies are now ready to be used for service provision, according to the countrys communications minister Yasser al Kadi.

We are now ready to hand over 4G mobile frequencies to any company that is ready, said Kadi. We are waiting for companies to finish preparations to receive the frequencies.

Although Egypts 4G licence auctions were held last year, it has taken until now for the government to ready the frequencies for transfer to winning bidders. Etisalat, Orange Egypt and Vodafone Egypt obtained licences in the auctions, while state-owned Telecom Egypt is planning a 4G launch after obtaining a unified licence that allows it to offer 4G services.

The spectrum licensing process was fraught with criticism, with the three private operators initially refusing to participate in the auction on the grounds that they would not receive enough spectrum. There was also backlash against a term of acquisition that would have required operators to pay 50% of the licence cost in US dollars. While the offending terms were eventually changed, Orange Egypt reportedly complied with the order to pay half the licence fee in US currency.

Egypts government is touting the advent of 4G as a means of both generating cash for the state and revitalising the telecoms sector. Kadi stated that the auction had brought in $1.1 billion for the sector along with $1.13 billion for the state budget.
The U Hostels portfolio includes a 226-bed luxury hostel located in the heart of Madrid, operating since 2013 under the U Hostels brand with a 15-year lease. It also includes an apartment block next to the Madrid hostel. The block is made up of 14 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom apartments which are currently being renovated and will open during 2018. The apartments will be managed by the hostel management team.

In addition, there is a 2,300 sqm building in Montmartre, Paris, with 2017 planning for conversion into a hostel with around 260 beds hostel. The landlord will be investing alongside Safestay in the redevelopment of this site, expected to commence this year and open early 2019. Safestay's contribution to this redevelopment is capped at 2.3m, which will be funded from existing cash resources.

Group chairman Larry Lipman said: The U Hostels concept of what makes a modern luxury hostel is similar to ours, in terms of providing guests with the opportunity to stay in unique, stylish buildings, located centrally in gateway European cities. The U Hostels portfolio is therefore an excellent fit with us and will increase the Safestay portfolio to 6 hostels and the number of beds we offer to 2,012, excluding the apartments in Madrid.

This transaction also represents our first step in establishing a pan-European network of Safestay hostels. I am particularly delighted that we are starting with sites in Madrid and Paris, two of the most visited cities in Europe. Interestingly, Paris in relation to the number of visitors it attracts each year, has the fewest number of hostel beds available.

At 0900 BST, the shares were up 0.5% to 50p.
Swiss and US chemicals groups Clariant and Huntsman Corp have agreed to a merger of equals that would create a company worth around $20bn.

The deal will create a specialty chemical company with sales of around $13.2bn and an adjusted EBITDA of $2.3bn. Under the terms of the transaction, which is due to close by the end of the year, Clariant shareholders will own around 52% of the new entity, while Huntsman investors will own the rest, based on their current values.

Clariants chief executive officer Hariolf Kottmann said: This is the perfect deal at the right time. Clariant and Huntsman are joining forces to gain much broader global reach, create more sustained innovation power and achieve new growth opportunities. This is in the best interest of all of our stakeholders. Peter Huntsman and I share the same strategic vision and I look forward to working with him.

The Huntsman CEO, meanwhile, said: I could not be more enthusiastic about this merger and look forward to working closely with Hariolf Kottmann, a man I have admired and trusted for the past decade. We also look forward to a close association with his immensely talented colleagues around the world. Together, we will create a global leader in specialty chemicals with a combined balance sheet providing substantial financial strength and flexibility.

The combined company is expected to realise more than $3.5bn of value creation from approximately $400m in annual cost synergies and the full synergy run-rate will be achieved within two years of closing. These synergies will be realised by reducing operational costs and improving procurement.

The targeted synergies represent roughly 3% of total combined 2016 revenue with one-time costs up to $500m.

Olivetree Financial said the combination makes sense and continues a theme of consolidation and rationalisation of the chemicals space. It comes as no surprise to see Clariant executing on a merger of equals, it has needed to participate in a major deal for some time, yet management have been steadfast in their refusal to either stretch its balance sheet or to sell the company. A MoE structure was always likely, and in Huntsman it has a partner who brings it the potential to aggressively cut costs whilst creating a NewCo with a nicely balanced geographical exposure.

At 0828 BST, Clariant shares were up 6.8% to CHF22.29.
All countries taking part in the November deal to cut oil production agree on the need to extend the supply cut agreement by another nine months.

Speaking from Riyadh on Sunday, Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said there was unanimous support from all the nations that participated in the earlier deal.

"We think we have everybody on board [...] We believe that continuation with the same level of cuts, plus potentially adding one or two small producers if they wish to join, will be more than adequate to bring the balances to where they need to be by the first quarter of 2018," al-Falih said.

His remarks were made ahead of a 25 May meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Iraqi oil minister Jabbar al-Luaibi on the other hand reportedly said that almost all countries had agreed to an extension of the output cut deal and that divisions remained on whether it should be prolonged for six months or nine months.

Oil producers' goal was to push OECD countries' oil stockpiles back down to their five-year average level of roughly 2.7bn barrels, versus slightly more than the then current 3bn barrels.

As of 0930 BST front month Brent crude oil futures were higher by 0.91% to $54.10 a barrel.
Europe's single currency is too cheap, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, helping to send the greenback to its lowest levels since early October.

Merkel told an audience that the European Central Bank's accomodative policies had weakened the euro and made German goods cheaper.

That contributed to a drop in the US dollar spot index of 0.28% to 96.87 as of 15:50 BST.

In parallel, cable was off by 0.10% to 1.3024 but above an intraday low of 1.2965, while the euro was putting on 0.38% to trade at 1.1250.

The German leader's remarks came on the back of the latest weekly CFTC data which showed the number of net longs from speculators reach a 52-week high of 37,604 contracts.

According to technical analysts at Web Financial Group, although bounces were likely along the way there was no technical support for the US dollar spot index until 95.90.

A close below that level might see it extend its drop towards the 91.90 to 92.00 point area.

For euro/dollar, if 1.1299 were overcome the next level of technical resistance lay at 1.1616.
Renewed gains for the single currency dampened sentiment in European stockmarkets ahead of a meeting of euro area finance chiefs scheduled for the evening to discuss the disbursement of further aid and possible debt relief for Athens.

The euro was at 1.1232 against the US dollar after reaching an intraday high of 1.1261 after German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the currency as "too cheap".

At the closing bell, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was 0.09% lower to 391.14, with the Dax giving back 0.15% to 12,619.46 and the Cac-40 off by 0.03% to 5,322.88.

Milan's FTSE Mibtel ended 1.15% lower to 21,324.11.

The week before European equities endured their biggest decline since November.

Telecoms was the strongest group within the Stoxx 600 following positive comments out of JP Morgan.

Strategists at the investment bank reiterated their 'overweight' stance on euro area equities, singling out telecoms and banks as potentially interesting, while arguing that forecasts for euro area earnings growth in general were not excessive.

They recommended clients focus on domestic-focused names versus exporters, adding that they were bullish on the euro and cautious on the US dollar.

In parallel, front month Brent crude oil futures were 0.59% higher at $53.93 a barrel on the ICE.

Commenting on the likely content of Monday night's Eurofin meeting, Jim Reid at Deutsche Bank said: "the discussion today will be about how much debt relief is required which will subsequently pave the way for the next tranche of bailout aid to be released. The big sticking point continues to be the participation of the IMF and the ongoing clashes between the Fund and Germany."

At the weekend, Spanish Socialists voted in their party primaries to elect the more leftist of three candidates, Pedro Sanchez, to lead the the party.

Nevertheless, analysts at Barclays Research were relatively upbeat telling clients they still expected Spanish economic growth to outperform that of the rest of the Eurozone although a slightly negative reaction was expected in the country's sovereign debt.

Spain's benchmark 10-year bond yield was higher by four basis points to 1.62%.

Still on the economic calendar for Monday, at 14:00 BST investors were waiting on a speech from the president of the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia, Patrick Harker, with his opposite number at the Minneapolis Fed, Neel Kashkari, set to to take to the podium a half hour later together with Chicago Fed chief Charles Evans after the close of markets in New York.

Clariant advanced after announcing it was to acquire Huntsman Corp. creating a company with a combined market value of $14bn.

Volkswagen was seeing slight gains on the back of a Bloomberg report that private equity outfits Permira and CVC Capital Partners were running the ruler over its Italian motorcycle unit, Ducati.

Analysts Berenberg upped their target for shares of ING from 12.5 to 13.0, staying at a buy, with JP Morgan

downgrading Vinci from 'overweight' to 'neutral'.

Meanwhile, Dassault Aviation was reportedly eyeing a sale of its Rafale fighter jet to Mumbai.

Brussels asked that private investors inject another 1.3bn into Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, according to Il Messaggero.
European markets have moved slightly lower ahead of this evening's meeting of euro area finance chiefs to discuss the disbursement of further aid and possible debt relief for Athens, amid renewed gains for the single currency.

The economic situation in the euro area and post-programme surveillance for Spain were also expected to be on the table.

As of 1145 BST the benchmark Stoxx 600 was 0.17% lower to 390.84, with the Dax giving back 0.50% to 12,575.22 and the Cac-40 off by 0.05% to 5,321.77.

Milan's FTSE Mibtel was moving 1.13% lower to 21,324.11.

"Equity indices are mixed around the half-way mark. The UK's FTSE outperforms thanks to a stronger oil price ahead of the OPEC Thursday meeting and GBP weakness vs USD and EUR. Germany's DAX suffers from fresh EUR strength vs USD while Dow futures hover around breakeven, holding their Friday gains as they appear to give Trump another benefit of the doubt and maintain confidence in US growth," said Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets.

To take note of, strategists at JP Morgan reiterated their 'overweight' stance on euro area equities, singling out telecoms and banks as potentially interesting, arguing that forecasts for earnings growth were not excessive.

They recommended clients focus on domestic-focused names versus exporters, adding that they were bullish on the euro and cautious on the US dollar.

In parallel, front month Brent crude oil futures were 0.83% higher at $54.06 a barrel on the ICE.

Commenting on the likely content of Monday night's Eurofin meeting, Jim Reid at Deutsche Bank said: "the discussion today will be about how much debt relief is required which will subsequently pave the way for the next tranche of bailout aid to be released. The big sticking point continues to be the participation of the IMF and the ongoing clashes between the Fund and Germany."

At the weekend, Spanish Socialists voted in their party primaries to elect the more leftist of three candidates, Pedro Sanchez, to lead the the party.

Nevertheless, analysts at Barclays Research were relatively upbeat telling clients they still expected Spanish economic growth to outperform that of the rest of the Eurozone although a slightly negative reaction was expected in the country's sovereign debt.

Spain's benchmark 10-year bond yield was higher by four basis points to 1.61%.

Still on the economic calendar for Monday, at 14:00 BST investors were waiting on a speech from the president of the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia, Patrick Harker, with his opposite number at the Minneapolis Fed, Neel Kashkari, set to to take to the podium a half hour later together with Chicago Fed chief Charles Evans after the close of markets in New York.

Volkswagen was seeing slight gains on the back of a Bloomberg report that private equity outfits Permira and CVC Capital Partners were running the ruler over its Italian motorcycle unit, Ducati.

Analysts Berenberg upped their target for shares of ING from 12.5 to 13.0, staying at a buy, with JP Morgan

downgrading Vinci from 'overweight' to 'neutral'.

Meanwhile, Dassault Aviation was reportedly eyeing a sale of its Rafale fighter jet to Mumbai.

Brussels asked that private investors inject another 1.3bn into Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, according to Il Messaggero.
European markets have started the day on a mixed note with investors in a holding pattern ahead of an afternoon meeting between euro area finance chiefs to discuss the disbursement of further aid and possible debt relief for Athens.

The economic situation in the euro area and post-programme surveillance for Spain were also expected to be on the table.

As of 0820 BST the benchmark Stoxx 600 was flat at 391.52, with the Dax and Cac-40 also unchanged at 12,639.04 and 5,324.81, respectively.

Milan's FTSE Mibtel on the other hand was moving 1.26% lower to 21,293.39.

In parallel, front month Brent crude oil futures were gaining slightly more than half a percentage point to trade at $53.98 a barrel on the ICE.

Commenting on the likely content of Monday night's Eurofin meeting, Jim Reid at Deutsche Bank said: "the discussion today will be about how much debt relief is required which will subsequently pave the way for the next tranche of bailout aid to be released. The big sticking point continues to be the participation of the IMF and the ongoing clashes between the Fund and Germany."

At the weekend, Spanish Socialists voted in their party primaries to elect the more leftist of three candidates, Pedro Sanchez, to lead the the party.

The primaries saw 50.21% of the ballots cast in his favour, versus 39.94% for his main rival Susana Diaz, with the latter considered to be closer to the party's 'establishment'.

After the result of the elections was made known, Sanchez called for a motion of impeachment against the current centre-right Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and for a repeal of the labour market reforms implemented by the ruling PP government in Madrid.

Nevertheless, analysts at Barclays Research were relatively upbeat telling clients they still expected Spanish economic growth to outperform that of the rest of the Eurozone although a slightly negative reaction was expected in the country's sovereign debt.

Spain's benchmark 10-year bond yield only edged higher by one basis point to 1.59% in reaction.

Also on the economic calendar for Monday, at 14:00 BST investors were waiting on a speech from the president of the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia, Patrick Harker, with his opposite number at the Minneapolis Fed, Neel Kashkari, set to to take to the podium a half hour later together with Chicago Fed chief Charles Evans after the close of markets in New York.

Volkswagen was seeing slight gains on the back of a Bloomberg report that private equity outfits Permira and CVC Capital Partners were running the ruler over its Italian motorcycle unit, Ducati.

Meanwhile, Dassault Aviation was reportedly eyeing a sale of its Rafale fighter jet to Mumbai.

Brussels asked that private investors inject another 1.3bn into Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, according to Il Messaggero.
London stocks were set for a firmer open on Monday, taking their cue from a mostly positive session in Asia, with investors keeping an eye on the US as Donald Trumps inaugural trip abroad gets underway.

The FTSE 100 was expected to open 22 points higher at 7,492.

CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: Since Donald Trump won the US Presidency in November, equity markets have made significant gains on the premise that his presidency would deliver a bonfire of red tape, significant tax reform and infrastructure spending. While weve certainly had a bonfire, its been one of negative headlines, own goals and political controversies, as the new President has lurched from one controversy to another.

President Trump may well be out of the Washington firing line as he continues his nine-day tour which includes Saudi Arabia and Israel, before heading off to the EU, and meetings in Rome, Sicily and Brussels, but that doesnt mean that events back in the US wont affect investor sentiment while hes away. Reports that he had told the Russian officials that the former FBI chief was a nut-job, and that dismissing him had relieved pressure on him, are being used as another example of the Presidents propensity for questionable decision making.

Meanwhile, oil prices were on the rise ahead of an OPEC meeting in Vienna on Thursday during which members will discuss the possible extension of their agreement to cut production by 1.8m barrels a day until mid-2017. West Texas Intermediate was up 0.8% to $51.09 a barrel and Brent crude was 0.7% higher at $54.01.

In corporate news, AstraZeneca has sold the European rights to a hypertension and angina treatment for a sum of $300m plus royalties and a percentage of sales.

The FTSE 100 drug group will manufacture and supply the medicines to Italian cardiovascular drugs specialist Recordati under a supply agreement, which will see Astra receive an initial double-digit percentage of sales.

Wood Group said it had signed a technical support services contract with Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, an operator of Sakhalin-2, one of the worlds largest integrated oil and gas projects, for an undisclosed sum.

The new contract adds brownfield drilling upgrade services to operations Wood Group already supplies.

Listed infrastructure investment firm HICL Infrastructure Company announced on Monday that it has completed the acquisition of a 36.6% equity interest in the various entities that comprise the Affinity Water Group, including the regulated entity, Affinity Water Limited.

The company had initially announced the details of the transaction on 2 May.

HICL also revealed it was in advanced discussions to sell down a 25m portion of the investment to a small group of co-investors, comprising UK local authority pension funds.

FTSE 250 inhaler maker Vectura is due to present positive outcomes of its Phase I clinical study on its VR942 inhaled asthma treatment at the American Thoracic Societys annual conference later on Monday.

This follows the group's announcement in June last year that the study met its primary objective of evaluating the safety and tolerability of once-daily VR942 single or repeat doses, administered as a dry powder via inhalation, in healthy volunteers and mild asthmatics respectively.

There are no major UK data releases due.
Astrazeneca has sold the European rights to a hypertension and angina treatment for a sum of $300m plus royalties and a percentage of sales.

The FTSE 100 drug group will manufacture and supply the medicines to Italian cardiovascular drugs specialist Recordati under a supply agreement, which will see Astra receive an initial double-digit percentage of sales.

"This agreement allows us to concentrate our resources on bringing multiple new medicines to patients," said Mark Mallon, executive vice president of the company's global product and portfolio strategy.

"Recordati's expertise in cardiovascular disease and established European salesforce will help to expand the commercial potential of the Seloken brands, which are mature medicines for the new AstraZeneca."
Wood Group said it had signed a five year technical support services contract with the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, an operator of Sakhalin-2, one of the worlds largest integrated oil and gas projects, for an undisclosed sum.

The new contract adds brownfield drilling upgrade services to operations Wood Group already supplies.

The contract, with two, one year extension options will be delivered by Wood Groups engineering team based in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island and supported by the companys offices in Australia, Norway, China and the UK, the company said.

The contract extends Woods Groups relationship with Sakhalin Energy; the company has been providing engineering and construction support, including studies and modifications, to offshore and onshore assets on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Federation for more than a decade.

The contract will also feature a new working relationship between Wood Group and Gazprom unit Gasproektengineering (GPE).

GPE will play a significant and growing role in supporting service delivery, working closely with Wood Group across the range and scope of services and asset base Wood Group said.
May in climbdown as poll lead halved; tries to accuse Corbyn of 'fake news'

Tories backtrack on manifesto pledge less than a week after it was unveiled

Party buys ads on Google to deflect from negative coverage of policy

UK Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative party has been forced into a humiliating climbdown on a controversial manifesto promise known as the 'dementia tax' following sharp criticism of the partys social care policy.

May has now said there will be an "absolute limit" on the increase in social care costs for older citizens, during a campaign event for the Welsh Conservatives on Monday.

May did not give further details on the plan to introduce the cap or how much it would be. Her suggestion that opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn had made "fake claims" that some people would lose their homes under the policy were also found to be incorrect when the Guardian revealed that the manifesto carried no limit on how much people could end up paying for their care in old age.

The Prime Minister appeared agitated during Monday's press conference, denying that the introduction of a cap was in any way a climbdown from last week's manifesto vow.

"Let's be clear we have not changed the principles we set out in our manifesto. What we have done is clarified that in the green paper which will be a consultation document we will have an upper limit. But the basic principles remain the same," May told the media.

Early polls indicating a landslide Conservative win in next month's election appear to have reversed in recent days as Labour appear to be taking advantage of their opposition's woes.

THE REAL FACTS

The Tory U-turn arrived as the party was also facing criticism for paying for the top-ranked search result for 'dementia tax' on Google. The manifesto includes the social care policy provision, which has been referred to as the dementia tax due to its impact on older citizens.

tories back peddle on dementia tax, they buy google adds to try and cover up the story...google puts its own suggestions underneath, classic pic.twitter.com/QTkDrB0LbA  Arrgee_Mugwump (@W4RN3R1969) May 22, 2017

The move came in response to growing criticism of May and her partys manifesto commitments, with the Tories likely to have spent thousands of pounds on placing their advertisement in Googles primary spot.Now the top result for 'dementia tax' is occupied by the Conservatives headline and link to their website. The line reads "the so-called 'dementia tax'  get the real facts."

Several news stories appear below the ad which display negative headlines related to the Conservatives social care plan.

The issue of major tech companies' influence on elections and other key votes has been called into question over the last twelve months, with Google and Facebook receiving particular attention due to the rise of so-called 'fake news' during the last year.

Rankings in Google searches are available to be bought through digital auctions, with companies and organisations competing for the top spots and resultant exposure.
Britain has no time to waste in Brexit talks, Theresa May will warn as she says formal negotiations about leaving the European Union will start just 11 days after the election. The Prime Minister will tell supporters in Wales - which voted overwhelmingly to leave the European Union at the referendum  not to risk letting Jeremy Corbyn lead these talks. - Telegraph

Asking prices for UK homes hit a new record high over the past month as families in search of bigger properties brushed aside uncertainty caused by Brexit and Junes general election. Prices sought by sellers rose 1.2% in the four weeks to 13 May, pushing the average asking price to a fresh peak of 317,281, according to the property website Rightmove. - Guardian

Theresa Mays plans to overhaul social care could be wrecked by poorly performing local authorities, amid further signs that Labour is closing the gap with the Conservatives. Research suggested that people in some parts of the country were struggling to exercise their legal right to defer residential care payments until after their death, with some authorities making it difficult or impossible to strike a deal. - The Times

Investors could face an extra 100 billion bill if Brussels forces the clearing of euro-denominated trades away from London because of Brexit, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange has warned. The move would cause fragmentation of the 1 trillion market which forms the plumbing behind the global financial system, making it more difficult for clearing houses to offset risk, thereby increasing costs passed on to users including pensioners and savers. - The Times

The boss of the countrys biggest convenience store chain, McColls, has said that he is eyeing a possible takeover of Tescos One Stop chain. Industry experts believe that Tesco will have to either offload its One Stop brand or hundreds of Tesco Express shops in order to secure clearance from the UKs competition regulator for its merger with the wholesaler Booker. - Telegraph

A healthcare analyst at Jefferies has been named the Citys best stock-picker as brokers continue to scale back their research operations. James Vane-Tempest came out on top in this years StarMine analyst awards. JP Morgan Cazenove was ranked the best broker. - The Times

The owner of British Airways has hit out at Heathrow Airport over its plans to nearly double the number of UK destinations it will offer after expansion. Heathrow has written to the Government asking it to ringfence a proportion of the slots it expects to become available  if a third runway is built  for flights to and from UK destinations. - Mail

The majority of Apple Pay tills in the UK can now accept mobile payments above 30, bringing the tech giant's vision of replacing the wallet a step closer. Jennifer Bailey, the head of Apples payments business, said over half of contactless payment terminals in the UK are now able to take Apple Pay transactions of any value. Most card readers had previously been restricted to 30, the default upper limit for contactless card transactions. - Telegraph

Only a decade ago logistics companies which owned large warehouses  or sheds as insiders call them  were considered the least glamorous part of the property world. At the same time, shopping centres were booming. Now shifting shopping patterns are causing a reversal of fortunes and few companies better represent that change than Segro and Intu. - The Times

A team of salvage experts hoping to recover billions of pounds worth of gold from deep-sea shipwrecks are looking for investors to back their treasure hunt. Britannias Gold has launched a 5m equity fundraising for their exploration of ships sunk in the First and Second World Wars. - Mail
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL...May 22, 2017 - Researchers at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) and the Sheba Medical Center have developed a new therapy to treat atherosclerosis and prevent heart failure with a new biomedical polymer that reduces arterial plaque and inflammation in the cardiovascular system.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease causes 56 million deaths annually worldwide, according to the 2015 Lancet Global Burden of Disease Report. Arteries are lined by a thin layer of cells called the "endothelium" which keep them toned and smooth and maintain blood flow. Atherosclerosis begins with damage to the endothelium and is caused by high blood pressure, smoking or high cholesterol. The resulting damage leads to plaque formation.

When endothelial cells experience inflammation, they produce a molecule called "E-selectin," which brings white blood cells (monocytes) to the area and causes plaque accumulation in the arteries.

"Our E-selectin-targeting polymer reduces existing plaque and prevents further plaque progression and inflammation, preventing arterial thrombosis, ischemia, myocardial infarction, and stroke," says Prof. Ayelet David of the BGU Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology.

This innovative nano-polymer has several advantages. First, it targets only damaged tissue and does not harm healthy tissue. At present, there are several available treatment options for atherosclerosis, but no other therapy reverses arterial damage and improves the heart muscle. Lastly, the polymer has no side effects, unlike statins, which are currently the leading medication used for treating atherosclerosis.

Patented and in preclinical stage, the new polymer has been tested on mice with positive results. In a study that has been submitted for publication, the researchers treated atherosclerotic mice with four injections of the new biomedical polymer and tested the change in their arteries after four weeks. "We were stunned by the results," says Prof. David. "The myocardial function of the treated mice was greatly improved, there was less inflammation and a significant decrease in the thickness of the arteries."

Prof. David and collaborator Prof. Jonathan Leor, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute of the Sheba Medical Center and professor of cardiology at Tel Aviv University, suggest that this polymer-based therapy can also be helpful to people with diabetes, hypertension and other age-related conditions. "As such, the new polymeric therapy may have life-changing benefits for millions of people," the researchers say.

"This is unprecedented," says Prof. Leor. "We achieved an adherence level similar to that of an antibody, which may explain the strong beneficial effect we observed."

"We are now seeking a pharmaceutical company to bring our polymer therapy through the next stages of drug development and ultimately to market," says Dr. Ora Horovitz, senior vice president of business development at BGN Technologies (BGN). BGU's technology transfer and commercialization company. "We believe that this therapy has the potential to help a great number of people."

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About BGN Technologies

BGN Technologies (BGN) is the commercialization and technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University (BGU). BGN is responsible for patent protection and commercialization of inventions and innovations of BGU researchers and students. By encouraging and fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem, by creating startups, accelerators, innovation hubs, and through creative partnering with industry and investors, BGN brings value to BGU, to its researchers and to those in need of new and effective therapies. BGN Technologies will be participating in the 16th National Life Sciences & Technology Week May 23 - 25, 2017 at the David InterContinental hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel.

About American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. As Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) looks ahead to turning 50 in 2020, AABGU imagines a future that goes beyond the walls of academia. It is a future where BGU invents a new world and inspires a vision for a stronger Israel and its next generation of leaders. Together with supporters, AABGU will help the University foster excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the communities of the Negev for the next 50 years and beyond. Visit vision.aabgu.org to learn more.

AABGU, which is headquartered in Manhattan, has nine regional offices throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aabgu.org
An American Cancer Society study of Medicare enrollees finds the risk for interval colorectal cancers, cancers that develop after a colonoscopy but before the next recommended test, is higher for blacks than whites. The study, appearing in Annals of Internal Medicine, finds that blacks and other minorities were less likely to receive colonoscopy from more highly-rated physicians, though variations in quality of screening did not account for the black-white differences in interval cancers.

Screening for colorectal cancer is effective in reducing incidence and mortality by detecting precancerous lesions or cancer at more curable stages. But colorectal cancers can still develop in screened populations. Some are missed at the time of screening; others can develop between recommended screenings. Interval colorectal cancers, defined as cancers that develop after a negative result on colonoscopy but before the next recommended test, account for 3% to 8% of colorectal cancer cases in the United States.

Studies have identified some of the factors that could increase the risk of interval colorectal cancer, including patient demographics, clinical factors, and physician factors, including quality of colonoscopy metrics. However, patterns of risk for interval colorectal cancer by race/ethnicity are not well known. The risk for blacks was of interest to authors because colorectal incidence and mortality rates in blacks are the highest among any race or ethnicity in the United States.

To further investigate, investigators led by Stacey Fedewa, Ph.D. looked for interval colorectal cancer occurrence among 61,0000 patients ages 66 to 75 in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program who had received a colonoscopy between 2002 and 2011. There were 2,735 interval colorectal cancers identified during that time. Physicians' polyp detection rate was used a surrogate measure of quality of colonoscopy, with higher detection rates representing better quality.

The probability of interval colorectal cancer by the end of follow-up was 7.1% in blacks and 5.8% in whites. Blacks were more likely than whites (52.8% versus 46.2%) to have received colonoscopy from physicians with a lower polyp detection rate, and polyp detection rate was significantly associated with the risk of an interval cancer.

Nonetheless, the higher risk of interval cancers among blacks remained after adjusting for polyp detection rate. Compared with whites, blacks had 31% higher risk for interval colorectal cancer after accounting for polyp detection rate and other factors, including measures of socioeconomic status. In addition, the greatest black-white disparities were observed among patients receiving colonoscopy from physicians with higher polyp detection rates.

"Blacks and other minorities more frequently received colonoscopies from physicians with lower polyp detection rates, suggesting there was lower quality of care," said Dr. Fedewa. "Our findings are consistent with previous reports that blacks were more likely to receive healthcare from physicians in lower resource settings and also experienced poorer outcomes. We also observed greater black-white differences among patients receiving colonoscopies from physicians with higher but not lower polyp detection rates, which aligns with previous observations that disparities in outcomes and healthcare utilization often manifest when higher quality medical interventions and care become available . In other words, interventions that improve outcomes for patients can, somewhat ironically, increase disparities, since they're often less available to ethnic minorities."

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Article: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Interval Colorectal Cancer Incidence: A Population-Based Cohort Study, S Fedewa et al. Published online May 22, 2017. doi: 10.7326/M16-1154

Link upon publication: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M16-1154
ATS 2017, WASHINGTON, DC -- A new study has found that children, especially boys, whose mothers were exposed to higher levels of outdoor particulate air pollution at the same time that they were very stressed were most likely to develop asthma by age six. The study was presented at the 2017 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

The team, led by senior investigator Rosalind Wright, MD, MPH, co-director of the Institute for Exposomics Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, conducted this study because of their overarching interest in understanding how these and other environmental factors interact to produce respiratory health disparities.

"We know from prior research that lower income, ethnically mixed urban populations are more greatly burdened with asthma and other respiratory health problems," said lead author Alison Lee, MD, MS, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "Given that populations disproportionately exposed to ambient air pollution are also more likely to be exposed to social stressors such as financial strain, discrimination, housing difficulties, and crime or violence, we were particularly interested in combined effects of both factors starting in early development, even in pregnancy."

Dr. Lee and colleagues looked at the daily exposure of 736 primarily African American and Latina, urban pregnant women to ambient particulate matter, a type of air pollution caused mainly by traffic and industrial emissions. They also looked at the women's prenatal stress levels through a survey that gave a "negative life event" score. The women reported a greater number of negative events characterized as experiencing more stress. Their full-term infants were followed to the age of six years.

The researchers found associations between high particulate exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy and increased odds of developing asthma for all children. Further examination found that boys born to mothers reporting higher levels of prenatal stress, who were also more highly exposed to air pollution, were particularly affected.

"Our data are the first to show that when they occur together, the effect is multiplied," said Dr. Lee. "It isn't clear at this point why boys are more impacted, but scientists think it may be related to the fact that boys' lungs mature at a slower rate compared to girls. This, coupled with male fetuses' increased risk for specific types of injury, such as oxidative stress, may increase the risk of respiratory disease when co-exposure to ambient air pollution and stress occurs during the prenatal period."

Dr. Lee concluded: "Our data suggest that all children born to women experiencing increased levels of air pollution and stress during the prenatal period are particularly at increased risk of developing asthma in early childhood. As we continue efforts to reduce outdoor air pollution, our study suggests that we must also focus on co-exposures such as stress. Prevention is not a matter of eliminating stress but rather, we need to develop strategies to reduce stress to more normative levels - for example, implementing prenatal programs that provide resources to address the more prevalent stressors or to promote better coping strategies, particularly among disadvantaged, high-risk populations."

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Contact for Media: Alison Lee, MD, MS, Alison.lee@mssm.edu

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Dacia Morris

dmorris@thoracic.org

ATS Office 212-315-8620 (until May 17)

Cell Phone 917-561-6545

PRESS CONFERENCE: May 22, 2017, 4:45 p.m.; Room 148 (Middle Building, Street Level) Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Session: B106 Prenatal, Perinatal, and Childhood Exposures in Lung Disease

Abstract 8941

Abstract Presentation Time: Monday, May 22, 2:15 p.m. ETLocation: Room 151 B (Middle Building, Street Level), Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Prenatal Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter Is Associated with Early Childhood Asthma: Influence of Exposure Timing and Effect Modification by Prenatal Stress and Child Sex

Authors: A. Lee1, Y.-H.M. Chiu2, H.-H.L. Hsu1, I. Kloog3, J. Schwartz4, S. Cohen5, A. Wilson6, B. Coull7, R.O. Wright1, R. Wright1; 1Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - New York, NY/US, 2Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine - New York, NY/US, 3Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - Beer Sheva/IL, 4Harvard School of Public Health - Boston, MA/US, 5Carnegie Mellon University - Pittsburgh, PA/US, 6Colorado State University - Fort Collins, CO/US, 7Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Boston, MA/US

Rationale: Research documents independent effects of prenatal exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and stress on childhood asthma risk with demonstrated temporal- and sex-specific effects. Stress can also modify effects of ambient pollutants on respiratory outcomes although this has not been examined starting prenatally. We examined associations between prenatal PM2.5 and asthma in early childhood considering both dose and timing of exposure and whether these effects were modified by child sex and prenatal stress.

Methods: Analyses included 736 mothers and their full-term infants (?37 weeks gestation) followed to age 6 years for the ascertainment of physician-diagnosed asthma. Maternal daily PM2.5 exposure was estimated over gestation using a validated satellite-based spatiotemporal resolved model. Prenatal stress was indexed by a negative life events (NLEs) score with NLEs ?3 categorized as high stress. Using Bayesian distributed lag interaction models (BDLIMs) adjusted for maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, obesity, and tobacco smoke exposure, we examined sensitive windows for the effects of weekly averaged PM2.5 on child asthma while accounting for effect modification by both sex and prenatal stress.

Results: Mothers were largely minorities (54% Hispanic, 30% African American) with less than 12 years of education (66%), and nonsmokers prenatally (86%). When accounting for a 3-way interaction (PM2.5 x NLEs x sex), BDLIMs demonstrated associations between higher PM2.5 exposure at 13-20 weeks gestation and increased odds of asthma among boys, with the highest magnitude of effect among boys born to mothers reporting high prenatal stress followed by boys born to mothers with low prenatal stress. The estimated cumulative effects of PM2.5 exposure across pregnancy, accounting for sensitive windows determined by BDLIMs, was significant in the former (OR=1.20, 95%CI=1.10-1.34; per IQR increase in PM2.5) and marginally significant in the latter group (OR=1.06, 95%CI=0.94-1.20). No significant associations were found among girls, regardless of prenatal stress level. (Figure 1)

Conclusions: Boys born to women with concurrent prenatal exposure to both high levels of PM2.5 and psychosocial stress were at greatest risk of developing asthma by age 6 years. Employing methods that identify effects of both timing of exposure as well as dose when examining these complex relationships may help elucidate underlying mechanisms.

Stress-stratified associations between prenatal PM2.5 exposure and children's asthma.
ATS 2017, WASHINGTON, DC-- An investigational biologic may reduce the need for adults with severe asthma to take an oral corticosteroid to control their asthma, according to a randomized controlled trial presented at the ATS 2017 International Conference. Study findings are being reported simultaneously online, ahead of print in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The biologic is benralizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 receptor  monoclonal antibody, that when delivered subcutaneously, rapidly depletes eosinophils, cells that at high concentrations in the blood and airways lead to frequent asthma exacerbations. Benralizumab was evaluated for patients whose asthma is not well-controlled by high dosages of the standard therapies of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting 2-agonists and, therefore, were prescribed an add-on oral corticosteroid (prednisone) on a regular basis to boost control.

"Frequent or long-term use of systemic corticosteroids can lead to potentially life-threatening complications, including osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and adrenal suppression," said lead author Parameswaran Nair, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. "We need new, safe therapies that would replace the need for systemic corticosteroids for patients with severe asthma."

According to the authors, about 5 to 10 percent of people with asthma have a severe form of the disease, and studies have shown that 32 to 45 percent of these people require frequent or maintenance oral corticosteroids.

In this double-blinded, Phase 3 trial, known as ZONDA (named for the dry, warm Andean wind), 220 patients, age 18 to 75, were randomized into three arms: those receiving benralizumab every four weeks, those receiving benralizumab every eight weeks (after three initial four-week doses), and those receiving a placebo.

At the end of 28 weeks, the investigators found:

The odds of reducing prednisone use was more than four-times greater for patients enrolled in either of the benralizumab arms than placebo.

Annual exacerbation rates of patients enrolled in either of the benralizumab arms were estimated to be 55 to 70 percent lower than placebo, despite reduction in prednisone use.

More than one-third of patients enrolled in the benralizumab arms were able to reduce their prednisone dosages by ?90 percent.

FEV1, the measure of how much air a person can forcefully exhale in one second, was not significantly different between the benralizumab and placebo study arms at the end of the study. However, FEV1 did not decline compared with baseline, despite a significant reduction in the dose of prednisone.

No major adverse events were related to benralizumab use.

The researchers said that approximately 20 percent of patients did not respond to benralizumab and that future studies would be needed to determine which patients would benefit from the biologic. "It is possible that these patients' asthma was not critically dependent on the eosinophils, or they may not have had significant airway eosinophil activity," Dr. Nair said, adding that "longer term studies of patients with prednisone-dependent asthma are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn about the long-term efficacy and safety of benralizumab and eosinophil depletion."

Benralizumab is under regulatory review in the United States, European Union, Japan and several other countries.

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The study was funded by AstraZeneca.

Contact for media: Parameswaran Nair, MD, PhD, parames@mcmaster.ca

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Dacia Morris

dmorris@thoracic.org

ATS Office 212-315-8620 (until May 17)

Cell Phone 917-561-6545

Session: B101 Advances in Asthma

Abstract 5964

Abstract Presentation Time: Monday, May 22, 2:15 p.m. ETLocation: Walter E. Washington Convention Center Room 206 (South Bldg., Level 2)

Benralizumab Significantly Reduced Oral Corticosteroid Dosages and Asthma Exacerbation Rates for Patients with Severe, Uncontrolled Asthma: Results of the ZONDA Phase III Trial

Authors: P. Nair1, S.E. Wenzel2, K.-F. Rabe3, A. Bourdin4, N. Lugogo5, P. Kuna6, P. Barker7, S. Sproule7, S. Ponnarambil8, M. Goldman7; 1McMaster University & St Joseph's Healthcare - Hamilton, ON/CA, 2University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA/US, 3Lungen-Clinic Grohansdorf - Grohansdorf/DE, 4Hopital Arnaud de Villeneuve- Montpellier/FR, 5Duke University Medical Center - Durham, NC/US, 6Barlicki University Hospital, Medical University of ?od? - ?od?/PL, 7AstraZeneca - Gaithersburg, MD/US, 8AstraZeneca - Cambridge/GB; on behalf of the ZONDA study investigators

Rationale: Patients with uncontrolled asthma despite high-dosage inhaled corticosteroids plus long-acting 2-agonists (ICS/LABA) may need add-on oral corticosteroid (OCS) treatment to manage symptoms. However, frequent OCS use is associated with adverse effects. Benralizumab is a humanized, afucosylated, anti-interleukin-5 receptor  monoclonal antibody that induces direct, rapid, and nearly complete depletion of eosinophils. In Phase III trials,1,2 benralizumab significantly reduced annual exacerbation rates for patients with severe, eosinophilic asthma. The ZONDA trial (NCT02075255) evaluated OCS dosage-sparing effects of benralizumab for patients with severe asthma receiving high-dosage ICS/LABA and OCS.

Methods: In this RCT, 271 patients (aged 18-75 years) with severe, uncontrolled asthma (eosinophil counts ?150 cells/L) receiving high-dosage ICS/LABA and OCS (7.5-40 mg/d) entered an initial 2- to 8-week run-in/optimization period during which their OCS dosage was titrated to the minimum effective dosage (baseline) without losing asthma control. Eligible patients were then randomized 1:1:1 to three 28-week treatment groups: benralizumab 30 mg SC either every 4 weeks (Q4W) or every 8 weeks (Q8W; first three doses every 4 weeks) or placebo SC every 4 weeks. The treatment period comprised a 4-week induction phase (optimized OCS dosage maintained), a 20-week reduction phase (OCS dosage reduced), and a final 4-week maintenance phase (no further OCS dosage adjustment). Primary efficacy endpoint was percentage reduction from baseline in final OCS dosage while maintaining asthma control at Week 28.

Annual asthma exacerbation rate was a secondary endpoint. Each benralizumab regimen was compared with placebo.

Results: Of 220 patients who were randomized and received treatment, 207 (94.1%) completed treatment. Benralizumab significantly reduced final OCS dosages by a median of 75% with the Q4W and Q8W regimens (p<0.001) compared with placebo (25%; table). The odds of a reduction in OCS dosage were 4.09-times greater (Q4W; p<0.001) and 4.12-times greater (Q8W; p<0.001) than with placebo. Benralizumab also significantly reduced annual asthma exacerbation rates by 55% (Q4W; p=0.003) and 70% (Q8W; p<0.001) vs. placebo, despite reduction in OCS dosages in the active treatment groups (table). Adverse events were numerically lower for the benralizumab Q4W and Q8W groups vs. placebo (68.1% and 75.3% vs. 82.7%, respectively).

ZONDA Efficacy Results (full analysis seta)

Percentage reduction from baseline in daily OCS dosage at Week 28

Treatment

Benralizumab

30 mg Q4W

(n=72)

Benralizumab

30 mg Q8W

(n=73)

Placebo

(n=75)

Median (range) baseline OCS dosage, mg/d

10.0 (7.5-40.0)

10.0 (7.5-40.0)

10.0 (7.5-40.0)

Median (range) final OCS dosage at Week 28, mg/db

5.0 (0.0-45.0)

5.0 (0.0-30.0)

10.0 (0.0-40.0)

Median (95% CI) OCS reduction, %

75.0 (50.0-83.3)

75.0 (60.0-87.5)

25.0 (0.0-33.3)

HL estimate (95% CI) for median difference vs. placebo, %c

33.3 (16.7-50.0)

37.5 (20.8-50.0)

--

p-value (Wilcoxon rank sum test)

<0.001

<0.001

--

?90% dosage reductiond

24 (33.3)

27 (37.0)

9 (12.0)

?75% dosage reduction

38 (52.8)

37 (50.7)

15 (20.0)

?50% dosage reduction

48 (66.7)

48 (65.8)

28 (37.3)

>0% dosage reduction

55 (76.4)

58 (79.5)

40 (53.3)

No change or any increase in dosage

17 (23.6)

15 (20.5)

35 (46.7)

Proportional OR (95% CI) (benralizumab/placebo)

4.09 (2.22-7.57)

4.12 (2.22-7.63)

--

p-value (proportional odds modele)

<0.001

<0.001

--

Annual exacerbation rate

Estimated rate (95% CI)

0.82 (0.54-1.24)

0.54 (0.33-0.87)

1.80 (1.32-2.46)

Rate ratio (95% CI)

0.45 (0.27-0.76)

0.30 (0.17-0.53)

--

p-value (negative binomial modelf)

0.003

<0.001

--

All randomized patients who received any study treatment. bFinal daily oral corticosteroid (OCS) dosage was the dosage at Week 28. If a patient discontinued from the study during a given dosage reduction interval or a patient experienced an exacerbation between Weeks 24 and 28 or immediately before discontinuation, then the final OCS dosage was one dose level greater than that directly preceding the event. cThe Hodges-Lehmann (HL) estimate and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were the median for the n1 X n2 differences between treatment groups, where n1 was the number of patients in each benralizumab-treated group and n2 was the number of patients receiving placebo. dCumulative percentage reductions. Patients with baseline OCS dosage ?12.5 mg/d were eligible for 100% dosage reductions. eThe proportional odds model was a sensitivity analysis and was not multiplicity protected. Estimate of the proportional odds ratio (OR) for the two treatment groups compared with the placebo group used a proportional odds model, with control for treatment group, region, and baseline OCS dosage. fEstimates via a negative binomial model, with adjustment for treatment group, region, and number of exacerbations in the previous year.
ATS 2017, WASHINGTON, DC -- According to a new survey, patients with lung disease report that they are unable to obtain home oxygen equipment that meets their needs thereby forcing them to become isolated. The study was presented at the 2017 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

"This study provides additional insights into the anxiety and worry that plague home oxygen users' daily lives," said lead author Kathleen O. Lindell, RN, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and the ATS Nursing Assembly Working Group ("Working Group"). "Patients' responses to our survey were not surprising, however, as patients have been increasingly expressing dissatisfaction with their oxygen systems over the past few years."

Even though patients and clinicians anecdotally report barriers in achieving oxygen services that match their needs, no recent studies have described issues from patients' perspectives. To respond to this need, the ATS Nursing Assembly Working Group, led by Susan Jacobs, MSN, RN, surveyed oxygen users to better understand the problems these patients experience. The quantitative analysis in this study augments and helps provide context for quantitative data from the survey (also to be presented at the ATS meeting; Abstract 321 - "Patient Supplemental Oxygen Survey: Results of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Nursing Assembly Oxygen Working Group").

Members of this Working Group designed a 60-item survey that was posted on websites of lung disease-focused patient and professional groups, and the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable. Two questions were singled out for qualitative analysis. Patients were asked: (1) What is the biggest problem you would say you have with your oxygen? (2) Is there some issue, other than those mentioned above, that you are having related to your oxygen? One thousand nine hundred twenty-six people (1,926) responded to the 60-item survey, with 128 responding to question one and 745 responding to question two.

The researchers conducted a content analysis for questions one and two, and found similar themes in responses to both questions related to equipment issues, access, and anxiety over impaired quality of life. (See abstract below).

"For the first time, we have data from a large number of patients that indicate the types of oxygen problems they experience, particularly in accessing portable systems," says Dr. Lindell. "Patients identify that they would benefit from equipment that is portable, lightweight and allows them to maintain activities of daily living. Professional and patient organizations should develop processes to improve equipment supporting mobility and a better quality of life for oxygen dependent patients. This critical information could be used to identify specific strategies to improve home oxygen services at the patient, clinician and payer level."

The ATS has convened a multidisciplinary forum to develop strategies to address the problems from the viewpoints of all stakeholders. This workshop, co-chaired by Susan Jacobs, MSN, RN and David Lederer, MD, will meet with these stakeholders at the ATS meeting in Washington, DC. This working group is working to: (A) Define optimal home oxygen therapy; (B) Identify the existing barriers to optimal home oxygen therapy; and (C) Identify gaps and propose focused areas for future investigation and device development.

"Our hope is that we can answer these questions and meet the needs of our patients, clinicians, and durable medical equipment (DME) providers," said Dr. Lindell.

She added: "Our survey found that fewer than 10 percent of patients received education about their oxygen from their clinician, and the majority received education about their oxygen equipment from the delivery person. Many patients also reported not being tested on their provided oxygen equipment. As patients' oxygen needs may change over the course of their lung disease, it's vital that frequent review of oxygen equipment and testing be incorporated into clinical practice."

###

Media Contact: Kathleen O. Lindell, RN, PhD, Lindellko@upmc.edu

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Dacia Morris

dmorris@thoracic.org

ATS Office 212-315-8620 (until May 17)

Session: B107 Optimizing Patient Centered Approaches in Pulmonary, Sleep, and Critical Care

Abstract 12608

Monday, May 22, 2017, 2:15-2:30 p.m. ETLocation: Room 151 A (Middle Building, Street Level) Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Equipment, Access and Worry About Running Short of Oxygen: Key Concerns in the Patient Supplemental Oxygen Survey

Type: Late Breaking Abstract

Topic: 05. Behavioral Science, Epidemiologic Methods, Health Services Research / Adult / Health Outcomes (Including Assessment, Cost, Effectiveness) / Nursing (NUR)

Authors: K.O. Lindell1, L. Catazanarite2, E.G. Collins3, C.M. Garvey4, C. Hernandez5, S. McLaughlin6, A.M. Schneidman7, P.M. Meek8, L.A. Hoffman2, S.S. Jacobs9? 1Univ of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA/US, 2University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA/US, 3University of Illinois/Hines VA Hospital Chicago, IL/US, 4UCSF San Francisco, CA/US, 5Hospital Clinic de Barcelona. CIBERES Barcelona/ES, 6University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA/US, 7Hospice of the Valley Phoenix, AZ/US, 8University of Colorado at Denver Denver, CO/US, 9Stanford University Medical Center Stanford, CA/US? ATS Nursing Assembly Oxygen Working Group

Abstract Body

Rationale: Patients and clinicians anecdotally report barriers in achieving home oxygen services that match their needs. The extent and specific concerns of patients are unknown, as no recent studies have described issues from the patients' perspective. In response, the ATS Nursing Assembly Oxygen Working Group surveyed oxygen users to better understand problems patients' experience. This qualitative analysis augments quantitative data provided by the survey.

Methods: An online 60-item survey developed by members of the ATS Nursing Assembly Oxygen Working Group was posted on websites of patient and professional organizations in the United States whose focus related to lung disease and the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable. The focus of this report was two questions in the survey that allowed free text responses. These were: 1) What is the biggest problem that you would say you have with your oxygen? and 2) Is there some issue, other than those mentioned above, that you are having related to your oxygen? Responses were transcribed and content analysis used to identify common themes. This analysis revealed similar themes in responses to both questions.

Results: The 1926 respondents were primarily female (72%), older (mean age 64  11) and used oxygen 24 hours/day (60%) for 15 years (51%). Of those replying, 128 individuals responded to the first question and 745 to the second. Common themes that emerged were: 1) equipment related issues, including lack of portability, reduced availability of liquid oxygen and desire for portable oxygen concentrators (POC) that delivered high flow oxygen, 2) access issues, including insurance coverage, experiences where durable medical equipment companies provided equipment/information/service that did not meet needs, and 3) angst/concern/worry of impaired quality of life (Table 1). Of those replying, 25% specifically addressed the need for access to POC that meet their oxygen demands, especially high flow oxygen and 17% specifically addressed the desire to keep their liquid oxygen or attain liquid oxygen.

Table 1. Common Themes

Themes

Equipment Issues

"Largest problem lies with heaviness of tanks and my inability to manage them. Also I no longer travel due to this problem"

"We can fit a computer in our palm, but my portable oxygen weighs ~ 7 pounds. I weigh 100 pounds and am sick. Can't we make a small concentrator?"

"Would like to see someone invent a remote control. I need to be able to turn O2 up but I have to get up to walk across the room to my machine and am out of breath by then."

"It is my understanding that liquid oxygen is being phased out. This is a great disservice to oxygen patients! Liquid oxygen has the most flexibility for patients and honestly leaves me feeling the least disabled. When I travel it is becoming more and more difficult to locate liquid oxygen at my destinations. Please fight for its continued availability."

"There are no continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators over 3LPM and my oxygen requirement is much higher."

Access Issues

"It's frustrating that I have to wait 5 years to change oxygen supplier if I want to."

"Not being able to change oxygen suppliers, not being able to get a POC with the company I have, having all sorts of problems with the supplier for the past 2 years and being stuck with them. My life is just existence at home right now, with no hope of change for at least 3 yrs. and I hate it."

"While we were trying to find a way for me to return to work, we kept calling (DME) to explain what we needed. They told me I would need to carry two 1 hour cylinders with me daily, which each took 10 hours to fill, along with another two or three 4 hour cylinders. Then I would need to stop by their office EACH day to refill the cylinders. Impossible with a full time job."

Angst/Concern/Worry

"constant concern about running out of O2"

"Electrical failures. Weight of the tanks. Always having to make sure I have enough to last for whatever activity I am doing."

"Because of the limits of my current oxygen, I am mostly homebound. The oxygen available to me is too heavy to carry or too bulky to wheel, so an outing is more trouble than it's worth."

Conclusion: Patients report inability to obtain equipment that meets their needs and forced isolation due to inability to obtain user friendly oxygen delivery systems and/or identify suppliers who can meet their needs. These results provide additional insight into the patient experience involving angst and worry in their daily lives. This mismatch in perceived oxygen needs may result in social isolation, ultimately affecting their quality of life.
ATS 2017, WASHINGTON, DC--African Americans with sleep apnea and insomnia are rarely diagnosed with either problem, even when the severity of the two sleep disorders are likely to affect their health, according to new research presented at the ATS 2017 International Conference.

"African Americans experience a disproportionate burden of numerous health problems, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, all of which have been shown to be associated with sleep," said lead study author Dayna A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, MS, MSW, a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "It seems plausible that sleep apnea and insomnia are important risk factors contributing to these health disparities."

Dr. Johnson and her colleagues studied data of 825 African Americans who underwent a sleep study as part of the Jackson (Miss.) Heart Study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health and is the largest single-site prospective investigation of cardiovascular disease in African Americans undertaken. The average age of those undergoing the home sleep study was 63 years, and two-thirds of the participants were women.

The researchers defined sleep apnea, which produces pauses in breathing, based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which measures the number of pauses that occur per hour of sleep. An AHI >5 was considered mild; an AHI >15, moderate; and an AHI >30, severe. The researchers used the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Insomnia Rating Scale, a commonly used assessment of perceived insomnia symptoms, to define insomnia. Participants with a score >10 were considered to have insomnia. Participants were asked if a physician had told them that they suffered from either of the disorders.

The study found that three of every four participants had sleep apnea: 38.4 percent had mild sleep apnea; 21.3 percent had moderate sleep apnea; and 15.8 percent had severe sleep apnea. But only 2.1 percent of those with sleep apnea reported that a physician diagnosed the condition.

Higher body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, being male and being older were all associated with sleep apnea and its severity.

The study also found that more than 2 in 10 participants suffered from insomnia. But only 6.7 percent of them reported a physician diagnosis.

According to Dr. Johnson, the prevalence of both sleep apnea and insomnia in the study population was higher than would be expected in the general population of adults of a similar age.

"There is a disturbingly high prevalence of undiagnosed sleep disorders in our study population of African Americans," she said. "It is important to investigate the reasons for this high prevalence as well as investigate interventions targeted at increasing awareness and screening for sleep disorders."

Because treating these sleep disorders "could drastically improve quality of life and reduce the burden of subsequent adverse health outcomes," Dr. Johnson added, clinicians need to identify patients at risk of these sleep disorders and encourage them to undergo sleep studies. In addition, although public awareness of sleep apnea is growing, efforts targeting the most at-risk populations may be warranted.

Dr. Johnson said that study findings from the Jackson, Miss., metropolitan area may not apply to African Americans living elsewhere. "African Americans living in Jackson, Mississippi, may not be representative of all African Americans due to differences in risk factors that may be related to geography," she said.

###

Contact for Media: Dayna A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, MS, MSW, djohnson@research.bwh.harvard.edu

Abstract 10044

Undiagnosed Sleep Disorders in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

Authors: D.A. Johnson1, R. Wang1, M. Rueschman2, J. Wilson3, S.S. Redline1; 1Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital - Boston, MA/US, 2Brigham and Women's Hospital - Boston, MA/US, 3University of Mississippi Medical Center - Jackson, MS/US

Background: Despite the high prevalence of sleep disorders, a large proportion of the affected population remains undiagnosed, particularly African Americans. Undiagnosed sleep disorders can lead to daytime sleepiness which impacts daily functioning and increases risk of cardiovascular disease. Using data from Jackson Heart Study (JHS) Sleep Study, we determined the prevalence of undiagnosed sleep disorders and identified factors related to diagnosis of a sleep disorder in 825 African Americans.

Methods: Between 2012 and 2015, JHS participants underwent an in-home sleep apnea study with measurement of nasal pressure, abdominal and thoracic inductance plethysmography, oximetry, position, ECG and completed standardized measurements and questionnaires. Sleep apnea was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >5 (mild),

>15 (moderate), and >30 (severe). The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Insomnia Rating scale >10 was used to assess insomnia. Physician-diagnosis of sleep disorders were self-reported. Probabilities of physician-diagnosed sleep apnea and insomnia conditioned on AHI defined sleep apnea and WHI derived insomnia were calculated. Logistic regression models were fit to determine the associations of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale > 10), self-reported history of hypertension and diabetes with undiagnosed and diagnosed sleep disorders.

Results: The sample was mostly female (66.6%) with a mean age of 63.0 (standard deviation=10.7) years and a mean BMI of 32.1 (7.0) kg/m2. The median AHI was 10.7 events/hr and the median WHI insomnia score was 5.0. Approximately 75% of the sample had AHI>5 (38.4%(mild), 21.3%(moderate), 15.8%(severe)); whereas 2.1% reported a physician- diagnosis of sleep apnea. Approximately 22.2% had a WHI>10; whereas 2.4% reported a physician-diagnosis of insomnia. Among individuals with AHI>5, 2.4% had a physician-diagnosis of sleep apnea. Only 6.7% of participants with WHI>10 had a physician-diagnosis of insomnia. Male sex, older age, higher BMI, hypertension, and diabetes were independently associated with undiagnosed moderate sleep apnea, P<0.05. Similar associations were observed for mild and severe sleep apnea. A higher AHI and BMI were associated with a physician-diagnosis of sleep apnea, P<0.05.

Higher reported daytime sleepiness was associated with undiagnosed insomnia, while younger age was associated with a physician-diagnosis of insomnia, P<0.05.

Conclusions: The prevalence of undiagnosed sleep disorders among individuals with clinically significant levels of insomnia and sleep apnea were 93.3% and 97.6%, respectively. These results suggest that there is a significant burden of undiagnosed sleep disorders in African Americans, and emphasize a need to improve recognition and treatment across population groups.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Dacia Morris

dmorris@thoracic.org

ATS Office 212-315-8620 (until May 17)

Cell Phone 917-561-6545

Session: B20 Big Data Comes to Sleep Medicine

Abstract Presentation Time: Monday, May 22, 9:45 a.m. ET

Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 152A-B (Middle Bldg., Street Level)
The typical student on a standard mindfulness course says they practice for 30 minutes at home every day, and it actually makes a difference, a new study from Aarhus University in Denmark, finds. This is the case, even though teachers ask for more. But can we rely on what people say?

Mindfulness meditation practice is set at 45 minutes a day at home, as well as weekly group sessions with the teacher. And the 45 minutes is every day, six days a week for the eight weeks that the course lasts.

These are the guidelines for students taking part in the standard Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses. Not all students practice for 45 minutes a day. An average course student practices 30 minutes daily at home, but the good news is that nevertheless, this practice is related to positive benefit. This can be measured as reduced stress, pain, better well-being and so on.

These are the main findings of the study "Home practice in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of participants' mindfulness practice and its associations with outcomes", an international collaboration between the Universities of Aarhus, Oxford and Bristol. The study has recently been published in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy, and according to associate professor Christine Parsons from the Interacting Mind Center at the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University, it is new and important knowledge:

"This is the clearest evidence we have that mindfulness-home practice can make a difference. This is a big source of debate because there are many components at play in a MBSR or MBCT course. The support of a teacher might bring about benefit, practicing mindfulness on the actual course, or being in a group with similar other people," Christine Parsons says.

According to the study, the effect of doing home practice is small, but statistically significant in the 28 scientific studies included in the analysis. In all studies, the MBCT or MBSR courses were eight weeks long, and the participants kept diaries of their practice at home. The diaries were used by researchers to examine the benefits of practice. Unfortunately, there is always uncertainty linked to a self-report diary, which Christine Parsons is trying to minimize.

Can we rely on students to tell their own teacher about their home practice? Do student fill in their diaries faithfully? We know that people have difficulty reporting on their food or alcohol consumption or even physical activity. Should mindfulness practice be any different?

Similarly, Christine Parsons is concerned about the difference between quantity of mindfulness practice and the of practice. Anyone who has tried to meditate knows that practice can be difficult. For example, it is easy to spend time thinking about a conflict at work or writing a long mental shopping list. Mindfulness practice is about cultivating awareness of the present moment, without judging or evaluating, not just spending time on a yoga mat.

"We need to understand how people truly engage with their home practice. There are many problems with self-report as our only assessment method. I have therefore received money from Trygfonden to develop and test a number of other measurement methods that will clarify how mindfulness students behave outside the classroom. How they practice and what works - and how it works," Christine Parsons says.

She worked at Oxford University for the past six years, but she has moved her research to the Interacting Minds Center at Aarhus, where she will remain as long as the grant of 2.3 millioner kroner pays for her stay.

Christine Parsons in collaboration with engineers from Aarhus University, led by associate professor Kasper Lvborg Jensen and the Danish Center for Mindfulness, is developing an app that records how long participants listen to the guided meditations, which are part of the home practice in MBCT or MBSR.

The information will be sent via the mobile phone app to a server that registers and compares the incoming data with information from a 'fitness' wristband. This enables the research team to see what happens to, for example, the student's heartbeat when he or she is practicing mindfulness.

"It's all little pieces of the big jigsaw puzzle - how students actually behave outside the classroom. How they practice, what it means, and what actually works," says Christine Parsons, without wanting to undermine the importance of the recently published result.

"This study forms the basis of our new work, and now we know, that practicing at home has an impact. The question is whether we can use new technology to measure and support participants doing their home practice. And can we support behavior changes in the long run? For example, if you receive a smartphone reminder to practice," Christine Parsons says before she - again - praises the unique opportunities for interdisciplinary research at the Interacting Minds Center.

"It's invaluable to sit down with an engineer who poses completely different questions than I can imagine with my psychology background. It opens for a lot of new opportunities. Bringing together mindfulness teachers, engineers and designers allows us to really think about what we can do to best support our students," says Christine Parsons.

###

More information

Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors: Christine Parsons, Interacting Minds Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University. Senior researchers from the Oxford Center for Mindfulness and Danish Mindfulness Center. Bristol University.

The study is supported by Trygfonden.

The article based on the study is published in Behavior Research and Therapy: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.05.004
In many places in the world, goose populations are booming as the birds have moved out of their wetland habitats to exploit an abundance of food on farmland. But, new evidence reported in Current Biology on May 22 confirms, that's not working so well for migratory waterbirds that overwinter in China.

The findings help to explain why China's waterbirds are in decline, researchers say.

"We can now show what we suspected all along, namely that geese do not sneak off the wetlands to feed on farmland at night, but rather remain within the wetlands close to where they feed and roost both by day and night," says Lei Cao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "Whilst this saves them energy and the risk of death from the hunters and poachers they encounter on dry land, it does constrain them to the wetlands and the quality of the food that they can find there."

The waterbirds that spend their winters in China's Yangtze River wetlands travel a long way to get there, migrating from Russia, Mongolia, and other parts of China to avoid the icy northern winters.

"These birds have nowhere else to go; farther north everything is frozen, and to the south there are no vast river systems or freshwater wetlands," Cao says.

Cao and her colleagues have been concerned about geese and other waterbirds in China since surveys they conducted in the early 2000s showed that the birds were in decline. In the new study, they wanted to learn more about where the birds spend their time.

The researchers attached GPS tracking devices to 67 wintering wild geese representing five different species at three important wetlands in China's Yangtze River Floodplain and followed the animals throughout the winter.

The tracking data showed that 50 of the birds representing species known to be in decline never left degraded natural wetlands where they've spent their winters for generations. Another 17 individuals from two species that show more stable population trends used wetlands the vast majority of the time. However, they did occasionally venture into neighboring rice paddies.

"This is a vital piece of evidence to support our hypothesis that, because Chinese geese are clearly 'prisoners' of their wetland habitats, their recent declines relate to reductions in the quality and extent of these wintering habitats upon which they rely," Cao says.

The results help to confirm earlier studies linking declines among Chinese wintering geese to habitat loss and a degraded food supply. But what keeps geese in China from taking advantage of neighboring rice paddies and other agricultural lands in the way geese do in other places?

Cao and colleagues speculate that it's because of greater human activity in cereal and rice fields in China. Chinese farmers also raise domestic ducks and geese in the stubble fields, leaving little food behind for their wild counterparts. Wintering geese are also a popular target of hunters who use shotguns, nets, traps, and poison to kill thousands upon thousands of birds every year. As a result, they conclude, the geese are effectively imprisoned in increasingly degraded wetland habitats.

The researchers say they'll continue to explore the unique threats faced by these birds in China. They're also building international collaborations and partnerships throughout East Asia to study and identify trouble spots for the birds all along their long-distance migratory routes.

###

The study was supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Current Biology, Yu, Wang, and Fox et al.: "Are declining populations of wild geese in China 'prisoners' of their natural habitats?" http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(17)30481-5

Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Conservation researchers have developed an interactive software tool called ConservationFIT that can "read" digital images of animal footprints captured from smartphones, cameras or drones and accurately identify the species, sex and age of the animal that made the tracks, and even match tracks to individual animals.

Researchers at Duke University and SAS developed the interactive software to help scientists monitor and map the world's most elusive and endangered species. Anyone who spots animal tracks can upload images, even if they're unsure what species made them. The system was launched today (May 22) to celebrate International Day for Biological Diversity.

"The beauty of ConservationFIT is that it's a sophisticated tool in a user-friendly format," said Zoe Jewell, principal research associate at SAS and an adjunct faculty member at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. "You simply snap digital photos of an animal's footprints, upload them using our online protocol, and your images are downloaded for analysis, identification and entry into our mapping database."

"Having reliable data on species' numbers and distributions is fundamental to wildlife conservation but it's not easy to collect, particularly for elusive and endangered species," Jewell explained. "Spotting these animals' footprints is much easier than locating the animals themselves. ConservationFIT allows us to reach out to millions of people worldwide who carry smartphones or fly drones, for help in collecting these data."

Scientists can use data gleaned from the images to accurately estimate a species' numbers, assess its movements and population dynamics, and map its geographic distribution.

Members of the public can access images and information about a species of interest, and compare the images and data they've uploaded to those uploaded by others.

Initially, the ConservationFIT team will focus their identification and mapping efforts on three endangered species of big cats: jaguars in the Americas, snow leopards in Asia, and cheetahs in Africa and the Middle East. Additional species and locations will be added to the ConservationFIT site in the future.

The program runs on JMP software from SAS, a data analytics company based in Cary, North Carolina. The footprint identification technique (FIT) algorithm is customized for each species and then field-validated by graduate students at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, whose data is then fed back into the software to further refine the algorithm. So far, the system has been tested and field-validated on species including African lions, pumas, cheetahs, snow leopards, tigers, giant pandas, tapirs, red wolves and coyotes.

"ConservationFIT opens new horizons in endangered species conservation," said Stuart L. Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke's Nicholas School. "It allows us to monitor these animals in a non-invasive way that poses no risk of injury to them. That's essential when dealing with species that are so rare."

"Our ancestors' survival depended on their skill at reading footprints," said Sky Alibhai, principal research associate at SAS and an adjunct faculty member at Duke's Nicholas School. "This project has taken elements of that ancient skill and meshed them with cutting-edge technology, allowing us to 'read' animal distributions better and faster than has previously been possible."

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Jewell and Alibhai are co-founders of WildTrack, a conservation nonprofit based at SAS that develops non-invasive wildlife monitoring technologies using FIT and other approaches. ConservationFIt is WildTrack's newest project.

Image management within ConservationFIT is provided by iNaturalist, an online database where researchers, naturalists and citizen scientists alike can post and share their recorded observations of species and the natural world. iNaturalist was developed co-developed by Scott Loarie, a Ph.D. alumnus of Duke's Nicholas School.
A new vulnerability affecting Android mobile devices results not from a traditional bug, but from the malicious combination of two legitimate permissions that power desirable and commonly-used features in popular apps. The combination could result in a new class of attacks, which has been dubbed "Cloak and Dagger."

The vulnerability, which was identified and tested in closed environments by computer scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, would allow attackers to silently take control of a mobile device, overlaying the graphical interface with false information to hide malicious activities being performed underneath - such as capturing passwords or extracting the user's contacts. A successful attack would require the user to first install a type of malware that could be hidden in a pirated game or other app.

Georgia Tech researchers have disclosed the potential attack to Google, maker of the Android system, and details of the vulnerability will be presented May 24 at the 38th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in San Jose, California. But because it involves two common features that can be misused even when they behave as intended, the issue could be more difficult to resolve than ordinary operating system bugs.

"In Cloak and Dagger, we identified two different Android features that when combined, allow an attacker to read, change or capture the data entered into popular mobile apps," said Wenke Lee, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Computer Science and co-director of the Institute for Information Security & Privacy. "The two features involved are very useful in mapping, chat or password manager apps, so preventing their misuse will require users to trade convenience for security. This is as dangerous an attack as we could possibly describe."

The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The first permission feature involved in the attack, known as "BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE," supports the use of devices by disabled persons, allowing inputs such as user name and password to be made by voice command, and allowing outputs such as a screen reader to help the disabled view content. The second permission, known as "SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW," is an overlay or "draw on top" feature that produces a window on top of the device's usual screen to display bubbles for a chat program or maps for a ride-sharing app.

When combined in a malicious way, "SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW" acts as a cloak, while "BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE" serves as the dagger. The two could allow attackers to draw a window that fools users into believing they are interacting with legitimate features of the app. The malicious program, operating as the overlay, would then capture the user's credentials for the malware author, while the accessibility permission would enter the credentials into the real app hidden beneath, allowing it to operate as expected, leaving the user with no clue that anything is awry.

The researchers tested a simulated attack on 20 users of Android mobile devices and found that none of them noticed the attack.

Of most concern to Georgia Tech's researchers is that these permissions may be automatically included in legitimate apps from the Google Play store, meaning users do not need to explicitly grant permissions for the attack to succeed.

"This is a design flaw that some might say allows the app functionality to work as intended, but our research shows that it can be misused," said Yanick Fratantonio, the paper's first author and a Georgia Tech Ph.D. summer intern from the University of California Santa Barbara. "Once the phone is compromised, there may be no way for the user to understand what has happened."

Nearly 10 percent of the top 5,000 Android apps use the overlay feature, noted Fratantonio, and many are downloaded with the accessibility feature enabled.

While both permissions have been used separately as user-interface redressing attacks and "a11y attacks," previous research did not examine what happens when they are combined, noted Simon P. Chung, a research scientist at Georgia Tech's School of Computer Science and one of the study's co-authors.

Creating vulnerabilities when permissions are combined may be a reality that system developers will have to consider more seriously in the future, Fratantonio said. "Changing a feature is not like fixing a bug," he explained. "System designers will now have to think more about how seemingly unrelated features could interact. Features do not operate separately on the device."

Android versions up to and including the current 7.1.2 are vulnerable to this attack. The researchers caution that it may be difficult to determine the status of the settings required for the attack.

There are two key precautions, Lee and Fratantonio agree. One is to avoid downloading apps from providers other than branded outlets such as the Google Play store. A second step is to check the permission requests that apps make before allowing them to operate.

"Users need to be careful about the permissions that new apps request," said Lee. "If there are very broad permissions, or the permissions don't seem to match what the app is promising to do, you need to be sure you really need that app."

The researchers have produced a video that shows the attack and how to check these permissions, which are in different locations depending on the mobile operating system version.

"Apps from name-brand sources such as Facebook, Uber and Skype should be okay," said Lee. "But with a random game or free versions of paid apps that you might download, you should be very careful. These features are very powerful and can be abused to do anything you could do as a user - without you knowing."

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In addition to the researchers already mentioned, the project also included Chenxiong Qian from Georgia Tech.

This research was supported by the NSF awards CNS-1017265, CNS-0831300, CNS-1149051 and DGE-1500084, by the ONR under grants N000140911042 and N000141512162, and by the DARPA Transparent Computing program under contract DARPA-15-15-TC-FP-006. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF, ONR or DARPA.

CITATION: Yanick Fratantonio, et al., "Cloak and Dagger: From Two Permissions to Complete Control of the UI Feedback Loop," (38th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, 2017).
A new study shows that so-called "light" cigarettes have no health benefits to smokers and have likely contributed to the rise of a certain form of lung cancer that occurs deep in the lungs.

For this new study, researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James) and five other universities/cancer centers examined why the most common type of lung cancer, called adenocarcinoma, has increased over the last 50 years, rather than decreasing as smokers have been able to quit. Other types of lung cancer have been decreasing in relationship to fewer people smoking, but not lung adenocarcinoma. Because of this, lung adenocarcinoma is now the most common type of lung cancer.

Results confirm what tobacco-control researchers have suspected for years: There is no health benefit to high-ventilation (light) cigarettes - long marketed by the tobacco industry as a "healthier" option - and these cigarettes have actually have caused more harm. Holes in cigarette filters were introduced 50 years ago and were critical to claims for low-tar cigarettes

"This was done to fool smokers and the public health community into thinking that they actually were safer," says Peter Shields, MD, deputy director of the OSUCCC - James and a lung medical oncologist. "Our data suggests a clear relationship between the addition of ventilation holes to cigarettes and increasing rates of lung adenocarcinoma seen over the past 20 years. What is especially concerning is that these holes are still added to virtually all cigarettes that are smoked today."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was given the authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products through the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009. Current regulations ban tobacco companies from labeling and marketing cigarettes as "low tar" or "light." Study authors, however, say that given this new data, the FDA should take immediate action to regulate the use of the ventilation holes, up to and including a complete ban of the holes.

"The FDA has a public health obligation to take immediate regulatory action to eliminate the use of ventilation holes on cigarettes," adds Shields. "It is a somewhat complicated process to enact such regulations, but there is more than enough data to start the process. We believe that such an action would drive down the use and toxicity of conventional cigarettes, and drive smokers to either quit or use less harmful products. There are some open questions about unintended consequences for enacting a ban, which provides for an important research agenda."

Study Design and Methods

A team made up of lung oncology, public health and tobacco regulation researchers conducted a comprehensive, multi-faceted analysis of existing literature that included chemistry and toxicology studies, human clinical trials and epidemiological studies of both smoking behavior and cancer risk. They studied scientific publications in the peer-reviewed literature and internal tobacco company documents.

Researchers hypothesized that the higher incidence rates of lung adenocarcinoma were attributable to the filter ventilation holes, which allow smokers to inhale more smoke that also has higher levels of carcinogens, mutagens and other toxins.

"The filter ventilation holes change how the tobacco is burned, producing more carcinogens, which then also allows the smoke to reach the deeper parts of the lung where adenocarcinomas more frequently occur," explains Shields.

To date, all the scientific evidence involves the adverse impact of adding ventilation, but not removing it. Additional research is needed to confirm that the addictiveness of the cigarette or toxic exposures from cigarettes would not increase with elimination of the ventilation holes. The OSUCCC - James and researchers at the University of Minnesota, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Virginia Tech, Harvard University and Medical University of South Carolina are conducting additional research to reconcile human biomarkers studies and smoke distribution/exposure in the lung.

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Funding for this research comes from the National Cancer Institute and Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products. Coauthors include OSUCCC - James researchers Min-Ae Song, PhD, Micah Berman, JD, Theodore Brasky, PhD, and Casper Woroszylo, PhD; Neal Benowitz, MD, University of California-San Francisco; Michael Cummings, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina; Dorothy Hatsukami, PhD, University of Minnesota; Vaughan Rees, PhD, Harvard University; Richard O'Connor, PhD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; and Catalin Marian, PhD, of Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Romania).
For the first time, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is reporting on the number of gender confirmation surgeries in the United States. ASPS--the world's largest plastic surgery organization--found that more than 3,200 transfeminine and transmasculine surgeries were performed in 2016. The procedures can include anything from facial and body contouring to gender reassignment surgeries.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gender confirmation," said Loren Schechter, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Chicago. "There's a wide spectrum of surgeries that someone may choose to treat gender dysphoria, which is a disconnect between how an individual feels and what that person's anatomic characteristics are."

Access to gender confirmation procedures has improved in recent years. In just the first two years of collecting data, ASPS found the number of transgender-related surgeries rose nearly 20 percent from 2015 to 2016. "In the past several years, the number of transgender patients I've seen has grown exponentially," said Dr. Schechter. "Access to care has allowed more people to explore their options, and more doctors understand the needs of transgender patients."

Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons undergo intense training to help these patients address the incongruity between their bodies and the gender they know themselves to be.

"Surgical therapy is one component of the overall care of the individual," said Dr. Schechter. "It takes a team of experts across different disciplines working together to provide comprehensive care. I often partner with doctors who may prescribe treatments such as hormone therapy and mental health professionals who help patients through their transitions."

Choosing a team of experts can be a difficult path to navigate. ASPS President Debra Johnson, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Sacramento, California, says it is crucial to choose a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to ensure the highest safety and training standards.

"Board-certified plastic surgeons undergo rigorous training that is designed to not only provide the safest and best quality care, but also give patients a variety of options when it comes to gender affirming surgeries," said Dr. Johnson. "Our goal as plastic surgeons is to help get transgender patients to a place where they feel the most comfortable."

Gearah Goldstein worked with Dr. Schechter throughout her transition and says she had full confidence that she was in good hands. Goldstein knew from a very early age that that her gender did not align with her body. She now feels that she can live her life as the person she's always been.

"For transgender people, like myself, surgical options are a corrective treatment, not cosmetic," she said. "The types of surgeries someone has is very personal and private, and you wouldn't even know someone had surgery if you saw them walking down the street. It's not about how we're perceived by the public, but how we perceive ourselves."

Goldstein is now an advocate for transgender youth. She says everyone has a unique story, but that her experiences help her understand what someone with gender dysphoria is feeling and how it can become an unbearable burden. She says gender confirmation, whatever that means for the individual, can be truly life-changing.

"It has been a lifelong journey for me. Growing up, there wasn't even a word for transgender. There were no role models or anyone to tell me that I could do something about this feeling of being disconnected from the body I was born with," said Goldstein. "The reality that I lived through has allowed me to assure the next generation that there is nothing abnormal about what they're feeling."

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About ASPS

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 member surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery.
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Drugs manufactured by living cells, also called biologics, are one of the fastest-growing segments of the pharmaceutical industry. These drugs, often antibodies or other proteins, are being used to treat cancer, arthritis, and many other diseases.

Monitoring the quality of these drugs has proven challenging, however, because protein production by living cells is much more difficult to control than the synthesis of traditional drugs. Typically these drugs consist of small organic molecules produced by a series of chemical reactions.

MIT engineers have devised a new way to analyze biologics as they are being produced, which could lead to faster and more efficient safety tests for such drugs. The system, based on a series of nanoscale filters, could also be deployed to test drugs immediately before administering them, to ensure they haven't degraded before reaching the patient.

"Right now there is no mechanism for checking the validity of the protein postrelease," says Jongyoon Han, an MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science. "If you have analytics that consume a very small amount of a sample but also provide critical safety information about aggregation and binding, we can think about point-of-care analytics."

Han is the senior author of the paper, which appears in the May 22 issue of Nature Nanotechnology. The paper's lead author is MIT postdoc Sung Hee Ko.

A complicated process

Many biologics are produced in "bioreactors" populated by cells that have been engineered to produce large quantities of certain proteins such as antibodies or cytokines (a type of signaling molecule used by the immune system). Some of these protein drugs also require the addition of sugar molecules through a process known as glycosylation.

"Proteins are inherently more complicated than small-molecule drugs. Even if you run the same exact bioreactor process, you may end up with different proteins, with different glycosylation and different activity," Han says.

Although manufacturers can monitor bioreactor conditions such as temperature and pH, which may warn of potential problems, there is no way to test the quality of the proteins until after production is complete, and that process can take months.

"At the end of that process, you may or may not get a good batch. And if you happen to get a bad batch, this means a lot of waste in overall manufacturing workflow," Han says.

Han believed that nanofilters he had previously developed could be adapted to sort proteins by size as they flow through a tiny channel, which could allow for continuous, automatic monitoring as the proteins are produced. This size information can reveal whether the proteins have clumped together, which is a sign that the protein has lost its original structure.

After proteins enter the nanofilter array device, they are directed to one side of the wall. This narrow line of proteins then encounters a series of slanted filters with tiny pores (15 to 30 nanometers). The pores are designed so that smaller proteins will fit through them easily, while larger proteins will move along the diagonal for some distance before making it through one of the pores. This allows the proteins to be separated based on their size: Smaller proteins stay closer to the side where they started, while larger proteins drift toward the opposite side.

By changing the size of the pores, the researchers can use this system to separate proteins ranging in mass from 20 to hundreds of kilodaltons. This allows them to determine whether the proteins have formed large clumps that could provoke a dangerous immune response in patients.

The researchers tested their device on three proteins: human growth hormone; interferon alpha-2b, a cytokine that is being tested as a cancer drug; and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF), which is used to stimulate production of white blood cells.

To demonstrate the device's ability to reveal protein degradation, the researchers exposed these proteins to harmful conditions such as heat, hydrogen peroxide, and ultraviolet light. Separating the proteins through the nanofilter array device allowed the researchers to accurately determine if they had degraded or not.

Sorting by size can also reveal whether proteins bind to their intended targets. To do this, the researchers mixed the biologics with protein fragments that the drugs are meant to target. If the biologics and protein fragments bind correctly, they form a larger protein with a distinctive size.

Rapid analysis

This nanofluidic system can analyze a small protein sample in 30 to 40 minutes, plus the few hours it takes to prepare the sample. However, the researchers believe they can speed that up by further miniaturizing the device.

"We may be able to do it in tens of minutes, or even a few minutes," Han says. "If we realize that, we may be able to do real point-of-care checks. That's the future direction."

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The research was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific, and some authors were supported by a Siebel Fellowship and a Samsung Scholarship.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - COPD is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. But public awareness of the condition lags far behind its impact.

"Unfortunately, we estimate there are millions of other Americans living with the disease who have not yet been diagnosed," says Meilan Han, M.D., an associate professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine and the medical director of the University of Michigan Women's Respiratory Health Program. "That's why we need to create more public awareness around this lung disease."

Han is a part of the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute group that recently created a new COPD National Action Plan. Released at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference in Washington, D.C., it outlines key goals, including raising public awareness of COPD, advancing research, improving patient care and health delivery, and developing management strategies for patients.

"Most people don't realize that COPD is actually a manageable disease," says Han, also a volunteer spokesperson for the American Lung Association, a partner in creation of the plan. "The plan outlines the importance public awareness plays in this disease. So many people go undiagnosed, but perhaps having more education around their symptoms, would prompt them to reach out to their physician for care."

What physicians should know

The formulation of the plan began in early 2016 with a COPD Town Hall Meeting, where stakeholders shared their thoughts. In the end, the group set five key goals for awareness and treatment of COPD:

Empower people with COPD, their families and caregivers to recognize and reduce the burden of the disease.

Promote education and training for health care professionals to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of COPD.

Collect, analyze, disseminate and report COPD-related public health data that drive change and track progress.

Increase and sustain research to better understand the prevention, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and management of COPD.

Translate national policy, educational and program recommendations into legislative, research and public health care actions.

Each goal includes strategies for accomplishment.

"We want to see health care practitioners and the health care community keep this deadly condition top of mind," Han says. "As a researcher, physician and advocate for patients with this disease, I know I speak for myself and the committee when I say that we hope this plan helps create additional awareness for COPD and undiagnosed patients receive the care they need. For those already diagnosed, we hope to continue to provide high-quality education and health care to help them manage this incurable disease."

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Wisconsins environmental protection agency has authorized a Georgia timber company to fill more than 16 acres of Monroe County wetlands in order to build a $65 million frac sand facility.

Meteor Timber, one of the largest private landowners in Wisconsin, has proposed building a processing and loading facility along Interstate 94 near the town of Millston to dry and ship frac sand the company will mine from a nearby site it acquired in a 2014 purchase of nearly 50,000 acres.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Friday granted the company a permit allowing it to fill the wetlands, including about 13 acres of pristine and increasingly rare hardwood swamp.

We are pleased that the DNR has approved our wetland permit, and we look forward to continuing to work with the agency as the regulatory process progresses, project manager Chris Mathis said in a written statement to the Tribune. Our project will protect more than 40 acres of wetland for every one impacted, making it one of the largest wetland preservation and restoration efforts in Wisconsin history.

Meteor must still receive permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before filling any wetlands. The company must also apply for permits allowing incidental loss of threatened and endangered species during construction.

The proposal drew criticism at an April public hearing on the permit and was officially opposed by the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Midwest Environmental Advocates called the scope of the wetland destruction massive in comparison to the total of 26 acres the DNR has allowed frac sand mining companies to fill since 2008.

The permit reflects a very careful review and investigation by DNR staff, said MEA staff attorney Sarah Geers. It also reflects the extraordinary damage that this wetland fill will do to a sensitive and imperiled resource.

After the proposal first received media attention, Meteor proposed to restore and preserve more than 640 acres of other land  including more than 296 acres of existing wetlands.

Our company knows that sustainability is an important part of operating responsibly, Mathis said. We have worked hard to go above and beyond other projects by developing a historic plan to permanently preserve and restore high-quality wetlands on more than 600 acres. This effort merits support from those who want to see growth, economic development and preserve the environment  because our project accomplishes all three.

However, the DNR determined those mitigation efforts are not likely to fully compensate for what it calls permanent and irreversible secondary impacts from activity on the site and may not compensate for the direct loss of 13.4 acres of exceptional quality white pine and red maple swamp, which is considered an imperiled habitat.

The agency also said the permit approval may lead to increased applications to fill rare, sensitive and valuable wetland plant communities.

Geers said those and other findings bring into question whether the project can be legally approved under state and federal law.

Timber company sweetens deal for Monroe County frac project A Georgia timber investment company seeking to build an industrial sand operation in Monroe County is proposing what it calls the largest wetland preservation and restoration effort in Wisconsin history in exchange for a permit to fill 16 acres of wetland forest.

Both regulators and opponents have questioned the projects economic viability, given the precipitous drop in demand for sand since domestic fracking peaked in 2014.

But an economic analysis prepared by a Pennsylvania consultant says because the group could efficiently send entire trains of its sand reserves directly to oil fields in Texas that have become some of the nations most productive. The company expects to ship about 1.5 million tons of processed sand each year using the adjacent Union Pacific rail line.

Meteor has said it cannot find another location to accommodate such a large plant along the UP rail line.

The company also said permitting its project is the only way to prevent much of the 752-acre site from being clearcut.

About three quarters of the land is owned by the A&K Alexander Cranberry Co., which was cited in 2013 by the Environmental Protection Agency for illegally filling 5.6 acres of wetlands. As part of the penalty, the EPA required A&K to restore 2.2 acres of the filled wetlands and to get an after-the-fact permit for another 3.63 acres.

According to documents filed in support of the application, A&K managing partner Marty Alexander took out a one-year loan in August for $321,470 to settle the case. In a letter to Meteor, Alexander said if the sale does not go through logging would be his only way to avoid foreclosure.

Sand industry back in business in western Wisconsin Like the ghost towns left behind after the California gold rush fizzled, many of the frac sand mines dotting western Wisconsin sat dormant a year ago.

Our project will protect more than 40 acres of wetland for every one impacted, making it one of the largest wetland preservation and restoration efforts in Wisconsin history. Chris Mathis, project manager
Why studying literature, and sometimes debating the results, is so important for emergency medicine physicians -- especially as patient populations change

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Reviewing studies can be a tedious task.

But Matthew Stull, M.D., says it's a necessary one.

Stull, a critical care fellow at Michigan Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Anesthesiology, presented at the 2017 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, on the importance of staying up to date on medical literature, even outside of one's primary field of medicine.

Instead of simply lecturing on what they felt was important, in a panel titled "Upping Your Critical Care Game," Stull and his fellow Michigan Medicine presenters, Carrie Harvey, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine, and Colin McCloskey, M.D., first-year critical care fellow, mixed it up. They asked the crowd for input on topics they thought should be covered and, sometimes, debated.

Stull, Harvey and McCloskey are the only three physicians trained through the anesthesia pathway in the Department of Emergency Medicine's Critical Care Fellowship. The unique training allows them to share and grow emergency medicine knowledge and skills with their fellow critical care physicians.

Stull explains more about the session and why it matters for emergency medicine physicians.

Describe your session and its take-home message for attendees.

Stull: There is so much going on in critical care right now. So instead of a traditional lecture format, we let the audience choose the topics they wanted to cover.

As a result, topics ranged from resuscitation of the sick septic patient to caring for a patient who is crashing due to a pulmonary embolism. Essentially, we hope the session encouraged folks to widen their review of the literature out there right now and think critically on some of the biggest issues facing our sickest patients.

As both emergency medicine doctors and intensivists, we know that the amount of medical literature one needs to keep up with to stay sharp in the resuscitation bay is enormous and constantly growing. We wanted to make it just a little easier for our colleagues in academic emergency medicine to keep up on cutting-edge critical care by bringing up studies they may have missed.

What were some of the pieces of literature you highlighted?

Stull: We spotlighted some discussions on both pulmonary embolism and sepsis, as well as a ton of quick hits on a wide variety of topics.

For example, we discussed the recent PEITHO 2 study and how it has started to make us question exactly how aggressive we need to be about pulmonary embolism treatment and sheds some light on who might benefit from certain treatments.

For pulmonary embolism, I think the jury is still out on the right pathway. You really have to individualize your approach depending on what's happening with these patients, as they can be very dynamic.

In terms of sepsis care, I think the major take-home point is to be a bit more mindful when your resuscitation isn't necessarily going the way you hoped. For example, switch up your fluid type, add pressors early, follow up on culture data, etc.

Other topics included the use of various types of viscoelastic testing during massive transfusion of trauma patients, setting goals for oxygenating your ventilated patients and being wary of the methodological quality of some recent newsworthy studies on sepsis care.

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How does literature, such as those studies you discussed, help emergency medicine physicians in their day-to-day care of patients?

Stull: The emergency department is a place where you have got to be ready for anything at any time.

As the population ages and becomes sicker, emergency departments across the country are not only seeing more complex critically ill patients, but also they end up staying in the emergency department longer.

Some of the topics sparked debate. Do you see this often among emergency medicine physicians in the field?

Stull: Critical care is a constantly evolving field with a huge literature base, and these studies can often have conflicting results. Thus, there are so few absolute truths that there will always be some differing opinions.
A new genetic approach in worms provides a roadmap for the mesenchymal-to-epithelial communication that drives human cancer, report researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center in Developmental Cell

Some major cell-to-cell communication networks were first studied in worms. Now those worms, Caenorhabditis elegans, are being used to understand the influence of cancer mutations on those networks, report researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in the May 22, 2017 issue of Developmental Cell.

Because many genes involved in cell communication are often conserved across species, C. elegans is an ideal organism to study the genes that influence them. This makes the worm a very useful genetic tool for exploring the basis of human cancer, according to Gustavo Leone, Ph.D., director of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and the Grace E. DeWolff Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology.

"If the genetic network within tumor cells or epithelial cells is similar among C. elegans, mice and humans, the communication of neighboring cells with epithelial cells in tumors at some level might also be similar," explains Leone.

Leone is corresponding author on the study along with his colleague Helen Chamberlin, Ph.D., a C. elegans expert in The Ohio State University Department of Molecular Genetics. The two laboratories collaborated to approach a big-picture question about cancer. A number of important individual cancer genes have been discovered by Leone and many others, but is there a way to identify all of the genes-a genetic signature-involved in cell-to-cell communication in cancer? In particular, Leone sought to identify which genes within the neighboring cells that make up the tumor microenvironment could control tumor and epithelial cell proliferation.

Yet determining networks of cell-to-cell communication requires a genome-wide screen that tests genes individually, an approach that is impractical in mice.

This was where C. elegans became so essential to answering the group's question.

Part of the tumor microenvironment is supported by mesodermal cells, which send molecular signals to epithelial cells that tightly control their proliferation. This mesodermal-epithelial communication is needed in normal conditions, such as during pregnancy and wound healing, but is disrupted in cancer.

Similar communication exists between those cells in the egg-laying organ of C. elegans called the vulva. When similarly disrupted during worm development, this network can unleash epithelial cell proliferation that causes a multivulva, or Muv, feature. This feature, which becomes prominent when adult worms reach one millimeter in length, is easily visible under a microscope.

First author Huayang Liu, Ph.D., was a student in Leone's laboratory who helped design and build the genome-wide screen to identify which mesoderm genes worms need to prevent such Muv defects. Very importantly, the worms were also given a human cancer mutation in the gap-1 gene to sensitize their epithelial cells to communication signals that encourage proliferation.

In this way, the screen was designed to test the influence of each of the nearly 20,000 C. elegans genes on the proliferation of epithelial cells carrying a common cancer-sensitizing mutation.

From the entire C. elegans genome, the screen uncovered 39 worm mesoderm genes that, when reduced in expression, encouraged microscopic Muv defects suggestive of epithelial cell proliferation. Thirty-three of those genes are conserved in humans.

The identities of those genes were unexpected, according to the authors. They are not involved in 33 random processes that control cell behavior. Rather, many of them converge on hubs of regulation that control major gene expression signatures.

It appeared that the mesodermal-epithelial communication network containing this 33-gene signature could be fundamental to cell behavior in worms. Yet was it relevant in higher animals?

The group tested three of these 39 genes in female mice and found that reducing their expression within fibroblasts (another mesodermal-type cell) encouraged proliferation in mammary epithelial cells.

There was a final need to prove the relevance of this work to human cancer. Tests were performed in the stroma-part of the microenvironment-of tumor samples taken from human breast cancer patients. As suspected, the expression of those 33 genes was very different between normal and tumor stroma. In further experiments, depletion of 22 of these genes in human fibroblasts encouraged proliferation of breast tumor epithelial cells.

The group had confirmed a genetic signature of mesodermal-epithelial communication unique to cell proliferation in cancer.

This study uncovered a small sector of the network that allows mesodermal and epithelial cells to communicate. Yet the screen is designed to work with many cancer-sensitizing genes other than gap-1, which can reveal more of the network. Leone's group has repeated the screen using another genetic mutation that seems to influence completely different cellular processes involved in cell-to-cell communication.

A complete roadmap will guide new cancer therapies, according to Leone.

"This provides an avenue to understand why drugs work or don't work, and it provides new targets that we can now begin to drug," says Leone.

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.2 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute designated center) Level I Trauma Center, and Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.

About MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center comprises more than 120 faculty cancer scientists with an annual research funding portfolio of $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit http://www.hollingscancercenter.org
Over the week of May 15, extreme rainfall drenched northeastern Australia and NASA data provided a look at the record totals.

The rainfall was the heaviest rainfall in that area since tropical cyclone Debbie hit Queensland Australia in late March. Much of the recent extremely heavy rainfall was due to storms associated with a trough or elongated area of low pressure slowly moving over northeastern Queensland from the Coral Sea. More than 100 millimeters or 3.9 inches of rain in 24 hours was reported near Townsville. A trough of low pressure that moved eastward from central Australia was also encroaching into western Queensland.

At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland an analysis of rainfall over northeastern Australia was conducted using near real-time data from NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG). GPM is the Global Precipitation Measurement mission core satellite and there are a constellation of satellites that provide rainfall data with GPM that are fed into the IMERG calculations. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

The analysis showed an estimate of total precipitation accumulation over Queensland from May 17 to 19, 2017. IMERG total rainfall estimates indicated that up to 374 mm (14.5 inches) fell near the Queensland coast in this short period. IMERG rainfall totals in this analysis have been adjusted to reflect observed values in other similar extreme rainfall events.

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Some NASA missions fundamentally change the world of science or help win Nobel prizes, but only one helps save thousands of lives worldwide every year.

Employees at NASA's Search and Rescue office spend their days advancing systems critical to locating and saving people in distress, whether from an aviation, marine or other outdoor incident. The office is the primary research and development team for both the U.S. Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) effort and the International Satellite System for Search and Rescue (Cospas-Sarsat).

Search-and-rescue satellite systems are complex, comprising beacons, spacecraft and ground systems all carefully calibrated to work together efficiently. Rescue efforts usually start with beacons, which transmit distress signals to passing satellites.

For years, ships, airlines and even amateur hikers have used emergency locator beacons originally developed in the 1970s. They have saved more than 40,000 lives over the years and are available at virtually any outdoors store at affordable prices. But the SAR office is developing an even more effective beacon.

"Current beacons are accurate to about a 2-kilometer radius using technology from the 1970s," said Lisa Mazzuca, SAR mission manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Within that radius of about 1.25 miles, there's still quite a bit of searching to be done.

"The intent with these second-generation beacons is to get that to about 100 meters (about 110 yards) in an effort to take the 'search' out of 'search and rescue,'" Mazzuca said.

At less than a tenth of a mile, the improved accuracy would mitigate risk to both the person in distress and responders, who risk their own lives at times, by greatly reducing time needed to search.

The team tested a version of the prototype beacon in October 2016 and were able to demonstrate location accuracy to about 140 meters (153 yards). NASA used its Research and Development Second Generation Beacon SAR ground station, located at Goddard, to resolve locations of the beacon from more than 3,000 miles away.

National and international SAR operations will use second-generation beacons in a wide variety of new technologies over the next several years. Mazzuca's team is working on a number of new projects incorporating the new beacons, including improved emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) for commercial and general aviation aircraft, as well as unmanned aerial search vehicles. These technologies could be game-changing to SAR efforts.

New ELTs could help mitigate aviation search disasters like several that have been seen in the news in recent years. Shortly after a high-profile crash in 2014, NASA launched a two-year study to investigate ELT failure modes and recommend beacon and system-level improvements, including a better installation policy for the United States.

The team researched historic failures and performed three controlled airplane crashes at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to better understand ELT vulnerabilities. In February, they released a report with their findings, one of which was a recommendation to take advantage of smaller, lighter and more accurate second-generation beacons.

Beyond distress-tracking systems, the team is working on a new SAR operational platform.

"One of the things we're doing is taking advantage of an up-and-coming platform that seems to be the answer for a lot of problems in SAR operations," Mazzuca said. "We are building a new direction-finder homing prototype based entirely on second-generation beacons with a terrestrial signal and proving it out using unmanned aircraft systems."

By using existing NASA UAVs and expertise at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California; NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia; and Langley, the team is getting a jump on where technology is going next. Mazzuca said it's also a way to produce an inexpensive system that small local SAR organizations that rely on very old technology can afford.

Beyond fitting the UAVs with the direction-finder system, they are working with the U.S. Coast Guard to determine what else can be placed on the aircraft to assist with rescues. Using UAVs for searching will cut down on risk to responders and allow SAR organizations to deploy forces more efficiently. For example, the UAVs could determine whether doctors are needed, how many victims are there, what kind of injuries people in distress have and more before responders ever hit the ground.

From better beacons to high-tech systems, NASA's SAR office's work is improving rescue operations in the United States and around the world.

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The SAR office is funded by the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and the Space Communications and Navigation Program Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Paris, France: Ongoing development of bioresorbable stent (BRS) technologies that are bioresorbed after achieving vessel expansion in percutaneous coronary intervention procedures is an important option to optimise outcomes in patients whose needs are not adequately met with current devices, EuroPCR advised in a statement issued at the close of the 2017 annual course.

"We think it's important to make a statement because of the need to continue to develop this approach for the future, supporting the concept of a stent that disappears in patients with 30, 40, and even 50 years of life expectancy after undergoing a procedure," said EuroPCR 2017 Course Director William Wijns. He added, "The ideal of a stent that does its job and disappears is a valuable long-term goal, especially in young patients with long life-expectancy."

EuroPCR issued the statement to support future developments that can benefit patients after recent studies raised questions about the safety of a currently available BRS device. It is noted that current bioresorbable scaffolds are first-generation devices and show significant mechanical limitations compared to available thin strut metallic drug-eluting stents. Strut thickness and width (which together result in the scaffold footprint) are large to afford sufficient radial strength to BRS devices. As a result, the polymer load is high and lumenal dimensions can be restricted, particularly in vessels smaller than 2.5 mm or at overlap sites.

EuroPCR noted that the Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold is the only currently available BRS device that has been evaluated by randomised controlled trials with medium-term follow-up. Clinical outcomes did not quite match the outstanding results obtainable with state-of-the-art drug-eluting stents, with significantly increased risk of early and late definite and probable scaffold thrombosis, as shown by patient-level meta-analyses of randomised trials. However, post-hoc analysis according to vessel size and adequate procedural technique showed mitigation of scaffold thrombosis, as indicated by Course Director Jean Fajadet. In addition, data from large registries from several countries, including France, Italy and the UK, confirmed the decrease in thrombotic event rates in analysis of sequential data with improved case selection and implementation of pre-dilatation, proper sizing and post-dilatation.

EuroPCR considered that there is no class effect for BRS, because different technologies use different materials and scaffold architecture and have different bioresorption times. "Encouraging results for several first- and second-generation polymeric and metallic (magnesium-based) BRS devices currently being evaluated have been presented during EuroPCR 2017," said Dr Wijns. However, he noted that observational studies included relatively small numbers of patients, and that the data obtained with thinner strut polymeric BRS are encouraging but limited to short-term follow-up. "Until the concerns about bioresorbable stents can be assuaged, current-generation BRS should not be preferred to metallic drug-eluting stents in routine clinical practice," he concluded.

EuroPCR called for responsibility among interventional physicians to protect the potential of BRS as an innovation by avoiding its use in situations where poor results might be predicted. Dr Fajadet also noted the need for continued focus on the fundamentals of good procedural practice, including adequate sizing and good stent expansion to optimise outcomes for patients.

###

Contact information

Contact: William Wijns

Email: wwijns@europcr.com

Help for journalists to cover EuroPCR 2017

For any press-related inquiries, please contact: EuroPCR Press Coordinator, Isabelle Uzielli iuzielli@europcr.com

Register and attend EuroPCR 2017 as a journalist

Press registration for EuroPCR is open to accredited journalists, free of charge. Journalists must hold a valid press card and/or provide a letter of assignment from a recognised publication. To register as press go to https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017/Press

EuroPCR press releases

EuroPCR press releases can be found at https://www.pcronline.com/News/Press-releases?date=2017

Attend press briefings

For the press briefing schedule check https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017/Press

EuroPCR abstracts

Abstracts are available online at https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017

Notes to Editors

What is EuroPCR?

EuroPCR, the official annual meeting of the European Association for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology, is the world-leading course in interventional cardiovascular medicine. PCR has established a distinctive format for educational activities in the field of cardiovascular interventions. Beyond its flagship course in Paris that gathers more than 11,500 participants every year, PCR organises annual courses in Singapore, London UK, Dubai EAU, Johannesburg RSA, Milan Italy, Chengdu China and Tokyo Japan. For further information on EuroPCR, PCR London Valves, PCR Peripheral, PCR-CIT China Chengdu Valves, GulfPCR-GIM, AsiaPCR, AfricaPCR, PCR Tokyo Valves, and all PCR activities, please contact: Celia Vila: cvila@europa-organisation.com.

For more information, please visit: https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017 and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PCRonline using the hashtag #EuroPCR
Paris, France: Promising results were reported in late-breaking trials with novel bioresorbable stent technologies at EuroPCR 2017, paving the way for ongoing developments in stents that are dissolved or reabsorbed after achieving vessel expansion in percutaneous coronary intervention procedures.

Researchers reported results with seven bioresorbable stent technologies:

Nine-month clinical and imaging outcomes of a novel ultra-high molecular weight poly-L-lactide BRS. A prospective multicenter international investigation: The RENASCENT II study.

Results from the prospective multicentre RENASCENT II study of the Amaranth Medical APTITUDE BRS stent, a novel ultra-high molecular weight poly-L-lactide BRS with a new, thinner strut (120 m), reported no events at one year in 60 patients treated for single lesion coronary artery stenosis. Coronary artery imaging with optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated excellent wall apposition and full, homogenous endothelial wall coverage, with no valleys and peaks between regions with struts and those without struts. "The results are very positive. The scaffold delivers a very low medium-term event rate and the stent favours good laminar flow in blood vessels," said lead author Antonio Colombo, from San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy, although he cautioned that the study was small.

Prospective, multicentre evaluation of the DESolve Novolimus-Eluting coronary BRS: imaging outcomes and four-year clinical and imaging results

The key imaging results from the DESolve Nx Study, a prospective registry including 126 patients, showed a mean lumen gain of 9% at six months, as measured by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and an angiographic late luminal loss (LLL) of 0.2mm. "This is a clinical breakthrough as no other BRS technology has been successful in achieving such impressive results and, at the same time, degrading in six months with near complete resorption (mass loss) in one year," said lead author Stefan Verheye, from ZNA Middelheim, Antwerpen, Belgium. He added that the 18-month and 36-month imaging data showed sustained efficacy and confirmed the degradation and complete resorption (mass loss) in one year. There were no late or very late definite or probable scaffold thromboses and no target lesion revascularisations from years two to four. Verheye concluded, "Early degradation and early resorption is not only an intuitive wish, it is a must for a BRS technology in order to succeed. Companies attempted but failed to achieve clinical effectiveness, primarily due to chronic recoil of their scaffolds. In an effort to resolve this issue, companies had to revert to much longer degradation and resorption profiles. The Elixir DESolve scaffold is the only technology to date to resolve the chronic recoil issue, as evidenced by the Nx trial data."

One-year clinical and multislice computer tomography results with a thin-strut poly-L-lactic acid-based sirolimus-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold in patients with coronary artery disease: MeRes-1 study

One-year results from the first-in-man MeRes-1 study of the safety and efficacy of the novel MeRes 100 scaffold in 108 patients with 116 de novo coronary artery lesions showed that the composite endpoint of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation (ID-TLR) occurred in one patient (0.93%). There was no scaffold thrombosis. One-year computed tomography (CT) angiography demonstrated that all scaffolds were patent. Six-month quantitative coronary angiography showed a low rate of late lumen loss and no restenosis. Intravascular ultrasound and OCT analyses also gave favourable results, reported Ashok Seth, from Fortis Escort Heart Institute, New Delhi, India. He said, "The positive results of this study provide the basis for a larger, randomised trial against a second-generation metallic drug-eluting stent."

Data were also reported for the following studies, but results were not available to include in the press release:

The FANTOM II study: first report for the 12-month clinical outcomes of the Fantom sirolimus-eluting bioresorbable scaffold - Alexandre Abizaid, Instituto Dante Pazzanese, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Multicentre evaluation of a novel 120m novolimus-eluting, fully coronary BRS: first report of six-month clinical and imaging endpoints - Alexandre Abizaid, Instituto Dante Pazzanese, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Short and midterm safety, clinical performance and multi-modality imaging results of the drug-eluting absorbable metal scaffold: combined data of the BIOSOLVE-II and BIOSOLVE-III trials - Michael Haude, Stadtische Kliniken Neuss, Lukaskrankenhaus GmbH, Neuss, Germany

A first-in-man study of the Firesorb Sirolimus Target Eluting Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold in patients with coronary artery disease (FUTURE-I): one-year clinical and imaging outcomes - Bo Xu, Fu Wai Hospital, Beijing, China

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Contact information

Antonio ColomboSan Raffaele Scientific InstituteMilan, ItalyEmail: info@emocolumbus.it

Stefan Verheye

ZNA Middelheim

Antwerpen, Belgium

Email: stefan.verheye@gmail.com

Ashok Seth

Fortis Escorts Heart Institute

New Delhi, India

Email: ashok.seth@fortishealthcare.com

Michael Haude

Stadtische Kliniken Neuss

Lukaskrankenhaus GmbH

Neuss, Germany

Email: mhaude@lukasneuss.de

Alexandre Abizaid

Instituto Dante Pazzanese

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Email: aabizaid@uol.com.br

Xu Bo

Fu Wai Hospital

Beijing, China

Email: bxu@citmd.com

Corresponding session

EuroPCR 2017 session: Tuesday 16 May 12.00-13.30, Hot Line/Late-breaking Trials, Coronary Interventions, Stents and Scaffolds; Room 351

Help for journalists to cover EuroPCR 2017

For any press-related inquiries, please contact:

EuroPCR Press Coordinator, Isabelle Uzielli iuzielli@europcr.com

Register and attend EuroPCR 2017 as a journalist

Press registration for EuroPCR is open to accredited journalists, free of charge.

Journalists must hold a valid press card and/or provide a letter of assignment from a recognised publication. To register as press go to https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017/Press

EuroPCR press releases

EuroPCR press releases can be found at

https://www.pcronline.com/News/Press-releases?date=2017

Attend press briefings

For the press briefing schedule check

https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017/Press

EuroPCR abstracts

Abstracts are available online at

https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017

Notes to Editors

What is EuroPCR?

EuroPCR, the official annual meeting of the European Association for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), a registered branch of the European Society of Cardiology, is the world-leading course in interventional cardiovascular medicine. PCR has established a distinctive format for educational activities in the field of cardiovascular interventions. Beyond its flagship course in Paris that gathers more than 11,500 participants every year, PCR organises annual courses in Singapore, London UK, Dubai EAU, Johannesburg RSA, Milan Italy, Chengdu China and Tokyo Japan.

For further information on EuroPCR, PCR London Valves, PCR Peripheral, PCR-CIT China Chengdu Valves, GulfPCR-GIM, AsiaPCR, AfricaPCR, PCR Tokyo Valves, and all PCR activities, please contact: Celia Vila: cvila@europa-organisation.com.

For more information, please visit: https://www.pcronline.com/Courses/EuroPCR/EuroPCR-2017 and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/PCRonline using the hashtag #EuroPCR
Researchers from Princeton University's Department of Molecular Biology have identified a small RNA molecule that helps maintain the activity of stem cells in both healthy and cancerous breast tissue. The study, which will be published in the June issue of Nature Cell Biology, suggests that this "microRNA" promotes particularly deadly forms of breast cancer and that inhibiting the effects of this molecule could improve the efficacy of existing breast cancer therapies.

Stem cells give rise to the different cell types in adult tissues but, in order to maintain these tissues throughout adulthood, stem cells must retain their activity for decades. They do this by "self-renewing," dividing to form additional stem cells, and resisting the effects of environmental signals that would otherwise cause them to prematurely differentiate into other cell types.

Many tumors also contain so-called "cancer stem cells" that can drive tumor formation. Some tumors, such as triple-negative breast cancers, are particularly deadly because they contain large numbers of cancer stem cells that self-renew and resist differentiation.

To identify factors that help non-cancerous mammary gland stem cells (MaSCs) resist differentiation and retain their capacity to self-renew, Yibin Kang, the Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology, and colleagues searched for short RNA molecules called microRNAs that can bind and inhibit protein-coding messenger RNAs to reduce the levels of specific proteins. The researchers identified one microRNA, called miR-199a, that helps MaSCs retain their stem-cell activity by suppressing the production of a protein called LCOR, which binds DNA to regulate gene expression. The team showed that when they boosted miR-199a levels in mouse MaSCs, they suppressed LCOR and increased normal stem cell function. Conversely, when they increased LCOR levels, they could curtail mammary gland stem cell activity.

Kang and colleagues found that miR-199a was also expressed in human and mouse breast cancer stem cells. Just as boosting miR-199a levels helped normal mammary gland stem cells retain their activity, the researchers showed that miR-199a enhanced the ability of cancer stem cells to form tumors. By increasing LCOR levels, in contrast, they could reduce the tumor-forming capacity of the cancer stem cells. In collaboration with researchers led by Zhi-Ming Shao, a professor at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in China, Kang's team found that breast cancer patients whose tumors expressed large amounts of miR-199a showed poor survival rates, whereas tumors with high levels of LCOR had a better prognosis.

Kang and colleagues found that LCOR sensitizes cells to the effects of interferon-signaling molecules released from epithelial and immune cells, particularly macrophages, in the mammary gland. During normal mammary gland development, these cells secrete interferon-alpha to promote cell differentiation and inhibit cell division, the researchers discovered. By suppressing LCOR, miR-199a protects MaSCs from interferon signaling, allowing MaSCs to remain undifferentiated and capable of self-renewal.

The microRNA plays a similar role during tumorigenesis, protecting breast cancer stem cells from the effects of interferons secreted by immune cells present in the tumor. "This is a very nice study linking a normal and malignant mammary gland stem cell program to protection from immune modulators," said Michael Clarke, the Karel H. and Avice N. Beekhuis Professor in Cancer Biology at Stanford School of Medicine, Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, who first discovered breast cancer stem cells but was not involved in this study. "It clearly has therapeutic implications for designing strategies to rationally target the breast cancer stem cells with immune modulators."

Toni Celia -Terrassa, an associate research scholar in the Kang lab and the first author of the study, said, "This study unveils a new property of breast cancer stem cells that give them advantages in their interactions with the immune system, and therefore it represents an excellent opportunity to exploit for improving immunotherapy of cancer."

"Interferons have been widely used for the treatment of multiple cancer types," Kang said. "These treatments might become more effective if the interferon-resistant cancer stem cells can be rendered sensitive by targeting the miR-199a-LCOR pathway."

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Other authors on the paper were Daniel Liu, Abrar Choudhury, Xiang Hang, Yong Wei, Raymundo Alfaro-Aco, Rumela Chakrabarti, Christina DeCoste, Bong Ihn Koh and Heath Smith of the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University; Jose Zamalloa of the Department of Molecular Biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University; and Yi-Zhou Jiang, Jun-Jing Li and Zhi-Ming Shao of the Department of Breast Surgery at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and the Department of Oncology at Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists have created a graphene-based sensor that could lead to earlier detection of looming asthma attacks and improve the management of asthma and other respiratory diseases, preventing hospitalizations and deaths.

The sensor paves the way for the development of devices - possibly resembling fitness trackers like the Fitbit - which people could wear and then know when and at what dosage to take their medication.

"Our vision is to develop a device that someone with asthma or another respiratory disease can wear around their neck or on their wrist and blow into it periodically to predict the onset of an asthma attack or other problems," said Mehdi Javanmard, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "It advances the field of personalized and precision medicine."

Javanmard and a diverse team of Rutgers-New Brunswick experts describe their invention in a study published online today in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

Asthma, which causes inflammation of the airway and obstructs air flow, affects about 300 million people worldwide. About 17.7 million adults and 6.3 million children in the United States were diagnosed with asthma in 2014. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Other serious lung ailments include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which encompasses emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Today's non-invasive methods for diagnosing and monitoring asthma are limited in characterizing the nature and degree of airway inflammation, and require costly, bulky equipment that patients cannot easily keep with them. The methods include spirometry, which measures breathing capacity, and testing for exhaled nitric oxide, an indicator of airway inflammation. There's an urgent need for improved, minimally invasive methods for the molecular diagnosis and monitoring of asthma, the study says.

Measuring biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate - tiny liquid droplets discharged during breathing - can contribute to understanding asthma at the molecular level and lead to targeted treatment and better disease management.

The Rutgers researchers' miniaturized electrochemical sensor accurately measures nitrite in exhaled breath condensate using reduced graphene oxide. Reduced graphene oxide resists corrosion, has superior electrical properties and is very accurate in detecting biomarkers. Graphene is a thin layer of the graphite used in pencils.

"Nitrite level in breath condensate is a promising biomarker for inflammation in the respiratory tract. Having a rapid, easy method to measure it can help an asthmatic determine if air pollutants are affecting them so they can better manage use of medication and physical activity," said Clifford Weisel, study co-author and professor at Rutgers' Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI). "It could also be used in a physician's office and emergency departments to monitor the effectiveness of various anti-inflammatory drugs to optimize treatment."

"Increases in airway inflammation may be an early warning sign of increased risk of an asthma attack or exacerbation of COPD, allowing for earlier and more-effective preventive measures or treatment," said Robert Laumbach, study co-author and an occupational and environmental medicine physician at EOHSI.

"Just looking at coughing, wheezing and other outward symptoms, diagnosis accuracy is often poor, so that's why this idea of monitoring biomarkers continuously can result in a paradigm shift," said Javanmard, who works in the School of Engineering. "The ability to perform label-free quantification of nitrite content in exhaled breath condensate in a single step without any sample pre-treatment resolves a key bottleneck to enabling portable asthma management."

The next step is to develop a portable, wearable system, which could be commercially available within five years, he said. The researchers also envision expanding the number of inflammation biomarkers a device could detect and measure.

"In the U.S. alone, allergy inflammation, asthma and various respiratory conditions are all on the rise, so devices that can help diagnose, monitor and manage these conditions will be in high demand," Javanmard said.

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The study's lead author is Azam Gholizadeh, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers. Other authors include Damien Voiry, a former Rutgers post-doctoral associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering who is now at the University of Montpellier in France; Andrew Gow of the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers; Howard Kipen of EOHSI; and Manish Chhowalla of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
(Philadelphia, PA) - Bed-sharing, the unsafe practice in which parents sleep in the same bed as their babies, is associated with sleep-related deaths in infants, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed. However, a research team at Temple University Hospital (TUH) has now found that face-to-face postpartum education about safe infant sleep, combined with the distribution of a baby box, which is a cardboard bassinet, reduced the rates of bed-sharing during babies' first 8 days of life. The research was presented May 6 at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in San Francisco.

To promote a safe sleeping environment for babies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends room-sharing without bed-sharing, a firm mattress, breastfeeding, baby sleeping on the back and avoidance of exposure to smoking, alcohol and other drugs.

"In an effort to address the common high-risk behaviors associated with infant mortality, we created the Sleep Awareness Family Education at Temple, or SAFE-T, program," says Megan Heere, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and Medical Director of the Well Baby Nursery at TUH. "The program seeks to use education and baby boxes to curb those high risk behaviors."

TUH is located in North Philadelphia, an area that has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the United States with many babies born into poverty and to young mothers who do not have adequate resources to care for a newborn.

In order to determine if TUH's SAFE-T program was effective in reducing the rates of bed-sharing, the Temple research team performed a prospective, controlled, interrupted time series study utilizing mothers and infants who were discharged together between January 1, 2015 and November 15, 2016. Within 72 hours after discharge the mother was contacted by phone for a standard post-discharge interview to assess sleep environment for the babies, including where their baby sleeps. Baby box was added as a response option after May 3, 2016, the date that Temple began providing baby boxes free of charge to all mothers who delivered at TUH.

The study was divided into two groups. The control group, whose data was collected between January 1, 2015 and February 7, 2016, received standard nursing discharge instructions which included instructions on safe infant sleep. Data for the intervention group was collected between February 8, 2016 and November 15, 2016. The intervention group received education that included AAP safe infant sleep recommendations delivered in person by a select group of registered nurses, under the direction of a pediatrician. Each mother was also given a summary of the teaching points on a laminated door hanger. The intervention group also received a baby box, complete with a foam mattress, cotton fitted sheet and baby supplies. Each mother also watched a 3-minute instructional video on the use of the baby box as a bassinet.

Temple contacted 5,187 mothers for a post-discharge interview between January 1, 2015 and November 15, 2016. A total of 2,763 mothers completed the interview, with a response rate of 54% for the control group and 52% for the intervention group.

The research team found that:

Face-to-face sleep education and providing a baby box with a firm mattress and fitted sheet reduced the rate of bed-sharing by 25% in the first eight days of life.

For exclusively breastfed infants, a population at increased risk of bed-sharing, bed-sharing was reduced by 50%.

Of the mothers who received the baby box, a majority said they used the box as a sleeping place for their infants.

Of the mothers who received the baby box, 12% said they used the box as the primary or usual sleeping space for their infants.

Of the mothers who exclusively breastfed and also used the box as a sleeping space, 59% said the box made breastfeeding easier.

"We are pleased with the results of this first-of-its-kind study," adds Dr. Heere, who was also lead investigator. "Future studies are needed to determine if the effect of this intervention is sustainable through the first 6 to 12 months of life, and if this intervention can significantly reduce the incidence of sleep-related death in large populations over time."

"The SAFE-T program is a total team effort with a high level of collaboration between Temple nurses and physicians, and it's inspiring to see the impact that this program is having on the well-being of our patients and their families," says Jennifer Rodriguez, BSN, RN, Director of Nursing Services at TUH.

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Initial funding for the baby boxes was provided in part by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Kohl's Cares for Kids, in addition to Temple University Hospital. Also, physicians, nurses, staff and friends of Temple University Hospital, as well as Temple University alumni have been making donations to support the program.

The baby boxes are manufactured by the Baby Box Co.

Editor's Note: Neither Dr. Megan Heere, Jennifer Rodriguez nor any members of their immediate families has any financial interest in the Baby Box Co.

About Temple Health

Temple University Health System (TUHS) is a $1.6 billion academic health system dedicated to providing access to quality patient care and supporting excellence in medical education and research. The Health System consists of Temple University Hospital (TUH), ranked among the "Best Hospitals" in the region by U.S. News & World Report; TUH-Episcopal Campus; TUH-Northeastern Campus; Fox Chase Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center; Jeanes Hospital, a community-based hospital offering medical, surgical and emergency services; Temple Transport Team, a ground and air-ambulance company; and Temple Physicians, Inc., a network of community-based specialty and primary-care physician practices. TUHS is affiliated with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM), established in 1901, is one of the nation's leading medical schools. Each year, the School of Medicine educates approximately 840 medical students and 140 graduate students. Based on its level of funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Katz School of Medicine is the second-highest ranked medical school in Philadelphia and the third-highest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to U.S. News & World Report, LKSOM is among the top 10 most applied-to medical schools in the nation.

Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System (TUHS) and by the Katz School of Medicine. TUHS neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.
Jake Harwood and his collaborators have found that listening to music from other cultures furthers one's pro-diversity belief

Jake Harwood turned his lifelong hobby as a musician into a scholarly question: Could the sharing of music help ease interpersonal relations between people from different backgrounds, such as Americans and Arabs?

To explore the issue, and building on his years of research on intergroup communication, Harwood began collaborating two to three years ago with his graduate students and other researchers on a number of studies, finding that music is not merely a universal language. It appears to produce a humanizing effect for members of groups experiencing social and political opposition.

"Music would not have developed in our civilizations if it did not do very important things to us," said Harwood, a professor in the University of Arizona Department of Communication. "Music allows us to communicate common humanity to each other. It models the value of diversity in ways you don't readily see in other parts of our lives."

Harwood is presenting his team's research during the International Communication Association's 67th annual conference, to be held May 25-29 in San Diego.

In one study, Harwood worked with UA graduate researchers Farah Qadar and Chien-Yu Chen to record a mock news story featuring an Arab and an American actor playing music together. The researchers showed the video clip to U.S. participants who were not Arab. The team found that when viewing the two cultures collaborating on music, individuals in the study were prone to report more positive perceptions -- less of a prejudiced view -- of Arabs.

"The act of merging music is a metaphor for what we are trying to do: Merging two perspectives in music, you can see an emotional connection, and its effect is universal," said Qadar, who graduated from the UA in 2016 with a master's degree in communication.

The team published those findings in an article, "Harmonious Contact: Stories About Intergroup Musical Collaboration Improve Intergroup Attitudes." The article appeared in a fall issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Communication.

Another major finding: The benefits were notable, even when individuals did not play musical instruments themselves. Merely listening to music produced by outgroup members helped reduce negative feelings about outgroup members, Harwood said.

"It's not just about playing Arab music. But if you see an Arab person playing music that merges the boundary between mainstream U.S. and Arab, then you start connecting the two groups," Harwood said.

As part of his ongoing research in a different study, which he will present during the International Communication Association conference, Harwood and Stefania Paolini, a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle's School of Psychology, measured people's appreciation for diversity, gauging how they felt about members of other groups. After doing so, the team asked people to listen to music from other cultures and then report how much they enjoyed the music and what they perceived of the people the music represented.

The team found that people who value diversity are more likely to enjoy listening to music from other cultures, and that act of listening furthers one's pro-diversity beliefs.

"It has this sort of spiral effect. If you value diversity, you are going to listen to more music from other cultures," Harwood said, noting that that research is continuing. "If all you are doing is listening to the same type of music all the time, there is homogeneity that is not doing a lot to help people to increase their value for diversity."

For Harwood and his collaborators, these findings are affirming given the decades-old world music explosion and more recent examples of performers around the world who regularly sample and cross-reference outgroup musical traditions and elements.

Harwood pointed to Paul Simon's "Graceland" album as an early and notable example. Released in 1986, the album drew influence from South African instrumentation and rhythms.

"It was the start of the world music phenomena," Harwood said. "Suddenly, everyone wanted to listen to African music. Then Indonesian, then Algerian music. Then you see this modeling of new music with different musical cultures and different people collaborating with each other."

Harwood also said artists such as Eminem and Rihanna are among those who are experimenting with music that crosses cultural boundaries. "This whole new type of music is emerging that would not exist if you did not have that kind of cross-collaboration."

Harwood also said his team's findings build on earlier research and emergent models of intergroup dialogue that encourage direct contact and conversation to help build cross-cultural understanding and cohesion.

"We must think about music as a human, social activity rather than a sort of beautiful, aesthetic hobby and appreciate how fundamental it is to us all," he said. "We can then begin to see people from other groups as more human and begin to recategorize one another as members as the same group."

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When the Space Shuttle hit the Earth's atmosphere on its return trip from the cosmos, it was traveling at 17,000 miles per hour -- 25 times the speed of sound. Were it not for the protection of the ceramic tiles that acted as heat shields, the entire spacecraft would have burned to nothing.

Talk about extreme conditions.

And those are exactly the kinds of the conditions UC Santa Barbara scientist Tresa Pollock often has in mind as she seeks to discover new and better materials.

Now, Pollock, chair of the materials department at UCSB, has received one of 13 prestigious 2017 Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowships from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The award includes $3 million to fund five years of Pollock's research, which is aimed at developing a 3-D platform for discovering new materials capable of operating in extreme environments such as those experienced by rockets, aircraft engines and hypersonic flight vehicles.

The fellowship program provides awards to top-tier scientists from U.S. universities to conduct revolutionary "high risk, high pay-off" research that addresses the "hard" problems that DoD needs to solve.

"I am very honored to be selected for this award, which is named after a visionary scientist who shaped the U.S. research infrastructure," Pollock said. "I am also grateful for the research support this provides and for the support the DoD has provided for many of my previous research efforts. The Vannevar Bush Fellowship will allow us to pursue research in directions not possible with other types of research programs."

Said Rod Alferness, dean of UCSB's College of Engineering: "For Tresa Pollock to receive a prestigious Vannever Bush Award from the U.S. Department of Defense is a tremendous and well-deserved honor. I have no doubt that the funding that comes with the fellowship will enable her and her team to develop breakthroughs in 3-D printing, nanoscale analysis and efficient production of important new materials."

"Printing advanced materials into complex architectures on demand poses many technical challenges, and this fellowship will enable us to tackle what are currently limiting materials-science issues," Pollock said. "The award builds on our previous research on crystal growth and solidification, 3-D materials science and alloy design. These intellectually challenging areas of research are highly suited to the talented Ph.D. students at UCSB."

In recent years, it has become possible to use both laser and electron beams to "print" engineering objects that have complex shapes. The process involves melting and fusing metallic powder particles -- each about 10 times finer than a grain of beach sand -- in millimeter-scale "pools" created by local focusing of a laser or electron beam.

Drawing from the entire periodic table, it would be possible to mix and print millions of metallic powders having different combinations of elements. But until now, Pollock explained, it has been possible to print with only six or seven types of powders. Not enough was known, she said, about the complex series of events that occur during the melting, mixing and vaporization of the material that occur when the powder bed is scanned by a high-intensity beam, and afterward as the material cools.

"The grand challenges for making materials in this fashion are twofold and three-dimensional," Pollock said. "We need to design material compositions in which defects will not form during melting and cooling within the cubic-millimeter pool, and we need 3-D tools to examine the structure of that millimeter-scale volume of material at the nanometer scale to ensure that the structure is sound. The Vannevar Bush fellowship will enable us to focus on these two aspects of the printing problem."

Building upon a combined laser and electron-beam tomography system she developed at UCSB, Pollock will design and integrate an additional open-source, highly automated laser-powder-processing platform that can be operated either in layer-by-layer additive build mode for a given material, or in combinatorial chemistry mode to vary chemistry locally.

According to Pollock, the 3-D platform will enable exploration of previously inaccessible design spaces of higher-dimensional compositional materials and will also provide rapid acquisition of 3-D information about the materials' chemistry, structure and crystallography -- from the nanometer-to-millimeter length scales critical in emerging approaches to additive manufacturing.

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Liver cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of mortality worldwide and approximately half of those deaths are due to alcohol abuse. Yet apart from alcohol abstinence, there are no specific treatments to reduce the severity of alcohol-associated liver disease. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) have linked intestinal fungi to increased risk of death for patients with alcohol-related liver disease. They also found that antifungal treatment protects mice from alcohol-related liver disease progression.

The study is published May 22 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

"Not only is this the first study to associate fungi and liver disease," said senior author Bernd Schnabl, MD, associate professor of gastroenterology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, "we might be able to to slow the progression of alcoholic liver disease by manipulating the balance of fungal species living in a patient's intestine."

Alcoholism is associated with bacterial overgrowth in the intestines, as well as a shift in the types of bacteria found there, but little was known about the role of intestinal fungi in alcoholic liver disease.

In this study, Schnabl and colleagues found that fungi flourished in the intestines of mice with chronic alcohol exposure. In turn, they noted, the fungal overgrowth exacerbated liver disease. Parts of the fungal cell wall, mainly a sugar called beta-glucan, moved through the mouse's intestinal wall into the surrounding body cavity and organs. Once relocated inside the liver, beta-glucan bound certain immune cells and triggered inflammation. Chronic inflammation kills liver cells and ultimately promotes alcoholic liver disease.

But the researchers were able to protect mice from alcohol-induced liver disease by treating them with the antifungal compound amphotericin B. Compared to untreated mice, mice with alcohol-related liver disease that received amphotericin B had lower levels of liver injury and fat accumulation. These outcomes were determined by measuring plasma levels of a liver enzyme called alanine aminotransferase (reduced by approximately 55 percent) and levels of liver triglycerides (reduced by approximately 21 percent).

In this study, the mice received a type of oral amphotericin B that is not absorbed into the bloodstream. The drug only acts locally in the intestine and thus did not cause systemic side effects. Because it has no effect on systemic fungal infections, oral amphotericin B is not FDA-approved for human use. Intravenous amphotericin B is FDA approved for the treatment of serious fungal infections and it can cause side effects such as stomach, bone, muscle or joint pain and shortness of breath.

"This work demonstrates that alcoholic liver disease is exacerbated not only by bacteria, but also by fungi. Therefore, therapeutic strategies that target both need to be translated into clinical practice," said co-author Derrick Fouts, PhD, professor of genomic medicine at JCVI. "This study suggests a greater role of fungi in modulating the human microbiome than previously appreciated."

The team also compared fungi in the stool of eight healthy people and 20 people with chronic alcohol abuse and various stages of liver disease. They found that the healthy people had a richer diversity of fungi living in their intestines, as compared to alcohol-dependent patients. Instead, alcohol-dependent patients at all stages of liver disease had dramatic overgrowths of one fungal type in particular -- Candida, which includes the species that causes yeast infections.

In addition, Schnabl's team found a correlation between fungi and disease severity in a separate group of 27 patients with alcohol-related liver disease: The higher the exposure to fungi, as measured by a person's level of antibodies that recognize them, the higher the risk of death. Fourteen patients had high fungi levels and 13 were classified as low. After five years, 77 percent of the low-fungi group survived, compared to 36 percent of the high-fungi group.

Schnabl cautioned that this human study is just proof-of-concept in a relatively small number of patients. In addition, he said it might not be the changes in fungal populations that cause progression of alcoholic liver disease. Rather, it could be the overgrowth of intestinal fungi in combination with leaky intestinal walls -- a known result of alcohol abuse -- that trigger chronic inflammatory responses in the liver. Further studies are needed to determine if a single fungal species contributes to liver disease progression more than others.

"Since it was so effective in mice, we are interested in testing amphotericin B in patients with alcohol-related liver disease -- a population in urgent need of new therapeutics," Schnabl said.

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Co-authors of this study include: An-Ming Yang, UC San Diego and En Chu Kong Hospital, Taiwan; Tatsuo Inamine, UC San Diego and Nagasaki University; Katrin Hochrath, Peng Chen, Sena Bluemel, Phillipp Hartmann, Jun Xu, Yukinori Koyama, Tatiana Kisseleva, Hal M. Hoffman, UC San Diego; Lirui Wang, Cristina Llorente, Samuel B. Ho, UC San Diego and VA San Diego Healthcare System; Manolito G. Torralba, Kelvin Moncera, Karen Beeri, J. Craig Venter Institute; Chien-Sheng Chen, National Central University, Taiwan; Kim Freese, Claus Hellerbrand, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen- Nurnberg; Serene M.L. Lee, Hospital of the LMU Munich; Wajahat Z. Mehal, Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, Yale University and VA-CT Healthcare System; Ece A. Mutlu, Ali Keshavarzian, Rush University Medical Center; Gordon D. Brown, University of Aberdeen; Ramon Bataller, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Peter Starkel, St. Luc University Hospital, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Brussels.
If you think of good science communicators, it's likely that the names Brian Cox, Alice Roberts or Neil deGrasse Tyson may come to mind. But do you consider them good science communicators because they look competent or because they are attractive?

A new study published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) from researchers at the University of Cambridge and the University of Essex suggests that when it comes to judging scientists, we are more likely to find an attractive scientist interesting, but more likely to consider their less attractive colleagues to be better scientists.

"Given the importance of science to issues that could have a major impact on society, such as climate change, food sustainability and vaccinations, scientists are increasingly required to engage with the public," says Dr Will Skylark from the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge, who led the study. "We know from studies showing that political success can be predicted from facial appearance, that people can be influenced by how someone looks rather than, necessarily, what they say. We wanted to see if this was true for scientists."

Dr Skylark and colleagues randomly sampled the faces of scientists from the Physics and Genetics departments at US universities (108 scientists for each field), and then from the Physics and Biological Sciences departments at UK universities (200 scientists for each field) for replication studies.

In the first set of studies, the team asked one group to rate the faces on a variety of traits, such as how intelligent the individual looked, how attractive they were, and their perceived age. Then, two other groups of participants indicated how interested they would be in finding out more about each scientist's research or how much the person looked like someone who conducts accurate and important research.

The researchers found that people were more interested in learning about the work of scientists who were physically attractive and who appeared competent and moral. Interest was also slightly stronger for older scientists, and slightly lower for females. There was no difference in interest between white and non-white scientists.

However, when it came to judging whether a scientist does high-quality work, people tended to associated this with an individual's apparent competence and morality - and the more attractive and sociable they were perceived to be, the less people considered them to look like a scientist who conducts good research, a 'good scientist'.

The researchers next investigated whether facial appearance affects people's choices about which science to engage with by pairing the titles of real science-news stories with faces that had received low or high interest judgments in the first part of the study.

Participants were more likely to choose research that was paired with a photo of an interesting-looking scientist. This bias was present both for male and female scientists, physics and biology news stories, and both video and text formats.

Next, the participants were told that they would read articles from a new magazine section comprising profiles of people discussing their interests and work. The articles were adapted from news websites to make them appear like the scientist was describing his or her own work to a general audience. Participants read two articles, each presented with a photo of its putative author - one with a high 'good scientist' rating in the first study and one with a low rating.

Research that was paired with the photo of a 'good scientist' was judged to be higher quality, irrespective of the scientist's gender and discipline - although the effect was small. In addition, quality judgments were higher for physics articles than for biology articles. A similar study found that the attractiveness of the scientist had only small effect on the perceived quality of their research.

"It seems that people use facial appearance as a source of information when selecting and evaluating science news," says Dr Skylark. "It's not yet clear how much this shapes the spread and acceptance of scientific ideas among the public, but the rapid growth in visual media means it may be an increasingly important issue."

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Reference

Gheorghiu, AI, Callan, M and Skylark, WJ. PNAS; Facial appearance affects science communication; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1620542114
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Should federal regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission require admissions of guilt from the targets of civil investigations? According to a new paper co-written by a pair of University of Illinois law professors, even though the federal watchdogs rely heavily on "No admit-No deny" settlements as an enforcement tool, the failure of regulatory bodies to require admissions of guilt can trigger claims of "rigged justice" and calls for greater accountability from the public.

Building on studies of the legal functions and effects of apologies, U. of I. law professors Verity Winship and Jennifer K. Robbennolt find that although the choice is often portrayed as binary - either an agency requires an admission of wrongdoing or it doesn't - the reality is more much nuanced.

"Holding big companies responsible has struck a chord with the public, so this paper is really about accountability in the context of civil enforcement through regulatory agencies like the SEC, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice," said Winship, an expert on corporate litigation and securities enforcement.

An important piece is "really thinking about what it means to take responsibility," said Robbennolt, the Alice Curtis Campbell Professor of Law and co-director of the Illinois Program on Law, Behavior and Social Science.

"We're drawing on empirical work in psychology to think about what an admission of wrongdoing communicates, and how we can look in a more nuanced way at the type of admissions that are made - or not made," Robbennolt said. "We explore what it communicates when targets admit to particular facts, or admit that they had bad intentions or violated the law."

The paper speaks to the contrast between what companies will say publicly and what they legally agree to admit in a settlement, highlighting the Wells Fargo "ghost accounts" scandal as a signal example of a company that issued an almost pro forma nonapology apology while escaping from the thornier issue of having to admit wrongdoing.

"The CEO of Wells Fargo said before Congress that he was 'deeply sorry' for what happened, but you won't find any admission of misconduct in the company's settlements with regulatory agencies," Winship said. "The question is whether the regulators' actions against Wells Fargo hold it accountable. And, more generally, do we want civil agencies to make enforcement targets - like Wells Fargo - admit that they did something wrong?'"

The stakes are high because the choice of admissions policy goes to the heart of civil enforcement, the authors said.

"Civil enforcement by administrative agencies operates at the intersection of two sets of norms: the criminal law enforcement model, in which admissions of guilt are required, and the private settlement model, in which disclaimers of liability are an ordinary part of settlements between private parties," Winship said. "Civil enforcement policies sit uneasily at this intersection."

Despite that tension, Robbennolt and Winship both caution that settlements are an essential engine for administrative enforcement.

"We aren't making the argument that the watchdog agency should always require a full-throated admission of wrongdoing, in part because it would be very hard to have an efficient enforcement system if we didn't sometimes allow for a settlement without admitting wrongdoing," Winship said.

"Agencies have legitimate reasons to settle cases with and without admissions," Robbennolt said. "We try and approach the question of admissions from the agency's perspective in trying to negotiate cases like this. What should the agency know about what different kinds of admissions communicate? Who might care about those messages? And what are the implications of admissions for the target of enforcement? We hope to help agencies make decisions about admissions in a more nuanced and effective way."

The paper will be published in the Minnesota Law Review.

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For more than 3 million years, Selam lay silent and still. Eager to tell her story, the almost perfect fossil skeleton of a 2 1/2 year-old toddler was discovered at Dikika, Ethiopia -- and she had a lot to say. An international research team slowly chipped away at the sandstone surrounding Selam at the National Museums of Ethiopia to reveal something remarkable -- even though millions of years have passed, she's a lot like us. Selam, which means "peace" in the Ethiopian Amharic language, was an early human relative from the species Australopithecus afarensis -- the same species as the famous Lucy skeleton. The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, indicate that Selam possesses the most complete spinal column of any early fossil human relative, and her vertebral bones, neck and rib cage are mainly intact. This new research demonstrates that portions of the human skeletal structure were established millions of years earlier than previously thought.

Many features of the human spinal column and rib cage are shared among primates. The human spine reflects the distinctive mode of walking upright on two feet. Among the distinctive features is that humans have fewer rib-bearing vertebrae, bones of the back, than those of our closest relatives, and more vertebrae in the lower back allowing motions for walking effectively. When and how this pattern evolved has been unknown because complete sets of vertebrae are rarely preserved in the fossil record.

"For many years we have known of fragmentary remains of early fossil species that suggest that the shift from rib-bearing, or thoracic, vertebrae to lumbar, or lower back, vertebrae was positioned higher in the spinal column than in living humans, but we have not been able to determine how many vertebrae our early ancestors had," said Carol Ward, a Curators Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences in the MU School of Medicine, and lead author on the study. "Selam has provided us the first glimpse into how our early ancestors' spines were organized."

Selam was discovered by Zeresenay Alemseged, a professor in the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago. The skeleton was surrounded by sandstone, and Alemseged and his team have been preparing the delicate fossil for 13 years at the National Museum of Ethiopia.

"Continued and painstaking research on the Selam shows that the general structure of the human spinal column emerged over 3.3 million years ago, shedding light on one of the hallmarks of human evolution," Alemseged said. "This type of preservation is unprecedented, particularly in a young individual whose vertebrae are not yet fully fused."

In order to be analyzed, Selam had to take a trip. She traveled to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, where Alemseged and the research team used high-resolution imaging technology to visualize the bones. Scans were later sent to Ward at MU for further comparative studies.

"This technology provides the opportunity to virtually examine aspects of the vertebrae otherwise unattainable from the original specimen," said coauthor of the study Fred Spoor, a professor of evolutionary anatomy in the Department of Biosciences at the University College London.

Ward says the scans indicated that Selam had the distinctive thoracic-to-lumbar joint transition found in other fossil human relatives, but the specimen is the first to show that, like modern humans, our earliest ancestors had only twelve thoracic vertebrae and twelve pairs of ribs, which is fewer than in most apes.

"This unusual early human configuration may be a key in developing more accurate scenarios concerning the evolution of bipedality and modern human body shape," said Thierra Nalley, an assistant professor of anatomy at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, also an author of the paper.

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The study, "Thoracic Vertebral Count and Thoracolumbar Transition in Australopithecus afarensis" was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Funding for the research was provided by Margaret and Will Hearst, the National Science Foundation and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.
LAS VEGAS - May 22, 2017 - Things are heating up in Russia.

UNLV Geoscience Ph.D. student Jonathan Baker has found evidence that shows nearly continuous warming from the end of the last Ice Age to the present in the Ural Mountains in central Russia.

The research, which was published today in top geoscience journal Nature Geoscience, shows continual warming over the past 11,000 years, contradicting the current belief that northern hemisphere temperatures peaked 6,000 to 8,000 years ago and cooled until the pre-Industrial period.

Baker's research, done in conjunction with UNLV geoscientist Matthew Lachniet, Yemane Asmerom and Victor Polyak of the University of New Mexico, and Russian scientist Olga Chervyatsova, shows that winter temperature variations in continental Eurasia are warmer today than any time in the past 11,000 years.

This study contradicts previous work likely because those studies focused on summer temperature trends and not the more sensitive winter temperature variations that were not previously available, Baker said.

The new finding is based on precisely dated isotope temperature record and supports computer models for Eurasia that predicted continual warming. The research showed that disappearing ice in the Arctic regions of North America controlled the warming trend as the Ice Age glaciers retreated. Later, rising greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, were likely responsible for the continued warming in the Ural Mountains.

The cave climate record has important implications for the future, Lachniet explained. "Because greenhouse gas concentrations are increasing at rates unprecedented for the past 800,000 years, human-caused warming will be superimposed on the 'natural' trend," he said.

Baker added, "Over the past century, winters in continental Eurasia warmed 70 times faster than during the previous 7,000 years, according to our record. At this pace, the warming will continue to pose severe and detrimental impacts throughout the region."

As modern temperatures are influenced in part by greenhouse gases, both summers and winters are expected to warm, whereas past temperatures in those seasons had opposing trajectories, Baker said.

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Baker conducted the research while living in Russia as a Fulbright grantee. There he worked with co-author Olga Chervyatsova and the Ufa Speleo Club to collect stalagmites from Kinderlinksaya Cave, located about 750 miles east of Moscow in the southern Ural Mountains.

The data were obtained using state-of-the art geochemical techniques at the Las Vegas Isotope Science Laboratory at UNLV and the Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory at the University of New Mexico. Both facilities were supported by infrastructure grants from the National Science Foundation. The research was also supported by the Ralph Stone Fellowship of the National Speleological Society.

The study was published May 22 in the journal Nature Geoscience: https://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo2953.html
PITTSBURGH, May 22, 2017 - The first known identification of two genes responsible for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a severe congenital heart defect, has been reported by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The findings are published today in the journal Nature Genetics.

Congenital heart disease, or structural abnormalities in the heart that are present at birth, affect up to 1 percent of all live births. HLHS is a rare congenital heart disease where the left side of the heart is poorly developed, resulting in an inability to effectively pump blood to the rest of the body. It occurs in about 2 to 3 of every 10,000 live births in the United States, and is fatal if left untreated.

Current treatment for HLHS involves multiple complex surgeries in the first few years of a child's life, and while effective in many patients, it does not improve heart function in many others. In those individuals, heart failure ensues and heart transplantation is required. The five-year survival rate for HLHS patients is approximately 50 to 70 percent.

Though genetic risk factors are known to play a role in HLHS, specific genes have been hard to identify.

"Studying diseases with complex genetics is extremely challenging. Our study has been made possible by leveraging findings from a large-scale analysis in mice to recover mutations causing congenital heart defects. This resulted in the recovery of the first mouse models of HLHS. Analysis of these mice with HLHS allowed us to identify for the first time two genes interacting in combination to cause HLHS," said Cecilia Lo, Ph.D., professor at Pitt's School of Medicine who also holds the F. Sargent Cheever Chair in Developmental Biology. "By understanding the genetics and biology of HLHS, this can facilitate development of new therapies to improve the prognosis for these patients."

Lo and her team used fetal ultrasound imaging to screen mice with experimentally induced mutations, looking for structural heart defects. From this screen, they recovered eight different mouse strains with structural and functional heart defects indicative of HLHS.

By comparing the genome of mice with the HLHS heart defects to the genome of normal mice, Lo and her team identified several hundred mutations in the HLHS mutant strains. Further analysis of these mutant mice indicated the genetic origins of HLHS likely involve many interacting genes. The relevance of these mutations was reinforced by the fact that many also were found in the same chromosomal regions previously shown to be associated with HLHS from human genetic studies.

In one mouse strain, they discovered that mutations in two genes, named Sap130 and Pcdha9, were required for HLHS. "Interestingly, HLHS was found only in animals with mutations in both genes. However, animals that had mutations with Pcdha9, but not Sap130, can display defects in the aorta, but with normal-sized left ventricles, suggesting interaction between the two genes is needed to cause all the features of HLHS," said Xiaoqin Liu, M.D., Ph.D., the first author of the new study and a research instructor in Lo's lab.

Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mice, the researchers confirmed that mutations in these two genes can cause HLHS. Additionally, they sequenced 68 HLHS patient samples and found one individual with rare mutations in both SAP130 and PCDHA genes.

Molecular analysis showed that heart cells in affected animals were poorly developed and had mitochondrial defects, indicating that Sap130-Pcdha9 gene interactions play a crucial role not only in heart development but also in regulating metabolic function of the cardiac muscle.

These findings suggest HLHS may be associated with a fundamental cellular defect in the heart muscle that can compromise blood flow in patients. This has important therapeutic implications, as surgical repair will not be able to address the cellular muscle defect in HLHS patients, noted Lo.

The researchers are investigating other mutations identified through the genetic screen and plan to undertake more genetic analysis of HLHS patients to better understand the molecular and genetic factors that cause the disease.

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Other study authors included researchers from Pitt, The Jackson Laboratory, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Children's National Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, University of San Diego School of Medicine and Medical College of Wisconsin.

The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants U01-HL098180, R01-HL132024, R01-GM104412, S10-OD010340, R01-MH094564, OD011185, the Children's Heart Foundation, and the Junior Cooperative Society.

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.

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A new gene behind a rare form of inherited childhood kidney disease has been identified by a global research team.

University of Queensland researchers were part of the team that made the discovery that will improve genetic testing and could provide clues for future treatments for autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD).

UQ Institute for Molecular Bioscience researcher Associate Professor Carol Wicking, a lead author of the study, said it had previously been difficult to determine the underlying cause of all cases of ARPKD.

"It was thought that errors in a gene called PKHD1 were solely to blame for this rare form of kidney disease," Associate Professor Wicking said.

"But there was always a subset of patients who appeared to have the disease, even though they possessed a normal version of that gene.

"The aim of this study was to find other genetic culprits that could be responsible for this devastating condition."

ARPKD causes enlarged kidneys, liver problems and high blood pressure, and often leads to renal failure in the 70 per cent of patients who survive the first weeks of life.

Using a technique called whole exome sequencing to analyse all of a patient's genes simultaneously, researchers in Germany and the US found errors in a gene called DZIP1L in four families with ARPKD.

Associate Professor Wicking and colleagues in Australia, Singapore and Germany used laboratory-based models to confirm that errors in this gene did indeed cause kidney defects, and began to explore and understand why.

"The gene DZIP1L appears to be related to the function of cilia, which are small antenna-like extensions that project from almost all cells of the body, including those in the kidney, and play an important role in controlling vital cellular functions," Associate Professor Wicking said.

"This gene makes a protein that acts at the base of the cilium, which, when faulty, causes a domino effect that leads to problems in cilia and, in turn, a malfunctioning kidney.

"ARPKD has a more complex cause than originally thought, and our work to understand this rare disease may eventually help us to better manage both rare and more common forms of polycystic kidney disease."

Many patients with a rare disease wait years for a genetic diagnosis and often endure multiple misdiagnoses.

Rare Voices Australia Executive Director Nicole Millis said this exciting discovery provided much-needed answers for patients.

"These findings highlight how new genomic technologies are helping to find answers for patients with rare diseases, giving them more certainty about their condition.

"Having a genetic diagnosis also gives patients and their families a chance to connect with other people living with a similar rare disease and build vital support networks," Ms Millis said.

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The research, published in Nature Genetics (DOI: 10.1038/ng.3871), was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, The University of Queensland, the German Research Fund, DFG Collaborative Research Centre KIDGEM 1140, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the US National Institutes of Health, and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research of Singapore.

Media: Gemma Ward, IMB Communications, communications@imb.uq.edu.au, +61 (7) 3346 2155, +61 (0) 439 651 107.
Seawater in Egypt could be turned into drinking water using biomass energy as a source of heat in a new collaborative project from academics at the University of Sheffield UK and Port Said University in Egypt.

The unique two year project will see academics from the world-leading Energy 2050 Institute partner with Egyptian experts to develop a system that could provide fresh and safe water to poor and rural communities.

Egypt's growing population and scarcity of water resources means that freshwater supplies are becoming increasingly stressed.

Desalination technologies, which produce drinkable water from seawater, offer an alternative source of water but at a high energy cost. Renewable solar energy has been used extensively in these technologies but is not consistent due to not enough sunlight on cloudy days and at night.

A hybrid system using biogas and solar is an entirely new technology with only a handful of studies being attempted so far. There are several options for the integration of the hybrid energy system and the desalination process and the process will explore both thermal and electrically based freshwater production systems.

The collaborative team will investigate whether biogas produced from biological matter - such as cattle manure - could be used as a feasible backup to solar. At the same time, the team will find the optimum way of integrating the two technologies to maximise fresh water production.

The project will involve a survey of biogas resources in Egypt, a model-based design and optimisation of the hybrid desalination system and will investigate the operational strategies to ensure cost-effective and reliable drinking water supply to rural communities.

The team hope that the hybridisation of biogas and solar energy sources will lead to more reliable and flexible energy production but also will be cheaper than using a single renewable energy technology alone, given that both biomass and solar energy are in abundance in Egypt.

Dr Mark Walker, Research Associate at Energy 2050, said: "The first part of the project will see us look at how to maximise fresh water production at the lowest cost. We'll also be investigating how different wastes can help us to produce the most energy to supply the system.

"Our project could provide continuous production of fresh water to rural areas, at a low cost and smaller carbon footprint than current technologies."

A pilot demonstration system will be built in Egypt and will be monitored by the joint UK/Egyptian team to assess its performance. The team hope to install integrated desalination systems in poor and rural communities of Egypt like Sinai, Nile-Delta and Upper Egypt.

Dr Mohamed Hammam, Assistant Professor at Port Said University, said: "This project is important from many perspectives. Beside the technological and economical benefits, it allows researchers from two institutes with famous experience in the field of renewable energy and combustion to work closely together."

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The project has been funded by two programmes: the British Council's Newton Fund Institutional Links programme which helps UK institutions build strong and sustainable relationships and helps to promote economic development and social welfare of partner countries, and Science and Technology Development Fund in Egypt (STDF), the main organisation of funding research and development projects of Egyptian universities and research institutes.

The University of Sheffield

With almost 27,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities.

A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in.

Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2017 and was voted number one university in the UK for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education in 2014. In the last decade it has won four Queen's Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdom's intellectual, economic, cultural and social life.

Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.

For further information, please visit: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk

Energy 2050

One of the UK's largest energy research institutes based at the University of Sheffield, our initiative focuses on energy innovation and knowledge exchange and brings together more than 120 academics, and 250 PhD students. It's a research institute that goes beyond traditional research boundaries by delivering innovations to power producers and major consumers with technology providers, focused on competitiveness and the de-risking of large scale investment in new technologies both in the UK and internationally.

For further information, please visit: http://www.energy2050.ac.uk
TORONTO, ON (Canada) - The common lineage of great apes and humans split several hundred thousand earlier than hitherto assumed, according to an international research team headed by Professor Madelaine Bohme from the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment at the University of Tubingen and Professor Nikolai Spassov from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The researchers investigated two fossils of Graecopithecus freybergi with state-of-the-art methods and came to the conclusion that they belong to pre-humans. Their findings, published today in two papers in the journal PLOS ONE, further indicate that the split of the human lineage occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean and not - as customarily assumed - in Africa.

Present-day chimpanzees are humans' nearest living relatives. Where the last chimp-human common ancestor lived is a central and highly debated issue in palaeoanthropology. Researchers have assumed up to now that the lineages diverged five to seven million years ago and that the first pre-humans developed in Africa. According to the 1994 theory of French palaeoanthropologist Yves Coppens, climate change in Eastern Africa could have played a crucial role. The two studies of the research team from Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, Canada, France and Australia now outline a new scenario for the beginning of human history.

Dental roots give new evidence

The team analyzed the two known specimens of the fossil hominid Graecopithecus freybergi: a lower jaw from Greece and an upper premolar from Bulgaria. Using computer tomography, they visualized the internal structures of the fossils and demonstrated that the roots of premolars are widely fused.

"While great apes typically have two or three separate and diverging roots, the roots of Graecopithecus converge and are partially fused - a feature that is characteristic of modern humans, early humans and several pre-humans including Ardipithecus and Australopithecus", said Bohme.

The lower jaw, nicknamed 'El Graeco' by the scientists, has additional dental root features, suggesting that the species Graecopithecus freybergi might belong to the pre-human lineage. "We were surprised by our results, as pre-humans were previously known only from sub-Saharan Africa," said Jochen Fuss, a Tubingen PhD student who conducted this part of the study.

Furthermore, Graecopithecus is several hundred thousand years older than the oldest potential pre-human from Africa, the six to seven million year old Sahelanthropus from Chad. The research team dated the sedimentary sequence of the Graecopithecus fossil sites in Greece and Bulgaria with physical methods and got a nearly synchronous age for both fossils - 7.24 and 7.175 million years before present. "It is at the beginning of the Messinian, an age that ends with the complete desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea," Bohme said.

Professor David Begun, a University of Toronto paleoanthropologist and co-author of this study, added, "This dating allows us to move the human-chimpanzee split into the Mediterranean area."

Environmental changes as the driving force for divergence

As with the out-of-East-Africa theory, the evolution of pre-humans may have been driven by dramatic environmental changes. The team led by Bohme demonstrated that the North African Sahara desert originated more than seven million years ago. The team concluded this based on geological analyses of the sediments in which the two fossils were found. Although geographically distant from the Sahara, the red-colored silts are very fine-grained and could be classified as desert dust. An analysis of uranium, thorium, and lead isotopes in individual dust particles yields an age between 0.6 and 3 billion years and infers an origin in Northern Africa.

Moreover, the dusty sediment has a high content of different salts. "These data document for the first time a spreading Sahara 7.2 million years ago, whose desert storms transported red, salty dusts to the north coast of the Mediterranean Sea in its then form," the Tubingen researchers said. This process is also observable today. However, the researchers' modelling shows that, with up to 250 grams per square meter and year, the amount of dust in the past considerably exceeds recent dust loadings in Southern Europe more than tenfold, comparable to the situation in the present-day Sahel zone in Africa.

Fire, grass, and water stress

The researchers further showed that, contemporary to the development of the Sahara in North Africa, a savannah biome formed in Europe. Using a combination of new methodologies, they studied microscopic fragments of charcoal and plant silicate particles, called phytoliths. Many of the phytoliths identified derive from grasses and particularly from those that use the metabolic pathway of C4-photosynthesis, which is common in today's tropical grasslands and savannahs. The global spread of C4-grasses began eight million years ago on the Indian subcontinent - their presence in Europe was previously unknown.

"The phytolith record provides evidence of severe droughts, and the charcoal analysis indicates recurring vegetation fires," said Bohme. "In summary, we reconstruct a savannah, which fits with the giraffes, gazelles, antelopes, and rhinoceroses that were found together with Graecopithecus," Spassov added

"The incipient formation of a desert in North Africa more than seven million years ago and the spread of savannahs in Southern Europe may have played a central role in the splitting of the human and chimpanzee lineages," said Bohme. She calls this hypothesis the North Side Story, recalling the thesis of Yves Coppens, known as East Side Story.

The findings are described in two studies pubished in PLOS ONE titled "Potential hominin affinities of Graecopithecus from the late Miocene of Europe" and "Messinian age and savannah environment of the possible hominin Graecopithecus from Europe."

###

Notes to media:

1) The papers will appear online after the embargo lifts at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0177127 (Potential hominin affinities of Graecopithecus from the Late Miocene of Europe) and http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0177347 (Messinian age and savannah environment of the possible hominin Graecopithecus from Europe).

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Professor Madelaine Bohme

Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP Tuebingen)

University of Tubingen

+49 7071 29 73191

m.boehme@ifg.uni-tuebingen.de

Professor Nikolai Spassov

National Museum of Natural History, Sofia

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

nspassov@nmnhs.com

Professor David Begun

Department of Anthropology

University of Toronto, Canada

begun@chass.utoronto.ca

Antje Karbe

Public Relations Department

University of Tubingen

+49 7071 29 76789

antje.karbe@uni-tuebingen.de

Sean Bettam

Communications, Faculty of Arts & Science

University of Toronto, Canada

+1 416 946 7950

s.bettam@utoronto.ca
A moratorium on new assisted-living facilities or expansions in Fort Atkinson, adopted in September 2015 as a temporary measure, remains in effect, said Andy Selle, city engineer.

Its believed to be the first such ban in Wisconsin, where assisted living has grown rapidly in recent years, far surpassing capacity at nursing homes.

Fort Atkinson passed the ban after officials said they were receiving too many preventable ambulance, fire and police calls to assisted-living centers.

An ordinance was drafted to establish $1,000 fines for preventable calls, but the City Council hasnt considered it.

In any given month, between 5 and 20 percent of emergency calls in the city of 12,400 people go to assisted-living facilities, which have a total of about 500 beds, Selle said last year.

Were spending a fairly significant amount of time on a very small segment of the population, he said. Theres concern (emergency services) cant respond adequately to the needs of the community.

Meanwhile, a report from the state Department of Health Services shows continued growth in assisted living  housing for the elderly or disabled that provides meals, housekeeping and assistance with personal care but doesnt have many of the medical services found in nursing homes.

The state now has nearly 4,200 assisted-living facilities with a total of more than 59,000 beds, compared to fewer than 400 nursing homes with roughly 33,000 beds. Until 2008, beds in nursing homes outnumbered those in assisted living.

Complaints against assisted-living facilities are also up to 1,207 last year from 1,117 in 2015.

The state issued 2,719 citations and $933,000 in fines against the facilities last year, up from 2,437 citations and $887,000 in fines in 2015.
A University of Washington-led international team of astronomers has used data gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope to observe and confirm details of the outermost of seven exoplanets or-biting the star TRAPPIST-1.

They confirmed that the planet, TRAPPIST-1h, orbits its star every 18.77 days, is linked in its orbital path to its siblings and is frigidly cold. Far from its host star, the planet is likely uninhabit-able -- but it may not always have been so.

UW doctoral student Rodrigo Luger is lead author on a paper published May 22 in the journal Nature Astronomy.

"TRAPPIST-1h was exactly where our team predicted it to be," Luger said. The researchers dis-covered a mathematical pattern in the orbital periods of the inner six planets, which was strongly suggestive of an 18.77 day period for planet h.

"It had me worried for a while that we were seeing what we wanted to see. Things are almost never exactly as you expect in this field -- there are usually surprises around every corner, but theory and observation matched perfectly in this case."

TRAPPIST-1 is a middle-aged, ultra cool dwarf star, much less luminous than the sun and only a bit larger than the planet Jupiter. The star, which is nearly 40 light-years or about 235 trillion miles away in the constellation of Aquarius, is named after the ground-based Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST), the facility that first found evidence of planets around it in 2015.

The TRAPPIST survey is led by Michael Gillon of the University of Liege, Belgium, who is also a coauthor on this research. In 2016, Gillon's team announced the detection of three planets or-biting TRAPPIST-1 and this number was upped to seven in a subsequent 2017 paper. Three of TRAPPIST-1's planets appear to be within the star's habitable zone, that swath of space around a star where a rocky planet could have liquid water on its surface, thus giving life a chance.

Such exoplanets are detected when they transit, or pass in front of, their host star, blocking a measurable portion of the light. Gillon's team was able to observe only a single transit for TRAP-PIST-1h, the farthest-out of the star's seven progeny, prior to the data analyzed by Luger's team.

Luger led a multi-institution international research team that studied the TRAPPIST-1 system more closely using 79 days of observation data from K2, the second mission of the Kepler Space Telescope. The team was able to observe and study four transits of TRAPPIST-1h across its star.

The team used the K2 data to further characterize the orbits of the other six planets, help rule out the presence of additional transiting planets, and determine the rotation period and activity level of the star. They also discovered that TRAPPIST-1's seven planets appear linked in a complex dance known as an orbital resonance where their respective orbital periods are mathematically related and slightly influence each other.

"Resonances can be tricky to understand, especially between three bodies. But there are simpler cases that are easier to explain," Luger said. For instance, closer to home, Jupiter's moons Io, Eu-ropa and Ganymede are set in a 1:2:4 resonance, meaning that Europa's orbital period is exactly twice that of Io, and Ganymede's is exactly twice that of Europa.

These relationships, Luger said, suggested that by studying the orbital velocities of its neighbor planets they could predict the exact orbital velocity, and hence also orbital period, of TRAP-PIST-1h even before the K2 observations. Their theory proved correct when they located the planet in the K2 data.

TRAPPIST-1's seven-planet chain of resonances established a record among known planetary systems, the previous holders being the systems Kepler-80 and Kepler-223, each with four reso-nant planets. The resonances are "self-correcting," Luger said, such that if one planet were to somehow be nudged off course, it would lock right back into resonance. "Once you're caught into this kind of stable resonance, it's hard to escape," he said.

All of this, Luger said, indicates that these orbital connections were forged early in the life of the TRAPPIST-1 system, when the planets and their orbits were not fully formed.

"The resonant structure is no coincidence, and points to an interesting dynamical history in which the planets likely migrated inward in lock-step," Luger said. "This makes the system a great testbed for planet formation and migration theories."

It also means that while TRAPPIST-1h is now extremely cold -- with an average temperature of 173 Kelvin (minus 148 F) -- it likely spent several hundred million years in a much warmer state, when its host star was younger and brighter.

"We could therefore be looking at a planet that was once habitable and has since frozen over, which is amazing to contemplate and great for follow-up studies," Luger said.

Luger said he has been working with data from the K2 mission for a while now, researching ways to reduce "instrumental noise" in its data resulting from broken reaction wheels -- small flywheels that help position the spacecraft -- that can overwhelm planetary signals.

"Observing TRAPPIST-1 with K2 was an ambitious task," said Marko Sestovic, a doctoral stu-dent at the University of Bern and second author of the study. In addition to the extraneous sig-nals introduced by the spacecraft's wobble, the faintness of the star in the optical (the range of wavelengths where K2 observes) placed TRAPPIST-1h "near the limit of what we could detect with K2," he said. To make matters worse, Sestovic said, one transit of the planet coincided with a transit of TRAPPIST-1b, and one coincided with a stellar flare, adding to the difficulty of the observation. "Finding the planet was really encouraging," Luger said, "since it showed we can still do high-quality science with Kepler despite significant instrumental challenges."

Luger's UW co-authors are astronomy doctoral students Ethan Kruse and Brett Morris, post-doctoral researcher Daniel Foreman-Mackey and professor Eric Agol (Guggenheim Fellow). Agol separately helped confirm the approximate mass of TRAPPIST-1 planets with a technique he and colleagues devised called "transit timing variations" that describes planets' gravitational tugs on one another.

Luger said the TRAPPIST-1 system's relative nearness "makes it a prime target for follow-up and characterization with current and upcoming telescopes, which may be able to give us information about these planets' atmospheric composition."

###

Contributing to this discovery are researchers at the University of Bern in Switzerland; Paris Di-derot and Paris Sorbonne Universities and the CEA Saclay in France; the University of Liege in Belgium; the University of Chicago; the University of California, San Diego; California Institute of Technology; the University of Bordeaux in France; the University of Cambridge in England; NASA's Ames Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, and Johnson Space Center; Mas-sachusetts Institute of Technology; the University of Central Lancashire in England; King Ab-dulaziz University in Saudi Arabia; Cadi Ayyad University in Morocco; and the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

The research was funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute via the UW-based Virtual Plane-tary Laboratory as well as a National Science Foundation Graduate Student Research Fellow-ship, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the European Research Council and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, among other agencies.

For more information, visit http://www.trappist.one or contact Luger at 206-543-6276 or rodluger@uw.edu

* Watch a video about the TRAPPIST-1 systems's orbital resonances.
An international team of researchers led by geoscientists with the Virginia Tech College of Science recently discovered that deep portions of Earth's mantle might be as hot as it was more than 2.5 billion years ago.

The study, led by Esteban Gazel, an assistant professor with Virginia Tech's Department of Geosciences, and his doctoral student Jarek Trela of Deer Park, Illinois, is published in the latest issue of Nature Geoscience. The study brings new, unprecedented evidence on the thermal evolution of the deep Earth during the past 2.5 billion years, Gazel said.

The Archean Eon -- covering from 2.5 to 4 billion years ago -- is one of the most enigmatic times in the evolution of our planet, Gazel said. During this time period, the temperature of Earth's mantle -- the silicate region between the crust and the outer core -- was hotter than it is today, owing to a higher amount of radioactive heat produced from the decay of elements such as potassium, thorium, and uranium. Because Earth was hotter during this period, this interval of geologic time is marked by the widespread of occurrence of a unique rock known as komatiite.

"Komatiites are basically superhot versions of Hawaiian style lava flows," Gazel said. "You can imagine a Hawaiian lava flow, only komatiites were so hot that they glowed white instead of red, and they flowed on a planetary surface with very different atmospheric conditions, more similar to Venus than the planet we live on today."

Earth essentially stopped producing abundant hot komatiites after the Archean era because the mantle has cooled during the past 4.5 billion years due to convective cooling and a decrease in radioactive heat production, Gazel said.

However, Gazel and a team made what they call an astonishing discovery while studying the chemistry of ancient Galapagos-related lava flows, preserved today in Central America: a suite of lavas that shows conditions of melting and crystallization similar to the mysterious Archean komatiites.

Gazel and collaborators studied a set of rocks from the 90 million-year-old Tortugal Suite in Costa Rica and found that they had magnesium concentrations as high as Archean komatiites, as well as textural evidence for extremely hot lava flow temperatures.

"Experimental studies tell us that that the magnesium concentration of basalts and komatiites is related to the initial temperature of the melt," Gazel said. "They higher the temperature, the higher the magnesium content of a basalt."

The team also studied the composition olivine, the first mineral that crystallized from these lavas. Olivine -- a light green mineral that Gazel has obsessively explored many volcanoes and magmatic regions to search for -- is an extremely useful tool to study a number of conditions related to origin of a lava flow because it is the first mineral phase that crystallizes when a mantle melt cools. Olivines also carry inclusions of glass -- that once was melt -- and other smaller minerals that are helpful to decipher the secrets of the deep Earth.

"We used the composition of olivine as another thermometer to corroborate how hot these lavas were when they began to cool," Gazel said. "You can determine the temperature that basaltic lava began crystallizing by analyzing the composition of olivine and inclusions of another mineral called spinel. At higher temperatures, olivine will incorporate more aluminum into its structure and spinel will incorporate more chromium. If you know how much of these elements are present in each mineral, then you know the temperature at which they crystallized."

The team found that Tortugal olivines crystallized at temperature nearing 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,600 degrees Celsius) -- as high as temperatures recorded by olivines from komatiites -- making this a new record on lava temperatures in the past 2.5 billion years.

Gazel and collaborators suggest in their study that Earth may still be capable of producing komatiite-like melts. Their results suggest that Tortugal lavas most likely originated from the hot core of the Galapagos mantle plume that started producing melts nearly 90 million years ago and has remained active ever since.

A mantle plume is a deep-earth structure that likely originates at the core-mantle boundary of the planet. When it nears the surface of the planet it begins to melt, forming features known as hotspots such as those found in Hawaii or Galapagos. Geologists can then study these hotspot lava flows and use their geochemical information as a window into the deep Earth.

"What is really fascinating about this study is that we show that the planet is still capable of producing lavas as hot as during Archean time period," Gazel said. "Based on our results from Tortugal lavas, we think that mantle plumes are 'tapping' a deep, hot region of the mantle that hasn't cooled very much since the Archean. We think that this region is probably being sustained by heat from the crystallizing core of the planet."

"This is a really interesting discovery and we are going to keep investigating Tortugal," said Trela, a doctoral student and the first author of the paper. "Although the Tortugal Suite was first discovered and documented more than 20 years ago, it wasn't until now that we have the technology and experimental support to better understand the global implications of this location."

Trela added, "Our new data suggest that this suite of rocks offers tremendous opportunity to answer key questions regarding the accretion of the Earth, its thermal evolution, and the geochemical messages that mantle plumes bring to the surface of the planet."

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The international team also included fellow Virginia Tech doctoral student Lowell Moore of Staunton, Virginia; Alexander Sobolev and Valentina Batanova of the ISTerre: Institut des Sciences de la Terre, France, and the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Michael Bizimis of the University of South Carolina, and Brian Jicha of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Intelligence is one of the most investigated traits in humans and higher intelligence is associated with important economic and health-related life outcomes. Despite high heritability estimates of 45% in childhood and 80% in adulthood, only a handful of genes had previously been associated with intelligence and for most of these genes the findings were not reliable. The study [add hyperlink], published in the journal Nature Genetics, uncovered 52 genes for intelligence, of which 40 were completely new discoveries. Most of these genes are predominantly expressed in brain tissue.

"These results are very exciting as they provide very robust associations with intelligence. The genes we detect are involved in the regulation of cell development, and are specifically important in synapse formation, axon guidance and neuronal differentiation. These findings for the first time provide clear clues towards the underlying biological mechanisms of intelligence", says Danielle Posthuma, Principal Investigator of the study.

The study also showed that the genetic influences on intelligence are highly correlated with genetic influences on educational attainment, and also, albeit less strongly, with smoking cessation, intracranial volume, head circumference in infancy, autism spectrum disorder and height. Inverse genetic correlations were reported with Alzheimer's disease, depressive symptoms, smoking history, schizophrenia, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, and waist circumference.

"These genetic correlations shed light on common biological pathways for intelligence and other traits. Seven genes for intelligence are also associated with schizophrenia; nine genes also with body mass index, and four genes were also associated with obesity. These three traits show a negative correlation with intelligence", says Suzanne Sniekers, first author of the study and postdoc in the lab of Posthuma. "So, a variant of gene with a positive effect on intelligence, has a negative effect on schizophrenia, body mass index or obesity."

Future studies will need to clarify the exact role of these genes in intelligence in order to obtain a more complete picture of how genetic differences lead to differences in intelligence. "The current genetic results explain up to 5% of the total variance in intelligence. Although this is quite a large amount of variance for a trait as intelligence, there is still a long road to go: given the high heritability of intelligence, many more genetic effects are expected to be important, and these can only be detected in even larger samples", says Danielle Posthuma.

The study is published in Nature Genetics, May 22, 2017.

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Plants can absorb nutrients through their leaves as well as their roots. However, foliar fertilization over an extended period is difficult. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, German researchers have now introduced an efficient delivery system for micronutrients based on biohybrid microgels. Special peptides anchor the "microcontainers" onto the leaf surface while binding sites inside ensure gradual release of the "cargo".

Foliar fertilization is already commonly used in areas such as viniculture, when the leaves on the vines turn yellow due to a mineral deficiency. Yet, despite the use of detergents, adhesives, and humectants, controlled delivery of nutrients through foliar fertilization over several weeks is nearly impossible to achieve. Up to 80% of the nutrients are washed away, winding up in the soil and being converted into forms that the plant cannot use. In addition, they can be washed into bodies of water and cause environmental problems. An additional problem is that strong sunlight evaporates the water out of the applied fertilizer solution. This results in a high salt concentration that draws water out of the leaf and causes burn damage.

A team from DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials in Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, and the University of Bonn has now developed a foliar fertilization system based on biocompatible microgels that adhere selectively to leaves for a long period and slowly deliver nutrients in a controlled fashion. Microgels are tiny particles of cross-linked macromolecules that can bind water and other molecules, such as fertilizers very efficiently.

Led by Ulrich Schwaneberg and Andrij Pich, the researchers equipped the interiors of gel particles with binding sites modeled on the iron-binding proteins of bacteria. These ensure that the iron ions are released slowly. The microgels are loaded with an iron-containing solution at a pH of 3. When the pH rises to 7, the microgels shrink, releasing water and binding the iron.

The surface of the gel particles is equipped with anchor peptides from lactic acid bacteria. These bind securely to leaf surfaces to hinder rinsing away of the microgels. The water in the gel provides an aqueous microenvironment that allows the iron to diffuse into the leaves. Yellow leaves of iron-deficient cucumber plants rapidly turned green in spots where the new foliar fertilizer was applied.

By incorporating different binding sites, the microgel "containers" can be loaded with a multitude of other metal ions or agents. A controlled delivery of agents as required would minimize the applied quantities as well as the release of fertilizers and pesticides into the environment. Low production costs, high levels of loading, easy application, and adjustable adhesive properties should make broad industrial applications possible. The goal is to make self-regulating delivery systems for sustainable agriculture.

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About the Author

Dr. Andrij Pich is Lichtenberg Professor leading the Laboratory for Functional and Interactive Polymers at the Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry at RWTH Aachen and member of the scientific directors board at the DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials. His research is focused on tailored synthesis of new macromolecules and their integration in complex functional polymer materials for applications in engineered plastics, biomaterials, catalysis and plant care.

https://www.dwi.rwth-aachen.de/index.php?id=757
As represented by conventional radiograph, radiological images provide only black and white figures in 2D space. The situation is basically the same for Single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET), which are the two most common molecular imaging techniques used in nuclear medicine. PET is used especially for early cancer and Alzheimer's disease detection, but radioactive tracers suitable for each detector are limited in terms of energy. For example, PET can only image monochromatic gamma rays thus provide black and white 2D images. Moreover, production of PET tracers, usually made by a cyclotron facility in medical centers, is inevitably costly.

"All of these problems could be addressed if gamma rays of arbitrary energy could be easily visualized in 3D space," points out Jun Kataoka, professor of applied physics at Waseda University. "This would be as revolutionary as black and white television turning into color, dramatically increasing the amount of information we could obtain from an image."

Thus, Professor Kataoka's research group invented a medical gamma-ray detector (Compton camera) and succeeded in high-resolution, multicolor 3D molecular imaging of a live mouse which was administered with three different radioactive tracers. They discovered that the tracers iodine, strontium, and zinc accumulated in the thyroid, bones and liver respectively, confirming that these new tracers concentrated in each target organ.

What's more, this camera only weighs 580g and fits in the palm of a hand, making it the world's most compact Compton camera.

"The measurement time took 10 minutes per angle, so we were able to obtain an image taken from 12 angles in just 2 hours. The time could be reduced even more by using multiple Compton cameras. For example, if there are 12 Compton cameras surrounding an object, the same image as this study could be obtained in just 10 minutes, suggesting a new way to understand biodynamics by looking at how a drug is taken into the body in 10-minute increments."

This research was published in Scientific Reports.

Although SPECT and PET are widely used, the radioactive tracers suitable for each detector have been limited. SPECT only images low-energy gamma rays less than 400 kilo-electron volts (keV), and PET can image only positron emitting sources of 511keV. Thus, the use of a Compton camera, which can image energy from a few hundred keV to more than mega-electron volts (MeV), was eagerly awaited for, along with development of new potential tracers.

Professor Kataoka's research group developed the world's lightest, medical Compton camera with high detection efficiency and practical spatial resolution, enabling flexible measurements. The camera was then rotated around the mouse from 12 angles, which was administered with three different radioactive tracers: iodine (131I, 364 keV), strontium (85Sr, 514 keV), and zinc (65Zn, 1116 keV). The measurement time totaled 2 hours, and the group successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of simultaneous in vivo imaging of multiple tracers and imaged the gamma rays nearly real-time with a resolution of 3mm, equivalent to PET.

Based on this study, Professor Kataoka is now working towards developing a gamma-ray camera which works like the human eye. "The human eye can instantly distinguish the colors and brightness of light from all directions, as well as determine the object's shape in 3D from the displacement between the left and right eye. Therefore, stereoscopic imaging becomes theoretically feasible by using multiple ultra-compact Compton cameras."

Though not limited to the medical field, this technology could help track behaviors of cancer cells and minerals in the body by combining the conventional PET drugs with newly found tracers, calculate the survival rate of a transplanted organ, develop cheaper and more convenient drugs for medical imaging, and monitor online the effectiveness of particle therapy by measuring various prompt gamma rays emitted during treatment.

"As radiation technology is still emerging, we look forward to expanding the possibilities of next-generation radiation imaging with this 'on demand' Compton camera," Professor Kataoka says.

###

*All of the animal experiments were approved by the animal ethics committees of Osaka University and were performed according to the institutional guidelines.

Reference

Title: First demonstration of multi-color 3D in vivo imaging using ultra-compact Compton camera

Published in: Scientific Reports

Authors: Aya Kishimoto (1), Jun Kataoka (1), Takanori Taya (1), Leo Tagawa (1), Saku Mochizuki (1), Shinji Ohsuka (2), Yuto Nagao (3), Keisuke Kurita (3), Mitsutaka Yamaguchi (3), Naoki Kawachi (3), Keiko Matsunaga (4), Hayato Ikeda (4), Eku Shimosegawa (4), and Jun Hatazawa (4)

1. Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

2. Central Research Laboratory, Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Shizuoka, Japan

3. National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Gunma, Japan

4. Medical Imaging Center for Translational Research, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

Corresponding author: Jun Kataoka

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.
Monday, May 22, 2017

I won an award which lead to an article which lead to an amazing academic reaction unfolding this month. Here is the story:

Special Recognition Award 2016

Thanks to the Frank Goetz persistent determination I finally relented and entered his Kellogg Briandt Treaty (law against war) contest, due in April 2016. But I was shooting for the stars trying to get a reply out of very busy presidential campaigns. I didn't realize the entry required a reply from the person I sent the letter to. Only after sending in the 800 word letter to Frank Goetz did I learn about the reply contingency. I tried everybody, Hillary, Bernie, Trump, even Jill Stein and the Libertarians. No reply. I sent the text out as another of my press releases on April 23, 2016 because to use ExpertClick.com you have to have 100% new content, so it needed to be posted before widespread dissemination. Because I did not get a reply, I thought my chances were over. Then I got an invitation from Frank Goetz to accept a Special Recognition Award for the letter, which I accepted. That event happened on August 23, 2016, the eighty-eighth anniversary of the Treaty. The West Suburban Faith Based Peace Coalition (of Chicago) awarded me this special recognition award by printing the letter along with the first second and third place winners of the contest in the award booklet. This booklet was handed to everyone at the banquet to celebrate the event and raise money for the ongoing cause. I was lucky to sit at the same table with the top staff person for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, whose son won second place. I then went on to give a mind blowing five minute speech about empire and the American condition. I'm used to blowing minds of those who have not heard me before; the research was equally mind blowing to me as I developed it in 1985 and 1986 for the first book called "Peace Economics". I learned to emphasize the empire economics aspects of the theory over the course of many years. A frequent listener to my presentations suggests the empire economics theme is the best way to present my extensive material.

Between August and October 2016

I had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize earlier in the year 2016 with obvious interest showing from the Norwegian Nobel Committee, but this accomplishment did not set the academic world on fire. I definitely catch a lot of short term attention telling people about that nomination, but then life moves on. What started the academic world on fire was the two entries in the "SAGE Encyclopedia of War, a Social Sciences Perspective" by Paul Joseph, who worked tirelessly helping me perfect those entries. I was told that the Encyclopedia would go out in October when final editing was approved for my entries in May. So with the onset of October 1, I put my final copy of these entries out on line in my academia.edu account. I had come to expect a 10% download rate for my articles overall. Immediately my 120 (140 today) academic followers took notice and began downloading the article on record pace, especially the "Political Economy of War" article which had a 70% initial download rate per viewing, now 53% after eight months. Then on October 15th I posted the "Military Keynesianism" article to a download rate of 35%. "Military Keynesianism" then got a recommendation from a Nigerian Accounting Professor, former Finance Minister of the country, with over one million views on his academia.edu account. That got me a 1.1 rating on academia.edu in that category. Then I upgraded my academia.edu account and found out that I'm in the top 1% there on a 12 month basis (and have been ever since). With the encyclopedia listings, suddenly three times the usual number of international people have been viewing and downloading my academia papers ever since. After all this on the encyclopedia, Stephen Sachs asked to republish the piece "Dear Future US President" which he called a fine piece on 10-16-16. This was finally published in the Winter issue of Nonviolent Change Journal p.298-299, online at nonviolentchange.org in February 2017.

Between January and April 2017

After my presentation at the Telos Institute at NYU, at the end of the conference the keynoter approached me humble and speechless as I offered a few words of advice. His speech could easily have given me another 10 footnotes to my own, but I gave him the big picture. In March I went to Lake Geneva for GaryCon and found out that I am a legend of wargaming in the "Dungeons and Dragons" world of Gary Gygax followers. Some suggest they are a better base of support than academics. Then in April my Geospatial Summit speech was filmed by the ABC affiliate in Madison, WKOW 27, for a future program on "local voices" in the global warming debate. I continue to do shows on the Mitch Henck radio program for over a year and a half now, about twice a month. He and his audience have grown to love and admire "Dr. Peace."

Very Special May 2017

On May 8th I finally got around to posting the article "Dear Future US President" published in Nonviolent Change Journal, which posting I do for all peer reviewed material on academia.edu. Because I had the material out there in press release and blog form about a year ago, I usually wait for a new press release that fits with the academia.edu paper. I got tired of waiting and had sent out new postings to the followers list of about 140 now for about a half year since October. So I just posted it with the press release about the Special Recognition Award as the second article in the same "paper" posting. Then I got the most unexpected huge reaction, people love the piece. The first week ending 5-14-17 has seen an unprecedented MORE DOWNLOADS (44) THAN VIEWS (39). Top 2% (by month) by 5-20-17 for the first time an individual paper of mine has ranked that high. Now it is #1 in downloads of all my 69 papers in just two weeks, on 5-21-17, with a total of 59 downloads while views increased to 64. Downloads for this paper are still at a personal record 92% of views. Another first is the three unsolicited messages almost immediately from three people after the paper posting. So congratulations Frank Goetz for goading me and lauding me, helping me boost my reputation to record international levels with an assist by Stephen Sachs the editor of Nonviolent Change Journal! Now even the US people are taking more notice, although some of the new US postings are from foreigners working or attending US universities. The exponential curve I've been waiting a long time for may finally be arriving. It's been quite a year. New ideas need new people to notice and finally the word is spreading and growing around the world. It used to be that people just read a few of my postings to get a feel for me, now it increasing looks like patterns of thinking are pursued in the choice of postings to read. That tells me that people are beginning to go deeper in their thinking about me and my work. In other words, they are beginning to catch on.

Here are the two writings creating all this political excitement around the world:

https://www.academia.edu/32905059/DEAR_FUTURE_US_PRESIDENT_Spring_2016_3_pages
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The BBC are on the look-out to find three UK families who will take on a challenge of living and working in a remote farm.

The BBC One Wales and BBC Two series, with the working title The Family Farm, will be shown next spring.

The programme will test three families who think theyve got what it takes to be full-time farmers.

Filming will take place at Welsh hill farmer Gareth Wyn Joness farm in Llanfairfechan in August, who will be presenting the show with Kate Humble.

The families will live side-by-side in a purpose-built camp, working together on some tasks and competing against each other as they try to convince a panel of expert judges they can handle the good life.

Presenter Kate Humble has made the move to the country herself, leaving the city behind to live and work on a small holding in the Wye Valley. Shell be on hand to keep an eye on the contestants and judge their efforts.

Gareth Jones has farming in his blood. His family have farmed in the Carneddau mountains for over 350 years. He will guide the families through each of the challenges but warns hes as a tough taskmaster who wont go easy on his new apprentices.

Every week Kate and Gareth will be joined by a guest judge - an experienced farmer, a food producer or a top chef.

Together theyll assess and judge each of the families on how well they perform in each task.

The series is being produced by Folk Films and the closing date for applications is 11 June. To apply email familyfarm@folkfilms.tv or phone 02920 727 801.
Police are appealing for witnesses after a hundred horned sheep went missing from moorland in the Yorkshire Dales.

The sheep, which all had two red markings on their backs, and with the initials JN burned on one horn, and C on the other, were at the foot of Ingleborough when they went missing sometime between April 16 and Saturday (May 20).

They were all also carrying ear tags, with the number 125037.

Inspector Jon Grainge, of North Yorkshire Polices Rural Taskforce, said: The difficulty with the nature of this crime is that it is not necessarily immediately obvious to farmers, who may only be able to identify their shortfall at the time of bringing sheep in to scan or to worm, which often gives a very wide timeframe for us to work with.

Lines of enquiry are limited, and this is where we need the publics help to call in suspicious movements of animals, or animals appearing in fields unexpectedly.

If you notice anything unusual  a different person attending a flock, or offers of sheep or goats for sale either for meat or as stores  please contact us.

If you are able to get any names, vehicle details, and registrations or even partial registrations we would like to know. If you see something that you think is suspicious or out of place, please call it in to the police on 101.

Increase in sheep rustling

Sheep rustling has seen a worrying increase. In this month alone, criminals stole more than 30 sheep from a field in the Isle of Skye, Scotland and stole more than 50 sheep in a raid on a north-east farm in Scotland.

And in February, rustlers stole almost 100 sheep worth just under 13,000 in a farm near Falkirk.

The increase in crime has led a team of young tech entrepreneurs to develop a real-time and remote area security system.

Developed over three years in consultation with Hampshire Police, TelemetriCop is a long-range, radio mesh networked, wireless security camera system specifically designed to counter crime as it develops rather than after it has happened.

Anyone with any information is asked to call he non emergency 101 number, quoting incident 0202.
North Yorkshire Police and local Rural Watch volunteers took part in a multi-force operation in a bid to tackle travelling criminals operating between counties in the North of England.

It comes as calls from the farming industry for the the next Government to take action on the 'blight' of rural crime hitting the UK recently.

The 14th Operation Checkpoint was led by Cleveland Police, with their officers joined by colleagues from North Yorkshire, Durham, Northumbria, Lancashire and Cumbria.

They visited farms and remote areas, with the aim of catching travelling criminals, gathering intelligence and providing reassurance to those living in rural communities.

The forces already share intelligence on people suspected of travelling from county to county committing thefts and burglaries and passing on stolen goods.

Rural wildlife offences are also an issue for a number of forces and all forces are committed to creating a hostile environment for travelling criminals who often have an extensive knowledge of the road networks and use minor roads in a bid to avoid detection.

Volunteer watch

In North Yorkshire, officers were joined by 39 Rural Watch volunteers, patrolling in 19 vehicles across the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas, including the northern border of North Yorkshire, the A1 and A19 corridors and into the Dales.

Checks were conducted on more than 80 vehicles in North Yorkshire, and although there were no arrests, a number of fixed penalty notices were issued for a variety of offences.

In particular, a suspicious vehicle was spotted in the Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe and South Kilvington area, and seen driving through fields.

It was stopped and searched, and although no offences were identified, its occupants may have been deterred, and the vehicle left the area.

'County borders mean nothing'

Superintendent Jason Dickson, of Cleveland Police, said: "County borders mean nothing to organised criminals who are intent on targeting our more remote communities.

"Last night saw a number of vehicles which could be involved in crime being taken out of circulation."

Sergeant Stuart Grainger, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "Operation Checkpoint has once again been successful, demonstrating the value of our volunteer Watch teams in locating criminals in our area and helping to prevent crimes from occurring.

"Our Watch teams are an invaluable asset, patrolling our rural areas across Hambleton, Richmondshire, and the Dales.

"As always we are grateful to them for their support."
In the service of blatant self-interest, I hereby leverage the power my position provides me.

At issue is a 1994 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck perfectly and ruggedly suited to its jobs: plowing the driveway in winter, making dump and scrap iron runs, and being lent to friends who are moving. (Pro tip: Lend the truck, and you dont have to lend yourself.)

It is low miles, runs great (with one asteriskstay tuned), has good tires, four-wheel drive, a tow hitch, and a bedliner. The plow rig is solid, freshly rewired and outfitted with a new controller just last year. The heater is a blast furnace, the windows roll down in summer, and the radio works great on the old country music station. And while nearly rust-free, a railroad tie fencepost on one side and a deer on the other have left the body just dented enough to take the pressure off, navigation-wise.

I do not want to part with this truck.

About two years ago I parked it, returned moments later, and it wouldnt start. It cranked and cranked but wouldnt catch. It had plenty of gas, the battery was juiced, and the starter was recently replaced. Using a mechanical trick I have picked up with other fine vehicles over time I went about other business, and the next morning the truck started just fine.

Several months passed without a hiccup. Then it happened again. Same deal. Running fine when I shut it off moments before, plenty of gas, plenty of crank, but no start. A few hours later, it fired right up. This cycle repeated itself at 3-to 6-month intervals. I consulted two different repair shops. Naturally we could never get the patient to exhibit symptoms while at the clinic. The mechanics were flummoxed. Finally, after I got stranded in town at 1 a.m. (I left it overnight, caught a cab home, and the next morning it started just fine) I took it to the shop and they gave it the works: New plugs, new wires, new ignition coil, new distributor and parts, fresh fuel pump and filter, many dollars. Three months later it was running better than ever. Then last Saturday I backed it down to the pole barn, shut it off, unloaded some junk, jumped back inand it wouldnt start. The engine spun and spun. I could smell raw fuel so I trust the fuel line is clear and intact, and when I sprayed starter fluid in the carb it fired, so that end was working, too, but it would not fire on its own. First thing the next morning? Hit the ignition and away we went, like nothing ever happened.

You see my issue. At this point Im over-invested and have no interest in shelling out for another truck to which Id have to transfer the plow. But you cant set out for the scrapyard with a load of old woodstoves not knowing if the truck is going to turn into a monument.

Then as I sat there crestfallen last Saturday it occurred to me that this column provides me the ability to solicit opinions (regularly offered even when I dont solicit them, and some can be used as paint solvent) and diagnoses. Lest I be accused of abusing my platform in order to get free mechanicking, plus lets be classy: This is what the cool kids call crowdsourcing.

I can see the truck from my writing desk. This morning it started. But soon enough it wont. I will respond with everything you give me.
Northern Irish poultry and mushroom farmers have been cleared of any suggestion that they have misused the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme.

The Ulster Farmers Union said this confirms the case made from the outset by the UFU that farmers were being unfairly criticised, despite having installed boilers to reduce costs and meet pressure for greener credentials for what they produce.

The sectors were cleared in a report carried out by consultants PWC, and the document is effectively a clean bill of health for key sectors of farming that installed the boilers.

Those farmers who were criticised and who faced accusations of profiting at the taxpayer's expense now deserve recognition that they were unfairly treated by some politicians and sections of the media, said UFU Chief executive, Wesley Aston.

Farmers were deemed guilty until proved innocent  and that is exactly what this report has done.

The RHI scandal

Set up in November 2012, the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was an attempt by the Northern Ireland Executive to help to increase consumption of heat from renewable sources.

It offered financial incentives to farms, businesses and other non-domestic consumers to use biomass boilers that mostly burned wood pellets, as well as solar thermal and heat pumps.

But flaws in setting the scheme's subsidy rate left it open to abuse as claimants could earn more cash the more fuel they burned, with one farmer having made 1m out of renting an empty shed.

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed after deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal.

'Restore payments immediately'

However, the UFU said the confirmation that people are operating in line with the scheme, and using boilers only to meet the needs of their business, had to raise questions about the arbitrary withholding of payments for many months.

This would be understandable if there ever had been any suggestion that people were not complying with the agreements they signed with the government to enter the RHI programme, said Mr Aston.

That has been demonstrated not to be the case, and we will be applying pressure to restore payments immediately, given that businesses are facing cash flow problems because of what is clearly now an unfair decision by officials.
To mark British Tomato Week (22-28 May), the British Tomato Growers Association has commissioned research that looks into the purchasing attitudes and habits of over 2000 Brits.

Revealing a disconnect between consumer's thoughts and actions, the study has uncovered that despite over half of the public (57.5%) believing it is better to buy British, figures show in fact shoppers dont pay much attention when they shop.

Even with good intentions, 61% of respondents say they dont remember which country the last fruit and vegetables they bought came from.

When asking why people preferred to buy British, almost half (47.4%) said it was because it supports local business, with a third (36.3%) saying British produce was fresher  one in five (20.8%) said it was because British produce tastes better.

One in ten (11.2%) say buying British has a high feel good factor.

Recent current events have made Brits think more about their food shop, with more than a third (38.3%) of respondents saying theyve thought more about the origin of purchased fruit and veg since the Brexit vote.

30.8% have given it more thought after a series of recent vegetable shortages were caused by bad weather in Spain.

Keep an eye out for British

With 50% saying they consider tomatoes an essential part of their weekly shop, the British Tomato Growers Association is asking Brits to keep an eye out for British produce and start supporting local producers when possible.

The British Tomato Growers Associations Adrian Williams says: Events such as the Brexit vote and the recent bad weather in Spain have made fruit and veg supplies and imported produce a hot topic in 2017, so we hope this means that more people will start making the conscious choice to buy British produce over foreign-grown counterparts.

When it comes to imported tomatoes, there is a real difference in the quality of our local produce compared to those that have racked up transit miles. British tomatoes can go from picked to plated in less than 24 hours - our produce more than meets Brits demand for the freshness and taste.

This year, we hope more people head to the shops and support our local farmers. They will soon enough see that from salads, to salsa  there is nothing like the taste of a British tomato, especially given the abundance of varieties and colour now been grown by British growers.

British Tomato Week takes place at the start of the main British tomato season each year, aiming to raise awareness of and encourage people to buy locally grown produce. British Tomato Week 2017 will mark the weeks 13th anniversary.

The British Tomato Growers Association represents 90% of commercial tomato growers in Britain.

British Tomato Week takes place between 2228 May 2017. Share your British tomato cooking snaps with the hashtag #BritishTomatoWeek.
Tens of thousands of British people are being infected with a potentially deadly liver virus in pork produce mostly imported from Europe, say doctors.

Dubbed the 'Brexit virus', the new strain of hepatitis E (HEV) linked to pig farms in France, Holland, Germany and Denmark is infecting more than 60,000 people in Britain a year.

The potentially deadly new strain is feared to have infected 10% of sausages, but the British pig industry has said this figure should be used with 'caution'.

The National Pig Association (NPA) said the finding was from a limited sample size of 63 sausages from 11 batches. While six sausages tested positive for HEV, five of these were from the same batch. The origin of the meat in the sausages was not known.

In the UK, sausages with the Red Tractor logo are not permitted to include liver or offal, reducing the risk of contamination compared with countries where liver and blood sausages are popular.

Flu-like virus

The strain, which used to be mainly a tropical disease but has now mutated to infect livestock, causes a flu-like illness. It is only killed in the meat if people cook the food for longer than normal.

A paper published by Public Health England revealed the number of HEV cases tripled from 2010 to 2015.

Dr Harry Dalton, a gastroenterologist at Exeter University, told a conference on neurological infectious diseases HEV had become a major threat.

The Times reported he said: "I call it the Brexit virus. It attacks the liver and nerves, with a peak in May. It is particularly dangerous for people with suppressed immune systems such as those who have had organ transplants and possibly cancer. The virus seems to come from Europe."

The Food Standards Agency said the virus had spread to most British pig herds with 93 per cent of animals infected and 6 per cent producing enough of the virus to infect humans.

But the NPA said the research has shown that the subgroup of hepatitis E causing the majority of human infection in the UK is not the same as the subgroup found in UK pigs.

A statement said: "The NPA agrees with the conclusion of the researchers that if people in this country have contracted hepatitis E virus from eating pork, it is likely to have come from imported pork, rather than British pork."

'Natural reservoir'

The NPA said pigs are a 'natural reservoir' for HEV and infection is present in pig populations worldwide.

Samples collected in 2013 as part of a survey of UK slaughter pigs found the virus in 129 out of 629 (20.5%) pigs, while 93% tested positive for HEV antibodies, indicating exposure at some point in life.

However, high-level presence of the virus to a level that could be infectious to humans via consumption of the raw pigmeat was only found in 6 of the 629 pigs sampled.

In this survey, the majority of the viral samples belonged to a different subgroup to that causing infections in humans.

An NPA statement said: "AHDB Pork has commissioned a number of research projects to better understand HEV presence on British pig farms and the risk to public health. Further research and surveillance is required to determine the true cause of the rise in hepatitis E cases in the UK.

"NPA recommends that consumers follow the advice from the Food Standards Agency that pork and sausages should be cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout, with no pink or red in the centre, to greatly reduce the risk of infection."
Welsh Laverbread is the latest British product to join the prestigious list of foods awarded protected status by the European Commission.

It joins other Welsh produce, such as Conwy Mussels, Welsh Lamb and Anglesey Sea Salt, as well as other well-known European products, such as Champagne and Parma Ham, which have been recognised for their distinct quality and awarded protection against imitation and misuse.

Welsh Laverbread is protected by the European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which will provide consumers with the confidence they are eating the genuine Welsh product.

In total, 66 British products have now been awarded Protected status.

Laverbread is a well-known Welsh delicacy recognised both within and outside Wales. Its taste and appearance is affected by the cleanliness and temperature of the sea water, as well as the method of producing it, making it a characteristic of its origin.

Collecting the laver, a type of seaweed, to make Welsh Laverbread was a small cottage industry in Pembrokeshire, dating back to 1800.

The laver was thrown over thatched huts to dry before being sold to businesses in Swansea where it was cooked into Welsh Laverbread and sold at local markets.

'Strength to strength'

Welcoming the protected status for Welsh Laverbread, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said Wales reputation for high-quality food and drink 'continues to go from strength to strength'.

She said: I am delighted Welsh Laverbread is the latest Welsh product to join our growing list of food and drink awarded protected status. It is very much an icon of Welsh food, which brings to mind its historic origins on the beaches of west Wales.

Food and drink is a priority sector of the Welsh Government, which is why we have set an ambitious target to grow the sector by 30% by 2020.

The recognition from the European Commission is important as it demonstrates the quality of Wales unique produce as we strive to reach new markets to grow the industry and prepare for a future outside of the EU.

Traditional UK produce, such as Stilton cheese, Gloucester Old Spot sausages and Melton Mowbray pork pies could be at risk if the country left the EU.

This is the warning from David Cameron, writing in the Gloucester Citizen last year. He said farmers would lose the protected status awarded by the EU for produce made in their traditional areas.
A Harvard graduate, with a doctorate from Columbia and a post-doc from Princeton, Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson is a certified smart guy. So when I heard Dr. Tyson had a new book coming out, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, I ran out to pick up a copy, thinking there might be some good information in there for investors looking to profit from the surging space industry in America.

Turns out, I wasn't alone. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry is already a New York Times best-seller, and the No. 1 best-selling book on Amazon.com.

And now I see why.

After reading his book, I called up Tyson to see if he'd be willing to expand a bit on some of the ideas related to the business of space exploration, and how individual investors should be thinking about the big issues of our time: Elon Musk's planned Mars mission, the Trump administration's cuts in NASA funding, and asteroid mining, among others.

Here are a few insights into these matters, courtesy of America's favorite astrophysicist.

Thoughts on Mars

Tyson recently joked on Reddit that before going to Mars himself, he'd want to see SpaceX CEO Elon Musk send his own mother there -- and bring her back alive. And so I asked him: Exactly what objections does he have to the idea of Musk undertaking a manned mission to Mars? As it turned out, his concerns were primarily of the economic variety.

"History tells me there is no business model for" a private individual exploring a new world without government backing, explains Tyson, because "there are too many unknowns." Citing the original example of New World colonization, Tyson points out that "the British East India Company didn't discover America. Columbus did."

For the East India Company to try to explore the New World before Columbus blazed the trail, says Tyson, "would have been an unwise investment," because they didn't know "where the trade winds are, and where are the hostiles and where are the friendlies." It was only after a government had provided the financing for Columbus' expedition, and he had returned with some hard facts on the New World, that private companies could develop a plan to profit from it. Tyson expects the colonization of Mars to follow a similar path.

"If [Musk] thinks that he, or SpaceX, is going to build a ship and be the first man to go to Mars and have no government money involved, I don't buy that," argues Tyson, qualifying that, "if he does I will be surprised and shocked." The more likely scenario, says Tyson, is that Musk might build spaceships for NASA to use for Mars exploration -- hopefully cheaper than the ones that Boeing (BA -0.52%) and Lockheed Martin (LMT -1.81%) are trying to build. SpaceX might even take on the entire project as a contractor to NASA, running missions to Mars for a fee. But Tyson has serious doubts about SpaceX's ability to foot the bill for landing humans on Mars all on its own.

(And I have to say, after learning what we have this year about the state of SpaceX's finances, Tyson may have a point.)

Exploring the solar system in a time of deficit

Of course, depending on the U.S. government to finance a trip to Mars gives rise to a whole new discussion. With the federal government in deficit and in debt, and with increasing amounts of what little money we bring in going to pay interest on the debt we've already racked up, it's debatable whether the government can afford a trip to Mars -- or even afford the International Space Station.

Tyson touched on this point in Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, musing how, when contemplating the universe, one can sometimes forget that "uncounted people walk this Earth without food or shelter, and that children are disproportionately represented among them." And so I asked him: Is President Trump's proposal to cut NASA's $19.3 billion budget by approximately $200 million necessary to balance social spending against discretionary funding for space programs?

His reply: "If by taking NASA's $19 billion we could solve all of poverty, then I would say, 'Go ahead. Do it.' But it's not. And if that $19 billion were half the budget, then I would agree that half is too much to spend on NASA. But it is actually less than half of one 1/100th of the budget. Just fourth-tenths of one penny on your tax dollar goes to NASA."

Thinking long term

What's more, Tyson highlights the risks of focusing too narrowly on immediate problems at the expense of longer-term solutions. He put it to me this way:

Imagine a group of people who live in a cave, and in that cave they have problems. There's a shortage of food. There's a need for firewood. Outside the cave, there's a valley, and within that valley there may be edible plants, there may be trees. So one day a cave-dweller asks: "I wonder what's outside the cave?"

But elders of the cave reply: "Before you go exploring outside the cave, first you've got to solve the problems inside the cave." And that could be a problem if the solutions to the cave's problems all lie outside the cave. Tyson wonders if this is the situation we face in America today.

"We wage wars over resources on Earth," he says. "But the universe is a limitless source of resources. There are asteroids in space where these resources are not rare. They're common." Folks who insist we can't invest in space exploration are like the cave elders. They say we can't look to the stars for solutions, because we've got to "keep looking down at our Earth problems and solve those first."

What's outside the cave?

Here, Tyson touches on another idea of interest to investors. The center of an asteroid, says Tyson, could be a literal gold mine of rare-earth elements, of gold, of platinum, of iridium. If we could capture an asteroid and crack it open, says Tyson, we might find 1,000 pounds of precious metals inside, and bring those resources back to Earth -- and that would be very valuable.

In fact, Tyson declares: "The man who first learns to mine asteroids and bring back their minerals to Earth will become the first trillionaire. There's no question about that in my mind."

For that matter, he suggests, "It may be that what we're doing in space is a much simpler and valuable use of resources found in space than bringing them back down to Earth." For example, it costs NASA $10,000 a pint to carry water from Earth to space. But if you can harvest water from an asteroid, which is already in space, then every pint of water discovered in space saves NASA $10,000.

"There's a huge business case to be made here," says Tyson.

Tyson also sees a case to be made for the space tourism initiatives of folks like Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson and Blue Origin founder (and Amazon.com CEO) Jeff Bezos. Observing that well-heeled tourists have already proven willing to pay $20 million for visits to the International Space Station, Tyson wonders what might happen once someone offers to put tourists in orbit for $5 million, "or for $1 million, $500,000, or $100,000."

"I think there is a marketplace there," muses Tyson.

"Space is hard." So is investing in space

Tyson sees multiple ways that the space industry could interest investors here on Earth, but, as the saying goes, "Space is hard." In a note hearkening back to Alan Greenspan's admonition about irrational exuberance, he does have one important warning for investors: "I worry that a profitable space industry may be farther away than people think. Space is expensive and it is dangerous," and profits are not guaranteed -- especially to early adopters.

Nevertheless, he says, "I admire the visionaries who are moving this market forward. They will pull humanity's center of mass in the direction of exploration."

Speaking of which, for fans of Tyson's television show StarTalk, the good doctor confides that filming of season 4 has already begun, and the show returns to the National Geographic Channel in the fall. Luckily, with Astrophysics for People in a Hurry in hand, investors have a lot of new ideas to mull over while we wait for him to return to the airwaves.
Dutch fans were out in force at Zandvoort on Sunday to watch Max Verstappen in action  and the local hero didnt disappoint, unofficially smashing the lap record at the former Grand Prix venue during a rapid demonstration run.

At the wheel of a Red Bull RB8  the same chassis that Mark Webber raced for the first three Grands Prix of 2012  Verstappen clocked the new marker in between a flurry of crowd-pleasing burnouts and donuts.

It is super to be here and driving the Red Bull Racing RB8, said Verstappen, whose crew had been a little concerned they'd run out of tyres before he ran out of enthusiasm.

The V8-engine makes a nice sound - that always makes it extra special. It is a slightly different car that I am normally used to, but with a better sound, so that is also better to use here.

I know from my Formula 3-period that Zandvoort [which hosted the Dutch Grand Prix 30 times between 1952 and 1985] is a great circuit. There is way more grip now with the new tarmac. It is more comfortable to drive on, because there arent that many bumps anymore, thats very positive.
The owner of a Downtown building suffered minor injuries Friday afternoon when he allegedly was attacked by a man who had been asked to leave the underground parking garage of the building.

The suspect, Jeff Joe, 63, of Madison, was arrested and tentatively charged with battery, disorderly conduct and unlawful trespass.

The 51-year-old Madison man who owns the building on North Butler Street told police he's had problems with items being stolen from vehicles parked in the garage.

"When an employee (at the garage) spotted the intruder Friday afternoon, he told the victim who went to investigate," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

Joe allegedly came at the victim and hit him in the face, with both ending up outside, wrestling and rolling into the street, before police arrived to make the arrest.




Haiti - Petit-Goave : Lawyers celebrate the Feast of St. Yves





On Friday, as part of the celebration of the Saint-Yves, the patron saint of lawyers and the advocate of widows, orphans and deprived persons, lawyers from the Petit-Goave bar in toga, attended to the Church of our Lady at a Mass celebrated by Father Birbeck, who urged them, to learn more, to practice the truth, to contribute to the establishment of the rule of law in Haiti, to fight against prolonged preventive detention, to fight for social justice and to take Yves as a model, as an exemplary lawyer, as a model of man...



After the Mass, the professionals of the law on two ranks (Dean, judges, commissioners, militant lawyers and trainees), led by the very young barrister, Me Alcide Laguerre carrying a long stick to the end of which was the image of a woman, walked on the Grand'Rue of the city to the Louco Night Club under the eyes of a curious crowd.



The Louco commemorative ceremony took place in an atmosphere of fraternity and conviviality. Several speakers from Petit-Goave: Me Alcide Laguerre, Dean Emmanuel Tataille, Government Commissioner Foujy Pierre, but also the Director General of the Ministry of Planning, Me Thimoleon, Deputy of Leogane, Hyppolite, the Treasurer of the Council of the Order, e Anthony Milord, have succeeded on a platform erected for the occasion.



Extracts from interventions:



Alcide Laguerre, President of the Bar :

"[...] Intelligence is opposed to human injustice which is only an evil. It is better to suffer injustice than to commit it. The Magistrates and the lawyers, while fighting against corruption, must inspire confidence and choose Saint-Yves as their compass [...]"



Me Emmanuel Tataille, DDean of the Court of First Instance

"[...] Lawyers must take advantage of this celebration to maintain another relationship with the law. They must become contemporary Saint-Yves, because some of them display behavior that kills justice. The bad practices of the Magistrates betray Saint-Yves. People are suspicious of justice. Bribes, nepotism, corruption, these are the evils that are plaguing our righteousness. We need lawyers, while drawing inspiration from Saint-Yves, accomplish their mission in a perspective of service and contribute to social cohesion and social peace [...]"



Me Foujy Pierre, Commissioner of the Government of the Public Prosecutor's Office :

"[...] Under my administration, the Procuracy of Petit-Goave will become a model of availability for civilian hearings. It will give full satisfaction to the need for justice of the population of Petit-Goave. The commissioner of the Government is responsible for giving jurisdiction to the courts, legalizing civil acts, prosecuting offenders, accompanying peasants in legal proceedings. The role of the Commissioner is crucial in the distribution of justice and, like Saint-Yves, the guarantor of a healthy, fair and loyal distribution of justice [...]"



Me Jacques Stevenson Thimoleon, DG du Ministere de la Planification :

 [...] Tous les avocats, en tant que defenseurs de la veuve et de l'orphelin, doivent tisser entre eux des liens d'union et de symbiose. Ils doivent pratiquer une pedagogie de la droiture. Car le metier d'avocat n'est autre qu'un sacerdoce. Sous l'egide de Saint-Yves et de Notre Dame, je tends la main a tous, pour une reconciliation sincere et effective. La politique a cree, entre nous a Petit-Goave, ma terre natale, des divisions ephemeres. Le ciment qui nous unit ne doit pas etre detruit par des conflits inutiles. Laissons de cote nos discordes et unissons-nous pour le relevement de Petit-Goave [...] .



Deputy of Leogane Jean Wilson Hyppolite :

"[...] I encourage judges and lawyers in the jurisdiction to work with the Government Commissioner to satisfy the people's demand for justice. I renew my desire to accompany the population of the Palmes region and to defend its interests. That the Haitian Nation rises through Justice [...]"



Me Milord Anthony, Treasurer of the Council of the Order :

"[...] To be honored, the lawyer must behave like Saint-Yves. He must not be a liar or a thief. It must be a model"



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-20939-icihaiti-patronal-feast-launch-of-the-saint-yves-festivities.html



HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondant Petit-Goave)


















A racket in fake Indian currency notes, busted in Dhaka recently, has raised suspicion among Indian investigators that those arrested could have been behind the supply of fake Rs 2,000 notes last year, shortly after the new notes had been introduced.

Details shared by the National Investigation Agency in a report to the Union home ministry, accessed by The Indian Express, point to strong connections between the arrested Bangladeshi nationals and a Pakistani national identified as Danish, who reportedly supplied the fake Indian currency notes (FICN) to the kingpin of the group caught in Bangladesh, Shamsul Haque.

Haque, officials said, has been engaged in the FICN racket for eight years along with Danish and his wife. From an examination of the seizures, it is clear that they have not been able to counterfeit the features of the currency introduced after demonetisation, said an official, adding that they are probing possible Pakistan links and have sought more details from their counterparts in Dhaka.

The seizures, as per the list, include a fake currency cutting machine made of iron and wood, six pages of totally printed fake Rs 2,000 notes and 24 pages of partially printed FICN, besides colour printers.

Sources said their investigations indicate that a suspect arrested last year in Mumbai, Mohd Sobuj Motur, too was part of the same racket. Motur had been caught by the Mumbai polices narcotics cell and the case was later transferred to NIA.

Based on seizures made on the Indo-Bangla border, The Indian Express had reported the influx of Rs 2,000 notes from across the border last December, a month after such notes had been introduced.

The new arrests, according to the NIA report, were made late last month. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police nabbed a group suspected of printing and circulating fake Indian notes. The initial seizures were reported to be Rs 15,34,000 in the denomination of Rs 2,000 (new), Rs 1,000 (old) and Rs 500 (old).

Besides Haque, 46, the others arrested were Mohd Bul Bul Ahmmad, 42; Mohd Kairul Islam, 38; Md Shaheen Akhtar, 30; and Alamgir Hossan, 28, all Bangladeshi nationals. The racket was being run from a rented building in Mohammadpur area of Dhaka, with currency notes sold to Indian citizens through one Noor Mohd and Jamal of Shivjganj, bordering area of Chanpainbabganj in Bangladesh, the report states.

Since demonestisation, fake notes with a face value of Rs 6.2 crore have been seized by the BSF, the NIA and the police in the 17 border states, as per a statement made by the home ministry in Rajya Sabha. In a written reply, MoS Home Kiren Rijiju informed Parliament during the last session that the BSF seized 378 fake Rs 2,000 notes with a face value of Rs 7.5 lakh from West Bengal and Assam along the Bangladesh border. The highest seizure was from the Assam border, 230 notes. Separately, the NIA seized fake Rs 2,000 notes with a face value of Rs 4.5 crore: 22,479 notes from Gujarat and 198 from West Bengal.

Among seizures by border state police, the highest recovery was Rs 1.2 crore in Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 notes from Gujarat, followed by Rs 23 lakh from West Bengal and Rs 44 lakh from Punjab.

Source : Indian Express
HFTP selected 13 hospitality technology startups to compete in the second E20X of 2017

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), producer of the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), is pleased to announce the selected hospitality technology startups that will be participating in the Toronto version of Entrepreneur 20X (E20X). All registered HITEC attendees and exhibitors, including Exhibits Only registrants, are welcome to attend the action-packed pitch competition that will take place on Monday, June 26 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at HITEC Toronto  the world's largest and oldest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand. This will be the second HITEC and E20X event HFTP has produced in 2017.

The 2017 E20X Toronto pitching companies include: Angie Hospitality; Arrivedo; Bizly; Fetch; GEMtouch; GuestFolder; HotelFlex; Hyre; iPalapa; LockUp; OnceThere Inc.; ShuttleQ.com; Stay Wanderful.

"HFTP is excited to debut its popular E20X in Canada for the first time at HITEC Toronto," said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe, CAE. "Last year, over 200 hospitality professionals attended the innovation competition, and the excitement around E20X has proven to build each year. HITEC Toronto attendees will be able to hear groundbreaking ideas, and witness some of the hottest technology available in our industry at this time."

E20X innovators have four minutes to present breakthrough business concepts to a room full of HITEC attendees as well as a panel of five expert judges. Selected startups compete for two available awards: the E20X Judges' Award and the E20X People's Startup Award. The E20X Judges' Award, or grand prize, is determined immediately following the competition by the panel of judges; the startup deemed "most innovative" takes home a trophy and $5,000 USD. The E20X People's Startup Award, or crowd favorite, is selected via the HITEC app by conference attendees. Attendees will have additional opportunities to visit with startups in days following the competition at the Digital Den and E20X Pavilion on the HITEC show floor.

"We loved the HITEC E20X competition," said 2016 E20X Judges' Award winner David Temple, CEO and co-founder at Hello Scout, Inc. "It provided us with great exposure and let us get our story in front of lots of people that we would [not] have otherwise been able to reach. [It is] enormously gratifying to get the support of such a respected group of industry veterans."

This year's larger North American event HITEC Toronto will take place from June 26-29 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario Canada. HITEC Dubai, the third and final HITEC of 2017, will take place from November 14-15 at the Conrad Dubai in Dubai, UAE in partnership with Naseba. In 2018, HFTP will bring back HITEC Amsterdam on April 11-14 in addition to HITEC Houston on June 26-29.

For more information about E20X, email e20x@hftp.org or charlotte@somerscommunications.com. For more information about HITEC and HFTP's other global activities, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at education@hftp.org or visit www.hftp.organd www.hftp.org/hitec/.

About HFTP

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) is a global nonprofit hospitality association, headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, that uniquely understands the industry's problems. HFTP has members and stakeholders across the globe. HFTP assists its members in finding solutions to industry problems more efficiently than any organization via its expert networks, research, conferences such as HITEC and certification programs. HFTP also owns the world's only hospitality specific search engine, PineappleSearch.com. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segment of the hospitality industry. For more information about HFTP, email membership@hftp.org or download the HFTP/HITEC media kit via the HFTP website.
SiteMinder's Channel Manager

Like Google, OTAs have their own algorithms to determine how hotels rank on their website. I would know; I worked at one for many years.

And, while I (or anyone else) could never profess to understand the complete math behind hotel rankings on OTAs, it should come as no surprise that hotels that generate larger revenue for OTAs will almost always earn themselves a higher spot. After all, if an OTA is a million-dollar account for you, then you are a million-dollar account to them, too.

For independent hotels, its quite the chicken-and-egg conundrum, though, isnt it? Of course, you want to prove your monetary worth, but if your ranking is abysmal, that only leads to zero visibility of your hotel property. No visibility means no bookings. And, no bookings means no revenue, which means a hotel that is challenged to inch its way up the ranks.

Its a vicious cycle, and it begs the question: How do you, as an independent hotel, compete with this?

The answer may not be pleasing to all hoteliers, but its a strategy Ive seen work to incredible effect over the years.

Work with your OTA partner, not against them.

The reasons are simple:

According to Kalibri Labs Demystifying the Digital Marketplace report, OTAs are gaining  not losing  market share. And, between 2011 and 2015, commissions paid to third parties rose twice the rate of room revenue growth.

With an optimized OTA profile, your hotel stands to gain not only bookings from the third-party channel but from your direct hotel website, helping you to offset the commission fee you pay to the OTA. (Yes, the Billboard Effect is real.)

A diversified distribution strategy that incorporates both direct and third-party channels is crucial for the success of any hotel business today. The necessary evil of paying commission fees can be a small price to pay in exchange for the visibility gained through OTAs. As one hotelier told SiteMinder through the Global Hotel Business Index released earlier this year: Competing hotels entering the market in any market is very difficult. Online presence and attractiveness rank very high on every hotel's list.

Lastly, and as importantly OTAs need you. Just as you have your revenue targets to hit, so, too, do an OTAs market managers, which means it is in their best interests to help drive your success. Too many hoteliers forget this and ultimately disadvantage themselves when it comes to distributing and selling their perishable rooms.

The underlying message? If you are an independent hotel, your key strategy should be convincing an OTA you can provide them a higher return on investment (ROI).

Optimize for the best results

To get the full benefit of OTAs and their reach, here are nine proven ways you can optimize your hotels profile:

1. Know your market managers

Build a relationship with them as you would any other business partner. OTAs offer tremendous value, so its wise to use your market manager and get the best value through them.

2. Recognize the OTA is a marketing and sales channel for your hotel

Like any brand, your hotels marketing and sales efforts should be consistent across all your selected channels. As with your availability, dont save your best images and content just for your direct website; make sure theyre on your OTA listings, too. Compliment high resolution images with detailed room descriptions to showcase the best your hotel has to offer. And, be sure to provide as much detail on your cancellation and check-in policies. Research shows fewer travellers will book when these details are missing.

3. Offer the same availability as you would your hotel website or any other channel

Do you currently provide the same availability to ALL your selected OTAs, or is it a guessing game as to which will fill your rooms first? Availability is crucial and because it will fluctuate, particularly during peak or seasonal periods, you need to make sure it is equal and accurate across all your OTAs  always. Using a channel manager that updates OTAs in real-time and has pooled inventory functionality is the best way to achieve this and ensure travellers arent disrupted by double bookings or incorrect data. This way, you can achieve higher conversions and keep your rate of occupancy high.

4. Cleverly manage your rates and promotions

Guests dont simply use OTAs for a wide range of choice and inspiration; often theyre looking for last minute deals and offers. If you have time-sensitive promotions theyll have a greater chance of being taken up and you can more easily sell your distressed inventory. Make alterations on your OTA profiles to highlight a particular rate or capitalize on seasonal events to attract and convert more guests.

5. Carefully respond to guest reviews

While only 14% of consumers trust traditional advertising, 92% respect reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor. Reviews on OTAs are traditionally reliable because guests can only post a review after theyve stayed at the property. However, only 36% of hoteliers respond to reviews on OTA sites.

Its important to do an efficient job of managing online reviews, and recognizing the essential role they play in both your guests post-stay experience and in influencing the perception of other potential guests. Capitalize on the ability to reach consumers directly.

6. Consider paid advertising

This option isnt restricted to large hotel corporations. It can also be a viable option for independent hotels on a pay-per-click basis. While paid advertising is no guarantee of more bookings, it will make your property more impressionable and provide you more control over your marketing message. If your content and aesthetic is strong, you should see a rise in revenue and your OTA ranking.

7. Focus on specific markets

Narrowing down your targets will mean you impact a lower volume of customers but youre also more likely to secure the bookings you want if you use certain time periods, events or other methods to target specific audiences. For example, you can employ geo-targeting so only Chinese travellers see a particular promotion.

8. Understand your competition

Its vital to know your local competition so you arent significantly underselling or overselling your rooms. If you are, you wont be able to compete. Being aware of their activity may also provide an opportunity to snare extra bookings. For example, changing rates could indicate the occupancy of a competitor or a promotion based on something you could also benefit from. There are specific market intelligence systems hotels can use to monitor competitors.

9. Consider entering into a preferred partner agreement

Through a preferred partner agreement, an OTA will rank your hotel higher in return for a larger commission. Im sure the thought of paying more commissions is the furthest thing from your mind, but understand that this is typically a short-term strategy only. Your goal should be to get on to page 1 of an OTA, so the long-term benefits can far outweigh the short-term costs. Once you increase your conversions, you can pull back on your commission rate as, by then, you will have already increased your ranking organically. If youre going to pursue this option, tread carefully and analyze, analyze, analyze.

There are ways to navigate through the OTA landscape and earn your place on the first page. The real question is: How do you protect your position once you have it?

To learn more, join my online discussion with Kognitiv and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association this Thursday, 25 May. You can register for the free webinar here.

Media contact

Maria Franco

+61 410 233 735

media@siteminder.com

About Fig Cakar

From entry level to being appointed as director of sales at Turtle Beach Resort on Australia's famous Gold Coast, Fig Cakar has risen through the ranks with an intimate understanding of a hoteliers true challenges and needs.

Following his over decade-long career working at hotels, Fig went on to successfully lead large international expansions of leading forces within the wholesaler and OTA space, beginning in 2003 when he secured the role of Contracts Manager for GTAs Turkey and Caribbean markets. Fig established key markets for GTA  including Barbados, Jamaica, Bahamas, St Lucia and Antigua  before then setting up an Australian office for Destinations of the World as General Manager Australia.

Fig then went on to become Director of Sales & Distribution at Rydges Hotels and Resorts prior to spending five years with Agoda, where he served initially as Senior Market Manager and then Director - North America, setting up both the companys Sydney and New York offices.

Today Fig is responsible for developing, managing and optimizing the day-to-day operations of SiteMinders Americas headquarters in Dallas while ensuring the ongoing, successful adoption of the companys technology solutions across the Americas. He has a Diploma in Hospitality Management from the Australian College of Travel and Hospitality.

About SiteMinder

As the leading cloud platform for hotels, SiteMinder allows hotels to attract, reach and convert guests across the globe. We serve hotels of all sizes with award-winning solutions for independents and groups alike, wherever they are in the world.

SiteMinders products include The Channel Manager, the industrys leading online distribution platform; TheBookingButton, a wholly-branded booking engine for direct bookings via the web, mobile or social; Canvas, the intelligent website creator for independent hoteliers; Prophet, the real-time market intelligence solution that takes the guesswork out of pricing rooms; and GDS by SiteMinder, a single-point of entry to a six-figure network of travel agents and the worlds major global distribution systems. With more than 26,000 hotel customers and 550 of the industrys top connectivity providers as our partners, today we have presence in more than 160 countries on six continents.

For more information, visit www.siteminder.com.
Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort & Spa slated to open in 2020

Dusit International has signed a management agreement with Omstone Asia Capital Nepal Pvt. Ltd. to operate Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort & Spa, the first Dusit-branded property in Nepal.

Located in the heart of Nepal's central region, just over an hour's drive from Kathmandu and Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), the luxurious mountaintop resort will comprise 44 well-appointed guest rooms and 20 exclusive villas, each providing magnificent views of the majestic Himalayan range.

Leveraging the natural beauty of its surroundings, with pristine air and good weather year round, the new property will have a wellness spa concept created by Dusit's signature Devarana Spa, which provides luxurious, personalized treatments designed to promote emotional and physical well-being. Other facilities will include an all-day-dining restaurant, a bar and lobby lounge, meeting facilities and a swimming pool.

Namo Buddha, a small village which houses the ancient Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Nepal, is less than ten minutes away by car. Dhulikhel, the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, whose old town is home to many Hindu shrines and Buddhist stupa, is also located nearby. The extension of the highway which links Dhulikel to Kathmandu is expected to complete by 2020, reducing travel time from the capital to the resort to under 45 minutes.

"Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort & Spa brings wellness and well-being to the fore in a magnificent setting that invigorates the mind, body and soul," said Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dusit International. "In keeping with our brand promise to uniquely deliver gracious hospitality to the world, we will do all we can to ensure our destination resort has a positive impact on the local environment and community, and we look forward to making it a huge success."

Mr Vishnu Mor, Principal Partner of Omstone Asia Capital Nepal Pvt. Ltd., said, "This is not just a commercial relationship, it is more of a spiritual collaboration between two companies that share the same beliefs and values, and which want to do something positive and meaningful for Nepal. It also marks the start of a long and fruitful relationship because we aim to explore more opportunities to work with Dusit, both within Nepal and beyond."

Mr Ramesh K. Hamal, Managing Director of Omstone Asia Capital Nepal Pvt. Ltd., said, "Guests seeking a tranquil escape from the hustle of everyday life will find the perfect retreat at Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort & Spa. Incredible views, luxurious rooms and facilities, and Dusit's legendary hospitality will provide a distinctive experience for our guests, and we are delighted to partner with Dusit International for this very special project."

With 29 properties currently in operation across four brands in eight countries, Dusit International is in a significant growth phase which will see the number of Dusit properties reach 70 within the next three to four years across key markets worldwide. Alongside Dusit Thani, other brands in Dusit International's portfolio include Dusit Devarana, dusitD2 and DusitPrincess.
VERONA  Gloomy weather didnt dampen the enthusiasm of Verona Area High School students or their donors during an event that collected more than a ton of food and other supplies for the Badger Prairie Needs Network food pantry.

The students were camped out in the parking lot of Miller & Sons Supermarket for about 28 hours, ending their stay late Sunday morning. Students wanted to raise awareness about child poverty and food insecurity in Wisconsin.

Students distributed lists to shoppers heading into the supermarket and collected 2,333 pounds of items for the food pantry. Students also raised $1,037 for the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.

The students are members of VAHSAid, a student-run organization launched last year when teacher Jason Knolls social studies students were talking about ways to help Syrian refugees.

It later became a requirement for Model United Nations, a simulation where students research global problems, because Knoll, the adviser, wanted them to get real-life experience. It has since grown into a larger organization, advised by Knoll, open to all students.

While VAHSAid already organized several charitable activities, Knoll suggested a Camp Out to Stamp Out Child Poverty and Food Insecurity for the groups first big event.

Junior Kathryn Porter said the group had been doing work to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and Knolls idea was to mimic Michael Johnson, the groups president and CEO, who is known for doing publicity stunts to raise money and awareness.

At first we were kind of like, Whoa,  said Porter, who has become the unofficial leader of the group.

Students embraced the idea and didnt let the bad weather deter them.

You have to think people do this all the time, said junior Ali Buzza about having to be out during inclement weather.

About 40 students, filling shifts of two hours or more, helped throughout the inaugural annual event. At least four students camped overnight in a tent while Knoll slept next to it in his van.

They set up tables to educate people about sustainable development goals, food insecurity, child poverty and provided childrens activities.

The students said they were warmed by the reaction of people who first seemed somewhat annoyed at having someone pester them as they walked into the store but then changed their attitude after learning about the cause.

Students said shoppers seemed genuinely interested in picking items the pantry needed. Senior Jacques Frank-Loron said an example of extreme generosity was the person who brought out a big box of tuna, two more bags of groceries and dropped $20 in the donation jar.

Frank-Loron said the formation of the charitable student group was triggered by the picture of the lifeless body of the three-year-old Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, on a Turkish beach, which drew worldwide attention to the plight of refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Since its initial start, the group has now started to lean toward helping impoverished children here, a natural fit for students, he said.

Its really cool that people in our school are so willing to use their time to help people, said freshman Megan Diller.
A solidarity rally was held in San Francisco on May 21, 2017 for two teachers Nuriye Gulmen & Semih Ozakca who have been on hunger strike for 10 weeks. On the next day the government police arrested both of them.

SF Solidarity For Turkey Teachers Nuriye Gulmen & Semih Ozakca On Hunger Strike in AnkaraIn Turkey, Nuriye Gulmen, a professor of literature, and Semih Ozakca, a primary school teacher, have been on strike for more than 10 weeks after losing their jobs following the failed coup against the president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, last July. Over 100,000 public workers have been fired and dismissed from their jobs without any legal process.A solidarity rally was held in San Francisco on May 21, 2017 at Powell and Market to support their hunger strike and demand the immediate re-instatement of all fired teachers, journalists and public workers, an end to the repression and privatization of education and other public services. They were arrested by the police on Monday May 22, 2017.For more information:Petition https://www.change.org/p/government-of-turkey-reinstate-nuriye-and-semih-to-their-jobs On social media, support the hashtag #NuriyeAndSemihAreNotAlone to spread the news, call for solidarity, and ask the government of Turkey to listen to their demands!You can also contact Turkish embassy in your country. To find the contact numbers and addresses of the Turkish embassies visit: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/yurtdisi-teskilati.tr.mfa They were arrested by the government to stop support for their hunger strike onAdditional Media:Production ofLabor Video Project
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In Person Oway Rides Ko Nay Aung: Rangoon Taxis Need Reform

Ko Nay Aung, CEO and Founder of Oway Ride was photographed at his office on May 18, 2017. / Tin Htet Paing / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  Rangoon has around 70,000 taxis plying the citys streets, many owned and run by individuals. There are two local pioneering app-based cab service providersHello Cabs and Oway Ridecultivating a culture in which apps are used to hail taxis in the city since 2016. The two are now set to compete with foreign brands: Singapore-based firm Grab launched its beta trial service in March and US-based Uber expanded into Burma in May.

The Irrawaddy spoke with Oway Ride, which operates under Oway Group, whose primary businesses are online travel booking and on-demand ride hailing services, about the challenges faced by local brands as foreign companies enter the market. Ko Nay Aung, chief executive officer (CEO) and founder of Oway Ride, explained how service providers should prepare for healthy competition while providing customers with more choice. Oway Ride currently has a fleet of 4,000 cars and 150,000 app subscribers, more than a year since its operation launch, he told The Irrawaddy.

What were the challenges you faced in the initial phase of operation?

There were some people who started similar services before us but with different concepts, since an app-based service was still difficult at that time. When I started Oway Ride, adopting it was still difficult from both the drivers side and the consumers side. We recruited drivers and trained them how to use the app and how the meter rates worked, and we also had to explain to consumers how things worked.

When Uber and Grab came in recently, a lot of their customers had already been using our service and many drivers were also fairly well trained. They wont need to train them from the start anymore.

How did you prepare to compete with them when you knew they were coming in?

We had to think about both the short term and long term. What is important are the customers. At the end of the day, its all about the customers choice. So, we needed to think about how we could be the customers first choice. Its not just about the booking experience anymore. We also need to think about the experience of customers inside our taxis, how we can train our drivers better, how we can establish a better payment system, what kind of cars we use, how we can develop other partnerships, and what kind of new products we can offer.

There are many short-term challenges for us, since competition is very sudden and plentiful. But we plan to focus carefully on the long term.

What kind of challenges have you been facing since international services came in?

There will be more competition concerning driver retention. We have around 4,000 drivers and have thoroughly trained them. Incentive structures vary in the marketplace. Some competitors give a much higher rates than we do, sometimes nearly twice as much, whereas some are about the same. These structures are evolving on daily basis. We have to do new recruiting, arrange new trainings, and innovate new products in order to re-create an ecosystem. We are offering our customers more incentivized advantages.

The incentive rate for drivers has now become very high in the market. But if we look at any country, we can say such a move is not good for market sustainability, and they know that too. You burn a lot of cash by doing so.

Should locals love of international brands be taken into account?

It is very true for consumers in Myanmar. I didnt think of that before. Something I discovered over the years after I came back is that Myanmar consumers really like international brands.

Do you need government support to compete with international brands?

We havent received any government support yet. Currently, the government has adopted an open market policy and we are doing business according to its policy. I have been here for five years and I have never requested any help from the government. Since the government has its own priorities, for us to be able to succeed, I think we have to stand up on our own. We have to make a market strategy, re-stabilize our operation, and invest in the company to become financially strong, by ourselves. Our own business future depends on ourselves, on customers choices, and on our partnering drivers.

If the government wants local champions, and if the local companies will also benefit the government strategically, and if there will be more job creation, they have to look at it for sure. But it depends on the government. They have their own plan [designating] which industries are strategic and which ones are not. For example, licenses for airlines and banks are only granted to local companies. It depends on individual sectors. Currently, the ground transportation industry is not under the government. One exception is bus lines: they are 100 percent under government control. But when it comes to taxis, there is no consistency. I dont think the government has considered the taxi industry much yet.

If you ask local businesspeople if we need government support in competing with foreign investors, we would definitely say that we like that [idea]. But how and when the government is going to do that is up to their decisions on strategy.

What is needed for a healthy market?

For the taxi industry to be improved, we need three things. First, vehicles have to be better. Second, drivers have to be more qualified, and third, we need more regulation of taxi meter fares. Right now, we are all only competing to make the booking process more efficient.

Fundamental reformsmodel restrictions for cars, qualifications of taxi drivers, fares and the quantity of taxisshould be carried out first. These are major reforms essential for the industry.

The more we deeply reform the industry, the more that industry will succeed in the long term. To go deep, you need smart policies.

Is the industry at risk of becoming chaotic with foreign firms entering before these reforms?

I think that could happen. Right now there are already market forces. Service providers will look at their interests when the government wants to make reforms. But what are the real interests for the country? They are the three things I mentioned earlier: cars improve, drivers become more qualified, and prices become stable. Thats exactly what we need. What happens now is a lot of simulation. Normally, a simulation period is three to six months. Its the governments job to carry out these reforms.

What would be the most suitable model for Rangoons taxi service?

Many people think hailing taxis on streets is more convenient than using ride-hailing applications, but its not. You cant get a taxi immediately in deserted places. Booking apps improve the productivity of drivers because they dont need to go around the city to get passengers. For consumers, there is fairer pricing and better security. If they forget any [personal] property or if anything happens in the cars, they can track the cars easily. Such applications are really good. There is a benefit to society.

Do you agree with Rangoon chief minister U Phyo Min Theins claim that Rangoon has a lot of taxis?

Lets take Singapore as an example. The population of Singapore is pretty much the same. Singapore has 28,000 taxis and we have 70,000 here in Rangoon. But we also have to remember that Singapore has a metro and we dont. However, we have more people using the bus than in Singapore. Singapore has strict regulations on car ownership. What I want to say is that Rangoon has a lot [of taxis] if we just look at the ratio of the citys population and its taxi quantity. But contextually, Rangoon doesnt have a reliable alternative transport system.

This interview was edited for clarity and brevity.
News Indias new Silk Road Snub Highlights Gulf With China

Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the United Nations Vesak Day Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka on May 12, 2017. / Dinuka Liyanawatte / Reuters

NEW DELHI, India  China invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and six cabinet colleagues to its new Silk Road summit this month, even offering to rename a flagship Pakistani project running through disputed territory to persuade them to attend, a top official in Modis ruling group and diplomats said.

But New Delhi rebuffed Beijings diplomatic push, incensed that a key project in its massive initiative to open land and sea corridors linking China with the rest of Asia and beyond runs through Pakistani controlled Kashmir.

The failure of Chinas efforts to bring India on board, details of which have not been previously reported, shows the depths to which relations between the two countries have fallen over territorial disputes and Beijings support of Pakistan.

Indias snub to the Belt and Road project was the strongest move yet by Modi to stand up to China.

But it risks leaving India isolated at a time when it may no longer be able to count on the United States to back it as a counterweight to Chinas growing influence in Asia, Chinese commentators and some Indian experts have said.

Representatives of 60 countries, including the United States and Japan, travelled to Beijing for the May 14-15 summit on President Xi Jinpings signature project.

But Ram Madhav, an influential leader of Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) involved in shaping foreign policy, said India could not sign up so long as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)a large part of the Belt and Road enterpriseran through parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir that India considers its own territory.

China routinely threatens countries when it finds issues even remotely connected to its own sovereignty question being violated, Madhav said. No country compromises with its sovereignty for the sake of trade and commerce interests.

Economic Potential

India, due to the size and pace of expansion of its economy, could potentially be the biggest recipient of Chinese investment from the plan to spur trade by building infrastructure linking Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to a Credit Suisse report released before the summit.

Chinese investments into India could be anything from US$84 billion to $126 billion between 2017 to 2021, far higher than Russia, Indonesia and Pakistan, countries that have signed off on the initiative, it said.

China has not offered any specific projects to India, but many existing schemes, such as a Bangladesh-China-India-Burma Economic Corridor that has been planned for years, have now been wrapped into the Belt and Road enterprise.

China is also conducting feasibility studies for high-speed rail networks linking Delhi with Chennai in southern India that would eventually connect to the modern day Silk Road it is seeking to create.

But if India continues to hold back from joining Chinas regional connectivity plans the commercial viability of those plans will be called into question, analysts say.

China has held talks with Nepal to build an $8 billion railway line from Tibet to Kathmandu, but it ultimately wants the network to reach the Indian border to allow goods to reach the huge Indian market.

Strategic Fears

India has other worries over Chinas growing presence in the region, fearing strategic encirclement by a string of pearls around the India Ocean and on land as China builds ports, railways and power stations in country such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Ashok Kantha, who was Indias ambassador to China until 2016, said India had repeatedly conveyed its concerns to China, especially about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the need to have open discussions about it.

Where is the economic rational for CPEC? he said. There is no major economic driver, the drivers are essentially political and strategic in character.

Just a week before the summit, Chinas ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, offered to change the name of CPEC to placate New Delhi and ensure it didnt boycott the Beijing conference.

Luo did no elaborate on the proposal, made during a speech at an Indian military think-tank, according to people who attended the meeting and local media reports.

A transcript released later by the Chinese embassy did not include a reference to changing the projects name.

But Chinese officials in the past have suggested this could mean adding India to the name to make it the China-Pakistan-India Economic Corridor.

A Chinese diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested India could build infrastructure on its side of Kashmir, which could eventually be linked to the roads and power lines China planned to build in Pakistani Kashmir.

Indian experts said another proposal explored in meetings between former diplomats and academics from the two sides was renaming the project the Indus Corridor to overcome Indias objection that the China-Pakistan name endorses Pakistans claim to Kashmir.

Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which they both claim in full. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying did not comment directly on any offer to change the name of CPEC, but drew attention to President Xis remarks during the summit that China would follow the principle of peaceful co-existence and that New Delhi need not worry.

I think the concerns from the India side should be able to be resolved, she said.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay said New Delhi had not received any suggestions through proper channels and that India wanted a meaningful discussion with China on the whole project.
Burma Fifth Suspect in Nationalist Confrontation Turns Himself in to Rangoon Police

Myat Phone Moh, after he turned himself in to police on Monday. / Chan Son / The Irrawaddy

RANGOON  Another Buddhist nationalistthe fifth of seven people wanted by authorities for involvement in a violent confrontation between Muslims and Buddhists in Rangoons Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township on May 10was arrested on Monday, while two monks remain at large.

Township police chief Lt-Col Zaw Win Naing told The Irrawaddy that the latest suspect to be arrestedMyat Phone Mohhad turned himself in to police. He appeared at Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township court for a brief hearing on Monday, along with three other men and a woman who had been previously taken in to custody.

Ko Latt, also known as Tin Htut Zaw, and his wife Ma Aung Aung Myint were arrested the day after the Mingalar Taung Nyunt incident, while two more individuals, Tin Line Htike and Tin Htay Aung, also turned themselves in to the townships police station on May 15.

Police chief Lt-Col Zaw Win Naing said that despite the arrest of five individuals, the two Buddhist monksU Pyinnya Wuntha and U Thuseitta of the Patriotic Monks Unionalso have warrants out for their arrestand are still at large.

We are still looking for them, he added.

All seven are charged with incitement to commit violence under Article 505(c) of Burmas Penal Code, which is punishable with a maximum of two years imprisonment and/or a fine.

Today, at the Kamayut Township Court, the four hardline nationalistsKo Win, Ko Latt, Ko Naung Taw Lay, Ko Thet Myo Oo and Ko Nay Lin Aung, who were arrested on Fridayalso appeared.

They were charged along with three Buddhist monks in August last year under Section 505(b) of Burmas Penal Code and Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law for staging a protest in front of the US Embassy for the embassys usage of the term Rohingya to refer to members of the Muslim community in Arakan State.

Township court revoked bail for those detained on Friday including three Buddhist monks, U Parmaukkha, U Thuseitha and U Nyana Dhamma. Police did not disclose how they would take action against the three monks.

Violations of Section 505(b) are also punishable with a maximum of two years in prison, a fine, or both, while Article 19 carries a sentence of three months imprisonment at most.

Nationalist protesters on Saturday called for charges to be dropped against a number of nationalists, and that those who have been convicted be released from prison.
Burma Fishermen Protest Against Kyaukphyu Seaport

People from Maday Island protest against the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)-owned seaport in Kyaukphyu Township on Monday. / Tun Kyi / Facebook

RANGOON  Fishermen aboard 120 boats protested along the Thanzit River against the Maday Island deep seaport in Arakan State on Monday, as authorities have banned them from fishing in a stretch of water now reserved for international cargo ships docking at the port.

Last week, nine fishermen from Maday Island in Kyaukphyu Township were granted a permit to demonstrate, under the restrictions of keeping distance from parts of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)-owned seaport, including the jetty and crude oil storage area, according to one of the nine organizers, U Maung Myint Soe.

Authorities prohibited us from using the shipping lane waterways during the protest, U Maung Myint Soe told The Irrawaddy over the phone. We will have to use them, though, because its impossible to use only one fishing lane with 100 boats.

Chinese-owned oil tankers began docking at the seaport in early May to transport the oil through Maday terminal to the China-Burma border. Local fishermen have been restricted from catching fish near the mouth of the river where the ships dock.

About 100 fishermen were charged with trespassing by the Kyaukphyu fisheries department and fined 50,000 kyats recently for being in the restricted territorial waters.

Fisherman Aung Naing Win said nearly 500 residents set out with small boats from Kyaukphyu at 1 p.m. to Maday Island. They stopped near the seaport and then returned to demonstrate near the fence of the CNPC company compound.

Authorities told locals that the oil tankers would dock at the port three times each week, according to Aung Naing Win. But residents of Maday Island said at least six or seven ships arrived within one week, and another five shops are waiting to dock.

There is no space for our fishing boats as the huge oil carriers come into the river and dock at Maday harbor, he said.

U Tun Kyi, coordinator of the Kyaukpyu Rural Development Association (KRDA), said protesters demanded CNPC, owned by the Chinese government, and Burmas state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) address the needs of local fisherman. In addition to a maximum of three ships docking at the port every week, locals want the firms to build a new jetty, phone tower, embankments, and a ring road for the island.

They also demanded the firms provide electricity to three villages, plus financial and technical assistance for agricultural and livestock businesses.

As villagers are finding it harder to earn a living by fishing, they are seeking to earn money by cutting mangroves. This will damage our environment day by day. The company must solve these problems faced by villagers and take responsibility for damaging the villagers source of revenue, said U Tun Kyi.

As most of the local fishing boats are wooden, the fishermen often refill the liners of the boats hulls to counter seawater corrosion. In the process of refilling the liners, the fishermen burn the surface of the boats.

Maung Myint Soe said local authorities and CNPC have interrupted the renovations because they fear the burning may lead to fires. The distance between the boat renovations and company compound is more than 250 meters, he added.

According to the Global New Light of Myanmar, China will annually transport more than 22 million metric tons of crude oil via the seaports terminal to the Chinese border town of Ruili. Burma would receive US$6.905 million dollars per year and $31.56 for every ton sent through the pipeline.
Gov. Scott Walker, in another sign of escalating tension with fellow Republicans who control the Legislature, vowed Monday to take the unprecedented step of vetoing the entire $76 billion state budget if it raises property taxes on homeowners.

Walker issued the unusual warning publicly on Twitter first on Thursday, via his @GovWalker account, and then again on Monday in a series of messages defending his budget priorities via his @ScottWalker account. Republicans are considering breaking with Walker in several key areas of the budget, including property taxes, as they continue to debate changes to his two-year spending plan.

Republican Assembly Spea-ker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said he was taken aback by the threat, which he said Walker has never made directly to lawmakers and that Vos only learned of by seeing the tweet.

I dont know why he wouldnt call us instead of acting like Donald Trump and tweeting at us, Vos said in an interview.

Wisconsins governor has broad power to veto individual items from the budget, making it unnecessary to reject the entire spending plan, which funds K-12 schools, prisons, Medicaid, the University of Wisconsin System and all other parts of state government.

No governor has ever vetoed the entire state budget since the spending plan has passed as an omnibus single bill starting in 1931, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau.

The only reason for a complete veto would be more for political optics or for related rhetorical or symbolic reasons, said Todd Berry, director of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.

Walker has been negotiating privately with lawmakers, but in recent weeks hes been more aggressive in taking his case public as he prepares to run for a third term next year.

Let me be clear, I will veto the entire budget if it includes an increase in property taxes for homeowners, Walker tweeted.

Republicans have talked most openly about raising the gas tax to help pay for roads. But leaders of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee said last week that not eliminating the state property tax was still being discussed.

Eliminating the state portion of the property tax as Walker wants would reduce taxes statewide over two years by about $180 million. Walker has been touting it as part of his plan to fulfill his promise to keep property taxes on the average-value home below where they were in 2014.

Under Walkers budget, property taxes on a roughly $160,000 valued home would decrease $21 over the next two years, based on estimates by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Vos said he supported eliminating the state property tax and suspected the Legislature would go along with Walker, which he said made his tweeted threat all the more perplexing.

Our goal, too, is to not raise property taxes beyond the level where they are currently, Vos said.

Walker said on Twitter that Republicans need to stand by their promises to cut taxes.

I ran on a promise to lower the overall tax burden in WI. So did other Republicans, Walker tweeted. We need to keep that pledge.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau  who along with Vos and leaders of the Legislatures budget committee has been negotiating with Walker on the budget  did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said he wasnt surprised by the GOP in-fighting. Ive never seen the Republicans more divided, Barca said.
Burma Govt Invites Non-NCA Signatories to Panglong Peace Conference as Special Guests

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attends the closing ceremony of the Union Peace Conference on September 3, 2016. / Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy

The government invited nine ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that have not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) to the upcoming Union Peace Conference as special guests, The Irrawaddy has learned.

Tar Hla Pe, a secretary of State Counselors Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), told the Irrawaddy on Monday the government had used the term special guests to attract EAOs which have rejected attending as observersincluding the ethnic bloc the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).

According to the terms of the NCA, only signatories can send delegations to the May 24 conferencealso known as the 21st Century Panglong peace conferenceand take part in discussions, though other groups may attend as observers.

The letter, seen by The Irrawaddy, lists special guest invitees as: the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP), the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the Arakan National Council (ANC), the Lahu Democratic Union (LHU), the Wa National Organization (WNO), the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), and the United Wa State Army (UWSA).

According to Tar Hla Pe, the NDAA confirmed they would send members to attend the conference but the UPDJC had not received notice from another groups as of Monday morning.

He said that the UPDJC had initially agreed to invite the Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) as observersmembers of the Northern Alliance alongside the KIAdespite Burma Army attempts to deny the groups EAO status and blocking them from attending entirely.

The Northern Alliance previously said it would only attend if all groups in the alliance were invited.

Brig-Gen Tar Phone Kyaw of the TNLA told The Irrawaddy he told the government that it would attend if all members of the UWSA-led Union Political Negotiation Committeea group that after it was formed denounced the NCA at a summit in Wa capital Panghsang in Februarywere invited.

We are still waiting for the governments reply, he told The Irrawaddy on Monday morning.

The ethnic bloc of NCA-non signatories the UNFCcurrently comprised of the NMSP, KNPP, KIA, SSPP, WNO, the ANC, and the LDUmet in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand on Monday to discuss the invitation, according to the UNFC.

A separate letter from the National Reconciliation and Peace Center to the Union Parliament dated May 15 and seen by the Irrawaddy revealed the makeup of the 700 representatives invited to Wednesdays conference: 75 government representatives, 75 members of parliament, 150 Burma Army representatives, 150 EAO representatives, 150 political party representatives, 50 ethnic representatives, and 50 other eligible persons.
Burma Irrawaddy Division Govt Investigates Alleged Child Abuse at Orphanage

Children eat at the Yellow Generation Wave (YGW) orphanage in Labutta Township, Irrawaddy Division. / Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Division  The Irrawaddy Division government is investigating alleged abuse of children at an orphanage run by Buddhist monks in the village of Apyin Yay Sine, Labutta Township, a regional minister told The Irrawaddy.

Three government departments were investigating Yellow Generation Wave (YGW) orphanage, according to social affairs minister U Hla Myat Thway, amid reports in local media of physical and sexual abuse by monks.

The social welfare department reported that the [beating] allegations were true, U Hla Myat Thwa told The Irrawaddy, adding that the religious affairs department and the district General Administration Department were still investigating and that the authorities would take action after all three reports had been submitted.

The orphanage is run by four Buddhist monks aged around 30 and provides food, shelter and education for around 150 orphans and needy children in the township.

On May 12, local weekly Kumudra Journal reported that children who wanted to go back to their homes were beaten and that a monk sexually abused a girl from nearby Kyauktan Village.

U Eindawvasa, one of the monks in charge of the orphanage, confessed to beating the children, but denied the sexual abuse in a phone conversation with the Irrawaddy on Friday.

Yes, we did beat nine children who wanted to go back home on the night of May 11, but it was no more than a teacher punishing his students, said the monk.

It is not true that the girl from Kyauktan Village had her htamein [traditional Burmese skirt] stripped. It was a fabrication designed to attack us. There is no child at our orphanage who comes from Kyauktan, he explained.

U Eindawvasa said monks had apologized in front of authorities to the parents of a child from Kyakan Village, who was shown with a large gash in his head in the news reports, and the case was now settled.

According to the rules of the orphanage, parents sign an agreement for their children to stay between one and three years at the orphanage.

Parents must inform the monastery a week in advance if they want their child to return and a child leaving without advance notice will be hit with a stick five times, according to the rules.

The orphanage is run by philanthropic Buddhist monk organization YGW, which operates orphanages and centers in 17 townships for 5,000 needy children including in Rangoon and Mandalay.

A 2011 report by UNICEF found that some 75 percent of the children living in residential care facilities in Burma have at least one living parent, but that children are often sent to orphanages for economic reasons because the parents are either unable or unwilling to afford the cost of basic care and education.
Burma Lisu People Protest KIA Violence

Lisu people protested against the Kachin Independence Army in Myitkyina on May 22, 2017. / Si Thu / Myitkyina News Journal

Some 2,000 ethnic Lisu protested against the Kachin Independence Army/Kachin Independence Organization (KIA/KIO), urging for a stop to the violence against Lisu people in the region.

Protesters from Myitkyina, Waingmaw, Sadone and Chipwi towns gathered in the Kachin State capital of Myitkyina on Monday to press the Kachin ethnic armed organization to apologize for the violence against the minority Lisu people and to commit to stopping future incidents.

U Lar Se, the chairman of Kachin States Lisu Literature and Culture Association, said: The protest occurred because our efforts to solve the problem through negotiations were unsuccessful.

He said protestors had requested via the Kachin Peace-talk Creation Group (PCG) that the KIA punish the perpetrators as the Lisu people had experienced atrocities.

He referred specifically to the case of Lisu man U Zaw Lay from Khaxi village in Waingmaw town, who was allegedly killed by KIA soldiers in April, and whose body was not returned to his family for more than a month afterward.

We are saddened as this case still has not been resolved, said U Lar Se.

U Shwe Min, chairman of the Lisu National Development Party (LNDP), claims that the KIA has killed at least two Lisu people in 2017 including U Ngwar Lay from Sadone sub-township, which the KIA denies responsibility for.

We want the KIA to stop the violence and apologize. In addition, the victims should receive support, U Shwe Min said.

Lisu is one of the six Kachin sub-tribes; the others are Lhaovo, Lachid, Kachin, Jinghpaw and Rawan.

The KIA/KIO has been in conflict with the Burma Army for almost six years, after a 17-year ceasefire between the KIO and the former military government broke down. The KIA is still categorized as an unlawful association, but the government is attempting to negotiate with the armed group to include them in the current peace process.

Some Lisu people are also members of the KIA/KIO, according to local people.

U Lar Se said they are not protesting against one particular tribe of Kachin, but rather, they are protesting the KIA, as the abuses happen repeatedly.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach the KIA and the PCG for comment at the time of publication.
Burma Mon State Govt Funds Mon Literature Exam for First Time

Mon students sit for the Mon Literature and Buddhist Culture exam in Moulmein. / Hintharnee / The Irrawaddy

MOULMEIN, Mon State  The Mon State government has donated 40 million kyats (US$30,000) for examinations and a closing ceremony for summer classes taught on Mon literature and Buddhist culture, said Mi Sandar Nan, a member of the Mon Literature and Buddhist Culture Association.

This is the first time the state government has made cash contributions for Mon literature and Buddhist culture classes, which are organized annually during the summer months for young students, Mi Sandar Nan told The Irrawaddy.

The classes are conducted by Mon Buddhist monks in Mon and Karen states and Tenasserim and Bago divisions. The most outstanding students in each respective level are eligible to sit for the All Mon Region Mon Literature and Buddhist Culture exam.

On May 21, some 1,100 students from 15 townships sat for the examination in Moulmein. There were six levels of exams focusing on Mon dynasties, culture and literature, and Buddhist teachings.

The state government has also promised to incur costs for publishing Mon language textbooks at government schools, said Mi Sandar Nan.

We estimate that it might cost around 20 million kyats, said Mi Sandar Nan.

The donation followed the committees request to the state chief minister to provide 70 million kyats for the examination and closing ceremony, she added.

Article 354 of the 2008 Constitution states that ethnic groups are allowed to promote their language, literature and culture. Article 22 states that the Union government shall assist to develop language, literature, fine arts and culture of national races. The government provided assistance in line with these provisions, said the chairman of Mon State parliaments ethnic affairs committee U Tun Min Aung.

Since 2013, ethnic languages such as Mon, Karen and Pa-O have been taught outside of school hours in primary schools. According to the Mon State Education Office, there were 1,041 teachers who taught ethnic languages during the 2016-17 academic year.

In June 2016, the Mon State parliament approved an 11-point proposal to facilitate ethnic language teaching that included teaching ethnic languages during school hours, increasing the monthly wage from 30,000 kyats for ethnic language teachers, allowing teachers to wear traditional attire in class, and ensuring an appropriate teacher-student ratio.

Despite parliamentary approval, it is still difficult to put those proposals into action, said U Tun Min Aung, who noted that ethnic language classes currently still start after school at 4 p.m. and only last one hour.
Burma New Flower Species Found in Tanintharyi

The newly-discovered Impatiens tanintharyiensis species.

RANGOON  Tanintharyi Division has given its name to a delicate, purple and pink-tinted new species of flower, the Impatiens tanintharyiensis.

The plant was found growing at two locations near the Hawang Falls at Thet Kal Kwet village, Dawei.

There are about a thousand species of Impatiens globally in tropical and subtropical Africa and Eurasia.

In Europe, the flower is sometimes called busy lizzy or touch-me-not.

Southeast Asia is one of five global hotspots for the plant. The others are tropical Africa, Madagascar, Southern India and the Sino-Himalayan region.

The new species is described by researchers Saroj Ruchisansakun from Thailand, Dr. Saw Lwin of the Myanmar Horticulturists Association and others in a recent issue of the journal Phytotaxa.

But Impatiens tanintharyiensis may be under threat just as it has been found.

Under International Union of Conservation (IUCN) criteria, the flower could be endangered, according to the authors.

The Hawang Falls locality is under severe pressure from local tourism. Since there are fewer than 100 individuals at each locality, it is assumed that human activities in the region could lead them to rapid extinction, they write.

If the government or local people would like to protect the plant, they could preserve some part of the waterfall to protect the population, and promote the other parts as an ecotourism destination, Saroj Ruchisansakun told The Irrawaddy.

The Tanintharyi find has brought attention to a species that was last addressed in Burma by taxonomists around a century ago.

Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, a distinguished British botanist and close friend of Charles Darwin, described various species of Impatiens in Burma in A Sketch of the Flora of British India, published in 1904. Irish soldier and naturalist SM Toppin found a species in the Kachin hills that was named after him in 1920.

Just 48 species of the plant, including the latest one, have been recorded in Burma. Neighboring countries have many more recorded impatiens species: India has around 200 and China has around 280.

Burmas isolation for more than half a century under military rule means that much of its biodiversity has yet to be identified and described by scientific professionals.

The under-explored Tanintharyi region is widely regarded as a global hotspot for biodiversity with extensive habitats for plants and threatened wildlife species, ranging from the Gurneys Pitta to tigers.

But the regions special forest conditions are under threat from development projects, roads and commercial agriculture, including oil palm and rubber plantations.
Guest Column Swedish Human Rights Ambassador Annika Ben David Visits Myanmar

Swedish Human Rights Ambassador Annika Ben David / Ninni Andersson / Swedish Government Offices

Protecting and promoting human rights is a cornerstone of Swedish foreign policy. Sweden strives to be a strong voice and a global leader that stands up for and defends human rights, democracy and the principles of rule of law through foreign policy. This is also central to our engagement in Myanmar.

This week, I am very happy to pay my first visit to Myanmar. The purpose of my visit is to gain a better understanding of the progress and the challenges in the country regarding human rights. I will meet with representatives from the government, civil society and international organizations to get a good understanding of the situation. This is important to Sweden, since protection and promotion of human rights in Myanmar is a fundamental part of Swedens political engagement and development work in Myanmar.

One hundred and fifty years ago, my country was poor. A quarter of the population fled hunger and religious oppression and went on to build new lives in North America. Since then, we have built a strong democracy with transparent institutions and a vibrant civil society, based on human rights and gender equality. This has been right and fair, but also smart  in macroeconomic terms. Our Swedish experience tells us that for development to be sustainable, a human rights perspective needs to be applied.

Many countries have indeed associated development with human rights in building their societies. But despite progress in international poverty alleviation, today we are seeing human rights, democracy and the principles of rule of law beginning to wane across the globe. This is also noted in international forums, in which international human rights commitments are being called into question more frequently than before.

Democracy is pushed back and human rights are questioned and challenged. It becomes more difficult for civil society to organize. Shrinking space for civil society engagement makes groups of people that are already vulnerable twice as vulnerable. Women, for example, face discrimination and attack purely for being women and also for being representatives of civil society. When freedom of expression is restricted despite international commitments to the contrary, and those who defend and promote human rights or openly voice criticism are threatened, harassed and persecuted, society  and states  weaken.

The Internet and new technology are sometimes used in order to constrain rather than promote peoples freedoms and rights by illegal means, often through extensive surveillance and restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of opinion and the right to information. This not only affects organized civil society, but also individual citizens. Therefore, Sweden is increasing its support to human rights defenders globally  offline and online  to curb this trend.

I am therefore particularly happy that a central part of Swedish support to Myanmar aims to promote and develop press freedom and freedom of expression, online as well as offline. Sweden is a long-standing partner to Myanmar in this area.

Gender equality has benefited our society as a whole. But globally it remains a vision rather than a reality. Violence, oppression and systematic subjugation continue to be part of the daily lives of countless women and girls. Gender equality and womens enjoyment of human rights is another cornerstone of Swedens engagement here in Myanmar, including promoting womens participation in the peace process.

States questioning international norms also has an impact on working life. Employees are prevented from joining unions and fighting for better working conditions. Anti-union discrimination, harassment, violence and threats are common in many places. Many people, sometimes children, work in inhumane conditions.

International development cooperation is an important tool in achieving this. As one of the largest global donors, Sweden has clear added value to offer, not to mention extensive knowledge and experience helping to shape international development cooperation. This is particularly relevant in terms of promoting and embedding the human rights perspective, whereby democracy and human rights are seen as fundamental conditions for development.

The position Sweden enjoys, by virtue of long-term bilateral relations and a tradition of a clear policy to defend human rights, democracy and the principles of rule of law, also facilitates cooperation in sensitive areas. Swedens lasting and long-term engagement on these issues and its reputation as an inclusive and gender-equal country has seen us inspire considerable trust among many states and actors.

Sweden is and will continue to be a strong voice that stands up for, defends and promotes human rights, democracy and the principles of rule of law  in Myanmar and around the world.
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By Robert Harvey | (Project Syndicate) |  

LONDON  Hassan Rouhani has won re-election as Irans president in a landslide, meaning that it is he who will be dealing with an antagonistic US President Donald Trump. What will their relationship mean for the 2015 international agreement that has, for now, frozen Irans nuclear ambitions?

The Iranian nuclear deal was the culmination of a decades-long pas de deux between the United States and post-revolutionary Iran  a push and pull, in which every step forward was seemingly followed by a step back. During US President Jimmy Carters administration, when the Shah fell and the US embassy staff was held hostage for more than a year, the two sides were hopelessly divided.

Under US President Ronald Reagan and his vice president and successor, George H. W. Bush, the situation was complicated further by the Iran-Contra scandal, in which senior Reagan administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran between 1985 and 1987, despite an arms embargo. As a result, when the relatively moderate President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani took power in August 1989, ended Irans war with Iraq, and put out feelers to the US, Bushs hands were tied.

Rafsanjani eventually re-launched Irans nuclear program, with recovery from the war with Iraq facilitating progress. But it was the hardline Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader in June 1989, who steered the country in that direction, by plunging relations with the US into a near-total freeze. The efforts of President Bill Clintons more pliable administration to bring about a thaw were repeatedly rebuffed.

Then the tables turned. When the moderate President Mohammad Khatami took office in 1997, it was the US that was headed in a more hardline direction. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the US, President George W. Bush denounced Iran as part of what he called an axis of evil. And yet, by invading Iraq in 2003, the US under Bush gave Iran its greatest historical opportunity for westward expansion. In 2005, the renewed dream of Iranian regional hegemony helped bring to power President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who pursued the nuclear program with vigor.

In 2013, Ahmadinejad was replaced by Rouhani. With President Barack Obama already in office in the US, conditions were ripe to take a few steps forward. After nearly two years of tortuous negotiations, the agreement to halt Irans nuclear program, in exchange for the gradual lifting of economic sanctions, was concluded.

Opponents argued that the deal was technically flawed and would not actually prevent Iran from continuing to develop nuclear-weapons capabilities. But the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)  the body empowered with verifying Iranian compliance  was convinced, and approved the deal.

Nonetheless, Trump has vowed to scrap the deal, with his advisers citing the same arguments that emerged during the ratification process. But, with the exception of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus government and its supporters, virtually no one supports such a move.

In fact, the expectation that Iran will continue its march toward nuclear breakout ignores the entire logic and experience of nuclear non-proliferation. Even if IAEA inspectors  who have proved remarkably effective and thorough so far  could be fooled, international pressure, if not a shared interest in a safer world, gives countries a powerful incentive not to try.

Countries such as Germany or Japan have the financial and technical capabilities needed to acquire nuclear-weapons capabilities in a matter of months. Dozens of others could get there within a few years. But countries from South Africa to Argentina and even Libya have indicated that they will not take that step, by signing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). North Korea, which has so far refused to capitulate to international pressure, has paid a heavy price as global pariah, choked by economic sanctions.

For Iran, escaping economic sanctions  which are being eased only so long as it respects the deal  remains a potent motivation. Indeed, so far, Iran has kept its promises, though its leaders do have a tendency to push the limits, such as when it conducted a test of medium-range ballistic missiles in January.

Unilateral US abrogation of the agreement would not be easy. After all, the deal was the result of negotiations involving six major powers, including, unusually, China and Russia. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom  Americas principal European allies, none of which is likely to re-impose sanctions without good reason  also participated. Even Saudi Arabia, representing other Arab countries, grudgingly approved. The US Congress, initially resistant, has largely come around.

Most of the world seems to recognize that this is one of those cases where the perfect is the enemy of the good. And make no mistake: the agreement is, on the whole, a good thing. Its collapse would trigger a nuclear arms race in the worlds most unstable region.

Irans bitterest regional enemy, Saudi Arabia, would move rapidly toward a nuclear capability, using abundant petrodollars and Pakistani knowhow. Others  Turkey, Kuwait, Egypt, and Algeria  would not be far behind. To bet that these countries, having acquired such weapons, would behave responsibly would be a high-risk gamble.

Compounding the threat posed by US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran is currently beset by uncertainty. When Rafsanjani, the patriarch of Irans moderate forces, died in January, his funeral was the occasion for one of the largest demonstrations in the Islamic Republics history. With the elderly Khamenei suffering from cancer, the battle to choose a new supreme leader is not far off.

The current dominance of the moderate faction of Khatami and Rouhani remains precarious, and their many hardline rivals  including leaders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Quds Force, and the Iranian militias  are eager to secure power. With the economy already desperately weak, the resumption of sanctions could empower the extremists.

In short, the world cannot afford the breakdown of the Iran nuclear deal. If Trump attempts to resume Americas pas de deux of the past with Iran, the result may be a dance of death.

Robert Harvey, a former member of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, is the author of Global Disorder and A Few Bloody Noses: The Realities and Mythologies of the American Revolution.

licensed from Project Syndicate



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Al Jazeera English: Hassan Rouhani wins Irans presidential election
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By Carl Max Kortepeter | (Informed Comment) |  

When Sally Yates testified that she had told the Trump Organization, before his appointment as National Security Adviser, that General Flynn was in the pay of Turkey, for $600,000, President Trump should not have made the appointment. Appointments have consequences.

General Flynn was acting erratically because of his companys security contracts, and in a conversation with Susan Rice Flynn had abruptly switched over to the Turkish position on this issue.

Related clip: Donald Trump Reportedly Wants Mike Flynn Back In The White House | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

General Flynn argued, as does the Erdogan government of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the US should not arm the Syrian Kurds.* The Erdogan government had had its hands full fighting a national movement of the Kurds, the P.K.K., within Turkey. This testimony was indeed more complex because President Trump had had a personal relationship with General Flynn in previous years.

In addition to the strong Turkey tie, Flynn had accepted a substantial speaking fee from Vladimir Putin at a state occasion in Moscow. CNN reports that Russian officials during the election campaign boasted that they were sure they could use Flynn to influence Trump.



Carl Max Kortepeters new book is Twelve Muslim Revolutions (click)

General Flynn had also held a sensitive post under President Obama, notably the head of the Defense Department Intelligence Unit, from which President Obama had fired him. General Flynn had leverage over the Trump government because he asked for the post of National Security Adviser.

President Trump further involved himself with the Russian government by secretly meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the Russian Ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, in the Oval Office. The Israeli Government complained that at that meeting, President Trump conveyed top secret material to the Russians, supplied by Jordan and Israel, about the I.S.I.S. Organization, thus endangering their own intelligence assets.

Yet Trump allegedly still maintains it was a mistake to fire Flynn, and Trump may have forced FBI director James Comey out in part because the latter would not drop the Flynn investigation. Why does Trump consider the tainted Flynn so crucial to his presidency?

Carl Max Kortepeter is an educator and commentator who has been informing the Western public about the Middle East since the 1950s. His doctorate is from the University of London. He taught at the University of Toronto and New York University. He is author, most recently, of Twelve Muslim Revolutions, and the Struggle for Legitimacy Against the Imperial Powers, dealing with premodern revolutions, the colonial period, and the blunders of American presidents.

*An earlier version of this article instead treated the issue of the Iraqi Kurds.
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William Eichler interviews Christopher de Bellaigue | Informed Comment |  

Eichler: 1. In the conclusion to The Islamic Enlightenment you describe modern jihadists as miracle-grow Muslims who have been incubated in the hothouse of modernity. You write it is hard to attach the label Muslim to them. What is the relationship between todays jihadists and Islam?

de Bellaigue: This is one of the most difficult questions of our time. I think opinion can be crudely divided between those who think modern jihadism has a distinct lineage going back all the way to the Quran, passing through other events and historical occurrences in the history of Islam; a lineage you can draw going through some of the leading conservative, puritanical and ultimately aggressive Muslim thinkers to ISIS.



Christopher de Bellaigues new book, The Islamic Enlightenment (click here)

Another school of thought says what is happening here is a search for any kind of radical means of self-expression, and jihadism is a replacement or a surrogate for other means of political expression that could have been fashionable at other periods of modern history. You often hear comparisons with anarchist ideologies, for example.

Olivier Roy, the French scholar of Islam, positions modern jihadism very much as a modern phenomenon, the product of a group of people rubbing up against modern values. He believes modernity infuses ISIS and other jihadi groups because theyre globalised; they scorn the idea of local community or local specific linguistic identities; and they adhere to ways that are not in harmony with conservative Islam.

Both these arguments have something to commend them. You cannot say jihadi Islam has nothing to do with Islam. Clearly, it draws a lot from the religion  the essential cosmology is an Islamic one. But its a distorted version. A lot of jihadi tenets are simply out of place with traditional forms of Islam. The speed with which these people can become radicalised suggests a far more superficial engagement with the ideas than is really warranted. And as a result you get these nihilistic forms of self-expression that seem at a remove from the Islamic origins of the ideas.

I think Roy underplays the historical context within which forms of modern jihadism find expression. Not all jihadis have the same background, but Ive found  certainly in France  a fertile ground to radicalisation is produced when you have a disaffected immigrant population whose ideas and concerns are not taken seriously, who do not enjoy access to the power and wealth they see around them, and who remember a background of colonisation in Algeria or elsewhere in north Africa that fuels a historical sense of grievance. I think its a mistake to downplay that context.

The other thing is there are broader questions of governance across the Middle East, and questions around climate change and demography. All these things are creating, have created, and will continue to create an unbearable sense of pressure upon people. I dont find it at all surprising that under these pressures people lose their grasp on reasonableness, their grasp on the vital nature of moderation and dialogue. I can quite see how people slip into immoderation, into millenarian fantasy, into radical solutions for the problems they experience.

Eichler: 2. In The Islamic Enlightenment you argue that during the last two centuries Islam has been going through a pained yet exhilarating transformation  a Reformation, an Enlightenment, and an Industrial Revolution all at once. This telescoped process began with the French invasion of Egypt in 1798. What was the reception of Enlightenment ideas in the Muslim world?

de Bellaigue: The reception ranged from incomprehension to suspicion to joy. But underlying all those different reactions was a sense among those with a broader perspective in the Muslim world that some form of accommodation with modern values was going to be essential if the lands of Islam were to survive as independent, sovereign entities. You couldnt defend yourself against European political, economic and military encroachment without a military. Thats the essential starting point for all modernisation processes across the Middle East  the need to have a functioning military.

You can divide the proponents of this modernity into the authoritarian modernises at the head of societies such as Egypt, Turkey and Iran, and those who were working the raw materials, i.e. the scientists, educators, bureaucratic reformers, feminists, journalists, and engineers who were grappling with modernity in all its different forms. Over the course of the nineteenth century they brought about an extraordinary transformation of life in the key urban areas  but spreading elsewhere as well  of the Middle East.

The point of my book is to try and tell people that this swath of Eurasia that many believe to be immovable and resistant to change, in fact underwent an exhilarating yet painful change throughout the nineteenth century and going all the way up to the First World War and beyond.

Eichler: 3. By the First World War you write that a liberal modernising tradition was competing with militarism, royalism, and traditional and revivalist forms of Islam for dominance of the new post-Enlightenment Middle Eastern nation states. What tipped the balance against the former tradition?

de Bellaigue: On the eve of the First World War there was a very strong liberal tradition that had brought into being democratic politics in one form or another in Cairo, Istanbul and Tehran, the three main catalysing centres of Middle Eastern life and thought. What tipped the balance in the long-run against that liberalising tradition, I believe, was the war itself and the settlements that followed.

Theres a problem here of message and messenger. Liberalism was associated with the western powers. Within the west there was a contest between liberalism and other forms of political thought. But in the Middle East liberal thought  ideas about democracy, empowerment, emancipation, the privileging of the individual over the collective  was linked to the European powers that carved up the Ottoman Empire and subjugated the Middle East either directly or indirectly.

At a stroke it became very easy for opponents of this liberal trend to say: proponents of liberalism are behaving in a fundamentally illiberal manner; their opposition is to our civilisation; they want to destroy our religion; they want to destroy our cultural identity. The reaction to that  the most potent and long-lasting reaction  was the Islamist response.

The Muslim Brotherhood was formed in Egypt in the 1920s. While it was not a movement aimed at political power, it sought to influence politics through new forms of Muslim self-expression. They said to Muslims weve spent over a century trying to chase after the west but in fact we have the tools for our own regeneration, our own revival, within ourselves and our own culture. The Muslim Brotherhood is the fountainhead of movements that then grew more and more radical. And of course a parallel track appeared in Shia Islam, centring on Iran and culminating in the 1979 revolution.

Eichler: 4. What is the relationship if there is one  between this early form of Islamism and to that espoused by al-Qaeda and ISIS?

de Bellaigue: Each group, as it becomes more radical, distances itself from its intellectual forebears. The Muslim Brotherhood were themselves influenced by much earlier figures and movements, most notably the Wahhabi movement in eighteenth century Arabia. But they also drew on earlier theologians who had struck a hardline posture with respect to innovation, with respect to what they saw as deviation from a pure version of the faith.

Im not sure that someone from ISIS today  assuming they even knew what you were talking about  would own up to an intellectual debt to these earlier movements.

However, sitting outside the structure I think its possible to see a hardening. Theres a hardening between the early Muslim Brotherhood and its later manifestation with Sayyid Qutb, who popularised the idea that a Muslim ruler should be opposed if he was not sufficiently pious or just. This goes against a tradition of quietism and acquiescence to the political power of a Muslim ruler that really extends all the way back through Sunni Islam. The idea of revolution is extremely radical and conservative Islam on the whole did not entertain it.

Now [with modern jihadism] we have an idea not simply of revolution being good but also of the individual believer, with very flimsy clerical authority, taking it upon his or herself to administer justice in the form of executions and beheadings and all the rest of it. We find an increasing radicalisation with each movement trying to out do the previous one. As I say though, Im not sure members of these groups would actually recognise the lineage Ive described and they would say they have been touched directly by God and theyve found the most direct route to pleasing him.

The jihadi world is very variegated. You had a kind of reformation, a cutting off from clerical authority, with the end of the Ottoman era when the idea of a codified, standard Islam was suddenly destroyed. You now have individual believers administering justice on their own terms. Modern jihadism throws away all the old terms of reference, the old restraints that were part and parcel of Islam as a social structure with a clerical authority  all that just gets thrown away. We return here to that whole idea of jihadism being infused with an aberrant version of modernity.

Eichler: 5. Theres a lot of talk of the Sunni-Shia divide and increasing sectarianism in the wake of the Arab Spring. Should we be looking at this apparently religious conflict in the Middle East through a theological lens? Or is there a better way of understanding it?

de Bellaigue: Theres a very good book that Im reading at the moment called Sectarianization: mapping the new politics of the Middle East (2017), edited by Nader Hashemi and Danny Postel. I find the basic idea in that quite convincing: sectarianism is a tool that is used for political ends rather than the cause of all the instability in the Middle East now.

Theres an ahistorical view that contends that what were seeing now has always been there. The Sunnis and the Shias have always been at each others throats and none of this is surprising. But thats not the case. The sectarian hatred that we see now has been, in almost all cases, fostered for political ends and occurs when a constituency is identified either by democratic politicians or to legitimise armed action.

One also has to be aware of the instrumental use to which it has been put and my sense is the sectarian divide has become much more lethal and bloody essentially since the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, when the Iranian form of Islamic militancy was first exported outside of the country, and the Afghan jihad in the 1980s. These are all political and military strategic events. Theres nothing notably theological about them and here we have their manifestation in horrendous acts of sectarian violence.

There are interesting parallels with our own sectarian history. Its the narcissism of small differences, as I think Freud put it. These tiny differences get magnified and they become a reason to kill someone who is in fact very close to you in so many different ways. And thats the tragedy that were seeing today.

William Eichler has an MA in Middle Eastern Studies. He is a writer and reviewer, and blogs at Notes on the Interregnum: Essays and Reviews. You can follow him on Twitter at @EichlerEssays.

Born in London in 1971, Christopher de Bellaigue has worked as a journalist in the Middle East and South Asia since 1994. Christopher de Bellaigue is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, Granta, Harpers, and The New York Review of Books. He lives in London with his wife and two children. His most recent book is The Islamic Enlightenment.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Trumps speech on Islam, written by notorious Islamophobe Stephen Miller, who used to organize Orwellian Two Minutes Hate sessions against Muslims at Duke, is just as bizarre as everything else Trump does.

Miller-Trump imply, as has become common in right wing American discourse, that Muslims have a peculiar problem inasmuch as they produce terrorists. What do they think the Ku Klux Klan is? I estimate that people of European Christian heritage polished off as many as 100 million persons in the 20th century and that Muslims may have killed 2-3 million.

Trump seems to think that pumping $110 bn in new shiny weapons into a volatile Middle East will lead to peace! If there is any sure correlate of war, it is massive purchases by one regional power of new armaments. You have to use them while you have the advantage or your rivals also acquire them.

Trump managed to insult Islamic civilization by implying that the pre-Islamic civilizations in the region were better:

Egypt was a thriving center of learning and achievement thousands of years before other parts of the world. The wonders of Giza, Luxor and Alexandria are proud monuments to that ancient heritage.

All over the world, people dream of walking through the ruins of Petra in Jordan. Iraq was the cradle of civilization and is a land of natural beauty.

This is sheer Orientalism, an allegation that Pharaonic Egypt, Nabatean Jordan and Sumerian and Babylonian Iraq were great civilizations but that once Islam came, they went downhill. Miller-Trump do not know about al-Azhar University in Egypt being among the oldest in the world (George Makdisi argued it was *the* oldest). They dont know about Harun al-Rashids House of Wisdom where Greek philosophy was debated in Arabic by the Abbasid caliph and his court sages at a time when Charlemagne was trying to learn to scratch out his name. They dont know about the Abbasid invention of algebra or of Omar Khayyams use of geometry to solve algebraic equations. The only compliment they give Islamic civilization is that Dubai and Riyadh have skyscrapers, which is surely the blind spot of a Realtor.

Miller-Trump sweep up national resistance movements like Hamas and Hizbullah with al-Qaeda! Neither of these would exist if the Israelis hadnt a) expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in 1948 and then come after millions of their descendants and militarily occupied them in 1967 and b) if the Israelis had not launched a brutal war of aggression on Lebanon in 1982 and attempted to occupy permanently 10% of Lebanese territory. The Shiites of south Lebanon *liked* the Israelis before 1978. The 1982 invasion killed 10,000-20,000 people and involved indiscriminate artillery barrages and aerial bombing of Beirut, which Usama bin Laden alleged helped inspire him to destroy some American skyscrapers.

Designating Hizbullah a terrorist organization but not doing so to the armed Israeli squatters who routinely attack Palestinians in their own homes is typical of everything that is wrong with US policy in the region. Attacking civilians is always wrong (and is cowardly). But Hizbullah in 1984-2000 mainly attacked other soldiers, who were illegally occupying Lebanese Shiite land.

As for Yemens Houthis, they are not a creature of Iran, which has relatively little to do with them. They are rural Zaydi Shiites who resented Saudi attempts to proselytize them, marginalize them, and make them Wahhabis. Youll never have peace in Yemen as long as you dont recognize legitimate Zaydi interests.

For Trump to attack Iran, which just had a popular election where the electorate bucked the choice of the Leader, from Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy where the populace have no rights, is weird.

The American Right is deeply implicated in radicalizing Muslims. Afghan Islam was radicalized by the Reagan jihad against the Soviet Union. Eisenhower and Reagan both attempted to enlist Saudi Arabias Wahhabism against Communism. Most Palestinians were secular or mainstream until the Israelis cultivated Hamas as an alternative to the PLO.

Trump wants to site a center for combating extremist ideology in Saudi Arabia! The Wahhabi form of Islam practiced in that country encourages extremist ideology! The Saudis took the practice of takfir or excommunicating Sunnis and Shiites to the next level. In the 19th century they even excommunicated the Ottoman Emperor!

If the Saudis want to combat extremism, they have to formally abjure this unfortunate heritage of Wahhabism and roundly condemn the unilateral branding of people as non-Muslim when they maintain that they are Muslims. (In the Sunni and Shiite mainstream, takfir or excommunication of a Muslim is rare and disapproved).

Contemporary radical extremism in the Muslim world is founded on a few basic principles:

1. takfir or the excommunication of other Muslims for being insufficiently puritanical, anti-democratic, anti-Western, etc.

2. exalting holy war or jihad as they understand the word (it does not mean holy war but merely struggle for the faith in the Quran) to a basic pillar of the religion.

3. Willingness to commit suicide to blow other people up. Suicide is forbidden in mainstream Islam just as it is in Catholicism.

Saudi Arabia has to condemn all three excommunication, the militarization of jihad, and homocidal self-sacrifice.

So Miller-Trump are barking up entirely the wrong tree here, as you would expect from completely ignorant people sticking their bare hands into about 50 bee hives.

Then they condemn Iranian intervention in Syria but dont mention that Saudi Arabia backed the radical terrorist group Jaysh al-Islam that had genocide against Syrias Shiites on their minds. Nor do they admit that without Hizbullah, Homs would have fallen to al-Qaeda in Syria (which the US has tacitly supported; yes) and could have been used to cut off Damascus to resupply.

Any fair-minded and knowledgeable person in the Middle East would read this speech as a farrago of Orientalist prejudice against Muslims, coddling of Wahhabis, slamming of Shiites, and continued rank unfairness toward the Palestinians in favor of holding the Israelis completely blameless for their massive ethnic cleansing campaigns, which are ongoing.

That terrorism can be addressed by vague words and by failing to address the underlying social causes is a non-starter. That war and violence can be tamped down by unfairly taking one side in a sectarian struggle or by flooding massive new arsenals into the region are the pipedreams of bigots who cannot face their own bigotry.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

RFE/RL: Trump Calls To Isolate Iran In Address To Arab, Muslim Leaders
MIDDLETON  When Hadia Mubaraks father left Damascus, Syria in 1979, he moved to the United States to pursue a career in the medical field.

My father always tells people he considers himself a more patriotic American than those of us who were born in this country, who had no choice, she said. He says, I chose to be American because of the freedoms. It gave me the opportunities.

Mubarak, a lecturer on religion at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, used the anecdote to segue into her experience as a Muslim in the United States as part of an event Sunday to dispel misconceptions about Islam and its followers.

She was joined by three other speakers who addressed a crowd of about 400 people at the Madison Marriott West to discuss topics from Sharia law to womens rights in the worlds second- largest religion.

The event, which had been in the works for about three months, was organized by the Madinah Community Center on the West Side, the Islamic Center of Madison on the Near West Side and the Islamic Center of East Madison, said moderator Sarah Schlosser.

Were just seeing a lot of rise in visible hate crime, and we just wanted an opportunity to make sure people had a chance to come and learn, to hear about Islam and to get their questions answered, Schlosser said.

Sheikh Azfar Uddin, an imam from Libertyville, Illinois, memorized the Quran when he was 12. As the events expert on Sharia law, he broke down the meaning of the term, tenets to adhering to it and what it means to the faiths followers.

The overwhelming aspects of Sharia pertain to peoples private lives, and it is based on justice, mercy, public good and wisdom, he said.

Just as water is vital to human life, the Sharia, once understood properly and implemented properly, it gives meaning to one's life. It gives meaning to a Muslims life, Uddin said. Some people call it ethics. Some people call it morality. Muslims call it Sharia.

A common misconception people hold, he said, is that Muslims will follow Sharia over the laws of a nation they live in. But the Islamic governing structure requires Muslims adhere to a nations laws and forbids them from imposing Sharia on others, Uddin said.

Sheikh Alhagie Jallow, an imam at the Madinah Community Center in Madison, spoke on the topic of jihad.

Jallow said the term is often falsely believed to mean holy war, but its true linguistic meaning is to struggle or to strive toward something, such as being kind to neighbors, not telling lies and defending ones own country, he said.

There are a few people who work hard to fabricate those misconceptions, Jallow said. Their goal is to direct hatred to Muslims and Islam, but they cannot.

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne spoke to the importance of defending freedom of religion and accepting all into the community.

I believe we are at the moment in time where our populace, the majority, is truly the most conscious of equity and inclusion, Ozanne said. We are in a transition, and we are actually going to see ourselves move further forward faster than we ever had in the past.

Hours before the event started, President Donald Trump delivered a speech in Saudi Arabia urging Middle Eastern countries to reject Islamic extremism.

Across the world, the speakers in a Middleton hotel conference room echoed a similar sentiment.

We cannot solve the problem of terrorism, unless were willing to address issues of politics and issues of sociology, said Mubarak, the religion lecturer. This is not a religious problem. This is a political, sociological one.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct a word in Sheikh Azfar Uddin's quote about Sharia.
Construction work on the Lower Yahara River Trail should begin this week, with the project expected to be completed in late summer.

The $9 million, two-mile-long project runs next to Lake Waubesa and is being paid for through a combination of federal and county dollars, the contract administered by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

The first part of the trail connects Lake Farm County Park, near the Capital City Bike Trail, to McDaniel Park in McFarland, and the second part is paving work on the trail from Libby Road to the trail bridge at the Yahara River, according to a news release from County Executive Joe Parisi's office.

The project is expected to be completed by late summer.

"Excitement is building for the grand opening of what will truly be one of the most popular outdoor destinations in our county," Parisi said.

Plans are to extend the Lower Yahara River Trail south to Stoughton. Money for the design work has been included in Parisi's 2017 county budget.
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This year, states are casting off No Child Left Behinds one-size-fits-all schoolhouse shackles and experimenting with innovative ways to hold schools accountable. Some states are measuring school climate, access to advanced coursework, or socioemotional skills. But only California is planning to incentivize schools to put vulnerable students in harms way.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which replaced NCLB, California plans on holding schools accountable for suspension rates. The higher the suspension rate, the lower the accountability score. The lower the score, the higher the risk of being labeled failing and targeted for state intervention.

If we learned one thing from NCLB, its that schools will game the system. Schools narrowed curriculum on tested subjects, taught to the test and sometimes outright cheated in what was called a race to the bottom.

Still, standardized tests are much harder to manipulate than suspension rates; all a school need do is suspend fewer misbehaving students. And under ESSA, 5 percent of schools must be labeled as failing. Schools near that mark will have the incentive to lower suspensions, with the knowledge that other schools have that incentive as well. So, while other states are using ESSA to reclaim a well-rounded education, California risks going from a race to the bottom to having the bottom drop out altogether, as struggling schools compete to lower disciplinary standards.

Over the last few years, many major urban districts have sharply curtailed student suspensions, and the results havent been pretty.

After Chicago made school leaders ask permission from the district office for long-term suspensions for nonviolent misbehavior, researchers at the University of Chicago documented that teachers reported more disruptive classrooms and students reported less peer respect.

After New York made principals ask permission for short-term suspensions for nonviolent misbehavior, I documented that, at half of all schools surveyed, students reported more frequent physical fighting and lower levels of peer respect, with the worst effects felt in schools serving 90-plus percent minority students.

And after Los Angeles eliminated suspensions for nonviolent willful defiance, the portion of students who said they felt safe in their school plummeted from 72 percent to 60 percent.

Rather than re-evaluate L.A.s example, the California Legislature forced all schools to follow suit. So, whereas the negative developments in L.A., Chicago and New York City came from limits on suspensions for nonviolent offenses, under Californias proposed ESSA plan, schools will have an incentive to let violence go unpunished altogether.

Unfortunately, this isnt uncharted territory. After former President Barack Obamas Education Department took action against Oklahoma City schools for disparate suspension rates, one teacher said she was told that referrals would not require suspension unless there was blood. If California follows through on its plan, such a memo might well go out statewide.

Still, advocates dismiss that risk and insist that limiting suspensions will serve the cause of social justice. Because suspensions are correlated with dropouts and other negative outcomes, they insist that limiting suspensions will clamp down on the school-to-prison pipeline. Never mind that correlation is not causation, and theres actually no evidence that suspensions cause harm.

Though, if you wanted to design a school-to-prison pipeline from scratch, its hard to imagine a better blueprint than telling kids they cant be punished for anything, and that their teachers disciplinary judgment cant be trusted because its so tainted by implicit racial bias that the government has to supersede it.

Even as ideologically-driven national teacher union leaders decry exclusionary discipline and tout restorative justice guided dialogue as an alternative, local union leaders complain that teachers hands are tied and new training never arrives. Eric Meyers, president of the Stockton Teachers Association, said that the restrictions already imposed on his teachers create a lot more chaos in the classroom. According to a recent poll, 40 percent of California teachers say theyve received little or no training on restorative justice, and nine in 10 say they havent received enough training to do it well.

Whatever the theoretical merit of shifting from exclusionary to restorative discipline, the shift can only work if teachers have the flexibility and support for conscientious, incremental adjustments. And that wont happen if, instead of being motivated by doing whats best for their students, teachers are acting out of fear of being punished themselves.

The draft plan released this month doesnt need to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education until September. Hopefully, between now and then, more sober minds will prevail, lest California education bureaucrats give struggling schools an incentive to become less safe.

This piece originally appeared in the Orange County Register

______________________

Max Eden is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on Twitter here.
by Bob Garfield , Featured Columnist, May 22, 2017

S-curve neck and feathered white. Lots of float and little flight.

Aristocratic for a bird. In German, ach!, a dirty word.

On a lake or on a pond. Its a swan swan swan.

Yeah a swan swan swan.

Come on baby shake it loose. It aint a duck and aint a goose.

Its a swan swan swan. Its a swan.

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So, yeah, this is my swan song.

After four years at MediaPost, I'm leaving to pursue personal interests. Maybe do a little consulting. No, I'm going to work on that novel. No, I'm gonna spend more time with my family. Yeah, that's it, more time with my family.

Or whatever. MediaPost is like the bartender at closing time. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

No malice or firing for cause, mind you. And absolutely no hard feelings. I just happen to work in the very industry whose slow and tortuous death I make a living documenting. It's like an entomologist dying of bee stings.

Or something. I'd come up with a better analogy, but why bother? When I hit send I'm off the clock.

I must say this, however. It has been a great four years. MediaPost has given me absolute freedom to opine on any subject I chose, and absolute freedom in my style of doing it. Apart from the copyediting that has saved my sorry ass from embarrassment more times than I can count, my thoughts have been delivered to you without the slightest interference. And when readers have complained about my tone or my politics, management has unfailingly had my back.

So this is the most amicable divorce ever. I get to see other people. They get the house.

Naturally, I've gone back to review what has gone on in this space over the course of 200 columns. What I discovered was a wide variety of subject matter: The Ben Franklin Effect in consumer psychology, the Super Bowl, P.R. malfeasance, Forbes, Grumpy Cat, AOL, Abercrombie & Fitch, the soft-drink business, Comcast, bots, the French, Bitcoin and who knows what all.

The other thing I discovered was a short list of hobby horses.

Without actually tabulating, I estimate that 100 of my MediaPost pieces have mainly concerned Facebook, native advertising, Facebook, the ongoing media-revenue catastrophe, ad tech, social media dystopia, Trump, Facebook and Facebook. That is because in one way or another, all of these subjects pose grave threats to the media industry, to marketing, to democracy and to society writ large. Facebook is intriguing because it is such a valuable utility for a billion-plus users. But it is also a black hole whose incalculable gravity sucks too much attention, money, democracy and privacy into its all-consuming maw.

I'd fix the mixed metaphor, but why bother? When I hit send I'll be off the clock.

So since this is indeed my MediaPost swan song, let me go all Eisenhower on you and remind you what to fear. Not the military-industrial complex, but other institutions and practices that superficially seem to represent security and progress but also pose grave threats:

1) Ad tech. This is a force in the media economy that is something like Wall Street in the general economy. It takes money, but adds little value. It is instead a middleman, consuming ever-larger percentages of media spend (with astonishing lack of accountability) at the expense of marketers and media alike. But after 15 years, has it boosted the underlying consumer businesses? The answer is plainly no.

2) Native. This is not merely deception, but a conspiracy of deception. Whether the content is good or bad is irrelevant. What is relevant is that it can win engagement only if it camouflages itself as editorial matter. Anyone who tells you differently is lying. It also doesn't scale. So the best it will ever do -- while it steadily, inexorably barters away the dearly won trust of audiences to media brands -- is a labor-intensive, low-margin adjunct source of revenue. It's like turning tricks to help make ends meet.but still not covering the light bill.

3) The Duopoly. Facebook and Google are taking all the money out of the system. They are simply too big, and increasingly too dominant both vertically and horizontally. Simply on economic-power terms, they need to be broken up, like Standard Oil of Ohio and the old AT&T. But their very technology also has unleashed dark forces -- among them fake news, filter bubbles, privacy invasion and phishing on a mass scale. Once again, they deliver priceless benefits for free. But it is a deal with the devil.

Yeah, I know that's a bit of a cliche. Oh, well. I'm off the clock.
by Ray Schultz , May 22, 2017

Are associations boldly using email? Or are they merely stuck in the channel? A new survey by the Association Research Board and Bob & David James, suggests the latter.

Of 100 associations polled, 62% use email compared to 27% for direct mail and 12% for telemarketing. And this over-reliance on email is hurting these trade groups. .

The problem is we all get 300 or 40 emails a day, said David James, vice president of Bob & David James, a Bethesda, Maryland-based list management-brokerage company, in an interview. Because of this, associations are plagued by low inbox rates, dismal email response, and over-digitalized members, he added.

At the same time, associations are missing the massive shift in members buying habits, and failing to move into social media, James argued.

The survey found that only 18% of associations use channels like social media and face-to-face interactions to market products and services. At the same time, associations are relying too much on their house lists, with only 25% ever renting or buying outside files, the survey found. And this is resulting in list fatigue.

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Theyre overdoing it on the house list and not attempting to reach out to people who are not on any of their promotion files, James said. This is risky because of the dwindling memberships at some associations.

In addition, many groups have challenges reaching Milennials. However, some of the small local associations have started doing gamification, and are trying to get students to join, and hoping they can keep them on board, James noted.

Associations tend to engage in what James calls DIY marketing.

Of those polled, 47% outsource no marketing services at all. Less than 10% seek outside help for marketing research, strategy, list management, email marketing, telemarketing, digital advertising or social media

In addition, 38% outsource creative and design, and 16% turn to outsiders for help with direct mail.

James observed that staffs can be close-minded toward marketing channels they have not tried in which they have no skill sets.

Bob & David James isnt the only firm to spot this trend. In recent survey of 240 association marketers, Demand Metric found that 99% use email, trying the channel with event and content marketing.

In addition, email was rated as the most effective channel by 75%, trying it with content marketing. But there was a slight decline in terms of email effectiveness from 77% in 2016 and 81% in 2014.

Oh, here's one more fact about Bob & David James. They're not related.
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The Wisconsin River crested slightly below what was expected Sunday night in Portage, but streets in low-lying areas remain under water and are closed for now.

Columbia County Emergency Management said on Monday that the river crested at 18.3 feet and has started to recede.

"The river is expected to reach normal levels by Sunday (May 28) unless we get additional rain," said emergency management coordinator Kathleen Johnson.

Rain is forecast this week.

The early crest prognostication was 18.8 feet. At 11 a.m. Monday, the river was at 18.1 feet, according to the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. Flood stage at Portage is 17.0 feet.

Streets in the low-lying areas that traditionally go under water did so once again.

Road closures in or near Portage include the Blackhawk Park area, with Blackhawk Road, West Lane Road, Old River Road and Lake Road closed; and Highway V between Oak Knoll and Schiefelbein Roads in the town of Dekorra.

Local officials are continuing to monitor the flooding and river level situations, and updated information will be issued as it becomes available.

For residents needing assistance, call the Sheriff's Office at 608-742-4166, extension 1.

Columbia County Emergency Management also issued a slow, no wake order on Sunday, for boaters using the river from the Highway 33 bridge in Portage downstream to Lake Wisconsin.

"Boaters are urged to use caution in this area because of the flooded conditions and the potential of flooding debris in the river," Johnson said.

The slow, no-wake order means boaters have to proceed as slowly as possible without losing steerage for the craft.

The order will stay in effect until further notice.
The following companies are subsidiares of Quanta Services: (De) Lazy Q Ranch LLC, 1 Diamond LLC, 1Diamond AS, 618232 Alberta Ltd., 8246408 Canada Inc., Advanced Electric Systems, Advanced Electric Systems LLC, Advanced Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Alexander Publications LLC, Allteck GP Ltd., Allteck Limited Partnership, Apprenticeship Programs Inc., Arby Construction, Arcanum Chemicals LLC, Arnett & Burgess Oil Field Construction Limited, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners (Rockies) LLC, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners Ltd., B&N Clearing and Environmental LLC, Banister Pipelines Constructors Corp., Banister Pipelines Constructors GP Ltd., Banister Pipelines Limited Partnership, Brent Woodward Inc., Brink Constructors Inc., Brink Constructors Inc. A Corporation Of South Dakota, Brown Engineering and Testing, CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership, CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership (Regd Name) CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-Spec Limited Partnership, Canadian Utility Construction Corp., Cat Spec Limited LP, Cat Spec Ltd, Cat Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat Spec Ltd. LP, Cat Spec. Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd (A Domestic limited Partnership), Cat-Spec Ltd LP, Cat-Spec Ltd., Cat-Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat-Spec Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd. Limited Partnership, Catalyst Changers Inc., Chatham Electric, Citadel Industrial Services L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Coe Drilling Pty Ltd., Computapole, Conam Construction Co., Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, Conti Communications Inc., Crux Subsurface Canada Ltd., Crux Subsurface Inc., Cutting Technology - 1 Diamond LLC, DB Utilities Inc., DE Lazy Q Ranch LLC, DNR Pressure Welding Ltd., Dacon Corporation, Dashiell (DE) Corporation (Dashiell Corporation), Dashiell Corporation, Dashiell Corporation DBA Dashiell (DE) Corporation, De Mears Group, De Mears Group Inc., Delaware Quanta Technology LLC, Delaware Underground Construction Co., Didado Utility Company Inc., Digco Utility Construction L.P. Digco Utility Construction Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services. Ltd. L.P., Driftwood Electrical Contractors, EHV Power ULC, ELITE PIPING & CIVIL L.P., ELITE TURNAROUND SPECIALISTS LTD, Elite Fabrication Ltd. Elite Fabrication LP, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Lp, Elite Piping & Civil Ltd L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. Limited Partnership, Elite Piping and Civil L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists L.p., Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. LP, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. Limited Partnership, Energy Consulting Group LLC, Enscope, Enscope Pty Ltd, FIC GP LLC, Field Personnel Services LLC, First Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC, First Infrastructure Capital GP L.P., Five Points Construction Co., G-Tek, G-Vac, GEM Engineering Co., Grand Electric Inc., Great Lakes Line Builders, Grid Creative Inc., Grid Manufacturing Corporation, Grid Training Corporation, H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction Inc., Haverfield Aviation, Haverfield Aviation Inc., Haverfield International Incorporated, Heritage Midstream LLC, IM Electric Inc., IUC ILLINOIS LLC, IUC Nebraska LLC, InfraSource Construction LLC, InfraSource Field Services LLC, InfraSource Services LLC, InfraSources Construction LLC, Infraestructura ETP de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Infrasource Engineering Company PC, Infrasource Iowa Underground LLC, Infrasource Of Pa LLC, Integracion Tecnologica del Peru SAC, Intermountain Electric Inc., Intermountain Electric Inc. A Corporation of Colorado, IonEarth LLC, Irby Construction Company, Irby Construction Company Inc., Iron Mountain M.J. Electric LLC, Island Mechanical Corporation, J.C.R. Construction Co. Inc., J.C.R. Utility Construction Co., J.W. Didado Electric Inc., J.W. Didado Electric LLC, J.w. Didado Electric, JBT Electric LLC, Kingston Contracting Inc., Lazy Q Ranch LLC, Lazy Q Training Center LLC The Lazy Q Lineman School, Legend Foundation Services, Lex Engineering Ltd., Lindsey Electric L.P., Logical Link, Longfellow Drilling, M. G. Dyess Inc., M. J. ELECTRIC LLC IRON MOUNTAIN, M. J. Electric LLC, M. J. Electric LLC - Iron Mountain, M. J. Electric LLC DBA M. J. Electric Iron Mountain LLC, M.J. Electric LLC DBA M.J. Electric Iron Mountain, M.J. Electric LLC Iron Mountain, MTS Field Services, MTS Field Services (Richmond Co), MTS Quanta LLC, Manuel Bros. Inc., Marathon Construction Services, Mears Canada Corp., Mears Equipment Services LLC, Mears Group Inc., Mears Group Pty Ltd, Mears Installation LLC, Mearsmex S. de R.L. de C.V., Mejia Personnel Services LLC, Mercer Technical Services, Microline Technology Corporation, Mid America Energy Services Inc., NACAP Niugini Ltd., NC Northstar Energy Services Inc, NGI Construction, NGI Construction Inc., NGI Construction Inc. (FN), NLC CA. Inc., NLC FL. Inc. Northwest Lineman Center, NLC ID. Inc. Northwest Lineman College, NLC TX. Inc., NPC Energy Services LLC, Nacap Australia, Nacap PNG Limited, Network Communication Services, North Houston Pole Line L.P., North Houston Pole Line Limited Partnership, North Sky Communications, NorthStar Energy Services Inc., Northern Powerline Constructors Inc., Northstar Energy Solutions LLC, Northwest Lineman Center, Northwest Lineman College, Northwest Lineman Training Center, Northwest Lineman Training Center Inc., Nova Constructors LLC, Nova Constructors LTD, Nova Equipment Leasing LLC, Nova Group Inc, Nova Group Inc (CA), Nova Group Inc., Nova Group Inc. DBA NGI Construction, Nova NextGen Solutions LLC, O. J. Pipelines Canada Corporation, O. J. Pipelines Canada Limited Partnership, O.J. Industrial Maintenance, O.J. Pipelines Canada, One Call Locators Canada Ltd., P.D.G. Electric, PAR Electrical Contractors Inc., PDG Electric Co., Par Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Performance Energy Services Guyana Ltd., Performance Energy Services L.L.C., Phasor Engineering Inc., Phoenix North Constructors Inc., Phoenix Power Group Inc., Potelco Inc., Potelco Incorporated, Power Delivery Program Inc., Price Gregory International Inc., Price Gregory Services LLC, Probst Construction Inc., Probst Electric Inc., QEPC, QEPC Power Solutions LLC, QES GP LLC, QP Energy Services LLC, QPS Engineering LLC, QPS Engineering LTD., QPS Engineering PLLC, QPS Environmental, QPS Flint Construction, QPS Flint Tank Services, QPS Global, QPS Global Services, QPS Global Services (Richmond Ci), QPS Professional Services, QPSE, QS Mats, QSI Engineering Inc., QSI Finance (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance (Cayman) Pvt. Ltd., QSI Finance Canada ULC, QSI Finance GP (US) LLC, QSI Finance I (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance I (US) LP, QSI Finance II (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance II (Lux) S.a r.l, QSI Finance II (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance III (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance III (Lux) SARL, QSI Finance IV (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance IX (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance V (US) L.P., QSI Finance VI (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance VII (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance VIII (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance X (Canada) ULC, QSI Inc., QSN Lux Holdings I SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings II SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings III SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings IV SCSp, QTSL LLC, QUANTA FOUNDATION SERVICES, Quanta APL GP II Ltd., Quanta Asset Management LLC, Quanta Associates L.P., Quanta Aviation Services LLC, Quanta Canada GP ULC, Quanta Canada Holdings III Limited Partnership, Quanta Canada Holdings LP, Quanta Canada III GP Ltd., Quanta Capital GP LLC, Quanta Capital LP L.P., Quanta Capital Solutions Inc., Quanta Cares, Quanta EPC Services, Quanta Electric Power Construction LLC, Quanta Electric Power Construction Management Inc., Quanta Electric Power Services LLC, Quanta Electric Power Services West LLC, Quanta Energized Innovations Ltd., Quanta Energized Services U.S. LLC, Quanta Energized Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Energy Services LLC, Quanta Environmental Solutions, Quanta Equipment Company LLC, Quanta Government Solutions Inc., Quanta Holdings I (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Holdings II (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Infraestructura de Chile SpA, Quanta Infrastructure Services LLC, Quanta Infrastructure Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Quanta Inline Devices LLC, Quanta Inspection Services, Quanta Insurance Company Inc., Quanta International Holdings (US) LLC, Quanta International Holdings II Ltd., Quanta International Holdings Ltd., Quanta International Limited, Quanta Kingsvale LP Ltd., Quanta Lines Pty Ltd., Quanta Maine Services LLC, Quanta Middle East LLC, Quanta Pipeline Services Inc., Quanta Power Australia Pty Ltd, Quanta Power Generation Inc., Quanta Power Inc., Quanta Power Solutions India Private Limited, Quanta Resource Development, Quanta Services Africa (PTY) Ltd., Quanta Services Australia Pty Ltd., Quanta Services Chile SpA, Quanta Services Colombia S.A.S., Quanta Services Costa Rica Ltda., Quanta Services Guatemala Ltda., Quanta Services International Holdings II LP, Quanta Services International Holdings LP, Quanta Services Management Partnership L.P., Quanta Services Netherlands B.V., Quanta Services Panama S. de R.L., Quanta Services Peru S.A.C., Quanta Services Puerto Rico LLC, Quanta Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface LLC, Quanta Tank Services, Quanta Technology Canada ULC, Quanta Technology LLC, Quanta Technology UK Ltd., Quanta Tecnologia do Brasil Ltda., Quanta Telecom, Quanta Telecom Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services LLC, Quanta Telecommunications Services LLC, Quanta Underground Services, Quanta Underground Services (Culpeper Co), Quanta Underground Services (Spotsylvania Co), Quanta Underground Services Inc., Quanta Utility Engineering Services Inc., Quanta Utility Installation Company Inc., Quanta Utility Operation LLC, Quanta West LLC, Quantecua Cia. Ltda., R. R. Cassidy Inc., RMS Holdings LLC, RMS Holdings LLC (Delaware), RMS Welding Systems, RMS Welding Systems LLC, Ranger Directional, Realtime Engineers Inc., Realtime Utility Engineers Inc., Redes Andinas de Comunicaciones S.R.L., Riggin & Diggin Line Construction, Rms Welding LLC, Rms Welding Systems LLC, Road Bore Corporation, Ryan Company Inc. The, Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, Ryan Company Inc.(The), Seaward, Seaward Corp, Seaward Corporation, Service EC (DE) Inc., Service Electric Company (DE), Service Electric Company Inc., Service Electric Company of Delaware, Servicios Par Electric S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios de Infraestructura del Peru S.A.C., Southwest Trenching Company Inc., Specialty Tank Services L.P., Specialty Tank Services LP, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Ltd., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. (LP), Specialty Tank Services Ltd. L.P., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold General LLC, Stronghold Holdings (BVI) Limited, Stronghold Inspection L.P., Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Lp, Stronghold Inspection Ltd L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Limited Partnership, Stronghold Ltd., Stronghold Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Management Holdings LP, Stronghold Specialty General LLC, Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Tower Group LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd., Stronghold Tower Group Ltd. LP, Stronghold VI LLC, Subterra Damage Prevention Specialists Ltd., Summit Line Construction, Sumter Utilities Inc., T. G. Mercer Consulting Services Inc., TA Construction, TC Infrastructure Services Ltd., Taylor Built, Texas Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, The Aspen Utility Company LLC, The ComTran Group Inc., The Hallen Construction Co. Inc., The Massachusetts Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc Of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc. (Massachusetts), The Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Incorporated of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Of Massachusetts Inc., The Ryan Company of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company of Massachusetts (FN), Tom Allen Construction Company Inc., Tom Allen Construction Company of Delaware, Trans Tech Electric, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd., TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey I&E Ltd., Turnkey Automation Ltd. L.P., Turnkey Automation Ltd. LP., UCC Underground Construction Co. Inc., Ucc - Underground Construction Co., Underground Construction Co. Inc., Underground Construction Co. Inc. (Delaware), Underground Electric Construction Company LLC, Utilco Inc., Utility Fleet Services, Utility Line Management Services Inc., Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Utility Training Services Corporation, VALARD Polska sp. Z o.o., Valard, Valard, Valard Construction (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Construction (Quebec) Inc., Valard Construction 2008 Ltd., Valard Construction Australia Pty Ltd, Valard Construction LLC, Valard Equipment (AB) Ltd., Valard Equipment GP Ltd., Valard Equipment Limited Partnership, Valard Geomatics (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Geomatics BC Ltd., Valard Geomatics Ltd., Valard Mechanical Ltd., Valard Norway AS, Valard Sweden AB, Valard Zagreb d. o. o., Wade D. Taylor Inc., West Coast Communications, Winco Helicopters, Winco Inc., Winco Inc. an Oregon Based Corporation, Winco Powerline Services, Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Services Inc., World Fiber Inc., and mmit Line Construction Inc..

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Juniper Networks, Inc. designs, develops, and sells network products and services worldwide. The company offers routing products, such as ACX series universal access routers to deploy high-bandwidth services; MX series Ethernet routers that function as a universal edge platform; PTX series packet transport routers; wide-area network SDN controllers; and session smart routers. It also provides switching products, including EX series Ethernet switches to address the access, aggregation, and core layer switching requirements of micro branch, branch office, and campus environments; QFX series of core, spine, and top-of-rack data center switches; and juniper access points, which provide Wi-Fi access and performance. In addition, the company offers security products comprising SRX series services gateways for the data center; Branch SRX family provides an integrated and next-generation firewall; virtual firewall that delivers various features of physical firewalls; and advanced malware protection, a cloud-based service and Juniper ATP. Further, it offers Junos OS, a network operating system; Contrail networking, which provides an open-source and standards-based platform for SDN; Mist AI-driven Wired, Wireless, and WAN assurance solutions to set and measure key metrics; Mist AI-driven Marvis Virtual Network Assistant, which identifies the root cause of issues; Juniper Paragon Automation, a modular portfolio of cloud-native software applications; and Juniper Apstra to automate the network lifecycle in a single system. Additionally, the company provides software-as-a-service, technical support, maintenance, and professional services, as well as education and training programs. It sells its products through direct sales, distributors, value-added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers to end-users in the cloud, service provider, and enterprise markets. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of Sonic Automotive: AM GA LLC, AM Realty GA LLC, AnTrev LLC, Arngar Inc., Autobahn Inc., Avalon Ford Inc., Car Cash of North Carolina Inc., Cornerstone Acceptance Corporation, ECHOPARK: AM GA LLC, ECHOPARK: AM Realty GA LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark AZ LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark CA LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Driver Education LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark FL LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark TX LLC, ECHOPARK: Echopark Automotive Inc., ECHOPARK: SAI DS LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI DS Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., ECHOPARK: TT Denver LLC, ECHOPARK: TTRE CO 1 LLC, FAA Beverly Hills Inc., FAA Capitol N Inc., FAA Concord H Inc., FAA Concord T Inc., FAA Dublin N Inc., FAA Dublin VWD Inc., FAA Holding Corp., FAA Las Vegas H Inc., FAA Poway H Inc., FAA Poway T Inc., FAA San Bruno Inc., FAA Santa Monica V Inc., FAA Serramonte H Inc., FAA Serramonte Inc., FAA Serramonte L Inc., FAA Stevens Creek Inc., FAA Torrance CPJ Inc., FirstAmerica Automotive Inc., Fort Mill Ford Inc., Franciscan Motors Inc., Frontier Oldsmobile-Cadillac Inc., Kramer Motors Incorporated, L Dealership Group Inc., Marcus David Corporation, Massey Cadillac Inc. (TN-MI), Mountain States Motors Co. Inc., North Point Imports LLC, Ontario L LLC, Philpott Motors Ltd., SAI AL HC1 Inc., SAI AL HC2 Inc., SAI Ann Arbor Imports LLC, SAI Atlanta B LLC, SAI Broken Arrow C LLC, SAI Calabasas A LLC, SAI Chamblee V LLC, SAI Charlotte M LLC, SAI Chattanooga N LLC, SAI Clearwater T LLC, SAI Cleveland N LLC, SAI Columbus Motors LLC, SAI Columbus T LLC, SAI Columbus VWK LLC, SAI Conroe N LLC, SAI Denver B Inc., SAI Denver C Inc., SAI Denver M Inc., SAI FL HC1 Inc., SAI FL HC2 Inc., SAI FL HC3 Inc., SAI FL HC4 Inc., SAI FL HC7 Inc., SAI Fairfax B LLC, SAI Fort Myers B LLC, SAI Fort Myers H LLC, SAI Fort Myers M LLC, SAI Fort Myers VW LLC, SAI GA HC1 LLC, SAI Irondale Imports LLC, SAI Irondale L LLC, SAI Long Beach B Inc., SAI MD HC1 Inc., SAI McKinney M LLC, SAI Monrovia B Inc., SAI Montgomery B LLC, SAI Montgomery BCH LLC, SAI Montgomery CH LLC, SAI Nashville CSH LLC, SAI Nashville H LLC, SAI Nashville M LLC, SAI Nashville Motors LLC, SAI OK HC1 Inc., SAI Oklahoma City C LLC, SAI Oklahoma City H LLC, SAI Oklahoma City T LLC, SAI Orlando CS LLC, SAI Peachtree LLC, SAI Pensacola A LLC, SAI Philpott T LLC, SAI Riverside C LLC, SAI Roaring Fork LR Inc., SAI Rockville Imports LLC, SAI Rockville L LLC, SAI S. Atlanta JLR LLC, SAI SIC Inc., SAI Santa Clara K Inc., SAI Stone Mountain T LLC, SAI TN HC1 LLC, SAI TN HC2 LLC, SAI TN HC3 LLC, SAI Tulsa N LLC, SAI Tulsa T LLC, SAI Tysons Corner H LLC, SAI Tysons Corner I LLC, SAI VA HC1 Inc., SAI VS GA LLC, SAI VS TX LLC, SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., SAI West Houston B LLC, SRE Alabama  2 LLC, SRE Alabama  5 LLC, SRE Alabama  6 LLC, SRE California 10 LBB LLC, SRE California 11 PH LLC, SRE California  1 LLC, SRE California  2 LLC, SRE California  3 LLC, SRE California  4 LLC, SRE California  5 LLC, SRE California  6 LLC, SRE California  7 SCB LLC, SRE California  8 SCH LLC, SRE California  9 BHB LLC, SRE Colorado  1 LLC, SRE Colorado  2 LLC, SRE Colorado  3 LLC, SRE Colorado  4 RF LLC, SRE Colorado  5 CC LLC, SRE Florida  1 LLC, SRE Florida  2 LLC, SRE Georgia 4 LLC, SRE Georgia 5 LLC, SRE Georgia 6 LLC, SRE Holding LLC, SRE Maryland  1 LLC, SRE Nevada  2 LLC, SRE North Carolina  2 LLC, SRE North Carolina  3 LLC, SRE Ohio 1 LLC, SRE Ohio 2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  1 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  5 LLC, SRE South Carolina  2 LLC, SRE South Carolina  3 LLC, SRE South Carolina  4 LLC, SRE Tennessee 6 LLC, SRE Tennessee 7 LLC, SRE Tennessee  1 LLC, SRE Tennessee  2 LLC, SRE Tennessee  3 LLC, SRE Tennessee  4 LLC, SRE Tennessee  5 LLC, SRE Texas 10 LLC, SRE Texas 11 LLC, SRE Texas 12 LLC, SRE Texas 13 LLC, SRE Texas 14 LLC, SRE Texas 15 LLC, SRE Texas 16 LLC, SRE Texas 9 LLC, SRE Texas  1 LP, SRE Texas  2 LP, SRE Texas  3 LP, SRE Texas  4 LP, SRE Texas  5 LP, SRE Texas  6 LP, SRE Texas  7 LP, SRE Texas  8 LP, SRE Virginia - 1 LLC, SRE Virginia  2 LLC, SRM Assurance Ltd., Santa Clara Imported Cars Inc., Sonic 2185 Chapman Rd. Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Advantage PA LP, Sonic Automotive - 1720 Mason Ave. DB LLC, Sonic Automotive 2424 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive 2752 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive Aviation LLC, Sonic Automotive F&I LLC, Sonic Automotive Support LLC, Sonic Automotive West LLC, Sonic Automotive of Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nashville LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nevada Inc., Sonic Automotive of Texas LP, Sonic Automotive  1495 Automall Drive Columbus Inc., Sonic Automotive  1720 Mason Ave. DB Inc., Sonic Automotive  2490 South Lee Highway LLC, Sonic Automotive  3401 N. Main TX LP, Sonic Automotive  4701 I-10 East TX LP, Sonic Automotive  6008 N. Dale Mabry FL Inc., Sonic Automotive  9103 E. Independence NC LLC, Sonic Calabasas M Inc., Sonic Development LLC, Sonic Divisional Operations LLC, Sonic FFC 1 Inc., Sonic FFC 2 Inc., Sonic FFC 3 Inc., Sonic Fremont Inc., Sonic Houston JLR LP, Sonic Houston LR LP, Sonic Momentum B LP, Sonic Momentum JVP LP, Sonic Momentum VWA LP, Sonic Resources Inc., Sonic Santa Monica M Inc., Sonic Santa Monica S Inc., Sonic Walnut Creek M Inc., Sonic Wilshire Cadillac Inc., Sonic eStore Inc., Sonic of Texas Inc., Sonic  Buena Park H Inc., Sonic  Cadillac D LP, Sonic  Calabasas A Inc., Sonic  Calabasas V Inc., Sonic  Camp Ford LP, Sonic  Capitol Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Capitol Imports Inc., Sonic  Carrollton V LP, Sonic  Carson F Inc., Sonic  Carson LM Inc., Sonic  Clear Lake N LP, Sonic  Clear Lake Volkswagen LP, Sonic  Denver T Inc., Sonic  Downey Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Fort Mill Chrysler Jeep Inc., Sonic  Fort Mill Dodge Inc., Sonic  Fort Worth T LP, Sonic  Frank Parra Autoplex LP, Sonic  Harbor City H Inc., Sonic  Houston V LP, Sonic  Integrity Dodge LV LLC, Sonic  Jersey Village Volkswagen LP, Sonic  LS Chevrolet LP, Sonic  LS LLC, Sonic  Lake Norman Chrysler Jeep LLC, Sonic  Las Vegas C West LLC, Sonic  Lloyd Nissan Inc., Sonic  Lloyd Pontiac  Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Lone Tree Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Lute Riley LP, Sonic  Massey Cadillac LP, Sonic  Massey Chevrolet Inc., Sonic  Mesquite Hyundai LP, Sonic  Newsome Chevrolet World Inc., Sonic  Newsome of Florence Inc., Sonic  North Charleston Dodge Inc., Sonic  North Charleston Inc., Sonic  Plymouth Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Richardson F LP, Sonic  Sanford Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Shottenkirk Inc., Sonic  Stevens Creek B Inc., Sonic  Volvo LV LLC, Sonic  West Covina T Inc., Sonic  Williams Cadillac Inc., Stevens Creek Cadillac Inc., The Sonic Automotive Family Emergency Fund (SAFE), Town and Country Ford Incorporated, and Windward Inc..

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Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in various dosage forms, including tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams. It also develops, manufactures, and sells active pharmaceutical ingredients. In addition, it focuses on the central nervous system, pain, respiratory, and oncology areas. Its products in the central nervous system include Copaxone for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; AJOVY for the preventive treatment of migraine; and AUSTEDO for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia and chorea associated with Huntington disease. The company's products in the respiratory market comprise ProAir, QVAR, ProAir Digihaler, AirDuo Digihaler, and ArmonAir Digihaler, BRALTUS, CINQAIR/CINQAERO, DuoResp Spiromax, and AirDuo RespiClick/ArmonAir RespiClick for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its products in the oncology market include Bendeka, Treanda, Granix, Trisenox, Lonquex, and Tevagrastim/Ratiograstim. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has a collaboration MedinCell for the development and commercialization of multiple long-acting injectable products, a risperidone suspension for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. The company was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.
It seems the graduate from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science of Technology (KNUST) who was scorned by actor, John Dumelo for selling bread on the street is not really bothered by the actor's words.

Dumelo posted on his Instagram page a photo of the KNUST graduate, Godfred Obeng Boateng selling bread on the street and wrote: Just saw a KNUST grad hawking in trafficWhat went wrong?

Some Ghanaians, however, descended heavily on Dumelo over the post.

Musician A-Plus who was angry over the post charged Dumelo to take it down.

I'm angry!!! Every day I post my opinion. Today I'm posting my anger. John Dumelo remove this post from Instagram now!!! A bread seller is a human being. You can't just take pictures of people and post it on your page for attention. A bread seller has right which must be respected. A bread seller is better than an armed robber!!! A bread seller is better than a drug dealer!!! It's better for a person to hawk on the streets than to indulge in crime. I'm looking for this bread seller. John Dumelo must apologise to him. Or prepare for a legal battle!!! he posted on his Facebook wall.

Meanwhile speaking to Citi Showbiz, Mr. Boateng who is also the Chief Executive Officer of bakery company, A1 Bread, said he is not bothered at all.

I'm really busy, working. The dog will bark but then the caravan will park, I'm just busy selling and I know I have confidence.

Boateng explained that every human is unique and that there are different paths to success.

No one should be called upon what society thinks they should do. Some people are very good with office work and others are good with the hard way. You can't force people to do business when they don't have the interest, he remarked.



By: Minna Dablu/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Seasoned highlife musician Randy Nunoo has resurfaced with a new hit song titled 'Mmra Wo Town'.

According to him, the new song, yet to be released in June this year, blames Ghanaians, especially the political class, including ministers and officials, for the high level of corruption in the corridors of power.

The musician stated that he is resolute in joining the public to fight corruption through music and he believes by using music, the increasing rate of corruption will reduce.

The musician revealed that his anti-corruption song will be played in all radio stations across the country from June, urging the entire Ghanaian society to love the song because it's very educative.

My anti-corruption song should be embraced by all Ghanaians because it will help Ghana to fight the problem of corruption which has greatly affected the country's image, he told BEATWAVES.

He explained that corruption is one of the great problems hindering service deliveries in the country, and a lot of government funds have been swindled by senior government officials in the various ministries and agencies.

Randy Nunoo added that the government of Ghana has tried to fight corruption but government is still facing a lot of challenges to control corruption because majority of the public are not aware of the negative impacts of corruption.

Known for his unique delivery, Randy who announced his presence on the music scene with a gospel album titled 'Menidaso' in 1987 underscored that his new song is very educative and has good danceable beats.

Randy started singing 25 years ago when he was living with his father, who was a chief at Cape Coast. He used to play the talking drums at his father's palace from a tender age. In 1987, Randy released his first album, 'Menidaso Wosoro', which became an instant hit.

In 1989, he travelled to Europe to develop his musical career, returning in 1991 to record his second album, 'Philomena', which was released in 1992 by Kox Record Label. In 1993, he produced another album titled 'Experience', and 'Honesty' in 1996 under his own record label, Pillar Records.

In 1997, Randy again left the shores of Ghana for Germany to record 'Dapen Koro', which was released by Media Cassette, a label based in Germany.

Randy Nunoo released 'Biakoye' in 2000 and in 2004, he came out with 'Papa Black Man'.

Between 2006 and 2008, Randy released three albums, 'Khaki Supporter', 'Ato Papa' and 'Numo Small Boy'.

By George Clifford Owusu
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22.05.2017 LISTEN

Grace Quaye is set to rock London Fashion Week this year. Winner of last years Face of Accra Fashion Week will be heading off to the UK later this year to participate in their grand fashion events during London Fashion Week S/S18 show.

The announcement came when organizers of Accra Fashion Week got in touch with a number of designers interested in Grace Quaye whom are now willing to finance her accommodation and travel to be present at their shows. UK Designer Mark Johnson who showcased at Accra Fashion Week 2016 was also highly intrigued by her performance at the Face of AFWk2016 competition and decided to assist her in ensuring she is casted alongside other professional models. Accra Fashion Week will now make it mandatory for all winners to participate in fashion week taking place in any of the fashion capitals.

Grace Quaye who is currently managed by Confidence Model Management in Ghana will also be working with a UK based agency that is yet to be disclosed later this year. Although she will spend time in UK for London Fashion Week ,

she will be back in Ghana on time for Accra Fashion Week 2017 from 3-8th October, to participate in Face Of AFWk2017 in handing over her title.

Afwk2

Afwk1

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Rebel In Africa (4)
With the debate over the future of Obamacare now underground  Senate Republicans having decided that the monstrous American Health Care Act approved by the House two weeks ago is best discussed in secret, and they may be at it for months yet  its a good time to review the state of health care in the United States.

Its not just a question about the fact of ACA beneficiaries (or those who might lose insurance under the AHCA). How has the U.S. health care system performed for all of us, rich and poor, insured or uninsured over the last quarter-century?

The short answer: Not great.

The latest study on the quality of health care internationally between 1990 and 2015 published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal based in the United Kingdom, examined what researchers call amenable mortality in 195 countries. Its a clever way of looking at health care outcomes and not just spending or sickness. Instead of merely considering mortality rates, researchers investigated death rates for medical conditions that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care.

In other words, the quality of, or access to, medical care probably isnt at fault when someone suffers horrific injuries in a serious car crash, but perhaps it was an issue for those who died young of treatable diseases like diabetes or measles. The good news is researchers found nearly all countries saw improvements over time with the worst results often recorded in  and theres certainly no surprise here  undeveloped countries, which tend to have fewer medical resources of any kind.

The United States tied for 34th under whats called the Healthcare Access and Quality Index with Estonia and Montenegro, countries with gross domestic products that rank a piddling 104th and 155th in the world. That a nation with the wealth and technology of a super power like the U.S. has a health care performance behind that of Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta  and not even within hailing distance of leaders like Iceland, Switzerland or Sweden  is nothing short of a national disgrace.

Yet one wonders if the American public even appreciates how bad things are, or are they, like many members of Congress, caught up in the minutia of Medicaid expansions or the operation of insurance exchanges? The crisis is that the nation pays too much and receives too little in the health care system, and its literally killing us  the number of preventable deaths by neonatal disorder, heart disease, non-melanoma skin cancer, diabetes and kidney disease is simply not in line with our spending of $9,000 per man, woman and child each year, the highest of any country. ...

Earlier this month, a congressman from Idaho drew national attention for making a particularly asinine statement about the situation, which was captured on video and seen around the world. Nobody dies because they dont have access to health care, Rep. Raul R. Labrador told constituents attending a town hall in Lewiston, Idaho. He couldnt be more wrong, as the Lancet study documents. People with health emergencies may not be refused treatment at the local emergency room, but without health insurance, many cant afford the regular checkups and screenings that can prevent a health crisis from developing in the first place.

And thats another frustration in the health care debate. Why doesnt Congress focus as much on the cost of sickness to this country as it does on the cost of taxpayer-subsidized insurance? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that the cost of illness to employers alone (in lost productivity and sick days) runs about $225.8 billion annually. Even with Obamacare, an estimated 28.5 million Americans are still without health insurance coverage  many of whom simply cant afford it.

Conservatives object strongly to the notion that health care should be regarded as a right, yet they ignore the countrys chronic underperformance dating to well before the Affordable Care Act was ever on the books. Shortly after the House passage of the Obamacare repeal and replace measure, President Donald Trump congratulated Australias prime minister for having a better health care system than the U.S. And he was right. They have universal health care with publicly-financed free access to doctors and public hospitals. When will Americans get wise and demand similar access and similar results?
22.05.2017 LISTEN

Ghanaian celebrity lawyer, Sandra Ankorbiah has been featured on Morgan Lewis online platform as one of the young emerging women leaders of the world.

Morgan Lewis & Bockius is a global law firm with large followers. It is the largest firm in America and one of the five largest firms in the world.

Among its clients, they serve as tax counsel to United States President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization since 2005. The firm received the 2016 'Russia Law Firm of the Year' award.

Morgan Lewis Chair Jami McKeon welcomed the Ghanaian lawyer to the firm earlier this month as part of Fortunes annual Global Womens Mentorship program, a public-private partnership with the US State Department and the Vital Voices Global Partnership.

The program connects leading female executives from around the world to help empower the next generation of women to bring positive change to their companies and communities.

One of only 21 international businesswomen selected to participate in this years initiative, Ms. Ankobiah serves as a legal aid officer for the International Federation of Women Lawyers, a nongovernmental organization that promotes and enhances the welfare of indigent women and children through legal aid and counseling services.

Morgan Lewis' portal talked about Sandra as the CEO and co-founder of SN Media Learning Tree, a media training facility.

Ms. Ankobiah spent two weeks in Morgan Lewiss Philadelphia, Boston, and New York offices meeting with executive leadership, as well as lawyers from across the firm to share best practices and organizational and management skills and discuss a range of key topics, from the importance of leadership, business development, and financial planning in law firm management, to developing a pro bono portfolio.

I am proud to have supported the Global Womens Mentorship program as a mentor for the third straight year, said Ms. McKeon. Women like Sandra are critically important to the future. We stand in awe of what she and the programs other mentees already have accomplished. Our investment in them is an investment in all of us, and in a more cohesive and unified world.
10.05.2017 LISTEN

(Bonn, 10 May, 2017) As part of a journalism competition launched today, ten journalists from the Pacific island region will get the unique chance to travel to and report from this years UN climate conference taking place in Bonn, Germany (COP23, 6  17 November).

The competition will award journalists from print, on-line and radio/TV with the prize of sponsored participation in the conference, media training at the prestigious DW Akademie and access to UN and other experts.

The decision to launch a Pacific island journalism competition reflects the important role the small island developing State of Fiji will be playing at the 23rd Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - the official title of the conference.

Fiji will be presiding over COP23 and the Fijian Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, will undertake the key role of COP President on behalf of all countries attending.

The competition has been generously funded by the German Governments Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thomas Meister, Head of the Ministrys Division for International Climate and Environmental Policy said:

The media play a central role as navigators and mediators between the international climate talks, the science community and civil society. The German Foreign Office is thus happy to support a media training centered around COP23 for 10 journalists from the Pacific region, a region that is among those worst affected by climate change.

Nick Nuttall, Director of Communications of the UNFCCC and Spokesperson for COP23, said: We are thrilled that Germanys Ministry of Foreign Affairs agreed to support this competition. Both the government and the UNFCCC were concerned that the costs of getting to and from Bonn would have been prohibitive for many journalists from that region.

Yet we both acknowledged that it was vital to have media from that location here to report to their publics and witness the negotiations, the rich array of Global Climate Action events taking place and the cultural activities that surround such conferences, he added.

John Connor, the Executive Director of the Fijian COP23 Presidency Secretariat, encouraged all Pacific journalists with an interest in climate change to take part in the competition.

Thanks to the generous support of the German Government, this is a wonderful opportunity for ten journalists to attend the foremost international conference on climate change, an issue of absolute priority in the region. Joining the worlds media in Bonn, they will be able to tell the story of how the world is responding to this escalating crisis from the Pacific perspective  ensuring that Pacific voices are heard. They will also bring the experience and training they gain home with them, boosting the standard of climate reporting across the region," he said.

DW Akademie Director Christian Gramsch said:

"As DW Akademie, we are pleased to offer media training for journalists from the Pacific Islands during COP23, contributing to independent quality journalism in the field of climate change. The selected journalists will report first hand on climate topics that are crucial to their audiences. It is a pleasure to work so closely with UNFCCC on this innovative project."

Who can participate in the competition?

The competition, which will run from now to June 15, invites journalists from Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga. Journalists can be operating in the area of print journalism including on-line, radio and TV and should be representing a recognized media organization.

What should be submitted?

Journalists should submit two examples of their work produced between the beginning of 2016 and now and which illustrate one or all of the following:

How Pacific Island nations are affected by climate change and how they are building resilience to its inevitable impacts.

How Pacific Island nations are deploying clean technologies, thereby curbing greenhouse gas emissions and saving on fossil fuel imports.

How governments and multilateral institutions are providing support in these areas so that Pacific Island communities can take climate action.

The journalistic products should illustrate how local communities are benefiting from such action, and include concrete examples and personal stories.

Applicants can submit examples of their work via e mail or, for TV and radio features, a standard transfer system such as Wetransfer.

A judging committee consisting of two members of the UNFCCC chaired by Nick Nuttall, Director of Communications; two from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs communications branch; and two independent judges representing the Fijian COP23 Presidency. Their decision is final. The winners will be announced at the beginning of July.

What is on offer?

The ten winning journalists will receive return air tickets from their country to Bonn; daily subsistence; accreditation to COP23, access to UN and other experts and the opportunity to report from the climate conference as well as a media training package from the DW Akademie. Moreover, the journalistic products of the participants that will be produced at COP23 will feature on a dedicated DW Media Akademie web page, and on the UNFCCC and COP23 Presidency websites.

The candidates are expected to be available to participate for the full duration of COP23 and of the workshop, which means arriving in Germany on 4 November and leaving 19 November.

Please send entries to competitions(at)unfccc.int, with the reference "Pacific island journalism competition" in the subject line.

More information can be found on the relevant DW Akademie web page here
Reports from Tatale in the Northern Region indicate that armed men have attacked some residents and traders there.

A resident, Prosper Napari told Citi News that the men were on motorbikes and shot into the air, while robbing people on their way.

One person is said to have been wounded and is currently receiving treatment at the Yendi government hospital.

We heard gunshots and when we traced the whole issue, we realized that there were some intrusion of armed robbers that had come into town. The people entered through the Togo-Ghana border town and they stopped at the bus stop where people usually exchanged the Ghana and CFA currencies.

He said the guys numbering about eight on motorbikes fired shots indiscriminately hence scaring the residents.

As we speak now a majority of the people in the town are currently at the Police station to seek shelter. Information we've received suggests that the armed robbers had moved to some other outskirts of the Tatale town, he added.



By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
Former President, John Dramani Mahama is in India to attend the 52nd Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

The trip is in honour of an invitation from the bank and the Indian Government

A statement from the office of the former president and signed by his aide, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, indicated that John Mahama would be speaking at a session on 'Engaging Africa's youth in Agriculture.'

According to the statement, he will also participate in a number of other sessions on Financing Infrastructure, Addressing Africa's nutrition challenges, and Africa- Asia Partnerships

The series of meetings with the theme 'Transforming Agriculture for Wealth Creation in Africa.' will kick off officially on Monday, May 22, and end on May 26, 2017.

Despite losing the presidency to Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo last December, John Mahama retains a reputable international presence and has been invited to speak at various programmes since leaving office

In February, Mahama addressed the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Person of the Year 2016 Awards Programme in Johannesburg in South Africa where he advised Africans to devise the necessary structural reforms that will put the continent back on the path of growth.

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana
22.05.2017 LISTEN

Hes accused of attempted murder, but its what allegedly did afterwards thats raising a stink.

Being accused of a crime is pretty crappy, but thats no reason to poop on a search warrant.

Thats what a Florida man accused of shooting at a Deerfield Beach deputy allegedly did while his paperwork was being processed, according to the Broward County Sheriffs Office.

Demetrius Vidale, 24, was arrested Tuesday in connection with a shootout that took place at about 3 a.m. Monday near Tropicante Nightclub, according to the Miami Herald.

Authorities accuse Vidale of shooting and robbing club-goer Jordan Harris, who is expected to recover.

In addition, Vidale allegedly shot at Broward Sheriffs deputy Derrick Nesbitt, who was responding to reports of gunshots.

The deputy fired back but wasnt injured, according to WSVN TV.

Vidale managed to elude capture until the next day, when he was apprehended while driving in Fort Lauderdale.

Now Vidale has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, armed robbery, obstructing a police officer executing a search warrant and driving with a revoked license, according to the criminal complaint.

But its what Vidale allegedly did while in custody thats really raising a stink.

When officers pulled over Vidale, they served him with a search warrant to get his DNA in order to match him to the crime scene.

Vidale refused to let officers take his picture, fingerprints or DNA, claiming a judge had no jurisdiction over him, according to the Florida Sun-Sentinel.

However, while Vidales paperwork was being processed, he allegedly went into the bathroom and dumped a whole bunch of DNA a or defecation not appreciated a on the warrant, according to WSVN-TV.

Vidale appeared in court on Wednesday where he chose to represent himself and to argue with the judge, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Jail records show Vidale remains behind bars at the Broward County Main Jail.
The World Bank today signed a grant agreement with Solidaridad West Africa for Natural Resources Management in 53 selected local communities of the Brong-Ahafo and Western Regions of Ghana. The US$5.5 million grant of the Ghana Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Local Communities project (G-DGM) from Climate Investment Fund (CIF) partnership, is to strengthen their knowledge and practices towards reducing deforestation and improving the sustainable management of their activities.

The Grant will contribute towards helping the communities better understand REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from deforestation and Forest degradation plus conservation of Forest, Sustainable Forest management and Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks). The G-DGM will also enable targeted communities to share their knowledge and farm level practices and lessons learned with others, at community, national and international levels; thus making them more resilient to man-made pressures and climate change.

The Grant will finance capacity building and demand-driven grants to local communities, and community based organizations of the targeted communities. This will assist Ghana to sustain economic growth, accelerate poverty reduction and enhance shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. Synergies will also be fostered with two other ongoing projects, the Forest Investment Program (FIP), which also operates in these two regions and is linked to this project, and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) project.

This project contributes to the World Bank Group Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Ghana and addresses climate change issues through support for REDD+ and other programs related to water management and land degradation, said World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Henry Kerali. The World Bank is pleased to partner with Solidaridad West Africa on an initiative that is community centered, and improves livelihoods.

The G-DGM is a key piece in the implementation of the World Banks Integrated Forests and Landscape Portfolio, a diverse portfolio comprising several operations (with different sources of financing, including IDA and trust funds). The project is supported by a variety of sources, including a single-country Multi-Donor Trust Fund established in 2009 under the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) partnership to provide fast-track climate financing to reduce deforestation and degradation. The project will be managed by a National Steering Committee comprised of representatives of the local communities as well as observers from Government and non-governmental agencies. Solidaridad West Africa will be the implementing agency on behalf of the National Steering Committee.

The communities have been waiting for this day of signing for a long time and are ever ready to work with Solidaridad West Africa through the Dedicated Grant Mechanism to promote sustainable management of forests and natural resources, said Chair of the National Steering Committee, Hayford Duodo.

The project is consistent with and aligned to the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda II (GSGDA II) 20142017, which among others seeks to support growth and restore macroeconomic stability and accelerate agricultural modernization and natural resource management.

* The World Banks International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the worlds poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor peoples lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the worlds 77 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 112 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $19 billion over the last three years, with about 50 percent going to Africa.
22.05.2017 LISTEN

(Bonn, 18 May 2017) Today over 100 international civil society groups launched a statement in solidarity with their African counterparts who are concerned about the role of France and the European Commission in undermining the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative.

The statement asserts that France and the European Commission abused their position as donors to rush through the endorsement of 19 projects which were not subject to the initiative's own evaluation criteria or social, environmental, and gender safeguards - against the wishes of several Africans on the AREI Board. Neither France nor the European Commission is formally a Board Member.

France and other developed country donors have pledged to provide funds to support "new and additional" renewable energy capacity, but African and international civil society groups say these promises are being broken as some already existing projects are being rebranded as AREI projects.

The first director of the Initiative's "Independent Delivery Unit" resigned in the aftermath of the Board Meeting, and on the sidelines of ongoing climate change negotiations in Bonn, Segolene Royal announced the nomination of a new head, Mr. Seyni Nafo of Mali.

Many in the civil society community are familiar with Mr. Nafo, have worked productively with him in the past, and look forward to engaging with him in his new role. They stress, however, that he must be set up for success by ensuring the AREI does not become donor-driven, but instead sticks to its principles of African ownership and transparent, inclusive governance.

"Decades of experience with development and climate finance shows us that letting rich countries make decisions for people living in developing countries is a surefire path to failure. The AREI is an exciting and innovative initiative exactly because it is African owned and African driven. France and the EU are to be commended for contributing to the AREI, but only if their contributions are actually new and additional money and come with no strings attached. By trying to use their status as donors to push through pet projects and take control away from Africans, they are doing far more harm than good. The AREI is too important for us to allow rich countries to get their way at the expense of African people once again," said Brandon Wu of ActionAid USA.

"Support for renewable energy in Africa was a major commitment made at the Paris Climate Summit, but now it seems that some in the French government and European Commission think this makes it OK to support projects without assessment against stringent social and environmental criteria. European governments need to ensure space for African leadership on renewable energy," said of Susann Scherbarth of Friends of the Earth Europe.

"As an African I am deeply worried how some African board members helped push through projects proposed by the Europeans, despite objections from other African board members. The Europeans must own up to their role in this mess and must stop trying to deflect the blame. They must put their money where their mouths are and genuinely support the initiative's African ownership. Looking forward, donor countries need to back off and both African board members and the new Head need to ensure AREI's original vision and integrity is restored," said Mohamed Adow of Christian Aid.

"Donor countries cannot bypass the AREI's safeguards and screening process and simply use it to rubberstamp their pre-existing projects. Doing so invalidates a crucial goal of the Initiative-- to break free from old and outdated development models, and instead give African people control of their future. The AREI is meant to do much more than just generate renewable energy, it's about making sure that the 630 million Africans that don't currently have access to electricity are able to reap the benefits that clean, reliable energy can provide. We urge the EC and others to help it succeed" said Annaka Peterson of Oxfam International.

"The AREI has become so popular because at its core, it is about putting the needs of people and the planet first. This vital, precedent-setting initiative must be protected by ensuring that civil society are present. AREI needs to remain people-centred in order to ensure a just energy transformation, and that requires strong criteria to avoid any corporate malfeasance in the operationalisation of its projects," said Lidy Nacpil of the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt & Development.

"In recent years we have seen some inspiring examples of South-South cooperation on climate and energy, with both China and India emerging as key players in the renewables field. By trying to claim both non-African seats on the AREI Board, France and the European Commission are stunting the potential for further cooperation between Africa and the rest of the developing world," said said Sanjay Vashist of Climate Action Network - South Asia.

[1] The joint civil society letter can be found here: www.actionaidusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AREI-InternationalCSOStatement.pdf

[2] The AREI was launched in 2015 in Paris during COP21 as an African-led initiative with the goal of providing at least 10 GW of new renewable energy to Africa's peoples by 2020, and put the continent on course to add at least another 300 GW and achieve universal access to energy for all Africans by 2030. It was supported by $10 billion in pledges for 2015-2020 by developed countries in Paris, and has been hailed as a groundbreaking effort to bring clean, affordable, and reliable energy to millions of people in a democratic, human-rights focused approach.

[3] There is no evidence in the minutes of the inaugural Board Meeting that that France and the European Commission were invited to take part in any subsequent Board Meetings.
22.05.2017 LISTEN

It is with a saddened heart that I write to convey the dissatisfaction of almost all health care professionals especially at the lower facility levels such as the Polyclinics, Health Centres and CHPS Compounds, etc across the length and breadth of this country Ghana as a result of the selfish and personal interests of some Metropolitan/ Municipal/ District Health Directors and their Allies.

Ghana as a country in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as espoused/ set up by the United Nations, depends solely on Donor Agencies and other Developed countries in order to achieve the goals set up by the Global Body.

In furtherance, the Ministry of Health and for that matter its implementing Agencies such as the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Quasi, Private, Security and Teaching Hospitals have braced themselves up in order to achieve the Health Related Goals set up by the UN but because of the self -enriching mentality of some health care managers and administrators, the efforts put in by the working force such as Doctors, Pharmacists, Physician Assistants, Midwives and Nurses, etc are not seen to be working. If the majority of the health sector workforce is disgruntled and dissatisfied, how can goals and objectives be achieved?

However, typical of we Africans, we see the donor influx as an opportunity to enrich a few at the Health Directorate Levels rather than improving the positive health outcomes of our citizens. Supports have been garnered in Adolescent and Reproductive Health but Ghana and Africa as a whole leads in teenage pregnancies among the community of nations and continents respectively across the globe. Malaria Control programmes, Family Planning, Disease Surveillance, Health Information and Data Assessment programs among others have all been sponsored by donor countries but Ghana and Africa as a whole continue to lack behind in all health indices/ indicators. Why? Program funds do not reach the implementers of activities.

Ghana and Africa as a whole can no longer give excuses to the world in relation to the accomplishment of positive health outcomes of its citizens in all indicators as we can boast of all the requisite supports from NGOs/ Donor Agencies/ Developed Countries.

The Physician Assistants, Nurses and Midwives among the lot under whose jurisdiction and empowerment that most of the Health related SDGs could be accomplished are relegated to the background during the planning and decision making processes.

One very important health care professional who has continuously been undermined and unrecognized in the health care delivery machinery is the Physician Assistant, the Sub District Head, one who is to spearhead all activities of nurses (Midwives, Staff Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, Community Health Nurses, etc), key implementers of all health programmes at the peripheries.

Executive Officers, District Accountants, District Health Information Officers and Metropolitan/ Municipal/ District Directors have become arbitrary decision makers even when their knowledge or expertise in a particular field is challenged or limited.

How can someone just by virtue of his/her position, despite his/ her limitations in the health needs of a health facility be the sole procurement officer for drugs and other non- consumables without inputs from clinicians?

How feasible is it to account for GHC 5,000.00 when you were only given GHC 3,000.00? These are real realities on the ground. When you challenge them, they brand you as disrespectful, arrogant, among others. It is only in Ghana that these abnormalities happen and we still allow those health care managers at their posts? They have formed gangs and allies to silence the majority of the disgruntled health force. Different receipts booklets could be seen at the Directorate levels and they are always seen filling in the blanks especially when auditors are coming, to the detriment of health service delivery.

Physician Assistants in this Country Ghana are about One Thousand, Two Hundred (1,200)  MDC, Ghana Permanent PAs List (2017) with a teeming Ghanaian population of about Twenty Six Million (26,000,000)  Ghana Statistical Survey, 2010, thus putting the Physician Assistant Ratio at 1: 21,666. How can these cadres of health professionals be relegated to the background for so long a time?

The Ministry of Health and its allied agencies had neglected us for so long a time in their administrative and managerial structures to the extent that nobody knows us in the health sector when health practitioners are mentioned. We have been put under the regulation of the Medical and Dental Council without benefits. We are seen doing all the jobs in the Consulting Rooms across the length and breadth of all Out Patient Departments in Ghana but we are paid little. When Doctors fight for their interests, they forget about us the Physician Assistants. Everyone who sits in the consulting room and consults or sees to patients/ clients is regarded as a Doctor but we are not paid the same and recognized as colleagues.

Physician Assistants who hold the health system together at the peripheries cannot be neglected or by passed if we really want to achieve our set goals as a health sector. Enough is enough. Dont use the facilities and the workforce to enrich yourselves at the directorate levels. We have woken up from our deep sleep. No intimidation can hold us forever.

To the NGOs/ Donor Agencies, without mention of any particular group or organization, get to the implementers of your policies at the grassroots, know their plights and address them directly. Also change your modus of operations and we can assure you of improved health outcomes.

Current morale is low among health workers but it can be reignited.

We shall surely overcome.

Stay resolute and blessed always.

Thank you.

BY: Peter Eyram Kuenyefu

Senior Physician Assistant

Acting General Vice Secretary, Ghana Physician Assistants Association

Contact Numbers: 0249883933/ 0206384991/ 0274883933

Email: [email protected]/ [email protected]

The writer is a practicing Senior Physician Assistant, Acting General Vice Secretary of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association, Volta Regional Resource Person for Malaria Case Management and Adolescent Health, Trained NHIS External Clinical Auditor & Sub District Head, Nkonya- Ahenkro, Biakoye District.
Twee twee, twee twee, there he goes again, the gossip bird is tweeting. Never heard of his name before? Hes an old dog around the block. He hops from one place to another like Skippy the Australian Bush Kangaroo that starred in actor John McCallums TV series produced from 1967-1969.

But it seems hes in trouble. It appears his world is spinning too fast and the end might happen too soon. Hed seen the lush vegetation disappear. The creeks and the brooks that he used to drink from are gone. Even the big rivers have become mere shadows of themselves. Offin River seems to be dying so fast. I used to sit on the pontoons and the canoes to cross it time and again. I wonder if the legendary crocks and the fishes have a sanctuary anymore.

Where is the flora and where is the fauna?

History has it that he and his master Aisha dwelt in a field of abundance. Ignorance had taken pole position. The trappings seemed too juicy to let go or ignore. With his connivance and unalloyed support Aisha was able to drive the entire nation to nut. The gossip bird saw his birth right stolen for a token but he thought it would last forever.

He also witnessed the lands the forbears bequeathed to us raped and laid bare. His masters unholy trade like the Slave Trade had caught fire, as it spread its tentacles across Ghana. Aisha and her surrogates like the old pirates would pillage the gold-rich West African nation from dawn to dusk. Aisha is smart and canny, says the gossip bird.

Mighty Volta and the Greater Accra regions are the only ones that escaped Aishas ruthless attack!

It attracted the unemployed youth, the jobless and the hungry from within and outside the shores of Ghana. Aisha had become a queen and was nicknamed Yaa Asantewaa. The baldheads and the pot-belly men trooped to her house, but one couldnt chase them awaymoney was talking. The powerful were there and the greed also showed up. Its a culture that breeds the avarice vultures. The good shepherd had the wherewithal and she took care of them.

According to the gossip bird they lacked nothing. Their abode became the centre of attraction many flocked in day by day and night by night. And like Santa, Aisha doled out the cedis, claims the gossip bird.

Beyond the cash, Aisha had a secret weapon. It was that bait that drove machismo to the highlands and lowlands. Aishas beautiful curvy ladies would make the men drool. They fell head over heels in love. And with that Aishas fame in the Ashanti region would soar. In the midst of her popularity and power Aisha was also conscious of her safety /security. The guns would ring in the nights to deter intruders. The wild dogs perused her steel gates no one dared!

Still the gossip bird is chirping, twittering and singing. He claims he knows it all and has seen it all. Yes, he claims he is the only one who knows Aisha well.

She loves the NDC with passion and I am aware that Aisha supported the party with a lot of money and other items. She printed NDC t-shirts as her own way of helping the NDC to win the last elections.

Aisha printed over 5,000 NDC t-shirts and she distributed them to the party ahead of the 2016 general elections. Some of the t-shirts were printed in some printing houses at Kaase and KTI, both suburbs in Kumasi.

Wheres Okomfo?

Komfo Anokye was powerful but he failed to predict that this day will come. Night falls not until daylight is gone. The might of the giant might not be able to stand the fiery fight. In the heartland of Adum, Kumasi, Komfo Anokyes footprints are visible to this day.

Our rivulets and streams are gone. Our rivers and vegetation are pacing to extinction. Our flora and fauna are in danger. They sold our lands and sold our rights. Their pursuit of happiness led to the search for gold and their love for money has led to degrading of our once lush vegetation. Whats left for the eyes to behold?

Indeed, Anokye didnt say Aisha shall return. But if he did, I bet the naysayers would rubbish his foretelling. Of course, Anokye didnt tell us that Aisha shall come from the Far East, China and leave her footprints in Ash town and its environs. Anokye didnt say, when the ashes fall they shall rise and Aisha shall return. In my struggle to locate her I travelled miles and miles away. I went to Kase, Aisha wasnt there. I went to Nyiaeso she wasnt there either.

Once visible, now invisible her footpaths like caterpillar grazed the streets of Kumasi. From Bantama, Asafo, Dekyemso, Manhyia to Ash town, Aisha shuttled.

In her native China, Article 44 of the Mineral Resources Law adopted on March 19, 1996 and amended on August 29, 1996 states a person, in violation of the provision of this law, mines mineral resources in a destructive way, he shall be fined and his mining license may be revoked, if serious damage is caused to the mineral resources, the person who are directly responsible shall be investigated for criminal responsibility in accordance with the provisions of article 156 of the criminal law.

It further states that if anyone resorts to violence or intimidation when obstructing state functionaries engaged in supervision and administration of exploration and mining of mineral resources from performing their duties according to the law, he shall be investigated for criminal responsibility in accordance with the provisions of Article 157 of the criminal law.

Aisha Arrested

On Saturday 6 May luck evaded Aisha. She was arrested at her residence in Kumasi and brought to Accra.Aisha manipulated authorities in Ghana and boasted that no one could arrest her. Three times she was arrested three times she was released. Finally Aisha got nabbed. Before or after her arrest a letter popped up on the social media. And the purported letter signed a former Regional Coordinating Director who doubled as the secretary to the REGSEC, Kofi Dwomor-Asubonteng.

It was dated August 16, 2016, which presupposes that it was written and actioned by the previous administration. Aisha had since been remanded by an Accra High Court (not Kumasi) alongside five other Chinese male nationals. Aisha is expected to reappear on Tuesday 23 May 2017.

The aide, who only gave his name as Kwadwo, alleged that Aisha made massive financial contributions, which were geared towards helping the NDC to hang onto political power at all cost during the last polls.

Kwadwo, who was speaking in an interview with Kwame Adinkra of Abusua FM in Kumasi, disclosed that several top NDC members in the country frequently visited Aisha in her house in Kumasi for some discussions, some of which bordered on business.

But for her arrest, she would have turned and acted like a strong NPP lady now. She is very smart and she knows how to pretend to get whatever she wants in life, he remarked, adding that Aisha would bounce back strong if she is set free.

Galamsey Queen

Kwadwo, who worked as house boy for five years for the Chinese powerful lady, alleged that Aisha indeed indulged in illegal mining activities at a higher scale, thereby making a lot of money in the process.

He claimed Aisha was fond of setting up her colleague Chinese nationals in the country who are into illegal mining, alleging that she will call for their arrest and then take over their mining equipment.

Government to resettle galamsey operators  Akufo-Addo

Prez Akufo-Addo hints steps are underway to provide other sources of livelihood for galamseyers

President Akufo-Addo has indicated that his government is in the process of identifying alternative sources of livelihood for persons involved in illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey across the country.

According to President Akufo-Addo, a cabinet committee, headed by the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, has been established to implement to the letter governments strategy on combating illegal mining.

But we cannot allow mining to compromise our future environment, President Akufo-Addo stated.

That, he said, was because 60 percent of Ghanas water bodies have been affected by illegal mining.

For him, That is unacceptable for which reason government is trying to find an alternative source of livelihood for those who are into the illegal mining business, popularly known in the local parlance as galamsey.
The Unite Cadres Front of Ghana (UCF-Ghana), wish to express our disgust at the current dismissals and transfers of public and civil Servants which has become the order of the day, since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took over the administration and governance of this country.

It is untenable that after almost twenty-five years of democratic governance, the NPP is eager to introduce its own style of rule which we can inconveniently say is DICTATOCRACY and DIVISIONOCRACY; and we see this creeping evil as unwelcome. Worse still is the unholy labelling that it is the so-called (Danquah-Busia Tradition) protagonist of the rule of law in this country who are laying such a foundation.

Recent alleged dismissals of some Public Servants such as the over one hundred staff of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is very alarming. That of the Public Relations Director of Ghana Gas Company, Mr. Alfred Ogbame and the Medical Director of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr. Thomas Anaba, are not desirable developments. We cannot as well forget of respectable citizens who were also in Public Service but forced to go home on leave, or resign even though they were not due to go  some with a fiat of less than eight hours to hand over.

Currently in circulation on social media (which the UCF-Ghana has intercepted) is a document purported to be coming from a platform of NPP national executives which is captioned; DIRECTIVE TO ALL REGIONAL CHAIRMAN [E].

It reads:

Kindly inform all our party faithful that, they should be patience [patient] as national leadership and the office of the presidency are in talks to get job replacement for our members. The president has giving [given] clearance to the head of civil servant service [sic] to replace all appointments made by the then NDC government last year especially just before the election 2016.

It further stated: Institutions to be affected are: Ghana Airport Company ltd [Ltd] All Government Hospital [s], All Ministries and Assemblies, Ghana Gas Company ltd [Ltd], NHIS, NADMO, DVLA, GHAPOHA, MASLOC, Other security agencies.

Also we advice [advise] that constituency leadership should collate curriculum vitae (CVs) of our polling station executives for onwards process for job. The office presidency led by the Chief of Staff is coordinating this job replacement. Thank you. There is an indication that the document is signed  but no name is affixed to it.

The UCF-Ghana, cannot ignore this document because what we have reason to complain about  is what has been captured in it. The dismissals are on-going and the replacements are also being fulfilled.

As these divisive undertakings are progressing, the Civil Society/Faith-based organizations have closed their eyes/ears to them and their mouths also padlocked  disenabling them from talking. The know-it-all Institute of Economic Affairs which organized a number of programmes advocating for all inclusive governance in this country, has suddenly gone dead and probably buried at the Osu Cemetery. Very conspicuously mute about these happenings is the Ghana Trades Union Congress, Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana and other Organized Labour entities. Their collective silence so far is very disappointing to us.

Note must be taken, that the former and moderate late President  Evans Atta Mills, did his best to change the status quo when he allowed appointees of the Kufour administration to stay till he replaced them. It was not the case of proceed on leave  as people stayed in their offices or involuntarily resigning. The Founder of the National Democratic Congress, never forgave the late Professor for this liberal attempt at introducing governance of inclusiveness. Eight years after the novelty  we are back to Square One as Ghanaians will coin it. The good old Prof. must be turning in his grave as to the negative turn-around of his positive gesture.

Towards the end of last week, over forty very senior officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority have been transferred out of the major port of the country, Port of Tema. We view the exercise as a ploy to relax the rigidness of the Ports operations in order to have their way to engage in illicit acts/transactions.

Just about a month ago, it was alleged a consignment of suspected cocaine found its way into the port. In a rather suspicious manner the substance was mysteriously carted out and reference only made to smells by intelligence reports pointing to the alleged presence of the stuff. National Security belatedly made it a mock public news. It has, as usual  become dead news despite Security Experts such as Dr. Kwesi Aning and his like proffering a thorough investigation which report must be made public.

We equally recall the NPP regime under former President Kufour, when Ghana made a good name in illicit drugs  especially cocaine, including the Colombian Cocaine which went missing at the same Port of Tema  never, and maybe, ever to be found. That is the Port that much has not been heard of when it comes to cocaine or heroin for some considerable time. So why the hasty transfers? Is the NPP Government afraid of these officers who are being transferred because they stand for Ghana and not political parties?

These things are happening and Ghanaians see, just as God sees  but wait to tell, and he will, and Ghanaians indeed will tell ourselves  one day.

Ghanaians are advocating for DEMOCRACY  not DICTATOCRACY and DIVISIONOCRACY. The country was handed over to the NPP, a united country so any illegitimate attempt which is made, or is to be made to divide it must be resisted by all. Ghana was born, and is older than all the political parties in it. Any attempt therefore, to divide it by a political party in whatever way must be condemned and stopped.

Signed

Camillus Maalneriba-Tia Sakzeesi

(For, and on behalf of the United Cadres Front of Ghana)
WASHINGTON  The president has the greatest self-pity. The best!

No politician in history, and I say this with great surety, has been treated worse or more unfairly, Donald Trump said last week as he heard the special prosecutors footsteps.

Thus did our assured head of state, equal parts narcissistic and uninformed, rank his treatment worse than that of Benito Mussolini (executed corpse beaten and hung upside down in public square), Oliver Cromwell (body disinterred, drawn and quartered, hanged and head hung on spike), Leon Trotsky (exiled and killed with icepick to the skull), and the headless Louis XVI, Mary Queen of Scots and Charles I.

Trump hasnt been treated badly. He has been treated exactly as he deserved, a reaction commensurate with the action. He took on the institution of a free press  and it fought back. Trump came to office after intimidating publishers, barring journalists from covering him and threatening to rewrite press laws, and he has sought to discredit the fake news media at every chance. Instead, he wound up inspiring a new golden age in American journalism.

Trump provoked the extraordinary work of reporters who blew wide open the Russia election scandal, the contacts between Russia and top Trump officials, and interference by Trump in the FBI investigation. Last weeks appointment of a special prosecutor is a direct result of their work.

I suspect they wont be getting Presidential Medals of Freedom anytime soon, so lets celebrate some of them here. At The Washington Post: Adam Entous, Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima, Matt Zapotosky, Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz, Greg Jaffe and Julie Tate, along with columnist David Ignatius. At the New York Times: Michael Schmidt, Matthew Rosenberg, Adam Goldman, Matt Apuzzo and Scott Shane. The two rivals, combined, have produced one breathtaking scoop after another, including:

The Posts Feb. 9 report that national security adviser Michael Flynn, contrary to the Trump administrations claims, talked with the Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions before Trump took office. Flynn was out soon thereafter.

The Posts March 1 report that Jeff Sessions also spoke with the Russian ambassador but did not disclose the contacts when asked about possible contacts during his confirmation as attorney general. He was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.

The Posts March 28 report that the Trump administration tried to block former acting attorney general Sally Yates from testifying on the Trump campaigns possible Russia ties. She later testified about the White Houses failure to act on warnings about Flynn.

The Timess March 30 report that two White House officials helped provide Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, with intelligence that Nunes made public. Nunes was forced to recuse himself from the committees probe.

The Posts report last week that Trump shared highly classified intelligence with Russian officials, jeopardizing the cooperation of allies.

And the final blow: The Timess report last week that Trump asked FBI Director James B. Comey to shut down the FBIs Flynn investigation, according to a contemporaneous memo Comey wrote before Trump fired him.

There were many more, and other outlets have flourished, too. On one day last week, the United States awoke to a report from Reuters that the Trump campaign had at least 18 undisclosed contacts with Russians; a McClatchy report that Flynn, who had been paid as a Turkish representative, stopped a military plan that Turkey opposed; a Times report that the Trump team knew Flynn was under investigation before he started work at the White House; and a Post report that the House majority leader told colleagues last year that he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was paying Trump.

This journalistic triumph, made possible by nameless government officials who risked their jobs and their freedom to get the truth out, is all the more satisfying because it came as a corrective after one of the sorriest episodes in modern journalism: the uncritical, unfiltered and unending coverage of Trump  particularly by cable news  that propelled him to the Republican nomination and onward to the presidency.

Its a great relief to have special prosecutor Robert S. Mueller III now keeping his eyes on the executive  a regent, if you will, to protect against future abuses. This doesnt mean Trump wont nuke Denmark tomorrow. But those racked by anxiety for the past four months can exhale: Grown-ups within the government have restored some order.

Trump may feel as if hes been drawn and quartered, but what hes experienced is the power of a free press in a free country. That is entirely fair, and fitting.
Uganda is determined to annually put up five million bags (60kgs) of coffee on world market. In February this year, the prime bean exports rose by 46% to 397,883 bagsup from 271,941 in the same month last year. Robusta shipments were 47% at 301,756 bags from 204,921, and arabica rose 43% to 96,127 bags. By this rate, potentially at 4.8m bags Uganda has replaced Mexico (3.7m bags) in 8th position of the rankings by the International Coffee Organization (ICO).

Is Kampala Rising from Slumber or What Had Gone Wrong?

Just in 1980, a time of peak political turmoil, Vietnam trailed Uganda in coffee production. In that year, Uganda produced approximately 2.1 million bags against 77,000 for Vietnam.

Over the last three decades, the scales incredibly swappedwith Vietnam today being the second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, offering 27.5 million bags in the 2015/2016 planting season. This is nearly six-fold Ugandas 4.8 million bags. Coffee has, arguably become Vietnams second-largest source of export revenue.

What Did Vietnam Do That Defied Uganda?

Coffee has never lost its global clout but Uganda lost hers.

Across the world, by January 2017, coffee exports amounted to 9.84 metric tons.

As one of the most extensively traded commodity; only second to oil, coffee is exclusively produced in developing and emerging markets. But nearly all the 3.5 billion cups consumed daily, are in developed systems. Through decaffeination, coffee also provides caffeine for coco, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

It is, therefore, imperative to trace how individual coffee producing nations respond to these global market trends.

With and Without Strategic Aims

Like Uganda, Vietnam introduced sweeping reforms in the 1990sthat followed similar trajectories  from heavy regulation to moderate deregulation today.

Unlike Uganda, though, Vietnam identified coffee as a strategic resource upon which to bet the nations future. Hence set strategic aims: to annually increase production by 20 to 30%; to primarily focus on the less expensive Robusta beansthat offer twice the caffeine as arabica beans.

By 2010 Vietnam had 549,100 hectares under coffee productionthree times more than Ugandas 182,875 hectares.

Because Vietnam prioritizes agriculture; production is far more capital and input intensive than Ugandasresulting in higher yields per hectare. In the 2005/2006 planting season, it had 257 tractors per square kilometer of arable land. Uganda had nine. It was also using 300 times more fertilizer than Uganda, per hectare of arable land.

Oh, Coffee Wilt, Oh Dry Whether!

These are the official excuses in Kampala; year in, year out. It evokes embarrassment for a country with international acclaim against HIV/Aids in people to concede defeat of an insect in a major forex earner crop!

But the question is, why not a similar outcry in Ethiopia? Ethiopia is ranked number five best producer by ICOjust behind India, Colombia, Vietnam and Brazil.

With over 1, 100-year experience, Ethiopia is the geographical cradleland of Arabica coffeethe most popular bean worldwide with 28% of her exports a result of it.

To circumvent natural calamities, Ethiopia developed zonal variants of arabica bean, each with its characteristics, name and taste: Harar, Limu, Sidamo and Yirgacheffu beans. They were all trademarked with rights owned and protected by the government.

Hence Fertilizer and machinery have a significant impact on yields.

But strategic thinking is such that, we must have enrolled agronomists in Ethiopian universities to learn best practices against natural crop catastrophes.

Swaib K Nsereko

Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication,

Islamic University in Uganda
A male adult was injured and many others left with bruises when gunmen suspected to be robbers on motorbikes on Sunday evening opened fire on traders at a busy market in Tatale in the Northern region.

The attackers fled hauling away millions of cedis but four were ambushed and killed at Nayili in a joint operation by alarmed police and angry residents.

Eight of the suspected robbers however managed to escape the counter attack, and the deceased have been sent to the Zabzugu police station to be forwarded for the morgue.

Meanwhile, the male adult shot just below his stomach earlier, has been referred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital after initial admission at the Yendi Municipal Hospital.

According to an immigration source, the twelve armed men stormed the market and fired sporadically before targeting a local Forex Bureau and Mobile Money operators.

The officer believed the robbers launched the attack in response to a new security strategy which made it impossible for robbery attack on business people on the deplorable ECOWAS road.

You know today is Sunday and usually traders go to Lome from here so traders who are coming from Kumasi and Tamale normally converge here to take car from here to Lome. So those people they normally come her to change money because of the black market: they would come and change to change their cedi into Cfar and take the buses from here to Togo.

This thing it has been happening not today but usually what happens is that they normally rob the villagers here midway to the border, but this time its not like that. Because of the robbery incident, they were occurring very frequently and we decided that police man would normally escort them from here to the Togo side so they would takeover. So Im sure because of the escort they didnt attack the traders today but attacked the people exchanging the money and started warning shots, people were running helter  skelter, he said.

He noted the robbers then walked up to shop owners separately and boldly asked monies and mobile phones be handed over.

They brandished their weapons honking on their motorbikes speeding away with the booty while people flooded the roadside watching the daylight robbery before they were ambushed by locals and security personnel.

Tatale is a district capital in Northern Ghana less than 3km with the border with Togo where robbery incidents on traders doing business in Ghana and Togo are common due poor road and delicate security.
Businesses in Ghana have been advised to invest in quality software to protect them from potential cyber-attacks.

This comes in the wake of the WannaCry ransomware attack which affected over 10,000 organizations and 200,000 individuals in over 150 countries last weekend.

A cyber-security expert and an ethical-hacker, Dr. Peter Tobin charged corporate organizations using free and cheap software that you cant have patches to desist from such practice as it opens them up to possible cyber-attacks.

It will surprise you that most corporate organizations in Ghana are not using paid and properly licensed software. They just go online and download software. Free antiviruses give you a false sense of security. You need to buy an antivirus that has the right engine to prevent any harm and also get your system regularly and properly updated, he told the host of The Lounge, Kwaku Sakyi-Addo Friday.

An IT professional, Mrs. Audrey Mireku on her part explained that free software are usually paid for by people who then attach a worm to it so when you download it, the worm works in the background and you are not even aware of what is happening.

Dr. Tobbin said it is high time Ghana began enforcing its laws on internet security to protect sensitive data and prevent possible attacks.

At the moment, we have two main laws  the Electronic Transaction Act and the Data Protection Act but like every other law we have in Ghana, its the enforcement that is the problem. The average Ghanaian doesnt really know what is in the Act and even those who are supposed to enforce it are doubting, they dont fully appreciate what they can do with the Act. If the right legislation is in place, it will serve as a threat to people. We can do better with our laws, he said.

Personal Internet Security

Dr. Tobbin again charged the general public to develop a sense of awareness and a proper security consciousness when using the internet.

He indicated that the world is moving from a physical realm towards a virtual realm and that move comes along with different thinking so we need to be a bit more careful with what we do when we are on the internet.

I find it very interesting when people use Snapchat every day; I can see Snapchats of a persons life and I can actually tell you what they do with their whole life and to me its risky. You are making data available; you are giving people too much information about yourself and that is dangerous.

You can actually map a persons whole family by going to Facebook and that is dangerous. We have to be cautious that the internet is not the same  the physical eyes are no longer there. In the virtual world, we cannot see the way we see things physically and so we have to be very cautious when dealing in the virtual world, he said.

Benefits

A software entrepreneur and CEO of Soft Tribe, Herman Chinery-Hesse said despite the risks associated with the virtual transformation of the world, there are enormous benefits.

Going electronic will hold back corruption, create instant communication, we can move large volumes of data quickly. Its a great tool for research, great number crunching  our system can run the whole government payroll under an hour. So the benefits, you cannot argue about. Its just an arena that comes with its own dangers and we just have to learn to deal with it, he advised.

Mrs. Mireku added that, we [Ghana] shouldnt slow down on transforming our systems into electronic. We shouldnt otherwise we will be left behind. The world is moving fast and the risks are also increasing, but its not by choice that we have to stop and not care. We have to move because the world is moving.

The Lounge with Kwaku Sakyi-Addo airs live on Starr FM every Friday from 7pm to 8am and on GHOne on Sundays from 8pm to 9pm.
President Akufo-Addo being presented with a gift by the Chairman of the Ghanaian Community in Cape Verde

President Akufo-Addo, who returned home yesterday from a tour of some countries in the West African sub-region, including Cape Verde, has expressed confidence in the ability of countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to deepen bilateral relations in the areas of trade and economic relations amongst themselves.

Everywhere I have been so far, I have been met with a lot of enthusiasm and warmth, because people are reassured about Ghana's role in ECOWAS, and to me, that is very important. If we can make a success out of ECOWAS, it will help us a lot in the economic development of our countries, he said when he met the Ghanaian community in Cape Verde on Saturday.

He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his tour of some of the countries in the ECOWAS region.

For him, What these tours are trying to do is to reassure the ECOWAS world that we are still very much engaged.

Briefing them on the situation in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo said the Asempa Budget  the first fiscal statement of his administration  has outlined the economic vision of his government, as well as pointed to the direction in which his government wants the country to go.

Belief

We believe that if we can empower and stimulate the private sector in Ghana  those who do their own businesses and take risk  if we can strengthen them, it will be the quickest way we can develop our economy and thereby create jobs and bring prosperity to our country, he said.

The president indicated that a lot of taxes that had been irritating many private sector operatives were removed; GH1 billion in taxes was taken out of government's revenue, in order to have this money remain at the level of private businesses for them to be able to reinvest it in the economy.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated the commitment of his government towards fulfilling the promises he made to Ghanaians in the run-up to the December 7, 2016 elections.

Visits To CERMI, National Data Centre

Later in the day, he visited the Centre for Renewable Energy and Industrial Maintenance (CERMI).

CERMI was established to build capacities on the different technologies of renewable energy such as solar, photovoltaic and wind.

By the year 2020, Cape Verde aims at achieving a 100% penetration rate of renewable energy in use in all parts of the country.

The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, whose Executive Director is a Ghanaian, Mahama Kappiah, is working closely with CERMI to this end.

President Akufo-Addo was also taken on a tour of Cape Verde's National Data Centre (NOSi), which was established in August 2015.

The Centre aims at providing services in areas such as finance, distance higher education, research and development of software and other solutions in the field of new technologies.

Coordinator of NOSi, Jorge Lopes, who took President Akufo-Addo on the tour said, This infrastructure allows us to store and process the data safely; from this centre, Cape Verde can offer storage services and data processing, software development, 'hosting' websites, etc., to institutions  national and international  amongst others.

Among the several places he visited was Cidade Velha (Portuguese word for old city) former capital of Cape Verde and the oldest settlement in that country, which is currently the seat of the Ribeira Grande de Santiago municipality.

The old city was the first European colonial settlement in the tropics.

Some of the planned original designs of the site are still intact, including a royal fortress, two towering churches and a 16th century town square.

Today, Cidade Velha is an Atlantic shipping stop and centre for Creole culture.

The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

President Akufo-Addo was welcomed back home by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and senior government officials.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent
The queen mother and elders of Abene addressing the media. From left: The queen mother, Adehyehene and Krontihene

Nana Adwoa Gyamfua III, the paramount queen mother of the Kwahu Traditional Area in the Eastern Region, has stated categorically that they (Kwahuman) will never allow Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa  a onetime presidential hopeful of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP)  to become the paramount chief of Kwahuman because is not a royal of the area.

Nana Gyamfua, at a press conference at Kwahu-Abene on Saturday in reaction to Prof. Akosa's media briefing in Accra that she was behind his installation, described Professor Badu Akosa as a fake person and a fake chief, and asked the general public not to recognize him as Kwahuman paramount chief.

The queen mother further warned Prof. Akosa to stop parading himself as the paramount chief of Kwahuman because he is not a royal of Kwahu and has not been traditionally installed as such.

Prof Akosa, former Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), was on May 4 allegedly installed with the stool name, Daasebre Mampong Adjei II as the chief of Kwahu-Abene.

After his installation, there has been tension at Kwahu-Abene, which is the royal seat of the Kwahuman Traditional Area as the Traditional Council is against his installation.

Nana Kesse Odoten III, chief of the royal family (Adehyehene) at the press briefing, said the Traditional Council was yet to comprehend why Nana Adare Frempong, Werempehene of Abene, thought he could unilaterally nominate, approve, elect and enstool Prof. Akosa as the Omanhene without their knowledge.

According to the Adehyehene, Werepehene's secret action was not only against tradition and their customary law regarding the election of a paramount chief, but it's also unconstitutional, a blatant misconduct and breach of faith and trust reposed in Nana Adare Frempong, as Werepehene and accredited member of the Abene Council.

It's not only sad but incredible, as to how Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa, in spite of his academic achievements, professional and social standing, could naively and illegally have wool pulled into his eyes, by a crafty old man and his bunch of troublemakers.. he underscored.

The Adehyehene added that Prof. Akosa, who claims to be a royalist, does not even appear to know the traditional and customary procedures for the installation of a Kwahumanhene.

The Krontihene of Abene, Nana Sempe Owiredu III, also said that the Professor was enstooled as paramount chief in a wrongful manner because he and his seven kingmakers were not part of the practice and so it cannot be the accepted norm.

Nana Owiredu noted that the Kwahu Traditional Council doesn't know anybody or have an institution called Abene-Kwahu Council of State Elders whose secretary is B.A Akyeampong, adding that they only know Mr. Acheampong, a ligitant lawyer, based at Nkawkaw who has been parading the courts in the region.

FROM Daniel Bampoe, Kwahu-Abene


The feud between residents of Nkonya and Alavanyo in the Volta Region last Saturday recorded yet another fatality.

In the latest incident, a woman believed to be about 62 years, was allegedly gunned down at Alavanyo-Kpeme.

The situation, which has heightened tension in the area, has attracted heavy security presence to prevent reprisal attacks.

The body of the victim, Elizabeth Yawa Anku, has since been sent to the morgue for autopsy.

She had reportedly gone picking mangoes from her farm which is about 100 meters from her house, when she purportedly met her untimely death.

This is the second killing in the area in less than two weeks after a 12-year-old boy was also reportedly shot and killed at his home in broad daylight.

About a month ago, similar sporadic shootings also resulted in the killing of one person and injury of two others.

Confirming the incident to the media, the Volta Regional Minister, who is the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Dr. Archibald Letsa, described the incident as unformatted and uncalled0-for.

He gave the assurance that the situation was under control as security had been beefed up to forestall any reprisal attacks.

The team of police and military personnel stationed in the area fired warning shots to calm the situation.

According to Dr Letsa, the security personnel had quickly organized themselves to flash out the persons behind the exchange of the gunfire while they protected lives and property. In the process, a woman was said to be missing, only to be found dead in her farm with gunshot wounds.

Residents of Nkonya and Alavanyo in the Biakoye District and Hohoe municipality respectively, have been disputing over a piece of land close to a century now. What started as a land dispute, later degenerated into violent attacks which have led to loss of lives, properties, killing of economic activities and sluggish development.

Several attempts have been made by successive governments, non-governmental organizations, individuals and groups to bring about peace but to no avail. Government is making some moves to take over the piece of land but some of the chiefs at the centre of the feud have rejected the proposal.

From Fred Duodu, Ho ([email protected])
22.05.2017 LISTEN

Every year, Ghana joins other nations around the world to observe the International Day of Families, a day set aside to raise awareness of the role of families in promoting early childhood education and lifelong learning opportunities for children and youth.

Family as a social institution, is a very important social structure that dictates how people learn important life skills and beliefs for their self-development. It is the place where people carve their true identity which helps them to safely captain the ship of life.

Unfortunately, the (over) concentration on nuclear families which in some cases has resulted in the breakdown of the extended family system- where a child was seen as a communal property whose welfare was the duty of the entire community.

The growing spate of street children, begging on the streets, prostitution, armed robbery and the likes have assumed a worrisome dimension. The rise of these social ills can be comfortably laid on the doorsteps of the breakdown of the family system and in some cases the inability or unwillingness of the guardian to do right by the children.

For instance, it is estimated that there are over 90,000 street children in Accra alone and over 10,000 in Kumasi, two of Ghanas biggest cities. The multiplier effect is that these children are denied their right to education, health and human dignity.

Sadly, state institutions that have the mandate to ensure the welfare of these children have been incapacitated due to inadequate resources.

Laws

Interestingly, Ghana has very impressive record when it comes to its eagerness to fashion out policies that protect the rights of its vulnerable and the socially-handicapped population.

For instance, the Childrens Act of 1998, the PNDC Law 111, and the Disability Act of 2006 are few but some of the giant strides the country has made in response to protecting certain class of its citizens.

The country is also a signatory to many international conventions and treaties aimed at protecting the vulnerable population of the world. Ghana being a signatory to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention on worst forms of Child Labour, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the UN Convention on the Right of the Child (UNCHRC), one still wonders why we still have a ballooning statistics when it comes to street children.

Curiously, Ghana was the first country to ratify UNCHRC. Article 32 of the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989, ratified by 191 countries, states that every child has the right to be protected from work that threatens his or health, education or development.

Despite this provision, many children are yet to feel protected under the law. Many of them have been turned into street beggars who toil to feed their families.

The spectacle on the streets

The practice of people soliciting for alms is a growing phenomenon in most of Ghanas big towns and cities. When one walks or drives along some streets in Ghana, one is likely to be swarmed by a large army of beggars who will not yield till you pat them with some coins.

The most ghastly spectacle however is the practice where children are used to beg for alms. Ghana has become a fertile begging grounds for many immigrants from neighbouring West-African countries including Mali and Niger. On many principal streets in the capital, it is common to be accosted by these children who have been charged by their parents to engage in such hazardous practice.

The sad tale is that these children often meander through traffic jams and swerve speeding vehicles in the sweltering sun while their parents relax comfortably under shades. When they manage to get some money, they run and give it to their parents and return to business! In effect, they have been turned into breadwinners for their families.

Per my laymans understanding, the laws of Ghana remains supreme and every individual who enters our soil irrespective of creed or colour is subjected to these laws. The only people who enjoy some waivers are perhaps foreign consulates in our country.

It is therefore surprising that the law enforcement agencies have failed to arrest these foreign nationals for the abuse of these innocent childrens right. If our laws do not allow parents to use children as labours, why have we as a country allowed foreign nationals to flout our laws with impunity?

The SOS Childrens Villages intervention

Recognizing the challenges children go through, the SOS Childrens Villages Ghana has for the past four decades rescued children who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing parental care.

Through its Family Strengthening Programme (FSP), the organisation has supported more than 8,000 children and their families in over 30 communities across Ghana. Several thousands of others continue to receive care under its Family Based Care (FBC) programme.

The welfare of children is a collective responsibility, thus, all actors both government and non-governmental organizations should reactivate and step-up their efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of children.

By Abdul-Karim Mohammed Awaf

Sponsorship, Communication & Fundraising Officer

SOS Childrens Village Kumasi
22.05.2017 LISTEN

"The Igbimo Odo Yoruba, have watched with utmost dismay, the growing threat and assault to free speech, by some elements, from a section of the northern region of Nigeria. Most recent of these threats, is a statement, credited to a paid gang, which prides itself as the Arewa Youth Forum, which in a statement signed by one Gambo Gunjuju, warned a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani Kayode, against what he described as Chief Fani Kayode's "verbal attack" on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Northern Elders. The self self styled Arewa group in the said statement, also posited, that Chief Femi Fani Kayode should be ready to face the consequences of his verbal attacks if he continues. Hence, necessitating our reaction.

While we sympathise with these elements, who rather than tap from the eye opening patriotic criticisms of Chief Fani Kayode, to liberate themselves from the mental slavery that today's generation of Northern youth have become victims of, they have chosen the path of perdition, by declaring their willingness, to become a willing tool in the hands of the a northern oligarchy, which has held their region and the entire nation on hostage, particularly since the imposition of the ineffective leadership of President Buhari on Nigeria, since 2015.

While we are not moved an inch, by these empty threat by the cowardly group, we wish to remind them, that Chief Femi Fani Kayode is a true born Yoruba Son, a patriot and committed citizen of Nigeria. May we also inform these gang and their sponsors, that the Yoruba Race, particularly the youth, are more than prepared to resist, any form of assault or attack by whatever means, on Chief Fani Kayode or any of our leaders.

For the sake of the Nigerian people, particularly those, who have increasingly appreciated the patriotic criticism of the incumbent ineffectual regime, by Chief Femi Fani Kayode, who today remains the most visible patriotic opposition voice in the country, we want to assure them that no amount of gang-up to harass and intimidate Chief Femi Fani Kayode or any of our leaders, will be tolerated at any given time. We are resolved, to use every legitimate means within our reach to resist and respond decisively to any form of aggression on our land and its people.

Let it be noted by all, that the Yoruba nation are no strangers to antics of the North and its agents like the paid gang of Arewa Youth Forum, in their perpetual attempt at making others feel inferior in a nation that we all own and much more in our own land, going by their latest threats and actions.

In lieu of the above, we are calling on all patriotic Nigerians, to resist this cowardly attempt to internally colonise Nigerians again, by these self serving elements from a section of the northern Nigeria, who are devilishly determined to sustain a nearly totally collapsed Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari on Nigerians. We also urge Chief Femi Fani Kayode and other patriots, who are currently giving their best, to salvage this Nation, from the unprecedented failure of leadership, not to be distracted by the antics of these agent provocateurs.

Onward together".

Ologun Ayodeji

National Publicity Secretary

Igbimo Odo Yoruba
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, has sued The Republic  a pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) newspaper  over a publication suggesting he abused his office to favour a Chinese woman and kingpin in illegal mining.

The publication said the minister used his position to extend diplomatic courtesies to the alleged Chinese galamsey (illegal mining) queen, Aisha Huang, in return for personal pleasures.

The former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bosomtwe Constituency in the Ashanti Region was particularly upset by the very unpleasant and nasty way in which the news was written without any attempt to cross-check the facts with him.

He has also sued the managing editor of the newspaper, David Tamakloe and the writer of the said news item, Fiifi Samuels  all of DST Global Consult, Kpeshie-Accra.

It is understood that Mr Osei Mensah took exception because he is often identified as a role model for young people and political activists who are aspiring to occupy the office of the regional minister and MP in the near future.

In a complaint document filed before the High Court of Justice, general jurisdiction, in Accra, lawyers for Mr Osei Mensah said the minister had found the newspaper publication to be tremendously damaging to his reputation.

According to the court documents, the minister believes the defendants claims, as contained in the story headlined: Galamsey Queen Cozy Cozy with Minister, are egregiously false, and that the publication is so vile, malicious and mischievously harmful to him, having served as a former MP for the Bosomtwe Constituency, a deputy speaker in the ECOWAS Parliament and a banker.

Mr Mensah said he was distressed and embarrassed by the claims in the story which had created substantial disaffection for him and exposed him to public scandal, ridicule, contempt and odium.

He averred that the defendants publication was meant and understood to mean that he is a hypocrite who is covertly flirting with an alleged galamsey queen as minister while the government has declared a war against illegal mining activities.

The minister also argued that the said story was meant and understood to mean he is an opportunist, unprincipled and dishonest public officer who uses his office to seek personal pleasures at the expense of the national interest.
Some old students of Atlantic Hall of the University of Cape Coast say they are instituting legal action against the university following the rustication of 21 students linked to bloody disturbance last March.

In a four-page livid response to the decision, the Alumni held nothing back in a free-flowing frenzy of jabs and punches.

The temporal expulsion, they say "defeats logic", is "very backward and "very deficient with common sense". The Association further described such move "very colloquial," 'insensitive" and a "grand heinous scheme" which demonstrated "purposeful malice".

Rewinding events, three students suffered stab wounds after students from two visiting universities clashed at Oguaa Hall during its Hall week celebration.

University of Ghana and KNUST students plus students from Atlantic Hall tried to enter Oguaa Hall where a characteristic boisterous chanting was underway.

In a case of student rivalries gone too far, the students of both halls of residence and visiting students clashed destroying public properties.

Under pressure to deal with growing brand of lawlessness in tertiary institutions, UCC authorities promised to act.

But the Association say their action was "unilateral" because none of the 21 rusticated students were given any opportunity to respond to the charges against them.

"This suggests that, in the mind of management, these students were already culpable and their heads needed to roll", the old students say.

Click here to see list of rusticated students

The statement said the university failed to ensure security at the celebrations even though the students had paid for security to be beefed up.

"Atlantic Hall executives prior to the organization of the hall week had craved the attention of the OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF STUDENTS (ODS) that considering the sheer numbers and expectations of the celebration, they required of that office to beef up security purposely for the event so as to curb any unforeseen disturbances".

But after paying GHC1,500 to the authorities, security services fell short of maintaining order on that fateful Saturday March 18.

The Association says, the 21 were expelled because they failed to name the culprits for the disturbances.

They want to university to reverse their actions, talking up legal storm if it fails to do so by close of today, Monday, May 22, 2017.

READ FULL STATEMENT

PRESS RELEASE

21/05/17

ACADEMIC WITCH-HUNTING HAS NO PLACE IN OUR UNIVERSITIES.

The leadership of ATLANTIC HALL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (AHAA) is very much saddened by reports that some 21 Mariners, mostly executive and hall week planning committee members, have been rusticated for their alleged involvement in disturbances that occurred at Oguaa Hall in March this year. AHAA is more saddened by the unilateral approach adopted by University management in their resolve to deal with the issue. This approach defeats logic, is very backward and very deficient with common sense. It is very colloquial and smacks on modern methods of conflict resolution.

AHAA in no uncertain terms condemns violence in whichever way they manifest. In fact we were quick to condemn the riot and call for a full scale investigation into the disturbance so we find a lasting solution that will deter such occurrences in future. What we did not know was that the University management and the Central Regional Police, in an attempt to cover up their ineffectiveness wanted to hold Hall leadership for their own lapses.

By this verdict, management has completely absorbed itself of blame and has, with the help of a one sided media, caused us all to believe the students created the mess. But we wish to make known these facts so we can all appreciate the facts and interrogate the issues dispassionately

Issues:

1. The Hall Executives prior to the organization of the Cultural and Heritage Night, informed the DEAN OF STUDENTS the program was exclusive for Atlantic Hall Members and that no other hall from any other University was invited. To buttress this, our Senior Hall Tutor advised the Dean of Students to tighten up security at all the entrances and prevent any group of students from entering the University campus.

2. Atlantic Hall executives prior to the organization of the hall week had craved the attention of the OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF STUDENTS (ODS) that considering the sheer numbers and expectations of the celebration, they required of that office to beef up security purposely for the event so as to curb any unforseen disturbances.

3. The ODS accepted the request of the hall executives but charged them an amount of GHC 2,000 if they required extra security. The amount was negotiated down by both JCRC and HALL COUNCIL to GHC 1,500 which was duly paid from the account of the JCRC. While we hold firmly, that paying for security is no panacea to foment trouble we expected the police and University security to have provided us with enough security and value for money.

3. It is also worthy to note that apart from an initial invitation to the police station to write their statements, these 21 students were never asked to be part of any investigation whatsoever to find out the causes of the disturbances and how to possibly remedy it. This suggests that, in the mind of management, these students were already culpable and their heads needed to roll.

4. Even if the University management established a Prima Facie case against these 21, it was only prudent that they be given an opportunity to respond to the charges labeled against them.

5. Again in a widely circulated notice of rustication that is flying highly on social Media, this is how management captions the notice "The following students have with effect from the second semester of the 2016/2017 academic year been rusticated from the University for the periods indicated against their names for roles they played in the Disturbances at the Oguaa Hall on Friday, 17th March, 2017 during the 2017 Atlantic HALL WEEK celebrations.' Again, management mentioned their crimes as 'roles they played in disturbances at Oguaa Hall on Friday..' Management fell short of telling us what the specific roles of these 21 students were. How they were directly or indirectly linked to the disturbances lies in the heads of our authorities.

It is our belief therefore that;

-the failure of the police to provide the needed security that were paid to render,

-the inability of the University management to engage the 21 students investigative processes,

- the failure of the school to mention the specific crimes of these people, all point to one unavoidable conclusion: that there is a grand heinous scheme to punish these 21 for the inaction of the people supposed to take actions.

In the wake of this unfortunate event, many have given their own interpretations to the things particular as covered by the one sided media. Some of the commentaries are borne out of frustration and emotions. We further wish to establish these facts.

1. The program outline for the hall week was drafted by the planning committee of the celebrations and later submitted to the JCRC for consideration. The JCRC met with the planning committee and approved the program outline but subject to review by the Hall council. Hall Council made their amendments to the program outline which received concurrence from the ODS.

2. In all the discourse, there is no documentary evidence whether written or oral that some students from other universities were invited to be part of the celebrations. Indeed, nobody has cited such an invitation and so it's very unfounded the claims that some sister halls were invited.

3. In any case, whiles the discourse mostly mentions Vandals as people who fomented this trouble, it beats logical imagination how these students could walk into such an organized institution, create trouble and walk away seamlessly. What happened to the university security system? What happened to the officers who guarded the various entry and exit points in the university? What was security doing that a single arrest couldn't be effected.

4. It's even more disheartening to observe that apart from failing woefully to arrest any of the culprits, the university management has exonerated residents of Oguaa Hall and rusticated 21 Mariners. Not even a single person has been mentioned from a hall that was actively part of the disturbance. Management probably want us to assume they were either asleep or engaged in some religious ritual when suddenly their hall was besieged. Or is the case that the least affected hall is innocent?

Once again, we are very clear in our heads that the exoneration of Oguaa Hall and the purposeful malice attributed to the narration confirms yet again an entrenched position to at all cost bring specific people to book.

In conclusion, we wish to make the following points strongly and state more emphatically that will resist all attempts to use of boys as scapegoats.

1. The onus does not lie on JCRC executives or planning committee members to ensure security in the University. They cannot be held liable for the actions and inactions of students. They cannot be rusticated because they can't produce culprits of crimes. More so when they have not been part of any investigative process.

2. There is enough evidence, both audio and video, that suggest that disturbances at Oguaa Hall had nothing to do with Atlantic Hall members or the 21 students. If the widely circulated video is not enough evidence to institute a serious investigation then what more can convince management these boys are innocent.

3. Clearly these happenings and of course previous happenings have exposed the lapses in the campus security system. Lapses that these 21 can not be held responsible for especially as they did their best to prevent all such situations.

4. What happens to the police men who disgracefully failed on duty and watched on as these disturbances unfolded? Particularly as they had already been paid.

5. What happens to the head of security in the University of Cape coast whose men also failed pathetically and allowed violence to go on without a single shred of evidence.

6. What happens to the Dean of students whose office approved of the program outline and was supposed to closely monitor the celebrations.

7. What happens to the Hall Council who directly supervised the celebration and released funds for the event?

8. What happens to the University council who administrate and govern the school.

To surpass all these actors and ask 21 students to produce culprits of the disturbance, for which reason they have been rusticated, is barbaric, evil, ungodly, inhumane, insensitive and machiavellian.

Meanwhile leadership of AHAA has resorted to legal process and will duly Institute the legal process on Monday if the University acts recalcitrant and does not recall their rustication.

Thank You.

Bernard Quaye

0544951515

George Sarfo

0500028233

Emmanuel Boakye

0262106206

Nana Sarfo

0205803266

Emmanuel Wellington

0540979400

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected]
HYDERABAD: Employees will now receive their Pension Fund (PF) and pension payments on retirement. Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has decided to provide employee benefit proposal scheme -1952, Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) -1995 members. The company has asked agencies to take appropriate actions. It should be noted that the employers who are retiring should be identified early. The company's shareholders on behalf of the company have been asked to do a month before the retirement date. At least 14 days prior to the retirement date, the employee's PF and pension should submit relevant documents to the relevant office. So that they can pay for the retirement day.
The Volta regional minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, said Monday that the regions Security Council is worried about the recent scourge of killings in the conflict prone Alavanyo-Nkonya townships.

More disturbing, he added, is the unwillingness of residents of the aforementioned communities to assist security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.

The Ministers disclosure comes at the back of the killing of a 62-year-old woman at the area Saturday May 20, 2017 and a 15-year-old a week earlier.

These things are happening in broad daylight and we are worried, he told Francis Abban on Morning Starr Monday May 22, 2017.

He added that until the perpetrators are apprehended and punished the ghastly killings will linger on.

So we are appealing to the community members to provide information because these people perpetrating the crime are known. We believe they are knownBut when the security agencies go to the communities they are so tight lipped and dont want to provide information, noted Dr. Letsa.

Killings Beyond land dispute

According to the minister, the killings has nothing to do with the protracted land dispute.

We have gone beyond land issues now, he said, adding: It is obvious it is a tit for that situation we are experiencing now.

Curfew reviewed

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery, has on the advice of the Volta Regional Security Council and by Executive Instrument, renewed the curfew hours imposed on the Alavanyo and Nkonya townships from 8.00 pm to 5.30 am.

The curfew takes effect from Sunday, May 21, 2017.
For some of us it hurts to have short memories but not bad enough not to remember that during the 8 year period that NPP remained in opposition from 2009 - 2016, then the largest opposition party, NPP tried to smear our electoral system as sham, farce and above all, fraudulent. Ins't beautiful democratically speaking, how immediate past president John Dramani Mahama wholeheartedly conceded defeat and gracefully congratulated then president-elect Nana Addo when all indications pointed to the fact that electoral scale tilted in favour of NPP instead NDC then ruling party even before EC could officially declare the results? Mahama, then outgoing president also pledged his support to Nana Addo to move Ghana forward

But in 2012 NPP headed by Nana Addo then in opposition did just the opposite. Then largest opposition party petitioned the Supreme Court, forced the exit of Dr. Afari Gyan, then Electoral Commissioner. Madam Charlotte Osei who was appointed by then president Mahama to replace Afari Gyan was not spared of her share of barrage of insults, harassment and haranguing under the pretext that she was puppet and mole of the ruling NDC who traded her womanhood for that post, that the electoral roll was bloated, that she was bound to rig the elections in favor of NDC, etc. etc. This was clear indication that NPP had ulterior motive politically speaking should they lose the elections. That is, NPP would have continued to challenge the 2016 results had it not gone their way

The stark paradox is that we have vigilante group calling itself Delta Force whose allegiance is not in any doubt to NPP (NPP thugs)making claim openly of how they helped NPP win power. The question is the role they had played to secure victory for the party! Or should we say they were behind incidence of irregularities that marred electoral process in Ashanti region, NPP strong hold? The discerning Ghanaian will apparently understand the "help" they offered NPP that gives them the boldness to hassle Ashanti regional security coordinator and force him out of office when the security coordinator was appointed by the president and subsequent storming of court room to free their members charged for that offence

Whatever role Delta Force might have played in NPP electoral victory will be illegal, violation of constitutional rule and impediment of democratic growth, which, ours has earned the accolade as "stalwart or beckon". Hence there is need to disband these politically motivated vigilante groups; be them, Bolgatanga Bulldogs, Invisible Forces or Delta force or whatever!

Before then, the forceful removal from office government appointee and subsequent barging into court house to free its members has become national embarrassment which attracted international attention. And government has to do something about the business at hand created by the Delta Force vigilante group to save its skin

What l don't understand is the continuous assertion by the Attorney General (AG), Gloria Akufo, that her subordinates are not consulting her before taking decisions. Begs the question; since when have subdivisions of our institutions started acting unilaterally, without taking order from the so-called above?

As if the grotesque demonstration of incompetence (that is the claim that she wasn't being consulted by her subordinates) by AG is not enough NPP lawyers have joined the fray to defend the indefensible. There is article making rounds in the media outlets purportedly written by NPP lawyer captioned: "Evidence ( even if false evidence) beats the truth if the truth lacks evidence "

The article was intended to defend what is now known as "Affaire Delta Force 8," the article seeks to explain why the 8 members of the vigilante groups were set free for lack of evidence when they were being tried for illegally setting of their members free from court house. But the article failed to achieve its target because it is full of holes. I may not delve completely into the article but l take some few excerpts to expose mischief, incoherence and if you like, ignorance of the author

"I normally advise my clients in instance without evidence to take their money away because we do have a case," the writer said. That part can't be completely dismissed as false but the probability that is false is high, so we will say is false. Because, is common knowledge that lawyers make the same fees winning or losing a case and counsels are usually needed whether the case has evidence or not. Finally "Ghanaman" lawyer won't let go of money for anything of the world. 2: If we have to use the caption to make analysis from Delta Force 8 perspective, the caption throws enormous doubt on his understanding of legal litigation. Because judging from his own words, we now know he knows what is "false evidence". He would have used false evidence for his clients to beat the "truth or lie" instead of sending them away with the fees

He couldn't because that would amount to contempt of court. 'Fabricated,' rather false evidence can earn jail term. At worst, there is possibility of mistrial or hanged jury when truth lacks evidence making false evidence theory a joke. What is reasonable to suggest is called 'improvision' to build a case. False evidence can't beat the truth in this perspective when the actions of Delta Force were caught on tape in both cases

My assessment of both NDC and NPP lawyers contributing on the Delta Force 8 saga is that the lawyers are too 'theory oriented,' allowing reality to sink in, the Delta Force 8 incidence happened in broad day light with police personnel, judge court clerks, etc present, caught on tape, circulated on the social media. What else evidence do we need?

If that is not evidence enough, the judge who was presiding over Delta Force trial before they were freed by the colleagues can testify in court as "witness" and that alone could gain conviction because in this case the judge will have no reason to lie, so will the police personnel. I was not able to bring my weight to support NDC lawyer Rockson Etse's demand that the judge should be interrogated for evidence. As to who gathers the evidence is the police not the judge

With regard to the case in question, so far, the Delta Force has committed "2 crimes". One was removing legitimate appointee from office. 2. Illegally freeing of suspects (members of Delta Force) from competently composed court of juridiction. Nolle Prosequi could be applied when the suspects were convicted on the first crime, and the term of conviction is harsh enough to deliver perpetual blow to them in the prison cell. Then the state in a bid to save time and money can decide not to try them for the second crime otherwise there is no basis for nolle prosequi

Curiously the Delta Force 8 Saga has exposed the weakness of NPP government in its determination to uphold rule of law. The contrast is very damning:

If NPP government is not able to successfully prosecute mere hobos or hoodlums calling themselves as vigilante group, how successful will the yet to be established Independent Prosecutor be, when it will deal with government past/present officials having the largest capacity to cough up the biggest retainers for the best defense team in town ?

Agobodzo Richard

You can contact me via facebook; www.facebook.com/ Agobodzo Richard or [email protected]
Kwamena Bartels, the new Board Chairman of GOIL addressing shareholders at the AGM

Peter Kwamena Essilfie Bartels, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma North, has been appointed as the new Board Chairman of Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) by government.

Mr Bartels, who served as Minister of the Interior, Information and National Orientation and Private Sector Development and the President's Special Initiative under the previous Kufuor administration, takes over from Prof William. A. Asomaning.

The announcement was officially made at GOIL's 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Accra on Thursday.

Other members of the board are Kwame Osei-Prempeh, Beauclerc Ato Williams, Beatrix Agyeman Prempeh, Robert Amankwah, Rhoderline Baafour- Gyimah.

Mr Bartels promised to work hard with his members to enhance the development of the company and also urged the shareholders to support the new board.

GOIL Records 58% Profit

GOIL recorded an impressive performance in 2016 despite increasing competition and a fall in general consumption of fuel.

The largest indigenous oil marketing company posted a 58.7 percent increase in profit after tax and recorded a 26.95 percent increase in turnover compared to that of 2015.

The company also increased its market share from 13.6 percent in 2009 to 18.2 percent in 2016 to become the market leader.

During the same period, GOIL achieved 95.8 percent of its fuel sales targets despite stiff competition from other companies.

It also increased the sale of Liquefied Petroleum Gas by 30 percent in 2015 while lubricant sales also grew by 11 percent.

Meanwhile, it has earmarked $20 million to construct a bitumen plant at Tema.

Outgoing board chairman, Professor William Asomaning, who announced this Thursday at the company's annual general meeting in Accra, said the company's asset base has grown by over 500 percent since his board took over in 2009.

A business desk report


Ben Assorow, Elections Committee Chairman

22.05.2017 LISTEN

Kofi Yeboah, an aspiring General Secretary of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has appealed against the decision by the GJA Elections Committee (EC) to re-open nominations for this year's elections.

It would be recalled that the EC disqualified some candidates prior to the election and members of the GJA filed petitions to the Election Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) against the disqualification.

However, the EC, on May 15, announced the re-opening of nominations for the election.

Mr Yeboah, in a statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the decision was contrary to his expectation and the advice to it by the EDAC for the process to take its course.

He said the decision by the EC to re-open nominations, requiring him to go through the processes of nomination and vetting, which he had done, was a travesty of justice and fairness to him.

Mr Yeboah said the decision would cause him colossal losses in monetary and committal terms.

The decision would also allow new aspirants who were given ample opportunity to contest when nominations were opened in February but did not avail themselves of such opportunity to now file nominations to contest with others who had already made enormous commitments to the process.

Such tendency, in my humble view, renders the electoral process unfair and also rewards indolence and apathy while punishing vigilance and commitment, he added.

He said calling for fresh nominations, after postponing the elections to allow for the outcome of an electoral process laid down in the GJA Constitution, seems quite outlandish.

Mr Yeboah said EDAC, in its determination of the petitions brought before it did not make any recommendation for re-opening of nominations.

In my humble view, anything done contrary to, or inconsistent with the recommendations of the EDAC undermines the integrity of the very institution established for the good of the GJA.

He said Article 53(a)(vi) of the GJA Constitution 2004 provides: the decision of the Election Dispute Adjudication Committee shall be final.

He noted that the decision by the EC to re-open nominations, regardless of the recommendations made by the EDAC in respect of election petitions, was a complete violation of the GJA Constitution.

Mr Yeboah said the EC's decision suggested that whenever an aggrieved candidate or member filed a petition to the EDAC and the EDAC made a determination on same, the whole electoral process might be re-started.

He described such precedents as detrimental to the collective good of the GJA and that same must not be allowed to foster.

He appealed to the committee to review the decision of the EC to re-open nominations for the 2017 elections and to prevail upon it to let the process take its course.

GNA


A dad-of-five who bears a startling resemblance to Barack Obama has revealed how he can't step out without being plagued by selfie seekers thanks to his doppelganger status.

Jose Oliveira looks so much like the former president that he can't go a day without people stopping him in the street to take photographs

The 43-year-old says his buddies have even given the nickname 'Mr Obama'.

Tour guide Jose, from Sal, Cape Verde, said, Ever since Barack Obama was made president I have had people stopping me to tell me I look like him, so it has been happening for almost 10 years now.

Some people even ask me if I am his brother.

I work as a tour guide so I am always meeting new people and their reaction is always the same. As soon as they see me they say: 'Oh my God, you look just like Obama!'

I find it very funny and I don't mind posing for photographs with people.

I have at least 15 photographs and selfies taken every day.

I never try to dress like Obama or copy him in any way, I am just myself, but people still stop to tell me how much I look like him.

I have never thought about working as an Obama look-alike before, but maybe I would if given the opportunity. If it was an honest and respectful job that allowed me to support my family I would think about it.

I have never said I look like Obama, people tell me I do, and it's cool. But personally I say Barack Obama looks like me.

-TheSun UK


Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, has assured contractors in the country that government would settle all their arrears in the shortest possible time.

Mr Atta Akyea revealed this after the contractors working on the Shama Sea Defence wall in the Western Region- Xara Developers, complained that they had not been paid by government.

The Minister travelled to the Western Region for a two-day working visit to inspect various projects under construction and interacted with the chiefs and people of the various communities.

They (contractors) have done so much work but received so little because of the obvious challenges of the economy, and these are matters that I think with a new drive to energise the economy will be matters of the past, he noted.

He pointed out that government had already settled some debts in other sectors.

If you care to know we have settled good arrears. It's on record. Just about five months down the line, you will be shocked that a lot of monies have been paid, he revealed.

Mr Atta Akyea stated that the new administration has no intention of diverting state funds for personal gains.

There is a huge liability in terms of arrears to contractors that we have inherited but we won't complain. We'll solve the problems.

Chief of Aboadze in the Shama District, Nana Kobina Artom III, decried the insanitary conditions at beaches in the community, attributing it to the lack of toilet facilities.

He noted that several attempts to get Xara Developers, the construction company in charge of the sea defence along the Aboadze coastal line to honour its promises of providing toilet facilities for the community have proved futile.

Nana Artom III mentioned that there could be an outbreak of diseases in the community due to the situation.

According to him, his fears were heightened after the rains set in.

We will however plead with the minister to ensure that our request for toilet and bath house is taken care of.

Mr Atta Kyea urged Xara Developers to execute the project as part of its corporate social responsibility to benefit the indigenes.

From Shama, the Minister also visited Axim, capital of the Nzema East Municipality where he assured the people that very soon the sea defence wall in the area would be completed by the current government.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi


Local shareholders of Tullow Oil Plc on Wednesday expressed discontent at management's decision not to pay dividend to them for the 2016 financial year.

The company announced that dividend payments were not possible for the period under review due to some financial constraints.

Tullow Oil's profits declined by eight percent between 2015 and 2016, and this represents a drop from $591 million to $546 million within one year.

This led to an after-tax loss of about $600 million at the end of 2016.

Although Tullow said it made profit in its operations in Ghana, payment of dividend to shareholders has not been done.

A disgruntled shareholder blurted: The staff of Tullow is benefitting, you are doing the corporate social responsibility, you are doing all those thingsbut the sweetness of the pudding is in the eating, can we have a little of the pudding to eat please.

Another shareholder said the company cannot continue keeping their benefits with the explanation that oil prices in the world market have dipped.

The shareholders told the company to reduce its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and re-channel the funds into the payment of dividend.

Reacting Tullow Group CEO, Paul McDade said when the oil prices dipped in 2014, the company was already working on the $4 billion Tweneboa, Enyeba, Ntomme (TEN) field offshore so it could not stop its investment.

A decision, Mr McDade said, was then taken to reset the company, suspend dividend, and curtail exploration activities, which led to a reduction in the number of staff by 40 percent.

The Tullow Group CEO said these measures were taken to ensure that the company had the right liquidity to see to the development of the TEN field.

Chairman of Tullow Ghana and Kenya, Ike Duker added that the company was at pains when it decided to suspend payment of dividend to shareholders.

He expressed optimism that payment would be reinstated if the oil industry recovers from the price shock.

We are seeing how quickly the industry will recover so that we can reinstate the dividend.

According to Charles Darku, CEO of Tullow Ghana, the company was working closely with the Ghana Gas company to optimize gas supply in Ghana.

The joint venture project, led by Tullow Ghana, would produce about 300 million barrels of oil over its lifetime, approximately 20 years.

[email protected]

By Samuel Boadi
The initial inertia of the Ghana Police Service to conduct the arrest of suspects suspected to be involved in the Kumasi Court fiasco was based on intelligence and the Crime Officer of the Ghana Police Service in Ashanti Region, with experience in policing and prosecution presented innocent persons to the courts knowing very well that, under such presentation State Attorney shall have no case in the courts must not be allowed to go scot free. He or she must be punished for doing a shoddy job and deception of the government of Nana Akuffo Addo and the people of Ghana at large.

What the Crime Officer in charge of Kumasi Court fiasco has done in this case, is to debilitate the powers of President Nana Ado in a tape purported to have dared him if anything untoward affected members of Delta Force, the vigilante group associated with the New Patriotic Party in Kumasi. The Crime Officer also did not only tarnished reputation the President of Ghana has made all his life as courageous, law abiding citizen and a freedom fighter, but has brought shame to the Ghana Police Service that, that the Police Service is a failure when it comes to unravelling and arrest of crimes committed in broad day light.

It goes further to establish that, in the government of New Patriotic Party when heinous crimes are committed in broad day light, culprits cannot be arrested, an example is the like of the killing of Yaa Naa, the overlord of Dagbon.

The case of the intrusion and disrupting court processes in Kumasi which by those actions triggered the United Nations to call the attention of the President of Ghana to call to order and work to curb vigilantism is very serious and cast a slur and a hollow-dent on the political page of our President whom we have known to be a man of principles, law and order.

Much as the Police were not able to furnish the Attorney General Department with necessary evidence to prosecute, it has failed to respond to demand of the United Nation that they expect all necessary measures will be taken to investigate these actions and bring the perpetrators to justice.

If internally we have failed to live up to expectations of the UN demand to do proper investigation of issues that occurred during broad day light in Kumasi, then we must not be surprised if UN also degrade Ghana in terms of hiring persons for Peace Keeping operation outside Ghana.

It must be noted that, whoever was responsible for investigating the Kumasi Court rabble-rouser incident has done too much damage to the government of Nana Addo and must not think the issue would die so soon because, it would embolden recruitment into the vigilante group Delta Force therefore putting national security at risk, more pressure on the Police Service and national security operatives.

These political vigilante groups if allowed to grow, they shall make wings around the country and would threaten security of the people of Ghana therefore giving other institutions, like Churches and Muslims groupings, to form their own vigilantes or with a momentum to form like-wise associations to confront or counteract actions of these vigilantes groups which the Joint Police /Military operatives would find it very difficult to handle.

We know the Minster for Interior, Honourable Ambrose Derry would not sanction the Inspector General of Police to interfere to free suspects arrested in the Kumasi Court fiasco issue, neither would IGP Apeatu would sound stupid to interfere with such damaging and resounding case of nursing a vigilante groups such that, vigilante groups in Ghana would be embolden to reign their terror on innocent citizens but we want the Minister under whom the Inspector General of Police takes command shall correct and call for the search and arrest of persons involved in the dastardly act of tempting and frustrating an arm of government equally established with powers like the executive arm of government.

At least we know if the real culprits were arrested and prosecuted, there are other means under the laws of Ghana for which they could be pardoned.

Now the perception of mistrust by opposition political parties is made firm and grounded by the action of the Crime Officer in Kumasi.

The severe dangers are the growth of these vigilantes groups and what they may offer us if we are not able to curb their growth.

Munir Saani

Safe Democracy Ghana
At least six people have been killed in a robbery attack in the Northern Region town of Tatale, which started Sunday evening.

The deceased persons comprise three robbers and three residents.

Paramount Chief of Tatale Yankossor Gariba II told Joy News Monday, there was still firing of gun in the area. He completely ruled out any semblance of ethnic clashes.

According to him, the robbers attacked some rich residents in the area before attacking some stores.

He said the robbers fired indiscriminately in an attempt to provoke fear in the residents.

Some of the residents who were also armed decided to return fire resulting in a deadly exchange of gun fire.

The paramount chief of Tatale said the police were invited but they were woefully outnumbered.

Joy News' Tamale correspondent Martina Bugri reports residents have started arming themselves to avert any future attacks.

She said the robbery attacks have become one too many and because the police have been unable to protect them and their properties, the residents have decided to protect themselves. It is not clear yet what properties have been stolen.

Martina Bugri said there is still gun battle going on between the robbers and some residents.

The police have meanwhile called for reinforcement in a desperate attempt to restore order.

Eric Nartey, a resident said none of the robbers have been arrested thus far but economic activity has been halted.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com


Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that the NPP government will establish a railway from Takoradi to Paga in the Upper East Region.

According to him, it will be one of the legacies the NPP government will leave behind in the country.

He assured Ghanaians that government will fulfill the campaign promises made to Ghanaians.

The vice president explained that government has initiated the 'planting for food and jobs' which government promised Ghanaians of enhancing the agriculture sector in the country.

There will be the availability of tractors and other farming equipment and affordable fertilisers at reduced prices to assist farmers, he underscored

He indicated that the allowances of teachers and student nurses will be restored in September, as well as the running of the free senior high school education.

The vice president disclosed that the Tamale International Airport will be made the headquarters for pilgrims in the country.

Dr Bawumia stated that the government will soon commence the 'one district one factory policy' initiative to create job opportunities for Ghanaians.

The Gulkpena, Alhaji Alhassan Abdulai, appealed to government to settle the feeding grants of the various senior high schools in the region to enable the students to have peace of mind whilst studying in school.

He urged the president to appoint a competent chief executive officer (CEO) for the Tamale Teaching Hospital to solve the numerous problems affecting the facility to enhance health delivery in the region.

The vice president paid a courtesy call on the Gulkpena, Dakpema, Sagnarigu Naa and some other chiefs in the Northern Region.

FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale


Aviation Minister Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah has disclosed that government will construct a cargo carrier terminal in Tamale which will transport foodstuffs directly from the Tamale International Airport to other countries in the world.

She added that the Tamale Airport can serve neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and other countries.

The first phase of the Tamale International Airport cost Ghana GH$130 million and with its completion, she said government will go back into the books and audit because government expects value for money.

The aviation minister paid a courtesy call on the Regent of Dagbon, Kampakuya Naa Abdulai Andani, and the Abudu Regent, Boling-Lana, and the chief of Tamale, Gulkpe Naa, at their palaces.

The regent of Dagbon provided government with 6,000 acres of land for the construction of an airstrip for the Yendi Municipality because the old airstrip was being encroached upon.

Northern Regional Minister Salifu Saeed thanked the aviation minister for working very hard to ensure the expansion of the airport to meet international standards.

He disclosed that the chiefs are willing to provide any land government would need to expand the airport in future.

FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale




Samira Bawumia, wife of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Mawumia, has called for greater social support for families whose relatives have passed through suicide.

The second lady stated that losing a child through suicide is not only brutal but traumatic.

I empathise with the mothers who go through such horrifying emotional stress as they see, hear and read of their children completing their suicide actions, she said.

Speaking at the launch of the World Family Doctor Day on the theme: 'Depression and Suicide- The Role of The Family Physician', Mrs Bawumia urged Ghanaians to take up the charge in fighting depression and suicide.

We must engage one another, we must be embracing of one another in times of need and joy, we must keep an eye on one another and draw attention on an unusual behaviour, we must help parents and families who go through this problem above all we must all stand side by side to prevent future occurrence of suicide, she charged.

Touching on the important role family physicians play, the second lady mentioned that they manage to, a broader extent, not only individuals but also the family in its entirety.

It is my belief that if our healthcare delivery system is to improve and become much more impactful, then we need to train more family doctors as their impact transcends the individual to generation, she added.

Dr Pinaman Appau, Director of Accra Psychiatric Hospital (APH), addressing the audience as the chairperson, disclosed that the World Health Organisation estimates about 800,000 global deaths due to suicide annually.

That is one death per 40 seconds, which is more than deaths due to malaria, breast cancer, etc, she explained.

Again, Dr Pinaman Appau stressed the critical role family physicians play in recognising clients in distress and intervene before they feel so trapped and hopeless.

It has been said over and over again that for any individual who commits suicide, it is a call for help that was not heeded to the irony is that healthcare professionals are most likely encounter these people during the time they contemplate whether to live or to not, she said.

The APH director explained that the situation puts family physicians in a pole position to identify various mental health conditions in the numerous clients they see.

Dr Gordon Amoh, a family physician, stated that the launch of the celebration is not going to be a one off thing as plans are in place to sustain education campaign throughout the year to increase awareness of depression as a major risk factor for suicide.

He, however, called for a comprehensive approach involving all sectors and levels of society in the identification and management of patients with depression and suicide ideation.

I cannot stress enough on the call for government to liaise with the mental health authority and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for speedy integration of medication for mental illness onto the National Health Insurance Scheme, he added.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri


President Nana Akufo-Addo says his administration will court the support of the business community in its efforts to rid the system of corruption.

He said the scale and level of tolerated corruption under the Fourth Republic and especially in recent times, needs to be arrested immediately.

This was contained in a speech the Senior Minister, Yaw Osaafo Maafo delivered on behalf President Akufo-Addo at the 2017 edition of the Ghana CEOs Summit in Accra.

Even though corruption in Ghana is relatively low compared to other countries in Africa, businesses frequently quote corruption as an obstacle to doing business in the country.

Senior Minister, Yaw Osaafo Maafo

The Summit, which is the biggest gathering of business leaders in the country, is under the theme:  Digital Innovation Economy For Business Growth .

As president, I will not sing the chorus of the problem without addressing it. Im not naive about the enormity of the problem and how that continues to undermine efforts at development.

"We need to fight corruption collectively and the joint efforts of the captains of business will be most welcome. We need all hands on deck to fight corruption.

Reporting Centre

The president also disclosed plans to establish a reporting centre where corrupt activities of state officials would be reported for action to be taken.

This the President believes, will help court business community to actively support the government in this direction.

I will establish a business reporting bureau at which corrupt activities of staff and officers of state-owned enterprises, regulatory institutions, revenue agencies and public and civil service will be reported.

Some of the participants at the 2017 Ghana CEOs Summit.

To ensure that that action is being taken against persons reported and that heads of the institutions are held accountable, the President said he will order quarterly publication of all complaints and steps that are being taken in respect of these persons.

Click attached audio to listen to Yaw Osaafo Maafo :

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy
Women are making an invaluable contribution to the power and water industries as reflected by the many ladies amongst the winners of the 2017 African Utility Week Industry Awards that were announced at the CTICC in Cape Town last week. Three of the awards, namely Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Contribution to Power as well as Young Energy Leader Award, were won by women.

More than 750 top level power and water professionals attended the fourth edition of the African Utility Week Industry Awards gala dinner which honour pioneering utilities, projects and people in the energy and water industry on the continent.

Former South African President Nelson Mandelas personal assistant, Zelda la Grange, delivered an inspiring guest keynote address with charming anecdotes of working with and for the legendary anti-apartheid activist and politician.

The complete list of winners of the African Utility Week Industry Awards:

Lifetime achievement award:

Winner:

Helen Tarnoy, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Aldwych International Ltd, United Kingdom, an engineering company that has been involved in some of the most successful independent power projects on the African continent.

I first went to Africa in 1998 and I have never left; so I have almost 20 years of working in the independent power sector in Africa, Helen said in a pre-recorded video acceptance speech. I wont say that it wasnt a struggle in the beginning, it was. There was a lot of education to be done about how private companies could contribute to the economies of the countries in which they were working by providing sustainable power at an affordable price. That is still what we aim to do today. The difference today is that we are seeing more and more people coming into the market.

Helen has been a passionate devotee to the African power market since her first contact with it in the mid-1990s. Her first major success was to lead the recovery and eventual success of the Songas Gas to Power Project in Tanzania. Following on the success of the Songas Project, Helen actively participated in all phases of several other AES successes in Africa including the acquisition and successful construction of the Ebute Power Project in Lagos, the privatisation and early operation of the Kelvin Power Plant in Johannesburg and the acquisition of a majority position in the Sonel vertically integrated utility in Cameroon.

Outstanding contribution award: Water

Winner:

Philip Gichuki, Managing Director, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Kenya

It is a great honour to win this award, said an overjoyed Eng. Gichuki on Wednesday evening. He continued: this is meant for my staff. It is this dedicated team that has made this happen. I look forward to continue to work with them every day in order to make a difference in peoples lives.

As the Managing Director of Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Eng. Gichuki is responsible for running all facets of the business. He has a proven executive management track record and over 20 years of experience in managing growth in the water and sanitation sector. Most notable in his management of the company is the innovative inclusion of low income (informal) settlement communities as partners (customers). In 2016, the company participated in the planting of over 150,000 trees in catchment areas to help deal with climate change. Eng. Gichuki has been instrumental in guiding the sector to develop county specific implementation plans.

Outstanding Woman of the Year in Power/Water

Winner:

Rose Kaggwa, Director: Business and Scientific Services, National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda

Women must aim to be the best they can be, because at the end of the day, the best multi-tasker is a woman, Rose Kaggwa said after receiving her award, adding in order for us to create change, when we say water for all and we say sanitation is a right it cannot be done without women. So women must rise up and begin to speak.

Rose has spearheaded the development and implementation of vocational training and skills development of plumbers and Electromechanical technicians within the NWSC which has benefited over 500 staff and contributed to the operational efficiency of the organisation. Rose is the first African to sit on the UNESCO  International Hydrological Progamme Advisory Board for human settlement, water and sanitation and holds the position of Vice President. In 2017 she was awarded the Golden Jubilee Award for excellence in leadership in service delivery by His Excellency the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Rose is very active in the International Water Association and was at the helm of the International Water Chief Executive Organization forum held in June 2016 that brought together 14 CEOs from various water utilities in Africa and 56 key stakeholders to deliberate on the strategic priorities of the water sector in Africa and efforts to strengthen collaboration.

Power Utility of the Year

Winner:

Ethiopian Electric Power, Ethiopia

Mr Abeb Kahsay, Executive Officer of EEP received this very prestigious award for the company: It is an honour to be here and hold this award. It is a sign of the success of what we have achieved so far. It will strengthen us for the future to work even harder to serve our people so that we can address the problems of the community.

Ethiopia strives to be the hub of renewably sourced energy in the region and beyond. Ethiopian Electric Power is instrumental to this ambitious plan. EEP is a sole provider of bulk electricity to users, mainly to the Ethiopian Electric Utility; direct industrial customers; and exports to neighbouring countries. Djibouti and the Sudan are connected to Ethiopia by a high-voltage power line.

EEP operates and maintains more than 12 hydropower and three wind power plants distributed in different parts of the country with installed capacity of more than 4290MW, including the Gibe III plant (1870MW). There are two major hydropower projects under construction, namely the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (6000MW) and GenaleDawa 3 (254MW).

Water Utility of the Year

Winner:

Lilongwe Water Board, Malawi

We have made a lot of improvements and innovations in the last couple of years and this has made a difference in how we deliver our service in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, said a very pleased Alfonso Chikuni , CEO of Lilongwe Water Board, on Wednesday evening. This award is for all the employees of Lilongwe Water Board who really took to the new institutional direction and approach that we had to take before we could produce results.

The Lilongwe Water Board is a statutory organisation that supplies water to the residents of Lilongwe, the capital City of Malawi and its surrounding areas. Currently, Lilongwe City has a population of about 1,000,000 and the company serves around 70% of the population. There are about 65,000 metered customers and more than 700 water Kiosks (communal water selling points) within the City. The total pipe network for LWB is estimated at 1,600 Km.

Successes in 2016/17 include the significant strides it has made in the reduction of Non-Revenue Water from around 41% in January 2016 to 26% by December 2016 thereby offering a cheaper water source in a way and by increasing capacity to deliver services by initiation and completion of infrastructure projects.

Large Scale Renewable Energy Project (10MW+)

Winner:

Bokpoort CSP Power Plant, ACWA Power, ACWA POWER, South Africa

Nandu D Bhula is the CEO of the power plant: this is the second time we have won an award here, the first time we won for Community Project of the Year, now we are recognised for being the best Large Scale Renewable Energy Project. With CSP being a renewable project with some storage makes it a reliable load following operator, so it gives the best of both worlds which is fantastic. For Bokpoort it is just amazing to be the pioneer of, what I think, a revolution in the solar industry.

ACCIONA, SENER and TSK built Concentrated Solar Power plant in South Africa set a new African record for the continuous, round the clock supply of electricity. Within the first month of commercial operation, the newly-inaugurated 50 MW Bokpoort CSP plant, produced electricity for a continuous period of 161 hours, equivalent to almost six days.

Bokpoort CSPs 50MW is equal to powering 21 000 households and has over 8 600 collectors at the plant with more than 136 000 mirrors. At its construction peak, over 1 300 jobs were created at the plant, filled largely by the local community previously dependent on farm work.

Small-Scale Sustainable Energy Project (under 5MW)

Winner:

Stortemelk Hydro, Renewable Energy Holdings, South Africa

It is a great honour for us to be recognised amongst all our peers across the continent. There are not many small scale projects such as ours around in South Africa so we sometimes feel a little bit on our own. We do our best to try and keep the standard high so for me and my team this is great encouragement that we are going in the right direction  this is according to Anton-Louis Olivier, MD of Stortemelk Hydro.

Stortemelk Hydro RF is located in Clarens in the Free State, South Africa and has a capacity of 4.5MW. The Stortemelk Hydro will result in a reduction of 540 000 tons of CO2 emissions over its 20 year life span and was constructed on an existing dam.

The Hydro is the first to use a vertical Kaplan turbine and air cooled indoor transformers in hydro power in South Africa. The highly integrated and compact design reduces operational risk and maintenance costs. The project was constructed on time and on budget with 98% availability in the first 6 months.

Technology of the Year

Winner:

Solar Turtle, South Africa

What is really unique about Solar Turtle are the safety features for women working in high crime rate areas such as informal settlements, rural communities or war-torn countries of the world. That is what we are really hoping to achieve. Not just making examples for the next generation of women to follow, but doing it safely. So said James van der Walt, CEO of Solar Turtle, who accepted the award at the gala dinner on Wednesday night.

The SolarTurtle is an ultra-secure solar powered MU in a box. Shipping containers are converted into small, mobile solar power stations. These SolarTurtles are designed for off-grid schools where conventional solar PV solutions will not work. In crime-ridden areas across Africa traditional solar PV solutions have failed. The solar panels are typically stolen within a few months of deployment. The problem is so severe that the Gauteng provincial government was prepared to dismiss solar power as a possible electricity solution for schools and community centres.

The SolarTurtle is a solar kiosk designed for unparalleled security and maximum portability. These container-based solar kiosks are assembled off site then deployed by simply offloading the container and unfolding the panels towards the sun. In the morning when it is safe the panels are unfolded from their secure location to feed from the rays of the sun. In the evening when it is unsafe the panels are folded away into the hard shell of the container. The power from the SolarTurtle feeds the school and a small woman-owned solar kiosk business inside the container.

Deal of the Year

Winner:

100MW Kathu Solar Park Project, Engie, South Africa

This is really a great achievement by a large, multi-disciplinary team and we are very proud of this award, said a delighted Maarten van der Horst, Director and Chief Business Development for power and gas investments atENGIE Africa, after receiving the award. He continued: we are also very grateful and proud of the engagement we received from the local community and from the national government. At the moment the construction is very much underway, the financial close took place in May 2016 and the construction is on track within the timelines and COD is anticipated at the end of 2018. We are making every effort to deliver and stick to that timeline.

In July 2016 a consortium led by French multinational electric utility company Engie achieved financial close on the 100MW Kathu Solar Park project in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Developed by the consortium, the park is sponsored by the SIOC Community Development Trust, Lereko Metier, Public Investment Corporation, Investec Bank, and the Kathu Local Community Trust. Lenders on the project are Rand Merchant Bank, Nedbank Capital, ABSA Capital, Investec, and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Once in operation, Kathu Solar Park will have the capacity to supply 80,000 households across South Africa and will help reduce carbon emissions by 300,000t every year. The solar project is expected to be connected to the grid by the end of 2018, supplying clean and dispatchable electricity to the South African power utility Eskom under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Outstanding Contribution Award: Power

Winner:

Charlotte Aubin-Kalaidjian, Founding Partner, GreenWish Partners, France, Senegal, Cote dIvoire & Nigeria

Charlotte thanked the award audience via video message: We all have a duty to respond to Africas pressing energy deficit. Renewable energy together with innovative business models are at the core of the solution. By giving me this award you are proving that I was right in the path that I chose eight years ago. I am grateful for your trust, especially as a woman entrepreneur.

Charlotte Aubin-Kalaidjian is founder and CEO of GreenWish Partners, the independent power producer dedicated to renewable energies in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past 12 months, GreenWish led the development, structuring and financing of the Senergy 2 solar PV plant, the first solar Independent Power Producer in West Africa. Charlottes commitment to the sustainable development of Africa is also demonstrated by her involvement and board positions in the R20 NGO dedicated to climate change actions, the Women in Africa Initiative, as well as sponsor and Jury Member of the Energy Generation Academy out of Lome, Togo. She also acts as business angel and mentor with a focus on social and environmental entrepreneurs as well as young artists. She has initiated an ambitious Photo Project Solar Magic with Initiative for Global Development to illustrate the potential of solar on Africa society, economy and environment.

Young Energy Leader

Winner:

Fatima Oyiza Ademoh, Founder & CEO, Ajima Youth Empowerment Foundation, Nigeria

Fatima also spoke in a video message after she was announced the winner: I want to thank all those who have believed in my quest to extend electricity access to off-grid communities, especially in the Waste-2-Watt (W2W) Project. And for all the young people out there, lets keep being the agents for change in our communities.

Fatima Ademoh is an energy and finance specialist and currently serves as the Project Developer in the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) funded off-grid Renewable Energy project being implemented by Ajima Farms in Nigeria. In this capacity, she led the preparation of funding proposal that secured US$150,000 grant in the USADF Power Africa Off-Grid Energy Challenge.

Industry support

More than 170 entries were received for the African Utility Week Industry Awards. Huawei, the well-known global information and telecommunication giant, was the lead sponsor this year while other supporting partners were Aberdare, Eaton, Enel, ESI Africa, KPMG, Lucy Electric, SBS Tanks, Standard Bank, Steinmuller Africa.

Leading water and energy platform

African Utility Week is organised by Spintelligent, a multi-award-winning exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, real estate, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include Agritech Expo Tanzania, CBM-TEC, Kenya Mining Forum, Future Energy East Africa (formerly EAPIC), Future Energy Nigeria (formerly WAPIC), Future Energy Central Africa (formerly iPAD Cameroon), iPAD Nigeria Mining Forum, DRC Mining Week and EduWeek. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group.

Websites: http://www.african-utility-week.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfricaUtilities

Linkedin: African Power Forum
Germany is in negotiations with Namibia about the phrasing of the first official apology for General von Trothas extermination orders that led to the murder of around 100 000 Ovaherero and Nama people between 1904 and 1908 in the German colony of then South West Africa.

These negotiations have been criticized for excluding the victims, the Ovaherero and the Nama, who filed a class action suit in New York in January 2017 against Germany, seeking reparations and demanding that their representatives be included in the current negotiations.

The Ovahereros rising anger is given a voice in Skulls Of My People, an upcoming documentary on Al Jazeera English that follows the campaign to pressurise Germany to acknowledge and apologise for the whats been called the first genocide of the 20th century; discuss reparations; and return the skulls of Namibian people that were taken to Germany for racial scientific profiling.

This anger is not just over the systematic massacre of roughly 80% of the Ovaherero more than a century ago, although this is tangible as the documentary subjects recount numerous atrocities, including the way German soldiers drove the Herero into the desert and then poisoned the waterholes; threw children in the air and bayoneted them; raped women; massacred church gatherings; forced a woman to take the meat off her husbands severed head so that they could take the skull back to Germany; cut off mens penises and sent them back to Germany to be studied; and forced the survivors who didnt flee to Botswana or South Africa into concentration camps.

But that anger has been exacerbated by the German governments responses to the current campaign for restorative justice.

For example, the German parliament rejected a 2015 motion to commemorate and apologise for the genocide. In Skulls Of My People, a spokesperson for the Herero and Nama Genocide Committee calls this an official stamp of endorsing the extermination orders, humiliating, and a slap in the face of the Namibian people.

Similarly, when Ovaherero and Nama representatives met with the German ambassador to Namibia, he stuck to the government position that they can only negotiate with other governments, not groups.

In Skulls Of My People, Advocate Vekuii Rukoro, Ovaherero paramount chief, points out that in the case of the Jewish Holocaust, the same German government has been talking to the Jewish people, ordinary Jewish communities who are equally non-state entities. He says that the ambassador claimed that was a special case, but was unable to explain why, which obviously leaves us to conclude that the only thing that makes them special is because they are Europeans, they are white people, and we are Africans, we are black people.

The Herero in the film also voice their frustration at being left out of the negotiations.

Our government can be there at the conference table as well; we dont deny them their place, says Rukoro. But we are the people to negotiate on behalf of our people, because we know what pain we suffered, what pain we continue to suffer, materially, economically, psychologically and otherwise. Nobody else.

Utjiua Muijangue, chairperson of the Herero Genocide Foundation, distrusts both negotiators. In our eyes, the German government is the perpetrator. But they are also now the players and the referee as well. You dont decide yourself whether you are guilty or not; you also dont decide that if I am guilty, what punishment should I get.

Similarly, she distrusts the Namibian government. Namibia is the biggest recipient of the German development aid; why is that the case? she asks in the documentary. It is to shut their mouth and not support the issue of genocide.

Her distrust is also based on SWAPOs perceived ethnic bias towards the Ovambo. They want the whole world to know that the liberation struggle started in 1966. They dont want other people to get credit; credit should just go to them. And now if you recognise 1904; we recognise the Herero people and they dont want that.

Germany has avoided any promises of reparations, but the land issue comes up repeatedly in the documentary. When the Germans came, they had one thing on their mind, and that was to make sure that no one is living in this country, so they can have it to themselves, says Muijangue.

And the Germans largely still do have it to themselves, according to the Herero interviewed in Skulls Of My People. The land issue is a big problem, says Uahimisa Kaapehi, an Ovaherero chief. I will tell you that 80% of commercial farms are in the hands of the German people.

They have been inheriting, they have been bequeathing the wealth of generations, and we have been inheriting abject poverty, starting from 1904, adds Festus Muundjua from the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation.

As Muijangue says in the documentary, Its a time-bomb.

We say we have waited long enough, echoes Rukoro. 111 years is a long period and our patience is running out.

And that was two years ago

Watch the trailer below



Skulls of My People had its world premiere at IDFA, who called it a story of an ordinary grassroots group taking on the mighty and powerful against all odds.

Directed by South African filmmaker Vincent Moloi, Skulls Of My People premieres on Wednesday, 24 May 2017 at 2000GMT / 2100EAT / 2200CAT / 2300EAT on Witness, Al Jazeera Englishs inspiring documentary strand that brings world issues into focus through compelling human stories. For more information, visit http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/ .
Ghanas former president John Mahama believes there is more to earn in the farming sector, especially for the African youth.

Describing farming as a cool livelihood, Mahama bemoaned the litany of land disputes scattered around Africa in particular which inhibit farming.

According to him, investors will only pump money into the agric sector once governments provide the conducive environment.

I do think that investments are going into the agric sector but they must have a multiplier effect on the economy, and what we need to do is to continue creating an enabling environment for investments to come into the sector, Mahama said at the 52nd Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group in India Monday.

He added: Most people who bring foreign investors are looking at the oil and gas sector, they are looking into gold mining because those are areas where the profits are almost immediate once you put in the investment. But agriculture has several challenges that must take governments and the investors to be able to resolve.

For instance, land tenure. Just 3000 hectares of land for [Ghanas Aveyime Rice Project] we dealt with 1700 families. I mean no foreign investor is going to come and go talking to 1700 families to get 3000 hectares of land and that is why there must be a commitment by government to ensure that we create the environment for them to be willing to put their money into agriculture.

There is an increasing commitment by African leaders towards expanding agricultural production and a lot of discussions have taken place in the African Union for a common agricultural development policy. But I believe that from country to country, it depends on the passion of a particular leader for agriculture, Mahama added.

He will also participate in a number of other sessions on Financing Infrastructure, Addressing Africas nutrition challenges, and Africa- Asia Partnership.

This comes months after Mr. Mahama addressed the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Person of the Year 2016 Awards Programme in Johannesburg, South Africa.
22.05.2017 LISTEN

Wa, May 22, GNA - Mr Amidu Chinnia Issahaku, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, has called on the public to remain united and support government to carry out its policies and programmes.

He said the 11th European Union Development Fund has provided 160 million euros to invest in agriculture, roads and bridges as well as fighting climate change in all the 11 districts in the region.

Mr Issahaku said some major roads in the region would be worked on while others would also be tarred to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services.

He said government should consider establishing a poultry feed factory in Sissala as the main preoccupation of its indigenes are farmers involved in large scale maize production.

Mr Issahaku advised the five Sissala district chief executives in the region to be humble to those they interact with and seek to improve the lot of the people.

He said as district chief executives, they must ensure that grassroots governance was vibrant and functional to advance government's policies and programmes.

Talking about activities of illegal mining which was ongoing in the Wa East District, Mr Issahaku tasked the district chief executive and the people of the area to consider it as a health and environmental risk and should combine efforts to fight its menace.

He called on parents to live up to their expectation, fight indiscipline among the youth and help stem the rise in teenage pregnancies.

Dr Roger Kanton, President of the Sissala Union, said the Union was working hard to make the Sissali an examinable language in the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

The West Africa Examination Council should also consider establishing an examination centre in the Sissala area as many of the students in the area suffer many challenges when they travel to Wa, Bolgatanga and Tamale to write their papers.

The Sissala Union President appealed also to the Local Government Ministry to consider upgrading Tumu, the Sissala East District Capital to a Municipal status.

GNA

By Bajin D. Pobia, GNA
Rome (AFP) - Italy has signed a deal with Libya, Chad and Niger to try to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean by beefing up border controls and creating new reception centres in the African nations.

A joint statement by the interior ministers of the four countries said they had agreed to set up centres in Chad and Niger, key countries of transit for migrants who travel to Libya and on to Italy from sub-Saharan Africa.

The statement, released Sunday after an Italy-organised meeting in Rome, said the new centres in Chad and Niger, and the existing ones in Libya, would live up to "international humanitarian standards".

Rights groups have slammed the conditions of existing detention centres in crisis-hit Libya and questioned how the West can ensure such "international standards" are met and kept.

"Libyan legislation criminalises illegal immigration so it is not clear how these could be reception centres and not detention centres," Mattia Toaldo, a European Council on Foreign Relations expert, said Monday.

"The establishment of 'reception centres' in Niger and Chad is also questionable: is Europe outsourcing its border control to these countries? If so, in exchange for what amounts of money and coming from where?".

Toaldo also questioned why the deal was made by interior ministers and how they hoped to follow through on a commitment to "promote legal economic development" as an alternative to the wealthy trafficking trade.

Brink of famine

On Sunday the head of the United Nations refugee agency Filippo Grandi urged Libyan authorities to free all asylum seekers and refugees from its detention centres, slamming the conditions as "shocking".

While promising to try to step-up the UNHCR's presence, Grandi said it would take time for political and security reasons.

Libya has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. People smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business in the chaos which has engulfed the country since its 2011 revolution.

Italy registered nearly 50,000 migrant arrivals by sea by mid-April, 97 percent of them from Libya, according to Rome.

The Libyan coastguard is believed to have picked up close to 6,000 migrants attempting the perilous crossing this year and returned them to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Nigerians have made up the largest group of people fleeing for Italy since January. Two million people are teetering on the brink of famine in the country's northeast, home to the notoriously ruthless Boko Haram.

The jihadist group launched an uprising there in 2009 which has since spilled over into neighbouring Chad and Niger.
22.05.2017 LISTEN

The mode of retrieving debts from customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) continues to be mindboggling despite powers at hand to prosecute defaulting customers, a lawmaker has observed.

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Hon. Rockson Nelson Defeamekpor has attacked the system used by ECG to retrieve debts from default customers.

The systemic failure in ECG is mindboggling because ECG has been empowered by law to prosecute defaulting customers for nonpayment of bills

SSNIT has also been empowered by the Attorney General to conduct their own prosecution but they all have not taken advantage of it the MP revealed.

This comes under emergence that the American Embassy in Ghana says it owes the power distributor ECG for two years but has not received billing from the Company in order to settle its indebtedness.

Hon. Rockson Nelson during panel discussion on Joy Fms news analysis programme Newsfile last Saturday took a swipe at ECG staff for their lukewarm attitude towards generating revenue payable to entities indebted to them.

When you come to my constituency the conduct of some ECG personnel is microcosm of the problem

In February, there was a bush fire in a community and as a result, it burnt down one of the EGGs high tension poles. A staff from ECG alleges somebody from Kayera was involved in setting the bush fire. Even though they came to replace the poles but they disrupted power to about three thousand people in Kayara . For over two weeks, ECG lost revenue from that community because they had not supplied power to them. I had to petition the PURC before they restored power there Hon. Nelson Rockson stated on Joy FM Newsfile.
Education stakeholders have expressed concern about the high rate of teenage pregnancy in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, describing it as alarming. The situation has led to several young girls dropping out of school.

Statistics from the Ghana Health Service indicate that in 2013, 417 teenage mothers delivered at health facilities in the district out of a total of 2,192 deliveries. This means more than 20 percent of all deliveries recorded at the facility were by teenage mothers.

A research conducted by NGO Global Women Development Promoters (GLOWDEP) and the Girl Child Education Department of the Ghana Education Service revealed that between September 2013 and March 2014, over 80 teenage girls got pregnant along the cause of their education and had to drop out of school from.

To help deal with the problem, GLOWDEP in collaboration with the French Embassy in Ghana has rolled out an educational campaign to promote girl child education, reduce incidence of teenage pregnancy and encourage girl child retention in schools.

GLOWDEP has held sensitization programmes in more than 25 basic schools in the district to educate girls to become responsible adults and stay away from pre-marital sex. More than 3,500 students have benefitted from the educational campaign. The project has also established girl clubs in schools to sustain the educational campaign.

We want to reduce the level of teenage pregnancy which is very high in the district. We build the capacity of girls, build their confidence and take them through adolescent health reproductive processes.

"This enables us to know how they can keep themselves so they can be retained in school and climb up the academic ladder, Executive Chairperson of GLOWDEP Mrs. Victoria Amaglo Norgbey said during a sensitisation programme at Mafi Dugameh Basic School at Mafi Dugameh.

She advised the pupils to be careful about peer pressure and to take their books seriously. Mrs. Norgbey called for support from various stakeholders to help deal with the problem.

Its our hope that the teachers and parents will support us in this effort. Sometimes, girls dropping out of school can be attributed to things the parents are supposed to do for them which they dont do for them, she added.

Headteacher of the Mafi Dugame JHS Dzidefo Borbie said they are worried about the problem and would need a lot more support to deal with it. The fact is that teenage pregnancy is endemic in this area. Its a headache to all of us. We have been trying to find means to stop it or reduce it to the barest minimum. It is not peculiar to my school. It is common all over the place, he explained.

Its something which breaks my heart. I sleep and sometimes I am not able to close my eyes because of these things....It is usual to have girls as young as 13 years becoming common pregnant, Mr. Borbie added.

Girl Child Education Coordinator in the district Madam Mavis Sadzi expressed worry teenage pregnancy has become prevalent in the district.

"Our teenage girls in the schools are getting pregnant each and every year. We are appealing to all the schools to cooperate with GLOWDEP to help deal with this canker.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Joseph Opoku-Gakpo |Joy News
22.05.2017 LISTEN

Ambassador Robert P. Jackson launched the 2017 Primary School Insecticide-Treated Nets distribution campaign today at the Southern LEKMA Cluster of Schools in Accra. Ambassador Jackson joined officials from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, representatives from the health and education sectors, and primary school teachers and children at the event, which celebrated the beginning of a U.S. government-supported campaign to distribute 1.3 million nets to Grade 2 and Grade 6 students throughout Ghana.

The U.S. government has supported this campaign, in partnership with the Ghanaian government, since 2013. It is part of the U.S. Presidents Malaria Initiative (PMI), which is led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Through PMI, the U.S. works with more than 200 partners across Africa to prevent, treat, and ultimately stamp out malaria through four proven and highly effective strategies: distributing and promoting the use of insecticide-treated nets, supporting communities to spray the interior walls of their homes with long-lasting insecticides, promoting the use of preventative treatments for pregnant women, and training and equipping health practitioners to diagnose and treat the disease. In Ghana, PMI works closely with the Ghanaian government and aligns its goals with those of the Ghana National Malaria Control Program.

At the launch, Ambassador Jackson said defeating malaria would save lives and stimulate global economic growth. He stressed that the disease could be stopped. Not many people realize it, but not that long ago, large parts of the United States were plagued by malaria. In the 1940s, the U.S. government established The National Malaria Eradication Program, which used similar strategies to those we use today. That program was successful: America permanently eradicated malaria in 1951, he said. I believe, if we all work together, we can do the same in every corner of the world. The main point is, we can stamp out malaria for good, he said.

President George W. Bush launched this initiative in 2005. In the past 12 years, deaths from malaria have been slashed in half, from more than 800,000 a year to about 400,000. In Ghana, all-cause mortality of children under five has decreased by 46 percent during this time.
Tataouine (Tunisia) (AFP) - A young protester was killed Monday after a national guard vehicle "accidentally" ran him over in south Tunisia, raising fears of mounting social unrest in a region rocked by weeks of protest.

The death comes as tensions have risen between protesters and security forces outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station.

Protesters have been camping outside the desert installation in the Tataouine region for around a month, blocking trucks from entering, to demand a share of local resources and priority for jobs in the sector.

"The health ministry announces the accidental death of a young man, (run over) by the national guard. He was a protester," it told AFP.

Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators in El Kamour on Monday as they tried to storm the facility, local radio said, with another protest later reported in the city of Tataouine some 100 kilometres (60 miles) away.

The head of Tataouine hospital, Ibrahim Gharghar, said "around 50 injured" people were admitted, including one who was hit in the eye by a tear gas canister.

The death of the demonstrator came two days after soldiers fired warning shots in El Kamour to deter protesters.

It was the first escalation since President Beji Caid Essebsi said earlier this month the army would protect key economic installations from being disrupted by protests over social and labour issues.

Late Sunday, the defence ministry in a statement warned the army would use force against anyone who tried to enter these installations.

The statement warned "all citizens of legal proceedings in the case of clashes with military or security units" and of possible casualties in "the case of a gradual escalation of use of force".

"One must understand that attempting to enter by force an installation protected by the army... is not a peaceful act... It requires a reaction," ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati told Express FM radio on Monday.

Army in Tataouine

Tunisian protesters, here shown on May 16, 2017, have been camping outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station for around a month to demand a share of local resources and jobs in the sector

An AFP correspondent said clashes also erupted on Monday outside the Tataouine governor's office after residents staged a protest in support of the El Kamour sit-in.

Footage shared on social media showed at least one injured demonstrator, and ambulances arriving, sirens screaming, at the city hospital.

"We only went out to protest after violence erupted in El Kamour," one participant said, asking to remain anonymous.

He said a small group set fire to police and national guard stations in the city, which local media also reported.

"Everything is closed in Tataouine. Just the army is here -- police and national guard have left," he said.

"We have no problem with the army, who behave in a very civilised way," the protester added.

The AFP correspondent said the atmosphere remained tense in the city.

In Tunis, dozens gathered near the interior ministry to protest against the violence in El Kamour. There was a heavy police presence nearby.

Tataouine, around 500 kilometres south of Tunis, has been rocked in recent weeks by protests over unemployment and poverty, and perceived marginalisation of the country's periphery.

Last month, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed travelled to the region in an attempt to address concerns but was shouted down and forced to leave a heated town hall meeting.

Dozens of protesters interrupted his speech with cries of "Work! Freedom! National Dignity!" -- a slogan from the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In January 2016, Tunisia was rocked by some of the worst social unrest since the 2011 protests that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.

Anger erupted after the death of a 28-year-old unemployed man who was electrocuted when he climbed a power pole while protesting in the central town of Kasserine.

That unrest had echoes of the public anger after the death of a young fruit seller who set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010 in protest at unemployment and police harassment.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-The Standard Bearer of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander Cummings, says he will accept the outcome of the October 2017 Presidential and Legislative elections in Liberia even if he loses, because he believes in the rule of law.

Elections will be held in Liberia this year on October 10th, bringing to an end President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's second term. Mrs. Sirleaf won her second term in 2011. She was first elected in 2005 as Liberia and Africas first female president.

Mr. Cummings said he believes and respects the ongoing electoral process in Liberia. He said he is excited to be part of the democratic process that would lead to the election of the country's next president. The ANC Standard Bearer, who is visiting the United States, made the statement on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at the Victory Harvest Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when a three-man delegation of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA) headed by National President, Moses Sandy, paid a courtesy call to acquaint the ANC's leadership on the Association's mission.

According to an ALJA press release issued on Monday, May 22, 2017, the ANC leader said his party respects the rule of law including the Code of Conduct and the election laws of the country. On whether his party was in violation of the Code because of his Vice Presidential running mate Jeremiah Sulunteh, who should have resigned two years prior to the election date as Liberia's Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Cummings explained, there is no way Ambassador Sulunteh could have resigned his post because he did not know that he would have been named the Vice Standard Bearer of the ANC.

He maintained the ANC's lawyers reviewed the Code of Conduct and found the party not to be in violation. He said for any code to become effective, it should have a transitional period and thinks the Code of Conduct did not meet that requirement. On his party's quest for the presidency, Mr. Cummings said the ANC has a plan to transform Liberia from its 19th century look into the 21th century; adding, the country's underdevelopment is more apparent in rural Liberia.

Commenting on the media in Liberia, Mr. Cummings said the fortunate thing happening now is that the country has a free press with the people saying anything they want to say, and said he welcomed the idea of ALJA being a neutral body that would help ensures checks and balances in the governing process of the country.

Earlier, ALJA National President Sandy briefed Mr. Cummings and Ambassador Sulunteh on ALJA's mission as an advocacy group dedicated to promoting press freedom, media development, and good governance in Liberia. He said the Association has no party affiliation, but would work with any of the parties that succeed in winning the election.

Other members of the ALJA delegation included Gardea Varney Woodson, National Secretary General, and Mr. Jackson Seton, President of the Delaware Valley (Del-Va) Chapter. The Chapter brings together US based Liberian Journalists residing in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

ALJA is a non-profit media advocacy group based in the Americas. The organization was founded in 1998 in Washington, D.C. The Association is a conglomeration of current and retired Liberian journalists residing in the Americas.

Signed by:

Gardea Varney Woodson

National Secretary General

610-212-1935

Approved:

Moses D. Sandy

National President

302-494-4688
Ahmedabad, India, May 22, 2017  India is the perfect place for the African Development Bank to focus on the transformative power of agriculture, Bank President Akinwumi Adesina has told the African, Indian and international press. India is an inspiration to Africa, in that its Green Revolution took just three years. That was in large measure due to the power of political will, he said Monday, and you will see much political will on display here at the Bank Groups Annual Meetings in Ahmedabad in the next few days.

President Adesina continued: See agriculture as agribusiness: its the best way to create jobs and make money. Our problem is that we have viewed African agriculture through the wrong lens for too many years. Agriculture is not a development activity or a social sector: its the biggest money-making business in the world. Its not for older people  the average age of our African farmers is 60  but its for young people. Thats why we have launched the ENABLE Youth programme with the aim of establishing 10,000 youth-run agribusinesses in every country in Africa.

A former Nigerian Agriculture Minister, Adesina stressed that agriculture is the most strategic sector for a countrys economic growth, and that a Minister of Agriculture needs to work hand-in-hand with a Minister of Finance and a Minister of Trade and Investment. And yet its only Governments role to create policy, incentives and infrastructure  its ultimately the private sector, which must step up and invest along the length of the agricultural value chain, from producing to processing, from farm to fork.

He asked what use it is that Africa produces 75% of the worlds cocoa beans, but produces only 2% of its chocolate. We simply have to transform African agriculture, he said. The African future is not, as some people think, based on oil and gas: you cant drink oil or smoke gas. The future is food  you can eat food. Our continents food and agriculture markets will be worth US $1 trillion within 13 years.

Adesina was addressing press at the start of the African Development Bank Groups 52nd Annual Meetings, held in Ahmedabad, India, from May 22-26, 2017. Thanking his Indian hosts, he said, In the spirit of self-determination, the African Development Bank  and the continent for which it works  is proud to hold these Annual Meetings in the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi.

Setting the scene, he described the African continent holding its own economically against global headwinds and commodity price drops, and in large measure exceeding global patterns, with four of the worlds five fastest-growing economies being in Africa, 14 of its countries growing above 5% in 2016, and 18 between 3% and 5%.

He described a Bank fit-for-purpose and stronger than ever before, which made a record US $10.4 billion of approvals in 2016, and US $6.1 billion of disbursements. These figures are the highest in our history, he said.

Fielding questions about the Banks financial status and its capacity to fill the funding gaps that inhibit the continents growth, he stressed the Banks AAA credit rating, and its ability to unlock others funding  at a rate of some US $4 for every US $1 of its own  to finance development. He pinpointed the continents untapped wealth  US $334 billion a year in pension resources, which will rise to US $1 trillion by 2030, and US $164 billion in sovereign wealth funds. There is no sense in these sovereign wealth funds investing outside Africa, he said, when they could be investing inside it. He charted the continents progress in raising tax resources and stemming illicit flows. The Bank helped to establish a tax agency in Togo, and within 12 months, tax revenue had increased by 25%, he said.

He cited the Banks partial risk and credit guaranty products designed to de-risk others lending, its capacity to coordinate syndicated loans (with a US $1 billion syndicated loan in 2016, across eight Banks, for the South African energy utility Eskom), and its co-financing arrangements, notably with China, Japan and Korea. So we are truly sweating the balance sheet, he said.

Our non-regional member countries support us with development funds, Adesina confirmed, but more importantly they invest in Africa for their own good. So India contributed US $27 million to our African Development Fund replenishment last year,  but in 2015 it announced a US $10 billion Line of Credit through the Exim Bank of India over the next five years for Indian companies wishing to invest in Africa. We have 80 member countries  yes, we need their resources, but we also need to help them increase their business and investment opportunities in Africa.

President Adesina also touched upon the Banks first priority, to light up and power Africa. We are the only multilateral finance institution in the world to have established a Vice-Presidency solely for energy, he said. Last year the Bank approved US $1.96 billion in new energy funding. The Bank has highlighted the Ouarzazate Solar Complex Project in Morocco, with a US $100-million loan from the AfDB, which will create more than 1,800 jobs and produce energy for 1 million Moroccans.

So I talk about money, of course, but above all I want to talk about the impact of the work of this Bank, he said. What matters most to me is not the financial figures, but figures like the fact that in 2016 we estimate that 3.7 million Africans benefitted directly from the Banks work to improve water and sanitation. Three point three million Africans benefitted from our work to improve electricity supply; 5.7 million from our work to improve agricultural yields; 9.3 million from our work to provide better healthcare; and 7.0 million from our projects to develop better transport systems. That is what this Bank is about  transforming African lives, and transforming the African continent.
22.05.2017 LISTEN

The just concluded examinations (UTME) conducted by JAMB on prospective candidates into universities has unfortunately become another tool in the hands of federal institutions under the APC administration to continue to attempt to humiliate Ndigbo in every area of their success in order to futilely make them appear as villains rather than as the victims of a jaundiced system maturing into a malignant cancerous entity.

Like an already well rehearsed script, no sooner had the exams ended than JAMB came up with a wild and ludicrous claim that more than 10,000 candidates were caught in exam malpractices in Anambra State, one of the nations leading lights and foremost fulcrum of the nations academic excellence.

It is obvious that since stars of external exams have emerged from the south east on a consistent basis in recent times, the common enemies of Ndigbo would, as usual, devise means of reducing the sterling performances of Igbo sons and daughters to malpractices in order to deny them their deserved accolades and right to higher education. Rather than follow the popular old saying that when you cant beat them, you join them, these traducers of our people would rather attempt to destroy them.

It is the same script that is playing out in the Ifeanyi Ubah saga. While he is being hounded for a purely transactional/trade dispute, those from other regions of the country earlier indicted in the oil subsidy saga are traversing the length and breadth of our nation like untouchable colossal capitalists.

It is generally the same fate for every Igbo man and woman who either excels in particular fields in this country or who dare to question the criminal lopsidedness of governance.

While Fulani terrorist herdsmen are having a field day turning villages and communities to graveyards with their relentless onslaught on innocent and defenceless citizens, it is Nnamdi Kanu and his comrades who have never hurt a fly that are brutalized, traumatised and wrongly tagged felons by the State.

The same measure has been applied to Ibeto Cement and other Igbo-owned enterprises, yet, the Igbo keep excelling to the utter consternation of riff raffs parading themselves as hegemonists.

Back to the JAMB issue which is the crux of this piece.

How could JAMB have so flagrantly claimed it caught about 10,000 students in Anambra alone cheating at the examinations and handed them over to the authorities?

There are many questions begging for answers here.

Who caught the cheats in such a large number and handed them over to appropriate authority? What is the definition of, or who are the appropriate authority? Let us even suppose that the appropriate authority is the police, which police station(s) have facilities to hold up to 10,000 suspects at once? Even famous stadiums like the Onikan stadium, Katsina stadium, Minna Township stadium, Sardauna Memorial stadium, Uyo Township stadium etc can only hold 5,000 people each at a time. We still await evidence to this obvious lie!

Unfortunately, while the Anambra announcement was released so much in a hurry in a bid to crucify Igbo sons and daughters and consequently deny them admission to universities, a more considered statement was released by the same JAMB 24 hours after where it said it would watch CCTV cameras to know centres where cheating took place and those involved.

If JAMB would need to watch the cameras to ascertain those involved in malpractices before taking appropriate action, why did it not wait to do that before declaring Anambra State candidates guilty en masse? Or is it only CCTV from Anambra centres that would be watched and reviewed? We are watching the watchers and we are reviewing the reviewers. Time shall tell!

Another contradiction that has got men and women of goodwill worried is that in the same statement where JAMB declared that it caught 10,000 candidates allegedly involved in exam malpractices in Anambra State, it turned around to say that the conduct of the exam in the state was successful and that There was no disruption of the exercise in any of the examination centres.

If Jamb was sincere, how could they tell us that the arrest of a massive 10,000 candidates did not in any way cause disruption of even the tiniest magnitude of the exercise in the state?

The said statement also remarked that the candidates adhered strictly to the requirements of the examination. If the candidates did adhere strictly to the requirements of the examination, then, where did the 10,000 cheats come from? Something is obviously fishy here!

From the foregoing, I have no doubt in my mind that JAMB seems to have allowed itself to be dragged into the politics of subjugation of the south east in every sector of our nation by the current administration of Buhari and APC!

However, I have good news for them and their sponsors, their time is up, and up for good. No longer will we allow such evil machinations against the Igbo to go unaddressed. The attempt to continue to subjugate our people and malign our sons and daughters for selfish political reasons can no longer work or be tolerated.

Even the NAN correspondent who covered conduct of the exam in Anambra seems oblivious of the Exam malpractice development as the only development independently reported by NAN was the monumental failure of JAMB under Prof Ishaq Oloyede to conduct a hitch-free exam.

Apart from the gross incompetence of JAMB which came to the fore under Oloyede in the avoidable hitches faced by students right from the registration processes through to writing the exam proper, parents complained that their children/ward were fleeced by those the examination body engaged as agents in the registration process.

This development so infuriated the ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan branch, Dr Deji Omole, who lamented the development thus: How can we ensure that the candidates prepare well for the exams when they spend weeks waiting for Personal Identification Number and are at the mercy of registration officers who force them to go to cybercafe where they have arrangements to first create their profile before they can have their PIN?

As if that was not enough, this same Oloyede cancelled JAMBs own organized mock exam for candidates on the same day (Saturday, April 8) that the exam was to hold long after the candidates had arrived at their respective centres for it. The candidates were not told that the examination had been cancelled until after about 2.00pm that day, leaving them infuriated and wondered why such an institution basking in past glory would not inform them of such a cancellation earlier until the day the exam was to take place.

It is only an institution under the Islamic scholar that could be so incompetent, so inconsiderate, so unresponsive and so irresponsible!

We also are aware of how many times this same Oloyede-led JAMB has postponed their exams due to their lack of planning and ill-preparedness, all of which became obvious on the day of the UTME proper.

Rather than hide under the convenient garb of a phantom arrest of 10,000 candidates in Anambra for malpractices, one is compelled to advise Oloyede to sit down and put on his thinking cap if he has any at all and do the right thing or resign, than allow JAMB to be used to emasculate, malign and tarnish the towering image of Ndigbo in academics and other areas of endeavour just to satisfy the primordial desires of his employers.

For the avoidance of doubt, Ndigbo will not succumb to this blackmail and attempt to deny our sons and daughters opportunities of higher education in order to make space for the largely illiterate north to take their spaces in the universities. They should make do with their shamelessly and ridiculously low cut off points already conceded to them to gain admission. Cutting back the Igbo quota any further through the backdoor will not be accepted!

---[email protected] ; Twitter: Stjudendukwe
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - The Gambia's justice minister said Monday that ex-leader Yahya Jammeh stole around $50 million via a state telecoms company, while a court froze his assets in the small west African nation.

"President Yahya Jammeh personally or under his instructions directed the unlawful withdrawal of at least $50 million," said minister Abubacarr Tambadou, describing withdrawals from accounts held at The Gambia's central bank and linked with state-owned Gamtel.

"We have today obtained a court order freezing or placing a temporary hold on the known assets in the country of former President Yahya Jammeh and companies directly associated with him," Tambadou added.

It is the first time the new government has officially confirmed the extent of what Jammeh stole from state coffers before leaving for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after 22 years in power.

The court order concerned 88 different bank accounts in Jammeh's name or those of his associates, Tambadou told journalists, along with 14 companies linked with the former strongman.

Jammeh ran everything from bakeries to farms during his tenure and was regularly accused of taking over successful businesses for his own gain.

Monday's order was designed to prevent Jammeh "liquidating or dissipating assets," the minister added, confirming the order applied only to the former leader's assets in The Gambia.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Peter Amewu, has caused the arrest of four expatriates operating an illegal gold mine at Tontokrom in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.

The mining company, Geo Professional Services (GPS), which flouted a May 17, 2017 directive by the Lands Commission, has been shut down by the Minister.

Your license is for small scale mining which is the preserve of Ghanaian nationals, in effect what you are doing is illegal.

See what you have done to the environment. You can't do this in your country. And I want you to stop work immediately, Mr Amewu ordered.

The four top managers of the company, Coemwotit Putats and Chepainyi Serchii, all Ukrainians, as well as Farid Issaer, a Russian and one other, are to be sent to Accra for prosecution.

Owned and run by Russians and Ukrainians, the company was mining on concessions fronted by three Ghanaian companies  Kasmil Mining Company limited, K. Afriyie and Sons Precious Metal Company and King Solomon Mining Company.

Each of the three companies secured licences for 25 acres of land from the Lands Commission but according to the residents, GPS has been operating over 500 acres of land for the past 25 years and causing devastation in the area.

Their activities have depleted the entire area, and destroyed four rivers that has been a source of water in Tontokrom.

Residents claim police and military personnel deployed to guard the mine assault them whenever they them on the illegality.

At the time of the Minister's visit to the area on Monday, five police personnel led by one Corporal Dorzie Peter and some military personnel were guarding the faclity.

They claimed their commander, one Ameyaw from the SWAT Unit at the Central Police in Kumasi deployed them to guard the mining company.

-3news
The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Standards Authority has described as "shameful and embarrassing," findings of an investigative committee claiming that the immediate past Executive Director of the Authority received kickbacks from a contractor.

Mr. Amponsah Bediako, told Joy News Editor Dzifa Bampoh on Top Story, they had been "suspicious" of Dr George Crentsil all along but never quite had any concrete evidence of corruption against him.

He was reacting to the damning details of an investigative report which cited Dr Crentsil for collecting $1.2 million kickback from a contractor undertaking construction work for the Authority.

The report which was intercepted by Joy News' investigative journalist Kwetey Nartey suggests Dr Crentsil in two tranches of $1 million and $200,000 collected the kickback from Lemet Construction, the company which won the contract to build a new block of the Standards Authority Training School at a cost of GHC15 million.

A whistleblower from the Authority was said to have triggered the investigation with an anonymous letter to the then Trades Minister Ekwow Spio-Garbrah who forwarded the complaints to the Board to investigate.

The whistleblower's letter came at a time when the project had completely stalled with no explanation from the contractor.

The Board instituted an investigation into the matter and found that colossal amounts had been paid as kickback.

Quoting portions of the investigative report, Kwetey Nartey said the Contractor, Johnson Teye admitted to paying some $1.2 million to the Executive Director.

When Dr George Crentsil was quizzed on the allegation, the report said: "the Executive Director admitted taking money from the contractor but refused to state how much, stating it was a sensitive matter."

In an another anonymous letter sent to Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the whistleblower alleged that the Executive Director collected not less than 30,000 cedis every month using the names of Mr. Sakyitey and Mr. Nargetey on initiations for destination activities for himself for many years now.

When the committee investigated this issue, it established that the 30,000 cedis mentioned in the whistle blower's petition in relation to initiations for destination activities was spent to facilitate various official transactions.

The matter has shocked many Ghanaians including workers of the Standards Authority.

The PRO Amponsah Bediako said "We have no doubt something went wrong" but called for a higher institution to investigate the matter further.

When he was asked if he could confirm whether or not the amount involved is $1.2million, the PRO said he could not but wanted investigators to get Dr Crentsil to "confess."

"When it comes to kickback no one will disclose. We were suspicious but had to wait for hardcore evidence.

"We only had some evidence some three weeks ago," he stated.

He stated, however, that the two projects- the training school and pesticide lab- have both stalled and the Authority is cash-strapped.

Amponsah Bediako who claimed to have had a fruitful working relationship with Dr Crentsil pointed out some strange behavior from his boss at the tail end of his tenure.

Meanwhile, Tamale Central MP and a Member of the Trade and Industry Committee of Parliament, Inusah Fuseini said the matter must be investigated and criminal action taken if a prima facie case is established.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
Tataouine (Tunisia) (AFP) - A young protester was killed Monday after a national guard vehicle "accidentally" ran him over in south Tunisia, raising fears of more social unrest in a region already rocked by weeks of protest.

The death comes as tensions have risen between protesters and security forces outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station.

Protesters have been camping outside the desert installation in the Tataouine region for around a month, blocking trucks from entering, to demand a share of local resources and priority for jobs in the sector.

"The health ministry announces the accidental death of a young man, (run over) by the national guard. He was a protester," it told AFP.

Tunisian protesters confront security forces outside the El Kamour oil and gas pumping station on May 22, 2017

Interior ministry spokesman Yasser Mesbah later told reporters the man was hit by a national guard vehicle as it was reversing and died in hospital.

Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators in El Kamour on Monday as they tried to storm the facility, local radio said, with another protest later reported in the city of Tataouine some 100 kilometres (60 miles) away.

Defence ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati said the protesters "used trucks to run down" barricades erected outside the installation.

The health ministry said 50 people were hospitalised after suffering from broken bones or the effects of tear gas during clashes with security forces both in El Kamour and Tataouine.

Mesbah said 13 policemen, six national guardsmen and a member of the civil protection unit were also wounded, with the latter in intensive care.

'We won't give up'

The demonstrator's death came two days after soldiers fired warning shots in El Kamour to deter protesters.

It was the first escalation of unrest since President Beji Caid Essebsi said earlier this month the army would protect key economic installations from being disrupted by protests over social and labour issues.

Late Sunday, the defence ministry in a statement warned the army would use force against anyone who tried to enter these installations.

The statement warned "all citizens of legal proceedings in the case of clashes with military or security units" and of possible casualties in "the case of a gradual escalation of use of force".

"One must understand that attempting to enter by force an installation protected by the army... is not a peaceful act... It requires a reaction," Oueslati told Express FM radio earlier Monday.

An AFP correspondent said clashes also erupted outside the Tataouine governor's office Monday after residents staged a protest in support of the El Kamour sit-in.

"We only went out to protest after violence erupted in El Kamour," one participant said, asking to remain anonymous.

"We have no problem with the army, who behave in a very civilised way," the protester added.

Tunisians tear apart a French flag as they shout slogans against foreign oil companies and the Tunisian government during a demonstration to show their support for protesters in the southern Tataouine region outside the French embassy in Tunis

Two protests were also held in the capital, with demonstrators echoing the rallying cry of Tataouine residents and chanting: "We won't give up!"

"The people of Tataouine are demanding their right to have a share of resources, and Essebsi responds with force," said Tunis protester Marwan.

Perceived marginalisation

The Islamist party Ennahdha urged calm but said in a statement that the people's demands are "legitimate".

Mesbah said the headquarters of the national guard in Tataouine was torched and security forces vehicles set ablaze.

An AFP correspondent said the atmosphere remained tense in the city.

Tataouine, around 500 kilometres south of Tunis, has been rocked in recent weeks by protests over unemployment and poverty, and perceived marginalisation of the country's periphery.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed travelled to the region last month in an attempt to address concerns but was shouted down and forced to leave a heated town hall meeting.

Dozens of protesters interrupted his speech with cries of "Work! Freedom! National Dignity!" -- a slogan from the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In January 2016, Tunisia was rocked by some of the worst social unrest since the 2011 protests that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.

Anger erupted after the death of a 28-year-old unemployed man who was electrocuted when he climbed a power pole while protesting in the central town of Kasserine.

That unrest echoed the public anger after the death of a young fruit seller who set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010 in protest at unemployment and police harassment.
22.05.2017 LISTEN

Adonten (E/R), May 22, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has expressed government's commitment to enhance the teacher professional development status of the country.

This he said would be done through the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL), which seeks to transform the delivery of pre-service teacher education and improve the quality of teacher education and learning through all colleges of education in the country.

He made the commitment in a speech read on his behalf at the 60th anniversary of the Adonten Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Region, on the theme '60 years of Hard work, Living the Dreams of the Founding Fathers.'

The theme reflects the vision, hard work and collective efforts of, Mr Moses Agyare-Kwabi, retired Circuit Court Judge and late Mr Djan Opare-Addo also a retired Circuit Court Judge.

The President explained that the New Patriotic Party's 'Teacher First' policy, recognised that a well-trained, confident and contented teacher was key in the delivery of quality education and vital to the national development.

'We want to ensure that there is a standard competency framework that will guide the training of teachers to the point where all teachers meet the expectations and aspirations of our pre tertiary school system,' he said.

He noted that the UK's Department for International Development was supporting Ghana's implementation of the T-TEL with 17 million Pounds Sterling from 2014-2018 and expressed hope about its implementation after 2018.

he President gave the assurance that government would put in interventions that would motivate and impact positively on teachers and students to work harder and give of their best.

Nana Akufo-Addo urged students to take advantage of the many opportunities available to them, work harder and be disciplined for brighter future.

The Headmaster of the school, Mr Stephen Aboagye explained that though the school continued to chalk out successes as the years went by, it continued to face infrastructural challenges, which demanded urgent attention.

'We need an 18-unit classroom block to facilitate decongestion, accommodation facility for both teaching and non-teaching staff as well as a school bus to facilitate movements in times of participating in external activities.'

He assured parents of the school's continuous support in instilling discipline by clinging firm to the school's rules and regulations, providing in-service training for all teaching staff to enhance knowledge and skills on the job.

'The school shall also fortify internal supervision and monitoring to ensure the reduction of absenteeism to the barest minimum,' he added.

Mr Aboagye appealed to stakeholders to assist the school achieve its aims of ensuring academic excellence through self-discipline.

Dr Lucy Asamoah Akuoko, Deputy Director of the National Blood Bank and an old student, called on teachers to equip the students with academic excellence, to build up a strong foundation in literacy, numeracy, science and humanities.

'We must holistically, develop their talents and equip them with skills and values that they will need for life, which will make them upright citizens and members of our society'.

The Eastern Regional Director of Education, Ms Gertrude Mensah, commended the school for setting standards that had impacted positively on the students.

'This school has seen steady development over the years and I hope the school community and stakeholders will continue to contribute their quota to ensure that it achieves greater laurels in the years ahead,' she said.

Nana Awo Adwoa Amene II, Queen mother of Aburi and Akuapim Adonten Traditional Area and the Board Chairperson of the School, called on the school authorities to use the occasion to rethink and strategise for a brighter future.

She advised the students to be creative and not to settle for mediocrity.

Otubuor Djan Kwasi II, Aburihene and Adontenhene of Akuapim Traditional Area, commended the school authorities for their selfless efforts in ensuring that the school attained greater heights academically in spite of the challenges they faced.

Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, the Member of Parliament for the area, commended the school for its great achievements over the past 60 years and called on the management and staff to focus on quality education, wellbeing as well as the personal development.

He pledged his support to help fulfil the dream of the school.

Students who excelled academically as well as hardworking teaching and non-teaching staff were honoured with prizes and citations whilst a burst of the two founding fathers was also unveiled in their memory.

GNA

By Linda Asante-Agyei, GNA
Accra, May 22, GNA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry France Ghana (CCIFG) would on Wednesday, May 24, organise a conference, in Accra, on how to maximise the opportunities offered by the ECOWAS Market.

A statement issued by the French Embassy, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the conference, which would focus on the benefits and challenges of the Sub-regional market, would advise on the best market entry strategy.

It said emphasis would be made on viable opportunities that could be taken advantage of; as well as the export and practical tips for companies.

It said the Conference would also give the best entry strategies to participants interested in extending their business activities to the Sub region.

About 70 high-level executives from various business sectors in Corporate Ghana would participate.

"It will serve as a learning opportunity for participants by providing information useful to their businesses, and also provide a platform to create partnerships, thus facilitating business networks," the statement said.

The Ambassador of France to Ghana, Mr Francois Pujolas, would deliver the welcome address, while the President of CCIFG, Mr Patrick Prado, would give an introductory speech highlighting the objective of the event.

The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Borderless Alliance and the GFA Consulting Ltd, are the facilitators of the conference, the statement said.

GNA
Accra, May 22, GNA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry France Ghana (CCIFG) will on Wednesday 24th May organise a conference in Accra on how to approach the ECOWAS market.

A statement issued by the French Embassy and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the conference would focus on the benefits, challenges and advise on the best market entry strategy into the ECOWAS sub region.

It said emphasis would be made on viable opportunities that could be taken advantage of, as well as concentration on export and practical tips for companies.

The statement said the conference would give the best entry strategies to participants interested in extending their business activities to the sub region.

The event would gather 70 high-level executives from various business sectors in Corporate Ghana.

'It will serve as a learning opportunity for participants, by providing information useful to their businesses, and also provide a platform to create partnerships thus facilitating business networks,' the statement added.

The welcome address, it noted, would be given by the Ambassador of France to Ghana, Mr Francois Pujolas, as well as an introductory speech highlighting the objective of the event by the President of CCIFG, Mr Patrick Prado.

Facilitators at the CCIFG ECOWAS Conference were the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Borderless Alliance and GFA Consulting Ltd, the statement said.

GNA

By Iddi Yire, GNA
Fiapre (B/A), May 22, GNA - The Northern Africa Regional Meeting (2017) of the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA), has opened at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) at Fipare, near Sunyani.

The five-day meeting is under the theme: 'Improving resilience to climate change, land and water resources: the role of the youth', and it's being attended by IFSA members drawn from seven countries in Africa.

Students' representatives from Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo are participating in the event.

Dr Emmanuel Opuni-Frimpong, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the UENR, lauded the theme for the meeting adding that climate change remained a huge challenge on the African continent.

He said until the menace was tackled in a more proactive and responsive manner, many African countries would not be able to attain targets set for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr Opuni-Frimpong, who is a Principal Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), called on Ghanaians to complement efforts by the government to fight illegal mining in the country.

He said illegal mining activities are major contributory factors to climate change, noting that if the situation was not brought under control, the country would experience extreme hunger and drought in coming years.

Dr Opuni-Frimpong said livelihoods, food security and human existence were threatened by climate change and it required a collective and radical approach to tackle the global challenge.

Dr Cyril Quist, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, expressed concern that the effects of climate change had affected annual food production in the region.

He said desertification, unpredicted weather pattern and erratic rains were the major factors contributing to climate change in the region.

Dr Quist said since climate change was a serious national and global challenge, there is the need for African leaders to ensure concerted and well-coordinated efforts to fight the menace.

GNA

By Dennis Peprah, GNA
In todays Money Morningwhy Trump is no different to any other presidentthe old Republican-led, military-industrial complex is backanother political parasite closer to homeand more

Its the oldest political game in the book. When youre under pressure at home, concoct an enemy abroad.

US President Donald Trump  facing criticism and possible investigation over his sacking of FBI Director James Comey  is trying to divert attention. From the Financial Times:

Donald Trump has launched a fierce attack on Iran, just a day after the country re-elected its moderate president on a platform of re-engagement with the outside world. Speaking to an audience of Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, the US president singled out Tehran for fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror as he called on Gulf nations to drive out terrorists and extremists.

When youre under the pump, focus your attention back onto the terrorists. If you cant look good absolutely, you can at least try and do so in a relative sense.

Ironically, Trump made his speech in Saudi Arabia, that hotbed of terrorism and authoritarianism. Echoing the simplicity of George W. Bush, Trump called the fight against terrorism a battle between good and evil.

For Trumps sake, lets hope the public buy it and rally around him

The real reason for Trumps speech and presence in Saudi Arabia was to do deals. The US signed a US$110 billion arms contract with Saudi Arabia and, before a meeting with Qatar yesterday, Trump said: One of the things that we will discuss is the purchase of lots of beautiful military equipment because nobody makes it like the United States.

Just as well the good people are the ones making the military equipment and giving it to other good people. If we let the evil people get their hands on it, who knows what will happen?

One thing is for sure: After a few months on the job now, there should be no doubt that Trump represents the status quo as much as any other president. That is, beholden to the military industrial complex, and completely impotent of bringing about the changes he promised his supporters.

Perhaps the prospect of Trump resorting to the politics of the military-industrial complex buoyed markets at the end of last week. US stock markets rose on Friday and commodity prices had a good session. Theres nothing like the cranking of the war machine to fire up commodities.

The Aussie market likes it too. In morning trade, the ASX 200 is up around 40 points.

The market is amoral, of course. It doesnt judge. If Trump wants to boost the US war machine by selling arms to dubious regimes, the market doesnt care.

Its hardly a new development though. The special relationship with the Saudis began back in the 1970s. The US was buying so much oil from Saudi Arabia that the trade imbalance was becoming a problem.

So the plan was to rectify it a little. One way to do so was to buy hi-tech arms. This had the benefit of entrenching the power base of the House of Saud, as well as making Saudi Arabia a regional military power.

US engineering firms like Bechtel moved in and starting building infrastructure in the kingdom, paid for with petrodollars.

The Obama administration went cold on the Saudi Arabia relationship, and tried to pose a conciliatory tone to its arch-rival, Iran.

But now Trump is in the house, the old Republican-led, military-industrial complex is back. Selling arms to tyrants and fashioning Iran as the foe.

Its politics 101. Lets see if everyone is dumb enough to fall for it again.

And if you were holding onto the hope that Trump is somehow different, you can forget it. Power mongers are all the same. Its just the scale that differs.

For example, political party One Nation  the voice of the Aussie battler  revealed itself to be just another political parasite today. From the Financial Review:

One Nation is on the back foot following a leaked recording in which Senator Pauline Hansons chief of staff James Ashby is heard discussing how to make money from this years Queensland election. Mr Ashby is heard outlining the plan in a secretly-recorded conversation featuring himself, Senator Hanson, Senator Hansons brother-in-law Greg Smith and a unidentified woman who appears to be opposed to the plan. The tapes, which have now been widely leaked, including to The Australian Financial Review, record a discussion in which Mr Ashby proposes plan where the party would sell campaign material, such as corflute posters, to One Nation candidates at inflated prices. The party would then profit when the state electoral commission refunded the candidates who had lodged receipts for expenses. There is an opportunity for us to make some money out of this, if we play it smart. Now I know they say you cant make money out of state elections, but you can, Mr Ashby is recorded as saying. And Ill deny I ever said this, but, what stops us from getting a middle man, or gracing. Im happy to grace in cash and double the price of whatever it is, and we say to the candidates, we will fund 50 per cent of this package.

The funniest thing about the story is that Mr Ashby said it was just a brainstorming session. And that it was illegally recorded by someone with an axe to grind.

If someone illegally records a political staff member discussing something illegal, who is in the wrong?

It seems to me that the line between politics and criminality is a very thin one indeed.

Regards,

Greg Canavan,

Editor, Money Morning
Shares of Sydney Airport Holdings Ltd [ASX:SYD] are down 1.1% today.

Why did Sydney Airports Shares Crumble?

The Advanced Passenger Processing system  used during check-in to confirm if passengers are authorised to travel to their destination  crashed at 8:00am this morning AEST, which meant that passengers had to be checked in manually.

The system error caused chaos, with large queues forming and delays in international airports located in Australia and New Zealand. The system was restored by 11:00am.

Shares were trading at $7.20 midday, down from $7.28 last Friday.

At the beginning of the month, Sydney Airport turned down the option of building Sydneys second airport at Badgerys Creek. The company cited considerable risks associated with the development and operation of the new airport as the reason. The truth is that they would have had to invest a considerable amount of money with years of no returns.

The new airport will now be developed by the government and is set to open by 2026.

The future for ASX:SYD

Shares seem to be recovering, and are now trading up at $7.26 at time of writing. Sydney Airport continues to work globally to attract airlines and increase choice for passengers. The company is also investing in roadworks and improving access to and around the airport.

Investors need to decide if the growth the company has had since 2009 will continue.

Selva Feigedo,

For Money Morning
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
President Donald Trump View Photos

President Trump was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

My fellow Americans,

This weekend I begin my first trip overseas as president  a trip with historic significance for the American people.

I will be visiting with the leaders in many different countries to strengthen our old friendships, build new partnerships, and unite the civilized world in a fight against terrorism.

In that spirit of unity, I will travel to lands associated with three of the worlds great religions.

My first stop will be Saudi Arabia  the heart of the Muslim World. There, I will address a historic gathering of the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations. I will represent the views of the American people frankly and clearly.

Many of these leaders have expressed growing concern about terrorism, the spread of radicalization, and Irans role in funding both. Now it appears Muslim leaders are ready to take more responsibility and a much bigger role in fighting terrorism in their region. Its about time we do it, well do it together, but it has to be done.

America cannot solve all of the worlds problems, but we can  and we must  help any nation willing to join in the common cause of eradicating terrorism from the face of the earth.

Next, Ill travel to the ancient city of Jerusalem to talk with my good friend, Prime Minister Netanyahu, about bringing peace and prosperity to both our nations. Israel is an important American ally, but in recent years we havent always treated them that way. Its time to renew our friendship.

While Im there, Ill also meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem to discuss ways to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

From there, Ill head to the Vatican, where I will have the great honor of an audience with Pope Francis. I look forward to speaking with the Pope about how Christian teachings can help put the world on a path to justice, freedom, and peace.

I will also meet with friends and allies in Europe at a gathering of NATO in Brussels and at the G-7 Summit in Italy. Finally, I will close my trip by saying thank you to some of the courageous men and women of the United State Military serving their nation overseas.

In my Inaugural Address, I pledged to strengthen Americas oldest friendships, to seek new partners in pursuit of peace, and above all  to always put American people first.

I also pledged that our partners must show that theyre partners, they must show that theyre friends, and they must contribute financially to the tremendous cost  the money that were spending  is so big; its so much; and its not fair for our nation. They have to help and Im sure they will. The fact is that Im excited about new possibilities for peace and prosperity  and I hope you are too.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
CHP Patrol Car Logo View Photos

San Andreas, CA  The CHP has released the name of the woman who perished in Fridays fatal solo vehicle crash in San Andreas.

According to CHP San Andreas Unit officials, 38-year-old Monica Latzen of Sacramento was killed after being ejected from the 2003 Toyota Tundra she was driving along Ospital Road as she was approaching Live Oak Road. While headed west at an unknown speed, Latzen reportedly veered onto the west shoulder of Ospital Road and lost control, spinning out while attempting to steer back into her lane. The truck rolled over, colliding with a large tree on the east shoulder. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Extricated by emergency personnel, her passenger, 39-year-old David Bonham of Moraga was flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for treatment of major injuries. Officials note that it is still unknown as to whether alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the tragic incident and that it remains under investigation.
Effect of corruption in Nigeria is horrible. Every citizen in Nigeria can now feel its consequences. Every sector of the economy is dreadfully involved in corruption. The new president - Muhammadu Buhari even launched a new anti-corruption policy. Still, no significant changes have occurred. What is the real effect of corruption in Nigeria?

Corruption in Nigeria

The dynamic impact of corruption in Nigeria is felt by every layer of the population. The most fragile social layer is poor households and small firms. Corruption in this sector of economy reduces any chances to increase human investment and capital. Cases of corruption in Nigeria are widely associated with poor public finance management. The increasing number of barriers from public provisions decreases the ability to do business.

Foreign direct investment sector has significantly decreased in the last decade. Foreign investments can provide real growth of GDP and jobs in Nigeria. Still, investors do not like the idea of spending even one cent in vain. Government effectiveness is also damaged due to the situation with corruption. The officials on high levels of Nigeria also get bribes. It means that their interests in creating laws can be strictly lobbied by price.

Corruption in Nigeria is associated with low standards of living. Should we be reminded that Nigeria is the richest oil country in West-Africa? Still, for more than half a century of its independence  Nigeria has not become an oil miracle. Most of the resources of the country are located in the hands of several hundred families. They live in luxury. Other Nigerians live in poverty. About 80% of Nigerians are poor by the international standards of living.

Effect of corruption in Nigeria hits the low layers of the population. People have to survive in the country where rules can be omitted if you have money. The distribution of financial resources in Nigeria is inadequate. It leads to the increasing growth of low-income families. The middle-class that should form the majority of the population has no significant effect on politics. The gap between the poorest and the wealthiest citizens is extremely wide.

Instead of hiring good managers who could change the country - the government desires to dive into nepotism. It means that Nigerians get highly untrusted government representatives. No progress can be made in Nigeria with corrupted government. Bribery and corruption in Nigeria have a long history. From the very beginning of its independence, the government officials did not miss any opportunity to steal money from the budget of the country.

History of Corruption in Nigeria

READ ALSO: Top 10 banks in Nigeria

Nigeria has a long history of corruption. Let`s take a look at the most scandalous!

- In 1975, the officials of Gowon Administration were involved in the cement importation scandal. This scandal included almost all officials of the central bank and defense ministry. Nigerian officials were accused of falsifying ships manifestos. Millions of dollars from the budget were lost.

- Olusegun Obasanjo administration was a deeply corrupt government. Even the head of the state was involved in scandals with telecommunication firm ITT. Olusegun Obasanjo was criticized for his Operation Feed the Nation Program. It was mainly associated with land stealing. His famous project Otta Farm Nigeria was supposedly born out of this scandal.

- The real problem with Nigerian corruption occurred during the administration of Shehu Shagari. Few buildings that contained the financial documents of the government officials were burned down. Few days later, it was shown that the officials transferred money from the country with the help of Asian importers.

- Babangida Administration helped corruption to obtain an official status in Nigeria. Ibrahim Babangida is accused of corruption, bribery, power abuse and even drug trade in Nigeria. His reign provided a new class of citizens in Nigeria. They are called nouveau riche. They were mainly the closest friends and family members of the state head. Ibrahim Babangida now lives in an exquisite mansion in Niger.

- Obasanjo established a new trend of corruption during his years in power. It was the first time in the history of the country that FBI and international detectives investigated the case of corruption in Nigeria. It was the first time a U.S. Congressman was involved in Nigeria corruption.

- Goodluck Jonathan managed to improve positions of Nigeria in the world corruption ratings. Still, his presidency did not miss scandals. They were mostly connected with secret deals between the NNPC and some people in the administration.

How to eradicate corruption in Nigeria?

The situation in Nigeria is drastic. According to the American financial researches, if the corruption in Nigeria does not slow down, then by the year of 2030, it will cover about 37% of GDP. It means that every citizen starting from today will lose about $1000 to corruption every year. By the year of 2030, this number will increase up to $2000 per person.

Still, if Nigeria tackles the problem with corruption in the next decade  Nigerians may expect to have about $535 billion of GDP by 2030. This tremendous sum can`t go without a price. The potential benefits of anti-corruption programs are enormous. It includes increasing number of jobs, conditions of life and wages. Alas, today the numbers provide a completely different picture.

The future of Nigeria is bright. Corruption in Nigeria can be dealt with. The desire of eradicating corruption should come not only from politics in high cabinets but also from regular people. Low-income families should be the main power of changes as they are the majority of the population.

READ ALSO: The Richest Woman in Nigeria 2017 - Top 10

Source: Legit.ng
- Engineer Seyi Makinde urged the people of Oyo state to be mindful of the forthcoming election in 2019 as Oyo state's debt profile under Ajimobi skyrockets

- Makinde said Oyo's debt profile continues to rise despite huge resources accruing to the state enough to move it from its condition

A former gubernatorial aspirant, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has blamed the high debt profile of Oyo State on the profligacy of the current Oyo State administration.

In a statement released on Sunday by Makindes media office on a recent publication by the Bureau of Statistics, which puts Oyo states domestic debt at N115.9 billion, Makinde said Ajimobis second term is plagued by an appetite for domestic debt and high recurrent expenditure.

He said this could plunge Oyo state to into economic paralysis if not checked.

The statement made available to Legit.ng quoted the Debt Management Office records saying Oyo state owed N4.8 billion domestic debt in 2011 when Governor Ajimobi took over.

Makinde said Ajimobi raised the debt profile to N115.9 billion

This has increased by more than 2000 percent within five years, while external debt over the same period reduced by just nine percent from $78 million to $71 million.

The crave for domestic debt by this administration must be the worst in the history of our dear state, Makinde said.

But what should worry any patriotic citizen of Oyo state is that the current debt value may have doubled by the end of 2017 because the government would have to borrow at least, approximately N100 billion, to fund the 2017 budget over which we raised alarm some months ago due to the unrealistic targets and spending.

READ ALSO: While battling $3m scandal, Governor Yari says APC has hijacked EFCC

He noted that debt is not particularly bad if borrowed fund is wisely channeled towards revenue-driving projects and infrastructure projects that yield economic productivity.

This is where the current administration failed woefully, always throwing money at problems without well thought-out solutions, impact and outcomes.

My policy team has carried out a profile of Oyo state and we have come to the conclusion that the state - with a prime place in history, large arable land, presence of education and research centres - can become the most attractive place to live, visit and work in Nigeria.

"Our assessment also showed that the resources that have accrued to this administration were enough to steer the state in this direction, he added.

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Makinde claimed that the danger that lies ahead for Oyo state requires a more innovative solution under the guide of focused governance.

He therefore advised that the people of Oyo state must be thoughtful in electing the next set of leaders.

It is almost certain that the current government will leave Oyo State in a precarious state and it will be a grave mistake to support the continuity of such, he said.

Watch this video as Rotimi Amaechi speaks on Muhammadu Buhari's administration so far:

Source: Legit.ng
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has received a foreign journalist at his home in Afara Ukwu,Umuahia.

Vanguard reports that the Deutsche writer Katrin Gaensles came all the way from Germany to see Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

In an earlier report by Legit.ng, Uchenna Madu, the leader of Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), visited the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Kanu.

Madu and his team visited Kanu in Abia state, on Thursday, May 18.

Although the purpose of the meeting has not been disclosed, they are sure to have discussed issues bordering on Biafra.

The visit by Madu was also to congratulate Nnamdi Kanu who was recently released from Kuje Prison.

IPOB in recent times have claimed that the movement is steadily gaining the attention of the international community

READ ALSO: Uwazuruike declared an outcast, as MASSOB distances self from May 22 celebration

Nnamdi Kanu has declared that no shop in the southeast will be open come May 30, when the heroes of Biafra are celebrated

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

It is also hinted that the forthcoming Biafra remembrance day was part of the topics on the table.

While the Nnamdi Kanu-led IPOB has declared May 30 as sit-at-home for all Igbo people, mostly those doing business in the Southeastern part of Nigeria, the MASSOB has taken May 22-30 to mark the actualization of Biafra.

The two groups are front liners in the pursuit of the actualization of sovereign state called Biafra.

MASSOB, has stated that 20 countries will be sending their observers to monitor the 17th anniversary celebration of the group billed to hold May 22nd to 30th.

Below is a Legit.ng video in which Nigerians react to the recent release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and the possibility of achieving the Biafra dream

Source: Legit.ng
A student of the Ogun state College of Health Technology has accused one of her lecturers of being responsible for her pregnancy after she slept with him to pass.

A lecturer identified as Dr Oluseyi Adu is facing a paternity mess after one of his students identified as Mosunmola accused him of being responsible for his pregnancy.

Mosunmola, a 28-year-old dental nursing student, claimed she had slept with Dr Adu just to pass his course.

Even though Dr Adu didn't deny being involved with her, he however said he is not the father of her unborn child.

Dr Oluseyi Adu claims he is not responsible for Mosunmola's pregnancy

READ ALSO: Couple who were prayed for by TB Joshua welcome baby after 10 years (photos)

Speaking on her dilemma with PUNCH, Mosunmola said:

Dr Adu is the Oral Health Coordinator for the college. During my three years study, he taught me two courses each semester. I have never failed his course.

When I got to second semester, 300 level, he awarded me 38 in one of his courses. I went to his office in August 2016 to know why I failed the course. I needed to pass all my courses to be able to go for my board exam.

He asked me if I thought I could just come to the school and go like that. He said if I dated him, he would waive the course. He said he didnt approach me in 100 level because another lecturer was interested in dating me.

The lecturer he mentioned told me in 100 level that it was either I paid him money or used my body to pass his course. Because I didnt agree, I failed his course. I didnt pass it until I got to 300 level.

I told Adu that I would date him, but I didnt want to have any problem, and he assured me that there would be no regret.

READ ALSO: Nigerian lady narrates how she married an Uber driver but his ex tells a different story (photos)

Mosunmola also revealed that Dr Adu made her write her board exams at the Head of Department's office. She claimed Dr Adu had given her his practical instruments and a laptop while they sat for the exam at the POGIL College of Health Technology, in Oke-Eri, Ijebu Ode, on August 21, 2016.

She claims that the lecturer had requested that she returned the instruments to a hotel where he had lodged earlier. She said:

I was preparing to leave when he called me back that I would be sleeping over with him. I met him with another lecturer in my department. I observed that the lecturer also had a female student with him.

From the hotel, we went to different places before we finally lodged in another hotel along Ilese Road. While I was with Adu in a room, my other classmate passed the night with the second lecturer in another room."

READ ALSO: Sanyeri reveals his financial status when he married his wife

According to her, she went for a pregnancy test after that encounter, only to discover that she was actually pregnant. She had contacted Dr Adu who gave her something to abort the pregnancy. She said:

I refused to take the medicine because the prescription was not from a medical doctor. He came down to my place to persuade me to take it, but I still refused. He asked me what I wanted and I told him that I needed to change my accommodation because the pregnancy was a shameful thing for me. He told me not to worry, that he would handle it. After that, we had intercourse again. When he left that day, I could not find my phone again. By the time I got another phone and called him, he started acting funny. Sometimes, he would just laugh at me.

Mosunmola then reported Dr Adu to different authorities in the school including the provost, but there was nothing they could do as he refused to budge. She then took the case to the Ogun state Ministry of Justice at Ijebu-Ode, where he was summoned.

One of the human rights lawyers identified as Kayode, reached an agreement with the lecturer, where he was made to pay her N5,000 and N7,000 for monthly feeding and ante-natal respectively.

READ ALSO: Meet Bishop Emeka Andrew, alleged member of Black Axe (photo)

Dr Adu reportedly stopped after paying for just two months, which made them go back to review the agreement. They agreed that he'll pay N50,000.

I didnt have any accommodation and I couldnt buy any of the drugs the doctors prescribed for me. I told him I would only manage the N50,000. He left in annoyance. Since March, the lawyer didnt call us back and Adu refused to pay the N5,000 he used to give me every month. I called the lawyer late March and asked him to help me get the N30,000, but the lawyer said I should not call him again.

She tried to reach the lecturer while he had a class, leading to him assaulting her.

I am now in my 38 weeks and anytime soon, I will have my child. I am an orphan and I dont have any of my baby items ready. I am begging Nigerians to come to my rescue. I know I have made a mistake, but I need a second chance at life. I dont have anywhere to go. It is a church that is accommodating me now.

READ ALSO: Woman cries for help to Nigerians over daughter's brain tumour (photos)

Dr Adu shared his own part of the story, saying:

"She was one of my students; but on a personal level, I never knew her until after they released her final results and she failed some courses, including mine.

Her HOD asked her to come and ask me if I could waive the course for her. She called me on the phone and came to see me in the office. That was my first contact with this lady. When she made her request, I met her HOD who said I should assist her. He said even if I did, she might not sit for the board exam because of the other courses she failed. So, I passed her.

When they sat for the board exam, I was surprised to see her and I asked her HOD why she wrote the exam when she had other courses she failed. He said people begged for her.

After the board exam, she came to thank me for the assistance and she asked to carry my bag and the instruments I used to conduct the exam. By the time she was leaving, I collected my bag from her, but I forgot my instruments with her.

READ ALSO: FG did not pay ransom to Boko Haram for 82 Chibok girls - Lai Mohammed

That day, I went to hang out with my friend at the pool of a hotel where we lodged. Suddenly, I remembered my instruments and I called her to keep them well. But she said she could come to where I was and she came. After dropping the instruments, she didnt leave as I expected and I decided not to bother her.

We were together at the hotel till evening. One thing led to the other. My brother, she slept in my room that night and we had intercourse. This was a girl I never dated or had any relationship with.

He claimed Mosunmola had tried to prank him with pregnancy a week after their encounter, and later told him that she was actually pregnant.

I decided to travel down to Ijebu to see her. She brought out the test result and said I was responsible. I told her I used a condom and she couldnt tell me that my condom burst. She said if I was afraid because I was married, I should not bother because the pregnancy actually belonged to her boyfriend and she merely wanted to see my reaction. I warned her and left.

The next time she called me, she said how would she take my pregnancy to her boyfriend, and that I should take responsibility for it. She said she would abort the pregnancy if I wanted her to, but I must rent a house for her in Ijebu Ode and then she described the kind of house she wanted.

When I heard that, I told her to do her worst, because it was obvious to me that she just wanted to blackmail me. She had been going round different places, telling people that I impregnated her. The question I ask is, did I rape her? Did I hypnotise her? You came to meet me where I was and we had fun, and now you are pregnant, and you are telling me I am responsible for a pregnancy I am denying?

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Dr Adu quickly reported himself to his wife afterwards to avoid the blackmail coming from Mosunmola.

When she brought the list for the baby things, I asked her, Why are you making me as if I am the father of your baby? Am I your husband? She suddenly flared up and said I should even go away that she didnt want anything from me again. She cursed me and after that encounter, I decided to stop giving her anything.

People impregnate people and nothing happens. Why is she treating me as if I had done something criminal? The worst that will happen now is for me to die. I am not a young man; if I die, people will cry and I will be done. But I also ask myself, what if the pregnancy is mine? My prayer now is for her to deliver safely and we will determine the paternity of the child.

Na wa o!

Meanwhile, see what Nigerians said when asked what they'd do if they discovered the child they raised wasn't theirs:

Source: Legit.ng
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- Atiku Abubakar has called for a change in Nigeria's current structure

- The former vice president said federating units need to be given more power

- He also called for a reform of the country's electoral structure

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the current structure of the country is not working and advocated for a restructuring for a better nation.

Premium Times reports that Atiku spoke at an event to mark his conferment as the Hero of Nigeria Democracy organized by the Hall of Grace Magazine in Lagos.

The All Progressives Congress chieftain called for restructuring of power that will see the federation units have more powers concentrated on them.

READ ALSO: Tinubu warns against military coup in Nigeria

He said: It will encourage states to compete to attract investment and skilled workers rather than merely waiting for monthly revenue allocations from Abuja.

This will also include the establishment of state police for the states that so desire so as to improve security. We must be open to changing the nature of the federating units such as using the existing geo-political zones as federating units rather than the current 36, of which only a few are financially viable.

Political decentralization must be accompanied by economic diversification. We need to diversify our economy away from the dependence on oil. We need to create opportunities for our people to engage in diverse economic activities which governments will then tax for revenues.

But we cant do that efficiently and effectively without accurate data. I have in the past called for an end to the self-defeating politics we play with census in the country. With all the data gathering and analytic tools in existence in the 21st century we have no good reason not to have accurate data on our people, down to the smallest unit, the individual.

Without data we cannot plan properly and all of us will lose, including those who try to inflate their population figures and those who want to suppress those of others.

Atiku spoke about the countrys dependence on oil saying it would not make the country better.

There is a saying that if you want to get out of a hole you dug yourself in you first stop digging.

So we need to stop our slide towards economic and political precipice. And one way to build a Nigeria that works is to identify what our people want and what they think our priorities should be. The next step is to assess whether the policies and strategies we currently pursue will adequately address those, and if not, in what ways they might be better addressed.

When you talk to ordinary Nigerians as I do regularly what they profess to be at the top of their priority list include the provision of and access to high quality education and training; infrastructure such as power, roads, railways and ports; security; employment and job creation; and accountability and reduced corruption.

They also call for a reorientation of values, which, I think, will come mainly from the change of behaviour by leaders. A Nigeria that works would be one that effectively and efficiently meets these needs.

Atiku also spoke about Nigerias electoral structure saying it needs to undergo changes to make it more independent and transparent.

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He said: For example, funding the electoral umpire from the first line charge in the Consolidated Revenue Fund is critical; transferring the power to appoint the chairman of the electoral umpire from the President to the National Judicial Council will help, as will efforts to curb the role of money and godfathers in our elections.

I have also been arguing that the declared winner of an election should not be allowed to assume office until all legal challenges to that election have been resolved.

We also need to reform the anti-corruption agencies to help depoliticize them and make them really independent. This will help to strengthen the fight against corruption, which is critical in renewing our peoples belief in the integrity of public institutions and pubic officials. Such a reform will require changes to how the agencies are funded, how their heads are appointed and who they report to.

Meanwhile, the presidency officially responded to the recent call by BBOG co-covener, Aisha Yesufu, asking President Buhari to step aside due to his illness.

In an open letter to Yesufu posted on her Facebook page, the personal assistant to President Buhari on social media, Lauretta Onochie advised the social activist to step aside.

According to Onochie, Yesufu is painting BBOG in a bad light and needs to get seek help and get busy with other things.

Femi Fani-Kayode in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng revealed what President Muhammadu Buhari told him when they met

Source: Legit.ng
ST. LOUIS, MO - A home for pregnant women, a group of Catholic grade schools, and a for-profit holding company and its owner have come together to sue the city of St. Louis for violating their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and speech, among other federal and state laws. Archbishop Robert Carlson, Thomas More Society Special Counsel Sarah Pitlyk, and Peggy Forrest of Our Ladys Inn will speak at a press conference on Monday, May 22, to address the lawsuit.

The case, filed today by the Thomas More Society asserts that the recently enacted city Ordinance 70459 extends protected class status to any person who advocates or supports abortion  while discriminating against those who seek to promote life or offer pro-life alternatives to abortion.

The city has taken the protections typically granted to prevent discrimination for race, age, religion, sex or disability and applied them to those who have made or expect to make reproductive health decisions, explained Sarah Pitlyk, Thomas More Society Special Counsel, where reproductive health decisions is so overbroad as to include any decision that is any way related to contraceptive use or abortion. The law would therefore force nonprofit organizations like Our Ladys Inn, whose mission is to promote and facilitate abortion alternatives, to hire abortion advocates, despite their opposition to the ministrys reason for existence.

Pitlyk noted that the Missouri legislature continues to fund life affirming programs, including $6.46 million for the Alternatives to Abortion program, and has cut support of Planned Parenthood and other agencies that perform or refer for abortions not necessary to save the life of the mother. She stated, The City of St. Louis, by pushing an abortion agenda, is clearly out of step with the rest of the state.

Our Ladys Inn, the Archdiocesan Elementary Schools of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, OBrien Industrial Holdings, LLC, and Frank Robert OBrien are seeking judicial review of Ordinance 70459, also known as Board Bill 203 Committee Substitute, because it violates their rights under the U.S. Constitution and various Missouri statutes.

The ordinance, enacted in February, was represented as addressing discrimination in employment, housing and realty against individuals who have had, or were planning to have, abortions. Proponents and sponsors of the ordinance, however, were unable to point to the actual occurrence of any such discrimination in the City of St. Louis. Pitlyk labels it, a remedy in search of a problem.

The complaint lists multiple federal constitutional causes of action against the ordinance, including violations of the:

Free Speech clause of the First Amendment

Right to Expressive Association under the First Amendment

Religion clauses of the First Amendment

Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

City of St. Louis Ordinance 70459 also violates the following Missouri state laws, according to the filing:

Two laws that prohibit mandating employer-provided insurance coverage for abortion (Mo. Rev. Stat. 191.724 and Mo. Rev. Stat. 376.805)

Two laws that provide for maternity homes, adoption and pregnancy assistance for low-income women (Mo. Rev. Stat. 188.325 and Mo. Rev. Stat. 135.600)

The Missouri Religious Freedom Restoration Act (Mo. Rev. Stat. 1.302 and Mo. Rev. Stat. 1.307)

The language of the new law creates protections for anyone who has made a decision related to abortion, even when the abortion is not their own, and even includes legal protections for corporations and all business organizations. It forbids any entity, including Christian organizations and individuals whose teachings hold abortion to be a grave sin, from refusing to sell or rent property to individuals or corporate organizations that promote or provide abortions. The laws limited religious exemptions are vague and undefined and do not cover individuals. The ordinance also purports to compel private businesses to include abortion coverage in their employee health plans, despite sincere objections by company ownersa requirement that has already been held unlawful by the Supreme Court of the United States (Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius et al.) and is also unlawful under Missouri law.

This ordinance does not exempt individuals with sincere religious, moral or ethical objections to abortion from its requirements in any way, stated Pitlyk, and even for qualifying religious organizations, the exemption for employment, housing and realty is extremely limited. That is unconstitutional, and directly violates both federal and state law. She added: Ordinance 70459 is unlawful and unenforceable, and we fully expect the court to invalidate it.
- Sen. Anietie Okon has assured that the PDP administration in Akwa Ibom state is on course and determined to deliver quality and people-centred leadership

- Okon says many politicians place their personal interest above the common good of all

- Okon says Governor Udom Emmanuel is resolute in fulfilling his electoral promises to the people in the state

Sen. Anietie Okon, the former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, May 22, said those who defect from People Democracy party (PDP) to the All progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom give politics a bad name.

Okon, in Uyo, accused the PDP defectors who switched camps of doing that for selfish interest because they lack commitment to the party.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that Okon reacted to the recent defection from PDP to the APC by some prominent politicians in the state and he described the action of such politicians as regrettable.

Those who defect from PDP to APC give politics bad name - Former PDP spokesman

READ ALSO: 34 years after her husbands demise, late Aminu Kanos wife dies at 89

According to him, many politicians place their personal interest above the common good of all

He noted that politicians have shown very little concern about collective interest of the people and the vision of building the state for the wellbeing of future generations

''Akwa Ibom politics runs on two clear lines, which are partisan. This is regrettable so far.As far as I am concerned there must be a point in political partisanship, where the greater interest of the people is placed above partisanship.

After politicking, there comes a period of governance. Governance is not to be one-sided. It puts the interest of the people first,'' Okon said.

It was said that about 200 members of PDP in Uruan local government defected to the APC on Friday, May 19, and three weeks before 500 PDP stalwarts left the party in Ikono local government area.

Okon absolved that the PDP leadership in the state led by Governor Udom Emmanuel for the wave of defection, saying that the governor was resolute in fulfilling his electoral promises to the people.

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As Gov. Emmanuel celebrates two years in office this May, the state is not owing workers salaries and entitlements like some states.

We are in a modern world, the important thing is to give satisfaction to the people and the governor is toiling day and night to meet the peoples needs, Okon said.

He assured that the PDP administration in the state was on course and determined to deliver quality and people-centred leadership.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng also gathered that two members of the Ondo state House of Assembly defected to the APC from the PDP in Ondo state.

The lawmakers are the majority leader Olugbenga Araoyinbo, representing Akoko North-West Constituency 2 and ex-Acting Speaker Malachi Coker, representing Ilaje Constituency 2.

The lawmakers said their defection became imperative after consultations with their constituents.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of a man who says that the APC is the worst party in Nigeria:

Source: Legit.ng
WASHINGTON - All too often, American citizens and police officers lose their lives to illegal aliens who shouldn't have been in the country in the first place. The newly introduced Davis-Oliver Act is named after two such California law enforcement officers, Placer County Detective Michael Davis, Jr., and Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver, who were both murdered by a criminal illegal alien. A new bill would ensure that state and local law enforcement officials would always have the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) says.

The legislation was introduced May 15, 2017. As of Monday, no members of the Illinois congressional delegation have signed on in support of the measure.
The controversy stirred by Eric Joyce over the alleged death of President Muhammdu Buhari has continued to set social media agog.

Joyce, an ex-British parliamentarian, took to social media a few days ago announcing that Nigeria's president had passed on.

It must be noted that the news was strongly labelled as fake and Joyce got some bashing.

However the ex-parliamentarian has stirred yet another controversy.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: After striking out Ali Modu Sheriff's application, Supreme Court reserves PDP leadership tussle for judgement

Ex-British lawmaker pronounces Buhari dead, Nigerians demand answers

In the early hours of Monday, May 22, Joyce taunted Nigerians with a question regarding the president's health status.

Below is the tweet with which Joyce stirred the new controversy.

READ ALSO: Disregard information about Buhari's death - Presidency tells Nigerians

Following his latest tweet, Nigerians are demanding answers, urging authorities to reply his comment and shut him up for good.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Below is a Legit.ng video in which Nigerians react to calls that President Buhari should handover to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo based on health grounds.

Source: Legit.ng
- The presidency spoke out concerning the news of President Muhammadu Buhari's alleged death as further speculated by a British politician

- Garba Shehu released a series of tweets stating the true position of the situation of the president who is in London

The information revealed by British politician Eric Joyce that Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari is dead is not true, the presidency has revealed.

READ ALSO: Aisha Yesufu is painting BBOG in bad light, she needs to step aside - Onochie

In reaction to the alleged rumour started by Joyce, who picked it from a fake UK Metro, the presidency has spoken out asking the Nigerians to disregard it since Buhari is alive.

President Buhari left for London recently on medical vacation

In a series of tweets by Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the presidency described the information as plain lies spread by vested interests to create panic.

Baseless rumors are trending again that an unpleasant thing has happened to our beloved President, Muhammadu Buhari.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

If you have received this information on WhatsApp or Facebook, disregard it because it is plain lies spread by vested interests to create panic.

Nothing unpleasant has happened to the President. No cause for apprehension. Thanks for the many calls, Shehu said.

Nigerians have been criticising Joyce for allegedly carrying what is considered false news about the country's president.

Some also wondered why the presidency was yet to deny the claim.

In reaction, the British politician posted on his blog: "First, if youre a president then its up to you to show people youre alive and well  its not up to your people to prove the opposite. Every politician in the world knows this. A statement from a PR guy doesnt cut it. Angry ripostes from supporters dont cut it. Only your personal appearance cuts it.

"Second, if youre a president and youre not well, then a doctor needs to come out of the hospital and explain to your nation whats up. This lets everyone, including your people and the markets, know if your alive at all, alive enough to recover or have just sprained an ankle."

He added:

Legit.ng reports that ever since Buhari recently returned to London for medical checks, many Nigerians have been calling for prayers for him since then.

Watch this video as Femi Fani-Kayode speaks about what President Buhari told him:

Source: Legit.ng
One of the creepiest images in the new Twin Peaks is a glass box, ensconced in a window in New York City, which is kept under constant observation in case something comes through it. (Not-such-a-spoiler alert: Something does.)

Twin Peaks, returning 27 years after its debut, is no longer brand-new under the sun. But in its familiarly inscrutable first two hours, shown Sunday night on Showtime, it still has the ability to turn your TV into that box  a quietly menacing portal through which something horrifying or wondrous might burst at any moment.

The broad strokes of the new story are easy enough to lay out. F.B.I. Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) remains where the series left him: in the Black Lodge, the red-curtained lobby of the netherworld where hes been trapped for 25 years. A wicked doppelganger (Mr. MacLachlan, Elvis-ed out in a leather jacket and mane of hair) has taken his place. For Cooper to leave, his evil twin must be returned.

But there is a lot left hanging in this far-flung narrative, including a briefly introduced thread in Las Vegas and the matter of who is watching that box in Manhattan and why. Weve also yet to see much of the huge cast  Laura Dern, Naomi Watts, Michael Cera and the returning Sherilyn Fenn, to name a few  that will populate this limited series.
The Huntsman Corporation is close to a deal to merge with a Swiss counterpart, Clariant, and create a large trans-Atlantic chemical maker at a time of consolidation within the industry, a person briefed on the matter said Sunday evening.

The proposed merger  an all-stock transaction that would create HuntsmanClariant, a business with a combined market value of more than $14 billion  was set to be announced as soon as Monday, said the person, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss confidential talks.

The deal would be the latest merger within the chemical industry. A number of producers, from Dow and DuPont to Bayer and Monsanto, have sought to combine to gain scale and cut costs.

Both Huntsman and Clariant have had relatively stagnant revenue in recent years, and the planned merger is meant to help each company find new geographic markets while creating opportunities to reduce costs. Together, HuntsmanClariant would manufacture coatings, resins and other chemicals for a wide variety of industries and would employ more than 32,000 people worldwide.
But then, when Barack Obama assumed the presidency, Fox News personalities played prominent roles in promoting the presidents Tea Party opposition, the campaign against his health care bill, and even the so-called birther campaign questioning his citizenship.

But the networks influence has been most acute in Republican politics. Several presidential candidates over the past couple of election cycles had either worked for Mr. Ailes as contributors at some point or shared a friendship with him, as Mr. Trump did.

On Friday, my colleague Bret Stephens, a conservative columnist, captured the two views on the right of Mr. Ailes, who died last week. On the one hand, he wrote, virtually nobody did more than Ailes to broaden the reach of conservative ideas among the American public. But he also pointed out that if Ailes broadened, he also debased, embracing populism for populisms sake and ushering in the Trump presidency.

He was hardly alone in saying Fox News and Mr. Ailes contributed greatly to Mr. Trumps political success. To the extent that theres something to that  and there certainly is  it comes from Foxs unique place in conservative media.

In its early years, Fox News was the prime-time megaphone of what was then referred to as the conservative echo chamber. Over the years, however, the rest of the conservative media factionalized like the Republican Party itself, with new players like Breitbart providing decidedly different views than those of The Wall Street Journal editorial page or The Weekly Standard. The idea of a single conservative echo chamber seems quaint.

But not on television, where Fox News is so often the echo chamber.

The question is, what happens if that changes? It doesnt seem likely to happen anytime soon. But in 18 years of closely covering the network, Ive never seen it in such a vulnerable position.

Think about it. In the last year it has lost its founding chairman; the prime-time star Megyn Kelly; its 7 p.m. host Greta Van Susteren; and, most significantly, Mr. OReilly.
SPRINGFIELD - Once an analyst for House Speaker Mike Madigan, Springfield lobbyist Christopher Stone is now focused on building a casino in the state capital's historic downtown, next to the Old State Capitol.

Stone's hope, says publicist Ryan Keith, is to "inject this idea in the final days of the legislative session for any possible push for gambling expansion."

The effort is to develop Springfield's downtown, where vacant office space and storefronts abound - 40 percent of those buildings generating no property taxes.
MONDAY PUZZLE  Its not unusual for children to develop a passion for certain things, especially if the things are tool-like in nature and come with all sorts of moving, interesting parts.

It might be a bit unusual  but very touching  to see a parent create a crossword puzzle as a tribute to that passion. I completely understand it, though; when your kids are grown, its hard not to look back on those innocent years with nostalgia.

Gary Kennedy, who has been published in The New York Times twice before in collaboration with his son, Stephen, makes his solo debut today with a theme about the very object that the younger Mr. Kennedy adored: the SWISS ARMY KNIFE.

Todays Theme

Just like a SWISS ARMY KNIFE, there are quite a few moving parts in this theme. The name of the item is split into three symmetrical entries at 1A, 43A and 76A. And then, like the knife itself, there are four items that branch off the knife  a CAN OPENER, a CORKSCREW, TWEEZERS and SCISSORS  much in the way they would in real life.
Hospitals around the country are scrambling to stockpile vials of a critical drug  even postponing operations or putting off chemotherapy treatments  because the countrys only two suppliers have run out.

The medicine? Sodium bicarbonate solution. Yes, baking soda.

Sodium bicarbonate is the simplest of drugs  its base ingredient, after all, is found in most kitchen cabinets  but it is vitally important for all kinds of patients whose blood has become too acidic. It is found on emergency crash carts and is used in open-heart surgery and as an antidote to certain poisons. Patients whose organs are failing are given the drug, and it is used in some types of chemotherapy. A little sodium bicarbonate can even take the sting out of getting stitches.

As I talk to colleagues around the country, this is really a problem were all struggling with right now, said Mark Sullivan, the head of pharmacy operations at Vanderbilt University Hospital and Clinics in Nashville.

Hospitals have been struggling with a dwindling supply of the medicine for months  one of the suppliers, Pfizer, has said that it had a problem with an outside supplier but that the situation worsened a few weeks ago. Pfizer and the other manufacturer, Amphastar, have said they dont know precisely when the problem will be fixed, but it will not be before June for some forms of the drug, and in August or later for other formulations.
For many years, Denis Kruglenko treated life as if it were a delicately calibrated performance. A gay man living in Belgorod, Russia, he knew that even appearing to be homosexual could be perilous. He did what he could to conceal his sexual orientation but it never seemed to be enough. Once, he was beaten up for wearing a pair of pink socks.

In 2014, not long after President Vladimir V. Putin signed sweeping anti-gay measures into law, Mr. Kruglenko fled to New York and applied for asylum. He arrived with little English or money, and found a home in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn.

The area, which is filled with Russian-speaking immigrants, offered the comforts of familiar foods, his Slavic language and landlords who accept cash payments. But he quickly found that southern Brooklyn resembled Belgorod in another way: His new neighborhood abounded with the same virulent homophobia he had hoped to escape.

It was almost like Id never left Russia, Mr. Kruglenko, 25, said. Being gay around here is a constant danger.
Saying conditions at Pennsylvania Station in New York have reached a crisis, and that planned track closings would lead to a summer of agony, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo appealed to President Trump on Sunday to recognize the situation as an emergency and provide funding for construction and transportation alternatives for commuters.

In a letter to the president, Mr. Cuomo also called for the federal government to facilitate and help finance a long-term solution to the stations troubles. Saying that he did not think that Amtrak, which owns the station, should continue to operate it, he suggested that another entity, possibly the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey or a private terminal operator, should take over the construction and management of the station.

And he urged the president to finance a bundle of infrastructure improvements for the region, including a new train tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, the restoration of Penn Station and the creation of a train hall in the James A. Farley Post Office Building. Mr. Cuomo has proposed creating a new hall for Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road in the post office building, which is across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station.

While this is not a hurricane or flood, it will affect as many people and businesses with dire consequences, Mr. Cuomo wrote of conditions at Penn Station.
From these sessions, I learned that kissing was part of some larger strategy called foreplay, and women could be on top during sex. What sex was, I wasnt sure, but eventually an older girl explained the technicalities. It was the final piece of the puzzle, but thats all it was  a piece. Novels added layers of complexity, rendering the plain facts almost irrelevant. Lush descriptions filled the gaps in our imagination where our knowledge of mechanics fell short.

I was starting to become a writer then. I had a folder of stories, mostly continuations of television episodes (there was a lot of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fan fiction in my early career). While doing my homework one evening, I had an idea: If romance stories were in such high demand, then I should write my own to distribute to my friends! Inspired by scenes from an omnibus published by that favorite of bosom-heavers, Mills and Boon, I found a fresh piece of paper and began.

My tales of couples tussling between the sheets enjoyed an enthusiastic following, which lasted about a week, until the stories landed in the hands of the class tattletale. I noticed her whispering to the teacher and nodding in my direction as we lined up to go outside for P.E.

Leave your bags here today, girls, the teacher called out. Her gaze flashed briefly in my direction. Throughout a course of jumping jacks and situps, the knot in my stomach tightened. When we returned to class, I made a beeline for my bag. The folder was gone.

In my travels as an adult, Ive come across clumsier forms of censorship. On some Turkish channels, an animated flower replaces cigars. (Let me confirm here that Don Corleone cuts a much less intimidating figure when addressing his men with a cartoon daisy between his fingers.) I watched an episode of The Simpsons in Thailand in which Homer got drunk on a can of pixels, previously a Duff beer. Perhaps the most labor-intensive censorship was in Saudi Arabia, where I came across print ads of women whose every inch of bare skin was covered up by scrawled black marker.
SAN FRANCISCO  A small Boston company, founded by the inventor of a popular corporate encryption technology called RSA SecurID, sued Apple and Visa on Sunday, arguing that the Apple Pay digital payment technology violates its patents.

The lawsuit, filed by Universal Secure Registry in Federal District Court in Delaware, says that its chief executive, Kenneth P. Weiss, received 13 patents for authentication systems that use a smartphone, biometric identification such as a fingerprint and the generation of secure one-time tokens to conduct financial transactions.

In the suit and in an interview, Mr. Weiss said he had extensive meetings in 2010 with Visa officials, including its chief executive at the time, to discuss working together on the technology. In the interview, he said that Visa had signed a 10-year nondisclosure agreement to gain access to the technology, assigned engineers to fully understand the details, but then dropped further communication without securing a license.

Mr. Weiss said he also wrote to Apple at the same time seeking to license his technology, but the iPhone maker never responded to his inquiries.
One university that many students here have heard of is Liberty University, the Christian college in Lynchburg, Va., founded over four decades ago by the evangelist Jerry Falwell Sr., where President Trump recently gave a commencement speech. But Ms. Hadley said she worried that the university would not prepare students for the wider world. I tell them, if you go to work in a different environment, theres a chance youll come across somebody who has a different view of a Liberty degree, she said.

At nearby Midway High School, the students say Yes, sir, and No, maam, and one womens restroom has a sign that says, Wash your hands & say your prayers cuz Jesus & germs are everywhere.

But the value of good grades is not as ingrained. Mariesha McAdoo, a first-year advising corps member from Duke, said it was heartbreaking when students came to her with low grades and test scores and it was too late to go back and fix them.

A lot of the kids here are just average, Ms. McAdoo told Dr. Hurd recently as they were discussing her success rate of getting students into top colleges. We dont have a lot of those kids getting the full-ride scholarships.

Ms. Hadley said many of her students thought college was only for the wealthy. Theyre surprised when I dont have money for the vending machine, she said.

She has made progress. The college enrollment rate at Hobbton went from about half the senior class when Ms. Hadley arrived two years ago to 59 percent last year, and is projected to reach 77 percent this year, though she expects the final number to drop as students find summer jobs and decide to keep working rather than go to college.

Mr. Peters, the senior at Hobbton, wrote his college essay about what it would feel like to go back to his high school in 10 years as a Middlebury graduate.
Ivanka Trump has largely cast herself as a behind-the-scenes force for moderation in the West Wing, but this week she will take her first real political risk when her signature parental leave plan is presented to a conservative House majority hostile to any new government mandates.

Her proposal for a $25 billion federal paid leave program, part of the budget plan that President Trump will release Tuesday, is a reflection of Ms. Trumps influence in her fathers inner circle. The plan has been her primary area of interest since the 2016 campaign, when she pushed her father to introduce a version of it on the stump.

While she has become a popular figure with some Republicans on Capitol Hill, she will discover how far her sway extends. As she tries to leave her first tangible imprint on the government with a plan that cuts against Republican orthodoxy, a buzz saw will surely await. The question is just how big it will be.

If it is going to be a buzz saw, I hope its going to be an intelligent buzz saw, said Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York. I think we have to realize that the ground has shifted. I dont mean the political ground, I mean the family ground.
Roxcy Bolton, a pioneering and tempestuous Florida feminist who was credited with founding the nations first rape treatment center and who helped persuade national weather forecasters not to name tropical storms after only women, died on May 17 in Coral Gables, Fla. She was 90.

Her death, in a hospital, was confirmed by her son David Bolton.

Ms. Boltons crusade for the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have guaranteed constitutional equality for women, was unsuccessful. But she was instrumental in elevating the prevention and treatment of rape into priorities for law enforcement and health professionals; persuaded National Airlines to grant maternity leave to pregnant flight attendants rather than firing them; and pressured Miami department stores to eliminate the men-only dining sections in their restaurants. (She reasoned that men and women sleep together; why cant they eat together?)

She also played a role in persuading President Richard M. Nixon to proclaim Womens Equality Day in 1972 and in recruiting Senator Birch Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, to introduce the Equal Rights Amendment. Congress sent the amendment to the states that year, but another woman, the conservative leader Phyllis Schlafly, galvanized opponents, and the amendment failed after not enough legislatures ratified it.

A scrappy, card-carrying member of the Daughters of the Confederacy armed only with a high school degree, Ms. Bolton typically jettisoned her Southern gentility to pursue her agenda of causes that may have initially seemed unfashionable.
MADRID  The ousted leader of Spains main opposition Socialist Party, Pedro Sanchez, made a remarkable comeback on Sunday, winning re-election as party leader only seven months after stepping down in defeat.

Mr. Sanchez won 50.2 percent of the votes, defeating Susana Diaz and Patxi Lopez, who won 39.9 percent and 9.9 percent of the votes, according to preliminary results released shortly before midnight here on Sunday, with 99.2 percent of the votes counted. Almost 188,000 party members were eligible to take part in the Socialist primary.

Despite his unexpectedly clear-cut victory, Mr. Sanchez faces an uphill struggle to revive a party that he led to two successive election defeats in which the Socialists received their lowest percentage of votes ever.

The two elections  in December 2015 and June 2016  were both won by the conservative Popular Party of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, but each time without any party coming close to a parliamentary majority. As a result, Spain was left in a political stalemate for almost a year, during which the main party leaders bickered over how to form a coalition government. In October, Mr. Sanchez was ousted by members of his own party, who did not want to risk a third election. His removal cleared the way for Mr. Rajoy to start a second term as prime minister.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia  As voters in Iran danced in the streets, celebrating the landslide re-election of a moderate as president, President Trump stood in front of a gathering of leaders from across the Muslim world and called on them to isolate a nation he said had fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror.

That nation was Iran.

In using the headline address of his first foreign trip as president to declare his commitment to Sunni Arab nations, Mr. Trump signaled a return to an American policy built on alliances with Arab autocrats, regardless of their human rights records or policies that sometimes undermine American interests.

At the same time, he rejected the path taken by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Mr. Obama engaged with Iran to reach a breakthrough nuclear accord, which Mr. Trumps administration has acknowledged Iran is following.

Mr. Trump has presented the shift as a reinvestment in historical alliances with friendly nations in order to fight extremism and terrorism. But the juxtaposition of the election in Iran and the gathering in Saudi Arabia seemed to highlight a reality of the Middle East that presidents have long wrestled with: how to choose partners and seek American interests in a region torn by sectarian splits and competing agendas.
JERUSALEM  Unlike the royal pomp and ceremony with which President Trump was greeted over the weekend in Saudi Arabia, the plans for his arrival on Monday in Israel had devolved into an unseemly political ruckus before Air Force One touched down.

An infuriated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to order his ministers to attend the airport welcome ceremony, the Hebrew daily newspaper Haaretz reported, after he learned that most of them were planning to skip it because there was no time scheduled for Mr. Trump to shake their hands on the tarmac.

Mr. Netanyahu also had to wrestle much of Sunday in a closed cabinet meeting with right-wing ministers of his coalition to win approval of even modest gestures meant to encourage the Palestinian economy and ease conditions in the West Bank and elsewhere.

The confidence-building measures were aimed as much at convincing Mr. Trump of the Israelis commitment to seek an agreement as they were intended for the Palestinians. Mr. Trump has said that he wants to seal the ultimate deal to resolve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an ambitious goal that has so far eluded two generations of American presidents and numerous international mediators.
In the afternoon, the judge and lawyers on both sides called 21 of the potential jurors for closer questioning, one by one, about how aware they were of the case, and whether they could remain open-minded.

[Sign up to receive updates on the Bill Cosby trial.]

Juror No. 8, a white middle-aged man, said he could  and could be a fair juror even though a family member had once suffered a sexual assault.

Acceptable, said Brian J. McMonagle, one of Mr. Cosbys lawyers, and prosecutors agreed.

The five jurors ultimately selected, three men and two women, all said they had not formed opinions in the case. As the pool is whittled down to 12 jurors, each side can use up to seven peremptory challenges to eliminate potential jurors without offering a reason; in selecting six alternates, each side will get three more challenges.

The defense team struck four potential jurors on Monday, and the prosecution struck two, including an older black woman.

Mr. Cosby, 79, arrived at the courthouse before 8 a.m., wearing a tan jacket, holding a cane and walking slowly with the help of an aide, and declined to answer reporters questions. In the courtroom, sometimes drinking from a bottle of water, he showed keen interest in the jury selection, whispering with his lawyers, leaning forward to hear, and smiling at some of the discussion between the judge and candidates.
One of the 21st centurys greatest choreographers is taking another drink from the fount of classical ballet: Alexei Ratmansky plans to create a new Harlequinade next year for American Ballet Theater, a reconstruction of Marius Petipas ballet Les Millions dArlequin.

The ballet, which will get its world premiere in June 2018 at the Metropolitan Opera House, will be Mr. Ratmanskys latest historically informed staging of a work by Petipa, the French-born choreographer who worked in Russia for decades, essentially defining classical ballet.

Ballet fans know the Harlequinade that George Balanchine, who danced in the Petipa ballet as a student in Russia, created for New York City Ballet in 1965. But Balanchine described his ballet as an attempt to remain faithful to the spirit of Petipas dances and drama without reproducing any of the actual steps of his time, adding, Who, in fact remembers them?

That is a path Mr. Ratmansky has been taking in recent years  trying to unearth long-forgotten steps from Petipa works that came to make up the classical ballet canon. Mr. Ratmansky has revisited several Petipa ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita and Swan Lake (choreographed in parts by Lev Ivanov)  studying historical notations of the original choreography in order to restore steps that have been unseen for decades.
Gradually, over the last 17 or so years, the situation has reversed. Many (not all) of the companys admirers take pleasure again in the way it dances Balanchine. And many (not all) take pleasure in a number of the ballets created for the company since 2000.

Thats thanks mainly to three choreographers (unsurprisingly all male, all white): Christopher Wheeldon, whose work showed intermittent promise from 1996; Alexei Ratmansky, older than Mr. Wheeldon, but largely unknown as a choreographer in the West until 2005; and Justin Peck, whose professional debut in choreography was in 2012. Their work for City Ballet  though they also create elsewhere  has now made it the worlds main source of important ballet choreography.

From Moscow to Seattle, Miami to London, companies are dancing pieces created this century for City Ballet, a phenomenal achievement. Sure, it would be good if more of the companys choreographers were women, and if they were not all white. Still, three importantly talented living choreographers is three more than most of us could see in 2000.

Of the 42 ballets at the Here/Now festival, 19, fairly enough, were by the three men: six from Mr. Wheeldon, five by Mr. Ratmansky and eight from Mr. Peck. Almost all of these repay rewatching. Many  including the festivals premieres, Mr. Ratmanskys Odessa and Mr. Pecks The Decalogue  have enlarged our ideas of what ballet can be. The rhythmic intricacy of the octets in Mr. Wheeldons Polyphonia (2001), the unidealized portrayal of love and community in the slow movement of Mr. Ratmanskys Concerto DSCH (2008) and the idyllic all-male quintet of Mr. Pecks Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes (2014) are high-water marks of 21st-century choreography.
Pulling off as many as 13 perfect pirouettes on pointe is astonishingly hard, but was simply a matter of course for Carmelita Maracci. Still, the day she did 17, students in the ballet class she was teaching in Los Angeles hoisted her aloft and ran triumphantly down Hollywood Boulevard. Or so the story goes.

There are lots of stories about Ms. Maracci, who died in 1987, at 79. Eccentric and enigmatic, she was lauded as a sublime soloist and a future star only to recede into obscurity, or as she called it, unplanned oblivion.

Writing about her in The New York Times in 1937, the dance critic John Martin said she was sure to rank among the great dancers of our time. But Ms. Maracci rejected the ballet establishment as commercial, and regarded its dancers as too preoccupied with ballet to broaden their horizons. She never joined a major company, and told admirers she wouldnt be caught dead dancing Giselle.

Instead, she preferred to create her own small pieces, blending ballet and Spanish dancing, which she choreographed for herself and her small troupe of four or five.
In the first movement, she is timidly approached by the fawnlike James Hay, who dances for her with quick, allegro finesse before kneeling and kissing her hands. Later, she is back, swirling her skirts under blood-red lighting in front of a line of women, then walking alone into the darkness. In the second movement, Ms. Yanowsky, now in a shorter red skirt, sometimes dances with eight men moving sinuously in their long black and red skirts, and sometimes stands watching as they partner one another in graceful, sweeping lifts and supported jumps.

The third movement brings Ms. Yanowsky together with the statuesque Reece Clarke (the Royal Ballets answer to Roberto Bolle) for a disappointingly predictable romantic pas de deux that gives way to a high-energy, confrontational ensemble finale. (The Hunger Games meets Spartacus, I jotted down.) When the group dissipates, the ballerina is left alone, rearing up in a final image under the large, mobile metal structure (by Jon Morrell) that is the works sole scenic element.

Mr. Scarlett deploys his large corps de ballet with skill and musical responsiveness, and the gender politics of the second section (the most coherent and persuasive part of the ballet) are interesting, although he is hardly the first choreographer to put men in skirts, dancing together, on a stage. The opacity of the central womans identity, though, feels obfuscatory rather than interestingly mysterious, and much of the male-female partnering is dominated by upside-down swirling lifts that are at first breathtaking, later oddly routine.

Still, Symphonic Dances is an intriguing piece  musically, conceptually, visually  and its a relief to remember Mr. Scarletts gifts after two recent disappointing narrative works. Together with Mr. Forsythes hyperkinetic Vertiginous, a virtuoso Tarantella (with Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambe), and Mr. Wheeldons much-improved Strapless (with a riveting Natalia Osipova), its a superior evening at the ballet.
What new insight can a bunch of Very Important Writers provide about the Israeli occupation of the West Bank? Phrased a little differently  Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman call these novelists and essayists storytellers  this is the question the two editors of KINGDOM OF OLIVES AND ASH: Writers Confront the Occupation (Harper Perennial, paper, $16.99) decided to pose on the occupations 50th anniversary. (Moriel Rothman-Zecher was associate editor.) They gathered their friends, most of whom, they admit, had never given the occupation more than a glancing consideration, and took them on weeklong tours of East Jerusalem, the village of Susiya in the south Hebron hills and the cities of Hebron and Ramallah, all flash points where Israeli control over Palestinian lives can be felt acutely. The result is an exhausting collection of essays. And with a few strong exceptions  like the pieces by Dave Eggers, Rachel Kushner and Waldman herself  they are what you might expect: fairly superficial, full of unearned authority and exhibitionist empathy. A parachute job.

But maybe because they are impressionistic and repetitive  staring out the window of a moving car at walls and checkpoints and then more walls and checkpoints  the essays do convey something of the state of the occupation at half-century. The accumulation of similar details, deeply etched marks of subjugation, dont inspire shock and alarm so much as a sense of gray permanence, like watching concrete hardening. In one piece, the Qalandiya checkpoint is described as an everlasting airport and in another the occupation itself is defined as depriving you of the ability to control time. Palestinian reality presents itself here as a line youre standing in that does not move but also seems to get longer in both directions.

Chabon and Waldmans collection is one of a number of new books marking the anniversary, which is really a double anniversary. It is 50 years since the Six Day War, in which the young state of Israel administered a blistering defeat to Egypt, Syria and Jordan. The war tripled Israels landmass overnight and gave it dominion over the lives of more than a million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Which leads us to the second anniversary: the occupation that followed. Tellingly, only one of these new books is actually about the war itself. Most of them are concerned with the seventh day, the one in which all of us are still living. It appears now to be a never-ending day.

The anniversary is a moment, in fact, to acknowledge that the Six Day War produced a grand delusion, one that five decades later reveals itself in these books. Israels occupation of large swaths of Arab land to which it had no legitimate right besides brute force was a problem. But it also eventually presented the possibility of a solution. There was now a way to solve the deep and existential conflict between Zionism and Palestinian nationalism  two peoples demanding sovereignty over the same land. The Jewish state could hand its mortal enemies the conquered West Bank and Gaza and thereby create two states for two peoples. This became the mantra and the dream, echoing through the decades.
THE WITCHFINDERS SISTER

By Beth Underdown

312 pp. Ballantine Books. $28

This is a novel for our times. Used by one of the most powerful men in the world in an attempt to discredit a political investigation he wishes were not happening, the phrase witch hunt has made its way back into our headlines. But even in the looking-glass world of 2017, the meaning of words cant simply be chosen at will. Beth Underdowns darkly resonant novel, The Witchfinders Sister, explores another time and another place to lay bare the visceral horror of what a witch hunt truly is.

Nine months ago, my brother Matthew set himself to killing women. In 1644, a clergymans son named Matthew Hopkins began to suspect that witchcraft was at work in the English town of Manningtree in Essex. Amid a civil war in which religion  the nature of God and the Devil  was at stake as much as the rights of king and Parliament, he persuaded local justices to back him in rooting out this demonic threat. By the time he was done, in 1647, more than a hundred women across eastern England had been tried and hanged as witches.

Image

Hopkins and his reign of terror are there in the historical record, but little is known about the private life of the man who became Englands Witchfinder General. Within this shadowed hinterland, Underdown gives him a sister. The killing has already started by the time Alice Hopkins begins to write, locked in an attic room for reasons we dont yet grasp. I will set it down, the full history of my brother, she declares, and what we comprehend instantly is the creeping dread behind every stroke of her pen.
 An explosion at a concert in England killed at least 19 people and injured dozens.

The blast reverberated through the Manchester Arena just as a show by the American pop star Ariana Grande was ending. Panic and mayhem seized the crowd, many of whom were young teenagers.

If confirmed as a terrorist attack, it would be the countrys deadliest since the 2005 London subway bombings.
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For years, Citigroup employees feared that millions of dollars the bank was moving to Mexico might be suspicious. Yet in many cases, the bank did not alert regulators or step up its monitoring for money laundering, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Even as the Citigroup unit Banamex USA was growing to dominate remittances from the United States to Mexico, the bank did not properly safeguard its systems from being infiltrated by drug money and other illicit funds, prosecutors said.

On Monday, Citigroup agreed to pay $97.4 million in a settlement after a long federal investigation into Banamex USA. In exchange, the Justice Department will not file criminal charges against the bank in connection with inadequate oversight of Banamex USA, which is based in California.

As part of the agreement, Banamex USA admitted to criminal violations by willfully failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering compliance program, the Justice Department said.
LONDON  The Huntsman Corporation said on Monday that it had agreed to merge with Clariant of Switzerland, continuing a consolidation push in the chemicals industry.

The all-stock transaction, dubbed a merger of equals by the companies, would create a business with a combined market value of about $14 billion.

The chemicals industry has been a major source of deals, as many of its biggest names try to gain scale and reduce costs. Recent transactions have included deals between Dow Chemical and DuPont and Bayer and Monsanto.

The transaction, which would create HuntsmanClariant, is expected to result in $400 million in annual cost savings. Combined, HuntsmanClariant would manufacture coatings, resins and other chemicals for a wide variety of industries and would employ more than 32,000 people worldwide.
The company that gained prominence by producing the foam clamshells that housed McDonalds Big Macs is the latest to be swept up by the wave of consolidation in the chemicals industry.

That company, the Huntsman Corporation, has agreed to an all-stock merger with Clariant of Switzerland that would create a chemicals giant worth about $14 billion.

Clariant shareholders would own about 52 percent of the new company, according to The Wall Street Journal, which earlier reported the deal.

Peter R. Huntsman, chief executive at Huntsman, would keep that title in the new group, which would be called HuntsmanClariant. The chief executive at Clariant, Hariolf Kottmann, would be chairman.
When an officer or director of a large company is caught up in an investigation, the corporation is usually responsible for paying the legal fees. Delaware law, which governs the majority of publicly traded companies, authorizes them to pay those expenses and many make it mandatory in their bylaws as a way to protect their executives when an investigation occurs.

That can result in very significant costs for the corporation, even requiring payments on behalf of former officers or directors who ended up causing harm to the company. For example, The Times reported that Goldman Sachs paid the bulk of nearly $30 million in legal fees for the defense of its former director Rajat Gupta, who was convicted of insider trading in 2012 for tipping confidential information about the investment bank.

Federal employees cannot expect that kind of generosity from the government and are largely on their own to pay for the lawyers. A federal regulation allows the Justice Department to provide representation or pay for outside counsel when the person is sued, but that is only when the lawyer is needed to protect the interests of the federal government. This provision is used most often when a law enforcement agent is sued and accused of violating the Fourth Amendment in a search or arrest, but not for those under investigation for potential personal wrongdoing.

Mr. Trump could offer to pay for the lawyers of those involved in the investigation, and the legal ethics rules allow a lawyer to accept payment from a third party so long as the interests of the client are put first and foremost. But there are limitations on gifts to federal employees, and the optics of a president paying for lawyers for others who might have information that is incriminating could make this politically unpalatable.

Under the old independent counsel law that expired in 1999, individuals who were the subject of an investigation could seek the payment of their lawyers fees if they were not indicted as long those costs would not have been incurred but for the inquiry.

Bill and Hillary Clinton sought the payment of over $3.5 million for their personal legal fees from the Whitewater investigation, arguing that they were subjected to a wider-ranging investigation than an ordinary private citizen would have had to endure. A federal appeals court rejected that argument, awarding them only about $85,000 to cover the cost of responding to the final report filed by the independent counsel.

The Whitewater investigation also showed the dangers of consulting with the White House counsels office during an investigation. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held that a deputy White House counsel could not assert the attorney-client privilege to shield discussions with President Clinton about the case.
Arconics recently departed chief executive, Klaus Kleinfeld, tried to fight back by sending a threatening letter to Paul E. Singer, the billionaire founder of Elliott. The missive, which included references to a Native American feather headdress and a rendition of Singin in the Rain performed in a fountain, is a gem.

That didnt work out so well. Days later, Mr. Kleinfeld was fired.

Arconic spent a few weeks trying to keep up the fight after replacing Mr. Kleinfeld. But just over a month after the shake-up, it decided it was best to make peace with Elliott.

Arconic shares were up more than 2 percent in early trading on the news.

What to Watch For: Fed Speakers, a Chemicals Deal and Twitters Annual Meeting

 The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Neel Kashkari, and the Federal Reserve System governor Lael Brainard will deliver speeches in Minneapolis, while Patrick T. Harker, president of the Philadelphia Fed, will speak in Philadelphia.

 The Huntsman Corporation, which gained prominence making containers for McDonalds Big Macs, has agreed to merge with Clariant of Switzerland in a deal that would create a chemicals industry giant.

 Twitter will hold its annual meeting in San Francisco.

 Finance ministers from the 19 eurozone countries will meet in Brussels to discuss Greeces bailout program. Greece passed wide-ranging changes last week aimed at clearing the way for it to receive a new tranche of funds.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Monday placed tight limits on where patent lawsuits may be filed  a unanimous decision that was a blow to so-called patent trolls, or companies that buy patents not to use them but to demand royalties and sue for damages.

Such companies have often sued in remote federal courts that have a reputation for friendliness to plaintiffs. More than 40 percent of patent lawsuits, for instance, are filed in a federal court in East Texas.

In recent years, a single judge based in Marshall, Tex., oversaw about a quarter of all patent cases nationwide, more than the number handled by all federal judges in California, Florida and New York combined.

Mondays decision was a victory for big technology companies and other patent holders, which have complained about what they called forum shopping in patent cases. Other companies have argued that it makes sense to let cases be considered by courts that have developed expertise in patent matters.
SAN FRANCISCO  Shaved head glowing under the fluorescent kitchen lights, arms tattooed from shoulder to wrist, the chef Mourad Lahlou of Mourad restaurant waved a flower-patterned Japanese fan furiously over the countertop brazier, inciting the charcoal to glow.

I look like a Moroccan geisha, but this works, he said, placing lamb and beef kefta  small, highly seasoned meat patties  on top of the smoking grill.

Nearby on the stove, a skillet of tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrot juice and a pantrys worth of spices bubbled and steamed. As the kefta browned, they were added, too, exchanging some of their brawny fat for the flavors of the sauce, everything on the way to becoming what Mr. Lahlou calls Moroccan shakshuka.

In Morocco, this is our fast food, because it only takes an hour or two instead of all day, he said.
Jared Sippel might have had too much time to think before he opened Italienne. The restaurant, the chefs first in New York City, has been open since the fall and is on its way to being something well out of the ordinary. But Mr. Sippel is trying to do so many things at once that his point of view gets garbled. The potential for confusion is even embedded in the name, which means Italian in French.

Two rooms, with different styles and food, are spread out across a deep, high-ceilinged spot just west of Madison Square Park. Up front is the Taverna, where you can study the generally Italian menu of snacks and more over a cocktail and some pink folds of San Daniele prosciutto, shaved on a fire-engine-red slicer that is on display at the end of the bar like Clark Gables Harley at Kiehls.

Past the bar you enter the polished, expensive Dining Room, where the food is much more French, is arranged with an eye on negative space, and is available a la carte or as a six-course, $140 tasting menu, wine pairing optional. On Monday nights, this half of the enterprise switches over to a four-course set menu devoted to the cooking of a single region, which could be French, or Italian.

These party-in-the-front, business-in-the-back setups are complex propositions. Theyre not hot-dog stands. Mr. Sippel has made a tough job tougher by taking on two countries and more than one style of cooking, and layering the formal-casual split on top. At times, Italienne is like somebody who starts to tell you a joke about a priest, a rabbi and an imam in a rowboat and ends up talking about Maimonidean law.
PIETRASANTA, Italy  Shading his eyes from the warm Tuscan sun, the artist Giuseppe Penone watched as a crane hoisted a bronze tree trunk into position to cradle an 11-ton carved marble block.

It was the first time that all of the elements of the sculpture, Leaves of Stone, had been fitted together as a sort of dress rehearsal, before it would be transferred to Rome. There it was unveiled on Monday in Largo Goldoni, in front of a downtown palazzo owned by Fendi, which commissioned the work.

Mr. Penone was pleased with the dry run. This work should work well in that space, he said in the yard outside the foundry where the bronze tree was cast.

As one of the protagonists of Arte Povera, the avant-garde Italian movement of the late 1960s that rallied around the use of humble materials to create poor art, Mr. Penone is having a busy year. At 70, he is installing artworks not just in Rome, but also in the United Arab Emirates, for a piece commissioned by the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Despite the loud Instagram makeup trends that continue to rage, a lot of women are feeling a disconnect. They simply want to make it out the door feeling as if they are relatively put together. Because, lets be honest, who has the time?

Im not someone who loves to be glammed up, said Simone Dufourg, who for years helped run the Prive salon in Manhattan. (Her father-in-law is the Prive owner, Laurent Dufourg.) She describes her aesthetic as very natural, but after becoming a mother and getting older, she realized that natural beauty actually took a lot of work.

A couple of months ago, Ms. Dufourg made an appointment with Dominique Bossavy, known for her skill in semipermanent makeup. She had heard about her through friends in Beverly Hills, Calif., where Ms. Bossavy has her main office. (Many, many women I knew were doing it, but they were not telling, Ms. Dufourg said.) But she went through with it after reading on Vogue.com about Lena Dunhams visit there to have her brows done.
It was a big weekend for red-carpet people-watching  what with the Cannes Film Festival, President Trumps first trip abroad since taking office, and the Billboard Music Awards  but for all the competition, the fashion moment I am still thinking about on Monday morning was the not-quite-royal-wedding-of-the-year, a.k.a. the nuptials of Pippa Middleton, sister of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, with James Matthews.

I think it may change a fashion career. Perhaps two. Really.

The designer in question is Giles Deacon, creator of Ms. Middletons lace-covered gown, a dress that was, like that of her sister, firmly in the Grace Kelly-marrying-Prince-Rainier continuum: high-necked, cap-sleeved, molded to her torso; fairy tale and contemporary at the same time, with a full skirt but not a stuffed one. Not radical by any means.

Which is what was interesting.

Mr. Deacon, after all, made his name as part of the cooler, conceptual strain of British design. Eccentric is an adjective often attached to his name. Hes the guy who put Cate Blanchett in an enormous strapless empire gown at Cannes in 2015, decorated with a digitized print he called a Tudor collage, and who dressed Solange Knowles in what looked like two oversize, unfurled fans for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute Gala that same year. Last year, he stepped off the London Fashion Week schedule to show couture instead; a signal, seemingly, that he was going to go even more extreme and extravagant.

So when rumors began to fly that Ms. Middleton had picked Mr. Deacon to make her dress, it seemed unlikely. There was speculation that he had done her party frock for the reception (an outfit that remains a mystery, as the social media ban for the party seems to have succeeded, an extraordinary achievement these days), but that a more establishment choice  Catherine Walker, who ultimately dressed Carole Middleton, the mother of the bride, or Jenny Packham, a favorite of the Duchess of Cambridge  would do the brides wedding dress.
Over the last 25 years, China, Ethiopia, the Maldive Islands, Peru, South Korea and Turkey had the greatest improvements in deaths avoidable through health care at their economic level, a complex but intriguing new measure of global mortality described last week in the Lancet.

By that standard, the United States improved slightly over the same period, 1990 to 2015. But the American ranking is still so low that its an embarrassment, especially considering the U.S. spends $9,000 per person on health care annually, said the reports chief author, Dr. Christopher J. L. Murray, director of the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, created by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Elected officials now struggling to reform American health care, Dr. Murray added, should take a look at where the U.S. is falling short.

The new measure takes into account at how well each country  whether rich or poor  fared at preventing deaths that could be avoided by applying known medical interventions. (The metric thus excludes many deaths from epidemics, smoking, obesity, guns, car accidents and so on.)
We are honoring each of the Top 10 winners of our Fourth Annual Student Editorial Contest by publishing an essay a day. You can find them all here.

Below, an essay by Sarah Heiland, age 18.

_______

The Collateral Damage of Defending Democracy

CIA-operated drones are leaving an unjustifiable amount of damage in their wake. Fahim Qureishi was thirteen years old when seven of his family members were massacred, he lost one eye and had shrapnel impaled in his stomach. Sadaullah Wazir was fourteen years old when four of his family members were murdered and he had both of his legs amputated. Nabila was eight years old when her grandma was obliterated in front of her, and Nabila suffered from severe burns and shrapnel in her shoulder. All of these children paid a high price despite the fact that there were no militants present.

When drone operators aim for specific individuals in what Barack Obama termed targeted killing, the intended target is rarely killed the first time. In running multiple airstrikes, many innocent lives are taken as collateral. United States officials claim that these strikes are precise even though they are based off intelligence that has resulted in twenty-eight people being sacrificed for every suspected criminal. In Pakistan, twenty-four men were targeted, but 874 people were murdered including 142 children. John Brennan, former CIA director, stated in 2011 that drone strikes apply targeted, surgical pressure to the groups that threaten us, but Fahim, Sadaullah and Nabila were not dangers to national security. Therefore, these drone strikes must end as there is no way to prevent innocent lives from being lost in an attack that may not even eliminate a potential threat.

Under international human rights law, the targeted individual must pose an imminent threat that only lethal force can prevent. Furthermore, Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life. Simply being suspected of some connection to a militant organization or fitting the profile of a terrorist in an area where terrorists are known to operate is not legally sufficient to make someone a target for killing. The United States cannot constantly reprimand other countries for their lack of regard about civilian life when the drone war itself overlooks these ethical values.
What attitudes do you and your peers have toward saving and spending money? Are there any common expectations that you have identified regarding the types of jobs and salaries you will one day have and the kinds of lifestyles you hope to have?

Are these attitudes and expectations in line with what older people say about your generation? What exactly do they say?

In Fact-Checking a Moguls Claims About Avocado Toast, Millennials and Home Buying, Linda Qiu and Daniel Victor write:

In an interview with Australias 60 Minutes on Monday, Tim Gurner, a 35-year-old real estate mogul in Melbourne, suggested that young adults would be more likely to be able to buy a home if they curbed their discretionary spending, citing that expensive brunch item. When I was trying to buy my first home, I wasnt buying smashed avocado for $19 and four coffees at $4 each, he said. Were at a point now where the expectations of younger people are very, very high. They want to eat out every day; they want travel to Europe every year. The people that own homes today worked very, very hard for it, he said, adding that they saved every dollar, did everything they could to get up the property investment ladder. The advice spread on social media, and it was not well received. Some found the statement impractical or insulting. In fact, research suggests that people from 18 to 34, a group often referred to as millennials, are no more freewheeling with their spending on travel and dining than other generations. And it would take a lot of skipped avocados to put a dent in the heavy costs of homeownership, which is not always a prudent financial goal. According to the Food Institute, which analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics expenditure data from 2015, people from 25 to 34 spent, on average, $3,097 on eating out. Data for this age group through the decades was not readily available. But the bureaus report indicated that this group spent $305 more than people from 55 to 64  a group that encompasses some baby boomers  and $89 more than the overall average, including spending among people ages 35 to 54.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

 Do you agree with Tim Gurners statement that the expectations of younger people are very, very high? Explain.

 Why do you think he blames the purchasing of avocado toast and annual European trips as why young people arent buying more houses? Could there be other reasons they are buying fewer house?

 Learning that young adults spend only slightly more money on going out to eat than people in other age groups do, how do you feel about Mr. Gurners statements? Do you think stereotyping is at work here?

 What assumptions have you observed people making about your generation in regard to things like work, money, possessions and expectations about what your lives will be like when you are grown and on your own?

 Do any of those assumptions seem to ring true? Explain.

 How do you explain the differences, if there are any, between your generations and your parents generations attitudes toward earning and spending money?
At the Correction Departments office of management, budget and planning, which oversees compliance with a federal consent decree for Rikers Island, roughly 180 fewer civilians are working than is indicated in Mr. de Blasios executive budget, while the personnel office has almost 50 more than its allotted amount.

The numbers tell the story of a department that is rapidly expanding  a small piece of what has been an explosion in the citys head count under Mayor de Blasio  but also one that is struggling to remake itself.

The understaffing at the investigations division is well known inside the agency and has been the source of consternation for officials. A federal monitor, put in place by a court order after a settlement with the city, highlighted the issue in its most recent report, which covers the final months of 2016 and was released last month. The monitor found the department was only in partial compliance with an order to hire a sufficient number of investigators to keep their caseloads at reasonable levels.

The departments deputy commissioner for legal matters, Heidi Grossman, has said the agency started with a low head count in its investigation division, and has been trying hard to hire more investigators. Weve undergone recruitment efforts and we continue to try, she told the Board of Correction, which oversees city jails, at a meeting last week.
To the Editor:

In To President, Human Rights Concerns Are Often a Barrier to Trade (news article, May 22), you write that President Barack Obama negotiated deals with Iran and Cuba without making human rights an impediment. In fact, Mr. Obama insisted on, and got, the release of most long-term political prisoners alongside our opening to Cuba, and when he traveled there, he called for free elections in a speech televised to the whole country.

No president has tied arms control agreements to human rights, but with Iran, the Obama administration continued to speak out against repression and to sanction abusive Iranian officials even as we negotiated a nuclear deal. We never argued, as the Trump administration does, that you cant do both at the same time.

President Trumps abandonment of human rights in our foreign policy betrays a bipartisan American tradition and projects a loss of confidence in promoting our interests and ideals in the world.

TOM MALINOWSKI, WASHINGTON

The writer was assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor under Mr. Obama.
American conservatives love to talk about freedom. Milton Friedmans famous pro-capitalist book and TV series were titled Free to Choose. And the hard-liners in the House pushing for a complete dismantling of Obamacare call themselves the Freedom Caucus.

Well, why not? After all, America is an open society, in which everyone is free to make his or her own choices about where to work and how to live.

Everyone, that is, except the 30 million workers now covered by noncompete agreements, who may find themselves all but unemployable if they quit their current jobs; the 52 million Americans with pre-existing conditions who will be effectively unable to buy individual health insurance, and hence stuck with their current employers, if the Freedom Caucus gets its way; and the millions of Americans burdened down by heavy student and other debt.

The reality is that Americans, especially American workers, dont feel all that free. The Gallup World Survey asks residents of many countries whether they feel that they have freedom to make life choices; the U.S. doesnt come out looking too good, especially compared with the high freedom grades of European nations with strong social safety nets.
Mr. Rouhani, a pragmatic centrist when he came to the presidency in 2013, ran to his own left this year. Having concluded the historic nuclear agreement with world powers in 2015, he now emphasized priorities hed abandoned in his first term: rights, freedoms and the release of the opposition leaders held under house arrest since 2010. He directly challenged the abuses of the judiciary and the political overreach of the Revolutionary Guards Corps, with which he has vied for authority throughout his presidency. What he hadnt accomplished already, he claimed, he hadnt been permitted to do. Whether he will be permitted now is a legitimate question, as is the extent of his willingness to battle the judiciary and Revolutionary Guards. But meeting the voting public where it stood meant staking his political capital on the promise to try.

The footage from Mr. Rouhanis rallies showed a sea of purple, his official campaign color, intermingled with just as much green, the color of the uprising the regime violently quashed in 2009. People held up pictures of that movements leaders on their cellphones. Mr. Rouhani has inherited this constituency, and while his embrace of it was tepid in 2013, he seems more comfortable in the role today.

The conventional wisdom about a week before the election held that with youth unemployment over 30 percent, voters were susceptible mainly to pocketbook appeals, cash blandishments of the sort that got Mahmoud Ahmadinejad elected in 2005. And Mr. Rouhani was vulnerable on the economy. He could point to no dramatic dividend from the nuclear deal. Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line cleric who served on a committee that condemned thousands of political prisoners to death in 1988, dusted off the Ahmadinejad playbook in a campaign that was supposed to galvanize the poor, the religious and the rural villagers. He didnt lose only in cosmopolitan north Tehran: He performed poorly across the country. This, despite the fact that 2017 by all appearances belongs to the worlds authoritarian populists and the fact that Mr. Raisi enjoyed the apparent favor of the security establishment and of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

There are as many possible reasons for Mr. Raisis failure as there are for Mr. Rouhanis success. Among them is the fact that Iran has abundant experience with populism. There is a whiff of it in the countrys post-revolutionary politics as a whole, whether from left, right or center. But the country has also had a very recent and well-remembered run with a president who made populism his calling card and then proceeded to drive the economy into the ground. Mr. Ahmadinejads 2005 rhetoric was politically potent, but the memory of his two terms in office is potent, too.

No election will produce wholesale change in a top-heavy, autocratic regime that has invested everything in its own survival. But the strength of Irans evolving civic culture is that it no longer appears to expect this. Twenty years ago, when it first appeared on Irans political scene, the reform movement made extravagant promises of democratic development. When President Mohammad Khatami and his idealistic coterie failed to materialize such change during their years in office, from 1997 to 2005, the public turned on them. Widespread voter apathy, cynicism and anger helped bring Mr. Ahmadinejad the presidency in 2005.
When it comes to criminal justice, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a man out of time  stuck defiantly in the 1980s, when crime in America was high and politicians scrambled to out-tough one another by passing breathtakingly severe sentencing laws. This mind-set was bad enough when Mr. Sessions was a senator from Alabama working to thwart sentencing reforms in Congress. Now that he is the nations top law enforcement officer, hes trying to drag the country backward with him, even as most states are moving toward more enlightened policies.

On May 12, Mr. Sessions announced a drastic policy ordering federal prosecutors to pursue the toughest possible charges against crime suspects in all cases, rescinding an Obama administration directive that focused on reducing punishments for low-level, nonviolent offenders, mostly in drug cases, and steering more law-enforcement resources toward the bigger fish. That approach was working: The federal prison population started to drop for the first time in years, even as crime has remained at historic lows.

Instead of acknowledging these gains, Mr. Sessions has clung to the familiar myth that longer, harsher sentences reduce crime and increase public safety. The evidence shows the opposite: To bring down recidivism, a punishments swiftness and certainty matter far more than its length. Longer sentences may even lead to more reoffending.
Prosecutors in Sweden announced on Friday that they were suspending their investigation of rape allegations against Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for five years. But that hardly put an end to this long-running reality show.

Let us recap previous episodes. WikiLeaks first burst into the news in 2010 when it began publishing secret material on American military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At that time, Mr. Assange also came under investigation in Sweden on the sex charges. That in turn led to an extradition battle in British courts, where Mr. Assange argued that Sweden really wanted to turn him over to the United States for prosecution. In 2012 Mr. Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy, where he will likely remain.
He concluded this grisly note with the directive: Find some truly hard people.

The following month, he ordered: It is necessary secretly  and urgently  to prepare the terror.

Lenin used terror against the avowed enemies of the state. Stalin turned it against the institutions of the state and Soviet society itself. Stalin followed Lenin, but surpassed him.

On Nov. 7, 1937, the anniversary of the October Revolution, Stalin gave a toast at a meeting of Politburo leaders that was recorded by the Bulgarian Communist and leader of the Comintern, Georgi Dimitrov, in his published diary.

I would like to say some words, perhaps not festive ones, he said. The Russian czars did a great deal that was bad. They robbed and enslaved the people. But they did one thing that was good. They amassed an enormous state, all the way to Kamchatka. We have inherited that state.

He went on: We have united the state in such a way that if any part were isolated from the common socialist state, it would not only inflict harm on the latter but would be unable to exist independently and would inevitably fall under foreign subjugation. Therefore, whoever attempts to destroy that unity of the socialist state, whoever seeks the separation of any of its parts or nationalities  that man is an enemy, a sworn enemy of the state and of the peoples of the U.S.S.R. And we will destroy each and every such enemy, even if he was an old Bolshevik; we will destroy all his kin, his family. We will mercilessly destroy anyone who, by his deeds or his thoughts  yes, his thoughts  threatens the unity of the socialist state. To the complete destruction of all enemies, themselves and their kin!

At which Politburo members voiced their approval: To the great Stalin!

By then, the domestic enemies of Bolshevik power had been virtually eliminated, even the stubborn peasants who had been decimated in the famine of 1932-33. The 17th Party Congress in 1934 was hailed The Congress of Victors, and Andrei Zhdanov, the Leningrad party boss and a Stalin favorite, could declare at the Soviet Writers Congress that same year that the main difficulties confronting us in the work of socialist construction have already been overcome.
It is increasingly clear that there is more to know than we now know.

There is more to know about former National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynns activities, and who knew what about those activities and when. There is more to know about the presidents interactions with James Comey and the reason for Comeys firing. There is more to know about the true extent of contact between Trump associates and the Russians.

Did the president have inappropriate conversations with Comey, then director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in an effort to exculpate himself and mitigate inquiries about Flynn?

Trumps and Comeys accounts, at least as they are being reported, conflict on these counts. One of these men is lying. And while I am no fan of Comey  his buzzer-beating hijinks with Hillarys email just before the election helped hand this country over to Trump and his cabal of corruption  I am more prone to believe him than Trump, a proven, pathological liar.

The crisis isnt limited only to Trump.

Did Vice President Mike Pence not know that Flynn was under investigation by the F.B.I. for lobbying on behalf of Turkey until March, upon first hearing the news? How can that be when, as The New York Times reported last week, Flynn told President Trumps transition team weeks before the inauguration that he was under federal investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the campaign, according to two people familiar with the case. Pence led the transition team.

How can Pence claim ignorance when Representative Elijah E. Cummings, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent Pence a letter on Nov. 18, explicitly spelling out:

Lt. Gen. Flynns General Counsel and Principal, Robert Kelley, confirmed that they were hired by a foreign company to lobby for Turkish interests, stating: They want to keep posted on what we all want to be informed of: the present situation, the transition between President Obama and President-Elect Trump. When asked whether the firm had been hired because of Lt. Gen. Flynns close ties to President-elect Trump, Mr. Kelley responded, I hope so. 

It isnt possible Pence knew nothing. I believe Pence is a liar like his boss.

We knew that Pence was a liar when during the vice-presidential debate he repeatedly claimed that Trump had not in fact said things that he was recorded on television saying.
Some experts have noted that viewers found Fox for the first time because of the crisis. John Moody, a Fox executive editor, reflected on that period: The Lewinsky saga put us on the news map. As he put it in another interview: Monica was a news channels dream come true.

Their dream was my nightmare. My character, my looks and my life were picked apart mercilessly. Truth and fiction mixed at random in the service of higher ratings. My family and I huddled at home, worried about my going to jail  I was the original target of Kenneth Starrs investigation, threatened with 27 years for having been accused of signing a false affidavit and other alleged crimes  or worse, me taking my own life. Meantime, Mr. Ailes huddled with his employees at Fox News, dictating a lineup of talking heads to best exploit this personal and national tragedy.

For myriad reasons  information gathering, boredom (I couldnt leave my home without being trailed by paparazzi) and a touch of masochism  I watched the news around the clock. On Fox, it seemed, no rumor was too unsubstantiated, no innuendo too vile and no accusation too abhorrent.

Lets not pretend that Fox News was the only network to cover this story in the gutter. Mr. Ailess station may have pioneered this new style of television reportage, but the other cable news channels didnt hesitate to join the race to the bottom. In fact, in late 1998, when Keith Olbermann briefly left MSNBC, he expressed disgust with the frequent Lewinsky coverage.

Just as television news was devolving into a modern coliseum, the internet came along and compounded this culture of shame and vitriol. Remember: The story of my affair was not broken by The Washington Post, The New York Times or the networks, but online by the Drudge Report. The comments on television and online were excruciating. I ceased being a three-dimensional person. Instead I became a whore, a bimbo, a slut and worse. Just days after the story broke, Fox asked its viewers to vote on this pressing question: Is Monica Lewinsky an average girl or a young tramp looking for thrills?
When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority opened the Second Avenue Subway extension in January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was quick to put his stamp on the new line. At news conferences, inaugural rides and even a star-studded New Years Eve party, the governor branded the project as his own.

Five months and innumerable subway breakdowns later, riders can hardly be faulted for asking: Wheres Governor Cuomo now?

New Yorkers have recently been treated to repeated subway meltdowns. This month, two power failures in Brooklyn caused delays and reroutings on seven lines. On April 24, a signal failure and track fire led to significant delays. And three days before that, a power failure in Midtown Manhattan led to a near systemwide breakdown.

These wholesale disasters come on top of all the minor breakdowns and delays that characterize a typical rush hour in New York these days. And each time these failures occur, we leave hundreds of thousands of riders stuck underground, sometimes for hours. The economic costs of these delays are enormous. But the human cost of missing work or school, or being late to pick up your kids from day care, or canceling appointments, is just as important.
Until recently, China and India have been cast as obstacles, at the very least reluctant conscripts, in the battle against climate change. That reputation looks very much out-of-date now that both countries have greatly accelerated their investments in cost-effective renewable energy sources  and reduced their reliance on fossil fuels. Its America  Donald Trumps America  that now looks like the laggard.

According to research released last week at a United Nations climate meeting in Germany, China and India should easily exceed the targets they set for themselves in the 2015 Paris Agreement signed by more than 190 countries. Chinas emissions of carbon dioxide appear to have peaked more than 10 years sooner than its government had said they would. And India is now expected to obtain 40 percent of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2022, eight years ahead of schedule.

Every one of the Paris signatories will have to reduce emissions to ward off the worst consequences of global warming  devastating droughts, melting glaciers and unstoppable sea level rise. But the tangible progress by the worlds number one producer of greenhouse gases (China) and its number three (India) are astonishing nonetheless, and worth celebrating.

There is also a lesson here for the United States. Piece by piece, agency by agency, the Trump administration seems determined to destroy or undermine every initiative on which President Obama based his pledge in Paris to substantially reduce Americas greenhouse gases: his plan to close old, coal-fired power plants, his proposals to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas wells, his mandates for more fuel-efficient vehicles. The excuse given in every case is that these rules would cost jobs and damage the economy  the same bogus argument once used by Vice President Dick Cheney to persuade President George W. Bush to renege on his campaign promise to combat global warming.
To the Editor:

Re Expel Evil, Trump Urges Muslims (front page, May 22):

During the campaign Donald Trump found it very convenient to demean politicians of all kinds. Politicians, after all, were the main component of the swamp he was going to drain. His speech in Saudi Arabia now confirms a discernible transmutation from candidate Trump to President Trump. The virulent anti-Muslim rhetoric of the campaign has evolved into a fairly conventionally stated American policy revealed in the speech.

It was a speech that could have been delivered by George W. Bush or Barack Obama. Inflammatory anti-Islam remarks were omitted, and there was a conciliatory emphasis on fighting extremism in the name of peace. Mr. Trump is apparently learning what every politician knows: Campaign promises are meaningless in the face of world and domestic realities.

What I am hoping for is that Mr. Trumps first foray outside the United States as president will teach him a thing or two about managing the political chaos he has caused at home.

PETER C. ALKALAY, SCARSDALE, N.Y.

To the Editor:

President Trumps attack on Iran in his public address in Saudi Arabia was both a cheap sop to his Saudi hosts and a dangerous precedent for the future politics of the Middle East. The Saudis have decided to combat their fears of Shiite opposition in their own land by blaming Iran.
 My colleague Mark Mazzetti describes his investigation into the deaths and disappearances in China of at least a dozen C.I.A. sources, amounting to what current and former American officials describe as one of the worst intelligence breaches in decades.

Background reading:

 Reporting on President Trumps warm greeting in Saudi Arabia and his speech to Muslim leaders.

 The investigation into how China has gone after American intelligence efforts.

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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Open the preloaded app called Podcasts; it has a purple icon. If youre reading this from your phone, tap this link, which will take you straight there. (You can also use the magnifying glass icon to search; type The Daily.)
It started with Einstein. His famous E = mc2 revealed a vast asymmetry in the cosmic relationship between matter and energy. In time, experts looked into the possibility of exploiting the disparity.

Today, North Korea is hard at work on that agenda. Its nuclear program has succeeded in producing blasts in the Hiroshima range. In each case, trillions of atoms in a tiny smidgen of matter  estimated at roughly one gram, the weight of a dollar bill  broke their nuclear bonds in violent bursts of primal energy.

The North now seeks to turn bits of nuclear fuel into even more powerful blasts. Experts say its ultimate goal is to transform an ordinary atom bomb into a hydrogen bomb, which can raise its destructive force by 1,000 times.

I cant imagine theyre not working on true thermonuclear weapons, said Siegfried S. Hecker, a Stanford professor who from 1986 to 1997 directed the Los Alamos weapons laboratory in New Mexico, the birthplace of the atom bomb, and whom the North Koreans in seeking recognition as a nuclear power have repeatedly let into their atomic facilities.
You know, when you do a mono-product line, you need to feel inspired by it, says Aude Casteja, the French designer behind the young brand Monographie. Her line is mono in that every garment is a riff on the same concept: shirting. In some cases, she has cut fabric away at the shoulders, while other pieces feature a bib front, an off-center opening or a series of cuffs stacked surreally up the sleeve. There are so many options, she says of the shirts possibilities. I feel its endless.

The plan to launch a clothing brand came to Casteja while she was working in marketing at Celine. The company was a good school for her, she says, but she eventually quit to study officially at the Paris fashion college ESMOD. She established Monographie at the tail end of 2016, and its second season  for fall/winter 2017  will launch at Barneys at the beginning of June.

I guess like many women, shirts are a key piece of my wardrobe and Ive been collecting them for years, she says. In putting them at the heart of her brand, though, she has become an expert on a much more granular level: I really think about every detail. Nothing is left to chance: the measurement of the cuff, the size of the collar, the buttons, the choice of the fabric  I like it quite thick, with structure, not too transparent.
Q. Is there any way to report problems or get technical support for a mobile app?

A. Apps are software, so if you need help or want to report an issue with the programs developer, there are a couple of places to look for the contact information. Open the problematic app on your device and check its menus for a link to Support or a Contact Us page. If the app in question offers such an option, you may find yourself in the programs online support guide and Frequently Asked Questions area, or get an email address to use for filing your complaint.

If the app in question does not include links to technical support documentation, go to the online store where you downloaded it and search for that apps page. Once you locate the page, look for links to the app developers support site and contact information so you can find the answers you need or report specific problems to the apps creators.
As if the poor guy werent conflicted enough, Hamlet has taken on an extra burden of ambivalence in the new Waterwell production of the play that bears his name. In addition to worrying about all the usual melancholy Dane stuff  whether to be or not to be, act or not to act, help or hurt his mom  he is now torn (to pieces) between cultural identities.

For this scrupulously reworked version of Shakespeares best-known tragedy, which opened on Sunday at the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, the Prince of Denmark has become the Prince of Persia. Not that any proper names have been changed in Tom Ridgelys streamlined production, which stars Arian Moayed (excellent in The Humans and a Tony nominee for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) and features the familiar Broadway faces of Sherie Rene Scott (as Gertrude) and Micah Stock (as Horatio).

But Jason Simmss handsome set  with its raised sapphire-blue-tiled stage surrounded by intricately patterned rugs  immediately signals that were not in Elsinore anymore. And when the specter of Hamlets father starts talking, that isnt Elizabethan English in which he wails; its Persian.
MIAMI  More than seven years after an earthquake shattered Haitis capital, the secretary of Homeland Security, John F. Kelly, announced Monday that he would grant 58,700 Haitians another six months to live and work in the United States.

The Haitians, who were visiting the United States or living here illegally when the earthquake hit, are part of a program called Temporary Protected Status that was made available to them after the earthquake, when conditions in Haiti were deemed too dangerous for them to return. On Monday, Mr. Kelly extended the program for six months, concluding that while Haiti was still not ready to absorb the citizens, a longer extension was not needed, senior Homeland Security officials said.

Haiti has made progress across several fronts since the devastating earthquake in 2010, Mr. Kelly said in a news release. The Haitian economy continues to recover and grow, and 96 percent of people displaced by the earthquake and living in internally displaced person camps have left those camps.

Mr. Kelly said he would re-evaluate conditions in six months to decide whether to allow the Haitians in the program to stay longer in the United States. But he injected a note of caution, saying they should begin preparing to return to Haiti in case their special designation ends on Jan. 22, 2018. On that day, Haitians would be vulnerable to deportation unless they had proper documentation.
WASHINGTON  An estimated 629,000 visitors to the United States  just over 1 percent of all travelers  remained in the country at the end of last year after overstaying their visas as students, workers or tourists, according to a report released on Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.

Although the figure represents a tiny portion of the estimated 50 million visitors to the country, Homeland Security officials say the failure of some people to leave when their visas lapse presents a national security risk. Two of the Sept. 11 hijackers, Satam al-Suqami and Nawaq Alhazmi, had overstayed their visas.

The report, just the second issued in the last 20 years despite being required annually by law, tracked overstays by citizens of countries that require a visa and of the three dozen or so countries, mostly in Europe, that participate in the visa-waiver program, which allows their citizens to visit the United States without a visa on trips of 90 days or less.

The highest rates of overstays were from countries outside the visa-waiver program. For example, 13 percent of the visitors from Afghanistan overstayed their visas, while nearly 11 percent of those from Iraq overstayed. The highest rates of overstays were from African countries. A quarter of all visitors from Burkina Faso and Djibouti overstayed their tourist or business visa.
While candidates in recent special elections in Kansas and Georgia have played down connections to Mr. Trump, Mr. Gianforte has hewed particularly close to the presidents narrative: He promotes his outsider status (he has never held office) and his business acumen (his software empire, RightNow Technologies, started in a basement), and takes aim at sanctuary states and the liberal elite whenever he can. Hes crisscrossed the state with the presidents son, Donald Jr., and stumped with Vice President Mike Pence and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Mr. Gianfortes critics are already going after his supposed Russia ties  he holds about $250,000 in funds that include shares in Russian companies.

All that is missing, it seems, is the provocative Twitter habit.

The similarities have struck a chord with Montanans. Im voting for Greg. Period, Nancy Dehler, 69, said in a recent interview. Hes outspoken. Hes not a politician. And hes a successful businessman. She characterized her endorsement of Mr. Gianforte as a push for Mr. Trumps agenda, including less spending on welfare, a key issue for her. As for the turmoil surrounding the president, she said, the media is doing everything they can do to lie about him.

The race has pitted Mr. Gianforte, 56, who moved to Bozeman from New Jersey in the 1990s, against Rob Quist, 69, a country music artist who has spent nearly 50 years singing about the states big sky and snowy peaks. They are running to fill the at-large seat vacated by Mr. Zinke. Because the state has just one million people, the winner will be Montanas only representative in Congress. The stakes, as Mr. Gianforte put it in a recent interview, are huge.
WASHINGTON  The Trump administration asked a federal appeals court on Monday to delay ruling on a lawsuit that could determine whether the government will continue paying subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to health insurance companies for the benefit of low-income people  effectively prolonging uncertainty that is already rattling the health law.

The request could further destabilize insurance markets as insurers are developing rates and deciding whether to participate in 2018.

Insurers are supposed to submit their proposals to the federal government by June 21 and have already filed rate requests with several states. Loss of the cost-sharing subsidies, they say, could lead them to increase premiums by 15 percent to 20 percent or more, on top of any increases they might seek for other reasons.

In recent statements, the administration has not made any commitment to pay the subsidies beyond this month.
WASHINGTON  Michael T. Flynn, President Trumps former national security adviser, misled Pentagon investigators about his income from companies in Russia and contacts with officials there when he applied for a renewal of his top-secret security clearance last year, according to a letter released Monday by the top Democrat on the House oversight committee.

Mr. Flynn, who resigned 24 days into the Trump administration, told investigators in February 2016 that he had received no income from foreign companies and had only insubstantial contact with foreign nationals, according to the letter. In fact, Mr. Flynn had sat two months earlier beside President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at a Moscow gala for RT, the Kremlin-financed television network, which paid him more than $45,000 to attend the event and give a separate speech.

His failure to make those disclosures and his apparent attempt to mislead the Pentagon could put Mr. Flynn in further legal jeopardy. Intentionally lying to federal investigators is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Separately, he also faces legal questions over failing to properly register as a foreign agent for lobbying he did last year on behalf of Turkey while advising the Trump campaign, which is also a felony.

The House letter, written by Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, was made public hours after Mr. Flynn formally rejected a subpoena from senators investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and chose to instead invoke his right against self-incrimination, a person familiar with his decision said.
David A. Clarke Jr., the sheriff of Milwaukee County, was back in the news last week after announcing that he had been appointed to the Department of Homeland Security. (The Trump administration itself has not confirmed the appointment.)

Over the weekend, a CNN report accused him of plagiarizing parts of his 2013 masters thesis, a charge that he has denied.

Sheriff Clarke has become a controversial figure because of the treatment of prisoners at the Milwaukee County Jail he supervises, his rhetoric regarding gun rights and criminal justice and his excoriation of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Heres a quick look at the sheriffs moments in the spotlight.

Who Is David A. Clarke Jr.?

Sheriff Clarke, 60, joined the Milwaukee Police Department in 1978 and has been the Milwaukee County sheriff since 2002. He was appointed to the post by the states Republican governor, Scott McCallum, and has since been re-elected four times as a Democrat, most recently in 2014. He has risen to prominence in recent years as a supporter of Donald J. Trump and as a conservative commentator on Fox News and Glenn Becks radio network.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court struck down two North Carolina congressional districts on Monday, ruling that lawmakers had violated the Constitution by relying too heavily on race in drawing them, in a decision that could affect many voting maps, generally in the South.

The decision was handed down by an unusual coalition of justices, and was the latest in a series of setbacks for Republican-led legislatures. In recent cases concerning legislative maps in Alabama and Virginia, as well, the Supreme Court has insisted that packing black voters into a few districts  which dilutes their voting power  violates the Constitution.

Republicans in the North Carolina legislature denied that race was the predominant factor in redrawing the boundaries of the two districts under review. In one of them, though, they said, they had made some use of race.

The lawmakers said they had tried to comply with the Voting Rights Act, which in some settings requires that black voters be concentrated in numbers sufficient to provide them with an opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. But critics of the voting map said the legislature was actually trying to diminish the number of districts in the state that could be won by Democrats.
If O.M.B. does not stand down from its attempt to prevent designated agency ethics officials from responding to the O.G.E. data call, we will seek the waivers directly ourselves, the letter from the senators said. The administration certainly cannot dispute that Congress has the right to this information.

Ethics watchdogs, as well as Democrats in Congress, have expressed concern at the number of former lobbyists taking high-ranking political jobs in the Trump administration. In many cases, they appear to be working on the exact topics they had previously handled on behalf of private-sector clients  including oil and gas companies and Wall Street banks  as recently as January.

Mr. Shaub, in an effort to find out just how widespread such waivers have become, asked every federal agency and the White House to give him a copy by June 1 of every waiver it had issued. He intends to make the documents public.

Federal law gives the Office of Government Ethics, which was created in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, clear legal authority to issue such a data request to the ethics officers at federal agencies. This is the main power the office has to oversee compliance with federal ethics standards.

It is less clear whether it has the power to demand such information from the White House. Historically, there has been some debate over whether the White House is a federal agency or, as it calls itself, the executive office of the president. Such an office might not be subject to oversight.

The White House, however, tried on Wednesday to stop the process across the entire federal government, even before most agencies had responded to Mr. Shaubs April 28 request.

This data call appears to raise legal questions regarding the scope of O.G.E.s authorities, said the letter, which was sent to Mr. Shaub by Mick Mulvaney, the head of the Office of Management and Budget. It continued, I therefore request that you stay the data call until these questions are resolved.
The motive to protect the institutions reputation was not in alignment with those of today, Mr. Hirschfeld said. Now, he said, protecting the schools reputation means being transparent about protecting the safety of children.

Even the new report noted the failings of the previous one, which, it said, was intended by school officials to protect its reputation (and those of the individuals involved) and reduce the risk of claims being made against the school. The 2000 report was led by Robert B. Gordon, a lawyer who was already working with the school, and who is now a judge in Massachusetts. Mr. Gordon, who declined to comment on Monday, told the new investigators that he never considered himself independent counsel.

Critics said the gap between the two investigations was damning. In 2000, alumni presented the investigators with accounts of abuse by six teachers, but only those believed to be alive were studied. One of them, Jose A. G. Senor Ordonez, a former history teacher who was by then the schools archivist, admitted to misconduct, according to the new report, but was quietly sent away from the school with a monthly stipend. Mr. Ordonez died in 2008.

The school had a very deliberate pattern and practice of dealing with complaints of sexual abuse, said Paul Mones, a lawyer who represents victims of sexual abuse. That practice was to cover up and deny the problem and protect the accused faculty member and the schools reputation over the health and well-being of the young people they were supposedly dedicated to serve.

The latest investigation began about a year ago after revelations that Howard Willard White Jr., a sacred studies teacher at St. Pauls from 1967 to 1971, was accused of molesting children while he taught at St. Georges in the 1970s (he pleaded guilty this year). Officials at St. Pauls asked a team of lawyers, led by the former Massachusetts attorney general Scott Harshbarger, to investigate Mr. Whites conduct while he taught there, but they soon expanded the investigation beyond one teacher.

Put simply but starkly, several former faculty and staff sexually abused children in their care in a variety of ways, from clear boundary violations to repeated sexual relationships to rape, the 73-page report said.

The report said one student was routinely raped by Mr. White on a six-week summer trip. Mr. White could not be reached for comment. Numerous students described lengthy sexual relationships with teachers. One student married a school counselor, Terrence M. Walsh, shortly after her graduation, and then killed herself at 19 after he died of a heart attack, the report said.
A South African big game hunter was killed in Zimbabwe on Friday when an elephant that had been shot by another hunter fell on him.

The hunter, Theunis Botha, 51, from South Africa, had been leading paying tourists on hunting trips for over three decades.

He was guiding a group of hunters on Friday near a village called Gwai in western Zimbabwe, according to the Afrikaans media outlet Netwerk24, when he came across a herd of elephants. Some of them charged, and Mr. Botha fired toward them with his gun. But one elephant got close enough to lift Mr. Botha with its trunk.

Another member of the group then shot the elephant, killing it. It crushed Mr. Botha as it fell to the ground, Simukai Nyasha, a national park spokesman, told The Telegraph. Mr. Nyasha did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Monday.
NAIROBI, Kenya  James Njoroge, an Uber driver in Nairobi, earns barely $5 at the end of a grueling 10-hour workday ferrying customers through snarled traffic across the Kenyan capital. Now a new competitor is in town, threatening to undercut even these meager earnings.

That rival is none other than Mr. Njoroges own employer.

Uber in Kenya, already one of the companys most affordable services in the world, charges customers in Nairobi, Kenyas capital, a minimum fare of $2.90.

Uber is aiming to beat back competing services by pushing its prices even lower. In April, the San Francisco-based company announced it was introducing an even cheaper service at half that price, $1.45, by allowing its drivers to use much older, lower-quality cars.

Drivers say theyre bearing the brunt of the price cuts. In February, drivers went on strike to protest fare cuts that they said made it difficult for them to break even. The new pricing is much lower than that.
The Chinese government has the obligation to defend its national security and the legal authority to protect Chinas interests, a government spokeswoman said on Monday, the first official response to a New York Times report on the dismantling of C.I.A. espionage operations in China.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying, speaking during a regularly scheduled news conference in Beijing, did not confirm or deny The Timess report that for two years starting in 2010, more than a dozen C.I.A. sources were killed or imprisoned, crippling United States intelligence gathering in China.

I am not aware of the details of that report, Ms. Hua said, according to an official transcript. But I can tell you that Chinas national security organ is investigating and handling organizations, personnel and activities that endanger Chinas national security and interests and fully perform its duty with the authorization by law.

I do not want to say more about the normal performance of duty by the national security organ, she added.
JAKARTA, Indonesia  The police in Indonesia have arrested 141 men at a sauna in the capital on suspicion of having a gay sex party, the latest crackdown on homosexuality in the country.

After the arrests in Jakarta on Sunday night, the police released to local news organizations numerous photographs of shirtless men who had been detained, alarming rights activists who said friends and families of the men may not have been aware of their sexual orientation.

Same-sex relations are not illegal in most of Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim nation, though gay people are frequent targets of police raids and vigilante actions.

A police spokesman said the men had been detained on suspicion of violating Indonesias pornography law, a broad piece of legislation that is used to punish a wide range of sexual behavior.
SEOUL, South Korea  South Korean defense officials said on Monday that the missile the North launched on Sunday was a medium-range ballistic missile that cannot fly far enough to strike American military bases in Guam, as analysts had feared.

But the test of the ground-to-ground Pukguksong-2 missile appeared to have provided North Korea with meaningful data that it could use to advance its missile programs, they said.

The Pukguksong-2, first tested on Feb. 12, already represents key strides in the Norths missile technologies. The missile was fired on Sunday from a mobile launch vehicle. And unlike most North Korean missiles, it used solid fuel, rather than liquid.

These features mean that the missile can have its fuel already loaded before it is moved from a hiding place to a launching site and can be fired quickly, making it difficult for the Norths enemies to detect an attack.
BANGKOK  A bomb wounded 24 people at a military-owned hospital in Bangkok on Monday, the third anniversary of the armys seizing power in Thailand.

The attack struck Phramongkutklao Hospital, leaving three people with shrapnel wounds to the face and neck, with most of the others suffering minor injuries, said Maj. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, a government spokesman.

The Thai military seized power in the kingdom on May 22, 2014, to derail a populist movement that had won several national elections over more than a decade. The coup was at least the 12th military takeover since Thailand abandoned the absolute monarchy in 1932.

Although the hospital that was bombed is owned by the military, it also treats civilians. Gen. Chalermchai Sittisart, the Thai Armys chief of staff, said the blast took place in a room full of people who were waiting for their medications.
Signs posted along the Steveston docks in Richmond, British Columbia, a popular tourist spot, do not mince words: Dont feed the sea lions, because a bite can cause very serious infections that may lead to amputation of a limb or even death.

But people will be people, much to the frustration of the harbor authorities. On Saturday, a young girl and her family were feeding bread to a sea lion when the animal lurched up and grabbed the girl by the dress, pulling her off the dock and underwater for a few horrifying moments.

A man leapt into the water to pull her out, and it appeared that the only damage was a lost pair of glasses. A bystander caught the drama on video.
ATHENS  It may seem paradoxical, but Greeces anarchists are organizing like never before.

Seven years of austerity policies and a more recent refugee crisis have left the government with fewer and fewer resources, offering citizens less and less. Many have lost faith. Some who never had faith in the first place are taking matters into their own hands, to the chagrin of the authorities.

Tasos Sagris, a 45-year-old member of the Greek anarchist group Void Network and of the self-organized Embros theater group, has been at the forefront of a resurgence of social activism that is effectively filling a void in governance.

People trust us because we dont use the people as customers or voters, Mr. Sagris said. Every failure of the system proves the idea of the anarchists to be true.
ISTANBUL  The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the American ambassador in Ankara on Monday to complain about the detention of two Turkish security officers outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington last week, a Turkish official said.

The detentions occurred about two hours after Turkish government bodyguards were filmed assaulting several protesters outside the ambassadors residence, which is separate from the embassy.

An official at the Turkish Embassy, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of a diplomatically tense case, said that the two Turkish guards were only briefly detained, and that they have since returned to Turkey.

Ambassador John R. Bass received a written and verbal condemnation of what the Turks called aggressive and unprofessional actions by American police officers toward the bodyguards, who were in Washington to protect President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Mevlut Cavusoglu, the foreign minister.
LONDON  Having called an early election in an attempt to expand her partys majority in Parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May is pitching her strong and stable leadership at a time when Britain confronts the formidable challenge of leaving the European Union.

But on Monday, Mrs. May found that carefully crafted image at risk, as she agreed to revisit a controversial proposal to put a hard cap on the assets that residents who receive long-term care at home may own. The proposal, widely derided as a dementia tax, raised such an uproar that Mrs. May was forced to beat a hasty retreat.

The proposal was introduced on Thursday as part of the governing Conservative Partys election manifesto, which Mrs. May presented as a shift away from the partys Thatcherite past toward a more communitarian, meritocratic vision that empowers Britons and their nation to compete and succeed in the global economy.

But the proposal would have required long-term care patients to forfeit all but 100,000 pounds (around $130,000) of their assets, including the value of their property.
TEHRAN  Flush from his decisive re-election victory, Irans president struck back on Monday after a weekend of verbal affronts from the Saudi-American summit meeting, describing President Trumps visit to Riyadh as empty theatrics and mocking his support for a monarchy that has never seen a ballot box.

At a news conference in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate cleric who has sought to open up Iran, said his victory on Friday over a hard-line conservative challenger showed that Iranians had exercised a democratic choice.

Mr. Rouhani suggested that he remained open to dialogue with the United States. But he did not waste the opportunity to exploit the contrasting optics created by Mr. Trumps visit with Saudi Arabias ruling monarchs at the moment Mr. Rouhanis victory was confirmed.

Mr. Trump arrived in the region at the time when he saw 45 million Iranians participating in the elections, Mr. Rouhani said. Then he visited a country that I doubt knows the definition of elections. The poor things have never seen a ballot box.
JERUSALEM  President Trump began a two-day visit to Israel on Monday with a blunt assessment for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: If Israel really wants peace with its Arab neighbors, the cost will be resolving the generations-old standoff with the Palestinians.

For years, Mr. Netanyahu has sought to recalibrate relations with Sunni Arab nations in a mutual bid to counter Shiite-led Iran, while subordinating the Palestinian dispute as a secondary issue. But as Mr. Trump arrived in Jerusalem after meetings in Saudi Arabia, the president indicated that he and those Arab states see an agreement with the Palestinians as integral to that new regional alignment.

On those issues, there is a strong consensus among the nations of the world  including many in the Muslim world, Mr. Trump said. I was deeply encouraged by my conversations with Muslim world leaders in Saudi Arabia, including King Salman, who I spoke to at great length. King Salman feels very strongly and, I can tell you, would love to see peace with Israel and the Palestinians.
Gov. Chris Christie is on his way out. Primaries are on June 6. Here's what matters  and a few things that don't  about six candidates vying to replace him:

Taylor Ham or Pork Roll?

Taylor ham Phil Murphy (D) Former ambassador to Germany Jim Johnson (D) Former under secretary of the Treasury Pork roll John Wisniewski (D) State assemblyman for 19 years Kim Guadagno (R) Lieutenant governor of New Jersey Jack Ciattarelli (R) State assemblyman for five years I prefer kielbasa Ray Lesniak (D) State senator for 39 years

What people call this meat is perhaps the most definitive indicator of whether they consider themselves from North Jersey (Taylor ham) or South (pork roll), a divide that is as much political as it is geographic.

Their Biggest Ideas

Murphy public bank for New Jersey, creatively titled the Bank of New Jersey. Johnson An ethics plan aimed at effectively wiping out New Jersey politics as usual. Wisniewski Bringing the progressive platform to New Jersey. Lesniak A focus on the environment, including making the state free of fossil fuels by 2050. Guadagno A sweeping audit of state government finances, operations and programs. Ciattarelli An overhaul of the school financing formula to combat a property tax crisis.

Photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

The Meanest Things Theyve Said About Christie

The historically unpopular governor looms over the race, providing an easy punching bag  for both sides.

Their Paths to Victory

How They Could Win And Why They Might Not Murphy How he could win He stays the course, doesnt make a mistake and limits any mentions of his former employer, Goldman Sachs. He stays the course, doesnt make a mistake and limits any mentions of his former employer, Goldman Sachs. Why he might not If he faces an unknown big scandal or an F.B.I. investigation or if a celebrity populist makes a late entry. If he faces an unknown big scandal or an F.B.I. investigation or if a celebrity populist makes a late entry. Johnson How he could win He cobbles together a coalition of progressives, African-Americans, cultured Montclair-ites, Murphy-wary Democrats and first-time voters. He cobbles together a coalition of progressives, African-Americans, cultured Montclair-ites, Murphy-wary Democrats and first-time voters. Why he might not A late entry into the race compared with Mr. Murphys, and a lack of political experience hurt his recognition. A late entry into the race compared with Mr. Murphys, and a lack of political experience hurt his recognition. Wisniewski How he could win Senator Bernie Sanders descends on the state and endorses him and helps mobilize the activist progressive wing of the state. Senator Bernie Sanders descends on the state and endorses him and helps mobilize the activist progressive wing of the state. Why he might not Mr. Sanders most likely wont be coming to make an endorsement, and the activist wing isnt as large in New Jersey as, say, in Wisconsin. Mr. Sanders most likely wont be coming to make an endorsement, and the activist wing isnt as large in New Jersey as, say, in Wisconsin. Lesniak How he could win There is a sudden surge in environmentalists and animal rights activists, combined with a historically low turnout. Or the other three drop out. There is a sudden surge in environmentalists and animal rights activists, combined with a historically low turnout. Or the other three drop out. Why he might not As Mr. Lesniak surely knows, the political machine in New Jersey is almighty, and it has chosen Mr. Murphy. As Mr. Lesniak surely knows, the political machine in New Jersey is almighty, and it has chosen Mr. Murphy. Guadagno How she could win She strikes a balance between maintaining poll position as the establishment Republican and still being a change from Mr. Christie. She strikes a balance between maintaining poll position as the establishment Republican and still being a change from Mr. Christie. Why she might not Governor Christie proves too toxic for her to completely wash away. Governor Christie proves too toxic for her to completely wash away. Ciattarelli How he could win Mr. Christies low ratings sink even among his base, dragging down Ms. Guadagno with him. Mr. Christies low ratings sink even among his base, dragging down Ms. Guadagno with him. Why he might not He has more ground to make up and is running out of time. He has more ground to make up and is running out of time.

Their New Jersey Exits

For generations, Whats your exit? has been shorthand for where someone lived in New Jersey. Heres where, and how, the candidates live.

Johnson (D) $591,300 house in Montclair Exit 149 Garden State Parkway Lesniak (D) $76,000 home in Elizabeth Exit 13 ENGLEWOOD 149 MORRISTOWN MANHATTAN JERSEY CITY Ciattarelli (R) $728,100 home in Hillsborough Exit 12 13 New Jersey Turnpike BROOKLYN 12 Staten ISLAND edisoN 124 Wisniewski (D) $239,000 home in Sayreville Exit 124 MIDDLETOWN Murphy (D) $9.5 million home in Red Bank Exit 109 109 Garden State Parkway 102 Trenton Guadagno (R) $2.2 million house in Monmouth Beach Exit 102 Garden State Parkway Johnson Exit 151 New Jersey Turnpike Lesniak 13 BROOKLYN 12 Staten ISLAND Ciattarelli Wisniewski 124 Garden State Parkway 109 Murphy Guadagno 102 Murphy Exit 109, Garden State Parkway $9.5 million home in Red Bank Johnson Exit 151, Garden State Parkway $591,300 house in Montclair Wisniewski Exit 124, Garden State Parkway $239,000 home in Sayreville Lesniak Exit 13, N.J. Turnpike $76,000 home in Elizabeth Guadagno Exit 102, Garden State Parkway $2.2 million house in Monmouth Beach Ciattarelli Exit 12, N.J. Turnpike $728,100 home in Hillsborough Source: Property values are market value estimates provided by Property Shark.

Their Favorite Springsteen Songs

Hes a world-famous rock star, but in his home state, Bruce Springsteen is half-poet laureate, half-saint.

And if You Want Even More
Kim Guadagno

Lieutenant governor of New Jersey, Republican

Ms. Guadagno is running for the job she has effectively done for more than 500 days. Thats about how long Mr. Christie has been out of the state, and when the governor is gone, state law declares that Ms. Guadagno, the lieutenant governor, is acting governor.



It should be a compelling case to build a campaign on, but Ms. Guadagno faces a bit of a catch-22: Mr. Christies approval ratings are among the lowest in New Jersey history, so running as a continuation candidate or on the governors record wouldnt endear her to many voters. She has danced delicately, distancing herself from her unpopular boss, while also trying not to completely discard him because he remains relatively well liked by a chunk of Republicans.



Her official announcement came a little late, but her campaign has been long anticipated; she was the seeming heir apparent, and had Mr. Christies presidential plans turned out differently, she would be running as the appointed incumbent. Despite distancing herself from the governor, look for Ms. Guadagno to focus on Christie country in the state, with a heavy focus on Republican strongholds in the northern and western parts of the state  Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties  as well as Ocean and Monmouth Counties along the shore.






In a statement that was published on Friday, the Buenos Aires Herald revealed that the administration of Argentina's President, Mauricio Macri, had decided not to award President Jimmy Carter the Order of the Liberator General San Martn -- the "maximum distinction that the country can give to a foreign personality."



Although the foreign ministry had already approved the tribute, Macri's ultimately decided to rescind it "under pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration."

Word had it that Trump didn't want Carter to take away any of Trump's fire during the visit.



But also we know that Trump's vindictiveness took hold against a detractor who is not only a great humanitarian but a great statesman - a man who's life has been given to dignity and, above all, sincerity.



"Vengeance is Mine, Sayeth the Trump."

"What happens is they hit me and I hit them back harder and, usually in all cases, they do it first," Trump told Fox News in April. "But they hit me and I hit them back harder and they disappear. That's what we want to lead the country."

And hit back hard he does:



Buzzfeed:

When Donald Trump's casino business went bankrupt in 2009, a lawyer whose clients stood to lose more than a billion dollars told police and the FBI that he got a menacing phone call from a man with a thick New York accent who threatened his family.

"My name is Carmine. I don't know why you're f*cking with Mr. Trump but if you keep f*cking with Mr. Trump, we know where you live and we're going to your house for your wife and kids,"

The same month, Trump told a radio host that the Bible verse that's influenced him most is "an eye for an eye."









The open book is a Bible

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"A lot of the proposals that he has made display either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude [emphasis mine] or an interest in getting tweets and headlines instead of actually thinking through what it is required to keep America safe," President Obama said of Donald Trump on May 26th.

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Over 20 years ago, long before the experts caught on, the writers Mark Zepezauer and Arthur Naiman zeroed in on the upward redistribution of income in the United States. They called it "wealthfare," and used the term to open their 1996 book Take the Rich Off Welfare. Here's the first sentence: "Wealthfare--the money we hand out to corporations and wealthy individuals--costs us at least $448 billion a year."



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It's no exaggeration to say that the book predicted America's fortune (or, more accurately, misfortune). Government actions to make the rich richer have become standard fare. There's more allegiance to corporate profits than there is to the common good. "Wealthfare" is the ruling national ethos--economically, politically, even in the courts; at bottom, Citizens United is a Supreme surrender to the supremacy of money.

Let's explore the first "wealthfare" total of $448 billion in "subsidies, handouts, tax breaks, loopholes, rip-offs and scams." To begin with, the number looks almost puny today. Total tax expenditures (a.k.a. tax breaks) in fiscal 2018 are expected to cost the federal government more than $1.5 trillion; most Americans will get at least a dollop, but the lion's share by far will line the pockets of people whose pockets are already bulging.

That $1.5 trillion easily tops what the country spends for any other single purpose. In fiscal 2015, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, tax breaks on the federal income tax alone "cost more than Social Security, or the combined cost of Medicare and Medicaid, or defense or non-defense discretionary spending."

Defense spending itself might not sound like "wealthfare," but Zepezauer and Naiman believed it described almost two-thirds of the military's 1996 budget of $265 billion. They took on defense outlays in the book's opening chapter, "MILITARY WASTE AND FRAUD ($172 billion a year)." The route to all those billions? "Take one bloated budget. Add the most incompetent bureaucrats on earth. Only two more ingredients are needed: greed and guile." Needless to say, they found plenty of both.

Their assault on military spending also included this quote from President Dwight Eisenhower: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." (In contrast, President Trump wants a new defense budget of $603 billion. That's a year-over-year $54 billion increase, to be paid for by $54 billion in non-defense cuts.)

In 23 scathing chapters, Zepezauer and Naiman listed and estimated the costs of everything they considered "wealthfare"--from preferential taxes on capital gains to agribusiness subsidies, from the 30-year savings-and-loan bailout to the Social Security tax break for high incomes. For good measure, they topped it off with a chapter titled "WHAT WE'VE LEFT OUT (untold billions every year)."

Specifics aside, the book's real finding was the upward flow of income. After decades of shared prosperity in America, the sharing had ended and the prosperity was moving solely toward the already prosperous. "Wealthfare" presciently saw the rich getting richer, the middle class getting more middling, and income inequality rising to record highs.

These simple facts weren't fully embraced until the 2014 arrival of Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty First Century; for Zepezauer and Naiman, the trend was plain to see well back in the twentieth. They traced the outgrowth to "a series of tax 'reforms' that began in 1977 [and] cut the rate paid by the richest Americans nearly in half"" This was their biting view of 1996 America: "[S]tealing from the poor--actually, from anybody who isn't rich--has become standard operating procedure in this country. In fact, the US government today functions mostly as a huge Robin-Hood-in-reverse."

The "wealthfare" tide has mostly risen since then. The George W. Bush tax cuts went overwhelmingly in the rich-get-richer direction. President Obama did pull back modestly on the gains, but the plans advanced by Trump and the GOP will likely erase those moves and then some. The odds strongly favor another tax cut tilted heavily upward.

"Wealthfare": Zepezauer and Naiman were right on the money, long before anybody else.

-30-
Trump has done a huge turnaround from his hard-line rhetoric against Middle Eastern countries. The travel ban on six countries, all Middle Eastern, sparked widespread protests and still has to pass muster with the courts who have chosen to put a block on it for now. Instead, of mulling over the block with a glum look on his face, the president chose to play his "Trump" card, hyping the charm offensive and pledging to work alongside Middle Eastern countries adding, "Instead, we are here to offer partnership based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all." The applause was loud but it came mainly from his own contingent. He implored Muslim leaders to, "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities," referring to terrorists of Middle Eastern origin and declared Islam as, "one of the world's great faiths." However, he was smart enough to keep his, "Islam hates us," rhetoric out of his speech and that was enough to clinch a more than warm welcome from the Saudis and a sword-dance like no other.

The ceremonial sword-dance took place on Saturday outside the Murabba Palace and it gave the president and his men a chance to "get down" and who cared if they had rhythm or not! Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the president bounced and moved to the music with Cheshire cat-like grins plastered on their faces. That helped put a new face on Middle Eastern politics and the controversies back home were put on the back-burner for the time-being.

Back home, praise is being heaped on the president for his speech, his measured tone, his ability to keep his "loose lips" in check and the way he has embraced Muslim leaders with diplomacy. Today, Trump arrived in Israel and once again to pomp and circumstance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enthusiastically whispering, "Welcome, my good friend." Will it be another re-run of the Saudi success meeting? Perhaps, but probably without the sword-dance. Thank God for small blessings!


Recep Tayyip Erdogan

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Erdogan and Barzani failed to get the US support for the establishment of Ottoman Empire and Barzani kingdom in Kurdistan. Erdogan humiliation in Washington D.C. is just the start of his demise slowly but painfully. And Barzani's family face out in Kurdistan will follow because they followed loser to the end.

The Arab Islamic union under the leadership of Egypt and Saudi Arabia are stepping on the back of Erdogan and Barzani. Arab followed UK and France-Empire to destroy Ottoman Empire. And now they are following the US to kill Erdogan dream for good.

It is time for PKK forces in Turkey and Kurdish people forces in South Kurdistan to defeat Erdogan and Barzani forces now.

Erdogan and Barzani must be punished before the upcoming war with Iran. Kurdish forces must eliminate Talabani's pro-Iranian spy network too. It is time for patriotic Kurds as members of the KDP, PUK, Goran and Islamist Kurds to join teaching of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan now. And they must arrest those who are corrupt in South Kurdistan. Kurdish people court must punish the corrupt Kurds.

The Russian and US need help from Kurds in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria for future businesses. KCK must take the opportunity to forge the proper relationship with both powers for Kurdish people liberation from Persian of Tamil, Arab of Africa and Turks of Mongolia.Turkey's Erdogan Dream to Re-build Ottoman Empire is dead!

References

Saudis Welcome Trump's Rebuff of Obama's Mideast Views

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/20/world/middleeast/donald-trump-saudi-arabia.html

As Tensions Flare Between Turkey and the Kurds, the U.S. Backs Both Sides

http://inthesetimes.com/article/20150/tensions-flare-turkey-kurds-us-backs-both-sides-trump-erdogan-isis-syria
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On June 5, 2017, 79-year-old entertainer, Bill Cosby, will get his day in court. He is being charged with three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault in connection to a 2004 case involving Andrea Constand. If convicted, each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and it would mean a long downward spiral for the once popular actor and comedian.

Almost 50 women have come forward to accuse Bill Cosby of sexually abusing them in the mid-1960s and to 2008. The first accuser to break her silence was Kristina Ruehli. She claims that in 1965, Cosby sexually abused her when she was a 22-year-old secretary at a talent agency. The second is Carla Ferrigno, an actress who alleges that the actor tried to sexually assault her in 1967. Since then, Pandora's box has opened wide and many more have come forward to accuse the actor and comedian of wrong-doing. Unfortunately, for most of the women and perhaps fortunately for Cosby, the statute of limitations had run out on all the charges except for Andrea Constand's claim for which he will stand trial in June of this year.

The once popular actor and comedian made it big on the TV series, "I Spy," and went on to become a household name when he took on the role of Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable in, "The Cosby Show." It drew more than 60 million viewers catapulting him to fame, fortune and the stratosphere of success and a tremedous following. The sitcom father could do no wrong and I was one of his fans.

Little did he know at the time that the fall from the epitomy of success would be a hard one and the sins and excesses of his past would soon catch up with him in a way he didn't expect. Most of his accusers were models, some were Playboy bunnies, a doughnut shop worker and one self-proclaimed supermodel, Ms. Janice Dickenson. Mr. Cosby finds himself mired in a sea of accusations from which it is hard to escape. Lines have been drawn and the sides have been chosen and even though the actor and comedian has denied all charges and recently added that whatever took place during his meetings with the women was consensual and that the charges could be thrown back to "racism" and nefarious motivations," it will be his word against his accuser.

One thing's for sure, Mr Cosby's reputation has forever been tarnished and will remain in ruins, no matter the outcome.